Newly Revised
In the morning, they had taken the small buck back to the camp, much to the joy of others. It had been the first time since she'd been forced to explain her actions against Shane that the entire camp acknowledged her, only for her to turn it towards Daryl. Daryl just scoffed at the half hearted praises they got as he began to gut and skin the deer, Merle coming up to help with a scowl and effectively cutting Tea off from being near Daryl. It didn't matter much to her as she turned towards the RV and the tent they'd been using for supplies and taking note of what they needed before going over to Glenn and started mapping out where they could get what they needed. He asked if she was going to go on the run or if he was going alone and she suggested that they take several people with them. T-Dog, Jacqui, Morales, Andrea and, to everyone's surprise, Merle had offered to go under the impression that Tea was going as well. While they were all worried about how the girl reacted to a lot of thing, they knew how well she could handle herself against walkers after Glenn started telling stories of their runs together. It would take a few days to make sure everything was ready and all the possible exits were mapped out. Unless they ran into trouble in the city, it would be an easy in and out to gather the supplies they needed in the coming weeks.
Tea and Daryl went to their smoking log the night before the group went to Atlanta. They both were somewhat worried for what was in store for tomorrow, but tried to relax nonetheless. She was currently leaning between his legs with her back against his chest, his arm across her belly while his back was against the log. It was their favorite way to sit when they were alone, one leaning against the other's chest. They had been passing her bowl back and forth for a while now, just enjoying each other and the calm they weed gave them. No one was certain about their relationship back at camp, and they had every intention of keeping it that way. They only ever allowed nothing more than a passing touch when they were around the others. Not only had they agreed the night before he brought her back to camp, but they both cherished the times they spent alone and away from the group. Neither felt anyone in the group had a right to know about them, except maybe Merle. Only problem with that was that Merle hated her guts and was convinced that she was just playing games with Daryl, and Daryl was scared of the results of telling him.
Daryl was enjoying the feeling of holding Tea against him; only way it would have been better was if they had been naked. The images from their secret camp ran through his mind once again. Every time he got to embrace the feeling of her skin against his it felt surreal. Never in a million years had he thought that such a thing was possible. He knew Merle knew something was going on between them, but he wasn't ready to confront that situation yet. His brother had always thought very little of women, and it didn't help that this woman in particular had beaten him worse than he'd gotten in years. Daryl feared what Merle would say, or even worse, do, to Tea if he actually found out he and the girl were together. Merle was still telling him that it was just the two of them against the world and that no one cared about him but Merle. She had been trying to be nicer to Merle for Daryl's sake, but the man simply would not let up and had become even worse in the last few days. Daryl thought about how Merle would be going to Atlanta too and wasn't very comfortable with letting Tea go with him.
"Could always use your help on the hunt tomorrow," Daryl told her. "Don't really want you goin' to the city."
She thought long and hard about the trip to the city. As long as they followed her plan they would be fine, so they didn't really need her on the trip. Besides, having two people hunt meant twice as much meat so it would still benefit the group. Glenn could handle the minor details since he knew by now how she handled the runs to begin with and had gone on several by himself already. Whether she went on the trip or went hunting, both were viable options that would benefit the group. On top of that, Merle had been so much worse the last few days that she really wasn't thrilled about the idea of spending time with him without Daryl playing buffer. Whatever his problem with her was, it was getting out of hand and it scared her what he might try to pull if she went to the city. She hadn't guaranteed she would go to Atlanta anyway, it was just expected of her. If she was honest with herself, she knew she'd rather go hunting with Daryl than spend time with the others.
"I think we can manage that," she answered, even though she knew both of them were being a bit selfish. "Who knows, maybe we'll stumble 'cross my old camp. Stay ova night," she stated suggestively, running her fingers up and down the length of his arm slowly.
"Mmm, maybe," he responded, even though he knew they both felt his body betraying him at the thought. It had quickly become their favorite spot, though they'd only been able to get back to it for any length of time a couple times when they'd stayed out there the night.
"I'll let 'em know when we get back ta camp," she said simply before frowning. "Think Merle knows 'bout us yet?"
"Fuck, he ain't stupid, Ania. If he don't know, s'cause he don't wanna know," Daryl responded.
"Can I ask ya somethin'?" she asked tentatively feeling him nod against her head. "I ain' eva askin' ya ta leave 'im behind, but ya wouldn' leave me behind eitha, right?"
"Naw, girl. Couldn't even if I wanted to," came his honest answer as he buried his nose in her hair before turning her head to kiss her.
When they got back to camp, she and Glenn started scouring over the maps and plans for the next day. She informed the Asian that she was staying behind and going hunting instead. She reasoned that if she could get some more meat preserved before the heat started dying off, they might have enough to ration throughout the winter. There were more than enough hands going and he knew his way around the city better than she did. She had full confidence in him that he could handle it on his own. That was the first time she openly told him that she trusted him, and it made Glenn beam. Earning Tea's trust was the hardest thing to do; she obviously trusted a few people around camp, but hearing it out loud was cherished. Only Dale, Daryl, and himself had had the privilege to hear her say it thus far. Other than that, she just trusted people to do what they needed to.
Once their conversation was over and everything had been put back where it needed to go, she walked to her tent. It had been a long day and she was planning on heading to bed early so she could head out with Daryl before the sun rose. She had moved her tent near theirs saying it was for a better vantage point almost as soon as camp was set on the second day, and while she wasn't wrong, Merle knew it was more than that. Merle had guessed from the start that she was interested in his brother, especially since she talked to his brother the most. Merle was standing near his own tent, Daryl next to him, watching as she walked by. Her eyes flitted to his brother and he couldn't help but notice how she started turning red. Looking at his brother, he could see the smirk Daryl was shooting back to Tea and it made him see red. The two were acting like love-sick crackheads, and he was going to put a stop to it once and for all. He turned on his brother, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and forcing him to turn away.
"Fuck ya doin' boy, huh?" he demanded. "Get your head in the game, son. That little slice of pussy ain't gonna stop our plans, you hear? She's just usin' you and you know it. Gettin' the pipes cleaned is all you're good for to the likes of her. You ain't mean shit to her! You gotta know that by now!"
"Shut up, Merle," Daryl growled out, sick of hearing this shit.
"No, you shut up! Fuck you, man!" Merle roared out as he pushed Daryl further towards their tent before stepping up into his face. "Chasin' a piece of ass that would never want the likes of ya if the world hadn't ended. Wouldn't've even looked your way before all this shit went down. What? You think she's actually fallin' for you? Think she'll ride off into the sunset with ya? Love ya? You ain't fuckin' worth shit to that little bitch and you know it!"
"Fuck you!" Daryl roared right back, pushing Merle away from him. He'd had enough of listening to this shit.
