Rhiannon was broken from her sleep by a nudge to her shoulder. She let out a low moan and rolled over, immediately letting out a small yelp as she put pressure on her wound.
"Easy. You ok?" A hushed voice called out, holding onto her arm to steady her.
She opened her eyes and saw Rick looking down at her in concern. She nodded, wrapping an arm around herself as she sat up in her bunk.
"We're headin' out soon."
Rhiannon nodded, a small smirk on her face as she reached over to her bag and pulled out her ipod, holding it out for Rick. He let out a small laugh and took it, giving her a look of thanks, knowing Carl would appreciate it for the drive.
His smile slowly fell and he looked at her seriously. "I told Daryl to keep his eye on Merle, I'm hoping he can control his brother's motormouth." At the look of incredulity Rhiannon sent him, he sighed deeply. "I know things are tense right now, just try not to let him get under your skin. No matter how much I would love to see you knock his teeth out, I need you to keep your head clear, we can't be at each other's throats right now."
Rhiannon averted her gaze, running a hand through her short hair. It was too early for this conversation. "I'll try my best, but no promises." She mumbled.
Rick looked at her sadly, noticing how stressed she seemed. "Have you sorted things with Daryl?"
She looked up at him with hard eyes, unamused by his prying. That was a enough of an answer for him. He reached for her hand, holding it comfortingly to let her know he was only getting involved out of concern for the both of them.
"Talk to him today and work it out. You two can't handle any more separation."
Rhiannon was about to respond with her immediate disdain, but she held back, pausing for a moment. "I'll try." She said quietly.
Rick squeezed her hand one last time and stood, moving to leave her cell, but he stopped before he left. "You think I'm doing the right thing, bringing Michonne?"
"You've already trusted one chick with a sword, maybe you'll be two for two." She told him with a smirk, but sighed when she noticed Rick didn't look too convinced. "Rick she's done nothing but help us. There's no reason we shouldn't give her a chance."
The leader nodded, giving her a silent thanks, she'd always been someone who could give him advice and soothe any anxiety he had about a difficult decision he had to make.
"Be safe out there."
Rick smiled at her warmly. "Be safe in here."
Rhiannon rolled her eyes, hearing him laugh as he left her cell. She knew it wouldn't be completely out of her character to resort to a punch or two to someone who was annoying her beyond belief. It happened with Shane and it was more than likely it would happen with Merle, again.
Daryl stared at the bottom of the bunk above him, feeling like it was all he'd been doing all night. He was actually surprised it was already morning.
He hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, all he could see when he closed his eyes were the bruises on her neck. He could picture the Governor behind her, strangling her, and it made it impossible to close his eyes again.
He longed to be with her, to comfort her after what she'd been through, but he was too consumed with rage to be the person she needed. He needed to calm down, but he didn't know how. He probably wouldn't calm down until the Governor lay dead in front of him.
He let out a small groan as he sat up, moving his legs off the bunk. He lay his head in his hands, waiting for the pounding in his head to subside before he got up, but after waiting for a full minute without it stopping, he knew he was going to suffer with it all day.
"Daryl."
He flinched and looked up, scowling at Carl who was standing in the doorway of his cell. "The hell you want, Kid?"
"You're being an idiot." Carl said bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest to give him a semblance of courage.
"Excuse me?" Daryl snarled, getting to his feet, but Carl didn't back down, he just kept up his steady glare.
"Why aren't you talking to Rhiannon?"
Daryl sighed and rubbed at his temples, already fed up with the conversation. "That ain't any of your business."
"It is my business cause Rhiannon's my friend, and so are you."
Daryl's scowl lightened and he looked at the kid with slight amusement by the ferocity in his voice. "Listen kid, this is adult stuff, ok? Just let me handle it."
"By handling it do you mean making her cry again?"
Daryl stiffened at his words and clenched his fists, feeling his agitation beginning to grow.
"I know you love her and I know why you left, but Merle seems like an asshole."
"Watch your mouth." Daryl interjected sternly, glaring at him, but Carl just smirked.
"What I'm saying is," Carl began impatiently. "Your brother doesn't compare to her. It's pretty obvious you're happier with Rhiannon than with Merle."
Daryl stared at Carl with his mouth hung open slightly, a bewildered expression on his face. He was more than taken aback by the kid's bluntness, but he couldn't deny that what he was saying made sense.
Daryl's silence seemed to be a good enough reaction for Carl and he left without another word, leaving the hunter to stew over his words by himself.
He wrung his hands together and slumped back down to his bunk. He knew without a doubt that Rhiannon was the one who made him happy, more than anyone else in his sorry life. What she made him feel, how she made him laugh, was miles past any good times he shared with Merle.
Daryl even had to think hard to remember a good memory with Merle, it was even harder to find one that didn't involve alcohol or drugs.
Rhiannon was a beacon of hope, a shining light in his life that his dark past couldn't overshadow, no matter how much it tried. Not even Merle could take away from that, no matter how much he may try.
Rhiannon kept her head down, avoiding all the conversations happening around her. She could tell whatever her sisters were talking about wasn't really what they wanted to be talking about. Their eyes that kept shifting over to her made it obvious they were more interested in the drama going on in her relationship.
