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Tomorrow Never Dies

Ain't Nobody's Bitch

Days passed before Parker decided to finally bite the bullet and cut her hair. To anyone else it would have seemed rather petty to get attached to something as simple as the length of her hair, but since she had been thrown into the apocalypse, Parker realised a lot of things were going to change. Her appearance for a start. She used to have more meat on her bones, but with months of living off of canned beans and rice her figure had slimmed down even more; her rib cage gently pressing against her skin whenever she looked in the mirror, almost making her look hollow. She hated how frail she looked, how angular her cheeks were and the bags under her eyes did her no favours. The worst however was her hair. It was ratty, not being touched by a pair of scissors for nearly half a year, and was tangled and dry at the ends. She ran her hand through it, grimacing at the greasy feeling at the top of her head, and realising she needed it gone. Not all of it, but enough to at least make her feel better.

At first, she considered asking Glenn to do it for her. They had grown up with their mother cutting their hair and she had been hoping he had picked up a thing or two. But the second she handed him the scissors he backed off, protesting that he didn’t want to be the reason his sister’s hair was lopsided. She then thought about doing it herself, but felt like she would end up at the same conclusion. One half shorter than the other. So in the end, once most of the camp had left to search for Sophia, part of their daily routine since arriving at the farm, Parker turned to Lori. She had been cutting Carl’s hair since this had all started, and his hair always turned out perfect, or near enough to perfect as you could get nowadays.

She was assisting Carol with hanging up the wet laundry and Parker felt a pang of guilt hit her. She was taking time out of Lori’s chores only to give her another. But she held her breath and walked over with a smile, nodding at Carol on her way past. The two had grown closer since Parker had found the Cherokee Rose, and Carol seemed to come to her when she was feeling the most down. As the days went by, that seemed to be less and less. Parker often ended up just sitting with her whilst she slept, afraid she’d hear her wake up in the night screaming or crying for her daughter. It never happened, but she still refused to abandon Carol now.

“Lori?” Parker asked, gaining the other womans attention just as she was pinning some jeans to the washing line. “Can I...can I ask you a favor?”

“Sure, what is it honey?” Lori asked, flinging one of Carl’s shirts over her shoulder and propping a hand on her hip.

“Um...this is gonna sound kind of stupid.” Parker nervously chuckled, “But, would you mind cutting my hair for me?” Lori blinked at her and Parker felt Carol’s gaze on her too, making her turn pink. “I know it isn’t a priority-”

“No, no I’ll do it.” Lori grinned, putting the laundry down and turning to Carol. “You okay on your own for a little while?” Carol smiled.

“Of course. Take as long as you want, I’ll be here if you need a second opinion.” Parker smiled thankfully and led Lori over to the bench next to the campfire, where everyone’s seats had been placed in a circle for when they ate dinner at night. That was one small moment each day that Parker cherished. At least they still got to eat together, like a family. Lori pulled up a bucket and sat down on one of the deck chairs that Dale had brought over, patting the ground in front of her. Parker hesitantly sat cross legged on the grass and handed her the scissors.

“Just a trim?” Lori asked, threading her fingers through Parker’s long, thick locks and tugging at the knots. Parker flinched at the pain biting at her scalp, but she shook her head.
“I was actually hoping to cut it short.” Lori cocked her head.

“How short are we talkin’?” She asked curiously. Parker thought for a moment, then brought her hands up to jaw, then lowered them every so slightly so they were hovering just above her shoulders. Lori smirked and raised an eyebrow. “So, pretty short?”

“If that’s alright.” Parker said, turning to her. “I don’t want to put any pressure on you.”

“Trust me, as long as you sit still, I can do it. Carl won't even sit still for his bangs to be cut.” Lori laughed and started separating Parker’s hair into sections, brushing long strands over her shoulders and combing her fingers through it. “So what's with the sudden change?” She asked.

“It’s getting kinda gross.” Parker admitted sheepishly and Lori chuckled. “Plus, maybe its safer? Having it short means it’ll be harder to grab onto or get caught on something, right?”

“That’s true. Maybe I should get mine cut.” Lori considered but Parker shook her head gently, not wanting to disrupt Lori’s work.

“No, don’t. Your hair’s beautiful.” Parker said with a small smile. “I wish mine was like yours. Just curly, not weird and wavy.”

