Who: Daryl Dixon dixonda and Rick Grimes rick What: Daryl's a chick, and has no idea what the hell is going on. Rick's just trying not to check him (her?) out. When: Friday, September 25 [Backdated to Genderswap Plot] Where: The Grimes farmhouse Rating/Warnings: Teen/Vague sexual references, and language. Status: Closed/Completed GDoc
~*~
The morning had started off with quite a bit of cursing on Daryl's part. He'd woke up with tits for fuck's sake, and other parts that did not belong to him. In a panic he texted his boss, telling him that he was taking a sick day and immediately afterward he paced the small space at the foot of his bed, one hand keeping ahold of his boxers to keep them from falling off his now slender frame.
He looked down, his bare breasts just there and hanging out for the world to see.
Daryl was confused, scared but mostly he was angry. What in the actual fuck was going on? Was he going to be stuck like this forever?
Reaching up, Daryl raked his fingers through his hair, only to to have them snag in the long tresses. "Fuck!" He growled, still trying to adjust to the higher pitch of his voice that rang in his own ears. He could get through this, he could deal with it, but not on his own.
Not knowing what else to do, Daryl tossed on some clothes. The shirt was too big, and it was quite evident that there wasn't a bra holding his new breasts in, and the jeans? Well, a real tight belt kept them in place as best as it could.
There was only one place that he felt safe, that he knew he could hide out until everything was over with. At least, he hoped that Rick wouldn't turn him away for some craziness that he couldn't control. Dumping a few things into an overnight bag, Daryl headed over to Rick's place, praying that he wouldn't slam the door in his face.
Daryl had heard rumors of strange shit that happened in Orange County, but never did he think that anything other than the dreams would happen to him.
As he pulled into the driveway, he sat behind the wheel for a few moments, mustering up what courage he had left and made his way to the door. It was still dark outside, although he could see a light on in the kitchen window. He pounded at the door, eying his hand after the fact. It looked delicate, small, and goddamn this was some weird shit.
"Rick!" He called, still very annoyed at how his voice sounded, "This is going to sound really crazy, and look even crazier but it's me, Daryl."
~*~
Crazy was what the C stood for in OC from what Rick had experienced. People might want to say it was for Orange County but those people didn't live there. The natives? They knew it was really an abbreviation for Original Crazy. The place wasn't like anywhere else on Earth which Rick thought was a good thing. The world likely couldn't handle more than one location as completely batshit insane as the OC.
Judith hadn't been sleeping well due to some stomach troubles. It had taken most of the night to get her settled which left Rick sitting at his kitchen table with a small light on trying to decide if he wanted to try for a nap or if he wanted to put on a pot of coffee. His first thought at the pounding on the door was they'd better not wake his baby girl when he'd just gotten her down; Rick's second thought was Daryl sounded strange as all get out.
"Daryl?"
Getting up from the table, Rick weaved a little as he made his way to the door. He was still in a white t-shirt and pajama pants. Once upon a time, he'd planned on sleeping in the clothes. From the look of the woman outside his door, she had wound up sleeping over at Daryl Dixon's without her clothes. His expression was puzzled as he tried to reconcile the look of the woman with the sound of her voice.
"Never took Daryl for the funny type. I thought he was opposed to spending his nights on the casual. He send you here to get a laugh out of me? If so, I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint. My girl was up all night sick. I've had no sleep. I just can't find it in me to laugh right now."
Whatever she wanted, Rick hoped she said it soon because he was feeling out of sorts looking at her when she clearly wasn't wearing enough under Daryl's clothes. He felt---strange thinking about a woman being in Daryl's bed. It made him almost want to tell her to get the Hell out of his driveway though he wasn't the type to turn a woman away if she needed help. Who knew if she wasn't needing something? He'd hate to tell her to get lost because he got a funny feeling and she turned out to really need him.
~*~
His brows furrowed into a look of concern, "Is Judith okay?" The question popped out of Daryl's mouth before he could help it. Not only was he concerned for Judith, but for Rick as well since he looked like hell from lack of sleep.
