Title: Middle of Nowhere
Author: PlasticCandy
Warnings: violence, language, possible sexual situations
Summary: The team reaches the CDC, but things never go as planned, do they? Another straggler joins the team.
Disclaimer: The Walking Dead and its characters don't belong to me. They belong to their rightful owners.
Notes: Okay, so the truth is, there's going to be a few fluff chapters before we really get down into a few more issues and we see the backlash from the issue with Merle. I just finished writing chapter 6, so I'm a little ahead of schedule here. Also, if anyone gets the Vera joke, you're awesome. Let me know in a review!
Installment 4 - In which Amanda and Daryl have a heart to heart, or not
"I'm sorry."
He says it so quiet Amanda doesn't know if she hears right, but he repeats it.
"I'm sorry."
Amanda doesn't say anything at first.
Then she tosses the bag of bread crumbs at his back and joins him on the end of the dock, lets her feet dangle over the side.
"Want to feed the fish?"
She opens the bag, pulls out a piece of bread crust and breaks it into pieces, then tosses them, one by one, into the water.
The fish come to the surface and grab at the pieces. They are greedy, hungry for nourishment.
After a minute, Daryl joins her, but the pieces he toss are too big.
"No, look. You have to break them up, see?" she shows him her pieces. "Their mouths are only so big."
He follows her advice, and they spend a while feeding the fish in silence.
"Are you okay?"
Daryl nods. "Yeah. I'm good."
"What was his name?"
"Merle."
Amanda nods. "Tell me about him?"
Daryl crushes up another piece of bread and tosses it in the water. Then another. Amanda isn't sure he's going to answer her.
"He was an asshole. Real mean bastard." Crushes more bread. "But he was my brother. All I had."
Daryl tosses the bread into the water with a little more force than is necessary, but the fish swarm after it, their mouths opening and closing on nothing but air when its gone.
He rests his hands on the dock beside him. "He practically raised me when Daddy left and Ma started drinking."
Amanda doesn't say anything. Waits for him to be done.
There are footsteps on the dock behind her, and she turns to find her mother with two plates full of fish, rice, and some kind of vegetable from a can.
"Enjoy, you two."
Her mother kisses her forehead and leaves again.
Amanda shoves a piece of fish in her mouth.
"My mother is awesome," she says around the fish.
Daryl picks at his food for a minute, then shoves a piece of fish in his mouth.
"This is really good."
"I know, right? I feel like I haven't eaten in forever."
For the most part, they are quiet while they eat. Amanda plays with her food, trying to come up with an amazing combination of flavors. She finally gets it, and breaks a piece of fish off and tops it with a green bean and a carrot.
"Try this."
She sets her plate aside and holds out the bite.
"What?"
"Try. This." She holds it closer to him, waits as he leans over and takes the bite from her hand with his mouth. Hears herself inhale sharply.
He chews without noticing, and she flushes and looks down, starts stuffing food in her face again.
When their plates are empty, they sit together in silence. The moonlight dances on the water, and Amanda feels the chill in the night start to creep up her jacket. She shivers.
"Cold?"
"A little." She wraps her jacket closer to her. "Hey Daryl?"
"Hmm?"
She looks at him, and is suddenly distracted by the fact that he's removing his shoes and socks. He looks at her expectantly.
"Um, did you name your crossbow?"
He scrunches his face up. "Come again?"
"Did you name your crossbow?"
He cocks his head to the side. She laughs, nudges his shoulder. "Nevermind."
"What, exactly, are you talking about? What would I name my crossbow, anyway?"
"Vera."
It's a joke Amanda gets and Daryl obviously doesn't, because he raises an eyebrow and goes back to staring at the water.
"Oh, come on. I had to ask. Boys and their toys. Some guys name their penises."
He turns back to her, eyes wide. "You'd know that how?"
She grins. "I'm not as innocent as I look, Daryl. I've had my share of guys."
"That makes you sound like a slut."
"Okay, so it was two guys and one of them happened to name his... thing something absolutely ridiculous."
"Do girls name their... you know?"
Amanda blinks. "I don't think so." She shrugs. "I don't think women are proud like men are of their... Anatomy."
"Why are we talking about this?"
Amanda shrugs, looks at the lake. "Because I'm delirious. I haven't slept in over a day. Almost two."
She smiles again. "Besides, I think I'm embarrassing you and I like it."
He scoffs. "Embarrass me."
Amanda considers taking the challenge, but instead she lays back, tucks her arms under her head. Her belly is full and she is sleepy. The water lapping against the dock is lulling her to sleep.
She doesn't feel when Daryl picks her up and carries her to the house, or when he sets her on his bed to sleep. Her hand grips his when he turns to leave, and he sighs, slides under the covers with her. She curls against him, inhales deeply, and sleeps.
Amanda sleeps as long as she can, wrapped against Daryl's body. The sunlight streams through the windows and over the foot of the bed, but her face is mercifully shielded by heavy curtains.
She wakes when she hears giggling at her door, and she turns over, slowly so she doesn't wake the slumbering beast beside her, and glares at Glenn, whose head is peaking in the door, along with Andrea.
"Shh," she whispers, and closes her eyes again. More giggling. Amanda rolls her eyes and rolls over again, only to find herself staring into Daryl's blue eyes.
"Hi."
"Hi."
More giggling. Amanda finally turns, tries to climb out of bed. She struggles with the blankets for a minute, then stands, searches for her boots.
"Can't you guys be quiet?" She puts one hand on her hip and waggles her finger at the two in the doorway. "Some people are trying to sleep."
"Some people are still trying to sleep."
Amanda shushes Daryl. "Out, you two. Let us sleep."
There's a chorus of "ooh"s that makes Amanda roll her eyes, but she ushers them out and closes and locks the door behind them.
"Locking me in?"
Amanda climbs back in bed and curls against him. "Maybe."
Her eyes close.
She feels his hands against her back, rubbing little circles that she almost finds comforting.
Until he hits the bruises on her back, and she winces and sucks in a breath.
"Still hurts?"
She nods.
"How bad is it?"
"Pretty bad." She opens her eyes again. "I'll live."
"I hope so." He pushes her hip so she's lying on her back. "Turn over and let me see."
She obeys, turns over and faces the room. She feels him pull her shirt up.
"Jesus, Mandy."
Amanda scowls. "I really hate being called that."
"Too bad, Mandy."
Amanda rolls her eyes and tugs her shirt down. Rolls back over to face him.
"Well, doctor, will I live?"
"I think you will, Mandy. I think you will."
Amanda tries to be mad at him and finds she can't.
Outside the door there's more giggling. The doorknob turns a little, then stops.
"Oh, come on you guys! You better not be doing anything in there!" Glenn's voice comes through muffled, but Amanda laughs.
In response, Daryl starts rocking the bed back and forth. The headboard clanging against the wall is loud and gives her a headache almost immediately, but she can't help but laugh at the low, disappointed moan she hears through the door.
"You're purely evil," she says to Daryl when he settles against her again.
"I know." His arm falls over her again, and she snuggles into the blankets.
"Can we stay here forever?" Her question is punctuated by a yawn.
"If you want."
Amanda doesn't know what to say to this, so she nods, more to herself than to him, and falls asleep leaning against his chest.
Review comments from chapter 3:
ErisandDysnomia: Yesssss, Merle dead. It's the one loose end that I was worried about tying up. It's really important for Daryl's character. You'll see.
Lucy Freebird: Thanks for stopping by!