Sadie woke up early, stretching her limbs out as far as they could before rolling over towards the door; a small smirk crept out of the corner of her mouth.
The morning light lit Daryl's sleeping face; the hair on his head was matted to one side, his mouth slightly agape, and his warm breath hitting her face. She felt a lone hand on her waist, heat radiating off it.
She scooted out from underneath his grasp, inducing a small sleepy groan from the man in her bed. Sadie stepped into her pair of panties and shorts and donned Daryl's button down shirt.
Grabbing her pack of cigarettes, she walked out onto the small balcony; hoisting herself up onto the railing; lighting the cigarette and sighing smoke.
"Well, that went well," she joked to herself as dangled her legs over the railing, running last night's events over and over in her head: he hadn't ran, he hadn't laughed, he embraced it.
Finishing her cigarette, she stepped into her shoes and left Daryl sleeping, the sheet lying delicately on his waist.
Making it downstairs successfully, she pushed the screen door open, finally being able to explore the place they had made "home" for the time being. She continued on the dirt path, heading towards the tents.
"Mornin'," a voice startled Sadie.
Carol carried a laundry basket on her hip, smiling quietly.
"Carol," Sadie breathed, "you scared the daylights out of me."
Sadie walked alongside Carol, the two laughing as the rest the camp began to wake and get started with their day.
"Can I help?" Sadie continued to follow Carol to the laundry line.
"Sure," Carol nodded towards Sadie's shirt, "That shirt looks familiar, but I think I've seen it on someone else," she stuck her tongue out as Sadie grabbed her own shirt from the laundry, tucking her own into her belt.
"You've caught me Carol," Sadie raised both her hands over her head.
"Bout time," Carol laughed, pinning a pair of pants on the line.
"OH you!" Sadie cracked up, clapping to herself.
Sadie acknowledged Dale walking past behind her, Lori sliding her boots on before joining the two.
"Can't believe I slept in," Lori mumbled, grabbing random articles of clothing and helping the women.
"You must've needed it," Carol responded, continuing to hang, "Feeling alright?" Carol looked at Lori with concern.
"Next time wake me alright, 'specially on laundry day."
"Sadie and I have been managing fine." Carol shrugged, nodding towards Sadie.
"Someone's got a glow about them," joked Lori, gently nudging Sadie in the hip.
"I do not," Sadie beamed, closing her eyes and crossing her arms.
"Oh I think so," Lori chuckled, "how'd everythin' go last night?"
Sadie's face turned beat red, "I'll give you a wild guess." She finished with a wink.
"Speak of the devil," Lori nodded in the direction of the farm house; Daryl stomped to "their" camp; wearing his discolored wife beater, cargo pants, and boots with a determined look on his face.
Sadie made a face at the pair before heading in his direction, the two meeting under a tree. Sadie stood staring at her shoes for a moment before looking up at the man, the meaning of personal space gone.
"Was wonderin' where mah shirt went," he smirked, reaching out and grabbing at the collar, running it through his thumb and forefinger.
"I didn't want to wake you," Sadie whispered, kicking at ground with her toe.
"Well it woulda' been nice, but it is what it is," he responded, letting go of the shirt and leaned against the tree with one muscular arm.
"So," Sadie trailed off, watching out of the corner of her eyes as Shane and Rick were heading in their direction, she assumed getting ready to look for Sophia again.
"So what?" Daryl asked, then caught the men as the appeared in his vision.
"Where do we stand Daryl Dixon?"
"Well," he adjusted himself, "last time I checked, you told me you loved me, that change?" A smug look crept across his face.
"Not that I'm aware of," she smiled, blushing, "you?"
"Nope," he scratched his head, "Hey, you wanna do somethin' for me?"
"Maybe?" Sadie joked, resting her hands on her hips.
"Kiss me."
"What, right now?" Sadie's heart skipped.
"No, next week- yes right now." He crossed his arms, like a proud child.
"In front of everyone?"
"Seeing as yer mine, and I could give a rat's ass what anyone thinks, yes."
