I couldn't help myself, there's more smut
Daryl looked over at Rhiannon from his place in front of the window, a small smirk growing on his face. She had kicked him in her sleep, waking him up and making him realize they'd been slacking on taking watch.
He'd been up for hours and she was only beginning to slowly wake up. He couldn't ignore the pride he felt that it had been him that had worn her out. She stretched her limbs out and sent him a tired smile.
"What are you doing all the way over there?" She asked, her voice still laced with sleep.
Daryl stood and walked over to her, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Somebody kicked me outta bed."
"I don't kick in my sleep." Rhiannon defended herself, narrowing her eyes at him.
Daryl just scoffed in response, a disbelieving smile on his face. "I got the bruises to prove it, Darlin'."
Rhiannon's face fell and she looked up at him worriedly. "Seriously?"
Daryl noticed her expression and laid down to wrap his arms around her. "Ain't a big deal." He assured her, slightly touched at her concern that she'd hurt him. "You got pretty strong legs for someone so short."
Rhiannon sent him a glare but couldn't hold it up as she began to laugh. She turned on her side and nuzzled against his bare chest, sighing softly.
"How often do I kick you?" She asked after a couple minutes of content silence.
Daryl let out a small chuckled and shook his head. ""Bout every night."
"What? Daryl, why didn't you tell me?" She asked, her voice laced with horror that she'd been hurting him for so long and she had no idea.
Daryl just smiled at her overreaction. "Relax, Darlin'. I've gotten used to it. I kinda like it now."
"You like it when I kick you?" Rhiannon asked, her face scrunched up in confusion. Daryl just shrugged and Rhiannon let out a small laugh. "Never would'a pegged you for a masochist."
Daryl's eyes widened in surprise at her words and pinched her thigh, making her let out a squeal and push him away from her, but his arms around her waist kept her firmly planted to his chest.
"You're unbelievable." He mumbled, smiling softly against her skin.
Rhiannon bit her lip, smiling as she stared up at him as he hovered over her slightly. Her face suddenly turned serious as she was deep in thought.
"Hey, what I said yesterday, I meant it."
Daryl felt his heart jump as he remembered the way her soft, breathy voice had spoken those three words. He looked down at her, the intensity in his eyes making her blush.
"So did I." He told her softly, his voice barely above a whisper.
Rhiannon could see that he felt so overwhelmed with what they'd revealed to each other. She was just glad he hadn't immediately shaken his head and try to make her change her mind. She was so glad that insecure voice in the back of his head was staying out of the way.
She was the first person, besides his mother, who'd told him they loved him and that made Daryl feel like it was all a dream. Looking down at the woman beside him, who smiled at him so lovingly, made him wonder if he really was dreaming.
But the way she gently ran her fingers up and down his arm, making goosebumps rise on his skin, made him sure that this really was happening.
This seemingly perfect paradise really was his life, and it was so surreal to him.
Rhiannon stretched again, feeling a pleasurable ache between her legs. "I think we broke a record last night." She mumbled.
Daryl smirk proudly and began planting his lips on her neck. "Wanna break a few more?"
His husky voice in her ear made her shiver and bite her lip. They kissed slowly, Rhiannon still in a sleepy daze and both still exhausted from last night.
She pulled away from him lips slightly. "Shouldn't we get back before they start worrying about us?"
"They can wait a few more hours." He mumbled, kissing her fiercely. He ground his hips against hers making her moan softly.
She was still turned on her side slightly and moved her arm back to wrap around his neck and grip his hair at the back of his head. Daryl groaned lowly and hiked her leg up, her flexibility making him go even crazier with need.
Daryl pushed himself inside of her slowly, closing his eyes and hanging his head to lean against her shoulder as a small gasp left his lips. Rhiannon's breathing hitched at the slight ache she felt, he wasn't exactly small, and she was sensitive from the night before.
"You ok?" Daryl asked, his voice strained as he breathed heavily.
Rhiannon nodded and turned her head to kiss him. She didn't want him to stop, even though he had to be a little more delicate with her. Daryl moved slowly and as careful as possible. He held onto her tightly and they moaned in unison at every thrust of his hips.
The couple panted and moaned, clinging to each other desperately. Rhiannon let out a low whine and grinded her hips against his, getting impatient at his agonizingly slow pace.
