"Are you sure you're ok?" Lori asked again, her face creased in concern. She was still in shock at what Shane had done. He'd always been a hot head but she never expected him to ever hurt a woman, especially Rhiannon who'd done nothing but help them.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It hardly hurts." Rhiannon shrugged her off, trying not to act like a total bitch but she'd been having a pretty shitty day so far.

"That's not like him."

Rhiannon suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at her. What Rick told her rattled around her brain. It's probably hard to see the dark side of him while you're fucking him.

She immediately felt bad, even if she hadn't said it outloud. Lori had been nice to her, she didn't have any reason to feel any kind of malice towards her, Rhiannon just had a very short fuse today and all she wanted was to find Daryl. Lori had stopped her on her way to his tent and she couldn't very well ignore her.

"Rick told me." She spoke abruptly, her eyes trailing down to her still flat belly. Lori's eyes widened and she put her hand against her mouth. She nodded slowly, her eyes cast down to the ground. "He thought I already knew. He wouldn't have said anything otherwise."

Lori still had a bewildered expression. The fear on her face was clear as day.

"You don't have to be ok with it. I can't even imagine how scared you are right now." Rhiannon told her. "If you need anything, vitamins, baby supplies, just let me know. You guys aren't going anywhere."

Lori suddenly pulled her into a tight hug, stealing Rhiannon's breath away. She still felt like she didn't know her enough to receive this kind of affection from her, but she couldn't complain. She can't remember the last time she got a hug from someone who wasn't her immediate family.

"Thank you." The older woman whispered, her arms still embracing the young blonde tightly. Lori felt like she was annoying both Rick and Shane everytime she opened her mouth. She was glad to have Rhiannon, the young woman always seemed to have an open mind and was quickly becoming someone she could go to when she needed help.

"I should get back to Carl." She said, finally pulling away. Rhiannon nodded and waved to her as she walked away.

She sighed, turning in circles to look around the camp. There was no sign of Daryl anywhere. She turned to the RV, Carol was in there, she probably knew where he went. She made her way into the vehicle, spotting the older woman reading her book at the table.

"Hi." Carol smiled warmly at her but instantly frowned at seeing the state she was in. "Are you ok, you look like you've been crying."

"So do you." Rhiannon spoke, eyeing her with the same curiosity she was giving her.

Carol sighed, closing her book. "I'm guessing the talk with your Dad didn't go as planned."

"It went just as well as I expected." She sat across from her, her hands fidgeting on the tabletop. "I told him everything. Things I thought I'd never tell anyone."

"You didn't have to do that for us." Carol spoke softly, grabbing her hand gently.

Rhiannon closed her eyes tightly. It was like being with her mother. She hadn't had this kind of comfort since before her mom died. She never let herself get close to Anette like this, she was so bitter and angry at her dad, she did everything in her power to resist the woman. But Carol was so caring and sweet and Rhiannon was fed up with pushing people away, it always did her no good.

"Yes I did. We need you, all of you, to protect this place. He just doesn't understand that."

Carol smiled sadly at the young woman, squeezing her hand in hers. She didn't have any words of comfort for her, she would take the outcome no matter what it was. She obviously didn't want to leave the farm but she wasn't going to fight their decisions.

"Still, I can't imagine how horrible it was for you to bring that up again and you did it for us. We'll never be able to repay you for what you've done for us, for me. You don't even know my Sophia but you're risking your life for her when you don't have to." Carol spoke softly, momentarily fearing she'd respond the same way Daryl had at her suggesting to stop the search for her daughter.

Rhiannon couldn't help but feel extremely shy at Carol's words. She'd never been good at receiving compliments which made her career as a dancer sometimes unbearable. She never expected those feelings to come back during the fucking apocalypse.

"You don't need to repay me, I'm just doing the human thing. The world went to shit, doesn't mean we have to too."

Carol felt herself smile. She couldn't have been more thankful for finding the farm and the people on it. Rhiannon was surely someone you wish you had on your side, especially during this never ending fight. She was fighting so hard for them.

