AN: I want to thank all that have taken the time to review, especially want to shout out to Sar Cupcake ans everyone else. Please forgive, but I've had to hack this out on my iphone.
Chapter 8: Friends and Relatives
"We can't just keep medicating him," Miriam faced down Hershel as Lane and Daryl stood by and watched.
"I tend to agree, but he may suffer a psychotic break if we don't?" Hershel rationalized, his worry painfully obvious.
"And we can't keep him unconscious forever either!" Miriam reminded Hershel, never one to back down when she felt she was right.
C
"Daryl?" Miriam and Hershel both looked to him to decide. Daryl was only just beginning to realize that they all were.
Lane stood awkwardly next to Daryl, strangely unsure of her place with Daryl, especially when they were in front of others. Still she was proud at the way everyone, even her aunt, looked to him to decide.
Daryl felt Lane standing near him, and much to his surprise realized he felt stronger by her closeness.
"We gonna just haveta let him go through this...let him deal. But everyone stays locked in. Glenn and I will cover Rick. We'll keep him safe." Daryl stood firm and made his decision.
"How much longer til he wakes back up?" Daryl asked Hershel, needing to make sure the others had time to get safely set away.
"Maybe an hour?" Hershel answered.
"OK, we lock everyone in block C so Rick cain't accidentally hurt anyone! I'll stay with him 'til he wakes!" Daryl ordered.
Hershel and Miriam nodded to each other and walked out of the infirmary. Which left just Lane and Daryl...alone together.
"Ya need to go too!" He ordered Lane.
"I will...I just wanted to remind you to be careful!" she didn't ask. She ordered, refusing to be cow towed by his attitude.
"Always!" he snarked his frequent glib answer, but Lane wasn't having it.
"Shut It Dixon! Don't you dare patronize me!" she shouted, refusing to let him minimize how dangerous this was. But it was really her fear... fear for him that terrified her.
Lane slowly walked toward him, never breaking eye contact. When she finally reached him, she leaned in and rained soft kisses on his neck. He closed his eyes at the involuntarily shudder that shook him. God her lips felt so good.
"OK," Lane reluctantly pulled away and turned to leave, trying not to be hurt by his indifference. She was aware Daryl would never be a touchy-feely guy, but this emotional distance he'd built between them hurt.
"Lane?" Daryl called out and she turned back to look at him. His eyes were bright and his pupils dilated and she could tell he wanted to say something to her.
She watched the emotions flit over his features including his frustration that he couldn't say what she needed to hear. And then, with a sigh she left him alone go stay with Rick.
"Lane? Would you like to hold her?" Maggie stood before her, cuddling 'Lil Ass Kicker.
"Are you kidding? Gimme!" Lane held out her eager arms, and reached for the baby, holding her tightly to her chest, taking a big sniff of her soft baby hair. Maggie had put her in a cute polka dot onesie and Lane couldn't stop kissing her teeny feet.
"She looks good on you," Aunt Ethel clucked at the sight of her niece, completely enamored with the infant girl.
"This pretty girl makes everyone look good," Lane answered diplomatically yet still managed to look around at all the smiling faces. They'd experienced soul crushing tragedy these past few days, but somehow this new baby was managing to soften the blow.
"Yes she does! Did you see Daryl? Wasn't it cute the way he was holding and feeding her last night!" Aunt Ethel exclaimed, her eyes getting misty at the memory. "A sight to make any woman's ovaries scream with delight!"
Hershel cracked up and Miriam swatted Ethel on the ass, mostly because she was embarrasing Lane. Lane looked back at Miriam with a look of thanks, but couldn't deny Aunt Ethel spoke the truth. She wasn't sure it was her ovaries screaming, but something in her was deeply affected.
"Hey Lane! Thanks for getting these!" Beth and Carl said in unison at the discovery of the stash of board games she'd thought to bring back from the house.
"No problem. I figured we might have our share of days being cooped up. I grabbed some books too, but I'm not sure how age appropriate they are," Lane replied. But as soon as the words left her mouth she witnessed a pair of deep sighs and exaggerated eye-rolls from the two teens.
"OK, I get it. Stupid thing to say. The books are in the RV if you're interested," Lane admitted sheepishly. 13 now was more mature than most 25-year olds before.
Lane was glad to see Carl coming back to life. He wasn't 100% or anything, but rather improvement came in waves. At some moments the boy seemed cold and lost but more and more he was finding a reason to smile. Lane couldn't help but notice that he seemed to respond best to Beth. He probably had a crush on Beth, but who could blame him. She was pretty and nice.
Lane took a spot on the cot they'd dragged out to serve as a sort of sofa. Beth had prepared a bottle and Lane continued to pat Lil' Ass Kicker's bottom while trying to get situated so she could feed her.
"So?" Maggie came over and sat beside her, tucking one leg in and reaching over to coo at the feeding baby, nuzzling her head with her nose.
"Soooo?" Lane answered back innocently, looking right back into Maggie's probing green eyes, giving nothing away...or so she thought.
"You have a poker face about as good as Glenn's," Maggie pointed out victoriously. "Did you really think nobody would notice?"
"Notice what?" Lane felt her reserve crumbling under Maggie's probing glare. Lord, the woman should have been a prosecuting attorney.
"Come on? Daryl can't keep his eyes off of you!" Maggie accused. "Plus you were both gone...overnight, mind you, and now...something's different. The atmosphere between you practically crackles."
"Ya think?" Lane looked hesitantly up at Maggie. "He really looks at me?"
