The Sharpest Lives

Ace and Daryl trekked through the woods, stepping over fallen branches and sifting quietly through the trees. Neither had said a word yet, for Daryl didn't like to talk when tracking. It was damn annoying. He still gets fed up just thinking back to when Merle would be talkin' up his ass the whole way back at home, scaring away the game and everything.

Ace noticed it was best she didn't say anything, not like she was planning to anyway, but more so because she didn't want Daryl to crack on her. He already wasn't too happy with her for all her "secrets" and would probably rip her a new one right now if she made the wrong move.

She was just glad he wasn't asking her questions.

She focused on keeping quiet and looking for Sophia. The heat was really starting to get to her, though. It's probably because all of her meds, but as she looked at Daryl, he was shinny from sweat, too. It didn't seem to bother him.

Ace wiped at her forehead, feeling the heat. She thinks it was starting to slow her down, but she seemed like she was keeping up with Daryl the whole time.

Eventually, they brushed past a few branches and a wide clearing could be seen, a small house in the field. Daryl and Ace looked at each other before pushing through and heading over. Sophia could be in there.

Ace quickly signaled to him to show him she was going to go check the perimeter, to which he nodded and went to the door.

Ace walked around the house, her knife tight in her hand. There was mostly just a bunch of dead flowers and weeds, but everything else looked good. No sign of struggle to be seen anywhere and no evidence that people were in there.

Ace went to the door, heading in and looking around. She heard the floor board creak from Daryl's steps further in the house and she went in the opposite direction to look around.

She wiped the sweat off her face once more, before having her knife ready again, spotting something across the room. There was a cabinet door slightly agar, suspicious in her eyes.

She slowly toed over, grabbing on to the handle to not spook anything. Hoping it wasn't anything bad, she counted to three and yanked the door open, ready to pounce with her knife.

She let out a breath when nothing was there to hurt her and lowered her knife as she looked inside. Down at the bottom under one of the tall shelves there was a pillow and a blanket.

"Hey!" She quickly called, hearing Daryl's footsteps hurry over. He came to her side, about to ask what, until he followed her gaze to the bottom. "Looks little girl sized."

Daryl grunted in agreement, backing up to start looking around. He found a small can of sardines, picking it up and smelling it before turning it upside down so the liquid poured out. "This is fresh.."

Daryl and Ace shared one more look before they were both running out of the door, calling Sophia's name.

"Sophia!" Daryl's voice was raspy, not carrying very far.

Ace ran around to the other side of the house, calling out there too. She listened and not a sound came back, Daryl even stopped yelling.

She bowed her head a bit, walking back around to the front.

She spotted Daryl crouched down across from the house, using his crossbow as support, in front of a patch of overgrown flowers. Ace slowly walked up next to him, staying a little back to his side. He looked at them for a moment before snatching some and standing up, shoving them through a hole in his crossbow.

Ace was kind of caught of guard by why a guy like Daryl Dixon would want a bunch of flowers, but was even more caught off guard by him speaking to her.

"Ya gonna tell me what's wrong with ya now?" He asked, not looking at her, Ace studying the side of his face.

She was stuck, not knowing what to say, and looked away from him. "What if I say no?"

Daryl now turned to look at her, her looking up to meet his rough gaze. "Tough shit."

Ace couldn't help herself as she snorted, looking away. She really was in tough shit, wasn't she?

Daryl was a little taken aback, but had to hide a smirk on his face, too.

"M'serious," his shoulders moved back as he shifted on his feet. "Ya slowin' down out there, so unless ya wan't me telling Deputy Rick and Shane over there that ya slowin' me down cause ya sick, you better start chosin' your words a lot more carefully."

Ace watched, this time her taken aback, as Daryl looked at her once then started pushing past the tall grass to head back. She was really, really in tough shit now. Him telling Rick and Shane is exactly what she didn't want, and he knew that.

Would he actually do that? Or are these just empty threats?

Does Ace want to find out?

"Oh," Daryl stopped to turn around to make another point, swinging one of his arrows in his arms. "An' what you said back there, 'bout the group.. Ya ain't wrong, but ya keep talkin' like you ain't one of us."

Ace was a little surprised again, glancing to the arrow head that Daryl pointed at her while speaking. He watched her, waiting for a response as his chest huffed up and down, but Ace just looked at him. She wasn't expecting that, and frankly, she didn't know she was talking like that.

It made sense though. She always considered herself as ready to leave. Daryl scoffed to himself.

"Ya can go around pretendin' like ya don't give a shit, but still, you know ya just kiddin' yourself. You are one of us. Ya supposed to be here, ain't no other shit about it," he mumbled out the last part, almost agitated that his point wasn't seen, or that he let himself actually give enough of a shit to say something about it. And he didn't dare to make more than a small moment of eye contact after before keeping on his way back into the forest, swinging his crossbow onto his back again.

Ace stood, her feet glued to the grass as Daryl's words bounced in her head. She knew he wouldn't just say something like that, so it held more meaning within her. Even so, she still doesn't really understand. None of this make sense to her, not with Frankie, Sophia, her cancer, or any of these group members.

Is she considered one of those? Do they consider her one?

Does she want to be?

Ace shakes her head, re gripping her knife and trying to push the distraction out of her mind as she goes to catch up with Daryl.

Maybe he's the only thing she actually understands, as insane as that is for her to think. Maybe vice versa, too.

And maybe she should stick with what is comfortable to her, for there is very little of that left in this world.