Daryl kept his pace slow despite her urging for him to move faster. He knew she was still sore and he didn't want to hurt her, so no matter how much it drove him crazy, he was keeping his slow thrusts.
Rhiannon pulled at his hair and smirked slightly at the loud groan that left him, his hips jerking unevenly on instinct.
It didn't take long for both of them to feel that familiar pleasure bubbling inside them. Daryl's breathing turned erratic and he buried his face into her neck to muffle his noises as he placed sloppy kisses to her skin.
Rhiannon's body went rigid in his arms and she trembled, her toes curling as she let out a soft cry, his name leaving her lips in a breathless moan as she was pushed over the edge. Daryl followed seconds later, his teeth gritting tightly and his eyes squeezing shut as he let out a groan of relief and whispered her name frantically.
They stayed wrapped up in each other as the shocks of pleasure faded and they got feeling back in their limbs. Daryl was so amazed how every time with her was mind blowing, she never failed to drive him wild.
Rhiannon sighed loudly, tensing slightly as he pulled out of her and laid on his back, his hand laying on his chest that heaved with each panting breath. She placed a kiss to his neck and cuddled into his side, closing her eyes in sheer exhaustion. Her body wasn't used to that kind of constant release and she was worn out.
She opened her eyes slowly and looked up at Daryl who had his eyes closed as he tried to get his breathing under control. She smirked slightly, guess she wasn't the only one who was worn out.
"You good? Did I hurt you?" He asked her breathlessly, his eyes studying hers in concern.
Rhiannon smiled and shook her head, her heart fluttering wildly. "I'm good."
Daryl sighed in relief and slung his arm over her waist, pulling her in closer so there was no space left in between them. "You're gonna kill me one'a these days." Daryl mumbled against her hair that was splayed out across the pillow.
Rhiannon giggled slightly, a wicked grin on her face. "It'd be the best way to go."
The couple laid together in silence, both enjoying the peacefulness of just being together with no interruptions. It was rare they ever got a moment like this with everyone constantly around.
"Mmm, do we have to go back?" She asked tiredly, fighting the urge to fall back asleep.
Daryl chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You wanna explain to your dad why we didn't come back?"
Rhiannon cringed and immediately sat up, looking for her clothes. "Any idea where my clothes are?"
"I brought 'em in this mornin', they're over there." Daryl told her, nodding his head to the dresser at the other end of the room.
Rhiannon got up out of the bed and had to bite her lip to stop from laughing, she could feel Daryl's burning gaze on her completely bare form. She kept her eyes forward, knowing if she turned back to look at him as he watched her, it'd be hours before they left. She got her backpack and started rifling through it.
"You're lucky I brought more underwear." She told him with a playful glare. Daryl just smirked in response, he hadn't even fully realized that he'd torn her underwear off her, he was so caught up in the moment it completely flew by his mind.
"Don't get into that habit, I only have so many."
"You didn't like it?"
Rhiannon looked up at him in surprise, her eyes widening. Was he really teasing her? His gaze was too heated for her to handle and she had to avert her gaze when he raised a questioning brow. She just grumbled something unintelligible under her breath and started putting her clothes on.
Daryl reluctantly got out of bed and reached for his jeans, trying to ignore the stab of disappointment as he dressed that their time alone was coming to an end.
He had just picked up his shirt from the floor when he felt Rhiannon's arms snake around his waist. He tensed slightly as she gently ran her fingers across one of the thick scars on his back. He relaxed instantly though as he reminded himself that it was only her, that there was nothing but love in her touch.
His lips quirked up into a shy smile as she pressed a kiss to his scars and he placed his hands over hers. "Thank you for bringing me here." She said quietly.
Daryl just nodded wordlessly, feeling shy at her praise. He never knew how to react to it.
Rhiannon wanted to say 'I love you' but she didn't want to pressure him to say it back. Saying 'me too' would be a lame response and she knew Daryl would feel like an ass if he said that, so she kept quiet and let him know how she felt through the press of her lips against the dark secret he held on his back.
She finally pulled away, letting him finish getting dressed and all too soon they were ready to leave their safe haven. Daryl held the door open for her as she stepped outside, making her swoon. It was the little things he did that made her feel like a giddy teenager.
