A/N: this is a work of fanfiction, I only own Thea.

Wallflower

By Leah Pensotti

Thea's heart sunk all the way to the base of her belly as she watched Daryl walk away. He said he wasn't mad at her, but the situation. She didn't want him to be angry, but she most definitely didn't want him to go looking for Seth.

Seth was dangerous in the regular world, she couldn't imagine how much the danger had grown in the lawless nature of this world.

Throughout the trial and the hearings, he'd sit there next to his lawyers winking at her...trying to throw her off guard. The worst was the day that she had testified...he seemed extremely pleased by himself.

Thea wanted to lose her cool...to some how strike back and hurt him just as badly.

She didn't want to be a victim, ever. She especially didn't want to be his victim.

Thea put her hands against the cool slab of marble next to the sink and hung her head, taking a deep breath. With her eyes shut, she tried to calm herself down...things had gone to shit really quickly.

Suddenly, she felt Rick's strong hands at her shoulders, massaging gently trying to ease her tension.

"Daryl isn't angry at you, Thea."

She wanted to laugh, the whole situation was outlandish. The dead walked, society had crumbled, Thea had two love interests...and the man who broke her in so many ways had reared his ugly head. It was all more than a nightmare.

"I know...I just hope he realizes I didn't tell him for a reason. A really good one."

She turned around and looked at him, his bright blue eyes awash with concern. Rick Grimes was a mixture of devastatingly handsome and fearfully lethal...a mixture that left Thea breathless and terrified all at once. He had a good heart, and she could imagine the kind sherriff's deputy and family man that he was before all of this.

But the world had changed...and made him into what he needed to be now. It had made them all into versions of themselves they'd never thought they'd see.

Rick sighed and put his hands on his hips, "I probably need to go check on the kids...and the town. Will you be okay here for an hour or so?"

Thea nodded, "Yeah. I'll be fine. I might go soak in the tub for a bit. Denise brought me some Epsom salts a while back. Might help with the soreness."

Rick nodded and leaned in to kiss her forehead, "I'll be back in a little while. Rest. Relax. Don't worry about...Daryl, Seth...anyone. I'll bring back something to eat, alright?"

She nodded and thanked him and watched as he walked out the door. Thea put the coffee cups in the sink and couldn't help but think about Daryl, and what he could possibly be thinking.

She felt so torn. She felt so much for Daryl...and despite those feelings, she still felt so much for Rick. Thea didn't want to choose, and that just made her head and body ache more.

Once she was done in the kitchen, she made her way up to the bathroom and grabbed her book from her bedside, stripping off her clothes as she went. Thea turned on the water, allowing the tub to fill with hot water and pouring the Epsom salts under the tap.

After putting a clean towel on the sink, Thea looked up and looked herself over in the mirror. Bruises and scrapes were vivid purples and reds thanks to going completely blacked out before hitting the pavement.

Her body was far from perfect. She never got used to seeing the scars from her surgeries and it always got to her. Thea rarely looked at herself like this...she avoided mirrors and looking at her body below her shoulders.

Seth had taken so much from her. She refused to allow him to do it any longer.

Once the tub was full, Thea stuck her foot in to test it out. It was near scalding hot, but it was how she liked it. She eased into the water carefully, and once she got used to the temperature, she reached for her book. After only a few pages, the book slipped from her hand and onto the tiled floor and she fell into the grasps of an exhausted sleep.


Rick checked in with Carol and the kids, and told her everything that had happened. She agreed to keep an eye on Judith, while Michonne offered to take Carl out for a patrol around the perimeter. Michonne hadn't seemed pleased with him for some time, and he knew she didn't like his entanglement with Jessie and had a feeling that the same went for Thea.

After walking to the gates, the clinic and finally the food stores; no one had seen hide nor hair of Daryl. It concerned him, but he also knew his friend well enough that Daryl needed his time. Rick just hoped that he wouldn't do anything reckless.

The supply run was enough to keep them afloat for about four days, if they rationed. Rick had every intention of going back to the place they had to leave so quickly and pick up whatever they could. While he was speaking with Olivia, he picked up two servings of dried pasta, some dried beans and few bags of peppermint tea he thought might brighten Thea's day.

It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

He walked back to Thea's house, and let himself in. She wasn't in the kitchen or living room, and after depositing the items from the food stores in the kitchen counter, he made his way up the stairs to her bedroom. Rick paused in front of the the door, worried that Daryl may had returned and they had...were...

He knocked gently and heard no response, so he opened the door slowly. She wasn't in her bed, but before he had left, she made mention of taking a bath. Rick did the same as what he had at her bedroom door; he knocked and there was no answer. He pushed the door open and the room was hot and steamy and he panicked a little when he saw Thea's limp arm and the book that had fallen on the floor.

