oOo

"Hey, you doing okay?" Glenn asked, lowering his hand of cards and bringing Diana out of her dejected thoughts.

Shortly after lunch, Glenn had dropped by with a deck of cards and both of them had taken residence in Diana's shared tent. There they'd been staying short of an hour, with Glenn attempting to teach Diana to play poker, which she was failing miserably at. The strange terms and rules confused her and, according to Glenn, she had a terrible poker face.

Therefore, it was obvious that majority of the chips – some smooth pebbles the kids had collected by the shore – were sitting in front of Glenn in neat oversized piles and he was diligently after the ones spread on the ground between them.

Diana looked up at him and nodded largely in answer, a tentative smile growing on her lips. "Yeah."

She hadn't told anyone of her less-than-pleasant exchange with Daryl the day before, not even her siblings and especially not her parents. She knew what kind of reprimand awaited her if she said anything about it. And knowing her dad, she knew he wouldn't sit quiet and accept it, so she kept it secret for Daryl's sake as well.

She glanced outside, the day hot and humid and brighter than the muted inside of the tent. She could see her mom walk past every now and then, tending to whatever issue was keeping her busy and low-key keeping an eye on them. Alice and Felix were not around, out helping with tutoring again. Or rather, Felix played with Carl's Pokémon card collection while Alice helped Lori tutor the kids. Sam was nowhere to be seen. He had to be forced to leave when Glenn had arrived, just so he'd stop trying – and succeeding – to intimidate the poor guy.

"Diana, I think already told you a thousand times: you have a tell." Glenn cast his cards aside and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Something you wanna talk about?"

Diana studied Glenn's concerned features, happy to see it wasn't shallow curiosity that led him to ask the question.

She knew Glenn pretty well by now. He enjoyed filling the odd silence in their conversations with snippets about his childhood antics and teenage shenanigans. Since that was something she hesitated in.

And so, it was only fair she let him in. But it was also unfair to burden him with her troubles.

So she shook her head politely and gave him an apologetic look.

Glenn leaned back. "It's okay, I get it. But just so you know, you can talk to me. About anything you want."

"Thanks, Glenn, and you too, you know?" After a beat, she added, "I think I… I think I probably don't deserve you."

"What? Shut your mouth." He scratched the back of his head and chuckled abashedly. "C'mon, I'm not that big of a deal. I'm just a guy that used to deliver pizzas."

"Yeah, and how would we eat delicious, cheesy pizza if we didn't have you?" They shared a grin at the inside joke. "You underestimate yourself, pal."

"And you're kinda overestimating me."

"No, I'm not," Diana said and shook her head once. Sincerity painted on her face and lilting in her voice. "I say it as I see it. You've known me for less than a week – a week, Glenn – and you've done so much for me already. You made me feel like I belong here, like I'm welcomed here and… and wanted. That's not an easy thing to me." She faltered a bit, then reached over their forgotten game and laid a gentle hand on his upper arm. "Thank you for that, I really, really mean it."

Glenn looked stunned back at her. His ears were red like torches. He composed himself and asked, "Is this the part where you confess your undying love for me and I have to gallantly reject you?"

Diana laughed sincerely, retreated her hand to her lap and lifted one shoulder. "Why not?" The laughter dropped from the lines of her face and she gave Glenn a look full of emotion that looked and felt so excruciatingly real, that she even felt her heart pick up its pace. She touched a hand to her chest and sighed wistfully. "Glenn Rhee, how can I possibly attempt to convey these feelings through words alone?

These four long days that I have spent in your lovely company have been, without a doubt, the best of my life. I can no longer imagine going on without you; if you're not here, I am nothing. Nothing but a speck of dust floating aimlessly in this vast, empty world." At this point, she took one of his hands in hers and intensified the passionate look. Glenn swallowed visibly and his blush expanded to his cheeks and neck. "You mean the world to me and I love you! What do you say?"

Glenn blinked at her and snapped his mouth shut. "I- oh, uh- how could I have been such a- a blind fool and not have noticed these deep feelings you harbor for me? And while I am utterly flattered, I must tell you-"

"No, please say it's not so!"

"-my heart already belongs to another." Glenn turned his head gracefully away. He slipped his hand from Diana's to cradle it against his chest like a dainty dame.

