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Thankfully Rick brought Julia a shirt before the dinner could take place in the house with the entire group. Julia didn't thank him as she was still angry about being pinned down to the bed but he didn't take it personally.
He also didn't take it personally when she grabbed the shirt and whipped him in the stomach with it.
Julia turned her back against the wall laying on her side to eye Daryl and the door. He on the other hand had his back willing to the door as he stared right back at Julia.
Both still looked pissed to the other.
"If you think about it one good thing came out of this." Julia says with a sigh clearly bored and unable to sleep with him in the room. Daryl scoffed at that and glares at her harsher if possible.
"How ya figure?" He asks with attitude making Julia narrow her eyes at him disdainfully before shrugging.
"Listen to it out there. Sounds depressing and tense, no one talking and just the clanking of silverware." Julia notes making them both go silent and listen before Daryl shakes his head.
"Their damn fault for trying to act like this shit ain't happening." He spat with annoyance since he and Julia risked their lives looking for Sophia while others just did a quick sweep.
"Can I ask you something?" Julia asks with clear caution letting the red neck know she for once was uncertain in what she wanted to ask. Funny considering she didn't tend to filter anything that spewed from her mouth.
"You know what I will anyway since I don't need your permission." and there it was.
"Who the hell were you talking to today? After your second fall you were like- talking to yourself. I don't even do that." Julia teases making him scoff and stare at her like she just said some bullshit.
"Ya always talk to yer damn self. Usually about men being stupid." He states incredulously as she rolls her eyes and scoffs at him. "That's not me talking to myself that's me lowly speaking to you guys hoping it'll power some part of your brains. Hasn't worked yet." She adds making him huff as she stares at him expecting an answer from her original question.
"......None of ya damn business." He sneers and Julia narrows her eyes at him and shakes her head. "Whatever I was just curious." She mutters looking towards the doorway instead of directly at him.
"It's not like you owe me for your arrow piercing me or something." She adds after a pause making him look at her with a blank face clearly just annoyed by her mere presence and pestering. "The arrow ya stole? Maybe if ya didn't touch others shit it wouldn't of happened." He says with exhaustion closing his eyes deciding he'd try to sleep to escape her constant talking.
"Yea the arrow I stole because you told Rick how you'd rather work alone. Look I don't exactly like partnering with you either but- if I'm gonna be with somebody it's better you then Shane, Andrea or Rick who wants to talk about feelings and get all in my past. Although now I might just start being a lone wolf or something..... I'm sure I'll find my way back eventually." Julia says in thought as she decides she will search for Sophia alone.
At first she really thought she'd need someone to have her back but certainly she was capable of taking care of her self.
A knock at the door made Julia flick her eyes up and scowl as Carol came in wearing a warm smile aimed at Julia and Daryl. "How are you guys doing?" She asks sweetly. "As good as I look." Daryl's states with a cold voice.
Daryl also mutters something about talking too much making Julia narrow her eyes at him with hostility. She knew he was talking about her making her huff a sigh.
"I'm just fucking peachy." She sneers bitterly not looking at anyone now as her gaze goes to the cross in the wall.
"I brought you both dinner." Carol says while putting one plate of food by Daryl and the other on Julia's night stand. Before Carol could walk away she turns back to Julia and places a gentle kiss on the woman's head.
Julia stared at her like she'd burned her.
Her eyes black and distant as the woman slowly approached Daryl doing the same thing. He looked weirded out by the kind gesture too and his eyes glanced to a stoic Julia. "Watch out I got stitches." He excuses with embarrassment and a blush, looking away as Carol stares at the pair with appreciation.
"You both need to know something..... You did more for my little girl today than her own daddy ever did in his whole life." Carol says in a soft timid voice but Julia scoffs shaking her head.
"That's because Ed was a sackless piece of shit like most men." She snaps sitting herself up and grabbing her plate with haste. And I lady like she begins stuffing her face as Daryl watches before looking to Carol also scoffing. "I didn't do anything Rick or Shane wouldn't have done." Daryl says like it's no big deal.
Julia muttering with a mouthful as he speaks singularly again not mentioning the fact it was the pair of them.
"I know. You both every bit as good as them. Every bit." Carol speaks softly staring between the pair before going and shutting the door making the hairs on the back of Julia's neck stand up.
She side eyes Daryl but keeps her back to the pillow for now as she stuffs her face more. Daryl stayed quiet and didn't touch his food at first. But when Julia tried to steal it he stuffed his face making her look unimpressed but walk to the kitchen for more.
She noted how the room was still silent but even more tense as she entered. She could feel Hershel's curious gaze on her as he had gotten a look at the old scars on her back and stomach.
"M- Julia- can I come eat with you?" Raya asks awkwardly as all the adults still say silent making Julia look annoyed but nod. Raya immediately smiled and came rushing behind her with an untouched plate.
