Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

One Year Before The Apocalypse

Blessing did not care if anyone thought what she was doing was stupid. Traveling hundreds of miles to meet a dude she’d met online four years ago was risky, she knew that. But she’d known him for four years already… Daryl had been nothing but kind, sweet even. He didn’t try to pressure her into anything, or push her for information about herself like people always did. Hell, he didn’t even want to be her friend at first.

He wasn’t super active online, and he barely posted pictures of himself. Mostly pictures of a crossbow, the wilderness and random shit like deer he was hunting. She followed him first, because she liked his scenery. She was always into the outdoors, even though she lived in the city. So his page was a simple escape for her. When she first found his page, he only had around twenty pictures posted and Blessing had liked every single one. She’d even left comments on some of her favorites, hearts eyes or small words of encouragement but Daryl didn’t budge.

Until one time, he posted a picture of himself holding his crossbow holding up what looked like a string of dead deer. Blessing never really was into white boys but… His bright blues were vibrant in the photo, and she couldn’t help but look over his strong arms and shoulders. She didn’t waste any time, and tried to slide into his DMs.

‘Super interested in your page, hit me up sometime?’

He’d left her on read, and she had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with the man she saw in the background of the photo with a confederate flag on his hat. Her eyes were too keen not to spot it.

In this day and age, she wasn’t too surprised. Because even in the city of Philadelphia, she’d been a victim of forms of racism. Whether it be people calling her the n word, or other forms of discrimination. Being bullied for being darker than other girls in her class wasn’t exactly her favorite memory, but one she wouldn’t forget because of shit like this.

She’d sulked about it for a few days, but didn’t press too much. But on the fourth day, he’d messaged her back asking where she was from. She was in Philadelphia, and he was in Georgia. They chatted back and forth for weeks, until Daryl was forced to call her because his brother didn’t believe he was talking to a real person. She’d told Daryl it was okay for him to show his brother photos of her, but Daryl was reluctant. And when he finally did, Blessing understood why.

After finding out she was black, everytime Daryl spoke to her on the phone he’d make some type of racist remark. It was easy for her to ignore him, until one time he’d said something about black fathers. That was when Blessing finally stood up for herself, and Daryl had a falling out with Merle over it.

After some time, Daryl had talked some type of sense into Merle and Merle seemed to lighten up. He was more careful with his words, and sometimes was even polite. That was only in the first year of them chatting.

The only reason she was going to Georgia now, was because her father had passed away only a month ago. She had no real reason to stay in Philly, so when Daryl told her it was okay for her to stay with him until she got her shit together… She packed her shit and got ready to go. Her father had actually gotten along with Daryl, as far as Blessing could tell. She was almost always on the phone with him, and usually had her phone on speaker because she was a bit of a busy body. So he was always a part of the conversation if he was home.

Well, Daryl didn’t talk even half as much as Blessing did. So… Maybe her father didn’t know Daryl as much as she was assuming.

He was picking her up from the airport, probably already waiting for her. She was buzzing with excitement practically, because she’d never done something so risky in her life. Her father was protective, and rightfully so. Her mother had abandoned her when she was barely two, and he made it his duty to give her the protection a mother and father could provide. She could never be mad at that.

She gathered her bags, flipping her braids over her shoulder and biting her lips to try and stop the grin from making its way onto her face. She’d been smiling the whole flight, and her face was starting to hurt. Much too slowly for her liking people filed out of the plane and into the airport, and her eyes danced around each head frantically.

She remembered what Daryl’s pictures looked like, but this was real life. What if he didn’t look like his pictures? It wasn’t like he used a model or anything but..

“Yo! Blessin’!” Her head snapped over to where her name had been called, and the grin was right back on her face at the sight of Daryl standing awkwardly by the exit. He looked just like his photos, ripped flannels and all. He looked like he was outside way too much based on his tan, and the red on his shoulders. He didn’t have his crossbow like in the pictures, but he did have a bundle of flowers in one hand.

Blessing gasped out happily, rushing his way and bumping into a kid on the way. She rushed out a quick apology before she threw herself at Daryl, her arms wrapping around his midriff and her cheek pressed against his chest.

She looked just like her photos too… Probably better than Daryl had even expected. In all her photos she had her hair done in different ways, and was wearing different styles of clothes that he knew he could never pull off. But here she was dressed looking… Casual? A simple black tube top that he had no idea how it was staying up without sleeves, jean shorts and running sneakers. Her braids weren’t even pulled back in some type of fancy style, and he was tempted to compliment her. But thought against it with the way people looked over at them smiling as if it were the cutest thing in the world.

“We should uh… Get yer shit to get outta here.” He grumbled, giving her a quick and awkward hug back before taking the bags she was carrying. She nodded way too happily, and followed after him when he led her to the conveyor belt to grab more of her bags. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure she was still behind him every now and then, and she grinned up at him every time. He was taller than she expected him to be, because he’d said he wasn’t six foot tall but never said how tall he actually was.

It didn’t matter too much to her anyway, because she was only five two anyway.

When they’d gotten her things, he’d taken her out to his pick up truck and put her things in the back. He was going to open the passenger door for her, but she’d gotten in before he had the chance. So when he got into the truck, he couldn’t help but bite at the dead skin around his nails anxiously when he couldn’t tell if that was good or bad. Maybe she wouldn’t think he was a gentleman.

“So uh…” Daryl trailed off awkwardly as he drove towards his place. He wasn’t sure how to go about this, because this was their first time meeting. But he’d gotten close to her over the phone, so offering her a place to stay wasn’t something he would take back.

“You look just like your pictures.” She said finally, pulling out her phone to go to their instagram messages and scroll to the last photo he’d sent her. His hair was shorter, so she could tell he hadn’t gotten a haircut since then.

“Is that good or bad?” He sounded a bit nervous, and his cat like eyes kept dancing over to her. He kept getting caught when he did, because she was already looking at his side profile when she put her phone down. Her big brown eyes were practically twinkling, and he swore he’d never seen teeth as white as hers before. He wasn’t sure he’d ever met a woman that looked like her before.. Ever.

“I think that’s great. You aren’t a catfish. Still a super manly man.” She gushed the last part, reaching a hand over to playfully ghost over his arm. He chuckled at that, and shook his head at her playful antics. She made it very known that she thought he was eye candy. She’d told him he was ‘one of the finest white boys’ she’d ever seen. It’d embarrassed him so much he couldn’t speak to her for days, but he eventually got over it. “Am I a catfish?”

“Nah… You look good. Better than yer pictures.” Daryl grumbled, a blush crawling up his neck to coat his cheeks. She didn’t tease him about it though, because she was blushing too. She fiddled with one of her braids as she looked out her window, biting her lip so she wouldn’t smile too hard but she knew she probably looked crazy if they passed anyone.

“Do you think Merle will be nicer to me ‘cause I’m pretty?” She raised a brow as she asked, and Daryl snorted at the question. Oh, he’d be nice alright. She didn’t know the half of it, that was for sure.

“He’s just gonna hit on ya.” He said with a shake of his head, and she rolled her eyes so hard he swore they’d roll to the back of her head.

“Nothing I ain’t used to.” She dismissed with a wave of her hand. The rest of the ride was filled with the sound of radio music, because both of them had become shy when they realized this was actually happening. Merle had already been told she’d be coming, because Daryl knew better than to bring people unannounced to their place. Neither of them had any idea where their father was, and didn’t really care if he came back.

When they got to the Dixon’s spot, they were greeted with a tipsy Merle waiting on the front lawn. He was seated on a lawn chair with a beer in one hand and his phone in the other. There was music coming from his phone, and he was singing over it way too loudly.

Daryl already looked like he was becoming embarrassed before they even got out of the truck, but Blessing only smiled his way before she pushed herself out of the truck.

“Is that Merle motherfuckin’ Dixon?!” She practically cheered, catching his attention quickly. He let out a sound of excitement, and groaned when he pushed himself to stand before he was rushing over to the girl. Stumbling between every few steps. Daryl got out of the truck and got to her before Merle did so he could clap a hand on Merle’s shoulder to hold him in place. Making sure he didn’t stumble into Blessing who was waiting for him with arms wide open.

“Is that Blessin’?!” Merle asked cheerfully, wiping a hand over his face as if it’d sober him up somehow. Blessing let out a laugh at how much his words slurred, and stepped towards him to give him a hug in greeting.

“It’s Blessin’.” Daryl grumbled with a roll of his eyes when Merle let out more drunken laughter, annoyed by Merle’s ability to get drunk no matter what. He couldn’t even wait for her to arrive first before he started drinking.

“What the hell took you so long, girl?”

“First of all, let’s not call me girl.” She gave his face a light pat before she turned to grab one of her bags from the bed of Daryl’s truck. Daryl followed her lead and grabbed the rest for her, while Merle pouted at the way she practically scolded him. “And I had to get off the plane, duh.”

“Ya got like jet leg or some shit?” Merle asked, scratching at his head in confusion. He couldn’t tell if she had an attitude or not. Because she was smiling while she said it, but he could definitely tell those were some smartass comebacks.

“Now that you mention it…I am pretty tired.”

Chapter Text

Doomsday

“Pack yer shit, we gotta get outta here!” Merle burst into the house frantic as ever, rushing past Blessing who was sitting on the couch scrolling through the channels on the TV. She jumped when he’d burst in, and her brows furrowed at his words but she jumped into action seconds later. She scurried off to her and Daryl’s room, and packed as much clothes as she could in two duffel bags. “Daryl!”

Daryl let out an annoyed ‘what’ from the shower, and Merle was quick to bang on the bathroom door to tell him to get dressed quick. Blessing rushed to the kitchen, and grabbed every can in sight, then anything she knew would last a bit without the refrigerator. She’d already seen enough shit on the news about people coming back from the dead and eating people, so she had a bit of an idea of what this might be about. But she wasn’t against asking questions.

“What’s goin’ on?” She breathed out when both brothers had clambered down the stairs carrying all the bags they could. She had three already, and they both had two of their own. She could only assume Daryl grabbed the rest of their clothes that she’d missed, or that they were bringing weapons she had no idea about. It didn’t really matter yet though.

“You seen the news, you know what’s goin’ on.” Merle snarked, tossing bags in the bed of the truck. He’d already rolled his bike onto it, and Daryl hopped into the driver's seat without a word. Blessing rolled her eyes at his tone, but climbed into the truck with Daryl anyway. Merle climbed in right after, squeezing Blessing in between the Dixon’s before he smacked at the side of the truck and Daryl was reversing out of the driveway and down the road.

Outside was absolute chaos, and Blessing had no idea how they didn’t hear all the screams sooner from the house. People were running around wildly, screaming for their lives while the dead were trying to take bites out of them. Between screams was the sounds of groans and moans coming from dead people walking, and Blessing was absolutely mortified.

She tuned out their bickering after the first five minutes, really. And all she really paid attention to was when Merle told Daryl to drive towards Atlanta. It took a while of driving before they hit a huge traffic jam, where people were already getting out of their cars to try and figure out what was going on. Blessing had to lean forward in her seat a bit to look over the dashboard and see how many people were outside of their cars, and Merle snorted and pointed ot her legs. When she glanced his way with a raised brow he shook his head with a laugh.

“Yer short.” He teased, and she breathed out a laugh as she shook her head. He was probably dying down from a high, and found everything funny. Something that happened often.

“Should we go see what’s going on?” She asked out loud, but turned to look at Daryl for an answer. She trusted his judgement way more than Merle’s. Whether Merle was high or not, Daryl was always right. SHe learned that way early on when she started staying with them.

“I’ll hold down the fort.” Merle said, and Blessing and Daryl sent each other a look before they were getting out of the truck from the driver's side door so Merle wouldn’t have to get out. It was definitely Merle’s subtle way of telling them to go check, so they did just that. Daryl slammed the door closed after Blessing stepped out, and she was quick to interlock their arms so they could walk side by side down the line of cars.

Most people seemed confused, and annoyed. A lot of them didn’t even roll down their window when Blessing had tried to get their attention, which had her pouting just a bit. It was when they got near a Rv did they finally see some people that either had answers, or were ready to look for some just like them.

“Excuse me! Do you guys know what’s goin’ on?” Blessing called out as they walked over to the group of people. It wasn’t much of them, but enough to make a crowd. A short haired woman with her husband and daughter, a spanish family, two blonde women, an older man in a fishing hat, an asian man, a dark skinned man, a brunette woman and what looked to be her son, a skinny dark skin woman and a man wearing a deputy uniform. There were more, but Blessing could only focus on so many people at a time.

It was the Deputy who stepped forward, giving her a once over with his dark eyes before they found their way to Daryl. Who was glowering at him from beside Blessing like he didn’t want to be there at all. He didn’t, not really.

“Everyone’s waiting to get into Atlanta, but Dale here says he knows a place not too far off where we could-”

He was cut off when the sounds of helicopters went over their heads. They all watched as military looking helicopters flew over them before dropping bombs on the city. People panicked even more, and rightfully so. Blessing let out a shocked gasp, and stepped closer to Daryl who was watching the scene in his own silent shock. He was always good at masking his emotions, his father’s fault really.

“Follow us!” The deputy shouted over the screams of people, and Daryl nodded before he was leading Blessing back to the truck. People were rushing around them, and he had to shoulder check a few people so they wouldn’t bump into her on the way.

Merle was full of questions when they came back, and even more when Daryl went off road to follow after the RV they’d seen before. A few other cars followed as well, and Blessing knew it was just more people looking for shelter.

“Where the hell are we goin’?” Merle snapped, aggravated by the lack of answers he was getting.

“If ya wanted to know, ya should’ve went with us.” Blessing snapped back, and Daryl let out a huff when Merle sneered to say something back. He glared over at Merle, and gave Blessing a vicious side eye that had her snapping her mouth shut. They both sulked until they finally all stopped because the RV had stopped at a peaceful looking query.

“C’mon.” Daryl grumbled, and they all clambered out of the truck to figure out what was the next move. Everyone seemed to follow their lead, getting out of their cars so they could all gather in a large circle by where they’d all parked. Blessing crossed her arms over her chest, and fought the urge to shrink into Daryl’s side when the short haired woman’s husband gave her an odd look. It was Merle who spat his way, literally, and made the man look away uncomfortably.

The Deputy who spoke to her introduced himself to the group as Shane, and let everyone know that he had a radio so they’d have contact with civilization if it was still running. Introductions then began, and Blessing got to learn everyone’s names and who weren’t her favorites. Carol and Lori were the more outspoken mothers of the group, Blessing felt bad because Ms Martinez didn’t speak a lick of English so it was hard to communicate with her. They were her favorites so far, as well as Glenn. Because he was pretty awkward.

She knew for sure that she didn’t like Ed, because of the looks he gave the women of the camp… His daughter included. And she had mixed feelings about Shane, who fell into the leader role much too easily. He didn’t do anything bad, but he’d tried to give her a task without asking what she wanted to do first and it’d rubbed her the wrong way. She couldn’t help it, she was a bit of a princess. If it wasn’t for his control freak ways, she would’ve thought he was kinda cute.

They had weeks to adjust, probably around two months. The sleeping arrangements weren’t too bad to Blessing. Because she was used to sharing space with the Dixon’s after living with them for a whole year. She didn’t mind squeezing into a two man tent with them, much to the group's surprise.

A lot of them had questioned how Blessing could stand being around them, mostly Merle. Or how she even became friends with people like them. Lori was most surprised, and had even asked if Merle really let Daryl be friends with a black girl. Because although Merle was used to having Blessing around, he still made racist remarks around the others…Just not around Blessing.

She’d let them know how she and Daryl met, and explained their friendship a bit. Most of them thought it was endearing, and some of the women had questioned whether or not they were dating. But they weren’t yet, because Blessing knew how shy Daryl truly was when it came to relationships. They’d fooled around before, usually when they were drunk. Blessing was more than proud to say he was the type that just wanted to pleasure her if Merle asked. Because he always made it his mission to taste her when he was drunk, and sometimes didn’t even get to actually have sex.

“Hey, boyfriend!” Blessing greeted Daryl as she walked up to their campfire, a bit further away from the rest of the group.

“I’m not yer boyfriend, Blessin’.” He grumbled, whittling away at a piece of wood to make a new bolt for his crossbow. Being her boyfriend definitely wouldn’t be a bad thing, but he hadn’t asked her himself.

“Everyone thinks you are.” She said with a shrug, making her way into their tent so she could grab one of his jackets. It was getting darker, so chillier. Even if it was the middle of the summer, she always got cold when the sun went down. It was one of the reasons he’d even brought a jacket, because he knew she’d use it.

“They do?” He raised a brow now, looking her way baffled.

“Am I like… ugly or something?” Her face twisted up a bit, and she ran a hand over her face as if it’d tell her what she looked like in the moment. Daryl sputtered out some no’s, but she wasn’t satisfied with his answer. She adjusted her braids on her head instead, and huffed out when she realized she definitely had to take them out soon. She’d gotten them done a week before everything went to shit, thankfully. Two months of braids in… wasn’t that bad, right? “I gotta ask Jacqui if she’ll help me take out these braids.”

“Bless, ya don’t gotta take out yer braids. Ya look fine.” He rolled his eyes, but still reached for her wrist to stop her from walking away from their camp. She was pouting back at him, and he let go of her wrist when he knew for sure she wouldn’t walk off again. “I was just askin’... I know I don’t uh.. Don’t look like someone you’d go out with.”

“They don’t know me, they don’t know what that even looks like, Dare.” She laughed a bit, but shook her head when she realized it was entirely a laughing matter. Clearly he was feeling a bit insecure around other people, something he didn’t have to deal with much when it was just them. “Is that why you haven’t asked me out yet?”

Daryl only shrugged at the question, looking a bit bashful as he did so.

“Who do you think is my type anyway?”

“T-Dog?”

“Racist.” She shook her head at his answer, and he fumbled to try and correct himself by calling out other names instead. She laughed at that, and nudged at his shoulder when he said Shane with a teasing tone. “None of them are my type, bookie. Just you.”

Daryl scoffed at her words, and tried to look away so she couldn’t see the blush that made its way onto his face. She laughed at his misery, and excused herself to go say goodnight to the rest of the group since it was dark out already. He watched her walk off with calculating eyes, making sure nothing popped up from the dark or the shadows that the flame of the campfire created.

She said goodnight to Carol and Sophia first, only because she didn’t see Ed sitting with them by the fire. Then it was Dale with Andrea and Amy. Next it was the Morales family, then T-Dog and Glenn. Lori and Carl were the last family she said goodnight to, and when she got near Shane she almost thought against saying goodnight to him because she didn’t want him to already have something for her to do the next morning. But she knew it’d be rude, so she pressed forward anyway.

“Hey, Shane! Just sayin’ goodnight to everyone. Dixon’s and I are getting ready for bed, Merle’s gotta rest up before that run tomorrow.” She sounded only a little awkward, and Shane gave a friendly smile when she was in front of him. He was always pretty nice to her, she couldn’t lie. He just always had something for people to do, probably because he was the self declared leader.

“Alright then. Goodnight, sweetness.” He gave a wave of his hand, and she was quick to turn on her heel and go to the camp. He gave her the nickname after their first real conversation, because apparently she was oh so sweet. She was just well mannered, really. Daryl didn't like the nickname, and everytime he heard it he gave Shane glare looks that could kill. Merle on the other hand loved to tease her about it, and tease Daryl too. Claiming that Shane was gonna steal his girl.

And it always made Daryl glare harder at the Deputy.

Chapter Text

Blessing was overthinking. Something she did often before the apocalypse, especially when she’d first come to stay with the Dixon’s. Merle had left to go on a run with a lot of people from the group, and Daryl had left soon after to go hunting. So now, she was stuck by herself for the most part.

Everyone that was left weren’t people she went out of her way to speak to. Mostly the women and children, Ed, Dale and Shane. She was supposed to be getting together their dirty clothes so she could do some laundry while they were away, but none of the other women had started theirs yet and she didn’t want to be the only one doing it. She eavesdropped on people’s conversations instead, sneaking around people’s camps so they didn’t see or hear her coming around.

Lori and Shane were having a bit of an odd conversation. From the sounds of it, Shane and Lori had slept together recently and were trying to figure out what would come from it. Lori seemed like she just wanted someone to protect her and her son. But Shane seemed like he genuinely wanted to pursue a relationship of some sort. He made it clear that if she didn’t want him to be the person to protect them because of the history, he’d gladly move on with someone else in the group.

Ed was belittling his wife, almost like he always was. While Sophia was coloring with Carl, both children were unaware of the extremely toxic situations the adults were dealing with.

It was depressing to even think about, so she’d made her way back to her tent until someone started their laundry. By the time the women started, it was probably around noon. Shane was off in the shallow end of the water with Carl trying to catch frogs, and most of the women were doing laundry on the other side. She grabbed the basket of dirty clothes and made her way over to them, giving a friendly grin when she dropped her basket beside Carol.

“Hey, bitches.” She greeted, making most of them giggle while Amy rolled her eyes. She was the only one that Blessing didn’t really get along with beside Andrea. To Blessing, she was uptight and judgemental. She always saw the looks she gave the Dixon’s when she thought no one was looking. She always heard the snarky remarks and the stupid ass way she always looked down on them…

“Hey, sweetie.” Carol greeted warmly, passing her a block of soap when Blessing pulled a pair of jeans from the basket to submerge in the water. Blessing hated doing laundry, because Merle and Daryl always waited until their clothes were pretty much ready to be thrown away before they decided to have them washed. She also really disliked the fact that it was only the women doing chores like this, so sometimes she got Daryl to do the laundry instead.

“Dixon’s finally left you all by yourself?” Lori teased her, scrubbing at a shirt of Shane’s roughly. Amy smirked beside her, because just the other day she was thinking they were holding her hostage or something. With the way that she only spent most of her time with just them, it was like she wasn’t allowed to hang out with everyone else. But they all knew that wasn’t what it was, because she spoke to everyone. Whether the Dixon’s spoke to them or not, she greeted them all.

“Merle went on a run and Daryl went hunting.” Blessing sulked a bit dramatically, and Amy was the only one who didn’t seem to laugh. “God, I really miss when everything was normal.”

“Yeah, I miss texting.” Amy sighed out, finally joining the conversation. The older women all chuckled at her input before everyone was throwing in their own thoughts.

“Yeah, I miss my washer and dryer.” Jacquie added with a shake of her head.

“I miss my vibrator.” Carol whispered, making all of them break out in surprised laughter.

“What is this, some kind of comedy club?” Blessing’s face was instantly covered in a scowl at Ed’s interruption. And she did her best to focus on scrubbing at the second article of clothing that she pulled from her hamper. She scrubbed harder when the other’s tried to throw him off and get him to walk away. She was on her fourth pair of pants by the time he actually walked away, and her jaw hurt by how much she had to clench it to bite her tongue. It wasn’t often that she bit her tongue, but when it came to Ed… She didn’t really know what to expect from him if she didn’t have the Dixon’s next to her to back her up.

Unfortunately, the group that had gone on the run was taking longer than expected. Amy and a few others wanted people to be sent out to look for them, but Shane was trying to get people to calm down and just wait patiently. But when their panicked voices had come up on the radio to say they were trapped the next day, it didn’t help.

Blessing was anxious about all of it, because she didn’t really want anyone to get hurt. She was friends with everyone in the group, even though the Dixon’s told her not to get attached. She’d probably be upset if even Andrea got hurt, someone she didn’t get along with at all. Daryl hadn’t come back yet from hunting, and Merle was with the group so she had no one to turn to like she usually did. So while everyone had panicked about trying to figure out what to do, she snuck off to her tent so she could read to pass the time.

No one had really noticed she was gone, and if they did they didn’t look for her. They only reason she even left the tent was because of the loud ass alarm she heard blaring through the trees. She came out of the tent looking around in confusion, and when she caught sight of the group circling around a red car she hurried over. It was the source of the noise, and Shane was quick to get in the hood to turn off the alarm while Glenn just grinned by the driver’s side door like he was having the time of his life.

“Everyone’s okay! Well… Except Merle.” He said with a shrug of his shoulders, and Blessing stepped up to give him a look with her head tilted a bit.

“What happened to Merle?”

Before he answered, a van pulled up and the rest of the group started piling out. Her look twisted more and more into one of frustration when she noticed Merle wasn’t one of the people climbing out of the van, and she gave Glenn a look that made him throw his hands up in surrender.

“We only got out because of the new guy.” Morales revealed to the group who was still spouting out questions about what had went down. They all gave each other confused glances, and Glenn was the one to call over his shoulder with a smile on his face.

“Come on out here, helicopter boy!”

A man stepped out, wearing a Sheriff's uniform. His blue eyes were fixated on Lori and Carl, and Blessing looked back in surprise when Carl shouted out just who the man was. ‘Dad!’ he cried out with such hope Blessing had to place a hand over her heart so it didn’t burn from her chest. She watched with wide eyes as they ran to meet each other in the middle, and fell into a hug with everyone watching. She blinked the shock from her eyes when she caught Lori’s eyes over the man’s shoulder. Swallowing the lump in her throat when she forced herself to look away to scan other peoples faces.

It was Shane’s look that had her reeling. He didn’t look as happy as one would expect someone to be seeing their best friend come back from the dead. He looked.. Guilty. Regretful even. She swore she saw a glint of ency in his dark eyes, and she hoped it was just the glint from the sun… But she knew better than that.

They’d let the people who returned settle in, and Blessing made sure to greet the Sheriff warmly so she didn’t have any trouble with the law. She’d learned his name, Rick Grimes. He seemed like a nice, humble man from what she’d seen so far. Which made her wonder how he and Shane really got along before this, because Shane did not seem as chill as Rick.

Now, they were all sitting around the vampire huddled up. Rick was surrounded by his family, and everyone else keeping warm with their loved ones or blankets. Blessing was being kind enough to let Glenn share a blanket with her while they sat out and ate dinner, something he was more than thankful for because he was actually pretty cold when she’d offered. They’d both ignored the look that Shane had sent them when they sat beside each other, and ate their food in comfortable silence until someone had asked Rick about what it was like in his coma.

“Fish or frogs?” Blessing whispered over to Glenn, not wanting to hear Rick’s depressing ass story. Not with the way Lori was looking like she knew she’d done something wrong. And with the way Shane was glowering into the fire like it’d turn back time and fix everything for him. Hell no, she wanted no parts of that.

“Definitely frogs.” Glenn whispered back, muttering a sorry when he spit a bit of the fish he was chewing on her arm. She faked a gag as she wiped it off, and he cackled when Carl looked their way with a grin on his face trying to be apart of any trouble.

“Someone’s gonna have to tell Daryl about Merle.” Dale was the one who brought up the topic she was waiting for, and she perked up a bit when he’d said it. Shane’s dark eyes instantly drifted over to her , much like the rest of the group when she raised her hand like she was waiting for a teacher to pick her.

“Okay, so first, what did happen to Merle?” She asked, focusing the question on Rick, because he seemed to be doing most of the talking anyway.

“You weren’t paying attention?” Andrea snarked with a raised brow, and Blessing rolled her eyes to look at her with a ‘duh’ look on her face.

“Obviously not if I just asked.”

“I uh.. Had to handcuff him to a roof.” Rick jumped in to de escalate an argument before it started. And Blessing let out a small gasp of disbelief, her eyes swirling with dread and fear. “He wasn’t being very cooperative. I think he may have been under the influence… Called people some unfavorable things.”

“He called T-Dog the ‘n’ word and Morales a taco bender.” Glenn whispered to her, and she let out a bit of a cry as she let her head fall into her hands. She shook her head at his audacity, and cursed his addictions and demons for making him the way he was mentally. She knew he could be good… He wasn’t like that around her, but now she was sure it was only because she’d cursed him out about it.

“We’re gonna go back to look for him. Try not to worry too much.” Rick tried to reassure her, sending a weak smile as Lori rubbed at his chest as if it’d give him some type of strength. Blessing nodded, but still stood up from her seat to head off to her tent. She gave everyone a shaky goodnight before heading off, leaving the blanket with Glenn just in case he needed one.

“Blessing!” She let out a huff at her name being called, because she was only a few feet away from her tent. She turned on her heel to see Shane sauntering over. He wasn’t even looking up at her, just at the ground he was walking on. Blessing was instantly reminded to a time when her father told her to always walk with her head up, because Shane’s head was anything but up.

“Yeah?”

“Just making sure yer good… Daryl ain’t back yet or nothin’. And you and Merle were pretty close.” He said, running a hand over his dark curls when he looked back at the group that was still chatting away quietly. She sighed a bit, because it was nice that he was asking but he wasn’t the person she wanted to be checking on her. He was out in the woods… Getting them some damn food.

“I’m okay, thank you.” She whispered, giving a weak smile that seemed to ease his nerves. Because he looked over her face before he nodded and made his way back over to the campfire. She let out a huff before turning back around and getting comfortable in her tent.

She laid on Merle’s side, since he wasn’t here she didn’t have to share with Daryl. Sometimes he made it seem like it bothered him, because she was a bit of a wild sleeper that definitely liked to cuddle. It was way too hot to be cuddling in Georgia with no air conditioner, but she didn’t care even if she woke up covered in sweat. She didn’t even bother trying to read before she went to sleep, but she did stare at the ceiling of the tent for a while before she drifted off.

When she’d gotten up the next morning, it was because she’d heard screaming. She panicked, and tripped out of her tent clumsily. She rushed towards where the screams had come from, cursing when she realized she hadn’t put on her shoes because the ground felt way too hot on her feet.

“That’s my deer!”

Chapter Text

“Daryl!” She called out his name as if she hadn’t seen him in weeks, and he had to bite the inside of his cheek so he didn’t smirk at the way she sounded. Every time she saw him, she made it sound like it was the first time all over again, and even though he got embarrassed every time… It was something he secretly looked forward to. He never admitted it out loud though, because he knew she’d probably tease him about it later on.

When she pushed past all the men wielding weapons that were practically jumping one walker, he almost stopped her with a raised hand. But she’d gone around the still snapping walker and threw her arms around his waist for a quick hug, not even making a comment when Daryl didn’t give a hug of his own. He seemed to be paying more attention to who was watching them, and he was biting his tongue about the new face he could see amongst the group now.

“Been trackin’ this deer for hours.. Think we can cook around that?” He pointed his crossbow to the deer that the walker had been eating,and Blessing looked towards it with a grimace on her face. The blood and gore was one of the worst things about the apocalypse to her so far, because it was all she’d really seen.

“Wouldn’t risk that.” It was Shane who grumbled the answer, and Daryl let out a harsh sigh when he jumped forward to kick at the walker that’d stolen his kill while cursing out loud. Dale tried to get him to relax, but it only made Daryl curse his way.

With Blessing following behind him, he headed back to the camp calling out Merle’s name.

“Daryl, hey! Wait!” Blessing tried to get him to stop moving, but he was already looking around for his brother with a suspicious glint in his eye. He made brief eye contact with Blessing, who was looking at him in anticipation. He could see how nervous she was in her big brown eyes, how fear swam behind those nerves like a well hidden note he couldn’t read yet.

“Where’s Merle?” He asked lowly, his eyes dancing over her face before they drifted over to the Deputy who seemed to claim himself a leader here.

“We had a problem with Merle… Back in Atlanta.” Rick joined the conversation, his hands on his hips and brushing over the pistol in his holster. It didn’t go unnoticed by Blessing, who narrowed her eyes a bit on the man as she tried to subtly shuffle closer to a tense Daryl.

“Who the hell are you?” Daryl spat out, giving Rick a once over with disdain clearly on his face.

“I’m Rick Grimes… And your brother didn’t play well with others.” Rick said solemnly, shaking his head.

“Is he alive? Dead?”

“Alive, as far as we know… We chained him to the roof, closed up the doors so nothing should get to ‘em…”

“So lemme get this straight… You handcuffed my brother to a roof…And left him there?” Daryl’s voice cracked the slightest bit, and Blessing had to swallow the lump in her throat so she didn’t cry for him. She didn’t even notice the way people’s eyes had nervously drifted to Rick when he nodded in answer. But she definitely noticed when Daryl tossed his string of dead animals to someone so he could lunge towards Rick.

“Wait, Daryl!” She cried out, rushing forward to grab at someone, anyone’s arms to pull them apart.

“Knife!” Someone shouted, and she let out a startled shout when she was somewhat pushed aside for Shane to put Daryl into a headlock. Rick and Shane seemed like they were once a great team, because they worked together quite well to get Daryl in this position he was in.

“Stop! Let him go!” Blessing cried out, trying to rush forward to pull Shane off of Daryl but was only held back by a grim looking Glenn.

“We can talk about this calmly now, right?” Rick asked Daryl, who was clearly still fuming and red in the face. Daryl’s eyes danced around the people in the camp, and normally he would’ve felt embarrassed by all the eyes on him. But when his Dixon blue’s drifted over to a watery eyed Blessing being held back by a frightened Glenn.. He couldn’t help the guilt that welled up in his chest at being the reason she was upset at the moment. So, he nodded with a huff.

“To hell with y’all! C’mon, Bless.”He cried out when Shane had let him go. His voice definitely cracked again, and he tried to wipe the tears building from his eyes quickly so people wouldn’t notice. Finally, Glenn let go of Blessing’s arms and she hurried over to Daryl’s side to fret over him. She reached up and ran a hand over his face to wipe away any stray tears, and pushed up his chin with her pointer finger so he kept his head up.

When she’d done that, he sniffled once more and nodded firmly as if it did something for him. She didn’t have to say anything, but the small action was more than enough encouragement for him to want to press forward, she was good at that.

“We’re gonna go back for him.” Rick called out to them so they wouldn’t go back to their tent, and Daryl turned on his heel to scowl back at the Sheriff. Blessing stopped right beside him, her eyes dancing over his side profile before she looked to Rick who was looking between the pair with hope filled eyes. Hoping they would take the extended olive branch, and not hold a grudge against the man who’d left the oldest Dixon out there alone.

“Just you and me? That’s yer big plan?” Was Daryl’s smart ass remark, and Rick looked Glenn’s way with a raised brow. Glenn groaned out at the look, already knowing this was Rick’s way of asking him to go.

“I’ll go too. I dropped the key.” T-Dog added, and Daryl let out a sigh as he did his best to not roll his eyes. What sense did it make for him to go out to Atlanta in search of his missing brother…With the people who made him go missing?

“My day just keeps getting better and better.”

“Can I go?” Blessing asked bashfully, looking up at him from under her lashes because the look always helped her get her way. Daryl even knew that, so when he glanced down at her to see her looking up at him like she was he cursed silently to himself before looking away as quick as he could. If he looked too long he knew he’d say yes, so instead he looked to Rick and pointed at her as if telling the teacher.

“She can’t go.”

“Why not?” She sulked, throwing her arms over his shoulders so she could lean against him lazily. He only huffed, stepping closer to her so she wouldn’t fall but also so he could feel all of her pressing against his front. She was soft all over, and the only time she wasn’t covered in sweat and soft is when she was awake. So he secretly savored the moments of physical connection.

“Ya didn’t even finish laundry.” Daryl grumbled down to her, body becoming less tense when the group slowly began to go about their business to prepare for the run they’d soon go on. He could still see Shane giving them side eye, and he couldn’t tell if it was because of her jean shorts or because of their public display of affection. Either way, Daryl didn’t like it.

“I washed some of you guys’ clothes but didn’t feel like finishing mine.” She complained, and he snorted at the expression she’d made when she said it. She was always so expressive, couldn’t hide a single thought because if she didn’t say it her face sure did.

“Well then now ya can wash yer own clothes.” He shrugged his shoulders, and she let out a long sigh when they both turned to head to their tent to get their shit together. Daryl got his crossbow and bolts ready, and a few hunting knives were stuffed in hidden places like his boots and belt loops. Blessing gave him two granola bars she’d had saved in her bookbag for midnight snacks so he wouldn’t be too hungry, and he actually smiled at her in thanks when she did. “And why the hell ya runnin’ ‘round with no shoes on?”

She chuckled awkwardly, not thinking he’d noticed since he hadn’t mentioned it outside of the tent. She wasn’t easily embarrassed usually, but when Daryl caught her doing dumb shit like this… She couldn’t help but get a little embarrassed by the silly shit she did unintentionally. “Screams scared me so I panicked and rushed out without putting on shoes.”

He cackled at her answer, and shook his head at how embarrassed she looked about it. He didn’t understand why she always got so embarrassed about simple shit like that, not when she was so clear about never being embarrassed by others. It was cute, because even before the apocalypse it was something he noticed that she did. And it was only if he pointed something out…

It wasn't long before the group had set out once more. Blessing was sulking more than before because Daryl refused to say goodbye, saying he was going to come back anyway so he didn’t have to say it. She didn’t know how to tell him that she knew it was more likely for her to die than him, because she wasn’t as knowledgeable on the shit he usually was. He’d taught her how to skin animals, but she couldn’t catch them for shit because she talked too much and was too clumsy to be stealthy. She didn’t really know how to shoot a gun properly, she’d only ever shot one in the shooting range with her dad once before.

The only thing keeping her alive was Daryl, because he made it his mission to protect her.

When she watched them pull away, she had an overwhelming sense of dread settling in the pit of her stomach. And her silence had actually the group settling in a somewhat tense atmosphere. She was usually the one going around lightening the mood, and some people usually found it annoying. But they didn’t realize how much her voice had filled the void that was now filled with their negative thinking.

“I gotta do my laundry.” She sighed out to herself, running her hands over her sweat covered face as she turned to her tent to grab her things. She was wearing her last good pair of denim shorts, and one of her last clean shirts that was way too cute to wear in the wilderness. A cute baby pink off the shoulder top, she wanted to curse the sky when she remembered she couldn’t do make up and nails to match it. She didn’t worry about it too much though, because once she’d grabbed her basket she was heading towards the water where the other women were doing laundry too.

“Is this deja vu or what?” Blessing teased once she’d dropped her basket near Carol who was already grinning her way. They were literally all in the same position just the other day, and if this was gonna be anything like before…She was a bit more mentally prepared for anything thrown her way.

“That shirt is so cute.” Jacqui complimented, waving a sud covered hand Blessing’s way. Blessing popped out her hip and did a quick spin for them, and they all giggled and gave a short round of applause for her little dance she’d done as she did it.

“Thank you, thank you! One of the last good ones, I fear!” She faked crying as she started pulling her dirty clothes into the water, grabbing the soap block that Carol handed her way.

“You’re so lucky…Ed would never let me wear anything like that.” Carol’s smile slipped only a bit, and most of the woman tried to gloss over the depressing statement. But Blessing rose a brow her way, making an incredulous face that had Carol biting her lips so she didn’t laugh at her dramatics.

“So he’s a dick and you can’t wear what you want? Do you need me to like… Assassinate him or something? Or like.. Is the dick really that good?” Blessing leaned over to whisper the last bit to Carol so the others wouldn’t hear. Carol coughed out a laugh, her pale cheeks blossoming into a vibrant pink and her eyes widening. But only after a moment of taking in her words, she cackled and shook her head.

“Nah, dick ain’t that good, I’m afraid.”

They burst into a fit of giggles, and the other women looked their way with slight confusion because they hadn’t heard the joke. But when Blessing had snorted from laughing too hard, they joined in as well. They were all cut off though, when Ed came back around like the tyrant he was. Like he smelled Carol being happy, and wanted to rid of the source of her joy.

“Laundry must be fuckin’ hilarious.” He spat out before he took a puff of his cigarette. Blessing couldn’t resist rolling her eyes, because it was almost just like last time. But this time, she wasn’t going to stay shut. She couldn’t.

“Just swappin’ war stories, Ed.” Andrea said with a bit of an attitude, giving a sarcastic friendly smile that had Ed sending one right back before he was blowing his smoke her way.

“Excuse me, that’s disrespectful.” Blessing perked up a bit to say when Andrea had to fan the smoke from her face. Ed didn’t seem to care, and rolled his eyes her way looking a bit indifferent. His eyes danced over her figure before his lips curled up in a greasy smirk. Blessing’s face slowly fell as she watched him look her over, and her eyes briefly danced over to where the others may be. She caught a quick glimpse of Shane looking their way, and it gave her all the courage she needed.

“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, girl.” He sneered out, before waving a hand Carol’s way that had her flinching back a bit. They all noticed, and Andrea was quick to grab Carol’s wrist to pull her behind her. “C’mon, Carol. Let’s go.”

“With you? So she can come back with bruises? We seen ‘em.” Jacqui jumped in as she crossed her arms over her chest to try and seem bigger than she was. It was clear on her face that she was nervous about stepping in, but seeing Andrea and Blessing do it only encouraged her to do the right thing.

“Yeah, and don’t call me girl!” Blessing hopped beside Andrea to add it in with a twist of her neck, giving him an up and down. He only scoffed at her though, attempting to push past both her and Andrea to grab Carol.

“I got much better things to do than to stand here and listen to you uppity, smart mouth bitches. Y’all and the fuckin’ help.” He sneered the last bit towards Blessing and Jacqui, and while Jacqui clutched at her imaginary pearls Blessing gasped in disbelief at his audacity.

“Back up! And shut up!” Blessing ground out, trying to force herself between him and Carol. She pushed at his chest roughly, while Andrea tried to grab at his arm to pull him away. But he only persisted, and Carol tried to cry out for them to let him have his way but they weren’t having it. “Back the fuck up!”

Her curse seemed to fuel Ed’s fire, and he reeled back to land a harsh smack on her cheek. It caught her by surprise, of course. She’d never been hit by a man before, definitely never smacked, so she’d let out a shocked cry when she’d fallen. Her ear ringing and eyes watering at the pain of it, she nearly forgot what she was even doing to get smacked in the first place.

But the sound of scuffling had her catching her breath and looking up to see Shane beating in Ed’s face, blood coating his arms that was spraying from Ed’s face. The women cried for him to stop, and when he did he whispered a threat to Ed that Blessing didn’t hear because her ear was still ringing.

When he let him go, Shane huffed out angrily and turned her way. She flinched a bit when he headed her way, because he still looked fucking fuming and if Ed hit her then that meant anyone else could. But he didn’t swing or anything, he held out a hand for her to take. She glanced at his hand wearily before she took his help to stand, her other hand staying over her cheek to try and ease its throbbing.

“Lemme see.” Shane instructed, gently moving her hand from her cheek to see the damage. Her cheek was red, and a bit swollen but it wasn’t bruised. But it wasn’t meant to be there at all, so his nostrils flared a bit at the sight.

“It’s cool, it’s fine. You got it back in blood for me, we’re all cool.” She rushed out, nodding her head a bit frantically as if it’d make him agree with her. He didn’t completely, but he still nodded with her and didn’t stop her when she walked away and headed off towards her tent. Instead, he let out a harsh sigh before he was looking back towards Ed. Who had Carol sobbing over him…

Chapter Text

After the incident with Ed, Blessing was actually a bit embarrassed to come out of her tent for some time. The only reason she eventually came out was because Lori had come to fetch her for dinner. She’d grimaced when she saw the swelling and slight bruising on Blessing’s face, but she didn’t say anything about it to Blessing. Which she was extremely grateful for. She’d been looking at herself in her hand held mirror poking and prodding at her cheek, praying the swelling would go down and it would just disappear before Daryl got there. She had a feeling he was going to be pissed if he saw.

When they’d gotten close to the huddle of everyone around the fire, Blessing took a deep breath before forcing a smile on her face. It wasn’t as big as her normal one, but it would do. She didn’t want anyone to start asking her if she was okay, because if they did she’d probably cry as soon as they’d asked. Not just because her face still hurts a little bit but… Without a Dixon around to keep her grounded, she was slowly beginning to spiral in her head.

Seeing dead people eating people, the end of civilization, having to leave the comfort of the Dixon’s place and now… Getting smacked by some racist wife beater? Yeah, she wasn’t having a good time. At all.

Her smile only faltered a bit when she made eye contact with Shane who was looking at her from across the fire, his dark eyes scanning over her and Lori’s figures. She didn’t know if anyone noticed how… Creepy he was starting to seem to Blessing. His random staring, the weird nicknames… The only thing Blessing was really glad about was Shane beating in Ed’s face for her. But that was it. Other than that… Shane just seemed bossy. Bossy and rowdy.

She took a seat beside Carl who was already chowing down on food, rustling his hair as she did so. He playfully smacked her hand away, but it only made her do it again with a grin stretching onto her face when he whined out because hair had gotten into his eyes.

“What’re we grubbin’ on today?” She asked him, trying to get him to talk with his mouth full because she knew his mother hated it. She always found it funny seeing a kid getting in a little bit of trouble, only if it was something small. Carl wasn’t a bad kid or anything, he just made the funniest faces when his mom turned around every time. Blessing was always the only one to catch him doing it behind his mom’s back, and she thought it was hilarious the first time she’d seen him do it.

“Andrea and Amy caught fish, and we got uh… We got fruit medley and some beans too.” Carl only answered after he’d swallowed his food, and his mom sent a satisfied grin his way when she noticed. It made Blessing stick her tongue out Lori’s way, because that meant Lori was watching them both knowing they were both the troublemakers of the group. Blessing was almost always trying to either get Carl a scolding, or trying to get him to play random games with her. It was a cute duo really, so Lori didn’t complain too much about it. She’d complain if Carl’s life was ever put at risk though, that was for sure.

“Oooh~, what’s in the fruit medley? You know I’m allergic to pineapple.” She said, which had the few people that had been listening looking her way in mild surprise. They hadn’t even thought about food allergies, so it was a good thing she mentioned it. Because the medley sure as fuck had some pineapples in it.

“No fruit medley for Blessing, then.” Dale was the one to say it finally, making most of the adults chuckle while Blessing grinned sheepishly at the crowd. Carl found it amusing, because he smirked way too devilishly as he held his portion of fruit farther away from her.

“I gotta ask… What’s up with the watch?” Blessing glanced over to Dale, who was fiddling with a pocket watch in his hands. She tried her best not to fidget and mess with Carl while he went on a small rant about time and quoted some poet, which took a lot of effort because she really hated monologues. She usually zoned out half way through, but this time she actually paid attention because it was Dale talking. He was always kind to her, and not the fake kind because Blessing was nice to him.

“I like... I like what, um, a father said to his son when he gave him a watch that had been handed down through generations. He said, 'I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire, which will fit your individual needs no better than it did mine or my father's before me; I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you may forget it for a moment now and then and not spend all of your breath trying to conquer it.'

It was quiet for a moment, until Amy decided to make a comment with a warm smile on her face.

“You’re so weird.” She teased, and most of them broke into chuckles. Blessing picked at her food with a smile on her face, because it was true… Dale was pretty weird, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. She focused on her plate when they all started their own little side chatter, distracting herself by picking at the fish on her plate with a pout on her face she didn’t even realize was there. She didn’t even want to sit out here, her face was throbbing and she missed Daryl and Merle.

She didn’t even look up when Amy had gotten up to use the bathroom. Amy’s scream was what had her snapping her neck to look up to see a walker taking a chunk out of Amy’s shoulder. Terror instantly came over her, and she let out a loud cry of agony whilst everyone screamed and scrambled to some type of safety. Carl was already tucked into his mother’s side, crying out in fear whilst Lori cried and shouted out people’s names as if it would help them.

Blessing scrambled, nearly tripping over the campfire to try and follow after Lori and Carl who were being protected by Shane and his shotgun. Shane was trying to bark out orders, telling Lori and anyone who listened to head to the RV whilst he shot what he could. She was cut off by a panicked person trying to head towards their family, and when she thought she was going to be able to get to cover they’d practically bulldozed over her. She couldn’t tell if it was on purpose or not, because the man had tripped over her falling body but didn’t even look back when he pushed himself up with a cry of fear to run to where he had been going.

Unfortunately for him, because he was larger than Blessing, the walker that’d been following him only focused on him. Because of how much his frame had overshadowed hers, and how much noise he was making from panicking he had the walker’s full attention. It grabbed onto him from behind, and when he looked back he was expecting it to be the person he’d knocked over so he was rushing out an apology. But it was cut short when the walker went in for its kill, and dug its teeth into his neck. Which seemed much too easy because of how unsuspecting of it he was.

Blessing watched in fear, and clapped a hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t scream or cry out. She definitely noticed how the walkers seem to gravitate towards loud noises, and it was something she was going to try to take advantage of.

Even though her breathing was harsh, and there were tears streaming down her face, she still knocked her shoulder into the back of the walker so it was knocked off its feet. Even though it was too late to save the man, she felt like it was only right to do something now that the walker was distracted by its meal. It’s still screaming, and kicking meal…

She watched it face plant before she was looking around the camp frantically, trying to differentiate the faces she knew and the faces of walkers trying to kill them all. There were about four that were starting to stumble her way, and she let out a choked gasp when she noticed. She took steps backwards, glancing over her shoulder every now and then to pinpoint where safety was exactly. It wasn’t close, but it wasn’t far either. The RV was a few feet away, Shane standing at it’s door with his shotgun raised and Lori behind him watching the scene in horror.

“Oh fuck, I’m gonna die.” Blessing breathed to herself in a bit of a panic, her eyes dancing around each body to try and find a way out. They weren’t stumbling close together, so if she really wanted to she could…

“Blessing!” She heard someone shouting out her name, but she couldn’t tell who it was because everyone was starting to sound the same in the chaos. Everything was starting to sound like… Noise. White noise. It pulled her from her thinking though, and it was like her sign to take the risk she was about to take.

With rushed, shaking hands she pulled her braids back and used the hair tie around her wrist to pull them into a ponytail. She didn’t want her braids getting caught at all. She took a few shuddering breathes, wiping the tears off her faces before she darted forward keeping her body low. She headed right first, clapping her hands so they’d look her way a few steps in. When they all started stumbling right, expecting her to continue on running that way, she juked them as best she could. Do a quick spin move left, so she was spinning around them and narrowly avoiding being grabbed.

“Spin move!” She couldn’t help but shout out, even though everything was starting to blur from her holding her breath. She didn’t even realize she was doing it until black spots appeared, and she took in a gulp of air to try and make them go away.

Her shout didn’t help her predicament, and they turned to follow after her from the noise she’d created. “Oh , fuck!” She cried out, making the mistake of running whilst looking behind her. She regretted it quickly, because when she was just to the tree line about to escape into the dark she ran into what felt like a fucking brick wall. She let out an ‘oof’ at the impact, and her body ricocheted so she nearly fell on her ass. But a hand gripped her arm instead to keep her up, and she almost scratched at it to get it off until she looked up and saw those blue eyes she’d missed so much.

“Oh, Thank God,” She cried out her voice shaking pathetically. Daryl didn’t say anything at all though, he pulled her by the arm so she was behind him before he was raising his crossbow and firing into the camp to rid of the remaining walkers that stood. Other gunshots sounded, some that weren’t Shane’s shotgun and she sagged in relief when she noticed that Rick, Glenn and T-Dog were all back too.

After what felt like hours of shooting, but was only mere minutes, the vamp settled into a somber silence. Finally, Daryl turned to look Blessing over with furrowed brows.

“What the hell happened to yer face?” Was the first thing he asked, his eyes only widening a small fraction and anger lacing his tone. Blessing gave a weak smile, and shrugged her shoulders looking a bit sheepish.

“Ed gave me Carol treatment.” She said, sounding embarrassed. But she’d given all the information he needed, when he said the name he nodded before he walked off briskly. “Wait! Daryl!”

He ignored her call for him, and headed towards Carol’s tent instead. He’d seen Carol ot too far from the RV, so he knew she wasn't there in the tent so it was the perfect time to have ‘a talk’ with Ed. Blessing tried to grab at his arm to pull him back to their tent, but he persisted and dragged her along with him. Not even bothering to wave her off of him.

“Please, Daryl! Shane already got him back! I swear!” She cried out, trying to sway him but still…It didn’t work. However, his steps faltered when they actually got closer to the tent and realized that the flaps were open. Blessing’s mouth snapped shut when she noticed the blood on it, she could see it even in the dark because of the color of their tent. When Daryl glanced over his shoulder they made eye contact, and instead of trying to pull him away she was grasping onto the back of his shirt stepping forward with him.

He was her human shield, and they both crept forward silently just in case a walker was still in the tent. Daryl used his raised crossbow to move the flap aside a bit, shining a flashlight into the tent for them both to peer into. Blessing let out a small gasp at what they found. Ed’s body, most of his abdomen and chest missing.

Daryl didn’t say a word, but he let out a bit of a breath of relief when a walker wasn’t present. He could care less about what happened to Ed, even before he’d hit Blessing. But Blessing… Blessing had too much empathy. Too much sympathy. She was an all around compassionate person, and much too forgiving. So when she had to step aside to empty her stomach not too far from the scene, Daryl didn’t tease her about it like he would’ve his brother.

When she was done, she wiped her mouth with small whimpers escaping her lips. Biting back her cries, cries that Daryl hated to hear. So when she stepped to him, looking up at him with those big teary eyes of hers, he took her in his arms easily. Letting her cry into his chest over the misfortune they’d all just dealt.

Chapter Text

That night, even though there was an open sleeping bag because of Merle’s absence, Blessing still squeezed herself in Daryl’s sleeping bag. Usually , he’d tease her about how warm she always was before bed because she was such a fucking cuddler. But after hearing her cries when she tried to sleep in Merle’s spot alone… He didn’t have it in him. In all the time he’d known her, she was never much of a crier. Sure, when life got overwhelming when her father passed she cried a lot more than usual but… Daryl understood why. And now here she was, crying about people’s death’s that she didn’t even get along with.

The next morning was dreadful. Because now, they had to clean up all of the bodies that's been left overnight because everyone was too tired to do anything about them. The walker corpses stunk something awful, and seeing the bodies of their fallen friends didn’t make it any better.

Andrea was still curled around her sister's body, and Blessing refused to look her way because of how depressing the sight was. The usually prissy blonde was sobbing over Amy, looking pitiful everytime she wiped at the dead woman’s face to get rid of blood.

She tried to help, really she did. She’d even helped Daryl carry some bodies off towards the pile they were building. But when Carol had to bash in her own husband’s head so he wouldn’t reanimate, Blessing decided it was time for her to take a break. She ignored the look Daryl gave her when she gulped in some air as Carol took the weapon from Daryl’s hand, and turned on her heel to head to the safety of their tent so she could calm down. Her hands had been shaking since she’d climbed out of the tent in the morning and saw just how many bodies there truly were lying around the camp. It was devastating to her.

She ignored her name being called, and rushed into the tent whilst taking deep breaths so she wouldn’t start crying again. A breathing exercise she’d learned from her father when he was still alive. She didn’t constantly have anxiety attacks like she was having now, but when her father was alive she always came to him when she was upset in search of his comfort. Unfortunately for him, that usually meant she’d eventually cry about what she was talking about if she couldn’t get her point across. So, he’d coached her with breathing exercises to help her.

“Bless?” Now she knew it was Daryl, because he was the only one that really called her the nickname. He stood at the entrance of the tent holding open the flap with his wrist, looking at her with furrowed brows and concern hidden well in his pretty blue’s.

“I’m okay, I’m good.” She breathed, running her hands over her face to rid of any fallen tears. The action made them smear across her cheeks, and Daryl blanched at how much worse it made her crying look. “For real, I’m good!”

“So then why ya cryin’ for?” He asked, raising a brow at the slight raise of her voice. She instantly became a bit embarrassed by the way she’d lightly snapped at him, and she flopped back onto his sleeping bag to stare at the ceiling of the tent so she didn’t have to look at him and feel guilty about it. Daryl knew how her brain worked already, so when she did that he rolled his eyes and clambered into the tent to crouch at her side. He lightly gripped her chin between two fingers, and turned her head a bit so she was forced to look at him anyway.

“Talk ta me, Princess.” He said lightly, his raspy voice low and soft. Nothing like what he usually sounded like when he spoke, which wasn’t very often with all of the other campers. That was one of her favorite things about him, he didn’t talk much.

“I feel bad.” She admitted, sounding so heartbroken that Daryl was tempted to forget about the day’s work and lay beside her to give her the comfort she needed. Instead, he brushed a finger over her cheekbone lightly and nodded for her to continue. “People that died.. They all had families and stuff. Even though Ed was really bad to his family, and an all around bad dude… I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“Did you bring the walkers to the camp?” Daryl asked her with a raised brow, making her furrow her brows and shake her head. “So then don’t feel too bad. People are gonna die, that’s why I told ya not to get attached, remember?”

She pouted at that, because he made it sound so easy. But Blessing knew damn well she couldn’t just… Not get attached to people, it was how she worked. She needed to talk to everyone in the group, so she could know what every personality was like. So she could get a glimpse into what they were capable of mentally, or physically. She wasn’t always talking about nonsense. Sometimes she was actually asking people questions about what they knew or what they could do. She had a library in her head, and each book’s cover had a camp member's name on it.

“Okay.” She still agreed with him anyway, her lips twitching into a weak smile when his finger ghosted over her lips just like his eyes were doing. She would’ve been over the moon about his affection if it wasn’t just after he told her to not get attached to the people she was already attached to. And it was a bit…. Frustrating that he only ever wanted to show affection like this when it was just them two alone. It had her feeling a type of way that she wasn’t sure how to talk about just yet.

“Imma go help finish up, you can stay in here. If anybody asks, I’ll tell ‘em you ain’t feel good.” He muttered, his eyes dancing over her face when she nodded. He was forced to look at the back of her head when she turned around to lay on her side, pretending she was going to force herself to sleep but really… She stared at the wall of the tent with watery eyes, biting at her lip so noise wouldn’t escape her. She knew if it did, he wouldn’t leave and would try to stay and make her feel better. But… His comfort didn’t seem to be working right now.

He left the tent with his head low, and finally Blessing let herself whine out shakily. She sat up when she didn’t hear his footsteps anymore, she shakily ran her hands over her face again. She didn’t want to seem lazy to the rest of the group for not helping, even though Daryl had just said he’d say she was sick. But she knew she wasn’t and Daryl did too, so it didn’t feel right. The most she did around the camp was laundry, skinning and cooking whatever Daryl brought back and sometimes killed or distract a stray walker. She knew for sure she was really good walker bait because she was a fucking yapper.

She let out yet another silent cry at the thought…She didn’t think she was pulling her weight, she wanted to do more but she didn’t know how to go about doing that yet. She didn’t even really know how to shoot a gun, how could she help?

No, fuck that, she thought to herself finally sucking in a breath and squaring her shoulders. She couldn’t help anyone if she was just sitting around crying about not being able to help. So instead of moping, she did something a little productive. Well, for herself. She worked on undoing her braids finally. Lori had made a comment the other day about how pretty her braids were, that’s how she knew it was time to take them out.

She used one of Daryl’s hunting knives to cut at the bottoms of each braid, and got to work instantly. She didn’t take a break when her hands started to cramp up a bit because of how many braids she had, they were on the smaller side of box braids because it was one of her favorite types. She didn’t stop when she heard Glenn shouting something outside, not even when she heard people shouting about someone being bit. It took her nearly two and a half hours to get each braid undone. When she finished, she let out a breathless laugh as she fluffed up the large balls of hair that were sitting at her sides. She never realized how much hair she used for braids until she was taking them out, but it was her favorite part so it was okay.

She gathered all the hair in her hands and finally left the tent. She laughed when some people looked her way, baffled by the amount of hair in her hands and the way her coily hair was puffed up wildly from being in braids for so long. She’d tried to shake out some of the dried gel that caked up on her scalp but she knew she needed to wash her hair to get rid of all that. She didn’t know how exactly, because they didn’t have all the products she used on her hair before. So she mentally prayed that her hair wasn’t as boujie as she was and was happy with query water and a bar of soap.

“Did you give yourself a haircut?” Carl asked in astonishment, watching her toss the hair into the fire they’d created to burn the bodies. Her and Jacqui both laughed at that, and she shook her head as she came to his side and ruffled at his hair.

“Nope, I just took my braids out, kid. This is my hair, just gotta wash it.” She said warmly, smirking a bit when he glowered her way for messing with his hair. She looked Lori’s way, and the woman was already watching the two with a warm smile on her face. Blessing always thought it was cute when she caught moments like that, seeing a mother get caught staring at the boy she’d created like she was the proudest creature on earth.

“You should hurry up and wash it before we start heading out to the CDC.” Jacqui warned her, pointing over her shoulder to the water behind them. Blessing sent her a quick thanks before she was snatching up some soap and making her way to the edge of the water to wash her hair. She kneeled by the water, looking around the camp briefly to find Daryl who was already by their tent looking her way. His eyes danced over her large puff of hair before scanning her face to make sure there were no more tears present. When he was satisfied by the lack of them, he turned into the tent and started getting their things together.

When she was sure he was good, she finally turned and dipped her hair into the water. She let it soak in her hair for a few seconds before she was scrubbing at her scalp and scratching the itch on the top of her head she’d been trying not to scratch the whole time. When she was sure the water had flowed between each strand, she scrubbed at each curl with the soap and spent a good amount of time on her scalp. When she was done, she flipped her soaking hair over her head and sucked her teeth when it smacked against the top of her back a bit harshly. It wasn’t as long as Lori’s or Amy, but it was thick as fuck and her curls definitely gave her some shrinkage. With it wet, her hair actually reached around the top of her mid back. But as it dried, her curls slowly shrunk the length.

Cooled down by her wet hair, she made her way back to the tent to meet Daryl and see if he needed any help. Luckily for her, by the time she was done he’d pretty much had everything packed up and gave her the task of breaking down the tent and putting it away. She did so as best she could, and helped him carry everything to his truck so they could be ready to go whenever Rick or Shane finally told everyone to go.

“Do you think they’ll have a cure over there?” Blessing asked much too hopefully for Daryl’s liking, and he fought the urge to scoff at her question. He knew damn well there wasn’t a cure for this, but he couldn’t tell her that. He knew it’d just get her down, make tears well up in those pretty brown eyes of hers.

“Maybe.” He said instead, shrugging his shoulders a bit indifferently. She gave a bit of a side eye, because he didn’t have the same tone of voice as he did when he’d spoken to her in the tent. He was back to the gruff, somewhat annoyed sounding Daryl and it grinded her fucking gears.

“Why do you act like that?” She asked now, her tone becoming a bit defensive and eyes scanning over him as if his body would give her an answer. Everytime he switched up his act, she got more and more offended by how much he tried to hide how close they really were. It felt like he was embarrassed of her at this point.

“Like what?”

“You’re being weird.” She grumbled, not doing a very good job at elaborating but it wasn’t like it was the right time for it anyway. So instead of dwelling on it, or saying anything so he’d stop looking at her with that stupid ass confused look on his face, she jumped into the passenger side of his truck and sulked to herself. Daryl just watched in confusion, and when he realized she wasn’t going to stop her sulking anytime soon he headed over to where Rick and Shane were standing to know what the next move was.

And the next move was getting out of there and heading to the CDC.

Chapter Text

“What’d ya mean when ya said I was bein’ weird?” Finally, after hours of traveling in awkward silence Daryl asked. It wasn’t often that he got the silent treatment from her, and every time he did get it he loathed every second of it. Because usually, her perky voice was the only thing stopping him from getting lost in his thoughts that were constantly filled with self doubt and loathing.

But now, she was sitting in his passenger seat still with her arms crossed over her chest and looking out the window like she was in a damn music video. She’d barely looked his way the entire ride, even though they were the only two in the car. He didn’t even know what he did wrong, just that he was ‘being weird’...

And the not knowing was what made anxiety brew in his chest and stomach. He had to bite at the dead skin around his dirty nails to fight the urge to snap at her to say something, because that’d just make it worse. He knew from experience. She was a princess most of the time, but the time she wasn’t she was a fucking brat.

“How come you act differently when there’s people around?” She asked after a few moments of silence. To him, she was just trying to make him more anxious. Maybe trying to rile him up a bit to get a reaction from him because he never gave one. But in reality, she was trying to put words together without using a curse. Or perhaps, without making herself mad with the brewing assumptions she had about why he was acting this way.

Daryl scoffed a bit, glancing her way nervously. But his cat like eyes looked anything but nervous to her, to her he always just looked so calculated. She didn’t know if it was the apocalypse, losing his brother or the already hard life he’d already lived but… He was putting up more walls than he had up before it felt like. “I don’t act different. I’m always Daryl.”

“Yes you do, you’re nicer to me when other people aren’t around. You’re embarrassed by me.” She pointed out, scoffing when he didn’t speak up to object. Instead, he focused more on biting around his nails and pretending like he was focusing on the road even though they’d been traveling in a straight line for miles. “Daryl, I’ve been practically chasing you for years! I should be the one embarrassed!”

He wasn’t surprised by her yelling, he probably would’ve been yelling too if he were in her shoes. But he was too stubborn, too used to having to bite back to not do it to her too. “Well ya should be! Ya can’t take a fuckin’ hint?!”

“That’s not what you say when we’re alone, you fuckin’ coward.” She sneered, glaring at his side profile so angrily he swore his face was getting hot with her stare. “Or before all this shit happened? I was still a princess in front of Merle and your bar buddies! You didn’t care about them seeing us hugging or kissing!”

“We don’t know these people, Bless!” He barked, the hand he was once biting at smacking at the steering wheel with a bit of force that made her jump in her spot. It didn’t stop her from glaring at him though.

“Who cares! It’s the end of the world!”

“Jus’ ‘cause ya like bein’ all up in people’s face don’t mean I gotta be the same way.” Was Daryl’s only defence, and his heart stuttered in his chest when she let out a disappointed sigh while she shook her head. It was like the anger left her body, leaving it deflated and left with only a small fraction of disappointment and sadness instead. He didn’t like it, but he couldn’t help it.

“I just want you to act like you like me, Daryl. If you do… ‘Cause if you don’t just let me know. I can’t have myself lookin’ stupid chasin’ after somebody who clearly doesn’t want me.” She sounded dejected, but he could tell she was doing her best to try and seem like she wasn’t upset by it. He was so tempted to pull over so he could say exactly what was on his mind, but knew he couldn’t because they’d most definitely get left behind or hold the group up from reaching the CDC.

“I never said I ain’t like you, Bless. There’s just… A lot goin’ on.” Another weak ass excuse, because everyone had a lot going on. When he glanced her way, he saw the way her eyes filled with tears that she tried to blink away. And he had to force himself to look away when she shook her head again to look out the window, wiping her face as she did so. She deserved better than that, he knew it but… He didn’t know if he could be better, if he had it in him. He was so used to his father and Merle telling him how much of a man he wasn’t, and Blessing was the exact opposite. He didn’t know how to react to that..

They continued to ride in silence. And a few hours turned into a few days before they’d actually reached the CDC. They had to stop to let Jim off the RV, and he’d tried to give Blessing words of encouragement when it was her time to come up and bid her goodbyes. He’d said to give Daryl patience, and when she’d got back into the truck she cried about it silently for nearly half an hour. Because unfortunately, Patience was literally her middle name.

When they pulled up to the government building only to see bodies everywhere, they both looked at the scene from over the trucks dash with their mouths wide open and eyes wide. Blessing was the first to push out the truck when she noticed Rick and Shane were out of their vehicles, and Daryl rushed out after her.

“Bless, get close.” He tried to instruct, raising his crossbow to shoot at a stumbling walker that noticed the group's arrival. They were everywhere, and he was sure that if they didn’t get into a building or leave the area soon they’d be surrounded and fucked. Blessing, although shaking with nerves, gave him a side eye that had his face twitching with irritation. Her face was still puffy from crying, and she looked more irritated with him than she did before. But now was not the time to be petty.

She didn’t say anything snarky like he expected her to, and quietly got behind him so he could play the bodyguard role he wanted to play so bad. She fiddled with her fingers when they all slowly made their way towards the gates of the CDC, trying to be quiet because they knew there were walkers everywhere. And they also didn’t know if the bodies on the floor were going to reanimate anytime soon or if they were at all.

“You led us to a graveyard.” Daryl spat Rick’s way, frustration gleaming in his eyes and shoulders tense when he had to shoot a few walkers that looked like they were getting too close to the somewhat panicking group.

“He made a call!”

“The wrong damn call!”

“Shut up! Ya hear me!? No blame?!” Shane shouted out angrily, pointing his finger Daryl’s way. Daryl wasn’t intimidated and scoffed at Shane’s obvious bucking at him, smacking the finger from his face before he opened his mouth to shout something back. But before he could, Rick was calling out about a camera moving.

“I saw it move!” He cried out, pointing to the camera sitting above the gates watching over them like some time type of warden. Blessing moved from beside Daryl to stand by Rick and look up at the camera he was staring so hard at. She narrowed her eyes on it a bit, counting the seconds that passed in her head with people shouting at him that he’d imagined it behind her. And she let out a loud cry of joy when she saw the tiny lens move just a fraction from her face, to the people behind her.

“He’s right! It moved! Aha! We know you’re in there! Let us in! Please, we don’t wanna die!” She joined Rick’s cries for help, banging on the gate while she looked up at the camera that’d moved it’s lens to focus on her and Rick at the gate.

“Please! We have women! Children! You’re killing us!” Rick pleaded, trying to push out of Shane’s grip who was trying to pull him along so they could go back to their cars. Daryl tried to grab at Blessing’s arm, but she pushed at his chest making him stumble back a step in surprise at her aggression. She was too focused on banging on the gate to care.

Their efforts were proved worth it when a loud shuttering sound echoed out, and the gate slowly rolled open. She laughed out in disbelief, and reached behind her to grab Daryl’s wrist who was looking into the bright light with a shocked look on his face. Clearly not expecting the gates to actually open.

They all hurried into the opened gate, and were greeted with a man in a doctor's coat holding up a shotgun to their faces. He looked like he was doing his best to seem stony, but his hands on the gun were shaking a bit. And the Blessing could see his dull eyes twitching nervously behind his wire framed glasses. Even his blonde hair seemed like he’d run his fingers through it after he’d already tried to give it a bit of a comb over look. He was clearly stressed, much like they all were.

“Any of you bit?” He asked out loud, looking them all over with a calculating gaze. Like he was trying to figure out if they seemed like the type of people to lie about it or not.

“One of us was… He didn’t make it.” Rick revealed solemnly, and Blessing gave him a look of confusion.

“You did not need to tell him that.” She uttered, and Daryl nudged her side for her to shut up. Jenner seemed to find it funny though, and the corner of his lip twitched a bit when he tried to fight a smirk at her comment.

“Price of admission is a blood test. I’ll keep the gate open for people to grab their things, but once it closes it stays closed.” He said, and everyone sent each other quick glances before people were running out of the gates to head back to their cars to grab some of their belongings. Only when everyone returned safely did he shut the gate, just like he said he would.

They were all made to give blood samples, and then cramped into an elevator that Blessing had no idea fit so many people. She almost forgot why she was even mad at Daryl when she had to be pressed up against him in the elevator, because he’d used the opportunity to cop a quick and subtle feel. She’d looked over her shoulder at him in mild shock when she felt his hand giving her ass a gentle caress between them when he thought no one was looking. When she looked back at him he was already looking down at his hand that was caressing her, his eyes dark and lips sucked into his mouth at seeing their bodies so close to touching yet not touching at all…

She didn’t know if it was him being extra horny after their earlier argument, but the look he’d given her was enough for her to not give a single fuck about it. Not when he didn’t even seem to care when Carol caught the look he’d given and giggled at the look on Blessing’s face. He pulled away, yes. But he didn’t let his eyes leave hers, not even when his cheeks tinted pink from being caught.

They were promised food when Andrea seemed to stumble after her blood was taken, and Blessing was sure she’d eat anything given to her at this point because she was fucking starving. But then Jenner said that there was hot water, and everyone had cheerfully decided showers would be something they did first.

Picking a room was easy for Blessing, because even if she was still somewhat upset with Daryl she went wherever he went. Everyone knew it, even Daryl.

“Wanna shower together to save water?” Blessing was more than surprised that Daryl was the one that’d asked the question, because although he whispered it in her ear Glenn still heard and looked at them red faced before he walked off awkwardly.

“Daryl,” She laughed a bit breathlessly, looking around to see who else was around or if anyone else had heard. Luckily Glenn was the only one close enough to hear. “You trying to prove a point or something?”

“You wanted me to act like I like you, right?” He raised a brow, looking genuinely confused. Now, she rolled her eyes at him. He was clueless as fuck, like always.

“So you’re acting?”

“Well, I actually like ya, Bless… So.. not really.” He shook his head, trying to choose his words more carefully now that he knew she was going to be picking everything he said apart. She was always an overthinker though, so he shouldn’t have expected anything less. She seemed satisfied with his answer, and her lips twisted into a satisfied grin as she let out a hum and nodded.

“That’s what I like to hear. You really wanna save water?” She rose a brow at him this time, and he sucked his lips into his mouth as he nodded. Not daring to say another word so he wouldn’t fuck it up, whatever moment they were having. “Okay bet, let’s get wet and wild, Dixon.”

Chapter Text

They actually did shower together to save water, and they were both clean and satisfied when they stepped out of their shared room. They’d cleaned each other's backs, washed each other up and Daryl even helped her comb out her hair before they stepped out of the shower. Only for Daryl to finally try to trace a droplet of water falling down her back with his lips. That was the reason they’d stayed behind a bit after their shower, because he couldn’t just do it once. As soon as his lips touched her skin the first time he knew he’d have to taste her before he left the room, he couldn’t help himself.

It was probably one of the first times he’d initiated anything without having alcohol in his system, and when he thought about it he realized how fucked up it sounded. It did seem like he didn’t like her from an outside perspective….

It shouldn’t take the end of the world, or for her to come to him upset like she’d done for him to see that. He didn’t know why or how she dealt with him, he would’ve left the very first time she made it seem like she didn’t want him.

Then again, she knew all about his past. About his father and Merle, about what his mother was like. She knew bits and pieces about why he behaved the way he did… Maybe that was why she gave him so much grace? Because she understood?

“I’m starvin’ like Marvin, holy shit.” Blessing joked when they walked into the cafeteria-like area together. Daryl had gotten dressed in his usual shirt with the sleeves ripped off and a pair of blue jeans with his boots, even though Blessing had tried to get him to wear a different shirt. She’d thrown on some comfortable looking fluffy pink shorts and a white shirt that didn’t look like it was hers at all. She knew it wasn’t Daryl’s or Merle’s because it was a clean looking white shirt, with just some sweat stains so definitely not theirs. She could only assume Rick’s or Shane’s shirt got mixed up in her laundry, how? She had no fuckin’ clue.

Dinner was served, and everyone was sitting and standing around a large table looking like they were having the last supper. Carl tried to get her to sit by him until his dad gave him a deadpan look for not realizing he was sitting in between his mom and dad. She giggled at the sheepish look Carl had given him, and instead settled in a seat by Sophia so that the girl was seated in between her mother and Blessing. Much to Blessing’s surprise, Daryl didn’t even sit at the table, he took a plate of his own before he leaned against the wall behind her to eat quietly.

He didn’t want to bring attention to himself, Blessing already did that enough. This time, it wasn’t that he was embarrassed about public affection or anything. He just didn’t feel like talking much after the time he’d just had, and didn't want to explain anything to anyone in this nosey ass group of people.

He could already tell that some people were curious. Because Dale and Glenn had given each other a look when they came in together, and Shane was paying too much attention to the shirt she was wearing and the love bite on Daryl’s shoulder. His body was buzzing with anxiety just thinking about the questions people probably had.

“Want some wine?” T-Dog offered her, holding up the bottle so she could read the label before he poured some into her glass. She’d already stuffed food into her mouth, so she had to nod with a full grin so he would fill her cup up. He chuckled when she did, and as soon as he was done pouring her glass Daryl had practically snatched the bottle from his hands to drink from it. T-Dog let out a sound of disapproval, but merely shook his head and headed back to his seat in defeat when Daryl only shrugged looking like he didn’t care.

“Fruits?” Blessing perked up at the sight of the small portion of what looked like fruit medley on Sophia’s plate, but Carol was quick to slide Sophia’s plate over to her side so it was away from Blessing. She gave a bit of a guilty smile as she shook her, making Blessing deflate just a bit.

“Sorry, Blessing… It has pineapples in it.” Sophia said softly, and Blessing had to stop to coo at how cute she looked when she made her eyes as big as she’d done when she said it. She wiped her hands on a napkin before she gave Sophia’s cheek a quick caress as she hummed out. Sophia grinned at the affection, still not used to Blessing showing her so much love. She was used to her mother being the only one who cared enough for that, but after what happened with Ed, Blessing stepped up more to give Sophia a taste of more parental love that wasn’t from her mother. Or she tried to, because she wasn’t a parent.

Daryl watched the interaction from behind them, genuinely surprised at how they remembered about her allergy. At first, he’d narrowed his eyes on the back of Carol’s head when she’d moved the plate away. Thinking she was just being greedy and not trying to share with Blessing, but her explanation changed his mind completely.

“Y’know, kids in France get to have a taste of wine.” Dale threw in on Carl’s behalf, watching the way the child’s eyes followed the wine bottle going from person to person.

“Well, when Carl’s in France maybe he’ll get to try some.” Lori retorted, flashing a somewhat sarcastic grin that had Blessing cackling. She cackled even more when Dale put on a mock offended look, and Carl looked up at his mother like she’d just taken away his game system or something.

“What’s it gonna hurt?” Rick jumped in, smiling to his wife as if it’d convince her to listen to him. And Blessing had no idea how, but it worked. Because Lori gave a playful roll of her eyes before she poured Carl a sip of wine for him to try. Carl was much too eager to try, and when he actually took a sip his face twisted up in disgust so much that everyone in the room erupted into laughter.

“Ew!”

“Stick to soda pop there, bud.” Shane commented, looking a bit grumpy as he did so. Blessing looked his way with a raised brow, curious as to why he seemed to be upset. Like they weren’t being fed and housed… Like they hadn’t all just taken warm showers for the first time in weeks. Feeling her eyes on him, his dark orbs gravitated towards hers.

He seemed so frustrated. It was the biggest emotion she caught swirling in his eyes, and when she swore she caught a small glimpse of lingering hate and resentment she gulped down her questions and looked back to her plate.

“Except you, Glenn. Wanna see how red yer face can get.” Daryl finally seemed to join the joking, smirking Glenn’s way with his own cheeks already a shade of pink from drinking. Glenn was obviously already tipsy, and if people couldn’t tell by his pink face his loud giggles definitely told people what was up.

“It seems we haven’t properly thanked our host.” Rick said, standing from his seat and plopping his hands on his waist. Looking more like a leader than he did these past few days. Mostly because he was back in his Sheriff’s uniform looking clean and even smiling with his blue eyes shining with gratitude.

“More than just a host.” T-Dog threw in , leaning back in his chair with a grin on his face. Blessing smiled his way, relieved that it was the first time in a while she didn’t see sweat dripping down his bald head from being out in the scorching sun. God, this was an amazing break from being outside.

Everyone broke out in short cheers, holding up their glasses just as Rick was doing. But Daryl held up his bottle and called out a cheery ‘booyah!’ that had everyone copying him with drunken grins on their faces. However, Shane seemed done with their cheeriness and jumped in to ask Jenner questions.

