Curative

So sorry about the delay!
My dog got out of surgery on the 5th and I've been spending my time watching over her. She had a bad reaction at like 1AM on the 8th so I had to rush away to the emergency vet.
But she's okay! They took great care of her and she's okay now! Thanks to everyone's well wishes, y'all can always reach me any time on my tumblr!

This chapter is entirely just... like a chill chapter yknow? A lot has happened, fighting, dying, etc. This chapter is the day Rick, Michonne, and Carl went to the King county PD to get guns. It's like day 314 I think and 314 - 316 nothing happens. It's long days of Woodbury making plans, but our people are just waiting.
So we get some chapters spent calming down before the storm!
On top of that, I decided that we should get some time thinking about Lauyl and their reunion. Today is a day spent together, but nothing terribly big happens. :)
So I hope you enjoy transition chapters and enjoy reading a bit of Daryl's thoughts on things. There's like a good 1,000 words completely just Daryl considering Laura lol

When morning came around and the sun started to shine through the curtain Daryl felt the familiar weight laying across his chest. He almost believed it never happened and that Laura was still as distant and confused as she was when she arrived.

He opened his eyes, tired and getting himself mentally ready for the day. Rick, Michonne, and Carl were going to head out on a run for more weaponry. While they were gone he left the prison to Hershel and Daryl, trusting them to protect their home and their people.

It was a big responsibility, leading the people. No one here had the experience Rick did, which left them in a questionable situation. One that right now Daryl was currently running behind on because he didn't want to get up. He wanted to pretend he was still asleep so he could relax with his woman in his arms.

Laura being back was... impossible. She had gone through months of hell only to show up in a parking lot outside a piggly wiggly picking a fight with a stranger using a samurai sword. Blue, scarred, muzzled, with metal claws. One hell of a welcoming party just sitting in the prison waiting for her.

He didn't think of her like that even if that's how she looked when she came back. Whatever happened there was someone else to him. This person laying on his chest nestled against him in such a way... this was Laura to him.

She had been gone so long. He wanted to know...

He heard her inhale, "I know you're awake."

With a huff, Daryl looked down as best he could to see the top of her head. "Must be mistaken." He closed his eyes and adjusted his arm around Laura. There was still a little time to bask in the light trickling through the holes in the curtain and the smoothness of her skin under his hand.

Laura pulled herself up, leaning on her elbow as she looked down at the 'sleeping' man. "I could hear you wake up. Rick's leaving today, come on." She swatted his stomach which he responded to with a displeased grunt. Laura sat up in the cot taking most of the thin blanket with her.

Daryl frowned, but knew she was right. Once she moved out from under the blanket, she sat on the edge of the cot to give him room to get up too. He really didn't want to get up yet, though he figured she was here tonight; she would be here again tomorrow night.

He groaned and ran a hand down his face, forcing himself to wake up. Pushing off the cot, he found a shirt that fit the 'clean enough' qualification. Sitting back on the cot he brought his shoes up, working the laces so he could fit his feet through. As he did, Laura had stood up to find her clothes from the night before.

Laura picked them up and sneered. She might not sweat so she didn't really have body odor, but she certainly did not like the amount of blood and mud all over them. They had been her only clothes for so long she had ruined them beyond the point of repair.

Especially after her fight with Michonne which tore most of her shirt in half. The tatters she was left with could hardly be called a shirt anymore. Even the combat pants she wore had seen better days... at least two months ago.

While she criticized her terrible wardrobe, Daryl had been watching her. He could piece together what she was thinking when she held up her shirt, that strip of frayed cloth that barely covered anything anymore.

"Hey," Daryl caught her attention, grabbing a wrinkled button up from his pack and tossed it to her. "Ain't gonna' be a great fit, but it's better than that."

Laura grinned and pulled the shirt over her head, watching how there just seemed to be more and more fabric. He wasn't wrong, the size was a lot bigger than her. She rolled up the sleeves and tied the bottom of the shirt to a knot so it wouldn't get caught on anything. It was clearly bigger than her, but the alterations helped.

Pulling her pants on and lacing up her boots, she already felt better. She didn't feel like her shirt was suddenly going to split on her too.

"Thanks." Laura smiled as Daryl approached her in the small cell.

He looked down over her and raised a hand to her face. While he saw her face wince a slight bit, he waited until he saw she had pushed away that fear of being struck. Then slid his hand to the side of her face, "Stick with me today, okay?" He wanted her nearby, that fear of losing her again like at the farm too raw.

