Status: Started this before season 5 aired so please bear with.

Angel vs. Demon

Like Old Tiimes

The days flew by as Marie and Cassie traveled with Daryl and his group. They came across this preacher in trouble and saved him from some Walkers. They stayed at his church for a couple nights, Abraham taking his people along with Glenn, Maggie and Tara to D.C. while the rest waited for Daryl and Carol to return after they disappeared, only Daryl came back without Carol and came back with this new kid name Noah who told them that Beth was in a hospital in Atlanta and that's where Carol was as well. They also lost Bob to the guys from Terminus, and now those guys were dead.

The preacher, Father Gabriel, along with Carl, Cassie, and Michonne stayed behind with Judith while Rick and Daryl led the rest of the group to Atlanta. Marie helped Rick and the others fight their way to the hospital, only it didn't end well. They lost Beth when the officer running the hospital accidentally shot Beth in the head before Daryl shot and killed her.

After they had left the hospital and buried Beth, Marie felt a change in the group. Beth's death hit them all hard, especially Daryl. She could see it in his eyes, in the way he moved and acted, how it began pulling himself away from everyone including her. She hated seeing him like this. She hated not knowing what she could do to help him. She wanted nothing more than to have the power to take away his pain. She knew though that all she could do was just be there.

Now, they were at a place called Alexandria. It was a community filled with people, surrounded by fences. A safe haven. They were all skeptical at first but after settling in for a couple days, Marie felt like they would finally be able to relax and take a breath. Unfortunately though, not everyone agreed. She could tell by the way some of the group was acting, the way they refused to completely let their guard down.

Marie thought they could all live safely in this place but Rick for one didn't trust these people and from what she could tell, he thought they were naive the way they ran this place. They didn't seem to know just how dangerous it was outside the walls and Marie did have to agree on that, but she also saw that their ways had worked so far for them. She was skeptical of a few people though, like Deanna. There was just something about her that Marie didn't like in the slightest.

Right now though, Marie was more concerned with Daryl. He wasn't pulling himself away like he was after Beth died, but he was still keeping her at arms length. He hardly spoke to her even though he would have her accompany him when he would venjour outside the walls. Things felt different between them and she didn't like it. She planned on trying to talk to him about it the next time they went out.

At the moment, Marie was sitting alone on the porch of the house that was now their home. It was night time and darkness had already set. She was enjoying the peacefulness when she heard a voice call her name. She looked around, spotting Daryl not too far in the distance. She stood than waited for him to say something. He motioned for her to join him.

Confused but curious, Marie hurried down the stairs than ventured over to where Daryl stood waiting.

"What's up?" She asked once she stood in front of him.

"Come on, something I wanna show ya." Said Daryl before walking.

Marie said nothing as she followed. She kept close as he led her down the road a ways before stopping at another house and heading into the garage.

Daryl stopped in front of the bike Aaron had shown him earlier, taking hold of the tarp still covering it. He looked back at Marie and watched her stop just a few feet inside the garage, clearly baffled why they were in someone else's garage.

"What's going on Dar?" She asked.

"This is Aaron's house. He kinda asked me to fix this up." Said Daryl.

Marie was still confused but walked closer to her best friend as he lifted the tarp a little, peaking her interest. She wanted to know what was under there. She stopped next to Daryl as she looked to see was under the tarp. Her face lit up.

"What ya think?" asked Daryl, really wanting her opinion.

"It has potential." said Marie honestly.

"Good, 'cause I want you to help me fix it up." said Daryl.

Marie looked back at Daryl, taken by surprise at what he said.

"Look, I know that I'm been a real ass toward you, pushing you away and shutting you out. I was only doing that 'cause........well, 'cause I was afraid of losing you." said Daryl, pauses for a moment. "I guess I thought that if I locked you out, you'd start hating me enough to not give a shit about me anymore and it'd save us the pain if something happened."

Marie was taken back by what Daryl told her. She wasn't exactly surprised, she just never thought he would do it with her.

"Dar, you don't have to be afraid and you don't have to push me away or shut me out. I'm here, and I'm gonna be here as long as I can. I am not gonna leave you, not without a damn good fight. And I could never hate you." She told him.

"You can't guarantee that Mar. It may not happen right now, but some day something bad could happen and I never see you again. I'm tired of losing people. I don't wanna lose anyone else, I don't wanna lose you." said Daryl. He then looked away, looking back down at the bike.

Marie gently placed her hand under Daryl's chin and turned his gaze back up to hers than moved her hands to lay on his chest.

"Now you listen to me Daryl Dixon. Nothing is going to happen to me. I am here to stay and come Hell or high water, I will be staying right here. I belong right here with my best friend, and nothing and no one is gonna change that." She told him.

Daryl found he could only nod. It wasn't that he didn't believe her words or find comfort from them, it was just that he knew one day she would be gone and that terrified him more than anything. He gave her a soft nod anyway, which seemed to satisfy her for now. He then cleared his throat nervously, just realizing how close she was.

"So...uh....you wanna help me with this?" He asked her.

