So I've had the first bit of this written for a little while, but I wanted to wait until after the season finale...what did you guys think? I loved it. It was heart wrenching and unsettling at the same time. I love Rick's new attitude, because I'd be pretty pissed if I was in his situation...also, Lori gets on my nerves. Carol's the worst for me, though. I think that woman's a great actress, but the character pissed me off. xD She's so whiny, and I really hope they don't try to do anything with her and Daryl.
ANYWAY, SORRY. Rambling. Tangent. I hope you enjoy! :D And thanks so much to all who reviewed! You guys are awesome.
Daryl Dixon. She couldn't believe it. Suddenly she was unable to breathe, as if her lungs were crushed by some imaginary force. And he seemed to be just as surprised, in his own way. It was strange, seeing someone from her past...John was the only familiar face she had seen in months. Well...she assumed it had been months...but really, who keeps up with that anymore? Hell, she hadn't seen him in so many years, it was a wonder he even recognized her. But he didn't look any different. Alright, a bit older, a little more worn...and maybe something else was a little different, but there was no mistaking him. It wasn't until Rick spoke up that she remembered they weren't alone.
"You two know each other?" He asked, and Alice briefly glanced around at the rest of the room, seeing the mirrored expressions of curiosity.
"Yeah." Was all Daryl offered. She looked back at him and felt the tiniest hint of a smirk pull at her lips. Just like Daryl – giving them no more explanation. After another long spell of silence, Lori disappeared, then quickly reappeared with clean towels.
"Here you go, Carol's found some clothes for you both in the next room, I need to finish dinner." Everyone slowly began to resume their previous activities as Lori led the two newcomers to the next room. Daryl didn't stop staring at her for one second, and she felt an old, familiar blush creep onto her skin.
The bathroom that Alice was given to change in was certainly...homey. The purple floral wallpaper gave it an elegant feel, and there were still tiny hand soaps piled up next to the sink faucet. It made her smile, but at the same time, it made her sick. She had to guess that this home didn't belong to anyone in this group. Of course she couldn't say for certain, it was just a feeling she had. She tried to squeeze the remaining rain water from her hair before drying the rest of her body. As she slipped out of her drenched clothes, she paused as something in the mirror caught her eye. Slowly she turned to look into it, and her eyes settled on a scar across her ribcage. There was another on her stomach, then again lower on her abdomen. She removed her trousers to see more scars, lines across her thighs. As quickly as she could manage, she threw on her new clothes. They felt big on her, but they were warm and dry, and that's all she needed. Alice flung the door open and took a few steps into the guest bedroom before she realized that there was someone else in there with her. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the dimmer candlelight of the bedroom. The figure wasn't thin enough to be John, but the presence felt too familiar to be one of those new strangers.
"Daryl." Her voice sounded more like a sigh of relief than anything. He only continued to stare at her, a mixture of the emotions he was trying to fight battling across his face. She knew his default emotion was always anger, so she was happy to see that one may be losing...she also saw confusion and disbelief. Then there was sadness, and finally...relief?
"C'mere." He said, his voice gruff and quiet. Still, there was a softness there that plucked at her heartstrings. Losing control of her body once again that night, she found herself walking towards him, and wrapping her arms around him. He had never been one for hugs or affection...but he seemed to be happy that she was alive. That warrants a hug, right? And just like that, she felt his strong arms around her, holding her firmly to him. And that's when she lost it. Ally couldn't remember the last time she cried. There was no place for it in the new world! Or maybe there just hadn't been time. Her father had always discouraged crying, anyway. But she couldn't help it now. He began to rock with her a little, which only increased the tear flow. Everything she had been holding back, all of her pent up emotions were spilling out onto his shirt...he'd need a change of clothes in a minute. No words were spoken for what felt like hours, though she was sure it had only been a few minutes. They didn't need words...and thank God, because she sure as hell didn't know what to say. Since Daryl had never been great with words, she imagined he was in the same boat. He held her until she couldn't cry anymore, and even then, he seemed reluctant to let her go. She wiped her cheeks, then pulled back and offered him a small smile.
