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the-name-is-z · 2 months

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SKELETONS | ch. 17

daryl dixon x f!oc

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Summary: The group argues heavily over Randall's fate, their humanity and civility hanging in the balance. Warnings/Information: AMC's The Walking Dead OC Insert | 18+ Advised | strangers to lovers; the slowest of slow burns; gore; angst; horror; humour; m/f; discussion/descriptions of suicide attempt, injuries relating to suicide attempt, child risking their own life, discussion of execution/murder, moral arguments, theft, discussion of civility, humanity, etc

Chapter 17 - Calm

Iris grit her teeth as Maggie explained in a dark voice what Andrea had done. She had spoken to Beth and apparently allowed her to be alone. And in that time, Beth tried to kill herself. She’d broken the bathroom mirror and used the glass shard to slit her wrist open. It wasn’t nearly deep enough to do anything, and the consensus was that Beth now wanted to live, but Andrea still left her there to do it.

She was upset for Maggie, and sad for Andrea. It was a difficult way of thinking to get in the habit of. It was painful and hard. Most of them tried hard to live in fight or flight, the adrenaline eating at them day by day. Then there were the others, who felt every bit of pain of the world.

Iris knew how many people ‘opted out’ when the world went to shit. Her father among them. It was easier for them, and she wanted to respect their decision. Some people weren’t built for the constant adrenaline. But when you were stuck between the two, had commitments, had family, it was a million times harder. To decide why you’re living, what you’re living for. Who you’re living for, if not yourself.

It wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have with any of them. For Beth and Maggie, it was between them. For Iris, she wasn’t entirely sure where she fell yet. She knew she wanted to survive, to live. But she wasn’t sure yet what for.

Daryl was in the shed with Randall, scaring the living shit out of him. He had a knife, was beating him bloody and threatening to cut off appendages. Randall knew Maggie, and unless they wanted to kill him, he was a risk to the group. He was feeding Daryl information. Information he wanted to be very, very careful about sharing.

Iris had asked, and he told her everything Randall had said. He was a piece of shit, but he wasn’t Satan. He’d done terrible things, but they had yet to decide what sort of things were worth a human life. Who were they to make that distinction?

“So whatcha gonna do?” Lori asked, pouring herself some coffee from the campfire. “I think we’d all feel better if we knew the plan.”

“Is there a plan?” Andrea asked.

“We gonna keep him here?” Glenn asked. They were all looking to Rick, who’d gotten new clothes from their latest run into town. It was always weird to see white shirts that were really, actually white. Shane stood beside him, his hands on his belt as he waited for Rick to make the decision. He’d been quiet since Rick took him out with Randall, and that almost worried Iris more.

“We’ll know soon enough.” Rick replied, jerking his chin to Daryl, who was coming back to join them once again. His knuckles were covered in blood and Iris raised an eyebrow.

“Boy there’s got a gang. Thirty men. They have heavy artillery and they ain’t looking to make friends.” Daryl explained. “They roll through here, our boys are dead, and our women, they’re gonna wish they were.” Iris grimaced, turning to Rick with her raised eyebrow.

“What did you do?” Carol asked, looking at his bloodied hands.

“We had a little chat.” Daryl snarked.

“No one goes near this guy.” Rick murmured.

“Rick, what are you gonna do?” Lori asked quietly, approaching him directly.

“We have no choice. He’s a threat.” Rick decided. “We have to eliminate the threat.”

“You’re just gonna kill him?” Dale asked, dumbfounded.

“It’s settled. I’ll do it today.” Rick turned around, and Dale chased after him, jaw wide open. They argued for a little in the field, and Iris watched Dale’s frantic gestures. Everyone settled into the morning. It seemed like it would rain today.

“You good?” Iris asked, nodding to Daryl’s knuckles as he sat down with a plate of eggs. He gave a half-shrug.

“Punk told me about how they happened upon a guy in the woods, had a camp with two daughters.” He said lowly. Iris nodded. “He didn’t do it, but he watched ‘em.” Iris sighed deeply, running a hand over her face. “You against it?” Daryl asked, seeming surprised.

“Despite all the knives, I actually dislike the idea of killing people.” Iris stated, trying to make light of the situation, but it wasn’t working. “I don’t know.” Daryl nodded.

“I wouldn’t say ‘yes’ if it wasn’t a danger to the group.” He mumbled. Iris nodded in agreement.

A while later, Daryl was fiddling around his own little campsite behind the old stone building. Iris sat in silence, watching him, enjoying the comfortable quiet. She also watched as Dale came walking across the field toward them, a rifle in hand just in case. Daryl scoffed once he stood up and noticed him.

“The whole point of me coming up here is to get away from you people.” He muttered.

“Well, Iris is here.” Dale retorted. Daryl turned to make eye contact with her and he shrugged.

“She knows when to keep her mouth shut.” He replied. Iris scoffed, toasting her canteen sarcastically before taking a long swig. “Carol send you?”

“Carol’s not the only one that’s concerned about you, your new role in the group.” Dale said softly.

“Oh, man, I don’t need my head shrunk.” Daryl grumbled, adding feathers to the arrows he was making. He was actually very crafty, and Iris enjoyed watching him work, even if it meant she had to ‘keep her mouth shut’.

“He responds better to positive punishment.” Iris suggested as a joke. Daryl scowled, flicking a… pheasant foot… at her.

“You act like you don’t care.” Dale observed.

“Yeah, it’s cause I don’t.” Daryl replied.

“So, live or die, you don’t care what happens to Randall?”

“Nope.”

“If it doesn’t matter, why don’t you stand with me? If it really doesn’t matter, one way or the other?” Dale proposed.

“I didn’t peg you for a desperate son of a bitch.” Daryl mumbled.

“Your opinion makes a difference.” Dale stated.

“Man, ain’t nobody looking at me for nothing.”

“Iris is. Carol is. And I am. Right now. And you obviously have Rick’s ear.”

“Rick just looks to Shane. Let him.”

“You cared about what happened to Sophia.” Dale pleaded. “Cared what it meant to the group. Torturing people? That isn’t you. You’re a decent man. So is Rick. Shane— he’s different.”

“Why’s that? ‘Cause he killed Otis?” Daryl asked. Dale paused, eyes going wide.

“He tell you that?”

“Just some story. How Otis covered him, saved his ass. He shows up with the dead guy’s gun. Rick ain’t stupid. If he didn’t figure that out, it’s because he didn’t wanna.” Daryl turned and walked off, leaving Dale to turn to Iris, a defeated look on his face. Iris looked at him with sympathy, patting the spot on the log next to her.

“Alright?” She asked. He shook his head.

“This is not how it should be.” He mumbled. “We used to be civilized.”

“You think so?” Iris asked, putting her elbows on her knees as she looked at him.

“You don’t?” He asked in return. Iris sucked on a tooth.

“Honestly, Dale. I was raised by a biker gang in a bar because my dad spent his life drunk before kicking his own bucket. I got my first gun at ten years old. Those kinds of people… this is how it always was.” She explained slowly, chewing on each word carefully.

“I’m sorry you had to grow up like that.” He said quietly. Iris shrugged.

“It’s who I am, and I won’t change it. But… I think it’s wrong to expect true… ‘humanity' from everyone, especially if they’ve never experienced it before.” She made air-quotes, looking pointedly in the direction Daryl had gone to emphasize. She paused, turning to the house and the campsite in the distance. “Have you ever killed a person, Dale?”

“No. Have you?”

“Yes.” Iris replied. “I killed my mother, because she tried to kill my brother. Well, my cousin. I was ten. It was the first time I used that gun.” Dale sat back, somewhat appalled. “The point is, sometimes we don’t have a choice. We have to protect the people we love.” He opened his mouth to interject but she held up a hand. "I’m not saying that’s this situation. I don’t know what to do about Randall. But I think it’s naïve to think another situation like this won’t happen. And another. And another. At one point, Dale, you’re not gonna have a choice.”

“I don’t want to live like that. I don’t think we should.” He said, standing in frustration.

“Dale—“

“I’m sorry you didn’t grow up in a better home, Iris. I… I’m sorry for you.”

Iris watched him leave and sighed. He could be as sorry as he wanted. She wasn’t. She always had done what she knew was right. She killed her mother, who had a psychotic break, in self defence. The law said she was right, the jury said she was right, and the judge said she was right. The newspaper called her a local hero. For Felix, she would have done anything, and the world was better off without her mother in it.

It wasn’t about right or wrong, though. It was about playing the odds. What were the odds that if they left Randall alive, that his group would come down on them with the wrath of God? Especially after Daryl tortured him. She was sure that didn’t help. By what percentage did their odds of survival increase if they killed him? Ten? Twenty? Sixty? Would Randall’s death be a significant factor in changing their lives?

Iris witnessed Carol have a brief argument with Lori about something ‘cruel’ Carl said about Sophia. Rick assured them he would speak to Carl about it and he did, but something he said resonated in Carl and she noticed. Don’t talk, think. It wasn’t a bad rule of thumb, but it was important to stand up for what you believe in. Without being cruel to others, however.

Carl’s newfound attitude amused Iris still. Dale continued in his rounds, speaking to everyone to try and convince them to stand against the decision to execute Randall. He left Iris to her own devices, and Iris remained in and around Daryl’s campsite, away from the others. It was peaceful here, and at some point, Carl wandered up, likely bored.

He strode around, looking at Daryl’s string of dead squirrels before his eyes fell onto the motorcycle. Carl grinned as he grabbed the handles, pretending he was revving the engine.

“Careful, cowboy.” Iris warned. Carl jumped sky-high, spinning around to see her leaning against a tree. She smiled, and he took a deep breath to calm himself down.

“Sorry.” He mumbled. She shook her head.

“I did it too. Just don’t let Daryl see.” She replied. He looked up at her and smiled.

“It’s so cool.” He murmured. Iris nodded. “Loud, though.” She hummed, proud yet amused as he was slowly figuring out how the undead world worked. He looked off into the forest before walking right in.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Iris asked, hurriedly following after him.

“I want to practice killing walkers again.” He called, moving quickly through the brush.

“Carl, wait a second!” She called after him. Iris actually had to try to keep up with him. She followed him all the way to the creek, the banks much shallower than where she and Daryl had found Sophia’s doll. There was a walker standing there, ankle deep in the mud, and Carl almost ran up to it.

It spotted him, turning and gnashing his teeth, but it was stuck, unable to pull its feet from the bank. Carl took that as an opportunity to get closer.

“Carl.” Iris warned, jogging up to the bank. He ignored her, tossing a rock at the walker. It snarled in irritation, pulling to reach for him. Carl watched it with interest, and parked himself on a nearby log.

They were there for a couple hours, just sitting and watching the walker. Carl said nothing and neither did she. His interest in walkers… it was dangerous. Concerning. Needed to be set right. Hopefully his parents would figure that out sooner than later. She also hoped that Carl wasn’t under the assumption she would keep this to herself.

“I’m gonna kill it.” He decided, pushing to his feet. Iris watched as he ran around behind the walker. It was still stuck, turning around to claw at Carl with a twisted spine. Carl got closer, taking a deep breath, and pulled out a gun.

Iris scrambled to her feet at the sight of it. That was Daryl’s gun. She didn’t even see the little bastard take it from the motorcycle bag. He pointed it at the wriggling walker, shaking with the weight and struggling as the walker moved around. Carl stepped closer, trying to make it easier, when the walker’s foot finally got loose.

It fell forward, it’s hand knocking the gun from Carl’s hand. Carl gave a shriek of surprise, yelping as he crawled backward away from the walker. Iris leapt over the fallen log, plunging a knife into the walker’s leg just as it grabbed onto Carl’s leg.

She kicked it away and Carl scrambled back, putting a good ten feet in-between him and the dead man. Iris scowled as she grabbed the gun from the ground, following after Carl as he started back to the farm. He didn’t stop until he got to the field before the farm, Iris sprinting after him.

“Christ, kid, what were you thinking?” She yelled, stopping him. He wouldn’t meet her eyes, his lip quivering as he shook. He was scared out of his wits. She tucked the gun into the back of her pants, kneeling down in front of him. “You’re okay, alright? Don’t do something like that again.”

He barely nodded before he turned back to head to the farmhouse, and Iris followed after him. The group was gathering on the deck to finally decide what to do with Randall, and she didn’t want to miss the verdict. She followed as they all trailed into the house, Lori sending Carl off to stay with Jimmy.

Everyone found a spot around the room, Daryl leaning against the open doorframe while Rick stood front and centre. Iris found a seat on the windowsill, the late afternoon sunlight shining a golden glow into the room. A little ironic, she’d say.

“So how do we do this?” Glenn asked, breaking the baited silence. “Do we just take a vote?”

“Does it have to be unanimous?” Andrea asked.

“How about majority rules?” Lori proposed. Iris raised an eyebrow.

“Well, let’s just see where everybody stands.” Rick said, putting his hand out. “Then we can talk through the options.”

“Well, where I sit, there’s only one way to move forward.” Shane started off, leaning himself against the fireplace mantle.

“Killing him, right?” Dale asked. He shook his head. It was clear he was exhausted and defeated, and Iris pitied him. “I mean, why bother to even take a vote? It’s clear which way the wind’s blowing.”

“Well, if people believe we should spare him, I wanna know.” Rick replied firmly.

“Well, I can tell you, it’s a small group— maybe just me and Glenn.” Dale said quietly. Iris looked to Glenn, who sat on the piano stool between Rick and Dale, looking fairly guilty. He looked up at Dale, who seemed pained at the expression on his face.

“Look, I— I think you’re pretty much right about everything, all the time, but this—“

“They’ve got you scared!” Dale argued.

“He’s not one of us.” Glenn replied simply. “And we’ve… we’ve lost too many people already.” Dale clutched his hat in his hands, knuckles turning white. He pointed it to Maggie in question.

“How about you, do you agree with this?”

“Couldn’t we continue keeping him prisoner?” Maggie asked after a moment. She looked down at her father who sat impartial on his sofa.

“Just another mouth to feed.” Daryl replied quietly in answer.

“It may be a lean winter.” Hershel added.

“We could ration better.” Lori argued.

“Well, he could be an asset.” Dale tried.

“How so?” Iris asked.

“Give him a chance to prove himself.” He pleaded.

“Put him to work?” Glenn asked.

“Sounds like a chance to bring his group down on us.” Iris retorted.

“We’re not letting him walk around.” Rick said firmly.

“We could put an escort on him.” Maggie proposed.

“Who wants to volunteer for that duty?” Shane snorted.

“I will.” Dale huffed.

“I don’t think any of us should be walking around with this guy.” Rick stated, shaking his head.

“He’s right. I would’t feel safe unless he was tied up.” Lori agreed.

"We can’t exactly put chains around his ankles, sentence him to hard labour.” Andrea murmured.

“Look, say we let him join us, right? I mean, maybe he’s helpful. Maybe he’s nice. We let our guard down and maybe he runs off, brings back his thirty men, like Iris said.” Shane explained.

“So the answer is to kill him to prevent a crime that he may never even attempt?” Dale asked, bewildered. “If we do this, we’re saying there’s no hope. Rule of law is dead, there is no civilization.”

“Oh my god.” Shane grumbled, rolling his eyes.

“Could you drive him further out, leave him like you planned?” Hershel suggested.

“That doesn’t guarantee our safety. Or his.” Iris replied, looking at Dale pointedly. He pressed his lips together in a thin line.

“They barely came back this time.” Lori murmured, clutching her hand to her chest as she turned to her husband. “There are walkers, you could break down, you could get lost—“

“Or get ambushed.” Daryl added.

“They’re right, we should not put our own people at risk.” Glenn agreed.

“If you… go through with it, how would you do it?” Patricia asked. “Would he suffer?”

“We could hang him, right? Just snap his neck.” Shane offered.

“I thought about that.” Rick sighed. “Shooting may be more humane.”

“And what about the body? Do we bury—“ T-Dog started.

“Whoa, whoa, hold on! Hold on! You’re talking about this like it’s already decided!” Dale cried.