Daryl held up a hand, "I wasn't lying when I said I don't do casual that often, but we'll talk about that when I ain't in a piss poor mood from waking up with tits." Surely there was something that Daryl could say that would make Rick believe that he was him and not some lay that he'd brought home.
Not that he'd bring a woman home, but that was neither here nor there.
Goddamn this was frustrating on so many levels.
Daryl let out a long breath, trying desperately hard not to let his own temper get the best of him. This had been a mistake. He should've stayed home with his tail tucked between his legs until this passed, but the what if it didn't pass issue kept running through his mind.
"Go on, ask me anything that I -- Daryl'd know." He gave Rick a not amused look himself, since he wasn't too keen about having lady parts, but he was admittedly more concerned with how Judith and Rick were doing than himself at the moment.
~*~
Hearing the woman say his daughter's name as if she knew him, knew his family, cared, was enough to startle Rick into a closer look. There was still no way he was saying it was definitely Daryl Dixon who had suddenly become a woman on his doorstep without something more than his girl's name falling out of her mouth. The question was: what question could he ask which only Daryl would know the answer to in a hurry?
Rick and Daryl had been through a lot together. They'd seen some hairy moments before Daryl had managed to scrape together enough information for the Sheriff's Department to close down on Merle's operation. He thought about asking on one of those moments. None of them had ever been advertised anywhere and he knew Daryl wasn't in the habit of sharing those moments seeing as he considered it being a snitch rather than doing his civic duty.
Just as soon as the idea came into his head, Rick pushed it out. If this wasn't Daryl, if this was some joke, he wasn't about to accidentally give ammunition to the woman which could be used to hurt Daryl later. He was a better friend than that. He owed it to Daryl to keep his silence and his secrets. After all Daryl had done for him, it was the least Rick could do to keep his mouth shut about what had already come to pass.
"I told you something on my couch I never talk about to no one. We were talking about how we spend our free time. Socializing. It ain't the kind of thing a man tells to anyone and I would never believe Daryl would share it with a stranger. What'd I tell you?"
If he was Daryl Dixon, there'd be no way he'd have forgotten Rick telling him how there'd only been Lori in his life. A man admitting to having slept with only one woman in his entire adult life wasn't the usual from any neck of the woods much less theirs. Men were often judged based on how many notches they had on their bed posts. He had been willing to put his life on the line for Daryl Dixon. The man had literally put his own life at risk to help Rick. It wouldn't be in his nature to tell that kind of secret to some good-time-girl.
~*~
Daryl's tilted his head slightly, surprised by the question. He'd been certain that Rick would ask him a question about his own past, not about his. It spoke volumes to how good of a man Rick Grimes was, at least, that's what Daryl took away from that.
Daryl would've snitched on Merle a thousand times before he said anything about the things he and Rick talked about in private. He was a private guy by nature, he didn't like gossiping or people who gossiped. It didn't make no nevermind who they were either, he just had no use for it.
"You told me that Lori was the only woman you'd been with." Daryl responded, eyes searching over Rick's face to see if he believed him or not. "We talked about how you had issues sleeping alone, and I talked about how I don't do casual a lot. I even put Judith to bed." Daryl wasn't sure why he kept on talkin except that he needed Rick to believe him because he needed someone on his side.
Hell, Rick had always been on his side, but he didn't know what was going on, how long it was going to last, and he was just plain frustrated.
~*~
A flush stole over Rick's face at the way the woman said it all at once. She laid it right out there so he had no choice except to believe she was Daryl as much as she said she was Daryl. It certainly changed how he felt about Daryl Dixon knowing his secrets. Somehow Rick felt a lot more exposed having a woman know his business than another man. The urge to ask her to leave was strong---but the desire for her to stay was stronger.
Holding the door open wider, Rick muttered, "Get in here, Daryl. Goddamnit. How'd you wind up in this kind of mess? Why in Hell ain't you at least wearing a---proper set of undergarments? Freaky county."