"Sorry." She whispered, feeling more than a little embarrassed. He gave her the tiniest of smiles himself and nodded back to the bathroom.
"Go splash some water on your face. Don't want them thinkin' I made you do any 'ah that." He smirked and she let out a short laugh as she nodded and headed back to the small room. He didn't need to get any more emotional than that. Actions speak louder than words...especially in the case of Daryl Dixon.
Alice tried not to waste much of the water she was given, but there was more dirt and grime than she realized, which made her tear streaks a lot more obvious. As soon as all the evidence was gone, she heard someone knock on the door.
"Al? You okay in there?" John asked, sounding a little concerned. No matter how long she'd known John, she would never get used to his empathy. A sensitive man was just not something she had encountered very often in her lifetime, but she was thankful for him. He was sweet and protective, and she knew he only had her best interest at heart.
"Fine, John." She answered as she opened the door and looked at him, taking in his new appearance. He had on a blue button up shirt, which looked a little loose on his slim frame. Alice raised a brow.
"Sharp." He shot her a look, but grinned.
"Never thought I'd see you in a dress...oh wait, that's a shirt. Shorty." She smirked and shoved his arm.
"C'mon, they're settin' up dinner." He said, unnecessarily holding the door to the bathroom open for her. The brunette gave him a skeptical look.
"What do you make of them?" She asked, her expression curious. John shrugged, while taking some time to think.
"Seem nice enough. They're just as wary of us as we are of them, though, I think...which is probably a good sign, to be honest. They've already given us clothes and a dinner invitation...plus, you saved that guy's ass."
"What's his name again?" She questioned, furrowing her brow. She was always awful as keeping up with people's names.
"Rick." John smirked. "Seems to be the ring leader here. Good thing you went all kamikaze when you did. Bought us a roof for at least a couple nights, I reckon." Alice only rolled her eyes, still smiling, and walked to the door.
"Hey, Al..." When she only stopped and turned to look at him, he continued. "That guy, Daryl...how do you know him?"
"...He's just an old friend."
Dinner was going remarkably well, all things considered. Everyone was perfectly friendly, some more than others, but Alice could tell that they were trying their best. Thankfully, John was very much a people person, and had a couple of them laughing on a few occasions. Alice was sandwiched between him and a blonde woman. Andrea? Rick was across from them, sitting next to his wife, who was polite and attentive. She supposed there was no other way for her to be, considering recent events. Still, she hoped that Lori would cut it out soon. It was a bit unsettling.
"You were sayin' you both came from Miami?" Shane inquired, though Alice was not entirely sure how to take his tone.
"That's right." She nodded.
"And you didn't have any contact with other survivors? No other groups?" His eyes were locked on her's, and she felt uneasy. Still, she stared right back at him.
"Well, there were others at first, but we didn't stay with them." She responded quickly, not giving John the opportunity to speak. He was used to telling stories with pictures, not words, the way she was. John understood what she was doing, though, and kept quiet. "When things really hit the fan, we were on our own. 'Til we found your friend playin' around in the rain." Normally she wouldn't make jokes about a man almost becoming walker chow, but...he was fine. So it wasn't totally tasteless, right? That earned a few small grins, but the cop wasn't off her case just yet.
"How'd you make it all the way here with no help?" The table was silent again as they waited for her to answer.
"Shit...got lucky, I guess?" She let out a short laugh. "I've learned not to analyze things anymore, man. I'm just thankful to be breathin'." With that, she raised her water bottle in a sort of "cheers" moment, some nodded and there were a few quiet sighs of agreement. The table settled into a not-so-comfortable silence, keeping to their own thoughts.
"So.." A woman with short, graying hair spoke up. "How do you know Daryl?"
Everyone in the room seemed to tense a little. Al hadn't seen her in the room earlier, so she assumed, naturally, that the gossip had spread. She shouldn't be surprised, and she shouldn't be annoyed...but for some reason, she was. She never really enjoyed talking about herself, always assuring everyone that there wasn't much to say. There was, of course. There always is, no matter who you are. But to have a complete stranger inquire about her past...it was one of her "buttons", you could say. Alice saw Daryl stand straight from his position, leaning against a nearby wall. She didn't look at him, though. She had nothing to hide from that period of her life. The tension in the room was thick, so it was a shock to everyone when, after another long silence, the woman suddenly smiled warmly.
