Newly Revised
Daryl caught Ani heading into the shower the day after he got the bike up and running, a few tweaks having been made while Ani and Sophia did a little bit of light sparring. She was in her black comfort bra and a pair of black yoga pants she'd taken to wearing when she was recovering from the attack. She claimed that they were comfortable enough to lounge around in while being practical enough to be able to run in if something happened. When he caught her bent over the cupboard grabbing a clean towel, however, he had another reason to like them. To be fair, the only reason he even thought to take a shower was because he started getting hard staring at her heart-shaped ass like he did every time he saw her bent over. He watched her getting the water to the right temperature as he slowly took his own shirt off with every intention of joining her. Ani started when his hands snaked around her and turned her around, his lips meeting hers as he picked her up by the thighs and carried her to the sink.
He put her down on the counter without breaking the kiss, Ani's legs staying around his as he ground into her, their kiss becoming more heated. She moaned as he broke the kiss and laid a trail along her jaw down to her exposed collarbone and latched onto the junction there. Ani let her head fall to the side to give him better access even as one of her hands went into his hair and the other reached beneath his pants to grab his ass. Daryl bucked into her, the hand in his hair gripping it and pulling on it slightly as she brought his hips closer with her legs. He stopped attack her skin to rip her bra over her head, his arms going tightly around her as he pressed his chest to her, returning to her lips in a heated kiss once again. The heat of his skin combined with the steam from the shower left gooseflesh on her skin from the drafts of cool air coming in and added to the sensuality of the moment. He thought about taking her right there on the counter, but there were a lot of things that could go wrong and he didn't want her stitches getting pulled again.
Ani groaned as he pulled away and helped her off the counter, asking, "Why do ya even start if ya jus' goin' ta stop and leave us both with blue balls?"
"Just get your ass in that shower 'fore I change my mind."
"I fuckin' want ya ta change ya mind, dammit!" she laughed as she shimmied out of her pants, Daryl's erect member coming into view as he stripped himself. "It ain' like ya not ready ta go yaself."
Daryl just scoffed and pushed her through the glass door and into the shower, stepping in after her and wrapping his arms around her front, "You know damn well I want to, but you gotta heal."
"I'm healed 'nough," Ani pouted. "Ain' fair ya keep leavin' me hangin'. I want ya ta throw me 'round, ya know damn well ya want ta throw me 'round, so why ain' ya?"
He simply sighed and left her back to grab the soap and washcloth and lathered it up, beginning to wash her body once again only for her to tell him to knock it off. It was too much after he'd turned her on by the sink for him to be running his hands all over her skin. Daryl was an asshole, though, and just smirked at her before continuing with his current method of torture. It was even worse when he brought the washcloth down between her legs and dropped the damn thing, his fingers replacing it as he rubbed between her lips. One of her hands wrapped around his neck as the other grabbed a hold of his wrist, his head dipping down to latch onto her shoulder again. Her breathing got heavier as he moved his thumb to her clit and dipped two fingers inside of her. She gave him as much room as she could without losing her balance as she began to moan and buck into his hand. Daryl's other hand slowly moved from holding her close to him up her body and to her chest, kneading her breast in his palm. Ani didn't know what he was playing at, but if he thought he was going to stop this time, he had another thing coming.
Daryl decided that if she said she was ready, she was ready as his lips and hands worked at her flesh while the water started running cold, their activities on the sink taking as long as he was playing with her most sensitive area. He pulled away for Ani to groan again and almost sink to her knees as he went to shut the water off. If he said that he would be able to tolerate it any longer himself, he would have been lying. As soon as the water was off, she was up in his arms again, lips at war with each other, as he carried her out of the bathroom. Careful of his surroundings, he took her to the bed and put a knee on it before gently setting her down in the middle. He broke the kiss and started a slow, sensual trail down her neck and onto her chest. He licked between her breasts as her hands came into his hair before moving to one hardened peak and rolled it between his tongue and teeth. Her breathy moan spurred him to go on, treating the other nipple with the same attention he had the first while one hand slid between her legs. Ani was panting and pulling on his hair as he continued his downward descent, his tongue, teeth, and lips toying with her skin while his breath washed over her adding to the already maddening sensation. When his lips met her folds, the bubble that had built up burst without him even touching her too much as he smiled up at her, an arm over her eyes as she blushed.
"Needed it that much, huh, baby girl?" he told her with a smirk.
"Shut up," she huffed as his fingers entered her. "Mhnn...Gods, D...If ya don' finish what ya fuckin' started with ya dick, I'm goin' ta cold cock ya!"
"I'll give you a nice, warm cock when I'm done. Be patient," he told her, curling his digits and pressing his thumb to her clit. "Gotta be patient."
"Fuck ya patience," Ani replied. "Jus' do what we both fuckin' want ya ta and quit tortarin' me."
"What do you say?" Daryl smirked up at her cockily.
"Dammit! Please, Daddy!"
"Look at me, baby girl."
Ani moaned as she craned her neck to watch him, his chin resting on her hip as he lazily moved his fingers inside her, staring up at her with those baby blues, his bangs just starting to get into his eyes. He waited until she was going back and forth between his eyes and his hand before he began kissing a trail to her core. He removed his fingers as she mewled only to lick her with the flat of his tongue from opening to clit before sucking the sensitive nub between his teeth. Ani couldn't hold her head up any longer, her back arching off the bed as her hands went into his hair. Daryl watched her as he started to drive her crazy again, his lips never leaving her clit as his fingers found their way to her entrance once again. His fingers curling inside her combined with the treatment his tongue was giving her drove her to the edge and had her crying out. He smirked up at her as he crawled up her body and laid on top of her as she came down from her high, his lips attacking her shoulder once again before running his nose up her neck to kiss her lips. Bringing her leg up to his hip, he aligned himself and slowly entered her, both of them moaning at the feel of it. Daryl was still being careful with her and moved slowly inside of her, which only served to drive Ani crazy as her nails dug into his shoulders. She met every thrust with her own, letting him get as deep as he could in the position that they were in. It'd been too long since they'd had this form of intimacy and she was soaking up every second of it as the tension began to build again. Daryl moved her hair away from her face and kissed her again, swallowing her moan as the string holding her back broke and her nails raked down his back.
