Running. I was running through the woods all alone. The sun was setting, and the forest was becoming dim. Looking around as I ran, I tried to spot a low branch. Maybe I could climb up into a tree for the night. The shuffling and growling behind me kept my feet moving. I pushed myself harder.
My hand flew to my side. It was cramping something awful as I kept running. Stupid stitch in my side, I cursed my body silently. Keeping my eyes peeled, I glanced around for somewhere, anywhere, to hide. That glance caused me a nice tumble, face planting into the dirt and pine needles. I grabbed my gun, that had dropped beside my head, and turned on my back to face my demons.
My mouth gaped as walkers surrounded me. With some exaggeration, there must have been a thousand of them. I knew there was no way I would survive. How'd this happen? I asked myself. There were only four of 'em behind me... My eyes locked on the group of walkers coming closer, and I knew what I had to do.
I wouldn't let the world beat me. Tears were threatening to spill from my eyes, but I blinked them back, refusing to cry. Just as the walkers closed in on me, I grabbed my gun and shoved it in my mouth. If I was gonna die, I was dyin' my way, I thought. Daryl came into my mind and I smiled, pulling the trigger.
Click. No, no, no, NO, NO, NO! My mind went into a frenzy. I let out a blood curdling scream as the walkers pounced.
"Spence.. Wake up. Spencer." I could hear Daryl's voice calling to me. Calling me back to the real world. My eyes popped open, and I looked at him. Reaching my hand up, I touched his face, which was warm. Lori and Carol were staring at us strangely.
"You're here." I mumbled groggy with sleep, and Daryl raised an eyebrow in question.
"Yea. So I am..." He stared at me, waiting for an answer.
"Bad dream." I mumbled, taking my hand off of his cheek, and throwing the covers off of me.
"Seems to be a lot of those goin' around lately." Carol spoke up.
"Even I have them." Lori spoke, and I couldn't hide the shock that she actually acknowledged me. I nodded and gave the two women a thankful smile. My eyes returned to Daryl and then to the empty space where Cheyenne should have been.
"Where's Chy?" I asked, my voice holding worry.
"Rick took her and Carl down to the store areas. He's got Glenn and Maggie with them. They're teaching the kids how to look for useful supplies." Carol explained. I couldn't stop the corners of my lips from curving into a tiny smile. Rick was something else.
"Good. Cheyenne needs to learn this stuff." I looked at Daryl, stretching my arms over my head. He glanced around, and then back at me with a smirk. "What?"
"Nothin'." Daryl mumbled, which earned a playful scoff from me. I remembered when we had first arrived at the quarry back near Atlanta. Shane had set up our first supply run and Merle was too fucked up to go. Daryl and I were at each other's throats a bit back then. I smiled at the thought of those days, but my thought turned into a frown.
Nothing was the same. Life seemed so perfect in a destructed world back at the quarry. But then Merle got left. Amy... We lost Amy and that took a chunk of my spirit. Jim and Jacqui. The CDC was amazing for that one night, then it was gone, a dream in flames. Sophia was next, disappeared into the woods, all alone. We nearly got ourselves killed by the herd on the road. Carl getting shot. Finding the farm, at the time our saving grace...
Watching Shane change had actually hurt me a little bit. Or maybe more than I wanted to admit. Thinking back to that first day on the road when I had met the group at the road block, I had liked Shane. He was genuine and caring. It seemed for everyone. He was always just trying to do the right thing... Then he changed. There was a darkness in his eyes that left you feeling cold and hollow. It was like he had given up on ever trying to be happy again. He had to have Lori. And that obsession was the death of him.
Sophia being found in the barn took another chunk of my spirit. She was so small... We had all tried so hard, especially Daryl and Rick. I had felt so horrible for them, for Carol. It had been one of the worst moments I'd ever had to witness... Then the farm. Losing Patricia was hard on Cheyenne, even though she refused to talk about any of it. She was trying so hard to be strong.
Then Shay and Andrea. They were gone and that had been the final straw for my mind. I felt what Rick was saying. He was tired of feeling responsible for death, death, death. I felt it, too, and I know Daryl did as well. That feeling like you could have done something more, but couldn't have known to do it. It was all making me a little crazy inside, but I was holding myself together as best I could...
"Where'd ya go?" Daryl asked in a whisper as he held out a hand to me. I took it and he pulled me to my feet. I looked at the floor, before looking back up at him.
