A/N: Don't own (although I'd love to have my very own Norman Reedus :D) don't sue!
Lyrics are from 'Rain' by Patty Griffin
Rain
Chapter Twenty Eight
It's hard to listen to a hard, hard heart
Beatin' close to mine
Poundin' up against the stone and steel
Walls that I won't climb
Sometimes a hurt is so deep, deep, deep
You think that you're gonna drown
Sometimes all I can do is weep, weep, weep
With all this rain fallin' down
Strange, how hard it rains now
Rows and rows of big dark clouds
When I'm holding on underneath this shroud
Rain
It's hard to know when to give up the fight
Some things you want will just never be right
It's never rained like it has tonight before
Now, I don't wanna beg you, baby
For something maybe you could never give
I'm not lookin' for the rest of your life
I just want another chance to live
Strange, how hard it rains now
Rows and rows of big dark clouds
When I'm holdin' on underneath this shroud
Rain
Cassidy caught Lochie's elbow as she stumbled, yanking her upright. She smiled sleepily, leaning against her wearily. Cassidy linked Lochie's arm through hers, taking some of her weight on her un-bruised side. Ahead of them Beth and Hershel were supporting each other in a similar fashion and Carl was almost walking with his eyes closed. They'd been walking for two days straight, only snatching a few hours of sleep at night when it was too dangerous to keep moving and risk losing sight of each other.
"How much further?" Carol demanded, her arm around Lori a few feet ahead of Cassidy and Lochie.
Rick paused, looking up at the canopy of leaves above them thoughtfully. He exchanged a look with Daryl, who glanced back at Cassidy. She tilted her head in a fraction of a nod and he cocked his head in acknowledgement, turning and murmuring to Rick. Rick scrubbed his hands over his face.
"We'll rest for a few. Then we need to keep moving."
Carol narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. Cassidy's grip on Lochie tightened slightly.
"If she starts whining I will strangle her with her own spine." She muttered uncharitably and Lochie gave a half-hearted giggle.
Cassidy had the feeling that Carol had heard her threat because her back stiffened but she kept her mouth closed. They were too tired to do anything other than drop where they stood. Glenn immediately started snoring, his head propped on Maggie's shoulder. Carl tried valiantly to keep his eyes open but in the end his head drooped onto his mother's lap. Cassidy settled Lochie down with T-Dog, then went in search of Daryl. She found him a few feet behind them amongst the trees, doing his best to disguise the trail a whole parade of amateurs had left behind them. Whilst Rick looked exhausted, big black circles like bruises under his eyes and the lines on his face getting deeper as he got gaunter, Daryl just looked angrier and angrier the more exhausted he got. Right now he looked furious, his sensuous mouth flattened into an angry scowl and his eyes narrowed to mere slits as he worked. Cassidy leant against a tree trunk and watched him. It was soothing to watch him methodically work away, the muscles in his back flexing under the sweat stained dirty shirt. When he was done he came to stand next to her and they stood in silence.
"We're in trouble." Cassidy said eventually.
Daryl grunted but he didn't disagree, a solid silent presence besides her oozing warmth and comfort. She shifted as the shoulder leaning against the tree started to go numb, wincing as pain lanced through her injured ribs at the sudden movement. He eyed her out of the corner of his eye, his scowl curling down into a worried frown. She grimaced, massaging her ribs with one hand.
"How's it feeling?"
She shrugged one shoulder.
"I think I might have broken one." She admitted, gingerly testing the area swathed in bandages.
His face darkened and his hand joined hers, his careful fingers probing as she held her breath. Her face had paled with pain but she didn't flinch out of his reach.
"It feels like there's a truck sitting on my chest." She snapped haltingly as he hit a particularly sore spot.
"No more dumb shit." He snapped back.
She glared, crossing her arms across her chest defiantly. He pinched her chin between his fingers, forcing her to meet his fierce gaze.
"No more squirrellin' up trees like a goddamn monkey, no more rolling in the grass with those kids and no more mouthing off to strange assholes with big fists." She opened her mouth to argue but he squeezed her chin until she glowered. "If something hits this rib in the wrong way…" He jabbed none-too-gently at her bandage. "It could poke a hole in your lung."
She rolled her eyes but he could see by how pale she'd gone that she knew he had a point. She'd almost died once from a punctured lung already, that was probably why her rib had broken so easily again this time.
"It might not be broken." She protested moodily, grimacing when he poked her bruise again. "You do that again and I will be keeping that finger, Dixon."
His lip curled in a half smirk and she grinned.
"Even with a possibly broken rib, I can still take you, redneck."
His grin blossomed into a full smirk, his hand still splayed on her ribs under her crossed arms inching upwards slightly. She tilted her body towards him against the tree, her head tipping back and her mouth lingering underneath his invitingly.
"Seriously?!"
Cassidy jumped, glaring around Daryl's shoulder at Lochie.
