Black Roses

Rose’s wild tresses spilled over her shoulders as she bent her knees onto the dewy meadow. She couldn’t process what was happening to a place that she fought so hard for. This human feeling of attachment. She just didn’t understand how much it pained her to see her outer courtyard infested with zombies. While Daryl, from a distance, watched the fiery warrior fall to her knees as she stared up to the cloudless sky. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think that Rose was questioning God.

As Daryl approached the female who held herself as if she had no worries, totally relaxed and in the zone despite the bullets flying around her, his heart was unsteady. A rush of emotions overcame him. He missed her so much that he wanted to squeeze the hell out of her. But he was wary. Rose was usually unpredictable.

As he neared the love of his life, he noticed that the way the light hit her high cheekbones had created strong dark shadows and caused her face to appear sharp and almost lethal. And then the way her rosy lips narrowed into a thin line that was recognized as an action she did when she thought, before splitting into a sadistic grin that scared and thrilled Daryl at the same time. The way her hair whipped about, caught in the maelstrom of war and casting her head in a fiery halo, appearing to ripple about her like blood that she had shed.

Suddenly, her stormy multi-colored eyes zeroed in on her targets. Her pupils narrowing with concentration before blowing wide at the excitement and adrenaline that came with blood and death. It was only mere moments ago that walkers were enclosing Rose. The next moment revealed decapitated walkers forming a neatly handmade circle around the female warrior. Daryl bit his lips, unsure if it was safe to approach the redhead assassin.

There was no doubt that she was an assassin. A trained assassin. The perfect killing machine. The way she walked, shoulders back with her long sharp swords in between her shoulder blades. The way her feet padded lightly through blood and various body parts. Just stepping over fingers and arms as though she were stepping over pebbles and fallen branches in the forest, with such casualness and ease that it set nerves on edge and hearts skipping. Daryl knew her victims were doomed the moment she locked eyes on them. She seemed so calm, so sure of herself and her blades despite the modern technology around her. Sure of her life, of her prey’s death.

“Hot damn. I would’ve come sooner if I knew this chick was like this.” Merle snapped Daryl out of his daze. Rose was now in the inner prison yard as she embraced Hershel and exchanged some words with the others.

Daryl sighed, glancing over to his older brother. “I’d keep my mouth shut if I was you. You’re already on shaky grounds.”

“What the hell is he doing here?” Glenn spat out when Merle sauntered into the inner courtyard with his brother ahead of him. Daryl just didn’t want to deal with the animosity between his brother and the rest of the group. He just wanted to talk to Rose. But it seems that Rose was completely oblivious to Daryl and Merle’s arrivals or just didn’t care. Daryl’s heart sank as he watched Rose disappeared into the prison building.

Rose had to check on Judith. She was left unattended inside when Maggie came outside to assist the group. But when Rose came up the stairs to see the little box cradle, Judith was sleeping. Her tiny eyelids were closed, oblivious to the chaos occurring all around her. Rose smiled, heading into her cell to grab formula. It was almost time for Judith’s feeding.

After the formula was mixed, Rose exited the cell only to run into a solid barrier. Her right hand grabbed the tan-greenish fabric to steady herself. Big manly hands shot out to grip her arms, steadying Rose. His scent was almost intoxicating as Rose’s eyes trailed upwards to meet Daryl’s dark blue eyes. It was an incredibly intimate embrace. Daryl’s lips parted as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t. She was just so close to him that he couldn’t think straight. Rose raised her eyebrow, “Daryl? What are you doing up here?”

“Rose…” Daryl quietly whispered, reaching up to tuck a stray curl behind her ear. He never noticed how short Rose was compared to him. She always walked with her head up high that it just seems that she was taller than she really was. “I came to see you.”

Daryl watched how Rose’s pupils grew bigger as she processed Daryl’s words. Her blue eye became lighter and lighter yet her green eye became darker. There were so much unspoken words between them that they just didn’t know where to begin. Rose’s hand was still on Daryl’s chest, feeling the heartbeats. “Rose said we’re not leaving.”

Rick’s voice interrupted their moment as it drifted upstairs. Judith began to fuss again, ready for her bottle. Rose backed away from Daryl, biting her lips. Hershel’s voice protested, “We can't stay here. What if there's another sniper? A wood pallet won't stop one of those rounds.”

Rose picked up Judith into her arms, taking a seat on the top of the staircase. She saw Merle behind a locked door as the group convened together. Beth spoke up, “We can't even go outside.”

“Not in the daylight.” Carol responded. Rose sighed as she bottle fed Judith. She just didn’t know why they were still questioning her decision.

