#norman x oc

[d1xonss]

so ours babys a lil insecure bc of reader and his lil age gap he vents it to rick a little and since shes such a social butterfly literally talking and befriending everyone he gets upset and starts to think lowly of himself like theres younger men men who arent busy leading the community so they can spend all their time and affection on her blah blah he gets these crazy thoughts and she comforts him eases all his worries ):

Forever

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Reader

✧ Era : Season 6

✧ Pronouns : she/her

✧ Genre : Angst/Fluff

✧ Word Count : 3.1k

AN ~ Aww sad:(( but we love Reader comforting Daryl, it's one of my favorite things to write. And an age gap too?? I love it. Hope you enjoy!

“You’re ridiculous.” Rick spoke with a scoff.

Daryl’s eyes narrowed slightly at the man, not necessarily because of what he had claimed, but because it almost seemed like he hadn’t listened to him at all.

He already felt a little ashamed going to his friend in the first place to talk about how he was feeling, something the man rarely ever did. But that alone showed how desperate he seemed to be for any kind of advice, willing to put himself out there to express what had been going through his mind recently in hopes of some sort of reassurance.

He didn’t really know what had been going on with him recently, but ever since the group had made it to Alexandria, his insecurities slowly began to eat him alive. He started to take note of his appearance a little more, now that they actually had mirrors in the houses provided for them, seeing for himself how much older and tired he really was. It shouldn’t have bugged him as much as it did, but yet, it seemed to be all he thought about. And that constant loop of thoughts only traveled to another, thinking about how much living on the road seemed to age him, while the woman he was madly in love with stayed so young and beautiful.

She was absolutely perfect, not a single flaw, while he on the other hand had countless ones that he couldn’t seem to just get over and ignore. But that wasn’t the only aspect about her that seemed to cloud over his mind. She was quite the extrovert, making friends everywhere she turned as she was constantly radiating such a good and friendly energy. It even drew him in towards her from the start, falling victim to her charming personality. Though it wasn’t her kindness that made him a little more self conscious than before; it was the fact that a few younger men had obviously taken a liking to her natural sweetness ever since they moved here.

Now he knew that she would never cheat on him, the thought never even crossed her mind, but that still didn’t stop his jealousy from bubbling over to a point of no return. Wanting to beat the shit out of any guy who looked at her for just a little too long. He wasn’t blind by any means, and some of them had a hard time hiding the sneaky glances they were taking at his woman whilst she was just in her own little world.

Though the longer he seemed to stew over it for the months and months they had lived there, it made him start to wonder if maybe she would be better off with someone else. Someone a bit younger, more energetic, more outgoing. Someone that matched her personality better than he did. It was no secret that they were polar opposites, but he always imagined that they completed each other in a way, not even thinking twice about it. However, now that he had all the time in the world to think, it slowly started to consume him, thinking more about how he didn’t deserve her at all. But hell, maybe no one deserved her. 

The man then seemed to snap out of his thoughts, scoffing toward Rick who was looking at him with a small smile, “Man, m’ bein serious.” he grumbled.

“So am I.” Rick shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he tilted his head a bit at him, “I really don’t think you have anything to worry about man. You two are always attached at the hip, she loves you…I think you might just be in your own head about it.”

He sighed heavily as he thought to himself for another moment, his thumbnail in his mouth as he contemplated why he was confiding in Rick in the first place. At this point he had it in his head that the man was just telling him what he wanted to hear. “I dunno…” he eventually muttered in response.

Rick only shook his head, “You shouldn’t be so focused on this. You’ve always known how nice she is, everyone loves her-”

“Man, that ain’t the problem. I already told ya that.” Daryl interrupted with irritation in his voice.

“I know…I know.” he assured, “I guess I just don’t see the connection of how you came up with the idea that she suddenly deserves someone “better.”

The archer shook his head with a light scoff, “Seein her talkin with those guys…something kinda just clicked that she should be with someone more fit for her…” he trailed off for a moment, before pathetically shrugging his shoulders again, “I dunno.”

Rick honestly couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Although, he could, he knew that Daryl sometimes got like this, thinking he didn’t deserve the things that he was given. But he never thought he would be standing here listening to him speak about how you would be better off with someone else. Anyone who even caught a glimpse of the two of you could easily see how in love you were with each other. He swore the sight could potentially make someone sick.

The man then cleared his throat, “Well…if you want to know what I think, I say you should talk to her.”

“Talk to her?”

Rick couldn’t help but laugh at how baffled he looked at the suggestion, “Yeah, talk to her. Besides, I think she’ll have a better chance at reassuring you about this than I will, she seems more fit for the role.” he joked.

But Daryl on the other hand scoffed, not exactly loving the idea, “This shit’s already embarrassing, why would I wanna bring it up to her? Didn’t even really wanna bring it up to you.”

“Thanks.” Rick said dryly before stepping closer to slap a hand on the man’s shoulder, “But just trust me on this, alright? You need to tell her how you’ve been feeling. Because if I know you at all, I know you want to keep this bottled up. But that’ll just make it worse and you know it.”

He was right. As much as Daryl hated to acknowledge it, he knew deep down he was right.

But that didn’t stop him from wanting to put it off every chance he got, pushing it into the back of his mind as he always seemed to do in hopes that it would just go away. Though he knew it wouldn’t, he couldn’t bring himself to want to think about it right now.

He went home later that night utterly defeated and clueless on how to even approach the topic in the first place. When the time dreadfully came around, how would he even bring it up? He was never good with words, especially when it came to something about how he was feeling. It was all just stupid and complicated in his mind, not knowing how to actually piece together the things he wanted her to know. But he knew he had to try.

The front door opened and shut with a small creak as he entered the house, kicking his dirty boots off to the side before he softly called out your name. But all was quiet, not a single sound of your voice calling back to him, to which he only assumed you were still out somewhere in the community. It wasn’t often you stayed out this late, but he silently knew that if someone needed the extra help, you would do it in a heartbeat.

The older man sighed deeply to himself before trudging up the stairs, wanting to get out of the filthy clothes he was trapped in before settling for the night, waiting for you to come home. He couldn’t ever really fall asleep without you there. He didn’t know if it was because he would always worry too much if you weren’t right beside him, or if he just physically needed your touch to relax, but it had to be somewhere in that ballpark. Perhaps both…definitely both.

He entered your shared bedroom with a tired huff, beginning to undo the buttons on his vest before folding it sloppily and setting it off to the side on the dresser. His hands then moved to peel off his dirty shirt that stuck to every part of his tanned skin, raising it over his head before throwing it in the hamper across the room to be washed. He ran his hands through his hair to get it out of his face as he crossed the space to get himself another pair of pants to sleep in, when suddenly his movements stopped short.

The tall, full length mirror that sat off in the corner quickly caught his attention as he saw just a brief glimpse of his reflection dancing behind the glass. He blinked a few times as he knew he shouldn’t look too close, knowing it was only going to add fuel to the already ongoing fire. But a part of him couldn’t help it, seeing as it was too late now that he had taken notice of a few new flaws he hadn’t spotted before. It was like some kind of sinkhole that he couldn’t escape from, looking over the things he hated the most about himself over and over again.

He slowly stepped closer toward the object even though he knew he shouldn’t, seeing himself a little more up close as the moonlight poured through the window just above him to illuminate his figure. His eyes scanned everything he could make out in the slight darkness, seeing the wrinkles that were now more prominent on his forehead. Seeing the dark circles under his eyes from the exhaustion and stress that had been weighing on him constantly. And seeing the scars that littered over his entire body.

“Daryl?”

The man nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of your soft voice from behind him, spinning around to see you standing in the doorway. Your eyes widened a little in surprise. Never had you recalled a single time where you had been able to catch him off guard, accidently sneak up on him enough to make his heart skip. He had always been aware of his surroundings, the man had the instincts of a goddamn cat. So to say you were surprised when he hovered about five feet in the air at your presence, would be an understatement.

You raised an eyebrow at him in slight concern, “You okay?” you asked softly as you approached him with hesitance.

Daryl’s stomach had plummeted to his ass, a heat rising in his cheeks from embarrassment as you caught him staring down at himself for a bit longer than usual. He swallowed thickly as he saw you walking further into the room, nodding a bit quickly, “Yeah…m’ fine.”

Though the way he spoke was far from convincing, his voice coming out a bit higher than usual, and the reassuring smile he tried to send your way being a little too forced for you not to realize. Your eyes narrowed toward him in slight suspicion as you came to stand right in front of him, taking in his appearance. There was something that was clearly circling his mind, you had noticed for far longer than he thought you did. But you always knew when there was something off about him.

You gently reached out to grab one of his hands in your own, “Come on…don’t lie to me.” 

He sighed softly, knowing that he should just bite the bullet and tell you, but he couldn’t bring himself to just yet. “Just…just had a rough day. That’s all.” 

“That’s not what I’m talking about.” you said with a slight shake of your head, watching as he furrowed his brows a little in question. “You’ve been acting off for weeks now, you really didn’t think I was going to notice?”

His eyes widened. Shit. 

A small smirk formed on your lips as you clearly saw that you had caught him in a little white lie. It was written all over his face. You squeezed his hand in reassurance, “I’m not upset…I just want you to talk to me.”

He knew he couldn’t avoid it forever, especially after Rick gave him that little wake up call earlier to just rip the bandage off. But he hoped he could put it off for at least a few more days, wanting a little more time to prepare the things he wanted to express to you honestly. Though he could tell just by the way you were looking up at him, that you wanted answers, and he couldn’t just ignore what was standing right before him.

He sighed softly as he looked at the ground for a moment, before slowly nodding his head, “Alright…” he started, not even knowing where to take this. “Look…maybe…maybe this ain’t workin.” he blurted without thinking.

Your eyes widened a little, “What?” 

Daryl’s eyes then grew as well realizing just how bad that sounded, quickly shaking his head, “No, no, I- I mean…that ain’t how I meant for it to sound at all.” he reassured, before taking another moment to collect his racing thoughts. “I’ve been…thinkin recently and…I ain’t gettin any younger. Hell, I feel like I aged five extra years just from bein out on the damn road for so long.”

You nodded along slowly, not really seeing where this was heading, “So?”

He sighed softly, “So…I’ve been thinkin bout how…maybe…ya deserve to be with someone a little more fit for ya. Someone younger than me…someone who can give ya what I can’t.” he spoke almost regrettably, like he dreaded even saying those words out loud in the first place.

The truth was, he never wanted to let you go, that was a knowing fact that didn’t need to be proved. But at the same time, he didn’t want to hold you back from a chance at a better life. One that you so clearly deserved.

But your expression seemed to soften drastically, now hearing his explanation out loud, it all seemed to click in your head. Why he had been acting off for the longest time, it was because he was just thinking too much about something that meant absolutely nothing. When you first noticed his odd behavior, you automatically assumed you had done something wrong without realizing. But now hearing it out loud, hearing how hurt he sounded, all you wanted to do was hold him and never let him go. Wanting to reassure him for the rest of your lives if you had to that he was truly the only man you would ever want.

A small huff passed through your lips, “Sweetie…that’s what this is about?”

Daryl shrugged a little in response, “Well…yeah. I’ve seen ya makin friends with a lot of the people round here…it just crossed my mind that…maybe-”

“Stop.” you said gently as you moved even closer to him, reaching up to give his arms a gentle squeeze, “Don’t say another word.”

His gaze softened as he stared down at you, regret filling him completely as he saw just how his words had affected you.

“I love you…so much.” you whispered as your gripped his arms a little tighter, “I’m not looking at anyone else…I don’t want anyone else. No one else on this whole damn planet would be a better fit for me than you. I don’t need some younger guy. I’m not even friends with them, they only come talk to me if they have a question about something. And most of them aren’t very bright.” you said bluntly, earning a small chuckle from him. “I just wish you had told me about this sooner.”

He bit his lip a bit shamefully, “I know…m’ sorry. I just thought…ya might be better off-”

“I won’t.” you insisted, “You’re all I will ever need…you hear me?”

A small smile grew on his face upon hearing that, knowing that you meant every word. Though there was still another thing hovering over his mind. “Even though m’ an old man?” he asked half heartedly, though a part of him was still serious.

You rolled your eyes a bit, “Just because you’re older than me doesn’t make you an old man.” you laughed softly, “But if that’s something you’re really worried about…I promise to stick around even when you’re eighty.” you winked.

His lip quirked up a bit in amusement as he reached out to place his hands on your hips, gently tugging you closer, “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” you nodded, “You won’t get rid of me that easily.”

You then felt his thumbs start to rub soothingly along your hip bones, still a little unsure if this was truly what you wanted. To be with someone like him. “Ya promise?” he eventually asked.

You tilted your head a bit at him, “Come on…what do I have to do to convince you that I want this forever?”

The man was silent for a long moment as he thought to himself, absentmindedly still running his thumbs along your hips as he stared down at you. The truth was he didn’t really need anymore convincing than what you had already told him. Just by the small bit of reassurance you provided, he felt as though he was lighter, a weight being lifted from his shoulders knowing you were his. But still, he couldn’t imagine a more perfect time to make it even more official.

“Marry me.”

Your eyes widened a little in surprise, not expecting him to be so blunt let alone say those words to you at all. He never really struck you as someone who would want to get married at a time like this, but it’s not like you minded. As long as you were with him, that’s all that truly mattered to you.

Only now it felt as if the wind was knocked out of you, hearing him utter those words so clearly as if he meant it with his entire being. You couldn’t help but laugh a bit nervously, “Don’t joke about that, cause you know I will.”

He smiled down at you, shaking his head softly, “M’ serious.” he assured, raising one of his hands to run his thumb along your cheek, “Marry me.”

A lump began to form in your throat as you felt yourself get a little more emotional seeing how real this was becoming. Seeing how serious he was. He really wanted this.

“Okay.” you whispered with a small nod of your head.

His smile only grew, “Okay?”

You nodded a bit more frantically as a large smile broke out onto your face, “Yes…yes I’ll marry you.”

He chuckled, pure relief and happiness filling him completely as he picked you up in his arms, spinning you around lightly as you squealed in surprise. Though he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to seal the deal as he gently set you back down on your feet, kissing you deeply as he felt you hum into his mouth. A part of him almost couldn’t believe that you had agreed, wanting to truly be with him forever. But then again, with the way you looked at him, with the way you said yes with little to no hesitation at all, he knew. You were his forever.

~ Thanks for reading!

[rebelliousstories]

Speak Now

Relationship: Norm McLean x Reader

Fandom: Fallout

Request: Yes by @fallout-girl219

Warnings: Fluff, Angst

Word Count: 1,250

Main Masterlist: Here

Fallout Masterlist: Here

Summary: On what is supposed to be the happiest day of her life, she cannot help but feel Norm is hiding something.

“Oh, I just love a wedding. Well we haven’t had one in a while but still.” Lucy gushed as she helped get her friend ready for her special day. Her hair was being pulled every which direction, while Stephanie tidied up her nails.

“How are you feeling?” The blonde at her hands asked, looking up briefly. The woman in the chair took a deep breath, and blew it out hard while she thought.