Diana, in turn, straightened her back, looking enraged. "No, I refuse to accept this! Who is this person? I shall fight them for your affections!"

"That is very noble of you, but I'm afraid affairs of the heart cannot be settled through duel… Aaand I can't do this anymore. I can't keep up. Cut, stop, whatever." Glenn gestured the end of the scene with his arms and faced Diana, who glowed with mirth. "How come I was the blushing maiden?"

"Because I just exude older, more experienced madam. Can't you feel all this exuding?" She waved her arms around as if trying to catch a whiff of a perfume.

"How come you're so bad at keeping a straight face in poker, but whipped out that effortless acting?"

Diana shrugged loosely and made a typical 'I dunno' sound. She liked pretending to be someone else, that was about it. It was embarrassing, the number of times she'd acted out made up villain monologues while home alone.

The subject brought Glenn to share some of his acting experiences. In special obligatory school plays like every year's nativity scene in primary school, which he'd had to take part in despite having been raised by Buddhist parents.

After laughing about it together and loosening up a bit, Diana decided to also recount some funny and embarrassing moments she'd gone through with middle school theatre and musicals. She told him the awful details about a particular time where she'd had to wear three outfits on top of each other because she'd be participating in three different musicals with little to no time to change in between. She'd looked like a sausage about to keel over and die from heat stroke.

In the mood of laughter and companionship, Diana's mind turned once again to how much she appreciated Glenn and his friendship. And his acceptance and openness had mostly been met with selfishness from her and he deserved more than that. All she'd done was take and take and give almost nothing in return.

She steeled herself, mentally scolding the butterflies in her stomach, willing them to settle down, and dragged in a deep breath. "I had a fight with Daryl."

Glenn sobered up immediately, surprised at the sudden confession. "What?"

"It was mostly one-sided, though, he-uh, I stood there and he yelled at me," she started lamely and simply, "I don't being yelled at."

"Yeah, I don't think anyone does, actually. You really know how to turn a conversation around, wow," he breathed.

"I'm sorry." She shouldn't have said anything. She was just making him worry about her problems that she should be solving on her own.

"No, no, don't be sorry, you just caught me by surprise." He scratched his forehead and exhaled long and deep. "I mean; how did this happen?"

"Well, it's kind of a long story?"

"Okay then, yeah, let me check my agenda real quick- c'mon, as if I have anything better to do. You're my friend, I care. Even if I had something to do, I think it could wait."

Despite his good intentions, those words only reminded Diana of what a shitty friend she'd been back B.A. She really didn't know what she'd done to deserve Glenn.

She told him everything. She omitted as to why she'd been searching for Daryl in the first place and spared no detail. From Shane's unpleasant comment to Daryl praising her 'bravery' to him flipping out on her and every word hurled at her and how much they'd hurt.

She talked and Glenn listened. He nodded along and commented his indignation when it was appropriate and it was clear on his face and wound up posture how vexed he was by the whole thing. His attention made Diana feel glad to have taken the leap of faith and confided in him. By the end of the tale, he was fuming.

"What a white-trash dumbass!"

Diana chuckled uncomfortably and lifted one shoulder. That was the exact reaction she'd told Daryl about, and now she was the one allowing that frame of mind to be born. She didn't want that.

"Eh, what can I say, yesterday wasn't his best day. Mine neither, I guess."

It made her angry that even while complaining about him she still found a way to defend him. That was some victim of abuse level of apologist view right there. She didn't want that either.

"And he didn't even think to apologize? Did he even notice what the hell went out his mouth?"

"I don't know, I… I left. But let's be real for a sec, what're you expecting? I mean, I know that if that were me, even if I felt sorry right away, my pride would never let me apologize so soon."

"Screw pride, he said awful things, it should weigh on his conscience if he even has one. I'd go talk to him, but the dude kinda scares me if I'm being completely honest."

Diana widened her eyes at him. "I wouldn't want you to, you kidding me? This is my problem. You don't gotta do anything. Just, maybe, some friendly advice?"

"Uh, sure, of course." Glenn looked away for a moment, reflecting on the situation. "I think you should demand an apology."