"Everywhere. Past few months. When we first met, everything we've been through the past few months. Everyone we lost..." I trailed off, looking out the window. Daryl bumped my arm with his elbow, and the corners of my lips tugged upward. I looked at him.
"Hershel and T-Dog been upstairs on the roof for a while. Better give 'em a break." Daryl said, changing the subject.
"Then let's go." I walked past him and headed for the stairs. Feeling Daryl right behind me, a feeling of warmth washed over me. Maybe it was just me reliving the previous night, all snuggled against him. I walked to the first window I saw, seeing T-Dog's big head. Pushing the window open with a creak, I stepped out onto the roof.
"Well, if ain't Miss Spencer." T-Dog said teasingly, and I rolled my eyes with an equally teasing smirk. Hershel gave Daryl and I a grin.
"Yepp, it's me." I nodded. "Here to give y'all a break."
"Well, 'bout time." T-Dog joked, and I slapped his arm.
"Git!" I growled playfully, and he threw his hands in the air, side stepping around me towards the window.
"Damn, you get more and more like Dixon everyday." T-Dog raised an eyebrow, turned to Daryl and stuck out his tongue, before ducking in the window and running off downstairs. Looking at Daryl, he had this strange look on his face, somewhere between a smirk and a slight surprised expression, with his eyebrow slightly raised. I burst into laughter and so did Hershel as he stepped halfway through the window.
"If I've learned anything about T-Dog, he's definitely a jokester." Hershel said with a grin, but his face became a bit serious. "But if Daryl's rubbin' off on you, if anything, it will make you a better person." And with that, Hershel gave us a nod and cracked the window. I let out a smile and turned toward Daryl.
I knew Daryl wasn't used to the compliments, but I could tell they still had an affect on him. He liked knowing that people appreciated him, whether he was willing to admit it or not. Daryl shook his head and sat down on the roof, a little smile forming on his lips. I was about to sit down where I stood, but Daryl patted the space between his legs. Walking over, I plunked down between his legs, leaning my back against his chest.
His arms went around my waist loosely, and I leaned my head back against his collar bone. I began running my fingers up and down his arms slowly, snuggling closer to him as the cold morning air nipped at my skin. The sun was coming up, and I watched as the sun grew brighter in the sky. The neighborhood was quiet, and in that moment, I almost forgot about the world we were living in. Everything seemed so nice.
I turned my head towards Daryl's face. My lips brushed against the stubble on his face as I pressed a kiss on his cheek. He turned his head toward mine, our lips meeting. The kiss was simple and soft. My eyes met his, and they seemed to engulf me in all of that blue. I couldn't peel my eyes away from his, and he leaned in to kiss me again, when a loud creak made me jump. Turning my body awkwardly to look over Daryl, I saw Carol with two plates.
"Breakfast?" She gave us a forced innocent smile, and I knew she was trying to play it off as if she hadn't seen anything. Standing up, I walked over to the open window, taking the two plates from Carol.
"Thanks." I said, giving her a grin. She only nodded, scurrying away to leave us to our breakfast. I walked back over to Daryl, handing him his plate as I sat back down. Raising my eyes to his face, I noticed his neck was red. A giggle irrupted from me, and I quickly covered my mouth, trying to stop it. But it was happening. One of those moments where you let that first giggle out, and the rest comes tumbling out, no chance of holding it in.
Daryl glared at me as I giggled. I tried not to look at him, but his eyes seemed to be burning holes into me. Trying to contain myself, I looked up at him again, just in time to see him angrily shove a spoonful of corn in his mouth. Setting my plate down, I covered my face with both of my hands, trying to hide the laughter bursting from my throat.
"What's so damn funny?" Daryl growled, and I shook my head. Suddenly, he put his plate down and sprang forward, shoving me on my back. Daryl looked down at me, his eyes full of mischief. He was hovering over me, his face close to mine. I couldn't move, my breath hitched in my throat. "I'll show you funny."
Daryl kissed my neck, roughly snatching my jacket, revealing my collar bone. Kissing down my neck, he bit down gently on my collar bone, causing me to wiggle slightly underneath him. Kissing back up, he reached a spot between my neck and shoulder. I felt his mouth sucking at the spot, and his teeth scraped against my skin.
"Daryl.." I breathed his name, trying to scoot out from underneath him. He held me still, kissing back up my neck to the side of my face, before his lips met mine. Welcoming the kiss hungrily, I opened my mouth to his, feeling heat radiating off of us both. My arms were around his neck, pulling him closer. Closer. He wasn't even hovering over me anymore. Daryl was pressed fully against me.