"We need to make sure we have a constant look out." Glenn started and Rhiannon was more than thankful for the change of meaningless topics. "Rick says we're staying, the Governor isn't going to take this place from us. When Rick gets back we'll talk about clearing the rest of the prison and closing up the breach at the back."
As everyone began to section off for their duties that day, Rhiannon had an idea that she was sure would get her into trouble. She looked up at Daryl, as if seeing him would help change her mind, but he didn't look over at her. He sat in the corner, his head hanging as he sat next to Merle who was scowling at the rest of the group.
She didn't want to think about what happened the day before, how Daryl had lashed out. The guilt she had seen in his eyes hurt her in a way she hadn't expected.
Before she could dwell on it anymore, she finished what little breakfast she had and walked back to her cell.
Lacing her boots even tighter, she was about to reach for her weapon when she heard soft footsteps coming closer. She hesitated and moved away, sitting on her bunk, trying to look inconspicuous.
Carol stepped into her cell, smiling softly. "Hey, what are you up to today?"
Rhiannon tried to keep her face from telling how caught she felt and put on a blank expression. "Nothing, just waiting for my turn on watch." She said boredly. "How are you doing? We haven't really talked much lately, I know you and Axel were getting close."
Carol pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. "Trying to change the subject?"
"I can't ask you how you are?"
"I really don't think that should be what's on your mind right now."
Rhiannon sighed loudly, not even bothering to hide how annoyed she was. "Why is everyone so caught up in this? This is my relationship, not yours."
"We're doing this because we care about you." Carol told her, he voice taking on a bit of an edge. She only wanted what was best for Rhiannon and Daryl and she hated seeing them the way they were now.
"Let me do this my way, ok? Just leave it alone." Rhiannon said, practically pleading with her.
Carol's eyes softened at the desperation in her voice and she nodded, suddenly feeling bad for getting involved. "I just hate seeing you like this."
"Not much easier going through it either." She mumbled.
Carol frowned and looked down at her shoes. "Just promise me you'll try and talk to him. I don't know what happened yesterday, but he's not acting like himself."
Rhiannon nodded slowly, biting at her lip nervously. Carol was right, while Daryl hadn't always been the kind of person who wore his heart on his sleeve, he was acting even further removed from everyone. It was like watching the man he'd been that first day at the farm.
With that, Carol left her and Rhiannon was alone. She felt guilty for what she was about to do, knowing everyone would be mad at her for being reckless, but for some reason, that wasn't enough to stop her.
She grabbed her sword and pulled the sheath across her back. Peaking out her cell, she finally moved when the coast was clear and no one was in her path. With light steps, she moved out of the cell block and into the dark hallways.
It was stupid, she knew that. Going through the tombs that were still crawling with walkers was dangerous, especially since she was alone, but she needed to let off steam and killing walkers was probably the most productive way she could do it. Not the safest or smartest, but her only option.
She walked through the halls slowly, her weapon held tightly in her hands. She managed to take down every walker that came in her path, thankfully not having to deal with more than three at a time.
She didn't know how much time she had spent wandering aimlessly, seeking out walkers. She didn't know how many she'd taken down, but she knew it wasn't enough.
The constant killing and the adrenaline rush it gave her, it wasn't enough. Every swing of her sword wasn't enough to let loose the anger the Governor had instilled inside her. It wasn't enough to let out the anger or the hurt Daryl had made her feel. It wasn't enough to get rid of the guilt of seeing Daryl in pain.
Low growls could be heard and she tensed, moving around the corner stealthily. She cursed under her breath, there were at least seven walkers. They didn't notice her so it was easier to swing at them and take them down when they weren't lunging for her.
When the last body fell, she leaned against the wall, panting heavily. She ran a hand through her hair and pulled slightly in frustration.
"Going fucking crazy." She whispered to herself.
"Well, well, that was a quite a show, lil' lady."
Rhiannon jumped and turned on her heel, holding her sword in front of her. She relaxed, only slightly, when she noticed Merle behind her, watching her with a smirk on his face.
"What the hell are you doing down here?" She asked abruptly.
"Just wanted to take a look around at my new home."
Rhiannon rolled her eyes at the sarcastic tone of his voice and stepped over the bodies that lay on the floor in front of her. She had to bite her tongue to keep from yelling at him to go away when she heard his footsteps following behind her.
"So you're the one that's been shakin' up with my brother."
"Yeah." She answered casually, not sparing a glance over at him as he fell into step with her.
"Listen, I don't want you gettin' your feelin's hurt, but my baby brother, he ain't exactly they boyfriend type."
Rhiannon smirked, she knew what he was trying to do and she wasn't going to let him get under her skin. She knew Daryl cared about her and nothing Merle said would change her mind about it. "A person can change a lot in a year, you'd know that if you didn't run off."
Merle just scoffed in response and Rhiannon felt her temper rise. "Daryl cares about me, that's why you're here right now. And deep down you know it."
Merle stopped walking and grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. "The only one that cares about a Dixon, is a Dixon, and you ain't one of us." He said darkly, glaring at her deeply.
