Daryl yawned as the sun finally peeked through the trees, telling him that it was morning, and it was time to go. He got up from his seat and stretched like a cat, cracking his back and neck in the process.
He had to wake up Marley, who had emitted a chorus of sobs and sniffles last night before eventually quieting down. He knew that this girl wouldn't be alive if she hadn't stumbled across his cabin the other night. He was kinda glad she did, as he felt sick to think that Jimmy Blake would have been the one to be with her if it wasn't him. He still kept questioning himself about why he obliged to stick with her.
He leant over and started unzipping the door to the tent.
"Marley? We need to go," he grumbled, "Marley?" he looked in further. She was curled up on her side like a cat. She must have taken her jeans off last night because she was left in her t-shirt and panties. Daryl's eyes wandered up her pale slim legs. Daryl couldn't help but admit in his head that she was a gorgeous person. She had gone from a melted clown to being bare-faced and pale. Her mouth was slightly parted as she breathed softly, hands under her head in a peaceful slumber.
Daryl suddenly felt rude as she started turning in her sleep a little. Her eyes opened and she yawned, stretching her arms above her head. This caused her t-shirt to lift and expose her stomach that Daryl noticed was scattered with bruises and scars. He averted his eyes and stepped out from looking in.
+
It was silent as they drove to Fontana. Daryl drove whilst Marley rested her chin on the open windowsill. She squinted her eyes as wind whizzed past her face. There was hardly any traffic.
Marley was suffocating in boredom, as she was safe enough to be bored. She brought her head back in the car and faced forward. She stuck her hand out instead and weaved it through the air.
"How long?" she asked.
"Not long, naw," Daryl answered. Marley looked to her left to look at Daryl. He had a cigarette hanging from his lips, the smoke flowing out the open window which he had his arm out of. Her thoughts were interrupted as her stomach grumbled, luckily quiet enough not to embarrass her. She was hungry, she hadn't eaten for a day, the only thing she'd been having was water.
She took off her belt and turned to lean in between the front seats to get to her bag. Rummaging around, she found a candy bar.
Daryl was just looking confusedly at her, as he didn't know what she was doing. Again her t-shirt lifted up slightly to show some of her bruises. He took one of his fingers and lifted it up to them, ever so lightly tracing them for a split-second. But Marley flinched and nearly hit her head on the ceiling. She jumped back into her seat and turned away from him to eat her candy bar.
"Jimmy Blake," was all she had to say, and Daryl knew what she meant. Daryl also knew that she didn't love Jimmy anymore, as normally using his full "Jimmy Blake" name normally mean you didn't like him very much.
+
Upon entering Fontana, they heard gunshots. All gunshots sounded like they were being set off by a lunatic.
"Keep yer head down," Daryl ordered quietly. She didn't think twice before crouching down near the glovebox and curling up into a safe ball. Daryl stopped the car, and killed the engine. The gunshots continued, but he couldn't see anyone, he figured that they were further into town.
All he could do was look on at nothing but listen to the cacophony of bullets in the air. But then they stopped suddenly, and Daryl looked around to rooftops, the houses that were in the street looked to have been ransacked, and one at the end of the street was even on fire.
"Is it safe?" Marley whispered. Daryl shushed her quickly, as he heard another noise. This noise was someone shouting and singing their heads off.
Some old fool was singing "Dead or Alive" - Bon Jovi. Daryl scratched his head in confusion, then as a figure appeared around the corner with a large gun in their hands, swinging in around like a baton stick, Daryl held his palm out to Marley, as if to say, "Be quiet."
The figure got closer, and it was obvious there was no way of escaping the figures gaze. They were the only car in the middle of the street. But soon enough, Daryl could distinguish who it was.
It was Merle.
Daryl quickly hopped out of the car, leaving Marley cowering, still on the floor like a scolded dog.
Daryl ran up to him and did some sort of manly hug high-five thing as Merle chuckled.
"Just you?" Merle chuckled some more. Daryl shook his head as they walked back to the car. Daryl was quite nervous to introduce Merle to Marley, he wasn't sure how Merle would react.
Merle opened the passenger side door and found Marley. She quickly turned her head and went wide-eyed at the sight of Merle.
"Well if it ain' Miss. Ariel Blake, all the way from the castle, huh!" Merle chanted loudly. She quickly scrambled out of the car and stood in front of Merle. She just wanted to be behind Daryl at this point, so she looked around for him, found him, then walked around to be behind his taller self.
"You Daryl's piece now? What happened to yourboyfrien' Jimmy?" Merle asked.
She shook her head violently despite having a dull ache in her head, "Jimmy's dead," she announced.
"Tha's a shame," Merle said solemnly, only for his smile to return, "You could belong to anyone now, huh?"
"Lay of it, Merle!" Daryl ordered tiredly.
"Why don' you an I go cuddle up while Daryl go gets some supplies, huh?"
"Merle!"
"I'm sure Daryl wouldn't mind,"
"Merle! Shut up!" Daryl boomed, silencing Merle.
"You talk to yer brother like tha' jus' for some stripper," Merle yelled, "She ain' worth it, let her fend fer herself,"
"She's sticking with us!"
"Shut up!" Marley shouted, making them look to her, "Just shut up! I'm right here jackass,"
Her outburst caused Merle to laugh. Merle gave up and started walking away in the direction that Daryl knew was the way to Jack's bar.
"Hey where you goin'?" Daryl yelled after him.
"I left something in Jack's, stay there," He shouted back. Daryl growled in annoyance, then turned to Marley.
"You gonna' cause all mah problems missy?" Daryl argued.
"What the hell are talking about?"
"You said so yerself, you ain' nothing I should besavin'"
"And yet you did!"
This caused Daryl to growl more and turn to get back in the car. This made Marley confused.
"You're not going after him?" she argued. She walked to the passenger side and looked at him through the open door. Daryl kept his gaze away from her green one.
"Don' see why I should," he sighed angrily.
"I may not know Merle like you do, but we both know that if you don't go after him then we're both gonna be on his bad side... especially me," she reasoned. Daryl finally looked at her.
"You don' know nothing," he hissed, "Merle's fine,"
"No!" she counteracted, "I know a lot," her eyes burned with reason and passion. Daryl knew that she may know a bit, but he was still angry with her.
Marley sat in the car, facing Daryl who was playing with the worn out steering wheel.
"If I'd never gone after Jimmy..." she whispered, Daryl subconsciously looked to her stomach, then back up to her eyes, "... I think that maybe... he'd been a lot worse coming back if I never went after him."
Daryl didn't reason her knowledge on that. Definitely not that.
"Ya' know how ta shoot a gun?" he asked quietly. She nodded and shrugged at the same time, "Somewhat," she said in her usual quiet voice.
Daryl reached to the back seat and grabbed a small handgun, and passed it to her slowly. She turned it in her hands slowly, eyeing it and the gears that worked it. She checked the magazine, and found that it was full and had 7 rounds.
"C'mon," Daryl said, then grabbing his crossbow from the back seat as well.
Then both hopped out, and Daryl waited for her to grab his arm as usual. She hooked her left arm around his right, and held her gun in her right hand tightly.