Lara took watch over the Dixon's protests after Red had signed off. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep, her anger warred with her sadness and her self loathing. She should have just shut Andrea down with no compromise. Lara didn't take Grouch on runs. He never would've been out there and never would've lost his damn foot if she had. This was all on Lara and Andrea.
Watch was boring but she didn't drop the ball. She kept looking out the window until the first rays of sun lit the sky. Then she woke the Dixon's. Both got up and started raiding the packs for food without protest. Lara choked down a granola bar at the stern looks the men gave her but she had no appetite.
They each took care of their business in silence before they were ready to go. Barton had insisted on checking her hand again which only throbbed dully now. Just bruised, she was pretty sure.
"All good?" Candyman asked, nodding outside. The men were carrying their packs and Lara's. It wasn't so much chivalry as it was pigheadedness. She didn't complain but checked the window again. Nothing out there. Not one shitbrain.
"We're good," Lara nodded, no hint of joking that morning. She wanted to get out of there and back home. She wanted to check on Grouch and then lay down the law with Andrea. She was gonna take no more shit from the other woman. She either played by the rules now or she was gone. Fuck what anyone else said. She'd got someone hurt, crippled even.
Both men shot her looks that might have been concern but she ignored them.
Merle drove and Lara was in between him and Barton.
"Mama Bear should be happy with all the shit we got at least," Candyman said when they'd left the town.
"Think she'd be happy with a couple of sets of clothes and a handful of diapers, she's gonna be over the moon," Lara agreed. Lori had changed over the past few weeks. She'd become less standoffish and irritable. Instead she was kinder, more concerned with everyone in the group and gentler. A true mom. It unnerved Lara but she pushed that part of her screwed up psyche away to feel happy for everyone else.
"Got tha' right," Barton nodded, his feet kicked up on the dashboard, his smoke hanging from his mouth.
"What we gonna do about yer run?" Candyman asked.
"Nothing for a while. Let everyone adjust before we take another team. We haven't got room in the truck to hit the farm anyhow," Lara said firmly. She was going to make sure everything was fucking perfect for the next excursion.
"And Sugartits?"
"Sugartits gets two options," Lara said quietly but bluntly. She was not budging on this shit. "Comply, or get out."
"Other folks might not like tha'," Candyman said, shooting her a look.
"I don't give two flying fucks. Not even one. Bitch gave Grouch a fucking death sentence if we ever lose those walls. She was going to leave us for dead. She's done."
She could feel Barton and Candyman looking at each other over the top of her head. She didn't look. She didn't care. She'd made up her mind and they had no chance of changing it. Andrea was done.
Lara squinted at something ahead. The road should be clear. It wasn't.
"Motherfucking assholes! Stop the truck!" She yelled double checking her throwing knives and her sword. She had two guns with ammo and one without. She'd need to stock up at the Pound once they got back.
"Princess," Candman barked.
"Damn it Merle stop this truck or I'm gonna jump out then I'm gonna kick your ass so hard those guys are gonna feel it!"
Candyman growled but stopped the damn truck. There were two people on the road, surrounded by bikes. Familiar bikes with familiar dicks on them.
Barton was first out with Lara scrambling behind him.
"You pricks again!" Lara yelled, her anger was gonna be vented before she could get to Andrea.
"You!" The president's face twisted with displeasure as he saw who had come to join their little party.
The two who had been surrounded looked fairly calm though the girl was trembling, her face showed nothing. Lara nodded to herself. The man was taking everything in, his eyes assessing the situation.
"You've not got all your backup and sniper rifles this time bitch. Just your two chumps. You can't win this one. Jump back on your truck while you can. Or you can join these two," the president said, his eyes wide with either pleasure or panic. She couldn't tell which. She really didn't wanna see his o face if it was anything like that.
"I think I'll join 'em," Lara beamed, ignoring the duo of groans behind her. She walked through the center of the bikes to join the kid and the man in the middle. Barton and Candyman right behind her.
"Hey! Nice to meet you, any enemy of my enemy is a friend!" Lara grinned at the two. The girl was now looking at her like she'd lost her mind. The man however was smirking ever so slightly. He was capable, she could tell. They were dirty, under fed and tired. They'd been on the road.
"You are one stupid woman, ain't ya," the president laughed. None of the others did though, they were looking at Lara and the Dixon's wearily.
"I'm sure you were going somewhere with this before we gatecrashed. Please, do go on. I'm riveted," Lara grinned again. As soon as the president turned slightly she whispered to the man next to her. "Do you have loaded guns?"
"No."