“We’ve been talking all day. Going around in circles. You just wanna go around in circles again?” Daryl asked, standing straight.

“This is a young man’s life!” Dale yelled. “And it is worth more than a five minute conversation!” He huffed as the room fell silent, all of them turning to him. “Is this what it’s come to? We kill someone because we can’t decide what else to do with him? You saved him! And now look at us. He’s been tortured. He’s gonna be executed. How are we any better than those people we’re so afraid of?” There was a long beat of silence as they considered what he was saying. Iris sighed.

“We all know what needs to be done—“ Shane murmured.

“No, Dale is right.” Rick decided. “We can’t leave any stone unturned here, we have a responsibility—“

“So what’s the other solution?” Andrea asked.

“Let Rick finish.” Lori scolded.

“We haven’t come up with a single viable option yet.” Andrea stated, putting a hand on her hip. “I wish we could—“

“So let’s work on it!” Dale yelled.

“We are.” Rick replied calmly.

“Stop it. Just stop it.” Carol grumbled. “I’m sick of everybody arguing and fighting. I didn’t ask for this. You can’t ask us to decide something like this. Please, decide, either of you, both of you, but leave me out.”

“Not speaking out, or killing him yourself. There’s no difference.” Dale said pointedly with a humourless smile.

“Alright, that’s enough.” Rick huffed. “Anybody who wants the floor before we make the final decision has the chance.” There was a long pause as Maggie and Patricia sat down, the silence deafening. Dale looked around frantically to everyone, hoping someone would say something before stepping toward Rick.

“You once said that we don’t kill the living.” He said.

“Well, that was before the living tried to kill us.”

“But don’t you see? If we do this, the people that we were, the world that we knew is dead.” He spat. “And this new world is ugly, it’s harsh. It’s survival of the fittest. That’s a world I don’t want to live in. And I don’t believe that any of you do. I can’t. Please. Let’s just do what’s right.” He breathed as they waited through another beat of silence. “Isn’t there anybody else who’s gonna stand with me?”

“Dale,” Iris said quietly from her windowsill, “the world has always been ugly, but it’s only going to get uglier. The world you knew is dead. I think all of us would agree that killing this boy is wrong. Fundamentally. But if we don’t play along, we won’t survive. We can all be idealistic and want to live in a better world, but this is the only world we’ve got. And I can’t speak for anyone else here, but regardless of the world around me, I want to live.”

Taglist:

@heidiland05 @ryoujoking @catlalice @maxinehufflepuffprincess @lowkeyhottho

#thenameisz #daryl dixon #daryl dixon x reader #skeletons #the walking dead #the walking dead daryl dixon #twd daryl #twd daryl dixon #daryl dixon x oc

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castielli · 2 years

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How to request:

Send your request featuring the character you want, the plot (+ANGST, FLUFF…) and anything I need to know about the reader.

MASTERLISTS:

MOVIES/TV SHOWS

KDRAMA/KPOP

OCs PROFILE:

@nathan-ocs

Fandoms I write for under the cut!

——————————————

NCIS

Timothy McGee

Jimmy Palmer

Nicholas Torres

CRIMINAL MINDS

Spencer Reid

Penelope Garcia (platonic🫶)

Luke Alvez

CALL OF DUTY (MW/WWII)

John Price

Soap MacTavish

Ghost Riley

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Alex Keller

Alejandro Vargas

Phillip Graves

Vladimir Makarov

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Red Daniels

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Joseph Turner

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SHAMELESS

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Lip Gallagher

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THE WALKING DEAD (+TELLTALE GAME)

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Kenny

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STRANGER THINGS

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Eddie Munson

Jim Hopper

Jonathan Byers

Peter/001

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THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY (I still need to finish the last season😊)

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Number Five

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SUPERNATURAL

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NOW YOU SEE ME

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CHRISTIAN BALE

Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)

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PEDRO PASCAL

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Silva (Strange Way of Life)

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I WON’T WRITE:

-Smut (for anyone)

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-Female readers/GN readers

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-inc*st

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-Romantic/Suggestive stories for underage characters (only platonic, basically)

If the character you wanted to request is not on the list, you can try and ask me anyways.

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scarisd3ad · 8 months

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To the end and back | Daryl Dixon x fem!reader

Chapter twenty-one - mamas boy

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Masterlist

Taglist

Summary - after the world ended you were sure you’d never find love again but a certain archer catches your eyes and changes the entire trajectory of your life.

Warnings - death during child birth, labor, normal twd warnings

A/n - since s3 ep 3 is mainly focused around Andrea and michonne we’re skipping to ep 4!

S3 ep 4

'Killer within'

I'm outside helping Rick, Daryl, Carol, and T move the cars and clear the yard. Since Hershel was now awake, we were going to try and use his knowledge about crops to start a little garden. "Okay, let's get the other car in." Rick says as Carol backs a white truck up, giving space to move the next in. "we'll park'em in the west entry of the yard." Rick says. "Good, our vehicles camped out there looked like a giant vacancy sign." Daryl says as Rick begins to walk forward, pointing at the abundant corpses scattered about the yard. "After that, we need to load up these corpses so we can burn'em."

We follow after him. "gonna be a long day." T mutters. "where's Glenn and Maggie? We could use some help." Carol asks. "Up in the guard tower." Daryl says as he continues walking forward and points up at the guard tower. We..well, I knew what that meant. We don't get enough or much alone time with our significant others, and even with the cells, the walls are thin, and the beds are small. So, they'd go up to the guard tower in the middle of the night to have...fun. "Guard tower??" Rick asks, squinting as he looks up towards the guard tower, trying to figure out what they are doing. "They were just up there last night." Rick adds as Daryl walks a bit closer to Rick.

"Glenn! Maggie!" Daryl shouts. A shirtless Glenn tumbles out of the guard tower while simultaneously pulling his pants up and fixing his belt. "Hey, what's up, guys?!" he shouts, trying to play it off, trying to make it seem like we don't know what they were doing up there. we all laugh. "you comin'?" my eyes widen as I swat at Daryl's shoulder. "what?!" Daryl chuckles at Glenn's reaction. "You comin'?!" Daryl repeats. Glenn looks over at Maggie. "come on! we could use a hand!" Daryl shouts. Maggie walks out, her hair askew and one of the straps on both her shirt and bra falling down. "Yeah, we'll be right down!" then both retreat back into the guard tower.

Carol, Rick, Daryl, and I walk away while quietly giggling. "Hey Rick," T-dog calls out, which makes all four of us stop and look back. The smile that was once spread across Rick's lips fades as he sees the two surviving prisoners walk up to the fence. The other 3 died yesterday, mostly from not understanding how to deal with walkers or how the world works nowadays. Rick marches up to them, muttering, "Come with me." as he passes by T. The prisoners cross into the yard as Rick, T, and Daryl walk up to them. "that's close enough." Rick growls. The prisoners stop in their tracks. Rick is wary of the remaining two prisoners because of how one of them behaved yesterday. He doesn't want to let his guard down and then find out the other two are traitors, too. "We had an agreement." Rick says harshly. The man with a long mustache begs, "Please, mister. w-we know that." both Maggie and Glenn walk out of the guard tower. "We made a deal. But you gotta understand...we can live in that place another minute. You follow me? All the bodies people we knew. Blood brains everywhere. There's ghosts." the man cries out.

"Why don't you move the bodies out?" Daryl asks as his hands settle on his hips. "You should be burning them." adds T. "we tried, we did." the man says. "The fence is down on the far side of the prison" the larger and taller guy of the two states. "Every time we drag a body out, those things line up. Dropping the body and just running back inside. " He adds. The other man steps forward, outstretching his arms, saying, "Look, we had nothing to do with Tomas and Andrew. Nothing. You trying to prove a point? You proved it, bro. We'll do whatever it takes to be part of your group, just please, please...don't make us live in that place." Rick is silent for a few seconds, thinking, "Our deal is not negotiable. You either live in your cell block, or you leave." the man's head falls in disappointment. "I told you this was a waste of time. They ain't no different than the pricks who shot up our boys. You know how many friends' corpses we had to drag out this week? Just threw'em out, like. These were good guys. Good guys who had our backs against the really bad dudes in the joint, like Tomas and Andrew." It was cruel leaving them in there with nothing really to do. We're not even helping them; we're treating them like outsiders when we should be helping them.

We're the minority in this world now. We shouldn't treat perfectly good, friendly people like they're second-class citizens. "we've all made mistakes to get in here, chief. And I'm not gonna pretend to be a saint but believe me, we've paid our due enough that we would rather hit that road than go back into that shithole" Rick takes a few steps forward before turning back to Daryl, giving him a look that's asking for his opinion. Daryl shakes his head, and the decision is final. It's a no.

Rick and Daryl lock the two men up between the gates that separate the outside from the inside. "are you serious? You want them living in a cell next to you?" Rick whispers harshly. T is against it, saying he's known guys like this, and they seem like good guys. "they'll just be waiting for a chance to grab our weapons. you want to go back to sleeping with one eye open?" T looks up at Rick, shaking his head and whispering, "I never stopped. Bring them into the fold. If we send them off packing, we might as well execute them ourselves."

I keep my mouth closed because I already know what Rick will say. 'do you want them staying in the same area that Casey is?' "I don't know. axel seems a little unstable." Glenn whispers. "After all we've been through? We fought so hard for all this. What if they decide to take it?" Carol says. I don't think they seem like the type to just take it; the guy with the long hair, Tomas, I think definitely, but these two seem harmless. "it's just been us for so long they're strangers. I don't- it feels weird all of a sudden to have these other people around," Maggie says. I cross my arms and lean against the car behind me.

I don't care what the others are saying. It doesn't make what we're doing to them any less cruel. "You brought us in." T says, they brought us in, let us live on their farm, use their food, water, horses, hell, they allowed us to set their barn on fire, but this is drawing the line? Two men who have been locked up in this prison for months are the bad guys. "Yeah, but you turned up with a shot boy in your arms. Didn't give us a choice." but it's the fact that they didn't have to; they could've thrown us to the wolves just like we're doing to these guys, but they didn't. They let us stay, so why can't we let them? "They can't even kill walkers." I give them the benefit of the doubt. They were locked up in that cafeteria since the beginning; obviously, they won't know how to kill walkers. "they're convicts, bottom line." Carol whispers. "Those two might have less blood on their hands than we do." we've killed several people in the last 9 months, lots of living people, probably more than either of them, even if one was a murderer.

“I get guys like this. Hell, I grew up with'em. They're degenerate, but they ain't psychos. I could've been in there with him just as easy as I'm out here with you guys." Daryl says as he steps forward a bit. "So, are you with me?" T asks, "hell no, let'em take their chances out on the road, just like we did." just because we had to fight for our lives out on the road doesn't mean they got to too. "What I'm saying, Daryl-" t is quickly cut off by Rick, "when I was a rookie, I arrested this kid. Nineteen years old, wanted for stabbing his girlfriend. The kid blubbered like a baby during the interrogation during the trial. Suckered the jury. He was acquitted due to insufficient evidence, and then two weeks later, shot another girl."

I thought we were supposed to be living more like Dale. Rick said it himself back at the farm. "we've been through too much. Our deal with them still stands." Rick says before he begins to walk off. This isn't how Dale would've handled this; he always saw the good in everyone. "I thought we were supposed to be living more like Dale." I state. Rick turns around, placing both hands on his hips as his brows furrow together. "wh-what?" his face screws up in confusion. "Back at the farm when Dale died, you said we were going to start being more like him...but this isn't what Dale would've done." his brows are still furrowed up. "This is differ-" This is no different than what happened at the farm "no its not, it's the same exact thing! And you know it. Back at the farm, you let Shane manipulate you, and guess what happened? Not only did Shane die, but Andrea, Patricia, and Jimmy died, too. You're still letting him get in your head, and you fucking know it" My arms are crossed over my chest as I shout angrily, "I'm sorry they're being fucking assholes T" I mutter as I storm off past both Daryl, and rick towards the prison.

I walk back into our cell block; Casey and Carl are sitting on the stairs. "Hey, Case." I say, kneeling in front of her. "where's Daryl?" she asks still looking down at the toy in her hands. "workin' outside." I say as I reach up and caress her cheek. I hear a few pairs of footsteps behind me, so I turn my head to see Beth and Lori walking into Hershel's cell with a pair of crutches. Carl gets up and follows after his mother and Beth. "c'mon, wanna go watch Hershel walk again?" I ask with a smile; she smiles back up at me and nods. We both walk into the cell to see Hershel standing up with Beth and Lori holding onto him. he takes a few steps forward before turning and telling Lori, "Y'know, I think I'm pretty steady." he takes a few more steps forward, "that's a good start" I push Casey back a bit so there's room for Hershel to come out the door. "Want to take a rest?" Lori asks Hershel. He chuckles. "Rest? Let's go for a little stroll."

Hershel continues walking, his crutches tapping against the pavement with each step. Lori places her hand on his shoulder, trying to slow him down, but he just pushes past her hand, continuing to walk. It's good that he's getting used to the crutches so fast. Most people have trouble getting used to walking with one leg. We follow after him as he walks towards the door that leads to the outside. Lori slides the door open, letting everyone out. Once we get to the stairs, Lori steps in front of him, holding her hand against his chest to ensure he won't fall.

"Gotcha here if you need it." Lori says as Hershel stops at the top of the steps, looking down at them before tackling the challenge of going down the stairs. "Just take your time on these steps." Beth tells her father as Hershel begins to wobble. Hershel manages to get down the steps with no bumps or bruises. "You cleared all those bodies out?" Hershel asks as we walk across an old basketball court. "it's starting to look like a place we could really live in." Hershel states as he begins to walk a little faster. "Hey, you watch your step. last thing we need is you falling." Lori warns Hershel as he walks ahead of Lori.

"Alright, Hershel!" I hear Glenn shout from across the yard. "you're doin' great, Daddy." Beth says. He really is he's walking with little to no assistance. "Ready to race, Hershel?" Carl asks with a grin. "Give me another day. I'll take you on." Hershel says with a chuckle. Everyone's really happy for Hershel; it's remarkable that he can stand up and walk around so quickly. Casey tugs on my hand. I look down, brows furrowed as if I'm asking her 'what?' "I wanna race Hershel too." she whispers. I smile. "I'm sur-"

"Walkers!"

I'm cut off by Carl's shout and the loud sound of walkers growls and groans. "Hold my hand, don't let go, alright?" Casey nods as her tiny hand tightens around mine. Beth runs, and Hershel follows after her. Lori pulls out her gun and begins shooting walkers. "Lori, Lori, come on, we can't stay." I say as I run back towards the door leading to the cell block. Maggie is standing there waiting for us. We run in, and Lori closes the door behind us. We run into the cell block but are immediately met with more walkers. "no, no, this way." Maggie says as she quickly turns around once she hears the walkers snarls. We run into the tombs. We're navigating through the tombs when a loud alarm starts blaring. Carl is in front of us, gun in hand, as he turns corners, ensuring no walkers are in our way.

I noticed Lori's heavy breathing and panting about two or three hallways ago. I didn't want to jump ahead of myself and say she was going into labor, but when she stopped and placed her hand against the wall as she let out a painful grunt, I knew she was. "Ar-are you alright?" I ask, placing my hand on her lower back. "so-somethings not right." Lori says through heavy pants, "Are you bit?" Carl asks. Lori shakes her head. "No, no, no. I think the baby's coming.""Mom?" Carl cries out. The sound of walkers makes our attention quickly turn from Lori to the walkers. Carl pulls out his gun and is about to shoot, but Maggie shouts, "No, there's no time. Turn back!" "Hold Maggie's hand, alright?" I tell Casey as I let go of her and let Lori wrap her arm around my shoulder. I help escort her down the halls. "In here!" Carl shouts as he runs to a door, opening it so I can help Lori inside. Lori braces herself against a fence-like structure as she pants. Once she feels ready, she starts walking down the steps into the rest of the area. Lori lets out a pain-filled gasp as she gasps onto a chain connected to the wall. "Is Lori going to be okay?!" Casey cries out. "She-shes going to be just fine." I say as I watch Lori let out another gasp. "what are those alarms?" Lori asks through a grunt.