They walked through the forest the way they came, this time not talking and joking around they way they'd been yesterday. Daryl was in full hunter mode as he looked for tracks. It would be really embarrassing if they came back without a deer. She was sure Daryl would die if the others knew what a horny bastard he was.
It didn't take long for Daryl to find tracks and start following. Rhiannon narrowed her eyes, realizing they were pretty close to the house where the group was. "Does it really take longer to track deer?" She asked, already knowing the answer, but she wanted to make him squirm.
Daryl looked back at her with an expression similar to a kid that was caught cheating on a test. "Uhh, sometimes."
"Mhmm," Was her response, making Daryl blush even harder.
"You sayin' you didn't want last night to happen?" He asked with a smirk.
Rhiannon just shrugged in understanding. "I guess you have a point."
Daryl chuckled and they went back to tracking, well, Daryl did, Rhiannon just followed, hoping he was taking her the right way.
He held his hand up, making her stop in her place. He turned and motioned her forward. She slowly crept to stand next to him and looked to where he was pointing. She stared in awe at the sight of the deer in front of them.
She used to see them all the time as a kid, but since she'd moved to New York and only visited on some holidays, she hadn't seen a deer in years. She felt like she was a kid again, taking a walk with Otis and Patricia as they pointed out all the wildlife to her and Maggie, her mom and dad even joining them sometimes.
Rhiannon felt her emotions bubble as she stared at the beautiful animal in front of her. That part of her life seemed so long ago, it was like a dream or a fantasy that hadn't really happened. She missed that time in her life, it was before her mother had died, before she'd gone off the rails.
The look on her face made Daryl lower his bow that had been aimed at the animal. Her eyes were watering with tears which made him move closer to her, his face shrouded with worry.
"What's wrong?" He whispered, so he didn't spook the deer that was only a few feet from them.
"Nothing, I'm fine." She shook her head and sniffled slightly, putting on a brave face to mask her emotions.
Daryl was reluctant to take her words and drop it but he knew now wasn't the time or place to question her. He slowly raised his crossbow again and the second he fired the arrow, Rhiannon was on her feet and turning her back on the scene in front of them.
"Rhiannon?"
She kept her back turned to him and shook her head. "It's nothing... it's stupid." She mumbled and averted her gaze as he stepped in front of her, his hands reaching up to grasp her arms, sensing she wanted to bolt. "I was just thinking about before."
That was all Daryl needed to hear. He just nodded in understanding and brushed a gentle kiss to her forehead before leaving her side to get the deer. Rhiannon sighed in relief at the absence of any questions. She knew he understood what thinking about the past could do and how much it could weigh them down.
She faced the deer bravely, trying not to imagine her good memories dying with that deer, though it did remind her of how her good attitude died as soon as her mother did. It made her even more impatient to get back to her family.
She shook her head as if that would make all the thoughts disappear from her mind and forced herself to move past it, to ignore that part of her brain that reminded her of her past mistakes. She looked to Daryl hopefully, knowing just a couple minutes with him would make her feel better.
Daryl hoisted the deer over his shoulders and Rhiannon slung his crossbow over her shoulder, letting out a heavy breath and a small curse in surprise at how heavy it was. Daryl chuckled at the look on her face.
"How do you carry this thing every day?"
"You get used to it."
"Will I?" She asked with a smirk. "Does that mean you'll teach me how to use it?"
"You ain't gonna drop that are you?" He groaned, trying to figure out a new way to turn her down for the thousandth time. She never gave up though, she was determined to shoot that crossbow at least once.
The couple continued their journey back to their group. Every couple of seconds, Daryl would sneak a glance at her, relieved that her eyes were no longer darkened with sadness and regret and that she'd moved past memory that had plagued her earlier.
Rhiannon could feel his gaze on her and she finally looked over at him. He immediately averted his eyes like a teenager caught staring at his crush and she laughed.
"Stop worrying, I'm fine. It just hits me sometimes, how much I miss the person I was before my mom died." She explained remorsefully.
"You think you ain't that person now?"
Rhiannon's stride faltered and her brows furrowed in deep thought as his words resonated with her. Daryl could see she was hesitant to believe him and he sighed deeply.
"Your Dad and your sisters, they don't hold a grudge against you. You fixed whatever was goin' on between you guys, I'd say that makes you 'bout as good as you can be." He told her sincerely, feeling slightly out of his element that he was giving her advice. It was usually the other way around.
