THE FARM PART 1


The scent of bacon hung heavily in the air and for a few minutes, Lana thought she had to be dreaming. She hadn't smelled the smell of bacon cooking since 3 weekends before everything fell apart when she'd gotten up and made it for herself and Shane. Stretching, she sat up and rubbed her eyes a little as she looked around. At first, she freaked out for a few minutes; then she remembered that they'd moved everything into the farmhouse the night before. The sound of the shower had her raising a brow, then she heard the constant humming of a generator and breakfast and running water were explained. The bathroom door opened and Daryl stood in it, towel around his waist, toothbrush in his mouth.

Her purple toothbrush. She opened her mouth to say something and he coughed and diverted his gaze as he grumbled about how he thought she'd have still been asleep to himself while ducking back into the bathroom and emerging a few seconds later wearing jeans and that cut off plaid shirt he wore almost every single day. Finally, he addressed her. "Yer awake."

"Obviously... And you're using my toothbr-" she started, Daryl raising a brow as he mused aloud, "Not like it matters, reckon we shared more than a few germs lately." and searched her face for a reaction smirking a little when she blushed while silently wanting to smile himself because she hadn't grimaced or appeared to regret kissing him any of the times she had, before adding, "But I'll get one when we go inta town today. For supplies. That man, Hershel, said somethin last night about needin some things."

"No, it's okay... I mean you have a point." Lana admitted, sliding out of bed, very aware of his eyes and the way they were following every move she seemed to make as she moved around the room trying to gather clothes to put on for the day. She turned and found herself chest to chest with him and asked with a casual shrug, "And I'm guessing you used all the hot water too, huh?"

"Nah. Cold shower was what I wanted."Daryl admitted, chuckling when she grimaced at the mention of cold water. What he didn't tell her, of course, was that she was the damn reason he'd had to get a cold shower. He was standing between her and the doorway, his hand lingered at her hip as he said quietly, "Smells like they're cookin down there."

"Shower first and then food. I mean I'm starved but I want to take advantage of having running water and a hot shower while I can. I mean we're not going to be here long, likely." Lana said as Daryl gave a roll of his eyes and shrugged, flopping down onto the bed, flicking his hand in the direction of the bathroom between the bedroom they'd taken and whoever had taken the opposite one. "Go on then, princess... Get yer shower." his eyes took on an amused look and he was firmly doing his very best NOT to picture her in said hot shower.

"Princess, my ass." Lana grumbled, her teeth grazing her lower lip as she did her best not to relive the dream she'd been having about herself and a certain smartass redneck hunter in the shower just now. Because she was totally putting that down to horomones. That's it. She just had to keep telling herself that they'd never work and he'd never go for her current situation, being pregnant.. They had been flirting a lot lately, but Lana wasn't stupid; she knew enough to think that the only reason that Daryl was even flirting with her in the first place was severe lack of option. The second she started claiming to be special or wanted or worth it was when she'd lose him too.

It hit her as she stripped down and stepped into the shower that she couldn't even seem to think about losing him somehow. She gasped a little as she realized further that somehow in all this, she'd went from considering him as a best friend and a protector to falling head over heels in love with him. Now she just had to figure out how to deal with that and what to do next... Did she even tell him? And if she did, what would happen?

'If you tell him, Lana, things will get awkward really quick.' she thought to herself as she stepped out of the shower and got dressed, stepping out into the bedroom. To her surprise, he was sitting there; he looked like he was lost in thought or something. "Thought you'd go down and eat." Lana said quietly as Daryl shrugged and then answered, "Figured there would still be food down there. We need to talk."

'And here it comes... He's going to tell me that I misread the entire situation and he's only sticking close because he's a friend and he wants to make sure I'm okay, that I don't do something stupid like run back to Shane...' she thought to herself, missing when he said quietly, "Yer in my head, okay? And under my skin and I don't know how the hell to work around it or get past it. I ain't a good guy... Never been this settled and shit. Don't know what the hell I'm even doin' admittin all this to ya. But here it is."

She caught on to what he was saying and she stood there, not sure how to react at first. In his own way he was sort of hinting that he felt something for her. True to form he wasn't saying what or how serious those feelings were, but he wasn't shooting her down like she'd grown so accustomed to hearing over her lifespan.

"Wait, what?" she asked, grabbing Daryl's hand as he went to walk out of the bedroom while swearing and grumbling about how he'd just fucked up, how he needed to go, to stop making things awkward. Daryl blinked in shock as he found himself pushed against the door, Lana pulling into him into a kiss that he clearly hadn't been expecting to happen -he thought he'd made a royal mess to be honest- as her body molded against him. When it sank in that this was happening and she wasn't laughing off his semi confession, he quickly started to kiss back. When the kiss broke, they stared at each other for a few seconds quietly... Lana was the brave one who asked the question on both of their minds right then first...

"So... What's this mean? I mean I know what you're trying to say." Lana asked, looking up at Daryl. He shrugged and then said quietly, "Means whatever you want it ta mean, I guess." as he shrugged. Lana laughed a little and then said quietly, "Maybe it's better if we just don't label it?"

