Chapter Text
Look there wasn’t much Rose expected out of the world the second she woke up. One thing however was waking up where she had fallen asleep.
Was that too much to ask of the world?
Obviously, it was because when she opened her eyes this morning she wasn’t in her bed. Hell, she wasn’t even lying down. Rose was on all fours, her hands gripping the leaves of the forest floor as if they would stabilize her. The dirt got underneath her fingernails and her chest heaved up and down as if she had been running. Something in her lungs burned and her vision spun.
She tried to speak, maybe a slew of curses or something similar. Words didn’t come but instead blood. She coughed and watched the splatter of crimson rain on the brown leaves and the tops of her pale-looking fists. Fear pierced her body like a bucket of cold water being poured into her. There were so many questions and so few answers.
She tried to retrace her steps. However, nothing stuck out to her about the day. If anything she had been yelled at by her boss that morning, and that night she had watched the season finale of the walking dead. She had run into no witches and touched no glowing orbs. She never even saw a cursed image or wronged a mysterious stranger
Despite her fear, despite the amount of time, she would need to figure this all out the world continued on. Someone was walking toward her. She heard their footsteps. She hoped she could speak through whatever blood replaced her words. Still gripping the forest floor in a way that really didn’t help she looked up at the stranger.
Strange indeed
The stranger she had been hoping to call an ambulance or even help her themselves was not… well not what she expected. She wasn’t one to judge people at all but when their flesh was decaying from their skin she drew the line.
Screams bubbled out of her throat as she scrambled away from the Zombie sprinting toward her.
She tried to stand and run but her legs were like jelly and she couldn’t get away fast enough. Its growling only got louder. She flipped making leaves fly around her as she realized she’ll have to kill it.
It fell on top of her. She used whatever strength she had to flip them. Her hands reached for a convenient rock nearby and started smashing its head in. The smell was indescribable. The feeling of thick rotting blood splattering her was gut-turning. Underneath her prehistoric weapon, she could feel the crack and crunch of the human skull not quite mushy enough to take little effort.
All the strength left her body, as she shakily dropped the rock. She stared down at the dead man- or what was left of him.
Another growl came somewhere behind her and she realized that she didn’t save enough strength for another fight… was this how she died? Or maybe woke up? She felt the weight of consciousness that one could only feel while awake. She turned toward the sky, closing her eyes and accepting her fate hoping this was all a bad dream… knowing it probably wasn’t.
With her eyes closed, she heard the distinct sound of an arrow being propelled through the air. It sounded as it did in the shows and movies. A slight twang, and then the growling stopped as a squelching noise told her someone had shot the Zombie
She opened her eyes and turned to see… Norman Reedus?
No… he was younger, he wore odd clothing, and looked like he had been trekking the woods for a while. His hair was shorter and he looked suspiciously at her… this wasn’t her favorite actor… no it was her favorite character, Daryl Dixon.
"You bit?" He asked
She was so overwhelmed. On one hand, she was ecstatic to be meeting the celebrity in person. On the other, she had just smashed a zombie's head in. She had blood on her face from the splatter and her stomach turned from the smell of dead flesh in the air. It stuck to her like a disgustingly warm and wet blanket.
She must have taken too long to answer because he snapped his fingers
"You bit?" He repeated
Rose looked down at herself. Unsure of how to answer. She felt no pain but adrenaline and shock still coursed through her body and she doubted she would feel anything small… but a bite would really hurt wouldn’t it? What a silly mindset she was in now, it almost made her laugh but she didn’t want to taste the thick blood splatter that was on her lips.
"Aint gon ask again girl," he growled pointing his newly reloaded crossbow at her head
She wiped her mouth from the blood "No," she answered
Her words came out shaky- no… everything was shaking not just her voice.
"Got a camp," Daryl said lowering his weapon "If ya ain’t bit they’ll take ya in, let ya clean up at least," Daryl said gesturing to all of her
Rose looked at him. It must be early in the apocalypse if he was so trusting. Not only that but he looked like how he did in the first episode.