He knew there were drawbacks to being a resident of Orange County, but getting an overnight sex change wasn't something Rick had ever imagined could be possible. There were laws of physics or something involved in that, weren't there? Seemed as if they were breaking all the rules doing something so crazed. Rick almost wished everyone was back in a foul temper with the sky turned black as pitch. At least that would have been easier to cope with than this.
"You want some coffee? I got some brewed fresh. I don't know if that's a good thing or not seeing as how if I were you? I think more awake wouldn't be a thing I'd want to be."
Clubbed over the head was more in line with how Rick would prefer to be. He adjusted his pants as the uncomfortable thought 'What if it was catching?' in his head. Rick didn't feel any different in his upper or lower parts. He figured he was safe enough if he maybe didn't do whatever it was Daryl had done before he'd retired to his bed that evening. It was maybe something in the water?
Old sayings became old sayings because they were true for long, long amounts of time so it stood to reason it was a possibility.
"How about you start by telling me what you can remember of your night before you went to bed? We'll try and see if it was something you ate or drank or someone you did something with or to or well, just start there. We'll figure it out."
~*~
Daryl wrapped one arm around his chest, lips turning down at the corners into a frown. "Might be because I ain't got no lady's undergarments lying around my house, and I didn't think to stop by the Wal-Mart on the way over here." He had only thought about getting to someone he trusted, someone who -- hell, he didn't think Rick could help him but he just wanted to be closer to someone that he knew would have his back.
Daryl was tired of dealing with shit on his own, and he'd thought that he could share that load with Rick a little bit. Fucking hormones were a bitch, and Daryl knew he was being irrational.
Moving into the home, Daryl carefully placed his bag down out of the way, being as quiet as he could be as to not wake Judith up. He was about to ask what was going on with her again, when Rick posed the question of coffee.
"Yeah, wouldn't mind a cup." Daryl moved to sit down at the table, scooting up close to it so he could rest his elbows against the tabletop and leaned forward to press the heels of his hands against his eyes.
What had he done the night before?
Letting out a long breath, Daryl leaned back, hands folded and he looked at them. The fingers were long, delicate, nails longer than he was used to. "Got home around the normal time after work, took a shower while a frozen pizza cooked in the oven. I ate that, drank a beer, watched a little television and went to bed." Daryl's brows furrowed, a line appearing between them, "Nothing really out of the ordinary happened."
That was the long and short of it. Daryl couldn't think of anything odd, or out of sorts that happened last night. The only difference was he hadn't come over to the Grimes home because he figured he'd spent too much time over there anyway, and that he should give them a break from his presence.
~*~
Rick poured them both a fresh cup of the coffee before coming back over to the table. He realized it wasn't as if he had lady's clothes laying around either almost as soon as Daryl said something. It wasn't something he'd been needing to deal with since no ladies lived with him except for his baby girl. He got the creamer and sugar to bring over in case Daryl wanted either -had his tastes changed?- and to give him something to do other than sit at the table with an entirely too attractive woman who happened to be his best male friend.
"Sorry. I didn't think. I know I ain't got any women's clothes laying around spare either. I didn't sleep. Judith had stomach issues. Think it's from teething, but might be a bug of some kind. It's made me addled."
That was one thing he could say for the God's honest truth: lack of sleep was getting to him.
"It doesn't help I wasn't sleeping well before she got sick on me. Like I said: still not good at sleeping alone."
He offered the sugar and creamer to Daryl for his coffee. Rick preferred his own black. There wasn't anything like the deep rich taste of a good roast in his opinion. Once he'd tried a coffee flavored ice cream and it'd been the best thing he thought he'd ever eaten. It'd been a joke in the Sheriff's station how Grimes would do anything for good coffee. Rick had never minded since it'd all been in good fun. At least they hadn't had worse to say on him.
Sitting, he scooted a bit to the side to give Daryl his space, "So. Was it a different beer than you usually drink? Pizza come from some weird shop? This county's filled with those."
