Reflections - TWD

2. I know.

Isabella had awoken the next morning to the sound of Shane's booming voice, she looked over and saw that Daryl wasn't in the tent. Behind his cot was the tent wall, where Shane's shadow was, he was pacing around another shadow next to him, that looked a bit like Dale.

She got up out of the cot and walked outside. Everyone else was sitting around on logs or benches, eating their breakfast. However, Shane and Dale were both giving eachother lectures.

"Listen, Dale, if we do just drop them off a couple miles out, we put ourselves at risk. We kill them, nobody gets put in danger." He said, shaking his head and pointing at Dale.

"They at least deserve a chance to live!" Dale protested.

Isabella watched as they bickered back and forth. "Please don't kill my dad.." she said to Shane.

All eyes turned to her, Lori rushed over to her and led her to a table where Carl was doing schoolwork. "Honey, let the adults talk." She told her.

Isabella kept glancing between Shane and Dale, and the barn. She knew that if they wanted to, they could kill her dad right now, Randall too.

She noticed Daryl walking across the field and towards the forest, he had his crossbow slung lazily over his shoulder. She quickly got up and ran over to him.

"Daryl? Daryl, where you going'?" She questioned.

"Huntin'" he replied simply.

"Can I come with you?" Isabella asked him. She wanted to get away from the barn, if she couldn't see it, then she wouldn't have to be reminded that her fathers life was at a strangers hands.

"Nah." Daryl replied.

"Why not?" She asked him, pouting her lips slightly.

"'Cause there's walkers out there, I ain't your babysitter, girl." He said.

"Please, I just wanna get away for a little while.." She pestered him.

Daryl seemed to consider this for a moment, then rolled his eyes "A'right, fine." He replied, beckoning her to follow.

"You stay by me, you do as I say." He informed the young girl who was eagerly following by his side.

"Yes, sir." She replied, making sure to show respect to Daryl. John had always told her to respect people who are older than her.

After a short while of walking, and Daryl constantly telling Isabella to shush. He had found a rabbit. He lined up his crossbow and shot the rabbit directly in it's ribs.

"Nice aim." Isabella added.

Daryl picked up the rabbit by the tail end and inspected it. "Yeah..'s a'right, ain't gonna feed everyone, though." He said, tying the tail to a rope that was on his shoulder.

It was starting to get dark out, they'd spent pretty much the whole day hunting for just one rabbit, but Isabella wasn't sure which season it was, so she didn't know what time it went dark.

When they got back to camp, Shane and Rick were dragging John and Randall out of the barn. Shane holding John and Rick holding Randall. Isabella's eyebrows furrowed and she started sprinting over to them. "Stop! What're you doin'?!" She yelled, but got no response.

John had obviously heard her voice and began trashing around. "Isa?! Isa! Don't let them do this to me!" He pleaded.

Daryl followed shortly behind her, he could see that Isabella was about to intervene to try and stop them. He knew it wouldn't end well, and that she would end up hurt, so he crouched down and wrapped his arm around her ribs to keep her in place.

Isabella scratched and clawed at his arm in attempt to help her father. "Daryl! Please stop!" She cried.

She screamed and sobbed as she watched her father get knocked out once again and loaded into the back of a truck. "Daddy!" She said, still trying to pull out of Daryl's grasp.

Rick loaded Randall's unconscious body into the back of the truck, he glanced over at Isabella sorrowfully before he climbed into the drivers seat.

Daryl picked Isabella up, holding her on his hip and walking towards his tent whilst she sobbed into his shoulder.

He placed her down on the cot and tried to talk to her, but she wouldn't even look at him. "Hey..hey, hey, look at me, you're gonna be fine." He told her.

She just shook her head in response, her chin tucked to her chest as she sobbed.

"They ain't gonna kill him, he's gonna get a chance." He told her, rubbing her arm.

She shook her head and started to hiccup, she couldn't breathe properly and tears were streaming down her face. "N-no.."

"It's okay, you're okay. Breathe..just breathe" He kept rubbing her arm until she eventually stopped sobbing, her cries turning into just deep breathes.

He sat on the cot next to her. "He called you Isa? What's that short for, Isabel, Isabella?" He asked her.

"Isabella.." She mumbled and he nodded.

"How old are you?" He asked softly.

"Seven" She muttered.

"'m sorry you had to see all'a that." He told her.

Isabella looked down at the scars on her arms, she knew that it was wrong what John did to her, but she couldn't help but love her father, it was the only thing she'd ever known.

"He did it." She told him, she didn't know why but she felt a sense of comfort around him.

"I know." He replied, instantly knowing what she was talking about.

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