--

On the way back, they were quiet again, not saying another word to each other after Daryl's ultimatum was left hanging in the air. But he was walking faster this time, much faster, making Ace have to work to keep up with him under all this heat and dizziness. He was trying to prove his point.

She got it.

She wouldn't dare tell him to slow down though, that's what he wants. She's not giving into that so easily.

Is this really what she recently thought of as 'comfortable'?

Once they got back, Ace was absolutely exhausted. She tried not to show it as she passed everyone, but she couldn't stand another second in this sun.

Her and Daryl shared one last look before they went in separate directions, but this one wasn't one of mutual understanding, more of a squinty-eyed watch out one.

Ace hurried into the RV after that, getting a wave from Dale before she walked inside and let out a breath as she slumped onto the bench. She rubbed at her back absentmindedly before pulling off her bag and slinging it behind her. It was now that she noticed Carol sitting in the back bedroom, looking up at her.

They held each others gaze for a while, not saying anything until the sound of someone walking in the RV got them to look away. Ace looked down to her lap, Carol going back to her knitting.

Ace felt the presence of someone so she looked up, surprised to see Daryl. He held a silent glance with her as he walked back towards Carol, holding what looked to be a beer bottle he must have found in his tent or something.

Not wanting to seem like she was awkwardly listening in on their conversation or trying to intrude, she pulled some water out of her bag and started to head out of the RV. She got to the top of the steps when she heard Daryl's voice, getting her to linger at the doorway, listening anyway.

"For a second I thought I was in the wrong place," Daryl said lightly, getting Ace to notice how much cleaner the RV looked since she last was in it. Carol was keeping herself busy and Daryl was being... Nice.

Ace took one last glance before she was going to try to leave again, but then she saw a flower, no, not any flower.. The flower Daryl had picked back at the cabin earlier was sticking out of the beer bottle, making Ace freeze in her step.

"A flower?" Carol asked quietly.

"'S a Cherokee Rose," Daryl mumbled, pulling a piece of straw out of his mouth, rocking on his feet slightly. Ace found her self stuck, watching him as he started to speak. "The story is that when American soldiers were movin Indians off their land, on the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee mothers were grievin n' cryin' so much 'cause they were losing their little ones along the way... From exposure... Disease.. N' starvation..""

Ace's hand fell to her side while the other gripped onto the door handle, completely absorbed into what Daryl was saying.

"A lot of them just disappeared," Daryl breathed, his head darting around before he looked to Carol. "So the elders, they said a prayer; askin' for a sign to uplift the mothers' spirits... give 'em strength and hope.. Next day, this rose.. started to grow right where the mothers' tears fell."

Ace felt something inside her twist, something she hadn't felt in a while, not that she let herself feel much anymore.

"I'm not fool enough to think there's any flowers bloomin' for my brother," Daryl shook his head, making Ace suck in a breath. She felt guilt for Merle, for not telling Daryl. She hadn't even remembered lately.. "But, uh, I believe this one.. bloomed for your little girl."

Ace felt sadness pit in the bottom of her stomach, but before she let herself notice it, Daryl had turned around to leave and was making eye contact with her. His eyes were an extremely bright blue, now that she gave herself the moment to notice.

As he walked by her, seeming to know she was listening, he nodded his head, indicating her to follow him.

Ace took one last glance at Carol who was wiping tears from her eyes before walking down the steps and out into the sun after Daryl's brown back. She wasn't sure what he wanted as he led her through the maze of tents and she was too bombarded with unrational, emotional thoughts to think what it was, either.

She came to a halt when his back stopped by a tent she assumed was his and he pushed open the flap, stepping inside momentarily before coming back out with something in his hand. He glanced around to make sure no one was looking at him before standing in front of Ace.

"Didn't forget about yer sister," he said, holding out his hand.

Ace looked down, largely taken aback by the extra, white-petaled flower that was enclosed in his fist.

She felt like he took one of his crossbow bolts and jammed it into her heart, which might have been more bearable than what the alternative actually is.

This is who Daryl Dixon is, isn't it? This is what she knew was under his thick skin. None of that BS hard shell. He blames her for actin' like she's not part of the group when he can be blamed for so much more of it..

"Frankie," Ace mumbled to herself, reaching to take the flower from his rough hand.

Daryl eyed her, starting to bite on his thumb nail. "I know ya ain't her mother or nothin', but I thought ya should have it.."

The white petals were bright against Ace's dirt-covered skin, standing out beautifully. It touched her, making her feel vulnerable as Daryl was with her while her emotions were running wild. But it was all okay, she didn't want to escape that bad.

She started to feel guilty again, for not looking for Frankie and for Sophia and for not telling Daryl about Merle. Should she? What would she say?

"Let me come with you lookin' again," was all she could manage. She just wanted to find Sophia more than anything now.

"Uh-huh, no way. I told ya-"

"Please," Ace begged, looking up to Daryl's eyes. He hesitated, her look and those eyes having an effect over him. He scoffed. "Please." She tried again, her eyes burying their way into his head.

"Fine," he pointed a finger in her face to get her to stop making him feel all weird by her looks. "But no funny business. We leave in the morning."

Ace silently nodded, Daryl barely catching it before he stalked off, a little annoyed that she convinced him so easily. No one else would have ever even tried.

Ace followed his back with her eyes for a moment before looking back down to the flower laying in her hand. She couldn't wrap her head around it or around Daryl, it was all so much. She couldn't figure out why he was being so kind to her, or why she was letting it get to her, but it was enough.

It was enough to keep her going. Enough to keep her here.