A/N: Last episode was so awesome. My daughter and I squealed so loud when Daryl's arrow saved rick's crazy self. I am luving it and an sure ya all are too.
Thanks so much for your reviews and the favorites. You make my day!
Chapter 12: We Are The Champions
Each step up the tower stairwell became heavier and the closer to the top she got, the more she was tempted to turn back and run away...go ask Carol to do it. But the thought of enduring Carol's smug 'I told you so' look urged her on. With a deep, cleansing breath she turned the door knob.
"Bout Fuckin'' time!" Merle yelled and did a quick toe-tap around the tiny room. "Had to piss in a damn bottle. And now I gotta take a dump sumthin' fierce!" Merle ranted as he also tried to gage just how affected she was by his offensiveness.
"Then go on! Git!" Lane dropped her bag of supplies on the floor, turning back to Merle...her hands on hips, refusing to be cow-towed.
"Then Hurry! And take this with you!" she tossed him the urine filled two liter.
Merle gave her sly glance of grudging approval and then shut the door, finally leaving his brother and Lane alone.
Lane's stomach was in knots as as she stood there and stared at Daryl's back. Her focus was drawn to the tattered angel wings stitched onto the worn leather of his vest. She waited and waited but he still refused to turn around.
Lane had no idea what to do. What was the protocol when the man you loved abandoned you and then returned as if he'd just gone out for a carton of milk? She bit her lip as she wracked her brain for something appropriate to say. Or inappropriate? Anything?
"There's some sandwiches and fruit. And hot coffee." Lane didn't know what else to do or say but still Daryl ignored her.
So Lane just stood there, in silence, and waited for Merle to return. Until she realized how foolish that was. Like Daryl Dixon needed her to be his babysitter"Well, if you need anything else you know what to do..." Lane paused, hating how stilted things were between them. What a difference a day made. Was it really less than 48-hours ago that she'd been in his arms? Woken up in them? With a heavy heart, she opened the door to leave.
"That it? Yer just gonna drop off some food and what? ...run away?" Daryl mumbled his accusation, finally turning around to face her. He knew he wasn't being fair and likely made little sense, but it was all he had. Instinct making him attack.
"So are we actually going to talk to each other?" Lane's hackles were now raised at his tone and she turned around to face him, green eyes ablaze. He had a hell of a nerve. Accusing her of running away?
"And are you Fu... Are you kidding me? You have the nerve to accuse ME of running away?" Lane felt nothing but coldness as she spoke. And she hated it. It felt unnatural...and wrong! She wanted to jump into his arms. "I at least had the guts to face you!"
Daryl felt the sting of her words, as sharp as if she'd actually slapped him. He stepped forward then turned back around. Then back around again. He wanted so many things. To just apologize. To be able to make things right. Except no words came.
"Whatever," Lane had finished waiting and opened the door to leave. He couldn't even talk to her. Which only served to highlight the fact that she'd been so infatuated by him, she'd completely ignored the fact that he would never be able to love her.
Daryl watched her face and he realized he could pinpoint the exact moment she gave up on him. Her green eyes became dull and her shoulders shrugged as she headed out the door.
Lane never heard him approach so she instantly startled the moment she felt his arms around her waist, his strong hands gripping her tightly. He pulled her back from the doorway and kicked the door shut before pressing her back against it.
He swallowed her gasp of surprise by pressing his lips hards against hers at first, then sliding back and forth trying to coax her to open to for him. But she didn't. She just wouldn't. She couldn't. She needed more than sexual need. Her fists balled up futilely against his chest, pushing him away...yet admitting only to her deepest self that she wasn't trying all that hard.
"I'm sorry," he finally stopped, but only to rest his forehead against hers and look at her.
"Nothing to be sorry for. Rick gave you an impossible ulitimatum. He's your brother. And I'm just...a recent acquaintance," Lane turned away, unable to think straight when she looked into his blue eyes. Eyes that seemed to always know when she was lying.
"It was stupid anyway. I was stupid...to think that..." I could have really mattered to you, Lane silently finished to herself. The way that you matter to me.
"Like I said, if you or Merle need anything, you know what to do," Lane slid out of his arms and ran down the stairs, leaving Daryl all alone.
What the hell can I do? The look in her eyes...all full of hurt and betrayal cut him to the quick. It might be better if she hated him...or despised him. But this apathy? That she didn't care enough to even yell at him, or hit him? That he was used to. Hell, that was a half-way decent Friday night while he was a kid. Daryl kicked the shit out of the concrete block wall...right when Merle walked in.
"Figured ya'd be 'makin hot luv' to her by now...not kicking the shit outta that wall!. What the fuck is wrong wit'ya? Even gave ya some extra time, figuring ya was at least capable of two pumps and groan. But instead I find ya here moping like a loser!" Merle started ranting until he found the sandwiches and coffee.
"Damn! Those two lezzies can make a damn fine sandwich. And this has to be the best friggin' coffee I've had in almost a year," Merle dove in and tossed Daryl his sandwich.
"Merle... Take watch." Daryl refused to engage with his brother. He just grabbed his food and settled down on the floor with his own thoughts.
If she had just yelled at him.. Why wouldn't she yell? He wanted her to be hurting as much as he was. But she was doing just fine without him. Hell, hadn't he and the group been near starvation when he'd met her? She found the weapons. Got everyone organized. She didn't need him. She never had.
