Lara, Maggie, Michonne and Rosita were 'doing laundry'. It was Maggie's turn doing the job but the others were helping. Or originally they had. It had devolved into gossip, giggling and girl talk. Lara had never had this before and she was soaking it up.
"I was thinking something classy. I don't want it too revealing," Maggie fretted looking between Lara and Kill Bill.
"I promise, I will do everything in my power to bring you back a none slutty wedding dress," Lara said somberly.
"Ya know it'd make me feel better if ya didn't say things like that. Don't risk ya life just for a dress," Maggie said, her eyes wide, her hands still in the water.
"I promise I'll do everything in my power to make sure she doesn't do anything completely stupid," Michonne added, flicking Lara with water.
"Now that does make me feel better," Maggie laughed and Lara flipped her off. These people. No faith.
She was going with five other people, she wouldn't risk their lives. Maggie had come to her earlier asking if they passed a wedding dress shop on their run, and if it was safe enough, if Lara would get her one. Lara would make damn sure they passed a wedding dress shop. Even if she had to take a hundred mile detour. Heidi and Flash deserved to have the best wedding they could in this world.
"And you promise to make sure Abraham doesn't do anything too reckless," G.I. Jane asked Michonne with a smirk.
"I promise to try," Michonne shrugged.
"Eh, good enough," Rosita sniggered, taking the washed top off Maggie and hanging it up. For the size of it, it was Twink's. Either that or they were really screwing this up.
Lara chewed her lip and looked at the women she was with. They were gossiping with each other but she thought they'd keep her confidence. Did she want to put herself out there like that though?
Lara reached into the pile of dirty clothes and started washing one of Daryl's tops. The one she had borrowed a few nights back. Her tongue licked at her scar.
"So how are things going with you and Daryl, Princess? You've been pretty tight lipped," Heidi broke Lara out of her staring contest with the shirt. She turned her head to the water and started washing it.
"They're… good. Really, really good," Lara said with a small smile. She carried on washing the shirt but looked up when no one spoke for a few minutes. The women were all looking at her with raised eyebrows. "What?"
"Good? That's all we're getting, good?" Rosita asked.
"What more do you want?" Lara asked blankly. She thought really good was a fairly accurate, if low key response to that question.
"Details!" All three of the other women said together.
Lara resisted the urge to take half a step back. She thought back to something Merle had said and was inclined to agree with him. Bitches were crazy.
"I dunno. Barton doesn't like everyone knowing his business," Lara hedged. It was true, he hated it. She'd managed to stop most of the teasing, but she knew he still got a little.
She scrubbed the shirt a little harder, she wasn't sure if it was mud or blood on the sleeve but it wasn't coming out easy.
"It's just us girls. Come on! We've been hoping for this for ages! Spill!" Heidi insisted, passing another of Twinks' shirts to Michonne.
Lara shook her head. "Okay…fine… he's amazing, the best fuck I've ever had. And boy does he have stamina," Lara grinned thinking back to the night before. Screw diamonds multiple orgasms while being pounded into a mattress was a girl's best friend.
The women all smirked and looked back at her expecting more.
Lara thought how much she wanted to say.
"He's… it's not just the fuckin' though. He helps me with shit. I don't even know if he knows he's doing it. But like…the run. I let my mind spin out through my mouth and he just asked these questions that made me go, 'yeah, that's it!' Like a eureka moment."
The women nodded.
"I don't know. Barton's… like my partner rather than just someone I'm screwing."
Michonne smiled at Lara. "That's called being in a relationship."
Lara passed the now clean top to Rosita. She guessed it was. A relationship that is.
Lara nibbled at her lip as she dried her hands on her jeans. She looked at the women again. She carried on wiping her hands, even when they were dry.
"How do ya know ya love someone?" Lara whispered, half hoping they'd help her with her dilemma, half hoping no one would hear.
Heidi was the one who spoke up. "They're the first one you think of in the morning and the last thing on your mind at night."