“Okay. Nervous, I guess.” She stated. Stephanie, having just gotten married recently, was still in her honeymoon phase and reminiscing.

“I get what you’re feeling. But once you see him in front of you, you’ll know. That’s the one. Like Bert,” her eyes held little clouds in them, “I just knew he was the one for me when we were set up.” Lucy looked towards her friend like she was eagerly taking in the story, but the same could not be said for the woman in the chair.

“I don’t know. Just… the idea though. Of marrying a complete stranger that I’ll meet at the vault exchange. It doesn’t feel right.” She lamented, expressing her concern with the practice.

“You’ll change really quick when you see him. Why I just knew that Bert was going to be the best man for me the second I saw him.” Stephanie said softly once more. They quieted their chatter as the two women began to work on the bride-to-be’s makeup. All the while, she sat there, running through every possibility.

Nothing her mind came up with helped her current predicament. A figure passed by the window into her room, that stopped just for a second to long. It was Norm. Her neighbor and life-long friend, even if he was a bit peculiar. Their eyes locked and she swore that she could see an upset look in his eyes. That was, until, it was broken off by Lucy standing in front of the bride to apply her lipstick.

She had no idea why Norm would be upset over her getting married, even to a stranger. They were just friends. Nothing more. Nothing less. Although, she had tried to get him to notice her. Taking up a new hobby to show him, only to be met with a disinterested stare while she spoke about it. Styling her hair a different way just to have him ask if she was feeling alright. Trying to find out his hobbies and having him wonder what she was doing there.

But to no avail. There was nothing to suggest that he thought about her in any other fashion than that of a friend. And even that was a maybe, if he even considered her one. She sure considered him a friend of hers. By the time she could see through the window again, Norm was gone. Her heart hurt a little bit. She should be happy. Not pinning after her friend. How could she be happy though? She was not excited to be marrying a stranger from Vault 32. That was not what she wanted. But she had to. For the good of society.

As the two women finished up their beautification of the bride in the chair, she was presented with a mirror. She had to admit; they did an amazing job. Presented with a white dress, she took the offered pen and hesitantly signed her name with the date on the inside panel. Getting dressed, her heart was speeding up considerably. Her nerves were getting the better of her. The walk down to Vault 32 was terrifying. Faces passed and all she wanted to do was scream and run. Her mother and father greeted her as she made it to the spot in front of the door to Vault 32.

“How are you feeling, honey?” Her mother asked, voice airy and sweet.

“Fine.” She replied. Her voice was cut short as a lump formed in her throat. The vault door seemed larger and more daunting now as they stood in front of it. A crowd of people came around the door to watch the exchange happen. Amongst those people, she scanned for one person, who stood at the back of the room. Norm was there. It made her feel better to have him there, but not as good as she should have been.

Hank MacLean came up to her and held her hand while pulling her towards the door. Even she could feel the sweat beading up on her, and her heart beating out of her chest. Before the door could be open though, a voice shouted above the commotion.

“Wait!” Norm pushed his way to the front of the crowd. “Wait, wait, wait.”

“What are you doing, son?” Hank whispered, about to scold him.

“She can’t get married to someone else.” He stated, looking towards the woman in a wedding dress, standing before the vault door.

“What are you talking about, Norm?” His father, once again, tried to keep a lid on the situation.

“Because I won’t allow you to marry her off. We can trade something else, but I will not have her marrying anyone else. There’s no direct bloodline between us, which means that our children won’t be directly related to anyone except our direct relatives in this community.” He finished his speech, and finally took another breath. Norm looked at his father, his friend, and back to his father. She looked relieved, and a little scared.

“You wish to marry her? Right now?” Hank pressed, waiting to see how this is going to play out.

“Yes. I’ll do it right now.” Norm stood up straighter, looking usually sure of himself as he faced the situation with conviction.

“Alright then. We’ll inform Overseer Jackson we no longer need a match. We’ll find something else of value to trade. I’ll go inform him.” Hank let go of her hand and waked out with his council. Her parents walked out as well, still confused as to what was happening. Soon, it was just the two kids who were looking down at their shoes.

“So… what was that all about?” She questioned, peeking her head out from her lashes.

“I just didn’t want you marrying someone who you didn’t know. I figured you would be more comfortable with someone you know.” Norm murmured.

“Is that all?” Once again, she pressed her friend for answers.

“Well-” he started, “maybe. Not really. I just, just…”

“Norm?” A call made his head peak up. She stepped closer and closer until they were toe to toe, and chest to chest.

“Yes? You are very close to me.” That was the last thing he was able to say until her lips pressed softly against his own. They stood there, finding their place in the moment. Unfortunately, the need for air came about which led for the pair to draw away from the other.

“I think we’re supposed to do that at the alter.” Norm whispered, which sent her into a fit of giggles. He giggled along with her and moved to hold her hand. She grasped his hand tightly and felt the sweat disappear from her palms. Norm felt a surge of confidence as he looked her in the eyes once more.

“Shall we go get married now?” He suggested, looking back into their own vault.

“Let’s go get married.” She agreed, beginning to drag him along with her. Norm followed willingly, and even ended up dragging her a little bit in his excitement to finally have the girl.

[lavafet]

THANK YOU-!! 🥺💓💓

You're in luck! I got a few more sketches of him with me :}

I'll also use your post to put a little bit of angst too, if you don't mind >:]c

(( @emo-gremlin I had some horrible formatting issues answering your ask originally, and it would have bothered me to no end if I didn't fix it <:( Sorry for the @ ♡♡))

I hope they recovered the more torn up puppets down in that hole as the studio recovered. It'd be mean to leave them down there that way 💔

[lilyevanstan1325]

Leave a comment if you'd like to join my taglist❤️

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x OC

A/N: The stories will follow the show's timeline only partially, many characters will have different stories than the original ones.

Some characters, places or events do not correspond to the TV show, I am only granted some "licenses".

I don't own any rights to TWD or its characters, scene or original dialogue.

I own only Summer and the main plot of the story, do not copy or use without permission.

English is not my first language so I apologize in advance for every mistake.

Especially the ones you'll find in Daryl's speech.

Writing using a southern accent is something I don't do very well and I hope you can understand me and even help me sometimes.

Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Warnings: For anyone who has seen The Walking Dead knows exactly how the show works and what kind of crude topics are often shown.

I already warn you that each of my chapters will contain a different trigger that will not be reported at the beginning of the chapter so anyone who doesn't feel comfortable with these topics is better not reading my story.

This story contains mature content, including:

Graphic scene, strong language, gore, death, violence, sex, racism, pregnancy, miscarriage, weapon, drugs, abuse, blood, alcohol, self arm.

Age gap: Daryl is 39 years old and Summer is 24 years old.

Summary: Summer is a sweet, cheerful girl in love with life.

Her parents love her more than anything in the world and she could never imagine not having them by her side.

But then the apocalypse takes all of that away from her.

Nowadays she is only a shadow of what she was.

She was forced to run away from the only man she believed could love and protect her forever.

She finds herself alone and exhausted in the middle of the woods, waiting to die.

But then a mysterious man saves her.

Daryl.

A man with a past full of demons.

Maybe their meeting will decree the survival of the girl and the rebirth of the archer.

Between lies and secrets will they ever find some peace in the end?

Is there still room in this world for feelings like love, friendship and honor?

Or will fears and misunderstandings do nothing but drive them away from each other, allowing themselves to be devoured by their own mistakes?

🔥Moodboard🔥

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13 coming soon

[defiant-art]

aaaaaa me and norman

[rachelordwayart]

I'm pleased to be the kind of artist people trust to draw their crushes XD

From Momocon, here's Norman Osborn with an admirer and Toji from Tokyo Afterschool Summoners.

Commission info

[starlessea]

Your scent lingered

Drabble: Come morning, you leave behind nothing but crumpled sheets and your scent. But Daryl craves more.

A/N I'm starting a 10-min drabble series where I write something on my phone quick before bed. Here's the first.

Your scent lingered but you never did.

Daryl wondered why that was - why you'd pack yourself up and haul yourself out of town before his eye could crack open to the dawn.

It wasn't a commitment thing. You were committed to a lot of things: him, sex, chaos.

And you always came back.

You were always there when he needed - with fingers of ice but breaths of fire, and a heart a few degrees south of molten core.

But then you were gone. Away with the night and like a fleeting dream come morning.

The excuses would vary. "Supply run." "Weapon maintenance." "Some Alexandrian snob got a blocked drain (again)."

Daryl had grown tired. Tired of waking up tired to an empty pillow and a scent that always lingered.

Would it kill you to once stay for the dawn, to stay in his arms through morning and to only leave once the knocks came at the door?

It probably would. He knew that by now.

The only thing in this world powerful enough to tie you down was a headstone. And even then, he wasn't sure.

So Daryl stretched out his arms over the king-sized, royally pompous bed, and felt his fingertips brush the sheets where you had lain.

Warmth lingered there. But you did not.

And so Daryl spent half an hour more wondering where you had scuttled off to in your usual hurry, and why you'd kissed his chest so tenderly as you dressed near his bedside.

He'd been awake then. He always was when you left. And every time, you'd whisper him a chaste goodbye as though it were the last, and Daryl would struggle to feign sleep - fretting that it might really be.

Your scent lingered but you never did.

Yet that alone was enough for Daryl. Because there would come a day when neither would remain. And on that day, Daryl knew, this world would become a drop more cold.

[hsslilly-blog]

rip her to shreds!

[boygiwrites]

Harley D. Dixon 35

Harley D. Dixon's Pinterest Board!

Harley D. Dixon's Playlist!

📖Chapter List.

Author's Note.

Cue my giddy snickering.

"So, what'd you do?" My Dad asks the prisoners, as we're eating breakfast in the courtyard the next morning. "Whose life you ruin?"

All the walker bodies have been dragged into a pile over by the dumpsters and burnt into nothing more than a few lumps of charcoal, leaving the courtyard as quiet as it's been since we got here. With the snarls and growls finally gone, I can hear birds chirping on the roofs of the cell blocks, the beautiful sound of silence beyond them. It might be the first time we've been completely sealed away from danger.

If Rick wasn't still inside with Lori, Carl, and the baby, I think he'd feel the same way.

"Nobody's but my own, man," Oscar chuckles dryly. He shakes his head, spooning some stewed corn and beans into his mouth, chewing absentmindedly. "There's nothing more to it than my people were poor as dirt. Got to be that I was dumb and desperate enough to steal from a Walmart. I should'a been handing my resume in, or something, but no. Sentenced three years over a pack of diapers."

I look up from my bowl to study the regret on his face, finding myself surprised. Shop-lifting diapers?

That wasn't what I thought he was in prison for at all.

"Sorry to hear that," Glenn says sympathetically, exactly my thoughts. "World wasn't exactly fair before all this, either."

"Me, I got caught with, y'know," Axel gestures vaguely, "Drugs and stuff. In my car. I was parked outside a police station, and I ain't had a home at the time. I think wanted to get locked up, if that makes sense. I'd been in and out a bunch of times. Only thing I knew."

"Sounds like someone I knew," Dad scoffs, and I know he's talking about my Uncle Merle. "The dumb bastard."

"So, you ain't, like," I frown at the prisoners in confusion, "Bad?"

Oscar laughs a little. "Not everybody who ends up in prison is bad, kid."

"I know that," I argue as I eat another spoonful of stew. "My Daddy was in prison, and he ain't bad. But some of 'em is."

"We ain't had the best track record when it comes to strangers," Maggie explains to them, putting it lightly. "Or even friends."

"Hey," He shrugs. "No offence taken. You gotta be careful out here."

"There were some seriously bad eggs in there, though," Axel agrees with me. "You bet'cha. Made life a livin' Hell for the rest of us."

Oscar looks at my Dad. "You're her Dad, right? You went to prison, too?"

"Arrendale State Prison," He nods, slurping up the stew in his bowl. "February of '04. I was released far before all this shit started."

"What crime?"

"Aggravated manslaughter."

Axel's eyes widen. "Damn, mister. I ain't sayin' you don't look the type, but I would'a thought you stole a car or somethin'."

Wiping his mouth, he smirks. "Who says I ain't did both?"

"Skills like those sound like they'd come in handy nowadays," Oscar says, "So, Hell. We ain't here to judge anyone in your group."

"You gotta stop saying, 'your group'," Maggie scolds him, smiling. "We got off on the wrong foot, but for all intents and purposes, there's only one group here. We ain't have to be best friends or anythin', and we'll be watchin' you, but you've proven yourselves."

"But I thought you said—...?"

Yesterday, we served 'em a death sentence by forcing them outta the gates — Today we're eating stew together. 

"Listen. There was a man named Shane," Glenn levels with them. "He was the first one. He was Rick's best friend for fifteen years and we all watched him go crazy without any power to stop it, until he tried kidnapping Harley. He was shot and beaten to death."

There's the loud, BANG, and the sound of my crying spilling out afterwards. That was one of the worst days of my life.

The prisoners share a glance with each other.

"The second man was Jim," He continues. "He didn't have the best interests of the group at heart and we kicked him out for that. And when we ran into him a few months later, we saw that hadn't changed. He threatened to ruin what we'd built. We hung him in a barn."

That one didn't make much sound at all — Barely a, snap.

"Your friends, Tomas and Andrew. And there were so many others. A group that took over a town near our old farm, people on the road, assholes, thieves. We've got good people here. We're family. But we haven't let our goodness make us idiots."

I'd almost forgotten the violence we'd committed over the past year, the deaths, a hundred little wounds scarred over with time.

Axel and Oscar remain silent as they stomach his words, the underlying threat there — We've killed better men for less.

Shane was Rick's right-hand man, a brother, and one of the most important people to the group, but even that couldn't save him in the end. Jim was a father, a resilient little weasel who worked harder than anybody else back at the quarry, and I saw him die, too. I saw all manner of men die. The prisoners risked their lives by leavin' this place, but they also risked them by comin' back to help us. They chose to do that. I'on know too much about what makes a trustworthy stranger, and I ain't even sure if such a thing exists, but I imagine it's a start. 

"Ya ain't idiots," Axel agrees, looking between Dad, Glenn, and Maggie with his honest eyes. "You can trust us."

Oscar puts on a reassuring smile. "We get it, man."

For two fellers who've just been threatened with torture and execution if they misbehave, they don't look so frightened.

I guess they don't plan on it, then.

"Good," Glenn slowly nods at their answers. "This is the best thing that's ever happened to you, by the way. You're welcome."

Axel's moustache skews to the side as he smiles. "Thank you, dudes."

"And it ain't just kiss-ass for a bowl of stew," Oscar warns us, gesturing with his spoon. "'Cause this shit tastes like ass."

"I'll let the chef know," Maggie jokes.

It looks like our group just got a little bit bigger.

"Go on, then." Dad juts his chin out in the direction of the cell block. "My guess is you ought'a get outta them scrubs if yer stayin'. Just ask for a lady, Carol — She can sort that out for ya. T-Dog's old stuff should fit ya, but I ain't so sure about Stringbean."

