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Crossbows and Moonshine (Dragonfoot455 and Travler)

"Mediocre, huh?" Daryl's hair fell in front of his eyes, but the tense jaw and the way his eyes glinted through the strands should have been enough to reveal that she was treading on sensitive ground. "You call me mediocre and then you say that I might teach you something? Well no thank you."

"Daryl, I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding," Aaron was standing up and putting his hands out to appease the two of them. The last thing he wanted was for them to get into a shouting match in his peaceful home. "Come on, maybe we should sit down over some drinks and just... talk... okay?" He started to round the table on the two of them.

The bowman scowled. "I'm not much into talking." He started to gather up his things. "Thanks for dinner."

"Come on, don't leave mad," Erik was trying to back up his lover. "The night is young yet. There's still a lot of ground to cover..."

"I got things to do." He looked up and glared at Alyissa. "I got things to do alone with my mediocre self." He slung his crossbow over his shoulder, still dark and dirty from days out in the woods, and nodded to the two men. "Good night. I'll see you in the morning Aaron. That is, if she hasn't convinced you that I'm not worth botherin' with. Maybe she can help you scout tomorrow. I don't like to play nice according to her."

"Daryl..." Aaron watched as the the redneck took his leave. Once the door was shut behind him the man sighed. "I'm sorry, Alyissa. He's usually not like that."

"Yeah," Erik agreed. "Usually he's worse."
 
"No...it's Ok I crossed a line, should have known better then to insult the man" she sighed pinching the bridge of her nose "I'll let him blow off steam and apologise in the morning. I hope I didn't ruin your Anniversary with my abrasive actions" Aly admitted acting much more submissive now that she didn't feel the need to prove herself to Daryl that she wasn't weak willed.

"You two are very sweet to let me stay with you, Tomorrow you can introduce me to this Deanna and Rick you've mentioned previously" Alyissa looked tired and the Booze had put her on edge which usually ended in not so friendly attitude. "I'm gonna hit the Hay. Mind showing me where that Guest Bedroom is?"
 
"No, don't feel like it's your fault." Aaron went to lead her upstairs, since Erik's leg was still healing. "He's hard to pinpoint sometimes. I think that there's a lot going on with him that he doesn't share." He brought her to the room next to the bathroom she had used. "Here you go. Just make yourself at home tonight. There's a lot of homes in Alexandria; plenty with people and plenty alone. It seems like most people like to be with others, but you can suit yourself."

He smiled encouragingly at her. "Don't worry about Daryl. Really. He'll be fine tomorrow."

* * *

Daryl grunted in frustration as he threw the hammer across the garage. How had she known exactly what to say to hurt him so much? His dad had only to say it once, that Daryl was never going to be more than mediocre at best, and the thought stuck. It made him drop out of school and roam the woods more eagerly. What did he need with school anyway? He was mediocre at best. At his worst, he was a looser. He'd always be a looser. He could still see his father, whiskey glass in one hand, a cigarette in the other, looking at him as if he disgusted the man.

"Fuck!" He screamed at the darkness. At the garage. At the scattered engine parts all around him. "Fuck!"

He walked over to a hanging kicking bag and punched it. That felt good, so he punched it again, and again, until he was imagining his father and punching him over and over. The image of his father turned into Meryl... Meryl as a walker, his eyes dead and his mouth dripping with blood, and Daryl collapsed on the ground, the memories too much for him to stand.
 
Alyissa nodded a thanks for the kind words "Thank you for everything, I'll let you two retire for the evening. If you don't mind I'd like some time to settle down" she lied sitting down on the mattress with a innocent smile. Even though Aaron insisted Daryl would be alright. The Clanging and cursing told her otherwise that she had indeed done more then hit a nerve" Aly would wait until the couple moved farther to the other side of the house before She'd try and soothe Daryl's anger for better or worse.


Creeping down the stairs and turning towards the Garage door of Aaron and Erik's home. Alyissa hesitated before giving a sigh then turning the Knob to find Daryl consumed in bad memory on the concrete floor. "Hey..listen I didn't mean what I said back there...just got a bit over sensitive to being challenged all the time" she stared but fell silent since knowing it sounded like a half ass apology.
 