"Are you kidding? You must have felt it!" Maggie accused, unable to believe her cousin was this oblivious to the redneck's attention.
Lane's cheeks reddened as she remembered just how much she had felt it the night before.
"Ahhhh! You did do it," Maggie accused, Lane's all-over blush giving her away. Lane had to change the subject. That she had slept with Daryl was just hers for now... Theirs alone.
"Maggie? They've been gone a really long time. I'm getting worried," Lane's tone changed, and her concern evident.
"Me too. But they'll be fine, I know it. They always come back," Maggie did her best to sound confident.
"Yeah! You're right. They always come back!" Lane did her best to sound equally confident.
"Hey You!" Lane came up quietly behind Daryl, after climbing the steps to the watch tower. He'd been different ever since he'd come back today. Pensive and disturbed, he'd barely spoken to her after they came back with a bloody, yet somewhat more coherent Rick.
"Hey," Daryl didn't turn, instead keeping his attention out over the dark yard, looking for any unexpected motion.
"Rick seems better tonight," She moved to stand beside him. "He still won't acknowledge the baby. But he seemed to be able to connect with Carl.". Lane wasn't sure what to make of the old-fashioned phone that Rick wouldn't let go of.
"Yeah! Guess he just needed to work through it. Crazy fucker cleared the entire block by himself," Daryl's voice held clear admiration and respect while he shook his head and remembered the gory sight. He and Glenn spent the better part of the day dragging out the walkers Rick had taken down. But it was the knife he found that occupied his thoughts. Carol's knife.
"I'm glad, Carl and the baby need him," Lane said softly, refusing to voice her concerns about Rick's state of mind.
"Are you ever planning on telling me what's really wrong?" Lane decided to quit pussyfootin' around.
"Ain't nuthin' wrong. Just been a long day is all," Daryl lied, not ready to voice his thoughts about Carol.
Lane caught his eyes, and he couldn't conceal the pain and torture he was feeling. But he obviously wasn't prepared to talk about.
"Well, Goodnight then," Lane said before she shut the door behind her, leaning back on it after it closed. It was her nature to keep pressing when she needed answers, a trait that helped her build a very successful business. A business that often had dealings with the most secretive branch of government. But every fiber in her being told her now was not the time. So she bit the bullet and left him alone in the tower, ignoring the ache in her chest.
Lane checked on her aunts and the baby who all were relaxing safely and so she reluctantly went to the RV alone. She tried to assuage her loneliness by offering to take the baby during the night if Maggie wanted, but she doubted Maggie would take her up the offer.
Daryl's thoughts were muddled and confused. Was it just that he couldn't accept Carol's death? Was it guilt? Or something more?
But that was her knife in that walker...nowhere near where they'd 'found' her. He couldn't keep himself from hoping she'd managed to get away.
But he didn't want to push Lane away either...not now. Not after what had happened between them.
It was late and Oscar had already relieved him, when he walked by the RV. He stood there for a minute, debating whether to go in or not. But he couldn't seem to control himself, if only just to watch over her while she slept.
Lane was sound asleep when Daryl crawled into bed beside her, and he wearily closed his eyes, but not before placing a possessive arm around her waist and letting his face nuzzle her hair.
Lake woke to an empty bed but she could have sworn Daryl had slept there with her. As if she could sense him. The pillow even smelled like him. She looked around, expecting to find him nearby, but he wasn't there.
Lane refused to feel despondent and act like a jilted girlfriend. It wasn't easy but she forced herself to dress and join the others...a tight smile on her face.
"Hey there sleepyhead!" Aunt Ethel handed her a bowl of oatmeal when she walked in. Daryl was sitting on the stairs while everyone else, except Rick, was sitting around the table.
"Well, good morning Lil' Ass Kicker," Lane came over and kissed the baby Maggie held, before grabbing a seat beside her.
"We've got to give this baby girl a proper name before that one sticks," Miriam protested, looking to Carl to decide. Ethel also gave an accusatory glare at Daryl for coming up with it, but then gave him a bold wink so he knew she was teasing.
That was the moment Rick joined them, looking showered and clean...and strangely rational...but still 'off'.
Lane watched Rick check on Carl, yet completely ignore the baby. Instead Rick grabbed some oatmeal and ate it while walking.
"How we doing?" Rick stood in front of Daryl to get an assessment of their situation.
"Running real low on ammo," Daryl admitted. They'd gone through an enormous amount of ammo between taking the prison, dealing with Axel and then Andrew's shenanigans and now they were dangerously low.
Lane watched Rick absorb the info with an efficient nod and instead of brainstorming a plan he simply marched off.
"Rick... You don't have to do this all by yourself," Hershel yelled at their leader. But it was almost as if Rick never even heard Hershel. With barely an acknowledgment, he left them, his exit followed by the loud clang of the metal door.
"We need to do a run! Go and find us some more ammo!" Daryl reluctantly took over after Rick left.
"Glenn and I will go! You and Lane went last time!" Maggie stood abruptly, causing the baby to fuss. Maggie gave the baby to Lane, who patted her little back. But then Lane got a whiff of the baby's bottom, her crinkled face causing Carl to crack up.
"Really Maggie? You'd rather go on an ammo run than change a dang diaper," Lane teasingly accused. Even Daryl ended up laughing, remembering the extent of the foulness.
"Are you going to explain why I'm not going with you all today?" Lane jerked Daryl off to the side, back past the pantry.