Laura was fine with that, she didn't particularly care to leave his side. She still wanted to be with him too. She gave him a nod, completely comfortable spending the day beside one another.

A side of his mouth twitched into a faint smile before he drew her closer. He was a bit taller than her so there was a gap to close. He was nervous, but he remembered her pressing the side of her face to his while she was still muzzled.

Once she caught onto what he was doing, Laura leaned up to encourage the act. Daryl brought her to him and kissed her. A chaste kiss with only the intention of reigniting their position together.

When they pulled apart, Daryl brushed her cheek with his thumb before letting her go. He had been worried about that, things had changed so much since the farm. With all the fears he had between her experiences at Woodbury and when she got here, she was still just as welcoming of him as ever.

"Let's get movin'." Daryl ushered her out of the cell, swinging his crossbow over his shoulder like always. Looking around outside the cell he saw a few folk around and figured Rick would be leaving soon. He waved Laura along, "Come on."

Once they entered the cafeteria they saw a few people gathered as Carol was dishing out breakfast.

When she saw Daryl and Laura, now wearing one of Daryl's shirts, join them she gave them a bright smile. "Well, good morning you two." Daryl shot her a playful warning glare which she chose to ignore. "Grab a seat and I'll get you both a bowl."

Laura saw the bowls filled with noodles this time, all dried food they found when they got to the prison. They had plenty to spare even though Laura did not really require food like they did. She had her needs including the need to eat to stay fit, but her diet was more... picky.

Carol brought them both a bowl, filled a bit higher than the others. Daryl noticed too and raised a brow, questioning why she brought so much. Carol smirked and gave them a wink before returning to get her own bowl.

Daryl and Laura shared a look between them; he just shook his head. He ate like it was going to be taken away, chowing down as fast as he could.

On the other hand, Laura looked at the bowl of hot noodles and picked up her plastic fork. She hadn't eaten anything that wasn't meat in a long time. Her diet was entirely carnivorous by necessity. She did not only eat meat because she wanted to, she did it because it was the only kind of food that worked for her body.

These noodles would be nothing but dead weight in her stomach before being digested. They would not contribute any useful nutrients to her body; not like meat would. It didn't even have to be... her preferred dish. It could be meat from a deer and it would still work somewhat.

Of course, the best meal for her was the meat around her right now. The meat of the living. It kept her moving the best. A pound of human meat was worth more than an entire deer carcass. Still, she could not bare the thought of asking if they had any meat.

What message would that send?

So Laura took a bite of the noodles. Merle couldn't resist a chuckle seeing her face while she chewed. She wasn't doing a good job hiding her distaste. This garnered a few curious eyes from other people in the cafeteria. To avoid suspicion, Laura took another bigger bite and swallowed it down.

When everyone lost that second of interest she glared daggers at Merle. She had enough stress worrying about when they would find out about that. The taste was offensive to her fine senses. The more she chewed the more and more it tasted like eating paste. So she just swallowed, no chewing, and pretend as if she enjoyed it.

Breakfast could not pass fast enough. When Daryl had finally finished and Carol took their empty bowls, the two were up to see Rick and his small team off for the day.

Laura was quick to grab a rifle from the cage in the off chance that Woodbury attacked while they were outside. Rick opened the door followed out by Michonne and Carl. Glenn, Maggie, Daryl, Laura, and Red all went out to see them off.

Since Andrea showed up yesterday they realized the Governor didn't have snipers posted at the prison. Her arrival provided some valuable information on what actually was hiding in the trees. It was only walkers out there, just like always.

Rick double checked the car on gas, the weapons they were taking, and ammo. They took a few empty bags to help carry any weapons they might find.

"Where you headed?" Glenn asked as he watched Rick load up. "Just in case we don't see you, we'll need to know where to look for you." He made a solid point in the event of Woodbury or Rick and his getting stuck out there.

Rick agreed with the caution. "Going to my old precinct back in King. There was a cage full of guns there. Guns and ammo, enough to arm everyone here. With their armory destroyed, these guns might mean we actually match their firepower."

Maggie raised a hand over her brow to block the sun, "Good luck." She wasn't sure more guns would solve the problem of being outnumbered, but anything could help.

Carl passed them and jumped into the back seat. Rick handed the keys to Michonne, and the team left the prison. There was some hope that they would bring back enough to give them a fighting chance. When their car disappeared down the road, everyone got to work.

Though work was mostly people taking shifts on watch, making sure the prison was as fortified as possible, then simply waiting. The waiting was the worst part of it all.