Merle full on sucker punched his brother after that, deciding that if he couldn't get through to his brother, he'd do it the harder way; with a beating. Daryl retaliated by roughly pushing him away in an attempt not escalate the fight with his brother. He only managed to push him back a little as Merle had grabbed a hold of his shirt before he'd punched him and hadn't let go. When Merle's fist reared back a second time, the entire camp ended up standing still and watching. As soon as his fist connected with Daryl's face, though, Merle was tackled. More than that, the lithe body that had barreled into him had moved so quickly that he was once again unable to retaliate. Before he even hit the ground, Tea had her thighs wrapped around his throat, one hand trapped between her calves, the other arm being straightened by her own strong arms. It was an advanced leg scissors choke hold, one she was supposed to reserve for life and death situations because of how easy it was to completely cut off oxygen. While she controlled how much strength she was using, she wasn't being nice about it either, choking the man out as quickly as possible.
For all Merle's strength, he could not get a firm grip on the ground to stand, and his arms were trapped, leaving him to kick and gasp as he started seeing spots. Shane had come running as soon as the Dixons started fighting, but stopped when he saw that Tea was currently choking the older brother out; a part of him was turned on and a part of him was wishing he was the one between those legs in a very different way. It was only a few minutes before the man was out cold and Tea all but threw his arm away from her. She knew it would have it's repercussions, but she just did not care in the moment. If he thought he could get away with beating Daryl up, she would make sure he knew such behavior would never be tolerated by her. Especially since he had been controlling and acting like this towards Daryl since they'd come to camp.
If there was one thing Tea could not tolerate, it was abusive behavior towards those who were your family. While Ed hadn't done anything in the open, Merle had been doing it for a long time to Daryl. The only reason she had been putting up with it was simply because Merle was Daryl's brother and he'd asked her not to get involved. But Daryl had been abused enough when he was a kid. Hell, he was still dealing with mental and emotional abuse from his brother, let alone all the scars from his childhood. She had heard Merle verbally abusing Daryl and using her to hurt him several times before. Words that haunted her from the past came creeping back every time as Merle's voice blended with Jesse's boyfriend during those final moments with her friend and her family's when she had lived with them. She had already started walking towards them to intervene and set Merle straight, consequences be damned. But when he punched Daryl hard like that, she was done with playing Ms. Nice Girl. She was finished with everything that had to do with the older redneck when she saw red at the sight of Daryl's blood flowing from a cut on his cheek.
After Merle was out cold, she released him and looked at Shane and said in a voice that left no room for discussion, "I'm goin' huntin'. Be back in a couple a days."
That wasn't what the plan had been. The plan was that she and Daryl would leave around sunrise to get an early start on the hunt. But there was an urgency to get out of camp before the emotions inside her exploded and Merle woke up and retaliated. Her voice had been completely flat and devoid of emotion, though her eyes held the rage that burned through her. Shane had at least learned by now that if she had that tone of voice it was best to back off. He simply said alright before walking away while she was still staring down at Merle who was laid out on the ground. Tea didn't know if she wanted to see Daryl but when he told her he'd get his gear, she hoped they were okay. Going to her tent and throwing on her quiver, she grabbed Jewel and walked over to where she and Daryl usually entered the woods if they left together.
Enough of the camp knew that the dynamic between the hunters had shifted, even if the extent of the shift wasn't exactly known. They also realized that the shift had left Merle as the odd man out. If the way the man had been treating the duo in general lately wasn't an indication, the altercation that had just transpired laid it out plainly. As Daryl walked up to her and motioned for her to follow him, the camp watched with rapt attention. The two hadn't really done much hunting together over the last few weeks, but they always seemed to be gone at the same time and arrive back together. A few members of the camp commented about the implication of it all while Andrea and Jacqui shared a knowing smile. The two had become close bonding over chores and the hunters were a hot topic of discussion. Even though Tea hadn't said anything, the small, soft smile she got every time Daryl was mentioned was enough to tell the older women all they needed to know.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly once they got into the woods and away from camp. The tears had never stopped from the moment she turned her back on the camp as she thought about the consequences of her actions.
Daryl wasn't sure how he felt about the situation. She had stood up for him and protected him from his brother. That had been a first that anybody had done that, but she had also choked his brother out. He didn't understand how he was feeling because a part of him was happy while the other part of him was pissed. He figured she had to be as upset as he was with how that accent came back into her voice
"Why?"
"He's ya brotha. I did it 'cause family shouldn' hurt family and I'm sorry 'cause 'e hurt ya and I hurt 'im in retaliation," she said, her arms folding in on herself.
He knew she meant every word and was angry at herself almost as much as he was with her. It didn't stop him from continuing, "Only gonna make it worse."
"I know. I'm sorry. I wasn' thinkin'. I heard what 'e said ta ya 'bout me! It was all I could do ta not go ova and punch 'im then! He had no right! Ya were jus' tryin' ta let it go and 'e kept at it and 'e punched ya 'cause a it! He punched ya, Daryl! He's ya brotha and 'e punched ya hard enough ta cut ya cheek and made ya bleed! How could I jus' stand by and let 'im hit ya again?! I jus' reacted on instinct and I'm sorry," she ranted, the lilt from when he'd found her returning. "I was jus' tryin' ta protect ya!"
"I didn't ask you to protect me!" he finally shouted at her, turning on her as his anger finally got the best of him, getting in her face.
"Ya didn' have ta!" she yelled back.
"I don't fuckin' want you protectin' me!"
"Too fuckin' bad!"
"You really are just a bitch playin' games, aren't you?" Daryl said, his voice dropping low as he stepped back giving her a disgusted look, his own reaction to everything.
That caused her to step back, too, looking at him with shock, horror, and pain. Her Irish brogue was stronger than ever as the emotions wracked her body. "How dare ya! Ya know damn well I'm incapable a that. How could ya even think like that? Is that what ya been thinkin' I been doin' all 'long? Playin' some sort a game wit' ya? I gave ya me firs' fuckin' time, Daryl, and ya know it! Who would play a fuckin' game that makes ya give that away?! I'm twenny fuckin' two, Daryl! I chose ya dammit!" her voice had steadily risen as she talked. "Wanna know why ya don' get a choice in whetha or no' I protect ya?" She yelled through her tears, "It's 'cause I fuckin' love ya!"
She turned on her heel and practically ran away from him then. Daryl stood there watching after her. Out of everything Tea could have said, that was not anything he could have expected. He didn't want or need her protection and was beyond enraged that she was the one doing the protecting. It was supposed to be him protecting her, not her making him look weak. Telling him she had every right to protect him was not what he wanted to hear. He wanted her to leave him, wanted Tea to realize he was just like his brother, so he said the one thing he knew would hurt her. The last thing he thought he would hear in return was her telling him that she loved him. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to react to that. He just stood there before running his hands through his hair, cussing while kicking the tree behind him.