"'Stringbean'?" Axel complains, looking down at himself.

"Maybe you can find somethin' in Glenny's wardrobe," Maggie smiles, poking him in the ribs. "Ain't that right?"

"Hardy, har."

As they stand from the table with their empty bowls, Axel adds, "We really appreciate it. Thanks for not letting us die."

"Sure. Git," Dad grits, watching as they make their way back into the prison, before looking at me. "What'chu thinkin', chicken?"

Chewing my stew, I garble, "I gesh dey don't sheem sho bad."

"Nah, they don't," He agrees, reaching out with his spoon to clean the dribble off my chin. "You don't gotta worry about 'em, okay?"

I swallow as he pulls away, warning him, "But I'on think Mouse is a fan. He was growlin' at 'em."

"I'm sure they'll figure that out," Glenn reassures me, chuckling. "If that's the only problem they have, I'd say they got off lucky."

"Not if they screw this up, they won't," I exclaim, raising my spoon like a knife. "That happens, I'mma knife 'em in the knee!"

"Hey, and I'll let'cha," Dad jokes as he puts his hand over mine to lower the spoon. "But right now, I want'chu to finish all yer food."

"Okay, Dad."

Breakfast goes by slowly, like any good morning should.

The baby — Until the Grimes agree on a name, that's what I'll call her. The baby — loves to sleep.

I guess being born takes up just as much energy as giving birth, because Lori says until she's a few months old, this is all she'll do. I can't exactly play soccer with her right now, or even teach her to draw a picture, but I don't mind waiting. She's cute enough just like this, with her eyes closed, small tummy rising and falling with softs breaths as she dozes off in my arms, hopefully dreaming of something sweet.

What do babies dream of? Milk? Sheep, prancing in circles? They even got enough memories to form a nightmare, yet?

Watching on with a fond smile, Lori muses quietly, "I told you."

The baby makes a grunt, squirming around in the tightly swaddled blanket before she relaxes, content.

No. No nightmares.

Looking up at my Dad, I ask him, "Was I like this?"

A faint smirk tugs at his mouth, as if he's recalling a memory. "Nah, you was a fiend. Your Momma and I couldn't get'chu to sleep for nothin'. Had to pace around with you for hours on the porch just for a wink. Sing, hum. Let'chu listen to the rain, cars, birds."

"Sounds like she was a fussy one," Lori smiles, reaching out to stroke her thumb across the baby's smooth head.

"I ain't never met a baby who could pull an angry face quite like Harley could," He scoffs. "Had the temper of a stick of dynamite."

Under the weight of his tired gaze, Rick smirks a little. "So, not much has changed, then." 

Sticking my tongue out at them both, I look back down at the baby, gasping as her eyelids begin to flutter.

"She's openin' her eyes," I exclaim with excitement, handing her off to Lori. Her Momma should be the first thing she sees. Not me!

"Oh, my gosh," The woman breathes.

All at once, with her forehead wrinkled against the brightness of the room, she opens her eyes for the very first time. Green. Wow. They're the same colour as Lori's, dark and pretty like the wet leaves on a forest floor, staring curiously up at the matching pair.

Rick scoots closer and grins down at her, a chuckle escaping him as she studies his face next.

Even though I love my Mom and Dad more than anything in the world, and I wouldn't trade them for anybody else, I can still say with certainty that this baby is real lucky to have a Dad like Rick and even luckier to have a Mom like Lori. She got gentle hands, a voice made for telling fairytales, and the patience of a saint. Her smile is the type that nobody could be mad at when they're on the receivin' end of it.

My Gramma Dixon ain't had one of them smiles. In all the photos I've ever seen of her, she had a smile like a row of yellow piano keys, black holes left where her rotten teeth had fallen out from smoking so much and so often, but I had never seen it in person.

When my Dad was thirteen years old, the same age as Carl, the smoke of a stray cigarette caught onto his Momma's bedsheets while she was sleepin' and she, the house, and everything that was in it went up in flames, with a single black smear to prove it ever stood.

That's why whenever my Dad finishes a cigarette, he spends a second longer than anybody else would making sure it's out.

Glenn's got it right — World wasn't exactly fair before all this, either.

Havin' any Mom, let alone a Mom as good as Lori, was a special thing even before the world went to shit.

"She gon' love havin' you as her Momma," I smile to Lori.

And if you were my Momma, I'm too embarrassed to say, I'd be lucky, too.

As if I've just minced her heart between my fingers, the woman pouts, managing a smile. "Thank you, honey. That's nice of you to say."

I don't ever remember dreaming of milk or sheep or soft things with gentle colors, but I'm glad this baby will, even if just for now.

The sound of the toilet flushing fills my ears as I push past the stall door, approaching my Dad who's waiting for me by the sinks. He lifts me by the armpits onto the little plastic foot stool that Glenn found a few days ago, carefully setting me down on it.

"You sure I can't stay up just a little longer?" I ask as I tweak on the water, pumping soap into my hands.

"How much is, a little longer?"

"Hm... Five minutes?"

"I already let'chu finish yer card game with Carl and Beth," He reminds me. "My generous mood's run out, now. It's late, y'know."

"Okay, Captain Obvious," I sigh, scrubbing my hands together under the water before shutting it off.

"Watch it, Captain Smartass." He takes my hand and helps me jump off the stool, leading me through the door and down the corridor, before he randomly comes to a stop. As I turn around to face him, he crouches down to my level. "But I gotta talk to you first."

"About what?" I pout, worried I might be in trouble. "If Carl told you I cheated at cards, it ain't tru—"

"I ain't talkin' about that," He reassures me, raising his brows. "And you're lucky I ain't, 'cause I'on believe you for a second."

"Okay. Maybe I peeped at Beth's cards."

"Yeah. Maybe." With an empty chuckle, his expression slowly dampens, turning serious. "It's about Axel and Oscar."

"Huh?"

"I trust 'em," He begins, but I got no idea where he's goin' with this. "What I always saw in Shane and all the other douchebags like 'im, I'on see in them. Some folks, you can just tell. Axel's a sorry loser just like yer Daddy and Uncle Merle used to be, and Oscar's a Dad."

My Dad's what some people call, a good judge of character. Nodding along in agreement, I let him continue.

"If I thought they was any sorta threat to you," He promises, "Even if it was just breakin' yer favorite crayon, then—..."

"Then, you'd kill 'em," I finish, remembering the sight of his shadow swinging down on Jim's face through the slats of the shed wall, the big, black bag the paramedics wheeled outta the woods, the way Shane's blood pooled out across the dirty tiles. "I know."

"So, I guess this ain't really about them, 'cause they ain't gonna hurt you. It's about you, baby."

"M—Me?"

"You ain't in trouble." He says again, soothing my nerves. "I prolly should'a had this conversation wit'chu months ago, but you know I ain't so good with 'conversations', so it's happenin' now. I need you to know what happened with Shane weren't your fau—"

"Why are you sayin' that?" I cut him off, feeling like it's wrong for Shane's name to be in his mouth. "I d—"

"Just listen to me." He grabs my shoulders, stern and strong. Quips and hot venom brew on my tongue, but I bite it down, knowing that if I lash out, I'll actually be in trouble. I can't stop him from mentioning Shane, violating him even in that way, like he used to do with my Momma's name when he threw insults at her and told lies about her to strangers. I have to remember — Shane ain't my Momma. They was both sick, but only one loved me. I'm pretending to know which one that was. "It weren't. But we could'a done things differently."

Don't talk to strangers, He and Merle always told me. Is that what he means?

"I-I don't get it," I shake my head in confusion. "I'm allowed to talk to Axel and Oscar. They ain't strangers."

"Neither was Shane, baby." He counters. "Spent so much energy teachin' you not to trust assholes like Ronnie, I ain't never taught you not to trust assholes like Shane — Typa guy that makes it past yer doorstep and tries to be yer friend."

I temper my glare. "What'chu gettin' at, Daddy?"

"You know grown men can't be friends with little girls." He explains patiently, his grip on me tightening. "Rick and Glenn, they're different. They's like yer Uncles. Ya get along with 'em, but they're there to protect ya, just like I am. Axel and Oscar ain't like that. You ever meet anybody like 'em, you don't do anythin' that makes you uncomfortable. You don't give 'em anythin' they want. You don't let 'em trick ya."

Shane. I did all those things with Shane. He did all those things with me.

"And you always tell me if any of that happens. Always. Ya ain't never gon' get in trouble for what other people choose to do."

"The prisoners ain't tried to be my friend," I assure him. "And I ain't tried to be theirs. Promise."

"I know. I'm proud'a you for that." His grip loosens, fingers sliding down my arms, dropping in his lap. "But do you understand me?"

"I think so."

"I'mma somethin' better'un, I think."

Frowning, I think. Shane weren't my fault. Dad said that since the beginning. I guess he only wants to make sure it never happens again, like how it ain't yer fault if a dog bites ya, but you can always learn to recognize a violent animal and turn your back on its teeth.

I shouldn't have let Shane corner me in the car while the rest of the group was distracted in that supermarket.

Shouldn't have played into his stupid game, neither, by punching him in the face when he asked me to.

Definitely shouldn't have agreed to be his friend.

Dad's always gonna look out for me, but, "I understand."

"Okay. Good girl. Smart girl," He nods, standing and taking my hand in his, leading me down the corridor. "I love you, chicken."

"Love you, Daddy. But I thought you said I was allowed to knife 'em?"

"You can knife 'em first, and then I'll kill 'em," He jokes. "Deal?"

"Deal."

He chuckles to himself. "Let's get'chu to bed, then."

"Easy, boy," Axel smiles, scratching Mouse's ear as he watches him gobble up the meat in his hand. "There ya go."

From my seat nearby, as I wait to leave with Dad and Glenn for a supply run, I don't bother callin' Mouse over yet. The dog ain't my toy or nothin', but I should still share him with the prisoners. I know they ain't seen one in years, so I let him have the moment.

When Carl walks past me, I ask him, "You sure ya don't wanna come with us?"

"Thanks, but I'm sure. I'm just tired today," He turns to send me a smile, before continuing toward Axel. "Hey. Got more food."

"Oh, thanks, dude," He says happily, accepting it.

"He really likes this stuff."

It's taken almost a full month not only for Mouse to warm up to the new members of our group, but for the others, too.

We ain't best friends or nothin', like Maggie said, but it turns out they're a better fit for our family than I first thought.

Axel really is just a sorry loser with a good heart, who I've learnt over the past couple days wasn't kiddin' when he said he loved dogs. He's almost never more than a few feet away from Mouse, bribing him with treats or scraps of his own dinner, sometimes accidently calling him, Goober, the name of his old dog. When I look at him, I see all the other sorry losers we used to live with in our trailer park, his twangy accent and his stories of punking the police when he was younger weirdly comforting to me. Dad don't seem so offended by him, neither.

Oscar's the type of person who talks a lot around the dinner table, just like Carl and Maggie are. He's always got a snarky, good-natured joke to throw in here and there, or a reassuring tidbit to share when somebody opens up about something in their past.

When it comes to his own past, though, he suddenly ain't so much of a chatterbox no more.

I can only assume his wife and baby are among all the people we've lost, too. I wouldn't wanna talk about 'em, neither.

Rick watches Oscar standing there with a guarded look on his face, my Dad drawing his attention away by nudging his elbow, holding two guns out to him. With another glance at Axel, who's giggling like a small child at Mouse's enthusiasm for the food, he takes them.

"Axel. Oscar," Rick calls out, coming to a stop in front of them. As they look up at him, he offers a gun to each of them.

Axel's eyes widen as he stands up. "You serious, Mister?"

Oh — That's another thing. Axel doesn't call people Ma'am or Mister to butter 'em up. It's just his Southern manners.

"Daryl and Glenn are leaving for a few hours," He explains as Axel hesitantly reaches out for the gun, treating it more like a live grenade. For all the petty crimes he's committed, I'on think he's ever actually held a gun. Oscar takes his slightly more confidently, knowing exactly where to put his fingers, though he don't seem to like it. "With them gone, I think it's time you stepped up, helped us protect this place."

"Sure thing," Oscar nods, checking the mag is empty before stuffing the gun in his pants line. "Happy to, chief."

"Now, you mentioned you got experience," He reminds him, before turning to look expectantly at Axel.

In the silence that follows, the man offers, "I shot a slingshot, once. Busted in some rich old lady's Rolls-Royce window with it."

Rick's expression remains stoney. "A slingshot?"

"Yeah! Real cool one."

"A slingshot."

Awkwardly, he says again, "Yeah."

"Right." Rick gives him a friendly pat on the back, almost knocking him off balance. "We're gonna have to train you up a bit."

"Well, have fun," Glenn muses as he slings his backpack on, with Dad gesturing for me to stand up. "See you guys later."

Carl smiles, "See you later."

"C'mon, boy!" I call out to Mouse, clapping my hands. "Time to go."

"Remember, she doesn't handle the whole-wheat blend very well," Lori warns us, rocking baby Judith in her arms. It's good to finally see her outta bed again, to have her sitting around the breakfast table next to Herschel just like she always used to do.

"We'll look around for somethin' different this time. Trust me. I remember," Dad reassures her as he leads us up the concrete steps and pushes past the exit door, letting it close behind us before he mutters to me and Glenn, "She only threw up on my face twice."

"Eugh," I giggle, walking alongside them down the corridor. "That's gross."

"You ain't gonna talk to me about gross, missy," He jokes. "Who's that kid that spat chewed-up salami into my lap again, Rhee?"

Glenn chuckles at that. "Oh, yeah. I think her name was—...?"

"Somethin' beginin' with an, H, right?"

"Shut up," I giggle even harder as Glenn opens the main door, turning to lock it behind us. "It was an accident!"

"Ha—? Harriet," Dad pretends to struggle guessing, completely ignoring me. "Holly? Harley—?"

"Ohhh. Harley," Glenn exclaims as he stuffs the key back in his pocket. "That was it."

"Yeah, that's ringin' a bell."

"Shut up," I complain again, dragging him over to the gate. "C'mon. Me and Mouse wanna go!"

Agreeing, the dog lets out a, ruff.

This might only be the fourth time I've been on a scavenge this month, but I'd be lyin' if I said it ain't just as excitin' as the first time. Sure, the adults watch over me and Carl the whole time, and we only ever go to the same store, but everybody says we been doin' a good job and it's true. The worst thing that's happened to us is getting spooked by a rat running across our path, and even that was fun. 

"Okay, we're comin'," Dad chuckles raspily, letting me pull him along. "We're comin'."

"What do you wanna play this time, Harley?" Glenn asks.

As Dad opens the gate to the field, Mouse is the first one out, running ahead of us down the path.

I kick a pebble down the hill, thinking. "What about eye-spy?"

He locks it shut. "Didn't we do that one last time?"

"Yeah, but I lost," I argue as we follow after the dog.

"So, a re-match," Glenn says in understanding. "Sure. Who's going first?"

"Me!"

"Is it that leaf over there?"

"Nope."

"What about that leaf over there?"

"Still nope."

"That leaf?"

"You can't just guess every single leaf you see, Harley," Glenn chuckles. "The game would never end."

