Don't worry, I didn't die. Just been trying to figure out how this chapter was going to work itself out. See, I enjoy progression because it's believable, but I also enjoy shit going down. This chapter is a strange mixture of both. And I've got some characters doing their own thing while some are struggling to cope and comprehend. I'm proud of it, but that means nothing some times. Hope you enjoy it, regardless! And thank you as always for the lovely, thoughtful reviews!
Chapter 9 - Drunk
"Hey, new girl."
"I have a name," Paige reminded, eyes breaking away from her sniper.
Shane looked momentarily embarrassed, scratching the back of his head.
"Sorry 'bout that. Paige, right?"
"At least we have a good memory," she congratulated, swinging Winston over her shoulder.
"Hey, better than what Daryl used to call ya before he knew."
Intrigued, she meandered her way toward the sheriff, being careful to not upset the vegetation beneath her feet. She never liked leaving noticeable traces of herself, especially in the woods. And even though she wasn't far from the camp site, her level of alertness since discovering Adley and Lawrence's presence was now at an all time high.
"Dare I ask?"
"Rick thought it was kinda amusing. Grass Fox."
Reluctant to show that the nickname really wasn't all too bad and that she'd been called far worse, Paige settled for a small grin.
"Figures he'd name me after an animal. What are you doing out here?"
"Just making sure you're alright."
Pausing, she raised a disbelieving brow.
"I mean no offense, but I've heard better excuses from drunk husbands to their wives."
Chuckling, Shane nodded to himself, eying her.
"Alright. I guess I wanna know how good you are with guns. Care to go on a little hunting expedition?"
"And what are we hunting?"
"Whatever you can get a shot at."
Seconds later and she was receiving a 9 MM handgun with a silencer firmly attached.
"I've known guys back at the department who could hit a target from two hundred meters away, but when it came to close distance, had a better chance at hitting their foot," Shane revealed. "I think it's only fair you're able to get good shots up close."
"And to think the good people of your town trusted you guys as sheriffs," she marveled, smiling halfway through the statement.
"You're just full of witty retorts today, aren't ya?"
"Sorry," she confessed, sobering up. "It's been a long morning and everything is still a bit...awkward...at the camp. No one knows how to look at me in the eye, and if they do, it isn't for long."
"They'll come around. Ain't every day you hear a story like that," he reasoned. "I saw you and Dixon talking this morning. Everything alright there?"
Rather than answer, Paige's mouth slowly parted. "His last name is Dixon? Like the cups?"
"Yeah. Guess I never made that connection," he laughed.
"Oh, this is fantastic. Just another thing I can tease him about."
"You alright with him then?"
"He's a good guy. You just have to push past his stubbornness."
Shane still seemed like he had something to say, but didn't know quite how to go about with it.
"We're not together, you know," she defended, fighting the urge to cross her arms. "And even if I wanted that, I doubt he'd ever let me get that close."
She didn't know why she felt obliged to add in that last blurb, but it didn't make the statement any less truer. Daryl Dixon was as unattainable as democracy in Cuba.
"It ain't that," Shane denied. "And I'd hope you'd be smarter than starting a relationship with Daryl. Don't think anything comes between him and his crossbow-."
Paige shrugged in whole-hearted agreement there.
"-but he's been watching you awfully sharp this morning and afternoon. Shocked he hasn't followed you out here. You alright with that?"
Sighing, Paige's thumbs slid back and forth over the handle of the gun, a silent method of soothing her thoughts.
"Daryl and I have come to...an arrangement. His staring is an effect of that arrangement. But it's all in good intention."
Again, Shane appeared as if he wanted to push the issue, but Paige didn't feel like having a full-fledged discussion. While the sheriff had been kind to her so far, it didn't mean she trusted him well enough to divulge what truly rattled around inside her mind. And the fact that he couldn't notice she didn't want to talk about it, only helped solidify her silence.
So, she redirected the topic.
"I have very shitty sneakers. Prepare to carry me back if I shoot off all my toes."
"That's a promise I'm holding you to."
With that break in tension, Paige followed after Shane, unaware of the figure perched against the opposite side of a tree no more than ten feet from where they'd been.
DPDDPDDPDDPD
Daryl hadn't meant to follow her. In fact, if he really thought about it too hard, it made him look down right creepy. Followin' around the new girl.
But her desertin' the camp left him no choice. If he was gonna go through with his plan to protect her, it meant knowin' where she was. And bein' there if somethin' went south.
Originally, when she'd first meandered off into th'a woods, sniper in hand, he assumed that cowardly side of her had taken over and she decided on goin' it alone again. Wouldn't exactly shock him.
