Daryl sighed again as he looked towards the still empty doorway. He wasn't sure how long it had been since Lizzie had gone inside but it felt like hours.
Ain't like she can't take care of herself, he reminded himself as he began to pace again, jus' rather me be around takin' care of her too.
"Hey!" Maggie called as she emerged with Glenn, both shielding their eyes against the glare as they waved to the others.
Daryl's head whipped around at her call and he barely managed to hide his disappointment when he saw that Lizzie wasn't with them.
"Everythin' okay?" He called back, grabbing hold of the fence as he turned to face them.
"It's all clear," Glenn nodded as he approached the gate, "the others are clearing out the bodies."
"How many?" Daryl asked, feeling his stomach knot with worry- he hadn't expected there to be any walkers inside.
"There were only two live ones," Maggie explained, frowning, "well, dead ones… Living dead ones."
"Nobody hurt?" Daryl asked, the worry now clear on his face.
"She's fine." Maggie smiled.
"Hershel…" Daryl began, turning to look at him as he pulled the gate open.
"Go on," he chuckled, "she'll be waiting for you," he watched as Daryl glanced at their packs and laughed again, "we'll bring them in; you go find your girl."
Daryl nodded in thanks and set off across the yard at a jog, not wanting to spend another second apart from his woman.
So this is what love does to you, he thought with a slight smile as he tore open the door, faltering slightly as the darkness swallowed him as he stepped inside.
He stood there for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the sudden change in lighting, watching as T appeared from a doorway across the room, bending down slightly as he waddled backwards, dragging a body in his wake.
"Home sweet home," T smirked as he dropped the body and turned to grin at Daryl, "at least it will be when we evict the last tenants."
"You got many in there?" He asked, looking at the small pile of bodies that had already accumulated in the main room.
"Mosta the cells were clear, still got a few to bring out though," he rubbed his back, "bitta help wouldn't go amiss."
Daryl faltered a little as he glanced past T- the sound of Lizzie's voice echoing around the room beyond was distracting him.
T caught his gaze and looked over his shoulder before he turned back to Daryl with a grin.
"Looking for your lady-friend?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Ain't that, I jus'…" Daryl began, a little embarrassed at himself.
"Nah, it's cool, it's cool," T smiled as he shook his head, "you go check up on her, I'll get someone else to gimme a hand."
Daryl nodded, thankful to T for letting him go on ahead and find Lizzie.
Lizzie was still up on the first floor with Rick. They'd made their way back down the cells, dragging any bodies out and dumping them over the side of the railings.
They were just lifting the last body over when movement by the doorway caught her attention.
As soon as she let go of the corpse, watching momentarily as it fell to the concrete floor below, she looked over at the figure that had just entered and smiled.
"Daryl." She whispered quietly, moving her lips just enough for Daryl to see.
Rick turned as she spoke and followed her gaze.
"Look's like everyone's coming in," he nodded, wiping his brow as he let out a breath, "I'll get someone else to help, you've done enough."
"You sure?" She asked, "I don't mind helpin' to take 'em out an'…"
"I'm sure, you've done good." He smiled at her before he made his way down the stairs, nodding at Daryl as they walked towards each other.
Daryl returned the nod but his attention wasn't on Rick at all.
Lizzie had begun to descend the stairs, her smile getting brighter with each step she took as she neared Daryl.
He met her before she reached the bottom, making his way up the first two stairs before they both stopped.
"You find anythin'?" He asked as he looked up at her.
"Mostly bodies, coupla walkers though." She shrugged.
"You hurt?" He studied her face, ready to catch her in a lie.
"One of 'em grabbed me," she answered honestly, "got a little jumpy an' pretty much ran into the guy… Rick was around to help me out though."
"I shoulda been here." Daryl growled, looking away.
He felt as if he had let her down. If he had been in here with her, he would have been able to keep a better eye on her; he could have kept her away from the walkers and made sure she…
"You're here now though, right?" She asked, smiling at him as he looked up into her big, green eyes, "An' from the way you walked across to me, I thought you were lookin' to kiss me or somethin'."
"Don't think I could stop at a kiss." He replied quietly.
"Daryl…" Lizzie began quietly, her fingertips brushing his as she felt her heartbeat quicken at his words.
Daryl licked his lips and moved forwards, ready to take the risk and kiss her… Until the sound of voices echoed loudly through the prison, signaling that the others had finally entered the cellblock.
"They've got our stuff," Daryl said stiffly, turning away from her and letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, "better go get it."