"Of course there'd be time for this." Lochie shook her head in disgust. "Come on, Rick wants to keep moving while it's still light." She grimaced as if she could taste something nasty, glowering at the two of them. "If you can keep yourselves apart for that long." She sniffed.
"Wow. The last time I heard a tone like that, my mum had just caught me in the backseat of my boyfriend's car." Cassidy commented idly as they followed Lochie back to the others.
"And so far you've only progressed to groping rednecks in the woods. Real classy." Lochie called over her shoulder.
They managed to get a couple more hours and a few more miles covered before the rapidly approaching darkness forced them to stop. They huddled together amongst the trees, taking it in turns to keep watch. The pain in her ribs kept Cassidy from resting for too long. The next time she woke up, she could see a figure crouched nearby in the impenetrable darkness and she bolted upright. It took her a hazy moment to recognise Daryl. She could just make out his outline and the bright glitter of his eyes, she wasn't sure how she was so certain it was him but she knew she was right. She rolled over, trying to get more comfortable on the hard ground. She could see him better from this position, he wasn't crouching he was sitting against the tree, his knife resting on his drawn up knees.
"What's up, redneck?" She asked quietly.
She knew there wasn't any danger nearby, he was too relaxed for that. Well as relaxed as Daryl ever got anyway.
"Go back to sleep, Red."
His voice was softer than usual, soothing in the complete darkness of the trees, and for once she did as she was told. He heard her breathing change as she slipped into sleep, becoming deep and even. Steady. He felt a little better, knowing she was resting and not running around like a lunatic aggravating her injury. It stilled some of the anger and fear churning in his gut to see her sleeping peacefully, even if it was amongst all this chaos. He could tell her ribs were hurting her even in her sleep because her brow creased slightly between her drawn eyebrows and her succulent mouth pursed every now and then. He was still watching the shifting expressions crossing her face when Glenn relieved him of his watch. Glenn scratched his head sleepily as he waited for Daryl to move. He didn't.
"You should rest, dude."
Glenn coughed awkwardly when Daryl ignored him. Eventually, he rose to his feet and moved around Glenn. He sank down besides Cassidy, stretching out and propping one arm behind his head. He could almost see the stars through the thick black canopy of leaves. The surrounding trees were creepily silent, only the breathing of his fellow sleepers and Glenn rustling every now and then breaking the tense silence. Cassidy shifted besides him, a little almost whimper spilling from her lips as she jogged her damaged ribs in her sleep. She coiled automatically towards his warmth, one of her small hands tucking around his arm and her head tipping onto his shoulder. He could smell her hair, still slightly scented from the last time she'd used shampoo at the motel. The scent and warmth from her body heat seeped into his pores. Her warmth was like a blanket, stretching over him and easing him into unconsciousness.
It was the conspicuous cold that told him something was wrong. He felt the sudden flush of cool air rush in as she left his side. He sat up, his hand reaching automatically for his crossbow in the dark half-light. They were all still sleeping, huddled together in little pockets. Lochie was curled up like a puppy, her sprained wrist cradled to her chest in her sleep. He scanned the trees nearby, looking for a flash of her distinctive hair. His heart was thundering against his ribcage, fear like a hot burning stone heavy in the centre of his chest. He studied the ground besides him. Cassidy moved like smoke made corporeal, light and delicate and barely there. He could make out the indentation where she'd been sleeping and the marks on the ground where she'd climbed to her feet around the pain in her ribs. He followed the faint marks she'd left behind, stepping soundlessly through the fallen branches and debris littering the ground. He was sure she'd left his side voluntarily but he wasn't taking any chances.
He found her leaning against a tree, one palm splayed on the trunk to support her. She looked like she could barely stand. He approached her warily, the possibility that she'd been bitten spinning around his brain.
"Is that you, redneck?" She didn't sound like she'd been bitten, she sounded grouchy and impatient but her usual self. "Don't just stand there for Christ's sake." Definitely sounded like herself.
He swung his crossbow onto his back, weaving through the trees towards her. She was still cursing him, loudly, and for a minute he wondered how she always knew it was him.
"Who else is going to be trawling around these goddamn trees?" She snapped as if she'd read his mind.
He growled at her, taking the hand leaning against the tree and helping her stand up straight. She glared at him. He looked her over, searching for any new injuries or a reason for her collapsing against a tree.
"What the hell are you doing?" He demanded, wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her.
"I was peeing." She snapped. "When I stood up it felt like my ribs were snapping. Hurt like a motherfucker."
He came to a halt, leaning her back against a tree despite her protestations. It was still pitch black and he had to rely on his sense of touch to verify that she hadn't hurt herself even worse. She stayed surprisingly quiet as he explored, using his fingertips to paint a picture of her ribs in the dark, relying on memories of long nights in his tent to guide him. He didn't think she'd managed to make it any worse, just pulled the bruises the wrong way and pinched her injured ribs.
"Done?" She asked peevishly, although her voice had a distinct husky quality to it.
