STRANDED PT 2
It happened in the blink of an eye and that poor girl never saw it coming. Even hours later Lana could still hear the echo of Carol Peletier's horrified screams echoing in her ears as well as her own audible gasp and the sickening churn of her stomach as Sophie ran for her life, literally. As the little girl vanished into the woods, Rick took off after her and Lana rolled her eyes when she heard Lori starting to whine about it, begging him not to go.
Daryl shook his head and eyed the woods in concern as he mused quietly, "Least the kid was smart enough ta run."
"Yeah." Lana managed to answer, finding herself rolling where they lie hidden, to face him. This put her body to body and chest to chest with Daryl, their lips almost brushed and if one were to speak suddenly, their lips most likely would brush. Daryl was acutely aware of her body and the way it felt against his and he coughed nervously. He didn't try to move away, he didn't really want to.
He knew they'd never work out, that they didn't stand a chance in hell in a normal world, and this one just might eat them both alive, but for that few minutes, her small curvy frame, the subtle kicks of the baby in her stomach, the way her lips were almost brushing his, it all felt too damn good. It had his mind and body in overdrive. He didn't know how to feel about it or what to do. His arms slid over her body, mostly because he was reaching for his crossbow, it was on the other side of her from where he'd pulled her against him to hide her face just in case Sophia had gotten dragged out and eaten.
Or that was what he was telling himself about both things... He knew otherwise deep down.
It didn't stop him from wanting everything he thought he couldn't have.
"Shhh." his lips might have slightly brushed hers as he muttered quietly, "Gettin upset ain't gon do nothin but upset the kid."
"She's out there and she's only 12, Daryl. I just... If that were my daughter out there..." Lana shivered at the thought. She heard her name being hissed and saw that it was Lori, calling out to her, asking, "You okay?"
Lana gave a thumbs up over her shoulder, not even bothering to fully look at her sister. She couldn't, she didn't want to. It was just too damn hard to do it. She'd gotten over Shane's part in it but her sister, doing this to her a second time, well... It wasn't so easily gotten over. Daryl's arm tightened when the shuffling of feet started past them again and instinctively, Lana buried her face in the sleeveless plaid shirt he wore, just to fight the urge to scream and give away her position, images of Sophia Peletier disappearing into the thick woods at the side of the road with a few Walkers hot on her trail fresh in her mind.
Their lips brushed a second time as Lana spoke and something in her snapped, she pressed herself completely against the stubborn badass who currently had his arms around her and she pulled him into a long and slow kiss that kept her from focusing on the Walker horde as it passed and made his eyes snap open wide. He didn't know how to react at first, but then he started to kiss back, rough fingers tangling in long and soft wavy hair. Lana groaned as she mumbled against his lips, "I... I shouldn't have done that."
Daryl couldn't think of a way to really respond but his entire body and brain were going haywire currently. He did the only thing he could think of doing, that was kissing her back. Before Lana realized what was happening, she was beneath Daryl's body, the weight of him above her, covering her was comforting and reassuring. His lips met hers again and he muttered against her lips, "Don't guess it matters much, Lana." breathlessly.
They were both shocked and stunned when the kiss broke and the Walkers finally managed to make their way away from the group so that the group could come out of hiding. Sliding out from beneath the truck, Daryl was still reeling from kissing her, irritated at himself for hiving done it, and for having liked it when she did it to him first, but he pulled her off the ground and quickly, they made their way over to the others who were all standing at the RV arguing.
"We kin look fer her now, but we ain't got much daylight left." Daryl interjected, surprised when his arm just sort of slipped around Lana, who was looking up at him with a face twisted in a mask of fear. "Rick?" he asked. Rick nodded and Shane spoke up, eying Lana, "The men will go."
The men set off for the woods on the side of the road, Carl taking off with them because Sophia had been his best friend. Lana found Lori behind the RV, vomiting and pale, obviously sick. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Lori snapped, her face softening a little when she asked Lana, "So... Did I see what I think I saw?"
"None of your god damn business, Lori." Lana snapped, defensive and edgy, watching the trees and waiting on Daryl and the others to come back, hoping to hell they'd find Sophia. She walked away from Lori and went to comfort Carol who was still beside herself. "Daryl's the best tracker I've ever seen... I mean he never comes back empty when he's hunting. And Rick won't stop looking until Sophia's found. She can't have gotten far, Carol. She's okay."
Even as she said the words, she wasn't entirely sure of their truth for herself... But Carol only had Sophia left. And Carol had been nothing but good to Lana since the day Lana joined the little group so Lana was trying to give as much comfort to her friend as she could, despite the fact that she knew if the odds were reversed and she were in Carol's shoes, she'd be inconsolable too.
A shiver passed over her again and she hugged herself for a moment before her hand wandered to her stomach... If she lost this baby... She shoved the thought out of her mind quickly. She didn't want to even consider the possibility even though it was a very real and large one. They didn't have doctors at the ready, she didn't have a stress free enviorment.
She did have Daryl and his friendship though.
Maybe if she just believed in that hard enough she and the baby on board would be okay at the end of all this.
CAVEAT LECTOR:
Another chapter posted and I am seriously beyond amazed at this point because I now have 25 reviews 31 favorites and 47 follows. And a special thanks to everyone who's favorited and followed and left r eveiws because they mean the world to me and they keep me encouraged.
Aaaand we have a little kissing action in this chapter. They're that much closer to being an actual thing... And some other big things in store down the road, so yeah... Lots coming their way. Just hope these two can stand up to it all.
