Imagine : Daryl is leaving prison with Merle. He wants to finally be with his only family. But he finally understands that he left his family in prison, that he left the woman he cares about.
Words: 1560
Part 1/2
Daryl looked over it to Rick, Glenn, or Maggie. There were so many thoughts swirling around in his head. He bit his lower lip and took a breath looking back at his brother.
" The Governor is probably on his way to prison by now. Merle will be useful to us " Daryl turned to Rick.
" He's not coming with us " Maggie shakes her head.
" He threatened us " Glen looked at him " Is he going to sleep next to Carol, Beth or Liv ?"
" He's not a rapist " Daryl growled at him.
" If Merle goes back to prison it will cause conflict " Rick shook his head and took a breath.
" Merle is my blood " Daryl looked at Rick.
" It's your blood, my family is here and in prison. Don't get me wrong Daryl but Marle is a threat to all of us. You're part of that family too. " Glenn stared into Daryl's blue eyes.
"What about Liv ?" Rick propped himself up on his sides looking at Daryl.
" She'll understand, she'll understand that I had to leave with my brother " Daryl looked at Rick and then at his feet " I won't change my mind. " the crossbowman looked at his brother and started for the car to get his things. Daryl knew very well that Liv would never forgive him for leaving without saying goodbye, but he would understand why. He grabbed his backpack from the trunk and threw it over his shoulder.
" Watch out for Lil' Ass Kicker and Carl, they are smart kids. Take care Rick " Daryl gave him a slight nod and motioned to his brother who was waiting for him in the woods.
" Come on little brother " Merle smiled throwing his arm around Daryl's shoulders.
At the same time at the prison Liv was standing by the fence killing Walkers. It was her shift, that way she could earn her keep in prison. She had a run planned with Daryl today but he had to leave with Rick urgently. She hoped they could get Glenn and Maggie back. She poked the wooden stick into more Walkers' heads. They'd been getting more and more lately, the fence surrounding the prison grounds eventually wouldn't hold up under their onslaught so they had to get rid of them regularly. Liv took a breath and stepped back from the fence, the scorching Georgia sun was getting to them all. She wiped her forehead with the red handkerchief Daryl had given her some time ago. Smiling to herself, she approached the crossbowman still at Hershel's farm. Somehow she had managed to get through to the feisty and untamed crossbowman. He eventually found his way to her and they became friends to some extent. She took care of Daryl and he took care of her even though he would never admit it. She smiled to herself under her breath.
" Are you thinking of anyone in particular ? " Carol smiled standing next to Liv.
Liv shook her head and looked at her " No why ?" her face blushed.
" And it seems to me that your thoughts revolve around a certain rough crossbowman " Carol smiled significantly.
" Not true " Liv snorted under her breath and shook her head.
" You see, you're even picking up on his habits " Carol patted her on the shoulder " don't worry he'll be back safe and sound for sure "
"Can you read minds?" Liv furrowed her brow and looked at her.
" No, but I can read people. And you two are meant for each other, I knew it from the start " Carol smiled " those stolen glances, smiles and nights spent together on the watchtower, it must mean something.
" Stop it Carol, we are friends so it's normal that we spend time together. It doesn't mean anything else " Liv looked away from her. She did so at the perfect time to spot the approaching car.
" But you would want it to mean something right?" Carol followed her gaze.
" It doesn't matter Carol, even if I wanted something more Daryl is unlikely to be interested in that " Liv shrugged her shoulders " I'd rather have him as a friend than not have him at all. I'm going back to work."
" And I'm going to go sniff out what they found " Carol smiled " and Daryl will finally see through it and see that you are the woman of his life."
Liv snorted at Carol's words, grabbed her stick and went back to killing walkers. Out of the corner of her eye she glanced at the car that was parked in front of the prison building. She was surprised when Rick, Glenn, Maggie and a black girl got out of it. There was no sign of Daryl. She furrowed her brow and her anxiety grew in proportion as Rick got closer to her. His expression suggested something had happened, her body involuntarily tensed.
" Liv we need to talk " Rick stood a few steps away from her.
" Sure Sheriff" she walked up to him " is something wrong ?" She put down her stick and looked at him unsure of what she might hear next.
"It's Daryl," Rick breathed, he was always the one who had to deliver the bad news even though he hated it.
"Was he... "her voice hesitated " was he bitten ?" tears came to her eyes.
"No, Liv." Rick shook his head quickly. "He's gone." he ruffled the hair on his head. "He joined his brother, Merle couldn't be with our people in prison. So Daryl decided to leave with him" Rick took a breath.
" Oh....ok" Liv lowered her head " That's good, he's with his brother now " Liv smiled through her tears.
" Take the rest of the day off I know you two were close " Rick put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll finish my work and then I'll get something to eat and then I'll take the night watch as usual.
" You work too much " Rick breathed.
" We already talked about this " Liv rolled her eyes and without another word went back to killing walkers.
Rick stared at her for another long moment but finally let go and went back to the prison. Liv tried to hold back tears, she really thought she was getting along with Daryl but she was wrong. He just walked away without a word, not even saying goodbye. She had to unwind somehow, she was killing walkers to the last one. Finally, she stepped away from the fence and took a breath. Her lungs were burning and her hands were bleeding from holding the stick. Without a word she moved towards the prison all the while clutching the wooden stick in her hands. As she entered the prison building, she felt the stares of the others, especially Carol. She didn't raise her eyes, she stared at her own feet as they carried her to the bathroom. She needed to take a shower, she needed to wash off the walkers blood. She stepped into the bathroom, threw off her clothes, leaned her stick against the bench and slipped into the shower. She rested her forehead against the cold tiles and cried like a small child, only now she allowed herself to break down. Daryl was gone and it had just come to her, her friend had left her without hesitation, he had left her and her family. And he did it for Merle who had treated him like shit from the start. Liv became more and more closed off over the next few days, not talking to people like she always did. She focused on her work at the fence and then the night watches. Her mind became blank, she was sick of it, sick of losing people. Her family, Daryl's departure was a turning point for her. She just felt like stopping fighting to live in a world full of Walkers She hadn't expected Daryl to return and yet he was standing at the prison gates with Merle. Liv looked away the moment she saw him staring at her, she didn't feel like confronting him. When she finished her shift she headed for the shower and then something to eat. She completely ignored Daryl and his brother and wasn't moved by Merle's taunts. Daryl followed her with his gaze biting his lower lip, he even followed her out of the prison building but didn't have the balls to approach her and talk to her. Since his return she hadn't even looked in his direction, she understood why he had to leave but she didn't forgive him for doing it.
" He will get back to you eventually " Carol stood next to him.
Daryl slipped his thumb into his mouth biting the cuticles around the nail until it bled. " I don't think so " he shook his head.
" You'll see, she'll forgive you eventually. She loves you Daryl. She just has to get over it. You hurt her by leaving without a word, without saying goodbye " Carol breathed and patted him on the shoulder.
Daryl looked at the watchtower where Liv had her place, he hoped she would forgive her someday. For now he was going to give her a place to think about it all.
Summary: Daryl is on a run with Rick when, in a warehouse, they find a woman who attacks them, and who reminds Daryl to a lioness…or a feral cat, and who doesn’t seem to trust anyone, including them, but Daryl finds himself going back to the warehouse, trying to get that feral to go with him to the prison, and to earn her trust.
Chapter 3/10 Words: 3485
You can find my other fics in my masterlist.
Last chapter…Dana was introduced to the council and around the prison, though she still seems only on ease around Daryl, and it was decided that she’d be hunting and patrolling with him
Daryl was walking through the woods, followed by Dana, who walked silently ,“like a cat”, Daryl had awkwardly joked. It was good that she was able to walk in silence and that it came naturally to her, that way she wouldn’t scare the game. Daryl already had a squirrel hanging from his belt, and was now tracking what he was sure was a rabbit. “Went that way…” He muttered.
“How?” Dana said.
“What?”
“How you know it.”
Daryl looked at her, back at the track and then at Dana again. If he stopped to point at her what was he following and how, the rabbit might go away…but he decided to do it anyway. What was going to be a quick thing, just pointing at Dana what he was seeing, ended up being a longer explanation about the basics of tracking game and hunting…not that Daryl minded it, and it didn’t seem like Dana minded it either, she listened to him with a level of attention that Daryl had barely had anytime before.
Daryl ended up getting a rabbit anyway, and although he was the one doing the tracking, Dana watched and paid attention to everything that he told her and pointed at, seeming in total focus, and Daryl would be lying if he said that he didn’t enjoy it.
“You gotta learn and hunt yourself, uh?” He told her once the rabbit was hanging from his belt. “A cat that can’t hunt makes no sense,” he joked awkwardly and Dana scoffed, but she smirked, and she nudged him with her shoulder. It took Daryl by surprise, and a smile tugged at his lips at seeing her seeming comfortable with him like that, even if it made him feel weird too.
As they patrolled the woods near the prison, Dana spotted a group of edible mushrooms on the ground, tugging at Daryl’s shirt. “Good job, cat,” he said while they picked them up. “We can stew them with the rabbit and the squirrel.” Dana gave him that small smile that always made him smile back and always made his belly do funny things at the idea of her not being that scared and mistrustful anymore. “Let’s go back, alright?” They hadn’t found any threat in the woods, they had gotten a squirrel and a rabbit, and mushrooms, and Dana seemed more at ease…all in all, it had been a good morning.
Some of Dana’s apprehension seemed to be back as they walked into the prison and were around waving people again, but at least she didn’t look like she was about to run away or stab someone if she got scared.
“I’ll show you how to clean and get ready the squirrel and the rabbit, yeah?” Daryl asked and Dana nodded, following him to the kitchen area. Like when he’d been telling her about tracking, Dana watched attentively while he got the pieces ready, and Daryl couldn’t help how it made him nervous, though he tried to control it and to give her some instruction here and there. They had almost finished when Carol walked in.
“You learned to hunt already?” She asked to Dana and Daryl didn’t know if she was joking, but he scoffed.
“She ain’t gonna learn in a day, but she will.” He was sure of it. “But she hunted some mushrooms.”
“Good.” Carol scoffed, but she nodded looking at everything that they had lied out on the kitchen. “We can make a good stew out of this.” She looked at Dana, who seemed guarded again. “I know it’s comfortable if Daryl brings you dinner again, but why don’t you come down to get your own this night? We actually won’t bite you…” She said as she glanced at the bite mark on Daryl’s arm, who rolled his eyes.
“Let’s finish this…” He muttered, back to cleaning the rabbit.
That evening, the dinner was getting served and Daryl was about to go get two bowls, one for himself and another for Dana, when he saw her walking down the stairs to the cafeteria area, looking around and seeming like she might run away and retreat, but she nodded at the people who waved at her, and made her way to the queue for the food. Daryl smiled at her, nodding encouragingly, and she gave him that brief, tiny smile, even if she seemed anxious.
Once she had her food, Dana looked at the table where Michonne, Rick, Glenn and Maggie were sat down, but finally she rushed away and up the stairs towards the cells. It was progress, though. Daryl noticed Rick looking at him and nodding with a small smile, he’d seen Dana too. Taking his bowl, Daryl went to sit down with them, Michonne was probably leaving in the morning and he wanted to talk to her before, but he rushed through his stew to go see Dana once he was finished.
Once in front of her cell, though, he didn’t know what to say. “You did well” he finally murmured awkwardly and Dana just shrugged, seeming awkward too. “Give me your bowl, I’ll wash it.”
“Don’t have to,” Dana muttered.
“I know, but I’m going to.” Daryl shrugged.
“Thanks…” Dana said, handing him the bowl.
“Ain’t nothing…I’ll see you in the morning, alright? Maybe we’ll find a deer tomorrow,” he said content when Dana gave him that small smile. “So, get some rest.”
*
The next couple of days, Daryl kept taking Dana hunting and patrolling with him, pointing trails to her, showing her how to track and hunt, and she kept listening attentively to all he had to show her, and so Daryl was confident that she’d be able to eventually track by herself. It’d be good to have another tracker and hunter, in case something happened to him, Michonne was not bad at tracking, but with her coming and going all the time, it’d be good that someone else learned to track too. Daryl had told Rick a couple of times, but even if he wanted to, he’d always been too busy first leading then with the gardens and whatnot.
Dana, though, seemed to give him her undivided attention now while they tracked and hunted, and also once they were back inside the prison and he showed her how to clean and cut his kills, letting her do it too.
Dana seemed a bit more at ease at the prison, and although sometimes she seemed anxious, she didn’t seem to think that someone would attack her there anymore or that she was unsafe, but she still spent most of the time around Daryl…for how much he’d thought he wanted his time alone, he still found that he didn’t mind to have her around, most of the time he didn’t even notice her, just a silent presence near him, and if it helped her to feel better, he wasn’t going to complain.
When she wasn’t with him, she was usually locked in her cell, reading a book that Beth had given her. She still didn’t really talk to anyone else, but she seemed less startled and on edge around people, even waving or nodding awkwardly back when they greeted her. She was adapting to the prison and Daryl was glad of it. He hoped that she’d open up to more people too, the more people she bonded with the better, so she wouldn’t rely only on him, in case anything happened and he couldn’t be around her.
Daryl was now looking for Dana, after talking with Rick. Since Michonne had told him about that old bike she’d found, he’d been itching to go get it, even if Michonne thought that there was no need to rush. She had marked the place on a map for him before leaving the day before, and it wasn’t too far, he was surprised that they hadn’t stumbled onto it before, so he wanted to go. He’d told Rick, who said that it was okay, and now he wanted to tell Dana, they wouldn’t be going hunting tomorrow. He wondered what she might get up to in the prison without him there, and he hoped that she’d be okay.
She wasn’t in her cell and so Daryl went to the stables, finding her there, stroking the horses. “You know, you could help with the horses,” he told her, he’d realized that she liked them. “Feeding them and all that, you just have to tell Hershel.”
“No hunting?” She said.
“Yeah, we’d still hunt, but you can help once we’re back at the afternoons, if you wanna.” Daryl shrugged, he usually had stuff to do and Dana had been trailing alongside him, but maybe she’d enjoy more to help with the horses.
“Maybe.” She shrugged and went back to stroking the horse’s snout.
“I gotta talk to you, cat,” Daryl told her and she frowned at him, seeming worried. “I wanna go out tomorrow to find a bike in a cabin that Michonne told me about, so we won’t go hunting, okay?”
“I go with you?” She asked him.
“Uh…do you want to?” Daryl asked, wondering why he hadn’t thought about it, and Dana nodded. “Are you sure? You’ll be okay in here without me, really, nobody will hurt you.” He thought she knew, but he assured it to her again, he didn’t want her to feel like she had to be around him all the time.
“I want to go,” she said.
“Alright…” Daryl wouldn’t mind to take her with him, maybe they could even track something. “I don’t want us staying the night outside, so we leave before the sunrise, okay?” If it were him alone, he wouldn’t mind that much, but he didn’t want to risk it if he was taking Dana too, when there was no need to camp outside, the place was close enough for them to be able to come back and spend the night behind fences. Dana nodded, giving him that tiny smile.
*
Early the next morning, when the sky was just starting to clear, Daryl drove away from the prison. He was taking their pick up, he’d rather ride, but he might need to carry bike parts or the whole thing. Dana was sat down next to him, looking through the window, and Daryl peeked at her while he drove.
She looked so much better than just a few days ago, less terrified and wild, less on edge. A couple of days ago, she had chopped off a good chunk of her wild, dark curls with her knife before Daryl realized it and could offer to get her some scissors, she was probably frustrated at the knots and tangles. The shorter hair suited her, Daryl found himself thinking.