"I…" she expected the words to come free flowing without much thought but nothing came. Her ears rang and she felt like collapsing into sobs of extreme stress. She might have if she wasn’t so frozen.
Daryl walked over apparently deeming her not a threat. He reached down to the walker he killed and stole his arrow back from its temple. He put it in the bag on his shoulder that was acting as a quiver. She noted that in the show he only used the arrows kept on his crossbow… but in reality that wasn’t enough was it?
He outstretched his hand to her and she looked around for something he might want. Maybe a stray arrow- the rock perhaps?
"Come on," he shook his hand impatiently before she realized she was being silly. She took his hand, letting him haul her to her feet and off of the dead man she had been straddling
"Thank you," She managed to stutter out
He nodded and pointed a direction "Bout 2 miles from here," he said
She stared down at the endless forest. If she was here did that mean she was in Georgia?
"You’re not coming with me?" She asked turning back to him
He looked hesitant. He must have realized she would get lost- or maybe run into more walkers because he nodded "I’ll take ya,"
She followed him silently. His eyes were on the horizon of their surroundings. If she had to compare him to anything it would be a pirate watching the seas for Sirens. Constantly aware and ready to plug his ears and bark orders to his crew.
She had never seen someone so concentrated on walking. Though she had never been in the woods with walkers before either.
"You been out here a while?"
His voice startled her. His concentration was unbroken despite his speaking
"Um.. maybe?" Rose mumbled
He took his eyes off the trees and dug through his bag which she thought held only arrows. He did not pull out his ammo instead he handed her a round camouflage canteen. It was newish and she knew someone must have given it to him recently. She thought of Carol and Ed with their early start of survival supplies.
"Drink, I ain’t carrying ya if you pass out," Daryl said
She nodded and took the canteen. The second the first droplet of water hit her lips she realized how thirsty she was. Her throat had burned just as her lungs had when she woke up. She didn’t mind that she probably looked like fish gulping down his water. When she had finished she capped it and handed him back the nearly empty canteen
"Sorry… I guess I haven’t drank anything in a while," Rose said embarrassedly
"Whaddya mean guess?" He asked, not minding his water being claimed
"Um," She reached her hand up to the back of her head as a heartbeat-like pain thumped
"I think I hit my head?" She said
His eyes continued to stay off the trees and she realized he was staring at her hips. More specifically her belt. She followed his gaze and found two holsters. One for a knife and one for a gun. She had never actually held a real gun.
"Why didn’t ya use that?" He asked
"I… didn’t know I had it," she said frowning. That would have been useful to know
"You don’t know Nothin’?" He asked. Not in a way that it was an insult but rather a genuine question.
"Well not nothing,"
"Whats Yer name?" He asked quizzing her
"Rose Miller," She answered
He nodded "Daryl… Dixon," he added regarding himself
She was glad he told her, she might have used his name on accident without realizing she shouldn’t know it.
"Thank you," she said "For saving me.. and the water… and taking me to your camp,"
Daryl nodded. It wasn’t like he would just leave a woman to die in the woods. Sure he was cold and he didn’t usually like people but that didn’t mean he’d watch them get eaten alive to avoid conversations.
"Yer welcome," he said
She twiddled her fingers anxiously. The walk would take a while and although the water helped, her mind was still reeling. She had been magically transported to the world of the walking dead, she had killed a walker, and among all else… She was in the presence of her favorite character.
Okay… this wasn’t so bad, right? If she had to be around anyone in this world she without a doubt would choose Daryl. Maybe she was out here to make all those readerxdaryl fictions true?
She could laugh at herself for her intrusive thoughts. She was lucky to be alive right now she shouldn’t be pushing it. Daryl was no doubt not interested in her. She smelled like dead or rotten meat and she probably looked like a woman who had been lost in the woods all week. Her hands were still caked in dirt and she knew her hair had twigs and leaves in it.