He heard the door open and thought that it might be Aaron telling him to calm the fuck down, but instead the footsteps were soft and light. He turned his head from where he sat, his elbows resting on bent knees as he sat on the concrete. He stood up and looked at her, then began to walk towards her, his body language hostile as he nearly strutted to where she stood.

"You felt 'over sensitive'?" He shook his head. "To being challenged? Do you even give a fuck what's going on outside your own little world?" They were nearly toe to toe now, his tall, dirty, rugged chest only a few inches from her clean, soft, feminine one. "You hated me from the moment you saw me. Don't deny it."

He paused for a moment before turning towards two cyborg looking bikes sitting next to each other. They looked like Frankenstein's two-wheeled offspring, ready to take on the world. "The one on the right is yours if you can finish getting it up and running. Touch the one on the left and you and I will have words."
 
"Is that what you think? That I hate you..? Daryl If I hated you, I'd taken every opportunity to kill you. Instead I followed you back here with Aaron. I'm not blind to the world around me, I know it all too well now. I'm trying to survive just like you or anyone else stuck in this God forsaken world. I'm rough around the edges but not as bad as you think I am. It's up to you what Your guts tells you" she said keeping a steady tone and didn't flinch when Daryl got in her face. Aly held her ground. before following his gaze to the Bikes. "Don't doubt your skills, you've done mighty fine on the Chopper. I can offer my services to you but it's up to you to decide" she said observing the condition of the of Motorbikes.

Alyissa slowly reached for her flask in her back pocket to offer him a drink as an truce offering from her uncalled for insult about that really got under his skin.
 
"I don't doubt my skills. I doubt yours." He looked back to her. Did she think it was easy cannibalizing other bikes to make two that would function? "Maybe I don't have the certifications of your Harley MC mechanics, but I know how to make a motor purr. These are my babies and I'm giving you one. That should be enough."

He saw her reaching for something and watched closely. When she offered the flask his eyes raised to hers and then, cautiously, he took the flask and opened it. The sweet burn felt good going down his throat. He closed the thing and handed it back to her. He didn't have anything to offer in return, other than the bike. He sauntered over to the one on the left and reached across to close the front brake, then he straddled the thing and ran his hands over the tank. It wasn't Meryl's bike. Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe he needed to put the past into the past.

Daryl looked up at Alyissa. "Go on. Try her out. She'll start but your throttle tends to stick. You'll have to fix it if you want to be able to trust it." As he looked at her it wasn't clear if he was talking about the motorcycle or himself, but they were definitely on better ground now.
 
A slow grin crossed her lips seeing that they were on better ground now. "You know Daryl" she said mounting the Bike and starting it up. "She's not a Filmstar Beauty but she's got some kick left in her" she laughed holding the break while giving the engine a small rev to see the power. "Think you can keep up Sweetheart?" she said firing the nickname he had dubbed when he met her.

Aly couldn't wait to taste the freedom that blazing down open roads and in some inviting pull called to her to relive the feeling. Though it sounded like she was challenging him again, it was more playful then anything.
 
"What do you mean she's not a beauty? Are you high?" He started his up too, and the two bikes purred in the garage. When she called him sweetheart and asked if he could keep up he grinned at her. "Sometimes going fast isn't the way to win. Sometimes it's nice and slow that wins." He reached down and turned off his bike, then dismounted.

"It'll wait until daylight." He trailed his fingers along the tank, then across the handlebars of his bike. They went from the grip to the choke. "You know, for the most part these are good people. You haven't met them all yet, but they are good." He looked up at her through the dark locks of hair that hung over his eyes. "There are some of them I'd trust my life to, any day." He searched her face for signs of what she was thinking. It was difficult to in the light of the florescent bulb that burned overhead and more so because of the engine fumes.

"Anyway. I'm gonna turn in." He looked over at her. "I'll see you."
 
"If you think she's pretty, then you would have drooled at the sight of my 1999 Night Train" Alyissa smirked in response. When Daryl spoke of turning in for the Night, Aly instinctively gave a yawn.Waving him off as he pulled the Garage door open and strolled in the opposite direction of Aaron's home. Though Alyissa wanted to stay up to fix up the Frankenstein of a Bike. She decided against it and stood letting the exhaust fumes linger a bit longer before returning to the made up Guest Room.

