Day 520

There was a slight breeze in the air, and I pulled my jacket tighter over Lucy, who sat comfortably in Oscar's arms. The sky was full of dark clouds, not unusual for November in Virginia, and I wondered when we would get rain again. I closed my eyes for a moment, relishing myself in fresh crispy air. The noises coming from the other side of the tall metal gate were filling me with hope, and I could see I wasn't the only one.

We made a good time arriving at Alexandria, it was mid-afternoon, and we had only one stop on the way when RV's battery died. Red was furious, but it was Glenn who saved the day. It was kind of nostalgic, thinking about Dale and how he taught the Asian man what there was to know about RV's. It was like years passed since then, when in fact, it was only a year and a half ago.

But back then we were different people. I remembered how innocent Beth and Carol were, that deep sense of loss, the first real one after discovering Sophia, and then when Dale was bitten. I smiled to myself at memories of sneak glances between Maggie and Glenn and how T-dog was teasing me about my attraction towards younger Dixon. I wish he was there when we finally got together, and later after Terminus when we got married.

With a deep sense of loss, we finally stood by the gates of this utopian community. Something that sounded like a dream, which we all gave up on a long time ago. But now we were here, and sounds on the other side seemed heavenly, chatters and laughing children, so different from Woodbury or Terminus.

I glanced to the side at Daryl, who was chewing on his bottom lip, his jaw tightly clenched, but he seemed to relax when our eyes met. I knew him well enough to know that he was cautious and anxious about this place. We were going to be stuck behind the walls with people we knew nothing about. But it was worth it, for kids.

The copper slate slowly moved, alongside the barred part of the gate, and Aaron gradually led Eric forward. The slimmer man was wobbling, putting his weight on his good ankle and his partner, but still winced in pain every other step.

The noise to our left startled everyone, but Daryl was the fastest, aligning his crossbow and not hesitating when a filthy marsupial shot out from under an old metal bin. The bolt crossed the air, going right through the middle of the animal. Daryl stepped forward and picked opposum by its tail. That's when the gate opened fully, and a scrawny-looking guy glared at us in disbelief with an ounce of disgust.

"We brought dinner," Daryl commented dryly, making Merle and me snicker a little.

Slowly, but surely we moved forward to pass the gate, noting how the first part of the defense was shut tight behind us. My heart rate picked up, and I felt stuck in an unknown place with strangers. Yes, I trusted Aaron, to a point - I knew he didn't lie, but it didn't mean others didn't have ulterior reasons for us to be here.

"Before we take this any further, I need you all to turn over your weapons," The man stated, and I scoffed.

"Not happening," I told him sternly, not wavering when his eyes landed on me.

"Stay. You hand them over."

"We don't know if we want to stay," Rick replied, and even though he had Judith in his arms, he looked as dangerous as ever.

"It's fine, Nicholas," Aaron spoke softly, calming the guard and showing us another reason to trust him.

"If we were gonna use them, we'd have started already."

"Let them talk to Deanna first."

"Who's Deanna?" Red asked the question we all wanted answers to, and Aaron smiled gently in our direction.

"She knows everything you'd want to know about this place. Rick, why won't you start, and then Elena?"

I exchanged looks with the Sherriff and nodded. "Behave. Don't threaten her, and if you're unsure, leave details to me," I told him in a hushed whisper, and Rick hummed in acknowledgment. Then he looked over his shoulder at others, but something got his attention, further behind the gates.

"Sasha, Elena."

I pushed past the others, already bringing Barret to the front, and as the other woman sent her shot to the head of a walker, I brought it up, barely glancing through the scope, before I sent a bullet to the skull of the other.

"It's a good thing we're here."

Our group walked forward towards one of the houses in the middle of the settlement. Yes, they had houses here, the type which looked like small mansions, something I'd never be able to afford in a previous life. The kind of houses with large porches, outer walls painted in light shades of blue and cream, solar panels on the roofs, and some on the streets.

It was silly really, all the buildings we stayed in or scavenged in the past were showing signs of destruction, abandonment. Dirty, often covered by untamed nature with broken windows and more than often leaking roofs. Here it seemed like stepping into a past, and again I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

When Rick handed Judith over to Carl and walked inside the house, others gathered on the street below and on the porch. I stood straighter and looked at all of their faces. We all were tired, malnourished, and wary of this place.

"Guys, listen up!" I spoke up, loud enough for them to hear me but not enough for bystanders to overhear us. "When you go there, be honest. Answer the questions as best as you can. And if you don't want to, if some make you uncomfortable, just say so. It's better to say that it makes you uneasy than lie or hide."

"So what, just tell her a story?" Maggie asked, and I nodded slowly.

"If we're going to stay, if we're going to become part of this community... just as we want to know about this place and people, they have right to know us. I'm pretty sure Rick will give have a vague rundown, and I can provide more details, so you don't have to."