"Need ya here. To take care of the baby...and look out fer Carl and Beth," Daryl wouldn't meet her eyes.
"So I'm the group's babysitter now! What am I? Kindercare?" Lane's fingers dug into his arm, as she railed at him. But there was more to it. Every instinct she had told her Daryl had much more on his mind.
"No...there's something else. What aren't you telling me Daryl Dixon?" Lane was still pissed, but her voice lost some of its sting as she probed his eyes for the truth.
Daryl looked down, wondering what to say. But he knew she wouldn't drop it, and the truth was he needed to tell someone. He wanted to tell someone... Her. Even if it was to convince himself he wasn't going nuts like Rick.
"I found Carol's knife yesterday," he admitted softly.
"When? Where?" Lane grew strangely optimistic. She knew Carol wasn't her biggest fan, but she wanted Carol to be alive. For Daryl and the group.
"Yesterday. In block F. A walker had her knife stuck in it," Daryl admitted, still reluctant to hope.
"Daryl? Do you think she might have made it? I mean, all we really found was her scarf," Lane speculated cautiously. Daryl also felt glimmers of hope as Lane voiced her legitimate points.
"Dunno. I mean that walker could have wandered over from D to F," Daryl didn't want to get his hopes up.
"But we sealed those gates two days ago," Lane reminded him... Refusing to let him talk himself out of hope.
"Ya still ain't going!" Daryl's voice became a guttural snarl. But as soon as he realized what he'd done he softened his tone.
"Please? I cain't ... " he couldn't finish and Lane saw the fear in his eyes, which disappeared in a flash.
"I just need to focus on finding her," and not be worried about you, was the unspoken implication.
"OK. This time...I'll stay. But you know I can't stay cooped up in that birdcage forever," Lane acquiesced, but with reluctance. "I won't!"
Daryl stared at her, glaring back at him with a combination of fury and caring in her eyes and he let himself drown in them. The green was no longer soft and foamy, but sharp and brilliant like an emerald in the sun. And she cared about him. He needed to understand why, but just at this moment he didn't give a shit. He slowly reached up to grab her chin, delicately rubbing her lip with his thumb.
"I know," he whispered as he slowly leaned in. His lips touched hers, soft as a butterfly wing. Lane moaned at the delicate pleasure which soon resembled exquisite torture.
Lane couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed his head and forcefully pulled him closer, eagerly opening her mouth to slide her tongue against his. Kissing Daryl was intoxicating, like a smooth whiskey. Lane found herself gripping the fabric of his flannel shirt to gain support as her knees weekened.
Daryl allowed himself to get lost in the pleasure of the moment. It was meant to be a simple kiss, but apparently nothing between them was ever going to be simple.
Before he even knew it had happened he had her pinned against the metal counter and was pressing his arousal against her center, both of them frustrated by all their clothes.
"Yo Daryl? We gonna head out anytime soon?" Oscar hollered out, having the discretion to announce his presence and not walking in on them.
"Gimme a second," Daryl jerked away after yelling back at Oscar. But it was the sight of Lane's swollen lips and flushed cheeks that made him want to tell Oscar to go on without him. Or just to go to hell.
Lane saw the thoughts flash across his face and it warmed her heart. He might actually really have feelings for her.
"Go!" Lane's hands were now pressed flat against his chest, reluctantly pushing him away. "But you better come back! I want to see if you can follow through," Lane taunted.
"Gerl... I'll follow through!" He growled, dipping down to suck and nibble her neck, surely giving her a hickey.
Lane forced herself to push him away but as Daryl walked out the door she yelled to him, "Go bring Carol back!"
Daryl turned to look at her, surprised and amazed at her unquestioning belief in him. Nor did she ever question his sanity. With as astonished nod, he joined Oscar and left.
-/
"I'm worried about Rick. He won't even acknowledge her," Lane whispered to Hershel while holding the baby.
"Me too. He's been carrying such a big burden for a really long time." Hershel tried to explain. He didn't tell her that Rick was likely experiencing auditory hallucinations. That he was hearing voices from a telephone that wasn't even plugged in
Hershel's attention was suddenly drawn to the gate, where Rick was coming to join them.
Lane watched Rick slowly approach her, eyes focused on the baby as if it were the first time he saw her. Finally Rick stood right in front of her, his eyes imploring her to let him hold his daughter.
Lane hesitated at first, scared he might hurt her. Sensing her apprehension, Hershel nodded his approval. Something must have convinced Hershel it was ok so Lane cautiously handed Rick his daughter.
Within seconds, Lane's fears were assuaged as Rick finally 'saw' his daughter. His eyes shone brightly and his lips curled into an adoring smile at the happy baby who was making cooing and googling sounds.
"Maybe we can go get some air?" Rick suggested. "I'd like to ...ah...see"
"Of course! We'll all go Rick," Hershel grabbed his crutches, wanting to be there when Rick saw Lori's grave. Lane grabbed her weapons and followed Rick and the others outside.
The warm sun and crisp, fresh air felt wonderful and they all looked out over the field where the three freshly dug graves sat. Lane took in everything about the moment, even the moaning walkers that congregated at the fence.
But one walker was strangely different. A bloody African American woman with fierce dreadlocks.
"Rick?" Lane ran forward to get a better look. Walkers don't usually carry grocery baskets. But these walkers weren't attacking her either.
"I see it," Rick handed to the baby over to Carl. "Keys?" Rick held his hand out for Carl to pass them over.
Lane waited for Rick and approached the fence line with caution, taking out her handgun and flicking off the safety.
