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Salvation	By : madnad Category: S through Z > The Walking Dead Views: 8392 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: The Walking Dead universe & Daryl Dixon belongs wholly to Kirkman/AMC. Original character Lilith belongs to me. I make no money from writing of this story and it is strictly for entertainment purposes only. Do Not Repost elsewhere without permission

Chapter List
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The next morning, she was already shooting at the target when he stepped out.
"Good morning," she smiled, and was pleased to note a slight softening of his gaze and a slight curl of his lips in response.
"Your stamina's getting better. I can see improvement since our last session."
Lilith was genuinely pleased at the compliment. "I still have a little stiffness in my right shoulder from a broken collarbone," she answered, as she rotated her arm in the socket. "But it's getting better all the time."
They stayed out for a couple of hours, until Daryl was called away by Rick. She decided to go for a run around one of the enclosures before heading back inside for a shower.
The shower was a communal shower, which always made Lilith feel extremely vulnerable. She prayed that no one else was there, and was relieved to find it empty. She quickly undressed and jumped under the cold jet. She gasped sharply when the cold water hit her hot flesh, and goose bumps immediately rose on her skin. She let the water run over her back as she lathered her hair with a little of the soap. She had just finished rinsing when she heard someone approaching. She quickly turned off the water and grabbed her towel.
It was Carol. "Oh! I'm sorry. There isn’t usually anyone in at this time of day. Do you mind?"
"No, go ahead," said Lilith. "I'm done anyway," she added as she dabbed at her skin with the small towel that barely covered her.
She turned her back, as did Carol, both women affording the other respect and a little privacy. As Lilith dressed, Carol stepped under the water and gasped at the shock of the cold just as she had done only moments ago.
Lilith looked up instinctively, and both women shared a sheepish grin. Lilith turned away again, and started to rub the towel through her long hair before she put on her vest.
"How's the training going with Daryl," asked the older woman.
"Oh, well I think. Not sure Daryl would agree with me though," she answered with grin.
"Don't take his demeanour too personally," cautioned Carol. "He's a bit of a lone wolf at the best of times, but he's particularly distant at the moment. He's still grieving for his brother, not that he would admit it."
Lilith nodded, and smiled, grateful for the reassurance. "Are you and Daryl… close?"
Carol stared off for a moment before answering. "We're family. There was a time when I thought perhaps he and I might…" she left the sentence unfinished, and flashed a coy smile at Lilith. "The time wasn’t right. Neither of us was ready. To be honest, I don’t think he ever will be."
Carol turned off the water and grabbed her own towel, just as Lilith was making to leave.
"Are you… interested in Daryl?"
"Oh God, no," blushed Lilith. "No, no I… I," she stammered. She looked down at the floor for a second, and gathered her thoughts. "Let's just say that I'm not really ready either and leave it at that."
***
Later that evening, Lilith was sat alone in a quiet corner of the prison yard. Her room-mate Amy was studying some medical text books, and had an annoying habit of occasionally mumbling words aloud under her breath as she read. Lilith decided to leave her in peace for a while.
As she stepped outside, she saw the dim light of a lamp in the guard tower, and knew that Daryl was back from wherever him, Rick and Glenn had been earlier. She went to the kitchen and grabbed a couple of coffees before making her way up the stairs.
He seemed surprised to see her but she ignored it. She handed him the mug then sat herself down in the same spot as the previous night, opposite the doorway to the small room. She sat in silence, drinking her coffee, relishing the warm bitterness and the nutty aroma. She thought that Daryl might object to her invading what was commonly thought of in the prison as his space, but he seemed to relax after a few minutes.
She felt safe in his company. She was creeped out in the prison. It feels a little too much like … well, a prison. She thought. Or a tomb. She couldn’t stomach the anxiety and claustrophobia for too long. Knowing there were walkers only a few corridors away meant she couldn’t relax. Being surrounded by strangers, particularly the men, jangled her nerves too. She had almost slugged Tyreese earlier when he put a hand on her shoulder unexpectedly from behind. They both apologised profusely, and he told her he just wanted to thank her again for saving him in town.
Unlike with the other men in the prison, she felt at ease around Daryl. She knew he didn’t want anything from her, and she didn’t want anything from him other than his friendship. She took as long as she could to drink her coffee, trying to stretch out her time in the guard tower before having to return to her cell.
"Busy afternoon?" she asked, after a few minutes.
He looked at her, and just said "Yup". She didn’t say anymore, just drank her coffee. Eventually, he sat down next to her.
"We went over to Woodbury to see if there was anything we could salvage from there. I think Rick was nervous we'd run into that psycho Governor." He looked down at the yard below them, deep in thought. "Actually, I think Rick was hoping he was there. He's a problem that we still need to deal with." He turned to Lilith. "I think he will pop up again and bite us in the ass. I don’t think he's finished messin' with us yet."
"I think you're right," she added softly.
They went back to drinking in silence, but Lilith kept glancing at her companion. She thought he had the saddest blue eyes she had ever seen. Sometimes he looked so tough, then others he looked so vulnerable, and it tugged at her heart.
She smiled to herself as she remembered a stray kitten she had found in an alley, back when she had first moved to London from Nottingham. He had been small and as black as the night, with big blue eyes. When she had approached him, he had hissed and growled. Even when she offered him food, he had tried to scratch her. She had weathered the bites and the scratches, and took him home. She fed and cared for him over the next few days and soon he would eat without much fuss, only hissing if she tried to stroke him. She persisted with her gentle reassurance, and eventually, he came to accept her affection. One day, after several weeks, she reached out to stroke him, and he pressed his head into her hand and actually purred. By the time he was an old fat cat, he would spend every moment she was at home sat on her lap, or asleep next to her on the bed.
Daryl reminded her a little of that cat. He just needed time to trust people.
She finished her coffee, and got up to leave. "Practice tomorrow?" she inquired.
"Sure," he said. As she headed down the steps, he called after her, "Thanks for the coffee."
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Salvation