"So, it's not a leaf?"

"Not a leaf," He agrees. "Come on. You can do it."

Walking down the side of the highway, I look around for anything, Small and green. If it ain't leaves, or any of the hundreds of other things I've guessed so far, I'm screwed. In the distance, the tall sign for the strip mall pokes out from the trees, growing closer.

"Can't just look at what's in front of ya," Dad says helpfully, squeezing my hand. "Hunter's eye's gotta see everythin'."

Humming in concentration, I look down instead, noticing it instantly — The green beetle clinging to my shorts.

A giggle escapes me as I rest a finger near the insect's tiny head, letting it crawl onto me, holding it up to my face. "It was you!"

"Point for Harley," Glenn smiles as we step over the curb, entering the dumpster area behind the strip mall. The forest falls away behind us, making way for concrete and scattered litter. "You were taking so long; I was worried it was gonna fly away."

I turn a suspicious eye on my Dad. "Hang on. Did you let me win?"

"I might'a noticed it a couple minutes ago," He muses.

I flinch as the beetle's pearly wings whip out from under its shell, flickering into a blur, before it takes off into the trees.

"Aw." I pout, distracted by its disappearing shape as we approach the side of the building. "Bye, beetl—"

"Stop."

Stop?

Dad drops my hand. He slings his crossbow off his shoulder, training the sights ahead of us as Glenn grabs me, forcing me up against the wall with him. The warm brick presses against my back, Glenn's thick heartbeat thudding rhythmically beneath my fingers as I grip his wrist. I hold my breath. Suddenly, we're hiding — From what? From who? — and I couldn't care less that we didn't finish the game.

What's wrong, I desperately want to ask them, instead clinging tighter to Glenn, cowering, making myself small.

I try to get a glimpse of what's going on in the main parking lot, but I'm not close enough.

With his shoulders tensed and footsteps light, Dad creeps forward, peeking around the wall.

"It's okay," Glenn whispers to me, turning to scold a growling Mouse, "Shh, boy. Shh."

I focus on the nearby sounds — Someone's car engine idling, boots scraping against tarmac, hushed voices. People. It's people.

As Dad pulls back behind the wall, Glenn asks him, "How many?"

"I count three," He exhales, glancing down at me for a moment, before shaking his head. "We gotta go."

"Okay. Come on." Glenn gently tugs me by the hand, pulling me along with him in the direction we came. "It's okay."

"C'mon, chicken," Dad encourages.

We stick close to the wall, Dad scanning the back parking lot with a slow sweep of his sights, before giving us a nod, letting us know the way is clear and leading us down onto the tarmac. Everything opens up. My gaze darts from the dumpsters pressed up against the chain-link fence, to the trash littered across the ground, to the distant trees, the sky, the back of my Dad's head, Mouse at his heel. 

Dad takes one step back over the broken curb, his boot hitting the grass on the other side.

My fingers tighten around Glenn's as I lift my foot to do the same.

I'm taking a sigh of relief — The forest is right there. We can slip away — but the breath in my lungs is stolen from me. I stumble backwards into Glenn. A man shoots out from behind a rusted car, tackling my Dad, and a gasp escapes me, loud and sharp.

"Daddy!" I shriek, watching him tank the sudden impact with a grunt.

"Boys!" The man shouts over his shoulder. "Over here!"

Squeezing my hand, Glenn draws his gun, acting unsure if he should run with me or stay and fight. "Daryl?"

"Stay with Harley!" He orders.

We watch as Dad shoves the man off him in one powerful movement, sending his stocky body tumbling.

The man lands against the car door. The window cracks under his elbow, glass shattering, tinkling, falling at his feet. He groans like an animal, blood trickling down his forearm as he rears it back again, knife in his hand, about to stab Dad wherever he can.

Dad's crossbow comes down on the man's arm and the knife goes flying, clattering loudly across the parking lot.

"Fuck—" He cries, disarmed, before Dad takes a step back and — FWIP — unleashes a bolt into his face.

The man's legs give out, body slumping to the ground.

"What's going on back here?!" A voice shouts, footsteps approaching. "Eric?"

Glenn whips his gun around, shoving me behind him so fast; I only catch a glimpse of the — two? — men pouring into the parking lot before I'm pressing my face into the back of his shirt, squeezing his hand so tight I think I might break a few of his bones.

"Holy shit," One of the men exclaims as their footsteps come to a stop in front of us. "Eric! God, he's dead!"

"You'll be dead, too, if ya don't back the Hell up!" Dad barks at them, taking a step forward. "Back up!"

"You fucking killed him!"

"He attacked us first!" Glenn counters. "Put the guns down!"

"Oh, my God!"

"Who's that behind you?"

"Hey! You keep yer eyes on us and put'cher fuckin' guns down!"

The arguing, shouting, — Mouse's relentless barking — gets louder and louder with each second, ruminating into one big cloud of noise around me as I squeeze my eyes shut. I only wanted to help them scavenge some baby formula, enjoy the sun and the breeze, maybe win at eye-spy. Home is only a ten-minute walk from here. No, no, it wasn't supposed to go like this. It's never gone like this.

"Put that goddamn crossbow down!"

"I ain't doin' shit!"

"Everybody, shut up!"

The parking lot falls silent. I hear the footsteps of a third man approaching, slow and calm, like an angry teacher.

"They killed Eric," One of them exclaims. "We heard him shout for us."

"And this piece of shit here killed him. I saw it."

The footsteps slow to a stop, and no response comes. I wait for a gunshot or a punch to be thrown, but that doesn't come, neither.

After the pause has gone on too long, the man hesitates to ask, "Boss, what's wrong? Are we killing 'em, or not?"

"I said, shut up, Gavin."

Oh.

That voice.

Mer—?

No.

Merle is dead.

Merle was chained to roof and eaten by walkers and he's dead and he's gone and I mourned him and ghosts ain't real.

My movements in slow motion, I loosen my grip on Glenn's hand, my body going numb as I dare to peek out around his hip. As the scene reveals itself to me, a curtain pulled over a window inch by inch, everything hits me like a ton of bricks, years, names, memories.

The man standing at the front of the small crowd stares, gawking, at my Dad, unbothered by his confused friends.

When he glances down at me, his arm pointing the gun at us falters.

Our eyes lock, and suddenly ghosts are real.

I can feel myself start to cry, I think.

Merle.

Author's Note.

It's Merle! Is there anything more to say? He's back!

I'm going to have my work cut out for me in the coming chapters. Trauma, emotions. Here we come.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, everyone. 💙

[d1xonss]

Daryl with a fem reader who’s love language is physical touch? Like whenever they’re cuddling she’s always burying her head into his side or neck. Or another one is acts of service so imagine when they first came to Alexandria she noticed Daryl was the only one in the group who still hasn’t bathed so she offered to do it for him.. he just sits in front of her in the bath while she cleans his hair and scrubs his body

Soap and Bubbles

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Reader

✧ Era : Season 5

✧ Pronouns : she/her

✧ Genre : Fluff

✧ Word Count : 1.1k

AN ~ I’ve been slacking on requests big time:( But recently I got my wisdom teeth removed and the whole recovery has been kicking my ass, so sadly I just haven’t felt motivated to write anything new. Though I’m hoping this lil oneshot makes up for it and you guys don’t completely hate me lol.

Hope you enjoy! xoxox

He was stubborn. You were persistent. It was like when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. But in the end it was almost painfully obvious who won those battles most of the time.

When the group first arrived to Alexandria; a safe haven that was gifted to you by the grace of God himself, it was no secret that Daryl was one of the first who didn’t trust it. He was constantly tense and on high alert most of the time, when in reality there was never any real danger to begin with. But his thoughts seemed to haunt him, not necessarily because he felt the constant need to protect himself, but because he felt the constant need to protect you.

You were the most precious thing to him, like a delicate flower that he was constantly worried about squishing under his boot if he wasn’t too careful. And just the thought of you being in this unknown place that none of you really knew, it was safe to say it took him a while to even sleep. And it took him even longer to feel comfortable enough to bathe.

After the first few days of getting comfortable in the new community, you couldn’t help but notice that Daryl was the only one who hadn’t taken advantage of the luxury that was given. He hadn’t slept on one of the actual beds, he hadn’t even eaten any of the food that was stocked to the brim in each of the houses. The man just continuously hunted for his own food nearly every single day instead, working for it as if he felt like he had to. And he was one of the last people to use the nice new bathroom that everyone else had been hogging.

It was hard seeing him like this, knowing without even having to ask that he was slightly uncomfortable here. In the end when the place didn’t seem that dangerous, you knew he only really stayed so you had a roof over your head, and that was it. He always seemed to put you first before anything else and it never failed to melt your heart in the best way. But at the same time, you wanted to help him. You wanted to ease him into everything so he could learn to eventually call this place home.

Which is why you ever so slowly tried to coax him into taking a bath. Like a dog who was afraid of water.

“Nah.” was his original answer when you first asked him, that stubbornness really shining through as he put his foot down at the idea. Knowing that he didn’t feel safe enough to be so vulnerable.

But then you offered to help him, and that seemed to change the game as his interest piqued.

So after just a little more convincing, you finally got him into the tub filled with warm water, even adding some bubbles just to make it a little more enjoyable. And although he scoffed at the sight, he clearly wasn’t complaining as he practically melted into the warm water.

You sat yourself behind him as you ran your fingers through his hair, gently massaging his scalp as you cleaned it with a fresh shampoo. His eyes fluttered closed at your softness when touching him, even letting out a satisfied groan or grunt here and there just to let you know how much he was enjoying it. You couldn’t help but smile to yourself every time he did so, dragging the process out just a little bit longer upon seeing how relaxed he was.

Your nails gently scratched his scalp every once and a while which you knew he thoroughly enjoyed, loving the soothing feeling you provided as he slowly came to the conclusion that maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. His muscles twitched as you rinsed the bubbles out of his hair, feeling the warmth running down his back.

A smile stretched across your lips as you looked down at him, “Feel good?”

He nodded slowly as he let out a long and satisfied sigh, keeping his eyes closed as he was certain he could fall asleep within seconds. “Thank you.” he muttered.

Your face softened at his gratitude, “You’re welcome.” your sweet voice spoke, leaning down to place a kiss on top of his head.

He smiled to himself when he felt the touch of your lips, relaxing even more as you continued on for however long you wished. He wasn’t complaining, nor was he going to stop you anytime soon.

You then ran some conditioner through his hair, being able to run your fingers through the full length of it smoothly as you removed all the tangles. It smelled like heaven and it made his hair feel nearly brand new after not having it clean and fresh in so long. You then took your time washing his body, which to him was his favorite part of this whole thing. Your hands worked delicately, watching the soap run down his arms and chest as the remaining dirt just melted off his body.

A few more cuts were now more prominent on his skin as you continued to wash him, making some kind of mental note to help him clean those when he got out of the porcelain bowl. With being on the road for so long you had no idea how long they had been there, now being thankful you had everything you needed to fix him up. Seeing him constantly putting you before him in every single scenario, you wanted to do the same for him whenever you could. Though he was thick headed and usually refused, he did occasionally like being showered with affection like this.

Once you were done and the water was now a bit colder, you opened your mouth to tell him that he should probably get out. But you stopped yourself upon seeing the look on his face, seeing him finally looking content for the first time in months. You figured a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt as you began to drag your nails through his hair again.

“I love you.”

It was so soft you almost didn’t catch it. But the second his words met your ears you couldn’t help but freeze. He had never said that to you before.

Though you knew he always loved you, showing it in the little ways he knew how, you knew he felt a deep love for you that he couldn’t even describe. His actions speaking much louder volumes than words ever could. But now hearing him admit it out loud, you could feel a warmth spreading through your chest as you smiled, continuing to run your fingers through his hair as if to pretend it didn’t affect you as much as it did.

“I love you too.”

~ Thanks for reading!

[rebelliousstories]

What Did You Say?

Relationship: Norm McLean x Reader

Fandom: Fallout

Request: Yes by @fallout-girl219

Warnings: Fluff, Brief Angst, Pregnancy

Word Count: 1,406

Main Masterlist: Here

Fallout Masterlist: Here

Summary: The whole reason they got married was with the goal of repopulation. That is why anyone in the Vaults gets married. Being married to Norm is a challenge all on its own.

Norm was speechless. That alone was highly unusual for him as he did not get speechless, simply he did not voice every thought that pops into his head. But here he sat, without a thought to voice, and a mouth with which to do it. He did not process the fact that his wife was slowly loosing her smile, and instead of excitedly bouncing, she was shifting nervously.

“What’s going on in your head, sweetheart?” She asked, concerned for her husband’s wellbeing. In the entire time that they had been married, or even had known each other, she had never known him to be this paralyzed.

“Are you sure?” Sure, it was not the best thing to say, but it was the first thing that came to him.

“Of course I’m sure. The doctor checked me a couple days ago,” she moved to hold his hands. “Norm, we’re having a baby.” While she held out hope that at some point he would get excited with her, that hope was draining by the second.

“And it’s mine?” Again, it was not the best thing to come out of his mouth because her look turned sour really quick.

“Are you accusing me of something, Norman?” Her voice was no longer sweet; this was a dangerous growl.

“No, no. I’m not. I’m sorry. I’m just- we’re having a baby?” He was still not on the same plane of existence as her.

“Yes, Norm. We’re having a baby. I thought you’d be excited, or joyful, or even able to crack a darn smile. What is going on with you?” She was starting to tip over into yelling and their vault doors could only do so much sound proofing.

“No I’m- I mean, yes I… just,” he stammered, “I’m just not sure this is the best time.” He murmured, and began to fiddle with his hands.

“Well, it’s apparently a perfect time according to our bodies. Ever heard the expression, ‘it takes two to tango’? I didn’t make a baby by myself.” It felt like such an obvious observation, and yet, she felt like she was trying to talk to a child.

“I know that, I’m just. I’m not sure I’m fit to be a dad. I’m just gonna-” and he took off. Opening their door, Norm left their little humble home to go off to who knows where. Slouching to the floor, she held her stomach and cried. Sure people got scared to be parents but they did not run out on their pregnant wives while doing so? Thoughts ran wild in her head with Norm gone. Would she end up being a single mother? She knew that divorce was a thing but no one in the last two hundred years had one in the vaults. If someone was a single parent, it was because one parent had died.

Her sobs continued well into the night. Even when dinner time came, she ate alone; staring at the empty seat but a full plate where Norm would sit. She went on with her nightly routine as if nothing was wrong, as if half of her world was not missing. The bed felt too big now without her husband. As she lay in bed, she could not help but to let the tears come once again. She cried herself to sleep without even realizing it, and was only awoken by the morning bell. Her husband’s side was still together, even if she had taken his pillow to provide some comfort for herself.

She went about her breakfast routine, but was quickly sent to vomit when she smelled the eggs and bacon she had prepared. Coming out, nothing looked amiss, and she set about making toast. Toast would be safe to eat.