Something twisted in her gut knowing she had to meet her favorite actor- or at least his face while looking at her worst. Either way, she needed to start digging, if she wasn’t getting out of this world she needed to adapt. One of those included gathering information.
"How long has it been? Since the start?" Rose asked
"About 7 days since evacuations," Daryl said glancing at her in pity
She nodded which meant she had at least 7 days until Rick showed up at the quarry and started the plot. She had 7 days to figure out how to get home.
Her feet ached as if she had been walking for days. Maybe she had been. Or maybe she was sore from being dropped from the heavens into the forest.
"You good?" Daryl asked. Rose nodded confusedly
"Yer swayin’," he said pointing to her feet
"Sorry," she mumbled
Daryl scrunched up his nose at the weird woman. He still wasn’t sure about her something was off about her. For one she didn’t seem to mind that he was a strange man in the woods. Then again he did save her…but he was used to women being on guard around him. This one however seemed to be comfortable- too comfortable like she was an old friend.
He didn’t know how to describe his feelings, all he knew is they were off.
Either way, he watched her sway as she walked, watched her look around the forest in still-present confusion. He didn’t have any food to offer her, she could get some at camp. He worried she might pass out before she could and he’d have to carry her. He wasn’t about to leave her right after saving her. Even though she looked lighter than most of the deer he carried he didn’t want to come into camp with an unconscious woman with half her memories gone.
The walk didn’t take that long. Rose kept asking a few questions and he answered but otherwise, Daryl kept quiet. There was no small talk but she didn’t expect any. He was kinder than she expected him to be. To many fan fictions she guessed made her perception of a real person askew. After all, why would Daryl treat her coldly without knowing anything about her? Then again that meant she could ruin whatever politeness was going on by being weird.
She wondered how long it would take to return to her world if even possible. Would she have to sleep outside? She had read a story where someone jumped into the walking dead world through a portal. Was there a portal somewhere? In that story, she woke up in her tent and had to gain Daryl’s trust. He slept in her tent in the story but Rose didn’t have a tent and she couldn’t ask to share his. For one he was technically a stranger and he shared it with his brother.
Maybe Glenn could get her one? But now that she thought about that sending such a young man into a rotten-infested city for her own needs seemed incredibly selfish.
Daryl glanced at her once in a while when he took his eyes off the direction they were heading. She was thinking hard about something which might not have been weird… but everything about her screamed weird.
"Almost there," Daryl said
Rose nodded "How many people are in camp?" She asked
"Er… 30 give or take," Daryl said. He only knew this because he had to keep track of how many people he had been feeding. He felt kind of like a dick for bringing her to a place he would be robbing and leaving soon. Yet he saved her life so he shouldn’t feel bad right?
Whatever this world was eat or be eaten.
"30?" Rose asked confused. She mentally counted all the characters she knew to be at camp… 19. That wasn’t right, was it? Was she missing anyone? How could she be so off? There should be only 19 people so maybe Daryl was miscounting 30. Same story though how could he be so off-
Oh… the unnamed characters that died when Rick came back to camp for the second time. The herd that ran through the camp killed some of their people. Jesus 11 people? No wonder the night was so hurtful
Daryl glanced at her again to see her frowning as if he told her some really bad news. Maybe she didn’t like people?
"About," Daryl replied
He saw the boulder that he used as a marker and pointed "Just behind that is the camp," he said
They rounded the rock and Rose mentally prepared herself to be met by all the actors. She was most excited to see Glenn. He was one of her favorite characters just after Rick. She nearly gave up on the show after he died but she continued on. She was excited to see Carl but not really this version of him. His teenage version was much more interesting. Participating in wars rather than running off for plot points.
She looked around to see that no one had noticed them yet except for T-dog who was on top of the RV as a gaurd.
