Hi all. Computer's back and running and we had to take a side trip so I'm posting earlier than y'all were expecting (practicing my southern accent since I've moved south). It'll probably be another 4 or 5 days until I post again so, enjoy!
Alex felt the bed shift lightly, a comfortable warmth settle next to her as she slipped deeper into sleep. The dreams began simply, taking her to moments of comfort.
The smell of pines drifted through her mind, the majestic trees shading her tiny body. She clung to her father's hand, excited and frightened at the same time. A younger version of herself bounded into the forest, her father following behind. It started as a game. He'd point to tracks and make her guess the animal or make her tag the right tree as he called out their names. She loved it!
Her Dad showed her how to use a piece of flint and steel to make a nice warm fire. She even got to roast her own hot dog! Alex snuggled into her sleeping bag, tucked safely under her Dad's arm.
"Daddy?"
"Yes Allie Cat?"
"Can I always be in the woods?"
"It would be nice baby girl, but we can't stay here forever."
"I like the woods."
"So do I. Just remember, as long as you pay attention, the woods will always take care of you."
The dreams shifted then. The pines shifted and distorted into ash and oak trees.
Hot humid air hung against her body. All she wanted to do was get away from picking damn peaches. How did she get stuck doing the worst chores? On her summer vacation no less! She was 13, not some little girl anymore. A yap behind her drew her attention back to the real world. Her aunt's yapping nipping bundle of fur chased after her. "Go home Dog," she muttered, but couldn't help smiling as the dog's ears dropped.
"Think we can catch a squirrel?" she asked the white fluff ball. He trotted at her feet; ears perked listening for the elusive creatures. Alex couldn't help but laugh at this small thing wanting to be a hunting dog.
The woods changed again. Walls formed around her; a classroom.
"Alexandria Cane, will you please pay attention?" Her gaze jumped from her doodles to her ecology teacher. "I'm sure you feel you'll never need this, but like all students, you need this class to pass high school."
She sighed in exasperation. "Mr. Barnes, I am paying attention. Well enough to notice you mismarked the blue ash as a white ash, even though there's about a 20 foot difference in maximum height and their ranges are completely different." She smiled quietly as he changed the labels under his notes.
The classroom melted away, a 17 year old Alex standing by a deep quarry, watching a bunch of kids she didn't know dive, laugh, and splash each other.
"C'mon Allie. It'll be fun! They're cool people. And my brother is here." She looked at the young man she met a few days ago at the gas station. Lucas smiled at her.
She shifted restlessly in her sleep. A calloused hand slid down her head and a deep voice murmured into her ear. Alex calmed as her dream shifted.
She caught sight of a tall, broad shouldered boy in the middle of the crowd. He laughed and joked with those around him. His eyes skated over here and he smiled. Alex knew she wasn't skinny like the other girls, she had curves. But she didn't really care. The water was cool and she needed to get away from the farm for a few hours.
The older boy made his way towards her. "I'm Eric" he offered with a smile.
"Alex," she returned.
"You new around here?"
"Nope, I'm visiting family. I met Lucas the other day and he invited me."
"Ahh, gotcha. Well, we're going to go play water volleyball. Want to join us?"
"Sure!"
The cool water transformed to a pool, Alex's body cutting through the water like a fish.
"Damn girl, where'd you learn to swim like that?" Her dorm roommate laughed and splashed her.
She splashed Laura back. "I told you! I spent a lot of time in the woods growing up. I had to learn to swim like a fish!" The two girls wrapped themselves in towels, showered, and headed back to the dorm. The cool fall air turned their ears red. Alex stopped as she walked into the common area of the dorm's first floor. "Eric?" she called out.
The tall man turned around, a balloon and daisies in his hand. "Happy Birthday Allie," he said, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her even as her floor mates hooted and hollered.
The kiss lengthened and matured.
"What do you think Allie?" Eric gestured to the house standing in front of them.
"It's gorgeous Eric, but do you really need a house? It's just you and there's an awful lot of space."
"Well . . . I was hoping that after graduation you'd move in here with me. You'd be closer to the city for your practice."
She sighed. "We talked about this. I'm not sure what I'm doing after I graduate. I like working at the school."
Eric patted her hand. "We'll cross that bridge after you graduate. Until then, I am going to need your talented eyes to decorate this place. Unless you want antlers and footballs-"
"Heaven forbid! I'll help you decorate!" Alex leaned up to kiss him again. She looked into his beautiful green eyes . . .
. . . those beautiful green eyes, filmy with a coating of death. His jaws snapping as he stalked towards her.
Alex struck out in her sleep, fighting off invisible foes. Daryl jerked awake as a hand slapped against him, hearing sorrowful sounds coming from Alex. She struggled to fight off an invisible foe. His hand wrapped around her arms, hauling her close. "Ria, wake up. You're having a bad dream."
