Dixon Daughter • The Walking Dead

two

"This is the first one we've had up here. They never come this far up the mountain." Dale said worriedly.

"Well, they're running out of food in the city, that's what." Jim pointed out.

Then all of a sudden, another twig snapped in the distance.

Bella gulped nervously and took a couple steps back while the male adults held their weapons up, ready to attack at any means necessary.

A figure appeared behind the bushes. Bella sighed in relief when she saw her father.

"Son of a bitch! That's my deer!" Daryl exclaimed frustratingly as he looked down at the deer. "Look at it. All gnawed on by this filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy bastard!"

"Calm down, son. That's not helping." Dale said.

"What do you know about it, old man? Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to On Golden Pond? I've been tracking this deer for miles. Gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison." Daryl explained, taking out the arrows out of the deer. He then gestured towards the area where the Walker chewed. "What do you think? Do you think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?"

"I would not risk that." Shane replied.

"That's a damn shame. Well, I got some squirrel, about a dozen or so. That'll have to do." Daryl said. He then used his crossbow to shoot the Walker in the head, killing it instantly. "It's gotta be the brain. Don't y'all know nothing."

"Dad!" Bella called out happily.

Without hesitation, Bella ran out behind the bushes and straight towards her father. Daryl kneeled as the two wrapped their arms around each other.

"Hey, Pal. You've been good while I was gone?" He asked when they pulled apart.

Bella nodded. "Yep."

A small smile spread across Daryl's lips as he stood back up, grabbed onto his daughter's hand and made their way back to camp.

As they made it back to camp, Bella noticed some of the other members of the group huddling around the RV. She then realized what was going to happen.

They had to inform Daryl about what happened to Merle.

"Merle! Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel! Let's stew 'em up!" Daryl called out.

"Daryl, just slow up a bit. I need to talk to you." Shane said.

"About what?"

"About Merle. There was a... There was a problem in Atlanta."

"He dead?"

Everyone went silent, even Bella. She stood off to the side beside Glenn. They were all waiting for Daryl to explode with anger.

"We're not sure." Shane replied truthfully.

"He either is or he ain't!" Daryl shouted.

Shane held up his hands, but before he could speak, he was interrupted by Rick, who stepped forward beside his friend.

"No easy way to say this, so, I'll just say it." Rick said stiffly.

"Who are you?"

"Rick Grimes."

"Rick Grimes" Daryl mocked his tone of voice with a shake of his head. "... you got something you want to tell me?"

"Your brother was a danger to us all, so... I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked to a piece of metal. He's still there." Rick explained.