The sun shone brightly and the birds sang happily, not at all fitting for what they were doing. Each member of the group felt a heavy weight on their shoulders following Dale's death. They listened to Rick's uplifting eulogy, but even that did little to boost morale.
Rhiannon could feel many pairs of eyes on her. Maggie looked at her with the same worry she'd had last night. Carol looked at her with empathy, she was more than a little concerned after her almost panic attack last night. Both of them knew something was going on with her and they weren't very subtle about it.
Daryl kept sneaking glances at her throughout the funeral and every once in awhile they would make eye contact. They were worried about each other. Daryl had seen her in Carol's arm, an expression he'd never seen on her face before. He never thought he'd ever see that kind of fear from her.
And Daryl had been the one to end it for Dale, Rhiannon knew he wouldn't be taking it lightly, that he'd be carrying that guilt for a long time. They were both too damn similar for their own good.
His eyes moved from her and back to Shane. It was like a natural reflex whenever the two of them were within twenty feet of each other. Daryl doubted Shane would be stupid enough to try anything with everyone around, but the looks he sent his girl were enough for Daryl to put a number on his head.
Daryl stiffened slightly at his thoughts. His girl. Was she his girl? Is that what he wanted? He inwardly scoffed at his stupidity for that thought. Of course he wanted her to be his, but is that what she wanted? He knew he could be a dick and emotionally stupid, but would she be willing to look past that?
He hoped more than anything she would.
He felt his heart beat faster, he'd never in his life before even considered letting someone in, letting someone get under his skin like she had. It was new and terrifying but he knew it was worth it. His lack of confidence or experience didn't matter, all that did matter was her.
Everyone began to filter out as the funeral ended. Rhiannon noticed Rick giving her a strange look, like he wanted to speak with her but he hesitated, looking nervous as he shifted on his feet. He audibly sighed and looked down at his shoes, making a quick exit shortly after.
Rhiannon didn't know if she was glad or not that he decided not to approach her. She considered Rick a friend before everything happened and it hurt that they haven't spoken about what happened, but Rhiannon knew she would only get upset if the did. It wouldn't turn out the way she would want it to.
"Rhiannon."
She snapped out of her thoughts and turned, seeing Daryl standing a few feet away from her. She wanted to laugh at him. They had to keep up appearances so no one caught onto what they were doing, but she was sure him standing that far away would probably only draw more suspicion.
"You alright?" He asked, it had taken a couple of tries before he had finally gotten her attention and after everything that had happened last night, he doubted it was light hearted thoughts running through her head.
Rhiannon just nodded in response, a shy smile on her face, she would never get tired of hearing her name come out of his mouth.
Daryl eyed her carefully. He knew she wasn't about to open up and spill everything on her mind, at least not out in the open with everyone around. So he accepted her half assed nod and moved on. "We're goin' out to check the fences, find where that walker came from, you in?"
At that exact moment, Andrea and Shane walked by the two of them to get to Otis' blue pickup. Rhiannon frowned, knowing there was no way she'd be going now. Daryl's shoulders sagged and he sent a glare to Shane's back as he walked.
She couldn't help but let out a small laugh at the scowl on Daryl's face. "Come find me after." She said with a sly smile, feeling quite triumphant at the blush she'd put on his cheeks. She would never be able to explain how satisfying it was to her that she had made the big bad hunter blush and smile.
"Daryl! You comin' or not, man?" Shane yelled from the open driver's side window.
Daryl just glared back at the man, a low growl leaving his lips. He turned back to Rhiannon. "See you soon?"
She nodded, her eyes flickering from Daryl and back to Shane whose eyes hadn't left her. She felt violated just from his stare, it was revolting. Rhiannon knew Daryl could see her agitation and the leering gaze Shane had on her didn't go unnoticed by him either.
He clenched his fists and readied himself to go pull Shane out of the car and beat him to death. That bastard had been given too many chances and Daryl was ready to end it all.
"Try not to kill him." Rhiannon mumbled. She knew it would make her life easier if Daryl killed him but she'd rather the group not hate him for murdering one of their own.
"Can't promise anything." Daryl growled. He turned his head back towards her, giving her one last look. His eyes moved from her eyes down to her lips but no matter how much he was dying for it, he had to hold off in front of everyone.
