The Darkest Storm

“Thought you were dead.” Daryl’s voice is as quiet as it’s ever been.

He lies on his side facing Darcy with his head resting against his propped up elbow, and she does the same. They are huddled up in the familiar cell, lying on the bed and a comforting hand’s reach away.

“You keep bringing that up.” Darcy moves her head sharply to get her hair away from her face and forces a small laugh, “Nine lives remember?”

“’M serious, Darcy. Thought I’d never see you again.” He brings up a sleeve and rubs his face. “We dug a grave.”

She furrows her brow and senses the true angst and hurt behind his words. “What happened?”

“Lost it for a bit.” Darcy adverts her eyes and plays with a loose string dangling off his shirt. Her heart aches. Even though they finally admitted what they wanted, the pure character of each still had trouble saying what they needed and wanted to say to the other.

His face turns into a frown, “Can’t picture ya not here everyday, yunno?”

Darcy nods a few times slowly, feeling the pain in her heart as she pictures for herself if Daryl wasn’t there. The conversation feels all wrong. “But I’m not going anywhere.”

“Ya can’t promise somethin’ like that.” Daryl tells her seriously, his voice gets softer and Darcy brings his free hand up to her lips and kisses it softly. He treasures each warm mark she trails across his palm.

“You’re right.” She tells him. “Just know I don’t want to go anywhere.”

“I don’ neither.” He shakes his head. “Couldn’ leave if I tried, for any reason whate’er dumb shit comes our way.” Daryl turns around and sits up, propping himself over the edge of the bed as Darcy sits up with him.

“Gonna go ‘n talk to Rick ‘bout what to do with that girl.” He stands and grabs his crossbow resting against the cell walls. “Ya comin’ or what?”

Darcy stands but shakes her head, “Not to talk to Rick.” Daryl watches as she picks up one of her pistols off the desk and checks the chamber, “I’m gonna watch her for a bit.”

“”N do what?” He asks as the familiar scowl crosses over his features.

Darcy shrugs as she walks by him and takes in his familiar scent. “Don’t know. Make small talk.”

Daryl smirks at the woman now slowly walking away from him. They both know they have to joke about new ‘guests’ because the alternative is to be scared out of their wits or be completely defensive, which unfortunately, was the place where their leader was right about now.

-

Darcy bounces the soles of her feet up and down, anxiously awaiting the mysterious guest’s confessions. She sits with her elbows propped up and her mouth lightly pressing against her clenched knuckles, staring uneasily at the woman across the way.

Carl is next to her, hand on his gun he carries in his holster. His eyes are glaring, anticipating any unexpected movement from the wounded woman. She suffers from a bullet hole, from what no one knows for sure. The dark withdrawn stranger keeps her mouth closed and eyes narrowed to slits at the now three more who enter the cafeteria.

The clicking of Hershel’s crutches causes Darcy to turn around, seeing him as well as Rick and Daryl. Rick immediately walks over to the woman while Daryl comes at a different angle from where Darcy is sitting. Rick nods to Carl to leave the room, and for once he does so without arguing.

“We can tend to that wound for you, give you a little food and water, and then send you on your way.” Rick’s voice is somewhat harsh, but the once caring and merciful police officer is still hinted behind his cold words. “But you’re gonna have to tell us how you found us. And why you were carrying formula.”

That was the main question everyone had on his or her minds in that moment as Darcy glances over at the red plastic basket from a local grocery store filled to the brim with baby formula.

The woman is quiet before she clenches her jaw and quietly speaks, “The supplies were dropped by a young Asian guy with a pretty girl.”

“What happened?” Rick asks. All eyes are locked on her.

Hershel who was just for a second leaned against the same table Darcy sits now stands to attention. “Were they attacked?” His voice is fearful, pressing her to confess to what horror she may have witnessed.

Michonne looks to Hershel and with a sharp tongue she tells him, “They were taken.”

Rick bends slightly to refocus her back on him. “Taken? By who?”

