Things got into a routine, Daryl did move his tent back with everyone and began trying to win Lucy back for good. It started with a flower, outside her tent every morning and went on for weeks. It was always a black eyed susan, which she had casually remarked that she loved way back when they were at the quarry.
He had remembered. They grew wild in the woods near the farm and when he was hunting Daryl had found them when he and Lucy were still on the outs
Every morning before he went to hunt he dropped one off for her, it was a sweet gesture that surprised her at first. But it made her feel special and that also let her know he was serious, they were talking again, building something together.
As Lucy walked to the cooking area where Lori and Carol were cooking she held the flower in her hand.
"Every day a flower…" Lori hummed as Lucy shoved it in her hair and came over and started helping them cook the eggs for every one. Shane was sitting in a camp chair eating eggs and he teased Lucy a little.
"He's persistent isn't he?"
Lucy handed Shane a cup of coffee, "He says he isn't going to give up."
"Good for him," Shane winked at her. He and Lucy had not talked to each other regarding their issues but Daryl and Shane were pretty tight, they took watch together often and talked. It was Daryl who told him to back off from Lori and Rick, it wasn't easy but he was trying.
"He won't, not till it's all cupcakes and handjobs around here again," Merle announced standing behind Andrea at the door of the RV, "That boy once got lost in the woods for nine days, but didn't give up to find his way home. Nine days, can you imagine? I was in juvie and the old man never noticed he was gone…"
"Now that's stellar parenting," Shane observed as Merle and Andrea joined the group followed by Dale.
"It's not easy raising kids," Dale answered, "Especially when they get older and think they know everything."
"Even so," Merle agreed, "My brother hasn't had it easy, he's the sweet one."
"So are you,' Andre answered.
"Shhhh darlin, don't be telling people that," Merle laughed as they sat down and Lucy handed them coffee. This was their typical morning through September and October, it was still warm enough to be outside.
Daryl had told her that story from his childhood that first night with her in the gas station. She felt for that small boy lost, with no one who even cared to look for him that night. It was one of many stories he told her and she had told him plenty too.
He knew things about her that no one did and likewise she knew things about him. They had held nothing back, and they never would.
/
Marylee, Amy and Beth got busted by Maggie trying to sneak out of the house while everyone was asleep. It was a clear night with a full moon and a sky filled with stars, they had watched from the window until everyone was asleep, but they had not known Maggie was outside
Maggie had been coming back from meeting Glenn and was on the porch when they tried to get out the door. Beth was not as clever as Maggie was, she had slipped out before anyone even noticed. She and Glenn were not ready to announce to everyone what was going on with them. Only Lucy knew, and that was because she had seen it written all over Glenn's face.
"Where are you girls going…" Maggie leaned back on her heels with her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. She was reminded of times when her father had caught her sneaking out, the shoe was on the other foot now.
"It's Halloween night," Marylee complained as if that would make it alright..
"What are you doing up?" Beth gasped out, she had been sure Maggie was three girls all stopped dead in their tracks and bumped into each other when Beth stopped short. It would have been funny if they hadn't been caught.
"Asked you first…" Maggie replied. The three girls knew they were busted and just turned around in defeat.
Andrea and Lucy found out the next day when Maggie called a meeting with them right after breakfast. It wasn't like they could be grounded, what could they possibly have taken away from them. And what could they have been thinking. Lucy was due to leave the next day for a mall run and she threatened to kick Marylee's ass if she stepped out of line again.
She and Maggie both had the gift of being teenagers when the world wasn't crashing and burning, so they understood. But when they were kids, danger wasn't knocking at their door, there were new threats now. This was not a case of just sneaking out, it was much more than that.
Herschel dealt with Beth and it was not pretty, Marylee and Amy were banished from the house and back to the tents and it was well deserved. No one blamed him for it either, it was what it was. If Lori hadn't been pregnant they all might have been thrown out.
/
A few nights after the great failed escape Lucy had a headache in the middle of the night and she was actually surprised that it hadn't happened sooner. She had a history of chronic migraines and if anything would be migraine inducing, it would have been the last few months of her life.
She was usually healthy and didn't get sick too often but the headaches were no joke. The bullshit with Marylee certainly didn't help at all, she already had enough to worry about..
It woke her up from a dead sleep just like her migraines used to hit back in Pittsburg, and it hurt like a bitch. After she took a few deep breaths, she got up and went outside her tent to look through the first aid kit for aspirin and got some water. Gulping the pills down, she prayed for relief soon, tomorrow was a big day. She needed to be on her game for the run they were going on. Supplies were getting shorter and shorter now that they were all there, plus the Greene family.