Daryl looked down, somewhat ashamed. He knew she wasn't playing him; they'd shared nearly everything with each other about their lives in the past few weeks, from the horror stories to the good memories, even if the horror stories were just brief mentions and the good times were few and far between. She had explained to him how her mind worked, and the fact that emotions to Tea were either fleeting, non-existent, or fiercely strong. The fleeting emotions, like when she found something funny or was happy, were just that; they were there one moment and gone the next. Most of the time, she was just in the moment and living, thus the reason her face was usually so blank. She just didn't feel emotions the same way others did. The fierce emotions she felt were related to two things, anger and possessions. She'd been very clear to tell him that while she does consider him hers, that didn't mean he was a possession she owned, like Jewel. It just meant that she didn't share and felt very strongly towards him. He was somewhat scared when she'd said that because he wasn't sure how to take it, but he played it off by telling her she was his, too. And honestly, he understood enough about what she was meaning because she really was his and he wasn't in the habit of sharing, either.
A few moments later he finally got his act together and followed after her. He didn't know what he was going to do when he caught up to her or if he could. Tea was fast when she wanted to be, and even faster when she was upset it seemed. His mind was still reeling from what she had said as he took off. From the way her trail looked, she had decided to go straight to their secret camp, though it was hectic and wavered, almost as if she hadn't been able to walk straight. He found her roughly half way there, though, sitting with her arms around her knees, face buried in them. She was sobbing harder than he had ever seen her, and he'd seen her cry a couple times since he'd found her, particularly when Merle would say something hurtful. He'd taken to following her after she'd laid Shane out and had helped her talk it out and dry them out ever since. Now he was the cause of them and it hurt him to have done this to her. Even though he was still trying to figure out his emotions from everything that had happened, he could tell that she was simply heartbroken.
"Hey," he said quietly, coming up behind her. When she didn't give a response, he sighed, "Wha'd'ya want from me, Ania?"
"I jus' fuckin' want you! But I also want ya ta be safe, Daryl. I don' want ta see ya gettin' hurt. And 'e's always fuckin' hurtin' ya. I can', Daryl...I jus' fuckin' can' watch it anymore. I can' fuckin' hold my tongue when 'e's constantly abusin' ya! 'Specially not when 'e's usin' me ta do it," she choked out between sobs, not even looking at him.
Daryl was confused by that and replied, "He don't abuse me."
"That's a fuckin' lie and ya know it! Words hurt, Daryl!" she stated, her weird accent of hers still thick as ever when she finally looked at him. "They fuckin' hurt and make ya think things that ain' true. How many times 'e fuckin' tell ya ya ain' good enough? How many times 'e tell ya no one's eva goin' ta fuckin' be there for ya but 'im, huh? No one's gonna care 'bout ya but 'im? I hear it all the damn time! And the worst thing is that 'im sayin' it ta ya brings back all the fuckin' memories a the people who've said the same damn shite ta me! How Jesse's boyfriend told me she was jus' usin' me 'cause I was smart and she turned around and admitted it jus' ta hurt me! Little autistic girl's too fucked up ta be wanted or loved! My momma, daddy, papa, so many fuckin' peers in school, fuck even Jesse told me that in the end! Hell, my own parents didn' fuckin' want me, Daryl! Abuse don' jus' fuckin' come in the form a beat downs, gods dammit! Mental, verbal, and emotional abuse are all as real as physical abuse! They jus' leave scars on the mind 'stead a the body."
They were both silent, just watching each other as her tears continued to fall. Daryl didn't know how to feel about her words. He had always thought that beatings were what constituted as abuse. What she said made sense, though, and it was true that Merle was always telling him that he'd never be anything more than he was so much he believed it. The fact that she had gone through it herself and that Merle's words also affected her surprised him, though he by now that it shouldn't. She was always so quiet and helpful around camp, acting like nothing was wrong with the world. It was easy for him to forget the fact that she'd also grown up in an abusive environment. It was worse knowing how her parents behaved in front of others and what they expected of her in public. The only time she ever acted aggressive in camp was when people grabbed at her or when Merle was being Merle, where that was his and Merle's go to. Tea was so different in dealing with her past than he was. He was still stuck believing the words he'd heard his whole life and here she was trying to fight against the echoes of them.
"'Mere," was all he said, wrapping the girl in his arms as her body shook. "I'm sorry, Ania."
"I love ya, Daryl," she cried into his chest, clutching onto his shirt with all her might. "I don' want ta see ya gettin' hurt. I'm sorry for how I acted. I'm so sorry."
"S'okay," he paused, finally realizing why he was always trying to make her feel better and wanted to keep her safe. "Love ya, too."
"Come on," Daryl said as he let go of Tea's body, though keeping her hand held firmly in his own after pulling her up from the ground.
"I'm sorry," she repeated as she furiously wiped her eyes.
"It's fine," he told her, leading her through the woods. "Don't gotta keep sayin' it."
Tea followed along behind Daryl silently, not knowing how to take the fight they'd had. They might have ended it with admissions of love but Tea was still having problems moving past it. No matter how hard she fought against the voices in her head telling her he was lying, she couldn't trust his words. Everyone who had said those words to her had betrayed her and a part of her thought that he was just using her body to get his release. After all, that's all she was chased after for, so why would Daryl be any different? She should've known it was stupid to get attached to him so quickly without expecting it to turn sour. He must have realized her mind had gone to a dark place because as soon as they had gotten to the cabin with her tent, he grabbed her and held her while burying his face in her hair.
"I'm sorry, baby girl. I should've never said what I did," he whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek, Tea turning her head to meet his lips in a sweet lingering kiss. "I love you."
"I love ya too."
Pulling away from each other, Daryl entered the tent and removed his boots as she stood there, thinking she didn't deserve anything from Daryl, not even an apology and most certainly not his love. He turned around and walked back out to her, gently grabbing her hand, walking backwards into the tent. He lead her into the tent slowly as he was pretty sure she didn't even realize she still had tears streaming down her face. As soon as she was in the tent, he knelt down, untying her boots and helping her to step out of them after closing the tent. He stood back up and wrapped his arms around her as hers came up around his middle. They just stood there, holding each other, until she pulled back and looked up. Reaching up on her tip toes, she moved one hand from around his waist to his cheek, leaning in to give him a sweet, gentle kiss.
Daryl kissed her back in kind, the slowness of it all making his desire for her burn once again. He tried to deepen the kiss only for Tea to pull back from him. His question gaze was answered with her simply pulling at his shirt and taking a few steps backwards, leading him over to the log they used to lean against. She turned him around and pushed him gently, Daryl getting the hint and sitting down as she straddled his lap. Keeping the kisses soft and gentle, they both began to breath heavier as her hips came alive, slowly grinding against the man's hardening length. Everything was kept sweet and slow, even as her hands ventured under the hem of his shirt while his were in her hair while he started bucking up into the movement of her hips.
