I stared at him in disbelief. "Y-you….You love me? Daryl?" He looked at me and then looked down. "I never knew what the word 'love' meant. Never. But, now I think I know." he mumbled in his low, husky voice.
I left out a half laugh. "I-I...I, Daryl...I feel like I've been waitin' forever to hear you say that…"
He smiled and looked at me seriously. "You need to understand I don't know how to do this. But imma' try."
I nodded. "I don't either...I mean...I thought I did but...I never loved anyone….Or felt like this towards anyone….I just...I…" I word scrambled.
And before I knew it he put his dirty hands in my curly long hair, and kissed me. Sparks flew like the fourth of July's I used to know. This is what love felt like. I just knew it. He left me go after a long, drug out kiss and backed off.
"Did you feel that?" I asked in wow. He nodded and smirked. "Yea and your gonna give me a major problem." he said jokingly.
My eyes widened and my mouth dropped. I smacked his arm playfully. "Daryl Dixen!" We laughed.
We decided to head off to bed. Daryl had made his own camp site away from the house, and away from the RV. "Why so far from everyone?" I asked. He looked at me and shrugged. "I'unno. I need my space from people like them." he said honestly.
"Daryl, their good people." I said, half scolding.
He looked at me and just nodded. "c'mon'" he said, and after I stepped inside the tent, he zipped it behind us. I was about to crawl into my own sleepin' until he stopped me. "Bellefaire…." he mumbled. I looked up.
"Yes, Daryl?"
He unzipped his sleeping bag and sprawled it out on the ground. "Lay down." he instructed. I looked at him oddly, But I listened and layed down. He then took my sleeping bag and unzipped it. He layed down beside me and covered us. I fell asleep staring into his eyes.
During the night, I had a nightmare of the night Shane attacked me and got his way with me...Only it was so much more worse in the dream. I woke up screaming and sweaty. Daryl had been shaking me, trying to wake me. "Belle!" he hollered.
I breathed hard and heavy. "I'm sorry...Just a nightmare…" I panted.
He layed me back down forcifully and spoke to me softly. "Belle...Ain't nothin' gon' happen to you." And he shushed me until I fell back asleep.
I woke up before Daryl the next morning. I stared at his body. So handsome. And he actually looked in peace. I rubbed his hair away from his face with my thumb and he woke up. He looked at me and smiled. "mornin." he mumbled.
I grinned. "Good mornin' sweetie." I said. I got up and slipped Lori's old faded blue jeans on and slipped an old tank top on that she gave me. Daryl remained in his old clothes and we stepped out the tent. Shane, Rick, Andrea, Jimmy and T-dog were at the car hood again and looked at us as we crawled out.
Shane grimaced and stared at me the whole way over. "We all get new search grids today." Rick intructed as we bent over the car. "I'd like to help." Jimmy butted in.
Daryl slipped on his plaid shirt and looked at Jimmy funnily. "I know the area pretty well and stuff." Jimmy said.
"Hershels okay with this?" Rick asked.
"Yeah! Yeah, uh, he said I should ask you." Jimmy bluffed.
"Alright then, thanks." Rick nodded.
"No matter what Daryl finds, it didn't scream Sophia to me. Anyone could've been held up in that barn, man." Shane said, sarcastically.
Andrea looked over to him. "Anybody includes her right?"
Daryl looked down. "There was a mess of covers...No bigger than yay high." he defended nicely.
"Good lead." Andrea complimented.
"Maybe we'll pick up her trail again." Rick said in hope.
"Maybe not. Imma borrow a horse… head up this ridge right here. Birds eye view of the whole grid? If she's up there, I'll spot her." Daryl said, iching his nose.
"Good idea. Maybe you'll see your chupacabra up there too." T-dog said sarcastically.
Rick looked at T-dog. "Chupacabra?"
Jimmy chuckled.
I looked to Daryl for an answer.