"Who are you?" Rick asked forcefully, but the woman didn't answer, instead she swayed weakly.
"Are ya bit?" Rick asked taking notice of the bleeding at the woman's side.
"Gunshot," The woman answered, correcting Rick.
"Rick! She's carrying baby formula," Lane noticed the cans in the basket. That was when the walkers seemed to pick up her scent.
"We let you in, you drop your weapons immediately and tell us why you have that basket," Rick ordered. The woman nodded and stumbled to the locked gate, pulling a sword to defend herself from the walkers.
Lane hurried to unlock and open the gate while Rick kept his weapon trained on her. The woman dropped her sword and fell to her knees as soon as the gate was closed.
Rick grabbed her weapons and Lane ran forward to help carry the bleeding woman.
"Hershel! She's been shot!" Lane yelled while she struggled to help the woman into the prison.
-/-
"Lane, can you start an IV by yourself yet?" Hershel asked.
"No, will you show me again," Lane admitted as she helped Hershel clean the woman up. Her clothes and body were literally saturated with walker guts and blood. Maybe that was why the walkers didn't seem to notice her?
Hershel grabbed the necessary equipment and quickly showed Lane how to find a vein and soon hooked the line to the IV bag.
"Inject 1cc of Lorazepam in here," Hershel pointed to the spot in the IV. "You know how to draw medication into a syringe, don't you?". Lane nodded yes, remembering how he'd done it for Rick.
"Hand me the lidocaine and give her two Vicoden," Hershel continued instructing in his calm doctor's voice. Lane brought Hershel a stool so he could work while she tried to be his legs and bring him what he needed.
"What's your name?" Lane asked after watching the woman swallow down the two pills while she dabbed a cool cloth against the woman's forehead.
"Michonne," she was barely coherent.
"Michonne. You want to tell us why you were carrying baby formula?" Rick stood at the end of the bed.
"Wasn't mine. They dropped it when Merle grabbed them!" Michonne was starting to slur her words as the medication took effect. But lying in this clean bed surrounded by people she instinctively trusted, made it so easy to let go.
Lane didn't understand why this information was so important but it had clearly agitated Rick.
"Did you say Merle?" Rick's voice grew louder, causing Michonne's eyes to flutter open.
"Yeah. This one handed asshole. He's the Governer's henchman. He took the guy and girl back to Woodbury. The kid seemed to know Merle. Said he'd bring someone named Daryl back but wouldn't let Merle get in the car with them. That's when Merle went batshit and attacked the girl. Made the kid drive... a big white and red SUV" Michonne's lids began to flutter shut again.
"Michonne, I need ya to stay with me! Tell me about the people he took." Rick squeezed her hand to try and keep her awake.
"Young woman... Asian boy," she mumbled and then fell unconscious.
"Shit! Merle kidnapped Glenn and Maggie," Rick kicked the cement wall in utter frustration and anger. "And I have no idea what this will do to Daryl!"
"Why would you say that?" Lane was completely confused, but the way Rick sounded about Daryl sent an icy shiver down her back.
"Merle is Daryl's brother." Rick watched Lane absorb the news. "He's a crazy, mean, racist, bigoted addict. I ended up having to handcuff him to the roof back when we were in Atlanta. He attacked T-Dog and started shooting off rounds like the 4th of July. But when we tried to leave the key fell down the drain and we had to run. We left him there. But we also chained the door and went back for him. But by then he'd already cut his hand off and left. We never found him," Rick finished the abbreviated version.
"Daryl never mentioned a brother." Lane was shell-shocked. How was Daryl going to react? Just then the infirmirary door slammed open.
"Hershel!" Daryl came rushing in, carrying a weak and bloody Carol in his arms.
"Oh my God! You found her," Lane immediately moved so Daryl could lay Carol down on the adjacent gurney.
"Lane, I still need to finish up here. Can you start the IV and check her over," Hershel kept stitching up Michonne's side as he instructed Lane.
Lane looked for the vein just like Hershel showed her. Carol's veins weren'ts nearly as plump as Michonne's, probably because of dehydration, but she finally found it and got the drip started.
"How is she?" Daryl stood by nervously. Lane looked Carol over and didn't see any bites. "Is she gonna be OK?"
"Yes - thanks to you! She's dehydrated and likely starving but she wasn't bit." Lane smiled proudly at Daryl as she gently wiped the filth off Carol. "We have some Gatorade packets in the RV. Top right shelf over the sink." Daryl seemed to need to do something to help and so quickly rushed off.
"Rick! We have to go get Maggie and Glenn back!" Hershel looked pointedly at him.
"That's not even a question. Of course we'll get them back. It goes without saying! But it sounds like this woman ...Michonne knew Merle. So she's our best bet to find them!" Rick hated to wait, but didn't want to go in with their asses hanging out either.
"We're gonna need a lot more ammo," Rick remembered.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" Carol croaked, her voice still scratchy from screaming and dehydration.
"Shush," Lane hushed the woman and continued cleaning her with a warm washcloth and then shampooing her short hair..
"I'm taking care of you because in spite of your feelings, I really like and admire you," Lane answered in all honesty. Carol was warm and kind and worked hard to take care of everyone.
"Plus you are hurt, you're a member of this group, and also because Daryl loves you.". Lane grabbed Carol's wrist and began counting pulses.
"Lane? Did everyone else make it?" Carol's blue eyes were moist with unshed tears. Lane bit her lip, unsure of whether she should say...if Carol was ready. But the days of tender hearted feelings were no longer, Lane had to accept.
