Chemtrails Over The County Line

by thesentimentalist

While the Greene farm offered the group shelter, refuge, and a sense of community, choosing survival was a decision each person had to make daily. But is just surviving enough? Daryl Dixon had thought so until he met Charlie, also a survivor of abuse. She makes him question everything he has learned about the world, but more importantly, about himself. Daryl & O/C

6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Fire!

Convincing Willa to let me go on a run was easier than I had anticipated. Maggie was going, so in Willa's mind that created a sense of security- having at least one person for sure watching my back. That and the fact that she knew I had the potential of going stir crazy. I had talked to her last night about it, and since Rick wanted to get an early start, I gave both she and Addy a quick goodbye this morning while they were still in bed.

My patient load was lacking, and while I should have been grateful for the "time off", I found myself growing agitated out of boredom. Carl had moved out of the bedroom and into the tent with Rick and Lori. Sophia was doing well in the RV with Carol, Dale, and Andrea. And Daryl was acting as if he hadn't been shot (by himself) with a bolt. Hershel still was the one who rebadged his side when needed, but when Daryl knew I was around, he made sure to at least look like he was taking it easy.

I had taken most of my free time to keep an eye out on the barn, checking and rechecking the stability of the structure. The absolute last thing we needed was to have a herd on our hands. Glenn and Dale were both fidgety about not telling the rest of their group, but between Willa and Maggie, they convinced Glenn and Dale to keep it to themselves just until Willa could figure out a way to delicately tell Hershel we were going to have to kill his wife and step son. She was already setting the seeds, casually mentioning the grotesque horrors of the undead that we had encountered on our journey from Miami. She thought that if we got Hershel to come to the conclusion on his own that the walkers were no longer the people they once were, eliminating them would be easier.

"This is just a quick test run," Rick was saying to the group of us who were going on the run. "We'll do the big run in a few days, after we have devised a plan."

I looked to Maggie, who was standing close to Glenn. They hadn't cooled their "one time thing," despite Hershel's visual and verbal annoyance. Shane was standing next to Rick with his arms crossed. I had made a point to go back to avoiding him since our confrontation in the hall. Dale was also now on his shit list, so I figured I could try to talk to him about Shane. Andrea and T were both listening to Rick's next orders very seriously. He wanted us to split up into teams, two at a time, and each team had a job. We were going to start about ten miles down the interstate to look for food, clothes, medicine, and gas. We would have a lookout all times and if we ran into any "friendlies" aka non-walkers, we would still do our best to put distance between us and them. This was something we could all agree on.

While Maggie, Glenn, T, and I were getting into a jeep that T had brought back on a quick run earlier in the week, Daryl was making his way to his bike. "Nice day for a drive?" I asked him with my hands on my hips.

"Y'all ain't goin' without me," he said.

I nodded at Glenn to get the car ready and joined Daryl at his motorcycle. "I don't think you're quite there yet," I said softly.

"The hell I ain't," he said quickly, as if it was a knee jerk reaction. His face softened almost immediately after, but he didn't rebuttal his statement.

Daryl and I had been working on his physical therapy, mainly tossing a tennis ball back and forth for an hour a day the past four days, so I knew he was strong enough to go, but we didn't need for him to risk his recovery to go.

"This is a trial run, you heard Rick."

"Ain't stayin' behind like a lil bitch."

I let out a sigh, unphased by his wording, but annoyed that he wasn't taking my advice. "Fine," I said to him. "I'll meet you guys there," I called to Maggie. She gave me a puzzled look, but joined Glenn and T in the jeep.

"What ya doin'?" Daryl asked.

"Riding with you," I said blatantly. "You're still my patient, so if you want to go, this is the best I can do."

His eyes narrowed as he looked at me, but he could tell I had made up my mind. "Yur somethin' else," he muttered.

"Better get used to it, tiger."