"We grew up together."
Slowly, everyone relaxed, most even smiled. Lori was the first to speak.
"Wow, a young Daryl Dixon? I can hardly imagine." Andrea was the next to speak, laughing as she did so.
"Did he carry his crossbow with him to school?" That earned a few more chuckles from around the table, but Alice kept her eyes on Daryl, as if silently asking if this topic was safe. Daryl was always a secretive person, but if he was actually as comfortable with these people as he seemed, maybe she could keep the topic centered on him, rather than directly on herself.
"A few times." She grinned, "Then again, it wasn't really uncommon at that school. Everyone had some kinda hunting equipment in their cars, they couldn't really make a rule against it."
"..So what was he like?" Andrea pushed, leaning in a little and glancing at Daryl. Alice was amused. He must have made himself look like quite a big mystery.
"Real charmer." She leaned in as well, her voice turning into a terrible attempt at a whisper. With a wink, she continued. "Gave me my first kiss." There was an eruption of laughter at the end of the table from the two kids, while the rest of the table tried to hide their grins. The old man let a chuckle escape, clearly enjoying how candid the new young woman was being. Alice grinned at Daryl, who couldn't help but roll his eyes and shake his head at her, smirking at the memory.
"Wouldn't let me tell anyone, though." She added, pretending to sulk.
"'Cause you were sixteen, and I was twenty-two." Daryl finally spoke up, his tone gruff, but not harsh. "Your daddy woulda killed me."
Laughter erupted once more, and everyone seemed to start their own conversations. Taking a small breath, Alice took another sip of her water. She was relieved to have them off her back...for now. Maybe they bought her first story...though she didn't really like the suspicious looks that Shane kept giving her. It's not like they were bringing trouble back to their group! They really weren't even asking for anything. They were invited. Well...kind of kidnapped. Rescued? That's it, it was a mutual rescue. And they didn't have to stay! Though, as she watched John chatter away with everyone, she started to think about where they would go...Surely they wouldn't make them leave. It had already been clearly established that she had history with an important member of their group. Or, she assumed he was an important member. Dinner had consisted of a pretty tasty deer, and the rest of the group didn't really seem like the "hunting" type. But, as things were...she felt very nervous about staying. These people seemed good...decent, at least. Daryl was sticking by them, that should say something. Then again...it had been so long since she'd seen him. What was it...ten years? He could be a completely different person. She knew he was looking at her. The feeling of her skin on fire...it felt the same as it did all those years ago. Clutching her water bottle like a crutch, she mustered up the courage to look up at him.
The young woman hadn't imagined it. His blue eyes were locked on her's. She felt her stomach flip, and her heart miss a beat. She wanted to chastise herself for turning back into a silly little teenage girl, but she couldn't help herself. After everything that's happened...Ally couldn't help but cling to the little hope she felt when she looked at him. She smiled, and he nodded at her, telling her to follow him. Her heart suddenly began to pound in her ears. Quietly, she got up and walked over to him. Just as he was about to lead her through the doorway, she heard an unfamiliar male voice fill the room. Then, a very familiar female voice right behind her.
"Alice?"
Her heart stopped. Slowly, she turned around, her eyes falling on that familiar head of golden hair.
"...Hope?"
Shit, it was like some kind of damn reunion in this house.
Sooooo, another bit of a cliffhanger. Sorry! And I forgot to mention that this ties in just a tiny bit to my other TWD story, "Even Angels Fall" ...which still needs it's last chapter, now that I think about it. SORRY! XD I swear I will get to it. And I wouldn't say that you have to go read it, if you don't want to. It's a Glenn centered story, but you'll find out who this "Hope" character is a little. I'll explain who she is in this story as well, though, no worries!
So yes...let me know if you're still liking this!