Well Daryl had been that before they'd been in the… relationship. Did both parties have to agree that was what it was before they were in one? Did she have to have another awkward talk with him? She sure as shit hoped not.
"You'd literally die for them," Rosita added.
Well she'd do that for anyone in the Pound. She amended that a little. She'd die for most people in the Pound. Some she'd probably just take a painful papercut for.
"You'd do anything to stop their pain. Emotional as well as physical," Kill Bill almost whispered her voice half choked and far away.
Lara nibbled her lip. There wasn't anything she wouldn't do to make Barton smile. To see that relaxed look on his face. She'd go to any lengths to make sure she took a hit instead of him.
"You want to be with them constantly. And if anything happens, good or bad, they're the ones you want to tell."
Lara shook her head. She had thought as much. She was screwed. She was in love with Daryl Dixon. A man she was sure would never return the emotion.
She cleared her throat and reached for a pair of pants. "So this wedding dress? Are we going pure white? Or are you thinking of something more daring?"
She ignored the knowing looks the others sent each other. She was going down the route of denial for just now.
Not too long after that conversation Twink ran into the small room they were using off the kitchen, Enid on her heels.
"Girls against boys!" Twink blurted out breathlessly, a huge smile on her face.
Lara laughed. "Full sentences, Twinkle-toes."
Enid grinned at all the women. "We're playing baseball. It's girls against the boys. We need you!"
"I got laundry duty, sorry ladies. The others can play though," Maggie said, gesturing to the half pile of still dirty clothes they had to wash. Doing laundry for twenty seven people was not easy. Or fun.
"No! We all pway!" Twink demanded folding her arms over her chest and stomping her foot.
Lara raised her eyebrows at the girl and put a stern look on her face despite wanting to laugh. "Excuse you?"
Twink deflated a little and turned her face down to the ground with a pout. "Sowwy. Heidi, I help wit' the laundwee after. Pwease pway."
Lara shrugged. It was a pretty good apology.
"That's better." She nodded before ruffling the little girl's hair.
"I'll help too, please come and play Heidi?" Little Bird had some damn good puppy dog eyes going on. Heidi was going to break.
"Okay. Sure. But ya both better help after, ya here? I don't want Tyresse on my back for this," Maggie's voice tried to be stern but her wide grin didn't help any.
They followed the girls outside. Sure enough Eastwood, Flash and Backer were marking up a baseball pitch.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Enid? You're going to get your ass kicked!" Carl yelled out happily as the girls joined the others waiting. The teams seemed to be; Twink, Enid, Sophia, Carol and Sasha, along with the four who'd been doing laundry and the guys; Rick, Glenn, Tyreese, Carl, Rain, Daryl, Jesus, Merle and Red. The girls were not looking good if Lara had to be honest.
"You're kidding right? You've got the old men on your team, we've got youth on our side!" Enid yelled right back grinning widely, her eyes flashing. "Right!"
"Right!" Lara yelled back with the others knowing they were gonna lose but have a hell've'a time doing it.
Lara was right. They did lose, spectacularly but it had been the perfect afternoon. The kids and the adults all running around playing, laughing, smack talking. The way Eastwood raised Eastwood Junior up in celebration after he got a homerun and the way Carol and Lara did the same for Sophia (the both of them had to raise her together to get the height). The way Merle had tried to get Lara out but missed and Daryl had got her out instead smacking her ass as he did. It was the way the girls built each other up and made teasing songs for the boys. It was how Flash had lived up to his name and how Daryl had slid onto the home plate with so much finesse it turned her on. How Kill Bill did a backflip and Axel almost took his back out trying one as well. It was just perfect and Lara would always, always remember it. A perfect way to say goodbye for a week-long run.
01010101
Daryl hugged Carol back, they were saying bye to everyone at the Pound. It was odd to be sayin' bye for a week -which everyone knew could be longer or even forever- he was actually gonna miss most of these assholes. And he was gonna worry abou' them. Still there was no way he was letting Lara go off without him for that long, nor Merle.
