Cherokee Rose

The world was in complete chaos as the dead walked around, basically controlling everything. It amazed me how in the time frame of just a few months that everything could turn into a big pile of shit. Frowning, I made my way through the tall bushes of grass, hoping like hell that no dead corpse was lurking in the shadows somewhere, waiting to strike me and feed off my flesh. A train of shivers went down my spine as I thought about becoming one of them. I'd done so well to avoid them all together.

Everyone I knew was dead. Everyone I cared about was dead. At least, I was thinking they were. At the time that everything happened I had been visiting my folks two towns away from where I lived. Needless to say, my entire family turned into those flesh eaters, and that left me alone. All I wanted to do was get back to my ex boyfriend, who I knew could protect me. He and I had been off and on for over two years. My family hated him because of was eight years older than me, and didn't have a respectable job in their eyes. I loved him because he had the I don't give a fuck attitude around everyone else, but with me he was different. He wasn't as harsh, nor was he as much of an asshole. He was just himself, and at times he could be extremely sweet.

I moved quickly upon hearing some rustling in the leaves. The only weapon I had left was a bat with some nails in the end of it. It looked like something straight out of a horror movie, but it worked well if one of those things came charging at you. I heard the rustling of the leaves again and then quickly hid behind a tree, hearing panting and breathing heavy. Licking over my lips, I peered around a tree and saw a blond woman collapse on the ground, her breathing was very heavy and she looked exhausted.

I waited for a few minutes, closely watching her for any signs of infection before I stepped forward, revealing myself to see. Her eyes widened and then she breathed out with relief before she started coughing as if she had smoked an entire pack of cigarettes. I looked around for someone who may be with her, or worse a walker who may be following her, but I saw no one. Standing still, and quiet for a few minutes I listened for a sound, but none came, which pleased me. She was alone.

"Are you alone?" I asked, making sure that my assumption was not wrong.

She nodded, "I got rid of them," she said, still breathing heavy. "Fuck, they were so many but I finally got rid of them," she said.

At this moment I noticed that there was some sort of sack on her back, and from the position I was standing I could see that a gun was hanging out of it. It looked like a shot gun, but I couldn't be sure. I wasn't the best in the world at guns. Walking over, I extended my hand and helped this blond up, figuring that she and I could be some sort of help to one another. She breathed in deeply, and then looked at me, half smiling as she did so.

"I'm Andrea," she said to me, a grin coating over her plump lips.

"Calli," I murmured softly, as I stared at her.

"Are you traveling in a group?"

"No," I shook my head, "It's just me." I looked at her, and wondered the same question, "Are you in a group?"

"I was before they abandoned me," she huffed, "The farm got invaded."

The two of us made small talk as we walked, not wanting to stand in one spot for two long. As night fell we knew we would need shelter soon. I was already wet, cold, and hungry, and I knew Andrea had to be too. Just as I was about to suggest we settle down for the night I saw smoke and flames in the distance. I looked over at Andrea and she seemed to be thinking the same thing that I was. It was more survivors, possibly the group which had left her behind.

Somehow seeing the flames gave us energy to step our game up and move even faster through the forest. The closer we got to the flames the louder the voices got. I noticed that Andrea had a smile on her face when a certain person would speak. I didn't really recognize any voices, and then all of a sudden I heard a voice that I recognized.

"I'm with Rick," said the voice of my past. The voice I'd been longing for.

I breathed in deeply and took off running. Andrea was keeping up with me. I didn't care how long I'd have to run. I heard his voice. It wasn't something I could mistake. My ears couldn't be playing a prank on me. No one could sound like that but him, not even my imagination.

Breaking through a patch of brushes I saw a young Asian boy looking at me. He raised his weapon and then when Andrea came out behind me he relaxed and rushed over to where she was standing, embracing her in a hug. I didn't even care about their reunion. I kept walking forward and then walked around what looked like a big stone wall and peeked my head inside where all the voices were coming from. My heart stopped when I saw him.