He grunted as he put his leg over his bike, moving slower than normal. I swallowed hard, realizing that for me to ride with him, I'd have to someone put my hands around him. Hindsight, maybe this wasn't the best idea. These last few days had been perfectly pleasant with Daryl as we spent time together working on his PT, walking with the kids to show them what berries/other vegetation that could eat and not eat, even sharing a few meals together. Most of the time, we sat in silence, but when we did speak, it was light hearted and I could only describe it as "feel good" conversations. I could tell that Daryl trusted me, and others in the group began to notice the amount of time we were spending together. Andrea even asked me if I spoke redneck because she had never seen Daryl "put up with anyone" for so long.

But now, as I was about to climb behind him, I felt nervous. I wasn't worried about my safety, but rather felt the butterflies in my go on hyperdrive.

"Well?" He said.

I threw my leg over the side of the bike and gently lowered myself behind him. Gingerly placing my hands around his hips, I made sure to avoid his incisions. His body tensed under my touch, but when I relaxed myself into him, he did the same.

"Ready?"

"Uh-huh."

Daryl pulled the throttle and within seconds, we were out of the driveway. I buried my face behind his shoulder blades, feeling the humid air whip around me. Thankfully, I had secured my hair into a low bun or I'd look like the bride of frankenstein once we had arrived. My nerves melted into the atmosphere the longer I held onto his hips. There was something peaceful and comforting about being with Daryl like this. While I had to keep my mind from wandering too terribly in the NC-17 direction, I felt happy, content. The ride was over too quickly for my liking, but when Daryl came to a stop behind Rick's car, it appeared that Daryl felt the same way. He let his hands linger on the handles before turning off the engine. With his head turned to look over his shoulder at me, I finally removed my hands from his hips. I leaned back onto the back of the bike and watched as he made his way off of it. With both of his feet on the pavement, I bit my lower lip, still leaning back. His eyes traveled down my face and over my body briefly as I joined him. The butterflies in my stomach might as well have been on adderall in that moment as I tried to keep myself from licking my lips. I settled from brushing my hand against his arms lightly as I passed, making my way to Maggie.

Maggie raised her eyebrows at me as I stood next to her. "So for real? You and Daryl?"

"We're just friends."

She scoffed lightly. "Right, and Glenn and I were just a one time thing."

Glenn all but jumped out from behind a car with a box full of water guns. "Do you think the kids would like these?" He paused. "I mean, after that storm, we have all that water, plus the water in the wells."

Maggie smiled broadly at the man and then looked back at me. "I think he likes you."

Before I could add anything, Daryl called for me. "Ya comin', Cherry?" He asked as he held up three gas containers that Rick had given him.

I didn't bother looking back at Maggie, because I knew she was smiling widely behind me as I made my way to Daryl.

"Ya ain't never siphoned gas before?" He asked me as he leaned against a white Jeep.

Did I ever really have a reason to do so before? "Nope," I answered, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. The beating Georgia sun was similar to Miami's heat, but today's humidity was already making my shirt cling to my chest and back, and it wasn't even eight AM.

"A'ight," he said, pulling out a small hose, roughly a quarter inch thick, from the pack Rick had given him. "This car is old 'nough that it ain't got no anti-rollover valve."

I nodded. So modern cars were more difficult to siphon gas out of. Made sense.

"If ya in a hurry, or ya see geeks comin' at ya, move. This 'in takes 'bout eight minutes a gallon." I watched as he removed the gas cap and threaded the hose into the tank. Sweat dropped off the tips of his shoulders and down his solid arms. "Ya watchin'?"

I nodded, wiping sweat from my brow with the back of my hand. It was nearly impossible not to watch him, and I almost felt guilty for sexualizing him in this particular moment. What can I say? I guess I do have a type, and for better or for worse, my type is anyone who has anything to teach me. Of course, it doesn't hurt when they look like Daryl Dixon.

Daryl blew into the tube and then put his ear to it. He signaled for me to put my ear to the hose next. When I did, he asked if I could hear the bubbles. I nodded, pulling away. He stood there for a moment, as if trying to choose his words. "Eva' smoked one of 'em?" He asked, holding out a cigarette that he retrieved from his pocket.

I nodded.

"Don't breathe in like that."

"So just suck on the tube with your mouth, not your lungs?"

