Trinkets (Glenn Rhee x Platonic!Reader)

You collect items from significant points during the apocalypse.

TW: mention of suicidal thoughts and description of gore under the cut!

The first thing you ever collected was a pebble. It was the smoothest pebble you had ever seen, its shape so symmetrical you felt a compulsion to slide it into your pocket to treasure forever. It became a comfort to stroke it’s smooth surface, to calm your racing heart whenever you were nervous. It reminded you of a time when all of this had begun, and you were alone until he sat besides you.

There was a slight chill in the air. You tugged your jumper closer to your chest, trying to ignore the shiver that ran down your spine. From here you could smell the acidic smoke drifting from the fire at camp; you couldn’t face them today. They were all laughing, chatting mindlessly as if they weren’t plagued with nightmares over what had transpired over the past few weeks. Nearly everyone sitting around that campfire had someone from their life before, someone they could trust and confide in, and those that didn’t had settled in so well it’s like they’d always been there.

You had no one.

You never settled in or found an old friend or family member by the craziest of coincidences. Just like always you could only rely on yourself. Sometimes that wasn’t enough. Sometimes when the memories of blood and gore become too much your body craves the familiar comfort of being pulled into an embrace, the weight of their body against yours enough to distract you for a precious few minutes. Here though? No one here had the power to do that, the fleeting touches of strangers only adding to your anxiety and not soothing.

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you rested your hands behind you, feeling the pinch of the pebbles beneath as you looked up at the night sky. If there was one perk of the end of the world, it would be the way the stars shone so bright. Up there, there were galaxies and civilisations that you could only dream of. You weren’t even looking up at the stars in real time, the light taking so long to reach earth that you were a mere observer to history by simply looking up. You felt like those stars. Caught up in the past and trying to focus on the present, and failing miserably.

“Hey.” A voice broke you out of your stupor. You jumped, spinning around to have your heart rate calm when you realised it was Glenn. He was one of those that had arrived at the camp alone, his friendly nature allowing him to integrate into the group dynamic with ease. You envied him for that.

Meekly, you responded. “Hi.”

“You should come by the fire, it’s chilly out tonight.” You noticed how Glenn was shuffling on his feet, gesturing a hand behind him to the fire.

“I’m fine.” Your body took that moment to betray you. A visible shiver rocked your body.

“Okay… just know we’re here if you need us.” You heard the faintest of sounds, almost like a zipper being undone. A soft fabric fell into your lap. It smelt strongly of Glenn. You looked up at him; he merely shrugged.

This act of kindness brought a thin sheen to your eyes. This interaction was the first in a long time to remind you of what it was like to have a connection to someone, and for the briefest of blips, you were able to live in the present. Before you could help it, the words fell out of your mouth. “Stay.”

“Are you sure?”

A weak smile curved onto your lips. You had isolated yourself from the group, terrified of reliving the pain of the past, but in doing so you made yourself even more miserable. Maybe you did need a friend. “Just because I’m alone doesn’t mean I have to be lonely.”

He walked towards you. He stood close enough you could feel his body heat: you relished in it, feeling it warm your cold bones. “You’re not alone, you have us.”

His presence was slowly warming both your body and soul. For the first time since arriving at the quarry, you felt included.

As you’d patted the ground beside you, your hand fell on the pebble.

The second thing you collected was the tiniest, most delicate of feathers. It was a muted brown, having fallen off a chicken at Maggie’s farm. It had begun to fray with time yet you still held onto it as if it was made of gold.

You stood by the chickens and the hens, watching them chirp with a distant smile on your face. They reminded you of before.

“Would you like to feed them?” Maggie’s voice interrupted your day dream. You jumped five feet into the air. “Sorry, I just noticed you watching them. They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”

You nodded.

“Let me grab you some chicken feed, I’ll be right back.” Maggie dipped away from your line of sight. You returned to gazing at the chickens with a lazy smile on your face.

Maggie came back quickly, two baskets in hand. She passed you one, showing you to spread the feed near the chickens. You fell into a pattern of sharing the feed, enjoying the joyful clucks the chickens made.

“Can I ask you a question?” You nodded your head. “Your friends with Glenn, right?”

You thought back on your memories of him. Sitting under the stars at the quarry to help you feel more relaxed, him saving your life as a walker was about to rip into you when the camp was overrun, and how he comforted you when the incessant beeping of the timer attacked you at the CDC. As a group you had all been through a lot; Glenn was always there. He sensed your nervousness, your fear, and he could make it melt away with just a funny comment or a smile. Friend felt like a strange term to use for someone you classed as family.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Why is he such a prick?”

You froze, frowning. “He’s one of the kindest people I know.”

“Nice people can be pricks too.”

“Has something gone on?” Maggie stayed silent, her gaze fixed onto the chickens. You sighed. “He might have done a prick-ish thing, whatever it is, but I can tell you he is not a prick.”

“Good to know.”

“Do you like him?”

“Excuse me?”

“I see the way you look at him, Maggie, it’s kind of obvious.”

“Of course I like him. Why does it matter to you?”

“Because if you do, I need to give the "you ever hurt my friend” speech.“

"Save your breath.”

Maggie turned to leave, you placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “What you two have is good. Please don’t throw it away.”

She left. As odd as it sounded, it was nice to be involved in a drama that didn’t involve walkers or blood shed.

You stayed by the chickens for a while, thriving in the normality of it all. The farm felt like it was frozen in time, taken from before things truly hit the fan. The chickens were clucking happily amongst themselves.

You felt a presence move besides you. From the corner of your eye you saw Glenn leaning against the chicken coup, looking down. Something was dripping off of his jaw.

“I’ve fucked up.” Glenn whispered, head bowed low.

Concern flooded you. The chickens long forgotten, you turned to focus all of your attention on Glenn, unable to hold back your gasp. His hat was damp, and what you had mistaken as sweat was a yellow liquid slipping down his face.

“What the hell happened?” You took his face in your hands, swiping the liquid away with a thumb. He shied away from your touch.

“Maggie cracked an egg on my head.” You opened your mouth to protest; before you could, he interrupted you. “I deserved it.”

“Is everything okay between you two?”

Glenn took a deep breath, setting his jaw. “I saw something I shouldn’t and now I’m worried for the group. For all of us.”

“I’m assuming it has to do with Maggie?”

“I saw her family, Y/N. I saw her brother and…”

“Aren’t they dead?” Glenn made no effort to confirm what you knew. The pieces started to fall into place as you realised Glenn was trying to tell you that the Greene family were hiding walkers on the very farm you took refuge on. As much as you wanted to be angry, you couldn’t help the squeeze of your heart. Having lost all of your family in the early days, you could relate. You imagined this was them holding onto hope for a cure.

Reaching out, you squeezed Glenn’s shoulder reassuringly. “What are you going to do?”

“What do you think I should do?” He was looking at you as if you held all of the answers. Since you two had become friends, you couldn’t remember a single time he had asked for your help. He was smart and resourceful, seeming to know everything. As much as you wanted to help him, all you could do was shake your head.

“Glenn…That’s not my choice to make.”

“You’re not going to tell anyone?”

“Only if you don’t want me to.”

Glenn seemed to sag in relief. In a voice so small you had to strain to hear him over the chickens, he confided. “I don’t know what to do.”

“No matter what, I support your decision.” You bumped him with your hip. “I think you definitely need to shower.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Glenn took his hat off of his head, spinning it around in his hands. “My hats ruined, isn’t it?”

“We can get you a new one.”

“No… I think I’ve grown out of it.”

You took the hat from his hands, turning it around. A glimpse of brown caught your attention. You inspected it further, making out the tiniest of quills. A small laugh slipped past your lips.

As delicately as you could, you pulled the feather out of the hat.

The third item you collected was a torn page of a book. It looked like it had been from a self help book, the advice cut off as the page ended. There was one line underlined three times in pencil.

Glenn lingered by the cell door, rapping his hands against the iron railings. You turned your head towards him, a tired smile on your lips.

“What?”

“Wanna help clear the fence?” A spare knife was already in his hand, outreached towards you. Groaning, you threw your head against the pillow.

“I’m guessing that’s not a suggestion.”

“It’s pretty bad out there and I need company.”

“Ugh,” you climbed out of the bed, moving out of the cell. You jokingly knocked his shoulder with yours. “You owe me.”

“Yeah, sure.” He rolled his eyes, pushing your arm and sending a teasing smile your way.

“Is there a reason you’re asking me and not your girlfriend?”

“I miss my best friend.”

His words made your heart warm. While it had taken you some time to settle into the group like you had once envied him for, you were closest to Glenn. He had supported you, and you had supported him, more times than you could count. “Aw, I’m your best friend?”

“Well, there’s not exactly a lot of choice.”

Mocking offence, you kicked the back of his leg. He slightly tripped, turning around to give you a playful glare. “Oh fuck off.”

His words played on your mind as you methodically drove the knife into the walkers, watching them drop to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. It was the first time he had admitted out loud that he was your best friend, and all you had done was hit him. While it was something you both knew, it felt different hearing the words proclaimed out loud. Oh god, you thought to yourself, I’m a terrible friend.

“Glenn?”

“Hm?”

“You’re my best friend too.”

“Really?” He said breathlessly, pausing from killing the walkers. He was turned towards you and now you could feel the nerves bubbling in your gut. You had convinced yourself you wanted to tell him everything, and now your anxiety was sky high. Before you could think too much into it, you started to speak.

“Yeah, really. No one else tried as hard as you to help me fit in. I never told you, but at the CDC… I thought about it. For a split second I wanted to stay in that room with Jacqui and Jenner. The dead were walking, my family were dead or nowhere to be found and everything I knew had been turned upside down. But then you held me as I cried, and you fought to get out. I realised I had to get out for you.”

“I… I never knew that.”

Your head was bowed, words almost lost to the groans of the walkers. “I was ashamed.”

“There’s no shame in wanting to give up.” Glenn wiped the sweat from his brow. He turned to face you, his face the most serious you had ever seen it. “You got back up, Y/N. I’m proud of you.”

“I’m proud of you too.”

Glenn reached towards you, wrapping you into a hug. You were enveloped in the scent of sweat and dirt but it was his scent. He held you so tightly you could feel the imprint of Hershel’s watch pressing into your hip but you didn’t care.

A loud animalistic growl made you both jump. Pulling out of the embrace, you both resumed trying to clear the fence. Time seemed to fly by as your arms grew steadily more tired and your back felt as if it was burning under the Georgian heat. The grip you had on the knife was slick. All of the undead blurred into one, until a certain walker caught your attention.

“Oh my god Glenn, look at this.” You gestured to a walker pawing at the fence. Nothing seemed abnormal until you looked at their chest, where a page had been pinned. One line in the book had been underlined.

The person that can help you is you.

Besides the underlined quote, a note was scribbled. “This is your sign to carry on.”

You could imagine some poor soul pinning the note to the walker’s chest. You imagined that walker falling on top of you, your arms weak, contemplating relaxing your arms for just a moment long enough to be torn apart. But then you’d see those words. You wanted to believe that someone placed that note there to save other people, it might have been the person who had turned, to provide a light when the world succumbed to the darkness.

Glenn plucked the page off of the walker’s chest, batting aside it’s probing hands. He handed it to you, a small smile on his face.

You rubbed the pebble, methodically stroking it’s smooth surface. The sensation brought you a sense of calm. It was so dark inside of the container you could barely see your own hand in front of your face. The hard floor provided a strange comfort as the trinkets in your back pocket pressed into you.

Things had changed rather quickly.

You never realised how fast you could go from having a group, to having no one. The prison fell, and in the chaos you didn’t see a single living soul. You could only pray that if any others survived, they didn’t follow the train tracks like you had.

Sanctuary for all, what a crock of bullshit.

You had fought viciously to get here, fending off walkers, the elements, mother nature and the nature of man. You were so relieved to see the Terminus sign that you ignored the feeling in your gut, and now you were sitting in container D, waiting along with your other captives for god knows what.

If there was one small mercy, it was that they didn’t take your collectibles. They had no use for a pebble, a feather and a loose page. They hadn’t hesitated to strip you of your hat and jacket.

A thudding sounded on the roof of the container. You didn’t even flinch as a gap in the roof appeared, a metal canister falling to the floor. You’d been here too many times to know what this meant.

The Termites entered the container, snatching at two men with you. You kept stroking the pebble, hoping they would walk right past you.

They walked towards you.

Dread filled you. There was safety of the unknown inside this container; but out there? You had been here long enough to know that the prisoners who left here didn’t return.

You swallowed your fear, fixing them with the coldest stare you could until the bag was thrown over your head. You were pulled harshly to your feet. You tried to thrash out of their grip but there was no use. You cupped the pebble so tightly in your hand you could feel your fingernails digging into your palm.

You were dragged for what felt like miles. You kept tripping over your feet. You found yourself hoping that you would always be walking, and never reach the destination that you were certain was going to be your death bed.

They threw roughly to the floor. You fell to your knees, the cool floor freezing you to the bone. In one swift movement the bag was ripped from your head.

The first thing you saw was grey. The room could only be described as grey. Grey trough in front of you, grey floor, grey walls. A table towards the back of the room was grey; the thing on top was not. You couldn’t hide your shock as you saw the body sat atop it, a leg missing.

The dots connected.

You were being held captive by cannibals.

You tried to swallow your fear. It felt like you were choking.

Four bodies were brought in besides you. You focused on them to distract yourself from the bubbling panic filling your veins. The bags were removed, your heart both soaring and sinking.

How ironic, that you would reunite in such dire circumstances.

At the same time you recognised them, they recognised you. Glenn sat besides you, his eyes wide with fear at your dejected state. Rick, Daryl and Bob were sat besides him, all gagged and bound like you were.

You tried to muster a smile, struggling to fight past the fabric tied around your mouth. All they did was stare at you, dumbfounded to have found a friend in this hell hole.

The first swing of the bat. At first you were confused, eyes following the sound. The man brought from your container was slumped over. The next moment, they had him pulled upright, slitting his throat.

You were transfixed by the red filling the trough in front of you. It never stopped. The man next to you started to panic, his worries quickly silenced with the swing of the weapon. His blood sprayed on your cheek as they slit his throat.

You felt a presence behind you.

It was at the minute you had the rushing realisation you were the next victim. Your body started to shut down. Memories of your life flashed before your eyes - the joys from before the apocalypse, eating ice cream at the beach and riding a bike until the sun dipped below the sky. They quickly transitioned to memories where the dead walked - you forced yourself to look beyond the bad, thinking about the day you made a friend under the starry sky, how he confided in you besides a chicken coup, and how he held you so tight when you revealed your moment of weakness.

Glenn was squirming beside you. If he wasn’t gagged you knew he would be screaming. You couldn’t muster the energy to try to resist. This was it.

You forced yourself to be brave. You didn’t want to be weak in front of your friends. You hoped with all of your heart that they would be able to escape this hell and make it burn to the ground. You sat with your back rod straight, staring defiantly at the Termite’s lingering around the room. The only indication of your fear was your shaking hands, your thumb seeking that pebble.

You looked at your best friend one last time, feeling the whoosh of the bat.

As more red filled the trough, a pebble, a feather, and a loose page fell to the floor.

the walking dead masterlist

Let’s Go Home (The Walking Dead x Reader)

Inspired by the gym scene in All of Us Are Dead, you get cornered in a storage closet by walkers, devising a plan that will have disastrous consequences. TW: graphic description of blood, gore and death.

All of Us Are Dead spoilers below the cut

The rain was thrashing down. The mud beneath your feet was making your steps unsteady yet you were still powering on. The moans of the undead behind you were relentless, acting as your adrenaline as you propelled yourself further on weak legs. Your legs were burning, the makeshift weapon in your hand swinging wildly by your side. Your breaths were leaving you in large huffs but you still pushed yourself faster, forcing your legs to carry you to the glass doors of the gym.

Rick and Daryl were at the front of the group. Sliding through the mud, they clambered up the steps to the doors, ripping them wide open and ushering everyone inside. You all filed into the shelter, leaving muddy tracks behind you as you stepped into the gym, the dreadful weather outside casting little light into the room. You collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. Your lungs felt as if they were on fire. Each inhale was adding to the growing inferno.

“That was close.” Glenn sighed a laugh, sharing a nervous glance with you. You mirrored the action, unable to muster the strength to speak. It felt nice to stop for a moment, your body thanking you for the moment of respite.

“Maybe we can stay here for a…” Rick’s words trailed off as lightning struck. The sudden light lit up the room, giving you all a snapshot of the horror show you had just walked into.

The gym was crawling with walkers.

Your heart stopped in your chest. You prayed that if you stayed still and quiet they wouldn’t notice you; all hopes were dashed as the moment you locked eyes with them, they seemed to look at the group.

Any sense of relief you’d experienced disappeared in a flash. In an instant you were on your feet, kicking the walker closest to you. It tumbled to the ground, giving you enough time to fall behind the rest of the group as they piled into a storage closet, the door slamming shut behind you.

You pressed your back into the door, feeling the shake of the walkers. You grunted with the pressure. You stumbled on your feet as the pressure grew. The door opened a crack, just enough for walkers to poke their fingers through.

Terror flooded you as you realised - this place could be your graveyard. The thought fuelled you to push past the aching limbs and press harder into the door.

Maggie came up besides you, brandishing her knife and chopping the fingers off of the walker. Without missing a beat she pressed her upper body against the door, efficiently slamming the gap closed.

“Thanks,” you breathlessly thanked her, mostly occupied with keeping your feet planted to the ground.

She nodded her head in acknowledgement, her body too being shaken by the sheer force of the walkers.

Casting a glance over your shoulder, you saw Daryl, Rick and Glenn milling around the room, searching the contents. A shot of resentment coursed through you, especially upon seeing Daryl seemingly do nothing.

“A little help would be nice.” You snapped.

“We’re tryna find a way out.” Daryl was equally as snippy. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes.

“Can you at least find something to bolt the door with?” A particularly heavy thud nearly pushed you away from the door. Your arms were shaking with the constant pressure. “We’re struggling here.”

“I got it.” Glenn rushed past Daryl and Rick, a mop in his hand. He manoeuvred between you and Maggie, sliding the mop in the door handle.

“Move on three?” You gestured to Maggie, who nodded in agreement. “One. Two. Three.”

The pair of you took a cautious step away from the door, watching the door with attentive eyes. The door bucked with the beating of the undead, the mop securing it in place.

Glenn appeared in your sight again, rolling what looked like a trolley filled to the brim with balls in front of the door. He engaged the brakes with his foot, smiling weakly. “Just in case the mop doesn’t hold.”

You didn’t want to think what would happen if that was the case. The trolley could only hold them for so long, and between you all, you didn’t have the weapons or manpower to overcome the amount of walkers you’d seen out there.

Tumbling to the ground, you took a moment to survey your surroundings. There were more metal crates of balls lined up against another wall, the balls different colours and sizes. Behind that was a bucket full of hockey sticks. You noted that in the back of your mind for later. A red eagle costume was hung up on one of the walls, a layer of dust having settled into the fabric. The walls were white, bar one that featured the school’s logo. A red eagle with the school’s name was imprinted into the brick. It almost made you laugh.

Despite all of this, there were no windows. You were once again reminded how school was a prison, and ironically long after your school years had been finished, you were captive once again.

You rested your head on your knees. Why did the most simple things have to go so wrong? All you’d wanted was to scavenge the school. It appeared to be quiet outside, leading you all into a false sense of security. Turns out, they’d been waiting for the prey to wander into the trap.

“So… what now?” Glenn asked out loud. You looked up from your knees, seeing him sat directly across from you with his arm wrapped around Maggie. You imagined your face was the mirror image of theirs - empty. You wondered if they’d also accepted their fate. You were mentally calculating how long it would take for you all to brave the walkers outside and die, or let nature do its work and kill you in two days. Either way, you had accepted that the only outcome of this situation was grief.

Rick rubbed his beard, his voice so small even the mice would struggle to hear. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” The words slipped out your mouth without meaning to. There was a venomous tone to it even you were shocked to hear.

“Y/N, give the man a break.” Daryl snapped.

“Oh fuck off Daryl.” You spat, trying to push down your rising anger. “If it wasn’t for him we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“He’s jus’ trying his best.”

“And his best is going to get us killed.” You sighed, looking up at Rick. “You’re meant to be our leader. So lead. Tell us how the fuck to get out of this mess.”

“If ya gave the man time to think -”

“We might not have that time!”

The pounding started harder on the door. Daryl huffed, striding towards you. Before you knew it he had you pinned against a grate, his hand scrunched up in your shirt. “Are ya gonna keep your loud ass shut or am I gonna have to do it for ya?”

“I’d like to watch you try.” His grip on your shirt tightened. For a second you thought his fist was going to fly into your face: as much as you hated him, you knew he wouldn’t do that to you. Daryl had a code and while you might be toeing the line to get a beating, you hadn’t passed the mark yet.

“They’re just scared, Daryl, let them go.” Rick placed a gentle hand on Daryl’s shoulder. Reluctantly Daryl let you go, looking as though giving in took a huge physical toll. You softly glared at the man, subtly readjusting the shirt he’d just scrunched up.

Glenn wandered over to where Daryl had you pinned, pushing the grate. “Guys, I think I have an idea.” He spun on his heel, counting the trolleys. “If we can tie these together, we can get to the door.”

“Glenn, you’re a genius.” You reached for the nearest trolley, pulling on the grate. It appeared to be sturdy enough, and once the brake was disengaged, you’d be able to move it. The most dangerous part would be the first part - pushing the trolley’s out - as there was no space in here to make the circle, but once the circle was secured? It would act as a fortress.

