Keep Holding On

Angela had left Daryl that night after their kiss with a blush staining her cheeks and as she lay in her tent trying to let sleep take her, he invaded her thoughts. She had just kissed Daryl Dixon, the stubborn, selfish redneck. And he didn't push her away. She couldn't help the smile that pulled at her lips while thinking about it.

The next morning she woke to voices outside her tent. At first she couldn't tell who the voices belonged to, just that they were talking about breakfast and she was sure she heard her name in their conversation, before Layla bounded into the tent.

"Oh good you're up!" She stated with a smile. "Lori and Carol told me to come get you and you'll never guess who's joining us for breakfast!" Angela gave her a questioning look.

"Who?" Deep down she hoped Sophia had found her way back to the group, but she prepared for disappointment for that hope.

"Daryl! He's able to walk around again!" Layla exclaimed and Angela could feel the blood rushing to her face as she thought back to last night, sure it was just a simple kiss they shared, but it made her head spin. She really had fallen for the hick.

"That's great! Let me just change and I'll be out there in a minute."

"Okie dokie!" Layla said running out of the tent.

Angela rifled through her bag finding a back tank top and threw it on, deciding to leave the shorts she had on last night, and headed outside. Everyone was around the little grill they set up already eating the breakfast Carol and Lori made. Running her eyes across the faces of her fellow survivors, Angela noticed a strange look in Shane's eyes as he stared at her and she sent a glare in return, and Rick would steal a glance towards Shane occasionally as he ate. What caught her eye most was where Layla was sitting, though it wasn't Layla she focused on, but the beautiful blue eyes that looked at her. Daryl's face was unreadable, but she knew there was something on his mind as he stared at her. Angela tore her gaze away to grab a plate from Carol, catching a look from Lori, and going to sit by her sister and the border collie that layed beside her.

Every camper went their ways once finishing their food, but once Angela ate she layed back on the ground enjoying the rays from the sun that managed to hit her through the trees. That was until someone kicked her foot. She opened her eyes expecting to see Layla, but found Daryl towered over her and gave him a small smile.

"Can I help you?" He nodded his head as a motion to follow him.

"Come with me." He said turning around.
"And bring your bow." Angela watched him walk off for a moment before running to her tent to grab her bow and arrows and wandering off to find Daryl who could walk quite fast for someone who got shot in the head and an arrow through his side.

She walked in the direction she saw him go off in, but saw no signs of him. She noticed Layla though, sitting at a table with Lori and Carl, and decided to go check on her.

"What's going on here?" She asked looking at the papers on the table. Carl looked up grimly at her.

"School." He stated simply and Layla nodded her agreement.

"Do you need me for anything Angie?" Layla asked hopefully.

"Sorry Princess, I think school is a good idea for you." Angela said with a smile as Layla looked down at her papers in defeat. "I was wondering if any of you saw Daryl though."

"He went in the direction of the stables, but I don't know exactly where he was heading." Lori said looking at Angela in a way that Angela knew she wanted answers about what was going in between her and Daryl.

"Thanks." Angela said running off to the stables. When they came into view she saw the hick leaning against the side of the building with his arms crossed. A smile tugged at the corners of we mouth as she walked to him.

"What did you want me for?" She asked when she stood beside him. He just looked at her for a moment before his eyes wandered around them and he picked up his crossbow from the ground walking off towards the woods. Angela was skeptical about following him, but did so anyways.

Daryl didn't stop walking for a while and Angela could tell it was bothering his side with the way his hand would rest there, her leg was screaming its protest at the movement and weight as well. Damn Shane. Eventually Angela couldn't take the pain anymore, though she didn't want to show it, and called out to him as she leaned against a tree for support.

"Daryl we need to stop." He walked over to her watching her closely. "Why did you even lead me out here?"

"Ya wanna learn to use that bow of yours or not?" Daryl answered.

"You brought me out here to teach me how to use my bow?"

"Ya got a problem with that?" Daryl snapped, causing Angela to flinch slightly at his sudden outburst.

"We both should be off our feet is all, you especially."

"I'm fine, ya don' have to worry 'bout me." Daryl said taking a deep breath and running a hand through his hair. "Is, is your leg alrigh'?"

"Um it hurts, but I'm okay." Angela said surprised he asked.

"Think ya can walk a bit further? There's a clearin' just a lil further that I was taken ya to." Angela nodded.

"Yeah I think I can manage that." She stepped away from the tree and limped after Daryl.

The clearing was closer than Angela had expected, but she was thankful for it. Her leg had begun to hurt even worse just walking the short distance and when she got the chance she sat under a tree and placed a hand by her wound, wishing the pain to go away.

"Ya alrigh'?" Daryl asked watching her carefully.

"Yeah, just hurts. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, probably shouldn't have brought ya out here."

"You shouldn't have come out either, but we're out here now so teach me." Angela said standing from her spot and walking to Daryl with her bow in hand.