"Yep." I watched as he did just that, taking just a second to suck on the tube, with his index finger and thumb crimping about an inch below the tip of the tube. With the gas receptacle below the gas tank, gravity helped pull the fluid from the tank and the receptacle began to fill. "Got it?"

It looked easy enough, as long as you didn't get gas poisoning. "Think so."

"Alright, try that car," he said pointing to an old Camry. He handed me another tube from the pack and the second gas receptacle. In the past, I had proven to be a hands on learner, but I wasn't overly excited to give this task a go. I wasn't going to let Daryl know that, though.

With the tube and gas receptacle in hand, I made my way to the old car. Doing what I had just been instructed to do, I couldn't help but notice

Daryl's gaze on me.

Insert hose. Check.

Blow to see if there was gas in the tank. Check.

Listen for bubbles. Check.

Clamp the hose right under the tip. Check.

Suck, not breathe air from the hose. Check.

Let gravity do its work and drain the gas. Check.

I turned to look at Daryl, a big grin on my face. He nodded in my direction before looking through the belongings in the Jeep.

I leaned against the Camry, my hands in my front pockets when I noticed bubbles starting to form in the tube. Gas had nearly come to a stop in filling the receptacle. I blew into the tank and it was clear that there was still gas to be siphoned. Somehow, the flow of gravity had been broken by the excess air bubbles. Clearly, I just needed to suck on the hose again, to help gravity do its job,

Wrong. Very very wrong.

Gas filled my mouth, producing a coughing fit followed by my not so graceful display of spitting out the liquid that tasted something along the line of 190 proof alcohol. The strong chemical flavor burned the back of my throat and my nose.

Daryl popped his head from behind the Jeep to get eyes on me as I continued my coughing frenzy.

"Good to see where your real skills lie, Doctor Buttercup," Shane laughed as he walked by me. "You know, sucking."

Yeah I got the joke. Fucking hilarious. I shot him the bird when he turned to look over his shoulder. "Fuck," cough, "off," cough, cough, "Officer Dildo." I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and saw that Daryl was standing behind me when I turned to try to figure out the hose situation.

"Didn't think you knew words like that, Doc." He was looking more amused than not with his stance broad and his arms crossed. Again, he really had no idea.

My eyes were watering from the fumes and of course, excessive coughing. "Rather you call me Cherry," I said, partially joking. "Doc gives me creepy old man vibes."

He grinned down at me when I bent over, my hands on my knees finally able to catch my breath. "Think that's enough gas for now." He pulled at the sleeve of my long sleeve shirt. "Ya ain't hot?"

I fidgeted slightly with the sleeve as I stood up straight. Yes, I was. "Better than having Willa or Hershel worry about those scratches," I shrugged.

He looked me over. I knew he would understand. "Good work, Cherry."

I stood up straight, my hands on my hips. "You do know my name is Charlie, right?"

He was already walking away, but looked over his shoulder. "Whatever ya say, Cherry."

Was he flirting? It could be possible that through this whole zombie apocalypse thing, I had forgotten what flirting sounded like. Still, it felt like he was. I smiled, silently reminding myself to look for extra toothpaste and mouthwash. Hopefully I would be needing it for the minty fresh breath aspect and not just the boring fighting cavities part.

We made it back to the farm in time for lunch. Beth, Patricia, Carol, and Lori had really out done themselves, making cornbread and chili from the deer that Daryl had brought back with him before his accident and fresh tomatoes from the garden Maggie and Willa were working on diligently every morning. Willa had even made it a teaching moment, showing Addy, Carl, and Sophia how to check for the ripeness of vine grown vegetables.

The Greene family and company still stayed close to the house, eating their lunch together on the porch while the majority of Rick's group settled down in a circle a yard or so from the house.

"Can I eat with Carl and Sophie?" Addy asked Willa.

Willa looked over her bowl of chili and pressed her lips together. I didn't see what the big deal was, but Hershel liked keeping the distance between "them" and "us". He didn't want to feel responsible for Rick's group, and was adamant that once Carl was fully healed, they were to be on their way. While Hershel was more than qualified to make that call about Carl, he had given the responsibility of monitoring the boy's health to me. Carl, in my opinion, was nearly, if not fully healed at this point. It had been almost two weeks since his surgery and he was strong and healthy. I could get away with letting his "recovery" period go on for another two weeks. Something just didn't feel right about sending them away.