Her eyes popped open, her breath coming in ragged jags. She stared blindly at him for a moment and then relaxed. "Bad dream," she whispered. He pulled her against his chest, his hands splayed against her back, rubbing lightly. "Alex's breathing evened out, even though her eyes refused to close again.
"Just a dream," he confirmed. Daryl was not usually a cuddling type of guy. He liked his space. It definitely wasn't the first time he'd been in a woman's bed. He wasn't the man whore some people thought him to be, but he wasn't a pussy like Merle always suggested.
Alex's mind was foggy from the Vicodin Hershel had given her and her soothing dreams had changed and merged into a terrifying nightmare. For the first time since she was a little girl, she chose to lean against someone. Literally. She pushed herself close to him, his hands gently settling her in against his chest. The sound of his heartbeat helped slow her breathing. "Talk to me Daryl," she whispered hoarsely.
"Keep yer mouth shut lady. You heard what the Doc said." "Damn this woman is always pushing it isn't she?"
"Can't sleep. Quiet let's me think right now." Her quiet admission caused a ray of pain to shoot through him.
"Alright, I can do that." He was planning on telling his standard story about getting lost in the woods as a child. Something stopped him. Alex wasn't the type he had to hide from.
"Growin' up things weren't exactly easy for my family. You went into the woods for fun, to learn. My Pa and Merle went into the woods so we could eat. That is when Pa wasn't drunk or Merle wasn't in juvie. I don't remember much about my Mom. She had a soft face, but it was always tired. She died when I was little. Cancer or some shit like that. Pa enjoyed his cheap ass beer more than he did feedin' us after that point.
"Merle, my brother was older than me by more 'n ten years. He'd taught me how to use a bow and gun, so I thought I'd do okay. 'Daryl,' he'd say, 'yer a Dixon and we look after our own.' He left for the Marines when I was 8. Didn't realize how much Merle had taken care of me 'til after he was gone. Pa'd make sure he hit me where no one could see. His hands hurt, but I could deal. The belt and cigarette burns . . ." He trailed off, realizing his pain could be affecting her. He looked down at her.
Alex was still curled against his side. She hadn't cringed away in fear or disgust. Her hand had settled lightly over his stomach, stretched up towards his chest. She wasn't looking at him exactly, but he could tell by the tilt of her head, she was listening. Her breath was relaxed. Daryl sighed and continued with his story.
"Got a letter from Merle that he signed on for another stint, then another one sayin' he was in the brig shortly after. He'd send money when he could. I stashed it away from Pa. I got to spending more and more time in the woods. Wasn't until child services showed up my freshmen year that things changed."
"School had reported I'd missed almost three quarters of my first year. If I didn't do somethin', they'd send me to juvie. Pa tried to beat some sense into me. Not cuz school was important, but he didn't like the law. But I hit 'em back for the first time. He didn't try again for a long time. I'd show up at school, just enough to keep the heat off my back."
"Came outta the woods one night, saw Merle sittin' on the front steps with my bag in front of his feet. He'd gotten an apartment in town. Nastiest piece of shit I'd seen, but it was away from him. I lived there with him 'til I graduated. He spent most of the time drunk, but he never hit me like Pa. A cuff every now 'n then, but usually when I was bein' a jackass. He took off not long after that, so did I. Took ten years, but we found each other again. We'd been living in our huntin' cabin until this shit went down." He let out a sigh. His sordid past was out in the open for her to know.
She let out a quiet sigh. Her fingers were lazily running across his stomach. With any other woman, he'd take it as sexual. With Alex though, it felt comforting. She tilted her head to look up at him. The bruises on her neck had already darkened, bringing his anger back to the surface. "Guess I have to thank him," she whispered.
Of all the things she could've said, he never expected that. "Why?"
"If he hadn't taught you to survive in those woods, we probably would've never met. So, I owe him."
Daryl shook his head even though a smile played on his lips. "He'd probably tell ya the best way to thank him was to cook 'im dinner and jump in the back of his truck." He felt a small snort reverberate through her chest and saw her wince. "Alright Ria, ya got yer story. It's been four hours. Ya need to take some more pain meds.
She sighed reluctantly and disengaged from him, pulling his blanket tight around her. Daryl crushed up the pill, added it to water, and handed it to her. "Drink it," he ordered softly and she complied. "I'll stay with ya 'til daybreak. After that, I'm gonna go trackin'. Someone'll be sittin' with ya. Just don't want ya getting' upset if ya can't find me."
"Lay with me?" she asked quietly. He growled but slid in next to her, but above the blanket. "You don't keep that mouth of yours shut lady, I'll tape it closed. Doc wants vocal rest as much as possible." Alex rolled to her good side, smiling at his attempt to be gruff. Daryl positioned himself against her back, his hand coming to rest against her hip protectively. His eyes drifted shut, her scent the last thing he remembered before sleep overcame him.