He smiled shyly. “Thanks.”

“Reckon we could add the hockey sticks to them? Break them so it’s like a javelin and let the walkers walk right into them?”

“It’s a good idea,” Glenn pondered, looking at the others. “It’ll take time.”

“We don’t have time.” You almost rolled your eyes hearing Daryl echo your words from earlier. Of course he would agree when it’s under his own circumstances. “We could flip the lids, crawl through.”

“We’ll get nowhere that way.” You flipped the lid of a trolley up. “It’ll be best for them to be tall.”

“You do know walkers can climb right?”

Instantly your back was straight. You crossed your arms. “Better than taking our sweet ass time by crawling across and having walkers crush us to death.”

“Yer such a dumbass.”

“Excuse me?” That spark of irritation was quickly becoming a raging fire of anger. You could feel your fists clench and jaw tighten the longer you were in his presence. “Want to say that to me again?”

“So not only are ya a dumbass, yer deaf too.”

“Come here you little shit -” You pounced towards Daryl, Rick grabbing you just in time before your body collided. You fought against his grip, trying desperately to get to Daryl, who merely stepped away from your flailing hands. This only angered you further, a growl of frustration ripping from your body.

“Can you two get along for just five minutes?”

“He’s acting like a child.”

“They’re actin’ like they’re hot shit.”

“Either way, one of you is going to be pissed. Let’s vote on it. Agreed?” Nodding reluctantly, you shifted out of Rick’s grip. “If I let go of you Y/N, do you promise not to scratch Daryl’s eyes out?”

“I guess.” You muttered underneath your breath, feeling Rick release your waist slowly. He stood nearby, one eye trained on you as if he expected you to lunge for Daryl at any given moment. You couldn’t blame him really.

As a group, you decided it would be best to keep the lids of the trolley’s high, Maggie and Rick agreeing with your stance. Daryl did little to hide his displeasure at the end result but said nothing. You could sense his foul mood from a million miles away.

You focused on the task at hand, tying ropes to the trolley’s and securing them together. Your hands grew tired of the constant movement and you could feel his searing glare into your back. You tried to pass it off and carried on, the weight of his gaze growing heavier and heavier with each passing minute.

Your fingernails dug into the palms of your hands. Before you could control yourself, you spun around, seeing Daryl staring at your trolley with the lid flipped high. “What?”

“I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“We voted, get over it.” You turned to continue the task at hand. You could sense his annoyance still. This time when you turned on your heel, it wasn’t a threat you were spitting his way, it was a promise. “If it goes wrong, I’ll take responsibility.”

Daryl nodded, seeming content with your response.

The argument now settled, you all continued to fix the trolley’s and put the plan to action. Time flew past, and soon, the plan was ready to be executed. You stood by your crate, your grip on the metal bars slick as your heart banged loudly in your chest. This was the make or break moment.

Rick stood at the front of the line. He cast a glance at you all from over his shoulder, sensing the nervous tension. “Are you ready?”

“Better now than never.” For once, Daryl said something and you didn’t want to punch him. You were grateful he had spoken up, your own words lost to the panic building in your chest.

Rick removed the mop from the door handles. He opened the doors.

There was no going back now.

As a unit, you all pushed the trolley’s out into the gym. Rick and Daryl took out the nearest walkers, rushing back towards the trolleys to form a circle. Hurriedly they tied to ropes together, binding the trolleys together into a circle shape.

Laughing, you smiled at Glenn. For the first time since you stepped into the gym, there was an ebb of hope lingering in the back of your mind. Maybe this wouldn’t be your death day after all. “It worked.”

“Don’t speak too soon.”

Together you began to push your makeshift shield towards the door. Slowly you began to feel resistance from the other side, the smell of the undead quickly becoming overwhelming. Progress started to slow as more walkers catapulted themselves at the shield. You desperately tried to beat away walkers impeding the progress; each time a walker fell, another would take its place.

The walkers were just too strong. They kept pushing over the top, fighting to make their way in. Your arms burned with effort as you struggled to keep the shield intact.

“Make ‘em tall, great idea Y/N.” Daryl snapped, his muscles bulging as he pushed the shield forwards towards the doors.

Anger surged through you. You tried to focus on that, and not on the ebbing strength. “We would have died in there!”

“An’ we’ll die out here!”

You tuned out Daryl’s mumbling, focusing on keeping the grates as close together as you could. With each passing second more walkers were making their way towards the contraption and it was harder to keep them at bay.

The hope you had started to feel was disappearing with each walker. A thin sheen of sweat was coating your body with the sheer exertion of the task. Your body was fighting to stay alive and your brain was convincing you to keep trying, it’ll all work out.

Maggie cried out. A walker had managed to creep through a crack, grabbing her tightly. It tugged her towards the grate, it’s jaws growing closer to her skin. Your body moved before you could process what was happening, stabbing the walker in the skull. It’s grip fell from Maggie. You frantically grabbed the sides of the grates, pulling them closed.

A sharp pain lit up your hand. Instinctively you pulled your hand back; it was too late. The world seemed to stop as you saw the teeth marks imprinted into your skin. Blood poured down your hand. Your death warrant had now been signed and there was absolutely nothing you could do about it.

No one had noticed your turmoil, too busy at keeping the walkers at bay.

“Y/N, get your act together and help us!” Daryl snapped, pushing harder against the grate to no avail. The amount of walkers now swarming the shield was making your greatest asset your greatest weakness.

You smiled sadly at Daryl. Looking at him you saw all of the unresolved fights, the hatred you had towards him. You never could admit the reason you hated him was because you saw so much of yourself in him. And now, you would die without ever having a chance to repent for all the hurtful things you’d ever said to him.

Clearing your throat, you looked at him with blurry eyes. “I said I’d take full responsibility.”

He stared at you blankly as you jumped on top of the crate, pushing the walkers away with your hands. The walkers clawed at you but you didn’t care, your death had already been sealed, there was nothing else that could be done. You felt a sharp tug on the back of your shirt pull you off of the crate. You fell to the ground with a harsh slam. You relished the pain - it reminded you that you were still human.

“The hell you think ya doin’, playing hero?” Daryl snapped, pulling you to your feet.

“It’s too late for me!” You cried out, pulling yourself from his grip. His hands released you, watching with confusion as he noticed how you cradled your hand. Your hand, that had the imprinted teeth marks and dripping with blood. You felt his eyes draw to it. You swore you saw sadness cross his face. Shakily, you smiled. “Just let me help, okay?”

Before anyone could protest, you pushed yourself over the shield. You started dragging the walkers away from the moving shield, watching with a sense of hope as it started to move slowly across the room. You didn’t care about the walkers at your back; your friends were in trouble.

You walked towards the shield, helping pull it towards the doors. A pair of jaws hooked themselves around your shoulder. Your face twisted in pain and yet you kept pulling, your hand tightly gripping the top of the grate.

Another jaw latched onto you. This time you couldn’t disguise your agony as you cried out. Tears streamed down your cheeks.

A hand fell on top of yours. Daryl’s stricken gaze bore into your own as he started screaming at the top of his lungs for them to leave you alone. His grip on your hand tightened. He was borderline hysterical as he watched you be ripped apart, yet still pulled the shield to the door, your movements growing weaker as more blood spurted from your wounds.

More jaws attached themselves to your body. There was no use in hiding your pain as your friends watched you be torn apart.

You prayed he saw the apologies in your eyes, how you wished he would one day forgive you for the unfounded hatred you had towards him. You were grateful that despite everything that had transpired between the two of you, he still comforted you in your final moments on this earth.

“Let’s go home.”

You disappeared into the walkers, using the last of your strength to send a silent plea to whatever higher power was listening.

Please, help them get home.

Fast and Furious (Daryl Dixon x Platonic!Reader)

A run to an abandoned office building gives you chance to flex some skills Daryl didn’t know you had.

It was meant to be a simple run. Alexandria was running out of supplies, the runs were getting more desperate, and the bags getting lighter. So when Daryl stopped the car outside of a derelict office building, switching the engine off, you weren’t exactly surprised. The places you could scavenge within the radius of Alexandra were getting slimmer by the day.

Who knew, maybe it would be a secret gold mine.

“You know, I used to work in a place like this.” You gently shut the door behind you, tugging your bag onto your back.

Daryl glanced at you from the corner of his eye, the corner of his lip quirking up. “Oh yeah?”

“Hard to believe, I know.” You laughed, looking up at the building. Fading memories of your old job flashed across your mind - endless paperwork, the high shrill of the phone’s, and the relentless tapping of keyboards. Even thinking of it made your muscles itch to move.

“I don’ think I’ve ever seen ya sat still for more than five minutes.” He quipped. “If yer so familiar, ya might be able to lead us to the good stuff.”

You hummed in agreement, moving towards the building. The car park was bustling with cars, some with blood smeared on the inner windows. Some had a thin layer of dust coating the furniture inside. One car even had the boot opened. Quickly rummaging around the contents, moving aside the bags, you grinned to yourself. Pulling out a tire iron, you gave it a practice swing, feeling the whoosh as you struck air.

“Anything good?” Daryl leaned against the car.

You shrugged. “If we had all day, then maybe.”

He grunted, pushing himself off the car. “Then stop dallying around and get to it.”

Sighing, you gave one last look at the boot and moved towards the building. The closer you got, the knot of dread in your stomach started to grow. The amount of cars versus the number of walkers you’d seen didn’t make sense. The windows of the building were too dark to see anything.

Finding an open window, you gestured Daryl over. He jogged towards you, glancing up at the gap. He hooked his fingers together.

You stared at his hands, and then at how high the gap was. You looked back at him again. “You expect me, to get up there?”

“Ya know I can’t.”

“Right, your back. Sorry, grandpa.”

“Watch yer mouth.”

“Yeah, yeah.” You muttered as reluctantly, you placed one of your feet in his cupped hands. Planting a hand on his shoulder, you ignored the churning in your stomach as Daryl pushed you towards the gap. The window ledge was within touching distance.

“Give it more oomph!”

With a grunt, he pushed you up further. At last you could grasp the window ledge. Your upper arms burned as you pulled yourself up towards the gap slowly, and ever so slowly, you crawled through the gap. You could feel the bottom of the window pane pressing into your spine but you pulled yourself forward, until eventually, you flopped onto the floor on the opposite side with a resounding thud.

Springing to your feet, you pressed your back against the wall, tire iron raised high. Your heart was thudding in your ears. You strained to see anything in the room, cursing the windows so high and the light so dim.

A beat passed, then two. Nothing.

A breath of relief ripped free from your lungs. Shoulders loosening, you shouted out to Daryl, letting him know you were okay. His response was a grunt. Shuffling could be heard on the other side, next thing you know your bag was catapulted through the window.

You jumped out of your skin, grasping a hand to your chest. “What the hell!”

“Did ya want ya bag or not?”

“A warning would have been nice.” You muttered under your breath.

Moving through the dark, you cursed as you accidentally walked into the edges of desks and tripped over bins. Eventually you managed to find the area your bag landed, fumbling around until you found your torch. Switching it on, you started to carefully dance around the desks, seeking out a door. After a few minutes of searching, the faint glow of an emergency light drew your attention. Drawn to it like a moth, you took a step towards it, the gap between you and the door closing. Your hairs stood on end as you saw the door shake. Groans followed.

Cautiously, you stepped away slowly, putting as much distance between the door and you as you could. You carried on your search for a door.

“Y/N?” A hint of worry echoed in Daryl’s voice.

You back hit an old filing cabinet. The metal thudded. The walkers moans grew louder and the shaking door more incessant. You didn’t want to risk talking. Turning your torch towards the window, you flicked it on and off twice - your secret signal to Daryl that you were alright. He must have seen it as he stopped prying for your whereabouts.

Stumbling around, you tripped over your feet. A slight jangle echoed throughout the space. You froze, holding your breath as you waited for the incessant pounding on the fire exit to calm down. Curious, you shone the torch in the direction of the noise. At first, you saw a glint of metal, and then the key fob.

You almost jumped for joy.

Snatching up the keys, your mind whirred with the possibilities. You could take it back and scavenge it for spare parts. You could use it as another car so more survivors could search for supplies further away from camp. Hell, even the thought of being able to drain it of petrol felt like a blessing. Maybe this trip wasn’t as much of a waste after all.

A loud clattering drew your attention. The pounding of the walkers behind you attacked your ears. Your palms started to sweat as you hastily pocketed the keys, lifting the tire iron and torch in the direction of the noise.

A crossbow dropped through the gap. A disgruntled red neck followed. He jumped to his feet, snatching up the crossbow and lifting it up high. He spun around on his feet, body tense. Daryl opened his mouth to shout, his words catching in his throat as he saw you, partially blinding him with the torch light and deep lines ingrained in your forehead.

“…You’re okay?”

You stared at him. “Yeah, I told you.”

“I heard jack shit.”

“Daryl, I did the secret signal. You know,” you moved the torch and clicked it on and off twice.

Daryl stared back at you with an equally blank look. “Y/N. It’s day time.”

“And.”

Daryl sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “How the ever loving fuck was I meant ta see that.”

The words processed for a minute. With the gap being so high, and the sun outside drowning out the torchlight, he wouldn’t have been able to see it. Meekly, you offered an apology. “Oh.”

“Dumbass.”

You wanted to curse him out, when a random thought struck you. “Wait, how did you manage to get in here?”

“Found a dumpster around tha corner.”

“So you’re telling me this all could have been avoided if you used your damn eyes?” Your mind was telling you to keep ranting when you paused. The rumbling from the behind grew even louder. “That’s why I didn’t say anything!”

“Ya could have said.”

“That was the problem!”

“Ya could have said quietly, ya don’t know the meaning of the word.”

“Excuse me for being concerned you wouldn’t be able to hear me, you-”

“Don’t say it.”

“You -”

“Don’t.”

“Pensioner.”

“Yer a lil shit.”

You opened your mouth to snap at him again. Your jaw hanged open as the distinct sound of doors slamming attacked your senses. Spinning around, you saw a stream of walkers flood through the open doors, grinding jaws and arms reaching towards you.

“Run!” Daryl pushed you forwards, sending an arrow into one of the walkers, argument forgotten. You followed his instruction without complaint, dashing through the office and throwing open the nearest door you could.

The pair of you sprinted through the corridors, dodging the arms of the undead. They started to pile out of the other rooms, desperately seeking your flesh. It seemed like they had been in hibernation - and they were starving. Your lungs were burning and calves aching but you carried on, following the emergency lights until you saw the dim glowing sign.

“This way.” You pulled the back of Daryl’s vest, making him stumble backwards. He followed you blindly as you ploughed through the emergency exit, knocking over the walkers who had been lingering behind it.

You had gone from the frying pan, into the fire.

The car park was deserted when you first arrived. Now, you could barely make out what was ten feet in front of you, the way crowded with bodies. All attention turned to the pair of you.

“Where the fuck did they all come from!” You exclaimed, feeling a hand tug you backwards. Stumbling, you fumbled for the knife at your belt, slicing the strap off your backpack. Their grip fell away, the backpack swinging awkwardly on your back as you sprinted towards the car you came in.

“Get to the car!”

You ducked out of the way of prying hands, swinging the tire iron endlessly. Your biceps were on fire yet you couldn’t stop, you had to keep swinging.

“This way,” Daryl shouted, beckoning you to follow his steps. Dutifully you were hot on his tail, choking on the thick smell of death in the air.

You could see where he was leading you. Up ahead, you could make out the roof of the car you had arrived in. It was swarming with walkers.

Daryl cursed, sending another arrow into the nearest walker. “Car’s surrounded.”

You spun around, trying to desperately search for any high ground where you could wait them out. All you saw was walkers. All you saw was your fate being sealed with each passing second.

You were close to accepting your death when you remembered the keys pressing into your back pocket.

The group had endured so much. They all were survivors, you were a survivor, you weren’t going to allow this shitty day be your last one on earth.

You prayed to whatever higher power was listening that the batteries in the key fob hadn’t died. Scooping them out of your pocket, you pressed down. A car on the opposite side of the car park, where there were slightly less walkers, beeped.

Without a second thought you pulled Daryl with you again, driving your tire iron into the walkers who came a little too close. You were grateful when the car was within reaching distance, yanking open the driver’s door and throwing yourself into the seat, slamming the door sharply behind you. Hands started to palm the glass.

Daryl was breathing heavily next to you, looking at the walkers, then at you. “Now what?”

You sent a second prayer up above, sliding the keys into the ignition. A weak splutter of the engine answered. Adrenaline rushed through you, coursing through your veins as you hoped you weren’t about to make a mistake.

“Make sure you have your seat belt on.”

“Wha-” He couldn’t finish his sentence, robbed of his voice as you pushed the accelerator to the floor. The car shot forwards, tossing walkers around you to the side. You paid no mind to the thunk of bodies slamming into the roof and metal of the car, gunning the car forwards.

Seeing a gap, you engaged the handbrake, swinging the car to the side and sliding into the gap. You drove forwards, trying to see an exit in the sea of walkers, the scenery blurring around you.

“Can you see a way out?” You asked Daryl, spinning the car again in an attempt to dodge more walkers.

Daryl was gripping the door handle for dear life. He risked a look back to where you had come in, only managing a weak shake of the head. You muttered a few colourful words underneath your breath.

“Can you hold?” You sweetly asked Daryl, an idea forming in your mind.

“Hold what?”

You didn’t explain as you lowered the window next to you, unbuckled your seat belt and grabbed the tire iron. You pulled yourself to perch in the gap of the window. Daryl shouted your name in a panic, quickly sliding into the seat and taking control of the pedals. “The fuck are yer doing!”

“We need to get a clear view.” You pulled yourself further out of the window, grabbing onto the rails above the car. Squinting against the bright sun, you twisted around, eyes desperately searching for a way out.

“Look out!”

A walker was a hair breadth away from you. You drove the tire iron into it’s skull, it’s head snapping backwards. It crumpled to the ground in time for another one to take it’s place.

“Daryl!” He swerved the car out of the way. Your centre of gravity was thrown off. Your hands slipped from the rails. The world suddenly turned upside down. Blood rushed to your head. Your legs were clenched tightly inside the car window, the only thing keeping you attached to the car. “What the fuck!”

“This was yer piss poor idea,” Daryl berated. You were far too concerned with making sure you didn’t fall out of the car to snap at him for his tone.

“Just pull me up!” Your arms swung blindly above, trying desperately to grasp for the space near where you thought Daryl’s hands would be. His fingers connected with yours just as a walker began to reach for you, it’s rotting stench blocking your nose.

The world quickly righted itself as Daryl pulled you up so you were seated in the window again. Not wasting a second, you swung the tire iron at the walker. It’s blood sprayed onto your cheek.

“Please can ya come back in?”

Reluctantly, you gestured for Daryl to move out of the driver’s seat, shuffling back into position. The car juddered as you changed driver’s, purring brilliantly as you pressed the gas to the floor. You spun the car around again, one time, two times, then shot forwards, hitting as few walkers as you possibly could.

Seeing a small hill, a plan formulated in your mind. You didn’t give yourself chance to second guess yourself. Pressing down harder on the gas, you pushed the car towards it, the speed increasing with every second. Daryl was gripping his seat belt tightly, screaming your name at the top of his lungs in terror.

The car flew over the hill, cresting the gate surrounding the office and for a moment, you felt weightless. The feeling of flying was quickly dampened as you both jolted, slamming harshly into the ground. Smoke was curling out from under the hood and you’re fairly certain all of the tyres had flattened on impact. With a quick glance over your shoulder, you saw the walkers pawing at the fence.

You were alive.

A cheshire like grin spread across your face. Breathless, you exclaimed. “That was fun.”

Daryl turned a dark shade of green. It took him a minute to gather himself; he managed to utter one word. “How?”

Bordering chaotic joy, you laughed. “I used to go joy riding with my friends.”

“I’m drivin’ next time.” Daryl shakily spoke.

It would take a very long time for Daryl to get in a car with you behind the wheel again.

the walking dead masterlist

Home Sweet Home (The Walking Dead x FemTeen!Reader)

Your group is seeking shelter when you stumble upon your childhood home. Inspired by thisrequest.

When you stepped out into the street, you knew. The tarmac beneath your feet was blood splattered, walkers ambling around decayed beyond recognition. You didn’t need to see the facial features or hear the voices to identify the walkers surrounding around you. From their clothes alone you realised these were people you once classed as friends.

The walker with a broken ankle, dragging it behind them used to be Mary. The walker with the baseball shirt and the number 5 pasted on the back was Ronnie. The walker with half of it’s face ripped off caused you the greatest pain - that was your best friend, Bailey. From the shallowness of their skin and maggots writhing you guessed they passed a long time ago. There was a pang in your heart.

This was the street where you grew up.

Past the blood and viscera you could see the ghost of what this street used to be. The yard where Mary held her BBQ’s. The one window pane was a different colour from the rest as Ronnie shattered it hitting a baseball too hard. The back garden where you camped with Bailey, chatting about nothing at all until the sun rose and smiling so hard your cheeks hurt. If you closed your eyes you swore you could feel the hard seat of a bike beneath you, the hollering of your friends filling your ears until you went deaf.

“Y/N, look out!”

You rose out of your nostalgia to see a walker pounce towards you. Falling to the floor, you grunted, your back flaring in pain. You had no time to focus on the ache, hearing the distinct clatter of your knife falling outside your reach. Panicking, you grabbed the thinning hair of the walker and pulled it’s head backwards, putting as much space between you and it as possible.

Your breath caught in your throat. Even in a crowd of a million people you would be able to recognise that face. Despite the fact this walker had a cavity where an eye should have been, and skin so thin you could make out the colour of it’s skull, you saw a loving, smiling face grinning at you. That face was a mirror image of your own.