"Are you really gonna ruin Daryl's happiness cause your fragile male ego can't handle not being depended on?"
Merle's eyes flamed with anger and his grip on her arm tightened. Rhiannon glared down at where he held her and she brought her sword up threateningly, the tip of the blade touching his chin. His eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting her to fight back the way she was. He took a step back, ceasing his grip on her.
"I know what kind of man you are. I saw it at Woodbury. You're just the back up, the man that does the dirty work no one else wants to do. But I saw the regret. No matter how much you wanna deny it, I saw that you didn't want to leave me alone with the Governor. You didn't want him to hurt me."
"Didn't give a shit what he did to you." Merle spat at her.
"Well, not enough to do anything. You gotta protect yourself, I get that. You know, you are like Daryl in a way. When I first met him he did nothing but push me away, he was too scared to get close to anyone. You're doing the same thing, I think because you know we'd never accept you, not after what you did."
Merle shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. The way her big eyes watched him carefully made him nervous, it was like she knew everything he was thinking, as if she knew all his secrets just by looking at him.
He thought back to when he left her with the Governor and she had looked at him with those big eyes, pleading with him. He could remember the way his chest tightened with regret when he closed the door behind him, leaving her with that monster.
"You don't know shit, Bambi."
Rhiannon smirked, letting out a light laugh. What is it with Dixons and giving me disney nicknames?
"I know more than you think, Merle." She said, eyeing him intently and relishing in the way he practically squirmed under her gaze. "I know you care about your brother, even though you show it in less than desired ways. I know that your father was a horrible man, but that you have the potential to be so much more than what he was, if you just gave a shit and tried."
Merle sneered at her and began pacing dangerously.
"I know it's hard for you to even say my name."
Merle stopped, freezing in his place. For the first time, Rhiannon saw past the careless facade he put on and noticed that he looked almost sad. She knew he had the same experience Daryl had in his childhood with their mother singing the song she was named after.
She knew it was an emotional memory for the both of them.
"You sure love the sound of your own voice, don'cha?" He told her sharply, his eyes looking at her in hatred.
"Look, you can hate me, you can make sexist comments, you can annoy me until my hair goes gray, but it's not gonna change the fact that I love your brother and it's not gonna change the fact that he loves me too."
"My brother left you, that really makes you think he loves you?" He asked with a chuckled, trying not to let her words get to him, but he seemed to be failing.
"Your brother came back." She reminded him smugly. "If you're so upset about finally seeing Daryl happy, then leave. No one's gonna stop you."
Merle was about to snap back at her but they suddenly both tensed at the sound of footsteps approaching. Rhiannon tightened her grip on her weapon, but her shoulders slumped in relief when she saw it was only Daryl walking around the corner, his bow held in his hands tightly.
"What's goin' on?" He asked, looking between Rhiannon and Merle suspiciously. He looked down, noticing the walkers that lay around them and furrowed his brows. He looked up at Rhiannon in accusation, giving her that same look of 'what the hell did you do now?' that she was so used to seeing. "The hell you doin' down here?"
Rhiannon's shoulders tensed at the slightly frantic edge to his voice and averted her gaze from his icy blue eyes that drove her wild.
"You alright?" He asked, noticing that her arm was wrapped around her torso, holding onto her injured side.
"'M fine. I gotta take watch." She mumbled, keeping her head down and not sparing a look at either of the Dixon's as she walked past them.
Daryl watched her go, his eyes narrowed in confusion. He turned to his brother and his eyes hardened.
"What the fuck were you doin'? You touch her?" He asked with a ferocity that only seemed to amuse Merle.
"Jesus, lil' brother. Wasn't putting the moves on your girl if that's what you're thinkin'."
"What'd you say to her?"
Merle shrugged, acting indifferent, like Rhiannon's words hadn't affected him. He refused to admit that she'd gotten under his skin, that her words had shaken him. "Just gettin' to know my sister in law." He joked, smirking at his brother.
Daryl rolled his eyes. "Is everythin' a joke to you?"
Merle rolled his eyes and moved to walk away but Daryl stopped him, clamping his hand down his shoulder. "Stay away from her. I mean it Merle, don't start any shit with her." Daryl warned darkly.
"I don't even recognize you anymore. That bitch's got you actin' like a damn pussy whipped wimp."
Daryl tensed, forcibly having to hold back from beating his brother for his degrading words. "I changed Merle, for the better. You want all these people looking down at you like the rest of the world did, fine, but I don't, and they won't."
"So what, you're this righteous humble servant now? Following Officer friendly's rules?"
"I ain't a good for nothing asshole anymore." Daryl snapped back defensively. He sighed deeply, hesitating before speaking again. "I know you know you messed up. You can make things right."
Merle's face twisted, like he had just tasted something sour. "Man, shut the fuck up." He muttered, knocking Daryl's shoulder with his as he passed him.
He stomped away in frustration, his fists clenched tightly. He couldn't deny that both his brother and his girl had said the right things to make him tick, but he would never admit it.
