Lilly Watkins has always been the strong one compared to her twin. That doesn't change when the dead start walking. Taking care of her family during the apocalypse, she never relied on anyone else. When she meets Daryl Dixon, a more temperamental pe...
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I bury my face into Daryl's chest, feeling so broken from everything. We were just arguing with the man about execution and we'll never get to repair his view of us. He died thinking we were monsters.
Daryl lifts me up, carrying me somewhere. There's a zip of a tent and I'm laid onto a soft sleeping bag. My lips go to his in a hurried panic. I need him and I'm tired of the teasing. I need comfort. Marie is right. I can't always protect everyone and be the strong one. Sometimes I need the safety.
"Stop, Lilly," he grumbles, pulling away, staring straight into my eyes. "I can't be just something you play with when it's convenient. I care about you."
"I care about you too, Daryl. I want to open my circle to include you in it if you'll let me. I know you're stubborn and prideful, and I am too. Tonight, I want us to comfort each other." My hands go to his buckle and he groans, running his hands up and down my sides. "Is that a yes?"
"You talk a lot. We can talk later."
His arms are wrapped around my naked body from behind the next morning. I'm absolutely sated and contented. This is different from the CDC when we were drunk and didn't care about each other. Now, we wanted the other happy.
"Ya awake?" he asks gruffly.
"No," I giggle, snuggling into him even more. He rests his chin on my cheek, spooning me from behind. I feel something grind into me and I laugh, blushing even after all we did last night.
"Round two?"
"More like round six," I mutter, laughing as I sit up, shivering from the morning air. I find my clothes pretty quickly, slipping them on. I help Daryl put his on, though he doesn't seem happy about doing so.
Reality hits when we leave the tent. Daryl is asked to help dig Dale's grave. He apologizes with his gaze as he leaves but I just nod. This is something we have to do.
The funeral was worse than Sophia's. We all felt guilty about the Randall debacle and not being able to apologize to him for it. Still, Rick said everything that we felt and helped ease some of our pain. I felt the worst for Andrea, even if she did shoot Daryl. She lost her sister and now she lost her only support.
"We're going to check the perimeter to make sure no more Walkers can get through," Daryl says, rubbing his neck awkwardly.
"Are you asking for my help?" I ask, confused.
"No, I was just...checking in."
I grin at him. "Are we a couple now, Dare Bear?"
"Shut up, woman. I was just letting you know." With that, he sulks off. Internally, I'm extremely touched he wants to just let me know what's going on.
Later, after the perimeter sweep, Hershel decides that it's time for us to move into the house. I help the other women move the stuff but internally, I'm upset that there will be absolutely no privacy now.
"Where are you and Daryl going to take?" Carol asks, grinning.
I almost drop the tote I'm carrying. "Pardon? I'm rooming with my family."
Daryl runs over to me and I put down my load in alarm. "What's wrong?"
"Randall's gone."
I run alongside him back to the holding shed. Sure enough, it's empty.
"Rick! Rick!" We hear Shane shouting, coming out of the woods. "He's armed! He snuck up on me!"
"Everybody back in the house!" Rick orders. "Glenn, Daryl, come with me."
"I'm going too," I tell him, pulling out my pistol. I didn't believe Shane's bullshit story for a second. Daryl will be able to find his tracks.
"He weighs a buck twenty-five soaking wet and you're saying he got the jump on ya?" Daryl asks as we walk through the forest.
"Alright enough. Glenn, Lilly, and Daryl take the right flank. Shane and I will take the left. Remember, Randall's not the only threat out here." After last night, we are all too aware. Now, it's almost nightfall again.
Soon, it is dark.
"This is pointless. You got a light?" Daryl asks and Glenn hands him a flashlight. I pull out my own so I don't break an ankle. I just hope Rick is okay with Shane. I should've gone with them. Something isn't sitting right.
"What's wrong, Lil?" Daryl's voice cuts into my thoughts.
"Randall's dead. I felt this way with Sophia. I feel this way with Randall." I couldn't explain my gut feelings.
"There's fresh blood here." Daryl shines his light on a tree. "There are more tracks. It looks like they're walking in tandem. Yeah, there was a little dust-up right here," he says, shining a light on an spot. "It's getting weird."
We continue on, following the trail. "I'm telling you, it doesn't add up. He has nerve damage."
Glenn reaches down and picks up the cloth we used as a blindfold. There's rustling and we hide behind a tree, waiting for the sound to get closer. Soon, it's right on us and both Glenn and Daryl wrestle with it. Sighing, I pull out a knife, stabbing it in the head.
"Nice," Daryl says, patting me on the back.
"Thanks Dare Bear," I grin back. Looking back at the Walker, I tilt my head. "That's Randall."
Daryl leans down, inspecting the former boy. "He had his neck broke it seems. He's got no bites."
"None you can see," Glenn says.
"No, I'm telling you that he died from this," Daryl says.
Shane did it, I want to scream but I remain silent. First, we have to get home.
We get back to the house and I immediately look for Rick, finding that he's not back yet. What is looming is a whole horde of Walkers. My hands grab onto Daryl who is watching from the porch alongside the others.
Hershel starts arming us with guns. "We'll use the cars to lead the rest away from the farm."
"Marie, pack up anyways," I tell her and she nods, knowing the drill. "I'll go with Daryl to see if we can take care of this."
Daryl pulls up his motorcycle and together we go along the fence, trying to get the attention of the Walkers. Periodically, I would put down a couple but for the most part, I saved my ammo. We are just trying to create a distraction. Soon, I realized it was time to leave.
"Daryl, we need to go back for my family, it's time to leave."
He nods but then shakes his head. "There's no way back to them."
"I'm not leaving without them! Daryl!" I attempt to get off the bike but he puts me in front of him, speeding up and getting us onto the road. I'm sobbing the whole drive, wanting to go back to make sure my family got out.
He slows down, letting another person on the back. It's Carol.
"Your family got out with Lori and Beth!" she says, instantly knowing why I'm hysterical. I calm down much more noticeably after that, leaning back against Daryl.
I recognize where we are around the time it turns to daylight. We are back on the highway where we lost Sophia. The farm truck and green car are already here, as well as Rick and Hershel.
"Aunt Lilly!"
I run to my niece, crying again and pulling her into a hug. I look around for Marie, not seeing her, only seeing Milly. "Where's Marie?"
"She didn't make it," my sister speaks, startling me. "She was ripped from our arms. I tried going back for her but they wouldn't let me."
"Thank god for that!" I pull her into a hug as well, thankful she's still here as well.
We go back on the road, picking up the pieces, once again.
