Fight, Love, Live.

XVIII

I was boiling some water that Merle and Daryl had collected while everyone was coming back from the funeral when I saw Shane corner Lori as she came out of the RV and I immediately knew I needed to go over there, or Shane would do something stupid. 

"I need you to help talk some sense into Rick. Look, this C.D.C. thing, Lori, it's a mistake." Shane was saying as I walked up, and he gave me a strange long look before glaring back over at Lori, who had just crossed her arms and not said a word. 

"What's goin' on here Shane? Lori you alright?" I asked defensively, but neither of them answered me as Shane started talking again. 

"So you're backing him?"

"What else would I do? He's my husband." Shane rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, seeming more perturbed by that statement than I thought he should be. 

"Look, it may be time for you to play the dutiful wife, but you can't tell me that fixing your marriage is worth putting people's lives at risk." What? Their marriage needs fixing? Why didn't I know about this? What happened?

"I think folks around here can make up their minds with bringing my marriage into it. It's a habit you need to break." I stepped in between the two since they were getting uncomfortably close to each other, and put a hand on each of their arms. 

"Guys stop-" I was saying before getting cut off again, while being shoved away from them by Shane, I stumbled, but caught myself before I could fall, and I could hear feet running over but I didn't look to see who it was, instead keeping my bewildered eyes focused on Shane. 

"I guess I'll just add it to the list of habits that I'm breaking whether I like it or not." Shane grumbled out before Rick finally stepped out of the RV, looking between all of us very confused, his eyes lingering on whoever was behind me but he didn't comment on it, instead asking Shane about what he was talking about. 

"What habits?"

"Just talking about my need for a plan, man. So what is it? Are we leaving or not? Maybe y'all just want to stay here. We could hang some more tin cans." Shane said harshly, leaning back on his heels. 

"We can't stay here. We both know that." Rick argued, moving to stand by Lori. 

"I was just telling Shane I think we should trust your gut." Lori said, gazing up at Rick with what I now saw was false happiness. When had that left? 

"Let's go do our sweep." Shane said, swinging his gun around and moving off into the woods, with Rick following after giving Lori a kiss on the forehead, and me a kiss on the cheek. What the hell was that all about? 

Before I could question Lori, she was storming off, and a rough hand was grabbing my elbow. 

"Come on. You don't need to get in the middle of that. 'Sides, I need your help. Those kids are in my tent again." I chuckled quietly, turning to face Daryl with his hand still gripping my elbow, and it took him a minute to let go, since apparently he was too busy staring at whatever was on my face. 

"What is it? Do I have blood on my face or something?" I asked hesitantly, moving the hand he wasn't holding down up to my face to try and wipe whatever it was off. But it seemed to jerk him from his stupor, and he jerked his hand away like I was on fire. 

"No. Sorry, just uh... yeah. Come on." He grunted out, words failing him, and began to lead me over to his tent, where there were in fact kids hanging out. 

"Hey Carl? Can you and your friends go into your parent's tent? Mr. Dixon wants to use his right now." I said sweetly, steeping in first when Daryl held the flap up for me, and when Carl looked up at me, he just nodded and did as I asked, collecting his toys and dashing out the door, the others in tow. 

"Thank you!" I called out, not expecting a response, but it was the polite thing to do anyway, and then I turned to look at Daryl, who was still holding the flap open, and was again staring at me. 

"Well, your tent is now children free, enjoy." I said sweetly, going to move out of the tent when his hand grabbed my elbow again, stopping me right as I was moving through the flap, so I was right next to him, and when he breathed I could feel his breath hit my face. 

"About your brother, Shane and Lori... don't get in the middle. Shane and Lori... they had a thing before you and Rick got here. Everyone knew about it, though they liked to pretend we didn't know they were goin' off inta the woods to... anyway, we knew. I don't know if they've done it since, but it's a messy situation, and Shane can do some pretty... rough things. I saw Carol's husband's face before Merle bashed it in. It was all messed up. Apparently, he beat the ever loving shit outta him. Not that he didn't deserve it... but uh... Shane is probably different than when you knew him. Just be careful. Gotta keep your baby safe, right?" 

I was shocked. Not only from the information, but because Daryl talked so much, and the fact that he felt like he should tell me all of that. 

"Thank you for telling me. And you're right. I'll try not to get involved. We have more important things to deal with now anyway." Daryl gave me what could have been a smile, but was most definitely a smirk before he nodded and let go of my arm. 

"You got anywhere to stay tonight? It's getting dark, and you slept out by the pit last night." Daryl said quietly, glancing around like he was looking at the tents, looking to see if there was a new one. 

"No, I was gonna ask Shane if he had room in his, since Rick definitely doesn't, but I don't know how I feel about that now." 

"Well, if you wanna, I gotta extra sleeping bag I can pull out, there's plenty of room in ours." Daryl said calmly, but when he pulled his hand away from my arm again to chew on his thumb, I knew he was uncomfortable, and possibly nervous about asking me. 

"If it's not too much trouble, that would be lovely." I tried to say calmly, while internally I was freaking out about the man who I had been having these strange... stirrings for, asking me to bunk with him. Even if his brother would be there too. 

"Naw, no trouble, or I wouldn't have offered. Go on back to what you were doin'. I'll get it all set up and you can come back later when you're ready." Daryl said kindly, and moved into the tent without waiting for me to respond, which just left me standing there, grinning like a fool now that there was no one to judge, and more excited about sleeping than I had been since this started. 

And I realized why. 

Not only because of the feelings that I had. But because I knew, without a doubt, that if I was with Daryl, then I was safe. He would keep me safe. And that's all you can ask for now, right?