They had needed to go farther and farther away just to find the basic things they needed. Winter was coming and soon they were all going to move into Herschel's house, Rick had finally been able to convince the older man to allow them inside.
Now Lucy was wide awake and it was too early, she needed to go back to sleep but her head just hurt so much. She needed to be 100 percent for the run to the pharmacy, she was the only person who knew what medications they needed and what they didn't need.
Her head hurt so badly though.
It really had been odd that she had not gotten one before now, that had been lucky, but this one was a doozy, she wiped the tears away and accepted the fact she wasn't getting back to sleep that night.
At one time she had to be on special meds for her headaches. Thank God that was over because finding any medications was few and far between now. She often wondered what diabetic survivors were doing, but sadly she knew what the answer to that was, without insulin and refrigeration, they were dying.
Daryl was sitting by the fire keeping watch so she grabbed a chair and pulled it over to sit with him. He seemed glad to see her, they hadn't really talked much since he moved his tent back to the group, but only because they were both busy. There was no rift between them anymore, and they both wanted things to work out, so they were starting over and taking it really slow at her request.
"Cant sleep?" He observed, she was standing there in leggings and a long t-shirt with her hair going all over the place and she looked beautiful to him. For once in his life he wanted to work on building something with another person, and he was letting her set the pace.
"Headache, I get them sometimes…"
"Sorry…"
"It's ok, I'm used to it…"
"Come here," He pointed towards a spot in front of him and Lucy hesitated, giving him a funny look and he sighed, "Just come here."
Lucy shuffled over and stood in front of him, wondering what exactly he was up to. He motioned again for her to sit down. But she still hesitated, in the past that would have made him angry, but he was different now.
"Sit, and put your back against my knees." He instructed, "I won't bite…"
Lucy tilted her head as if to say, "Really?"
"Trust me?"
She still hesitated, she remembered how he had acted when Andrea had a headache on the way to the CDC. But finally she did as he asked and sat down, then waited to see what he would do next. Her back was against his knees and he parted them to get her closer but not in a sexual way, she felt safe and not at all like he was hitting on her.
"Close your eyes," He instructed, and she did so. Slowly, Daryl brought his hands over the back of her head and ran his fingers over her forehead and around her eyes. His rough working man's hands were soft on her face as he brought his fingers over her eyes and cheeks then back to her forehead.
Lucy relaxed immediately and let her head fall back into his lap, his touch felt sweet, relaxing. So relaxing in fact that she sighed out loud. Daryl grinned as if to say "Told ya so."
For a few minutes she just enjoyed the sensation and he did have magic fingers, she knew that all too well. Her headache was dissipating quicker than it ever had before surprisingly. She was calm and the pain was just draining out of her.
"Better?"
"Mmmhmmmm…"
"What's your favorite song?"
"Disco?"
"No all time, the one that makes everything better as soon as you hear it, mines US Blues by The Grateful Dead."
Lucy smiled as his hands moved down to her shoulders, again it wasn't seductive, he was gentle, as if he wanted to take her pain away. The Grateful Dead, how very Daryl that was; it figured that he liked that song. She liked it too.
"Bittersweet Symphony," She answered.
"The Verve, nice…" Then he was singing softly, *****Cause it's a bittersweet symphony this life
Trying to make ends meet, you're a slave to the money then you die.
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah.*****
Lucy settled back against him and he continued running his fingers over her forehead, she closed her eyes and enjoyed his touch without reading anything more into it. Neither of them spoke and they didn't have to, it was nice just being together with no expectations.
It had been a while since he had come back and participated in society again, this was the first real contact they had other than a few words. He breathed in the scent of her hair, lemongrass, he had missed the way she smelled and the way it made him feel.
"How did you know this would help me…"
"I know things," He replied with a slight smile, "How did you not know it would help."
"Nobody ever bothered before …"
"That's a crime."
From behind then Merle's voice bellowed, "Oh it's on again?" He announced as he approached them, "Good, he's been a moody fuck all…"
"It's not on again…" Daryl answered back, "She's got a headache…"
"Ah, ok, it's like that then? So, next time me or your pal Rick got a headache we'll be sure to come by…" Merle cackled, "We leave in an hour, you all ok to go still?"
"Yup," Lucy nodded, "I'll go change."
"If you don't feel well, we can go do this…" Daryl began.
"I'm good," Lucy reassured him, "Thanks to you."
"It's nothing…"
"Be right back…" She headed to her tent to change and Merle started right in on his brother.
"A little more charm and she'll be riding your dick again in no time …"
"Merle, knock it off don't talk about her that way, " Daryl snapped, "That's not what this is about."
"What?" Merle was at a loss for words for maybe the first time in his life, then he spoke carefully, "Are you in love?"
Daryl hesitated, then finally admitted "I don't know…"