"Sure, sweetheart, but stay close." She looked at me. "Aren't you hungry?"

I shrugged, leaning against the front door. "Feeling antsy, I guess."

"Something happened on the run?" Hershel asked.

I shook my head. "No, nothing like that." I bit my inner cheek as I watched Rick's group interact with one another. The three kids were now all sitting together, and the sight of them simply being children soothed my nerves slightly. I let out a deep breath. This feeling of anxiousness wasn't new to me. I had dealt with anxiety in some form or another since I could remember. A lot of the time I managed my anxiety with getting my body moving- swimming with Addy, taking a Pilates barre class with Willa, or if it was two in the morning and I couldn't sleep, I'd hit the treadmill at the hospital gym. I'd find that my mind wouldn't work as hard when my body was putting forth more effort. The run with the group today only moderately helped, still I had leftover tension.

"I'm going for a run," I said to Willa.

"Uh, no you're not," she said quickly, turning to Hershel to back her up on the matter.

"I wasn't asking permission," I said softly. "I know these woods like the back of my hands, and besides," I said as I pulled on the high waisted waistband of my running leggings. "I'm already dressed for the occasion." I shook out my hands. "I just need to get out of my head."

She looked at me softly, understanding in her own way what I meant. She knew how important it was to monitor one's mental health. After the accident where we lost our parents, the following six months Willa suffered from PTSD, complete with night terrors, flashbacks, and the sound of screeching tires sent her into a frenzy. Then one day, it stopped. She didn't have a crippling fear of living in a world where her parents did not.

I had to work harder. My PTSD leveled out, but was replaced by a different anxiety disorder- panic disorder. Sometimes the diagnosis had made me feel weak, not understanding why Willa was able to just "snap out of it" and I seemingly could not.

"Stay close then," she said. "Please."

I nodded. "I'll keep it to a three to four mile run. Be back before the forty minute mark."

"If you're not, I'm sending Officer Crazy Eyes out to look for you," she teased.

I smiled, kind of loving the idea of Willa hating on Shane too. It's the small things in life. "See you in a bit," I said as I threw a small backpack over my shoulders. I had everything I needed in there in case of an emergency.

Hershel glanced up from his lunch, only nodding. I could tell he wasn't happy with my going, but I swear after I operated on Carl, he saw me in a different light.

I only got a few feet down the driveway when Addy and Carl yelled at me, running in my direction.

"Where are you going?" Addy asked.

"Can we come?" Carl asked before knowing where I was heading off to.

I smiled, kneeling down in front of them. "I'm just going to get some air. I'll be right back." I'd expected the third degree from Willa and Hershel but not from these two.

"Okay…" Addy pouted, not liking my answer.

I stood up, winking at the two kids before turning back to head out the gate. As I passed Daryl on the way out, I noticed he cleaning off his bike.

"Where ya head in' out to, Cherry?"

"Why can you leave the farm solo and not get a single question, but when I do it's more difficult than getting into Tulane?"

He grunted, shrugging.

"See you soon," I said as I sped from a walk to a jog.

"Charlie!" He shouted.

"You wouldn't be able to keep up!" I yelled over my shoulder. My jog turned into an easy, light run as I made my way into the trees. I could hear my breathing remain regulated and feel my chest lighten as I put more steps under my feet. It was a good feeling, finally having time that was just for me. The stress from the week began to melt away with every long stride that I took.

The light throbbing in my head that happened when my brain released endorphins started, and my arms were covered with goosebumps. Accompanied by the tingling sensation that spread through my body, I felt warm- not hot, not panting sweat, but just warm. My posture got a little straighter and the sound of my own breath formed a tempo that my body instinctively followed. Somehow through the execution of energy, my body and mind were completely relaxed.

My run was over before I knew it, finding myself only a few yards from the driveway. I slowed my pace and came to an easy walk the closer I got to the fence. I wouldn't want Andrea thinking that I was somehow a walker, especially since I heard her aim was getting better. With my runner's high faltering, I realized how hot I had gotten, feeling sweat beads drip down my chest. I removed my long sleeve shirt, revealing a black sports bra that was more like a crop top than an actual bra. I wrapped the sleeves of the top around my hips, making sure to cover the burns on my back.