You fought past the growing film coating your eyes. Swallowing thickly, you tried your hardest to separate your memories and reality, feeling the rush of wind with each clamp of it’s jaws. Your grip on the walker weakened as the hair began to pull away from the scalp. Tendrils of hair floated to the floor as you desperately pushed your spare arm up, trembling muscles pushing the gnashing jaws away from your own.

A katana pierced the skull.

Blood splattered on your face. Her blood. All you could feel was the dead weight of her corpse pinning you to the floor. Your jaw was slack. The image of the sword entering her head played on repeat. You could feel the blood hitting your face again.

“Come on!” Michonne grabbed you, dragging you to your feet. You felt yourself snatch up the knife you dropped. You let Michonne pull you along, slashing any walkers - your friends - out of your path. You knew it would be a bad idea; you felt your attention keep getting drawn to the walker crumpled on the floor, the virus having moved her corpse now silenced.

The group moved further down the street, taking down the few walkers that wandered in front of them. You watched with an empty gaze as Daryl sent an arrow into Mary’s head, as Tyresse sent his hammer into Ronnie’s skull and as Rosita drove a knife into Bailey. One by one your ties to your old life fell to the ground, like a puppet with the strings cut. Each blow felt like a dagger being driven into your heart.

You pushed past your grief. You reminded yourself that they were dead long before you got here. No, it was a good thing you came here. They’d finally been put to rest, you tried to convince yourself and failed miserably. Still, you couldn’t bring yourself to join the fray, shuffling besides Michonne with her hand still gripped tightly on your arm.

A low rumbling broke the serenity. The roaring of the engine grew louder with each passing second. All backs went straight. Your heart thrummed erratically in your chest. Walkers were predictable, people were not.

Rick was the first to move, running towards the nearest house and beckoning you all to follow. Your steps faltered as you saw which house Rick was shouldering his way into. Daryl was helping, the door not moving an inch.

Without thinking, you distanced yourself from the group, tightening the grip of the knife in your hand. You tried to convince yourself you’d use it if you had to; if you recognised the face, you weren’t sure you would have the strength to do it.

You rushed into the back garden, shoulders loosening when you saw the open window. They always had a habit of leaving the bottom window unlocked. You forced the window up, pulling yourself into the gap, ignoring your burning muscles and dragging yourself into the kitchen. You tumbled into the kitchen sink noisily.

For a second you froze, waiting to hear something. A beat passed. All you could hear was the steady thud of Rick and Daryl trying to break into the house.

You kept your eyes forward, trying to quieten the booming memories in your mind. The engine was growing louder.

You reached the front door. A bookshelf was blocking the entrance. Mustering all of your strength, you began to pull the shelves away from the door, grunting and muttering under your breath. Your muscles burned inch by inch, the furniture moved. Sweat built on your brow as your brain frantically ran with the scenarios where you just weren’t quick enough.

Another pound on the door. The door shook with the effort. With a final grunt you pulled the bookcase away, watching Rick all but fall through the entrance. The group all filtered in behind him, slamming the door shut with a final thud just as you heard the engine roar down the road.

Rick looked at you, slightly out of breath. You half expected him to berate you, brows rising as you saw him smile at you. “How do you always manage to save our asses?”

You shrugged nonchalantly, giving him a weak smile in return.

Abraham slapped you on the back. “Great job Y/N, I was starting to think I should have worn my brown pants.”

Rosita hit Abraham with the back of her hand, shaking her head at him in amusement. He just shrugged, a brilliant grin on his face. “We hunkering down here for the night?”

Your heart sank. You’d rather have faced the strangers in the car than spend a night reminded of everything you had lost.

“Might as well, let’s split off, make sure this place is safe, grab anything that looks useful and meet in the kitchen.”

“Roger, roger.” Daryl agreed, acting as a catalyst for everyone else to follow suit.

Everyone was paired up, searching the rooms in the house for anything useful. You were left standing in the entryway alone. It wasn’t anything personal. You were quiet and reserved, and people respected that. They would have your back in a fight but you certainly wouldn’t be the first person someone approached for a conversation, unless they wanted it to last all of five seconds. At this time you were grateful for the solitude.

You squeezed your eyes shut, scrunching your hands in fists. You had survived so much, you could survive one night in your childhood home. Still, you felt your life play before your eyes as you saw yourself running into your mother’s arms after a long day of work, her spinning you around. You walked through the memory, moving towards the stairs. An onslaught of the past rushed towards you. Dancing down the stairs, only to break your toe on the banister. Your parents holding your hand while the doctors examined your injury.

It’s like you were being drawn to her room. You had no care for ensuring the house was safe - this would always be your safe place - you only needed to reach where your heart desired. Gently, you nudged the door open, breathing a sigh of relief when you noticed no one was in there. The curtains were closed shut, only streams of dimming light brightening the space.

You didn’t need light to go where you were going. You found yourself standing outside the wardrobe. Hands shaking, you opened the door.

Her clothes.

A cautious hand reached out. Her favourite sweater. You slowly lifted the soft material to your cheek, freezing in place. Tears streamed down your face. The times she comforted you by wiping your tears away with this very sweater. You tried to muffle your sobs as you tried to re-enact the memory, gently sweeping the material under your flowing eyes. A shuddering breath ripped out of you. A tsunami was brewing.

She did it better.

You didn’t hear the door squeak open. Your shoulders shook with the weight of your grief. You resisted the urge to look out of the window and find her corpse amidst the street.

“Y/N?” A comforting hand fell on your shoulder. Immediately, your body stiffened. You shrugged their hand away. “Are you okay?”

“Fine, Glenn.” You shortly responded, praying that the dark of the room hid the glistening of your eyes. “I was just checking if there were any clean clothes for us.”

“Good idea.” You knew he didn’t believe a word you were saying. As if to prove a point, you ripped the clothes from the hangers, uncaring about the loud clatter of the hangers tumbling to the floor. You shoved them towards him.

“See if Maggie wants any.”

“Y/N… You can talk to us, you know that right?”

You couldn’t even muster a weak smile. He wouldn’t believe it anyway. “I know Glenn. Thank you.”

“We worry about you.” Glenn sighed. He looked as if he was going to reach out towards you again, before thinking better of it. “Just, please, talk to us every now and then, yeah?”

“Isn’t that what I’m doing now?”

“You know what I mean.” He sighed, holding the clothes to his chest. “Guess I’ll take these to the kitchen then.”

When he disappeared, a well of emotion tumbled out of you. You turned back to the closet, determined to find the sweater. All the clothes were now in a bundle on the floor. Desperately you rifled through them, the panic growing steadily with each passing second.

It wasn’t there.

Jumping to your feet, you threw the door open, running down the stairs. You forced yourself past Rick and Carl, nearly falling down the stairs in the process. You found Glenn in the kitchen, the bundle of clothes thrown haphazardly on the floor. The panic subsided; only slightly.

As casually as you could, you moved towards the clothes pile, going through the contents. Panic began to bubble in your chest as you couldn’t find it again. It felt like you were going through the five stages of grief.

“Hey Glenn, doesn’t this kinda look like -” Maggie walked into the room, a photo cusped in her hand. Your heart fell out of your chest as you saw her wearing the sweater. You tried to play off the rising panic but to no avail. The room felt like it was closing in and all of the memories were threatening to suffocate you. “Oh hey, Y/N, you okay?”

You couldn’t remember nodding. You must be an impeccable actor as she smiled, gesturing the picture to you. “I was just about to show Glenn this. I swear, she could be your twin.”

You took the picture from her hands. You had every intention of playing it off as a crazy coincidence - all of those thoughts flew out of the window as you looked down at the photo. It was from when you and your parents had gone to the beach. Your parents were gazing at each other lovingly while you stood between them, grinning madly. There was a crumbling sandcastle in front of you that you presented with pride.

You were so happy.

Water dripped onto the picture. It marred your smile. Frantically you wiped at the tears, only for more to take their place. Your shoulders shook with the effort of keeping the storm at bay.

“Place’s clear. There was only a walker in the basement but we dealt with it.”

The tears only flew faster.

“The hell’s wrong with her?”

Maggie spoke so softly you couldn’t hear her over your crying. “This is her home.”

An uncomfortable silence fell over the group. You stood in the middle of the room, alone, trying to fight the overwhelming emotions possessing your body.

Maggie took a tentative step closer. You didn’t protest as she pulled you into her arms. You grasped at her, clinging to her like a newborn. You breathed in deeply, hoping for a hint of her scent on the sweater that remained.

There was nothing.

Michonne broke the silence. “Did you recognise anyone outside?”

Wordlessly, you nodded your head.

Rick sighed. “It’ll be dark soon. We’ll bury the dead at first light.”

“Are you sure that’s the most logical thing? With the high volume of walkers and our current exhaustion I don’t think we should be expending energy unnecessarily.”

“Shut the fuck up Eugene, she’s a kid.” Daryl smacked Eugene upside the head, sending him a venomous glare. Eugene shrunk under his gaze, opening his mouth to defend himself when you interrupted him.

“Eugene’s right.” You sniffled, pulling yourself away from Maggie. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. He’s just being a prick.”

“Like always.” You heard Carl mutter under his breath. A huff of a laugh slipped past your lips through the tears. Carl looked up at you, almost embarrassed you heard him. That embarrassment faded when he saw the slight curve of your mouth.

“Uh,” you cleared your threat in an attempt to stop it cracking constantly. “The walker in the basement, did it have this watch on?” You passed the picture to Daryl. He looked at it, then passed it back. He was silent for a minute.

“’M sorry.”

Another silence passed through the group. You felt like you were in the eye of the storm, being battered with debris, body aching and slowly giving up. All eyes were on you as you kept your gaze fixated to the floor, determined for them to not see you break down more than you already had. You knew you were kidding them all - they could see the tears dripping onto the floor.

In a voice so small it was almost illegible, you muttered. “Can we bury them together?”

That night you had a restless sleep. Childhood memories were incepted with demons and walkers clawing at happiness.

By late afternoon, you were standing in the backyard of your childhood home, looking emptily down at the two mounds of fresh dirt.

Hope was the deadliest weapon. For years, ever since you realised you would never return to this street the way you knew it, you hoped that they would be okay. That those you held near and dear to you were somewhere surviving, looking up at the same night sky as you were. It was what fuelled you to take that extra step when your feet were throbbing, what pushed you forwards when your stomach was riddled with a gnawing hunger, and what kept you living. Now that you knew the truth… You wondered how you could move forwards when you were constantly looking back, looking back at her corpse that signified the death of your naivety.

You weren’t sure about what the future would hold, or if you would ever recover from the loss of your family. The fate of the group was unknown but that didn’t cause you any anxiety anymore, for the worst thing that could have happened, had already happened to you. You didn’t know if you would survive long enough to see the hairs on your head turn grey. There was one thing you knew for certain.

Your childhood home was now a graveyard.

the walking dead masterlist

No Lone Wolves Here (Daryl Dixon x Platonic!Reader)

An Alexandrian party is too much for you after your time surviving. Thankfully, your friend Daryl understands exactly how you’re feeling.

The party was bustling with life. It felt odd, to be surrounded by so many people in such small quarters, actual clean clothes adorned on your body and the heavy sound of chatter attacking your senses. After surviving with the dead for so long, it was strange to be living with the living. That’s why you separated yourself, clinging to the quietest corner of the room. You merely watched all these people interact with one thought in your mind - how can they act so normal?

Your every instinct was telling you to run, to find a quiet place to spend the rest of your night. You wanted to ditch the bottle of beer that was cradled in your hand, the liquid still brimming the top. You couldn’t drink. No, you had to stay focused.

“Hey, Y/N.” Rick sidled up beside you, eyes raking your tense stance. It didn’t take a body language expert to sense that you were on edge. “Enjoying the party?”

“Depends on your definition of ‘enjoyment’.”

“C'mon, try to loosen up a bit.” Rick sighed, rubbing his beard. He placed a friendly hand on your shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. “I know it’s hard, but can you at least try? These people welcomed us into their home.”

Rick’s begging eyes broke your resolve. As much as you loved your corner of solitude, there was only so long that you could put off interacting with other people. Nodding your head, a bright smile lit up his face. The action nearly knocked you off your feet. It had been so long since you had seen him smile.

You had to do this, for your friends, your family.

“You got this.” Rick gave your shoulder a final squeeze, before disappearing back into the crowd. You wished he stayed by your side and helped you navigate the treacherous waters of normal conversation. God, you couldn’t remember the last time you made small talk.

Fighting your trembling hands and racing heart, you threw yourself into the fray. You felt eyes draw towards you as you suddenly realised you could not remember how the hell to approach a stranger for a conversation. Don’t even get you started on small talk.

Nervously, you sipped your drink. The foul tasting liquid did nothing to soothe your nerves. Maybe it would be better if you got another drink.

Weaving through the people, you managed to find the kitchen. You released a breath you didn’t realise you’d been holding at the sight of the empty room. You were becoming aware that your palms were sweaty.

Drink cradled to your chest, you searched the table for anything other than beer. After a few minutes you came up short, disappointment shooting through you like a bullet.

“Looking for a drink?” A voice behind you questioned.

Your heart jumped out of your chest as you spun around, already thinking ten steps ahead as to how you could incapacitate the threat. You froze when you saw a man standing there, no older than early twenties, looking at you with a raised brow.

“Someone’s jumpy.” His remark dug under your skin. He had no idea what you had been through to get to this paradise. Ignorant prick. Still, you promised Rick you would try to be friendly. You huffed a laugh, hoping it would hide your annoyance.

“You’re with the new group, right?” You nodded your head, really wishing he would stop looking at you. There was nothing sinister in his gaze, just a glint of curiosity that you weren’t sure how to respond to. “I’m Jake, nice to meet you.”

His open hand hung between the two of you. You stared at it, not entirely sure what to do. If you shook his hand, that would give him the advantage to exploit your weaknesses. You settled for nodding at him, forcing a small quirk to your lips. “I’m Y/N.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

Suddenly you didn’t get a good vibe. You wanted to tell this man to mind his own business but all you could think of was how brightly Rick smiled. He wanted to make this place a home; you had to try to make this work. Reluctantly, you shook your head up and down.

Jake moved closer, skirting around you to grab another drink. He took the lid off with the edge of the table, looking at you from the corner of his eye. “It’s so boring here. It’s wild to think the world is… gone when everything here is so normal. I bet you have some stories.”

Your mouth ran off without consulting your brain. “None of which I’m sharing with you.”

Jake immediately backed away, raising his hands in surrender. You wanted to do nothing more than yank the drink from his hand and smash it over his head. He was still smiling. “I wasn’t trying to pry, just making friendly conversation.”

“Feels more like an interrogation to me.”

“Is it? Because to me it seems like you have a difficulty opening up.”

“To me it sounds like you’ve never heard that curiosity kills the cat.”

He smiled playfully. “But satisfaction brought it back.”

“Not to be rude, but I’m not going to tell someone I’ve just met my life story.” All thoughts of grabbing another drink forgotten, you moved past him to leave the kitchen. His hand shot out and grabbed your arm. Before you could process what was happening, you had his arm pinned to his back, him whimpering.

“Don’t touch me.” You warned, releasing his arm and leaving the kitchen. Rick’s wish be damned, you tried, maybe you could try another day. All you knew was this house was suffocating and it felt as if your lungs were going to explode.

You saw glimpses of your group as you tried to find a way out. They were laughing, smiling, drinking, and acting like the perfect citizens. The thought of doing the same made you feel sick. At this point you had evolved into a survivor and the white picket fence lifestyle didn’t suit you.

Aaron appeared in your vision, stepping out in front of you. You stopped in your tracks, legs itching to start moving again. “Y/N? Are you okay?”

The concern in his eyes made you want to run further. Desperately, you managed to squeak out a request. “Can I leave?”

“Sure, sure.” Aaron smiled at you sympathetically. “I’ll show you the way.”

With Aaron as your guide you escape your prison, breathing in a large lungful of clean air. As soon as you stepped outside you felt your shoulders loosen and your heart calm.

Aaron closed the door behind you. “Want me to walk you home?”

Home? Did you really have a home here? You declined his offer, shoving the bottle of beer towards Aaron and practically running down the stairs and out into the street. The steady rhythm of your feet hitting the ground brought a strange sense of calm over yourself, until finally you could rid yourself of the anxieties the Alexandrian welcome party had brought you. Jogging to a stop outside the group’s shared house, you weren’t all that surprised to see Daryl sat on the steps, taking a deep drag of his cigarette.

Slightly out of breath, you nodded to the seat next to him. Daryl shuffled over wordlessly, and with a deep sigh you sagged into the space. The acidic stench of smoke hit your nostrils.

“Thought ya were at the party.” Daryl puffed out a plume of smoke. You watched it curl into the air and fade away.

“I’m not really the party type.”

“Me neither.”

“Now that does surprise me.” Daryl eyed you up from the corner of his eye. You smirked, knocking your shoulder against his. “Look at us, a pair of socialites.”

Daryl chuckled. “I’d rather not play pretend when I know the shit that’s goin’ on out there.”

You looked at the walls, at what they were keeping out, but what they were also keeping in. “These people know nothing of suffering.”

“You were like tha’ once.” Daryl stubbed his cigarette on the floor, grinding the ashes into the wood, leaving a burn mark.

“Yeah but I wasn’t a blind idiot.”

“Yeah, 'cause you still are.”

You mocked a gasp, pushing him playfully with your hand. “Remind me why we’re friends.”

“Bold of ya to assume we’re friends.”

“Right, because we’re family.”

“Damn straight.” Daryl leaned backwards, his hands supporting him. “Why’d ya leave?”

You sighed, looking down at your hands. When you lived outside the walls they were always caked in some kind of dirt or blood. Now they were so clean you could make out the creases in your skin. “They wanted entertainment and I ain’t no performing monkey.”

“Amen.” He shuffled across, so the space between you was smaller. His body heat warmed your chilled bones.

Minutes of comfortable silence passed between the two of you. It had always been this way, you could happily chat for hours or say nothing at all. It was the company that mattered. Having once been renowned for being a lone wolf, Daryl had broken free from his shell and embraced the relationships he formed with others. It was hard to believe that when you first met him, he was the loner everyone was intimidated by.

“This place feels like a fairytale.” Daryl mused, looking out at the picture perfect scene. Even the moan of walkers could barely be heard.

“All stories end.”

Daryl grunted in agreement. “I just hope it’s a long fucking story.”

“Are we normal, Daryl? For not fitting in here?”

“Were we ever normal?”

You hummed.

“I don’t think bein’ different is a bad thing.”

“No, I guess you’re right.”

Daryl smiled at you cheekily. “Aren’t I always?”

You laughed, grateful that while everything else was changing, you would still have your friend by your side.

the walking dead masterlist

Two teasers?

Hey Y'all!

Sorry its been awhile since i have posted! I have two different one shots in the works at the moment that i’m wondering if i should finish or give up on and try something else.

I’m thinking about posting what i have written so far on here and get some feedback from you guys?

Let me know in the comments if that’s something you guys would be willing to do!

Much love!

Love Jen x

Daryl x gender-non-specific!reader

spoilers: season 5/6 location

A/N: lemme wipe the dust off this blog real quick..

Okay

For a man appearing so stoic, it is beyond easy for you to see when he’s bouncing off the walls. Not literally; again, physically, the man is the picture of still. Perhaps stealthy is a better word. Since entering this American dream, Daryl Dixon has chosen the best vantage point that he has access to, seated on a windowsill that gives him full view of the makeshift family spread through the living room, and a direct line of sight out of the window, into the neighbour of make believe. His sharp, forever scowling eyes dart between the two views, checking everyone is alright and then reanalysing what’s outside. By now, the window looks pitch black, so how he can see a thing you really dont know, but you know he can.

And despite hoping his stance is unnecessary, instinctively, you have followed suit. On the opposite side of the room, you lean against the wall, keeping your back against it, standing at the perfect angle to see the front door. Your own gaze flickers between that and your family, assuring their safety just like your counterpart across the room. And somewhere in the middle, between every glance, your eyes meet his, a silent report to each other about your separate findings on your joint-purpose watch.

Deanna has long since left, but her appearance at the front door is what has caused your hyper vigilance here. It has been a good hour since then, you estimate, and nobody has come around since. The leader of this pretend settlement did say that she would ensure nobody else bothered you all tonight, perhaps you should take her word for it? Have a bit of faith?

Gravity pulls your gaze from the door to the other side of the room and lingers there, until Daryl meets your eyes again. He notices a different look in your eyes, and lingers too, just for another second, to make sense of it. Understanding your thoughts perfectly by analysing the look on your face, he nods, and does another scan of the room before setting his sights back to the window.

Sighing, you watch him longingly. You can see how much this place is already impacting him. A wild beast cooped up in the American dream, white picket fence and all, at the end of the world. It’s almost ironic; Daryl would say the only way he’d end up in a place like this is if it’s what his personal Hell looks like once he’s kicked the bucket, once his personal world ends, so to speak. If there was any danger of his emotions getting the better of him, you’d be surprised not to see him pacing around the room like an animal in a trap. That is exactly how he feels, after all. But he is choosing the still, patient and wary approach. Not showing anyone that could be peering in from outside any sign of weakness, smart. Still, even animals momentarily try to forget their fate in order to get some rest, they have to keep their strength up in case whatever has trapped them is going to need fighting in order to free themselves.

Crossing the distance of the living room, weaving in between members of the people you’ve come to love on your journey through the end of the world, you reach the person who has been the centre of yours for as long as you can remember. Your hands finds his, both of yours holding just one of his, and he squeezes your hand, but doesnt look at you.

