DARLIN' | d. dixon ✓

XXI. FLOWERS IN HER HAIR

When they all finished naming off jobs for one another, the group split into their separate ways.

As Daryl and Remmi were walking past the farmhouse, Rick caught up with them.

"Remmi, wait up!" He called to which the two turned around to face the man. "Take this." The father and leader then handed her a silver gun with a brown handle.

"I don't think I'll need it," She commented before taking the gun and placing it in the back of her belt.

"It's a just in case," He told them. "Be back before dark. We don't need anymore people going missing."

"Will do," Daryl told him before motioning Remmi off into the field.

ლ

"Favorite CD?"

"Abbey Road, The Beatles. Favorite hobby?"

"Huntin'. Favorite drink?"

"Orange soda. Where'd you work? Before all of this," Remmi asked the redneck as the two made their way through the tree's.

The two began asking each other questions about one another. Remmi had surprised herself by starting the game. Daryl then had replied, "What're we, 10?"

Ultimately he had answered the question anyway to which Remmi had just laughed. The two went back and forth with each question until they saw a big, color fading, house. Daryl had wanted to take a more slow approach, but Remmi couldn't contain her excitement of finding Sophia. Maybe having something finally go right with the world.

Remmi ran towards the house, having Daryl call after her.

"Slow down!" He yelled. She didn't slow down, but only run faster. When she had finally reached the building, her gun was drawn and up. Remmi remembered how Derek would hold his gun and mimicked from what she remembered. Daryl was still a way's away and she had decided against pounding on the old door in fear of scaring the eleven year old.

"Sophia?" She whisper-yelled. Remmi had high hopes for this place and she didn't want to be let down. Remmi slowly made her way to one of the doors. She turned the handle and swung it open, finding nothing and no one inside.

As she moved to the next door, she thought she heard someone inside. Excitedly, she swung the door open but ended up whacking Daryl in the nose.

"Damn," He muttered. "What the hell were you thinking?!" The man grabbed his nose in agony and moaned.

Remmi stood there frozen to the floor. "D-Daryl, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean too!" Daryl's hand then moved to which Remmi flinched, but instead he grabbed a rag from his back pocket. Daryl noticed how she flinched at his hand. He shrugged it off for now.

"Damn right you didn't mean too!" Tears began to pool her orbs. She was trying to blink them away, but few had escaped and began cascading down her pale cheeks. Remmi saw his face go soft, if only for a second. But it was there. As the bleeding stopped gradually, Daryl spoke up once again. "I wasn't gonna hit you. I'm not like that."

Remmi had heard that before. "Everyone says that," She mumbled.

"You're right, but not everyone means it," He told her while her head was hung low. "I mean it darlin'. I wouldn't ever lay a finger on ya."

"Let's just keep looking," She said quietly, before walking towards the kitchen. Daryl just sighed and followed after her, keeping close behind her.

As they approached a cabinet, Daryl opened the door as Remmi's gun was held high to which she quickly dropped. There was nothing in here.

"It looks small enough to fit a child," Daryl told her.

"You think she was in here?" Daryl nodded and the two continued to check the house.

Once finished, they both headed out the back door and put down their weapons.

"Those are beautiful," Remmi whispered as her eyes scanned the cherokee rose bush.

"Yeah... They are beautiful," He mumbled, looking at Remmi gaze at the flowers.

Daryl began to tell her the story of the Cherokee Rose. How the mothers of an Indian tribe gained hope from the blooming white roses.

As he finished his story, Daryl cut two of them off of their bush. The man placed the flower into Remmi's hair. Tucked behind her ear. It was the first time he had touched her. His arm was shooting with vibrations and he never wanted it to stop.

Remmi looked up at Daryl with bright eyes.

"I told ya darlin', I'm not gonna hurt you,"

Remmi just gave him a small smile. "Thank you,"

And that was that. The pair left the abandoned field and headed back on their way to Hershel's farm. When they were halfway to home, Daryl broke the silence.

"Favorite color?"

*PUBLISHED