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DARYL, MY ARTIFICIAL BOYFRIEND

A WALKING DEAD Fanfiction

Previously: Daryl and Andrew raced to reach Emyli for a dance. Emyli was with Lea and Glenn and the former had talked her into aspiring for a "real" relationship. Daryl took Emyli home after he and Andrew declared a truce for the mean time. In the car, while Emyli was sleeping, Daryl had pondered on Andrew's reason for being drawn to this seemingly uninteresting girl; he realized he too had been snared. Later that night, Emyli shared to Daryl how Lea told her that a relationship with a real person is so much better than an artificial one. Daryl was so irritated that he didn't have the drive to tell Emyli that he was real.

Chapter 11: Friends with Benefits

Daryl amd Emyli emerged from the narrow alley that led out of Space Expedition. "What's next?" Emyli innocently asked and Daryl found her unbelievable. They just spent good five minutes strapped on an invisible coaster on invisible tracks that went practically in all directions: up and down, sideways and upside down. Everything was dark except for glimpses of make-believe stars and planets as they seemed to travel through space wormholes and blackholes on alternating speeds of what Daryl thought were fast, too fast and fucking I'm-gonna-puke fast.

"Hey. Slow down, will ya?" Daryl called when Emyli walked ahead of him, her eyes fixed on the next ride.

Daryl thought he was the one who would act like a little kid at the amusement park but with Emyli practically dragging him from one ride to another, it seemed like he was not the only one who was deprived of this happiness during childhood-which was a little surprising because the Evans family seemed financially capable. But Daryl didn't mind Emyli's silent enthusiasm (even though she had completely worn him out) as this was the first time she seemed happy for the past several days.

The girl had stressed her self out for almost the whole week trying to locate Daryl's owner. It started the morning after the ball when she returned late from theater. Daryl had demanded Emyli to take him with her as he had suspected Andrew to be behind this. Emyli, however, seemed too busy to pay attention. She was always talking to someone on the phone and answering emails. Daryl couldn't help but feel neglected again to the point that he planned going to the theater once more to deliver to Emyli perhaps something more than a kiss this time if that's what it'll take for her to notice him. The only thing that stopped him was the thought of the women from the theater swarming him before he could even get a glimpse of Emyli.

The turn of events happened Thursday night when Emyli suddenly attacked him while he was playing a TWD game on his mapper. The girl had speechlessly jumped from her bed to his mattress and grabbed Daryl by the end of his shirt. She lifted his clothing looking like in search of something as her cold hands explored his lower abdomen viciously, front and back.

"Whoa! Did I get shot?"

"Not here," she breathed disappointedly, her palm still travelling on Daryl's skin in a weak attempt to locate what she was looking for. "It's not here," she repeated as she withdrew her body, sitting in front of Daryl, her shoulders dropping in resignation.

"Okay," he tried to calm her down. "What were ye lookin' for that ain't under my shirt?" Daryl almost chuckled at how he had unintentionally phrased the question, but Emyli was oblivious, answering promptly while he straightened his clothing: "All of them were saying that they have marked their Daryl android with a name or symbol on a certain body part. But you don't have any of those marks."

Daryl's eyes narrowed in speculation. "Them?" he asked. The girl nodded. "Those android owners who are claiming you." It suddenly dawned on him, what the silly girl was trying to do. Daryl's easy expression was replaced by firm seriousness. So that was what she was busy with: looking for his owner. It was a little funny that Daryl forgot that Emyli had assumed he was a lost android who lost his memories. Well, fuck. He might not be able to recall his past but he was sure no one had owned him like he was a thoughtless object. He was real. At least that's what he thought.

"Stop it," Daryl had breathed, almost like a solemn plea. Emyli looked at him. Her expression was blank. Unreadable. But Daryl knew she was angry at herself for not being able to help him. Yeah, and they call this girl cold? Fuck them. "If ye'r gonna do this, ya ain't gonna this alone. An' right now, I have a better idea."