Glancing over your shoulder, you lock eyes with Rick Grimes and share a silent question, answer, conclusion, and nod. He’s got it covered down here, he tells you with a look alone, and you give him a grateful smile before turning back to the captured, and secretly terrified, wild man.

Squeezing Daryl’s hand, you draw his attention back to you. His scowl softens at the sight of you, but turns confused upon your attempts at pulling him to a standing position. Wordlessly, he follows you, just your pinkies intertwined for ease of travelling together, a visible representation of the tether between your souls that has existed for as long as you can remember being. Rick pats Daryl’s shoulder as the two of you pass him, and while you can tell the rest of your family are somewhat confused by your ascension of the stairs, they trust you enough to understand that whatever the reason, it needs to be done. And it does.

Rounding the top of the staircase, you lead Daryl into the first bedroom you spot, gently pushing him to sit on the end of the bed while you close the door. He watches you, always mesmerised by whatever you do, always perplexed and waiting for an explanation, always excited by and so in love with whatever your reasons are for the things you do. There’s a white, fluffy blanket that seems to only serve as decoration for the bed, folded up beside Daryl, and you pick it up without a word. Unfolding it and holding it up behind you, your hands at two of the wide corners. Then, you’re approaching Daryl, your knees resting either side of his hips as you wrap the horizon of clouds around him, enshrouding you both. His hands hold your waist and he stares up at you in wonder.

“You, and me. Just you and me.”

Those are the words that pass your lips and break the silence, and as you lower your forehead to meet Daryl’s, his eyes close. He releases a breath he didnt realise he’d been holding in metaphorically since stepping through the gates of Alexandria. His hands around your waist are replaced by his arms, pulling you as close to him as humanly possible, and you wrap your arms around his shoulders, tucking his face into your neck. Further hiding away the man who only ever wants to show all of himself, when it’s you.

Daryl sniffles quietly against your collarbone, so overwhelmed by this place and the people, and by your love for him, that you show him at every possible opportunity, in the most gentle ways you can. Nobody has ever treated him like he’s something precious, something that could break. Granted, the chances of that are slim, but the fact there is still a chance doesnt make him weak, you taught him that.

Combing your fingers through his hair and absentmindedly detangling it, you shush him comfortingly. In a few minutes, his sniffling subsides, and you pull away from him slightly, just enough to cup his stubbled cheeks in your hands. Stormy Georgie skies clearing to sunnier days, a single spark of hope igniting behind them. A hope that whatever happens here, as long as he’s with you, Daryl knows things will be alright.

His years melt away from his face then, and the two of you are back in a forest that seemed endlessly taller than you both, the world an ever expanding mass of land that you became more aware of everyday. A smaller Daryl was sat on the ground, one of his knees up but one of them laid flat, covered in dirt and blood.

His face was stern for someone so young, he had sucked his lips inside his mouth as hard as he could, refusing to admit that he was in any kind of pain, that he had made such a rookie error and tripped while running. Already punishing himself, even before the age of seven. His focussed eyes were locked on you as you ran towards him, little legs carrying you as fast as they could until you collapsed to your own knees in front of him. Not caring about the scolding you’d get later for getting your skirt dirty, you swung your bright pink backpack off your shoulder and started digging through it. Had little Daryl’s mind not otherwise been occupied, you’re sure he would have made another timeless comment about that bag being the one thing that would make you impossible to miss if you ever got lost in the forest. When you retrieved an antiseptic wipe and small bandage from your bag that your mother had forced you to carry with you at all times, just in case, Daryl shook his head.

“Aint no way, I dont need-“

The look on your face, even back then, was enough to shut him up.

Without another word, you cleaned his wound, and Daryl had to try so hard not to let the tears burning his eyes flow free, or the hiss threatening to break through his lips pass and make you jump. Once it was clean, you bandaged it up as best as you knew how. It was sloppy, but you were only young then, and it did the job.

Little Daryl had watched you with bewildered, awestruck eyes. And then your gaze met his, and he could see the genuine worry you had for him over something so small.

“Are you alright?”

A question only you had ever asked him reached his ears, and suddenly his defences against his own tears were wearing thin. Daryl looked away from you, knowing if he admired you for a second longer, he’d be done for.

But you reached for his hand, he hadnt even noticed the way it had been clutching at the dirt. His eyes darted to his own hand, watching you gently take ahold of it, with a care nobody else had ever given him.

“You dont have to say you’re not, I know you’re not. It’s okay not to be, y’know.” You reassured him, so wise at such a young age. A smartass, actually.

Daryl nodded, unable to tear his gaze from your hands holding his as you brought them to his lap, the view blurring as his chin began to wobble.

You didnt make a big deal of it, seeing him break that first time. In reality, it wasnt that serious, you were just kids and the emotional turmoil of tripping over and grazing his knee was minimal. But the gesture, the sentiment, the way you had hugged him as he cried instead of ridiculing him, like all those close to him had always done, to train that response out of him. You, singlehandedly, made everything okay, when he wasnt.

And in all the years that have past since, that has only become more obvious. Daryl stares up at you with eyes familiar, his soul smiling at you through them adoringly as he takes the blanket from your hands and drapes it over your shoulders rather than letting you keep holding it over you both, his own care for you prevailing over anything else that may be on his mind.

“Okay?” You asked him.

“Naw,” Daryl shook his head. “But I will be, ‘s long as yer here.”

With that, you leant forward and placed a soft kiss against his lips. It’s momentary, but momentous, just like every other kiss you’ve ever shared with him. And Daryl remembers each and every one.

That night, when the two of you lie down to sleep on a bed that isnt yours, in a world run by the dead, Daryl stares up at the ceiling and replays the memory of every kiss, from the very first one up until the one you gave him before you drifted off to sleep. And as you snuggle up against his chest, desiring to be closer to him even when unconscious, Daryl realises that in that moment, when in the small world of a bedroom where the only two of you exist, he is okay again.

——————————

it’s been a while so my taglist is a bit out of date, please let me know if you’re on this list but your name has changed etc, or if you’re new and would like to be added to future works! :)

taglist:

@iamburdened@evilbabyelf@of-storms-and-sadness@crossbowking @scootankle @citlalireedus @spidergirla5@jodiereedus22@thanossexual@captain-shannon-becker@cordialgargoyle@romanoffs-bitch@daryldixonandfrogs@just-always-tired@pillowjj@the-musical-doodle@likeablevillain@irrelevantyettopicalusername@notquitecannon@alyisdead@polkadottedpillowcase@twdeadfanfic@wishingtobeforeveryoung1994@sigynlokiem@courtnytrash04@thatwrestlingfan91@buttsology@prettylittleblog13@milariskanavasi@whatanicepanohthatsjustme @your-new-mom @daryls-angell @lilzebub@amaroho@bakedcrispss@yes-sir-hotchner@wasted-years@kpopandharry@madshelily@datidixon@dumandbass

Request:hi i was wondering if i could request a glenn x reader in the later seasons where the reader is new to alexandria and is quiet/shy but is still tough and smart and impresses the group at times, and ends up becoming close with glenn? please :) i feel like there aren’t enough glenn fics he’s my favorite

A/N: I feel like I really missed the mark here but it came out kinda cute so I kept it.

The Walking Dead

✰ ✰ ✰ ✰

You had been more than grateful when Deanna put you on the gardening committee. A nice, quiet, assignment that was in stark contrast to the hell that you had endured outside the walls. It felt eerily like the old world in a way that you found more comforting than strange. No one expected you to go back out there and face down walkers or fight off other communities who were threatening to encroach on your home. All you had to do was wake up every morning and go to the garden and help make things grow.  

“How’s it going?”  

Still, there were times, like when Glenn stopped by the garden and lingered a little longer than he had to on his way to wherever he was going, asking about your day or how you felt you were fitting into life in the wall, that you wished you were just a little bit braver.  

“The strawberry seeds Carol brought me last week are starting to sprout a few leaves,” you replied, glancing over at the strawberry pots that you had on the steps of the back patio. The garden was made from the backyards of two empty houses, one of which Deanna had offered to you. You envied Glenn sometimes, and his family, for having people around. At the end of the night, when you went home, it was empty and you were reminded that you were alone. “It’s a long way from actual strawberries-”

“That doesn’t matter,” Glenn cut in, “I mean, just the leaves are a good sign. Any good news feels like a weight off my shoulders.”

“I’m sure, especially going out there everyday. I mean, I don’t go out myself but it’s nice to have something to return to.” You wiped your hands against your gardening apron as you stood there.  

The sun was getting lower quickly, blue hour settling in around you. The spring days were hotter than you remembered them and you lost time in the afternoon trying to avoid sun burn and exhaustion.  

“You should come out with us sometime,” Glenn had breached the subject before, always casually like this and always accepting when you turned down the offer. You knew that he was mindful of the time you’d spent out there and any trauma that you were still working your way through. He still asked though, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to offer, as if he was asking you to go to the mall with him or somewhere similar.  

“I don’t think I’m ready for that.” You replied honestly. You’d heard from a few of the more gossip-hungry people in the community that Deanna’s son Aiden had died outside the walls with Glenn, before you had been found on a scouting mission.  

“Well,” he clasped his hand over the handle of the shovel sticking up from the ground, leaning against it just enough that it didn’t tip over, “in case you ever change your mind, it wouldn’t have to be everyone. Maybe just the two of us or something? There’s a few houses outside that are still pretty stable, nice to walk around sometimes.”  

That was a new offer, usually he just left you to your work and didn’t try to push. Not that this was full on pushing. “I’ll think about it.”  

Glenn lingered a moment longer before telling you goodbye and heading for the house he lived in. You’d see him later in the night, once the light fully died and the streetlamps flickered on, Rick had called a meeting in the morning and you knew that once he and his family started to congregate at the small make-shift chapel, so would everyone else. You’d have a quick and quiet meal, washing up after a long day of tilling weeds and planting what you were confident would grow up first. It was hard to tell exactly what time of year it was, only that the cold was finally ending but it was hotter than you expected.  

Once you were washed up (and recovered from feeling slightly horrified that Glenn had seen you looking so exhausted and sweaty, not that he hadn’t seen you looking worse) and dressed, the streetlamps were on so you headed to the chapel. You weren’t too bothered getting there early but you avoided Gabriel, heading inside and taking a seat near the middle while he was outside talking to people.  

“Grabbed a good seat already?” Glenn asked, placing his hand on the back of the pew you were sitting in, his knuckles brushing your shoulder blade.  

“Oh yeah,” you tilted your head, looking up at him, “I figured there wasn’t much to do at home once I finished dinner.” You scooted over further into the pew, “do you wanna sit?”

“Thanks,” he slid in and angled his body toward you. A few other people filed into the chapel, talking quietly to each other as they found seats of their own. “What’d you have for dinner?”

“Nothing special…I’ve been trying to make the harissa sauce I used to make…before this. I think I perfected it.” You replied, “and I was thinking about your offer to go out…maybe, if you wouldn’t mind taking me fishing. I remember seeing a river not far off…it should be around fishing season, if I’ve got my time of year right.”  

“On one condition,” Glenn posed, “we have dinner together.”  

“Looking for a free meal?” You joked.  

More people came in, sitting around the two of you, and Rick headed up to the front of the room with Deanna to talk about the week passed and the one ahead. You got bored of the chapel meetings even though you knew they were important.  

Glenn shrugged beside you, “looking to spend some time with you,” he replied. When he’d first met you, out in the woods on a canvassing mission with Daryl and Aaron, he’d been shocked to see someone (even though he knew there were encampments around) but he’d been the one to coax you back to Alexandria. You were closed off and cautious around everyone, himself included, but he was persistent in making sure you felt like you were fitting in and comfortable and like this place could be a home to you as well. In that amount of time, he’d seen you grow into someone more confident and happier than you said you’d been in a long time and he knew that his attraction was more than friendly.  

If this was years earlier, if he was still at the Greene Farm or even back in Atlanta, he wouldn’t have been so confident himself. But he was a different person now too.  

“What a coincidence,” you joked, leaning close to Glenn to whisper the last part as Rick started speaking, “I was looking to spend some time with you too.”

-

Taglist: @easnuppa@alexoberlinluthor@lvspit@ellerelly@carnationworld@butterflymoons@alexxavicry@officerrfriendlyy@aureamelendez 

Summary: Y/N Walsh meets Daryl Dixon while working as an undercover Police Officer. But, when Daryl finds out the truth about you, you’re forced to move back to King County.

While on duty, a bullet puts you and Rick Grimes in hospital and when you wake up, the whole world has changed.

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

Word Count:2.6k

Warnings: Language, violence, blood,

Previous chapter 

A/N-

Super early chapter! But, I decided to post this in dedication to Liv who left me tipearlier. It made my entire week and wanted to do something to show her how much I appreciated it, so I hope you all enjoy this surprise chapter xx

Chapter 21-

You woke up the next day to find Rick and Shane sitting by your bed and it didn’t take long before you found out that Hershel and Glenn were back as well, but they had bought back a guy called, Randall.                     

Rick gave you the run down of what happened in town.

Randal was with a group who had tried killing them, but got injured and left behind. And for whatever reason, Rick thought it was a good idea to bring back a guy who had tried to kill them. Hershel had stitched up the wound on the guys leg and he was currently tied up in the barn.

Hershel had also checked over your shoulder, but Shane and Maggie had done a good job and Hershel just changed the bandage over it to a fresh one. He had also helped Beth, set her up on an IV drip and now she was at least responding to people, but she still wasn’t back to normal.

“So, that’s the big plan? Drive him out 18 miles and leave him there? What if he finds his way back?” You asked, leaning against the tree as you glanced around at the others who were all sitting around the campfire eating breakfast.

“He won’t. I’ll blindfold him, lock him in the trunk. He won’t know where he is, let alone where the farm is. We’ll give him some supplies and leave him there.” Rick explained.

Shane shook his head, but to your relief he didn’t said anything although you knew he didn’t like Rick’s plan.

“You’re givin’ him supplies? What next, ya gonna give him a weapon too?” Daryl questioned from where he was sitting with a plate of eggs on his lap.

“For once, I agree with Dixon. Rick, this isn’t a good plan.” Shane spoke up, but before Rick had a chance to respond you did.

“Well, it’s the only plan we got. I’ll go get the car ready. Rick grab Randall.” You instructed, but before you could even turn around, Shane grabbed your good arm.

“You’re not going out there. You were just in a car crash and have stitches in your shoulder." 

"I’ll be fine, because I will have you there to watch my back too.” You answered and Shane just frowned.

“What? Why am I going?”

“Because you and Rick need to short your shit out and the only way to do that is to lock the two of you in a car together and go on a road trip.” You responded, glancing over at Rick who sighed rubbing his face with his hands. “It worked back in the day and it will work now. Whatever is going on between the two of you, you’re fixing it. Now, let’s go.”

10 minutes later, you were sitting in the backseat while Rick drove and Shane sat shotgun with Randall blindfolded and tied up in the trunk.

Nobody had said anything since you pulled out the Greene farm and you knew Rick and Shane were purposely not talking.

“This will only work if the two of you actually talk to each other. I don’t know what’s going on between you guys, but something clearly is and you have to fix it.” You said, breaking the awkward silence.

Rick looked at you through the revision mirror before focusing back on the road, while Shane just continued to stare out the passenger window, ignoring you completely.

“What are you? Five years old? Carl is more mature than the two of you. Rick, stop the car.”

Rick glared at you through the mirror and you just glared right back at him before he slammed on the brakes, stopping the car in the middle of the road.

Without saying anything, Rick climbed out the car, slamming the door behind him. You climbed out too, looking over at Shane with a questioning look and he sighed, but climbed out the car as well.

“Let’s talk then.” Rick said, turning around to look at Shane.

You sat down on the bonnet of the car and watched the two of them.

“We don’t need to. I get it. He was passed out when y'all bought him back, doesn’t know where the farm is.” Shane said, shocking you slightly that he had just agreed to the whole Randall thing, but you didn’t say anything wanting the two of them to talk.

“That isn’t what we need to talk about. I heard about what really happened at the school. Was it to survive?”

What kind of question was that? Of course it was, Shane wouldn’t just kill someone for no reason.

“One of us wasn’t gonna make it out. It had to be him. One shot to the leg, Carl lives.” Shane answered honestly.

“He made the right call, Rick. If it wasn’t for him, your son would be dead. It was a tough call, but it had to be done.” You called out from where you were still sitting.

You didn’t mean to get involved, but you couldn’t let Rick get angry at Shane for saving Carl’s life.

“You don’t think I would’ve done it?” Rick questioned a few seconds later, glancing between you and Shane and you just rolled your eyes.

That was not what you said.

“No, man. I know you wouldn’t have.” Shane quickly responded.

“You don’t think I can keep Lori or Carl safe? Or my baby?" 

"I didn’t say that.” Shane answered, but Rick just shook his head. “Rick, you can’t just be the good guy and expect to live. Okay? Not anymore." 

"I’m not the good guy anymore. To save Carls life, I would’ve done anything. Anything. Now, Lori says you’re dangerous, but you’re not gonna be dangerous. Not to us, not to me, not anymore.” Rick stated, taking a few steps towards Shane causing you to frown.

Lori said that? Why the hell would Lori say that your brother was dangerous? He hadn’t done anything, but protect her and Carl.

“You and Lori- I get what happened. When I figured it out -and I figured it out pretty quickly- I wanted to break your jaw, let you choke on your teeth. But, I didn’t. That wasn’t weakness. It took everything. That is my wife. That is my son. That is my unborn child. I will stay alive to keep them alive. You don’t love her. You think you do, but you don’t. Now, the only way you and me keep on is that you accept everything I just said right here, right now, and we move forward with that understanding.”

If you were being honest, you didn’t hear anything after the part about Shane and Lori. They were together? They hooked up? Why? How? When?

You had so many questions and now you were starting to understand why the two of them had been at each others throats since the CDC. 

Rick turned around and began walking back to the car, his eyes flashing over at you and he seemed to be surprised by the shocked look on your face and you realised that he thought you knew about all this already.

“When it all started it was just a couple weird stories on the news.” Shane’s voice suddenly called out causing Rick to stop and turn back towards him.

“Everything just happened so quick. Two weeks later, I’m in the hospital and there were soldiers shooting people in the halls. They were shooting people, man, not walkers. Then the walkers came through. You know, I tried to get you out, I tried to get both of you out, but we weren’t gonna make it. Man, there was no way and I knew it…. I didn’t keep Lori and Carl alive, man. They kept me alive. I want you to know that I didn’t look at her before that. Brother, if I could take it all back, I would.”

You were torn between wanting to slap Shane for hooking up with Lori and wanting to hug him for what he would’ve went through when the dead started to rise. It would have been terrifying and you were kinda glad you were in a coma when it began.

“I wanna check the ropes.” Rick responded, barely acknowledging what Shane had said.

He walked around to the back of the car to check on Randall and you sighed looking over at Shane who just shook his head.

“Give him some time. He’s your best friend, he will come around.” You whispered as Shane walked past you, grabbing your good shoulder and squeezing it gently before the two of you climbed back into the car and continued driving.

To your surprise, Rick started up a conversation a few minutes later and began talking about plans for the winter at the farm, sparking a small amount of hope that maybe he was slowly starting to forgive Shane and that things would go back to normal.

However, not even 10 minutes later all that hope got thrown out the window when you arrived at a fenced off building and it all went to shit.

You weren’t even sure what sparked the argument, but now you were currently standing between your brothers, trying to stop them from decking each other while keeping an eye on Randall, who was lying on the ground a few metres away, still tied by his ankles and wrists.

“You don’t know shit anymore!” Rick shouted, throwing his hands in the air.

He glared past you at Shane while you stood between them with your hands on both their chests trying to keep them apart, ignoring the pain the movement caused your shoulder.

“Both of you, quit it!” You yelled, but you were better off talking to a brick wall.

“I don’t think you can do it, Rick. I don’t think you can keep them safe.” Shane responded, his voice scary calm and that was all it took for Rick to snap as he pushed past you and slammed his fist into the side of Shane’s head.

“For crying out loud.” You muttered to yourself.

Shane headbutted Rick in response before Rick slammed him to a nearby car and they began to trade punches like they were teenagers.

“Stop it!" 

You grabbed Rick’s arm, stopping him from slamming his fist into Shane, but your brother took that to his advantage and shoved Rick backwards, taking you with him as you both fell to the ground.

You landed on your bad arm and by the sudden pain and wetness you felt dripping down your arm, you knew the stitches had been busted in your shoulder. But, that was the least of your worries as you watched Rick jump to his feet and tackle Shane to the ground.

By the time you got to your feet, they had punched each other enough to leave blood and bruises on their faces. You knew there was nothing you could say that would make them stop. You had seen the two of them fight before, but you had never seen it this bad and it scared you.

Thinking on your feet, you drew your handgun and racked the slide, loading a bullet in the chamber before firing a shot into the window behind the two of them. 

The gun went off with a bang, echoing across the area as the glass shattered and your brothers instantly stopped in their tracks. 

Their wide panicked eyes snapped in your direction before Shane shoved Rick to the side and got to his feet, marching towards you. 

"Are you crazy?” Shane shouted, pointing towards your gun as you holstered it.

“Are you? You were going to kill each other!”

Shane scoffed as you looked over at Rick who was sitting on the ground and looking at the two of you with a pissed off expression, but your attention was quickly turned to the window when a walker fell out of it.

“Rick!” You shouted, but he was already to his feet and slammed his knife into the walkers head before more started to follow.