Diana could've laughed. Her? Demand? She did her moments of boldness now and then that did show she was capable of the such a thing, but it just felt so strange to think about. Generally, she tried to avoid confrontation like the plague. Making demands would be going against that and she wasn't sure she felt comfortable with that idea. She was a people-pleaser through and through.

She sucked air through her teeth. "Hmm, I don't know, Glenn. I'm not great at that. I mean, I'd be okay if I had like, more familiarity with him, but um- I don't think so."

Glenn sighed. "Okay, then ask nicely, no demands. But if your problem is just asking for an apology in general when it's clearly his fault, just think this: why even bother with the guy? I mean, he hurt you, and I can tell this is bothering you, so just be done with him."

Diana tried to laugh and said, "Sounds like you're telling me to break up with the guy."

"Diana, I'm serious. I feel – this is gonna sound really weird and awkward and cheesy – but I feel kinda… connected to you? or something, I don't know, it's stupid, and I really only want what's best for you."

The honesty and bashfulness in his voice made Diana's heart swell. She leaned forward and threw her arms around Glenn in a grateful, albeit awkwardly positioned, hug. He adjusted himself so it became more comfortable and tightened his arms around her.

She heard him sigh deeply next to her ear and couldn't help the wide smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Why do you smell like men's cologne?" he asked, arms still around each other.

"It's my brother's deodorant. I sweat a lot and it's stronger."

"Oh. Okay."

"Thank you, Glenn," she whispered, cheek pressed to his burning ear, bringing back the mood, "for being so understanding and for being a great person slash friend slash guy I'll definitely come to for breakup advice."

"Don't get sappy on me, Dee," Glenn teased once they broke apart and tweaked the tip of her nose as a boyish smile appeared on his lips. "But, you know, the world is probably at its worse and everything blows harder than ever, but at least I'm glad I met you."

"Wow, watch the sap, Glenn, you're getting all greased up and gooey."

"Yeah, yeah, so what are you gonna do about your situation, then?" Glenn changed the subject abruptly, probably so Diana wouldn't notice his red face.

"I honestly don't know. I want him to apologize for talking to me like that, obviously. But if he doesn't, there's not a lot I can do about it, you know? Most I can do is give him the silent treatment, but he probably couldn't care any less 'bout whether I speak to him or not. He'd probably be better off like that, so that'd do absolutamente nada."

Glenn consented with a tilt of his head but said nothing. They sat in contemplation for a moment.

Diana inhaled audibly and straightened herself. "Well, the cold shoulder it is!"

"That's not fair to you, Diana. You deserve better."

"Again, Glenn, he's not my boyfriend, we're not together."

"I'm just talking simple manners and respect, okay? He doesn't get to decide if what he said hurt you or not. And I think he knows what he did, so it's not that that's stopping him."

"Yeah, then that's why my plan is flawless. I don't have to ask, and if it does weigh on his conscience, he'll come to me."

"That's a pretty flawed plan there. Remind me to never come to you for plans," Glenn teased.

oOo

Glenn left shortly after Sam's return, not completely at ease with the man's hard hazel-green glare. Sam, in turn, drilled Diana with questions about what they'd been doing and what was their relationship. Diana had to assure multiple times it was entirely platonic until he backed down. It was like parents couldn't understand the concept.

Alice and Felix returned. Since the issue had already been discussed with Glenn and it was hanging so heavily over her head, Diana decided to bring it up to her sister during one of their discussions of who the hell could possibly have shattered Pink Diamond.

"So you mean to tell me your dumb ass called him a friendless loser redneck that no one likes. And you expected him to be okay with it? Tell me, binch, wie dumm bist du? 'Cause I feel we haven't tapped into all of it yet and I wouldn't be surprised."

"But I didn't- I mean, that's not what I... I guess… when you say it like that, I did sound like a total bitch. What the fuck is my damage?" When Alice inhaled to reply, Diana yelled out, "Don't! answer that. Purely rhetorical, I know what the fuck's up with me."

"And you called yourself his only friend, I mean wtf the fuck?"

"God, I'm such a patronizing asshole!" Diana breathed in mortified realization.

"I don't know what that means, but yeah, pretty much the biggest asshole in the whole of existence."