His mouth left mine, and he planted a quick kiss on my forehead, before pushing himself off of me and sitting back in his spot on the roof. Picking up his plate, he continued eating like nothing ever happened. I sat up slowly, my heart still pounding, as I shot him a glare. Grabbing my plate, I began to eat my breakfast, when something made my head snap up. Daryl was laughing. Actually laughing. I kept glaring at him, feeling my face blush slightly.
"Who's laughin' now?" Daryl snapped playfully.
"Shuttup, Dixon." I teased. He grinned, before eating another spoonful of food, and looking out over the empty neighborhood.
"It was so quiet today, that I've decided we'll stay one more night. We need to venture down further into the neighborhood and search the other houses. Hershel, stay here with Carol and Lori. Carl and Cheyenne will stay, too. Carl, you know how to shoot, son. Don't hesitate if you have to." Rick instructed. Carl nodded. "Daryl, Spencer, Glenn, and Maggie will come with me. Sam, I want you to stay here, too. I will feel better knowing another man is here with Hershel and Carl, just in case." I looked over at Sam, giving him a funny face. He raised an eyebrow and flipped me a bird when he was sure no one was looking. I stifled a laugh, and caught Katherine's eye. I ignored her just like Rick did.
The five of us set off into the neighborhood. It was midday, and everything was just as Rick said. Quiet. The five of us took turns alternating roles as we ransacked the house. Four of us would go in and gather what we could, while the fifth person kept a look out. The third house down, I was the look out while the rest went on inside the house. Standing out on the porch, I shivered, despite the sun beaming down.
Looking around, the neighborhood was still silent. Maybe it was just nerves, but I felt as if they were taking forever in the house. I hated being alone, only if for a few moments. Being alone meant being vulnerable. I was just afraid of another herd barreling through. As if to torture me with my fears, I heard the soft shuffling of feet coming from the side of the house near the driveway. Taking quiet steps, I snuck off the porch and crept around the house.
There was a walker, looking thin and emaciated as hell. I snatched my hunting knife from the belt Daryl had convinced me to wear lately, and strode forward. The walker had its back to me, and I stalked up behind it without a sound. Before it could turn toward me, I jammed my knife through its head, and stumbled back as it fell to the ground.
"Disgustin'." I mumbled, my stomach lurching slightly.
"You okay?" Glenn's voice rang out. I turned to see him standing at the corner of the house, and Daryl came flying around the corner.
"What..." Daryl looked at me, then down to the walker.
"Heard it shufflin' around. Took care of it." I said with a nod. Rick appeared, worry filling his eyes when he saw the walker.
"Great." He mumbled, as we all stalked off to the next house. I noticed Daryl staying close to my side, and Glenn right beside Maggie. Once we walked up to the next house's porch, Rick stayed outside, while the four of us went inside to scavenge.
"We'll take upstairs." Daryl mumbled, as we ran up the stairs quickly. I took one bedroom, he took the other. My first instinct was to check the nightstand. Nothing. I pulled out drawers and tore the room apart. Checking the closet, I found a shotgun with three boxes of shells. Nice, I complimented to myself, before moving on.
Walking into the bathroom, I opened the medicine cabinet. Ah, now here we go! I thought excited. There was aspirin and tylenol. Some sort of antibiotics and a few more prescription pain killers. Hershel would know their use better than me. I had an idea, but I wasn't entirely sure what was what. Stuffing everything into the duffel bag I had slung over my shoulder, I walked out of the bathroom holding the shotgun.
"Damn girl." Daryl gave me a strange look as I came out into the hall with the shotgun.
"What?" I half laughed.
"Look sexy with that." Daryl whispered and I raised an eyebrow, before flashing him a smile and bounding down the stairs. When Glenn saw the shotgun in my arms, his face lit up with a huge grin.
"Nice, nice." Glenn nodded at the gun in my arms. I laughed.
"Might come in handy." I winked at Maggie, who snickered. We walked out of the house and kept searching, until we had combed through the entire neighborhood.
"Did great today." Rick said quietly as we walked back to the house. "Everything went as planned, now we gotta stick out one more night and move on."
"So we really can't stay here..." Maggie trailed off, some hint of sadness in her voice. She was beside me, and I reached over grabbing her hand. I gave it a squeeze and an understanding look.