You instantly reached for your gun, but quickly realised that there were more walkers than bullets in your magazine.

Shit.

“Run.” Shane shouted.

Rick pulled the dead walker over his body, using it to hide while the small herd falling out the window began rushing towards you and Shane as you took off running.

You weren’t even sure how, but you and Shane ended up stuck inside a school bus while the walkers surrounded it. There was no way out and by the look on your brothers face, he had realised that too.

“Well shit.” He sighed, dropping his head as he leant his back against the bus door while you both watched Rick run off through the gate with Randall.

Rick wouldn’t leave the two of you. He might be pissed at Shane right now, but he wouldn’t leave you both for dead.

A few minutes later the familiar green SUV came flying through the wire fence. It sped towards the bus with Rick hanging out the passenger side door and Randall driving as Rick fired shots at the walkers around the bus.

“Shane! Y/N! Back door!” Rick shouted.

Neither of you said anything as you sprinted down the aisle of the bus and kicked open the back door just as the car parked beside it. You quickly jumped into the car via the open window, Shane quickly following and half landing on you in the backseat. 

“Whooo! Hell yeah! Did you see that? Did you see what we did?” Randall shouted, glancing over at Rick in the passenger seat who raised his gun at him.

“Just keep driving.” Rick instructed in a stern tone.

Randall nodded as you glanced down at your shoulder to find the white bandage now stained red with blood.

You looked over at Shane taking in the blood and bruises over his face before looking at Rick who had matching wounds and you sighed, leaning your head back against the head rest and closed your eyes.

How were you meant to get these two to make up? They always forgave each other after a fight, but even the usual road trip didn’t work.

Once you were a safe enough distance from the walkers, Rick instructed Randall to the stop the car which he did without question with the Colt Python pointed at his face. Rick tied him back up and threw him in the trunk again while you tried to figure out what to do. 

Randall knew Maggie. You had completely forgotten about that part. You were too busy trying to make sure your brothers didn’t murder each other to worry about what Randall had said earlier.

“If you want to kill me, you’re gonna have to do better than that.” Rick stated, breaking the silence as you glared at him, but he was purely focused on Shane who refused to look at him. “We’re probably gonna have to kill that boy, but I’m gonna think about it a night. It can’t be that easy, killing someone, killing anyone. You know that.”

You agreed with Rick, Randall had to die. It was the only solution, so you nodded, but Shane didn’t say anything as Rick let out a loud sigh.

“That is my wife. That is my son. That is my child. If you’re gonna be with us, you gotta follow my lead, you gotta trust me. It’s time for you to come back.”

Ricks voice was now a lot calmer as he pulled out Shanes Glock from his belt which you didn’t even realise he had before holding it out to him, grip first.

Shane stared at the gun for a few seconds before he took it, checking the chamber and tucking it into his belt. 

Rick’s hand clasped Shanes shoulder, patting him before he glanced over at you with a small nod and with that, the three of you climbed into the car.

To your surprise, Shane took the passenger seat beside Rick instead of sitting in the back with you.

That was a small win.

Maybe things would start to get back to normal? You could only hope.

-

MASTERLIST    |    TIP JAR

Next Chapter

Summary:Y/N Walsh meets Daryl Dixon while working as an undercover Police Officer. But, when Daryl finds out the truth about you, you’re forced to move back to King County.

While on duty, a bullet puts you and Rick Grimes in hospital and when you wake up, the whole world has changed.

Pairing:Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

Word Count:2.5k

Warnings: Language, violence, blood, injury 

Previous chapter

Chapter 20-

Within the span of a few hours, things went from down to worse. 

Beth had gone into some kind of state of shock and wouldn’t respond to anyone and Hershel had disappeared off the face of the Earth.

Rick and Glenn had gone into town, thinking that Hershel had gone to the local bar in town after finding his flask in his bedroom, leaving the rest of you waiting anxiously around the farm. 

You spent most the day trying to help with Beth and by helping, it was mainly just sitting beside her.

There wasn’t much you could do for the young girl, you had seen people in this kind of state of shock after major accidents. You knew there wasn’t anything you could do for her except keep her comfortable and try get her to eat, but she wouldn’t even respond to her sister, so you highly doubted she’d eat or drink.

“Hey, Y/N?” Lori’s voice suddenly called out.

You looked away from Beth to find Lori standing in the doorway to Beth’s bedroom.

“What’s up?”

You and Lori had never really seen eye to eye, even when you were kids. Hell, you kinda hated her in high school, but then her and Rick had started dating and well, you had been putting up with her ever since for Ricks sake. She was a nice woman and good mother, but she got on your nerves sometimes.

“Rick and Glenn should be back by now. It’s nearly dark-” She began to say before you cut her off.

“Rick knows what he’s doing. Glenn too. They’ll be back soon.”

“Something might have went wrong, they wouldn’t stay out there in the dark. We have to go find them. I already asked Daryl, but he said no. Can you come with me?” She asked, already pulling out a street map from her pocket and you sighed.

She had clearly thought this through and you knew if you said no then she would just go by herself and that was just a stupid idea.

“Okay, but lets go now before Shane gets back. My brother won’t like this idea, hell, neither do I.” You muttered, standing up, taking one last look at Beth before you followed Lori out the house to find that she had already got a car parked out the front of the house with the keys in the ignition.

Lori immediately handed you the map before she walked over to the drivers side. You didn’t argue as you climbed into the passenger seat and unfolded map and began to figure out the best route to take into town to get this bar. 

You instructed Lori where to go, but other than saying the occasional ‘take the next left’ the two of you sat there in dead silence.

What were you meant to say? She was worrying about Rick and you were still trying to figure out how you were meant to explain this to Shane when you got back because he would not be happy that you just took off without saying a word to him about it.

“Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Lori suddenly questioned, breaking the awkward silence as she glanced over at you causing you to frown.

Of course you were going the right way. You were the one with the map.

“Yeah, we’re nearly there.” You answered, hoping that would shut her up, but of course it didn’t.

“I think we’re going around in circles. Let me see the map.”

You were about to say something about her not being able to read a damn map, but she pulled it out your hands before you could even open your mouth.

She laid the map out over the steering wheel as she tried to read it, but you knew she wouldn’t even be able to figure out where the town was on the map, let alone where the two of you were right now.

“Trust me. Just focus on the road, I don’t feel like dying today.” You half joked, but Lori just shook her head as she continued staring at the map. “Hey, watch the road, you’re driving.” You instructed, your inner cop voice coming out.

You turned your attention back to the road just as a walker stumbled across the road in front of you.

“Lori!” You shouted, snatching the map away from her so she could see the road properly.

“Shit!” She screamed as she yanked the steering wheel down to her right to try to avoid the walker. 

She managed to avoid the walker, but lost control of the car when she over corrected herself. You frantically tried to reach for your seatbelt, but it was too late.

The car went off the road and slammed into the ditch before everything turned black.

-

All you could hear was a high-pitched ringing in your ears when you started to come to.

Everything was black, but your head was hurting something fierce and your left arm felt it was on fire, but you couldn’t figure out why.

There was a faint growling in the background somewhere, but you couldn’t work out what it was or where it was coming from. But, as the ringing in your ears started to fade there was more than just growling, someone was screaming.

It took your foggy brain longer than it should have to figure out who the voice belonged to, but it was Lori and then everything came flooding back.

The car crash.

Shit, you were in a car crash.

“Y/N!” Lori screamed, her voice suddenly a lot louder than it had been a few moments ago as you forced your eyes open.

For a moment, you thought you hadn’t opened your eyes at all because everything was still dark, but you quickly realised that it was just night time.

Shit, you had been unconscious for a while if it was this dark outside already.

You looked around slowly, taking in the car before you realised that the car was lying on it’s side and you were lying against the drivers side window on the ground. Your head was spinning as you tried to get yourself to sit up, but that was nothing compared to the sharp pain coming from your left arm..

“Y/N! Help!” She shouted and you frowned realising that she wasn’t inside the car, her voice was coming from outside.

Looking out the cracked front windscreen you spotted a walker with it’s head stuck through the broken glass with a screwdriver sticking out it’s eye socket and you knew Lori must have killed it while you were unconscious, but by her panicked screams you knew there must be more walkers outside.

You managed to get yourself into a sitting position as you bit your lip to stop yourself from groaning. You weren’t sure what was worse, the pain coming from your head or arm, but either way, it fucking hurt.

You glanced around the inside of the car, spotting the passengers side door open and you knew Lori must have climbed up and out that way, but there was no way you’d be able to climb up and out that door.

You turned your attention back to the front windscreen which was already cracked and shattered, and you knew that was your best bet.

Without any further thought, you slammed your boot against the windscreen a few times. To your relief, it eventually gave way and fell out, taking the dead walker with it.

You could hear Lori grunting and screaming in the background and you quickly crawled through the gap and somehow managed to get to your feet when you spotted her on the ground, trying to get away from a walker that was grabbing her foot.

“Lori!”

Her head snapped over to you, relief evident in her expression as you pulled your gun from your holster and shot the walker.

In all honestly, you had no idea how you managed to land a headshot on the walker with one bullet since everything around you was slightly blurry and spinning, but it worked.

With shaky hands you holstered your handgun and looked down at your left arm to try and figure out why it hurt so much and your eyes widened when you took in large piece of metal sticking out your shoulder and all the blood that had run down your arm.

Oh, shit.

“Oh my God.” Lori cried, appearing beside you as she stared at your arm, taking in the chunk of metal and blood. “I am so sorry, this is all my fault.” She whispered as tears began to rise in her eyes.

“It’s fine. I’m fine.” You tried to reassure, but Lori just shook her head.

Neither of you really had a chance to say anything further before a set of headlights appeared down the road. You quickly grabbed Lori with your good arm and pulled her back towards the car to hide from whoever it was coming down the road.

You both crouched down behind the car, waiting for the vehicle to drive off, but it never did. It parked in the middle of the road, right beside Lori’s car.

Shit.

“Y/N? Lori?” A familiar voice shouted and you sighed with relief.

It was Shane.

Lori quickly rushed around the side of the car while you slowly stood up, trying not to pass out as black dots started to cloud your vision from the small movement, but you just blinked a few times and they disappeared.

“Are you alright?” You heard your brother ask.

“I’m fine.” Lori quickly answered as you began to walk around the car towards them.

“What happened? Where’s my sister?”

Lori didn’t have to answer that because you walked around the corner and Shane quickly turned around, his eyes widening when he saw you.

“Holy shit.” He gasped, rushing over to you.

“I’m fine-” You began to say, but Shane quickly cut you off.

“No, you’re not. Shit, sis. Look at you, c'mon I gotta get you both back." 

You just nodded, because honestly you were about ready to pass out again and it would be better to do that on the farm than in the middle of the road and be walker bait.

"No, we gotta find, Rick.” Lori argued and you mentally punched yourself for forgetting about Rick.

“He’s back. They’re all back. They’re all safe and sound.” He quickly answered, but you just frowned at him because you knew that tone in his voice.

He was lying.

Rick wasn’t back yet, but you also knew if Lori knew the truth then she wouldn’t go back to the farm, so you kept your mouth shut.

“Really?” Lori asked, a hint of hope in her tone as Shane nodded. “Oh, thank God.”

You sat in the backseat of the car while Lori took the passenger as Shane turned the car around and began driving back to the farm. You leant your head back against the headrest and stared out the side window as you tried to keep yourself awake, but you were just so exhausted all you wanted to do was close your eyes.

“Hey, Y/N. Stay awake.” Shane instructed, looking at you through the revision mirror. 

You nodded weakly and zoned out for the rest of the drive and before you knew it, you were back at the farm. 

Lori quickly climbed out the car while Shane stopped and helped you out the backseat, grabbing your good arm gently.

You could hear the others asking Lori what happened and if she was alright, but your mind couldn’t really process anything other than the fact that you had a piece of metal sticking out your shoulder and that you had probably lost more blood than you probably should have.

“Holy shit, Y/N, you’re shoulder!” Andrea suddenly said.

You glanced over in her direction to find her, Dale and Carl, all standing by Lori, but their eyes were now glued to your bloodied arm.

“Where’s Rick?” Lori questioned, ignoring Andrea completely. 

“Look, I had to get you back here and I get to get my sister back here.” Shane tried to explain while you leant his side because you were pretty sure you’d fall over if he wasn’t supporting you.

“You asshole. He’s my husband.” She shouted, marching towards Shane.

Before you even realised what was happening, Lori shoved Shane in the chest causing him to stumble backwards and in return caused you to stumble backwards too.

Suddenly. a strong pair of hands grabbed your shoulders, stopping you from falling to the ground and you frowned because it wasn’t Shane’s hands. He was too busy being pushed by Lori.

You glanced over your shoulder in confusion and spotted Daryl standing behind you. But, that just made you even more confused because he literally just appeared out of nowhere. 

“Lori, I will go after him. I will find him. But, I had to get Y/N back! Look at her shoulder!” Shane shouted, standing his ground and pointing towards you. “First things first I gotta look after my sister and I gotta look after you. I gotta make sure the baby’s alright, okay?" 

Whoa, what?

Her and Rick were having another baby? Why didn’t Rick tell you? He obviously told Shane, why didn’t Shane tell you about it?

"You’re having a baby?” Carl’s voice suddenly questioned. 

He stared at his mother with hopeful eyes and you couldn’t stop the small smile forming on your lips. Carl always wanted a little brother or sister. Hell, he had even asked you for a little cousin once.

“This seriously important right now? Your sister has metal sticking out her fuckin’ shoulder.” Daryl called out, looking over at Shane who’s expression immediately turned guilty as he rushed back over to you and without further word, the group of you made your towards the house.

“Maggie, where’s the first aid kit?” Dale called out as you walked through the front door.

Daryl was hovering over your left side, being careful not to touch your injured arm while Shane was holding your right arm, helping you walk.

A few seconds later, Maggie walked out of Beth’s bedroom about to ask what was going on, but the second she saw your shoulder, she froze.

“Oh my God. Come on, you can take my bedroom.” Maggie said, snapping into action as she pointed towards the door to her right while she jogged off to go and get the first aid kit.

Shane walked you into the bedroom and helped you sit down while Daryl paced the room worriedly which surprised you slightly because you hadn’t really spoken much since you told him the truth about the past and you were almost certain that he still hated you, but now you weren’t so sure.

“I got bandages and tweezers-” Maggie began to say as she rushed into the bedroom before you cut her off.

“How’s Beth?" 

"Still the same. Lori and Carl are with her at the moment. Now, I’m going to pull it out while I do that I need one of you to start padding it with bandages to stop the bleeding before I stitch the wound” Maggie instructed and Shane nodded, grabbing the bandages.

You were expecting Maggie to give you a count down before she tried to pull it out, but she didn’t.

The ringing in your ears began to return as the pain skyrocketed through your arm and the last thing you heard was Shane and Daryl’s voice calling your name before you passed out again. 

-

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Next Chapter

Summary:Y/N Walsh meets Daryl Dixon while working as an undercover Police Officer. But, when Daryl finds out the truth about you, you’re forced to move back to King County.

While on duty, a bullet puts you and Rick Grimes in hospital and when you wake up, the whole world has changed.

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 3.4k

Warnings: Language, violence,

Previous chapter

Chapter 22-

The next morning everyone was up before the sun and you suspected that was because nobody really slept much after what just happened.

Dale had died. He was attacked by a walker in the paddock right in front of the house, less than 200 metres from your actual camp. That did not make you feel comfortable at all.

You had a small funeral for Dale in the morning, the Greene family also joined to pay their respect. Once the funeral was over, you all began to talk about what to do to make sure something like that never happens again.

“It’ll be tight 14 people in one house, but don’t worry about that. We should’ve moved you in a while ago, it’s not safe to sleep out here.” Hershel said, looking around at the group of you as you all stood around camp with Hershel and Maggie.

“Thank you, we really appreciate it. But, how else are we going to improve our safety?” You asked, turning away from Hershel as you looked between Rick, Shane, Daryl, T-Dog and Glenn.

“We’ll build a lookout in the windmill, another in the barn loft. That should give us sightlines both sides of the property. T-Dog, you take the perimeter around the house. Keep track of everyone coming and going.” Rick instructed and T-Dog nodded.

“What about standing guard in the meantime?” You asked.

“I need you and Daryl on double duty.” Rick explained and you nodded, glancing over at Daryl who nodded too and began to walk off towards the RV to take watch.

“I’ll stock the basement with food and water, enough that we can all survive there a few days if need be.” Hershel informed.

That was a good idea. If it’s a bad winter, you could be stuck inside for a few days if it snows as badly as it has in the past.

“After we get this area locked down, Shane will assign shifts while me and Daryl take Randall offsite and cut him loose.” Rick explained and you sighed.

Shit, you had completely forgotten about Randall with everything that’s been going on.

“We’re back to that now?” Your brother questioned, disapproval evident in his tone..

“It was the right plan first time around. Poor execution.” Rick answered and Shane just shook his head.

“That’s a slight understatement.” He muttered, looking away from Rick as you rubbed your face with your hands, not really in the mood to stop the two of them from fighting again.

“You don’t agree, but this is what’s happening. Swallow it. Move on.” Rick instructed, taking a step towards Shane from where your brother was leaning against the side of the blue pickup truck.

“You know that Dale’s death and the prisoner, that’s two separate things, right?” Shane questioned, pushing himself away from the truck until he was face to face with Rick as they stared at each other. “You wanna take Daryl as your wingman, be my guest.” Your brother muttered before he walked off, leaving you and Rick standing by the truck.

“Thank you.” Rick called out, watching Shane leave before he turned back towards you and you just shook your head at him. “What?”

“Go easy on him. He knows he fucked up, but you’ve been best friends since you were in diapers. He’s still your brother.” You stated, crossing your arms over your chest and Rick sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he nodded before you walked off.

-

You spent the rest of the day swapping between guard duty on top of the RV and helping Shane with the lookout on the windmill.

Once, the new lookout was complete, Shane went to go relieve T-Dog from Randall watch duty while you relieved Daryl from guard duty on the RV so him and Rick could start organising how and where they were going to dump Randall offsite somewhere.

You were only on guard duty for an hour before you spotted T-Dog walking back to the shed to swap with Shane, but you frowned when T-Dog opened the door and quickly began sprinting back to the house.

“What’s wrong?” You shouted, already climbing down the ladder of the RV, catching Rick and Daryl’s attention from where they were sitting under the veranda of the house, discussing their plan.

“Randall is missing.” He said breathlessly causing you to frown.

No, that wasn’t possible. Shane was watching him, your brother wouldn’t have let him out of his sight.

You glanced over your shoulder towards Rick and Daryl who were already shouting at the others and rushing towards the barn. You jogged with T-Dog back to the barn, but after a quick sweep of the barn it was clear the kid wasn’t there.

“He must have slipped the cuffs, they’re still secure.” You stated, walking back out to find that the others had all gathered outside nervously.

“Rick! Y/N!” Your brother’s voice suddenly shouted from somewhere behind you causing you to frown because you did not like the tone of his voice.

You quickly turned around and spotted him staggering out the woods towards you.

“What happened?” Rick called out.

“He’s armed! He’s got my gun!” Shane shouted back.

He continued walking towards the rest of you and that was when you saw all the blood coming your brothers nose and mouth.

Oh my God.

“Are you okay?” You quickly questioned, rushing towards your brother.

You grabbed his shoulder and took in the fresh bruises and blood. How the hell did Randall do this to him? Randall was fucking tiny compared to Shane.

“I’m fine. Little bastard snuck up on me. He clocked me in the face.” Your brother answered, shaking his head at himself.

“T-Dog, Glenn, get everybody back in the house. Daryl, Y/N, you come with us.” Rick quickly instructed and everyone nodded in agreement, all rushing back towards the house while the four of you began to head towards the woods.

“I saw him head up through the trees that way before I blacked out. I’m not sure how long.” Shane explained pointing through the woods as you pulled your handgun from the holster on your hip, not taking any chances.

“He couldn’t have gotten far. He’s hobbled, exhausted.” Rick responded.

“And he’s armed.” You pointed out, racking the slide on your gun, loading a bullet in the chamber.

“So are we.” He answered before looking over at Daryl who was walking beside you. “Can you track him?”

“No, I don’t see nothing.”

Daryl was the best tracker you knew, if he couldn’t track him then something wasn’t right.

“Hey, look, there ain’t no use in tracking him, okay? He went that way. We just need to pair up, spread out, we just chase him down, that’s it.” Shane responded as you all stopped and scanned your surroundings trying to find any sign of him.

“Kid weighs a buck-25 soaking wet. Ya tryin’ to tell us he got the jump on ya?” Daryl questioned, glancing over at Shane who just shook his head,

“I say a rock pretty much evens those odds, don’t you?”

Great, now Shane and Daryl were starting to argue too. Couldn’t they all just get along? You had much bigger things to deal with right now.

“Alright, knock it off. You and Y/N start heading up the right flank. Me and Shane will take the left. Remember, Randall’s not the only threat out there. Watch each others back.” Rick instructed.

“You too. Let’s go.” You said turning to Daryl who nodded before the two of you began to walk off towards the left, while Rick and Shane took the opposite direction.

You trailed behind Daryl, not wanting to get in the way while he tried to pick up Randall’s tracks. He held the torch in one hand with his crossbow in the other as you trekked through the woods. It only took a few minutes before Daryl picked up Randall’s tracks, but something must have been wrong because he soon stopped walking and just stared at the tracks.

“Got two sets of tracks here. Your brother must’ve followed him a lot longer than he said.” Daryl observed, but you shook your head.

No, your brother wouldn’t have lied about what happened, there had to be another explanation.