Daryl wouldn't doubt that Rhiannon would kick his ass for doing something stupid like outing them, so he settled for a small smile which made her blush and he finally got to be the triumphant one.
Rhiannon watched as he made his way to the car and hopped in the back next to T-Dog. She sighed, feeling like a kid who wasn't allowed dessert after dinner. She didn't know how long she could keep this secret, it had been one day and it was already driving her crazy.
Carol leaned against the counter in the kitchen with her arms crossed. A sarcastic grin spread on her face as Rhiannon walked into the kitchen and stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide with surprise.
A feeling of dread overcame Rhiannon. She felt like a teenager getting caught sneaking out by her mother. Carol may be quiet but she sure as hell was persistent when she wanted something. And Rhiannon knew she would not give this up.
"Tea?" Carol offered sweetly. Rhiannon nodded slowly, seeing right through her gesture. Carol handed her one of the two mugs that lay on the counter making the younger woman narrow her eyes, she realized Carol had been waiting for her.
Rhiannon took a long sip of her drink, trying her best to delay the inevitable. "I'm sorry we haven't talked since...everything happened." She waved her hand dismissively, not wanting to reiterate the massacre at the barn.
"That's ok. It seems likes a lot's happened since then, hasn't it?" Carol said, giving Rhiannon a knowing look that made her swallow nervously. "I mean, you were ignoring Daryl but now you're close again, closer than before even. And you and Shane, you've been weird around him, but it's different now, you don't even go near him."
Rhiannon sank into a chair at the table and let out a pitiful laugh. "You sure you weren't a detective before all this?" She scoffed.
Carol just smirked in response and sat down across from her. "Honey, you know you can tell me whatever's bothering you." She said, finally ditching her interrogative approach as she reached out to grab her hand comfortingly.
Rhiannon stayed silent though, keeping her eyes cast down. Carol tensed slightly as her mind ran wild with thoughts. "Is it…" Her eyes trailed down and she winced slighty. The words were left up in the air but somehow Rhiannon knew what she meant. Her scars. "Did Shane see them? Is that why you're so tense around him?"
Rhiannon felt like laughing. Carol didn't even know the half of it. Yes, Shane had seen her scars, he'd seen them as he was trying to take off her shirt while he was groping her unwillingly. Just thinking that made Rhiannon realize how clueless Carol was, how clueless the rest of them were. They had no idea just how terrible things really were and Rhiannon did not want to be the one to shatter that.
"Why are we even talking about me? I've been worried about you. Jesus Carol, after everything's that happened, I don't understand how you're still standing." Rhiannon stressed, desperate to get the attention off of her, but she really was worried about Carol, she hadn't been there for the grieving mother like she should have.
Carol smiled sadly, touched at her concern for her. "I lost my daughter, I'm doing as well as you'd expect. I'm devastated and I cry every night, but I can't let it stop me."
"How?"
Carol paused, wondering if she should even say what she wanted to say. She knew it would embarrass Rhiannon. "I saw you at the barn, you were traumatized, but that very same day you got off your ass and you went into town to get your dad back. You don't let tragedy keep you down. And I can't tell you how much I admire that, how much I envy that."
Rhiannon let out a shaky breath, knowing Carol's words went so much deeper than just what happened at the barn. Both of them had been abused and had come out the other side. Carol had told her she wished she'd been like her, able to get out of the toxic relationship before it was too late.
"You don't things keep you down. You even went out yesterday for the good of the group."
Rhiannon scoffed. "Yeah, that really helped a lot." She spat sarcastically. Carol gave her a questioning look, now worrying that she was beginning to slip off the edge again. "I went out there to get medical supplies so if someone got hurt, we could help them and they'd be ok." Her voice cracked and tears sprang to her eyes as she remembered last night.
Carol was struck by her words and how upset she looked and she squeezed her hand tightly. "Sweetheart, you can't honestly tell me that you feel guilty about what happened to Dale."
"I know it wasn't my fault, I just...to see him laying there - and there was nothing anyone could do...I just-" She breathed heavily, burying her head in her hands. "The night I left New York, I saw a little girl get killed by a walker. She was ripped open just like he was." She blurted out making Carol gasp quietly.
