This chapter is a bit disjointed because the first bit was meant to be in the last chapter, and then the rest is kind of a bridge to the next and blah blah blah sorry there is actual story coming I promise!

Chapter 52 - Quit your crazy talk, girl

Daryl woke with a start as Tahlia gasped and her body jerked in his arms.

"You're safe, Tahly. I'm here."

At his voice, she relaxed instantly, although she blinked widely a couple of times in the midnight darkness until her surroundings started to shape into something sensible.

The car.

And then all the rest came back to her in a beautiful rush.

"Daryl." she murmured.

"I got ya." Daryl coaxed her onto her side and spooned her, one arm tucked tightly around her waist, his face buried in the crook of her neck.

"Mmm." hummed Tahlia sleepily, almost drifting off, when she became aware of Daryl's hot, hard, length nestled against her ass, and she slipped a hand down to grip him lightly.

"Sorry, girl." he said sheepishly against her ear. "Can't help it 'round ya. Go back to sleep."

Then Tahlia shifted away from him slightly and Daryl loosened his hold on her, thinking she was trying to get some space, until she moved back and slid him straight inside her soft, wet, warmth. Banging his forehead down onto her shoulder, Daryl hissed at the unexpectedness and goddamn perfection of being back inside her. The only fucking place he ever wanted to be.

"Don't keep it to yourself, baby. Lemme help you." Her words all slow and sleep-slurred as she arched her back to angle her hips into his.

"Tahly..." he growled against her neck as he slid an arm underneath her ribs and clamped his hand roughly over her breast before easing off to roll her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

Tahlia let out a pretty little, "Oh!" at the sensation, then ran her nails up and down his forearm before sliding her fingers between his, and he clasped tight, holding their hands firm against her chest, this somehow feeling like the most intimate thing they'd done yet.

He moved slowly in her, their breath synchronised sighs, and Daryl pulled her even closer, feeling himself unraveling already.

How one person could make him feel so much was beyond his comprehension. Too complex to even bear thinking about.

So, he didn't. Instead, he flicked his tongue over the hollow below her earlobe, then sucked a trail down the back of her neck, losing himself in the taste of her skin and her sweet smell of home. Knowing now that's what she was to him. Home.

The fingertips of his free hand ghosted swirling patterns across her belly, down her thigh, back up the other side, circling closer and closer to her centre until she let out a half-sobbed plea, and he slid into her wetness, fingers flicking hotly against her, melting her into him.

Tahlia had never felt so aroused in her life. Even his slightest touch had her fading away. But it was more than sexual arousal, it was more than anything she'd ever experienced. An inside out, whole body and soul surrendering, and it was as heady as it was disconcerting.

Stretching her neck and arching her back even more to give him better access, he responded with ardor, his mouth, hand and cock working her intensely. Wanting to see him, she turned her chin to her shoulder, and he pulled his mouth away and gazed at her in that moment, his eyes a clear, blue surface of boundless depth, drawing her in.

Connected. She felt so fucking connected to him.

And in the milky moonlight that spilled over their bodies, her sleep-addled mind convinced her that she could even see the shimmering gossamer threads hanging between them, binding them together. And she wondered if maybe they had always been there, must have always been there because she'd been inextricably drawn to him from the beginning, and maybe they'd just never been in the right light to notice them before. It sounded crazy to even be thinking this, but he had her all out of her head and she barely knew which way was up any more.

Then there was no more thinking as the molten waves rippling through her body started to flood her. Between the sensations of their sweat-slick bodies rolling against one another and the pressure building deep in her belly and his mouth scalding along her shoulder blade and the novel, agonising drag she felt in the centre of her chest (she suspected she might know what was causing that, but she wasn't ready to explore it just yet), she was about to fucking combust, and the tender intensity was all too much, so she caught his hand between her legs and moved it to her hip and said, "Fuck me." in a tone low and commanding.