Tea couldn't help the breathy moan that left her when Daryl's tongue entered her mouth and lazily began tasting hers. Everything was so slow it was almost too intense for both of them to handle. The way their tongues wrapped around each other, the way their hands moved, the way her hands slowly undid the buttons of his shirt before bringing her hands to his shoulders and moving the shirt down, leaving him in the wife beater he'd taken to wearing under his normal shirts. His own hands came up under her shirt, gently brushing his fingers along her sides as he brought her shirt up over her head, marveling at the sight of her breasts in the little black comfort bra, her cleavage plain for the world to see. Bringing his face to her neck, he breathed in the scent of her skin in before pressing a kiss onto her pulse point. The gentle kiss became more intense as he bit the soft flesh and made her moan and grind against him again.
Their breath came out in pants as they met for more sweet, lingering, and slow kisses before their tongues entwined Tea ran her fingers through his hair as she held him to her while his own hands were running along her spine or tangled in her hair He held her to him, enjoying the feel of her chest pressed against him and the slow movement of her hips against him. When Daryl couldn't take it any more, he held onto her around her waist as he used one arm to move to his knees. He didn't even bother to move to the sleeping bag and just laid Tea down on the floor of the tent before pressing against her. One hand moved to one of hers, entwining their fingers as he brought it above her head, using his elbow to keep all of his weight from falling on her. Tea kept her grip tight on his hand while her other hand slowly moved up his back under his shirt, feeling the scars there as he broke the kiss and looked at her slightly frightened.
Tea simply used the opportunity to roll him onto his back, taking his shirt off completely in the process before straddling him once again. Grinding down against him, she leaned over and kissed him with everything she had. When she broke the kiss, she sat up to undo his pants before leaning back down as his hands did the same to hers. Slowly, she stood and let him take her out of her pants, pulling her bra off over her head before pulling his pants down and off. Retaking her position on top of him, Tea lined him up and sat back, both hissing at the new position and the slow speed at which she lowered herself down on him.
Grinding in a slow circle before lifting herself up and almost completely off his shaft, she slid back down at the same tortuously slow pace. Both of them were shaking at the feeling of ecstasy the slow movements brought as their breathing came out ragged. Taking his hands in hers, she entwined their fingers as she barely picked up her pace, using his hands as leverage to keep her steady. She kept her pace by gyrating in a circle as she slowly began moving up and down his shaft. She leaned down and kissed him when her legs began to burn, forcing him all the way onto his back once again. Sitting back, her hair covered her chest as she continued her motion with her hips while holding onto Daryl's hands. He entwined their fingers to help steady her on top of him as his eyes took in the sight. He watched in awe as she moved on top of him, thrusting up into her with each of her motions until the visual and physical stimulation was too much for him to take.
Sitting up and breaking his hold on one hand, he wrapped his arm around her middle and flipped their positions, entering even deeper into her as he kept the slow, almost maddening pace she'd started with. He'd never been slow when with a woman, and the sensation was driving him out of his mind as he tried to keep the pace steady. Hanging his head as their connected hands moved above her head again, he couldn't help but trace a pattern of slow, sloppy kisses up her neck and chin until he met her mouth, each devouring the other's moans. Tea brought one leg up, her knee against his hip as she wrapped her lower leg around his thigh, giving him greater purchase as he began to move just a little faster, pushing himself a little deeper as they both felt that coil deep in their bellies tighten almost to snapping.
"Gods, Daryl, I can't take it anymore," Tea began repeating as she brought her face to his neck, breathing her words right into his ear.
"I ain't fuckin' stoppin,'" he growled out right before he took her mouth with his again, their hands completely separated and roaming each other's bodies.
Daryl had one hand on her thigh, holding her leg into the position against his hip while his other was in her hair and bracing his weight. He couldn't keep the pace going as he felt her tighten and clench around him almost to the point that he couldn't move. Losing himself in that feeling, he began thrusting hard into her, slowly pulling all the way out of her before slamming back in only to repeat the action with just a little more force than the previous thrust. It had her moaning and mewling beneath him as he looked down at her.
"Fuckin' beautiful," he told her, watching as she blushed and turned her head away from him. "So fuckin' beautiful."
Daryl latched his mouth onto her clavicle, not caring that he was leaving a visible mark. Her nails raked down his back, making him growl again and thrust into her just a bit faster as he chased his own release. Daryl still wasn't sure what to make of her knowing about his scars or touching them for that matter, but she hadn't made any kind of fuss about it like other women had. All she'd done was to put him on his back and gave him an experience he'd never had before, which was the only reason he wasn't pounding her into oblivion like he had before. He wanted his release to be from this intense feeling pumping into her slower was giving him. As she began repeating his name along with moans and curses, he couldn't help but grab her hands again, his full weight bearing down on her as he put them above her head and leaned his forehead against hers. Staring into each other's eyes, her walls clenched so tightly around him this time that it ripped his release out of him.
Trying to catch their breaths, Daryl's full weight truly was on top of Tea as she held him against her, both shaking beyond control from the power of their orgasms. When his arms didn't feel like jelly anymore, Daryl pushed up to his elbows and looked down at the girl. On her shoulder was a dark purple splotch, she had a few nail marks and bruises forming on her hips,. Her hair was splayed beneath her almost like a halo while her skin was flushed both from what they had done and her blush that had persisted as he finished. He couldn't help but bend down to kiss her for all it was worth, still seated deep inside her. They stayed connected like that, enjoying sweet kisses and intense orgasms once more before sleep claimed Tea against his chest.
~x~
It had definitely been an unproductive day as far as work went as they just ate from the supplies they had left at the camp. However, as far as their relationship went, they made quite the stride. She finally explained what happened with her and Jesse now that she'd already told him the end of it. Tea told him how Jesse had been her best friend in college and although she was four years older than Tea, the woman had stood by her side. Her boyfriend had been an ass the entire six years they'd roomed together, having the same dorm room at first and then renting an apartment. More than once had she gotten into a physical confrontation with the man that had resulted in Jesse getting between them. The last altercation she got into with him, it sent him to the hospital because he'd been an ass going on about how Jesse was just using her to pay her way through school by using her smarts and she had seen red. After Jesse had returned from the hospital, she immediately gave Tea two days to leave or they would be pressing charges. About a week later, the woman had called and apologized and explained that she'd been dumped for being Tea's friend and that without the piece of shit poisoning her mind, she just wanted her friend back. But Tea had been too hurt to reply, a thousand scenarios all ending in the same tune. Jesse had been Tea's first and only friend in her entire life, and the woman had played on Tea's naivety and desire for kinship to hurt her and she knew it. And the girl still seemed to consider the bitch a close friend, Daryl thought.