This wasn't the kind of confession Carol had been hoping for or expecting when she sought out the younger woman. She didn't think she was all too happy to know either. She was glad Rhiannon was getting it off her chest, but it made Carol feel sick thinking about what the poor girl had witnessed all on her own.
Rhiannon wiped at her eyes frantically. "Sorry, I didn't mean to explode like that." She said quietly, feeling embarrassed that this wasn't even the second time Carol had seen her breakdown.
"Don't ever apologize for that." Carol told her firmly but with that same motherly tone she had that made Rhiannon's heart ache for a comfort she'd longed for ever since her own mother had passed.
"I know you're trying to get dirt outta me." Rhiannon stated bluntly making Carol wince slightly. "I know you're worried about me, but I just don't wanna talk about it yet."
Carol nodded thoughtfully, suddenly feeling bad that she'd tried to corner the woman to get her to spill. Her first thought was that Rhiannon had been caught in some sort of love triangle. Shane had stared at her like a piece of meat but she only had eyes for Daryl who certainly only had eyes for her too. But Carol knew that the problem must have been so much worse to make Rhiannon so tense and on edge all the time.
"I get it. Just know I'm always here when you're ready."
Rhiannon smiled at the older woman. She really felt like Carol was her second mother, she certainly acted like it. She'd seen her scars, the only person other than the asshole that gave them to her to see them, well despite Shane but she didn't want to think about that.
She knew she could trust Carol with her life and she was so grateful for that.
Daryl heaved another box into the hatch of the truck, thankful that most of the heavy lifting was done. The whole gang was finally moving into the house and while Daryl was excited that he'd be closer to Rhiannon, he couldn't help but miss their time alone at his secluded camp.
Granted, they weren't the way they are now when they were there, but it was just nice to sit there and talk without anyone interrupting or watching. And it would be even harder to get alone time or sneak around with fifteen people in one house.
The sound of a familiar laugh caught his attention and he perked up like a dog who heard a dinner bell. His eyes roamed the crowd of people that filtered back and forth from the house until he spotted her.
Rhiannon walked next to Beth as they carried the boxes in. She felt like a piece of the two tonne weight on her shoulders had been chipped away. The conversation she'd had with Carol made her feel just a little bit hopeful. It felt good to talk about why she'd been so messed up the night before and Carol reminded her of her mother, which always made her feel at peace.
Beth tripped again, nearly dropping the box making Rhiannon snort out a laugh.
"Stop." Beth whined, trying not to laugh herself.
Daryl watched from his spot at the truck, his lip quirked upwards as she laughed with her sister. He was glad she had let go of whatever had been plaguing her that morning.
"Is that everything?"
Daryl flinched, startled by the sudden voice beside him. Hershel stood next to him, a constraint smile on his face, like he knew all the desires running through Daryl's brain that involved his eldest daughter.
Daryl cleared his throat, feeling a blush creeping onto his cheeks. "Yeah, think that's everything." He mumbled, avoiding the farmer's intense gaze.
Hershel didn't like the way the man had looked at his daughter, well if he was being honest with himself, he didn't like when any man looked at any of his daughters.
But he felt somewhat conflicted by Rhiannon's relationship with the hunter. Whenever they were together, Rhiannon was always smiling and looking more relaxed than he'd seen her in a long time, probably since before she had moved to New York.
And Daryl had gone with her into town yesterday, he knew the man looked after her and protected her, he certainly did at the barn too.
But Daryl wasn't what Hershel had expected for his baby girl. A man on a motorcycle was every father's nightmare and he thought the man could do with an attitude adjustment.
But thinking back, Daryl had never given Hershel a reason to be weary. Other than the fact that he'd stolen his horse, but he'd done that to go look for a lost child, Hershel couldn't condemn him for that.
"I wanted to thank you for going out there yesterday, for looking out for Rhiannon." Hershel spoke, stunning Daryl into silence.
Daryl sputtered for a moment, feeling like this was a test of some sort. He knew getting the father's approval was important but he also knew Rhiannon was going to do whatever the hell she wanted, including slumming it with him, no matter what her dad thought.
"She actually looked out for me, saved my life yesterday."
Hershel looked at him in surprise. "Is that so?"
Daryl nodded. "She's a strong girl." He said, his eyes finding hers across the field.