"Take care of yourself okay Pookie?" Carol asked with mock sternness but he could see the real worry in her eyes.
Daryl nudged her. "Will do. You take care too, and take care o' those girls." He knew she would but he felt better for saying it anyway.
"You know it. Take care of Merle and Lara too? All of them of course, but-"
Daryl nodded, she didn't need to say more. Lara and Carol were close, had ta be for the girls but they got on in their own right too. And then Merle was Carol's… boyfriend or somethin'. Of course she was gonna worry about them.
"Give Lara a hug from me too will you? I'd try but…"
Daryl gave a short nod again. Yeah, Lara still avoided touch, 'cept his, the kids and occasionally Merles. Though he'd never seen her actually hug Merle. He wasn't gonna complain none about giving her an extra hug.
"Just, stay safe. Stay inside, yeah?" Daryl asked. His biggest worry was that someone decided to go outside of the walls while they were away. Especially one o' the fucking kids. Just 'cause they could take care of themselves didn't make 'em invincible.
"I will. And I'll keep the rest inside too. Don't worry about us, we'll be fine, just keep your head in the game," Carol said before giving him one last hug.
Daryl chewed at his lip as Carol walked over to the girls. Twink was crying as Merle and Lara walked towards the waiting cars. Both of their backs were stiff and shoulders high. He got why they were doing the run, but he wasn't sure if it was worth it. Splitting up like this didn't feel right. He could see it didn't with the others either. And it was for a lot of damn maybes. He sighed going over to the vehicles too. He'd said goodbye to everyone else. Or most people anyway. Andrea had tried hugging him bye but at the look Lara had shot her had refrained. Tommy Boy hadn't even bothered coming out. He was glad of that. He just knew the kid would have tried hugging Lara and he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep it at a glare like Goldilocks had done.
He didn't like the thought of no other man touching her. He didn't know he was possessive or jealous. He'd never had someone to be it over, but he guessed with Goldilocks he was. Daryl wasn't entirely sure he liked the feeling.
He shook his thoughts away as he got in the old truck that him and Lara were taking. The same one that they'd used on the scouting run with Glenn. She was already inside in the driver's seat, they were leading the group this time, though everyone had maps. With literally everything printed on them in Lara's untidy scrawl. As well as bug out bags, weapons, more weapons, rations and more weapons. She'd already put in a CD, had a cigarette lit and was not looking at anything but the gates in front. Her eyes were damp but she wasn't crying.
"Ya good?" He asked as he closed the door behind him.
"Yeah. Didn't expect her to cry. I'm good though," Lara said quietly, she looked in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were on the cars behind. When everyone was inside she raised her hand out to Maggie and Glenn who were waiting on her signal to open the gates.
The first day's ride was uneventful. Lara cheered up after a couple of songs and started chatting shit to him again. Shit about sports an' fishing, abou' music, films, old jobs. Nothin' and everything.
They spent the first night in tents by the side of the road. Taking it in turns to keep watch. Two hour shifts each so everyone got a decent amount of sleep. It was fuckin' cold and he missed his bed, but he'd had it worse so he wasn't gonna complain.
The second day didn't go so well.
"If we can make good time we should be there early tomorrow morning I think," Lara said as Daryl drove. She was looking through her damn maps again and then to her notes and back again. He rolled his eyes and squashed the urge he had to throw 'em out the window. She probably would skin him alive fer it.
"Keep ya eyes open fer a wedding dress shop through here. Sometimes those small towns had fancy ones," Lara said as they started getting closer to one of five towns they should pass through that day.
"Ya go to many?" Daryl smirked, he was only half jokin' but she'd had a boyfriend for a year. Maybe she had.
Goldilocks snorted. "Fuck no. I might've been a fucking idiot but I wasn't brain dead. I wasn't never gonna marry that piece of shit."
He felt a bit better knowing that. Not that it mattered even if she was gonna marry him. She'd killed him in the end. And she was with Daryl now. He sure as shit hoped things didn't end the same way.