Rick ran to her side, kneeling by the tub and patting her face to wake her up.

"Thea...Thea...wake up. Thea?"

It took a minute, but she finally stirred. Her grey eyes opened slowly...she looked so tired. She smiled a little at him, the corner of her mouth gently curling upward.

And then she must have remembered where she was.

And that she was as naked as the day she was born.

Thea shot up and pulled her knees to her chest, covering herself. Rick felt like chuckling, he had been so worried that she had passed out that he hadn't even been able to take a look.

"You had me worried. You okay?"

She shrugged, "I, um, just got really comfortable. Fell asleep."

He couldn't help but noticed some of her scars, how the water made them magnified. Rick cupped her cheek with his hand and smiled, "I brought some food back. It isn't much but it's enough for today. You hungry?"

Thea nodded, "Yeah. I am. Need help?"

He shook his head, "I've got it. You take your time. Relax. But try not to fall back asleep, okay?"

She nodded again and he made his way to the door. The cool air of the bedroom was a stark contrast to the heat and steam from her bath. He shut the door behind him and lingered in her bedroom a bit.

His heart was pounding in his ears, he thought there was something wrong when he had first found her. It was dangerous to fall asleep in water...and with her concussion...

Suddenly, he heard the tub start to drain and the bathroom door opened. Thea stood there, wrapped in a cornflower blue towel with her long hair tied up messily on her head. She didn't say anything, but she had an unreadable look on her face.

Before he knew it, she had wrapped herself around him, her lips sought out his eagerly. Between mind-erasing kisses, Rick cupped her face in his hands and asked gently, "Thea?"

She just smiled a little like the Mona Lisa and began work on his shirt buttons. Rick was stunned, but ultimately thrilled. Thea had made it known she wanted him, and despite anyone else who may have been in the picture, it was all he had wanted for some time.

Once his shirt was off and dismissed to the bedroom floor, Thea's hands went to his belt buckle and fumbled at it while his hands tugged at the tie in her hair.

Rick kicked off his boots once his jeans were at his ankles and finally Thea let that blessed blue bath towel fall to her feet. He picked her up playfully by her bottom and gently dropped her on the bed, climbing on top of her carefully.

He didn't want to rush this, he wanted to take her all in...every last inch of her; the pale skin, the curve of her hip to her waist, the hollow of her collarbone, and the pert softness of her breasts. Rick let his hands travel gently, exploring her body. He felt his desire grow from the hushed noises of pleasure she made.

Thea was scarred, but that didn't define her. Rick found her lovely, and full of mystery. He would have never thought that she would follow him out of the bathroom and that they would presently be in this particular moment.

He dipped his head, trailing kisses and rogue tongue flicks between her breasts, to her belly and finally the to the warmth between her legs. Thea was beyond ready for him, her graceful fingers twirled and twisted in his hair as she whispered his name lowly.

Rick didn't think he was going to make it, he thought he might pop before he even found his way inside her; but thankfully she guided him back up to meet her stormy gray eyes before pushing his back against the mattress of her bed and straddling him. Thea smiled that unreadable smile and eased herself gently on to his erection, her slick warmth making him gasp.

It had been so long since anything like this had happened...he and Jessie had never gotten that far and it had been years since Lori. A part of Rick thought they'd never stay still long enough, that survival was always more important than the reproductive urges that men had. That fighting for his friends and family's well being had superseded everything.

As she moved above him, her breasts in his face, Rick got so wound up he swiftly changed their positions so she was beneath him and thrust into her deeply. Thea's foot rested on his shoulder and she was open completely to him. She moaned beneath him, her body quivering with climax.

Rick wasn't far behind her, he came hard and fast and soon he fell limply beside Thea. They both panted jaggedly and her chest was flushed.

Thea turned herself inwards towards him, and his hand found its way to rest protectively beneath her ass. There were no words between them, just settling into a comfortable doze. Rick buried his head in her neck, brushing tired kisses at her jaw.

An indescribable peace washed over him, and soon he was asleep.


Daryl managed to sneak out undetected through one of the panels in the wall that the construction team hadn't yet secured permanently after the herd. They had wrapped chain link fencing while the worked, securing the perimeter and it made it fairly easy for him to climb over.

He wasn't running away, he was just clearing his head. Something that he had done from time to time since his youth. Daryl knew that there was something to Thea's logic, that he would've acted emotionally if she would've told him exactly why she passed out the night before.