“Hush.” Lori tutted, patting her shoulder. “Lets not start getting jealous over looks, that’s the last thing we should be worrying about.” Parker then heard the snip of scissors and she held her breath, feeling strands of hair fall down her back and into the bucket Lori placed behind her. As she cut off a few more inches, Lori felt Parker’s stiffened shoulders and she leaned over her. “Hey, sweetie. Don’t worry, it’ll look great. I promise.” Parker nodded.

“I just...I was never brave enough to ask for it this short.” She said. “Plus, my mom would never have let me anyway. She was pretty strict about my hair, Glenn’s too.”

“Why’s that?” Lori snipped along the ends and slowly made her way up Parker’s hair, longer pieces falling into the bucket every few seconds.

“She hated change. She hated us changing. Thought we were growing up way too fast.” Parker snorted. “I think she wanted us to stay babies forever.”

“All mother's do believe me. Do you know where she is? Where your sisters are?” Lori asked quietly, hoping that she hadn’t struck a nerve. Parker shrugged, sadly, and fiddled with her hands.

“Home, I guess. If Michigan is still standing that is. If not...I have no idea.” There was a long silence before Parker bit her lip, that had started trembling, and she sniffed. “I just hope...that even if she didn’t make it, or my sisters didn’t, that they went out peacefully. Not like...Otis. Or Amy.”

“They might still be out there, Parker.” Lori said, getting out of the chair and walking around to kneel in front of her. “Never give up hope. Rick didn’t, and somehow he found us again.”

“He did.” Parker agreed and smiled at Lori. “Thanks.” Lori reached over and kissed her forehead, stroking Parker’s cheek before pulling herself up and back onto the chair, grabbing her hair and going back to work. “Come on, let's get this done before your brother comes back. It’ll be a surprise.”

***

Parker stared at her reflection in the small handheld mirror in the RV and shook her head, before a huge grin broke out on her face. Lori had done a better job than she expected, cutting her hair short enough for it to barely graze her shoulders, but still managing to cut it evenly and frame her face nicely. She ruffled the top, watching the way her hair splayed out across her face and she giggled. She looked younger, fresher even, and felt better already. But now, she needed a shower. Seeing her hair greasy and her body covered in dirt was starting to get to her, so she hurried out of the RV to her own tent, grabbed some toiletries, and made her way to the farm house. Maggie had told them they could have showers every once in awhile, wanting to conserve the hot water, and since no one from their camp had taken one in a few days, Parker took the opportunity to have one herself.

She was walking up the dirt track to the front of the house when she spotted her brother sitting on the porch, strumming the guitar she had brought back from the highway. Glenn had missed music just as much as Parker had, and even though he wasn’t as gifted as her with the guitar, it was nice to hold an instrument again after all this time. She smiled at him and was raising her hand to wave when she saw Maggie appear from inside the house. Parker saw them talking to each other in hushed tones and she frowned, curiosity once again getting the best of her. She made sure she was out of sight before ducking down next to the porch, and craning her neck so she could hear what they were saying.

“Nice guitar.” She heard Maggie say and Glenn had obviously placed it down as she heard the sound of the guitar being propped up against the wooden railing of the porch.

“Park found it on the highway.” He said. Parker bit her lip as a silence fell over them, then she heard Glenn step forward. “You know we uh, we still have eleven condoms.” Parker’s eyes widened and she held back the urge to jump over the railing and smack her brother. Had he and Maggie...there was no way. She heard Maggie scoff quietly.

“Yeah, you see eleven condoms, I see eleven minutes of my life I’m never gettin’ back.” Parker threw a hand over her mouth, not sure whether she was going to call out or laugh. Maggie was braver than she thought.

Glenn shuffled above her. “It wasn’t that bad, was it?” He asked hesitantly.

“Look,” Maggie sighed, “I don’t even know if I like you.” Parker heard her brother step forward and there was a creak coming from the house; he must be leaning against it.

“But you’re thinking about it.” Glenn said, his voice softer this time, “You should.” Silence. Parker then backed away into a corner as Maggie jogged down the steps of the porch and towards the chicken coop, looking back at Glenn and shaking her head. After a few moments, Parker made herself known by trudging up the steps. “Gheez, Park!” Glenn hissed as she raised her eyebrow at him. “Were you standing there the whole time?” His eyes then widened as he took in her appearance. “When did you get a haircut?”

“That’s not important.” His sister snapped. “The hell are you doing?” Parker questioned, folding her arms. “Maggie? Seriously?”

