Chapter 14

Daryl could not believe he was counting down the days until he could call Gabrielle again. He felt like a fucking teenager. Should her call her on a Friday again, but what if she went out? What about Wednesday or Thursday? Is that too soon?

"I am fuckin' pitiful," he said aloud. Good thing he was home or people would be looking at him weird. He decided he would try her on Friday again, early evening and just hope that she was around.

He opened the refrigerator to make something to eat, but realized there really wasn't anything worthwhile in there. Daryl grabbed his helmet and took off on his bike off to grab some take out. He'd do some food shopping another day.

The bike was flying down the road on his way to a place where he could get some fried chicken, when all of a sudden he heard sirens coming up behind him. Daryl looked into his mirror and saw a police car was pulling him over. "Fuck. I wasn't going that much over the speed limit," he growled as he pulled the bike over.

Daryl got off the bike and removed his helmet before turning to greet the cop. He kept his hands in plain sight. Over the years he had learned a thing or two about dealing with police. He thought those stupid days where behind him.

The door opened on the police car and the deputy stepped out. He walked over to Daryl in full police mode complete with sunglasses and his hand near his gun. He looked formidable and serious. "License and registration please, sir."

"Knock it off Grimes," Daryl laughed.

Rick kept up the act. "You were going 50 in a 35 miles per hour zone, sir. Did you realize you were speeding? That's an automatic $100 ticket. I take cash."

"Fuck you Grimes! The most you're getting out of me is a beer. Take it or leave it."

A smile came across his face. "I'll take a rain check. Can't drink on duty. Where ya headed?"

Daryl had laid low with his friends these past few months. He and Rick had gotten together a time for two, but he was letting the newlyweds have time to themselves, plus he needed that for himself too. Gabrielle had him so mixed up, that he wasn't feeling very sociable, and since he wasn't the most social guy to begin with, his going out became non-existent.

"Going to pick up something to eat, what about you, besides pulling over innocent drivers?"

"About to go on dinner break. And you were doing 50 in a 35. Buy me dinner and we'll call it even," Rick told him with a grin.

"Ain't that bribery or sumthin'?" Daryl laughed. "Sure, man, where do you wanna go?"

They both decided on the Chicken Hut where Daryl was already headed, but they would grab a table instead of take out. Rick called in he was on Code 7 and they both took off to get dinner.

They spread out two identical meals on the table – three pieces of friend chicken, mashed potatoes, a biscuit and a large Coke. They did very little talking as they downed their dinner, both men were really hungry.

Rick asked a few innocent questions of Daryl. How's the new job going? Was the new motorcycle worth the money? Michonne wanted him to come to dinner one night next week as Rick was back on days, so Daryl told him any day was fine.

"Have you heard from Gabrielle?" Rick finally asked.

"How long you been waiting to ask that?"

"About three weeks. Michonne is nagging me to call you, but I told her it's none of our business," he said with a smirk.

"If it ain't your business, why'd ya ask?"

"Cause I'm more afraid of my wife than I am you," Rick laughed.

"You got that right!" Daryl said laughing too. Daryl realized how much he had missed his friend.

"I ain't sure what's going on to tell you the truth. I never heard from her or any lawyer and I was sure she'd have me signing papers as soon as possible. After a full integration, Michonne finally gave me her phone number. You should get you wife to questions suspects, she's brutal."

"Tell me about it!" Rick responded.

"Anyway, it took a few days to work up the courage to call her. It's fucked up, Rick. I have no idea if I want a divorce, but I barely know her. It's like I wanna give it a try or sumthin' but we live in two different damn worlds. Friday night I had a six pack under my belt so I gave her a call. Third time I finally left a message. Hour later she called me back." Daryl stopped talking to finish his soda.

"And?"

"You're a nosy son-of-a-bitch, ain't ya?" Daryl was having fun making Rick wait. He opened the plastic lid on the cup and started chomping on the ice inside. Rick gaze him a glare that probably had most of his suspects shitting in their pants, but it didn't faze Daryl. "We talked for an hour on the phone and she never brought up the divorce. How fucked up is that?"

Rick thought a moment. His friend was certainly in a weird place. Michonne was hoping they would work this out as she was confident that they belonged together, but Rick wasn't convinced. Gabrielle had to change her ways before she hurt Daryl again.

