Author's Note: The next 3-4 chapters will be very Daryl x Vicki centered. You are welcome. ^^
Theme Song: "Meet In The Middle" - Diamond Rio
The next few days went by without a hitch. Daryl and I resumed bow and arrow lessons and things started to get back to semi-normal. Except for the fact that Victoria and Glenn were still coughing, no one got worse. Hershel didn't like that they weren't getting any better either, but Maggie and I kept that to ourselves. We didn't really share that around Glenn.
Both Victoria and Glenn were on almost constant bed rest and Maggie and I would fuss profusely when we saw one of them out and about. Hershel didn't think they needed to be quarantined yet, but he didn't think anyone should be sleeping with them either. So Glenn and Victoria volunteered to sleep in seperate bunks. Maggie argued until she couldn't anymore and finally let it go.
I was a frazzled mess when I heard either of them go into a coughing fit and it scared me so bad I'd have to remove myself from the cellblock and go outside. It was now one of those times and I saw Carl out on the quad by himself. Daryl was laying out in one of the large tents where a large table was set up so people could hang out and eat under. At the moment, Daryl was in a makeshift hammock he'd somehow managed to string up inside the tent.
Carol was serving something up to Rick in a bowl and Daryl had his red bandana covering his eyes. Rick waved at me and I waved back politely. Daryl and Rick had gone on a run yesterday morning and it took them almost all day to come back. I had waited nervously back at the prison, keeping myself busy with chores and helping tend to Judith when Carol or Michonne could not. Even though I never said anything I could tell by the way Maggie and Tyrese looked at me that they knew I was nervous.
It wasn't that I didn't trust Rick or Daryl. I just didn't trust the world around them. I knew they'd come back eventually though. They were a pretty strong pair for scavenging, but I was still relieved when I saw them pull up at the gate yesterday evening.
I smiled lightly towards Rick before walking over to Carl, "Want some company?" He shrugged and scooted over on the picnic table so I could sit next to him. He looked up at me for a moment, his sheriff hat doing a good job of concealing his baby blue eyes. "I'm sorry about Lizzie.." I offered softly.
Carl nodded and then shrugged while saying, "I just don't understand why." I pursed my lips in silent thought before reaching a hesitant arm over to his back and wrapping it around his shoulders. He looked up again at me upon the contact, "I told her not to play around those things." He added for good measure.
"I don't think she meant to get anyone hurt though." I added earnestly as Carl sat silently beside me. "I just think that Lizzie....wasn't ready for the harsh reality that these things aren't friendly." I put it the best way I could to Carl without outright blaming Lizzie. "She wanted everything to be as it was and for her..coping was believing that the walkers were normal people that were just sick."
"I'm not stupid." He mumbled and I pulled back slightly from him, "Never said you were, kid. You're far from it." Carl sighed in a resigned way before fumbling with his hands as a distraction. I saw so much of Rick in Carl. "She was crazy, Vicki. Don't have to lie to me."
I sighed heavily and pulled him close and he didn't object. I realized he was growing up fast and it kind of hurt my heart a little bit, "Later tonight, wanna create a superhero story?" I nodded at his question and it reminded me of things before Lizzie and T-Dog were gone.
Carl and I would make up stories about super heroes and heroines. We'd start with an idea and build on it. By the end of the evening we had basically created a made up story together full of adventure. Carl had shared my love for comic books.
Rick had come in on us the first night we had come up with the game and I saw how thankful he was in his gaze that I was there keeping him company. Carl didn't have many kids his age around, besides Lizzie. I also found that I liked hanging out with Carl on those nights. It made me feel like a kid again.
I hopped off the table and he gave me a genuine smile from under the hat and we both reached our fists out to one another and fist bumped, "It's a date, Carl." He chuckled as he got off the picnic table to follow Rick back inside. I noticed Carol was trailing after Rick and she gave me a small wave. I noticed that left Daryl by his lonesome under the tent.
I smirked as I waltzed over, but his motorcycle sitting so perfect near the gates made me stop in my tracks. I had never learned how to ride a motorcycle like that before and I frowned lightly. I had been on dirt bikes with Henry, but he never trusted me enough to ride one solo. There were so many things I had yet to do..there had just never been enough time.
But, maybe..
I perked up as an idea started to form in my head. We all still had time. And in that moment I started to form a post-apocalyptic bucket list in my head. Number one? Learn how to ride a motorcycle. I walked into the tent and leaned against the table and Daryl shift on the hammock.
"Whadya want?" His voice startled me and I turned to look at him as he frowned despite the red bandana covering his eyes. "I was thinkin'.." I started and stopped briefly to gather how I was going to ask him.
"That's dangerous.." he mumbled and I furrowed my brows at him and rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see me. "I wanted to start a post-apocalyptic bucket list." I said it with enthusiasm and the more I thought about it the more excited I got. It really was the little things that made me happiest.