She probably thought he hated her, but it couldn't be further from the truth. Daryl wanted to break the monster's neck and throw his body at her feet like a pet cat would do with a bird or a rabbit.

But unlike those little animals, this Seth was a danger. Thea knew it, Rick knew it...and deep down Daryl knew it, too.

He'd do anything he could to prove himself to the gray-eyed girl with the broken body. He'd do anything to set himself apart from his best friend if it meant playing for keeps.

Well, maybe not anything. He cared about Rick a great deal...and thought of him as more of a brother than Merle. Daryl wasn't really wanting to lose his friendship either.

He was so torn, that's why he needed to get out. Maybe do some small game hunting...or find some place to search for supplies. Daryl decided to travel west, maybe pick up a car to hot-wire along the way.

He had his knife and his gun, but no water.

After an hour of walking, Daryl found a neighborhood...it was residential but had acreage. They had been through there before in the spring, but had found very little to help.

He hopped a fence and took a look through the back yards of the homes. They were all overgrown, there were swing sets and lawnmowers...things people had that now looked ghostly, like an unkempt graveyard.

Behind one house in particular. He found a fenced in garden, that was mostly dried out, with the exception of three medium-sized pumpkins on a vine.

Just like Thea had thought. They weren't much, but pumpkins had seeds, which they could use to plant their own harvests.

He poked around for a bit, finding an old Radio Flyer wagon. It was rusty, but it worked. He loaded up the pumpkins and thought about the apple trees on Alexandria's property. There should be fruit soon, and that would help. They needed to start growing...the way Hershel had taught them at the prison.

Daryl tried not to think about Hershel, because Hershel made him think of Beth...and Maggie made him think about her enough as it was. It was why he tended to keep his distance.

For a moment, he let his brain wander to what Beth would've thought of Thea. She probably would've thought Thea was strange and square...just reading books and keeping to herself.

Eventually, his mind rounded back to the reason he'd run out anyhow. Thea and that monster. He knew that Rick would want him to protect Thea, himself and the town and not haul off like a wild man on a mission.

He wished they knew more about the men on the motorcycles. Hell, he wished he knew where his motorcycle and his bow were.

Daryl continued to think for a bit, finally coming to the conclusion that Thea had been right. If he knew the truth the night before there was a very good chance that he would have gotten them all killed.

He wanted to gut Seth. Make him bleed and hurt worse than Thea had when he left her to die in the parking lot of the book store five years before.

Suddenly, Daryl saw something out of the corner of his eye...he could've sworn it was a small child.

He ducked out of sight, pulling the wagon with him and waited for any movement, hoping that his mind was just playing tricks on him. Daryl really didn't feel like getting into any trouble at the moment, no matter how bad he wanted blood.


Thea woke up at dusk, her hair lightly damp and she shivered, realizing she was naked and in bed with Rick Grimes. He was gorgeous...hyper-masculine and above all...the looks he gave her made a fire burn in her belly.

She hadn't planned on sleeping with him, but the way he looked at her when she woke up in the bath tub had just confirmed that she still had feelings for him...as well as the feelings she still had for Daryl.

Thea wondered where Daryl was and what he was doing as she slipped out of bed gently and retrieved a heavy quilt from the dresser drawer. She put it around her shoulders and crawled back into bed, covering Rick with the quilt as well.

She looked him over, his stubble and the squareness of his jaw, as well as the soft patch of hair on his chest. Thea couldn't choose between Daryl and Rick. They were both wonderful in different ways.

This was so unlike her.

All of it.

Rick's blue eyes opened a little and focused in on her, "Hey."

"Hey."

His strong hands cupped the base of her ass and she felt a jolt of pleasure. Rick pulled her closer to him and soon her head was against his chest and she could feel the steadiness of his relaxed breathing. Rick pressed his lips to the top of her head, "Never did make something to eat. Still hungry?"

More than she could say. Rations had been tight and the last thing she had eaten had come back up after her run in with Seth. Thea nodded, "Yeah...but can we stay here a few minutes more?"

Rick laughed lightly, "Sure."

She snuggled in closer, trying to lose herself in the feeling of his body against hers. Thea thought about the wine she had hidden away, the other bottle that Daryl had found. She would like to have a drink, but didn't want to open the bottle without him.

Rick tipped her chin up to look at him, "Everything okay?"

She couldn't help but smile a little, remembering everything they had just done. It had been amazing and a bit reckless...and super hot.

"I'm just a little...surprised at myself, is all. I'm not known for my confidence...I'm a late bloomer. A Wallflower by nature. I don't recognize myself anymore."

Rick kissed her lips deeply, erasing any worries or nagging thoughts she might have.

