Fighting for my Life

Chapter Twelve

Lynn has Aubrey and Allie. "You have them? Where? Can I see them?"  I ask. I'm seriously excited now. These girls are a piece of my past, a piece of Lacey. That's important to me.

"First of all, I don't have them. We're a team. A group. Second of all..." Lynn trails off, "You guys can come out now."

Aubrey comes out first. She was hidden behind a large clothing rack. What used to be her long brown hair, is now cut short. It is just a little bit past her sholders. Her shirt is black and white, it says 'whatever' across the front. She is wearing dark jeans and combat boots.

Allie looks exactly the same. She's tall, much taller then me. Her hair is light brown and to her shoulders. Her jeans and shirt are dirty and torn. I also notice that her eyes are red, probably from crying. I wonder why...

Aubrey speaks first, "Is Lacey... okay?" I read between the lines and shake my head. She sighs. They both come over to me and give me a hug. I squeeze my eyes shut and pretend that this hug is from Lacey, not her best friends.

When the three of us pull apart, I take a deep breath and yell, "Daryl!" Lynn gives me a weird look.

"Who's Daryl? Were you lyin-" she abruptly gets cut off and slides to the floor.

I wince when her head hits the ground.

Behind her stands Daryl. He tosses me my crossbow. "You trust 'em?" He asks, gesturing towards Aubrey and Allie.

"They're family,"  I tell him firmly.

He turns toward them, "Ye coming or what?" They both nod in response. "We'll take the motorcycle. You four follow us in yer vehicle." He tells them. They nod again.

I walk over to Brooke.

"Hey, do you want to come home with us? Your... Lynn is going to come too." I tell her.

"Lynnie is coming?" she confirms.

"Yes. We have food and water. Are you hungry?" Her eyes get wide.

"Food?" Brooke whispers, in disbelief. I nod. She stretches her little arms out until her cold fingers grasp mine. I look into her eyes before lifting her up. I know that I will protect this girl with everything I have. I couldn't save Lacey, but I can save Brooke.

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We decide to meet back at the entrance of Macy's in thirty minutes, so we can get more supplies. I help Daryl look around for clothes his size.

He turns to me, "This shit sucks." He says and I laugh.

"Yeah, looks like everyone else got all of the good stuff." I say. Then, Daryl smiles. Thats right, I made the Daryl Dixon smile.

His expression suddenly turns serious, "Do ye think they know the Governor?"

"I hope not. I can't see him again, and if I do, I'm going to have to kill him." I say.

"I'll help ye. Nobody deserves what he did to ye." He tells me. I smile at his sincerity.

"Do you really know what that man did to me?" He hesitantly shakes his head.

"H-he touched me, and he hit me and..." I take a deep breath and hold out my wrist. "You know what he did when he saw these scars? He laughed right in my face. He called me weak. He killed my sister right in front of me."

Daryl grasps my face and pulls me closer to him. His breath dances around my cheeks. He leans in a little more.

"Every scar is an untold story of survival." He murmurs. His words means the world to me. I lean in and close the gap between the two of us.

The moment our lips meet, sparks fly. My body seems to be on fire. And yet, despite this, the kiss is soft and careful. It's almost as if he's afraid to break me. I wrap my arms around his neck, and his find their way to my waist. The kiss seems to go on for an eternity before I gently pull away. I rest my forehead on his and look into his eyes. They are light brown and full of depth.

"Yer scars make you strong." He whispers.

And now, for the first time, I come to the realization that my scars aren't something I need to be ashamed of. All because of Daryl Dixon.

A/N: You like? Sorry for the crappy ending, but I like everything else! What about you? If you have any questions, just message me and I'll be glad to help! Thanks for the reads and votes!

Xoxo,

Rebecca