Chapter 16 – There goes the distance

Daryl had done well at keeping his distance from Tahlia – sitting here at one end of this table with her diagonally opposite was the closest he'd been to her in a couple of days, and he couldn't avoid this, so instead he just concentrated on avoiding eye contact. A group of them were at the picnic tables in the courtyard, poring over a map, the afternoon sun beating down on their backs as they planned out the upcoming supply runs.

"We've hit these places..." Glenn penciled a cluster of crosses on the map. "These are no good..." Three more crosses. "And still need to scout up here." Two circles.

"Tahlia?" Rick said. "Any places that you know of on here that we can cross off?"

"Hmm." She studied the map for a second, and carefully added two crosses. "There's nothing worth checking out here, but that's all I can remember right now, sorry."

"Brody?" Sasha called the man over from the next table. "Are there any places that you guys have seen that are worth checking out? Or not worth it?"

Brody leaned over Sasha and drew a line. "We came this way. Wouldn't bother going back up here, that place is completely destroyed, but maybe around here."

"Ok, great, we were thinking about that area. That's a multi-day trip. Daryl?" Sasha rolled the pencil to him.

"Here's the place I passed on my bike last week." Daryl added a circle to the map. "Gas station off the beaten track, couple hours from here, not much there, saw a bunch of walkers holed up in the buildings, but lotsa cars out front with gas still in the tanks."

"Great, well we should definitely check that out. Even just to drain some of the tanks." mused Rick, tapping his lips with a finger.

"Doesn't sound too difficult. I can do that." Tahlia offered lightly. "I'm keen to get out for a bit. I can just shoot up there, scope it out, get what I can. If it turns out to be too dangerous, I'll just come on back."

"You'd never find your way there." Daryl's scornful remark popped out before he could stop himself, and he kept his stare firmly on the pencil he was spinning on his fingers.

"Hmm..." Tahlia narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, fingers drumming on top of the map. "If only there was some kind of piece of paper with directions drawn on it so I could see where to go..." she mused facetiously.

Daryl flicked the pencil at her head in response and gave her a withering look.

Dammit. Eye contact.

But at least she was at the far end of the table. And at least he wasn't alone with her. It was much easier to ignore that weird pull he felt around her when they were in a group.

"Thank you, Tahly, but I don't think anyone should go on runs on their own." said Rick. "It's just too dangerous. Gotta have someone else go with you."

"I'll go with you." volunteered Brody. "We're so grateful that you guys brought us in, and I feel like I've barely contributed yet. I'd really like to help out, so I'd be more than happy to go check that place out with you."

"Naw. I'll go." Daryl countered immediately, unsure if he had shocked himself or Tahlia more with his sudden offer.

GodDAMMIT! There goes the distance.

But he'd be damned if he let that smarmy asshole go on a run with her. It was pretty clear that there was one main thing on Brody's mind – it was written all over his face every time he looked at Tahlia. Daryl wasn't sure why he cared, he just knew that he didn't trust Brody and didn't want to give him the opportunity to put his hands all over her – at least not when she was stuck out there alone with him and might not be given much of a choice in the matter.

And none of them really knew what Brody was like under pressure, if he could handle himself. As least Daryl knew that if he were the one with Tahlia, he could keep her safe.

That unreasonably protective feeling again. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

He gritted his teeth and committed to his offer. "Makes more sense - I know where we're going." He glanced at Tahlia. "Am goin' huntin' first thing in the mornin'. We leave after that."

She arched a brow and blew him a kiss. "It's a date."

"In your dreams, woman." he shot back, apprehension swirling in his stomach already, the only silver lining being the disappointment on Brody's face.

It was closer to midday by the time Daryl was ready to leave. He'd been out hunting in the morning to make sure there was something for people to eat that evening, but when he'd returned, Sasha and her group that were heading out on a run as well that day had been waiting for him because the Camry wouldn't start. After a long while tinkering with the car, Daryl knew it wasn't going to be a quick fix, and they had to do a shuffle round with the available vehicles.

Which is how he and Tahlia ended up stuck with an old piece of junk that Daryl wasn't happy to be driving, but hoped that it would get them to the gas station and then they'd be able to swap it out for something more reliable. He didn't expect that they'd be gone longer than a few hours, so threw a small bag of supplies and his crossbow into the back and waited for Tahlia to join him. As she came bouncing down the hill towards him, cheery as ever, he gave an irritable huff and briefly wondered if he'd even be able to put up with her for half a day, and if it might not be better just to cancel the whole thing now.