He finally opened up about the scars on his back, letting her touch them, she admitted to already knowing about them while pressing her chest to his back. When he asked her how she'd known about them, she had been forced to admit the fact that she'd already seen him in the nude before they got together. It had made him blush and momentarily angry before he shook his head. He told her that she shouldn't swim around in the nude, even if it was at night and away from the camp, earning an actual laugh from Tea. They had a light meal before he sat behind her and pulled her back against him, her arms coming up on top of his as he held her around her waist. He told her about the asshole that was Will Dixon only to get the promise that she'd break his neck if he ever came around. It had been his turn to laugh, not sure if he believed her or not, before leaning down and attacking her collarbone. One of her hands went to the back of his neck as her head dropped onto his shoulder and gave him more access to the spot.
They remained at the camp the entire day, talking to each other about their lives before the turn and everything had happened since before falling asleep early in each other's arms. When they woke early the next day, they washed in the creek behind the cabin before getting dressed and heading out. It had taken an hour or so to find a trail and the sun was only half way risen when they spotted a large buck. They'd need to herd it towards camp because of its size, but if they tagged it, they could slow it down enough to keep it going the way they wanted. They got close enough for Daryl to take a shot first, both hunters grinning like Cheshire cats at each other before bounding off after it. They tracked it for about a mile and a half before catching it again, this time Tea tagged the thing right above Daryl's own arrow. It seemed like they'd been tracking it for miles after that as midday rose.
"Ya hear that?" she asked as they got closer to the quarry.
"Yeah, sounds like the kids," Daryl said, hearing the screams from near where the camp was.
"Should we hurry?"
"Naw," Daryl answered while he quickened his pace nonetheless.
As Daryl emerged from the woods, helping Tea over a fallen log, he was greeted by Shane's shotgun to his face and a group of men from around camp with weapons at the ready. Almost instinctively, he pulled Tea behind him to block her from the line of fire. It wasn't until they lowered their weapons and he walked a couple paces forward that he understood their caution. Lying next to the buck they had been hunting this entire time was the decapitated body of a walker. It had obviously been caught the deer before they had managed to get to it and ripped its entire neck open.
"Son of a bitch," he said while walking up and leaving Tea behind. "That's our deer! Look at it all gnawed on by this filthy," kick, "disease-bearin'," kick, "motherless," kick "poxy bastard!" he finished emphasizing with one last kick, much to Tea's amusement.
"Calm down, son," Dale said. "That's not helping."
"What do you know about it old man?" Daryl said getting up in his face. "Why don't you take that hat and go back to On Golden Pond?"
Tea snickered behind him earning her a hidden smirk from him. He turned and faced the buck, "Been trackin' that deer for miles. Was gonna drag it back to camp. Cook us up some venison. What you think? Think we can cut around this gnawed on part here?"
"I would not risk that," Shane said.
"That's a damn shame. Still got some squirrel, though. About a dozen or so. That'll have to do," he said turning around as Tea stepped over.
That's when the head decided to reanimate and Amy uttered, "Oh god!" as she and Andrea looked ready to puke.
"Come on people, what the hell people?" Daryl said as Tea took aim and shot it through the eye.
"It's got ta be the brain," she said.
"Don't y'all know nothin'?" Daryl quipped as he gathered the arrows and walked away, Tea hot on his heels.
Tea wasn't sure how she felt about going back to camp. With how she and Daryl had left the night before last, Merle was going to be absolutely livid. She knew damn well that the older redneck would continue trying to end their relationship. Even if he didn't end it, he'd try to sabotage and complicate it. Her nerves were shot because they hadn't bothered to talk about Merle and how they were going to handle the situation with him. Daryl was going to want to see him first thing and make sure the man was safe and Tea didn't know how she felt about that. She could only hope that she could find some common ground with the older man and salvage whatever relationship they could have.
Sure enough, as soon as they got back to camp Daryl shouted, "Merle! Merle! Get your ass out here! Got us some squirrel! Let's stew 'em up!"
And that's when Shane popped up, ready for a fight, walking up to Daryl and saying, "Hey, Daryl? Slow up a minute. I need to talk to you."
"About what?" he responded slightly irritated.
"'Bout Merle," he said walking up a little less confrontational. "There was a, uh, problem in Atlanta."
"He dead?" Daryl asked after a pregnant pause looking around camp.
"Not sure."
"He either is or 'e ain't!"
"There's no easy way to say it, so I'll just say it," a curly-haired new guy said walking up.
"Who're you?"
"Rick Grimes."
"Rick Grimes," Daryl all but growled out as his body tensed. Tea was tense too, not at all liking where this conversation was heading. "You got something you wanna tell me?!"
"Your brother was a danger to us all. So I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked to a piece of metal. He's still there," he said matter-of-factly.
Daryl turned around, trying to understand the information. Even Tea was looking at the new guy as if he had lost his mind, he noticed as he glanced at her. The fear and rage at not knowing where his brother was seized him as he caught the fear and guilt hidden in her eyes. He had to wipe his own before addressing the guy again.
"Hold on. Let me process this. You saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof. And you left him there!" he yelled the last part.
"Yeah," came the simple reply.
Almost immediately, action came from three directions. As Daryl threw the string of squirrels at Rick, who was stepping back, he also lunged forward as Shane shoulder blocked him from his right side, knocking him to the ground. Tea had also started moving forward, but Dale had quickly held her back gently by the elbow. Knowing he was just looking out for her, she allowed him to stop her movements, but kept a keen eye on the fight. Someone shouted "watch the knife" as Daryl pulled his smaller one from his pocket and stood up. After a couple of swipes at Rick, the man managed to grab Daryl's arm and push it behind him as Shane came up and put the redneck in an arm-lock choke hold.
"Best let me go!" Daryl said as Shane dragged him back and to the ground.
"Nah, I don't think so," Shane responded, sounding a little too happy with the situation.
"Choke holdin's illegal!"
"You can file a complaint."
"Let 'im go 'fore I knock ya lights out again, Shane," Tea threatened as she heard Daryl's gasping breaths, not caring if she exposed their relationship; she was livid as she tore herself from Dale's hand and marched forward after watching Daryl struggle long after Rick had forced him to drop the knife.
Ignoring her, he continued, "Come on now, I can keep this up all day."
"Shane," she warned.
Rick knelt down in front of Daryl and reasoned, "I'd like to have a calm discussion about this top. You think you can manage that? Do you think you can manage that?" he reiterated looking in Daryl's eyes.
"Let 'im fuckin' go right now, Shane!" Tea growled out, fingers curling in on themselves on one hand as she stepped up and grabbed his shirt, arm held back and ready to punch the bastard.
Rick looked at Shane and nodded, who then huffed and all but threw the older hunter on the ground while looking at Tea. She had that look in her eyes that she got every time she had a physical altercation with him, whether it was just pushing his arm off or hitting him. It was a look he'd come to love putting there since he couldn't have his way with her. He knew she was on the breaking point and smirked and tilted his chin up as if daring her. There was no way in hell she was going to take that bait, though, not when Daryl needed her right now and Rick was still talking to him. Especially when she didn't know the new anomaly in the camp. She used as much force as Shane had with Daryl to shove him away while letting go of his shirt.
