Ain't Nothin' Left *Daryl Dixon love story*

The lake

        She sat on the rock, staring out into the lake later that night. She was down there smoking because she couldn’t sleep. No one really was but she just wanted quiet.

        ‘Hey stone eyes.’ She looked behind her to see Daryl smirking. She gave him a surprised look. He chuckled lightly, ‘Oh come on. Ye can think I didn’t know… Ye were one of the best boxers in history Avery.’ She just shrugged her shoulders, smiling slightly. He walked over to her and sat down on the rock in front of her. ‘May I ask why yer sitting down here all alone?’ He lit his own cigarette, inhaling deeply.

        ‘Just thinkin’.’ She told him quietly.

        ‘Bout Tery?’ He asked sadly. She gave him a little smile.

        ‘Yes, but everythin’ else. I do miss the little shit though…’ She told him.

        ‘Me too. He talked ‘bout ye all the time ye know? He’d never shut up ‘bout the girl who lived down the road.’ He smirked. ‘I was supposed to meet ye soon… He told me every day that I was goin’ to meet ye… I never expected like this…’ He frowned. ‘I miss him every day… I wish he would’ve just talked to me or maybe if I would’ve worked a little harder, I could’ve gotten him out… I could’ve saved him…’ He took another drag off of his cigarette.

        ‘Don’t blame yerself Dare… There was no savin’ ‘im… He made his choice… He chose the easy way. I understand why, by no means am I judgin’ him… I just… Shit. I don’t even know.’ She told him whole-heartedly.

        ‘I just wish I could’ve done somethin’… I miss my baby brother.’ His voice cracked a little.

        ‘Ye two look just alike… Talk like it too. He wanted to be just like ye when he grew up. He told me one time, ‘My older brother, he doesn’t do nothin’ special, but I wanna grow up to be like him. He’s tough, he can take anything on and walk away. He’s my hero.’ I remember him telling me that, but in all honesty… He was only six.’ She smirked to see Daryl smiling slightly.

        ‘Yeah, he’s told me that. I miss that little turd. But I’m glad he doesn’t have to see the world how it is now… He was too sweet of a kid to survive this…’ He smiled at her. ‘I’m glad he had ye though… I think he pushed as long as he could for ye.’

        ‘I’m glad I had him too.’ She smiled. ‘He had a good brother. Tery would always talk ‘bout ye comin’ home with black eyes and how ye’d tell him all these stories on how ye got them. Then ye’d take a beatin’ from yer dad to keep him away from Tery… But when Tery got older, ye got a job, ye weren’t always there to save him… But he took the beatin’ so when ye’d come home, ye didn’t have to get beat. He cared a lot about you Dare… He really did.’

        ‘I tried to keep him from it… I really really did… But I needed to get outta there too…’

        ‘Ye don’t need to tell me that. I know ye did. And I’m sorry it turned out the way it did… But I think he’s happy now… At least I hope he is…’ She looked up to see the stars and moon fading and the sun coming up.

        ‘He is… So is ye grandma and ye ma.’ He told her and her head immediately snapped to him.

        ‘H-how did ye know…?’ She was completely shocked.

        ‘I’m Daryl Dixon. I know everythin’!’ He laughed. ‘No… I do my research… I was a fan. I planned on meetin’ ye one day. Let me tell ya, yer past wasn’t easy to find.’ He chuckled. ‘But hey, ye know things ‘bout me. I know things ‘bout ye.’

        ‘Yeah… I guess so. I’m sorry ‘bout Merle.’ Avery smiled sadly.

        ‘Shit happens. I’m not happy ‘bout it. But it happened. C’mon. Sun’s up, they’ll start lookin’ for us if we don’t get back and we need to get rid of ‘em bodies.’ She nodded and stood up. ‘Oh and Avery?’ She looked over to him, raising an eyebrow. ‘Ye should smile more. Ye have a pretty smile.’ He started walking away.

        ‘Is Daryl Dixon flirtin’ with me?’ She smiled at him.

         ‘Maybe.’ He smiled back at her before they headed back to camp.