“Rose and Rick says we're not running,” That familiar southern drawl defended her. Rose glanced over to see Daryl leaning over the balcony fence, peering down to talk to the group. “We're not running.”

“No, better to live like rats.” Merle scoffed, deciding to join in the conversation.

Rick retorted, “You got a better idea?”

“Yeah, we should have slid out of here earlier and lived to fight another day,” Merle shrugged. “But we lost that window, didn't we? I'm sure he's got scouts on every road out of this place by now.”

“We ain't scared of that prick.” Daryl’s voice rang through the cell block. Beth was coming up the stairs, smiling at Rose. She sat on a step that was two levels lower from where Rose was sitting to play with Judith.

“Y'all should be. That truck through the fence thing, that's just him ringing the doorbell. We might have some thick walls to hide behind, but he's got the guns and the numbers. And if he takes the high ground around this place, shoot, he could just starve us out if he wanted to.” Merle warned.

“Let's put him in the other cell block.” Maggie snapped, glaring at Merle. Rose stole a glance over at Daryl who seemed desolate. It must be hard to deal with the situation between his brother and the group.

“No. He's got a point.” Rose finally interceded, defending Merle. Daryl was stunned. He didn’t expect that Rose would actually stick up for Merle or take Daryl’s side.

“This is all you,” Maggie glared at Merle, choosing to ignore Rose. “You started this.”

“What difference whose fault it is?” Merle dryly responded.

Beth, who was listening intently to the conversation as she played peekaboo with Judith even though Judith probably wasn’t old enough to care about peekaboo. “What do we do?”

“I said we should leave. Now Axel's dead. We can't just sit here,” Hershel piped in. Rick ran his hand through his hair, feeling the insanity creeping back in. He had to get out of there. “Get back here! You're slipping, Rick. We’ve all seen it. We understand why. But now is not the time. You once said this isn't a democracy. Now you have to own up to that. I put my family's life in your hands. So get your head clear and do something.”

“HEY!” Rose stood up abruptly, frightening Judith and everybody else along with it. She wasn’t the kind of person to raise her voice. The infant screeched out of fear which caused Rose to visibly calm down and adjust the child so she can pat her back. “Let Rick go. Hershel… it isn’t a democracy. I’m in charge here and if I hear about you wanting to leave again, I’d make you leave without us.”
Daryl glanced over at Rose. He wondered once again… how much did he miss out? It’s only been days however it seems that a lot happened. Rick apparently lost it. And Rose apparently finally took full control. Rose glared at the group, handing Judith over to Beth as she made an exit to go after Rick. As soon Rose said to let him go, Rick bolted. The group were in stunned silence. Rose had never raised her voice… ever.

Carl went after both Rick and Rose. He remembered the conversation he had with Rose before the shooting occurred. Your father’s under a tremendous amount of pressure… I know the feelings too well. The young boy snuck outside, seeing his father scanning the surroundings. Rick’s voice sounded stern, “You shouldn’t be out here.”

Rose leaned back against the prison wall, seeing the young boy next to her. Carl shrugged, meeting eyes with Rose before answering Rick, “I’m a good shot.”

“Yes, you are.” Rick gently complimented his son, still checking for snipers. Rose and Carl nodded at each other like if they were having a mental conversation.

“Hey, Dad?” Carl whispered, feeling Rose’s hand squeezing his shoulder to support him. Rick turned his attention onto his son, seeing that he was nervous. “If I say something, will you promise not to be mad?”

Rick eyed Rose and Carl. He was grateful. So grateful that Rose was here. He didn’t know how he would cope without Rose… Rose was there for him. She took care of his children. His wife… and his group. Even if it was against everything that she had been taught. He owed so much to her. “I won’t get mad.”

“You should stop.” Carl blurted out.

Rick’s eyebrows furrowed together, unsure what Carl meant. “Stop what?”

“I think Carl’s asking you to stop being the leader.” Rose simply responded, explaining what Carl meant. They already had this conversation earlier about Rick. I think Dad’s not getting over Mom. I think he needs time to himself. Carl glanced up to her, nodding to confirm that she was correct.

“Let Rose handle things,” Carl insisted. “You deserve a rest.”

Rose backed out, heading back into the prison. Rick and Carl needed some time alone together without her being involved. She sighed as she unlocked the cell block, walking past Merle. Merle was sitting on an indoors picnic table while Michonne was exercising and Carol was folding blankets.

“So you’re Rose,” Merle grinned, watching the redhead heading over to Carol. Rose’s hair was getting long. It was nearly to her waist. Merle liked how the jeans she wore seems like second skin, hugging her curves and that simple grey V-neck t-shirt shows just enough to make a man’s imagination run rampant. “Let’s not pretend you don’t hear me girlie.”