She still hadn’t wanted to go to the showers, but Daryl knew that now that Dana knew that they had a stable source of water from the creek, she washed herself with her bottle and a rag, locked in her cell. Daryl had seen her once, by accident, he hadn’t meant too, and he had quickly looked away and retreated, but he had noticed the marks and old wounds in her dark skin again, and the way in which she washed herself without closing the curtain, looking outside for any incoming threat, even if the cell was locked, one hand holding the wet rag while the other held a knife. Daryl couldn’t help but wonder what had she gone through, feeling angry at it, but he never asked, not wanting to prey and upset her.
They drove through the same road for a while, until eventually Daryl had to leave the road and drive through a path to the woods until even that ended, but he kept driving until the trees blocked the way. “Alright, we’ll walk from here,” he told to Dana. “It can’t be far.”
Dana nodded and got out of the car, following him in silence through the woods as he followed Michonne’s indications. At some point, though, she tugged at his shirt and when Daryl looked at her, she pointed at a squirrel up in a tree branch.
“Good catch,” Daryl whispered to her before shooting, he’d been too busy trying to find the way to see it, but as always, Dana was looking attentively at everything around her, and she always seemed to notice the tiniest details…no wonder she was a survivor, and she was picking up on how to track fast.
Daryl had been thinking about getting a hunting rifle with a silencer for her for when they went out, though for what he could gather from the few words that Dana said when he told her, she seemed to prefer her knife and wasn’t too used to shooting even if she could do it, but she couldn’t hunt just with a knife, and she’d be safer with a rifle too, maybe he should have gotten her a rifle anyway for today instead of letting her go just with her knife, but there didn’t seem to be walkers around and he was with her.
Eventually, they found the cabin, a tiny, tattered place hidden among the trees, overgrown with plants, and Daryl wondered how Michonne had stumbled into it. As they got closer, he spotted the bike lying on the ground, half-covered by plants too. Daryl knelt down next to it, carefully trying to lift it, afraid that it’d break down or even turn into dust just by touching it.
It was an old bike, vintage they’d say, and as Michonne had said, it was in very poor condition, it seemed to have been abandoned even before walkers were a thing. “You could have gotten good money for a bike like this before the world ended…” Daryl murmured, though if the bike had been his, he’d have kept it on point and wouldn’t have sold it to any collector no matter he needed the money.
“World didn’t end,” Dana said and Daryl looked at her. “Just changed.” She shrugged and Daryl guessed that she was right. The idea that the world ended had been a sentence he’d picked up from someone else, but yeah…Dana was right, it hadn’t ended, the world was still there, they were still there, it had just changed. And sometimes, sometimes, Daryl found himself wondering if actually his life wasn’t better now…he knew it was crazy, but maybe he could tell Dana someday, see what she thought…
Daryl focused his attention back to the bike. He’d check if there were pieces that he could use for something else, or if maybe he could actually save the whole bike, or enough stuff to take it whole to the prison…he thought that getting it going would probably be impossible, but he wanted to try anyway.
“Cabin?” Dana asked.
“Michonne was here already and checked it,” Daryl told her but Dana walked towards it, looking at everything around. “Don’t go far alright? Come back if there are walkers around.” Daryl went back to tinker with the bike. It looked worse at first glance than once he began to check it, and he was getting confident on being able to save more pieces than he thought at first.
Suddenly, though, he heard a noise and he looked up from the bike. “Cat?” He called for Dana when he didn’t see her around, and before he could worry that for some reason she’d actually decided to run away and leave him and the prison, Daryl was sure that he heard the growl a walker not too far. “Dana?!”
Daryl ran towards where he thought the noises were coming from and he found Dana fighting a group of walkers with her knife. There were two already dead on the ground, and she was viciously sinking the knife into the head of another, before grabbing the closer one to do the same. Daryl didn’t lose time to shoot a bolt to another before it got closer to Dana, and she turned towards him when she noticed the walker falling down, seeing him there before she grabbed the remaining walker and put it down too.
When she had turned towards him, Daryl had noticed blood on her shirt, her arms, and her face, and he couldn’t help but straight up panic. “Are you hurt?! Are you bitten?!” He asked as he rushed towards her, grabbing her arm to try and check her but Dana flinched her arm away.
She didn’t seem bitten or hurt and Daryl noticed that one of the walkers on the ground was all bloodied up and with its insides hanging out, and he realized that Dana must have gotten covered in its blood when she held it to stab it and maybe then touched her face with her bloodied hands. Somehow, it didn’t help to calm him down.
“The hell were you thinking?! Going for them alone?! They could have bitten you! Could have killed you!” Daryl hadn’t meant to yell, but he couldn’t stop himself, agitated and scared, even if he knew he was all the time doing the same, putting down small groups of walkers himself even if Rick told him not to…maybe he’d start understanding Rick now… “Told you not to! What if they killed you?!”
“I can do it!” Dana snapped back, sounding angry too, but all Daryl’s scared anger left him when he noticed tears in her eyes. “I’ve killed before! I’m not useless! I’m no kitten!”
Daryl didn’t know what to say or what to do, but he regretted that he had yelled at her, the idea of maybe having scared her felt like a kick…he had upset her for sure, but he was scared at the idea of her having gotten hurt, even bitten or killed, he couldn’t help it. He just looked at her while Dana glared at him, before he reached out tentatively to try and check her again, but Dana seemed mad, almost like the feral woman that he first met at the warehouse, and she pushed him away before rushing towards the cabin.
Daryl followed her, looking at her getting inside the cabin and closing the door behind her. “Dana?” He called for her but there was no answer, and Daryl felt like shit. He had yelled at her…but she had to see that he was worried, that she had scared him, right? What if now she wouldn’t want to go back to the prison with him? What if she’d want to stay away in that cabin like she’d been in the warehouse?
Daryl decided to stop thinking it and he went back to the bike, but he couldn’t focus on it, couldn’t stop his regret and fears, and he didn’t know what to do. After a little while, though, he noticed Dana walking out of the cabin. He still didn’t know what to do and so he focused his gaze on the bike, tinkering with it even if his mind was on Dana, afraid that maybe just looking at her might upset her or scare her after he’d yelled at her. He noticed her kneeling down next to him, and suddenly he felt her touching him, and when he looked at her, he realized that she’d headbutted him softly, gently nudging his arm with her forehead once.
“Are you okay?” Daryl asked her softly and Dana nodded. “I…I’m sorry I yelled…” Dana nodded again. “I just…I…I got scared, I saw the blood and thought you were hurt,” he made himself explain it even if he was embarrassed and shy. “Got scared thinking a walker would hurt you.”
“I’m sorry,” Dana murmured, apologizing too. “I’m sorry I pushed you.”
“It’s okay.”
“No.”
“Just…just don’t do it again, alright? You know it’s dangerous.” Daryl asked her softly, he didn’t want to feel like that again. “If there’s a group of walkers we put them down together…it ain’t that I think you can’t do it alone, I know you’re a fighter, just…” Daryl shrugged, not knowing how to explain it. “You don’t have to. Me…I…me and everyone in the prison, we got your back now, alright? Just let us help.” Dana nodded again and Daryl looked at her, the blood that had spattered over her face and hair, down her neck, smearing on her shirt and arms… “You’re a mess.”
“Always,” Dana joked and Daryl snorted.
He reached into his bag, taking the bottle of water and a rag, and pouring the water on it, he began washing the blood smeared on Dana’s face, cleaning her a bit so people in the prison wouldn’t freak out at the sight. “I’m just gonna take the whole bike, drag it to the pickup and work on it back at the prison,” he said and Dana nodded, eyes closed as he brushed her face with the wet rag until there wasn’t any blood, though her skin was stained. “Let’s go back home, okay?”
“Okay."
*
I still think they’re cute...that feral kitten might need some cleaning up anf grooming now.
Thanks to the people who decided to give this story a chance, your support keeps me posting. If you enjoyed this and have a moment, please let me know your thoughts.
As always, excuse my English, is not my first language.
I’m going to reblog the taglist in another post to see if that way this shows up in the Daryl tags.
Chapter Title: Getting him out. Pairing: DarylxOc. Setting: The Prison. Word Count: 4,293. Warnings: None that I can think of.
“They’re in an arena, Merle and Daryl. The Governors making them fight each other.” Michonne said as she came back from checking things out inside.
“Okay, you two are staying here with Glenn.” Rick barked at Michonne and me.
“I have to go in for him.” I argued just to get a look from Rick that while I hated I actually missed.
“No, you have to stay here and keep an eye on your friend, make sure she doesn’t do anything else stupid.” He argued then turned to Maggie. “We’ll go in and get him.” He turned back to me and Michonne, “you three go back to the car and wait for us there.”
“Sir, yes sir.” I grumbled under my breath and helped Glenn stand up. After we watched Rick and Maggie go back in we followed Michonne back to the car. It was almost sun up by the time we got there.
Glenn and I sat on the ground while Michonne leaned against the familiar green car that used to belong to Shane. It wasn’t until the sun was completely up that I heard Rick call out to Glenn. But when we got near we all noticed that Merle was trailing behind them. “Now we’ve got a problem here. I need you to back up.” Rick started.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Glenn and I asked at the same time. Glenn pulled his gun and Michonne pulled her katana, both were stopped by Rick.
From there, arguing erupted. Everyone yelled at each other, but I just stood back and watched the commotion. “Get that thing out of my face!” Daryl yelled at Glenn as he swung his arm at him the way Daryl usually did when he was angry.
“Man, you’ve gone native brother.” Merle laughed at Daryl.
“No more than you hanging out with that psycho back there!” Daryl yelled at Merle.
“Oh, yeah, man. He is a charmer I got to tell you that.” Merle said while leaning against a tree looking cocky. “Been putting the wood to your girlfriend Andrea. Big time baby.” he informed everyone before looking at Michonne and moaning as he licked his lips. The action made my stomach roll and I turned my eyes to Daryl to see him glaring at his brother. From here only more fighting was to be had and eventually Rick knocked Merle out.
After that the group, excluding Michonne because the others didn’t trust her, started debating on what should be done with Merle. “Look The Governor’s probably on his way to the prison right now. Merle knows how he thinks and we could use the muscle.” Daryl argued his brothers case.
“I’m not having him at the prison.” Maggie spoke up.
“He had a gun to our heads.” Glenn said at he same time. “Do you want him sleeping in the same cell block as Carol or Beth?”
“He ain’t a rapist.” Daryl argued.
“No.” I spoke up and his eyes turned to me for the first time since he had gotten back from Woodbury. “But he is a murder.” Daryl swallowed hard. “You want to know what your brother said to me as he held a knife to my throat?” I asked stepping closer to Daryl who eyed the cut on my neck. “My brother’s got good taste. Too bad he’ll never see you again.” Daryl just turned his eyes to the ground. “And Merle might not be a rapist, but his good buddy The Governor? He is.”
“They ain’t palls no more. Not after last night.” Daryl still argued with me.
“How can you defend him after everything he’s done!” I yelled with a motion at his passed out brother. This wasn’t how I wanted our reunion to go. I didn’t want to argue with him, but he was making it difficult to be on his side.
“There’s no way Merle’s gonna live there without putting every one at each others throats.” Rick interrupted before Daryl and I could really tie into it.
“So you’re gonna cut Merle loose and bring the last samurai home with us?” Daryl asked Rick.
“She’s not coming home with us.” Rick answered.
“She’s not in a state to be on her own.” Maggie argued.
“She did bring you guys to us.” Glenn sided with Maggie.
“And then ditched us.” Rick argued.
“Look, she had her reasons.” I stepped in again getting Rick’s attention. “She may be a little…intense and sperattic, but she’s not a murder. She’s not a threat to anyone.”
“She’s too unpredictable.” Rick argued.
“Would you just give her a chance?” I asked and Rick just looked from me to the rest of the small group with a sigh.
“We don’t know who she is.” Daryl said not looking at me. “But Merle, Merle’s blood.”
“No, Merle is your blood. My blood, my family is standing right here and waiting for us back at the prison.” Glenn said to Daryl.
“And you’re part of that family.” Rick said to Daryl then looked over at me. “So are you, but she’s not.” he looked back at Daryl. “And neither is he.”
“That’s not what I was saying.” Glenn said to Daryl trying to get him to change his mind.
“No him, no me.” Daryl stated simply.
“Daryl you don’t have to do that.” Maggie stepped up.
“It was always Merle and I before this.” Daryl argued.
“You serious?” Glenn asked. “You’re just gonna leave like that?”
“You’d do the same thing.” Daryl said.
“What do you want us to tell Carol?” Glenn asked peaking my curiosity. Had something happened with them while Daryl and I were separated?
“She’ll understand.” Daryl replied with a nod then looked around at everyone but me. “Say goodbye to your pops for me.” he told Maggie as he walked by her.
Everyone walked after him trying to convince him not to leave the group for his brother. But I didn’t, not until he started gathering his things out of the back of the green suv. “Hey!” I practically growled at him as I walked over to the back of the car and Rick left so we could talk “Are you seriously doing this?” I asked and he just looked at me out of the corner of his eye. “We just found each other and now you’re leaving me?” I asked and got no response from him. “Stop ignoring me.” I insisted as I moved to stand between him and the car so he couldn’t grab anything else.
“I ain’t ditchin’ my brother for some hoity-toidy, panic prone, piece of pussy.” He answered, glaring down at me with a angry flat face. I felt my face flush and my eyes started to water. I didn’t even remember drawing my hand back until I had already slapped him full force across his cheek.
“You son of a bitch.” I whispered through gritted teeth before he grabbed an arrow out of the trunk then took off walking. I couldn’t believe that after finally finding me he would treat me like that and walk away…just like that. The pain in my chest literally felt like my heart was breaking as I watched him walk over to his brother who threw his arm around Daryl shoulders.
I could feel the tightness in my chest and my throat closing up and I fought it, but I couldn’t fight it for long and soon I collapsed onto my butt. Everyone could see and hear my wheezing as I fought to breath, but I didn’t care. For once I didn’t care that everyone was seeing me in the middle of full blown panic attack mode. Michonne probably didn’t even know what was going on, because while we were out on road I had somehow managed to hide them from her and Andrea. I didn’t want to be the weak link of the three of us.
I was aware of Glenn and Maggie putting their things in the still open trunk that I was sitting in front of then their doors as they got into the car and closed them. “We patch you up and then you’re gone.” Rick said to Michonne who I heard get into the car then the crunching of Rick’s boots on the gravel as he walked around and kneel down in front of me. He gently picked my hand up and put it on his chest. “Breath with me.” So I did as told and focused on making my breathing match his until I was sure that I’d be able to get up without getting dizzy. “Better?” Rick asked after he helped me stand. At first I nodded my head, but then realized that it was a lie and shook my head no. He sighed and wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me in for a one armed hug that I didn’t return. “Come on. We gotta go.” he told me with a nod at the car that I numbly got into.
Except for one stop along the way when Maggie, Glenn and Rick got out to move a truck out of the way, the ride to the prison was uneventful and quiet. It wasn’t until we pulled up to the gate of the prison that Michonne spoke. “I thought you said he loved you.” she said to me quietly but the people in the car still heard. Rick glanced at me in the rear view mirror.
“He never told me out loud, but I thought he did. Guess I was wrong.” I sighed then turned my eyes to my hands that were folded in my lap.