Upon walking into the safety of the farm, I was greeted by Carol. "Are you trying to give the men heart attacks?" She asked, playfully.

I looked down, not finding anything wrong with my attire. My eyes casually scanned the yard, seeing what Carol meant. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. In Miami, women roller skated in string bikinis without being given a second glance. Rick cleared his throat, going inside the RV with Dale while Shane didn't even pretend to avert his eyes as he stood with his arms crossed. Daryl, who was coming out of his tent, nodded in my direction, unseeingly phased. T shoved Shane, causing both men to laugh.

Before I could respond to Carol, I felt lukewarm water being sprayed across my back, followed by the word "Fire!".

My body clenched with the sudden shock and I quickly turned to see Addy standing about ten feet away with a water gun in her hand, no doubt thanks to Glenn. "Oh, you're going to pay for that!" I yelled as I ran towards her.

Addy screeched in joy as she ran towards Sophia, who was decked out in a long sleeve shirt and hat just as I had instructed. I found Carl hiding behind my Civic and laughed when he offered me his second gun.

"How many?" I asked as I ducked down next to him.

He looked at me seriously. "Maggie, Beth, Jimmy, and Glenn are behind the house somewhere."

"You haven't been running, have you?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Mom has been watching me like a hawk, too."

I grinned. Good for Lori. "Okay, you're going to have to cover me while I sneak up on Addy."

He nodded, his smile broad. "I can do that."

I looked over the hood of my Civic to see Addy and Sophia both sprinting to the side of the house. Seconds later, Maggie and Beth chased the two younger girls back to the center of the yard before I had a chance to. The yard filled with laughter and squeals, and although Hershel preferred a quiet home, even he was smiling from ear to ear. He stood on the front porch with Patricia and Willa and watched as a portion of this little community forgot about the troubled times and their extensive backgrounds and simply enjoyed a moment together.

"You got me?" I asked Carl.

He nodded, aiming his water gun in their directions.

I smiled and jumped up, running full force towards Addy and Maggie. Maggie, who was laughing as she turned on Beth, squirting her younger sister in the face, didn't see that I was by her side, I "shot" her, covering the bottom of her shirt with water while Carl managed to get both Addy and Sophia. I couldn't help but to laugh at their shreeks. Glenn and Jimmy rounded the corner of the house, both "opening fire" on us, girls, both yelling "Fire!" as they dove for us. We were able to fire back, but they were absolutely relentless. I ran towards the RV, stopping to hide behind Daryl's bike, wiping water from my face.

"Nah, woman, not by my bike," Daryl called from the side of the RV.

I raised my eyebrow at him, but stayed behind his bike as Beth made her way to me.

Daryl pushed himself off the vehicle. "Cherry, don't make me move ya."

I grinned, silently challenging him to do just that. I motioned for Beth to hold her fire, and she did as she walked towards me slowly. "Want to help me?"

She looked at Daryl then back at me. Shaking her head, she told me I was on my own.

"Beth!" I shrieked when Daryl was only a few feet away.

Beth giggled, tossing Daryl her water gun before running back towards Maggie and Jimmy. I called out to her, but she only turned back to wave.

I held my hands up in a defensive position, sporting a huge grin. "Look, I'm already soaked. You're the one with everything to lose," I joked.

"Ya'd really shoot me? Thought I was supposed to keep this," he said as he gestured to his side. "Dry." His mouth turned up to a half grin as he stepped closer, the only thing between us was his bike.

My mouth opened lightly and I shook my head. "You're playing dirty, tiger."

He shrugged. "It's the only card I got."

"Fine," I said stepping to the side, away from his bike. "You win."

He looked skeptical. "Ya surrender?"

"Uh-huh," I said, trying not to smile as I scratched behind my ear.

He looked at my tell, but while he was realizing I wasn't being honest, I squirted Daryl in the right shoulder with the water gun before taking off, running behind the house.

