Complicated ✔

Ch. 40 - By The Bus

KATHRYN'S POV

I hadn't had that much fun today since before Dad got shot and was in a coma. It was dark now, everyone was around our small camp fire except for Dad who was walking the fence and Daryl who was look out on top of the over turned bus. Carl and I sat side by side, well back to back actually as we used each other as a prop to lean against. I sat closer to Glenn and Maggie while he sat closer to his mother. I had just finished eating my share of the squirrel Daryl and I had managed to snag on the way back to the group earlier to tell them about the prison we'd found. "Just like Mom used to make," Glenn said as he finished off his, causing me to laugh while he tossed his bone out into the yard away from the group. I smiled and shook my head when he looked to me before I found myself looking up towards the over turned bus for probably the tenth time since Daryl had been up there.

"I'll be right back," I said as I lightly pushed Carl off of me while I stood up and grabbed a plate for Daryl so he'd get something to eat. As I made my way towards the bus with the plate of food, I looked over towards the fence to see Dad was glancing at me for a moment before he went back to what he was doing. When I made my way around to the other side of the bus, the side that had the tires, I placed the plate up on top before attempting to climb up. I watched as Daryl placed the shoulder strap to his crossbow over his shoulders before he lowered his hand down to me to help me up. "Thanks," I said as I took his hand and he pulled me the rest of the way up. When my feet were planted on the bus, I bent down and picked up the food to hand to him.

"It's not much," I said when he looked down at it as he took it from me, "but I knew if I didn't bring you something over here then you wouldn't eat." "I guess little Shane over there has got quiet the appetite," he said as he picked up a piece of food and dropped it in his mouth. "Oh yeah," I said before looking over at him as we both smirked. When I looked away from him, as he continued to eat, I found myself looking at where Dad was going along the fence. "You alright," Daryl asked, obviously catching my silent stares towards Dad. "Yeah," I said nodding, "it's just, before I walked over here, Carol was still going on about how Dad's gotten us farther than she thought he would. It's pissing me off. Shane could've never done that, he was way too full of himself after the world ended."

DARYL'S POV

"Hey," I said setting my now empty plate down on the bus before placing my hand on her shoulder so she'd look at me, "Rick's done alright by me, you, your little brother, and everyone else in this group. To hell with what Carol says about Rick. He's the one that got us here, not Shane." I watched as she nodded up at me before looking back as Rick kept walking around the fence. "I never really liked Shane," she said after a few minutes, "ever since I could remember. I've known him all my life and yet the man still creeped me out if I was ever alone with him. Then what happened back on Hershel's farm, with the barn after we found out that Sophia was in there, makes me wonder if me or Dad every really knew him." "Don't think about that," I said causing her to look at me once again but with tears in her eyes that weren't falling yet, "c'mon let's get back to the fire and warm up."

I watched as she nodded before I started making my way down off the bus. "It's pretty romantic over here," she said when I looked back up at her after my feet touched the ground, "hide behind the bus out of sight. Wanna screw around." "Stop," I said as she sat down on the side of the bus giggling, "c'mon." I stepped closer to the bus with my hands up towards her. She scooted closer to the edge and grabbed ahold of my arms before pushing off the bus and allowing me to lower her towards the ground. With her feet planted on the ground next to me, she went to walk off before I grabbed her arm. "Wait," I said causing her to look back at me, "what you did today with doing that run. I didn't like that it was you who did it but I'm proud too for what you did."

Slipping my hand down her arm to her wrist, I gently pulled her closer to me as I placed my free hand on the back of her neck and brought my lips to her for a gentle kiss. It lasted barely a few seconds before I pulled away from her completely and let go of her wrist. "That was," she said seeming to be at a loss of words at that moment, "different." "C'mon before they start suspecting something," I said with a deep chuckle before turning her around and pushing her to walk around the side of the bus. As we made our way back to the group, Beth had started singing something, and when I looked to Kathryn beside me she had a smile on her face. Glancing over towards the fence where Rick was last at, I could see him slowly making his way down the small hillside in the field towards the fire as well. I stopped just a little ways from the group but still in the fire light as she walked over to meet her father and wrap him in a hug.

KATHRYN'S POV

"Hi Daddy," I whispered as my arms went around his middle while his arm on the side I was on wrapped around my shoulders. As we walked around to the other side of where Carl now stretched out, he placed a small kiss on the top of my head before crouching down next to Lori. I took my spot back on the other side of Carl, flicking the hat he was wearing when he looked over to me. This earned me a glare in the process as Beth, and now Maggie, finished the song. "We should all turn in for the night," Dad said after a few minutes, "I'll take watch over there. We got a big day tomorrow." "What do you mean," I heard Glenn asked as I looked to Dad curiously. "I know we're all exhausted," he said looking down at his hands before looking up to the rest of us, "but we gotta push just a little bit further." "We're dangerously low on ammo," Hershel said, "we'd run out before we'd make a dent."

"That's why we'll go in hand to hand," Dad said looking around, "after all we've been through, we can handle it, I know it. Kathryn you did good today, I don't want you going in there tomorrow." "Okay," I whispered nodding as he slowly stood to his feet and began walking off away from us. Everyone began moving, setting up where they wanted to sleep for the night, as Lori slowly stood to her feet and followed after Dad. I glanced over my shoulder to see Dad and her talking in hushed tones before Daryl caught my attention as he slowly made his way near where I sat as discreetly as possible, like he wasn't doing anything abnormal. "Here," he muttered after setting his crossbow down.

When I looked up at him confused, I noticed he'd taken off the poncho he's been wearing for a while now. When I didn't say anything or even attempt to take it, he motioned with his hand for me to take it from him, obviously not taking no for an answer. Sighing, I took the poncho from him before moving closer to Carl and laying down next to him. The days were still fairly warm but the nights were getting a bit chilly so when I was beside Carl, I placed the poncho over the both of us as we cuddled together to make sure we stayed warm. This was the beauty of how close Carl and I were before this happened. With one last glance at where Daryl sat a few feet from us, I drifted off into a dreamless sleep. My last thought being on what would happen tomorrow with the small group going into the prison itself to clear it.

A little Complicated fun fact for y'all: this was originally when I was gonna have Kathryn and Daryl share their first kiss but I think the other one was better anyway lol.
And, my friend gamodei97 has posted a new story called Lost In The Flames that y'all should check out. It's about Norman as a firefighter and I must say that's an amazing mental image right there.
- Kenz