Lizzie sighed and took a deep breath, trying to steady her heart. She wasn't quite sure what it was about Daryl that did it for her so much but she was sure that, one of these days; it was going to get her into trouble.
"Daryl!" She called, reaching into her back pocket as he turned to look at her, "found some keys on one of the bodies," she waved them in the air, letting them jangle lightly before she threw them over to him, "Rick's gotta set but figured you oughta have the spare."
"Why do I gotta have 'em?" He asked with a frown.
"Coz you're like Rick's second in command," she shrugged, winking at him, "an' I kinda like the idea of you sneakin' into my cell late at night."
He smirked at her as the others began to file in to the cell block, all looking around with wide eyes and skeptical looks on their faces.
Lizzie caught sight of Carl hurrying over to her, her backpack slung over one of his shoulders, so she dismounted the stairs in one small jump and stretched her hand out, ready to take it from him.
"I think Carol got Daryl's." He said as he passed it over to her.
"I wouldn'tve trusted anyone else but you with mine." She grinned as she flicked his cheek lightly.
He laughed and pulled away, swatting at her hand as he rubbed his cheek.
"What do you think?" Rick asked as he watched everyone looking around.
"Home sweet home." Glenn managed, without much conviction.
"For the time being." Rick confirmed, knowing that the others might need a little time to come around to the idea of settling in a place like this.
"It's secure?" Carol asked warily, looking around the cellblock.
"This cellblock is." Rick confirmed.
"What about the rest of the prison?" Hershel asked, looking up at the top level.
"In the morning, we find the cafeteria and the infirmary." Rick explained.
"We... Sleep in the cells?" Beth asked, clearly a little shaken by the idea.
"I found some keys on one of the guards," he looked up at Lizzie, "Lizzie's got the other set so…"
"I gave 'em to Daryl," she said quickly, "made more sense."
"I ain't sleepin' in no cage," Daryl sniffed, pushing his way past the others and making his way upstairs, dropping his pack at the top, "I'll take the perch."
"There're beds," Lizzie said with a smile as she looked around at the others, her gaze settling on Lori, "can't account for how comfy they are or anythin', but they have actual beds," she let out a wistful sigh, "I hardly remember the last time I slept on somethin' that wasn't the floor!"
"Honestly? An actual mattress?" Lori asked.
"Well… As close to a mattress as a place like this can get, I guess," she shrugged, looking up at the top level, "wanna check it out?"
"Do I!" Lori laughed, looking at Carol as she smiled.
The two women began to make their way towards the stairs and Lizzie followed them.
She wasn't too keen on sleeping anywhere near Carol but she'd rather be up top than down at the bottom just in case anything…
Ain't got no time to be thinkin' things like that, she scolded herself as she ascended, y'only jus' moved in here, ain't had time for nothin' to go bad!
When she reached the top of the stairs she saw Daryl looking at her expectantly.
"What?" She asked, frowning at him.
"You stayin' out here?" He asked.
"Are you fuckin' kiddin' me?" She snorted, "Didya not hear the part where I said they had actual beds with actual mattresses?"
"Thought they were as close to a mattress as a place like this could get?" He challenged, wanting her to know that he had, in fact, listened to what she had told Lori.
"We been sleepin' on the floor for months," she hissed, sliding closer to him so he could hear, "Lori gets priority on beds, Lori an' Carl an' Beth an' Hershel… I want me a fuckin' bed!"
"Suit yourself." He shrugged, turning away from her to signal that she had been dismissed.
"That all? You don't wanna come with me?" She asked, "You're happy enough perchin' up here?"
"Better position for keepin' a lookout," he shrugged, "an' easier to escape if…"
"Don't," she said suddenly, frowning viciously, "we only jus' got here, don't start wishin' something bad to happen so damn soon."
"I ain't wishin' nothin' bad to happen, I jus' meant…" He argued.
"I know," she said with a sigh as she rubbed her head, looking at him apologetically, "I think I'm still feelin' a little tired an' cranky."
She wasn't foolish enough to believe that four walls and a roof suddenly meant that they were safe- there was a lot that could still go wrong, never mind the fact that they didn't even know how far the zombie infestation had spread through the prison- but there was something a little calming about having found somewhere to settle down, at least for now.
"You gonna be okay?" Daryl asked suddenly as she turned to look at the cells.
"Whaddya mean?" She asked, moving towards the one closest to the stairs.
"Think you're gonna dream again?" He asked, watching as she paused in the doorway before she turned to look at him.
"If I dream, I'll scream for you," she replied quietly, looking back over her shoulder, "I'll scream for you really, really loud.