New Meanings To Old Words: Love
Welcome to all the new readers. My love to all of you who have put this on your Faves list and big ups to those of you who have chosen to leave me a review…or two as you got caught up on this…
Alright ladies and gents. Here we go a Callie (and Daryl) centric chapter…in which we hopefully get past this odd sort of space that has settled between our duo. You know, just in time for more shit to hit the fan….. Not much else to say here except on with the show!
As always, read, review and most of all enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my oddball OC's (the few the proud, the slightly insane) and all their little side-adventures.
At This Point In My Life
Daryl growled as he kicked at the shit inside of his tent, his eyes roving over Callie's bags and makin' his lips lift in a fuckin' snarl. That woman. That fuckin' woman and her fuckin' need to save everyone. He didn't need this bullshit in his life. Didn't need to be constantly chasin' after someone that knew better. Didn't need to be wastin' his time, riskin' his life…
Daryl snarled and grabbed his quiver from the corner before duckin' back outside into the now full dark night. His eyes roamed over his little campsite. His fuckin' place away from all the bullshit, that had been invaded by a hulkin' orange beast of a car and littered with cans tied together by strings. Daryl's eyes locked on those stringed up cans and held, his mind instantly slipping back to the way Ben and Gracie had looked at him when he fuckin' drove them away. The way Miles had shook his fuckin' head, like he was the adult and Daryl the child needin' to be put in his place.
"Fuck," Daryl ground out between clenched teeth before snapping his attention back to where he'd set his crossbow against the remnants of the fireplace at the center of his camp. Their fuckin' camp. He shook his head and snatched up his crossbow, slinging it over his back and adjusting the strap.
"Daryl!" a voice, Miles' fuckin' voice called out from somewhere in the dark and Daryl's head snapped up to find him. The kid was runnin' full force towards him and Daryl rolled his eyes back to his quiver and left the kid to continue shoutin'.
Not fuckin' fifteen minutes ago that kid had up and dragged Ben and Gracie down to the house, givin' Daryl a bit of much needed breathin' room. Apparently fuckin' fifteen minutes was all the breathing room that Miles deemed necessary before he came rushin' back like the world was on fire. Daryl growled as he heard the kid call out his name again, the rushed crunching of the boy's footsteps faltering a bit as he finally crested the small hill and came to a stop near the back end of the Hummer. Daryl spared the kid a fleeting glance before adjusting his quiver into place and settling his fingers to the strap of his crossbow.
Fifteen fuckin' minutes.
"Hey," Miles said a bit out of breath as Daryl shifted a bit away from him and off towards his bike. "Daryl-" the kid paused again, and again Daryl spared him a glance watching as a strange sort of confusion settled on the kid's brow. "What are you doin'?"
"What the fuck does it look like I'm doin'?" Daryl snapped at him shifting an annoyed look over his shoulder before putting his hands to his handle bars. "I'm goin' after her."
"A'right," Miles said quickly and Daryl's eyes shifted to watch the kid nod a few times before he turned to open the back door of the Hummer. "Good. Let me grab my bat."
"The fuck-"
"I'm comin' with you," Miles said duckin' his head into the back of the Hummer and pullin' out his trusty bat. Daryl shifted away from the bike to stare confusedly at the obviously perturbed kid and shook his head. Miles lifted a brow and shook his head back with a shrug.
"Ain't you the one that let her ass go? What the fuck got your panties in such a twist now that you just gotta come and bring her ass back?" Daryl asked eyein' the kid as he slammed the Hummer's door shut.
"Shane went after 'em," Miles said hurriedly, his arm arching back towards the house in the distance. Daryl's brow furrowed and he firmed his lips into a line as he watched Miles stalk towards him. "We got to the house and Carol, Andrea and Dale were on the porch. They said he left an hour ago," Miles shifted on his feet and lifted his bat to point it at Daryl's chest. "An hour, man. He went out there after them, and you and I both know that he's not one to stop an 'accident' from befallin' someone. Especially if he's not really on such great terms with that someone. I'm not going to let that happen again. You're not going without me."
Daryl stared at the kid for a minute, watching the emotions fly unfiltered over his face. Watching the slight twinge of fear dart past the anger and knowin' that if Miles weren't so wrapped up in tryin' to hide those feelings, he woulda seen that same expression on Daryl's face. Daryl sucked in a deep breath and let his chin fall to his chest in a sort of defeated acceptance.
"A'right," Miles said shifting on his feet to head towards Daryl. Miles dipped his hand into his pocket and caught Daryl's attention with the jangling set of keys he held up. "We should take the Hummer. More room."
Daryl nodded his head and spat off to the side as Miles worked his way around the back end towards the driver's side. Daryl's hand snapped out and caught the kid's arm pulling him back at the same time as he snatched the keys out of his hand.
"Hey," Miles said indignantly as Daryl shoved him away again.
"Shut up," Daryl snarled as he opened the driver's side door and tossed his gear into the back. He watched Miles glare at him for a moment and couldn't help but smirk at the kid. Daryl threw himself into the seat and slammed the door leaving the glaring boy outside. Starting the car and lowering the window Daryl raised a brow. "You gonna bitch and moan or you gonna get in?"
Miles shook his head and shuffled his way around the front of the vehicle. Daryl watched the kid shake his head as he passed by the beams of the headlights piercing the dark. Before Miles cleared the front bumper he stopped again and lifted wide eyes up to Daryl. He stood that way for a few seconds before his head turned towards the house in the distance.
"The fuck you doin'?" Daryl growled out the still open window, his body leaning out to look at the kid. Miles was still staring off towards the house, and Daryl let his gaze slip that way too. He picked up the sight of bright beams of light that had to be headlights illuminating the ground near the house. In the next second Miles was off and running back towards the house, his bat still held tightly in his hand as he ran full tilt. "Hey!" Daryl yelled after the kid, his eyes shifting to his crossbow quickly before he grabbed for it.
Daryl was out of the Hummer and following close behind Miles' fuckin' fast form, cutting through the grass full throttle toward that newly returned vehicle. It took them longer than either would have liked, and Daryl's steps slowed as he watched Miles stop and inspect the empty confines of the car. It was that same fuckin' green Tucson that Shane had commandeered as his own from the highway. Which had to mean that Shane was back.
Miles' eyes slipped to the door and the kid was off and running into the house again and Daryl was left to sigh and follow. He bounded up the stairs two at a time, his gaze shifting back to that fuckin' car and then around the empty campsite before he ducked into the welcoming glow of the farm house. Daryl's eyes skimmed over the front entry way and then shifted towards the family room at the sound of voices. His hand clamped into the strap of his crossbow across his shoulder and he ducked his head as he slipped through the doorway and into the room.
"What happened?" Miles was asking, his excited and agitated voice rising and almost cracking as he looked around the room, his bat still in a death grip at his side. Daryl's eyes slid around the room taking in the figure of Lori holding a cloth to her head, the red of her blood peeking through as she winced and looked over her shoulder to Miles. Shane's eyes were shifting between Lori, Miles and the newly arrived Daryl, but the bitch didn't say a damn word.
It was Dale that got to his feet and reached out a hand to calm the upset Miles. Dale that shifted his eyes to Daryl and inclined his head for Daryl to follow him.
"There was an accident," Dale said calmly as Daryl fell into step beside the older man as they walked down the familiar hall towards that back bedroom. Daryl's blood ran cold at the words, his eyes shifting back to where Lori was sitting holding her bleeding head. Dale's other hand lifted and settled firmly on Daryl's shoulder squeezing once briefly before falling back to the now shakin' Miles' other shoulder. "The car flipped and they ran into some Walkers. Callie's in with Patricia and Maggie, getting her arm looked at. She's fine," Dale added quickly as they came to a stop and Miles' harsh breathing became almost ragged with worry. "She's fine. Just banged up."
