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Danny's POV
His feet drop back to floor as the bike stops moving. He looks back at me, his mouth open like he wants to say something but can't think of anything to say. He looks like he's trying to decide if I'm telling the truth and this isn't some trick to get him to stop.
"I was going to let you go, I was willing to understand that if this wasn't something you wanted then you could leave and I wouldn't try and stop you." I take a step closer, "But I was wrong okay. You can't go, I can't do this without you".
His tongue darts out to lick his lips. "How long?" I give the tiniest of head shakes, not understanding his question. "How long have ya known?"
"Not long, I promise. Just over a day. I wanted to tell you, I know I needed to tell you but I was scared." A sob threatens to come out of me as he puts the kickstand back down. I have to resist the urge to move over to him as he slowly climbs off the bike.
"What kind of man do ya think I am, 'cause if that's what ya think of..."
"No, Daryl you are a good man. I don't think you'll just abandon someone but you've barely been able to look at me these last few days, so when I told you I wanted you to know that you didn't have to do this.".
"What would you do?" If he left.
"I'd go back to the farm but please, I was wrong and I'm not giving you that option now. You have to stay". My voice breaks and I start sobbing. "I can't do this. I'm not ready". His body is then pressed up against mine as he yanks me into a hug. I grip his jacket tight and just cry into his chest.
"I'm sorry". I grip him tighter, scared of what this I'm sorry means. "I was fuckin' angry at myself for not noticing somethin' was wrong. No matter what happens or what you do ya ain't gotta worry bout me ever leavin' ya".
Daryl holds me until I finally stop crying, no idea how long it took but I was in no rush to leave the comfort of his arms. When he finally lets me go he runs his thumbs across my cheeks to wipe away the remaining tears.
"We can go back?"
"No I'm okay. Lets finish this". He nods his head once but then he's looking at something behind me and I remember we aren't alone. I turn to face Merle but I can't tell what he's thinking. His face is unreadable.
"You hurt her and I'll fuckin' kill you". Merle is expressionless as he stares at the man behind me.
I force a smile onto my face and roll my eyes. "Sheesh Merle. Lighten up a little. Read the atmosphere".
He doesn't relax though. "No, my little sisters pregnant. I ain't ever gonna lighten up" He mocks my voice. "again."
I purse my lips and look at Daryl over my shoulder. "I've changed my mind. You can leave but you've gotta take me with you".
His hand lands on my shoulder and he squeezes it gently. "Nah, this is the Merle you created. Ya gotta stick it out".
"Me? It takes two or did you skip sex-Ed at school? 'Cause if you did I'm not teaching you how it all works".
Daryl narrows his eyes at me and behind me I hear the unmistakeable sound of Merle scoffing. Well that didn't last long.
"Two seconds".
Merle glares at me. "Fuck off". I appreciate what he was trying to do but Merle isn't Merle unless he's being ridiculous and appears to not have a care in the world. He'd drive me crazy if he was serious all the time, I only have room in my life for one of those and he's standing behind me.
As Merle acts like I've offended him and stalks back over to the shop doors I can pretend that everything is back to normal. That nothing is about to change our lives for ever.
There are five Walkers banging against the glass so the plan is to break the glass and let them come out on their own. That way we can pick them off. We're stood a little way back just in case there are more than we can see in there. I'm back in my position, standing beside Daryl. Merle has my bat and is getting ready to break the glass door, and after a quick count of three he swings it. As soon as the glass shatters he's hurrying back to us. He hands me back my bat and smiles.
"Let's do this".
The first Walker falls through the hole and lands flat on its face. When it starts to rise there's glass sticking out of its face, it makes my toes curls. That Walkers exit into the outside world gets the others inside to realise they have an escape. Doesn't take them long to follow suit. It's a bit of a struggle though as they all try and come through at once. One gets knocked so hard that its head is impaled on another bit of glass that never fell down.
"One less for us". Merle chuckles as the Walker falls down, knowing it isn't getting back up. An arrow imbeds itself in the one that fell though the door first. As the others get through Daryl takes a small step back to reload his crossbow. I'm thankful they walk slow but it's taking way too long for them to get closer to us.
Merle goes to take step forward when one starts to get close enough but then seems to think better of it and steps back in line. His hand is then giving me a little shove.
"All yours Sweet cheeks."
I mumble my thanks a little sarcastically before taking a couple steps forward so the Dixons are out of my line of swing. I haven't hit one of them yet but there's still time for that to change.
I put everything I have into that swing to take it down in one fell swoop. It makes a weird gurgling noise as my bat comes into contact and then it crumples to the floor, no second hit needed to bash in its skull. Another arrow whizzes past me and drops another Walker to the floor and then a knife is suddenly embedded into the fifth Walkers forehead.
I roll my eyes, "Show off". As Merle walks past me to go and get it he gives me an over dramatic bow. He's proud of himself.
We all make our way over the body's and stand in the door way. Daryl pulls my torch out the front pocket of my bag and hands it to me.
"Merle, you go right. We'll go this way". The shop isn't very big but the shelves are high so we can't see everywhere from here.
Merle splits off right with knife in hand and his own torch stuck between his teeth.