"Trust me," Rick looked at us, "I wish we could. I really do. It's just not safe enough." Maggie nodded her head in agreement and we walked on in silence. Letting go of Maggie's hand, she glanced at me with a thankful smile. We reached the house and Rick gave us our schedule for watch duty. Rick and T, Daryl and I, then Maggie and Glenn.
It was evening now, and the sun was starting to set. Hershel got the fireplace going, and I noticed Lori helping Carol cook dinner. She saw my gaze and gave me a tiny hint of a smile. I did the same, turning my head back to the others. Maggie and Glenn were laying on the floor with Cheyenne, and I noticed she had a coloring book... And a teddy bear? I walked over to her and plopped down.
"Hey munchkin." I said, ruffling her hair. "Wanna braid your hair?"
"Oooooo, please?" Cheyenne grinned up at me. I chuckled, grabbing a hair tie from my wrist as she sat down in front of me.
"Glenn and Maggie found you a colorin' book, I see. And a teddy." I said as I began braiding her hair.
"Well, Glenn got me the colorin' book. Daryl got me the teddy." Cheyenne replied with a somewhat cheerful voice.
"Oh, really?" I asked, kind of surprised.
"Yes. I woke up this mornin', and Daryl walked over to me and gave me it." Cheyenne answered, hugging the bear tightly. I smiled, feeling good to know she had some comfort. I finished braiding her hair and fed her dinner. Daryl and I took our dinner to go, it was our time to go on watch.
"Love ya, bug." I said, crouching to tuck Cheyenne in. I covered her up and kissed her head. "Get some sleep, gotta big day tomorrow."
"Love you, too." Cheyenne mumbled sleepily. Her arms shot up to Daryl, who knelt down to hug her. "Night, Daryl."
"Night, Chy." Daryl said quietly, as she laid back down, snuggling into her blankets. I smiled as we walked away and trudged up the stairs. Pushing the window open, I stepped out onto the roof. Rick and T-Dog looked over at us and stood up.
"Nothin' yet. See y'all in the mornin'." T-Dog yawned as he stepped inside the window.
"I think everything's good. I set up a ladder by the side of the house, just in case. If somethin' happens, I don't want anyone trapped inside." Rick explained.
"Go get some sleep." I said softly. Rick nodded and squeezed my shoulder, slapping Daryl on the back gently as he walked by. Relaxing, I ate the food on my plate, feeling warm at the thought of the group... The family.
"So, you got Chy a teddy?" I smiled while eating.
"Yea, saw it in one of the shops." Daryl explained.
"Thank you." I whispered.
"For what?" Daryl asked.
"Carin' for her." I replied. He gave me a grunt and we finished our dinner in a comfortable silence.
"Can't sleep." Maggie's voice drifted through the window as it creaked open.
"Figured we'd keep watch with you two until it's our turn." Glenn offered, as they stepped out onto the roof and sat down near Daryl and I. We all started talking, Daryl even joining into the conversation every now and then. Carol scooped up our plates and bid us all a good night. I looked out into the darkness, my eyes somewhat adjusted to the dark.
Glenn snuggled up with Maggie, and Daryl actually allowed me to sit between his legs again, even with people around. Maybe Daryl was just okay with it because Maggie and Glenn were a couple. So it wasn't as awkward? That was my guess. I was just happy to be in his arms, even if it was freezing cold and we were on watch.
I leaned my head against his chest, looking out at the neighborhood. Glancing up at the stars, I smiled lightly. Daryl's arms tightened around me, pulling me closer. I felt him rest the side of his face against the side on my head. Despite the cold world around me, in that moment, I was warm.
Okay that's Ch. 25 ! I love the way Daryl plays with her, it's so funny to me ! Their relationship is getting better but do not expect that to last long. In the first episode of the 3rd season we all got to see how hard things were on them (Carl resorting to a can of dog food because of hunger), so things are definitely gonna go down hill soon. I am also about to begin a new story (Hopefully even better than this one) It will be a pre/post apocalypse sort of story, about a girl who, of course, is a Daryl lover. But this story will be so detailed and she already knew the Dixon brothers before the dead rose. So I'm very excited. But NO FEARS ! Spencer and Daryl's story still has much more to progress. Hopefully I can get my hands on the 3rd season soon enough and really get this story on a roll. I haven't decided on a title for my new story, but just look for my Fanfic name to appear soon with another story. REVIEWS ARE SO GREATLY APPRECIATED (for both hehe) ! You fans are nothing short of amazingness awesomeness ! Hope you all are enjoying this story, an hope you like my new one !
~Kaila