Lori lets go of the chain and begins to walk again. "Don't worry about it." Maggie says as we both follow her. "what if it attracts them?" Carl asks. "Lori, let's lay you down." Maggie says as Lori braces herself on a table. "No- the baby's coming now." Lori says breathlessly. "we-we have to get back to our cell block and have Hershel help." Carl says. There is no time; the tombs are filled with walkers, and Lori will probably give birth there if we leave now. We have to deliver the baby here and then return. "we can't; we don't have time." I say as I place my hand against Lori's lower back. "Great." Lori mumbles as her breathing quickens. "What is she doing? Can't she breathe?!" Carl asks, his voice full of concern.

"she's fine, c'mere, let's get your pants off." I say. "okay." Lori says through pants. Lori lays down on the floor as I grab the waist of her pants, pulling her pants and underwear down simultaneously. "you're gonna need to help deliver your brother or sister. You up for it?" I ask Carl as I look up at him. Carl nods. "I'll need to do an exam. Let me see if you're dilated." I say as I toss her pants to the side. "okay." she whispers.

"do you know how?" Carl asks. I knew how I've never done one, but I've read about it. "I know how, never done one, but I know how."I stick two of my fingers into her vagina, trying to feel for her cervix, but I can't, so I pull my fingers out. "I-I can't tell." Lori lets out a grunt. "I gotta push, I gotta push!" she groans as she sits up. I help her as she pulls herself up to her feet; she lets out two loud sighs before she begins to push. She let out a grunt-like scream, "Somebody!" as she pushed. "I'm okay, I'm okay." she says as I try to place my hands on her back to help. "you're doing great. Your body knows what to do; let it do all the work."

Lori yelps as she tries pushing again. "you're doing great." I say as I kneel down so I'm ready to catch the baby. Lori huffs before pushing again. I'm about to encourage her to push again when blood trickles down her thigh. "Oh god, Lori, don't push. Stop somethings wrong." she doesn't listen, pushing again with a loud scream. I pull my hand away, which is now covered in blood. Carl sees it. "Is she alright? What's wrong?" Carl asks. "I-I don't know. Let's-let's get her lying down." I look up to Maggie, and she nods. We both help her, so she's lying on the ground. Carl is kneeling on the other side of his mother. he grabs her limp hand, "Mom, Mom, look at me, look at me. Keep your eyes open."

"We have to get her back to my dad." Maggie says there's no way to get her back; she's bleeding and limp, probably from blood loss. It's just impossible. "We can't. We're-we're going to have to do the c-section."

"I'm not going to make it." Lori whispers, "No, I'm not going to let you die." I say, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. "I know what it means, and I'm not losing my baby." she says. I see Carl's eyes fill with tears at his mother's words. "you're not going to lose your baby, and we're not going to lose you, I promise." I say, "Y/n, I'm not going to make it; promise me you'll take care of my babies for me." my eyes well up with tears. "I, you're going to do that." I whisper. Carl stands up. "I'll go get help."

"No!" Lori shouts, "Look, I-I practiced. You're not going to die. I know how to do this." She's adamant that she will die, and no matter how much I try to convince myself she'll survive, I know she won't. "y/n, just make sure my baby is okay; don't worry about me." I can't just not worry about her, though. What am I supposed to tell Rick if she doesn't survive? That I just killed his wife because she said to? "I promise you're going to be okay, Lori." I whisper, "You can't promise me that; just please make sure my baby is okay." A tear falls down my cheek, and I quickly wipe it away and pretend I'm not crying.

I don't want Casey to see this in case Lori dies. I turn to Casey and grab her hand. "Casey baby, go stand over there, okay?" a tear falls down her cheek. "is Lori going to be alright?" she asks. I wipe the tear off her cheek. "she's going to be fine, okay? Just go over there for me, okay?" she nods and walks towards the door. "Maggie, can you make sure she stays there? I don't want her to see this." Maggie nods and stands up. "C'mon, Case sweetheart, let's stand over here." Maggie says.

"Okay, Aunt Maggie." I hear Casey whisper. I lift up her shirt and see her old C-section scar. This will be easier than with the walker because at least I have a guide. Carl walks back over to his mother and kneels down next to her. "Carl? Baby, I don't want you to be scared, okay?" a tear rolls down Carl's cheek as he nods. "this is what I want. This is right. Now you take care of your daddy for me, alright? And your little brother or sister too, you take care-" A few tears fall down my cheeks. I remember the first time I met Lori, like it was yesterday. I was scared, and I didn't know anyone but Glenn, who I had talked to earlier that day. She immediately treated me like I was her own daughter, introducing me to her, her son, and all the others in the group. "You don't have to do this." Carl cries out, cutting her off.

"you're going to be fine. You are going to beat this world. I know you will. You are smart, and you are strong, and you are so brave, and I love you." Carl sniffles as tears continue to fall. "I love you too." he whispers through sobs. "You gotta do what's right, baby...you promise me you'll always do what's right." I can't stop myself from crying. I've lost so many people in this world, but for some odd reason this, this feels the worst. It feels like I'm about to kill my own mother. I hate knowing that I'm probably going to kill her the moment I slice her open. "it's so easy to do the wrong thing in this world. So, don't- so if it feels wrong, don't do it, alright? If it feels easy, don't do it. Don't let the world spoil you." this doesn't feel easy; this is the hardest thing I've ever done. Lori reaches up and wipes Carl's cheek. "you're so good. You're my sweet boy. you're the best thing I ever did. And I love you." Lori's hands are cupping Carl's cheeks.

Lori pulls Carl into a hug, wrapping her arms around her son's body tightly as both of them cry. "I love you." she says through a sob. "You're my sweet, sweet boy. I love you." she cradles the back of his head as Carl sobs loudly. She kisses his cheek before saying, "Okay, okay, now, okay." Carl lifts up off of her, still crying. "y/n, when this is all over, you're gonna have to-" I shake my head. I can't shoot her after this; I can't. I'm already having to cut her open. I can't do that too. "You have to do it. It can't be Rick."

"Alright...alright. It's alright, it's alright." Carl hands me his knife, and I take a deep breath in. Lori sighs. "goodnight, love."

"I'm sorry, Lori." I cry out as I take the knife and slice right where her old scar was. She lets out a strangled scream as blood squirts out of the incision. Carl screams, "Stop, stop! you're hurting her!" Lori shudders before becoming limp. I reach into her stomach, blindly searching for the uterus. "Carl, give me your hands." I say, his brows furrow as he looks at me confused. "Carl, please. You should keep the site clean, okay? If I cut too deep, I'll cut the baby." he obeys, holding open the incision while I cut into the uterine wall.

I drop the knife, letting it clatter to the floor as I reach into the uterus. I feel the baby almost immediately. Carl sobs beside me as I pull the baby out. It's a girl; she doesn't cry like she should. I cradle her in my arms as I pat her, trying to make her cry. "please," I cry out as I rub her chest, nothing. I can't let the baby die. I flip her over so she's on her back. "c'mon." I whisper as I rub and pat her back. She finally let out a tiny cry, and I sighed in relief. Carl jumps back a bit with a gasp. The baby sobs and squirms in my arms as I cut the umbilical cord. Carl takes his jacket off and hands it to me. I wrap her in it and stand up. "we have to go." I say. Carl's brows furrow. "We can't leave her here." he cries out.

"she'll turn." I'm about to pull my gun out and shoot her because Lori told me to do that, but Carl shakes his head. "No." I can't let him do it, "Carl..." Wouldn't it be too traumatizing for him to do it? "she's my mom." a tear falls down his cheek as his sister cries in my arms. I turn around and walk back up the stairs, letting Carl do what he's got to do. Maggie looks at me, brows furrowed. "it's a girl." I whisper. I look down at Casey; her eyes are red and puffy. "Case when we go out there, stay with Maggie, alright?" she nods as she wipes at her cheeks. I push open the door and peer out; there are still walkers, but they're stumbling away now. "What about-"

Pow.

Carl walks up to us and pushes past me, a stone-cold look on his face. It's actually disturbing, the look on his face. We all walk out and navigate our way back towards the cell block. The cell block is cleared now. Rick must've come looking for us. We walk out of the cell block; outside, Rick, Hershel, Beth, Glenn, and Daryl are standing in the corner farthest from us talking. The baby's cries are the thing that makes Rick turn around. I'm shaking as I cradle the baby in my arms. I push the gate open and walk into the area where everyone else is.

"Ri-Rick, I'm sorry." I cry. He looks at the baby and then my bloody hands as he walks towards us. He drops the axe in his hands, letting it clatter to the ground as he shakes his head. My bottom lip quivers as I let out a strangled sob. "Wh-where where is she? Where is she?" he asks, his eyes filling with tears. He begins to walk towards the door. I push the baby to hold her with one hand so I can grab onto his wrist. "no... Rick, no!" I cry as I fail to hold him back. Carl is staring at the ground, tears falling down his cheeks.

Rick looks at his son before looking down at his very traumatized son. "oh, no, no!" he sobs as he places both hands on his knees. He stands back up and walks away. "NO!" Rick sobs again. I walk over to Daryl, and he cups my face in his hands as I weep. "I killed her." I cry. He pulls me into him, hugging me tight enough so we don't squish the baby between us. I feel his lips press against my head as I sob into his shoulder. How am I supposed to live with this guilt? I killed Rick's wife, I killed Carl's mother. I thought I'd be able to do it, keep her alive, I wanted to show everyone that I could do it, but I fucked up and killed her.

Taglist

@rivversin @soul4death @furiousheartpoetry @silicone-bonez @nezukos-number1fan @your-shifting-gurl @maziejay08 @oi-itse @rhaenryawhore @kimbunnysstuff @blipblopper @ramielll @ilyhannah @daryldixonnn @delicatebearpandaopera @crypticmushroom

#fanfics #x reader #daryl dixon x female reader #daryl x reader #daryl dixon x f!reader #daryl dixon #daryl dixon x reader #daryl dixon x fem!reader #the walking dead season 3 #the walking dead x reader #the walking dead #carl grimes #lori grimes #Rick grimes #glenn rhee #glenn rhee x reader #x fem!reader #fem!reader #female!reader

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daichinom · 9 days

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LAST REFUGE

chap. 6

Daryl Dixon x Grimes Reader

Season 1

⚠️Warning: spoilers, blood, mentions of death and suicide, medical terms, angst, typical TWD violence and gore, vomiting, child injury, allusions to gunshot wound

You walked through the forest, trying to keep up with him.

-"Amy!" You raised your voice, the girl turned to see you.

-"Don't worry, you know he didn't mean it with that intention. I bet they're fine. They're probably back."- You said, trying to cheer her up.

-"Do you want to bet? What will you give me when they tell me my sister is dead?"- Amy said while frowning, you sighed.

-"She will arrive safely… I promise"- you assured, although you had no idea if they were still alive there.

Amy hugged you, trying to find comfort in the uncertainty, you hugged her and rubbed her back. Suddenly, a dull noise echoed through the place, like an alarm, causing everyone to gather in the RV, including both of you.

-"What's Dale?"- Shane asked.

-"It looks like a stolen car… I guess"- said the old man.

You approached with Lori and Carl, putting yourself on a par, suddenly the noise became louder, as soon as the red car was parked right in front, Glenn emerged from it, you were glad to see him.

Suddenly the poor guy was greeted with complaints from Shane and Dale along with Amy's insistence on her sister's whereabouts, -"everyone is fine!… Well, Merle not so much.."- said the Korean, looking at everyone -"How do you come here making so much noise? Do you want to attract them to us?!" - Shane scolded.

-"The noise echoed throughout the mountains.. It's difficult to find a source.."- you tried to defend him, making everyone turn to look at you, -"I thing it was stupid"- Shane said, turning to the hood of the car.

-"Don't defend him… He must have been careful, what will we do when the camp is full of those things?"- Lori told you, to which you bowed your head shyly, silently agreeing with her even though you agreed.

Suddenly, a white truck similar to a moving truck became visible, Glenn smiled, everyone began to approach, Andrea emerged from it, whom Amy ran to hug, then Morales, who was received by his wife and children, then Jacqui and T-Dog followed.

-"C'mon darling"- Lori told Carl, you saw out of the corner of your eye how Shane looked at Lori, a mixed feeling turned your stomach.

-"How did they get out of there?"- Shane asked.

-"A new friend, he took us out"- Glenn answered, Shane looked at him

-"A crazy guy who came to town, hey helicopter boy! Come say hello"- Morales called.

You looked ahead and couldn't believe what your eyes saw.

Out of the driver's seat came Rick Grimes, your brother. Your first instinct was to call her, -"Lori"-

Shane's expression couldn't believe it, when Lori responded to your call, she also couldn't believe what she saw, much less Carl.

-"Daddy!!!-" Carl shouted, running to where Rick was, who knelt down to be embraced by his son's arms.

You and Lori couldn't believe it, he was there, alive and standing in front of you, you quickly went to hug your brother, along with Lori, Carl in the middle.

Your fat tears came out of your eyes, hugging the man you thought was dead, everyone looked at the emotional scene with a smile, except Shane, who looked at it, but not with a smile.

Night came, everyone lit a bonfire to welcome the new arrivals, everyone was listening to Rick, who was talking about his experience since he woke up from a coma, Lori was next to him, Carl on his lap, you were next to Glenn, a little further away.

-"Disoriented, that's how I felt…"- expressed Rick.

-"Words are not enough…Sometimes they are not enough"- said Dale, suddenly your gaze focused on Shane, who was looking at you, you straightened up and without saying anything you stood up, your action made everyone pay attention to you and without Say not a single word, you left.

Everyone looked at you strangely, especially Rick.

-"I'll go see what's wrong… I'm sure your appear filled her with emotions"- Shane said, standing up, Rick gave him a grateful smile, while everyone began to discuss what they would do with Daryl Dixon.

You took heavy steps against the dirt floor, hiding behind the caravan, -"what's wrong with you?"- Shane intervened, stepping on your heels, you turned around indignantly.

-"Isn't he dead?"- you said in an upset tone, as you hit his chest, -"you lied and preferred to let him die?!"- you challenged him, your eyes about to drown in tears.

-"Hey, hey, wait!.. You have no idea what that place was… people shooting and dying in the hallways, he was hooked up to the machines!.. I didn't hear anything, I swear to God"- Shane exclaimed, you looked at him, not knowing whether to believe him or not.

-"Hey, look at me"- Shane said, taking your face in his hands, -"he's my best friend… you know that more than anything.. And you know I'm incredibly happy that he's alive and back"- Shane He said, looking into your eyes, for a moment, you wanted to believe him, it sounded so real, you couldn't blame him when he said it to you like that.

-"I need a moment…"- you decided to separate, turning your back on him and leaning on one of the fences that were in the quarry and that overlooked the cliff.

Shane didn't say anything else and went back to the others, not wanting to get on your nerves.

-"She's fine, you just know… her "ghosts"" - he said, as he sat near the campfire, Rick couldn't help but laugh, - "nothing strange about her after seeing me against the dead" -.

TimeLapse

You rubbed your eyes, emotional and physical exhaustion passing through your body, you watched everyone go to their tents to sleep, on the way you met Rick, about to enter Lori's tent, until he turned around and saw you.

You smiled at him, and went to give him a hug, sinking into his smell and touch, as if he weren't real, he planted a kiss on your cheek.

-"I missed you so much"- you almost murmured, -"I know, me too"- he said, as he looked at you, suddenly Carl came out of the tent and went to hug you, -"good night Aunt Y/N"- you smiled and You hugged him, -"rest, you need it"- you said, while you gave the boy a kiss on the head and said goodbye to Rick with another hug, to finally say goodbye to Lori from a distance.

