𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥《 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘭 𝘋𝘪𝘹𝘰𝘯 》

t w o// P A L E M O O N L I G H T

☆direct continuation☆

"I won't be long."
Michonne exited the car, slamming the backseat door shut after herself.
Daryl sat contemplating the idea of pulling conversation as his left hand brushed his lips softly and then beard.
After the night before, he felt like he had to say something, he just didn't know what. And main reason for it was the confusion, doubt and turbulence it caused him. He didn't understand why she had done it; why she had kissed him. Why would she do that? She was drunk, afterall, that had influenced the move she made. But then again, she had made that whole speech about not being able to 'stand behind the line any longer'.

Truth be told, he had been conflicted about the matter ever since they first got to the prison. It had gotten worse after he got back with his brother and significantly escalated to the highest magnitude after that kiss.
He could still feel the faint, yet persistent touch of her lips on his. The soft and gentle touch that lingered on his mouth for what seemed like forevermore.
He would catch himself stuck in time, daydreaming about the moment, wishing it could've lasted longer; wishing he could go back in time and kiss her back. But things had taken a different route and he couldn't do that now. Something in the back of his mind, almost in the shape of his brother's voice, whispered cynically: "How could you think you got a shot with a woman like that?" "Keep to yourself, she don't want nothing with ya." "She looks at ya like you're shit. The same as the rest of 'em do." It kept on doing that, that voice, whispering hurtful and bitter things. It was hard keeping the thoughts aside when it was all he could hear in the silence. It filled the quiet peace he so longed for.

Daryl turned his head slightly to the right, to the passenger seat where she sat with her head hanging low, her hands holding it as if it would fall with them. His stomach turned again. It had been doing that a little too much for his liking. He knew it was just when he was around her, he didn't fully comprehend why her presence affected his organs but... oh well.
Suddenly, the thoughts seemed to vanish. The little whispering voice that sounded an awful lot like his brother's vanished like dust. Like pure magic.
"You okay?" He croaked.
She lifted her head to make sure she hadn't imagined him talking, and hummed in response. "I've been better."
"Still feel sick?"
"Yep. Feel like I've been on a boat in the Pacific for the past 36 hours."
He smirked but kept the chuckle in. "M'sorry. Shouldn't have let you drink that much."
"Wasn't your fault. And you're not responsible for me. I drank 'till I wanted to. Should've stopped long before I actually did but..."
He said nothing and continued brushing his lips, almost as if making sure the ghost of her kiss still lingered there. It did.
"Hey about... yesterday..." He started but she cut him short.
"I know, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-- It was stupid, I wasn't thinking straight. I couldn't even see straight." She paused to chuckle. "Look, I'm really sorry. I-- Please don't hate me, alright?"
His eyebrows suddenly bent together. "Hate ya?"
"Yeah, 'cause you know... Might have ruined--"
"Didn't ruin nothing." He said, confident and sure of his words. "Me on the other hand..."
"What are you talking about?" Now her eyebrows bent, indignant at what he said.
"I'm a jackass. I shouldn't have yelled at ya like that... M'sorry."
"Stop." She shook her head.
"I gotta say sorry."
"Yeah, but you do it in a terrible way. You'll linger on that forever. You beat yourself up for it even after everything's cleared up. I'm sorry for... doing that. But you weren't alcohol free either, weren't thinking straight, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Don't beat yourself up for it." She shifted towards his direction and offered him that soft eye look. One that made him melt on the seat. "Okay?"
"Okay."
"I got it, let's go." Michonne's voice made both of their heads snap in its direction but soon they relaxed and Daryl revived the engine of the vehicle, driving down the road in the last days of summer. Driving home.

"You're late." Carl's voice was the first thing she heard as she shut the door close.
His face was once again buried in her tummy, just like it was three weeks ago. Three weeks and two days ago, actually.
"Two days." Grimes's voice sounded, getting closer. She snapped her head towards it and welcomed him with a smile. "Two days late."
"Yeah, we had a... an inconvenience."
"Walkers?"
"Yeah. Walkers and a storm. Not a good combo. Jesus, you've grown." She paused, ruffling the younger Grimes's hair as he refused to let go of her. "Have you been keeping count, sheriff?"
Rick smirked, looking around, at the old nickname she used to call him. "Ah, just making sure you're safe."
Daryl shut the driver's door shut and was welcomed by Rick's quick, welcoming embrace.
"So?"
"Didn't find him." He said, disappointed.
"How's everything here?" Nova questioned.
"It's good. It's good... Found two more groups out there while you were gone."
"Two? How many?" Dixon intervened. Two groups could be a lot of people.
"First group was five, second one was double. Two kids."
"Oh, that's right." Smith snickered, lowering her gaze to the boy that kept emerged in her torso. "I hope I don't have to teach you chemistry, farmer boy."
The corner of his lips curled but he buried his face again. "I talked to him, okay?"
"Hmm, don't think I can settle for that."
"Yeah, you wouldn't handle it if you were me."
"Oh, don't. He seems so nice."
"First thing he said to me was 'you look like a character from this comic book I read'."
"Oh." She pulled back from the embrace, pulling something from the backseat door. "Guess I'm gonna have to give these to someone else, then."
The boy's eyes practically hung from their sockets. In her hand rested a small stack of comic books. Super hero ones.
"Wow, wow, wait. I-- I didn't say--"
Nova chuckled at his reaction and handed him the thin comics.
"Don't tell him about this."
She snorted. "I won't."
"You're back!" Someone's voice sounded contently and surprised from afar. The three adults looked around, searching for the author of the voice. Carol's shape grew bigger as she got closer, with widely open arms.
She hugged Daryl first and then Smith, who stood a few feet away.
"Did you...?"
The brunette woman shook her head.
"We should meet with the council." She advised.