She smiled, rolling her eyes and glancing around before she grabbed his face with both her hands, gently placing her lips on his bottom one, before pulling it with her teeth; eliciting a small hum from his chest.
"I gotta go," he coughed faintly, "see what Rick and Shane are doin', gimme a few minutes."
Sadie lit another cigarette, sitting down at the base of the tree. She watched from afar as Daryl grabbed a long sleeve button up from his tent and continued to the Cherokee where Rick commanded the search. Sadie couldn't help but smile at her current situation, and was wondering why the hell she hadn't done anything about it sooner.
After finishing a second cigarette, she brought back to attention by the man in question who walked passed her, heading towards the barn.
"Where are you goin'?" Sadie shot up, prancing up beside him.
"I'm gettin' a horse, goin' up to the ridge on the grid, look for Sophia."
"Mind if I-"
"No, you're not comin' with Rollins, y'know I do better on my own."
"Oh come on, I can do this, I'm better."
Daryl froze, taking his pointer finger and pushed on her knee.
"OW." She yelped.
"Yeah, you're just peachy." He continued walking, focused on the barn that was a couple yards away.
"Okay, so it's hurt a bit, I want to help, I care about Sophia too!" She wheezed as they entered into the barn, Sadie continuing to follow close to the man.
Daryl continued towards a horse, grabbing the saddle and bit, smiling as he finished quickly. He turned, his eyes landing on a stray hair in front of her face.
"You're not gonna let this go are you?"
"Nope, never." She pouted.
"Come on See," he whispered, stepping closer, "don't be like this."
Sadie stood a moment before standing on her toes, resting her arms on his shoulders as Daryl ran his arms under hers and around her back, lifting her off her feet. She kissed the nape of his neck, before leaning back, and resting her lips his, sighing into his mouth. He bit her bottom lip, sucking gently. Pulling back, Sadie buried her face in his neck, squeezing tightly.
"Come back?" Her voice muffled in his shirt.
"I plan on it," Daryl reassured her, placing her back on the ground, and grabbing the horse by the reins.
"I'll try not to worry," Sadie shrugged, walking beside Daryl to the entrance to the barn.
"Don't, I'd worry about tonight if anythin'," He stopped, hopping onto the horse, crossbow where it always was, a top his shoulder.
"Why should I be worried 'bout tonight?" Sadie looked up, confusion in her eyes.
Daryl leaned down, whispering in her ear.
"You're gonna scream for me, and you're gonna like it..." Daryl growled, smiling wide, riding off, leaving Sadie to blush at the entrance of the barn.
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"SADIE RAE, GET THOSE DIRTY SHOES OFF THE COUCH!"
Eight year old Sadie kicked off her shoes and threw them towards the door, before rushing back to the window, after being outside, standing post at the pile of tires.
"WHAT IN GOD'S NAME ARE YOU DOIN' GIRL?"
Leigh Ann Rollins hollered from the back of the trailer.
"Mama he hasn't gotten home yet, I don't know where he is!"
"Who sugar?"
"Daryl, he's been gone forever and I don't know where he is."
"Hon, just come and eat some food before I go to my shift at the diner."
"But Mama," she pleaded.
"But nothin', you're gonna sit down and eat."
Sadie growled before stomping over the little dinette table, shoveling down the sandwich and bag of chips. She swallowed the can of soda as fast as she could before running back over to the old couch.
Leigh Ann surfaced from her small room, her light robin's egg blue uniform thrown on.
"Sadie Rae, how long has he been missin'?"
"Nine days Mama, he's been gone nine days!"
Sadie wiped her nose on her sleeve as she moped at her mother.
"Well hon, I don't know what to tell you," she rubbed her daughter's back, "Your father's out of town for his job, just go to bed before I get home ya here?"
She leaned down, kissing the top of her daughter's head.
"Okay Ma," she sighed, sitting down on the couch defeated.
Twilight had set in and Sadie had fallen asleep on the couch, after she had nodded off watching cartoons an hour previous.
Next door the screen door slammed, a young voice muttering, clomping and cracking the leaves underneath every step.
Daryl opened the Rollin's screen door, pushing it open wide before letting slam shut.
