There, closer, she finally had his full attention, the distraction stilling in his hands when she reached for it. Dark eyes met hers first, flicked over once to the group, then back again. With the exception of the last two in their pack - a pair of brothers who looked like they’d been filthy and rough long before shit ever went downhill - this group patched together from the highway a few at a time. They all listened to him, seemingly without question. Easier that way. Better for all of them.

Not the reason for staying though. Not entirely. “We could make it on our own. You know I’d take care of you and Carl, no matter what. Once everybody started comin’ together, I just thought maybe it would be better for you two to have other people around like this. Might make you feel safer.”

Shane’s hand shift slightly, just enough to brush his fingers against hers. “You wanna go, you say the word. We’re gone.”

“More mouths to feed too. Which means more trips into the city and further out to scavenge.” Right over left, left over right, and tug, then apart it went, a reef knot unwinding as easily as it had come together. Easy, and the first one he’d show Carl, once they sat down for a lesson. 

Shane looked up at her again finally, idly flicking one end of rope between his fingers Still fidgeting, still restless.. She made excellent points, perfectly reasonable ones. But he just couldn’t see past the risk yet. “I know. But I don’t wanna make it any easier for them. I think we’re good here, with what we got, for right now. No use stickin’ our necks out.”

Daryl caught the slight change in her voice as she suggested resting for a bit. He met her eyes and nodded. “Sure. That sounds good.” He didn’t let himself forget that she was pregnant and that he couldn’t run her as hard as he could some of the other group. Not that she’d ever admit that she may need it more than the others. He didn’t want to put her in that position in the first place.

He glanced around the room once again and nudged the desk chair in her direction. “Looks comfortable enough. Go on and rest your feet.” He grabbed a couple bottles of water and handed her one. He sat in the floor and leaned up against a bare space against the wall, resting his crossbow against the side of the desk within his reach.

“Everything okay?”

Shane nodded. The voice in the back of his head was screaming at him that everything had gone to hell and that maybe the city would have been a better way to go about it. “Fort Benning.” He glanced in the rearview mirror, knowing that had been his first thought when they’d decided to leave King County. “That’s where we should’ve gone.”

“Shit!” He slammed on his brakes and pulled up the parking brake just as someone slammed into the side of his jeep. He slid out of the jeep to help the man, almost realizing too late that he was one of the dead ones that had been gunned down in the street by the military in the hospital.

He pulled his glock from his holster and put a bullet under its chin and out the top of his head. “Shit,” he muttered as he pulled the body from his jeep and onto the side of the road out of the line of traffic. “Talk to me, Lori. Tell me what you’re thinkin’.” He knew that he could force his hand if he absolutely had to, but it’d be better if he had her blessing from the beginning.

Shane understood all that Lori was saying. Their fears were one and the same. He glanced over at her as he kept the jeep on the road. He tapped his breaks and down shifted once again. The traffic was becoming more congested and started to slow down. He didn’t like it. Not one bit.

“Right. I get that, but if this traffic stops altogether, Lori, we’re screwed.” And in more ways than one. He sighed as he maneuvered the jeep through a jumble of cars. They’d passed a car or two that had obvious problems. The officer in him wanted to pull over and offer assistance, but he had to get Lori and Carl to safety.

That was his job now. His only job.

