Chapter 12
Rushed decisions
...
"We couldn't just leave him behind. He would've bled out, if he lived that long." Rick explained to the group.
"It's gotten bad in town," Glenn added.
Almost everyone was there, sitting around the dining room. Hershel and Barbara were fixing up Randall, Elle hadn't waked up yet, and who knew where Daryl was.
"What do we do with him?" Andrea asked what everybody was pondering.
At that moment Hershel and Barbara walked in, cleaning their hands from the hurried surgery, they had performed in the other room.
"We've repaired his calf muscle as best we can, but he'll probably have nerve damage," Hershel explained.
"So he won't be able to stand for at least a week," Barbara added, and was conscious that everyone listened to her with seriousness, giving her the same authority that Hershel had.
"When he is, we give him a canteen, take him out to the main road, send him on his way," Rick said to everybody, matter-of-factly.
"Isn't that the same as leaving him for the walkers?" Andrea quickly intervened, frowning.
"He'll have a fighting chance," Rick replied.
As soon as he said that, Daryl entered the house as silently as possible. Nobody turned or acknowledged him except Carol, who smiled lightly and he nodded back at her. Then he looked up to Barbara, who had noticed him as well. The girl smiled back at him, before putting a strange expression and looking away, tucking a stray of hair that had escaped her ponytail during the rush surgery.
Daryl frowned, confused. He walked to the back of the room, leaning against a wall.
"Just gonna let him go?" Shane questioned Rick, incredulously. "He knows where we are."
"He was blindfolded the whole way here," Rick assured them, dismissing Shane's words, condescendingly. "He's not a threat."
"Not a threat," Shane repeated, annoyed. "How many of them were there? You killed three of their men, you took one of them hostage, but they just ain't gonna come looking?"
Barbara looked at the man, almost glaring. She hadn't liked him that much from the beginning, but each time he kept pushing Rick to his limit, and she just felt something off about him. She had wondered for a while now, what had happened to Otis and if he really had died because of his own sacrifice. Barbara had come to the conclusion that that probably wasn't the truth.
"They left him for dead," Rick snapped exasperated. "No one is looking."
"We should still post a guard," T-Dog said.
"He's passed out right now and will be for hours," Barbie explained shrugging.
She felt Daryl's eyes on her and she met his stare. He smiled softly and she quickly looked away, panicking a little. She felt her heart thumping in her chest and felt the urge to leave the room. What the hell was wrong with her?
"You know what? I'm gonna go get him some flowers and candy," Shane said sarcastically, before scoffing annoyed and leaving the room. "Look at this, folks," he called them as he left, as he was dismissing them. "We back in fantasy land!"
Hershel looked at him angrily and followed him. Barbie snapped out of her messed up mind and turned to the men.
"You know, we haven't even dealt with what you did at my barn yet," Hershel told Shane, who stopped and turned to him. "Let me make this perfectly clear, once and for all: this is my farm," Hershel said firmly. "Now I wanted you gone. Rick talked me out of it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. So do us both a favor keep your mouth shut."
Shane glared at the old man before turning around and leaving the house, because he couldn't fight that.
Hershel turned around and returned to the living room.
"Look. We're not gonna do anything about it today," Rick told him. "Let's just cool off."
As everyone scattered around, some leaving the house Daryl looked at Barbara. Despite her effort, she couldn't help but look up and her eyes met his. She looked like she wanted to say something but then she looked away, turned and walked quickly into the kitchen.
Daryl feeling annoyed and a bit disappointed walked to the door. Carol then approached him. The man looked down at her and her kind of sad eyes annoyed him even most. He stared her down and then left the house without waiting on her or saying anything. He wasn't going to say he was sorry so if she was waiting an apology she was sorely mistaken, he thought angrily. Also, what was Barbara's deal? She acted like she cared for him. She hugged him, she made sure he was okay and ate something and then she couldn't look at him. Maybe she had broken up with Blake. Or maybe she had decided he wasn't worthy. Or maybe she hadn't even been interested at all. Maybe she was being just friendly and he had made her feel awkward. That didn't settle with him well. He assumed it was probably that, but it didn't stop him from getting angrier with her.