After we pulled through the first prison gate Rick stopped the car and got out to greet Carol. Maggie moved to the driver seat and drove closer to the prison. When she parked, Michonne and Glenn when inside, but I chose to take a seat on the metal benches and attempt to catch my breath before seeing everyone again. But when Maggie was greeted by Beth and Hershel I stood up and headed their way.
As I neared them so did Carol, Rick and Carl and my feet were pulled to a stop when Beth ran over and hugged Rick then pecked him on the cheek. She then turned my way and smiled a tight smile at me before she and Maggie headed inside.
I gave Rick a questioning look, but he seemed just as confused as I was by Beth’s reaction. Then Hershel snagged my attention. “Joanna, I’m happy you’re in one piece. I know it’s not easy making it out there on your own.”
“I wasn’t on my own, really. I had Michonne and Andrea, but how are you? What happened to your leg?” I asked nervously.
“I got bit. Rick, cut it off, save my life.” Hershel answered with a look at Rick. “I hear Carol did a lot too, stopped me from bleeding out, but I was out for that part.”
“I wish I could have been here to help.” I sighed as I took a few steps closer to the older man. “I’m really glad y'all made it.” I gave Hershel a quick hug, being careful not to knock him over, but it was unnecessary, he was steady as a rock on those crutches.
“Go on inside.” Rick said with a wave of his hand. So I followed Carol and Carl inside. On our way in we passed a small group of people I’d never seen before.
“Who are they?” I asked no one in particular as Carl walked over to one of the empty tables and hopped up to sit on top of it. Placing his silenced gun in his lap.
“New people.” Carol answered flatly. “They showed up while Rick and the other were gone. We decided not to associate with them until Rick got back.” she explained as she led me to a room filled with cells. “Your friends in there. Last I checked she was passed out. Pick any empty cell and make yourself at home I guess.” during her whole speech her tone was flat, uncaring and almost down right mean. She started to walk off, but I stopped her.
“Carol?” I asked and as she turned to look at me I caught the tail end of a eye roll. “Have I done something to make you mad at me?” I asked.
“Yeah.” she answered with raised brows and I shook my head slightly in confusion. “You showed up and Daryl left.” she walked away.
I wanted to ask her what that was supposed to mean, but honestly, I didn’t care. I just wanted to find a place to lay my head for a while and deal with the rest later. So that’s what I did. I headed up the stairs and to the end of the catwalk to the last cell and plopped down on the thin mattress. It wasn’t long before my eyes slipped shut and I fell into a dream.
The old house smell of water stains and the tale tale musk of dust and moisture. Yet another temporary place to call home for a night or two. However long the walkers stayed at bay would be how long we would stay here. Hunker down until it was time to run again. This is what life was now, running until you couldn’t run anymore. So I walked further in, being cautious of the previous or possibly current owners of this once beautiful house. Michonne and Andrea went to my left and right, to clear those areas while I headed straight into the kitchen. Seeing that there were no immediate threats, I opened the cabinet doors hoping to find food, any food, you couldn’t afford to be picky now. “What the hell you think you’re doin’?” I heard someone to my right ask and I turned with a can of beans in my hands to see Daryl. When it struck me who I was looking at and that he was really there I threw myself in his arms. But he growled and pushed me back.
I sat straight up in bed, nearly hitting my head on the bunk above me, breathing hard with tears running down my face as my head pounded. Damn him. I had been having the same dream since he and I got separated. It was usually a happy one in which he welcomed me with open arms and kissed me passionately, but now? Now that he had turned his back on me the dream turned too.
As my breathing returned to normal and the pounding in my head stopped I heard Rick yelling in the room where the new people were being held. “Get out! Get out!” I heard him yelling and by the time I got to the room the new people were leaving and everyone was looking at Rick like they were scared of him.
So I decided that I should just back off and find out what had happened later. I managed to get an hour or so more of sleep before I was woken up by a baby’s cries. I had yet to meet the little one, so I headed out of my cell to see Beth on the perch. The baby hushed as soon as a bottle was stuck in her mouth. “Hi.” I greeted the young woman as I walked closer to them.
“Hi.” she greeted back only looking up from the baby for a second.
“So, uh, what…what happened with Rick earlier? What was he yelling about?” I asked not really knowing how to talk to the girl. We didn’t really talk much if at all back on the farm.
“Rick’s been a little…unhinged since Lori died.” she replied simply. “Would you mind?” he asked offering me the baby.
“Uh, sure.” I uneasily took Judith from her.
“She’s not gonna break.” she said as I stuck the bottle back her Judith’s mouth before she could start crying again. “Make sure you hold the bottle up so that she doesn’t drink air.” I did as she said and looked down at the little girl getting my first good look at Rick’s daughter. She had Loris eyes. “So back at the farm…” she started and I looked up from the baby who was slowly drifting off to sleep, “You and Rick were together?” I froze, her question was a bit out of the blue, but I wasn’t going to lie to her, so I nodded. “But he was married. How could you do that?”
“It’s complicated.” it sounded like a crap reply, but I was all that I had.
“What’s complicated about a ring on a mans finger?” she asked and I just sighed.
“How old are you?” I asked feeling defensive.
“Seventeen.” she answered as I looked down at the sleeping baby and took the bottle out of her mouth.
“Seventeen.” I sighed as I laid the baby down in the Styrofoam cooler decorated with stars and the words little ass kicker. “What does a seventeen year old know about love? And who are you to judge me anyway?”
“I’m a woman with morals, unlike you.” she replied causing me to grit my teeth. “If you would have just left Rick alone Lori might still be alive, Judith might still have a mother.”
“You don’t think I knew what I did was wrong? I feel bad about that every second of every day, but I was not the cause of their relationship going sideways, I am not the only one who made mistakes and I let him go. I moved on I fell in love and you know what? That man that I fell in love with? Who I have been dreaming of finding ever since the farm… He ripped my heart out today and tossed it in the dirt like it was nothing.” I ranted at her quietly to keep from waking Judith.
“You deserve it.” she said looking up at me with angry tears in her eyes.
“I know.” I whispered through gritted teeth before I walked around her and out the door on the perch that led to a bridge between buildings. I pressed my back against the chain link and slide down letting tears warm my cheeks. On top of all of this governor crap, Daryl choosing to leave and Rick going crazy, I now had to deal with two women that hated me. One who blamed me for Daryl leaving and another that blamed me for Lori’s death.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
The next morning we all stood around, looking at a map of the prison that Glenn had drawn on the floor in chalk. “You said you found Tyreese’s group right here?” Glenn asked Carl, referring to the group of strangers that Rick pushed out of the prison. Carl nodded. “We secured this.” They continued to talk about what parts of the prison had been cleared and what hadn’t. “The whole front of the prison is unsecure. If walkers just strolled in, then it’s gonna be a cake walk for a group of armed men.”
“Why are we even so sure he’s going to attack?” Beth asked and I scoffed. “Maybe you scared him off.”
“He almost murdered Glenn, almost raped Maggie and pitted Daryl in a fight against his brother. On top of that we killed his people trying to get out of there. What part of any of that says that this guy wont come looking for revenge?” I asked Beth as I rolled my eyes.
“He had fish tanks full of heads.” Michonne added a new piece of information from where she stood next to me, leaning against the wall. “Walkers and humans. Trophies. He’s coming.”
“We should hit him now.” Glenn said and Beth questioned him. “He wont be expecting it. We’ll sneak back in and put a bullet in his head.”
“We’re not assassins.” Carol argued but Glenn, who seemed to have put himself in charge since Rick was nowhere to be seen, ignored her and headed over to Michonne.
“You know where his apartment is. You and I can end this tonight.” Glenn tried but Michonne sighed and looked at me and I shook my head no. “I’ll do it myself.” after a second of thought Michonne glared and nodded to him. Glenn nodded and walked back to the map on the floor.
“He didn’t know you were coming last time and look at what happened.” Hershel spoke up. “You were almost killed. Daryl was captured. And you, Maggie and Joanna were almost executed.”
“You can’t stop me.” Glenn said as he marched over to Hershel. This Glenn wasn’t the one I knew. This Glenn was on a power trip and reckless.
“Rick would never allow this.” Hershel argued.
“You really think he’s in any position to make that choice?” Glenn asked harshly.
“Think this through clearly. T-dog lost his life here. Lori too. The men that were here… it isn’t worth any more killing. What are we waiting for? If he’s really on his way, we should be out of here by now.”
“And go where?” Glenn asked.
“We live on the road all winter.” Hershel argued back.
“Back when you had two legs and we didn’t have baby crying for walkers every four hours.” Glenn argued.
“We can’t stay here.” Hershel replied.
“We can’t run.” Glenn protested before Maggie shook her head and left. Things weren’t right between those two since they got back from Woodbury. Glenn looked around at all of us then said, “All right. We’ll stay put. We’re gonna defend this place. We’re making a stand.” he then looked away from us and kneel back down at the map. “Carl, you and I will go down to the tombs. We need to figure out where that breech is.” Carl agreed.
“You’ll need some help.” Michonne stepped up.
“No in case anything happens, I need you two out here.” he said before he looked around at the people in the room then asked, “Who’s on watch?” like he was mad that we all gathered for his stupid meeting. “Damn it.” he scoffed as he walked off and I looked at Hershel to see him shake his head.
After Glenn and Carl got back from the tombs another debate was struck up on what to do since the tombs were full of walkers again. It was decided that Glenn and someone else would go around the outside of the prison to figure out how to solve the problem.
I got fed up with how Glenn was acting and excused myself to my cell. A few minutes later, Michonne knocked on the wall getting my attention. “You alright?” she asked and I just nodded my head yes. “You’re lying?” she phrased it as a question, but it was an observation. I nodded my head yes. “Is it Daryl?” she asked and I shrugged.
“It’s Daryl leaving, Rick going crazy, Glenn acting like the big man on campus trying to fill Rick’s shoes, the pending Governor attack, Beth blaming me for Lori’s death, Carol blaming me for Daryl leaving…it’s everything.” I sighed, sounding as tired as I felt.
“Lets get some fresh air.” Michonne suggested as she kicked my boot and jerked her head to outside. So I nodded and headed out with her. As soon as we stepped outside I saw and heard a bullet zip through the air to hit Axel, a prisoner that had survived in the prison who I hadn’t had the chance to get to know, in the head.
I screamed and ducked down behind a metal table that had been leaned against the fence and pulled my gun while Michonne ran off to do her own thing. I tried several times to get the sniper that had taken post on one of the guard towers, but he was too far away. They all were and I wasn’t brave enough to try to get closer.
Soon all shooting came to a stop and a truck could be heard in the distance. We could only watch as it tore down the gates and parked in the middle of the prison yard. This is when I noticed the yellow truck parked outside the fences and the governor standing beside it. A ramp was dropped from the back of the truck in the yard and walkers fled the truck filling the yard. The driver got out and I started firing at them, but I wasn’t a good enough shot to kill something that moved that fast. So when I saw something white out in the yard and realized it was Hershel I focused on taking down every walker that threatened him.
The governor fired off a few pointless rounds before he and his men got back in the truck and drove off. Now the only threat was walkers and I knew how to deal with them. So I finally left my post to get better shots. I did my best to keep Hershel and everyone that I could safe until Glenn drove over to Hershel and helped him inside the truck.
Eventually most everyone got inside the only intact gate left and closed it, sealing out the walkers. But as I looked around I noticed that I hadn’t seen Rick anywhere. “Has anyone seen Rick?” I asked looking around the group of people and Hershel pointed to the outermost fence. It took no time for me to recognize the two figures that stood with him. “Is that…?” I asked not finishing the sentence.
Summary: Daryl is on a run with Rick when, in a warehouse, they find a woman who attacks them, and who reminds Daryl to a lioness…or a feral cat, and who doesn’t seem to trust anyone, including them, but Daryl finds himself going back to the warehouse, trying to get that feral to go with him to the prison, and to earn her trust.
Chapter 3/10 Words: 4600
You can find my other fics in my masterlist.
Last chapter...Daryl convinced Dana, the feral cat, to go back with him to the prison, though she’s mistrustful of the place and the people, seeming to only trust Daryl.
“Cat?” Daryl called for Dana at the outside of her cell. “Brought you breakfast.”
He had brought her dinner last night too, knowing that she wouldn’t want to go eat with everyone else. He had asked just in case, but Dana hadn’t said anything, and when he’d also told her that he could take her to their doctor to check her, Dana had shook her head, and so Daryl had let her be, she didn’t seem hurt despite her old wounds.
Daryl had passed Dana her dinner through the half open door of the cell and then he had sat down at the outside of it with his own dinner in silence, he sill hadn’t wanted to press the woman with questions. It didn’t seem that Dana had minded his presence, though, she had kept the curtain open and sat down at the other side of the door too, looking at him as she ate, studying it almost, and Daryl had tried his best not to feel nervous and self-conscious.
Dana had kept herself in her cell, hadn’t talked to anyone, but Daryl knew that at least, he needed to have her talk to the council today, or else they’d come to talk to her eventually and she might feel more threatened. Besides, she couldn’t be always locked inside a cell.
The curtain of the cell opened, revealing Dana looking at him, and she knotted the curtain to a bar so it wouldn’t fall onto the door again. “Thanks,” she murmured, opening the door a bit and reaching out to take the bowl of oatmeal, and she went to sit down on the unmade bed.
“You don’t wanna get out of the cell? I can show you around, no one will hurt you,” Daryl told her and Dana didn’t say anything. Daryl let out a sigh. “Hey, cat…I’m gonna need you to speak to the council, okay?” Dana looked at him at that. She had seemed more or less at ease with him, but now Daryl could see in her eyes again that suspicion and fear. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to be afraid, they’re good people, alright?” He tried to assure her. “They just want to talk to you about this place, how it works, just…I know you ain’t dangerous for us, but they need to know too. We got a lot of people we have to take care of. But you don’t gotta be scared of them. I need you to talk to them, please?”
Dana looked at him, then down, swallowing hard, and then back at him. She took a deep breath and finally nodded.
“Alright, alright, good.” Daryl nodded encouragingly. “I’m gonna talk to them and then I’ll come back for you, okay?” Dana didn’t say anything but her eyes seemed anxious. “You ain’t gonna run away…right?” He asked half-joking, but in truth, he was a bit afraid of it. The woman shook her head in silence. “Okay…you better not, I don’t want you getting into trouble.” If someone saw her running away, they might get the wrong impression. “Don’t worry, kitten, nobody is gonna hurt you.”
“Kitten?” Dana said and Daryl frowned at her.
“What?”
“You said kitten.” She was looking at him in a way that Daryl had never seen before on her, like she was amused, and Daryl realized that the word might have slipped, he hadn’t even realized it, and he blushed up to his ears, feeling like an idiot.
“You ain’t no kitten,” Daryl said, flustered. “Kittens don’t bite like this.” He nodded towards his arm. “Feral cats do.”
“You said it.” Dana shrugged and Daryl somehow felt even more embarrassed.
“I…uh…I’m gonna talk to the council, I’ll come back for you,” he said before rushing away.
*
After talking to the council, Daryl made his way back to Dana’s cell. He’d tried to convince the others to not overwhelm her with questions, to not ask about herself if she didn’t talk on her own, because he thought something might have happened to her, that she must have been mistreated by someone, and it was obvious that she was still on edge. He thought the others had agreed with him, they didn’t want to scare her or seem threatening, but they had to make sure that she was not a threat for everyone else.
Once he went back for Dana, she had seemed hesitant, but she had taken a deep breath and unlocked the cell, following Daryl, and so now he was guiding her towards the room that the council used for meetings. Suddenly, Beth seemed to come out of nowhere, smiling at them, and Daryl rushed to step in front of Dana.