An executive decision was made for her, by her, to stay in for the day. She could afford a day off with the evening she had. A lot of her time was spent reading, or staring at the door. As much as she did not like him right now, she still loved her husband and wanted him by her side. The notification came through her pip-boy from the doctor about her ultrasound appointment today. It almost felt bittersweet. On one hand, she did not feel like inviting Norm to the appointment with how he was acting. But on the other hand,he was still her husband and the father of her child. He deserved the choice at least.

The forwarded message came across the gear that was on Norm’s arm, and he was shocked. After he ran away last night like a coward, he did not expect this from his wife. Norm saved the appointment onto his pip-boy for later use and scrubbed his hands over his face.

“You alright, son?” Hank asked of his boy, bringing over two mugs. The one with tea was set in front of the younger MacLean, while his dad drank his allotted amount of coffee.

“Just grappling my thoughts. She sent me a notification of a doctor’s appointment this evening, but I don’t even know if she really wants me there.” Norm admitted, fiddling with his hands underneath the table.

“If I remember one thing about your mother, is that during both of her pregnancies, her hormones made her a ball of emotions. You could say the grass was green and she would burst out crying.” Hank chuckled, and took another sip while his son just sat there.

“There was a time where she was so angry with me that I didn’t like the name that she picked for her top name for you, that I was kicked to the couch for two days.” This made Norm perk up.

“So what did you do? How did you fix things with her?” He asked, eager to hear the rest of the story.

“I went with her to your final ultrasound. Didn’t hold her hand or anything, but once we say you fully formed, she reached for my hand and said, ‘Norman, that’s what we’ll call him.’” His dad chuckled as he finished the story, and gained a sad look in his eyes.

“So what should I do?” Norm asked, finally taking a sip of his tea.

“If it were me, I’d go to the appointment. No matter how mad she is now, she’ll be worse if you miss that.” A timer dinged and as they looked for the source of the sound, they realized it was Norm’s pip-boy. Hs reminder for the appointment came up and he dashed out of the door without another word. Norm walked briskly to the doctor’s office, and tried not to run; no matter how much he wanted to.

By the time he got there, he saw her head dip into a room, that he somehow managed to catch. Norm saw her unzipping her vault suit, and rolling up her white shirt when he opened the door. He let out a breath that he did not realize he was holding and came over to help her.

“You came.” She stated, resting her hands on his face.

“I came.” He repeated, holding her body close to his in a crushing hug.

“I’m ready to be a dad.” Norm whispered, just loud enough for her to hear. It made her heart swell to hear those six little words come from his lips. The couple pulled away right as the doctor came in.

“Oh, hello Norm. Here to see the missus and the kiddo?” She spoke jovially, setting down her equipment to get started. Rubbing the cold gel on the mom-to-be’s belly, she held the wand against it to start looking inside. norm remained silent as he stared at the screen with a little black and white mage starting to emerge.

“There they are. That’s their leg, and arm. The beginnings of their head and organs and, oh wait. There’s their head. No, wait.” The doctor spent a minute looking intensely at the screen which freak the MacLean’s out just a little bit.

“Oh, okay. Not to worry.” She spoke finally.

“Why? What’s going on?” Mrs. Maclean was confused and concerned as she tried to sit up, only to be held down gently by her doctor.

“No, everything is okay. There are two heads. You’re having twins. Congratulations.” Once more, she held a happy tone as she went back to the screen. Yet again, Norm spoke without thinking it through.

“What did you say?”

[lavafet]

Redraw of that mini doodle of the oc/canon ship... I couldn't resist waiting to post it!

Hoping to make more soon with getting some time off from classes 🙏 maybe on my bus ride to/from my race? Wish me luck!

Also, the OC is named Jamie by the way :]c he may or may not be a journalist/photographer of some kind. He has visited the studio at least once or twice about interviews and whatnot!

[lilyevanstan1325]

❤️ Built For This World ❤️

Chapter 8

I don't think I'll ever get used to a man like Daryl.

And I'm not just talking about his physical appearance, which damn is absolutely fantastic, but about him as a man.

His personality.

His strong, authoritarian nature.

Every gesture, every word that comes from this man exudes a power capable of putting me in awe, sending my brain into a tailspin.

The first lights of this dawn dimly illuminate his profile.

From the moment I reopened my eyes I couldn't take them off his face even for a moment.

His features are relaxed, soft, beautiful.

His strong arms are folded behind his head, a few strands of hair falling lazily across his forehead.

A light and adorable snore comes from his slightly parted lips, his chest rises gently, his breathing slow and steady.

Daryl Dixon sleeping is a sight to be enjoyed.

I sigh dreamily.

Is there anything this man doesn't do excellently?

I curl further into myself, hands clasped under my cheek and knees pressed against my stomach.

I enjoy this little show that I'm sure is something no one else can boast of having seen.

When I wake up the sky was still dark and my head was still resting on his chest, the scent of him in my nostrils was so strong it made my eyes roll.

I gently moved away from his body, ignoring the voice in my head that instead invited me to decrease the space between us even further.

I just had the burning desire to wrap my arms around him and bury my face in his neck.

But I listened to that little part of my self-control.

And now here I am.

Crouched in a corner enjoying this wonder.

Daryl moves slightly.

Instinctively I move away a little more.

I don't want to make him uncomfortable.

Even though he himself invited me to spend the night in his tent, I fear the moment he wakes up.

Why?

I don't even know why.

Maybe I'm just afraid that the night might have led him to change his mind about me.

About us.

I pinch my bottom lip between my teeth.

I still want to kiss him.

But him?

What about him.

His fluctuating mood is the thing that destabilizes me the most, we practically went from not looking at each other to sleeping hugged in the same tent.

Thinking back to yesterday...

God!

Yesterday more than once we got dangerously close to each other and more than once everything's came to nothing.

What if today he doesn't want it anymore?

If I close my eyes I can still feel his hands squeezing my hips, his breath on my heated lips.

His scent.

God.

I would let those strong, calloused hands do anything to me, I would let his thick fingers explore every millimeter of my scorching skin.

I squeeze my legs tightly, the fire burning between them seems to consume me mercilessly.

I whimper lightly, pathetically.

I sink my teeth into the back of my hand to try to quell my own pleasure.

Can I burn with passion for a man I just met?

This isn't me.

I'm not like that.

I have never been so passionate.

So eager.

So needy.

And this new part of me scares me.

It scares me because I shouldn't feel certain emotions, not now that the only goal of our life is to survive.

I return my gaze to the archer's face.

His very relaxed features soothe my agitated soul.

I could stay hours, days, maybe even years, still like this with him sweetly sleeping at my side.

“Take a picture, it'll last longer” his still sleeping voice whispers.

I gasp violently, blushing.

“What?” I squeak, letting my hair slide in front of my face, trying to hide my growing embarrassment, immediately interrupting all my unchaste thoughts.

Daryl turns his face slightly towards me as his body moves into the same position as mine.

His long legs come closer to mine while he bends one arm to support his head while the other hand comes closer to my face and pushes away my unruly locks with his fingertips.

His blue eyes now alert and attentive have a relaxed look.

“Yer starin’.’S creepy”

A veil of slyness is hidden in his drawl.

He's making fun of me.

He's trying to embarrass me.

I torture my lower lip between my teeth, tormenting it.

“Don't do tha’ or ya'll ruin those pretty lips” he murmurs, bringing his thumb to my lip, freeing it from the torture of my teeth.

My breath gets stuck in my throat.

His gesture sends the part of my brain capable of formulating meaningful sentences into total blackout.

Actually my entire brain.

Trying to hide the passion that this man arouses in me, I decide to respond to his provocations with a little audacity.

“I wasn't staring at you.I was admiring you” I wink.

My lips rub gently on his digit still pressed to my lips.

“Stop” he grumbles, blushing too.

Well.

His own game is turning against him.

I smile satisfied, amused by the blush that spreads across his face as I watch him roll onto his back, his arms crossed over his chest and his gaze fixed on the ceiling of the tent.

He seems to tense up, I can feel the tension radiating from his body like waves.

The temptation to touch him is too strong.

Simply too much.

I move closer to him, carefully sliding my hand along his pecs and then back up towards his hair.

Daryl turns his face towards me, his gaze uncertain and his body rigid, almost scared like a cornered animal.

He acts like he expects to get hit every time my hands come near him.

The thought that a human being can be so little related to contact makes me sad.

I have always been used to being hugged, to being loved but for him it is as if all this were unknown.

It's all new to him.

I smile shyly trying to reassure him, trying to make him understand that the one thing I would never do is hurt him.

I push my hand into his hair, digging my fingers into the messy locks and smoothing them down.

A shaky sigh escapes his lips then his body relaxes and his eyes close.

With a little more courage than I had a few minutes ago I approach him, resting my head on his hard bicep.

The archer's muscular arm moves to make room for me so that I can rest my head right next to the junction of his neck and his clavicle.

My hand abandons his hair to move towards his neck, stroking the soft skin behind his ear and finally finding a place on the nape of his neck where my nails scratch his scalp languidly.

Without shame I take a deep breath.

“You smell good” I murmur although more than a murmur the words come out of my lips like a soft moan.

The man's body stiffens again but this time it is different.

His attitude seems to have another nuance.

It's not fear.

It's more like he's trying to tame something bigger.

“Do I make you nervous?” I whisper with my lips pressed to the base of his neck unable to stop.

This sweet torture intoxicates me.

It's unstoppable.

I propping myself up on my elbow and keeping my eyes fixed on Daryl's I move closer to his face leaving a light trail of small kisses along his jawline.

Slowly.

Slowly enough to give him all the time he needed to pull back but that doesn't happen.

Daryl turns his entire body towards me, his arms wrapping around my waist pulling me against his body, his fingers playing on my lower back.

“Watch out, pretty eyes.Ya be careful wha’ ya wish fer”

His low drawl makes me blush.

His voice, still thick with sleep, awakens all my senses.

“You know big boy, I think you have a crush on me”

I wink, curling up against his chest to hide the blush that slowly and inexorably spreads across my face.

A light laugh resonates in his large chest, making the strings of my soul vibrate.

“Ya think?” the archer teases me by letting his long fingers run along my spine.

I nod, nuzzling my head against his neck, my lips finding his chin where they leave a little peck.

“You call me pretty eyes, pretty lips...so…”

He let out a hmph sound.

And I find it adorable.

I giggle as I move away from his body or at least I try because his strong, muscular arms keep me anchored to him.

I barely lift my face in search of his eyes and I find them already staring at me with an intensity that makes me breathless.

Everything is so easy with him.

All so natural.

Where's the catch?

Am I really ready to let him enter in my heart?

But in the end do I still have the time to choose?

Maybe...maybe I'm already in too deep and if he decides to smash my heart into a thousand pieces I'm sure I'd let him do it.

I'm willing to suffer even to have a little piece of him.

“Yer right.Ya pretty little thing, ya look so delicate but I know ya not like tha’.Oh no, ya ain't as sweet and delicate as ya would like to let me believe”

Daryl whispers barely brushing my lips with his.

His attentive gaze is studying me and his words crush my heart.

He is right.

I'm not like that or rather there was a time when I was delicate but it's been a really long time ago.

I had to replace sweetness with strength.

I had to replace the desire for love with the desire to survive.

Now I'm stronger, tougher and more cautious with people.

Distrust has become my dearest friend.

I hid my true nature behind a stronger, stoic demeanor.

A mask that this man seems determined to destroy and I'm ready to let him do it.

“If I let ya in…”

Daryl inhales deeply taking a moment to reflect on his own words before continuing.

“How dangerous are ya, Summer?”

His question makes my blood run cold.

I am not dangerous but my past, my history, is.

And a lot too.

I stammer something incomprehensible under my breath, moving away from his grasp, escaping his now suspicious gaze.  Pushing my hands against his chest I give myself a gentle push and roll onto my back to put an end to whatever was about to happen.

I sit there unable to say anything.

Unable to answer his simple question.

Basically he doesn't know anything about me and before getting involved it's right that he wants to know.

But what about me?

Am I willing to answer him?

I already know my answer.

And fuck, this hurts for a million different reasons.

Behind me I can hear the rustling of the sleeping bag under the archer's movements.

His hand rests delicately on my back, making me tremble.

“Tell me who ya are, sunshine”

His short plea is muffled by his lips on my shoulder.

Very cautiously Daryl approaches me, sitting right in front of me, welcoming my figure between his long legs.

The soles of his boots resting firmly on the ground, legs raised and strong arms resting on his knees, his hands lazily caressing my biceps.

Small shivers blossom where his fingers pass.

I feel infinitely small locked in the prison of his body.

I bring my knees to my chest, wrapping them in my arms and risking a glance in his direction.

“Wha’ are ya runnin’ from?”

This is the final blow.

I only have two options.

Lie.

Lying like I learned to do.

Or I could tell him the truth.

Tell him why I'm running away.

What I'm running from.

Who I'm running from.

A sad smile caresses my lips.

Daryl cocks his head slightly to the side, his narrowed gaze busy studying my reaction.

Ready to grasp every little nuance.

I look down at the tips of my boots.

“Do you think it is possible to escape from our past?” I whisper.

The sound of my voice drowned only by the deafening beat of my heart thundering in my ears.

“If I told you I was running away from myself would you believe me, Daryl?”

The man's large hand makes space on my face, finding the perfect fit in the hollow of my neck.

His thumb is a light caress on my cold skin.

His head tilts further in search of my elusive gaze.

“Good luck with this.I've been doin’ this shit my whole damn life”

His words catch my attention like a moth attracted to the light.

His blue gaze, like crystalline water, seems to darken, behind it a veil made of ancient memories and pain.

His past also seems to haunt him.

“It doesn't work, does it?” I smile defeated.

I don't know why this makes me sad, after all I am aware of the fact that it ain't possible to escape from our demons, from our mistakes, yet I always hope that it's possible...

“Listen to me” Daryl whispers, moving a little closer.

Our faces are really so close that I feel like I'm running out of oxygen in my lungs.

“Ya can run, ya can run fer yer whole life.Ya can run fer miles but yer past is here” he murmurs, touching my left temple with the tip of his index finger.

“And here” he whispers, moving his finger towards the center of my chest, pointing it right at my heart.

“Yer past will forever be a part of ya.Yer past is what has shaped the woman ya're today”

His hands gently wrap around my face caressing me as if I were made of crystal.

As if he was afraid he would break me if he held me tighter.

“I dunno anythin’ ’bout tha’ past and I don't give a shit.Do ya know wha’ I see instead?”

His southern accent sweetly envelops my every thought, making my mouth go dry.

My fingers timidly find his wrists, wrapping around them with desperate need.

I cling to him, to his words, as if they were my only hold.

Daryl is the only thing keeping me afloat in this sea of pain right now.

“What do you see?”

Daryl licks his lips.

And then he smiles.

And the world stops.

His face looks infinitely younger.

It's as if all his pain, all my pain, just disappeared.

Nothing exists anymore.

Just me and him.

“I see a strong woman, a woman who defied death to find something else.I see a brave woman, a woman who isn't afraid to take on an asshole like Shane.I see a loyal friend, a friend who puts aside her own shit to help Carol.Summer ya so many beautiful things tha’…God!It pisses me off tha’ ya don't see it”

With my eyes wide open and my heart racing, I don't even realize what happens immediately afterwards.

