A/N: Alright, so here's the next chapter. I'm trying to hurry things along a bit, so sorry if this is all starting to feel a bit rushed. Anyways, thanks to those of you who've reviewed, and here's hoping you enjoy this chapter.
Jesse was exhausted. To think that a little bit more than two hours ago, she'd been drinking it up with Daryl in a nice, air-conditioned room, relaxing for the first time in months.
Speaking of drinking... Real sobriety – not the adrenaline-spurred clarity from earlier – was starting to set in, or at least the hangover. Now that they were finally stopping, finally slowing down, her head was starting to pound in time with the throbbing of her ankle, and the dry mouth was starting to set in.
"All I found in the kitchen was this," Shane said grimly, stalking back into the small room.
"And the infirmary wasn't much better; they ripped the doors off the hinges. These were the only things left," Rick added, lightly tossing a bag of cough drops to his wife.
"Great, we came back for garbanzo beans, an' cough drops," Daryl snorted. "Nothin' ta wrap her ankle with?"
Rick shook his head sadly, walking over to his wife.
Jesse sighed, pulling her leg off of Daryl's knee. "I'll be fine. No worries."
It was late; how late, Daryl wasn't sure, as he took a small swallow from the wine bottle. He was maybe an hour in to his four hour watch, and in that hour, he'd managed to down a good third of the bottle.
"Ya know, my uncle Toby always said drinkin' alone was a good way ta find ya self puttin' a bullet in ya head."
Daryl chuckled as Jesse limped her way over to the staircase he was sitting on, and slowly lowered herself down next to him.
"Ya uncle must a done a hell of a lot a drinkin', ta come up with all these rules. An' ya ankle ain't gonna be 'fine' if ya keep walkin' on it. I ain't draggin' ya 'round 'gain," He said roughly, as he offered her the bottle.
They had sat in silence, passing the bottle back and forth, back and forth, in some sort of… easy peace, Daryl supposed was the only way to describe it. As much as he hated to admit it, the little midget was sort of growing on him. Or at the very least, she wasn't annoying him as much as the rest of the group did. Most times, anyways.
"Ya know… M'sorry 'bout… 'bout teasin' ya, I guess. I uh… Sorry if it makes ya uncomfortable."
The sudden noise made Daryl startle a bit, but not as much as the girl's words did.
"It don't make me uncomfortable," He muttered, knowing how stupid it was to say, given how red his face felt. "It uh… It jus' ain't right. I mean… You uh… ya a pretty good lookin' girl, an'… ya jus' gotta be careful, ya know? I mean… shit, I'm surprised ya ain't had uh… problems. With guys, ya know? I ain't sayin' ya… I mean… Aw, hell, girly," He sputtered. He'd never been good with words; even as a kid, he'd always been awkward, especially with women.
"Look, I don't need ya lookin' after my 'modesty' or some shit. I 'preciate it, but I can take care a myself."
Daryl snorted. "Yeah, an' ya 'bout the only woman here who can. Hell, half the people we got barely know which end a the knife ta hold."
"Yeah, uh… I picked up on that. Ya know… I really… I really thought 'bout leavin' 'em. But after today… Those kids… Shit, we both know if somethin' happened ta Rick or Shane, those kids would be dead in a day," She said quietly, laying her head on his shoulder.
He froze, his entire body stiffening at the feel of her soft, smooth skin against his own rough, calloused flesh, at the sight of her black hair cascading down over his shirt. Shit. Why the hell…
"Hey. Girly! C'mon."
Jesse grunted as she opened her eyes, and Daryl didn't miss her hand moving towards the knife at her side, before she seemed to snap awake, rubbing at her eyes blurrily.
"I uh… Think I might a had a bit too much ta drink," She grumbled, closing her eyes again.
"Yeah. C'mon, let's get ya back inside. Time ta wake Shane up. Get some shut eye 'fore we head out," He said gruffly, leaning down, and scooping her up in his arms.
"Hey! Put me down," She slurred, and Daryl rolled his eyes as he moved back towards the room the group had holed up in.
"Even if ya weren't drunker than a damn goat, ya shouldn't be walkin' on that leg. Now shut up."
As soon as he'd woken Shane up for his watch, he'd sat down next to Jesse, who'd already fallen back asleep.
Daryl rarely slept laying down anymore; it had become second nature for him to fall asleep sitting up, or even standing on occasion. It was just easier, these days.
He didn't know what possessed him to go back to her. To bed down next to her. That was what had his head reeling. It only sent him into more of a tailspin, when the girl mumbled something in her sleep, rolling over, and pressing her back against his leg. He was starting to regret what he'd thought earlier.
Why the hell was she so damned attached to him all of the sudden? Wasn't like he was any great looker; wasn't like he was exactly a charmer either.
Had to be 'cause they were both the outsiders, he decided, as he stared around the room. Everybody else had somebody. Even if it wasn't family, they still had somebody. A friend, a child, a spouse, a sibling… they all had somebody.
His sibling had been left on a Goddamned roof. Was probably dead by now. He didn't even wanna begin to guess at what the girl had left behind.
Point was, they were the only ones who didn't have somebody.
He'd avoided thinking about what he'd lost; about Merle being gone for good. Mostly 'cause if he did stop to think about it, he knew it'd rip him apart. For the first time in his whole Goddamn life, he was well and truly alone. Merle wouldn't be coming back this time. No reunion, no celebrating his latest release from some correctional facility. He was all by himself. Nobody cared if he lived or died.
He knew what that was doing to him. He didn't wanna think about what it was doing to a damn kid.
He guessed it made sense, in a twisted, weird way. The two loners, the two outsiders, the two people who didn't have anybody pairing together. Looking out for each other, watching their backs.
Could be worse, he supposed, glancing down at the midget, who'd curled herself into a ball against him. At least the kid knew how to take care of herself.