"Daryl, please? I ain' goin' ta break. I need...I need more," Ani told him as he pulled back, her blown out pupils and swollen lips breaking the tether that kept his control in check.
He pulled out of her and stood up before grabbing her hips and pulling her right to the edge of the bed, going to his knees and attacking her core with his tongue once again. Ani was so sensitive she cried out as soon as his lips touched her even as his arms wrapped around her legs and his hands held her thighs open. Daryl was lapping up all the juices pouring from her while his cock throbbed; he had almost blown his load when her walls clamped down around him. He wanted to last longer than that, and hearing her beg for more made him want to take her harder than he had, only holding back so that he could calm down. She was just too damn riled up to take anything but more attention as her fingers pulled at his hair and she called his name, pleading with him to grant her release once again. He was all too eager to oblige her request as he used his tongue to press into the sensitive flesh of her opening. Her moans were like music to his ears as she came again, her juices dripping down his chin as he stood. He bent over to kiss her once again, forcing her to taste herself on his tongue before he flipped her over, smacking her ass hard enough to leave a red print.
"You asked for this," he growled in her ear as he aligned himself again, standing up straight and ramming into her in one swift movement.
Ani gripped the comforter tight as Daryl set a grueling pace, using the bed as leverage to make her bounce on his cock in time with his thrusts. She had to bite the covers to keep from crying out loud enough for the others in the house to hear as he pounded into her. Every time he smacked her ass, her walls closed down around him even as her juices allowed him to slide right through. She was beyond soft as he brought one leg up onto the bed and brought her hips back with full force, every thrust hitting deeper than the last. He could feel the last little bit of his control snap as her walls began to flit around him once again and her cries got even louder. Ani was unable to keep herself quiet as Daryl used all his strength to rut her, his own heavy breathing and grunts telling her he was close himself. She was so sensitive that she was near tears with how harsh he was being and how many times she had already been pushed over the edge. She cried out again as Daryl's own groan of satisfaction rang out, slapping her ass one last time as he came hard, both of them thoroughly spent. He bucked into her a few more times until he felt himself softening and pulled out with a moan from both of them.
"Told ya I wouldn' break."
"Shut up."
~x~
"I guess it don' look so bad with the feathers and the braids. Maybe should start keepin' bones and weavin' 'em in," Ani joked as she finished putting the new feather Daryl had given her in her hair, looking at the jagged scar that spanned from the end of her left eyebrow to just past the tip of her ear; it was jagged because pieces of her skin had been ripped right off, forcing them to stitch it as best as they could with what they had.
"It's just a cardinal feather, Ania. Ain't nothin' special," he told her, stepping into her back and giving her a lingering kiss on her exposed shoulder. "Can't cover up no more."
"And haven' ya jus' started takin' advantage a that?" she laughed, pressing back against him, more than one hickey being present along her collarbone.
"You two up yet?" Merle asked, knocking on the bedroom door and entering, only to see them in the bathroom standing in front of the mirror. "Well, least the bottom halves are covered," he told Sophia who had entered with him, handing Ani the herbs she'd asked for; her scar itched like crazy and the herbs were to help it stop.
"My top's cova'd too!" Ani defended, looking down at her black comfort bra and wondering what Merle was on about as Sophia left again, hearing Carl calling for her seeing as they were going for a walk, just the two of them.
"You're decent 'nough to be called decent, girly," Merle retorted. "You guys still dead set on goin' huntin'?"
"Gotta test the bike out," Daryl said as he left Ani standing in the bathroom, tying the hawk feather into the braid she'd weaved by her scar to keep the hair from getting stuck in the stitches. "It's good in theory, but gotta make sure all them parts work. Might burn out faster than they oughta."
"Yeah, Merle," Ani said as she walked out and over to the closet, pulling out a button up blouse and tight fitting t-shirt and putting the shirt on. "Why've ya been so high-strung about it anyway? Almost like ya don' trust us ta go on a damn hunt by ourselves. What? Ya want ta be a chaperone?"
Merle looked down before looking at them both, "Bein' honest, none of us are really wantin' the two of ya takin' any unnecessary risks right now. Them assholes could be out there just waitin' for the two of you to go out there."
"Nah, they won' stick 'round this long, not without their guns, and even if they did, it's lost it's effect now that it's been 'bout a week. If they were goin' ta attack again, they'd've done it 'fore I healed 'nough ta get my head on straight. They'll be gone by now, waitin' for their next chance," Ani said, though she wouldn't look at him which told Merle that she wasn't even sure if that was the truth. "I can' live in fear, Merle. Not a them," she told him, her head snapping up as she stared him in the eye. "Anythin' else? Ya and Abe been doin' as I asked?"
"Yeah, sounds like the neighbors over by Pete's hear a lot of yellin'. Some of 'em have heard shit breakin' over there a few times. Figure it's just couples bein' couples. Been that way since the start."
"You still lookin' into that?" Daryl asked.