Lara nodded before whispering again, "ya can take my left hand one when ya need it, it's loaded with five rounds."
The man nodded slowly as well.
"It's simple, we want their food, your food and the girl."
"What happened to your lovely ladies?" Lara asked, noticing they were down one bike, one man and both women.
"They needed correcting, couldn't hack it. Now we need to replace 'em. So the girl."
"Yeah that's not happening," Lara sighed, tapping her right gun three times lightly, loud enough the Dixon's would know.
"You ain't gonna stop us! Either give it or we take it!"
"I told ya it wasn't gonna end well for you if I saw you again," Lara said as the president reached for something in his waistband. She reckoned that the gun he had actually held ammo.
Just as he pulled Lara said calmly, "now." She pulled her right gun as Barton and Candyman pulled theirs and shot the president. She took him straight out. No shoulder or thigh shots but a bullseye between the eyes. He was gonna take this little kid for the group. That wasn't something she could let slide. Some other kid could just take her place.
Two of the remaining men turned their bikes on and drove away, the others pulled on them. A tug from her left hand side indicated the man had taken her gun as she'd said.
It was short. All the men were soon down, none of them with ammo still presumably as they hadn't got a shot off. All but the president and vice president had injuries that wouldn't kill 'em but sure as shit would make sure they weren't coming back for more. The two top dogs were out of commission for good though.
"Thanks. For that," the man said, holding her gun back out to her, the safety on.
"Yeah. No problem," Lara said, taking the bikers in shrewdly. "Candyman, wanna have a quiet word with that one," she pointed out the enforcer who she thought would be next in charge of the severely diminished club.
"With pleasure Princess," Merle grinned in his hair raising way.
Barton stood at her shoulder, his weapons relaxed but ready to go in an instant.
"I'm Lara, that's Barton and over there is Candyman."
"This is Enid and I'm Paul, but my friends call me Jesus," Paul smiled widely. The girl looked less sure but her face never once wavered.
"He even comes with a built-in nickname," Lara giggled at Barton who rolled his eyes with a frown. "Look, we have a group. There's kids there, two who look about your age Enid. Women. Men. We all coexist pretty peacefully. It looks like you could both use somewhere for a while."
Paul and Enid shared looks with each other. Lara spoke again. "There's a two week period before we decide if you can stay permanently or not. And anytime you want to go you're free to. We have a fair amount of food, we have walls. You won't be able to keep guns on ya for those two weeks but ya can keep knives or if you're like Barton your crossbow or whatever. I ain't gonna force ya. You are more than free to walk away. But it's there."
Again the two shared a look. She couldn't read them properly yet but she thought they were gonna come along.
"Can you make assurances Enid would be safe there from people like that?" Paul asked, his eyes darting to the bikers still on the ground. Not one of the pussies had got up yet.
"Hell yeah. Not one of 'em's like that there," Barton insisted, sounding offended. Lara turned her head and smiled at him.
"You're not thinking of just leaving Enid there though are you? You can, but I'm not sure she'd be comfortable with that," Lara hedged. Enid did look like she was internally freaking out a little.
"No, no. I'm just, making sure," Paul replied. She wasn't sure she believed him.
Candyman came strolling back over. "Ain't gonna be a problem Princess. Here kid," Candyman threw a piece of candy at Enid who caught it with ease.
"Thanks," Enid whispered before cramming the thing in her mouth, she was obviously hungry.
Lara, Candyman and Barton looked on in concern. They'd all been hungry, starving even and the thought of a kid feeling that didn't sit well with any of them.
"Look, not going to be rude, but do you want to come? If not we'll give you the food and water from our packs but we've got to get back."
Lara was willing to empty her emergency pack for the kid and the man. They had more, these two didn't.
"We'll come. But we can leave whenever we want?" Paul hedged again.
"Sure, a heads up would be nice but yeah. No ones a prisoner," Lara nodded.
Barton snorted. "Ya gotta stop sayin' that shit before people get there."
Lara heard the groan and instantly threw her knife without thinking. It took out the shitbrain before it had even made it onto the tarmac of the road. "Times up gentlemen and lady. Let's go."
"Might wanna move if ya don't wanna get eaten assholes!" Barton yelled at the bikers.
"Gettin' better Princess, ya didn't even look then," Merle commented as they walked back to the truck Paul and Enid behind them, sticking closer as they passed through the bikers who were hurrying to move now.
"Keep practicing ol' man and ya might be as good as me one day," Lara smirked and laughed as he flipped her off. She quickly glanced at the small group and the accommodation on offer. It wasn't going to work. And they didn't have time to argue. "Can ya get the space between the back and the front open? The divider or whatever it is?"