Julia sat in her bed and the seven year old was going to follow but Julia pointed at a desk not trusting the child to not spill.
"Did you kill walkers today M- Julia?" Raya asks fearfully wanting details as she eats making Julia scrunch her nose but nod. "Yup I saved his ass." Julia adds making Daryl scoff but not correct it.
Raya smiles brightly and slowly and unsurely her eyes go to Daryl who slowly eats wincing in pain here and there.
"Mr Daryl.... Did you kill any?" She asks with clear intimidation but the man simply stares at her and doesn't answer. "Well don't be a dick." Julia says to him kind of being hypocrite considering she used to do the same thing.
"I'm tryin to eat." He says with venom to Julia who narrows her eyes at him.
A slow sweet smile coming to her lips as she looks to Raya. "Yeah he killed one.... Shot it right in the head making blood spew everywhere. Then I killed one by stabbing it in the eye socket with an arrow. It made a squish noise-" Rayas face looked horrified as Daryl paused on eating.
Julia felt victorious until he bit into a potato clearly not disturbed by the graphic speech.
"That's nasty." Raya says with disgust picking at her food now but still eating it just much slower.
"You also rode a horse today right?" Raya asks with a giant knowing smile as Julia nods and stares her down hoping she doesn't say what she knew she would.
Julia was never lucky.
"Why did you guys ride the same horse? You looked like the princesses in Disney movies." Raya says with a whimsical expression as Julia's nose scrunched and her eyes narrowed at her food.
"Because-..... I didn't know how to ride." Julia explains calmly but Raya gets that mischievous little look that Julia tries to interrupt with a new topic but it's too late. "Are you guys datin now?" She asks and Julia about choked as she hacked on a vegetable.
She wasn't the only one as she heard Daryl inhale some water before it went spluttering all over his bed making her feel a small victory in the awkwardness.
"No." Julia and Daryl say at the same time as Rayas look of hope and joy diminished.
"Oh." She says sadly picking at her food again as Julia sets her plate on her bedside table laying on her side once again to stare at the door. "Ms Julia?" Raya asks and Julia sighs but looks to her.
"Is it okay if-..... can I sleep with you tonight? I don't like being alone." Raya says softly and Julia was ready to say a harsh biting no but-
She didn't like having so much space between herself and the little girl either. Being inside the house she wouldn't be able to hear her possible cries or screams from here.
"Fine. But don't hit my side or I'll kick you off." Julia threatens making the small girl smile and set her plate down on the desk before scurrying to Julia's bed and pulling back the covers.
The small blonde child snuggles down into the blanket and within minutes she's passed out snoring lightly. Julia stares at her with her hand toying with her blonde hair before she looks to Daryl to see him staring. His expression is blank and his eyes seem like their studying something.
"Take a picture it'll last longer." Julia sneers at him one last time before joining Raya in sleeping. Daryl didn't even scoff or say anything back in retaliation, he just continued to watch the weird pair.
______________________________________
The rest of the day passed and it felt absolutely awful to be bed ridden as Julia didn't talk to Daryl anymore. They'd lay there in silence and glare at each other but never spoke again seeing as they bickered. Julia would say she was kicking his ass at it though, she got the last word.
When Julia was finally allowed out of bed she immediately went to the Rv and sat in her designated spot. Hershel said they could go searching the woods quite yet but Julia felt stable enough she'd probably slip away later in the day.
As Julia sits on the ground Dale slowly steps out of the Rv looking around before he sits next to her with a kind smile.
It's funny... it almost reminded her of the quarry when he'd tell her of his past life.
"Glad to see you back on your feet. Really had us worried there especially Raya. I noticed you letting her sleep with you though." Dale smiles kindly at Julia who shrugs and doesn't meet his gaze.
"She asked." Julia says like its no big deal but- Dale knew Julia could be mean when she wanted. He was enjoying the growth he was seeing in the young woman.
"So you and Daryl huh?" He asks with a teasing smile as Julia looks at him with disgust. "In his fücking dreams." She snaps and the older gentleman just laughs and raises his hands in surrender. "I was talking about your fall." He specifies making her say a soft oh as he stares out at the camp before back at Julia.
"When you barreled into Andrea I walked with you. I saw something when you collapsed on the ground.... A scar on your abdomen." Dale mentions and Julia noticeably tenses and looks away as he takes a deep breath knowing what he was risking.
This could be the moment that made or broke them. His prodding question.
"What caused that?" He asks softly as if asking too loud would make her run and hide. Julia seemed to ponder the idea too as she mulled it around in her head before sighing and looking around.
"What I'm about to tell you- that shit stays here. If you tell anyone even Glen or Rick I'll personally deball your old wrinkly ass ya got that?" She asks with evident aggression meaning every word she said.
"I promise I won't." He says with sincerity as Julia sighs and looks away.
