Another sunday afternoon and i was able to update. Yeahy! I hope you guys like this one. The action will soon take place and i wanted to give Ella and Daryl some quality time. :o) Enjoy the chapter chapter! R&R
After the talk with Hershel I had sat down alone, watched the people and listened to their talks. I had fallen asleep right there eventually.
"Why are you laughing?" I asked my brother?
"Because I'm happy." I smiled at me.
"But everything is lost." I reminded him sadly. His smile didn't fade.
"But here we are … sitting in the same spot we love the most." He retorted and looked around. We were in the garden of my grandmother, at the lake … Our feet dangling from the wooden bridge, slightly touching the cold water. "With the person you love the most." The sun highlighted his face, emphasizing his blue his.
"What do you miss the most?" My eyes wandered over the lake where we used to swim every summer. The ray of sunlight glowed on the lake, making it shine like diamond water.
"My motorcycle … my parents … you."
Yeah, we had loved to ride his bike … The feeling when the air pushed you back in the seat of the bike. My eyes found his, they glowed just like the diamond water lake. "I miss you too." I felt the bond again, our special connection. Since I can remember we had always had been best friends. He was more than just a bigger brother, he was the best. Or had been … I looked at him again, memorizing every part of his face. He had always been there, but now he was gone … I tried to say something, but couldn't speak.
"I wish I could stay with you right here forever." He smiled happily at me. "But I'll be right here waiting for you." While I cried silently, his face was warm and contented.
I woke up chocking. "Easy there!" When I opened my eyes, Daryl sat beside me, rubbing my back. "Ya okay?" He looked scared.
"I'm fine … just a dream." A dream about something familiar … about family … my brother …
"Ya feelin' better?" He didn't believe I was fine. His took away his hand and looked into the yard.
"Yeah …" I sat up straight, feeling an uncomfortable pain in my hand and ribcage. "Another pain killer wouldn't hurt." There was another feeling I couldn't define. It had something to do with my dream … I couldn't remember it clearly.
"Ready to get something to bite?" I nodded and he helped to get up. There were many people in the yard. I was amazed how many I didn't know. They were all working, doing their own contribution to the group. We walked through these people, new group members, and they all gave me different glances. They didn't know me and I didn't know them.
A honking made me turn. A school bus drove through the gate and Rick being the driver. How many people were still coming? The bus almost stopped on my feet. I had to step back. There were people in this bus who had wanted us all dead, now they would be living with us. I had no idea if I liked it or not. The door opened and old people were exciting the car. I curiously looked at the people and suddenly saw Rick waving at me smiling. My eyes wandered back to the people stepping out of the bus: Children, old people, injured people. I slowly walked backwards until I collided with Daryl. Rick excited the bus too and walked over, so I stopped.
"Hey there. You look … okay." He seemed a little out of mind, but smiled nicely. Daryl just nodded.
"Been better. But thanks."
"Glad to see you're finally awake." Finally? So I had been out longer than he had thought? How long had I been unconscious?
"Yeah … thanks for the rescue." I owed him too.
"No need to thank me." His smile was gone and it looked as if he wanted to say something. He wanted to go on, hesitated and looked behind me. "Got to go, they need help." He went to the bus again to help the Woodbury people to find their way. I watched him talking to an old woman.
"Hey Ella." Maggie suddenly stood close to me, looking the same direction.
"Is everyone fine with these people being here?" I asked her, my eyes still fixed on the strangers in front of me. I had heard she was one of the heads planning how to accommodate everyone.
"This world doesn't seem to belong to the human race anymore but to the walking dead. If the living doesn't stick together, the dead wins." She stated.
"Good answer." My eyes finally let go of the people and I saw Carl behind the bus. He looked unhappy. When he looked at me he gave me something that looked like a smile, but didn't come over. He nodded and turned away.
"He's not really fine as you would say. When his father arrived with the Woodbury bus the first time, he didn't want these people here." Her whole appearance was professional.