"Now, what I did was not on a whim," Rick said gently but seriously. "Your brother does not work and play well with others," he continued kneeling as Daryl sat catching his breath.
"It's not Rick's fault," T-Dog stepped up and admitted. "I had the key, I dropped it."
"Couldn't pick it up?!"
"Well, I dropped it down the drain."
Daryl struggled to his feet, accepting the hand that Tea offered, even though she wasn't much help, before saying, "If it's supposed to make me feel better, it don't," as he walked by the man, dragging her with him, much to Shane's dislike and many people's disproval.
"Maybe this will. I chained the door to the roof so the geeks couldn't get at him," T-Dog said. "With a padlock."
"That's gotta count for something," Rick added.
Daryl looked between the two men before dropping Tea's hand, wiping his eyes and yelling, "Hell with all a y'all." His voice broke in his next sentence before it got strong again, "Just tell me where he is so's we can go get 'im."
"He'll show you," Lori cut in. "Isn't that right?"
Rick looked around before saying, "I'm going back."
Daryl walked over to grab the squirrels before walking away from the group, Tea following a few paces behind. When they got to the safety of his tent, Daryl broke down falling to his knees. Tea didn't know what to do other than hold him. Thankfully, he accepted her embrace and wrapped his arms around her hips, burying his face into her stomach and clutching the fabric at her back. He sobbed for a few moments as she held onto his shoulders, arms cradling his head. She bent down far enough to put her forehead against the top of his head as a few tears of her own fall. This was her fault, she thought ruefully. She had never seen the man break down before. Now, because she had been selfish and lashed out at his older brother then run away, Daryl was sobbing at his loss.
"What do I do if he's dead, Ania? What do I do?" he whispered brokenly.
"I don' know. I'm sorry. I should a gone on that trip," she whispered back, just as devastated. "I should a gone and made sure 'e was safe, even from 'imself."
"He'd a killed ya and you know it," Daryl shook his head his voice becoming even more anxious as he held onto her desperately. "He'd a gotten you alone and told 'em a walker did it for what you did to him. He'd've killed you."
"Wouldn'a worked. I'd'a seen 'im comin' a mile away and sent 'im with someone else. I shoulda gone ta keep 'im safe."
They just held each other tightly as they both spent a few moments drowning in both guilt and grief. They had both left him knocked out in the tent after the fight. Rather than confronting him, they wanted to wait for him to cool off and now he was gone. For Daryl, this was the second time in a short time span that this was happening; first Tea had taken off and now Merle was left behind. He could only hope he found Merle in much the same fashion as he had Tea. For Tea, she wanted to set the record straight once and for all that just because she was with Daryl didn't mean he had to give him up, but it was the three of them against the world now, not just the two. She wanted to apologize and explain everything to the old soldier and that she knew more about him than he thought. She had spent the better part of the journey back thinking about how things would go down when they saw Merle again, but this hadn't even been a thought in the slightest. Stifling their tears and wiping each other's eyes, they looked at each other with determination.
"We'll find 'im," she told him.
"Yeah we will," he said as he stood up and gave her a small peck on the forehead before getting his stuff together.
She walked out of his tent and over to hers, noticing the looks she had gotten from a few of the women in camp, most of which were frowning in disapproval. Rolling her eyes and resisting the urge to flip them off, all she could think was that they had more to gossip about now. They already gossiped about Carol and Ed and how she behaved towards Shane and Merle, what was some more gossip about her? She didn't really grab anything from her tent other than her blades, but she did change. The loose-fitting shirt she had on was too revealing of the marks on her body if someone got too close; she was sure Dale had seen the marks on the back of her arms already. She switched it out with a tight-fitted muscle-shirt that hid all the hickies on her chest and scratches on her back, though a couple scratches and marks on her arms were still visible. Hopefully, whoever saw them would think they were caused by a tree, because that was the story she planned on sticking to regarding them. At least until they had Merle back. Once they came clean about their relationship to the elder Dixon, there was going to be no keeping it a secret from the camp.
They both sat around the campfire cleaning their bows as Rick and Shane came up arguing. "Why would you risk your life for a douchebag like Merle Dixon?" he pleaded.
"Hey, choose your words more carefully," Daryl said.
"No, I did," he shot at him. "Douchebag's what I meant," before turning back to talk to Rick.
Tea listened to their conversation as Lori butted in about it just being him and Daryl. Tea was actually impressed by Rick and his reasons as they were rather honorable. Thirst, exposure, and starvation, no matter what kind of person it was, were not things the new cop could let a man die from. Of course, Shane just scoffed and acted high and mighty as if a person's life wasn't worth a damn thing and Lori acted much the same. She could only think that if she had been there, Merle would have been knocked out long before needing to be cuffed. An unconscious man could be carried; a man cuffed to a roof could die quickly from exposure alone with how hot it was.
"I'm goin' too," Tea said.
"I think you should sit this one out, miss," Rick started.
"Hell nah! My fault I wasn' there ta keep the man in line. I'm the only one in the camp that can keep up with 'is bullshite, but I got in a fight with 'im and left camp the night before last with Daryl ta go huntin'. Was a selfish thing ta do. Gotta make it right. 'Sides, I ain' stayin' in camp alone with him," she said nodding to Shane.
"Don't start that shit up again, Tea," Shane threatened. "You know damn well I'm just lookin' out for you. "
"Don't start that shite up again, Shane. Minute Daryl takes off and I'm left with ya and Lori, ya will be puttin' hands on me and she'll be tryin' ta force me inta doin' domestic work 'round the camp 'stead a actually bein' useful with my skill set. It's what ya do every time I'm left in camp alone."
Rick was watching the two back and forth and noticed the palpable look of hate in her eyes and a glint he'd rather ignore in Shane's. The young lady seemed to have a grudge against his partner and best friend as well as against his wife. Not knowing the reason, he decided that he would have to ask around camp about the small woman that stayed by the side of the redneck. Rick looked to Glenn then, recruiting him for his knowledge of getting in and out of the city. He explained that it wasn't fair of him, but he needed his help. Glenn quickly agreed, though begrudgingly, while saying they had Tea and didn't really need him.
"That's just great," Shane said. "So you gonna risk the lives of three men now?"
"Four," T-Dog commented.
"Technically, four men and one woman," Tea chimed in.
Daryl scoffed while he continued to clean his arrows, Tea sitting next to him and making sure her blades were clean and sharp as he sarcastically told them, "My day just keeps gettin' better and better, don't it?"
"You see anybody else here stepping up to save your brother's cracker ass," T-Dog shot back.
"Why you?" Daryl inquired.
"You wouldn't even begin to understand," T-Dog said. "You don't speak my language."
