Cherokee Roses {Daryl Dixon's Daughter}

t w e n t y e i g h t

"What makes you think this man wants to negotiate?" Hershel asks. "Did he say that?"

"No." Andrea admits only making our points stronger. 

"Then why did you come here?" Rick asks.

"Because he's gearing up for war. The people are terrified and they see you all as killers. They're training to attack."

"I'll tell you what." Dad says. "Next time you see Philip, you tell him I'm gonna take his other eye."

"We've taken too much shit for too long." Glenn says angrily. "He want's a war? He's got one."

"Rick," Andrea turns to our leader. "If you don't sit down and try to work this out, I don't know what's gonna happen. He has a whole town. Look at you, you've lost so much already, you can't stand alone anymore."

"You want to make this right? Get us inside." Rick tells her. 

"No." She says immediately. 

"Then we got nothing to talk about." Rick says walking away into the cell block.

"There are innocent people." Andrea yells after him but Rick's mind had already been made long before Andrea got here.

We all dismiss ourselves and Michonne and Andrea disappear outside to talk. I follow my dad into a watch tower where he scopes out the woods while I hang back.

"Thank you for telling me the truth." I say joining him near the railing where I lean over. "I know it's not always easy." 

"You deserve to know." He states shrugging his shoulders. 

"You're the best parent I could ever ask for." I tell him wrapping my arms around his torso. "You've always put me before yourself, you made things work. You might be a little stubborn and closed off but so am I and I love you daddy, I really do."

"I love you too Rose." He says pressing my head into his chest. Over the past couple months I've grown a lot. My hairs grown darker, and curlier especially in the Georgian heat and humidity. Dad's flannels no longer act as blankets and I can actually wear them if I tie the ends together. "You've been my life for the past 13 and a half years and I wouldn't change it for the world."

We pull away from each other and notice the group exiting the building. Rick has a car for Andrea to leave in and we all say our goodbyes.  I give her a hug before she gets into the car. 

"Take care of your daddy okay?" She says squeezing my shoulder. 

"Will do." I tell her nodding with a small smile on my face. 

"Well take care." She says to all of us before getting inside the car. 

"Andrea." Rick says softly walking towards her and handing the weapons she came with to the blond woman through the window. "Be careful."

"You too." With that the engine starts and she rolls outside of the gates with all of us watching her go back to Woodbury.

Later that night we sit in the middle of the cellblock. Beth and a couple others sit around some candles. Rick is upstairs with Judith and her light coos are heard easily throughout the cells. 

Beth begins to sing and we smile at the blond girl's attempts to lighten the mood. Rick descends the stairs lightly bouncing Judith to sleep and joins Hershel and my dad by some cells. 

I turn around giving my dads hand a squeeze before joining Carl outside where he insists on taking watch. They're about to talk business but I don't care to listen anymore.

"You look nice." He says gesturing to my hair that isn't in it's usual braid. 

"Thanks." I blush before grabbing one of the guns used to guard the walls and putting the strap on. We walk in silence for a while, just enjoying the moonlight. 

"What do you think we'd be doing right now, if the world wasn't like this." He asks breaking the silence. 

"I don't know." I admit. "Probably waiting for my uncle to bust through the door high or drunk."

"Oh."

He doesn't say anything after that. Instead we return to our silence and I look through the wood paneling. On the other side of this fence walkers roam just outside of our home, and we're so used to it. 

Carl and I should be asleep getting ready for our next day at school. Instead, we're fighting for our lives while our parents discuss a war just inside. 

"The world is a crazy place." He mutters. 

"It sure is Carl."

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Word Count: 1337

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