Now I turned to her. "How long had I been out?" It was not only Maggie, everyone talked about the last days as if it had been weeks. I felt like I had been in a coma for years. Everything had changed so quickly.
"Let's say we had always someone watching you in case you reanimate."
"You thought I would die?" I looked from her to Daryl. He stood quiet the whole time as if he was giving us some quality time.
"You were in a bad shape … They said it was even worse than the last time." She gave me a pity look that almost made me wretch. "After a few days you turned in your bed and mumbled something. Carl almost stabbed you."
"I had been out for days?"
She seemed uneasy. "Let's say a week. Hershel had done everything to treat you. Eat up all the meds we had." She uttered a brief laugh. "I'm really happy you're already walking." I tried to smile, but felt bad. "C'mon, let's get you something to eat."
I looked over to Daryl. "I'll see ya later!" I didn't know if he had something to do or if he was giving Maggie and me some time to talk.
I only nodded not wanting to separate. My stomach growled, I was damn hungry. There was always some job to do and Daryl was needed and was more of a help than others. Maggie offered me her arm. "C'mon!" She told me and I took one last glance at Daryl who had already walked off and I only saw his back. I smiled seeing the wings on his vest. I couldnt enjoy the moment any longer, Maggie dragged me along to the cell block. We walked into the kitchen. "There is still some soup left." She didn't wait for a response and started to warm up the pot.
"I would eat anything right now!" I looked at her. "Maggie … I'm sorry …" She had talked to me like I had never been gone. But I felt miserable not uttering a word about my mistake.
"Shut up." She smiled. "It was really stupid, but since Merle had told us about the governor and you … I understood." My eyes went big, what had Merle told them. "You put your life on the line for others, this is pretty courageous. How could you possibly think you could compete with this psycho?"
"I didn't …" I didn't think I would be confronted with this topic so early. "I just wanted him dead."
"I wish you would have been successful." She filled a bowl and came over to the table. She walked back to fetch a spoon. "This man killed too many people." She handed me the spoon and I immediately started eating. "But I am happy he didn't kill you!"
"Yeah …" I thought about her words. He had killed to many people … Andrea … Something stirred inside me.
"You need to regain strength! Eat!" She ordered and I tried the soup. It was hot and delicious. I ate while she looked at me. Minutes passed while I finished the soup.
"What are you looking at?"
She blushed and looked to my bowl. "You want more?"
I nodded. "Why are you blushing?"
"You …" She hesitated to speak. "Your face." Before I could ask again what was wrong she kept on talking. "Your nose broken, your blue eye, the bruises and scars." She went back to refill my bowl. I touched my nose and it hurt. I haven't seen my face since I woke up. I guessed I didn't want to see me. When she returned she must have seen my face. "Every time you return you look like a walker." She smiled, this time I returned a small smile. "You need to trust us to handle the situation. No more hara-kiri."
I didn't know what to say but was glad the door opened and Carol entered. She ran to me and hugged me tight. "You stupid girl." Tears filled my eyes. "How could you …"
"I'm sorry." I couldn't stop the tears and they looked at me in disbelief. I was crying like a little girl. The both came close, comforting me.
The next days flew by. I got to know some people, spend some time with my old friends and was ordered to do nothing. Everybody had his or her routine. Everyone was working on something. More people joined us. One morning Merle and I sat together at breakfast and I told him about feeling shut out from the world outside the safe walls. I hadn't been thinking, talking brainlessly. That had been nothing new … He had told me he understood, but I hadn't been quite sure he did.
He had told me to come with him and we had went behind the prison, were almost no one ever went. Here he had already built something that looked like a shooting range. From then on we had begun to train to hold guns, knives and to fight. Merle had become something like a brother to me, just like Glenn. Daryl wouldn't have liked me doing any physical activity so we had kept him out of our little training. I hated to not tell him what I was doing after breakfast. But he was on runs or helping at the fence or doing whatever to help the people, our group.
