Hope { A Daryl Dixon fanfiction }

chapter 4

Danielle's P.o.v

"We always have champagne when we get a new arrival." Rick said putting the glass up to his mouth and taking a sip. The only ones that didn't have champagne were Carl, Joey, and Daryl because he didn't bother to show up.

"Do you get new people often?" There were a lot of people, I guess I was just curious.

"Well we have been here around.. 3 months and we've gotten 13 new people." So it was about 4 a month.

"Do we usually come in groups or separate?" 

"Most of the time it's in groups."

I nodded and we all continued eating and drinking, it felt really good to have a decent meal.
Joey and Carl were talking about shows they liked to watch when they were kids like Dora and little Einsteins.
"So does Daryl ever show up to these?" I asked.

"Normally yes but he wasn't feeling very well earlier so I didn't expect him to, really he's not a bad guy, he's just weird." Rick laughed, he thinks he's so funny. I figured I should laugh so he doesn't feel bad.

Once everyone was done eating it was getting dark so I took Joey to his cell and tucked him into bed. 

"Do you think we will be safe here?" He asked looking a little worried.

"I really hope so, these people seem good, we are gonna see how everything goes okay? sleep good. Goodnight Jo."

"Goodnight." 

I walked out of the cell and thought I should see if anyone was awake to talk to. I went out to where we had ate and Daryl was sitting up against a counter drinking some water. I felt awkward so I didn't want to say anything, although he looked really good.

"Hey, sorry I couldn't make it to the dinner tonight. I wasn't really feeling well, had a headache and my stomach felt weird, really I wanted to come I just didn't feel up to it."

I was shocked he had even said anything.

"Oh don't worry about it, Rick mentioned you had said something about it earlier so it's okay. It was good food though." I gave him a half smile and he smiled back. 

"Goodnight Danielle. I'll have to make it up to you sense I didn't show."

He smiled again and walked out of the kitchen and I stood there very confused. 

"Goodnight!" I called after him before he got to far. 

He came back around the corner and again said goodnight with another smile.

***

It must've been pretty early in the morning because I was outside at the gate killing walkers and there was a light fog and the sun was just coming out. Besides all the dead things walking around it was a great morning. I was still really confused about last night but I just shrugged it off. It had been about a half an hour before Michonne and Maggie came to help me out and Glenn was in the watch tower closest to us. There were beginning to be less walkers and so we all took a break and went inside. Once we got inside most people except for Hershel, Carol, and all the little kids were in the kitchen. There were multiple people sitting and eating while another  group of people were playing a card game at one table and Beth was making a bottle for Judith. Rick, Michonne, and Daryl were all sitting at a table so I decided to take the last seat. Daryl immediately looked over at me. 

"Good morning." He said winking at the same time.

"Good morning." I said back giggling.

"Good morning." he said again, it was just like last night. 

"Is there something going on that we don't know about?" Glenn asked walking up to our table. 

"Nothing at all." Daryl said to him with a grin. 

"I don't believe you, she didn't say anything so why should I believe you?" He said pointing at me and laughed.

"Really it's nothing!" I said laughing with everyone else.  

We all just sat there and laughed for a little bit and then I went to get some food. I looked in the cupboards and it was mostly things like canned vegetables and fruits, beans, and cereal. I grabbed cereal though because it seemed right. I took a bowl out of another cupboard and a spoon out of a drawer. I took my dry bowl of cereal back out to the table and everyone seemed to be making fun of Glenn, finally someone's getting him back.

"So what are we laughing at now, is the focus finally off of me?"
"Glenn gave us the dirty details of him and Maggie up in the watchtower!" Rick said still laughing. 

Then I started laughing too, not only because of what everyone else was laughing at but because Daryl's laugh was funnier than it all.

After we were all done with breakfast I went and changed clothes and looked around for Joey. I checked all through the main parts of the prison and asked some people but no one had seen him. Then I went to Rick and asked him if he was with Carl.

"I think so, they said they wanted to go see the pig."

"Okay thanks, Rick."

I walked outside to go see if Joey and Carl we're still by the pig and when I got closer they were both inside the pen chasing the pig around and playing tag with it. As I was walking up to the fence Carl tackled Joey and for some reason the pig was jumping up and down. 

"Well you guys look like your having fun." I couldn't help but laugh. 

"Oh yeah it's a good time in here, you should try it." Carl said stomping his feet in the pig shit and mud. 

"Uh thanks for the offer, but I'm good." 

"Your loss old lady, it's a good time in here." He said smirking and doing the wave with his eyebrows. But that had done it, before I knew it I was climbing in the pig sty and tackling Carl while they were both throwing mud at me. It actually was pretty fun. Once I finally got up from the ground Rick and Daryl were running towards where us three were standing laughing as they ran. Daryl was the first one to speak.

"You know if it helps the situation at all, you look great in brown." He was laughing so hard that he was bent over and sort of crying. I was a little embarrassed but he wasn't exactly clean either so whatever. Rick looked at all three of us and was also laughing but trying to hide it. 

"Now how do you three suppose you'll get all that mud off of you?" 

"We can just wait for it to rain, the sky looks dark anyways." Carl said, not worried at all about the layers of mud on him. Him and Joey ran out of the pen and I walked up to Rick and Daryl. They were both still laughing at me so I went up to both of them and stood in front of them.

"I know what you guys need." They both controlled their laughter and looked at me.

"A group hug obviously." As soon as I said that Rick went running and Daryl just stood there until I started running after him. I chased him all around the prison yard trying to get him as muddy as I was. Finally he stopped running and so did I.

"I give up." He said with a loss of breath and opened his arms. So I didn't hesitate walking up to him and giving him a big hug. As he started to pull away it started to sprinkle and we stayed there and stared at each other for about a minute. It started raining harder and the mud was starting to come off. But what happened next was a complete shock. Before I knew it Daryl had grabbed my face in his hands and was kissing me, and I didn't hesitate to kiss back.