Chapter Text
The next morning, Daryl asked Isabella if she minded if he called Rick and asked him to get breakfast with him. Just him, he felt like maybe Rick needed someone to talk to about the night before. She didn’t mind at all, in fact she thought it was a great idea. She needed to do some things around Rick’s house anyway. She could take care of her things, while they were out to breakfast and then Daryl could start driving lessons.
Rick told Daryl that he’d love to meet him breakfast. He sounded almost relieved. Rick told him that he’d meet him at the restaurant because he had to stop by the station first. So, Daryl drove Isabella home and then left to meet Rick. Isabella went inside and started a load of laundry, then did some dishes that Rick had left in the sink. She’d taken a shower with Daryl at his house that morning, but she didn’t have any shampoo or a razor or anything, so she decided to take another shower and take care of all that. She was in the shower for about 20 minutes, when she got out, she dried off and walked back into the bedroom to put lotion on. When she was done, she dried her hair. She threw on a flimsy little sundress and flip flops and headed down the hall.
She was putting the clothes in the dryer when someone knocked on the door. She hesitantly went to answer it. She hated to answer the door when she was home alone. Isabella got to the door and opened it, without asking who it was. There she was, face to face with Shane. Her eyes got big and she gasped, she tried to slam the door, but he put his shoe in the door, so it wouldn’t close.
“Listen to me. I ain’t gonna’ hurt you. I just want to talk to Rick. Just open the door.” Shane insisted.
Isabella screamed. “Rick’s not here! Go away!” Then she kicked his foot from the crack in the door and slammed it shut. She locked the door knob and the bolt.
Shane started banging on the door. “I just want to talk to Rick and then I’ll go. Open the door. Look, I’m sorry about last night. I was rude, I was drunk and I talk a lot of shit when I am, I didn’t mean any of that stuff I said about you. Please just tell Rick to come to the door.”
“I told you, he’s not here. Just go away, please.” Isabella pleaded. She was getting scared, because he was really banging on the door hard and his voice was agitated.
“His truck’s here, girl. Do you live here or something? I thought you was with Daryl.” Shane hollered through the door.
“I am with Daryl, but I live here with Rick. Please just go away. Wait in your car or something. They’ll be back soon, but please just get away from the door.” She begged.
“Why do you live here?” Shane asked.
“None of your business. Go away or I’m going to call the cops.” She told him.
“I can’t wait for him to come back, I gotta’ go. Let me come in and leave him a note, please.” Shane pleaded.
“No! Go away. I’m warning you!”
Shane pounded his fist on the door hard, making Isabella jump and start to cry. “God, damn it, bitch. Just open the fuckin’ door and give me a piece of paper. Ok, ok, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry. Can I at least have a piece of paper?” He continued to pound on the door.
Isabella was crying. She was scared to death. “You’d better go, I’m going to call the cops, plus Rick and Daryl will be back anytime. You don’t want Daryl to find you hear. Go away!”
“All right, all right. I’m going. Ok, don’t call the cops. I’m going.” Then Shane stopped knocking.
Isabella stood in the hallway up against the wall, so he couldn’t see her through the windows beside the door. She watched his shadow disappear and she breathed a sigh of relief. She was shaking and upset, but she knew Daryl and Rick would be back soon. She started down the hallway toward her bedroom, when she heard the front door unlock. At first, she thought it was them, so she walked excitedly back down the hall toward the front door. When she got to the laundry room, a figure came around the corner. It was Shane.
Isabella screamed bloody murder and ran to her room and locked the door. Shane yelled down the hall to her.
“I ain’t gonna’ hurt you. I just need to leave Rick a note. I used the spare key under the mat. I’m writing my note and then I’m gone, ok?”
Isabella dialed 911 as fast as she could. She knew the dispatcher that answered the phone, she cried into the phone what was happening. The dispatcher told her a car was on its way.
“I called the cops. They’ll be here any second and I called Daryl too. He’s going to kill you. You’d better go.”
“God, damn it, why the fuck did you call the cops?” His voice was getting louder out in the hallway. He must be coming toward the bedroom. Isabella thought. She panicked. She dialed Daryl, but he didn’t pick up. Then there was knocking on her door.
“I ain’t going to hurt you. I wrote a note and now I’m leaving.” He continued to knock. “Hey can you hear me?”
Isabella was sobbing now. “Please just go away. Please!”
“Hey, open the door. I ain’t gonna’ hurt you. I just wanna’ tell you, I’m sorry. Open the door.” He asked.
Then she heard them. Two voices down the hallway.
“Step away from the door, Shane and turn around slowly. Put your arms up. Now!”
Shane put his hands up and turned around slowly, like they’d asked him to. “I wasn’t doing anything. I was just trying to talk to her and tell her I was sorry for last night.”