"And- and self-centered."

"Spot on."

"And an awful friend, at that. Or acquaintance? Should I really consider myself his friend? I don't think I deserve that title. He said it, I don't even know him that well."

"What's going on? We roasting her? 'Cause I'm down for that."

"Where were you? You're missing some prime time drama."

"I was taking a shit."

"Okay, I definitely didn't need to know. I'll explain later, but you can agree with whatever this bitch-ass bitch says or provide your own insults, free-trade and organic."

"-he probably thinks I'm a- a bigot!" Diana stopped her pacing to exclaim in distress.

Felix frowned. "Wait, a big goat?"

"Just roll with it."

"Yeah, you're a big goat! Ugly-ass sneakers hiding those nasty cloven hooves."

"How am I coming back from this? I need to fix it; I don't want him to think I meant all that. Then again, Glenn said it was his fault for yelling at me. But he only yelled 'cause I said really unnecessary things. So it's my fault!" she concluded.

"Queen of misunderstandings. Duchess of royally fucking up."

"You fucking horrible human being. Boo you."

"Seriously, Felix, opportunity of a lifetime and that is what you go with? I am disappoint!"

"I basically said I regretted ever meeting him. I think so, did I say that? Oh God, I don't even know anymore!"

Alice shrugged when Diana faced her. "Let's be real, at this pace, you probably said all that and worse."

"I knew it!"

"Aren't we supposed to be helping her?"

"This binch already knows what to do, I'm just here for the ride."

"And the insults?"

A smirk formed on Alice's lips. "Fact the first, she's so in her own mind, she's not listening to anything we say, fact the second, we get to talk shit and get away with it. I rest my case."

"I've made up my mind. I'll go talk to him and I'll apologize and I'm a tactless monster and I'm not gonna do it just now 'cause also I'm a coward."

"Gut ge-englischt."

Diana sighed, now deflated from her rant and caught up with her mind. She glanced at Alice and Felix, who sat on the folding chairs by the fire pit, watching her meltdown. Alice had a bag of trail mix, somehow, and both were eating from it.

"I'mma go do some nurse stuff and uh, and woman up. Thanks, guys."

"My pleasure," Alice said around a mouthful, and then shoved the bag into Felix's hand. "I don't even like nuts, what the fuckening."

"Good." Felix emptied the whole thing into his mouth.

Alice's "Disgusting!" was the last thing Diana heard before she prepared to head out.

oOo

With her bow put away and medkit in hand, Diana headed to the RV, where Dale had helped her set up an improvised medical office.

She said hello to the older man, who sat on a foldable chair up on the roof of the vehicle, and he raised his fisherman's hat in greeting. They exchanged simple pleasantries and each continued about their business. For Dale, that meant watching over the camp, its boundaries, and habitants. As for Diana, she set her medkit on the foldable table lent to her, opened the wide parasol, which Dale had informed had belonged to his late wife, Irma, and stuck it on its holder.

She plopped herself down onto her precariously unsteady chair and propped her feet on the one designated for her patients. She sighed at the contrasting coolness in the shade and opened the kit. She had emptied it, updated her inventory, rearranged everything and checked on her patients' records that she had handwritten herself before her first patient came. It was an older woman whose list of complaints indicated towards hypoglycemia. An easy one to decipher.

Diana gave the woman a dextrose candy from her stash and suggested she eat something more substantial after that, like a piece of fruit and some crackers. Then she wrote everything down on that woman's sheet, from the symptoms to the solution.

She was the breaking of the dam. Many more people came to her after that. Diana helped them to the extent of her abilities and excused herself when she found her knowledge or resources to be lacking. She was low-key glad about the work; it kept her mind busy.

Many of them came by only to chat, let out frustrations and unburden themselves from whatever went through their mind and troubled their soul. With those, Diana felt more than a little overwhelmed, unsure of how to respond or react. It left her flustered and helpless. She was a good listener, that much was true, but advice and comfort were less her thing.

All in a day's work, as it was. It turned boring soon, more administrative work to be done than anything else. Not only that, but both Diana's stomach and uterus complained and called for attention.