"Thea...it's okay. I know all of this is confusing. But I care about you...and I know you have feelings for me. I think we can work all this out...but someone else might be a harder sell."

Rick's words shocked her a little. Part of her couldn't believe that he was on board with sharing her with his best friend, and even then she didn't know if she believed it could work without spiraling into petty jealousies.

Soon, the hunger had willed Thea out of bed and Rick dressed quickly and went to start the meal. Thea pulled back her still damp hair and wriggled into a pair of flannel pajamas.

She wasn't lying when she said she didn't recognize herself. Her number of sexual partners had increased by two in just a matter of days. Before Alexandria...she had only been with one other person, her college boyfriend.

Maybe it was the idea that the world was ending. That humans were meeting a mass extinction like the dinosaurs had. Or maybe it was just the overwhelming feelings that she had for both Rick and Daryl...

As she walked down the stairs to the kitchen, Thea heard Rick talking to someone lowly...it was Daryl. When she hit the last step she realized that he was standing in her kitchen...with a small, filthy child standing behind him and looking terrified.

Thea smiled a little, not knowing exactly what was happening, "Uh, hey. Who is our guest?"

Rick stood by the stove where he had put some water to boil. He looked sad. So did Daryl.

"Found 'er about an hour west. Hiding out in a house. Parents are gone, been survivin' alone for a bit now. But she won't talk."

Thea walked over slowly and crouched down on her knees, trying to get on her level. She was a small, skinny girl. Her eyes were wide and scared. She was covered in dirt and ragged clothes with holes and tears. Her hair looked to be a pale blond beneath the dirt and grime.

She felt herself smile a little, "You hungry? We were just making some supper."

The girl just stared. Thea couldn't imagine what she had possibly seen, what horrors she had witnessed. She went to the cabinet over the sink and pulled out a plastic cup and filled it with water and brought it back to the girl. She drank it quickly, a lot of it spilling down the front of her clothes.

When she was done, she handed the cup upward to Thea, who ran back to the sink and refilled it. Once the cup was deposited back to the girl, Thea smiled and said, "You stay right here. We'll make some dinner and get you cleaned up. We're just going to be in the next room, okay?"

She was met with he same, terrified stare.

Rick and Daryl followed Thea into the living room and it took moments for her to say anything, "When you say her parents were gone..."

Daryl sighed, "Dead. I found their bodies. I can go back and bury them."

Rick had his hands on his hips in his familiar stance, "Had they...turned?"

Daryl shook his head, "House was turned over. They were in different rooms. Looked like they were robbed. Shot in the head. She must've hid. Been livin' for a while in filth."

Thea felt awful for the child, but didn't know if she could take care of her. She wasn't a mother, not in the slightest. And didn't know if her present situation was conducive to rearing a child.

"I'll keep her tonight. Clean her up. Maybe Maggie and Glenn could take her?"

Rick shrugged, "I can talk to them. We need to find out what happened to her parents. I'll go and get Denise to look her over."

He shot Daryl a look, and before she knew it, Rick was gone. Daryl didn't really look at her, but spoke up, "He's pissed I left alone. I just needed ta think. She was so scared, Thea. I couldn't leave her there. She's too little ta make it on her own."

Thea felt a small smile pull at her lips, she was reminded at just how good he really was, "I understand. I'm sorry about last night...I'm sorry I didn't tell you about...him. I just can't bear to lose anyone else...especially not you."

Daryl chuckled lowly and sighed, "I want him ta bleed for sure. But...I know where ya was comin' from."

"I guess we should go and talk to her...make some food."

They walked back to the kitchen where the little girl stood with the empty plastic cup. Daryl refilled it for her while Thea made the pasta that Rick brought back earlier. She sat and watched the child eat it all at the dining room table while she drank a mug of peppermint tea, trying not to think about her own stomach.

Soon, Rick came back with Denise and a small bag of clean clothes. They were boys sweats and a t-shirt, but Thea didn't think that the little girl would mind.

Denise looked her over and found no scratches, bites, but she was dehydrated. After the exam, her former roommate looked Thea over, too.

"You sure about taking care of her? You need to rest still. A concussion is nothing to brush off, Thea."

She shook her head, "I'm fine. I can handle it for the night. She doesn't seem like too much trouble. Besides...I've got the room."

Denise sighed, "But what about you and...them? Won't this make things...tricky?"

Thea chuckled lightly, "It's still a mess. But we're all grown ups. I'm sure we can keep it in our pants until we find a permanent place for her."

Denise flashed a penlight in Thea's eyes and smiled, "Tara and I could help out with her, I think. Tara had a little niece, she likes kids."

