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

Wallflower

By Leah Pensotti

Daryl and Rick spent their time waiting for Thea in the dining room. He knew Rick was angry at him for going outside the gates; but he came back and managed to stay out of trouble.

He also had brought back another mouth to feed.

Daryl had found her after she ran back into her house. She was a tiny little thing...couldn't have been more than seven.

He knew if he didn't take her back she'd die...or worse. Unfortunately, he had been on the road for a bit with some of the worst men in the world before finding Rick, Michonne and Carl. He couldn't let that little thing meet a fate like that.

The house was trashed and he found two adult bodies rotting in different rooms. The little girl had been living with them for God knows how long.

It took time persuading her to come with him. Daryl found it comforting that she had a healthy distrust of others. He promised her food and water and a nice place to stay. He also told her there were other kids where he lived.

He wheeled her to Alexandria in the wagon with the pumpkins. The kid didn't utter a word.

Rick sighed a little and looked at his hands, "I understand why you left...but I need you to know that we need to be careful. We don't want those men on the motorcycles finding our town...especially not leading someone to Thea."

Daryl nodded, "I know. But needed ta think. I kept outta trouble...for the most part."

His friend nodded and looked a little hesitant, "There's something we need to talk about, too. This whole thing with you, me and Thea. I know we both really care about her...and you and I care about each other and I was thinking maybe...we could work something out. An arrangement of sorts."

Daryl tilted his head, confused, "What kind of arrangement?"

Rick rubbed his forehead and sighed, "I know this sounds insane...but all the old rules don't apply. I care about Thea...a lot and I know you do, too. I don't think she can choose between us...and I think I might be okay with her not having to if it means keeping her and you. You're my brother, Daryl. Think about it for a bit. Is it really that important that she chooses between us?"

He didn't know what to say. If he said he wanted her to himself...and she didn't want just him...he might lose her anyway. So what choice did he really have?

Daryl couldn't believe he was hearing the mighty Rick Grimes proposing that they share a girlfriend.

But part of him wondered; was it really so off base?

Just then, Thea returned with the little girl. She was scrubbed clean, her hair a bright blonde and the clothes Rick brought almost swallowed her whole.

Thea eyed them carefully and looked down to the girl, "This is Sunny. She was at her uncle's house with her Mother. That's where Daryl found her. I promised her that you all would protect her and not let anything bad happen to her. She said she would answer some questions if I stay with her. Okay?"

Daryl looked to Rick and back to Thea, who looked tired. She was wearing flannel pajamas and sat down across from them. Sunny decided to forego the chair beside Thea, instead, choosing to sit on her lap.

He noticed that Thea didn't seem on board with it, but let it happen anyway.

Rick smiled sadly and asked, "Sunny sweetheart...can you tell us what happened to your mama?"

Sunny's blue eyes wandered a bit and she answered, "Men came. Shot my mama when she wouldn't give 'em the guns we had. They shot my uncle first. I hid. They almost found me once. But they took everything we had."

Rick shook his head from side to side, surprised at her matter-of-factness, "Do you remember what they looked like?"

Sunny shrugged, "One was really tall. Had a mustache."

Daryl saw all the color drain from Thea's face. She thought it was Seth. Daryl leaned forward, "How long ago did this happen?"

"I don't know. While back, now."

Rick nodded, "Daryl and I are going out on a run tomorrow. We will stop and bury your Mama and uncle. Thea's gonna keep you for the night, but we have a few couples here that could give you a home."

Daryl noticed that Sunny looked up at Thea and her face twisted in confusion, "Can't Thea keep me?"

Thea glanced at both of them and swallowed hard, "Sunny...I have some problems and I wouldn't be a good fit. I want you to be with people who can give you everything you need."

Sunny's face fell, but she said nothing.

Daryl realized then that Thea didn't like the idea of being responsible for someone else...and he understood that. He didn't think Rick would, though.


Thea moved to stand up, and Sunny got off of her lap in a hurry. She didn't want to talk about it...she didn't want to be a mother. Rick looked displeased and Daryl...well he looked like Daryl.

"I bet you're tired. How about we go up to bed?"

Sunny nodded a little and Thea told the men she would be back once the girl was settled. The two of them walked upstairs and into Denise's old room. Thea pulled back the covers and helped Sunny in.

"Do you want me to get you a book?" Thea asked as she tucked her in.

Sunny shrugged, "I don't know how to read yet."

Thea wanted to run out of the room and scream, but instead she went into her bedroom amongst the stacks of her own book collection and found Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. She walked back into the room where Sunny waited.

"I'll read a chapter aloud, then you try and sleep, okay?"

Sunny nodded and Thea read aloud quietly, seeing the girl settle in from the corner of her eye. She made it halfway through the chapter and Sunny was out. Thea saved the page and put the book on the nightstand, turning out the light before she returned downstairs.

Rick and Daryl were in the kitchen, leaning against the counter again. Rick shook his head and said exactly what he was thinking, "You act like you don't like kids...but you were good with Carl and Judith."

