THE LOVELY BONES, daryl dixon

chapter 42 ; leaving

"Do you know why she left?" River implored, breaking the painful silence between the two, "I need my sorella."

Daryl shrugged, lowering his head as he twiddled a crossbow bolt between his fingers, "She don't talk to nobody about her feelings except me. I ain't there to do that now... Maybe she just had enough."

Before River could respond, a flash of hope erupted deep in River's stomach as the door swung open, and in stormed Rick, with Andrea shockingly at his side. Ellie's small frame shortly followed after them, earning several sighs of relief surrounding them at her materialisation. Rick instantly flung Andrea's  body inside the area, almost toppling over at her lack of balance.

"Tutto questo è così frustrante! This is so frustrating, Ellie! Where the hell did you go?" River hissed, evidently angry with her sister, but not enough to refuse an embrace. "I'm sorry, the Italian in me gets feisty, no?"

"How did you find her?" Rick interrogated Andrea with rage burning through each of his words, earning concerned glances from those around them.

"I was coming here to warn you, but I came across Ellie in the woods. She needed me," Andrea responded, glaring coldly at Rick as she glanced around the room at the individuals surrounding her.

Ellie didn't bother to raise her eyes from the ground, but managed to squeak out, "She helped me."

Their stares lingered over Andrea like the pain of all of her bad decisions, casting the same dark shadow over her as her mind always had. She scoffed as she spun around at their judgemental eyes and defensive auras. She simply wasn't a part of of their family anymore.

"I can't believe this," Andrea muttered, appalled by the behaviour displayed by the group, "Where's Shane?"

"Right here," Shane said as he entered the room, his voice low and gravelly. His arms had been folded across his broad chest as he entirely avoided Andrea's eye contact.

Andrea crossed the room quickly, and folded her arms around him, only to feel his body tense at her touch. Shane kept his arms folded across his chest, not bothering to reciprocate her compassion. She simply pulled away, and flashed a sad smile to someone she once considered a lover. The blonde's eyebrows furrowed as she glanced anxiously around the room, surveying for the members she had previously been involved with.

"Where's Lori?" she finally asked, saddened by the woman's absence. She approached Rick as she spoke, staring deep into his eyes as he simply raised his to gawk at Ellie.

Ellie cleared her throat as she finally raised her eye contact to Andrea, announcing softly, "She died during childbirth."

"She had a girl," Hershel informed her, gently rising the spirits of the room with the positive news.

"I'm so sorry, Rick," Andrea whispered softly to the grieving man, approaching him as she continued, "Rick, I—" Rick voluntarily shuffled away from Andrea's proximity, prompting her to change the subject as she inquired, "You all live here?"

"Right in there; the cellblock," Glenn replied as he gestured towards the cellblock with a short nod.

"Can I see it?" Andrea piped up, glancing towards the cell block.

"I can't allow that," Rick interjected, standing in front of her assertively to halt her progressing in into the cellblock.

With a gentle shake of her head, Andrea stated unhurriedly, "I'm not an enemy, Rick."