"Hey, Barton?" Lara asked, nibbling her lip as the first few houses started coming up. They were smaller, single storey houses with big yards but small everything else.
"Hmm?"
He glanced at her to see her licking her scar and fiddling with her fingers. "We're… I mean… Are we, in a relationship?"
Daryl's eyebrows shot up. He didn't know what the fuck to say. Why the hell did she ask him when they were in a damn car and he couldn't escape? Was that why? It was a good strategy and she was good at strategy. He took a breath. Fuck. He had to answer her.
They spent every night together, every night for three weeks, which was a record for him. Of course two nights was a record for him. He had feelings, a lot of damn feelings for her. He'd almost asked her to move her shit into his room a couple of nights back. He thought back to what Maggie had said the day they kissed for the first time. 'I think the two of ya are already in a relationship without the good stuff.' He hadn't denied that then, and they definitely had the good stuff now.
"Yeah. Guess we are. You okay with that?"
He smiled as she let out a huge breath. He thought she might've been holdin' it while waiting fer his answer.
"Yeah. I'm good with that," she put her hand on his thigh and squeezed it gently.
"What would ya have done if I'd said no?" Daryl smirked.
Lara looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well I contemplated throwin' myself outta the truck. But really I probably just would've pretended I was fine till I was," she shrugged.
Daryl frowned at that. He didn' want her pretending shit with him. "Nah. Ain't doin' that with me. Yer not fine I wanna know. Come ta compromise or some shit."
"Compromise about being in a relationship? Which we are?"
He shrugged. Fuck if he knew. He just knew he wanted ta know when she wasn't fine. When she was upset and hurting along with the good shit. "Ya know what I mean. Yer don't normally hold back on me, don't start now."
Lara nodded, he noticed a small blush creeping up her cheeks, she was damn cute. "Alright then."
He took her hand from his thigh and held it, interlocking their fingers.
It happened in a second. There was a loud bang, the car wasn't responding and then, crash!
Pain shot through his head, a sudden sharp, blinding pain, that made everything flash white for a second. His eyes squinted against the pain then his stomach lurched. "Goldilocks! Ya okay?"
He turned to look at her. Blood poured from a gash in her head and her eye was already blackening, but it was open and taking in their surroundings.
"Fine," she raised the walkie talkie as she spoke. "It's an ambush. You know what to do!"
Daryl's bleary head struggled for a moment as his body moved on autopilot; he took two of his smaller knives and slid them into his boot. He emptied the ammo from his guns and stashed it under his seat all except one which he shoved into his other boot.
"Are you okay?" Lara asked urgently, her eyes staring directly into his as she smeared the blood further around her face. Daryl could see figures moving outside the car.
"I'm okay," he said gruffly. She looked fuckin bad though. Her pupils were just pinpricks. He couldn't remember if that was a sign of a concussion or not. "Yer sure yer okay?"
She didn't answer as their doors were ripped open and they were dragged out of the car.
Daryl looked around. There were nine of them. All wearing bandanas around their faces up to their eyes. All men that he could see.
He tried fighting the one that had a hold of him on instinct but the gun pushed to his temple had him stopping pretty quick. He couldn't do shit if he was dead.
He glanced at Lara, she had a gun to her head too but her head was lolling around as though she couldn't keep it up properly. His heart raced. He looked around for the rest of the group. Merle was limping but other than that looked okay, Jesus had a split lip, Red was spitting blood and Michonne was crying.
They all were thrown on the ground next to each other, the men that had them at gunpoint stood around them in a circle.
"Guns!" One of the men barked at them. He had a red bandana, a red top and a red hat.
"Red," Lara muttered, sounding spaced out.
"That's right girly. Now she don't look too good. Hand over the guns and the keys to your cars, any other shit you have on you and you might be able to get her somewhere to save her," the guy in red said firmly.
Daryl handed over his empty guns with a scowl for the man in front of him.
"Hands where we can see 'em!" Another guy yelled at Red. This one was wearing a black bandana. The rest of his outfit didn't match, Daryl guessed the guy in red was in charge.