~*~
"Thanks." Daryl replied as he took his coffee from Rick. He wrapped his hands around the mug, the warmth comforting him in some small way. "It's fine. I don't think I'm thinking straight either." He frowned, and shook his head. "Hate that she's sick on you. I can watch her if you need me to, so you can get some sleep." Daryl could imagine that Rick was having a hard time sleeping, especially since he'd been used to sleeping with someone else.
Daryl didn't have that problem. He'd slept alone for most of his life, it didn't bother him to be alone that often, but now there were days when he wished there was someone there to share it with.
He didn't use any of the offered additives for his coffee. He liked his plain as well, and didn't understand the craze over flavored coffees, or even for those fancy coffee shops. Seemed like a waste of money, and it ruined a perfectly good cup of coffee.
Thinking back on his night made Daryl reach up to rub his fingers over his temple, "Same beer I always drink. I've had the same case in the fridge for over a week." He had one when he felt like it, no more, and it also helped to keep his kidneys flushed out. Daryl would prefer never to have a kidney stone.
"Same with the pizza. They're those cheap Totino's pizzas. I bought ten at Von's Grocery, and stuffed them in the freezer. Had one the other day, didn't wake up like this obviously." He lifted a shoulder and brought the cup up to his lips to take a ginger sip.
"I ain't got no idea. Nothing happened, nothing strange anyway until I woke up. Then I woke up like this so it happened in my sleep." His brows furrowed low over his eyes, and he let out a long breath.
~*~
"It didn't wake you up when you---lost things?"
Rick didn't want to precisely ask how he could have slept through his cock and balls falling off, but it was a question worth asking. Hell, who knew if that was even how it'd happened? That Discovery Health Channel was always showing them turning men into ladies or ladies into men using their own parts. Could be someone had voodoo'd Daryl's white snake back into his body to make him a lady.
Thinking about it was making his stomach churn.
"Nevermind. Obviously you didn't or you wouldn't have been so confused. You'd have been screaming to Jesus for help or least that's what I'd have been doing. I do think you ought to stay here with me. Help out with Judith. I'll pay you for it and call your boss at the construction company if you're gonna miss days. We'll get you some things to wear. I just don't know what we'll say to Carl."
His son loved Daryl. There was no question about it. Rick wasn't sure how his boy would react if Daryl disappeared and Daryleen stayed in his place. What was he supposed to call him? Her? It felt wrong to want to call him anything other than his own name. Rick was a loyal man. He had pledged his friendship and loyalty to Daryl Dixon the same as he had to any member of his force back in the day; Rick took that pledge every bit as seriously as his marriage vows.
"Do you want to tell him the truth? Or what do I call you? I don't know how I feel lying to him. Never been that way with him. Never been that kind of man."
~*~
Nothing had woken Daryl up except his bladder screaming at him. Daryl shook his head at Rick's question, cradling the cup of hot coffee in his hands with a thoughtful look on his face. "I'd have been screaming all right. The most I did this morning was cuss up a storm though I didn't blame God for any of it." Which, he hadn't, well not that he could remember at any rate.
Bringing the cup up to his lips, Daryl took a sip of his coffee, brows furrowing low over his eyes at Rick's offer. He waved a hand, "Ain't no need for any of that. I already texted my boss, told him I wasn't coming in today." Weekends off were a thing if they didn't have a fast and hard deadline to meet. Thankfully they didn't have one to meet this week. "You don't have to pay me anything, Rick. I'll help you with Judith for free."
Sighing, Daryl placed his cup back down on the table. "I know, and I don't like lying to him either." Daryl wasn't sure what to do in this sort of situation, it was, after all the first time he'd found himself in it. "Whatever you feel comfortable telling him, Rick. I'll roll with it." Daryl admitted, "Though if you want a name to call me go with Darlene, it was my granny's name and she was about the only family member that ever gave a shit about me." He sipped on his coffee again, trying hard not to lose his shit during all of this like he already had.