Thea filled a glass with water and tried to fill her belly so the hunger went away, "I like kids just fine. I just don't want one. I can't protect her, Rick. I can't run. It's nothing personal, I just...don't want to be a mom."

He looked floored by that admission, "What about my kids?"

She didn't really see the connection, "I like them. I care about them...but I'm not really responsible for them. I could be a good teacher...a good friend..."

Rick just shook his head and sighed, and Thea felt confused.

"I'll talk to Maggie and Glenn. See how they feel. I'm going to go spend time with Carl and Judith...I'll check in tomorrow."

Thea didn't even have a chance to say goodbye. He walked straight out.

"I seem to be getting pretty good at pissing people off."

Daryl shook his head, "I wasn't pissed off at ya..."

Thea laughed a little darkly, "Could've fooled me."

He walked closer to her and she could tell he was getting irritated. Which was exactly how she felt, too.

"What's crawled up yer ass, Althea?"

She really hated her given name, but there was no way he knew that. Thea shrugged, "I don't know...having a kid dropped on my lap because I'm a woman and supposedly know how to be a mom? Not every woman wants kids. And just because I can't have my own doesn't make me sad or desperate for one."

Daryl shrugged, but sounded indignant, "I get that. I ain't responsible for nobody...and I don't wanna be...somehow I keep gettin' roped in."

Thea exhaled and nodded, "It's because you have a good heart. I know you have a good heart. I think I do, too. I like to keep to myself. I care about people. Seems Rick thinks I hate kids now. Which I don't. But...I don't want kids. I just don't. The only reason it bothers me that I can't...was because the choice was completely taken away from me. Even if all was right with the world and I hadn't had a hysterectomy...I'd still not want kids. But that doesn't mean I don't want the best for Sunny. She deserves to be with someone who wants her. Denise sounded interested."

Thea felt bad for the rant...and talking about Sunny like she was a puppy and not a human child.

Rick probably thought she was heartless and cold. Jessie had kids and well...his wife had them, too. Did it make her less womanly? Less attractive?

Her head ached and she felt exhausted and hungry. She looked at Daryl and sighed, "Do you want some dinner? I haven't eaten since yesterday morning. I don't have much, but there's enough for you and me."

Daryl shrugged, "Sure."

Thea rinsed out the pan they'd used for Sunny's pasta and smiled a little, "Oh...and Daryl?"

"Yeah?"

She looked up and met his eyes, "Call me Althea again and I'll punch you in the throat."

Daryl smirked and nodded, "Yes ma'am."


After a meager dinner, Daryl suggested they read some of The Three Musketeers, but really he was just wanting to get her upstairs in bed. That worked just fine, but he had a hard time trying to get her to do anything other than read.

He got riled up when she told him not to call her Althea. He had to admit to himself that getting turned on when she threatened to punch him in the throat was pretty weird.

While she read to him, he rested his head on her lap and she played with his hair until she needed to turn a page. It was nice...soothing.

What he really wanted though, was her naked beneath him...but Daryl considered that she had a lot happen in the last day and didn't feel up to it...or that she and Rick had sealed the deal when he turned and walked away.

He hated that Thea had gotten upset over him...and over Rick's reaction to her and Sunny. But part of him hoped that this could be something that leaned in his favor...that maybe Rick and Thea would decide against the sharing thing and he could have her all to himself.

Daryl wanted Thea. That was the end of story. He didn't want to share her, but if it meant not having her at all...well...he didn't like it, but he'd do it until he wasn't able to.

Thea sat the book down and yawned and Daryl sat up, "Ya okay?"

She shrugged, "It's been a long forty-eight hours. I'm sore and tired and kind of drained. Got to talk to Denise and Tara tomorrow about the kid."

He touched her face, she did look pale, "Evidently, we're goin' on a run tomorrow. Anythin' ya want me ta look for?"

She flashed her staple half smile, "Oh, you know me. Books and wine. But mostly food. Maybe some clothes for the kid."

Daryl remembered the pumpkins. They were sitting on the wagon beside Thea's house. He wanted to take them to Carol in the morning. He was also going to talk to Eugene about researching places people went to pick pumpkins and apples with their families and maybe seeing if they still yielded crops if they haven't been tended to.

He rested his forehead against hers and she sighed, "I'm sorry about Seth. If he found us...I couldn't stand for anything to happen to you, Glenn or Aaron. And if he found me...God knows what would happen to me. Probably something worse than death...but like I told Rick...if anyone is going to kill him...it's going to be me. I deserve it."

Daryl couldn't argue with her there.

Instead he just leaned in and kissed her, his hand grazing her neck and finally slipping down the neck of her flannel pajamas. Thea gasped slightly as his fingers found her breast and his thumb teased at her nipple.

It didn't take much coaxing to get her top off, his mouth following to where his hand was and sucked the hard, pink bud. Thea undid his jeans and stroked him gently before slipping off her bottoms. He fucked her slowly, sitting cross legged on the bed and she straddled him.

He groaned loudly, and Thea put a hand over his mouth and whispered slightly breathless, "Don't wake...the kid."

With that he turned her beneath him and pounded into her, and she tried her best to be quiet, at one point...covering her own mouth. Daryl collapsed on top of her, totally spent.