"Jesus," Lara whimpered.
"How the fuck am I supposed to hand you my gun and keep my hands where you can see them when the guns near my goddamn ass!" Red snarled.
Another man with a black bandana stepped forward and back handed Red. Red didn't move an inch, just spat out a mouthful of blood at the man's feet.
"Gold," Lara swayed.
"Jim! Cool it man! We get their shit and get out, don't need to be hurting people!" Another of the men said.
Lara stayed quiet.
"You're new here Artie," a guy with a pink bandana, who didn't look any less butch for it, said with a snide tone. "But, sometimes, the mouthy ones need a little extra encouragement. Of course with two women with them, these guys aren't gonna be too much trouble, now are ya?"
"Kill…" Lara whimpered, looking pale under the vivid red that stained her face.
"No darling, no one needs to be killed. There's easier ways of getting your friends to comply," the man called Jim stroked Lara's hair and Daryl felt every instinct in him screaming. He lurched for the fucker.
He didn't get far before a man had placed a boot on his shoulder and shoved him back down. A gun pressed harder into his head now.
"Daryl!" Lara yelled, her eyes sharper, focused and her swaying stopping suddenly.
"Hey! Look. Let's just get this over with. Hand over the damn guns."
Lara glared at the man at Daryl's head.
"Candyman," she said, nodding at Merle and the man behind him.
"Artie go, get their shit from the cars! We've got the guns. As soon as we've got that, we're done. As long as they behave they can go on their merry way."
As soon as 'Artie' walked away Red started laughing.
"What the fuck are you laughing at? We've got your cars, half of you are hurt, we've got your keys, gonna have your shit. And yet, there you kneel laughing at us. You got a death wish?"
Red looked up and grinned with blood stained teeth. "You fucked with the wrong group."
Red's words made them all act. Daryl pulled his gun and shot the guy Lara had allocated him without any hesitation, turning his head quickly as multiple gunshots went off. There were three that weren't down. One of them Artie who stood by the cars with his hands up. They were empty, not even a pack in them. The other two were taken down by Merle and Michonne.
"Everyone really okay?" Lara asked, her eyes darting to Daryl first then the rest. Her words were clear and articulate, the swaying completely stopped, except for the blood and the black eye, she looked completely fine now. She'd had him fuckin' worried too, he'd been through this scenario with her, they all had, but fuckin' hell if his heart didn't feel like it was trying to pound through his damn chest.
"All good," Merle said, standing up and helping Jesus up with his flesh hand. No trace of a limp. Michonne looked as if she'd never cried a tear in her life before, her face the hard mask it usually was when she meant business.
"Worked just like ya planned Princess," Red nodded at her looking proud. Lara just waved him away, her eyes darting to the one man who remained unharmed.
"Archie, it's good to see you. What the hell were you doing with those assholes? And should I be shooting at ya?" Lara asked, standing up and facing the man, her arms folding across her chest, her eyes narrowed and jaw set.
Daryl frowned. Archie? Archie like the guy who'd helped her commit murder? Her tattoo artist?
"Lara…" the man nodded and slowly he moved the bandana away from his face. He was older, older by far than Merle, his face heavily lined and his neck fully covered in tattoos. "I wasn't sure you'd recognise me. Damn girly I'm glad you're okay. And no. You don't need to shoot. I'm not with them. Or I was but they're a problem my group was having. I was getting info on them before I took care of the problem. Guess you guys did that for me?"
"Stared at those tattoos for too many hours not to recognise them on sight," Lara said, her shoulders dropping a little.
One of the men on the floor pointed his gun at Red and pulled the trigger with a feral growl. The chamber however was empty and all that happened was a pathetic click.
"Hang on," Archie said, pulling a gun from his pocket. He methodically went around and placed a bullet in each of the men's heads. "Didn't want them to come back for revenge, they would have done and it wouldn't have been pretty."
"Your group something we need to worry about? We're just passing through, not staying, but we can pass a different way." Lara said as though the execution hadn't bothered her but he saw the way her skin paled.