Emyli didn't budge. Daryl reached for Emyli's eCanvass and tapped on it. "C'mon," he motioned with his hand for her to come closer. "Think it helped before that I watched this," he was referring to The Walking Dead. "And ye promised ye ain't gonna let me watch this alone, so..." He put the gadget horizontally on Emyli's easel and sat back, leaning on her bed. Emyli was beside him, their shoulders and elbows almost touching. She did not protest or say anything else. At least he got her to stop with her nonsense and made her notice him again.

Come Friday, Daryl was relieved that Emyli went home earlier than usual. He had been waiting for her. Surprising him was his patience: He knew from watching himself from the TV show that Daryl Dixon didn't wait for anyone; he was hot-headed and feral, an elusive wolf who would viciously try to get free if ever someone had managed to cage him. So perhaps it was the lost of memories that enabled him to stay put and wait-and the discovery of the entertainment his Mapper could offer probably also helped.

That night, Emyli silently opened the door to their room and handed him his dinner and her e-Canvass. "Hurry up. Let's see what happens to the farm," he told her as she went to the bathroom for change of clothes. While she was there, Daryl readied the gadget on the easel and ate his dinner in flash. When Emyli came out and walked toward the mattress, Daryl had sat back with his right arm stretched on top of the bed behind him. It marked the space where he wanted her. Daryl watched her come to him: Emyli, in her plain, white pajamas with the sole, dim light coming from the screen of the eCanvass touching her sea of black hair. She gracefully put herself beside him, croaching a bit, hugging her knees without any part of her touching him-which was to Daryl's disappointment. Daryl could only do so much to keep the groan from escaping his throat. He shrugged it off as the girl obviously was too oblivious to notice. He proceeded to waving his hand in front of the gadget and the video started playing.

They watched in silence. The episode opened with walkers, lots of them, following helicopter noise. It a created a herd following one direction: toward the farm. It gave Daryl chills. For a moment he turned away from the screen and his eyes found Emyli. She looked tired. He wanted nothing more than to pull her to him to comfort her and perhaps to also seek her warmth. He felt cold for some reasons.

"Ye alright?" he asked him as the show opened with its theme and casts' names. The girl lifted her face and nodded, looking at him. Daryl sighed. She did look tired.

Perhaps Emyli saw the worry on Daryl's face as she let go of her knees and leaned back on the side of the bed behind them. Her back rested on part of Daryl's outstretched arm and that made him feel better.

They watched. It was the season's finale; it was intense. It showed the farm getting overran, the group's attempt to make a stand. Daryl cringed everytime he saw his face on the screen; this was the nineteenth episode he watched and he was still not used to it.

"This is my farm, I'll die here," Hershel annouced after Daryl asked him if he was serious about defending it. "Alright," the Daryl on screen shrugged, "it's a good a night as any," and he climbed the porch's fence to the field.

"You are cool."

Daryl on the matress was surprised with the girl's sudden comment. He chuckled and threw her a look. Emyli's eyes were on him for a brief second before she turned back to the screen. He smiled to himself. "And I agree with you," she continued but her attention still on the show. "You guys don't stand a chance. You should have left when you got the chance." He turned to continue watching as well.

Finally, after trying to gun down as many walkers as they could, the group decided to go. A few of them went down in the process. Daryl found himself balling his two hands to a fist. Emyli seemed to have felt his uneasiness; she looked at him, studying his face as he tried to keep it straight. "It will be alright," she whispered and he believed her.

"You know, I know now why everyone loves Daryl Dixon," he heard Emyli said softly. It was after the scene where they had regrouped on the rode where they lost Sophia. "Really?" he asked, curious. "Why's that?"

"Like in there. You were going to go back for Andrea even when most wanted to believe she's dead already," she said matter-of-factly. They were looking at each other at that moment. Daryl felt the slightest movement and he thought Emyli slid her body a little closer to his. "If the world is ending, I wouldn't mind finding you beside me," the girl said firmly. "And if I were there the two of us would have gone back for Andrea."

Daryl felt his heart sink which such warmth and he smiled to Emyli who just nodded and turned to the screen again. At that moment, Daryl let go of the restraint that's keeping him from touching her. He raised his hand, slowly, from the bed and put it on Emyli's head. He waited if she would react. No. He proceeded to sinking his fingers to her scalp. Her hair was smooth and offered no resistance. He loved how it felt on his hand and wanted to run his fingers down to its tips. But this will do for now. Daryl contented himself in lighty tapping her head and putting his fingers in between her hair.