“So when you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, Doc?” Shane started, taking a sip of his wine so he could look at Jenner over the rim of his glass. Blessing glanced over her shoulder nervously, checking if Daryl was still behind her like his presence would offer some type of comfort of support. Seeing Shane starting to become a villain wasn’t something she wanted to be apart of, but she knew Daryl would protect her if he had to. So she needed him close if Shane was going to be spouting out any of his negative bullshit. “All the uh… The other doctors that’s supposed to be figuring out what’s goin’ on… Where are they?”

“We’re celebratin’, Shane… Don’t gotta do this now.” Was Rick’s attempt to get Shane to calm down, a weak one but still an attempt.

“It’s the perfect time, ain’t this what we came for? Figure out what’s goin’ on, right? So?” Shane pressed Jenner, raising his brows for him to hurry up and answer his questions. Jenner looked like he was pondering on whether or not he should, looking around at the expressions on people’s faces. If anything, they all seemed awkward by Shane’s script flip.

“Well when things got bad a lot of people just left…Went to be with their families. When things got worse, when the military got overrun the rest bolted.”

“Every last one?”

“No…Many couldn’t face what was going on. Many opted out… There was a rash of suicides. It was a bad time.” Jenner shook his head a bit, taking a sip of his drink to water down his sorrows of what had been before. Everyone had settled into a somewhat tense silence, and Rick sent a scathing look Shane’s way for opening his mouth while people were actually enjoying themselves.

“You’re such a buzzkill.” Glenn groaned out Shane’s way, and finally Shane had the nerve to look at least a tiny bit ashamed of how he was going about things. People went back to eating their fill, chatter slowly starting back up as they did so even though Jenner still looked way too depressed about them being here. When they were all full, he led them around the building to show them what exactly each room was filled with. He’d already shown them the rooms for them to sleep in so they could shower, but now he was showing them the rec room and other spots that they didn’t see already.

“Wanna check out the books they got?” Carl asked Sophia brightly, trying to get her attention off of the games they had to plug in because Jenner had warned them already they couldn’t use anything that required electricity. Sophia nodded happily and Blessing fought the urge to follow after them when they ran off to the mini library in the rec room in search of entertainment.

“Ya look like ya wanna go wit them.” Daryl lightly teased in her ear, standing way too close behind her. He seemed to be keeping close since their time alone, and she couldn’t tell if it was because of that or if it was because she told him about himself on the ride to the CDC. It was bittersweet for her, really.

“I kinda do.” She admitted, a slight slur in her voice from the three glasses of wine she’d had. She wasn’t as drunk as Daryl or Glenn, that was for sure. But she could tell by the tingling in her lips that she would soon be if she drank more.

“Why don’t you?” Glenn asked, surprised both Daryl and Blessing because they didn’t know he was paying attention to them. But of course he was, he and Dale were the biggest fans in the Blessing and Daryl fan club. He noticed the relationship dynamic quickly when he met them both, and was rooting for Daryl to stop being pussy and make an actual move on Blessing.

“I’m not twelve.” She said with a giggle, and Glenn snorted at the obvious answer while Daryl rolled his eyes with a smirk on his lips.

“How old are you anyway?”

“I’m a lady, Glenn.” Blessing mocked offense at his question, and his already pink face seemed to darken even more when people looked their way hearing her words. Rick and Shane both had raised eyebrows, but amusement twinkled in their eyes when they noticed the look on Glenn’s face and the mischief in Blessing’s eyes.

Glenn, Daryl and Blessing all decided on playing a game of spades, and they used small snacks to bet on. The same granola bar, bag of doritos and bag of jerky were in rotation because everyone got a win, and none of them complained about it. It essentially turned into a trade instead of them betting on things.

When they’d played up to three games Daryl finally said he was going to turn in to get some sleep, and both Blessing and Glenn followed his lead. Glenn had stumbled away to find a room to sleep in, and Blessing and Daryl practically held each other up to stumble to their own room. They barely paid attention to the people they passed in the halls that laughed at the way they grinned to themselves with their eyes half closed. Not even when Lori had to stop Carl from tripping Blessing because he knew she wasn’t paying attention to where she was walking.

They had a time that night.

Chapter Text

“You don’t wanna wash up?” Daryl whispered the question into her ear before he gave her bare shoulder a wet kiss. They didn’t remember everything because they’d both gotten shit faced drunk, but they knew they definitely fooled around again last night.

Daryl had woken up quite nicely. He wasn’t sure if it was because he passed out, or if she asked for him to stay as he was… But when he woke up he was still inside of her. She was still asleep at the time, so he’d slowly pulled out and looked around a bit groggily. She was still naked, and he was only wearing one of his sleeveless flannels with all of the buttons open and he was sure that was her doing.

“I’m still sleepy.” She whined, trying to hide her huge head of curls under the thin pillow she’d been using. Daryl cackled when it just puffed up a bit before sliding off of her head, making her scowl his way as if he’d done it and not her hair. One of his hands caressed at her side light, going over the dip of her hips before rubbing a large circle over the side of her ass. Something he always did if he saw her laying down.

“You ain’t hungry then?” His lip twitched up into a smirk when her mouth slipped into an ‘o’ shape before she was nodding her head wildly. She pushed herself to stand with a groan, ignoring the way his eyes seemed to follow her every move. Mentally, she told herself he was just staring at her tits or something because she was still naked after all. And although he was trying now to show her that he liked her, a small piece of her just still wasn’t sure if he liked her. Maybe he just keeps me around because I’m convenient, she thought to herself.

Daryl seemed to know she was overthinking, she didn’t know how. Because he jutted his chin towards their bags for her to gather her clothes while he did the same. Prompting her to step out of the gloomy cloud she’d hung over her own head. She cleared her throat when she finally got up to grab something to wear, just a simple peach colored tank top and a pair of light washed ripped jeans that looked on the older side because of some random ass stains on the legs of them. She was too hung over to care.

They bathed together, much to Blessing’s surprise. Because Daryl hated sharing the shower before the apocalypse, the bathroom in his place was always on the smaller side. She also knew he didn’t like people getting a glimpse of the scars he had, but she’d seen them before so maybe he didn’t care that much if it was her. When they were done, she told Daryl she was going to braid her hair before she headed to grab food because of it getting in her face so much. He almost stood and waited for her, but she shooed him off.

In her time alone, not only did she braid her hair into four slightly frizzy cornrows but she also tried to reason with herself. She tried to tell herself not to self sabotage because he was finally giving some effort.

When she was done, she made her way to find the rest of the group. She painted a grin on her face before she walked into the room, and was greeted with people saying their ‘goodmorning’s. Daryl was eating at the table, an empty seat beside him with a plate at the ready just for Blessing. She wasn’t used to him being nice to her so openly, even though it was something that she asked for… She didn’t expect him to listen right away. At all. In her previous relationships with men, if she voiced something she didn’t like they always talked around the issue and never actually changed anything. This was.. New.

Her grin wavered just the tiniest bit when it was hard to hide the confusion on her face, but she masked it pretty well. She slid into the seat beside him, her brown eyes looking over his face to see what reaction she’d be getting from him. He just glanced her way as he stuffed his face with what looked like scrambled eggs before he was jutting his chin towards her plate for her to eat.

“You guys hungover? My mom said you’d be.” Carl grinned when he asked, looking over all the adults in the room when his father walked in looking just as hungover as Blessing and Daryl felt. Blessing snorted at the question, and an egg flew from her mouth when she did it. She clapped a hand over her mouth with a blush on her face, pretending to look behind her when Daryl looked at her with a raised brow and amusement twinkling in his eyes.

“Your moms right, I’m hungover as heck, man.” Blessing said when Rick didn’t answer Carl right away. He was too busy giving his wife a good morning kiss and getting comfortable in his seat. Blessing and Carl exchanged grossed out looks when he kissed Lori, teasing the couple like they usually did. Lori giggled into Rick’s lips when he smiled when they both started giggling a bit to one another.

“Your mom has the nasty habit of usually being right.” Rick finally told Carl, both of them grinning to each other and looking more alike than Blessing she’d ever seen. When Shane sauntered in, Blessing noticed how Lori seemed to tense up a bit before trying to focus on something else. She also noticed the scratch that ran down the side of his neck, and the darkness in his eyes that she wasn’t sure was there before.

“What happened to your neck?” Blessing asked after he’d muttered good morning to people. She tilted her head a bit to the side, curiosity and suspicion clear in her dark eyes. She didn’t care that Daryl’s eyes were boring into the side of her face, trying to pick apart her expression to see if he could come up with a reason as to why she was asking. It wasn’t like she talked to Shane a lot, only here and there from what Daryl had seen.. So why was she asking?

“Must’ve done it in my sleep.” Shane lied easily, but not well. His dark eyes scanned over Blessing for a moment, momentarily pausing on the love mark that was sitting comfortably on her collarbone. His dark gaze flitted over to Daryl before they made their way to Rick who was staring at him with a raised brow.

“I’ve never seen you do that before.” He said, genuinely confused because he’d been friends with Shane for years , and he’s never said anything about scratching himself like that in his sleep.

“New development.” He said simply, looking at Lori who looked down at the table with an expression on her face that Blessing could only read as either guilty or afraid. She couldn’t decide which one it was, and settled with both of them.

Their conversation was long forgotten when people started asking important questions. About the disease and it’s cure, asking if Jenner had even come close to finding one… Jenner lead them all into his computer room, when he told Vi, his computer system, to pull up footage for them to see. They all watched in awe when a scan of someone’s brain came onto the screen.

He explained the virus as the video played, comparing it to Meningitis and other diseases. But when Jacquie asked if he had any idea how it spread…He had no clue.

“And that clock up there? It says there’s thirty minutes left… Thirty minutes for what?” Dale asked, his thick brows furrowed in concern. Jenner didn’t properly answer exactly, he just spewed out more big words that most of them didn’t understand. Blessing knew they didn’t, because she sure as fuck didn’t. She followed along unsurely when people started slowly making their way back to their rooms.

“I’m gonna get shitfaced drunk again.” Daryl complained, snatching up a bottle to take a swig from it. Blessing rolled her eyes at that, because he was only doing that because the alcohol was available. Daryl wasn’t normally a hard drinker. He used to like beers, and he always drank them a bit slow unless Blessing was trying to get him to have some type fun without his brother around.

“Imma get shitfaced drunk again.” She mocked him from behind, and when he turned around to give her a pointed look for mocking him she spun around the corner and sprinted after where Carl had run off to with his mother.
~*~

“Everybody grab your shit and let’s go!” Rick shouted out, getting everyone to jump into action. Blessing hadn’t even noticed something was off because she was too busy reading comics with Carl. It was Lori who noticed that the AC had shut off, and shortly after the lights had turned off too. They all headed to Jenner who finally told them the building would blow when the clock ran out…

“The Lord is my Shepherd,” Blessing whispered to herself in a rush, grabbing her bags in a hurry just like Daryl was doing. “I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.”

“What’re you talkin’ about?” Daryl spat out the question a bit, looking frustrated by the rush they were in. His eyes were narrowed a bit, his hands clenching at the straps of his bags so harshly his knuckles were turning white.

“I’m praying.” She whispered, pushing him towards the door so they could meet the rest of the group. Unfortunately, when they did they got to see Jenner pressing some numbers on a keypad before the door slid shut in front of them. Stopping them from leaving the building. Glenn looked at the door in slight horror before he turned to look at Jenner with a shocked look on his face.

“He just locked us in here!” He shouted incredulously, and people were shouting and jumping into action. Shane seemed the most angry, and was pointing his shotgun towards Jenner as if it’d make Jenner change his mind. But Jenner was standing solid on what he believed. Daryl then jumped in, nearly smashing a bottle over Jenner’s head but was held back by T-Dog and Glenn.

Jenner went into yet another rant, throwing Rick under the bus a bit by saying Rick didn’t think people would survive that long. It took a good amount of time for Rick to convince Jenner to actually open the gates, and when he did he could only open one of the two gates. Everyone rushed forward as far as Blessing could see.

The only reason they got out of the second gate, is because Carol had pulled a grenade from her pocket saying she’d found it in Rick’s pocket when he first got to the camp.

“He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for you are with me.” Blessing whispered the prayer to herself before they’d blown up the gates to escape. A small part of her hoping the prayer and false hope would help their chances, her chances of making it out of here.

They all ran towards their cars, Blessing being half pulled by a huffing Daryl who was hurrying towards his truck. He didn’t waste any time throwing open the passenger door and pushing her in first before he was clambering in after her. Their bags banging against them roughly, but it wasn’t something they could worry about now when they knew the CDC was about to explode.

“I didn’t see Jacqui!” Blessing cried out, tears welling up in her brown eyes. Her hands were shaking from the adrenaline, and her eyes danced across the windshield to see if she could get a glimpse of Jacquie or Dale, hell even Andrea. A shaky hand reached for the door handle, but Daryl was quicker than her and grasped at her wrist to stop her with a quick and subtle shake of his head.

“Stop.” He said lightly, eliciting a soft sob from her lips that had her nearly folding into herself when she looked back to see Dale running out with Andrea… But no Jacqui.

“Jacqui is still in there!” She screamed out, trying to catch Dale or Andrea’s attention, but only hurting her own and Daryl’s ears from her loud screeching. It was forgotten when the ground shook and heat shifted the air. She let out a shocked cry when Daryl pulled at her shoulder so she was pulled down onto the seat for him to cover her frame as the CDC exploded completely before falling slowly to the ground.

Chapter Text

“Ya hungry yet?” Were the first words in almost hours that Daryl had spoken to Blessing, who’d been sniffling to herself in the passenger seat of his truck over the loss of Jacqui. When they’d all first gathered after everything to get a head count, Jacqui was the only one missing. And to Blessing, it felt like she was the only one who cared.

“No.” Her voice was weak from crying, and Daryl had to bite at the inside of his cheeks so he didn’t snap at her. She didn’t do anything wrong, he just didn’t like seeing her so down. Grief and her, even before the apocalypse… Weren’t the best of friends. And it weighed heavy on the bowman's shoulders seeing her without a smile on her face.

“Ya gotta eat somethin’.”

“Do you have anymore of those cheetos you found?” She looked at him through the corner of her eyes, a hopeful gleam in them just thinking about the jalapeno cheddar cheetos he’d found not too long ago when he looted the back of a truck by the CDC. It was actually one of her favorite chips, and he knew that. Which was exactly why he’d taken all the bags he could. He put most of it towards rations for the group, but kept two bags just so that she could have them to snack on whenever she wanted…

“You gon’ smile if I say yea?” He raised a brow, his Dixon blue’s jumping from the road to her just for a moment to see if he’d catch a smile slipping. And he did, because as soon as she heard the word smile leave his lips hers were twitching into a shy grin that she couldn’t help. He snorted at that, and pointed a finger towards a smaller bag they had pushed into the far corner of the floor on the passenger side.

Now, instead of biting his cheeks to stop from snapping, he was stopping himself from smiling at the small dance she did when she adjusted herself so she could dig into the bag and look for the snack. When she did bring it out, she gave a small sigh of content before she leant over to give him a wet kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you, honey~.” She cooed, giving his blushing cheek a quick caress before she was opening the bag to get her fill. Of course, she shared and fed him some as he drove so that they could both get some type of food in their system. He claimed the chips were too spicy, and coughed after every few chews but still took every bite she’d given him. It was actually pretty funny to see how red his face could get from the spice, with him not being so dirty after their showers in the CDC.

“I’m sorry…’bout how I acted before.” Daryl forced out when she crumpled the empty bag into her hands after they’d finished it. She looked at him with a raised brow as she stuck her cheese covered fingers into her mouth, the best part to her. He glanced her way again, but quickly looked towards the road because looking at her made him more nervous than he already was. With her natural hair out, framing her pretty face so well and looking like a dark halo… She really matched her name to him. “Ya said I wasn’t that nice to ya when the others were around… I’m sorry for makin’ ya feel that way.” He elaborated.

She paused her cheese finger licking and blinked as she processed his words. She wasn’t expecting an apology from him, she didn’t think he would see it as him doing anything wrong. Not with how he’d been brought up. She saw how Merle was, how his father was…. God, his father was terrible. He was drunk, abusive, racist, sexist and probably a whole lot more. He’d called her the ‘n’ word not even twenty minutes into meeting her, and it didn’t end particularly well between him and Merle. Daryl wasn’t as bold to stand up for her against his own father, but Merle was bold enough and they’d fought bare fists for a good two rounds until Merle knocked his dad on his ass.

“It’s nothing new.” She dismissed his apology a bit, not entirely ready to accept it. It’d only been what… a few days? A few days since she’d told him she felt that way, and although he started correcting his actions right after she said it… She shouldn’t have had to say it. Or, that’s what she felt like at least. “We don’t know these people after all.”

He scoffed when she used his own words against him, and his heart stuttered just a bit thinking back to the argument they’d had before. It could’ve gone worse, way worse… But there was still the underlying thought he had, that if he would’ve kept arguing or acted the same way he did when they got out of that car after that argument she wouldn’t be his Bless anymore. Because like she said… She didn’t want to keep chasing someone who didn’t want to be chased…

“Well we know ‘em now, yeah?” Daryl reinforced, bringing a hand to his mouth to bite the dead skin around his nails. An anxious habit, because he wasn’t sure which direction this conversation would go.

“Did you think they were gonna be racist like your family? And talk shit about you for being with a black girl?” She didn’t even seem mad as she asked, only curious. She got comfortable in her seat even more than she was, leaning back into the chair and leaning a bit towards the door so she could look at Daryl with a weak smile on her face. Her simple way of showing she wasn’t entirely pissed. She didn’t care about him getting offended, because it wasn’t like she was lying about anything. His family was racist…

“I did.” He admitted, giving an almost shame-filled nod that had her pursing her lips and looking away for a second so she didn’t give him the disappointed look that she wanted. She knew he felt bad about it, but not bad enough to stand up for her or for himself.

“You care that much about what other people think?” it came out almost as a whisper, and he had to swallow the snarky response he had crawling up his throat. Instead, he settled on shaking his head with a look of guilt and a hint of something else she couldn’t exactly pin point.

“I don’t care what people think, I care ‘bout what you think. ‘Cause people would’ve looked at you funny for fuckin’ with a redneck with a racist sack ‘a’shit brother. They did look at you funny for even bunkin’ with us, ‘member that?”

“I don’t care about they think, or anybody. The only person whose opinion mattered before was Daddy’s and he died before all of this, Daryl. So if I don’t care about that, you shouldn’t either.” Her voice shook when she mentioned her father, and they were both slightly breathless from trying to control their emotions while having the slightly difficult conversation. While Daryl just seemed to be trying to control his breathing, Blessing also had to focus on not spilling the tears that had welled up in her eyes as well.

“Yer right…”

“I know I am. How come you didn’t just act like you did that one time in the bar years ago? When I first came down to stay with you, remember?” She leaned forward a bit, her brows furrowing with a slightly desperate look in her eyes hoping he wouldn’t just recall what happened that day but he’d understand just what she was talking about. It was the same situation but with different circumstances. Last time, it was him and Merel defending her against racists at a bar. This time… He didn’t even try in the apocalypse because he thought there was a possibility..

“Why ya keep bringin’ that shit up? It happened one time!”

“Because we fucked for the first time right after.” She giggled into her hands when his face lit up with a blush, and he scoffed a bit breathlessly as if what she were saying was crazy. He scoffed a good two more times, and that’s when she realized he was actually trying to speak but couldn’t get the words out. “You good?”

“Just stop talkin’ like that.” He gave her a side eye when he could finally gather his words, shifting in the driver’s seat a bit to adjust himself because the memory was making his body respond in an embarrassing way.

“Am I getting you hot and bothered?” She began her teasing, whispering her words as she leaned towards him even though he was getting redder by the second. But, surprisingly, he actually nodded. He was always bashful when it came to foreplay, something she thought was cute and more fun for her really. It was taking her back to the memory he was thinking so hard about too…

Flashback

“Daryl, I think I should go home.” Blessing whispered up to him, fiddling with her fingers to ease her nerves. She’d been glued to his side since they got to the bar, not even following after Merle when he’d tried to call her over to the pool tables. Bars weren’t exactly her scene, she was more of a stay at home girl so the atmosphere was throwing her off. It was mostly filled with older men, most of them seemed to be in Daryl and Merle’s age range because the group of four way older dudes that had heads full f white hair and long beards. This bar looked nothing like bars did back in Philadelphia.

It felt like she was in a fucking movie with how different everything seemed to her.

“Ya tired already?” He sounded absolutely dumbfounded, because he hadn’t even seen her take a drink of anything even though he’d paid for her beer. He noticed the way men stared at her, how could he not? But she usually loved the attention, maybe it was because it wasn’t him and his brother…

“I heard someone say the ‘n’ word like four times already in the past twenty minutes… And I’m the only black person here.” She stressed, her heart thrumming just thinking of all the things that could go wrong here. Even though Daryl and Merle took care of her so far, she knew Merle was still racist and his buddies probably were too. “They’re gonna hate crime me, Daryl, let me go home.”

She rushed out the words as soon as the thought entered her head, her brows furrowing and hands lightly slapping at his jacket covered arm so he could take this seriously. But he only looked down at her with a stupid ass look on his face before his eyes scanned the room as he practically chugged the rest of his beer.

“But Merle-”

“Fuck Merle for right now, he’s good! He’s with his folks!” She tried not to stomp her foot and pout like a child, and she did pretty good at not doing that. But she did whip her hand to point Merle’s way to point out that he was still playing pool with his buddies. However, when she’d done that she knocked into someone’s hand and nearly made them drop their beer. Luckily, the man had a tight grip on the bottle and only some spilled from the top onto her arm and on his shoes.

“C’mon, man! What the fuck!” The man called out angrily, and Blessing instinctively hovered her hands near the beer as if it would stop it from spilling more. Her face twisted in concern and slight anxiety.

“I’m so sorry! I can-”

“Keep yer bitch on a tighter leash, Dixon!” He spat instead of letting her finish, and finally Daryl took a step forward to get into the man’s face a bit. It wasn’t expected from Daryl, because he was usually the quiet one. Merle was always the one looking for trouble, so the man was shocked into a form of submission. Stepping down. “My bad.”

He gave the weak apology before walking off, and Blessing stood with her hands over her mouth and her wide eyes on Daryl’s back. When he was sure the man had forgotten about them, he let his shoulders slump with a silent sigh. He turned to her and let his face fall into one that she read as ‘really?’, and she gave a sheepish smile.

“That was really hot.”

“How hot was it?”

“Hot enough for some secret car sex while Merle gets shit faced?”

He gave a scoff of a laugh before he damn near tossed his nearly empty bottle into the trash, then he slang an arm over her shoulders to steer her towards the exit. She tried to hide her giggles and grin in her hands, surprised at how quickly he’d agreed to it. She should’ve expected it, because he was still a man with needs after all and she hadn’t seen him bring anyone home since she’d come from Philly. He tried to sneak them both out the bar, and had to give two dudes subtle nods as he mouthed that he’d be back.

The parking lot of the bar was nearly pitch black in certain areas, something they were both grateful for because that meant it would be harder to get caught.

“Do you think that-”

She didn’t get to finish her sentence, because Daryl had already pulled her into him. The arm around her shoulders steered her towards the truck, and then had pulled him into his chest so his other hand could wrap itself lightly around her throat so she could look up at him. With those big brown eyes of hers that looked to be becoming a bit dark with lust, just the look alone had him crushing his lips to hers. She let out a sigh into the kiss, her body melting against his chest when the hand around her throat tightened the smallest amount so she could open her mouth and allow his tongue some entrance.

With her being pressed against him, she could tell just how aroused he was by their kiss because she felt his hard on growing in his jeans against her belly. Her chest rumbled with a light moan, and the sound had him reaching for the door handle of the truck with rushing hands. When he got the door open to the passenger side, the arm that had been around her shoulder moved down to hook around her waist to pick her up a bit so he could move out of the way and swing the door open. She giggled into their now sloppy kisses when he’d done it, and it turned into a full blown laugh when he nearly threw her onto the seat so he could fumble with his belt to get it off.

“Don’t disappoint me, honey.” She breathed, hiking up her skirt so she could move her pink panties to the side and slide her fingers across her sex. His eyes followed the movements easily, because she’d spread her legs as wide as she could when she did it. Her legs became a door to replace the one Daryl had just opened, and it only made him rush more with the button on his jeans when he finally got his belt undone. His breathing was becoming heavy, ragged even as he watched her and it only made her more excited. “Hurry u-”

“Shut up.” He growled out as soon as his pants were undone and he’d pulled his throbbing member from his jeans. He didn’t give her time to rebuttal or even look at his cock before he was practically half way in the truck between her legs, one hand wrapped around her throat and the other helping his cock into her.

He let out a shuddering groan the more he pushed into her, his face twisting into one of pleasure when she moaned so breathlessly that he swore he felt it in his belly.

“Daryl~” She moaned out his name, her hands reaching around so she could dig her fingers into his shoulder blades when he started moving his hips oh so slowly so he could adjust to her tightness.

“I said shut up, princess.” He breathed, his slow thrust becoming a bit quicker while he gave her throat a squeeze that had her biting her lip to hold back another sound. It stopped her words, but not her sounds. When he angled his hips a certain way, small whines escaped her lips and she raised her hips to meet his. A movement that had him pausing his strokes so he could bring the hand that wasn’t around her throat down to her hip to stop her moving. “That’s gonna make me cum fast, stop it.”

She nodded quickly, her hands moving from him back so she could run her hands down his shirt covered chest to feel at his warmth. It wasn’t his skin, so when the warmth through his shirt wasn’t enough she snuck her hands underneath his shirt and he shuddered because of how cold her hands were. But, because she stopped moving her hips… He continued on with his strokes that turned slow once more because he let go of her throat so he could lean forward and mash their lips together once more in a sloppy and wet kiss. They moaned into each others mouths, and while they did so Daryl snuck a hand down so he could give her clit some attention. Something that proved to be a good move, because not even a minute into him doing that her body was clenching and her eyes were rolling to the back of her head.

Her orgasm had her squeezing around his cock more than he’d expected, and he was cumming right along with her soon after. When they both settled in their orgasms, Daryl stood up slowly still trying to catch his breath. Blessing on the other hand, let out a soft hum of content with a grin stretching over her pretty face. She wasn’t even moving, and Daryl stood still for a moment to fix himself in his pants without leaving proof on his jeans, his eyes now filled with amusement but most of all… Satisfaction.

“You ain’t goin’ back in?”

“I’m just gonna take a nap right here.”

Chapter Text

“It feels like a graveyard.” Lori said solemnly, holding onto Carl’s shoulders as if her life depended on it. And with her standing over him like that, Blessing realized just how much Carl looked like his dad. Lori’s genes didn’t even try. He had his fathers light brown hair, his father’s pretty blue eyes, and he definitely made facial expressions that made him look like a spitting image of him. Lori’s long dark hair, brown eyes… Didn’t stand a chance against Rick’s genes.

“Try not to think of it that way. Maybe we’ll find something useful.” Shane jumped in to say, his hands on his waist trying to seem authoritative. They’d all been traveling for days, around two weeks at this point of nonstop driving. They’d left behind two cars, to save gas. So Daryl’s truck and Carol’s Cherokee were left behind, and Daryl opted out on using Merle’s bike. The beautiful Harley that they had put on the truck bed before shit went down. This meant that Blessing could only ride with him sometimes, and when she couldn’t she either rode with Rick and Lori or was left in the RV.

She didn’t care much for the RV, because that’s where Shane and Andrea were usually. When they’d all got to settle in the RV one of the first things Shane did was try to teach her and Andrea how to clean a gun. Blessing was not interested. At all.

Blessing let out a sigh when she let go of Daryl so she could get off the bike and start looking. She didn’t feel like doing much of anything, because she hadn’t got any sleep during the night in the RV and then had to ride with Daryl on the bike which had her legs feeling like jelly everytime she stood up. She was exhausted.

“Bless, c’mere.” Daryl didn’t let her go very far, he hooked a finger into the belt loop of her jean shorts and she was stopped in her tracks. She tried to ignore how his narrowed eyes danced over her face, and then body a bit slowly. She couldn’t tell if he was checking her out or making sure if she was okay. “You good?”

“Yeah, just tired.” She grumbled with a wave of her hand, letting her own chocolate orbs dance across his face to see which expression showed itself. He pursed his lips just a bit, and lightly pulled her closer by the belt loop. He was still sitting on Merle’s bike and had stood up to straddle it so he was taller than her like he usually was when he wasn’t sitting. Her eyes jumped towards the group, trying to see if anyone noticed their close proximity or if they’d tease them about it. Because after the CDC, Daryl had become more open about his affection but there were still times he got embarrassed if too many people looked their way. But it was better than him not interacting at all, so… She didn’t mind if it was just because he was shy.

“Why you lookin’ over there for?” The hand that was once in her belt loop raised to cup her face and force her to look up at him. Briefly, his eyes jumped to where hers had been and he caught sight of Rick, Shane and Glenn having a conversation. But Shane’s eyes kept jumping their way, something he wouldn’t even had noticed if it weren’t for Blessing looking first. “Shane messin’ with you?”

“No, God no.” She let out an awkward laugh, shaking her head as she did so. Her hair was out today, so she had to brush her curls out of her face when she did it, but she didn’t mind because Daryl always loved her natural hair. “I didn’t get any sleep in the RV. He isn’t like… He didn’t do anything to me per se. His vibe is just… Off.”

She sounded a bit sheepish as she explained it, but Daryl’s eyes only narrowed more before he looked Shane’s way. When he did, their eyes met and Daryl had to fight the urge to sneer Shane’s way. Especially when Shane looked almost taken aback by being caught looking and blinked fast when he looked to Rick.

“Is he yer type?”

“What?”

“Shane? Is he yer type?” His voice got a bit low as he asked, and she couldn’t help but feel bad at the insecurity in his tone. It wasn’t the first time he’d asked something like this before, so she knew it was a recurring thought for him. It made her lips pull down into a bit of a frown, even though that was how she felt for so long… It didn’t meant he deserved that.

“I told you before, you’re my type, Daryl. ‘Cause you’re a manly man, and you don’t talk as much as most dudes.” The last bit was teasing, he could tell by the way she leaned into him when she’d said it. A grin stretching onto her face and her arms making their way around his waist as if they weren’t supposed to be searching for things. Her grin stretched even further when a blush crawled upon his cheeks, but he looked like he was fighting a smile.

“Okay, alright,” He grumbled, wrapping an arm around her as he swung himself off of the bike with a slight stumble from holding onto her. She giggled when he tried to pretend as if he were actually falling and put some body weight on her, because she nearly stumbled with his weight. But when her knees knocked, he chuckled and fixed himself so she wouldn’t fall.

They were meant to be searching through any of the abandoned cars that were blocking the highway now. Because they’d reached a traffic snarl, but also the RV needed a part or two if they wanted it to last longer. Most of the group had already separated to cover more ground and find more shit, so Blessing stuck close to Daryl when they started ransacking cars that weren’t too far away from the groups cars.

They didn’t get to search for too long, maybe half an hour before Daryl noticed something in the distance and gave Blessing a pretty panicked look. Her brows furrowed, and when she was going to turn to look over her shoulder at what he’d seen he already had rushed forward and grabbed her arm. She let out a small surprised sound when he pulled her along quickly between the cars, but she didn’t question when he started telling her to get under a car. She trusted him too much not to listen.

When she did crawl under the car, she got to catch sight of what had them running. A horde of walkers stumbling along the highway. As if they were migrating. She shook a bit beside Daryl, terror seeping into her when Daryl was forced to wrap an arm over her to put his hand over her mouth when he could hear her begin to hyperventilate. He didn’t say anything, but the gentle caress of his other hand was enough comfort for the time being. That is, until he noticed T-Dog having a bit of an issue in the distance.

“Don’t move, Bless. I’ll be right back.” He whispered into her ear, and before she could protest he was moving stealthily from under the car and towards T-Dog. She watched with tears in her eyes when he took out a walker and used its body as a shield from other walkers. He helped T-Dog take out another before he practically carried him to some sort of safety. But when he did, a scream broke out and shook Blessing to the core. Because it was Sophia who had screamed. And Blessing could see the young girl taking off from under a car into the woods, being chased by a trio of stumbling walkers.

“Sophia!” It was Rick who took off after her, and after a few moments of tense silence people began to crawl from their hiding spots because the horde was far enough for them to do so. Blessing didn’t bother dusting the pebbles off of her knees, or checking her now scratched up elbows from being on the concrete. She buried her face in her hands, leaning against the car she was once under so she could let out a sob that had been buried in her stomach since she’d gotten under it.

Her shoulders shook when she let in a shuddering breath only to let out another sob that had her sliding down the car to sit down. Daryl made his way over now, looking concerned and definitely anxious because she was fine when he’d left her to help T-Dog. And now she was crying…

“Bless? You good? You bit?” The words came out a bit rushed, and he crouched down so he could lightly run his hands over her arms and check her legs for bites or scratches. He knew she was fine, he just had to be sure.

“Daryl,” She cried out instead of answering, her hands finding their way to his shoulders so she could look him in the eye. He was already terrible with eye contact, but now looking at her with tears coming down her face wasn’t something he enjoyed. Not when her eyes were so red, and her lips twitched when she fought more sobs…

“Daryl? She good?” He didn’t even try to fight the urge, he glared over his shoulder at Shane who was standing by idly looking much too curious and worried. Like he actually gave a fuck. “She bit?”

“No, she ain’t fuckin’ bit.” Daryl grumbled, easing a bit when she wrapped herself around him so she could let out breathless whimpers into his chest. He breathed out through his nose, and wrapped his arms around her as he stood so he was picking her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist when he did so just so she wouldn’t fall, and she leaned her head onto his shoulder so she could press a light and feathery kiss to the side of his neck that was covered in her own tears.

“I-I got scared… I heard Sophia scream.” She said it so lightly that Daryl wasn’t sure if Shane heard or not, but when Shane nodded his head once Daryl knew he’d heard. He looked like he was debating something before he took a gulp of air and turned on his heel to head towards Lori and the others.

“Rick went after Sophia, she’ll be fine.” Daryl attempted to reassure her, but she knew better than to have high hopes anymore. Not when so much had already happened to the group in the short span of time that they’d known each other.

“I hope so.” She said it to herself, but he still heard. He held her until he could feel her heart calming a bit against his, and when it did he let her stand on her own again and they slowly gravitated towards the others. He knew that she was just overwhelmed, she’d already said she was tired before it even happened. But he didn’t want her to have to feel that way. He couldn’t help but think that maybe if it were just him and Merle taking care of her.. None of this would have happened.

When Rick returned, he didn’t come back with Sophia and the group was propelled into a very solemn silence. The only sound most people heard throughout the rest of the night that they stayed, was the sound of Carol’s desperate cries for her daughter. A sound that had Blessing shedding her own silent tears into Daryl’s chest. She couldn’t help that she was empathetic, it was a gift and a curse. Now, it was feeling more like a curse. First it was seeing Carol lose Ed, then losing Amy, then Jacquie, now this…

The next day, people were dead set on finding Sophia. Rick had pulled out a map and was showing people where exactly he’d told her to stay. But, when people had gone back to check she was nowhere in sight. Which had them all splitting up to see if anyone could find anything. Daryl was the only good tracker, so he was leading most of the group by following tracks he said he was sure was Sophia’s. But, they eventually veered off and disappeared. They weren’t sure if something spooked her and made her run off into a different direction, or if something else had occurred.. They were hoping for the best. But Blessing was mentally preparing for the worst.

The only thing she could think about, was that Sophia was only twelve…

Chapter Text

“Daryl, can you teach me how to fight with knives and stuff? I don’t think I’m ready for a gun yet but… I think I can handle knives.” She sounded so meek as she asked, trailing after him in the woods while trying to keep her steps light like he’d taught her. It was a skill he knew was needed even before the apocalypse, because hunting was how they kept themselves fed before and now.

“You sure?” He peeked over to her, his eyes squinting under the harsh sun that beamed down on them. Everyone was pretty much drenched in sweat. Everyone being Daryl, Blessing, Glenn, Lori, Andrea and Carol. Rick, Shane and Carl were once with the group, but broke off to search more land while the larger group headed back to the highway.

“Y-Yeah, I wanna know how to protect myself. Against walkers, I mean.” She nodded, even though she looked nervous just asking about it. Daryl was leading the group because of his tracking skills, so the people closest to them were slightly surprised by her words. She always seemed okay with being protected by Daryl, because they rarely separated, especially now that Merle wasn’t with them. And when Merle was with them, Merle was just another body guard.

Glenn glanced at Lori, who was still nervous about the lone gunshot they’d heard not too long ago. Blessing’s sudden question didn’t seem to help her nerves. The entire time he’d known Blessing, she never once needed to defend herself against a walker. Because he’d only known her with the Dixon’s and in the group. It was hard for him to even imagine her wielding a knife, because she always seemed to move away from the crowd if they were showing a new weapon. He couldn’t tell if she was afraid of them, or if she just didn’t care to learn about the mechanics of it all.

“I’ll teach ya what I can.” Daryl grumbled in approval, pride making its way into his blue orbs. Of course, protecting her was something he didn’t mind. She’s his woman after all, even if he was too chicken shit to label their relationship.

“And Shane probably wouldn’t mind teachin’ you a thing or two about shootin’ when you get comfortable with that.” Andrea jumped in, looking almost smug when she glanced Lori’s way with a hint of a smirk on her face. People in the camp knew, people who paid attention, that Shane and Lori definitely had something going on before Rick showed up. And to Andrea, Lori didn’t deserve that type of attention. Not when it was a bit obvious to her that Lori regretted her affair with Shane, but not enough to stop staring after him whenever he stormed away. She couldn’t even be a good enough wife to confess to her husband… So, Andrea had been very subtly making her move on the unsuspecting Deputy. Because he seemed to know how to protect the group.

To Andrea, at least.

“If anybody is teachin’ her how to shoot, its me.” Daryl couldn’t bit his tongue, and spat it out a bit too sassily for his own liking. And apparently for Andrea’s too, because she rolled her eyes at the sarcastic smile he sent her way. And began to lag a bit behind the group. But Glenn found it funny, and let out a breathless laugh at the face Daryl made before taking a few rushed steps forwards to walk beside him and Blessing.

“Think you could teach me a little something too, man? I uh… I know how to use a gun, but practice makes perfect, right?” He shrugged his shoulders a bit, and Blessing’s face finally stretched into a smile at how awkward he always sounded. Glenn was absolutely precious to her.

“Please say yes, D. Maybe you could teach us how to use your crossbow.” She sounded way too hopeful, and he almost wanted to huff out at the way she and Glenn nudged at each other so they could put on matching puppy dog faces. Although it was a bit irritating to see her get close to someone else, even if it was Glen, he couldn’t help the twinkle of amusement in his eye when Blessing tripped over a root and tumbled to the floor. When she did, she grabbed at Glenn’s arm and he went tumbling down right along with her. He sputtered out an apology, thinking that he tripped her whilst everyone chuckled at the way Blessing giggled in embarrassment.

“Y’all almost looked like twins when ya made that face too.” Daryl joked, shaking his head.

“We are twins! We literally look just alike.” Blessing laughed out, helping herself back up by pushing off of Glenn’s side which only made him stumble a bit back down. He laughed when she’d done it, and tripped her when she tried to follow after Daryl who hadn’t stopped walking.

Their moment of comedy was cut short though. Because Andrea had gotten herself into a bit of a situation with a lone walker that had stumbled from God knows where. It caught her by surprise, and made her stumble off to the side with a startled scream that had the group turning to look her way in fright.

“Andrea!” The women of the group all seemed to cry out together, a cry so strong it seemed to manifest a savior just for Andrea. A woman came barreling through on a horse, swinging a bat and taking out the walker effectively. Blessing let out a shocked gasp, her hands cupping her mouth to try and block the sound but Daryl had already glanced her way with worry dancing in his expressive eyes.

“Lori? Lori Grimes?” The woman called out, her short brown hair swinging around her shoulders as she looked from each face of the group. Lori stepped forward, her hands clasped in front of her looking like she was praying. Her brown eyes wide, and filled with concern.

“I’m Lori..” She said breathlessly, and everyone seems to forget about Andrea except Carol who was helping her stand from the ground. All while keeping her eyes on the woman on the horse.

“Rick sent me to get you. It’s Carl, he’s been shot… Come with me.” Lori gasps out at the woman’s words and she wordlessly drops her bag. Blessing stepped forward to grab the bag before it hit the ground, a hand reaching up to lightly pat at Lori’s back when she rushed forward to pull herself onto the woman’s horse.

“We don’t know this woman!” Daryl finally jumped in, waving his crossbow a bit wildly as his shocked blue orbs followed Lori’s movements then danced across everyone’s faces as if what was happening was absurd.

“I’m Maggie Greene. You can all come down to the farm, mailbox says Greene. Rick said yer all at the traffic snarl, right? You’re more than welcome.” Her introduction seemed to give all the information she thought he wanted. Her name, where to find the people of their group, the fact that she knew where they were at… That was enough, right? It didn’t seem like it for Daryl, because when she ‘hiya’d’ her horse and they ran off he let out an irritated huff before he was telling the still biting walker to shut up. He shot a bolt into its head to silence it, and Blessing grimaced at the squelching sound it made when he had to pull the bolt back out to add it into his inventory again.

“That was…Interesting.” Glenn breathed, his eyes still wide. Too Blessing, he looked starstruck really. He kept glancing over his shoulder like Maggie would come galloping back over on her horse so say something grand, it was almost like…

“Glenn, you think she was cute… don’t you?” Blessing started her teasing, her eyes narrowing the slightest but filling with amusement. She couldn’t help the smirk that made its way onto her face, not when a blush found home one Glenn’s face and he was stuttering out an answer. Daryl snorted at her side, listening to their conversation but not yet throwing in his two cents.

“I-I mean like.. Y-yeah, of course she was cute. W-were all cute, I guess.” Was his lame attempt to not seem as interested as he definitely was, and Blessing let out a laugh as she shook her head.

“Don’t pretend like you don’t think so, dude. If ya do, someone else will swoop in and take the girl first.” She told him, wagging her finger a bit as she said it. He snorted at that, pushing her finger to the side so it didn’t poke his nose. But it looked like that’s exactly what she was trying to do, because she just moved his hand to actually poke at his nose.

“I literally just met her, didn’t even get to say a word to her. Probably not even her type.” Was Glenn’s genius answer, something that had Blessing letting out a bark of laughter. A bark of laughter that had the rest of the group smirking their way because they knew a bit about that. Because of Daryl and Blessing.

“How would you know you aren’t her type if you don’t try and find out?” Blessing persisted, and Glenn made a bland face as if it were preposterous. “What? You realize that’s exactly how Daryl sounded, right? And you see how we are now.”

“But Daryl sounded like that because -”

“It don’t matter why, just listen to what she’s sayin’.” Daryl finally jumped in to cut him off, giving him a slight scowl at the mention of his name. He knew exactly why he acted the way he did, but no one could read his mind so they couldn’t speak for him. Not even if they guessed and got the shit right. He didn’t need someone to speak for him, that’s why he had his own mouth. Just because he didn’t use it as much as everyone else didn’t mean he wasn’t going to use it at all.

“So what? Just ask the girl out the next time I see her?” Glenn seemed done with the conversation, mostly because he was getting verbally jumped by the couple. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, and when Blessing made a disgusted face at the sheen it left on his arm he reached over to wipe it on her shirt. She let out an odd sound as she tried to dodge him, and groaned out in disgust when she still felt his arm skim hers with his dirty sweat.

“Or maybe like… We’ll figure it out, how ‘bout that. I’ll be your wing woman.” Blessing said proudly, nodding her head firmly and making him and Daryl chuckle at the dedication that suddenly sprouted in her brown eyes.

“Can you be mine too?” Andrea asked teasingly, her dull blue eyes sparkling when she raised her hand like a student would to catch their teacher's attention. Even though Blessing didn’t really get along well with Andrea, she didn’t mind being civil and respectful towards her. Mostly because she felt really bad about her losing Amy, and about the group losing person after person.

“Hell yeah! Who ya trynna get yer paws on?” Blessing lightly mocked their southern accents, turning around so she could walk backwards and face Andrea as she talked. She started pulling her puff of hair into a high bun on the top of her head, a style Daryl usually called ‘the pineapple’ because of the way her curls popped up top to frame her bun.

“T-that would be kinda embarrassing to say out loud.” Andrea muttered, glancing Lori’s way and actually seeming a bit guilty about her interest in Shane. But no one really knew about it, because she’d made sure all of their encounters were subtle and secret. She was sure that if anyone knew anything, it would be Dale because of how much he watched out for everyone. Him and his damn binoculars.

“Okay, fine. But we can definitely talk about it when we get back… If you want.” Blessing offered with a warm and friendly smile that had Andrea’s chest warming just a bit. She nodded, a smile making its way onto her face as well. She couldn’t help it, because Blessing’s smile was a bit contagious.

The rest of the walk wasn’t as talkative, but Glenn and Blessing tripped eachother up a few times when Carol’s sniffling got to be a bit much for them. They felt bad about her missing daughter, but they knew that nothing would help her besides finding Sophia… And that’s what they were trying to do. Instead of moping around while finding her, Blessing and Glenn were trying to get each other and others to smile or laugh so the air wasn’t so gloomy.

Carol was grateful for them, really. Even though she couldn’t help but cry, she appreciated their efforts. She couldn’t bring herself to smile for too long knowing her daughter was out there alone and probably afraid. Probably not knowing if people were searching for her.. Thinking she must’ve been left behind…

When they’d gotten back to the highway, Daryl and Glenn informed Dale and anyone that listened about what happened. About Maggie, about Lori leaving with Maggie. About Carol being shot. Of course, Carol didn’t want to leave the highway without her daughter. But the group knew that being separated wasn’t a good thing. Not when they were already a small group of people anyway, it wasn’t safe. So it was Dale’s idea to send Glenn with T-Dog to find the farm house that Maggie had told them about. Glenn wasn’t very happy about him being the one that had to go, but Dale let it be known he believed Glenn was the fastest and most reliable to get the job done. And T-Dog needed medical attention for the cut on his arm.

So, with that slight praise from Dale, Glenn was sent out with T-Dog to find the farm. While the others had no choice but to wait for their return. They had no Rick, Shane, Lori or Carl with them. And now, no Glenn or T-Dog. Daryl was now one of the only reliable protectors of the group, along with Dale. But Dale was much too old to be doing much of any protecting. Times like these, Blessing with she paid more attention to Shane when he talked about his guns.

Chapter Text

Glenn and T-Dog going to the farm first was a fantastic idea. That gave everyone else to scrap something together for Sophia if she came back to the highway and they were no longer there. They’d left a message on a windshield of a car for her, and even a small amount of supplies because they’d all decided someone or at least two people would be checking the spot every day to make sure she didn’t show up.

It was hard for most people to sleep, even though half of the group had gone to the farm. If everyone was together, Blessing found herself staying up to listen to the bustling of the members who felt more productive at night. But with so many of them farther away, now she was staying up because she missed their presence. She was nervous about whether or not they’d make it to the farm, even though she was sure they did. Because Glenn had come back a day later and told the group they’d be heading towards the farm so they could regroup. Something Carol wasn’t happy about at first until Blessing came up with the idea of leaving the message for Sophia.

Now, they were all together again on the farm. But, things were a bit different. Carl was healing well after being shot, thanks to a surgery that the man who owned the farm had done. But when Blessing had tried to give him praise, he’d said Shane was the reason he had the supplies to even do it. Shane had put his head down, and the next day, he came outside with his dark curls shaved off his head and a dark twinkle in his already dark brown eyes.

He was shiftier than before, and it had Daryl telling Blessing to stay close no matter what.

After the funeral of a man named Otis, people were somber and most looked exhausted. Shane was limping from what looked like to be a sprained ankle, Rick was paler than ever from giving his blood to Carl before the surgery, Carol was still a sniffling mess because of her still lost daughter… And now Patricia, a woman who lived on the farm joined in on the mourning. Because Otis was actually her husband, and Blessing was sure that whatever went down out there with Otis and Shane… It wasn’t good.

“I was hopin’ that maybe some of us could-”

“I don’t think you should be doin’ much of anythin’, Rick. You gave up a few pints of blood, you should be sittin’ down.” Herschel jumped in to say, his wise blue eyes giving Rick a once over. Blessing couldn’t help but smile at how fatherlike he sounded, because he literally only knew them for maybe two days and he was still warm and reminded her of her grandfather. “You too, Shane. Yer ankle still needs som healin’, I can see you limpin’.”

Herschel cut Shane off before he could let the words leave his parted lips, and Shane rolled his eyes as he snapped his mouth shut. While Rick found the man amusing and chuckled under his breath at the demands, Shane shifted from one foot to the other anxiously. His eyes dancing around the group before he was jutting his chin towards a jeep they used for runs. “I can still go out to the highway, see if Sophia maybe came back.”

It was something for him to do, something for him to feel useful because he couldn’t just sit around and wait. Andrea jumped at the chance to join him, because people weren’t allowed to travel alone she was sure he’d ask someone to go with him. So, she let a shy smile stretch across her chapped lips as she took a step towards him.

“I’ll go with you.” She offered, and a few people’s eyes jumped to her. While some genuinely looked a bit put off, or maybe even frustrated with her constant need to jump into things. Blessing looked… LIke she was up to something. She noticed the smile from Andrea, and she definitely remembered Andrea saying she wanted Blessing to be her wing woman. She could only assume that Shane was who she was trying to get her paws on, and now that she was paying attention… Andrea’s eyes were sure focused on Shane and his arms or back.

“Actually I was go-”

“No man left behind, Shane. It’ll be fun!” Blessing cut him off before he could say he wanted to go alone or with someone else, and she ignored the way his jaw clenched and lips pursed when his eyes jumped to her. Her wide smile shook the tiniest bit, because his eyes didn’t move from her for a few moments. Just settled on her face, like he was analyzing her or maybe taking a photo in his memory and tucking it away for later. Either way, his unblinking stare unnerved her. He noticed her waver, and blinked fast to slip on a tight smile of his own to mask the one he’d just given.

“Right, no man left behind.” He said, nodding his head slowly. Daryl watched the exchange with narrowed eyes, because he’d been watching the entire time. He couldn’t help but sling an arm over Blessing’s shoulders when Shane’s eyes still didn’t move, so he could give her a quick tug into his side that made her giggle when she tripped over her own feet because of it. Finally, Shane looked up to Daryl’s face and brown met blue with a subtle clash. Daryl knew that Shane definitely thought Blessing was attractive, but he was also a fucking whore. He’d had his fling with Lori, was having a not so very subtle fling with Andrea and couldn’t keep his eyes off of Blessing. It irked the fuck out of Daryl, because even if they hadn’t labeled their relationship when they first arrived. It was pretty obvious they had something going on, even if Daryl wasn’t being the nicest.

“Blessing and I will look for Sophia.” Daryl said, bumping his hip against Blessing’s. Now, people looked confused at him saying Blessing would look too. He always made it seem like he wanted her safe and protected with the camp, not out in the wild doing shit that he did. And Blessing didn’t make it any better, she didn’t even like joining conversations about weapons or runs. She only recently said something about wanting to learn how to fight with a knife, was this how he was going to teach her? Just throwing her into the wild with him and some weapons searching for Sophia?

“You sure?” Rick was the one to ask what everyone was thinking, raising a brow as he asked. For a quick second, Blessing was mildly offended that everyone was looking at her as if she’ hold him back. Like she couldn’t fight for herself, defend herself from the outside world without Daryl. And admittedly, she knew that the way she stuck to him didn’t help that. She just couldn’t help it.

“Uh yeah, he’s sure. Stop acting like I’m useless, please. It actually hurts my feelings, y’know?” She pouted a bit, trying to subtly give Glenn the finger when he snickered at a face she’d made. She got caught by Rick though, who chuckled as he patted down her hand from behind Daryl’s back.

“No one said that.” Shane threw in, an awkward chuckle slipping through his lips when Daryl’s eyes found him once more. But this time, he was glaring Shane’s way with his lips twisted up in a bit of a sneer. “I’m just trynna help.”

He threw his hands up in surrender, an action that made Daryl roll his eyes and throw in a rebuttal of his own. “Well then she’s comin’ with me.” He finalized, giving her arm a quick rub like it’d give her reassurance. With everyone looking at them, at her, like she was crazy for going out there… She needed it. She was usually good under pressure of eyes, but now it wasn’t just their looks that were putting pressure on her. She really had to prove them wrong.

She needed to prove that she wasn’t just some crybaby that had to be protected by everyone else. She was a grown ass woman after all, she could help herself. She had to.

People began to separate, everyone doing their own chore that they’d decided on. Daryl led Blessing to Merle’s bike so he could dig in one of the saddlebags and pull out a nicely sized hunting knife he knew for sure was Merle’s. “This is yer knife now.” He told her, dropping it into her outstretched hand. “Don’t lose it ‘cause its Merle’s. Y’know how he gets about his shit.”

A part of her wanted to point out that if Merle wasn’t with them now he was probably dead, but she bit that back. She knew damn well Daryl wouldn’t handle it well, and she understood because she didn’t at first either. But that was his brother, not hers. Merle was just some white dude she’d known because she was fucking his brother. She was sure that would be how he would explain their friendship if he were here.

“Keep it up like this,” He pulled out his own hunting knife, and positioned it in his grip so that the handle was pointing towards his chest and the blade was pointed outwards at an angle. It wasn’t held too high to his face, low enough so it was somewhere between his chest and neck. “And if we run into any walkers, ya swing like this.” He swung his arm out slow so she could see the movement for exactly what it was. It was like he was throwing a right hook, but it was his knife trying to connect to something and not his fist. She mocked the stance as best she could, only faltering when Daryl kicked his feet between hers to push them a bit further apart. When she was sure she was doing it right, she swung her arm just like he’d done but with some hesitance.

“L-like that?” She tried again when he didn’t say anything about the first swing, and he gave a satisfied nod when she angled herself correctly the second time.

“Just like that.” His tone was laced with praise, and she couldn’t help the grin that made its way onto her face when it was given. He gathered some things, more bolts for his crossbow and two granola bars just in case they were out too long. Blessing busied herself with gathering them a bit of water for their walk.

When they headed out, Carol was the only one who bid them a proper farewell by thanking them immensely. It was the encounter that they had with Rick that had Blessing feeling a little.. Odd about the group.

‘Ya know… Now that we’re here… You ain’t obligated to stay and help. With Merle and…’

She didn’t want to listen anymore, and had walked off before listening to whatever else Rick had to say. She was initially offended, and down right irritated by it. By how Rick was trying to somewhat dismiss Daryl like they’d been staying because they had to or something. She and Daryl stayed with the group for as long as they did because they wanted to, not because they had to.

“When we find Sophia, I’ve gotta get her to help me set up like… An emergency plan for the kids or something. So that something like this doesn’t happen again.” Blessing spoke up after nearly twenty minutes of silence. She was partly used to it, because Daryl wasn’t much of a talker anyway. But, her mind was reeling with so many possibilities that she just couldn’t let it all bounce around in spin cycle. She had to say it out loud to get rid of some of it, even if it would eventually annoy Daryl into never bringing her along again.

“I’m sure Lori and Carol wouldn’t mind that.” He grumbled, trying not to comment when she slipped on a wet leaf. She tried to play it off like she’d done it on purpose, but he already saw the panic on her face when she thought she was falling and snorted at her acting.

“They usually hand out food, right? Maybe if I come up with enough ideas they’ll throw me some extra.” She rubbed her hands together like a fly trying to eat a quick meal. Daryl shook his head, and his Dixon’s blues flooded with amusement at the thought process. He’d only heard about that kind of shit in jail, not the apocalypse. But hey, maybe if she tried hard enough it would work for her.

“Why’d ya uh… Ya walked away when Rick was telling us we could go if we want.” Daryl finally brought up what they’d both been thinking about. Her smile fell, and he had to look away to clear his throat so he wouldn’t feel too guilty about him being the reason.

“Because we’re staying here because we want to, not because we have to. It was like he was trying to dismiss us or something.” She complained lightly, looking over her shoulder as if she’d get caught talking about her opinion. Like having an opinion that opposed someone else’s would get her in some type of trouble…

“We were gonna leave at first, y’know? We ain’t tell you but… Merle wanted to rob this camp blinde.” Daryl revealed, a ghost of a smile on his face at the mention of his older brother.

“Wait really? Why didn’t you tell me that?”

“We knew ya wouldn’t want to do it.”

Chapter Text

They hadn’t found Sophia when they’d gone to search for her. But they did find areas that looked like she may have stopped and sheltered up in. Daryl had also stalled a bit, just so he could look for walkers so Blessing had a chance to actually use the knife he’d given her. The first walke she’d taken down had her shaking like a leaf, because it was nearly twice her size and Daryl didn’t help at all. But after the second one she’d gotten the hang of it a bit. Well, enough that Daryl knew she could at least somewhat protect herself if he wasn’t around.

When they’d come back and let the others know what they’d found, it instilled more hope than they already had. The only person who wasn’t very hopeful was Shane. Who kept giving Rick and Daryl side eyes, or making snide remarks about missing children.. As if it’d make the situation any better…

“I’m just bein’ realistic here.” He said, his hands on his shoulders and an almost smug smirk making its way onto his face. He always seemed so smug when he could tell people were starting to waver towards his side of things, even if he was wrong.

“It sounds like you’re just being a dick, actually.” Blessing couldn’t help but jump in to retort, her brows furrowing and nose twisting a bit to show just how disgusted she was by his thinking. She found it annoying as fuck hat he constantly talked shit like this when Carol was around, because then they had to listen to Carol weeping about it later at night. She ignored the way he basically reeled his head back a bit in offense and slight surprise, not expecting her to have a comeback and rolled her eyes when his dark eyes fixated on her face. As if trying to pressure her to follow up with something else, but she wasn’t going to say sorry. “Daryl and I found a spot she could’ve stayed at. So we can go looking again, but this time we won’t have to search to much land.”

“Anybody could’ve been in the spot y’all found.” Shane said, his eyes narrowing the slightest bit at how people seemed to nod along to what Blessing was saying.

“Had to be a yay high,” Daryl held up a hand to show how tall the person must have been, and it was clearly the size of a child. Definitely around Sophia’s height. “I’d say it cuts the map in half.”

Shane was not happy about Daryl taking Blessing’s side, even though Daryl was the one who’d been with her on the search anyway. He sucked his teeth a bit, and looked towards Rick who was looking at the couple as if they had all the answers. His blue eyes were unwavering, hope filled and slightly desperate. Because truly, he blamed himself for losing Sophia. When he’d come back from the woods without Sophia, Carol cried out for her daughter…. It was a haunting feeling and sound. He felt responsible.

“We could be don’ much more important shit than searchin’ for a girl who’s probably already gone.” Shane spat, and finally Daryl started to grow angry. His face twisted in slight rage, and he pointed a finger towards Shane’s face even though Rick was in between them.

“You don’t know what the hell yer talkin’ ‘bout!” He shouted angrily, trying to hop around Rick so he could poke at Shane as if it’d do something. But Rick was used to deescalating, and kept himself planted between them so he could push Daryl’s hand away with a frustrated look on his now red face.

“Calm down!” Rick demanded, trying to push Daryl back a bit.

“Don’t tell him calm down, tell Shane! We’ve been looking for Sophia, what have you done?!” Blessing cracked, her usual smile long gone and replaced by a face of twisted rage and frustration. People were somewhat surprised by her even raising her voice, and when Daryl glanced over his shoulder to get a glimpse of her and caught sight of her red face he knew she wasn’t okay.

“What have I done?! Are you fuckin’ serious?!” Shane barked, pointing at his own chest like he was baffled that she was even questioning his whereabouts. He scoffed out, ignoring Rick trying to tell him to quiet down and the way Daryl seemed to slowly move to Blessing’s side with a dark look in his cat like eyes. “I buss my ass every day!”

“Doing what?! Telling other people what to do?! Driving around looking for bottled fucking water?! We’re talking about a little girl here, Shane! She’s twelve! If you’re that heartless, that you can’t even pretend to care then you’re just as bad as the walkers!”

“Lemme tell you somethin’-”

“No! Don’t tell me shit! You’re always trying to tell someone something! Fuck!” Even though Shane looked like he wanted to step towards her and give her a piece of his mind, she threw the wet rag she had in her hands his way. It made a satisfying sound when it smacked against his chest because he didn’t bother stopping it, and she used the sound as her cue to turn on her heel and head towards the camp that Daryl had set up for them. It was a bit further from the rest of the group, which was perfect especially now that she didn’t want to be around anyone.

“Blessin’!” Daryl called after her, his crossbow bumping against his side with every rushed step he took to follow after her. She only looked over her shoulder briefly, and the anger in her eyes wavered a bit at the confusion that danced in his eyes. She huffed a bit, and stopped her stomping since they were close enough to their camp anyway. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned towards him, but kept her head low because she was slightly embarrassed about her outburst.

“Yes?”

“Uh… what the fuck?” He asked slow, raising a hand to scratch at his head. She snorted at that, because he sounded so awkward it made her think he hung out with Glenn too much. Even though she knew he didn’t hang out with the Korean enough. A part of her felt like he may be slightly jealous about the bond she had with Glenn, and that was why he didn’t get as close as he could to him. But then again… He and Glenn were a few years apart and had very different personalities. “What happened back there?”

“I’m sorry I just… He keeps talking about Sophia like she’s dead. And it’s so fucked up because Carol… Does he not hear her crying at night?” She slightly deflated just thinking about the long nights, and even though tears welled up in her brown eyes she refused to shed them. She was still going to be moving around the camp like she had a point to prove. Shane doubting them, and saying Sophia was long gone… Was even more motivation for her.

She refused to just be the cry baby, one that was protected by everyone. She’d already started getting better, the few walker kills she got while searching with Daryl really built up her confidence. But she knew that killing them one at a time was very different from being surrounded by a group of them.

“So you feel bad for Carol?” He asked, tilting his head the slightest bit and reminding her of a pup who’d heard something they’d never heard before. It was cute, but then again… She always thought Daryl was pretty cute.

“Of course! Don’t you? Her daughter is out there by herself.. Waiting for us to find her. And Shane is just.. Talking shit.” She sighed, running her hands over her face as if it’d wipe away the stress that was building up. But it didn’t help at all. “He’s always trying to tell people what to do, but never actually does much. Just talks a big talk to make it seem like he does. It’s annoying. Even more annoying when he’s barking out orders and is just fucking staring. God! Why does he stare so much?”

“That’s easy, ‘cause yer beautiful.” Daryl answered the last part easily, shrugging a shoulder as if he’d already thought about it before. She scoffed at that, but she couldn’t hide the smile that made its way onto her face. Or the blush that crawled onto her cheeks at his complement. “Don’t worry too much about him, how ‘bout that? We can just go and search for Sophia. To hell with anyone who don’t think she’s alive out there.”

The determination that flooded into his eyes fueled Blessing’s, and she gave a sturdy nod that had him giving her a soft smile. She hurried into the tent and gathered some supplies for them to go out searching, because she knew they’d need it. Just some granola bars and some water, just like last time. This time, she’d secured Merle’s knife in her belt loop before Daryl could tell her to bring it along. And Daryl was pleasantly surprised when she’d come back out of the tent with a bag of supplies and an extra knife in her belt loops.

“Can we go now?” She asked, hopeful and determined. Daryl couldn’t help but chuckle, and insisted he told someone from the group first. That’s exactly what he did, he let Rick know that they were going to be on their way. But he didn’t say that he was going to be taking a horse, because he was sure if he asked they’d say no.

Blessing was too excited about bringing along a horse, and they both decided on taking turns riding it so she wouldn’t be too distracted by the large animal. Blessing had the first turn, and after fifteen minutes they switched out so Daryl had the higher view and could rest his feet.

“You think we’re gonna run into a bear?” Blessing asked out loud, looking up at Daryl since it was still his turn on the horse. He was focused on scanning the area, and had barely heard her question. But when the words finally did process, he breathed out a laugh and shrugged his shoulders the slightest bit.

“Eh, maybe… We’d probably run into wild dogs or some shit first.” He said nonchalantly, and Blessing let out a disgruntled sigh at that. Running into either one of those animals wouldn’t be good if you didn’t have a weapon, but id you ran into a bear that would be meat to feed you for a while… Right?

“You ever ate a bear before?” She inquired, and he was going to answer but was cut off by a soft hissing sound. Both paused, and glanced to each other wearily at the sound, but that pause brought the sound closer. A small snake popped its head up on the ground and let out yet another hiss, Blessing jumped at the sight of it because it was quite close but the horse reacted quicker than either of them could.

The horse bucked up, even with Daryl trying to calm it down by pulling at its reigns. It neighed out, raising its legs to kick out in front of it to be rid of the snake. Unfortunately for Blessing, one of its hooves clocked her on the side of her head. Effectively knocked her down and out. They were close to a semi steep hill, and when the horse bucked up once again Daryl was thrown off and down the steep hill.

He fell for a few seconds, but to him it felt like minutes. Because when he’d fallen, one of his bolts had wedged itself into his side and he definitely hit his head a few times on the way down as well.

When he reached the bottom, he was knocked unconscious for a few seconds. But when he forced his eyes open again, he got a blurry vision of a walker by his feet. With a startled shout, he took the walker out with a rock that had been close by. After a few seconds of him catching his breath, he looked around with manic eyes and a racing heart. Because Blessing was nowhere in sight.

“Bless!” He shouted out, turning in circles like he’d find her suddenly near the shallow water he was standing in. The growling of another walker stopped him, and he growled out at the sight of one stumbling towards him. He grabbed his crossbow from the ground, and raised it to shoot the walker in the head before he was looking at the steep hill he’d fallen down. He knew he had to climb it, and took a deep breath to give himself some type of motivation because it looked like it wasn’t going to be easy.

And it wasn’t at all. Because the entire time, he’d hallucinated. Merle stood at the top of the hill, egging him on and somewhat bullying him so Daryl could climb faster. ‘Left you all alone and now ya lost Blessin’, didn’t ya? You don’t even know where she is, do ya?’ He asked, making Daryl growl out everytime he reached for a protruding root or rock to help pull himself up. The bullying worked though, because Daryl had pushed himself up quicker than he would admit.

When he pulled himself up to the top breathlessly, he almost didn’t stop to look around. But when he’d flopped to the ground and glanced to the side, there she was. Blessing. Laying on the dirt floor with a small trail of blood coming down the side of her head.

“Bless?” He whispered out, voice shaky and laced with fear. He scrambled towards her, his shaking hands going over her body before his eyes focused on her chest.. A few seconds of staring and he let out a breath when he realized she was still breathing. But just to be sure, he still checked her pulse as well. He ran his hands over her face, smearing the blood a bit across her face. “Bless, baby, wake up please.”

His pleads were whispered, but his voice still pulled her from the dark space that was unconsciousness. She stirred a bit, and groaned out when her eyes finally cracked open. Daryl sighed out in relief, even though she let out a whine that sounded much too close to a cry. “Daryl?”

“Shh, c’mon baby, we gotta go.”

Chapter Text

They trudged the entire way back to the farm without the horse. Daryl had to sling an arm over Blessing’s shoulders so she could help him walk, because after seeing the true extent of his injuries she couldn’t let him stumble alone. She was pretty sure they both had concussions, but at least she got lucky with just that. Daryl got stabbed on his side too, by his own damn weapon.

“I don’t think I wanna ride a horse again.” Blessing breathed out, relieved to finally see the tree line. That meant they’d reached the farm, and had to walk no longer. But, when they broke through the tree line people greeted them in ways they didn’t expect. Rick, Shane, Glenn and T-Dog had all come running with weapons held high, with concern and anxiety etched on all their tired faces. “Is that Daryl and Blessing?”

She didn’t miss the way Glenn’s voice cracked when he’d asked, or the way Rick gulped down some air before he opened his mouth to not even say anything. Instead of trying to force himself to speak, he held up his python towards their heads. And finally, Daryl spoke up because Blessing had been staring with wide eyes the whole time.

“That ain’t the first time you pointed a gun at me.” He spat, his arm around her shoulders giving her a subtle squeeze. Rick let out an audible sigh of relief as he dropped his gun, and Shane, Glenn and T-Dog let out relieved laughter of their own.

“What the hell happened to you two out there?” Shane asked, his eyes stormy and brows furrowed. It was hard to tell what he was upset about, but it was easy to blame it on them thinking Daryl and Blessing were walkers. Because it was the only thing that made sense when it came to mind for her. Their reactions and answers were cut short, however. By a single gunshot. Barely seconds were needed for the bullet to hit its mark. Daryl was hit, and the force had him falling back along with Blessing because she refused to let him go.

“Daryl!” They all cried out together, the men rushing forward to scan both bodies to be sure there was only one gunshot wound. Luckily for Blessing, it was just one and the one that’d hit Daryl. “Who the fuck shot at us?!”

Blessing cried out in panic, her hands putting pressure on his wound but head whipping around as if searching for who had done it. She still had leaves and sticks in her hair from being knocked out, and she had dirt caked on her face and open skin from the times she’d fallen whenever they would trip over a root. She looked mad, and she didn’t care at all. Her question was ignored though, because Rick and Shane gave each other a glance when they caught sight of an odd accessory around Daryl’s neck. They both rushed to pick him up, and Blessing was forced to follow along as they hurried a delirious Daryl into the home of the Greene’s who were already bustling about.

“Herschel!” Rick called out as soon as they’d gotten into the home, summoning him like he was a fucking pokemon or something. “He’s been shot!”

“Who fucking shot him?! Who shot him?!” Blessing shouted out, trying to be louder if not just as loud as Rick. Someone was going to answer her fucking questions whether they wanted to or not. She was hurt, hungry, thirsty and fucking tired. Only to come back to Daryl being shot… Blessing was not a happy camper.

“Bless, how ‘bout you calm down first so that-”

“No, Shane! Daryl got shot! In the head! Who did it, dude?!” Her shout began to mix with a plead, and Shane sighed out at the desperation that leaked into her wide brown eyes. With a shake of his head, he made sure Rick was situated with Herschel and that Daryl was getting his help before he started to push Blessing out the room. He’d put his hand on her shoulder at first, to gently guide her out but she’d pushed his hand away with her face twisted in what he would call disgust.

“Bless, I’m bein’ real nice to you, y’know that right? I’m trynna help, no need to be disrespectful.” He couldn’t help but spit down to her when he’d closed the room door behind him. When he was sure that no one could hear, because he’d whispered it quite low. Blessing didn’t care either way, because she scoffed the slightest bit with a roll of her eyes.

“You’re being nice to me because you wanna fuck me, Shane. What’s respectful about that?” She cocked her hip a bit, and he had to lick his lips and bite his tongue not to answer because really.. She was pretty much right. “Exactly, now who did it?”

“...Andrea did it, but it was an accident.” He barely had time to even explain that part before Blessing had turned on her heel and started heading outside. Shane let out a huff as he followed after her, having to take long strides because of how fast she was moving. “Bless, c’mon now!”

She didn’t listen to him, she headed towards the RV where she saw Andrea climbing down the ladder of looking guilty as ever. It didn’t help her case though, it only seemed to anger Blessing even more. Because seeing the expression on Andrea’s face made Blessing’s twist in to that familiar look of disgust that she’d just given Shane.

“Blessing, I am so sorr-” Blessing caught Andrea and Shane by surprise when she reeled back and then landed a harsh blow right to Andrea’s mouth. It let off a loud ‘crack’ that Shane couldn’t help but grimace at, especially when Andrea practically crumpled to the ground because of it. Her hands cupped her mouth, and he was sure he was seeing the bright red of blood seeping through her pale fingers.

“No you’re not! You’ve been a bitch to us from the jump, Andrea! You just tried to kill, Daryl!” Blessing shouted out angrily, pointing a finger down to a tear filled Andrea who could only look up at her with stunned eyes and a bleeding mouth. “I promise to God, Andrea, I will kill you! Fuck around if you want to!”

“She gets it, she gets it.” Shane uttered, stepping between the two women as if he were stopping something. But really, Andrea wasn’t even trying to get back up. In fact, Lori had made her way over to help the woman up with a startled and confused look on her weary face. “C’mon, Bless, she had enough.” He hurried to grab her arms because it looked like she may swing again, and she huffed angrily as she was pushed along away from Andrea and Lori. she tripped a bit over Shane’s feet, because he was moving too fast and he had to hold her up a bit until they reached at least the chicken coop since it wasn’t too far from the house.

When she was sure they were far enough, she shook him off with a disgruntled sigh. And Shane let out a harsh sigh of his own as he rolled his eyes, letting her go like she wanted to so he could turn around and pretend he was making sure no one was following them while she brushed herself off and paced angrily. She looked pissed and concerned, but also guilty. Her brows were already furrowed and she was already breathing heavily with anger, but after a few seconds of that it turned into a ragged sound that had Shane turning around to look at her with a raised brow. Confusion and concern danced in his dark eyes, but she was too preoccupied to worry about that.

“Oh God, I just punched Andrea…” She cried it out weakly, her hands jumping to her mouth to mask the sound of her letting out a sob that nearly hurt her stomach. Shane was thrown off by how quickly her mood changed, because tears were now in her wide eyes even though they’d just been filled with rage. And he wasn’t sure if he should really comfort her or not, seeing as she did have an obvious dislike for him now.

“She kinda deserved it.” Shane offered with a light shrug, voice weak and unsure and face sheepish. Blessing looked his way finally, and she stared at him for a few seconds. A few seconds that were long enough to have him shifting as he stood, feeling uncomfortable under her unmoving gaze. But then he blinked in shock, his entire body practically shaking at how suddenly she burst into laughter. It was a laugh that came from the belly, and was mixed with the sound of her cry. Again, he was unsure of what to do and let out an awkward laugh of his own. She shook her hands out, shaking her head as she laughed before she smoothed the front of her dirty pink tank top over. Like it’d make her more presentable somehow.

But really, she was still covered in walker much, Daryl’s blood, mud and she was soaking fucking wet. It was Daryl’s fault, since he’d fallen into a shallow body of water. But she wasn’t going to blame him.

“You’re right she deserved it.” She finally breathed out when she calmed down and caught her breath. She nodded her head and ran a hand over her head to push her hair from her face. “Keep your bitch under control next time, man.”

“She’s not my anything.” Shane said with a breathy laugh, shaking his head and pointing over his shoulder towards where they’d came from. Where Andrea and Lori had been. But Blessing was too smart to believe that, she’d been around long enough and had seen them sneaking around before. She wasn’t dumb. She did it was Daryl before, she got it.

“You dick dipped, so she’s your problem. The same way I’m Daryl’s problem. Now, I need to go be his problem. You? You need to take that bitch back to target practice.” Blessing said it with a smile on her face, but her face was still red and there were still tears threatening to leak down her face. Shane bit at the inside of his cheek giving her an up and down look before he gave a nod, blinking slowly to meet her eyes again and lick his lips. To her, it almost seemed like he was trying to be seductive. But the way his eyes darkened and jaw clenched, she could tell he was probably just holding back some very choice words.

With that, she stormed off back towards the home to see how far Herschel had gotten with Daryl. It hadn’t been too long since she saw him, but she was worried. So tried to be polite by knocking on the front door hastily before she was already inside and heading upstairs to look for Daryl. When she found him, Herschel was still stitching up his head and Daryl was looking as grumpy as ever.

“Where’d ya go?” He grumbled, his blue eyes instantly finding her when she came into the room. She let out an awkward laugh, her eyes jumping to Herschel and then Rick before finally settling on Daryl again. He’d raised a brow at the somewhat embarrassed look on her face, pushing for an answer.

“I punched Andrea in the mouth for you.” She kinda said it like it was a question, and while Rick huffed out a laugh at the look on her face, Herschel looked at her like a disappointed grandfather. It seemed he was done with the stitches because he pulled off his bloody gloves, almost getting some of Daryl’s blood in his white beard to look at her with tired baby blue eyes.

“You started a fight in my home?” He asked, and now Rick and Daryl raised their brows to look Blessing’s way.

“Well no, it was outside so… That doesn’t count…right..?” She trailed off, letting out an awkward laugh as she shuffled forward towards the bed. Daryl was smirking silently at the situation, her getting scolded by some old man they’d just met really. She was the type that hated trouble, so her getting into it for him? Daryl was proud… But this was still funny.

“I guess it doesn’t…” Herschel sighed, lips twitching as he fought a smile. She would definitely get along well with Maggie and Beth, he thought. They were probably in the same age range, and that was definitely something his Maggie would do.

“She did deserve it though, Mr Greene. She shot Daryl in the head… My man!” Blessing stressed, sitting slowly on the side of the bed to dramatically wave a hand over his chest for emphasis. Of course, Herschel and Rick chuckled at her actions, and Daryl blushed but said nothing. Too shy to back talk in front of Rick and Herschel, two important men in their group now.

“Shooting isn’t okay and neither is punching. Your group has a thing with violence.” Herschel teased, but there was definitely some seriousness in it. He didn’t agree with it, the violence. He didn’t believe you needed to kill the walkers, or anyone… He was a pacifist. A true God’s man. “Andrea shouldn’t have had a gun in the first place.”

“Yeah, because she’s a terrible shot.” Blessing joked, nudging Daryl’s side as she let out a little laugh that turned into a grimace when he groaned at her shifting his body weight. “Sorry.” She whispered, hovering her hands over his side that’d only just been stitched not too long ago.

“Just stay out of trouble.” Rick laughed out, shaking his head before leaving the room along with Herschel, who’d chuckled as he left.

Chapter Text

"Could I just... talk to Daryl alone for a minute, Blessing?" Carol asked, wringing her hands together like the nervous wreck she was. Of course, Blessing smiled with a nod but her smile didn't really reach her eyes. What she wanted to say was how come you can't say what you want in front of me? But... Carol had a missing daughter and a dead husband so...She couldn't exactly ask that without seeming insensitive.

"Oh uh... sure." Her eyes danced to Daryl, who seemed confused but shrugged his shoulders because he had no idea what Carol had to say. He watched her stand and leave the room, and when she did Carol had moved closer. He hadn't realized, because he was too busy watching Blessing, so he jumped the slightest bit when he turned towards Carol and she was practically right in front of him.

"What's up?" Daryl asked, sounding awkward and looking slightly uncomfortable. He was used to being around Blessing and her personality, being in a room with someone he kinda just met because of the apocalypse wasn't comforting to him. Even if it was a sweet older woman who was grieving.

"I just wanted to say thank you..." She started, voice low but eyes on Daryl. It made him clench his jaw to bite back a retort, because again... he was used to Blessing being the one with him, thanking him, trying to take care of him.... "You and Blessing got hurt out there looking for my baby. And honestly... You've done more for her than her real father ever did." She blinked fast to rid of the tears that built up in her tired blue eyes, and Daryl turned his eyes towards the door so he couldn't feel so odd around the crying woman. But she caught him off guard again, because she'd come even closer and planted a soft kiss on his forehead.