"Yeah, got Cars checkin' on Sam, since the boy seems ta have taken a likin' ta her. Seein' if I can' get anythin' from 'im through her, somethin' conclusive. Can' be startin' shite without proof 'ere. And I can' justify jus' goin' ova there. I ain' Rick all hot and botha'd by the man's wife and I certainly ain' got a job that botha's with 'em, so, I got ta go slow. All's I got's speculation. I go in and start knockin' heads, even if I basically got the go ahead from Deanna, I'm goin' ta make us look bad, and I can' be doin' that. But, uh, keep Rick clear a Jessie's place, please? Man's grown sweet on 'er and I can undastand why, but, man, I ain' goin' ta be the one in control if 'e gets wind a what's happenin'."
"Gee, ya think?" Merle asked. "Sure you gotta go?"
"Listen, we ain' goin' ta be gone long. I love that ya worried 'bout us, but Mer-man, ya don' let me out a these walls, ya ain' goin' ta have any balls ta nut Francine with," Ani warned him, going stir crazy at having been primarily either inside the walls or within sight of the walls for the last week.
"Ain't nuttin' 'er yet," Merle pouted as Ani threw her shirt on.
"Eh, only a matter a time, Stumpy!" Abraham said as he came up and clapped Merle's shoulder. "They done bumpin' uglies and you give 'em the what's what yet?"
"I don' have 'nough middle fingas ta accurately relate how I'm feelin' right now," Ani said as she turned to Daryl. "Want ta help me out, here D?"
They both flipped off the older men with both hands who just laughed before Abraham was pointing at Ani and saying, "Got some news for ya, Tiny. Apparently, that Pete guy? He's a drunk whenever he's not in the office, which is pretty much all the time unless he's needed. That's why Rosita, Sophia, and Beth have been over there helpin' that Denise chick with the minor things. Oh, and that reminds me; Beth wants you to go over. It's about time to take your stitches out."
"It is itchin' somethin' fierce."
"Well alright then. I'm headin' out with the work crew. Anything happens, you'll be the first to hear of it. Come on, Stumpy," Abraham said, dragging Merle with him as the man began cussing him out.
"Thanks, boys!" Ani called after them, turning to look at Daryl. "Should I go ta the infirmary now or afta we get back?"
"Gonna itch either way. Scab'll get pulled off, though," Daryl said, making Ani balk.
"That's goin' ta make the scar worse!" she complained.
"Gotta get 'em taken out. 'Sides, if you weren't a wild child before, you sure are now," he smirked, knowing that her reputation as a 'wild child' was something she always smiled about.
"Gee, a chunk a my hair and a nasty ass scar. Yeah, that's really bein' a wild child," she pouted petulantly as she head towards the door.
Pulling her back flush against him, Daryl lowered his head to whisper in her ear, "You were a wild child last night, baby girl. Gonna be again later, I promise you that."
Releasing her with a smack to her ass as she blushed, Daryl couldn't help but chuckle at Ani's blush and embarrassed smile as he remembered the previous night. She had slept so soundly curled into his side as he laid on his back, just thinking about what had happened since they'd gotten to Alexandria. Aside from what had happened with the bastards that had hurt his wife, it was a pretty safe place, the walls allowing for kids to be kids. He thought about what it could mean for them if they stayed, what they could build for themselves if they decided to build a home here. While a part of him still wanted to take her away from the place that already held bad memories for her, they'd already talked about starting a family once. He fell asleep with his arm wrapped around her, and it had been a long while since he'd slept so well himself, having exhausted himself with their activities. His insomnia had been acting up since their fight, travels, and then worry over her had made it hard to sleep through the night. He had every intention of working himself into such a peaceful rest every night he could with his girl on that bed. He'd wanted to go slow with her to make sure she was ready and her body was healed enough to take her like he normally would, but she felt, looked, and sounded so damn good he hadn't been able to follow through. With his own prideful smirk, he grabbed his vest and threw it on over his long sleeved shirt before following her out.
~x~
"Thanks again for the help the other day," Denise said as she led Daryl and Ani back into the living room. "It looks a lot better in here with all those books put in place. And the organizational system for the medicine is awesome. I don't know why I didn't think of that. And do you think you could bring back some more of that woolly lamb's ear? We get a lot of small cuts in here and people have been swearing it heals them faster than the antiseptic and Band-Aids."
"I can do that. If ya got a place, I could even bring some a the plants back ta Alexandria ta grow right 'ere in the walls. Could bring a lot a herbs back for that," Ani suggested.
"Do you think you could teach me?" Denise asked.
"Beth and Sophia have trainin' in it and can help ya learn 'bout 'em when I ain' around. I don' mind teachin' ya some stuff while I'm 'ere, but ya know I don' plan on stayin' in the walls long. Place gives me the willies."
Denise laughed at that as she brought the scissors and tweezers over, "This is probably going to pull, and you'll need some, uh, some more of that stuff..."
"Poultice. Made from dandelion leaf, comfrey, yarrow, aloe and clay. Ya just mash the herbs up with a little warm wata and then carefully spread it on the wound. Put the clay ova top and a wolly lamb ear leaf ova that. Perfect for inflammation, pain, and itchiness," Ani told her as she noticed the woman's hands shaking and her breathing started becoming shallow. "Denny, I need ya ta do somethin' for me."
"Uh, yeah?"