“Hi! I’m Beth, it’s good to meet you finally, Daryl wouldn’t let us go greet you.” Beth chuckled.
“Beth, let her be,” Daryl warned, but looking back at Dana, she seemed startled but not scared, and Daryl guessed that Beth looked non-threatening enough.
“Alright, alright…” Beth grinned at Dana. “If you are tired of that cell and want to come talk, I’m going to be watching over the kids at the library.” With a last smile, Beth finally walked away.
“Kids?” Dana asked to Daryl, frowning.
“Yeah, we got a few,” Daryl said. “More reasons why we have to be careful when we bring in new people.” Dana nodded at that, understanding, and they kept going, stopping in front of the door of the council. “Are you ready? Don’t be scared, I promise it will be fine.” Dana looked at him and then at the door. Taking a deep breath, she nodded.
Daryl walked in first, making sure to stay slightly in front of Dana. Everyone was sitting down already, and all eyes went to them. “So…” Daryl tried to push past his awkwardness. “You know Rick already, and Carol and Maggie. Those are Glenn, Hershel, our doctor, and Sasha.” And himself…Daryl still didn’t know why they had asked him to be part of the council.
“Welcome, Dana,” Hershel greeted, smiling at Dana, who looked again like she wanted to flee. “You don’t have to be scared of us.”
“I take Daryl has made sure you have everything you need?” Rick asked, giving Daryl a teasing look and Daryl scoffed, but Dana nodded. “Good…you still think that we are going to kill you?” Daryl wanted to kick Rick for being so blunt even if joking, but Dana just shrugged and Rick smiled. “I get it…but you really are safe here, nobody will hurt you.” Dana didn’t say anything and so Rick kept talking. “When I asked you how many people had you killed, you said several, you said for survival and vengeance…”
“Rick…” Daryl warned him, noticing Dana tensing, he’d told them not to ask about that, he was sure that Dana wouldn’t react well to that, and after seeing her old wound and scars, he wouldn’t blame her for not wanting to remember or talk about it.
“I know what’s that, to kill to survive, to stop people trying to hurt you and your people, we don’t like it but we have to do it,” Rick kept going. “It was the same in your case, I guess…can you tell us about it?”
Dana began shaking her head no quick, breathing hard, and before Daryl could say anything, she was rushing outside the room, and Daryl followed her quick.
“Hey, hey, Dana, wait, wait,” he called for her, trying to stop her from running away. She stopped, looking at him, breathing hard, but she looked like she could flee at any moment. “It’s okay, cat, hey, it’s okay,” Daryl tried to reassure her, even if he didn’t know how. “You don’t have to talk about that, it’s okay. They won’t ask again, I promise. I’m sorry they did…come back inside with me, please?” He asked her softly and Dana seemed unsure, scared eyes looking around before looking at him again, swallowing hard. “It’s going to be okay, I promise. Let’s finish this and I’ll take you back to your cell.”
Dana still seemed more than hesitant but finally she took a deep breath and nodded. Before knowing what he was doing, Daryl reached out to squeeze Dana’s shoulder. When he realized it, he thought he might just have scared her more, but even though she flinched a bit at first, she gave him that tiny, brief smile, and she followed him inside the room.
“I’m sorry, Dana, I really didn’t mean to upset you,” Rick said.
“Yeah, well, you did,” Daryl grumbled, glaring at everyone.
“I’m sorry…but we understand, we all have blood in our hands here, from people that threatened us, that wanted to kill us,” Rick kept going. “We didn’t want to do it, but we had to. So we get it, we know how it is, what sometimes you have to do to survive.” Dana was looking down, breathing hard, but then she nodded.
“You are welcome here, I know we still don’t know each other, but we don’t think that you are a threat…and I know you still don’t trust us, we understand that too.” Maggie gave Dana a small, reassuring small. “But once we get to know each other a bit more and you get used to our home…I think you’ll be able to see how good this can be, and if you want to contribute, you are more than welcome, we all need each other to survive, we all have jobs here. “ Maggie explained. “Glenn and I organize runs, and everyone who can fight is welcome to help on those.”
“After watching you fight, I think you could be really useful on those,” Rick said, and Dana just shrugged, looking down. “Sasha is in charge of lookouts, we have schedules for those, also for the doors, also the walls and putting down the walkers behind those, we don’t want them getting too many and throwing down the fences.”
“I’m not sure I trust her putting down walkers next to someone with a pike,” Sasha said…not one to trust people, like Carol, but it annoyed Daryl.
“She ain’t gonna hurt anyone!” He snapped.
“There are also the gardens and orchards,” Maggie said before neither him nor Sasha could say anything else. “Cooking, laundry, cleaning, inventory…and a million other things that I can’t think about now. So if you feel like there’s something specific that you want to do, tell us and we’ll include you in the schedule. But for now, just take it slow as you get used to all these, take your time, and then come to talk to me about it if you want, okay?”
They all looked at Dana, who wasn’t saying anything, but then she nodded at Daryl. “Him?”
“Daryl is our hunter and also goes on runs,” Rick told her.
“With him,” Dana said quietly and Daryl looked at her, wondering if being around him really made her feel more at ease and less threatened. The idea made him feel grateful, and warm, and…weird.
“Daryl hunts alone,” Carol said.
“She can come with me if she wanna.” Daryl shrugged shyly.
“Can you hunt?” Rick asked to Dana who looked down in silence. “Why don’t you help me and my kid at the orchard? More hands are always welcome.” Dana didn’t say anything but looked at Daryl.
“I can take her with me,” Daryl said, couldn’t stop himself with her looking at him like that. “We can patrol the woods near the prison while I hunt, see if there’s people or walkers in the woods or coming, we had already talked about that once, about setting a perimeter around the prison,” he told Rick. “We also can…dunno, collect whatever plants you want now or anything you want from the woods…I’m gonna be out hunting there anyway, so…” He shrugged, saying the first things that came to his mind. “And you are always saying what if I run into walkers alone while hunting, like if I couldn’t put them down by myself,” he scoffed. “So…she can watch my back.”
“He’s always snapping when someone mentions him going outside alone but now he’s going to take the new girl who we don’t know anything about to watch his back,” Sasha murmured and Daryl glared at her, flustered.
“We already have the lookouts to see if something is approaching but…okay.” Rick nodded and Daryl hoped that he could see how Dana felt reluctant to be with someone else, still scared, but maybe soon she’d feel better and then she would decide to work on something else…Daryl wasn’t sure how he felt about it, though. “We have enough walkers coming to push at the fences all the time, if you can see a group of them coming from the woods it’ll be good to know in advance, just don’t go for them yourselves and be careful, alright?”
“You’re always saying the same every time I go out hunting.” Daryl rolled his eyes but in truth, he was grateful that Rick and everyone else cared for him the way they did, it was something that he hadn’t felt before. He did care for them too. “We ain’t gonna jump on a herd by ourselves.”
“Yeah? I don’t know, she looks like she might,” Rick said, but Daryl could see that he was joking and he hoped that Dana could too. “And you aren’t the most sensible person here.” Daryl scoffed, but couldn’t stop his smirk. “Alright…that sounds good to you?” Rick asked to Dana, who nodded in silence.
“As long as you don’t come back without having hunted anything.” Carol shrugged.
“I won’t, you should know it already.” Daryl rolled his eyes.
“It’s settled then.” Rick nodded.
“That’s all?” Daryl asked and Rick nodded. “Alright…we’ll be leaving for hunting and patrol tomorrow, we’re good enough in food for today.”
“Welcome here, Dana, we’ll see you around,” Glenn smiled. “We’ll let you know when we plan a run to see if you want to come.”
“Let us know if you need something,” Maggie added.
*
Once in her cell, Dana locked the door and went to sit down on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest, and she looked at him in silence, at the other side of the door.
“Are you okay?” He asked her softly, and she shrugged but nodded. “It wasn’t that scary, yeah?” He half-joked. “Those people? I promise they’re good people, they’re my family. You’re one of us too now, you’re gonna be safe here. You don’t have to talk about anything you don’t wanna, alright?” Dana nodded, looking down in silence.
Daryl didn’t know what to do or say and he just looked at her in silence for a while, until he heard footsteps on the corridor.
Looking to the side, Daryl saw Rick approaching, and he rushed to meet him before he reached the cell. “She talked to the council already.”
“I know, I know.” Rick gave him an amused smile. “Beth was right, you’re a guard dog now.” Rick chuckled and Daryl scoffed, looking down shyly.
“Yeah, well, she’s scared and you all ain’t making it better, told you not to ask her…” He grumbled.
“I know, I came to talk to you about that.” Rick nodded. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to upset, but if there’s a threat, we have to know.”
“She ain’t no threat!”Daryl snapped.
“I know, I don’t think she’s a threat to us, I hope we’re right,” Rick said. “But whoever she killed, if they were from a group, if they’re dangerous and maybe near the warehouse where we found her, we have to now, it’s not that far.”
Daryl hummed, frowning. Rick was right on that, but he didn’t know how to ask Dana. “I don’t know…I think she might have ended them all, of that she comes from far away.” That was the impression he got. “Whoever they were…I think they abused her, tortured her, or something, she’s all marked.” Daryl felt his blood boil at the thought. “You’ve seen her, she’s traumatized and scared.” They couldn’t expect her to just open up and trust them as nothing.
“Yeah…” Rick nodded. “I’m not blind, I know she’s gone through shit. I told you, you did well, getting her to trust you, bringing her here. You’re good at that, at recognizing good people that need help and bringing them to safety.” Rick squeezed his shoulder and Daryl shrugged, looking down shyly, feeling like an idiot when he realized he was getting emotional. “I don’t think it’s good for her that she’s all the time in a cell.”
“Yeah…” Daryl agreed, but he didn’t know how to tell feral cat that.
“Why don’t you show her around, she hasn’t seen anything yet, she doesn’t know anyone. The more she stays hidden, the more intrigued people is going to be,” Rick said. “Show her where’s everything, maybe take her to the yard so she can get some air? She hasn’t left that cell in almost two days.”
“I can try…” Daryl said, unsure of how she was going to take it.
“Okay…also you might consider to stop staying all day sat down outside her cell like a guard dog looking at her, I know you mean well but it’s getting weird,” Rick joked, chuckling, and Daryl scoffed, flustered.
“Don’t you have nothing useful to do besides bothering me?” He grumbled and Rick just chuckled more.
“Not half as fun…but yes, I’m going to get Carl and we’ll be working on the gardens, the tomatoes are looking good, you can bring Dana to see the gardens if she wants to, maybe she’ll like it? I don’t know.”
“I’ll tell her…” Daryl shrugged, he had no idea of what Dana might like, what might make her feel more at ease and trust them and the place.
“Alright, I’ll see you later.”
Rick walked away and Daryl walked back to Dana’s cell, who looked at him when she noticed him. “Hey, cat…why I don’t show you the place? You don’t know it yet,” he told her and Dana didn’t say anything. “You don’t need to see anyone or talk to anyone.” She still didn’t say anything, just looked at him. “Come on, you can’t be all the time in a cell like if we had you captive, yeah?”
Dana shrugged but finally she nodded, and she opened the door of the cell, getting out and walking with him. Daryl decided to show her the inside of the prison before taking her to the yards, and he toured her around awkwardly while he showed her the important places , he’d never showed anyone around before and he felt a bit silly. On her side, Dana seemed to look at everything around her, seeming amazed and still nervous and anxious.
People looked at them, some waved and smiled, but Daryl was glad that nobody approached them to try to speak with Dana if she didn’t approach first, giving her space, though he wondered if she’d go to speak to any of them by her own will at some point, or if she’d just rather keep staying in her cell…Daryl didn’t know how to go about that or help with it.
“And that’s the library.” Daryl pointed at it. “Sometimes the kids are there reading books, or learning stuff…” Honestly, he wasn’t very sure of what they did, some old world homework but he thought that Carol trained them to protect themselves too. They kept walking until Daryl stopped in front of some other rooms. “So, this is the food inventory, if you want to eat something just come here and ask whoever is doing inventory that day, then that’s the kitchen, and we eat there.” He pointed at the big cafeteria room. “Or outside at the yard, depends on the weather. Some people eat together but you don’t have to, I don’t eat here half of the time.” He shrugged. “I think Carol maybe is at the kitchen now, I ain’t sure…”
“She doesn’t like me,” Dana murmured.
“Nah, nah, it ain’t that…she just…she ain’t one to trust easily, yeah, but she will,” Daryl tried to assure her and Dana shrugged.
Next, Daryl took her outside. There were more people there, but most were working on something. A couple was just sat down on the picnic tables, and they waved at them. Daryl waved awkwardly back, still not used to everyone always greeting him and even stopping him to talk to him.
“So…you see those walkers?” He pointed at the fence and the people stabbing walkers through it. “We take shifts to clear them, they push at the fence all the time, and if they’re too many they’ll throw it down, we can’t let walkers get in here,” he explained and Dana nodded. “Once a day, when it’s clearer, Rick takes the pickup and gets all the bodies, takes them to the woods to burn, sometimes I go with him, sometimes Tyreese, he’s Sasha’s brother…”
“Those are all the watchtowers, there’s always someone on them taking watch, we got sniper rifles.” Daryl pointed at them, feeling a bit awkward and stupid, it wasn’t like Dana couldn’t see them by herself. “Sasha’s almost always on one of those.”
“Hates me…” Dana muttered.
“Nah, nah, she doesn’t,” Daryl assured. “Just give her time to trust you.” From the nearer watchtower, Maggie and Glenn waved at them. “Yeah, besides runs, Maggie and Glenn spent a lot of time in the watchtower too…think they use it to be alone away from everyone.” Daryl scoffed, smiling when he noticed Dana’s tiny smirk.
“And those are the gardens and all that, we got a lot of crops,” Daryl explained, and there were also pots with plants everywhere lately. “Hershel was a farmer before, so yeah, that’s good.” Some people were working on the orchard, including Rick and Carl, and Daryl nodded towards them. “That’s Carl, he’s Rick’s kid, he’s a great kid.”
As they kept walking, now towards the gates, one of the doors of a cellblock opened and Beth walked outside carrying Judith, and she smiled and waved at them.
“A baby…” Dana said and Daryl was not surprised that she sounded shocked.
“Yeah, Judith, she’s Rick’s too, she’s wonderful,” Daryl said, unable to stop his smile as she looked at the baby. “See, we got a lot of people here that we gotta protect, that’s why people is suspicious and worried when someone new comes.” Dana nodded, understanding. “They’ll get used to you soon.” He hoped that Dana got used to them too, that she bonded with more people and were happy, though he wasn’t minding to have her around, and he wasn’t looking forward to be replaced, if he was honest, surprisingly or not. “We got animals too, we built them stuff, we got pigs and horses, wanna see them?” Dana nodded eagerly.
“Rider coming!” One of the watchtowers announced before they could go anywhere. “It’s Michonne!”
Dana looked at him, seeming worried, but Daryl couldn’t help his smile. Michonne had been away for a few days by now. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to be scared, she’s Michonne, she’s a good friend,” he explained. “She comes and goes, has been away for a while.”
They could already see her riding the way to the prison, swinging her katana and beheading every walker around her while she rode as if they were nothing. The doors opened for her and she rode towards their makeshift stables.
“Hey, cat, can we go to the stables so I can see Michonne and you can see the horses?” Daryl asked softly. “It’s really okay if you don’t wanna, alright?” Dana looked at down and then at him, nodding. “You sure?” She nodded again. “Alright, thank you.”