Marie couldn't help but smile as she watched her best friend shift a little uncomfortably.

"Are you kidding? I'd love to." She said.

Daryl pulled the tarp completely off the bike so Marie pulled off her jacket and rolled up her sleeves. And once Daryl got the tarp off the bike, he pulled off his jacket as well. He then grabbed a couple tools, handing one to Marie.

"Just like old times, huh bestie." said Marie, smiling big and bright as she took the tool from Daryl.

Daryl just gave her a grunt of an answer but there was an obvious smirk on his face that only a blind man could miss.

The two of them worked through the late hours of the night, chatting a little here and there as they worked.

"Cas was so pissed when I missed her graduation but even more when I crashed her graduation party with an Elvis impersonator seeing how she hates Elvis. She yelled and screamed at me for 3 hours than didn't speak to me again for a week." said Marie, laughing a little at the memory.

Daryl let out his own chuckle than he turned serious again. There was one thing he'd been wanting to ask her for a while that hasn't had the chance to.

"Why'd you leave?" He finally asked.

Marie froze. It was a question she was dreading and wasn't sure she wanted to answer, but she also knew that Daryl deserved to know the truth. She sighed before standing, wiping her hands off with a dirty rag.

"It wasn't because of you Dar. It was because of my dad." She tossed the rag aside than lifted up the front of her shirt to reveal a long, angry scar across her stomach.

Daryl was immediately on his feet, anger surging through him.

"He found out I was pregnant, he was so furious. He drug me out of bed in the middle of the night, drug me to the middle of the woods and cut the baby out of me. When he took me to the hospital, he told them I did it to myself. Told me if I said anything, he'd tell everyone that you did it.

"Doctor said there was so much damage, I may never be able to have any kids." said Marie, choking on the last sentence. She tried hard to fight back the tears but a few fell anyway.

Daryl surpressed his anger, instead walking over to his best friend and gently lifting her chin, wiping away the tears. This got him a flash of a small smile from her.

"I'll never let that sonofabitch touch you ever again. He's not gonna hurt you anymore or I'll kill him." He told her.

"Hey, you won't find me arguing or stopping you." said Marie.

Daryl gently placed his forehead against hers, both of them closing their eyes, feeling it more important to be there for her than his comfort. They had always been there for each other, her more for him, and he wasn't about to let that change now. He owed her for all the times she was there for him.

Marie wasn't too surprised by what Daryl was doing. She knew he felt she was more important than his comfort level, that he felt he owed her. Although she disagreed, she wasn't about to say anything. Being this close to him like this felt good. Plus it was very rare for him to do this, even with her.

Right then, they suddenly became aware that they were being watched. They looked up to see Aaron standing in the doorway that led from the house into the garage.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt. I was just coming to what all the ruckus was. Guess you decided to work on the bike right away." He said.

"Yeah, showed it to Mar and figured it'd be good to have her help, get it done quicker." Said Daryl.

"Guess you have quite a multitude of talents then." Said Aaron.

"You have no idea." Said Marie with a warm smile.

"Well, since we're all here and awake, how about some breakfast?" asked Aaron.

Marie looked over at Daryl, who was looking at her. He didn't seem to be against the suggestion.

"Sure, just let me go get cleaned up first." She said.

Aaron nodded than headed back inside.

Marie turned to head to their house, but Daryl grabbed her hand and stopped her. She looked back at him and saw that he looked worried. She gave him a soft smile.

"I'm okay Daryl." She said, gently giving his hand a squeeze.

Daryl didn't feel convinced. She still held a sadness in her eyes.

Marie took a step closer to him, wrapping her arms around him. She knew he wouldn't be totally convinced unless she showed him she was alright.

"Really, I'm okay now Dar." She said, holding on to him tight. She could feel him tense up for a minute before he relaxed but that was nothing new.

"I just wanna be here for you like you were there for me." said Daryl, placing an arm loosely around her.

"You don't owe me anything Daryl, I wanted to always be there for you. I just wish I could've taken away your pain." said Marie. She pulled back just enough to be able to look at him.

"You did." said Daryl after a moment.

Marie smiled, her heart almost leaping out of her chest. She knew she'd always been there to comfort him and pull him back up on his feet, but she never truly knew how much good she had done for him 'til now. She was, for once, unsure of what to say.

"I'm gonna go take a shower." She finally manage to say. It was all she could think of to say.

Daryl gave her a quick nod.

Marie turned and started walking away before stopping in the doorway, turning back to Daryl.

"Thank you." She said.

"For what?" asked Daryl, confused.

"For being you. For always being there, for being here now. I know you haven't always been the sociable, dependable type and it's not exactly easy for you to let your guard down the way you do with me, but I'm glad you do. I'm really grateful to have you as my best friend." said Marie.

Daryl was a little unsure of what to say, he never was in these type of situations. It wasn't his area of expertise, he left that to people like her.

"Never knew what you saw in......someone like me, even after all the bullshit but I'm just....I'm glad that it was you. I wouldn't have been able to put up with anyone else." He finally managed to say.

Marie just gave him a warm smile before turning and heading off to shower.