“What’s wrong with her?” Glenn asked with a frown, clearly offended at her tone.

“It’s not her, it’s her Dad. He owns this place. You know, the place that keeps us safe? What if he found out!” Parker exclaimed but all Glenn did was shake his head and sit back down on the rocking chair he had been previously sitting in.

“He isn’t going to find out. Apparently it was a one time thing.” He said glumly, staring off after Maggie who was now collecting eggs for dinner. Parker walked over and smacked his head, causing him to yelp.

“And what if he does? One time thing or not, he’ll kick us out if he realises you’re banging his eldest daughter! We just got here!”

“You’re overreacting!” Glenn cried, rubbing his now throbbing head. “Just forget it, alright?”

“I can’t!” She threw her arms up in protest, almost dropping her shower supplies. “You have to be careful now, Glenn. If Hershel sees the way you’re looking at her he’ll pull a shotgun on you!” Glenn scoffed.

“Just because he’s a farmer doesn’t mean he owns a shotgun.”

“There’s one hanging in the dining room, asshole.” Parker snapped. “So keep it in your pants, got it? None of us wanna get kicked out just because you have a stupid crush.” Glenn’s jaw twitched and his nostrils flared.

“You know, just because you’re a few minutes older, doesn’t mean you can boss me around. We aren’t kids anymore, so grow the hell up.” Glenn said angrily, standing up and snatching the guitar, before storming off to his tent. Parker glared at his back before sighing and pushing open the farmhouse door. There was a part of her that wished she hadn’t yelled at him, but she knew she was right. Hershel was their host, screwing his daughter wasn’t exactly a good way of saying thank you for saving their lives.

“You okay?” Parker was at the foot of the staircase when a soft voice called to her. She turned to see Beth, the youngest of the Greene’s, standing in the kitchen watching her. “I heard you and your brother arguin’.”

Parker’s eyes widened. “Oh. How much did you hear?” Beth shrugged.

“Nothin’, it was all muffled. But you both sounded angry. You two gonna be okay?” Parker breathed out in relief and then stepped down from the staircase.

“Yeah, we’ll be fine. Twins always make up in the end.” She said with a shrug. Beth’s eyes lit up.

“You guys really are twins then? I figured but, I never asked. I’ve never met twins before.” Parker was fascinated by her innocence ever since she first met her. Beth had clearly not seen the reality of their new world, so it was obvious why she was so happy and smiling at everybody. She had nothing to be sad about. However, she had heard Hershel explain to Rick that she lost her brother and mother when it all started. So maybe she was trying to cover it up by busying herself with mundane tasks like laundry and cooking. She was basically a small, blonde version of Carol.

“Really? You never went to highschool with any twins?” Parker asked. Beth shook her head.

“No. My high school was small, not many people went.” Beth looked down at her hands and Parker realised she must be remembering what going to school was like. Seeing friends and teachers, eating lunch, gossiping, going to dances. Beth then looked up with a beaming smile, as if she was never even sad in the first place. “Did you need something?” Parker hesitated but then realised why she was in the house at all.

“I wanted to use the shower. Maggie said-”

“Go ahead. Nobody’s used it today so take as long as you need.” Beth said sweetly and Parker found herself smiling back at her. This girl was too nice for her own good. “There’s fresh towels hanging up on the rail next to the sink, and a hair dryer if you need it.”

“Thank you.” Parker said. “For everything. Your family have been too good to us.” Beth shrugged.

“We should all stick together now. It’s the least we can do.” Beth then started to head back into the kitchen before she spun around. “By the way, I really like your new hair.” Parker laughed, running her fingers through the ends. Still not being used to the way it cut off above her shoulders instead of halfway down her back. “It suits you.”

“Thanks, Beth.” Parker said sincerely, and Beth just nodded before walking into the kitchen and out of sight. Parker then licked her lips and practically jogged upstairs, wanting nothing more than to soak in the shower for as long as she could. The bathroom was the third door on the right, just past Maggie’s room, and Parker tapped on the door lightly, hoping that someone wasn’t already in there. When no one answered, just slowly pushed it open and let herself in. The bathroom was a light cream colour, with pink flowers painted onto the wallpaper that matched the light pink rug on the floor and the pink shower curtain. It was old fashioned, victorian even, and Parker had never seen a room look more inviting. She locked the door then peeled off her dirty clothes, putting them into a pile in the corner and then turning to look in the mirror. Her skin was still too pale, and her body too thin, but she felt better than ever.

