Beauty and Her Beast (Daryl Dixon Fanfic)

7

"It's what he says he wants." Rick had just told us that Jim wants to be left here. That the pain got too bad.

"And he's lucid?" Carol asked.

Rick nodded. "He seems to be. I would say yes."

Dale stepped forward slightly. "Back in the camp when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood. I would never go along with callously killing a man. I was just gonna suggest that we ask Jim what he wants. And I think we have an answer." Dale glanced at everyone, nodding his head.

Shane looked at Rick. "We just leave him here? We take off? Man, I'm not sure I could live with that." Shane sighed, shaking his head.

"It's not your call, either one of you." Lori said.

Rick and Shane agreed and went in the RV, coming out with Jim in their arms. They carried him to a tree on the edge of the woods and leaned him against it. "Hey, another damn tree." Jim joked. Though no one laughed.

"Hey Jim, you know it doesn't have to be like this." Shane offered.

Jim shook his head. "No. It's good. The breeze feels nice." Shane sighed and said goodbye. Rick offered him a gun, but Jim declined. I waited as everyone said their goodbyes and I crouched in front of him, trying and failing at not crying.

"You didn't deserve this." I managed.

He smiled back. "It's okay. I'll be with my family now."

I wiped my eyes. "I didn't really know you that long, but I'll miss you." I leaned forward, kissing his forehead and walking back down the hill.

I got in Daryl's truck and curled up in a ball, leaning my head against the cool glass window. Daryl got in soon after and started the truck, once again following the RV to the CDC.

~*~*~*~

"Charlie, wake up, we're here." Daryl nudged me awake. I opened my eyes, furrowing my brows.

"Where?" I asked.

"The CDC. C'mon." He got out of the truck. I sighed and opened my door, being hit with the stench of rotting flesh. A smell I knew all too well. I pulled out my gun, ready to shoot.

We all stared in shock at all of the bodies that littered the roads and parking lot of the CDC. A mix of civilians and soldiers. "All right, everybody keep moving. Go on. Stay quiet. Let's go."

We walked cautiously into the parking lot, seeing more bodies littering the ground. Shane and Rick kept ordering us to keep moving and stay quiet. The closer we got to the front door, the harder my heart was racing. What if it's empty?

We reached the doors-well shutters really. Like the place is in lockdown. Rick rattled the shutters and Shane tried to pull it up. It didn't budge. "There's nobody here." T-dog said.

"Then why are these shutters down?" Rick asked.

"Walkers!" Daryl yelled. He shot the walker and went up to Rick.

"You led us into a death trap!" He yelled.

"He made a call!" Shane defended Rick.

"The wrong damn call!" Daryl fought back.

Shane walked over to Daryl, pointing a finger at him. "Just shut up, okay? Shut up! Shut up!" He turned back around and walked up to Rick. "Rick this is a dead end." He said.

"Where are we gonna go?" Carol asked. Her question was ignored.

"Do you hear me? No blame." Shane's eyes were wide with anger.

Lori looked at Rick, shaking her head. "She's right. We can't be here, this close to the city after dark."

Rick turned back around looking the shutter up and down. "Fort Benning, Rick- still an option." Shane suggested.

Lori shook her head. "On what? No food, no fuel. That's 100 miles."

Glenn joined in. "125' I checked the map."

I sighed. "Really Glenn? That's not our main focus right now." I said. He shrugged.

"Forget Fort Benning. We need answers tonight, now!" Lori ignored Glenn's comment.

Rick walked up to her. "We'll think of something."

"Let's get out of here."
"Let's go. Please."
Everyone started to back away. "Rick, come on!" I yelled. "We gotta go!" He ignored me.

"The camera- it moved!" He yelled.

"You imagined it." Dale said.

"It moved." Rick kept his eyes on the camera, walking closer.

"It moved."

"Rick, it is dead, man. It's an automated device. It's gears, okay? They're just winding down. Now come on." Shane put a hand on Ricks shoulder, pushing him away.
"Man, just listen to me. Look around this place. It's dead, okay? It's dead. You need to let it go, Rick." He pushed past Shane and started pounding on the shutter.

"Rick, there's nobody there!" I yelled.

Rick looked up at the camera. "I know you're in there. I know you can hear me. Please, we're desperate."

I tugged on his arm. "Dammit, Rick! Nobody is there!" I yelled. He pulled his arm from my grasp. I let out a frustrated groan.

"We have women, children, no food, hardly any gas left!"

"Rick. There's nobody here." Lori came forward, putting a hand on his chest.

He ignore her. "We have nowhere else to go!" He started pounding on the door again.

"If you don't let us in, you're killing us! Please!"

Shane walked up and wrapped an arm around him. "Let's go!" He said.

"Please help us! You're killing us! You're killing us! You're killing us." Rick yells over and over, struggling against Shane's grasp.

"Charlotte! Get over here!" Daryl yelled. Before I could move, the shutter opened, drowning us in a white light.