When Maggie entered the room, Hershel was hovering over Ellie, with his hand on her forehead, checking her signs. Barbara was standing next to him, her hand against her mouth and her eyes fixed on Hershel's hands. Brett was sitting on the other side of the bed, grasping his little sister's hand.
"Has she eaten?" Hershel asked taking Elle's pulse.
Barbara shook her head.
"There wasn't anything I could give her through the IV."
"I'll give her a sedative to stop her body from working too hard," Hershel replied with a calmed but strained voice.
"I already with her one. It was the only thing I could do and kept her hydrated," Barbara quickly replied. Hershel turned to her, looking a bit surprised and smiled, nodding.
Then he turned and his eyes met Maggie's. She couldn't hold it up. She never could.
"You were drinking," she said with an accusing voice.
"That was the least of my worries," Hershel replied looking away.
"You left and we didn't know what to do!" Maggie cried, her eyes starting to water. Hershel looked up to her and then he turned to Brett and to Ellie, before looking down at his watch.
Maggie glared at him and left the room angry and hurt.
Hershel looked down at Ellie, the guilt starting to eat him up again.
"I'm sorry," he said without looking at the brunette next to him. Barbara stopped and looked at the man. After a couple of seconds, he looked up.
"I think I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."
Ellie woke up when the sun was setting up. She looked disoriented and her body was trembling too much. Barbara didn't notice at first, but then she let out a yell and threw herself at her sister.
"Oh my God, Ellie... I was so worried... But you're fine."
And she was. Her pressure was fine. She had no fever. She had no head traumas. She just needed water and food. Maggie brought her dinner and Barbara helped her to the bathroom where she took a shower. Once clean, she ate up and then Hershel let Barbara check up her sister, making one or two observations.
But Barbie knew there was something else wrong. Elle was so pale and that was saying something. From the two of them, Barbie had always been the pale one, never even been able to tan, and had to use bronze in cream. She looked like a jellyfish on the beach but no Elle. She had always had a nice healthy tan color and now, she looked like a wax doll. Plus she had dark circles under her eyes that just made it more noticeable. And she was also quiet. In fact, she almost didn't spoke. She just responded with yeses and nos. She looked sick, as if she hadn't sleep in days.
Barbara didn't like it one bit. It felt like something bad was going to happen. So this time, Barbara stayed with Elle, day and night. Almost forgetting to sleep. She had failed her once. She wouldn't do it again.
"Rick said anything to you about Glenn when they got back from town?" Maggie finally asked Lori. They were on the kitchen preparing lunch.
Five days had passed and Glenn had been pushing her away. She tried to act nonchalant but she wasn't being very subtle.
At Maggie's question, Barbie turned to her. She knew Maggie had been confused, hurt and upset by Glenn's behavior. She had already ranted to Barbie about that and she had told her she should ask Glenn directly but Maggie didn't like that option. She couldn't ask her father so the best option without asking Rick directly, was asking his wife.
"Just that it had gotten pretty bad," Lori replied shrugging, cutting veggies, not noticing Maggie's undertone.
"He's not the same," Maggie commented. "Says he froze. Blames me. Says I got inside his head."
Barbara down at the chicken she was grilling in the pan, and turned it around, trying to not think about a certain someone living on the edge of the farm.
"He came back, that's what matters," Lori replied taking all the cut vegetables and took them to a pot. "Men have to do certain things, you know that... And they're either gonna blame the little woman as the reason they do them or the reason they don't. I'll tell you something: what happens out there happens out there. And we're just trying to keep it together till they get back."
Barbie took the chicken out of the fire and put in a plate with already cut vegetables on it. Then the girl put it on a tray and turned around to grab a knife and fork.
