Chapter 36

Mason stared back at his mother with wide eyes. He quickly handed the gun back to Carl who took it and hid it behind his back as if that would erase its existence.

"Wha-," Lily started to say. "What are you two doing out here?"

The boys remained silent.

"Well?!"

"We were…um," Mason said softly. "We were-"

"I was showing him the gun I got," Carl interrupted before revealing the weapon. "See?"

Instantly Lily recognized it as Daryl's gun.

"That's not yours," she whispered, her eyes not leaving the gun.

"I found it," Carl lied.

"You took it," she corrected.

Lily held her hand out for him to give it to her. Carl looked at her outstretched hand and reluctantly gave it to her. "You aren't gonna tell my mom are you?" Carl asked.

"No," Lily answered bluntly. Not that she'd do anything, Lily added in her thoughts.

She turned and faced Mason. "Go back to the house and stay inside for a bit," she instructed.

"Mom, I'm so-"

"Go to the house," Lily said more firmly.

Mason just nodded and walked off.

Daryl was sitting outside the tent cleaning the arrows to his crossbow when he saw Lily walking towards him. He smiled at first then raised a brow as her angry expression came into view. Before he could say anything Lily tossed the gun at him when she was close enough. "You just leave that anywhere you damn well please?!" She shouted at him.

He was confused at first then recognized the gun as his. "This was with my bike," he said.

"It was in my son's hand!" She cried. "Carl took it and Mason and him went off somewhere doing God knows what with it!"

"Hey, look," Daryl said putting the gun in the waistband of his jeans. "That's not my fault, alright?"

"I guess it was my son's fault then, right?" She retorted.

"What? No! That's not what I'm sayin'!"

"Whatever," Lily said throwing her hands up. "Forget it!"

She turned to walk away, but Daryl grabbed her wrist. "Now jus wait a damn minute," he said.

She spun around and glared daggers at him. "Let me go!" She demanded, struggling to break his hold on her.

"Ya can't jus come up here and blame me fer this!"

His words fell on deaf ears though. She was trying to jerk her arm away like a child to escape punishment.

"Listen to me damn it!" Daryl shouted. He gripped her wrist a little tighter and pulled her towards him. Lily let out a small cry of pain before slapping him.

After he palm connected with his cheek he let go, his head still turned to the side. "D-Daryl," Lily said. "I'm…I didn't mean to."

His jaw clenched as he slowly shook his head.

She took a step towards him, but he scowled at her and took a step back. "Yer a real piece of work, ya know that?" He spat.

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely reaching her hand out to him.

"Don't fuckin' touch me," he growled backing away from her. He gave her one last scornful look before storming off.

Lily remained where she was.

She didn't mean to slap him nor did she mean to blame him. She was just so angry. Her son did what she asked him not to do and behind her back no less. Did Carl tempt him to take the gun? Wasn't peer pressure supposed to be for teenagers? Now Daryl was upset with her.

Letting out a cry of frustration she aggressively kicked a pile of firewood nearby. The pain from the impact was lost to her, overwhelmed by the vexation of the day's events.

Mason was sitting in the living room of the house. He was seated on a couch fidgeting with the zipper of his black hoodie.

Lily entered and took a seat next to him.

"Mom, I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't mean to. I just wanted-"

"Mason," She interrupted. "I need you to understand that what I do I do to protect you, but I also do it to give me peace of mind that you can be a bit safer…I know a gun might seem like the only thing that can protect you, but it's not and I honestly don't want you to have one."

Mason looked down quietly.

"At least not without some kind of training," she added.

He looked up at his mother with wide eyes. "What?" He asked incredulously.

"Now I'm not saying anything is certain, but I will see about involving you in some target practice."

"Can Daryl teach me?" He asked excitedly. "I've seen him with the crossbow, he's a great shot."

Lily smiled weakly. "Yes, he is," she said softly. "I'll think about it."

Mason smiled then hugged her. "I'm really sorry mom," he said.

"It's alright," she replied before kissing the top of his head.

Daryl had gone out to hunt and came back just as the sun was beginning to set. He entered the tent and saw Lily sitting with her legs crossed. She looked up at him and he scowled before moving to back out. "Wait!" Lily shouted as she grabbed his hand and pulled him back inside to sit down across from her.

"The hell do ya want now?!" Daryl yelled louder than he had intended.

He noticed Lily flinch at his tone and she had let go of his hand.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Ya already said that," he shot back.

"What?"

"I said ya already said that, can I go now?"

"You can't be serious!" She shouted.

Daryl angrily closed the tent then turned back to face her. "Look, I don't appreciate ya blamin' me for what happened, ignorin' me when I try ta explain somethin', or fer hittin' me 'cross tha face. 'Sorry' don't make it all good again that easy."

"I know that okay? I'm sorry for all that, it was stupid and I don't know what I was thinking."

"Looked like ya weren't thinkin' at all ta me."

"Just listen!"

"See? Don't like it huh?" He said daringly.

Lily let her gaze drop down to the floor. She felt she deserved the sting of his last comment and sting it did. She knew how Daryl must've felt when she blatantly accused him, but now she felt how he did. Empathy took the place of distress and angst.

Seeing her in such a state made Daryl's heart drop.

"C'mere," he said pulling her into his arms.

Her arms wrapped around his neck and she buried her face in his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she repeated.

"It's okay."

She turned her head and kissed his cheek. "I'm going to let Mason carry a gun," she stated.

"Really?"

She nodded. "He wants you to teach him to shoot."

"Will you let me?"

"Of course," she said as she moved to look right at him. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

AN: There you have it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.