Daryl's lips crash against mine.

His firm grip on my face is fuel on the fire.

The violence of the contact only fuels the fire inside me.

I get up, kneeling and bringing my body closer to his, our chests pressing against each other with so much vehemence that if it were possible I would melt and merge into him.

My arms wrap around his neck, my hands dive into his soft locks, pulling them hard.

A pathetic moan leaves my lips and Daryl takes the opportunity to slide his velvety tongue between them.

I moan louder in response.

Despite the fervor of the kiss, Daryl's tongue moves shyly as if all of a sudden he isn't so sure anymore.

As if he were embarrassed by his own passion for me.

We both don't know what we're doing and where all this will take us but we can't help but surrender to our needs.

Because yeah, what we feel is need.

A physical need, the need to soothe our pain.

The corrosive need to no longer be alone.

I soften my grip on his hair by sliding my fingers along the back of his neck, giving him sweet caresses with my fingers.

I move my lips delicately caressing his tongue with mine.

Kissing Daryl is like downing a shot of tequila in one gulp.

It burns every sense and goes straight to the brain clouding every thought, every fear, every inhibition.

Kissing Daryl is losing yourself in the oblivion of pleasure.

Suddenly the kiss ends and when my eyelids flicker again, the first thing that strikes me is the man's bewildered look.

He seems intimidated, almost scared.

I tremble as I lower my gaze, suddenly struck by a thousand anxieties.

His strong hands move down my sides and then cling tightly to my feverish skin, his forehead rests delicately against mine.

“It was so bad?” he tries to lighten me up noticing the tension in my body.

I just shake my head with a shy smile.

“Not that bad, big boy” I whisper, seeking his lips again, kissing him once more.

A light and quick kiss.

With my fingers I continue to absentmindedly caress the back of his neck, enjoying this little moment of haze.

Daryl looks thoughtful as his intelligent, attentive eyes probe my face.

“Listen to me, sunshine.If ya don't wan’ to talk ’bout it that's fine but don't give me bullshit.No lies.I hate lies”

Daryl is trusting me and I know I don't want to disappoint him, I can't do it for the simple fact that I would never forgive myself.

I know it's an effort for him too to trust me and I can't betray him.

“There was a man” I whisper, moving my hands towards his chest, holding onto his shirt.

Talking about Negan always hurts.

My cold fingers grip the fabric of his shirt almost angrily as my heart pumps furiously.

“I ran away from him, from his men…I couldn't stay any longer.I don't want to lie to you” I whisper under my breath, looking for his gaze.

The archer looks at me seriously and imperturbably.

“I don't want to lie to you but…but I don't feel like talking about it.Not now.Do you understand that?”

My anxiety is so powerful that I can't hold his gaze for a moment longer so I bury my face in his chest while his arms close around me giving me the comfort I crave.

One day, when I'm ready, I'll talk about him.

I'll tell Daryl everything.

But not now.

Now I need to find myself again.

I just need to find my balance again.

Because the only person I ever lost and need back is me.

Daryl's steady heartbeat helps me regain some self-control.

His silence gives me time to compose myself.

We remain still in our embrace until he pulls away just enough to find my eyes again.

“Did he hurt ya?”

His simple question hides an anger so visceral it scares me.

Even though he has always been sweet and delicate with me, Daryl is a strong, feral man and I am sure that anyone could only tremble in terror if they faced a man like him.

In response I simply shake my head.

Negan never physically hurt me but the pain he inflicted on my soul and heart was pure torture.

That man destroyed my heart and my soul and if he had also inflicted physical pain on me I would have almost welcomed it with open arms to no longer feel that pain inside me.

Daryl inhales deeply.

“Ya safe now and will be as long as I have the strength to protect ya.I will never let him get close to ya.Never again” he whispers.

My heart flutters at his promise.

And then, before I could even think he kiss me again.

This time with more confidence, with more awareness.

He kiss me so hard that I might consider the idea that my lips might become bruised.

And honestly I'm not complaining one bit.

The feeling of his lips on mine makes me arch my back in ecstasy.

I let out a sigh, which I didn't mean to sound so much like a moan, but the archer's lips curl up against my lips.

He seems satisfied and he leans back to give me another smile.

I return a smile resignedly, aware of not being able to control the reactions of my own body in his presence.

Not that he seems to be complaining about it.

“Are you mad at me?”

The archer tilts his head slightly to the side, shocked by my question.

“Wha’?Why should I be mad at ya?”

His tone seems almost amused.

I shrug.

“I do not know.Because I don't want to talk about…”

Daryl cuts me off immediately by crashing his lips against mine, pressing them so hard that I bend backwards until my back hits the hard ground.

I watch him as he leans towards me, placing his hands on the sides of my head.

“Ya don't even have to think ’bout it, sunshine.Ya talk when ya ready and if ya never be ready it'll be fine anyway, alrigh’?”

I nod, smiling and pinching my bottom lip between my teeth.

My hands grab the scruff of his shirt pulling him towards my lips but before I can deepen the kiss a voice makes us jump.

“I hope you're not naked because I already have too much trauma.I don't need to see your ass too, pookie”

I can't resist the laughter that forcefully bursts from my lips.

Carol enters the tent with a hand covering her eyes and a toothy smile.

Daryl huffs, letting his head fall forward.

Still shaking from laughter, I press my hands on the man's chest, pushing him away from me and sitting back down.

“C'mon Carol.Don't worry, we're already done” I smile, pushing my foot towards her boot.

The archer lies down on the sleeping bag, rolling onto his back and then sitting up.

“So…pookie?Really?” I ask amused laughing again followed by Carol’s laughter and another adorable snort from the man in question.

“Stop.Both of you” Daryl grumbles, focusing his icy gaze on both of us.

At first glance he might seem angry but the tips of his ears deliciously red make me understand that he is just terribly embarrassed.

Carol laughs as she sits next to me.

“Why?Doesn't it suit him?” the woman teases him, eyeing the man on the verge of embarrassment.

“Stop” he grumbles again, crossing his arms over his chest and avoiding our amused looks.

“Oh Carol, don't be mean” I scold her affectionately, putting my arm around her shoulders.

“Do you need something?” I ask her.

I can't stop smiling.

And it hits me.

I haven't felt so relaxed, so comfortable in a long time.

These people I just met managed to bring some calm back to my wounded heart.

I will never be able to thank them enough, not even if I lived a thousand more lives.

Subconsciously these people did more than they were supposed to do.

“Yeah.Breakfast is ready.You need to eat.Both of you need it”

My stomach growls loudly at her words.

I forgot the last time I ate.

Between Shane's mess, Sophia's search and the accident I lost track of time and my needs.

“You almost died, both of you.Now you have the duty to get back on your feet.Let's go” continues the woman, standing up and leaving the tent.

“I'll give you five minutes.Hurry up!” she yells before walking away.

I smile again shaking my head.

I have to get used to feelings like kindness and receiving care and attention from others again.

When I look for Daryl I find him staring at me.

His eyes, blue as the ocean, shine with a light I have never seen in them.

His lips are curved in a small smile.

“What's up?” I ask, embarrassed by his insistent gaze.

The archer shrugs.

“Uhu nothin’.Yer really pretty when ya smile.Ya should do this more often”

His half-hearted compliment awakens a sweet warmth in the center of my chest.

This grumpy and unfriendly man is truly adorable.

I scoop near him pressing a light peck on his beautiful lips.

“The same goes for you.You're really beautiful when you smile, pookie” I murmur bringing my lips to his again.

Daryl huffs but doesn't reject the kiss.

I smile against his lips.

“I think it suits you.On the outside you're grumpy like a bear but on the inside you're really soft” I tease him and without giving him time to reply I quickly kiss him again and leave the tent and head towards the camp where everyone else is.

The first to notice me is Shane.

The man stands slightly apart from the others.

He glances at me briefly and then returns his attention to the plate in his hands.

Strangely, his gaze wasn't full of hate as it often is when it's directed at me.

Maybe, since I got shot less than 48 hours ago, he decided to cut me some slack.

Good.

Carol smiles at me and tilts her head towards a chair.

I sit down smiling at the rest of the people.

Rick, Lori and Carl are sitting together enjoying their breakfast.

As soon as Carl sees me he gives me a shy smile which I return with a wink, the boy laughs in amusement attracting his mother's attention.

Lori nods her head a little.

I think she still feels embarrassed about what she asked me to do but the fact that she finally talked about it with her husband seems to have made her relax a bit.

Rick watches her, his crystal clear eyes are an ocean of fear and confusion.

At the moment Lori seems to be fine and mentally I breathe a sigh of relief.

I feel so fucking guilty for getting her those damn pills.

I really hope that the little one is okay.

T-Dog is helping Carol by the fire.

It looks like they are cooking eggs.

Great.

My stomach rumbles again as their delicious scent reaches my nostrils making my mouth salivate.

Andrea is sitting in front of me busy smoothing the large blade of a hunting knife, her sister Amy, sitting next to her, is also observing her carefully, waiting to receive her food ration.

Glenn and Dale are next to each other and both exchange weird looks.

Glenn, unlike other days, seems particularly tense.

Nervous I dare say.

He shifts his weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably, casting a fleeting glance towards the porch of the Green house from where Maggie is watching us.

Her expression is too serious.

Maybe the two lovebirds had some spats.

Who knows.

My thoughts are interrupted by heavy footsteps.

And I don't need to turn around to understand who they belong to.

Daryl's scent reaches me before his hand gently rests on my shoulder.

“Take it.It's cold today” the man mutters, handing me a blue checked flannel shirt.

One of his shirts.

My heart jumps into my throat and begins to beat in a completely irregular way.

I actually didn't pay much attention to the weather when I left the archer's tent.

Today the gray sky is covered with large clouds and a light wind makes me shiver.

My t-shirt is certainly not appropriate.

Daryl sits down next to me, giving me a brief smile.

I blush as I slip my arms into his shirt, a shirt that is full of his intoxicating scent.

“Oh wow!This shirt has sleeves.I didn't think you had one" I whisper teasing him and getting an adorable amused snort from him in response.

“Thanks” I whisper with my cheeks still burning, resting my head on his shoulder for a moment.

“’S nothin’ ” he shrugs giving me a gentle shove with his elbow.

Our little exchange of effusions ends when Glenn clears his throat a couple of times.

I observe him carefully while he walks back and forth with an agitated pace.

What happens?

It's not like him to behave like this.

Glenn is always sunny, always with that sweet smile on his face, but this morning he is different.

His eyes are surrounded by the hint of dark circles as if he's had little sleep and his lips are curled into a serious line.

Something's wrong, I can feel it under my skin.

“Um, guys” he mutters, nervously running a hand over his chin.

My eyes immediately search Daryl's.

The man returns my gaze with his equally worried look.

He too realized that there is something strange in the delivery boy's attitude.

We both turn our fullest attention to him.

“So…theburnisfullofwalkers” he snorts in one breath.

Immediately ten heads snap towards the barn.

Ten pairs of wide, disbelieving eyes turn their attention back to Glenn.

I feel panic gripping my guts as in a completely involuntary gesture my hand goes to squeeze the forearm of the man next to me.

My eyes full of terror are reflected in the archer's incredulous ones.

His hand gently squeezes my fingers which are unconsciously squeezing his arm.

Unceremoniously Rick and Shane are the first to quickly walk towards the barn.

Everyone else follows them.

Everyone except me.

I feel as if my legs are paralyzed, a general tremor radiates along my limbs.

“C'mom sunshine, everythin’ will be fine” Daryl urges me.

I turn towards his voice and find him standing next to me, my hand still tight on his arm.

My nails are digging little half-moons shapes into his tanned skin.

As soon as I realize this I immediately withdraw my hand, bringing it to my lap and muttering an apology under my breath, my eyes lowered to my knees.

Daryl kneels, bringing his face level with mine, his hands are a delicate caress on my thighs.

From the knee they slowly move up along them and then repeat the same reassuring movement over and over again.

“Hey!Will everythin’ be good, alrigh’?C'mere” he whispers, bringing his face close to mine and kissing me lightly on the lips.

I feel the blush arise from my neck to the tips of my ears.

I look around nervously and then return my attention to the man kneeling in front of me.

“Daryl!Someone might see us!” I squeak in panic.

Daryl huffs in response, standing up and holding out his hand.

I look at his large, calloused fingers and with a trembling hand I accept his hold.

“I don't give a damn ’bout others.Do ya care?” he asks without looking me in the eyes.

Our fingers intertwine and together we walk towards the barn from where we can already hear the agitated voices of the others carried by the wind.

Before we can reach the others I stop, yanking the archer's hand who, looking at me furtively, stops.

“I don't care about others either” I smile shyly.

And it's the truth.

I could never be ashamed of him.

His gesture definitely took me by surprise, I must admit, and for a moment I feared what others might think.

My arrival has already caused several problems and tribulations in the group and I wouldn't want my closeness with the handsome archer to be a further reason for arguments between him and Shane.

“Good” Daryl grunts and I could swear I saw him blush as we start walking again with a determined pace.

I beam at his back while I can't take my eyes off our fingers locked together.

Rick and Shane are facing each other while the latter points a finger at his friend's chest.

“You cannot tell me you're all right with this” Shane hisses out.

Rick's gaze hardens.

“No, I'm not, but we're guests here.This isn't our land" replies the officer.

The sharp tone of his voice seems to make Shane even more angry.

The man takes a few steps away, bringing his hand to his face and rubbing it nervously.

“Oh God.This is our lives, man” he shouts.

From the barn, increasingly insistent moans and growls follow one another.

“Lower your voice” I invite them, pressing me close to Daryl.

The hotter things get, the more the walkers seem to get agitated.

Shane gives me a mean glare but, perhaps seeing me clinging to Daryl's arm, he decides not to say anything to me and simply shakes his head.

I exchange a quick glance with Glenn.

Anxiety seems to be eating him up.

Andrea lovingly wraps her arm around her sister's shoulders, as if she wanted to protect her from what's in that damned barn.

“We can't just sweep this under the rug” the woman vehemently explains her opinion, immediately earning a hint of approval from Shane who immediately after her adds “It ain't right.Not remotely”

Then he starts walking back and forth again.

His body radiates nervousness from every pore, making me more and more nervous.

Next to me Carl squirmed slightly, hiding behind his mother.

Lori grabs her boy's hand and tries to silently comfort him.

“We either got to go in there, we got to do things right, or we just got to go.Now we have been talking about Fort Benning for a long time” Shane says confidently but his words clash with the determined frown of his best friend.

Shit.

Would they really want to leave this place?

What if the group decided to head towards Washington?

I can't even think about it...

I squeeze the archer's fingers tighter and his gaze immediately falls on me.

I think he sees the panic all over my face because, reciprocating my grip around my trembling fingers, he whispers “Don't worry.We found a way”

I nod, chewing the inside of my cheeks until I taste the coppery taste of my blood.

What a fucked up situation!