Rhiannon couldn't help but feel worried at the sight of her father talking to Daryl. She doubted he'd be giving him 'the Dad speech' when he doesn't know for sure what's going on between them, but she was still nervous as hell.
Daryl gave her a quick smile putting her at ease. Hershel turned and found his daughter's gaze and she immediately looked away, not wanting to be caught making eyes with Daryl, let alone by her own father.
Hershel smiled softly and turned his attention back to Daryl. He wanted to give the man a warning, threaten him not to hurt his baby girl like any other father would do, but somehow he knew he wouldn't need to. Not with Daryl.
Hershel had a feeling the man would sooner die than hurt his daughter and that alone made whatever was going on between them bearable.
Rick and Daryl leaned over the road map as they planned out their route. Both men were practically giddy to get this whole situation dealt with. If Rick had known the kid would cause this much trouble he would've just left him in town.
The door to the farm house creaked open and the familiar wavy golden blonde hair stepped out. "You guys heading out?" Rhiannon asked, focusing her attention on Daryl rather than Rick which the cop surely noticed making him frown.
"Takin' him out to Senoia, an hour there, hour back." Rick spoke up, causing her eyes to drift towards him.
"Think you'll make it back before dark?"
"Probably not, but it'll be close enough."
"This little pain in the ass will be a distant memory." Daryl said making Rhiannon huff out a laugh. She knew he was practically itching to get this over with.
Rhiannon bit her lip nervously before stepping forward to look at the map that was laid down between the two men. "Make sure you avoid Adler Drive, last I saw, the whole road was blocked by a pile up."
"You went by it on your way back here?" Rick asked and immediately regretted it by the way she had tensed up. Those weeks on her own were not ones she liked to talk about.
"Yeah." She replied quietly. "Take this back road here. It'll only be ten more minutes."
"Thanks." Rick smiled warmly at her, feeling quite proud at the small smile he'd managed to receive from her. "You could come with us if you want. We could always use more eyes out there."
Daryl scowled at Rick and his body chilled like he had ice running through his veins. He didn't want her out there more than she needed to be. They'd gone out yesterday and that was about all he could handle.
"I should probably stay here, make sure all the slackers stay in line."
Rick chuckled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thanks again."
Rhiannon nodded, feeling slightly encouraged by his kind attitude. Rick had always been a sweetheart and she knew she was being quite ridiculous acting so cold towards him like he was the one that hurt her. It was probably time for her to drop the bitch act and be civil.
"Hey, that thing you did last night…" Rick spoke up, stopping Rhiannon's train of thought. She suddenly felt like she was intruding on their conversation. The heaviness of his voice made her take a small step back.
"Ain't no reason you should do all the heavy lifting." Daryl responded, keeping his eyes solely on Rick and not Rhiannon who he knew was looking at him. If Rick were to mention something this emotional a month ago, Daryl would've lashed out and stormed off, telling him to mind his own business or to get over it and stop being a pussy.
He'd definitely changed for the better and he knew exactly why.
The three of them turned their attention to the car that pulled up in front of the house and they all simultaneously tensed as Shane stepped out and began to walk towards them.
"You wanna come get the stuff for the kid?" Rhiannon offered to Daryl who eagerly nodded and jumped off the ledge he was sitting on. He grabbed her by the arm and practically dragged her inside before Shane had even reached the porch steps and slammed the door and locked it behind them.
"I really don't think that's necessary." Rhiannon told him, trying to hide her amusement at his overreacting.
Daryl just shrugged in response and headed towards the backpack that laid ready for them to take. He could feel her eyes on his back and smirked, he turned, ready to tease her but his eyes narrowed at the look on her face.
She was biting her nail and fidgeting on her feet.
"What's wrong? That bastard do something?!" He yelled, fearing the worst. She'd closed up as soon as Shane had gotten close, he could only assume what that meant. He raked his brain, trying to figure out when Shane could have possibly found the time to hurt her again.
"No! I've been ten feet away from you the whole day."
Daryl calmed slightly, now feeling embarrassed. "Sorry." He mumbled, looking around the room to make sure no one had been alerted to his outburst, but they were thankfully still alone.
"It's about last night. It's bothering you - what you had to do."