"Watch the stitches." He said with an awkward laugh, his eyes jumping to the door again. But this time, he was more nervous about if Blessing was there. Because this.. This sounded bad. "I ain't do nothin' Rick wouldn't have done."

"You're just as good as Rick. Just as good." She praised, smiling warmly. He was still awkward, she could tell. So instead of continuing on, she nodded her head and headed out. This time, Daryl did not watch her leave the room. He placed a hand over his racing heart, and cursed in his head because Blessing hadn't walked back in. He knew her too well, he knew she wasn't going to give Carol the privacy he wanted. He wouldn't have either, if it were a man asking him for a minute with her..

"Wait, Carol! Bless ain't out there?" he called out as Carol was about to close the door. She looked up and down the hall with her brows furrowed before she shook her head as a no. Shrugging her shoulders the slightest bit before she closed his door and went along to do her chores.

He'd been right, she had been waiting just outside the door with her ear pressed against the wood to hear everything that was said. Her heart raced and her stomach flipped the entire time, but when she was sure she'd heard the sound of a kiss...

"Hey, Blessing? You okay?" It was Glenn to ask, and she was so fucking glad it wasn't Shane or Rick. She wanted to avoid Shane as much as possible, because he'd most likely try to take advantage of her in a moment like this. Upset, thinking that Daryl might be secretly hooking up with Carol? Yeah, he'd have a field day. She didn't have anything against Rick, she just knew he had bigger things to worry about other than relationship problems. Especially considering he already had to deal with his own.

"No, Glenn. I wanna cry really bad but I don't wanna be a crybaby anymore." She complained, her voice shaking just like her bottom lip. She still looked pretty torn up from her trip, taking more time to check on Daryl than to clean herself up. And Glenn was definitely concerned about the large knot on her temple that he saw peeking from her hairline. But also, the tears that were building in her eyes. It was very obvious she wanted to cry but was doing her best not to. And that wasn't like the Blessing they knew at all.

"Wait wait, why do you wanna cry? Are you in pain? Should I take you to Herschel?" He panicked the slightest bit, his dark eyes dancing over her face and frame for a second. Concern slowly leaked into them, and Blessing had to look away so she wouldn't actually burst into tears.

"No, No! I mean.. My head hurts a little bit but that's not why. Have you... Have you seen Carol with Daryl while I wasn't around? I think... I think I heard something I shouldn't have and it hurt my feelings." Her voice lowered into a shaky whisper, and she wasn't looking to see the emotions on Glenn's face. Disbelief most of all. He'd probably only seen Carol and Daryl alone once before, but it wasn't anything bad. He swore it wasn't, Carol just wanted to beat in her dead husband's brain and Daryl was there. That was all.

"I've never seen Daryl in a compromising position with anyone besides you, if that's what you're asking... What did you hear?" Glenn asked, way too curious not to ask. He stepped closer when she waved her hand for him to do so, and she got on the tip of her toes to cup around her mouth and whisper into his ear. Both of them looking like children sharing secrets in the recess yard.

"I swore I heard Carol kiss him." She revealed, and Glenn had the nerve to let out a gasp and reel back with shock on his face.

"No fuckin' way!"

"Yes fuckin' way, Glenn! I swore I heard it!" She cried out, smacking her shaking hands over her face to cover up when a tear had finally escaped and slid down her cheek. She groaned out, wiping at her face vigorously until Glenn cleared his throat a bit to get her to pause. When she did, she peeked over at him through her fingers with teary eyes and wobbling lips. For that moment, Glenn felt his stomach clench the slightest bit. Because in it, she reminded him so much of his little sisters. When they'd come to him upset about a boy messing with them in school, looking for his comfort because Mom and Dad weren't around as much as they wanted them to be. "What do I do?'

"Uh well..." Glenn cleared his throat, blinking fast like she'd done so his own eyes wouldn't fill with tears at the sudden memory. He scratched at the back of his head, making his baseball cap tilt up just the slightest bit to make a shadow over his eyes. "You should ask Daryl what you heard first. Maybe you heard wrong?"

"I hate my life." She cried out instead of saying he was right, something that made him chuckle out loud because of the way she dramatically flailed her arms around. "Don't laugh at me, dude!"

She didn't stick around for him to laugh more, she dragged her feet back to the farm house with a frown on her face and her eyes on the ground she was walking on. She felt silly, dumb even. She'd chased after Daryl for years, and now that they were somewhat together Carol comes around and Daryl is like her hero. He was nicer to her at first, and she knew it was because they both knew her husband put hands on her. But now, she was starting to think it was something else.

"Blessing, right?" She stopped her walking to look up at who'd asked. One of Herschel's daughters, the older one with shoulder length brown hair and hazel eyes. She was pretty, and definitely tried to seem tough when everyone was around. But now that it was just her and Blessing, and Blessing was obviously upset, her voice was softer.

"Yeah, that's me." Blessing said with a nod, brushing some curls from her face now that she was looking up. When she was looking down, she didn't mind her hair being in her face because it didn't block the floor.

"I'm Maggie...Yer boyfriend told us to check on you, said you'd hit yer head real bad? If ya want, we could look through some of my clothes and see what fits. Then you can get washed up and I can check out yer head?" She offered it pretty gently, and she noticed the way Blessing's lip wobbled again. She was tempted to step off the porch and give the woman some comfort, but Blessing scoffed out after a second. Catching Maggie off guard.

"He's not my boyfriend but... Sure." She followed after Maggie into the home, and they spent half an hour just going through clothes because Blessing and Maggie would both comment on everything they'd find. At first, it was just Maggie trying to lighten Blessing's mood and telling the story of how she got an article of clothing. After the second silly story about a random t shirt, Blessing started making up stories for her so they were both giggling messes by the time they'd actually found something that fit. When they did, Blessing didn't waste time heading to the shower.

When she'd finished, Maggie waited for her in her room with a smile on her face. She'd pulled her back into the room, and showed her the different hair brushes she had so Blessing could pick one that would work best for her hair. While Blessing brushed out her mane, Maggie brushed her up on any gossip she knew. Not just of the people of her group, but of people from the farming town in general. She even talked about people she knew were bitten and gone, which Blessing thought was endearing.

"Y'know you've gotta talk to him eventually, right?" Maggie pointed out, fighting a smirk when Blessing's smile was instantly wiped from her face. Blessing had told her what had her looking so upset, and Maggie had offered the same advice that Glenn did. Just go talk to him. But Blessing was scared. She didn't want to go to him for answers and get all the ones that hurt her more. She wanted to be hurt on her own terms, if anything.

"Its cool. She can keep him." She sulked with a shake of her head, and Maggie sucked her teeth.

"Blessing... Are you really just gonna give up that easily?" She tried to encourage her, but it didn't help at all. It only made Blessing think back to all the time she spent chasing after him.

"That's the thing, Mags... I've been chasing him for a really long time. If I give up, I promise it wasn't easy... i just.. I gotta stand up eventually." She shook her head, her tone so solemn that Maggie had to bite her lip so she wouldn't say the wrong thing. She swore that Daryl loved her, everyone could tell. Even if she didn't know their group very long, she could see it. His eyes got so soft whenever they found her, she knew love. She'd seen it between her mother and father enough to know what it was.

"Please, just talk to him? He probably doesn't even know yer thinkin' like this." Maggie continued to push, and Blessing finally sighed with a nod. Maggie grinned, hurrying off of her bed to pull Blessing with her since they'd both been laying comfortably to gossip. It'd felt like a sleepover for a second, and they both were reminded by the true reality of the world when they heard Shane barking out some instructions outside.

Like highschoolers, Maggie pulled Blessing along so they both clambered into the hall and towards the door they knew Daryl was behind. When it came into view, Maggie could feel Blessing's hand start to shake in her own. So she paused in front of the door to plant her hands on Blessing's shoulders, a warm smile on her face.

"You got this." Maggie said, and Blessing nodded firmly before taking a deep breath. She mentally counted to three before she knocked, and Daryl grunted quicker than she could think about going back. With Maggie giving her a thumbs up behind her, Blessing pushed her way into the room. She kept her gaze low, too nervous to look at Daryl even though she was sure she already felt his eyes on her.

"Where'd you go?" He asked a bit roughly, his voice hoarse and eyes narrowed. She had to suck her lips into her mouth so she wouldn't say anything too crazy at first. And he watched her slowly begin to pace, her hands moving in circles as if it was supposed to help her gather her thoughts and put together her words.

"Not to answer a question with a question but.. What's going on with you and Carol?"

"What?" He looked confused, but it didn't ease her nerves like she thought it would. It just made her start to get hot with anger.

"You heard me. What's going on with you and Carol, huh? I heard... I heard something, Daryl. And-And it didn't sound good to me. Are you seeing her behind my back?" Her voice cracked when she asked, but she looked anything but sad. She looked pissed. Daryl had to stutter out his answers quick, because she looked like she was ready to turn heel and get outta there.

"What, nah! Hell nah! She kissed ma forehead 'cause she was sayin' thanks for lookin' for Sophia! Bless, I would never-"

"S-shut up, I need a moment."

~*~

Word Count : 2,326

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March 15th, 2025

Chapter Text

She really needed a moment to calm herself down, because she really had assumed the worst. She couldn't help it though, the worst was all that'd been happening recently. As a child, she used to think that you had to do something bad for bad things to happen to you. Mostly because her father had taught her about karma. He'd only taught her about it so young, because she'd asked about her mother and he didn't really have an answer. All he could tell her was that karma would take care of her, and then he had to explain what karma was.

She'd done nothing but good deeds when he taught her that, and it really made people see why her name was Blessing.

She felt bad about accusing Daryl, but also embarrassed. She couldn't even let him finish his sentence and she told him to shut up before walking out. He had to be upset with her, right? She would be, if he did that to her. If she was hurt in bed and couldn't really get up, and he just.. Walked away knowing she couldn't follow?

More guilt.

"You good, Bless? You talked to him yet?" It was Maggie who asked, because Blessing was pacing up and down the hallway in the farm house. She kept passing Maggie's door because it was close to the room Daryl was in, she didn't wanna tell her it was starting to get annoying though. Because she could very clearly see how stressed Blessing was. Now that her hair was dry it was a large puff around her head that she kept pushing a hand into. She wasn't smiling, only a frown would twitch onto her lips just to be replaced by a pout whenever she got close to his door.

"Kinda...I kinda did. I f-freaked out a little bit. I don't know what's wrong with me, I swear I don't usually act like this." Blessing whispered out loud, and Maggie let out a small sigh from her nose as she closed her door behind her to stop Blessing from pacing. She planted her hands on her shoulders, and forced Blessing to meet her eyes with a warm smile.

"Hey, it's okay. Things are... Different now. The world changed, you gotta expect people to change in it, right?" She tried to comfort her with words, and Blessing seem to soak them in with slow nods. She sucked her lips into her mouth, biting at some hanging dead skin to peel it off while she mulled over what Maggie just said.

"But what if its a bad change?"

"Are you hurting anyone? Have you hurt anyone, I mean? Or yourself?" Maggie asked, raising a brow. And Blessing made a face as she shook her head. She couldn't picture herself really hurting a hurting being. But... She did punch Andrea in the mouth... When that popped in her head, her brown eyes widened and she smacked a hand over her mouth with a light gasp.

"Oh my God, Maggie! I did! I hit Andrea!" She whisper shouted, sounding even more stressed than she just did. But Maggie didn't freak out like she was doing mentally, her smile went from warm to wide as she giggled.

"Blessing, you did that for a good reason. She shot Daryl, your man. No one's mad about that. Not even Andrea, okay?" Her tone was so light and playful that Blessing couldn't help but giggle too, hers sounding breathless and somewhat rushed. But at least she was smiling again, even if it was a bit shaky and forced. "I haven't known you very long, I kinda just met you but... You seem like a nice girl. I can tell because your friends with Glenn."

Now Blessing narrowed her eyes the slightest bit at the mention of Glenn, and a teasing smile slowly made its way onto her face. One that had Maggie realizing she probably spoke too much.

"You like Glenn." She said, face becoming more mischievous as she said. Something that had Maggie choking out a laugh before she lightly pushed at Blessing's shoulder. Trying to get her to go into Daryl's room, trying to change the topic.

"Go talk to your man, Blessing." She said, biting at her lip when Blessing giggled out loud at how obvious it was. She definitely thought that Glenn was cute, but she wasn't ready yet to approach anyone or anything because of everything happening. Not even with the apocalypse, but a lost girl and then Shane going mad every other day... And Daryl being shot? Yeah, the farm had been pretty busy. Too busy for her to focus on her love life like Blessing. But then again... If Blessing could do it... So could she, right?

"You go get your man too, girl!' Blessing practically cheered before disappearing into Daryl's room. Maggie stared at the wooden door for a few seconds, mentally debating. She didn't need to debate very long though, because Blessing's cheer was just the push she needed. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders and headed outside, with one thing in mind. Glenn Rhee.

"Yer back." Daryl pointed out the obvious as Blessing tried to close the door quietly behind her. But Daryl was still up, and looking at her with those hooded eyes of his looking like he wanted to take a nap. She had to look away from his face, because she always thought his sleepy face was cute. But, she needed to apologize first. Not just act like nothing happened.

"Yeah... I'm sorry for assuming the worst. I... I should've just talked to you instead of overthinking." She said it a bit sheepishly, shuffling further into the room to sit on the edge of his bed. Of course, he moved over the slightest bit to tap at the spot beside him. He'd given her more room so she could lay on the bed with him, and she grinned at how he looked at her like he was patiently waiting for her to do so. She didn't waste time kicking off her shoes and swinging her legs on the bed.

"Yer okay, baby. That's my fault. I made ya feel like I'd do some shit like that. But I won't. I couldn't. Not to you." He grumbled it so low, reaching an arm around to grasp at her thigh to pull her closer by it. She giggled when he did it, because he dragged her across him like she weighed nothing. "You forgive me?"

"You're supposed to forgive me, I was the one that was mean to you." She admitted, rubbing her palm over his chest when she felt the subtle vibration of his heart. She settled her palm over it just to feel him breath and his heart work, to try and match their breaths. But he was breathing too slow even though his heart was beating fast. Something that had her looking up at his face with a raised brow. "Are you okay?"

"But you was mean for a good reason. You thought I was foolin' around on ya." He grumbled, and she frowned at his logic. Just because she had a reason to be upset, didn't mean it was okay to take her anger out on him. Or anyone for that matter, her father taught her that. "And I'm good.. Side only stings a bit. Don't even feel like I got shot either."

"Your heart's beating really fast." She pointed out, rubbing circles over the muscle like it'd help slow it down. If she looked up again, she would've seen the subtle blush that made its way onto his cheeks. Or the way he looked down at her with warm eyes, adoration shining brightly in them.

"It's always like that when yer around." He whispered, not even bothering to bite back the smile that made its way onto his face. He wasn't even embarrassed. How could he be in a room with just them? She always let him be himself, and didn't judge him if he said cheesy shit or said something dumb. She always just smiled, made a cheesy joke with him or added on something she thought was dumb too. She was his ball of sunshine, and she probably had no idea. Because he was too nervous to express his emotions to people without expecting them to leave...

"Stop, that's adorable." She gushed, looking up to meet his eyes only to pause at the display of emotion in his. He hadn't looked away from her, and she had to bite her lip so she wouldn't smile too hard at how he was looking at her. It made her stomach clench just a bit, and she swore a butterfly was going to fly out of her mouth if she opened it. God, she'd never caught him looking at her like that... "Can I kiss you?"

She wasn't sure why she asked, and neither did Daryl. But he didn't care. He didn't bother answering, he just leaned in and let his actions answer for him. His chapped lips enveloped hers, and he let out a content hum and when she breathed a soft moan into the kiss as if she'd been waiting for him to kiss her. The kiss deepened when he'd swiped his tongue over her bottom lip, but they had to pull away when she'd tried to reach around and grasp at the bed so she could straddle him. She'd accidentally grazed his side with her hand, and he sucked his teeth with a grimace that had her pulling away with an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" She whisper yelled, sitting up in the bed only for Daryl to grasp at her arm with a shaky chuckle. She could see the pain clear in his eyes, but he was trying to cover it up. To make it seem like she didn't hurt him.

"Its cool, don't even hurt." He said cooly, trying to pull her in for another kiss. She giggled at him trying to seem cool, and let him pull her in for a kiss but she didn't let it deepen like it did last time. She pulled away after a few moments, then settled with wrapping herself around him the best she could without touching his injuries. She was so tempted to just climb on top of him and sleep on his chest, just because a petty part of her wanted someone to catch them like that. Specifically Carol.

They'd slept soundly besides each other. The next day, Herschel was the one to wake them up so he could check on Daryl's stitches. Daryl was stubborn, so even though it'd only been a day of bed rest he wanted to be out of the house. Blessing had to help him gather whatever in the room was his or hers, and had even carried everything back to their tent.

"It was pretty nice sleeping in a bed that wasn't ours... Should've fooled around while we had the chance." Blessing joked, making Daryl snort out a laugh as he poked holes in the tent wall. She'd warned him to stop two times already, but he didn't listen either time. Not even when she said bugs were going to get in if he poked holes big enough. He was a fucking child.

"Should've, ya got scared though." He teased right back, and they both paused when they heard the distinct sound of footsteps coming their way. Their tent door was open, so they could see who was approaching. Daryl gave Blessing a subtle glance when he peeped it was Andrea making her way over, anxiety clear on her pale face. Blessing had her dark eyes narrowed on the woman, her pretty lips pursed and that was how Daryl knew she was trying not to say something she was thinking. She'd already punched her in the mouth, and from what Daryl saw now she'd busted her lip. So, she didn't really need to go out of her way to keep messing with the girl. It was an accident, after all.

"Hey uh... Just uh, brought a book. As a sorry. I am so sorry that this happened." She said shakily, crouching the slightest bit so she could extend her hand into the tent and hand Daryl a smaller book with a hardcover. Blessing watched the interaction carefully, biting her tongue so hard she swore she was going to make it bleed. Daryl flipped through the pages for a second before looking up at Andrea with a raised brow.

"What? No pictures?" He complained about the lack of images in the book, and both Andrea and Blessing snorted at the face he'd made when he said it. Blessing rolled her eyes, and Andrea smirked the slightest bit when he seemed to flip through the pages again as if checking to make sure there were really no pictures.

"Figured you wanted to expand your vocabulary." Andrea teased, making Daryl snort. He set the book aside, and it looked like Andrea took that as her cue to walk away. Because she'd smiled lightly as she turned around. Only for Daryl to stop her by calling out a soft 'yo' that had her turning around with a raised brow. Curious as to what he had to say now if it wasn't a joke about the book she'd given.

"Next time you shoot me.. You best pray I'm dead." He said seriously, and Andrea gulped down a remark as soon as the last word left his mouth. Blessing didn't really seem to take her silence as an answer though. She leaned over so that Andrea was forced to look at her instead of Daryl because she was blocking the view now.

"There won't be a next time.. Right, Andrea?"

"...Right."

~*~

Word Count : 2,309

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March 16th, 2025

Chapter Text

Blessing and Daryl were both keeping extra eyes out for one another. For a lot of reasons. For one, both of them were injured, even though Daryl definitely had it worse. Second, Daryl didn't like seeing her get jealous about Carol and Blessing did not like Carol around Daryl anymore. And lastly, Maggie had definitely told Daryl about having to talk Blessing into talking to him. Something that stuck to him was a comment that Blessing made about him not being her boyfriend.

He'd said the same thing about her not too long ago, back at their first camp. That she wasn't his girlfriend. But he'd said it to her face... And she knew he was just too shy to say shit like that out loud. But Blessing, she'd said it to Maggie without Daryl around. So... She really felt that way. He couldn't really be too mad because he knew he hadn't ever formally asked her but... She usually called him her man.

It was starting to feel like maybe he was trying to win a losing game. She'd said something about him not being affectionate, so he tried to be more affectionate. But now it was her assuming there was another woman, when in reality Daryl couldn't stop looking at Blessing on a bad day if he even tried.

"Do you want me to wash any of your clothes?" Blessing asked him, gathering her own laundry around the tent looking like an apocalyptic house wife if anything. Daryl looked up from the book he was pretending to read, his cat like eyes settling on her face. She could tell by the glint in his eye that he was thinking heavily about something, but he hadn't opened his mouth yet to even ask a question. That's exactly why she got antsy and started picking shit up.

"I want you to be my girl." He said, his voice raspy and lips somewhat pulled down into a frown. She nearly dropped the pile of clothes in her hand, her heart instantly doing the race in her chest and her eyes widening. It shouldn't have been so shocking that he'd ask, considering they were practically already married but... He really was never the one to talk about anything emotional. And their relationship? That was considered emotional to him. "Somebody told me that you said I wasn't yer boyfriend. Y'know I ain't one for labels, that boyfriend girlfriend shit is for kids, Bless. But I don't ever wanna hear about ya calling me anything other than yer man. You understand?"

She was definitely stunned into silence by how serious he was being, not even a twitch of his lips like he was fighting a smile. Now, he was always serious for sure. But he never talked about them like this. He just did things that made her feel like they were together, he never asked. Then again, neither did she. She only teased him, made it seem like a joke every time she called him her boyfriend. She partly blamed herself for the dynamic they had, because it was something that she accepted.

"I-I only said that because I was mad, okay? I thought you were messing around with Carol." Blessing tried to defend herself, her brows furrowing as she did her best to not pout about being somewhat scolded. Daryl didn't like that answer, and rolled his eyes looking way too much like Blessing when he did it.

"So every time yer mad at me yer goin' around sayin' I ain't yer boyfriend?" She grimaced at how that sounded, and cringed even further when Daryl actually sat up and put his book aside with a scowl on his face. It seemed like it was his turn to be upset now, and she bit her tongue so she would think harder about what she said next. "You tellin' Shane and Glenn that too? Huh?"

"No! God, no! This is the first time that's happened since we met these people, D! I swear! I-I won't say it again, you just... You always said I wasn't when I called you my boyfriend to your face so..."

"Bullshit, Bless, I never did no shit like that in front of people." He spat back, and now she had to put the pile of clothes down so she could wipe at her stressed face with her hands. Her eyes were starting to water, and she knew she'd start crying soon if he kept up but... She kinda deserved it.

"I-I know, I'm sorry. I won't say it again." Her voice cracked the slightest bit when she'd said it, and Daryl sucked his teeth as he looked away so he wouldn't see her start the water works. He knew if he saw her start crying, it'd be harder for him to be upset. It wasn't like he wanted to stay upset forever, but... He never really gave her shit. It was always the other way around. But a few seconds of not looking at her was too long, and her almost rolled his eyes again to look at her face even though a tear had finally fallen down her cheek. She didn't hesitate to wipe it away and pretend it never fell, and Daryl let out a sigh as he leaned back the slightest bit and opened his arms for her to settle into.

She did so without having to be told, and she sniffled as she shuffled to him. Her lips in a pout, she settled herself onto his lap so she was straddling him and they were facing each other. Whilst his arms wrapped around her waist, she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. He didn't even say anything when a stray tear had fallen onto his sweat covered skin, but his hands started to rub gentle circles on her sides. An action that felt so soothing, she couldn't help but become drowsy after a few minutes of him doing it.

"I'm sorry 'bout snappin' at you, Bless. And I'm sorry I ain't ask you to be mines before this." He whispered to her, his head tilting a bit so he could lean onto her puff ball of hair. Something she lightly giggled at because he had to spit a curl from his mouth when he'd done it.

"I'm sorry too, I should've never said that to Maggie. Thank you for asking, even though it took forever." She whispered right back, and even though she couldn't see he was grinning at the air in front of him. His eyes warm and heart big. "Can I take a nap like this?"

He chuckled at that, because he could tell she was already starting to fall asleep. "Go ahead, princess."

It was a light coo, and she gave a low hum of content as she let her eyes slide shut. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, and it was easy for him to follow her lead and fall asleep soon after. When they both woke up the next day, yes the next day, Blessing gathered all of their clothes again for her to wash since she didn't get to do it the day before. Meanwhile, Daryl sauntered up to Rick to chat with him about something Blessing had no idea about. Because Daryl didn't tell her he wanted to go back out there to keep looking for Sophia. Not when he knew she'd say no, to heal more before you searched. Not when there was a little girl out there.

He made sure she was distracted with laundry before he headed to the horses stables, limp in his walk from his injuries but determination in his eyes. But Carol did, and she followed after him silently.

She lurked in the shadows of the stalls, watching as he tried to ready a saddle. Only to speak up before he had a chance to even lift it. "You don't have to go out there like this, Daryl..." She whispered, startling him somewhat. Her lips twitched into a thin line when he jumped, swirling around to glare at her stepping from the shadows like some type of hero. She was anything but.

"Hell are you talkin' 'bout? Ain't nobody else goin'. I have to." He said gruffly, waving a hand towards the entrance of the stables with a roll of his eyes. "Y'all actin' like there ain't a little girl out there or somethin'."

"Maybe its time we consider that maybe... Maybe she isn't anymore." Carol whispered, trying to step closer with a raised hand to stop him from lifting the saddle again. He let out a grunt when he flinched at her being so close so fast, and she pulled her hand back with sad eyes when he tossed the saddle down with an angry grunt. Trying to cover up the fact that he was still in pain.

"Man, back up! And stop fuckin' talkin' like that! Bless don't play 'bout boundaries and she ain't happy 'bout that little kiss you put on my head." He spat, pointing a finger angrily her way. His blue eyes were lit with rage, but his lips were twisted and twitching almost like he wasn't trying to cry. There weren't any tears in his eyes though, she knew because she was looking directly at them. "Ain't no we, its Blessin' and me! That's it! Ya should be more grateful we even went out lookin' in the first place!"

He stepped forward a bit, pointing his finger into her face. But she flinched when he'd done it and he paused. Recognition flashed in his eyes, and his face twisted with regret before he masked it with anger once again. "What? You think I'm gon' hit you?! I ain't yer husband, lady! And I sure as hell ain't that little girl's dad, stupid bitch!"

Her face twisted with agony, and she shook her head to look away so she wouldn't look at him when tears fell down her pale cheeks. He didn't care though, because he'd already turned to stumble out of the stables with his hand on his side. Breathing heavily from the anger he felt, and the pain that was burning in his side as well.

"You okay, D?" Of course she would ask, because he went out towards her on purpose knowing she would. He wasn't as mad as he was, he couldn't be when his eyes landed on Blessing's face. She had suds from the laundry on her chin, and the longer he took to answer her the more she started to pout. It was adorable, just like how big her brown eyes got. Her lashes were so long he swore he could see them from afar in the sunlight, and he was really wishing they were laid up in the tent so he could feel those same lashes brushing against his cheek from her being too close. "Your face is a little red."

"'M fine. Told Carol to back off for ya, think she might be trynna get too friendly." He told her, stopping so he could stand at her side and look down at her as she did the laundry. There wasn't much in the pile, but she was a daydreamer when she did chores alone so it'd probably take her a while. "Need help?"

"What do you mean you told her to back off? A-And trying to get too friendly? What did I miss?" She narrowed her eyes up on him, squinting in the sun. He rolled his eyes, groaning out when he bent down so he could plop down on grass beside her in front of the large bin of water. It wasn't that big, more like a medium sized storage bin people usually used for clothes. And it was see through plastic, so he could see the clothes working through the sudsy water with her hands.

"I tried to go lookin' for Sophia again and she stopped me. But she got a little too close, scared me." He grumbled the last part a bit shyly, obviously embarrassed about being caught off guard by a meek woman like Carol. She was as quiet as a mouse though, it should've been expected. "Told that bitch to back off, that you don't play 'bout boundaries. That I ain't her husband." He told her, leaving out some bits and pieces just to see her reaction. It wasn't what he expected.

She didn't look proud, happy that he stood up for her. Instead, her eyes widened a bit and her jaw dropped. She wrung out a shirt and set it aside in a hamper of clothes she had to hung up, looking like she was thinking of what to say. Daryl couldn't tell if that was good or bad, honestly. "You called her a stupid bitch too, didn't you?"

"I did..." He admitted it shamefully when she tutted, looking like a scolding mother. She was all for defending their relationship, but he didn't have to tear Carol down because of her. Not when she was already going through enough shit. She'd lost her husband, who was already a piece of shit in the first place who beat her. And now, her daughter was missing. Blessing could partly get why Carol was looking for that kind of comfort. Lori did it, why wouldn't she?

"You shouldn't call women out of their name, Daryl. That ain't cool. But thank you... Because I was totally jealous and thought you were gonna leave me for a snow bunny." She said it teasingly, and giggled when Daryl smirked at her with mischief burning in his beautiful blue eyes.

"Black queens forever, snow bunnies never, baby." He said it so smooth she couldn't help but burst into laughter, throwing her head back as she did so. His eyes twinkled as he watched her, his own lips twitching into a warm smile at the sound of her laugh... God, she sounded like home.

~*~

Word Count : 2,329

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March 19th, 2025

Chapter Text

The rest of that day, Daryl helped Blessing with their chores. Yeah, laundry included because Blessing was taking way too long with it. And that night, while they all sat around the fire with gleeful twinkles in their eyes, Glenn couldn't help but disrupt the peace with an anxious look on his face. He knew he had to eventually, either tonight or the next morning. And it was almost tonight, but then he caught the way Maggie had glared at him... And the way everyone seemed so happy. Blessing curled into Daryl's side, Lori and Rick actually seeming to get along. Even the children were on their best behavior tonight.

So with a heavy heart, and heavier shoulders... He waited until morning.

"Dary," Blessing whispered up into his ear, patting his chest lightly to catch his attention even further. Still at night, and they hadn't left from the circle of people around the camp fire. It wasn't like Daryl was talking much, but it seemed like he was enjoying everyone's presence. He'd smirk at comments that Rick made, or laughed along with Blessing when she made her corny jokes. It was relaxing, light hearted even. "Can we go back to our tent now?"

Still she was whispering up into her ear, and he had to clench his jaw so he wouldn't let his body shake with the shudder that was threatening to roll down his spine. It wasn't the usual reaction to a whisper in the ear, but it was her. And when it was her, he couldn't really control his body's reactions. "Tired?"

His voice was gruff, and she bit at her lip to hide the smile that crawled on her lips. He caught it in the shadow over her face though, and he had to fight a smile of his own. Especially when he swore he saw a hint of a blush on her pretty face. "Yeah, sure. I'm tired."

She giggled a little bit when she said it, and he let out a breathy chuckle of his own. No one was really speaking, so he didn't have to interrupt anyone to say "We're gonna hit the sack." Everyone just said their goodnight's, some people snickering when Daryl helped Blessing stand only for Carl to trip her when she was getting ready to walk away. She laughed at it too, of course, and lightly smacked at his head before running off after Daryl.

"Oh, they're gonna hit the sack, alright." It was T-Dog who'd said it, since he'd been close enough to hear Blessing's whisper of the sarcastic 'Yes, sure, I'm tired.' There was a smirk on his face, and amusement in his eyes so they could all tell he was just teasing. So everyone simply laughed along while Daryl and Blessing walked off farther away to their own camp. Since Daryl wanted to be a bit further out for privacy.

"Ya aren't actually tired, are ya?" Daryl whispered after her as they crouched into their tent, and Blessing giggled as she shook her head. He let out a chuckle of his own, immediately turning around to zip their tent closed when he noticed that she was pulling off her shirt. It wasn't like he'd never seen her naked before, but his heart always raced when she showed some damn skin. He always felt like a teenaged boy that couldn't control his hormones around her. It was pathetic, really.

"I think it's really cute when you get all shy like that." She pointed out with a smile on her face, sliding out of her pants. She tossed them to the corner of the tent and then slid off her panties right after. She'd already taken off her bra, so she was on full display laid out on their sleeping bag. Her natural hair framing her face beautifully, and the sight stole his breath when he turned around.

"I-I'm not shy." He said with a scoff, scratching at the back of his head.

"So then why haven't you taken off anything yet?" She teased, propping her head up on her hand as she laid on her side to look at him. The position had him kicking off his boots and rushing out of his pants, when they were off he fell onto his knees to crawl beside her. His hand came up to caress her thigh and then up her ass and to the dip of her hip before he let out a shaky breath and went back to undressing. She watched with hooded eyes, because even in the dark tent she could tell how dark his pretty blue eyes had become. It was like he was out in the woods hunting, and she was his dinner for the night.

"See? I ain't shy." He muttered, leaning in to steal her lips for a kiss that became heated quite quickly. It was her who swiped her tongue over his bottom lip to ask for entrance, but it was him who pushed forward readily with his tongue to explore her mouth. Immediately taking control of the passionate kiss, and becoming more breathless the longer it went on. "I can touch you?"

"Always, baby. Please." She whispered breathlessly against his lips, letting out a shuddering breathe when he reached a hand down to rub gentle circles around her clit with his thumb while his pointer and middle finger curled into her slit lightly to get a feel of how slick she was.

"Yer already so wet." It nearly came out as a whimper, and she let out a giggle when he rushed to get her into a position he wanted. He liked seeing her face, so missionary was his go to even though he knew it wasn't her favorite. He knew eventually they'd have to switch it up, but it'd be worth the extra effort.

He pushed his boxers off easily, and settled between her open legs with a soft groan when his already hard member slid against her soaking sex. She purred against him, reaching down herself to grasp him and guide her into herself. They both let out breathless moans when he dug himself into her slowly, faces morphing into those of pleasure and bodies shuddering against one another.

"Oh my God." She breathed into his shoulder, her nails digging into his shoulder blades when he rocked his hips slow before he gathered his own steady rhythm. They did their best not to make too much noise, even when he pushed himself up a bit on his knees and lifted her a bit onto his thighs to pound into her. A hand clutching her thigh to keep her on him, and the other focused on rubbing at her clit so good she was sure her eyes rolled back. "Daryl~."

He clasped a hand over her mouth when she moaned out his name like a desperate whine, having to clasp a hand over his own mouth as well when she squeezed around her cock whilst she had her first orgasm. He had to bite at the calluses on his palm to strain himself from making noise or cumming, and slowled his strokes.

"Ya feel good, princess?" He whispered to her once her body relaxed, her lips were still slightly parted and brows furrowed into a look of ecstasy. And she was breathing raggedly, like she'd run a few miles, but at least she wasn't being loud. When she nodded shakily, he brushed some curls from her face that were starting to stick because of the sweat that was starting to build up on her face. And her peppered so kisses all over her, and gave a passionate , wet kiss before he slowly moved her over. He positioned her face down, and used their extra pillow to stuff under the arch of her back for some support for her hips. Her favorite position to be in.

"I feel so good." She moaned, trying her best to whisper when he buried himself back into her. One hand was caressing her ass while the other was twirling her hair into a ponytail for him to pull at, and she whined out when he pulled a bit too hard when he got fast and rough with his strokes. As a subtle apology, he pulled her up so her back was against his chest, and the hand that was once in her hair found itself around her neck while he slowed his strokes since he knew his own orgasm was coming. He turned her head slightly, and their lips clashed in a wet and sloppy kiss, that had them both breathlessly moaning into one another's mouths. "Fuck, thank you, Daryl."

She breathed the moan into the kiss so smoothly, he couldn't help but grunt and cum into her. The whimpering sound that fell from his lips when his body slightly convulsed as he came had her cumming along with him, and soon after they both fell onto the sleeping bag breathlessly. Daryl lazily removing himself to reach over and grab the clean rag she always kept around for her face, and he used it to wipe her clean first before wiping his own cock off. Hen, they settled into one another's arms and fell asleep.

The next morning, the both got dressed and the first thing they did was head inside and got a shower. Then they came down to the campfire to see what people were cooking up for breakfast. Glenn was handing out peaches to everyone, and Lori and Carol looked to be cooking up some eggs and potatoes. A classic breakfast meal.'

"Good morning, homies~!" Blessing called out with a grin on her face, and everyone chimed their own 'good morning' before going back to what they were doing before. Most people grinned at her cheery introduction, because she'd been so clearly stressed lately.

"Lookin' reeal happy there, guys." T-Dog teased them both, and Daryl snorted with a blush on his cheeks. He didn't bother answering though, because he stuffed his face with scrambled eggs that Blessing handed to him on a plastic plate.

"You wouldn't know anything about that, would ya, buddy?" Blessing teased right back, making Carl let out a soft 'ooooo' when T-Dog put a hand over his heart and looked at her in mock offense.

"Uh, guys?" Glenn said awkwardly, standing in the front of the large group of people with a half full basket of peaches in his hands. He still had on his signature baseball cap but was wearing clothes that looked like they were probably Herschel's old clothes. Everyone gave them their attention, and he grew even more nervous when Maggie's eyes narrowed on him from the porch of her house. "T-There's uh... There's walkers in the barn."

His confession had everyone stunned into silence only for a few seconds before chaos erupted. Shane led the group in a sprint towards the barn, and Rick called out after him to stop shouting but Shane didn't care to listen. "What the hell is this?!"

He shouted angrily, shaking the barns doors to rile up the walkers that were inside. Lori and Carol gasped in horror, as well as some other people when the walkers pushed up against the barn doors groaning. And it seemed to piss Shane off even more. "What the hell is this, man?! Did you know about this?!"

"I didn't want to throw Maggie under the bus, so I waited until today to-"

"How long have you known?!" Shane shouted angrily, and Lori tried to shush him with a red face but he lightly pushed her aside with a sneer on his face. "Don't touch me." He spat to her, ignoring the hurt look on her face when he pointed at her angrily.

"I only found out yesterday, man! Chill! This isn't helping anything!" Glenn cried out, looking stressed as ever trying to plead his case. Dale stood up for him too, and stepped up to deflect quite easily.

"I knew too. We both figured we could wait another night and... It was fine. No one got hurt." Dale said with a shake of his head, trying to reason with a seething Shane.

"This is our lives here!"

"This is kinda not our farm, so.. What do you expect us to do, Shane?" Blessing jumped in, downright over their bickering. She placed a hand on her cocked hip. And Daryl raised a brow beside her before copying her pose with a little less sass. It had Shane scoffing with a roll of his eyes.

"Herschel's farm? Right, I say we take out the damn walkers and we all live happily ever after. How 'bout that?" Shane said it like it was obvious, but Blessing rolled her eyes at his condescending tone.

"But it's Herschel's farm, so he's probably doing that shit for a reason. Maybe try talking to him first to see what the fuck is up? Instead of resulting to violence first, you neanderthal?" She shot at him, throwing up a fist as if she'd do something when he narrowed his burning eyes on her with twitching lips. Clearly biting back some choice words. But the way Daryl was standing by her with that dark look on his eye had him rethinking them.

"Blessing is right, Shane. And you know it." Rick said seriously, making Shane roll his eyes whilst he let out a dramatic sigh that had the group looking at him in slight concern. Because quite frankly, it looked like he was having some sort of mental breakdown based on the look in his eye.

"Oh, please! He doesn't even want guns on his land, Rick! We're sitting ducks here!"

"Sto-Stop fuckin' shoutin', Shane!" Rick whisper shouted when the walkers banged against the barn doors once more because of the bass of his tone. Something that had people flinching back further away from the barn, and stressing even more about what was to come. "Just- Just let me talk to Herschel!"

"Fine, talk to Herschel!" Shane barked, yet they could all tell he wasn't letting up when he turned on his heel and stormed away from them all. Blessing let out a sigh, and looked over at Daryl with a small pout on her lips.

"This is why you're my favorite." She said sweetly, making him breathe out a laugh when she reached up to pat at his cheek before walking away. He shook his head as he followed after her, his eyes on her ass the whole time.

~*~

Word Count : 2,419

Vote / Comment

March 22nd, 2025

Chapter Text

"Maggie, I know you aren't very happy about the barn situation, right? But the tea I have for you right now? Girl..." Blessing was posted outside of Maggie's door, she'd tried to get in already but Maggie had locked her out. Because of Glenn sharing the barn info with the group... Maggie wasn't very happy with him. And Blessing wasn't sure if that extended to her or not, but based off the reaction she was getting now... Or lack of, she'd say Maggie was upset with her too.

"Is it sweet or unsweetened?" Maggie's voice sounded from the other side of the door, sounding a bit far away. She sounded just a bit irked, like she was upset but couldn't turn down the offer.

"No, not literal tea, Mags!" Blessing laughed lightly at that, leaning her back against the wall next to Maggie's door since her feet were getting tired. She'd been standing out her door for probably fifteen minutes now, maybe more. Trying to get Maggie to talk to her since she'd seemed so upset when she caught a glimpse of her storming into the farm house. "I mean like gossip! The juicy kind!"

The door swung open, and Maggie stood with a brow raised but she had to peek her head out of the door to see Blessing since she was by the door and not in front of it. Maggie had a prominent frown on her face, but the curiosity in her eyes definitely overpowered that. She chewed at the inside of her cheek for a second, both women just staring at one another in silence. Blessing with a teasing smile on her face, the bruise on her temple was fading but it was still a gnarly purplish color mixed with random greens. It looked like it hurt like a bitch, and Maggie couldn't help but cringe whenever Blessing brought a hand up to brush some of her hair out of her face.

"Fine... Come in." Maggie muttered, and Blessing shimmied her shoulders with a grin on her face as she made her way in. Maggie closed the door and simply stood by it with her arms crossed over her chest, trying to seem hard but only looking like a pouting teen. "What's the gossip?"

"Okay, let me start off by saying I'm so sorry that Glenn snitched on your family. Not cool. But! I listened to you and him and spoke to Daryl. And guess what? He asked me to be his girl officially." She spoke so animatedly that Maggie had to suk her lips into her mouth so she wouldn't smile at how much she was using her hands to talk. Especially when her eyes twinkled at the mention of the bowman, Maggie swore she'd only seen a look like that on her mother's face whenever she looked at her dad.

"Seriously? I didn't think he had it in him." Maggie said with a light smirk, arms falling just like her guard. Blessing had plopped herself on the edge of her bed, so Maggie came over to sit beside her. She didn't mind sitting next to her, because that way it'd be harder for Blessing to see the expressions on her face... The emotion in her eyes. Because her mind was wandering in so many places, even if Blessing was trying to distract her from it.

"Oh, I had him in me, alright." Blessing joked, bumping her shoulder against Maggie's who let out a bark of laughter. It was a laugh that was laced with some relief, because even though it was a bit TMI Maggie definitely needed the laugh. "What about you, huh? Did you shoot your shot with Glenn?"

"I did." Maggie confessed, laughter fading into a sigh as her eyes turned to the door to once again let her mind wander. But Blessing noticed quickly, and bumped her shoulder against Maggie's again. An action that had Maggie shaking her head a bit to look down at her fingers fiddling in her lap. "We uh... We fooled around and... It was nice. But then.. Then he outed me about the barn."

"How ya feelin' about that?" Blessing asked gently, the warmth of her tone immediately made Maggie's eyes water and she let out a shuddering breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She ran her hands over her face, trying to wipe away the tears even though they hadn't shed yet. When she'd done that, Blessing could see her hands shaking the slightest bit. She couldn't help but reach a hand over to place on Maggie's knee in a weak attempt of comfort.

"Its all so much," Maggie whimpered, shaking her head as her shoulders shook trying to fight a sob. "Daddy thinks they're still people that can be saved, but your people think they're long gone. But Blessing... they're all my family, friends.. People I know." She said quietly, not trying to talk too loud for the frog in her throat to jump out. She couldn't talk to Beth about this, because she had the same mindset of her father. She was so innocent, so naive...

"I'm so sorry, Mags." Blessing whispered, the hand that'd been on her knee went to sling over Maggie's shoulders for a side hug that Maggie easily melted into even though Blessing was smaller than her.

"It isn't your fault... It isn't Glenn's fault either I just... I think I like him but... He just threw me under the bus like that."

"He didn't have much of a choice though, Mags. People were going to find out eventually. Whether he told us or they broke out that barn and started making us dinner." Blessing defended, rubbing up and down Maggie's arm when Maggie's face twisted with some emotion. She knew.. She did. But she didn't want to blame her father.

"I know, I know. They're dangerous, I've seen it. I've been out there, okay? But Daddy and Beth haven't so they don't understand." She cried, leaning into Blessing's shoulder. Blessing sighed through her nose, mind reeling with things to say but not everything seemed right.. She'd never been in a situation like this and she was sure as fuck nobody had either. She had no idea what the right thing to say way...

"Listen, I know it's a lot right now, Okay? But we're gonna do the very best with what we got. No matter what happens, we got this. Shane is the only one seriously upset about the barn, so he should be the only one we worry about... Whatever happens, Mags... I got you." She'd brushed Maggie's hair aside to cup her face, forcing her to look into Blessing's eyes as she said it. The finality in her tone had some traitor tears slipping down Maggie's face, because even though Blessing sounded so sure, so promising... Maggie knew.

They all weren't going to survive.

Even though she'd only met Blessing recently, they'd fallen into sisterhood quicker than they'd fallen into anything else.

"I got you too." Maggie promised, lips wobbling just thinking about the people in the barn. Her friends. Thinking back to when they'd made similar promises before the world went to hell, before they knew what was really to come.

"Now there ain't no need to cry anymore, okay? I'm gonna help you get Glenn back for fuckin' with you instead of just fuckin' you, cool?" Blessing asked, forcing a smile back on her face even though she was fighting a lump in her throat as well. Maggie had seemed too tough, and even though she knew it was just a front the whole time... It was still very sobering to see her break down like how she was right now. Maggie giggled, nodding her head as she raised her hands to wipe her face clear of any tears. Blessing gave her cheek a light pat before she let her face go, and stood with a sigh as her eyes went to the window.

She could see people trying to seem busy, but Shane and Dale were off to the side having a conversation. But Dale didn't seem very comfortable.

"We gonna prank him or something?" Maggie asked, taking Blessing's attention back from the window. Blessing smirked at the question, eyes narrowing on Maggie the slightest bit in a playful manner.

"Hell yeah, he don't know the half of what's to come." She said with a laugh, she gave Maggie a light pat on her back when Maggie stood up and shook out her arms. Looking like she was shaking away her nerves and preparing to head back outside. It was something Blessing did by herself before many times, and she couldn't help the sad smile that came onto her lips. It was gone before Maggie could catch it, and Maggie flashed a grateful smile.

"Thanks, Bless. Really." She said warmly, nudging her arm against Blessing's. Blessing offered a warm smile of her own, but there was a mischievous glint in her eyes that had Maggie raising a brow.

"Don't mention it, Mags. I got you. Shit, if things don't work out between these dudes maybe we'll end up bumpin' coochies." Blessing said, bursting into laughter when Maggie's jaw dropped and a blush crawled up her neck and onto her cheeks. She looked like she was stuttering to find words, and for a second she looked just like Glenn. But she sputtered out her own laugh when Blessing chortled out of the room.

Now filled with some motivation from Blessing's pep walk, Maggie headed toward the chicken coop to do some chores instead of moping around. And Blessing's mention of pranking Glenn reminded her of the stack of rotten eggs that were pushed far back behind one of her favorite hens.

Blessing on the other hand, headed back towards the tent that her and Daryl slept in. He was still inside, trying to hide the fact that he was in pain. She could tell he was, because he would cringe whenever he moved a certain way. She'd ask Herschel for some pain killers before going to bother Maggie, and had them tucked safely in her jean pocket for Daryl. She snatched up a bottle of water when she passed the makeshift bench that Carl and Lori were sat at, sticking out her tongue at the boy when he let out a disgruntled sound since the bottle was his.

"Hey!" He called out, looking back at his mom in disbelief when she laughed out since Blessing started to jog so he couldn't catch her even though he didn't try. Blessing giggled as she ran, and Daryl looked at her with confused but amused eyes since she was breathless when she came in the tent. Her face was only a bit red from the light jog.

"Up to no good?" He asked, whittling away at the stick in his hands to make another bolt for his crossbow. He had plenty, but there was never too much.

"Maybe. Got you some painkillers and some water." She grinned, pulling the pills from her pocket and tossing him the bottle of water. He caught it in the air with a grunt, and flashed an appreciative smile when she handed him the pills. He popped them into his mouth without a second though, and chugged half the water while breathing heavily like a fucking pug. She looked at him with a slightly twisted face but still smiling, watching when some water dribbled down his stubble covered chin.

"Thirsty, dude?" She said with a laugh, heading to his side so she could kneel near him. Her eyes would occasionally dance to his side and head, like she was checking his injuries subtly without asking.

"Fuck yeah." He gasped out when he finally stopped his chugging to pass her the bottle for her to have the rest. It wasn't much, definitely less than half the bottle. But she still drank it just as quickly as he had since she hadn't had much to drink since being back from their adventure anyway. She'd been so focused on his own health, she was definitely ignoring her own. But she was glad that Maggie had been kind enough to help her out, maybe that was why they'd become so close as quick as they had. "You talk to Maggie?"

"Of course I did. Glad I did too, 'cause she really needed some girl talk." Blessing said, falling into his good side when he wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her closer. "She tries to seem so tough but... She's a softie."

"Yer good friends now?" He asked, seeming genuinely interested in the connection she'd made. Although she always spoke to everyone in the group, she didn't connect with people very often. In their group it'd only been him, Glenn, Jacqui and T-Dog she'd connected with the most. Dale was definitely an honorable mention, but the age difference made her treat him with much more respect. She couldn't joke around with him like she did the others, but their friendship was still lovely.

"Yeah, we are. I like her." She said with a smile, and he rose his brows at the warmth that had leaked into her tone.

"Not more than me though." He said gruffly, both of them pausing momentarily when they were sure they heard the distinct sound of yelling. Neither of them moved to get up yet though, since it didn't seem that bad just yet.

"Not more than you." She said, stealing a kiss from his unsuspecting lips and making a blush crawl onto his cheeks. It was cute how bashful he became, and she instantly had to steal another because of it. Both of them sighed out in frustration when the sound of yelling grew louder, and much more hectic. "Let's go check it out."

She grumbled, both of them groaning as they got up and scrambled out of their tent to find out what the problem was. They had to hurry towards the group, who was all near the barn. Herschel and Rick seemed to be holding walkers... On leashes? Or poles of some kind and Rick was having a shouting match with Shane who was handing out guns to people even though Herschel had clearly said... No fucking guns.

"What's goin' on?" Daryl asked, only for Shane to come over and push a shotgun in to his hands. His brows furrowed and lips twisted into a grimace, his dark eyes even darker than before and filled with rage.

"You gonna protect yours?" He asked instead of answering, hs eyes jumping to Blessing who was behind Daryl with a concerned look on her face. Her eyes were jumping from face to face, like she was looking for a specific person. But when her eyes found Shane, her face twisted into one that resembled disgust mixed with rage that seemed to match his own.

"What the fuck are you doin', man?" She asked angrily, but he only scoffed as he ignored her to move on to the next person handing out more guns.

"This is our lives here, people!" He called out angrily, pacing near the barn with his shotgun at the ready and his eyes jumping manically from Rick to Herschel. "You wanna survive you gotta fight! You hear me, Rick?!"

"Don't do this, brother! Please, don't do this!" Rick pleaded, trying to hand Herschel the pole he was still holding with the walker on the end. Shane had already killed the walker that Herschel had been holding, and he was staring down at the body in shock. Not responding to Rick.. Not reacting anymore to the manic Shane. "Take the pole, Herschel! Take the damn pole!"

"You hear me, Rick?! I'm gonna fight!" The last shout acted almost as a battle cry, because he shot at the chains that were holding the barn doors open. Ignoring the pleads from Rick, and the cries they could all hear coming from Beth and Maggie who were being held back by Glenn and T-Dog.

After the second shot, the chains fell... And all hell broke loose.

~*~

Word Count: 2,687

Vote / Comment

March 28th, 2025

Chapter Text

It happened fast, faster than she could really protest. Everyone already was, and it didn't get Shane to stop. He'd opened the barn and as soon as he did walkers began to pour out, people were forced to up their weapons. Not everyone had a weapon though, and that made it all the more worse for Blessing. Why? Because the Greene family? None of them had guns, not even their war ready Maggie. All of them just watched on in horror as people from the group took down the walkers that stumbled out of that barn one by one.

Daryl had stayed in his spot in front of Blessing since she wasn't someone who had a weapon. He'd felt her trembling hands graze over his shoulder and then over his mid back, it wasn't much.. But enough for him to know she was afraid. She wasn't even saying anything anymore, not screaming or whimpering like she'd done so many times before. Daryl glanced over his shoulder to get a glance, only to see her staring at the barn doors with wide, horror filled eyes that tears were filling up in slowly. And when he turned back... he understood why.

People had slowed their shooting to a stop because it seemed the walkers were no more, but in that lack of gunshots silence found home... And suddenly... A small growl filled that silence.

Sophia walked out slowly, her teeth clacking every time she snapped her jaws. Her cute lavender colored shirt had a tear on its shoulder, so everyone could see the bite that had turned her.

"Sophia!" Carol cried out, lurching forward as if she were going to try and reach for her daughter. Daryl was the only one alert enough to react, and he rushed forward to wrap an arm around her mid drift to stop her. Although his chest ached from the cries of the mother he was holding back, it clenched even more whenever he glanced up to Sophia..

Blessing watched whilst taking shuddering breaths as Rick stepped forward with his gun raised, her heart racing in her chest and body vibrating with emotions she wasn't sure she'd ever felt before. She knew children died before... But this? This was different... This was cruel. She had to clench her eyes shut when Rick's finger slid onto the trigger and a single gunshot rang out. Only the sounds of the wind, Carol's cries and Blessing's shaky and ragged breaths were what people could hear now. And it offered no comfort.

"You knew..?" Shane was the first person to speak up, narrowing his dark eyes on Herschel and his daughters. All of them seemed incredibly distraught, especially Beth who was ran forward to cradle the body of what people guessed was once her mother, tears streaming down her pale face and pain in those blue eyes of hers.

"We didn't know. Oscar must've put her in there before he..." Herschel said solemnly, but Shane had no compassion for the older mans withering look.

"You fuckin' knew, man! Don't give me that bullshit! We been wastin' time and resources searchin' for that little girl all for her to end up in yer fuckin' barn!" Shane was riling himself up, the veins in his neck protruding as he yelled. He as practically in Herschel's face, and Daryl and Rick had to make their way over to try and ease him back.

"We didn't know!" Maggie jumped in to protect her father, brown eyes filled with tears but it looked like she wasn't trying to shed them. She was refusing to blink, and her eyes were wide. She squared her shoulder as if it'd make her seem just as big as Shane, but he had height and weight on her. He wasn't intimidated at all. In fact, a glint of amusement seemed to shine in his eyes a bit when she tried to seem tough. It didn't show on his face, but definitely in his eyes.

"That's bullshit!" He shouted, pointing a finger into Herschel's face as if poking and prodding the man's personal bubble would get him to say something, anything. But Herschel was still looking at the fallen walkers as if he'd seen live humans being slaughtered.

"Dude, back off!" Blessing tried to jump in and defend Maggie, since Rick and Daryl were too busy trying to get Shane out of Herschel's face. She rushed to Maggie's side, ignoring the look Daryl had given her at her jumping into the crowd of disagreeing people. He knew nothing good would come out of it, and didn't really want her getting hurt or caught up. But with everything that just happened... He knew everyone was a bit hurt.

"Oh, please! You been butt buddies with Maggie lately, maybe you knew somethin' too!" Shane accused, face twisted with a sneer. But Blessing immediately rolled her eyes at the accusation, because if it were true she wouldn't seem so shellshocked. Even with her trying to get Shane to back off of Maggie her eyes told how she felt. Just like Maggie, she was trying to seem tough.

"Don't be fuckin' stupid, Shane! If I knew I wouldn't have been out there looking for that girl too! You're acting like you actually did something, for fuck sake! Shut up!" She shouted back, voice shaking along with her lips but standing steady as a rock. Daryl was already ready to defend her in anyway, even though he was still injured. He was close to Shane, standing by with narrowed eyes and his crossbow ready even though he knew he wasn't going to use it. His stomach was still turning from seeing Sophia like that... Even if he couldn't stand Shane.. He didn't want to lose another person from their group. Especially not from his own hand.

Still, even with everyone around him against him, he stepped towards Blessing with his nose twitching and his arm raising. He was trying to point in her face just like he'd done to Herschel, his face red with anger and fist clenched at his side... Daryl took a step closer, a hand reaching out to grab Shane's arm to stop him, but Maggie had grasped Blessing's shoulder and pulled her a step behind her. When Shane's eyes found hers, she raised a hand and swung, landing a good smack on his cheek that got him and everyone to shut the fuck up finally.

"You leave her and my family alone, you hear me?" She said it low, seriousness laced in her tone to fill the threat ith even more heat. Maggie was always the fighter in her family, she didn't see herself backing out even now. She couldn't.

"Shane, please, just back off." Rick pleaded, just like he'd been doing the whole time. His blue eyes filled with so many emotions Blessing thought she may get dizzy just from looking at them. He'd been the one to take Sophia out of her misery, she couldn't even imagine hat he may be feeling. "Everything is feelin' a lot right now, okay? We can discuss this when emotions aren't as high."

He tried to reason with him, and Glenn nodded along. He'd stepped up to join Maggie's side that Blessing wasn't on. He was concerned, nervous even. But there was an underlying protective glint in his eyes when he glanced at Shane's frame. Giving him a once over once he'd stepped back and away from the Greene's with a roll of his eyes.

"Emotions are always gonna be high, Rick. There's people dying left and right." Shane scoffed out a laugh with a shake of his head, and while Rick tried to reason with Shane Blessing stepped closer to Maggie subtly. Her hand settling on Maggie's shoulder, the warmth of her hand had Maggie turning her head to the side to look down towards Blessing. Stress was all over her face, and tears were still in her eyes. But still, Blessing smiled warmly. Not a big smile, but a smile nonetheless.

"Thanks for doing what I was thinking about, Mags. You're the best." She whispered, trying not to be caught talking and lightening the mood as if the disaster of Shane still wasn't happening. Maggie smiled shakily, a tear finally falling down her cheek, and Blessing pulled Maggie into her side for a side hug when Maggie's shoulder shook the slightest bit. "It's okay to cry, you just watched them take out your walker family. I'm sorry.. You were so brave."

Her voice was light, and Maggie knew it was because the words were so heavy for her. Having to acknowledge what was happening... Knowing it was her people that had done this. Maggie let out a shaky whine as she fell into Blessing's shoulder to weep. And when Herschel turned to see his eldest daughter being consoled by a whispering Blessing, his face became serious before turning back to Rick, Shane, Daryl and Glenn who were all still debating. Trying to get Shane to see that what he had done and what he'd been doing lately... was wrong.

"I want him off my farm." He said, sounding firm and even angry now. He didn't even wait for their reply, he turned on his heel and headed back to his home with his daughters following after him. Blessing patted Maggie's back lightly as she let her go to follow after her father. She turned her eyes to Daryl when they disappeared into the house, and their eyes met since he'd already been looking at her. Her eyes watered at the clear concern in his pretty eyes, concern that she knew only showed when he was looking at her.

"You're such a fucking idiot." She whimpered out loud, it was meant for Shane but to them it semed like she was talking to herself. Well... To Shane it did.

"Why? Cause you didn't tell us?" He asked with a raise of his brow, still huffing and puffing air from his nose since he hadn't really calmed down. If anything, it seemed like his anger had gone from irrational, to calculated. He kept looking from everyone's face as if trying to decide which one of them was the bad guy. "You knew, right?"

"I didn't fucking know! I'm talking about you! You're the idiot! This place was safe! It was safe, Shane! And you fucked that up!" She shouted, stomping her foot as she yelled and looking like a toddler having a tantrum. It made him scoff at her attitude, stepping forward towards her but only being stopped by Daryl who set a hand on his chest with narrowed eyes to keep him in place.

"This place was never safe! They were in the barn the whole time!" He said as if it were obvious. "Those walls were gonna give up sooner or later!"

"If they gave up it wouldn't be on us! You moron! Now he wants you gone! Off the farm! I hope Rick lets you leave alone, you self centered piece of shit!" She let out one last shout of anger before stomping off, ignoring the way Lori stepped to Shane to try and whisper in his ear only for him to tell her to back off. Daryl followed after her, his head hung low but his eyes raised to watch her walk. She didn't go to their tent like he expected her to. Instead, she'd wandered off towards one of the wells they didn't use very often because of it not being as close as the other two. Clearly she wanted to get away from the others, but Daryl... He didn't count as the others. So when she glanced over her shoulder to see him coming up behind her when she leaned against the wellside, she didn't complain or groan. Her shoulder fell a bit, and she turned around to face him.

"We spent all that time looking.. For nothing." She whispered solemnly, her bottom lip wobbling as she tried to fight the tears that were welling up in her eyes. To her surprise, tears welled up in his eyes too. He stepped towards her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her into his chest for a hug she'd been waiting for all day. She whimpered as her body melted into his, sucking in a breath when his body shook with a silent cry of his own. "No, it wasn't for nothing."

She tried to speak back to those negative thoughts she was voicing, trying to reassure herself and him. She pulled away from the hug a bit so she could reach up and wipe the tears from his face. His lips were wobbling still, and his brows were furrowed in sorrow. She knew why he was so beat up.. She was a child... A twelve year old child that lived a life he'd lived before. She never even got the chance to experience a childhood... Only to end up in that barn...Maybe if he hadn't gotten injured or looked more maybe..,

"We did everything that we could, Daryl. Do you hear me? This isn't your fault. I'm sure Sophia is happy we looked for as long as we did, okay?" She whispered to him, and even though she was still crying the warmth in her voice and reassurance... It hugged him. His shoulders shook, and his face twisted further as he tried to fight a sob when he nodded along as she spoke. "You can cry, baby, it's okay."

That was all he needed, as soon as she said it was okay he crumbled into her shoulder just like Maggie had done moments before. It wasn't often that he showed this much vulnerability, but when he did... She knew he needed what he'd never really received before in his life. Reassurance. Love.

"I thought I was gonna find 'er, Bless." He whimpered into her shoulder, his hands clutching at the back of her shirt as if it'd bring her closer to him. He really believed he'd find her alive...

"We did, baby... We did."

~*~

Word Count : 2,347

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April 11th, 2025

Chapter Text

People were not handling things well. Shane and Rick were butting heads even more than before, and Herschel wanted Shane off of his land. Because she'd stood up for them, Maggie had let Blessing know that she was more than welcome to stay if her group decided to leave. Her father had given her the okay to say it, even if that meant Daryl could stay too. Unfortunately for Blessing, she didn't say it in secret. She'd practically announced it to her and Glenn in front of the entire group, making Shane all the more suspicious of them both.

Glenn knew about the barn, he'd been the one to speak up about it. But he hadn't defended the Greene's like Blessing did. He hadn't tried to step up to Shane for talking to Herschel the way he did, he watched on in nervous silence. So to Shane... Blessing was their most dangerous ally. Why dangerous? She was ready to stick up for them whether they were wrong or right, but that was a Blessing thing.

She was usually the one that stepped up to him, even when he was in his spouts of rage.

But... What they were doing was wrong. No matter how they viewed it. Those weren't people they were locking in that barn, and they'd seriously put everyone's life at risk by putting them there. If they still believed them as people, that meant if it came down to it they wouldn't be able to kill a walker to save someone else's life. Too worried about the life already lost. Now, it was honorable for them to respect that much but... The dead eat people now. And they couldn't offer that much kindness to them.

They'd had a funeral for everyone they'd lost, but Carol had refused to go. Blessing and Daryl had both gone to try and get her to come... But she'd claimed that wasn't her daughter. That Sophia hadn't gone cold or hungry, she wasn't afraid thinking they weren't looking for her... She'd been in that barn. Blessing had to have a moment to recollect herself after that.

Because of everything, Daryl had moved their tent even further out than before trying to get away from the group. Blessing noticed the change immediately, because he wasn't as talkative as he once was when they were alone. SHe could tell he was lost in his thoughts, his narrowed blue eyes focusing solely on fiddling sticks to craft some bolts for his crossbow.

"Thanks, Daryl." She said suddenly, because she was sitting on a leg not too far from him at their camp fire. She was subtly glancing at him every now and then so she wouldn't get caught staring. She wanted to wipe the frown from his face, but she wasn't sure how... Because truly.. She didn't feel like smiling either.

"Fer what?" He grumbled, not even glancing her way. She breathed out a fake laugh, shaking her head so that her hair could dance around and hide her face every now and then. It was super dry from not having any of her usual products, so her curls were frizzy as fuck. And her hair looked shorter because they didn't have the right brush for her to use on her hair, it was knotted all over. But she'd yet to find a proper detangling brush for herself.

"Oh y'know, just makin' sure I stay alive." It was meant to be a light hearted joke, but he looked her way with a serious expression on his face. The forced smile slipped from her face when he didn't smile back at her, instead his lip twitched a bit. She saw his tongue poke at the inside of his cheek for a moment before he shook his head.

"Nah, yer makin' sure yer stayin' alive. Not me." He denied, pausing his whittling to scan her face with solemn looking eyes. It was probably the saddest she'd seen his eyes since they got to this farm, besides after seeing Sophia the way he did. He looked exhausted, and Blessing's heart twisted just trying to ponder up what could possibly going through his mind.

"Noo, D. You climbed up a steep ass hill with a concussion and a stab wound in your side...From your own arrow...Just because you knew I was at the top of that hill. I don't even remember being knocked out, just waking up. Anything could've happened, but it didn't because you were there. The same way Shane can't step to me with you around? You're like... My knight in shining armour." She gushed, trying to give him praise as a way to boost his spirit. It helped a bit, because his frown upturned into a hint of a smile. His eyes were still sad, but at least he was trying to cover it up now.

"At least someone 'ppreciates me 'round here." He said with a chuckle and she giggled right along with him, shuffling over on the log so she could hop over to his and sit beside him. His smile stretched even further when she bumped her shoulder against his, a grin on her face.

"Everyone better appreciate you. You do keep them fed, after all." She added, looping her arm through his so that she could hug his large arm against her chest as she looked up at him. It was true, his hunting truly did keep all of the group fed. His tracking skills, hunting skills and even accuracy when it came to his crossbow made him such a beneficial part of a group. Even if people didn't thank him, she was sure people recognized it. Someone had to, other than her of course.

"Hey, Daryl?" They both turned to look at Lori heading their way, skinny arms crossed over her chest and a concerned look on her pale face.

"You good?" Blessing asked, since Daryl didn't look like he wanted to be bothered by her. She could tell by the way his lip momentarily twitched into a bit of a scowl before falling into a frown once more. Lori looked to Blessing now, her hazel eyes only becoming a fraction softer.

"I-I was gonna ask if Daryl could...If you guys could go out to where Rick and Glenn said they'd look for Herschel? They said they'd be back soon but.. It's night already. Something must've happened." Now the stress was even more evident on her voice when they could hear it riddled in her tone. She uncrossed her arms so she could shake out her hands, like she was trying to shake away the stress but failing miserably.

"I'm done lookin' for people." Daryl said with a scowl on his face before Blessing could speak up. He knew she'd agree to go looking for anyone, even after what they'd just experienced. Looking all alone, for days. For someone that was already gone. He didn't want to think about going out there, in search of Rick and Glenn and finding their corpses. Or even worse, their walkers. It would crush him further than he already was by Sophia's death, and he didn't need that right now.

"What? Are you-Are you serious?" Lori whispered out, the concern in her eyes being replaced by disbelief and hurt. Clearly not expecting to be rejected by Daryl, especially with Blessing sitting right beside him. He was usually more agreeable with her around.

"Maybe we should just wait 'till morning. We can't do a lot in the dark." Blessing tried to defend him with a sheepish smile, one that was clearly fake because she really had to bite her tongue from the snark in Lori's tone. Almost like she couldn't believe Daryl had the audacity to speak up for himself.

"You can't but Daryl can, that's why I came to ask him. Please, Daryl. How could you be so selfish?" It was not hard to catch the attitude that she had, and it had Blessing reeling back the slightest bit with her face twisted in a look Daryl recognized all too well. A look that usually followed the line 'do you hear this, bitch?', so he spoke up once again before she could.

"Selfish? Listen here, Olive Oil, Bless and me was the only ones out there lookin' for that little girl and you wanna call me selfish?!" He spat out, standing out from his seat on the log and being followed by Blessing who looked more than ready to argue with her behind him.

"I just-"

"You realize you aren't the Sheriff's wife anymore, right? Like I can fuck you up and not get in trouble for it... White girl tears ain't gonna save you, Lori. At the fuck all." Blessing finally spat, fed up with being interrupted and Lori's subtle disrespect. Lori scoffed at that, her arms crossing once again as she looked around as if she'd catch someone listening to them. A witness of Blessing's threat so she'd have something to hold against her, the same way people had shit to hold against her. Mainly the affair she had with Shane.

"You're threatening me, seriously? Because I'm asking Daryl to look for my husband? Do you realize how crazy that sounds, Blessing?" This was Lori's attempt to 'flip the switch', by changing the narrative in a sense even if they all knew Blessing wasn't wrong. Lori was acting entitled, and it needed to be checked. "Y'know you do a lot for a man who showed almost no interest in you in the beginning. Maybe Amy was right about you being desperate."

"Yeah, well she's dead now so she couldn't be right about everything! You're weird as fuck for bringing that shit up when you're trying to get us to risk our fuckin' lives going out there!" Blessing spat back, trying to step forward to get in her face. But Daryl had stopped her by grasping her arm, holding her back from moving forward. His eyes were still on Lori, face twisted in a sneer but there was a proud glint in his eye at Blessing standing up for herself. It was something that was becoming more common as the days passed by, and he couldn't help but feel proud every single time.

"I'm not asking you! I'm asking Daryl! I'm just worried about my husband, dammit!"

"The husband you moved on from less than a month after thinking he died?! With his best friend?! Lori, you don't give a fuck about your husband!" Blessing shouted in unkept rage, stomping her feet as she shouted because of how frustrated she was becoming.

"I thought he was dead! Who're you to judge me, huh?! Pining after a man like Dixon, his brother callin' you a n****r any chance he got when you aren't around!" Lori defended herself, her face becoming red with not ust anger but embarrassment as well because Carol had gravitated over to the trio. Curious as to what the yelling was about. Her face was twisted with concern, eyes still sad from the loss of her daughter no matter who they landed on. She ran a hand through her greying pixie cut when the slur left Lori's mouth, taken aback at what she was walking into.

"Don't talk about Daryl like you weren't just askin' him for favors! And even if that was the case, I still stood up for myself if he said that shit around me! So at the end of the day, I have more self respect than a whore who can't keep her legs closed!"

Lori gasped out loud at her words, because quite frankly.. Those were fighting words. Neither of them noticed the shocked looks that came onto Daryl and Carol's faces at the shit they were yelling at one another. It didn't even seem like they cared about their presence at all. Blessing had yanked her arm from Daryl's grip, since he was momentarily taken aback by the haughtiness in Blessing's voice.

Lori stepped forward, hand raised and tears glistening in her eyes as she swung and landed a pretty good smack on Blessing's cheek. Daryl's mouth dropped open, not expecting the bold move from Lori since it was Blessing who'd been the one to step up first like she was going to swing. A smack wasn't a good choice for Lori though, because it looked like it pissed Blessing off. She let out a choked gasp, a hand going over her reddening cheek for a second as she processed what'd just happened.

"Girls, ple-"

Carol was cut off by Blessing letting out a shout of rage as she lunged toward Lori. Daryl let out a sound of surprise when he tried to reach for her to stop her but was too late. Her fist landed on the side of Lori's neck, with a bit of force that had Lori choking on her spit as she stumbled back a step or two. Surprised that Blessing actually even swung back.

"You fuckin' bitch!" Blessing growled out, her other hand reaching for Lori's long tresses and easily pulling her by those same tresses to the floor. Delivering a nice jab to Lori's side when she did so because she'd practically bent over at the waist trying to get her hair out of Blessing's hand.

"Bless! Bless, stop!" Daryl yelled out, finally wrapping his arms around her waist and attempting to lift her off of Lori. But she was refusing to let go of Lori's hair, who was scratching at her arms and had scratched at her face as well.

"She wants to talk shi-

"I'm pregnant!" Lori cried out, hoping to God it would be what got Blessing off of her. And it did. She let go of Lori's hair, her face dropping into one of slight devastation. "I'm pregnant! Please!"

"You're pregnant..?" Blessing whispered, letting Daryl pull her off of Lori without resisting any longer. Feeling like the worst person in the world.

~*~

Word Count : 2,327

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April 18th, 2025

Chapter Text

For the remainder of the night, Daryl and Blessing avoided the group for the most part. There was only one time where Carol had walked over to their smaller camp trying to talk. And it wasn't for very long.

"Y'all seen Lori?" She asked, wringing her hands together and looking anxiety riddled. Her short hair looked a bit unkempt, like she'd been running her nimble fingers through it a few times. Daryl practically glared her way, shifting so he was angled more towards Blessing who was sitting on the other side of the fire. Leaning back in her lawn chair with a grin on her face that looked much too eerie in the light of the fire.

"She came over here askin' us, ahem... I mean, askin' Daryl to go look for Rick and Glenn." Blessing said with a shrug of her shoulders, one that seemed much too nonchalant for Carol. Her brows furrowed, and her lips tilted downwards in a worried frown as she looked to Daryl for confirmation. But he wasn't even looking at her, he was looking at Blessing. "He's gonna tell you the same thing... What's up with y'all looking at him like he's supposed to be answering questions?"

"Th-That's not it, Blessing. Lori is missing and we're worried." Carol's shoulders shook with an awkward laugh, because Blessing was still smiling but her question didn't seem like something to smile about.

"Prolly went lookin' herself. Finally makin' herself useful." Daryl grumbled, making Blessing let out a chuckle of her own. There was a moment of tense silence, where Carol stood by their camp with a slightly perturbed look on her face. Eyes dancing from Blessing to Daryl every now and then even though he still hadn't looked at her yet.

"Please... Don't do this. Not you two." She whispered out, and that got Blessing to stop smiling. Her smile fell into a frown, and she shook her head a bit as she looked around. She almost looked confused, but Daryl could tell she was just putting on a show. Something she happened to be doing quite a lot lately.

"Do what? Mind our fuckin' business? This is the most that you or Lori has ever spoken to Daryl and its usually to ask for favors. I find that pretty funny." She crooked her neck a bit, giving Carol and up and down look that had her sucking her lips in her mouth.

"I'm so sorry that's been happening, Bless. I really am." Carol said shakily, her watery eyes focussed solely on Blessing. Unblinking. "But don't distance yourself... You two...."

She choked on her words and brought up a hand to wipe away the tears that had fallen over her lips. Finally, Daryl looked over at her. His shoulders fell slowly the more her and Blessing talked, his heart heavy with guilt and even slight shame.

"So you don't have anything against me?" Blessing whispered, sounding genuinely surprised. Daryl's eyes snapped back to her, but she was staring at Carol with a somewhat hopeful look in her eyes that had him mentally reeling. He could've sworn she didn't even like Carol, but then again... She got along with everyone before they came to this farm. She'd never had an issue with anyone before this... Not even Shane. Only the occasional tit for tat with him, but never anything as serious as the shit they'd been dealing with lately.

"Why would I have anything against you? You were out there lookin' for my baby, Blessing.. I could never hate you."

"But you kissed Daryl on the forehead." Blessing pointed out, sounding disheartened at even bringing it up. Daryl said he felt nothing, but he wasn't in Carol's mind. For all he knew, Carol was pining after him the entire time And he'd never know.

"Oh God, no! I-It's not like that, I swear!" Finally Carol understood exactly why the duo had been acting the way they had been. Both distant and cold, and sometimes even being caught giving her vicious side eyes.

After that was clarified, they'd Carol had walked off to let the others know what she'd been told. It was Shane who'd gone off to get Lori.

"You can stop being so mean to Carol now... I know she ain't trynna steal you." Blessing grumbled to Daryl, who was standing at her side watching Shane and Rick have an interaction. Glenn and Rick had come back, but they didn't just bring back Herschel. They brought back a young man who was pretty injured. They'd said his group had shot at them, and they didn't have the heart to leave him to be eaten by the walkers. Now it was the next day, and everyone was debating on what to do.

"She couldn't steal me if she tried, princess." He grumbled right back, bumping his hip against hers and making the both of them put on matching grins. Ones that Glenn noticed, and he moseyed his way on over with a grin of his own on his face.

"Whatcha grinnin' about over here, huh?" He pondered, wiggling his brows a bit. It almost looked like he knew something that they didn't , and that had Blessing raising a brow in curiosity. Her and Daryl met eyes, both with silent questions in their eyes that Glenn seemed to pick up easily. "What? Why ya lookin' at me like that?"

"You look like you know something... Something juicy." Blessing said it slow to add on to the dramatics, and Daryl cackled at her side as he nodded along. Silently agreeing with her because well.. She was right. He did look like he knew something, grinning from ear to ear as if he'd heard a joke. Eyes a lit with mirth.

"W-What? I do.?"

"Its a secret, ain't it? Whisper it to us, nobody is listenin'." They all glanced around, checking to see if what she was saying was true. Making sure no one was listening in to their conversation, as if they weren't standing in the middle of a pretty busy farm. No one was paying them much mind though, too focused on the intense conversation going on between Shane, Rick and now Dale. Only when Glenn was sure no one was listening did he step closer to them with some nods, urging them to step closer together in a huddle. They did so immediately, looking like a trio of walkers them damn selves by the way they'd shuffled into one another.

"Okay, so... Know how Lori finally told people how she's pregnant? Yeah, well Maggie and I were the first to know. She kinda.. Wanted to get rid of it before Rick found out." He whispered to them, eliciting a gasp from Blessing. Daryl had actually reeled back the slightest bit, looking surprised by the news. Because just last night she'd declared she was pregnant to them to get out of a well deserved ass whooping.

"Wanted to get rid of it? Ain't seem like it last night." Daryl said with a scoff, immediately annoyed.

"What do you mean?" Glenn blanched, and both Blessing and Daryl shared a look that had him letting out a sound of annoyance. "Don't look at eachother! Tell me!"

"Lori said not so nice things last night and we kinda.. I kinda hit her. But I only got her a few good times before she said she was pregnant... Like she knew I'd stop." Blessing informed him, thinking back. Lori and her... They had moments, sure. Because Blessing was good with Carl and she was a friendly person but... If everything was so good, why'd Lori come at her the way she did? Did Lori know something that Blessing didn't?

"Damn, Bless... You've been really uh... Violent lately." Glenn pointed out, all of them shuffling away from each other when Daryl patted at their shoulders. Only because he noticed that Rick and Shane weren't going back and forth anymore, and Dale seemed to be still going. But he was being ignored by the two younger men, both of them headed towards the trio with curiosity and frustration burning in their eyes.