"He feels responsible 'cause 'e dropped the key," Tea chimed in. "It might a been an accident, but 'is honor ain' gonna let 'im sit this one out."
"Yeah, something like that," the man agreed, impressed that Tea understood his reasons for going.
"That's five," Rick said, not arguing with the small woman about going.
"It's not just five, Rick. You're going out there with a damn headcase as back up," Shane told him while turning towards Rick, both she and Daryl bristled at his comment. "You're putting every single one of us at risk, Rick. Just know that. You saw that walker, Rick. It was here! It was in camp! They're moving out of the cities. They come back here, we need every able body we got. We need them here. We need them to protect camp. Even the nutcase."
"Seems to me what you really need most here," Rick said, trying to ignore Shane's rude comments, "are more guns."
"Right, the guns," Glenn spoke up.
"What guns?" Shane asked.
"Six shotguns, two high powered rifles, over a dozen hand guns. I cleaned out the cage back at the station before I left. I dropped the bag in Atlanta when I got swarmed. It's just sitting right there on the street, waiting to be picked up."
"Ammo?"
"Seven hundred rounds, assorted."
Lori started talking again while Tea started attaching her various sheaths before attaching her holster and double checking her Glock. She was done listening to everyone talk about why they should or shouldn't go get Merle. Daryl had known automatically that she was going to go with him, giving her a once over before nodding his head. Not only would he not let her stay at camp with Shane, he knew she felt as guilty and responsible as T-Dog apparently did. He assumed that that's how she even knew how the other man was feeling to begin with, though he could understand it now himself. He felt just as guilty as most of the people going seemed to be feeling if not more for telling Tea to stay back in camp with him to begin with. While neither Tea nor Daryl had like how Rick tried to shoot down her offer to help, they both had to commend the man for backing down when she insisted. Tea could only hope that if he was reasonable enough to understand that she wasn't going to stay in camp while they went to the city that he would be reasonable to make his own choices regarding her. It was plain as day that Lori and Shane had been talking about her to the new cop in camp, and she was sure that others had some things to say about her, too.
She watched as the man talked to some of the people in camp gently and with his manners, something that had seemingly been lost among most of the people in the camp. She and Daryl rarely got so much as a 'thank you' for bringing in the meat they did, and it was much the same way whenever Glenn brought in a load. It was refreshing to see that at least someone seemed to treat everyone with respect rather than trying to order people around. Daryl was in the cube van with Glenn, impatiently pacing the length of the trailer, though he did practically pull her into the van when he went to step up. He didn't bother offering a hand to T-Dog as he came up to the van, and Tea really didn't know the man well enough to want to offer her help. Daryl began to get impatient when Rick went over and talked to Carol before once again talking to Shane. In an attempt to get his attention, he used his foot to stomp on the horn, surprising Glenn who didn't look too happy about it. He might have taken it better if Daryl hadn't kicked the wheel right over where the man's sitting, Tea thought to herself as she chuckled at the antics of her redneck.
It didn't take long before Rick climbed in as well and they began the short Rick had been told about Tea's condition by both Shane and Lori, but many others had mostly praises for the huntress; the biggest complaints were her fights with Shane and Merle and how aggressive she was in those altercations. She seemed to be quiet and closed off, almost aloof until she turned her eyes to you, something else noticed by others. They were like looking right into the eyes of the angel of judgement was what of the older members had said. However, she also explained how the girl had given her a leaf to chew to help treat her arthritis and then kept making sure the woman had a stock on hand for flare ups. Rick couldn't help but agree with those he talked to about the girl's attitude and eyes that saw much more than she ever showed. It almost felt as if every thought Rick had were read plain as day by her, calm and knowing. Looking at her, he couldn't see the unstable girl that Lori and Shane had made her out to be or the little angry ball of fury Carol had called her with the approval from those around her. He watched her wearily trying to see what the pair saw, but all he could see was a young woman surviving in a cruel world.
Finally, he got up the courage to ask her, "So, you're autistic?"
"Yeah, and ADHD. What of it?"
"Shane says you're unstable."
"The bastard would 'cause he's gone and gotten 'imself knocked on 'is ass for not gettin' the hint that I don' like bein' touched. Not my fault 'e's an ass."
"My wife, Lori, she says you're unpredictable, even dangerous. Says you've got a tendency to go straight to violence when something isn't going your way."
"Mr. Grimes, a rabbit can be dangarous when provoked. I have trouble controllin' me anga if I get pushed past a point a certain point, I can admit that, but I don' do shite without a reason ta do it, and Shane's given me a lot a reasons ta shout. Merle, too," she said tensely; Daryl's shoulder brushed against hers in a show of silent support.
"Yet you've knocked my best friend out twice for no reason. Beat another man down for no reason. They say you walk out of camp all the time for in-determinant amounts of time, and have a problem with authority," he stated, watching her reaction to see whether she would tell the truth. Even though he wasn't the best at being able to tell when someone was being truthful, he did know that there were tell-tale signs of lying and she didn't seem to be showing any of them.
"Mr. Grimes, have they told ya anythin' at all 'bout me otha than what they want ya ta know and think? Anythin' 'bout what I was doin' and what I have done?" she asked seriously. When the man answered that they hadn't, she began telling him about her life before the turn. "I was workin' on my PhD in forensic psychology while also workin' as one for the Atlanta PD, so I ain' stupid and I ain' unable ta think for myself unlike what people seem ta think back at camp jus' 'cause a my age. I can admit that I have a problem with people forcin' their viewpoints or themselves on me in any way, but I got plenty a reasons for that that I don' feel the need ta tell ya right now.
"What I will tell ya is that Shane has a problem with personal space and tyrant behavior, especially when it comes ta me, and Lori's backed 'im up every step a the way while tryin' ta domesticate me. Keep me in camp when my skill set ain' doin' the damn laundry or suckin' Shane's cock." That earned her a hard stare from the man as Daryl tried and failed to contain his amused scoff while the Rick and T-Dog just gave her confused looks. "Ya'll see what I mean by that soon 'nough, I'm guessin'. I'm a hunta, Mr. Grimes; my place is in the woods and by Daryl at the skinnin' station. Not doin' someone else's dirty laundry, 'specially when those otha people have their own pair a hands ta do it 'emselves. As far as knockin' Shane out, the first time it was 'cause 'e put 'is hands on me and called me weak right ta my face not even two seconds after I warned 'im what I'd do if 'e grabbed me again. I literally warned 'im that I wasn' as weak as I look and know more than one fightin' style 'fore 'e went and ignored me yet again. The second was honestly jus' an accident. I was aimin' for Merle." That earned a chuckle from T-Dog and Glenn while Daryl just scoffed again, pushing her with his shoulder.
"She really was," T-Dog proffered while smirking. "The man was off his rocker on whatever he'd been taking and said some real nasty stuff to her. Shoved her back a couple steps when Shane came over to get in the middle of them. She'd already been mid-swing when he got there. Impressive punch, though."