"Lori...?" Lane's eyes also filled with tears.
"No!" Carol wailed,shaking her head side to side. She worked so hard! She practiced so she could safely deliver the baby! Oh God! What about the baby?
"And the baby?" Carol was terrified to ask, but needed to know.
"Is a beautiful, healthy, baby girl! Oh, Carol! I've never seen a more beautiful baby," Lane beamed with pride as if talking about her own child. She watched as Carol accepted the news. Carol desperately mourned Lori but couldn't deny her happiness that the baby was alive.
"And did I hear you correctly? That Merle's still alive?" Carol was hungry for more information. She'd had two days of solitude, silence and walker moans.
"Did you know him?" Lane couldn't help but ask. At first Carol just nodded, but after another small sip of water she continued.
"Yes. And he's an awful man. He reminds me of my dead husband. He's violent and mean and he's awful to Daryl. But he's still the only family Daryl has left," Carol turned her head to stare at the wall.
"Lane? We could lose him...if Merle gets hold of him again!" Carol's voice was barely a whisper and Lane couldn't miss the utter fear in her eyes.
"He's changed so much, ya know...Since we lost Merle," tears slid down Carol's face. "I couldn't bear it if he goes back to that 'place'?"
Lane listened to Carol intently. It wasn't so much her words but the tremendous sadness in her face that terrified Lane. She'd only known this Daryl, and didn't want to lose him either.
"Then we don't let that happen Carol!" Lane said with conviction, letting Carol squeeze her hand tightly as a sign of solidarity.
"He wants to see you. I'll go get him," Lane patted her hand and went to get Daryl. And get away. She needed to think through all this.
Lane was nervous but still she climbed the stairs of the watchtower. She knew Rick had told Daryl about his brother, but she had no idea how he'd handled the news.
She stood by the door for a minute, her hand on the handle waiting for the courage to turn it. With a deep breath she turned the handle and entered the room.
She stared at Daryl's back. She knew he'd heard her, so he was apparently refusing to turn and acknowledge her.
She took a risk and with a deep breath, took a step and pressed her body to his back, wrapping her fingers around his waist and leaning her cheek against him.
"Carol's doing much better...she even ate some," she whispered. "Thanks to you," Lane added.
"That why you're up here?" Daryl stiffened, though didn't unclasp her arms "Or is it because my brother kidnapped Glenn and Maggie?"
"You never told me about your brother," Lane reminded him. "I didn't even know you had a brother."
"Yea? And why would I wanna tell ya about my drug-addicted, multiple felon, abusive, mean as a snake brother?" Daryl snarled.
"Maybe because he's part of your family?" she carefully suggested. "and you care about him. He's obviously important to you."
"Daryl? Let me in? Tell me what you're so worried about?" Lane begged him.
"You wanna know? You really wanna know?" Daryl yelled and clenched hus fists to keep from hitting something. "My brother will likely torture Maggie and Glenn to get them to tell him where we are. Then he'll kill Rick and not blink an eye! And if he figures out about you and me, he'll take you away just for the fun of it. Rape you and make me watch just to teach me a lesson!" Daryl ranted and railed at her, expecting her to run away in terror any second.
He finally finished, his chest heaving up and down as his nostrils flared. She watched him take three deep breaths as if it were a long-used control technique he'd acquired over lifetime.
"Then we don't let that happen!" Lane insisted. But Daryl apparently didn't quite buy into her confidence.
"We sneak in, get Glenn and Maggie. Andrea too if she wants, then we get out."
"Fuck! Did ya say Andrea's there too?" Daryl slammed his hand on the wall,surprised yet elated and relieved she was alive.
"Yes. Michonne said she met Andrea after Hershel's farm was overrun. They travelled together all winter up until your brother and this Governor captured them. Andrea didn't want to leave," Lane told Daryl what Michonne relayed to her .
"So Daryl, we know a lot more about them than your brother knows about us," Lane reminded him. "That gives us the advantage.
"Daryl? I'm wondering if it was this Woodbury gang that killed those soldiers?" Lane remembered the brutality of that slaughter they'd witnessed.
"I dunno, but I wouldn't rule it out." Daryl admitted, and gripped the sill. There wasn't much his brother respected, but Daryl had a hard time believing even Merle would have had a part in slaughtering those soldiers. His stint in the Marines was the one thing Merle had always been proud of.
"Daryl?" Lane's voice was low and husky and she stepped closer, resting her palms against his chest
"I want...," Lane started getting embarrassed under the inspection of his sky blue eyes.
"What?" Daryl's voice cracked, surprised at the depth of emotions he was feeling.
"It's just...maybe it's not the time right now but " she stammered. Finally, she decided all she could do was blurt it out.
"I wan't you. Tonight and every other night I have left!" the words exploded out of her mouth so fast she couldn't react to the shock on Daryl's face.
Thunder was roaring in his ears and his heart was pounding so fast in his chest, he was sure even the walkers could hear it. She still wanted him. For every night she had left? If he had any say she'd have plenty of nights left. He still felt thrilled that in spite of everything he'd said and done, she still wanted him!
Lane stood there, unsure of what to do next. Daryl had yet to even acknowledge that she'd spoken much less responded, so she was left hanging, standing there so alone ...and hurting. Still she bent down and placed a soft kiss on the warm flesh of his chest.
With a bereft sigh, she turned to leave biting her lip try to try and keep the tears at bay.