"Who's ready for a road trip?!" she crowed, pumping one hand in the air.

"Don't. Just don't."

She gave him a playful punch in the shoulder as she passed by him to jump into the passenger seat. "Let's go!"

As they rolled away from the safety of the prison, Daryl frowned at the clunking noises coming from the car as he turned out onto the road. "Piece of shit." he grumbled.

"Why's it making those noises?" Tahlia asked, mildly concerned.

"Feels like the steerin's goin', so maybe ball joints, maybe tie rods. See it's pullin' to one side? Shakin' a bit? We ain't got far to go though, should be alright."

"That doesn't sound serious at all." replied Tahlia with a wide-eyed look as she reached across him and fastened his seatbelt pointedly, then her own.

Daryl just rolled his eyes.

As they hurtled down the highway, Daryl fiddled with the knob on the radio, but as always, it was just static.

"You want me to sing?" offered Tahlia.

He shot her a scathing look. "It's only been 10 minutes and I'm regrettin' this trip already."

Suppressing a smile, she turned to stare out her window. Just the woods on either side, and an empty road ahead of them. Which wasn't a bad thing. She'd rather emptiness over walkers any day. She was still recovering from the surprise of Daryl offering to come on this run with her, but she was glad that he had – she trusted him a damned sight more than Brody. She briefly wondered if that was the reason he'd offered, if he'd been looking out for her, in a way. And, strangely enough, she enjoyed his company more too, even if he was prickly most of the time and liked to make it clear that he found her very difficult to tolerate.

They drove in comfortable silence for over an hour, which was fine by Daryl. He'd never seen her stay so quiet for so long and was pleasantly surprised to see she was capable of it. He snuck a quick glance at her - she looked completely lost in her thoughts.

"Seein' a few more walkers around on the roads." he noted, nodding at the small clusters of the walking dead along the highway as they flew past. "Lucky there haven't been too many. Hate tryna drive around - shit!" Daryl was cut off by a loud metallic clang then a snap, and the steering gave out. "Goddamn, losin' brakes too." he muttered furiously as he tried to hold control of the car.

"Fuck!" he yelled, as up ahead on the road lay two walkers, and he was unable to steer away from them.

As the car bumped over the bodies, it fishtailed off the road and down the bank, spinning completely out of control. They were crushed against their seatbelts, the wind knocked out of them, as the car tipped and rolled a couple of times, and Tahlia squeezed her eyes shut tight as they were sprayed with glass from the shattering windows. There was a violent shuddering, crunching impact as they hit a tree and finally came to a stop. Her hands were still clutched tight to the seatbelt at her chest, her breathing heavy, and it took a few moments before she registered Daryl shouting her name.

"Tahlia! Y'ok?! Tahly?!" He shoved at the girl next to him, hoping the rivulets of blood running down her face were only minor wounds from the glass.

Miraculously, they had landed the right way up, the front of the car crumpled into a thicket of trees. Tahlia wriggled her feet and hands, and finally glanced over at Daryl.

"Yeah." she said in surprise. "Yeah, I think I'm ok." She let out a big exhale, then raised her eyebrows. "Aren't you lucky that some responsible adult buckled you in?!" Unclicking her seatbelt, she took a better look at Daryl.

"Whoa, are you ok? You got a bit of a bleed." Tahlia crouched on her seat, reaching over to Daryl and tilting his chin towards her.

He was now vaguely aware that he couldn't see out of one eye and realised that blood from a gash on his forehead was flowing down one side of his face. Tahlia quickly reached into her pack in the back seat and pulled out a roll of cloth bandage, cutting a section with her knife and holding his to his head, trying to stem the blood flow.

"I'd be better if I could get out of this goddamned piece of shit car!" Daryl cursed as he tried to move his left leg, but it was trapped between the slightly caved in driver's door, which was hard up against a tree, and the crush of the steering wheel and crumpled dash. "Knew this fuckin' thing was bad fuckin' news, goddammit!"