They watched the last part of the episode. Emyli silently voiced her opinion about Rick not telling the group about the whole population being infected, that they'll turn no matter if they were bitten or not. She said she sided with Rick on this and explained why. He enjoyed listening and watching her speak her strong opinions while her face and voice remained stoic and flat. If Daryl was being honest, he would think it's a burden to have a small, seemingly frail girl with him in the apocalypse. But Emyli had strong mind; she was objective but considerate making her moral compass firm-that, Daryl could tell as he remembered how she laid out alternatives on Randall's case before. He, on the other hand-or rather, Daryl on the show-had just been brute strength and angst. Daryl knew the real reason why fans-women-loved his character. He had Googled it. Yeah, he may have agreed the character was badass, but the more obvious reason was that they found him good-looking.

"So, ahm...did it help?"

Daryl blinked. The room was dark without the light from the eCanvass. It was only then that he realized that the episode had ended and Emyli had moved from her spot, her back and hair away from his reach as she had kneeled in front of where he sat.

"Well, yeah," he said weakly. Daryl was still disoriented, having pulled away abruptly from his thoughts; he was also distracted by the first sight he saw. He was staring at Emyli who looked even more interesting under the moon's light.

"It didn't help, did it?" she whispered, her shoulders dropping with her hair—framing her face and upper body—following suit. "I should have focused on finding your owner."

Oh, no. Not that again. Now Daryl could feel his patience running out. He was angry at her for being hard on herself. He stirred on his seat, he took a deep breath and made sure he's sitting comfortably so he wouldn't lose control and scream at her.

"Silly girl," he drawled with his deep, coarse voice, "if ye ain't want me here no more, all ye have to do is tell. I can see how badly ye want me out of yar life."

Emyli stared at him, dumbfounded. It was as if it was only then that she realized that finding Daryl's owner would mean him being taken away from her. Daryl was satisfied with the effect of his words on her. He was not angry at her anymore.

"No," Emyli whispered, more to herself. She fell on the back of her legs so she was sitting on them. For the first time Daryl saw her eyes narrowed in sad worry. Then she looked at him and said: "I want you with me."

Daryl smiled a smug smile and started sort of crawling to get to Emyli's spot. He was fuelled by the need to kiss her but Emyli leaned back when he was close already, her hand lifted from her side signalling him to stop. He looked at her with his cheeks pulled up, wondering what's wrong.

"My heart," Emyli said, catching her chest with the hand she had stopped him with. "It's gonna come out of me if you get any closer."

Daryl pulled away, leaning back on the bed. When he raised his head again, he was laughing: coarsely and silently. Emyli didn't seem offended. She softened her expression as she watched him. "One day," Daryl said with the last of his laughter coming out of his mouth, "I ain't gonna care what else comes out of you."

Emyli sighed. "Okay," she replied weakly. They were silent for a while...then it was the girl who broke it. "I'm sorry if my actions made you think...that. I just...didn't want to ask for your help without me helping you first. It'll feel like I'm abusing you."

Daryl almost kicked himself for not remembering. The night of the ball, when they got home, Emyli said she wanted his help. The thing was, he didn't clarify what kind of help she wanted from him. He was so pissed at her for thinking he was not real. "Silly," he barked. "Ye didn't need to help me first so I would help ya. So tell me. What d'ya need?"

"Thank you." But the girl stood on her knees and started collecting the eCanvass and his Mapper. "I'll tell you tomorrow. I think we should sleep now."

Daryl scoffed at the suspense. He gave way to her. She was preparing the gadgets for charging. Daryl already removed his shirt and had lied down, pulling his sheets to his waist when Emyli said: "The park. The new park. It opened last week, right?" She saw his last page on the internet. "Yeah," he groaned. "Do you want to go tomorrow?" the girl asked him.