She grits her teeth together, “By the same son of a bitch who shot me.”

“Hey, these are our people.” Rick gets in closer, threatening like. “You tell us what happened now!” Rick lunges for her wounded leg and snatches the bullet area.

Michonne jumps up and points her finger when she slaps away Rick’s hands. “Don’t you ever touch me again!”

Darcy gets to her feet when she sees Daryl raise his crossbow, “You’d better start talkin’. You’re gonna have a much bigger problem than a gunshot wound.”

“Find them yourself.” Michonne sneers at Daryl in response.

Darcy walks over, pushing the crossbow down and out of Michonne’s face. He is startled, stepping back and giving her an expectant stare. Before she turns to Rick she stands between Daryl and Michonne, “Can I talk to you?” Her voice is irritated, and somewhat appalled.

Rick lowers his voice and starts to breath quicker in frustration, “What?”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to get her to talk-“

“Well hurting her isn’t going to get you anywhere she looks like she’s been through a lot more shit than we have.” Darcy’s voice begins to rise and she turns back to Michonne’s icy stare. “She’s already scared and if you don’t do this right she’s not going to tell us what happened to Glenn and Maggie.”

“So what do we do?” Rick rubs the bridge of his nose and shuffles his weight.

“You can stop threatening her for one thing.” Darcy rolls her eyes and turns back around with her arms crossed. She waits for Rick’s next move with Michonne, who hasn’t dropped her death glare from the few feet away.

“You came here for a reason.” Rick says. His voice is softer, just as it was when Darcy first met him back at the Quarry in Atlanta.

Michonne adverts her eyes like she is battling with herself in her thoughts. “There’s a town.” She breathes out. “Woodbury. About seventy-five survivors. I think they were taken there.”

“A whole town?”

“It’s run by this guy who calls himself the Governor – “ She scoffs. “- Pretty boy, charming, Jim Jones type.”

“He got muscle?” Daryl voices from behind them and next to Darcy.

“Paramilitary wannabes. They have armed sentries on every wall.” She nods.

“Do you know a way in?” Darcy uncrosses her arms and places them on her hips.

“The place is secure from walkers, but we could slip our way through.” She shrugs, she’s done it before.

Rick chuckles slightly and shakes his head, “How’d you know how to get here?”

Michonne shrugs like it was obvious, “They mentioned a prison, said which direction it was in, that it was a straight shot.”

Rick stares at Michonne a little bit longer before he points over to Hershel who has been quiet up until now. “This is Hershel, father of the girl who was taken. He’ll take care of that.” Rick waves his hand nonchalantly to her leg and walks out of the room, the once again two hunters right behind him.

Once they lock the iron gate Rick rubs his lips with fingers in thought. The three form a tight huddle and wait for a plan. Rick suddenly holds out his hand “There’s no question we have to go after them – she can lead us to Woodbury. Get in, get out as quickly and as quietly as possible.”

“We can’t go with just the four of us.” Darcy shakes her head, somewhat advising Rick on what to do.

“Not us, no. You’re staying behind this time, Darcy. I’ll take Daryl and Oscar, I’ve seen him shoot he’s got a good shot.” Rick points.

“What, are you serious?” Darcy asks and furrows her brow.

“He’s right – just found ya a few hours ago. You’re barely on your feet.” Daryl says quietly and in a sympathetic voice.

“And we need you here just in case something happens.” Rick nods in agreement with Daryl. “There’s no one else who can take charge except Hershel but he’s not in a position to do so.”

“I don’t like this.” Darcy tells them honestly. “We’re safer in here than you are out there – what makes you think you can trust her?” She points in the cafeteria to Michonne. “What if something happens and you get overrun or you get taken too? The four of you isn’t going to be enough –“

“We’ll handle it. Always do.” Rick gives a sharp nod. “I’ll keep an eye on everyone, so will Daryl. We’ve been out on the road long enough to know how to defend ourselves.”