“Is that blood?” You asked, pointing towards the tree in front of you.

Daryl shone the light towards the trunk causing you to frown even more because that was definitely fresh blood.

“There’s more tracks. Looks like they’re walking in tandem.” Daryl commented as he started to walk off again and you quickly followed. “There was a little dust up right here.”

“What do you mean?” You asked in confusion, staring at the ground, but for the life of you, you couldn’t see the tracks Daryl was staring at.

“I mean somethin’ went down.”

You shook your head trying to figure out what the hell had happened out here before the sound of twigs snapping caught your attention.

In an instant, you and Daryl spun around in sync, raising your weapons in the direction of the noise. It was hard to see with the tree tops blocking out the moon light above you, but there was no mistaking the sound of a walker as it staggered out from behind a tree and a second later it fell to the ground with a crossbow bolt through it’s forehead.

“Nice shot.” You commented, walking over to the walker.

You pulled out the bolt and handed it back to Daryl before you looked at the walker properly and froze realising that it was Randall.

“Well, looks like he got into a losing battle with a walker. Problem solved.” You stated, staring at what used to be Randall.

“I don’t see any bites though.” Daryl muttered, kneeling down beside the body and rolled it over, trying to find where Randall had got bitten, but with no luck. “He got his neck broke though, he died from this. Not a walker.”

“No, that doesn’t make any sense. How’d he turn if he wasn’t bit? And how’d he break his neck?” You asked and Daryl just shrugged his shoulders, but he had a worried look in his eyes that just made you nervous.

Something wasn’t right.

“Let’s get back to the house.” Daryl responded and you nodded in agreement.

You had just reached the paddock in front of the house before a singular gunshot echoed through the still night air causing you to freeze. Rick and Shane wouldn’t fire a gun, not in the woods and especially not in the middle of the night.

You glanced over at Daryl beside you who seemed to come to the same conclusion before the two of you took off jogging towards the farmhouse, praying that Rick and Shane were already back. Although, if they were already back then who the hell fired the gun?

Daryl bet you to the house as he rushed through the front door. You quickly followed, walking into he dining room where the others were all standing around nervously, but as your eyes scanned the room it was clear your brothers weren’t back yet.

“Rick ‘n Shane ain’t back?” Daryl questioned, glancing around the room.

“No. We heard a shot. Maybe they found Randall?” Lori suggested, but you shook your head.

“No, we found him. He’s a walker.” You answered, shaking your head as you tried to figure out why they would fire one shot. If it was just one walker they would’ve stabbed it.

“Did you find the walker that bit him?” Hershel asked from across the room.

“No, weird thing is he wasn’t bit. His neck was broke.” Daryl explained causing the others to all stare at him in confusion before Lori spoke up.

“Would you please get back out there, find Rick and Shane and find out what on earth is going on?”

“Ya got it.” Daryl answered.

The two of you quickly walked back outside, but barely got a few feet out the door before Daryl suddenly grabbed your arm tightly, stopping you in your tracks. He wasn’t looking at you, his eyes glued to something in the distance with a panicked expression.

“What’s wrong-” You began to ask, following his line of sight, but stopped mid-sentence when you saw a large herd of walkers walking out the woods in the direction of the house.

“Holy shit.” You gasped, taking in the vast number of walkers.

“Someone turn the lights off and grab the gun bag.” You shouted in a whisper over your shoulder.

Patricia immediately killed the lights while Maggie grabbed the bag of guns off the couch. The herd was getting closer and closer to the barn and once they reached the barn it was only a matter of minutes before they knocked the fences and reached the house too.

“Maybe they’re just passing, like the herd on the highway. Should we just go inside?” Glenn asked hopefully from behind you.

“Not unless there’s a tunnel downstairs I don’t know about. Herd that size will rip the house down.” Daryl answered as your eyes scanned the horizon trying to find any sign of Rick and Shane, but all you could see were walkers. God, you hoped they were okay.

“I can’t find Carl. He’s supposed to be upstairs, but he’s not. I’m not leaving without my boy.” Lori breathlessly said as she rushed back out onto the porch/

You turned around to her in disbelief. How did she keep losing Carl? She has one child, it shouldn’t be that hard to keep an eye on him.

“We’re not. I’m not going anywhere without my brother and Rick. Lori, Carol go back inside and find him.” You stated, turning back towards the herd.

You pulled out one of the pump-action shotguns from the bag Maggie was holding before you grabbed a handful of shotgun shells and shoved them into your pockets.

“I got the number it’s no use.” Daryl responded, staring at you as you loaded five rounds into the weapon, but you never got the chance to respond before Hershel reached your side, taking the other shotgun.

“We have guns. We have cars. Kill as many as we can, and we’ll use the cars to lead the rest of them off the farm.”

“You serious?” Daryl questioned staring at the older man in shock.

“This is my farm. I’ll die here.” Hershel responded, cocking his own shotgun.

“Alright, it’s as good a night as any.” Daryl responded, jumping over the railing of the porch and you quickly followed. “Get on the back of my bike, the others will take the cars.”

He mounted his Triumph, starting the engine and you quickly jumped onto the back.

“You drive, I shoot.” You shouted above the roar of the engine.

Daryl just nodded, tapping the tap the bike into gear and taking off towards the fence that separated the front paddock to the farmhouse yard.

The second Daryl stopped the bike, you jumped off and began firing off rounds at the walkers while Daryl stood up on his bike and did the same with his handgun, but there was no point, there was too many of them and you both knew it.

“The barns on fire!” Daryl suddenly shouted.

Your head quickly snapped towards the barn and your eyes widened when you realised that the barn was in fact on fire and sudden relief hit you. That must have been Shane and Rick. They were trying to distract the herd.

You could hear Glenn and T-Dog driving the cars up and down the fence line while Maggie and Andrea shot out the passenger side windows. But, even with them shooting too there was no way you’d be able to kill the whole herd.

“Y/N!” Daryl shouted.

“Shit, I know.” You muttered, struggling to grab more shotgun shells from your pocket as you reloaded the gun before climbing back onto the bike just as the herd busted through the fence.

You rested the shotgun over your lap while you holding onto Daryl’s shoulder with your free hand while he drove off in the opposite direction, the sound of walkers getting softer and softer in the distance.

Once you were a safe-ish distance from the herd, Daryl pulled the bike over on the dirt road and you both sat there in silence watching as the barn collapsed, the flames engulfing it as the walkers reached the farmhouse. You could see the tail lights of a car disappear in the distance, indicating that at least someone had gotten away before the walkers took over, but you had no idea who.

“Did you see Shane or Rick?” You asked, breaking the silence.

You glanced over at Daryl who shook his head, staring out at the farm in the distance and you sighed.

“Doesn’t mean they didn’t make it out though. Same as the others.” Daryl tried to reassure and you hoped to God that he was right.

You couldn’t lose your brother again. You couldn’t lose him or Rick or Carl or, hell, even Lori. They were your family and you couldn’t lose them, not again.

“Even if they made it out, how are we meant to find them?” You asked in defeat, flicking the safety switch on the shotgun and resting it over your shoulder as you stared out at the farm.

“The highway, where we left those supplies for Sophia. It’s the only place everyone knows, probably the best place to start.”

He turned the key in the ignition, bringing the motorcycle to life and you wrapped your free arm around his stomach, resting the side of your face against his back before he began riding to the highway.

It didn’t take long before Daryl tapped your hand on his stomach causing you to lift your head and look up, spotting a familiar green SUV driving down the road further in front of you.

It was the car Glenn and Maggie had taken.

Daryl quickly sped the bike up until you were side by side with the car. Maggie frantically wound down her window down, relief evident on both their faces and to your shock Carol and Sophia were sitting in the backseat too.

You and Daryl took the lead on his bike, Glenn following behind in the car and within 10 minutes you crossed paths with a familiar blue pickup truck to find Lori, Beth and T-Dog.

By the time you got back to the highway the sun had started to rise along the horizon and it didn’t take long to find the traffic snarl. Daryl slowed the motorcycle down and weaved through all the broken down cars, Glenn and T-Dog following right behind in their vehicles.

You scanned the area trying to spot the car with the supplies on it before Daryl suddenly pointed to something and you looked to where he was pointing, but you couldn’t see anything past the cars. He began to steer the bike in the direction and came to a stop beside a familiar red wagon and not a second later a figure rushed out from around the car.

You were climbing off the bike before Daryl even kicked the stand down and rushed to Rick, Carl and Hershel.

“Oh, thank God.” Rick sighed as you practically jumped into his arms, hugging him and he wrapped his arms around your back and held you tightly.

“Aunty Y/N!”

You didn’t even have a chance to pull away from Rick before Carl’s arms wrapped around your body, hugging you tightly causing you to chuckle as you hugged him back.

“Rick!” Lori’s voice called out causing the father and son to pull away from you with wide eyes.

You watched the family reunite, a bright smile spreading across your face as you looked over at Hershel who was hugging his daughters in utter relief.

You glanced around the area, taking in which group members were here before you came to sudden realisation that your brother was no where to be seen. Him and Rick were together, he had to be here, right?

“Hey, is Shane on watch or something?” You called out, looking over at Rick.

Rick slowly turned away from Lori, but you didn’t miss the way his body suddenly turned tense at your question or how Carl buried his face into Lori’s stomach and started to sob.

“Rick, where’s my brother?” You asked again, your voice deadly calm.

He had to be fine. Your brother had to be fine. After everything you had been through, Shane had to be fine.

“Y/N… I’m so sorry-” Rick began to say and you just shook your head, already knowing what he was going to say, but you refused to believe it.

“No. No, where is he? Rick, where is he?” You shouted, your voice starting to waver as you took a few steps backwards, tears filling your eyes.

“He’s gone.” Rick replied, his voice a mere whisper.

“No. No, no, no, no.” You mumbled, shaking your head in disbelief as you took a few more steps backwards before Daryl suddenly grabbed you and pulled you into his chest and that was all it took before you broke down in his arms.

-

MASTERLIST    |    TIP JAR

Next Chapter

Summary: Y/N Walsh meets Daryl Dixon while working as an undercover Police Officer. But, when Daryl finds out the truth about you, you’re forced to move back to King County.

While on duty, a bullet puts you and Rick Grimes in hospital and when you wake up, the whole world has changed.

Pairing:Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

Word Count:2.3k

Warnings: Language, violence, blood,

Previous chapter

Chapter 22-

Daryl interrogated Randall and what you thought you knew about his group was nothing. There were 30 of them with guns and they would apparently kill all the men in your group and the women… well you didn’t even want to think about that.

Rick told everyone that the threat needed to be eliminated, or in other words, Randall had to die.

As far as you could tell most agreed with Rick, but Dale definitely didn’t. The older man ended up storming off when Rick suggested it, leaving the rest of you standing around camp unsure of what to do.

“C'mon, you need to clean those knuckles, can’t afford getting an infection in this world.” You spoke up, breaking the silence as you looked over at Daryl, his knuckles bloodied as he held his crossbow over his shoulder and he just nodded before he silently followed you.

You walked over to one of the wells, making sure it wasn’t the well that had the dead walker inside it. You grabbed the metal bucket beside it and turned it upside down before motioning for Daryl to sit.

“Rick ‘n Shane put those bruises on each other?” Daryl asked, breaking the silence.

He sat down on the bucket while you turned the tap on and took Daryl’s red rag that he kept in his back pocket and rinsed it in the water.

“Yeah, but I think they have finally sorted out their issues.” You replied with a small shrug.

Kneeling down in front of him, you grabbed Daryl’s hand and began to wipe the rag gently over his knuckles. Neither of you said anything after that as you cleaned his knuckles, but you could feel Daryl staring at you and you could tell he wanted to say something.

“What is it?” You asked, looking up at him.

“The other day, ya said ya still loved me… did ya mean that?”

“I do, but I know you don’t feel the same way, which is fine because I hurt you. I tried doing what was best, but I hurt you and I know you can’t forgive me for that and-”

Before you could finish what you were saying Daryl’s lips were suddenly captured yours.

For a split second, you just sat there in shock before you melted into his kiss and started to kiss him back.

“I still love ya too.” He whispered against your lips.

-

“So, how do we do this? Just take a vote?” Glenn asked breaking the awkward silence as you all stood in the living room of the Greene house staring at each other.

You stood between Daryl and Rick, while your brother stood across the room beside Andrea, watching everyone.

“Let’s see where everybody stands, then we can talk through the options.” Rick explained, glancing around the group as Shane spoke up.

“Well, where I sit, there’s only one way to move forward.”

“Killing him, right? I mean, why even bother to take a vote? It’s clear which way the wind’s blowing.” Dale responded, glaring at your brother.

“Okay, then it’s done. We’ll kill him, end of discussion. Thank you Dale.” You spoke up, causing Dale to glare at you instead, but Rick shook his head.

“If people believe we should spare him, I wanna know.”

“Couldn’t we continue keeping him prisoner?” Maggie suggested.

“Just another mouth to feed.” Daryl muttered from beside you.

“He could be an asset! Give him a chance to prove himself, we could put him to work.” Dale said, but you shook your head.

“We’re not letting him walk around.” Rick quickly responded.

“Could put an escort on him.” Maggie added.

“Who wants to volunteer for that duty?” Your brother questioned, glancing around at everyone.

“I will.” Dale said and you just chuckled, shaking your head.

“That’s not going to happen. We’re not letting him walk around the farm unless he’s tied up and we can’t exactly put chains around his ankles and sentence him to hard labour. There’s only one way to handle this.” You stated and nobody said anything for a few seconds before Patricia spoke up for the first time.

“If you go through with it, how would you do it? Would he suffer?” She asked, still seeming unsure about the whole thing.

“We could hang him, right? Just snap his neck?” Shane asked, glancing over at you and Rick and you just shrugged your shoulders.

That was one way to do, but shooting him would be quicker and take less effort too.

“I thought about that. Shooting may be more humane.” Rick replied and he had a point. It would be a quicker death.

“And what about the body? Do we bury him?” T-Dog questioned which Dale did not like at all.

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

“You’ve been talkin’ about it all day, goin’ around in circles. Ya just wanna go around in circles again?” Daryl questioned, staring at Dale who shook his head.

“This is a young man’s life, and it is worth more than a five-minute conversation! 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 that we’re so afraid of?”

“It’s the only option! If we let him go, he could bring his group back here and kill all of us! If we let him stay he could kill all of us! It’s his life verses all our lives, take your pick!” You snapped, staring at Dale as Rick put his hand up towards you, silently telling you to back off, but before he could say anything Shane spoke up.

“My sister is right. We all know what has to be done.”

“If we do this, the people that we were, the world that we knew is dead. And this new world is ugly. It’s harsh. And that’s a world I don’t wanna live in and I don’t believe that any of you do. Won’t any of you stand with me?” Dale questioned in disbelief as he glanced around at everyone with desperate eyes, but nobody said anything as all looked away from him.

“Are y'all gonna watch, too? No, you’ll go hide your heads in your tents and try to forget that we’re slaughtering a human being. I won’t be a party to it.” The older man stated, shaking his head in utter disbelief before storming out the house.

“Well that went fantastic.” You commented softly.

“Shane, Daryl, Y/N, let’s go. Everyone else, stay here.” Rick instructed and with that the four of you walked out the house, Rick quickly grabbing one of the lanterns from the campsite before you walked over to the shed where Randall was tied up.

“We should do it in the barn, it’s further from the house.” You suggested.

Shane and Daryl grabbed Randall, covering his eyes with a blind fold before leading him out the shed as the group of you made your way to the barn.

Randall kept mumbling at the two of them to let him go, begging them to not do whatever they were going to do, but Shane and Daryl just acted like they couldn’t hear him as they continued to walk him towards the barn.

You took the lantern from Rick as he opened the large double doors before Shane and Daryl pushed Randall inside and got him on his knees in the middle of the large wooden barn.

You stood off to the side with the lantern not really sure what else to do as you watched the three men you loved the most in the world work together. You felt bad for liking this, they were about to kill someone, but the three of them were helping each other, working together and that was something you thought would only happen in your dreams.

“Do you have any final words?” Rick questioned, taking a few steps towards the kid who was still blindfolded as he sat on his knees sobbing.

“No, please. Please don’t.” Randall begged as Rick pulled out his Colt.

You were so focused on Rick, you didn’t even notice that Carl had walked in.

“Do it, dad. Do it.”

Oh, for fuck sake.

You quickly turned around to find the kid standing in the doorway behind you. Was Lori not capable of keeping an eye on her son?

“Carl, you, me, outside now.” You instructed sternly, knowing that this would put Rick off the idea of killing Randall now that his son was encouraging him and that was the last thing you wanted.

Randall just had be dealt with and then it was over.

You rushed towards Carl, grabbing his shoulder and ushering him out the barn. You glanced over your shoulder towards Rick, Shane and Daryl before you closed the barn door behind you and began walking Carl back towards the house.

“Your father told you to stay inside, why did you sneak out?”

“I just wanted to help. I want to protect the group, like you and dad.” Carl answered honestly as he stared up at you with bright eyes and you sighed.

You could never stay mad at him, not when he looked at you like that.

“I know. But, when your dad tells you to do something, you do it. Okay? Your dad knows what’s best, always remember that.” You instructed and Carl nodded.

Lori burst through the front door of the house just as you and Carl walked up the stairs. Her panicked expression turning guilty within seconds when she saw the two of you.

“I didn’t even see him leave the house.” Lori tried to cover up, but you never had the chance to say anything before the sound of pained screams filled the air and you quickly spun around.

The screams were coming from the field by the barn and your heart stopped.

Daryl. Shane. Rick.

Not a second later you were rushing down the steps to the house, not bothering to see if the others were following you as you sprinted towards the screams, hoping beyond anything that it wasn’t your brothers or Daryl.

But, as you got closer you found them and to your relief the three of them were fine, but you quickly realised that they were all standing around a body on the ground.

Dale’s body.

His entire stomach had been had been teared open by a walker as he laid on the ground, still alive.

“Oh my God.” You gasped, covering your mouth with your hands.

The rest of the group caught up and Andrea instantly dropped down beside Dale, crying.

You weren’t really listening to what Rick or Hershel were saying too busy stuck in your own head because this was your fault. Dale wouldn’t have been out here in the middle of the night if you didn’t push him to his breaking point, making him storm out the house earlier. If you had just tried to more civil about the whole situation maybe Dale wouldn’t have stormed out and maybe he wouldn’t have gotten attacked by this walker.

“He’s suffering.” Andrea sobbed as Dale laid there groaning and struggling to breath.

You tried to look away, but you couldn’t get your eyes to move as you stared at the inside of his stomach before someone grabbed your shoulder and you glanced to your left to find Shane now standing beside you.

“Do something!’ Andrea cried.

That somehow snapped you into action and you began to reach for your handgun, knowing it was the humane thing to do before Rick drew his pistol first and aimed it towards Dale with shaky hands.

You were about to tell Rick that you would do it instead, but you never got the chance because Daryl gently grabbed Rick’s gun. Rick instantly let him take it as he took a step back while Daryl knelt down beside Dale, cocking the gun with a click.

"M'sorry brother.” Daryl muttered before squeezing the trigger.

Even though you were expecting it, you couldn’t stop yourself from flinching at the bang. You didn’t even realise there were tears in your eyes before Shane pulled your body against his, turning you away from Dale as he hugged you tightly.

-

You, Shane and Daryl stayed out while everyone else disappeared back to camp and the three of you got to work on digging a grave for Dale.

Well, Daryl and Shane dug the hole, since they refused to let you do it with stitches still in your shoulder, so you opted to making a wooden cross out of sticks.

“So, what’s the deal with you two? I saw you over by the well this morning, you back to dating my sister, Dixon?” Shane questioned, a hint of protectiveness in his tone.

Shane leant against his shovel looking over at Daryl who stopped shovelling dirt back into the grave to stare at Shane.

“Does it matter?” Daryl questioned, his eyes flashing over to you from where you were tying string around the cross to keep it in position.

“I guess not. But, let’s get one thing straight. You so much as hurt my baby sister, I will break your neck, are we clear?”

“Shane!” You shouted, throwing a rock at him causing your brother to chuckle as he shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s fine. I get it 'n I ain’t gonna hurt her.” Daryl replied and Shane nodded, seeming satisfied.

“I’m gonna head back to camp, check on Andrea.” Shane said once the hole was dug, leaving you and Daryl standing by Dale’s grave with nothing but the small lamp and the moon light providing you light.

“Think this will do?” You asked, holding up the wooden cross.

Daryl nodded before you stuck it into the dirt at the head of the grave, making sure it was straight before you stood up and took a few steps away to look at it properly.

Daryl walked over and stood beside you, staring at the grave in silence.

Dale didn’t deserve this. Yes, he had really gotten on your nerve lately, but he was a good man. If it wasn’t for you, he wouldn’t have been out here and he’d still be breathing.

“It ain’t ya fault.” Daryl quietly muttered.

Even after all these years, Daryl could still read you like a book.

“It’s my fault he stormed out the house and was out here in the first place.” You simply answered, but Daryl shook his head.

“Nah, he walked out on his own, ya didn’t make him.”

Daryl took a step closer and slung his arm over your shoulders, pulling you into his side as you stared at the grave, resting your head on his shoulder.

-

MASTERLIST    |    TIP JAR

Next Chapter

Summary:Y/N Walsh meets Daryl Dixon while working as an undercover Police Officer. But, when Daryl finds out the truth about you, you’re forced to move back to King County.

While on duty, a bullet puts you and Rick Grimes in hospital and when you wake up, the whole world has changed.