"Cherry!" He called after me.

After I rounded the house, I turned to look around the corner, but Daryl was nowhere to be found. My giggles ceased as I scanned the trees beside the swing and couldn't locate him. I was about to give up when I heard a whistle come from behind me. I turned quickly to see Daryl sporting a massive grin.

"Okay, listen," I said. Before I knew it, I had squealed as Daryl squirted me in the chest. I bent over to fan out my sports bra, laughing as water trickled down my stomach. "We're even!" I declared as he stepped closer to me, eyeing me gingerly.

I stood up straight, catching his gaze with the sun slightly behind him, he looked more handsome than ever. Not being out hunting or tracking, he had kept his appearance relatively clean, making his tan complexion and blue eyes really pop. Water still glistened on his right shoulder, bringing my attention to his broad frame and muscular biceps.

"Don't think so," he said. "Ya said ya surrendered."

I held up the water gun again, and without warning fired, but to my dismay, it was empty. I dropped the plastic toy and turned to run, but Daryl wrapped his strong arms around my waist, keeping me in place. "Ya may be faster than me, but even with a bum side, I'm still stronger." His breath was hot on my neck and even though I was struggling to get away, I hoped he wouldn't let go. The feeling of his hard chest pressed against my back sent a shockwave through my entire body.

I looked over my shoulder at me and when our eyes met, he slowly unwrapped his arms from around me. I turned to face him and rested my hand on his injured side gently. "You okay?"

He nodded, not breaking eye contact. With his head slightly lowered, I could see how intense his gaze was. I swallowed hard, never experiencing something like this from Daryl. I could feel my cheeks begin to turn a light pink color as he stepped closer to me. I moved backwards until my back was against the house, the solid structure startling me slightly. I felt my breath hitch in my throat as I clutched the bottom of his shirt into my right hand and pulled him into me.

I leaned my head against the panel, letting out a deep breath. I didn't know what I was doing, if this was even something that I should be considering. Was Willa right? Would things be too messy? All I knew was that my entire body was screaming for Daryl to touch me, but it was more to it than that. He made me feel safe and heard, other than my father, I had never experienced that from another man. The men I casually dated could never, no matter how hard they tried, make me feel anything other than good for a singular fleeting moment. Once the moment was gone, I felt worse than I did before being with them.

With my hand still clutching Daryl's shirt, I pulled him into me, propping my left foot against the side of the house so that he was nestled in between my legs. He grunted as his body collided with mine. He placed his hands on either side of me as he leaned down, putting his forehead against mine. When I bit my lower lip, his eyes darted to my mouth. I watched him lick his own lips and I could feel something primal stir inside of me as I arched my back so that there was even less space between us.

"There you are!" Carol shouted from the other side of the house.

We both turned to look at Carol and Daryl instantly pushed himself away, leaving no less than five feet between us. I stood up straight, following his lead.

"What is it?" He asked.

"You need to come… both of you."

The barn. I knew that this wouldn't be kept a secret for long. Willa, Maggie, and the rest of Rick's group were standing in front of the it arguing by the time Daryl, Carol, and I made it to them.

"Where's Hershel?" I asked Willa the moment I was in earshot.

"Inside, laying down." She paused. "He doesn't know they all know."

I looked around, not understanding how just ten minutes ago only a handful of us knew about the walkers locked away. "How do they all know?"

"Did ya know?" Daryl asked, pushing himself into our conversation.

I nodded.

He hissed, throwing his head back before putting several feet between us. I looked down, biting my lip, and took a moment to breathe.

"Glenn," Willa said softly. "He couldn't keep it to himself anymore."

"We have to kill these things!" Shane was saying as he paced back and forth in front of the barn. He looked nothing short of a mad man as his strides became wider. With his shoulders slightly hunched forward, he stared down Willa, Maggie, and me. "You all need to fuck off," he yelled.

I stepped forward, putting myself in between Willa and Maggie and Shane. "This isn't your call, what we do here."

He laughed and took several long strides towards me. "It sure as hell ain't yours, doc," he said with his face inches from mine.

Willa's hands gripped onto my forearm, trying to pull me back, but I stood toe to toe with Shane. "You are guests on my uncle's land," I reminded him.