Dale came over and explained as he overheard. "What, ya never heard of it? First night at camp, Daryl tells us that the time he went squirell hunting...That he saw a...Chupacabra." he said, sarcastically.
Daryl looked at Jimmy and T-dog. "What're ya brainin' at jackass?"
"So you believe in a bloodsucking dog?" Rick asked.
"Do you believe in dead people walking around? Daryl came back. That shut everyone up. I laughed.
Jimmy went to reach for the rifle on the car.
"Hey hey!" Rick scolded. "Ever even fired one before?"
"Well, if I'm goin' out, I want one." Jimmy said.
Daryl put his crossbow around his back. "Yeah...And people in Hell want slurpees." My mouth dropped and I smacked his back lightly. "Daryl." I scolded.
Daryl went to grab a horse and I was following him. He turned around. "You're not comin' with me this time."
We both stopped walkin'. "Why not?" I said in defense.
"I want you here today, and resting." he ordered. I rolled me eyes. But then looked up at him. "If somethin' happens to you Daryl, I won't know."
"You'll know if I don't come back." he said sarcastically.
I gave him the death stare and folded my arms.
"Sorry." He mumbled then sighed. "Look, I'll be fine. I'll be back. Promise me you'll stay and rest." he said in his low exy voice.
I sighed. "Alright…" He kissed my forehead lightly and quickly, nervously, and left. I watched his walk away. Before he walked into the barn he smiled at me. I smiled back and started walkin' towards the house. I was bout' half way there when Maggie came to me. "I needa talk to you, now." she said seriously and grabbin' my arm.
"Ouch, God damn it, what!?" I hollered.
She sighed. "I had sex. With Glenn."
I widened my eyes and looked at the porch where he was standing, staring at us. "Maggie!" I scolded.
"With a condom of course." She said in defense.
"Okay, and?" I asked.
"I think I like'm". She said in disgust. I laughed. "Oh my God, Maggie Lynn. Just don't break his heart, I don't think he's ever had a girlfriend before. He's a softy." I said, before walking away and leaving her smiling.
Lori came up to me then. "Wanna help me and the women cook dinner for Hershel and his family?" she said smiling.
"That's so sweet of you, Lori. Yes." She smiled and we walked up the porch steps before I stopped her. "Hey Lori?"
"Mhm?"
"I never thanked you for that night at the CDC…." I said lookin down.
She half smiled and put her arm around me. "Honey...Anything."
We walked in and started cooking. Potatoes, peas, corn, ham and homemade bread.
Mama came over to me and kissed my cheek. "Just like old times."
I grinned. "It feels good to be back, mama."
After I had enough of peeling tatetas' I walked outside for a break. I went to go lay on top of the RV but saw Andrea look in her scope. I stopped in my tracks and squinted my eyes to see what she was scoping.
Glenn, Shane and T-dog ran to get weapon and ran.
"Just the one?" Rick said in a panic.
"I bet I can nail it from here." Andrea said.
"NO, NO, Andrea!" Rick scolded. "Put the gun down!"
"You best let us handle this!" Shane said.
"Shane, hold up!" Rick said. "Hershel wants to deal with walkers."
"What for man? We got it covered!" Shane declared.
"Damn it!" Rick said through gritted teeth, and grabbed his gun and ran with the others.
Andrea put the walker back on her sights. "Andrea, stop!" I scolded.
"Back off, lil girl." she said meanly.
"Andrea, don't!" Dale said too.
"Back off, Dale." She said to him.
I started running towards the walker. About half way to it, I stopped. It was Daryl. And he looked like a walker. "Daryl?" I said with tears starting to form. But then, BOOM. Andrea had shot him in the head. "NO!" Rick screamed.
"DARYL!" I screamed and ran for him, tears streaming harder than ever. I got to him and Rick was hovering him. "DARYL!" I screamed again and slammed my self to the ground next to him, checking his head for the hole. But Andrea, she only nicked the side of his head.