Miles lifted a both hands and raked them through his grown out mop of blonde hair and shook his head, his voice muttering something low to Dale. Something that Daryl couldn't catch. Something that Daryl didn't care to catch. His attention had shifted the instant they came to a stop. Shifted to the two itty-bitty figures settled on the floor outside of the door to that back bedroom. The same fuckin' bedroom that Jenna had laid dyin' in. That same one that he'd been holed up in while he recuperated.
Ben and Gracie were sitting on that floor, their little heads ducked down while they waited on word of the injured woman inside. Daryl felt his lips curling in distaste for again havin' to try and fuckin' soothe these kids, of havin' to try and do something he didn't ever have done for him. He stepped forward, his hand sweating on the strap of his crossbow as he fiddled with it and again, he stopped short.
Stopped short and sucked in a deep breath at the sight of Ben's shoes slipping slowly back and forth along the wooden floor. Slippin' side to side as his little blue eyes stared at the growing bit of red liquid he was spreading around. The small drips of blood that had fallen to the floor when Callie had walked through the hall, the small drips that Daryl was only now lookin' down and seeing that he too had tread through, were smears of horror that stopped his heart.
Just then the door to the room opened and a slightly pale and tired looking Maggie stepped out. Daryl's eyes caught hers and she quickly closed the door and shook her head while lifting a finger.
"No," Maggie said firmly, apparently reading the look on his face and the way his body had slipped unconsciously forward. She held tight to the bundle of cloth in her arms and shook her head again as she advanced. "No, Cletus. I mean it. Let Patricia finish and let her rest before y'all go in there." Her eyes slipped to Dale, not noticing that Daryl's had slid to the bundle of fabric in her arms.
The blood stained, fuckin' blood-soaked fabric in her arms.
"Patricia was wonderin' if you maybe had some fishin' line or something she could use to stitch her up with. We ran out," Maggie said to Dale her eyes shifting to where Daryl's fingers were inching towards the bundle in her arms. Maggie's jaw clenched and she watched Daryl's eyes slip away from her and towards the door. She lifted a hand to his arm, her fingers barely brushing off his skin but sending a jolt through him. "She's fine. Just got a few deep cuts. Ya can go in when Patricia finishes. I promise, she's fine."
"Why don't we go see what I have?" Dale said reaching out a hand to Maggie. Dale shifted his eyes between Daryl and Miles and nodded once Maggie joined up with him.
Daryl let out a low growl of frustration and began to pace the hallway, while Miles slipped down beside Ben and put a hand to the kid's head to still his foot from its slidin' in the blood on the floor. Daryl's hand lifted and raked through his hair as he stared at the kids on the floor and then glared at that fuckin' white-washed door.
"I hate this room," Miles muttered as he shifted his knees up and rested his arms along the tops of them. Daryl shifted his glare to the kid and nodded his gruff agreement before pacing a bit further down the hall so that he could slam his fist into the wall a few times.
Callie firmed her lips, breathed in deeply through her nose and concentrated hard on the spot on the wall to her left. The pinch of the needle piercing her already throbbing skin, the fiery friction of the thread sliding through her skin, the fucking sound of it echoed in her ears and she took in another deep rattling breath through her nose, blinking her eyes closed and willing the pounding in her head to subside just a bit.
She was about two seconds away from passing out. Or vomiting. Or vomiting and then passing out and possibly vomiting again. She wasn't quite sure which, but was sure if she had to sit through much more of this they were going to find out.
"I'm sorry we don't have anything to dull it for you," Patricia's calm voice, dim in Callie's awareness, slipped out into the room and Callie winced as the needle yet again pierced her skin. "I'm almost done here," Patricia's voice again and Callie's eyes closed tight as another stitch was made. "You still with me Callie? Callie?"
"Callie?" Maggie's voice and a gentle hand on her shoulder had Callie's eyes opening and her head turning towards the young woman. "Here," Maggie held out a glass of water and Callie shook her head. "A'right, but it's right here if you change your mind." Maggie shifted so that she was settled on the bed next to Callie and put her fingers to the sore bruised flesh of Callie's right shoulder. "You both got a good bit of bruisin' from those belts."
"Better bruised than dead," Patricia's voice chimed in and Callie's wincing gaze slipped to her, catching the older woman's small smile before she tilted her face back to her task. "Few more," Patricia muttered, a small tisking noise filtering out before she made the next stitch.
"I'm gonna go see what we have in a way of painkillers," Maggie said getting to her feet again and working her way towards the door.
"I'm fine," Callie said her voice sounding a bit ragged and she cleared her throat as Maggie pierced her with an oddly amused look. "Save 'em."
Maggie opened her mouth to say something but apparently thought better of it as a small smile creased her firmed lips. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down to her feet, kicking at a small bit of imaginary dirt. After a moment Maggie looked up and her lips were once again a firm line of well disguised fear.
"You didn't see 'em out there?" Maggie asked quietly as she shifted from foot to foot. "No sign of dad or-"
"Nothing," Callie said quietly her eyes locking with Maggie's and holding. "They can take care of themselves, Maggie." Callie shifted slightly and winced as Patricia pulled tight on a stitch and mumbled a 'sorry' before continuing. "Glenn's got rules. He's very strict about things. By now, they've found themselves a place to hold up for the night. They're not gonna risk bringing back a bunch of Walkers on their tail at night." Callie shifted again and watched Maggie's head tilt to the side before shaking slightly. "Don't worry. Beth okay?" Callie asked and Maggie grimaced but nodded her eyes flicking over her shoulder briefly. "Don't worry."
Maggie nodded a couple of times before finally letting her hands fall from their protective position over her chest. She turned and reached for the knob, and before exiting she turned and smiled at Callie who was busy again rubbing at the bridge of her nose.
"I'll go get those painkillers," Maggie said and then she lifted a hand to Callie's opened mouth, cutting off the refusal before Callie could even utter it. "We'll just see how much you don't need 'em when Patricia's done and the adrenaline's worn off."
Callie chuckled as Maggie opened the door and shook her head. The girl had a point she supposed. Callie's eyes shifted to the top of Patricia's bent head, the bare bulb of the night table's lamp flaring the pale gold of her hair to life in a way Callie had never seen the sun able to do. She stared at those strands of blonde and zoned back out as Patricia finished her work. It wasn't until Patricia sat up, breaking Callie's focus and giving her a small shake of her head that Callie worked back to reality.
And pain.
"Jesus," Callie seethed slipping her eyes to her arm and marveling at the different trails of stitched skin that puffed out all over her elbow and upper arm. "Fuck that's just-" Callie shook her head and felt the sting of tears in her eyes but blinked them away before shifting her eyes to Patricia. "Thank you."
"You're gonna have quite the collection," Patricia said quietly, her head nodding towards Callie's other shoulder where the scar from her run in with Whitmore lay hidden halfway by her t-shirt, and then down towards her healing left palm. Callie nodded and watched as Patricia stood up and began to collect her tools and the rest of the bloody towels.
"I'm sorry about your car," Callie said quietly watching the reserved woman wipe her hands over her thighs before grabbing everything into her arms.
"It was foolish of you to go," Patricia said calmly, the slightly chastising tone causing Callie to nod her head and sigh. "I know you know that. I know that's why you came back with him," Patricia continued and Callie snapped her eyes to the woman as she walked to the door. "Hershel may be a bull-headed man, but he's not a fool. He may feel like one at the moment," Patricia sighed and closed her eyes before continuing. "We all do. But I have faith that your boys will be able to bring him back. You shouldn't have gone out there at all let alone with a woman in Lori's condition."