With an aggressive grunt at that, Daryl bit her shoulder, then moved his upper body away from her to reach a deeper angle, then gripping finger bruises around her hipbones, he began thrusting roughly into her as hard and fast as the position allowed, almost losing it completely at this new view. Tahlia raised one hand to brace herself against the back of the seat, and the other dropped between her legs to alternate between stroking herself and spreading her first two fingers in a V at her entrance, gently pressing on Daryl's cock as he moved in and out of her, the increased pressure and sensation causing him to swear repeatedly as he was sent skyrocketing.

Feeling full and sparkling and fuller still, only one more stroke and Tahlia disappeared into bliss with a ragged cry, and soon after, Daryl was gone too, pumping himself out forcibly into her before dragging her back into his arms, their bodies damp and heaving and electric.

"Tahly..." he murmured in awe against her nape, feathering kisses over her skin, and she caught his hand in hers, pressing her lips softly to his knuckles.

He was still inside her when he fell asleep and Tahlia smiled a little at that and at the endlessness she felt when she was with him, and, bathed in starlight, she drifted away once more.

Golden fingers of breaking dawn stretched through the windows of the Land Rover, gently coaxing Daryl to slowly blink himself awake. For a weightless moment he could almost believe that this was the old world and they were waking up to order and peace and possibility and long lives ahead.

Gazing down at Tahlia tucked against his shoulder, just starting to stir, he realised he didn't really give a shit what world they were in, as long as he had her and these quiet moments stolen from the chaos.

Shit, she was so damned cute while she slept.

He couldn't resist kissing the tip of her nose, and her eyes immediately flew open and she gave a small gasp, but eased into a lazy smile as she registered him.

"Morning." she mumbled, and he kissed her forehead in reply.

"How ya doin'? Y'all good?"

Although she'd heard it before, Tahlia loved the sound of his early morning voice, even grittier than usual, and she let out a long, low moan.

"What?" Daryl asked, amused.

"You." Tahlia replied with a happy little smile. "You in the morning. Makes my panties wet."

Daryl's eyebrows shot up as he chuckled and squeezed her ass. "Girl, you ain't wearin' no panties."

"Oh." said Tahlia innocently as she rolled on top of him. "Just the last bit, then."

Daryl groaned into her kiss as he ran his hands up and down her bed-warm body, feeling himself hard and throbbing already.

Moving her mouth down his jawline Tahlia drawled, "Why did it take us so long to do this? Think of all of those trips into the woods that could've been made a lot more interesting."

With a smirk, Daryl slapped her butt. "You sayin' my huntin' and trackin' lessons weren't interestin'?"

Tahlia sat up and planted her hands on his chest as she gently rocked her hips back and forth over him, a lascivious glint in her eye.

"I'm just saying that now I know there's other things you're better at that I'd rather be doing with you."

"Yeah?" he breathed, pulling her hips hard down against him. "Maybe ya need some schoolin' right now."

Biting her lip, Tahlia arched a brow. "Mmm yeah, I think I need a hard lesson."

They gazed at each other for a long moment with a mirrored-mixture of mirth and lust on their faces, then all it took was one more kiss and they immersed themselves in each other once again.

By the time they made it out of the car, morning was in full swing around them.

"Shit. Rick will be wondering where I am." muttered Tahlia as she dragged her fingers through her hair.

Daryl slammed the car door and stretched. "Yeah, he will. And whatever ya tell him, make sure ya leave me outta it." He grinned and quickly blocked a swipe from Tahlia. "I was meant to be out huntin' 'fore dawn, but someone got me all distracted."

"I seem to remember you doing quite a lot of distracting as well!" retorted Tahlia.

"Nah, that was definitely all you. Can't get enough, can ya?"

Turning her nose up loftily, Tahlia huffed. "Well, I've got you out of my system now, so I won't be needing to distract you anymore."

Daryl snorted at that. "You tryna hold out?! Please, girl. Bet if I gave ya the nod right now you'd have your panties off 'fore I could get that door open."

Tahlia gave an indignant gasp. "Not true!" But a small smile was already tugging on her lips, because they both knew that it was.