Merle glanced at her then back to the truck. "Should be a window or something, why?"
"I'm going to ride in the back with Bird and Jesus, if ya have the window open you've got peace of mind," Lara reasoned.
Barton scoffed. "Window ain't gonna cut it. I'll ride with the three of ya. If the girl's anything like Twink or Sophia you'd be screwed if they decided to try it." She couldn't argue that point. The girls were getting damn good.
"I assure you we aren't going to try anything."
Merle rolled the back of the truck up, it was going to be a squeeze with four of them but it'd do for now.
"Assurances don't matter much now, not until ya get tha measure o' a man," Candyman said, surprisingly wisely for him.
It was an awkward ride back. Enid looked like she wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry and her eyes barely left Lara, except for when she ravenously finished all the food in Lara's pack and two water bottles. Paul glanced at all of them but ate just as eagerly. Lara was pressed side by side with Barton, not even a sheet of paper could pass between them. She tried to not notice how every single spec of skin that touched tingled and burnt and… It helped when Candyman cracked a window up front, though not by much. It was a relief when they were close enough to the Pound that Candyman called through the walkie talkie.
"Candyman here, we're on the home stretch in tha white van. Got two strays with us, gonna need the board and the kids."
010101010
Daryl stretched as he went out for his mornin' smoke, it was still damn cold, though spring was just round the corner. He frowned as he saw Jesus and Lara already out there. He liked Jesus already an' he'd only been there a week but he didn' like how close he was getting with Goldilocks. They were starting to be a trio rather than a duo now and it was getting fuckin' old. He missed just sitting chatting shit with her, just her. The guy didn't even smoke, he could let Daryl have that with her.
"Morning Barton," Lara grinned widely at him and his heart stuttered. It slowed again as her smile dropped a little and she stared at her feet. "Thanks… for last-"
"Always there," Barton shrugged, cutting her off since he knew what she was gonna say and he knew she didn't like talking about it. She had another nightmare the night before and as always he'd gone in and woke her up from it. Sat and chatted for a minute then gone back to bed. Lara beamed at him again and his heart sped up again.
The wind was cutting as it stung the air around the picnic benches.
"Jesus is gonna spar with me later, you want to join? Thought we could take it in turns tag teaming each other, work on some two on one then maybe get Candyman and Red to join before we get the kids and teach them a little?" Lara asked before taking a deep drag of her smoke.
"Sure. Makes my day watching ya get yer ass kicked," Daryl chuckled. Jesus was like nothing he'd ever seen in a fight before. No one else could take him. Michonne and Lara had gotten the closest when they took him on two on one. Even then Jesus hadn't seemed to break much of a sweat before he'd laid 'em both out. Daryl was glad the man was willing to teach 'em a thing or two.
"Oh, meeting of the board too tonight. They're gonna decide if what I said sticks or we start dolling out three strikes," Lara sighed and stared at the glowing ember of her smoke, her smile once again dropping.
There had been a huge disagreement when Lara had laid down the law with Andrea. Not helped by the fact Lara had done it after she'd knocked the bitch on her ass with a single punch.
Daryl shrugged, he thought that there wasn't an answer there. Someone left someone else for dead, no way was that three strikes. Someone stole an extra ration cause they were still hungry. That shit ya should get more chances for. He was gonna suggest it went case by case.
Oscar had recovered pretty well and was already up and about on his remaining foot with the help of a crutch someone had found in the infirmary. Andrea had apologized but left his sorry ass as soon as he'd been conscious for more than an hour. She had little to no friends left anymore in the Pound.
Whole thing was getting out of hand, Daryl wasn't level headed enough to help with it though. The bitch was gonna leave his brother and Goldilocks out there to die. He wanted her gone.
"Enid's been asking about where she'd stay if we're here permanently? I haven't wanted to get her hopes up so I've just said we'll see. I don't want an answer now. I just wanted to know if one of you'd be able to talk to her, maybe reassure her a little. Kids scared of making friends and settling I think," Jesus said after a moment of Lara and Daryl smoking in silence.
Daryl looked to Goldilocks, her eyebrows raised and she cocked her head. He could read her damn mind by now he was sure of it. She was hoping Suzie might step in and speak with her. Daryl nodded, he was sure that she would. Carol was in her element with Twink and Sophia, it was only a matter of time before she took Enid in anyway. The three girls were already almost always together. Even if Enid was on the periphery a little.
"We'll ask Suzie," Lara said with a small smile that looked a little sad.
