Scars (Daryl Dixon FanFiction)

||Chapter Eighteen||

||Chapter Eighteen||

||Daryl's POV||

I leaned against the silo and stared at the ground. The silence was loud in my ears. I tried to pick out the smallest sounds like the birds chirping or the rustling leaves in the wind.

My new crossbow had the same stature as I did. I picked it up by the stock and pressed it against my shoulder. I hadn't gotten quite used to it yet, but I'm not going look for something to shoot it with.

"Where'd you come across that?" I heard a deep voice ask. I looked up to see Martinez with a toothpick in his mouth and a bloody bat in his hand. "I didn't. I had it before all this. This one I got a few days ago, but I used to hunt with my old one," I explained as I rose my guard.

He was about to say something when the sound of gurgling caught our attention. A group of walkers stumbled between the silos to their next meal. "You first," Martinez smirked. I shrugged my shoulders and swung my hand to the threat indicating that he should go take care of it.

He let out a scoff before cocking back the metal bat and squishing a female's head with the silo on the other side. I decided it was my turn so I looked down the sights and matched it with the walker's skull. I pulled the trigger and the bolt went through its soft head and into a taller one's neck.

Martinez prepared himself to kill yet another one before my buck knife did the job. He turned around with a smirk on his face with his bat still in position to attack. I shrugged my shoulders as he lowered the weapon.

I avoided his gaze and started to search the walker's pockets and collecting my bolts. I felt his eyes on me as I collected small things like discarded wrappers and wallets. I finally got to the one I killed with the knife to find a pack of Morley cigarettes. A small victory smile spread on my face, but went back to a straight line.

I grabbed my lighter out of my pocket and flipped the lid. Inside were five cigarettes until I picked out one and put it between my lips. I glanced at Martinez after I lit the thing that I added to the list of threats that could kill me to see him leaning against a telephone pole. He looked up at the sky like he was lost in thought.

I held out the pack to him along with my lighter not knowing what else to do. "Nah," he shook me off,"I prefer Menthols."

"Douchebag," I scoffed as I put the pack into my back pocket with the lighter. I let out the smoke through a gap in my mouth and glanced around the area.

"You army or somethin'?" I asked pointing to the bat. He shook his head as he twisted it with his fingers,"Nah, I just really hate these things." He now seemed more sincere about the conversation.

"After what they did. A wife... kid. When all this started, they just... disappeared and it was because of these things," he sighed avoiding my gaze. I didn't know what to say so I mumbled,"That sucks."

Martinez just nodded,"Thanks."

It made me start thinking of why I didn't settle down. Well, it wasn't like I could with Merle or what I had to offer. I had no job, place to stay, or basically any money. I brought a few girls to my old man's house while he was out here and there, but I didn't have feelings for any of them.

"You know this is a joke right. Them talking. I'm sure they'll do their little dance and tomorrow or the next day... they'll get the word."

I muttered,"I know." He looked down at the cigarettes and made a grunt noise. I pulled out of my pocket an handed them to him along with the lighter.

"C'mon, they might be finished talking," I sighed before starting to walk to the barn.

-The Prison-

Rick stood in front of everyone pacing a few steps from side to side. He rubbed his forehead glancing up every five or so seconds. The group watched him intensely waiting for bad news or any news at all.

"So, I met up with this Governor. He wants the prison," Rick announced,"He wants us gone, dead. He wants us dead for what we did to Woodbury......We're going to war."

I didn't believe him one bit. Why would a man with a fully functional town want the prison? Where was Avery in the situation?

Everyone stood with either their arms crossed over their chest or in fear. Carl looked like he was hoping for something like this to happen since his hand rested on the handle of his glock.

I really felt for the kid. Not that he won't get any action, but that he has to go through this and feels alright with it. The kid needed to be an influence to his sister and a good one. He couldn't be popping off rounds at strangers that probably never hurt him.

Rick stepped away from the group and tried to catch my gaze. "Hey, Daryl, can I talk to you for a second? And, Hershel, you too," he said before he passed by me to lead me to wherever we were going. I guess I had no choice. I followed him out of the cafeteria with Hershel hobbling behind us.

Rick brought us to a fenced in yard far from ear's reach which scared me slightly. He turned to us with a worried look on his face.

"Alright, what I told them about the war wasn't true. I just want them to be prepared in case it happens. The real deal is he wants Avery. I know it ain't hard to believe, but I don't know what we should do," he sighed looking between us.

I furrowed my eyebrows,"So, you're thinking about giving her up? He'll kill 'er and maybe kill us, too." I grasped the strap of my crossbow tighter waiting for an answer. Rick looked at me with a disappointed look. He knew I wasn't just going to hand her over like she was their's all this time.

"We don't know that. I just wanted you to know. I haven't decided if I should or not. We're talking about the group........ our family. You're willing to risk all these people you have been with since the beginning for her? If we do this, we avoid a fight. No one else dies."

I glared at him,"She saved my life, Rick. I ain't gonna let her suffer from somethin' she cain't control."

"Then take her off somewhere. If we don't have her then the Governor won't bother us," Rick snapped. I blinked rapidly as his face softened,"Oh, no, no. Don't get any ideas."

"Rick, it's our only option for everyone to be safe. Yeah, me and Avery in danger, but he won't even look at you if he's huntin' her down," I negotiated. I had to keep my group safe and Avery is apart of it.

"We need you here, Daryl. I can't have you runnin' around Georgia playing hide an' seek with that guy."

I put a hand between us I looked him in the eye. "C'mon, Rick. It's worth a shot."

He let out a frustrated sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "And what am I supposed to tell the others? I'm gonna say that you and her are gonna go on a few days run while we track down the Governor?"

"You can take off while we take care of 'im," I sighed not really having a full proof plan. Rick let out a scoff as if I was being sarcastic,"So, you're expecting me to think you and Avery can handle the Governor's army and town all by yourselves?"

I nodded my head in response. Hershel looked between us if he was an audience member watching an intense part of his favorite show. Rick glared at me as he rested his hands on his hips. I rubbed the plastic part of my crossbow's strap waiting for an answer.

"Fine, but we need to make up a plan."