Callie nodded and firmed her lips, knowing full well she deserved the condescending tone and the straightforwardness of this woman's words. Knowing and accepting the fact that she probably deserved worse than a tattered arm and a bruised shoulder for her idiocy.
"We're all glad that you're both alright," Patricia said quietly causing Callie to shift her eyes up again. "There's really nothing more to it. What's done is done. Tomorrow, we can worry about the other idiots who are still unaccounted for."
Callie chuckled and watched Patricia nod her head before exiting and leaving Callie to her thoughts. Her mind reeled in a million different directions, the pain of her wounds making it hard to focus on any one thing for very long. She thought about the drive back to the house with Shane, the deafening quiet of it that had exploded into anger as Lori discovered that Shane had lied out on the road. Callie had left them to their fight, not wanting to stick her nose any further into any of their issues, and practically collapsed onto the porch before a worried Dale and T-Dog ushered her inside.
Her mind then slipped to Ben and Gracie, both so wide-eyed and scared at the sight of her wounded. Again. Bleeding and barely on her feet. Again. Callie's eyes closed as she thought of how hollow her words to them must have sounded as she tried to soothe away their fears while Dale took them out of the room so she could be patched up.
The searing pain in her arm flared up as Callie unconsciously moved her right hand up to pinch at the bridge of her nose. She seethed out a breath through tightly clenched teeth, and almost missed the sound of the door opening.
"I think I might take you up on those painkillers, Mag-" Callie's breath caught in her chest as her eyes shifted and met the harsh and piercing gaze of Daryl. She felt her mouth hanging open and snapped it shut as he practically slammed the door shut behind him. Callie swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and just stared at Daryl as he glared at her. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, but she could still see it coming and going in burst of threes as he apparently tried to get a hold on himself.
She stared as his nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed, and bit her lip as his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. His gaze didn't slip from her face, didn't move one tiny bit from hers and it was an uncomfortable silence that emanated from him. Sighing she shook her head and shifted to stand, her mouth opening to say something-anything-to try and kill the tension.
He moved before she could utter a word, his hands shooting out and grabbing roughly into her upper arms. His rough warm calloused hands clenching tight and causing a fresh wave of pain in her wounded right arm. She stifled the wince and continued to stare into his eyes as he pulled her towards him, his lips twisted in a snarl as he spat his words at her face.
"What the fuck were you thinkin'?" Daryl seethed through his clenched teeth, his hands tightening just a bit and pulling her even closer. His hot breath fanned off of her face, and the pain was too much to allow her to respond so she just stared mutely up at him. "What the fuck were you thinkin' you dumb bitch?"
Callie's eyes snapped open wide at the harsh words and horrid turn of his lips. He pulled her close again and then pushed her away before snapping a finger into her face. She flinched back, more out of proximity of his finger than fear, but he was too far gone in his anger to notice it.
"You coulda been killed," Daryl snarled at her, his finger pressing deep into her chest as he pushed her further away and she felt her brow furrow as he got his face right into hers. "You-" he shook his head and lifted his finger from her chest before glowering at the room at large. His eyes shifted back to her and he raised his hand again for emphasis. "I ain't got time to babysit your ass. You-" he took a breath and shook his head as if the words just weren't forming properly in his head and she stupidly stepped towards him.
"Daryl," Callie's voice must have sparked something, something that clicked everything he wanted to say right into place. His attention snapped to her again, and he growled before pulled himself away from her reaching hand.
"I ain't your bitch," Daryl seethed at her, his spittle flinging into her face. "I ain't no one's bitch."
"I never-"
"You fuckin' leave me with these brats," Daryl continued as if she hadn't spoken, his anger fueling his pacing. He moved away from her and tossed his arms around and Callie just stood there watching in silent awe. "You leave me with them. Leave me to take care of 'em, make sure they get through shit, when I ain't even got a handle on my own shit. You just-" he shook his head and turned his back, his shoulders lifting and falling rapidly with his breathing. "You expect me to be able to handle that shit. You just leave 'em there, like I'm gonna be able help 'em. I can't fuckin' help them. I can't fuckin' be no daddy to them. You can't just leave them with me and think that's okay. I ain't equipped for this shit and I ain't your bitch here to take care of your little problems for you."
Daryl turned back to face her, his hand arching out towards the door while his eyes pierced her down to her core. He sucked in breath after breath and his lips twitched with his still bubbling anger. Again, foolishly, Callie stepped forward and again the action sparked something in him. His hand slapped hers down, the hit reverberating through her body and into the wounds in her arm and she grabbed it and held it to her body as she stared at him.
"You're a fuckin' selfish bitch, ya know that?" Daryl seethed his finger again darting out and pointing at her. "Selfish to think this shit is okay, when you promised them kids…when you promised me…" Daryl sniffed hard and snarled at her and she clenched her jaw tight. "Nothin' but a selfish bitch."
Callie stared at Daryl as he yet again pierced her with that harsh angered gaze of his, and felt her chin trembling. Felt it and fucking hated the fact that she couldn't control it. She stared at him, watching his eyes dart away from her and to the door that had creaked open.
Maggie stood staring at them in shock, her mouth agape and her hands loosely holding the bandages that she needed to apply to Callie's arm and the promised painkillers. Daryl's jaw tightened as his eyes no doubt made contact with Maggie's and then his eyes were shifting back to Callie. She held his gaze as long as she could, before his eyes were roaming along her slightly shaking frame.
She wasn't proud of the fact that she was trembling, and she wasn't really up for putting up any kind of front to try and control it. After the wreck, the Walkers, the pain and whatever the fuck had just happened here, she just wasn't up for it.
Callie caught the look that crossed his face when his eyes finally landed on her ripped up right arm and she firmed her lips and steeled her body against the urge to reach out to him again. He snarled one last time and pushed his way past the still stoic Maggie and out into the hallway. After a minute of staring out into the hallway, Maggie shook her head and closed the door turning to Callie with a worried frown.
"Are you alright?" Maggie asked quietly, as she moved towards Callie. Callie slumped down onto the edge of the bed and let out a sigh before letting her head fall into her waiting hands. She dragged in three deep breaths and blinked back the wetness in her eyes before lifting them to Maggie and smiling as well as she could.
"I think I'll take those painkillers now, Maggie," Callie replied, waving out a hand blindly to the young woman still staring down at her.
Callie's eyes skipped around the dark field as she trudged towards the Hummer. She wet her lips as the cool air slapped at her face and shook her head against the voice in the back of her head telling her that this was a horrible and stupid idea. And whether or not that was true was really left to be seen.
All she knew was that she couldn't stay in that room anymore. That same fucking room that Jenna had been in. That same one that she and Daryl had shared when he was recuperating from his wounds. Callie's eyes shifted over her shoulder to the house behind her, and shook her head. This place had too many memories now. Too many bad memories, that were clouding any sense of relief and safety she may have started to develop.
And she knew she wasn't the only one in the group to feel that way. A slight tug on her hand had Callie's eyes shifting to the small form of Gracie walking along beside her and then over to Ben slightly ahead of them. It had been Ben that wanted to go back to the Hummer, and Gracie's nodding head and tear-stained cheeks had been the final push that Callie needed to head over.
Stupid move or not, the kid's needed whatever sense of security they could get. And for Ben and Gracie that security came in the form of the hulking orange Hummer off in the distance.
And it meant her.
And Daryl.
Callie let out a sigh and winced as she lifted her right hand to rake away the stray strands of her hair. She shook her head against the tear she felt slipping down her cheek and cursed the fucking cold air stinging her eyes and making her unable to actually stop it from falling. Her eyes locked onto the Hummer in the distance and the figure she could barely make out milling about near the rear. She was so entranced by that figure that she barely picked up the slight clearing of Ben's throat before he spoke.