"Do you fuckers worry about anyone else? These guys had you pinned and you took 'em out without blinking. Knew you'd grow up good but damn that was fucking cold."
Daryl took in the man's body language, he was trying to look relaxed but he was tense, his eyes focusing on Lara but glancing around at everyone individually every few seconds. He was worried. Daryl was more worried about the fact the man hadn't put his gun away and hadn't thought twice about killing five people.
"We don't want any fights we can avoid. So your group? Do we need to worry?" Lara might've known him before but she wasn't giving this man an inch.
"No. We don't want any fights neither. We've got a base three towns away. This big country house, we put walls up and everything it's pretty defenceable but these guys 'The Marauders' they called themselves attacked any of ours that left. That's the only reason I'm here," Archie said in a deep voice.
"An' why should we trust yer word?" Merle asked.
Lara nibbled at her lip then winced at the action.
"Lara knows me. She knows my word's worth somethin' an' she knows I won't hurt anyone who don't deserve it," Archie told Merle.
Lara glanced at Daryl, wavered then nodded. "Archie's okay." She walked over to him, finally turning her back on Archie. Her eyes raked over his face, a small frown pulling her lips down. "Need to get you patched up Barton. I don't want that cut getting infected. Bill, can you check the others over properly please?"
"Sure thing Princess," Michonne said and Daryl heard the grumbles of the others.
"Sit yer runt ass down, you an' Daryl are tha worst. We'll take care of ya. Damn girl you are a giant pain in my ass. Jesus the bags with the red tags. Mitch ya look fine, check Red," Merle barked unhappily.
"Yes dad!" Lara smirked, taking Daryl's hand and taking him over to their truck which had a blown tire and which Archie was standing next to. She slid down the side of the truck and sat on the ground. Daryl did the same by her side.
"Dad? I thought ya didn't have a clue who yer old man was," Archie said, raising an eyebrow at Lara, his eyes darting to Daryl and back to Goldilocks. He didn't miss the way Archie took in how easy her body language was with him.
Lara blanched slightly at that. "I don't. That's Merle, found him near the beginning. We've been together ever since. He likes to think he's my dad. Still don't know who my sperm donor was." Her eyes went wide and she looked at Daryl. "Oi! Candyman! You never fucked a whore in Decatur did ya?"
Merle glanced over at them with a frown, he was digging through the medical supplies. "What? No! I only ever fucked one whore and that was when I was deployed. Do I look fuckin' desperate? Don't answer that unless ya want yer ass kicking!"
Lara let out an exaggerated breath. "Thank fuck. For half a second I had an image of you being my uncle," she said looking directly at Daryl.
Daryl winced. Yeah he was damn glad Merle didn't pay ta fuck.
Archie was watching them with his eyebrows raised. "You've changed kiddo."
Lara shrugged, Daryl couldn't imagine her being no other way. "Well dead came back to life, I adjusted."
Archie shook his head in disagreement but didn't elaborate.
Lara glanced at her old tattoo artist then turned to face Daryl. "You sure you're okay? That looks nasty. It doesn't hurt too bad?"
"Stop yer worryin' I'm fine. Damn near had a heart attack when yer started acting like yer were drunk though. How d'ya act so damn fast?" Daryl hadn't thought of anything except his pain and making sure Goldilocks was okay, she was making sure everyone knew what was going on before the tires had even stopped spinning.
"All that planning wasn't for nothing," Lara chuckled and nudged his arm with her shoulder. "It might drive ya mad but it works."
"Damn straight it does. Now Darylina, let's look at yer," Merle was in front of them, wipes, gauze, bandages and butterfly stitches in his hand.
"Nah, Princess first," Daryl shook his head. He hadn't seen himself but he bet she was worse off.
"You two are both stubborn fuckin' assholes. Yer think she's gonna let me fix 'er up before ya? No. So shut up and let me sort this shit out," Merle barked, brandishing a wipe.
