Past & Future ( Daryl Dixon x Reader )

Chapter 7

*Three Months Later*

The next few months went by in a flash. You, Enid and Mia had finally settled into life at the prison and everyone seemed to like you guys. You continued to work on the fence and guard duty in the watch towers. Enid wanted to help out around the community like you were, so she began helping Beth out with baby sitting which she seemed to enjoy.

Your relationship with Daryl was complicated to say the least, he helped out with Mia whenever you asked without hesitation. Even looked after her a few times when you joined Glenn and Michonne on a few supply runs, despite him not liking you going outside the prison, but he couldn't tell you what to do, he didn't have that privilege.

You still had no idea what to do about the two of you, you wanted to be together again, you missed Daryl so much, God, you missed him. But every time you looked at him it all just came flooding back. The pain. The loss. The loneliness. The regret. The sadness, everything you felt that night when he walked out... You'd never say it out loud, but you were scared to be hurt like that again, you were scared of him leaving, you were scared of losing Daryl again because you knew that if you let him get close, if you let him back in and then it all happened again... you wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Y/N? Hey, Y/N?" A voice called out from behind you somewhere, taking you away from your thoughts as you turned around to find Rick walking across the field towards you as you leant against the wooden fence of the pigpen. "I've been calling out to you for a while, everything alright?" He asked as he reached your side, leaning against the fence beside you with a concerned expression.

"Yeah, sorry must have just zoned out for a second there. You guys still going on the supply run today to that hospital?" You asked, glancing over at the former deputy.

They had been planning this supply run for weeks. Daryl and Glenn had scouted it out from a distance a while ago and the place was crawling with walkers, but as far as they could tell the inside looked fairly intact which meant there might still be medicine and supplies inside and you guys really needed it. You were on your last lot of antibiotics and Maggie had used the last of the painkillers when she sliced her hand pretty badly on some wire. The group really needed the supplies, so Rick, Daryl, Glenn and Tyreese had been going over different plans for the past week to make sure they had the best plan of attack.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Rick replied, not looking at you as he stared at the four pigs playing around inside the pen, but you didn't say anything as you waited for him to continue talking. "Tyreese isn't feeling too great today and I know it's a dangerous run, we haven't done something like this in a long time... but you're one of the best out there, you scavenged that town near your cabin all the time, despite it being infested with walkers. I've seen you on supply runs before, Michonne has told me how good you are out there, you're fast, stealthy and can think on your feet. I wouldn't be asking this if I didn't think it was absolutely necessary, but we could really use your help. Maggie is still recovering with her hand, Sasha is looking after her brother, I don't trust that new Bob guy yet, I'm not letting Carl out there and I need Michonne to stay home and watch over the place-"

"You can stop talking, I'm in. This supply run is important for the group and I like being out there." You replied as Rick visibly relaxed and you chuckled. "You guys are gonna have to go over the plan with me though, I wasn't there when you talked about it."

"That's fine, we were gonna go over it again anyway just to make sure everyone knew what to do, but I haven't told Daryl that you are coming yet, he won't like it." Rick informed and you rolled your eyes. Of course he won't like it, doesn't like you on fence duty because 'you're too close to the walkers' but you just ignored him. He was trying to look out for you, but you hated being told what you can and can't do, you could take care of yourself and he needed to realise that.