shutup dixon | d.d

0.2

Maybe she should have died instead of them.

The horrid thoughts took over her mind and merged with the grief that was overtaking the brunette woman. Perhaps, it should have been her that died, not her parents. Perhaps, it would have been the right decision to let go of the branches that were keeping her up on the tree. Maybe she deserved the pain.

So, she let go.

Her body regretted the decision before her mind did -- her arms reached out, hands desperately trying to grab onto anything before she fell into the small herd of walkers. Legs scrambling and tears falling, she managed to get hold of a small branch that was only a few feet above from the monsters trying to feast on her.

The walkers underneath the tree frenzied, teased by the meal that fell closer to them. They reached up as high as they could with their slow reactions, trying to grab onto the girl that was slightly above their reach.

The scene seemed destined to be a disaster until the whooshing of an arrow soared through the air and penetrated the decomposing flesh of the walkers.

"I'm saving your ass again." Daryl Dixon's voice came like a blessing and a curse for Katy.

"Shutup, Dixon."

Daryl froze when he heard the obvious sign of crying from the girl, emotions made him slightly uncomfortable and his body stiffened. She seemed so unsteady. literally and figuratively.

"Fall and I'll catch ya." He offered, wanting to help her because he knew that he had caused it.

"I can't."

"Just do it." He ordered.

Katy took a deep breath and clenched her eyes closed before allowing herself to fall -- the action felt wrong and as if death was certain but then she was caught by the strong and warm arms of the man below her. Daryl was strong and generally kept a hold of his character but the walker blood underneath him as the girls weight fell into his arms causing him to slip and fall. Katy yelled slightly and fell with the man, right on top of him.

"Your face is red." Daryl commented causing Katy to cringe from the vulnerable look she most likely had.

"Don't." She rolled her eyes, going to get up but being held in place by his grasp on her wrists.

"I didn't mean it like that." He guaranteed. "Why were you gonna fall?"

"It was an accident." She insisted, embarrassed.

"No, it wasn't." He shook his head.

Katy knew that she was caught out and despite her best efforts to fight off the tears, they began to free fall like she had just before. She took a large inhalation and turned her head to block his view in any way possible.

"I could have saved them."

Daryl knew that she meant her parents and he turned awkward, not sure what to say to make her feel better although he did want her to feel better. He put his large hand on her shoulder in a means to comfort her.

"You couldn't."

"That's not what you said before."

"I didn't mean it."

"I shouldn't have said what I did either." She caved in sadly.

"My dad was a drunk, he hit me bad." Daryl started feeling as if she deserved to know something about him and how she was a better person than him. "My brother was a criminal and was gone a lot. He used to be with the group but he disappeared."

"You didn't have to tell me that."

"I did." He shrugged.

"I'm sorry, Daryl." She said meaningfully, sorry for judging him so heavily.

"I just have to look out for myself and the group." He justified his own actions.

Not long later, the pair made their way back to the prison that they both called home, they had been gone a while and everybody had been very worried. The minute they stepped through the gates, they became hounded by panicked faces.

"You alright?" Rick asked Katy with concern, she simply nodded and continued that when the others asked her that too.

Katy tried to get back to her own cell as quickly as possible but on her way there she was stopped by Glenn Rhee, a kind man that she had only briefly spoken too. 

"Daryl can be a bit of a dick sometimes but don't take it personally." The man ensured the new woman. "Sometimes, it's like he has a time of the month or something."

"I really don't want to think about that." She laughed with amusement.

"He used to always call me Chinese when I'm clearly Korean." He grinned at the thought of how much Daryl Dixon had changed for the better.

"Thanks a lot, Glenn."

• Edited •