"Things were good" Maggie argued. "Maybe I-"
"Glenn's a big boy. He makes his own choices," Lori cut Maggie off, munching on a piece of apple. "And then you... do you have anything to apologize for?"
Maggie shook her head and Lori shrugged as Barbie walked to where they were to put the utensils on the tray.
"Tell him to man up and pull himself together. Just don't say 'man up'. It never goes well."
Barbara froze for a moment at that, but then lay down the knife and fork on the napkin. The girl knew Lori had no idea of how things between she and Daryl went, but her words had struck a chord on her. The last five days she had been holed up in the house taking care of her sister, or more like annoying her. Part was because she was concerned for her and she blamed herself for her condition. But the other reason was that she just didn't want to face Daryl. Barbie knew he never entered the house and he didn't even come around it that often, so she didn't have to worry about running into him.
She felt bad though. She owed him an explanation but... She wasn't even sure what she was thinking was right. She wasn't sure Daryl had feeling for her and she didn't want to embarrass herself by confronting him. Hell, she wasn't even sure what she felt for him. True, she was attracted to him but, was that all? Even if it wasn't, it wasn't just a good idea anyways. She had the bad examples of Maggie suffering for Glenn and whatever that was going on between Rick and Lori.
"Let me just get this to Elle," Barbie said, snapping out her thoughts and stepped to grab the tray with the food but Lori was faster.
"I got it," Lori told her.
"But—" Barbara tried to protest but Lori shook her head.
"You have been five days holed up in here. Go out and take some fresh air."
Then she turned to Maggie and smiled.
"Both of you."
Lori said nodding her head to the door. The girl turned to Maggie who nodded as well and they both headed to the door.
"Knock knock," Lori said, opening the door. Elle, who had been lying on her side, turned around and sat in the bed as the woman walked in and left the tray on the bedside table.
"How about this," Lori told Ellie softly but cheerfully. "You eat up all your food, we'll get you up and out of here and go take a walk," Lori looked at the girl, while burying her hands on the back pockets of her jeans. "What do you say? It'll do good to be outside."
"Are you pregnant?" Ellie asked as if she hadn't heard Lori.
The woman looked down, not expecting that question but turned to the girl, forcing a smile.
"Yes, I am."
"Why?" Ellie frowned.
Lori shrugged.
"It just happened," Lori replied ironically.
"You think it'll make a difference?" Ellie asked her in a cold empty voice. Lori looked at the girl taken aback but she didn't take it that personally. She had been through enough bad things already.
"Of course it will," Lori assured the girl with all the conviction she could muster. "You eat something."
Barbie went to brush her teeth and make sure her hair didn't look horrible. She scolded herself mentally because she shouldn't care about that stupid stuff or waste time doing her hair, especially now, but still she couldn't help herself. She hadn't seen him in a while.
After that she left the house and went to the far side of the farm, looking for Daryl. It was time to explain some things.
Half an hour later, Lori knocked again before opening, her eyes going directly to the tray that had left untouched.
"Couldn't eat a thing huh?" She asked, but as soon as she looked up, she noticed Elle broken face and her tears.
The woman walked to the girl and knelt next to her bed.
"I know how hard it is," Lori told her gently, looking at her but Elle seemed like she didn't see her. "I tried for days to reach my mom, and get her on the phone. I can only assume..."
"It's just so pointless," Ellie declared in a fragile empty voice, sobbing. "I lost my mom, my dad…"
"No," Lori said softly, shaking her head. "You have Barbie and Brett, and Hershel and Maggie, Patricia... And you've gotta stay strong for them." She made a pause but the girl kept crying. "I wish I could promise you it would be all right in the end. I can't... but we can make now alright. And we have to."
Ellie finally turned to her, tears still running down her cheeks. Her eyes, however, still looked like they were very far.
"Thank you."
Lori nodded smiling at her and stood up.
"I'll be right back. We'll go take that walk," Lori reached and smoothed the hair out of the girl's face before turning around grabbing the tray and leaving the room.