"Alright nock an arrow and hit that tree over there." Angela did as told, but her arrow missed landing a few feet to the left. "Nock another one."

Angela listened and readied another as Daryl came up behind her. He placed a hand on her elbow of the arm pulling back the arrow, instructing her on how to keep her arms. Angela was trying to focus on what Daryl was saying, but the fact that he was standing close to her was difficult to ignore. After last night she wanted to be close to him, but now was the not the time to be thinking of that, she had to focus. Which was easier once Daryl backed away to let her shoot on her own after she successfully landed an arrow into the tree. Once she shot the rest of her arrows that hit her target she looked at Daryl with a smile.

"Thanks for doing this Daryl, you really didn't have to." She said walking over to him.

"Can't have ya gettin' killed cause ya can't shoot an arrow. Since you seem so keen on keeping it."

"It was my grandpa's then when he died he gave it to my dad. I had to bring it with me, I guess so I'd still have a part if him with me, same goes with my pistol." Angela said siting down by a tree again only this time Daryl joined her.

"Ya lose him when all this shit started?"

"Yeah he turned before I got home and then bit my mom when she tried to save me and my siblings." Angela said, sadness seeping into her voice. "Then when Layla went missing I lost my older brother, he got bit trying to protect us as well. I had to shoot them, my entire family."

"Shit I thought losin' my brother was bad. I'm sorry 'bout your family." Daryl said and Angela knew he truly meant it.

"Thanks, I've never really explained it to anyone before. It just hurt to much to even think about it, so I just focused on keeping Layla safe. What happened to your brother?"

"Got left on a run in Atlanta, cuffed on a roof. He had to cut his own hand off to escape and we never found him."

"Then maybe he got away, maybe he's alive."

"Told ya that hopin' and prayin' crap is a waste of time."

"Is that why you gave Carol that rose saying it bloomed for her little girl? 'Cause having hope is pointless?" Daryl looked at her then a bit of shock on his features.

"Jus' thought it be nice ta give her some thin'. She did lose her girl after all."

"God Daryl you're so thick sometimes!" Angela exclaimed but then a smile graced her features as she looked down at her lap. "It was really sweet of you to give it to her. I feel useless 'cause I haven't been out there looking for her."

"Ya ain't useless." Daryl stated making her look him in the eyes. "Ya have helped look for her, ya just can't right now 'cause of your leg."

"Yeah 'cause damn Shane had to go and shoot me. The hell is his problem, anyways?"

"Don't worry 'bout Shane, but don't ya ever go on another run with him. Not unless me or someone else is with ya." The two just looked at each other before Angela gathered the courage to reach up and peck his lips.

"We should probably grab your arrows and head back." Daryl said a bit awkwardly as he got up and reached a hand out to Angela.

They gathered her arrows, placing them back into the quiver, and began their way back. A silence draped over them for a while but Angela felt the need to speak.

"Daryl?" He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her as she walked up to him. "Thank you."

"For wha'?"

"For listening to my story, trusting me, teaching me how to use my bow. Just for being a good friend to me, and not pushing me away like I know I've done before." Angela confessed locking eyes with him. Daryl just nodded a ghost of a smile pulling at his lips. He began to walk away again, but turned around again.

"Just do me a favor, don't tell anyone 'bout last night, alrigh'?"

"I wasn't planning to, but why would it matter?"

"I just don't want people ta be gettin' the wrong ideas 'bout us."

"So there is an us?" Angela questioned unfamiliar hope rising within her.

"Not what I'm sayin'-"

"So you don't like me?" Her hope was quickly fading.

"No I-" Daryl was lost, he had no idea on how to deal with what he felt. He knew he wanted her to be safe, he cared about her more than anything. He didn't want to see her hurt, but he didn't know how to go about this situation. "Angel, I just don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I like ya, but I-"

"You don't want any sort of relationship with me besides being friends." Her voice was laced with sadness again, her hope gone.

"Not now, I don't know what I want." Daryl confessed running a hand through his hair, aggravated with the difficult situation before him.

"Okay, are you saying you need time to think things over or what? Daryl I'm confused."

"So am I." They fell quiet for a moment before Angela spoke.

"Damn I wish this shit was easier, to deal with." Angela said giving a small laugh.

"Yeah, let's just head back to camp 'fore everyone worries." Daryl said trying to change the subject.

"Right, and Daryl, ya think about what you want." Angela said taking the lead, but was her arm was grabbed and she was pushed in a different direction.

"Damn Angel, how'd you find your way alone, your sense of direction is terrible."

"I guess just pure dumb luck, and the need to find my sister."

The two shared a small laugh and after walking a ways they broke through the woods entering the farmland. They earned some pretty weird and suspicious looks from the campers, but neither one cared. They each had a friend in the other and enjoyed their day, and that's all that really mattered to them.