Show, Don't Tell

Shane was planning on going out to find Lori once everyone realized one of the cars was missing. Elena almost offered to go with him – almost – but her distrust of him stopped her from doing so. Besides, she supposed she should stick around to make sure Beth would recover alright…particularly with Hershel still gone. And quite frankly, something about Shane’s temper over the entire issue made her wonder if there was something there that she had missed. She wasn’t a huge fan of gossip, but maybe she would ask around later.

As the group slowly disbanded, Elena made her way back towards the house, hesitating a moment as her gaze subconsciously shifted across the field and towards the trees where she knew Daryl remained. Her brow furrowed slightly as she recalled what had happened between them before Dale’s arrival. Her nerves lit all over again and she could’ve sworn she could feel his lips against hers once more. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it. She had no idea what it had meant…or if it even meant anything at all. Perhaps they both just got caught up in the heat of the moment, tempers flying and all that. It was the god damned apocalypse, for Christ’s sake! Emotions and stress were running high as it was! And while she was never one to shy away from a confrontation, this was one she was going to let go at least for a little while.

…besides, she needed to check on Beth. The perfect excuse.

She walked into the house without knocking, only to find Maggie sitting at the dining room table. Her fingers were twisting together anxiously on the tabletop. Elena frowned slightly as she quietly approached, offering the girl a small, sympathetic smile as her gaze lifted from the tabletop. “How’s Beth doing?” she asked quietly, unsure of how the elder Greene was coping with the still-fresh barn incident. She might as well tread lightly, just to be safe.

To her surprise, Maggie forced a small smile, herself. “Not much different…but she’s sleepin’, at least.” Elena nodded and took a seat across from her, running a hand through her hair slowly. The two sat in silence for a short while before the younger broke it once more. “Today turned out to be a real shit, huh?” she snorted. The doctor sighed.

“Not exactly an easy day, that’s for sure…”

There was another pause before Maggie sat back in the chair and met Elena’s gaze, a smile on her lips that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Can we…have a little more girl talk?” she laughed awkwardly, causing the latter to tilt her head curiously and then nod.

“Sure…anything to lighten the mood,” she agreed.

Maggie inhaled slowly and, much like she had the last time they’d had “girl talk” in the stables, just sort of…blurted her news out. “I told Glenn that I love him.”

Elena gaped at the girl in front of her. “Did…did you mean it?”

It was at that point that she became a little shy, if not indignant at the question. “Of course I meant it…wouldn’t’ve said it, otherwise…at least I…I think I do.”

Dale’s words were ringing through Elena’s head. Timing was everything, and despite her willingness to at least flirt a little and enjoy a certain someone’s company, she wasn’t certain if she completely bought into this being an appropriate time to start a relationship…and yet there Glenn and Maggie were, very clearly well on their way. She smiled a little. “I’m happy for you…really. What’d he say…?”

She shrugged and the pads of her fingertips rolled across the table. “I think I might’ve scared him a little…”

At this, Elena rolled her eyes. “Big surprise – a man afraid of the big ‘l-word’.”

They both laughed, more genuinely this time, and a mischievous glint passed through Maggie’s eyes. “What about you?”

The doctor quirked a brow. “I’m sorry?”

The immense interest written all over Maggie’s expression made Elena realize one very dangerous fact: in difficult times, people tend to distract themselves with the business of others…and it appeared that the short-haired brunette thought she knew something, which could potentially mean sheer torture for her. “I saw you head over towards where Daryl went earlier…”

Despite herself, Elena felt heat creeping up her neck and to her cheeks. She tried to keep her general reaction inexpressive, though, and simply quirked a brow. “What about it?” She didn’t get a verbal answer, only a suggestive eyebrow wiggle. Her expression may have remained passive, but she couldn’t stop the flush from reaching her cheeks as she was reminded once more of what had happened. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed about it – hardly – but she didn’t know if it even meant anything…She got the feeling the guy really wasn’t much of the relationship type… “Can I not just talk to the guy without you assuming something happened?” She felt like she was in high school again…

Maggie snorted. “Maybe if you weren’t blushing right now I wouldn’t assume anything.”

They eyed each other for a moment before Elena just sighed, shook her head and pushed herself to her feet. “I’m going to check on Beth and make sure she’s sleeping alright.”

