Cherokee Roses {Daryl Dixon's Daughter}

f o u r t y e i g h t

We rush the man inside as walkers emerge from the woods. The smell of rotten flesh and death clinging to the air. Sasha pleads for help as the rest of us handle the walkers. 

I take one out by hitting it across the face with my crossbow before shooting another away from Rick who nods in thanks. Suddenly a gunshot comes from the woods, killing a walker three feet away from me. At first, I think it's my dad returning to the church but unfortunately it is not. 

"Get inside!" Rick yells shooting into the darkness as any potential threats that might await us. 

~~~

When we get settled and have lookouts posted by the windows, everyone sits down next to Bob, trying to learn what happened to him. 

"I was in the graveyard, somebody knocked me out" He says sweating and panting. "I woke up outside this place, it looked like a school. It was that guy, Gareth.  Along with 5 other ones. They were eating my leg right in front of me."

I can't help the gasp that escapes my lips. Is that really what this world has come to? What its turned people into? A bunch of cannibals who have the indecency to eat a man's leg right in front of him? I feel Carl slowly grab my hand and squeeze it. 

"Like it was nothing" He continues panting. "All proud, like they had it all figured out."

"Did they have my dad?" I ask anxiously. "And Carol?"

"Gareth said they drove off." Bob tells us groaning as he tries to sit up.

"He's in pain." Sasha says stating the obvious. "Do we have anything?"

"I think there are pill packets in the first aid kit." Rosita says oddly calm for the situation at hand.

"Yeah." Sasha nods wanting her to get them for the man she loves. 

"Save them." Bob says and we all freeze in confusion.

"No." Sasha tells him. 

"Really." He says meeting Sasha's eyes with disappointment and he softly cries as he pulls the collar of his shirt in order to reveal the bite mark in his shoulder. Sasha stares at it in disbelief, we all do. How many more of us are going to die? "It happened at the food bank." 

"It's okay." Sasha says lying to herself as tears well in her eyes. We all remain silent, watching the man who has become our friend in such a short amount of time.  Bob lays back down, wincing in pain. "Bob,"

"There's a sofa in my office." Father Gabriel speaks up from behind us. "I know its not much but,"

"Thank you" Sasha tells him sincerely while her brother goes to move Bob to the office.

Rick gets up to talk to Gabriel in harsh whispers. Carl and I remain on the floor, just holding each other. It's then that I realize how lucky we are. That  both of us have made it in this world. Judith begins to cry, and it doesn't take long for both of us to jump up and bring her towards one of the offices in the church.

I take Judith out of the basket that is a makeshift crib we've made for her. Quickly, her cries diminish and she falls back asleep. Shouts arise from outside between Rick and Abraham and I push the small girls head closer to my chest, trying to muffle the shouts from her small ears. 

Carl closes the door before sitting on the couch next to his sister and I. He wraps an arm around me and pulls me closer. 

"You're amazing with her." He tells me. "You know that right?"

"I love her." I mutter looking down at the small girl who is now drooling onto my chest. "Quite possibly even more than I love you cowboy."

"I have no problem with that." He laughs placing a kiss gently to my lips as he plays with the end of my braid. 

"We're lucky." I tell him realizing how Bob and Sasha are saying their goodbyes to each other. Who knows how long the couple has left together. "You know that right?"

"I know." He says placing his hand on top of mine that supports Judith. "I think about it every day." 

I lean my head onto his shoulder, thinking about everything we've been through. By all rights, we should be dead. We're two kids in an apocalypse. We've fought our own friends, prisoners, the dead, crazy men in charge, and cannibals. For some reason, the universe has kept us alive though. I can't help but wonder why its us, why not Sophia? Or the million other girls and boys across the world who have lost their lives to the undead. 

Suddenly, the door bursts open and Elisa comes in. The raised voices of Rick and Abraham coming through.

"This door should remain open." She says raising her eyebrows and looking between Carl and I. 

"And let the shouting wake Judith up?" I say in disbelief. "Yeah it's going to be closed."

"I mean it, if you two are alone the door stays open." My jaw drops open in awe. How can she burst in my life out of no where and act like she knows me. 

"We're not alone." I say like the smart ass I am as Judith begins to wiggle in my arms. "Judith is right here, and you just woke her up." 

"I'm your mother!" She yells angrily. 

"And?" I say rolling my eyes handing Judith off to Carl. 

"You'll do as I say, the door stays open." She repeats. 

"Dad's fine with it." I say shrugging and walking up to her so that we're face to face. 

"Your fathers not here right now." Elisa tells me as if trying to prove a point.

"And? You weren't there for 15 years of my life." I tell her. "You know who was? Dad. And if Dad's the one who's taken care of me all this time, kept me safe, kept me alive, says its okay for me to be with my boyfriend, even with the door closed, then I'll chose to listen to him. Not the one who wants to pop back into my life and play mommy just because she can. I suggest you leave, so I can get Judith back to sleep. With the door closed." 

With a huff, Elisa leaves and I somewhat slam the door behind her as if I'm trying to prove a point. 

"Wow." Carl says nodding slowly. "As much as I hate to admit it, that was kinda hot." 

"Please, now you're making me want to listen to her." I joke taking Judith from his arms so we can readjust into the position we were in. 

"I think I get it now." He says after a moment of silence.

"Get what?" I ask playing with Judith's hands as she giggles at me. 

"Why you have so much anger towards her." I don't need to ask him who her is to know he means Elisa. "She's trying to barge into your life, as if she didn't miss all those years."

"Ah, so you do get it."

"Yeah." He says nodding slightly. "And no matter what choice you make, I'll be by your side." 

With that he places a slow kiss on my lips, allowing me to soak him in. One of his hands moves towards my face as he holds me steady and I bite his lip before pulling away. 

"I love you." I tell him as if I hadn't told him enough already. 

"I love you more Cheri." 

___

Word Count: 1241

Woooooo, y'all know  I just had to add some drama. 

Hope you're liking the Little Charl moments (forgive the ship name it's rough ik) I've been putting in. 

Feedback is appreciated and encourages me to write faster!