Daryl Dixon x Reader

When Death Comes Knocking

**Sorry the chapter is so short**

When Andrea turned up at the prison nobody knew how to react. Not ever Rick, he wasn't sure if he should be weary or welcome her back with open arms. When she had arranged a meeting between the Governor and Rick to make peace between the groups he had quickly agreed. When Rick had  returned he had a mix of anger, confusion and pure guilt carved into his features. He tapped you on the shoulder as well as Hershel and Daryl once the others were busy. He led all three of you into the boiler room, and shut the door.

"He wants Michonne"

"Well what you gonna do? We can't just give her to him." You say, eyes wide at the information. "She is one of us now."

"He'll kill her y'know?" Merle enters the boiler room leaning against the door; while you all turn to look at the other Dixon "What? I know the man and y'er dealin' with a killer. Take my word for it, he'll end 'er the second y' turn yer back."

"Where's your humanity Rick?" Hershle pipes up. "We can't just hand her over. (f/n)'s right, she's one of us now."

"He threatened war!" Rick shouts and the lot of you. "He will killer all of us including Michonne, if we don't hand her over."

"I'll do it." Merle mumbles "If it means the lives of yer group."

Hershle looks at Rick to you and shakes his head.

"What about you Daryl?" Rick asks "What do you think we should do?"

Daryl just shakes his head and looks at the ground. "It's yer call." He glances back up at Rick and Rick glances back over to Merle.

They hold each others stares before Rick gives a quick nod. "You still up for it?" he asks only gaining a small nod from Merle.

You look at Rick in disgust as Merle walks away closing the boiler room door quietly. "What the fuck, Rick?! She's with us! Without her Judith would have died, you remember that?! How she brought formula with a bullet in the leg to warn us about Glen and Maggie! Well, you remember, right?!

"He will kill us! What other option do we have?!"

"We fight! We don't just give up!"

"It is done! No more discussion!"

With tears in your eyes you stomp out of the boiler room like a stroppy toddler, making every step echo through the prison; slamming the door as hard as you can to show your anger. You begin to run to the abandoned guard tower at the far side of the courtyard.

You hide up there for at least four hours before they send someone up looking for you. Carol knocked on the door and then slightly pushed it open slightly.

"Hey, (F/n). How are you feeling?" Her voice was thick of concern and worry. Your red puffy eyes meet with her concerned blue ones and Carol feels her heart sink.

"Oh sweetie." She rushes to you and wraps her arms around your shoulder.

"How could they just fucking send her to her death?! She was fucking part of the group!"

Over the course of the few weeks you had known Michonne you had developed a strong friendship, all because of your weapon of choice. "Sorry." You mutter bowing your head. "For the language."

"It's fine." She says with a sad smile. "I was married to Ed Pelitire. I've heard it all before, not that I'm comparing you to him." 

"I'm sorry for your loss." You say gathering what must have happened to him.

"Oh no don't be. He got what he deserved."

"Deserved?"

Carol only nods her head. Sensing she didn't want to talk about it you left the subjuct alone, not wanting to upset her. Little did you know how much you had in common.

Carol said stroking your matted (h/c) hair with her hand in a motherly type fashion "Please come back down. Daryl is worried sick."

"Then why didn't he come to see if I was alright?"

"He thought you might want space. He could see how upset you were."

You nod your head and pull yourself up off the ground. Carol walks a little in front of you until you get to the prison. Pushing the doors open you find everyone there minus Merle and Michonne. Daryl paces up and down the corridor while everyone else sits round the dinner table. His guilt filled eyes meet your and he stops with a sad smile. He slowly approaches you and pulls you into a hug. Burying you face in the crook of his neck you begin to inhale his scent.

"I'm so sorry." He mumbled into your hair pulling you closer into his muscular arms.

"Don't be."

A few hours later Michonne returns and although you were relieved you couldn't help wondering where Merle is. "Said he had something he had to do on his own. Told me we need to prepare for what's coming next."

"I don't like the sound of that." You hear Daryl mutter quietly from behind you. "Rick, I'm going to find him." His voice raises a few bars so he can be heard. "Bring him back here."

Rick gives Daryl a nod. He leaves the prison and begins to open the car door. You run up behind him and he turns to face you, with a raised eyebrow. Oh god how pretty he looks!

"I don't think I can stand to stay in the same room as Rick right now." You stated simply. Daryl nods and you get into the car. Daryl figures the best place to look is the meeting place. The drive there is to quiet for your liking. You get bored quickly and look out your window,watching as the trees rush past in a blur.

When you get there the grass is covered in walkers. You follow Daryl around the side of the rusty metal shacks, dodging the small group of walkers that had formed around a body. You get to the clearing and see a lonely walker in the grass feeding from a corpse. It begins to raise its head and tears come to your eyes.

"Merle." His name comes out as a whisper. What once was Merle begins to rise and make its way slowly towards you. His now pale skin on his arms contours with the clenching of his muscles. His once clear Blue eyes now a glazed over yellow.

You feel your bottom lip begin to tremble. You watch as Daryl pushes him back, not wanting to kill his own brother. He does this many times but the walker just keeps coming back. Daryl puts Merles body out of its misery and you watch as Daryl breaks down in front of you, collapsing into the grass. You run to him with tear running down your own face and embrace him. He cries into your shoulder. You wait for him to calm down before helping him up and into the car. Neither of you look back. You place a distraught Daryl in the passenger seat and you take the wheel.

"I'm so sorry" You say wiping your tears off your cheeks.

You don't get an answer from him. He turns his head and looks out the window watching the trees rush by.

While you were gone Rick had told everyone that he had planned to do with Michonne and then explained why he was wrong to do it. That's when the question had arose.

"Do we stay and fight or do we leave."

You are the one to tell people about what happened to Merle when you get looks of concern from all group members, including Michonne. Meanwhile Daryl climbs into your bed and faces the wall. You shortly follow him closing the fabric drapes you made across the door. You climb in next to him and stroke his hair placing small kisses on the back of his neck until he is a sleep.