Daryl and I start walking side by side down the aisle, my torch lighting our way. When we get to the end of the aisle we see that when those Walkers were human they were holding up in here. There are sleeping bags on the floor along with a lot of what was once their belongings. When I see settings like this I always wonder what happened. Was one of them bitten and then just decided to keep it to themselves and then turned and killed the rest or did they just not know how to deal with people who were bitten.
Daryl barely spares the little camp set up a glance, he just moves down the back wall to check each aisle to see if they're empty. When he gets to the last one he swings his bow onto his back as Merle appears.
Merle nods his head at something I can't see. "The door to the back has been kicked open. Checked it and there ain't nothin' in there. Place was cleared out".
Daryl sighs but there's nothing we can about it. Just gotta make do, there must be something here we could use that won't make this a wasted trip.
"Alright, just look for anythin' medical and whatever food there might be". Daryl then picks up a box and chucks it at me. I only just manage to catch it before it hits me in the face. I give him a little glare but he just shrugs in response. It's a box of one use hand warmers. They are definitely useful. Would love to have one cracked now to warm my freezing fingers up but instead I grab one of the dead campers bags off the floor, empty it out and stick them inside. I then slowly make my way back down the aisle we'd just walked down, scanning the shelves for anything else of use. I can hear his footsteps behind me as he follows me and as I stop at one of the shelves his hand appears and he grabs the item I was looking for. A pregnancy test. It looks so small being held in his hand but I remember when Carol handed me it so felt heavy, my entire future was being held by my fingers.
I go to take it from him but he just curls his fingers around the box and stuffs it into his pocket.
"Lets get through here before we have to think 'bout it again".
I nod my head in agreement and just carry on looking over the near empty shelves. My eyes land on a box of plasters which I instantly grab and stuff inside my bag.
Scanning the shelves for anything else doesn't take long at all, there really is nothing here. I've barely got anything in my bag as we make our way to the exit. The light is shockingly bright as we step outside, it really was dark in there.
Daryl takes the practically empty bag from my hand and chucks it into the bed of the truck. "We'll take a different route back, stop at all cars on our way back to try and get as much fuel as we can".
"Danny can siphon it". Merle winks at me but Daryl's face turns thunderous, he doesn't find Merle even the slightest bit funny. Merle scoffs. "Fuckin' hell. If this is what ya gonna be like for the next nine months I'm gonna be the one to leave".
"Good". The laugh that comes out of me at Daryl's sudden reply is loud, quick and abrupt.
"By the sound of today we should probably all just go our separate ways, cause it seems we're all gonna be hell to live with". I jokingly suggest.
"I get Carol!" I declare at the exact same time as Merle. He full on pouts at me like that will convince me to give her up. "Yeah right. Sophia loves me more so Carol would definitely pick me".
"In ya dreams sweet cheeks".
"Aw, is someone feeling a little jealous?" I lean a little closer to him and reach up and pinch his cheek. I manage to pull my hand away before he can smack it away himself.
Daryl grabs my hand and pulls me towards him. "You're jealous" he says to Merle and then stares down at me "and you've gotta stop windin' him up. Lets go". I pull a sheepish face at Merle who grins at me. Daryl really isn't in the mood for this today but who can blame him. He has every right. With everything that's transpired today I'm surprised he even has the slightest amount of patience in him. Me, well I'm just pretending it isn't happening which is definitely not a coping method anyone would recommend, but until I take that second test this isn't happening.
As soon as we arrive back to the house I barely have time to greet Carol or Sophia before Daryl is pulling me into the house and up the stairs. I'll come back to her and explain everything that happened, at least she'll be pleased I told Daryl. Of course Merle will probably get there first, spill all the beans.
We stop outside the bathroom and then he's putting the test in my hands.
"Thought we weren't using the toilets?" Especially when we're staying long term in a place. No one wants the smell.
"Ya ain't pissin' in a hole for this".
Appreciate it so much but it still doesn't make this any less scary. With a heavy sigh I hand him my bag and disappear into the bathroom, closing the door behind me so I don't have to see his face while I do this.
As soon as I'm done I close my hand around it so as to not even catch a little glimpse of the pending results. I open the door and immediately grab his hand and force the test into it. He's gonna have to check it, I don't think I can do it again.
"How long?"
"Three minutes, really could do with a watch right now". Instead we'll just have to wait it out and guess how long it's been because I am not counting to 180.
When he finally deems that it's been long enough he gently turns it over and just by the look on his face I know it's not good. This is happening. I tilt my head back against the wall and close my eyes against the stinging sensation.
"I'm sorry".
I can easily hear him as he takes in some deep breaths through his nose and exhales them through his mouth. "Ya ain't gotta be sorry. This isn't your fault". I hear him take another deep breath. "Things like this just happen sometimes". What?
I can't help it when my eyebrows shoot up in confusion. "This is not how I thought you would take the news, like at all. Not even close. How are you so calm?"
"'Cause one of us has to be and I know you, you ain't calm 'bout shit especially when it affects more than yourself".
"Right, dually noted, you pay way too much attention to me". I internally smack myself in the forehead. I'm very clearly trying to steer the conversation away from what we should actually be talking about.
"Ain't no one else who deserves it". He looks back down at the test in his hand, "I will be here for every step of the way. I will not leave ya for anythin'." His hand comes up to rest against my neck, his thumb resting against the corner of my mouth. "We have to go back".