She informed Dale of her absence for a quick snack and went into their bathroom area, feeling the tampon she kept inside the cup of her bra press against her flesh. She didn't want to use the RV's toilet, paranoid that Dale could see her from above.

Diana returned to her station, relieved and chewing on a crunchy and juicy red apple she'd been offered on her route back.

Inside the closed medkit she'd undoubtedly left open, she found a bundle of flowers meant for her eyes only.

It was only a handful, everything tied together with twine into an aesthetically pleasing bouquet of wildflowers. She recognized some of the plants. Red poppies, white daisies, some fern leaves, and pretty small blue flowers that Diana couldn't identify.

Diana felt herself flush until sweat broke out near her hairline, sticking her baby hairs to her skin. She put down her apple and raised the bouquet for Dale to see. "Hey, Dale, sorry to interrupt your guarding and all, but d'you see who put this here?"

Can you tell me what the hell this nonsense's about? She wanted to ask. Her mind replayed Lori's 'he's a good man' and her stomach revolted against it. Please no.

Dale used a hand to cover his eyes from the sun and looked down at her and the flowers. He pursed his beard-covered lips and shook his head slowly. "Sorry, sweetheart, whoever did it must've caught me during one of my longer blinks." He gave a breath of laughter. "Those are very nice, by the way. Looks like you might have an admirer."

"Don't even joke about something like that, Dale." Diana shook her head but thanked him.

"But I might've happened to catch someone sneaking around away from everyone's sight with such a similar assembly of flowers in his possession. And I might've thought my old eyes must surely be playing tricks on me. That or my brain isn't taking well to the heat."

"Really?" Diana said conspiratorially. She jumped up from her seat and climbed halfway up the ladder to the rooftop to look better at the man.

"Wouldn't it be nice, though, to keep it in secrecy? Makes it much more romantic," the man teased with a youthful smile from amidst his white beard. "We all have our secrets after all."

"Yeah, but I don't want secret romance. I wanna know who did it," Diana whined, which caused Dale to laugh and lean forward in his seat.

"I already told you the gender of the person. What other clue should I give you?"

"The name, gimme the name. C'mon, Dale." Diana bobbed up and down on the rung of the ladder, like an excited child. It seemed to amuse Dale.

"Fine, fine. I admit it was a very strange sight, that of Daryl Dixon, of all people, carrying that. He must move like a shadow if he managed to evade my eyes when dropping them off. That or he made some unpleasant threats to the only person who saw the deed being done." Dale chuckled and added, "Now what did I say yesterday about redemption?"

Did Dale know? Had he seen it unfold from up on his throne? It didn't really matter.

Diana's mouth felt like cotton. She thanked him half-heartedly and slowly descended the ladder, skipping the last two rungs.

She sat down and kept on eating her apple, its juices running down her chin. She wiped them away with the back of her hand almost lethargically. The normalcy of her outward appearance contrasted deeply against the storm raging inside her.

There was a great stabbing of guilt in her gut. Could've also been a cramp, but she doubted it. Along that guilt came anger. Going by Alice's words, Diana had been in the wrong. Going by Glenn's words, Daryl should be the one apologizing to her. She didn't know what to think. There was too much going on in her mind right now.

She chewed languidly on her apple. She was glad her patients were leaving her be for the time being, and made herself think rationally.

She would go to Daryl, thank him for the flowers and would ask him for the reason behind the gesture. Play the innocent part and see if he came out and said it himself. Maybe she wouldn't even need to apologize- Though she suspected that the guilt would linger inside her if she didn't. She could be a proud and selfish person, but she had her limits.

Diana shook her head in disbelief. She had to admit, she thought he'd be way more proud, that she would have to be the one to make the first move towards forgiveness. At least he was working for it. She couldn't wrap her mind around that.

Diana finished her apple, barely sated but enough for the moment. She plucked one of the poppies from the bouquet and set it behind her ear, weaving the flexible stem into her bound hair.

"You're looking nice," Dale commented from above, his tone of voice enigmatic.

"The flower's just a bonus, old man, I always look nice," Diana joked and grinned up at him, eyes almost shut against the sunlight.

"That, my dear, is the purest of truths," he said sincerely. Diana felt herself grow even warmer and looked away with an embarrassed swat of her hand.