"Hey, Daryl? Could you uh.. Help me out with Randall? Ask 'em some questions?" Rick jumped to ask before anyone else could, and Blessing was only a tiny bit disappointed because she knew that meant Daryl was going to be busy today. Daryl gave her a glance, giving her a once over and nodding only when she gave a weak smile to say it was fine.

"What about us?" Glenn asked, pointing between him and Blessing with a somewhat hopeful look in his eye. He liked feeling important, so he didn't mind chores or having to do shit around the farm. It became a bit much when people came to him to leave the farm, like Lori had done.

"Sit there and look pretty? I'dunno, man." It was Shane who said it, a playful smirk on his face. It was one of the first times he was trying to joke around, and honestly... Blessing could go without hearing his voice.

"You got that covered, Bless." Daryl mused with a hint of a smile on his face, nudging her side with his elbow to knock that sneer of her face. She didn't even notice the expression she'd made, she couldn't help it. Everything about Shane was rubbing her the wrong way, but a few other people too. Like fuckin' Lori, for example. Or Andrea.

"Why have that covered when I wanna be covered in you?" She shot back, mischief showing its face in her brown eyes that twinkled as she looked up at him. Glenn ooo'd at her flirty words, nudging Rick so he could watch the interaction. Rick already was though, an amused smirk on his face at seeing Daryl's face start turning pink. He shifted his eyes, like he could feel them looking at him. Like a dog trying to catch their owner doing something without being caught, he sucked his lips into his mouth and gave them side eye while trying to fight his blush.

"You sure you know what to do with all that?" Shane asked with a raise of his brow, trying to join in on the fun. But of course, Blessing was not amused. She didn't even have to see the look on Daryl's face to know that the comment rubbed him the wrong way. Why? Because it was Shane. His crooked smile faltered the slightest bit when Daryl narrowed his cat like eyes on him, but it was Blessing who spoke up for them both.

"Oh, we're sure. He's only shy in front of y'all but I swear he be knockin' this pussy down." She smirked as she went on, and Rick and Glenn let out matching sounds of disgust while Shane cackled at the way the blush on Daryl's face seemed to grow. He scoffed out, pushing at her shoulder so she could tumble to the side with giggles tumbling from her lips.

"Dude, TMI!" Glenn cried out, fake gagging when Blessing blew Daryl a kiss to try and ease his embarrassment. It didn't work though, it only made it worse.

"Alright, enough of... That." Rick grumbled, flashing Blessing a smile before clapping a hand on Daryl's shoulder. "Gonna help, right?" When Daryl nodded, Rick took that opportunity to lead him away from the group and towards the barn where they were keeping Randall. He looked back over his shoulder briefly to lock eyes with Blessing, both giving each other a nod before they went on to their business.

"You know I'm all for TMI, right? So... You and Maggie?" Blessing inquired with raised brows and pursed lips. Now it was Glenn's turn to blush, and he scratched the back of his head while Shane stepped forward, seeming much more interested in their conversation. He put his hands on his hips, and raised a brow himself almost like Blessing had did.

"You and Maggie? For real? Didn't know ya had it in ya, man." He praised, only making Glenn blush even more than he had before.

"W-Why would you throw me under the bus like that, Bless?" Glenn asked, sounding slightly defeated about having to talk about his love life in front of the angry deputy.

"There's no bus to be thrown under, idiot." Blessing teased him, snorting when Shane nodded along as if he belonged in their gossip. He was lucky that Blessing and Glenn were the more friendly of the group.. Glenn was a good influence on Blessing, really. Both of them could have people pleasing tendencies, one awkward while the other is friendly as can be trying to get a laugh or a smile out of people. A really good duo. But Shane? He brought out the worst parts in Blessing, that's what it seemed like anyway.... "I told Maggie that if you don't get your shit together she's gonna end up joining Daryl and I. That something you want, Glenn?"

"You and Daryl are trying to steal my girl?" Glenn laughed out in aghast, knowing damn well Daryl didn't care about looking at anyone but Blessing. "Wait... Y'all are into that?"

"Most guys like seeing girls kissing, Daryl didn't mind that one time." Blessing shrugged with a smirk on her face, it was true. But she wouldn't just steal Maggie from Glenn. Not when she could tell they actually liked each other, even if they didn't know how to show it.

"Daryl's got it real good." Shane whistled out with a shake of his head, and Glenn threw his head back to laugh out loud at that. Because finally.. Blessing was actually blushing. He had to set a hand on his stomach to catch his breath from laughing so hard, and Blessing rolled her eyes when he finally did. Because one look at her face and he was a mess of chuckles again.

"Y'all could have it good too if ya learned to like.. I'dunno, shut the fuck up? That's mostly for you, Shane." She pointed his way, teasing him just the slightest bit and getting an eye roll from him. Something that Glenn smirked at because really... She was right, he didn't know when to shut his mouth. "But for you Glenn.. Talk more. Figure out where you guys are, y'know? Can't leave a bitch in the dark."

~*~

Word Count : 2,397

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April 24th, 2025

Chapter Text

Blessing wasn't very happy when Daryl had returned from 'talking' to Randall, knuckles tore up and bloody. He didn't look too happy about what he'd done either, she could tell it brought up some untouched emotions for him. Beating a young man who practically looked like a teen, closer to Carl's age then theirs. She knew it reminded him of his father, and the things he'd dealt with in the past... So she'd comforted him with a warm hug, and sweet whispers that encased his racing mind.

"So?" Rick asked, jaw clenched and hands on his hips when Daryl and Blessing strolled up to the rest of the group. It was night now, and the only reason they even saw them coming was because of the campfires that were set up around the farm since they weren't too close to the house.

Blessing gave him a look that had him raising a brow, almost tempted to raise his hands in surrender at her pursed lips and furrowed brows. It was easy to see why she was so irritated though, because she had to wrap up Daryl's hands in one of her favorite shirts. She didn't want to ask them for anymore gauze since they'd already helped them both so much with the injuries they'd sustained so far.

"Did he tell you anything?" Carol was the one who stepped up next in the crowd next, wringing her hands together nervously.

"He's got a group. 'Bout thirty men, heavy artillery..." Daryl started to explain what he'd learned, his narrowed eyes dancing over everyone's faces before sliding right back to Blessing. Who was already looking up at him from his side, big brown eyes urging him to go on. Like she knew he had disgust churning in his chest and throat from what he'd gathered. "They ain't fixin' to make friends. They roll through here? Our boys are dead. And our girls...They gon' wish they were."

There was a tense silence that rang through the group. Women clutched at their chests as if they had pearls, and men glanced at one another with emotions flying in their eyes. It was Shane's emotions that seemed to win the battle, and rage stormed through the camp with him when he pointed to the barn angrily. Veins popping out of his neck as he shouted out.

"You cannot be okay with him bein' here, man!" He raged, looking directly at Rick. But Rick already looked to be thinking over his options, a hand over his mouth and blue eyed dazed over as he stared off into the trees.

"We can't just kill him for a crime he didn't commit! He's a human being just like you and me!" Dale spoke up, his bushy brows furrowed in concern for the young man's life he had only just learned of. It was honorable really, to Blessing. Because so far, he was the only one who was thinking that way. Thinking of this kid as another human being, and not just another threat.

"Yeah, well I'd rather we not give him the opportunity to do that, Dale." Shane sassed, cocking his hip then gesturing towards some of the women of the group. Like Andrea, Lori, Maggie and then Blessing. "You want somethin' to happen to any of the women here?"

"What? No! But if you hurt that kid you're just as bad as his group! Or-Or the walkers!"

"Shit's different now! Now we gotta worry about the livin' and the dead killin' us! Its every man for himself out there, man! Can't you see?!" At this point, Shane was trying to step into Dale's face as if it would prove his point. But Dale had taken a step back so that Rick could step in his way to push at Shane's chest. Keeping them separated.

"Can't we just.. Keep 'em locked up?" Carol tried to offer a solution with a weka shrug, licking her dry lips to stop their shaking. All of the yelling wasn't doing great for her nerves, but she wasn't going to complain about it. They had bigger fish to fry.

"Or put 'em to work?" Lori finally joined in, hope in her voice. Her long brown locks weren't out like they usually were, but instead in a low messy bun. Something Blessing found funny, because she knew it had something to do with her pulling her hair not too long ago.. Man, she wondered if Lori told other people about that. Or maybe she'd be too embarrassed about it.

"He'd still be another mouth to feed." Glenn said, but then cringed when both Maggie and Blessing gave him scathing glares.

"Can't you just drive 'em out a few miles and drop him off? He was wearing a blindfold, right? Doesn't know where we are?" Blessing offered, mentally praying to whatever God would listen that Shane wouldn't convince them to kill this kid. She didn't know how she'd live knowing they all killed him and he hadn't even done anything to them. Even if he'd come from a bad group, she knew it could've been just for survival. He's young, scrawny.. Maybe he knew he wouldn't survive without their numbers?

"That would still be a waste of gas, Blessing. I get what y'all are trynna do here. I do. But we all know what the best option here is." Shane scoffed, acting as if he had all the answers. Something that rubbed Rick the wrong way. He let out a breathless laugh that had everyone looking his way in disbelief, but then their faces dropped when his laugh turned almost... sinister sounding.

"No. None of us know what the best option here is, Shane. None of us." He started, shaking his head as he let his fake smile slip from his face. His lip twitching as he fought the sneer that was trying so hard to show itself. "We all have to agree on what happens to this kid. You hear me?"

Now it was Shane's turn to plaster a fake smile on his lips, giving Rick a look that had Rick squaring his shoulders even further. Everyone sent each other nervous glances, some more nervous than others. This wasn't the first time Shne was bucking at Rick's authority, and it wouldn't be the last. But now... It was starting to get out of hand. Dale was the main one to notice, and seemed extremely shifty around Shane. Blessing knew for sure that if there was a Shane hate club... Dale would be the president.

"Right, let's all take a vote. Ain't that what you want? For the people to decide?" He sneered out, putting a hand up and then turning to look at everyone. Dark eyes urging people to join in, voice their opinions or raise their hands. "All for just gettin' rid of the dude, raise yer hand?"

"Can't we just talk about this a little more?" Dale persisted, even though Blessing could get a glimpse of people debating whether or not to raise their hands. She nudged at Daryl's side, big brown eyes looking up at him and urging him to jump in and say something. Anything that could steer this conversation into a better direction, but Daryl shook his head. Because unfortunately.. He somewhat agreed with Shane.

"We aren't killin' him , Shane." Rick spat, pointing Shane's way with raised brows to try and show just how serious he was being. This amused Shane, but he covered up his smirk with a grand eye roll. One so big it almost looked like he was gonna roll his eyes to the back of his head. "We aren't. You and I, we're gonna scope out the scenery a few miles out. Try and find somewhere to drop him off if that's what we decide to do. But for now? No one touches him."

And with that, people were stomping off to different areas of the farm to try to ease their nerves. Daryl jutted his head for him and Blessing to follow after Glenn and Maggie. And it looked like neither of them noticed that they were being followed by people. Not even when Dale joined on and started following after them too.

"Can you slow down?! I got short legs!" Blessing complained when neither of them had stopped yet and they were already at the first step of the porch. Both Maggie and Glenn stopped, turning around to look at them with amusement dancing in their eyes and smirks on their faces at her words.

"Didn't know you were behind us." Maggie said with a shrug, leaning against the railing of the stairs so she could cross her arms over her chest to watch Daryl and Blessing coming up. Like Maggie, Glenn got comfortable in his stance. Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans and shuffling from foot to foot, almost looking awkward if it wasn't for the grin on his face.

"Skill issue, you should work on that." They all snorted at that, Daryl shaking his head to ignore the look Dale was giving him. Like he had something to tell him, wanted to pull him aside and talk to him separately but... Daryl didn't want any parts of that. He knew what he wanted done, and Dale couldn't convince him otherwise.

People didn't see him as a 'good man' like they did Rick and Shane, it didn't matter if he wanted the kid dead. To everyone here... He was probably just like Merle.

"Listen, guys..."

"Dale, I know what you're about to say and before you do can I just say... I'm on your side. No need for convincin'. I don't think we should kill the kid, I haven't even met him yet." Blessing interrupted him before he could even try to go on some sort of tangent. And his tired eyes settled on her looking warm as ever, a shaky smile making way onto his face before he looked to Glenn and then Daryl.

"So then you guys...?" He tried, lowering his brows to almost resemble a begging pup. It would've been cute if he wasn't an old ass man, begging for someone's life.

"I uh.. I'm not really sure about this, Dale." Glenn said, becoming antsy about the topic even though it was just a small group of them having the conversation. He knew that if he said the wrong thing, it could go back to the wrong person and he could be fucked. Like Shane. What if he decided to vote not to kill him and Shane suddenly had it out for him?

"Not sure? About someone's life?"

"Dale, we just finished having the conversation. Maybe give him a little time to process." Maggie stood up for Glenn, giving a crooked smile that seemed pretty forced to Blessing. Especially considering she knew exactly what her real smiles looked like.

"Daryl?" He looked to Daryl now, Hope slowly leaving his eyes when he saw the look on Daryl's face. Like he knew the kid didn't even really have a fighting chance. Not when Shane was fighting so hard to get rid of him. After what Daryl had heard from Randall about his group... He was leaning more towards Shane's side. He couldn't even fathom.. Not his Blessing having to deal with shit like that. Not when he was around, not while he was living and breathing. "But Blessing said she-

"Bless and I are two different people. She got her beliefs, I got mine." Daryl instantly said with a shake of his head, slightly put off by Dale's thinking. Thinking that just because Blessing was on his side that he would be too. He knew it was pretty obvious that he would do anything for her.. He didn't mind if people thought that, not at all. But he didn't like it if that idea was forced on him. With Blessing it was easy to just.. Fall into line with everything. He did what she said, she did what he said. But he sure as fuck didn't do what other people told him, that was for sure.

"O-Okay, you're right. I'm sorry." Dale apologized with a sigh, falling back with a nod that had Blessing feeling more guilty than she should. It wasn't even her that was being rude to him, yet she still felt the need to apologize. Hell, she didn't even know if she could consider Daryl being rude. It was just him sticking up for himself but.. She still didn't like seeing the frown on Dale's withering face.

"Sorry, Dale. Maybe catch us when things are less hectic." She tried to reason with him, and he offered a weak smile before walking off. They all watched him leave, and when they were sure he was gone they looked at one another with pursed lips. Almost like having a mental conversation with one another, but it was mostly just Maggie and Blessing.

"So? What do you think?" Maggie asked them all, voice laced with anxiety. She'd only gotten a glimpse of Randall, but from it.. He looked somewhat familiar. She just couldn't put her finger on it... "You think he'll survive?"

"Nah.. Don't know 'bout survivin'." Daryl said, adjusting the strap on his shoulder that his crossbow was hanging from. Blessing sighed at that, copying Maggie's stance by crossing her arms over her chest and leaning slightly to the side against Daryl. He didn't expect it at first and they both stumbled a bit at first until he caught his footing. Something they both chuckled at once they finally were set on their feet.

"I don't care if he survives out there on his own or not. As long as it isn't one of us killing him. That'd be pretty messed up." Blessing said, looking up at Daryl so he knew for sure that this was her letting him know what she thought about it. He gave a solid nod, but said nothing about it. But Glenn decided to speak up.

"Yeah but.. His group kinda shot at ours first. You guys weren't there... We had a whole shootout!" He raised his arms a bit, taking his hands out his pockets to wave them around for a bit of dramatics. "It was like kill or be killed! I almost died!"

"Well did Randall shoot at you?" Maggie asked, concern showing more and more on her face. Glenn looked her way, letting out a sarcastic laugh that had them all raising their brows.

"Did he?! I don't know, who could tell? It felt like anyone that had a gun was shooting at us at one point. Then he slid off the roof..." He trailed off, scratching his head as he looked towards the front door of the farm house. Kinda like he was trying to revise what exactly happened that day. "They left 'em behind to get eaten by the walkers. He only made it out 'cause we were there."

"So is he good or bad? That tells us a lot but nothing at the same time, dude." Blessing whined, stomping her foot like she was having some childish tantrum. Glenn scoffed though, pointing at her with raised brows. A smile on his face that definitely looked sarcastic.

"I'd say it was enough to know that we can't trust him."

~*~

Word Count : 2,552

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April 27th, 2025

Chapter Text

They'd spent days having constant debates on someone's life. Some people are trying to justify killing him, others are trying to stand firm on their belief that we shouldn't kill living people. Dale, Blessing, Herschel and Beth were apart of the group of people that wanted to save his life. Other people... Seemed like they didn't really care what happened to him. It was only Shane who was dead set on trying to get rid of the kid. Constantly having spats with Dale for trying to sway people to the more peaceful route.

The other day Rick and Shane had gone out together with Randall in an attempt to leave him out there alone instead of killing him. But when they'd returned, they still had Randall with them.. And they both look like some shit had went down. Both covered in bruises, scratches and scrapes. To Blessing.. It sorta looked like they'd either fought someone else or each other. And Randall didn't come back looking like them at all. Disheveled, sure. But not beaten. She'd asked Daryl his opinion about it when they were alone, and her suspicions were confirmed by him. Because he too believed that they must've gotten into a fight.

They were much more tense than before when they came back, and people seemed to be walking on eggshells around them. Even Carl seemed to be more on edge around the two, and he was their number one fan. Probably one of Shane's only fan's besides Andrea or Lori, really.

"Can I say something just a little bit controversial?" Blessing piped up randomly from her spot on the porch. Her and Maggie were both sitting on the front steps of it, looking out into the dark with bored looks on their faces. It was damn near bedtime, but everyone was still up and doing random shit. They could both see their men having their own conversations farther out, closer to the wells and not too far from the barn. It was like they kept subconsciously gravitating towards it. Even though they knew someone had been assigned to take watch already. There was just something in the air that wasn't settling right with them..But Blessing's thought process was interrupted. Completely tossing aside her 'controversial' thoughts.

Finally, something juicy was happening though. Because Dale made his way over to Daryl and Glenn already looking somber. Like he expected the conversation to not go very well already. Blessing nudged Maggie's arm with her elbow, and Maggie glanced her way with a raised brow before she looked towards where Blessing had jutted her chin towards.

"Think they're talkin' about Randall again?" Maggie pondered out loud, and Blessing shrugged as if she didn't know but still nodded. Because honestly.. Randall was one of the most news worthy things around here. Besides that, what was their to talk about? Shane going crazy? Lori being pregnant and not even knowing who the baby daddy was even though she's married? Well.. Actually...

"Yeah, but forget about that actually. Who do you think is the baby daddy?" Blessing asked, genuinely sounding curious but her eyes were focused on Daryl's back as he spoke to Dale. She could see the older man's face drop in the distance, even with it being so dark because of the light cast from all their small camp fires and flashlights all around. It was pretty nice if you didn't think about it being the end of the world, almost relaxing if not a little bit creepy because of the shadows being cast.

Maggie snorted out a laugh, shaking her head a bit before she was putting her hands over her mouth to conceal the sounds of the laughter that tumbled from her chapped lips. "Blessin'..." Her words paused for more chuckles to slip out, and Blessing couldn't help but chuckle along with her because of the snort that Maggie let out. She could tell it was a good laugh, because her face was starting to turn red and all from it. "Like with Lori, Rick and Shane?"

"Yeah, of course. She's the only bitch dumb enough to get pregnant right now... While cheating on her husband..." She trailed off, shrugging her shoulders with her lips pursed and eyes glinting in amusement. Of course, she had a point. Even Maggie and Glenn were smart enough to use protection when they'd had their ... fun time.

Daryl and Blessing never used protection, but they'd never really had much issues with that. They'd only ever had one pregnancy scare, and that was before the walkers. Merle had did some time, so Blessing and Daryl had the place to themselves for a little while. They took advantage of that, and in that time it'd felt like the most normalcy Daryl had ever felt in his life. He'd even gotten a job at a mechanic shop, and was steadily paying bills and taking care of shit.

Coming home to cooked meals and folded laundry... They were living the life. Especially Blessing, since it was all shit she had to do before all while working. Daryl didn't like her working, or paying for anything. He'd made it very clear that whether they were together romantically or not he believed it was the woman's job to make a house a home. His job was just to fund it all. She fucking loved it.

Because when she was at home with nothing to do when her chores were done, she was doing anything she could to make side hustles. She painted, did crochet, braided hair, and sometimes even sold platters to people in the neighborhood.

"So that's true? I thought they were just... off." Maggie's eyes danced across the farm in search of either Lori, Rick or Shane. But all she found was Lori by her tent looking a bit upset. And Rick looked a bit disgruntled as well, walking away from her and towards Daryl and Glenn.

"Nah, not off. Just guilty... Rick and Shane were best friends from what I know. Rick and Lori married.. Rick goes into a coma and Shane and Lori dip out and now they're fuckin' in the woods any chance they get..." Blessing trailed off as she imagined it, what it'd been like before Rick had come along. How bossy Shane had been, all the subtle shit that Lori was able to get away with. Like not helping as much with chores because she was busy sneaking off with Shane. While Blessing or Amy watched after Carl.

They usually took turns, because Lori wasn't very fond of the Dixon's. But she didn't seem to mind Blessing much, until recently.

"Wait really? Glenn never explained that to me in detail. Just told me that Rick and Lori had a rocky marriage." Maggie said, sounding a bit baffled. She really didn't think it was that bad. They didn't seem to argue much in front of others, and when they did it was usually about extremely tense situations. So it was pretty understandable. Carl didn't seem like a terrible kid, just had a smart mouth sometimes but that was about it. Nothing out of the ordinary for a twelve or thirteen year old.

"You guys gotta work on your tea sharin' skills, Mags. Like really." Blessing teased with a chuckle, but the conversation was cut short. Because there was shouting a bit far off in the distance. They both rose to stand, looking out into the dark with concern etched onto their faces. It sounded like someone familiar, and it made Blessing's heart race in her chest.

Dale wasn't with Daryl and Glenn anymore, and when Daryl had darted off towards the scream she followed right after him. Maggie not too far behind her, a knife now in her hands and at the ready.

"Someone help!"

The cry for help was desperate, and when she finally got to the small group of people making a half circle around something she slowed to a stop. Her chest heaving with her heavy breaths and face twisted in agony when she got a glimpse of Dale's hat... "Oh my God..."

She took slow steps towards the already grieving crowd. Dale was laying flat on his back, his stomach and some of his chest ripped open, intestines spilling from their protective shell. Making a mess of blood on the grass and dirt beneath him. His face was scrunched up in pain, occasionally softening just like his tired blue eyes. Looking almost far away, like he wasn't feel anything... But then feeling everything all over again. She couldn't even pay attention to the short conversation between Rick and Herschel, her teary eyes focused solely on his pale face. That seemed to get more pale as seconds ticked on by.

To her surprise, when Rick faltered from pressing the trigger... It was Daryl who stepped up, lifting his own gun with a solemn expression on his dirty face. And since just about everyone could only see his back... He let his eyes water at the sight before him, and what he had to do.

"Sorry, Brother."

The silence that followed that single gunshot.. Stretched into the rest of the night. Andrea and Blessing had been the ones to drag him over to a nice spot in the farm under a tree. They'd set a blanket over his body, and spent the night sitting on each side of his corpse. Staring down at the bloodied blanket, Both with silent tears streaming down their faces. And both of them are too full of pride to reach out for the other for comfort...

The next morning is when people started to prepare his funeral. Or what they could call a funeral. Daryl and Glenn dug up a grave, while some of the women had gathered some random wildflowers from around the area. T-Dog, Shane and Rick had gone around with a wheelbarrow gathering rocks. Hoping to recreate the memorial they'd made for Otis not too long ago.

"Hey, Daryl?"

"Yes, Bless?" He dropped the two rocks in his hands into the wheelbarrow, turning to give him his full attention as he wiped off his dirty hands on his jeans. SHe cringed at that, because she knew she'd have to scrub that shit out later. But she wasn't going to complain about it, because he did more than enough to make up for it.

"Can you... Can you come to our tent for a bit? Before everything starts? I know everyone's just about done..." She almost sounded shy, but he knew she was just sad. She was literally just on Dale's side. Advocating for Randall's life as if it fucking meant something. He'd saw her chatting it up with him every now and then, trying to lighten his mood because she knew how much everything was bothering him.. Everything with Shane, with Rick...

They weren't super closer, but they were close enough that Daryl knew for sure that Dale's death was going to effect Blessing in some way. She already grieved people she didn't even like, but now it was someone she actually looked up to..

"Yeah, yeah. Gimme a sec'." He mumbled the last part to T-Dog, who immediately nodded. His warm brown eyes almost looking guilty at the forlorn look on her face. It made it even worse seeing some of the happiest people looking so down about the turn of events, not even Glenn had made a single awkward joke yet. She didn't even wanna ask about the baby daddy with Lori anymore... She just wanted to curl up in Daryl's arms in their tent so she could cry a little bit.

But then? After the funeral... She already had an idea. A few of them actually. She wanted to scope the scenery out around the farm, alone. She wanted to stumble on walkers by herself, just so she could actually do some fucking fighting. Let off some steam, take it out on the reason she was mad in the first place. Walkers.But she knew damn well she'd have to sneak away, because Daryl was going to be keeping a close eye on her. He knew she made impulsive decisions after big things happened. It was why she was even with him in the first place.

He didn't want that to get her killed, and she understood. She really did but... Sometimes you just needed to take a chance. Risk and reward, right?

So, together. They clambered to their tent together, mending together for a cuddle. She'd melted onto his chest in a mess of tears, and he silently cried along with her while he rubbed circles into her back.

"I'm sorry you had to do that." She whispered to him, voice shaky but sounding so apologetic. Even more so because a small part of her was nervous about what she was planning to do. It didn't seem all that bad, but she knew that because it was her he'd have a fit. Even if he knew she could use a knife, and was quick on her feet.... She didn't want him to have to do it to her too.. Have to put a bullet in her head...

"It ain't yer fault." He mumbled down to her, but she could tell in his voice.. He sounded so tired. She hated it... She didn't want that for him...

"I'll-I'll take care of you now, okay? You won't have to do stuff like that all the time, I can do some heavy lifting too."

~*~

Word Count : 2,252

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May 3rd, 2025

Chapter Text

Since the day that the barn had been opened, the farm was filled with nothing but tension. Not even Blessing and Glenn making awkward jokes got people to lighten up, and they got it for the most part... Shit wasn't looking great and it didn't feel like it was gonna get better any time soon.

The funeral for Dale had been... depressing. And not one person was able to hold back some form of tears. In his honor, Rick said they would be letting Randall live. But not many people trusted that judgement. Especially Shane, who didn't seem to grieve so much before he'd gone back to being.. Overwhelmingly emotional. And no, he wasn't crying all over the farm over Dale's death. He was just continuously ranting and raving about the barn, and the bad luck that it brung. To Blessing, it was starting to sound like some sort of psychosis. Or maybe he was mentally breaking from all of the pressure of the apocalypse..

But that was a day.. Maybe two days ago. Now? Blessing was sneaking out in the middle of the night.

Why, you ask? She wanted to prove something. Her goal was to sneak away in the middle of the night, kill walkers in the area and loot them for 'trophies', and then head back to act like nothing happened. She didn't see anything too bad with that. Sure, she could get bitten and no one would know and they'd search for her only to find her walker body. But that wasn't too bad... right? After all, she did need to learn how to survive without Daryl. And that meant killing a few walkers without him. This would just be practice.

She tied her hair up, looking over her shoulder every now and then with every snap of a twig. She wore some of her only black clothing for this 'adventure', and felt like a spy more than anything. ( Olivia Reference ! ) Unfortunately, it was all long sleeved and it was hot as fuck even though the sun was down. So now her faces was dripping with sweat, and the basic ass black long sleeved shirt was feeling more uncomfortable than ever when drenched in her sweat.

"I should've just stuck to the tank top." She whispered to herself as she ducked to a crouch, hiding against the side of the barn so she wouldn't get caught by anyone on perimeter duty. It wasn't Dale, that was for sure.. 'Cause he's gone now. So she could only assume it was Rick or maybe Glenn watching out. Either way, if she got caught they'd tell Daryl immediately. But something caught her a bit off guard, because she didn't expect movement at this time of night at all.

There was shuffling in the barn, and the sound of rushed whispers. She furrowed her brows, concentrating hard as if it'd make her hearing better. She knew it was a man, but couldn't tell who just yet. Which was perfectly fine, because moments later Randall was being somewhat dragged out of the barn by a huffing and puffing Shane. To Blessing, it looked like he was mentally panicking... But trying to just seem.. God, she couldn't even tell. Because he didn't seem cool and collected at all. There was nothing calm about him. And even though he'd been acting off for quite a while, Blessing had never seen him like this.

"What the f-"

She cut herself off by ducking further behind the barn when Shane turned on his heel, looking around wildly as if he'd heard her whisper. It had her heart nearly beating out of her chest, and she had to hold her breath so she wouldn't start hyperventilating from the intensity of the situation.

There was a moment of mental debate. Follow him silently to find out what the fuck he was up to, call out and let him know you see what's happening or mind your fucking business... Blessing was never one to mind her business. So, she silently followed after him. Keeping her steps as light as she possibly could, and her head down so Shane couldn't see her bobbing up and down so she wouldn't lose him every now and then. She could faintly hear a whispered conversation between the two, and for a while it almost sounded like Shane was going to join his group. But then Shane stopped in a clear area that seemed like a calm grassy field in the middle of the dark and deranged forest... The trees swaying with each breeze, the branches and their shadows resembling the monsters hidden away in those damn trees...

Shane pushed Randall towards the clearing, and while Randall tried to scramble to keep his balance from being pushed around... Shane paced back and forth, a crazed look on his face.

"What's uh.. Why'd we stop, man?" Randall let out some nervous laughter that had Blessing swallowing the nerves crawling up her throat. She didn't want this kid to die, she really didn't. But she wasn't sure how to prevent his death without putting her own life in danger. She didn't trust Shane.

"Shut up! Shut the fuck up!" Shane whisper shouted it, pointing his gun towards Randall to get him to close his mouth. He'd practically been yapping the entire time, whispering frantically to Shane to be friendly. It wasn't working very well, because he knew Shane was the only one who wanted him gone in the first place.

"Hey, wait wait! You said- You said we were good, man!" Randall's cry was desperate and pretty pathetic. But it was understandable, because he was begging for his life.

"What did I just say?" Shane came forward to clutch to the front of Randall's shirt, forcing the barrel of his gun under his chin to force his jaw shut. Successfully getting him to quiet him cries, but it didn't stop the fearful whimpers from spilling from his trembling lips. Seeing the fear shining in his eyes, even in the dark.. Blessing had to do something. And she did.

"Shane! Shane! Don't do anything stupid, please!" She finally came out of hiding, holding her hands up in surrender with her face twisted in worry. Shane's face dropped for a split second, and she could've sworn she saw what she could only read as horror in his eyes. Like being caught by Blessing was one of the last things he'd expected, or wanted. That assumption was confirmed when his bottom lip trembled, and he let go of Randall's shirt to let him drop to the floor and scramble away from Shae and closer towards Blessing's direction.

"Bless.. Sweetness.. What're you doin' out here in the dark?" His voice trembled the slightest bit, and finally.. He was starting to sound guilty. Ashamed even by his actions. Because Blessing moved slowly to crouch a bit to get near Randall's level, fingers grasping his shoulders to help him shuffle further away from Shane. Randall let out a shuddering sob when her hands delicately ran over his shoulder blades and down his back, while she looked into his eyes with concern swimming in her own.. It was the nicest anyone had ever looked at him in a while..

"Are you okay?" She whispered to him, ignoring Shane's question. But when Randall nodded frantically, tears spilling down his cheeks she looked to Shane with a perturbed expression on her sweat covered face. "Shane... What is going on? Why'd you bring him out here?"

He noticed the way she was whispering, holding her hands up as if she were in trouble with the law.. It had him running his hands over his face and turning around to look out into the darkness that the trees held. It was inviting, yet terrifying. It was better than the thoughts running in his mind, that was for sure. He took a shuddering breath as he turned to look at her again, shaking his head and forcing a crooked smile on his face.

"Listen, Bless.. I was just.. Nobody was gonna be okay with it, alright? I was gonna make it look like an accident." He said it with a breathless laugh, an awkward one that had her looking at him aghast. Because sure, she knew why he brought Randall out here. The small voice in the back of her head was telling her he was bringing him out here to kill him. But she wanted to believe that there was some good left in Shane. In people. But this? This was anything but good.

"...Are you fuckin' crazy?" She breathed out, eyes falling to the gun he was holding limply at his side. It looked like it belonged there, and she blamed that on his police background. His thick finger was sitting on the trigger, and her heart skipped a beat when seeing that made her realise.. He really could just shoot her if he wanted to. "I mean- I mean sorry! I don't mean.. You're not crazy!"

She forced out a laugh, trying to ignore the tears building up in her eyes. This was more serious than she'd ever been prepared for. This.. This wasn't what she'd been expecting at all when she snuck out of her tent.

"I-I'm not going to hurt you! I'm not! I'm doin' this for you, for Lori! For the group!" Shane tucked his gun in the back of his jeans in a bit of a rush, eyes widening as he copied her stance. Holding up his hands in surrender, trying to show that he wasn't going to hurt her. But she wasn't exactly reassured. He'd stepped forward, and both her and Randall moved back in sync. But because Blessing had stepped in front of Randall just a bit she tripped over his feet, and fell back on her ass beside him with a surprised grunt. "Bless-"

"Don't! Stop moving!" She cried it out, pulling the knife she'd had tucked in the waistband of her pants. She pointed it his way, and his expression dropped even further at the way she waved the knife back and forth. Like a corner animal trying to keep its predator away... "We didn't want this, Shane! This isn't right!"

"I know that! Okay, I do! I'm just doin' what everyone is scared to do, he could get you killed!" She didn't care about the desperation in his tone, or the way his face twisted with emotions when her lips wobbled. "Daryl wasn't gonna fuckin' do it! Neither was Rick!"

"Because they have morals! Integrity! Dale didn't want this!" Both of their voices were rising, and the distant sound of walkers groaning was starting to get closer. Randall seemed to be the only one to care about that, and was biting his tongue to not cry out for their attention. Get them to untie him so he could protect himself..

"You sayin' they're better men than me, Blessin'? Huh?" He rose his brows with the questions, looking not just offended, but genuinely upset about it.

"It's not a competition, man! It's not! You can't just-" She let out a startled sound when Randall kicked out his foot, high enough to hit her wrist and knock the knife from her hand since they were both still on the ground with Shane towering over them. He was rushing and panicked as he kicked out again, hitting her square in the back and knocking her forward before she could react. His hands were tied, so he couldn't even reach for her knife that'd been dropped. But he could get up and make a run for it, something he couldn't do with them sitting around talking about their camp drama.

Shane reached for her quickly so she wouldn't face plant into the floor, and the sound of Randall's footsteps had him looking back up to his retreating figure. However, he didn't get very far. Because the groans of those walkers had been closer than they'd expected, and just as he'd broken into the tree line at the edge of the clearing.. Hands enveloped him, and he let out a strangled scream as the disfigured head of a walker came from the shadows to take a bite out of his shoulder.

Shane reached for the gun he'd put away moments before, but Blessing stopped him with a shake of her head before she was grabbing her fallen knife in a hurry. It wasn't just one walker, it looked like a small group. And they could tell that in the distance, there was an even larger group. But for now? They had to focus on this group.

"I'm dying!" Randall cried out pathetically, falling to the floor as three walkers took turns taking bites out of his arms and chest now. With Shane right behind her, she quietly moved forward towards the feeding walkers. Ignoring the way Randall looked her way, with tears streaming down the sides of his face. His voice was weak and shaking.. Yet still calling out for one of them to help.. As if he had a chance.

She glanced over her shoulder, making eye contact with Shane for a split second. Her eyes filled with unshed tears, but also guilt. She'd failed at saving his life.. She took a deep, shuddering breath to regain her composure before looking forward once more. Moving quick to shove the blade of her knife into the temple of one of the feeding walkers. Following her lead, Shane used a knife he'd had tucked in his boot to do the same to the second while she took care of the final one. It was a silent scuffle, but one that had them both gasping for breath. Especially since Randall was still gurgling on his own blood, hand reaching for Blessing.. Covered in his own blood.

She came to his side, sniffling and trying to blink away the tears in his eyes as she caressed his bloodied face. Attempting to wipe away his fallen tears, but only smearing his blood further.

"P-Please..."

"I am so sorry..."

~*~

Word Count : 2,344

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May 9th, 2025

Chapter Text

"I'm not lying to Daryl, you can kill me if you have to." Blessing whispered it into the dark as her and Shane were heading back to the camp. She'd been crying silently, walking ahead of Shane with her head down. She was surprised he hadn't shot her in the back of the head yet, or stabbed her in the back with how his plan went to shit because of her.

"I ain't killin' you, Bless. And I ain't askin' you to lie to anybody." Shane grumbled, eyes occasionally jumping up to focus on her back before darting around again. It wasn't pitch black anymore, so that was good. They'd been out so long, the sun was starting to rise. And it made Blessing feel worse about everything, because she hadn't even planned to be out this long... And then coming back with Shane? It didn't look or feel right. Not to her.

She didn't even have anything to say back. She could only suck in a breath, trying to regulate her fast breathing. She didn't even bother wiping away the tears falling down her face, because she knew she had walker blood on her face too. So it'd just smear across, make it smell worse.

When they got close enough to the tree line, they could hear the people from their camp sounding hectic. That was when she broke out into a run, leaving Shane behind. He shouted out a 'hey!' before he was chasing after her, but she'd made it past the treeline before he could try to grab at her. Making him slow his pace, and pause momentarily so he could think of all the things he could say. How the fuck he could either get away with this, or get people to be okay with it...

"Daryl!" She called out his name, catching everyone's attention as she came through the trees. She didn't notice the way Daryl's shoulders sagged with relief, or how he practically melted into her arms. His head falling onto her shoulder before he was lifting it up to glare at Shane who was coming through the treeline now. Looking guilty as ever.

"Where'd ya go? Huh? What'd he do?" Daryl's raspy voice sounded the most firm she'd ever heard it. His cat like eyes danced to her, scanning over her frame that he held at arms length. Only to turn them back to Shane, a fire starting to burn in his eyes. To some, he looked like a protective mother ready to defend her child. But they all knew this was different than that. This was a man protecting his woman's honor.

"I ain't do-"

"H-He was gonna kill Randall!" Blessing immediately shouted out, pointing an accusatory finger Shane's way. It was pretty obvious that she was afraid, her face was still tear streaked and her eyes had clear terror in them. For Daryl, it was pretty obvious she'd been up all night. Just like it was obvious to him that something had went down because she had walker blood scattered over her in random places, and dirt on the back of her pants and on her leg like she'd fallen..

Most people let out sounds of shock as they turned to look at Shane, who had Randall's blood still on his face from him dragging him as far as he did. He too was covered in dirt and walker muck, but he obviously had dealt with more of a struggle. Even his shirt looked like it'd been grabbed by someone. But really, it was from his shirt getting snagged on the cuffs that Randall was wearing.

"Tell us she's fuckin' joking, Shane." Lori breathed out, horror on her pale face.

"Why the fuck would I joke about that?!" Blessing couldn't help but shriek out, and Daryl cringed at the loud volume so close by. Still, he ran a hand over her face a few times and when it didn't help with the stuff on her face he pulled the rag from his back pocket to finish the job. It reddened her face because of the rough fabric, but she still looked at him with wide and grateful eyes when he finished it off with a peck to the forehead. One that lingered, and she could've sworn she felt his breathing on her head.. Like he was taking in her scent.

"Let's all just calm down, first of all." Rick spat it through gritted teeth, his blue eyes blazing with a rage Blessing wasn't sure she'd ever seen in them before. Rick didn't get mad, he got.. Frustrated. Irritated, overwhelmed at times. But mad? No... That was an emotion just for Shane. "Blessing?" He rose a brow Blessing's way, his nostrils flaring and jaw clenched. Obviously he wanted her side of the story first, but his temper flare had her stuttering on her words.

"I-I was gonna sneak out a-and kill walkers to practice. But I heard shit by the barn so I followed it like one of those dumbasses in the scary movies," She choked on her own words, chest heaving with her rapid breathing as she fought her rising anxiety. "And it was him dragging Randall out into the woods, man! He said he was gonna kill him!"

"So where's Randall?"

"He's dead. He showed her exactly why she should've let me do what I had to do." Shane said it so calmly, shifting from one foot to the other as he crossed his arms over his chest. Daryl didn't like that statement at all.

"He showed her? The fuck-Bless, what happened to you out there?" He put emphasis on how he only wanted her experience. He only wanted to know if she'd been hurt or not, he didn't care about all the extra side stories. He just needed to know if she was good.

"He just kicked me because he got scared, he wasn't trying to hurt me! I swear! He tried to get away but he got bit, this is so fucked up!" She defended Randall, even though he was already dead. Everyone knew she probably had never even had a conversation with the kid.. Not until now. And of course, it'd be in his final moments... It'd be a conversation she'd never forget. It'd add on to the growing list of last words she would be sure other people would know too.

"Walkers got to 'em before I could so does this really even matter?" Shane tried to laugh it off, laugh off the crazy. But people weren't laughing this off, not with the way Blessing was trembling in Daryl's arms. Looking back at Shane as if he were some type of.. Villain.

"You still brought him out there to kill him, that's wrong!" Glenn jumped in to defend her, actually looking pretty angry compared to how he usually looked. Sweaty face red, and veins popping out of his neck. If things weren't so fucked up right now, Blessing would've complimented him on speaking up for once. But maybe it had to do with Dale being gone.. The last one to try and get him to speak up.

"I'm thinkin' about the safety of this group, dammit!" Shane barked, stepping up with ferocity only to be pushed back by a sneering Rick.

"You ain't thinkin' of no one but yourself, Shane!" Rick snapped, getting into Shane's face. Lori tried to grab for his shoulder, face stressed and tears building up in her eyes. But Rick only shook her off, practically baring his teeth in Shane's face like an animal."He was a kid!"

"He was a fuckin' problem! And I took care of it, man.. To protect the group! For the baby, Rick! You weren't gonna do it!" Rick pushed Shane back when spit flew from his lips and onto Rick's cheek. Both of them are fueled by rage, but neither of them are ready to hurt the other just yet. Not with everyone watching. "Cause yer a coward, Rick... And I'm a better man than you."

Everyone was stunned into silence at his admission, but Rick didn't seem surprised at all. He scoffed out a sarcastic laugh, looking away from Shane so he could subtly glanced at the faces watching them. Unblinking, trying not to make the tears welling up in his eyes fall. He couldn't show weakness, not right now.

"Shane, enough!" Lori tried to bark at him, but her voice was shaking with emotions and he didn't seem to sympathize very much. His face twisted with a grimace, and then he was letting out sarcastic laughter of his own. But when she had put herself between them, putting a hand to his chest to try and push him away he lightly smacked at her hand. Scowling into her face with an intensity that had her shrinking in place.

"Don't you touch me!"

"Listen to your baby momma, Shane!" Blessing choked out, only for Daryl to put a hand over her mouth to prevent her from saying anything else. He cringed when everyone looked their way, some looking baffled while others looked... Not very happy. Rick only seemed more hurt than anything, but Shane... He looked her way with his jaw clenched and nostrils flaring, he couldn't do much about it though. And neither could Lori, who was red in the face in embarrassment.

"Now ain't the time for that drama, okay? Where uh... Where'd you last see 'em? Were there a lot of walkers?" Rick breathed out his questions, running a hand over his sweaty face yet his eyes remained on Shane.

"You wanna go back and check on a dead body? You serious?" Shane asked incredulously, bending at the waist a bit to try and force eye contact with Rick. His eyes are slightly manic, and lips twitching.

"Shut the fuck up, Shane!" Rick shouted, pointing into Shane's face and pushing his finger against the man's cheek before Shane was smacking his hand away. A sound that resembled a growl rumbling in his throat when Shane took a step forward, but neither of them had raised their hands yet since Lori was between them. "We're gonna make sure he gets a proper burial!"

"Rick, you can't go out there alone with him." Glenn stated the obvious, what everyone was thinking. But Rick rolled his eyes, and they couldn't tell if it was because he didn't believe it or... He just didn't care.

"You think I don't know I can't trust him, Glenn? Y'all don't know..." Rick laughed as he shook his head, and Blessing pinched at Daryl's side so he could let go of her mouth. He looked down at her when he did, brows furrowed and concern swimming in his Dixon blue's. She leaned back into him when their eyes met, and she blinked away the tears in her eyes. He was so warm, and it felt like an amazing contrast to the chills she was feeling through her body. The sweat that once coated her skin because of Georgia heat was now produced by a cold sweat.

"He said he did it for me and Lori, Daryl... He's fuckin' crazy." She whispered up to him, knowing how he'd take it. And just like expected, his eyes narrowed on Shane's frame. He didn't say anything just yet, because he knew she wasn't done giving him information. He could tell by the way she clutched at her chest, trying to catch her breath so that she could speak again. "D-Don't let him go out there alone with anyone."

But of course, when they looked towards the rest of the group again...It looked like Rick and Shane were about to head out back into the trees. With people watching them uneasily.

"Hey! Wait, you can't go out there!" Daryl jumped up to say, letting go of Blessing so he could step up and use his crossbow to point to the two. It stopped them from walking, but the looks on their faces when they turned to look at him had him stuttering over his words. They both glared at him, as if it were him they had issues with. But in actuality... The real beef was only between them two. "L-Lemme uh... Lemme go too!"

"If you go you're taking a lot of the camps manpower..." Lori said, sounding a bit weak because she knew damn well Blessing would voice what was on her mind. If she wanted Daryl to go out there... He was going out there whether Lori agreed or not.

"Just... Keep an eye out." Was all Rick said before they both turned around and disappeared into the trees. Blessing couldn't help it, she let out a long breath as she looked up to the morning sky. If either of them didn't come back.. She had to remember their last words.

Rick said... Just keep an eye out.

And Shane last said, from what she heard... You wanna go back and check on a dead body? You serious?

Not very honorable last words.. Not at all.

"One of them isn't coming back." She said it somberly into the open, not caring who heard or answered. Daryl glanced back at her over his shoulder, sucking his lips into his mouth to bite at them so he wouldn't say anything. Because what could he say? He was never good at talking, just physically consoling her.. "....I hope its Shane."

Glenn chuckled first and everyone followed right after, even though they all knew it wasn't morally right to wish someone died. Lori was the only one that seemed to be truly upset... Frightened even.

"W-Where's Carl?" She breathed out the question as her eyes danced across the farm in search of her son, but she couldn't find him anywhere.

"We lost a twelve year old?" Blessing brought her hands up to her head as she whispered it to herself, sounding horrified about the turn of events. All she wanted was to prove she wasn't useless..

None of this was a part of the plan.

~*~

Word Count : 2,340

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May 13th, 2025

Chapter Text

Everyone had waited with bated breath inside the farmhouse while Daryl and Glenn had gone out in search of Rick and Shane. All of their faces twisted in concern, mother's crying and others trying to get their nerves right. Mentally preparing for what might be to come... They didn't know what to expect next but they knew it wasn't anything good.

Blessing, Maggie, Carol and Lori were all crowded on the front porch with their arms crossed and expressions stony. It was early morning when they'd left, and around noon now. Meaning, they'd been out there for quite some time now. None of them were eased until Daryl and Glen came walking through the tree line, their heads down and hands moving as if they were talking. But none of them could read their lips from the distance they were standing at.

"No sign of Shane? Or Rick? Carl?" Lori asked, persistent as ever. She wrung her hands together, looking like Carol usually did when she was stressing over shit at camp. Her brown locks tied back into a low ponytail since she kept running her fingers through her hair, probably from the stress of it all.

"Nah, just a bunch of mucked up tracks and walkers." Daryl answered with a shake of his head, his narrowed eyes finding Blessing with ease. He looked over he frame briefly, a habit of his, before they met gazes. Her stony look settled a bit, her shoulders falling the slightest bit as she stepped forward to him. Immediately, he opened his arms for her and pulled her in for the hug she couldn't verbally ask for. Because the panicked and shaky breaths that Lori were letting out wasn't helping anyone's nerves at all.

"I need to find him. I need to find Carl." Lori tried to say it firmly, but her voice shook with terror. Blessing wanted to believe it as because her son was out there on his own, and not because she was afraid for herself.

"I can go back out there, see what I find." Daryl offered, getting nods from everyone around them. They all trusted him out there alone, he always made it back no matter what. He gave Blessing a few gentle pats on the back before he was stepping away from their embrace, turning to walk down the porch steps only to pause when his eyes scanned the treeline. It was then that everyone looked to what made him stop, and everyone else's jaws dropped.

Walkers... A fuck ton of them.

"Go turn off all the lights." Daryl whispered harshly over his shoulder, as if it would make a difference. But Maggie was the only one to listen, turning on her heel to rush inside. Not even just to do as he said, but to warn the others about what was coming their way.

"Think we got enough bullets to hold 'em off?" Herschel asked as he clambered outside, looking out in slight horror at the sight of walkers stumbling into his land. His old, withering eyes filled with tears when Daryl shook his head. Going against the idea of staying and fighting.

"Don't got enough to put a dent, herd like that'll tear the walls of this place..."

"I'm not leaving my farm." Herschel said firmly, cocking a shotgun he'd brought out with him. His face stony, eyes determined but... He knew there was no hope...He wasn't naive.

"You'd die here?" Daryl asked incredulously, adjusting his crossbow on his shoulder.

"Today is as good a day as any other." He answered simply, and Blessing could only shake her head at his words. Tears welling up in her eyes, because she knew damn well what that meant. If it came down to it, Herschel was gonna give up. Even if he had those two sweet daughters looking to him to answer everything .

They held the herd off for as long as they could, but it started closing in quicker than they could count their blessings. Slowly, people seeped out of the farmhouse in hopes of not being trapped in one confined space.

People shot at the herd, ran around in hopes of confusing them into stumbling into circles... But some people weren't as lucky as others. Blessing had seen Jimmy and Patricia being torn apart, but things were too hectic to see if anyone else had gotten bitten. Daryl had pulled her along as best he could, giving an impressed look when she actually took out a few walkers with her own knife.

Both of them were stunned when the barn erupted into flames, but Daryl kept on pushing with the hopes that it was caused by someone in their group trying to cause a distraction. It worked pretty well, because some walkers stumbled towards the flames without a care in the world. And the air was filled with not just their regular stench of death, but also the smell of burning flesh. They could only gag as they ran to Daryl's bike, rushing on the vehicle and hurrying to drive off and leave some walkers in the dust.

Blessing clutched onto him while he circled some walkers, distracting them away from Carol. Blessing had forced Daryl to scoot further up on his seat so she could do the same, just so she could hold her hand out for Carol to take. Urging her to grab on and hop on the bike with them.

"C'mon, Carol! Get on!" She shouted, letting out a shout of victory when Carol finally listened and took her hand. She ran alongside them for a bit, huffing and puffing before she was actually able to hop onto the bike. Holding on for dear life, since she was practically sliding off the back of the bike.

"We'll meet everyone at the highway!" Daryl called over his shoulder before taking off, the barn burning behind them and walkers destroying everything in their path right along with the fire. None of them could think too much about the chaos that was behind them, only on the racing hearts that were beating against one another. Blessing's heart racing against Daryl's back and Carol's chest... And Carol's racing heart beating against Blessing's back. It was grounding, soothing at a point. Just knowing that all of them were scared, even if Daryl didn't look scared. Hell, he didn't seem phased at all.

They rode along for what felt like hours, the only sound in the air was the hum of Daryl's motorcycle. Occasionally, Blessing would feel Carol's chest move with her sniffles. Like she was still crying silently on the back of the bike, hopefully with joy.. Joy that they'd made it out alive.

But then, they'd heard the distinct sound of another car on the road. Daryl had begun to follow it, and Carol and Blessing could only hope that he was following them because they were friendly faces. Or... Familiar faces.

Finally, after countless hours of driving well into the night... Daryl had pulled into a stop near an area that was all too familiar. The same spot in the highway that they'd lost Sophia, and as soon as they'd pulled up Carol had been filled with a terrible dread. She couldn't even call it nostalgia.. Because nostalgia was usually connected to something good, like sweet childhood memories... But this? This was all a nightmare.

When they were completely still and he kicked out that kick stand, Carol was off the bike first. Blessing was off next, both taking a moment to shake their legs out because they were practically numb from sitting for so long.

"Blessing! Carol!" It was Carol who called out gleefully, voice shaky with tears as he ran up to hug both women. A few moments later, the car that Daryl had followed at one point pulled up as well. And everyone let out breathy and relief filled laughs when Glenn came out of the driver's side door with a grin on his face.

"Knew it was you." Daryl said, smirk on his face as he tossed a piece of granola bar into his mouth. It wasn't a meal, but something to settle his growling stomach. They didn't have time to stop and eat, he couldn't just get off his bike and hunt when he had two women hanging off the back of his bike. Relying on him to get them back to the group, make sure they weren't all alone out there.. Wondering what happened to everyone else.

"How'd ya know?" Glenn asked, seeming oh so happy about being reconnected with the others. He didn't even pay much mind when Maggie had run out of the car to go and hug her father, who was sitting in Rick's car looking somber.

"Couldn't be nobody but an asian zig zaggin' all over the road like you was." Was Daryl's smart ass answer, an answer that had everyone letting out chuckles and giggles of their own. Only a tiny bit surprised that it was Daryl that was starting the light hearted jokes and not Blessing. But it didn;t last too long, the light heartedness. Because people wanted some answers, and the only person they were going to get them from? Was Rick.

"The hell happened out there, man? We went out lookin' for you and didn't find shit." Glenn started, looking to Rick who immediately put his head down at the mention of his 'best friend'.

"Yeah... I saw Jimmy and Patricia go down but like.. Did we lose anyone else?" Blessing dipped her head a bit to ask, raising her brows to match the expression that Rick usually did when he was talking to people and asking questions. It always got people to look him in the eye, squirm if they were lying or something... It worked like a charm.

"I saw Andrea fall..." Carol threw in a bit awkwardly when she noticed Rick was clenching his jaw, lips moving at times but no words escaping them. It was like he was having trouble putting his thoughts together, his words even. But when Daryl scoffed out and settled on his motorcycle, Rick looked his way.

"Man, I'm goin' back. Don't know if she's dead, right? Any of them?"

"N-No! We can't go back!" Rick said, rushing to Daryl with an odd look on his face. The sweat on his forehead dribbled down to his cheek, and Daryl's eyes narrowed slightly.

"We can't just sit out here in the dark though, Rick... We have to do something..." Lori whispered it, trying not to seem as if she was going against him in front of everyone. But everyone already knew she was looking at him sideways for coming back without Shane, whether she was going to admit it or not.

"Sitting out in the dark with no answers.. Isn't doing much for us right now." Herschel jumped in to say seriously, and finally people could see Rick slowly falling apart. Losing his temper right before their eyes.

"I am doing something! I set that barn on fire, I almost killed my best friend for you people!" He shouted, spit flying from his lips with the intensity of his words. The veins on his neck and forehead showed themselves, and Carl seemed to be someone Blessing paid attention to when he said this. Carl's face fell a bit, his shoulders falling as well and eyes becoming a bit... Sad.

"What? Where's Shane?" Lori asked, breath hitching as she stepped up to get closer to Rick and asked. But he scoffed at her question, turning to look at her with disdain in his usually warm eyes. It was enough malicious emotion to have her stopping her movement, her hands clutching at her chest as if it'd help her racing heart. "W-What?"

"Of course you'd care enough to ask about him. I don't know, Lori... If he's smart, he's states away by now." He said it with his nose twisted, lips curled in a snarl that seemed to get worse the more he spoke. He was like an angry or injured dog, ready to bite at someone's hand for trying to sneak a touch. But they all knew better than that, they all stood at a short distance. Even Lori, who could only stare at her husband with tear filled, horror filled eyes.

"You just let him leave..? Rick... he was kinda dangerous..." Blessing said weakly, looking to Daryl to see if he'd understand what she meant. And of course he did, he paid just as much attention as he did. He believed her when she said he was going fuckin crazy and trying to do a bunch of extra shit. When she told him to pay extra attention...

"I couldn't bring myself to kill him... He didn't raise his gun to me, I couldn't do it to him.." Rick explained, sounding a bit distant as he explained. His blue eyes were focused solely on Lori's brown ones, making sure she could see every emotion that flew across them as he told his story. So she could know how he felt about what they'd done when they thought he was dead... "Y'know he started this because he loved you, right...? He wanted to kill me, take you with him... Bet you didn't think yer fling with him while I was dead would do that.. Did ya?"

She shook her head rapidly, swallowing the frog that was building up in her throat along with the tears in her eyes. Tears that replaced the ones that fell don her cheeks when she blinked, yet he showed no sympathy. IN fact, her tears seemed to make him disgusted... "N-No..."

"Carl saw everything... Heard everything..." Rick mumbled, wiping his hand over his mouth as he let out a harsh sigh. When he looked towards Carl, Carl diverted his gaze quickly. Looking down at his lap so he wouldn't be caught looking at his father.

"I-I'm so so sorry." Lori whispered brokenly, it was meant for Rick at first. But then she looked around the group that was listening to everything with awkward, tense looks on their faces. And some looked away, too awkward to meet her gaze. "This is all my fault..."

"It kinda is but... I think we all need to focus on the bigger things guys. Like Oh, I don't know. Food? Shelter?" Blessing's sarcastic tone cut through the tension, and finally Rick's lips twitched into a barely there smirk as he nodded.Agreeing with her words.

"Y'know what.. Yer right."

~*~

Word Count : 2,424

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May 18th, 2025

Chapter Text

It'd been rough. The months that had passed were all the winter months, and this winter was not kind to everyone. They never had shelter long before they had to keep moving, because of walkers or... Living people.

There weren't too many run ins, but enough for people to know that the world truly wasn't the same. Some bonds grew stronger, while others suffered. Like Rick and Lori, the practically divorced couple. Rick didn't treat Lori the same after learning about the truth, the bitter truth from Shane's mouth. Nobody blamed him.

He was bitter, betrayed but he was still bent on survival. Even while she walked around pregnant with a baby she wasn't sure who the father was... Sometimes Blessing would catch Rick looking after her, looking at her retreating figure as she walked away from some sort of disagreement with a look in his blue eyes. They'd glaze over, and a weak smile would come on his face. But then.. Then his lips would twitch into a frown, and those warm blue eyes would fill with tears before he shook his head and moved on.

It wasn't an everyday occurrence. But it happened enough for Blessing to notice.

Carol wasn't as mousy, but sometimes she'd put up a mousy front. Like she was wearing a mask so that things could go her way, she'd even taught Blessing a method or two. She never really had to use any methods on Daryl, because he always did what she asked anyway. He'd gotten better at communicating his feelings, even in front of the others. He had his moments where he'd shy away into a corner whenever she got a bit too open about her and him but... It was much better than what he was like before.

Now, it was nearing the end of the cold season and their was still a chill in the air. Daryl kept warm with a heavy poncho he'd found the first month into winter, and Blessing was happy as a fat kid with cake when he'd found her a pink bomber jacket. It was too big for her, and that made it all the more warm. There were definitely times when Carl would sneak away from his mother so he could snuggle into her under the coat, and she never minded. He was just a kid, a thirteen year old now?

His hair had grown longer, much like everyone else's. But his height growing, eyes becoming more tired just made them realize how fast time was moving. That, the everchanging seasons, Lori's growing belly bump and the weariness growing on people's faces. People were tired, hungry, and some of them were angry.

"Wanna fool around upstairs?" It was a lighthearted whisper, one that just about everyone in the room still heard. They were all stuffed in one medium sized home that looked more like a cabin because of how run down it was. They'd checked out the upstairs already, but it was ruined by walker blood and other disgusting shit. Like the bodies of the people who once owned the home, feces and a dead pet. It was a daunting feeling, having to come back downstairs to tell everyone they couldn't use the bed upstairs... To tell them they couldn't go upstairs because they wouldn't like what they saw...

Daryl snorted out a laugh, shaking his head as he plucked the feathers off of the owl he'd caught when they found the place. It wasn't much, but it was still food. So no one complained when he showed off the bird with a weak smirk on his face. Glenn and Maggie cackled into each other's sides while others smirked at her obviously trying to lighten the mood.

Some people settled when Rick came sauntering in the room, hands on his hips and his face set like stone. Things were tense with him, no matter who you were. Even Carl and him had their moments, when Rick would snap at Carl for wanting to do anything besides be a child.

Blessing's smile wiped from her face watching Rick make his way to Carl, who'd just opened a can of dog food. He sniffed at its contents for a second, as if checking if it smelled any good when they all knew dog food wasn't something people wanted to eat. Rick bent over a bit to snatch the can from Carl's hands, making Carl shake a bit in his spot where he was sitting on the ground. Not expecting his father's quick hand, because he'd heard him walking in but... didn't expect him to grab something out of his hand.

He read the label, a scowl on his face before he threw the can at the far wall with force. Its contents splattered across the wall, some splashing people that were sitting nearby. Huddled together for warmth.

People glanced at each other, scared to open their mouths to say something. Even Lori, who'd been given extra rations lately because of her pregnancy...

"Rick... Gon' go huntin', think you should step out wit' me." Daryl was the only one brave enough to say something. And Rick actually agreed with him with a nod, before he turned on his heel and they were heading out together. Blessing and Daryl exchanged glances, and she blew him a kiss when he closed the door behind him.

"This shit sucks major asshole." Blessing grumbled as she settled on the ground beside Maggie, sticking her tongue at Glenn when they met eyes for a moment.

"Yeah, all this movin' around isn't the best for my back." Herschel joked weakly, stretching his legs out as he sat on the dusty ass couch in the middle of the living room. Beth was curled into his side, smiling warmly at her father since he was her source of warmth. Her jacket wasn't as thick as everyone else's, and sometimes needed to settle with Blessing so they could both be zipped into her big jacket to go to sleep. Daryl was annoyed by it everytime, but Blessing thought it was funny to do.

"Surprised you ain't throw anything yet, I almost did a few times." Glenn jokes, stretching his arm that wasn't slung over Maggie's shoulders. It popped when he flexed it, and he and Maggie both cringed at the sound of it. Blessing looked at him with a mildly impressed look on her face, because it was almost a competition at one point to see who could crack their knuckles the loudest. Glenn never won, and it sounded like he should've been using his shoulder cracks to compete instead.

"That's him calling you old, by the way." Blessing whispered Herschel's way, making him chuckle while Glenn tried to stutter out an apology.

"And Carl, you cool over there? Saw your dad snatch that can from you..." She looked over Carl's frame with a hint of concern dancing in her brown eyes. Rightfully so, because he'd been quiet since then. A thoughtful expression on his face and a faraway look in his eyes as if he were thinking deeply about something. Now, if he were anyone else she wouldn't care too much. But this is a thirteen year old boy... And when he was staring off like that he looked so much older than what he was.

She didn't like that at all.

"Uh, yeah... I'm good." Carl muttered, a crack in his voice before he cleared his throat with a shake of his head. He forced a smile on his face, giving Blessing a thumbs up before glancing his mother's way. Just like everyone else, she was huddled in a corner of a room with her jacket on and a blanket hanging from her shoulders. Her dark eyes looked sunken in her face, swirling with emotions that never seemed to go away anymore.

Shame, guilt, regret...

Sometimes he couldn't look her in the eyes too long without feeling it himself, but he couldn't bring himself to hate her. Even if he was upset about everything that's gone down. They'd assumed he was too young to understand but.. He watched from a distance enough to know exactly what went on. His mom's affair, Shane going off the rails the way he did, his dad acting so... Distant now..

"Just.. Hungry. That's all."

Lori's face shifted into a frown at that, knowing it was because of her. He'd shared his last meal with her, saying his baby brother or sister needed the food more than he did. He wouldn't let her refuse, and she was feeling guilty every single time he did it.

"Well stop giving up your food, then you won't be hungry." T-Dog was the one who said it, brow raised and eyes looking out the window of the home. Being the lookout for walkers that stumbled too close to the vicinity. Luckily, there wasn't too much of an issue here. The house before this? They had to keep moving because of a small horde that was stumbling through. And this place wasn't terrible, it was just too small for the growing group of survivors. A one room home, for what.. A dozen or more people? It wasn't impossible, but it wasn't comfortable.

"I can't." Carl instantly denied, lips settling into a frown that matched his mother's. And his blue eyes became determined, matching his father's much too well. "The baby needs to eat."

"Baby ain't gonna be too happy when it gets here and its big brother is a bag of bones." Blessing tried, head twisting a bit as she shrugged. She could tell he wanted to laugh or smile at that, but he bit the inside of his cheek instead. Like he was fighting the humor, and instead... His face twisted a bit into one of irritation. Nose scrunched, brows furrowed and lips twitching.

"If I survive.. Or it." He spat, like it was poison on his tongue. Everyone made a face at that, some more upset than others. Lori's eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head a bit trying to deny the thought.

"You will. You both will." She jumped in to say, voice shaking with emotion. Carl looked her way, meeting her eyes even though he was bombarded by all that guilt , all that regret that it clenched at his chest. It almost made it hard for him to breathe, and he had to take a shuddering breath to bring air back into his lungs so he could speak again.

"What about you?" He asked, eyes watering and hands clenching in his lap. Blessing and Maggie both gulped at that. Although Blessing didn't really like Lori, at all... She still felt terrible about what may happen. She'd been right next to Maggie when Lori had come to the girl, telling her about C-Sections and anything related to birth... Telling the girl she knew something bad was going to happen.

"Don't worry about me, Baby. We've got time." She said softly, yet it left a haunting feeling hovering over everyone in the room. Even Glenn, who'd been awkwardly smiling the entire time just in case Carl looked his way.

It was quiet after that. People huddled further into one another, some falling into short naps while others kept watch until Rick and Daryl showed up again. And when they did, they didn't just come back with food that Daryl had hunted down.

"C'mon, everybody pack up." Rick grumbled as he pushed his way inside, Daryl behind him with his crossbow hanging off his shoulder and a few dead animals hanging off of a rope in his hand. He looked smug and excited as he made his way to Blessing, who was rising from her own nap.

Her hair out and curls a bit wild from being stuffed in her jacket while she cuddled with Maggie who also had fallen asleep.

"Hi, baby." She mumbled, giving him a peck on the lips when she sat up because he'd puckered his lips for just that. He gave a soft hum, his pointer finger and thumb gripping her chin lightly so he could deepen the kiss just a little. It made her giggle into his lips, and he pulled away with a lazy grin on his face when her nose scrunched up with her giggles.

"Hey there, princess. We found some shelter." He said it proudly, both of them seeming to be in their own world as Rick spoke to everyone. Barked out orders, explained what he found out there with Daryl. Everyone moved around them, even Maggie and Glenn got up from the floor, leaving Blessing alone in her jacket on the floor while they gathered their things.

"You did?" Her eyes sparkled, and she perked up like she always did when he came back with good news.

"Mhmm, the prison not too far from here. Think it's close enough to walk, you up for that? Pretty lil' feet can handle all that walkin'?" His tone was teasing, and her lips stretched into a grin that matched his. She held out her arms as if asking for a hug, and he chuckled as he brought himself right into them. It was a trick though, she didn't want a hug. She just wanted him to pick her up because she didn't feel like picking herself up off the ground.

"Pick me uppp."She whined when he let out a grunt, not expecting her to basically act like dead weight. He never complained about picking her up, she didn't weigh much. But he wasn't expecting that, and nearly fell forward into the wall she was leaning against. "Don't act like I'm fat!"

People turned around to shush her, and she cringed at the slightly panicked looks on their faces when T-Dog looked out the window to make sure she didn't attract anything. She thought that was pretty funny considering they didn't act that way when Rick was being loud but... Whatever.

"Sorry sorry.. We're coming.."

~*~
Word Count : 2,334

Vote / Comment

May 23rd, 2025

Chapter Text

They rested for the night, and in the morning, people seemed to arise with a spring in their step. They weren't even inside the prison yet, but they were already feeling a sense of security being so close. Maybe it was the tall ass brick walls, or knowing it was meant to keep people out. Keep people in too.

Honestly, Blessing had a bad feeling about them pressing further into the prison. But right now? The rewards seemed much better than the risks. So, when Rick started to pick out people to be in positions when they pressed forward... Blessing tried to step up with a brave face beside Daryl. Shoulders squared and jaw set, trying to mimic the strong stance that he always took. She wasn't as intimidating as him though, because she lacked the muscle. They all did, because rations had been running dangerously low.

"I got real good with my knife... So, I can go with you guys, right?" Her voice was hopeful, so hopeful that Daryl made eye contact with Rick that lasted longer than she'd liked. She could tell they were having a mental conversation that she wasn't a part of, and she didn't like it at all. Because she knew damn well that it meant she'd probably be staying back with the younger of the group, the pregnant or elderly... "I can go with you, right?"

Daryl sighed at the bite in her tone, and then rolled his eyes when Rick poked his tongue to the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't smirk at the way she was starting to glare up at him. As if it were completely up to him whether or not she was able to go. But no, it was just Rick calling the shots right now.

"Yea ya can, Ma'am," Rick started, stepping around the group with long strides that had his belt clanging with every step he took. He waved his arm around, pointing towards the entrance of the prison where there were stray walkers lingering about. "I found a set of keys on a body while we were movin' around... Lookin' like they may be for those fences and shit around here. Wanna get rid of those walkers, push in all together. No man left behind kinda thing."

He ended his small spiel of info with some sturdy nods, not trying to go into specifics about everything. Everyone didn't need to know that the keys that'd been found most likely opened more than just a few fences.

"Oh, we're all going! Good shit, good shit." She chirped, clapping her hands with a bit too much excitement. It made a few snort out a few laughs the way her expression shifted from a glare to a grin so quickly. Even Lori, who looked downright exhausted. Honestly, she looked like she was ready to pop any day now. Unfortunately... Not in a healthy way.

To Blessing? It was giving pregnant Bella from Twilight... If you know, you know. But people were much too considerate to mention it to her, to say she looked like death on a stick. Sometimes, people gave her a bit of side eye when she tried refusing some extra food and her eyes would water. Filling with guilt along with her tears. She'd always end up taking the food, because she was hungry just like everyone else.

He meant it when he said no man left behind. The entire group pressed in the group in a tight formation. The weaker, the elderly and such of the group were centered, surrounded by the others that were all carrying a melee weapon of some sort. There was no way for them to get high ground, so it would be a waste to go in wasting bullets. The only people with guns were Rick and kinda Daryl since he had his crossbow. Everyone else? Had hatchets, machetes, hunting knives and Blessing was sure she'd seen someone wielding a regular kitchen knife.

Everyone was tense, alert and extremely cautious when Rick led the group and opened the doors for them to start their ascent. It was tight knit, but they were too cocky about how good things were going at first. Rick led the first kill, taking a walker out quietly with a knife he pulled from his belt loop. Everyone was still slightly crouched when it's body fell to the ground in a slump, and the dozen other walkers that were in the room behind it.

Daryl followed up, shooting his crossbow and knocking another down as they headed towards them. Now, people were pushing forward even though Lori was clutching onto Carl with clear panic on her face. Sweat building up on her face as if she were the one doing any of the killing.

Maggie was the first to take out the walker that was covered in protective gear, using her knife to dig under its chin to get its brain and catching the attention of the others. Because not even seconds before, had Daryl's bolt bounced off the helmet of that same protective gear. Blessing had to copy her same move with a grimace on her face, groan slipping through her clenched teeth when something that smelled like fuckin' garbage splashed on her face. It continued on for what felt like forever, but probably lasted mere minutes.

This is where they get too cocky.

Glenn slipped from formation momentarily, just to snatch up a fallen knife that'd slipped from his walker blood covered hand. T-Dog saw this as the opportunity to do the same, break off from formation to try to take out walkers that weren't as close. This did not bode well with Rick.

"Back in formation!" He barked, looking back with the veins of his forehead protruding from his shouting and his knife swinging. He'd pressed too far without the others in formation though, and the group was slowly broke into two groups.

Quite frankly, Blessing didn't give a fuck where anyone else went as long as she ended up with Daryl. And she sure as fuck did. She followed him closely, their backs practically pressing against each other as they stalked together in a bit of a crouch. Glenn and T-Dog seemed to have followed them, but she wasn't sure where Rick and the other's ventured off to yet. She didn't really care either, because they'd found some doors that were unlocked. And as soon as they were close enough, Daryl kicked open the double doors for everyone to filter in.

On the way in, Blessing was sure she'd taken out at least four walkers on her own. Daryl probably had shot six, maybe more if they counted all the brightly colored bolts he always used. She couldn't even begin to think about how much everyone else had got, or if anyone else was behind them... Was there someone behind them?

"Oh my God, he got bit! Daddy!" It was a stomach churning cry, one that had Blessing's face dropping when she turned and caught sight of Rick carrying in Herschel who was bleeding from his leg. Maggie was helping him on his other side, face twisted as she cried out when her dad sputtered out in shock at being bit. Beth was following along, hands fumbling and face red as she cried... Looking like someone who'd been waiting in the hospital hoping for good news...

Only for the doctor to give her devastating news...

"H-He got bit on his leg! W-We could do something, right?!" Glenn shouted out in panic, eyes wide when Herschel was placed on a rolling table of some kind and rolled further into the room. It seemed like Daryl had moved forward while people were distracted, because there was another set of double doors that were wide open for them to roll Herschel through. Rick paced for a second, chest heaving with panic and eyes wide but churning with thoughts. Ideas on how to get the fuck out of this situation. And then his eyes lit up.

He rushed to Glenn, practically snatching the machete from his hands before he was back to Herschel.. Swinging the blade down to his knee. Maggie and Beth let out sounds of shock and terror as their father's blood splattered on their faces, even Blessing dropped her hatchet in horror when Rick's face twisted with a grimace as he swung the machete down again with a sick crunch.

"Holy fuckin' shit!" She shrieked out, tears building up in her eyes when Herschel screamed out in agony but then.. Then his scream died out into nothing as they all fumbled to wrap his severed appendage.

"Give mes so- Give me some fuckin' towels or something! Anything!" Carol shouted out when Glenn seemed to be frozen, and it helped in getting him focused again. He shook before he was darting off into the room, and Blessing's eyes followed him until they caught sight of Daryl holding up some people at ... gunpoint? Was it gunpoint if he had a crossbow...?

"Who are they?" Blessing mumbled, curiosity peeked as she picked up her hatchet. She glanced over her shoulder, gulping down her regret when she walked away from everyone trying to help Herschel. Just to stand by Daryl's side as he glared as the group of men standing before them. They all looked like prisoners. Either wearing an orange jumpsuit completely, or like they'd torn theirs apart at one point so they wouldn't be so hot. There were quite a few of them too. Two hispanic dudes, a black dude and a white guy with a funny mustache. A mustache so funny that Blessing had to do a double table when he pursed his lips and his mustache moved with it.

"Real question is, who are y'all, sweetheart?" The hispanic man with the longer hair questioned, raising his brows and arms in a bit of astonishment. "Ain't never seen nobody trynna break into prison... Always out."

"Don't talk to 'er, talk to me." Daryl snapped when his eyes slowly slid over her frame. It was appreciative, and she could sure fucking tell he probably hadn't seen a woman in a while. So she scowled when he blew her a kiss instead, wanting to grab his dirty looking tanktop to use it to swing him across the room. Man, if I had super strength...

"I don't care 'bout none of that. What's goin' on outside that's so bad y'all gotta come in here?" The second Hispanic man pressed, looking more stressed than the first.

"How long y'all been in here?" Daryl asked instead, making the man suck his teeth in frustration and turn to look away. Hands raking over his head as he groaned out while the mustache man spoke up.

"Been locked up in that closet for goin' on ten months now... been countin' the days." He looked distraught, not even noticing the way some of the others glanced at him seemingly annoyed. Looked like his personality didn't click with theirs, and he was the odd man out. It was kinda sad, honestly.

"They don't know about anything." T-Dog said in aghast, absolutely taken aback by the idea of people coming into this with having no idea about the apocalypse. Then again, that was Rick at one point, right? Didn't he wake up from a coma and suddenly everyone was fucking gone?

"We don't know what?!" The man shouted out, ignoring when Glenn raced by him with supplies in hands. In fact, his face twisted up in rage instead of frustration now. And he tried to step forward to follow after Glenn, a finger pointing his way. "Why's he takin' our shit?! And why the fuck did he cut off that dudes leg, man?! What the fuck is goin' on?!"

His voice cracked, and Blessing cringed at how everyone seemed to have absolutely no sympathy for him at all. He seemed so panicked to her, she could tell her was afraid and that's why he was becoming angry. Rick had to step in his way, pushing him back with a hand to his chest and a serious look on his face.

"There's a disease goin' around. You get bit, you die. He got bit on the leg, we took off the leg." Rick explained, tone dark but voice shaking.

"Think of it as like.. A science experiment." Blessing said awkwardly, a small attempt at lightening the mood. It didn't help though, because they all glared her way. Even Daryl, who still had his crossbow pointed towards some of the prisoners.

"I-Is my mom okay? A-And my old lady? Can I give 'em a call?" The large dude asked, the first time he'd spoken the entire time really. It seemed like everyone else was doing the talking for him until it came up to now. He was big, but looked timid and afraid... He didn't even look like he belonged here.

"There's probably no one out there for you." T-Dog said solemnly with a shake of his head, and the mans face twisted as his dark eyes filled with tears.

"So what? Y'all just gon' come in here and take our shit like we ain't been here the whole time?" The long haired man asked, seeming unimpressed with Daryl now by the way he gave him an up and down.

"You been pardoned by the state of Georgia." Was Daryl's only answer, a very clear one. Get the fuck out.

"Eviiiiiiicted." Blessing sang in a whisper, bumping her hip against Daryl's and finally getting him to twitch his lips into a barely there smirk. The prisoner didn't find that amusing though, even if he was the only one. Because even mustache man had snorted out a breathy laugh until Daryl glared his way. The other man's eyes narrowed on Blessing, lip twitching a bit at the corner as he fought a scowl.

"Y'all can't just take our shit." He spat, glare hardening when Daryl stepped aside so he was blocking his view or her. So that his glare was met with Daryl's instead of Blessing's anxious one that definitely wasn't as intimidating.

"We can take whatever the fuck we want. Y'all got any food here?" He moved now, heading around them all so he can look around the large room in search of anything he could use. Blessing's eyes followed his movements apprehensively, because as soon as he'd moved she could feel eyes on her again. She clenched her jaw, squaring her shoulders a bit to let her feeling uncomfortable fuel her bravery. She locked eyes with the man who'd glared at her before, and matched his glare with one of her own.

"-in there if i were you..."