The water came out as a thick stream into the bath and Parker allowed it to heat up for a minute as she took the time to take our her toiletries and place them on the rim of the tub. She had a small bottle of shampoo and conditioner; they didn’t match, but Parker couldn’t care less. The body wash she had was thankfully large so she could keep it for longer, and she even found a couple of razors when they were looking through the cars. She stepped into the shower, hissing at the hot water that licked at her skin, before grabbing a fresh flannel and soaking it. As she did so, she couldn’t help but step right under the shower; letting the water rain down on her and drench her entire body. It had been a long time since she had a proper shower, not since the CDC at least, and she had never been more grateful for one in her life. Especially after the last few stressful days.

There was still no sign of Sophia, but Daryl hadn’t given up hope. The others were in teams scouring the areas of the woods Rick had assigned for them, whilst Daryl took off on his own. Again. Parker didn’t try to protest this time. She knew that after their encounter in the abandoned house that Daryl preferred to be alone when tracking. She was just too stubborn to realise it. Now she would only offer help when he seemed desperate, and that morning he was perfectly fine to go out on his own without back up, so she never offered. Sadly, Daryl didn’t seem to have much of a reaction to her not going with him, making her chest ache. She didn’t know what it was that she felt for Daryl. They weren’t exactly friends, more like acquaintances, but she felt something else brewing inside her yet she had no idea what to do about it. Daryl wasn’t like any other guy she had met. He was awkward around her, or angry, and preferred his own company to other people’s. She was used to confidant Michigan guys who would hang around in groups and chat up women any chance they got. But Daryl? She could never see him chat a girl up, the very thought almost made her laugh.

Parker realised she was wasting precious time and quickly squirted some body wash onto the flannel, rubbing it over her dirty skin and watching in satisfaction as the muddy brown water that came off slowly started to seep away, leaving nothing but the fresh, clean smell of citrus. Once she was clean she started shampooing her freshly cut hair and smiled at how nice it felt to wash. It was easier and less time consuming, and she knew that would come in handy in the future. After scrubbing her scalp raw she washed the residue away and started on the conditioner, leaving it in for a few minutes as she picked up one of the razors. She ran a hand over her legs that now felt furry after weeks of not being able to shave, and she snorted. It was a wonder how she used to care about hairy legs before this, always wanting smooth skin wherever she went. Now, this was the new normal. But she decided to at least give herself some pampering, and shaved across her legs, her underarms, and between her thighs, feeling fresher and lighter than before. Once the conditioner was rinsed out Parker flipped the shower switch and got out of the tub, grabbing a towel and quickly drying herself. She froze, however, as a knock came from the other side of the door.

“Parker? It’s Carol!” Parker relaxed and wrapped the towel around herself before unlocking the door and opening it to see Carol standing with a bunch of neatly folded clothes in her arms. “Feeling better?” She asked.

“Much better.” Parker sighed, letting herself breath in the body wash that still strongly lingered on her skin. Carol grinned.

“Good. I washed your clothes this morning, so there’s some fresh jeans and underwear here too. I had to get a shirt of Glenn’s though. All the women’s shirts are still drying.” Parker shrugged and thanked her before grabbing the clothes.

“I’ve stolen my brother’s shirts enough times before for him to not even notice. Thank you.” Carol then walked back downstairs, and Parker was left to change. The shirt Carol had found was Glenn’s oversized University t-shirt that he got in his second year. It had ATLANTA STATE across the chest in white lettering, which stood out against the deep navy background, and it was the comfiest shirt Glenn owned. She threw on the underwear and the clothes before putting on her socks and boots, then grabbed her dirty clothes and toiletries and headed back down the stairs. The house was quiet, and Parker wondered if everyone was outside today, before she heard the stable doors being slammed shut. She wandered back to the camp, waving at Dale who was on lookout, then dumped her belongings in her tent. She then grabbed her hunting knife and strapped it to her thigh before making her way over to the stable where Hershel kept his four horses, wanting to see who was in there in the middle of the day.

Parker noticed someone moving inside and slid through the opening in the door, only to see
Hershel inspecting one of the stables that was empty. “Everything alright in here?” She asked softly and the older man turned to her. He looked concerned and that made her heart beat faster. “Hershel, what's wrong?”

“Nelly, one of my horses, she’s gone. Did one of your people take her out this morning?” He asked, leaning his hand on the stable door. Parker frowned and tried to rack her brain, but she didn’t remember seeing anyone come in here.