"If anyone asks, I've just disappeared mysteriously."

"Sure thing, sweetheart."

She liked Dale, that was mostly the reason she allowed him the familiarity of such pet names. His japes reminded her of her deceased grandpa and it was a bittersweet feeling that she welcomed.

Turning away from the RV, Diana allowed herself two seconds to feel the brunt of fretfulness before steeling herself for what was ahead. She didn't succeed because she couldn't possibly have voluntary action over it, but it was nice to think she was in control nonetheless.

oOo

"Lookit sweet cheeks, looking all flowery. What's a nice girl like you doin' 'round these parts of this shithole? Oh, I prefer white chocolate over dark myself, but you ain't bad for what you are, nuh-uh." Those were the first words out of Merle's mouth upon seeing Diana. It almost made her turn on her heel and walk right back if she hadn't had given herself a very aggressive pep talk on the way over.

So no, Merle being an utter moron was not going to make her back down from her quest.

Diana assessed the situation. Merle and Daryl were standing by their truck, they'd been furiously whispering to one another, as if afraid of being overheard or caught in flagrante delicto. Their bickering had stopped as soon as they'd spotted her. That was not suspicious at all.

Whatever, that's not what she was there about. Their business was their business. She was learning it the hard way.

"Wow, lewd and racist, surprising," Diana whispered to herself and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She ignored him and focused on Daryl. He was studying her, gaze jumping from her to the flower behind her ear and to her again. "I wanna talk to you if that's okay?" Bonus point for not fucking up the question.

"Oooh, should I not wait up, lil brother?" Merle laughed loudly. This time Diana rolled her eyes so hard it physically hurt.

"Shut the fuck up." Daryl shot him a glare as he kicked himself away from the truck and walked to her.

Merle whooped at them as they left. Diana gave him the stink eye from over her shoulder.

They stuck to the edge of camp and walked down the path towards the lake. Both agreed on the location without needing to express it verbally, a moment of thoughtless synchronized unity. In the reigning silence, Diana tried to gather her thoughts and calm herself enough to enable some eloquence to enter her brain and stay there.

When they arrived, she guided him to the already preferred spot by the sitting boulder. It was far enough away from the entrance that they wouldn't be bothered by anyone coming or going nor be seen up from the camp. Dale's all-seeing eye didn't reach them there. She checked.

Diana faced the water with Daryl at her side. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, and the butterflies decided to multiply themselves in that exact moment.

"You found 'em," Daryl broke the silence, startling Diana. She took a deep breath and looked at him from the corner of her eye.

His arms were crossed, eyes forward, narrowed by the sunlight reflected on the water. His lips were tightly pressed together, as if he was the one suddenly nervous.

Diana resisted the urge to reach and touch the poppy behind her ear. She nodded instead. "Yeah, Dale told me he saw you." She felt awkward and chastised herself for not waiting a little longer to come up with a better plan instead of confronting him outright.

"Fucking geezer."

A beat of uncomfortable silence reigned over them. Diana kicked at a pebble under her foot.

"So…"

"You the one said you wanted to talk."

"Yeah…" Yeah, she'd forgotten everything she wanted to say. "I guess- I'm sorry."

"…Why?"

Diana faced Daryl's confusion with a frown of her own. "What you mean why?"

"Why're you sorry? Why you always apologizing?"

She shrugged uneasily. "I don't… I don't know. I just do."

"You ain't gotta apologize when you been wronged, it ain't your fault." Daryl sounded almost astounded at that.

"I guess, but I did step out of line yesterday, I said some… things that were, you know, kinda insulting and I felt bad that I said those things because, you know… I… I think I was mean."

Daryl didn't say anything. He just squinted at her like he was trying to read her. He was almost always squinting, but that was off point.

Diana didn't like to be read. She squeezed her hands together, her bruised knuckles jolting with pain, and pursed her lips together while looking around.

What were certainly only two seconds felt like two eternities. Then Daryl laughed. Not a belly laugh, that would've been weird considering the person and the situation. A single disbelieving chuckle, the result of his inspection.

That's why Diana didn't like to be read; the judgment that came afterward.

But Daryl didn't disclose any of his finds, which was even more frustrating.