Daryl avoided looking at anyone as Merle patched him up. His brother hadn't done this since Daryl was about five. Their dad had lashed into Daryl pretty damn bad and Merle had cleaned him up, ignoring the cries Daryl made.
Lara grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. He squeezed back but didn't look at her.
"Here Lara," Jesus' quiet voice had Daryl looking up. He was handing Goldilocks one of her throwin' knives.
"Ya didn' shoot?" Daryl asked.
"I wasn't going to waste ammo," Lara replied with a small shrug.
"Thanks Jesus," Lara told the other man. "You're okay?"
"It's just my lip, think we had worse sparring. To keep to your timeframe though we're going to need to replace the tire on the truck and get out of here within the hour. I can start getting things out ready?"
"Thanks, that'd be great. I'll help as soon as I'm done," Lara said. Daryl went to protest but Jesus beat him to it.
"We've got it. Sit for a moment, get fixed up, rest."
Daryl almost scoffed. She wasn't gonna rest till they were back home safe an' sound. Jesus still had shit to learn about Goldilocks.
"There all done, yer turn Princess. Ya need Darylina ta hold yer hand or can he go get yer some water," Merle jerked his head to where Archie was standing. Daryl got it. He was supposed to double check there wasn't gonna be any problems.
Lara rolled her eyes but let go of Daryl's hand.
He stood up and walked towards the outsider. He wanted to be next to Lara but they needed to make sure nothing was going down more. It wasn't that Daryl didn't trust Goldilocks' judgment, he sure as hell did, but people had changed since the turn. This guy might not be who he had been.
Archie looked Daryl up and down as he walked toward him. A steely light came into his eyes, they turned cold, deadly, the eyes of a killer. Daryl didn't consider himself a cold blooded killer like this guy, despite what had just gone down. But to protect his family… to protect Goldilocks there wasn't nothing he wouldn't do. Not limited to killing a man without batting an eyelid.
"This the tough boyfriend act? Cause you haven't got to worry. I never screwed her, never even wanted to. She was a kid when I met her," Archie started, he didn't fold his arms, didn't try and stand up straighter or posture. This was a guy who knew he could take a motherfucker down without any of that shit.
"Nah. She told me what ya did fer her. And she'd have ma balls if I tried that," Daryl said, he had no idea if Lara would be upset by it or not, but he was erring on the side of caution. Big things rolled off her back but something small could set her off quicker than ya could blink. "All that shit ya said to her? That true. Ya really just making sure ya groups safe?"
Archie looked him over again shrewdly. "Yeah. We don't want any fights, just keeping what's ours safe." A moment went by before Archie spoke again, quieter though. "Ya know, we're a good group. Strong. Could look after Lara. And ya know, if she were with us, we'd pay you for her. Food and weapons. We've got a decent stock."
Daryl felt rage boil up in him. A cold, icy rage.
Daryl stepped in front of Archie, his face inches from the other man's, his eyes locked on Archie's. His words came out as frosty as his anger. "Say that again. I fuckin' dare ya."
"We'd pay ya, for Lara-"
Daryl launched his fist. He put everything he had into it. This fucker. This motherfucker!
Archie was knocked to the ground and Daryl pounced on top of him. He swung his fist again and again.
"Whoa!" Daryl was being pulled back by two pairs of hands and one singular one.
He struggled trying to get to the bleeding man on the ground.
"What did you do?" Kill Bill was in front of Daryl, not talking to him though, talking to the man on the ground. Her arms were folded and she looked ready to kick ass.
"Nothing!"
Kill Bill arched an eyebrow not even flinching as Daryl lunged against the arms pulling him back. He wanted to kill the fucker with his own fucking hands! That fucking asshole knew what Lara's ex had done, knew at least some of what she'd fucking suffered and he was trying to get Daryl to pimp her out. He fought harder getting an inch or two closer.
"What. Did. You. Do?" Kill Bill repeated herself.
"I was just looking out for Lara, making sure that man of hers wasn't like the last one she had!"
Daryl stopped fighting as hard. He listened instead.