However, after keepin' a careful trail on her languid, almost carefree movements, he recognized she just needed some space and quiet time to think, as evident when she finally stopped in a brush and released a lengthy sigh.
He probably could have left then and there. She wasn't more than fifty feet from the camp site and if she screamed, everyone would come runnin'. Plus, this little expedition looked personal. Who was he to invade it when he'd done much of the same before?
For some reason, though, he kept to the trunks of the trees instead, spendin' part o' his time surveyin' the area and another part watchin' her.
He didn't know why the latter task comforted him. Almost to the point of it bein' weird.
Originally, he reasoned that maybe it was 'cause he recognized how in tune and at ease she looked, surrounded by the woods. College kid she may have been, but her knowledge and awareness of a place many easily died in just because they didn't know their plants or berries good enough, was somethin' he outwardly admired.
But then, without his awareness, his brain reached a simple conclusion. She was, in ways, a reflection of himself and seein' how natural she looked in her environment stopped making him feel so alone for havin' enjoyed the outdoors as much as he did.
He didn't know how long she sat on the trunks of a dying Hardwood, head tilted back, thumbs brushing over Winston, seemingly detachin' herself from the chaos 'round them. But it'd be sufficient to say that at one point, he watched her longer than he did for a surrounding threat.
And that's why Shane sneakin' up on her startled him as well.
Initially, he'd been pretty pissed at the sudden invasion for two different reasons.
One of them bein' that he let his guard down again, doin' somethin' as reckless as watchin' someone who would get pissed knowin' he was there. In his head, he could practically hear Merle scowlin' at his pussy behavior. Losin' his head 'cause a girl was more interestin'. And even though part o' him defended his actions, the side bred outta bein' brothers with Merle reminded him that this was exactly the kind of behavior that led to him nearly dyin' last time around.
When Shane started speakin', Daryl almost became concerned at how fast that first wave of anger passed, only to be replaced by a more ferocious kind he didn't know how to pinpoint, though he felt it prominently in his lower abdomen. Like lava was sloshin' around inside him. He also realized it bore an uncanny resemblance to the kind he'd felt earlier in the mornin' when Paige told him she was gonna cozy up with Glenn.
For a short while, he listened from behind the tree as they talked about him.
Daryl never really felt strongly one way or the other regardin' Shane. The man helped significantly decrease the walker population. It was a good enough contribution, he thought.
But the more he butted in t'a his and Paige's relationship, the less he cared about how skilled the sheriff was with guns. All he wanted was for him t'a stop talkin' and get the hell back to camp. Especially since his gaze lasted on her a little longer than necessary each time he eyed her.
Unfortunately, Paige felt differently and took him up on his offer to go target practicin'.
When they finally departed, Daryl had half a mind to trail after them.
However, logic finally returned to him and he reminded himself how creepy it'd be t'a stalk her. He promised t'a keep her safe, not follow every move she made. And even if he wanted t'a send an arrow right int'a Shane's groin, Daryl understood Paige needed her distance and had to learn t'a shoot better with someone who was well trained with guns.
So, reluctantly, he pushed himself away from the tree and shot off the opposite way, hopin' the rapidly coolin' lava inside him would evaporate sometime soon.
DPDDPDDPDDPD
"You look like you want to pummel something repeatedly."
Glancing up, Daryl bit down on his retort upon seein' the figure, not up t'a discussin' his current mindset.
"Just an observation," Andrea noted a moment later, holding up both hands. "You alright?"
Above them, thunder crackled threateningly, and briefly, Daryl noted the sky reflected his mood quite accurately right 'bout now.
"Just peachy," he grumbled back, eyes shootin' over her blonde head.
"Shane will bring her back," she assured, crossing her arms. "He said they'd only be gone for about an hour. Soon as the clouds started rolling in, I'm sure they took off."
"Ain't worried 'bout that," Daryl brushed off, surprising himself by the casual conversation. "She's smart and knows how to manage through the woods. Can't say the same f'er Shane, though."
"He may not have been raised in the wild like some people, but he knows this area well enough," Andrea defended with a shrug. "They'll be back before the rain starts."
Daryl didn't respond and because of this, Andrea observed him once more.
He must have given something away in his facial expressions because the next time he glanced at her, a small smile played itself on her lips.
"Shane is smart enough not to try anything with her."
Furrowing his brow, Daryl blurted, "Where the hell did that come from?"
"Oh, please. It's obvious you care about her. At least to me, it is. I'm just trying to soothe your worries. Plus, he's still hung up on Lori."
Further confused, Daryl wanted to reply, but he was at a loss on what to say.
