The Fear (The Walking Dead / Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 76 - What's Your Fear?

This is the first chapter marking what I'm calling part 2 of my WD fic :)

PART 2 - 'Rust and Broken Things'

Kat knelt on the curb near Daryl while he fiddled with his bike. It worked just fine, but he had noticed the occasional slip while he was out on his run. That and he always seemed to manage to find something to tweak with. Luke was standing back watching as Kat held a piece of chalk in her hand and drew squares with numbers from 1 through to 8 on the ground.

"Alright, there you go." She said, sitting back and examining her hopscotch masterpiece before Luke moved to the starting position with a small hackie sack in his hands to begin playing as Kat moved to sit down nearby Daryl.

"Feel free to help." Daryl said, his head buried in the bike.

"Hmm. I prefer to watch." Daryl stuck his head out around his bike with a glare as she grinned back just as Rick came out of the house, walking down the steps after having been speaking with Morgan.

"So, was he okay with it?" Daryl asked as Rick came up to them. They had talked about keeping Morgan seperate for a little while. In the closed off room Deanna had wanted Rick in the day before. It was just a precaution and it was only at night. During the day or at meals he could be out so long as he was with someone. That someone preferable being one of their group.

"It's pretty much his idea. He gets it."

"Its a bed and a bath, it's still a cage, you know." Daryl said back.

"He gets it." Rick repeated. "He told me what happened out there with the trucks."

"Did he tell you about those guys he met?" Daryl asked, standing up. Morgan had encounter a group with the same W carved on their forehead that they had seen on the walker out by their meeting spot. "With the Ws?"

"Like that walker we saw, yeah. We need more watch points and I'm gonna tell Deanna we don't need to go looking for people anymore." Rick said as Daryl gave him a curious look. "Feel different about it?"

"Yeah, I do." Daryl nodded as Rick turned to face Kat. She only shrugged. More people was not something she wanted to surround herself with.

"People out there... they can take care of themselves. Just like us. I'm gonna get him out. shouldn't leave him in there any longer than we have to." Rick said, turning back to fetch Morgan.

"Why the change of heart?" Kat asked once Rick was gone.

"You said it, didn't you?" He replied. "Can't do anything without people anymore."

Kat smiled. "Jesus Daryl, that was ages ago." She said.

"You were right. You're still right. Now more than ever. We make allies or we leave them out there to become enemies."

"Kat!" Luke's voice called as he did his last jump and turned with a grin to face her, entirely oblivious to the conversation happening near him. "You're turn."

"Oh, no. I never said-"

"Please."

"Yeah, go on." Daryl smirked, lightly nudging her in the side.

"You're next." She warned him.

"No, I'm busy." He stated. "You're just watching." He said cheekily before turning back to the bike and Kat sighed.

Being beaten by an eight year old in a game for children can only be justified by saying it's designed for children and therefore they're naturally at an advantage. Luke was highly amused by it as was Daryl so the only solution was to leave the two of them behind and go for a walk.