Rhiannon sent him a small smile and nodded, though she knew she wouldn't feel one hundred percent better until she actually spoke to her family. Despite the apologies she'd given them since the outbreak and being on the road - which was the turning point for her to realize the way she'd been distancing herself - she couldn't help but feel like it wouldn't ever be enough.
She'd be apologising to them until the day she died.
They walked in silence the rest of the way and Rhiannon smiled when they stepped out of the thicket of trees and she noticed they were only a few blocks away from the group. Her relief at being close was short lived as Daryl suddenly stopped, his eyes narrowed in focus. Rhiannon was about to ask what was wrong when he looked over at her. "You hear that?"
Rhiannon strained her ears, but all she could hear was the breeze rustling the leaves of the trees and their own breathing. She was about to shake her head when a loud crack of a gunshot made her flinch.
Daryl immediately dropped the deer and grabbed his bow that she held out for him to take. They were so close to the house, they knew it was their group making the noise. Rhiannon pulled her sword out as they ran down the road, her mind running with horrible possibilities.
It didn't take them long to reach the house and when they got there Rhiannon's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the group of walkers that crowded the group. She followed after Daryl who immediately ran straight into the action, eventually favoring his knife when he couldn't load his bow fast enough.
Rhiannon felt her heart in her throat as a scream tore through the air. She turned on her heel and her blood ran cold as she saw Beth surrounded by walkers, with only a small knife to defend herself. Rhiannon sprinted towards her and mowed down the walkers viciously, her rage palpable as they dare tried to hurt her baby sister.
Beth cried loudly and threw herself into her big sister's arms, crushing her in a vice like grip.
"Are you ok?" Rhiannon asked frantically, her voice shaking in fear. Beth continued to cry making her heart beat faster. "Beth, did it touch you?"
She nodded slowly and Rhiannon felt dizzy, her throat closing up and her chest tightening, it was hard to breathe.
"It didn't bite me, just grabbed me." Beth gasped out, noticing the look on her sister's face. "I'm ok."
The relief Rhiannon felt made her want to cry, but she couldn't let herself in that moment, she had to make sure Beth stayed safe. She wrapped her arm over her shoulder, keeping Beth tucked into her safely as she used her other hand to slash at a walker that was going for Carl.
"Come on." She called out to him and opened the door for the two of them to get into the backseat as the rest of them got into the cars in between fighting.
"Rhiannon!"
She turned on her heel at the sound of Daryl's worried voice calling out to her. She spared a look to her father who was getting into the driver's seat and the relief on his face at seeing her safe was what allowed her to move. She ran back to Daryl who was already perched on his bike.
She got on behind him and the second her arms wrapped around his torso to hold on, he was speeding off with the rest of them. Rhiannon breathed deeply, her body trembling slightly with adrenaline. She rested her head against his back and closed her eyes, willing herself to relax.
They weren't on the road long, Rick had motioned for them to pull over as they got to a suburban looking cul de sac which made Rhiannon frown. She didn't like being in residential areas, they'd been driven out of every single one they'd come to.
Before Daryl had even turned off his motorcycle, Rhiannon was off and running over to her sisters. Maggie was the first to see her and she let out a shaking breath in relief, hugging her so tightly it left both of them winded.
"I didn't see you, I thought we left without you." Maggie cried softly into her hair. Rhiannon swallowed the lump in her throat and held her tighter. The sisters only finally pulled away from each other when Hershel and Beth strode over to her purposefully.
Beth fell into her arms again and Rhiannon held onto her shaking form protectively, her hands running through her hair.
"You're ok, I got you." Rhiannon assured her. She flinched slightly as she felt a hand placed on her shoulder, but sighed in relief as he father looked down at her with a wide smile. He placed a kiss to the top of her head, his other arm wrapping around both her and Beth.
Rhiannon finally felt her tense body relax and her heart rate slow down to a normal rhythm. She reluctantly pulled away from Beth to hug Carol who looked as shell shocked as she felt. It was never easy facing a herd head on, they were just lucky they hadn't lost anyone.
She eventually found her place beside Daryl who looked tense as he always did everytime they had to move. She placed her hand on his arm that was crossed over his chest and gave him a knowing look, silently telling him to relax.
He sighed and lowered his arms, reaching out for hand and giving it a comforting squeeze.