Why would Hersel keep all these walkers imprisoned?

Does he not realize the risk he places his own daughters in?

“We can't go” Rick barks, gesturing nervously.

Of course he can't.

His wife is pregnant and leaves like this blindly without a real and safe destination is unthinkable.

“Why Rick?Why?” Shane shouts with his eyes almost bulging.

But before anyone can respond Carol advances with a determined step alongside Rick and facing Shane.

“Because my daughter is still out there”

Her eyes are full of tears.

How could we ever leave this place without first finding Sophia?

It is an absolutely impossible option to take into consideration.

Unthinkable.

Shane scoffs by burying his face in his hands.

His reaction activates every cell in my body.

I am fully aware that if Shane says the wrong words I will lose my mind.

“Okay, okay” Shane murmurs, moving closer to Carol.

In a completely automatic gesture I let go of Daryl's hand to move closer to Carol.

“Okay” the man sighs “Okay, I think it's time that we all start to just consider the other possibility”

“Fuck you Shane!We're not leaving Sophia behind.We're so close” I snap, pressing my hands forcefully on his hard chest, making him move back just a few steps.

Daryl approaches immediately trying to calm things down but now it's open war between me and that piece of shit of Shane.

I put my hands on my hips, daring him to respond to my words.

He snorts in response, rolling his eyes.

“Daryl and I found his doll two days ago”

The man chuckles sarcastically at my words.

“You found her doll.That's what you did.You found a damn doll.You almost died for a fucking doll.Do you understand, kid?” he yells a few inches from my face sending shivers down my spine.

I feel myself being grabbed violently by the arm and before I can understand what's happening Daryl comes dangerously close, screaming too.

“You don't know wha’ the hell ya talking ’bout”

“Man, look, I'm just saying what needs to be said here” retorts Shane.

I feel like my head is exploding so I decide to take a few steps away, leaving the shouting and arguing behind me.

I'm too nervous and too angry that I really could have hit that idiot if I had stayed there a little longer.

I approach the barn door, peering between the boards.

Inside it, dozens of walkers walk aimlessly, grunting and bumping into each other without any logic.

Something brushes against my shoulder making me jump startling in fear.

When I turn around I have Glenn's tired and heartbroken face in front of me.

“Shit dude.You scare the shit out of me” I scold him with my nerves on edge.

“Sorry” he apologizes, lowering his gaze and digging his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

“It seems like lately whatever I do doesn't work out right”

My friend's words make my heart ache.

“Hey” I call him hugging him.

“It's not your fault.We are all nervous.Sorry”

Glenn returns the hug with much more force than usual, burying his face in my hair.

“I had to say it.Even though I love Maggie, you are my family.I couldn't stay silent.You understand me, don't you?” he murmurs in my ear, continuing to hold me in his arms.

Poor Glenn.

I'm sorry to see him so torn between his love for Maggie and his loyalty to all of us.

“You did what you thought was right.Don't blame yourself.Maggie is a smart woman, she will understand” I try to console him.

Suddenly all hell breaks loose behind us.

I abruptly break the hug in time to see Daryl lunge at Shane.

And it's chaos.

The two are pulled back by several hands, each trying to prevent the two men from being able to hit each other.

Without thinking twice I run into the fray, standing right in front of the archer's body, catching Shane's fist right in my face.

I stagger a few steps, feeling a heat dripping from above my eye.

Grunting, while the screams get louder and more excited around me, I put a hand to my face.

A hand that is immediately tinged with a bright crimson shade.

Fuck!

I stagger a few steps, tripping over my own feet and ending up with my ass on the ground.

“Shit” I cough as my back hits the hard ground.

Immediately afterwards some hands press against my forehead but when I try to rebel a voice immediately silences me.

“It's me.Stay still”

T-Dog's friendly voice reaches my confused brain.

The man takes a rag out of his pants pocket and presses it right to my left eyebrow.

I hiss as the fabric touches my broken skin.

"Don't worry.It's the eyebrow, it's normal for it to bleed a lot.A couple of stitches and you'll be as good as new” he grunts as he takes my weight on himself, passing my arm over his shoulders and helping me stand up.

And even though my vision is blurry and I'm currently seeing double I can paint the picture of the situation in front of me.

Rick's arms are wrapped around Daryl's torso as Glenn tries to help calm him down.

Lori protects her little boy with her body, an action that Andrea is also carrying out towards her little sister.

Shane's chest rises and falls rapidly, his body shaking with uncontainable anger.

Carol and Dale try to bring sanity back to the group but they're all too busy yelling at each other to realize it.

“Would you take me to Hersel?” I ask, receiving a nod from T-Dog in response.

I'm too tired and too confused right now to deal with them.

With limping steps we finally manage to reach the porch of the large white house.

A thoughtful Maggie is sitting on the steps and as soon as she notices us and the state of my face she reaches us with a couple of quick strides.

Without saying a word she takes us inside going to call her father.

It's just Hersel and I in the big bedroom.

The man began to sew up my wound without asking any questions.

I think they heard the screams all the way inside the house and Hersel is a smart man.

He knows that we know.

I hiss a little every time the needle digs into my skin.

I wouldn't have minded a little anesthetic.

Or a glass of scotch.

“You don't have anything to tell me?”

His question doesn't surprise me.

The calmness with which he asked it to me makes me understand that it is not the first time that he has addressed this discussion with someone.

And thinking about the reactions of each of us to the discovery of what the barn contains, I can say with absolute certainty that the only one who knew besides Glenn was Dale.

And I'm also pretty sure that the latter has already spoken to the kind vet to ask him for explanations.

I shrug, trying to appear as relaxed and indifferent as possible.

“I have nothing to tell you.This is your house so your rules.The thing I don't understand is how a man of your intelligence doesn't understand the danger of this crazy choice"

Hersel continues his work without answering me.

His blue eyes are fixed on his hands as he expertly sews me up.

I sigh.

Rick is right.

This place doesn't belong to us but we can't leave either.

Not without Sophia.

Not with Lori in this condition.

“Well since you have nothing to say I'll do the talking” I step forward.

Hersel doesn't look me in the eye but nods slightly giving me permission to express my opinion.

“What you're doing is dangerous Hersel.Those things...having them so close won't lead to anything good”

“Those things" the vet promptly replies “are human beings.They're just sick people”

My face contorts into a grimace of confusion.

“Hersel…you don't see things clearly”

It's absurd.

I swear this is the last thing I ever expected to come out of his mouth.

The man applies gauze to my wound and then turns his back on me to rinse his hands in a small basin of water.

“I need you and your group gone by the end of the week”

His words hit me like a slap, making me flounder in confusion.

I stand up behind him, hug my midsection with my arms to try to hold together all the pieces that threaten to fall apart at the idea of finding myself on the road again.

Back in that hell.

“You and I have our differences with the way we look at the walkers.Those…those people, they may be dead, they may be alive, but those people” I say vehemently, pointing with my hand to the field outside the window “Us…us, we are alive right now, right here, right in front of you.You sand us out there and that could change”

Hersel leaves the room without answering me but I can't let him so I follow him.

The man reaches the kitchen, positioning himself in front of the sink, his hands tightly grasping the edge of it.

“I've given you safe harbor.My conscience is clear” he says.

I stand next to the man looking for his gaze.

Meanwhile Rick appears on the doorstep.

I was sure he would come but now I can't let him interrupt us so I stop him with a hard gesture of my hand.

Rick doesn't say a word, remaining motionless on the doorstep, his eyes tired and his pale face.

“This farm…this farm is special” I continue looking for the vet's gaze.

“You've been shielded from what's been going on out there.Maggie tells me that you saw everything happen on the news.Well, it's been a long time since the cameras stopped rolling”

Hersel continues to keep his gaze down trying to move away from me again.

My hand gripping his arm tightly prevents him from doing so.

“Hersel what the world is out there isn't what you saw on TV.Is it much much worse, and it changes you.I know it.What I saw out there, the people I met out there…God!You can't imagine how lucky you are to have met a man like Rick and his people.If you had met my group…just know that you would have wished for death Hersel”

Both men's eyes snap in my direction.

The weight of my words crushes me.

I knew the truth would come out but I didn't imagine that their looks would hurt me so much.

I look at Rick with a million apologies etched in my eyes.

He trusted me and I should have told him the truth first.

But now it's too late.

Now my goal is to convince Hersel to let the group stay and if I have to leave I will be ready to face the weight of the consequences of my choices.

“Please do not…do not send us out of there again” I murmur in a faint voice, now defeated, returning my attention to the only man who currently has the power to choose which direction our lives will take.

Hersel seems closed in his silence, convinced of his decisions.

So with shoulders hunched and head down I walk towards Rick.

When I'm about to walk past him and leave him alone with Hersel, he gently grabs my hand and squeezes it in his, forcing me to stop.

In his gesture there is no anger but a tacit thanks for having exposed myself on the behalf of everyone.

My eyes, dilated with amazement, look for the officer's but he isn't paying me the slightest attention.

He and Hersel are looking at each other, eye to eye, so intensely that I almost believe they are communicating telepathically.

“My wife's pregnant”

Rick suddenly begins, earning a look of pure amazement from the man in front of us.

“That's either a gift here or a death sentence out there.If we were to stay, we could help you with the work, with securing this place.We can survive together”

Rick's words make me shiver.

We can survive.

We can really do it.

This baby will be a blessing I'm sure.

Now everything is in Hersel's hands.

He will decide our fate.

“You can't stay” was his only response.

Rick stiffens and seems ready to retort forcefully, I can feel it in the way his fingers tighten around mine but before he can open his mouth I tug on his arm telling him to be quiet.

“Just think about it, okay?” I ask him politely, dragging Rick away with me out of the kitchen and then out of the house.

As soon as we go out onto the porch I am literally overwhelmed by Daryl's arms.

His arms wrap around my neck, pressing my head against his rocky chest.

The stitches on my eyebrow pull uncomfortably.

I hiss, immediately attracting the attention of the man who lets me go but immediately brings his hands to the side of my face, cupping it gently.

“Ya good?” he asks, studying my wound as if he could understand its extent from under the white bandage.

I nod, smiling faintly.

The argument with Hersel drained every ounce of energy I had.

Rick clears his throat, placing his hands on his hips.

His gaze flies towards the barn, towards Shane.

“I'm going to talk to him”

His worried look doesn't escape that of the archer who goes back and forth between Rick and me.

Our state of mind is certainly perceivable even from miles away.

Daryl lets go of my face and sits on the porch steps, clapping a hand next to him, a clear invitation to take the seat next to him.

I sit down, getting as close as possible and the man, understands my intentions, my needs, lift his arm and welcomes me into his gentle embrace.

“Wha’ happened in there?” he asks.

My gaze goes towards the barn, towards the two men who are arguing heatedly.

I'm more than convinced that Shane won't take Hersel's decision well.

I return my gaze to the archer's worried one.

I look down at my hands clasped in my lap, a lump in my throat preventing me from breathing.

What will we do if we really have to abandon this place?

“Hey sunshine”

“Hersel wants us to leave” I whisper trembling.

Daryl tightens his grip around my shoulders, pressing his lips to my temple.

“How will we do?” I whimper, sniffling.

A thousand fears cloud my heart.

The walkers.

The cold of the imminent winter.

Lori and the baby.

How are we going to survive out there?

I barely made it and I was alone.

How will a large group like ours cope with walkers, starvation and cold?

And then there's Sophia, how will we look for her if we have to leave?

Daryl stands up offering me his hand, which I accept as every time without any hesitation.

I let myself be pulled onto him, letting myself be wrapped in his embrace.

This time the man takes infinite caution not to press against my wounded forehead.

"It'll be fine.As long as we're together everythin’ will be fine”

His sweet words echo in my ear pressed against his welcoming chest.

After a few hours everything around us begins to populate.

The sun is now about to set while, wrapped in Daryl's embrace, all the others gather next to us.

And people seem decidedly calmer.

Glenn and Maggie sit on the steps behind us, smiling lovingly at each other.

I was sure they would clarify.

Glenn and I give each other a brief, knowing look.

Both smiling and above all full of confidence in the future.

Daryl is right.

As long as we all stay together everything will be fine.

Together we are strong.

Andrea joins us flanked by T-Dog.

“Do you know what's happening?” asks the latter.

This last question is followed by Andrea's question about where Rick is.

Carol arrives from the other side of the field, joining us at a brisk walk.

I lift one of my arms, inviting her to come closer and holding her against my side.

“Has anyone seen Rick?He went off with Hersel.We were supposed to leave a couple hours ago” Andrea informs us.

“Rick told me he was going out” Carol replies, frightened.

Is it possible that no one knows where Rick is?

What happened to him and Hersel?

“Damn it.Isn't anybody takin’ this seriously?We got us a damn trail” Daryl gets agitated, freeing himself from our embrace and leaving me with Carol.

Heavy footsteps attract our attention.

Shane approaches quickly, on his shoulders I can recognize the bag full of weapons.

“Oh, here we go” Daryl exclaims reaching him.

I look around with a worried look trying to understand what is happening and only meeting other worried and anxious looks.

“What's all this?” asks the archer as soon as the ex-policeman reaches him.

His haunted gaze sweeps all our faces and then settles on Daryl again.

“You with me, man?” he asks him, pressing a rifle into his hands.

The two men stare at each other intently, warily.

“Do you want to keep your woman safe?” Shane asks, moving his hard gaze to me and then back to the man in front of him.

Daryl's fleeting gaze falls on mine, an indecipherable feeling in his beautiful blue eyes.

I shake my head imperceptibly trying to make him understand how bad this all is but his need to protect me is too strong so looking down with a silent apology he nods in Shane's direction.

“I'm with you, man”

So with a heart full of fear I can't do anything to stop them.

Shane is making a mistake and I can't stop him, especially if I don't even have Daryl's support.

Shane continues to gather support by handing out weapons to anyone who accepts.

Someone perplexed by the speed with which the situation could degenerate tries to respond.

“Look, it was one thing sitting around here picking daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe.But now we know it ain't” Shane speaks with agitation.

Being in charge of these people again seems to fill him with new energy.

He approaches Glenn handing him a rifle.

“How about you, man?Are you going to protect yours?” he asks him.

Glenn exchanges a fleeting glance with Maggie, his gaze full of displeasure but in the end he accepts the weapon that is given to him.

“That’s it” Shane replies, puffing out his chest proudly.

“Can you shoot?”

“Can you stop?” I interrupt him, trying to make him think for once.

I cannot stand still and helplessly witness the destruction of this group.

“Shane please listen to me.I know you don't like me but please try to think about it.If we do this Hersel will make us leave tonight.Please”

The man looks at me seriously, nervously running his hand all over his face, then grabs another rifle and forces it into my hands.

“What about you, huh?Do you really want to show that you care about being part of us?Join us.Protect us”

I don't have time to reply as Carl advances towards Shane.

“We have to stay, Shane”

A breathless Lori comes out from inside the house.

“What is this?” she asks nervously, focusing her dark eyes on the man.

The latter ignores her by answering Carl's statement.

