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The Darkest Storm

Over Time

“I marveled at the change of seasons, was amazed by how nature and time came together magically to alter the world every three months; and had been doing so for century, upon century, upon century. Then I realized that my fascination was so immense because it reminded me of how we had also once been; the magical result of nature and time.”

“Seems appropriate.” Glenn taps his thumb on the steering wheel, listening to the soft tone of Darcy’s voice as she read the mysterious quote found inside the glove box of the Honda.

Maggie sits in the back with T-Dog and Beth, they all are quiet as they ponder on the words. Darcy leans forward and rifles through the loose torn pieces of the notebook papers inside the compartment, finding a leather journal through the mess. “There’s a whole bunch of them in here.”

“Do you think whoever wrote them did it during all this?” Maggie asks.

Darcy shrugs, “Maybe – makes sense.”

“They’re stopping.” Beth sits up suddenly from her comfortable position leaning against the window. The other four become alert, scanning their surroundings since nowadays they were so used to moving from location to location, everything looked the same.

“Uncle Bob’s Storage?” Darcy squints her eyes at the most random site along the road - mixed in with the dense woods and every few houses they managed to stay holed up in – it was definitely a place less traveled just like the other sites they found.

“Might not be a bad idea.” T-Dog leans forward, leaning on a large metal pipe he has yet to let go of during the entire drive. “With that locked gate and all those box units - there’s a lot of stuff we can scrounge.”

“He’s right.” Glenn pulls the car over to the side next to the others. “We might as well check it out. We’re loosing the light.”

As the group climbs out of the car, Darcy turns towards her seat and sets her bag down. She grabs the notebook from the dashboard and the few bits of paper she was able to read through and puts it inside. She hears someone approaching her, and she knows very well who it is. Darcy closes her pack and puts it over her shoulders before turning around and facing Daryl.

“What’s that?” He asks, curious.

“Just some stuff I found in the car. Notes and poems.” She shrugs and holds her bow in her left hand, tossing it in her fingers gently. She’s somewhat embarrassed, showing a soft side to Daryl of all people.

“Why’re ya keepin’ ‘em?” He squints, just as she did when she was confused, yet intrigued about the units.

“I don’t know.” Darcy tells him honestly, “I guess to keep head. Maybe add to them later.”

Daryl nods heavily, and decides to quickly change the subject. “Well, you ready to check these out?”

Darcy unenthusiastically throws her hand out and points towards the gate where the others are discussing the plan. The two hunters didn’t know why though, it was the same plan everyday, every time.

Darcy and Daryl would take the perimeter while Rick, Glenn, and T-Dog came from behind and through the center. Then, the odd ones out like Lori, Beth, and Hershel would carry supplies through once the location was clear and set up camp.

Fortunately, the perimeter was smaller than imagined. The sweep took no longer than 15 minutes and even more surprisingly, there were no walkers. It was unfamiliar, having minimal threat of danger within the thin steel walls. It somehow made everyone all the more on edge and impatient.

Rick knew that even though they had a small guarantee with the fence, there was the possibility that if a herd came through large enough, the group would be trapped with no where to turn. He just hoped that no one else would figure it out, giving the chance for everyone to stay calm during the night for once.

-

Darcy looks up from her small bowl of meat that Daryl had managed to bring back earlier that evening. He is on watch in the farther corner of their homemade boarder that is enclosing three consecutive units that are hollowed out, created of the junk found deemed useless that was inside.

She stands, wiping her hands on her black skinny jeans and grabbing another bowl from Carol. “I’m gonna take this to him.”

Carol nods, “He won’t eat if you don’t.”

Darcy nods and takes the bowl and walks over to Daryl slowly as to not spook him. He leans on one leg casually holding his crossbow in his arms. Darcy couldn’t help but let the woman inside her roam her eyes over his toned arms and shoulders. A sensation shoots through her stomach and she has to cough to redirect her attention while getting his.

“Ah.” Daryl raises his eyebrows and reaches out as Darcy hands him the bowl. He uses his fingers to pick at the meat and bring the small bits to his mouth. “Thanks.”

Darcy gives a nod and stands, watching him with a small smirk playing at her lips. She diverts her eyes and crosses her arms while staring at the ground. She scuffs her right foot and he watches her as he eats.

“Somethin’ wrong?” He asks.

Darcy lets out a small laugh and a wide smile, “Just thinking about that story you told me. The one with the river and you were fishing with your brother.”

Daryl nods quickly and matches her expression. “We were little.”

“I can just picture it –“ Darcy laughs quietly. “You trying to swing the fish over but it’s too heavy, and it just knocks Merle into the mud and water.”

“I don’ think I ever told anybody that story before.” He puts a piece of meat into his mouth.

“Why not?” Darcy asks.

Daryl shrugs, “Never got the chance to. People leavin’ all the time – just never felt too close to nobody ya know?”

“Kinda.” Darcy feels awkward. She knows they have gotten close – especially in these winter months. The group’s personalities in general have become hard, callous even. They were no exception.

But in a way, even though the rest of the group all together had become that way, when the two were alone together it was as if everything was right again in the world, and Daryl was where he needed to be. There would be times such as the story Darcy currently thought about that had been shared between themselves of their childhood or of their past.

It was the good stories, funny stores, and they would sit while on watch and try not to laugh too loudly as to wake the others. This closeness has given them a connection that they could not have with the others – and have never felt before for themselves either.