"You gonna talk to her again?"

A big smile came across Daryl's face. He just couldn't help it. "Yep, callin' her again on Friday."

Rick just shook his head. His friend had it bad. He had only seen Daryl like this about a woman once before. In high school Daryl got excited that the girl he had asked out to a dance had actually said yes. That was Sherri Ann Parker and Daryl was crazy about her. At the dance he found out that she agreed to go with him on a dare to her friends. Take the white trash redneck to the big dance and then dump him in front of everyone kind of dare. It was nothing but a joke to her. Daryl stormed out of the gymnasium and wouldn't talk to anyone for days. That was the last time Rick saw him worked up about a girl, until Gabrielle.

"Just be careful, man. Okay?"

Daryl glanced down at the remnants of his dinner before looking back at his best friend. "Man, I have no idea what I'm doing and she don't either. At least I don't think so."

Rick's radio came to life and he answered that he was available. "Gotta go. Thanks for dinner," Rick said cleaning up his meal.

"I'll remember all it takes to bribe cop is a chicken dinner. Go, I got this." Rick thanked Daryl and took off with lights and sirens. Daryl took a longer route home, enjoying the peaceful ride on his motorcycle. God, he loved this bike. He had yet to talk to his brother who still knew nothing about his current life. As much it would be nice to share it with him, it would only end badly. Merle would want to borrow money, move in, take the bike out or all of them combined. That was a major disaster waiting to happen.

Daryl parked the bike in his spot and headed inside to his apartment. He grabbed a beer out of the fridge and saw the small calendar he had taped to the door. It was Tuesday. He had to wait three more days to talk to her. It was going to seem endless.

But he made it.

Daryl had picked up a pizza on his way home on Friday and forced down two slices. Normally, he could eat almost the whole thing, but his nerves were starting to kick in. He waited until it was a little after seven thirty and he dialed.

Gabrielle made it home by six thirty tonight. A couple of the girls from work asked her to join them at happy hour at a bar they tended to frequent after work, but she declined. Daryl hadn't called her all week, so she was thinking that since last week he called on a Friday, he would do the same tonight. She hoped he would. She waited all week to hear from him again.

All she could do was pick at the salad she had made, but she wasn't very hungry. Maybe when the butterflies in her stomach calmed down, she could eat. Suddenly her cell phone rang. Gabrielle ran to the counter where she had left it and saw it was Daryl. Finally!

She answered the call on her way to the sofa. Her favorite corner was waiting for her. "Hi," she said softly.

"God, she sounded so sexy just saying hi," Daryl thought. "Hey, how you doing?"

Once again they talked about their week, their jobs and Daryl finally told her about his new motorcycle. He explained about the inheritance he had received from Rick's parents and that lead into all sorts of questions and explanations. Daryl, who always hated talking on the phone, was the one who did the majority of talking tonight. He told Gabrielle how he came to live with Rick's family. He was completely honest about this childhood. He didn't have anything to hide. If he stood any chance with her, she needed to know what it was like being Daryl Dixon. The only thing he didn't tell her was about the scars on his back. He didn't want her pity.

Gabrielle asked about his brother and why didn't they get along anymore. She was soaking up all of this information about him like a sponge. By the time Daryl had told her pretty much his entire life, it was going on ten o'clock. They had been on the phone for hours. He had never talked so much in his life or felt at ease talking about growing up in the hellhole he did as he did with Gabrielle.

They both knew it was time to call it a night and still neither of them had brought up the subject of their marriage. "Well, I guess we should say goodnight," Gabrielle reluctantly told him.

"Princess, I am all talked out. I think I talked more tonight than I did in all of last year," he laughed.

"You are a man of few words at times," she agreed. "Next week?" She said a silent prayer that he would say yes.

"Yeah, definitely next week," he said. Thank God she wanted him to call her again.

"Goodnight Mr. Dixon."

"Night, Mrs. Dixon."

They both hung up at the same time. Sooner or later they were going to have to talk about what they were going to do. Daryl hadn't meant to remind her that it was still hanging over their heads. It just sounded nice to say to her...Mrs. Dixon.

Fuck, he was such a goner.