Daryl

Daryl lay in bed that night long after everyone else in the cellblock had gone to sleep, feeling like a fool again. It was a feeling he was getting quite familiar with, though he couldn't say he liked it worth a damn.

Thing was, he wasn't sure if he was a fool for not seeing what was right in front of him or for even considering that the things Rick had said in the tower earlier were true.

Daryl had never considered himself an exceptionally bright man and dropping out before he ever got to high school hadn't won him any genius awards either.

And he had never even tried to figure out women. He had never had a real relationship with one, unless you counted that one disastrous attempt in his youth.

He had been 16 years old, in a bar he shouldn't have been in but got into because he looked older than he was. The girl had watched him from across the room before finally coming over to dance next to him. He couldn't dance to save his life but she hadn't seemed to mind, had wiggled her ass and rubbed against him to the music.

She kept buying him shots and he knew when she asked him to go home with her that it was a bad idea. He was young but he wasn't stupid, he knew she would expect sex.

He had never been with a woman before and had no idea how to please one in bed but he figured he could follow her lead pretty easily.

He knew that no one would miss him at home, his old man was in lockup again for busting some guy in the head with a tire iron and Merle would no doubt be back at the house with his lady for the evening, probably getting loud and acrobatic by now.

While his father not being home was nothing to grieve over, Merle would not appreciate being interrupted and sleeping in the garage did not sound appealing.

And she smelled so goddamn good, rubbing against him, making him so hard he couldn't think straight. So when she had taken his hand and led him out of the bar he hadn't stopped her.

She hadn't seemed to mind that he had no experience and had actually taught him quite a few things that night and in the next weeks. He had spent several nights in her bed, learning how to please a woman and had even imagined himself in love with her.

Then one night he woke up and overheard her on the phone with one of her friends. The things she had said still echoed inside his head. Damaged. Disfigured. Play thing.

Well, fuck her.

He had picked up his bag and walked out, never looking back. He didn't consider that bitch a relationship, but a hard lesson learned. And one he never forgot.

After that if wanted what a woman offered, he took it. He didn't come back for seconds and never took his shirt off.

He had gone home and picked up some of his fathers things and gone to the pawnshop, planning to use the money to buy a bus ticket to anywhere else. Instead, he had bought a leather jacket and a crossbow.

Anyone who had seen him go into the woods that day would not have recognized him when he came out 10 days later. All traces of a boy had fallen away, leaving a hardened man in his place.

He couldn't do anything about the disfigured part, but he would never be anyone's damaged plaything again.

Merle never raised his hand to him again and he hadn't seen his old man since the mean bastard had been sent to the pen after the tire iron guy had kicked the bucket.

Daryl had learned quickly to keep his eyes open and take care of himself. Not much got past him.

Which brought him back to his conversation with Rick in the tower. Could Rick be right? Had he been that been that blind?

Earlier

Daryl was still leaning against the wall trying to understand what had just happened when Rick came back in the door, looking none to pleased.

"What'd you do to make her run out like that?" he snarled at Daryl. "If she goes inside lookin' like that Hershel will want your head on a platter and I ain't got time to be referee'n you two!"

He stood up, looking Rick in the eye. "I didn't do nothin' to her, was a miscommunication, that's all"

"Didn't look like a miscommunication, looked like you scared her half to death. AGAIN!"

"Well I didn't, ok? And I don't like you actin' like I'm gonna hurt her, neither. You know better'n that!"

Rick paused, taking a deep breath and reaching up to rub the bridge of his nose.

"You're right, I do. So how about we try to figure out what's wrong with her? Why's she runnin' from you?"

Daryl shook his head in confusion, "She says I make her nervous."

"What?" disbelief was thick in Rick's voice "She can kill a walker with a knife and break up 2 grown men tryin' to kill each other but you make her nervous?" He was trying not to chuckle, figuring Daryl wouldn't like that much.

"I been tryin' to figure out why she's been hangin' around so close to me lately but actin' so jumpy at the same time. I thought I had it today, figured one o'them boys from Woodbury had tried somthin' with her and she was keepin' close for protection, ya know? 'Cept when I ask her about that and why she didn't tell me she gets all red in the face and says they aint never bothered her. Says its me that makes her nervous."

Rick had a strange look on his face, like he had just smelled something bad. "Is that what she said? That you make her nervous?"

"She said whenever I get close to her she gets a funny feelin' in her stomach and she cant breath. Damn woman, I never done nothin' to make her fear me!"

Rick couldn't hold back his laughter that time. Daryl scowled at him, thinking it was a good thing it was Rick standing there. Anyone else laughed at Daryl Dixon like that and he'd a been pickin' up his teeth.

"Somethin' funny, Rick? 'Cause I must be missin' it."

"What you are missin', brother, is that it aint fear that girl is feeling when you get around her. Not fear at all. It's lust, pure and simple. Now its up to you to decide what to do about it."

Rick had turned and left the tower, still laughing, leaving Daryl standing there with his mouth open in shock.

Again.

AN: Hope you guys like this new chapter! Thanks for the feedback on the first 2; I am glad you are loving them! Worked on the format a little so hopefully it reads a little easier. I am a newbie at this so have patience and if you know something else I can do to improve I am open to advice!