#daryl dixon #daryl fanfiction #daryl x reader #rick grimes #the walking dead #the walking dead daryl #twd daryl #twd season 1

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theyraylovehate · 2 years

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Wheel of Fan Fiction Masterlist

Smut 🔥

Fluff 🌸

Angst 💧

*This is like brand new so most of the characters won't have anything just yet*

•Stranger things

-Billy Hargrove

-Steve Harrington

-Eddie Munson

-Robin Buckley (Fem/NB only)

-Argyle

-Johnathan Byers

-Nancy Wheeler

-Jim Hopper

-Joyce Byers

-001/Henry

-Will Byers (No smut)

-Mike Wheeler (No smut)

-Max Mayfield (No smut)

Hateful Cuddling - Female reader 🌸

-Dustin Henderson (No smut)

-Lucas Sinclair (No smut)

-Eleven (Jane) Hopper (No smut)

•Marvel

-Iron Man/Tony Stark

-Captian America/Steve Rogers

-Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff

-Hawkeye/Clint Barton

-Hulk/Bruce Banner

-Thor

-Loki

-Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes

-Black Panther/T'challa

-Doctor Strange/Steven Strange

-Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff

-Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff

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Friendly Love - Male reader 🌸

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-Peter Pettigrew

•Greek Mythology

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-Dionysus

-Hermes

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Zip line of Love - Nonbinary Reader (Requested) 🌸

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•Star Wars

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•Supernatural

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‐Tara Chambler (Fem/NB only)

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•The Walking Dead Game

-Clementine

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IT (2017)

-Richie Tozier

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-Gil

•Maze Runner

-Newt

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-Teresa

-Alby

-Chuck

-Brenda

-Aris

-Thomas

-Frypan

-Jorge

142 notes · View notes

pandulce135 · 6 months

Note

HI!! You don’t understand how unbelievably happy I am to see someone writing for Glenn close because I am in love with that man. Can I request an x reader where the reader is the assistant coach to the kids soccer team. They’re very sweet and look after the dads as a cleric but can be a little overbearing. They’re always worrying about something and trying to mediate inner group conflicts because theyre afraid of the group breaking apart. Glenn and the reader sort of even each other out in that they keep him from doing anything too stupid & he knows how to get them to loosen up. Sorry if I did this wrong, I don’t send many requests ^^

It Can Take A While (Glenn Close x Reader)

A/N: Boy oh BOY was this fun to write. I’m getting back into the swing of writing so I hope this kind of fulfilled your simple simp desires cuz I sure know it filled mine. I need to find my writing style again but until then, here’s this!!!

Warnings: Spoilers of around episodes 20-30-ish of S1 with some creative liberties taken, loser of the sexiest podcast character poll (rip), alcohol, public make outs, swearing, gets kind of steamy by the end, lmk if there’s anything else. reader is a nerd

Word Count: 2.8k

It was another long day that passed in the foreign land that you quickly discovered was known as the Forgotten Realms. Tensions were high as your group traveled in the white Honda Odyssey with Darryl at the helm and Henry in the passenger seat. The boys, your sons, were still missing, taken by mysterious men in purple robes. Everyone was tired.

The two in the front were going at it, their difference in views was beginning to get the best of them… again. Beside you, in the back seat and behind the passenger was Glenn. In the very back were Ron and Paeden.

“Hey, hey,” Paeden’s nasally voice hovered over your shoulder. He sat directly behind you. You flinched and rubbed your ear against your shoulder as a discomforting tingling wave made its way down your side. You heard Glenn chuckle.

“Oh, dude, don’t do that.” You shifted to get a better view of Paeden. “What’s up?”

The boy behind you sniffed. “What are they fighting about?” He gestured to the pair in the front. They seemed to be getting more angry as their voices began to rise.

“They just have different opinions about things, bud, don’t stress it,” Glenn seemed to wave off their fighting as it was something that happened often. They always butted heads due to their differing opinions; from parenting styles to personal beliefs, they found a way to antagonize each other.

You wished you could be as chilled out as Glenn sometimes. You wouldn’t get so anxious about the group arguing so much. Somehow, you always find yourself being mediator. That’s just what you’ve always been good at, you guess. As assistant soccer coach (a position Darryl was angry at you for ‘stealing from him’), it was your job to promote everyone to be their best self. Arguing wouldn’t get anyone anywhere. It wasn’t constructive, only critical and you were all desperate to get your sons back.

“Oh, so that’s what it’s about? I’m sorry I can’t live with the fact that we killed over one-hundred people with that pyramid, Darryl.”

There it was.

Henry was the first one to let his anger really get to him. While he refuses to get angry with his sons, he has no qualms with getting angry at anyone in the group. Just an observation, you supposed.

“We need to be able to get our sons back, and we can’t do that if we’re facing whatever justice system is in place.” Darryl barked back.

There was a collective soft sigh in the back of the van, even from Ron, as the pair bickered.

“Darryl, if you’re going to fight, please park the car. We can talk this out.” Your voice was calm, as you spoke your suggestion. “We’re all tired and scared, and your emotions are valid, but if your emotions are going to get the better of you like this, then you should park the car,” you reiterated, leaning forward in your seat to be closer to the two men in the front. “Have a discussion, not an argument.”

Glenn, from your right, spoke up. “Well, I think arguments can be just as constructive as discussions.” You turned to him, furrowing your eyebrows together. “I’m just saying.”

“No, no, they’re right. Let’s park the car, and we can have a civilized discussion,” Henry relented with a gesture of his hand.

“Oh, great, we’re stopping.” Ron’s voice came from the back, sparking a moment of silence for him. “I really have to use the bathroom.”

“Okay, okay.” Darryl took a breath. “We’ll stop, Ron does what he needs to do, and we can workshop a way to get our sons back.”

There was a tense silence that followed Darryl’s statement as he started slowing down the car to a bumpy stop. Everyone began to pile out of the minivan and Ron rushed to get to a private area to relieve himself within the forest you stood in.

All around you, trees towered over you and bushes threatened to stab your legs. The ground was uneven and you wondered how the Odyssey’s suspension was holding up. The group of you had been traveling on this uneven terrain for weeks now and it hadn’t undergone substantial damage yet.

“What’s this really going to accomplish? Huh?” Darryl looked at you, his larger stature standing over you with his arms crossed.

You placed your hands on your hips. “For starters, so that no one would get hurt in case you lost your cool while driving.” Darryl was about to object when you held out a finger to stop him. “Also to actually have a face to face conversation with everyone involved. You two aren’t the only ones going through this. It’s not fair to us if you leave us out of the conversation.”

“You’re right, you’re right. I’m sorry we did that,” Henry spoke from beside Darryl.

“You are forgiven,” Ron’s voice came from beside you. You felt your heart drop as you jumped away, your hand flying to your chest.

“Jesus, Ron,” you breathed out, placing a hand on the nearest person’s shoulder to feign support. Your hand landed on a worn down leather and you know you placed it on Glenn. He, Darryl and Henry laughed.

Yet another day of nipping an argument in the bud.

“You don’t like Christmas music?” Glenn exclaimed, causing you to shush him. You two were up talking by a makeshift fire while the rest of the dads were fast asleep. Neither of you could sleep and ended up chatting away.

You let out a laugh. “I loathe Christmas music. My retail gigs in college sucked.” You leaned back with your hands on the soft earth while he leaned in close, the orange flames highlighting his face against the darkness.

“You probably like Linkin Park, too.” He rolled his eyes and sat with his elbows on his knees, his feet flatfooted on the ground.

You faltered, struggling to come up with a response that wouldn’t upset him. It probably showed on your face.

“No!” He whined, his head rolling back before snapping upright to face you again. “Really? Linkin Park?”

“They got me through school! You can’t be mad at me!” You pointed a finger at him from across the fire.

“I forget you’re a nerd. What was your major again?” This time, Glenn leaned forward, the brightness of the fire once again illuminating his face and reflecting off of his eyes. It was almost like he was asking seriously.

You scratched the back of your head, your eyes averting his. “Computer science- cybersecurity.”

“So you’re a huge nerd!” Glenn laughed and you had to shush him again. “So what, you can like, hack stuff with what you learned?”

“Well, I’m paid to do the opposite,” you explained before a grin took hold over your lips. “But I have done a bit of hacking before.” The pair of you laughed as Glenn processed the information.

“No way. Goody-two-shoes you? Hacking?” Glenn leaned forward agin, his eyes squinted in humor. “Dude, you gotta show me sometime.”

You shook your head. “A hacker never reveals their secrets.” You turned away from the musician.

“Ah, playing hard to get, are we?” Glenn’s brown eyes narrowed at you, a sly grin exposing a bit of teeth. A heat ran up from your chest to your neck, where it crawled the rest of the way up to your face with a burn.

You turned away in an attempt to hide yourself. “Shut up, Close.”

“Get your head out of your ass for two seconds, Glenn!” You shouted. The rest of the dads were off trying to resolve an issue Glenn started while he and you stood behind a tavern. You were getting sick of his attitude. If the other dads were here, you knew they would be shocked at your yelling.

“Yeah? Where else would you like my head to be? Huh?” He took a step toward you, and it took all your willpower to not take a step back from him. You had to hold your ground and your eyes remained locked with his. He was definitely insinuating something else, you weren’t stupid, but you weren’t about to let him get the best of you.

“Maybe somewhere where you’ll be more aware of the situation?” You suggested, sarcasm laced through your words. “Dammit, Glenn. With all the touring you’ve done, you can’t fucking realize when to shut your damn mouth? You nearly blew it in there for us.” You pointed at the tavern you stood behind. The rest of the dads were in there.

“I didn’t think it would go south like that!” He tried to defend but you spoke up before he could get anything else out.

“Do you think at all?” You were nearly nose to nose apart from each other. Your anger seeped off of you as you glared at the man before you. Your eyes glaring straight into his and his were locked on yours just as harshly. Until you noticed the slight movement in his eyes. Glenn glanced downward slightly before holding your stare again. A heat began to flood your cheeks.

“You’d be surprised how much is on my mind lately.” His voice came out soft, unlike before, and your eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“What?” Your own volume matched his as his eyes glanced down again. You knew what he was looking at. The sudden change in tone caught you off guard. Your heart beat heavy in your chest, and you even heard it in your head.

Glenn reached out for your hand to hold it in his. You felt your blush worsen. He held your gaze, but it wasn’t as harsh as before. Instead, it was warm and welcoming. There was something else that took you by surprise: shyness. “I-”

Behind you, you heard the snap of a tree branch and turned yourself around just in time to see Henry appear from the side of the tavern. You managed to put enough distance between you and Glenn so you wouldn’t appear to be too close or… intimate.

“Hey, guys,” Henry greeted. He looked tired, the bags under his eyes were deep and dark and you didn’t know if it was because of the whole journey or just from having to clean up Glenn’s mess. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.”

You coughed and tried to get your cheeks to cool off. “No, nothing. How did it go?” You asked, taking a few steps forward toward the taller blond man.

“We managed to cool off the situation inside. We’ve got a few rooms for us to sleep in for the night, too.” He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “I feel like I need to say this now, to avoid any potential disasters: there is a bar in there. Drink responsibly. We still have stuff to do.”

“Aw, hell yeah,” Glenn cheered from behind you. You couldn’t help but put your hand on your forehead.

“Don’t have too much fun, Glenn.” Henry shot a pointed look at the man in question before walking up and whispering in your ear. “Please keep an eye on him.”

“Hold on,” you pulled away from Henry. “Why do I have to be on baby sitting duty?” Henry simply turned around and began his departure from you to go back into the tavern. “Henry,” you tried. “Henry, not cool dude.”

You watched as he turned the corner, thus disappearing from your view before turning around to Glenn. He wore a shit eating grin. You sighed. “I need a drink.”

“Fuck yeah!”

You didn’t know how you were still functioning. You were three ales deep with a fourth in your hand as you leaned on Glenn. Somehow, throughout this entire adventure, he didn’t smell all that bad. He actually smelled of fresh soil and very woodsy. His free hand sat at your waist while yours was hanging onto the shoulder your head leaned on. He was on his fourth ale as well, but was holding a water for the two of you to share.

The rest of the dads decided to call it for the night and retired to the rooms they reserved earlier. It was rest well deserved, you’d say. You appreciated their ability to cool off the situation to ultimately get comfortable beds to rest in and alcohol to fill your stomach (and head).

“This stuff is strong.” You couldn’t help but nuzzle your cheek into his leather clad shoulder, his still shockingly soothing scent wafting its way to your nose. “I didn’t think it would be so crowded here tonight.”

“It’s a bar, these places always get packed this time of night,” Glenn’s smooth voice spoke into your ear and a chill ran down your spine. The blush that plagued your face before was coming back tenfold. The heat burned and you were nearly sure Glenn could feel it through his leather jacket. “Is it too much for you?” The question caught you off guard.

He was usually so full of himself. Checking up on you? That was almost unheard of on this little adventure you’ve been on. You felt his hand tighten on your waist, almost urging an answer out of you. You felt a lump form in your throat as your breath got caught.

“Oh, uhh,” you struggled with your words. You looked down at the ale in your hand and moved to slam it back until his hand moved from your waist and caught your wrist. You moved to face him. “Glenn!” You whined.

“You were supposed to be the one taking care of me,” he laughed at your growing frown. “If I let you drink this, will you drink some water?” His brown eyes held yours in an amused stare.

You peaked down at the two cups in your respective hands before looking back up at him. “I promise.” Your words came out in a slur, the syllables blending into each other to form a barely cohesive response.

He let go of your wrist and you moved faster than you knew Glenn thought you would. You slammed back the ale and stumbled into his chest. There was a rumble that resonated through his chest as he laughed at you.

His arms instinctively wrapped around you to keep you steady. “Since when were you such a party goer?” His voice rang in your head as it buzzed. Your world was feeling woozy but you felt like you were floating. You missed this feeling.

“Oh,” you chuckled, a grin stretching across your lips. You peered up at him through half lidded eyes and your blush was finally beginning to to get under control. “You would’ve loved me during my college years.”

“Yeah?” His facial expression mirrored yours. The water in his hand had been discarded on the bar next to you in favor of holding you to him. “Pray tell.”

“Why tell when I can show you?” Talk about liquid confidence. You leaned in, nose to nose with Glenn. Your alcoholic breaths colliding as your hands began to slide up his arms and around his neck. The front of your chest was pressed against his. He was locked in place just as you were.

“You’re speaking my language,” his said, speaking with a sultry tone you’ve never heard from him before. And Gods was it hot.

It was like a force brought your lips together and you couldn’t let go. Your fingers raked through his shoulder length black hair, holding him to you. His hands slid up and down your back and you felt a chill run down your spine and goosebumps appear along your arms. The hairs at the back of your neck stood as his hands finally rested at your hips.

He pinched at one side of your hips and you couldn’t stop yourself from letting out a small gasp. With a chuckle, his tongue met yours in a dance, twirling around each other. Out of instinct, you let out a moan which caused him to pull back an inch, a trail of saliva still connecting you. With his sudden disappearance, you had to fight off the urge to whine.

You looked up at him, breathless and flushed. He looked the same. It was a good look on him. Red cheeks, swollen lips, breathing a bit heavier than normal but not completely out of breath. His warmth returned to the side of your face as he leaned into your ear.

“How about we continue this somewhere else?”

#I told you i would do it #he deserves some good fanfic after taking that L #glenn close dndads #dndads glenn close #glenn close x reader #glenn close #glenn close x gn reader #gn reader #dndads #dungeons and daddies #dndads fanfic #fanfic #writing #x reader #reader insert #fanfiction

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iliveformanyfictionalcharacters · 1 year

Note

ive been getting into twd show only recently (many deaths have been spoiled for me so i might as well) and i love glenn sm and i NEED a gn! reader watching glenn falling in love with maggie, hurt no comfort and maybe MAYBE glenn realizing y/n liked him but they've either moved on from relationships completely/they left the group for some reason(mayhaps theyve been bitten and want to protect the group ? up to you)

ive had this floating in my brain for a while and thought i might as well request. sorry if thisbis poorly explained im exhausted atm 💀

much love ! /p

- anon

Death

Daryl Dixon x Reader

Summary: The Green Farm was a miracle to the whole group. Except for one person.

