Yay! Two chapters in one day! I'm on fire! I love you guys! Thank you for being so concerned about Amber! Don't worry, she's a tough little piss ant! Review me baby!
"Dammit, Daryl! Leave me alone, I'm fine!"
Daryl ignored Amber, running his hands over her body as he crouched over her. He was also ignoring the guns trained on him and his brother.
"Did ya hit ya head? What about yer leg?" he asked, obviously panicked.
"No! I just fell on my fa...uh fluffy ass, okay! I'm alright, just get me up!"
He looked down at her, a bit calmer. "Ya sure? I'm takin ya ta the hospital ta get checked out."
"No, you're not. I'm sick and damn tired of the hospital." Amber looked around Daryl, much more aware of the imminent danger of gunfire in the room. She found Norm, who had just rolled out from under Merle while clutching his ribs.
"Call them off, Norm. Now." she said low.
The sergeant at arms looked up at Tyreese and nodded. "S'fine. Just family shit." He addressed the other Demons who had weapons out. "Walk away." They slowly put their weapons up and walked out of the room. Merle got up and then leaned over to help pull Norm up.
"Sorry, sarge. Just watchin my bro's six. Ya more solid than ya look, I'll give ya that." He rotated his shoulder after he pulled him up. "Ya bout broke m'damn collar bone when I hit ya."
Norm nodded and coughed, grimacing as he clutched his ribs tighter. "Then we're even, cause ya almost broke my ribs."
Daryl wasn't as forgiving as his brother. Once he had Amber solidly in a chair, he just regarded her father with a glare. Debra was kneeling next to Barry, having pulled his skull do rag off his shaved head to hold it to his bloody nose. He reached his hand toward Amber but she turned her head, just before Daryl stepped in between them to squat at her feet checking her over again. Debra shoved the rag into her husbands hands and joined Daryl.
"You okay, Pooshie?" she asked quietly.
Daryl answered before Amber could, as he unstrapped her brace. "She says she's fine, but I'm gonna run her up ta the 'mergency room."
Amber shook her head at both of them. "NO! I. AM. FINE. All I want is a drink. At the bar."
Daryl had her brace off now and carefully bent her knee. "This hurt?"
"No more than it did earlier today. Now please, take me to the bar."
Daryl gently took her left arm and started checking over her shoulder. He moved it in a circle slowly. "How about tha..."
"Daryl, if you ask me if I'm okay again, I'm gonna scream. No that doesn't hurt."
He didn't answer, intent on what he had found on her upper arm. The skin just above her elbow was already turning purple in the shape of her fathers hand. Amber grabbed the front of Daryl's shirt just as he went to leap up back in Barry's direction.
"Mama, help!" she pleaded with Debra.
The older woman put her hands on Daryl's shoulders. "Stop. Just stop. Daryl, worry about Amber right now."
"He fuckin marked her!" he spat, pointing at Amber's arm.
"I know. He's sorry. And he's going to be more sorry by the time I get done with him. But if you jump Barry again, you'll be the one getting hurt. Remember where you are."
Daryl jerked out from under Debra's grasp and busied himself strapping Amber's leg back into her brace. She could tell by how he was moving that he was barely holding on to his self control. By the time he finished, Norm and Merle had left out the door, headed towards the bar. Barry followed a moment later, still clutching the rag to his nose, presumably headed towards the bathroom to get cleaned up. He gave Amber one last repentant look before he walked out.
Kaye walked over to check on Amber. After she assured her she was fine, Kaye asked Debra if she would drop her off at her house on her and Barry's way home. Debra quickly agreed, knowing how strained her best friends marriage was at the moment. They both hugged Amber before they left, Kaye whispering the words "Thirty days. Please change your mind." as she did. Amber acted like she didn't hear her.
That left Amber and Daryl alone in the meeting room. As soon as the door closed behind Kaye, he relaxed between Amber's knees, arms circling her waist as he laid his face against her stomach. She leaned back against the chair and ran one hand through his hair. It was getting to the point he was going to have to make the decision to either cut it or grow it out.
"I don't care if he's ya daddy, he ain't gonna hit ya." Daryl said against her belly.
"You almost got shot. You can't jump the president in the meeting room."
"Like I said girl, he ain't gonna hit ya." Daryl turned his head to place a soft kiss on her stomach below the hem of the halter and Amber jerked. He pulled his head back, worried he hurt her but then saw the grin in her face.
"What the hell was that?"
"Your scruff, it tickles."
Daryl smirked up at her and then rubbed his cheek on the delicate skin under it. She squirmed under him and giggled. Amber finally tugged on his hair to get him to stop. She leaned over him and he pushed up to meet her. Daryl had been worried she would pull away after the episode with the letter from Kaye and the lawyer. But Amber seemed to be even more determined to make contact with him. And he needed to let her taste, smell, and feel calm him after the adrenalin of the fight.