"Take a deep breath in through ya nose. Hold it in and count ta ten. Let it out through ya mouth. Keep ya mind clear and only focus on the countin'. Not a single thought in ya head. As many times as ya need ta. Clear ya mind, then focus on the task at hand," Ani said in a soothing tone, taking on the role of psychologist once again, watching as Denise did as she was told and her hands slowly stopped shaking. Bumping the woman on the shoulder, Ani told her, "Ya got this, girl! Don' let Pete stop ya. Ya got the passion, the drive. Ya panic, as most doctors I'd imagine do. But ya can work through that fear, that anxiety. Use it ta focus yaself on what ya need ta do. Breathe and calm yaself and ya can work through it. Ya goin' ta be a great docta, ya jus' got ta believe in yaself a little more. Ya got this. And I'll write ya up a workbook on basic field dressin' and stuff. Ya know, the herbs, how ta use 'em. Whetha they're topical, edible, or needin' ta be cooked first. How ta pluck 'em and make various tonics, poultices, oils, and elixirs. Still got my Papa's books in my head. I'll transcribe 'em for ya."
Denise had started working, slowly cutting the stitches and pulling them out as Ani talked and distracted her from her anxiety. Ani would wince and pull away every once in a while as the scab came off with it, but Denise was rather impressed with how well the wound had healed. Even as the scabs came off, very few places were actively bleeding, only a few spots where the scab hadn't fully pulled away from the pink flesh. She hadn't used any of the medicine at the clinic, only her herbs and Daryl's help cleaning it in case they needed something more than just herbs for a worse wound. As someone who had studied what she considered traditional medicine, Denise was fascinated by Ani's recovery and how well the natural remedies worked. When Ani explained that what she knew was traditional Chinese medicine more than Western medicine, which was what Denise had studied. Ani admitted that Western medicine was much further along in the psychology department, however, because they were still learning about the mind and what caused issues like anxiety and depression. Still, they would need to learn and become well versed in such herbal remedies as the medicine on hand would expire within the next couple of years, if pushed.
"I would really appreciate that," Denise told her. "Though, I doubt I'll even be able to use it with Pete around."
"Yeah, don' be so sure 'bout that," Ani muttered.
"What was that?"
"Oh, ya should know anyhow. I mean, ain' like I'm headin' near Pete any time soon," Ani said with a shrug of the shoulder, not wanting to worry the woman or cause her to have another panic attack.
"All done," Denise told her, dabbing at the bleeding spots with gauze and gauging if she needed to be bandaged again. "Do you want me to bandage it or...?"
"Nah, headin' out with D in a little bit," Ani told her with a smile. "Gonna see if we can bag a buck or some rabbits or somethin'. I've been cravin' squirrel a lot recently but y'all don' exactly have a grand supply a that 'ere."
"You're craving squirrel?" Denise said with a grimace.
"Hey, we all got somethin' we grow ta love. My somethin' jus' happens ta be squirrel," Ani said with a chuckle while standing and walking over to Daryl, who'd just been watching the two from the doorway, a small smile playing on his face. "'Sides, been behind these walls long 'nough. Got ta get me some squirrels."
"Well, you enjoy that. Though, if you get anything bigger than a squirrel, like, you know, a buck or a hog or something, do you think I could get some off you? Been a while since I've had some venison. I mean, you don't have to, it's just if you're u..."
"I wouldn' dream a not givin' ya some a our catch," Ani chuckled. "Ya know I wouldn' leave ya out in the cold if we bring somethin' good back."
"Hey Ani!" Tara called as she, Noah, and Glenn walked by.
"Yo!" she called. "Where ya off ta?"
"We're going on a run with Aiden and Nicholas again," Glenn told her. "Though, if you could help him with his music, that would be great. His mix tapes are killing my ears."
"I'll think about it. How's Maggie? Feelin' any betta since last night?"
"Yeah, just a bad headache," he told her. "Nothing to worry about."
"Keep tellin' yaself that, Glenn. Keep tellin' yaself that," Ani joked, catching the wobble in the man's voice that clearly stated he was worried about the scare they'd faced at the prison, especially after Maggie had gotten sick the night before; Ani was trying not to think about it too hard.
"Still under Daryl's arm I see," Tara commented. "I still don't know whether to puke or gush at the two of you. Seriously, it's sickly sweet how you guys act. And weird. You're the two toughest people I know, yet put you around each other and you're just," rather than finish her statement, Tara just shook her upturned hands at them and made a funny face.
Ani couldn't help but laugh, even as Daryl scowled and went to pull her away, only stopping because she stood firm. "Can' say I'm eva goin' ta get sick a it, ta be honest. Ya'll undastand when ya find yaself a girl ya can' live without."
"Yeah, I'm not really thinking about that right now," Tara admitted. "Oh, do you think you could talk to Eugene later? I mean, I don't know anything about what his mind's like and all that, but, the man could use some of that backbone you give others."
"When I get back, I'll sit down with him," Ani promised. "Been meanin' ta talk ta him anyway."
~x~
"You wanna go faster?" Daryl yelled back at her as they sped down the highway.
"Open 'er up!" Ani laughed back, her hands out over her head feeling the wind as they tore down the road.
"You got it, baby girl," he told her before gunning the engine and flying even faster down the road.
She was laughing as they cut through the wind, whooping and feeling much freer than she had felt since the attack and thankful that Daryl had agreed to let her come with him on his test run. Ani had been afraid that he wouldn't let her due to his own fear of them still being around, which he'd admitted he wanted to do. But in the end, he knew she needed out, needed gone, and he wasn't really ready for her to not be either in his line of sight or knowing where she was and how soon she'd return. Daryl knew that his neediness had returned greater than ever, but he didn't care so long as he knew she was safe. He wasn't about to try to change for the time being, though he knew eventually they would have to learn to separate again at least to the point that they could walk around town without each other. They drove farther out than he'd meant to, but he couldn't help but enjoy listening to her, let alone the feel of her pressed against his back. He loved the feel of her as she clung to him around the turns, eventually just holding onto his hips and leaning her head against his back. After they'd been riding for about an hour, he pulled off of the road and down into the woods, hiding the bike among the trees as Ani let the kittens out of her pack. They were going to be too big to go into it soon, but for now, she was still dead set on bringing them with her. Grabbing her as she stood back up and giving her a searing kiss, he pulled back and grabbed her hand and lead her into the woods. They managed to bag about a dozen squirrel, injuring one for the kittens to finish off after they were let out of the bag.