He wished it was T-Dog with him in the tower. Or Rick or Glenn... Just about anybody other than Merle. What the hell was wrong with him?
-/-
Lane stormed out of the tower feeling furious, but more than that. She felt so lonely and sad. If this was being in love, she was done! All it did was make you miserable and crazy.
She raised her head to check on Tyreese, giving him a quick wave. He waved back but then she caught both begin to gesticulate wildly. She frowned and reached for her walkie just as the loud pounding of bullets started whizzing by quickly followed by the symphony of gunfire.
She dropped to the ground barely in time to roll out of the way, only just escaping the bullets raining down upon her. She scrambled for better cover, quickly removing the safety on her gun and speaking into the walkie.
"Everyone, hold your positions. We have shots fired on the north, but it could be a trap. Michonne tell Carol and tell me what you see!" she tried to sound calm but her hands were trembling. She tried to switch channels according to the list she'd taped on the back of all the walkies, but her fingers just weren't cooperating.
And about that time a large panel van burst through both fenced gates, skidding in the main yard and spinning to a stop.
-/-
"What the fuck is yer gerl doing?" Merle cackled as he watched Lane run towards the van.
"Lane! No!" Daryl screamed at Lane to stop, instinctively grabbing his crossbow along with his guns and heading downstairs.
"She said ta stay put ya dipshit!" Merle yelled at his brother's already retreating back.
"Fuck!" Merle grabbed the semi-automatic with his left hand and kicked the floor in frustration, accepting all he could do now was provide cover.
Daryl raced down the stairs, two at a time to catch up with her. He exited the tower just in time to see Lane running closer towards the van, making sure she maintained cover.
"Nooooo! Wait up Lane! Daryl screamed as he raced towards her, serpentining his way across the field to catch up.
The gunfire kept coming from the perimeter but the towers had finally located the sources of the shots and were providing some decent cover fire. Judging by the frustrated screams they had not anticipated this level of defense.
Merle could just barely make out the Governor who was standing by his truck and watching from a safe distance. He still shot his machine gun wildly towards the prison, but let the real work be done by his lackeys.
Merle eyed the sniper rifle resting in the corner. "I'm comin' fer ya, ya one-eyed Fuck!" Merle threw down his machine gun and steadied the rifle, looking through the scope as his military training came roaring back.
-/-/-
"Oh No!" Lane felt bile rise up when whoever was in the van released the back gate, and some forty or so walkers stumbled out of the truck and into the yard.
She felt Daryl scurry up beside her as they both started picking off the walkers as best they could. It was all the more difficult since they had to worry about getting shot.
In the distance she heard the pissed off, frustrated scream of the Governor and the rat-tat-tat of ever more gunfire. But the towers were doing their job and kept up the pressure so they couldn't breach the fence, at least not without dealing with the walkers they'd just unleashed.
The driver scrambled out and ran for the front, hoping to make it out, bit just as Lane aimed for him, the driver's head exploded and jerked to the side then fell forward in the grass. Lane glanced back to see Merle give her a proud thumbs up.
Merle raised the rifle again to get the Governor back in his sights, but knew from his training that from this distance it was truly a long shot. He squeezed the trigger and saw the Guv flinch, his left shoulder jerking to the side. The Guv's driver managed to shove him into the truck, before Merle could tell how badly he'd been shot.
-/-/-
Before long the only shots being fired any longer were from the prison. Lane could just barely make out the bodies of a few of the Governor's men lying just beyond the railroad tracks. Added to that was the annoying pile of walkers littering their once cleared yard.
"How does it look from up there? Are we clear?" Lane asked the others via the walkie since they had a best vantage point.
"They're either dead or gone," Tyreese's voice came through loud and clear.
"Let's finish cleaning up," she looked at Daryl who was right beside her, and they both began picking off the few remaining walkers left stumbling around.
Michonne ran out to join them and between the three of them they finished off the remnants of the "walker bomb" in short order.
Lane spun away from the gory sight and the damage that had been done. But they'd won! The Governor had brought the fight to their doorstep and still...they'd won. And most importantly with no injuries on their side.
"Thanks ya'll. You all did amazing. I don't know about everyone else but I'm sorely tempted to gather up these walker carcasses and dump them back in downtown Woodbury," Lane spoke into the walkie and stood up to wave to Merle and Tyreese and Sasha who waved their support in return
"You all are amazing! Without each one of you we wouldn't have he..." she barely choked out her last words as her breath whooshed out of her lungs. At the same time a burst of excruciating, burning pain exploded through her stomach just as she was simultaneously hurled forward... face down in the tall grass.
Only Merle saw the Governor's self-satisfied smile through his rifle scope. And, as if he knew Merle could somehow see him, the Governor saluted with a self-satisfied smirk before finally turning and driving away.
-/-
"NOOOOOO!" Daryl screamed and ran to Lane, dragging her limp body back behind the truck for cover. He felt her blood seeping through her clothes, all warm and sticky, as he felt it drip down and saturate his hands.
Merle continued to return fire, providing cover so they could get her inside but he knew it was pointless. The Governor had alteady made his point. He'd be having tea and cookies within the hour.
Merle kept kicking himself over his lapse. He'd been so busy watching his brother and Lane take down those walkers and kicking the Governor's ass, then mentally celebrating. He'd been so prepccupied that he missed that the Guv's white truck doubled back.