They just kissed for the next few minutes, Daryl not going any further than just inside her mouth. He let Amber take from him what she would, though and he felt his cock twitch when the tip of her cool tongue danced over the roof of his mouth. It reminded him of how she had flicked her tongue over the head of his dick the last time she gave him a blow job. He pulled away groaning, hands tightening where they sat on the bare skin of her waist.
"What's wrong?" Amber asked as her brow furrowed in confusion. She stopped him from pulling back any further with her hands on the back of his neck.
"We need ta stop."
Amber frowned and looked around for a second. "Why? We're alone?"
Daryl rolled his eyes. "S'just too much, a'ight?"
"I thought you said I could decide what was too much. I'm fine."
"Wasn't talkin about you, girl."
Amber looked at him blankly for another second before smirking and nodding. "I love you, Desperado."
"Love ya too, baby girl." he said so low she almost couldn't hear him. Amber tugged on Daryl until he wrapped his arms around her tightly and his chest was pressed against hers. She propped her head on his shoulder and he moved his face into her neck that was totally exposed with her hair pulled up. He pressed his lips against her neck, forcing his tongue to stay in his mouth and off her skin.
"I'm sorry." she whispered next to Daryl's ear.
"Bout what? You ain't done nothin'."
"I'm sorry we can't..."
Daryl silenced her by bringing one of his hands around to her mouth, placing his rough index finger against her lips. He pulled his head back to press his forehead against hers.
"Hush. I ain't even worried bout that, not for a long while. S'just enough ta have ya here and safe. Even kissin is more than I was hopin for right now." He was telling the truth, just leaving out his shower escapades. Daryl would have given his own life to undo what had been done to Amber. But he wasn't so dumb as to not realize what this time of slow rediscovery was doing for their relationship.
She nodded and he removed his finger, replacing it with his lips. He kissed her a little deeper now than before, just a little. His hands danced over the skin that was exposed on her lower back while her nails drew light circles on his neck. Daryl pulled back when it started to be too much for him again and smirked at her. "I thought ya wanted ta go ta the bar."
Amber nodded, swallowing. "Why don't you buy me a drink?"
Daryl snorted, shaking his head. "Ya know we drink free here."
"What can I say? I'm a cheap date."
Daryl chuckled as he stood and scooped her up. "Ya right, free drinks, a couple rabbits in the crockpot, and some wildflowers from the backyard and I got ya eatin outta my hand."
Amber nodded her head. He was right.
TWDAUTWDAUTWDAUTWDAUTWDAUTWDAUTWDAUTWDAUTWDAU
An hour later they were both working on only their second drinks, Daryl with his usual bottle of Bud and Amber with her Tennessee Honey over ice. She knew he wouldn't drink any more since he was driving so she motioned for another whiskey from Carol as she found the bottom of her glass. Daryl shook his head, looking at Carol and drawing his finger across his throat, telling her to cut Amber off. Amber looked up at him with her eyebrow raised.
"I'm a big girl, Daryl."
"Yeah, a big girl whose gotta take a pain pill and a sleepin pill before bed. Leigh told ya before ya left the hospital, ya can't get smashed and take ya meds."
Amber sighed and looked back over at Carol, who was scowling at Daryl. She wasn't too keen on men telling women what to do either. Amber just mouthed the word "Coke." at her. A minute later one appeared to take place of the empty glass.
"Better, Desperado?"
He smirked down at her. "Yeah."
Amber took a drink and nodded down towards the end of the bar, where Merle and Norm had sat drinking for the last hour. Merle was still his usual self but Norm was looking a little worse for wear, obviously way past half lit. One of the bleached blonde 'skank twins' that used to hang around Leon tried to rub up on Merle, feeling up his bicep while she oohed and aahed.
"Here we go..." Daryl snickered in Amber's ear as he watched.
Merle looked up at the bleached blonde and frowned for a second before jerking his arm away. Now it was Amber turn to look up at Daryl over her shoulder and giggle while he gaped.
"I don't think he's interested."
"Fuck...I ain't never seen him turn down free pussy."
"Told you he liked Beth."
"He's gotta be sick or somethin."
"Why? Because he turned down that slut? You think she's pretty?"
Daryl looked down at Amber with his lip curled in a disgusted sneer. "HELL NO! Too tall, too skinny, too blonde, too slutty. An' I bet ya she smells like ass and cigarettes instead a' rain and..." Daryl sniffed Amber's jaw. "Jack Daniels. Definitely rain and Jack Daniels."
Amber giggled and slapped him away from her face playfully. Daryl took a peek around the room and made sure nobody was looking before he pressed a quick kiss to her neck.