"Are you mad at Daryl?" Ben asked quietly his little legs stopping his forward movement. His head was bowed, staring at his small feet as they kicked at the grass and his shoulders hunched as he kept his back to her.
Callie stopped and stared at the back of his bowed head, her attention shifting only a bit when she felt Gracie's hand tighten briefly in hers. She looked down into the eyes of the little girl who seemed to be asking the same question in her own quiet way. Callie's lips firmed again and she slipped her eyes back to the boy who was now peeking at her over his shoulder. One deep breath in and a tight smile on her lips and she shook her head, knowing that her voice wouldn't work the way she wanted it to.
Ben's head nodded slowly as he accepted her silent answer and Callie slipped a small smile down to Gracie at her side. Gracie returned her smile with a small one of her own and Callie tugged a little on the little girl's hand moving them along a bit to catch up to the still unmoving Ben. Just as Callie reached him Ben shifted on his feet and bowed his head a bit more.
"Good," Ben said more firmly and nodded down at the ground before starting off again. Callie's brow furrowed a bit at the boy and she couldn't help but smirk at his small form as he slowly worked his way across the lawn. She tugged playfully on Gracie again and kept up close to him, her smile fading as Ben's voice continued on. "He's right, ya know?" Ben said his voice still that firm unfamiliar tone that it had apparently become in the few weeks that had passed.
Again Callie stopped, and her head tilted to the side as she watched Ben stop and turn towards her. She stared at his face, the way his mouth had hitched up at one corner as his own insecurity in his words broke through over his face. Gracie's fingers began to play with the bandage around Callie's hand and Callie shook her head against the sensation, not letting it distract her from the boy staring at her with such a pleading look that it broke her heart.
"He is," Ben continued his words giving him a bit of strength and straightening his back and shoulders. Callie blinked at him, again choosing to keep her mouth shut. Knowing that anything she said wouldn't be enough to apologize to the world at large. "You hurt him, just like he hurt us when he got hurt, ya know? You hurt him and you hurt us," Ben's voice quavered a bit and again he let out a big shuddering breath as his face contorted in what Callie could only assume was anger. Anger at her, at the world, at himself for not being able to properly say what he wanted to. Or thinking he wasn't being clear, when in fact, she understood exactly what he was saying.
Again she felt the tears stinging her eyes and again she blinked them back and held the gaze of the boy before her. Ben took a few deep breaths and sniffled a bit before once again steeling his shoulders and lifting his chin.
"You can't do that stuff anymore," Ben said firmly his lips firming into a little line of ire. Callie stared at him and he nodded his head and pointed a finger at her, a move that reminded her so much of Daryl that she just couldn't help the small smile that tipped her lips. "You just-," Ben took a breath and nodded once more before continuing. "You just can't okay?"
"Okay," Callie said nodding her head in return, working hard to keep her lips firmed into a straight line as she watched Ben. The boy's head continued to nod, and she worried that it was going to nod right off his little body if it got anymore momentum.
"Good," Ben said succinctly and then turned and started off towards the Hummer again.
This time Callie couldn't help the chuckle that slipped through her lips as she watched Ben started walking. When his little head turned and he uttered a very familiar 'C'mon' at her the chuckle slipped into a full laugh. Shifting her eyes down to Gracie beside her she smiled widely at the girl and tugged her a bit.
"I think I've created a monster," Callie said to Gracie who in turn giggled a bit and pulled herself into Callie's legs as they walked. They were a few feet away from the Hummer when Ben stopped again, the figure that had been milling about now shifting itself onto the top of the hulking vehicle. Callie lifted a hand up to Miles as he waved at her and she stepped up to Ben with a worried frown, waiting for whatever it was he needed to say now.
"Hey Cal," Ben's voice was low and he was biting on his bottom lip when he peeked up at her. Callie felt Gracie's fingers slipping out of her hand and watched the little girl bound over towards the Hummer. Again Miles waved and Callie shifted her eyes away and towards the boy watching his little sister walk away. "Me and Gracie was talkin'," Ben said and then grimaced a bit before lookin' up and shrugging. "Kinda. We were- well," Ben sighed and let his shoulders sag apparently giving up on that train of thought and just going for it. "You know how you said you can't have kids?"
"Yeah," Callie said shifting and wincing slightly as she put her hands into her back pockets and rocked back on her heels a bit.
"Well, we were,…uh," Ben's mouth twitched to the side and he looked up at her as if he was in pain. Callie was too confused to really be able to help him with whatever he was trying to say and she felt a bit bad as she watched him kick dejectedly at the ground. Huffing out a final sigh he finally just spit it out. "You could be our mom. If you want," he added the last part in a rush his eyes wide as if he didn't want her to think he was asking her to do it.
Callie's heart thudded to a stop in her chest and her breath just instantly became a lump in her throat. She stared hard at Ben watching his eyes widen a bit more before he dropped his gaze to the ground and kicked at the grass.
"You know, I was just thinkin'," Ben mumbled at the ground and waved his little hand around. "You've been kinda takin' care of us, and," Ben took in a breath and Callie blinked a few times as she watched him. "You know I thought maybe you could kinda adopt us. And then if we slipped up and accidently called you mom or somethin'," Ben mumbled the rest into his chest and shrugged and Callie smiled just a bit. The memory of Patricia and Maggie tellin' her about Ben tryin' to push his way into the room cryin' that he had a right to see her 'cause that was his mom. Callie's eyes slipped up to Miles atop the Hummer, memories of him slipping and calling her mom at the Quarry filtering into her brain. "You know then people wouldn't look at us funny no more, cause it would kinda be true. But only if you promise to stop gettin' hurt, okay?"
"Ben," Callie said shifting her hands out of her back pockets and leaning forward so that her eyes were level with his. "I'd be honored to be your momma, buddy. And I promise I will try my damnedest to stay with you for as long as humanly possible and keep you and Gracie safe, and be the best adoptive momma that I can be. That's really the best I can do in the promise department, okay?"
"Okay," Ben said nodding his head and looking over to where Gracie was now sitting up on the roof of the Hummer with Miles. Callie nodded and stood up, her hand reaching out and hooking Ben into her as they walked on.
"I guess that's settled then," Callie said shifting her eyes up to Miles.
"Yeah," Ben said quietly, his eyes shifting towards Daryl's tent. Miles shifted slightly and shook his head when Callie gave a questioning look to him, answering the unasked question of if Daryl was back. Callie frowned and squeezed Ben's shoulders and he sighed again. "Hey Cal," Ben started as she opened the back door and reached up to grab Gracie from Miles.
"Yeah buddy," Callie answered as she settled Gracie upon the back seat and smiled at the girl.
"You think Daryl'd wanna be our 'dad'?" Ben asked surprising both Callie and Miles.
"I have no idea, buddy." Callie said shifting and letting the boy work his way into the back of the Hummer.
"I think it'd scare him shitless if I asked," Ben said as he climbed into the back of the Hummer. Miles barked out a loud laugh and promptly covered his mouth when Callie lifted an amused brow at him.
"I think you're right," Callie said looking back to the now grinning Ben. "You just make sure I'm around when you ask him, so I can see the look on his face, okay?" Ben grinned wider and nodded his head crawling into the Hummer next to the yawning Gracie.
Callie closed the door and let her fingers tap along the glass for a few seconds before shifting her eyes back up to Miles. Miles smiled down at her before letting out a long yawn which he tried desperately to stop from overtaking his whole face.
"I'm gonna get changed then I'll come out and sit with you," Callie said wincing slightly as she twisted her sore right shoulder.
"You don't have to," Miles said shifting and watching her head slowly towards the tent where her things were.