Michonne was getting the horse inside the stable when they reached it, and she grinned, looking at him. “Hey!” She greeted, reaching out to hug him, and Daryl still felt awkward and stiff at it, but he was getting used to it, and he hugged her back. “Everything okay here?”
“Yeah, everything good, and you?”
“Okay…I brought some stuff.” Michonne nudged her bag and then rummaged inside. “This is for you.” She handed him an old motorbike magazine and Daryl couldn’t believe that she had found something like that.
“Where you found this?” He said as he went through the pages.
“Old cabin, you should go someday, there was an old bike at the yard,” Michonne explained. “Very old, looked about to fall down into dust, but I thought on you, maybe you could save some pieces? It was all rusty, I don’t know.”
“Yeah, yeah, I can try, thanks.” Daryl smiled, feeling like just riding to that cabin full speed already.
“There’s no rush.” Michonne chuckled as if reading his mind. “I’m telling you, it was about to drop into rusty, broken pieces, nobody is going to take it.” Daryl shrugged, you never knew. Dana had stayed slightly away but not she walked closer, guarded, and stayed behind him as she looked at Michonne. “Hey, who’s that.”
“She’s Dana, she needed help so I brought her here,” Daryl explained.
Michonne looked at Dana, probably noticing the old wounds on her face, the scars, and those distrustful, scared eyed. She looked at Daryl, nodding, before looking at Dana again, giving her a small smile. “Welcome here, Dana, I’m Michonne. You’re going to be fine in here.”
Dana didn’t say anything, and so Daryl spoke. “We were coming to see the horses.”
“Okay, I’m going to greet Rick, I have stuff for him and Carl, are they at the orchard?” Michonne asked and Daryl nodded. “Alright, see you both around.”
“So…” Daryl looked at Dana while Michonne walked away. “Those are our pigs.” He waved at the pen where the pigs were lying and rolling on the mud. “And these are the horses.” Dana walked to them, reaching out to stroke the snout of one and she smiled, really smiled. Daryl couldn’t help his own looking at her.
“Michonne,” Dana said. “Family?”
“Yes, yes, she’s family now.” Daryl nodded. “She’s a good woman, one of the best, you can trust her.”
Dana nodded. “I like her.”
“Yeah?” Daryl smiled, more than glad of it, and Dana nodded. While she kept petting the horse, Daryl kept thinking about something. “Hey, cat…you’re safe here, you’re going to be fine here, but if you don’t wanna be in here all the time, if you really don’t like it…you can go out with Michonne, you’ll have a place to come back and you’ll be safe with Michonne.” Not as safe as inside the prison, not as safe as Daryl’d want, but he didn’t want her to be in there if she didn’t want to.
Dana shook her head, frowning at him. “With you…don’t want me with you?”
“What, no, no, it ain’t that!” Daryl rushed to say. “Just…thought maybe you didn’t want to…I don’t know, to be here…but…yeah, I want…I…” Daryl stumbled over his words, flustered. “We’re going to hunt and patrol together yeah? If you want to, if you don’t wanna it’s okay, really…” He shrugged, looking down bashfully.
“I want to.”
“Okay, okay, good.” Daryl smiled and Dana gave him that tiny, brief half-smile. “Hey, you don’t want to see the gardens? Michonne is going to be there, and Rick too, he was saying something about some tomatoes, wanna check them?” He was still lost about what Dana might like, what she might enjoy in there, but most people seemed to like the gardens. Dana seemed to think it and then she nodded. “Alright, come on then.”
*
I don’t know about you, but I think they’re pretty cute.
Thanks to the people who decided to give this story a chance, your support keeps me posting. If you enjoyed this and have a moment, please let me know your thoughts.
As always, excuse my English, is not my first language.
I’m going to reblog the taglist in another post to see if that way this shows up in the Daryl tags.
Summary: Daryl is on a run with Rick when, in a warehouse, they find a woman who attacks them, and who reminds Daryl to a lioness…or a feral cat, and who doesn’t seem to trust anyone, including them, but Daryl finds himself going back to the warehouse, trying to get that feral to go with him to the prison, and to earn her trust.
Chapter 5/10 Words: 3076
You can find my other fics in my masterlist.
Last chapter…Dana and Daryl went on a run to pick up an old bike, Dana fought some walkers, ended up drenched in their blood, and almost gave Daryl a heart attack...
They reached the prison when the sun was starting to go down. After Daryl parked the pickup with the other vehicles, Dana helped him to drag the old bike out of the pickup, leaving it in a sheltered place near his own bike. He’d start cleaning it and working on it as soon as he had a moment the next day.
On their way to their cellblock, some people looked at Dana covered in blood, asking if she was okay, to which she nodded awkwardly. Carol stopped them too, and Daryl explained briefly that they had found walkers near the cabin but they had put them down with no problem and they were okay, despite the blood on Dana.
“I know you, wouldn’t be surprised if you saw a herd and decided that you could take it down yourself, why not,” Carol scolded him. “And she’s just like you, isn’t she.” Dana didn’t say anything, just shrugged. “Put those clothes to soak before there’s no way of taking out the blood, half of our clothes supply is bloodstained already.” Dana nodded awkwardly. “I’ll save you both some dinner for when you’re ready.”
They kept going to their cells, and Daryl looked at Dana as she walked into hers, locking the door and already tugging off her shirt and so Daryl looked away. “Hey, um…” He began awkwardly. “You got soaked in blood and guts, why don’t you go to the showers?” He still didn’t know why she didn’t want to, everyone in there seemed to love it when they got the shower system going, but he didn’t want to push her.
“No.”
“Alright…” Daryl was about to go to his cell when suddenly something came to his mind, and he wondered if that might be Dana’s reluctance to shower. “Hey…if you go to the showers, it’ll be safe. You know nobody here will hurt you, right? And no walker can get in, we got fences, and walls, and lookouts.” Maybe Dana was subconsciously anxious at the idea of getting naked without weapons under a stream of water and without a lock, maybe she felt vulnerable. He could understand that.
“No…”
“I, uh…can take watch on the door while you shower, if you wanna,” Daryl offered, shrugging awkwardly.
There was only silence for a moment, but then, Dana spoke. “Okay.”
“Alright…alright, grab some clothes I’m gonna, uh…bring you a towel and all that.” Daryl rushed to the laundry room and came back with not only a towel but more stuff that Beth, who was working there at that moment, had given him.
“So…” He looked at Dana, who was already holding a change of clean clothes, waiting for him. “Here’s the towel, and also soap that someone made, Beth said this one is for you, and also this…” Daryl frowned at a bottle in his hand. “This is Beth’s, said is some oil for the hair, that it helps to untangle it or something.” He gave everything to Dana. “She gave me a comb too.” Dana looked at the comb, scoffing, and she didn’t even take it.
Daryl led her to the showers, closing the doors behind them, and then he waved to their shower system. “So…that is, you pump it and some water falls, and…yeah, that is.” He felt a bit like an idiot explaining it when she could just see it. “I’ll wait outside.”
“No,” Dana said, leaving all her stuff on a bench that they had there for that.
“I’ll be just outside the door, and you really are safe, nobody will barge in, or hurt you, walkers can’t get in, you know it,” Daryl told her softly, but Dana looked at the door, then at the shower and at him, and Daryl didn’t want her to feel anxious, he understood it if she felt subconsciously vulnerable, and if she knew that the danger was not real but she couldn’t help her anxiety anyway, she was probably beating herself about it enough already. Daryl understood. He didn’t want her to feel bad, or weak, or vulnerable. “Okay, I’ll stay.” He took his knife out of his sheath too, to show Dana that he meant it when he said he’d take watch, even if there was no need.
“Thanks…” Dana murmured, and she looked like she knew it was just her mind playing tricks on her, but Daryl nodded reassuringly at her, and she gave him that tiny smile. Then she began to strip down, so Daryl quickly turned away, facing the door, flustered. “Shy,” Dana said, and she sounded amused.
“Ain’t shy,” Daryl grumbled, flustered. “But I ain’t taking my clothes off anywhere and in front of anyone.”
Dana chuckled. “Worse things in the world than being naked.”
Daryl guessed so, but still, he couldn’t help how his cheeks burned. He heard Dana pumping the water and it splashing, but after a while, he heard Dana cursing. “Somethin’ wrong?” Daryl asked, but Dana just cursed again, and Daryl ventured a quick look at her, finding her cursing as she tugged at her hair, before he looked away again, though he heard Dana walking to him.
“Knife,” she asked, nudging his arm.
“What for?”
“To stab you,” Dana scoffed. “For the hair.” So, it seemed she was done at trying to untangle it again, even if she had already chopped it short, Daryl knew that she hadn’t cared to untangle her hair for a while, who cared for that when your priority was survival, and so her locks had gotten tangled and tangled.
“Wait, uh…I’ll help you…” Daryl found himself offering, didn’t know why, he didn’t even know if he could help , he didn’t even brush his own hair. “Just…uh…get some clothes on…” he said, cheeks burning again. He heard Dana walking away, and then she went back and tugged at his shirt, so Daryl turned to look at her. She hadn’t gotten dressed, but she had wrapped the towel around her wet body, and she turned so her back was to him and he could help her with her hair.
“Ain’t you cold…” Daryl murmured awkwardly and she just shrugged.
Without clothes on and with her hair short, Daryl could see more of her old wounds and marks, but some scars stood out. Those seemed burning marks, going from the back of her neck until almost reaching between her shoulder blades, making geometrical patterns as if someone had wanted to brand her, and Daryl felt his blood burn. He brushed a finger over the scars softly, couldn’t help himself, and Dana stiffed.
“Did you kill them? The people who did this?” Daryl asked and Dana nodded. “Good.” Daryl stopped looking at the scars and focused on the task on hand, untangle Dana’s short hair…he wasn’t too confident in his ability, but he took the oil bottle that Beth had given him, pouring some on his fingers, and then he tried to run them through Dana’s curls to see if he could ease some of the knots…instead, he tugged at her locks, and Dana cursed and hissed, slapping his hand away and glaring at him. “Sorry, sorry, let me…I…”
Daryl looked at her hair, clueless, but tried again, taking a small lock of hair and softly trying to ease the knot, being as gentle and slow as he could, trying his best not to tug at her locks of hair, and this time Dana didn’t complain, so he kept going like that. It was a slow process, and he managed to untangle some knots, but he had to cut the worst ones with his knife, so her already short hair was shorter in some parts but with some curls of hair spiking out here and there too…Daryl still thought it suited her.
Eventually, he could more or less brush his fingers through her wet and oiled black locks with some ease, so he was about to tell her that it was done, but then he noticed that Dana had her eyes closed and a small smile on her face, as if she were enjoying it, and so Daryl swallowed hard, nervous, but kept going.
“Okay…” He said eventually. “All done.”
Dana turned around and smiled at him. “Thanks,” she said. She dropped the towel again and Daryl turned around to face the wall quickly. He heard her walking to the shower and the water splashing again for a little while. The next time that Dana tugged at his shirt, she was already dressed.
“Alright, let’s go,” Daryl said, but Dana didn’t move, pointing towards the shower.
“You?”
“Nah, I…I don’t…” Daryl stammered, flustered. “No need to… but uh…thanks…”
“Shy,” Dana smirked, following him back to their cells.
*
Daryl was on his cell, changing clothes before he went to grab some late dinner for him and Dana, knowing that if Carol saw him with his dirt-covered clothes, she’d get him to drop them at the laundry anyway, she didn’t understand why he was almost always wearing the same clothes, ripped and dirty or not, even now that they had a decent stash of clothes, but Daryl didn’t think it was a big deal.
He’d taken off his shirt and his back was to the door of the cell, but he noticed someone there anyway and he turned quickly. It was Dana, holding two bowls of stew, as if this time it was her who had decided to get them dinner, making progress at getting used to the prison little by little.
“Uh…” Daryl looked down awkwardly before reaching to take one of the bowls. “Thanks.”
Dana gave him the bowl but didn’t leave, and she kept looking at him, eyes trailing over the faint scars on his chest, making him feel even more awkward. Then she walked into the cell, and Daryl felt his heart hammering in his chest, shy and nervous, but he felt frozen too while Dana walked around him. She left the bowls of stew on the smell cell, and then Daryl felt her finger softly trailing one of the deep scars on his back and he shivered, swallowing hard.
Dana walked in front of him again, looking at him. “Who?”
Daryl chewed on his lip, looking down, but finally answered. “My father.” There it came again, that shame at not having been able to stop him. “Mean bastard.”
“You killed him?”
Daryl shook his head…he hadn’t been able and it only brought more shame. “But he’s dead.”
“Good,” Dana growled, nodding. She took her bowl of stew and walked away from the cell.
Daryl swallowed hard, trying to control himself, trying to even his breathing. Then, he thought it for a moment but finally he put on a shirt, took his bowl of stew, and walked to Dana’s cell. “Wanna eat together?” He asked bashfully from the door and Dana nodded.
They ate in silence, sat down next to each other on the bed, but soon it wasn’t awkward anymore and Daryl began to relax, and when Dana nudged his arm with the side of her head softly once, affectionately, he couldn’t help his small smile.
Once they finished the stew, Daryl took the bowls to the kitchen, washing them, before going back to the cellblock. On her way, Daryl stumbled into Rick, and he nodded at him, but frowned when he noticed Rick’s smirk.
“What?”
“First you get all guard dog at the outside of her cell, not you get into the shower with her?” Rick asked with a grin and Daryl barely could stop himself from slapping it off his face, and he groaned internally while he blushed red up to his ears, of course that someone had to see them walking into the showers or getting out together.
“Ain’t like that!” He snapped, defensive, which just made Rick chuckle, seeming more amused.
“I imagine…”
Daryl scoffed. “I’m gonna sleep.”
“On your cell or hers?” Rick asked with that shit-eating grin.
“Told you it ain’t like that!”
“Oh, I know but where’s the fun if I can’t mess with you?” Rick laughed and Daryl scoffed again. He began to walk away, but he stopped when something came to his mind.
“Yo, Rick.”
“Yeah?”
“You know when you…uh…” Daryl frowned, wondering how to word it. “When you’re all the time bothering me about not going to kill groups of walkers alone and all that.” Just like he’d told Dana and she hadn’t listened, scaring him when he saw her bloodied up fighting a group of dead assholes.
“Yeah, and you’re always annoyed saying that you can do it and telling me to leave you alone?” Rick nodded, still seeming amused.
“Just…uh…Thanks…for caring and all that…” Daryl shrugged, looking down shyly, feeling a bit like an idiot.
“Of course I care.” Rick squeezed his shoulder. “You’re my family.”
Daryl nodded, feeling emotional, and he wasn’t sure if he made a good job at not showing it. “You too…” He muttered before retreating. “Night.”
*
Weeks passed, and each day Daryl thought that Dana seemed more integrated within the community. She didn’t seem that on edge all the time, didn’t look like she might consider leaving and running away, and although she was often in her cell, she didn’t lock the door that often, only when she was asleep. She was not talkative at all, but she didn’t steer clear of people anymore, even if she was awkward around them, and she even gave them a couple of words here and there when it was necessary, and she was starting to open up a bit to Maggie and Beth, and Michonne whenever she was back.
She still spent most of her time with him, despite not being scared of the others now. They’d go hunting and patrolling in the mornings, and now when they went out, Daryl made sure that Dana got a silenced rifle with her. She still had a lot to learn, it wasn’t easy work, but she was getting better at tracking, and the first time that she had shot and killed a rabbit herself, Daryl had beamed with pride. For how much Daryl had liked his days of solitude at the woods, he had to admit that he enjoyed walking next to her, showing her stuff, teaching her, getting her to talk to him sometimes, while other times they’d walk in comfortable silence.
