In A World Of The Undead

Trust

The weeks had passed and Michonne hadn't spoken since that morning with Judith.

When Daryl had come upstairs she was sitting in the bed staring at a small photo.

"Are these your girls?"

She smiled a watery smile and nodded.

"Can I see?"

She handed him the photo.

A younger, softer looking Michonne smiled back at him with two small girls next to her hugging her.

The oldest was a chocolate shade of brown with wild coily black hair pulled out of her face with a butterfly clip. She had her mother's deep dark eyes and full lips. She smiled a soft smile looking at the camera and leaning her head close to her mother. The little one still had a baby face with cubby cheeks and big brown eyes. She was a caramel color with two sandy brown curly afro puffs on the sides of her head. She was cheesing hard with her arms wrapped around Michonne's neck.

"They were beautiful Michonne. The oldest looked just like yah. She had yer eyes and smile. She was a real pretty brown like yah too. And the little one looked like a little angel. She had a cute little face." He said handing her the photo back.

She clasped the photo to her heart and big tears fell down her cheeks.

Her ache and longing for her two girls seemed to fill the room so much he wanted to cry with her.

It hurt seeing her anguish more than it did with Carol. Maybe because they had closure with Sophia. They knew what happened and let go knowing she was in a better place.

Michonne obviously hadn't gotten that closure with her girls.

And that was what was most likely keeping her from letting anyone else in.

Trying to convince herself that the two little girls she birthed and raised were no longer human and that's why she had to kill them.

Michonne knew Daryl was there but she didn't acknowledge his presence anymore after that. She knew she didn't need to.

He understood her, he knew she didn't like to talk and didn't take her silence as an insult.

Instead he read her facial expressions and knew exactly what she wanted even if she didn't know herself.

He left her to herself only giving her what she wanted.

Peace and quiet.

**************

Once Hershel gave her the clear to go out, Michonne left and hadn't been back.

The group was worried, particularly Daryl.

The last time she left unexpectedly and was gone for a long time, she was almost killed. He knew the governer was dead, but who knew what other sick twisted people were alive and out there.

Plus he missed her company. Having her around gave him an excuse not to talk. He didnt want to and when quiet Michonne was around he could get the silence that he wanted.

Two weeks went by before he heard water running in the middle of the night.

He got up and walked into the bathroom watching her sponge off. She pulled on a long oversized T shirt that barely covered her long legs. She looked exhausted, no hard expression on her face, just weariness shown in her eyes.

He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms.

"Where did you go?"

"To my daughters' graves. I wanted to tell them I was sorry." She sighed.

"What happened to 'em?" He asked walking with her to the bed.

"They were with their dad. It was his weekend and I had gotten home to find my boyfriend and his friend turned. I didn't even think I just rushed to his house. I heard A'lia screaming and I kicked down the door finding her in the closet with Alannah and Richard trying to get to her. Richard had been bitten and Alannah hadn't. He told me she was sick. I guess she turned bit him and that's how that happened. I killed them and opened the door finding A'Lia on the floor crying. She had gotten bitten by Alannah and was in pain. I held her until she turned and then I-. I didn't want to but I had to. They weren't my daughters anymore. I buried them and went back home. That was when I cut up Mike and Brian and chained them up. I tried to find people I knew but I couldn't. I didn't have my phone and all my family is from Iowa. I still haven't been able to reach them. I really don't have hope for them. It's been almost a year maybe two. I want to but being unrealistic doesn't help you in this world. The truth feels better this time." She said turning over.

She drifted to sleep leaving Daryl thinking about what she said.

**************

"Welcome back Michonne." Carol said.

Michonne smiled and sat down.

"Michonne, say cheese!" Maggie said.

She had found a polaroid camera and decided to become a photographer.

Michonne looked up and smiled and then laughed out loud when Daryl photobombed with a nice fuck you finger style.

That was their picture, her with her head thrown back in laughter and Daryl right next to her with a cigarette in his mouth, one arm around her, and the other flicking the camera off. Laugh lines graced his eyes, so there was no harm meant.

Everyone was staring in shock at Michonne who, still tickled by the picture, chuckled out a high pitched "What?"

"You just have a really girly laugh. It caught us off guard. You don't laugh that much." Glenn said.

Michonne shrugged her shoulders with a smile.

"Can we quit worryin' about her smile? Yeah it's pretty and all but I'm hungry."

"And that was a compliment Daryl style." Carol said making Daryl glare and Michonne snort.

"It's okay Daryl. I like your smile too." Michonne said patting his shoulder.

"You've seen it?" Maggie asked.

"Girl yes, and it was big!" Michonne said with a smirk.

Daryl choked while the rest of the group guffawed in laughter.

"So she has a sense of humor too. You been holding out on us Michonne."

"Not really, you just haven't paid attention." She said sticking a piece of fruit in her mouth.

When Daryl saw her plump lips wrap around that piece of fruit it stirred something deep within him. He felt an erection coming which was awkward because this had never happened with her; he slept in bed with her every night!

He could admit that her body was nice and she wasnt hard on the eyes, but he never thought he was attracted to her.

He just put it to not being with anyone in a while.

He'd only been to second base with a woman before Merle came and knocked them off of their feet and into his bed. Ever since he was sixteen, Merle had always taken his girlfriends using what Merle called the old "Dixon Southern Charm".

If Daryl could count how many times Merle had stolen a girlfriend from him and fucked them, he'd be out of fingers and almost out of toes.

After falling under his big brother's spell they never paid attention to Daryl. Pretty soon he stopped being able to get with women period.

He was bitter about it, but Merle was all he had left and he didn't want to lose his brother over pettiness.

Michonne was all woman and knew what she wanted in life and Daryl was pretty sure she didn't want him.

That's the way it was and always would be.