Then her lips parted and her eyes glazed over as she stared at Daryl, contemplating, then she quickly wiggled her shoulders and shook her head. "No. We can't. Got shit to do." More as a firm reminder for herself than for him. "Ugh!" she exclaimed, raking a hand over her face. "One goddamn night and I'm addicted."

With a chuckle, Daryl slung an arm around her shoulders as they walked across the back courtyard. "Feel like that too."

"Maybe I should come hunting with you?" suggested Tahlia hopefully.

"Naw!" Daryl said quickly. "Uh-uh. I actually gotta get some huntin' done. Ain't gonna be much chance of that with you pawin' at me out there."

Tahlia let out a laugh and elbowed him for his teasing. "Fine. I'll save all the pawing for tonight."

"And that's why I'ma leave the car right there." grinned Daryl. "Oh shit! Forgot my belt. I'll catch you up."

Daryl jogged back to the car, and Tahlia carried on around the prison wall. As she neared the main path, she caught sight of Rick heading towards her on his way up from the gardens.

"Hey!" he greeted her with a wave. "I missed you this morning. I was out saluting the sun all by myself!" Then he narrowed his eyes curiously. "What were you doing around back?"

Tahlia's eyes widened. "Uhh, I was just..."

At that moment, Daryl rounded the corner, fastening his belt. The three of them stopped in their tracks simultaneously, and Rick just had to glance between the two guilty faces to have a guess at what they'd been up to.

He raised his eyebrows and pressed his lips together to try to suppress a smile. "Never mind. Don't answer that."

Daryl cleared his throat noisily, and mumbled a quick, "Mornin'." to Rick, then darted a glance in Tahlia's direction before hightailing it back up to the prison.

They both watched him hurry away, then Tahlia slowly turned her gaze back to Rick who was trying hard not to laugh.

She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, then gave a helpless shrug as she said with faux-innocence, "It's all Daryl's fault."

And Rick couldn't hold it in any longer, so he burst into laughter, and Tahlia pressed the back of one hand to her pink-tinged cheek as she laughed along with him.

Sitting together on one of the sofas three evenings later, Tahlia tucked a hand through the crook of Daryl's arm and inspected the large graze on his elbow.

"Ouch. Looks like that still stings." she remarked with a little smirk.

"S'fine." replied Daryl, pulling his arm back and giving her a pointed look. "How's the head?"

Reflexively, Tahlia raised her hand to the back of her head, lightly running her fingers over the large, tender bruise there. "Think I might have concussion." she joked wryly.

Daryl chuckled. "Fuckin' bed."

They'd only had one more night in the Land Rover as it was needed for a run, and were now relegated back to Tahlia's dingy cell and narrow (no longer 'just for sleeping') bed. And after having only one night in that bed and a voracious appetite for one another, they'd both sustained injuries. Daryl's grazed elbow was a result of an accidental but violent scraping down the concrete wall causing him to bleed all over the sheets; and Tahlia had gotten a little too vigorous while on top of Daryl and had smacked her head on the unforgiving metal bars of the top bunk.

"Why can't we just keep the Landie the way it was?" complained Tahlia.

"You know how much space there is in the back. Fits the most shit in it, so need it for runs."

Tahlia's eyes lit up. "Ooh, maybe we could convert the prison bus into a giant room for us!"

"The getaway bus, you mean?" said Daryl drily. "The one on standby to transport everyone outta here in an emergency? The one loaded with supplies for-"

"Alright!" interrupted Tahlia with a roll of her eyes and a smile. "I get it! That was a selfish suggestion. I will make my peace with the tiny-bed injuries."

"We'll sort somethin out. Just drag some more mattresses in."

"Doesn't help with the lack of privacy."

"Maybe you'd better stop makin' so much damn noise, then." teased Daryl.

"Maybe you'd better stop making me make so much damn noise." Tahlia countered, folding her arms, and Daryl smiled as he rested his chin on his shoulder and bent his head closer to hers.

"Pretty sure ya don't mean that, do ya?" he drawled.