Braddock was in one of the far watchtowers and Glenn headed to the other with Maggie right behind him. The group spent most of their time in silence, anticipating an attack from Woodbury at any time.

Everyone was on edge and Laura did not blame them one bit. Woodbury's people had actually won the last fight between them. Granted, Merle did that, but it didn't change the fact they could've lost the prison. She absentmindedly wondered how they felt about that still.

Daryl headed to the bridge between the cell blocks with Laura, checking over the makeshift cover along the walkway. Metal panels backed by wood pallets, it was enough keep anyone up here protected. Carol and Axel had lined the walkway and they did good work.

He was sure to keep the prison locked down tight while Rick was gone. The man trusted him with their people and he wasn't going to drop the ball.

Pulling up an old half rotted chair sitting at the far end of the bridge, Daryl took a seat and kept watch. He would remain there overlooking the prison entrance for a while before the next shift came around.

"Is that thing strong enough to use?" Laura expressed her doubts once she saw how the chair bent when he sat on it.

Daryl spared her a quick glance before turning his attention to the chair. He moved back and forth; the chair rocked due to its loose joints. It held together for the time being, so he thought nothing of it. When he ignored the damaged supports, Laura did too.

She watched him pretty closely, seeing him kick back and stare into the trees. Nothing to do but wait for an attack at this point. Her eyes wandered to the few folk down below, staying out of sight of the walkers in the field. They couldn't risk their last fence being brought down by walkers.

She came up to stand just behind Daryl's chair, leaning on the chain link. Daryl turned in his chair before pointing to another chair a few feet over. She shrugged not particularly caring. He returned to watching the treeline, just waiting for something to happen.

It was painfully quiet with nothing breaking up the monotony aside from Daryl's scent and the cicadas in the woods. Laura sighed, she hated that sound. All those insects never silent for a second out in the Georgia heat. It made her skin feel itchy all over.

Trying to ignore the sounds of the most annoying insects in the world, Laura approached the fence in front of them, weaving her fingers through the mesh. During her mindless wandering she was ignorant to Daryl's eagerness to speak with her.

He wanted to talk about Woodbury, about what happened all those months ago. He was beside himself with worry and grief when Rick told them all Laura was gone. Worse even, she left not lost in the horde. Since that campfire on the side of the road Daryl always wondered.

Why did she leave? Rick said she was scared of losing her senses and hurting someone. But she was with them right now and no one was hurt. She made no indication that she would be leaving, instead showing nothing but contentedness to return.

They had their privacy outside the cell block, no one would be coming up to the bridge until next shift. All these months leading up to a concrete walkway in a prison trying to watch for the person that took her.

"Do you think he'll hit us soon?" Daryl's voice made her spin around to raise him a questioning brow. "The Governor."

She looked down in thought, trying to consider all those times she was sent after other groups. When the Governor attacked, how he did it, and the signs the attack was coming. It was hard trying to guess what it looked like from the outside. "Depends on his mood." Her answer was true, but not helpful. "Best keep an eye out."

Daryl nodded, idly wringing his hands. The waiting was the worst part, the same as not knowing what comes next. They could do everything right and still lose this war with the Governor. He reviewed Laura's physic as a gauge to judge this man Philip.

He wanted to know so badly. Something deep inside him kept telling him to ask, talk about it. She left them because she was scared... why didn't she tell him? Why did she leave, full detail, not some rushed half truth behind false confidence. He wanted the grim truth, to understand his own anger and frustration dealing with her departure.

That compulsion to pry into her experiences at Woodbury, things he considered his business too. His insecurity took his power away like it always did. Was it something as simple as his business too because he was with her? That two way street of information on their personal lives.

But was it two way? So far Laura had told him a lot about herself. A 'lot' comparable to his 'very little, if anything at all.' Daryl hadn't laid in the back of that truck bed telling her about his parents or his contentious relationship with his older brother.

If he sat here on this chair with rotted supports and asked about her time in Woodbury, would he really be worth the answer? He gave her these small inklings into his life before the world bit the dirt, but abstained from anything that might be a challenge to share.

What did he know about her? Her father was a lowlife, eccentric like Merle, but a genius... unlike Merle. Her mother wasn't around, full stop. Only child now finding a sibling-esque relationship with Merle; made entirely under duress.

Laura was smart. Incredibly so. In their position it was easy to forget she had blown through medical college as something of a soft prodigy. Not a prodigy in the sense of changing the world with her research, but her intelligence was well beyond his own.