"Is she okay?" T-dog asked immediately
"She ain’t bit," Daryl told him
Rose nodded almost forgetting she was covered in walker muck that was too thick and old to be considered blood. T-dog looked concerned but his calling out gathered everyone’s attention.
"Dixon what the hell is this-" Shane came running up with his shotgun. She eyed it. It was much scarier in person despite having a gun strapped to her hip.
Shane stopped mid-step at the sight of her.
"Found her in the woods fightin’ a walker," Daryl explained
"I don’t mean any trouble I swear," Rose said
Something was off about Shane's hesitance. It wasn’t fear it was pure shock. He lifted his hand slightly pointing before it covered his mouth as if he saw a ghost. He must have found his thoughts because he rushed forward toward her.
On instinct, she grabbed Daryl’s arm lightly and hid half her body behind him. She didn’t mean to use him as a shield but if she went into a fight with Shane she was losing. The actor was just as strong as Shane and if he wanted to he could probably crush her head.
He wasn’t a horrible person… he killed Otis, but that was for Carl… and he tried to kill Rick but that was because he was obsessed with Lori and Carl but that had nothing to do with her. Daryl eyed Rose but didn’t move away from her hiding.
Shane looked taken aback and paused again his mouth opening to say something but it was interrupted.
"Aunt Rosy!" A child- no Carl came running up closely followed by Lori. They grabbed her in an unwelcome hug nearly pushing Daryl away. She was so confused this scene reminded her of Rick’s return. Was she Lori’s wife or something? No Carl called her aunt.
Shane joined the hug and she felt her stomach do flips and turns uncomfortably making her nauseous. The hugging and crying were getting too much and she wiggled away from their arms.
"I cant- don’t-" she looked to Daryl for help but he watched with his grip on his crossbow tightly and unhelpful. She wished he would grab her from them and help her but he stayed out of it as any normal stranger would do. She managed to get away from them all looking uncomfortably around. Lori and Carl had tears streaming down their cheeks and Shane still looked shocked with moist eyes.
"Rose, what’s wrong?" Lori asked
"I don't…" she found her mind was spinning again and her stomach kept flipping. She crossed her arms around herself. Her body felt hot and her legs felt like jelly again. The water Daryl gave her only made her hungry and now she could feel every ache in her bones.
"What the hell did you do," Shane spat at Daryl. She glanced at him wondering how this all got turned on him
Daryl backed away "Saved her damn life is what I did, what the hell are ya all crowdin’ her for?" Daryl spat matching his energy. He glanced at Carl who was hugging his mother and crying into her shirt.
"She’s my sister in law," Lori explained. Rose looked at her confused
"And my Fiancé," Shane spat at Daryl
Daryl glanced at her to see she was just as confused. She must not remember them either. She looked down at her hand where a large diamond ring was nestled on her finger and proved to both of them that Shane and Lori weren't lying.
"You guys she going to-" Rose heard Glenn’s voice say among her spinning but then everything went black
Daryl caught Rose as he was closest to her. The others looked at her in shock
"Hey- hey, help," Daryl said. The woman was completely limp and he couldn’t hold her at this awkward angle. Shane immediately rushed forward scooping her up bridal style.
"Is she going to be okay?" Carl asked his mother
Lori gripped his shoulder anxiously "I hope so baby,"
Shane came out of his tent after laying her down in his bed. Half the camp had come by to find out what happened but he had his eyes set on the redneck that came out of the woods with his fiancé. He walked up to him getting close but keeping his distance in case Daryl attacked him
"You gonna explain your self or do I have to beat it out of you?" Shane asked
"Told ya, I found her," Daryl spat
"It sounds like Daryl here saved her," Dale said, "I think you should be thanking him,"
Shane scoffed "We got separated at the hospital, there’s no reason for her to be in those woods. Not to mention you just happened along her?"
"Don’t know what ta tell ya man it’s the truth, you need ta lay off," Daryl said threateningly
"What do you think happened if you don’t believe him?" Glenn asked
Shane hesitated… Glenn was right, there wasn’t many other explanations.