“Get down on the floor. Keep your arms above your head.” Jenner said.
“Isabella? You ok?” She heard Glenn say.
“Yes!” She cried.
“Ok, just stay there until we cuff him.” Glenn told her.
“Don’t move Shane.” Jenner said as he approached him with his gun drawn. He holstered his gun and leaned down on Shane’s back, then brought his arms back behind his back and put the cuffs on him.
“You don’t need to do this. I wasn’t doing anything I was trying to tell her I wasn’t gonna’ hurt her. Come on guys. You know me.” Shane pleaded.
“You weren’t doing anything? Get up, slowly. You weren’t doing anything? You broke into Rick’s house and then tried to break down her bedroom door. What were you gonna’ do Shane? Hurt her to get even with Daryl for kicking your ass last night. Move! Start walking.” Jenner said, pushing Shane down the hallway.
“I didn’t break in, I used the key.” Shane said, defensively.
Just then Rick and Daryl bolted through the front door. Both in a panic.
“What the fuck! Isabella, Isabella.” Daryl said, running past Shane and Jenner.
Isabella opened the door and ran into Daryl’s arms. She was sobbing uncontrollably. He held her tight and then pushed her back to give her a once over. He looked her up and down and turned her around.
“What’d he do ta’ ya’? Did he touch ya’? Are ya’ hurt? What the fuck happened? Are ya’ ok, rabbit?” Daryl asked, extremely upset.
Isabella tried to catch her breath, she latched onto Daryl again and explained what happened. He made sure that Shane hadn’t touched her and then turned around and ran down the hall and out the front door. Jenner had Shane standing by the back of their cruiser. Rick was out there, yelling at Shane. Nobody saw him coming, before they knew it, Daryl had Shane down on the ground beating the holy hell out of him. Shane couldn’t block or fight back because he was in cuffs. It took Rick, Jenner and Glenn to get Daryl off Shane and then it was just barely. Rick drug Daryl away, while Daryl hollered at Shane at the top of his lungs, using every curse word in the book. Isabella was standing on the front porch still crying.
Rick told Daryl to calm the fuck down and tend to Isabella. He promised he’d take care of Shane. Jenner got Shane up off the ground and put him in the back of the cruiser. Daryl ran to Isabella and scooped her up into his arms. He made her go inside, so she didn’t have to see Shane anymore. Rick told Jenner and Glenn to take Shane in and book him for breaking and entering and attempted assault, then he told them he’d be down to the station as soon as he checked on Isabella and got a complete picture of what went down.
Daryl had Isabella on the sofa, holding her close and reassuring her that everything was fine, that she was safe and he was never going to let anybody or anything hurt her. She clung to him and tried to settle down. Rick came in and sat down on the other side of her. He asked her to look at him. When she did, he took his hand and brushed the hair out of her face, then cupped her cheek gently. He asked her if she was ok and told her that he was sorry for what happened. Then he had her tell him everything that happened in detail. When she was done, it was clear that Rick was beyond angry. He stood up, then leaned over and kissed her on her forehead and left for the station. She laid down on Daryl’s lap and started crying again. He just sat there and stroked her hair until she calmed down. It tore him up to see her that way. He’d caused her to be that way and he swore he’d never let it happen again from him or anyone, but it did happen and he blamed himself. He made up his mind, he was going to teach her self-defense and how to shoot. Isabella drifted off for about 40 minutes and when she woke up, she was much calmer and even smiled a little bit.
Daryl got up and fixed her something to eat. He made her the little Stouffer’s mac and cheese with the sides all crispy, like she liked. After she ate, she asked Daryl if they could practice driving. He asked her if she was sure, she was up to it. She told him ‘yes’, so they headed out. Daryl told Isabella that they were going to use an old Jeep Cherokee that Rick had down at the station. It was a lot smaller than Daryl’s Dodge Ram 3500.
They picked up the Cherokee and started toward the high school. They had a lot of different roads with stop signs and a place to parallel park. He’d let her practice there and then when she was ready, he’d take her out on the main roads. When they got to the school, Daryl showed her how to adjust her seat and mirrors and told her always use a seatbelt. She rolled her eyes at him and asked if he thought she was stupid. Then he got into the passenger’s seat and went over all the controls with her. When he thought, she had it down, he told her to start the car and put it in gear. She put it in gear, all right. She put it in reverse and ran up over a curb. She laughed nervously and gave Daryl the big ‘oops’ eyes. He told her to try again. So, she did. She pulled out of the parking area and got on the bus road. She drove around the school twice, each time she came to a stop sign, she tapped the breaks lightly and then came to a complete stop.
Now he wanted her to practice using her turn signals. He told her to always use them, even if she saw him not using them, she still had to use them. She didn’t think that was fair. Isabella was doing great until she started talking.