Daryl watched her turn to leave and even he couldn't miss the evidence of the hurt he'd caused. In a split second he made his decision. Silently he stepped forward and pulled her back around.
With a half-second to look at her, he knew he needed her more than air to breathe or water to drink. And the flash of hunger she saw in his eyes sent zings of desire straight to her belly. Then his mouth crashed down upon hers, refusing to take 'no' for an answer.
Lane slid her tongue greedily against his, twisting and tangling and nipping. She felt a warmth all over and craved more.
"I'll never not want this," she half-moaned half-whispered in his ear which drove him crazy. She felt his strong hands grip her ass and lift her up and pin her back against the wall.
When Daryl felt her legs wrap around his waist and grip him tightly, he couldn't control himself.
"You feel so insanely good!" Daryl groaned in her ear and felt every curve on her ... Lane creeped her arms around his neck and fisted her fingers in his hair.
"I won't lose you," she moaned in his mouth. "Not even to Merle!" she cried out. Her fierce possessiveness might have worried him before, but now it just turned him on even more. That there was someone who would6 fight for him...even against his own family.
"Ain't going anywhere!" he mumbled and pushed her hair back to expose her smooth neck. She bit her lip to keep from crying out as his stubble prickled her sensitive skin and his teeth gently nipped then soothed with his tongue.
"Daryl...come to the RV? After watch?" she begged him, knowing they couldn't keep doing this here...not while on watch.
His eyes literally glowed in the moonlight as her took in her face. He couldn't trust himself to speak, he was so affected by her.
"I'll be there," he swore intently, fascinated by the curves of her face.
Silently she reached up to caress his face. She wanted him so much. Not just sexually. She enjoyed just being around him, talking to him. But with one last look, she reluctantly left him.
Lane was on a high... Her entire body hummed and her lips still pulsed from such intense kissing. She hurried and took a shower, shaving her legs and even paying special attention to her bikini line, then even used the blow dryer and flat iron, something she hadn't bothered with since the world went to shit. Was this what prom night might have felt like if things had been different, she wondered?
She threw the drawers apart looking for the prettiest things she had. The best she could come up with was a pink plaid bra but at least it had matching boy shorts. And she grabbed a book...and waited.
But as much as she tried to concentrate on her book and the actions of 'Jane Whitefield' and her escapades in helping people disappear and evading the bad guys, all she could think of was Daryl. Not Michonne...not even Glenn and Maggie. And suddenly she was consumed with guilt. Glenn and
Maggie.
She slammed the book down and grabbed her laptop...Maggie and Glenn and what was happening to them now consuming her. She went up front to switch on the satellite. She knew the TV channels likely no longer worked since the programming depended on people to update it... but maybe the military satellites?
The satellites! Of course. The DOD satellites should still be up. They wouldn't be affected by the goings on, on planet Earth.
She flipped open her laptop, and waited while it booted up. With a few keystrokes she was able to hack the secure firewall and access the images from DOD satellites, typing in the GPS coordinates of where she thought the prison might be. It wasn't spot on, but she was soon able to find the prison.
The images of the prison popped up on the screen, recent enough it was showing dead walkers strewn about the prison yard. She could even read the license tag numbers of their cars. Lane shook her head at the irony. All this technology, and its a damn sickness that took everything down.
Daryl opened the door to the RV, his dick already straining tightly against his pants. He immediately picked up the scent of her floral shampoo.
He half-expected to find her asleep, so was more than surprised to see her staring intently at her laptop, wearing just a big T-shirt. As soon as she saw him, her eyes lit up and her smile beamed at him.
"Oh I'm so glad you're here!" she set the laptop on the bed so she could sit up on her knees. "Come here!" she held an impatient hand out to him.
He awkwardly took her hand and let her pull him down next to her.
"Look here!" she showed him the satellite images of the prison. He saw a shot of them sitting around the fire the night before they took the prison. Lane showed him image after image, even ones of Andrew doing so much damage.
"How?" Daryl looked at her, bewildered yet impressed.
"Military satellites. They were designed to keep working even if things down here went to shit." Lane simplified yet still got the gist across.
"So I started looking for towns nearby that sounded anything like what Michonne was describing," she met his eyes.
"I think this might be it?" she pointed to the images. The daylight images showed a definite border around the town. And at night, it was lit up with fires all over town.
"I'm reprogramming the satellite to remain stationary over what might be this Woodbury. It might let us know exactly where Maggie and Glenn are being held." she turned her head to focus on the screen.
Daryl was excited and impressed that she could do this...getting images of Woodbury. But all he could think about was kissing her jawline
...then her neck, then moving up to her ear.
"Lane?" he closed the laptop gently and tipped her chin to look at him. "You're too good," ...for me, he meant but didn't say it.
She spun around so she could face him, breathing slowly while she absorbed his words.
"Daryl... You are the one that is too good," Lane leaned forward and held his cheek in her hand.
"Ya makin' fun of me?" He pulled away and put his feet back on the floor. He couldn't handle that... Not from her.
"Why would you even think such a thing?" she followed him, walking to the edge of the bed on her knees. Refusing to let him distance himself from her, she wrapped her arms around him from behind and dropped kisses on his neck. In spite of himself, he shivered and tilted his head to give her more access.
