Chapter 25

Sap's not the only thing running

The first spring melt came soon after Daryl's fall, taking with it the ice that had been so treacherous. With spring in the air, the fort re-deployed their resources to begin collecting the maple sap that would be one of their main sources of sugar.

Daryl had been approved for 'light duty' by Joel, which meant that he accompanied the crew sent out to the nearby sugar bush to act as a guard for the workers. While the warmer weather made the sap run, it also freed the walkers from their icy prisons.

"Hey slacker." Emma said as she walked by Daryl, carrying two buckets of sap towards the shack. "Seen any movement out there?"

"Just one today. Slow too."

"Don't get used to it." She said stopping to set her pails down. "It only gets worse from here on out. They tend to start coming up from the South. We'll see herds come up when the summer storms arrive."

"Forgotten what summer feels like." Daryl muttered.

"Well, no rest for the wicked." Emma lifted her buckets again and started to head off.

Daryl stepped in front of her. "Not plannin' on lettin' you rest." He placed his hands on her hips and leaned his forehead against hers. "Not t'night."

Archer raised an eyebrow at him. "You're only cleared for light duty, Daryl." She reminded him. "I'm pretty sure that what you have in mind doesn't qualify."

"Try me." Daryl's eyes were dark.

"Hate to break it to you Romeo, but I'm not coming back for a few days."

"Bullshit."

"Until the sap stops running I'm here."

"Damn." Daryl hissed.

Archer flicked her eyes over Daryl's shoulder. "Sorry, I've got work to do." She pulled back and nodded to the walker in the distance. "So do you."

Daryl's eyes spotted the corpse moving slowly through the woods. "Fuckin' walker." He grumbled as he took aim and fired.

}.{

"Emma?" She heard rapping on her bedroom door. "Emma? You in there?" It was Daryl.

Archer blinked the sleep away from her eyes, she'd fallen asleep on her bed fully dressed. Emma and the team had worked on the sugar bush for ten days straight. During the day she lugged buckets. It was hard work, leaving her stiff and sore. At night she found little rest in the shack. "Yeah, I'm in here."

Daryl didn't even ask if he could come in, he just opened the door and entered.

"Why of course you can come in, Daryl." She said sarcastically.

Daryl pfft at her. "Seen it all before."

"Way to make a girl feel special."

She had only seen Daryl sporadically during that time. He patrolled the perimeter of the woodlot during the day. That's where he had been when she finally returned to the safety of Fort Charles. So she made a bee-line her bed.

"Brought ya something'" Daryl waved a bottle of Absorbine in front of her.

"Maybe later." She was exhausted. "I don't have the energy to undress right now."

Daryl sighed. "Here. Let me help." He reached down and pulled off one of her socks.

"Ug. Daryl, I'm covered in Shack dirt." She groaned.

"S'okay." He finished with her socks and pulled on the leg of the tights she'd been wearing. "C'mon, lift up yet butt."

She sighed and obliged as he tugged her pants off.

"Damn." Daryl sighed. "If ida known it would be this easy ta git in yer pants…"

"Har har har." She said sitting up and pulling her sweater off.

"Shut up, lie on your stomach." Daryl commanded, she rolled over and hugged her pillow.

"I'm just so freaking tired." She whispered, closing her eyes as Daryl started to work on her back. His rough hands finding all her sore spots, he started off gentle at first, then increased intensity.

"Mmmm." She purred.

"Thought ya'd like that." Emma could hear Daryl smirk.

"I do, I do." He moved his hands down off her back and onto her legs. He massaged her thighs and then her calves. She sighed with pleasure.

"You like this ev'ry year after the syrup's done?"

"Mmm." She thought back on the previous year's haul. "Usually worse, there's more of us now. More people on the perimeter makes it safer."

He pulled her toes, making some of them pop. "Don't get why you do it."

"The sugar? Calories. That and the honey are the only sources of sugar we can actually produce. Makes all the food taste better."

"Don't mean that." Daryl continued, working his way back up her legs. "Saw ya in the woods, ya went hard all day."

"Lots to do."

She heard him chuckle. "Yeah."

"Good haul this year." She mumbled. "More 'n last year."

"Bagged a deer while I was out today." Daryl offered.

"Mmmhmm." She was quieter now.

"Sheila said she'll cook it up in the sap." Daryl was back to working on her shoulders. "Says it'll be good."

She didn't answer.

Daryl sighed and kissed the back of her neck. He wrapped a blanked around her and pulled her into his arms while she slept.

}.{

It took Archer a minute to realize where she was. She'd mistaken the warmth of Daryl for the heat that came off the boiling pans at the shack.

Daryl, She smiled, I'm home.

"You awake?" Daryl asked.

She stretched, she could still feel a little of the tingle from the absorbine on her skin. "Yeah. Thanks for the massage. I feel better."

Daryl's arms tightened around her. "Been gone a long time." He kissed her neck. "Been awhile since I had ya."

She squeaked as his scruffy chin tickled her neck. "Not my fault you're clumsy." She frowned. "How are your ribs?"

"Much better." Daryl whispered, kissing the underside of her chin. "Other parts are achin' now." He slid a hand down her arm, taking her hand in his he placed it on the part of him that was aching.

He was hard. Emma tried to recall how long ago it was that he'd fallen, but he snaked a hand into her panties and erased all coherent thought.

"MMmmm." Daryl growled as he teased her with his fingers, drawing wetness from her folds. "Been missin' that."

She rolled over to face him; he took the opportunity to lavish her breasts with his tongue. He growled again.

"Daryl?" She asked, trying to catch her breath. "You sure you're okay?" She didn't think he was moving right when she'd seen him in the bush.

"Will be soon." He kissed her, his tongue teasing her mouth.

She rolled on top of him, straddling his hips, and began undoing his pants. She fumbled a lot; Daryl's hands on her breasts were distracting her. When finally she got them off, she tugged them down to his thighs.

Daryl put a condom in her hand and watched as she slid it on him. "Fuck that's hot."

She smiled at him and pushed his shirt up over his head. It was her turn to pay attention to his nipples as she stroked her hands up and down his chest, making Daryl curse.

Reaching down, she guided his stiff member into her and sighed with pleasure as she sank onto him.

"Seems like I'm not th'only one been missin' this." Daryl's eyes twinkled as he looked up at her, his hands on her hips. "Now that ya got me, whatcha gonna do?"

She looked at him with hooded eyes as she circled her hips.

"Fuck yeah." He groaned. Daryl stretched a finger down to her swollen nub. She gasped at the contact, and increased her pace.

Daryl reached up and pulled her down onto her elbows above him. This placed her breasts in his face; he nibbled a nipple, eliciting another moan from her as she moved up and down on his cock.

Grabbing her ass, he used his arms to set the pace of her thrusts. Moving faster and faster until she came on him. "Oh God." She cried, feeling her orgasm clench around him. Daryl came a few thrusts later.

He held her to his chest until his breathing slowed. She rolled off to lie along his side. He ran his fingers through her long locks as they lay there.

"Feel better now?" She purred.

"Fuck yeah."