Tahlia bit her lip and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "No. I really don't. Please don't ever stop."

"Get a room." Michonne gibed as she flopped down onto the next couch.

"Funny you should say that! That's exactly what we were just talking about." Tahlia told her sweetly, and Michonne made a face but laughed a little all the same.

"So, you still heading out tomorrow, Michy?"

Michonne nodded. "Yeah, with Glenn and Maggie. Probably an overnight."

"I'd better put more gas in the Land Rover in the mornin'." noted Daryl.

"You mean the sex-Rover." remarked Michonne casually with a sly grin.

Daryl shot Tahlia a horrified look and jabbed his elbow sharply into her side, but she just gave him an apologetic shrug.

"I told you she wanted a full rundown!"

Dropping his face into his hands, Daryl groaned. "Ma Gawd."

Tahlia rubbed his back reassuringly. "Don't worry, I painted you in a really good light."

"She did." Michonne agreed with badly suppressed mirth. "Full of surprises, huh Dixon?"

Daryl's next groan was drowned out by the sound of their giggles, then he tipped his head back against the sofa.

"Fucksake. This is just my life now, ain't it?"

"Yeah. It is." said Tahlia sympathetically, patting his knee.

Michonne smiled. "You'll get used to it. In a decade or so."

Daryl shook his head, cheeks still flaming, but luckily, from the other side of the fire Rick spoke up and detracted from his embarrassment.

"How're the fences looking, Sasha?" Rick asked as he tucked his hands behind his head in a stretch.

Sasha gave a level hum. "Yeah, it's ok out there at the moment, there was a bit of a crush at one point but there were a few of us working the line today and we sorted it out."

"Hey, what's up with Kara?" Maggie asked, leaning forward conspiratorially. "Saw her down there today, she was acting so weird."

Casting a glance around to make sure Kara, Yohan's widow, wasn't anywhere in earshot, Sasha nodded. "I know! She's been down there for a couple of days now, just walks up and down the fence line humming this really sad tune to herself the whole time. I've tried talking to her, but she barely responds. Like she's in her own world or something. I think she might be really depressed."

"Coz of losin' Yohan." Daryl said morosely, and Tahlia reached for his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, knowing he still felt some guilt for Yohan's death.

"Poor thing. We need to help her somehow." stated Maggie. "She's hurting. Can't just let her carry on like that without trying to help."

"But what do we do? Not like we've got a grief therapist here or anything." Glenn remarked.

"I'd say we're all pretty well-versed on grief by now." Michonne said flatly, and the group fell quiet as the truth of that statement rang loudly around them.

Rick was the first to speak again. "Tahly, are there any anti-depressants in the infirmary?"

Tahlia looked a little surprised. "Uh, yeah there are, generic ones I think, but we don't have enough for anyone to be reliant on them indefinitely. And we can't even suggest that without having a proper conversation with her to figure out exactly where her head's at."

"Of course, of course." replied Rick. "I was just thinking that maybe meds might be a good way to get her through this time, given the circumstances."

Sasha crossed her legs and shrugged. "Well, someone needs to have that proper conversation then."

Tahlia had been staring into the fire absentmindedly when she became aware of the silence that had fallen around her, and then refocused on the group to find everyone's eyes on her.

"What?" she asked. "Me?!"

Maggie gave her an apologetic smile. "You've spent the most time with her out of anyone here. And she knows you help out in the infirmary, so it won't seem strange for you to bring up the subject of meds."

"She won't talk to me. I've tried." added Sasha.

"And..." Michonne started quietly, "You did have those conversations about loss with her after Yohan died. She already feels comfortable talking to you about him."

Sensing Tahlia's reluctance, Daryl gazed down at her and tucked a hand protectively over her thigh. "Ya don't gotta." he said firmly, not about to let her be pushed into doing something she didn't want to do. "Ain't on you."

Tahlia shot him an appreciative smile. "It's ok, I-"

"I'll do it." Rick volunteered. "I'll talk to her."

