Daryl didn't know how he ended up in this conversation; he had just sat down to eat when Nathan and Rick took seats on either side of him.
He'd just gotten in from his first turn back on guard since he had been shot. Hershel had cleared him and Daryl was disproportionately happy to be allowed back to his old tasks instead of being cooped up inside like a child.
Whenever he got in to the flow of a full on rage about his bed rest, Carol would be there with her stupid doe eyes, using logic and feelings to make him listen to doctors orders.
Didn't matter how much he protested it was barely a scrape. Or that the concussion had barely lasted twenty four hours. Or that the kicking probably hadn't resulted in internal injuries. Probably.
Daryl even got a little interested when he realised Mara was being ordered to take it easy too. Normally obsessed with his own solitude, he'd come to crave human company. He was stuck in the cell and everyone else could come and go as they please.
But Mara was always sleeping or on her way somewhere else. Daryl begun to get the sense she was avoiding him but he hadn't indulged in any of his typical behaviours women found offensive so he didn't get it. The last time she skirted past him, mumbling something about 'busy' and evading his eyes Daryl had given up. Stupid bitch, he was just getting cabin fever if he wanted to hang out with her.
Daryl realised Rick and Nathan were talking about striking back at the Governor. This stunned him. They'd been pretty adamant about their wait-and-see approach. This latest attack had hit them where it hurt. Those men had come in to their home and threatened their people. That was the last line to cross.
Daryl couldn't be more eager to jump into a fight. He had some unfinished business with the Governor and his whole organisation.
Rick and Nathan were more cautious.
"Shit, guy's an asshole. Let's just ride in, guns ablazin'" Daryl suggested. "He won't expect that."
Rick shook his head patiently. 'We can't. We took too much damage in the last attack. We need to recover."
"I ain't an invalid!" Daryl snapped.
"You're not fitting fit either," Nathan pointed out. "Besides it's not just you. Mara and Carol are shaken up after the other night."
Rick was sombre. "I don't like to think what could have happened to Carol if Mara hadn't reached her. Thank god she was watchin' out for her."
"Didn't do such a great job of it," Daryl said petulantly, thinking unfairly of the blood on Carol and the cold shoulder he'd been receiving.
"She got stabbed in a bone to save her." Nathan's face was stoic but Daryl got the message loud and clear. Be careful what you say about my soldiers. Nathan's calm and casual attitude was misleading. He took the welfare of his team very seriously.
"Wasn't that bad," he mumbled but he dropped his attention to his food. He didn't want the sergeant's intense stare on him anymore.
"Speaking of Mara, what she did was pretty amazing. She fights like a-"
"Thug?" Nathan supplied.
"Not the word I'd use but yes, she was brutal. Are all of you that good?" Rick pressed.
"We can all more than hold our own," Nathan answered, sensing that Rick was leading somewhere with this line of questioning. Daryl could sense it too and was getting an ominous feeling.
"I think we could all stand to get better ourselves, just in case we get stuck without our weapons," Rick suggested.
Nathan nodded. "I can set up a lesson. Mara's the best at hand to hand; she can lead it if that's agreeable with you."
Rick said, "That's fine," at the same time Daryl snorted and said, "She's the best?"
Daryl didn't know what was wrong with him. He'd seen her fight before and she was more than good but something about how she was acting recently was putting Daryl out of sorts.
"You think you can beat her?" Nathan asked.
Daryl looked at him like he was crazy. "Yeah, pretty confident I could."
Nathan leaned forward putting his chin on his hands. There was a smile on his face Daryl didn't like. "Okay then."
Daryl still didn't know what the Australian had planned the next day as they stood on the grassy field in the warm heat of the late afternoon.
The soldiers were running through a series of moves that they thought could be helpful if they were ever backed into a corner with no weapons.
Despite their supposed proficiency, the moves were simple and basic. Nothing Daryl hadn't learnt through hard experience in bar fights. They were encouraging them to play to their strengths, especially the women.
"Men can be faster and they can be stronger but that doesn't mean they necessarily will win," Mara was saying. "If he's solid, be quicker. If he's quicker, be more flexible. If he's stronger, be smarter!"
Daryl tried not to roll his eyes at the obvious girl power speech. Sometimes he forgot the majority of the group was female now. He spotted Carol nodding along almost subconsciously. Mara's words were hitting a nerve with Carol, he realised. For someone who had felt powerless her whole life, the concept of self defence must have been appealing. Daryl tried not to feel grumpy; he didn't know why she needed to know anything. He'd protect her when there was danger.