The redhead tossed her hair back as she looked over her shoulder, narrowing her eyes at Merle. Her eyes were a bit weird but Merle could make do with it. Her body twisted around so she was completely facing Merle. Rose watched Merle disgustingly lick his lips and winked. Does he really think that was a turn-on? Carol eyed the older Dixon, unsure what Rose was going to do. Suddenly Rose pulled her hunting knife out of its thigh sheath as she walked over to Merle. Michonne hopped up to her feet, unsure what the hell was happening. Carol and Michonne held their breath, hoping that they won’t have to intervene.

Rose’s hunting knife slammed down beside Merle’s leg, catching his pant fabric as she drove the metal through the metal picnic table. It had to take a huge amount of strength to actually drive that knife through. But she did it. Rose leaned down to level her eyes to his eyes. She smelled that old stagnant chewing tobacco smell from his mouth. Merle’s eyes were wide open because he didn’t expect that this redhead would be just freaking insane. Her voice came out like a hiss, “Don’t you ever fucking call me girlie again. If it was up to me, I’d have your head up on a post and feed the zombies with the rest of your body. I’ll never forgive you for what you did to Maggie and Glenn.”

The sound of metal rubbing against other metals filled the air as Rose pulled out her knife, leaving behind three very shocked people in the cell block. She needed to just go to her room and cool off. But there he was. Daryl was in her cell with his face in his hands. Rose opened the door, taking a deep breath. She didn’t want to deal with this right now. Not another Dixon brother.

“Daryl… what are you doing here?” Rose heaved a sigh as she leaned onto her desk that she took from the administration building. Daryl glanced up, giving her a half smile. She noticed that his hair was getting long too. It wisped around his face and that sharp jawline. God. Rose needs to stop thinking about how he looked like. It’s weird. Daryl, on the other hand, ravished Rose with his eyes. The dark wash jeans that Carol must’ve gave Rose fits her perfectly.

Nothing else really changed. She still wore her black leather combat boots and her grey t-shirt. Two black leather handles that belonged to Rose’s sturdy katanas stuck out behind her shoulders and black straps ran over her chest making a “X.” She still was heavily armed like the first day that Daryl ever laid eyes on this beauty. A calf strap that held a small army knife. Then black straps on both of her incredibly muscled but lean thighs, held hunting knives and line of extra bullets surrounding it. A gun holster belt with a Glock G17 and a Smith & Wesson Model 59 guns on both sides of her hips. Yet she was more beautiful than the first day he met her.

“I was waiting for you to come back.” Daryl was quiet, hoping that nobody could hear him speaking to Rose. Nobody was on the second floor of the block. They were interrupted earlier by Rick. “I… god Rose. When I’m alone, I think of so many things to say to you, but when I have a chance to tell you, I go speechless.”

Rose folded her arms on her chest and her steely mask was covering her true emotions. He hurt her. He left. But god… He had beautiful eyes, the kind you can get lost in, and she did. She got lost in him, and it was the kind of lost that’s exactly like being found. Yet she was afraid to love. It scared her. She was the type that likes things that are concrete. Something that she could point to and know what it was… and that’s why she struggled with love. She couldn’t touch it. Rose watched as Daryl bit his lip, unsure how to begin. He wished there was a way that he could figure out what was going on inside that beautiful mind of hers.

“Look… sometimes we need to stop analyzing the past, stop planning the future, stop figuring out precisely how we feel, stop deciding exactly what we want, and just see what happens.” Daryl blurted out.

“But you left,” Rose dryly responded, refusing to let her mask fall apart. “You’re the one that decided. Without me.”

Daryl’s heart skipped as he remembered how a flash of fleeting sadness ran across Rose’s face when he announced that he was leaving with Merle. And even now… he could see Rose’s eyebrows furrowing together. “Baby… it was a mistake. The biggest mistake I’ve ever made and also a mistake that I’ll never make again. I never want to be apart from you like that again.”

“You were never supposed to mean this much to me; I was never supposed to fall so hard.” Rose’s lips wavered and she rubbed her arms to try console herself. She was just so frightened by the concept that somebody loved her and she loved him in return.

Daryl’s arms reached out to pull Rose’s waist towards him as he stood up. He never wanted to let her go again. There was no more letting her disappear. There was no more letting fear to hold them back. “There isn’t one person in this world that I want more than I want you.”

“But you could’ve had anything else in the world… and yet you asked for me." Rose smiled up at him. Filthy as he was, covered in blood and dirt, he was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

"But I don't want anything else in the world.”