I quietly stepped into the bedroom, seeing Daryl still asleep. I watched his chest rise and fall rhythmically with each labored breath. I felt a sense of pride in my work from earlier in the evening; I'd saved his life, not knowing anything about him. Then it dawned on me, had he died on our table, my Mom would have been devastated and I would have been fatherless. The cold realization sucker punched me in the gut. I don't know if I was comfortable calling him Dad; I was sure if he hung around long enough it would eventually slip. It was only natural I guess, especially since I knew the truth about him now.
I took the chair next to his bed, checking the collection container attached to his drain. There was about a pint in the container, he would need every little bit that drained out of his chest cavity. I couldn't help but sit and stare at him while I made the transfer through his IV; Mom was right, he looked a lot like Jake. More rugged, thinner, longer hair, not near as muscular. Daryl wasn't a soldier like Jake, he was man struggling to survive. I didn't know what he did for a job, not that it really mattered now. I laid my hand across his forehead, he didn't seem too warm, and that's a good sign. As I pulled my hand away, his eyes fluttered open for a brief moment, the deep blue slowly disappearing behind heavy lids.
Mom must have heard my gasp from the door, stepping over to check his pulse as I sat back down looking at him. She whispered quietly in my ear, laying his hand back down on the bed. "It was just an involuntary motion; he won't be coming around for another few hours. It's alright baby, he'll be fine in a few days. We'll get him on the mend and send him back to his group. It's the right thing to do."
I nodded my head, following my mom downstairs to the kitchen. I was starving; the day had been long, I'd burnt through more energy than I had taken in. Mom threw some vegetables and meat in the skillet as I brought the box from Mr. Miller's house into the kitchen, setting it on the table. My thoughts ran back to the conversation in Mom's bedroom, questions coming to the surface again. I turned to watch my Mom cooking at the stove, blurting out the most important question I had.
"Mom, do you love my Dad, I mean Daryl? Sorry."I had to know, I needed to know if it was going to be okay to try and have a relationship with him, or just cut him loose like I had never known him. Either way it played out, Daryl Dixon would haunt me the rest of my days.
Mom stopped cooking, her shoulders visibly falling as a shudder ran through her. She shook her head without turning to me; I could barely hear the words that escaped her lips.
"It's been eighteen years since I saw him last, I don't know if it's a love ideal anymore. Why do you think I still love him? Do you want him to know you, after all this time of not? Hell, I don't know how he would act knowing he has a daughter that I lied to him about all these years."Mom set my plate in front of me, as she sat across from me at the kitchen table.
"Mom, you were engaged to the man; you were pregnant by him twice. You came back after three years of being gone, and went right back to him, like a moth to a flame. And because you loved him, you created me with him. If you didn't love him, you would have been smart enough to take precautions that I wouldn't have happened. You can't sit there and tell me you didn't plan on sleeping with him when you came back. And yeah, I'd kind of like to get to know my Father, even if it's for him to tell me to fuck off." I shoveled a mouthful of food in, chewing as I stared my Mom down.
Mom swallowed hard before getting up from the table, "You have it all figured out now don't you? You're the best thing he ever gave me, and I don't regret what I did to get you. Maybe I still do love him, but that doesn't matter a damn bit now. He probably has a wife and kids back at their camp, and I'm just an old flame that helped save his ass. You want a relationship with him, you tend it yourself. I'm going to bed!"
Mom practically yelled at me, as I watched her go upstairs. Yeah, I think I nailed her right on, as bad as it feels in my gut, she can't lie to me.
They say that sound can trigger memories, and memories are tied to sounds. Daryl Dixon never believed bullshit like that until tonight. He swore he heard Natalie's voice in his sleep, even when his eyes opened for a brief moment; he was sure he saw Natalie looking down at him before his eyes closed again. She was young and beautiful still, just like he remembered her from when they were kids. Was he caught up in his memories in a sleep he couldn't wake from? Surely he wasn't dead, he didn't remember getting bit, just that he was shot by that stupid Greene kid while hunting.
Daryl let his mind wander back to the last time he saw Natalie, it was August, hot as hell, and quite a long time ago. He and Merle had gone to the bar that night and were shooting pool when Daryl was sure he saw Natalie come in with Jenny McCaffrey. Jenny had been sniffing around Merle for weeks, but never had the courage to say anything to him. Daryl mostly ignored Merle's shameless flirting with her until it was his turn to shoot. Daryl didn't give a shit who Merle slept with; she would be just another notch in a long string of broads for him.
It was when the two women came over to the table and introduced themselves that Daryl's heart stopped in his chest. It was Natalie with Jenny; he could never mistake those moss green eyes anywhere else. Jenny latched onto Merle immediately, but Natalie was stand-offish towards Daryl. He cornered her behind the corner pocket of the table, getting a good look at her from the backside. She had filled out in all the right places, her skin was tanned by the sun, but her hair was pulled back into a tight bun at the base of her skull. The position she was in made Daryl's hormones burn, his memory coming up quick of what she sounded like in that position from long ago.