At least, that's how he thought of her... and himself. Laura to him was this impossibly smart woman from the city with a life that never would have crossed his path. Running his profile through his head, he was some random redneck hick with a druggy brother, getting lost in the woods with no one to look for him, and nothing ahead of him.

Had the world stayed on track and the dead never got back up, they would've never met. She would've stayed in Atlanta or moved to another city. She certainly wouldn't be found in some small town in the mountains that barely had a functioning gas station.

He was smart when it came to surviving and all that comes with that. In this world that was invaluable which quickly got people to recognize him and his abilities. So few people could do half the things he could, even most of this group couldn't compare. With a few of their group they protected the others that couldn't. For Daryl the person he prioritized quickly after the quarry was Laura.

Daryl had precisely zero ideas how to handle his attraction to her. Even less, the man actually started to recess into the negatives when he thought about how to approach her.

Laura. That dark haired woman from the city. She was little over half his age, beautiful in his eyes, and so willing to entertain a relationship with him. A doctor-to-be before the world ate shit. Raised in wealth and opulence. She grew up with everything any child could ever want, at the price of a cruel unloving family.

And he, this redneck from the mountains of Georgia, wanted this sophisticated woman.

Kind, compassionate to a fault more often than not, desperate to be wanted, and adoring of him and his faults without demanding him to be more like Rick or Shane. Not that she would ever ask anyone to be like Shane, but there was a time he still fit the stereotypical square jawed hero that women would swoon for.

He didn't care about the oddities of her appearance. The dusky blue skin wasn't ugly by any means to him. While yes, her looks were not 'normal' they did not detract from that natural beauty. He considered her... exotic. Same way a zoo has some chimpanzees, bears, and wolves... then you get to the tigers.

Of course, he was attracted to her in the physical sense. He found her uniquely her, someone completely her own. His attraction was complicated, at least, to him. There was the physical sense in which he did, naturally, want her intimately. It played a part, though it was not close to being the deciding factor.

Which brought him full circle to this moment. He wanted to be with her and she accepted him in her bed. Which was actually his bed. This woman he would've never met in his life if the dead hadn't taken over.

He was supposed to be there for her, to protect her. The harmless, defenseless woman from Atlanta that didn't have any ability to survive alone. She needed someone to be there for her and... he wasn't there. It wasn't by choice, he knew that. If he could have possibly gotten to her he would have, and they both knew that.

So why didn't it feel like that anymore?

Because she wasn't weak like that. Daryl took greater notice of the definition he saw on her arms, the rather solid abs he felt yesterday; it all meant one thing he wasn't sure how to handle.

Her strength, survival ability, and the cure she was given all combined made her a strong survivor. Possibly even better than he was, since she didn't have to worry about walkers. A trait only she possessed...
And that meant she didn't need his protection anymore. So what good was he to her?

He felt something bump his leg only to catch Laura's eyes watching him. "Hey, what's wrong?" She had a soft smile slowly spreading across her face.

Daryl shook his head, "Nothin'." And he wanted to leave it there.

Laura had other ideas. She crossed her arms and tilted her head. "Someone used to tell me I was the easiest person to read. Cause I'd always make this face or crack a joke." That knowing look in her eye told him she wasn't done with him. "... I wonder if you know you make a face too."

Yeah, he knew. Merle had teased him for things like that for a long time. But how could he tell her he... didn't feel like he could do anything for her? He always dealt with a creeping sense that he wasn't really worth much. Things got better with this group, he felt like his contribution really mattered. He saved people and they valued him.

But Laura wasn't there. She was struggling with the virus in her head before being taken by Woodbury. He never got to be there for her when she needed someone.

Ultimately, he wasn't sure if that meant yes or no, to ask or not. He wanted to know.

"What happened at Woodbury?" Daryl braved the question, throwing all those gnawing insecurities to the side. He had to ask, he had to try. People looked to him these days and he wasn't sure what to think about that. But he knew what to think about this.

Laura was visibly taken back by the suddenness of it. There was so much to say about him simply asking that she had no idea how to go further than that. To actually tell him? She fought herself everyday to talk to him about what happened to her in Atlanta. That took her so long to even consider saying it out loud.

This wasn't Atlanta, this was so much worse. Laura had survived abuse and violence before. Woodbury had shown her that things were bad then, but they could always get so much worse.

Daryl noted the pause between them and filled that silence. "To you. What'd they do to you?"

"Why do you want to know?" She answered with a valid question. It could be the start of a tense discussion or an admittance of quiet suffering. He didn't know what he expected, he just wanted to know.