"But you didn't hear that from me," she continued, her smile threatening to become a smirk as she inched closer to him, steps a bit wobbly. "Besides, who the hell would wanna get between the insane sexual tension you and Paige have? Makes me miss popcorn for the first time in my life."
"What the hell are you talkin' about?"
The longer Andrea studied the hunter, the more amazed she looked, her normally complacent face becoming a whirlwind of emotions.
"Holy shit," she exclaimed, mouth opening. "I knew you were stubborn, but this is extreme even in your case."
His response was interrupted by another rumble of thunder, bouncing off the trees around them like instruments inside a crowded amphitheatre.
But this didn't stop Andrea whose face for the first time in too many months to count, actually appeared animated.
"You like Paige and you're jealous that Shane is alone out there with her. Being jealous is perfectly natural."
Daryl's confusion continued to overtake him as he stared at her like she'd just grown another head.
"Fuck you."
Raising both eyebrows, Andrea released a giddy laugh, surprising herself.
"I call you out on your feelings and you return with that response? Give me a break, Daryl. You're a lot smarter than that. Stop being a pussy and hiding from your feelings. Everyone's days are numbered and being alone sucks. You're lucky to have found someone who makes it so hard for you to look like you don't care."
Again, Daryl opened his mouth, but Andrea waved off whatever he was going to say with a dramatic swipe of a hand through the air, peddling backwards.
"Hope that helped!" she brightly cheered.
Before he could even think up a response, she began stumbling her way backwards, seemingly losing balance with each step.
His confusion was so intense that he didn't acknowledge Glenn's presence ten minutes later, staring down at the ground instead like something had truly befuddled him.
"What?" he finally snapped.
Unfazed by the hostility aimed his way, Glenn jerked his head toward Dale's camper.
"Don't go in the trailer for awhile."
"Wasn't plannin' on it. Why?"
"Andrea's drunk."
"No shit," Daryl expressed, feeling stupid for not having picked up on it the moment she started talkin' to him. "Thought we didn't have any more alcohol left."
"She went through Paige's stuff. Drank the last bottle of Smirnoff she had."
Suddenly, Daryl's confusion morphed into anger.
"The hell she do that for?"
"Before you go and crucify her, remember all she's been through."
"Still don't explain why the hell she chugged down someone else's liquor. I think the issues Paige has, requires the bottle more."
"It was my fault," Glenn admitted, looking defeated. "I slipped up and mentioned Amy. And at first, I thought Andrea would just forget about it. I didn't know she was drunk until I found the empty bottle inside the camper and saw her stumbling away from you. This is the first night she's broken down since killing her sister. Just...give her a break."
Relaxing slightly, Daryl's eyes flew back to the trees.
"She gonna be okay?"
"Dale's trying to calm her down. I think she's crying. It's probably best we leave her alone for the night. She's supposed to be on watch, but I don't think Shane will mind taking over."
Nodding, Daryl settled on keepin' silent, unwilling to admit that despite Andrea's drunken banter, she had thrown in some fair points. He especially ignored the part o' him that could finally identify that fiery feeling in his stomach from earlier as nothin' short of jealousy.
Once more, the entire camp ground shook with the growls of thunder, echoing with a vicious promise and darkening the clouds above into a murky silver.
Seconds later, the rain drops dropped down all at once as if released from a bursting levee.
"They're still out there," Glenn exclaimed a moment later, raising his voice over the combined threat of thunder and lightning.
Daryl fought down the unease squirming around inside him, stalking past Glenn. And he would have continued all the way into the woods had someone not grabbed his bicep.
"You've gotta trust them to come back," Rick shouted, releasing his arm. "Right now, we need the man power here, just in case. With Shane gone and Dale comforting Andrea, you're my best shooter. And you know as well as I that the walkers can get rowdy when it storms like this."
"And if Shane got her lost?" he snapped back.
"Then we'll set off to find them together. As a group," the deputy promised, his response momentarily deafened by the roaring thunder above. "Shane knows what he's doing. If it's real bad, they might be taking shelter."
Rick made it a careful point to keep Daryl's gaze despite the rain drops slapping violently against his skin, drenching everything from his black, shaggy hair to his newly cleaned uniform.
And eventually, this silent treatment worked.
Biting back a deep grumble, Daryl found himself nodding reluctantly. He understood Rick's reasonin', more to the point, he knew if he were in the same position - protectin' an entire group - he wouldn't want the best people at defendin', to suddenly run off and leave an area susceptible to attack. 'Specially since the walkers weren't the only things they had to worry 'bout anymore.