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2k

Warnings:Language, violence,

Previous chapter

Chapter 24-

You weren’t sure how much time had passed since Rick broke the news to you. All you knew was that you and Daryl were now sitting on the bitumen road, your head buried in the crook of his neck as you sobbed.

You were somewhat aware of what the others were talking about, something about Patricia, Jimmy and Andrea not making it before they began to plan what to do next and where to go, but you were barely listening.

You didn’t care.

You didn’t even care when Rick told you that everyone was infected, who cares? Your brother was already dead. Your big brother was gone and you didn’t even get to say goodbye.

After a while the group had apparently decided to head east away from the herd that went through the farm. You didn’t argue, silently following Daryl back to his bike and climbing onto the back.

He kept sending you worried looked, but you ignored him and wrapped your arms around his stomach while he stared the bike. He tapped it into gear while resting your head against his back as silent tears trickled down your cheeks.

-

The group ended up making a small makeshift camp on the side of the road using the trees as cover. By nightfall you all sat around a small campfire in silence trying to stay warm.

You sat beside Daryl and Carl who was snuggled up beside his mother trying to stay warm while the others silently discussed leaving on their own and fending for themselves or something, but you were barely listening.

Suddenly the sound of leaves rustling and twigs snapping filled the air, frightening the whole group. They all quickly stood up, reaching for whatever weapons they had as they looked around the dark.

You don’t even remember standing up with the group, but your survival instincts must have kicked in because your hand hovered over your holster, waiting for the threat.

“What was that?” Carol whispered, scanning the area.

“Could be anythin’. Could be a raccoon, could be a possum.” Daryl responded, his crossbow in his hand as he stood beside you.

“Or a walker. It came from over there, where we came from.” Glenn added pointing off to the left where the road was.

“We should leave.” Someone else added.

“The last thing we need is for everyone to be running off in the dark. We don’t have the vehicles. No one’s traveling on foot.” Rick said, trying to ease everyone’s nerves, but it clearly didn’t work.

“Don’t panic.” Hershel said calmly, looking over at the others as Rick turned away and continued to keep watch.

“I’m not sitting here, waiting for another herd to blow through. We need to move, now.” Maggie insisted causing Rick to shake his head.

“No one is going anywhere.”

“Do something.” Carol instructed looking over at Rick causing him to quickly turn back around towards the group.

“I am doing something!” He snapped, glaring at Carol before he looked back towards the rest of you and took a deep breath before he continued.

“I’m keeping this group together, alive. I’ve been doing that all along, no matter what. I didn’t ask for this! I killed my best friend for you people, for Christ’s sake!”

Your entire world suddenly came crashing down as you took in what Rick had just said.

“What?” You questioned, staring at Rick, hoping that you had just heard him wrong, but the second Rick’s eyes locked with yours, you knew he was telling the truth.

Rick Grimes had killed your brother.

“Y/N, I can explain.”

You shook your head and you stormed towards him, not giving him a chance to say anything else before punching him in the face. The force of the hit sending Rick stumbling backwards, but he managed to get his footing as he stood up straight and stared at you with sorry eyes.

You swung at him again and again, your fist colliding with jaw perfectly. Sad and angry tears filled your eyes as he spat blood onto the ground.

“Y/N, that’s enough.” Hershel called out from somewhere behind you.

“Hershel, stay out of it.” Rick warned, his eyes never leaving yours.

He showed no sign of fighting back as you punched him again. You slammed your knee into his stomach before grabbing the collar of his shirt and throwing him to the ground.

Not a second later, you were leaning over him and punching him again before a pair of hands grabbed your shoulders and pulled you away as Rick staggered back to his feet.

“Daryl, Glenn, back off.” Rick instructed, glancing over your shoulder at the two of them.

They reluctantly let you go before Rick took a step towards you, blood dripping from his nose and mouth. You stared at him through teary eyes before punching him again, knocking him to the ground.

You watched as he slowly got to his hands and knees, spitting more blood onto the ground before he glanced up at you from where you stood above him, silent tears falling down your cheeks.

“You’re dead to me.” You cried, hating how cracked and broken your voice was.

You stared at the man you thought was your brother before you turned around and walked off. Ignoring the others calling out to you as disappeared through the woods.

You didn’t go far from the camp, just far enough so they couldn’t hear you as you dropped to your knees and broke down crying. You tried to cover your mouth with your hands to muffle your sobs, but you couldn’t stop the tears from pouring down your cheeks.

Daryl eventually came out to find you, but by then you had no more tears left to cry as you just sat there trying to process it all.

He took you back to camp, the others all fast asleep by the fire minus Rick, who was still standing guard. The second he saw you, he turned away, unable to look at you before you and Daryl sat down by the fire as you rested your back against a tree.

Daryl didn’t say anything as you sat there in silence staring at the flames while the others all slept around you.

There was nothing he could say.

Rick had killed your brother. He had killed him, there was nothing he could ever say to make that okay.

Eventually, Daryl fell asleep beside you as you sat there just staring at Rick who had his back to the group, staring out to the woods, acting as if nothing had ever happened.

But, he killed Shane.

Rick Grimes.

The guy you and Shane had practically grown up with. The guy who had been a brother to both of you…

It was always the three of you against the world. No matter what, you always had each others back right from school, all the way into the police force. It was always the three of you, but Rick had killed Shane. He murdered your brother and now you couldn’t even look at Rick without wanting to kill him too.

You couldn’t stay here. You couldn’t stay with this group, with Rick. You’d end up killing Rick if you stayed here and you couldn’t do that.

Daryl sat beside you, his head resting back against the tree trunk behind him as he slept peacefully. The thought of leaving Daryl broke your heart, but if you stayed here you’d kill Rick.

Quietly you pulled out your police notebook from your pants pocket. You didn’t know why you had kept it in your pocket this whole time, but now you were glad you did as you pulled the pen out too and began to write a small note before you ripped the page out and gently tucked it into the pocket of Daryl’s vest.

You stared at Daryl for a few seconds before you glanced over at Carl who was fast asleep, cuddled up beside Lori. You smiled sadly at the boy you considered a nephew before you stood up.

Rick still had his back to the group and you spared one last glance down at Daryl before you silently walked off into the woods and didn’t look back.

-

When Daryl woke up he knew something wasn’t right.

For a moment, he couldn’t figure out what it was before he realised that Y/N’s body wasn’t leaning against his.

He looked beside him, but she wasn’t there and he quickly looked around the rest of camp, the others were all asleep around the coals of the campfire, the sun starting to rise along the horizon, but Y/N was nowhere to be seen.

“Everything okay?” Rick’s voice called out softly.

Daryl looked over at the other man to find him standing where he had been hours earlier keeping watch, noticing the panic taking over him.

“She’s gone.” He whispered, sudden realisation hitting him like a freight train.

Y/N was gone.

She left in the middle of the night and didn’t say anything.

He knew she was hurting and finding out Rick had killed her brother had just destroyed her more than he ever thought possible, but he didn’t think she’d leave. Not without saying anything to him. Not like this.

“What?” Rick asked, rubbing his tired eyes with his hands, clearly trying to wake himself up before his body suddenly tensed and Daryl knew his brain had finally caught on.

Rick quickly dropped his hands as his eyes frantically scanned over the group lying on the ground, but like Daryl had done moments earlier, there was no sign of Y/N.

“Hey, T-Dog, wake up. I need you to take watch.” Rick instructed, patting the other guys shoulder.

T-Dog stirred awake and nodded, too tired to ask questions before Rick turned his attention back to Daryl who was standing frozen to the spot, not knowing what to do. “C'mon, she couldn’t have gotten far.”

Without a further word, the two of them took off through the woods, trying to find any sign of Y/N or any sign of what direction she had gone in, but she was smart.

She had covered her tracks, she knew he would try and find her and deep down, Daryl knew there was no way they could possibly find her. If she didn’t want to be found, she wasn’t going to be and that scared the hell out of him.

They searched for hours and they both knew it was pointless, but neither of them wanted to say because saying it out loud meant it was real and Daryl refused to believe it.

He had just gotten her back. They had just started to get back onto good terms despite everything that had happened in their past. They were just starting to get back and now she was gone, just like before.

Neither of them had said anything the entire time other than the occasional ‘walker’ as they trekked through the woods, weaving between trees and over fallen logs, hoping that they would just find her sitting down somewhere, but she was nowhere to be seen.

It was only when the sun started to set that Daryl stopped walking, stopped looking for tracks and turned around, leaning against the nearest tree and dropped his head.

She was gone and he couldn’t find her.

Tears starting to rise in his eyes, but he refused to let them spill. He shouldn’t have fallen asleep, he should have stayed awake, he should have known she was going to do something like this.
 
“We still have daylight, we have to keep looking.” Rick’s voice suddenly called out.

Daryl just shook his head, staring down at the ground as he leant his forearms against the tree in front of him, unable to look at Rick.

“She’s gone.” Was all Daryl could say.

“No, we don’t know-”

“She’s gone, man!” Daryl snapped, lifting his head as he looked over at Rick through teary eyes, to find Rick staring right back at him with his own tear filled eyes. “She ain’t comin’ back, we both know it.” He added, his voice hoarse as stared at Rick.

“No. No. No. No.” Rick repeated, running his shaky hands through his hair.

He stared at Daryl desperately who just shook his head sadly, all the tears he had been trying to keep away now silently trickling down his cheeks.

“She can’t be gone… Not, her. This is all my fault. T-This is my fault.” Rick mumbled, dropping to his knees.

He covered his face with his hands, tears falling down his face. There was nothing Daryl would do as he dropped to the ground, his back resting against the tree behind him as him and Rick broke down in the middle of the woods.

-

MASTERLIST    |    TIP JAR

Next Chapter

A/N-

Yes, I’m still here.

I’m sorry I vanished for a couple of months, but real life has been really kicking my ass lately and work has been stressing me out and I’m trying to apply for a new job which is also stressing me out and, yeah, just a lot of shit is going down atm but I’m trying to get back into the swing of things, so please be patient. I’m really trying.

Cats don’t like the rain

Description: There’s a stray cat living near their house… and reader is determined to tame the thing. No warnings, no spoilers

a/n: sorry this is so short! i just thought it was cute and pretty!

It’s a rainy evening, the sky is colored in a dimly lit orange and the air is humid and full of moisture. The grass is decorated in dew drops and the crickets are quiet, most likely safely tucked away in the nearest dry place they can find, assuming there is one. She peers out from the small rounded window above the sink, he’d be back any minute now. She’d see him appear just below the hill, he’s sure to be wet and very cold and she feels a bit guilty, after all she was the one who sent him out, though he insisted he didn’t mind. Sometimes he is too kind.

She takes one last look before turning away from the window to go and unlock the door. It was something they came up with together; locking the door. Though it was more Daryl’s request than a mutual thing. Sure she could take care of herself, but he liked the reassurance that the old rusty lock gave him, and she obliged.

She lifts the lock and she undoes the latch, swinging the door open, she smiles, her lungs rejoicing in the earthy smell of newly fallen rain. Suddenly, there is a familiar sound of footsteps and she steps out onto the porch just as he rounds the corner of the house. He is absolutely soaked, just as she suspected he would be.

Her eyes fill with worry. “If I knew that rain would come so soon I’d have waited until tomorrow to ask you to do this” she says, pouting apologetically.

He shakes his head, hand slipping from his bow strap, he removes it from his shoulder and lowers it onto the picnic table. “It’s alright” He breathes. “Been caught in worse.” He begins to unload the supplies from his satchel.

“Yeah but what if you catch a cold?” She pushes, stepping towards him.

He smiles a bit, looking up from one of his duel knives. “I won’t”

She nods and sets down on the table next to him. “So uhm, did you have any luck?” She asks, hope lacing her soft voice.

Daryl shakes his head. “Not today, rain probably scared it off again”

She frowns, her eyes darting down to her hands where they lay in her lap. “What if it-”

Daryl shook his head, “No, don’t do that” He knew how worked up she got over this. She’d been trying to catch this damn cat for months and while he thought Dog was one pet enough, he’d made a promise to her to try and catch the little guy.

“Well, thank you, for trying” She hums and he nods, slipping his arm around her waist he pulls her in, against him.

“We’ll get you your cat” he whispers, his chin resting on her head after he places a chaste kiss.

And she smiles, because it sounds like a promise. Even though she knows there can’t be promises in a world like this, she smiles.

-

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When the seasons change

Description:Reader and Daryl share a peaceful, simple day in the forest. No warnings, no spoilers!

A/N:Long time no see.. I started Supernatural and Dean stole me away for a while haha! However I miss the joy writing abt Daryl gives me so here I am, I am sorry this is so short! I truly hope i haven’t lost my spark :(

The earth aches and sinks below their feet as they trudge further into the forest. The hot, thick summer air filing their lungs with each draw of breath they take is excruciating, but somehow there is a sense of comfort in it all. Like the struggling is worth the reminder that they’re humans, that they’re alive, and that they need air. It separates them from the dead.

“Carful the snakes’ll be hiding under rocks like this one” He says, giving a quick glance back at her. She’s following closely behind and he can’t help but hide the smile itching it’s way onto his face. Though, he can’t be sure her closeness isn’t just due to her never failing ability to stumble over the littlest things. Like, if she goes down he goes down with her.

He would though, without hesitation. That’s the thing.

“do you- do you ever worry you’ll slip?” she asks, sounding almost Impressed by his balance. Suddenly the small rock she’s just stepped on slips out from under her and she stumbles into him. His arm flies out instinctively and their eyes meet for a split second before tearing away from one another.

“Nah… not really” he says, taking a shaky breath, unsure if it’s due to the heat or the fact that her arm is now snuggly linked in his.

She shrugs, carful not to unbalance their current stance. “Well..” she pauses, they are incredibly close right now, and the air feels ten times thicker. “That’s good” she almost whispers. “Mhm” he nods, his eyes flickering away shyly.

They separate, despite the ache in their bones to stay only 2 inches from touching, and they head down the slippery hill, laughing as they both continue to nearly fall.

-

“And this one is a morel right?” Daryl asks, pointing at a small brown mushroom hidden beneath the damp leaves.

Her eyes light up. “Yes! See?” she nudges his arm and he stumbles sideways, clearly not expecting that, he laughs softly. “I told ya they weren’t hard to remember” she adds.

Daryl shakes his head. He pulls out another crumbling bit of an acorn cookie from his pocket and tips his head back to eat it.

He shoves another handful of crumbled cookie into his mouth. “Nah, they all look the same, lucky guess”. He wasn’t great at remembering things. Perhaps because in the last ten years, he’s done nothing but survive. He didn’t need to know anything else. She makes it easier though, to just exist, she makes it all simple for a moment.

“They do not! Did you know that there are blue and green mushrooms?” She asks and he can’t help but chuckle at the passion in her voice.

“Where’d you learn all this from anyway? They have a mushroom class back in high school too?” he asks, only half joking.

She looks back, her eyebrows furrowed as she tries to contain the laughter that’s about to erupt. “No Dare” her laugh is reduced to a chuckle. “My uhm, my dad taught me about this stuff and i guess it just kinda stuck with me, you know? Kind of like a song you haven’t heard in months, but can somehow remember every word.”

She only uses metaphors when she’s nervous, or about to cry. And suddenly Daryl feels a pang of guilt in the pit of his stomach. Her father wasn’t a good conversation starter. Not at all.

“Sorry” he hums, changing his pace so that he’s by her side, he reaches in front of her, placing his hand on her far shoulder, they both stop walking and she instinctively turns toward him.

She shakes her head, “Don’t be” then her hand slips into his without warning and the archer steps back, not because he’s trying to pull away, but because just like back there when her arm instinctively linked into his, he’s fighting down the swarm of what she calls butterflies or — something.

That makes her smile.

“I share these things with you because i’m trying to erase those old, shitty memories” She explains, bringing her other hand up to his face, she tucks a bit of hair behind his ear and her heart stammers at the small smile of admiration on his face.

“I’m glad you do, thanks” he nods, his eyes softening as he struggles to maintain eye contact.

She shakes her head, giving in to the constant urge she fights, her arms fall around his waist and she pulls herself into him “No, thank you” she hums.

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Euphoria

Description:Hey! Im going to be working on those requests soon! Tysm to those who sent in || Daryl and reader just share a cuddly moment <3 No warnings or spoilers

-

Her arms wrap around his neck and her head rests on his chest. The material that his poncho is made of feels soft against her skin despite everything it’s been through.

“Daryl?” She whispers, feeling his arms slink around her waist.

His fingers run up and down her back softly. “Mm” He hums.

“When you leave tomorrow…” She lifts her head and looks into his eyes, the moonlight outside only illuminating the room enough for them to glisten slightly as they fall from her eyes to her lips. “Do you think I could keep this thing?” She asks, lifting the poncho slightly off his shoulder.

Daryl nods, heat rising from his chest and reddening his cheeks. “Yeah” He mumbles softly. “Yeah ya can”

“I miss you a lot when you’re on these long runs, ya know?” She asks, laying her head back onto his chest.

His heartbeat quickens as she runs her hand through his hair and she smiles.

Daryl stops rubbing her back to pull the covers over them both. “I miss ya too, a lot” He says.

“Mhm” She sleepily hums back, closing her eyes for a moment to take in his warm scent. “I missed being with you like this… can’t you stay home more often?”

Daryl lets out a little sigh, he knows the feeling… he misses her too. Sometimes so much he can’t sleep out there and he’s never had an issue with camping before.

“I know, after tomorrow I’ll talk with Rick about staying back some, its just that-”

“No, I know, don’t worry. It’s why I fell in love with ya” She smiles a little. “You wanna help everyone. You’re a good man Dare”.

There was that word again. Love. He loved her too, so much. After meeting her he started giving a shit about staying alive. She saved his life by simply existing with him.

He shifts onto his side and she hugs into him, his arms wrap around her again. “I love ya too” he says, “n hey, next time I go out I’m takin you with me”.

Her head pops up from under the covers, her hand squeezing the free cloth on his poncho again. “Wait really?” She asks, shock sparking her eyes. “Why?”

Daryl looks down at her, his eye catching her hand on his shoulder still. “Because I miss this” he hums, kissing her forehead softly. “I miss ya”.

The corner of her mouth curves and she plops her head back down on his chest, her arms wrapping snuggly around him once again. “Thanks Dare” she whispers.

His eyes meet the ceiling and he tightens his hug around her a little. She’d never know how much she meant to him because he couldn’t show it, he didn’t know how. Still, he’d never stop trying.

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Je vous aime {I love you}

Description:THIS IS MY FAVORITE THING IV"E EVER WRITTEN OMG ITS SO CUTE HELP ME!!! || Reader and Daryl are walking in the forest and she tries to teach him some French that she learned from high school. No warnings or spoilers!

The low hanging fog left a damp feeling to the earth. If you were focused enough, you’d be able to smell the freshly fallen rain and newly upturned dirt. It was one of the only joys of being outside all the time these days. The rain.

She skips up to Daryl’s side, realizing a little too late that he had kept walking after she got distracted by yet another newly blossoming flower.

“So” She breathes, “Did you know… that the trees can hear our thoughts?” She asks, almost glowing in the sunlight.

“What?” He frowns, “That sounds like one of your fairytales” He says grinning to himself, his head bowing a little.

“Who says I wasn’t talking about one of em?” Her eyes flutter to him for a moment. “See? You thought I actually believed that” She frowns.

“I’m not stupid Daryl Dixon”.

No, you’re not, you’re perfect. He was too scared of what she’d say if he told her how he really thought of her. Surly she knows he cares, he even tried learning wildflower names for her, writing them down or doodling them when he went out alone just to tell her a random detail about them once he got back home.It had made her smile that soft, shy, wonderful grin that made his heart throb and his stomach do a weird thing he worried wasn’t normal the first few times.

“Mhm, I know that” he nods, a seriousness replacing the smile he held seconds ago he looks at her until she returns his gaze and like usual, their little dancecontinues.

Another moment passes, she admires the butterflies and he tracks the trail of a deer he nicked with an arrow a mile back. That was their thing. She was soft, vibrant, alive, and he stood back and watched it all, taking her in, soaking in the way she lived so that maybe one day he saw the world how she sees it, still beautiful.

“Hey Dixon?” She inquires, that shy yet bubbly smile draws itself back onto her face.

He chuckles from his nose. “Yeah bunny?”

He did not—

“Daryl! Don’t call me that” she shoots him a glare and pushes him playfully and he stumbles to the side.

“Watch it girl, yer gonna make me lose the trail” he breathes, realigning himself he finds the stag’s wavering footsteps once again.

“Anyway!“ Their eyes meet and for a second their pace slows. ”…Did you know that the word forest in French is ’silva’?“ She questions, adding on the British accent for a smoother pronunciation.

Daryl’s nose crinkles and he nearly snorts. "What? Where’d ya hear that?” He asks, looking back down to the tracks for a second.

“In French class, senior year… it’s one of the only classes I paid attention too.”

That’s something he didn’t know about her… Something that made his heart skip. She spoke some French… cool.

“OOH!!” She exclaims so loudly that Daryl nearly drops his bow. “Daryl you should try to say something in French, I could teach you” She says, the corner of her mouth forming into a smile.

He wants to say no, because he knows he will mess up and sound like a fool, but how could he? Looking at her lingering smile that she held because of being in his presence.. and in nature made it very fucking difficult to decline. So he doesn’t.

“Uh, sure. Go ahead then” He mumbles, his thumb working at the metal on his bow nervously.

“Okay… Say each word after me” She says and they both stop walking and turn to each other.

“Je”

Daryl’s cheeks flush. “Je”

Her lips pursed in an attempt to hold back a giggle. “vous”.