"I'm not gonna be able to sleep," Callie said returning his sad smile with one of her own. "I'll be out in a few." Miles nodded and adjusted the rifle on his back, before letting his fingers tap along his bat. Callie shifted away from the boy and let her eyes fall to the tent, a slow sigh escaped her lips and she rolled her eyes at herself before steeling her spine and continuing on.
Daryl sniffed in a sniffed in a wet breath and spat out to the side as he stared at the figure settled upon the top of the Hummer. Lanky ass Miles, lounging with one leg hanging off the side of the Hummer. Daryl lifted the back of his hand to mouth and wiped it along his lips, as his eyes stared at the Hummer and then shifted off towards the house in the distance.
Daryl's thumbnail caught in the stubble under his bottom lip and he scratched at his chin while he stared off at that distant house. Fuckin' house. Whole fuckin' place was startin' to grate on his last damn nerve. Snarlin' a bit at himself he scratched a bit harder at his chin and then slipped his eyes back to the Hummer, and Miles' swinging leg.
His mind slipped to something he'd overheard Miles say, somethin' about this place killin' them all. Shit didn't make sense at the time, but after tonight-after this whole fuckin' day, he could see where the kid was comin' from. Daryl shook his head violently at the thoughts that yet again worked to invade his brain and take over. Thoughts that he had worked real hard to push away as he stalked around the fields and the woods around the farm.
Thoughts about the woman he'd railed at and manhandled, the woman who for the first time since he'd known her just stood there and stared at him instead of fighting back. The woman he'd walked out on, walked away from and couldn't fathom how he was supposed to walk back to.
"Fuck," Daryl muttered at himself, his chin slipping down to his chest as he shook his head again. His eyes locked again on the form of Miles settled atop that fuckin' Hummer and he snarled as he stalked his way towards the kid.
Miles didn't move as Daryl approached, and Daryl smirked a bit as he watched Miles' foot swing idly along the air. Shifting his crossbow on his shoulder, Daryl slipped his hand forward and grabbed roughly onto the kid's ankle tugging it a bit.
"Jesus Christ, man!" Miles spat as he sat bolt upright on the roof of the car and glared down at Daryl, his bat lifted at the ready and pinned over his apparently rapidly beating heart. "The fuck?"
"Some fuckin' watchman you are," Daryl scoffed at the kid, his eyes shifting a bit to the darkened windows of the Hummer. He lifted his hand and cupped it along the glass, his eyes squinting against the dark and making out the shapes of Ben and Gracie's sleeping forms.
"I saw you comin'," Miles muttered letting out a sigh as he waved his hand over towards the field heading up from the stables that Daryl had just crossed. "Didn't think you were gonna fuckin' grab me. Jackass."
"Whatever," Daryl mumbled letting his eyes slip around the campsite and then back to the kid shifting around on the top of the vehicle. "What're you doin'?"
"Waitin' for my watch partner," Miles said shifting his eyes over towards the tent. Daryl followed his gaze and again lifted the back of his hand to his mouth wiping roughly at his lips before shifting his eyes back to the stoic face of Miles.
"Get the fuck off of there and go to sleep," Daryl grumbled as he turned towards the tent. Daryl listened to Miles slip off the Hummer and hit the ground and made it only one more step before the kid's voice had him stopping again.
"You're not plannin' on having a screamin' fit again are you? I mean, I should probably stay up and wait for the Walkers if that's the case," Miles said waving his bat around at the dark campsite and lifting a single brow. The words were meant to be joking, and sarcastic, but the harsh look on the kid's killed whatever lightness he'd intended.
"Ain't your fuckin' business what I'm plannin'," Daryl snarled back at the kid, his own voice losing some of its edge and just drifitn' off into the dark space between them.
"Callie's my business," Miles said simply, pointing his bat towards the tent and angling his chin down to his chest slightly.
"Go to bed," Daryl said quietly, his lips lifting in a slight snarl as Miles just continued to stare at him. After a second or two Miles let his bat drop back down to his side and he gave a single nod causin' Daryl to roll his eyes as he turned his back on the kid.
Daryl slowly worked his way towards the tent, his steps feelin' heavy and soundin' louder than he knew they were. He heard the door to the Hummer open and close and spared a quick look over his shoulder to make sure that the kid had in fact gone inside. Letting out a long sigh he raked his hand through his dirty fuckin' hair and put his finger tips to the open flap of the tent.
One last low breath and he pushed inside.
His eyes instantly landed on Callie's bare back, the dim light from the lantern near her feet reflecting up her body and casting shadows that danced in his vision. The strap of her worn black bra cut across her back, and made his eyes catch on the ragged scar he'd ran his fingers along days ago. That horrific lookin' wound that she'd said Danny'd had to stitch up. Which meant that it had to have happened in the few months since the world had gone to shit.
Daryl shifted just a bit, standing up straight and letting the tent flap fall closed behind him. Callie didn't turn, so he just watched as her hand lifted to her left shoulder, where he knew another scar marred her flesh. Deep and jagged and this time stitched up by him. She sighed a little and his brow furrowed as her hand dropped from that scar at her shoulder. She held that left palm out in front of her and he watched her head dip so that she could stare at the bandage that wrapped around her palm.
Daryl bit at the inside of his cheek in agitation as he let his gaze slip over to the bandage around her right arm. It covered from the middle of her upper arm to the middle of her forearm, and even though he couldn't see the horror of that ripped and torn flesh underneath he could see the marks of red that peeked through the bandage at all the right spots. His mind flashed to what he remembered it looked like, that brief sickening look he'd had at it before he stormed out of that room and left her to do whatever she was gonna do with what he'd laid at her feet.
He let his eyes roam over her back as she continued to stare at her palm, as if she were tryin' to imagine the scarred flesh beneath it. He felt sick to his stomach as he watched her shoulders rise and fall in shuddering breaths.
This fucked up new world had chewed this woman up and spit her out, again and again. And still she kept going. Still she kept tryin' to make it better for people and children that for all intents and purposes were complete strangers to her. Strangers that she accepted and treated like family even if they didn't treat her the same.
She kept on smilin', kept on goin', gatherin' the scars that the world around her dished out.
Daryl sniffed in a breath and blinked his eyes at the scars this woman carried, knowing full well that the ones she carried inside were worse. And no matter how much time passed, and how much the physical scars might fade, those ones in her mind would be there forever. He sniffed and shook his head and apparently the sound of his movements finally snapped Callie out of whatever trance she'd been in.
Callie turned just a bit, her slightly shocked gaze hitting his for only a second before she turned and snatched at the shirt she'd laid out on top of her bag. She winced as she swung the familiar blue workman's shirt around her body and let out a seething 'fuck' as she slipped her injured right arm through the long sleeve.
Callie blinked back the wetness in her eyes and shook her head at the dull pain in her arm as she worked to do up the buttons on her shirt. Good ol' Butch of Butch's Auto Body. She smiled just a bit at how strangely comforting this shirt was. It was inexplicable really. But for some reason she felt that this stranger's shirt was one of the only things that could hide all the horrors that she held inside and out. That by putting on the shirt, she could stop being Callie and just be 'Butch' instead.
Callie blinked hard and shook her head at herself. Fucking painkillers were doing a number on her. First she's all sentimental and crying over a few scars and bruises and now she's getting misty-eyed about a fuckin' dirty mechanics shirt. Shaking her head she clenched her hands into fists and gave up on buttoning the shirt after only four buttons.
Taking a deep breath she turned around and let her eyes fall on Daryl. He was still milling about near the opening to the tent, settling his crossbow to the ground and doing everything in his power to ignore her presence. She smirked at the stiff edge to his shoulders and back and let her eyes roam over his face as he continued to look at anything but her.