"Can I- can I ask why the flowers?" Diana finally asked.

"I might be a jackass but I ain't daft." Daryl faced forward and scratched the back of his head. "I treated you like crap." Before Diana began to protest in his defense, he repeated himself, "I did. I regret it."

Now, it was Diana who was astounded. She blinked slowly, attempting to process the words into her fumbled brain.

"Okay."

"Okay?" he asked, furrowing his brow and tilting his head.

Diana shrugged. "You realized you did something you shouldn't have, you confronted me about it and said you regret it."

"Thought you were gonna tell me to beg on my knees or some dramatic bullcrap like that."

"You went out of your way to… to pick flowers. I mean, who does that?" She subconsciously touched the poppy behind her ear. "That was more than you needed to do, seeing that I actually came prepared to say sorry to you myself so…"

"Gotta stop doing that."

"Yeah, but. Just- I- what I wanted to say was that I don't know what kind of experience you've had with women, but we generally prefer a sincere apology to 'some dramatic bullcrap'. At least the women I know, do," Diana said with a small smile. "But I wouldn't mind you on your knees."

When Daryl widened his eyes at her, she backtracked and noticed the words out of her mouth. Why didn't she stop while she was ahead? Why didn't she have a safety filter? She hadn't even meant it in a dirty way, so why God, why did it have to sound so obscene?

"I mean like begging, you know- 'cause you said you were expecting me to tell you to beg on your knees, so that's what I was talking about, you know- that you could, if you wanted- to kneel down, I mean I-I-" Lightning strike her down. Earth swallow her whole. Just let her taste the sweet relief of death.

"Should be glad Merle ain't here to hear this." The was a semblance of an amused smile growing on his lips, though it didn't last long. It was an expression Diana was seeing for the first time, and she found that she liked it. Better than him scowling at her.

"Ai, don't even say that," Diana breathed, slowly recovering from her humiliating babbling. Internally, she thanked Daryl for taking it with good humor. Knowing herself, this moment would be added to her list of cringe-worthy nightly thoughts, so she wasn't done beating herself over it.

The difference in Daryl's demeanor from the previous day to now was astounding, Diana thought. But she was not going to make the same mistake of asking about his dilemma with Shane at the risk of irking him again.

"D'you-" "Would you-" They both started.

"You first-" "Yes?" And again.

"You gonna talk or what?" Daryl asked impatiently.

Diana smiled sheepishly. She self-consciously smoothed down the front of her gray NASA t-shirt. "Yesterday, when I, you know, was searching for you, I actually had a purpose. I wanted to ask if you could uh… teach me archery?"

"Sure." Daryl lifted one shoulder.

Diana gaped at him, almost not trusting her ears. "Wait, really? That easily?"

"You always carrying that thing around. I wanna see what it can do."

"It's a kind of uh- advanced technology thing? It can do some neat tricks. Bet you've never seen one like it." She chuckled awkwardly while swinging her arms artlessly.

"Yeah? Where you got it from?" Diana hated it when Daryl crossed his arms, it was a very visual distraction.

But he posed a good question. And since Diana also didn't know the answer, she'd have to bullshit her way through it. "That's a surprise."

"A surprise?"

"No, not surprise, the other word. Not mystery, something between those two." She mulled over it while Daryl patiently waited. "A secret! Damn, that should've been an easy one…"

"A secret…" Daryl repeated once again. He didn't seem satisfied. "Special secret technology?"

"Mmmyep."

"What about a deal," his accent drawled out the sentence as he leaned back against the boulder and crossed his legs at the ankle.

"A deal?" Diana tilted her head to the side. Suddenly, she was paranoid and anxious for whatever he'd ask for. He didn't seem like the type to ask for sexual favors, but she'd judged wrong before.

"I teach you and you tell me about the bow. You ain't foolin' me with that story."

"What makes you think it's not the truth?" Her palms were sweating now.

His eyes were burning hot, deep into hers. Almost as though searching through her memories, ready to pick her brain. Diana had to look away, an unwilling flush rising up her neck at the close attention.

"Don't bullshit me, Diana." Hearing her name out his mouth for the very first time made her head snap up to look at him. "You don't trust me. I get that, s'good. I teach you and you tell me whenever you want."