It was strange for him to see Daryl so sure of himself. He was happy for his brother, he always worried about him, but knowing he had finally found happiness in some woman he didn't know was what made him bitter. His brother didn't need him anymore and it scared him. But again, he would never admit it.
Daryl watched his brother go with confliction. He knew Merle had done bad things, but he wasn't a bad person, not like the way the Governor was. There was room for redemption. But he knew his brother was stubborn and valued his pride more than anything. It wasn't likely he would sacrifice his precious ego to make things right.
He sighed heavily, running a hand over his tired face and started to make his way back to the cellblock. As soon as he entered, Beth rushed towards him, cradling Judith in her arms.
"Andrea's back, she came with a man from Woodbury."
Daryl went rigid and without needing another word from Beth, he was racing out of the prison. He held his crossbow up the second he got outside and his blood boiled when he saw Rhiannon talking to Andrea and one of the men he'd seen in Woodbury who just watched as the Governor threatened him and his brother while holding Rhiannon as a prize.
Even though Glenn and Maggie were with her it didn't make him feel any better about Rhiannon being near that guy. He jogged over, keeping his surly glare on the unknown man.
"What's goin' on?"
"The Governor wants to meet with Rick." Glenn answered, his body slightly shielding Maggie as his eyes stayed firmly locked on the man from Woodbury, just like Daryl.
"How can we be sure this isn't a setup?" Rhiannon interjected, staring down Andrea fiercely.
Andrea's eyes softened and she looked at the members of her former group sadly. "I'd never do that. You guys know me. I just want this useless feud over with."
"If this is a trap, if that son of a bitch pulls anything, I'm puttin' him down then and there. He's lucky he ain't dead already after what he did." Daryl growled, taking a threatening step towards Andrea and the Woodbury man.
Rhiannon watched him carefully, her heart fluttering in her chest wildly. His fierce protectiveness was like the two sides of a coin, sometimes it annoyed her to no end, but the rest of the time it made her legs quiver with desire.
"Please, just tell Rick. We can work this out." Andrea pleaded. When no one answered, it was clear they had said all they needed to say. Giving a look to Martinez, who was tense under the watchful eyes on him, they both nodded, making their exit quickly.
"Think this is legit?" Maggie asked after they had left.
"Andrea may have questionable judgment, but she's not malicious. I think she really believes the Governor's willing to talk." Rhiannon answered, keeping her arms crossed over her chest.
"She could be wrong though."
"Yeah, she could be." Rhiannon said slowly, knowing it was more than likely that Andrea's hope was just a pipe dream. She looked up, noticing Daryl staring at her intently. She shifted under his gaze and turned on her heel, making her way back to the catwalk to take watch.
She had only been alone in silence for a couple of minutes when Daryl appeared around the corner, looking shy and sheepish.
"Hey." She smiled softly, hating the awkwardness between them. "You calmed down yet?"
Daryl looked down at his shoes and nodded. "A little. Still pissed at that asshole. Wanna kill him for what he did to you."
"Me too."
"What happened with you and Merle?"
"Nothing really. He was just talking shit." She mumbled, keeping her eyes forward. "I'm guessing that's not really out of the ordinary."
Daryl snorted. "Nah, not really."
The two of them were left in silence and they both were hating that, for once, it wasn't all that comfortable.
"I'm sorry about yesterday. Didn't mean to take that out on you." He said quietly, his fingers fidgeting with anxiety.
Rhiannon let out a deep breath, nodding in understanding. "I know. I think we need to talk about everything that's happened."
Daryl winced slightly. "Don't wanna fight."
"If that's what it takes to finally get through this, then let's fight." She said confidently, though her heart was beating rapidly. "I can't stand you being here and us not being what we are. So let's fight."
Daryl took in a deep breath and clenched his fists to keep them from shaking slightly. He felt on the verge of panicking, he didn't think he liked where this was going.
"I don't think we're on the same page right now." Rhiannon started, swallowing thickly. She felt scared with how forward she was about to be, something that normally wouldn't be out of her comfort zone. But this wasn't exactly a normal fight a couple would have, the circumstances were different than anything she'd been through with any other boyfriend before.
Daryl nodded thoughtfully and bit at his lip nervously. He was just as scared as she was.
"Look, what you were freaking out about last night, that's not what I'm mad about. You didn't know what the Governor did to me, and that's my fault for not telling you. I know I need to work on that."
Daryl looked up at her in surprise, not expecting her to say what she had. Rhiannon saw the look on his face and smiled slightly.
"You don't need to feel guilty about that. You didn't know."
"I knew he did somethin'. I saw he pulled your piercing out, saw you bleedin', should've known it was worse." He mumbled and Rhiannon knew he was unconvinced by her declaration, he would be guilty no matter what she said.
"You know, when I was with Alex, I felt like everything he did was to put me down." She started, her voice barely above a whisper.
Daryl's eyes widened and he couldn't help the surge of anger that overcame him at the thought of her ex.
"Everytime he yelled at me, every fight we had, it was always to make me feel bad about myself. But with you, it's so different. I know you would never do anything to purposefully hurt me."