"So we stain'?" Merle cocked his brow, and I bit on my lower lip, glancing over my shoulder at the big house. Somewhere in there was Rick, having an inner turmoil over that.

"I don't know. We'll know after Rick talks with her. But Hook, no hitting on the lady, no inappropriate jokes or flirting, you got me?"

"Pff, I know how to behave, Doll." Merle rolled his eyes, but the smug look on his face made me sigh heavily.

"I mean, you said to be truthful," Beth giggled, and I snorted, our moods lightening a little.

"Right. Daryl, please don't gut it in her house."

"What if she wanna know 'bout my huntin' skills?"

I blinked a few times while Red and Rosita snickered, and I shook my head. This is going to be a long, eventful afternoon.

It took the sheriff around twenty minutes to have a chat with Deanna, and when they both emerged from the house, she was smiling broadly while Rick's lips were gently turned upward. We were staying, at least for the time being. With that, the next course of action, before continuing with the interviews, was to hand over our weapons.

Deanna patiently explained that they're still ours, but they will be stored in the supply house and cataloged correctly. Of course, my first question after that was if it applied only to guns, and she assured us that we can keep our blades.

When the plum brown-haired lady came over with a sizeable wheely tray, I gave her rigorous instructions regarding my Barrett. No one touches it, plays with it, or even thinks about taking it out. I might have come across as rude and threatening, but I quickly added that it was with me for years, and as I carry a strong sentiment towards it, it's also a long-distance sniper, not a typical rifle, so it's also for the security reasons.

But that wasn't the most exciting part, no. Even flirting Merle, who made woman blush fiercely, wasn't as entertaining as watching Carol. She made a show out of it, for sure, slowly with trembling hands and the sweetest smile, she pulled out her handgun, and then in a very clumsy manner, took off the rifle she carried. I crossed my arms and rose my brows at that, but she just directed this almost sickening smile in my direction, and I stifled a laugh. Whatever she was doing will be interesting to see.

After that, Deanna invited me inside her house, to the right from the doors into a living room with a black leather couch and completely unmatching armchair on the opposite side. There were few bookcases filled from top to bottom, some flowers in a vase, sitting on one of the dressers. It felt untouched by the nightmares of outside, and another shock of disbelief ran through me. There was even a tiny plasma TV on one of the walls, and I wondered how often they waste electricity for that kind of entertainment.

"Please sit down." Deanna motioned for the armchair, and I happily obliged, just then noticing a small camera placed on a tripod behind the couch. "Do you mind if I film it?"

I thought about it for a moment and shook my head. "As much as it's a waste of electricity, I also understand documenting what's happening."

"It's also about transparency. If someone has any doubts, they can watch it under my supervision, of course. So they can't accuse me of a poor choice or leadership," She replied with a grin, sitting in the corner of a couch, one leg over the other, hands clasped over her knee.

"Interesting. What did you do before, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I was a congresswoman for Ohio."

"Ahh, politician. Yeah, makes sense. People follow you because you're the last piece of the old government," I said slowly, still glancing around the room. And as I said it, I scrunched my nose at the realization of how rude it sounded. "Shit, I'm sorry. It was long since we socialized with others. What I meant is that you obviously were a leader before, and people are drawn to that kind of power and that you're the last bridge to the past. Rick said you've been here since the beginning."

Deanna chuckled at that for a moment, and her look was scrutinizing for a moment. "Yes, I know what you mean. But your response makes me curious what you did."

"I was a Supervisory Special Agent for the Behavioral Analysis Unit, FBI. I'm Elena James, shit- sorry. It's Dixon now." I waved my left hand casually, sending her a sheepish smile. "Keeps forgetting sometimes."

She smiled, but her eyes narrowed a little at my reply. "Where were you stationed?"

"Here, in DC. But I had a personal time when shit hit the fan. That's why I was in Georgia."

"Alright. Let's start with that. Rick- Well, he said few things. That you didn't know each other from before and that you've been through a lot. That all of you had to do things in order to survive."

I nodded, glancing down at my hands. "Yeah, we did. And for the record, I knew Rick won't give you a lot. But- there are reasons why we're untrusting, why we did those things."

"Do you want to tell me?" Deanna asked softly, leaning forward, her eyes not leaving mine.

"Only if you're willing to listen."

"I think it's important to know. As you have reasons to be wary, so do we. And with better understanding, it'll be easier to trust each other."

I laughed a little and nodded. "That's what I told the others when we waited. Alrighty, well... I would say it all started in Atlanta. Or on an interstate leading to it. Roads were blocked, both lines clammed, people trying to get to the city and refugee camps. That's what I call day 1, you know?"

"You've kept track?" That clearly intrigued her, and I nodded.