“I don’t know, I’m sorry. Do you know how long she’s been gone?”

“Maybe a few hours.” He said. “But I need her back, she isn’t fit for the forest, especially if she’s with someone that doesn’t know how to take care of her. She’s called Nervous Nelly for a reason.” Parker nodded.

“I’ll go and look for her.” She said after a moment’s pause. Hershel’s glanced up at her and blinked. “It’s the least I can do, you’ve given us so much here already.”

“Are you sure that's a good idea?” Hershel asked. “It’ll be dark soon.” Parker nodded with as much confidence as she could muster.

“Yeah, of course. She couldn't have wandered too far away.”

***

Parker was grumbling to herself under her breath an hour and a half later, very much regretting her decision to try and be helpful. She had been blindly stumbling around the woods for too long without finding any sign of a horse, and she was starting to get tired, hungry, and antsy. But most of all, she was starting to get scared. She was a bad tracker, everyone knew that, and being out here along was bad enough...but on her own? That was a whole other story. But what kept her going was that she had somehow managed to find Daryl at the abandoned house the other day, so that had to have meant something. She could find a horse, surely.

The track she was walking down seemed to go on forever and Parker soon had to take a quick break before her ankles gave out. She leaned against a tree and stared up at the late afternoon sun shining down on her. She was barely standing there for a minute before she heard leaves rustling and branches snapping somewhere in the distance. Her head swivelled round before she caught sight of a walker tripping over some rocks from behind her. Parker gulped but grabbed her knife and made her way over to it. The walker snapped its decaying jaw the second it saw her and she winced at the deep growling sound that came from it’s throat. Parker stepped back as its arms lunged for her, then she reached over and grabbed it by the neck, turning her knife over in her hand to get a better grip, then plunged the blade deep into its eye socket. The walker stopped moving and collapsed at her feet, making her stumble backwards.

“Gross.” She whispered to herself as a questionable substance started to ooze from the creature’s bloody socket. She wiped her knife on some leaves, not wanting to dirty her fresh jeans, before putting it into its sheath and carrying on. She managed to find the edge of a small cliff and began to follow it, seeing a waterfall on the other side and assuming the horse may have gone there if it started to get thirsty. However, something else caught her eye as she looked down the cliff. A body was at the bottom, lying in the mud and not moving. It was a man, covered with dirt and blood, with an arrow sticking out just above his left hip. Since it wasn't moving, Parker first assumed it was dead, then she took in the familiar crossbow and checked shirt and she froze.

“Daryl!” Parker’s voice echoed throughout the canyon and she felt her throat close up as Daryl still didn’t move. “DARYL!” Nothing. “Shit, shit, shit, shit!” Parker quickly ran through the woods, trying to find a safe way down the cliff to where Daryl was lying, and eventually found a slope that wasn’t too steep. She carefully stepped down, gripping onto a nearby branch, and pulled herself down, holding onto the trees so she wouldn’t fall. She would glance at Daryl’s lifeless body every few seconds, hoping to god that he would start to move or at least make a sound to indicate to her that he was alive. Parker managed to slide down the last few meters of the cliff, skidding to a halt at the bottom and rolling onto the sandy floor that was attached to a large pool of water. She shook off the dirt and pushed her aching body forward, ignoring the burning in her lungs and the aches in her legs. She dropped to her knees at Daryl’s side and took his face in her hands. His eyes were slowly opening and closing and she sighed in relief. He was alive at least.

“Jesus, Daryl? Can you hear me?” She asked, gently slapping his cheek to try and wake him. There was a deep cut on his forehead and blood was pouring out of it, and she couldn’t even bring herself to look at the arrow stuck in his side. The blood covering his shirt was enough to let her know how bad it was. Suddenly, his mouth opened, and Parker waited for him to speak.

“I ain’t nobody’s bitch.” Daryl whispered. His voice was scratchy and hoarse, but Parker still heard him. And she frowned.

“Wait, what?” She didn’t have time to ask anything else as a growl erupted from behind her and she was pushed down to the dirt. She let out a scream as the walker snapped at her, reaching down with its long, dirty nails and practically foaming at the mouth. She tried to kick the walker away, but it seemed to have pinned her down, also meaning that she couldn’t reach her knife properly. She gripped the walker’s tattered shirt with one hand, pushing it as far away from her as she could, before trying to reach down and get the knife without losing her grip. The walker suddenly lunged and she felt her arm buckle under its weight and she screamed again, clamping her eyes shut, just as something whizzed through the air and the walker instantly stilled. Parker opened her eyes to come face to face with an arrow head and she breathed out at the realisation that the walker had stopped. She shoved it away from her and fell back against the ground, trying to calm her breathing.