"No." said Tahlia assuredly. "I'll do it. You guys are right, it makes sense for it to come from me. I'll do it tomorrow."

A couple of hours later, Daryl dropped down next to Tahlia in her bed, both of them a sweaty, puffing, satisfied mess.

"Well," he declared with a grin, "If there were anyone 'round here who don't know you're my girl, then they sure will after that."

"Come on! I wasn't that loud!" protested Tahlia.

"Nah, you're right - mighta been a couple people down at the fences who didn't hear ya." teased Daryl.

Tahlia groaned. "Fuck. Maybe no one will know it was us."

"Well, they're gonna know I'm involved coz my name was in there on repeat." he told her wryly.

Tahlia clapped a hand to her mouth and then giggled. "Phew! As long as I wasn't incriminated then I don't care!"

"And who the fuck else would be screamin' out my name in this cellblock?"

She gave a nonchalant shrug. "Could be any of those people who'd drop their panties for you."

Daryl gave a playful growl and pinched her. "Shut up, girl. Your panties are the only ones I give a shit about. Now, move over."

"I am moved over!"

"I'm right against the damn wall here. It's cold." Daryl shoved Tahlia closer to the edge of the bed. "Not enough goddamn space."

Tahlia laughed. "You don't need space. You spend every night suctioned on to me!"

Daryl shot her a withering look. "Novelty of that's wearin' off and now I wanna stretch out." he said, giving her another push.

"Shut up and cuddle me."

"Don't say 'cuddle'!" he objected as he gladly gathered her tightly into his arms and sandwiched himself against her.

Blissfully soaking up the sun on a tropical island in dreamland without a reanimated corpse in sight, Tahlia was abruptly slammed back into reality when Daryl turned over too forcibly and shunted her straight out of bed, sending her naked body crashing onto the cold concrete.

"Holy fuckinhell!" Tahlia hissed loudly as pain radiated through her hip.

"Aw, shit!" Daryl was awake in an instant, scooping her straight up into his arms. "Did I just...? Shit, sorry Tahly!"

He sat her on the bed as he jumped up to light the candle.

"Lemme have a look." By the flickering light he knelt next to her, making a sad sound as he saw her grazed shoulder, then another when he noticed her bleeding hip.

"Fuck, Tahly, I'm sorry."

"It's all good, I'm fine." she assured him with a laugh as she pushed his hands aside and got up. "Just gave me the fright of my fucking life. Might need to think about wearing some protective clothing to bed from now on."

Finding her first aid bag, she quickly slapped a couple of plasters onto the lightly bleeding areas, then Daryl, who was now sitting on the edge of the bed, reached for her wrist and pulled her straight into his lap and cradled her in his arms.

"Sorry, babygirl." he murmured into her hair. "Lemme make it up to ya." He rolled her onto the bed and propped himself up next to her, ghosting his lips down her cheek to the corner of her mouth and tucked one arm around her waist stroking her side, as she moaned a little and her eyes drifted shut. "Yeah, I got ya, babygirl."

Tahlia's eyes fluttered open at that last comment, and she gave a dreamy hum.

"I don't know why I love hearing you call me that so much. Like, you say it, and I instantly feel all warm and safe."

Daryl's hand stilled, and he chewed his lip for a second.

"Might have an idea why." He looked a little sheepish. "Know when I stayed with ya that first time coz of your nightmares? Well, I called ya that when I was tryin' to pull ya outta them. Liked the way it sounded. So kept doin' it."

Tahlia's eyebrows shot up. "Did you?! Weirdo." she teased with a laugh.

"And... uh..." Daryl hesitated for a moment, then decided to just come out with it. "And... the next couple of nights... when ya thought I was mad at ya? I sat just outside and came in when I heard ya havin' a nightmare. Held y'a lil' bit, talked to ya 'til ya calmed down. Then went back out. Stayed there 'til just before dawn so ya wouldn't know."

Her eyes took on a misty sheen and Tahlia gave a hard swallow. "You did what?"

