The Places We Hide

Chapter 5

Pairing: Daryl x OC

Rating: M

Location: The CDC

Harper stayed close to Daryl in the elevator ride down to a lower level of the CDC. Jenner was explaining what happened to the rest of his coworkers and how desolate different outcomes were looking.

When the doors opened, the group was blinded by another bright light that lit up what looked like a doctor's office. Jenner ushered them all in and went to open different cabinets to gather supplies.

"I hope you all understand, but I need to draw your blood and make sure everyone is healthy. I can't take any chances."

"Of course." Rick moved forward and offered his arm to Jenner.

"I can help; I'm a nurse." Jenner glanced up at Harper and nodded to the supplies and another stool she could sit on. Daryl threw his crossbow over his shoulder and plopped down in the chair in front of Harper.

"Don't mess up," He grumbled and looked away when Harper tied a tourniquet above his elbow.

"Seriously Daryl? You have tattoos; I'm surprised a little needle like this can make you queasy," She teased. Daryl tsked and bit the thumb nail of his free hand.

"Tattoos don't feel nothin' like this," He griped as Harper cleaned his skin off with the alcohol.

"That I will agree with," Harper mumbled, focusing on piercing Daryl's vein with the butterfly needle.

"Hm, ya got some ink on ya, Princess?" Daryl asked, squinting his eyes like he was trying to figure out where it would be.

"Maybe," was all Harper said as she released the tourniquet and held pressure with some gauze. "Up," She told him so the next person could sit. Between the two of them, Jenner and Harper were able to get the through group within ten minutes.

"Everyone wait here while I check these." Jenner went through another door with the basket of labeled tubes. One by one, the survivors started to slide down the wall so they could sit on the cool ground.

"How long will it take for him to test our blood?" Lori asked Harper.

"Those were just CBC's so probably 30 minutes give or take."

"CBC?" T-Dog asked.

"It's just a blood count. It can check your white blood cells to see if you have an infection." T-Dog nodded and leaned back to close his eyes and rest.

"This is good. We have a place where we can rest; none of those walkers are getting in here. After we find something to eat, we can ask Jenner more about what's going on," Rick told the group. Harper looked around for Shane; he'd been oddly silent since they arrived. His face was impassive; no telling what he was thinking with Rick starting to act as their new leader.

"Quit yer eyein'," Daryl mumbled making Harper laugh softly.

"What? You gonna get jealous?"

"Nah. Just don't need more fightin' between the two of ya right now." Harper rolled her eyes but knew he was right and kept to herself. Daryl leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, finally resting.

When Jenner came back, he was pleased with everyone's results and led them further into the building. Specifically, he led them to the kitchen where he was making spaghetti before he let them all in. Everyone settled around the table and seemed to forget what was happening outside when Jenner broke out his stash of wine.

Harper sipped on the merlot in her glass, not a huge fan of it, and smiled when Carl cringed after taking a sip from his mom's cup. Daryl was teasing Glenn about getting him drunk and T-Dog's loud laugh was filling the room along with several of the others. Harper glanced over at a very quiet Jenner and made eye contact with Rick. Rick seemed to read her mind and stood up, giving a quick toast and thanks to the scientist for hosting them.

But of course, Shane had to go and put his two cents in. Daryl settled into the seat next to Harper once Shane started running his mouth. She didn't know if it was to prevent her from saying something to Shane or because he was uncomfortable standing with the room getting so quiet. The bottle of whiskey he was nursing sat on the table next to her wine, and she noticed how his body was suddenly very still as he listened to the men.

"There was a rash of suicides…" Harper looked back at Jenner as he answered Shane and frowned. She felt bad, but she understood where these people were coming from. She abandoned her post at the hospital, especially once the military arrived. She had a duty to serve the public, and she ran out on them. She became a nurse because she wanted to help those that weren't able to help themselves, but she couldn't do it in the end.

When she first started her nursing career, she remembered how the hospital made her attend a week long orientation. One of the days had the police there to teach the staff what to do if there was an active shooter or someone in the building trying to hurt everyone.

They told her that if it came down to it, her life came before her patients. It was a hard pill for her to swallow. She always thought that if she was put in that kind of situation; she'd save a few people with her, but when she actually faced the possibility of being gunned down, by the military no less, she chose her life over others. The scientists that ran or those that ended their lives acted like Harper did.

Mood suddenly somber, Harper pushed her wine further away and tried to look discreetly over to Daryl, but he was making sure not to look anywhere but the table top.

The rest of the meal was uncomfortable, but luckily Shane didn't say another word.

Harper stepped out of the shower and headed to the duffle bag she set on her cot. She unzipped it and frowned when she saw sleeveless flannels instead of her t-shirts. She and Daryl must have swap their bags. Glenn had grabbed some heavy duty bags on one of his runs and several of their group members now carried similar bags.

