A/N Quick Disclaimer, I don't own the Walking Dead or any of its characters especially Daryl! I only own Joelle and any other characters you don't recognize! Sorry for this taking so long hopefully I can update quicker next time! I just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who has either Followed, Favourited or Reviewed very appreciated thank you! Enjoy XX
Chapter Seven
Joelle was told not to leave the bed so her ankle along with all other injuries she sustained could heal and Joelle tried, she really did but by the third day she'd had enough.
For the first time in a while Joelle woke up early and watched as the growing light filtered through her window. She could get up and no one would be awake to tell her to get back to the bed. Gently she eased herself out of the bed and began to hobble towards the doorway, smiling as she reached it, it felt good to be able to move again besides the real pain she was in. Opening the door she moved towards the stairs only to hit a wall of muscle. Daryl.
"Whatcha think yer doin' out o' bed?" he demanded, crossing his arms.
"Ah… well… there's a spider… in the room… and…" she trailed off, usually she was a very good liar and no one could tell if she was or not but Daryl with his intense blue eyes made it hard for her to think straight.
"Elle, stop ya ramblin' if ya wanted to leave so bad, next time jus' ask me," with that he picked her up and carried her down the stairs. Secretly she was glad she didn't think she could've made it with her bad ankle.
He set her down in a chair near the fire and brought her a plate of eggs and a glass of water. Thankfully she could now feed herself, not that she didn't like Daryl feeding her on the contrary she liked that very much but it felt better to be in control.
Dale was the first one up and gave both Joelle and Daryl a cheery good morning before getting some breakfast. After Dale they all trickled in giving Joelle smiles and greetings, when Lori came out she rushed over to Joelle giving her a big hug, "How're you feeling Joe? It's good to see you up and about."
"Still sore but getting better," she smiled back, "it's good to be up and about instead of stuck in that boring ass bed all day with nothing to keep me company," Glancing over her shoulder she noticed Rick talking with Shane, "What're they talking about?"
"Probably Randall," Lori replied.
"Who the fuck is Randall? asked Joelle, everyone besides Daryl had a 'Duh' look on their face "in case you didn't notice I have been bed ridden for the past three days, now would someone please enlighten me to who this son of a bitch is?"
The group looked taken aback at her harsh and unstable reaction to the mention of Randall. Rick and Shane who had heard started walking over to the rest of the group, "Nice to see you're back to your usual self there Joe," commented Lori.
"Randall is a guy we saved when his own group left him for the walkers. Our plan is to leave him with some supplies and send him on his way," Rick explained not only to Joelle but to everyone else, "Shane and I will be taking a car out to a secluded location and release him there away from the farm."
"Well you have fun with that Rick, do come back alive," Joelle remarked sarcastically.
"Joelle! You're all better!" said a squealing Sophia as she ran towards the chestnut-haired woman and effectively cutting of Ricks response.
"Of course I am sugar, what've you are Carl been up to? Staying safe I hope," replied Joelle pulling the girl into a big hug.
"We're always safe Joe! We missed you! The adults won't play with us because they're too busy with grown up stuff!" she poked her tongue out before jumping off Joelle's lap to go get some breakfast.
Joelle smiled, giggling quietly, "Daryl can you please take me to my tent? I need some clothes."
"Sure thing," he replied picking her up and carrying her to her tent.
"Is it just me or does Daryl seem nice around Joelle?" asked Glenn to the group, their confused glances indicating their own doubt of the situation.
Joelle looked through her clothes and struggled into a tight pair of skinny jeans, she turned looking for a clean top. She smiled when she saw a large, red checkered shirt with no sleeves, it was Daryl's. Joelle had worn it a few days ago, it was clean and the thought of wearing it was appealing so that she did just that.
Joelle then pulled on her boots making sure her ankle was secure and stable before stepping out of the tent where Daryl was standing there waiting. She saw his eyes widen slightly at her choice of wardrobe, a small twitch in the corners of his mouth, "Come on D lets go skin some squirrels!" she shouted as she jumped on his back.