"He’s just anxious… we thought Rose was dead, Daryl, truly, thank you for finding her," Lori said putting a hand on Shane’s bicep making him back away.
Daryl eyed her for a moment before nodding and accepting her thanks.
"What I’m wondering is why she didn’t recognize us," Lori said "She looked afraid,"
"Said she hit her head, don’t think she knew ya," Daryl explained
Shane ran a hand over his head "Fuck," he mumbled
Rose sighed as she woke up. her pillow and a blanket greeted her... What a weird dream.
It would be just her luck to fall into the world of the walking dead and be her least favorite character's fiance. How funny…
But then she realized she was not on a mattress… She was on a sleeping bag of a tent. It smelled faintly of cologne. Not one that smelled bad like the one her uncle used to wear but a faint one you might smell on a gentleman…
Was it not a dream?
She looked around the tent. The overflowing duffel bag with a cops uniform shirt on top was her first hint. She was in Shane’s tent.
Eventually, the curious group dissolved and Lori found Shane after she asked Carol to keep an eye on Carl.
"We need to talk," Lori said
Shane glanced at his tent where Rose slept. He looked back to Lori and nodded his head away from their current spot.
They walked into the woods to their normal spot, for once together.
"I thought you said she was dead," Lori said tears in her eyes
"She… I was wrong- Lori I’m just as shocked as you are,"
Lori nodded "What are we going to tell her?" She asked
"We’re not telling her anything," Shane said
"How are we going to keep us a secret? We obviously can’t keep this going but I don’t know if I can keep it a secret Shane I’ve known her since I was in high school and she was just a kid, were practically sisters-"
"You think I don’t know that?" Shane asked interrupting her
"I grew up with her Lori- for fucks sake we were about to be married. You think I want to lie to her?" Shane paced anxiously
Lori crossed her arms "I just don’t feel right about it, what if we explained that we thought she was dead, gone-"
"She’ll never forgive me- us. She can’t know," Shane said interrupting
Lori hugged herself a bit tighter, he sighed and grabbed her in a hug.
"How did this happen?" Lori asked hugging him back
Shane sighed and kissed the top of her head… he wasn’t ready for this to be over but god he never wanted to hurt Rose, never in a million years would he want to hurt her.
He was so confused. He loved Rose, of course, he did. He’s loved her ever since he was a kid and she was trailing after him and Rick. Rick was his best friend he’s known him since he started school so, of course, he knew his baby sister just as long… Rick would kill him if he knew how much he had betrayed him- both of them.
But he had fallen in love with Lori, just as much as he loved Rose, he loved her.
Jesus this was so fucked.
He still held Lori in his arms both of them grieving their short-lived relationship that they knew deep down was to be locked away in their memories forever.
He kissed her forehead and noticed tears rolling down her cheeks. He kissed her tears away before his lips found hers magnetically
"No.." Lori protested weakly but her arms wrapped around his neck
"Just once more," he mumbled "and that’s it, forever," he said
Lori nodded and kept kissing him. Guilt bubbled with arousal in their stomachs.
Rose sniffled wiping her eyes with a rag she found. She heard a voice outside Shane's tent
"Aunt Rosy?" Carl's small voice came
The tent was unzipped and in walked 12-year-old Carl. Young, two eyes and short hair.
"Hey bud," Rose answered quickly. She had nephews and nieces in her old world she answered to Aunt easily,
"Do you remember me?" Carl asked timidly and fidgeting with his fingers.
"Of course I do… but everything’s a little fuzzy," She mumbled
"I can tell you," Carl sat next to her on Shane’s "bed"
"Help you remember if you want," Carl said
"That’d be great," Rose said wiping her eyes
Daryl watched curiously. Shane and Lori left the camp together. It was no secret to him that they were together. Despite their efforts, Daryl was an observant person he knew the ins and outs of almost everyone in this camp. He knew the times the guards changed and such so he could make it easy when Merle decided he was done being here.