"Seems like foreva ago we sat like this," Ani told him with a sigh.
"Been a while," Daryl admitted.
"Jus' sittin' out in the woods," Ani said as she pulled something from her bag. "Been a while since we smoked tagetha. Totally managed ta knick this, though, it ain' supa strong. They got it more ta make rope and medicine, so it ain' any specific strain. The one I had at the beginnin' was White Widow; high THC, low CBD. This is jus' whateva they found," she laughed.
"Seriously?" Daryl laughed as Ani held up a rather impressive bud from the plants back home. "How'd you manage that?"
"Well, a girl's got ta have 'er secrets," Ani said with a chuckle. "I got it from Denny. She asked me if I knew how ta make the oil and tinctures. I ain' eva done it myself, but I figya'd it'd be the same as makin' 'em with otha herbs, so we gave it a shot. They've been havin' problems gettin' anti-seizure medicine for one a the younga kids and the oil's been proven ta help with some kinds, so we're givin' it a shot. Then one a the olda ladies has arthritis and has been havin' problems gettin' out around. Gave 'er some a the oil ta use on 'er knee and she's said it's gotten a lot betta."
"Gonna have to fight people off'n you soon enough. Makin' meds and shit for all of 'em back there. Good to see you made a friend, though," Daryl said, nuzzling into her hair and caressing the bracelet on her wrist.
"Yeah, it's nice ta be able ta go ova and jus' pop in. Chat 'bout nothin'. Girl's crushin' on Tara, and I for one, am thoroughly enjoyin' sittin' back and watchin' the show."
"You would. Prolly pickin' apart every move they make."
Ani laughed at him, "Yeah, me, Phia, and Beth were chattin' 'bout it yestaday when we went ta train, though we didn' actually do any trainin'. Promised ya anotha week 'fore I start up, but we're talkin' 'bout what they wanna learn and areas they're interested in. Rose went with us so I could see what she already knows. Ya know she and Abe are through, through? Feel kind a bad 'bout that."
"Not your fault."
"Partly is. 'Pparently Abe was likin' how she was treatin' me 'cause a how I outsmarted Eugene. That and the strawberry's totally smitten with Sash. So 'e told 'er ta skedaddle and hooked up with Sasha at Deanna's party. Might a been a different way than eitha a 'em intended, but it was bound ta happen. That's goin' ta be a match from Hell if eva there was one."
"What do you mean?"
"Nothin' bad. Think they'll be sweet tagetha. Jus' gods is it goin' ta be a fun ride ta watch. Abe's an idiot and Sash is as serious as they get. That's fire and oil right there. Goin' ta end up bein' a lot a back and forth 'tween 'em."
"Shouldn't smoke that here. Gotta drive back," Daryl told her, watching her put it back in the little bottle she'd pulled it from and put that back in her bag.
"I know. I was jus' showin' I had it. Don' even know if I really want ta smoke it. Denny gave it ta me when I helped 'er sort the meds 'cause I was still havin' problems with my anxiety."
"Yeah, you told me about that. Damn near had a panic attack 'cause that asshole showed up while you where there. Still, don't need to be smokin' that shit right now."
"I said I know," Ani laughed before she sighed, "Should prolly head back soon. Merle's goin' ta have an aneurysm if we don'."
"Don't know what his issue is. Been huntin' my whole damn life and now he wants me to stop all of a sudden?" Daryl scoffed. "Asshole needs to mind his own."
"Be lyin' if I said I wasn' worried 'bout bein' out 'ere myself," Ani told him, turning in his lap to straddle him, leaning back and talking to him honestly. "I'm worried 'bout if they come back. Worried they won' be gunnin' for me this time."
"What do ya mean?"
"Ya took me away from 'em, Daryl. Ya walked clean away and they got kicked from their home. I'm scared they'll come back and it'll be ya that they go afta."
"I can take care of myself."
"Ain' sayin' ya can'. Jus' worried is all."
"Don't gotta be."
"I'm jus' sayin'!"
"Yeah, well, ain't shit gonna happen."
"D," Ani groaned before folding herself under his chin while the kittens came up and climbed all over their legs. "I love ya, ya enormously stubborn pain in me ass."
"Right back at ya," Daryl told her, wrapping his arms around her and sighing deeply. "Everyone's startin' to move into different houses. Thought maybe...maybe it's time to start tryin' for that baby we keep talkin' about."
"Ya mean we ain' already been tryin' for a baby, like, every single time ya stick ya dick in me?" Ani asked with a laugh, sitting up and taking in his serious expression before looking him in the eye.
"I'm serious," he gruffed at her.
"Oh. Ya mean actively try. Not jus' the whole 'if or when' it happens deal?" she realized, turning in his arms.
"That's what I'm sayin'," Daryl told her, taking in how her expression changed from smiling to somber really quickly. "Why? Don't wanna?"
"Don' eva think that, Daryl," she told him harshly, her look turning to one of anger momentarily before sighing and trying to explain what she was feeling. "I jus' wasn' thinkin' 'bout havin' a baby afta what happened. I'm still scared a them comin' back and I'm scared a what that means for a baby if they do. But that don' mean I don' want ta try. So let's get these squirrels home and fry 'em up and go have some more fun in bed, yeah?"