“Against walkers.” She says.

“How different can it be, really?” Daryl says grimly. Darcy catches a glimpse of his sincere expression that he would rather have her by his side than leave her behind before he walks away towards Oscar and the rest of the group, probably to inform everyone of the plan and what was really going on.

Rick sees the worried manner of Darcy as she watches Daryl closely. Rick puts a hand on her shoulder and makes her focus on him once more, “I’ll bring him back. You keep things settled here, we’ll be back in no time.”

Rick walks away convincing himself that his weak attempt to comfort Darcy was satisfying enough, be he knows truly that she is smarter than that. Darcy can only watch with her back up against the wall where it seems to be chipping at the seams.

Something feels wrong, just plain wrong.

Darcy keeps her distance as she searches her thoughts of discernment, attempting to pinpoint what exactly felt out of place. Maybe it was that the world just seemed to keep ripping the group apart, as if it couldn’t stand to watch a strong group battle and successfully survive the chaotic environment it had become up until this point. Or maybe, it was the plain and simple fact that for the first time besides the search for Sophia a mere year ago, Darcy could not stand by Daryl’s side and have his back like he would too.

The group hurries to pack up their weapons and set off on the road. Oscar grabs the last bag and glances back at Darcy who sits on the staircase inside the cellblock and Daryl, who is slowly walking away from her.

She finally stands when Oscar is out of sight, and follows the man with whom she has a tight bond. Daryl also waits until the others are outside and the rusted steel door is closed. Darcy is unsurely walking a few paces behind and watching him with a trepidatious stare. He believes it’s because she is meant to stay behind this time, something neither she nor he is used to or can truly understand.

But it’s different now, there is a much larger threat at hand and she needs to take care of things here while they are gone. There is no one else that can replace her role – and the thought of them separated is eating them both up inside. They know this moment could possibly be their last with each other, and the thought is enough to ache their souls.

He isn’t afraid to admit to himself he is worried and afraid, especially if things are as bad as Michonne says they are, or worse. He knows there are risks involved though, every time. Darcy knows it too, but it doesn’t get any easier.

The twist in his stomach and the pain in his heart urge him to go to her. He has been thinking over and over about this for a long time – the possibility of them getting separated on a run. She’s always been by his side like two warriors who only could complement and harmonize with each other.

Daryl looks over his shoulder; there is no one but the two of them now inside the cement walls of their safe haven. While he goes through it again, Darcy is wrapped up in her own mind. She isn’t sure if she wants to see him off or if she should just sit in the darkness at one of the dining tables alone. She is staring at her hands, wringing them tightly together as she battles within herself.

“Hey.” Darcy looks up and Daryl is suddenly in front of her. He meets her gaze for a long time, ice blue to golden-amber, and can see the worry that reflects his own.

Daryl blinks shyly and heavily, feeling the urgency of having to leave but not wanting to leave her behind. He takes a quick step forward but his movement is slow and steady. He reaches up a solid hand and holds the side of her neck to pull her into him.

When he meets her rose lips, they both melt into the sensation. It was a short kiss, but deep. She clings to his shirt when he pulls back. They both keep their eyes closed, wanting the feeling to linger and trying to stay in this moment as long as they can, but they know there are more important things going on in the world around them that needed to be dealt with first.

They knew then that there was no escaping this – their unfathomable need for one another. They know the very worst and the very best about each other and still they cannot keep their distance nor find a reason to stop their unbreakable bond.

Daryl takes a step back and leans on his right leg, holding onto his crossbow that hung over his shoulder. “Be back soon.” He nods to reassure her. “Promise.”

Darcy nods in response. “Be careful.”

With a tilt of his head he gives her one last look that held a twitch of a small smile for Darcy to hold on to until he returns. As he finally turns away and heads out the prison door, she clutches at herself in a vain attempt for comfort and the need to run after him. She holds onto the promises he’s made that he will return.

If he doesn’t, it will be the death and the making of them both.