The scene at the barn ran through her head making her smile fall. The hand that was holding hers gently moved up her arm, turning it slightly so Carol could see the scrape on her elbow. Her breathing hitched at the dried blood she saw. "Are you ok?"

Carol was probably the only one Rhiannon was ok with asking her the question. She was the only one that knew about her abusive ex boyfriend and her own personal experiences made her the perfect person to talk to about this, but it still wasn't enough to persuade her to talk about the flashbacks she got when Shane had manhandled her.

"It freaked me out but I'm ok." She shrugged, not wanting to make a big deal of it. She certainly didn't want to tell Carol the dark secrets of a certain group member.

The older woman was very perceptive though, she'd noticed how tentative Rhiannon became around Shane and how she'd avoid eye contact with him, or even standing in close proximity to him. Carol hadn't known her long but she'd seen how she interacted with everyone, how bubbly and sweet she was with everyone and so willing to help. But with Shane she was a completely different person.

"What's going on between you two?"

Rhiannon was startled at her question. "What do you mean?" She asked hesitantly, stalling so she could find the proper words to divert the conversation without being too obvious that she was hiding something.

"Don't give me that." Carol's tone shocked her. "I know something happened between you and Shane. Everyone can see it, they're just too polite to ask and I'm pretty sure Glenn and T-Dog are scared of you."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes, a slight smirk on her face. "Damn, Carol. I didn't give you enough credit."

"Did he hurt you?" The joking aura around them dissipated, their moods turning serious once again. Carol eyed her carefully. After she'd discovered her scars, she didn't want to overstep her boundaries more than she already had but if someone she knew was hurting her, she couldn't sit back and let it happen.

"No." Rhiannon spoke monotonously, clearly lying.

Carol sighed in frustration but decided to let it go, she knew if anyone were to ask her about Ed, she'd clam up and say nothing. She knew how she hated it when people pushed her so she wasn't going to do that to Rhiannon.

"Alright, your turn." Carol looked at her in confusion. "I told you why I was crying, now it's your turn."

Carol sighed, removing her hands from Rhiannon's and folding them in her lap. "Daryl snapped at me." She shook her head at how ridiculous she sounded, like a little girl who had been yelled at by her father.

"What happened?" Rhiannon asked in concern. An angry Daryl was never a good thing. She'd gotten pretty good at dealing with him, they hadn't yelled at each other in a couple of days and she'd actually considered them friends but if she sought him out while he was having a tantrum that could quickly change.

"I told him he shouldn't keep risking his life...that he should stop looking." Carol looked down at her lap, too ashamed to see the disappointed look that was sure to be on Rhiannon's face.

"Carol...look at me." Rhiannon urged her until she finally looked up at her. "I can't even imagine how hard this is for you and I hate that you had to hear Shane spout his bullshit-"

"It's not bullshit. She's been gone for weeks. She won't know how to look for food or shelter, there are walkers everywhere - there's no chance of us finding her alive! I don't want you and Daryl getting killed looking for a ghost."

Rhiannon sighed, slumping back in her seat. "I'm guessing Daryl didn't take that too well."

Carol shook her head, wiping a few tears that had fallen. "He hurt himself and stormed out, I don't know where he went."

The pair sat in silence, neither knowing what to say to the other. Rhiannon didn't like the fact that yet another person didn't believe they'd find the child, especially her own mother but she honestly couldn't blame Carol for losing hope. It truly would be easier for her to accept the grief instead of continuing to be let down day after day after every failed search.

"You must think I'm the worst the mother."

Rhiannon shook her head. "Carol, stop." She saw the mother put her head in her hands, barely holding on. It made her chest tighten watching her so distraught. "No offence but you're a mess right now. I don't think an uncaring mother would be acting like this."

Carol let the side of her mouth quirk up, she really did feel like a mess and it was so refreshing to actually hear someone admit it and not coddle her like the others had been doing.

