Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to The Walking Dead, AMC or any of their affiliates. This is purely for entertainment purposes and is a fan created fiction. This story does not reflect the actual Walking Dead series and doesn't claim to be anything but a fan (me) expressing my appreciation for the characters and the wonder that is The Walking Dead. All OFC's (Original Fictional Characters) are a product of my own imagination. Any resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental.

Chapter 4

I came too once again on Daryl's lap. Only this time I was sitting on it with my head resting on his shoulder. I sprung up from the couch like I had been caught doing something naughty. "I want to go home. Take me to get my car." I really didn't want to go back to the bar but I couldn't exactly leave my car there forever."

Daryl got up too. This time he put some distance between us. He spoke to Jesse first. "Get the fuck away from that window." Jesse did as Daryl said without another word. He headed to the kitchen and out of view. Daryl looked at me. He waited a few minutes before talking. "I can't do that. You are going to have to stay here until I talk to Merle. Merle will talk to Animal. Those two are tight like this." Daryl crossed his fingers. "Animal won't dare do a thing to me. He might knock Jesse into next week though, but…"

"I can't stay here! Are you insane? You are insane. Why don't you just tell me where your brother is? That way I can take him in and go back to my apartment and my life."

"Neely, listen to me. A mean son of a bitch who likes to abuse women like it was sport just tried to rape you."

I gasped making Daryl wince. He was straight forward with everything he said but I could tell he didn't enjoy talking about this. He went on, not giving me a chance to say anything.

"Right about now he's pissed off that you got away, and blaming you for the gash on his head. He's probably drunk, horny and fighting mad. I know for a fact that he's been through your car and knows where you live."

"Oh my God!"

"You got someone you can stay with?"

"Only if I want to go to New York. Daryl, do you think Animal would do something to my cats?" My limbs started to shake and a weird ringing echoed in my ears. "They're all I have."

I saw Daryl's jaw clenching; even in the limited light I could tell he was angry. I knew he didn't want to come to my place but my tears had gotten to him. I think he agreed out of frustration and the need to make me stop. It seemed he was very uncomfortable around emotional people. We were sitting in the car with all the lights out watching my duplex from a safe distance.

.

Daryl was handing out instructions like a man about to go into battle. "We go in grab your shit and its out. No screwing around watering house plants or checking phone messages. Got it? And Jesse anyone comes within 50 yards of the place you lay on that horn long and hard. Don't fuck it up! No one is safe. I don't give a shit if it is an old gotdamn lady walking her fucking poodle. You see movement you blast them fuckers."

I hoped that Mrs. Sellner wasn't out letting Fifi do her business or we would have a cardiac arrest on our hands. And I also wanted to know how Daryl knew my older neighbor had a poodle. I didn't get a chance to ask because Daryl had a tight grip on my arm and was dragging me across the street to my place.

"In and out. I mean it Neely."

.

Inside, the place looked normal. My cats welcomed me with annoyed meows from being alone for so long. A little food was all it took to get them to climb into their cat carriers. I shoved some clothing into a bag as Daryl loomed over me.

"Hurry the fuck up!"

"I am! You know you could take me to a hotel."

"Like hell! I ain't stay in no flea bag motel when I have a house. Let's go!"

Daryl scooped up the cats while I carried their food and my clothing. I didn't want to leave my home but the idea of staying here alone scared me. "I said hotel not motel and I didn't invite you."

"Too fucking bad. You are stuck with me. I ain't going down as an accessory to your murder."

I stopped walking. "Murder? You think he'll try to kill me?" Daryl grabbed my arm again, dragging me to the car.

"I've seen the fucker do worse to women."

Tears burned a path down my cheek. What was worse than murder? I was afraid of Animal before but now I was terrified. All I wanted to do now was go home and not to my duplex I wanted to go home to New York.

I had a choice, sleep in Merle's room or Daryl's I didn't want to do either. I thought I had picked the lesser of the two evils by choosing Daryl's. But at two am I was lying in bed with his scent wafting off the pillow making me long to go to him. I reminded myself once again that Daryl was off limits. I couldn't be attracted to him. Frankly I didn't want to be either. Love and I didn't get along. Every man I was involved with turned out to be an asshole. I figured Daryl would be one more to add to the list.

.

Daryl had an alarm clock on his bedside table. The green numbers lit up the room enough that I could see almost everything in shadowy form. Ping and Pong disappeared under his bed hours ago and refused to come out. It might have been a treat to have the bed to myself for the night if it wasn't for the fact that I was terrified and the shadows in the room were looking more and more like people. Neely, get a grip. Jesse is on the couch and the door is locked. I spoke the next part out loud. "Besides Daryl is in the next room."

"Yeah and he's trying to sleep! All that moving around in my bed is making me think you're getting it on in there."