"Thanks," Tea said.
"Alright," Rick said while nodding his head, taking in the information. "And the man you beat for no reason?"
"I can only assume they're meaning when she beat up Merle on our first run," Glenn answered from the front. "That's the only time she's beat anyone in the camp other than the time she laid Shane out, well, aside from choking out Merle before we left for Atlanta. But she lied when she said it was just because she was angry he didn't help take down walkers! They got into a verbal fight and he punched her first, and then I don't really know how to describe it."
"I lost control. That's all that happened. I went inta auto-mode and just lost control. Elbowed Daryl in the jaw and escaped 'is hold twice 'fore I let 'im pull me away," she said.
"That true?" Rick looked to the man.
"Yeah, it's true," Daryl said.
"And you choked Merle out too?"
"He was beatin' on Daryl," was the only response he got for that as she stared hard at him, clearly daring him to keep this particular topic going.
"Why'd you lie about getting punched?" the cop asked, getting the hint and changing the subject.
"They were gettin' 'nough shite from the people at camp already and I was the one who flew off at the mouth. It was my fault the whole thing happened. I saw how shocked Merle was when 'e hit me and the short lived regret, but I was already headin' inta auto-mode when I was cussin' 'im out. I couldn' stop myself from flyin' off the handle. Don' think 'e had a reason ta regret it after that. And so ya know, I walk out a the camp all the time 'cause I need ta. There's so much noise in camp. Everyone's always chattarin', always got somethin' clinkin', always got someone bein' a bit too loud in mundane activities. I jus' need ta get away from time ta time. I don' really have a problem with authority so much as I got a problem with Shane and Lori thinkin' they can lord all ova me as if I was some sorta propaty. I been on my own since I was fourteen. I know what the hell I'm doin' and where I lie best in a group dynamic, let alone what is best for me. I ain' about ta let some strangas who don' respect my boundaries tell me what I can and cannot do," she gave willingly.
"And where is that, exactly, Miss -" Rick left the question hanging.
"Call me Tea, and it's keepin' people fed and healthy ta the best a my ability considarin' the way the world's turned. I hunt and forage and know how ta make herbal medicine that'll be needed 'ventually. I ain' no good doin' shite like cleanin' and laundry and shite. Neva have been, bein' honest. I hate shite like that. That's why I keep gettin' inta fights with Lori and why Shane is always bein' an ass. I won' listen ta people who don' undastand shite 'bout me."
"Do you think you can listen to me?" he asked seriously.
"Depends. Can ya listen ta me, too, not jus' 'xpect me ta listen no questions asked like Shane and Lori do?"
"I think I can manage that."
"Then here's ta workin' with ya, Mr. Grimes," she said while holding out her hand.
That surprised Daryl and T-Dog. Daryl was surprised because she had only ever initiated contact with him before as far as he knew and T-Dog was because she never wanted anyone to touch her since he'd met her without violence being involved. Rick shook her hand in confusion at the other men's reactions.
"I don' like bein' touched," she repeated as understanding began crossing his features before his brows furrowed again.
"Why the handshake then?" he asked.
"Cements the undastand slash agreement we've come ta," she stated plainly.
"And that is?"
"That ya need ta make up ya own damn mind in regards ta me and why I do what I do and am how I am. And that I can at least trust ya ta listen when I speak. Ya don' seem ta have a stick up ya ass like a lot a the othas, so I'm hopin' ya don' treat me like they do, let alone the Dixons. Ain' fair how they're treated."
Rick just nodded his head and the rest of the ride into the city was silent. She and Daryl were getting antsier by the second as they neared an overpass. They'd be leaving the safety of the van soon while not knowing what would happen in the city. Tea was alternating banging her knees together softly and bouncing her legs as her nerves began to creep up on her. It wasn't just the city that had her antsy, but the fact that she knew that Merle would be less than happy to see her and even less happy that she'd come with Daryl. Daryl was watching her face harden little by little before he leaned over while Rick was moving to the front to sit next to Glenn.
"Stay by me, Ania. Don't get separated, ya hear?" he whispered in her ear only for her to nod her head while she looked at him and took a deep breath. He looked over at T-Dog, who had missed their quiet interaction, angrily telling the man, "He better be okay. That's my only word on the matter."
"I told you," T-Dog cut him off. "The geeks can't get at him. Only thing that's going to get through that door is us," he said with conviction.
Glenn parked the truck before turning to the others and telling them they had to walk the rest of the way. It would be too risky to take the truck any further into the city than the outskirts he'd parked in. They all got out and grabbed their gear, T-Dog carrying the bolt cutters Rick had borrowed from Dale while Glenn and her grabbed the packs they always took with them when they went on a run. They traveled quickly towards the city from the outskirts, the skyscrapers already towering high overhead. Tea wasn't happy with the situation at all, especially considering they would have to go all the way up to the top of the damn things . On top of that, she had no control over this mission and at all. She hated the feeling of helplessness that was beginning to overpower her even though she she knew it was just nerves. The biggest problem she was having was the gut feeling that it was going to go wrong had her sending a quick prayer up to the gods that everything was wrong and everything would be fine.
As they entered the city through a cut in the barricade, Rick turned around and asked Glenn, "Merle first? Or the guns?"
"Merle!" Daryl shouted at him. "We ain't even having this conversation."
"We are," Rick said. "You know the geography," Rick told Glenn. "Your call."
"Merle's closest," Tea answered for him.
The young Asian agreed, "She's right. The guns would mean doubling back. Merle first."
They continued to run through the city being as quiet as possible. As soon as they could make it to the rooftops of the lower buildings, that's how they navigated to the department store and got inside. Cautiously moving as a unit with the two hunters in front, the group made their way to the staircase leading to the roof, taking out 'one ugly skank,' as Daryl called her, along the way. It was in a rush of movement that they climbed the stairs. Every step she took closer to the roof, the stronger Tea's feeling of dread became. Finally reaching the door to the roof, T-Dog took the bolt cutters and cut the lock. As soon as the chain was off, Daryl kicked the door open calling for his brother and rushing out, Tea hot on his trail. T-Dog, Rick, and finally Glenn broke out onto the roof running much slower than the two hunters. As Daryl jumped off the walkway leading to where Merle was supposed to be, Tea felt all the air leave her lungs.
While Daryl was shouting about what they found, all Tea could do was stare. It took a moment for her to remember how to breath before she came back to her senses. Even as Daryl continued to shout, she was thinking about the thousands of different ways she could have stopped all this from happening. Her guilt compounded as she watched Daryl emotionally break down in front of her. The handcuffs were still attached to the pipe Rick had left the older redneck at, but the only things that remained of Merle was the blood on the handcuffs and in a puddle underneath it, his severed hand laying next to it.