"Look, I understand that you don't want us getting hurt, you'd feel like it was your fault. But honestly, I'm not gonna stop looking for her, no matter how much you tell me to stop. This is my decision and if anything were to happen to me it would be because I chose to go out there. It's not on you."

"Thank you." The older woman whispered. Rhiannon was honest with her and it made her respect the young woman even more. She suddenly seemed to sober, remembering the other group member who she'd offended earlier. "You should talk to Daryl. You're the only he'll listen to."

Rhiannon blushed, her mouth moving with silent words she couldn't find. Carol smirked at her.

"You two are close, don't deny it." Carol told her simply. "You should have seen him last night, he was so worried about you."

Rhiannon blushed even harder. She moved her head to the side, hoping her hair would cover it but the small laugh she heard from Carol meant she'd been unsuccessful. She quickly stood, playing with the hem of her shirt.

"Look, whatever Shane's done, whatever happened in the past, I can assure you that won't happen again, not with Daryl around, and certainly not with me around. He's rough around the edges but he would never hurt you."

Rhiannon felt a lump in her throat. Carol really did remind her of her mom, the one she'd lost so long ago. "Why do you care so much?"

Carol stood, grabbing her hands in hers. "Because you remind me of the person I wanted to be. You've been hurt but you're so strong. I wish I could have left Ed and allowed myself to find happiness. You're what I wished I could have been."

Rhiannon threw her arms around Carol, holding her tightly. A small, delighted laugh left the older woman and she wrapped her arms around her. They hugged each other, both of them enjoying the comfort they so desperately needed. Eventually they let go, knowing their bond had solidified.

"I'll try and find him. You should be expecting an apology soon."

Carol laughed. "Good luck with that."

Rhiannon gave her one last smile before exiting the RV. She took in a deep breath, looking out at the acres of trees in front of her, wondering where the redneck could have gone.

Suddenly it was like a light bulb had gone off in her head. A wide grin stretched out her cheeks. She knew exactly where he was.

Daryl sat in front of the Cherokee Rose, enjoying the solitude he'd been eager to find the last couple of weeks. His crossbow lay beside him, ready to grab if he needed it. The conversation with Carol rattled him, he felt his fists clenching just thinking about what she'd said to him. He didn't understand how she could turn her back on her own daughter.

He was still so fucking furious after what Shane had done to Rhiannon and Carol had come at the wrong time. A low growl left his lips as he thought about the asshole ex-cop. He always knew he was a slimy bastard but now he was the number one threat he had to watch out for. Walkers be damned, Shane was top of the list.

Soft footsteps were heard behind him. He quickly grabbed his bow, aiming it at the potential threat. His tense shoulders deflated at the sight of the small blonde that hadn't left his mind all day. He put his weapon down, as she walked closer to him, an amused smile on her face at how jumpy he'd been.

"The fuck you doin' here?" He asked, sounding more like an asshole than he'd intended to.

"Carol told me what happened." Her amused smile was gone when she realized he wasn't in a good mood and she was dealing with the Daryl she'd first met, the one who would do anything to push her away. But she refused to let him go that easily.

Daryl watched her cautiously, noticing how serious she was. "How'd you find me?"

She walked closer to him, sitting herself down in front of the flowers the way he'd been doing before she found him. He stayed motionless for a moment before finally giving in. He sat on the ground next to her, both of them looking forward.

"I figured you come here, to see the roses." She shrugged, absolutely oblivious to the swirl of emotions Daryl was feeling. She knew exactly what he'd been thinking and knew what he needed to calm down, it made him feel like he was suddenly drowning at the knowledge that she'd been thinking like him and had actually gotten it right.

There was an obvious connection between them, he couldn't deny it. It made his palms sweat, having thoughts in his head he'd never dream of having. It scared him to no end so he did what he did best, push until they left.

"Why'd you come?" He spoke tersely, not allowing himself to spare a glance at her. He'd definitely crack if he saw her doe-like brown eyes that absolutely floored him every time she looked at him.