Everyone coughed out in disgust when a disgusting smell came into the room when Rick opened a door that was by some shelves. All of the prisoners cringed, and even the man she'd once been glaring at had to look away in disgust when Blessing's stomach turned and she doubled over to empty her stomach acid onto the floor. Because she didn't eat for her to throw up anything else.

"We didn't have anywhere else to use the bathroom." Mustache man admitted bashfully, scratching at the back of his head with a blush on his face. While the prisoners glared at him, Rick and Daryl found a room filled with exactly what they'd been looking for.

Food.

~*~
Word Count : 2,572

Vote / Comment

May 29th, 2025

Chapter Text

They rested for the night, and in the morning, people seemed to arise with a spring in their step. They weren't even inside the prison yet, but they were already feeling a sense of security being so close. Maybe it was the tall ass brick walls, or knowing it was meant to keep people out. Keep people in too.

Honestly, Blessing had a bad feeling about them pressing further into the prison. But right now? The rewards seemed much better than the risks. So, when Rick started to pick out people to be in positions when they pressed forward... Blessing tried to step up with a brave face beside Daryl. Shoulders squared and jaw set, trying to mimic the strong stance that he always took. She wasn't as intimidating as him though, because she lacked the muscle. They all did, because rations had been running dangerously low.

"I got real good with my knife... So, I can go with you guys, right?" Her voice was hopeful, so hopeful that Daryl made eye contact with Rick that lasted longer than she'd liked. She could tell they were having a mental conversation that she wasn't a part of, and she didn't like it at all. Because she knew damn well that it meant she'd probably be staying back with the younger of the group, the pregnant or elderly... "I can go with you, right?"

Daryl sighed at the bite in her tone, and then rolled his eyes when Rick poked his tongue to the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't smirk at the way she was starting to glare up at him. As if it were completely up to him whether or not she was able to go. But no, it was just Rick calling the shots right now.

"Yea ya can, Ma'am," Rick started, stepping around the group with long strides that had his belt clanging with every step he took. He waved his arm around, pointing towards the entrance of the prison where there were stray walkers lingering about. "I found a set of keys on a body while we were movin' around... Lookin' like they may be for those fences and shit around here. Wanna get rid of those walkers, push in all together. No man left behind kinda thing."

He ended his small spiel of info with some sturdy nods, not trying to go into specifics about everything. Everyone didn't need to know that the keys that'd been found most likely opened more than just a few fences.

"Oh, we're all going! Good shit, good shit." She chirped, clapping her hands with a bit too much excitement. It made a few snort out a few laughs the way her expression shifted from a glare to a grin so quickly. Even Lori, who looked downright exhausted. Honestly, she looked like she was ready to pop any day now. Unfortunately... Not in a healthy way.

To Blessing? It was giving pregnant Bella from Twilight... If you know, you know. But people were much too considerate to mention it to her, to say she looked like death on a stick. Sometimes, people gave her a bit of side eye when she tried refusing some extra food and her eyes would water. Filling with guilt along with her tears. She'd always end up taking the food, because she was hungry just like everyone else.

He meant it when he said no man left behind. The entire group pressed in the group in a tight formation. The weaker, the elderly and such of the group were centered, surrounded by the others that were all carrying a melee weapon of some sort. There was no way for them to get high ground, so it would be a waste to go in wasting bullets. The only people with guns were Rick and kinda Daryl since he had his crossbow. Everyone else? Had hatchets, machetes, hunting knives and Blessing was sure she'd seen someone wielding a regular kitchen knife.

Everyone was tense, alert and extremely cautious when Rick led the group and opened the doors for them to start their ascent. It was tight knit, but they were too cocky about how good things were going at first. Rick led the first kill, taking a walker out quietly with a knife he pulled from his belt loop. Everyone was still slightly crouched when it's body fell to the ground in a slump, and the dozen other walkers that were in the room behind it.

Daryl followed up, shooting his crossbow and knocking another down as they headed towards them. Now, people were pushing forward even though Lori was clutching onto Carl with clear panic on her face. Sweat building up on her face as if she were the one doing any of the killing.

Maggie was the first to take out the walker that was covered in protective gear, using her knife to dig under its chin to get its brain and catching the attention of the others. Because not even seconds before, had Daryl's bolt bounced off the helmet of that same protective gear. Blessing had to copy her same move with a grimace on her face, groan slipping through her clenched teeth when something that smelled like fuckin' garbage splashed on her face. It continued on for what felt like forever, but probably lasted mere minutes.

This is where they get too cocky.

Glenn slipped from formation momentarily, just to snatch up a fallen knife that'd slipped from his walker blood covered hand. T-Dog saw this as the opportunity to do the same, break off from formation to try to take out walkers that weren't as close. This did not bode well with Rick.

"Back in formation!" He barked, looking back with the veins of his forehead protruding from his shouting and his knife swinging. He'd pressed too far without the others in formation though, and the group was slowly broke into two groups.

Quite frankly, Blessing didn't give a fuck where anyone else went as long as she ended up with Daryl. And she sure as fuck did. She followed him closely, their backs practically pressing against each other as they stalked together in a bit of a crouch. Glenn and T-Dog seemed to have followed them, but she wasn't sure where Rick and the other's ventured off to yet. She didn't really care either, because they'd found some doors that were unlocked. And as soon as they were close enough, Daryl kicked open the double doors for everyone to filter in.

On the way in, Blessing was sure she'd taken out at least four walkers on her own. Daryl probably had shot six, maybe more if they counted all the brightly colored bolts he always used. She couldn't even begin to think about how much everyone else had got, or if anyone else was behind them... Was there someone behind them?

"Oh my God, he got bit! Daddy!" It was a stomach churning cry, one that had Blessing's face dropping when she turned and caught sight of Rick carrying in Herschel who was bleeding from his leg. Maggie was helping him on his other side, face twisted as she cried out when her dad sputtered out in shock at being bit. Beth was following along, hands fumbling and face red as she cried... Looking like someone who'd been waiting in the hospital hoping for good news...

Only for the doctor to give her devastating news...

"H-He got bit on his leg! W-We could do something, right?!" Glenn shouted out in panic, eyes wide when Herschel was placed on a rolling table of some kind and rolled further into the room. It seemed like Daryl had moved forward while people were distracted, because there was another set of double doors that were wide open for them to roll Herschel through. Rick paced for a second, chest heaving with panic and eyes wide but churning with thoughts. Ideas on how to get the fuck out of this situation. And then his eyes lit up.

He rushed to Glenn, practically snatching the machete from his hands before he was back to Herschel.. Swinging the blade down to his knee. Maggie and Beth let out sounds of shock and terror as their father's blood splattered on their faces, even Blessing dropped her hatchet in horror when Rick's face twisted with a grimace as he swung the machete down again with a sick crunch.

"Holy fuckin' shit!" She shrieked out, tears building up in her eyes when Herschel screamed out in agony but then.. Then his scream died out into nothing as they all fumbled to wrap his severed appendage.

"Give mes so- Give me some fuckin' towels or something! Anything!" Carol shouted out when Glenn seemed to be frozen, and it helped in getting him focused again. He shook before he was darting off into the room, and Blessing's eyes followed him until they caught sight of Daryl holding up some people at ... gunpoint? Was it gunpoint if he had a crossbow...?

"Who are they?" Blessing mumbled, curiosity peeked as she picked up her hatchet. She glanced over her shoulder, gulping down her regret when she walked away from everyone trying to help Herschel. Just to stand by Daryl's side as he glared as the group of men standing before them. They all looked like prisoners. Either wearing an orange jumpsuit completely, or like they'd torn theirs apart at one point so they wouldn't be so hot. There were quite a few of them too. Two hispanic dudes, a black dude and a white guy with a funny mustache. A mustache so funny that Blessing had to do a double table when he pursed his lips and his mustache moved with it.

"Real question is, who are y'all, sweetheart?" The hispanic man with the longer hair questioned, raising his brows and arms in a bit of astonishment. "Ain't never seen nobody trynna break into prison... Always out."

"Don't talk to 'er, talk to me." Daryl snapped when his eyes slowly slid over her frame. It was appreciative, and she could sure fucking tell he probably hadn't seen a woman in a while. So she scowled when he blew her a kiss instead, wanting to grab his dirty looking tanktop to use it to swing him across the room. Man, if I had super strength...

"I don't care 'bout none of that. What's goin' on outside that's so bad y'all gotta come in here?" The second Hispanic man pressed, looking more stressed than the first.

"How long y'all been in here?" Daryl asked instead, making the man suck his teeth in frustration and turn to look away. Hands raking over his head as he groaned out while the mustache man spoke up.

"Been locked up in that closet for goin' on ten months now... been countin' the days." He looked distraught, not even noticing the way some of the others glanced at him seemingly annoyed. Looked like his personality didn't click with theirs, and he was the odd man out. It was kinda sad, honestly.

"They don't know about anything." T-Dog said in aghast, absolutely taken aback by the idea of people coming into this with having no idea about the apocalypse. Then again, that was Rick at one point, right? Didn't he wake up from a coma and suddenly everyone was fucking gone?

"We don't know what?!" The man shouted out, ignoring when Glenn raced by him with supplies in hands. In fact, his face twisted up in rage instead of frustration now. And he tried to step forward to follow after Glenn, a finger pointing his way. "Why's he takin' our shit?! And why the fuck did he cut off that dudes leg, man?! What the fuck is goin' on?!"

His voice cracked, and Blessing cringed at how everyone seemed to have absolutely no sympathy for him at all. He seemed so panicked to her, she could tell her was afraid and that's why he was becoming angry. Rick had to step in his way, pushing him back with a hand to his chest and a serious look on his face.

"There's a disease goin' around. You get bit, you die. He got bit on the leg, we took off the leg." Rick explained, tone dark but voice shaking.

"Think of it as like.. A science experiment." Blessing said awkwardly, a small attempt at lightening the mood. It didn't help though, because they all glared her way. Even Daryl, who still had his crossbow pointed towards some of the prisoners.

"I-Is my mom okay? A-And my old lady? Can I give 'em a call?" The large dude asked, the first time he'd spoken the entire time really. It seemed like everyone else was doing the talking for him until it came up to now. He was big, but looked timid and afraid... He didn't even look like he belonged here.

"There's probably no one out there for you." T-Dog said solemnly with a shake of his head, and the mans face twisted as his dark eyes filled with tears.

"So what? Y'all just gon' come in here and take our shit like we ain't been here the whole time?" The long haired man asked, seeming unimpressed with Daryl now by the way he gave him an up and down.

"You been pardoned by the state of Georgia." Was Daryl's only answer, a very clear one. Get the fuck out.

"Eviiiiiiicted." Blessing sang in a whisper, bumping her hip against Daryl's and finally getting him to twitch his lips into a barely there smirk. The prisoner didn't find that amusing though, even if he was the only one. Because even mustache man had snorted out a breathy laugh until Daryl glared his way. The other man's eyes narrowed on Blessing, lip twitching a bit at the corner as he fought a scowl.

"Y'all can't just take our shit." He spat, glare hardening when Daryl stepped aside so he was blocking his view or her. So that his glare was met with Daryl's instead of Blessing's anxious one that definitely wasn't as intimidating.

"We can take whatever the fuck we want. Y'all got any food here?" He moved now, heading around them all so he can look around the large room in search of anything he could use. Blessing's eyes followed his movements apprehensively, because as soon as he'd moved she could feel eyes on her again. She clenched her jaw, squaring her shoulders a bit to let her feeling uncomfortable fuel her bravery. She locked eyes with the man who'd glared at her before, and matched his glare with one of her own.

"-in there if i were you..."

Everyone coughed out in disgust when a disgusting smell came into the room when Rick opened a door that was by some shelves. All of the prisoners cringed, and even the man she'd once been glaring at had to look away in disgust when Blessing's stomach turned and she doubled over to empty her stomach acid onto the floor. Because she didn't eat for her to throw up anything else.

"We didn't have anywhere else to use the bathroom." Mustache man admitted bashfully, scratching at the back of his head with a blush on his face. While the prisoners glared at him, Rick and Daryl found a room filled with exactly what they'd been looking for.

Food.

~*~
Word Count : 2,572

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May 29th, 2025

Chapter Text

Two prisoners died that day, and it wasn't mustache man or the big black dude that was pretty soft spoken. The more aggressive man with the long hair had tried to sabotage them all when they'd attempted to push back in the prison when walkers had them cornered. No one had been hurt except for him, and it was only because Rick had taken him out with a hefty swing of his axe. Everyone who'd been in the room to witness it hadn't spoken a word about it, but it was kinda weird to Blessing because... No one was really treating Rick any different.

Well, they did but not in a bad way. It felt like he was being given more respect, more respect than he'd been given before. When Blessing had looked to Daryl when it'd happened, he seemed almost impressed... It was like everyone was desensitized to the killing and the death all around them. Like she was the only one left still flinching at the sound of a skull being cracked, or a knife being plunged into flesh.

Herschel had woken up but he was still missing a leg, so Blessing tried not to comment too much on that. It was hard not too though, whenever she walked into the room he was in her eyes would instantly gravitate to where his leg could've been.

They were all becoming a bit more comfortable in the prison, even though they'd been there a short period of time. Daryl didn't wanna be locked up in a cell, so Blessing didn't really have much of a choice when it came to picking a place to rest. She followed him right up to what they were calling the watchtower. There were a few of them, but Daryl had picked this specific one so he had a clear view of the front of the prison. There weren't many blindspots, not in this tower.

Now, it was evening. Definitely nearing bed time for most of the camp, especially the younger ones like Carl and Beth. Blessing already washed up, and was pretty much walking around the prison just fucking with people to pass time. Carl was tucked away in his cell and usually he was who she went to first, so she had to settle for his boring ass dad this time.

She was barely picking up her feet as she walked, just to get on people's nerves with the sound of her slides dragging on the dirty floor. Daryl had snatched them up for her a while back, but it'd been too cold for her to wear them. Now they had somewhere to lay their head and the weather was warmer, she was gonna wear them as much as she could when she wasn't tearing up walkers or doing hard labor.

"Riiiick! My guyy!"

"For the love of God, Blessing, pick up your feet!" T-Dog threw his head back as he said it, eyes screwing shut and hands clenching at his sides dramatically. He was standing with Rick along with Glenn and Carol, probably all talking about some tasks they had to do the next morning. Maybe about the tasks they'd finished today. She didn't know, she didn't really care either. As soon as she put her slides on, she clocked out for the day and didn't wanna hear shit else about fucking work. Even if work was just survival now..

She brought up a hand to cover her mouth when she laughed at his fake misery, nudging her shoulder against his when she joined their square to make him move over a bit. Rick smirked at the way she stomped her foot a bit when she stopped, just to show she wasn't gonna be making any more noise for T-Dog.

"What's up, Bless?" Rick asked, voice light and eyes sparkling with amusement. Her hair was still wet, but it didn't look it. He could only tell because he could see water droplets falling from the tips of her curls. If anything, it looked like her coils were just weighed down a bit by products. But no... She was just air drying her hair because she didn't wanna use something dirty to dry it off.

"Nothin' just came over here to bother you 'cause I'm bored and there's no more internet." She confessed with a shrug, and Carol giggled lightly at the way she seemed to perk up at the idea of 'bothering' people so much. It was nice, because things had been so depressing lately. Blessing hadn't been herself, she probably still wasn't... A part of her felt like she was feeling the calm before the storm, because things were going a bit too smooth. Not that smooth considering Herschel lost a leg and two prisoners died but still.. She felt safe here, right now.

But just thinking that felt like it was a set up. Like she was jinxing herself for some heinous shit to come...

"You don't bother much, that's okay." Rick said with a laugh, giving her a pat on the shoulder. But Glenn shook his head at that, brows raising and pointing an accusatory finger her way.

"Uh yeah she does! She's up to no good, man. She's gonna try to steal your wife or something." Glenn joked and T-Dog internally cringed as he looked Blessing's way. Because of course, she was already looking at him with a smirk on her face. Looking like she was trying so hard not to say what he was thinking.

I don't gotta steal your girl, Shane already handled that...

"Not me, Glenn. C'mon, I'm a good girl." She said instead, grimacing when someone came up behind her and wacked her on the back of the head lightly. When she peeked over her shoulder to see who it was, she let out a laugh of relief when it was Daryl. Lips curled into a snarl as he shook out his hand before wiping it off on the back of her shirt.

Didn't seem like he liked the idea of wet hair, he never minded when they were in the shower together though. So she pushed him a bit when he'd wiped it off on her, making him stumble to the side just a bit and bump against Glenn.

"Don't believe 'er. She's a menace." Daryl jumped in to say, making the group break into some cackles while she made a sound of disbelief. Whacking at his arm even though there was a smile threatening to make its way onto her face.

"No I'm not, Daryl! Shut up!" She laughed out, and now it was Daryl's turn to cackle into his hand. A blush crawling on his cheeks just a bit when her eyes stayed focused on his a bit too long. A twinkle in them that seemed oh so familiar. She was in a mood, a good one and was probably trying to take advantage of it. "Did you wash up today?"

His lips parted yet no words escaped them, even when they moved as he struggled to find his answer. Now his small blush turned into his face blossoming red. He knew exactly why she was asking the question, and maybe if she didn't ask it in front of a crowd he wouldn't be so shy. But she did, and they were all smirking at him like they knew exactly what she was insinuating. She wasn't very discreet about it, honestly. Not with the way her eyes raked over his arms when he crossed them over his chest. Shielding himself from all of their prying eyes.

"Well? Did ya wash up?" Now Rick was teasing Daryl, his head tilting forward and brows rising to try and force eye contact from Daryl since he was avoiding everyone's eyes.

"Well I been a lil' busy..." He trailed off a bit, raising an arm to scratch at the back of his sweat covered head. At least his hair wasn't tangled or anything, and that was probably because of Blessing. She had a habit of running her fingers through his hair when they were going to sleep, a good habit he didn't ever see himself complaining about.

"You don't wash your ass you don't get any, I hope you know that." T-Dog pointed out, nodding his head with a look on his face that read 'Trust me, I know'. That look had Daryl looking to Blessing with furrowed brows, question clear in his eyes. He bein' for real right now. And she smirked as she nodded, because he for sure was being for real right now. She wasn't gonna be showing him extra love if he smelled like an ass and a half. He didn't right now but.. He was on the verge of it. "Get to it, Dixon."

With a huff, Daryl left the group and headed deeper into the prison where the showers and bathrooms were. Glenn sighed out with a shake of his head, fighting some laughter at the way Daryl seemed to be moving with a bit of extra pep in his step.

"You've got that man hooked. Ain't fair." Glenn commented, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched Daryl walking away. Everyone turned to face the same way, and now they all stood side by side staring after him. Unbeknownst to them, he felt those eyes on the back of his head and moved quicker out of sight.

Blessing shrugged, biting at the insides of her cheeks when her eyes became downcast once he was out of sight. No one had even said anything wrong, not about her or Daryl. It didn't feel like it. But still.. A small part of her just felt odd. Because now it was Daryl hooked on her, when it all started the other way around.

How the fuck did she deal with all the shit she did to end up here?

Still alive? And with him? Standing pretty strong?

"Bless... You okay?" Carol's soft voice brought Blessing back to reality. She blinked a few times fast before she looked up to find Carol standing beside her now. Glenn and Rick were long gone, and it was just them and T-Dog now. Carol's hand was hovering just above Blessing's shoulder, her brows furrowed in concern and worry shining in her tired eyes. When Blessing looked to T-Dog he nearly looked the same, worried.. Anxious even as his eyes danced over her face.

"What? Yeah, I'm good. Of course." She let out an awkward chuckle, shaking her head a bit as if it'd clear her mind. It didn't help at all, not even a little bit. It just made some water from her hair splash in her eye, and she let out a small squeal when she tried to rub it out since it was mixed with some of her natural hair oils. That shit burned. "Oh fuck, my eyes!"

"Girl, if you don't-" T-Dog cut himself off by pushing at her shoulder with a bit of force. Carol was too damn nervous to touch her, but he wasn't. Blessing acted too much like a little sister for him to not want to push her around to bring her back to reality. And it definitely helped her reorient herself, because she had to regain her balance so she wouldn't tumble to the ground from how hard he'd pushed. If he'd been anyone else, she might've put him in a chokehold.. A poor attempt of a chokehold.

But he wasn't. He was T-Dog. And when she grinned his way to show off that she hadn't fallen, her eyes softened at the relief that was on his face. Relief of seeing her smiling once again. Carol patted Blessing's back with a laugh, nodding her head as if accepting Blessing's answer of her saying she was okay before she was walking away. Probably heading towards her cell, or maybe to go check on Herschel since she'd been helping him out a lot lately. She was always pretty helpful when it came to nurturing someone...

Not when it came to keeping her kid alive though, but that's besides the point.

"You sure you good?" T-Dog asked once again once Carol was gone, voice low and eyes a bit hopeful. Hoping that now that it was just them, she'd probably tell the truth. Give the right answer, no she wasn't okay. Everyone was starting to see it, but she was trying so hard not to acknowledge it... It was probably doing more harm than good.

"Dude.. It's the end of the world, are any of us good?"

There we go, a proper answer. His shoulders fell with some relief even though her eyes seemed to sadden, but they didn't fill with tears. Instead, that sparkle that usually made home in her orbs withered away. It seemed like with her answer, her mask had dropped and her face shifted. Like the skin on her face became heavy, her lids dropped the slightest bit, and her lips tilted down in a frown...

"No.. But we're gonna keep trying to be. Right?" T-Dog's words held an underlying promise, one she understood immediately. We aren't good, but we're survivors...They had no choice but to be.. Well they did but, this was T-Dog saying the other option was no longer an option. If he was refusing to give up, she had to refuse too. Blessing sucked her teeth at that, brown eyes moving to where Daryl had disappeared off to before looking back at T-Dog. He could see the cogs turning in her head, the thoughtful expression on her face. His chest hurt at that, knowing she was thinking about it....

The Blessing he knew from the beginning would've already said yes. Said some shit along the lines of 'Right, duh. Of course we're gonna be good.' But not anymore.. Instead, she swallowed the emotions that were building up in her throat and slowly nodded.

"Yeah.. We can only try." It was a weak mumble, but it was good enough. Just like Carol had done, he gave her a pat on the back as he uttered his goodnight before heading off to his cell. Now Blessing stood in silence, his words bouncing around in her head..

She huffed out before pushing to head to the tower her and Daryl were staying in, running a hand over her face to get rid of some sweat that was building up. It wasn't even that hot, but everyone she got lost in her thoughts she'd come back to reality so fucking hot..

"Bless!" Daryl's voice called down the hall, probably done with washing up and waiting for her to get to bed. He sounded a bit impatient, like she'd been keeping him waiting. She wasn't trying to though, she was just as excited as he was to have a distraction.

"I'm comin'! I'm comin!"

"Yeah, yer about to!"

~*~

Word Count : 2,482

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June 3rd, 2025 

Chapter Text

"You're gonna make me?" She smirked a bit as she damn near skipped her way to their watchtower. He was looking just a bit disgruntled, impatient really as he leaned against the board of controls that she wasn't sure worked or not. It ran across the front wall, and since the controls probably didn't work anymore it looked like it'd work as a great counter right under the windows.. Windows that went all around the watchtower, making it feel so much bigger than the square that it really was.

Just like they'd told him, he'd washed up and his hair looked slicked back just a bit by water. It was a different look than his usual one, where his hair was falling into his face because it was growing quite a bit. Now, she could see all of his serious stubble covered face.

He wasn't even wearing his usual vest, just a tank top since they were going to bed. He didn't like doing much without his shirt, and she understood why. So she didn't push him to get out of it no matter what they were up to. She'd only learned about his scars when he'd woken up late the net morning after one of their drunken nights, after getting practically black out wasted because of an argument with Merle. She didn't even remember them hooking up, and neither did he. But she remembered when he sat up out of bed the next morning, and she got a clear view of his scarred back...

She'd tried to trace some, and the gentle touch had him flinching as if it were the angry hand of his father. It was as if he hadn't even realized he was shirtless because he was so hungover, and he'd become angry once he realized he was. He'd shot up from the bed, turning his back against the wall with his face twisted up angrily...

'The hell ya touchin' me for?! Stop lookin' at me!'

He was like a scared and cornered child even though she hadn't even gotten up off the bed. She'd still been drowsy from sleep and confused, but still... He could see those small slivers of what he could only think of as pity. He hated it.

But they'd grown past that together. He'd apologized when she got teary eyed, and left the room all flustered to go use Merle's shower.

"I sure am. Done set everythin' up all nice and all." He motioned towards the mattress he'd dragged up there that had his sleeping bag on top for extra measure. She'd complained about the mattresses being dirty, and even though he'd picked one of the cleaner ones he knew she'd be quick to make a comment if it had too much of a walker smell on it.

Her brown eyes raked over the set up, their heads would be right under the control board, so they'd be facing the entryway. Their stuff was set aside to the corner of the room, taking up a bit of space in the smaller area. Still, it was a neat little mess that she couldn't help but smile warmly at.

"You're the fuckin' best." She praised, kicking off her slides so she could hop on the mattress to add a few inches to her height when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders for a hug. She had a pull him down a bit to force his head down to her chest, and he didn't resist at all. Instead, his lips stretched into a grin when he turned his head towards her to take a playful bite out of her left boob. "Ow! Daryl, what the fuck!"

She laughed out as she pushed his head away, but she couldn't push him very far even though he was laughing himself too. Because he'd wrapped an arm around her waist to gently steer her down on the bed since he wanted to lay down already. It wasn't to rush their intimacy, his feet were just tired as fuck from walking around all day doing shit. So when they both laid on their sides on the bed facing one another, he let out a groan of relief when he kicked off his own sandals that he'd found. It felt like once the pressure was taken off of the appendages, they pulsed with relief. He couldn't tell if it hurt or felt good. Maybe it just hurt good...

"Did you have a good day today?" She whispered the question even though they were the only ones in the room, and she had to bite her lip to stop from smiling too hard when his eyes became warm. They danced over her face, and she could only stare back and admire those calm Dixon blues that were usually storming. Brewing with so many different emotions she never knew which one he was actually feeling sometimes.

"I did, you were there... Did you?"

"Of course I did, you were there."

They settled in silence, not even uttering a word when he reached a hand out to caress her jaw and cheek as he admired her. His other hand twisting and twirling a curl of hers, trying to keep occupied so it wouldn't wander too much. But... That was what they both wanted. It was like he was just taking his time admiring her, caressing her. Feeling her before he'd tried to take a step forward, because quite frankly.. Touch was something that felt entirely too taboo to him.

He usually wouldn't want to feel anyone's hands on him, not even hers sometimes. But now.. He was letting her explore. He didn't stop her by pushing her hand away when she'd reached out to trail her fingertips over his face just like he'd done to her before. Not even when those same hands ventured over his neck, shoulders... Then arms and his clothed chest and abdomen.

To Daryl, it was invigorating. He didn't even have to be inside her for her to make him feel something. His heart was already racing, breathing picking up everytime her hands stopped in certain areas to give him a gentle and quick massage. Especially when she'd stopped over his nipples through his tank top and teased them with a pinch.

To Blessing, it felt like she was being edged the entire fucking time.

When his breathing picked up a bit, and his lips parted as he stared at her in wonder.. She knew it was time to open her mouth or else he wouldn't make his move. She always had to make the first move when it came to this kind of shit, and she was fine with that for the most part. He knew when to take charge, and so did she.

"Can you kiss me now?" He nodded a bit too fast at her question, and even shuffled over to her so he could crawl partially on top of her. She opened her legs a bit for him to settle between them, her bent knees caging him in, she still was wearing pajamas pants and shirt just like him. So she whined the tiniest bit when she could feel his hard on through his pants rubbing against her own sex, teasing her even more than he already was. "Daryl-"

He knew she'd open her mouth to start rushing him, so he interrupted her with a sloppy kiss that took her breath away. He grunted into the kiss when she raised her hips, thrusting herself up against him to get some well needed friction. He tried to match her with his own, even when he was distracted by trying to dominate her tongue with his own. She always put up a good fight, but this time.. He'd won. Once he took over their kiss, it became feverish. He held himself up above her with an elbow, while the other was venturing under her shirt to grasp at her breasts. His gentle caresses becoming more of a desperate grasp, his hands leaving trails of angry red marks behind them that would simply disappear minutes later.

"Take 'em off." It was a simple command, a simple command that he'd spoken with his voice low and rumbling like thunder she'd heard before. He'd pushed himself up to settle on his knees so she was able to raise her legs into the air for her to be able to rush out of her pants. He'd even helped her when her foot got stuck in one of the legs with a hasty tug of the fabric before he'd tossed them haphazardly to the corner of the room. He let her put her legs back down only after she'd slipped out of her panties too, and pushed the hem of his pants down to his hard cock could spring to life once they were just below his ass.

"Love me." She breathed once he'd brought himself back down, coming back down to use his elbow to hold him up above her once again. At this his brows furrowed, and his blue eyes that were hooded with lust looked up to meet hers.

He was only partially confused by her words, too focused on the moment they were in. "I always love you, Bless. Yer my baby."

They were simple words that he growled out as he pushed his cock into her, dipping his head into the crook of her neck for her to suckle on her skin as she threw her head back to moan out. He moved with slow and steady strokes, so slow that he had to bring up his other arm for him to use both elbows so his hands could tangle in her hair. Clutching at her coils but not tugging so he could restrain from changing his tempo because this one seemed to be doing its job for her. He could tell by the way she'd reached around to scratch at his back but she could only really get his shoulders since he was still wearing his tank top.

"Yer my baby, right?" A breathless whisper in her ear, a question he already knew the answer to. When she nodded instead of answering verbally, he quickened his pace a bit and caught her off guard. He rose his head to look down at the faces she made, trying to see what she looked like when those devilish sounds slipped from those pretty lips of hers. "Yes or no? Hm?"

She cried out, nodding more frantically with her lips parted and brows furrowed. Her eyes were squeezed shut, body overwhelmed with the senses she was already feeling... That he made her feel. His breath bouncing off of her face, so ragged it almost sounded like he was panting. She could tell he'd even brushed his teeth when she told him to wash up because it was minty, cold even when it touched her skin. Yet whatever skin of his that touched hers was so warm it nearly burned.

His fingers tangled in her hair not even tugging at the strands felt like a massage, adding on to the pleasure she was feeling.

He quickened his pace even more when she nodded again. And this time, he pushed himself back up on his knees. His hands moved from her hair to her his to raise them a bit for him to angle up more, and she had to reach to grab his arms and pull herself up so that she was basically straddling his lap on the bed. Once she did that, he wrapped an arm around her waist so he could lean back on the wall that was behind their heads and plop his ass down so his legs wouldn't get tired. But Blessing? This was her time to shine.

She gripped at the edge of the control panel since she had to lean back so she wouldn't bang her head against it and used it as leverage to keep her balance. She planted his feet on both sides of him so that she was crouching over him now, and he could only look up at her with dazed and dark eyes when she started to ride him. Her shirt was still on, but it was an older one that had a small tear on the hem as if she'd tried to make it a v neck. So he reached up with both hands to tear at the already ripped shirt, so that it was wide open and he had a clear view of her bra covered chest.

She only let go of the counter for a moment to push it off with haste, and then her bra followed. He let out a shaky whine at that, and one of his hands found itself circling her right breast so he could bring her nipple to his lips. His tongue circling over for mere seconds before his lips had completely enveloped it for him to suck on. She let out a breathless moan at that feeling, adding on to the orgasm that was coursing through her since she'd picked up her pace when she gripped the counter once again. And when she squeezed around his cock, he groaned out desperately. His legs twitching beneath her for a second as he fought his own orgasm back. She had to get one more, at least.

That way he'd feel like he'd actually satisfied her.

"Fuck, Daryl~." It sounded like a whine, a whine that had him breathing out his out moan into her skin. Hearing her call out his name like that always send tingles down his spine, almost had him cumming then and there. But he couldn't just yet. So instead, he focused on ramming his cock up into her since she was slowing down. It seemed like her legs were probably getting tired after her orgasm. So, he'd simply pick that pace back up for her.

"I'm all yours, I'm your baby." She moaned into the air when his hands gripped at her waist a bit hardly. Keeping her in place so he could have the wonderful view of her tits bouncing right in his face as he pounded into her. They were oh so tempting, so tempting he had to bring one into his mouth once again for a taste... Just to remind himself of the flavor, of course.

That, along with her reaching a hand down to give her clit some stimulation was enough to send her into yet another orgasm. One that he had to pause to look down at because the way she squeezed at him had his body vibrating. She was gushing around his cock, and the sight of her spilling all over his cock had him squeezing her even harder when his stomach clenched with his own orgasm.

"Holy fuck..."

~*~

Word Count : 2,469

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June 4th, 2025

Chapter Text

A few days of preparation is all they had. Herschel had awakened from his leg being chopped off, and had to adjust to not having the limb he'd grown so accustomed to. While Lori, Carol and Maggie took turns taking care of his wound and doing physical therapy others did things around the prison. Carl, Blessing and Maggie were the designated farmers after Carl had gone to the infirmary alone in search of medicine for Herschel.

He'd been able to retrieve it alone, and had even taken out a few walkers on the way. But his parents were not very happy about it. Kinda. His mother was not a happy camper about it, but it looked like his dad had mixed feelings about it. He'd been angry at first, yeah. But then he'd waited until Lori had left them alone for him to give his son a pat on the back. His chest swollen with pride and a barely there smile on his face, making Carl grin like a hungry cat that just caught a mouse.

Since then, they'd readied up some soil plots to plant some crops and had even started with some tomato seeds they'd found. T-Dog, Rick and Glen had fixed up some weak parts of the fence that they were aware of and Daryl had set up a bunch of traps in areas nearby. It felt like.. Shit was coming together.

"Would it be too much if I asked you to carry me?" She was squinting hard as hell under the scorching Georgia sun, she was mentally cursing herself for not stealing Glenn's hat when she had the chance. She'd tied her hair up, forcing her curls up into a big poof on top of her head. A style that Daryl always told her made her resemble a pineapple. She only did it because the curls that flopped over her forehead at least gave her a bit of shade , even if it was just inklings of it.

Her skin had darkened with a tan, T-Dog had commented before that she'd be his complexion soon if she didn't stay in the shade. But she didn't really mind, because Daryl still kissed her skin no matter what.

"Too much what?" Daryl squinted right back at her, holding a hand up to tyr to shield his eyes from the sun. Both of them were walking back up to the prison's main area since he'd brought her out to check a few traps, figuring he'd teach her how to rig and unrig them while he had the chance.

She tilted her head at that, thoughtful expression on her face as she mulled over the answers. There weren't many though. "I'dunno, man.. Too much weight? Or responsibility?"

"Who am I? Spider man?"

She snorted at the way his accent sounded when he said it, and the way his face twisted up in genuine confusion. She was the one who'd shown him any and everything spiderman, taught him the catch phrases and theme songs. If he didn't bring up a spiderman reference or joke when she said the word responsibility she would've been offended. He lightly and playfully pushed her ahead so that she made it to the group before he did, and they were both greeted warmly by Glenn, T-Dog and Rick who were chatting it up by the gates.

"Has Carl asked you guys the important question that I'm now thinking about because Daryl brought up spiderman?" Blessing pondered aloud, making them all exchange curious glances before shaking their heads. Carl hadn't really asked anything, he'd just showed off their farming progress.

He'd showed off some knives he'd found to his dad too, but he wasn't going to mention that around too many people. Not for them to get loose lipped and go back and tell Lori. Everything was already rocky for them, and a big part of it was her being pregnant and not knowing exactly who the father may be.

After Shane had left.. He'd thought about it hard, and he knew that no matter who that baby came out looking like he'd be their father no matter what but Lori...? He didn't have it in him.. He didn't have it in him to pretend everything was fine, when in reality it really wasn't. At all. They were starving, tired, they just got over being cold and now have to deal with the hurdle that was giving birth...

Carl was a c section...

"Okay so, do you prefer Marvel or DC? 'Cause Spiderman is Marvel and he's honestly one of my favorites. But I always thought superman was kinda cute with his glasses and stuff." Rick sucked in a breath as he turned his eyes back to her, forcing a smile on his face like he was forcing his negative thoughts out. No one seemed to notice, and he didn't mind at all since they were all too focused on trying to debate their answer with Blessing.

"Doesn't DC have Batman and Superman?" Glenn rose his brows as he leant forward, like it'd get Blessing to hop right on over to team DC. It was an argument that Carl used often, he'd used it against Rick even. But it never worked with Blessing, she was dead set on supporting that friendly neighborhood spider.

"Okay? And? What about ?" She sassed, cocking a hip for her to plant a hand on it. T-Dog crossed his arms over his chest at that, leaning back with a smirk on his face as his dark eyes jumped between Blessing and Glenn with amusement. "What's so great about them? An orphan and an alien, big whoop. Spiderman? Yeah, he's a normal fuckin' kid who got bit by a spider... That's like if I got bit by a roach at Daryl's job and I woke up a fuckin'... Mechanic Roach Bitch, bro... Imagine!"

"An orphan and an alien...?"

Rick, Daryl and T-Dog seemed confused by this but Glenn definitely wasn't. He gasped in dramatic shock, reeling back and clutching at his nonexistent pearls as if she'd just uttered an atrocity. But their humor was long forgotten when there was a sudden but somewhat quiet cheer. All of their eyes gravitated towards the stairs of the prison to see Lori, Maggie and Beth helping Herschel down. He was using crutches, and would occasionally make a pained face when they pressed into his underarms yet he still continued on.

"Yeah! Herschel! Now you can race me!" Glenn cheered, clapping his hands together excitedly as they all grinned. Watching with hope brewing in their orbs, love stirring in their chest at the sight of them all. Especially with Carl following closely behind, the boy slowly looking more and more like a young man every time he stood guard for his mother and the women of the group. It was honorable, and it reminded them all so much of Rick.

They all clapped, trying to cheer a bit quietly so they didn't attract more walkers towards the fences even though they knew it wouldn't help much considering all the noise they made anyway.

And then their happiness was disrupted by a loud ringing alarm.

People were visibly shook before they actually started moving. Lori started pushing Herschel back into the prison, while Glenn and T-Dog rushed forward to help them since they were getting cut off by a large group of walkers that seemed to come from fucking nowhere.

"Bless! Go wit' Rick, I'll clear the fence!" Daryl barked out the instruction like it was something he'd already planned. Probably assuming Rick would keep Blessing safe, protect her like his own. So when Daryl turned and focused on taking walkers out that were too close to people, she followed Rick towards the prison where the others had retreated.

He was running fast and almost moving too clumsy for Blessing's liking because he'd nearly tripped her trying to get his thoughts together.

"Rick! What're we doing?!" She whispered it harshly, slapping at his shoulder with a bit of force that had him snapping his head towards her and nearly running into a wall.

"W-We gotta stop the alarm, it's attractin' more." It was clear and direct, so she didn't mind nodding and following him along. Luckily she had some knives in the loops of her belt courtesy of Daryl, so she wielded one on each hand while Rick was swinging an axe like he got paid by the swing.

They pushed their way in where they assumed where they saw the others going, only to end up in halls they hadn't been in before. It was only the two of them yet the halls were crowded, hot and full of groans. The smell had tears burning in both of their eyes, adding on to the determination they already felt about finding the rest of their group. When they stumbled upon a checkpoint that looked familiar, Rick cried out in a short and probably much too early celebration when he caught sight of the door they needed to shut off the alarms. A door that was shut, meaning someone was probably behind that door.

By now, Blessing was sure her kill count had surpassed the dozens territory when it came to walkers. When two of them tried to block the door, jaws snapping and arms outstretched while RIck was too focused on the walkers behind them she let out a strained curse when she had to allow one closer to her for her to even hurt it. It was taller than her and had a longer arm reach yet she still persisted. Going as far as to even doing a small hop to get her knife to reach its forehead. Meanwhile, the second walker was trying to move in on her but was smaller than the first and kept bumping into its back.

When it did fall, she didn't have time to catch her breath before she had to start swinging her knife once again. This time, she kicked its knee out from under it to send it tumbling to the ground. Practically sprawling on the taller walker that she'd just taken out, just for her to let out a shout as she raised her boot-covered foot to slam down on the back of its skull.

Finally, they were able to make their way into the control room and close the door behind them with less of an issue. Rick was the one who rushed to the control panel, pressing every big red button he could while Blessing stood with her back pressed against the door as if her weight would stop walkers. Both of them are covered in not just sweat, but walker blood as well now.

"Someone did this.. Someone pressed that fuckin' button." Blessing breathed out, her wide eyes dancing over the controls to see some of them covered up with plastic covers. Meaning you had to lift the cover to actually press the button, a walker couldn't just do something like that.

"Axel? Big?" Rick uttered their names, suspects on his list that he'd just conjured up. He had enough critical thinking skills to notice the shit she noticed, but not enough to remember that Axel and Big were being held in solitary until they trusted them... It wasn't possible for them to have done this.

"T-That doesn't make sense, they're in solitary."

They both paused, meeting each others gazes as if searching for answers. Rick didn't seem as panicked as Blessing felt, he looked stoic almost. She nearly forgot he was a sheriff before this until now, because he looked a bit too ready to solve this crime. Because that's exactly what it was, a crime.

"We figure it out when we find out about everyone else." Rick said, and Blessing swallowed her nerves as she nodded to agree. His voice shook a bit, and his bottom lip wobbled like he was fighting his emotions like Daryl did sometimes. But she knew all too well that he was probably scared just like she was, because when no one was around Daryl told her he felt it too.

That when they put on those brave faces, it was all a fucking lie. They were so scared just like she was, they just couldn't show it. They had to focus on maintaining their families, their women. So they wouldn't fall apart along with them.

It wasn't that they saw them as weak, or burdens. They just believed that type of vulnerability was meant to be protected for a reason. And because they weren't like that, they weren't vulnerable or naive at times. They had to be the ones to be the protectors. It was natural law.

"Thank you, Rick." She whispered it into the dark as they crouched through the halls, trying to make their way through without making too much noise. It didn't matter too much considering how many walkers they'd already taken out on this side, but still. They had to move with caution.

"Don't thank me 'till yer back with Daryl." Rick drawled, jaw clenching when he nearly tripped over the body of a fallen walker. There was light at the end of the hall, and it felt so close yet so far away. Every time he took a step too quickly, Blessing would grasp at the back of his shirt and try to yank him back right in front of her. Leaving his shirt wet with her sweaty palms, and his neck a bit choked from the collar being yanked. But still, he didn't complain. He didn't even glance over his shoulder in frustration to tell her to cut that shit out.

Something that Merle had done to her before when she was scared after a scary movie, asking him to check if there was something in her and Daryl's closet. If Daryl wasn't home, she'd knock on his door looking like she was being held at gunpoint and point towards their open door like a monster could pop out at any minute. Merle would pretend he wasn't afraid, and inch towards the room with her behind him...

God, why is Rick reminding me of Merle? Blessing thought to herself.

Both of them sagged with relief when they made their way out of the prison, out of the section they hadn't been before. Everyone seemed to be waiting for them already, looking somber and downcast. Some couldn't even look up to meet Rick's eyes, like Carl. And Blessing looked around at each face of the group in confusion until her eyes landed on Maggie.. Holding a baby in her hands that looked like it may be asleep.

Rick's face twisted for a split second, like he was gong to burst out in tears right then and there. "Carl..."

His voice was weak, shaky. Nothing like it'd just been when they'd been in that hall moments ago. And when Carl refused to meet his eyes or say anything, Rick turned to Maggie and tried to make his way past her, into the room that her and Beth seemed to be blocking with their frail bodies. Only for Maggie to step in his way with a reluctant shake of her head. Tears welling up in her tired eyes, finally meeting Rick's gaze.

He peeked over their heads.. And finally his body shook as he let out a strangled cry, bending over at the waist to hold himself up with his hands on his knees. Tears falling down his bloodied faces, and spit falling from his parted lips as he whimpered out.

"Oh no... Oh no, Lori! Oh God, no!"

~*~

Word Count : 2,603

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June 7th, 2025

Author's Note : As much as Lori got on Blessing's nerves, this was actually kinda hard to write. 

Chapter Text

It was hard to get a good conversation out of Rick after that day, and understandably so. Blessing could tell that he was going through the stages of grief in his own time, and denial seemed to be the one he was stuck in. She could tell because she'd catch him mumbling to himself often, looking like he was speaking to someone that he saw in the distance. But every time she looked to get a glimpse of who he may be talking to, no one was ever there.

She'd gone with Daryl to get some formula for the baby the moment Herschel said it was crucial. They'd returned in less than a day because they'd moved with haste. In reality, they were both moving as quick as they were because they knew if they stopped they'd think about all the shit that'd happened.

They hadn't just lost Lori. They'd lost T-Dog and Carol, well... They lost sight of Carol. Blessing had a feeling she was still out there, that lady had too much fight in her not to be alive somewhere in that prison. They just didn't know where. It was frustrating and so much more daunting to be sleeping in the same place you knew your friends had fallen, or may have fallen. To stare up at the dark ceiling in the middle of the night listening to the sound of Rick talking to himself in the common room, thinking he was speaking to people on the phone..

Or when he'd become so enraged with himself he'd recede into the dark halls of the prison they hadn't ventured yet to hack away at walkers that roamed them. It'd filled some nights with his anguished screams, sometimes people couldn't look at him after a night of it. But because everyone had been together so long, concern overweighed any fear they felt towards him.

"We're gonna go on a run to get some more formula, need anything?" It was obvious that Maggie wasn't trying to go up the guard tower to get them, she'd heard enough before to know not to walk up there. She was waiting right at the bottom of the steps, arms crossed over her chest and leaning against the fence that was around the tower. It looked like she was wearing one of Glenn's shirts and a dirty pair of jeans, Blessing just knew she was sweating bullets in those things even with the breeze they felt.

Wearing jeans when it was nice out was chill, only if they were the right material. But no jeans were the right material anymore, all the fabrics worn by time and usage. The ones they wore were usually worn down from the hand scrubbing they had to do to get rid of walker blood and the smells.

Blessing pretended to think, even tapped a finger to her cin and looked to the sky for some answers. Daryl was coming down the stairs behind her, a smirk teasing his lips and his eyes twinkling with something they saw so often when he looked at Blessing. Even though he was squinting from the sun, just like everyone else was.

"Damn, do I got anything on my wish list...? If you see some pringles or something I've been craving the green can." She licked her lips at the thought of them, she'd practically been dreaming about scarfing down a whole can by herself. Just the chips as a meal, she didn't care for anything else. At this point she was sure that everyone was used to running on fumes, even though they'd looted some good stuff from the prison.

They'd just grown accustomed to surviving off nothing after those months they'd spent out there with nothing.

"You been sayin' that for days now." Daryl couldn't help but quip with a roll of his eyes, but only because she'd said it so much. Everytime someone left the prison she would ask for these fuckin' pringles, no matter who it was or what they were leaving for.

"Can't help that I stress eat sometimes, okay? We got new people here and we still haven't figured out who set off those alarms." It wasn't a lame excuse, not like the usual ones she gave. She usually came up with a silly little story as to why she couldn't do something, only for it to just buy her time... She always ended up doing it afterwards.

The new faces weren't just the prisoners either. They'd found a few people deeper in the prison that they didn't have much of a choice when it came to bringing them in. Mostly because they felt like shit about the way Rick reacted around them. He hadn't even really looked at them, just around them. He'd spoken of them as if they weren't in the room and he'd ended up screaming at the walls.. Telling someone who wasn't there to go away..

There was Sasha, Tyrese, Bob and Andrew. Sasha and Tyrese were siblings, brother and sisters. From what it looked like, Sasha was younger by the way Tyrese took the lead so easily. He wasn't aggressive or even loud, he'd been pretty calm through the entire ordeal. He'd tried playing peace keeper, even when everyone couldn't agree on letting Andrew stay because they claimed they found him in the prison as a prisoner... He wasn't a civilian like they were. He was... Not as agreeable as Tyrese. He was more amped up and ready for a fight, Blessing was pretty sure he'd challenge Rick if no one else was in the room when Rick had began to hallucinate.

Blessing didn't trust his ass.

"Rick and Daryl will figure it out, don't worry too much about it." Maggie reassured, or tried too. She'd painted a soft smile on her face, trying not to sputter when the wind pushed some of her short brown hair near her lips.

But Blessing only rolled her eyes, letting out a scoff of disbelief. "Sure, lemme just press the stop worrying button, Mags. 'Cause that's how that works."

"Bless, Maggie is bein' nice to you. Be nice to her too." She couldn't help but pout when Daryl said it the way he did. It almost sounded like he was talking to a child, chiding them for being rude to someone older than them. He had a teasing scowl on his face though, amusement in his eyes when her eyes did find him. He didn't even wait for her to say something smart before he was slinging his arm over her shoulders to pull her into his side for them all to walk along to the common area.

Their tower was just outside, separating them from the rest of the group just a bit. But it wasn't so far that they couldn't just peek out the window to see everyone outside or near the prison doors. Maggie smirked as she followed along, bumping her hips against Blessing's every so often since she was walking in the middle of the trio. Still pouting at being chided at, but copping of feel of Daryl's ass none the less. Maggie only caught it because she'd glanced behind them as they entered the prison and saw Blessing's hands slowly creeping down.

He'd jumped when she did get a squeeze, and glared her way as if she'd stolen something from him. Only for her to whistle and look around, pretending she had no idea what the fuck was going on. Maggie cackled when Daryl realized she'd seen the whole thing, and a blush crawled up his neck when he scoffed. "Nevermind, be mean to 'her next time. I don't care."

Both women laughed at the embarrassment that was clear in his face and tone, only for their laughter to die down when they caught sight of a manic Rick pacing in the common area. Like always, it looked like he'd been knee deep in walkers somewhere in the prison. His beard had grown out quite a bit, and the curls on top of his head were starting to fall down onto his forehead from not being cut. Blessing thought the look suited him had it not been for his wide and mania filled eyes, or maybe it was all the blood that was always splattered on his face and chest. Smeared into his hair from him running his fingers through it so many times...

"Was just telling Rick that we're gonna go for a run, that's all." Glenn's voice had Blessing jumping out her skin, she hadn't even realized that he'd come up to Maggie to give her a peck on the lips before telling her what was up. When Rick's eyes jumped to them, she had to swallow the nerves she felt building up because damn was he scary when he was crazy.

"I uh.. I think I cleared the east wing... I'm not sure though, I'll have to go back and check again." His voice was distant and raspy, like he hadn't used it often unless it was to scream obscenities she heard coming from him.

"Maybe you should rest, y'know? Wash up, eat something..." Blessing didn't sound as optimistic as she usually did, and people noticed how nervous she was with Rick. It was hard to tell whether or not she was genuinely afraid of him now, or if she was afraid of him as a leader as he was. Before she didn't care about him leading, she was all for it. But now it was obvious that his mental state was not at its best.

She didn't know how to say it without sounding insensitive but... The moment he'd revealed that he couldn't kill Shane and he'd let him leave she questioned him. She didn't know how to bring it up to Daryl because he was his right hand man. They went to each other for just about everything when it came to survival. A fantastic fucking team she couldn't even deny it. She didn't want to plant a seed of doubt in his mind because of her own doubts.. Or maybe she needed to, she didn't know what she needed to do.

Rick and Blessing locked eyes, and while his hardened gaze softened just a fraction.. Her eyes filled with tears at the emotion brewing in his. God, she felt like such a bad person. He'd done nothing wrong to her, he'd protected her when Daryl told him to and lost his wife because of it..

Maybe that's what it was.. Maybe she just blamed herself and was waiting for him to finally take all his anger out on her. Scream at her to leave and shut up like he'd been doing to the air so much, throw the phone at her instead of his hallucinations.

"Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" Rick's whisper was soft and shaky, his eyes dancing across her face. It didn't feel to him like she was even looking at him, but looking through him. Maybe it was the tears in her eyes that was making it look that way, or the way she kept blinking and scanning over his expression to gauge his reaction.. It had him looking over his shoulder to see if they were behind him.

Did she see Lori too?

"Do you see her too?"

"N-No no! I'm sorry I just, You should really eat something." She wiped her hands over her face to get rid of the tears building up in her eyes and sniffled to try and get rid of the raspiness of her voice. She let out a shaky laugh, trying to get rid of the concern that was displaying itself in people's eyes all around them. Even Axel seemed concerned, but she was pretty sure it was because she was one of the only people that was nice to him here.

Her and T-Dog until they'd lost him.

She turned to bury her face into Daryl's side, wiping her remaining tears on his shirt even though it probably was dirty. Oh no it was definitely dirty, she could tell by the smell of it. She scrunched up her nose, looking up to give him a bit of a glare that had him looking confused at the sudden change of emotions.

"What? What'd I do?"

"You picked a dirty shirt to put on like I didn't wash your shit the other day." She pointed out, trying to whisper it as if the room wasn't quiet enough to hear a rat piss on cotton. Some people tried to pretend like they weren't listening, but others didn't care to hide it. Like Glenn, who was very smugly smirking at Daryl getting a public scolding since it was usually him that did. From Blessing and from Maggie.

"I just threw on whatever, ain't think you'd be sniffin' me." Daryl tried defending himself, voice sounding higher than normal probably because he was lying. He knew the shirt was dirty, but he still threw it on because it was one of his favorite shirts.

"Imma go check the-"

"Don't check shit, Rick. Wash yer ass and come eat." Daryl spoke up, interrupting Rick with a touch of attitude. He wasn't necessarily trying to bark at him, but it did rub him the wrong way how Rick was trying to glaze over what she'd just said. Ignore that she was telling him to do shit for the better of his health. It wasn't just her trying to nag him to do shit her way.. She was just worried about him the same way everybody else was.

She was scared just like everyone else, but the only one willing to open her mouth to tell him he was still human too. Rick appreciated it, he really did... But he didn't need that right now. He needed...He didn't know what he needed. He needed his wife, to turn back time before he'd took that call and got shot..

He needed his best friend back, and his son to be innocent again...

"Rick." This time Daryl did snap because Rick had dazed off a bit, his blue eyes glossing over and focusing on the ground right before his feet. To people who didn't know, they probably would've thought he was possessed or some shit...

Rick sucked his teeth, but nodded and headed off towards where they knew for sure the 'showers' were. Only then did the tension leave people's bodies, some people even letting out small breaths of relief that they didn't realize they were holding.

"Dude," Blessing breathed out, shaking her head and looking Carl's way. "Your dad is scary as fuck."

~*~
Word Count : 2,443

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June 8th, 2025

Chapter Text

"Maggie and Glenn are taking too long.. They don't ever take this long on a run." It hadn't even been that long since they'd left, probably a day and a half. But that was enough for Blessing to worry, because besides Daryl.. They were her favorite duo. After all the death they'd been dealing with recently, Glenn and Maggie weren't people she could lose. She just couldn't.

She'd already started mentioning something about them taking too long a few hours ago, even though the baby still had some food to hold her over for a few days.

Oh, that was something else. The baby was a girl.... No one was sure what to call her since Rick was too busy slaughtering walkers in the deep end. SHe hadn't even seen her glance the babies way, too busy grieving over the wife he was so angry at before she died. He probably didn't want to see Lori in her, or maybe he didn't want to see if he'd see Shane instead of himself... It was a wicked mind game.

"I'll tell Rick so we can gather some shit and go look for 'em... Don't got much of a choice." Daryl grumbled, looking a bit grumpy as he tossed some bolts in the holder that was hanging off of his back. He'd been whittling a lot more recently, maybe because he'd ran out of the bolts that had the bright feathers on the back.

It was his favorite kind of ammo because it was easier to track his kills. Not just to keep count of walkers, but also to follow animals if a single bolt didn't take them out. It'd helped him time and time again keep track of a deer that took off with a bolt stuck in its hind leg or its ass.

It was starting to get warmer now, so he didn't have to wear that heavy ass poncho he had to wear during the winter. Now he was just in the angel winged vest that Carl had found for him. Blessing liked it the most because he usually didn't wear a real shirt under it, so it was a good gun show. He didn't try to keep it open, but kept the zipper low enough for his collarbones to peek out from beneath the collar of it. Collarbones that were usually littered with love marks that were left by her.

"Do you think they're okay?" Her voice shook when she asked it even though her eyes were filled with hope, like she was clinging onto it. Daryl knew that if he said no... That hope wouldn't last very long. So even though his stomach was turning with anxiety and he'd had a bad feeling since they left.. He nodded his head. Lips twitching into a barely there smile that couldn't even reach his eyes.

"Yeah, they always are."

And with that, they headed out of their tower to find Rick to do exactly what he'd said he'd do. But when they were nearly to him, Carl called out from one of their other towers that people usually stood watch at. Pointing towards the tree line with his face twisted in seriousness.

"Someone's out there!" He called out to everyone below him, and Rick was the first to follow his finger with his eyes. His chest was heaving with adrenaline before they even did anything, but then he took off and Blessing understood why. He was fucking ready.

The people who were on the ground followed after him like a group of sheep following its leader, weapons in hand. Daryl was one of the fastest, and ended up close behind Rick with Blessing flanking his side and Carl on the other. When they reached a few feet into the trees they found exactly who Carl had seen. A dark skinned woman with long loc, clutching one leg with a hand and a katana in the other. A basket hanging off her arm that was clutching her leg, occasionally smacking against it and making her grimace in pain.

Although they could tell she was in pain, her face was still stoic. Besides the wound on her leg and the slight discoloration in her clothes, she looked well taken care of. Like she'd been surviving quite well alone. But they all knew that may be too good to be true.

"Come with me." Rick snarled, grabbing her arm quite harshly and pulling her along with them. She resisted as much as she could with her wound, her locs flying about when he thrashed at her to stay still. Daryl walked behind, crossbow pointed at the back of her head and everyone looked ready to attack if need be.

They dragged her into the prison, none so gently throwing her to a chair in the middle of the common room that Carl had set there just for this moment. Like he'd run down that watch tower ready for some type of confrontation, eyes hard and jaw set. When the woman tried to swing her katana to get people to back away from her, but Blessing had the same thought process and had launched forward to snatch it out of her hands and toss it to the side.

"Stop resisting or I will shoot you." It was so calm it sent chills down Blessing's spine, and she straightened her stance to hold her hands on the woman's shoulders to keep her in place. Briefly, they made eye contact when the woman peeked over her shoulder after said what he said. Her skin was warm to the touch, but tense and hard like cold stone.

Blessing almost felt bad.

"Who're you?"

"Michonne." Her voice matched her well, it was steady and a bit raspy. Low, like she tried not to speak often... Only when it counted.

"Where'd you get that basket?" Daryl asked, gesturing his crossbow towards the basket she'd dropped as she was being dragged in. With the blanket that was over it to cover it's contents pulled back they could see all the baby formula, clothes and baby toys that were inside. All things that Maggie and Glenn had left for. Blessing's finger's squeezed at her shoulders just a bit. Heart racing and concern leaking into her eyes at this, she hadn't even noticed it.

That was Maggie's favorite basket to use because they always said it made them look like little red riding hood. It was cute, whimsical even. Michone didn't say anything though, and Rick stepped forwards with a tilt of his head. Pointing his python right at her forehead as if her life being under threat would get her to open her mouth. ANd it usually did get people to talk, but she didn't seem very phased.

Her brown eyes focused solely on Rick, seeming agitated by him. Maybe holding eye contact wasn't a very good idea, and it seemed to be pissing Rick off. That along with the fact that she was tight lipped when they asked about Glenn and Maggie. He didn't drop his gun from her head when his free hand rushed to her injured leg to force a finger into the bleeding hole in her pants, making her let out a strained cry.

"Don't touch me!" She barked, trying to push him away but it didn't help. It did get him to get his finger out of her wound, but it still throbbed painfully.

"What is that? A bite?" Blessing whispered down into her ear, a fearful curiosity brewing in her. It was a good question, one they should've asked as they were dragging her in. But with a mentally unstable leader and some missing links, they weren't thinking too much. Not all of them..

Michone shook her head, swallowing the pain she felt. "I was shot. By the man who took your friends."

"Someone took Glenn and Maggie? Who? Which way did they go?" Blessing wasn't whispering anymore, she was asking frantic questions now. Daryl had to saunter over and clap a hand on her shoulder to steer her away from Michonne because she had to lean away from Blessing being in her face.

Michonne didn't say anything yet, and Rick sucked his teeth as he fought the urge to throw something. Maybe her for not opening her fucking mouth and tell them where his people had gone.

"She's askin' you questions!' He barked at her, pushing the tip of his barrel into her temple to push her to answer. She sighed at that, eyes becoming down cast before she finally opened her mouth to give some answers. Answers that no one was really happy with.

"The Governor...He runs a small town not too far from here.." She began telling her story, and people gave one another weary glances before giving her their full attention. The only one who was moving was Rick, who kept pacing back and forth with his crazed blue eyes on her. Watching her every move as if she'd magically heal her leg and go on a rampage. Everyone knew it was him being paranoid, but they couldn't do much about it. He was right to be paranoid, after all.

"He's got your friends locked up... Probably has people looking for me too."

"Oh my God, Maggie and Glenn got kidnapped." Daryl cringed when Blessing breathed out the words, it looked like her knees were too weak for her for a second. Because they'd shook for a moment before she used Daryl's arm to lower herself to sit on the ground. "Oh my fuckin' God.."

Michone sucked her lips into her mouth, it was hard to hide the fact that the reaction caught her off guard but it wasn' like she wouldn't have said or done the same thing too. Sinking to the floor is something people usually did when they couldn't control their bodies with a large onslaught of emotions, learning that your friends were kidnapped..? That would get a big emotional reaction from anyone. Her face was riddled with shock, luckily not crying though.

"Do you know where they are?" Carl was the one to ask, eyes occasionally flying from Blessing back to Michonne. Without his mom, with Carol... Blessing was the next big thing he had when it came to a mother figure. To something that was normal and related to life before. She didn't even know them before the apocalypse, but when they'd been in camp those first few weeks she made things seem so normal.

For him.. That was her role. He couldn't call her mom when he already had one, he could definitely call her the name she was given. Blessing, because that's exactly what she'd been to him. Even when she teased him and tripped him up, he enjoyed everything about her company. ANd one thing he knew?

He didn't like seeing Blessing upset. It wasn't something he could control, he knew that now. He wasn't that young. He didn't have his mom to protect anymore, or his dad to rely on. He just had a baby on his hip that was without a name, and a group of what was once strangers beside him ready to take on the load of life with him..He needed them to be okay.

"I could take you to them.. I have unfinished business with the Governor.."

"You want him to shoot you again?" Blessing asked incredulously, making Daryl nudge her side with his leg since she was still sitting on the ground instead of standing like the rest of the group.

"If I die, I die.... I got his eye before I got out. He had fish tanks full of walkers' heads and a cage with a child walker.. I couldn't stay in a town run by a man like that." Her eyes became darker than they already were when she shook her head, sounding almost reminiscent. Like she was thinking to what it'd been like when she'd first discovered that town, before she realized it wasn't a place that was going to save her and the world she was living in. Before she realized it was all just some man's lie.. Again.

"The more you tell us, the more I wanna throw the fuck up." Carl agreed with her, but he couldn't laugh at a time like this. No one could. She wasn't really trying to be funny though, her face was actually turning green and she held a hand to her chest as if it'd stop anything from coming up past that spot. That trick never worked though, he knew because he'd used it before when he was sick and didn't want to throw up anymore....

He just kept throwing up.

""You'd show us where it is? Been in there?" Rick was much too serious, but thankfully he wasn't pointing his gun in her face anymore. Instead, he was standing in front of her with his hip cocked and shoulders wide. Taking up as much space and energy as he could, looking the broadest he'd ever looked. But maybe it was because Blessing wasn't used to him bucking like this. He hadn't done it when Shane was around, why do it with this random woman?

Unless.. Rick was that kinda guy that could only get big with women... But she'd never seen him disrespect Lori in any way so that wouldn't make any sense.

"I'll take you there.. I know their schedules and routine... Give me time to heal and I'll-"

"Herschel's gonna wrap you up and then you're gonna show us exactly where they are. I don't care about your leg or about your backstory. I care about my people." Rick interrupted her to say it proudly, practically sneering at the way her eyes narrowed on him for interrupting her. While that was rude, Michone understood to a certain extent that these were their people at the end of the day.

They weren't trying to treat her this way because they thought she was the danger. It was because they didn't have their people and because of that they had to assume everyone was the danger.

"...Fine."

~*~

Word Count : 2,335

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June 8th, 2025

Chapter Text

"Daryl, they're my friends! I have to go!" She'd been pleading with him since they'd found out they'd be heading out pretty shortly, but Daryl was stubborn. His lips set in a scowl and nose upturned, he was refusing to say she could go. Rick had said her name when listing off people and positions they'd be in, but Daryl had stopped him as soon as it slipped from his lips to say she wouldn't be going. Rick had been disgruntled but he understood why Daryl wanted to keep her here, locked away and far from all the danger... It was Blessing.

Even with her acting a bit off lately she wasn't as bad as Shane, and definitely wasn't acting as wild as Rick had been. But then again, he was a different story wasn't he? He lost his wife... and everyone knew they weren't on great terms when she'd died. He hadn't even wanted to be touched by her.

Lori was the one who consistently tried with him, but he just.. He wasn't really in it like he once was. Not after everything that happened with Shane, knowing he was out there wishing he'd taken her with him. Honestly, Rick felt that if she were given the choice she would've gone with him... But maybe that was just him.

"You been doin' enough here clearin' everything up with us, lotsa help. We'll take care of gettin' Glenn and Maggie." He gestured towards the cells on the second floor of the common area. It was more like a mezzanine of cells... Cells that Daryl refused to sleep in.

Her brown orbs glanced over and up at them in astonishment before she turned her glare to Daryl, who stood with his arms crossed and a passive look on his face. It didn't matter what she said, he'd already made up his mind that she wasn't going. There was no way in hell she was convincing him of otherwise, didn't matter what she offered or said she'd do.

She'd probably just give it to him eventually anyway.

"Daryl-"

"Yer not fuckin' goin', Bless. This ain't walkers, this is people." He crouched a bit so he was at eye level with her when he whispered it, nose twitching as he fought a snarl. It was so hard not to snap at her, tell her to just shut the fuck up and do what he said for once without question. But then that'd be a different problem for later. "We don't know these people, okay? Know what that means, wise ass? Means we don't really know what we up against no matter what the samurai tells us. You think Imma walk up anywhere with guns blazin' and you right behind me not knowing where to expect to be gettin' shot?"

"I can take care of myself!" She protested, brows furrowing as she fought her emotions. She'd rather be angry than start crying because he was right. That meant he won. But then her face dropped with an expression of hurt when he scoffed in mock disbelief, his arms swinging with a bit of dramatics when he leaned back with a 'yeah right' look on his face. "I-I can!"

"No, ya can't, that's why ya with me! Can barely shoot a damn gun straight, yer not fuckin' goin'."

He didn't wait for her to try and stutter out a protest, instead he walked away with his crossbow clutched in his hands and his shoulders tense. She could feel people's eyes on her, and honestly... It only made it all worse. To feel the pitied stares on the side of her face as she fought her tears. It only made it harder for her to fight the wobble of her bottom lip.

She couldn't bring herself to look at anyone. Instead, she cleared her throat and tried to blink away her tears. Tried to pull herself back together without Daryl with them all watching, but she couldn't do it. Not really. Her shoulders shook after a pregnant pause, her face twisting as she let out a low cry that was reminiscent of a child...

"Blessing..." It was Beth's soft voice that she heard, and probably her footsteps trying to come closer to her to console her in some type of way. Blessing let out a strangled cry that mixed with a laugh as she stepped away, looking towards the way back to their tower instead of anyone else. She could already feel their eyes.

She didn't want to see them.

"I'm gonna go take a nap." It was so shaky and sudden that Beth had jumped a bit, her big blue eyes full of concern and understanding. They followed after Blessing's shaking form as she moved past everyone and towards her tower...

For a few moments, everyone stood in silence unsure of what to do. Some of them glanced at each other, eyes confused but worried. It was mainly Rick and Michonne whose faces remained stoic, Rick's eyes raging with emotions. Michonne had just joined the group, she didn't understand the dynamics that'd been built already. She didn't know that Blessing was usually smiling and cracking jokes every other minutes. She didn't know that Daryl was usually smirking at her from a distance as he watched her work, or how he called her the princess endearingly even when she wasn't around.

She didn't know that this wasn't them.

"We gotta head out now. Beth... I think you should make sure she's good even if she said it was a nap. Every single one of you keep your eyes and ears open, you hear me?" Rick's serious eyes focused on Carl who looked just as serious as he did, still wearing his father's Sheriff's hat and looking like he meant business. He wasn't even shaken by his father pointing his finger in his face, it only seemed to brighten the determination in his eyes even though he didn't want to stay here.

He wanted to go with his dad, he wanted to fight.

Not stay here and play guard dog for the women and children, or pretend to. Even with Herschel here he knew that anyone who didn't go was vulnerable. The baby, Blessing, Beth, hell even Sasha who'd he'd only met recently.

He nodded firmly, and with that the rest headed out to try and retrieve their people.

Meanwhile, Beth headed towards Daryl and Blessing's tower with a frown on her face and wringing her hands. She wasn't entirely used to being the one to comfort someone, only the baby... It was her that usually needed the comforting after all. She'd been later catching up on grief because of her father, tricked by Faith to believe there was some type of hope.

Some hope that maybe there'd been a cure crafted somewhere and stored away like a vaccine.. Like they did for every sickness that came about before this. She thought that her family and friends locked away in their barn had still been people that had a chance of living life, not empty vessels just searching for food. Endless fucking food.

She could already hear Blessing's cries through the wooden door at the top of the steps, and hesitated only for a second to knock twice on it when she'd reached the top. She could hear the shuffle of her movements and how she tried to sniffle away her tears... It only made her clench her eyes shut with a grimace on her face, because she knew Blessing was probably cursing whoever was behind the door in her head. She was just too sweet to say it out loud.

"B-Blessin'? It's Beth.. I was hopin' I could come in and maybe sit with you? Talk if ya wanted?" She spoke gently, and she sounded so much like her older sister that Blessing couldn't help the silent round of tears that'd spilled down her cheeks when she'd clenched her eyes shut just like Beth had just done..

After taking a few deep breaths and wiping her face, she nodded before realizing that Beth couldn't see her. "Y-Yeah, come in."

When Beth squeezed through the door she had a small but warm smile on her face. Her eyes seemed sad, sympathetic but not exactly filled with pity like Blessing expected them to be. That helped lift a small weight from her shoulders, because that was all she didn't want to see.

"Y'know I should be comforting you, right? It's your sister that's out there." Her voice was raspy from her cries, and was lacking the usual spark it always had. And Beth's smile turned into a barely there frown that had Blessing rolling her eyes, though it seemed like it may have been playful.

"It's okay, Maggie's always comforting me all the time since I'm a crybaby. But if she's not here, I don't think I need to be... I guess I can just be Maggie for you?" It was such a sweet sentiment that Blessing's eyes filled with tears once again, her face twisting when her lips wobbled. She dropped her face into her hands as she shook her head, her curls flying over like a curtain to hide her away from the world.

"You Greene women are the sweetest bitches I've ever met in my life." She cried into her hands, although her words seemed so lighthearted her voice was shaky and sounded troubled. She sounded heartbroken. Beth had to bite her lips to stop from giggling at her words, because her father didn't allow cursing. It wasn't often that she heard someone calling her or anyone else a bitch. Well.. That is until she met this group and she got to hear their colorful language.

Beth shuffled further into the room so she could plop down on the ground near their cot. Blessing nestled up in it before she'd come in, and was now sitting up and looking at Beth with those big brown eyes of hers. Well... She wasn't right now because her face was in her hands but that's besides the point. She tried not to sit on any of their blankets with her dirty clothes because it looked like Blessing had changed into some clean pajamas to take her nap and figured it'd be rude. So she had to settle with reaching her arm out and giving Blessing some soft pats on her shoulder.

"I uh... Can't do much in my outside clothes, I don't wanna get you guys' blankets all messy." Beth said it so sheepishly that Blessing finally let out a watery laugh that had Beth letting out a giggle of her own. She lifted her head from her hands to look at Beth, her eyes scanning over her pale face for a few moments. Eyes red from tears but face contemplative.

"Beth... How do you feel about everything going on?" Blessing whispered the question like it was taboo, and Beth's brows rose at surprise at that. No one had asked, so maybe... Maybe it was taboo to ask if someone was okay in the apocalypse. No one would be, right? How could you be?

"Uh well... It depends. Some days I don't wanna keep doin' it anymore and some days I'm just grateful to be here." She answered it honestly, and Blessing could tell. Anyone else would've just breezed past that, said they were doing as good as they could be and changed the subject.

Beth narrowed her eyes a bit on her, a slow realization coming to them when she saw the way Blessing's face seemed to soften at her words. Like she was accepting something even though there was nothing to be accepting that she'd said..

"Are you okay? We all heard what he said out there and.. I don't think it was right, I don't agree with him at all." Beth started to say some praise, shaking her head so that her blonde ponytail swished behind her like she was fucking running or something. "I think you can take care of yourself, I'm sure you can! That's why you survived this long! I've seen you swingin' that blade of yours and yer a problem."

"I'm only still alive because of Daryl..." Blessing shot back seriously, catching Beth off guard for a moment at the sudden shift in mood. She should've expected it when it came to Blessing around now, she'd just seen her go from crying to laughing in a split second. It damn near gave her whiplash, but she couldn't complain. She had a sneaking suspicion that she knew exactly why Blessing had been acting the way she had been, and it wasn't just some fucking grief. "I don't wanna keep doing this either, Beth. I don't... I don't know what to do anymore..."

Her voice trailed off, and they both sunk into the silence that settled upon them with somber expressions. That is, until Beth perked up just a bit with a sweet little glint in her eye that had Blessing raising a brow. "What?"

"Blessing, I'm gonna tell you somethin' that I've noticed and you have got to promise me not to get upset or angry." Beth chirped, though her words seemed anything but chirpy to Blessing. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion, giving Beth an up and down look that had the girl bringing up a hand to giggle into it like she was in highschool trying to spill some secrets. It was cute, really.

"Why would I be upset or angry? You seen Daryl with somebody or something?" Her voice was low and riddled with anger already. But her shoulders sagged a bit when Beth let out a loud laugh as she shook her head and waved her hand as if that was the silliest thing in the world.

"Heck no, that man adores you."

"Beth, you can say fuck it's just us two in here.."

"....Fuck no. That man adores you." She whispered the word with a cringe, and she only did it because she knew it'd make Blessing smile again. It worked too, because her eyes lit up and she smiled so wide it looked like her cheeks could split any second. "Anyway... I noticed you haven't been using any uh... feminine products that we usually use once a month... And that you've been craving some odd foods; You pickin' up what I'm puttin' down?"

"Oh my fucking God, Beth... You're right..."

~*~

Word Count : 2,404

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June 12th, 2025

Author's Note : My bad, work was kickin' my ass but I'm back at it with an updateeeeee

Chapter Text

With a pregnancy test that they had stored away and a calendar that Beth kept to keep track of everyone's menstrual, it was confirmed. And while Daryl was out with Rick and some of the others trying to get back Glenn and Maggie, she was left alone with the constant reminder of her possible future in front of her. Judith's hungry cries and uncomfortable whimpers from the dirty fabrics they'd used for her because they hadn't looted everything they needed for her just yet.

She didn't want to bring a baby into a world like this.. Did she?

It was a question that kept running through her mind the entire time they were gone, even when she'd sat down with the group to eat and they tried to start some light chatter. Obviously trying to lighten the mood, but it could only do so much for the dark cloud that was hanging over them. There was too much anticipation in the air.

The next day was when people returned, but when they did... They were missing someone.

She'd grinned when Maggie rushed to her after she hugged her father, eyes tired but twinkling at the reunion that she was a part of. A twinkle that dwindled when she caught sight of Glenn's face that was covered in bruising, his eye completely blackened and other parts of his face swelling. He wasn't even wearing his own shirt, he was wearing a slightly torn tank top and it looked like Maggie had on the shirt he had on before... She didn't even want to think about what they meant for Maggie....

"W-Where's Daryl?" She couldn't help but blurt the question to Rick because he was the only one willing to make eye contact with her. His blue eyes riddled with guilt and something else that had her pulling away from Maggie to move towards him with confusion on her face, eyes jumping around him as if Daryl would pop out from behind him.

Rick cleared his throat, running a hand over his sweat dampened curls as if that'd stop them from dangling onto his forehead. She could see the stress building, and it only made her nerves even worse. "Blessing... We ran into Merle."

"Well where is he then?" She looked back to Glenn and Maggie now, finding it hard to keep eye contact with the Sheriff when he looked so damn guilty looking at her. "Where are they?"

Instead of saying anything he shook his head, his eyes looking to Glenn and Maggie as if they'd explain everything for them all. Because he knew they were apart of the reason that Daryl didn't come back with them, because he refused to leave without his brother.

"W-We couldn't bring Merle back here with us, he did this to us, Bless... Daryl.. He couldn't leave 'em behind." Maggie's voice trembled, and she cringed when Blessing reeled back at her words in mild shock. Her eyes looked through the small crowd to then find Beth, who had a hand over her mouth to try and cover the shock... He hadn't come back...

"He just left me?"

It was a rhetorical question and they all knew it, it was hard to ignore the hurt on her face when she nodded solemnly to herself before she took a deep breath. She steadied her shoulders and did her best to ignore the way her lips wobbled, fighting the emotions.

It was all okay, because this was answering the question that'd been plaguing her the entire time. She didn't think she could bring a baby into a world like, and now alone...?

It didn't matter anymore, what mattered was people getting their heads on straight so no one could be surprised when the prison was attacked. Because they all knew that they couldn't just run up in someone else's town to get what's theirs and not expect some type of retaliation. It was common fucking sense. Blessing ignored the pity filled looks when she'd headed back to her tower to get her shit organized and prepared for if she needed to make a break for it.

It was a harder task than she initially thought it would be because Daryl still had things left there... So in silence, she'd stuffed his shit in his bag before tossing it roughly into the farther corner. Frustration brewing in her and sweat running down her face. It was better than it being tears, because she was refusing to cry anymore. She didn;t have her dad to coddle her, or Daryl to hold her and tell her everything would get better.

But she knew at some point... It would be like that anyway.

Either she died or she'd be left alone to defend herself, unsure of what to do with herself because she'd ever done it by herself. She'd neer even lived alone, even when she moved out of her dads she had fucking roommates. She was a people person, she was more comfortable around people. But more importantly, with her person....

"Fuck..." She whispered to herself once she was sure all of her things were tucked away safely. The only thing she had out was the pregnancy test she'd used not too long ago to find out the truth, even when Beth had already showed her the calendar to show her she'd missed around three or four period cycles... Three or four months pregnant that meant, or could mean.

It made sense because her and Daryl were sexually active and contraceptives weren't even something they thought about because they were used to her having the depo shot... But a society without normal doctors and medicine meant no birth control for her...