Sighing, Harper debated just wearing his clothes to bed, but she didn't have any underwear and didn't have anything to change into when she woke up. Tucking her towel tighter around her chest, she grabbed his bag and walked to the next door over and knocked loudly.

No answer.

She knocked again. "Daryl! Open up. You have my bag," She called through the door. Harper heard his heavy footfalls before the door opened and revealed a very drunk Daryl leaning against the doorframe for support.

"Woah, big guy. Like you some Southern Comfort, huh?" She joked. Daryl attempted a grin and almost fell forward, his balance clearly being affected by the amount of whiskey he'd consumed. Harper looked at the bottle still in his hand and saw how empty it actually was. She was surprised Daryl was still standing up at this point.

Moving past him so she could walk inside, Harper tossed his bag on his cot and saw hers sitting on a table against another wall. She walked over to it so she could grab it and leave, but Daryl came up behind her, his body heat suddenly close to her somewhat exposed back.

Harper turned and was face to face with his neck. She took a step back and looked up at him.

"You okay, Daryl? You need to go lay down."

"Why ya tryna be ma frien', Princess?" His southern drawl was so thick due to his drunken state that Harper almost had to ask him to say it again. A shiver ran up her body though when she heard his deep voice sound huskier than usual.

"Okay, you've definitely had enough of that." She took the bottle with little fight on his part and set it next to her bag on the table. Seeing that he was still waiting for an answer, Harper gave in.

"I like you, Daryl. You're not like the rest of the group."

"Cause I's a hick?" He asked, swaying slightly before rebalancing himself. Harper rested a hand on his arm to make sure he didn't drop to the floor without warning.

"No, Daryl. You're a survivor, and I admire that. I need some of you to rub off on me," She told him lightly. Daryl had a serious look on his face that made Harper worry about what was going on in that confusing head of his.

"Never had no frien's that were girls," He grumbled.

"Well, there's a first time for everything, isn't there?"

He quickly looked down at her lips and narrowed his eyes. He seemed to be thinking awfully hard about something; he looked up at Harper's eyes and back down again, focusing on her lips. Seeing him lean in, Harper forced herself to stop him from getting any closer, even though she really didn't want to, placing a hand on his chest gently.

"You can't kiss me, Daryl," She whispered. He looked so confused, the alcohol making him much easier to read than usual.

"Thought ya liked me," He grumbled.

"I do like you, Daryl. But if you kiss me right now, you'll be mad at yourself in the morning. That doesn't mean I don't want you to, just not now." Harper wished so much that he was sober right now, but none of this would be happening if he was. Daryl had grown on her, and she was sure some kind of feelings were trying to bud, but she didn't think much would come out of it. Not with Daryl's aversion to affection or other people in general.

Daryl grunted and moved back, causing Harper's hand to fall away from him. He mumbled something she didn't catch and stumbled into the connected bathroom and shut the door behind him. He probably wouldn't even remember their encounter in the morning.

Frowning, Harper quickly pulled clothes out of her bag and threw them on so she didn't have to walk back through the hall in just a towel. She heard the water in the shower turn on and guessed Daryl was done with their conversation.

Harper grabbed her bag and walked back out of Daryl's room.

"Gettin' a quick fuck in?"

"You have got to be shitting me," Harper hissed and dropped her bag to face Shane who looked just as drunk as Daryl was. "What do you want?"

Shane pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on and got too close for comfort to Harper.

"What I want is for you to stop being such a bitch to me," He growled.

"Get back, Shane." Harper was in no mood to deal with him right now. Not with him being drunk and her still trying to figure out if what just happened with Daryl would affect their friendship in the morning.

"You're not seeming to understand this. I'm tired of you causing problems for everyone."

"Causing problems?!" Harper couldn't help the look of frustration that covered her face. "I'm not causing problems for anyone. You just don't like that I don't do whatever you tell me to. I don't bend over backwards to make you happy and it pisses you off. That's not gonna change, Shane. You don't seem to understand that."

Shane reached out to grab her arm, his signature move, but Harper was quick to side step him and shove him away from her.

"Don't touch me," She snapped, looking at him closely now and seeing the scratches on his neck. "Seems like someone else doesn't want you touching them anymore either. Lori toss you aside now that her husband is alive?" Harper couldn't help being vindictive, not with Shane repeatedly trying to get his hands on her.

"You better shut the fuck up."

"Hey! What's going on?" Rick came jogging down the hall when he saw the two of them at each other's throats. He didn't need a repeat of what happened before they left the quarry.

"Nothing. Shane was about to go lick his wounds in his room," Harper said, not taking her eyes off him. Shane's lip curled up, but he didn't do anything else with Rick standing right there. He glared at her one more time before shoving past Rick to go back to his room.