Maggie grinned a little mischievously, happy for the distraction away from her losses and missing father and boyfriend. She had the feeling that Elena understood that, which was part of the reason she seemed to be taking the teasing so well. “Hey, wait a sec! Now you have to spill!”

The pair’s discussion – which was actually Maggie just pestering Elena for answers she wasn’t giving – was cut short as they stepped into Beth’s room. The blonde’s eyes were open, but she was staring blankly at the wall opposite her. Maggie tensed as the doctor in front of her frowned and clearly went into “work mode”. She moved to the blonde’s bedside and pressed two fingers to the inside of her wrist, taking around thirty seconds to check her pulse. A flashlight was set on the bedside table, and she grabbed it and passed the light over the poor girl’s eyes, satisfied to at least see her pupils shrinking appropriately.

Maggie took a seat on the opposite side of the bed, picking up one of Beth’s hands and watching both females quietly. She met Elena’s gaze hopefully, and the latter smiled lightly and shrugged. “She’ll come out of it eventually…we just have to wait it out.” She knew it wasn’t the best answer she could give, but it was the truth. She and Maggie spoke for a few more minutes before she left the sisters to themselves. She headed back outside, breathing in deeply and taking a moment to stand on the porch and take everything in.

The entire farm appeared much calmer than it had earlier – oblivious to what had gone down just hours before. The sun had progressed further on its descent below the horizon and was already casting an orange glow across landscape. Dale had retaken his position at the top of the RV and was lounged in the chair there…she assumed Carol still sat in mourning inside, and it seemed everyone else was milling around the small fire. Well, everyone else minus one. And as her gaze trailed over to the tents, she also realized that one seemed to be missing…

A frown furrowed her brow and tugged her lips into a thin line. Before she even realized what they were doing, her legs were carrying her back to where she knew the stubborn redneck would likely be, oblivious to the ever-watchful and amused eyes of Dale as they followed her until she disappeared slightly past the trees. Her suspicions were quickly confirmed as she spotted the tent, small fire and Dixon sat beside it. He didn’t look up, although she knew for a fact that he had heard her. She wasn’t trying to be quiet.

“The hell you doing out here, Daryl?” she spoke, not letting her gaze fall from him as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Those blue eyes finally lifted to hers for only a moment – which was all it took to cause her stomach to flip anxiously – and his expression was entirely unreadable. “Wha’s it look like?” His response only made the crease in her forehead deeper and he quickly began to realize just how stubborn the doctor he was dealing with was. She clearly was not one to stand down when something bothered her…

“There’s no reason to distance yourself from all of us, y’know.”

He rolled his eyes and snorted. “Ain’t distancin’ myself. Told ya earlier I didn’t wanna deal with everyone else.”

At that, she was forced to think back to just when “earlier” was and what else had occurred. They remained in silence for some time as Elena found herself going over what he’d said and doing what women do best: overanalyzing.

Everyone else? Did that mean…he might not mind dealing with her…?

She expelled a breath and ran a hand through her hair, crossing the distance between them and surprising him as she sat down in the grass beside him. She leaned back on her hands and only let herself study the dancing flames. Her bottom lip was drawn between her teeth in thought, distracted and, oddly, reminded of the missing – pregnant -Lori. One of her hands buried in her hair and she rubbed her head absent-mindedly.

…Daryl, on the other hand, was studying her silently. As the sunlight faded further, the firelight flickered more brightly across her face. The red-orange glow of the light only emphasized the dark, even tan on her face, bare arms and legs and made the amber color of her eyes appear that much closer in color to that which they were so entranced by. In his head, he could see her in her lab coat and scrubs, hair pulled up in either a ponytail or bun as she walked into his brother’s hospital room with chart in hand. She hadn’t been quite as dark, then – her complexion more olive than the brown it was in the firelight, and it was clear that she had lost some weight, although it wasn’t enough to appear unhealthy. Her cheekbones stood out a bit more and she had just enough definition in her arms to suggest she could handle her own more than most would give her credit for. And then his gaze trailed to her lips: full and as soft as they looked, as he had found out a short while ago. He wasn’t certain why he had done it, to be perfectly honest. Sure, he had likely gotten caught up in the high emotion of the afternoon and their argument…but his blood certainly wasn’t just boiling because of his temper.