Daryl stiffened and looked away as he began to gnaw on his lip. Rhiannon sighed and stepped closer to him, grabbing his hand to keep him from bolting. "You didn't do anything wrong, and I know you can tell yourself that a million times but it means nothing when it comes to feeling guilty, but I just hope you know that it's true." She told him honestly.
Daryl nodded slowly, letting her words sink in.
"Otis wasn't my fault and Dale isn't yours."
More of the weight on her shoulders chipped away as she spoke. Daryl looked up at her with an expression she'd never seen him have before. She couldn't tell if he was touched or surprised by her, or maybe both.
"Thanks." He said gruffly.
Rhiannon smiled widely and moved closer so their chests were touching. Daryl swallowed nervously and craned his neck from side to side to make sure that they were still alone. Rhiannon rolled her eyes playfully, he was so paranoid it was actually pretty cute to see him like that.
She decided she didn't want to wait and quickly placed a kiss on his lips, surprising the hell out of him. It was so quick, he longed for more. Could kiss her for hours and still want more, he thought to himself.
"You should get going before Rick leaves without you." She smiled teasingly, revelling in the lustful look in his eyes.
"He can wait." Daryl mumbled and before she could say anything else, he crashed his lips to hers fiercely, his hands framing her face.
Rhiannon suppressed her smile and kissed him back with just as much need as he felt. They both felt like they'd been deprived, having barely any contact all day.
Daryl realized that he had become an addict, and it was the only kind he would be proud to be. He never wanted this to end, he actually felt like he might collapse in despair if she were to pull away from him, but he also felt like he would collapse if they kept going. They way she kissed him was hypnotic and left him aching for more.
Rhiannon looked out the window, hoping to see a familiar figure in the dark of the night. She sighed deeply and rubbed her forehead, she didn't know how it had all gone wrong in just a couple of hours.
She'd snuck Daryl up to her room so they wouldn't get caught in the middle of the dining room and they'd ended up making out on her bed like a couple of teenagers. It wasn't until they heard yelling that they had finally broken away from each other and the blissful, carefree fantasy they'd created was shattered as they were dragged back into the real world.
Rhiannon knew Shane was full of shit. Randall had 'escaped' and Rick, Daryl, and Glenn had gone with Shane to find him.
No matter how happy it made Rhiannon to see Shane bloody, she couldn't ignore the fear that seeped through her every nerve. The door was still locked, and Randall wasn't even that much taller than her, the odds of him escaping like houdini and knocking the muscular ex cop out was almost as impossible as him thinking he had a chance with her, it was absolutely laughable.
"Any sign of them?" Carol asked, taking a seat next to her to get a look out the window.
Rhiannon shook her head. "Not yet." She responded quietly, her worry clearly evident in her voice.
Carol nudged her shoulder with hers. "He'll be fine." She whispered, smirking victoriously at the blush she saw spreading on the young woman's face.
"Will you stop." Rhiannon muttered, only making Carol smile wider. A small laugh escaped her, she really underestimated Carol, she had no idea the woman was so vigilant.
"Where did the two of you disappear to this afternoon?"
"Oh, we were making out, hard. Probably would've had sex if we didn't get interrupted." Rhiannon responded sarcastically even though it was the honest truth.
Carol obviously bought it too and snorted, shaking her head. Now it was Rhiannon's turn to smirk victoriously, she just made sure to turn her head so Carol didn't see and decipher the look which Rhiannon knew she would.
Daryl walked steadily through the forest, all he wanted was to get back to the farmhouse before Shane did. He didn't know what the man had planned but he knew it wasn't good. Glenn trailed behind the hunter, almost jogging to keep up with his rapid pace.
"I don't get it, why would Shane lie?"
Daryl stayed silent, he really didn't feel like now was the right time to unload the very long list of things Shane had done wrong.
"This doesn't make any sense. I mean, I kinda had a feeling he was slipping, he's been acting so strange." Glenn continued to ramble, not noticing the annoyed look etched on Daryl's face. "And the way he is with Rhiannon, I mean what the hell is that about?"