"Probably a good idea."

They went downstairs to eat and they'd just finished eating when Glenn and some of the other guys decided they needed to make a supply run. Daryl had been heading to his motorcycle when he felt a tap to his shoulder and turned to find Lana standing there, looking up at him, holding out the knife he'd given her. "You just come back to me in one piece, okay? And no fighting, damn it."

"I make no promises, woman." Daryl grumbled, giving a false annoyed eye roll as he smirked at her, nodded to the house and said "Stay away from yer sister. Stress ain't good for either of ya. I'll be back as soon as I can." before getting onto his motorcycle, driving off in the direction that one of the men's trucks went earlier.

Glenn eyed her with a raised brow and Lana asked with a laugh, "What?"

He shrugged and laughing he explained, "I just never actually saw that one coming.. you two, I mean."

"Stranger things happen every day, Glenn. Keep him safe for me, please?" Lana asked as Lori spoke up from behind them, "Glenn? Can you do something for me while you guys are out?" and the two walked away, whispering. Whatever it was had Glenn upset and after arguing with Lori, he walked past, getting onto the horse with Maggie.

Lana gave her sister a raised brow and Lori asked quietly, "Can I talk to you, Lana?"

"Depends on what it is, Lori. If it's a secret or a lie, I'd rather not hear it or be part of it, okay? I don't want to fight with you today so you should just go. I know you're my sister and this is the end of the world but I'm off the crazy rollercoaster. Daryl keeps reminding me stress isn't good for me or the kiddo. And he's right, and all you seem to do, Lori, is stress me out." Lana started to walk away and she froze when Lori caught up to her and said quietly, "I think I messed up really bad... I'm afraid I'm pregnant... And I can't... Neither of us should even be thinking about a baby in this world, Lana... I guess I just wanted to ask you what made you so damn sure you wanted to keep yours? And if I'm a bad mother because I'm not sure how I feel about possibly being pregnant too."

"You're just saying that because it might be Shane's."

"No, it's this world, Lana... I mean have you even stopped to think about what we're bringing out babies into? What made you so determined to keep it?" Lori asked quietly, looking at her sister as she added, "In my mind, no matter who's baby it really is, it's Rick's."

"So you're going to keep Shane away? You know as well as I do, Lori, it could be his."

"He's not the same guy he was before all this. He's gone somewhere dark, Lana... Rick is my husband... I don't even know if I want to keep it, let alone tell Shane there's a possibility I might be pregnant too." Lori caught hold of her sister's wrist and asked quietly, "I guess I was just hoping some of your optimism would help me. I wish I could be like you."

"Bullshit. You're only saying that, Lori, because you might need me on your side, you might need me to lie for you. I'm not. I'm not in this at all. And if you are pregnant and you keep it from either of them and I find out? I'm telling them both. You don't get it, do you? You can't just pull shit like this and not expect there to be some kind of fallout."

Lori watched her sister walking away as she hugged herself and sighed. Her sister had made a few good points but the fact remained... Either way it went, Rick's or Shane's... She just wasn't sure she wanted to bring a baby into this new world. And she didn't see how Lana was so gung ho about doing it herself. She went to her usual chores for the day.

Lana went into the house and found Hershel. He'd been giving her examinations since he'd found out she was expecting. After being reassured that the baby was fine and she was fine, maybe a little more stressed than she should be, she went upstairs and waited on Daryl to come back. As soon as she heard the hum of that motorcycle through the crack in the bedroom window, she shot out of the house like someone launched from a canon. Daryl caught her and then chuckled but quickly stepped back when he realized that they were sort of being watched by Beth and Carl and Jimmy as well as Glenn and Maggie who'd just ridden up on their horse.

"What ya'll lookin at, huh?" Daryl asked as he took a cigarette out from behind his ear and lit it, instantly earning him a raised brow from Lana who said pointedly, "Those things will kill you, Dixon."

"And so will everything else, princess. Specially now. Let's go inside. Too damn much starin out here." Daryl muttered as they walked inside the farmhouse. Glenn found Lori and thrust the EPT in his pack at Lori and said in a stiff voice, "There. Beyond this, Lori, I'm not in on it. I want no part of whatever you decide to do... It's going to kill Rick, the way you feel about it if you are pregnant."

"Thanks for getting it for me."


CAVEAT LECTOR:

Another chapter posted and I am seriously beyond amazed at this point because I now have 38 reviews 51 favorites and 77 follows. And a special thanks to everyone who's favorited and followed and left reveiws because they mean the world to me and they keep me encouraged.

Okay, so things are finally (sort of) admitted. We all know it'd have to be life or death for Daryl to actually say the three words, he's not going to just jump into saying them, or I don't think he would at least. I pray to God he's still relatively IC. This chapter sort of revealed the Lori being pregnant thing and it really doesn't follow the show's timeline either, none of the chapters have exactly... But anyway, yeah... I hope you guys enjoyed and I'm sorry it took forever to update.