“You alright?” She turned to see Daryl on his knees not too far away. He looked worse for wear, but he had still managed to load his crossbow and for that Parker saw him as her knight in shining armour, not a beaten and bruised red neck.

“Yeah.” She said shakily, propping herself up. “You?”

“Been better.” Daryl shrugged and carefully stood up, throwing his crossbow over his shoulder and stepping in front of the limp walker. He yanked the arrow from its skull and then offered his free hand down to her. Parker took it and let him haul her up. He winced but didn’t seem to falter under her weight, and then stuffed the arrow into his pocket. Then Parker noticed his hip.

“The arrow…” She said, but then saw how bloody the one in his pocket was. He had pulled an arrow out of his hip to save her life. “Jesus, shit! Are you sure you’re okay!?” She asked, reaching out to him. He pulled away with a grunt.

“M’fine.” He said, then looked up at the cliff. “It’ll bind better now anyway.” He said, rather bitterly to Parker’s surprise. He then glanced from the cliff above them back to her and frowned. "How’d you get down here?” He asked. “How’d you find me?”

“Hershel told me one of the horses went missing.” She said, straightening up and rubbing dirt off of her clothes, groaning at how grubby they already were. “So I offered to go find her, then I saw you down here and then he showed up.” She pointed at the walker and sneered at it. “What the hell happened to you anyway?”

“Out lookin’ for the girl. Horse reared up and-”

“You were the one that took Nelly?” Parker exclaimed and Daryl blinked. “Well, Hershel’s gonna be thrilled.” She said sarcastically. Daryl looked away, almost as if he was embarrassed, and Parker winced at her tone.

“Thought I’d cover more ground with the horse.” Daryl said slowly. “Somethin’ spooked it, threw me down here. Got an arrow in the side in the process.”

“Does it still hurt?” She asked, nodding at the wound. Daryl looked down and pulled at his shirt sleeves that he had tied around his waist to try and bandage up the hole. He flinched in pain but sighed once they were tight enough.

“Not really.” He said. Parker nodded and then looked back up at the ridge.

“Okay. We gotta get going. It’s going to get dark and being stuck out here is not on my list of things to do today.” She said. Daryl looked at her through his lashes, head still hung down.

“Did that list include finding me?” He asked bravely. Parker felt her cheeks burn and she cleared her throat.

“I didn’t think I’d need to find you. Or rescue you.” Daryl scoffed, the sudden tension between them disappearing almost instantly.

“I don’t need rescuin’.” He said.

“You can be macho later, okay? Once we’re back on the farm and away from this stinking pond.” Parker said sternly and that seemed to shut him up.

“Lead the way.” Daryl said, swinging his arm up at the cliff. Parker searched around the cliff until she saw a slope that led upwards, surrounded by thick trees and bushes.

“There. Come on.” She headed towards the slope, hearing Daryl limp behind her, and started to climb, reaching her hand down for him to take. Daryl stared at it, but when she raised her eyebrows in encouragement, he firmly took it and pulled himself up. It took them a long time, what with Daryl’s injured hip and Parker’s lack of strength and constant slipping, but soon enough, the pair were just a few meters away from the top of the ridge. Parker scrambled up, then rolled onto her back and let out a breath, before reaching over and lying on her stomach to hold out her hand to Daryl again.

“I can do it.” He said with a huff and started pulling his aching body up the hill, gripping a branch until his knuckles were white. Parker rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, yanking him forward with full force. What she hadn’t anticipated was for him to fall directly on top of her. Daryl hissed in pain and Parker reached down at the same time as he did to put pressure on his wound. They both stared at it, before staring back at each other. Silence hit the two of them like a ton of bricks and Parker swallowed.

“Daryl?” She asked quietly. He grunted. “I, I can’t get up.” He paused then quickly shuffled off of her onto the floor, rolling up onto his feet and rubbing his nose with the back of his hand, clearing his throat and coughing. Parker wanted to say she didn’t notice the red tinting his cheeks, but she did, and she enjoyed every second of it.