He paused and thought. There was a sudden harsh river of images that flashed in Daryl's mind. When it ended, he said even before he could stop himself: "When I was a kid, Merle promised he'll take me to one of those parks. One of the many promises the bastard broke, though."

"Then we'll go," Emyli said firmly.

And that's why they had been in the amusement park.

"I'm sorry, I'm just thinking of myself again," Emyli told Daryl when he caught up to her. "Why don't you pick what we'll do next?"

Daryl looked around. People were starting to gather around the lake for the fireworks display. "Find us a spot over there while I get us somethin' to eat."

Emyli sighed. "Alright. But don't wander too far." Daryl smiled; he liked it when she worried for him. The girl looked at him and secured the baseball cap he's wearing. "I'll be watching you on my Canvass while I find a spot. Look for me on your Mapper."

"Copy that."

It helped that it was dark already; Daryl didn't have to worry about people noticing an android wandering alone. His Mapper lead him to Emyli who was able to secure a small area not too far from the lake. She was sitting on a blue cloth she put on the grass. He sat next to her, the food he put in front of them.

"How long until the show?" Daryl asked as he handed a plate of french fries to Emyli. "Twenty-five minutes," she answered, motioning for him to pass the pack of salt. "We still have time to eat."

Daryl helped himself with a corndog on stick. His first bite was delayed though, when he saw what Emyli was doing. "Hey, hey!" He held her wrist to keep her from emptying the pack of salt on her fries. "That's enough," he told her and keep the damned pack away from the girl. "Now it will taste like nothing," he could hear the pout in her voice. "That, better than you dying of kidney failure."

Emyli didn't argue anymore and they ate.

"Ye ain't a screamer, are ya?" Daryl teased. They had been in a lot of rides and most of them took them at least eighty feet from the ground and he never heard the girl scream. If it was not for her enthusiasm to go to another ride right after the previous one, one would say she was not having fun.

Emyli just shrugged. "I saw you right outside our house on a stormy night. You were bloody and muddy with an arrow on your hand aimed at me...and I didn't scream."

"Fine. But are ye that numb?" Daryl wondered. "Dun' ye feel excitement or nervousness? I mean, I bet my ass ya'll scream on that one-hundred foot free fall..." She stopped eating and seemed to consider. "Ye know, ya'll be happier if ye stop holdin' yer feelin's back."

"It's not that I'm holding anything back," Emyli said carefully, as if not sure how she could put her thoughts into words. "I just...don't feel anything for a lot of things."

Daryl retreated from his teasing. He had touched something delicate, like an uncharted territory of Emyli's being: unfamiliar and dangerous. He remembered how he described her when he thought and pretended he just saw her on a random street: young and sad. Now it seemed like empty was a more suited word. Daryl's heart ached for her. Maybe the reason why she rushed to the next ride was to chase the thrill she was unable to get from the previous one. And she had constantly failed to feel anything.

"But you know I feel nervousness." Emyli's voice pulled Daryl out of his thoughts. "You know I can feel like I'm having a heart attack."

The girl was right in front of him, looking straight into his eyes. "When you kissed me," she said slowly, looking like she was remembering each time Daryl made her chase her breath. "When you were on top of me. And when I was on top of you. When you get too close to me." Emyli bowed heard and clutched her heart with her hand. "Or right now, when you are looking at me like that."

She said those things boldly, unashamed. Although Daryl knew her intention was not to seduce him-far from it. She was just telling the truth.

"And so I need to go to the comfort room," Emyli said, standing up and walking away before Daryl could give any kind of reaction.

Daryl shook his head as he held the bridge of his nose with his fingers; he then hid his face behind his palm. He was smiling from ear to ear.

That girl. That weird, silly girl. It was a good thing she escaped to the comfort room because Daryl was about to grab and kiss her. He wanted to make her feel; he wanted her heart to beat so fast and he wanted to be the one to hold it in its place for her. So she could feel. So she could not feel empty anymore.

"God, I hate that fucking smug look on your face."

Daryl jumped to his feet. He knew to whom that voice belonged: Lee Adams.

"Think I tol' ye to keep yar hands on Kate and piss off," Daryl reminded him, his tone deadly.