Which left him unsure of the right response. Why did he want to know? Because he wanted to be there for her, to care for her like he had done back before the farm was overrun. Something about that primal desire to protect her. Daryl looked away in thought, not really able to answer.

When he made no attempts to speak, Laura took that as he was laying the question out to her and letting her decide what to do with it. He never made her do anything, always giving her the option while simultaneously supplying a way out.

"If I told you, what would you do with it? What would it change?" Laura continued with quieter tone to show him she wasn't offended by the question. "How would knowing make you feel better?"

Daryl almost flinched, he didn't want to make this about him. It was about her, what she endured. It was terrible he knew, he had been to the precinct with the others. The chair with restraints, the tools, organs, documents, and that hellish cell they kept her in.

What Michonne told them before. She said she heard screaming, so much it unnerved even her. That one bit of information never left his thoughts. He had never heard Laura scream and the very imagination of it hurt.

"It wouldn't, 'suppose." Daryl wasn't that capable with words nor did he want to express himself like that. That wasn't the point here; Laura was the point he wanted to make. "You left."

Laura looked back out to the field, trying to still her thoughts. Her memories still so hazy, everything was scattered, but she did recall she left them to protect them from whatever she was turning into. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to."

She focused in on a limping walker in the field, observing it while she slowly tried to think about those days on the road. She had enough of breaking down in front of people and she wouldn't do it again. So see kept doing her best to calm herself down before continuing.

"I failed. I was always going to eventually. Just a matter of time." Laura kept it vague enough so she didn't have to admit to anything. Not yet, she wanted to be with them a little longer. She didn't know for certain if they'd remove her from the group once they knew, but she didn't risk it right now. "I didn't know what to do, so I did what I thought best. Safest, for you and everyone else."

"Rick said you were worried 'bout turning." He put it bluntly, leaving no room for more of that open ended talk.

For a while Laura had forgotten anything about her talks with Rick. Most of it just melting into memories that she couldn't hear. He talked to her and she couldn't hear a word. "Right. Of course I did."

Daryl frowned, curious. "What's that mean?"

In a desperate effort to change the subject, Laura immediately returned to the uncomfortable topic of Woodbury's torture. It was still somehow so much easier to talk about in place of her undead nature. "My father is at Woodbury."

That changed Daryl's mood fast. He froze a moment, thought about it, and quickly came to the realization that the man in the precinct where Laura was kept... "That was your old man?" Daryl stood up from the chair, alarmed and completely taken by surprise.

Picking up on the context, Laura's eyes widened in realization. "You saw him."

Before either Laura or Daryl could ask more questions or react to this new information, a particular someone had just reached the door to the bridge. Once the metal door swung open, they ended their difficult conversation to see who had joined them.

From the cell block came Glenn, ready to take his watch from Daryl. Once he made his way down the bridge and made eye contact with them, he slowed down. "Uh, should I..?" He pointed his thumb back to the cell block.

"Nah," Daryl moved the chair to the side, "Come on."

Leaving their spot on the bridge, Laura paused just in front of Glenn. She suddenly remembered it was him, Maggie, and Micheal that brought her to the prison. It wasn't exactly a happy reunion, but it did bring her back to them. It was the end of Woodbury for her and that alone was worth thanks.

"Uh, hey." Glenn swallowed a little nervously seeing Laura stop to look at him. He was had no idea what she wanted and still wasn't sure how much she remembered. Before he could ask, Laura smiled at him, and reached around him to give him a one armed hug. "Oh." He was surprised, but receptive.

"I missed you." She pulled back, seeing him smile at her. "Thanks for bringing me here."

"Everyone missed you too. I'm glad you're back." Glenn nodded to her. He wasn't sure what he expected, but it didn't seem like she was anyone but the person he remembered.

Laura left the bridge with Daryl, the two heading back into the cell block without a real purpose. There wasn't much to be done without being able to go on supply runs or watch. Things were quiet, dull even. Without any work the group felt like they were sitting around waiting for a fight.

The cell block wasn't buzzing with activity, but there were a few people hanging around. Those unable to help on guard duty or working the other functions needed by the group had stayed inside.

Carol was cleaning some dishes and trying to clean up the prison in general really. Something about making the prison a place to live in, not just a derelict building to hide in. With her was Micheal who couldn't do a lot of heavy lifting as his leg would give out under stress.

Then came Carl and Braddock, back at it with keeping count of their weapons and rationing out their ammo. The two ran the armory and kept it under close watch. Not only because of someone like Merle in the prison, but because they had to be careful.