Once back, they’d get their kills ready together, and then Daryl would go to either do something else that someone needed or to tinker with the old bike. Dana sometimes went to tend to the horses, others helped Rick with anything he asked her, and other times she’d just go to her cell, but sometimes, when Daryl went to work on the bike, she’d go with him and either watch him work in silence or bring a book with her to read, and Daryl did enjoy her quiet company…but not as much as when he managed to get her to smile at something, making his belly do funny things, glad that she trusted him and opened to him, glad that she was feeling better, safe, hopefully happy.
Dana had recently started going on runs too when Maggie and Glenn needed people, either pairing up with Maggie or with him, and Daryl had already known that she was a good fighter, but seeing her in runs, putting down walkers by knife, just confirmed it more, even if he was still worried when there was a group around her. She seemed to turn back into a lioness when she fought them, ruthless and skillful, but once the danger was gone, she had that tiny smile for him that always got him smiling and feeling his belly tingling, as she was back to look like a shy, quiet cat instead of a feral one. He knew that Maggie and Glenn appreciated having her on runs now, and Daryl somehow felt proud.
They were on one now, in what had been a mall once, with a group. Maggie and Glenn had been planning it for more than a week, and everything had worked according to their plan. They had cleared the walkers, and although for one moment of panic it had seemed that one of their people had gotten trapped by a group, Daryl had shot at some while Maggie and Dana put down others by knife, and finally the cornered guy hadn’t been hurt.
They were now carrying all the stuff that they could find to their vehicles, and Daryl smiled when she noticed someone nudging his arm affectionately, knowing that it was Dana. “Hey, cat,” he said and she gave him that tiny smile. “You did well back there.” Dana’s smile grew, and Daryl couldn’t help his own.
He opened the truck of one of the cars, placing inside the box that he was carrying, and Dana did the same. Then, he looked at Dana again. The blood of one of the walkers had spattered on her face, and Daryl reached out a finger to smear one of the blood droplets, making Dana scrunch her nose and move her head away, and Daryl chuckled. “How do you always manage to end up like such a mess?” He told her and Dana scoffed, pushing him with her shoulder softly, but she smirked.
“Talent,” she said, shrugging, and Daryl snorted.
“Everything ready?” Maggie asked, and everyone nodded.
“Alright, very good job today, people,” Glenn said. “Well done, let’s go back home.”
Daryl and Dana went to the bike, but before getting on it, Daryl took a bottle of water from his bag and a rag from his back pocket. “Come here, messy cat, you’re gonna scare someone if the first thing they see is us on the bike with you all bloodied,” he said, pouring the water onto the rag and brushing it over Dana’s face.
“Should be used to,” Dana said, shrugging, and she closed her eyes, smiling softly when he began to gently clean her face.
“Alright…better.” Daryl nodded at Dana, getting the bottle and the rag into his bag and tying it to the bike with Dana’s. “Hop in,” he said as he swung his leg over the bike. Dana hold to his shoulders and got situated behind him, reaching back to hold onto the metal part in which Daryl carried the crossbow. “Ready?” He asked, kicking the bike into motion when Dana nodded and riding in front of the cars back to the prison.
*
I just love them.
Thanks to the people supporting this.
There WON’T be a chapter next Tuesday, probably, because I want to post something special, because it’s my birthday, and with it what I call “angst week.”
As always, excuse my English, is not my first language.
I’m going to reblog the taglist in another post to see if that way this shows up in the Daryl tags.
Liv sat at the table with her family. They had only been in Alexandria for four months. Rick took charge as usual. Liv rummaged in food, thinking about how to adapt to such a life.
“Liv are you listening to me?” Liv raised her head at the mention of her name and looked at Rick.
“I'm sorry, I got lost in my head” she smiled slightly “Could you repeat?”
"Weird things are happening to you lately," Rick laughed. "I'd like you to go hunting with Daryl tomorrow."
"I've got a night watch at the gate," she shrugged, "so I probably can't make it."
"I'm not leaving until noon, you'll have time to sleep," said Daryl's hoarse voice.
“I offered to help Denise in the infirmary when I got up.” She didn't even glance in Daryl's direction.
Not after what he had told her a few months ago, she didn't feel like watching him or talking to him. Rick rubbed his face, looking at Liv and then at Daryl.
“The two of you are to resolve what is between you, we are family. We have to cooperate” Rick pointed a finger at Liv and then Daryl.
"I don't know what she means," Daryl growled.
Liv got up, grabbed the plate, and looked at him for the first time in months.
"You hypocrite," she snapped, throwing her plate into the sink. "I'm going to work." She threw a sweatshirt over her shoulders and headed for the door.
“What the fuck do you mean?”, Daryl slammed his hand on the table.
Liv tightened her hand on the doorknob and sighed. She had no intention of arguing with him and getting into the argument she needed.
"I'm talking to you," Daryl stood up, snarling at her.
"Fuck you," she growled, turning to face him. "Fuck you fucking hypocrite. You suddenly want to talk to me? Don't you feel like yelling at me like the last time?
Daryl frowned, staring at her eyes.
“Maybe you want to call me useless again? Maybe you want to tell me that all these people sitting at this table tolerate me out of pity? she shouted at him.
“What are you talking about, Liv?” Rick looked at her like the rest of the people sitting at the table.
“Well, you see Rick, your brother as you called him recently shouted in my face that I was useless, that he befriended me out of pity because no one else wanted to. That all of you do not treat me as a family member, but as a person whom they tolerate out of pity because I would not be able to cope alone in that world. It's time to know the truth, so yes you're right Daryl doesn't need your pity “ she snapped at him, tears in her eyes.
"I don't remember that," Daryl slumps into a chair and rummages through his memory.
"Maybe two bottles of whiskey wiped your memory," she growled and left the house.
She had to wipe her tears so as not to look like a weak knife, she wanted anyone to see her in a cancerous state. She took the worth at the gate from Sasha, grabbed the gun and looked around the grounds in front of the gate.
"Liv," Rick said from the ground.
"Leave me alone," Liv muttered, "Everything is said, everything you need to know, you know. Ask Dixon about the rest. "
Rick climbed onto the platform where Liv was standing. He stood next to her and sighed, rubbing his face with his hands.
“You know Daryl didn't mean it all. Me and these people love you, you are like a daughter to me. “He put his arm around her and kissed her temple. "Daryl was wrong, no one pities you."
"Except for Dixon," she huffed under her breath, "can you please not ask me more to hunt with him or go for a trip?"
“You gotta figure it out, you gotta talk to him. After you left, he followed you out with almost tears in his eyes. I bet he's sitting somewhere right now and I'm fighting for what he said and what he doesn't remember”
“Rick doesn't excuse him, I thought we were really friends. That it might be more than that, but when he yelled at me it broke my heart. I don't know if I can forgive him, I don't even know if he wants to”, she moved away from Rick.
"Everything will work out somehow, just a simple conversation," Rick smiled slightly.
"I'll think about it," she sighed, "promising nothing more."
"That's something," he laughed.
He kissed her temple and headed back home. He knew that Daryl for a long time, decided to look for Dixon and talk to him. After an hour of searching, he found Daryl sitting in the farthest corner of Alexandria. He sat down next to him and breathed out. He rubbed his face with his hand and sighed as he looked at his friend.
"I'd like the truth," he sighed, "did you really tell her that?"
“After losing Beth, after her death, I couldn't pull myself together. I found whiskey bottles and I got drunk. The movie was cut off, I don't remember the conversation. I would never tell her something like that, I'm not like that”, Daryl lowered his head, tears in his eyes. “I care about her, I really love her. I would never hurt her, I'd like her to believe me that I don't think that about her. I wish she would see how much I love her.
“Talk to her, explain everything. Olivia is sensible, she just got scared and I think you might have hurt her a bit. And I think you should definitely not consume any more alcohol.”
“No more fucking alcohol, I just want her back even as a friend”, he whispered softly.
“So get a grip and go talk to her there. Dixon you don't have the balls?”, Rick knew how to provoke him.
"Oh, fuck you," Daryl stood up and started walking towards the gate.
However, he stopped several meters in front of the watchtower. He could see the outline of her figure in the darkness, and she stood and looked around. Daryl bit his lip and walked over to her. He needs to talk to her even if he is going to be slapped in the mouth. He climbed the ladder and stood on the edge of the platform, not wanting to encroach on her personal space.
"Liv," he said softly, "we can talk.?"
He saw her body tense, Daryl bit his lower lip.
"I really don't remember anything," he sighed, "my movie was cut off"
"So, drinking alcohol entitles you to defame people?" She turned to him abruptly, “Does this entitle you to call me names? The person who has been friends with you since school years? Who has helped you get out of the worst shit so many times."
"No," he shook his head.
He knew that she supported him whenever he needed it, repeatedly saved him from sleeping in the street when his father was drunk and beat him again. She was always there for him and he shouted at her and scolded her. Liv was staring at him with tears in his eyes, the man had a moaning heart but decided to crush it.
"It hurt me, you know? It made me feel like Shit. I thought we were friends that we meant something to each other. But apparently I was wrong", she cried, shaking her head.
"Sorry, I'm so sorry." Daryl lowered his head, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Liv breathed a sigh as she looked at Daryl, her heart crying to see Daryl like this. She ruffled her hair, put the gun down, leaning it against the wall. Slowly she approached him. "Daryl" whispered.
Tears were running down Daryl's cheeks, he couldn't stop them, or maybe he didn't even want to. Liv lifted her hand slightly and placed it on his cheek. She ran her thumb over his cheek, wiping a tear away. She took another step and pulled him tightly against her. Daryl rested his chin on her shoulder, hugging her tightly around the waist.
"I'll forgive you if you promise me you'll never get drunk again," she whispered into his hair.
"I won't drink the alcohol, I promise," he stepped away from her slightly and looked into her eyes.
"Fine" Liv sighed. "I missed you" she placed her hands on his cheeks, wiping away her tears.
Daryl stared into her eyes, knew he had a chance now. He grabbed her wrists and took his hands off his face. He put his hand on her cheek and leaned down to her. Liv didn't take her eyes off him, he finally wanted to kiss her. She smiled gently, almost uncertainly. Daryl pressed their lips together gently, brushing her lips with his. He pressed his lips tighter against hers as Liv deepened the kiss and he grinned broadly. He broke away from her after a few moments, poked her nose with his nose. "I love you," he whispered uncertainly.
Liv blushed slightly, staring into his eyes "I love you too, Dixon"
The work was created, through collaboration @bladeroseocrp https://www.wattpad.com/user/BladeRose_18
Daryl wakes up with the first rays of sunlight, rises to his feet "Fuck!" He growls under his breath. Like the last idiot, he fell asleep next to someone unknown. He looks around between the trees, his mind trying to jump into high gear. Blade looks up at him and smiles softly "Good morning, sunshine. How did you sleep?" She asks, making sure her motorcycle is ready to go and she has her things. Her wrist is wrapped in bandages, but the sleeves of her leather jacket cover it, but occasionally the sleeve rolls up slightly, hoping he won't notice. Daryl snorts under his breath at the term 'sunshine', mumbling something under his breath. He throws his crossbow over his shoulder and starts towards his motorcycle, which he had hidden the previous day. He needs to get to Alexandria so his family won’t worry about him. Blade watches him and sighs. "Okay, so I'm not a morning person, I guess," She says, walking with him and the motorcycle. She watches his every move. "So why are you letting me come back with you to your group?" She asks him. "Everyone deserves a group." He mutters under his breath and slips into the ditch where his motorcycle lies covered by branches.
He pulls it out of the ditch and pushes it into the street. He tries to start it, when he fails he kicks it away angry at his stupidity. He was supposed to review it last time, but he had to hunt and didn't have time to do it, and now it's getting its revenge on him. Blade looks at him and shrugs her shoulders. "I don't deserve a group," She says quietly and follows him, putting the motorcycle on the road and staring at it. She walks over to the motorcycle and looks at it, trying to figure out what is wrong with it. "Maybe we can get some parts from my motorcycle to fix this one. Or you could just take my motorcycle." She says looking at him. "Why don't you deserve a group?" He asks as he furrows his brow.
Blade looks at him and looks down, crossing her arms and leaning against her motorcycle. "I've never been a people person. And I've never actually had anyone in the first place." She says slightly looking up at him. "Hey" He walks towards her unsteadily, putting the motorcycle to a stop earlier. "I know how it feels to be a loner, I know what it's like to avoid people. Don't worry, it'll be fine." He says as he looks into her eyes, and a very small smile appears on his lips. Blade looks into his eyes and blushes softly at his smile and smiles softly back at him. "Thanks, Daryl. I'm just going to be to myself for a while." She says
Daryl nods, grabs the motorcycle and pushes it towards Alexandria. "Come on, I don't have all day." He mutters. Blade rolls her eyes, takes her motorcycle, and walks beside him, staring ahead and looking around. She hasn’t been on the road or out of the woods for a while now, avoiding the roads as much as she can expect to get into the town. After a few hours, the walls of Alexandria appear before her eyes "Finally" He groans. "I'll take you to Rick" He glances at her out of the corner of his eye.
He considers taking her to his house so she can feel at least a little peace. He snorts to himself and nods for Rosita to open the gate. Blade looks around and stays a little behind him, unsure about being with new people. Honestly, she trusts and feels more comfortable with Daryl, even though she doesn't know him at all knowing they just met. "New?" Carl shouts from the platform. Daryl rolls his eyes, "Where is your father?" He asks. The boy nods towards his house. "Come on Rose, you’re going to meet Rick. You need to talk to him before he puts you in the house" He says as he pushes the motorcycle towards his house. On the way, you are stopped by Aaron. "Are you trying to find people without me?" He asks grinning from ear to ear.
Blade follows him and puts on her hood, hiding her face, not wanting to be overwhelmed by people, she keeps her arms crossed, closed over her chest, and looks down, hiding her face more. If this is too much for her, she'd better be outside these walls. Rick sits with Judith in his arms in a rocking chair on the footbridge of the house. He perks up at the sight of Daryl grinning from ear to ear. He wrinkled his brow at the sight of Blade. He holds the baby in his arms. Blade walks behind Daryl, glancing lightly at the man on the porch and then looking back at Daryl, she wants to stay as close to Daryl as she can. "It's just a short conversation," Daryl turns to you, "I'll stay with you if you want.” He says as he moves a little closer to you, but not enough to invade your personal space. Blade smiles softly and nods at him knowing that she was supposed to feel comfortable and safe, but she does so with uncertainty. She looks at Rick and nods. "Hi," She says softly. “Hey," He says as he walks down the stairs “I'm Rick, how are you?" He asks her as Judith looks over his shoulders with joy, laughing at Daryl who embraces her while standing next to Rick.
Blade pulls back slightly and smiles softly at the child, knowing that it is amazing that a child was born into this world. "Blade, my name is Blade." She says softly, looking him in the eyes. "I think Daryl asked you three questions," He says as he looks at Daryl, who nods affirmatively. "If my brother Daryl brought you here, then I have nothing to worry about," He says as he smiles radiantly "Enjoy the beauty of Alexandria." He says "She'll stay with me at my house," Daryl says quickly Blade nods and smiles softly. "Thank you, Rick, for the warm welcome," She says as she looks at Rick and then at Daryl and smiles knowing she is welcome by the leader of Alexandria.