Warnings: Angst but ends in fluff, Cussing, Unreciprocated feelings from Glenn, Anxiety. Daryl romance. Does not follow the script.

The beating in my chest as I held onto Daryl, racing down a dirt road on his motorcycle, just kept getting louder and louder.

Hearing Carl had been shot while I was searching for Carol's missing daughter, Sophia, certainly wasn't a happy way to end my day. There was still no sign of Sophia, she had been missing for a few hours now. I wanted to try and comfort Carol but before I could we had gotten word of Carl's current state.

The sun was setting as Daryl turned into a farm, followed by the rest of the group. I hopped off of the bike as soon as it stopped, rushing towards the house. It was old, the white paint chipping but homey especially for these days.

As I and a couple others made it to the porch the front door opened swiftly, revealing an older gentleman and a young lady behind him.

“Hello, you must be Rick's group.”, the older man stated. “I’m Hershel, I own this farm. This is Maggie, if you hadn't had the chance for introductions while she was collecting the boy's mother.” ‘Maggie’ raised her hand slightly in greeting.

I decided to speak up, I needed some questions answered before my anxiety got the better of me.

“Sir, I’m sorry to interrupt but is Carl alright? What happened?” The man, Hershel, sighed and nodded. He gestured for Maggie to go back inside as he stepped onto the porch, closing the door behind him.

“The boy, Carl, he was shot by my farm hand, Otis.-” Daryl interrupted him.

“YOUR farm hand did THIS! How can we trust you when it's your man who did it!” Daryl Dixon, ever the man to not know when to shut his mouth.

But Hershel just continued after giving Daryl a pointed look. Dale had to stop Daryl from erupting again.

“The bullet has shattered inside of him. I will need to perform surgery in order to remove all of the shards.” He paused and looked behind him, at the door. “There is a problem though.”

I inwardly groaned. For a moment my anxiety was relived knowing that Carl was still alive, however now it was all rushing back.

“We do not have the equipment to perform the surgery. Otis and your friend Shane have volunteered to go to a nearby hospital to obtain the equipment, the place has been overrun but it's all we can do.”

Fuck.

I couldn't listen anymore, my heartbeat was simultaneously beating in my ears and not at all, my hands were clammy and my face felt hot. I can’t breathe. I-I can’t-

I looked through the group for one certain person. My closest friend in the group, Glenn. When I first arrived in the group Glenn was the first to take a liking to me, he convinced Shane that he should let me join. We reminisced on our lives together and talked about what we would have done had this whole thing hadn't happened.

Finally, I found his face, my vision seemed to be tunneling even though the vision range had not changed. I didn't even care about what Hershel was saying anymore. I didn't care about the people in my way. I just had to get to Glenn.

I pushed through the crowd. I could faintly hear Hershel calling me but I ignored it. I could feel my body giving out. I saw Glenn walking towards me with his hands outstretched, as soon as I made it to him I felt my body drop and I lost consciousness.

I heard birds chirping outside before the sun's light hit my eyes. Even from behind my eyes lids I could tell the light was bright, the time was probably around noon. Under my hands, I could feel the soft touch of a blanket, and under my head a pillow. Blinking my eyes open slowly I saw a yellow-stained ceiling, turning my head I let my eyes search for my friends. I thought the room was empty at first until my eyes were drawn to slight movement in the corner. Daryl stood leaning against the wall.

I wish my heart didn't sink when I realized Glenn wasn't there.

“Ya really scared us ya know” Daryl walked towards the bed. I suddenly felt incredibly guilty, with Sophie missing and Carl getting shot and now me fainting, I knew the group had gone through too much lately. Not to mention the walkers.

“How's Carl?” I asked as soon as I found my voice. Daryl scoffed.

“He's gonna be fine, Shane ‘n that farmhand are out looking for supplies. Are you ok?” I signed.

“I'm fine I just panicked.” I almost asked about Glenn but I stopped myself.

It didn't seem to matter though because Daryl answered my question anyway, “Glenn's talking to that Maggie girl, he just left.”

Oh.

“Oh ok.” I settled into the blanket and looked toward the window by the bed. I shouldn't feel this way about Glenn, I knew that. He only saw me as a friend maybe even a sister. When I first came to this group he was the one who convinced everyone I could stay. He let me stay in his tent until I found my own, he even shared his food with me if he thought I was still hungry.

He became my best friend.

“Why aren't you out looking for Sophia?” That made him scoff too, he sat down next the bed.

“Maybe because the only person I give a rats-ass about passed out for no reason and wouldn't wake up for hours.”

I sat up and swung my legs off the bed.

“Hey, be careful.” He grabbed my arm as I stumbled and helped me rebalance myself. Before he let go I took his hand and forced him to look at me.

“Thank you for staying with me. I don't know what I would have done if I had woken up alone."

For a second he stayed quiet before replying with, “No problem.” as he walked with me out of the room.

For weeks I've watched Glenn grow away from me. I know he didn't mean to, but for weeks I've seen so much change in my little group.

First, Carl seemed to be recovering from his wound. The surgery was a success although the Greene family lost Otis in the process.

I helped Daryl in his search for Sophia, every day from daybreak to sundown we searched the woods for Carol's little girl but we never found anything. Me and Daryl became closer than ever during this time.

“So how was your life before all of this shit?” I looked at him startled at the question. No one ever talked about the past, at least not anymore. Dodging a large snake next to my foot, I answered.

“It was ok. Nothing too exciting, I had a job and some friends I hung out with but not much worth noting.”

“I'm sure everything about you is worth noting.” I looked at him startled once again but he continued walking like he didn't say anything.

As the days continued I felt myself becoming less heartbroken over the fact that Glenn spent most of his time with Maggie. At first, I couldn't stand to see them together. And even though I'm not thrilled that they seem to be a match made in heaven, I'm starting to think maybe my match was never Glenn, to begin with.

As my feelings for Glenn dissipated my heart grew for none other than Daryl Dixon. However, it seemed as the history was repeating itself. Harboring feelings for a friend didn't go too well the first time and I can't afford to lose Daryl, so I kept them quiet waiting for the day he would eventually fall in love with someone other than me.

Sophias gone.

She had been gone this whole time, trapped in a walker right next to us in the Greene barn. I watched in horror as Rick shot her and suddenly I felt sick. I watched as Carol lost it and the whole group fell into mourning. I was going to puke.

I left, I left as fast as I could. I wasn't thinking. I couldn't stop thinking about the girl I considered to be a niece who had been a fucking walker this whole time. She was dead. Carol had lost her daughter. How can one exist in a world like this?

I started to run. I didn't stop running. I ran straight into the woods not caring about the stinging I felt as sticks scraped against my arms and legs. And I kept running with tears in my eyes until I found the river. The river where we found Sophia's doll. This was probably where she had died.

I collapsed onto my knees. I screamed and cried and I thought about how Carol must be feeling so much worse. I didn't think about anything other than that poor girl. The fear she must have felt and the god-awful death that befell upon her. She didn't deserve that. No one does.

So I screamed and cried until my throat hurt and I couldn't physically cry anymore. I knew the walkers were coming, every little noise I made put me in more danger but I just didn't care.

And I didn't care for so long until I heard the disgusting gurgle of the horrible creatures that had taken Carol's daughter away. Made her one of them.

But still, I didn't move. I sat and I knew what was going to happen and I stayed there. I stayed still until I heard the whistle of an arrow through wind. I heard the sound of flesh being penetrated and a collapsing body. I felt someone grab me, shake me, and yell but I didn't comprehend them, instead, my gaze stayed on the sand below my fingers.

So they picked me up and carried me back to the farm and still I didn't speak.

I sat on the bed, the same bed from weeks ago, with Daryl kneeling in front of me. As he looked at me neither of us said a word only staring holes into each other.

After a few minutes, the door opened to reveal Glenn standing on the other side. He didn't say anything but as we looked at each other, we knew. He knew how I felt and I knew how he felt and we both knew it was going to be ok between us. We would always be good friends. As he closed the door, Daryl spoke.

“I-Why? Why would you do that? I don't think you understand how much I was worried, I searched for you for hours. I felt like I was looking for Sophia all over again, and right after we found her like that…” He looked down and grabbed both of my arms almost as if making sure I wouldn't do it again.

“I- I don't know. I feel like the world is gone. Everyone is dying and there's nothing to stop it. I wasn't thinking but I didn't care. I didn't care what happened to me. I didn't care if I…died.” I was crying again, sobbing as I realized Daryl had a couple of tears running down his cheeks too.

Without warning he engulfed me in his arms and rocked me. I cried for so long and I think he may have too, though I didn't mention it.

“I … care about you so much.” He started, “So much it hurts sometimes. I've never felt like this before and if I'm being honest I wish I didn't. I wish I didn't because it's new and that fuckin scares me. But I can't be without you. Please don't ever do that again. Just talk to me.” His voice cracked making me hurt even more. “Please.”

I could only nod as we stayed together, never letting go. It might not be okay today and it might not be ok ever again but only then in that room sitting on that bed, it felt like it was ok.

#twd fanfiction #daryl dixon x reader

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woodandwaxwings · 1 year

Text

Guide

if there's no link then I haven't written a fic for this fandom yet, feel free to request. Male and gender neutral reader only and I will write semi-nsfw now but nothing further than that. crossed out I no longer write for.

The Walking Dead Carl Grimes, Michonne, Ricky dicky doo da Grimes, Daryl Dixon, Glenn Rhee, Tyreese Williams (More to add bc I haven't finished the show yet)

The 100 Bellamy Blake, Monty Greene, Clarke Griffin, Octavia Blake, King Roan, John Murphy, Raven Reyes

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children Victor Bruntley, Fiona Frauenfeld, Hugh Apiston Bronwyn Bruntley, Emma Bloom, Jacob Portman

It(2017) All of the Losers club

Alice In Borderland Kiuna Hikari, Chishiya Shuntarou, Arishu Ryohei, Ann Rizuna, Tatta Kōdai

Once Upon A Time Peter Pan, Felix, Henry Mills, Regina Mills, Emma Swan

Marauders Era (Harry Potter) Regulus Black, Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Lily Evans, Marlene, Dorcas

Heartbreak High Anthony Vaughn, Spencer White, Malakai Mitchell, (more to be added)

The Order

One Piece (Live Action) Luffy D. Monkey, Sanji Vinsmoke

Dead Boy Detectives Charles Rowland, Edwin Payne, Niko, Monty

My Babysitter's a Vampire

sarah rq

Fic Reccomendations

Full Fanfics

Candy Hearts (Quinn Fabray x Male Reader)

Shut Me Up (Kitty Wilde x Male Reader)

#masterlist #x reader #x male reader #male reader #male y/n #mphfpc #marauders era #ouat #alice in borderland #it 2017 #the 100 #the walking dead #dead boy detectives #charles rowland x reader

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pop-pop-pop-popculture · 1 year

Text

My Favorite 2023 Met Gala Outfits

(link // link // link)

*this is out of random order!!!!*

Jenna Ortega

Rihanna

Gigi Hadid

Anne Hathaway

Aubrey Plaza

Elle Fanning

Keely Shaye Smith-Brosnan

Sean “Diddy” Combs

Olivia Rodrigo, much to my surprise

Teyana Taylor

Rita Ora

Ben Platt

Stormyz

Whitney Peak

Penelope Cruz

Russell Westbrook

Stephanie Hsu

Quannah Chasinghorse

Serena Williams

Barry Keoghan

Halle Bailey

Angèle

Nicola Peltz Beckham

Maya Penn (simple yet elegant, and gorgeous!)

Karen Elson

Stella McCartney

Baz Luhrmann

Maya Hawke

Catherine Martin

Alexa Chung

Joan Smalls

Ava Max

Imaan Hammam

Amber Valletta

Vittoria Ceretti

Labrinth

Jennie Kim

Pusha T

Ke Huy Quan

Usher

Chi Ossé

Daisy Edgar-Jones

Bella Ramsay

Glenn Close

Ashley Graham

Phoebe Bridgers

Alton Mason

Maude Apatow

Miranda Kerr (simple yet elegant, and gorgeous!)

Devon Aoki

Lily James

Jeremy Scott

Nicole Kidman

Amy Fine Collins

Emma Ratajkowski

Gisele Bündchen

Kaitlyn Dever

Kim Petras

Grace Elizabeth

Jodi Comer

Suki Waterhouse

Jared Leto (he came as Choupette (literal cat costume), Karl’s cat!!!!)

Kendall Jenner

Kim Kardashian and Cardi B (they’re both pieces of shit, and I hate myself for liking their outfits)

I love that the stylists for the people I went all out and, for some, were camp-esque.

Kind of...

Paris Hilton

Yung Miami

Tems

Burna Boy

Alex Newell

Jennifer Lopez

Amanda Harlech

Dua Lipa

Irina Shayk

Quinton Brunson

Margaret Qualley (I like the dress and shoes, but I’m not, like in love)

Bad Bunny (I like the head-to-toe white, but I’m not crazy about the outfit????)

Lily Collins

Lily Aldridge

Ashley Park

Eh... / I Don’t Know... / Indifferent

Olivier Rousteing

Karla Bruni

Zac Posen (lookin’ dapper there, though, sir!)

Cara Delevingne

Lala Anthony

Chloe Fineman

Karlie Kloss

Brian Tyree Henry

Ice Spice

Robert Pattinson

Donatella Versace

Kate Moss

Lila Moss

Camila Morrone

Yes and No

Mary J. Blige

Madelyn Cline

Alexandra Daddario

Jeremy Pope (yes for the cape and no to everything else)

Viola Davis

Allison Williams (I love the shade of orange and the dress itself, but the whole look is still a no from me)

Ariana DeBose

Sydney Sweeney

Um...

Erykah Badu

Conan Gray

Doja Cat (edit; 11 PM - she’s supposed to be Choupette too?!)

Lil Nas X

What the ACTUAL Fuck?

Pedro Pascal

Erykah Badu

Lil Nas X

Bradley Cooper

Nick Jonas

I Don’t Give a F*ck

Priyanka Chopra

Emma Chamberlain

Kylie Jenner

Vanessa Hudgens

|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

I’m sure there are tons of more attendees, but I didn’t care to do more research because I am tired. I’ll probably research more tomorrow and reblog this. (I purposely left off some people out of pure, genuine laziness)

▪️ May 1, 2023 ▪️

#text #personal #2023 #pop culture #met gala #met gala 2023 #fashion industry #fashion

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children-of-epiales · 1 year

Text

Ocs as characters

Tagged by @shegetsburned @unbindingkerberos & @poisonedtruth to do this quiz!