Rhiannon didn't know if it was a good thing or not that Daryl was staying silent. His eyes spoke volumes, there was so much emotion swirling in those deep blue eyes and it made her heart jump. She could tell it hurt him deeply to hear about what she had been through with her ex, and in a way it made her love him even more.
"I know he's your brother and I know you're not the kind of man who could leave your family, but it hurt me that you could leave for someone I've only ever heard you complain about."
Daryl looked down, he couldn't handle looking her in the eye as she spoke about what he'd done to hurt her.
"You'd do the same for Maggie and Beth." He said quietly.
"I would, but Maggie and Beth didn't treat me like shit all my life." Rhiannon told him, trying to keep the anger out of her voice. "You told me you didn't need to go looking for him, that you didn't like the person you were when you were with him. You went back on your word so quickly and that scares me."
She pursed her lips together, feeling her emotions bubbling dangerously close to the surface. Her eyes stung and she almost hated the way Daryl's eyes softened when he noticed.
"God, Daryl, you left me for a man that was horrible to you. All he ever did was bring you down and make you feel worthless, you told me that yourself, and you chose that over me." She said, sounding frantic as her anger was brought to the surface.
Daryl rubbed at his temple and sighed, his breath wavering as he tried to keep his anger and his sadness under control.
He didn't know what to say, her words left him fully realizing just how much he fucked up. He had told her he didn't need to go looking for Merle, had told her she was all he needed, and yet he left anyways.
The knowledge that he'd practically been lying to him each time was a hard pill to swallow for the both of them.
"I didn't wanna leave." He spoke softly. "It killed me to walk away from you. But everyone was yellin', sayin' it wouldn't work, and I got so worked up, I didn't know what to do."
Rhiannon nodded in understanding. "I know it was hard for you, but that doesn't make it hurt any less." She sniffled and Daryl could've sworn he felt his heart crack then and there. "Daryl, I can't go through that again. If you walk away from me again, that's it, I can't handle it."
Daryl swallowed thickly, worried the hold he had on his emotions would begin to slip. He moved closer to her, but still left about a foot of space between them. He hesitantly reached his hand out and Rhiannon felt her heart melt at how tentative he was being. It was like going back in time and being on the farm again.
She looked over at him with watery eyes and reached out, intertwining her fingers with his. He immediately squeezed tightly, like he was so relieved to finally be touching her again.
"I'm sorry." Daryl whispered, his voice gruff and raspy with everything he was holding back.
"What if Merle wants to leave?" She asked quietly, almost not wanting to know the answer.
"Then he leaves. He knows what I got here and he knows there's no way in hell I'm leavin' you again. Can't handle it either."
Rhiannon looked up at him and Daryl, like always, was struck by her brown eyes and was left breathless.
"You scared me. Didn't know if I would ever see you again."
"I'm sorry." Daryl whispered again. "Never meant to hurt you. I thought Merle could be different. I knew after five minutes he was just the same old asshole. Knew I made a mistake."
Rhiannon felt bad for piling onto his guilt. She knew he was already feeling bad and she didn't want to make it worse, she just wanted to come clean about what she was feeling. She felt bad knowing he had hope for his brother, but was ultimately let down again.
"I never wanted it to get to this point, where you had to chose. I think I always knew deep down you would chose your brother. I just didn't think it would hurt this much."
Daryl frowned and squeezed her hand in his tighter. He looked over at her and swallowed thickly. She could see how nervous he was and it put her equally on edge. "Rhiannon, I love you." He breathed out, like saying the words alone brought him relief.
For a long time, admitting how he felt about her had been intimidating, something that scared him. He felt as though he had grown since his time apart from her, he no longer feared the intense way he loved her. I just felt so right, it was comforting now to know he loved her so deeply.
"I didn't…" He sighed and bowed his head. "I ain't any good at this. Never thought I'd have somethin' like this in my life. Never would'a believed I could find you and I was a fuckin' idiot to ever think I could live without you."
Rhiannon bit her lip and stared at him with wide eyes. She'd never heard him so outspoken, especially about his feelings for her. It left her stunned to silence.
Daryl kept his eyes down and the guilt on his face was clear as day. "I know it ain't gonna change what I did. An' I'm so fuckin' sorry, never wanted to hurt you." He swallowed thickly and squeezed her hand again. "I'll give you as much time as you need." He muttered and without another word, he let go of her hand and stood, leaving Rhiannon sitting alone in shock.
She held her breath as she watched him leave, as if hoping he would turn and come back to her.
He thinks you hate him, she told herself degradingly.
She knew he was feeling guilty and her piling onto it wasn't doing anyone any good. She didn't feel any better after explaining why she was upset. She knew Daryl felt bad and she didn't know what talking about it anymore would do.
She was just hoping things would get better if everything was out in the open. She didn't know how they were going to do that if Daryl was drowning in guilt.
It wasn't until it had gone dark, hours after Rick, Carl, and Michonne had returned, that Rhiannon was finally getting off watch. She'd refused everyone that had tried to take over for her, telling them she was fine where she was. In all honesty, she just didn't have the courage to go back and face Daryl, not without knowing what she could say to him to finally get them out of the rut they seemed to be in.
As soon as she stepped back into the cellblock, her father sent her a relieved smile, earning him a weak one back.