"So what? You want us to leave?"

I swallowed hard as I looked around, my eyes lingering on Lori and Carol. With my attention back at Shane, I let out a deep breath. "Of course not, but we need to handle this diplomatically."

"Take your ten dollar word and shove it, Charlie. Everyone here knows what we need to do."

"Listen," I said, taking a step back and addressing the others. My eyes fell on Rick. "Willa has been working on the issue with Hershel. We just need more time for him to understand."

"Understand what? That they're just bags of rotting skin?" Shane asked, scoffing.

"Have some compassion," I spat. "Like Ottis had for you, covering you and all, so you could run away."

Shane's eyes narrowed and I saw a flash of rage run through him. He reached out to grab my arm, but Daryl put himself in between us so quickly, I stumbled backwards, Willa keeping me steady.

"I ain't gonna tell ya again not to touch her," Daryl challenged with a harsh tone and bowed chest.

"Man, get out of my face," Shane shouted back, shoving Daryl.

It all happened so quickly. I couldn't make sense of who was yelling what or whose hands were attempting to stop the physical conflict. Daryl retaliated by punching Shane square in the jaw. Daryl stepped back, shaking out his right hand as I put my hands on his chest. We made eye contact briefly before Daryl moved me out the way as Shane swung at him.

Rick finally managed to Shane back, T and Glenn helping Rick restrain Shane.

I pulled Daryl away from the circle that had formed, pressing my chest against his back as I held onto him. "I'm okay," I whispered in Daryl's ear.

"I'm safe."

Daryl's hands were still balled into fists, but his breathing slowed and his chest deflated slightly.

Willa looked to me, her eyes wide. "You good?"

I nodded.

"Rick," Willa said as she approached him, Shane, and T. "Come with me. We'll both go talk to my uncle." She was attempting to deescalate the situation as quick as possible. Letting this conversation continue wasn't going to be an option, if we wanted to avoid another physical confrontation.

I watched Shane closely, not putting it past him to hit a pregnant woman.

Rick nodded. "That sounds like a plan to me." He looked to Shane. "Brother, please. Give me this. Give us this time to figure this out."

Shane shrugged T off of him. "This is bull shit," he murmured before walking off towards the woods.

I squeezed Willa's hand and nodded. "If you need me…"

She nodded, her face grim. This is not how she had planned to have the big conversation with Hershel.

"Take a walk with me," Daryl said, making me focus on him after Rick and Willa had made their way inside the house. It wasn't a question and I could tell by his tone, he was overly agitated. He didn't wait for a reply, so I quickly found my stride in his and we walked past the field in silence. When he stopped, I did the same, twisting my hands together a few feet behind him. I felt like a child who was about to be scolded, and I was immediately on the defense. I knew Daryl wasn't necessarily the best during a confrontation and that I should be dragging my own baggage into what was promised to be an already difficult conversation, but old habits were hard to break. "Ya knew about them walkers in there?"

I nodded.

He looked down at me, his mouth in a tight line. "How long ya know? The whole time?"

"No, Maggie told me earlier this week. Willa-,"

He cut me off, not interested in anything else but the timeframe. "Ya didn't tell me." Again, another statement. One long stride of his made up the difference between us. "Why?" He was nearly in my face, his broad chest bowed out. Not even fifteen minutes ago we were in a similar position, but this moment couldn't have been any more different than that moment.

I wasn't sure if I was in the wrong by not telling him, I may have been; but I wasn't going to be subjected to this form of intimidation. "Okay, this,"

I said, gesturing to his body language. "Isn't how you're going to have a conversation with me."

He looked down at his stance and slowly relaxed. It was only slightly, but his chest was softer and he put his hands by his side instead of across his chest. Rubbing the back of his neck, he muttered a quiet apology.

My own demeanor softened at his gesture. His threatening posture was part of his baggage, something that he had learned long ago. "I didn't tell you because… I don't know. It wasn't my place to."

"What the hell does that even mean?"

"Things here aren't the same for me as they are for Willa and Maggie. It's more... complicated. I didn't want to risk Hershel's feelings, he-,"

"So ya'll risk our lives, instead?" He demanded, cutting me off again.