"Yeah?" he repeated, sitting up a bit and looking at her with a small smile.
"Yeah," Ani said, leaning in and giving him a kiss.
~x~
"Hey, Genie-boy!"
"I sincerely wish you would stop calling me that, ma'am," Eugene said stiffly as the small woman walked up to him.
"Heard ya goin' on the run the day afta tamorrow," Ani said, jumping up to sit on the table he was working at, looking over the equipment they needed for the solar panels to work properly.
"No, ma'am, I am not. I am simply showing them what parts they need and then walking away."
"Nah, ya not. Ya goin'. That's an orda."
"Ma'am, I do not believe I am qualified or in any way capable of being of use out there."
"Eugene, look at me," Ani told him sternly, the man bringing his eyes to hers. "I need ya ta hear this. Ya are stronga and brava than ya think. Ya been workin' with Rose and I. We've been showin' ya how ta shoot. We've been showin' ya how ta use the knives. Ya got the knowledge, now ya jus' gotta put it inta practice. Ya gonna be okay, ya big teddy bear."
"I am not a teddy bear," he replied like a child would.
"Yeah, ya are, ya beautiful haired bastard. Here, made ya this," Ani told him, handing over a small, polished piece of wood with several Celtic knots intricately carved into it. "This one's the Trinity, symbolizes life, death, and rebirth. This one's the spiral knot. It symbolizes the forces a nature, the forces that allow us ta live; fire, earth, wata. This one 'ere's the Saila's Knot. It symbolizes the unity a our people and the strength a our bond as family. This is the Dara, symbolizin' all things livin'. It represents strength a life and strength in one's self. This one's the Shield, so called for obvious reasons. It protects those who wear it. Ya goin' ta take it with ya, and any time ya scared, ya touch one a the knots. Ya focus. And ya rememba that ya got a family that's countin' on ya not only ta get the powa stable, but ta come back home, safe and sound."
"You made this?"
"Carvin's the only art I've eva been good at, so I thought ya could use somethin' ta focus on out there."
"Miss Ani, I don't..."
"Ya jus' need somethin' ta focus on that ain' ya head," Ani cut him off. "Somethin' ta help ya push through ya fear. If ya scared 'cause a walkas, ya rub the knots and let 'em give ya strength. Ya got this, Genie-boy. And, seriously, ya should come ta the trainin' I'm doin' with Beth and Rose. Don' gotta train ta fight, but ya should know how ta defend yaself."
"Miss Ani, I emphatically and imploringly ask that you do not let them send me out there. They will listen to you and you know I am a coward. I cannot do this," Eugene said, almost crying in fear at the thought of it.
"Gene, ya got ta go. Ya got ta face ya fear head on," Ani told him. "Ya got ta rememba what ya fightin' for, and ya fight. Ya face ya fear jus' once, Eugene, jus' once, and ya life will change foreva. Ya might still be a coward, but ya'll know when ta step up ratha than back down."
"I don't know if I can do that."
"Ya can. I did," Ani told him with a shrug. "Jus' one drop in the wata will start the ripples. So let it drop."
"Do you really believe that I, a coward and a liar, someone with no known survival or combat skills and questionable people skills at best, can be something like you?" he asked, looking her in the eye as he tried to understand why she was so adamant about sending him out there and making him face his fear.
"Nah, ya neva goin' ta be like me. Ya hands got ta stay clean, Genie-boy, innocent. Neva bloody 'em up, ya hear? But, ya goin' ta be like you. Ya goin' ta be the best version a yaself that ya can be, and ya can be so much more than ya are right now. Ya don' got ta be a fighta, but ya got ta fight. Ya don' got ta be a hero, but ya can' turn ya back on othas in need. Ya don' got ta be strong, Gene. I jus' don' want ta lose someone I care 'bout, so ya got ta get stronga than ya are. 'Cause I ain' always goin' ta be 'round ta protect ya. Neitha will Rose or Tara or Abe. Ya got ta learn protect yaself at some point, hun."
With a sigh and a clap on the man's shoulder, she hopped down from the table and walked out onto the road towards her house. Daryl was at Aaron's, working on the bike, fine tuning some wires he had a few issues with on the way back that he wanted to fix before they headed out on a scouting mission with the man. Sophia was helping Carl move his things over to his dad's house and Ani could see from the look on both of their faces that they weren't happy about it. The two of them had been pretty much inseparable aside from when Carl was with the guys and Enid and Sophia was with Merle, Beth, or Ani. It was the first time they would actually be in a space that wasn't right on top of each other and pretty much everyone was on edge about it. Carl and Sophia, however, were seemingly taking it the hardest out of everyone since they had formed a strong connection. Ani couldn't really blame them, though; she wasn't too thrilled with having everyone split up herself.
"Hey Sport, what's with the long face?" Ani asked with a smirk as she walked up to Carl, hearing Daryl cuss in the garage, looking in to see he had his thumb in his mouth again and shook her head.
"Nothing. It's just," Carl sighed as he watched Sophia walk up the stairs to their place. "She told me how she misses spending time with me, just us, and I get it. But, I just...I don't know. Like, spending time with her alone without the group now. I...It's like I don't want to move away, even if it's just a few houses down, but I like that I can make other friends now. And...and...Well, Enid. She's pretty and I think I like her, but then I hang out with Sophia and...I don't know. It's stupid isn't it?"
"Ya like Sophia and ya like Enid, too," Ani surmised.
Carl looked down quite sheepishly, "I think so."