There was, however, one thing on his mind: why the hell hadn’t she resisted? He’d expected her to punch him, slap him, do something to push him away…but no. She clung to him just as desperately as he had to her. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that they were the only thing the other had left of their lives before the dead started walking...

The silence between them had taken an unusually awkward turn, primarily because she had finally come back into herself and felt him watching her. By the time she turned to face him, their eyes met and his brow furrowed.

“’Lena…what’re ya doin?”

She blinked, momentarily confused by the question before a small smirk tugged the corners of her lips upward. “Wha’s it look like?” she retorted, imitating his accent and all. At that, he scowled once more, although she did notice it seemed a bit more amused than usual as he shook his head.

“Ya always have to be such a smart ass…” he mused, rubbing his chin absently.

Her smirk turned into a more proud grin. “You know it.” He smirked to himself and they each went back to focusing intently upon the fire…until she inhaled a steady breath. “Daryl…?” He turned to face her yet again to acknowledge her question, but there was a pause before her eyes found his. Her cheeks appeared to be tinted pink and her lip was between her teeth once more. That confounded gesture was liable to drive him to do something they might both regret...did they train women to do that to drive men crazy, or what? “About earlier…” The following hesitation made them both tense awkwardly. “…why…um…” she trailed off and cursed herself for losing her nerve. Shaking her head she rubbed the back of her neck and sighed, letting her gaze trail away from his. “Nevermind…”

Daryl studied her a moment, the intensity of his blue eyes making her shift somewhat uncomfortably…and she wasn’t even looking at him. It was impossible to ignore him when he did that, though, and it was clear that neither of them were really sure what had happened between them. And it certainly wasn’t like her to be so anxious about figuring it out. She sighed in exasperation and pulled her knees to her chest to rest her chin at the tops of them. Seeing that he hadn’t taken his eyes off of her, she opted to change the subject.

“Shane went out to find Lori.”

The hunter snorted and rolled his eyes. “Big surprise.”

Something about the sarcasm in his one caused her to quirk a brow and glance back at him. “Somethin’ is going on there, isn’t it?” she mused, earning a shrug from Daryl.

“Dunno ‘bout now, but definitely was. Thought Rick was dead, I guess. Think they also thought nobody knew.”

She smirked, but then her lips pursed slightly. “Did you know Lori’s pregnant?”

The surprise in his expression gave her an answer. “No shit?”

She nodded again. “From what you just told me, seems pretty plausible that it could be Shane’s.” They sat in silence, each stewing over that for a moment before Elena sighed once more. “Guess it’s a good thing the whole ‘doctor-patient confidentiality’ doesn’t mean shit, anymore.”

They both started to laugh quietly and the sun had finally completed its descent and left them with only the light of the diminishing fire. They settled into yet another silence, finally less awkward than the one they’d shared previously. She eventually stretched out her legs and carefully pushed herself to her feet. She dusted off her shorts and straightened out her shirt. Daryl surprised her by speaking first.

“Where ya goin’?”

She glanced down at him, brow quirked slightly. “Figure I’ll hit the hay. It’s been a long day.”

Daryl’s eyes shifted to the ground and he shrugged uncomfortably. “Dangerous to walk back at night.”

She smiled thoughtfully. He did care more than he let on. She patted the handle of her gun that had yet to be taken back from her. “I’ll be alright. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve walked around here at night. And I’d say it’s a little safer than sleeping out in the open.”

He snorted and gestured towards his tent. “Perfectly good tent right there.”

Elena’s heart skipped a beat and her stomach flopped anxiously…and that was a feeling she hadn’t gotten since high school. Her head tilted, watching him. “I’m certainly not going to put you out of your tent.”

He rolled his eyes, annoyed. “Ain’t gotta do that, neither. Can fit two jus’ fine.”

She bit her bottom lip, a faintly amused smile upon her lips. “You sure you’re alright with sharing?”

He rose to his feet, something uncomfortable about his stance. “Better’en havin’ to save your ass later.”

When she met his gaze once more, she smiled. “Well…thanks.”

He shrugged again and it was in that moment that her gaze trailed to his lips and she realized one very important thing: she might have to face the music of her decision much sooner than she originally thought.