"Staring at my ass Dixon? You might want to take a picture since it won't be here long." Her eyes met his, a grin creeping across her lips over her bare shoulder.
Daryl leaned closer to her, his hips grinding against her ass. Natalie squeaked in surprise as she felt his arousal up close and personal through her jeans. His teeth nipped her ear as his breath tickled her skin, "If ya wouldn'ta stayed gone so long baby doll, I wouldn't be staring at ya ass. And no, I don't need a picture, my memory works just fine concerning ya naked."
Daryl growled low in his throat for effect, a sound he knew she couldn't resist. Natalie tried to choke back a gasp, missing her shot entirely. The night marched on quickly; drinks flowed like water, before long they heard last call. But the night was far from being over, the group piled into Daryl's truck, finding themselves out at the lake Natalie and Daryl had swam and fished as kids. Merle and Jenny quickly disappeared, leaving Daryl and Natalie sitting on the tailgate.
Natalie turned to Daryl, her fingers running over his face, as his eyes met hers. The last time he saw hurt like that in her eyes was the night he had set her free. Daryl lay back in the truck bed, watching the stars as her fingers ran over his skin. Natalie's touch sent sparks through him, she was the last woman to touch him, and he still hadn't gotten over her.
Natalie lay across his chest, her eyes meeting his again as Daryl draped an arm over her, running his fingertips over the skin her tank top didn't cover. Natalie visibly shivered, Daryl grinned at Natalie burying her face in his chest, growling her frustrations.
"Damn you Daryl. I can't get you out of my system. I love you. I never stopped loving you, even after you left, after I left. I need you in my life." Natalie breathed into his tee-shirt, snaking her hands under it to trace the curves of his abs.
"Aww baby doll, we've had our fights, that's for sure. I was wrong to leave ya when ya needed me." Daryl drawled out, bringing her chin up with his fingers. That was as close as she was ever going to get to an apology from him.
Natalie unbuckled his belt, carefully drawing the zipper down. She was surprised to find him fully erect and ready for her. Natalie wrapped her wet lips around his head, hearing Daryl suck a breath through his teeth as she worked her tongue and hand together to tease him. Daryl knew he wouldn't last long with Natalie giving him head, it was his weakness.
Daryl pulled her hair free from the confines at her neck, his fingers running through her dark tresses. He could hear Natalie moaning around his cock, she was enjoying this as much as he was.
"Mmhh baby doll, as much as I'd like you to finish me off like this, I'd like you to get some pleasure out of it too." Daryl gently pulled on the hair wrapped in his fist, breaking Natalie's contact with him.
Natalie shimmied out of the jeans she had on, tossing them to the side before sinking her soaking slick walls around Daryl. The fit was tight, Daryl grit his teeth, as Natalie's lips formed an "O" at the sensation of him filling and stretching her once again. Daryl's hands fell naturally to her hips as she rode him, his arms came around her as he sat up, burying his head in her chest. Natalie ran her nails over Daryl's scalp, whispering his name as he thrust within her. Natalie's breathing became erratic, she buried her head in Daryl's shoulder, fighting for the last ounce of control she had. Daryl felt her nails dig into his back, as her orgasm crashed around her; she called out his name in the darkness. Daryl stroked hard and fast, grunting through his release, his body tense as he marked Natalie as his once again.
Daryl pushed Natalie's sweat slick hair back from her forehead, kissing her gently on the lips, "Guess we oughta get decent before Merle finds us."
Natalie chuckled as she pulled her jeans back on, "You better get me home before Daddy comes looking for me with his shotgun."
Daryl remembered walking her up to the front door, and Natalie hugged him goodbye. That was the last time he saw her, when he went back the next day to take Natalie out to lunch Jean told him she had already left to go back to her command in Wyoming.
Daryl felt a cold chill run through him as his mind wandered through old memories of him and Natalie, memories he wanted to forget but couldn't.
Natalie couldn't face the conversation with Allie concerning Daryl. Allie had hit a nerve within Natalie, one she wasn't ready to confront yet. As much as Natalie tried to convince herself that she didn't love Daryl, seeing him now brought back all the memories, good and bad. Natalie wasn't ready to deal with him yet, it was easier just to put him back under and put the coming storm off for the night. Natalie removed the syringe she just used to inject morphine into Daryl's IV port, setting it aside. It was time to remove his drain and sew the wound shut. Once Natalie was done, she shut the light off, closing the door on another chapter of her life. Tomorrow would be another day; tomorrow she might have the strength to deal with Allie and Daryl.