"Don't flatter yourself Dixon. When was the last time you washed these sheets. Are these walls made out of fucking cardboard?"

"Hey, I washed them yesterday! If you don't like it and be quiet soon I'm coming over there and sleeping in my bed. You can get the fuck out."

.

I had heard Daryl tossing and turning too so I knew he was lying about sleeping. "Dixon?"

"Names Daryl and what do you want now? You need a potty break, bedtime story maybe a glass of water?"

"I was thinking something a little stronger. You want a drink?" I had nabbed the bottle of Jack on my way out the door of my apartment earlier. Daryl was tapping on my/his door a second later. I let him in. I should have insisted we go downstairs but I didn't want to disturb Jesse. Daryl was wearing a pair of jeans that I heard him hop into before he came in here. It was the only explanation for the ruckus in Merle's room a moment ago. He hadn't bothered to button them and the zipper was down half way. I'd seen him like this twice. The only difference was he clearly had boxers on this time. His eyes trailed my body. I was wearing a pair of cotton shorts that were an inch longer that obscene and a cotton t-shirt that could hang lower than the shorts. I had it knotted at the side so he didn't think that was all I had on. My legs and feet were bare save for the duct tape bandage on my knee. Daryl stood awkwardly in the doorway the only thing he commented on was my eyewear.

"You have contacts?"

I had put on my glasses. I don't know why. Maybe because they made me feel like I was dressed and not in my nightclothes in a bedroom with a stranger. Daryl filled the awkward moment with an offer.

"I got some beer…" He didn't finish the sentence because he saw the Jack. "Whoa now that's better! Shitfaced it is!"

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I doubted half a bottle of JD was going to make Daryl shitfaced drunk. Me? Maybe. I cracked it open and took a long sip while sitting at the head of the bed. He came all the way into the room and closed the door. I hoped that was only a habit and he didn't think this was an invitation to stay. I handed him the bottle while he took a seat at the foot of the bed.

"Where the fuck ya get this?"

"My place?" I took a hair tie from my wrist and gathered my hair into a ponytail.

"Damn girl you drink this a lot? I thought for sure you passed out because of that double shot ya had in the bar."

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He handed the bottle back and I tilted my head to the left. That was my thinking look, when something puzzled me and I was about to ask a tough question. I put the bottle to my lips hesitating before taking another sip. I let the rim rest on my lip and asked. "How did you know that?" Once more I tilted the bottle before handing it back to Daryl. "And how did you know my name?" I left out the questions over my neighbor and her dog figuring his answer would fill in the blanks. I leaned against Daryl's headboard. His bed was the kind a child would use. I tucked my feet under his blankets. I think the JD was making me a little too comfortable with him.

.

Daryl turned towards me bending one knee like a figure four and tucking his foot behind the other as that leg dangled off the side of the bed. He took a few sips of the booze then held it by the neck while balancing it on his thigh. "You ain't the only one who knows how to investigate."

Touché Daryl touché! So he had been checking me out. Spying on me when I thought I was the one watching him. I chalked it up to knowing your opponent. We took turns passing the bottle in silence until Pong; the friendlier one of my two cats came out and rubbed up against Daryl's leg. Daryl scooped him up and stroked the back of his head. The cat responded with a loud rumbling purr. I thought how much of a traitor my cat had become. "Well, you won't be able to stop now. Once you pet that one you have to keep going."

"He likes it?"

I nodded. What kind of life did Daryl live that he didn't know that a purring cat was a happy cat?

.

I set the bottle on the bedside table thinking if Daryl wanted more he could grab it. My ponytail was making it hard to rest my head against the wall so I adjusted it higher on my head. Daryl watched me do it. I didn't know why he seemed to stare so long but when he put Pong back down on the floor he leaned in close to me. A shiver ran through my body because I didn't know what he planned on doing. He grabbed the tie and pulled it from my hair, then used his fingers to comb it down along the sides of my face.

"Better when it's down."

I darted my tongue across my lip and Daryl covered my mouth with his. He worked my mouth open enough to slide his tongue in and angled his mouth to make it deep. Before I knew what I was doing I had straightened my legs out and wrapped my arms around his neck. He pulled our bodies down in the bed so that he was supporting his upper body on his forearms while the rest of him leaned into me. I wanted desperately to open my knees so he could line his hips up to mine. As it was now his erection was pressed firmly against my hip. His kisses were making me feel deliciously dirty. My rational mind told me it was the alcohol and not Daryl per say. While I was battling it out with my conscious Daryl had an attack of his own. He stopped kissing me, took a few deep breaths before climbing off me and the bed.

"I'll…I'll see you in the morning. Okay? Goodnight."

He rushed out before I could reply. I could hear him a second later as he heavily plopped onto the Merle's bed. He sighed and then whispered "Aww fuck!"