"You were right," Callie said quietly. She wasn't sure if it was her words, or the low defeated tone of her voice that had his eyes snapping up to her. The furrow of his brow and look in those deep piercing blue eyes of his had her thinking he didn't even know what made him look up. Callie took a breath and shifted her hands so that they settled upon the holster at her hips. "I was selfish to just leave you with them. I was selfish to assume," Callie took a breath and shook her head a bit, her eyes bouncing around the tent unable to hold his piercing uneasy gaze any longer. "I assumed you wanted the responsibility because you didn't shirk it. I -" she looked at him again and let out a small scoffing laugh at herself. "I forgot that you aren't the type of man to shirk something as important as the life of a child. And while you may not be equipped to deal with them all the time, you aren't gonna let harm befall them. I know that's the man you are, and I used that to my benefit. I'm sorry," Callie continued, her hand lifting to the air between them palm up in offering. She held his gaze as he stared at her in confusion, or anger, or fucking both. "I'm sorry, Daryl. And I promise it won't happen again."
Daryl stared at her for a few seconds not moving, not nodding, not even acknowledging that she'd really said anything. He stared at her for so long that she finally just couldn't take it anymore. Shifting around she picked up her bags, wincing slightly under the weight on her injured body and turned back towards the tent's entrance. He was still watching her, his hand shifting up so that he could nibble on the edge of his thumbnail. She nodded her head at him and fixed her eyes on the tent flap, her feet trudging forward and feeling like lead weights at the end of her legs.
Just as she made it to the flap Daryl's hand shot out, quick but not rough, well not as rough as it had been in the house. He grabbed a hold of her right arm first, and then rethought and let his hand slide down to her right hand. He did the same on her left side, reaching down, snatching her bags from her hands and flinging them back across the small tent.
Callie stood in shock, her mouth hanging open as she watched him glare at his feet. She furrowed her brow a second later, as he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and peeked up at her and then back down to his feet. Her mouth closed the second his eyes lifted again and she held his gaze this time, not willing to let him look away.
"Ya a'right?" Daryl's mumbled words said behind the back of his hand were barely distinguishable and she just stared at him in response. He cleared his throat and shook his head before lifting his chin from his chest and taking in a restoring breath. His hand slipped out again, gentle and warm even through the fabric of good ol' Butch's shirt. His thumb shifted over the fabric, his eyes shifting over the bruise from the seat belt that she knew he could see the edges of on her clavicle and then down over her arm. "You're alright?"
The words were much clearer, and this time his eyes lifted and met hers, a stark sort of truth and power hidden in those blue depths that had Callie's mouth going dry. She nodded her head in response, but that didn't seem to satisfy him enough. Daryl continued to stare at her and she finally cleared her throat and plastered a smile across her lips. She shifted a bit, breaking Daryl's hold on her and ran her hands through her hair.
"Yeah," Callie said still smiling at him even though she knew he could see right through it. "Yeah, bit of a close call. I'm fine. Maggie gave me some pretty nice painkillers, so…"
Callie's voice trailed off as Daryl sighed and raked his own hand through his hair. His eyes shifted up to her, then down to the floor, then over to where her bags had landed. He shook his head again and firmed his lips against whatever was brewing inside of him and she just watched him. Watched and waited.
Not for an apology, she knew that wasn't what was comin'. Daryl Dixon didn't apologize. Especially when he knew he was right about something. Which he had been. Completely and totally right. Callie had deserved his ire, and his ranting and probably even some of the pain she'd been put through today and tonight. She deserved it for being so foolish.
No she wasn't waiting for an apology. She didn't know what she was waiting for really. But she knew she'd wait until the end of time for whatever it was that was going to come. One final sigh of frustration with himself he again pierced her with his steely gaze and shook his head.
"You gotta stop this shit," Daryl said gruffly, his jaw clenching tight after the words left his mouth. He shook his head again and she nodded a bit. "You just-" he lifted a hand and pointed a finger at her and she couldn't help but smile at his action, so similar to what Ben had just done only moments ago. "You just gotta stop."
"I know," Callie said quietly her head still nodding as Daryl continued to shake his head. He shuffled a bit past her and she turned to follow his slightly agitated movements with her eyes. "I actually just got that lecture from Ben," Callie continued as she watched Daryl bend down and pick up her bags. He moved them back to their place at the side of the tent and shifted to look at her with a raised brow. "Yeah. Trust me. I have been thoroughly put in my place by pretty much everyone at this point."
"Ain't really helped much before," Daryl said quietly as he got back to his feet. "I know you say you know, but I don't believe you know. Not even a little bit."
"I can't tell you that I wasn't going to go after them, Daryl." Callie said in a slightly frustrated tone as she shifted on her feet and lifted her hands to the air. "It's not that I think I'm indestructible. It's not that I think I'm better equipped to handle things than Rick, or Glenn or even Hershel. It's just after everything," Callie sighed and raked her fingers through her hair. "And with Danny still being AWOL," her head shook and she sighed letting her hand fall to her side. "I can't tell you that I wasn't going to go out after them because I'm honestly not sure if I was going to or not. But I can tell you that I couldn't let Lori go. Honestly, Daryl, this wasn't some fuckin' Thelma and Louise routine. I couldn't let her go alone. I just couldn't-"
"You're too soft," Daryl said slipping towards her, the gruffness of his voice conflicting with the softness in his expression as he closed the distance between them. He stared at her and let his eyes roam over her face before continuing, a single finger lifting to touch her face, but then falling back to his side. His eyes followed and landed on the badge and compass hooked at her belt. "That's your problem. You're too soft. You let people in too deep. Care too much. Get it in you that it's okay to risk your life for someone else's no matter what. No matter who. You're too damn soft, woman."
A retort about pots and kettles slipped into Callie's mind but she bit it back and smirked a bit as he slipped his finger out and touched on the badge and then the compass.
"Guess so," Callie finally responded, and then cleared her throat of the emotion she felt welling in her chest.
"Guess we're both fuckin' stupid that way," Daryl mumbled and Callie's brows snapped together in amused confusion as he slipped his eyes up to her. His mouth hitched to one side and he bit at the inside of his cheek for a second before shrugging his shoulders slightly. "I was comin' for you." He smirked at himself in a sarcastic way and rolled his eyes letting his hand fly out towards the tent flap before continuing. "The second that brat spilled the beans 'bout you and Olive Oil runnin' off I was packin' up and headed out to god knows where to find ya." Daryl shook his head, as if he were disgusted in himself for the fact that he was so weak, and Callie couldn't help but reach out to him.
"Daryl-" Callie started, but stopped when his eyes snapped up to hers and held with such force that she actually stepped back.
"I'd follow you to the gates of Hell if it meant keepin' you safe," Daryl growled the words at her, the force of his voice reverberating in her chest and echoing in her ears. He clenched his jaw and dragged in a deep breath through his nose as he stared at her. Callie firmed her lips and hoped to God her voice didn't crack when she spoke. But it did
"I'd follow you straight through it," Callie replied again firming her lips as they began to tremble.
She didn't have long to worry about the tremble in her lips, because not a second after she'd finished speaking Daryl's hand had tangled into the hair at the back of her head and pulled her to him. His lips crashed into hers with such force that she actually winced, but if he noticed he didn't fucking care. His lips moved over hers and she matched his frantic movements kiss for kiss, suck for suck.
The air in the tent ignited and the heat that always burst between them escalated quickly into a force that nothing could contain. All of the shit they'd been through, the horror and space that they'd put between them for no damn reason exploded with that kiss and burst into million pieces inside each of their chests. Callie flowed with the passion, letting the pain killers dull the ache of her wounds and the Daryl's lips and hands to kill whatever was left. The next instant she let out a shocked gasp as Daryl's rough hands clasped onto her thighs and he propelled her upwards, wrapping her legs around his midsection and taking her weight as he no doubt felt her knees trembling with the passion riding high in her blood.