Lara Darling-Jóźwiak

Ariadne (Inception)

Abed Nadir (Community)

Peggy Olson (Mad Men)

Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre)

Sailor Mercury (Sailor Moon)

Jemma Simmons (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)

Jasmine (Aladdin)

Torvi (Vikings)

Viktor (Arcane)

Angela Montenegro (Bones)

Dana Polk (The Cabin in the Woods)

Lucius Fox (The Dark Night)

Martha Nielsen (Dark)

Dorothy Gale (Wizard of Oz)

Rogue (X-Men)

El Profesor (Money Heist)

Peeta Mellark (Hunger Games)

Ada Shelby (Peaky Blinders)

Bunny O’Malley

Nomi Marks (Sense8)

Arya Stark (Game of Thrones)

Abed Nadir (Community)

Elizabeth Bennett (Pride & Prejudice)

Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

Daisy “Skye” Johnson (Agents of Shield)

Jasmine (Aladdin)

Lagertha (Vikings)

Ekko (Arcane)

Jack Hodgins (Bones)

Marty Mikalski (The Cabin in the Woods)

Bruce Wayne (The Dark Knight)

Martha Nielsen (Dark)

The Wicked Witch of the West (Wizard of Oz)

Jean Gray (X-Men)

El Profesor (Money Heist)

Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games)

Thomas Shelby (Peaky Blinders)

Sage O’Malley

Glenn Rhee (The Walking Dead)

Terry Jeffords (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird)

Alphonse Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

Phil Coulson (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D)

Doc (Snow White and The Seven Dwarves)

Lagertha (Vikings)

Caitlyn Kiramann (Arcane)

Angela Montenegro (Bones)

Holden McCrea (The Cabin in the Woods)

Andrea Sachs (The Devil Wears Prada)

Anna Bates (Downtown Abbey)

Istredd (The Witcher)

Professor X (X-Men)

Nairobi (Money Heist)

Peeta Mellark (Hunger Games)

Jane Bennett (Pride & Prejudice)

Columbus (Zombieland)

Reaper

Lisa Simpson (The Simpsons)

Peggy Olson (Mad Men)

Amy Farrah Fowler (The Big Bang Theory)

Mr. Darcy (Pride & Prejudice)

Sailor Mercury (Sailor Moon)

Jemma Simmons (Agents of Shield)

Felicity Smoak (Arrow)

Elsie Hughes (Westworld)

Caitlyn Kiramann (Arcane)

Temperance Brennan (Bones)

Dana Polk (The Cabin in the Woods)

Soichiro Yagami (Death Note)

Charlotte Doppler (Dark)

Tissaia (The Witcher)

Dana Scully (The X-Files)

Ms. Sharon Norbury (Mean Girls)

Dr. Alana Bloom (Hannibal)

Mr. Darcy (Pride & Prejudice)

Nemesis

Carol Peletier (The Walking Dead)

Red Reznikov (Orange is the New Black)

Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre)

Scar (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

Melinda May (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D)

Cogsworth (Beauty & the Beast)

Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher)

Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Kimiko Miyashiro (The Boys)

Sara Sidle (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)

James Gordon (The Dark Knight)

Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada)

The Tin Man (Wizard of Oz)

Storm (X-Men)

Imperator Furiosa (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Jack Crawford (Hannibal)

Kim Ki-Taek (Parasite)

Soleil

Francis Mulcahy (M*A*S*H)

Anna Bates (Downtown Abbey)

Marmee March (Little Women)

Mumen Rider (One Punch Man)

John Diggle (Arrow)

Teddy Flood (Westworld)

Ubbe Ragnarsson (Vikings)

Cecil B. Heimerdinger (Arcane)

Seeley Booth (Bones)

Al Robbins (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)

James Gordon (The Dark Knight)

Lucius Fox (Gotham)

The Tin Man (Wizard of Oz)

Monica Dutton (Yellowstone)

Helsinki (Money Heist)

Beverly Katz (Hannibal)

Charlie Strong (Peaky Blinders)

#tag game #quiz #i did 6 ocs bc this was a good one #tried to keep the shows consistent but there were more of the same characters than i thought there would be #so there are some shows that i switched #sage top 2 characters were both glenn #so i added an extra show at the end of his #Lara Darling-Jóźwiak #Sage O'Malley #Bunny O'Malley #r6 nemesis #Evangeline Soriano-Fuentes #r6 reaper #Rouen Blake #r6 soleil #Augustin Challiou Jr.#tag games

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the-name-is-z · 3 months

Text

SKELETONS | ch. 3

daryl dixon x f!oc

masterlist

a03 link

Summary: After helping Rick save one of his group members from an unlikely hostage situation, Iris is introduced to the camp. Yet, a happy reunion may be overshadowed by looming danger. Warnings/Information: AMC's The Walking Dead OC Insert | 18+ Advised | strangers to lovers; the slowest of slow burns; gore; angst; horror; humour; m/f; descriptions of gore, violence, zombies, death, mourning, digging graves, handling of dead bodies, injury, infection

Chapter 3 - The Group

"Admit it, you only came back to Atlanta for the hat." Glenn teased as they walked under the overpass. He was surprisingly chipper despite the hostage situation. The overpass came off the interstate into the city, and supposedly where he parked their van every time he came into the city for a run.

"Don't tell anybody." Rick replied with a smile. Iris walked quietly beside T-Dog, an uncertain feeling curling up at the base of her skull. She hoped more than anything that this group could be something good. Like Guillermo said, there were too many bad people left.

"You've given away half our guns and ammo." Daryl grumbled.

"Not nearly half." Rick replied.

"For what? Bunch of old farts who are gonna die off momentarily anyhow?" He asked.

"Seriously, how long do you think they got?"

"How long do any of us?" Rick retorted. They walked around a bus that blocked their path, only to find no van waiting on the other side. Iris watched as their faces fell.

"Oh my god." Glenn mumbled.

"Where the hell's our van?" Daryl asked.

"We left it right there, who would take it?" Glenn wondered.

"Merle." Rick answered firmly.

"Your brother?" Iris asked, frowning at Daryl. He nodded, sucking on a tooth.

"Yeah. He's gonna be taking some vengeance back to camp." He replied. Iris glanced around at their current surroundings, her eyes landing on an SUV not far from the train tracks. She ran for it, finding a wooden stick spearing through the windshield, a walker pinned to the driver's seat.

"What are you doing?" Glenn called.

"Wanna get back to your camp or not?" She called back. With a sharp stab she killed the walker through the open window, opening the door to tug him out. Daryl jogged over, opening the other door and beginning to kick the broken windshield out. He popped the hood, checking it over as Iris ducked under the steering wheel and pulled wires.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Rick asked, he and the others having decided to join in.

"Gonna arrest me if I tell you?" Iris asked, the engine roaring to life. He said nothing as she sat up. "Wouldn't be the first time." She answered simply. Glenn got in the drivers seat, all of them rushing on borrowed time.

It was dark by the time they pulled into the side road toward their camp. They were halted only by the sound of gunshots, screaming. A few walkers wandered down toward the car, but Iris' sinking feeling was coming to a head. They spared no time in jumping out, guns blazing. Iris followed Rick past tents and small clearings to a fire pit and an RV.

There were children screaming as the adults shot the walkers down one by one, making use of their new guns. There were already people on the ground, the walkers feasting on fresh flesh.

"Baby! Carl!" Rick yelled, running into the fray. The survivors were huddled around the RV as Iris and Daryl shot out the rest of the walkers, bloodied and horrified.

"Dad!" A young boy yelled, sobbing as he ran into Rick's arms. A woman with long brown hair collapsed into them both. Iris glanced nervously at the ruined camp, the sobbing kids. Some of the adults hadn't made it. Glenn was panting, his voice hoarse with panic as his knuckles turned white, gripping the gun. Iris put a hand on his shoulder, trying to even out her own breathing.

"Jesus." She whispered, wiping her blood coated knives on a dead walker's shirt.

The little boy, Carl, was sobbing into Rick's chest. A young blonde woman was kneeling beside the RV, the bloodied body at her feet sporting the same head of blonde hair.

"I remember my dream now. Why I dug the holes." A man said lowly, his face splattered with blood.

The Georgia sun was hot up here, beating down as the cicadas sung. It made the bodies smell worse. Iris hadn't taken the time to meet anyone, knowing they needed time to grieve. Daryl was making sure each of the bodies had a hole in their heads, a pickaxe being his tool for the job.

None of them had to ask, Iris just started burning bodies. She took extra care of the bodies that were wrapped, knowing it was one of theirs. Iris knew it might be easier for her to bury them than for them. She helped T-Dog carry them to the bed of a pickup truck, then they would cart them to a hilltop with an unorganized smattering of human-sized holes.

She approached Rick, his wife, and a few other people she hadn't met as Daryl stormed away from them. Apparently his preferred coping mechanism was to be an angry pain in the ass. A man with dark hair and a t-shirt with the sheriff's logo turned to her first, a frown seemingly sewn into his eyebrows. The second was an older man in a bucket hat, a Bermuda shirt hanging loosely from his shoulders. He walked over, a grim smile on his face.

"I'm afraid we can't roll out much of a welcome wagon." He said with a somber tone. "I'm Dale."

"Iris." She replied, shaking his hand.

"This is Shane," He introduced, gesturing to the dark-haired man, "and that's Lori and Carol.” He gestured to the woman with the long brown hair, Rick's wife, and her foil with a shaved head and grey hair. He pointed to each of the living people, listing names, but his voice began to waver, and he stopped to clear his throat.

"I'm sorry about your people." Iris said quietly. Shane nodded stiffly, making piercing eye contact before turning away. "I'll do what I can."

"It's greatly appreciated." Dale nodded with a comforting smile.

"You reap what you sow!" Daryl called out, dropping a body.

"Shut up, man." Another man, Morales, huffed.

"Y'all left my brother for dead!" Daryl yelled, storming away, pointing in Atlanta's general direction. "You had this coming." Iris watched him go with a raised eyebrow. She pulled her bandana over her face as she knelt down to help a woman named Jacqui carry another body. She nodded in thanks, though the attempted smile didn't reach her eyes. They looked up as a guy named Jim stumbled toward them.

"Are you bleeding?" Jacqui asked, frowning at the spot of blood on his t-shirt. He panted a bit, shaking his head.

"I just got some on me from the bodies." He replied, waving it off. Iris faltered, eyeing him carefully.

"That blood is fresh." She murmured.

"Were you bit?" Jacqui asked firmly.

"No, I got scratched during the attack." He assured.

"You got bit." She denied, shuffling to her feet. Iris' hand twitched toward her knife.

"I'm fine." Jim repeated.

"Then show me." Jacqui pleaded. Jim looked up, still panting hard.

"Don't tell. Please." He breathed.

"A walker got him!" Jacqui called, stumbling backward to the others. "A walker bit Jim!" Iris unsheathed her knife as they started to surround him, giving the stumbling man a wide berth, murmurs breaking out.

"I'm okay. I'm okay." Jim assured.

"Show it to us." Daryl stated. "Show it to us." Jim stumbled, leaning down to grab a shovel in defence. "Grab him! Grab him!"

"Jim, put it down. Put it down." Shane called. T-Dog lunged at him, grabbing his arms and pulling them back.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay." Jim repeated. Daryl ran forward and peeled his shirt up, revealing the angry red bite, already festering with infection. It was on his torso, leaving them no options for amputation. Daryl dropped the shirt, both him and T-Dog moving back as Jim muttered to himself, panting.

The group ushered Jim around the back of the RV, seating him on a bucket to wait for the group's decision. They gave him a water bottle, despite Daryl's grumblings at the waste of clean water. Iris wasn't scared, more concerned. Nothing like this had happened with her old group. They had all pretty much died at once. But she'd seen it happen. This was something they couldn't ignore, couldn't tolerate. He could kill them all.

"I say we put a pickaxe in his head, and the dead girl's, and be done with it." Daryl murmured to the circle.

"Is that what you'd want if it were you?" Shane snapped angrily.

"Yeah, and I'd thank you while you did it." Daryl retorted quickly.

"I hate to say it-- and I never thought I would-- but maybe Daryl's right." Dale muttered.

"Jim's not a monster, Dale, or some rabid dog." Rick argued.

"I'm not suggesting--"

"He's sick. A sick man." He said firmly. "We start down that road, where do we draw the line?"

"The line's pretty clear. Zero tolerance for walkers. Or them to be." Daryl huffed.

"What if we can get him help?" Rick asked. "I heard the CDC was working on a cure."

"I heard that too. Heard a lot of things before the world went to hell." Shane grumbled.

"What if the CDC's still up and running?" Rick asked.

"Man, that is a stretch right there." Shane muttered.

"Why? If there's any government left, any structure at all, they'd protect the CDC at all costs, wouldn't they?" Rick proposed. "I think it's our best shot. Shelter, protection, rescue--"

"Okay, Rick, you want those things, alright? I do too, okay? Now if they exist, they're at the army base. Fort Benning." Shane argued.

"That's 100 miles in the opposite direction." Lori replied.

"That is right. But it's away from the hot zone. Now listen to me. If that place is operational, it'll be heavily armed. We'd be safe there."

"The military were on the front lines of this thing. They got overrun. We've all seen that." Rick continued. "The CDC's our best choice and Jim's only chance.

"You go looking for aspirin. Do what you need to do." Daryl scoffed, turning away. He started toward Jim. "Someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem!"

"Hey hey hey!" Rick yelled, cocking his gun as Daryl raised the pickaxe to Jim. Shane got between them, protecting Jim. "We don't kill the living."

"That's funny coming from a man who just put a gun to my head." Daryl snapped. Iris raised an eyebrow. He had a point. She turned to the others, murmuring quietly without the presence of the alpha males.

"I might be overstepping, and tell me if I am, but why don't you just ask Jim what he wants to do? He's not stupid. He has to know what it means. He might not make it to the CDC, even if they do have a cure." Iris stated.

"That's what I was insinuating when I said I agreed with Daryl, I just want to do what's right for the group, including him." Dale agreed. They all watched as Rick and Shane took Jim into the forest, tying him to a tree.

Iris sat on the edge of a hole, her legs hanging in a grave, trying to appreciate the irony. Shane and Rick seemed to be at each other's throats, the former not so happy they came back with her instead of Merle. Daryl backed his pickup truck toward the holes, the bed filled with the sheet-covered bodies of their dead. Iris stood, dusting off her gloves and pulling the bandana back up over her face.

"I still think it's a mistake, not burning these bodies." Daryl mused as he got out of the truck. “It's what we said we'd do, right? Burn 'em all, wasn't that the idea?"

"At first." Rick replied.

"Glenn gets all emotional, says it's not the thing to do, we just follow him along?" Daryl continues. "These people need to know who the hell's in charge here, what the rules are."

"There are no rules." Rick replied.

"Well that's a problem." Lori cut in. "We haven't had one minute to hold onto anything of our old selves. We need time to mourn and we need to bury our dead. It's what people do." Iris said nothing, grabbing onto a body, Glenn running up to take the other side. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, bearing witness to all these arguments. She felt like she was watching some twisted reality show.

Once the rest of the bodies were buried, everyone stood aside to let Andrea, the blonde woman, bury her sister. She refused to let anyone help, dragging the dead weight across the ground, haphazardly stumbling. She practically fell into the grave, but the tear tracks on her face did more than enough convincing for them to leave her be. Dale tried desperately to help her, but she didn't want it.

A few of the others watching were crying too, stepping forward only to shovel dirt on top of the body. Once the hole was filled, they walked down the hill together, back to the camp. The sound of their footsteps were accompanied only by small sniffles and Andrea's sobbing.

Iris sat down on a log beside the remains of the campfire as a few went into the RV to check on Jim. Lori brought Carol back out to let Rick talk to him. It was hard to watch. All of it. It was hard to be there. Iris knew Daryl held resentment for her, for not being his brother. All those people that died, only for her to show up out of nowhere. She didn't expect anything from them, helping where she could.

After a few hours, the others joined her around the fire, gathering together as the sun began to set. Dale, Shane and Rick came out of the forest, Dale looking like he just saw a ghost, and Shane looking like he just lost an argument. They gathered around the others. Shane taking his spot at the head of the group.

"I've uh... I've been thinking about Rick's plan." He began. "Now, look, there are no guarantees either way. I'll be the first one to admit that. I've known this man a long time. I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing here is we need to stay together. So those of you that agree, we leave first thing in the morning. Okay?"

The others said nothing, Shane's announcement earning only a few nods in agreement. Iris would follow the group wherever it went. She trusted Rick too, just not in the same way. And Shane would likely agree with Iris if she voiced out loud that Rick seemed a little optimistic considering their circumstances. Yet, every morning, he climbed that hill, speaking into a radio like it was keeping him sane.

The CDC seemed like a safe enough bet. The only issue was its location in the city. And if Rick happened to be wrong, and they all changed their minds, Fort Benning would be a far trip. Traveling in this world was hard. It was harder with kids. And this group had four, plus an injured man. Iris had to admit, the CDC was a long shot. But that seemed like the only kind they had.