"So you're saying I smell like liquor. Thanks." Amber said drily.
Daryl chuckled, feeling much better than he had when he first got to the clubhouse. "Just a little, right now. Not all the time, didn't say I didn't like it."
"Uhoh." Amber was suddenly serious. "Check out Miss Ass and Cigarettes now."
Merle had disappeared and the skank twin had moved on to Norm. He was grinning at her and letting her lean in a whole lot more than a married man should. Amber gave Daryl a worried look just as Merle walked up to her elbow from the direction of the bathroom.
"Lil' sugar, y'all ready ta head home? I gotta work in the mornin." Merle's eyes glanced down at the end of the bar. "I think Sarge is about ta fuck up royally an' I don't wanna be here when it happens."
"Yep. Time ta go." Daryl killed the rest of his beer. "That bitch'll give'em somethin Ajax and water won't take off."
Amber shook her head and reached up around Daryl's neck as he picked her up. "He won't have to worry about catching anything. Kaye'll cut it off."
Both men agreed as they made their way to the truck and Merle's bike. Amber cautioned Merle to keep his phone on. She had a bad feeling about Norm. He didn't get totally drunk off his ass a lot, but when he did it was bad. She remembered a couple times when she was still home with her parents when Kaye had called Debra, and Barry had to go over to drag him out of the house. But that was before this. Now the only men who would cross him were the Dixons and Daryl wouldn't leave her.
It took them an hour to get home, Amber to take her medication, and them both get ready for bed. She saw Daryl hesitate and look in her direction when he reached for his sweatpants. She rolled her eyes as she got her leg adjusted on the pillow.
"It's hot. Just wear your boxers, dummy."
He nodded and cut off the light before sliding into bed behind her. Amber had put on a pair of little sleep shorts and a sports bra, trying to balance her need for skin contact at night without it being 'too much' for Daryl. They relaxed into each other and Daryl grabbed the iron rod of her brace to lift her leg. He pushed the pillow out from between her knees with his foot and replaced it with his own leg.
"That gonna be okay? The brace won't hurt your leg will it?" Amber asked quietly into the dark.
"S'fine. Fuckin pilla gets on m'nerves. Alright with you?" he murmured against her hair, that was now down and spilling down under their heads.
"Yep. Night. Love you."
"Love ya. Sleep. I want biscuits in the mornin."
They both had just drifted off to sleep when Amber's phone went off. She slung her arm over Daryl and sat up halfway to try to grab for it and ended up hitting him in the face with her elbow.
"Ow! Damn, girl..." he said, a hand going to his mouth.
"Sorry. My phones ringing. Hand it to me."
Daryl took a minute to fumble for it and Amber finally got it in her hands. "Hello?" Daryl was fully awake now and sitting up, looking at Amber nervously. Calls at 3am were never good news.
He saw her eyes go wide in the sparse light from the phone. "Okay, are you alright?" She looked up at him and mouthed "Kaye."
Daryl ran his hand over his face. Stupid fuckin Norm. He and Baby Girl both needed their sleep but instead they were dealing with this shit.
"I'll have Daryl send him over." Amber flapped her hand in the direction of Daryl's phone, in the pocket of his vest hanging on the bedpost. He grabbed it, going ahead and dialing Merle.
"The fuck ya want?" his brother answered, less than cheerily after the sixth ring.
"Ya need ta get down ta the junkyard. Kaye just called, Norm's showin his ass."
"Shit." Daryl could hear rustling, Merle must have been throwing his clothes on. "Tell'er I'm on my way. Sarge better hope he's already out by the time I get there or I'll knock his ass out. I gotta work in four goddamn hours." The line went dead and Daryl smirked. That was the first time he had ever heard Merle be concerned about work, ever.
Amber handed her phone back over and she took her place against Daryl's chest as he situated her leg over his. She didn't say anything but he could feel how tense her body was against him.
"Quit worryin." he said against her neck. "She's fine."
"I could hear him trying to kick their bedroom door down."
"I've kicked a door down ta get ta you."
"That was different. He gets crazy when he's this drunk."
"Merle will be there in less than ten minutes. And then Norm'll wish he hadn't showed his ass. Now sleep. Almost three fuckin thirty."
Amber nodded, putting her hand over his where it lay on her bare stomach. Daryl leaned in to kiss her neck and she turned her head, nudging his face with her nose. He took the hint, kissing her on the mouth, slow and soft, his tongue dancing across her lower lip a single time before he pulled away.
"Night." Amber sighed.
"She's fine. 'night. Sleep. Now."
Amber giggled and snuggled into him. Daryl might have a temper and be bossy but he sure as hell wasn't drunk and letting some peroxided whore rub up on him. Good thing, because she'd hate for two Demons to lose their nuts in one night.