Rhiannon went to wash her empty bowl that Maggie had made sure to give to her as she'd missed dinner by staying outside on watch. She could feel eyes on her and she turned her head slightly, raising a brow at Beth who watched her carefully.
"What's up, Bethie?"
"I know why you're being hesitant - and I'm only sticking my nose in this because I care about you - but do you really think this is a good idea? I think it's just doing more harm than good." Beth told her, sounding slightly nervous.
"Yeah, I think so too." Rhiannon said quietly, looking down at her hands shyly. She smiled slightly and looked up at her little sister. "When did you get so wise?"
"I've learned a lot watching you screw up." Beth answered smugly, giving her a sarcastic smile.
"Watch it." Rhiannon smirked, nudging her lightly. She moved forward and placed a kiss on Beth's forehead. Her little sister was right, she loved Daryl and it wasn't doing them any good being apart. "Thank you." She whispered, giving her a tight hug.
She gave her father a quick hug before he went off to bed, and gave Carl a wave goodnight. She noticed Daryl talking to Rick and she shifted on her feet nervously, waiting for a window of opportunity to go talk to him.
Rick looked up and noticed her standing by. He gave Daryl a pat on the shoulder and said goodnight, sending Rhiannon a knowing smile as he walked by.
She blushed and ducked her head, internally cursing herself for being so transparent. At least Daryl was alone now. She wanted to tell him it was ok, that her heart finally felt whole with him here again, and that was all that mattered.
She could forget about how hurt she'd been because he was here now.
He looked up and his eyes immediately met hers. His heart began to beat faster as she approached.
Rhiannon had a million things she wanted to say, but when she looked up at his blue eyes, there were no words in her mind. She panicked suddenly, realizing he was looking at her patiently, waiting for her to say something, but she couldn't think of anything to say.
"Goodnight." She said quietly, and before she could overthink it or stop herself, she leaned up on her toes and pressed a quick, feather light kiss to his lips.
Daryl felt his heart stutter and he looked at her with wide, stunned eyes. He looked like a deer caught in headlights. He cleared his throat and felt his cheeks flame red. "Night." He mumbled and looked down bashfully as he made his way up to the cell they used to share.
Rhiannon's lips parted in surprise and she couldn't help but feel amused by how absolutely clueless Daryl could be.
Was the kiss not a big enough hint for him?
She watched him walk away with a coy smile and shook her head. She'd have to try harder to get his attention.
She walked into her cell and flopped onto her bed with a heavy sigh. The poor man still didn't have much of an idea what to do in a relationship, but that was part of his charm and she loved him for it.
She reached for her book and opened it, knowing her mind would be way too active for her to sleep at the moment.
Daryl jerked awake, panting heavily. He sat up in his bunk and placed a hand over his racing heart.
He felt a dampness on his cheeks and he wiped the tears that had fallen away, looking down at his hand that glistened with shock, like he couldn't believe that he really had been crying.
That dream had shaken him. It felt so real it had scared him.
He had been calling out to her, but she ignored him and kept walking away, yelling over her shoulder to him to leave. That alone hurt him, but it was the sound of a gunshot and the sight of her falling to the ground that had made him want to scream until he couldn't breathe.
He needed to see her, he needed to reassure himself that she was ok and that it really had just been a dream or else he worried he'd drop dead from how fast his heart was pounding.
As quietly as he could - the last thing he wanted was for someone to wake up and see him in this distressed state - he made his way down the stairs. His hands twitched with anticipation when he saw a dim light through the thin sheet Rhiannon placed in the doorway of her cell.
He whispered her name, but when he got no answer, he pushed the sheet to the side and stepped in.
The second he saw her, his whole body relaxed. He let out a shuddering breath of relief and without even realizing he had moved, he was kneeling beside her.
The sight of her sleeping peacefully with a book splayed out on her chest, made his pounding heart calm.
His eyes moved to her side where he knew she had been shot and he had to force himself to keep from reaching out to touch her. It physically hurt him knowing she had been hurt. He wanted to storm into Woodbury and gun down every single man that had tried to harm her.
He smiled softly at the sight of her, focusing on the image of her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath to calm him down.
He moved slowly, taking the book that lay on her chest and placed it on the floor. He blew out of the candle beside her and as it went dark, he heard her moan slightly.
He tensed and looked over at her with startled eyes. Through the dim moonlight that streamed through, he saw her brown eyes flutter open. She looked confused for a second, but as soon as she saw him, she frowned.
"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked, her voice still thick with sleep. Even in the dark, she could see his glassy eyes, she could tell he was distressed about something.
Daryl shook his head, his eyes casting down to avoid hers. He felt embarrassed that she caught him, he was sure he looked like a creep snooping in her cell while she was sleeping.
"Daryl?" She urged, sensing his discomfort. She sat up slowly, making sure not to irritate her wound, and moved to the edge of the bed, reaching out to him.
His breathing hitched when her hand touched the side of his face and he finally brought his gaze up to meet hers. "Wanted to make sure you were ok."
"Why wouldn't I be ok?"