"Alright, let's get this house cleared and we can get everything back in order." Rick told them sternly.
Daryl immediately stepped towards him, his bow in his hands tightly. Rhiannon watched as T-Dog and Carl followed, but she stayed in her place.
"Rhiannon?" Rick called out to her, raising a brow in question. Usually she was right behind him, ready to help out and he figured she'd be even more eager to go with them since she was finally in the clear health wise.
"I'm gonna stay out here." She told him, her eyes moving back and forth between him and her family that was still huddled together. Rick nodded in understanding and sent her a small smile.
As the small group moved up to the porch, Daryl turned and sent her a small, reassuring nod to which she just smiled and sent him back a wink.
She forced herself not to worry about them as they went inside and instead walked over to sit with Maggie, Glenn and Beth, who was still shaken. As she sat down next to her, Beth immediately rested her head on her shoulder and Rhiannon placed her arm over her shoulder.
"So, how was the hunt?" Maggie asked with a sickly sweet smile on her face as she made her sister squirm. "It's funny, I don't see a deer."
"We had a deer. Had to ditch it to save your asses."
Maggie just nodded, but her eyes still held that teasing glint Rhiannon loathed. "Beth, do me a favor, move the collar of her shirt, I'm guessing there's a few hickies there."
Rhiannon sent Maggie a look of disbelief and glared down at Beth who giggled quietly and pulled her collar down slightly.
She suddenly let out a loud laugh. "There is!"
Rhiannon wanted to flip them off for teasing but she couldn't find it in herself to be mad. Her baby sister was smiling and laughing, granted it was at her expense, but that didn't matter. She was just too caught up in relief to allow herself to be annoyed.
"Alright, stop before Glenn passes out." Rhiannon scolded them halfheartedly, thoroughly amused by the blush on Glenn's face.
"Don't be a prude." Maggie told him.
"I'm not, I just really don't wanna think about Daryl like that." Glenn defended himself but it was useless as the girl just laughed at his awkwardness.
Rick stepped out of the house and waved his hand for them to come in, sobering them from their laughter and making them realize now wasn't the time for this.
Rhiannon grabbed their things from the trunk, making sure to get Daryl's bag too. Her face was scrunched in distaste as she walked in the house. The floors were creaky and the walls were chipped and cracked. It looked like a strong breeze could make this place crumble to the ground.
But she wouldn't complain. After what had happened just hours before, she was lucky to be alive and still have everyone she cared about alive too, so she forced the unpleasant look off her face and powered through.
She sat on the floor next to Maggie and looked up at Daryl with a smile as he strolled in picking the feathers from an owl.
"Ain't as good as the deer we left behind, but better than nothing." He said as he perched himself on the table behind her.
Rhiannon sent Maggie a telling look, saying 'I told you so', knowing her sister wasn't convinced about their hunt. She just rolled her eyes and nudged her lightly in response.
They didn't talk, all of them were so exhausted and fed up. They needed to find somewhere they could stay for more than a night. Rhiannon looked over at Lori as she rubbed her very pregnant belly and frowned, she knew this wasn't good for her.
Rhiannon felt something on her head and looked over her shoulder, seeing a pile of feathers falling on her. She scrunched her nose up and nudged Daryl's leg that was beside her. He sent her a smirk as she picked the feathers out of her hair and sent him a withering glare that made him suppress a laugh rather than cower the way her glares made Glenn and T-Dog cower.
As Rhiannon freed her already grimy appearance of the unwanted feathers, Carl came strolling into the room looking quite pleased with himself. As soon as Rhiannon saw what had made him so happy, her mouth turned down into a deep frown, her stomach already twisting in revolt at just the mere thought of eating dog food.
The group wasn't at their best, but they sure as hell hadn't reached that low.
She winced as Rick threw the can across the room and sent Carl a sympathetic look, she knew Rick was stressed and he wasn't exactly doing a good job at keeping it from his son. But she couldn't blame him, he was dealing with more than she could ever handle.
A sharp whistle from T-Dog had them all look up in alert. As he motioned out the window and she got a look at the walkers that roamed in the front yard, she had to stifle a groan.
With more force than was necessary, she grabbed her bags and followed the rest out of the house. This had to be a record, she thought to herself. Barely two minutes and they were already run out.
