Arrowhead ➳ Daryl Dixon

t w e n t y t w o

A week past. Presley stayed in her cell most of the time, so nobody ever really saw her unless they came to her.

She was laying in bed, her entire body tense. Nobody was in the cell with the sleeping girl, so nobody knew what was happening to her. Suddenly, she yelled, and then screamed. She thrashed and kicked, desperately fighting off the invisible man in her dreams. Most of the words were incoherent and slurred, but they knew something was wrong.

Somebody rushed to her side, speaking in a hushed voice to try and waken the screaming girl. Her eyes snapped open, and she recognized the friendly brown eyes of Stefan.Tears streamed down her face and her entire body shook. Without thinking, she burried her face into his shoulder. His arms wrapped around her instantly, allowing her to cry and sob all she wanted.

She didn't notice Daryl was standing at the doorway of her cell.

He was just moments too late.

She didn't see the sad expression on his face, both heartbroken from seeing another man's arms around her and hearing her cry.

He left the hallway before she could see him, but Carol watched as he walked past. She wasn't the only one who knew of Daryl's feelings for Presley, but she was the only one to confront him about it. She frowned when she saw Stefan holding Presley.

Daryl had wanted to be the one to find her- not him. He had been the one who wanted to save her- not Stefan.

- - -

Stefan held Presley against him until she finally fell asleep. He himself had began dozing off, but he kept himself awake by speaking softly to the girl.

He looked at Zeva, who was laying in the corner on a cushion. Her big brown eyes seemed sad at the sight.

Stefan hesitantly moved himself from Presley, laying her head back on the pillow. He covered her with the thick blanket, frowning to himself as he exited the cell. It was almost time to get up, anyways. Sunlight was already leaking through the windows. The group would let Presley sleep- just as they always did. They were all too afraid to even speak to her- everybody but Stefan and Daryl.

"Stefan, can we talk to you?" Stefan turned to see Rick, with Hershal at his side. This group had allowed him to stay but that didn't mean that they particularly liked him. Their trust for him was limited because he had been a part with the Governor, but Daryl had told them that he could be trusted. He had been the one who had practically saved both the girls, after all.

"Umm, yea, sure." He said, wringing his hands together as they led him outside.

"We need to know what all happened to Presley." Rick said suddenly. "She came back as a completely different person. Before she was head strong and stubborn as a mule, but now..." He shook his head.

Stefan remained quiet for a few moments. He knew that she should be the one to tell them, but he doubted she would.

"She was tortured." He began. He was sure that they already knew that. He closed his eyes. "She was the Governor's personal... Yeah. He took a fast liking to her, because of her youth and attitude. He wanted to put out the fire in her soul, destroy her. He did it the only way possible."

"Rape?" Hershal came out and said. Stefan cringed at the word.

"Yes... That." He said. "She stopped fighting and just... She lost all reason to live. And then she found that little girl." He laughed to himself, shaking his head. "And suddenly, nobody could contain that fire. She was given a reason to live, and she did it. She broke a mirror and used the shards against a man the night that she escaped. She broke a man's ribs..."

"That sounds like her." Rick remarked, nodding to himself.

"And now that she's here... She's back to how she was when she thought she had no reason left to live. Scared of her own shadow."

Hershal sighed, and the men all remained quiet for a while. "Why did you decide to help her?"

Stefan smiled. "Because the first time I saw her..." He shook his head. "I decided I was going to help her. There was no reasoning behind it." He lied. He couldn't let them know that he had fallen in love with the fire in her spirit, the fire that reflected in her eyes.

Both of the other men nodded. "Presley hasn't been with us for long... But somethin' tells me she'll bounce back eventually. We just need to give her space."

Space was the thing she really didn't need.

- - -

Oooh Stefan... Daryl has some competition. Just a warning, you guys probably won't like Presley for a while.