And the bastard was actually there, all his six feet, one inch of pure asshole.

"Whoa! Easy. I didn't go here to spoil your little fun." Daryl stared at him like a wolf ready to attack. "Okay, maybe I did," Lee sneered. "But I didn't go out of my way just to ruin your day." He pointed a finger to Daryl. "Because unlike you, I have a job and this," he motioned with his hands as if saying the entire park, "is my current project."

Daryl, unfortunately, didn't have an answer to that. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists on his sides but he backed away a bit. "Ye better not be here anymore when Emyli comes back," Daryl growled. "Or I'll-"

"Or, what Dixon?" Lee taunted. Daryl took a step forward and the two locked stares. "You know," Lee continued, but what surprised Daryl was his face: he was serious now, his mocking smile gone. "Contrary to what your small brain is thinking, I truly care about Emyli."

"Fuck off!" Daryl scoffed. He stepped back, contemplating if he should just swing his arm and get this over with. But Lee was standing his ground. He seemed determined to be heard.

"I know you're not an android and you know you don't belong here," Lee whispered gravely, almost as if he cared. "Don't get Emyli too involved with you. You'll just hurt her when it's time for you to go-and don't try to argue with that. Eventually you will have to go back to the hell hole you came from."

Daryl was breathing hard as he tried to control his temper. He hated to admit it but the jackass was right; he didn't belong here. And he wondered if he was doing more damage than help in getting tangled with the silly girl.

"She can't have a future with you; cause you don't have one to give to her," Lee told him, now with fire of anger in his eyes. "So this time, I'll be the one to say piss off and storm out of her life already!"

With that, Lee Adams left unscathed. A physical fight did not ensue but it was obvious who was badly wounded.

They watched the fireworks in silence. Emyli was an arm's reach away from Daryl, but this time, he didn't mind that she was not skin to skin with him.

Lee Adams was right. What was he thinking? Did he really think he could make the girl happy for a while, recover his memories and walk out and go back home-wherever the hell home is? Well, what Daryl knew was he was not one of those mechanical things. He was real. But without his memories, how could he be sure? He also knew this place and time were not his. This was another world, in another time. Here he couldn't give anything to Emyli. He would forever be her dependent, her pet, her android, her artificial boyfriend. And he knew that was a life he wouldn't have and wouldn't allow Emyli to have. She was a special girl and deserved so much more than that. While he, well...he was just one of the so many Daryl Dixons. He was a borrowed existence from TV show character.

The fireworks forgotten, Daryl watched Emyli looking in the skies with her empty eyes. He told her earlier to tie her hair behind, just like when they attended the ball; it brightened her face that way. If he couldn't stay here, if he would go back, assuming that he'd discover the way back, Daryl wondered instead of what it would be like to take Emyli into his world: dark, hopeless, dead world. In an instant he knew it would be wrong to pull her into that; she didn't belong there and she didn't deserve a life full of fear.

The hunter looked down, feeling worthless and lost.

"Let's go home."

A hand in front of him; a low, flat voice asking him to come.

Daryl looked up and saw Emyli-pale face, dark-eyes and black hair-standing in front of him, offering him her hand.

He raised his hand slowly, hesitantly. Suddenly, Emyli grabbed it, firm and sure and she pulled him up.

Daryl stood up. Still, Emyli did not let go. He didn't know how she did it: in an instant, she pulled the cloth from the grass with one hand and tucked it inside her bag. He looked up. The fireworks were still there, bursting, painting the skies with different colors. So beautiful.

"C'mon." She tugged his hand and they walked away.

The next thing Daryl knew, he was walking a little behind Emyli, her soft hand firmly holding his. They were on an empty street with shops on the sidewalk closing.

"We din't finish the show," finally, Daryl was able to muster.

"You looked so tired that I thought you're going to drop snoozing on the grass," Emyli said nonchalantly. She glanced back at him for a second. "And you know I cannot carry you home. Or even to the bus station."

"Nah, ye can't," he said weakly.

He didn't know how he'll say it to her but he had made up his mind. It would be what's best for both of them.

"Tanya's shop."