Daryl nods and points to his house. "I live alone, in the basement. You can take the bedroom upstairs." He says as he leads you inside. Blade follows him and goes inside looking around and slowly puts her things on the ground next to the door and breathes deeply and sighs with her eyes closed then looks at Daryl and smiles softly sitting down on the couch. "Thank you." She says softly and just stares at the floor. "There is a bathroom upstairs." He says looking at her "I know this is something new, but no one will hurt you here, I'll be close." He says he smiles slightly. "Take a shower, there's hot water, and I'll bring something to eat.” He says
Blade looks at him, smiles, and nods, she gets up, goes to her bag, and grabs some clothes, she smiles at Daryl and goes upstairs, she goes into the bathroom and closes the door. She stares at herself in the mirror and sees all the blood and dirt on her face. She undresses, seeing all the dirt, blood, scars on her body, and sighs. She steps into the shower, feeling the hot water. Meanwhile, Daryl is heating up the stew that was waiting for him in the fridge, pouring the juice Carol made for him into glasses. He puts the bowls and spoons on the table and opens the container of cookies. He wipes his hands on his pants, feeling nervous, this is the first time he's done something nice for someone who isn't from his group.
Daryl Dixon snorted quietly under his breath at the thought. But everyone deserves a group after being left alone in the middle of the forest. He saw a lot of himself in this girl, that's why he wanted to help her, that's why he had to do everything he could to make her stay. Blade cleans herself up and feels so much better after all these years she feels so much better after seeing all the dirt and blood wash off and her hair clean she sees all the scars and just looks down and shakes her head after she finishes her shower and comes out looking at herself in the mirror and smiles softly.
She dresses in new clothes knowing that she needs to clean her clothes from the past. Blade knows that at some point she will get to know him and she thinks she should stay with Daryl. He was being very nice and has done nothing but help her so she needs to see how it will be here. She knows she needs to open up a little to him. She can tell that they are a lot alike. Daryl stands in front of the stove and stirs the stew from time to time, staring out the window. He is not used to the presence of anyone in the house except Carol, who drops by unannounced to clean or do laundry. Not even a closed-door can stop this woman. Blade smiles softly to herself as she walks out of the bathroom and downstairs, she smells the food and smiles at how great it smells, it's been a long time since she's had a hot meal. She walks over to the counter and sits down on a stool. "That smells great Daryl," She says quietly.
Daryl turns around surprised at the sound of her voice, as he drifts off somewhere thinking. He looks at her blank face and sees how beautiful her features are. Feeling his ears turn red, as do his cheeks, he turns his head to the pot and mutters in confirmation. She smiles softly and blushes softly as he stares at her like that. She looks up at him, pulls down the sleeve of her shirt, and remains silent, not knowing what to say or do. She wants to start a conversation, but she doesn't know what he'll be able to answer. Daryl turns off the stove, grabs the pot, and turns to face her. Trying to keep his eyes focused on everything but her, he puts as many pieces of meat as possible into her bowl of stew. He pours the rest over his bowl, puts the pot in the sink, and reaches into the cupboard for the cornbread that Carol made.
Blade smiles and sighs "Thank you, Daryl. I appreciate you helping me and bringing me into your group. If you hadn't come along, I wouldn't be alive right now." She says softly, staring at him slightly, then looks down. "Why would you be dead?" He asks as sits back in his seat and wrinkles his brow. "You survived on your own for a long time." He says. Blade looks down and shakes her head "Being out there you start having thoughts and I haven't slept in years, so I start hearing and seeing things, thinking about... never mind." She says quietly and starts using her wristband again. "Hey" He suddenly says as he extends his hand to her "You are safe here, there is a comfortable bed upstairs, you can sleep to your heart's content, I will be downstairs if you need anything. Now eat, this is deer stew." He says. Blade flinches very slightly at his touch and stares into his eyes and smiles softly and a little tearfully. "Thank you, Daryl," She says quietly, starting to eat and savor the dish, making sure she doesn't eat too fast.
She wants to tell him what happened to her, but she definitely needs some rest. Daryl slurps up his stew, drinking it from the bowl and rubbing his mouth with the palm of his hand. He grabs one of the cookies and bites into it, looking at her. He takes in her appearance, her wet hair, her blank face, feeling his cheeks flush again. But he can't take his eyes off her, it's been a long time since he's seen someone so pretty. Blade doesn't stop eating and looks up at him, smiling and blushing. She has to admit that he is a handsome man, very mysterious and although he has blue eyes, she is a sucker for blue eyes. "I hope we can get to know each other better, Daryl." She says after finishing her stew. He smiles shyly and nods slightly. "I'm going to take a quick shower," He says as he stands up and wipes his hands on his jeans. "Relax, make yourself at home," He says. Carol would give him an earful if he thought she was going to give him a hard time, she can't wait to get here and tease him.
Blade smiles and nods. She gets up, puts the bowl in the sink, and starts to wash the dishes, smiling. She knows this place will feel more like home than her home with her parents where it felt like a prison. Even though the world has gone to shit, she feels like she finally feels free and happier in this world than before. While Daryl is in the shower, Carol rushes into the house, as usual without knocking or announcing herself. She stops mid-step and looks at her. "And you are?" She asks as she crinkles her eyebrows. Blade notices Carol and smiles softly and shyly "I'm Blade, I'm new here. Daryl found me in the woods." She says, finishing washing the dish, and walks over to her, but stays within a few feet of her.
Carol squints her eyes. "He was supposed to bring deer and supplies, not a woman." She says as she snorts under her breath. "You never know, I'm Carol, you could say I'm his cleaning lady," She says as she laughs quietly. Blade smiles softly and nods. "Nice to meet you, Carol. His motorcycle broke down, so I guess he needed to rest and found my camp." She says looking down slightly sitting down on the couch. "Interesting, tell him to stop by when he gets settled." She says smiling and then leaves. After a quick shower and getting out of the water, Daryl realizes he didn't bring clean clothes with him. He curses himself under his breath for his inattention. He looks around the bathroom and all he finds are towels. Blade nods and looks down and looks around "Oh Okay. interesting lady." She says to herself and goes to her bag and grabs her crossbow and starts cleaning it and making sure there is nothing wrong with it. Daryl finally slips his pants and shirt on and looks at himself in the mirror for a moment. He walks down the stairs with his bare feet and stops around the corner looking at the couch. He sees her sitting there cleaning her crossbow. "I'm going to the basement, and you go get some sleep. If you need anything, I'm downstairs." He says.
Blade smiles and nods, placing the crossbow on the ground next to the couch. "Thanks, Daryl. By the way, Carol came and told you to go see her as soon as you get settled in." She tells him as she gets up and stands at the bottom of the stairs in front of him. "She came to the house as herself again?" He asks as raises an eyebrow. Blade smiles and giggles and nods. "Yes, she obviously wasn't expecting to see me. She seems a little upset that you brought a woman and not food or supplies. but I explained to her that your motorcycle broke down.” She says. "That woman is going to give me a heart attack someday." He mutters under his breath, "Carol was with us from the beginning when the world went sour. She's a sweetheart, but she can make a man miserable. She was probably hoping for supplies or a deer from my hunt, but my fucking motorcycle refused to work" He says. Blade smiles and nods. "I get it. don't worry she seems nice." She says walking up to him and kissing him on the cheek. "Thank you for your help, Daryl," She says walking over to the stairs and climbing them. "Good night." She says as she reaches the top of the stairs and walks into the bedroom, sitting down on the bed.
Daryl stands as if he's been caught off guard, his fingertips touching his cheek where her lips were just a moment ago. He glances back to where she disappeared a moment ago and bites his lower lip. No one has ever kissed him on the cheek except Carol, his ears turning red again. Finally, he moves and comes down to the basement, he collapses on the bed and stares at the ceiling. Blade takes off her flannel and shoes and lays back on the bed, breathing and blushing and smiling, realizing she kissed him on the cheek and not thinking if he had issues with personal space or people touching him. Hopefully, he didn't mind, she just wanted to show him how grateful she was. She stares at the ceiling, realizing she's finally found a place she can call home. Daryl lies on his bed and doesn't even think about sleep, after an hour of lying down he gets up. He changes into clean clothes and goes outside to take care of his motorcycle in the garage. The day in Alexandria is in full swing, the sun is high in the sky. He glances back towards the house from time to time, thoughts returning to her. Blade actually tried to sleep, that night she had nightmares and got some sleep but not much, but once she woke up she went downstairs without her shoes and flannel. She walks outside with her arms crossed over her chest, breathing in the cool air.
Pairing: eventual DarylxOcxRick. Setting: Season 1. Warnings: None that i can think of. If I miss something let me know. Word Count: 5,100.
Lori, Carl, Shane and Cassie were sitting around in a waiting room hoping to hear something about Rick and how the surgery was coming along. It felt like they were taking their own sweet time and when a nurse finally came out she looked solemn. “How is he?” Lori stood up and asked as soon as they realized that the nurse had come out to talk to them and not one of the many other family’s sitting around the room.
“We need you to sign a consent form. He needs a blood transfusion.” Lori nodded and quickly signed the papers with a shaking hand.
“What blood type is he?” Cassie stood up and asked and the nurse answered. “I’m O negative. Can I donate the blood for Rick?”
“Sweetie you don’t have to do that.” Lori told Cassie with a tired head shake.
“Actually I might.” Cassie politely corrected her. “With the uprising of accidents here lately I’m sure the hospital is short on blood. They need to save what they have for people who don’t have a family that care’s about them like Rick does.”
“Are you family?” The nurse asked Cassie.
“Not by blood, no.” Cassie answered with a shake of her head.
“We’ll have to run some blood tests, but your donation would be greatly appreciated.” The nurse told Cassie then looked back at Lori, Shane and Carl. “I’m going to turn in this consent form then I’ll come get you.” the nurse told the young woman with a nod.
After the nurse left, Carl turned to his mom. “Mom, can I donate blood? I want to help Dad too.”
Lori as calmly as she could, turned the little boy down then looked at Cassie with wide eyes. “Thank you so much.”
“It’s really no big deal.” Cassie replied as Lori grabbed her up for a hug. “Seriously, it’s just blood.”
Lori pulled back to look the younger woman in the eyes. “It may just be blood, but it mean’s more than you know.” With that Lori sat back down and pulled her son into her side.
Cassie was on her way back up to the waiting room from donating blood when she saw the first signs of military in the hospital. A bad feeling took over her gut and she practically ran to waiting room. “Shane, can I talk to you?” Cassie asked as she entered the waiting room with her arms crossed over her chest.
“Is everything okay, did you find out something about Rick?” Lori asked as she stood up.
“No, everything’s fine.” Cassie told Lori then looked at her dad and waved him over.
“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He asked as he walked over, genuinely worried.
“The Marine’s are here.” She stated, sounding as panicked as she looked. “That can’t be good. Things are getting really bad out there and I feel like a sitting duck here.” Her quickly rambled on. “It’s only a matter of time before those crazy people come looking for more drugs or what ever they’re on. That has to be why the military’s here, right? I mean, they had guns…at the ready.”
“Cassie, calm down okay?” Shane said placing his hand on his daughters arm in an attempt to calm her down. “If the military is here it’s to make this place safe. We’re safe here, okay?”
Cassie nodded and took a deep breath. “Okay.”
“Now come on, let’s get back to waiting.” He jerked his head for her to follow him so she did.
She didn’t believe her father. Even though what he said made sense, she still had the gut wrenching feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Eventually, Rick was moved to ICU where one by one they were allowed to see him. When it was Cassie’s turn, she found it hard to leave. Rick’s pail skin and labored breathing was enough to make a new wave of tears slip down her face. She didn’t realize she had been standing beside his bed, staring down at him, until she heard her father’s voice. “Cass, you need to come out now. Lori and Carl need back in there.”
Hesitantly, she grabbed his warm, still hand and leaned down. She put her lips to his ear and whispered, “Please come back to me, Rick. I…we all need you.” Hesitantly, she placed a light kiss on his sandpapery cheek then let his hand go and walked out.
“I’m going to stay with him tonight.” Lori told Cassie and Shane.
“I wanna stay too mom.” Carl spoke up making everyone look down at him.
“No, Cassie is gonna take you home and stay with you so you can go to school in the morning.” Lori argued.
“School?” Shane asked with a head tilt.
“You really think he’s going to be able to concentrate knowing that his father is lying up in the hospital?” Cassie asked with wide eyes and a tilt of her head, looking so much like Shane it was unreal.
Lori sighed and looked down at her son. “Fine, but you’re goin’ after tomorrow and you’re still goin’ home tonight.” She told the little boy who looked disappointed, then she looked back up at Cassie. “Do you mind taking him home and staying with him?”
“No, not at all.” Cassie answered with a shake of her head then placed her hand on Carl’s back. “Go get your backpack, Bud.” As he ran off Cassie turned to her father. “Are you staying here or am I taking your car?”
“Im’ma stay here.” He said with a look at Lori who nodded.
Cassie did as asked and took Carl home even though what she really wanted to do was stay at the hospital. If she didn’t have to look after Carl she probably would’ve slept in the waiting room. It wouldn’t have been the first time. On her way out, military stormed through the front doors and Cassie knew that going home was the right thing. She just hoped that everyone still at the hospital would be alright. That Rick would be alright.
The next morning she woke up to Shane throwing a duffle bag on her bed. “Get up. We gotta go.” He told her harshly as he started throwing clothes on the bed for her to get dressed and pack.
“Go? Go where?” she asked, confused as to why she would need to pack a bag. “Are they moving Rick somewhere?” she got up off the bed and started packing her clothes.
“No, Cassie, Rick didn’t make it.” He kept tossing her clothes onto the bed.
Cassie froze. “What?”
“You were right about the military. It got bad, they were supposed to medivac Rick to Atlanta, but that didn’t happen. Military started gunning people down in the hallways.” He stopped to look at his daughter. Their wide brown eyes and matching panicked looks made it seem as if Shane was looking into a gender swapping mirror. “Lori and I were lucky to even get out of there alive.”
“What so, ya’ll just left Rick there?” she asked, stunned and confused.
“No, Cass, I was goin’ to carry him out myself, but he was hooked to all these tubes and wires. I put my ear to his chest and… I didn’t hear anything. He’s gone. I’m sorry.” Cassie was in shock when her father put some clothes in her hands. “Now get dressed, and pack. We gotta get to Atlanta. The radio says there’s a safe zone there.”
Numbly, Cassie packed, got dressed and met the others at the jeep. With a glance down the suburban street, Cassie saw other family’s packing up as well. Once everyone was packed and ready to go, Cassie climbed into the jeep and they took off.
—Two Days Later—
A traffic jam caused them and other’s to head up into the mountains and make camp. On the second day, Shane and a young Asian man who had followed them up from the road, went to a nearby camping and hunting shop and cleared the place of tents and other camping equipment. She was thankful that Glenn had also thought to grab what toilet paper the place had because the only place they had to use the restroom, other than the woods, was the bathroom of the RV. It was old, but the older man who was driving it was doing his best to keep it up and running. Slowly everyone got acquainted with each other. On the evening of the second day they realized that the canned food was going to run out in a few days.
The next morning as she sat at the dying camp fire, along with some of the other campers, she listened to the conversation about the lack of food. Once a summer her step father had brought her on a camping trip. Her mother went the first few times, but quickly decided that being in the woods, surrounded by bugs and wild life wasn’t for her. Most kids from the city like Cassie would have hated the idea of roughing it, but she loved being able to get away from all the noise and hustle and bustle.