"I knew if she'd told him and if he was half decent he was gonna swing for me. Didn't think he'd try to fucking crack my skull open though!"
"Then you don't know Barton. And you don't know Lara. Maybe it's time you leave."
"Wait," Lara said as Archie got to his feet bleeding from his nose and lip. Daryl turned his head to look at her, his heart sinking while anger still raged through him. "Tell us where ya group is. We want to avoid it."
"Lara-"
"No. Just tell us."
"I was just-"
"I don't give a fuck. You have good intentions, I'm sure. Ya saved my life once. I'm gonna save yours. Tell us what town to avoid. Then go."
Daryl stared at her. She was taking his side over this man she knew for years. One that had helped her when he didn't have to. He swallowed down an emotion he didn't have the name for.
He missed Archie's response. He saw Lara's nod and the stern set to her face though.
"For what it's worth, I'm glad you have these lot with you. I'm glad you're doing good kiddo. And I'm glad you've picked someone who's got the balls to stand by you."
02020202
"What was all that about? Do you know?" Jesus asked Merle when they were finally back on the road.
Merle had wanted to ride with Daryl and the Princess, he was pretty certain they didn't have concussions but they both had head injuries and he wanted ta make sure they weren't gonna fuckin' stroke out or some shit. The looks they were givin' each other though made him get back in the car with Jesus. The two love birds were gonna have a heart to heart and Merle didn't need ta be hearing it. He was hundred percent positive they weren't gonna be admittin' love or anything but they sure as shit were gonna have some sort of mushy moment and he didn't have the stomach fer it.
"Yeah. I know," Merle grunted, opening the window and lighting a smoke.
"Do I get to know?" Jesus asked, sounding like he was on the verge of smiling.
Merle looked the guy over. He shrugged. If fucking Andrea and Bob knew he couldn't see the Princess caring that he told Jesus. She actually liked the guy.
"That man was her old tattoo artist. Before that though he was the guy that helped her murder her boyfriend, dispose o' the body and get away with it."
Jesus did a double take. A real as shit double take. Merle let out a bark of laughter. Yeah no one expected that shit.
"You're kidding?"
"Nope. The Princess' ex… he was a sorry excuse fer a man. Use ta beat her. Picked her up when she wasn't even eighteen and kicked the crap outta her, use ta manipulate her. That guy turned up ta give 'im a warning for trying to screw over a bike club. Only the dumbass ex, tried to sell Lara to 'im to pay his debts. Archie, well he didn't like it. So, they killed him."
Merle was loving the gobsmacked expression on Jesus' face. Yeah that fucking shit was hard to choke down the first time ya heard it.
"I… I don't know what to say."
Merle snorted. What the fuck could ya say? Shit went down, a man ended up dead. Better him than the Princess. Shit worked out in the end.
"Why did she send him away then? Why not invite him back with us like she did with Enid and me?"
Merle sighed. "He wasn't bein' straight with us. There was more ta his story than just takin' out those assholes. Though part of it was the truth. He provoked Daryl to see how he'd react. He was testing us ta see how strong our bonds were. He was scheming. Could see it in his eyes and Lara sure as shit could. Bitch is all fer helpin' anyone she can to a point. Someone like that'd try take over, try sow discord in the ranks. Wouldn't work and one of us'd have to take him out in the end. She knew that. Red knew that and so did Mitch. You'll get it too. You'll see the signs. Read people's intentions as though it were written on their faces. Hell, I thought ya did have it."
"I do. I mean usually. But Lara knew him and gave him the benefit of the doubt, I second guessed myself," Jesus said quietly, thoughtfully.
Merle shook his head. "Don't. Ain't no use if ya don't go with ya gut. Don't second guess a punch, a shot, a feelin'. Not out here."
Jesus nodded and the car fell silent. They should still be able ta make it to Lara's destination for the night despite shit going wrong. If they kept up this pace they'd be home in two or three days. Merle damn well hoped so. He was getting too ol' fer this shit. He just wanted to be back home with Carol an' the kids.