Lifeline – Shane/Daryl, Daryl/Rick, Shane/Rick

Chapter One

“Fucking pathetic,” Daryl mumbles to himself as he sets up his tent far enough away from everyone else that he can still see them, but that’s about all the contact he wants. “Shoulda left after they ditched Merle on top of the fucking building.”

“That’s no way to be, son,” Dale said from behind him.

“The hell do you know about it, old man,” Daryl asked, whipping around surprised by the sudden voice behind him. Shaking his head, he wondered how the hell he didn’t hear the fool come up behind him. Must be stuck in his own head more than he thought. That just wouldn’t do.

“I know that you’re a valuable member of this group and we’re happy to have you. Especially Carol. No one searches for her little girl like you do,” Dale continued, cautiously stepping closer.

 

Friendly Fire – Daryl/Connor, Shane/Murphy, past Daryl/Rick (In Progress)

Chapter One

Five days. That was how long Connor had been staring at the man who had stolen his brother’s face. The two men had barely spoken to each other, save the typical salutations which were only reserved for when they were in front of the rest of the group. But Connor could just not believe what his eyes were seeing.

“Connor, what exactly is ye obsession with that fucker wit’ me face?” Murph asked when they were in the woods alone.

“I don’t know what yer talkin’ ’bout, Murph,” he replied, continuing to pick up the needed wood for their fire that evening. It was a simple task that the brothers had taken on when they joined the group at the rock quarry, stumbling upon Daryl out in the woods. Aside from being extremely awkward around the redneck given his face, he deemed them not a real threat and offered to take them back.

“Ye can’t stop staring at ‘im. I see ye, ye know.” Murphy bent down to grab a large branch, nearly dropping everything he had already gathered, but he wouldn’t let the topic drop.

Connor shrugged. “He looks exactly like ye, Murph. How could I not stare? It’s like he could be yer twin ‘stead of me.” Really, he just found the other man fascinating and he wanted to know more about him and his damn crossbow, but it was so much more than that and he couldn’t tell his Murph that.

 

To Wrangle a Dixon – Rick/Daryl

Chapter One

The sweat glistening on his skin, dripping down his arms in small rivers did not go unnoticed as Daryl hauled the deer carcass through the gate that Carl and Carol had opened for him. He looked up at Rick as he came through, the sheriff with his hands on his hips just eying the battered man as he walked in, deer dragging behind him. “Lost the truck. Ran out of gas. We’ll have to go back for it. I didn’t think it’d take that much. There might be a leak,” he said matter of factly as he dropped the legs and bent down to inspect his kill. “Meat should still be good though.”

Rick just nodded as several people came running down to help Daryl with the deer. They hoisted it up on their shoulders and hauled it off to be cleaned for dinner that night. The whole camp slowly started to come out of the prison, mumbles being heard from them all. Word spread quickly when Daryl was seen walking up as extra support was needed to fend off the walkers from attacking him and the best meal they had had in weeks. A feast was definitely in order tonight.

 

Payback – Andy/Norman

Norman slammed back his final shot of whiskey, enjoying the burn as the amber liquid made its way down his chest, the warmth entering his bloodstream. The candle flickering in the tiny votive holder on the table swayed in his vision as he held his hand on the glass. Well past drunk, he knew it was time to call it a night. Signaling for the waitress, he pulled out his cell phone, texting Andy, You in bed?

As the long white piece of thin paper hit his table, his phone buzzed with a response. I will be in a few. Are you going to bed tonight?

 

Love Is… – Rick/Daryl

Chapter One

“Daryl, do you know what love is?” Carol asked him.

They had been talking about the garden and having food to eat that wasn’t canned and the intense possibility that he wouldn’t be the sole provider of meat here soon with the hogs coming up to age. The question had kind of come out of left field… at least for Daryl. “The hell you goin’ on about, woman?”

Carol shrugged and smiled that damn smile that meant she knew something he didn’t. He hated that smile. “Just a question.”

“The hell it is.” He took a bite out of the peach he had in his hand, adjusting his crossbow on his shoulder. “Should get goin’ anyway. Runnin’ out of morning and quiet.”

 

Claimed – Rick/Daryl

They had holed up in a house in a small development far off the main road. None of the houses had even been lived in yet. Most were not even finished being built, but there had been one house at the end of the street that must have been set up as the model home, complete with new furnishings. Rick laughed the laughter of an exhausted man who had felt all hope was lost. The little group wouldn’t all be able to have a bed, but that didn’t matter. They were safe and together. So Terminus had been beyond a bust. They were here and alive and that was all that mattered now.

Except for that whole lack of food thing. But that was only a minor issue…

Everyone insisted that Rick take a bed, who in turn insisted that everyone but him have a bed. Carl stalked around the house, still not entirely forgiving his father in his teenage mind for things that had been out of their control. Rick could care less what his teenage son thought of him at that moment because he still had him.

Caught in the Rain – Aaron/Daryl

Freedom. That’s what it felt like. The wind in his face once again atop a motorcycle, hair blowing in the breeze. Damn it really was getting long. Longer than he thought anyway. With Aaron behind him in the rustbucket, they rode Highway 16, looking for other survivors. Aaron had said he had a gift. Daryl thought it was complete bullshit, but he did know when to trust people and when to not. In this world it was more often not.

Now, for some reason, he found himself out here alone with this man. A gay man. Openly gay. Daryl shook his head at that. He guessed Virginia was different. In Georgia, he would have been drug outside and beaten to a bloody pulp, then shot in the dick and ass for emphasis. Aaron had told him once that he still believed the others saw him as an outsider. Daryl didn’t quite believe that. He knew he was an outsider; always had been, always would be. He never expected any different and honestly wouldn’t know how to be if it were any different.