Diana's brow pinched together. "That's- that's really considerate."

"Yeah, I'm a considerate guy," he whispered and turned his eyes away. Diana happened to hear it.

"Why are you being like this?"

"What?"

"You know, nice to me now. I mean, I don't mind it. It's way easier to talk to you when I'm not expecting you to yell at me every five seconds. But-"

"I ain't some monster."

"Yesterday-"

"Yesterday, I was pissed and you were the nearest pair of ears around. It ain't right and it ain't happenin' again."

"You sound really sure about that."

He didn't say anything, just shrugged and nodded in consent.

"I… I believe you and I know you probably don't give a donkey's ass about it, but don't make me regret it."

"I ain't saying you shouldn't trust me, but don't go 'round swearin' by everyone crosses your path, get it?"

"Okay? I won't?"

If their entire conversation had been confusing, then Daryl's last line had been downright enigmatic. It sounded final, like the last piece of advice you offer someone before going away. That combined with his and Merle's earlier suspicious secrecy left her wondering if they were planning on leaving anytime soon.

Diana didn't know what to think of that. She'd be glad to be rid of Merle's incessant rude remarks and she was sure she wouldn't miss the brothers. She hadn't known them that long to have already formed an attachment, she seldom did – Glenn was a very astounding exception. Though, somehow it felt wrong for them to go so prematurely, like their potential was yet to be unlocked.

"Quick question, though. Are you… are you doing and saying all this 'cause you're leaving?"

That by-now familiar tense of Daryl's shoulders told her she'd been spot on. So that's why he said he wouldn't take his frustration out on her again. That's why he was advising her with such unexpected concern.

"Okay, cool cool cool, I see." Diana nodded and directed her gaze to her sneakers. They were dirtier than they'd ever been. "You and Merle planning anything, by any chance, like, I don't know, like something I might be familiar with slash almost the victim of?" He didn't need to answer verbally for her to know. The flicker of his eyes from hers to the ground said more than words.

He looked almost disappointed in himself. Slightly hunched over, shoulders no longer tense, but now dropped in exhaustion. His arms hung limply at his sides, but his hands were clenched into loose fists that twitched open and closed.

"I get it."

"How can you-"

"I do. These people aren't your people. Merle is your people. They treat you like dirt under their shoes and it's just not right." Diana raised her brow sympathetically. "You don't gotta go through that if you leave. I get it. Whatever you do, you don't gotta tell me anything you don't want me to know."

"You see a lot," Daryl commented, fixing her with an appraising stare that made her feel self-conscious and shift in place, not knowing what to do with herself. No reading in the lobby!

But I miss a lot, too. She gave a nervous chuckle. "A good nurse must make good observations, my uh- my instructor, I think that's what you call them in English, she uh- constantly told me that."

"Hmm," Daryl murmured pensively and nodded. He looked torn if the deep crease between his eyebrows was any indication. Diana waited patiently for him to reach a verdict to whatever was going on in his mind.

He parted his lips. Diana's eyes dragged to them and traced the lines of his light facial hair while waiting for the words to come out.

"Make time the next coupla weeks. Don't come to me. I'll find you tomorrow after lunch and we can talk details after."

Diana nodded and gave him a soft grateful smile.

So, two weeks, that's how long they'd be staying.


i love writing Glenn and Diana and their relationship of mutual support.

and finally Daryl realized what an ass he'd been and apologized. remember that shit i said way back when? look we all know daryl's a victim of abuse, we seen it, it's canon. he knows what its like to be on the receiving end and bc of that he recognizes some of those elements in diana. he knows that she's also been a victim of it some way or another. he sees that part of him in her and restrains from doing it.

(yeah, back when the kids were little, sam had way less patience than he grew to have. he didn't beat her per say, but disciplined her unnecessarily, which has scarred her. now she has a good relationship with him, but he continues to be the only person she was ever truly afraid of.)

Diana's got a tendency to take the blame for everything, childhood trauma mixed with hella self-esteem issues got her fucked up. If you're wondering, no, Alice's advice isn't always helpful, and she sometimes unknowingly caters to Diana's insecurities. no one's perfect.

please leave a comment. tell me your thoughts, i'd really appreciate it