She threw her things in the trunk and sent an assuring nod to Maggie as she made her way to where Daryl was waiting for her by his bike. For the second time that day, she sat behind him and wrapped her arms around him as they fled.
"We'll find a place." He told her over the roar of the bike, noticing the annoyance on her face. He squeezed her hands that linked over his stomach, giving her the only reassurance he could give her. He didn't want to start making false promises he couldn't keep, but he had hope that they would find a place.
The group was strong and he knew they'd be ok no matter what they found.
Rhiannon was bored out of her mind on the back of Daryl's bike. She liked being close to him but she was longing to be behind the wheel listening to music. She let out a loud sigh as they finally stopped and she got off, immediately stretching her sore legs.
"My ass is killing me." She mumbled.
"Want a massage?" Daryl asked, his eyes glimmering with a mischief she hardly ever saw.
She gaped at him and let out a disbelieving laugh. "What's with you today, that's like the third time you've teased me."
"Tables turned." He shrugged and leaned down to give her a quick kiss and before she could respond or even kiss him back, he pulled away and was walking to meet up with the group in front of the convoy of cars.
Rhiannon watched him walk away with a flustered smile. It wasn't like him to be this upbeat after a day of losses and she had a feeling he was just doing this because he knew she was in such a foul mood. Usually she was the one to make him feel better after a day like they'd had, but she could only stay positive for so long.
She was touched that he had taken it in himself to put aside whatever anger she knew he had over the situation to make her feel better.
She made her way to the others but had tuned out their conversation, she couldn't listen as they listed all the places they'd been and failed to make a home. She could tell everyone was on edge and she hoped they found a place before things got more tense and people started taking it out on each other. She was actually surprised that hadn't happened yet.
Rhiannon turned and leaned her back against the hood of the car. She stared out at the forest in front of her intensely, as if willing the trees to part and reveal a perfect sanctuary for them. Her eyes scanned side to side, realizing she had to at least do something and this was her way of taking watch.
She frowned slightly as she saw Lori who had stayed in the car, isolating herself from the group, something she'd been doing a lot lately, Rhiannon had noticed. Things were still a little rocky between them but were definitely better than they'd been at the start of the winter. Rhiannon desperately wanted to make amends so there wasn't any awkwardness. She felt bad for the woman and she knew she could use another friend, Carol could only do so much.
"Rhi," She turned and looked at Daryl who had called out to her. "Goin' hunting, wanna come?"
She hesitated, her gaze turning back to Lori. "No, I'll stay and keep watch."
"You sure?" Daryl narrowed his eyes at her quizzically. She nodded, keeping her face blank of emotions so he wouldn't think anything was wrong with her and pry. "Alright." He said slowly.
She didn't want to say she was going to talk to Lori, she didn't want to bring that up in front of Rick. Any mention of her put him on edge instantly and that was the last thing she wanted. She sent him a feeble wave as he hesitantly left with Rick, sending her one last look over his shoulder as they walked away.
Once the two men were out of sight she grabbed a bottle of water and headed to where Lori sat. She approached hesitantly, suddenly realizing she had no idea what to say to the woman.
"Hey, got you some water."
Lori looked over at her, slightly confused by her presence, it had been a long time since Rhiannon had willingly approached her. Even when she gave Lori her portion of food she didn't want when she was going through her endometriosis, she always did it slyly, hardly sharing a few words.
"Thanks." She said quietly, taking a well needed sip.
"How you holding up?"
Lori just shrugged, not knowing how to answer.
"You should come down to the stream, it'd be good to take a little walk, talk to everyone." She propositioned and immediately cringed at the tone in her voice. She sounded like Mary Poppins and it was complete bullshit.
Lori looked up at her lamely, seeing right through her words. "Look, I know what you're trying to do and I appreciate you doing it, but I just can't right now. I can't be around everyone, I can't see the looks on their faces."
"What looks?"
"They all can't stand me. I'm a terrible mother, terrible wife, and a terrible friend."
"What? Lori, no one hates you."
The pregnant woman let out a bitter laugh and sent Rhiannon a look as if to say 'are you kidding me?' "Did you forget about Rick?"
"Rick doesn't hate you. Sure he's mad, but you guys were married for a long time, those feelings don't just go away." She paused and her face turned grim as she thought over her words. "Right?"