The Irish lass dreamt of many things that night, some good. Most of them involved of killing Brain Munchers but even in sleep she could feel the ug of the Open Road calling to her.
 
Daryl wound up sleeping on the couch, in his clothes, and dreaming of motorcycles, dead horses, and whiskey. He crossed his arms over his chest, one boot on the floor and one on armrest, and slept hard. When morning came, Michonne walked by and then paused at the foot of the couch as she watched him sleep.

Finally she grabbed his foot and shook it. "Hey Daryl!" She kept shaking until his eyes slid open and he glared at her. "Get your ass off this couch and take a shower, red neck. I'm tired of smelling you before I can see you."

"You're not my mother," he grumbled.

"No shit. Now get your white ass into the shower and clean up, or I'll drag you in there myself." She put her hands on her hips, and with her uniform casually thrown on, her dark hair thick and wild, she almost looked like Calypso of the seas. "Now that's an order."

"God." He swung his legs off the couch and sat up. "Okay, okay..."

"While you're at it, clean that shit off your equipment. Your shit smells like rotting walker flesh." She gave him a half serious glare, but when she saw that he was moving to obey her she left the room to go to the kitchen. Rick was there, starting a pot of coffee. She laid her sheathed katana on the counter and shook her head at him. "That boy, sometimes I don't know what to do with him."

"It sounds like you got him under control." He turned on the machine and the bitter scent of brewing coffee filled the room. "Did you hear that they brought home a new person last night?"

"Yeah. She stayed at Aaron and Erik's." When the coffee was done she poured them both cup. "I'm gonna go over there with Daryl and meet her. Feel her out. You want to come and ask her your questions?"

"Hmm. Yeah. I'll do that." Rick looked thoughtful as he lifted the cup to his lips. His eyes stormed at his inner thoughts, mostly about the shifting dynamics in Alexandria and how they were going to keep everyone safe. He looked up as a decidedly cleaner Daryl strolled in, his hair still wet.

"I told you to take a shower, not to just stand under the water."

"I used soap." He glared at her. "Geesh. You're beginning to sound like Carole."

"Yeah well hurry up. We're going to meet that new friend of yours."

***

Erik was a good cook. They had a few eggs in their rations from the chickens and he was making up a huge platter of pancakes. The people in Alexandria had never experienced the full extent of the collapse, like those on the outside had, and early on, the members had raided a huge warehouse store. Careful rationing had allowed them all a level of comfort during the last few years.

They had opened a can of mixed fruit to put over the warm bread. Aaron walked over to him and gave him a kiss on the temple. "Any sign of our guest?"

"Not yet. She and Daryl had an interesting time last night, though, from the sounds in the garage."

Aaron grinned. "Pervert."

"Yeah, but you know you love it."
 
Alyissa had slept like a Rock that night and the smell of breakfast woke her up. Though she grumbled while getting dressed before stumbling down the steps still half asleep. "Morning Love Birds" Aly yawned while eyeing the pancakes. "Haven't had these since forever ago." she sat down and tried not to resist to eat it like a feral predator. "Any sign of Daryl, got off on the wrong foot but that was settled last night" taking another bite, devouring the food rather quickly. "Could use a Tour of the place Aaron..course if you have the time"

She'd had actually taken a liking to the Red Neck but felt more awkward then anything around him. Even if the Chopper wasn't exactly tuned to her liking. Aly still wanted to give her a ride. Surely there had to be a open Road where it wasn't completely swamped with Biters. "I'm gonna get some Fresh Air...don't wait up"
 
A loud knocking at the door drew Aaron's attention. He got up and went to the door to let Rick and the others in. "Hey! Good morning. We're making breakfast..."

"Thanks but we're busy today." Rick made a direct line to where Alyissa was sitting at the table. Behind him Michonne strolled, her smile and nod at Aaron and Erik indicating that they had a rather nice relationship.