"You need to eat more Elle," Daryl responded, she could hear the smile in his voice as he piggybacked her to his camp.
They sat there for a long time sharpening their weapons, skinning and drying out squirrels when Joelle got tired of the silence, "So what did you do before this?"
"Hunted mostly, sometimes me an' Merle would go do some construction work, bu' tha' was rare," he replied returning to his work silently.
Inwardly Joelle sighed she thought they were getting somewhere but apparently not, "I better go see if Lori needs me to do anything wouldn't want her any more hormonal then she already is, I'll see you later Daryl," with that she limped back to the farmhouse.
It was further then she had thought and Joelle practically fell onto one of the chairs at the table where Lori and Andrea were.
"This could've been handled better," sighed Andrea referring to the fight and suicide attempt that had just happened.
"How so?" Lori asked voice hard.
"You shouldn't of taken the knife away," responded Andrea like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Lori stopped what she was doing and turned to Andrea slowly, "excuse me?" Lori said in a low dangerous voice. Joelle inwardly laughed, poor Andrea she had unleashed a demon.
"You were wrong," said Andrea casually not noticing Joelle's face break out in a large smile ohh she was fucked. "Like Dale taking my gun that wasn't your decision."
Lori gave her a look before ignoring her and putting away the dishes, "She has to find her own reasons," Andrea continued.
"Want me to tie a noose for her?" replied a sarcastic Lori and Joelle couldn't help the low giggle that escaped her, Lori gave her a small smile in return.
"If she's serious she'll figure out a way."
"That doesn't mean I can't stop her, or let her know that I care."
"It has nothing to do with it Lori, she only has so many choices in front of her and she believes the best one is suicide."
"That's not an option," snapped Lori.
"Of course it is, she doesn't need to yelled out or treated like a child."
Joelle spoke up, "She is a child Andrea she doesn't know what life is yet, let alone death." Andrea just gave her a look.
"She needs a loaded gun right?" said Lori sarcastically, "You'll understand if I don't send you in there."
Andrea stopped, "I came through it."
Joelle scoffed, "and became such a productive member of the group," Lori remarked dryly, "let Maggie handle this her way."
"I contribute; I help keep this place safe," Andrea replied pissed at the accusation.
"And do a great job of it too," muttered Joelle sarcastically.
"The men can handle this on their own, they don't need your help," said Lori shaking her head.
"I'm sorry what would you have me do?"
"Oh there's plenty of work to go round," snapped Lori.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes she's fucking serious you moron of a woman, you can't keep this place safe, you bloody shot me! Which you never apologized for!" shouted Joelle.
"Everything falls apart and you're in my face over skipping laundry," Andrea said to Lori deliberately ignoring Joelle.
"It's a burden on the rest of us, on me and Carol, Patricia, Maggie, cooking and cleaning and caring for Beth and you. You don't care about anyone but yourself, you sit up on that RV working on your tan with a shotgun in your lap!"
"Get Joelle to help! She does nothing around here!"
"Joelle has training in firearms and tactics and you want her on laundry? She could kick your ass any day Andrea."
"You know I am on watch against walkers! That is what matters not fresh mint leaves in the lemonade."
"You couldn't tell a walker if it ate you," remarked Joelle.
"We are providing stability, we are trying to create a life worth living!" pushed Lori.
"Are you kidding me?!"
"Look I went after Rick and took down two walkers-"
"And crashed Maggie's car, ever apologies for that?" Andrea said over Lori, it pissed Joelle of nobody talked to her sister in law like that especially some stuck up bitch like Andrea.
"You're insane."
"No you are, and you're the one that's self-centered; the way you take it all for granted," snapped Andrea.
Lori stopped before she spoke again dangerously calm, "My husband is out there for the hundredth time, my son was shot. Don't you dare tell me that I take this for granted!"
"You don't get it do you? Your husband came back for the dead, your son too and now you got a baby on the way. The rest of us have piled up our loses, me Carol, Beth but you just keep on keeping on, acting like the queen bee laying down rules for everybody but yourself."