Yussuf started walking them through a list of pressure points that would be useful to hit and Daryl was grudgingly interested in that. He had a raw fighting ability but he admitted that a greater understanding of the human anatomy couldn't hurt.
It was settling into dusk in no time at all. The time had passed mostly with the Australians explaining and talking. Nathan promised to let them try things out in another lesson tomorrow. There was no point in practising in the dark; someone was going to get an accidental fist in their face.
"There's just one last thing before we get back to our business," Nathan said. Daryl's shoulders tensed at the change of tone.
"Mara, I hate to say this but you've been challenged to a duel." Nathan straight face barely concealed his amusement. Daryl was glaring daggers at the sergeant. That hadn't been what he meant at all!
"What are you talking about, Sarge?" Mara was sitting on the ground next Maggie.
"Daryl thinks you're an average fighter. So I thought you guys could have a little square off. Clear the air."
Mara looked confused. "I just got stabbed."
"Just a quick round."
Mara blinked. "... I just got stabbed!"
"He just got shot," Nathan countered. "You'll be on even footing."
Mara looked from Nathan to Rick, her eyes speculative and suspicious. "Yeah, this seems legit." Her tone was sarcastic and she had clearly picked up on the fact they had a hidden agenda.
She looked up at Daryl and then immediately dropped her gaze, as if realizing that she wasn't supposed to be looking at him at the moment. "Fine," she agreed with detachment.
She pushed herself to her feet and brushed dirt off herself. Daryl was still wondering how he'd gotten tricked into fighting Mara. He didn't want to fight a woman, especially not one that had just been, as Mara so helpfully pointed out, stabbed recently. He didn't want to hurt Mara full stop.
Mara and Daryl stood awkwardly facing each other. Daryl realised he didn't know how to start a fight. Normally his temper was running hot and he just launched himself into a fray. This time he had nothing to really motivate him.
They threw some half hearted punches at each other, they were slow and blocked with casual flicks of the wrist. Daryl knew they were just replicating the techniques they had been shown earlier and it was very likely embarrassing to watch.
Nathan groaned. "This is pathetic."
"I don't want to hurt her."
"I don't want to hurt him."
They had both spoken at the same time.
Mara's eyes were narrowed. "You think you'd beat me?" she demanded.
Yussuf chuckled, "Idiot."
"C'mon, you're just a girl and I'm ready for ya."Daryl hadn't meant to sound arrogant but he believed he could beat Mara. He had the superior strength and he was willing to put bets on the fact he was meaner than she could ever be.
"You're such a prick," Mara exclaimed.
Daryl opened his mouth to say something cocky but never got the chance. Mara drove her knee hard into his stomach.
He reeled back and doubled over. Mara had taken a more defensive position and her eyes were hard.
"You bitch," he wheezed out.
"Bring it on, red neck!"
"I ain't hitting you. I don't want any one accusin' me of woman beating." He was scowling now.
"Consider this a free pass."
As soon as he was upright Mara was there, punching him lightly on the upper chest. Daryl knew enough about boxing to know those hits weren't intended to hurt but to taunt him into action.
It was working, Daryl could feel his temper boiling to the surface. Everything about Mara got under his skin and he wanted it out of his system. Daryl caved and threw a swing punch at Mara's face. It missed Mara. She just wasn't where he was aiming any more.
Daryl swore, he'd forgotten how damned fast she was. The next minute was Daryl trying to land hits and Mara dancing out of the way. The worst thing was he knew what she was doing. She was wearing him out with his full on offensive. He was breathing heavily and Mara was barely sweating. She was wily as a fox.
By pure chance he got her hard in the shoulder. Mara stopped darting and slammed a kick squarely into his sternum. Daryl could tell that her own temper was getting the better of her too. There was less training and more rage in that last kick.
Daryl was beginning to get the sense that his size and strength wasn't giving him the advantage he was hoping for. Her words ran through his mind. Be faster, be smarter!
The next kick was aimed at his head but he saw it coming and he tackled into her. They went sprawling into the dust and Daryl heard the breath woosh out of her on impact. He hoped he'd winded her.
For a second Mara was on her back and Daryl had the advantage. He was between her legs restricting her movement. Mara wriggled back and her constant movement was forcing his grip to loosen. When she had enough room to manoeuvre she kicked him away using both her feet in his hips. Daryl fell back on his ass before scrambling to his feet. Mara pulled herself upright quickly too.