"Just wanted to talk." She shrugged, glancing at him. He refused to look at her, and stared straight ahead.

"What makes you think I wanna talk to you?"

Rhiannon narrowed her eyes at him, noticing how cold he was being towards her. Granted, Daryl was never a particularly warm person to be around but he sure as hell wasn't always this much of an ass.

"I just wanna make sure you're ok. Carol said you hurt yourself."

"Yeah? That bitch tell you she don't wanna find her daughter?"

Rhiannon grit her teeth, this was like a serious case of deja vu. Their first day together, Daryl had been rude and she'd lost her patience, yelling at him right back. She tried her hardest not to let that happen again, they'd get nowhere if they were just arguing back and forth like children.

"You know how hard this is for her. She just doesn't want to see you hurt, she can't lose anyone else."

Daryl rolled his eyes. "I ain't nothin'. Not worth savin' over her daughter."

Rhiannon's frustration dissipated at his words. Did he really think no one cared about him? She sighed, turning her body so she was facing him but he still didn't look at her. "It's not a choice of you or Sophia. Carol's just accepting the fact that her chances aren't great."

"You fuckin' serious? Thought you were different than those other pricks." He snapped at her, standing up from his spot on the ground. He felt genuinely hurt that she thought Sophia was gone. She was always spouting off about hope and she had been out there looking for the little girl just as much as he had. So what changed?

"I'm not saying she's dead!" She yelled, standing up to face him. He finally looked at her, noticing the desperation on her face. "I told Carol I'm still gonna look for her."

Daryl's face softened, his glare disappearing. "You still wanna find her?" His voice was quiet, more vulnerable than she'd ever heard it.

"Yeah, I do. And as soon as this barn shit is taken care of we'll go out and look for her."

He nodded and bashfully looked down at his feet, embarrassed that he'd acted so emotional in front of her. She walked towards him, now standing right in front of him. She placed her hand on his arm. He immediately tensed, her close proximity making him more nervous than he thought was possible.

"You should go." He said coldly. It would be so much easier if they weren't friends, if he didn't have to talk to her and end up liking her even more. Daryl Dixon did not do relationships, he barely even talked to woman, let alone ones that actually cared about him, ones he could actually have an enjoyable conversation with.

Rhiannon's face hardened. Her grip on his arm tightened, keeping him from walking away. He shrugged her off, his glare boring into her. Goddamn, why won't this girl just let it go?

"I told you to stop that." She snapped at him through gritted teeth. "You can't just push people away because they care about you. You have to accept the fact that you're part of the group and people actually give a shit about you."

Daryl just stared at her blankly, he had nothing to say because in his mind it wasn't true.

Rhiannon had a conflicted look on her face, like she didn't know whether or not to even try and get through to him. She sighed. This was Daryl, of course she needed to try. He made her feel things, things she thought she felt for a certain ex before he went crazy.

But Daryl was different and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't ignore what he made her feel or how right it felt to being with him.

"I know what it's like to feel like you don't deserve the trust or affection people give you. But you don't get to decide what other people feel for you." She told him angrily, poking him in the chest making him stumble a few steps back.

A lump formed in her throat. She thought of her father and sisters, Patricia and Otis, the people who never failed to be there for her even when she didn't particularly want them to be. They all tried so hard to be there for her but she'd always refused their advances. She wanted to be the one to fix her own problems.

After the terrible things she'd done as a kid, which led her straight to boarding school, she never understood how her father could still love her so dearly and care for her like he did. She didn't understand why Maggie and Beth looked up to her, but they did. She couldn't control what they felt for her but she sure as hell didn't know why.

Her cheeks held a faint blush at what she'd just revealed to the hunter in front of her. She swallowed and took a step back from him after realizing how close they'd gotten. She didn't mean to be so personal but it just slipped out in hopes that he'd finally understand that he wasn't alone.