Daryl leant back and stretched his leg out so he nudged her foot with his. Not a kick like Merle would'a done, just a nudge to let her know, he was there.
Twink had started calling Carol mom, like Sophia. It wasn't surprising the woman was a mom to the five year old. What had been surprising though was that Twink had cried her eyes out the first time saying Lara was gonna be upset with her because Lara had been her first real mommy, and she still loved Lara.
Daryl wouldn't never forget finding Lara in a heap as she sobbed over the little girl thinking that shit. Apparently she'd put Twink right, that Lara would always, always love her but if she wanted to call Carol mom, if she wanted Carol to be her mom that Lara wouldn't love her any less or be anything over than happy for the little girl. And that she would always be there for Twink no matter who Twink had in her life.
Lara looked up, her lips twitching a little. Not a real smile but good enough.
"Thanks," Jesus sighed.
Goldilocks looked at him again and twitched her head a little toward Jesus before widening her eyes a little. Daryl shrugged then nodded.
"Don't think either of ya have anything to worry about. Everyone likes you both, it's like you've always been here. Just don't shoot anyone important in the next few days and you're good to go. If you want to anyway," Lara told the man, her head turned to face him properly but blowing her cigarette smoke away from him.
Jesus' shoulders dropped a little as though a load had been taken off. Daryl sighed. He was glad that the kid and Jesus had been brought in. Glad they weren't out there anymore. He was. He also missed hanging out with just Goldilocks without the other guy around though.
020202020
Merle grinned at Jesus as he came limping over, his face was red and he was coated in sweat. He was doing better than Merle would've not that he'd admit that shit. Darylina and Princess were laid out on the floor passing a cigarette both and forth.
"Those two together are unstoppable," Jesus said, taking the water that Kill Bill offered with a nod.
Red, Suzie, Kill Bill, Officer Friendly and him had been watching the sparring. It had been less sparring and more open warfare in the end. It was also illuminating. Daryl and Lara apart could barely land a hit on Jesus and he took them to pieces. Together… they did everything possible to make sure the other didn't get hit and caused as much damage as possible doing it.
"Yeah, tell them that," Red snorted with his arms folded across his chest.
Jesus glanced at all of them one after the other. "So, they're not, together then? I still wasn't sure."
"Nah, they're both stubborn as fuckin' mules. Neither will make a god damn move. They could've been doing the good stuff for months now, instead of pussying around each other," Red shook his head at the two that were still on the grass.
"These guys have been tryin' to push them together. That's never going to work though," Officer Friendly said. Rick had refused to help the match making, he found their attempts funny.
"Why?" Jesus asked.
Merle sighed and shrugged. They'd tried, it looked like it was time to give it up as a bad job. "Daryl'd need Princess to give him a solid gold invitation to do anythin' and Princess would need Daryl to make the first move. Both of 'em are screwed up."
"Aren't we all?" Jesus sighed.
"You want in? One last push and if it doesn't work we give up," Mitch suggested, looking Jesus over shrewdly. "I think we might be able to sort something."
"I'm out, good luck to y'all though," Rick smirked before swaggering off.
Jesus looked at Kill Bill before glancing back to the two who were finishing their smoke together. "Yeah, okay. I'll help."
"Good. I've got an idea," Mitch's smile was just a touch too wide. The bitches in this place were fucking scary at times.
030303030
Daryl was sitting shaping the tips of the new bolts he'd made, he was on the floor in the relative privacy of the yard in a shady corner. It might've been cold but it was still sunny enough to hinder him from seeing properly. He'd been on a hunt that morning and only seen Carol since he got back, she'd had a huge smile on her face and was humming. He wasn't sure he wanted to know why.
It was voting day tomorrow for Jesus and Enid, he wasn't even a bit anxious they wouldn't get in. Kids were becoming a tight until now and they were talking about making a couple of the offices into little rooms for 'em.
The only problem was the only rooms left were near his and Lara's. Goldilocks had been firm on those staying empty. She hadn't wanted to wake the kids every night.
He looked up as he heard people walking close by, they hadn't seen him but Maggie, Kill Bill, Jesus and Goldilocks were right near his corner.
"Okay, well anytime you want any pointers I'm more than happy to help," Jesus was saying before he laid a hand on Lara's shoulder. She flinched slightly but didn't move away. Daryl frowned. Jesus was getting way too close to Goldilocks for his liking. His shoulders dropped, he couldn't think that shit. It wasn't like they were together. He still hadn't figured anything about her out. He was sure they both felt something. He was also sure she was out of his league and he didn't entirely know that it was more than just flirting. He didn' want to be turned down and fuck up the friendship they had. Because she was a damn good friend. She got him. And that was something else.