She pulled a pistol that she kept under her pillow for safekeeping, one that Daryl told her to keep close just in case. She never even used it because she was more used to using knives and melee weapons, but she had an idea on how to. It wasn't that hard, it couldn't be. She'd seen them do it so many times, put their finger on the trigger and just..Squeeze and watch the light drain from their target. She never liked it, it was loud and too dramatic... But it was necessary.

"He left me and I'm pregnant." She said to herself, like she was trying to tell herself that it was actually happening. One hand held the pistol on its palm while the other caressed along its side, her eyes sad and she watched her fingers getting a feel of the cool metal. Trying to feel if the bumps and grooves on the handle was some sort of hidden braille, and the gun was crying out for help.. Sick and tired of being used to cause so much harm...

"Blessing!"She scrambled to push the gun back in its hiding space, her lips clenched shut so she wouldn't let a panicked sound slip from them.

It was Maggie who'd come up to see what she was up to, probably because she'd already caught up with her dad and Beth. She'd probably already spoke to everyone she needed to speak to, shared all the information she needed to share before she'd bound up here with her green eyes swirling with all different types of emotions.

"Bless, it's true?" She already knew what she was talking about, because Beth had already warned her that she couldn't hold the secret from her sister. From the rest of the camp, sure. But not from Maggie. When Blessing nodded with a bit of a shrug, she bounded into the room to wrap her arms around Blessing's shoulder so she could let out a small cry. "Oh my God, Blessin'! Congratulations!"

Blessing bit her tongue, giving Maggie some awkward pats on the back until she regained her senses and pulled away to look at Blessing with confusion brewing. That is, until Blessing opened her mouth.

"Maggie, I'm pregnant and he already left before even finding out." She deadpanned, ignoring the shake in her voice because she knew if she paid it too much attention it would just make her cry. Today, she hadn't really cried once and she wanted to keep it that way. If she was going to have a baby, one thing she couldn't do was cry i they were going to be the one doing the crying. So now... It was something she was going to work on before the baby even came into the picture.

The edges of Maggie's lips dipped into a frown, her eyes filling with understanding since she'd nearly forgotten that aryl hadn't come back with them. She felt guilty about it... Because she knew that Glenn was only so adamant about Merle not coming back because of what happened with Maggie. She hadn't really told him what had happened, just tried to reassure him that nothing happened... But the look in her eyes, the uncomfortable shift in her body at the mention of his name was more than telling. Glenn wasn't a fucking idiot. He knew the Governor did something to Maggie. And he refused to allow someone who was working with him back into their group, where they had even more vulnerable women and children that it could happen too.

It was bad enough it happened to Maggie...

"T-That's okay though, Bless. It's all of us here, you aren't doing this alone." Maggie's voice was warm and reassuring, and Blessing smiled at the reassurance she felt. Maggie really was her best friend, even if they didn't know each other for very long.. "You've got Beth and me... Carl and Rick don't mind helping at all and neither does Daddy."

"I appreciate that, I really do. But.. We already have Judith to take care of." Maggie's face fell even more at her words, hearing the doubt that was laced in her tone. The uncertainty. She could already tell that Blessing was scared, but now? She noticed it even more, maybe it was because she was what she was like when it was just her and Daryl. She saw the way Blessing would come undone in his arms and spill all of her feelings like she'd been holding them all day just to show them off to him. Like some type of emotional trophy that he was waiting to come back to.

"You think we all can't take care of two babies?" She sounded a bit teasing now, trying to lighten Blessing's mood in some way. It felt weird though, because it was usually Blessing doing just that.

Blessing's plump lips curled into a bit of a smirk as she rolled her eyes playfully, shrugging her shoulders once again before she actually answered. "I ain't say all that. All I said was we already have Judith."

Now it was Magge's turn to roll her eyes with a scoff, her eyes scanning over the windows of the room that was looking over the courtyard. She never actually saw Daryl or Blessing peeking through the windows from down below, but sometimes she could feel their eyes when she knew they were meant to be on watch. It was like they were being conscious of the fact that people could feel a stare. Like they'd only watch over her for moments at a time before turning their gazes elsewhere so she wouldn't feel like she was being micromanaged or something. Knowing Blessing, if she caught someone slacking from above she'd probably wait until after her shift of taking watch to pull them aside and tell them to get their shit together.

"Listen... I'm sorry about him. I am... But would you have really wanted him to come back with Merle?"

"Merle can be a racist dick but he isn't Daryl.. I'm not with Merle." She sighed like it was something she'd said before, reminding people that although Merle was definitely a bad man he wasn't the man she was after. He was close to Daryl, real close. But that didn't make them the same. "I don't even know if Daryl would've been happy if he came back and I told him.. Beth said he adores me but if adored me he wouldn't have left me behind, Mags. I may be a lover girl, a delusional one at that. But I'm not that fuckin' delusional."

"I think he's gonna come back for you." Maggie declared as she crossed her arms over her chest, lips pursed and nose upturned like she was sure about what she was saying. LIke she'd already talked to Daryl about it and she knew he was high tailing it back right now. But Blessing knew that was too good to be true, he didn't care that much. If he did he wouldn't have left in the first place.

She couldn't even hide the disappointment as she shook her head, like she couldn't even bring herself to fake hope and agree with Maggie.

"I'm not gonna fill myself with false promises., if he comes back he comes back. If he doesn't, I'll figure it out. Same way my daddy did, I can do it too." God it sounded so cringy to say out loud, because she knew damn well she couldn't do what her dad did in this world. It was not the same, not even a little bit.

"It don't matter. What matters is surviving. I've got you guys.. We've got each other. So let's just... rest up and get mentally prepared for what's to come."

They did rest, and they definitely prepared for what was to come. Blessing could only assume that Beth had said something to Maggie about other parts of their talk, the talk where Blessing was a bit more open about not wanting to keep on going. Because that night, Maggie had gotten ready for bed with Glenn but had come up to Blessings' tower so she could settle in Daryl's cot by Blessing. Taking his spot, and for the night she gave Blessing warmth that she usually tried to get from him. Maggie hadn't complained when Blessing shuffled closer and buried her head in Maggie's shoulder, or when she could feel her shirt become wet with tears but she hadn't heard her cry...

It was a night that let Blessing really know that Maggie was on her side, even though Daryl wasn't here... She was, even when Glenn tried to get her to come back to their cell with him for bed just to be told she'd be spending the night with Blessing. He didn't even look mad... Just understanding.

And the next day? The next day they were in for a treat.

~*~

Word Count : 2,442

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June 14th, 2025

Chapter Text

She was glad that when it started, she was outside with the others. She'd been helping Tyreese and Sasha repair a fence on the far left side when a big truck had drove through the front gates and pulled open it's back door to let out fucking walkers. She knew it was an attack the moment she'd heard that gate crash, and just like everyone else she'd ducked to the ground as quick as she could whilst pulling the pistol from the back of her shorts. Today, she'd decided to bring it out with her instead of just using a knife... She just had a sickly feeling all morning, and it wasn't morning sickness..

She knew the difference now.

"Oh my God, they're letting in walkers.." Sasha breathed out in utter shock, her browneyes wide and full of terror as they watched walkers stumble and fall out of the truck and into the courtyard.

"Kill them and anyone you see that ain't one of us." Blessing's whisper had both siblings looking at her in shock, they hadn't known her long but she still never sounded that... Numb. Her gaze was fixated on the scene before them, looking dark and calculating like they've never seen before. Her jaw clenched and nostrils flared. Sasha's lips parted in even more shock when Blessing pushed herself up to stand in a crouch with her pistol in hand, clearly trying to resemble Rick or police she'd seen on TV.

Tyreese followed after her first, pulling his own looted gun from his waist band so he could take the same stance.

"Okay... Okay, we got this." Sasha breathed the short and sweet pep talk to herself before she was doing the exact same thing, except she didn't have a gun like they did. Just a rusty machete that she'd sharpened to perfection when she was bored.

Blessing didn't even cringe like she usually would've when the sound of gunfire started ringing through the air. She let it fuel her, and her knees no longer shook as she crouched. Instead, her crouched walk turned into a sprint that left a wafting air of determination after her. To Tyreese now, it looked like she was trying to get herself into some trouble at first until she finally raised her pistol and shot into the crowd of walkers.

Some were already falling because of people shooting from the prison and around the spots they'd ducked in the courtyard, acting like a short barrier that the live walkers had to climb over to even get over the fallen gates. She hit two different walkers, then two more when they all heard the truck start moving. I twas pulling up, and it looked like it was attempting to pull out and away. In her head she chanted over and over again 'don't leave', if she let them leave that meant they'd come back again. They let Shane leave and he hadn't shown his face just yet, but just know she was fuckin' ready for him when he did come.

She maneuvered around as best she could, any walkers she dodged she tried to follow up with a bullet so it wouldn't follow her. But she only had so many bullets in her gun, and she knew she had to save at least one for the person in the driver's seat so at some point she'd pulled her knife from her belt loop so she could knock down walkers without using her gun. She did use the butt of it to knock some walkers back though, and now it and her were covered in walker muck.

She knew it wasn't just her taking care of the problem, she could still hear Rick's python going off and Carol's rifle. She could still hear the shouts of her people calling out instructions like she was wearing a blindfold and they were meant to lead her.

She didn't realize they had help on the other side too.

The truck stopped moving, and walkers were slowly dwindling down to nothing. She wasn't even trying to keep count to see if she'd killed the most, she knew she definitely missed a few shots but the shots she did hit? She made them count. Then she caught sight of a bright feather on the back of a bolt, sticking out of the back of a walkers head.. She knew what the fuck that bolt meant.

She gulped down the anger that was brewing in her chest, face curling into a snarl when one of the final walkers stumbled her way and she had to swing her knife with force to its head. Effectively digging her blade into its temple and killing it.

"Bless-"

"Don't fuckin' touch me!" She hadn't even heard him approaching, she didn't even care to try looking up at his face because she knew it was probably full of guilt and regret. She'd probably made it worse when she pushed his hands away from her when he tried to grasp at her shoulders and pull her close for a hug. He tried to utter her name again but she'd already turned on her heel and headed back towards the prison where the others looked to be huddling up.

Merle was quiet, and Daryl knew for sure it was because Blessing was pissed. He never really tried to fuck with her when she was mad, because it rarely happened. And when it did? She brought new meaning to the phrase 'Hell hath no wrath like a woman scorned.'

"C'mon, Bless! I came back!" He called out as he followed after her, but he was just ignored. Not even the group was amused by him trying to plead his case, they watched her. They knew how she was when he wasn't here, even if it was just a day. Only Maggie and Beth knew that she was pregnant, to everyone else? They just knew something was off.

"Rick, what are we doing now?" Her eye contact was more intense than usual, her arms crossed over her chest and jaw set. Rick could tell that it took a lot for her not to look at him, to turn to see that regret in his eyes or the way his face was twisted up in sorrow. It looked like he could cry, but wasn't going to because he knew his brother would say something about it. He kept glancing over his shoulder at Merle every now and then, mostly when his voice cracked which already happened twice.

Rick looked over the courtyard, his blue eyes exhausted but his stance still steady. He looked just as bad as Blessing looked and felt, covered in walker muck and a serious look on his face. Like war general's, trying to sit at their table to figure out which strategy to choose next so they wouldn't have so many casualties in war.

"We gotta- We gotta fix up that gate so walkers don't keep stumblin' in here." He gestured towards the area that the truck came through, and a few people nodded looking like they were ready to do just that. But Glenn's eyes narrowed on Merle behind Daryl, suspicion and vexation in them.

"W-What's he doing here? Why'd you bring him back?" He pointed to Merle with a look on his face that was much too close to disgust. It was a look that had Merle letting out a loud bark of sarcastic laughter.

Daryl looked back at his brother in annoyance, fighting the urge to face palm because he knew his brother was about to say some shit he shouldn't.

"What? We ain't family no more?"

"NO! You did this! This is because of you!" Glenn raged, trying to rush forward with an accusatory finger pointed towards Merle's chest. Merle wasn't phased, not even when Maggie clutched at Glenn's arm to try and pull him back to keep him in place. Uttering a small 'stop' when she was nearly pulled off her feet when he still took another step, that was when Rick had to step up and put a hand up to Glenn's chest to keep him back.

"I did this? Nah, the samurai did this. I just did as told."

"First fuckin' time I ever heard that come out your mouth." Blessing snapped, her glare set on Merle. He huffed out a sigh through his nose, lips straightening into a line when she gave him an up and down look. It was one he'd seen her do so many times before and every time he felt the same way, like she was unimpressed by what she saw. He shifted uncomfortably at that, nose twitching and eyes blinking fast as if it'd cover up his emotions. He'd been separated from them so long he damn near forgot what it was like to be scolded by her, and now he remember why he hated it so much.

"I ain't know that-"

"You ain't know I was still here, right? 'Cause you and your brother think I'm so weak I can't protect myself. Fuck you and him, Merle." She spat out his name like it was acid on her tongue, and he cringed at the curses that left her. She cursed real good, that's what made it so much worse if she was cursing at you.

He couldn't say much to that, because it was true. When he saw Daryl with no Blessing he'd automatically assumed she was dead, but then Daryl kept telling him she was waiting for him. To Merle, it felt like Daryl didn't even seem to understand that Merle thought she was dead. He seemed confused about Merle being so ready to walk away from the group, then he started talking about her like she was dead...

'So how'd she go?'

It was like he barely even cared, and that alone had him looking at his brother like he'd eaten the last pack of fruit snacks.

"Imma go start up doing something productive, probably movin' bodies off to the side if anyone wants to help." She said it over her shoulder when she turned and started to walk away from them all. She didn't wanna be part of the conversation if the Dixon's were in it, she knew better now. They'd make her feel like she was apart of something just to leave her behind, she wasn't going to let that happen today.

She didn't care who's footsteps it was that followed after her, she didn't even bother checking when she crouched down to check the nearest walker body for loot. She dug through its pockets with a grimace on her face, nose scrunched because of the smell of the decay. She hummed when she pulled out a wallet and a set of keys, nothing of use. But it's dingy jacket had a pocket knife in one of its pockets, so that was good.

"Are you gonna tell 'em?" It was Maggie, and good Lord was Blessing glad that it was Maggie and no one else. She was crouched at a different walker's body, looking through its pockets but her eyes were on Blessing. She was trying to talk with her eyes, they were widened and pleading. She wanted Blessing to tell him, for them to live happily ever after like she thought they would when she first met them.

It just made sense, they'd seemed so perfect...

"I will... I'm just mad." She didn't sound so sure, and Magie bit her lip at those words. Trying to think of ways to get her to say something to him other than a curse, at least look at him. She knew it was an extremely fresh wound, he literally just left and then came back within what.. Forty eight hours? But they already had a baby that wouldn't know who her biological father may be when she got older. She only had assumptions and lore to go of off, who was supposed to be her father.

"I'm done being sad, Maggie. Just let me be mad..."

Maggie nodded at that, and after that they both started dragging bodies they'd already looted. People joined in to help them get shit done quicker, like Carl and Glenn. And only after hours of hard labor did Blessing feel like she'd burne enough steam for her to ask questions that were burning in her head. It was all just... Curiosity.

"Hey, Glenn... what did y'all decide to do with Merle?" It sounded so forced, like she didn't really wanna ask but she had to say it. Had to ask it out loud for it to stop repeating in her lead like a fuckin' tape with only that on it. She watched the mirth leave his eyes, and when he brought up a hand to run it through his hair she noticed it paused over his still healing black eye.

"Rick's gonna keep him secluded from the rest of us.. And uh-And Rick's gonna go talk to that Governor tomorrow too. Gonna try and negotiate, figure out what we can do without war." Glenn told her, but he didn't sound very happy about it. He sounded irritated, frustrated with the entire ordeal because he didn't even want Merle here at all.

Merle, to Glenn, was a piece of shit who couldn't redeem himself after what he and Maggie had been through. It didn't matter how many times Daryl said that was his brother, it didn't. Because even before this, when it was them back at the queary he'd listened to that same man make wild ass comments about the people around him like he didn't expect any of them to survive.

But they did. And now he needed them.

"Negotiate with the Governor...? Didn't Axel just die because of what happened?" His jaw clenched at that, he didn't expect her to notice that he'd fallen when the truck first pulled up. He didn't expect too many people to care about a prisoner who only recently joined. But of course Blessing noticed, she noticed way too fucking much for her not to notice that.

"Yeah... I don't think it's a good idea either. But Rick isn't giving us much of a choice right now." He said with a sigh, both of them looking over their shoulder to catch a glimpse of Maggie and Beth chatting by a pile of bodies. A pile they were meant to burn as soon as they'd finished piling it up, that is.

"We always have a choice, Glenn."

~*~

Word Count : 2,414

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June 15th, 2025

Chapter Text

"Ya still got all my stuff?" He was trying his best not to frown when he noticed his bags tossed to a corner, he knew how her mind worked just enough to know what that meant. Out of sight, out of mind. But she cared too much to actually throw his shit out... He had no idea why.

"Take it. Or I'll just pack my shit and stay with Glenn and Maggie, I don't care." Her tone was as sharp as the blade she was using to peel stickers off the control panel. Doing anything to not look at him, if she did she'd just glare like she was at the stickers. She was still angry, she didn't give a fuck that Merle was his brother so he felt obligated to go. It wasn't fair that even after showing her loyalty for so long he still didn't choose her.

It was embarrassing.

"Bless... C'mon, please..." His voice dipped into a pleading tone as he stepped further into their tower, closing the door behind him just in case someone was being nosey and trying to listen somewhere. "I-I'm sorry, Merle he.. He's Merle! You know how he is!"

"I know! I lived with him too, Daryl! He's a racist, sexist dickhead even if he tried to hide it sometimes! He was only nice to me because of you, Daryl! You! And you still chose him over me! You left me behind!" He tried not to flinch when she stood up with her rage to argue with him face to face, so she wasn't sitting on the ground peeling at those damn stickers even though they were once such a good distraction.

Then she pointed her knife towards his face as she shouted, and he couldn't help but flinch back just a bit. Not when she'd stormed so close to do it, face reddening with her anger and split flying from her lips as she shouted... He'd never seen her so angry before...

"I did everything right, Daryl! Everything! And you still left! I just wanted you to love me, man..." His lips trembled when her body visibly shook, her hands falling to her sides in defeat as she fought the cry building up in her throat.

"I do love you, Bless. I do." His voice cracked, his hands held out before him as if offering her whatever was in them. But all he had was blood, sweat and dried tears. All the things he'd collected on the palm of his hands as he fought his way back to her, even if he shouldn't have been away in the first place. It didn't seem like it'd be enough though, because she scoffed in disbelief as she shook her head. Her watery eyes dancing over him and his palms, eyes that were once filled with love when they looked upon him...

But now he couldn't find any...

"Figure out where you sleep tonight, 'cause it ain't with me." She spat, ignoring the way his face fell even further and his own eyes filled with tears. Instead, she turned on her heel to grab a few things to stuff in one of her smaller bags. Not even sparing him a second glance when she zipped it close and slang it over her shoulder, she bumped her shoulder against his as she passed him even.

Her heart and head were heavy as she stepped out of that room and forced herself to head towards the prison cells where she knew Maggie and Glenn usually slept. But Dear God, her legs felt like lead and her eyes felt like stone in her head.

She couldn't even tell him she was pregnant, she couldn't... It didn't feel like something to be happy about, it felt like her time was running out.

She stopped at the end of their hall, lips shaking and hands clutching at the strap of her bag. She only looked ahead of her, too afraid to look behind even though she knew there was nothing there. Daryl hadn't followed her, why would he? She was so angry... With shaky breaths she shuffled closer to the wall, placing a hand on it as if to hold her up only to use it to help herself down onto her knees. She didn't know if this prison had a church but... her father used to tell her that God was with you no matter where you were, so was church. So your prayers could be answered from anywhere.

Her shoulders slumped and she let her bag drop beside her, leaning forward to press her forehead onto the dirty ground. She didn't even cringe at how sticky it was from spilled blood, not even when her tears spilled up from the position and mixed with the sticky liquid.

"God... God, please," It was a desperate whisper that she tried to keep low, because she knew that even though no one could hear her now, there was still the possibility that someone could walk down this hall to catch her praying. It was okay if they did... But she'd preferred they didn't hear it all. She could hear people still up, chattering about and laughing with one another like everything was fine in the world. She didn't know if that made it better or worse. "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you."

It was one of the only verses she knew that was related to pregnancy, John sixteen to John twenty... She didn't even realize she knew all of the words like it was a song, a well verse chorus that she'd been practicing every morning. But no, that was something her dad used to do, put on the gospel station in the morning and repeat scriptures like he was getting paid for it. Reminding her time and time again that she was such a Blessing from God...

"I don't feel like a Blessing." She wept to herself, arms curling around her stomach when she cramped with her cry. That was when she tried to calm her breathing, brows furrowing when she sat up on her knees to cradle her stomach as if her bump had grown. She was still barely showing, but knowing she had a life there made it feel so much more larger than it was.

She had to get her shit together, whether she wanted to or not.

"Blessing? Hey, are you okay?" She looked up in surprise, she hadn't even heard his footsteps or the jingle of the keys on the loop of his belt. Rick was already stressed out as it was having to deal with running shit around here, knowing he was going to have a sit down with that Governor soon...

Yet his tired blue eyes still filled with concern at the sight of her kneeling on the floor clutching her stomach. He didn't even look like he'd bathed yet since his button up was still covered in walker muck, his curls still dripping with sweat down his face and hands sticky with blood and dirt. She knew because he placed a hand on her shoulder and she felt the ub of it, the sandpaper-like feel of the dirt on her skin.

"Should I get Daryl?" He sounded slightly panicked, hand beginning to hover over her as if he were afraid he'd hurt her. He didn't know too much about what was going on, but the way she was clutching at her stomach... he had an idea.

"No, please, no.." She huffed out, hand splaying across the wall once again but this time to push herself up instead of helping her down. Now Rick grabbed at her arms, trying to help her stand even though she gave him some side eye when he did. She wasn't mad at him, he didn't deserve it and she knew it. "I was just praying before I went to Maggie."

"Bless..." He said her nickname in a whisper filled with uncertainty and concern,his eyes dancing over her tear stricken face and blood covered forehead from being pressed to the dirty ground. He cringed when he saw a clump of dirt in it and brought out the rag from his back pocket to wipe it away, ignoring the way her lips trembled at the action. "I don't know what's goin' on with y'all, only what you tell me. I ain't too pushy, but I need you to be honest with me."

When she tried to look away from him, he tutted and gently brought her back to his eyes with the gentle guidance of his hand on her jaw. He wasn't rough, he was firm. It was a brief moment of vulnerability, intimacy one would say. The way his small movement had sent such a large message to her, he could help her only if she let him. She could knock his hand away, refuse to talk about what war was raging in her mind because of everything going on. Or she could let him be the leader he was trying to be... And lay out her doubts and regrets like he was the father at a confessional..

"What's goin' on?"

"I'm pregnant but I don't.. I don't think I can do it, Rick." He sucked his lips into his mouth when she sucked in a breath as she spoke, like she was trying not to choke on her words.

""Cause Lori didn't make it?" His voice dipped even lower and she was instantly wrecked with guilt, shaking her head and trying to deny it even though it definitely played a part in her being so afraid. But it wasn't just that. There was so many factors that had her cursing the skies for her stupid decisions, for realizing too late that she had to choose herself instead of the validation of him...

"It's deeper than that. I don't- I don't have a Rick, I got left behind... I didn't even get the chance to tell him." He swallowed the lump in his throat when she laughed sarcastically, but it was filled with so much sorrow he would've thought she was reminiscing fond memories with a long lost friend. It was depressing as fuck to him, especially since he had an idea of how close Blessing and Daryl once were before. Their relationship was never perfect, and everyone knew that... But they never expected it to start crumbling the way that it was now...

"Everything is just complicated right now, but when things calm down then -"

"He said that too. That was back at the CDC, when I asked him why he acted so funny around people.. 'Cause there's so much goin' on right now. But Rick.. There's always something going on nothing has stopped. It's been bullshit after bullshit." She pressed her palms over her eyes like it'd stop the flow of her tears. But it just made her eyes burn because her hands were dirty and sweaty. Rick took a deep breath when he pushed her hands away from her face so he could dig that hand into the curls on the back of her head so he could bring her head into his chest.

It wasn't the same as hugging Daryl, she was sure nothing would ever make her feel the same way that she felt whenever she was hugging him. It didn't just fill her with a sense of security that she looked for, it was like Rick's racing heart was a plug for his other emotions too. Like the determination that was flooding through her now, a fire.

It almost felt like a rush of electricity even, to feel the passion that was coursing through his veins to survive. To help all of them survive. It was enough for her small whimpers to settle into sniffles, for her to gain courage to straighten her shoulders and spine to give him a nod when she'd let out enough tears so he could let her go and step back. Looking over her face to make sure she was positive that she could cry no more, and she was. Her face was set in stone now, serious as ever even though there was a ghost of a smile on her chapped lips.

"We're all together now and that's what matters. You're a part of this group, Bless. No matter what... You're gonna be taken care of." It was a promise, one that neither of them would forget. Not even just because of the weight of the words and the promise, but also because of the wide range of emotions that flew between both of them. It was so clear in their eyes, yet hidden by their masks of stone and stoicness. As if both afraid that laying those emotions so bare would just lead them to disaster, and it would... One way or another....

"Thanks, Rick..." It was a shaky whisper that didn't match the look on her face, but he accepted it with a weak smile and a nod of his head. He gave her a solid pat on the shoulder before they both reluctantly turned to head on their different paths. Blessing towards Maggie and Glenn's cell and Rick to patrol the area. Before she knocked on the bar of their cell that was covered by a privacy curtain, she glanced over her shoulder to see if Rick was already gone. Only to meet his gaze because he'd glanced over his shoulder too.

It was quick because he'd looked away to duck his head and take his leave when he noticed her eyes on him, like he didn't realize he could get caught. She didn't know if he did that often, but now she knew to look out for that in the future... If there was much of one that is. There was no telling how tomorrow would go with that... Negotiation? Is that what they wanted to call it? Them trying to make a peace treaty of some sorts when they all knew it wouldn't end that way...

She shook the thoughts away and knocked on the bar, and it was like they'd been waiting for her the whole time. Glenn pulled back their privacy curtain with a grin on his face, not even awkward about him being in his pajamas around her.

"Is this another sleepover? Am I staying for this one? I'll let you braid my hair."

~*~

Word Count : 2,485

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June 21st, 2025

Author's Note : not only was It hard to write this because of the mentality Blessing is in right now, but my laptop keeps glitching out whenever I try to upload...

Chapter Text

He'd only said it because he didn't think they could braid his hair with how short it was. But then Blessing had patte the spot in front of her with a determined glint in her eye and Maggie holding a comb right next to her. Turns out.. She could braid his hair. It was tight as all hell on his scalp from her gripping it, and he swore it made his eyebrows stuck high on his forehead until she'd taken them out. She didn't know if they'd heard her and Rick, or if anyone had heard her and Daryl...

The only reason she thought they might've was because of how nice Glenn was being. He was always pretty nice, but he was usually a little uncomfortable with how close her and Maggie were. But last night, he didn't make a single comment about his girl being stolen. He didn't complain when Maggie helped Blessing fix up her hair. Washing it, combing it out and then braiding it back up. Hell, he even held some pieces of hair for them when Maggie had to run and grab Michonne for some help at one point.

The next day, Rick and some of his men gathered and prepared for their trip to Woodbury for their meeting with the Governor. It wasn't a large group at all, just Rick, Daryl and Herschel. It was a tense goodbye, because she refused to look Daryl in the eyes yet gave Rick and Herschel warm hugs for their departure. When they left, everyone was left to wait anxiously for their arrival even though they'd only just left.

They still had Merle and Michonne in the prison with them, even though Merle was being kept in isolation still. Michonne was a bit more trustworthy and was given a cell of her own, one that was still plain as ever since she'd yet to add a touch of personality to it. It was pretty understandable, because you never really knew if you'd be able to stay in one place for so long. Even if the prison felt safe now, there was no guarantee that it wouldn't crash and burn sooner or later. Not with the way the Governor was fucking with them.

Blessing wanted to get a glimpse of that personality that Michonne was keeping so well hidden, so guarded. Just a small peek, one that would take her mind off of her own shitty fucking life and wasn't butting in on Maggie and Glenn's relationship.

"Michonne...?" She couldn't even try to sound as confident as she wanted, her voice was raspy and full of cracks because she was losing it from yelling at Daryl. Probably from just yelling in general. She stood apprehensively in front of the privacy curtains of Michonne's cell, biting at the insides of her cheek as if the skin on it had some type of nutritional value. She was kinda hungry, but everytime she tried to sit down and eat now she couldn't hold it down. Long gone were her cravings and appetite, only replaced by an endless pit in her stomach.

She didn't even say anything, Blessing barely heard her when she pulled the privacy curtain back to get a peek of who it was calling out her name. Her brows furrowed and plump lips pressed together, she looked so suspicious until she realized it was just Blessing. Only then did her icy gaze soften the tiniest bit as she pulled the curtain back to allow Blessing some room to come inside.

"You need somethin'?" Michonne asked with some caution when Blessing ducked into her cell with her arms crossed over her chest and head low. She couldn't tell if she was here for something good or bad, it was a bit unnerving really. Considering people had claimed this girl matched her name so much, Blessing... She didn't look very Blessed. She looked riddled with regret, anxiety and fear...

Like a little girl searching for the comfort of their mother or father but having nowhere to turn.

"I was just-I was curious about you." Blessing confessed, chuckling awkwardly when Michonne's eyes focused solely on her face. A gaze so steady Blessing was tempted to try and juke her to see if she could lose her, break her metaphorical ankles when it came to staring. But her body was too tired for that even though she'd slept fairly well the night before.

"Why?"

"Well because Rick knows about you, I didn't get to ask questions that I wanted to ask." Blessing pointed it out like it was obvious, and Michonne's lips pursed trying not to comment on it. She didn't need to answer anyone's questions if she wanted to, really. If she did answer any questions now it would just be because she was being nice, because when she'd first arrived Blessing was one of the more... Compassionate ones. But then again, maybe it was because she still had Daryl with her. Or because she knew she needed Michonne to find her friends that'd once been taken.

"What questions did you want to ask?" She gestured towards her bed with a jut of her chin, and Blessing gave a weak smile when they both settled on the edge of the bed letting out almost identical groans. Michonne's from standing so much and finally sitting down after a long night of not feeling safe. A long night of not trusting the people around her to actually watch her back whilst she slept even though she'd been here a few days and they hadn't tried to kill her yet.

And Blessing because her body hurt so bad she wasn't sure she'd be able to get back up after sitting down. The groan she let out when she sat had Michonne looking at her sideways, but she didn't comment on it because even she knew how sensitive Blessing could be.

"With the Governor and him shooting you... What happened exactly? I remember you mentioning like walker heads in fish tanks and kids in cages..." She trailed off awkwardly because it didn't even sound right for those words to be coming out of her mouth together. Children in cages and heads in fish tanks? Yeah, that was some wicked shit that she didn't really wanna see herself. She'd seen enough blood and gore already, but that? That was sick.

"This woman that I'd met, her name was Andrea.. She and I stumbled upon Woodbury and they accepted us readily,"

"Andrea?" She perked up at the name, remembering back to the time they'd spent at the query with their group all together. When Andrea and Amy were still alive and the trio had a much too obvious clashing of personalities because of the small similarities they had. Blessing still thought Andrea was a cunt for shooting Daryl, and definitely an annoying one for how she complained any chance she got. But she was still once apart of her group.

So when Michonne and her locked eyes and Michone nodded once, Blessing's eyes lit up with hints of hope that hadn't been there in a while. "Blonde? Green eyes? I think they were green, we didn't really get along"

"You didn't? I would've thought you'd get along with anyone." She didn't know why it slipped from her lips so easily, she didn't even mean to say out loud she'd just thought it. To her, Blessing was like her before the weight of the world crushed her spirit. It was slowly doing just that, she could tell. Because every day she saw her, more and more light would leave her eyes and her smile would disappear more and more.

She noticed the way people stared after her, eyes riddled with guilt and biting their tongues to not say something. That was how she knew how much people looked forward to the small jokes she'd heard come from her before when she wasn't afraid and panicked.

"I-I do, I just haven't lately. I think I'm just adapting." She didn't sound happy about it, and Michonne finally let her smile show. That was progress, thinking that she was adapting... When it was her, she hadn;t thought of it that way. She'd thought of it as her against the world when her son had been taken from her, but seeing it as adapting... That was a different perspective.

"It's necessary. Even though it hurts right now, it's much needed." Blessing looked at Michonne when she said that, eyes soaking in the smile on her plump lips and the way her usually stony eyes seemed somewhat soft on her..

"D-Don't try to distract me, I still wanna ask questions." Blessing muttered, breaking their eye contact and looking to her hands fiddling on her lap as if it'd hide the blush on her cheeks. She hadn't even complimented her, just given small words of encouragement that Blessing didn't realize she needed. Maybe that was why she stuck around with Daryl so long, because when it was just them together he really knew how to say what she needed to hear...

Or what she thought she needed to hear...

"Alright, alright. I won't distract you if you don't interrupt me with questions." She couldn't even bring herself to glance up at Michonne because she could already hear the smirk in her voice. The smugness from seeing her back down from eye contact pretty easily, that's what Blessing took it as, at least. "The Governor took a liking to Andrea and.. She fell into it even though we'd come together."

Now Blessing's hand rose along with her eyebrows, because her curiosity was already peaked but now? She had way too many ideas brewing up in her quick thinking mind of hers. Michonne bit back a a snicker when she lightly smacked down Blessing's hand and gave a wave of her wrist for Blessing to ask her question. Even though she literally just said she'd tell the story if she didn't ask any questions...

"You and Andrea? Like... Together as in just a group or together as in like..." She didn't know how to word it without sounding offensive, it's not like she had some PR training or something. But Michonne picked up exactly what she was putting down, and now it was her turn to glance at her lap with a blush coating her sweat covered cheeks.

"We only fooled around a little bit, like twice. Nothing serious so I wasn't too mad about her going with the Governor." Michone explained with a nonchalant shrug, trying not to suck her teeth at the way Blessing's face lit up like she'd just learned the gossip of the century. But no, she just didn't know that now this meant she was open range for Blessing. Because she definitely wasn't gonna actually steal Maggie from Glenn, and she was for sure Glenn wasn't ready to handle two women at once...

Maybe it was pregnancy hormones that had her thinking that way, or maybe it was her way of trying to spite Daryl for leaving her behind like he did. She knew she couldn't move on mentally just yet, but physically? She could do that no problem, especially if it was with a woman. She found it easier to hook up with them and not deal with the drama, but with dudes... She had to worry about shit like getting pregnant.

"I wanted to leave, keep searching because I didn't want to stay in one place and he was creepy. He didn't want anyone to leave... Locked me up but I got out and snuck around, that's how I found his room of trophies and what he called his daughter."

Michonne cringed as if the image popped up in her head, reliving it or something. Even though she's seen some twisted shit, it still made her feel weird. Icky and gross because of the way he'd spoken about that child walker before she took it out of its misery. "We fought for a bit, I stabbed his eye but I was still outnumbered and had to get out. That's how I got shot, running away."

"Andrea is still there..." Blessing mumbled to herself, because Michonne definitely didn't mention her leaving too. Or her falling or getting shot, Michonne nodded at that. Bumping her shoulder against Blessing's as she put on a slightly impressed smile.

"You pay attention." She praised, smile transitioning to a smirk when Blessing suddenly turned bashful and shrugged her shoulders. If she didn't know any better, she'd think she was watching the woman develop a crush on her right before her eyes. She wasn't too mad about it, Blessing wasn't ugly. She also seemed to be pulling her weight pretty well, even though she'd been having some moments of rage. They all seemed well deserved, cursing out the Dixon for being left behind...

Michonne would've been upset too if she thought they were in love.

"I try to, you're really good with your katana... Could you teach me a thing or two?" They met eyes, and Michonne had to bite the inside of her cheeks so she wouldn't say too much about the hopeful look in Blessing's eyes. The way she widened them and looked slightly up at Michonne as if they weren't sitting side by side, and the small pout on her lips. This bitch was giving Michonne a puppy dog look...

"I could teach you a few things." It sounded more flirtatious than she thought it would, but that was okay because it made that blush crawl right back onto Blessing's cheeks like it belonged there. She smiled a bit too wide when Blessing let out a forced laugh as she pushed herself up to stand, stretching her arms over her head to pop her back. Michonne looked over her frame when she did that, it felt like an invitation to do so since she'd done it with her back turned to her. But her brows furrowed when she caught sight of a red stain on the back of Blessing's pants.

"Oh uh.. I think you got your period." It was a bit awkward, because she would've been embarrassed if she was hitting on someone and she got her period too. But Blessing didn't even look a little embarrassed. She twisted her body and pulled at the fabric of her pants to see what Michonne was seeing, her face falling at the sight of blood on it.. "Weren't expecting it?"

"I gotta go." Blessing didn't wait for Michonne to say anything else, she left the cell without another word and was immediately on the search for Beth and Maggie. And while she did, her stomach cramped even more.. And she tried not to think too hard about her feeling blood clots in her underwear by the time she'd found Beth. Or about the way Beth and Maggie looked at her in horror when they looked down to the crotch of her pants...

She was just glad they were able to keep a secret...

~*~

Word Count : 2,507

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June 22nd, 2025

Chapter Text

"You're gonna bleed for another two to three weeks, you weren't very far along." Maggie was giving as much instruction as she could without letting her watery eyes meet Blessing's. Who's eyes were set like stone the moment she'd found them, even when they could tell she wanted to curl up and cradle her aching belly. She'd never experienced this type of loss before, so she knew she couldn't say she understood completely what Blessing was going through.

But she could tell that getting through this.. Wasn't about to be easy.

"Just like a long period." Blessing said, sounding like a light attempt of a joke. It got a shaky smile from Beth who was standing by the door to keep watch, but nothing from Maggie who was stuffing pads into a bag for her. It only made her frown shake more, and Blessing hit her lip as she looked away from her.

Maggie was usually like a plug of sunshine for her, the escape she didn't realize she needed when she didn't have Daryl. But it was starting to look like Blessing's back to back bad luck was really starting to take it's toll on Maggie too, and it made Blessing feel worse. She clenched her jaw for a moment, eyes dancing over to Beth before she forced a weak smile on her face. She knew it didn't reach her eyes, but it was better than nothing. Considering they hadn't really seen her smile in a while... They'd take what they could get.

"It's okay, Mags. Everything happens for a reason, right? I just wasn't ready yet." She couldn't tell if she was saying it for Maggie or herself, either way it eased them both. Only for a second though, because Maggie shook her head hard enough for her short hair to fly around her head a bit. Her jaw clenched and brows furrowed.

"What're you gonna tell Daryl?"

"I mean, I never got to tell him I was pregnant in the first place..." Blessing trailed off, looking down to her dirty shoes so she could ignore the slightly judging looks they were giving her. "Do I really have to even say anything?"

"Yes, Blessing. You do. That was his baby too." Beth finally jumped in and voiced her opinion, her blue eyes stormy as ever. Like she was starting to get upset with Blessing, because so far she'd been silent when it came to everything going down. But now? She couldn't let Blessing not say something, even if she was mad at him. She'd seen them go through so much together already, how close they'd been. The love in their eyes when they looked at one another..

It wasn't fair what the world turned them into...

"A-Alright, fine..." She folded easily, huffing through her nose when Maggie passed her bag of sanitary supplies before she jutted her chin towards the door. "I'll tell 'em later.. Tomorrow, in the morning."

"Not gonna tell him when he comes back?" Maggie asked with a raise of her brow, stuffing her hands in her pockets as they all headed down the hall towards the main area of the prison where people spent time just existing. Eating their breakfast, lunch or dinner or just chatting about with the people that slowly became family over time.

Before Blessing could even open her mouth to ask if she should, Beth bumped her hip against Blessing's and nodded her head. Eyes trying to peer into Blessing's soul as if that'd get her to choose the right way. "Yes, you are."

"Okay, when they get back." She promised reluctantly, shifting uncomfortably when she sat down once they'd reached the main room. It could be any time now they'd arrive, they'd been cooped up in that room for a while after all. Blessing had to shower and then give a run down of what her body was feeling, then Maggie had to check her notes and then Blessing to see if it was spotting or an actual miscarriage.

The entire process was... It was disheartening. Because to Maggie, even though Blessing and Daryl weren't exactly on the best of terms.. This was their baby. A little miracle, a beacon of hope. Even if the last baby had cost the life of Lori, she was willing to try again. She'd done her research, practiced with pregnant mares and cows enough to this point that things could go different now.

It'd taken no less than an hour for them to arrive, looking tense and grumpy as all hell. None of them looked harmed, not a speck of red blood on them just some walker much that was normal now. They were let in by Glenn, and by the time they'd gotten completely inside the prison everyone was gathering in the main room just like Blessing and Maggie knew they would. Even Michonne had slid into the room, subtly taking a seat beside Blessing with a shy smile that Blessing returned with one of her own. Rick only noticed because his blue eyes had instantly gravitated to Michonne when he noticed her, remembering a demand that the Governor had made.. One he couldn't go through with.

Not before, and especially not now when he was just now seeing the growing closeness between her and Blessing.

"So? How'd it go?" Blessing didn't know why Carol sounded so hopeful when everything had been so shitty because of this dude, one who'd had Maggie and Glenn hostage and drove a fucking truck through their gates that were filled with walkers. He was a fucking menace and he needed to die.

Slow and painfully, just like how she knew that little girl probably did that was locked up in that cage.

"We're going to war." Rick said it so plain, voice void of emotion so they wouldn't be able to hear the subtle tones of nervousness. He was nervous alright, but he was trying to filter that into a different emotion that he could use. Anger, something that was easy to do considering what had been said. The smug look that'd been on that man's face when they sat before one another, legs crossed like he saw himself as some kind of king and Rick was below him. It rubbed him in all the wrong ways, so that was what he'd use.

That and the look that'd been on Maggie's face when they found her in that room alone, curled up in that corner like she expected them to be someone else. That didn't sit right with Rick, not one bit. Not even a little bit.

"W-War? Are we ready for that?"

"We're gonna be." Blessing uttered to herself, nudging Michone beside her with an elbow to catch her attention. "Perfect time to teach me a few things, ain't it?"

Michonne glanced at Rick as if asking for permission, and he gave his okay with a subtle nod of his head and jut of the chin towards the doors to outside. Training inside wasn't something he preferred people to do, but he also knew that had to stick real close to the prison walls just in case the Governor made another move and had a fuckin' sniper posted up somewere. With that, Michonne slipped her hand into Blessing's and they were headed out that door without sparring the others a second glance. Not even Daryl, who was watching the interaction with his jaw clenched and fingers clutching at his crossbow like it'd give him life.

"She's a good shot now." He jumped a bit at Rick's voice sounding so close, he could've sworn he was a few feet farther than that. But now that people were beginning to disperse after asking questions, he was at Daryl's side with his hands on his hips and his head dipped low. Whispering slightly like he didn't want people to eavesdrop too much on their conversation.

Daryl's narrowed eyes danced around the room for a second before he dipped his head a bit too, trying to ease the jealousy that was building up in his chest. Warming him up more than some canned soup ever could. "You taught 'er that while I was gone? What? A day or two?"

Rick let out a breathless chuckle as he shook his head, turning to look at Daryl to meet his eyes even though they were standing a bit too close. "Who do you think I am? Shane?"

Now it was Daryl's turn to chuckle, because Shane probably barely waited that long before he'd made his move on Lori. Who fucking knew but them, and neither of them were here to tell that story. One of them wasn't even alive to tell her story at all. Shane was.. Again, who fuckin' knew.

"She was real tore up when you left, when that truck came through our gates is the first time I saw her pull out a gun and do some real damage... Safe to say she don't need to you to survive anymore, do she?" Rick's head tilted just a bit, his tone coming off as teasing, damn near condescing to Daryl. He wanted to snap at him, tell him she did. That she'd always need him, but even he knew that was fuckin' crazy. Her learning to survive wasn't a bad thing, but her learning to be without him...? That was another.

"She never needed me, she wanted me. I needed her, Rick. Just don't ever show it right."

"And I don't think you ever will, I think it might be a little too late for you." Rick didn't even feel bad about the way Daryl's lip shook, because they both knew he deserved it. Using his trauma to repeatedly hurt the person you love.. It was never okay. It was different if he was actually trying to heal, move forward from all the negative shit he had bottled up so he'd be able to have a healthy relationship but he couldn't even do that.

He didn't even think he deserved it.

"Her and Michonne look like they might end up closer than you'd like seein'. And if she's happy, Daryl.. I don't need you puttin' her back in the dark place she was when you left." It was a warning, a threat that didn't even come out aggressive. He sounded more like a father reminding his son to take out the trash. Something that had a whine slipping from Daryl's lips quicker than he could stop it, because his dad would've never sounded so calm.

His dad would've tore his ass into next Tuesday for making him have to check him. Even though he didn't want to, he nodded against Rick's shoulder. Body slightly flinched when Rick's hand moved quick to slam down on his shoulder, what was meant to be a friendly tap out as he stepped away from their conversation and outside to see what Blessing and Michonne were up to. Daryl didn't even turn around to watch him leave, he ran a hand over his mouth and let out a long breath. A long shuddering breath that hurt his chest a bit, something he knew to blame on cigarettes. Shit after this, he'd probably end up smoking a whole pack through the night. As long as he found them on his runs, it didn't matter how fast he ran through them.

Outside, Rick was greeted by the sight of Michonne and Blessing in different fighting stances. Michonne seemed more practiced, her footing steadier than ever and hands and arms blocking her face, neck and chin. While Blessing looked like it was probably one of the first time's she was actually trying to throw her hands up. Her feet weren't in the right spots, her hands blocking her face but arms leaving her neck and chin wide open.

She didn't even look offended when Michonne dropped her stance so she could step to her and fix her footing first. She tried to keep on her serious face when Michonne's feet kicked at hers so they were shoulder width apart. She sucked her lips into her mouth when Michonne's warm hands had slid over her arms to move them to block what she wasn't, and then when she'd reached between her fists to lift up Blessing's chin with a knuckle.

"There, now ya got it." Michonne was praising herself because she was the reason Blessing was even in the right stance in the first place now. But also because the way Blessing's eyes kept dancing on her stony face, trying to see if the closeness would get her to drop the steely expression. But it didn't, because Michonne cared more about people's survival than she did a flirtatious moment.

"Gonna fight a walker?" Rick called out jokingly, even though he knew damn well they were doing this to prepare for the war against living humans. Michonne scoffed out a laugh, stepping away from Blessing who cleared her throat as she looked away to try and pat down the blush on her cheeks that built up from close proximity and now being caught so close.

It wasn't like they were doing anything bad, but holy shit Michonne was smooth as fuck. She was easy on the eyes too, real easy. Now that she was in the beginning stages of a miscarriage, she wasn;t even sure if she could blame the hormones anymore. Maybe.. Maybe she was just a whore like she'd said she was the first time she'd told Daryl when he'd looked at her with hints of disgust when she looked at a woman with hints of lust in her eyes the first time around him.

She'd been drunk, of course. And at the time it felt so fitting to ask 'why're you so surprised I'm lookin' at her like that? I thought you wanted a whore?'

Because he'd made it so clear that he didn't see himself in a relationship. That he was so used to just parading around with whores that did as they pleased and so did he. She didn't know if he said it because he was nervous about her asking about his past, maybe he'd lied. He always seemed like he barely knew the touch of a woman, how could he parade around with whore then?

When she'd woken up and remembered her words, then looked around to find herself in bed with Daryl and that same woman she'd been caught staring at... Self loathing was something she felt often.

"No, we're gonna win a war. Don't want to go into a fight not knowing how to fight." Blessing said sheepishly, scratching at the back of her head when Rick joined their duo and made them a trio standing by the prison walls. His eyes kept jumping from Michonne to Blessing, like he wasn't sure who to look at. Something Michonne noticed and was definitely going to bring up later.

"Gonna teach her how to use a knife like me too. Maybe some target practice, if that's cool with you?"

"Don't see a reason why it wouldn't be."

~*~

Word Count : 2,516

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June 22nd, 2025

Chapter Text

She didn't tell him as quickly as Beth and Maggie wanted her to, she was stalling. They weren't going for it though, so when that first week was over Maggie pulled Daryl aside during a moment of calm. When he wasn't being asked to do a bunch of miscellaneous shit by Rick or anyone else. While she got him, Beth pulled Blessing away from Michonne much to both of their annoyance. Michonne was dead set on teaching Blessing her ways, and Blessing? She was happy to use Michonne as a distraction as much as she could.

By the fourth day, Blessing had opened up to Michonne about the miscarriage she was going through. Michonne only used that as a reason to get closer to the woman.

"What's goin' on?" Daryl grumbled as Maggie ushered him into a more private cell. It wasn't too close to everyone, but close enough that she knew they all had to talk with their voices low if they didn't want people in their business. No matter what though, people were going to eventually find out about what happened and what was going on. It was inevitable...

He did his best to not stare at Blessing when she was pushed through the privacy curtain by Beth, her face stony as ever and arms crossed over her chest. Beth rose her brows in challenge when Blessing looked like she may try to push her way back out, and surprisingly Blessing backed down with a roll of her eyes before she was settling on the edge of the dirty bed in the cell.

"Blessing has some news she'd like to share with you." Maggie spoke up first, nerves clear on her face and by the shake of her voice. It had Daryl's narrowed eyes jumping from the trio of women with growing anxiety. He watched her visibly struggle to find words, her lip wobbling and eyes dancing around the room as if trying to find something to settle on but nothing as interesting enough.The way her hands started to shake involuntarily, and she tried to cover it up by wringing her hands together.

She wasn't slick, she never was. She couldn't keep a secret from him too long, and she couldn't lie to him too long either...

"Bless...?" He uttered her name in a soft whisper, a tone he used to take before when he woke up before her and didn't want to wake her up too roughly. He'd utter her name in her ear, brushing her curls from her sweat covered face until she was roused from her sleep with a small smile on her face. The gentle memory made her feel even worse, and she had to suck in a sharp intake of air as she caught his eyes.

"This about Michonne? I-I ain't mad if it is... Ya told me-"

"I know what I told you, Daryl." She cut him off before he could say too much in front of the Greenes. She remembered exactly what she told him before. You catch me with a woman after you break my heart, I may still be hung up on you. But if you catch me with a man? Just know I've moved on. And Michonne wasn't no damn man. But, that didn't make it any better to say in front of these girls.

She didn't want them to know that she'd already told him before he'd always have a chance, that this wasn't the first time they'd fallen out over something and she chose to distract herself with a woman that was usually trying to experiment. Daryl was way too emotionally unavailable for them to have a perfect relationship, but Blessing already knew that.. Maybe that's why she gave him so much grace.

"I was pregnant, D." She breathed it out like it was hard to say, and it was. She hadn't told many people, hell only Maggie and Beth knew as far as she was aware. Saying it out loud, telling him made it all the more real. So when his eyes widened in shock and his lips parted as he tried to find words, Blessing's lip wobbled for a moment before she looked down to her lap with a shake of her head. Blinking fast to rid of the tears building up in her eyes, she slid one hand over her belly that had barely grown during her time of pregnancy.. She'd been pretty malnourished, dehydrated and stressed, so she knew she couldn't be too surprised.

It was something she should've expected.

She wasn't strong enough to go a few days without crying, how the hell would her body be strong enough to hold a baby?

"We're gonna have a baby?" He dropped his crossbow by his feet, slowly moving towards her only to be stopped by Maggie's hand on his arm. He looked at her with confusion brewing, but when she looked up at him with somber eyes and shook her head slowly he reeled back a bit. He had an idea on what she was trying to say with her eyes but...

"No, D, I lost it... I'm still bleeding now." She let out a laugh that sounded heartbroken. Shaky and wet just like her eyes that were watching his face fall. The realization that came to his face was something she didn't want to see, because she knew the tears in his eyes that followed were needed. Much deserved, because just like her... He lost his baby too. "I-I think I overworked myself or something."

She looked away when his face twisted with emotion and his shoulders shook, smacking a hand over her lips when she could hear Maggie moving to comfort him in some way. She didn't need to see it to know it, to know that he was affected poorly by what he was learning.

"I'm so sorry," He cried out weakly, and Beth took this as her cue to slowly sneak out the room while Maggie did the same. He slowly fell to his knees as he moved forward, kneeling in front of her so that his calloused hands could grasp at her knees as she sat. Hoping that the touch alone would stop her from getting up and leaving, because that's exactly what he'd done to her when she needed him the most.. "I ain't know, Bless. I'm so sorry."

She let out a broken sob of her own, shaking her head as she looked over his face since it was so close now. Since he was at her feet with tears streaming down his face now and not the other way around. It was no longer her that was being open and vulnerable with him, putting herself on an open platter for him to dissect and eat up as if it'd fill him with some type of satisfaction. She wasn't satisfied though, not when she was in his shoes now.

"It's not your fault, I was malnourished and stressed. It wasn't in God's plan for me to have a baby yet." It was said more for herself, because she kept trying to find a reason for God to even put her through the heartache. Why even give that small sliver of hope just to snatch it away when she had nothing left?

Was this all just a cruel joke to him?

"D-Does it hurt? Yer still bleedin' you said, right?" He wiped at his nose with his wrist, trying to sober himself up and stop his crying because now Blessing's body was shaking with cries of her own. IF she was crying, he couldn't cry too. Not having her around gave him enough time and space to do that on his own anyway, the dark was filled with so much more silence when she wasn't there to fill it with that beautiful voice it hers. God, even when she used to get on his nerves he didn't have it in him to tell her to shut up. But not having her around at all... It felt like a punishment that he wouldn't wish on his worst enemies.

"I do hurt, D. I can't-" Her breath hitched, one hand clutching her stomach while the other patted at her chest like it'd calm her racing heart. She'd spent so long avoiding him and the topic of pregnancy that now that she was talking about it, it felt like a dam was opening. Like she had unresolved emotions that she hadn' even bothered to check when it came to this baby and now they were showing their ugly little faces to remind her just how human she was... To remind her that even if she wanted to be a killing machine, a war hero... She was still just the emotional Blessing that came into the apocalypse. "I can't explain the hurt I feel, I can't. But my stomach feels so empty and I keep thinking about what she would've looked like when I close my eyes."

He gulped down his own emotions, trying so hard not to let his own tears flow when they actually made eye contact and it had her letting out a choked sound that made him bite his tongue. He could tell how afraid she was of the judgement, that he'd go back to acting like she was just... Just an option or something. But he couldn't do that anymore, not at all.

"Y'know I had a dream and I think I saw her. She had your eyes and my hair.. She was so pretty, D." He breathed out in relief when she threw her arms around his shoulders so that she could fall into him, weeping into his chest like she'd been saving her tears for this moment. It made his chest fill with even more guilt, because he knew just how much she saw him as a safe haven. How she saved up her emotions for him so that she could be vulnerable in the confines of their tent together, comforting each other in the chaos.

"I wasn't 'posed to go with Merle, okay? I shouldn't have followed him in the first place, he was such a dick to you." He whispered it to her desperately, pleading with her to gain some type of understanding but she couldn't. She didn't have any siblings that she'd follow to the ends of the earth, she didn't even have parents she could follow. She was an only child, how could she ever understand if she never even experienced what it was like to be in his shoes..?

She knew from the moment she learned about Merle that his and Daryl's relationship as way different than she'd ever experienced, so how could she judge them...?But then again, she was allowed to feel hurt that she was left behind too.

"Ain't no excuse would ever be good enough for leavin' behind a girl like you, Bless. Never. But I don't want you to be the girl that got away, ya hear me? I want you to be my girl at home." His hands cupped her face as he said it, hoping she could get a good grasp at the hope that was in his blue eyes as he said it. Hoping she could understand or if not at least forgive him the smallest fraction.

He was okay with it if she decided they needed a little more time and space, but as long as he knew he still had her... The not knowing was what was really fucking with his head. Not knowing whether or not she was thinking about him, if she hated him for making the decisions that he had. And now knowing she'd been pregnant? He would've hated him too.

"But I lost our baby." She said it with a cry that twisted his heart, one that reminded him of when she'd first come to Georgia when her father died and she'd cried out for him in the middle of the night thinking everyone else was asleep. Of the times he'd catch her kneeling at the foot of his bed with her hands clasped together and eyes closed, muttering about God and forgiveness...

"That's okay, we lost 'em together. You blame me, Bless. Only me, don't blame yerself." He gave her cheek a light tap when her lids almost slid shut so she couldn't look at him, so she could instead let herself shake with a sob. But he stopped that before it happened, his tap making her eyes snap back open with hints of confusion swirling in them when she noticed how serious his gaze had become. "We can just try again, if ya really want a baby, right? That what you want?"

He was trying to make her feel better about it, she could tell. Like he was offering any and everything to a child to make them stop crying, but she was no child. Some bargaining like this wasn't going to make her forget about what she had. What she could've had.

She shook her head at that, even though he tried to keep her head in place with his hands.

"I didn't want to be pregnant in the first place! For what?! For me to go through the entire pregnancy hungry and mad at the world because the father can't decide if he wants me or not? For me to die anyway when the baby comes? Do you people not remember what happened to Lori?" Her last question was a harsh whisper that had Daryl clenching his jaw, moving his eyes away from her face so he couldn't see the built up resentment showing itself.

He just wanted those pretty brown eyes of hers to be filled with love again, even if the love had to be relearned. Even if it twinkled a little differently, he didn't care..

"Bless, I do want you. I love you, woman. I ain't good at showin' it and I'm sorry, I really am. But what happened to Lori ain't gon' happen to you. Not while I'm here. I left once, and it won't happen again. Imma take care of you." He promised, not even faltering when her face twisted with doubt. Because she knew all too well that he'd said those same words before.

"Daryl-"

"Ya don't gotta believe me right now, that's fine. Imma prove it to ya, baby. I swear it."

~*~

Word Count : 2,400

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June 28th, 2025 

Chapter Text

She wasn't sure how he was meant to prove anything, or how he would try to. Couldn't really fathom how anyone could make up for leaving her behind while she was losing a child, there was no making up for that. But since saying it, he'd been attached to her hip. Only a day of it, because by the end of the day Michonne had come to get Blessing so they could go about their nightly routine that they'd started.

Michonne would force her to eat dinner so they could hurry up and wash up before bed. She'd help Blessing dress and all because her body was still recovering, and adrenaline could only make her do so much. It only became a routine because Michonne had caught her weeping to herself in the showers, knees too weak to hold herself up but heart strong enough to bleed out the tears she cursed for spilling over and over again.

"You guys...Good?" Both of them could tell that she didn't really want to ask but was too curious not to. Daryl was tempted to answer, to let her know that he'd apologized and been forgiven so now she didn't have a chance. Now she couldn't swoop Blessing off her feet from under his nose, all because he wasn't smart enough to stick around.

He knew they hadn't done anything sexual, Blessing already confessed to wanting to but not actually doing it. He wasn't even a little bit mad, he couldn't be. He was mad at himself, frustrated with all the circumstances he had to deal with every time he wanted to focus on them and just them. He wanted to be the right man for her, the perfect one. He wasn't dumb enough to think that would happen overnight, that all of his past trauma would unravel and solve itself in his dreams and he'd be able to show some real emotions. That his father or his mother would come to him in a vision to apologize for everything he and his brother had been put through.

That maybe the God that Blessing talked about so much would tell him why he acted the way he did, give him the handbook for what she needed...

That was all too good to be true though.

"We're good." She didn't sound as happy as he wanted her to, but he knew it wasn't entirely his doing. She was in pain and feeling all types of emotions that she wasn't trying to address until he came back. She sounded tired and just a bit embarrassed and he knew why. He always knew why. He'd embarrassed her and she'd forgiven him, let him back in even though she probably wanted to scream from the mountain tops that she hated him.

Michonne nodded once, and Daryl watched her face to see just how she would be taking that. If she'd get mad he knew that she was someone to pay attention to, because they didn't need another Shane situation. One where they weren't even sure how it'd end because he'd gone into hiding.

"Good, it was weird having you with no Daryl. It was freakin' out Carl a little so it was freakin' me out too." Michonne joked, a light smirk on her face that was directed more towards Daryl than anything. Her dark eyes were on him, meeting his narrowed ones with an odd glint in them he was sure meant something.

"Carl was freaked out?" Blessing popped her head up to ask, finally getting her head out of the contraption she was trying to make at the desk of the room they'd been left in by Maggie and Beth. She was going to designate this room her quiet room since it seemed people only used it for hushed conversation and rushed kisses. She knew that part because she'd caught Maggie and Glenn in the midst of a makeout session literally a few hours ago.

"Of course he was, it was like his parents were divorcing or something."

"I don't believe in divorce." Daryl said seriously, making Michonne throw her hands up in surrender. But it was Blessing's rebuttal to him that had her snorting out a laugh.

"Divorce don't matter too much, Dixon. We aren't even married." She sounded sassy as ever, it almost made Daryl want to look up and thank the stars even if that energy was being directed to sass him.

"We're apocalypse married." He said mockingly back at her, sticking his tongue out and all when her face twisted up to try and make the face he was making. He wasn't even sure if that was a thing, but he was rocking with it. MArriage wasn't something he really thought about before the world went to shit, even now it wasn't something that kept him up at night. Walkers were, along with hunger and thirst. But when the word divorce was thrown into a conversation that was meant to be about him and his Bles... He didn't like that.

He didn't like the way Blessing rolled her eyes at his talk of marriage, like she didn't believe the shit he was spewing. And he definitely didn't like the way that she and Michonne made eye contact, lips twisting and faces turned with expressions he couldn't really read. Having a mental conversation that he wasn't apart of. "W-what the hell are y'all doin'? Is this some mind readin' shit?"

They both burst into a fit of giggles at how annoyed he sounded by them not speaking with him around. But to them it was a normal eye conversation that kinda went something like;

'Michonne, do you hear this shit?'

And then Michonne would purse her lips and shake her head with a slightly judging look in her eye, her locs smacking at her shoulders everytime she shook her head. 'Oh I hear it, some husband you got.'

Blessing would roll her eyes with a huff, shoulders deflating and annoyed gaze finding Daryl who was watching them with a bewildered expression.

'Girl... Who you tellin'?'

"It's not any mind reading, we just pay attention to facial expressions and know what that person wants to say." Blessing laughed as she said it, because he genuinely looked taken aback by them having super powers he didn't even know people could have. But no, it was just something that they were good at. She remembered being able to do this with Jacqui too... But she'd decided to stay behind at the CDC.

"Before I go to bed I wanna talk to Merle.. You think he'd wanna talk to me?" She tried to busy her hands and eyes by organizing the supplies she was using to build her contraption, what was meant to become a trap for small animals once it was done. It was a question that was directed towards Daryl and they all knew it was even though she didn't turn to look at him when she asked. Michonne didn't really care for the older Dixon, he wasn't the best dude to be around in her eyes. But she could understand why Blessing would want to talk to him, because if she was connected to Daryl for so long then obviously she'd have some type of relationship with his brother too.

Even if he was a racist and sexist red neck fuck.

"I don't see why not." Daryl shrugged nonchalantly, offering a hand for her to take once she'd set her shit up how she wanted to. She slid her hand into his with only a bit of reluctance because she felt the burn of Michonne's eyes on them, but when she'd actually met them Michonne had a small smile on her face. It didn't look like she was judging her, or secretly cursing their names in her head a million times for their constant back and forth. For Blessing even trying to use her as a distraction from her problems at hand, but no.

Michonne seemed like she was waiting for this. Like her body was riddled with relief because she no longer had to bare the weight that was Blessing and her emotions all on her own, now she had the expert on the topic. The man so obsessed with her yet unable to show it properly.

"I can wait in our usual spot if you want. Or you two could stick together like you always did." Michonne tried to be slick by throwing in the option, trying to make it seem like Blessing came up with the idea on her own or something. But Blessing hadn't even thought of sharing a cell with him again, not yet. Just because he wanted to prove some shit to her didn't mean she had to act like everything was back to normal.

Nothing was fucking normal anymore.

"Uh.. I can uh," She stuttered over her words for a quick second, and Daryl could feel the shake of her hand against his. Like she was buffering between the two options because neither of them sounded good enough for her, couldn't pin point which one she wanted to settle for..

"You don't gotta do nothin' you don't want to, Bless." He whispered it by her ear gently, trying to reassure her that no matter what she decided to do he would be right behind her no matter what. It was just fucking sleep, he wouldn't be mad at her if she decided she couldn't sleep in the same room as him right no. If she decided she couldn't even look at him like she couldn't before when he'd first come back.

Her lips paused their movement, her anxiety riddled eyes finding his as if searching for an anchor at the bottom of the sea. Even if she was mad at him, hurt or disappointed if those eyes of his locked on hers it felt like time would stop and the world was at their feet. Those haunting blue eyes that reminded her so much of a rushing river that was white with the foam of rushing rushing, only blue and calm once it reached the open canvas that was the ocean on that other side.

His stare always made her feel like she was the ocean, and he was the river rushing to meet her..

"We'll still together like we always do." She finally decided after a few moments of deliberation, and only when she'd given her answer did Michonne give a nod and offer another warm smile before she took her leave. Now it was Daryl who led Blessing towards the isolated cell that his brother was being held in, his heart racing in his chest and palm sweating against hers.

The small walk to the cell was silent, so silent that Daryl was sure he could hear his heart pumping and blood rushing in his own ears. Blessing kept glancing at him nervously, biting at her lip every so often as if it'd stop her from saying what was on her mind before she even got to the eldest Dixon. WHen they reached the cell, she let go of Daryl's hand so she could give his shoulder three solid pats with a serious expression on her face. One that had him looking at her with a raised brow.

"I wanna talk to Merle. Just me and him. " She only said it because she knew if she didn't he'd go in with her, try to stick up for her before she had the chance to stick up for herself if Merle said anything out of line. Speak up like he didn't when they'd first met online and Merle constantly talked his shit. He wouldn't wait until Blessing cracked this time, he was gonna prove how much he gave a fuck. But if that's not what she wanted right now, he would do as she told him.

Even if it was begrudgingly.

He stood by the door of the cell with his arms crossed over his chest and a grimace on his face when Blessing pushed aside the privacy curtain and stepped inside. He didn't have to go in to hear what was being said, and he wasn't sure if that made it better or worse. Because if Merle said some shit and he decided to jump in, he'd know he was out there listening the whole time ready to give him hell.

"Ain't think I'd be seein' you again, Princess. You still mad at lil ol' Merle?" It sounded like he wanted to antagonize her in some way, but was afraid of how she'd react if he went on too much. He never really saw her too upset until he'd come back with Daryl, before that she'd been one of the sweetest girls he'd ever met in his life. But with how the world became.. He shouldn't have been surprised by her sudden change in character.

"I could never be mad at you for being yourself, Merle." He blanched at the calmness of her tone, the lack of expression on her face even though her lips were shaking with nerves.

"You don't know me, girl." He was getting defensive already, and she couldn't help but chuckle when his paranoid blue eyes fixated on her. Not even blinking when his sweat dripped down into them and mixed with the building regret she saw.

"Oh I know you, Merle. I see you, Merle. You can't help the selfish decisions that you make, can you?" He scowled when her voice lowered to say it, her body shrinking as she lowered herself to the group just a few feet away from him to sit criss cross apple sauce. That way they were sitting face to face, forced to stare into one another's eyes as she spoke. "How come you ain't come back for us? You left us? But you're gonna say it was us that let you even though Daryl went back to try and get you... You were too stupid to wait, you had to cut off your hand."

The way she spat out the words had Merle huffing out a scoff, body jerking as he fought his own emotions. Replacing them with anger and frustration he knew was meant to be aimed at himself... He turned away so she couldn't see the tears building in his withering eyes, so she couldn't see him feeling anything too human.

"I was waiting for him to come back, Merle. I was pregnant, there was gonna be a baby Dixon.... She was gonna have his eyes, I know she was. You were gonna be an uncle but she didn't stick around just like you couldn't, y'know that?" Her head tilted, trying to force him to see her as she spoke even though he was physically refusing to look at her now.

"You're no better than your dad, Merle. No fuckin' better."

~*~
Word Count : 2,479

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June 30th, 2025

Author's Note : So sorry to you Merle lovers T.T She's mean to him but God dammit he deserves it !

Chapter Text

"You ain't no better than me either, Blessin'." Merle sneered out her name, face twisting with building anger yet his eyes told a different story. He was hurt, eyes shining with tears of dejection from the things she'd said moments ago that'd soaked in with a pregnant pause. He hadn't known what to say just yet, not when she'd first said it all. Comparing him to his father left a disgustingly bitter taste in his mouth, one that was making him smack his lips every few seconds to try and rid of the taste that built up in his spit.

His eyes narrowed further when her head tilted and she scoffed at his words, her lips twitching like she was fighting a smile or smirk that only irritated him more.

"Why's that? 'Cause I'm just some bitch that came from Philly lookin' for your brother? Some black bitch that wasn't worth shit?" Now that she was saying the words that he'd said before back to him, his head hung in shame. Now his lip wobbled, his head and heart heavy with the guilt he felt for saying the shit he said. He always said the worst shit when he was high or drunk, but that was no good excuse for any of it. There was no good excuse at all. "You said all that shit to me before and I was still kind to you, do you realize that? I included you in everything we did, I tried to love you like a brother..."

"I'm sorry-"

"Why you sayin' sorry to me now, huh? Say sorry to your brother for being a poor excuse of one. Or better yet, do fuckin' better. If she made it, what kina uncle would you have been? Callin' her some type or slur anytime you had a little bit too much to drink, make my baby feel anything less than great? I refuse." She shook her head, her hands fidgeting at her sides. Clenching and unclenching just to wiggle her fingers and try to shake out her anger and nerves.

It wasn't even him that she was entirely mad at, she was mad at the world. But Merle, he was an easy target because of the stupid shit he did.

"You're right, I'm no better than you because I'm sitting here talking down on you..." She muttered it to herself, but he'd heard and looked up a bit to see her expression. Her eyes slightly glazed over, brows furrowed and lips tilted down in a frown. SHe looked at war with herself, so much so he wasn't even sure if this was about him anymore.

"The Governor just wants me and the samurai.. I take 'er there and the war is over." Merle finally admitted, voice just as broken as the look on his face. But Blessing didn't brighten like she expected her to, her face fell even further. Her fiddling hands rose over her mouth to try and conceal the small sound of surprised that nearly slipped from her lips.

Merle sighed at that, shaking his head to look down at his lap as if it had all the answers to life. But it didn't, no one had the answers. He'd asked God before for them when he was younger, when Daryl had been born and he wasn't sure how to help his baby brother survive the night... He'd asked for answers so many times when his father had whipped the belt out on him, then moved on to his fists when he realized the belt wasn't working anymore. When his mother turned her back to light her cigarette even though he'd called out to her so painfully.

Or when he'd come home to his home ablaze, and the police had told him they'd found his mother still in bed... Cigarette still in hand.

"He's gonna kill the both of you." She uttered in shock, a ragged breath escaping her when he only shrugged with a mask of nonchalance. As if he'd already thought about it before, and if she knew Merle like she thought she knew Merle... "You can't go.."

"I have to." He said firmly, hitting a fist to his chest lightly like he'd done before when he was apart of the army. Before he'd been dishonorably dispatched. "My life or y'alls.... That ain't a hard decision for me to make, Blessin'."

She looked over her shoulder to the privacy curtain behind her before she turned back to him to point a finger to his chest. Frustration was starting to show on her face, but it wasn't anger that was calm like a hungry sea. He was grateful for that.

"I'll tell Daryl what you're trying to do, Merle. I don't fuckin' like you but you're still his brother. You can't fuckin' die." Her breath hitched when she'd said the last part, tears brewing in her brown eyes like they always did. He had to look away at that, because he'd been fighting his own tears every time he thought about it. About taking Michonne with him to Woodbury to just get it over with. Give the man what he wanted so he could shut the fuck up and leave these people alone.

He was at fault anyway, it was him who'd brought Glenn and Maggie back to that place. He could've just let them go back to get Daryl like they said they would. Instead, he chose to take them back with him because that devil on his shoulder that told him not to trust them. Even if he'd been with Glenn before, he knew how fuckin' trustworthy Glenn was. He knew that whatever Glenn did was for the safety of his group, he'd witnessed how he moved himself.

"You said do better, right? That's what I'm trynna do." He said, brushing her finger away from his chest as if it were just a fly on the wall. He ignored the way she clenched her fists in front of herself like she was stopping herself from jumping at him, hell he was even tempted to laugh when he saw it. Even when her nose twitched with frustration like it usually did when she argued with Daryl.

"How the fuck can you do better if you're dead, dude? That doesn't make any sense. You're supposed to want to do better, try to do better. This is just you giving up!" She argued, and it seemed like that may have gotten somewhere. His watery eyes met hers and he had to suck his lips into his mouth so he could bite them and his tongue as he thought it over.

She was right, and he hated that shit. If he was really sorry he would take steps to actually improve his behavior instead of saying sorry over and over again. It was just a repeated cycle, a toxic one that he was a part of for his entire life because of his family dynamic. Blessing never really experienced anything like that with her dad. She didn't have a relationship with her mom, but her dad was a God fearing man that treated her like a princess. He never called her out her name like this, he never made her feel this small.

Maybe it was the angry letters that she'd read that her mother had sent her dad when she was a kid, or the voicemails filled with curses and threats she overheard when she was going into highschool... Maybe hearing her mom talk to her dad like that made her desensitized..

"You can't be a better man for your brother? Or try for the nephew or niece that could've been?" Her whisper sounded disappointed, so much so that his chest filled with a feeling he hadn't felt in so long. The same feeling he got when him and his mom actually got time to himself without his dad around, before Daryl was even in the picture. She'd hold his hand and walk through the woods by their house, pointing out plants and animals and telling him facts about them that she knew.

But he remembered specifically the one time he hadn't felt like leaving the bed and she'd still dragged him along. The first fact she spouted he followed up with 'why I gotta know any of this anyway?' And he watched her face fall with disappointment shining in her eyes. She'd sighed as she let go of his hand and they'd walked back to the house. He went back to bed but sleep couldn't find him after he'd seen the look on her face. He'd just laid in bed staring at his dirty wall with a heavy heart, one that cracked when his father had come back home an hour later in a rage.

"I'll think about it." Was the only thing he could say, somber as ever. It didn't satisfy her at all, and she huffed as she pushed herself up to stand. She looked at him with a serious expression as she brushed off her pants, cringing when the pads she was wearing crunched when she'd brushed over them. There were no adult diapers, so she had to deal with her heavy flow by putting on two or more pads at once. He noticed that look on her face, the way her eyes saddened at that small reminder of what it was her body was going through. He didn't know much about the women's reproductive system, but he knew enough.

This wasn't something that was easy for her.

"I really am sorry." He said as she pushed aside the privacy curtain to leave, making her pause and look back at him over her shoulder. She looked him over again, that same disappointed look in her eyes that had his lips wobbling even more as he fought his emotions. She didn't deserve it, any of it and he knew that. But he couldn't help himself, he couldn't help his greediness when it came to his brother. The selfishness that overcame him when it came down to him and everyone else... He didn't fuckin' look for Daryl like they did him. Not when they were kids and not now.

Blessing really lived up to her name when it came to Daryl, and now.. Merle was cursing himself for nearly fucking that up even if he hadn't realized he did. Blessing actually made Daryl smile, she made shit easier for both of them. Even after she'd curse him out for saying some out of line shit when he was high, she still made sure to make enough dinner for him too so he had a meal when he came home. She never said anything about not knowing where he was like his dad, or about how dirty he would come back.

She never once complained about money they brought back, not even when the lights got cut off because he'd wasted the bill money on some coke. He didn't mean to spend it, but he'd already been a little high on x when his dealer came through with a price he thought he couldn't turn down. She'd gotten a little frustrated but didn't take it out on him, she went to her and Daryl's room to pray about it instead..

That same night Daryl had been offered a mechanic job that was more high paying than usual because of the type of car he'd be working on. And Blessing had been offered a gig too, cleaning an RV nearby that people had recently moved out of. He'd been so fucking biter when shit lined up for them that way, like it was meant to be. Like God had answered her prayers and made sure the lights didn't stay off... God never answered his prayers.

"Prove it." She said before she walked out, leaving Merle to sit in a somber silence that she left behind. She wasn't sure what kind of influence her word would have, but she hoped to God it was a good one. That he would think it over more thoroughly, not when he was still fucked up with withdrawals since he was probably on that shit when he was at Woodbury.

When she stepped out Daryl wasn't too far away from the cell with his hands in his mouth, chewing at the dead skin around his nails like he always did when he was nervous. His blue eyes found her as soon as she'd stepped out, filled with apprehension. He could only hear bits and pieces of what they were talking about, but only because he was having a mental debate on whether or not it was okay for him to eavesdrop. This was his woman and his brother after all, but he trusted that Blessing would tell him if anything pressing was said... Surely she would.

"Ya good?" He asked when she'd taken his hand in hers as she passed so she could pull him along and they weren't just standing in one spot. And definitely not a spot right by Merle's door where she was sure he would be able to hear. She didn't care if Daryl heard shit she said, but Merle was a different story.

"We gotta keep an eye on Merle." She said seriously, dragging him along to their tower and letting him go only once they'd reached the stairs to it. She headed towards the bed, and he assumed she was preparing for the emotional cuddles she always reached for. Where she wouldn't know how to feel and she'd just cry into his chest as if his heartbeat was telling her how she should be feeling. To her it did, because it always remained calm and steady even when she swore her world was falling apart. Reminding her just how stable the emotional foundation was that they'd both help build together.

"What makes ya say that?" He asked, brows furrowed in confusion when instead of kicking off her shoes to get in bed she grabbed for something under her pillow. He reeled back just a bit when she pulled out a pistol that looked pretty taken care of, she checked its chamber before pulling out the mag to check its ammo. It was almost like he was looking at a different Blessing, the way her eyes hardened and jaw set when her gun clicked back in place with a bullet in the chamber and ready to be used.

"He said that the governor wants him and Michonne and he had a dumbass look on his face when he said it, Daryl. I know that look, the dumb decision look." She explained, back turned so she didn't see the way his face twisted with confusion. He knew about the Governor asking about them both, Rick had told him... But Merle talking about it now didn't mean anything good... Not to Daryl. "I ain't letting him leave, Daryl. Not him or you, not again."

~*~

Word Count : 2,490

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July 4th, 2025

Author's Note : Ain't no independence. Fuck the fourth.