“Why did Charlie leave with that girl last night if he’s seeing Amber?” She asked.
Daryl laughed. “Charlie don’t belong to just one girl. He’s got a lot of ‘em. Him and Amber ain’t serious, I guess.”
“Are we serious?” She asked, looking at him.
“Watch the road. I don’t just go around giving… I said watch the road. I don’t give necklaces to every girl I know. God, damn it! Keep your eyes on the road.”
“I am, I can talk to you and drive at the same time.” She told him.
“Rabbit, watch where yer goin’.” He yelled. “Ok, stop and don’t… “
Isabella hit the brakes hard.
“… slam on the breaks. Ya’ can’t just slam on the breaks when ya’ wanna’ stop. Ya’ gotta’ watch traffic and then pull over or turn into somewhere.”
“Well, you yelled at me and I got confused. It’s your fault!” She whined.
“Oh, ok! It’s all my fault.” Daryl said, annoyed.
They went through this for about another hour, then Daryl called it a day on driving lessons. He told Isabella that they didn’t quit for the day, he might make her cry, when he screamed at her. His nerves were shot.
“Did I do good, just a little bit?” She asked.
“Just a little bit. We’ll come out again tomorrow and try it again.” Daryl told her.
“I thought you had to work tomorrow.” She enquired.
He turned and smiled at her. “I took another week off.”
Isabella about jumped out of her seat. “Yay! Really? You won’t get in trouble?”
“Nah, I told ya’ I had like three month’s vacation time. Might as well take it while yer here.”
She bounced up and down in her seat happily. “Yay!”
“I already took two weeks, this’ll be my third. I got a total of twelve. So, I’ll take this week and then spread out five more weeks over the summer. Then I’ll take two when ya’ come for Thanksgiving and two when ya’ come for Christmas.”
Isabella looked at him kind of puzzled. “I don’t know if my brother will want me to come down for those holidays.”
“Fuck yer brother. Yer comin’ down to see me… and Rick, me and Rick and Charlie. He don’t even have to know yer comin’. I’ll pay for yer train ticket or maybe I’ll come and get ya’.” He said excitedly.
Isabella’s eyes teared up. “You really want me to come stay with you and spend the holidays with you guys?”
“Course! Why, ya’ don’t want to?” He asked, unsure.
“Yes, of course. I… I guess I thought that maybe you wouldn’t want to see me after the summer was over.” She said, sadly.
“Ya’ don’t wanna’ see me after the summer?” Daryl asked, woefully.
“I want to see you forever, I just didn’t know how you felt, but I guess I do now.” She said with a huge smile and tears running down her face.
“Yeah, I wanna’ see ya’ forever too.” He said without thinking. “I mean… ya’ know? I don’t know what’s gonna’ happen with us, but I don’t just wanna’ say ‘good-bye’ and then that be it. I don’t think I could handle that.”
“Me either. I’m dreading September.” She said gloomily.
“Well, that’s why we gotta’ make the next two months’ count. It’s gonna’ be great!” Daryl said and then he reached over and grabbed Isabella’s hand and squeezed it tightly. She pulled his hand up and kissed his busted knuckles.
They stopped at Dairy Queen for chocolate dipped cones and while they were sitting there eating them, Isabella spotted an antique store. She asked if they could go in, when they were done. Daryl said, ‘yes’.
When they entered the old store the bell on the door rang. Isabella thought it was funny and told Daryl that every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings. He had no idea what she was talking about, she told him, when she came back for Christmas, they were going to sit down and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” and then he’d understand. Once they got into the store they could hear arguing coming from the back room, when the front door slammed shut, the bell rang loudly and the arguing stopped. An older lady came out from the office with a huge smile on her face.
“Well, hello. How can we help you today?” She asked.
“Hello, we just want to look around, is that’s ok?” Isabella answered. Daryl had already started looking at things.
“Of course, dear. Let me know if you need any help.” And she turned around and went back into the office.
There were so many pretty things. Isabella wanted everything, but she came to look for something for Rick’s birthday. Oh, but there were so many beautiful things. She saw a gorgeous antique tea set. She imagined having one like that for when she was married and had a family. She would throw tea parties for all her friends and they’d sit and drink tea and gossip the day away. The set of Polish China in the corner was calling out to her, so was the set of silver in its own mahogany box. She needed to get a grip, she’d come there for Rick, not for herself. Daryl was checking out the saddle over on the far wall, when Isabella came to the case that held something she just had to have for Rick, but she knew it was probably way too expensive.
The people in the office were arguing again. From what she could hear they were disagreeing on some computer software they had purchased. Apparently, they could not figure it out and they both were getting very frustrated. The arguing stopped again and an older gentleman came out this time, to check on them.