"Sure thing. That night we saw napalm being dropped onto the city, and it was like someone ripped all remaining hope—day 1. Today is November nineteen two thousand eleven. Saturday. Anyway, after that, some of us settled in an old quarry a few miles from the city border. It was hidden, and at the beginning, we didn't see a lot of walkers."

"All of you are from Atlanta?"

I shook my head and smiled at her sadly. "No. From the original group, it's just Rick, Carl, Carol, Daryl, Glenn, and I left. Oh, and Merle, but he was separated from us. I guess he'll give you better details about that time. We were unprotected, in the woods. And when the dead ran out of food in the city, they started moving out. One day we were overrun. A lot of people died. Some were bitten. That's when we decided to move out, at that point, we still had hope, so we went to CDC."

"In Atlanta? Did you find out anything?" That definitely spiked her curiosity.

"No. Only that it's worldwide, and even scientists didn't know the cause or even what it is. And that we're all infected. You do know that, right?" I didn't think anyone by that point was clueless, but if they were shielded in here since the beginning, who knows. But Deanna nodded, and her smile fell a little.

"My husband is a professor of architecture. We were lucky that some miles down the road, a large mall was being built at the time. I know we don't have your experience, but we also lost people. First not even by rotters, but a piece of a slab, slashed at his abdomen. And when he died... yes, we found out we come back as one of the monsters."

"I'm sorry," I told her, and I was. It was not easy to lose people, and it was harder on the leaders. "Anyway. We were unlucky. CDC was a bust, ending in the only scientist in there trying to blow us up."

Deanna gasped at that, and I chuckled darkly. "Obviously, you got away."

"Yeah. Minus one. Jackie, she decided to stop fighting. After that, we decided to try our luck in Fort Benning. Didn't get far, though, maybe twenty miles from Atlanta when we got stuck on the interstate. Too many cars blocking it. And that's when we lost Sophia, Carol's daughter." I looked out the window, images flashing in front of my eyes, and I licked my dry lips.

"Was she bitten?"

"No, got scared, ran away into the woods. We searched for days, in the meantime, Carl, Rick's boy, was shot, and we found Greene's farm. Maggie and Beth are from there. Long story short, it was overrun again. We lost more people, found out we're all infected, found Sophia as a walker, and that Lori, Rick's wife, is pregnant."

"That really seems like a long story," Deanna commented softly, and I laughed.

"Yeah. Oh, and Glenn and Maggie got together. They were our personal prove that we can find love even in the darkest hour, you know? After that, we roamed around Georgia for about eight months before we found prison. In the meantime, we came across few people, but the only thing they were interested in was either raping women or trying to kill us and get our supplies."

"You stayed in prison?" She rose her brows and leaned back on the couch, tilting her head a little.

"Yeah. Fences, brick walls. It was not ideal, but way better than we had for a long time. But we really have a shit track of luck. We found prisoners there, alive. It's only Axel and Oscar now, out of five. The other three didn't survive. "I decided to lead the story in that way. "Beth and Maggie's daddy was bitten in the lower leg. That's when we discovered that if you amputate quickly enough, and they survive the blood loss, they don't die."

She sat straighter, and her eyes went wider. "Really? How quickly after? Did you have a doctor?"

I chuckled at that and felt a lump in my throat. "Yeah. He was the one who was bitten. We cut it straight away, above the bite. As long as it's not in your system for too long and you don't lose too much blood... Then we were overwhelmed by walkers, and we lost two more, including Rick's wife. She went into labor when we were separated, and she- we knew she'll need a c-section, but we hoped to be more prepared. In the end, Maggie cut the baby out, per Lori's wishes. Carl shot his mom afterward, so she wouldn't come back."

There were tears in Deanna's eyes, and I have to look away, to not let my own spill down my cheeks. I cleared my throat and licked my lips. "And then Maggie and Glenn got kidnapped. By Merle actually, the guy with a knife instead of a hand." I motioned in the direction of the outside, and I could see that it made her uneasy.

"And now he's with you? Part of your family?"

"Well, it's another long story, but it's water under the bridge now. Plus, he's Daryl's brother, the guy with a dead possum. Sorry about that, by the way. And in that line, Merle's my brother-in-law."

"So you married Daryl?"

I chuckled and smiled at her. "Yeah, that's a completely separate story. Anyway, we met Michonne, the lady with katana, and she led us to this community. A bit smaller than this one. The leader was a psychopath at best, hidden behind a charming personality and smile. Figures, he was slowly eliminating groups of survivors for their supplies if they seemed to be powerful. Others who were weak became part of his settlement."

"And that's where Merle was?"

"Yeah. Um- He lost his hand in Atlanta and got separated from others, and this Governor found him, helped him. He wanted to search for Daryl, but this guy was smart; there was always an excuse why he needed Merle. And after we took Glenn and Maggie back, we took Merle too. Over the months, he atoned, trust me. He just wanted to find his brother."