Too bad, asshole, I care about you, is what she really wanted to say but she was far too sober for that.

He looked at her in bewilderment, he couldn't believe that she felt like that. In his eyes, she deserved everything in the world she wanted. She was so good and pure all the while going through shit that made life hell for her.

That was the difference between the two of them - Daryl had a shitty childhood and therefore acted like a dick to everybody. Rhiannon on the other hand, became a person that gave until she had nothing left to make up for what she'd done in her childhood.

"You think those people give a shit 'bout me?" Daryl asked bitterly. No matter what Rhiannon said, it would never be enough to convince him that he mattered to the group. Sure he hunted and brought food back and he was a strong fighter but that didn't mean they were eager to sit around the fire with him and have a nice chat. Just the thought of that made Daryl sneer in disgust.

"Yeah, they do. I do too." Rhiannon said shyly though she refused to look away from him. She noticed how vulnerable he seemed in this moment. It wasn't her time to be shy, she had to make him realize.

"Why?" He was barely able to get out the word, his throat felt like it was constricting, like he wasn't able to breathe. He had to give her credit, he was nowhere near confident enough to tell people what he really thought. Yet another reason why he was so drawn to her.

"Because you're flawed and you don't try to hide it and you don't make me feel like shit for being flawed too."

Daryl finally looked up at her, their eyes meeting in an intense stare. It was like a challenge of who would look away first. Rhiannon finally did, casting her gaze to the ground and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Something she does when she's nervous, Daryl had noticed.

She cleared her throat, finally gaining the courage to speak once again. "You're not gonna ask about what I said?"

She really didn't want him to ask about why she said she didn't deserve people's trust but judging by the look he had on his face when she'd said it, he was curious.

Daryl shook his head, looking down at his feet. "You didn't ask me 'bout my scars." He shrugged, wishing he could turn and walk away the second he mentioned them. "Shit happens that you don't wanna bring up."

Rhiannon smiled shyly at him. Damn him, she thought to herself. It was usually so easy to ignore or hide how she felt for him because she doubted he even knew what flirting was but he was really making it difficult now.

Daryl felt the exact same way. It was easy to just ignore how smitten he was becoming with her but she'd once again proved herself to be loyal, someone that didn't scare easy, no matter how much he lashed out. She was someone who could talk him off the ledge, probably the only person that could who Daryl wouldn't hold a grudge against.

She was becoming a constant in his life while at the same time becoming something so unfamiliar to Daryl. He'd never had these strange feelings before, he just avoided women all together, well, mostly all people. But she was slowly cracking his shell and he found that he actually didn't mind. He liked talking to her, he liked spending time with her, hell, he actually found it amusing when she teased him. He liked to give her a hard time because he knew she could handle it and give it right back to him without getting upset or taking it the wrong way.

"C'mon, I wanna show you something."

Rhiannon grabbed his hand, a wide smile on her face at noticing the shocked look on his face as he looked down at their hands that held each others. The pair walked in silence, their hands still locked together as they made their way through the trees. Daryl swallowed thickly. He didn't even pay attention to where she was taking him and the thought of walkers was the last thing on his mind. All he could think about was her hand in his and the way her soft skin felt against his rough, worked hands.

He didn't know how long they were walking for, he literally couldn't concentrate on anything else but her.

They soon arrived at a small lake with a worn down dock that half leered into the water. Rhiannon finally let go of his hand, much to Daryl's disappointment, and stepped onto the dock. A loud creaking sound was heard under the weight of her feet, breaking the peaceful silence that surrounded them.

Daryl panicked slightly and grabbed her arm, pulling her back to the grassy ground. Now it was Rhiannon's turn to look shellshocked. His protective nature made butterflies erupt in her belly.

All of her other boyfriends were never caring like that, some of them were even more self destructive than she was.

She suddenly tensed, realizing she was comparing Daryl to her previous boyfriends. Jesus, if he was inside my head right now he'd run for the hills.