Everyone's eyes went over to me when they heard the reunion of Andrea and the Asian boy. I sucked in a deep breath when I looked over and saw Daryl sitting down, a woman with Grey short hair sitting extremely close to him. His face was priceless. His blue eyes looked stunned, and his mouth was gaping open.

"Who are you?" A man asked, raising a gun to my face.

I panicked, but then Daryl stood up and told him to take down his gun. The man listened as Daryl walked closer to me. His face was not one I could read easy. I'd never been able to read him easy. He walked towards me slowly, people behind him whispering what he was doing, and who I was. I swallowed hard when he stood no more than a foot in front of me.

"You been bit?" he asked. I shook my head, still not speaking. "Scratched?"

"I'm not infected," I breathed out softly.

Andrea came around from behind me and explained everything that she had been through, and then finding me. The entire time she talked Daryl's crystal eyes never left mine. I breathed in softly, and then leaned against the stone. The Grey haired woman approached him and then asked what was going on. He shunned her off, and then walked closer to me, licking over his lips. I didn't know what to expect of him right now. We were off in our relationship, but he had to be happy I was alive, right?

"How did you make it out of there, Calli?" he mumbled softly, raising his hand up to touch my hair.

I breathed in once again, and instead of saying anything I walked straight into his arms, not caring if he wanted me there or not. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his neck. He didn't hug me back, which scared me a bit. Did he not love me anymore? Did he not care? I knew we had gotten into a fight over me making the trip to visit my folks alone, but I didn't think he would hold that against me.

"You're not even going to hug me back," I mumbled into the skin of his neck.

"I thought you were dead," he muttered, and then I felt his head shift. "She's my," he stalled wondering what he could call me, "girlfriend."

I breathed out softly, and then wrapped my arms tighter around him, and finally he did the same. We had been broken up, and I expected him to call me his ex girlfriend to the group, but hearing him say girlfriend made me ecstatic. I moved away from his neck and then smiled as I leaned in and kissed his lips. He was never one for a big public display of affection, but he did kiss me back. He'd always said public displays of affection made him look weak.

"Girlfriend?" the Grey haired woman from behind us muttered, and then walked away from the group, mumbling something about him being a careless asshole.

"What was that about?" I questioned, looking up into his eyes.

"Carol thinks Daryl and her have something going on," Andrea stated, and then smiled at me, and then looked at Daryl, "She's a strong chick."

I didn't know why she would say that. It's not like she knew me before the forest meeting. She'd never saw me kill anyone or do anything that would require strength, though I suppose anyone that was a survivor right now was strong. Daryl still hadn't said much as we departed. He walked over to a motorcycle and I followed him. He was leaning against the tree it was parked near, and I was standing in front of him self conscious as hell, crossing my arms over my chest.

"How did you make it out of there alive?" he questioned. "Nothing was left. I saw it with my own eyes."

"I mostly just hid in the shadows," I mumbled softly, shrugging a bit. "I didn't make much noise, and I stayed away from everything and everyone. Moved mostly in the dark, and kept to places I knew a lot about."

"How the hell did you get here?"

"I found a car out on the road that left food and supplies for some Sophia girl," I mumbled softly, "I knew there had to be survivors so I went into the forest, and then I found Andrea."

He breathed out softly, and then nodded his head. I didn't ask how he got to be with these people. I also didn't ask where his brother was. Daryl would tell me everything in time, and right now it was not the time for him to talk about it. I was just glad the two of us had found each other once again. A smile slowly curved into his lips as he stepped forward, this time he embraced me, and held me close to him.

I looked into his eyes, and he looked into mine. The staring was intense, and then he leaned down and placed a kiss upon my lips that only Daryl Dixon was capable of. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and tangled my fingers in between the locks of his hair. His tongue slowly came in and devoured mine for the most passionate kiss of my life. When I pulled away from him I was blushing, and smiled back at him before leaning in and burying my face between his neck and shoulder.

"I saw a Cherokee Rose and my first thought was you," he murmured softly, kissing my temple as he held me in his arms.

I knew that no matter what happened that everything would be alright now. I was no longer alone. I had someone I cared about, and I planned on keeping him around. If we could both manage to survive without one another, then I knew keeping each other alive now would be a piece of cake.