Daryl came up behind them and leaned over to pluck a pancake off the table. He ate it like a sandwich but he avoided looking directly at Alyissa.

"So," Rick stood near the newcomer. "I hear that you want to stay here in Alexandria. There are a few things we need to work out first. A couple of questions."

"The first question is - have you ever killed a Walker?"

Daryl swallowed and answered for Alyissa. "Yes."

Rick glared at him. "Do you mind?"
 
Alyissa eyed Rick trying to figure out what exactly what he wanted from her, exchanging a glance with Aaron. Alyissa spoke "I've lost count to how many I've shot..more or less I suppose" she answered with darting eyes over the man. Flipping out her skinning knife and flipping it so she held the blade and used the handle to sit under the Sheriff's chin to get a better look at his face "Hmm you've got the eyes of a Killer yourself Officer Friendly" she smirked not caring if the sharp edge cut into her palms. Knowing that the might get jumpy with her weapon out so Aly sheathed her Knife "Anything else you wanna know about me?, I'm sure Daryl must have told you something" Alyissa said while passing a glance at the Bowman. "Never did like Cops much, never had a sense of Humor"

In a sense the Irish lass was processing her own thoughts about the group that had so not kindly barged into Aaron's home to demand answers in not such a friendly manner. After all Erik's cooking was mighty fine, could have talked over Breakfast but guess that wasn't how they ran things here in Alexandria. Finishing up her food she turned her attention to the Samurai wielding deputy who seemed a bit more of her type of person to talk to then Rick. "Where are my manners, I'm Alyissa Darko. Friends call me Aly...if they aren't dead or turned" she shrugged. It was a good thing that these people weren't so easily trusting as the other group she had been in. Showed that they were smart and survival skills were sharpened; despite the suspicious looks that they gave her. Alyissa had a good feeling about Alexandria, even if history tended to repeat itself everywhere she went.
 
Rick narrowed his eyes as she threatened him. He knew that Michonne would back him up if needed, but he wasn't sure how crazy Daryl's new find would turn out to be. The dark skinned warrioress had her gun trained on the newcomer but they all knew that a practiced flick of the wrist and the sheriff would be dead. This wasn't the time to lose their leader.

"Daryl keeps to his own counsel," Rick affirmed. He waited until she put her knife completely away before asking the next questions. "How many people have you killed, and why?" He shifted his feet slightly but it was to bring him closer to her, not further away.

Once the knife was put away Michonne lowered her firearm. Behind them, Aaron and Erik had quietly sat down to observe. They hadn't witnessed this line of questioning before, but Deanna had told them that things were going to be changing soon to better protect those who lived in the walls.

The bowman walked over to the sink and looked out the kitchen window. He had to admit he felt better after his shower, even if he'd never admit it to Michonne. She was one of the few who could talk to him like she did. They had developed an understanding; a code, perhaps, between those who understood what it meant to fight to survive. As Alyissa began to speak he turned back around and watched her, leaning against the counter and finishing off the last bite of the pancake that Erik had made.
 
Alyissa didn't flinch under Rick's hard stare. She had delt with the law and always managed to stay two steps ahead. None of that mattered now; all that ruled now was survival and raw instinct. "I was a full patched member of Hell's Angels. Murder, Drug smuggling, been part of it for a while before some Virus hit. I killed for a job...now I do it for survival. Only kill when absolutely needed and Why?" she chuckled darkly before stepping closer to face Rick "it'll be a cold day in Hell when I die" she told him with a steady tone.Though she was serious about keeping herself alive and those she cared for. Giving him a respectful dip of the head to both of them before giving Daryl a side smile.

Aly would be sure not to step on anyone's show seeing that she wasn't running the place. They seemed like fine Folk but Rick set her on edge. He seemed one step of the edge of insanity and other one gripping whatever Humanity could be found.
 
"You were a cold-blooded murderer before this broke out, and now you 'only' kill when you 'need' to?" Rick scowled even more. He was ready to chuck her outside the fence and tell her to not come back. Life now was hard enough, but to have someone who was a fully patched member of one of the most notorious gangs on two wheels running around was going to be too risky. He couldn't have it. "What determines what's needed to you, Alyissa Darko?" He was starting to get harsher towards her, his body leaned slightly forward in such a way that made it obvious he was one wrong answer from throwing her in jail or out to the walkers without a moment's hesitation.