The girls stopped as Jesus walked off.
"You know, I think Jesus is into you," Kill Bill started with a little smirk as she turned to Lara. Daryl's hand tightened on his knife.
"What, no way. I think Re-"
"Well so do I. He's cute too, you should go for it," Maggie interrupted.
"He isn't, even if he was though…" Lara broke off with a sigh, her face turning a little wistful.
Kill Bill gave her a small, sad smile. "You've still got it bad for Barton?"
Daryl sat up straighter, his ears straining for Lara's answer.
"Yeah. Not like anythings come of it. I don't know how to be more obvious without jumping him. I flirt, I touch him, I let him touch me, not like that, get your mind out of the gutters." Daryl flushed red as Maggie and Michonne cackled.
"I mean… it's fine. I like him, a lot. But I don't wanna screw anything up and I knew that he'd never want anything with me, I just can't shake this… crush, infatuation?"
Daryl's mind was blank. She didn't think he wanted anything with her? She did want something with him? He dropped his knife and his bolt. The fuck was happening?
"I really do think he likes you. But, it's Daryl, he could just want to be friends," Kill Bill said softly, as though she was delivering bad news.
"I know, and I respect that. I'm not going to push myself on him," Lara shrugged with a small sad smile.
Maggie sighed. "Well I think the two of ya are already in a relationship without the good stuff. Just make a move."
Lara shook her head. "No. I'm not forcing myself on him. I'll just… I'll keep trying to get over him, I guess."
"Best way to get over someone is to get under someone else," Maggie said with a laugh. "Jesus-"
Daryl's heart was pounding. His hands felt sweaty. This was it. He had to either leap then or let her get away. Jesus wasn't an idiot. Not like Daryl. Daryl had the girl waiting on him, he just had to reach out and get her. He felt a little sick, he felt sicker at the thought of Jesus getting to see her naked, to see her gasp in pleasure, at the thought of Jesus kissing those perfect pouty lips. Jesus getting to sit with her and just hold her hand. Daryl being the third wheel.
Fuck that shit.
He didn't rightly know what he was doing, but he was fucking doing it.
Daryl got up from the ground. Lara's head instantly turned at movement, her eyes widened and her face burnt a bright red he'd never seen the likes of. She turned on her heel, not quick enough though.
"Ya know Goldilocks, fer someone so damn smart yer a fuckin' dumbass sometimes," Daryl growled, lightly grabbing her arm to stop her running off.
She turned to him, her face still burning, her eyes still wide, but he didn't give her a chance to say anything. Instead he surged forward and pressed his lips to hers.
There was a moment where they both just stood, lips touching. His heart was damn near bursting from his chest with every forceful pound, but her lips… Damn they were as soft and as gentle as he'd always imagined. The moment passed and Lara was kissing him back. Her hands wrapping around the back of his neck as he took hold of her waist and pulled her body flush against his in a way he'd envisioned in his dreams. Daryl licked at her full bottom lip and she opened to him, pulling him closer by the little hairs at the bottom of his head. He couldn't fuckin' believe it.
"About damn time!" Kill Bill yelled but Daryl didn't let go of Goldilocks, just moved one hand to flip the woman off. He felt Lara remove one of her hands as well but she didn't stop kissing him. He wanted so much to press her against the wall and fuck her right then and there.
Daryl broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers, his breath coming in pants.
"So, ya like me too then?" Lara asked with a wide grin.
"What gave it away?" Daryl smirked before kissing her gently this time. He liked the way she melted against him, going all soft and sweet at the small touch.
Her small hands ran down his arms and he shivered at the touch. Soft and slow like that felt different than anything he'd done before. A good different. He moved one hand from her waist and cupped her cheek. She was so fucking soft and smooth.
They broke apart again and her smile was wider than he'd ever seen it.
"Whoop!" Maggie cheered and was joined by others.
Daryl felt a heat slide up his neck and into his cheeks as Lara and he turned to see most of the damn Pound watching and cheering. He noticed that Tommy Boy and Andrea were both absent.
"Nosey bastards!" Lara yelled at them all. "Erm… ya wanna go, anywhere that's not here right now?"
"Just bin huntin' but can go again, never have enough food," Daryl said, wanting to be anywhere other than there right then too.
"Alright, I'll grab my shit and meet you back here?" Lara looked up at him through her eyelashes and he couldn't help it. He kissed her again. She was addictive.
"Yeah, I'll be here," Daryl nodded before she ran off.