"Do you want to know the man I see?" Lane insisted he listen. "I see a strong, kind and smart man who stayed with this group when he probably would have been better on his own. A man that stayed even though they chained his brother to a roof. A man who almost died trying to find a lost little girl, and a man who has kept this group fed and safe. I see a man who has so much more to offer, yet for some insane reason thinks I'm the one who is too good!" Lane's chest was rapidly rising and falling as she realized her words were spoken with far more emotion than she initially intended.
Daryl sat there completely stunned by her vehement outburst. He couldn't understand why she was saying these things, nor why she was so angry...no that wasn't the word. Fierce! She was fierce.
"Lane," he shook his head, searching for the words to make her understand. "You are different from me. Ya got money. Ya met the president. Ya owned yer own company. Probably ate at fancy restaurants and went out with doctors and lawyers!"
"So what? Look around us. All that matters now is who we are!" Lane insisted. "And for the record, the date with the lawyer sucked!"
"For the record?" Daryl said sardonically, a small smirk curling his lips. Her logic sounded so nice...so plausible. But it still wasn't reality.
"Lane?" he whispered her name, loving how it flowed off his lips. "That all sounds real pretty...like somethin' outta one of them Disney movies. Where everything works out in the end. But ya ain't gonna feel the same if ya meet my brother." Daryl's stomach turned over, just at the thought of Merle looking at her.
"Daryl, I don't care if Attila the Hun is your brother and Charles Manson your father. You are the man I know...the man I...care about!" The 'L-word' almost flitted out of her mouth. It was too soon she knew, so where had that slip almost come from?
"Daryl? This is what's going yo happen! Tomorrow we are going to find Maggie and Glenn and get them back. No matter what! And with the satellite and the intel from Michonne, we are going to be 100% successful!" Lane sounded completely confident. But they still had tonight. And one thing Lane had been learning since the disease was to take every moment as it came. And she couldn't ignore how her body was reacting to him. Her nipples hardened and became more sensitive as she pressed them against his back. And Lane got an idea...or was it a plan?
"Daryl, you feel really tense," Lane purred into his ear. She had no experience seducing a man, but if there was ever a man that needed seducing, it was Daryl Dixon.
Daryl felt Lane's breath on his neck and then her soft hands began rubbing his shoulders, her small fingers perfectly digging in and massaging out the knots. Daryl felt himself relaxing under her ministrations and his dick twitched uncomfortably against the tightness of his cargo pants. It was when he reached for her that he knew the game had changed.
Lane felt strangely exultant when she pushed his hands away. With a sexy laugh, she pressed herself flat against his back and reached around to unbutton his shirt from behind him. She pulled away only so she could slip his shirt off his shoulders.
Daryl felt her pull away, but before he could move or turn she was back and her bare stomach was pressed firmly against his back, this time skin to skin. Unfortunately he could tell she still had a bra on, but the feel of her erect nipples brushing against his back was far more erotic than he ever would have expected.
Lane's confidence grew with each second that Daryl didn't stop her. Lane ran her tongue along the vein that pulsed widely at his neck and ran her hands up his chest and then back down over his abs. It was when she snaked her tongue in his ear and lightly raked her nails over his forearms and then his biceps that he decided he couldn't take much more.
"I love your arms!" her breath was warm and soft in his ear and he involuntarily thrust his hips.
She was driving him batshit crazy with the way she kept teasing and torturing him. Enough was a fricken 'nough. As quick as a snake he spun around and threw her beneath him.
Her eyes grew wide as saucers, so shocked at his sudden change. She should have known. A wild animal can only act tame for so long. Daryl positioned above her and propped himself up on his arms and his knee between her legs.
This was the first he'd seen of her since she'd taken off the giant T-shirt and the sight took his breath away. Her tits were pushed up and together, wrapped up in this pink patterned silky fabric like a gift His eyes took all of her in and he saw she also wore matching panties, those low kind that sat low on her hips.
Lane looked up into his glacier blue eyes and for a moment let her worries go. She pressed her palms against his hips and slowly slid them up his chest and then around his neck.
And then she took another chance. She wriggled her hips and managed to slip out from beneath him. She knew he'd let her but still she pushed him back and rolled on top, straddled his hips and leaning over him, gripping his strong shoulders
Daryl was looking up at her, wondering if maybe he'd died today...and somehow made it to heaven. He grabbed her waist with both hands, but all she did was 'Tsk Tsk' him and wriggle lower.
Lane bent down and rained kisses over his neck and then made her way to his chest, her tongue lightly teasing his chest hair. Her nipples skimmed his stomach and Daryl gripped her ass tightly. And with a deft snap she unbuttoned his pants and pushed them down.
She scooched down between his legs. She'd never done this, but she had read plenty of books. She'd even read Fifty Shades of Gray, but only on her Nook. She would have been mortified if anyone saw her with the book .
Daryl's quivering stomach muscles told her she might be doing something right and gave her the confidence to continue.
She bent down, and with her hair fanning around her like a curtain she slowly took him in her mouth. She expected him to feel different in her mouth. In her hand he felt smooth and strong. In her mouth, he felt like warm velvet. She swirled her tongue around his tip, then opened wider to take him in...avoiding teeth. She did know enough from her girlfriends and books to know that teeth were bad.
Daryl couldn't believe this was happening. His first urge had been to throw his head back at the intense pleasure, but he couldn't keep from looking down. Convince himself she was real. Her hair fell around her like silk while her mouth and tongue ran up and down his length.
"Jeezus Lane!" he pleaded, yet not sure for what. To stop or keep going. His words seemed to urge her on, and she grabbed his balls while she took him all the way in. He thrust his hips uncontrollably into her mouth.