"I was checking the barn four, five times a day after I found out. So was Maggie, Dale, and Glenn. We were handling it until Willa could convince Hershel how unsafe having the walkers in our backyard was." I paused. "I get it, I know why you're mad."

He shook his head. "Nah, Charlie. Ya really don't." He turned to walk away from me, but I grabbed his wrist to stop him. Somehow the use of my name stung in that moment.

"Then explain it to me," I said once he turned back around to face me. My eyes were pleading as I stood before him.

He looked down at our hands and it didn't go unnoticed that he didn't pull from my grasp as he spoke. "Ya don't trust me."

"That's not true," I countered quickly.

"If ya did, ya would have told me."

I bit the inside of my cheek. I didn't see it that way, and I hated that he did. I knew how hard it was to win over someone like Daryl's trust and if he thought I didn't trust him, he would never trust me. I could tell he felt betrayed by my lack of transparency, but I couldn't apologize for doing what I thought was right in the moment. Hindsight was a real dick.

"I'm sorry you see it that way," was the only thing I could offer him.

He scoffed, pulling his hand from mine. "Maybe if I was a doctor or lawyer or some big shot, ya'd see it that way too and woulda trusted me."

I shook my head, my eyes narrowing at him. "That has nothing to do with this."

"What? Ya think I ain't smart enough to handle bein' told somethin' like that? The Asian kid is smart, the old man is-,"

"This isn't about them, and it certainly isn't about my questioning your intelligence or any of your capabilities for that matter."

He grunted, now pacing back and forth. "Hershel, Willa, ya. Yur all educated. Ya stick to yur own."

Watching Daryl work himself up into a frenzy because of me was enough to make me physically ill. "That's not fair! They're family."

"What about me? Just some asshole?" The question seemed to take Daryl off guard as much as it did me. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but I couldn't form words. "I'll answer it fur ya. I'm nothin' to ya," he all but spat.

"You don't get to make that decision."

His hissed through his teeth. "I didn't, ya did it fur me."

I walked around him and put myself in between him and the farm. "No, no, I didn't," I said as I moved my head in front of his, trying to get him to make eye contact with me. "To answer your question, I don't know what you are to me," I said honestly. "I think we're friends, and I know I can trust you and care about you." His eyes stopped looking over my head and skimmed down to hold my gaze. "I may have made a mistake not telling you about the walkers, but I did what I thought was best." I paused, letting out a shaky breath. "So, I'm going to say this instead of keeping it to myself," I paused. "I would like to try with you... to see whatever this is through."

Daryl's face has softened half way through my little speech, but true to Daryl Dixon's character, he remained silent.

"Now you have a decision to make," I said softly, trying to read his face. Like most other times I tried to decipher Daryl's emotions, I was unsuccessful. I could have stood in front of him for ages if things had been different. If I didn't know that Willa and Rick were trying to reason with Hershel and if I didn't know that there was a barn full of walkers with three kids just yards away, I would have waited for an answer. If the world hadn't gone to shit, I'd wait forever just to hear him give me an answer. But it wasn't like that, I didn't have that luxury, so I turned on my heel and walked down the driveway. Daryl didn't call after me or try to catch up to me. He simply stood where I had left him.

I had made it back to the house when I heard Addy talking to Carl and Sophia. "My mom is going to make sure you stay," she was saying in a hushed voice as she and Sophia sat on the porch swing with Carl sitting in the chair next to them. "Don't worry."

It made sense that Addy would have so much faith in her mother, but it wasn't Willa I was concerned about, it was Hershel. He could be the most stubborn individual and pair that with his strong sense of duty to his family, it rarely left any for outsiders. I hoped Willa and Rick's conversation went better than the one I just had with Daryl.

...

I hope the water gun scene of the chapter didn't come across as trivial; I thought it would be nice to see the groups merge together to blow off steam. It isn't meant to be filler, but something a little along the lines of boosting moral and letting Hershel see that life with more people was a good thing.

The ball is in Daryl's court now, I wonder if/when he'll get back to Charlie with his answer.