Chapter 52

Amelia limped out of the bathroom. She still had a throbbing headache but just having emptied her bladder had made her feel a thousand times better. Her legs were tingling unpleasantly but she no longer felt like she was going to collapse every time she took a step. She decided that was a good sign.

Daryl was standing nervously beside the bed and he immediately started speaking. "I'm sorry Amelia, I probably shouldn't have tackled him like that but the guy deserved it. He – "

She rolled her eyes, "And why exactly did he deserve it? Was it because he risked his ass to save mine after I had a fight with you? Or maybe it was because he had the brilliant idea to lash us to the tree?"

He opened his mouth and she held her hand up, "Wait, I bet it was when he fucking caught me like a goddamn superhero as I fell from the tree."

"He spent the entire time in the tree with his hands all over you and then he's lying on top of ya, and the two of you are laughing and yer rubbing his back." Daryl protested hotly.

She looked him in the eye, "Do you honestly think there is something going on between us? Do you believe that I have feelings for him?"

He hesitated and then shook his head. "No."

"Our legs were asleep, we both tried to walk and we both fell down. Then I got the giggles, mostly hysterical ones because I was scared and relieved and shocked that we weren't dead. My laughing made him start. I'm pretty sure his was hysterical as well."

"I know." He whispered. "It's just – I had watched you sitting on his lap for the last 10 hours, watched you sleeping against each other, and watched him touching you."

"We didn't have much choice."

"I know. I overreacted." He admitted in an embarrassed little mutter. He looked so miserable and confused that her anger with him deflated like a balloon. She sighed and hobbled towards him.

"Amelia, I'm sorry I – "

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his warm neck. He put his arms around her and hugged her with a panicky tightness. She winced and he loosened his grip a little.

"Did I hurt ya?"

"My ribs are sore." She answered. She cupped the back of his neck and kissed his jaw. "I love you. I'm sorry I was angry with you."

He shook his head, "Don't apologize. All of this is my fault. If I hadn't yelled at you, said what I did, ya wouldn't have taken off and ended up in that tree for hours."

"I shouldn't have left the cabin; I knew better. I put mine and Mattie's life in danger." She replied.

He tugged her gently towards the bed, "You should lie down for a bit."

"Lie down with me okay?"

He nodded and she sank onto the bed with a sigh, curling up against him when he lay down on his back beside her. He put his arm around her and rubbed her back gently.

"I know I don't need to be jealous," he admitted quietly, "but I'm tired and I was worried and I just..." He trailed off, squeezing her arm gently.

"I get that." She said with a small shrug. "Remember when I caught Tonya kissing you? I wanted to beat the shit out of her. Hell, Dani's a young girl and sometimes I get jealous when I watch her mooning over you."

He frowned, "She don't moon over me."

That made her grin a little and she kissed him lightly on the lips, "The point is, I get the jealousy thing I do, but you have to trust that you are the only one for me. I love you Daryl Dixon and I will never stop loving you."

She winked at him, "Even if you are a jealous hothead from time to time."

He smiled a little and she kissed his jaw again, "Mattie saved my life in that tree."

He nodded, "Yeah, I know."

She stared for a moment at her right arm. There was a bruise on her arm with the outline of Mattie's fingers clearly marked on her skin. Daryl followed her gaze and then brought her arm to his mouth, kissing the bruise lightly until she shivered.

"I know you don't like him and I know you don't trust him but he's saved my life a couple of times now. And maybe he does have a bit of a crush but it isn't mutual. I promise you that."

She started to get up and he frowned, "Where ya goin'?"

"I'm thirsty." She smiled at him.

"I'll get you some water. You stay here." He jumped off the bed and went to the kitchen as she pulled her boots and socks off before pushing her jeans down her legs. Daryl handed her the glass of water and pulled her jeans the rest of the way off, dropping them on the floor before sitting on the bed beside her.

He sat down beside her, rubbing her bare leg with one warm hand as she drank the glass of water in four large gulps.

"Better?"

She nodded, "Much."

"Amelia, about last night – "

She tensed, "You don't want to talk about it and I need to respect that. It's fine Daryl."

He hurried on, "I didn't mean what I said and I'm sorry for sayin' it."

She squeezed his hands. "It's okay honey."

He shook his head, "No, it ain't. It's just – I was tired and upset but I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

He linked their fingers together, "It's getting better. I want you to know that I - I'm feeling better."

He was lying and they both knew it but Amelia was too tired to argue with him. "I'm glad honey."

She rubbed her forehead again, "I think I need to sleep for a bit. You need some sleep as well. Did you get any rest on the blind?"

He shook his head and stripped off his clothes as she wiggled out of her t-shirt and bra. She slipped under the covers and he joined her, molding his body to hers.