Sadie shot up from the couch with a puss on her face but managed a one eighty as she jumped from the couch, grinning as she flew into her friend's arms.
He reciprocated, squeezing his friend tight before putting her down.
Sadie smiled before wrenching her fist backward and punching him clean in the arm.
"OWWWWW WHAT THE HECK SEESEE?"
"WHERE WERE YOU?"
"I DUNNO!"
"YOU DON'T KNOW?"
"I GOT LOST."
"I WAS SCARED!"
"WELL I'M HERE NOW AIN'T I?"
"BUT DARYL," Sadie continued to yell.
"STOP YELLIN'" He shouted.
"Okay, sorry." She exasperated.
"OKAY GOOD." He raised his hand, after continuing to yell, "oops, sorry." He laughed.
" I thought you were dead," She whispered, hugging her friend again.
"I'm fine, but…" he trailed off, his face turning a shade of pink.
"But what?" She questioned.
"My ass does itch somethin' awful."
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Sadie tried to keep herself busy throughout the day to distract from the real reason that was weighing in her mind.
"So this is how those girls in the movies are like, sheesh." She had repeated over in her head.
She had ended up in the kitchen, helping out with Lori and Carol as they prepared dinner. Sadie held up the potato peeler with vigor.
"Just call me Princess Potato," she boasted, making the rest of the women laugh, the kitchen sounding like a hen house.
"I'm really glad to be in a kitchen again," Carol sighed, washing some green beans in a pan.
"I know," Lori responded, squeezing past Patricia, who headed out towards the dining room to help Maggie organize the seating arrangements.
As the kitchen had quieted for a moment's time, a gun shot rang out, causing all the women to freeze. The gun shot had followed by Rick's voice, an incoherent yell.
Sadie's eyes darted between Carol and Lori's before she shot out of the chair and bolting throughout the house. Her knees ached but at this point she didn't care; ahead of her was Herschel, which surprised her to say the least.
"RICK!" Lori shouted as the rest of the group had barged out of the house, catching up to Sadie and Herschel.
"WHAT ON EARTH'S GOIN' ON OUT HERE?" Herschel boomed to Andrea and Dale at the RV, who had ignored him as they ran out into the field. Sadie's eyes followed them until her heart dropped into her stomach.
Rick and Shane had Daryl by each arm, dragging him back towards the camp. His face and chest were covered with dirt and blood and his body was limp, the crossbow being carried by Glenn. Andrea and Dale had made it out to them, Sadie barely making what Andrea was yelling.
"OHMIGOD, OHMIGOD, IS HE DEAD?"
"LIKE HELL HE IS!" Sadie pushed off of Lori as she ran towards the fence that opened into the field. She pushed passed the hay bales but froze as the rest focused on T-Dog, who held Sophia's doll in his hands.
She waited until they continued coming towards her, before she met them. Sadie pulled her arm back in a fist as Andrea came near but was stopped by Glenn. Shane and Rick continued to bring Daryl towards Herschel and onto the house.
"THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKIN'?" Sadie boomed, Glenn's arm locked around her chest.
"I'M SORRY," Andrea yelled back, tears welling.
"I MEAN REALLY, ARE YOU SERIOUS?"
"I THOUGHT HE WAS A WALKER, I SWEAR."
"BOY THAT'S REAL RICH ANDREA, I BET."
"HE'S ALIVE, ALRIGHT? WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY?"
Dale shook his head as he grabbed Andrea by the arm, leading her back to the RV.
The men by this time had brought Daryl into the house.
Glenn squeezed tightly, "Come on Sadie, It was an accident."
Sadie's chest heaved as she calmed down, closing her eyes.
"Sorry Glenn," she pushed his arm off her and they both walked towards the camp.
"Don't worry about it; just no more swings to the face, please?" He joked, as the two continued on to the house.
"Can't make any promises," she laughed flatly, as she left Glenn in her dust as she stormed onto the house.
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Friggin Andrea! That's all I gotta say! HA! Hope you enjoyed, hope you're still entertained. You know the swing: questions, comments, concerns, rants, and especially reviews, I love 'em all. Xx