"And this Governor? What happened?"

I sighed heavily, remembering the days after that night in Woodbury. "A war, that's what. He rolled to the prison, tried to kill us. In the end, the final um- confrontation resulted in him and his people running away. And after that, on their way back, he killed them. All but one, he lost against us, and he lost his composure, blamed his people."

"What happened next, Elena?"

"We took his people into the prison. Most of them were either kids or elderly, some people with disabilities. They weren't to blame. And then six months passed, we grew as, well, a community. And then he came back," Last words were nearly a whisper. Now, reliving the events of how we got together, I felt pain in my chest. So many people were lost along the way, and I knew that others will remember them vaguely. After few years, they won't be able to bring the image of how they looked. But I'd until the day I die. All of their faces were permanently drilled into my mind, and there was nothing I could do about it.

"He? Governor?" Deanna's question pulled me out of my thoughts, and I nodded.

"Yeah. He found another group, lied to them, and brought them to prison, trying to kick us out. He took Michonne and Hershel, the doctor who lost his leg, and held them as leverage. And when Rick tried to negotiate, telling him we all can live together, he lost it. Basically decapitated Hershel in front of our eyes, with Michonne's sword."

Deanna sucked in breath harshly and covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh my god. I'm so sorry. I can't imagine..." She trailed off, not sure what else to say.

"I know. Um, unless Maggie and Beth mention something... please don't. They still grieve. It was just a few months back. But what happened after is that they rolled in. Literally, they had a fucking tank. In the end, we had to run away, got separated and didn't find each other until a week later. There was this place, Terminus. It offered 'Sanctuary for All'," I mocked and rolled my eyes.

"What it really was, was cannibals louring groups of people." Her eyes grew even wider, and she shook her head, her face visibly paler than a few minutes ago. "Some of us were already there. Merle, Carol, and I saved them, got commotion going, led walkers in. Then to speed it up, Daryl and I got married, we found Beth, who was taken by people in Atlanta. We found the priest, Gabriel, Noah, and decided that Georgia sucks marginally. Noah wanted to get back to his home in Richmond, to his parent. Unfortunately, when we got there, it was gone. And we lost Sasha's brother to a walker. And here we are. We were on the verge of starvation when Aaron approached us, but that's the story of why we're untrusting. Because people now are fucking dangerous, and all we got from those encounters is blood, pain, and loss."

Deanna sat for a few seconds quietly until she stood up, and my eyes trailed after her when she left the room. Well, I've done it, scared her away, and they'll probably kick us out. But that was not the case when she came back with two glasses, half-filled with amber liquid. She passed me one and started drinking her own, finishing it in one go. I was more reluctant and sipped on burning alcohol. It warmed my insides, and I know this will be enough to make me tipsy.

"I have no words. The things you and your family have been through... I'm sorry. And I know that words are not enough, but we have no ill intentions. In fact, we need someone with your experience. To help us with supplies, to give us ideas how to make this community stronger and more secure."

"Thank you. I think we've been there long enough. And kids deserve to live somewhere relatively safe. So- I know from Aaron that everyone got some kind of job. And I don't oppose, of course, but I have to tell you, I'm not going to be your psychologist or anything like that. Not enough patience or empathy for that job."

That made Deanna laugh, and she motioned for me to finish my drink. With scrunched nose, I downed the last of it and settled the glass on the table. "No worries, we have Denise. She's a psychiatrist."

"Good. Oh, and wherever Daryl goes, I go. We've been separated too many times, and we work the best together. We can hunt, go out for supplies, whatever you need."

Deanna nodded and stood up, walking around the couch to turn off the camera. I almost forgot it was there, filming every word I said. "I'll have to think about that, alright? For now, go and rest. We allocated your group three houses, there should be some supplies there already, sheets, clothes, and I asked Olivia to stock your pantry and fridge before we talked."

"Thank you. And- thank you for giving us a chance."

It was clear that those people were clueless and innocent. They didn't want to kill us, take our none existing supplies, or eat us. But they were dangerous because they didn't know what to do and what to expect outside. Of course, few of them did as they went out on runs, or Aaron, who saw how dangerous people can be. And I hoped that they will listen when we tell them how to improve security and survive.

It was a few hours later, the sun was slowly setting down, and everyone was finished with their interviews by now. True to her words, Deanna allocated some jobs to others. Maggie, not surprisingly, was asked to be her, well assistant for the lack of better word. But that gave us an advantage, and I was already composing a list of all the improvements I could pass through Maggie. Glenn, Tara, and Noah were put in the group of scavengers, while Oscar and Abraham would join the construction crew. Eugene, with his knowledge, was being made an engineer to check on the solar panels and other devices around Alexandria, and Axel was made an official mechanic. He was very excited about that and couldn't wait to get under the hoods of vehicles Alexandria had. And Rosita and Beth were both made medical assistants. They both already had certain skills in that department, and it was always good to have someone trained.