He now shifted and pulled the red bandana from his eyes revealing two sets of blue eyes that bordered on annoyed and curious, "Tha' hell for?" He grumbled out. I knew he was tired from the run yesterday and when he was tired he got moody. I knew I had to keep it short.
"Well, there are a lot of things I never got the chance to do. And a lot of things I might not ever get to do." I started and he quirked a brow at me, motioning his hand out as if to tell me to get a move on with what I wanted to say, "So, I decided to start a fresh new bucket list. One that fits with the walker world we live in."
He stared at me and his eyes held nothing as far as emotion, but there was a hint of curiosity in his posture. I was getting better at reading him these days. He quickly became guarded as something came to his mind, "Ain't doin' nuttin' weird with ya'..if that's what yer' askin'." I let out a melodic laugh at his assumption. "Weird like what?" I asked in between laughs.
He shrugged, feeling a little foolish now because I could tell in his demeanor. His eyes did a very quick once over of me and I knew in that moment he was afraid I was going to ask him something else..something that might be about intimacy between us. "Ionno." He answered lamely. I pursed my lips at him and tried to hide my laughter. I could tell he was embarrassed. "Well, lucky for you I haven't hit the weird part of my bucket list yet."
He looked relieved and a little hue of red tinged his cheeks. We had never spoken of anything like that before so I decided to gloss over it and continue on with my question, "It's much more reasonable, actually. I wanna' learn how to ride your motorcycle."
Without a beat, he answered quickly, "Ain't happenin.'" I guffawed at his quick response, "And why the hell not?" I challenged back hotly.
"Because I said so. Ain't got a place for you to learn anyhow." He answered with a grumble before twirling an arrow around in his hands.
"Uh, yeah we do. That stretch of road down there." I responded, pointing out past the woods. He narrowed his brows at me, "Answer is no, Red. Ain't changin' my mind." I crossed my arms and gave him my best pouty look.
He shook his head, "Don't make no difference if ya' make that face. I said no." Despite my rejected spirit, I half smiled, "What face?" I asked innocently batting my eyes dramatically.
He groaned and rolled his eyes, before looking back to me and pointing an arrow in my direction, "That face. Poutin' like a damn puppy." He mumbled while I stood there jutting my lower lip out a bit further.
I felt my spirits crumble as his face hardened, "Said no." His words were more firm this time and as I turned to walk away I asked, "What are you so against about me learning? Afraid I'm going to look better riding it than you?"
I know I was being childish, but he was pissing me off, "Jus' don' see any point in havin' a list like that is all." I had no idea where his bad attitude came from, but I could only guess he was having the male version of PMS. I narrowed my eyes at him, my spirits dampened by his big fat no to my question.
"I'll find someone else to help me complete my bucket list. Including the weird parts." I sounded petulant, but now I was in a ticked off mood. He stared me down, a mask of emotions he hid so well behind that great big wall of his. I turned on my boots and walked away regardless if he had something else to say about it.
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I didn't see or speak to Daryl the rest of the afternoon. Which was fine with me. It was now the evening time and I had just got done creating a story with Carl and he was laying back in his bunk. His eyes were closing as he was about to try and sleep. I ruffled his hair and he smiled sleepily. I murmured quietly as I walked out of his cell, "Goodnight Carl."
I hadn't let Daryl's sour mood ruin my time with Carl. As I walked out of his cell I noticed Daryl was leaning against the wall of the cellblock and he was staring at me.
"Done with story time?" He asked nonchalantly and I furrowed my brows,"Were you listening?" He offered a little smirk and a shrug of his shoulder. I groaned lowly before taking the steps two at a time up to my bunk. I didn't want to deal with him right now. I was still annoyed with him.
As I entered my bunk I heard the tell-tale sounds of his boots hitting the stairs. A moment later, I turned around to see Daryl pulling back my make shift curtain of blankets I had hung up. He leaned against the cell bars casually, if not a little fidgety.
"Been thinkin' 'bout what you asked me.." He muttered and I sighed, running my hands through my hair and plopping down on my cot.
I arched a brow at him, my eyes flitting up to his and he stared down at me in silence for a brief moment as if he was trying to figure out what to say, "And?" I pressed, curious as to what he was about to say to me.
"I'll teach ya' how to ride." His voice was low and he now crossed his arms across his chest. His muscular arms distracted me for a brief moment before I parted my lips to speak.
"Serious?" The shock was evident in my voice and he nodded silently.
I didn't know what changed his mind and I planned on asking, but not this second. I was tired from running around with Carol half the afternoon doing laundry and watching Judith.
"When?" I asked between a yawn.
He shifted against the cell bars, "Tomorrow mornin'?" I nodded, biting my lower lip before looking back up to him, "Okay, deal." He nodded curtly and started to walk away. "Wait-" my voice was soft, lower than normal and I swallowed nervously.
What did I want to say to him?
Instead of all the things I wanted to say to him, I offered lamely, "Thanks." He looked at me and did his little nod that he did when he was nervous or shy. He walked out and I flopped back onto the cot and and tried to squash the butterflies in my stomach before they even began to take flight.