Lori took the tray down but it wasn't until she reached the kitchen sink when she noticed there was something missing. She ran upstairs quickly, entering Elle's room without knocking this time. She found the girl lying on the bed, her back to the door.
"Elle? You give it to me, sweetheart. You don't wanna do this," Lori asked the girl worriedly. She watched Elle carefully who didn't move or say anything for a moment. Then the girl slowly pulled the knife from beneath her pillow and handed it to Lori. She grabbed and left the room quickly without a word, her face frowning with worry.
Andrea was keeping watch on top of the RV, when Lori approached her running and with a worried expression on her face.
"Andrea, have you seen Barbie or Hershel?" Lori asked her almost breathless.
"I haven't seen Hershel, but I saw Barbie," the blonde responded, shielding her face with her hand from the sun. "I think she went out with Daryl like twenty minutes ago," Andrea replied quickly.
"Could you find her for me? I've gotta get back to the house," Lori said quickly already stepping back. Andrea nodded confused.
"Of course."
Barbie found Daryl where she had found him the last time. He had a new collection of squirrels on the stone wall and he was making new arrows. He didn't look up, but she knew he could tell it was her. He looked a bit different. He looked dirtier than she remembered, but he was wearing a clean sleeveless shirt and a vest.
"Hey," she said waving to him a bit awkwardly.
He barely looked up his shoulder before replying:
"Hey."
He didn't stop working so Barbie stood up there, watching him, trying to come up with something to say.
"You don't have to do shit," Daryl suddenly snap just as the girl opened her mouth.
"Excuse me?" Barbie frowned. Daryl dropped the arrow to the floor and turned to her. He was angry...
"You got what you wanted. You learned how to use a bow. You don't have to avoid me now. Things just'll go back how the use to be," he snapped, getting even angrier and standing up.
"I don't get what you're saying. You think I don't want to talk to you anymore?" Barbara said thought, he made sense. She had been avoiding him, but for a different reason.
"You've been avoiding me," he snapped.
"Yes. You and my brother and everyone basically," the girl said quickly and he looked at her angrily.
"Don't play dumb, girl. You know what I mean."
He looked at her for a few seconds before looking down at his arrow and resuming his work. Barbara sighed.
"Fine. I... I just didn't want to leave Elle."
Daryl snorted.
"I'm serious," Barbie replied, sitting in the grass and crossing her legs. Daryl stopped working, listening, but he didn't look up. Barbara sighed again. "She's... I don't know. I would like to say she's fine, but she looks like a wax doll. She barely eats. She barely speaks, and... I feel like she's going to do something stupid if I don't watch her..."
"She's not a little kid. You cannot tie her down," Daryl replied gruffly, but this time it wasn't so angry, it was just like how he was. He didn't look at her. He was still pissed at her so he didn't understand why he didn't feel that much angry so suddenly.
"There's a thought," Barbie replied sarcastically and she swore she saw one of the corners of his lips lightly curling up. "But I don't know what to do. I want her to snap out of it, and I know she needs time, but it's driving me crazy. And I've been in a very bad mood. I fought with Hershel two days ago. I yelled at Maggie last night. I just... I didn't want to lash it on you."
This time Daryl look up but didn't say nothing.
"I failed her," Barbara continued, her tone changing. She looked down at her hands. "She needed me and I couldn't do nothing."
"You said there wasn't anything to do," Daryl said in the softest grunt he could muster. She looked up and the man shrugged. "Hershel couldn't do anything either."
The girl was silent for a moment.
"Yes, but I'm her sister..."
"It's not your fault," Daryl cut her off and Barbara looked up at him surprised.
Daryl buffed and looked down at his hands.
"When we didn't find Merle I blame myself," he admitted in a low voice. Barbie didn't say nothing, afraid he would suddenly shut off. "And I did it for a long time, but I shouldn't have. Sometimes shit just happen. Shit you can't control."
"So I shouldn't do nothing?" The girl asked frowning. Daryl looked up and shook his head.
