Lottie

The Past And The Future

A couple of days had passed since burying Dale next to Sophia. Inside the tent, Daryl angrily pulled things from his bag while looking for his last arrow. Lottie sat on their beds, which were still pushed together, watching him sadly.

"Daryl talk to me, please, you've not said a word for days." Lottie begged him.

He just huffed at her and continued looking. He got so frustrated with his bag he threw it against the tent side almost knocking the poles out.

"Daryl.."

"What?" He snapped at her "What?"

"Sorry. I'll leave you alone." Lottie whispered as she made her way to leave the tent.

Daryl sighed "No, don't." He said "Sit."

She sat back down. "I know you're upset Daryl, we all are, you're allowed to be."

"We've lost so many people," He said in his deep voice, sitting next to Lottie. "Sometimes I wonder if there's any point in trying anymore."

"Theres always been death, it wasn't hopeless before the dead started walking so why should it be now?" Lottie said quietly.

"Is there a future? A future where your friends an-and children aren't ripped apart by walkers?" Daryl said working himself up.

"I don't know." Lottie whispered. "All we can do is live in the now, in the present, try to shape our future to be the best it can be."

"What are we Lottie?" Daryl suddenly asked.

"Oh," Lottie said shocked. "We've never talked about it."

"You almost died once, then there's Sophia, Dale, my brother and everyone else. One of us could die tonight." Daryl quietly said, Lottie nodded in silence.

"I was going to talk about this but, I don't know how you'd feel we've only known each other a few months, but there's so little time these days." Lottie said embarrassed, her face going red.

Daryl smiled slightly, "It's the end of the world, there aren't rules anymore."

Lottie smiled, "I guess not."

"So, what would you want?" Daryl asked.

"Us, us to last forever, for it to never go away." Lottie said looking down at her lap.

"Then forever it is." Daryl smiled.

"You mean, together, like together together? Like um, boyfriend and girlfriend?" Lottie said her face now bright red.

Daryl chuckled "Yes like that, together like that, don't worry don't be so embarrassed."

Lottie flung herself at Daryl and pulled him into a huge hug.

A couple minutes passed where they lay next to each other happily in silence, until Lottie worked up the courage to ask another personal question.

"You just mentioned you had a brother, you've never said that before." Lottie said.

"I don't know if he's dead or alive." Daryl sighed "Older brother, his names Merle."

"What's he like?" Lottie asked carefully.

"An asshole, only really ever thought of himself most of the time, the group hated him. Handcuffed him to a roof when he was beating T-Dog while they were on a run, left him there. We went back but he obviously thought they'd left him, I found his hand."

"His hand?" Lottie said shocked.

Daryl nodded. "He'd cut his hand off to escape the roof, stopped the bleeding and made a run for it, stole our truck but he didn't go back to the camp. Haven't seen him since before he went on that run."

"That explains why no one's ever spoken about him, I'm so sorry Daryl." Lottie whispered.

"Don't be, toughest son-of-a-bitch I ever knew is my brother." He attempted a smile.

"I'm sure he's alive, if he can survive cutting his hand off or even attempt to in the first place, he can survive this." Lottie smiled.

Daryl smiled back.

"Daryl.." Lottie said quietly.

"Mhm?" He mumbled sleepily.

"I love you."

He smiled again "I love you too."