He heard Rose crying in her tent and he wondered if she was overwhelmed by it all. Carl eventually snuck away from Carol and slipped into the tent.
Daryl didn’t think too much about it but let his curiosity take over as he nonchalantly pretended to change seats so he could hear whatever Rose and Carl were talking about. There was little that interested him about the whole situation except for one thing.
She had told him her name was Miller. If his memory served him right Carl’s last name was Grimes. Shane’s last name was Walsh. So unless she had a different last name than her family something was up. Memory loss and whatnot did not give someone new memories, did it?
It wasn’t too far off to assume she and whoever Lori’s husband was had different parents and last names. It happened plenty of times… but his instinct told him that wasn’t right.
So he listened as Carl told her who she was.
“And you were a cop, and when dad got shot you were in the hospital every single day- you promised me you wouldn’t leave the building so I could go to school," Carl explained
"But you and Shane were in the hospital visiting when evacuations started and I guess you were in the cafeteria or something and Shane said there were a lot of geeks and people getting shot… so we all thought you were dead, especially after the bombs," Carl said. His lip quivered in a way only a child could
"I’m so happy you’re alive," he flung his arms around her neck hugging her. She rubbed his back. He was a stranger's child but she had known him over a decade and this character she was playing knew him since he was a baby. Not to mention he somewhat reminded her of her nephews despite them being toddlers.
"Why do you call Shane by his name but me Aunt Rosy?" Rose asked gently as he let go, he s-armed a glance at him self, although the blood was dry it still somehow transferred that smell to him.
"You and Shane only got engaged a few years ago, I’ve always called him Shane," Carl explained
"Do you know how long we were dating?" Rose asked
Carl counted on his fingers "Dating since I was 7 and got engaged 2 years ago,"
She frowned they had been together for 6 years and hadn’t gotten married? Carl chuckled at her expression
"When you had your memories you used to complain about him taking forever too," he said
She chuckled but then remembered this was her life right now. It wasn’t very funny when it was real. She looked around the tent
"It’s hot," she mumbled
"It’s always hot," Carl said "Want to get some food? You look skinnny," he said
Rose pinched his cheeks as she did with her nephews "trying to fatten me up,"
Carl laughed and swatted her hands away. He didn’t notice- or at least he didn’t mention that she treated him like a toddler, maybe it wasn't super obvious yet. Daryl watched Rose leave the tent. Carl took her hand dragging her over to Daryl who was surprisingly close
"Can my aunt have some food?"
"Why the hell are ya askin' me?" Daryl asked scrunching up his nose. His mother wasn’t around but the kid rarely spoke to him so he doubted he would be his second thought.
"You and t-dog know how to cook the meat, T-dog is on guard," Carl said like it was obvious
"There isn’t anything easier? I don’t want to trouble him with an entire meal kid," Rose said
Carl frowned "Is it too much work?" He asked in a whisper
"Hell anything is too much work if it’s for a stranger Carl," Rose said
Daryl sighed and stood up "Nah, but yer helpin’," he said
Rose raised her brow. Okay, that was different than she expected. She half expected him to yell at her and Carl and send them packing. That’s how he was in fan fictions anyways. He definitely didn’t go out of his way without a reason- wait did he have a reason?
"go get the meat from the ice chest," Daryl said
Carl nodded and took off running toward the kitchen area, Rose’s eyes followed him. The little things that weren’t in the show. Carl ran over to an ice chest buried in the ground supposedly to keep things cool. Obviously, they couldn’t run to the store for ice. She hadn’t thought about it before.
"Come on," Daryl said going to the kitchen area, it was a small and looked mostly used for dishes. There were no pipes or anything but there was a bucket of dirty water and one for clean.
"Grab that pan," Daryl said.