"What was that?" Rick asked, watching Shane's retreating back. Harper flicked her wet hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms.

"It's nothing new, Rick. You missed a lot while you were separated from your family."

"It was only a few weeks," Rick mumbled, meeting her eyes once more.

"The world changed forever in those weeks, including the people in it. I don't know how Shane was before, but he's been aggressive towards me from the beginning. I know I don't help the situation with my attitude towards him, but that doesn't change the fact that he shouldn't get physical with me."

"Shane's always had a temper problem, but I've never seen him act the way he does around you." Harper relaxed her stance, seeing that Rick wasn't trying to defend his friend.

"I know you guys were close before all this, but I would watch my back if I were you. Something doesn't seem to be all there with him, and I don't want you getting hurt. I can tell that you want the best for the group," She trailed off. Rick moved and leaned against the wall next to her.

"I didn't mean to come in and try to take charge; I guess that's just who I am. But I have no idea what I'm doing. I feel like if I make one wrong decision, someone will die."

"That's a real possibility; I'm not going to sugar coat it for you. But I feel out of everyone in the group, you can fill the role. Shane tried but he didn't value everyone equally. He wouldn't care if Daryl or I ever made it this far."

The hallway was quiet, but they didn't move from the wall.

"We can't stay here," Harper finally said. Rick rubbed his chin and nodded. "There' no one left here to do the research. Jenner is just one person, and I don't have the right kind of education to do anything to help him. We'll run out of food; we're too close to the city."

"Yeah. That's been runnin' through my head. We'll figure out a plan in the morning. Get some rest." Rick squeezed her bicep gently and walked down the hall to his room with his family. Harper picked her bag up and closed her door behind her.

"Oh my God," Harper mumbled, watching the video of TS-19 playing in the main room. Watching the brainstem come back terrified her. She understood that the person didn't come back, but the thought of her body roaming around because the virus reignited her instincts disturbed her.

Jacqui jumped when the bullet killed TS-19, and the group started hounding Jenner once he turned it off. Harper looked up and met Daryl's eyes; his thumb nail caught in his teeth. She walked over to him, not having spoken since his drunken episode the previous night. He made a point to steer clear of her during their quick breakfast which only led her to assume that he remembered last night.

"I'm scared," Harper whispered, catching his attention. He gently bumped his hip against hers in silent comforting, internally deciding to push his awkwardness aside for now. Smiling softly, she looked up to listen in on the group again.

"What happens when the clock reaches zero?" Dale had asked, pointing to the countdown up on the wall. It was almost at thirty minutes.

"The generators run out of fuel." So much was happening at once, Harper didn't know who to listen to. Vi mentioned decontamination, and her heart sank.

"Jenner, there are a lot of bad bugs in here," Harper said, silencing the room. Jenner looked at her from where he was standing behind one of desks. "Bugs that could go back into the world if they were no longer sealed up by a running facility. What kind of decontamination does Vi mean?" Jenner remained silent, confirming all of Harper's fears.

"Rick, we need to get out of here!" She yelled, turning to him. He nodded and started urging everyone to the door. Above them, the lights shut off and an alarm started blaring.

"Daryl, c'mon!" She grabbed his hand and started to drag him behind her, but before anyone could make it to the door, a large steel wall dropped in front of it, blocking anyone from getting out.

"No… no no no," Harper, looking for any other exit, but there weren't any.

"Did you just lock us in?" Glenn cried, his voice breaking in his panic. Daryl started saying something, moving towards Jenner like an angry bull, but Harper grabbed his arm again.

"He won't be able to open it back up if you do something to him." Daryl pulled his arm out of her hold and stalked over to Jenner with Rick in tow. Harper stayed where she was, listening to everyone yelling. She slowly slid down the steel wall and closed her eyes. This isn't how she thought it would end.

Vi began explaining what would happen with the decontamination, and Harper's throat closed up. She wasn't ready to die yet; she planned on surviving as long as she could. Hell, she hadn't even gotten the chance to see if any of her family was still out there. If they were, they would never know what happened to her. The blast would ensure that there was nothing left to find.

Shane screaming made her jerk her head up. He shot several rounds of a shotgun into nearby computers before Rick was able to get it away from him. The room was quiet again; Daryl slowly walked back to Harper and slid down next to her, defeated. Nothing was getting through these doors, not unless Jenner opened them back up. He let his shoulder graze hers.

Harper looked up and saw how hard Daryl's eyes were. They were focused on Rick and Jenner, but she caught glimpses of something else flashing in them. She couldn't place the emotion, but she knew he wasn't ready to die yet either. Slowly, she let her fingers barely graze his on the ground, his just barely twitching in response to her touch, her comfort.

