Broken Wings (Daryl dixon x Reader)

Chapt 21: Rainbows

"No, it is not your fault don't say that. You babygirl was scared and ran. She must have had one of the dead on her for a while. She wasn't eaten though and you know what that tells me?"

Carol shook her head.

"She was a fighter just like her mother she had to have ran away from the dead and passed away after that."

I took her hand, "She did not suffer long. She did not die because of any of us. She died because of reasons out of our control."

Carol nodded and gave me a small smile, "Thank you."

"No need to thank me I will always be here as a listening ear."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carol talked for an hour after that about Sophia. She cried and laughed at times. I just listened, that's what Carol needed, someone to listen and I was more then happy to do that. I couldn't give her daughter a proper burial the least I could do was listen.

After we had finished up with the laundry and Carol had said all she needed to say we went our separate ways. Caorl had went off to spend some time at her daughter's graveside and I went to the house to check on Muffin.

I smiled at the cat that meowed at me where he was on the couch.

"Hey bud how you doing? You liking it here?"

He purred and laid down next to me. I heard lori come down the stairs and walk to the kitchen, then hurried back up the stairs. I was confused for a moment till she ran back down and into the living room where I was.

"Y/n, have you seen maggie?"

"No. Whats the matter?"

"Will you go sit with Beth for a minute while I go try to find her? She.. she took the knife from her lunch plate. I think she was gonna hurt herself."

"Of course." I nodded and hurried up the stairs to Beth's room. She had the blankets over her and her back facing me.  I didn't say anything I just went and looked out the window.

"Am I on some kind of suicide watch now?" I turned my head to look at her. She didn't move or anything just continued to lay there.

"Figured I would keep you company is all." I could see her roll her eyes.

"I miss my mother too. I felt just like you when my whole family passed away in thst fire. Wanted to do nothing but die and join them." I sat down in a chair that faced her bed where she could see me.

"It felt pointless to me too. Going on without them. I didn't understand why I survived and they didn't" she didn't say anything and I didn’t say anything else.

After a while Maggie rushed into the room.

"Hey, mind if I talk with her a minute."

"Of course." I said leaving the room and heading downstairs into the kitchen, where Andrea and Lori were. Lori was sitting on one of the countertops while Andrea was leaned against one of the cabinets

After a while we could hear the two arguing back and forth.

Andrea sighed, "Where's Hershel?"

"He doesn't want to find out yet." Lori said before eating a slice of a cucumber from what I assume was Beth's plate. She hadn't been eating like she needed to. "It's a family affair
We'll let them work it out." Lori said wiping her hands on her jeans.

"That's working it out?" Andrea asked sarcastically.

"When Beth stops fighting that's when its time to worry." Lori said hopping down from the counter.

We could hear Maggie yell at Beth "You are being so selfish!"

"This could've been handled better." Andrea chimed in.

"How so?" Lori asked

"You shouldn't have taken the knive away."

"Excuse me?"

"You were wrong like Dale taking my gun that wasn't your decision. She has to choose to live on her own. She has to find her own reasons."

"That's basically killing her yourself." I didn't really like Andrea and I had suspicions that she and her Austin had been doing things even before me and him had our crash out.

"If she's serious, she'll figure out a way."

"Doesnt mean we can't stop her. Or let her know that we care."

"That has nothing to do with it, Lori. She only has so many choices in front of her and she believes the best one is suicide."

"That's not an option." I chimed in.

"Of course it is, she doesn't need to be yelled at or treated like a child."

"She needs a loaded gun, right?" Lori asked sarcastically, "You'll understand if I don't send you in there."

"I came through it."

"A lot of people don't though Andrea. You had the strength to. Not everyone does that's why we intervene. You wouldn't say that about Amy though would you? If she was wanting to die."

She shot me a look.

"And you became such a productive member of the group. Let Maggie handle this her way. This isn't your sister." Lori said

"I contribute. I help keep this place safe."

"The men can handle this on their own. They don't need your help." Lori said throwing a kitchen towel into the sink.

"Im sorry, what would you have me do."

"Oh, there is plenty of work to go around."

"Are you serious? Everything falls apart, you're in my face over skipping laundry?"

"Puts a burden on the rest of us, Me and carol, Y/n, Patricia and Maggie. Cooking, cleaning, and caring for Beth, and you don't care about anyone but yourself. You sit up on that R.V. working on your tan with a shotgun in your lap."

"No, I am on watch against walkers. That is what matters not fresh mint leaves in the lemonade, not wanting a perfect little prissy funeral for everyone that dies."

"We are providing stability, we are trying to make a life worth living."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Look, I went after Rick, y/n too, We took down two walkers. Don't act like you're-"

"After crashing Maggie's car. Ever apologize for that?"

"Crashing her.." Lori shook her head, "You're insane."

"No you are, and you're the one that's self-centered.  The way you take it all for granted."

"My husband is out there for the hundrenth time. My son was shot. Don't you dare tell me I take this for granted!"

"You don't get it, do you?"

"Your husband came back from the dead. Your son too. And now you've got a baby on the way. The rest of us have piled up our losses. Me, Carol, y/n, Beth. But you just keep on keeping on."

"We have all suffered"

"Playing house. Acting like the queen bee. Laying down rules for everybody but yourself. You know what? Go ahead. Go in there and tell that little girl that everythings gonna be okay, just like it is for you. She'll get a husband, a son, baby, boyfriend. She just has to look on the bright side." And with that Andrea stormed off.

"Lori?"

"I'm okay. Andrea is just dealing with a lot." I nodded.

"I think I'm gonna see if I can go catch some fish. Maybe we can have something different to eat for supper tonight. First I'm gonna find Hershel number one because he needs to know about Beth. Number two because I need to know where the fishing poles are." Off I went to look for Hershel.