#daryl dixon #daryl dixon x reader #skeletons #the walking dead #the walking dead daryl dixon #thenameisz #twd daryl #twd daryl dixon

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lunagb · 10 months

Text

A Plague of Sleet and Rot (ASoIaF x The Walking Dead fanfic)

BOOK 2 - A Road of Snow and Grime

Chapter 18: A Traitor's Life

Masterlist

Relationships: Daryl Dixon x Carol, Rick Grimes x Lori Grimes, Carl Grimes & Sophia, Jon x Andrea, Jon x Beth Greene

Summary: A month has passed since Jon Snow awakened on a highway outside of Atlanta and joined Rick Grimes and his fellow survivors. His memories of his death have returned and our alien world is beginning to make a bit of sense. Ever since the loss of the CDC, surviving in the apocalypse has been a daily struggle. The group is on thin ice. Supplies are dwindling. Hope is fading. The dead are walking. And their only chance for life may be a run-down farm, an old man and his daughters.

Chapter Summary: Jon grapples with his decision and Bowen learns a secret.

Time Frame: Farm Arc - Original Variation

Featured Characters: Jon Snow, Bowen Marsh, Ghost, Mormont's Raven, Rick Grimes, Carl Grimes, Lori Grimes, Daryl Dixon, Carol, Sophia, Dale, Glenn Rhee, Andrea, T-Dog, Edwin Jenner, Shane Walsh, Beth Greene, Maggie Greene, Hershel Greene, Randall Culver,

Warnings: gore, vivid descriptions of dead bodies, child mutilation, graphic violence, death, murder, active combat, descriptions of armed warfare

[Art above is a piece by Art.of.Azrael. You can support them here: https://linktr.ee/Art.of.Azrael ]

Any notes are appreciated!

Jon

It’ll do, I suppose. Jon ran his hand over the tree’s coarse, brown bark. It loomed tall. A hundred branches fanned in every direction. Roots as thick as a man’s arm snaked through a bed of hard, cracked earth. Tall, old and grand – just like a weirwood. Not that it’s like to matter. They won’t hear me and neither will he. Especially not him.

Jon knelt before the grand, old oak tree. One oak of many – of hundreds just like it. Its brothers and sisters formed the forest’s tree line. They gave the old tree a wide birth. As did the bushes and the shrubs and the grass. A grand giant out of place amongst its humble peers. Its leaves were green, not red. Some did have five fingers but, others had six and some had seven. None were shaped like hands. Its bark was brown and coarse, not white and smooth. But it was tall and old. Tall and old is the best I’m like to get.

Ghost watched the tree. His red eyes followed the canopy of fanned branches as they swayed in the muggy, summer breeze. Bloodbeak watched Jon. His scarred eye stared into his, unblinking. Jon had never seen the damnable eye blink. Not once.

Jon drew his dagger and got to carving the face. The brown, course bark parted without complaint. The wood it shielded surrendered to the will of his dagger’s point. Ghost watched him work, head cocked, eyes wide. His ear twitched with every scrape.

“You’re meant to be watching the woods, not me.”

Ghost cocked his head to the other side.

“Oh, very well then – just keep still, boy. Let’s see if I can’t make it look like you. You’re as close as I’m like to find here.”

Bloodbeak perched among the highest, thinnest branches. All at once the breeze vanished. The red morning light danced upon his sleek, black feathers and warmed the pale, exposed flesh of his scarred, unblinking eye. For once the raven said nothing at all.

Two slim ovals for the eyes, a lengthy triangle for the nose and an upside-down arch for the mouth. A child’s drawing stared back at him. Even Arya could have done better than this. Weirwoods looked grim and mighty and wise. The old oak looked like a sad lackwit.

Jon sheathed his dagger.

If it’s not to your liking, you can complain to someone who bloody cares. I’m not here to talk to you lot, anyways.

Jon closed his eyes and bowed his head. Most like, I speak to no one but myself. I’ve felt the cold embrace. I’ve seen what lies on the other side. But… in the small chance that I’m wrong or mistaken or saw a falsehood, I hope my words find you well, Father.

A muggy, morning wind whistled across the fields.

What I’ve done – or rather what I did not do – was it right? Did I serve my duty or did I serve myself? Marsh has turned cloak once. Who’s to say he won’t do so again? When things are hard. When things look hopeless. When it suits his benefit. He was a coward; is a coward. Not a man suited to times like this. He buries his head in the snow. He cowers before truth; before hard truths. A man like him cannot adapt to his circumstances. He is a drowning man; like to drag others down with him. Voices whisper these doubts to me, small voices but sharp too. Like needles, they prick me.

Yet, despite their incessant pricking, I know it in my heart of hearts that Marsh wasn’t mine to kill. Not anymore. Not after my brothers gave me justice. If I had killed him again, there would be no justice in it. What is a second justice if not a murder? I could not kill him. He wasn’t mine to kill. He wasn’t. I pray you agree, Father. These sorts of things; questions of life and death, of right and wrong – you always knew the answers. I pray that your blood has granted me the sight to see. If you were here, you would have scolded me just now. No doubt. Mayhaps, you are scolding me right now for what I do not say, for those I do not address, but… you did not know the old gods like I did, Father. If you had, you would have no words for them either.

Jon lifted his head. Sap wept from the corners of the old oak’s eyes. Amber rivers ran down its brown, course face. Ghost stared at the amber tears. Bloodbeak stared at Jon and said nothing at all. Not even a mutter. Jon clenched his jaw. It’s not Father. He stood. It’s them.

Your power extends beyond the weirwoods. So be it. That does not make me your pawn. Fuck off to your dead world.

He turned his back on the old oak and headed back to camp. The wall loomed high. The sun shone red. The muggy air reeked of rot.

Bowen

Bowen pulled at the t-shirt’s collar. Too tight. The shirt managed to squeeze him all over; especially his belly. And mismatched to boot. Fashion meant as little as swords but, it would serve to possess as few reasons to be disliked as possible. He had enough as it was. The icy stares and venomous glares – they all must surely be privy to his greatest sin. It was less than he deserved but even so, Jon Snow had granted him a second life. Best to make it one worth living. For however long this dying world allowed him. What sort of life was lived stooped in hatred and ill will? A traitor’s life. His blacks and leathers might have offered a solution to his appearance problem but, dying of heat didn’t seem like the proper way to honour Jon’s mercy either.

At the very least, the shirt and half-leg trousers were thin and allowed the breeze – as muggy as it was – to come and go as it pleased. Never did Bowen think he’d ever feel such heat again. Even after months of living in it, he found himself bewildered when his sweat didn’t freeze on his forehead. If, only for a moment. I must remember to thank… seven hells what is his name? The one who gave me the clothes. With hair white as snow and a beard to match.

Lump lay in the corner of the tent. Will she help matters? The greatsword was near as large as he was. On a swordsman, she’d inspire trust and reliability. On him, she’d inspire mockery.

The tent flap flew open. Chris’s freckled face appeared. “They’re serving breakfast. You coming?”

“Aye.” Bowen considered Lump.

Chris pushed up his glasses. “Hurry, I’m hungry.”

“Hold on.” Bowen retrieved his dagger from the safety of its shelter beneath his cloak and slid it into its scabbard. Lump remained behind as he crawled from the tent. He shielded his eyes from the glare of the red, morning sun. “A bad omen,” he muttered.

“It’s just the sun. Sometimes it’s red. Sometimes it’s orange.”

“A red sky in the morning is a warning from the Crone, lad – of ill luck and hardships to come.”

“Right.” Chris rolled his eyes.

The boy’s youthful arrogance kept him from his faith. To not worship the seven – gods of a distant world – was one thing but, Chris believed himself above even his own world’s god. A god called God. Regardless of his uninspired name, to abandon a higher power was a fool’s errand. A man needs such power to keep him humble lest he wander too far from the trail of righteousness. As I once did. Chris, however, had not felt true power. He had not felt the Stranger’s cold embrace between worlds or the Mother’s kiss upon rebirth. He knew only what this world had taught him, and this world did not teach much of faith. In time, as he matured and this world healed, he would see true as all men should. He has too. It has too.

Bodies swamped a table made of… plastic. More bloody plastic. Plastic pavilions, plastic cups, plastic cutlery. Plastic this and plastic that. Is nothing in this world crafted by the hands of men? Only the food, it seemed. Well, by the hands of women. Real women. Not girls or savages. Real honest to gods women. As he and Chris claimed two free plastic stools, one of them plopped two bowls in front of them and then her arse on the stool beside him. Her smile almost made him forget about the incessant smell of rot that loitered all around.

“Bowen, right? And you’re Chris? Sorry for not finding a chance for proper introductions yesterday. My name’s Lori – Rick’s wife and Carl’s mother. The boy with the hat.” She offered her hand.

Bowen shook it. “Don’t apologise. It’s quite alright. We all had a lot on our minds last night.”

“Hello,” Chris mumbled before shovelling oats into his mouth.

“You’ll have to excuse him. I’m afraid, we haven’t had a proper meal in quite a while.”

Lori waved him off. “Oh, he’s fine. Boys – they never change.”

“This fine work must be your doing, aye?” Bowen gestured to the porridge with his plastic spoon. Every bowl around the table was filled halfway. They live surrounded by fields yet, they ration their food. Caution or necessity?

“Canned porridge. My speciality.”

It tasted of nothing and felt closer to bile upon his tongue than oats yet, a woman’s hands wielded a certain sort of magic. Bowen swallowed his heaping spoonful and pointed the spoon around the table. “I’m afraid I haven’t had to chance to learn names.”

Lori smiled and gestured across the table at a woman with short hair. “That’s Carol. The boy beside her ignoring his food is my son, Carl.” The lad had a chipper look about him. A good sign. Carol’s hair disconcerted him. Short, like a man’s. A strange custom for a strange land, or madness?

Beside the lad, a young lady with hair of gold tied taught shot him a withering look. “That’s Andrea. Ignore the scowl. She scowls more often than not nowadays.”

“Aye.” The scowl did not falter even as Bowen held eye contact. She is privy to my sin. Mayhaps they all are. Lori’s easy smile remained without a twitch or quiver.

A white-haired, wrinkled man sat at the end of the table. Two women sat on either side of him. They shared the same round faces and fair complexion. “That’s Hershel, the farm’s owner, and his daughters, Beth and Maggie. Beth is blonde. Maggie is brunette.”

“Ah yes, we’ve met. It’s thanks to him I have fresh clothes. I’ve been meaning to give him my thanks.”

“I’ll let him know you’re grateful.”

“Thank you.” Bowen nodded. “So, he opened up his home to you?”

“Yeah… he’s a kind man, helpin’ strangers like that. Is Chris your son?”

Chris choked on his porridge.

Bowen slapped him on the back. “I’m afraid not.”

Lori nodded and gestured to a savage-looking man whittling arrows at the table. Unkempt, tangled hair hung over sharp, rugged features. He looked half a wildling. “That’s Daryl. Best not to ignore his scowls. We picked him up some time ago, him and his brother. Found them wanderin’ the woods and gave them a place to lay their heads. Never been the friendliest folks but he’s been with us ever since.”

“And where is this brother?”

“Gone. Is your story a similar one with Tyreese?”

Good. “Did he find me? Aye. Helped me get my bearings after I, uh… after I-”

“Arrived? After you died?”

“Jon has spoken of our home?”

“He has.”

And of more, I wager. “And you believe him?”

“I’ve believed stranger things. You’ve been with them since the start then?”

“Aye, or since my start. I arrived a month or so after the dead began to walk to hear it told.”

“It must have been hard, surviving in such a small group.”

“Our numbers were a hindrance, aye. Tyreese doesn’t trust easily. No matter how many times I told him there was safety in numbers, he’d never listen.”

“He left people to die,” Chris muttered. “Good people.”

“But not you?”

“No, not me,” Bowen said.

“Really? But, you’re strangers, right? People who knew nothing about one another.”

Bowen winced. “No… Nothing at all.”

Lori gave him a shining look. “I see.”

Lori spent the next few minutes detailing the other members of the group from the dark-skinned man, Theodore, who they called to T-Dog to the brooding, once-leader, Shane. When all was said, they seemed decent people; most held to their God and most had a role to play. Even if they were essentially mere small-folk, Bowen could see the beginnings of something great around him. The Culvers could cause issues left unchecked but their leader had a strong look about him. Surely such a man could keep a fat fool and a few squalling children in line.

Lori left to attend to her motherly duties and Chris wasted no time grumbling. “He wouldn’t let me see her last night…”

“Give him time. She’s his daughter.”

“She’s my girlfriend. We were together for four months before the world fell apart. Four months. She loves me and she’d want me by her side.”

Poor lovesick fool. “Aye, I know, lad.”

“Snow!” The old bear’s raven fluttered onto the table. “Snow! Snow!” Death had had no effect on the creature’s lungs it seemed.

He approached the table flanked by his direwolf, bundled in his blacks and mail – a spectre of the past. Smiles and warm words greeted him as he sat, and a bowl found its way before him almost at once. The lad with the hat, Carl, broke away from his mother and rushed to his side. Jon Snow pushed the hat down over the lad’s eyes and whispered something that got the lad giggling. Not once did his eyes venture Bowen’s way. Plenty of others did though. Andrea and the doctor, Jenner glanced his way. Andrea’s scowl festered and a perplexed smile crossed Jenner’s lips. Were they privy to last night? Bowen felt sick. Had he been granted mercy only to have it dashed by a stranger? The whole camp could want him dead, Daryl, Andrea and even Lori for all he knew. It’s less than I deserve. Bowen’s hands trembled. It’s less than I deserve.

“Sorry to keep y’all waitin’.” However many pairs of eyes sent glares his way, but none remained to accuse him as the table’s undivided attention drew towards a tall man with a salt-and-pepper beard. He sat beside Lori at the opposite end of the table to Hershel.

“Come to make excuses, Rick?” Shane asked.

“If by excuses you mean answers, then yeah, I have.” Rick spoke the way you might to a lackwit child – slow and soft. Shane scowled and crossed his arms. Rick cast a smile upon the table of staring eyes. “Hershel, would you mind startin’ us off?”

“Of course.” Hershel got to his feet. The eyes shifted to the end of the table opposing Rick. “I’ve never been one for keepin’ secrets. How can we love our neighbours if we don’t trust ‘em? But, I kept a secret anyhow. Didn’t start off as a secret. Wasn’t ever intended to be a secret. However, a secret it became. So, to clear the air, let’s set things straight. We are out of basic medicine, that mean antib…” The kindly, old whitebeard spoke and spoke some more. Voices raised concerns and charges. But Bowen heard only noise. Out of medicine? They couldn’t be. Julie was safe. They’d said she was safe. How could she be safe without medicine, without the miracle treatments of this strange land?

“You said she was safe.” He must have spoken louder than he intended for a hushed silence swept across the table and every pair of eyes snapped to him. Even Jon’s, sad, sullen eyes. They were too much to bear.

“Safe! Safe! Safe!” cried the Old Bear’s raven.

“I did…” Hershel glanced at Rick. “And… well…”

“She is,” Rick said. “Or will be.”

“Liar!” Chris slammed his fist on the table. “You’re all liars! You said you’d help her! You said you could save her life!”

Bowen touched Chris’s back. “Calm yourself.” The rage deflated out of the boy. He held his head in his hands, tears brimming in his eyes. “What do you plan to do?” Bowen asked.

“There’s a town a short drive away from here full of all kinds of abandoned supplies. We’ll put together a small group and scavenge for medicine to replace what we’ve used up.” Rick smiled with his eyes as he spoke. “Julie’s going to be just fine, I swear it.”

“On your god?”

“On my God. On my wife. On my son.” Rick squeezed his wife’s hand and found his son’s eyes across the table.

“Fuck that. The little bitch is a goner.” May Culver sported a grin as Chris shot to his feet.

“Shut up! No, she isn’t!”

“Yes. She is. Y’all blind? She ain’t got a fuckin’ hand no more. Don’t get me wrong, her kind can take a lot of hell and all but, not that much.”

“SHUT UP!”

“Or what, little man?” James snapped.

“I- I’ll-”

“You’ll sit down, lad,” Bowen said.

“But-”

“Listen to the man, boy,” Sam spoke a little above a whisper. Some leader.