"Hey," Daryl pushed off the counter he was leaning against and walked towards the two. "I'll vouch for her."

That got the sheriff's attention. "You don't even know her."

"I know enough." Daryl stood there, his gaze holding Rick's as if they were in a battle of wills. "I'll vouch for her. She screws up, then it's my screw up." He nodded once.

"That's a big risk," Michonne interjected. She put a hand on Rick's shoulder. "He's always been a good judge of people, Rick. If Daryl is willing to go to the line for her then that's good enough for me."

Rick wasn't as convinced. He turned his accusatory eyes onto Alyissa. "Alright... but we're watching you. Screw up once, and you're out." He looked at Daryl. "I hope you know what you're doing." Then he turned his attention to their hosts. "Sorry, Aaron, Erik. You know how it it." He glared once more at Ayisson and then he and his deputy took their leave of the home.

Daryl reached for another pancake. "These are good Erik." Then he shrugged at Aly. "You want to ride today?"
 
Alyissa honestly couldn't take Rick seriously. He stared at her like she was going to eat his children. "Damn, that was Ice cold. I was the friendlier one out of the bunch in our Chapter. Let me make this clear..I'm not going to kill nobody unless they try and kill me or they've turned. I didn't come to ruffle Feathers...If you want me to leave I can split. If not I'll work hard to prove I can be a valuable asset." she said turning to face Daryl with her Amber eyes softening "You stood up for me...whatever the reason Thank you" she said giving a drum roll on the countertop. "I've been itching to hit the open Road since I woke up. Unless you have more friends who want to meet me?" Aly joked giving a playful push as she passed him. Alyissa had three sides to her, Abrasive bitch, Playful Jokester then the side which earned her place in the Bloodthirsty Gang in the first place.

Aly was a Criminal but one who had left that in the past. Maybe Rick didn't see that in her but Daryl did. If they saw past the patched Jacket then maybe The Group would see her as someone who could help. The Wings on Daryl's vest intrigued her seeing that they reminded her of a Fallen Angel, a creature deemed to walk the Earth alone. That was how Lucifer was deemed to rule Hell for eternity right? maybe Daryl was a guardian and not a fallen. These were thoughts that she'd never speak outloud but rather kept her staring at the Redneck in fascination.
 
The two waited until Alyissa and Daryl left. Erik turned to his lover. “Me thinks she doth protest too much.” He raised an eyebrow and grinned.

Aaron smiled back. “Guilty much?”
--
Daryl pulled up the garage door and let the morning light shine into the garage. “So the throttle is sticky. You might want to check that out before we even think of leaving the compound. A bad machine out there can mean death.” He leaned against the wall and surveyed the little room. Parts of bikes were scattered about, a cannibalistic feast that had never been cleaned up.

“You want to take that thing apart before you ride it?” He pushed off the wall and started to walk towards the tools. “Or are you the risky type and you wanna just take it out as it is?”
 
Alyissa raised an eyebrow at Daryl "Normally if the throttle is stuck it means that it hasn't been greased properly. I'd hate for it to kick back when I'm on it, if not we are gonna have to take her apart and remove the cable to see where the problem lies" she said wiping the grease off of her hands. "What about yours, is she running alright?" she asked running a hand over the handle bars "Daryl what I said about you being Mediocre...you're not. If you are able put a Motorcycles like these together just from parts. You are far above what I would would call Mediocre" she said standing up and rubbing the back of her shoulder trying not to make it sound so awkward.

"I uh...enjoy your company, I guess" Alyissa sighed looking back at his bike "Mine's not ready to ride yet...want to make sure it's safe first" maybe it wasn't that clear of what she was hinting at. They hadn't known eachother long and maybe it was too early to say that Alyisss had developed feelings for the Red neck, even if she didn't know what it was exactly. But something was there on why she had taken a liking to Daryl. Friendship maybe?
 