That left Rick, Michonne, both Dixons, Sasha, and I jobless. Of course, Gabriel was shown to a small building made into a chapel, and he decided to stay there.

Most of our group already showered and changed clothes. Including Rick, who also shaved, and fucking hell, I nearly forgot how he looks like without all that bushy beard. I was tapping my foot on a wooden porch impatiently, arms crossed over my chest and huffing every few minutes. I already set up fresh clothes for myself and Daryl, washed Lucy, and now I was waiting for this husband of mine to finish gutting and skinning possum. And let me tell you, he was doing it so painfully slow, knowing it will irritate me.

Finally, when the animal was bare of fur, and he collected guts into the bag Carol gave him, he stood up with a sigh. I could see that he's not happy about what's about to happen, but I wouldn't have it.

"Finished? Lovely," I snatched the carcass from his hand and marched inside, slamming it on a counter. "Carol! It's clean. We're going to shower. Bye."

I walked out again, not waiting for a reply, grabbing Daryl's wrist and pulling him with me towards one of three houses. Like I mentioned before, they all were huge. The three to be ours were in one of the back streets, near the metal wall. After a quick chat, it was decided that all of us would stay in the one on the right, it was the biggest, with five bedrooms, two bathrooms and a master with ensuite. Each house also had a basement, but for now, we weren't thinking about how we going to split up. No, now I was focused on walking towards the furthest on the left, on being far away from others, just for a moment. To be alone with my husband.

"Ya in hurry, or somethin'?" Daryl grumbled under his nose when I shoved the door open and pulled harder on his hand to move upstairs after I kicked my boots off and made him do the same.

"First, we haven't had a hot shower since Palmetto. Three hundred and twenty-nine days. Nearly a fucking year. Two, we were on the road for a long time, and we stink. I know you don't care, and when we're out there, neither am I, but in this clean house, when I lay next to you tonight, it would be nice not to smell like blood, guts, and sweat. Three, we didn't have alone time for almost three weeks. So yeah, I'm in a hurry, sue me!"

Daryl chucked, and his hand pulled me back just as I was about to step on stairs, and I stopped turning around to see him. "So ya just wanna get me naked?"

I rolled my eyes and cocked my brow. "Is that all you got from my speech?"

"Hmm." He moved closer, his other hand going around my waist, bringing me closer to his chest. "Somethin' 'bout smell, and hot shower. And shower sex."

"Daryl Dixon! Who would have thought you could be so straightforward," I stepped even closer, my clothed breasts splashing against his broad torso, and I traced my finger over the skin of his collarbone, just above the buttons of his shirt. Daryl blushed slightly, but it was ages since we've been together, and I started to think it wasn't because my comments made him uncomfortable but because they made him hot and bothered.

"Only for ya," He finally whispered, moving his hand and tangling it in my hair, slowly bending his head and planting a soft lingering kiss on my lips. And as always, it felt like explosions of light and electricity filling my body. With Daryl's lips slowly but firmly moving over my own, applying pressure and nipping, sucking, it was as we couldn't get enough of each other.

"Ya wanted to shower?" After a few long and highly satisfying minutes, Daryl pulled back, his forehead touching mine, with both of us breathing heavy. I chuckled and nodded, my eyes darting back to his slightly swollen lips.

"Yeah, yeah, let's go."

I led us to the master bedroom, which I prepped before while others were talking to Deanna. Rick didn't know that yet, but this will be our house, mine, and Daryl's. There were four bedrooms altogether, the master, two medium-sized and the smallest with a single bed, just on the opposite side of this one - for Lucy. I was sure Merle would want to stay with us, and I was thinking about the basement for him, where his snoring won't cause disruptions.

Once in the bathroom, I quickly moved washing supplies to the small shelf inside the shower cabin and turned to Daryl, smiling brightly.

My hands went to his vest, pulling at it gently and moving it down. "You know, that's like the second time we actually have time for it. Without others near us, without a rush of going on a hunt or run, without walkers trying to break in."

His bright blue eyes connected with my cloudy ones, small wrinkles showing in the corners when he smiled softly. His hands pulled the zip of my jacket down, and it landed on his vest in the corner of the room.

"Uh-huh. 's nice. But I ain't trust this place."

"I know, Big Boy." His leather jacket joined the growing pile in the corner while he slowly unclasped my rains, carefully pulling it off my shoulders and setting it on a counter. "I know we have to be careful, and it might take a while for our trust issues to suppress. But it feels like it could be home, you know?"