Every day passed without anything happening. That was sure good, but in a world like this such a day was special and almost never happening. While everyone was happy about the situation, about the peaceful life, to me it seemed more like the calm before the storm. I often thought about Michonne. Was she still alive? Where was she right now? Was she still in the county? When new people had arrived the other day I had asked them about Michonne, if they had seen her. I had described her pretty good – well at least that was my opinion. How many women were roaming around the country with a katana?
The sun was already down while I was still up on the tower sitting on the platform looking into the great wide world of walkers. Behind me the tower was a pretty little home. A mattress was up here … There was this feeling of Deja vu. I had slept here when I had arrived for the first time. Time had passed fast. The sight of the bed made me tired and I yawned. I turned again, I was on watch. At least I got trusted with this job. Well, it was just sitting around starring at the row of trees, at the fence and at more walkers.
I took the last painkiller I got and flushed it down with some water. There was still pain in my body. Talking myself into believing I just needed some more days of doing nothing and would be fine. I took the gun and looked through the riflescope. The barricades still stood. Walkers were still approaching the prison. No alive human being behind the fences. Looking over to the trees there wasn't something unusual either. I sighed in boredom. Sasha would replace me soon. Daryl should have been with me, but someone of the newbies had found something on a run. Something like an untouched supermarket. So Daryl and some others went to check on it. Merle went too. I was jealous Merle was allowed to go and join Daryl. My eyes felt so heavy and I yawned again.
"Hey you!" Sasha sat down next to me. "You can go now!"
"Thanks." I suppressed another yawn. "I'm really tired." I stood up to get going.
"You do look better!" She said and I stopped moving. "I mean better than before." She looked up to me. "I mean … more healthy."
"It's okay. I know I don't look like Miss America." Since Maggie's reaction I didn't want to know what I looked like. They told me my nose had been broken so it was kinda crooked now. I had a few cuts in my face that would soon turn into scars. I had avoided to look into mirrors since then.
"Sorry …" She tried, but I waved at her.
"It's okay …" I sighed. "When did you realize he was crazy?"
She looked up to me. "Pretty much at the start. He was acting too much Mr. Nice-guy."
I nodded. "Yeah ... he was a charmer." I looked at my wrist were the scars still remembered me of darker times.
"I heard something about an unfinished business with the governor." She asked cautiously.
"Something like that." I remembered his face when he had hurt me, his smile when he had killed John. "We never had been friends." I clenched my fist and looked into the distance. I saw Merle entering the Cell Block C. Seemed they were back from their little trip. "I better go … need some beauty sleep." I winked at her. "Night!"
"Night Ella!" She said softly.
I didn't went straight to bed – which I should have better done. Instead I went to the library. In the hallway I could already hear Carols voice telling a story. So there must still be some grownups there, otherwise the real lesson would have begun. I sat down next to the door not daring to enter. I had my hidden spot in the very corner of the room where no one could see me. It would be too embarrassing if someone might see me listening to kids stories. But I loved the soothing voice of Carol and I felt home. Sometimes I hated the fighting-lessons Carol was giving the kids, cause I loved the stories more. She always knew I was there. I loved our little talks after the children went away. I had to get used to her hard demeanor, her tougher side. She had turned into a tough woman, but when we were alone she was the Carol I loved so much.
I closed my eyes and heard how Carol was telling the story of Miss Rumphius from Barbara Conney. My mother had read this story to me when I was young. With eyes closed I began to feel the weight of the day and yawned silently. Maybe I should better go to bed. But the calm voice of Carol was still reading on and on and I felt safe. Did I fall asleep?
Someone kicked my foot slightly. "Shall I get ya a blanket?" I opened my eyes to see Daryl. He gave me a smirk.
"Nah thanks." I stood up awkwardly. My body hurt after sitting with my legs outstretched. "How was your day?"
"We found a lot of …" He stopped talking and I wondered why until I realized I had closed my eyes. I opened my eyes to look at him. "That boring?" He let out a laugh.
The look on his face was priceless. He was really laughing at me. That was something rarely seen. "I'm so tired, sorry Dar'." The meds made me tired and I hadn't eaten since noon. I felt like there were many things I had to learn again, next to holding a knife and fighting. There was a regulated daily routine I had to learn.