“Hello, did you find anything you like?” The man said.
“Yes, I have. I… I don’t mean to be nosey, but I overheard your conversation… “Isabella started.
“Oh, good Lord, Marvin, we’re running off our customers.” The old woman said, coming out of the office behind her husband.
“No, no. That doesn’t bother me, I just… well… I know the software that you’re trying to use. I’m kind of an expert at it. Are you trying to put all your inventory and financial information on the computer? Is that what you want to do?” Isabella asked.
The old couple looked at each other and then back at Isabella. Then the older man said, “You know how to work the software and the computer? We’ve never even had a computer before. We’ve always kept written records and then our grandson came down with his family a couple of months ago, and told us that we needed to put everything on the computer. He bought us the damn thing and the program and then the little bastard left without showing us how to use it.”
“I’m very good with computers and like I said, I know the software program inside and out. I can show you a couple of things if you want me too. Just a little something to get you started. It’s pretty much self-explanatory after it’s downloaded.” Isabella explained to them.
Daryl had come over and was looking at Isabella like she was crazy. She didn’t even know these people and she was offering to help them.
“How rude of me, I’m Alvie and this is my husband Marvin. We’ve owned this store since 1965 and we had trouble with the 20th century, let alone the 21st. You probably think were a couple of old fools.” Alvie laughed.
“I’m Isabella and this is my boyfriend Daryl and no, I don’t think you’re a couple of old fools. It’s very overwhelming learning something for the first time.” Isabella told them.
They both said ‘how do you do’ to both Isabella and a very confused Daryl. They asked Isabella if she lived in town. She explained her situation and they were very impressed with her educational background. They told her that they would love some help if she had the time. Isabella said, of course. She offered to come back in the morning, that way they could start fresh. She said, it wouldn’t take more than a couple of hours. Then Marvin had an idea. He asked her if she would be willing to not only teach them how to work the computer and software program, but also if she could get them started with their financials. He told Isabella that they could either pay her or she could have anything in the store that she wanted. Isabella thought that was too generous and said, she had offered to help them, so she couldn’t take money from them. Then Marvin insisted that she take something from the store. Anything.
“Did you see something you liked?” Alvie asked her.
She was hesitant to say, she felt like she was taking advantage, but finally she said, “Yes, I did, but I think it’s worth a lot of money. So, I’m not sure if I should ask for it.”
This had Daryl very curious. He asked her what it was and so did they. She took them all over to the case she’d been looking in and pointed out what she wanted to get Rick. She pointed to an old Colt Python revolver with a 6in barrel, just like the one Rick carried, only this one was an antique.
“That Colt right there.” She said.
“Out of all this pretty stuff, may I ask why you want a gun?” Marvin asked her.
“Well, it’s my friend’s birthday, well, I mean the man I work for…”
Daryl cut in and said. “He’s her friend.”
Isabella smiled. “My friend, well anyway, he carries a gun like this. He’s the sheriff here.” Isabella said.
“Oh, Sheriff Grimes. Yes, what a sweet and gentle man he is. Such a shame about his wife.” Alvie said and they all agreed.
“I know this one is a 1956 or 1957 model and I thought it would be great to get it and have it restored for him. They don’t make them anymore, you know?”
Daryl immediately asked. “How do ya’ know all that?”
Isabella laughed. “Rick’s got about a 100 gun books. I’ve looked through them all and I saw the one he carried, so I read about that on in particular.”
Daryl shook his head in disbelief and smiled.
“Well, I think that’s a wonderful idea. Very thoughtful. Consider it yours, sweetheart.” Marvin said and Alvie agreed.
“I’ll have to give you some money for it too, because it’s worth a lot.” Isabella told them.
“Don’t you worry about a thing. I know what it’s worth and something tells me your friendship is going to be worth far more than that could ever be. Priceless.” Alvie smiled sweetly.
Isabella blushed and told them she felt the same. Marvin took the gun out of the case and put it in back, so no one else would try and purchase it. Isabella thanked them a million times and told them she’d be back in the morning and they get started on the computer. Alvie gave her hug, Marvin shook hers and Daryl’s hand and then they left. On the way to the truck, Daryl started laughing.
“How do ya’ do that?” He asked her.
“Do what?” She asked back.
“Make people fall in love with ya’, who’s never even met ya’ before. People everywhere just love ya’.”
Isabella blushed and told him that wasn’t true, but it was and he was proud that he was one of those people.
“Ya’ know how much that gun was worth?” He asked her.
“Yep, about $800.00. Do you think Rick is going to like it?” She asked Daryl.
“Yeah, he’s gonna’ love it.” Then he looked down at her and smiled. She was special, one of a kind and he was never gonna’ let her go.