Daryl Dixon: A Beautiful Disaster (SEQUEL)

Chapter 21: Looking for Lookers

Daryl's P.O.V.

We walk silently for a long time, just the sound of our feet against the leaves or the occasional deadbeat growling out at us. Eventually, as the moon sits high in the sky, Shannon asks "what did you hear?"

"Huh?" I murmur, not sure what she means.

She replies "you heard Spencer and I arguing, what did you hear?"

"Oh" I unexpectedly let slip. I quickly try to recover and say "not much." I shrug, trying to sell it but I hear a sigh escape from her. I stop walking and turn to face her, she stops then as well and when our eyes meet I decide to ask her "is it true, yew still like me?"

"uhm, I mean" She stutters "well, uhh."

I decide to step closer to her, closing the distance that's been between us for so long and say "I only did what I did cuz I care bout chew, I still do." She tenses when I first step closer but her chest falls down as she exhales after I say what I said.

She answers "I know Daryl, and ya, of course I still like you. But.."

"But what?" I spit out. If she knows I did what I did because I care, why doesn't she trust me?

She shakes her head just a little as she tries to explain "Daryl, I more than liked you, okay? I loved you, and how much it broke my heart to think you betrayed me hurt me more than I think anything your father would've done to me."

"wha?" I spit, everything stopping when she said she loved me.

"I just know I can't be hurt like that again. You were the one person I thought would never hurt me like every other man has but you did, somehow even worse. I don't want to feel that way again." She goes on. It hits me then, that I haven't been seeing things at all the same as she has. I thought she was just mad that I lied, thought she lost her trust in me. She still trusts me, cause she wouldn't have come along with me in the woods if she didn't. It's her heart that I broke, and I know damn well what that feels like. "Daryl?"

She pulls me out of my thoughts, and I realize I've been standing there dumbfounded for at least a few minutes. I also realize I missed my opportunity to tell her I love her. I just stammer "I'm.. uhh" But I have nothing to add to it. Instead of just stuttering out a stupid answer I just mutter "we should keep movin'" and turn to walk again. She doesn't stop me but lets me get a few steps a head of her before I hear that crunch on the ground again of her behind me.

When things start to get familiar, I slow my pace and then eventually stop completely. I whisper over my shoulder "we're close, probably have more look outs, maybe people on perimeter too. Should observe through the night, into the morning too."

"I can take first watch" she tells me.

We haven't slept in over 24 hours but I'm not tired. I'm not going to risk missing something to even try and sleep, I know it won't happen. "Naw, you can sleep" I return.

She answers "we'll both keep watch" she probably has similar thoughts on it as I do, so I point to where I'm going to go scout out and she nods. I hold up 2 fingers, signaling to meet back here in 2 hours and she nods again before turning to walk in the other direction. Although I want to stay close to her, I know we'll get a better view if we split and keep our eyes open. When we come back together she asks "see anything?"

"No movement" I tell her

"Yea, same for me." She responds.

I nod and whisper back "Alright, let's go closer then and repeat." She agrees and we move another 2 miles closer before splitting on lookout.

When we come together again I tell her I saw no one buy she says she saw a few lookouts switching through out the time. "It seems they rotate checking this spot. I timed it and they have someone come 8 minutes past the hour, then 13 after that, then 18, then 21 after that. Then it follows again."

"Huh, Alright." I say, trying to think why they would be rotating through perimeter like that "maybe they are down watchers. Or have some extras where the wall was attacked."

"Should we move forward that way then?" She asks me.

I shake my head "nah, I saw nobody. We'll move my way. We still a few miles out so they have spotters out pretty far. Have to be careful."

"Of course" She returns, starting to walk in the direction I came from. We walk in to where I was watching and split again for another two hours on watch. When we get back, she tells me her side was clear and I explain that I had one person walk by every 30 minutes. At this point in the day, the sun is starting to set and I know we gotta set up camp somewhere to take turns resting. I remember walking past a pretty heavily tree populated area on the walk to this spot and recommend we back track a bit to that area. I ask if she can take first watch, figuring I'd take the later part in the night. She agrees and mutters "yeah, I got it. Why don't I climb this tree and I'll whistle out if I hear or see anything."

She points to a tall tree and nod, looking a few feet behind her to a good spot I can rest my back against. There's some brush around it that's a good cover. "Wake me in 3 hours?" I ask her.

"How bout four?" She asks back, moving to head to the tree.

I shrug one shoulder "iight, want help up?" I offer.

"I got it." She assures me, and I watch as she begins to climb up the tree. I'm amazed at how fast she gets up to the branch she sits on. I watch as she ties her hair back into a ponytail and then gaze all around to keep guard. I make my way to the tree I decided to rest at and put my bow down next to me. I don't feel comfortable leaving anyone on watch, usually keeping myself up to do so. But I know Shannon and I are on the same mission right now, and I know she's got my back. I find it easy drifting off to sleep, knowing she's right above me keeping watch.