"Carl, I love ya, little bro, but 'ere's somethin' ya gonna need ta know if ya haven' learned from Rose, Abe, and Sash. Ya goin' ta like a lot a girls, bub. In the old world, ya could prolly date 'round and have a shite ton a crushes. I sure as hell had a fair few. Used ta rub one out thinkin' 'bout 'em too," she chuckled as Carl made a face and pushed her away.
"That's so gross! Why...why would you say that?!"
"Oh, come on, Carl! Ya a teenage boy! Ya definitely woken up with a bona by now!"
"I don't want to talk about this," he told her, blushing profusely.
"Dude, ya might as well talk ta me 'bout it. 'Cause who else in this entiya camp are ya goin' ta talk ta 'bout it and get a straight answa?" Ani told him with a laugh. "'Sides, ya really want ta talk ta ya dad or Michy 'bout this stuff? Or worse yet, Merle?"
"No! And don't tell them, either!"
Ani openly started laughing at his predicament as Daryl came out of the garage and started coming towards them, "Ya secret's safe with me, baby brotha. Jus' know this; ya goin' ta find where ya heart lies soona or lata. Won' hurt too much ta jus' have fun right now 'til it does."
"Do you think Sophia or Enid like me?"
"I think they both do."
"So what do I do?"
"Why ya askin' me?! Ain' like I got experience experimentin'! I was too young for the guys I liked and the guys that liked me were too stupid. Had more'n one celebrity crush, though. But as far as actually catchin' a guy, I got 'im," she said, jutting her thumb over her shoulder just as Daryl's hands came to her hips. "So's I got nah damn clue how it all works."
"How what works?"
"Bein' chased afta," she said simply with a shrug.
"Ani!"
"Hey, ya said not ta tell Michy and Rick and Merle, neva said I couldn' tell Daryl."
Carl groaned as Sophia came back out of the house, "Carl! Come on!"
"Yeah, Carl, go on," Ani teased.
"I hate you," Carl told her, a joke the two of them had with each other.
"I know, love ya, bro."
"Let's take a walk," Daryl growled lowly in her ear. "Got some news from Carol."
Arm on her shoulder, he lead her back towards the house so they could grab a few things that belonged to the othersand take them to their houses for them. Sasha and Abraham had moved into a house together, much to Rosita's displeasure, the day before but had forgotten a couple of their knives. Rosita and Eugene were moving into a house with Carol and Tara while Beth, Noah, Maggie, and Glenn moved into the yellow house next to theirs. Rick and the rest moved into a white house a few down from Aaron's and although Aaron had offered the house next to his to them, the Dixons decided to stay in the original house. All in all, they were still living on the same block, but they had dispersed enough to make the citizens of Alexandria feel a little less on edge around them. While Ani and Daryl thought about moving away from the yellow house, after finding out about the house they had lived in was actually much more similar than the one just next door, the one next door didn't hold the same haunting feelings in Ani as it had. That, and they had already broken in the master suite in the house they were in and there really wasn't anyone that was going to want to take that bed, and Ani really liked that bed. There was no point in moving houses if Ani would only want to move the bed and the bedroom furniture with them. Everyone else had moved rather quickly and Ani couldn't help but think it was for the best after the night she and Daryl had had, Merle being an asshole in the morning about needing more beauty sleep but having loud neighbors.
"So, what's the skinny?"Ani asked her husband as they got to their porch.
"Startin' to talk like Red talkin' like that," Daryl complained, causing Ani to chuckle. "Carol says Sam's got a lock in his closet Jessie tells him to hide in. Says Pete's hittin' Jessie, maybe Sam and Ron too. Says Sam found Jessie bleedin' on the floor last month while Pete was just sittin' on the porch drinkin' a beer."
"When'd Merle say the neighbors heard the fightin' the most?"
"After dinner."
"Alright. Hey, can ya move the stuff? I wanna nip by and jus' double check on 'em."
"You good to go alone?"
"I'll be alright. Got ta get used ta walkin' without an escort. 'Sides, I ain' plannin' on doin' nothin'. Jus' want ta go and say hi and see what I can get out a Jessie or the boys."
"Alright. You be safe, ya hear? Anythin' happens. You holler. I'll come runnin'."
"Thanks, D. I love ya."
"You too." As she started walking off, he called after her, "Hey, anythin' at all. Holler."
"Ya got it, D!"
Ani had to remind herself several times that she was within the walls and Thomas and Eileen were not; that she was safe enough with her people around. She was slightly shaking when she finally managed to get to the house next to Jessie's, almost immediately being taken out of her mind as she heard glass shattering. Quickly walking up the steps to Jessie's front porch, she could hear the yelling happening inside and peered through the window where the shades were just sheer enough for her to make out what was happening inside. She wasn't entirely sure what the entire situation was, but she had seen enough in how Jessie crumpled and the man's arm came up to know that it needed to stop. There was never anything good that was happening when those two actions were combined together. She wished she had brought her bag with her pins with her as she rushed back over to the door and tried the handle to find it locked. Not having time to run around or try to pick the lock as the yelling inside intensified, she simply raised her foot and superman kicked it open. Pete was standing over Ron with his right arm in his tight grip to the point Ani could tell it was dislocated as Jessie was trying to protect him. All of them were surprised by the intrusion of Ani banging the door open, but it lasted for only a second before Pete began charging towards her, yelling that she had no right to be there.