Lori laughed at the look on her face. "It doesn't for some couples. Like you and Daryl, you two are strong, that'll never happen. But me and Rick? I think it already has."
"Well you should still talk to him and try to work things out. If not for you, then for Carl."
Lori's face fell at the mention of her son and tears came to her eyes as she thought about the way he acted towards her. It broke her heart. "I never thanked you for everything you've done for him." She told Rhiannon with a broken voice.
Rhiannon furrowed her brows, she'd been the one to convince Rick to let him start going on runs which had caused hundred of fights between the married couple. Surely Lori wasn't thanking her for that?
"I get it now, he needed to learn. And you've saved his life so many times I lost count. He really looks up to you, so thank you."
Rhiannon felt overwhelmed by her gratitude. She really underestimated how this conversation was going to turn out. "You don't have to thank me for that. You raised him well."
Lori sent her a tearful smile. Rhiannon sensed she needed to be alone and gave her a quick hug, which Lori gratefully accepted, and walked away, giving her the space she needed.
"Everything ok with you two?" Carol asked nervously, her eyes darting back and forth between the two women.
"We're fine. Probably the best we've ever been."
"How is she?"
Rhiannon sighed, her hesitation to answer pretty much already giving Carol an answer. "She thinks everyone hates her."
Carol let out a deep breath and shook her head. "This isn't good for her. I'm worried about when the baby comes. If she's already like this, the chances of postpartum are higher."
Rhiannon's eyes widened and she looked back at Lori in worry. "Once we get a place and get her off her feet we can get stuff for the baby. Maybe that'll snap her outta this."
Carol looked over at the younger woman with a barely contained grin. Rhiannon looked over at her and gave her a questioning look. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I missed you." Carol told her simply.
Rhiannon laughed. "I was gone for one night."
"No, not like that. I missed seeing you like this, taking charge, you're in your element."
Rhiannon shook her head, feeling embarrassed the way a child would when their mother compliments them. Carol noticed how bashful she became and smiled widely, placing an arm over her shoulder.
"I'm glad to have you back."
Rhiannon just nodded, a small smile on her face. Carol knew she better change the subject if she didn't want the young woman to flee in a flustered huff. She was more like Daryl than she thought, they both got so shy whenever someone complimented them.
"So, you and Daryl have fun on your hunt?" Carol smiled innocently, feeling joyous at the wide eyed look she got in response. She laughed and pulled Rhiannon into a side hug. "Relax, no ones judging you. You both deserve it."
"Oh my god, can we not talk about this?" Rhiannon mumbled, placing her hands over her blushing face.
"Are you two being safe?"
Rhiannon wanted to die on the spot as Carol teased her. She sent the woman a playful glare. "You're enjoying this way too much."
"Mhmm." Carol admitted with a smile. "There's nothing else to entertain me out here."
Thankfully, before Carol could embarrass her even more, Rick and Daryl had come back. The leader had a smile on his face she hadn't seen in a long time.
"That was quick."
"We found a place."
Rhiannon looked to Daryl hopefully, he nodded, his face void of any fear or worry. "Is it another house?" She asked hesitantly, if it was she didn't know how to tell him that it was a bad idea, they didn't seem to be working out for them.
Rick shook his head, a barely contained smile on his face. "A prison."
Rhiannon let out a small laugh, thinking he was making a stupid joke, but the looks on both their faces made he stop. "Huh?" She asked in confusion.
"We're really gonna stay in a prison?" Carol asked, sounding less than enthused than Rick did.
"It's got fences, we just gotta clear it out." Daryl explained.
"Alright." Rhiannon said, though she still didn't sound as excited as the men did. "I'll go get the others."
Rhiannon headed down the slope off the side of the road to the stream that was a few yards away. "You guys almost done?"
"Yeah, we're coming." Glenn called out.
"Well, hurry up. We're going to prison."
An update before the week is up because I love all you readers so much! The feedback on this story had been overwhelming, I can't believe we're over 200 reviews, that blows my mind.
You guys are the reason I'm able to get these chapters out so quick so thank you so much for your support, I'm so grateful!
I'm so excited for what's to come. I can't wait for Rhiannon to see Merle again and to meet Michonne. I can't wait for that team up. And of course the creepy Governor. Ugh I can't wait!
Thanks for reading xx