"Merle was a dumb son of a bitch. Sooner or later something like that was going to happen to him. But, for what you have told me, your sister sounds smarter. Not a lot but..."
"Hey," Barbie smiled and threw him an acorn completely missing him. Daryl couldn't suppress a light smile and raised an eyebrow.
"So your aim sucks again? Thought I had taught you something."
The girl frowned with fake indignation.
"Look Dixon-"
"Barbie!"
Both turned and watched Andrea walking fast to them. She stopped and looked down at the brunette girl sitting on the grass.
"Lori is looking for you," Andrea said, a bit breathless for running.
"Is she alright?" Barbara asked concerned, standing up quickly.
"Yeah, she looked fine. I think it's about Elle."
Andrea words hit her like a blow. She knew it, she knew it... She turned to Daryl, shocked, and for a second she didn't know what to do.
"Go," Daryl urged her with a nod.
The girl nodded and ran as fast as she could to the house.
Daryl watched her until she disappeared, and he resumed his arrow-making. There was always someone interrupting them. So many damn people. He sighed. He was still angry with her but more with himself because he was forgiving her already. What the hell?
"Have you lost your freaking mind?" Barbara snapped at her sister, trying so hard to not yell. Elle however, didn't seem to mind. She was just sitting on her bed, looking down at her hands with an annoying blank expression on her face. "What if Brett finds out?"
"What you're going to do? Kill me for trying to... kill me?" Elle replied sarcastically and Barbara had the urge to slap her, to shake her, to do anything to just make her stop. She took a deep breath and walked to the bed, sitting down on it.
"Don't be so selfish," Barbara said angrily. "It would destroy him. And me, and Hershel, and Maggie."
"This is not about them," the blonde said stubbornly.
"No, it's about you," Barbie said shaking her head. "It's always about you. You and your dramas-"
"Oh please don't start!" Elle snap.
"No? But that's always what you do! You think you act like an adult when you're really acting like a brat!" Barbie yelled at her. "Mom and Dad would be ashamed to learn they raised such a coward."
"Well, they can't because they were eaten by rotten corpses!" Elle yelled back. "And you question why I want to do it?! It's all gone to shit out there!"
"We are surviving!"
"I don't want to survive! I want my old life back or I want to die!"
"You are just thinking about you! What about me and Brett? We cannot take another funeral! Not yours!"
At that Elle stopped. She looked at Barbara like she had finally realized something.
"You can't avoid it," Elle said softly. "We should both do it."
Barbara was taken aback.
"What?"
"At the same time," Elle said smiling softly. "Help each other. We should tell Brett too."
"No, Elle..."
"It's hard to do it but..."
"No, Elle, listen..."
"We can do it so it's peaceful, easy."
"Stop talking like that, dammit!" Barbara snapped raising from the bed.
"That way we'll go our way and not ripped apart by those things. Or we'll be forced to do it when the farm and this house is overrun."
"No, Ellie..."
"No one can protect us," Elle said.
Barbara shook her head.
"That's not true."
"Who, Blake? Daryl?" Her sister said sarcastically and Barbara glared at her. "I heard what happened. Rick will save his family, the others too. We're alone. You, me, Patricia, with only Brett and Hershel against a whole world of those things. I don't wanna be gutted. I wanna go tonight in this house with you and Brett beside me. Please."
Barbara looked at her sister with a mix of fury and desperation. She turned away suddenly to leave but then changed her mind and turned to her.
"Hear me well, Isabelle," Barbara told her in a low and threatening voice. "Because next time I hear you talk this way, I literally will knock sense into you. You're not dying on my watch!"
Elle didn't look up nor move and neither Barbara. She knew all of these it had been hard on her but she hadn't imagine she would wanted to end it all. She had never considered it. She had her and Brett to think about. And the fact that she had just gave up...
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts and Andrea appeared on the doorway. Glancing at Elle, Barbie walked to her.
"You can't sit on top of her," Andrea told her gently.
"I can't leave her alone," Barbara replied, shaking her head.