Chapter Text

Merle had attempted to sneak out in the middle of the night, but he'd been unsuccessful. He knew that people took watch, but he didn't know that Blessing was going to be posted up outside his cell. Waiting for him to make a move like she knew he would, because Merle was never one to sit still for too long. He wasn't when he was sober and he damn sure wasn't when he was high. He knew more than most people at the prison, he knew about the Governor wanting Michonne and himself. One of the only people to really know because she was pretty sure he'd been in the room when they'd spoken. Or maybe he'd talked to the governor before and already knew what his intentions were, either way.. His intentions weren't good.

But Merle knew that and was willing to take that risk. Blessing wasn't though.

"Before you went in that cell with 'em, you hated his fuckin' guts. Now ya' trynna save 'em or somethin'?" Maggie sounded so confused, Blessing didn't know whether or not to laugh. She'd come to Maggie for some type of help, she needed something she just wasn't sure what. Comfort? Ideas? A moment of fucking normality where she isn't worried about her boyfriend's brother trying to get himself killed? Yeah... Maybe that last one really took the cake.

"I didn't know everything before I went into his cell to talk to 'em. Had I did I probably wouldn't have gone in there so ready to tear his ass up with some words." She didn't regret it, not one bit. Merle had given her enough shit as long as she's known him for her to have that built up resentment start to show its face.

Merle was never good and that was something she knew from the jump. He was the reason Daryl and her almost didn't end up together in the first place, that confederate flag he waved so proudly in a picture before. Daryl didn't get why she'd been so standoffish about that type of behavior before, but after physically meeting her and seeing the reaction less favorable people had towards her was enough to make him see. He didn't like the uncomfortable look that came over her when it happened. Or how she'd try to shuffle into his side for his protection, afraid they'd do more than throw some slurs her way.

"What didn't you know exactly?"

"I didn't know that it could've been the last conversation I had with him. That the Governor wanted him and Michonne to be handed over like they're fuckin' supplies or something.. He wants them dead. Merle... He was gonna hand himself over." She said it low, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Glenn and Daryl were still chattering about what they'd been left to chatter about.

Because see, Daryl knew about the Governor wanting his brother and Michone but he didn't know just yet that his brother had made an attempt to sneak away. Blessing had warned him that it would happen, but he didn't entirely believe it because it just seemed so selfless. That didn't fucking sound like Merle at all, not even a little bit. Merle used to barely share the last can of spaghetti with him when it was the last can of the month and they knew the food stamps had been cut off and they probably wouldn't have more for a while. Even back then he always chose himself, so why now would he decide to change that?

To Daryl, he wouldn't.

He'd stay as stagnant as he'd always been. Cursed to live in the messy footsteps of their late father even though they wanted to be nothing like him. Daryl always thought his brother would do drugs, have sex and wreak havoc until he died. The only difference between him and his dad was that he didn't hit women and children. Instead, he took his anger out on people who were quick to judge and quicker to exile people who were different than them. And for Merle, he was always different from them.

Maggie was stunned into silence, because just like Daryl she didn't really see Merle doing anything for redemption. He was the one that'd taken her and Glen to the Governor in the first place, she didn't know if she could forgive him for that alone. She'd heard enough stories about him to know he wasn't the type of man she wanted in the group, that he was the complete fuckin' opposite to his litle brother and didn't have a 'Blessing' around to keep him in check like Daryl did. But what would it matter if he did?

"I think.. I think that maybe he thinks dying with honor is the only way he'd get some type of redemption. But I told him... I told him that living differently would be the greatest redemption, right? Why die in honor when you can just live in it? You'll die in it later." Her voice shook a bit as she spoke, but only because she'd cramped as she said it and had to place a palm over her stomach like it'd help.

Like just the warmth of her hand alone would soothe her crying womb, offer the warmth and comfort that her baby once did. Her belly was not satisfied though, it never was anymore. Before, if she didn't have Daryl or a person to comfort her.. She could just wrap her arms around her own belly and pretend she were being held by her father, that her shoulders were as broad as his had been so that she was strong enough to carry the weight of the world on them. Pretend that her frail arms were thick and strong like her fathers, so that she was capable of pulling her shit together like he always did.

He'd take her spirit with both hands, and gently mold it back into the bright and cheerful one that he'd raised so well and give that spirit back with a gentle smile on his face. Each soft spoken word of affirmation was another gentle stroke to curve that spirit, and each act of service a reminder that nothing was ever too much to keep her happy.

"Are you gonna cry right now? Merle's still here Blessing." Maggie panicked just a bit, placing a gentle hand on Blessing's shoulder as if it'd do something. But instead of crying out like she expected her to, Blessing let out a shaky laugh as she shook her head. Her shaking hands went from her camping stomach to her hair to brush her curls away from her face. Sweat was almost always dripping down their faces because of the Georgia heat, it always had some curls sticking to her forehead and cheeks and made her hair frizzier than it ever was. She hated it, but she loved her hair so she wasn't going to talk too much shit.

"No, I'm just- I'm just thinking about my dad. That's all." She said solemnly, a somber smile on her face as Maggie rubbed at her shoulder. Maggie herself offered a sad smile, one that was so weak and unsure Blessing didn't know whether or not to laugh or cry. God, why was she so weak?

"My dad was a really good man, a great man. He was God fearing like yours, and he- He was a gentle giant, he took so much care of me." Her eyes glazed over with the light joy that came with nostalgia, and when her sad smile became warm Maggie smiled along with her. Because it was almost like her father had appeared before her, and she was smiling up at him as if he were looking down at her with a gentle look that was sending warmth through them both. Maggie didn't need to see it to feel it, she didn't need to see that soft twinkle in Blessing's eyes as she stared up into the cloudy sun from a window of the prison to know that Blessing was probably seeing her father in that sun. Smiling down at her to offer the warmth that the sun always did.

"I think he'd be really proud of the woman that you are, Blessin'." Maggie expressed, and she had to suck her lips into her mouth so she wouldn't giggle when Blessing gave her a bit of a side eye. One that wasn't very malicious but was more so wobbly, just like her bottom lip. She didn't want to cry, she was tired of crying all the fucking time. It felt like she never stopped sometimes... But Maggie knew that was what she needed.

Crying was her healthy outlet, her way of letting out all those emotions she had in her so that they didn't build up and turn into anything more evil. She didn't want to see Blessing become what they'd seen others, barely the same person as they were from the beginning. She wanted her to remain as pure as she'd seemed when they'd first met. So that she always had that second little sister that she didn't know she needed around, one who brightened her day even more then Beth because what if...

What if she lost her one ray of sunshine?What if her little Blessing didn't come crying to her when the world was too rough on her gentle soul? Good Lord, the world needed more gentle souls and yet it treated them like garbage...

"I don't wanna cry and you know that." She grumbled, nudging Maggie's side with her elbow and Maggie forced a chuckle as she faked a bit of a stumble.

"Sometimes you need it." Maggie shrugged before she slowly took her leave, giving a silently stunned Blessing a soft smile as she left. Now, that wasn't something Blessing was expecting to hear from someone that wasn't her father... And Daryl too most of the time. He was getting better at being more open around other people, so he was best at giving comfort behind closed doors. She couldn't be mad at that, not when he was trying his absolute fucking best to make it up to her every chance he got.

She kept telling herself over and over again to be strong, that it's what she needed to be. So why the fuck did Maggie want her to cry?

Instead of thinking about it too much or actually taking the advice, she'd followed Maggie's footsteps towards where Daryl and Glenn had been chatting. But it looked like Maggie and Glenn had ditched Daryl when Maggie joined up, so Daryl was just standing there with a cigarette dangling from his lips looking like he was waiting for Blessing so they could go out and he could have his smoke. And well, that's exactly what he was doing because as soon as she walked up he slang and arm over her shoulders and they were both heading out.

As soon as they were outside those prison walls he was digging his zippo lighter from the pocket of his vest and lighting up his cigarette, and when he breathed that toxic air in like it was a big ol' sigh of relief Blessing whacked at his arm. Shaking her head a bit with some playful judgement on her face as she tutted, yet he didn't feel judged at all. No, he felt cared for because she had that glint of concern in her eyes whenever he smoked even when they argued. She fuckin' hated cigarettes but that never stopped him before, it wouldn't stop him now.

"That stuff kills you." She said like she always did, and he scoffed out a laugh as his cat-like eyes danced across the prison fields. Scanning the vicinity because he was more than ready for the Governor to make his move, especially now that he knew that his brother was willing to be killed by this man to save the rest of them.

"Everything can kill ya now, Princess." That raspy rebuttal of his had her biting her lip so she wouldn't speak to fast and stumble over her words. The nicknames of his always got her flustered whether she was being fussy or not, he knew that. By that twitch at the corner of his lips she could tell he was fighting a sly smirk when he noticed. But he finally let it show when he took a long drag of his cigarette and she rolled her eyes a bit, biting at the inside of her cheek because she knew he was gonna smoke no matter what.

She smiled though when he made a show of blowing the smoke away from her, because it reminded her so much of when they used to post up outside the mechanic shop that he worked at when he was on break. After he ate his lunch he always smoked and she was usually there to say the same shit she always did.

The same shit that she literally just said. 'That stuff kills you.' He'd thought about stopping just so she wouldn't have to have that worried look in his eye whenever he coughed or ran out of breath too fast, but whenever he'd go a while without smoking she'd just find something else to worry about. Like the food he ate being to greasy for his arteries or the beer he drank being terrible for his liver. It all was gonna kill 'em to her. To him, it showed how much she gave a fuck. And it was a big reason they'd been around each other as long as they had. He was never very open when it came to emotions, but she always seemed to feel enough for the both of them. She expressed it enough, and was verbal enough about it all that sometimes he felt like she was in his fucking mind.

But then there were times where she had no idea what the fuck he was thinking and everything was blown out of proportion. It was either or with her, and he wouldn't have it any other way. "Can ya gimme a kiss?"

He sounded a bit hopeful when he asked, and Blessing grinned at the look on his face when it almost seemed like she'd say no. But instead of leaning away like he though she would, she leaned into him so that her chest was practically pressed against his and draped her arms over his shoulders. She got on the tips of her toes and both of them couldn't help but smile into the kiss. They didn't even care when their teeth clashed against each other when they smiled too hard because Daryl couldn't help the grumble in his chest at the feel of her.

"I missed you." It was such a sweet whisper, and she whispered it right back. Not even caring that his breath reeked of cigarettes and they were both dripping in sweat. Their peace did not last long though, because the sound of tires were coming closer from down the dirt road that led to the prison. And slowly, it caught everyone's attention.

People held up their hands to block the sun from their eyes to get a better view of the vehicles approaching, one being a fucking tank that was leading it all. It was.. It was exactly what Blessing envisioned the beginning to a war would look like. But Herschel... Herschel being on top of that tank along with the Governor? That was not something that she envisioned. Something she would've never hoped to see.

~*~

Word Count : 2,607

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July 12th, 2025

iAuthor's Note : Pls be nice to Blessing, she's just a baby T.T

Chapter Text

"It doesn't have to be like this! W-We can talk! We can be civil!" Rick didn't look very civil, holding a machete in one hand and his python in the other. His shouts were desperate and full of rasp, probably thirsty from not actually taking the time to take actually care of himself. He'd been more focused on clearing walkers, making sure everyone else ate and was good before he checked in with himself.

His blue eyes were sharp, focused on the Governor who was standing at the top of that tank so fuckin' smugly. His thin lips curled into a smirk as if he'd already won something. Quite frankly, it pissed Blessing off. This man... Ever since he'd came about there's been nothing but strife and war. He was a dark cloud... An omen in her eyes. Even from the distance that she stood across the field and at the front of the prison, she could see the sin in his eyes. They were dark and beady, like how she envisioned people would be when they were possessed. Maybe that was it... Maybe these people were just possessed by demons, and there was a rapture. We just... We didn't get chosen.

"That man is a demon...." Blessing mumbled to herself, quietly stepping forward and digging for the pistol she had tucked away in the back of her jeans. Daryl whispered her name in warning from behind, yet still followed her through the field to stand behind Rick with hard expressions on their faces. She could only imagine what could be running through Maggie's mind...

"You wanted war...?" The Governor raised a sword he'd been holding in his hand up high above his head, and the second it glinted in the sun, Blessing... She felt like time had paused.

The glint of light in the sword showed the severity of the situation. Herschel on his knees, hands tied behind his back and right by the Governor looking as if he were already prepared for Death. His lips were even moving, like he was speaking some words to someone. God... God spoke so warmly through Herschel's eyes when his eyes turned just a fraction to meet her wide ones. He didn't have to mouth any worse for her to make up in her in that split second, she refused to let go of that feeling. She answered God quicker than she did when she answered Daryl's DM the first time he finally reached out.

The Governor looked like he was going to open his mouth to say something else, maybe give Herschel the chance to give his last words. But, Blessing moved quicker than his lips. She ignored the panicked shouted when her first shot had been let off. She let out her own shout of victory when her shot actually hit it's target, well... kinda. She'd hit the Governor's neck, his adam's apple to be more specific. She'd tried to get his head like she wanted to get walkers, but this.. This would do.

Her eyes lit up and stayed locked with the man she'd just shot, jawn clenched to bite back her smile when he'd dropped his weapon to clutch at his bleeding throat. Even from where she stood she could see his chest rising and falling rapidly, trying to help him gather some air only for blood to be sucked up into his lungs. As he fell onto his back, Herchel rose to stand with a bit of a struggle considering his age. His tired eyes watched Blessing in silence, only then to turn to the gurgling Governor behind him with all a storm brewing in him. He'd been so ready to die, he was too prideful to beg for life. Too old for it, and now..

Chaos was erupting around them and yet the both of them were stuck in a mental silence that had them both wrecked with nerves. Even when Daryl had jostled her, shouting out some nonsense she couldn't even piece together shit he was saying. Not even when he'd forced her to look away from the Governor after he'd finally fallen. Some of his people were fighting back, but without his influence most were falling back. She didn't care though, not about them. What she cared about was when she saw Maggie running up to help her dad off the tank, because Maggie was forced to take a few lives of her own when she'd run up so ready to help her father. She was assisted by Glenn and Beth, Glenn focused more on shooting at people shooting and walkers that were straying towards all the noise that'd been made.

"G–Go help them." She breathed out, pushing at Daryl's shoulder as she blinked fast to try and gather her bearings. His brows had furrowed a bit in confusion at first, uttering a 'the hell?' at the way she was suddenly dismissing him as if he wasn't just trying to talk to her. He figured she might go into some type of shock because she'd just killed a man like that,.. That maybe it wasn't the same as when she'd killed Randall because this time she wasn't sorry. He knew how she thought.

He huffed out yet still turned to march forward with his crossbow raised, body basically a sheil for Blessing who was stalking behind him with her hand on the small of his back as if it were a small reminder to him that she was right behind him. He held his crossbow high, taking out walkers that he noticed getting too close to the small group of people that were helping Herschel come back to the prison whilst simultaneously fighting off walkers that were crowding around the gate that the tank had taken down. Blessing crouched a bit low as she walked so she could hold her pistol out by his hip and take out walkers he'd missed out on. Occasionally, she'd turn her back against his so she could check behind them and make sure they weren't being snuck up on by walkers or people influenced by the Governor.

"You been practicin'?" Daryl sounded mildly surprised and definitely impressed by Blessing's sudden precision. She didn't hit every single shot she took, but she had a pretty good ratio so far. From what he'd seen she hit around seventy five to eighty percent of the shots she'd taken, and to him? That was pretty impressive considering the fact that not too long ago.. Blessing wouldn't even pick up a gun.

"Michonne taught me a thing or two." She didn't mean for it to make him icy the way it did. It was true, Michonne had actually taken some extra time to train her with guns and melee weapons. They hadn't done anything romantic besides some flirting that was thrown around every now and again, but still... He was supposed to teach her shit like that. It should've been him that taught her how to wield her weapon just as proudly as she claimed him. But he didn't stay... So it wasn't like he could be too upset, right?

Things died down quicker than she expected them too. She'd expected the people of Woodbury to come with their guns blazing the same way The Governor always did. But no, a lot of them actually turned tail. Had it not been for the surprising number of retreats, Blessing wasn't sure if her shot wouldn't have counted the way that it did. People began moving back towards the prison, looking to get into the doors and use those walls as a space of solitude after a war that'd been won. It was a tense and silent trek, but Blessing... She was biting back a smile the whole time.

When everyone was inside the prison walls and accounted for, people gathered in the area where they would usually sit around as they ate and chatted. But now they weren't eating, they were licking at one another's wounds or checking for nonexistent wounds on people.

"Who took that shot?"

The room became deadly silent at Rick's question. It wasn't accusing, but that gravel in his voice and manic look in his eyes had Blessing panicking for a split second and wondering if she'd made the right decision. But then again, she knew she did. God himself had spoken to her, she felt it, she saw it . People looked around as if they'd catch the truth in someone's eyes, but Daryl and Herschel knew exactly who'd taken the shot. Rick looked around the room just like everyone else at first until he noticed the way Herschel and Daryl looked to Blessing. The way Herschel's eyes softened, urging her to step up and say the truth so that it stood for something... So she did.

"I-I did it. I didn't- He was gonna kill Herschel, I had to do something!" Her hands visibly shook when she waved them in the air as she tried to defend herself, it wasn't really necessary though. Even Daryl could see that Rick wasn't exactly upset about the sudden turn of events. He wasn't the most mentally stable after Lori passed, sure. But he wasn't fuckin' dumb. He preferred the safe route, he didn't want lives to be lost... But this one he was gonna stand behind. Because it was him or Herschel.

"You did the right thing, Bless. It's okay." Rick settled his large hands on her shoulders and the weight of them seemed so much lighter than the weight of the world to her. She laughed out in slight disbelief at the pride that was shining in his eyes when he looked down at her, hands quickly wiping at the tears that'd built up in her eyes at the tension that'd built up so far. From behind, Daryl clapped a hand on her back that'd stayed on her back so it could slide to the low of it. Settling just over the hem of her pants so his thumb could brush at the sliver of skin that was exposed from her shirt being a bit too small.

No one else noticed, but she sure as fuck did because it sent a warmth through her body. Not even just from his skin to skin contact, but now she had a physical connection to two of the strongest men in the entire group. Both giving her some type of praise because of a split decision she'd just made... She was fuckin' beaming.

"God told me so." She said it brightly, her voice shaking still from her nerves just like her hands. Rick paused at that, his eyes jumping to meet Daryl's eyes over her head and hair with a touch of confusion in them before he patted her shoulders and let her go. Licking at his lips a bit awkwardly as he nodded and turned away to look at everyone around the room for a moment. It was like he was mentally debating with himself about what he should do next, who to talk to or what decision to make. What did people do after a war was just fought?

They clean up the mess. Rid of the fallen, heal the weak, feed the starving.

"Before we start celebratin', we should uh- we should clear out them bodies out front... That tank tore down that fence. We're wide open in that section." Rick started spouting his thoughts out loud, not even making eye contact with anyone so no one really knew who he was sending to do what. He paced around the center of the room for a bit, everyone's eyes watching him with apprehension. They'd won already, but now.. Now they had to deal with the aftermath. They still had Rick's waning mental health to worry about. They still had to worry about Herschel only having one leg, and Blessing recovering from a literal miscarriage. They still had Merle in solitary, wondering what in the fuck they were going to do with him.

Glenn and Maggie were still stand offish about him rejoining the group because of the connection he'd had with The Governor. But now that was long gone.There was no real reason to not let him in, especially if he was ready to try and show he was trying to redeem himself. It didn't erase anything he'd done, no. But.. He wanted to rewrite his future. Well, Blessing did.

"I'll start clearin' out them bodies if ya help me.. Glenn could lead with trynna figure out what the fuck to do with the tank." Daryl scratched at the back of his head at the mention of the military grade equipment that was now in their front lawn. He figured Glenn could figure the shit out 'cause the kid usually figured everything out. He was the brains of their operation. Glenn's face twisted up a bit at that, sending a mild glare Daryl's way for giving him the most outrageous task instead of just saying something normal like try and see where else they'd been compromised. Maggie noticed the face and gave his arm a light pat as she let out a breathy laugh.

She was still clinging to her father, just like Beth was on his other side. Daryl's hand tried to gently usher Blessing forward so they could move out together and start their body cleaning, but Herschel cleared his throat to get the couple to pause their walking. He locked eyes with Blessing who already seemed to understand that he wanted to have a talk with her. She'd gulped down the extra spit in her mouth when his wise eyes left her and he looked at Daryl now.

"Could I actually have a word with Blessin'?" He asked, tone warm just like the smiles on his daughter's faces. Daryl glanced down to get a glimpse of her face, only to see she was already looking up at him trying to gauge his reaction and see if he'd let her go. Of course he would, he'd let her do anything. She wasn't even surprised when he shrugged his shoulders a bit nonchalantly, uttering a soft 'sure' before dipping down to steal a quick kiss from her lips.

As Daryl left, people followed and began doing small tasks that were being assigned to them by a slightly mumbling Rick who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here. Herschel, Maggie and Beth all headed towards the cell their father resided at mostly, Blessing following along with her heart thrumming in her chest and anxiety riddling every thought in her mind. She knew it was nothing bad, it couldn't be; She literally just saved this man's fucking life.

"What did you see?"

"Huh?"

She hadn't realized they were completely in the cell, the privacy curtain closed behind her and her hands tucked behind her back like a child waiting to be scolded by the teacher. But none of the Greene's looked upset.

"I saw your face... The look on your face when that light caught your eye, I saw it. It wasn't like the looks that Rick give his... hallucinations or whatever you wanna call 'em." Herschel waved a hand in the air with a bit of a sneer teasing at his lips at the mention of Rick's moments. "It wasn't anything like that."

"It was like I saw God, Herschel... That's the only way I can explain it."

~*~

Word Count : 2,571

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July 31st, 2025  

Chapter Text

Herschel kept Blessing close to himself and his girls after learning what she'd seen in that glint of light. He wasn't a pastor or a preacher, but he was for sure a man of the Lord. One that couldn't turn his back on someone that was clearly going through much more than they were willing to talk about. Everyone was, no doubt. It's the middle of the apocalypse, there was really no such thing as a good day anymore.

But Herschel knew a bit more than most about what was going on with Blessing. He'd heard his daughters whispering about what was going on with her, about Daryl and her miscarriage and how not like herself she'd been lately. He knew she was an emotionally charged woman, he was pretty sure that's why she got along so well with Maggie. They were both strong, they just had big emotions. With Maggie, she learned how to control them because she was forced to. She needed to toughen up and play big sister when Momma wasn't around anymore. But Blessing? She wasn't a big sister, and she didn't have one either. She didn't have anyone besides Daryl now, and before that what she did have was a father that coddled her so she wouldn't be hurt by the world.

Ultimately, him leaving the world is what hurt her the most.

"You know you don't owe me anything, right?" Blessing couldn't help but finally ask, sounding a bit unsure of herself when she did. The first two days of him following her around as she did shit around the camp was fine, but now he was like a helicopter dad that she couldn't get rid of. It was nice at first, but now he was starting to remind her too much of her father.

"I know that, just keepin' a close eye on you." Was Herschel's reply, one that was filled with nothing but warmth and hints of amusement. His withered blue eyes didn't hesitate to slide to her from his task at hand, writing down all of the different things being added to inventory and taking note of things they already had while Blessing carried things from the car parked outside the prison. Rick and Glenn recently went on a run to grab some things from the area that was once Woodbury since it'd been abandoned after their moment of... Violence.

She glanced at Carol when he said that, because she was organizing things with Blessing as Herschel took note. Everyone was busy doing their own tasks, and that was perfectly fine for Blessing. But she kept having Herschel being paired up with her for every task she'd been assigned. Right now she was getting a break from Daryl's coddling, because every time they had a task together he made sure she didn't do any heavy lifting. She appreciated it, she did. But it was just another reminder that her body was too weak to hold his baby.

"I don't think that's necessary, Mr. Greene." She tried to laugh it off a bit, that stirring she felt in her chest and the flush that overcame her face. It was like a cool breeze and then nothing but heat, but there was nothing to be mad at. They just fuckin' cared that was all. She knew that and it made her feel guilty every time she had to take deep breaths before replying anytime someone asked if she was okay. How was she feeling today?

Nothing felt good, so why the hell would they ask?

"Blessing," Herschel's tone became a bit serious, and even Carol paused her movements to look between Blessing and him a bit awkwardly. Unsure as to whether or not she should even be present for the conversation she was having. It was pretty obvious that Blessing was private with most of her feelings, so if Herschel asked questions she felt were invasive... Should she just drop what she was doing and leave?

Hell no. She's just gonna zip her lips shut and act like she was a ghost in their presence, listen and soak in what was said and then bring it to Daryl to hopefully help...

"You said God spoke to you. God, Bless. Now me? I'm a God fearin' man, and knowing that you felt him... All while everything's goin' on.." He sighed, shaking his head and setting down the small pencil he'd been using to write. He stroked his white beard for a second, his tired eyes staring right into Blessing's who was staring back apprehensively. Nervous as to what ideas he'd conjured up in his head about what her experience with God could mean. Maybe it just meant exactly what she thought it did, save Herschel. Or maybe it meant something deeper, she didn't care to find out. There wasn't any time for that anymore, after all. Only time for survival. "Tell me... When Daryl left, did you feel God?"

"Of course I didn't." She spoke low, her eyes finally leaving him to focus on the numbers he'd written instead. On those wrinkled hands of his that'd probably woven so many braids into Beth and Maggie's hair, fed so many chickens or gave a gentle caress to a person or thing he loved... "I don't-I don't think I needed Daryl. But people need you, we all need you. He must've known that."

Sympathy flooded into Carol's eyes, and she was almost tempted to coo and pull her into a hug because of how soft she'd said it. Like she was trying to convince herself that what she was saying was the absolute truth, and maybe it was. She didn't need Daryl, she wanted him. But Herschel... She still had so much to learn from him, she needed him. He was quite literally the father who stepped up when it came to her now.

"What makes you think y'all need an old man like me?" Now Herschel was smiling, his arms crossing over his chest so he could lean back in his wooden chair to get comfortable. Although crossing his arms over his chest was an action that may seem closed, the tenderness that flooded those eyes of his made it feel like he was ready for her to tell a story. It had her pausing, licking her lips to try to stop them from shaking as her eyes jumped to Carol as if remembering she was there. It was okay though, she wasn't crying yet. She just seemed... Nervous.

"We have a lot to learn from you still." She admitted, hands wringing whilst she shrugged her shoulders to try and seem nonchalant. But she was much too shaky for that, not even her hair was agreeing with her right now. When he shrugged her shoulders a puff of it tipped onto her forehead and she had to push it back with an almost sheepish grin. She hadn't tied it up today because too much tension was bad for it, she was debating having Michonne Loc it up for her so she didn't have to worry about doing it everyday. She wouldn't even really have to worry about taking them out like braids, just a retwist every now and then. But she knew how to do that herself so... she'd be good.

"Had nothing to learn from Daryl?"

"I've learned enough."

"Blessing... You know I am not your father, and I know that too, right?"

"So then why have you been following me around? And keeping an eye on me?" That got a rise out of her, especially since he smiled when he said it. He didn't mean it maliciously, she already knew that. But him saying it out loud.. Something about hearing him say that out loud kinda hurt.

"Because I care about you, sweet girl. Just like everyone else here."

"Don't call me that." This time she snapped, and Herschel's warm smile was becoming a bit smug at her finally showing the emotions she had pent up. It wasn't healthy to keep all that shit in, and he didn't need her to become another Rick. Not now.

"I've heard a thing or two about your father from my girls, and he sounds like a great man. God fearing, gentle with his baby.. We have a lot in common, I hope."

"You do, I hate it." Finally her voice broke, and she used her arms to wipe the tears that were building up in her eyes. She didn't want to fuckin' cry anymore, she was tired of it. Honestly, she was tired of just about everything.

"That's okay, Blessin'... He would've wanted you to cry."

"You're a dick." She sobbed out, but he didn't even get upset about it. In fact, he let out a bit of a chuckle and opened his arms up for her. She rounded the table they were all around and fell into his chest as if she'd done it a million times. And she had, with Daryl and with her father. But this was a first with Herschel. And even if it was a first.. It really felt like she was hugging her father again. Maybe it was her brain playing tricks on her because of grief, but just like her father.. Herschel had a faint smell that tickled something in her. Was it a bible? Did Herschel just smell like church? She didn't know how if he did, because they'd been at this prison for a while. The last time she saw a church was when Sophia had disappeared..

"Blessing, sweetie, if you wanna get your mind off of things I can always find something for us to do together. Being alone isn't ideal, and I'm not Daryl but-"

"I'd love that Carol, thank you." Blessing sniffled into Herschel's shoulder before she let him go so she could give Carol a watery smile. One that filled her eyes with appreciation and Carol's heart with a soft warmth. Although her eyes were still filled with tears and there were streaks of them down her cheeks.. She was still smiling. And it was a smile she genuinely missed seeing on Blessing's face.

Once Blessing had gathered her bearings, the trio were back to focusing on inventory. It didn't take them too long to finish with the three of them figuring out a quick system, Blessing and Carol organizing and keeping count while Herschel wrote down everything they called out. Simple to them and efficient. By the time they were done it was nearly lunch, luckily for Carol it wasn't her turn to work the kitchen and lucky for Blessing too. It was Maggie, Beth and Carl in the kitchen today. Of course with Carl came along his baby sister, who was strapped to his chest no matter where he went. It was actually really adorable to see whenever you were out and about just minding your business.

One second all you see is prison walls and blood stains, then suddenly you've got an angsty teen walking by with a grumbling baby strapped to his chest. Trying to get that damn Sheriff's hat he always had on his head. It was a cute sight. But sometimes when Blessing saw it... She just felt jealous. Carl got his baby. His baby sister. She survived.

"Hey, baby." She blinked a few times to bring herself back to reality, a small smile coming onto her face when Daryl pressed a wet kiss to her temple before he was sliding in the empty seat next to her. She'd already gathered the food on his plate for him and set it up nice and neat so no one would take his seat. Nobody really would anyway, but just in case. She'd been so in her head as she did it she barely noticed the careful looks that Beth and Maggie had given her when she set up two plates at once with that dazed look in her eyes. Like she wasn't even there..

"Hey, handsome." She hummed before she slid a spoon beside his plate for him, one that he picked up much too eagerly so he could dig in. He didn't even give himself time to blush at her damn compliment before he was shoveling food into his mouth, sweat dripping from his nose and onto his beans yet he didn't give a fuck at all. He'd just scoop it up and take it in the next bite.

"Daryl, the food isn't going anywhere." She sounded mildly surprised and a bit impressed at how much food he could fit in his mouth. Rick and Glenn let out some breathless laughs at that, because they knew exactly why he was so damn hungry. They'd let Merle out of isolation to help out with the tasks they all had around the prison, it was mostly Daryl's idea because he'd brought up Merle being in the army or military before when Glenn complained about not knowing how to move the tank. Imagine their fuckin' surprise when Merle actually jumped in that mother fucker and parked it up not too far away.

Guess he wasn't as useless as they thought he was.

Well, Merle had Daryl do some extra lifting this morning when they were out there dragging bodies. It started off as some fun games because some of them kept slipping on walker muck. Merle thought it'd be hilarious to pretend it was a zombie slip and slide. Daryl played along for the first five minutes until Merle was penguin diving into fuckin' filth. But when he went to dragging bodies, Merle would just hold on to its other side to try and get him to stop and half the time it got the fuckin' walkers to be ripped apart.

Making the clean up job much harder than it was supposed to be.

"Merle's been making him do a bunch of extra shit. It's only funny 'cause it isn't me." Glenn told her, sounding way too amused about it. His brown eyes lit with mirth and grin on his face. Merle was the only one not sitting with them, and when she looked to Rick with a raised brow he knew exactly what she was wondering.

"He went to go wash up 'fore he ate. Was covered in shit, Bless. Real bad." Even Rick sounded a bit amused about it, probably because he;d seen it go down too. But Daryl? He seemed grumpy as ever about it.

"Hope he slips down the fuckin' drain."

~*~

Word Count : 2,416

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August 17th, 2025

Chapter Text

It was expected by some, by not all of the group. That survivors of Woodbury would find their way to the prison, try and join their group since theirs had fallen. Although Rick was paranoid as ever, he still let people into the walls to question them before figuring out if he actually wanted to allow them into the group. At first, they tried to make it seem like it was only Rick making the decisions, but he'd always turn to a small group of people for their advice. It made it obvious that Rick wasn't some type of dictator, this group was being run by a sort of council.

Blessing sort of liked it, but probably because she was a part of that very council. She had to admit that any time a woman and/or child came stumbling towards them, she always gave them more sway. She knew it was bad, the bias and the naivety. Because for all she knew, one of those mothers could be the one to be plotting the prison's downfall.

"Startin' to get a little crowded around here, ain't it?" Daryl complained, walking a little on the slower side so Blessing didn't have to walk fast to keep up with him. She had a new hairstyle too, one that he actually really liked. She told Michonne she might want to try locs so she didn't have to keep maintaining her hair, brushing and washing and all the extra shit that came with those beautiful curls of hers. But she wasn't entirely sure if she was ready for that commitment just yet. So instead, Michonne had twisted up her hair. Each twist looked like small puffs of hair to him, curling around each other for hugs and holding each other together.

She had even added some small gold ornaments that wrapped around a few twists. Honestly, he thought they made her eyes twinkle more than they already did.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" She smirked when she asked because she already knew the answer. His lip curled in a flash of a grimace before he shook his head. He had to wipe the look away when a small trio of younger kids in their teens called out some respectful 'Hey, Mr Dixon's. He got awkward every time, but he should definitely be more used to people giving him praise over him keeping them fed.

"How am I 'posed to remember all those names?" He whispered it, or tried to. But of course people passing by still heard and cackled into their hands as they passed by. Blessing didn't bother hiding her amusement, she let out a laugh that came from deep in her belly. It had him biting his lip so he wouldn't say anything to fuck up the moment.

Lately, things hadn't been too bad with her as far as he could tell. She was smiling a little more, just not as much as she once had. Merle went out of his way sometimes to keep her distracted with whatever bullshit he could come up with whether he was sober or not. Thankfully, he was more sober now. The walker slip and slide wasn't the only fuckery he'd been up to. He had one hand, so he and Blessing had started coming up with shit to duct tape to his wrist. He'd already made his own knife, but Blessing had been so fascinated by it when he clicked the fucker off she started trying to click other shit onto it. Nothing really fit because he'd crafted the knife for him specifically, but it was pretty funny every time she just smacked something to his wrist and let it go like it was meant to stick there magnetically or something. Just for it to fall in between them both, and then stare at the item on the floor in silence until she wanted to try something else.

"You don't, just do what I do and give everyone a nickname so they never figure out you don't know their names." Blessing said it like it was the most obvious advice in the world, and Daryl was actually a little impressed by it. She'd probably heard it from his brother, because he was pretty sure that was something Merle did with women he fooled around with.

"Like this, watch- Hey, Miss Ma'am! Doin' okay?" She put on a friendly smile, waving her hand towards an older looking woman that was wearing what looked to be like a gardening hat and a sunwashed button down shirt. To Blessing, this lady looked like her and Dale would've loved each other if he would've made it this far. She looked like.. She looked like she could definitely be his second chance wife after he'd lost his first one, like she would've loved the adventure of going in his RV and traveling across the country to spend their last years together...

That didn't mean Blessing was gonna remember her name though.

"Oh! Blessing! Hey, sweetie! I'm settlin' in alright, thank you so much." She gushed, even going as far as to take that cute little hat off her head to show her respect to the duo that approached her. Rick made sure people knew that Daryl was practically keeping everyone fed with his hunting, but people recognized Blessing for different reasons.

Like her welcoming smile and friendly tone she always used... Sometimes it made them forget that it was her that'd killed the Governor.

"Good, you let us know if anyone gives you any trouble." She gave the older woman a quick wink that had her giggling into her hand. It was their cue to keep moving, and Daryl urged her even more with a nudge of his elbow so they could hurry up and get some rations for themselves. In the prison yard there was a stand set up for things to be handed out at different times, they ran on a schedule. Breakfast, lunch and dinner was served and handed out at this stand and the one other that was built not too far from this one.

When food wasn't being served, it stood as a small inventory dispensary system. They didn't keep everything there, because they knew it'd be too high risk if they were ever attacked by outsiders. Each stand had a small percentage of items held in them, and a menu was posted everyday by people running the stand for that day. It was a job that required a lot of trust, and most of the time Carol was the one really handling everything. When she wasn't, it was either Glenn or Maggie that were holding down the fort. It wasn't just because they went on a lot of runs either. But because everyone trusted them.

"That was pretty smooth." Daryl praised, slinging an arm over her shoulders so she was tucked further into his side as they walked. Doing shit like this didn't really bother him anymore, even though he was still pretty... Shy if you could call it that. She'd made it clear that if he couldn't be affectionate in front of others it may be a done deal, he'd been sure to keep that in mind. So when she nuzzled her cheek into the side of his chest even though he was covered in sweat to hide that little blush of hers, a smile spread on his face.

"I learned from the best."

"From me?"

"Nah, Merle taught me that shit." They both laughed at that, because that's exactly who he thought she learned it from. It only made them laugh even more that Merle was already at one of the distribution stands with a plate in his hands and a sloppy grin on his face. It looked like he'd been sampling those jars of moonshine one of the men from Woodbury tried to make..

"Speak of the devil." Daryl was tempted to clap a hand on his brothers shoulder in some type of greeting, the same thing Rick had done to him so many times before. But he knew better, because his brother was always thrown off by shit like that. It didn't even seem like it'd be something that mattered that much, but Daryl knew just how much touch really bothered the both of them. Merle.. He'd been separated from them for a while, from Daryl. He didn't get as close to the others as Daryl, the only bond he really had besides Daryl's was with Blessing.

And even that bond was shaky to him, because he knew all the shit he'd said to that girl.

"Pixie Cut makes some of the best canned beans I done ever tasted in my life." Merle made sure they could see exactly how good the beans were, talking with his mouth full of them so they could all see a clear view of bean mush. Behind him, Carol rolled her eyes as she started putting together more plates, but a smile was still on her face because both Daryl and Blessing made disgusted faces at him. He knew her name too, he was a part of the damn group before all these woodbury people so he knew Carol. Yet he still kept coming up with nicknames to call her.

"Carol has always been a phenomenal cook." Blessing corrected him, uttering a small 'thanks' when Carol passed her two plates. One for her and one for Daryl. But Merle snorted at that, looking at Blessing like she'd said something crazy.

"I bet Ed would beg to differ."

Blessing's jaw actually dropped at that, and she expected Carol to probably burst into tears or something. Maybe be thrown into a fit of PTSD at the reminder of her husband that once beat the living shit out of her on a daily basis. But instead, Carol snorted out a laugh. She shook her head and popped out one of her hips so she could plant a hand on it and use the other to point her sauce-covered spoon Merle's way.

"Ed ain't here to do that now though, is he?" It sounded sassy as ever, the sassiest that Blessing ever heard Carol. It had her breathing out a laugh of surprise, especially when she noticed the subtle smirk on Merle's face at the eye contact they made.

Now if Blessing didn't know any better... She'd say there may be something going on here...

"Good thing he ain't." Was Merle's only rebuttal before he was stuffing his face once again. Did Daryl and Blessing know about the little rendezvous that Merle and Carol had recently? Noo... Did they need to know? Not really. Did either of them expect it? Not really...

Flash back

"Here's your lunch." Carol was forcing a smile on her face every time she was the one that was sent to bring Merle his rations for the day. It wasn't a punishment or anything, it was just her job usually to take care of inventory. So it only made sense she was the one to give him his shit. She wasn't really mad at anyone about it, just annoyed that she wasn't sure what to expect from the older Dixon anymore.

"Y'know I ain't expect you to last this long." The sudden honesty had Carol raising her brows, the only show of surprise at his words really. She didn't expect to live this long either, she didn't expect to be the last one standing in her family at all. "I thought Ed would end up bein' the death of ya."

Now Carol chuckled a bit at that, setting his plate down on the bedside table that was right by his bunk bed. He was lounging much too lazily on the bottom bunk. His tank top was dirty and covered with sweat, pants just as dirty and unbuttoned because he wanted more room for his belly so he could lean back and kick his feet up. He looked just like how Ed did sometimes after work, when he did have a job at least. He'd always kick off his dirty ass boots and leave them by the front door like he had no home training. He'd drop all his shit all over the place, huffing and puffing about work and how much shit he had to do. By the time he got to the living room, his belt was always off and his beer belly was poking out of his pants like it'd been waiting to escape all day.

"Really? You thought that?" She sounded a bit disbelieving, and somewhat amused because it was pretty funny coming from Merle. When they first met, she genuinely thought he was probably just as bad as him. But he never really disrespected her besides calling her nicknames every now and then. Not bitch like Ed did, or other curse words. More like 'pixie cut' and 'hot mama'.

"Hell yeah, that boy looked at you and that girl of yours like you did somethin' personal." He put emphasis on the boy just so that she knew he didn't think of him as a man at all. He didn't really think of any man that put their hands on a woman as a man. More like fuckin' parasites since he'd seen enough of that shit because of his Father.

"Yeah, we existed."It was a light joke, but Merle didn't laugh at it. His blue eyes just watched her looking like a mixture of somber and guilty. She wasn't exactly sure why he felt guilty, it wasn't him that'd beat her. It wasn't him that put her through all the shit she'd gone through. Hell, for years she just blamed herself because she got used to people asking why didn't she leave? Because then she started asking herself... Why the hell aren't you leaving?

But it was never that easy.

"I'm uh.. I'm sorry for not sayin' nothin' when I noticed." It definitely sounded genuine, it sounded like it physically hurt him to even say the word sorry out loud and yet he still did it. Carol blinked a few times in surprise, her eyes jumping to Merle to look over his face to see if she'd find any signs of him being deceitful. Maybe this was just his way of trying to get out of solitary confinement early, or to get people on the council to feel bad.

"It-It's okay.."

"Nah, seein' and not doin' somethin' is just as bad as actually doin' it yer damn self. And I'm sorry for that, Carol."

~*~

Word Count : 2,420

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August 29th, 2025

Chapter Text

"What do you really think about all the people that got let in from Woodbury?" It was a valid question that Maggie was asking, especially since it was Glenn that was dealing with the most bullshit from the others. She truly believed it was because of how kind he was, people mistook that kindness for weakness often. They were snappier with him, so much more rude to him than they were anyone else in the group. Did it bother her? Absolutely it did, that's why she was asking questions.

Blessing pursed her lips as she mulled over her answer, eyes dancing over the random people who walked by with only a hint of judgment in them. She probably didn't even realize how judgy she looked, but she couldn't help it when being asked a question like that. Not when Maggie was usually so chill about everything going on, she was like the coolest big sister Blessing ever met in her life.

She'd never really had a big sister, so she wasn't sure if she'd met many older sisters... She didn't have much to compare her to.

"Depends. Why...?" Blessing rose a brow, turning her back towards the hall so that if people looked their way they were looking at the back of her head. And not staring directly at Maggie, just so she was sure her mouth was covered. People were nosey as hell, Blessing knew that for sure because she was one of those people. She was very much guilty of listening in to people's conversation often, but she was never caught by the people she was eavesdropping on.

"Some people have been giving Glenn issues..."

"Glenn? Glenn Rhee is being bothered?" Blessing asked a bit incredulously, eyes widening a bit because who in their right mind would really mess with a chill guy like Glenn? Glenn didn't bother a single soul, hell he was one of the most friendly faces she knew! If people were giving him problems, and no one else there may be bigger issues for them to address. Why only Glenn? Why not anyone else? He was awkward when it came to confrontation, but lately... lately it was starting to become obvious that he'd grown out of that.

"Well, Tara's nice... I think she feels guilty about everything that happened." Maggie explained, mentioning the woman who Blessing actually didn't mind much. She was pretty chill with women, but had a tendency to have a bit of a smart mouth. That was fine though, because when Blessing found out she was a lesbian she didn't mind buttering her up a little bit. She is showing signs of feeling guilty of the past, the past she couldn't have controlled... It was a good thing. She had some sort of compassion, unlike some of the others. "He's still upset about Merle being able to stay here, and Allen and Ben don't make it any easier."

Blessing sucked in a breath at that, looking off to the side to pretend she was checking if someone was coming down the hall or something. In reality, she was a bit ashamed of how she'd taken up for Merle. She didn't exactly immediately take his side, she'd been angry at him when he arrived too. But she'd still wanted him to stay. She'd still agreed to put him in solitary confinement so she'd still have access to him, knowing that he was at fault for what had happened to Maggie and Glenn.

"I-I'm sorry about Merle... It doesn't make anything better but-"

"I understand why you wanted him to stay, I think... It isn't your fault he's a piece of shit." Maggie interrupted her, cutting her off before she could start doubting herself and her friendships. Not much time had passed, but she was no longer in the midst of miscarriage. That didn't erase it though... To Maggie, sometimes Blessing still showed signs of what she believed was Post Partem depression. It was normal for women who just gave birth, and for women who weren't able to carry their child full term. She recognized the symptoms, she wasn't just experiencing grief. It was deeper than that and not just Maggie could see that.

"What uh.. What did Allen and Ben do or say to make it worse? If you don't mind me asking, of course." Blessing stumbled over her words a bit, only because her mind had trouble transitioning from self doubt and pity to something more productive. It was easier to blame herself in anything rather than to actually put things into action, but her standing with Maggie was already the first step of her trying to get shit done.

"Shit talkers. Went on a run with him, didn't like his way of doing things and went out their way to hassle 'em." Blessing nodded as Maggie spoke, and for a second Maggie swore she looked like the damn prison manager taking mental notes. If this prison were actually a prison, she probably would've locked Ben and Allen up in solitary confinement with no food. But uh... She didn't really have the authority for that.

She could definitely suggest it though.

"Okay, bet. I'll hassle them." Blessing chirped before she was turning on her heel to head outside where she knew most of the group was. It was the middle of the day, some time around the afternoon, so most people were likely in the middle of a shift of some sort. Most, if not all of the men had a job here, meaning all those fuckers were outside.

"Wait! Bless!" Maggie wanted to sound like she wanted her to stop, but she was definitely amused by the thought of Blessing going outside just to fuck with people who'd bothered Glenn. She followed after her with pep in her step and a smile on her face, though she kept biting her lip to hide it so they didn't seem like they were up to no good. Like expected, everyone was outside.

Beth was working the distribution stand today, with Carol standing nearby to act as a helping hand and to keep track of the inventory moving. By the fences, she could see Glenn already looking like he was having some type of confrontation with Ben. Allen stood not far behind Ben, Daryl not far behind Glenn with his blue eyes narrowed on Allen as if he were expecting him to jump into anything that popped off between Glenn and Ben. ( Lol... Glenn Vs Ben ). There were a few other people spectating, like Tara and Tyreese, but Glenn and Daryl were the ones who seemed most prepared for an actual fight.

"What's goin' on over here?" Blessing chirped, grin on her face and hands clasped behind her back. Now she was really stepping into that prison manager role..

"They don't like the way we do things around here." Glenn was first to point out, not even glancing Blessing's way when he pointed towards Ben with a serious look on his face. Everyone was covered in sheens of sweat because of the raging sun, but this was the first time Blessing saw Glenn covered in sweat and looking so irritated. Glenn was a fuckin' ray of sunshine.

"You don't?" She stopped between them both, tilting her head to look at Ben with a raised brow and brown eyes twinkling with mischief. It was easy to sense the sarcasm in her tone, it sounded like she was talking to a toddler instead of a grown man. That clearly bothered Ben who narrowed his eyes on her, a scoff escaping him before he actually started speaking.

"No, we don't actually. Your runners are soft." He whispered the last bit towards Glenn, definitely trying to rile up the Korean knowing damn well it was him that was the main runner for the group. Glenn rolled his eyes so dramatically, Blessing thought they could've rolled to the back of his head. "Whole group is soft."

"So then leave, dumbass." She didn't whisper it like he did, she sneered it into his face so harshly that his face dropped a bit when she said it. When he reeled his neck back a bit like he was going to say 'you talkin' to me?', she pointed into his chest roughly. Making sure that her nail poked into his chest, because she definitely wanted to leave a mark. "You got a fuckin' problem with our people then you fuckin' leave, Ben."

"And who the fuck are you to say that?" Allen jumped in, face twisted up in growing frustration at seeing Ben being double teamed. It didn't help his case at all though, because both of them were outnumbered. Glenn had Blessing, Daryl, Tyreese, Tara and Maggie ready to stand for him. Allen and Ben probably should've thought about the influence Glenn actually had throughout the community, instead of just fuckin' with him because they wanted his role.

Either they didn't notice or they didn't care that Daryl was pacing back and forth behind Glenn almost the entirety of the time, and now that it was Blessing speaking up... He'd gravitated to hover near her, and his lips were twisted into a scowl at the exchange of words.

"She's Blessin', that's who she is. Watch yer mouth." Daryl spat out, pointing a dirty finger towards Allen's face. Allen flinched back a bit even though Daryl wasn't even that close, and tried to cover his sudden fright by sucking his teeth and trying to smack Daryl's hand out of the way. But Daryl moved faster than he did, and he'd just ended up smacking the air.

"Oh, please." It was a weak comeback, probably because he wasn't exactly sure what to say to that. He hadn't interacted much with her, but he'd only heard good things about her from other people. Ben, however...

"Blessing? The name sounds so familiar! This is the same Blessing that Merle brought up back when he was with the Governor, right?" Ben tapped a finger to his chin, acting like he was digging through his memory for every time Merle brought her up. But he didn't have to look too hard, because Merle talked about his brother and his girl every chance he got whenever he was amped up on whatever drug he could get his hands on. "The same Blessing that came to the Dixon's with daddy issues and not shit to offer but some ass? How'd it feel bein' their maid? Took you back, didn't it?"

She wasn't given much time to be offended, because Glenn had swung and clocked Ben right in the mouth. It took him by surprise and knocked him on his ass, so Allen tried to rush towards Glenn as if to hit him for Ben. But Daryl, once again, was quicker. He rushed forwards towards Allen, his broad shoulder knocking into Allen's chest to push him back a bit before he pulled back a step since Allen tried to swing at Daryl's head. Daryl dodged the punch, and threw a punch of his head to Allen's rib cage that had him doubling over. Daryl used that opportunity to drive his knee up into Allen's nose and knock him on his back with blood streaming from his face.

"Hey! Hey! Stop!" Now people were in trouble, because Rick came rushing over with his face riddled with confusion and body tense with frustration. He grabbed at Daryl's arm since he was the only one he'd seen still trying to actively fight, his blue eyes taking in the scene for a moment. Ben had scrambled up from the floor, but he look disgruntled and had a busted lip. Allen still on the floor with his hands cupping his bleeding nose. Glenn standing proud, chest heaving and eyes jumping from Allen to Ben like he was ready for more.

Meanwhile, Blessing was standing with her hands over her mouth and eyes wide in surprise because she didn't think it'd be Glenn who swung first. Maggie was by Tara, both with their arms crossed over their chests and proud smirks on their faces, and Tyreese? He seemed to be enjoying the show just as much as they were.

"What the hell is goin' on here?" Rick hissed out towards them all, but the question was more direction towards Glenn and Daryl since they were the duo that was fighting with others.

"They started it, they called ya'lls soft." Tara spoke first, voice lowering awkwardly when Allen and Ben glared her way as if it'd silence the truth. It didn't at all, because everyone else was there to witness everything too. He turned to Glenn for further explanation, because he knew damn well Daryl wasn't the one for words like Glenn was.

"They called us soft, said they don't like how we do things around here. Blessing told 'em if they didn't like it they could leave." Glenn said it robotically, like he wasn't trying to rile himself up again now that Rick was here. With Rick here it wasn't needed, really. He was the one that always wanted to talk shit out, so there was no need for Glenn to even think about swinging again with him around knowing he'd just stop the fight.

Rick turned his gaze back to Allen and Ben with a raised brow, his head tilting a bit as he blinked and processed what was just shared.. And as he processed it, his face twisted up even more. Because how could they have the audacity to say anything about their group when they were the ones who took them in?

"You said-"

"And he said I got daddy issues and that all I got to offer is ass, and that I'm like a maid for them and that should take me back... Think he was talkin' 'bout slavery, but I'dunno, man." Blessing ticked off shit he'd said with her fingers, her look growing more and more smug the more Rick's face grew red. If it was one thing Blessing knew about Rick, he did not play when it came to his group. They were all family, and Blessing? Blessing was like the little sister Rick never had.

Ben sucked in a breath when Rick's eye twitched a bit, because then he blinked fast and looked at Ben again with a look that had him swearing he was probably about to die. But Rick... Rick wasn't like that, right?

~*~

Word Count : 2,408

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September 6th, 2025

Chapter Text

Rick didn't kill Allen and Ben like they thought he would. He'd actually taken some of Blessing's advice and set them aside in solitary confinement. They weren't exactly happy about being told to sit in timeout, but it wasn't like they had much of a choice. It was either that, or throw hands with Daryl....

They didn't want any smoke when it came to that.

"I still think we should feed 'em to the pigs." Daryl wasn't really letting up on them, even if they'd already stepped down with their tails tucked 'tween their legs. Blessing was sure she'd seen him go out of his way to take the long way around the prison just to pass their cell to mutter obscenities. Was it unnecessary? Yes, but it was still pretty fuckin' funny to see Ben pull back the curtain a little to glare at Daryl through the crack he'd made.

They were like kids teasing each other about getting in trouble at school.

"They wouldn't even leave any evidence, those pigs eat everything...You think they eat walkers?" Blessing's voice dropped to a suspicious whisper, a finger even tapping her chin because that thought had truly never occurred to her. She'd watched crime videos on youtube before, and there was definitely more than one case where a body was fed to pigs because people knew they'd completely destroy evidence. So... If it were that easy for them to tear apart a body that wasn't even decaying yet.

Technically, even cats and dogs are known to eat their human caretaker after death if they have nothing else to eat.. So would cats and dogs have eaten someone that was bitten or scratched too if they were hungry enough? "Daryl, what about the puppies and the kittens?!"

"Can't animals do shit like sniff out disease, Bless? Why would they eat somethin' they know is gon' make 'em sick? C'mon, girl, think!" His finger tapped at her temple and pushed at her head lightly, she had to scoff out a laugh at that because when she tried to smack his hand away she missed and bumped into a prison wall. He had to sling his sweaty arm over her shoulders so she wouldn't tumble over, a lazy grin on his face and a hidden sparkle of amusement in those blue eyes of his.

"Humans do shit like smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol even though it's poison, who's to say an animal wouldn't either?"

"You really gon' compare the walker virus to some cigs, Bless?" He put on a mock surprise look, but he wasn't entirely surprised. He knew she hated cigarettes, most people did. But c'mon now, alcohol?

"I mean, if a cat or dog ate a walker... It'd probably give them like a stomach ache or something but they'd still be fed. And we wouldn't even know it'd eaten something contaminated until it dies and reanimates, right? Like, hypothetically." The more she went on, the more her hands waved about as if it'd add more emphasis to her point. At first, Daryl was just gonna put it off as some wild thought she was coming up with.

But the more she went on to explain, the more sense she made. It was true, you really wouldn't know if an animal was infected unless it died a natural death and turned. Walkers didn't just... bite animals and keep it pushin', or animals didn't get bit just once and made their escape. If they were slow enough to end up in the clutches of a walker, there was no running away.

They both stopped walking to stare into one another's eyes with thoughtful expressions. Blessing was a bit more.. Panicked than Daryl's. Even though she made sense he wasn't going to freak out like her, for what? If they ate contaminated meat, it was already said and done and there was nothing that either of them could do about it.

"You guys ready to eat? One of the guys from Woodbury used to be a butcher and turned a hog into something that looks more than edible." Rick, thank fuckin' God it was Rick, because Blessing was ready to throw herself into fire about the coincidence that he was ready to eat a wild hog while they were having this conversation right now. There was no fuckin' way.

Blessing choked on her own spit, giving Daryl a wide eyed look that had him looking down at her with raised brows and genuine surprise in his eyes. Ain't no way she was just talkin' 'bout that shit and he just came up to them to say that, and this wasn't the first time something like this happened when Blessing had some weird ass 'conspiracy theory' either. He was starting to think she was manifesting that shit to life like she used to say about money, that talking about it would bring it to her.

"Don't eat no hog, Rick. None." Blessing stressed, pointing a finger towards his chest, making that friendly smile of his shrink into an uncertain one. He glanced Daryl's way as if he'd help him in some way, but Daryl already had a shoulder pulled up in a shrug because he knew damn well he wasn't eating that hog either.

"Why the hell not?" He asked slowly, eyes glinting in confusion and body language becoming a bit more guarded. He wouldn't even be surprised if she'd said something as crazy as someone poisoning the meat, since someone from Woodbury did prepare the meat after all. For all he knew, it was as simple as cutting the meat on a contaminated board. How would he know?

He wasn't a fuckin' scientist.

"Because, man. Pigs and hogs, they eat everything. For all you know, they eat walkers too!" His shoulders sagged a bit with relief even though she still seemed so stressed about what her mind was conjuring up. It was reasonable, so she didn't understand why he was so fuckin' relieved.

"C'mon, Bless. I thought it was gonna be 'bout them poisoning us or something." Rick breathed out with a laugh, one that was meant to ease her nerves at least the tiniest bit. Blessing pulled away from Daryl a bit so she could look between them incredulously.

"If they're giving us contaminated meat, isn't that poisoning us?"

"You don't think we've already eaten contaminated meat, Blessing? We eat squirrels and rats on a daily basis, forget about that?" She buffered at that, literally fucking buffered because yeah she did forget about that. Wait, so they were potentially already eating contaminated meat? Oh now her thoughts were racing quicker than they ever did.

Her lips moved, yet no words escaped them. Only a deep sound of confusion that both men had to refrain from laughing at it. She was troubled now, even slowly putting a hand to her head and one on her hip like someone who'd received the most terrible news they'd ever heard. And to her, it kinda was. She couldn't be the only one who's thought about this, at least once.

"But wouldn't that mean-"

"Jenner told me already.. We're all infected."

~*~

"Y'know, Blessing told me before that where she's from a lot of people don't eat pork." Carl pointed out, a little more put off than normal by the greasy looking meat that was being handed out with dinner.

Beside him stood Beth, a crooked grin on her face at the sheer disgust that he wasn't even hiding on his face. Honestly, she didn't wanna eat the meat either. She preferred the dry and chewy texture of what people considered 'roadkill' that Daryl always brought back. They'd grown so accustomed to having the bare minimum, that even this... Brisket seemed like too much. It didn't even feel like they deserved it, because those hogs had practically walked their way into traps blindly... It was almost too good to be true.

"Where's Blessin' from again?" Beth asked him, southern drawl a bit thick since she was talking low. As sweet as she was, she wasn't as trusting as she acted like she was. There were people from Woodbury that were now a part of their group; she couldn't help but look at them sideways. And the incident with Glenn, Ben and Allen made it all worse for her. If her big sister didn't like someone, neither did she. And Maggie sure as hell didn't like them.

"She's from Philadelphia. Or Philly.. She says it sounds cooler when you call it Philly." He didn't think it did, not really. He'd actually preferred the other nickname she told him about, even though it was given because of all of the violence and death in the city. Killadelphia.

If it was called that even before the walkers... Could you imagine what it would be like now? Carl couldn't. That's what made that name so much cooler to him. It was dangerous.

"She sure is far from home." Beth whistled out, shaking her head when some meat was offered to her. She'd heed Carl's subtle warning, and only settle for some canned food on her plate. She didn't mind not eating some meat for a day or two, especially to avoid that disgusted look on Carl's face. He poked his tongue out to show his clear distaste when it was offered to him too, and the woman who was handing the food out let out a chuckle as she shook her head.

She seemed more amused by Carl's childish antics than his rude refusal to eat food prepared, and Beth was more than thankful for that. They both moved on when they had their fair share of food, heading towards a bench that didn't seem to be occupied by anyone for lunch yet. Around this time people started to flood in for some food, so it was best to grab their seats before it got a little crowded.

"She ever tell ya why they don't eat pork?" Beth inquired, curiosity dancing around in those shining blue eyes of hers. They kept jumping from the fd on her plate that she kept pushing around with her plastic fork to Carl, who shrugged his shoulder as he too pushed his vegetables around his plate. Unlike Beth, he didn't really plan on eating his peas. But he knew Glenn liked peas, so he could probably sneak them his way if he came around for some grub. I mean, he had to at some time, right?

"She said it's real diverse over there, or it was. There was a bigger population of 'people of Islam'." Carl held up his hands so he could make emphasis with his fingers. He didn't know the specifics, only what Blessing told him. And he could only hope that she wouldn't steer him wrong and he was embarrassing himself with false information in front of Beth.

"People of Islam? Like Muslim?"

"That's what I said! But she said its deeper than that, whatever that means. I don't know. All I know is what she told me, and she told me that her dad listened to them because he got real sick eating pork once."

Beth hummed in surprise at that, stuffing a sporkful of greens into her mouth as she nodded slowly as if taking in the information. She'd never been anything but a Christian in her entire life, that's how her Mom and Dad raised her. It wasn't often that she came across people that weren't the same as her in her area of the South. But her parents always told her to never treat anyone differently based on anything. Not their skin color or their religion, hell not even their sexuality. Whenever she came across people that were different, she just wanted to learn what made them so different.

"Woah, like throwin' up and stuff?" She asked once she'd swallowed half of her mouth full, putting a hand over her mouth to cover up her chewed up food. She almost snorted out some food when Carl shrugged with a twisted up look on his face, looking downright appalled.

"How should I know? I wasn't there."

She turned her head down to her plate so he wouldn't see her trying to hide her blatant laughter. He wasn't trying to be funny, but she was tickled pink by his ignorance. She was glad that he could at least give him some type of second hand information from Blessing.. Maybe she'd ask about that later.

They'd eaten in silence for a bit after that, nothing but the sound of mindless chatter in the background from others and the sound of lips smacking as people chewed. It was almost like white noise, sound that was constant and buzzed in Carl's ears as if it belonged there. Only the sound of jingling keys stopped that white noise, because he knew that jingle meant his father was nearby. And that he was. Rick sauntered into the area with an air of authority, his brows furrowed deep and his lips curled down in a bit of a frown that had Carl bracing himself for some type of bad news.

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

"What did you just eat?" When did he get so close? Rick was standing over Carl now, a finger pointed to Carl's nearly empty plate and his eyes shining with hidden glints of concern that had Carl swallowing any rebellion. Beth seemed just as confused, and Rick turned to her plate before he'd let out a huff through his nose. Just like Carl, he swallowed words in his mouth. He ran a hand over his mustache even, as if stalling so he could pick the right words.

It was nerve wracking.

"W-We had vegetables and some canned stuff." Beth answered for the both of them, her whisper short and sweet just like the look she'd given Rick.

"No meat?"

"No, Blessing said pork gives people cancer."

"That's not what she said!" Beth laughed out incredulously at Carl's words, and even Rick breathed out a short laugh that Beth was sure was filled with relief. She didn't know why, but she was sure as fuck glad that she didn't eat the meat that had him so concerned. Rick shook his head, setting his hand at the top of Carl's head and squishing his Sheriff's hat further down on it. It covered his eyes, and even though Carl used to find that annoying he still grinned up at his father as if it were his favorite action of endearment.

"Well, that's what I understood."

~*~

Word Count : 2,419

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September 21st, 2025

Header by : Ayla_Dixon

Chapter Text

Blessing was keeping a close eye on things, things that some people thought were a bit...crazy. To her it wasn't though. She'd practically interviewed people from their original group to find out who'd eaten food she was assuming was contaminated. Still, Rick was standing by his theory that since they'd already eaten meat that might've been contaminated they were fine. That is, until she'd told him about the first person showing signs of becoming sick.

"Patricks's been hiding out in his room, coughin' and sweatin' up a storm, Rick." Blessing whispered to the Sheriff, some heat in her tone to match the fire in her brown eyes. She wasn't really mad at him, well she was a little but not really. She was just mad that she felt like this was proving that she was right, and although she liked being right... It didn't mean she wanted to be. Especially if that meant people might get sick and potentially die. She knew the possibilities.. She refused to ignore them like everyone else.

Rick's eyes danced over her side profile, it was so much easier to gauge her emotions when she wasn't looking at you. Because if she was, that meant she knew you could see her face. It meant she was gonna put on her mask of a smile and probably tell a corny ass joke so they could move on to the next topic that didn't hurt her feelings. Right now she wasn't hurt, she was a little annoyed though he could tell.

He could only guess that it had something to do with him not believing the theory she'd come up with.

"How do you know? Keepin' tabs on people?" He kept his voice low just like her, his hands settling on his hips and his head dipping low as he took a step closer. His method of talking now, standing a bit too close because he was paranoid about their conversations being heard. It was reasonable, logical even. But she swore it wasn't when he hadn't brushed his teeth yet in the morning.

"Of course I have been, Rick! I had a theory and I had to test it, that means asking questions and collecting data." She chopped the side of one hand against the palm of the other hand, head turning a bit too quickly when she thought she'd heard the sound of people passing by. However, it was only the echo of footsteps from down the hall. Which Rick proved because he'd walked over to the bars of the cell they were talking in to peek his head out to check. They'd stood in tense silence until he confirmed there was no one in sight. Only then did they continue.

"What questions are you askin' people, Bless? What data are you collectin'?" He sounded a bit exasperated but she wasn't offended by it. She couldn't let his attitude stop her from saying what was on her mind, Daryl taught her better than that. Her dad taught her better than that.

She knew for a fact that Peter was one of the first people that ate dinner yesterday, he got first dibs on that meat. So him being the first person to show negative signs was all the proof she really needed. Maybe not for Rick but.. That was fine. She knew eventually she'd prove him right with even more evidence and facts.

"I asked who ate the pigs and if they did I asked how much. That's not invasive at all. I know Carl told you what I thought about pork already, so it's not like I was suspicious or anything."

"Suspiscious?"

"Yes! What if when people keep getting sick they try to connect us to it? Only people from Woodbury ate that meat right? Because I was so paranoid about it, people we know didn't touch it. It'd look like some type of biological warfare or something! Like a set up!" She wasn't helping herself look any less paranoid or manic, not really. She could tell by the way his eyes looked her up and down, blinking fast like he was trying to figure out if she was being serious or not. And she was but.. A little too serious, a little too fast.

"Since you seem to have it figured out, what should we do then? Hm? C'mon, Bless. Yer comin' up with more problems than solutions right now." He still sounded exasperated, and she stomped a foot so she wouldn't pull her twists out of her head out of sheer frustration. She wasn't fuckin' crazy, she knew she wasn't. Depressed, maybe. But not fuckin' crazy.

"We can separate the people who ate the meat from the people who didn't! So that when they start getting sick we won't be at risk." She offered, and Rick actually seemed like he was considering it. He chewed at the inside of his cheeks, Blessings's eyes wide and beady stuck on him and waiting for his answers.

He wanted solutions? She could offer them, but he had to be willing to try them in the first place. The negative that she could see from separating everyone was that people would notice the pattern that she did. The pattern being that only people from Woodbury ate the fuckin' meat.

"That don't sound-"

"Walkers in D!!" Someone shouted down the hall, sending them both racing down that same hall in search of not just their people but the walkers as well. Rick led the way with a wide running stance, his python drawn and his eyes wide and dancing all over trying to find a target. Targets were found when they reached the cell block, luckily it was the same time that others came bounding in as well.

Walkers that looked all very familiar were stumbling about trying to take bites out of one another because of how recently turned they were. There was chaos. The sounds of growls and snarls rang through the air, which was crazy because Blessing swore the prison was so quiet and chill just moments before. Save the occasional sound of a cough from Peter's cell. Maybe if he'd come up with her solutions earlier and people were already separated he wouldn't have had the chance to take a bite out of anyone. But it was too late to think about that now, it was all said and done. All they could do now was get rid of these walkers.

Daryl's crossbow was the first to go off and hit a target, everyone else followed after that. Gunfire sang like the beat of a drum, at one point becoming so in sync that Blessing thought they were matching their shots and kills intentionally. Walkers didn't drop simultaneously like she thought they would, they'd fallen one by one and slowly as if she watched it in slow motion. Even the walkers her gun had taken down felt like it'd taken them forever to fall, like they were turning to meet her eyes so she could see them before they were no more. It was all in her head though, she knew it was.

"What da hell-"

"Daryl, I was right! I was fuckin' right!" Blessing hopped over to Daryl's side, only waiting until the coast was clear of walkers and people were settling in the silence of the dead fallen. She sounded way too excited, and Glenn gave her a weird look since he was standing a bit close by with his chest heaving from swinging his machete. Even Maggie looked at her odd because she swore it looked like Blessing wasn't trying to smile.

"Right 'bout walkers?" He sounded befuddled as ever, his eyes cautious as they danced over every fallen body as if scouting for loot. Occasionally, he'd glance back at feet as if checking if they'd suddenly risen to reach for her or something. Nothing of the sort happened, but it didn't really ease his worries.

People from Woodbury seemed to be effected the most, just like Blessing knew they would. Survivors rushed to their fallen family and friends to sob over their bodies as if their tears would revive them, but it did nothing. It only left streaks of their tears down their dirty faces that was a subtle reminder that things weren't as safe or perfect as they seemed. People were fed, only to become sick later. When people attempted to unite, they were constantly met by friction in one way or the other. First it was Ben and Allen, now it looked like it was about to be this...

"Did someone get bit? The hell happened here?" Rick asked the crowd of people breathlessly, circling around as if it'd help him pinpoint who knew the most information. It didn't help because only he and Blessing knew the entire truth. Well, he didn't really think it was the truth just yet.

"Patrick was sick, he had-he had a fever and he was gonna sleep it off." Carol was the one who spoke up first because she remembered interacting with him not too long ago. He'd been reading the kids a story, and asked her to excuse him because he didn't feel well...

People looked around at one another in silent fear, even Rick was stunned into silence for a bit because this.. This was what was confirming what Blessing was saying before. Daryl pushed Patrick's body over so he could look over his corpse, but no bites or scratches were found... Yet people knew he was the first to animate..

"Who here has interacted with Patrick in the last twenty four hours?" Rick questioned, his voice somewhat low and full of a somber hope. One Blessing could tell he was forcing to be there because Carol literally just said he was reading the children a story.. The children included Carl...

"All of the kids, me..."

"I spoke to him earlier too..." Glenn said awkwardly, raising his hand as if it were needed for him to have a turn to speak. It wasn't, because people turned to look at him as soon as he'd opened his mouth. Unfortunately for him, Blessing wasn't very excited anymore. Now she was actually worried about the safety of their group since they'd all been exposed...

"We need to quarantine people very fast." She spoke up, her eyes jumping from Daryl's to Rick's and then back to Daryl again so he could see just how serious she was being. He nodded once before he turned his attention to Rick, both of their shoulders squared and they gave each other a nod of solidarity. Like telling one another they had back up if needed, especially right now.

Before he could even open his mouth to tell people to get moving, a woman named Karen's body wracked with a cough that sounded wet and raspy. People looked her way in absolute disgust, some even taking very obvious steps away from her as if standing too close could infect them. And for all they knew, it could.

"If you're showing any signs of illness we need you to put in quarantine until we figure things out!" Rick barked out the instruction clearly, with urgency in his voice so people knew they needed to move. And move they did.

~*~

"You were fuckin' right." Rick was pursing his lips and biting at the insides of his cheeks so he wouldn't smile at the way Blessing was grinning from ear to ear. It was confirmed by Herschel, because she took notes of everything and made sure to share them with him. He'd checked out the quarantined people and asked them all the same sets of questions. Asked about their symptoms. The last things they'd done, the last things that they'd eaten and the things they'd drunk.

Everyone had eaten the same last meal, drank the same water. But not everyone had contact with Patrick. Like Karen and Dave, neither of them had interacted with Patrick and yet both of them were pretty sickly.

"I told you so!" She wasn't really happy to say it, because there was a possibility that Glenn and Carl could get sick too. She knew that the meat was a variable to the sickness, but could contact be as well? He'd died and then reanimated to eat people closest to him, it wasn't like he'd coughed on them and they turned too. So that small tid bit of information alone was her only bit of hope for them.

"Does that mean we should just like... get rid of whatever pigs there are left? If we can't eat them, what do they really provide?" Blessing wondered, she wasn't really a part of the farm life. She was new to it only because of the apocalypse. Hell, the last farm she'd been on was the Greene's and the only animals she ever paid attention to there were the horses and the chickens.

She was a city girl, after all. How could they really expect her to know what to do with a fuckin' pig?

"If you kill 'em now, I can skin 'em for the leather and we could see what we could do with the fat." Daryl offered, nibbling at the dead skin around his nails as soon as people looked his way. Blessing didn't even know you could get leather from a pig.. She didn't really ever think about where leather came from honestly, but a pig? Every time she wore a leather jacket.. She was wearing fuckin' pork??

She didn't even realize her face twisted a bit with disgust as the thought ran through her head, and Daryl breathed out a laugh as he threw an arm over her shoulders to try and shake her out of it. It only helped because he was musty as hell, and her disgust was redirected. "Please take a bath after this."

He flinched back looking offended, but she knew by that little twinkle of amusement in his eyes that he wasn't really offended.

"We can do that, get rid of the damn pigs." Rick grumbled, running a hand through his sweat covered curls to get them out of his face. When he looked to Herschel who was sitting at the table in the room, leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed over his chest and his frown hidden in his big beard. He was concerned, probably more concerned than anyone else in the room. Blessing and Rick were more focused on being right or wrong, Daryl only cared about making sure Blessing was fine... "Herschel?"

"I can... I can try to make some kind of medicine."

~*~

Word Count : 2,439

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October 3rd, 2025

Chapter Text

Author's Note: Warning this chapter is smutty!

~*~

"Think Herschel can figure something out?" Blessing whispered to Daryl, pressed into his side as if they didn't have all the space in the world up in the cell tower. He wasn't gonna go out of his way to watch the quarantine section, it wasn't like any of them were well enough to get the fuck outta there. Some could barely stand too long without having to lean against something nearby for support.

So the both of them retreated to the cell tower after they'd eaten and checked in with Rick, just to make sure he was good. He was to some extent, like everyone else. His humanity was hanging on by a thread, his stomach was never satisfied with the scraps he fed himself after sharing his rations with anyone he could. Including Carl, who tried to refuse every time only to be ignored. Carl named the baby Judith, yet every time Rick looked at her all he saw was Lori. If he looked too long, that tricky part of his mind always made him see a glimpse of Shane in that pretty little face of hers. And then he'd have to look away, and there was always an internal battle he had to have with him when it happened.

Whether this baby was Shane's or his, he was going to protect her like she was his own. No matter what.

"Yeah, he's old 'n' wise. He'll figure some shit out. Prolly up right now takin' notes like a mad scientist." Daryl's voice was raspy as fuck because he'd just smoked a cigarette probably like half an hour ago. She'd made him rinse his mouth out and wash his hands after that, because she didn't exactly enjoy the smell and taste of them. She giggled into his ear, the one hand she had on his face bringing it over a bit so she could steal a kiss. They both smiled into the kiss, teeth clashing for a split second because of it.

His hand caressed over the curve of her side before circling her ass, something he did often when she was practically sprawled over his chest like now. In their time together now, he did everything in his power to make sure she was feeling some type of affection. She was starting to seem like she was feeling.. Lighter? He couldn't say better. He couldn't see her feeling better after how he'd seen her. How she'd cried to him about her body being so weak.

She wasn't weak to him at all though. Time had passed, and with every day that passed he watched her become stronger each day. Not just physically, but mentally as well.

"Yeah, yer right. Everything's gonna be fine." She whispered that out into the open air, tone filled with relief. Daryl could be a pessimist, or more like a realist. So if he didn't say it'd be cool, she knew it wouldn't. He was always thinking ahead of everyone else, quiet and calculated. That's part of the reason she liked him, right? Because he was a man of few words, and he paid so much attention it was like he was fuckin' reading her mind most of the time.

He hummed, nudging her face over with his nose so he could pepper kisses across her throat and neck. He flipped their position a bit, and she let him because did not mind at all being slightly lifted and moved around by him. It felt like the diet version of manhandling, because he was actually being pretty gentle when he did it. He adjusted them so that it was him that was slightly on top of her, her legs nudged open for him to nestle between.

"You did so good, Bless. Warnin' people about it, probably saved some lives, y'know?" He uttered in appreciation, goosebumps rising all over his skin with her nails dragged across his shoulders and down his back lightly. She was teasing him with the gentle touch, he just knew it. She knew how his body reacted to her, just off those simple little touches. Of course she probably felt his cock twitching against her with their bodies pressed against one another like they were, with barely any clothes on since they were meant to be asleep.

He wasn't trying to cover his scars with a shirt or a vest, and she'd even convinced him to slip into some sweat pants so she wouldn't rub against the rough ass material of his jeans. She had her preferences.

"I did, didn't I? Pork is never good anyways, I'm glad people actually listened to me. That they trust me like that." She was only a little surprised that people listened, but she shouldn't really be surprised at all that people listened. She clearly cared about the group's wellbeing, the safety of everyone.

"They'd be crazy not to listen to you, sweet girl." More praise that she was more than happy to bask in, something he expected. Both of them were a bit... Touch starved of each other, but not because of a lack of affection. They literally just weren't having sex because of Blessing's recovery. He'd been patient, not once did he press the matter of intimacy. He was okay with holding her as they went to sleep and the hugs that lasted way too long to go along with their kisses that sometimes went on too long.

He missed the feeling of her, of being inside of her. But he missed her bubbly personality so much more than that. Because she was so much more than that.

Recovery time was over now though, and quite frankly... They were starting to feel like dogs in heat. Blessing was only slightly weary about them being sexually active again because she knew Daryl probably thought it meant they were going to try again, try for another baby. But she didn't have it in her. She didn't have it in her to deal with the extra stress of a pregnancy on top of the apocalypse. Even if Daryl was sticking around this time because he had Merle, she didn't trust that other shit wouldn't crumble beneath them. The worst part about it, she could've definitely saw herself having Daryl's kid even before all of this.

He hadn't been as emotionally mature as he is now, but he was hers. That had always been good enough for her until he started acting fake in front of people they didn't know. But he didn't do that anymore.

"I love you, Daryl." She breathed it out like it was some kind of secret, he had to pull back from kissing that soft skin of hers to get a glimpse of her pretty face. Her skin was shining bit from a thin sheen of sweat since ACs were a fuckin' luxury, her cheeks tinted a soft pink from having him wrapped around her like he was. Her brows weren't furrowed or raised high like when she was joking around, she was calm. Her eyes were calm pools of mud he wanted to dip his hands in to see if he could feel the emotion in them. She wasn't sad or angry with him, he remembered sometimes his mom would say she loved him when she was sad about the life they were living. Or when she was mad about not being able to fight his father back, it was like a reminder.