Minor panic crackled across Daryl's face when he saw that Tahlia's was devoid of amusement. "S'all I did! Didn't do nothin' else, I swear!"

"But we weren't even... there was nothing between us then." she said faintly.

Daryl shrugged. "Naw, I know, just couldn't stand thinkin' of ya goin' through that alone."

Tahlia rubbed her palm across her forehead. "So that's why you were there that time when I woke up... I didn't even..." She trailed off, then flicked her gaze back to his. "Why?! Why would you do that for me?"

"Coz I-" Daryl paused, his mouth frozen around the 'I'. There were many ways he could finish that sentence.

Then she nodded slowly, and he wondered what ending she'd heard in her head.

"Shit. I'm sorry. Shouldn'ta done it. Freaked out now, ain't ya? Fucksake." Daryl was kicking himself for telling her about that. It sounded creepy as hell when he said it out loud.

"No. I'm not. That's not it." Tahlia assured him. "It's just knowing that makes me feel..." She smacked her palm against her chest a couple of times, then shook her head. "I just think it's really lovely, and I can't believe you would do something like that for me."

"Told ya before. Care 'bout ya. Do anythin' for ya. Gonna be lookin' out for ya whether we're together or not." Daryl stated simply as if those things were just immutable truths for him to live by.

Tahlia took a shaky breath. That damned drag in her chest was back. Well, if she were honest, it had been constant since she'd noticed it in the car, but sometimes it wrenched at her more violently than others. Now was one of those times.

"You're so... you're so good to me. And I'm not... I don't deserve you, Daryl." Her eyes were shining but her voice was firm and sorrowful, like she was confessing a terrible secret.

"Ya don't...? What the FUCK?!" Daryl stared at her like she had just grown an extra head. "Damn girl, I know ya batshit crazy, but this is next level!"

Both of Tahlia's palms were on her forehead now, forearms covering her face.

"Right." Daryl collected her wrists in one of his hands and pinned them against her chest, slipped his other hand under her neck, then he moved his thigh over top of hers and clamped down tight to immobilise her. "No talkin'. Just listen to me. And listen good, coz we ain't gonna be goin' over this 'gain."

He leaned a little closer. "Don't wanna hear none of that 'deserve' shit, 'kay? Ya think I ain't asked myself what the fuck ya see in me a thousand times? Outta all the assholes 'round here, for some fuckin' crazy-ass reason, you decide I'm the asshole for you. And that don't make no goddamn sense to me, but it feels right. This feel right to you?"

Tahlia opened her mouth to respond, and Daryl shook his head. "Uh-uh. No talkin'. This feel right?"

She rolled her eyes at his sternness, then nodded her head.

"Good. And ain't like we just fell into this, did we? We worked our asses off to get here." His lips quirked. "Well, I sure as shit did. Spendin' all them hours with ya in the woods was hard fuckin' work, y'know?!"

Squeezing her eyes shut for a second, Tahlia smiled at that.

Then he was serious again. "I know now that it ain't 'bout 'deservin'. 'Bout what we want and what we got. This. This is both of them things. And that's all that matters. Ya hear me?"

She nodded.

"So, quit your crazy talk, girl. Ya gonna quit it?"

She nodded again, and finally he released her.

"'Kay." he said decisively, pressing a firm kiss on her lips. "Can talk now."

Reaching her arms around his neck, Tahlia pulled him down against her. "I still think you're too good to me."

"Ain't no such thing." he murmured against her cheek. Then he laid his head on the pillow next to her and stroked his thumb just under her lower lip. "Tell me whatchu want now, babygirl."

Tahlia let out a little sad sigh. "Sleep, I think."

With a nod, Daryl got up to snuff out the candle, then curled up behind her, holding her tight and kissing her shoulder.

"Batshit crazy." he breathed fondly.

And although they were so physically close, he couldn't help but feel like a little, cold gap had opened up between them.

And also, I won't bore you with smut and implied smut forever, just trying to paint a quick picture of them, how they gel, and where their relationship is at.

Thanks for reading! x