Rose did as told as he grabbed small bottles from the basket at the table. She recognized them as spices. He set them in the pan she held and he pointed it the fire
"Go wait over there,"
Again she listened to him. He went over to the pile of wood and grabbed three medium-sized logs. Carl met up with him showing the ziplock bagged meat he fished from the ice chest proudly. Daryl nodded at him.
Something about all this was very… human.
She never imagined how fan fiction might dehumanize a character. Carl wasn’t afraid of Daryl- okay maybe a bit wary but he was a kid. Daryl wasn’t an asshole even though Rose thought he might have ulterior motives.
It was all so humanizing.
Daryl set down the wood in the fire pit and got to work. Carl eventually got bored with staring at Daryl cook. He was playing cards with Sophia while he waited. Rose however was entirely content with watching him forever.
"So… Miller?" Daryl asked
Okay straight to the point then. At least Rose didn’t have to guess why he was cooking for her now. He needed an excuse to ask, to dig and find out what she was hiding.
Red-hot fear struck her. Her first instinct as always was to lie, lie and deny… but why should she? To avoid looking crazy, to avoid everyone thinking she was sick and needed to be put down? Or because of something ingrained in her from childhood to never let anyone know more than they needed to.
"I was confused," Rose said.
She felt wrong for lying to him. It felt wrong because he was someone she so deeply wanted to trust… but Daryl Dixon was not someone she could trust right now.
She couldn’t trust anyone.
As much as she loved his character, knowing him in person was a different story. Right now he was someone who planned to rob the camp if Merle’s words in the show were anything to go off of. Right now he didn’t even trust her even while he helped her.
"Didn’t look that confused," Daryl kept digging
"What, the swaying, dehydration, starvation and fear wasn’t enough for you?" Rose asked calmly
She wanted to tell him, to spill the truth like it was water flowing… But the scene where he tried to kill Jim after he was bit, the scene where he wanted to shoot dead Amy.
"Zero tolerance for walkers, or them to be,"
It was hard to believe the man that cooked up the rabbit meat for her would say such things but he did. If they decided her ramblings about being from another world were a sign of infection she would be dead- or at least never taken seriously treated like a helpless crazy person and nothing she said would be heard.
If she was going to be in this world she wasn’t going to let everything stay the same. For one Glenn wouldn’t die… but then the idea scared her, of being in this world for so long would she even make it?
"You know what I think?" Daryl asked plating the meat
Rose took it "What I think is it’s in your best interest ta drop it."
Daryl eyed her as her entire demeanor changed to being on guard in an instant. It dissolved as she looked at him
Rose looked at the ground her stomach flipping from his intent gaze… glare. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to be mean… I don’t…"
"I’ll drop it," Daryl said
She looked back up at him confused. He still poked the fire and cooked the rest of the meat presumably for his own meal.
"Really?" Rose asked
Daryl glanced at her and nodded "You got enough fuckin’ problems than someone buggin’ ya,"
Rose frowned and looked towards the woods where Lori and Shane were. Carl had mentioned them walking into the forest. He said Shane did permitter walks and Lori foraged. Rose knew the truth because of her "special situation" and by special situation, she meant watching the show.
Daryl followed her eyes and he wondered if she knew… was it possible that she knew? Maybe it had been a thing for a while now… that just made him sad and uncomfortable
"Thank you," Rose said genuinely. Daryl nodded.
She didn’t expect him to believe her. She smiled and ate her food. It felt silly to say she loved him because in front of her he was a real person. But this definitely reminded her of her obsession with him… well that wasn’t hard to do but still.
Rose and Carl were cleaning up the little meal that Daryl made. He even made enough for Carl which Rose thought was incredibly sweet. She didn’t suspect anything… that Is until she noticed Daryl kept glancing at the woods.
Oh… oh
This was Pity
She chuckled as she washed the pan in the bucket… How awesome was this? She got dropped into the world of the walking dead, and she was engaged to her least favorite character, not to mention he didn’t even like her considering he was fucking her pretend sister-in-law in the woods right now.