"You're welcome to keep guard with T-Dog and I," Rick reasoned. "But don't assume the worst yet. You said it yourself. She's tougher than I've given her credit for."
In his own way, Daryl understood this was Rick's way of apologizing for what he'd said earlier. And without reactin' to the statement, he forgave the deputy with a wordless nod.
"Lori's holed up in my tent with Carl along with Carol and Sophia. Glenn and T-Dog got the area around their tent and the camper. We can watch the trails."
Daryl only repeated his nod, following after Rick's form.
DPDDPDDPDDPD
It took thirty minutes before the trail Daryl had been glaring at without mercy, finally showcased two moving bodies.
"Rick."
His deep shout got the deputy's attention and they both raised their weapons, preparing themselves for whatever or whoever stumbled forth.
Seconds later and a soaked Shane and Paige protruded from the mass of wet brown and clear green.
Immediately, Rick lowered his gun and Daryl his crossbow because what they saw caused an internal panic to ignite inside them both.
Strewn all down the front of Paige's manila t-shirt, as if a bucket had been dumped on her torso, was a sickening amount of crimson blood.
"What happened?" Rick questioned once the duo came within ten feet, eyes searching Paige with concern. "Are you hurt?"
Shane didn't respond, bowing his head, and instantly, this alerted both men that something was off.
"I'm fine," Paige assured, throwing Shane a quick glance he didn't meet. "We're both...fine."
"Y'er shirt," Daryl pointed out, resisting the urge to touch the blood stain.
"A bit ruined, but wearable. I'm not complaining," she shrugged, an optimistic smile reaching her lips.
"What happened?"
Rick was staring at Shane as he asked this, but the sheriff continued up his unnatural silence, head still lowered.
"We uh...encountered a walker from a bit closer than Shane intended," Paige explained cautiously. "Good news? I'm a natural at close range firing. Bad news? We got the shit scared out of us and if I wasn't already so cold, you could see that my hands are still shaking."
"How close did the walker get?" Daryl demanded.
Picking up on his tone, Paige's smile dissolved.
"Don't blame Shane. It was my fault for not seeing the walker until he was nearly on me."
"That still don't make any sense. If you could pick out the walker in that brush, you'd be able to catch one that splattered themselves all over you."
"I'm not sure if you've noticed, but it's thundering like a mother, Daryl. I wouldn't be able to hear if bigfoot himself snuck up on me. Can't you just be happy that I'm still alive?"
That question shut him right up, as did the frustration evident on her features.
"Now," she continued, a bit more tiredly, "I'm going to go cozy up in some blankets and try to forget that I nearly died."
With that, she made to move past him.
"Wait," Rick stopped her, "Andrea's feeling a bit...overwhelmed and Dale's talking her through some things in the camper."
"So I get a new bed buddy tonight?"
Shane finally raised his head at this and Paige met his eyes, face suddenly unreadable.
"I'll take watch tonight," Shane spoke after a few seconds of muteness. "If Andrea's not up to it."
Blinking, Paige looked away, lips curving up.
"Do you still consider it hazardous for Daryl and I to be in the same tent?" she directed to Rick.
"No. And it wasn't my place to make decisions for you based on what I think you'd find comfortable. If you trust Daryl, stay in his tent. It's good for you to have that level of comfort with someone anyway."
"Would that be alright?"
She didn't look at him, but Daryl could detect an unexpected meekness in her tone, so very opposite of the stubborn one she'd taken on when arguin' with him.
"Take some o' my blankets if y'a need."
Without a sign of acknowledgement, Paige set off toward his tent.
"Shane," Rick pestered once she was out of earshot, "how close did she come?"
Releasing a deep breath, Shane's grip on his shotgun loosened. Most notably, he refused to meet Daryl's eyes.
"Close enough. Rick, you gotta know I'd been keeping a good eye on her the entire time, but the bastard came outta nowhere and...I suddenly forgot how to hold a fucking pistol."
Rick studied his friend closely, pondering something.
But they were both unprepared for Daryl's statement.
"You ever let it get that close again and th'a walkers will be th'a least of y'er problems."
With that, he stomped off, too angry to feel the bullets of rain showering down on him.
His anger lessened considerably when he entered his tent to find Paige gathered inside three or four layers of blankets, lying on the side furthest from the tent flap.
Wipin' the droplets out of his eyes, Daryl zipped the flap and knelt down, eyes surveyin' her carefully.
Now that the realization she coulda died, truly sunk in, he found he had a difficult time knowin' where to start a conversation.
Paige only stared back at him, face blank except for the occasional shiver.
