daryl was back. he had come back last night, when tilly had unwillingly fallen asleep despite her promise to herself to stay awake in case of emergency-whatever potential emergency it may be. she had come to expect anything and everything, which left her wishing sleep away due to nightmares and the fear of being unprepared. she sat now, barefoot and dirty faced, hair wild as she sat in one of the trees up above everyone. she watched daryl as he tossed back large metal piping, setting up spikes to keep walkers out of the church. hammers beat on wood, planking covering the windows, as the church was being upped to as secure as possible. when tilly had awoken that morning to find daryl there, she had blinked three times, as he nodded at her in acknowledgment, seeing that she had survived alright without him. she had overheard carl telling him about her going berserk on abraham, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. she had only done what she could do try and protect the group-and now she knew they thought ill of her for it. and just as he had come back, he was leaving again-daryl and rick and most of the group went with him. tilly told herself she didn't care. she stayed in the tree, cheek against the bark.
//
she was inside, now-cool and safe inside the church. father gabriel was scrubbing mercilessly at the blood on the floor, and carl decided to do something about it. he set down an array of weapons in front of the man, telling him to pick one for himself. he figured he was scared, and needed a way to focus on something that could protect him. he told him that they could teach him how to defend himself, that he needed to learn how to. "defend myself? they said they would go." the priest uttered. tilly bit her lip-this man still didn't get it. "they were liars and murderers." carl said simply. "just like us." gabriel countered. "we protected ourselves. they wanted us dead. you're lucky your church has lasted this long. you can't stay in one place anymore." carl told him, shaking his head. "not for too long. and once you're out there, you're gonna find trouble you can't hide from. you need to know how to fight." carl emphasized. slowly, gabriel reached for a weapon tilly couldn't make out from her corner. "good choice. but you're not holding it right-you gotta be able to drive it down 'cause sometimes the skulls aren't as soft and you need to be able-" he was cut off by gabriel waving a hand, swallowing bile. "i need to lie down." he responded, walking away. tilly scooted her feet in, allowing him plently of space to pass so her toes were nowhere near him. she met carls gaze, staring simply.
//
"carl! michonne! little girl! don't leave me out here!" father gabriel's screams came from outside, and tilly flinched from her spot next to judith. she had been watching her, the way she formed an o with her mouth and played with her tongue. carl ran, prying at the wood but to no avail. michonne began chopping at it, breaking through it grabbing at the priest. walkers poured into the church, snarling and snapping. tilly jumped up, following michonne, carl and gabriel, but not before oddly picking up the chunky child and handing it over to carl. as much as she hated touch, she wasn't going to leave her new small friend to die. carl only had a moment to look at her in surprise and thanks. the preacher yelled, ushering them out through a spot in the floorboards just big enough for a person. one by one, they slipped through, crawling through dirt and choking on pieces that fell into their mouths. carl ran around, stabbing at the walkers, and michonne shut the rest of the dead in, nailing them tightly in. tilly heaved heavy breaths, taking a step back and scaling her favorite tree. she needed to hide in the leaves and branches.
//
"where do we go?" carl questioned. the walkers were beginning to pry at the wood, breaking little chips of it off in their determination. tilly screeched, unable to stop herself, when a big red firetruck burst through the gravel, heading straight into the door, smashing the walkers. the engine sputtered, before being shut off, and the group who had left for dc were back. they embraced, running into hugs from michonne. "eugene lied. he can't stop it. washington isn't the end. where is everybody?" glenn stated, finishing his sentence with a question. tilly stilled in the tree above everyone, listening. "beths alive. she's in a hospital in atlanta. some people have her but the others went to get her back." michonne told maggie. grins were exchanged, and the energy in the air changed-even tilly could feel it, all the way up in her tree. "let's blow this joint, go save your sister." tara chimed in. and just like that, they were on the move again, and tilly slowly climbed down, following after the group.she sent a longing glance back at her tree.
//
they were at the gate. they had only just gotten there. maggie was hopeful, rushing forward-the group advanced with their weapons, tilly behind them at the back. tilly stood on her tiptoes against the fence as she saw rick and the others exit the hospital, and her face tilted up towards the sun as she took in the sight of daryl. but then she frowned, pulling on her dirty strands of hair in anxiety. daryl was crying. this girl they were after, she was dead, in his arms. the group fell into despair, cries filling the air. tilly fell back onto the balls of her feet, a silent tear trickling down her face. it felt like they couldn't have anything good.
//
morale was low. tilly remembered learning that word in papa's old dictionary. they were back in the woods, on the move. walkers around every turn, needing to be evaded or put down with a slice to the brain. daryl sat alone, quiet and solemn, and even tilly knew not to venture near. she knew this feeling-the need to be alone, to grieve, to feel all by yourself with no help from anyone. the sun beat down on the group, and they were all covered in sweat. "it's been three weeks since atlanta. i know you lost something back there." rick alluded to beth, and daryl was quiet for a moment, before nodding to the baby. "she's hungry." they kept on walking, wishing for rain. daryl and carol split off into the woods, tilly watched feeling an inner ache of wanting to follow them. but she stayed near the rear end, just ahead the walkers that slowly made their way after them.
//
tilly crouched in the grass, elbows tickled by the green sprigs. the group was tired and hungry, but they were still able to start picking of the walkers on their tail. tilly bowed her head, not surprised when sasha didn't listen to the plan rick had proposed of pushing them down the hill. blades swung into soft, rotting flesh, and it wasn't long before they were all down on the ground. and they kept on moving, now without the rotting corpses behind them.
//
daryl had been back with the group, but again, he decided to split off, this time not relenting when carol insisted she come with. they came upon a group of cars, rustling around and seeing what they could find. tilly followed, but only after he was deep enough in the woods where she figured he wouldn't hear her follow.
//
daryl came to a stop, and tilly paused, watching him slink down and sit against a tree solemnly. a dead walker, and a half knawed on deer were his company. he made his way back, empty handed. he had known tilly was following, and she knew he knew at this point. she didn't feel guilty, nor was he angry with her. no words needed to be said. he knew she was trying to say she was silently there for him, as he had been for her. tilly sat on the asphalt, settling down only to see a pack of rabid dogs exit the woods. tilly covered her eyes for the next part, and she felt sick deep down in her stomach when she didn't hesitate to eat the meat that the group cooked up over a fire, the collars discarded nearby. she had never envisioned herself doing this to survive.
//
daryl split off again, and this time tilly followed step by step, in tune with his gait. she sat by a tree, watching as he sat down to smoke a cigarette. she stood quickly when she saw him burn it out on his hand, and she grunted, shaking her head at him-the most communication she had managed with him that wasn't fear or anger at being touched-or that moment at terminus when she had willingly jumped into his arms. he blinked at her, stone faced as the cigarette continued to burn. she sat next him, moving slow, and leaned her head against his shoulder. she felt like an easily startled deer, waiting for him to shove her away. but he didn't. he cried, and tilly lifted her head, wiping his tears with her grubby hands-and he let her.
YOU ARE READING
the claimed child-the walking dead
Fanfictionwhen daryl dixon finds himself in a new group of rough roading men, he doesn't expect a child to be following along. he soon realizes the situation is even worse than it looks, and vows to save the little girl from the current hell she is living. he...
