Daryl's POV:
Chapter 25
"Daryl!" I hear Rose's panicked scream echoing through the thick maze of trees, causing me to run faster than I thought possible.
-Why'd you ever let her go off on 'er own, dumbass? My mind chides on as I navigate the woods, ducking and dodging narrow trees and low hanging branches.
Over the sound of my own heart pounding and searing in my lungs, I hear the grunts and growls of the struggle before I see the gruesome scene. As I push past the last brush in my way I see Rose, machete in hand and fighting stance taken, as four walkers surround her. Two are on the ground, with no arms they flop around like fish on land, trying to get back on their feet while the other two are stumbling after her. As she takes one down with a graceful lunge, sending the machete through its skull, I take aim at the second, sending a bolt right through the back of its head, which finally alerts her of my presence.
"Take long enough country boy?" She asks through between heavy breaths.
"Shut up." I bark back, hearing her snicker a little as I turn to reload my crossbow.
I easily put down one of the floppers while she walks over to the other. Her nearness makes the thing go crazy, but she stands her ground firmly, "I'm sorry." is all she says before jamming the black machete deep in the man's forehead.
When all is silent again, I look over at her for a second, "Damnit, you sure know how to get in trouble, don'tcha?" I ask, picking up her bow out of the leaves.
"I was handling it." She replies with fire in her voice.
"Sure, sure lil' girl." I hand over her bow, grabbing her hand as she starts to take it.
I pull her close, wiping the small droplets of blood and sweat off her head, "You OK?" I ask, pulling a twig out of her thick hair.
"Just fine." She says softly.
I notice her whole body shudder and she looks away from me, focusing on the ground. Pulling away from her now, I don't understand the reluctance in her voice and feeling the frustration building as I continue to watch her for a few more seconds, I turn to walk away.
"Daryl.. Wait." I hear from behind me, soft as the breeze blowing by.
"What?" I say back, with a little more anger than I intended.
There are no more words as I feel her small hand take mine, turning my body to face hers. She pins me against a nearby tree, surprising me with such strength for being so small in frame. Now, my mind reels as I feel her lips meet mine again, like nothing else in this world matters anymore. I tangle my fingers through her hair as her arms go around my neck, making it all too easy to lift her up. I spin around, this time pushing her up against the rough bark.
Instinctively, her legs find themselves wrapped around my waist as my hands find their hold on her toned thighs.
As the kissing becomes even more heated, our breathing takes on guttural moans of pure want and my legs all but turn in to jello when she pulls away, moving to kiss from my ear down my neck.
"Damnit." I say under my heavy breathing, causing her to give a small laugh, the warm breath travels over the sweat on my neck sending chills racing down my spine.
I pick her up again, laying us down gently on the bed of moss under the tree. As she starts unbuttoning her plaid shirt, she looks up to me, amusement playing in her green eyes and just as she gets to her last button, she stops. My mind screams with anticipation but my mouth stays silent, only cocking my head to give her a questioning look.
"You really thought it'd be that easy?" She says, a small laugh passing her lips.
".. What?", is all my dumbfounded brain manages to mumble out.
She lets out a laugh, but it sounds nothing like her usual laughter, the kind that could make the entire room laugh along with her. "You think a girl like me would ever touch trash like you?" She asks, all too innocently.
Yet, I hear the obvious disgust in her voice. I immediately stand up, leaving her sitting there on the damp ground. My mind whirls, the forest around us spinning at a dizzying speed. Everything begins to blur, I fall to my knees, needing to look into Rose's eyes one more time, hoping she would steady me. When I look back to her though, all I see are the dead, graying eyes of a walker.
I jolt up in the cot, feeling the bile rising in my throat.
-A nightmare. It was just a nightmare ya damn puss.
Yet, the fear is all too real as I try to lay there a while longer. I have no idea what time it is, and without a moon in the sky to judge from, it makes the night even more of an inky black hole, threatening to suck me back in. I sit back up, running my hands over my sweat soaked hair, trying to chase the images away with memories of Rose.
It had been a long winter. We had a rough time finding much food, but with the livestock and all she had saved up, Rose never failed to get us through even the hardest times. The group spent most of our time and energy bulking up the perimeter fences as best we could, running watch shifts 24/7 just in case the man who had attacked me had some how communicated with his group, if there really was one. I knew that Rose felt responsible for us now, and she always holds the whole weight of our problems on her shoulders, like she owed us an unknown debt. Yet, I also came to know the toll it took on her as we had grown closer through the passing months, yet neither fulling willing to open up like we had that night in this very loft.
I shake my head, willing myself to let it go. All I really know now, is that I needed to see her. See her green eyes full of life, feel her warm skin on mine, like those things were the only way to shield me from my own terrible thoughts.
I pull on my jacket and boots, still chilled to the bone from the dream. As always, I stop and check on both the mares tucked away in their stalls on my way out. Chenoa watches me leave, giving curious snickers as I shut the door behind me.
Even though spring was just around the corner, the cold of the darkness crept around me. My breath turns into frosty white clouds and I can feel the crunch of frozen dew covered grass underneath my boots. I manage to creep silently through the kitchen door, knowing it was the furthest away from the rooms. Sliding out of my heavy boots and jacket before leaving the kitchen, I feel the warmth of the home replacing the last of the terrible images.
I stalk through the house, remembering where to step to miss the squeaky old boards. As I finally make it to her flight of stairs, I take a deep breath.
-Damnit lil' bro, never seen ya so messed up by one little girly. When are ya gonna pull up those big boy pants on & do right by her? I hear Merle's taunting voice every step I take.
Finally making it to the door, I reach to turn the knob but hesitate when I hear the faintest movement from within the room. I almost fall backwards as the picture of Rose's beautiful face marred with death and those lifeless eyes slam through my mind.
-Stop. She ain't one of them. She'll never be as long as you're alive. I repeat over and over until the images subside once more.
I turn the old glass knob quietly, and the big door strains on its weathered hinges. Once through the barely large enough crack, I close it, wincing as it groans one final time. Shaking my head, knowing for sure that I had woke her up, but when I turn toward the big bed, she's still laying there turned on her side, eyes closed, with the most peaceful expression on her face.
I decide now that I'd never seen a more beautiful girl in all my life. Without even a hint of the usual worry and pain that her face seems to hold, Rose looks like nothing less than an angel laying in that bed; And I want so badly to go to her, to hold her, but that would mean waking her, and to take her away from such peace would make me more of a devil than Satan himself.
With every ounce of the little self-control I have, I let out a sigh and turn back to the door. I spare one more parting glance back to her, drinking in every detail. The Rose that terrorized me in my nightmare is now but a far away memory, replaced by my approximation of a saving grace laying peacefully in her bed. The women that had saved the only real family I've ever had and managed to find a way to save someone like me too.
This is the women I fell in love with so many months ago.
Hey guys! It has been waaaayyy too long, & I know it was so wrong of me to just leave the story like that but I had totally ran out of inspiration :( Anyways, I wanted to make my 1st chapter back from Daryl's POV, & although there's no real action, I really just wanted to go into his mind.. or at least my version of how a tough guy like him can have a soft side too, even though no one would ever know(: I hope y'all enjoyed it, leave lots of reviews! I'm excited about getting the story started again, but I'll need some help!