Walk with Me (A Daryl Dixon Fanfic)

Chapter 15: MEANT FOR RUNNING

WALK WITH ME

A WALKING DEAD Fanfiction

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Previously: Maggie was able to get the details of Daryl and Emyli's night spent in the shack and the night spent to rescue Carol; while the boys (Glenn and T-Dog) had a short, heated, awkward "boys camp" with Daryl. The next morning, Rick assigned Daryl and Emyli to find supplies. They ran into trouble in Antonia's dairy.

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Chapter 15: MEANT FOR RUNNING

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"We should get the hell outta here," Daryl said in a low, spiteful tone.

He and Emyli were walking towards the house. The men who had surrounded them earlier were walking in front with significant distance from them. Daryl had refused to budge on his spot until he was sure that all the bastards were marching ahead--he did not want him and Emyli to be cornered again.

Emyli held her silence and just went on with her noiseless walk. She was staring ahead, seeming oblivious to the anxious hunter beside her. Daryl sneered and irritatedly followed her look. The man who she called Charlie turned his head and when he found Emyli's eyes, a contented smile formed on his lips. Daryl scoffed and gritted his teeth. Just who is this son of a bitch?

Daryl almost laughed when Emyli instantly turned her head away from the bastard's look. Whoever this man was, he was not special. He was able to hug the silly girl earlier but that was because he snatched her and threw himself at her. If this Charlie guy were anything special, like a former lover, she would not be this uncomfortable with him.

Or would she?

Daryl remembered how sure Emyli was with him--and they just had met back then. She had told Daryl that she was not afraid of him. She even helped cleaning him up. Things only changed after the bite-search incident.

Daryl cursed inside his head. Could this bastard have done the same thing her father did to her? Was that the reason why he could feel wariness from Emyli since she recognized this man?

With mind made up, the hunter stopped on his tracks and extended his arm sideways to make Emyli do the same.

"We're goin'," Daryl said in a low voice. Without waiting for a response, he held her wrist and pulled her back toward the truck.

"No. Wait."

Emyli took her hand away from him. Daryl looked at her unbelievingly. The men ahead seemed to have heard the commotion and they, too, stopped to see what was going on. Charlie waved at the other boys to go inside the house--especially with the unconscious Lucas being carried. He and the man who proclaimed to be a doctor stood at a distance watching Daryl and Emyli.

"Ye wanna hang out with these thugs?!"

Emyli stared at him with her stoic face. "I know Charlie," she told Daryl as if she had sensed his special feeling of hatred towards the guy, "he's an old friend," she shrugged. "The oldest, actually."

Daryl narrowed his eyes. A childhood friend?

"And I think I also know their leader," Emyli added, "if their Jack is the Jack I know, we could be in good hands."

Could. The hunter was unconvinced. He grinded his teeth as he weighed the silly girl's words. "Din't ye think these guys were the ones with Randall?" he barked at her. "All-boys, big guns...."

Emyli's look suddenly became stern. "I did," she said. "But that's the reason I want to hang around." Daryl was about to scold her but then she added, "if that were true, we have more reason not to run away and risk leading them to the group. And if this really were Randall's group, wouldn't you want to kick them in the ass?"