He moved to lay beside her and Thea curled up against his chest. Daryl had never thought anything could feel this way...especially not at the end of the world. Thea Graham had become a very welcome respite in this weary, fear-filled world.

Daryl dozed off and on, waking with a start a few times just to take a minute to remember where he was. It was nice to look down at the pretty, scarred girl and be able to settle back down beside her.

When dawn came, Daryl shook Thea awake and they both dressed for the day. They were going to take Sunny to the clinic to meet Tara and Denise, and then Daryl and Rick would be heading out on their run.

He had to admit, he wasn't really looking forward to being in the car all day with Rick and avoiding certain conversations.

Daryl liked watching Thea get dressed and brush her long hair. It felt mundane...normal. Something he had never really had. Before they went to wake up the kid, Thea snaked her arms around his neck and kissed him, that half smile still present on her lips.


Thea lead Daryl down the hall to the other bedroom with her hairbrush and a rubber band in her hands. Sunny was splayed out on the bed, her mouth open slightly. She had been asleep for almost fourteen hours.

The kid was exhausted.

Daryl stood in the doorway as Thea sat on the bed and shook her awake, "Sunny...time to get up. I'll braid your hair if you like..."

Sunny's eyes cracked open slowly and she sat up and mumbled, "I'm still hungry."

She felt herself smile, "We will get something in your belly. We're going to go visit Denise and Tara. Denise came last night and looked you over..."

Sunny sat up and crossed her little arms over her chest, "The ones you want me to live with."

Thea ran the brush through the long, white-blond hair and gave Daryl a gentle look. She began to twist Sunny's hair into a braid and tied it off with the rubber band.

"They are good ladies. They will take really good care of you. We can take the book we started with us, too. You can always come visit me if you want to get a different book to read. I'm hoping to make a library for the town soon."

The three of them left the house and walk towards the front of the town to the clinic. Sunny clutched the book to her chest, and Thea found her limp to be a bit more pronounced than it had. The bruises on her body had dulled a bit, but she was still sore from her fall.

When they got to the clinic, Tara greeted them at the door with a playful smile, "This must be Sunny! Denise is making some food. You guys hungry?"

Daryl shook his head, "I'll be back, but I'm gonna check in with Rick...get the car ready for the run."

Thea nodded, only a little nervous about them both being in the car all day together. Awkward didn't even begin to describe it. Daryl walked away as Thea and Sunny went inside to find Denise taking a batch of her protein bites out of the oven.

The four of them sat at the kitchen table, and Thea was thankful that Tara was so warm and generous and Sunny seemed to respond well to her. As Thea got up to get some more coffee, Denise followed and they talked in hushed tones by the sink.

"I talked to Maggie this morning, I think it's best we take Sunny. They have a lot going on...and Enid has been staying with them. When Tara goes on runs, I think Sunny can keep me company and help me out around the clinic..."

Thea looked at Tara and Sunny sitting at the kitchen table. They were laughing.

"Thanks Denise. I appreciate it...I know I must seem like...a cold person by not keeping her."

Denise shook her head, "Thea...no one is judging you. You obviously care what happens. You're not cold. Not in the slightest...now, I'm going to take some of those protein bites out to Daryl and give him the list for the clinic. I worry about him eating roadkill."

Thea chuckled. She had never witnessed it, but realized that it was likely.


A/N: hi loves. A little chapter before hubby, cat and I go back to SC and face the clean up. Not looking forward to it, but have been in touch with our neighbors and it could honestly be much worse. Hoping to update more on all my stories in the upcoming week. Up next: The run, Jesus and a hint of Richonne. This is where Thea's story will start running parallel to the events of the show.

Thank you all so much for the love and reviews. I appreciate it so much. I'm always so happy to hear from you all and have feedback! Please continue! I'd love for you to leave me a note :)

Super Special Shout Outs to: xenocanaan (Rick and Thea's attraction is a little more surface than hers and Daryl's. Things have happened and are getting ready to happen to redefine it), angelicedg (Sunny will play a big part, maybe not in an adopted daughter sense. So glad you enjoy this story!), stormrunner74 (Hooboy, I find Cooper to be a lot more cerebral, like a beachside philosopher. Connecting he and Rosita is tough.), angelvoice15 (I'm so glad you liked it! Thea isn't wanting to take Sunny in, but some things will happen to draw them closer in some ways), clduncan (that's so sweet! Thank you. I've also updated Mellie and Daryl this week! I hope you check it out), CLTex (Looking back on it, it's quite a lengthy scene, lol! I'm glad you enjoyed it!), enhantmentanjel (I promise Sunny's story will serve a purpose. They are going to help each other out a lot...but not in an adoptive parent way), and guest (Thank you for the thoughtful, in depth review. I agree with a lot of your thoughts. Thea and Daryl have a lot in common and Daryl's DOES deserve goodness and happiness. Sometimes, things have to happen to make it all the more clear. I'm so glad, ultimately, that this story is evoking emotion from you...I hope to hear more from you ;)!

Thanks and Love!

Leah P!

xoxo