"How much longer are we gonna stay on lock down?" Daryl asked Rick. It was two days later and they were both in the main lodge. They were alone; the rest of the people were still in their individual cabins. Under Rick's instructions, they were leaving the safety of their cabins only for the necessities.

Rick shrugged, "I don't know. Glenn and Scott are on the north blind this morning and they haven't seen any sign of the herd, not even with binoculars."

"Think they moved on?"

"I'm hoping so." He ran his hand through his too-long hair, "But I'm nervous about letting people just mill about. If they are close enough and we make too much noise…"

Daryl nodded, "Yeah. Best to stay quiet for a bit longer - just to be on the safe side."

"I stopped by Thomas and Nikki's cabin. Selena's got some cabin fever but they're managing."

"Same with Carol and their little ones." Daryl grunted. "Amelia stopped in for a quick visit and I guess Ellie and Jacob are driving each other crazy. She brought Ellie back to our cabin, just to give them a break from each other."

Rick finished filling a canvas bag with some canned foods and rice and lifted it with a grunt. "We'll give it at least another two days. Keep a close eye on the woods and just hope for the best. Do you mind stopping by some of the other cabins and letting them know?"

"Yeah, I can do that."

They left the lodge and Daryl tensed a little when he saw Mattie leaving Thomas and Nikki's cabin. "Be right back."

Rick nodded, "I'll drop this off with Hannah and meet you back here in five."

Daryl jogged over to the tall redhead. Mattie gave him a wary look when he fell in beside him.

"Hey."

"Hello Daryl."

"I owe you an apology. You saved Amelia's life and I shouldn't have attacked you like I did."

Mattie shrugged, "Hell, I probably deserved it. You were right you know; I had been hitting on her. Not in that particular moment, I was more concerned about living through the night and not wetting my goddamn pants, but I did hit on her earlier."

He glanced at Daryl, "She turned me down flat. She didn't even have to think about it. Considering what a dick you've been to her lately, I was kinda surprised she was so quick to shut me down."

He looked sideways at Daryl, waiting to see if the smaller man would take a swing at him. Daryl was staring at the ground, an odd mixture of shame and anger on his face, and Matt tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"You know how lucky you are right?"

Daryl thought back to how quick Amelia had been to forgive him, and how she hadn't said a word about the nightmares he'd had for the last two nights. Instead she had just rubbed his back and held him tightly as he tried to calm his rapid, pounding heart. The lack of sleep, and his own touch of cabin fever, was making him short-tempered and irritable with her, even after almost losing her, but she had been patient and kind and was no longer asking him to talk to her or Aaron.

It was only when he was in her arms, touching her and being touched in return, that he felt normal. They had spent a good deal of the last two days in bed.

"Daryl?" Mattie prompted quietly.

"Yeah, I do." He nodded.

Mattie pursed his lips, "Do you? There are plenty of guys who would kill for a woman like Amelia."

"I have killed for her, remember?" Daryl snarled harshly.

Mattie winced, "I'm sorry man; that was a really bad choice of words."

Daryl stopped and stared at the redhead, "I'm asking you to stay away from her."

Mattie gave him a thoughtful look, "And if I don't?"

"Do ya really have to ask what'll happen if I see you touching her again? Hell, talking to her again?"

Mattie shrugged, "Are you going to give Amelia the same talk? I have a feeling she's not the "let my man tell me what to do" kind of woman."

"Amelia loves me. She ain't got any interest in ya." Daryl replied sourly. His hands were curled into fists and the now-familiar pulse of rage was beating in his head. He could feel his anger rising and it was taking everything he had not to tackle the taller man and beat his face in.

"That's true." Mattie acknowledged. "But you keep treating her the way you are, if you keep pushing her away and acting like it's not eating you up inside that you had to kill your own brother to save her, she'll end it with you. I'll stop hitting on her, truth be told it made me feel like a creep anyway, but I won't stop talking to her or being her friend. "

Daryl stared at him as Mattie gave him a solemn look, "Listen, I like you man. I think you're tough and you're smart and I'd trust you to watch my back. But if you don't fix whatever the fuck is wrong with you, you're going to lose Amelia's love. And you and I both know that I'll be there to help her pick up the pieces."

Daryl's mouth dropped open. His anger had faded abruptly and he had been left with a feeling of grudging respect for the redhead's blunt honesty.

They were at Mattie's cabin and he climbed the steps. "Any idea how much longer we're on house arrest?"

"Another couple of days."

Mattie nodded thoughtfully, "Probably for the best." He rubbed his ribs and then lifted his shirt briefly to show Daryl the wide band of bruises around his upper body. "Amelia bruised too?"

Daryl nodded, "Yeah. Not as bad as yours but there's bruising."

"Better bruised than dead."

"She said the same thing." Daryl turned and headed towards Rick and Hannah's cabin as Mattie slipped inside his and shut the door gently behind him.