Even though people like Rick or Glenn or Maggie were close friends, people they both could trust with their lives, there were no words to describe Daryl and Darcy’s companionship. Because even though the good stories were told, the hidden stories that showed whom they truly were came out now and again too. Darcy had learned about Daryl’s past – and throughout their journey and through these things that had been shared between them, Darcy had picked up on cues whether he knew he was giving her or not.

No one else saw this side of him or her, the joyful, and hopeful, content side. In the amount of time they spent together, as mentioned before, they were able to get to know each other like the back of their own hand. Although, there were still times and places where that same safe guard wall was put up, and for the right reasons too. Daryl was still Daryl, and Darcy was still Darcy. But together, they were so much more: unstoppable.

It grew silent between the two. In spite of their relationship, Darcy senses the uneasiness that Daryl has put between them over the past few days. It wasn’t distance as they would do before when they had issues or temper tantrums, but there was definitely something on his mind that seemed to be bugging him.

In Darcy’s mind, it had never occurred to her that maybe she should ask him if something was wrong. He was normally a closed person if he was dealing with some sort of inner struggle, and Daryl was one to keep to himself and preferred to be alone if and when that happened.

Daryl shifts his weight on his feet and picks at his food. “What’re you expectin’ out of this?”

Darcy turns her head with her eyebrows scrunched together. “With what?”

Daryl adverts her gaze and clears his throat. She can sense that he feels uncomfortable for even asking. “Me. Us, I guess.”

The answer makes her stomach twist. She never thought they’d be having this conversation. Darcy’s mind opens all the possibilities of what he could mean, what he is expecting her to say, and how she really feels about the situation at all.

Maggie and Glenn were in a relationship, that much was obvious. But Darcy couldn’t help but ask herself if her and Daryl were over and over again. It’s not that she didn’t want to be with him, especially with how close they already were, and how she has accepted that it was more important to care about people rather than staying callous and essentially just being alone, but could Daryl openly show his feelings for her if it came down to it? To leave his past behind and go with her when it counted?

“I don’t understand.” Darcy whispered.

“What do you want from me?” He kept his voice low and with the familiar husky voice, but he threw his hands up slightly in aggravation and to avoid further embarrassment for even asking in his mind.

Darcy stutters, lost in thought and for the first time, she doesn’t know what to think, but the only words she says are: “I don’t – I know I don’t want you to go anywhere.”

“Wha’s that mean?” Daryl shakes his head and squints, not understanding.

Darcy sighs, “I don’t know Daryl-“ She brings her fingers up to the sides of her face and closes her eyes, “I-I want you to be here with – why are we even having this conversation? We’re not Glen and –“

“What we gotta have a label on everythin’?” He shifts his weight again.

“Well, it’d sure be a hell of a whole lot easier to understand on deciding what this is.” Darcy motions her hand between her and Daryl.

“I ain’t no good for you.” He said blatantly, almost cutting her off. “If we weren’t here, in this mess, I’d be nothin’ for you. I ain’t even that now.”

“That’s not your choice.” Darcy snapped back. “Not to mention bullshit.”

“Then what do you want out of this?” Daryl asks.

“I want you to stop worrying about things that don’t need to be worried about.” Darcy took a step forward. “What do you want, Daryl?”

Daryl looks at her, taken aback. He shakes his head and picks at his food once more. “Nobody’s ever asked me that before.” He avoids her stare again, “I guess I don’ know either.”

“Maybe you should figure it out – get back to me on that.” She nods, and begins to walk back to the rest of the group.

“Ya ain’t mad are you?” He calls after her.

She faces him and picks at her fingers, “No.” She says, and he nods and blinks shyly at her, trying to keep his cool at such a serious, emotional conversation.

“And I guess to answer your question before, I want you here with us. With me. I’m not comfortable with telling people how I – I just know that I care about you, and it would really hurt if something happened between us or you just weren’t here.”

Daryl lowers his voice again, and Darcy can sense the weight of something pushing down his shoulders. “I just ain’t no good for you.”

“Do you want to be?” Darcy asked, softening her voice.

There is a bit of hesitation. Daryl wears his heart on his sleeve, but there has been no solid relationship with anybody in his lifetime and it is hard for him to confront any such feeling of love or care for another person. He looks like a shy boy as his brown eyes go big and he nods his head slowly. He can’t look at her, no matter how much he wants to.

“Yes.” He answers finally.

“Then that’s all that matters, doesn’t it?”

Notes

I'm exhausted. A little feedback would get me back in the groove though ;)

Hope you enjoy - I'm starting the third season next!

Jane

Comments

Please update this is such an amazing story and I'm dying to know what happens next!!!

Ash8 Ash8
1/22/19

@LoriG
Part 66 is up ;)

@aphishinthec
Argh you got my hopes up- I saw an update, but it was you replying to my last messaege! Please can you update @bikingthroughflowers ? Thank you!

LoriG LoriG
6/25/18

@LoriG Right?!?! Need to know how she would handle Negan.

I'm also desperate to know how Darcy would fare in the storyline now. Pleeeeeease don't give up on this fic, I'm reading it AGAIN! <3<3<3

aphishinthec aphishinthec
4/6/18

I’d love to know how Darcy would deal with Negan... you need to update surely?! Still love this story, and just read it again!

LoriG LoriG
7/31/17