Red was eating some trail mix at a table, taking some time away to let Daisy rest. He was tired, overworked; he needed some time to ground himself. Especially after the last two days of confusion and loss for their group.

The two groups worked a lot more like one now. Something people on both sides were happy about. It strengthened them as a whole, which they needed now more than ever.

Laura was keenly aware on the people in the room with them. Watching them for only a moment as she passed them by.

"Gonna' get some things, head into the tombs. There's a big hole on the other side of the prison. Clear out walkers and give our people some breathin' room." Daryl explained as he went down the metal stairs into the cell block. "Figure you an' me out there can do a lot. Safer too."

He was right of course, anyone with Laura in the walker infested tombs were safer than anyone without her. She could clear alone, but she knew Daryl was not letting her out of sight.

Laura agreed to this task. It wouldn't hard to cut down a few rotted walkers in the prison. "How overrun is it?" She hadn't seen the front of the prison before, everyone had kept to the courtyard and cell blocks.

"Dunno', let's go find out." Daryl reached into the cage and grabbed a machete. He gauged the weight of the weapon before sliding it into his belt.

"Attached at the hip, ain't y'all." Unmistakably Merle's voice interrupted them, as Laura expected. He was around bothering a few folk going about their day. Most ignored him and moved on, but he had a way to get under peoples skin. Especially Daryl.

Laura didn't bother with Merle's prodding, instead grabbing her own weapon from the cage. A pistol, ammo to match it, and hatchet. She curated the choices before taking a holster with her for the pistol. Clearing walkers was easy labor for her.

Opposite to her, Daryl did stop to look at Merle. He didn't know how to respond though clearly the statement was getting to him. Carol had come to them before stating how Merle was watching them together. How does he explain this relationship to his brother?

There was so much history behind the brothers that made this a defining choice for Daryl. To take a chance on the intimacy of a solid romantic relationship, not just some fling with a stranger.

Merle just nodded to himself, taking Daryl's silence as confirmation. "Yeah, figured as much." His expression was indiscernible, which served to make Daryl more anxious about his brother's reaction. "So's that what y'all were doin' all night, eh?" He cackled at his own inappropriate prodding. Daryl pushed that out of his mind and returned to arming himself for the tombs.

"Hardly think that's any of our business." Carol, the godsend, interrupted the beginning of Merle's teasing. She had been in the cafeteria when Daryl and Laura came from the bridge, but didn't insert herself into their day. She had work to do and no time to spend gossiping, not that she cared to gossip even if she could.

Taking Carol's comment directly, Merle's grin faded. "Maybe not yours, but I gotta' right to know what my brother does." Merle's eyes shifted to see Daryl, "Or who." Another low chuckle that was unwelcome by the group.

In her calm frustration, Carol put the rag in her hands down and leaned on the edge of the makeshift kitchen top. "Maybe that's not a conversation to have in front of a bunch of people." She knew without checking that everyone was starting to look at Merle through short glances.

Merle was put on the spot for a moment, the pressure on him to stop talking only instigated worse. No one could stop him when he started, an unfortunate situation for anyone involved.

Braddock hesitantly interrupted the tense exchange. "Uh, me and Carl have been keeping count of our ammo and guns. Can you let us know how much ammo you're taking with you?"

Daryl was completely fine with that and even more so because it gave him a reason to ignore Merle's taunts. He checked over what he picked up, "She's got five 9mm magazines." He had counted those on her belt, which she looked down to confirm.

"Not planning on using it, just in case." Laura shrugged, tapping the hatchet on her belt with a finger.

"Yeah, no problem. We're not keeping anyone from taking it." Braddock waved them off and wrote down the ammo checked out. In the off chance they did use it, they would know where it went, why, and how much was left. He was happy with their work.

Daryl gave them a quick nod as he turned to leave. Laura just behind him, ready to get to work.

The next few hours consisted of Laura and Daryl tearing through the walkers in the prison. Laura almost always in front, standing between him and the herds deeper in. They worked fine together, clearing and double checking areas they had been through.

A few sections had been cleared before, but the dead quickly returned without anything to stop them. Running damage control in the tombs was dangerous and necessary. Between Daryl's ability and Laura's the two were making quick work of even the most risky areas of the tombs.

They were able to clear more in one push than anyone else had since they arrived at the prison. By the time they finished they had reached other closed off sections of the prison and found deeper cell blocks. A few areas had herds too densely packed to clear; they were forced to leave those alone.

Laura and Daryl barely spoke more than a few words to each other. They had to focus, for Daryl's sake really. Were they to let their guard down a moment it would be a risk to his life and Laura remained very aware of that.