Daryl didn't reply, just hummed lowly, and his skilled fingers worked swiftly on my red flannel. My heart raced in my chest, shivers shooting through my body every time he touched bare skin underneath it. I worked on his shirt, my own moves more urgent and less patient, which made him chuckle, the sound going straight to my core. I was already damp, and I pressed my tights together, needing some kind of friction down there. And when we both had only our slacks on, we stood opposite each other.

He was dirty, a mixture of dust, sweat, and blood, but he was still the hottest guy I ever knew. Even with the scars covering his chest, and the one on his left side, from that stupid arrow, he stabbed himself with eons ago. The dark, sparse hair covering his chest and trailing down, creating a lovely happy trail, made me lick my lips.

The hunter brought his hands to my face, cupping my cheeks, and leaned in, pressing soft kisses to my forehead and then to my nose, finally landing on my lips. Then he trailed his warm palms down my neck, to the shoulders, hovering over my breasts in a whisper of a promise, before he gripped at my waist.

"Ya're the most beautiful woman I ever saw, El," His voice was husky and full of emotions, and it made me blush, my own hands gripping tightly to his broad shoulders.

"You're beautiful too. All of you. Your gorgeous eyes and your high cheekbones," I traced my fingers over his chest, racking my fingers down gently to his abdomen. "Those lips made to be kissed. And holly fuck if you don't have the most amazing arms and shoulders I ever touched."

Daryl scoffed at that, pulling me closer and shutting me up with another scorching kiss. I smiled into his mouth and pushed him away gently.

"Seriously. But it's not just that." I worked quickly on his belt, first removing his knives and then pulling it out, chucking it in the corner. "You're beautiful inside as well, maybe even more than on the outside. You're kind and generous. You always care about others and provide. And even though I know you don't like stupid chit chats, you always know what to say to make people feel better. You're amazing with kids, and you're a protector. I'm lucky I have you, Daryl Dixon."

By then, I undid buttons of his jeans, slowly pushing it down alongside his boxers, and I was pleasantly surprised that he was already hard, springing out of the confinement, hitting his lower tummy. I licked my lips and grinned, moving my face up to his eyes. His pupils were blown up, and there was hunger in them.

With less precision, more urgently, he worked on my trousers, and soon we finally stood naked, drinking each other in silence. I broke the eye contact first, turning and twisting the knobs, adjusting the temperature until I was happy. Extending my hand to Daryl, I looked at him with a promise and a small smirk over my face.

When the spray of warm water hit my head, dripping down my face and soaking my aching muscles, I couldn't stop a deep laugh that escaped me. It was amazing, something I thought we'll never have again, and I could hear Daryl's snickering beside me.

As much as I wanted to jump Daryl's bones, I enjoyed this slow sensual thing that was happening here. After a few moments of just standing under the showerhead, I grabbed a shampoo, pouring it into my palm, and I chuckled when Daryl cursed when I touched his hair. I was working slowly, my fingers digging into the skin of his head, running it through the knotted strands. When I pulled him forward to rinse, he boxed me, his hands going to the wall behind me, his face looking down while he let the water hit his hair and back.

Of course, Daryl was swift to return the favor, and he learned quickly that the wild mop on my head required a generous amount of shampoo and even more conditioner. But he was gentle, and at that moment, I felt loved and cherished. Our shower became more steamy right after I rinsed my hair, both of us grabbing a puff, yes a shower puff, because apparently they still exist.

At first, it was gentle, soaping each other arms, necks, but when his hands circled around my breasts, nipples already up and ready for any kind of contact, I moaned loudly, throwing my head back. Our moves became more urgent, and eventually, I dropped the puff, my hand wrapping tightly around Daryl's cock, making him groan in pleasure.

My other hand went to the nape of his head, pulling him towards me, so I could kiss him. It was urgent and demanding, our teeth nearly clanking together. When I bit down on his lower lip, he dropped his puff, his hands cupping ruffly my breasts, fingers playing with my nipples, pulling and twisting until I was a mewling mess under his touch.

Our tongues fought, plunging and twisting while my hand worked slowly but surely on his dick, from the base to his swollen head, running my thumb over sensitive swell every time.

"Fuck, El, stop," Daryl panted in my mouth, his hand dropping from my chest and gripping my wrist tightly.

I moaned and arched my back when his head dipped down, his lips connecting with my nipple. He dropped my wrist and slowly traced down the curve of my hip until he was cupping my core.

"Fuck! Daryl, please!" I wined. I couldn't get close enough to him, even though I tried to pull him further into me, gripping his shoulders and neck. Finally, one finger entered my hot opening, and I nearly sobbed at how good it felt.

"Ya so fuckin' wet already, Princess," Daryl was a quiet type. You know the one, mainly pants heavily, grunts, and occasionally swears at the end. So when he was in a mood for some talking while we had sex, it always made me more insane for him, nearly pushing me right over the edge just with his voice.

"Please. Just fuck me, please."

