Your Crying Shoulder

Just gone

Daryl Dixon walked up the stairs of the cell block gravely. He and Rick had just returned from dropping off Anthony and not a word was said from the two but a simple head nod. All daryl could see and hear were Anthony fading off in the distance with walkers behind him. He hoped the bastard was dead, he would've got what's coming to him. He wasn't fully satisfied with that though. He wanted to know for sure and sedistically wanted to watch him die. It was like watching his father all over again, but it was strangely different. He had no emotional ties to that man whatsoever, but his hatred for him was larger than that of his own father's. He had hurt Mae in more ways than one. A young,defenseless little girl. Now his dad was a dick, but hitting a woman, let alone a little girl was completely wrong. Anthony looked at his daughter like an item that belonged to him rather than family. Like his and his buddies little play thing and that enraged daryl. The scars on her back really bothered him even if he acted like it didn't. Those marks made by man that he could never take away. They showed a haunted past that Daryl couldn't take away from her, but he was more than determined to change her future as much as he could and that started with getting rid of Anthony. Reaching her cell he pulled back the blanket covering the doorway and saw her lying on her cot on her side facing the wall. T was sitting on the ground next to her cot and looked up when he saw Daryl. Daryl placed his hands into his pockets as T-Dog walked up and stood across from him. The two didn't say anything and then daryl looked up awkwardly as T began talking,

"She hasn't really said anything, she's been asleep for just about 15 minutes"

Daryl looked over T's shoulder and noticed the way Mae was breathing. She would also tense up a bit and he knew she wasn't sleeping. He looked back at T and nodded as he tried to pass him. T gripped onto his arm, before he could move and asked,

"Things ok?"

Daryl nodded knowing he was talking about Mae's dad. T nodded back and walked away. Daryl let the blanket fall back down completely darkening the small cell. He started taking off his boots and slid his vest off before taking a deep breath and sliding in the bed right next to her. He wasn't very comfortable with the whole idea of comforting someone and in all honesty he really didn't know how to. He just wanted to hold her and he was going to do just that. He wasn't going to call her out knowing she was awake, so he just wrapped his arm around her and lay his head against her back. He noticed her breathing become deeper and was surprised when he heard her ask,

"Is he dead?"

Mae let a few tears fall down her cheeks as she lay on her side with one hand under her pillow. She hadn't felt safe all day, but here lying in Daryl's arms was different. Daryl raised his head from the bed and looked over her and noticed the tears falling from her eyes. She didn't move, just continued looking at the wall. He didn't want to tell her what he and Rick did. Especially since it may have gone against what she wanted. He sighed and whispered,

"He's just gone"

Mae flinched, but nodded and wiped her eyes before slowly turning over to daryl. Her green eyes meeting his bright blue eyes. As she starred at him, daryl placed a hand on her cheek and wiped a few stray tears. She noticed the bags under his eyes and how physically exhausted he looked. She knew he wasn't one for comforting, but here he was in the bed and holding her. She was once told no man would ever care for her, but the look in Daryl's eyes proved her wrong. What officer grimes said was true.

"Thank you" she whispered.

Daryl looked at her shocked and kissed her passionately. It was the only thing he could think to do. He wanted to take away all her fear, all her pain, and all her troubles. How could someone be capable of completely changing him. The daryl before the end of the world wouldn't be caught dead doing this, but he didn't want to be that. He never thought anyone would care about him, other than his brother. He was wrong. Here he is being held, kissing, and being looked at like he is the only man in the world by the woman he loves. That's something the old Daryl never would've got the chance to see. The man who he was now is who he wants to be.