He felt her hand slipped from his. Emyli walked to one of the shops' glass window. Daryl slowly followed her, not really quite seeing nor hearing; he was lost in his own thoughts.

"The Angel Walks the Earth...it's still here. But this piece was from the last season." Emyli backed away from the glass, admiring it from a distance. "Someone should have bought this already."

"Ye said everyone wants clothes made by computers," Daryl suggested.

"But Tanya's the best designer I know," there was sadness in her voice. "One of the few who sticked to needles and cloth...and this is a beatiful dress." Emyli made a final, longing look at the dress on display, then she took Daryl's hand again and they walked on.

"Emyli."

"Hmm?"

"Ye haven't told me what kind o' help ye need from me."

"I"ll tell you once we get home."

Daryl stopped walking but did not let go of her hand to make her halt as well.

"Tell me now."

He needed to know now. Because he had decided to leave once he was done helping her. Daryl promised to himself that he would do whatever it was that she'd ask from him. It was the least he could do to repay her saving his life and-

Emyli turned around to face him.

"Daryl, I want us to be friends with benefits."

Next Chapter: Daryl helps with kids' fundraiser.

Writer's Notes:

I'm back! Yes, after a long hiatus, I'm so sorry. But now that I'm done with my licensure exam (oh God, I hope I passed), here's a new chapter! I hope you guys are still with me...

A big thanks to everyone who followed Daryl, My ArtificialBoyfriend:

Abby 'Zombie Slayin' Dixon, Alexandria104, JasmineChyanne, LAMB15, MaddyMarie1212, caligirl3, gingerginger2012, romantic dreamer26, rosydollx, wTheCurrentw

Thank you so much, too, to those who favorite-d this fic:

Alexandria104, LAMB15, MaddyMarie1212, Shamanium, pharmtechgrl71, rosydollx

And to my favorite readers who left a REVIEW, thank you so much!

Goldenfightergirl: That's a very good question; that's actually the question that will define their fates in this story. Right now, as we have seen in this chapter, Daryl wouldn't want to bring Emyli to his world. However, this will not be entirely up to Daryl because Emyli will have to be the one to make that decision.

ashleywhitener: Aww, thank you so much. And I promise you, it'll just get better from here. I'm actually very, very excited to write the next chapter. I hope you continue reading.

TheBoyWithTheSnares: Haha! I hope you won't be angry at me but I'm glad Daryl and Emyli has that effect on you. I think Daryl kinda admitted to himself his feelings for Emyli already. It's Emyli that's the problem. She can be too dense at times. I can just imagine what'll happen if everyone discovers that Emyli's Daryl is real! Fangirls would KILL her. Haha! But don't worry, this fact will eventually be known to some people. Remember: Lee knows that Daryl is not an android. We'll see the implication of this in the future chapters.

pharmtechgrl71: Aww, thank you so much. I'm glad you find this story good. And yeah, don't we all want a Daryl of our own? Haha. I just hope they invent a Daryl android already! One Norman Reedus is just not enough. I hope you continue reading.

FuchsiaGrasshopper: Huhu, I know. Emyli can really be an Ice Queen. Poor, poor boys. But we might be able to see a different side of her especially now that she asked Daryl to be her friend with benefits. Oh and yeah, I have a lot in store for the next chapters. I can't wait to write them! I just hope time cooperates. But thanks for sticking around!

Pok3monTrain3erBlu3: Haha! I love your loyalty to Daryl! I'm sorry he kinda lost to Lee this time, though. But of course he'll fight back! Just you wait. I hope you're still with this story; sorry for not updating for the past several months.

MaddyMarie1212: Yay! You found this again! I'm glad. Haha! A lot of people hate Andrew. I bet you hate Lee more now. Haha. Sorry, I had to cut it from there so we don't know yet if Daryl will accept Emyli's proposal especially in his current mindset. Buut we'll see next chapter! I promise!

That's it! Again, I hope you're still around. I've been away too long, I know. But I'm back. However, I'm currently writing 3 TWD fanfics so it might take 2 weeks for the next chapter to be posted. I hope you can check my other works as well while waiting for this one

And please don't forget to leave me a review XP