Cowboy

16) Slow

Alicia was glad to hear that Daryl had went out on his own. Her plan for avoid him at all cost would be much easier to carry out this way.

She was walking with Glenn, going to give one of his books back to Dale. They walked up to him and Andrea arguing.

"Sorry. Just returning your book." He apologized.

"Oh no I'm sorry." Dale chuckled. "If I had known the world was ending, I'd have brought better books."

Glenn looked to Dale before asking the dumbest question Alicia had ever heard in her life. "Dale you think Andreas on her period?"

Alicia almost choked. "What!?"

"I'm only asking cause it's like all the women are acting really weird, aside from Ali, and I read somewhere that when women spend a lot of time together, their cycles line up and they all get super crazy hormonal at the same time." He shrugged.

Alicia sighed. "Ok so point number one, I'm gonna advise you to keep that theory to yourself. And two, when did everyone start calling me Ali?"

Glenn shrugged. "It's just kind of a nickname we all agreed on."

She scoffed. "Was there a meeting?"

Dale laughed, putting his hand on her shoulder. "No, it was more of a silent agreement."

"Ah." She nodded. "Anyway, who else is acting weird?"

"Maggie."

"Ah Maggie." Dale smirked.

"She started off being mean to me. Then she wanted to have sex with me. And now she's being mean to me again. And I don't even want to know what's going on with Lori." Glenn said this very fast leaving Alicia very confused.

"What's going on with Lori?"

Glenn was quick to respond. "Nothing, I don't know."

All right, let's take this back a step.

"How do you know that Maggie wanted to have sex with you?" Dale asked. Glenn just looked at him sheepishly, his face turning red. "Oh, son, you didn't. Did it ever occur to you how her father might feel about this?"

"She's 22!" He defended himself.

"And he is our host." Dale shook his head.

"He doesn't know."

"Well, see that it stays that way. Jesus, Glenn, what were you thinking?" He asked, looking at the younger boy.

"I was thinking that I might be dead tomorrow. Thanks for the book. You're right, it sucks." Glenn scoffed, leaving the R.V.

Alicia followed him, grabbing his arm. "Hey, I agree with Dale, but..." a small smile crept onto her face, "as your adoptive big sister... I am SO proud!" She laughed, giving him a high five.

"Walker! Walker!"

Alicia turned, watching as Andrea pointed to a walker out in the field.

"Just the one?" Alicia called up.

"I bet I can nail it from here." She smirked, lining it up in her sights.

Dale, Andrea, and Shane continued to argue about the walker but Alicia tuned them out, deciding to let the children fight it out in their own.

She only stopped, whipping back around when the gun fired and Rick began to yell Daryl's name.

"Oh my God!" She breathed.

Andrea looked around, realizing what she had done. "Oh my God is he dead!?"

Alicia ran to where Rick was carrying his body. "Unconscious, you just grazed him."

She followed Rick into the house, listening as they discussed what had happened to him. She had to admit... he looked like shit.

Rick and Shane laid him in the bed she had been laying in a few days prior, how ironic.

She stayed, watching as Hershel bandaged him up. "Do you mind cleaning him up a little for me?" He asked, smiling as he began to walk out.

"Oh I ca-"

"Thanks." He said, not allowing her to finish before he was gone.

"Okie dokie then." She sighed, getting a wet rag and beginning to wash off his face. She turned her head, dipping the rag back into the water when she felt a hand on her arm.

"Ali?"

She pulled away, looking back to him. "Sorry." She mumbled. "I'll go."

Daryl held I to her arm, pulling her back down. "No... stay."

She nodded, continuing to clean off his face. "I didn't mean what I said." He muttered after a few minutes. "I was just... worried... about that little girl."

She nodded. "I understand." She said thickly. "There's no point in apologizing."

Daryl shook his head, grabbing her hand with his larger one, pulling it away from his face. "I want to apologize." He paused for a moment, almost like it was hard for him. "I'm sorry."

She breathed, realizing how close their faces were. "You were mad... I get that."

"Shouldn't have taken it out on you." He sighed. "I do..." He trailed off, looking around the room. "Alicia I h-"

"Don't." She shook her head, pulling away from him. "Don't tell me that just so you can run out on me again."

"I won't." For the first time he looked straight into her eyes. "I ain't pulling that shit again."

She let out a breath, letting him pull her close. "Can we try this?" She asked, almost whispering.

"Long as you let me go slow." He nodded, allowing her to see through him for the first time. She nodded, understanding what he meant.

"I promise." She whispered and finally their lips connected.

It was like fire, a burning sensation spreading through Alicia's body. Her hands tangled in Daryl's hair and her lips moving against his.

She shivered slightly, feeling his hand grip onto her hair and his other hand slide around her waste.

It felt so right. So good, and for the first time since the world went to shit, Alicia didn't care about if was right or wrong.

They pulled away, both breathing heavily. "That was better than I thought it would be." Daryl breathed.

She laughed, shoving his arm. "You think I wasn't a good kisser?"

"You know that's not what I meant." He grumbled, shoving her back.

"Shut up so I can clean you up."