"Had a dream." He mumbled, almost inaudibly. Rhiannon's stomach twisted, she knew firsthand just how terrifying the unconscious mind could be. His hands fidgeted nervously and he suddenly stood, looking uncomfortable. "I should go."
"No." She called out, stopping him from moving. He looked at her incredulously and he realized his heart was back to pounding in that panicked rhythm. "You can stay. I was kinda hoping I'd be back in my cell with you tonight." She admitted shyly.
When she saw the look of utter confusion on his face, she laughed softly and grabbed his hand to pull him back and sit next to her.
"Why do you think I kissed you?"
Daryl's furrowed brow suddenly smoothed out and his face dropped in realization. "You… you forgive me?" He asked, sounding absolutely shocked.
Rhiannon smiled sadly and nodded. "I never blamed you for what happened. I know you never wanted to hurt me." She paused, swallowing thickly. "There's no point in me dwelling on being upset when you're here. You came back to me and that's all that matters."
Daryl still looked confused. The way he stared at her like he felt he was being tricked made her laugh. She leaned her forehead against his and moved her hands to the back of his neck.
"You're all I want, Daryl Dixon. We both made mistakes and I'm not gonna let that keep us apart."
Daryl breathed a sigh of relief and leaned into her, his ams moving to wrap around her waist. The amount of stress that melted in that instant was almost euphoric. "Thank you." He whispered and Rhiannon shook her head.
"You don't need to thank me for anything."
Daryl pulled away slightly, just enough to look her in the eye. Rhiannon could see the hunger in his gaze, but also the underlying hesitance that stopped him from making the next move. He was still a little unsure of himself.
Rhiannon smiled and, like it was their first kiss, she took the initiative and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his softly.
He kissed her back eagerly, his hands gripping her tighter and pulling her in closer. His hands roamed her body, like he needed to re familiarize himself with her skin and the parts of her that made her sigh, that made her giggle, and made her grip him tighter.
As their kisses grew more frenzied, their breathing was getting heavier, Daryl pulled away, realizing he was getting to the point of no return.
Rhiannon looked at him curiously and when she saw how he was holding back, she moved her hands under his shirt, her fingers trailing over his hard abs. Daryl's shoulders went rigid at the feeling of her hands on his bare skin and he closed his eyes.
"Rhiannon." He said in warning. "Don't wanna hurt you."
She had been shot just days ago and the last thing he wanted was to lose control and hurt her, especially after the fight they'd just gotten over.
"You won't." She assured him and before he could say anything else, she grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head.
Daryl swallowed nervously, his wide eyes taking in every exposed inch of her. He let out a shaking breath and he had to remind himself to relax. They'd done this before, he had made love to her to the point where they were both stunned and shaking. It was nothing new, so why was he so nervous now?
His dream lingered in the back of his mind and the thought of everything she'd been through in the past week made him feel dizzy with rage and guilt. That wasn't something he could just shake off whether she forgave him or not.
Rhiannon could feel him trembling under her hands and she frowned, he wasn't acting like himself. He'd gotten to the point where he could be so free with her, not caring about any insecurities he may have had in the past. He could laugh and joke with her, but now, it was like he'd taken ten steps backwards.
"Daryl, it's just me. We're fine. I'm fine."
"Don't wanna mess this up." He mumbled and Rhiannon laughed slightly, making him look up at her.
"You've made it pretty clear you know what you're doing." She joked and he let out a breathless laugh, leaning his forehead against her shoulder.
"Not like that." He said lamely. He looked up at her and the intensity in his eyes made her stomach swirl with desire. "Can't lose you. Ever."
"I'm not going anywhere." She told him sincerely, her hands reaching up to cradle his face.
"I ain't either."
At his declaration and the way he stared back at her, Rhiannon felt herself blush. She quickly captured his lips with hers and kissed him fiercely
He deepened the kiss instantly and her hands quickly worked at the buttons of his shirt. He shrugged it off and moved forward, following her as she lay back on the bed. "Fucking beautiful." He mumbled as he kissed the tattoo below her breasts.
Rhiannon smiled and threaded her fingers through his hair. She noticed how slowly he moved, how careful he was as he pulled her thin sleeping shorts off her, like he was worrying about hurting her with the simplest touch.
"Daryl, touch me, please." She breathed out, running her hands up his muscular arms. His grip tightened in response and he leaned down, pulling at her nipple piercing with his teeth.
She let out a light gasp and arched her back. Daryl closed his eyes, he missed the sounds she made, he missed the way it felt to touch her like this. It had only been barely over a week since they had last been together this way, but it felt like ages and he was desperate for more.
Rhiannon squirmed under him as he pressed sloppy kisses to every inch of her skin. She was beginning to get impatient.
"Daryl, I need you."
He groaned at her words and was quick to rid himself of the rest of his clothes before moving to hover over her again. He breathed heavily, his heart beating rapidly as he stared down at her. Her short hair was splayed out on the pillow, her lips were slightly swollen from his greedy mouth and when her brown eyes met his, he swore he stopped breathing altogether.
He grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers, holding it against the bed next to her head. With her other hand, she gently trailed her fingers up his back, moving over the rough edges of his scars.
