The Walking Dead: Danielle Grimes

142.*

Daryl's POV

I woke before Dani did. Seems I'm doing that a lot lately. It's only five in the morning but I can't seem to switch off. I hear her groan lightly before she sighs. I glance at her from the corner of my eye before I look back ahead of me from the end of the bed where I'm sitting with my elbows rested on my knees.

She shifts and I look at her properly. I shake my hair out of my face and press my lips together as she looks back at me. She tilts her head and I know she can tell I'm worried.

She sits up, moving closer to me as she holds the sheet against her chest. "Dare, I don't want us to fight. Not now, not with everything we are going to be facing. You and I of all people need to be on the same page." She tells me, her voice husky from sleep.

I nod but lips are still pressed together thoughtfully. "Nelle," I start, my voice grace. "I'm not being an asshole to be an asshole." I say firmly. She doesn't say anything but her hand comes to my back and I slightly tense before I relax as her fingers trace up and down.

I love her touch.

"I get that ya can take care of yourself. I ain't never once thought that ya couldn't. But Nelle..." I turn slightly, grabbing her free hand in mine and tangle my fingers with hers, locking them tightly. "I love you. And what we are about to do.....ya have one hell of a target painted on ya back. Because either these assholes are gonna try and take ya back to Negan alive or they're gonna be so chicken shit scared of ya, they are gonna shoot ya on sight."

"Daryl they-" she starts to say before I send her a look that has her mouth clamping shut.

"I ain't done." I growl and heat flares in her eyes at my tone. "Now I know ya can take care of yourself but ya don't Nelle. You take care of everyone else around ya and put you last."
I can see she wants to argue at my point by the look on her face.

"Dare-" she starts to say but pauses and takes a deep breath. She squeezes my hand in hers and brushes my hair away from my forehead. "I can't help that baby." She says and I frown. "Being in the army, it taught me that I had to put others first and put myself last. And being a mom, that also means putting myself last."

She moves her wavy hair to one side before she continues. "So when I protect other people, it's just a conscious effort now. I can't switch it off. I don't run into the line of fire to sacrifice myself, I do it so the people that I love and care about are safe." She explains.

I stare at her for a long time, my gaze intense as I stare at her. I sigh and nod. "Okay." I start as I rub my thumb across her smooth skin. "I'm not ordering ya or telling ya or trying to control ya." I say carefully. "I'm asking." I press my lips together again as I consider my words carefully. "We need to win, so we need our strongest fighters where they can be most use." She nods agreeing with my words. "But I can't do my job unless I know my girl is safe."

Her mouth opens to reply but I hold my hand up and she scowls at me. "That don't mean I think ya need to stay behind, it just means....I'm asking, that depending on where they decide you would be most useful, you're with me or Aaron." I pause before I say my next words. "Or with the boys."

She frowns. "Why not Rick?" She asks suspiciously. I shake my head. "Rick's got too many people to worry 'bout and I'm not sure he will put you first."

"You don't trust my brother?" She asks in a lowered voice, surprise in her tone. I know she's surprised because I've always been loyal to Rick and trusted him to make decisions for all of us but, when it comes to my girls safety, that's my duty. "Course I do, but not with you."

"Just you, Aaron and the boys is kinda limiting." She says carefully. I just shrug as she quirks her eyebrow at me. "I get Aaron but why the boys?" She asks curiously.