"You're gonna have to. You're exhausted," Andrea insisted. "Go get some air. I'll sit with her. Come on. Wash up, get something to eat. I got it."
Barbie looked at her and then at Elle. She needed to calm down or she'll shake her sister until her head felt down. She nodded softly.
"Alright. Thanks, Andrea."
Barbie took a deep breath and left the room going downstairs to the kitchen. Andrea closed the door and then turned to the blonde sitting in the bed. She stood there in silence a moment before Elle looked up at her.
"Aren't you gonna say something?" She asked Andrea a bit defiantly.
Andrea shook her head and then crossed the room to the door and opened it.
"Is this what you want? The pain doesn't go away. You just make room for it."
And then left the room without closing the door, leaving Elle alone.
After Barbara had a glass of water and decided she was calm enough to not want to kill her sister herself. She went back to her room but the door was wide open. Her heart sank to her knees.
"Elle?" she asked entering the room but it was empty. "Elle?" She called her louder.
Then there was a crash on the bathroom and she heard her cry. Her blood froze and her heart raced.
"Ellie?!" She ran to the bathroom but the door was closed. She shook the nub and hit the door desperately. "Ellie?"
"Barbie?" Lori entered the room looking at the brunette girl.
"She's in there. I heard a glass breaking!" Barbie explained quickly hitting the door harder. "Ellie, are you all right? Ellie, please!"
"I left her with Andrea!" Barbara explained to Lori, frantically trying the nob and hitting the door.
Lori turned to her at that but Barbie went to look for the key at her bedside table. She always kept there her keys at home, but it was there.
"I can't find the key!" Barbara said starting to lose it and went back to knock on the door. "Ellie, please! I'm not angry anymore, just please open the door! Please, Ellie!"
Lori walked to the fireplace and grabbed a fire poker.
"Barbie, I got this."
The girl moved out of the way and with the poker the woman opened the door.
Elle was standing in front of the mirror that it was shattered and turned around crying and holding her wrist. She had cut it open, the blood dropping to the floor.
"I'm sorry," the girl cried and a wave of relieved hit Barbara. She shook her head, and crossed the space, hugging her sister tightly.
Four or five hours later, Daryl decided to discretely check what had happened. He just walked near the house, hoping to catch Barbie out there. He reached the house just as Andrea approached running and Barbara sprung out of the house like a bull into the arena. Lori was walking behind her, a bit worried. Daryl frowned, noticing blood stains in her shirt.
"Where were you?!" Barbara roared in such a way that Andrea stopped dead and even Daryl raised his eyebrows surprised. Barbie was even trembling out of anger.
"I heard. Is she all right?" Andrea replied too calm in comparison to the brunette.
"She would be if you had stayed with her. Where the hell were you?!" Barbara snapped hoping for a good explanation or she would rip her eyes out.
"How bad is she?" Andrea asked ignoring Barbie's question.
"It wasn't deep," Lori replied.
Andrea sighed and smiled relieved.
"She wants to live. She made her decision," she said in such an enlightening way it made Barbara angrier.
"She tried to kill herself!" Barbara spat.
"No, she didn't."
"Hershel is stitching her wrist right now!"
"She'll live," Andrea replied matter-of-factly.
Daryl recognized the signs just in time. He had seen the same face in wild animals before they jumped on their preys. He turned to Barbie and caught her on time before she launched herself at Andrea.
"What's your freaking problem?! Huh! I trusted you with her! She wasn't in her right mind!" The angry girl screamed at her, as her hands tried to push Daryl away and reached Andrea.
Daryl tightened his hold around her waist because the girl was strong. He was actually impressed.
"She's not a kid. She knew what she wanted!" Andrea yelled back, just a bit intimidated.
"She had been attacked by her father's corpse! Of course she wasn't on her freaking mind! She has been through a lot of things and you, you selfish...!"
"I lost my sister! You're not the only one with loses, you know!" Andrea replied angrily. "And if she wants to take her life...!"
