TELL IT TO THE FROGS II

warning beforehand: events are not exactly as they were on the actual episode. neither is dialogue. And I didn't include anything that happened during the search for Merle because I just figured that none of it needed to be changed or anything. I did, however, reveal her 'connection' to Lori's husband..


She paced; concerned. Her eyes stayed fixed on the road, she shielded her eyes from the glare of a late afternoon sun and grumbled when Lori walked over and said quietly, "We really need to fix things with us."

"Lori, do not start with me again. Fixing things isn't what you really want. What you really want is to know if I'm telling Rick. And your answer is no… But only because it would crush him. You have a good man and you tried to throw it all away."

"I thought he was dead."

"Yeah, Shane and his little white lies. I believed 'em too, look where it got me." Lana mused as she rolled her eyes and grumbled quietly when she heard shouting, realized that Ed and Shane were fighting, again. She made no move to stop it.

He was a big boy, let him fight if he wanted. It wasn't her business anymore.

Lori sighed and raked her hands through her hair as she asked quietly, "Do you still love him?"

"Honestly? I don't know anymore. I feel something for him I just… It's not what I thought it was." Lana flopped down into a lawn chair and looked up at her older sister as she said quietly, "You got your answer. Your secrets safe. I mean if you want to walk around with all that on your shoulders waiting on the other shoe to drop, Lor, it ain't my business. Nor do I care to get in the middle."

"How are you feeling?"

"I'd be a lot better if they'd get their asses back here."

Lori eyed her sister and Lana said quickly, "He's just my friend, before you say whatever it was."

"Sure he is.. That's why you're watchin that road like any second he'll come down it." Lori commented, ignoring the glare her comment got her. "They'll be back. They better come back."

"In the meantime, shouldn't you go to Shane and sort things out? Or are you going to just keep leading both of them around by their noses?"

"Like you've never cheated on someone… You and Rick, remember?"

"That was when I was young and stupid, and if memory serves, Lori, you had a lot to do with why that whole thing happened the way it did too." Lana spat angrily as she took a deep breath, pointing away from herself and towards a fight brewing between Shane and Ed Peletier.

"Just get over there. Away from me because I have nothing at all to say to you. I may have made mistakes, Lori, but you… You just hurt and take and you don't give a damn who you hurt or take from. And maybe I got sick of it finally." Lana grimaced, the baby was kicking again, it had been all morning.

"Ouch, kiddo, can you please stop punching mommy's insides?" Lana wondered to herself, hand to her stomach as she watched the sun sinking lower in the sky. Daryl and Rick and T Dogg still weren't back. She was trying to tell herself that Daryl was okay, that he definitely could handle himself, but she could not stop the worry that crept in over her only actual friend in this entire group of people.

She rubbed her abdomen and stood, walking over to the bonfire going now, sitting down. Shane walked over and sat down beside her just as the baby kicked again. She didn't have the heart not to let him have a moment with the baby they were expecting so she grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach and he smiled.

"I just thought you'd want to feel."

"I'm glad ya thought of me at all, hon."

"This does not mean anything is changed, Shane. I still want nothing to do with you anymore. However, our kid… they need you to not get bit or dead. Or do dumb shit like that fight with Ed just now… The fuck were you even thinking? You know how he is when he drinks."

She stood and walked away, going to stand by a tree, watching the road that ran parallel to the bottom of the hillside their camp was on top of. And she waited… They had to be coming back soon, didn't they?

Headlights cut through the night and as soon as the van stopped and they got out, Lana scanned his face and she could see it there, written all over it. Daryl hadn't found his brother Merle. She frowned and bit her lower lip and tried to make herself focus on looking busy with straightening out her tent since it was nearby, so it wouldn't be obvious she'd been watching for him.

Daryl walked over and said from behind, "He wasn't there. Sawed off his own damned hand...We found signs that maybe he got off the roof."

"I'm sorry, Daryl."

All he did was shrug and she sighed as she turned and stood, looking up at him. "He's like you, okay? He'll show up again. Maybe he's on his way.."

"He ain't." Daryl cut her off, his words a little laced with bitterness that normally, he'd shove down and mask. He wasn't sure why but he couldn't do that, he couldn't hide things with her. He'd been trying, god had he been trying. "He's gone."

"Daryl..."

"Don't, Lana. I ain't in the mood. Not everythin' is sunshine an daisies. My brother's out there somewhere… But I ain't gon find him." Daryl stated quietly.

She noticed how close she seemed to be migrating to him, again, it always seemed to happen with them. She had to make a concentrated effort to step back, that damn magnets pull to him being what it was…

"Okay, alright."

He took a few breaths and noticed that she'd stepped back but now he seemed to be drifting closer. He asked casually, "Everythin alright today?"

"The little one's been kicking the hell out of me today. I talked to Lori..." Lana kept it vague, shrugging. "Shane tried to talk to me again, I shut it down. I'm just done. I'm exhausted with the way he keeps pushing me away and pulling me right back when something else doesn't work out."

"Good idea, Lana."

The way her name sounded on his lips sent this shiver through her body and she nodded as she focused her efforts on not concentrating on how good it felt, hearing it. She wasn't ready, she had too much coming at her and Daryl, he… He was her only actual friend in the group lately save for Carol and the few times she talked to Andrea.

"You'll find him again, Daryl." she off ered one last time as she looked up at him, their gazes lingering, bodies accidentally brushed together lightly. He stared right back and shook his head before walking away. Lana went into her tent and lay down, covering herself up, curling into the blanket and sleeping bag to get warmer.

"It would never work out. And he's my friend, I shouldn't… I shouldn't want him the way I want him. I shouldn't feel connected like this. I need to step back, take a breather…" she mumbled to herself as she started to fall asleep.


CAVEAT LECTOR:

And here we are, another chapter written and posted and you guys are.. You're amazing, can I just say that? I never expected in my wildest imagination that this story would get even half the favorites (7) or follows (12) or reviews (8) that I have and I want to thank every single one of you who've done onr or two or all three of the above things because you're giving me encouragement. I'm especially touched that someone thinks I'm doing decent with writing Daryl's character. I really am trying. I have definitely made a decision about her pairing, you all probably know it by now, but it'll be made clear sooner or later. Until then, I might play devils advocate here and there, bear with me please? Because I happened to like Shane and they are going to be parents together and I wanted to give the guy some good moments... Anyway, I love you all, you're so very fucking amazing for reviewing and favoriting / following.

Enjoy!