Thea looked at the scared little girl sitting at the dining room table and back to her friend, "We'll figure it out. I'm going to go take her upstairs and clean her up. How about we touch base tomorrow?"

Denise nodded and Thea went and crouched down in front of the girl, "Rick went and got you some clean clothes. Want to come with me and we'll clean you up?"

She held out her hand and the girl just stared at it for minutes before taking it with her own. Thea felt a smile pull at her lips and she lead the tiny girl into the kitchen. Daryl and Rick had been leaning against the counter, talking about what to do. They both stood up straight seeing Thea walk in holding the girl's hand.

"We're going to go clean up. How about we all sit down and talk afterwards?"

Rick looked at Daryl and then back to Thea, "Sounds good. See you girls in a little bit."

Once they reached the bathroom that used to be Denise's, Thea started the water to fill the tub and pulled a fluffy towel down from the closet. When she turned back around, the girl had already stripped off her clothes and was sitting in the tub with her knees pulled up to her chest.

Thea couldn't help but notice the protruding rib cage and spine; she was skin and bone. She took down the shower head and before she turned it on she asked if she'd let Thea wash her hair. She didn't say anything, so Thea went on and did it.

As she scrubbed the grime from the baby-fine hair, Thea decided to introduce herself, "My name is Thea, by the way. I'm not much on talking, either. But you're safe here. I promise. We'll take good care of you. I have a bedroom for you to sleep in tonight and if you like books...I have plenty to read. So...wanna tell me your name?"

Thea waited patiently and the girl said nothing. She didn't know why she was expecting to tell her. Maybe she hadn't talked in months? Thea rinsed the soap from her hair and discovered it was the color of cornsilk. She let her wash off with a bar of soap and waited with the towel as the tub was draining and the girl stepped out.

Thea wrapped the towel around her and the girl began to cry into her shoulder. Thea stopped and felt her heart sink a little, and before she knew it, the girl whispered into her neck, "They killed my mommy. I saw 'em."

She pulled the girl back a little to look at her, "You're safe now. I promise. Those two men downstairs...they won't let anything bad happen to you."

The little girl looked at Thea with her big, blue eyes, "Are you someone's mommy?"

Thea shook her head, "No, I'm not. But I'm a good friend and I won't let anything happen to you either, okay? Won't you please tell me your name?"

Tears welled up in the girls eyes and she whispered, "Sunny. My mama called me Sunny."

"Was your Daddy not around?"

Sunny shook her head, "We were with my uncle. At his house."

"How old are you?"

"Six...almost seven."

Thea smiled sadly, "Well, Sunny. Let's get you dressed...then we'll go downstairs. Rick and Daryl might ask you some questions. Will that be okay?"

Fat tears rolled down her cheeks and she shrugged, "Will you be there too?"

Thea felt a hitch in her chest, "Sure. I'll stay if you want me to."

Sunny seemed satisfied with the answer and reached for the clothes that were folded on the sink. Thea waited for her, worried that she would become attached. She knew very little of children and was afraid of having to take care of one. She hoped that Maggie and Glenn or Denise and Tara would take her in.

Thea was going to keep her promise to be a good friend and keep Sunny safe.

But she couldn't be someone's mother.

It was something she feared more than anything in this world.


A/N: hey loves. It's been an interesting week or so, thanks to Hurricane Matthew, hubs and the cat and I had to evacuate SC for the comfort of my parents home in Alabama. They told us to prepare for at least ten days away. We didn't have to worry about Hurricanes in CO. I ended up writing this and it's really probably two chapters. I'm stuck on Cooper's story, so I'm hoping this will help knock some ideas loose. Up next: Thea and Daryl. Sunny's story and finally Jesus appears.

I know I've been away a bit. Moving, new jobs and a hurricane have kept life interesting to say the least. I'd really love it if you all left me a review to let me know that you are still here and reading. I've missed writing and I feel disjointed without it. Please drop me a line! Thank you all so much for reading!

Super Special Shout Outs to: xenocanaan (yes, Seth is a sticking point, but after his little adventure, Daryl wants to make up with Thea), stormrunner74 (no matter what badassery Daryl is capable of, he is a man of emotion :), natalielaukas (I'm so glad you like it! I hope all is well on your end! It's always good to hear from you!), CLTex (the next chapter will have more danger as Rick and Daryl go back out for supplies!), angelicedg (I think Rick is doing whatever he can to keep Thea and Daryl. He is way more open to it than his friend. But maybe Daryl will come around?), and enchantmentanjel (I'm so glad you're enjoying! Hope you like this update!).

Thanks and Love!

Leah P!

xoxo