"She'll have to kill me first," Barbara yelled and stopped squirming. Daryl let her go tentatively but stayed close just in case.
"She's my sister!" She told Andrea, glaring at the woman. "I make the decisions not you or anyone else! You wanna help?! Do some laundry for a change! You're not keeping anyone safe with your guards. The last time you shot something and actually hit it, you almost kill Daryl! Stay away from her! From both of us! Don't you dare step foot inside this house again!"
Andrea turned around mad and taken aback because of what had happened. Just then Lori approached Barbie who was still breathless after the yelling match.
"I'm not gonna say she was right, but Ellie has made her choice," Lori told the girl and Barbie looked up at her. "She wants to live and now she knows it. And sometimes you have to cross the line."
Lori, noticing Daryl, was still standing next to them, squeezed the girl's shoulder and left them alone.
Barbara glared at Andrea's back, as she recovered her breathing, and then turned to Daryl raising an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"I was trying to keep you from loosing a tooth," Daryl replied, raising his hands. Barbie rolled her eyes, huffing in a very similar way to him.
"Please. I would have ripped of her hair off," she said angrily and he rose his eyebrows.
"She's tough. There would have been no winners there."
She buffed again and then she walked to the nearest tree and kicked it viciously.
"Hey..." Daryl walked to her, but he let her kicked it a couple of times before he could pulled her back.
"I'm... I'm sick..." The girl said angrily and agitated. "I can't believe she tried... A part of me knows she has a point..."
"Bullshit," Daryl interrupted, frowning. "You're not going to try that stupid shit now, are you?"
Barbie shook her head.
"No. I'll never do it but... things can only get worse."
She looked back at the house and sighed.
"Whenever I hope things just go well... they just get worse. It's all so screwed."
Daryl shrugged.
"Things can change."
She turned to him and shook her head. There was such hopelessness in her eyes that made him angry.
"I used to believe that but..."
"You didn't learn a thing from me," he spat at her.
Barbara looked up, frowning confused.
"What?"
"I thought you were tough. That you were a survivor," he kept going, angrily.
"I am," the girl said, frowning at his tone. What the hell?
"Well act like one and stop whining like a stupid brat!" He snapped again at her, getting her angrier again.
"I'm getting tired on your attitude here," she replied coldly.
"No attitude, darling," he sneered and she glared at him.
"What's wrong with you? I haven't done a thing to you for you to treat me like that!"
"Really?"
"Yes!"
He looked at her face for a moment, noticing she either didn't know what he was talking about or she was a good liar. He stepped closer and looked down on her.
"You know, you're a real bitch."
He didn't even finished the sentence when her slap shook him. It burned him, it angered him. It reminded him of all the people who had screwed him over and over and that this girl had been toying with him like he were his bitch.
"I know you think you can't say whatever you want to whoever you want, but you won't treat me like that!" She yelled at him angrily and he grabbed his wrist angrily.
"And you're not going to hit me ever again!"
"Hand me off, you jerk!"
She tried to push him away but he was seething. He grabbed her by the arms and for a second Barbara though he was going to hurt her, at least before he looked down on her and his lips crashed against hers.
The impact almost made her trip but he caught her. His hand slid from her arms and one wrapped itself around her waist and the other buried on her hair pulling her closer to him. She was so shocked that it took her a few seconds before she could react but her body reacted on its own accord. Her hand closed grabbing his shirt and the other wrapped around his neck pulling him to her, and she kissed him back just as ferociously. Their kiss toned down gradually, so when they pulled back to breath, it had become gentle but needy.
Daryl rested his forehead on hers and they looked at each other a bit blankly, chests rising and falling violently, not sinking in just yet what had just happened. The man raised a hand to her cheek and his fingers had barely graze her skin when the sound of a car startled them. They pulled back as if they had been burned. Daryl took a deep breath and stepped to her trying to reach her hand, but Barbara didn't notice. She stepped back and ran away quickly, leaving him standing there, feeling a complete idiot.