"I used to come here a lot before I moved." She said, moving around to the other side of the lake where the large bushes of flowers were. Daryl followed silently, yelling at himself to keep his eyes above her head and not any lower. That was certainly a dangerous game.

"There's no houses for miles so no one really cared who got to use it." She suddenly laughed, a bright sound that could make any man, no matter how jaded, smile like he was the happiest man on the planet. "I used to sneak out at night to go swimming. Maggie caught me once and blackmailed me into taking her the next time I went."

Daryl eyed her thoughtfully, noticing the somber expression on her face as she mentioned her family. Her eyes held the same sad look as when she'd mentioned the affection she didn't think she deserved.

"I was like that with Merle."

Rhiannon looked up at him with wide eyes, shocked that he'd bring up his lost brother. The last time they had a conversation about him it didn't end well.

"I wanted to do everythin' he was doin'. Drove him crazy." Daryl smirked, remembering how riled up Merle would get when he would follow him around with the other kids in the neighbourhood.

Rhiannon smiled at him. "Well thank god you didn't turn out like him." She joked.

Daryl felt like he'd been electrocuted, like his whole body had been resuscitated from a long coma. He'd gone through his whole life thinking he was a carbon copy of his brother, although he wasn't exactly the ladies man that he was and he certainly didn't touch some of the drugs his brother had been using. But he thought he was just as much of a redneck asshole as Merle was.

But to hear Rhiannon say it, and so casually, like it was so simple to understand, it made him feel like maybe things were different. He was finally thinking differently and it was like seeing in colour for the first time.

It wasn't so often that Daryl was paid a compliment and it was even less often that he actually believed it. But coming from the young blonde in front of him who smiled at him so genuinely, it was impossible not to believe it.

What the fuck is she doing to me?, He thought to himself. In fear or excitement, he didn't know yet.

"Why'd you wanna show me this place?" He asked, looking around the area. It was beautiful but he didn't understand why she'd been so eager to show him.

"This." She pointed to the thicket of green in front of them where multiple Cherokee roses bloomed. "This place always had the most roses, I wanted to make sure it was still here. It might be stupid but I think it's a sign."

"It ain't stupid." He told her simply, no coldness or hostility in tone whatsoever. He was just Daryl now, the real Daryl, someone Rhiannon was finally glad to see. "We're gonna find her."

Rhiannon nodded, "I know we will." She couldn't help the triumphant smile that grew, she knew she could get through to Daryl and she was damn proud that she could. She suddenly turned to him, making him look down at her. Their height difference was surely comical. "You should bring Carol here."

Daryl suddenly felt embarrassed that Rhiannon knew about his outburst and what he'd said to Carol. He regretted how he'd talked to her but he was just still so mad at Shane, he would've lashed out to anyone, she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Rhiannon noticed his body language, he was even more closed off than normal. She winced, hoping they hadn't just taken five steps backwards.

"She's scared." She assured him, making him look at her while he chewed on his thumbnail, a nervous tick she'd noticed. "You should show her the flowers, give her back the hope she lost."

Daryl nodded at her, trying desperately to ignore the pull he felt in his chest. "Thanks." He mumbled almost shyly.

Rhiannon didn't smile, she knew Daryl was still beating himself up about what happened. And the fact that they still hadn't found Sophia was a big blow to his confidence, not that he had much in the first place.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up too much. We're all going out of our minds here, you aren't the only one who needs to let off a little steam."

"I was a dick." He said harshly, running a hand through his growing hair.

Rhiannon shrugged. "We can all be a little dickish sometimes, that doesn't make you special."

Daryl snorted and nudged her lightly with his arm. He felt himself smile at her but quickly stopped it before she could see him so elated by her.

"C'mon, we should get back." She motioned with her head and they began to walk, Daryl slightly behind her, his hands clutching his bow tightly. He was now more aware of his surroundings and was ready to protect her if he needed to. Not that she really needed it, it was more for his benefit.