"I told you to stop risking ya neck, Red."
"I had to pee!" Cassidy snapped, batting his hand away. "Christ, it's not like I came out here to do a dance or something." She pushed away from the tree. "Can I go back to sleep now?" He could practically feel her lips curling, could hear her voice change tone. "Unless you had something else in mind, Dixon?" She purred and he felt one of her hands gliding underneath his shirt, the pads of her fingertips dancing along the planes of his chest.
"Ya ever stop?" He blinked, flustered as always by her brazen need for him.
"With you? Never, redneck."
He could feel her lips whispering along his throat, feather light and intoxicating as her nails exerted just enough pressure to bring up goosebumps. He frowned although she couldn't see it, he could barely see her and she was only inches away, the glint of her eyes and the basic planes of her face all he could discern. He didn't need light; he knew every millimetre of her face. Every freckle, every eyelash, the tiny dimple in her cheek when she smiled, the exact shade of her eyes... it was all imprinted on the backs of his eyelids. But now wasn't the time or the place.
"Let's go."
She gave a little disappointed sigh but didn't argue. He felt her lean against his side in the dark, surprised but not overly concerned when he felt her take his hand. He exerted just a little pressure on her fingers and he felt her smile against his bare arm.
Lochie woke up stiff and sore from her night on the ground, her face felt like it weighed a hundred pounds and it took her a moment to manoeuvre into a sitting position. Most of them were stirring, working up the energy and the will to keep moving. Daryl climbed to his feet and went in search of Rick, rubbing his face wearily and cricking his joints as he moved. Cassidy stirred the moment his warm bulk left her side, rolling gingerly over and working towards sitting up slowly. Lochie studied her.
"I hope you don't feel as bad as you look."
Cassidy swore at her and Lochie grinned, wincing as she pulled the skin on her split lip. Cassidy looked like hell. Her throat was a riot of yellow and purple bruises, the swelling on her eye had gone down a little but most of her face was still almost black from the bruise. She groaned, holding her ribs with one hand as she got to her feet. Lochie could almost feel her bones creaking in protest as she struggled to get up, holding onto Cassidy's outstretched hand tightly for support.
"Well don't we make a glowing poster for female independence?" Cassidy muttered with a pained laugh as the two of them hobbled towards the others, trying to loosen up their sore tired limbs. "We can barely make it three steps on our own."
She laughed through the lancing pain in her side and Lochie grinned.
"Just think, this could be us if we make it through the next sixty years." Lochie sighed. "Rocking chairs on the porch, a hell of a lot of cats. Children will call us witches." She added cheerfully.
"Speaking of witches…" Cassidy muttered as Lori stomped past with a face like thunder.
Lochie got the giggles and Lori glowered.
"Let's move, I don't have the patience for that bint right now." Cassidy grumbled, linking arms with Lochie and heading over to Beth and Carol for whatever constituted as breakfast nowadays.
"You? Not wanting to argue?" Lochie lifted her eyebrows in disbelief and Cassidy sniffed, looking down her nose with as much dignity as she could muster.
"Not at all." She even tossed her hair to make her point and Lochie rolled her eyes. "I'd be more than happy to tell her exactly what I think of her, using my boot for emphasis, just as soon as I'm back to my usual shape."
Cassidy shot Glenn a death glare as he paused to goggle at her, eyeing the tight fit of her jeans and the smooth expanse of navel exposed by Daryl's shirt tied in a knot on one side of her waist. He scuttled off as Cassidy and Lochie helped each other sit down. Carl brought over their breakfast, looking them over anxiously. Cassidy smiled but she wasn't really looking at him, her sharp green eyes were flickering over his head. Carl knew who she was looking for.
"He's with my dad."
Carl pointed over her shoulder. Cassidy glanced back and then cursed when pain flared through her damaged throat. She didn't need to see him to know what he was doing, he'd be arguing with Rick. They'd be going over the same ground again, literally. The main topic of conversation was the fact that they hadn't found somewhere yet and they were rapidly running out of supplies.
When Daryl and Rick finally joined them, they both looked as unimpressed as each other. Cassidy looked at Daryl with a sinking feeling. He had a resigned look on his face that she knew all too well.
"He's going to go ahead." She sighed to herself and Lochie blinked at her, then across at Daryl who was shovelling down his breakfast.
They finished eating in silence and gathered up their meagre supplies. Lochie wrapped an arm around Cassidy as they fell into single file to follow Rick through the trees. Daryl fell back silently until he was walking besides them.
"I know." Cassidy said before he could quite figure out what he wanted to say. "Just." She bit her lip, looking uncharacteristically uncertain for a moment. "Just be careful, Dixon."
He leaned towards her, his nose brushing her temple and his lips a hair's breadth from her cheekbone, then he vanished into the trees.
Sorry for the dreadfully late update and all reviews will be replied to in the next chapter as always! I just have to rush off to work right now so please forgive me :D