But it looked like she was just saying it to say it...

"I love you more, Bless." He whispered back, their eyes locked and suddenly his tongue felt so much heavier in his mouth than it actually was. She was looking at him as if he were a nice, cold beer on a hot summer day..."Yer so pretty..."

He hadn't meant to say it out loud but that was okay, because it was something she needed to hear. Her lips split into a wide grin at his words, that little twinkle in her eyes showing itself once more and making him nearly forget where they even were... He missed her having a twinkle in her eye. It always made the scar on her eyebrow damn near nonexistent because he had to focus on not being blinded by her smile. He loved it every time. Of course he became a bit bashful because it'd slipped out of his mouth before he could filter his words, and so she couldn't see the blush that crawled upon his cheeks, he'd dipped his head back into her neck so he could suckle on the spot just above her collarbone.

She let out a low hum of content, now rocking her hips just a bit from below him so they both could feel some type of friction since they were pressed together. He'd been gradually growing harder against her, to the point where his sweatpants were nothing but a prison to him. That small amount of friction had a throaty whine slipping from his lips, his kisses stopping so he could press his forehead against her shoulder so he could look down at the space between. So he could watch her hips move in slow and steady circles against his, leaving him with so much warmth...

She'd stripped down to just some loose sleeping shorts and sports bra for bed, she hadn't even bothered with panties because she knew what she wanted before they even got here. She wasn't bleeding anymore and she didn't feel like complete shit. He didn't smell like shit since she got him to shower more often.

"Bless-"

"It's okay, I want to." She cut him off because she could hear the tinge of doubt in his tone. Like he was nervous about going about this too far just in case she wasn't really ready. But hell, if she wasn't she would've probably been bunking with Maggie and Glenn.

There was a moment of hesitation. Where Blessing's hips stopped moving because Daryl's movement stopped altogether as well. But only after a few seconds he sat up on his knees, looking down at her laying on her back with her legs slightly parted for him to fit and her twists splayed around her head. His eyes danced over her face again, making sure her words matched her expressions.. And they did. She didn't look disgusted or uncomfortable, she was smiling up at him with her hands reaching for him. Her fingertips grazed over his navel and stomach every few moments, grazes that made his cock jump each time simply because it was her.

"I can taste ya first?" His voice cracked a bit, and she nearly giggled had it not been for the way his eyes scanned over her when he'd asked. She had to bite at her lip so she wouldn't, and instead of verbally saying it she nodded her head a little too enthusiastically. Oh, it didn't matter though. Because when she nodded her head yes, he was quick to reach for the hem of her shorts and yank them down her legs in a rush. A throaty noise escaped him when he realized she had on no underwear, because she'd spread her legs a bit further for him like she usually did.

There was no more hesitation. He dug in as if it were his first real meal of the day, laying on his belly right between her legs with his feet kicked up behind him like he was on a fuckin' phone call or something. When his lips made contact with her already wet slit, he hummed in satisfaction at the taste. She was still sweet as ever, even after all the canned food and bullshit they ate.

She gasped out when he made contact, purring when his tongue slithered up her slit to encircle her clit and show it some love. God, he was so good at that. The wet sounds his mouth made just added on to the passion of it all to her, even when she raised her head to get a glimpse of him his eyes were already raised and on her as if he'd been waiting for her to try and see. Those cat like eyes of his were dark with lust, cheeks pink and pupils blown..

"Daryl~" She moaned out his name, throwing her head back as his tongue pushed into her just a bit before he was suckling on her clit once more. He reached a hand up to grasp at her breasts, a grunt of frustration slipping when his hand came into contact with her sports bra instead of skin. But he didn't fret too much, he simply pulled it back and slipped it under the fabric so he could pinch at one of her nipples that were already trying to stand at attention. It was only slightly aggressive, he hadn't realized he'd scratched at her abdomen when he did it because he assumed the hiss she let out was from the orgasm that was rippling through her.

As it built, he pushed himself up on his knees so he could loom over her as he slipped his middle and ring finger inside of her. With a curl of those fingers, she was unraveling underneath him. She didn't just tighten around him like she usually did, with his fingers pumping inside of her she had to grasp at the blanket she'd folded up to use as a headrest to stuff into her mouth so she wasn't too loud. Her body convulsed and her muscles tightened in her belly, for a second she thought she was peeing herself because of the warmth she'd felt splash onto her leg.

But no, she was just squirting into the palm of his hand.

"Ain't never seen you do that before." Daryl breathed out in only a slight shock, a shock that was long forgotten when her eyes flew to him looking just as dark and hungry as his.

"Shut up and fuck me, Daryl."

Shut up and fuck her he did. He was quick to push his sweatpants down to his thighs so his cock could was free to spring up. He pumped himself twice with the hand that he'd fingered her with, using her squirt as lube before he positioned herself back on top of her. Once again he was nestled between her legs, but this time with his cock in his hand and the tip pressing at her wet entrance as if waiting for permission.

"You sure, Bless?"

"I wanna feel you, Daryl.. Don't you wanna feel me too?"

~*~

Word Count : 2,430

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October 11th, 2025

Chapter Text

"Open yer eyes and look at me, princess."

Now how could she do that with him buried deep inside of her, with his fingers tangled in her coils and strokes slow and steady? Her brain could barely fuckin' function, because she was much too focused on the orgasm she was having. It wasn't like Daryl cared though, he always liked seeing the pleading look in her eyes whenever she came and he was the one on top. She looked so hungry for him, so damn longing for the feeling that they were both chasing it nearly had him cumming along with her every time.

He'd whispered it so close to her lips, that hers tickled every time he grazed hers when he spoke. A completely different sensation that gave her goosebumps all in itself, because the stubble on his face tickled so well along with the warmth of him.

"I-I can't, Dar-"

"Yes ya can, lemme see those pretty eyes of yours." He interrupted her whines with rushed whispers of his own, his hands fumbling a bit to get out of her hair so his thumbs could caress the sides of her face. They splayed over the areas under her eyes and then to her lips that were slightly parted so those beautiful moans of hers could slip through, his breathing becoming even more ragged when her lips encircled one of his thumbs.

Her eyes fluttered open when he let out a guttural whine of his own, both their gazes dark with lust yet they still gravitated towards one another like a moth to a flame. Now it was his turn to be silently impressed by the way she maneuvered her tongue around his thumb, only fueling her ego and making her raise her hips to meet his to match every slow stroke. She grew cocky though, and he had to knock her down just a few pegs.

She gasped out when he suddenly thrusted harsher than before, nearly pushing her body farther up to hit her head against the wall behind them.

"Nah, don't run now, baby. Fuck me like ya just was."

~*~

As much fun as they'd had the night before, you'd think they'd be happier about waking up the next day. But the circumstances weren't exactly great at the moment. Two people were dead, burned alive and it seemed like whoever had done it waited until everyone was asleep or preoccupied patrolling other areas. People were worried... Rightfully so.

Most people had been awakened by the smoke and smell of burning flesh in the early hours, it was too late to save either of them. From what Blessing observed when she'd walked up groggily, was the trail of blood that led up to the bodies. That could mean two things, they'd either dragged themselves out of the prison to set themselves on fire or someone dragged them out here and murdered them. The latter seemed much more likely, because sick people didn't just do shit like this.

"Holy shit..."

"I found them like this a-and I grabbed Rick as quick as I could." Tyreese sounded like he was in shock, and if he really was the one who found them she understood why. They looked almost unrecognizable with how charred they were, both of their eyes still open and all. It was blatantly obvious that they both suffered before they'd been burnt alive. Sure, they'd been sick but... It nearly looked like they'd been beaten too?

It wasn't something she noticed at first, you could only really focus on the fact that they were burnt at first. But then when you got past that, you could notice the split in one of their lips. But Blessing and everyone else knew that they hadn't suffered any physical injuries, they'd only fallen sick.

"We need to get everyone on lock down now." Rick said seriously, chin jutting to Glenn so he was aware Rick wanted him to be the one to gather any onlookers. There weren't many, but the few that were there looked mortified by the sight. Blessing didn't know why the fuck they even came out if they were going to looked so stunned by dead bodies, what was the point? Did they really just come on out to fuckin' observe like some NPCs as if two people weren't dead?

That thought had Blessing's face twisting with a bit of disdain as Glenn waved his arms to rally the onlookers together and away from the scene. Maybe to them it was like a car accident, a scene where you couldn't look away even though it seemed so gruesome. But in Blessing's eyes, whenever she couldn't tear her eyes away from a car accident it was because she had hope that someone was still alive. There was no hope in this situation, these people... They were gone.

And from the looks of it, they'd put up a fight even though they were sick.

"You thinkin' it was one of us?" Daryl asked, chewing at the dead skin around his nails. He wasn't exactly moved by the show, it wasn't like he knew either of them very well. Plus, his body was still buzzing from the time they'd had last night. It could've been the fuckin' president that was dead and he wouldn't give a flyin' fuck, really.

"I don't know what to think, we haven't dealt with somethin' like this since-"

"Since Shane?" Blessing spoke up tentatively, but only because she was hoping that what she was thinking wasn't something that'd come to life. When the situation with Randall went down, Shane disappeared. For all they knew, he could've followed them to the prison and stayed close to keep an eye on them. Or maybe, maybe he actually did leave and then ran into prison and found them again?

Daryl and Rick both paused at that, both of them glancing to one another with their brows twitching up as if they hadn't even thought of that. And honestly, Daryl definitely wouldn't. But Rick? He'd been wondering about his old friends' whereabouts too, hoping to all things Holy that if he was still alive.. He wasn't looking their way trying to stir up trouble. It would be in character for him to do something thinking it was helpful, just for it to turn out poorly. That's exactly why he was separated in the first place.

"No one's seen or heard from 'em since we left the farm, Bless." Daryl pointed out, but not even he sounded so sure. When everything with Randall went down, he'd gone under the radar before doing what he'd done. He laid low, gathered shit that he needed and was ready to dip out when he was caught.

"We should also consider it being someone who lives in the prison.. With us." Tyreese said, and all of those who stood in the circle looked to him in slight defense. Mainly because everyone here was people from the original group, not people who joined at the farm or in the prison. Just Daryl, Rick, Blessing, Tyreese, Carol and Michonne. All of them looked at least a little concerned with their arms crossed over their chests or their hands on their hips.

It was the first thing that they'd considered before Blessing mentioned Shane, honestly. Yet even so, it still felt like if that was the case the person who'd done it was either standing with them or inside with everyone else. It wasn't comforting to think about, but something they needed to think about and they all knew it.

"Maybe we should like, I'dunno... bury them? They're already burned..." Blessing suggested, just something to get their minds off the murderer at large so people wouldn't jump to too many conclusions. She was right, they needed to get rid of the bodies one way or another. They couldn't just leave them outside their front door, they weren't animals. They had to show some respect, even if they didn't know them well.

Rick nodded, eyes jumping around as if looking for the next target to send on this task. Unfortunately for Tyreese, he was one of the people he'd zoned in on with those serious eyes of his. Carol volunteered to help, lips pressed into a thin line and her eyes shining with emotions Blessing couldn't exactly place. Carol was one of the people who didn't exactly care much about these losses, they weren't a part of her group. Not only that, the two victims were the first people who'd gotten sick. To her, it seemed like their deaths would've potentially stopped other people from being sick..

They both let out simultaneous sighs as they crouched to grab at their ankles, dragging them away from everyone and to a more secluded section near the prison. They weren't going to bury them anywhere too out in the open, that wasn't something they ever did. They usually picked a far off corner tucked away on whatever land they were on, just so no one would get tripped up by a grave if they had to make a run for it.

"We still gotta figure out who did it." Michonne pointed out, earning a sigh from Rick who just stared down at where their bodies just were. Obviously that was his main priority, figuring out who'd done it. He couldn't walk around comfortably knowing that it was possible they had a killer within these walls.

"C'mon, we knew that already. Standing around isn't gonna do anything, we gotta go around asking people questions. Gotta figure out if anyone saw anything, heard anything." Rick started to spew, heaving out a sigh as he spoke. It wasn't like he hadn't done it before, solve a murder. He was a cop, he'd seen quite a few cases in his time. Now, that didn't mean he was able to solve all of them. It just meant he was aware of them, that's all.

At least now he didn't have an entire population of people that were suspects. Now, it was only maybe a few dozen people and only one of them... weren't in the prison walls. He was hoping that it was someone within the walls, that way he wouldn't have to worry about someone's parole being weak. He'd have to evaluate who'd been taking watch that night, or just the schedule they'd created in general. Had it been the same person taking parole at the same time every day? Did someone notice a pattern that he didn't?

Maybe he'd gotten a little too comfortable with the community he'd grown, maybe it made him lack in places he didn't notice. But of course he would, he wasn't exactly the most stable person after losing his wife and best friend...

"I could go around asking questions, it wouldn't look weird if I did... I'm always talkin'." Blessing offered, raising her hand as if waiting to be called on by Rick to be assigned her task. She was right too, people wouldn't be suspicious of her asking too many questions because she almost always was already asking too many questions. She always had been way too friendly for her own good, and her charisma is what was keeping her high on the social ladder here. Now, she would've preferred it was something like her strength or her amazing wit but... Charisma worked too.

People still remembered that shot she took on the Governor, so that had to count towards strength, right? That proved she was a good shot, even in high pressure situations. She'd saved Herschel's life that day, there was no way everyone would forget about that surely.

"That would help a lot. Daryl could you uh.. Could you go around the perimeter and see if ya find any tracks??" Rick jutted his chin towards the prison fences and Daryl's eyes followed. He was still chewing on the dead skin around his nails, his eyes flying from person to person as they spoke so he could keep track of the conversation. He only had to focus a little extra hard because Blessing was leaning against his side, the hand she hadn't raised buried in his back pocket to get a subtle feel of him. He wasn't sure if anyone else noticed, but he sure as fuck did. He noticed the first time she'd given a small squeeze, it'd been followed by a subtle smirk that was partnered with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Did he find it embarrassing? Yeah, sure a little. But was she cute ashit? Absolutely.

So he was not stopping her from showing him a good time. Even if it meant someone was gonna point and laugh at him later.

"While we do that... What're you gonna do?"

"I uh.. I still haven't figured that out yet."

~*~

Word Count : 2,135

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October 24th, 2025

Chapter Text

"Yeah... That makes sense, I wouldn't wanna be near them either."

"Right? Whoever did it had to put themselves around sick people, imagine they killed those people just to end up getting sick anyway?" Potter said with an incredulous look on his face. His name isn't even Potter, it's just a nickname Blessing gave him because of his thin, wire framed glasses. When she'd first given it, he was a little offended about being compared to an orphan teen boy. But Blessing reminded him... He is the main character, so how could you be mad at that?

That was something she hadn't thought about, and she mentally cursed for not thinking that far. It made sense to think that whoever did it could potentially get sick too, because it was a room full of sick people. The two that'd died were just the ones who started it all. Potter didn't seem to care about the thoughtful expression on Blessing's face, as if she were actively contemplating what he was saying. Instead, he moved on so he could finish his task of gathering wood for a family that was in need. He gave a short 'bye' before he was off, and Blessing was left standing in the field of the prison with the cogs in her mind turning.

You'd think she wanted to be a detective or something before all this shit went down, because she was more than ready to indulge in gossip to get to the bottom of things. But if this was the shit that detectives had to deal with... Everyone kept saying the same shit, no one saw anything. No one heard anything. But.. Blessing knew that was fuckin' impossible. Even if civilians had been sleeping through the night, whoever did it had to get by who was watching the perimeter that night because they had guards up twenty four seven.

Once they got by those on perimeter duty, they still had to pass people who'd been posted up because people they loved were sick in that room.

With her mind still reeling, she went off in search of Daryl. He was in charge of checking the area for tracks, and she had a sneaking suspicion that he was gonna find some that wasn't any of theirs. It didn't make sense for it to be someone already in the prison to do that shit, it couldn't be.

"You find anything yet?" She sounded a little hopeful, and when Daryl looked up at her from his crouched position he had to squint real hard because of how the sun was beaming down on them. It was actually fitting how she'd walked up like that, surrounded by the sun's rays with that nervous smile on her face. She looked like an angel being sent just for him, it had him straightening up as he stood when she'd gotten close enough.

Had he been wearing a hat he probably would've taken it off and held it to his chest like he'd seen Rick do to show respect.

"Uh well.. Kinda." He scratched at the back of his head, ruffling up his brunette locks that were getting too long. Since his crossbow was hanging loosely in his other hand, he used the same hand that he'd used to scratch his head to point down at the dirt and grass as if it'd help Blessing see what he could. She didn't have the heart to tell him she had no fuckin' idea what he was seeing right now. Even with some training from him, she was still a newbie. "Found some tracks in a spot people ain't checkin' too often... A breach."

Her eyes jumped to this as the word, brows rising in mock surprise even though she'd definitely expected this. She didn't want to think that people inside the prison were that unruly, that they'd take out their own people because of their own impatience.

"So you'd say.. Someone could've slipped in and did this, right? Because that's what I think happened." Blessing admitted, wringing her hands together when Daryl raised those broad ass shoulders of his in a shrug. He was trying so damn hard to seem nonchalant about everything so she wouldn't freak out, but she'd been doing pretty good so far anyway.

Honestly, a small part of him wanted this 'case' to drag on a bit. Not because he didn't want those two people to get justice, but because this was giving Blessing something to keep her mind on. She was focused on trying to solve the crime, maybe it made her feel important or something. It hadn't even been long into it, but he hadn't seen her daze off like she did before. He didn't see her face drop with sadness when her mind wandered in places he wasn't sure to bring her back from. This was... As messy as it was, it was giving her mind a break from her own problems.

"Maybe, I'unno, Bless. Why you want it to be somebody from outside so bad?" He tilted his head to one side to ask, his blue eyes scanning over her frame and then face as if gauging her facial expressions. She was terrible at hiding them, but he wasn't mad at that. That just made it easier for him to read her mind. If she wasn't feeling like opening up to talk about how she felt, or if she just couldn't turn those emotions into words for him to understand... Just one look at that pretty face and he always got a clue.

"Well for one, if it's someone from outside we don't have to worry about watching our backs... If it was someone inside, I'd be worried." When she put it like that, he understood why her stress lifted a bit when he said he'd caught something. He chewed at his bottom lip, trying to peel the chapped skin off with his teeth in some subtle self soothing as he thought over the different possibilities. "If it's someone from outside, that's cool. We expect people from outside to try to ruin us, why would they want us to thrive if they want our shit? Now we know there's a breach in the perimeter, so we can watch this side more carefully but... Maybe they know that we found out about the breach too."

Another good point. If this was how they'd gotten in in the first place, who's to say they weren't keeping an eye on the area nearby to make sure it was still open? Daryl had already done the perimeter check, so he was sure that there were no hidden humans scattered around trying to hide some shit. Their tracks would've outed them pretty quickly. But.. He could tell that whoever he was tracking knew they had a tracker.

Every so often, the trail would get mucked up as if the person dragged their feet along in some random ass patterns to throw them off. So... Whoever it was, they were aware of the tricks they had up their sleeve. That was not a good thing.

"Nobody does nothin' alone." Daryl said seriously, his digging into her back pocket so he could drag her into him with little to no effort since she always fell into him so easily. She didn't object to his words, she simply nodded with a frown twitching at her lips. One that had him dipping his head so that he could steal a kiss and wipe it away. "Ya hear me?"

"Yes, sir." She gushed, frown long gone and replaced with a cheesy grin that came with blushing cheeks. Her grin didn't even slip when Daryl snorted out a laugh at her eagerness, not even when he gave her ass a light pat before he was slinging an arm over her shoulders and both of them were heading back into the prison. Yeah, he definitely had a bit of a stench to him right now but she still wasn't complaining. It wasn't like they had fuckin' deordorant at the ready at all times, as long as he washed his ass before they laid down together she was chill. "Gonna tell Rick about what ya found, right?"

"Hell yeah, Imma tell 'em." Daryl grumbled, muttering his 'yo's' to people that passed them by and said their greetings. Blessing was definitely friendlier than he was about acknowledging people, but then again... It was for a slightly manipulative reason. She knew damn well that being a friendly person was going to work to her advantage, in ways the others probably didn't think about. People were always quick to say that you couldn't be good anymore because it'd get you taken advantage of. That people would see that good and just.. Take, take, take.

They weren't thinking about the people who saw good and wanted to take care of it. Blessing like to think of it as like.. Nice privilege. She used to think it was a pretty privilege, but it was deeper than that. You couldn't just be pretty and suddenly everyone is nice to you and giving you everything you want. Blessing noticed that a kind smile and soft tone got you way farther than harsh words would.

As her father would say, a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Well... The bible said it, not just her dad.

"Daryl, Blessin'." Rick greeted them as warmly as he could given the high stress situation. He needed them to give him news that wasn't fuckin' terrible, because he was up to his shoulders in bullshit and didn't need to be drowning in it. Luckily for them, a lot of people were busy outside with their tasks of the day and people inside the prison were just as busy as well. Meaning, they could actually have a hushed conversation about this and not have to worry too much about people listening in. Still, Michonne readied herself by the entrance to make sure no one was walking by and standing by to listen into the serious discussion that was about to take place. "Please, gimme somethin' good."

It was a slight plea, and Blessing had to bite her tongue so she wouldn't make some sexual innuendo about it. She gave Daryl's arm a light push so he could go first, and he looked back at her with his face twisted when she did... She sure was quick to toss him to the dogs.. Or Rick, in this case.

"Found some tracks.. Lookin' like there was a breach in the gates." Daryl said it like he was unsure, he wasn't sure as to whether or not this was good news to Rick. For Blessing it was, but Rick was a completely different person. For all he knew, this could stress Rick out even more than before because now.. This was something unknown.

"Which is good!" Blessing started when she saw the way Rick's face dropped, like he was already exhausted and being drained even more at the thought of having to do some more searching. When his tired blue eyes found their way to her, she almost cringed at the intensity of them. She could tell he wanted so badly to just scream at the top of his lungs, to curl up and not be asked another fuckin' question about survivial. He looked like he needed a break... "If whoever did it came from outside, that means we don't have to worry about watching our backs from the inside, Rick. We-We know that the breach is most definitely how they got in, so we can put an extra person or two in that area to watch it."

"Blessing, we'd still have to watch our backs if someone is sneakin' their way in and out of here. They killed two of our people...In our home." Rick stressed, and Blessing bit her lips at that. He was right... The solution she offered was only a temporary one but... It was the only one they had right now. Not even just that, she was the only one even offering a solution at all..

"That's the point of putting extra people in that area! They could- For all we know, they're gonna try and come back-"

"We don't know why they came in the first place!"

"Yes we do, Rick!" She interrupted his shout with a shout of her own, becoming frustrated with his lack of faith. It wasn't even that, not really. He was stressed, everyone was stressed and she was just growing frustrated with being frustrated all the damn time. She just wanted to help, and she couldn't do that if he was gonna doubt everything that was offered. "We know why they came, Rick! They killed two sick people, no one else! They knew something, okay! This wasn't just a stranger trying to sneak in and show us that they can do whatever they wanted! Pay attention!"

He cringed when Blessing actually stepped forward to point at his temple when she'd said those last words, only for Daryl to come up behind her and grasp her wrist with a subtle shake of his head. They were all cool, but that didn't mean she could get in his face and poke at him like that. It didn't matter how riled up the both of them were, they all needed to show each other respect. And Daryl was gonna be the one to make sure both Rick and Blessing were giving that respect while he was present.

"C'mon now, Bless. Yer better than that." He grumbled low in her ear, tone only a little scolding because she didn't fall back as quickly as she usually would. Hell, she'd glanced back at Daryl as if he were committing a crime by stopping her at all.

"Sorry, sorry." She muttered, taking some deep breaths in and out whilst making 'woosah' sounds. It was a little dramatic, yes. But.. This was her way of trying to lighten the mood even if she was a part of the reason it'd grown to be so tense. When she'd taken that moment to 'calm herself' Rick had to let out a shaky breath of his own, running a hand over his stubble covered face to get rid of the building sweat. He forced out a slightly awkward laugh, only because she had a point.

Someone from the outside knew more than they should.. That was a problem they all had to deal with, not just him.

"I'm sorry, I just... She's right." Rick sighed out, sending Daryl an appreciative glance for stepping in as quickly as he did. He de escalated the situation quicker than Rick probably could have, with a single movement and an uttered sentence. "I gotta pay attention." 

~*~

Word Count : 2,465

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December 7th, 2025

Chapter Text

Rick took Blessing's advice to heart, to pay attention. He'd gone along with Daryl to track those footsteps he'd found, he'd made a map of where they found them just so that he could try and trace their steps. There were two different breaches in the gates, both of them from different sides of the prison and both looked like they'd been used recently. That could mean one of two things, it was more than one person or it was one person that was checking on the prison frequently without people's knowledge.

He wasn't sure which option was more dangerous.

Everyone was taking it upon themselves to do their own digging when it came to the mysterious deaths, and although some people's conspiracies were doing good at keeping people distracted... It was also turning everyone in the prison against each other. People were divided in different groups that stared in suspicion as the other passed, even though the culprit wasn't a known person of their group. But people in the group were saying things that weren't exactly.. Favorable. Like Carol, who'd claimed that it didn't seem like such a bad thing it happened considering they were the first ones sick. That they might've died anyway.

Her saying that had people thinking she was conspiring with the person who'd snuck in. Then, there was the group of people who thought it was Blessing that was conspiring because she'd been that one that was so adamant about it being someone from the outside. Was she surprised? No, not even with how welcoming or friendly she was to those woodbury folk she knew they'd turn on her if it came down to it. They'd turn on any of them that weren't a part of their group.. She was kinda the same.

Now Blessing.. She'd brewed up a plan, and this time she'd got other people involved so shit wouldn't crash and burn like last time. Daryl, Rick, Glenn, Michonne, Maggie and a few others were in on what was happening. Some were meant to be a part of the action, some meant to be a sort of.. PR team for those doing the messy work. If something went down, they needed shit ready to pick it back up. Carol was working on propaganda, where if she heard a certain topic be brought up she'd sway people's opinions with her tender smile and warm tone. Her goal was to sway people away from thinking anyone from the original group had any parts of the murder.

Daryl was taking the lead on making sure people knew what tracks were where, Rick and Glenn were keeping track of time stamps when they were on perimeter. They were going to catch whoever the fuck it was.

"Why do you seem so sure that this is gonna work?" Michonne asked with a raise of her brow, there was no serious doubt in her eyes though. So far, she'd been nothing but impressed with the plan Blessing brought up to them. She wanted to play the long game, well... Almost. It'd taken three weeks of preparation, just people gathering information and spreading it. No, they weren't spreading information they were gathering either. Just tidbits of things they wanted people to believe.

"People are more like animals than we think. It's just like trying to hunt an animal, just this time the animal is huntin' you back." Blessing declared, head dropping in bashfulness when she and Daryl nodded in agreement. With Daryl.. It was that proud glint in his eyes that really had her feeling shy, he wasn't always gonna say it.. But his eyes would, a reason she loved him so fuckin' much.

They were gearing up, making sure everyone had their weapons and ammo set so they could catch the perpetrator. They'd figured out his little schedule, and they knew it was a him because Glenn had caught sight of him when he was on perimeter duty the first week they'd started gathering information. He'd described him as average sized, wearing all black and masked up. He gave no eye color, hair, but he did say he assumed it was a white guy from a flash of exposed skin. This man had gotten used to sneaking around the prison walls, because he'd seemed like he'd climbed through the fallen gate many times before. He came in with an empty bag, and left with one that looked like it may have been stuffed. So... He was stealing supplies too.

After Glenn had seen that, they'd checked inventory and sure enough... They'd tried to take small amounts from different sections, probably thinking that no one would notice. Even before people got burned alive, people noticed when shit went missing. It was naive to think that people wouldn't because you were stealing in a weird pattern.

"Trynna catch 'em and corner 'em like a rat, it's a solid plan." Daryl made a show of grasping her head in one hand to steer it to his own, so he could smack a wet kiss on her temple after he said it. It looked like he wasn't that over Blessing and Michonne getting close while he was in the dog house, he did shit like that more when she was around. He never said shit about it, and neither did Blessing. It wasn't like she'd done anything with the woman, Daryl just knew how much an emotional connection meant over a physical or sexual one.

She had to bite the inside of her cheeks so she wouldn't grin when he'd done it. Even if he was being more affectionate right now because of jealousy, she was taking that and running with it. He was doing better, so much better than how they were from the start but it'd taken trial and error. "If you catch 'em, you've gotta be like.. Head of the apocalypse police department for us or something. Rick ain't Sheriff anymore, he's like... He's like the mayor or a diet president."

"Diet president?" Rick's brow rose, blue eyes shining with amusement at her comparisons. He didn't want to be any of that. He just wanted to be fuckin' Rick. Back at the farm when Carl got shot, he thought that would be the hardest time of his life in this new world. Maybe things could've gotten better since they'd gotten on that practically untouched land... then again, waking up from his coma without his family had been the hardest time of his life at one point.. The hard times just kept getting harder.

"Only diet because there's no government to corrupt you."

They didn't need a government to corrupt him, not when death was all around anyway. Still, he chuckled at her joke even if he didn't want to. He was trying to hide his anxiety just like everyone else, covering up his shaky sighs with the clicks of his gun or with the sound of his footsteps. Daryl was taking the lead because his woman had come up with the plan in the first place, no one really minded. He was, as much as he hated to admit, a great leader who was a logical thinker. Once they had barely thirty minutes to get into position, he'd given people their signals to get ready.

Himself and Rick were the ones that were going to catch the culprit, not just Rick. The duo was posted up at the section they knew he'd be sneaking in through next. Based on his pattern, he switched up how he got in every other time he came. They'd switched into dark clothing, but hadn't masked up because this was their home they were defending. It didn't matter if people saw their faces or not.

"Can't lie, I'm more mad about the missin' peanut butter. Can't have no white trash brunch." Daryl whispered his complaint grumpily, getting a genuine chuckle from Rick who had to set his hand on the ground so he wouldn't lose balance in his crouched position from laughing. That white trash brunch was really just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a diet soda and whatever animal he could get a bolt through. "Jars over cans."

"Bless is rubbin' off on you."

He scoffed at that with his cheeks burning with a blush, knowing damn well there was truth to it. The same way she picked up his mannerisms and used his hunting teachings when he wasn't around, he was doing the same shit she did when she wasn't around too. He became more welcoming to people that greeted him, giving people nicknames for him to remember just like she said she did all the time.

They settled into a tense silence, both of them holding a weapon at the ready in case the culprit tried to fight back. And after what felt like hours.. The sound of footsteps sounded, slow and steady like he was moving with extra caution. They locked eyes once they heard it, Daryl subtly glancing towards the area Blessing was meant to be hiding out at when Rick held a finger up to his lips for him to keep quiet. It wasn't needed, Daryl didn't need to be reminded to be quiet. When they'd gotten close enough, their fingertips just brushed along the gate to let themselves in... Daryl was the one to reach out and grab at their wrist to yank them behind the prison fence with a grunt from the force he'd used.

They'd taken the man by surprise; He stumbled off of his feet, a choked sound escaping him when Rick's hands grasped at his arms to slam him face down into the ground. He probably would've slammed his shoulder into the ground had Rick not redirected his fall, might've dislocated it. But the goal wasn't to harm or kill yet, it was to figure out why the fuck they were doing this in the first place.

"Wa-"

"Shut the fuck up." Rick hissed angrily into his ear, hands shaking yet still wrapped firmly around the man's arms in an attempt to stop him from struggling. He wasn't even struggling much, but Rick was prepared for it and was handling the man extra rough. Daryl kept side eyeing him as he used a spare pair of cuffs to restrain the man, face twisted because he was sure... He was sure he recognized that voice even if he hadn't finished his word.

Still, he said nothing when Rick grabbed one arm and he grabbed the other so they could lift the man up together. The man visibly shook when they could hear the others coming out of their hiding spots, like the thought of even more people bearing witness to this was worse than the two that were already here. They kept their head ducked, like the mask they were wearing wasn't enough to hide their identity.

"Who is it? Who is it?"

Both Glenn and Blessing seemed the most excited, pushing each other out of the way so they could get there first. They had to damn near chase after them though, because Rick and Daryl started speed walking the man towards the area they designated just for him. It was a room that was once an area for storage, but they'd already made sure to get all the good shit out. No one used the room, but that's because Blessing started a rumor that it was haunted.

They were shushed by Michonne and Maggie, yet they both seemed just as eager to see who the fuck they'd caught. Carol was the last to follow, because she was the one meant to keep watch to make sure no one got curious about the haunted storage room. Once they all got in, Maggie shut the door behind them softly only after flashing Carol a grateful smile for taking on the task none of them wanted. She didn't mind standing outside while they got some shit she knew damn well someone was gonna end up telling her afterwards.

Blessing rushed to set up a chair to be in the middle of the room, thanking every star she could that this room wasn't small ashit. It was medium sized compared to other rooms of the prison, so with all the people in here it felt a little packed.

Daryl was first to let go of the man's arm, just to let Rick practically throw him towards the seat with a scowl set on his lips. He nearly missed the chair, so Blessing had to move it a little to the left so he wouldn't tumble off of it. When he was sitting with Blessing hovering behind him, she grabbed the top of his mask and ripped it off. It was too perfect of an opportunity for her not to take it. She didn't expect Rick's face to drop like it did, or for people to look so.. Stunned. Like they'd seen a ghost.

With her face twisted in confusion, she walked around him a bit so she could see their face. He still kept his head ducked, but when she saw that side profile and those big ears and nose..

"Shane..? You-You been here the whole time?"

He didn't answer the question, but his dark eyes danced to her to flash a tight lipped smile that pulled Rick from his stupor. He took a rushed step forward to grasp Shane's jaw and force him to look up and in his eyes. Force him to see the betrayal and aghast that was showing in those watery blue eyes of his. Rick let him live and got this in return? Two dead bodies, missing food and supplies...

"What the fuck..." Glenn breathed out in shock, his wide eyes jumping from Shane's sweat covered face to Rick. They knew he was somewhere out there this whole time, not at the front door. He'd been so adamant on wanting to not be led by Rick, to not be around him and everyone else who couldn't understand the dirty truth about survival. If he hated it so much, why the fuck did he stick so close? Why was he getting involved in their business? Stealing from them? How the fuck did this add up?

Shane didn't seem angry or afraid, his dark eyes were riddled with guilt and shining with emotions when he finally looked Rick in the face. This was one of the only times he'd ever been in cuffs, like this at least. He'd always helped Rick put cuffs on other people, and now... Now it was Daryl helping him...?

"Shane.." His name slipped from Rick's trembling lips, breathy like a relief filled sigh that he could actually see that he was here. Alive. But.. The circumstances...

"Hey, brother..."

~*~

Word Count : 2,460

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December 23rd, 2025

Chapter Text

Just because they knew him at one point in this life, didn't mean that they were welcoming him with open arms. They kept him cuffed and isolated from everyone else, not wanting just anyone to get a glimpse of the face that'd killed two of their people. Maybe if he'd just been stealing supplies it wouldn't be so bad, it'd make more sense. It'd line up with his selfish thinking, that he'd have the audacity to take their shit even though he didn't think they could make it without him..

Who needed who now, Shane?

Blessing knew how compassionate Rick was though, she had a feeling that if Shane said enough of the right things that Rick might just let him back in.. But that'd come with consequences. He was a known thief and murderer now, not the type of person anyone wanted to be around before or after the apocalypse. Oh, let's not forget that he was known before as a homewrecker... Not a very good look. He had a terrible reputation, and an even worse chance at getting out of all the mess he created.

"Rick couldn't kill him the first time..." Blessing grumbled from beside Daryl, trying not to snort out a laugh at the look Daryl sent her way. At this point, she was teasing him by bringing it up again. He'd already told her twice to change the subject before he needed another damn cigarette. If Rick wasn't looking to him for help so much, maybe it wouldn't be weighing on him so heavily. "Think that means he'll get away with murder again?"

Daryl scoffed at that, his blue eyes dancing over her backside since he was letting her kill the walkers at the fence today while he sat back and watched her blow off steam. She needed it, he could tell. Talking about your feelings could only get you so far, especially when one of those feelings was grief.

"He ain't let 'em off the first time, he kicked 'em out the group, Bless. This time... I ain't too sure." His eyes flew back to the stick he was whittling in his hands when she

turned to give him an annoyed look. Not killing him the first time was letting him off, he killed Randall for fucks sake. Being sent away from the group wasn't punishment, it was giving him what he'd wanted in the first place.

"He did let 'em off, he gave 'em exactly what he wanted."

"How?" Daryl asked with a bit of attitude, finally looking up from his whittled stick to lock eyes with Blessing who was staring at him with pursed lips now. That look she always gave when she was starting to get annoyed with him not listening to her. Or rather, not agreeing with her.

"He didn't wanna be led by Rick, Daryl... He was doing everything Rick told people not to do, you think that's the behavior of someone who wants to stick around?" She sounded a little incredulous as she asked, rolling her eyes and going back to stabbing walkers through the fence when once groaned as it flopped against the metal gate.

Now she was making sense and Daryl had no arguments on that, none at all. He definitely noticed how Shane had bucked at Rick any chance he got, but that wasn't his business.They were best friends before, they could figure the shit out together... And they did, kinda. It just didn't end how they thought it would. "Yeah... yer right."

Of course I am, she thought smugly. "He isn't like Merle, y'know.. Merle ain't kill anybody when he came back r when he left in the first place."

"He set Glenn and Maggie up." Daryl deadpanned, and he got her there. He could've went on too, and mentioned that Merle was the one who'd convinced him to go with him in the first place but he couldn't do that. He couldn't blame Merle for shit he chose to go along with. He knew Blessing was waiting for him, so whatever Merle said or did shouldn't have mattered at all. Hell, he could've tried to convince Merle to come back with him even if he'd just kidnapped people from their crew.

Blessing shrugged at that, digging the blade of her knife into yet another skull of a walker that was too close to the fence. "Okay fine, he did that. But no one died, right?"

"Glenn nearly got beat to death and Maggie..."

"Okay, so Merle did some shitty things too and guess what? He's still with the group." She wasn't even trying to defend him, just trying to point out the difference between the two dick heads but turns out they're a little more alike than she thought. Just because they both didn't talk the same didn't mean anything, Merle and Shane both had questionable morals. Now it was just more obvious to see it.

Before Shane had a cover up, he was a deputy trying to keep everyone safe like his job was supposed to be. He could easily hide his ill intentions, or selfish ones, behind a badge that no longer held any weight. Merle didn't have that, he was open about who he was from the jump. At least with him you didn't have to wait for his true colors to show... They were always showing. You didn't need to pry the truth from his clenched hands, he just handed it over.

Shane's cover was blown now though, he had no title to hide behind and no Rick to back him up either. The only thing Rick would back up was that Shane was a homewrecker... That's about it.

"Whatever Rick decides to do... If he let's 'em stay, you better not be goin' 'round 'em. Just 'cause you knew 'em once don't mean ya till do." Daryl warned her, pointing his whittled stick her way. She knew that already, to stay away from him if he was to stay. She already thought he was fuckin' weird before he'd left, when they'd walked back together and he tried to make it seem like it was okay because it was for them. She remembered how he used to call her names of endearment, or say slick shit even with Daryl around..

"Wasn't planning on it, D. You better keep him away from me, how 'bout that?" Blessing shot back at him, cringing when she watched a walker trip over one that she'd already taken down. It was pretty decomposed so its leg fell right from its socket when it tripped and splattered its disgusting muck on the walkers below it.

Maybe it wouldn't have been so disgusting if it hadn't tried to keep crawling forward, just for its bottom half to slowly rip from its torso to leave its insides as a trail behind it. "Gross..."

Daryl let out a sigh that sounded more irritated than anything, his lips curled into a scowl and blue eyes jumping to the sight she was staring at with so much disgust. She had a point, it was him who had to keep an eye on Shane. When she'd come stumbling from the woods with Shane following behind her, she wasn't complying with him... She made sure to shout out that it was Shane who killed a man, that he was gonna lie to try and cover up his tracks. She didn't try to cover for him, not even a little bit.

"I can do that."

"You fuckin' better," She said with a laugh, stabbing that crawling walker through the fence before she settled her hands on her hips to walk away from the fence and up to Daryl. She stopped when she was within arms reach of him, head tilted back a bit so she could look up at him with a hint of a smile on her face. It didn't reach her eyes, not when the anxiety in her eyes was weighing them down so much. "Do you think Rick is gonna need yer help questioning him? I know he wouldn't just.. Come to any conclusions without asking questions, that's not how Rick does things."

Daryl contemplated that for a moment, his eyes dancing over his face and then the fence behind her as he chewed at the insides of his cheeks. He remembered when things like this happened before, but it was Randall in Shane's shoes. It was Randall's life that was in everyone else's hand, everyone fighting over what the morally correct thing to do was... But that was so much different, right? Randall hadn't done any of the shit Shane did... He hadn't stolen anything, hadn't killed anyone even if his group had shot at them.

"I ain't no mind reader but I don't think Rick can do it alone.. Like you said, he let 'em go once already." Daryl voiced his thoughts out loud, clicking his tongue when she took yet another step forwards so she was close enough to feel her body heat radiating off of her. He met her in the middle so she could lean herself up against him like she usually did, like he was a pillar keeping her upright in the midst of this chaos. It made it easier for him to dip his head and steal a kiss from those plump lips of hers. "I should help 'em?"

She hummed with a nod, leaning in on the tips of her toes to steal another kiss from his lips. "You should. And please tell me all the tea after... Unless you want me to tag along. I don't really want to though."

"Ya don't gotta do anything ya don't wanna do." He reassured her, hands slipping into her back pockets to feel at her ass. She giggled when he gave a squeeze and his lips twitched into a smirk at the blush that crawled up on her cheeks, as if they hadn't already seen one another naked plenty of times before. Yet still they both turned into a blushing mess at moments of affection even when they were alone. "I'll handle it."

~*~

He didn't have much of a choice when it came to 'handling it', because when he and Blessing had returned from clearing that section of the perimeter Rick had found him and asked him to come along. He didn't suck his teeth or groan out in annoyance like Rick expected him to, Blessing had already prepared him for this.

So he ignored Rick's eyes when they lit up with surprise as Daryl nodded and followed after him readily, giving Blessing a kiss at the top of her head before they separated. She was gonna go wash up and change out of her walker muck covered clothes then make her way to the lunch area so she could fuel herself up. Better than the shit he was about to get into... Seeing two ex best friends chit chat wasn't exactly something anyone deemed as fun, especially not Daryl.

Shane was still cuffed to a chair, his ankles tied tightly to the chair's legs to assure he couldn't just get up and walk away at any time. They'd even used some rope to wrap around his thighs to strap him to the seat, they weren't taking any chances with him. His head wasn't hung low anymore, instead he kept glancing around the room as if he'd find an escape.. But there was none.

"You just been-been crawlin' round her to steal from us?" Rick started the questioning, his blue eyes full of betrayal and shoulders tense with the weight of the fuckin' world. When Shane looked at Rick and they locked eyes without Rick having to force it, Daryl watched Rick's chest heave with a deep breath. His lips thinned into a straight line like he was fighting not to keep asking questions, give the man time to answer.

Shane sighed out, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he struggled to find the words to piece together an explanation. "I wasn't just stealin', man."

"Yeah, you was murderin' folks too." Daryl tossed in when Rick's face twisted with disbelief at how nonchalant Shane was trying to seem. Shane's dark eyes found Daryl now, a scowl making its way onto his face like Daryl did something to him. In a sense, he did... But it wasn't on purpose.

"Why you got this hick in here, man? Huh?" Shane spat, looking Daryl up and down to size him up as if he hadn't lived with them before. It used to be Shane standing beside Rick, who Rick came to for advice when shit was hitting the fan.. Even when they were no longer on the best of terms anymore... "What, he yer new partner now, Rick? Even though you left his brother back in Atlanta?"

"Merle's with us again, dipshit." Daryl admitted, a smirk that resembled his brothers slipping on his face when Shane scoffed and rolled his eyes. It looked like he was gonna open his mouth and say something else, but Darl interrupted him. "Oh, ya must've not knew that part, huh?"

"I knew that Lori was gone... I knew that Blessin' was goin' 'round tellin' people not to eat fuckin' pork. I knew 'bout that-that war, and I was gonna join in but.. Blessin' kinda handled that." He tilted his head when he said that, getting a smug air around him when Daryl's eyes narrowed on him. "Now that's a real woman, Daryl."

"Shut the fuck up." Rick spat, the crack of his palm on Shane's cheek silencing him and Daryl. Shane's head snapped to the side with the smack, and he had to flex his jaw to make sure it didn't lock up from how hard he'd been smacked. Still, he turned his gaze slowly back to Rick with a raised brow.

"Why, Rick? She ain't Lori, ya don't gotta worry about us no more." He teased him, letting out a forced chuckle when Rick visibly struggled to not hit him again. Fortunately for Rick, Daryl wanted a turn to hit the man. So Shane's chuckle was abruptly stopped when Daryl threw a punch instead of an open palm like Rick had just done.

Shane's head was knocked back, nose spilling blood down onto his lips that dipped down his chin and onto the ropes holding him down. He got hit so hard that at first he saw stars, he had to shake his head to try and get rid of them. But it only got his blood to splatter on Daryl since he was still close from hitting him in the first place.

"He said shut the fuck up, dipshit."

~*~

Word Count : 2,451

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January 10th, 2026 

Chapter Text

Whilst Daryl had been 'working' with Rick on interrogation, Blessing had gone and washed up just like she said she would. She'd washed up and changed into a different set of clothes before she was on the hunt for some entertainment that wasn't deadly. Her go to today would be Carol, because she definitely remembered when Carol had offered to help distract her wandering mind. She didn't see Carol as the type to take back an offer like that, so she searched her cell at first only to come up empty handed. She pursed her lips before she backed away from the empty cell, brown eyes full of confusion and determination.

She glanced towards where she could swear she heard the sound of footsteps, and there was Beth heading her way with a brow raised and amusement shining in her bright blue eyes. "Yo, Beth! You seen Carol?" Blessing asked, lips twitching into a smile at the bashful body language that the blonde girl usually took on. She tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded as she offered a half shrug like she wasn't even sure of her answer.

"Yes, ma'am. She's in my cell with Judith, I just came to grab this blankie that she likes that Carol tries to hoard for herself." Beth didn't notice the way Blessing flinched at the mention of Judith, like the name stung just being brought up even if it was so sweetly... She hadn't interacted much with her, she couldn't tell if it was because she was jealous of the baby or something else. Her baby didn't live and she had to survive with that, but now this baby got to live... but without her mother?

Life never seemed so fuckin' unfair.

She watched Beth go into Carol's cell to grab the pink blankie she'd mentioned, face twisted with a thoughtful expression and hands now settling on her hips. When Beth turned back to face Blessing with the blankie in hand, Blessing visibly struggled with her thoughts. She glanced from the blankie then back up to Beth, only to look down the hall she knew where Beth's cell was... Did she have it in her right now to see her?

"I don't know if I-"

"I think you should come meet her officially.. Y'know, since she only just got her name from her big brother." Beth's tone was warm and reassuring, like it had always been. That hidden trace of pity though, it still poked at Blessing's ego and she almost wanted to say no. When her troubled gaze flew back to Beth, she couldn't. Not when she widened her bright eyes the best she could and was practically pleading and pouting for Blessing to say yes.

"Fine." She sighed out, hands falling at her sides in a subtle sign of surrender for Beth. Usually when she stood like that it was obvious how hard she was thinking, Beth was pretty sure she'd learned that stance from Rick and Shane because she swore she'd seen them doing the exact same thing before time and time again. Now if her arms then crossed over her chest, Blessing was closing herself off and probably wouldn't agree to shit you were about to say.

But those arms falling at her sides, they showed she wasn't about to put up a fight. That got Beth's lips stretching into a grin before she'd snatched up one of Blessing's hands to drag her along down the hall.

The closer they got to Beth's cell, the quicker Blessing's heart raced in her chest with anticipation. It was easier to hear Carol cooing to the blonde baby she was holding, to hear that same baby's giggle when Carol pretended to eat her tiny fingers with a grin on her face.

"I'm back with a Blessin'." Beth chirped as soon as she stepped into her own cell, Blessing behind her looking hesitant to take that step in. Her eyes were refusing to find Judith, the child that was already staring her way with wide and curious eyes. Instead, her gaze kept dancing around to the random baby items that were scattered around the cell as if it were most likely where she spent most of her time. She could picture it too... Because it didn't seem like Rick was taking much, or any time to spend with the baby that no one was sure was his or not...

Carol's eyes flew to Blessing with hints of surprise shining in them, she definitely didn't expect to see her here.. Not for a while, not until she'd at least stop trying to disassociate any time they even mentioned the baby. Like she couldn't even force herself to stand there and listen to what people had to say about her...

"Yer gonna join the babysittin' circle?" Carol's soft voice seemed to give Blessing courage to step into the cell, a gentle and reassuring push that had her chest warming with emotions. Already her skin felt too hot, like the room suddenly had too many people with body heat radiating off of them that just trapped her. "It's just Beth, Maggie and me that take turns for now.. Other than Carl 'cause he's the best big brother ever." Carol mocked Carl's voice the best he could, he'd said it so many times she swore she could copy the same way he said it.

Both Beth and Carol tried not to make it obvious that they could see how uncomfortable the woman was, she shrugged her shoulders lazily as she stepped further into the cell behind Beth. Finally, her gaze gravitated towards Judith and she had to suck in a breath so her eyes wouldn't water immediately. She had Rick's bright blue eyes, ones that were full of wonder and that childish naivety that she wished she could get back herself..

"She looks a lot like Carl, don't she?" Beth whispered the question like she was nervous about speaking too loudly, as if it'd startle Blessing away from the child they'd been caring for since she was born. Blessing couldn't even open her mouth to agree, she simply nodded her head shakily as she tucked her shaking hands into the pockets of her pants.

"I-I don't think I could babysit her, just.. Just came for the vibes, I guess." She didn't even sound confident about what she was saying, because she knew damn well she didn't join for a vibe. She only tagged along because Beth wanted her to, Was it selfish..? Maybe, but she was allowed to be selfish every now and then..

Carol and Beth exchanged a glance that Blessing could only describe as concerned, Carol even passed Beth the baby with a smile on her face that seemed a little forced before she turned her attention to Blessing with her hands clasped in front of her. "Bless, sweetie, I think-"

"I know what you think... Kinda. I know y'all feel bad because you know what happened, Beth probably told you or maybe Rick." Blessing cut Carol off, sounding annoyed at the fact that people were spreading news like that. It was expected just a little because they were all close, they'd all been forced together for so long it only made sense that people would talk.. But this? She let out a harsh sigh, one that sounded like she was struggling to contain all of her emotions. "I didn't get to have mine, and I gotta live with that... But Lori had hers and she couldn't even live to see her, everyone's just guessing who the father is.. It feels like a sick joke from God, it's not fair."

Her admission of the truth was shaky and got tears shining in her eyes, but still... It felt like a weight lifted from her shoulders to say the truth. To be able to speak her mind, even if they still gave mild looks of pity that usually made her want to bash her head into a fuckin' wall. Carol hummed in thought, reaching for Blessing's hands to try and console her through the simple touch and Blessing was more than willing to oblige to that.

When Carol's soft hands enclasped both of her own, Carol shook Blessing's hands the tiniest bit with her tired eyes rimmed with tears. She knew all too well what it was like to lose a child, even before Sophia she'd experienced troubles with pregnancy as well but... She didn't have a support system like Blessing did right now.

"That's understandable, sweetie. No one is upset with you for feelin' those things. God's sense of humor just gets more and more twisted as the days go by, I been thinkin' that ever since Sophia went missin' back on the highway." Carol whispered in reassurance, but it didn't help as much as she thought it would. Blessing's face fell even further at the mention of the child that had once been a part of the group, guilt made its way into her eyes and Carol immediately tried to back track. "I mean-"

"I'm sorry, Carol.. You lost your baby too." Blessing breathed out, pressing her lips into a thin line so they wouldn't wobble. It wasn't like that did much though, because her eyes were still shining with tears; Silent ones sneaking past her long lashes to fall down her cheek as if they were filled with too much sadness to stay afloat. "I didn't get to meet mines, but you raised Sophia."

"That doesn't matter, okay? Did you-Did you have a name for her?" Carol smiled as she asked, a smile that made her eyes smaller and showed just how teary they'd become at the sight of Blessing practically trembling before her.

Blessing pulled her hands away swiftly, but only to wipe away at the traitor tears that had fallen. Carol took that as an invitation to step closer to Blessing so she could cup her cheeks in her hands, her thumbs swiping at her cheekbones to wipe away more tears that'd fallen with a thin lipped smile on her face. "What's her name, sweetie? Go ahead, it'll make it easier."

"I-I think I would've named her Hope... Hope Olani Dixon."

"That's a beautiful name." Carol praised, pulling her into a hug so that she could rub gentle circles on her back when Blessing slowly fell into the embrace. At first her body was tense, like she was ready to reel back and run away from the comfort like she'd been doing lately...After Carol had traced only two circles on Blessing's back did her arms encircle Carol and her shoulders deflated like she was ready to let Carol bare the weight of everything she'd been holding in. She dug her head into the crook of Carol's neck, feeling smaller than ever when one of Carol's hands came up to cradle the back of her head as if she were a child being consoled.

She couldn't hold back the breath of relief that slipped past her lips, a breath that danced across Carol's collarbone and had the woman's pale skin rising with goosebumps. "Thank you, Carol..."

"Don't thank me, sweetie.. Just come introduce yourself to Judith, maybe tell her 'bout Hope?" She gave a gentle pat to her back, directing her towards Beth who was trying her damn hardest to pretend as if she weren't listening the whole time. It was pretty obvious based on her red rimmed eyes and sympathetic smile, and the way she gladly turned so that Judith was of clear view for a sniffling Blessing who forced a smile on her face.

She cleared her throat before she cooed at the way that Judith smiled and attempted to tug at Beth's blonde ponytail, her shaky hands reaching out ever so hesitantly to gently pry the child's clutching fingers away from the golden tresses. "C'mon now, baby, yer too young to be trynna fight." Blessing teased gently, a ghost of a smile making it's way onto her face when Beth leaned over a bit so Judith could lean into Blessing's arms. A subtle of saying 'take the baby please'. And take the baby she did, even though her heart ached so fuckin' bad when those pretty blue eyes stared up at her.

"Can I ask you guys a question?" Blessing asked out loud, eyes darting between the two women that were watching her with eyes full of pride and tinges of sadness. Probably for their own reasons, because like Blessing said.. Carol lost her baby too. Beth lost her mother, her family besides Maggie and Herschel...

"Yeah, of course." Beth said with a smile, Carol nodding beside her with a smile that was nearly identical. Maybe it was because they spent so much time together that Blessing felt like some of them were starting to look alike. Like sometimes, Rick and Daryl looked alike the same way Carol and Beth looked alike right now. Hell, sometimes Glenn and Maggie were starting to look alike but maybe that was a weird thing with couples..

"Do you think she's really Rick's baby?" It wasn't a joke, there wasn't even a hint of amusement in her eyes when she asked... Just genuine confusion and concern. They could all think she looked like Carl all they wanted, but that wasn't proof of anything. Getting a DNA was proof, but that wasn't something they could do anymore.. "She has his eyes, y'know? And he's doin' his best to take care of her by makin' sure she's safe..."

"Of course she is, Bless." Carol tutted, reaching forward to caress at Judith's cheek as she tried to grasp at one of Blessing's curls. "Lori and Rick were married. Doesn't matter what decisions she made along the way, what mistakes were made along the way... this is his baby."

Beth hummed as she nodded, eyes brightening since she agreed with the short haired woman. "Even if she wasn't... We didn't see Shane around trynna make sure she was okay."

Blessing snorted out a laugh at that, the mood somewhat shifting into a less somber one that had their smiles finally reaching their eyes. Beth wasn't aware just yet that Shane was being held captive in the prison even though she was part of the PR team of the whole scheme, but only because Blessing wasn't sure if she wasn't even able to tell anyone just yet. Right now, all people knew was that they were getting shit together to find out who was sneaking in and out of the prison. She needed it to stay that way until she got some answers from Rick and Daryl who weren't yet finished interrogating him....

"That's true... Yeah, she's Rick's baby." 

~*~

Word Count : 2,452

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January 23rd, 2026

Author's Note ; this was so hard to write because it feels like angst T...T GIF MADE BY Just_A_Writer2426 !!!!

Chapter Text

Author's Note : Ain't update in months and tbh.. updating for this story is reeeeeally hard because it's the only story where readers have a love/hate relationship with my OC. Blessing is NOT perfect and neither is her relationship with Daryl, don't judge her too harshly! She doesn't show up in this chapter, but its' pretty angsty!

who do you think is blessing's best friend besides Daryl or Maggie?

anyway, onto the story!

~*~

“There’s too much blood on yer hands now, Shane… ain’t no way for me to talk ya out of this trouble.” Rick was thinking out loud, and couldn't even look at Shane who was still cuffed and wrapped up tightly on a chair. Not even Daryl was sure which direction this conversation would go, this wasn’t even a conversation…It was a captive situation..

They’d both gotten in their fill of abuse, the two went as far as to take turns beating him so they wouldn’t tire out too fast. It was harsh, yes.. For whatever reason though, it felt like the perfect punishment for the hardened man. Beat him into submission- or death. Of course, they knew this was only the beginning of the punishment that was to come for Shane since they still had to tell the others that it’d been him that murdered those people in the prison. No doubt, people would want justice.

Shane scoffed, spitting out some blood that’d gathered up in his mouth near Daryl’s feet who only rolled his eyes at the clear show of disrespect. “I ain’t askin’ you to talk me outta shit.” He spat, sounding groggy as ever. He wasn’t sure how long they’d even been here, couldn’t be any longer than a few hours and still… It felt like fuckin’ days with them beating him if he didn’t answer something without a pause of hesitation.

He thought they’d show mercy, that if he got caught he’d be taken in and maybe-just maybe things could change for them all. A small part of him had hoped that the time he’d spent apart from the group would make someone, anyone, feel even just an inkling of guilt or remorse for the cards that he’d been dealt when he ran with them in the beginning, How could he expect guilt from any of them when he didn’t feel the least bit of guilt when it came to sacrificing any of them to save his own ass..?

“What’d ya expect then?” Daryl was genuinely curious, he and Rick both were. There was no way he thought things would go back to normal, he hadn’t even left on good terms. He was fuckin’ delusional, he had to be…

Even with his one eye swollen shut he still had the nerve to try and glare Daryl’s way, he clearly now had a personal vendetta against the man now that he’d taken his spot at Rick’s ‘bestie’. On top of that, it seemed like Shane’s little crush on Blessing had not faded at all. He was so damn bitter that the Dixon was actually getting his shit together so she wouldn’t leave his ass, that he was trying to grow and be a better man. To be a man she deserved.

He was a piece of shit for even being mad about it, he already knew. She’d never been his, the girl couldn’t even stand his ass. What the hell was his fixation with women he couldn’t have…? “I don’t know what I expected, okay?” He finally admitted defeat after a pregnant pause, one where they all sat in a tense silence with both Rick and Daryl’s eyes fixed on Shane’s bloodied face. “It wasn’t ‘posed to be like this, y’know…?”

Rick hummed in thought as he nodded, feigned as if he understood but in reality… He didn’t fuckin’ know. He didn’t know anything and he didn’t understand any of it either. He wanted to though, and he was hoping Shane would enlighten him now. “What was it supposed to be like?”

“I wasn’t supposed to get caught, that’s for fuckin’ sure. Lemme tell ya, man,” He breathed out a laugh, one that was breathless and pretty damn forced because the position he was in was no laughing matter. “I really was trynna do right by y’all. I was takin’ shit, sure. But I was givin’ back too, I put food in yer damn pantry when people’s backs were turned and y’all ain’t see that shit. Now did ya?”

His eyes widened and it made his scowl even more prominent when his gaze jumped from Daryl to Rick with haste, making sure both their eyes were on him as he spoke and that he had their full attention.

He wasn’t going to talk out of death, that’d be impossible. He was starting to slowly accept right now that this was-this was probably the end of the road for him. He’d cheated, stolen and murdered.. The holy grail of sin and now he was about to finally meet his maker, it was inevitable.

“Nah… We ain’t know that..”

“Of fuckin’ course not! You people-” Shane cut himself off, flinching at his own shout knowing that it’d just get one of them to swing on him once again. Neither of them made a move to do so, but Daryl did flinch the slightest bit when he’d raised his voice… “You people only notice shit when you want.” He hissed, the veins of his neck protruding from the effort it took him to not yell.

Rick rolled his eyes at the dramatics, as if someone wasn’t entitled to being a little dramatic when they were getting the shit beat out of them in a dusty ass room of an abandoned prison.. One that was probably haunted too. Even if it was, it wouldn't matter, they all had enough lives that they’d taken that haunted them every single day as they lived on. Whether any of them acknowledged it or not, playing God when it came to another person’s life always came with consequences.. And one of those consequences was carrying the weight of that soul every fuckin’ where that you went. It was cruel, but it was real.

“I noticed when you first started gettin’ off the rails, man. You think I’m dumb or somethin’?” Rick asked, pointing at his own temple as he tilted his head and to Shane… He looked a bit thrown the fuck off. They all were now, but it didn’t always show. None of them made it plainly obvious that they were a pinch closer to jumping off the edge and saying fuck it, clearly Rick was giving less fucks about this shit.

It was the splatter of Shane’s blood across his face that made him all the more intimidating, or maybe it was the way he’d widened his eyes manically the same way Shane had tried to do. “Shane, you aren’t ‘bout to out crazy anybody here, not no more. I ain’t scared of pullin’ any triggers, not even if it’s you behind the barrel of the gun.”

He knew that already, hearing it out loud was a different thing than assuming. His chin wobbled as his eyes filled with tears, whether they were of rage or fear Rick didn’t know. But when Shane’s head fell and he let out a pitiful sob that wrecked his shoulders, Daryl had a sneaking suspicion that it was neither of those reasons that he was crying. Shane was clearly struggling to even say it out loud, give them the true reason as to why he’d stuck around but he had to get the truth out. If he didn’t, they’d just stick him with more negative labels, more than he already had. He was fine with being seen as a cheater, but if they wanted to see him as a thief? Hell nah.

“At the end of the day,” Shane started, trying to sniff away his tears but they were never ending now. He’d never been good at controlling his own emotions, he was always the most impulsive of the group after all. It was catching up to him, making all the moves he’d made without asking questions first like Rick always tried to make him do before. “I-I know I fucked up but when I left that damn farm you were still my brother, Rick.. Neither of us could pull the trigger, remember? And now-now yer actin’ like ‘m just some stranger yer just meetin’?”

“You are a stranger now.. The Shane I knew would’ve never put someone else’s life on the line to save his own ass. The old Shane wasn’t doin’ all of this, man!”

“Well you ain’t the old Rick either!”

“Oh, please. Old Rick was lettin’ you parade around all high and mighty after fuckin’ his wife, tried to act like nothin’ ever happene. Old Rick would’ve let you get away with murder, he did.” Rick scoffed at the memory, when they’d all been on that farm and the only real problem was trying to figure out if Shane killed Otis or not. When things were simpler than they were now, even if they had a child recovering from a gunshot wound… It was better than this shit.

At this point, Rick was pacing back and forth in front of Shane’s chair with his bloodied hands plopped on his waist. Daryl was leaning on the wall right by the door, his arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his face that didn’t really match his narrowed eye look. He was being quiet and contemplative, for all Rick knew he was just taking mental notes to tell him that Shane was just bullshitting later on. He’d done it before, paying attention to someone’s body language as Rick interrogated them so he could be a two step verification for the truth. He hadn’t been wrong any of the times he stepped to Rick after, whether the person lied or told the truth… Daryl was always spot on.

They both knew it probably pissed Shane off more than he already was, seeing Daryl once again take his spot. Maybe if he hadn’t left that spot open in the first place Daryl wouldn't have replaced him so easily.

“I can help y’all, man… I’ve been out there on my own, I know what people are like now. Nothing is the same, Rick, okay? You think any of those fuckin’ monsters outside these walls give a fuck about a murder?” His voice raised the more incredulous he became, he still had tears streaming down his face and they didn’t help him look intimidating at all.. “You gotta-You gotta stop worryin’ about honor and worry about survival, that’s what I’m worried about! Every kill I got under my belt I had a reason! I made it back without Otis and saved yer son! I killed Randall so he wouldn’t bring his group to ours, you heard what Daryl said about them, man! That if they found us our women would wish they never got found, do you know what that means?!”

Spit flew from his lips that was laced with blood and his growing rage, both Rick and Daryl made no move to shut him up. So far they’d beat him into silence if they felt he wasn’t being truthful but now, now they were starting to pull the truth from him. Now he was admitting things that he’d never admitted to before and the guilt of it all… Rick was going to assume the guilt of it all is what was making Shane so volatile now. “Killin’ people ain’t the right way.”

“It’s the only way now, Rick!” Shane barked before he huffed out of his broken nose, he was trying to sigh but all it did was make blood shoot from his nostrils and down his lips and chin. “I killed two of yer people, I don’t regret it.. You gonna go tell them people’s families that? Y’know what, did they even have families?” He laughed out sarcastically, looking Daryl’s way so that brown could clash with blue when they locked eyes.

“When the both of y’all go out there and tell people the truth, they’re gonna want me dead.. And it’d be right then, wouldn’t it?” He sounded smug like he was proving his own point, death was the answer no matter what. In this day, in this new world.. It was the only reasonable punishment to him.

Daryl shrugged his broad shoulders lazily in a show of nonchalance, lips pursing a bit to make a face he’d seen Blessing do plenty of times before when he said some dumb shit.. Like when he couldn’t tell the difference between Salmon and Coral, he didn’t care that much about the color pink to give a fuck. “Ya did kill two people so.. Yeah, it’d be right…” He scratched at his chin, looking away awkwardly when Rick gave him a ‘really?’ look.

It shouldn’t matter what he thought, Shane was going to die whether Rick thought it was cool or not. It sounded terrible, he knew it. But he also knew that Rick would not have the balls to kill Shane if the people of the group did decide he needed to be put to death for his crimes. Like always, he’d probably talk his way into getting people to calm down and accept the fact that he was letting anybody lay in the same walls that they all were. Daryl isn’t fuckin’ stupid though.

Shane had left because he wanted to, he did everything for a reason which meant he probably wanted to come back for a reason too… It could be for protection, maybe he was running from one of those groups that he mentioned but if that were the case.. Wouldn’t he just tell them and ask for help? No, that wouldn't be like Shane. It’d be like Shane to leave them in the dark and use them all as human fuckin’ shields when shit hit the fan.

Okay, now Daryl was starting to think he was spending a little too much time with Blessing with how much his mind was wandering with scenarios.

Whether he was overthinking or not, Daryl did not want Shane around Blessing or any of the women and children of their group. He barely wanted the dude around Rick because of their rocky past, for fuck’s sake.

“So then you do it, Daryl. You can be the one to take me out since we both know Rick won’t.” Shane’s lips twitched into a weak smirk, the words came out light and teasing yet they were somber as ever. Rick scoffed, running a hand down his blood and sweat covered face to try and get rid of the building stress.

He’d tried to avoid this, tried to avoid Shane sling his life when he let him leave the first time and he still came the fuck back… He still put his own life on the line. “This-This can’t be serious.”

“Rick… it’s outta yer hands.”

~*~

Word Count : 2,436

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March 22nd , 2026

Chapter Text

They wanted more time to deliberate, or at least Rick did. None of them had much time to spare with people asking more and more questions, becoming more frantic from the lack of answers being given. People knew that someone had been captured and was being held captive, they also knew that the person that was caught was a suspect. Two charred bodies wasn’t something anyone could just forget, it definitely wasn’t something you could just talk away either..

Blessing tried to pester Daryl too much for information, she’d even waited until after he’d washed his ass and for him to eat for her to even bring it up. “Okay, I’m begging for a crumb of tea, babe. What uh…What’s goin’ on with Rick and Shane? Did you guys torture him or put him through fuckin’ therapy?” She sounded exasperated as she asked, cringing when Michonne gave a small chunk of her hair a light tug.

“Stop moving so much, or I’ll start poppin’ you.” She warned with a pointed look when Blessing glared back at her from over her shoulder. “And don’t give me that look, I’m doin’ you a favor here.” That got Blessing looking straight forward with a sheepish look on her face, one that Daryl literally fuckin’ pointed and laughed at.

The favor? Starter locs on Blessing’s hair, no more worrying about having to comb out her hair or putting it in protective style braids now that she was putting it in the healthy style that helped Michonne’s hair thrive so well. She was starting off with smaller microlocs and then going back to combine some into wicks, so far they were barely even half way through. It probably might not get done today if Michonne took breaks, but she already told Blessing that even if she fell asleep she was gonna keep on working to finish it so she didn’t have to walk around with a half done head of hair.

To prevent Blessing from being too uncomfortable if she fell asleep, they’d dragged the mattress from the top bunk to the floor so she could sit on it while Michonne sat on the edge of the bottom bunk with Blessing sat between her legs. They didn’t use Blessing and Daryl’s tower or the cell that Michonne had been sharing with Rick, they just took over the designated ‘guest cell’ that’s privacy curtain was always pulled back to show it was empty.

“Felt like therapy to me.” A light joke, one that had both women snorting out sarcastic laughs that sounded oddly similar. Blessing laid her legs out flat on the mattress and tapped at her lap, offering Daryl some solace after what she could only assume was a long day of ‘interrogation’ with Rick and Shane. His shoulders were sagging more than usual, his head ducked low and those cat-like eyes swimming with so much emotion. But exhaustion stuck out the most.

He kicked off his boots by the cell’s sliding gate without a moment of hesitation, looking eager as ever setting down his crossbow by the mattress on the floor so he could clamber down ungracefully on it. He had to shimmy down some to put his head on Blessing’s lap and his feet hung off the end of the mattress, Daryl clearly didn’t mind. “What’s gonna happen?” Blessing whispered, her fingers diving into his brown tresses and massaging at his scalp lightly.

Daryl wanted her to look down at him so he could see the confusion on her pretty face when she asked, he wanted Michonne to hurry the fuck up with her hair so that they could go up to their tower and roll into their cot together to sleep until tomorrow. So what if it was noon?

She didn’t look down, much to his displeasure. Her head was turned to the left a little, cheek pressed against Michonne’s thigh with her eyes closed and a calm expression on her face. Dryl knew better than anyone she loved getting her hair done, if it wasn’t her doing her own hair she was pretty known for falling asleep in the midst of her braiding session. At first he didn’t get it.. Until Blessing had massaged at his scalp for the very first time and he was out like a light within minutes.

“Don’t think Rick knows what he wants to do, Shane’s confusin’ him.” Daryl’s raspy voice was low, trying to whisper just like Blessing so they didn’t expose too much information in a cell that wasn’t their own. “Thought he was gonna try and talk his way in here but.. I dunno, man. Shit’s weird.”

“Does he know about Judith?” Michonne jumped in with a question of her own, her brows furrowed and a look of concentration on her face. Now though, it was hard to tell if she was focusing on Blessing’s locs or trying to pay close attention to Daryl’s whispers.

“He ain’t say nothin’ ‘bout her.. He knows Lori’s gone..”

“He probably thinks the baby didn’t survive.” Blessing noted, tone somber. Time had passed, but time didn’t erase the feelings that spurred up every time the mention of children came about. Judith was a child that was becoming a soft spot in Blessing’s heart after holding her for the very first time recently.. She’d named her unborn, talked about what she could’ve looked like with the baby that wasn’t even old enough to understand that she didn’t have her mother..

If Shane knew the whole truth, that Lori was gone but the child had survived and no one could really tell if it was Rick’s or not would he still be so willing to deal with the consequences of his actions?

Daryl breathed out a sigh through his nose; He didn’t wanna think that far, he was already worried about everything happening right now. Another deep breath was taken, his focus shifted to the feeling of Blessing’s fingertips on his scalp and the gentle tug her fingers gave every time she pulled her hand away to pick another spot to massage.

He couldn’t imagine leaving Blessing behind knowing that she was with child, knowing that he was the father even if it was just the possibility. To come back and not even know the fate of that baby, just to know the woman he’d loved so dearly was gone? That’s what Shane had done, when he’d left the farm he left Lori too and he fuckin’ knew she was pregnant. He had a choice, and he chose the wrong option.

At least when Daryl left he hadn’t even known the truth. That one time Daryl did leave, it wasn’t him being entirely selfish. He’d thought of Blessing but was dragged along by his brother, who he still ended up bringing back just for her. If he had known before he went on that run that Blessing was pregnant.. Things would’ve gone so differently. He would've been able to protect her…

“D-Did he fall asleep?” Michonne whispered in shock, a low snore coming from Daryl when she really expected him to tell them more information. She breathed out a laugh when Blessing giggled and nodded against her leg, sounding tired herself really. “How are y’all so tired, its only noon?”

“I’m playin’ in his hair and your playin’ in mine, that’d make anybody sleepy.” Blessing said in mock seriousness, she should’ve been for real serious because there was nothing false about that statement. Daryl’s snores were a reminder to keep their chatter, which they did for the remaining four hours that it’d taken Michonne to finish Blessing’s hair.

Daryl only slept for two of the four hours, a good two hour nap before being woken up by his name being gently cooed by Blessing. Glenn had popped his head in to whisper to the women ‘let Daryl know I’m lookin’ for him when he wakes up’ an hour into his nap, so they were being nice by letting him get that second hour of rest. He’d got his boots on with a grumpy frown on his face and gave Blessing a wet kiss to her forehead before he went out in search of Glenn. The third hour, Blessing fell asleep for an hour nap of her own while Michonne finished her hair. And yes, they took breaks so they could eat in the middle of it all too.

When Michonne was finished she woke up Blessing with a not so gentle nudge. They both stretched like cats when they got up, sitting so long in one place made ya ache in places you didn’t know you could. The pops from their joints had Blessing feeling like she woke up a glow stick but other than that.. She felt great.

Together, they went to the ‘dining area’ of the prison to join everyone else for dinner. The menu for the day was mystery meat, canned vegetables and some partially burnt biscuits that didn’t look too bad. Most of it was put together by Carol and Beth, Blessing wasn’t too worried about eating food they made.. It was the woodbury chefs she didn’t trust.

“Your hair looks nice like that.” Carl was the first to compliment Blessing, earning a glare from Daryl that didn’t hold any real heat behind it. It only made the teen grin wider, not even bothered when his father ruffled his hair as he walked by to get his own plate of food.

Rick gave Michonne a subtle peck to the cheek when he passed her, it wasn't subtle enough to not get pointed out by Blessing who ‘awed’ out loud like she was seeing a cute ass baby or something. She stopped her teasing pretty early because of Michonne giving a playful roll of her eyes, her dark cheeks shining with a blush… That was actually really adorable.

“Thanks, Carl. Took Michonne all day to do it for me, it was worth it.” Blessing sent Michonne a grateful smile, whipping her head back and forth so her locs could swing with the movement. “Now I won’t have to keep brushing it out and braiding it every other week.”

“Now it’ll be me having to retwist it once a month.. Or however long it takes for her to grow her shit out.” Michonne did the mental math in her head, cursing herself in her head for adding on this responsibility to her long list of tasks already. At least this one wasn't as tasking as the rest, it wasn’t farming or having to loot specific items for people… it was just doing hair. Retwisting wouldn't take as long as doing it the first time so it wouldn’t take forever, it’d just be a nice little break.. Some normalcy in the midst of the apocalypse.

Rick laughed at the slow fall of Michonne’s expression, taking a seat beside her to nudge at her side. “Oh c’mon, don’t make that face. You know you don’t mind helpin’ Bless out with that.” He said lightly, warm smile on his face as he said it.

She couldn’t deny it, it was so true it brought a crooked smile to Michonne’s face that made everyone at the table laugh. That and the fact that Blessing did a fist pump at the lack of denial. There were a few beats of comfortable silence, the sound of people chewing and the occasional silent chatter that came from Blessing trying to trade the carrots on her plate for the peas on Daryl’s. She didn’t have to beg ‘cause he gave them up the moment she pointed out she likes peas better than carrots.

When most of the crowd was done with their food and plates were thrown to be washed, Rick had gestured for Daryl and Blessing to follow him and Michonne to the ‘meeting room’ where they usually held their tough discussions. Earlier, Daryl had come from his nap and had mentioned something to Rick he hadn’t even thought about. Hell, Daryl only thought about it because Blessing had said it before he fell asleep. ‘He probably thinks the baby didn’t survive.’

Shane most likely didn’t know about Judith, she wasn't paraded around outside the prison to be seen by outsiders.. Had he seen her at all? It was an all new excuse for Rick to feel guilty about killing Shane, which he didn’t think it’d come down to that..

“Did you use ther-”

“You think Judith is his, don’t you?”

Blessing’s lips snapped shut at the sudden question, her eyes widening at the seriousness of Rick’s face that came so suddenly. He seemed fine at dinner, he’d interacted so normally with everyone and right now he didn’t seem fine.. It wasn’t like Blessing knew about Daryl telling Rick about them asking about Judith, her and Michonne had been curious about it. Neither of them answered, both of them glanced at each other to meet with eyes dancing with confusion and caution.

“Well? Bless? Michonne?” He pressed them both, his hands going to his hips and jaw clenching the tighter their lips pressed together. Dary stood awkwardly, chewing at the dead skin around his nails… DId he just-Did he get them in fuckin’ trouble?

“Rick, I was-I was only asking if Shane knew about Judith because people didn’t know when Lori was here if she was his or yours... You knew that!” Blessing gulped down her nerves before she spoke up, raising her voice a bit on the last part when she saw the angry twitch of Rick’s nose.

She wasn’t making this shit up, everyone knew! Everyone didn’t know if that baby was gonna cme out looking like Shane or Rick, why was he so fuckin’ offended right now about her questioning? If that was Shane’s kid.. Wouldn’t it be reasonable to think he’d want to know she’d lived? Would he even care?

“Listent to me,” Rick started, his usually calm demeanor was shaky and had Blessing biting her tongue to stay silent. Her and Daryl both stod like children being scolded by their father, heads hung low and frowns on their faces. Michonne didn’t seem guilty, more disgruntled about the fact that Rick was trying to check all three of them. “The moment he left that farm, he left knowing Lori was pregnant. When he-When he left,”

He cut himself off to take a deep breath, it was shaky as ever from the strength it took for him not to start raising his voice. “When he left he gave up whatever responsibilities he had. That was my wife, okay? That’s my daughter. And she ain’t none of his fuckin’ business.”

~*~

Word Count : 2,438

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May 3rd, 2026