"I'ma shitty bodyguard," he tried. "Told ya this mornin' I'd keep ya safe, y'a nearly died by dinner time."
Instead of accusation, like he was expectin', Paige laughed, her body shaking beneath the covers.
"Don't take it personally, Daryl. The walker really did come out of nowhere. Which is dangerous when it sounds like a thousand footsteps are running over bleachers above you. Shane and I were heading back when the thunder first began. We thought we kept hearing movements so we stopped every so often. Earlier on, I managed to kill a walker from a sufficient enough distance to where Shane was assured of my close range abilities. Really, we were on our way back and being as responsible as we could about the situation."
Daryl eased his way down to a sitting position directly across from Paige. Again, he didn't have much idea on what to say. 'Specially since he felt partly t'a blame for her nearly dyin'.
"You gettin' my brother's blankets bloody w'it y'er t-shirt?"
Obviously, she wasn't expectin' t'a hear that, and internally, Daryl smacked himself on the head for such a stupid question.
"No," she answered steadily.
"No?"
"Are you really going to make me explain?"
"I dunno how the hell you're not gettin' the blankets dirty since y'er shirt was soaked in th'a blood."
"I'm not getting the blanket dirty because I'm not wearing a shirt right now."
"Oh."
"Yes," she nodded shamelessly. "These blankets aren't just to keep me warm. I have to defend my modesty somehow."
"Where's y'er shirt?"
"Christ, Daryl, do we really have to launch a full fledged investigation into where my shirt could be? It's not on me because I already foresaw you freaking out about me getting your blankets dirty. That's called courtesy. And I'm paying for it by sleeping in nothing but a bra when my body is attempting to conserve as much heat as possible. Satisfied?"
She nearly rose up from her position to scold him, but thought better of it at the last minute and settled back down into a sleepin' position.
They watched each other for a good five minutes, ignoring the attack of rain against the thin material of the tent. Well, Paige glared at him while Daryl studied her, tryin' t'a figure out how to begin a conversation that wouldn't make him sound like an idiot or an asshole.
But in order for that to happen, he knew he had to acknowledge some o' those feelings Andrea had talked to him about. Including the worry he had at the thought of her dyin' as well as his growin' attachment to her.
"It was close."
Her statement froze all the runaway thoughts bouncin' around in his head.
"Too close," she clarified when he didn't respond. "Close enough to where I wouldn't have minded you being there."
"I woulda been. But I wanted t'a give ya room. And I thought Shane woulda been able t'a protect you."
"It really wasn't his fault," Paige reaffirmed, eyes sparkling with an unspoken emotion. "And I don't want this incident to make you feel like you have to watch my every move from now on. I froze out there too because I wasn't prepared. I shoot walkers from yards away through a scope, not the length of an arm with a handgun. It was a learning experience, yes. A dangerous one. But I'm still alive and better aware as a result. It never would have happened had Shane not taken me out there."
Daryl had a difficult time swallowin' the fact that she was thankful f'er his help despite nearly dyin'. And he wanted to voice as much, but he didn't want to make her angry. Not when she looked so tired and had survived yet again, another close call.
So, he finally decided on bein' honest.
"I'm glad y'er alright. I was worried about you."
If she was surprised at his words, she didn't show it. And for the moment, that soothed Daryl down considerably.
"Glad you're alright too," she agreed, half smiling at him. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah. But I'm thinkin' maybe y'a need a lesson in detectin' when people are close to ya. Those cadets managed to sneak up on you and so did that walker. We can discuss some tips tomorrow on how t'a be better focused. 'Specially if y'er plannin' any more trips out by y'erself."
"Adley and Lawrence sneaking up on me were a different matter than the walker. I was lost in my thoughts when they found me. I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. Something I'm quite efficient at doing so on normal circumstances. At the time, I was focused on escaping and how to ration out what food and water I had."
Understanding her explanation from personal experience, Daryl gathered, "You were lost in thought when th'a walker attacked?"
"No...," she delicately worded, blinking a few times, "at least, not exactly."
Puzzled, he waited for her to explain.
"I was distracted."
"Ain't that the same as thinkin' about somethin' too long?"
"No."
"Then what the hell were you distracted by?"
Exhaling, Paige shifted deeper into the blankets, decidin' on how to best answer.
In the end, she settled for blunt and honest.
"Shane kissed me."
Ha! Well, I did say someone was going to be kissed. And before anyone freaks out, I do have a reason Shane did what he did. You just won't know until the next chapter. Actually, it's kind of easy to figure out if you think too much into it - like I do! Hope you enjoyed that. Let me know your thoughts in a review!