“Vous”

“aime”

He clears his throat “Aime”

“You did it! Oh and…” She moves closer to him and he watches, confused as she holds his hands in hers. “I love you too, Dixon” She whispers, dropping his hand she reaches up and tucks a bit of his hair behind his ear, eyes remaining locked for a moment.

His heart skips, he feels light and its the best feeling ever and he never wants it to end. This girl just tricked him into saying I love you when he couldn’t even bring himself to tell her on his own. He was glad that by not denying it, she might know now.

“So, let’s go get this deer and bring it back home so everyone has something to eat hm?” She chirps, her hands dropping from his face as she walks onward.

He chuckles. “Uhm, Bunny? It’s this way” He mumbles pointing up the hill on their left where the tracks suddenly lead.

“Oh… right, I was testing you obviously” She shrugs, running to his side.

Daryl smiles, the only thing that mattered anymore was this damn girl and he wasn’t gonna stop at anything to keep her by his side forever.

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She’s just gone

Description:I really don’t know what this is, but I hate Leah so much so LMFAO enjoy it regardless of your opinion on her|| Daryl and reader are out on a run when they stumble on the cabin that he met Leah in a while ago. Only, he hasn’t told her about Leah yet. Cursewarnings, mild spoilers for season 10 episode 18 ig.

“Were you ever going to tell me?”

Daryl’s gaze lowers to the ground. The note still in his hand. He wants to rip it up. Somehow, someway, he wants it to disappear and he wants her memory of it to vanish too. Anything to reset this damn day. They shouldn’t have come this way. He shouldn’t have let her choose the road that lead here, he knew where it went and he didn’t stop her. Why? Was it that deep down he wanted her to find it? That he still remembered how painful that summer was and that he wanted nothing more than to get this pain and guilt off his chest? He knew it was—He’s so fucking stupid.

“Yeah, I was but I didn’t know how” He whispers, a heavy layer of guilt coats his lungs and he feels it become harder to breathe. Fuck.

“W-” She stops. “When? When was it?”.

The pain in her voice is enough to make him want to rip his fucking heart out. Why the fuck didn’t he say anything? He loved her. Not Leah…

Their eyes lock for a moment. Only a moment. “After Rick” Pain pinpricks in his throat at his best friend’s name.

She calculates the date in her head for a moment. “When we started talking…” She breathes, eyes wondering off somewhere into the far distance as she realizes.

Their timelines crossed. Only barely, but he had them both on his mind at the same time. She feels her heart ache and her breath hitch.

“Was I a rebound?”

Daryl’s eyes went round. “What? No why the hell would ya say that?!” he hisses, casting the note to Leah onto the cabin floor.

She had no right to suggest that. Did she not know how hard it was for him to love? To open up? She was crazy to think that she was only a rebound. Daryl didn’t work like that. He didn’t just- fuck. He fell in love with her.

“We ain’t doin this here” He cuts her off as she’s about to speak again, grabbing his crossbow from the porch, he swings it over his shoulder and walks towards the door.

“Daryl!” She pleads, but he continues towards his bike.

Her jaw clenches. “Daryl don’t you fucking dare walk away from me!” She argues, storming off the porch after him, she watches as he stops and slowly turns to meet her angry eyes.

His brows furrow. “What is there to talk about huh? You done made up your goddamn mind! I ain’t good enough for ya! You say I aint cared for ya!?” He’s pointing at her angrily now. “That you’re a fuckin’ rebound?! Thats bullshit!” He yells, his arms falling to his side.

Tears fill her eyes as she struggles to keep them locked on his. His frown slowly disappears and it’s replaced with an expression she can’t quite read.

“You know what Daryl?” She grips her drawstring bag anxiously. “I don’t know what went down, but If it was so important that we’re fighting now… instead of you reassuring me that it was nothing… Then maybe you and I need a break” She finishes and turns back towards the path they came from.

The corner of his mouth falls. “Where ya goin?”

“Home…” She says and instantly his heart stops.

She never ever called Alexandria home. She called him home. She said that no matter where they ended up living her only home would be him. Now she’s calling a place home, not him.

And just like that. He watches as she walks away, not even bothering to look back. His body is aching to punch something right now. To kill something. So he’ll do that. He mounts his bike, starts the engine, and as she disappears into the evening light he drives the opposite way.

She’s just gone.

-

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Let’s talk over dinner

Description:I do not like how short this one is! But it’s okay|| Daryl comes home from a long outing to see reader sitting alone on her porch as he is passing by. Luckily, he’s hungry and she’s in need of some good company… No spoilers, no warnings.

**

She looks down at the orange and yellow colored leaves below the front steps, her boots only slightly blocking her view of them.

Much like the wether today, her head was cloudy and unfocused and blurry, and much like the weather today, she was on the verge of tears.

“Hey”

She looks up and sees the archer standing on the sidewalk, mud slung across his arms and poncho, probably from the bike ride home.

Dog runs up to greet her, leaving sloppy and wet kisses on her face she can’t help but laugh a little.

“Hey Dixon” she smiles, hopefully masking her sadness.

It never worked around him though, did it?

He tilts his head to the side like he always did when he didn’t know how to stand or act or be, “What’s the matter?”

He hated to see her like this, sad and confused because she couldn’t figure out why. Daryl didn’t know much about comforting people but he would always try his best with her. Always.

“Oh nothin’ just down. I’ll be fine by tomorrow” she lies, darting her eyes back to the leaves, she wishes he weren’t here right now. Funny because seconds before he showed up she had caught herself wishing he werehere.

Daryl frowns before sitting himself down beside her, a little huff of air escapes his tired lungs and he’s reminded of how long it’s been since he’s eaten or slept.

“You gonna tell me? Or am I gonna have to make you say it over dinner?” He asks, bowing his head a little to mask the slight blush that he felt warm his cheeks.

This caught her off guard. Since when did Daryl Dixon become a casual flirter. “What?” She blinks at him.

“It’s been about twelve hours since I ate anything. Do you wanna tell me now or can we talk over dinner?” He questions.

She glances to the sidewalk and a few leaves blow across it.

“Uh… Uh yeah.. yeah that would be nice” She breathes, her words having a hard time not tripping over one another.

Her stomach feels like dancing and so does she but she won’t tell him that because she’s sure he hates dancing… He told her that once. That he was a bad dancer. She still doesn’t think he’s given it any practice though. Still, if it were her asking maybe that wouldn’t be the case. He is almost, soft with her. She shakes her head, eyes closing in the action. She still feels Daryl eyeing her, searching her body language and tracing her face for an explanation to why her breathing has suddenly hitched and her hands wouldn’t stop working at the sleeve of her long shirt.

“I can leave ya alone if ya wan-”

“No! I- I mean Yeah” She mouths. “Lets talk over dinner”

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His favorite star

Description: She walks out to see Daryl awake at two in the morning and instead of making him talk about it they talk about stars. No warnings or spoilers.

A/N: So if anyone likes this and would wanna be a part of a tag list I’m trying to make please let me know! It would make my day. As always if you like this please like, share, or comment they always make me smile!

***

“It’s nearly two in the morning, what are you doing up?”

Her voice pulls Daryl from his thoughts. Sometimes he wishes she weren’t so observant. It was like her soul was always in search of his.

“Did I wake ya? M’ sorry”

Her lips curl into a soft smile. “Daryl you don’t have to apologize. Is something wrong?”

She sets herself down on the porch step next to him and he feels her warmth start to sink into his. He shuffles his feet in the dirt below. Anything to distract how warm he feels right now.

“So… Why are you awake?” She asks leaning into his side.

Daryl lays his head on hers. “Just a bad dream”.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

No. In fact it was probably the last thing he wanted to talk about. He would rather admit to stealing Michonne’s last peanut butter protein bar before talking about it.

“Nah… Nah I don’t… I don’t know what I need” He admits.

She nods and they sit in silence for a moment before he feels her wrap her arm around him, tugging at his waist from the other side. He knows it’s her trying to hold him in the best way she could considering her delicateness. She was sweet like that. It didn’t matter how big he was compared to her. She treated him like this soft, delicate thing that she’d never drop or crack. He wasn’t used to that, not before her. To everyone else he felt like a work horse but with her, well with her he felt like this thing that maybe… just maybe… didn’t need as much fixing as he once thought.

“That’s okay. We can talk about the stars instead. What’s your favorite one?”

Out of everything she could talk about, she chooses stars? Seriously? God he loved this girl.

Daryl looks up into the sky. The darkness in-between the stars made him wonder what was there. They couldn’t be empty could they? Those spaces had to have something inside them.

“Uh.. I never really looked at em too much before now” he admits, eyeing her from the side.

She wraps the other arm around his front and he moves his arms out from under hers and rest them on top.

“So you’re just now picking a favorite?”

He is so tangled up on how her body feels against his that he’s already nearly forgotten her question.

“That one” he says, pointing to the biggest star just above the moon.

She lets out a little gasp and he feels her eyes on him. “Really? That’s my favorite one too!”.

Good… He hoped it was, he wasn’t sure what it meant… but he had really hoped that it was something like that.

“You know what that means don’t you?” She scratches his back gently while speaking, sending a shiver up his spine.

“No, what’s it mean?”

“It means we’re soulmates. They say if you like the same stars you’re destined to be”.

“They do?” Theres a hint of happiness in his voice, even if it weren’t true, and Daryl never really believed in soulmates, he hoped with every inch of his being that they were ‘soulmates’.

She continues to rub his back gently. “Yeah… they do”

Daryl feels her move her head slightly so he lifts his and she looks up at him. Her eyes look like stars in this dim lighting as he looks down at her. The space in between their lips suddenly reminds him of the space in between the stars.

She is smiling up at him. “You look really handsome in the moonlight. Anyone ever tell ya that?”

Daryl feels his heart skip and his throat suddenly feels like it’s closing as heat rises into his chest.

He hears her chuckle and it’s now that he realizes he’s squeezing her hand tighter.

“Are you okay?… because I feel your hands shaking" She says, bringing his hand up to her lips she kisses it a few times.

Daryl didn’t even notice his hands. He was too busy being confused and scared. Confused on how someone could make him feel like this person that wasn’t all shattered glass and sharp ends. Scared because he now had no idea how to live without her.

“I don’t wanna lose you” Was all he could whisper.

She frowns and sits up to look at him more clearly. “You won’t, I’m always gonna be here Daryl”

But they both knew that in a world like this, those promises were forever empty.

“You can’t promise things like that” Daryl murmurs, feeling his body instinctively and tiredly lean into her for support.

“I didn’t promise anything, I said I’ll always be here” she pauses to place her hand on his chest, above his heart. “Here, forever and always”.

She hears Daryl sniff and watches as his head drops a bit. Finally realizing that he’s crying. Instead of saying anything, she simply cups his face in her hands and watches as a few tears slide down his moonlit face.

“Come here” she whispers, pulling Daryl into her further. “I’m right here, I’m here now I’m not going anywhere. I wouldn’t wanna be anywhere but here”.

Daryl nuzzles his face into the crook of her neck, his arms wrapping around her waist.

“Okay” he mumbles

They sit out on the porch and watch the stars for a little longer. Conversations of their past creep into the conversation and before Daryl knows what’s happening he feels his eyes flutter while she messes with his hair and rubs his back.

“Wanna go to bed?” She chuckles when she feels his hand loosen grip on hers.

The daisy bouquet

Description: Daryl picks flowers for reader while he is out one day. Spoilers for season 9. No warnings!

Daryl was never one to look at flowers. Not until the end of the world anyway. He had never really realized how many there actually were. He remembered his mom liked roses though. Maybe that was why he avoided them. He could only remember his mom by the smell of roses and harsh words.

“Hey Daryl when are we going to go out west?” She asks, her blue and grey eyes trailing over him from where she stood at the edge of the creek.

De squints up at her through sunlight and dirty brown hair.

“One day, jus’…” He trails off. He knows she wasn’t trying to bring it up but every time he thinks he can leave he is reminded of Rick. All he wants is to find a body at least. So he knows.

“I know…” She trails off before stumbling over a clump of mud, still following him closely. “Hey… We’ll find him”.

He grunts. She can’t promise that. He can’t even promise himself that. It pisses him off. How did he manage to get into a fight with is best friend on the same day he had to lose him. It wasn’t fair.

“Hey, there’s a patch of daisies over there, I’m going to try to get some for Michonne” She stammers, stumbling over a few rocks in the shallow water as she crosses.

Daryl watches as she spreads her arms out to balance in the shallow rush of water as it loosens her footing. They were just flowers, but maybe it was a nice thing to do. He never understood the gift after someone had lost a loved one. Flowers would just die in a few days. Still, he learned something new everyday… and they weren’t too bad looking. Maybe his favorite flowers were daisies.

He furrows his brows at himself. She’s turning him soft.

“Get em then… let’s go back” He grunts and turns to climb back up the little bank.

~

A few days had passed and neither of them had found a single thing that left any idea where Rick had gone. Daryl would never tell anyone but his chest seemed to ache more every day that he was reminded of him. He would never admit it, but somewhere deep down he loved Rick like he couldn’t ever love Merle.

Sunlight blinds Daryl as he pushes through the low hanging branches. He’s out alone today. It’s better that way sometimes, he can focus on his own thoughts without having to be present in a conversation with Aaron or Carol that he knew meant more to them than himself.

It was different when she came out though. He didn’t mind listening to her ramble about poetry or flowers or childhood stories.

~

A few hours later Daryl finds that he’s made a giant circle.

“Dammit” He scolds, once again being stuck in his stupid thoughts had given him grief.

He looks around and realized he’s back where she had picked those daisies the other day. Funny how things work.

Daryl looks around before crossing the creek to the little patch of daisies. They are still here, a little damaged from the rain they had gotten yesterday evening, but they would do.

He picks a few, enough to make a bouquet anyways, and carefully takes them back to the other side where he follows the trail back to the main road. Just a few hundred feet his bike would be waiting for him, hidden carefully underneath some brush and bramble. Hopefully he had a string or something on it.

Nearing his bike, he carefully places the daisies down on the gravel road just out of the grass. All thoughts he had before are now gone. Funny how simple flowers can clear an overthinking mind faster than anything else seemed to work. Though he’s pretty sure it’s why he got the flowers that he’s suddenly a one track mind.

Looking through his mini tool box he keeps tied to the center of his bike with a few small ropes, he digs around until he finds a bit of fishing twine. Carefully, he goes to pick the daisies up and he ties it around their stems.

There. Now they wouldn’t blow away.

Daryl tucks them into his pocket before driving back towards home. It’s only on the way home that he realizes how soft and sensitive he must have looked while being so damn protective over some flowers.

~

“Welcome back, pookie!”

Daryl shoots a glare up at Carol who’s grinning ear to ear, a 22 hugged tightly in her arms. Better not shoot a snide comment back.

“Hi” He grumbles, his hand touching one of the daisies in his pocket.

He’s about to continue walking when it hits him that these are probably wilting. He should find her quickly.

“Hey, have ya seen y/n?”

Carol smiles to herself.

“Yeah, she should be on her front porch reading like usual” Carol says.

“Thanks”

“Good luck” Carol chuckles and he groans.

Daryl walks towards her house. His stomach feels shitty and his throat feels like he’s gotten stung by a bee and he’s allergic or something.

“Daryl! Hey!”

Of course she’s already spotted him. Leave it to her to call out his name the very second she lays eyes on him. She never failed to make him wonder how long she had seen him before he’d spotted her.

“Hey” he give a little wave.

“I thought I was gonna go out with ya today” She says and he now sees the hurt on her face.

Shit.

“Yeah, uhm, I needed some time to think” He says, walking up onto the porch.

She sets her book down and looks at him. He can feel her studying his face.

“Uh, I got ya these” Daryl mumbles, pulling the little bouquet of limp daises from his pocket.

Her eyes flicker down and then back to him as she takes them from his outstretched hand.

“Awww! Dare, I love em…”

“They aren’t that pretty anymore”

“Nonsense, ill just put them in water. Gimme a second”

And with that, she shoots him a soft smile before running into the house.

Daryl shuffles in his position awkwardly. Was it a good thing to do? You didn’t just give someone flowers when they lost someone right? He hated that he was so damn bad with these things.

“There! They will perk up nicely. I added some sugar into the water” She says, plopping herself back down onto the porch swing.

He doesn’t know what to say or where to go with this thing now so he stays quiet.

“Carol and I were going to make a nice dinner for a few friends. Aaron and Tara so far. You wanna help? I can always start early, she would understand”

“Yeah, sure” he hums, eyes still locked on her hands as they rest in her lap.

They’d be nice to hold.

“Alright. But you’re making the sweet tea. Last time you did I about cried it tasted just like what I used to drink on hot summer days when my mom made it” She chuckles.

His heart flutters and he feels all warm and fuzzy again. This damn girl would surly be the only reason he ever felt happy and he was more than okay with that.

Star-gazing

Description:You and Daryl are stargazing and it gets fluffy! No warnings, no spoilers!

“Star-gazing was such a great idea”

Daryl turns his head to look at her, her eyes sparkle in the starlight and he feels that same damn fuzzy feeling in his chest.

“It was, huh” He says, unable to look away.

“Yeah…” She turns and he shoots his gaze back to the sky and she smiles. “You wanna know a secret?” She asks and turns onto her side, propping her head up with her hand.

“Mm” Daryl hums, and she knows it’s equivalent to yes.

“I’ve never been star-gazing with someone till tonight. You’re my first. It’s always been me before this. Even as a kid. I had this friend once but lets just say…” She trails off, searching for the right words. “Things like star-gazing were the last of things on his mind” She scoffs.

Daryl frowns and he turns to look at her. How could someone only want that one thing from a girl like this? She was a dreamer, she had plans and even though the world belonged to the dead she still found a way to make it hers. He didn’t want to believe that there were people out there that would only look at her body and see that as being enough to have her.

He watches as she twirls a strand of her hair between her fingers, she is still propped up on her elbow but her eyes have once again found their way to the sky and its little sparkling planets… while his? His found that they were stuck on her.

He was so lucky to know her. To think that it took the whole world dying for him to find his soulmate. He didn’t believe in them until she came along though.

“He didn’t know what he had” Daryl finally replies. It sounded bland and cliche but it was the truth. Anyone to throw away someone like her must be ignorant or blind or both.

“Yeah, it doesn’t matter now. Its in the past. Plus, despite the dead eating the living. I think life is so much better now” She says, looking back to him again.

“Yeah?”

“Yep”

“Why?”

She chuckles and he feels weightless again. “Because Dare, I got you and I got a real family here and I got a home” She gestures behind them towards Alexandria. “Those things didn’t exactly come easy back then”.

A soft silence fills the few inches between them and they once again meet eyes.

“Uhm…” Daryl mumbles.

“Yeah?”.

He wants to kiss her but after the conversation they just had, he would be a damn fool to ruin this moment with physical contact like such. She said this was her first time ever doing something she loved with someone she loved… No, she didn’t say she loved him but he wasn’t blind or ignorant, and he wouldn’t ruin her moment with that.

“Are you cold?”.

She chuckles and he feels like an idiot.

Of course she isn’t cold. It’s only August.

“Thanks Daryl, I mean it” She says and he’s confused for a moment, but only a moment because suddenly there’s a little pressure on his chest and stomach and he feels her slip her arms around his neck and under his back. Her knees coming up to rest by his side so that she was bear hugging him.

Oh, fuck.

“I uh, can we stay here tonight?” She whispers onto his neck.

Daryl is still trying to wrap his arms around her but this overwhelming warm sensation hasn’t settled down in the pit of his stomach yet and he’s struggling with thoughts, let alone words.

“Mm-Mhmm”

She chuckles again and his breathing hitches.

“Thanks”

“No problem” He whispers.

“I love you”

“What?” It was muttered so deep into his shoulder that he couldn’t hear what she spoke but, it sounded like…

She giggles softly again.

“You already know”.

~

Reblogs are so welcome! Pls help me build a tag list! If you like this I’d be happy to tag anyone in future drabbles!

❀ The Walking Dead Masterlist ❀

>The walking dead is one of my biggest comfort shows, Daryl is my comfort character and yeah! That’s it, enjoy <3

I’ll only be writing about Daryl… Maybe Rick, Negan, and Carol will make an appearance soon

Reblogs appreciated

Thanks so much for reading ❀

_______________________________________________

❀Daryl x Reader

Star-gazing||Fluff || You and Daryl go star-gazing and it gets fluffy! No warnings, no spoilers!

The daisy bouquet||Fluff||Daryl picks you flowers and brings them home. Spoiler for season nine, no warnings! 

His favorite star||Fluff||She walks out to see Daryl awake at two in the morning and instead of making him talk about it they talk about stars. No warnings or spoilers.

Let’s talk over dinner||Fluff||Daryl comes home from a long outing to see reader sitting alone on her porch as he is passing by. Luckily, he’s hungry and she’s in need of some good company… No spoilers, no warnings.

She’s just gone||Angst||Daryl and reader are out on a run when they stumble on the cabin that he met Leah in a while ago. Only, he hasn’t told her about Leah yet. Curse warnings, mild spoilers for season 10 episode 18 ig

Je vous aime {I love you}||Fluff||Reader and Daryl are walking in the forest and she tries to teach him some French that she learned from high school. No warnings or spoilers!

Euphoria||Fluff||Daryl and reader just share a cuddly moment <3 No warnings or spoilers

When the seasons change||Fluff/comfort||Reader and Daryl share a peaceful, simple day in the forest. No warnings, no spoilers!

Cats don’t like the rain||Fluff/Domestic||There’s a stray cat living near their house… and reader is determined to tame the thing. No warnings, no spoilers!