This time when Mara came at him he rushed to meet her. He threw a punch at her that Mara swept out of the way with an arm jarring block but she didn't release his arm. Instead she wrapped her own around his, holding him in place and before Daryl could process what was happening she was using her leg to sweep his out from under him.
He fell to the ground and Mara followed. She was straddling him, her arm pressed into his throat.
Daryl's feelings were tumultuous. Part of him was furious at her showing him up and beating him in front of all of his friends. Another part of him was aware that the length of her body was pressed hard against his to keep him down. His breathing was fast and laboured and so was hers.
Mara's face was triumphant but then that look faded as she took stock of the situation.
"Daryl, I'm sorry," she murmured, "I got carried away."
Daryl could feel his hackles rising. He shoved her off brusquely. The fight may have fled from Mara but Daryl had decided that embarrassment had won out. He didn't look at any of the spectators who had gone quiet. He didn't need to to know that they were looking at him like he was a loser who had got beat by a girl.
He stalked off to lick his wounds. He was almost at the prison when he heard someone call his name. It was Mara. He doubled his pace; didn't the stupid bitch know when to leave well enough alone?
He was in the corridors of the prison but Mara had run to catch him.
"Daryl, Wait."
He kept walking.
"What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" He spat over his shoulder. 'I'm back where I started, everyone laughin' at me."
"No one was laughing at you," Mara sounded breathless and desperate. She was getting closer.
Daryl slammed into their cell block and snorted. "Yeah right."
"They weren't," Mara insisted. "No one here would mock you just because you weren't perfect at everything."
Daryl ignored her. She was the worst of them all.
"Would you look at me?" Mara demanded. She was right behind him but he still didn't turn around or answer.
"Fine," Mara exhaled frustrated. "Let's go round two. An opportunity to win back your honour right here and now!"
Daryl spun to face her, out raged at her audacity to keep pestering him.
Mara's smaller hands twisted in the front of his shirt and Daryl braced himself for another onslaught. She jerked him down and pressed her lips to his.
Daryl was stunned. Mara was still against his lips, not breaking the contact but not pushing for much more. When Daryl didn't back away, Mara stepped into the kiss. The front of her body pressed against his and her hands relaxed in his shirt.
Daryl wasn't sure what to do next. He'd kissed girls before but nothing like this, always drunk behind a bar. He wasn't fond of the memories. There was nothing sexy about those sloppy moments or those tacky women.
Mara sensed his indecision and took control. Her hands slid up to his hair pulling him in closer. Her tongue ran the length of his lips. Daryl tentatively met her tongue with his own. When Mara responded with a moan against his mouth he wrapped his arms around her waist.
The fury was transforming into something else entirely and it over rode his hesitation. He kissed Mara back with a bruising force. Daryl walked her back until she was shoved up against the closest wall. He knew he was being rough with her but Mara didn't protest. The throaty sounds she was making was sending all Daryl's blood rushing south.
He brought his calloused hands up to cup her face, feeling her soft skin under his palms. Her fingers were running up and down his upper arms in a teasing motion that was driving him crazy.
Daryl bit down on her lower lip gently. Mara's hands were at his lower back and then they slipped under his shirt on to his bare skin. Daryl froze.
Mara pulled away to look at him. She looked dazed and her lips were swollen.
"What do you want from me, Mara?" his voice was hoarse. His heart was pounding in his chest from her intoxicating closeness and the fear that she had very nearly discovered all the scars that lined his back. Then she would have looked at him with pity.
"Everyone's outside, maybe we could..." Mara let her voice trail off but it was clear what she was suggesting.
Daryl hadn't had many sexual advances made towards him. And definitely not from women like Mara. No smart, beautiful, confident woman had ever wasted five minutes even finding out his name let alone offering him sex. It was too good to be true.
Which meant it wasn't. Daryl's face shut down. This must have been Mara's idea of a cruel joke. She probably thought it was fun to rile Daryl up just to turn him down.
He stepped away from her. "Are you kiddin'?"
Mara looked confused.
"'Cause I wouldn't do that with you if you were the last woman alive." He pushed past her and kept walking, following the path he'd just taken. He needed fresh air. He wanted the scent and taste of Mara out of his mind.
AN: Today is my birthday so I'll dedicate this chapter to myself and all the people out there reading it. Feel free to be emotionally blackmailed into reviewing because of the special day. I am particularly fond of the end of this chapter. I'm introducing my brother to Walking Dead – it's been fun to rewatch episodes.