He shuddered slightly at the feeling, still not used to being touched in that previously forbidden place. He leaned down, making sure to keep himself propped up on his elbow so he didn't crush her small frame with his weight, and kissed her deeply.
They both moaned as he slid into her slowly. Rhiannon tightened her grip on him, her nails digging into his back as he moved deeper. Daryl watched her carefully, looking for any signs of discomfort on her face. If she winced even once, he was stopping.
Her breaths stuttered as he pulled out slowly and pushed forward again. She moved her legs to circle his waist, making him able to go even deeper. Daryl almost fell forward on top of her at the feeling and he grit his teeth, having to force himself not to cry out.
"Uhh, fuck. I missed you." He moaned softly, thrusting harder, unable to keep this brain melting slow pace.
Rhiannon's chest heaved with each breath and she bit her lip to keep her low moans quiet. She wished they were back in the guard tower where she didn't have to stifle her noises. She wished she could hear just how good she was making him feel. She loved hearing his rough grunts and moans.
Daryl squeezed his eyes shut, a louder than was wise groan escaping him as Rhiannon moved her hips against his. His hand that was holding himself up moved to her hair and gripped tightly. He decided then that her short hair was just as desirable as her long hair.
Rhiannon smiled as he pulled at her hair, strangely that was becoming comforting to her, like they were finally back to their normal ways.
Daryl noticed her smile and smirked, letting out a breathless laugh. "Can't fuckin' help it." He grunted, pulling at her locks again, earning a moan from Rhiannon. Her legs tightened around his waist, causing him to move faster.
"Oh god, Daryl." She rushed out and immediately closed her mouth, biting at her lip, realizing she had probably been a little too loud.
He leaned down, his lips latching onto her neck, hoping that could stifle all the sounds he wanted to let out. Rhiannon dragged her nails over his skin, her other hand sliding into his hair, she knew he liked it, not as much as he liked pulling hers though.
Her lips parted with a long moan as his hips moved erratically, she knew he wasn't going to last much longer, they were both so on edge from the fight, it wasn't surprising. She bit at his ear, making him moan sharply and move his head to press a hard kiss to her lips.
They kissed passionately and hungrily until they ran out of breath and he had to pull away. He leaned his forehead against hers and panted heavily.
She watched him, her eyes blazing with desire. His hips jerked against hers when she tightened herself around him and a low groan of her name escaped him. His eyes were squeezed shut and his jaw was slack with each low moan that left him.
"Daryl, look at me." She pleaded desperately, her hands moving to grip onto his strong shoulders.
Daryl forced his eyes open and the way she looked at him made him feel weak in the knees. He had never felt so wanted and so loved in his life before.
"Don't leave me." She whispered, the soft look in her eyes making his chest tighten.
He thrusted deeper, reveling in the pride that flowed through him as her lips parted with a silent moan and she threw her head back against the pillow. "Never. Never again." He told her breathlessly, squeezing her hand that held his.
Rhiannon's body locked, her back arching up off the bed as she felt herself beginning to reach her peak. With just a few more thrusts of his hips, she leaned up, pressing her lips to his to stifle a loud cry as she flew over the edge.
As she got impossibly tighter around him, Daryl went rigid, his hips moving without finesse as he got rougher in his final moments. He pulled away from her kiss and leaned down to latch his teeth onto her shoulder before he could yell out her name like he so desperately wanted as he climaxed just seconds after her.
He shuddered against her, white lights brilliantly flashing behind his closed eyes. Rhiannon held onto him tightly, like he was her lifeline. The small groans that left him as he released inside of her made her smile against him in satisfaction.
Daryl, without a thought of crushing her, laid himself down on top of her, his arm now too weak to keep himself up. Rhiannon didn't mind, she felt so safe and protected with him splayed out on her, his body pressed against hers with no room in between them.
They were both panting, their bodies still trembling as the last aftershocks raced through them. Rhiannon could feel her legs quivering, Daryl felt it too and moved his hand that was tangled in her hair to gently trail his fingers over her thigh that was still hooked over his waist.
It took a few minutes for him to finally regain feeling in his limbs and he could finally roll off her. Rhiannon scooted over so they could both fit on the small bunk and laid on her side to face him. Daryl placed his hand on the back of her neck to bring her forward and kissed her softly.
His gentle touches were so different to how frantic and desperate he'd been just minutes before. She loved that he could be both with her.
"Fuckin' love you, darlin'." He mumbled against her lips.
Rhiannon smiled and wrapped her arm around him. "Love you too." She whispered back.
"'M sorry for bein' a fuckin' idiot."
Rhiannon shook her head and smirked. "I'm pretty sure I just proved to you I'm not mad anymore."
Daryl smiled, his eyes studying her carefully. He ran his fingers up and down her arms, just needing to be touching her. He never wanted to stop.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead and hugged her close to him. He finally felt like he was home.
Their reunion wasn't originally going to be in this chapter, but I just couldn't wait anymore, so enjoy!
So overwhelmed by the love you guys are giving this story. Thank you all for reviewing! I'm so glad you're enjoying it!
Thanks for reading xx