⚠️TW JULIA IS ABOUT TO EXPOSE THE ENTIRETY OF HER PAST AND THE REASON I FEEL LIKE DALE IS GETTING THE WHOLE STORY IS BECAUSE HE IS A WHITE OLDER MAN HUST LIKE HER PASTOR WAS. THIS IS JULIA SUBCONSCIOUSLY TRYING TO TRUST MEN AGAIN. SHE KNOWS DALE SEES SHANE FOR WHAT HE IS, BACK AT THE QUARRY HE SAT WITH HER FOR HOURS TALKING ABOUT WHEN HIS WIFE WAS ALIVE. PLUS LETS BE REAL DALE IS JUST THE BEST LISTENER. SO WARNING FOR SUICIDE, ABORTION AND SA⚠️
"When.... When I was born my mom and dad were not married yet. My grandmother was a real religious woman.... She saw me being born as a sin. She told me that everyday. My mom died of some illness when I was five.... My grandmother told me she was happy she went slow and painfully. and she became my legal guardian because my dad supposedly just- went awol somewhere." Julia says it slowly waiting for any interjections but Dale just sits quietly almost entranced by her words.
"So she raised me in her church.... Said I needed to pray the sun in my blood away. For years I did everything she told me.... I thought she wanted what was best for me..... but then- I was thirteen and- the pastor kept lying to her. Telling my grandmother how I was acting up in Sunday school until she enrolled me in..... private lessons." Julia whispers the last word as her knees come up to her chest. Dale just stares at her and he prayed he was wrong about where it was going.
"He-...... forced me to do stuff with him. And when I- when I turned sixteen.... I got pregnant. My grandmother and Pastor planned for me to be one of his many wives to save her from a scandal.... She told me she'd help raise this baby like I should have been from the start. I knew what she meant. The church- I don't even know if you could call it that really- it was more like a cult." Julia spat bitterly lost as her eyes are glazed over.
"So- I tried to kill two birds with one stone. On my wedding day- I went to the bathroom and.... I lost my cool punching a mirror. I grabbed one of the shards and- I tried to kill me and the baby. Didn't succeed at either but I plead for the doctors to terminate my pregnancy so.... They did. And my grandmother and I were getting shunned by the church since abortion was viewed as sin." Julia rambles picking at her nails now anxiously it was like now that she was talking she just couldn't stop.
"The pastor told her- he could let us back in under one condition. The church believed punishment was a way to condone for your sins..... I was nine years old when I watched them burn a man for being gay. So- the pastor took me to the front of the church.... He asked my grandmother to pick a word she felt described me best...... she said whore. And....... He had her carve this in my back. A lesson to live with for a life time." Julia says it with a smile but it was more a grimace as she aggressively picked more at her nails.
⚠️ITS SAFE FROM HERE.⚠️
"Julia-" Dale says in denial at first shaking his head staring at the young woman with disbelief. How could on person go through so much...
"It's- it's fine I'm over it." She tries to lie but he shakes his head with a pale expression like he wanted to be sick. "It's okay to not be fine Julia- what you went through.... It's traumatic. I'm sorry. I'm real sorry Julia that- people at camp always gave you such a hard time. And that- some still do." He says with distaste as his eyes go to Shane.
"He's just bitter at what I caught him doing." Julia admits and Dale looks intrigued. "What was he doing?" He asks with his eyes solely on Julia who glances around again.
She trust Dale. She'd told him her last she could tell him this too.
"Your sworn to secrecy again or- I'll deball you still. At the CDC.... I found him and Lori in the rec room.... He was trying to- force himself on her. He's been on my shit list since all things considered." Julia rambles making Dale tsk and look disgusted by the man.
"I think he killed Otis." Dale admits and Julia nods. "I know he did. He admitted it." Julia mutters and Dale stares Shane down with pure anger.
He finally had someone confirming everything he truly believed about Shane. It felt good to have someone on his side.
"I was thinking.... As the founder of S.W.H. Maybe we should get like- matching stick and poke tattoos with those initials or something." Julia says with that rare dazzling smile making Dale laugh his thoughts straying from Shane.
"I'm too old for that." He says with a dismissive wave as Julia rolls her eyes. "Fine be lame. If you need me you know where I'll be." She says while pushing herself to a stand going into the Rv to make a makeshift tattoo gun.
And true to her word Julia did a stick and poke on her wrist that said S.W.H. And the word club placed beneath it. It was definitely a little messy but good enough considering it wasn't done by a real tattoo gun.
Julia made sure to proudly show it to Dale who was on watch before walking around camp despite doctors orders.
She walks to Rick who has a group once again staring at a map for searching for Sophia. The second she reaches them he turns to her and says a simple yet effective. "No."
Julia did a short curt nod before turning around and making her way to the woods anyway. It was effective.
To make her go out alone.