• ❛ whatever it is you’re looking for … i’m not it. ❜
• ❛ books are great, but they don’t hold all the answers. ❜
• ❛ happy is a kick in the balls waiting to happen. ❜
• ❛ you got half a life left to live, my friend. ❜
• ❛ you see, what worries me the most is that you’ve been in a hole so long that it’s become home. ❜
• ❛ wow. that was sexist, racist, and demeaning all of my abilities all in one sentence. ❜
• ❛ what time is it? ❜
• ❛ you brought this on yourself! ❜
• ❛ don’t you ever say that again. you got that? ❜
• ❛ you’re not the only ghost in this town. ❜
• ❛ truth is … i was past caring. ❜
• ❛ holy shit. ❜
• ❛ what the hell, why not? ❜
• ❛ you’re still all heart, huh? ❜
• ❛ drink? ❜
• ❛ been flirting with the idea of going full man-bun. ❜
• ❛ i’ll keep that in mind. ❜
• ❛ i wanna help, but not if it’s gonna get someone killed. ❜
• ❛ you think you’re okay and then something just brings it all back. ❜
• ❛ i don’t know if i would kiss him or slap him. ❜
• ❛ don’t even think about it. ❜
• ❛ tonight’s the night you’re gonna die. ❜
• ❛ never off-duty, huh? ❜
• ❛ i’m calling the shots now. ❜
• ❛ you need me! ❜
• ❛ you always talk this much? ❜
• ❛ piece of shit. ❜
• ❛ now all you got is the nightmare. ❜
• ❛ you want me to tell you it’s okay so that if this all blows up, it won’t be your fault. ❜
• ❛ you always were good at putting people back together. ❜
• ❛ i know that it makes it easier for you if you make me the enemy, but i’m not. ❜
• ❛ you are shitting me. ❜
• ❛ shit you not. ❜
• ❛ i dream, i see that guy. ❜
• ❛ what the hell is it that you do anyways? ❜
• ❛ hey, you shut your mouth. ❜
• ❛ you don’t know shit. ❜
• ❛ looks to me like we’re hiding evidence. ❜
• ❛ and now you’re closing yourself off, find it hard to trust people. ❜
• ❛ i’m the best. others will let me down. ❜
• ❛ i didn’t have a choice. ❜
• ❛ i could have killed you. ❜
• ❛ and you don’t find that kinda scary? ❜
• ❛ why don’t you sit down? ❜
• ❛ i don’t do partners. ❜
• ❛ you ever think about, maybe, quality over quantity? ❜
• ❛ god made me this way for a reason, bro. ❜
• ❛ i think this is a trap. ❜
• ❛ i think if we do this, men are gonna die. ❜
• ❛ you just don’t bleed out, you hear me? ❜
• ❛ what’d you say? ❜
• ❛ i cannot let you do that. ❜
• ❛ god damn it. ❜
• ❛ the hell is that? ❜
• ❛ you wanna go up against him/her/them with a pink ruger and no ammo? ❜
• ❛ grow up. ❜
• ❛ that’s not happening, alright? not on my watch. ❜
• ❛ what if we got you a little pair of green tights and a pointy cap with a feather in it? ❜
• ❛ don’t bother me. ❜
• ❛ want me to leave? ❜
• ❛ tough guy, huh? ❜
• ❛ i’m useless. ❜
• ❛ did i get anything right? ❜
• ❛ it was good. i just made it better. ❜
• ❛ turns out i suck at guitar. ❜
• ❛ that’s what joe did. don’t be like joe. ❜
• ❛ what, are you gonna puke? ❜
• ❛ you sure about this? ❜
• ❛ it’s nothing. i’m fine. ❜
• ❛ please don’t do this. ❜
• ❛ i can’t do this. ❜
• ❛ pissed off beats scared every time. ❜
• ❛ what did i do? i got my hands … i got my hands dirty, you piece of shit! ❜
• ❛ you stay out of my way. ❜

Daryl chuckled softly. “Beggars can’t really be choosers, ya know?” he teased softly. Her body pressed into his caused feelings that he wanted to keep buried to stir. She was warm and soft, and he ached to just hold her in his arms for a bit now that they had some semblance of a safe place to rest. This was a feeling that he was completely confused by. He swallowed hard and took a step around the desk to investigate further. “But I bet there’s something in here somewhere.”

He narrowed his eyes a bit and smirked. “Well, ain’t that somethin’.” He picked up a half-empty box of crackers packets. “I hope you like stale cheese crackers and peanut butter because looks like that’s what’s for dinner.” He passed the box back to her, wanting her to go ahead and eat if she was hungry enough.

He rummaged around in the drawers on the desk and found a bottle of whiskey, a pack of gum, and almost empty can of honey roasted peanuts. He rattled the can and pushed it toward her. “Whoever the hell worked in here sure did like his peanuts and peanut butter.”

2x12 - Better Angels

Daryl felt the warmth of her hand on his arm as she spoke softly beside him. He knew he didn’t have to coddle her. She was one of the most capable women that he’d ever met. He admired that in her. She went to toe to toe with Rick and Shane and didn’t back down. She had gumption and guts. That’s exactly what they’d need if they were going to survive. He glanced at her and nodded. “You’re probably right, but we can’t go in there thinkin’ that’s how it is. We’ll get our asses kicked for sure then.”

He pointed up ahead and motioned that he’d go first and that she was to stay right on his ass. “You get in any kind of trouble, you holler, ‘kay?” He motioned his head for her to come on as he crouched down, crossbow loaded and ready to go in case they should need it. His knife was easily accessible.

He paused for a moment to listen for any kind of sudden sound, hearing none they hurried toward the door to the office. They’d never been a group that had a lot of luck so when he reached for the handle and it turned easily in his hand, he let out a sigh of relief. They wouldn’t need to break-in, and that meant it would be one less thing that would draw attention to them.

Once he opened the door, he hissed, “Come on in and shut the door.” They’d gotten doubly lucky when the room was one medium-sized room with no other way in or out. He pointed toward the corner of the room. There were several cases of bottled water stacked up near a mini-fridge. “Well, will you look at that.”