Rick tried talking Jenner down. "You wouldn't have stayed and taken the hard road. You could have left with everyone else."

"I didn't stay because I wanted to. I made a promise. To her. My wife." Harper let her head drop again. Now they were dealing with a depressed scientist who thought that everyone should die with him.

"All we want is a choice. A chance." Harper took a few deep breaths, trying to relax her body for what was about to come. If Jenner was right, hopefully she wouldn't feel the fire.

"Girl, get up. Get up!" Daryl jumped to his feet, pulling Harper up when he saw Jenner walk back to the badge scanner. He typed in a code and the steel wall lowered back down. Still frozen in disbelief, Harper let Daryl drag her behind him. After stumbling a few times, she managed to get her feet under her and start running with him, trying to get back upstairs as quickly as possible.

Running up the stairs to the lobby, they saw the doors still locked that led outside. Daryl immediately took an axe and started striking one of the windows, Shane joining in next to him. Harper looked around for anything else to use and quickly moved out of T-Dog's way as he ran by with a chair.

"The glass is too thick," Harper mumbled, standing next to Carol and Sophia. Carol quickly grabbed her backpack and ran over to Rick, rambling about finding something in his uniform. Seeing the grenade in her hand, Harper backed up to take cover behind a smaller set of stairs.

Rick ran to the window and pulled the tab, letting the grenade drop from his hand. Harper felt Daryl jump down beside her, shielding her body mostly with his to protect her in case there was any debris. It must have been an unconscious move on his part, but it stunned Harper for a few seconds until Daryl grabbed her again to get her moving.

Dear God. They'd made it outside.

Harper kept her emotions in check and grabbed Daryl's knife from her belt to kill a walker that got too close. They must have heard the explosion from the grenade and come to investigate. Daryl used the axe to take down a few more as they made a beeline for their vehicles.

It was once they were outside that Harper realized they were missing a few of their own.

"Daryl! Where's Dale?!" She asked once they reached his truck. Daryl whipped his head around, looking for the elderly man, but not seeing him anywhere.

"He stayed behind with Andrea and Jacqui," T-Dog said, taking cover behind Shane's Jeep.

"No. We can't leave him!" Harper went to run back, but Daryl stopped her, wrapping an arm around her stomach.

"Girl, ya know that ain't smart. No way yer gonna make it down 'n back with him 'fore the whole place is up in smoke," Daryl spoke softly but sternly in her ear. She grabbed his arm around her but didn't push him away. She knew he was right, but her heart was breaking. Dale was the closest to her besides Daryl and maybe Glenn. He had saved her when he got her off that highway.

Tears began to well in her eyes, her brain already deciding to mourn him.

"It's them!" Sophia yelled from Carol's arms. Rubbing her eyes, Harper cleared her vision and saw the rest of their group stumbling out of the broken window and across the lawn towards them as quickly as they could.

Daryl let go of Harper and opened the door to the truck. "Get in! C'mon!" Harper smiled and quickly jumped inside, sliding over so Daryl could get in behind her.

"Dale! Get down!" Lori screamed from the RV. Dale, Andrea, and Jacqui dropped to the ground behind one of the row of military grade sandbags just as the CDC exploded. Daryl pushed Harper down on the bench seat and covered her body with his as the whole truck shook with the force of the explosion.

When he finally let her up, they saw the trio hobbling into the RV. Harper let out a choked back sob, finally feeling all her emotions bubbling to the surface. She almost died, Daryl almost died, she thought Dale died, but her people were alive. She was alive.

Daryl looked at her, alarmed by the noise she made and the sudden tears running down her cheeks. Not caring if he didn't want physical touch or still felt weird about their encounter the night before, Harper lunged towards him and threw her arms around his neck, crying into the collar of his shirt.

Daryl sat there and took it. He slowly raised one hand to pat her shoulder, not sure what he was actually supposed to be doing. But the action made Harper laugh and she pulled away, wiping her face and settling back into her seat.

He eyed her a few more times before starting the truck and shifting it into drive to follow the caravan back out onto the road.

Note:

This chapter was choppy. I didn't want them to go to the CDC, but I feel like it's important for them to know what's going on virus wise. But I left it almost identical to the episode just with some added drama. The next chapters will be better lol

Also is anyone who is caught up to the most current season aware of how different Daryl is from when this first started? His character is much more mature now and soft spoken, whereas in the beginning he was so loud and brash. I didn't realize how much has changed until I started rewatching the series again from the beginning. I definitely like the Daryl in later seasons better so I'm sticking with that for my characterization.

I loved reading everyone's responses to the last chapter. Huge shoutout to Beachgirl25 for inspiring me to a change a few things I had planned. I can't wait for everyone to read what I have planned next!

~LL