His mouth worked down her throat as she let her head fall back, her fingers tangling in his hair and holding his mouth to that ridiculously sensitive spot under her ear. Her chest was heaving as he stumbled backwards, his hard body pressing against her core as he half-set, half-threw her down upon the bedding. Her hands fell from his body as he fell on top of her the gasp of pain as her injured arm bounced on the hard ground causing Daryl to lift up and brace himself over her.
He was breathing hard, staring at her through hooded eyes as she furrowed her brow and pushed the pain down. Pushed it far, far away. His body was settled between her legs and the need for him was running rampant in her veins, causing her body to roll against him as he stared down at her in silent worry.
"You should be restin'," Daryl said between harsh breaths, his eyes roaming her face while he tried hard not to pay attention to the way her body was pressing into his.
"Shut up, Dixon." Callie said shifting up and tearing at his button up shirt. She pulled the buttons apart and pressed her lips to his chest, moving them across and down slightly as she raked her finger nails down his torso. She heard him growl, and felt it on her lips as it echoed in his chest. Her tongue flicked out as her hands continued down and pulled at the belt at his hips.
Daryl slid his head down and captured her lips then, and she moaned into his mouth as she felt his hands join hers. He helped her work his belt free and then moved his hands to his fly while she slipped her hands around his body and up his back. His kiss became frantic again, his teeth biting down into her bottom lip as she pressed her hips into him. Daryl's hands pushed at her shoulders and again she winced at the pressure as she fell onto her back, but this time Daryl just shook his head and put his hands to task at her shirt.
He popped the buttons easily and rolled his hips against her hand circled around his dick as he attached his lips to her collar bone. His hands spread her shirt wide and his lips began to trail slowly down her now writhing body, teeth catching slightly on her raised nipple through the threadbare fabric of her bra. Callie's head flew back, her neck arching back and eyes rolling closed as he worked his way down her body. A hot wet trail of kisses down her rib cage and abdomen, his tongue darting out for a second before his teeth again caught the sensitive skin of her belly button.
Daryl's hands were working the belt of her holster open slowly, and Callie's hands flew out of his pants to help. He caught her wrists and moved his body up, pressing his erection into her still jean clad lower body and pining her hands above her head. He glared at her for only a second before he was gone again, his mouth once again attacking the flesh hidden under her bra. His hands slid slowly, gently down her arms, cupping her breasts and pushing her bra up so that his lips could finally link themselves to her bare breasts.
She moaned, and he must have enjoyed it because the fucker was smirking against her breast as his hands continued to work at getting her pants undone. The holster came free, and Callie's hands slipped back under his shirt, scratching at his scarred back and back into his own loose pants pushing them further down his legs. He sucked hard at her nipple as she slipped her fingers around him again, his hands finally finding a bit of urgency as they tore at the button to her jeans.
The next second happened in flash of heated need, as Daryl snapped up from her hold and roughly yanked her pants down her legs. He pulled on them three times, snarling as her boots caught and then he pulled once more freeing one of her legs. Callie rocketed up at that point, her hands grabbing at the loosened shirt hanging around his body and pulling him roughly back to her. His hands pushed his pants down further, as Callie desperately shoved his shirt down his arms both of them desperate for each other.
Giving up on getting his pants off, and giving into the frenzied need of the moment Daryl thrashed his arms free of his shirt and smashed his lips into hers again pushing her back down to the ground. His hands moved up her legs hitching her right leg high and thrusting himself into her in one quick, delicious roll of his hips. Callie bit hard into his shoulder, her fingernails digging into the back of his head and neck and holding as his mouth slid down her neck and latched onto that space between her neck and shoulder.
With both of his warm calloused hands gripping her hips he slammed himself into her body, no longer caring about her injuries and giving into the need to be with her. To be a part of her. To be with her forever. Callie's head fell back as her fingers slid up into Daryl's hair, his head lifting and eyes catching hers for a brief second before his lips were on hers. He kissed her senseless while the world crashed down around them, his body losing control as her legs clamped down tight around him.
Callie ducked her head into the tent just in time to see sleepy shirtless Daryl rubbing at his eyes and then scratching at his head. The scratching continued down his neck and to his chest, his eyes slipped up as his hand was about to slid down and scratch under the cover of the sleeping bag and he snarled at the grin no doubt plastered on her face.
"Mornin' sleepy-head," Callie said shifting so that she was kneeling half-in and half-out of the tent. Daryl growled something at her and then shifted around searching for a shirt. His hands hit off of one and he spared it a quick glance before shrugging his broad shoulders into it. "Hey, this ain't some fuckin' swap-meet."
Daryl glared at her as he adjusted the collar of the blue workman's shirt, the label with Butch's name settling on his chest as he moved to start buttoning it up.
"S'fuckin' cold," Daryl grumbled as he ducked his head and checked to make sure he was matching up the buttons. "And you ripped my other shirt last night."
"Oh please," Callie waved a hand and smiled at him. "You complainin'?" She asked and Daryl speared her with a half-hearted glare. She chuckled as he settled his hands on his thighs and looked around him. His gaze slipped past her and he squinted at the sunlight.
"Time's it?"
"Too fuckin' early," Callie said trying and failing to blink away her yawn. Her hand lifted and she half-smiled as Daryl smirked at her.
"You been up long?" Daryl asked shifting the sleeping bag off and working his legs around, his hand adjusting his groin in his jeans before he shifted up onto his feet.
"Sleep's not really my thing anymore," Callie said shrugging and watching Daryl scratch at the back of his head as he surveyed the tent. He nodded idly and worked towards her swatting a bit to get her to move out of the way.
"Gotta piss," Daryl grumbled as he moved past her and she chuckled at him. He blinked in the low morning light and let his eyes roam around, catching instantly on Ben and Gracie settled by the small fire pit he'd made up. "Everythin' okay?"
"Yeah," Callie said watching him shift his shoulders in his new shirt, trying to find comfort in the foreign fabric. "I was gonna take Ben and Gracie for a little walk down to the stables, then visit the graves." Daryl's head nodded and his eyes went to the Hummer. "Miles' went down to RV to see what the plan was."
"Spoke to Dale last night," Daryl said letting his eyes roll back to Ben and Gracie. "Said Maggie was gonna take Shane, Andrea and T-Dog into town to see what was what." Daryl's eyes slipped over to her and she put her hands into her back pockets. "Figure that leaves you, me and Miles free to look for Danny's gimp ass."
"Sounds like a plan," Callie said in a smooth tone that was surprising to her considering how fast her heart was beating as Daryl's eyes locked on hers. "I'll meet you at the house then."
Daryl nodded and ducked his head, his eyes slipping down to his feet briefly before hitting hers again. He nodded one more time and then shifted away from her towards the woods. She watched him for a second before turning towards Ben and Gracie and waving the kids to follow her. Their walk was subdued, like the cool, wet morning had dampened more than the grass below their feet. The weight of the absence of not only Danny, but of Rick and the rest was on the shoulders of everyone, Ben and Gracie included. So much so that the kids didn't even enjoy the visit to the horses. Callie watched them almost robotically pet the horses and mill about and felt her heart aching with the need to go out and find out what was going on.
But she held herself in check and let the kids dictate the flow of the day. An act she hadn't done in a very long time. Not since they'd been in their relative cocoon of safety at the Quarry. They trudged away from the stables and headed towards the small patch of land that had so quickly become a makeshift cemetery. Callie's eyes lifted at the figure kneeling at a cross and she felt her lips tip up in a smile as she watched Ben and Gracie bound up to the figure.
"G'mornin, Carol," Ben said as he skipped past her towards Jenna's grave. Gracie moved along behind her brother her little eyes catching on Carol's as she sat on the ground between the two graves.