Rhiannon raked a hand through her long hair, tangled by the wind. That was when Daryl noticed the red skin on her elbow. His hand shot out like a bullet, latching onto her arm tightly. She jumped, startled by his touch.

Daryl stared at the irritated skin, his nostrils flaring in anger as he took in a deep breath, trying to calm the raging bull inside of him. "I'm gonna fucking kill him." He growled.

Rhiannon put her hands on his arms, stopping him. "Daryl, you can't. If he knows you know he'll flip out."

"I don't give a shit!" He yelled in her face. "Can't let him do this to you."

"He's not gonna do anything to me." Rhiannon hissed at him, feeling her patience beginning to waver. They just talked about this a couple of nights ago, she thought they were on the same page but clearly not.

"Damn right he won't. 'M not gonna let him touch you, not again." Daryl looked into her eyes. The brown orbs mesmerized him, he didn't even notice how close they were, or how he was still holding onto her arm tightly.

"I know you won't."

Daryl shook his head, taking a few steps back from her as he began to pace. He blamed himself. Shane knocked her down, hurt her right in front of him. He was powerless to stop it and he just watched it happen. The fear he saw in her eyes haunted him, it was like a knife in the chest.

"Daryl, just stop."

"No! Rhiannon, he hurt you, in front of everyone. What the hell's he gonna do when he gets you alone?"

The eldest Greene felt her breathing hitch. She'd only ever heard him say her name a couple of times but it sparked something inside her each time. When some people spoke her melodic name it was like dripping honey, but when he said it it was gruff, like a low growl and she loved it.

"I'm not going near him, I won't let him get close." Rhiannon said confidently. Daryl stared at her, his chest heaving with each breath.

She doubted anything she said would calm him down so she decided to do something she hadn't done before. She walked in front of him and wrapped her arms around his waist - she would have had to go on her tiptoes to get her arms around his neck and that would just be embarrassing. She felt him tense against her but she didn't relent, her arms stayed wrapped around him tightly.

Daryl was frozen like a marble statue. His hands hovered in the air, uncertain of where to place them. He slowly lowered them, trying to ignore the way they trembled slightly. He placed his hands on her back, holding her in a lose grip that paled in comparison to the tight hold she had on him.

He wasn't as uncomfortable as he thought he would be. He couldn't remember the last time he hugged someone, and a drunk Merle didn't count. It was probably his mom while she sang that song she loved. Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night and wouldn't you love to love her?

His palms began to sweat as his nerves seemed to reach their peak. Her head rested against his chest, he found it adorable how small she was but it also scared him half to death. He couldn't imagine someone as small as her fighting off walkers. But somehow she managed. She was an enigma to him, someone so complex and surprising.

The scent of her fruity shampoo invaded his senses. He swore he started to feel lightheaded. He coughed slightly as she pulled away slowly. She craned her neck to look up at him, a small smile on her face.

Daryl looked like a nervous wreck. He avoided eye contact and instead looked down at his boots. The sound of her light laugh made him close his eyes. God dammit would she just stop it already? He felt like he'd embarrassed himself enough for one day.

"Come on, Tinman." Rhiannon said, grabbing his hand once again.

Daryl couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. Leave it to her to crack a joke at the height of his anxiety. He couldn't deny it though, it worked. He calmed down instantly, so relieved she didn't dwell on the moment they just had.

"Right behind you, Tink."

Rhiannon looked back at him with shocked amusement. Did he really just make a joke? She laughed and shook her head. Once again feeling pleased with herself that the big bad Daryl Dixon had a nickname for her and she was starting to love it.

He let her lead him back to camp, her hand still held tightly in his. For the first time in a long time it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He wished he could stay in this moment forever.

Being with her was comforting. Which was a feeling he never had with anyone.

Sorry for the late update! I'm going on a trip soon and planning is very stressful. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. There's more Daryl fluff coming and well, you know what else is coming. ALSO… little spoiler alert... First kiss coming soon! AHHH

Thanks for the reviews, you guys make my day! xx