Chris gritted his teeth and sat, fists clenched. As the pack of fools laughed among one another, Sam did nothing. Even as the whole table shot him glares. Even as the fools mocked Julie’s name right beside him. Instead, he stared at the table.

“Got somethin’ to add, Sam?” Rick asked.

“A scavenge… a scavenge won’t work.”

“Why the hell not?” Andrea snapped.

May laughed. “Cause the mall’s overrun, bitch.”

“So?”

“So…” Sam met her eyes. “That’s the only place you’re gonna find any medicine. Everything else’s been picked clean. By us and-”

“Strangers.” James spat.

Sam gave a grim nod. “Y’all ain’t the first to run through these parts. People have been coming and going for months, taking what they will.”

“And you took from them,” Jon said.

Sam didn’t meet Jon’s eyes.

“It’s a dog-eat-dog world, Snow,” May said. “Ain’t enough to around no more, case you ain’t noticed.”

“Damn straight,” James said.

“Ain’t enough,” Pete said.

The three fools looked to the quiet one, Randall. “Dog eat dog,” he muttered.

“It was our town, not theirs,” Sam muttered.

“That stops now,” Rick said. “We find strangers, we don’t rob them, we help them.”

“We gonna foster the whole world now?” May asked. “We’ll run out of room eventually.”

“Y’all could always kindly fuck off. That’ll make room,” Daryl said.

“Right back at ya, arrow boy.” May grinned.

Andrea shook her head and waved her hands. “Hold on. Screw the mall. What about your stash? Surely you’ve got medicine.”

“Get your own,” May snapped.

“We found it fair and square!” James said.

“Fair and square!” Pete said.

“Fair and square…” Randall said.

“That girl’s going to die, you fucking monsters!”

May sneered and shrugged.

“We can’t give you any,” Sam said.

Andrea got to her feet. “You can and you will.”

May shot to her feet. “Try it, bi-” Sam clouted her ear. She clutched it and fell back into her seat.

“I already gave it all to you.”

“Bullshit.”

“Damn, right bullshit!” James said. “I know you ain’t go much sense Pa but there ain’t no way you’re that fuckin’ stupid!”

Sam extinguished James’s fury with a look. “Watch your tone, boy.”

“Why?” Rick asked. “We agreed on a third.”

“Same reason we don’t have none now. Was hardly any to begin with and I ain’t about to let women and children get sick.”

“No,” Andrea said. “You’re lying. Rick, let me check their stash.”

Rick weighed her words.

“Have I lied to you so far?” Sam asked.

“You said you can control them.” Andrea gestured to the Culver. “Look how well that’s gone.”

“I am controllin’ them.”

Andrea scoffed.

Sam scowled. “I ain’t a fucking liar. Go check the fucking stash, you won’t find nothing.”

“But, Pa!”

Sam raised his hand. James gave him a desperate look but received only a glare for an answer.

Rick nodded. “Go on, take a look.”

Andrea hurried off towards the Culver’s camp.

Pete bristled. “I’m checkin’ once you’re done, girl! If I find even a crumb missin’, it’s your ass!”

“Shut up, Pete. You could do with a few less crumbs,” Sam said.

Pete huffed and folded his arms over his potbelly.

“Is this mall our only option?” Rick asked. “Are you sure?”

“There’s a hundred fucking towns just like this one. Don’t gotta only search here,” Daryl said.

“A shot in the dark,” Jon muttered.

“The kid’s right,” Sam said. “If our town’s been picked clean, so has every other town around here. The mall’s a guarantee. No shot anyone’s stupid enough to go in there. You can see the dead fuckers from the street shambling about like a wall of fucking rotting flesh.”

“No one ‘cept us,” Daryl said.

Jon thumbed his chin. “How did this mall, as you say, end up like that?”

“It was a gatherin’ place,” Beth said. Her voice was small and soft. She stared at the table. “The TV said to go there. Probably the whole town listened.”

“But not you?”

Beth shook her head.

“Never trust a talking head. That’s where it’ll get you,” Sam said. “The place is locked from the inside. Got a big ol’ chain wrapped around the handles. Some bastard must have done it as shit was hitting the fan.”

Glenn shifted in his seat. “It’s thanks to whoever did it that we’ve got less walkers to deal with.”

“Yeah? We can tell them that. Sure they’ll agree with you. Might even let us waltz right in for a little shopping spree.”

“Don’t talk to him like that,” Maggie snapped.

“We haven’t decided on anything yet,” Rick said. “Something like this – this is a decision we all need to make.”

A decision for them all to make? He couldn’t mean a vote. Whatever it was, it got nearly every head nodding around the table.

“Always with the fucking voting…” May muttered.

“A vote?” Bowen asked. “For this?”

“That’s how we do things around here.” Rick nodded to Carol.

The short-haired woman scurried off to the house. She returned with a bowl, scraps of paper and a pen.

“Y’all know how this works. The paper and pen will pass around. Right down a yes or a no. Of course, you don’t have to vote but it makes things easier if you do.”

As the bowl, paper and pens made their way around the table, Bowen couldn’t quite believe his eyes. It was as if there were choosing a Lord Commander all over again, and they all acted as if nothing were amiss. Only Jon gave the bowl a disconcerted look. Just as this world was beginning to make sense, it always felt the need to throw something new at him.

The bowl arrived in front of him and Chris. “Even us?” he asked.

“Of course. You’re a part of the group now. You get a vote.”

“Good.” Chris grabbed the pen and paper. “I won’t let you let her die.” He scribbled down yes.

Bowen did the same.

“I’m going,” Chris said before the bowl had moved even one more space down the table.

“That’ll be Glenn’s decision, son,” Rick said. “If we decide to go at all.”

“I’m going and so is Bowen.” Chris looked at him. “Right?”

An army of the dead. Killer corpses. Death incarnate. “I-” Bowen’s skin crawled. “Well-” Chris gave him a desperate look – a pleading, pitiful, desperate look. The scared look of a boy. Bowen swallowed. “I will.”

“I get you want to help your friend.” Glenn wrote down his answer. “But, no offence, I need people I can trust out there.”

An out. A perfect excuse. No one would bat an eye. Jon’s stare bore a hole through his head. “No. We’re coming.”

“We’re going whether it’s with you or on our own,” Chris says.

“Let them.” Jon wrote down his answer. “It’ll keep as many people familiar with the wall at the wall as possible.” Jon gave Bowen a commanding look. This was his chance. A chance to prove himself. Far more than he deserved.

“Let’s finish the vote before we decide anything,” Lori said. She handed the full bowl to Rick.

“Right.” Rick separated the votes into two piles. Nineteen votes for yes. Three for no. “We’re doing this, then… fine – Chris, Bowen you’ll go with Glenn.”

“And Tyreese,” Bowen said. “He wouldn’t forgive us if we left him behind.”

Rick nodded. “And Tyreese.”

“And me,” Jon said.

“I’ll go too,” Sam said.

“No,” Glenn piped up. “Hold on, no. I’ll bring the other three but not you two.”

“Why the hell not?” Sam asked.

“Aye, for what reason?”

“Okay heroes, first of all, you have three broken ribs. You’re only useful if you can swing a sword. And as for you, Sam. You’re better suited here, making sure things run smoothly.”

Jon grimaced and stared at the table. “Aye… okay.”

“Who then?” Sam asked.

“Apart from Bowen, Chris and Tyreese, I’m taking me, Daryl and Maggie.”

“Hold on now,” Hershel said.

“God, Dad. You can’t say no for me. I’m not a kid,” Maggie said.

“It’s too dangerous, and besides, you ain’t never done anything like it before.”

“I have to! How many times have I gone out huntin’? Huh?”

“And look how well that turned out,” Andrea said. She rejoined the table.

Maggie froze, caught between shock and outrage.

Andrea flashed Sam her scowl. “He’s telling the truth.”

“Always do,” Sam said.

“Hershel,” Glenn said. “I need someone with medical experience out there. Preferably someone with two working hands.”

Hershel flushed. “Then take Doctor Jenner.”

Maggie joined Glenn’s side. “Didn’t you hear him? He said he needs people he can trust out there and, I don’t know if you’ve been payin’ attention lately, I’m the person Glenn trusts most nowadays. That’s what love’ll do.”

Glenn flushed and Hershel kneaded his brown. Hershel has the right of it. Women are not made to face such horrors.

“Fine,” Hershel sighed.

Maggie smirked and kissed Glenn on the cheek. It would seem that Daryl isn’t the only one with a bit of wildling in them around here.

“Well then, that settles that. Best we get to work. The wall ain’t gonna build itself.” Rick stood. “Glenn-”

“Hold on, brother,” Shane stood. “You ain’t gettin’ away that easy.”

“Excuse me?”

“What right did you think you had to keep that a secret?”

“It wasn’t a secret.”

“Like hell it wasn’t.”

“It wasn’t. We only ran out yesterday. Glenn, Lori and I decided it’d be best to tell y’all after the workday so it wouldn’t weigh on your minds in the heat.”

“Yeah, man,” Glenn said. “We were gonna tell everyone.”

“It was never a secret,” Lori said.

“Call it what you will. It was a secret. You lied.”

Rick clenched his jaw. “Again, Shane, we were planning on telling everybody at the end of the day.”

“What’s all this we business, brother? You’re in charge ain’t ya? Every decision is your decision no matter how many people are involved. A leader needs to take charge of his decisions, not hide behind excuses all the damn time. He needs to be decisive.”

“Right… what’s your damn point, Shane?”

“My damn point is this, brother!” Shane looked right at Jon. “When I was leader, y’all would have known right away. Y’all would have known yesterday and y’all would have known two weeks ago. Two weeks. How often does Lori take a count, brother? Every few days. And not once did it ever occur to you to mention we were gonna run out of medicine?”

Voices raised as one to shout over one another.

“Shut the hell up, Shane!”

“When you were in charge?!”

“Look how that turned out!”

“Sit down!”

“Your time’s done!”

Jon’s fearsome glare spoke louder than any shouts. Rick looked about to burst but, a touch from Lori settled him.

Rick raised his hands for quiet. “Normally, I’d say we take a vote on it. But, after all that, it seems a bit redundant, huh?

Shane flashed the group a scowl. “Whatever.” He stormed away.

Jon

In front of the farmhouse, the scavenging party prepared to leave. Atop his motorbike, Daryl whittled arrows. In the pickup truck, Glenn and Maggie reviewed a map. And all Jon could do was stand idle as Bowen Marsh secured their supplies in the truck’s bed.

He was never much of a swordsman, Bowen Marsh. Could he count them? Could he organise them? Yes. But when it came to swinging one, the man may as well have taken a bread roll with him to battle for all the use he’d be. The greatsword made for quite a spectacle against his short, round figure.

Jon opened and closed his sword hand as the party made their preparations; as he stood idle and still. “No one would blame you. There’s no shame in it.”

Bowen secured a strap across the pickup truck’s bed. “And let him go on his own? Him? A scrawny boy? No.”

Chris sat in the rangerover, on the opposite side to Tyreese, two rows of seats apart.

“He has Tyreese.”

Bowen fiddled with the strap. A poor farce. His eyes gave him away.

“Glenn’s as sensible as they come and Daryl’s practically half-wolf. The lad’s in fine hands.”

“I’m going, Jon,” Bowen said barely above a whisper.

Jon crossed his arms. “I’m not your Lord Commander anymore. Far be it from me to tell a man where he may or may not go. But don’t go making a mockery of my mercy by getting yourself killed.”

“I… I won’t.” Bowen refused to meet his eyes.

“Good.” Jon tried to ignore Rick’s stare. He watched him like a hawk whenever he and Bowen were ever so much as in shouting distance of one another. “Do you know how to shoot?”

Bowen’s nose wrinkled. “Aye, I’ve more or less figured out the damnable things. It’s not something I can ever get used to. It’s like wielding a bloody lightning bolt. Unnatural it is. Bloody unnatural.”

“Aye, but useful.”

“I suppose…”

Bowen’s handgun looked like any other. They’d found it in a gutter, covered in grime, mud and blood. After Daryl almost lost his lunch when he fished it from the filth he’d refused to ever touch it again and yet, he’d made such a fuss when Rick gave it to Bowen.

“You want to give it to him?” The look Daryl shot Bowen could have curdled milk.

Glenn couldn't meet his eyes. “Yeah, man. If he’s coming with us, he needs one.”

Daryl spat. “Leave him in the car, then. Ain’t gonna be no use anyways, fat old bastard.”

“No. Everyone needs a partner out there – someone to cover their back. Without him, we’re an odd number.”

“Whatever… he ain’t my partner then. No way.”

“I’ll pair with Chris,” Bowen murmured.

And that was as much as Bowen had said about the situation. Death had done nothing for his cravenness it seemed. If anything, he was more meagre than how Jon had left him, if such a thing were possible.

Bowen gave the wall a bold look. “This was you’re doing?”

“My doing? No. Only my idea. The doing was everyone’s.” The rest of the group filled the air with a cacophony of noise; hacking branches, crashing hammers, whirring drills and a screaming chainsaw. All while he stood about idle, on his errand. Glenn wouldn’t let him swing a sword and Rick wouldn’t let him swing an axe. If they had their way, he’d spend most of his time scampering about, pretending to be useful.

Atop a tree trunk post, Sam paused the swinging of his hammer to shout a command at the lumber team.

“That man.” Bowen pointed. “What is his role?”

“First Builder, if you were to give it a title.”

“You say that as if he has no title.”

“He doesn’t.”

“No title?”

“None we use. He used to be a ‘site manager,’. I’ve come to understand they mean more or less the same thing.”

“Bizarre.”

“Aye. But, ignoring the strangeness, it’s proven useful. Those tools came from a building project he worked on before their world collapsed. Power tools they’re called. They’ve turned what should have been months of labour into mere weeks.”

“Should I even ask how they work?”

“Another time, mayhaps.”

Bowen smiled but, in the next breath, his meagerness returned. The smile shamed him. And so it should. To have shame as a constant companion was a lenient punishment.

“Your man…” Bowen’s voice hushed. “Rick, was it? Who was he before the collapse?”

“A sheriff. Some sort of law enforcer.”

“Who’s law? The king’s? Is a sheriff what they call a knight?”

“No. It’s something different. As far as I can gather, sheriffs hold no legal privileges. They swear no vows. Nothing like a knight. Closer to a gold cloak, in a sense.”

“I see… but he still wielded some power, aye? Even if he is of low birth?”

“Some. How much, I haven't been able to put together.”

“As much as… as much as you did, do you think?”

The question might have been bold if hadn’t been whispered and murmured. “You doubt him?”

“I don’t feel any way about him. I don’t know him. Do you trust him above yourself?”

“He makes them feel safe. Safety, even if it’s an illusion, is what they need right now.”

“But real safety? What of that?”

“You need only look ahead of you to see real safety.”

Bowen looked at the wall as he fidgeted with his hands. “Would that wall be there without you?”

“No, Marsh. It wouldn’t.”

“And… if a similar project were required and… and he hadn’t the strength to-”

“I’d ensure it saw completion.”

Bowen nodded. “Good. Good…” He stared at his feet. His hands trembled. “But… why risk it? What if he were to resist? Why not just-”

“Enough.”

“But, they respect you, aye? They’d follow-”

“I’m no power monger, Marsh. They chose him to keep them safe. They’re safe. That’s all there is to it.”

“Time to go!” Glenn shouted. “Bowen, you’ll ride with Chris and Tyreese in the rangerover!”

“Aye!” Bowen glanced Jon’s way. “I… before I go, again- I must say… thank you. For last night.”

“Speak nothing of it.”

“Aye, of course.”

“I mean it. Don’t ever speak of it to me again.”

Bowen stiffened. “Of course. Sorry.” He scurried off towards the rangerover.

“Bowen,” Jon called.

Halfway in the car, Bowen looked back at him. “Aye?”

“Don’t die.”

Bowen smiled. “Once was enough, I think.”

As they sped off down the road, kicking up rooster tails of gravel dust, Jon spied her glare. From across the farm, as she hacked branches from a fallen tree, Andrea looked as if she might kill him.

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