When she looked around at all the people standing and sitting around the fire, she noticed a man with a crossbow on his back. He looked rough around the edges, and had been seen with a man she assumed to be his brother, the Dixon’s, she thought someone had called them. From what she had seen of the older of the two he was an asshole, but the younger man hadn’t said much. She was actually surprised that the younger was even at the fire considering they had set their tents up further away from the rest, but in attempt to do something helpful she decided to ask if the bowman had another bow, hopefully a recurve or compound like she was used to shooting. When she saw the man walk away, she got up to follow him. Shane caught her wrist in his hand, stopping her. “Where are you goin’?”
“I need to talk to someone. I’ll be right back.” She told him hoping he hadn’t seen her watching the unnamed guy and didn’t know where she was going. If he knew she was going off to talk to one of the Dixon’s, he wouldn’t let her go. He had made his opinion of the two men very clear. So when he didn’t let her go she came up with a lie that would make him uncomfortable and he would have to let her go. “Do the words feminine hygiene tell you enough?” It worked like a charm and he quickly let her go. She quickly caught up to the younger Dixon.
“What do you want?” the guy asked when he heard Cassie following him.
“To talk to you.” she stated as if her question had been dumb and he turned around to glare at her. “I have a few questions for you.”
“Like what, where the nearest shopping mall is?” he asked sarcastically after taking in the Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirt, jean shorts and high top converse.
“First off, that’s a bit judgmental of you.” she stated as she placed her hands on her hips. “Second, I’m not as preppy as my clothing probably suggests. I know how to hunt and I’m assuming by the crossbow on your back and the knife on your hip that you do too.”
“What’s your point?” he asked with a glance down at his knife before he looked Cassie up and down.
“The camp is getting low on food. People could really use some fresh meat and I’m not brave enough to go hunting on my own with all of those things roaming around.”
“So get your policeman daddy to take ya.” He said with a dismissive wave to the camp and took off walking to his tent.
“Shane is not my daddy. He’s the asshole who knocked up my mom and he would kill me if he knew I was even thinking about goin’ into those woods.” She said as she ran around him to stand in front of him. “Look, you don’t like me, that’s fine, you don’t have to. All I’m asking is for a little help. We’ll half whatever we kill between you and your brother and me and the camp.” Daryl looked like he was thinking it over so Cassie gave him a little time before she asked, “So we have a deal?” and stuck out her hand.
Daryl glared at her before he finally gave in and slapped his hand into hers. “Deal.”
“I’m Cassie by the way.” She said still shaking his hand.
“Daryl.” He told her, still glaring at her, then finally dropped her hand. “I’m goin’ out now if ya wanna come.” He started off towards the woods.
“I was kind of hoping you had an extra bow or something.” She said and he turned to look at her with the glare that seemed to be his permanent expression. “All I have is a pistol and it would probably be a bad idea to be firing that off up here.”
Daryl sighed and jerked his head for her to follow him. He led her to his truck where he pulled a compound bow out of the back seat. “Don’t let Merle know you’ve got this.” He handed it to her and she gave him a small smile. “Ya do know how to shoot it right?”
“Yeah, as long as the draw weight’s not too much.” She surprised the shit out of Daryl when she gave the string a pull and actually managed to draw it back all the way. “It’s a little much, but I’ll get used to it.” She said as she eased the string back down. “Thanks.”
Instead of saying you’re welcome he jerked his head for her to follow him. The two didn’t talk much, but on that first hunting trip a silent friendship was formed.
Shane naturally freaked out when she showed up to camp with Daryl behind her and a bow in her hand. They were dividing up the kill when Shane stomped over with his hands on his hips. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Shane asked as he headed over to where the two of them were silently sorting their kill. “Runnin’ off like that, with a Dixon no less.”
“I didn’t run off, I went hunting.” She answered not looking up from the dead rabbit’s and squirrels that she and Daryl were lining up on the ground to be counted and split.
“You said you were goin’ lookin for feminine stuff.” He pointed out and Daryl snorted behind her making her smirk as well. Shane should’ve seen through the lie, even Daryl knew that. “What are you laughin’ at jackass?” Shane snapped at Daryl.
“I don’t have to tell you where I go or who I go there with.” She said as she and Daryl took turns picking up dead animals and placing them into their own pile until there was only one left. “I’m not a little kid anymore and you need to realize that.” Daryl motioned for her to take the last one so she took it then strung up her share of the meat and stood up.
“No matter how old you get you will still be my little girl.” Shane argued.
“I was never your little girl.” She stated. “I was just the burden you got stuck with.”
She walked around him to go skin the animals, leaving Shane and Daryl alone. “You lay and hand on her and I’ll murder your ass, you got that?” Shane said as he put his finger in Daryl’s face.
“Man, get your hand out my face.” Daryl grumbled and pushed Shane’s hand away as he walked around him back to his camp.
Shane knew that there was no stopping Cassie from going back out there with Daryl. She was too much like him, hard headed and stubborn. Neither of them had ever been one to let people tell them what to do. He also couldn’t deny that Cassie going hunting was bringing up the morale of the group and putting food in people’s mouths.
So Cassie and Daryl went hunting once a day. They managed to bring back enough for the whole camp to get full at dinner time.
(A Week Later)
“Hey, I’m goin’ out.” Daryl said as he walked up to stand by Cassie where she sat at the campfire. “You comin’?”
“Yeah.” He could tell by the off tone of her voice that something was different with her this evening. He chose to let it go, thinking she was just being a moody woman. “Do I ever not want to hang out with you?” she joked making her father give her a dirty look that she didn’t miss.
She grabbed her bow and the few arrows that she had left out of her tent then met Daryl and headed out. Things were going as usual until he noticed that she had stopped following him and moved to sit on a bolder that was half covered in moist moss. “What are you doin’?” Daryl asked walking back over to her with an arrow in his hand.
“I just need a minute, okay?” she asked not looking up from her hands in her lap. “Go hunting without me.”
“Na, I ain’t leavin’ you by yourself.” He argued as he walked over to stand a few feet across from her.
She just stared at the grass and how it curved up over his old brown combat boots. “I’ll be okay. I just…” she sighed and looked up at his ever glaring eyes. “I just need some time to myself. In the quiet, without Shane or Lori or Carl breathing down my neck.” For the first time his expression changed and she could actually see how pretty of a blue his eyes were. He started biting on his thumb, thinking about what he should do. “It’s always so noisy at camp, I never get a minute to myself and when I do I fall asleep the second my head hits the pillow.” She didn’t want to say that she simply needed time to fall apart.
“Alright, but I ain’t goin’ far, holler if you need me.” She gave him a nod then watched him until she could no longer see the wings on the back of his black vest.
That’s when she finally broke. Her head fell forward as dark brown waves that used to be kept straight, fell around her face, hiding her tears from the world. Nimble fingers splayed out on the rock at her sides a contrast to the pink, chipped polish on her nails. Salt water splashed onto her jeans as her thin, athletic body shook. The evening sun, filtered through the coverage of trees, kissed her wet cheeks as she tilted her head backwards with closed eyes. “Why?” she asked the sky as she opened her dark eyes. “Why did you have to take him from me?” her whispered words fell on deaf ears. God was clearly angry with the world, why would he listen to his sheep now? “Rick was the one good thing in my life and you took him from me. I know that’s selfish of me, his family needs him too, but I feel like I’m the only one who misses him.” Her shiny waves fell back in her face when she looked down at the dewy grass. “I haven’t seen Lori or Shane shed a tear since we got here. Then again they haven’t see me cry either so what do I know?”
Eventually she realized that if Daryl found her talking to herself he would think she was crazy. So she settled for crying in silence, taking the time to let it all out while she had the chance. She was curled up top of the bolder, still crying softly when Daryl came back. She was so lost in her thoughts, memories of Rick, that she didn’t even know he was standing right next to her. Not until he bumped her freckled arm lightly causing her to jump so high she nearly fell off of the rock. Daryl didn’t give her the chance to hit the ground. He quickly grabbed her around the waist and under her legs and placed her back on the bolder. After he was sure she wasn’t going to fall he pulled a red shop rag out of his back pocket and a bottle of water out of his bag. She took the offered items without question. As she unscrewed the cap and took a drink he asked, “You good now?”
“Yeah.” she laughed then put the cap back on the bottle and handed it back. Then she started wiping her tears. “I’m good now. Thanks.” With an outstretched hand she offered him the oil stained material.
“Na.” he waved his hand at her. “You keep it. I got more back at camp.”
“Thanks.” She told him quietly as she slid down off of the rock.
He gave her a nod in return as he watched her tuck the rag in her right back pocket. He had to restrain a smile as the thought of what her father would think when he saw the rag in her pocket when they got back to camp. He’d probably try to tell Cassie that he was rubbing off of her or something. She started tromping through the overly tall grass back to camp when Daryl stopped her. “You might not wanna go back to camp just yet.”
“Why?” Cassie asked as she turned to see that he was still standing where she had left him. When he didn’t head her way she walked back over to him.
“You’re face is all red, tear stained.” He said as he motioned to her face with his pointer finger. “Shane would probably try to beat my ass if you went back lookin’ like that.” She nodded and wiped at her face as if there were still tears to be wiped. “Hmm.” Daryl hummed, leaned around her and pulled the rag out of her back pocket. She was about to as him what he was doing when he grabbed the bottle of water out of the bag and used it to wet the rag, turning it a darker shade. He twirled it around in the air to cool it off then held it out to her. “Wipe your face, cool down some.”
She just watched as he took the two steps over to the bolder and pulled himself up. After wiping her face she pulled herself up to sit beside him. She draped the rag over her face and laid back, letting the slight breeze cool the wet rag. “You know, in the whole, week or so that we’ve been hunting together I think this is the most you’ve said to me.”
"Yeah, I'm not exactly a man of many words." Daryl said with a glance over his shoulder at her even though she couldn't see him.
"Yeah," she laughed a little as she said the word, "I kinda figured that out." After a little while she sighed, at piece for the first time in a long time, as she stretched her arms out to the side. "You’re nice though." She paused to pick up the rag and twirl it around in the air, cooling it off again, then draped it back over her face. "Nicer than most people back at camp probably realize."
Uncomfortable with receiving compliments, he changed the subject. "You ain't so bad yourself." He couldn't see it, but Cassie smirked under the rag that was starting to dry out from the breeze. "Not nearly as mouthy and bitchy as ya looked like you'd be."
Cassie took the rag off of her face and sat up, looking at him across her shoulder. "Mouthy I get, but bitchy?" She asked only slightly offended. "I really came off as a bitch?"
"Na, you were guilty by association." Cassie's dark, tamed brows drew together as she tilted her head questioningly. "I don't much care for Lori and it's no secret that Shane's a prick."
"Ah," Cassie turned her eyes back to the trees. "Well I'm glad you gave me the chance to prove you wrong" she slid off of the rock then turn back toward Daryl. "It's gonna be getting dark soon. We should probably head back before Shane sends a search party." She watched him slide off the rock, landing on his feet with a thud, then move to stand across from her. "How do I look?"
He closed the gap between them to just a few inches as he inspected her practically flawless face. It surprised her when her pulse sped up at his nearness. For a split second when their eyes met, she thought he was going to kiss her. Thankfully though, he stepped back and said, "You're a little puffy under the eyes."
"You think anyone will notice?" She asked as the both started toward camp.
"Na, you're fine."
They were on their way back when they stumbled across Lori and Shane going at it in the grass. They were so into it that they didn't see Cassie slap her hand over her mouth and rush off in the other direction or Daryl follow behind her. "Oh my God." Cassie said when she finally came to a stop and leaned against a tree.
"I take it you didn't know about that?" Daryl asked standing across from her.
"You did?" She asked as she pushed off the tree and started walking around absentmindedly.
"They ain't exactly discreet." Daryl's words pulled Cassie to a stop.
"How long have you known?" Daryl just stared at her. Not sure if he should answer the question. She looked like she was about to snap. "I'm not gonna get mad at you. Just tell me how long?"
"Caught 'em bumpin’ uglies three or four days ago." He hesitantly answered. “They’ve been goin’ at it like rabbits.”
"Rick hasn't even been dead two weeks and their already hooking up." She said as she leaned on the tree again. "How can they be so disrespectful?"
"Some people ain’t got a conscience." Daryl said with a shrug.
"Yeah, apparently not." She said, still shocked.
"You gonna be alright?" He asked and she nodded then pushed herself off the tree. They walked back in comfortable silence, Cassie forcing herself to accept what she had no control over before she laid eyes on Shane.
When they got back Shane and Lori were already back, acting like they usually did. The first thing Shane noticed when Cassie and Daryl came walking back into camp was her red eyes and the slight puffiness under them. He wanted to talk to her about it, but he knew Cassie would blow up at him. So instead he sent Lori to talk to her.
So when the camp fire has dwindled down and everyone else had gone to bed, Lori moved to sit next to Cassie. "Hey, can I talk to you?" The younger woman didn't miss the fact that Lori looked around to make sure they were alone.
"Okay?" Cassie scooted away from Lori, getting her out of her personal space.
"I couldn't help but notice that you and Daryl didn't bring back as much as you usually do." Lori leaned forward to rest her elbows on her legs. Her thin brown hair fell around her face.
"We've been hunting in the same area for a while now. We're gonna switch it out tomorrow. Hunt over that way." Cassie pointed in a different direction, totally lying through her teeth.
"And when you came back you're eyes were red and puffy." Lorie looked at Cassie over her shoulder.
"My allergies have been acting up." Another lie.
"Cassie I've known you since you were seventeen. I know you don't have allergies." Lori sat up and turned toward her. "If he hurt you, or tried something, you need to tell someone."
The glare that Cassie cast at Lori could have killed. "We come out of the woods with fewer kills than normal and that's the first conclusion you jump to? That Daryl hurt me?"
"Well you were out there a long time, longer than usual so it's either that or you're doin more than hunting out there." Lori said with a judgmental shake of her head.
"Oh my god, seriously? That's what you think? That I'm screwing Daryl?" Cassie said as she pushed herself up off the log.
"Well you two have been spending so much ti-"
"Just shut up, Lori." Cassie snapped causing Lori to stare up at her like she had gone crazy. "I'm not a slut."
"Well, hanging around a guy like Daryl..." Lori said with a suggestive tilt of her head.
"A guy like Daryl?" Cassie asked and Lori shrugged. "You don't know a thing about him."
"I know enough to know he's not good for you." Cassie just glared at the ugly woman. "You're daddy feels the same way."
"Okay." Cassie put a hand on her hip and poured her finger at Lori. "First off, do not call Shane my daddy." Lori stood up and opened her mouth to protest but Cassie cut her off. "And second I'm not screwing Daryl. Unlike you and Shane I'm not stupid enough to have unprotected sex in the middle of the woods to get pregnant or eaten by a walker."
"You know?" Lori asked, her eyes even wider than before.
"Yeah, I know." Cassie said fighting back tears.
"Have you told anyone?" Fear was clear in Lori's eyes.
"No and I don't intend to." Cassie managed to keep her voice strong as she got her emotions under control.
"You don't?" Lori sounded relieved.
"No, because unlike you, I have morals." Cassie started to walk around her, but stopped and turned back to Lori. “Oh, and my eyes are all red and puffy because unlike you, I’m still grieving the loss of the honest, loyal man who was your husband…who I considered a very close friend.” Lori let a few tears slip down her cheek before she wiped them away. “So maybe you and Shane should focus more on your own choices and less on the one’s I’m making.”
That night, Cassie had a hard time going to sleep. Eventually after hours of tossing and turning, she finally drifted off to sleep.