Daryl moved his lips up, sucking and nipping at my neck, his tongue tracing pulsing vein until his lips were right by my ear.

"Ya sure ya ready?"

I dug my nails in his flesh in response, moving his face to mine, connecting us in an urgent kiss, full of tongue. Not waiting for an actual answer, Daryl moved his hand away, making me whimpered at the loss of his fingers inside me. Swiftly, as if it was nothing, he picked me up by the back of my thighs, and I circled my legs around his hips, crossing the ankles at the small of his back. My back hit the cold tiles, and he pressed me hard into the wall.

"Look at me." His request made me shiver, and panting, moving my hips impatiently, I connected our eyes and fought to keep them open when the tip of his cock touched my opening. With a smooth roll of his hips, his thickness entered me fully, in one push, stealing a breath from my lungs. With mouth agape, my eyes wide, I saw only him, his amazing bright eyes, now darkened by lust, his lips parted while he panted with every move of his hips.

Using his body and the wall as an anchor, I moved my hips against him, pushing down on his length every time he moved forward. Soft pants and moans were hushed by the noise of the shower, and all that remained was the heat spreading in my core, the warmth of his body on mine, and his intense eyes.

It wasn't long before I started to feel familiar tingling at my core, and I moved more urgently, breaking our pace, my clit brushing over the hair on his pelvis, sending thrilling shivers down my spine. Daryl's hips snapped faster, and one of his hand went up, gripping the back of my head tightly, making sure I'm still looking at him. He was getting close as well. I could tell by his pace, his groans getting lauder while he was losing control.

I moved both my hands to his shoulders, my fingers digging into the skin, and I think I screamed when he plunged into me, brushing over the soft cushion button inside me. A wave of heat spread from my core, right to my toes, making them curl, my lids nearly closing while my back arched. I shook in his grip, my walls clenching ruffly over his cock, trapping him inside, and with few more grunts and hard rolls of his hips, he tensed, stilled, his eyes not leaving mine. I could feel him pulsating inside me, spilling his essence into me. His breath hitched, just like mine.

When everything stilled, I finally could feel the water sharply hitting Daryl's back and splashing around us, it became cold, and I couldn't fight the grin that spread over my face. I brought my lips to his while he slowly lowered me, so I was standing by myself, my legs shaking slightly. This kiss was slow and soft, just brushing lazily while we collected ourselves.

"I love you," I whispered, pulling away, glancing into his eyes. They were full of love and content.

"I love ya too, Princess."

When we sneaked back into the big house, it was already dark outside, and there was no avoiding the teasing; I knew it straight away, and so did Daryl. That's why he opted to sit on a wooden bench near the window and started to clean his crossbow, shutting off the chatter around him.

"Well, that took you a while," Carol commented, passing me a bowl with meat and vegetables and holy shit, rice! I grinned, and when she moved to place the other one next to Daryl, my eyes landed on Maggie, who was smirking in my direction.

"Hm," I tapped my finger over my mouth, tilting my head to the side. "Longer than Rhees? Because I'm pretty sure they were gone for over two hours."

Glenn blushed profusely while Maggie just laughed, running her hand up and down his back. "Touche."

"Had fun, lil' sister?" Merle's voice came from the big armchair on the other side of a room, and Lucy, who sat on his lap, jumped down, running right into my arms. I chuckled and picked her up, spinning her around a little.

"You alright, sweety?"

"Yes, mama. Pretty house." Lucy moved her hand in a circle, making me laugh.

"Yes, it's pretty. And yes, Merle, thank you. But don't you worry, now that we're somewhere with more people, I'll help you get your own old lady."

Merle snorted and ran a hand over his freshly shaved face. "I ain't need yur help with that, Doll."

"See, you do," I told him, going to sit on a bench near Daryl, putting Lucy down next to me. "Because I'm not talking a quick fuck. I'm talking about looove and stability. You not getting any younger, my dear brother, and I won't always be here to take care of you."

People around us laughed out loud, including Rick, who shook his head at our antics, and even Daryl snorted, hiding his amusement behind his hair.

"How long was I there?" Our banter was interrupted by Katana, who just came back downstairs, fresh clothes on, her dreadlocks still dripping lightly onto her red tank top, and she was still clenching a toothbrush in her hand.

"Twenty minutes," Rick replied softly, and I could see how his eyes softened when he looked her over. And so did hers. That was an interesting development, and I wondered if anyone else noticed. Now that we were in a semi-safe space, there were a lot of possibilities for everyone.

"I couldn't stop brushing." She laughed, and her eyes darted up and down the sheriff's frame, landing on his shaved face.

Smirking to myself, I picked up the spoon Carol provided and looked over at Lucy. "Did you eat already, sweety?"

She nodded her head, her freshly washed curls, so similar to mine, bounced around her head. "Yes, mama. Uncle Erl helped."