He scowled at her. What the fuck was she talking about? But then he remembered that he had that breakdown the previous night and had gotten pissed at her over her use of the word ‘mediocre’. “Yeah I don’t need my own personal cheerleader.” He turned away and tried to figure out what the hell he was looking at. Was it a wrench? Plyers? He couldn’t think straight right now.

Her comment about her bike not being ready drew his attention back to her. “My bikes’ running great. You know, I can take yours apart if you want to ride around the compound. Don’t leave the gates.” He raised his gaze to look at her. “If you steal my fucking bike I’ll come after you. Hell’s Angel or not.” He tossed her the keys. “We got helmets if you want one. No one's going to call you a sissy if you use one."

"Besides," he crossed his arms over his chest, "you look like you need to get out and blow off some steam."
 
Alyissa narrowed her eyes at his little quips at her trying to make nice. "Nah man if I can't be out there it's not worth going. I wouldn't steal or touch your bike, common courtesy. Not to mention I'm picky about the Machines I hijack" she smirked at his threat "And I wouldn't be making threats you can't keep" she warned knowing things would go down differently if it was just the two of them. "Blowing off steam is a understatement. Usually starting Bar fights were a way to blow off steam. Fixing the Throttle is a quick fix, won't take long to take apart myself anyway" she sighed looking from the Toolbox to the Bike trying to figure out what to do. "Appreciate the offer anyhow" Aly said tossing back the keys.

Alyissa picked up that he was still rough around the edges with her but it would wear down soon enough. "Your Friend the Sheriff is quite the character" Alyissa snorted mirroring his own body language but was a bit different with breasts. "What's your deal with me anyhow?, already told you I'm not here to kill anyone. You stare at me like I'm the devil" Aly almost spat.
 
"Yeah, well, they don't look too kindly on bar fighting around here." He tilted his head at her and scoffed. What kind of woman was she, anyway? Talking about fighting, about how it's not worth riding if she couldn't go 'out there', about fixing her bike herself. She was all kinds of unexpected, and he didn't know what to think of her.

She changed the topic to Rick and then she crossed her arms and made her breasts look up at him. Damn it. Why did women have to do that?

"Why am I staring at you?" He hadn't realized that he had been staring. Now he wondered how he could have not noticed it.

"No, it ain't 'cause I think you're the 'devil'. You're just different, that's all it is. I ain't put my finger on it yet." He uncrossed his arms and picked up a can of engine lube, moving it over nearer her. "Why don't you hurry up and get that beast running? Then you and me can go out and get that ride done." He rolled his neck to the side and let it pop from being tense all night. Maybe this was what he needed too. Maybe they were both a little wound tight.
 
Alyissa sighed and dropped her arms. "We still bleed the same color, I'm not that different" she told him before crouching on the balls of her feet. Using the lubricant to grease the Throttle then moving to make sure everything was in check so she didn't stall in the middle of riding. "Things seemed to be in order no need to take her apart unless there is any underlying problems that come up later on" Aly spoke outloud before wiping the oil of of her hands with a rag. Alyissa ignored the fact he might have been staring at her chest. Wasn't the first time she had been eyed like that. Starting the bike up showed that it would ride just fine. "You ready to hit the road?" she asked mounting the bike and feeling up the handle bars.
 
"Not that kind of different," Daryl muttered. He wiped at his chin with the back of his hand and then turned away from her to pick up his crossbow where it had been left on the work bench. This he took to his bike to snap it into its carrying spot behind the seat.

He didn't answer her question, but instead straddled his bike and started the engine. The two motors purred together. Their rumbling was a dissonant song of power and adventure. He nodded, then kicked up the stand and eased the clutch to pull himself out of the garage and onto the road, not bothering to look if she was coming along. Soon it became apparent that she was just as ready to feel the wind and sun as he was. He pulled his sunglasses from a vest pocket and slipped them on, and a grin found its way to his face.

The gate keeper saw them coming. As they slowed to a crawl the gate was pushed open. Daryl gunned the engine and shot through the gate, flying down the road like a released panther.

They were free. If only for the afternoon, they were free. It had been a lifetime since he'd ridden with anyone, and he wanted to seize the day. None of them were guaranteed a tomorrow.
 
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