He pulled me into a half hug and we walked to Cell Block C together. "What did you find?"
"A camp. A military camp … we cleared it a bit, but we were not enough people. We found some medicine in the tents and guns. Next time we will go there with more people. The camp is around a supermarket. Think there will be many supplies we need."
I nodded half asleep and tried to stay awake. I was happy he half carried me. When we reached the cells, Daryl stopped. "Wait." I grabbed the bars to steady myself. I felt so powerless, the pills always kind of knocked me out. Where we at my cell already?
I looked at him and realized we were standing in front of his cell. "What?"
"Just wait woman!" He disappeared behind a sheet the covered his cell.
I was too tired to think so I walked after him. I pushed away the sheets and entered his cell for the first time. Realizing I was standing in his cell, in Daryl's cell. I gasped. Daryl turned around. "I said wait …"
Was he mad at me? "I didn't mean to …"
"Ya never listen." Daryl interrupted me. "I brought you this." He handed me a shirt. When I unfolded the shirt I smiled. It was a white shirt with a rainbow apple. I looked up to Daryl, but he didn't look at me. He was still Daryl, looking at me through his shaggy hair.
"Daryl … this is perfect." I jumped to him, what caught him by surprise. "Thank you" I wanted to kiss him, like the time in the yard. Days had passed … why was I shy kissing him now? I took his hand and looked up to him, he seemed suddenly distant too.
He pulled me to him, still looking into my eyes. I craved for him to kiss me, to scoop me up. With my right hand on his check, I looked at his lips. Seconds passed and I felt the dizziness again. Daryl just looked at me with a fire in his eyes but didn't move. I was still tired, but pushed the cloud of sleep away. This was our moment. I kissed him passionately while he returned the kiss.
"Do I have to pay for this porn?" Merle stood in the door with crossed arms and a dirty smile. "How about a lab dance for good ol' Merle."
Daryl let go off me. "Mind you own business."
I pulled at Daryl's shirt. He remained by my side while I threw a pillow at his brother. "Screw you."
Merle caught the pillow and held it over his special parts. "It 's not like I hadn't seen someone having sex before." He moved his hips.
Daryl turned to Merle and pulled his brother along out of the cell. He would lecture him for sure. Not knowing if I should wait or go to my own bed, I sat on his bed. This bed was comfortable and it was his. I laid down and closed my eyes. I smelled Daryl all over the sheets. I loved this scent of wood and freedom. When I had been alone and looked up by Phillip and the other guys, it had been his scent I had smelled at night. He had kept me alive.
Now that I was left alone, my heart beat slowed down and extreme fatigue took over me. Daryl … the last days our relations ship had grown deeper. There had been more showing of feelings, more … more Daryl. But after all … he was still Daryl. Even we have known each other now for months, he was still the distant lonely wolf of our pack. We shared a kiss here and there, glances and hand holding from time to time – well mostly when I hadn't done what I was ordered to and he had to pull me along – but anyways our relationship was getting closer and closer.
"Ya handle that asshole pretty well." Daryl was back, but I wasn't able to answer. I was already drifting off into sleepy land. But I heard how he walked to the bed and sat down next to me.
Yeah and I get along with his brother pretty good. I mumbled, but didn't know if I really said the words. I was too tired to open my eyes. I heard how he took off his shoes and suddenly stepped over me to lie down behind me. I couldn't believe he was actually going to sleep next to me. Daryl had changed a lot. I thought he would stay distant to everyone forever, but now he was more open … he really opened up week by week.
I was still tired but with Daryl lying next to me, my heart started to beat faster. I wanted to turn around, but the meds gave me the rest and made me even more tired and above all dizzy. Minutes ticked away and sleep embraced me. I was too damn tired to think about him next to me any longer. When I was almost deep asleep, I felt him very close behind me. "Night Ella." He whispered, maybe thinking I was already asleep. He took in a deep breath of my hair. I was too tired to answer or react to this. I enjoyed the closeness and doze off immediately.
See you next week :o)