I chuckled and ruffled her hair gently before starting to eat. I was nearly finished, absently listening to whispers and conversations that were going around the room, when a knock on the door echoed around.

Everyone switched to a high alert mode in mere seconds, grabbing their knives, and Daryl stood up, holding tightly to his crossbow. He moved in the way that Lucy and I were protected, and I put the bowl down, taking the girl in my arms, also standing and turning, so she wasn't so visible. After a quick glance around the room, Rick crossed its length, opening the doors slowly.

We all breathed out in relief when we realized it was only Deanna with a soft smile on her face, and the blades were put down, Daryl shifted, and I stepped forward, placing a hand around his biceps.

"Rick I-" She stopped what she was saying, her eyes dancing over Rick's face, her eyes glancing with amusement. "Wow"

Rick just grunted, rolling his eyes. After all, that was the kind of reaction he got from everyone since he washed.

"I didn't know what was under there. Listen, I don't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to stop by and see how you were settling," Her words trailed off when she looked inside the room. Yeah, I couldn't blame her. Almost every part of the room was occupied, the couch, armchair, bench, people scattered and getting comfortable all over the floor, getting ready for the night.

"Oh my. Staying together. Smart."

"No one said we couldn't," Rick replied, a note of defense in his voice, but Deanna shook her head and smiled broadly at him.

"You said you're a family. That's what you said. Absolutely amazing to me how people with completely different backgrounds and nothing in common can become that. Don't you think?"

Rick avoided the answer by steering the conversation in a different direction. "Everybody said you gave them jobs."

"Mm-hmm. Yeah. Part of this place." Her eyes gazed over the room again, and her grin got more comprehensive. I could see pride wash over her when she stood a little straighter. "Looks like the communists won after all." I snorted and bounced Lucy on my hip.

"Well, you didn't give me one."

"I have. I just haven't told you yet." My brows furrowed at the cryptic message, but she already moved her attention to Katana. "Same with Michonne. I'm closing in on something for Sasha. And I'm just trying to figure Dixon's family out, but I will."

Daryl scoffed next to me, and I pushed my elbow between his ribs.

"Elena, I got something to show you if you don't mind. It won't take long," Deanna added after she was ready to leave, and my whole body tensed, putting Lucy slightly behind me.

"During the night?" My voice was low and definitely distrustful, making her eyes widen.

"Oh my. I'm sorry. Look, there is someone here I think you might know, but I didn't want to bring them here, to put you all on edge."

"So ya wanna her go with ya, fuck knows where in the middle of a night?" Merle stood from his place and already made his way over to where I was standing, and I was surrounded by Dixons, ready to fight for my honor. But I couldn't see a sign of a lie in her words.

"Alright." I turned around and gave Lucy to Oscar, who looked as uneasy as the rest of us.

"You sure, Boss?" He asked me quietly, and I nodded, reaching for my rains, putting them back on, and then throwing a thick, grey button-up sweater over them.

"We will be just two houses to the left," Deanna told the others, and I appreciated that.

"Ya ain't going by yurself!" Daryl huffed, and I rolled my eyes.

"Of course not. You both are going with me." I motioned between him and his brother, turning back to Deanna. "That alright with you?"

"Absolutely. I'm sorry, I wanted to wait until tomorrow, but once I told her about you, she couldn't wait."

My nose scrunched at the answer, my mind already spinning with questions and heart racing against my ribs with adrenaline. I had all my blades, including a machete, though I could see it made Deanna wary. Merle's whole fucking hand was a bloody knife, and Daryl pulled his crossbow over his shoulder, both going for the door in front of me. I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily—overprotective hillbillies.

Quietly I assured Rick that we'll be fine, and he'll know if we're in trouble, but I could tell that what little peace we felt minutes ago was already gone.

We walked briskly behind Deanna, Daryl, and Merle by my side, and it was stupid how I was comforted by having both of them with me. And, of course, I knew where the hunter's sense of protection came from, but it was different with Merle. There were no feelings between us, but he was there, ever since the prison, ever since that first kiss I shared with his brother. And even though we didn't share blood, I was his family in the most profound meaning of the word. I was his little sister, and that thought made me smile.

Deanna led us as she promised, two houses to the left, soft light was seeping through the closed curtains, illuminating the porch. It was one of the smallest houses in the community, similar to the one I picked for myself and Daryl. The woman knocked on the doors and opened them slowly, grinning at whoever was inside.

"She's here. I'll leave you, alright?"

Without another word, Deanna turned on her heel and walked away towards her our house. With a knitted brow and racing heart, I stepped forward, going through the doors, already on high alert, my hand hovering over the hilt of my hunting knife. But then my eyes landed on the person in the middle of a living room, and breath hitched in my throat, my hand quickly going to my mouth to cover a loud sob.

"M- Mich?"