Arrows and Angel Wings [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter Ten

*Danielle's POV* ~The next morning~

I woke up feeling the space next to me empty and went into panic mode. I shot up and looked around to see Daryl slipping his vest on.

"When were you gonna wake me?" I asked.

"As soon as I got dressed. I figured you'd want the extra sleep." Daryl smirked.

"I guess I did because I feel better than I have in a long time." I replied sitting up.

"Are ya sure it was the sleep or the sex?" Daryl chuckled.

"Not sure, it could've been both." I smirked.

"Well there'll be more where that came from Princess." He smiled.

"Good. Now mind handing me my clothes so we could head back?" I asked.

He gathered up all of my clothes and handed them to me. I went to get dressed but I noticed something missing.

"Do you have my panties?" I asked.

He smirked and pulled the black lace garment from his jeans pocket.

"I'm gonna need those." I told him.

"No ya ain't. Think of them as a reminder." He replied.

I wasn't gonna argue, I was all for reminders. Mine were just in the form of bruises, bite marks from the living, and scratches also from the living. I got dressed and picked up my bow.

"Ready?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah but look outside first. I don't want any surprises waiting for us." I replied.

He took the blankets off the windows and so far it looked clear. He opened the door slightly and looked out.

"We're good." He said opening it all the way.

I followed him out of the cabin and we started back to camp. After walking for a little bit Daryl stopped and looked at something.

"What are you looking at?" I asked walking over to him.

"This." He said holding out a white flower.

"A flower?" I questioned.

"It's a Cherokee rose. The story is that when American soldiers were moving Indians off their land on the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee mothers were grieving and crying so much cause they were losing their little ones along the way from exposure and disease and starvation. Alot of them just disappeared. So the elders, they said a prayer; asked for a sign to uplift the mothers' spirits, give them strength and hope. The next day this rose started to grow right where the mothers' tears fell. I'm not fool enough to think that there's any flowers blooming for my brother. But I do believe this one bloomed for your brother and father. They seemed like good men from what you told me about them." Daryl explained.

"They were and I'm sure they would've liked you. They would've probably taken you out with them on hunting trips and fishing trips if I had met you before all of this and taken you home to meet them, when Jonny was home on leave that is." I told him.

"He was a Marine like your dad right?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, he signed up as soon as he could. Dad wanted us both to sign up but I didn't want to. I wanted to go to college and have a semi normal life." I replied.

"Well ya almost had that. The apocalypse cut it short." Daryl chuckled.

I smiled as he tucked the stem of the rose behind my ear before reaching over to grab my hand. I enjoyed the feeling of his rough, calloused hand in my soft one, well softish. I knew I had a few callouses on my hands from my bow and bowstrings as well repeated use of my knife. We walked through the most of the day I could finally see Hershel's farm. I started to get panicked over the mark on my neck.