Last One Standing ~ TWD Daryl Dixon

170

Hello everyone! New season starts this week! Who's excited?! 

Happy Reading! 

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Jo

Maggie had found me new clothes and I honesty felt better. Chances were good every piece of clothes I owned had gone up in flames the night before so I had chosen these ones carefully. The black skinny jeans were a little too long and had to be cuffed but they weren't as tight as the pair from The Sanctuary. I could actually maneuver in these. I had also selected a black long sleeve Henley that was fitted well enough to lay smoothly under my shoulder holster. I wasn't as likely to ruin the black as quickly either. I had washed my face and pulled my hair back into a ponytail and I felt like a new person. My ankle still throbbed inside my boot but the long sleeves covered my gauze wrapped wrists. It was like my visit to The Sanctuary never happened.

I was coming down the steps of the house when Daryl spotted me across the yard. He changed his course to walk towards me. His face was grim and there were lines of stress around his eyes. Something was bugging him. When our eyes locked something like relief crossed his face and he strode towards me purposefully. I glanced around and stepped off the porch into the shade of one of the large old trees to give us some privacy.

"What's wrong?" I asked without preamble.

He shook his head tightening his hand around the strap of his crossbow. "Nothing that can be fixed. I was look'in for ya, found Rick instead. He's spinning," he scrubbed his face with his free hand. The stress and pressure of taking care of everyone was getting to him. 

"You needed me?" I prompted, wondering why he was looking for me.

He dropped his hand and a teasing smile twisted his lips, though his eyes were serious. "Always darlin'."

I snorted and looked down. "Stop," I said as color heated my cheeks.

Daryl chuckled and his warm fingers caught my chin lifting it so I was looking straight into his sky blue eyes. He shook his hair out of his face and a small frown formed between his eyes. "You good?"

A small sad smile crossed my face. "Always," I promised him, but didn't look like he believed me.

"I told Jesus I'd be part of the look out relay," he told me grimly.

I nodded and reached down to touch my knives. "Okay," I said tiredly. "Let's do it." I still only had the four knives and the two handguns. I needed time to get out to scavenge some more. Only four knives was grossly underarmed especially considering one of them was a small pocket knife and the other was my kukri. Only two knives I could throw made me feel more uncomfortable than I wanted to admit, even if I was surrounded by allies. 

He shook his had, pressing his lips together. I could tell he was about to say something I wasn't going to like. He always got that look on his face when he thought he was going to make me mad. "Why don't you stay," he suggested.

When I didn't immediately argue his thumb gently caressed the line of my cheekbone. "You could get some rest," his voice was low and gruff. "We're taking a lot of people on the relay. Something goes south they could use you here," his other hand dropped to my waist and his fingers skimmed over the metal of my knives. "We need to find you some new hardware," he observed thoughtfully. He closed his hand loosely around my hip.

I wanted to argue with him and insist on going with, but his logic was sound. It didn't make sense for me to go along just to go along.

"Do you need-?" he started to ask and he stopped.