Daryl's stride faltered at the mention of the woman he was worrying about. Glenn gave him a questioning look to which Daryl just sent him his signature glare. They two men kept walking, this time Glenn had a small smirk on his face. Maggie had given him a lot of dirt about the hunter and her older sister. He didn't believe it at first, he never pictured Daryl as a boyfriend, and Rhiannon was so friendly and funny, it just didn't make sense to him.
But on the other hand, Glenn was pretty intimidated by her that first week at the farm, much like the way he was still very intimidated by Daryl. They were both headstrong fighters, maybe it wasn't all that crazy.
"You know, I think it's awesome that you and Rhiannon found each other."
Daryl stiffened and turned to face Glenn with a look that made him flinch and smile sheepishly. "What?" Daryl growled.
Glenn shrugged, regretting opening his mouth. He figured since Maggie had known about them that Rhiannon had told her and that it was public knowledge. Apparently it wasn't. "Uhh, I mean, it's kinda obvious that you two are…" He trailed off, knowing he was just digging himself a deeper hole the longer he spoke.
Daryl was about to start yelling at Glenn to mind his own damn business when the crack of a gunshot startled both of them. They looked at each other, each with mild expressions of fear and not a second later they took off running towards the house.
Rhiannon was the only thing on his mind. If Shane had laid a finger on her, had hurt one hair on her head, he was ending him once and for all. Shane had hurt her too many times and Daryl had let it slide too many times. He was ending it.
The two of them burst through the door to the house, starling everyone that sat around the living room. Rhiannon stood from her spot at the window and looked back at him with wide eyes, suddenly fearing why he looked so worried.
Daryl instantly relaxed the second he saw her, she was fine, nothing had happened. Rhiannon noticed his sigh of relief and the unclenching of his body, leaving a sad smile on her face. He was worried about her, worried that gunshot had been for her.
"Rick and Shane ain't back?" Daryl spoke casually, suddenly remembering all the eyes in the room. "We heard a shot?"
"Maybe they found Randall?"
"We found him. He was a walker." Daryl's eyes found Rhiannon's once again and she knew immediately what he was trying to say. She was right, Shane had lied.
Rhiannon drowned out the conversation and fell back into her thoughts. She had been right all along. She worried that Rick wasn't seeing how his friend was changing, and knowing the situation with Lori, she knew it would come back to bite him in the ass. Shane wasn't stable to begin with, but throwing in jealousy just makes it a thousand times worse.
She had tried to warn Rick, tell him that he was being naive, that Shane was different than he used to be. She had hoped her situation would've been enough to make him realize but apparently it wasn't and now he was out there alone with the most deranged man she'd ever met.
"Would you please get back out there, find Rick and Shane and find out what's going on?" Lori pleaded.
Daryl nodded. "You got it."
"I'm going too." Rhiannon spoke up, grabbing her sword and slinging it across her back. Daryl turned to her, his eyes widening with both fear and irritation.
Rhiannon just raised an eyebrow, silently saying 'you really wanna argue with me?' Daryl just sighed and tilted his head, knowing there was no way of winning an argument when she was determined to do something.
Rhiannon tried to hide her smile as she followed him outside, she didn't want to gloat. Daryl held the door open for her and she walked through, her body instantly freezing with terror as she looked out to the open fields.
Hundreds of bodies ambled slowly towards the house, drawn in by the light. Her eyes scanned from left to right, there were too many to count.
She turned to look at Daryl whose hardened scowl confirmed that she wasn't dreaming and she really had seen all those walkers coming right for them. Daryl looked down at her and his scowl morphed into a look of determination.
His hand snuck down and reached for hers, squeezing tightly. Rhiannon let out a shaky breath and looked back at the herd. "Fuck."
So overwhelmed by the feedback and support I've gotten on this story. You guys are honestly so amazing and you motivate me so much!
Finally got around to the playlist, feel like I'm missing a ton of songs but here they are :
Leather and Lace - Stevie Nicks & Don Henley (duh)
Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac (again..duh)
Pusher - alt -j
Hurt - Johnny Cash
Going To California - Led Zeppelin
Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby - Cigarettes After Sex
Lay Lady Lay - Bob Dylan
Girl From the North Country - Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash
Save Yourself - Kaleo
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
I Know Places - Lykke Li
I definitely recommend you check out the songs, they are some of my favourites, especially the last one. Thanks again for the reviews and I hope you like this chapter xx