She was fast, precise, and never stopped watching his back for a second. When they had done enough, when Daryl started to feel himself getting tired, they stopped. Hours of physically intense labor had started to wear him down so they began the trek back.

Laura opened the gate back into the cell block, pleased to be returning the pistol will all magazines unused. The people inside were starting to come in for something to eat. She headed right over to the cage and dropped the weapons back in with Daryl not far behind her.

Braddock had returned for a late lunch himself, now talking with Maggie and Glenn off to the side. He saw Laura catch his eye and hold up the 9mm magazines one after the other. He smiled; not a bullet wasted.

Once that was done, Carol approached them both. "Lunch is ready, come sit." She invited them to sit with her, to which Laura was happy to do so. She felt comfortable in Carol's company so it only made sense to her.

Daryl watched, planning on coming over himself. He had worked up an appetite and his next watch wouldn't be coming up for a little while. Taking any chance to get some food, Daryl joined the two women at the table. Carol having brought out more of those plastic bowls for them with rice and beans.

Bland food, but still food. Daryl was happy to dig it, getting some energy back before his watch. He watched Carol sit down, her own bowl in hand, offering him a sweet smile. The rest of the group in the cafeteria dishing out their meals. Soon the room was decently full so people sat on the stairs to eat.

Not one for the peace and quiet of survivors in harmony, Merle entered the room. He did the same as everyone else, grabbing his own bowl to eat. His presence in the room did not go unnoticed by anyone. He was constantly being watched wherever he went.

For now, Merle sat at their table. While others didn't seek to crowd the more reclusive members of their group like Daryl and Laura, Merle did not really care. He was going to take the table with his brother, all others be damned.

He ate there with an eye on the three people in front of him. Though there was an awkward tension at the table, no comments had yet been made.

Laura did the same now as she did before. She pretty much swallowed everything whole, no chewing. She ignored the taste and pushed through, just focusing on the company around her. It was nice to dine with them even if she wasn't really enjoying the food.

Carol had so far shown she was caring for everyone in the group. Her hard work was entirely focused on keeping everyone moving. It helped that she could fight herself now too, becoming a far more capable survivor than she had been back on the farm.

Braddock came passed, dropping his bowl back on the counter on the far side of the room. "Thanks for lunch, Carol." He patted her shoulder as he left, heading back outside to take over watch. Carol had her mouth full so she just nodded and smiled.

"Yes, thanks, Carol." Maggie added, finishing just after Braddock. She was going back into the cell block to see Beth and the kids, her day of watch had ended and now she had the time to visit with her family. Once she disappeared into the cell block, Hershel came out.

He had been with Beth, helping her watch over Judith, Melanie, and Sophia while Beth prepared Judith's formula. Now with Maggie there, he was free to get lunch himself. Passing by the table Carol, Laura, Daryl, and Merle were all sitting at.

Merle smirked when he finally noticed what Laura was doing. He hadn't figured out how she managed to eat these food, knowing that this bland food had caused her to recoil from it in the past. She was more than happy to eat sugary foods of any kind and of course, meat. But not starch, not flat vegetables.

Then he saw her take a bigger bite than she meant to. Her mouth twitched as she forcibly swallowed it whole. Merle caught it that time and leaned on his elbow on the table. But she managed to finish her bowl despite it. Setting her fork in the bowl, glad to finally be done.

Laura stood from the table to put her bowl up, not Carol nor Daryl even looked up when she was done. Merle did though, he was watching her.

"Thank you, Carol." Laura stood just behind the woman, "It was lovely."

Carol bashfully shook her head with a smile. "You're just being nice. It's just rice and beans. Not exactly a home cooked meal." She knew they didn't eat it for the taste. Everyone was just thankful to have food and appreciated Carol who took the time to prepare enough for them all.

Merle had an idea. One of those ideas that only someone like Merle could have. It was meant to mess with people, to taunt them into doing something. He liked Laura, though he would rather die than say that out loud, but he was getting sharply bothered by his brother not speaking to him.

Since they returned and Daryl got Laura back, Merle had fallen to the side. That wasn't because Daryl didn't care about his brother or was avoiding him. It was easier to talk to Laura, she listened to him and offered no judgments. Merle was confrontational and talked shit about the group more often than not.

This lead Daryl to seek Laura's company more and when Merle inserted himself into the mix, he was left behind. Had he been more amicable they would've both welcomed him. Hell the entire group would be happy to have him.