"Ok, hold this." Tahlia grabbed Daryl's hand and pressed it onto the cloth against his forehead. "I'll see if I can move your seat back."

She yanked on the passenger door handle, and thrust her shoulder against the door several times until it screeched open, then she tumbled on to the grass, flinching as stabs of pain radiated through her body from the impact of the crash.

"Owwwwwww!" Pushing herself up, she gingerly flexed her muscles, and was pleasantly surprised to note that apart from a few minor cuts and an area of blood and pain in the soft skin of her shoulder and neck above her collarbone, she had no major damage.

Dragging the back door open, Tahlia climbed in and fumbled about under the driver's seat, attempting to reach the seat release lever, but before she could achieve anything, a familiar ghastly rasping noise stopped her short.

"Shit. We got walkers!"

A small group of the undead were staggering hungrily out of the woods towards their car.

Daryl took one look, and started tugging on his leg with renewed vigour, desperately hoping he could get out in time.

"I'll get 'em, I'll get 'em." muttered Tahlia as she scooped up her sword and climbed back out of the car. With a forceful slash she quickly disposed of the two closest walkers, then ducked her head back in the open door and raised her eyebrows and a hand at the trapped Daryl.

"Please! Don't get up, I'll get these ones. You just stay there."

Daryl let out an enraged growl. If she'd been any closer he might have decked her. He watched as she danced around the rest of the group of walkers, begrudgingly admiring her grace and fluidity as she swung her sword, decapitating three at once, ducking out of another's reach and smoothly stabbing the next up through the chin on her way back up to stand. As irritating as she could be, right now he was real glad that it was her out there - he knew that she'd have no problems dealing with the walkers.

Once that group were taken care of, Tahlia paused to catch her breath and listen for the telltale groans of any more approaching undead. Spotting three more emerging from the bush, she darted straight to them and took them down. When she was sure that there were no more in sight – yet – she ran back to the car and started tossing their things out from the backseat.

"We gotta get moving, there'll be more upon us soon – they'll be coming to the sound of the crash."

She popped her head up over Daryl's shoulder. "You still lazing about in here? Settling in for the night? Shall I get you a cup of tea?"

"I'm gonna kill ya when I get out of this car." he threatened.

"Well, that doesn't make me want to help you now, does it?"

The look on his face was very nearly enough to kill, so she decided she'd better stop joking around. "Alright, alright, let's get you out." She slithered over his shoulder on to his lap, trying to squeeze her hand down the narrow gap by the crushed door and Daryl's leg.

"God's sake." Daryl rubbed at his temples in irritation, trying in vain to make more space between him and the girl squashed on top of him.

"Got it!" announced Tahlia, as her fingers closed on the lever, jammed up against the crumpled car door. "Now just to..." She was wedged tight between Daryl and the steering wheel, but managed to awkwardly maneuver her foot to rest on the dash. Pulling on the lever and pushing hard against the dash with her foot, she tried to force the seat back.

"Ugh!" complained Daryl as her body shoved back into his chest. "Ya crushin' me!" But he reached around her and grabbed the steering wheel, pushing as hard as he could at the same time.

Nothing happened for a long moment, and they were both grunting with the effort, when finally, the seat crunched back a couple of inches.

Tahlia sat up, panting. "Ok, try now."

Daryl jiggled his feet, then pushed himself up with his arms, just managing to ease his leg through the wider gap around the steering wheel.

"Yeah! I'm out." He turned to Tahlia, who was crouched on the passenger seat, watching his progress expectantly, and gave her a quick nod of thanks.

She opened her mouth for a smart comment, but stopped herself as she stared out the window beyond Daryl. "We gotta move – now."

He followed her gaze and caught sight of a large group of walkers stumbling down the road towards them.

"You gonna be able to walk?" She was already out of the car, collecting up their things.

Daryl dragged himself out the passenger side, cautiously putting weight on his legs. They were throbbing from the compression, and he knew he'd be pretty bruised up later. A sharp pain shot through his left knee, and he grimaced, but shouldered his crossbow and bag and started for the trees.

"Yep. Fine. C'mon, we gotta get off the road. There'll be more comin', no doubt."

The pair disappeared into the woods, slipping out of sight of the stumbling walkers who had just descended upon their wrecked car.

Oh look, now Daryl and Tahlia are stranded in the woods together :D