Firecracker

It had been roughly a week since Randall had come to the farm and Raine had done her best to avoid Daryl at all costs. After she had admitted the truth to him and he ignored it, she had grown angry with him...and hurt. Hurt feelings were not something Raine dealt with very well.

There was only one person that could help her feel better about everything. Lori. Raine walked across the field, taking a large bite from the peach in her hand. She saw Daryl looking at her through her peripheral vision, but she didn’t bother to look back. He needed to know that she was pissed.

When she got to the campsite, she immediately spotted Lori hanging clothes on a line. She took another bite of the peach and then tossed it to the ground behind her.

”Lori, can I talk to you a minute?” Raine asked, wiping her hand on her already dirty jeans. Lori looked up and gave her young sister-in-law a small smile.

”What’s up, babe?”

”Uh, so Rick already knows and I’m sure most of the camp does too, but there’s....there’s something between me and Daryl. Unless I’m reading the signs all wrong.”

”Oh honey, that boy is ass over teacup for you. I see it every time you’re together. He just won’t tell you.” Lori spoke with a slight laugh. Raine’s cheeks flushed a light pink and she looked down at the ground to hide it.

”I told him I love him.” Raine mumbled, feeling her cheeks grow hotter. Lori froze, looking over at her. Raine peeked from under her lashes and saw Rick’s wife just staring with wide eyes.

”Well, what’d he say?”

”Nothin’, that’s the problem. He just took it as an insult instead. Thought that I was blaming him for what happened to me last week. And then, of course, I got mad and I haven’t spoken to him since.”

”What is it with the men around this camp?” Lori muttered to herself as she resumed hanging the wet clothes. “Try talking to him again, explain that wasn’t what you were trying to do. Just, do it gently. You tend to be a little abrasive.”

Raine gave Lori a light shove and walked away with a small smile. For the first time in a week, she had felt a little better. Deep down she knew that Daryl’s reaction was just him being confused and nervous, but it still didn’t spare her feelings. He had ripped her heart out and crushed it all in one go when he acted like that.

Sighing, she looked out over to his tent and bit her lip. She knew she needed to take Lori’s advice and go talk to him, but she was too stubborn. She was worried that if she went over there it would turn into another fight and then they’d get nowhere. Letting out a deep breath, she decided to go on over. Her boots crunched the drying leaves as she walked and she found herself counting her steps. It was something she had done whenever she was incredibly stressed.

Before she knew it, she was right by Daryl’s motorcycle. She gently set her fingers on the metal and ran her fingers lightly over the entire body, admiring the machine.

”You lost?” His voice caused her to jump and she ripped her hand away from the motorcycle. She twisted her hands together and looked up with him, searching her brain for something to say.

”I just came to talk.”

”Yeah? ‘Bout what?” He spat, picking up his crossbow and slinging it over his shoulder. Raine licked over her lips, suddenly nervous.

”About what I said...last week. I wasn’t blaming you. I really meant what I said. Daryl, I don’t say this easily. You know that I don’t express my feelings much, but when I do, they’re nothing but honest. I love you, I really do. I don’t understand it and it’s confusing the shit out of me, but it’s true.”

Daryl stood there, just staring at Raine, searching for any signs of truth on her face. He saw nothing but the truth. Her eyes were glossed over and her lip was quivering ever so slightly. He could see that she was terrified and so was he. He didn’t know what else to say to her, so in an instant, he grabbed her face in his hands and crashed their lips together.



”So, does this mean we’re together?” Raine asked, staring up at the ceiling of Daryl’s tent. She felt him shrug his shoulders and she stole a glance at him. He was laying with his right arm behind his head and his eyebrows were pushed together as if he was confused.

”Guess so.”

”I’m not really sure how this works now. Things are so different now. Do they work the same or do we just...wing it?” She asked, the question mainly being for herself. Daryl shrugged once again and turned his body so that he was facing her.

”Who says we need to do either? Why don’t we just do whatever comes normally?”

”That’ll work.”

Daryl smirked and leaned forward to capture her lips with his and the moment they touched, they heard a car pulling into the driveway. Raine instantly jumped up and pulled her jeans back on. Cursing under her breath when she couldn’t find her shirt, she just picked up one of Daryl’s flannel shirts and slipped it on, buttoning it quickly.

She raced out of the tent and was immediately grateful that she grabbed the one shirt he hadn’t ripped the sleeves off of. The air was growing colder by the minute and she pulled the sleeves down over her hands to keep them warm. She quickly caught up to Rick and Shane and noticed they were both beaten to a pulp.

”Rick! Did Randall do this?! Where is he?” She questioned, earning an eye roll from Shane.

”Look uh, you’re not gonna like this, but we brought Randall back. We need to figure out what else to do with him. He went to school with Maggie.” Rick answered quickly before stepping around his sister and walking up to Daryl. Sighing, she walked up to the house to get away from the cold. She wasn’t sure what to think of this whole Randall thing, she just knew she wasn’t comfortable with him being on the farm.

As she walked into the house, she heard Beth and Maggie in a screaming match. Furrowing her eyebrows, she walked into kitchen to see Lori and Andrea standing awkwardly.

”What’s going on?” She asked. Andrea rolled her eyes and turned her back on the brunette. Lori sighed and faced Raine.

”Beth’s contemplating...taking her own life.” She explained slowly, not wanting to believe it. Raine let out a deep breath and placed her hands on the kitchen table, leaning most of her weight onto them. Everything seemed to be falling apart. The group was failing and nobody could get it under control and Shane definitely wasn’t helping at all.

The only good thing that was happening was Raine and Daryl. She didn’t want to make it about her, that wasn’t what she was doing at all, but she was glad that she had something. When this started, she had nothing. Her brother was in the hospital, presumably dead, she was struggling to keep Lori and Carl safe, and she didn’t have anyone to rely on. She didn’t need to rely on anyone, but it would have been a nice thing to have.

”Where’s Hershel?” Andrea asked, slightly annoyed as the yelling between Maggie and Beth proceeded. Lori popped a piece of food into her mouth and shook her head, tossing the dish rag over her shoulder.

”He doesn’t want to find out yet. It’s a family affair. We’ll let them work it out.”

”That’s working it out?” Andrea pressed.

”When Beth stops fighting, that’s when it’s time to worry.”

”This could’ve been handled better.” Raine cocked her head to the side and looked at the blonde with cold eyes.

”How so?” She asked, amusement lacing her voice as she awaited the stupid answer that was inevitably going to come from Andrea’s mouth.

”Lori shouldn’t have taken the knife away.”

”Excuse me?” Lori asked, growing more angry by the second.

”You were wrong, like Dale taking my gun. That wasn’t your decision. She has to choose to live on her own. She has to find her own reasons.”

”Want me to tie a noose for her?” Lori countered, turning back to the dishes.

”If she’s serious, she’ll figure out a way.”

”Doesn’t mean I can’t stop her or let her know that I care.”

”Wait, hold on. I agree with Lori here. Suicide doesn’t solve anything for anybody. If she kills herself, she dies and her family loses someone they love. It doesn’t help.” Raine pointed out.

”That has nothing to do with it. She only has so many choices in front of her and she believes the best one is suicide.” Andrea argued. Raine wasn’t sure why this woman was pushing suicide so hard. She would admit that she had thought about it for a split second, but she pulled back immediately. She couldn’t leave her family like that.

Raine sighed and sat down on one of the chairs. This was going to turn into a long, interesting fight that she didn’t want to miss out on.