But she was okay with all of it- as okay as she could be. Even hopeful… but now after the first time meeting her favorite character of 12 years, and he pities her.
"Auntie Rosy?" Carl asked stopping his scrubbing and looking at her. He glanced at Daryl putting the spices back into the basket.
"Are you okay?" Carl asked
"Yeah um," Rosy wiped her tears with her shoulders.
"I got some soap in my eye, or um my head hurts. I’ll finish this later," Rose mumbled
Carl hummed unsurely and watched her walk off. He looked at Daryl who watched her confused too. His eyes flicker to the woods and Carl looked to see nothing but the normal woods.
"Is she okay?" Carl asked
Daryl continued to watch her leaving apparently toward the quarry.
"Fuck if I know kid,"
Carl cleaned the pan despite knowing Rose would clean it later and Daryl went off to maybe make some arrows.
Shane and Lori eventually came back looking sweaty and Lori had some twigs in her hair. Daryl wished they weren’t so obvious. Before now he really didn’t give a flying fuck. Their stupidity exhausted him though as if he should help them hide it all better. Of course, he wouldn’t but some narcissistic monster inside him told him he could do it so much better.
"Is Rose up yet?" Shane asked Carl
"She went down to the river," Carl said
"Good," Shane ruffled Carl’s hair and walked off toward the River.
It didn’t take him long, he took his jeep as usual. Most of the women here used a truck but he had no doubt she walked.
He parked and saw her sitting with her feet in the water. He moved slowly so she was aware of all his movements. She watched him carefully and warily. The gun on her hip was still strapped in but she didn’t make any move to grab it
"Hey Rose," Shane said gently
"Shane," she said coldly
He sat next to her in the grass but didn’t stick his shoes in the water like she did her feet.
"So… what do you remember?" He asked
"How about an easier question? Like what’s every single memory you have Shane?" She asked bitterly
Shane tsked "Rose I’m tryin’ ta work with ya here. It ain’t easy for me to see you like this either," he said
She sighed "Well what do you want me to say?"
"I’ll simplify the questions okay? Just try an answer em.." he reached for her hand "For me?"
She took her hand before he could hold it. "Okay,"
"Do you still know me?"
"It’s fuzzy but I know the basics…" Rose mumbled
"Like?" Shane asked. She eyed him
"Right simple questions…" he sighed "Do you know where you first met me?"
"Um… you were Rick’s friend from high school, No?"
Shane shook his head "No.. we all grew up together in town. Rick and I met in elementary school. I met you for the first time coming to his house,"
Rose nodded trying to file it all away in her mind "Okay,"
"Do you remember our first date?"
"Shane I don’t remember any memories of mine I just know certain things, like names and relationships… sort of,"
Shane nodded "okay… how about this,"
She crossed her arms "go ahead,"
"Do you still love me?" He asked
She turned to look at him fully now. Just like with Daryl seeing him in person, speaking words she had never heard in the show… it humanized him.
"No,"
He took her hands uncrossing them. Her arms were stiff but he ignored it and she softened up once she realized he was just taking her hands and not grabbing her (technically)
"Really think about it Rose… search your head for anything- anything at all, maybe our first date- or-or when I proposed, do you remember that? It was with your family and Rick set off the confetti gun in the wrong way and got it in the pool-"
"Shane-" Rose tried to interrupt but he kept going
"And your dad he was so pissed but you just kept laughing and we all thought you were crazy but you just kept laughing so we all started laughing-"
"Shane!" Rose yelled
Shane stopped looking desperate and hurt
"I don’t remember us," Rose said gently.
As much as she disliked Shane as a person in the end… this was the beginning of Shane. A major asshole granted but still a person with feelings… and a temper supplied with a gun. She needed to stay on his good side or at least not on his bad side.
"Okay… you will… we’ll help you okay? It’s okay," Shane said. It sounded like the comforting words were more for him than her.
Rose sighed and took her hands away from him. She had her work cut out for her.