***

“So where did you find the doll?” She asked as they neared the clearing that led to the farm, which they could see up in the distance. Daryl instinctively clutched the soggy and dirty toy doll, that once had red hair and a bright yellow dress, but was now grey and torn.

“Near the water. I guessed it was Sophia's and went for it.” He said, patting the doll and securing it to his belt. “Stopped the horse and grabbed it, got back up and that’s when the horse freaked out and threw me down again. All for a damn toy.” Parker couldn’t help but laugh and he frowned at her. “What’s so funny?” His tone was angry, but laced with curiosity.

“It’s just, I nearly got shot by a crossbow the other day, and came back with a flower. You got thrown down a cliff and came back with a toy.” Parker smiled, shaking her head. “We’re not very good hunters, are we?” Daryl snorted.

“S’pose not.” Parker looked at him, shocked that for once he didn’t argue with her. The two entered the clearing and blinked at the blinding sun that was slowly starting to set. Daryl was still limping and covered in dirt and blood, which Parker realised wasn’t the best way to return to camp. She however didn’t look that much better. Her clothes were sticky with mud and murky water and her hair was sticking to her jaw and forehead. She realised Daryl was staring at her head and she side eyed him.

“You alright there?” She asked teasingly and he looked away. “It’s the hair, isn’t it.” She smirked.

“It’s short.” Daryl said and Parker tried not to laugh.

“Yeah, it is. Lori cut it this morning.” Daryl nodded, rubbing at his face which hadn’t seemed to have gone back to normal from it’s pink flush just yet.

“It’s safer. Good call.” He said gruffly and Parker just remained silent, picking up the pace once the RV came into view. Andrea and Dale were sat on top, and she noticed them look their way. She waved her hand slightly, but got no response. “Parker?”

She whipped her head around, realising that Daryl had said something else to her and she coughed. “Sorry, what did you say?”

“I said, it suits you.” He mumbled and Parker blinked up at him. She felt her feet stop but Daryl kept on walking, until he realised she wasn’t at his side. “What?” He asked, looking round at her. Parker’s lips grew into the prettiest smile Daryl had ever seen and he suddenly felt dizzy.

“Thank you.” Parker practically whispered. She looked at her hands, that had started fiddling absentmindedly, then looked up at him. “Look, Daryl-” A shot from behind Daryl rang out and before Parker could blink she felt a stinging sensation in her ear and on the side of her head. Daryl stared in horror as Parker’s eyes rolled back and she collapsed at his feet. Shouts came from behind him but he didn’t listen, instead he crouched over her and shook her shoulders.

“Parker! Park!” He yelled, tapping her face like she had done to him not so long ago, but when he got no response his heart started racing. He suddenly felt something warm and wet drip onto his hand and he lifted it to see a small pool of blood was forming, and it was coming from Parker’s head. He heard her brother’s shouts and he turned to see Rick, Shane, T-Dog and Glenn sprinting towards them. Rick had turned and started frantically waving his arms at the RV, screaming “No, stop!” over and over again. Daryl looked back at Parker and nearly fainted when he saw that his left hand was now drenched in her blood. He felt adrenaline rush through his veins and he moved his arms so one was underneath the back of her knees and the other behind her shoulders, and he lifted her up to his chest just as Glenn arrived.

“Parker!” He was yelling, tears streaming down his face. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!” He nearly collapsed at the sight of his sister’s blood seeping onto Daryl’s shirt and he gripped her limp hand. “You’re gonna be alright, okay? I promise.” He said and he looked up at Daryl. “Let me take her, you’re hurt, I’m faster!”

“Just get Hershel, I got her.” Daryl instructed, hoisting her closer and taking off towards the farmhouse. Glenn, not being able to do much else but follow his orders, sprinted ahead, screaming Hershel’s name, all while repeating the same mantra in his head. Not her. Not her. Please God, not her.

Notes

Comments

Still here! Yes excited for season 8! July 21st first sneak peak of it!! Love this story!!

Loul461 Loul461
7/7/17

Wow!! Other than Herschel getting hurt, that was great!! Thank you for the updated chapter and hope you keep doing it!! You are a great writer!!

JetCmoon JetCmoon
4/10/17

Yay youre back ! Cant wait to see where it goes now!

Loul461 Loul461
4/10/17

yayy you're back

milouuu milouuu
3/20/17

I'm so glad you're back, I've missed this story! :)

daniellarose daniellarose
3/19/17