"Dear God!" I hollered and planted myself down on him and left my self cry. "Get her off him!" Shane hollered and next thing I know, was Glenn was pulling me away from my lover. I started stuggling with him. "NO! LET ME GO!"
"I was kidding!" I heard Daryl say to Rick and Shane as they lifted him up and walked him to the house. "Bellefaire, stop." Daryl said in pain before he blacked out, as they took him away. Glenn left me go and I ran behind them.
"What happend!?" I said through gritted teeth. "Andrea shot him, thought he was a walker." Rick explained. I burned in anger.
Just then Andrea and Dale ran towards us. "Oh my God! Oh my God, is he dead!?" Andrea cried. "Unconsious. You just grazed'm." Rick said plainly. I walked up to Andrea and shoved her to the ground. "WHAT. WERE YOU THINKING!" I screamed. "Belle!" Glenn and Rick yelled. Glenn dragged me away from her and started taking me to the house.
As we were walking towards the house, Glenn said. "Look at him! He's wearing ears!" pointing out dead human ears around his neck. I wondered in confusion. Rick yanked them off as he saw Hershel standing before the house. "Lets keep that to ourself."
Just then. "Guys….Isn't this Sophia's?" T-dog said. We turned around. He was holding up Sophia's old rag doll. My mouth dropped and I started to whimper. Glenn rubbed my arms and continued dragging me to the house.
We got to the house, and got Daryl into bed. He had a bad wound in his side, and Hershel was stitching it up. He had woken back up and was holding ice to his head.
"Daryl, what happend?" I asked, paniced.
"I fell off the ridge, got an arrow stuck in me…. About Sophia...I found it near the creek. It must've washed up there. She must've dropped it crossin' it somewhere." he explained to me.
"Cut the grid almost in half." Rick said.
"Yeah, you're welcome." Daryl said sarcastically.
"How's he looking?" Rick asked Hershel.
"I had no idea we'd be going through antibiotics so quickly. Any idea what happend to my horse?" Hershel said, unhappy.
"Yeah, the one that almost killed me? If he was smart, he left the country." Daryl said, raising his voice.
"We call that one Nelly. As in Nervous Nelly. I could've told ya she probably've throwed ya if ya botherred to ask. It's a wonder you people have survived this long." Hershel said to Daryl and Rick.
I got up. "Hershel. I told Daryl he could take it. Blame that one on me." I said irritated.
He sighed and walked out the door with Rick and Shane following. I sat on the bed and rubbed around his stitches. "I knew I should've came along."
"Stop." he mumbled.
I got up again. "No, God damnit! I could've lost you Daryl! DAMN IT!" I hollered and started crying.
"Bellefaire….sit down. Please." he said calmly. I sat down and he made me cuddle next to him as I cried.
"The only reason I came back alive was because I had you in my head telling me not to give up." he mumbled and looked at me. I whimpered. He brushed away my tears lightly with his fingers.
Daryl wrapped his arm around me. I stared up and down his body. It was the first time I've seen him shirtless. I rubbed his stomach and he closed his eyes. Just then, we heard the door open. It was Carol. Daryl covered himself up more.
"How ya feeling?" Carol asked, bringing two platters of food for us.
"Bout as good as Imma be." he mumbled and cuddled up closer to me.
"Brought you'ns some dinner." she said, looking at us. "You must be starving."
She bent down and kissed Daryl on the cheek. I stiffened.
"It's just stitches." he mumbled.
"You need to know something. You did more for my little girl today than her own daddy did in his whole life." she said, tearing up.
"I didn't do anything Rick or Shane wudn't have done." he said, feeling out of place.
"I know." she smiled. "You're every bit as good as them. Every bit."
She looked at me before she left and smiled softly. I just stared.
Daryl cuddled closer to me. "Stop it." he said.
I rolled my eyes. "I feel territorial. I hate it." I said honestly.
He smiled. "I don't."