So far all he had done successfully was antagonize people. Daryl had lived with him his whole life, he knew exactly how Merle was. He wanted his older brother here, but he didn't want Merle's way of living back.

"Yeah, thank you, Carol." Merle echoed Laura, his tone was as aggressive as ever. "Pretty full though, couldn't eat another bite. So here girl, you can have the rest." He moved the bowl to Laura's side of the table right as Laura was sitting back down.

Laura stared at him, knowingly. Merle was fine with her diet and he knew she wasn't eating this because she wanted or needed it. He knew all this about her, so why was he flaunting this in front of her?

"I'm full." She shut him down pretty quickly, leaving no room for arguing.

Oh, the tension could be cut with a knife. Carol and Daryl could practically feel the tension between the two. Their lunch went from quiet eating to Laura and Merle staring daggers at each other. As if that wasn't enough, Laura made a hand gesture to him that made Merle's eye twitch. They had no idea what she said to him.

In an attempt to defuse the two, Daryl had reached over to grab the bowl. "No sense it goin' to waste. I'm still hungry."

Merle's metal arm hit the table causing Daryl to freeze before he could reach the bowl. He wouldn't tolerate even his brother stopping him once he was picking a fight. "I offered it to her." He didn't take his eyes off Laura.

The whole room heard the bang of metal on metal. They spotted the culprit fast and could feel the sudden tension the same as Carol and Daryl. The ex-Woodbury soldiers were in the middle of a rather heated glaring contest.

"Guys?" Glenn leaned back, watching the exchange. With Rick gone they really couldn't risk someone causing trouble. There was more important things to do.

Merle knew exactly what she signed to him earlier and ignored it. She didn't want to be outed so soon after she rejoined the group. They had to handle Woodbury and the Governor, her preferred food seemed far less important.

It was still something that had to be discussed at some point. She knew that reality was coming for her, but so soon in such a tense situation? Things could go wrong quickly without giving people the time and space to think through problems like this.

Carol got up from the table with the intent to put an end to this tension. She had been too familiar with people like Merle, people who enjoyed making others struggle. "I think that's enough of that." Carol took Laura's arm, "Come on."

Laura let Carol pull her away, heading back into the cell block. As Laura left with Carol beside her, the wedge being slowly driven between Merle and Laura was finally knocked into place.

"Ain't gonna' own up to it, huh?" Merle called behind them, the group in various stages ready to stop Merle from causing a problem. He was constantly risking physical altercations with people he was around, this was nothing new to Daryl. "Ain't gonna' tell 'em you don't eat this shit?" Merle got up, picked up the bowl, and tossed it on the ground towards Carol and Laura.

"Ain't gonna' tell 'em you eat people?"

"What?" Glenn barked from the far side of the room.

The room went silent and as still as the grave. Laura resisted a deep sigh and stood there a moment, knowing that she couldn't lie at this point. If she lied and came clean later it would be so much worse.

Carol didn't bother turning to look at Merle or the bowl he threw at the floor. She saw Laura's face right before she was going to tell Merle off.

But she saw Laura, her expression, and that realization struck her. "Laura...?"

There wasn't any path out of this one. A lie would destroy all trust in Laura, but her honesty would count. So that's what she did. Laura overlooked the room, the survivors she had bonded to.

"I'm a walker, Merle. Of course I eat people." Laura spoke as if it was common knowledge. In truth, it is, but everyone had insisted on the idea of Laura being human. With Merle's short lived tantrum, she had broken that belief.

Laura continued out of the cafeteria and back into the cell block. Carol nervously looking around before rushing after Laura.

Daryl wasn't sure what that meant. For them, for him, for Laura; what would change for them? She just agreed with Merle's accusation. He said she ate people and she said yes without missing a beat. He shoved himself away from the table and headed straight for the cell block.

Merle went to stop him, but in that moment Daryl rejected Merle.

I said "nothing terribly big happens"

lol I lied

AtlasNerd:
You're too sweet! I'm happy to provide something fun to read! I'm sorry about the delay on this chapter!

Jomobabe45:
Haha, she does. Sophia had a sizable section in an earlier chapter when Laura was still being held in that cell. Unfortunately, there no way to spend time on Laura and Sophia while the war with the Governor is still going on and Laura just got back to the group. But we will see more of them together!
It's all good, I'm just glad to hear from you! I'm sorry for the delay, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Guest:
Hmmm, Beth's death in TWD was a tricky scene. She did get shot in the head after all and Laura has expressed that 'curing' people is off limits now.
So we will see what happens with Beth :)