Ani managed to side step the man and take up a somewhat defensive stance meant to deter and redirect attacks rather than attack herself. Pete was obviously inebriated as he took another swing at her, Ani ducking down and blocking his next punch and getting him into a wrist bar. The man was a couple inches taller than Daryl, though, and used that height difference against her as she was behind him, slamming her into a wall and forcing her to let go. He swung around to punch her straight on, Ani ducking down once again as his fist went through the drywall. She quickly turned around, sweeping his legs out from under him in the process, telling him he needed to calm down before she did more than defend herself as she stood up and moved a few steps away. She had every right at this point to defend herself and should he continue attacking, she would use the proper amount of force to subdue him, by any means necessary. She warned him again when he tried to tackle her and she sent him into the back of his couch with a quick grab and shove of his arm and shoulder. She warned him again when he attempted to backhand her after he got up and she used his arm and momentum to send him into the breakfast bar. She warned him yet again when he got a handful of her hair and she immediately swung her arm up and fingertip jabbed the man in the most vulnerable part of his underarm, making his arm go dead, the first time she actually attacked. When he went to charge her a fourth time, Ani had had enough and shifted onto her left leg, bringing her right up and around in a roundhouse kick that connected to the man's face.
She didn't realize he was so close to the stairs nor that the banister was right there as she defended herself and tried to end the fight. That was all she had intended to do; knock the man out so that she could go get Rick and Michonne and move him to a different house. Then she could have Merle, Abraham, Rick, and a few of the guys from the construction team Merle and Abraham trusted act as bodyguards for Jessie and her sons. After that, she could work with Pete, help him get through whatever had snapped him back into ways Jessie swore he'd been out of and reconciliation could be considered. But what happened was that the man hit the corner of the banister on the temple and crumpled in a way that he shouldn't have. As the blood poured from his head, it didn't take long for Ani to kneel down and check his pulse point, the color draining from her face as she realized she hadn't controlled herself as well as she thought she had at all. Looking towards the pair in the living room in horror, she could only shake her head, both people going pale.
"I'm sorry, I didn'...I wouldn'...not in front a 'im. I didn' mean ta. I swear, I didn' mean ta!" she started crying.
"What did you do?!" Ron yelled, rushing her and knocking her out of the way. "What did you do?!"
"I didn' mean ta! He was hurtin' ya and I was jus' tryin' ta stop 'im! I didn' mean ta! I'm sorry! I didn' mean ta! I didn'...I didn't mean ta!"
"Ani?" Daryl's voice sounded out as she kept repeating herself.
Someone had run to Rick's and told them that Ani had started to yell before she busted in the door to Pete's house. Daryl, having heard the shouting, had run with Rick as fast as they could to the house, but it was too late by then. Deanna had also been notified, but when she came in and saw the girl so distressed, she could only assume what happened. The hallway to the entrance looked like a war zone as Ani kept repeating herself, now with her head in her hands and rocking back and forth. Thankfully, Sam, the youngest, had been told to stay in his closet when his father had come in drinking and found out Ron hadn't picked up his room. That was all it had taken this time to set Pete off, but Jessie couldn't help but stare in horror at the unmoving body of her husband. The woman had been trying to get Pete to calm down before he hurt Ron too badly, but the boy had ended up with a dislocated shoulder nonetheless. She had been punched in the face herself, her eyebrow bleeding and her face slowly bruising from the force of Pete's rage. Jessie was staring at the lifeless body of her husband in shock while unsure what to think about what had happened, but Ron was beyond upset. Once again someone was yelling at Ani about how she was a murderer and once again Ani knew they were right.
"Ani? It's okay. Baby girl, it's okay," Daryl said as he wrapped his arms around her.
"He was hurtin' 'em. I didn' mean ta. D, I didn'...I didn' mean ta! I turned it off for the door. The control. I let it go ta get the door down. I didn'...I didn' mean ta! I acted on instinct. He...he came at me and I jus' acted on instinct. I didn' mean ta! Should a jus' gone down, shouldn' a been so hard. I should a...Gods, I swear, I didn' mean ta!"
"You killed him!" Ron roared. "You killed my dad!"
"He was hurtin' ya!" she defended. "He...he dislocated ya arm!"
"You killed him!"
"Daryl, take Ani home. Now," Rick told him, Daryl immediately gathering her in his arms only for Ron to block the way. "Jessie, you and Ron need to go to the infirmary. Denise is there, she can look you over. Michonne, you and I will deal with this."
"No! She can't go anywhere! Tell him!" Ron roared at Deanna. "Tell him she has to go! She killed my dad! She's a murderer! She murdered my dad!"
"I'm sorry, Ron, I truly am," Deanna said. "But I can't in good conscience exile someone for doing trying to protect the citizens of this town."
"You kicked her parents out because she tried to get away from them and fell! You kicked them out because she blamed them for her own stupid accident! And now she's murdered my dad and you won't kick her out?! She murdered him!"
"That was not why they were kicked out," Deanna told him. "I was there, and they're attack was unprovoked."
"She still murdered my dad!"
"He...Ron, she warned him. She told him to stop and he didn't," Jessie told him, letting the others know what had happened as well. "She defended herself. She didn't even hit him until he grabbed a hold of her hair and he wouldn't stop. She only hit him that once, and he...he didn't stop. He charged her again...and she...and he...and he..."
"How can you defend her?! She killed my dad! He was your husband! She killed him! How can you say that?! How can you just...just..." he was so angry he was lost for words even as his mother cried and the others came to an understanding of what had happened.
"It sounds as if it was self-defense. A horrible accident, but an accident nonetheless," Deanna told them. "This matter is over."
"But she killed him! You're just going to let her get away with it? She killed him!"
"I'm so sorry, Ron. I didn' mean ta. I really didn'."
"Take her back to your house," Deanna told Daryl. "I'll be there soon enough to sort this all out."
"I'm sorry," Ani said once again as Daryl left the house with her. "I'm so sorry."