"Hello, Ben," Carol said smiling at the boy as he placed a small bunch of wild flowers at the base of Jenna's grave markers. Carol's eyes slipped to Gracie and she smiled as the little girl played with the frayed sleeves of her newly acquired sweatshirt. "Good mornin', Gracie." Gracie spared a small smile up to Carol and then shifted her eyes to the white cross that Carol was sitting in front of.
Callie stepped up and settled near the base of the tree beside the two small graves, her line of sight shifting to the two holes meant for Hershel's wife and son. Her left hand slipped over to slide idly over her injured right arm, and she let out a long sigh before shifting her gaze back to the kids and Carol.
"Hope it's a'right," Ben mumbled as he shifted over to where Carol was slowly getting to her feet. She spared him a glance as she wiped her hands along her thighs and looked honestly shocked by the sight of the small bundle of wildflowers that Ben was holding out. Ben shifted his eyes to Callie and then back to Carol before ducking his chin and looking to his feet. "We brought some for Sophia too."
"I don't mind at all," Carol said quietly, her eyes blinking rapidly at the wetness that had grown along her lashes. She spared a quick look up at Callie, and then quickly nodded and started back towards the house. Callie, Ben and Gracie all watched her quickly retreat along the grass back towards the RV in the distance.
"She mad?" Ben asked gruffly, his little brow drawn into a frown as he handed the flowers to Gracie. Gracie placed the flowers on the grave and smiled just a bit before tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear and looking up at Callie.
"She's sad," Callie said in response to Ben's confusion. Ben glanced up at her and then hitched his mouth to the side for a second while he processed. After a moment he nodded his head and looked back up at her and Callie reached out a hand for the both of them. "C'mon. Let's get to the house and see if we can figure out a plan for today."
"You goin' out again?" Ben asked as he fell into step beside Callie and Gracie and bounced along the grass a bit ahead of them.
"Yeah," Callie said nodding her head and watching Ben closely for a reaction. "If you don't want me to-"
"You're goin' with Daryl, and Miles?" Ben asked, not even looking back at her as he continued on. His feet deftly skipping around a large tree root as he hopped to the ground. His eyes skipped back to her and she nodded as squeezing Gracie's hand a bit when the girl swung their arms up a bit in the air. "Good."
Callie chuckled and rolled her eyes to Gracie beside her as Ben spotted Miles at the porch and took off towards him. "Yeah, definitely created a monster with that one, Gracie-girl." Callie said earning a little grin from the girl who continued to swing their hands up and down.
When they reached the porch Callie let Gracie's hand go and the girl bounded up the steps and settled on the porch swing next to T-Dog. The black man looked at the little girl with a smile and gave the swing a little push with his foot and smiling as the girl lifted her feet in the air as they began to move. T-Dog spared a smile and nod to Callie as she waved and then nudged his head towards the fields. She shifted and saw the dark shape of Daryl slowly making his way towards them. Settling herself next to the porch stairs she looked up at Lori at the railing.
"You feelin' okay today, Lori?" Callie asked quietly, her words apparently shocking the woman out of some stupor. Lori blinked and looked down at her and shook her head, her fingers slipped up to the laceration on her forehead and she grimaced.
"No," Lori said honestly as she lowered her hand and wrapped both of her arms across her abdomen. "No I'm not feelin' okay at all." Lori's eyes shifted to where Shane stood near his little green Tucson and watched Andrea nod at him as she loaded something into the trunk.
"We're gonna find 'em," Shane said as if feeling Lori's anger. His eyes shifted from Lori's shaking head to where Callie stood leaning against the stair rail. "Hell or high-water, we're gonna find 'em."
"Looks like we might not need to go anywhere," T-Dog's voice rang out from his spot on the porch and everyone followed his eye line.
The sight of the car working its way down the little dirt path towards the house had Callie shifting off of the porch and taking a few steps forward. Her gaze slipped to where Miles and Ben had met up with Daryl, the three of them still a good distance away but moving faster at the sight of the car. She spared a glance to Lori, reaching a hand to steady her as she bounded down the stairs towards the now parked car.
Rick got out of the passenger side and a physical sense of relief passed over the group as his eyes shifted around them. He spared a glance to Callie, his brow furrowing just a bit no doubt at the sight of the bruising on the side of her face. Lori slipped up to him, her hands running all over him and Callie shifted away and towards the driver's side door as Danny opened it up. Rick's mumbled question of 'what happened?' lost in the haze as Callie worked to process that Danny was okay too.
Danny's eyes bee-lined for her, wide and unblinking. He didn't even bother closing the door to the car, instead he reached out for her and pulled her closer to him and then away from the car.
"Where the fuck have you been?" Callie said through clenched teeth as she slapped at his tightly clamped hand on her arm. "Do you know what you put me through? Do you have any idea-" She cut herself off, realizing just how ridiculously hypocritical she was and then she dragged her free hand through her hair. "Danny-"
"Not now," Danny ground out, his hand still tightly clamped around her arm. He pulled her towards the house and then stopped, turning her so that her back was to the car. With both hands settled on her shoulders he stared at her and worked his lips trying to formulate words. "I have to talk to you. I have to tell you about-"
"Who's that?" T-Dog's voice broke into Callie's brain and had her turning.
She turned and no matter how hard Danny gripped her arm he couldn't stop her from moving. Her eyes landed on the form of the young kid that Hershel and Glenn were helping out of the back seat. His dirty black hair matted to his head, a makeshift blindfold over his eyes. He was wounded, obviously so by the way he was favoring his leg. Callie's brow furrowed as she stared at the young man, watching his head tilt this way and that at the sounds of all of their voices.
She barely heard Danny in the background calling her name, barely felt his hand working to pull her back to him and turn her away from the kid. Barely made out anything at all as her head filled with fuzz and her vision faded to a single pinprick of awareness. The sight of that kid's face-that kid's very familiar face- stopping her heart and her breath in one painful moment.
She felt her feet stagger just a bit, heard Danny's voice call out from somewhere far away, and then there was nothing but black as she let the wave of dizziness and nausea overtake her. Her now weightless body crashed to the ground and all she was left with was that kid's face and the horror his presence brought back from those deep recesses of her mind.
At this point in my life
I've done so many things wrong I don't know if I can do right
If you put your trust in me I hope I won't let you down
If you give me a chance I'll try
You see it's been a hard road the road I'm traveling on
And if I take your hand I might lead you down the path to ruin
I've had a hard life I'm not just saying it so you'll understand
That right now, right now, I'm doing the best I can
At this point in my life
At this point in my life
Although I've mostly walked in the shadows
I'm still searching for the light
Won't you put your faith in me
We both know that's what matters
If you give me a chance I'll try
~At This Point In My Life/ Tracy Chapman
AN: Another sappy sort of song for a sappy sort of chapter, but when I heard it, and then read the lyrics I was all… YES THAT. There were FEELS here people. FEELS. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you're as glad as I am that Callie and Daryl are working through the rough patch that they'd run into. So yeah, we're moving along, and I'm hoping to keep up the pace a bit with my writing here so HANG IN THERE.
So I got asked a question in a PM that I figured might be on a lot of people's minds, and when I responded I was a bit wishy-washy because I wasn't too sure on the answer (Sorry Akamie). The question was whether or not I was going to be writing out the 8 month gap between Season 2 and Season 3… and the answer is Yes. (Sorta) it'll be snippets of time, not really a whole explanation of everything that happens, but a few very important scenes (I've got plans for early Woodbury, Michonne and crew, and the rest) so we'll see how that all shakes out.
Feel free to pop me a question anytime in the PM. I try to respond as quickly as I can. I know I'm not doing all the review responses and I'm super sorry about that I suck so bad. G'bless your asses, every single one of you.
Much love!