Daryl noticed his hands were shaking so he brought them back to himself, and tucked them underneath the table. "Hopefully this won't last long, so there ain't no reason to buy much in terms of woman's clothing. Until we see what's going to happen."
At least, Daryl hoped it wouldn't last long. Maybe he could find some answers on the network, everyone liked to talk about what was going on, so maybe he wasn't the only one that had the misfortune of waking up with the wrong bits.
~*~
"Darlene it is," Rick agreed, "We'll just play it by ear for a bit. Say you're a friend. You're Darlene. We'll tell him more if this lasts too long a spell."
They could come up with an excuse for his son for a few days. Carl was a curious kid, but he didn't pry. There was too much of Rick in him for that kind of behavior. He felt a sense of pride his son would treat a guest with respect even if he'd never seen him -or her- in his life before they'd arrived at the Grimes' home. Having a good boy meant Rick got to worry a lot less about how he'd handle things.
He did know he wanted Daryl to stay with them. It felt wrong to let him go home when something so strange had happened to him. People needed family when some tragedy struck; Rick would call losing his manhood a tragedy though Daryl was holding it together significantly better than Rick would have done. His hands gave away some of his worry, but he was otherwise composed, even calm looking.
And pretty.
Real pretty.
Flushing, Rick rubbed at his neck, "Okay. You'll stay here so you have someone to help you should you need it. We'll just get you a tighter fitting top to wear under your shirt. I think that'd be for the best. I know when I was Carl's age? I couldn't look at linoleum without---well, you can imagine how it'd be for a boy his age with a woman running around half-dressed in the house. I'll get you some of his old undershirts. You'll fit in 'em. I'm sure."
Why couldn't he stop talking?
Rick shut his mouth by plugging it with a deep drink from his coffee cup.
They'd handle this. Surely.
~*~
Daryl nodded, that would probably be for the best. They'd figure it out as they went along. Daryl hoped beyond anything that it wouldn't last longer than a day or two at most. Something told Daryl that he might not be that lucky, but he could hope right?
Right.
Hope, that was about all Daryl had going on in any world, place, whatever these days.
"You act as if I weren't a boy at some point and time in my life." Daryl replied, his tone clearly amused. He had had the exact same problems when he'd hit puberty, Hell the wind could blow the wrong way and he'd get one. Even now, his body sometimes had a mind of its own and Daryl wrote it off as being a man.
"That'll work though." He agreed with another nod, eyes looking down into the cup of coffee, "You go rest after you get me those shirts, and I'll keep an ear out for Judith. I slept well enough last night, so I'm not worried about drifting." Especially now considering everything that was going on.
He took in a deep breath, and brought his cup back up to his lips to take another sip of his coffee. Licking his lips, Daryl sat his cup back down and glanced back over at Rick. "Thank you, for everything. Go on now, you look dead on your feet. I got this."
~*~ Shaking his head at Daryl, Rick muttered, "Yeah, yeah. I know all about how manly you are---were---are whatever. I'll get 'em."
He didn't like thinking on Daryl as a man. It was strange to think about another man being interested. His son was one thing; Rick was supposed to be the one Carl could come to with questions about growing up or becoming a man himself. Thinking about a man not related to him being in the attracted mood was invasive to him in a way none of the interviews he'd conducted with Daryl as a CI had been.
Daryl had known his place and his privacy would be respected as much as possible when he was a CI.
Young men didn't have a choice in their privacy status when they were that age.
Rick got together a good collection of Carl's old undershirts to bring back to Daryl. He mentally told himself not to look at his friend's chest only to look immediately at it.
"Here's you some shirts. You go on and get changed. I'll wait on you to get back and then head to my bed for a little rest which I do, really, appreciate you for, Daryl. Darlene. Sorry. I'll work on it."
He handed the shirts over and convinced his eyes to look at anything other than his friend until things went back to normal.
Rick only hoped it was sooner rather than later. He was a simple man not cut out for this sort of thing. It was liable to cause him to lose his mind if it didn't right itself soon enough.