Lane was getting more excited and turned on by the second. She loved the feeling of power. Power that she could do this to him, to elicit such a reaction.
He felt her leave him, but only to grab him with her other hand while she took his balls into her mouth, expertly using her tongue to play with him. Just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, she left his balls to take him in her mouth again, running her tongue along his length. Then, while cupping his balls she started bobbing up and down. She started slow, but using his reaction as her guide, started sucking him faster.
Daryl's hands were threaded tightly in her hair. He hadn't meant to hold her so firmly, but with a glance down at her with his dick in her mouth and he realized. Oh God, if he didn't stop her now he'd come in her mouth. And he didn't want to screw things up again.
"Goddamn! Lane, ya gotta stop!" he stopped her by grabbing her under her arms and pulled her up. With a quick move, he rolled her over and settled between her legs, his dick pulsing against her with need.
He realized the shock in her eyes was fucking exciting as hell. It wasn't fear...it was expectation and anticipation. He held her hands over her head with one hand and reached down to jerk the fabric of her bra down. He loved how the underwire shoved her tits up, and by pulling the material down it was like serving them up to him on a platter.
He still held her hands over her head, remembering the pleasure she had taken in being in control, and bent down and sucked on the erect nipple. Both nipples were firm as if standing at attention. He greedily massaged her full tits, eventually releasing her hands so he could further explore and enjoy.
"Daryl? Please?" she begged. She was so wet, she couldn't keep from writhing against him, thrusting and rubbing her hips against him.
"Please? Please what?" he taunted, feeling strangely confident. He'd never been like this with a woman, eager to please and explore. He reached down and fished his fingers into the boyshorts she was wearing, slowly inching them down her thighs.
"You know!" she turned her head and nipped his shoulder, knowing exactly what he was doing. But turnabout was fair play.
"I ain't sure I do," he continued to torment her, now kissing her stomach and slipping his tongue into her belly button. He pulled her panties all the way off and tossed them aside.
"Stop bein' mean. You know I want you!" Lane pleaded and threaded her fingers in his hair to pull him back. But Daryl had become intoxicated by this newfound sexual edge. And decided he too wanted to play and learn.
He ran his tongue from one protruding hipbone to the other before making his way lower. He'd seen this in some of Merle's pornos and it had always been his favorite part.
Lane was tense, but he forced her thighs further apart. But even he hadn't expected her to be so smoothly shaved, except for the small patch just above her center. With a smile he ran his tongue from her center up to the pulsing nub. It was large and swollen and he focused his attention on it. He started running his tongue over and back again, making rapid flicking motions.
He felt her fists in his hair and looked up to see her writhing, her head tossing from side to side. Suddenly he knew he wanted to make her come like this. He wanted her to come with his tongue and then again buried deep inside her.
He lifted and spread her thighs up over his shoulders and thrust his tongue inside, loving how she screamed his name.
Lane couldn't take it. Daryl was killing her. He was literally torturing her with pleasure...with his tongue.
Lane pulled on Daryl's head, needing him to stop and get inside her. She was mad with desire for him, sweat dripping down her body.
Just then he inserted a finger in her and continued licking her clit. But when he thrust that second finger she exploded around him.
Feeling quite pleased with himself he inched up to lay face to face with her. He wasn't sure if she'd want to kiss him after, but as soon as she could she greedily pulled his mouth to hers, slipping her tongue inside...tasting herself on him, which only seemed to excite her more.
"I swear to God, Daryl! If you don't..." she threatened and placed his dick at her sopping wet entrance. Daryl looked into her eyes and pulled her leg up over his shoulder. With a groan he thrust into her and collapsed, resting his face in her neck.
"God, you feel so perfect!" Lane squeezed her muscles around him.
"You're the one that feels perfect," Daryl almost hated to move because it meant he was one step closer to finishing...Almost! He slowly pulled out, then slowly thrust back in, never losing eye contact.
Lane couldn't breathe! Her body was a mass of exquisite sensation. Every feeling was heightened and when Daryl thrust deep and pulled her legs up, she felt every inch of him. And it was like she'd found her missing piece. Like she was finally complete.
"Daryl!" she cried as another orgasm started building. "I can't..."
"Yes you can!" Daryl insisted and slowed down so he wouldn't come before she did. He gripped her ass to lift her up even further when he thrust.
"Oh God... Yes," Lane bit his shoulder as the pleasure began to overtake her. She raked her nails down his back as she came again. She screamed his name and wrapped her legs around him.
"Is that good?" he started pounding into her. The look in her still glazed over eyes was enough... It pushed him over the edge.
"Lane.,,!" he muffled his cry in her neck, still pumping into her. He felt her run her nails down his back... Then up his sides. It felt so good he actually shivered in her arms.
"Come here!" she pulled the blankets over them. He slowly pulled out and collapsed on top of her. In the back of his mind he worried about crushing her but now all he wanted was to feel her under him.
"Daryl?" she said quietly. "That was amazing!" Lane had never felt happier...safer... or more beautiful than she did in this moment.
Daryl lay next to her, pulling her half naked body on top of him, and realized this just might have been the best day of his entire life. More importantly, she was still here... still with him. She held him and slipped her leg in between his legs and fell into an exhausted sleep, resting her head on his chest.
Daryl couldn't sleep though. He held Lane in his arms, frequently running the evening's events back over in his mind. He'd never experienced anything like what he'd shared with Lane over the past few days.
But now Merle was going to fuck things up for him...just like he always did.