Joelle had enough she stood up and walked over to Andrea before backhanding her hard, the resounding crack echoed through the room, "You lost a sister, I lost my twin, my other half. Who was Lori's sister also don't you dare tell me that was "keeping on" go fuck yourself Andrea because the next time you insult my family and that includes Lori, you will have wished that your shot didn't miss," Joelle's voice was hard and deadly as she spoke before turning on her heel and leaving.
Joelle reached her bike before the throbbing in her ankle became too much, sitting down she tried to relax. No one followed her and for that she was glad. She sat there for a long while just day dreaming letting the warmth of the sun soak into her, she stood before she could fall asleep and hobbled her way over to Daryl's tent.
His small camp was empty the fire smoking silently the coals glowing softly she checked his tent to find it too was empty sighing she removed her boots and zipped the tent up. There was no way she was sleeping in her tent; what happened if Shane came back and no one saved her? She shuddered before moving to the cot and sinking gratefully into its softness. Joelle fell easily into a deep sleep the scent of Daryl lingering on her skin.
Daryl POV
The string of squirrels thumbed gently against his side as he made his way back to his camp. He sat before beginning the long task of skinning and gutting the squirrels before taking them to Lori, Carol or Patricia to cook.
Daryl was walking back to his camp after giving the squirrels to Patricia who thanked him when he thought about Joelle, wondering where she was and what she was up to, he shook his head freeing it from those thoughts. He had just finished making the fire when her heard a small "No" from inside his tent.
He quickly unzipped the tent to find a restless sleeping Joelle. She looked so stressed in her sleep which wasn't right he had seen her sleeping before she usually looked so young and relaxed.
"No, please no! God no! Daryl help me! Daryl!" tears were streaming down her face as she begged him to help her thrashing in her sleep, fighting of invisible attackers. "DARYL PLEASE! SAVE ME!" she screamed.
Daryl's cold heart clenched when her heard that, he shook her trying to wake her up but the dream refused to release its hold on her so instead he held her close and whispered soothing things in her ear as she whimpered and eventually quietened. He tried to move away but she had a vice like grip on his shirt so he just held her stroking her chestnut locks back.
Not much later her eyes fluttered open revealing wide silver orbs, "You keep me safe, even in my dreams, thank you Daryl, thank you," her voice was soft.
"I'll always keep you safe," he whispered, the crunching of boots sliced through the silence and like that the spell was broken, "C'mon Elle lets go get somethin' to eat." He handed her shoes to her and she pulled them on.
The exited the tent together and saw Glenn near the fire looking like he was about to call out to them. He looked flushed when they walked up to him, like he had caught them having sex or something. Daryl's lips twitched at the thought.
General POV (Joelle)
Dinner was a tense affair turns out Randall knew Maggie and they couldn't let him go with that knowledge. She saw the marks on both men's faces and it looks like more than a discussion had gone on while they were out.
Joelle smiled when she saw the large bruise covering half of Andrea's face, "Andrea what happened to your face?" Dale asked kindly everyone turned to get a good look at her face
"I may have had a fight with Lori, turns out Joelle doesn't take to kindly to her family being insulted."
Carol, Dale, Hershel and Patricia all looked upset and slightly disgusted at Joelle for her choice of action but the rest of the group including Maggie chuckled at the news.
"You're lucky she didn't break one of your bones," scoffed Rick and everyone focused on him, "junior year a girl named Kelly said that our family were all "a bunch of lowlife hicks with no manners" in front of all of us. So Joelle walked unto her and broke her arm and said I guess you're right. After that no one ever dare say a word against our family."
Everyone laughed at the story and the mood lightened considerably they then all took it in turns telling similar stories of their pasts. Once dinner was finished Joelle helped Maggie and Lori clean up, claiming she was done being invalid. They laughed and joked about girl things and it felt good to have a normal conversation, when they were done she said good night before leaving the farmhouse.
She was walking back towards Daryl's tent when Carol stopped her, "You may have taken my daughter away from me but you won't take Daryl," Carol snarled harshly at Joelle.
"You're wrong you see I already have…" and with that Joelle stalked away.