Unexpected Love

As I and Daryl walked we stayed quiet not talking to each other. He wasn't very happy I was out here with him. I understand he was just trying to protect me and keep me safe. Bit I could keep myself safe and protect myself. My dad went through a lot to make sure I knew how to defend myself.

"You know Daryl, I know how to defend myself. Dad made sure of that. Before I went to New York he took me to the range and he signed me up for defense classes. And I know walkers aren't human anymore and I could get bitten but I'm with you I trust you I know you won't let anything happen to me," I said and stopped to look at him.

His face was hard and he was looking between the ground and me. He started cheek g on his thumbnail and I walked over and pulled his hand away from his mouth "stop that, it's not good for you," I told him.

"I know ya can protect yourself. But I can't lose ya Y/N/N you're all I got left," he said but kept looking at the ground.

I wrapped my arms around his waist laying my head on his chest. "I'm safe as long as I'm with you. If rather be out here with you then back there with Shane," I told him.

I could feel how stiff he was when I hugged and how he got even stiffer when I mentioned Shane. "He do something to you?" He growled.

"What? No. No Daryl he didn't do anything I just don't trust him," I said.

"If he ever touched you or threatens you, you tell me right away," Daryl said.

"I will, I promise," I told him.

We pulled apart and kept walking. We ended up coming to an old farmhouse and decided to check it out. Daryl walked up the steps and kicked the door in. As he walked in he let a bolt go and it embedded itself it a walker's head. We killed two more and then searched the house. We walked into a kitchen and Daryl found an open can of sardines. There was s little cabinet that looked like someone sleeping In. It was just big enough for a child.

"She could have been here," I told Daryl.

We ran outside and he hollered her name. We started walking and he found a white flower. He touched it and looked around us searching the woods.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Cherokee Rose. I'll tell the story when we get back. I'm going to beg it to Carol," he said.

"That's sweet of you," I said and his cheeks tinted light pink.

He picked the flower and we started heading back on our way he found an old glass bottle and filled it with water from the creek and put the flower In it. I couldn't help but think maybe he liked Carol more than just a friend. Maybe that's why he keeps pushing away from me. She is closer to his age then I am. So I weighed my options and decided to ask him about it.

"So you have a thing for Carol?" I asked but made sure to sound playful and I bumped into his shoulder a little.

"What? No, her little girl is missin' just tryin to give her hope," he told me.

"Well, that's really sweet of you. You guys would look good together. You come from similar background ya know got more in common then you think and she pretty and closer to your age," I told him.

I was trying to sound confident but that didn't happen too well. Even I could sound the disappointment in my voice. I was most definitely in love with Daryl Dixon I have been since I was 17. But every time I tried he pushed away. I could see he didn't see me that way now. At first, I thought maybe it's because he's shy. Daryl wasn't that confident when it came to girls or people period. He was shy and awkward. But now I was starting to believe it's because he didn't like me like that. I guess he was telling the truth all those years ago. It hurt to think about that and to think about his with someone else.

I hadn't noticed that he stopped to busy in my own head. I ended up running right into his hard chest. I stumbled back but before I could fall he grabbed my arm to steady me.

"The hell you going on about? Told ya I don't like Carol like that. Just tryin to find her little girl," he told me.

"Just a thought is all. I just want you to be happy," I told him looking down and played with my fingers. I could feel the tears in my eyes but I blinked a few times to stop then from falling.

"We better get headed back. The sun's going down," I said and started walking passed Daryl back towards the farm.

We got back to the farm. We hadn't said a word the whole way. I walked into the RV to see it was a cleaned up.

"Looks really nice in here," I told Carol.

Daryl walked in behind me. "Though I'd clean it up make it looks nice for when Sophia is back," she said as she sat online if the bed sewing.

Daryl stepped up behind me and reached around placing the bottle with the flower in it on the little shelf on the wall. I looked back at him and smiled. He looked at me and smirked a little.

"A flower?" Carol asked.

"It's a Cherokee Rose," he told her.

"The story is that when American soldiers were moving Indians off their land on the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee mothers were grieving and crying so much 'cause they were losing their little ones along the way from exposure and disease and starvation. A lot of them just disappeared. So the elders, they said a prayer; asked for a sign to uplift the mothers' spirits, give them strength and hope. The next day this rose started to grow where the mothers' tears fell. I'm not fool enough to think there's any flowers blooming for my brother. But I believe this one bloomed for your little girl," Daryl repaid the story to us.

Carol wiped a tear and thanked Daryl. He turned and I started after him after giving Carol a small smile. Daryl stopped and looked back at Carol "She's going to love it in her," he told her and grabbed my hand catching me by surprise. He pulled me out of the RV and walked over to our tent.

We walked in and Daryl zipped up the tent before turning back to me. "So ya going to tell me what's really up?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"You going to tell me why you were talkin crazy earlier today? Why you were trying to convince me to be with Carol," he asked.

"I just thought that maybe you liked her is all," I said looking down.

He walked over to me in two quick strides. "Told ya just tryin to give her hope about her little girl.

"Well I just want to be happy okay, you deserve to have a good woman in your life Daryl," I said.

"I already have a good woman in my life," he said lowly. I was sure I wasn't meant to hear it but I did. My head whipped up and looked at his eyes a little wide and mouth a gap.

"What?" I asked.

"What? Nothing," he said and went to turn around. I grabbed his arm and turned him to look at me.

"No what did you say? Did you said you already do?" I asked.

He looked around the tent trying to avoid my gaze. His face was turning red and he was tense. He started his damn biting on his thumbnail and I pulled his hand away from his mouth.

"Daryl Dixon! Answer me ri...." I started but was cut off with a pair of slightly chapped but soft lips in mine.