“We ain't going anywhere, okay?Now look, Hersel, he's just gotta understand.Okay?He…well, he's gonna have to.Now we need to find Sophia.Am I right?Huh?”

Shane kneels in front of Carl.

How sleazy is this man?

Using Sophia's name just to gain personal advantage.

I feel the bile rising up my throat.

I slowly move closer to Daryl, searching his eyes.

“We can't Daryl.Please”

The archer doesn't even look at me, his stiff fingers tightened around his rifle.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Lori stand in front of her son.

Sighing resignedly to the archer's indifference, I approach to understand what is happening between Shane and Lori but I don't even have time to take a couple of steps when I hear walkers growling in the distance.

“Oh shit!” I exclaim, trying to make sense of what my eyes are seeing.

Rick and Hersel are dragging two walkers towards the barn with two snare poles, the young Jimmy waves his arms in front of them trying to attract the attention of those two monstrous beings.

Shane launches into a frantic race towards the newly arrived group.

We all start running as fast as we can.

“What the hell are you doing?” Shane shouts beside himself with anger.

Rick grunts with difficulty to hold onto the walker.

“Shane, just back off!” he gasps while Hersel groans indignantly at the sight of the weapons in our possession.

And his words do nothing but add fuel to the fire.

Shane moves as if he were in the grip of pure madness.

“Are you kidding me?You see?You see what they're holding onto”

Around us there is total chaos.

I look for Daryl in the crowd and without thinking twice I approach him looking for contact with his body.

The man in response grabs my wrist and moves me behind him.

His grip is nervous.

Shane and Hersel continue to argue, yelling at each other with escalating anger.

Until the ex-cop stops and pulls a gun from his trouser pocket.

“Hey Hersel, man, let me ask you something.Could a living breathing person, could they walk away from this?”

He then fires three shots into the walker's chest.

Each shot resonates in my head, making me grip the archer's shirt tighter and tighter, burying my face between his shoulder blades, my body shaking with shivers.

Shane continues to scream as he fires more shots at the walker.

Until finally I hear one last shot and a surreal silence descends around us.

I move away from Daryl's back.

Shane storms toward the barn.

“Enough risking our lives for a little girl who's gone!Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us.Enough.Rick, it ain't like it was before!Now if y'all want to live, if you want to survive, you got to fight for it!I'm talking about fighting right here, right now!”

Now the man is out of control as he spits the words with an uncontrollable fury.

We all watch him helplessly while he grabs an ax and begins to break the lock that separates us from the walkers without stopping even with the repeated screams of everyone else.

For my part, I can't move, Carol next to me has a shocked expression.

My hand lets go my grip on the rifle to wrap around hers trying to give her some courage, the same courage I'm trying to muster for myself with all my might.

The situation has now completely degenerated.

“Shane, man, please don't do that!” Rick shouts, drowned out by the shouts of Lori and Glenn who try in every way to make the man reason but it's all in vain.

Shane grunts with each swing of the ax until the heavy metal lock falls to the ground with a dull thud.

Hersel and Maggie are kneeling in the dust, big tears streaming down their faces.

Patricia and Beth have a mask of terror on their faces.

Daryl and T-Dog raise their weapons in front of them ready to eliminate any threat while Glenn looks petrified, his arms hanging lifelessly at his sides.

Everyone else is simply too stunned to even move a muscle.

Slowly the barn doors open and the walkers begin to emerge from them.

A barrage of bullets hits them and even though the roar of the shots is deafening, the only thing I can hear are the subdued and heartbreaking cries of the Green family.

As I watch the bodies go down I can't help but think that each one was someone important to these poor people.

Dale walks past us with a shocked look and his mouth parted in a grimace of disbelief.

When the last shot rings out in the air, Beth's sobs soar with even more desperation.

Shane turns towards the man who is supposed to be his best friend, the two exchange a silent look full of mutual accusations.

Something has definitely broken between the two men.

The sound of shuffling feet coming from inside the barn captures everyone's attention.

The weapons rise again towards the large wooden doors waiting for the last walker to come out so they can put an end to it all.

After infinite moments a small figure appears.

A little blonde girl, wearing a blue t-shirt with a rainbow on it.

And even though I've never seen her I know who she is.

Without wasting time I forcefully grab the woman's hips, closing my arms in an iron grip around her waist.

Carol's scream is heartbreaking.

“Oh God!Sophia!Sophia…” sobbing Carol as she drops to the dusty ground.

My tear-filled eyes meet the archer's pain-filled ones.

The man drops his weapon on the ground, reaching us with two long strides and kneeling in front of us, he wraps his reassuring arms around both of us.

Unable to be strong enough for Carol I let out a soft cry too overwhelmed by the pain.

“Oh no no, Sophia.Sophia” Carol continues to sob.

I see Rick take a step forward and then another.

And another.

Until he reaches Shane's side.

The former officer puts his hand at his side and takes out his gun from his holster, watching helplessly as the girl advances and growls.

For a moment I can understand Hersel.

Even if the one in front of us is just a soulless monster, in our eyes she will always remain the sweetest Sophia, a sweet innocent soul torn away too soon and too violently from this damned world.

A sob shatters my chest, Daryl's hand immediately finds my face, caressing it with a disarming sweetness.

The click of Rick's gun makes Carol jump, the woman squirms slightly as if she wants to free herself from my grip and that of the archer to run to her little girl.

“Don't look” Daryl whispers in her ear and Carol obediently lowers her gaze, burying her face in his chest.

Horrified, I can't look away from Rick's movements.

I see his arm lift and point the weapon right at Sophia's head.

“Summer?”

Daryl's voice sounds distant, muffled, as if I'm underwater right now.

“Sunshine?Eyes on me”

His sweet command penetrates the bubble of pain in which I was imprisoned.

His head drops, hiding his tormented eyes from me.

And I'm sure he's fighting against his own feelings with all his strength to keep from falling apart, because he feels the visceral need to always show himself strong for the others.

Even though I knew it would happen, the echo of the shot makes me jump violently.

The tears now fall from my eyes without stopping.

“We were so close” I stammer between sobs.

“I know baby.I know” Daryl murmurs in a strangled voice, kissing my forehead and holding me close to him.

God, what are we going to do now?

Please share, comment and rate ❤️

🔥 Masterlist 🔥

Taglist ❤️

@deansapplepie @celtic-crossbow @daryldixmedown

[crustless-toast]

Screaming Your Name

Here is Chapter 1 to Screaming Your Name! An Oc x Daryl Dixon story! I'm gonna really try to not make the story too cringy and if I am please let me know so I can fix it lol. I hope you enjoy it either way!

I'm a little new to posting on Tumblr so I hope to be able to link all the chapter together properly as I post them. Until then, Enjoy!!

Raven was like any normal person. She worked a boring retail job that paid close to nothing. Just to go home to an empty house, pay bills, eat and sleep. Nothing exciting really happened in her life. She was just different than the average person. She enjoyed the little things. She was more of a glass half full kind of gal. Always enjoying the little things in the world. Unfortunately, the world came to an end. She wasn’t the athletic type but when monsters are chasing you down to eat you alive the only thing you can do is run. Running is what led her to her new life with people she never thought would enter it. She found friends, family, and love. She learned to fight, to face her fears, and to keep pushing forward even through the dark times. Out of everything all she wanted was to get one man to open up to her more. To show him the good that was left in the world. For Daryl Dixon to see there is still hope in the world. That life is still good. 

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Gripping my blanket closer to my body, I shiver as cold sweats soak my body. I don’t know how much more I can handle this. My cold that I've had from the start of this, has turned into something much worse.

 What medicine I did have is gone. Finding medicine is close to impossible nowadays. A few Advil here and there, as well as a bag of cough drops can only get you so far. Everywhere I’ve looked has already been picked through. The more populated areas are hard to look through. Too many of the dead filling those areas. I can't look through them on my own. It’s close to impossible. 

The summer heat had no effect on my cold body. The warmth just feels like the blanket. The slight breeze just makes me shiver more. If it was a normal day in the old world, people would think I was insane having a thick blanket wrapped around me with the sun beating down on me. But in the old world I’d have medicine and I'd be fine in a few days.

The sound of the dead was behind me and there was nowhere to go. No place to hide. I looked around to maybe find something, but there was only an empty road surrounded by woods. I grip my knife, deciding my only option was the woods. 

My legs were getting so heavy. I was having a hard time staying ahead of them. I needed to keep moving but I had to stop. My throat was burning from the sickness and the heat. I need to stop and to drink some of my water. Quickly getting back up. The sun was starting to set and it was getting too dark to see. 

I was getting too tired to keep going. My eyes feeling like someone is pushing them closed. I drop my bag, dropping to my knees but I kept a tight grip on my knife. Taking deep breaths that end with me coughing. I covered my mouth with my blanket, needing to keep quiet incase any of the dead were near. 

I jump at the snap of a twig not that far from behind me. Looking around, seeing if there was anything up ahead. I didn’t see much, but there was something ahead of me. It was hard to tell what it was exactly. But what light was left I could see something reflecting. Like a window.

Grabbing my bag, I moved ahead, dragging my bag next to me. Not having the strength to pick it up. As I got closer, I could see it was a cabin of some kind right in the center of an open field. Abandoned before the world ended. 

Growling was behind me. Staying here was my only option. 

Throwing my bag on my shoulder, almost making me fall. I raised my knife and slowly made my way to the cabin. I head up to the steps of the porch, listening closly to see if I could hear anything. So far nothing. 

I closed the door behind me, locking it with its old rusty padlock and placed a chair in front of it that was close by. Moving forward once my eyes were adjusted to the darkness. There was another door in front of me that led to the other side of the cabin. I drop my bag, heading to the door to close it as well as put a chair in front of it. In case something comes in I could hear it first.

To my left looked to be some kind of dining room with a table flipped over and chairs thrown all over. As well as the kitchen that appeared to be cleared out with every cabinet opened wide.. To my right I think it was a living room. It was empty with only a couch that looked so comfortable. The livingroom appeared to have a small hall that lead to other rooms. Each was empty with nothing in them but some old furniture that was rusted and destroyed. 

Grabbing my bag I made my way to the couch. My body relaxed as I sunk into it. Not caring about the dust. Exhausted from having to run all day. 

Reaching in my bag I grabbed my water, but it was empty. Just my luck. I didn’t realize I drank it all already. 

My body was so cold. I could see the bottle shaking in my hands. I dropped it, not caring where it went. Gripping my blanket even tighter around me as I lay down, my knife still in my hand. Finally being able to rest my head on something that wasn’t a hard floor. I don’t care that I can feel the springs in the cushions. I was so tired and sick. I couldn’t keep my eyes open any more. No matter how hard I fought it. I needed rest so I let myself sleep.

~~~~~~~

A loud bang woke me from my sleep, but I couldn't move. My body was so heavy. I couldn't keep my eyes open long enough to see if it was one of the dead or not. I was still shaking to the point where it hurt even more. My bones are sore from, well, everything. My knife was no longer in my hand. I must have dropped it in my sleep.

I could hear footsteps getting closer to me. I opened my eyes just enough to see the sun was up, shining through the windows. A figure walked into the door frame. I can barely make out a man holding something. It was pointed at me. 

“You bit?!” The voice was stern, southern and loud. 

I close my eyes, not able to keep them opened any longer. “N-no. Sick.” 

“Sick, how?” 

My lips quiver as I try to speak, “Fr-from a cold. I-i had fr-from the begin-beginning.” 

“Is it just you?” He was demanding an answer. 

I nod, too tired to answer. 

I felt a hand being placed on my forehead. His fingers were cold and rough. 

“Ya burin up.” 

I grip my blanket closer, “So-so cold.” 

I hear things moving around. I couldn't tell if he was taking my stuff or looking around the place. I didn’t care either way. 

“My camp has a Doctor. ‘M take ya to him,” Before I could answer him, I could feel his arms snaking under me. He grabs my arm and places it over his shoulder. Picking me up from the couch. With my blanket still gripped in my hands, I wrapped my arms tighter around him. Scared to fall. 

“Gonna make me hot,” He says in my ears.

He started to walk. I opened my eyes enough to see who this man was. His face was a little dirty, with some facial hair around his mouth. His hair was short and filled with sweat. His eyes were sharp, looking at everything around him.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. 

He looked down at me for a second, and his eyes were a sharp blue that when the sun was shining just right, it made them shine a beautiful sky blue. 

My eyelids were getting heavy again so I closed them and fell asleep to the sound of his breathing and the morning birds chirping.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Is that Sophia?!” A women screams, waking me up just enough to hear whats going on around me.

“Nah, just some girl I found. She sick.” I hear from above me. The man that was caring me.  

“Bit?” Another man spoke.

“Said it’s some cold.” He held onto me tight as he got closer to the people

“Bring her inside. I’ll take a look at her.” 

I was still too tired to speak. I fell back into my deep sleep. To a place that was safe. 

[theteasetwrites]

Merciless Beauty

Series Masterlist

❧ Media: The Walking Dead // Medieval Fantasy AU ❧ Pairing: Knight Daryl Dixon x Princess Reader ❧ Reader Pronouns: she/her ❧ Status: ongoing

❧ Before You Read...

❧ Glossary

❧ Spotify Playlist

❧ Synopsis: For ten years, the world has been ravaged by a plague known as the Scourge. The kingdom of Alexandria remains one of the few bastions of peace in a world of death and decay. Keeping the kingdom and its castle closed off from the rest of the world has kept its citizens safe. For you, the princess of Alexandria, and King Ezekiel's daughter, it hasn't been easy. You dream of seeing the outside world again, and when the king invites a local duke and his knight to court, marking the first time in a decade that an outsider has been allowed into the kingdom, you see it as your chance to finally be free. The duke's knight, Sir Daryl, seems to be your only hope, but around the same time of the knight's arrival, trouble begins to break out in Alexandria, with a mysterious group of bandits and outlaws breaching the walls and wreaking havoc. Their leader's threats endanger both the kingdom, and you. Can your loyal knight protect you?

❧ A/N: So this is happening. No one really asked for it, but it's happening.

❤️‍🔥 = smut (18+)

❧ Chapter 1: Your Eyes Slay Me Suddenly ❧ Chapter 2: Me, Who Was Once Serene ❧ Chapter 3: The Wound Is Quick and Keen ❧ Chapter 4: Only Your Word ❧ Chapter 5: While Yet the Wound Is Clean ❧ Chapter 6: Through Life and After Death ❤️‍🔥 ❧ Chapter 7: I Tell You Faithfully ❧ Chapter 8: The Whole Truth Shall be Seen ❧ Chapter 9: Heal the Injury ❧ Chapter 10: Straight Through My Heart ❧ Chapter 11: You Are My Queen ❤️‍🔥 ❧ Epilogue (coming soon)

[mxmoonatnight]

Daryl Dixon x Pancho Usui (OC)

In an AU where Daryl somehow ends up in the Philippines instead of France :D

Used @antlergrave 's Daryl sketches and renders as reference. And umikochanart's (on ig) rendering as reference. These two are actually some of my fave artists, go check em out :DD

anyway random sketches and drawings of the two