2

Lara smiled at Grey who handed her a plate and went to sit down at one of the still empty tables. She was exhausted, today had been a long one before she had even left the Pound. After that with the shitbrains and the family reunions she was more than ready to sleep. She knew though that she was going to be fielding questions, complaints and she was sure at some point refereeing.

With a sigh she happily started tucking into the rabbit stew that was served that evening along with mashed potatoes. They'd have to start thinking about getting more food on runs with extra mouths but they should still be good for the last of the winter despite that.

Lara stifled her groan as people started sitting down at her table. Looking up she realised that at least it was mostly people she could stand and a couple of newbies.

"Princess," Merle greeted her as he sat next to her, his brother next to him. Bit sat next to Hawkeye with her mom on the other side. Kill Bill sat down on Lara's otherside as Eastwood took the last available space.

"Candyman," Lara nodded to him before scooping up more of her meal and hoping she could finish it before anyone started talking to her.

"Lara, Merle?" Carol started out with a smile.

"Yes?" Lara asked as Merle grunted, not stopping shovelling food in his mouth but he did face the woman.

"I just wanted to thank you both, Sophia told me a lot of what you've done for her. I'm really grateful," Carol said with shining eyes.

"Eh, she's not too whiny," Merle said with a grin for Bit.

"You're whinier than I am Candyman," Sophia shot back instantly and Lara grinned, shooting the kid a wink. Sophia had been really nervous around Merle for the first few days after they found her. But when Lara took her aside and said that Merle cared and wanted her safe, and that his bark was worse than his bite, she started relaxing a little. Soon the three of them had an unbreakable bond.

"You're both whiny. Now, eat your dinner like good kids," Lara said with a false air of supremacy and authority.

"Pussy!" Merle growled at her.

"Yeah!" Bit added making her mom frown but making Lara laugh.

"Are they always like this?" Carol asked Kill Bill.

"Oh yeah. Worse usually," she answered with a smug smile.

"We appreciate you taking us in like this," Eastwood started saying and she felt Merle tense up next to her. "We are going to be setting up our own watches overnight, I hope that won't be an issue."

Lara shot glances at Candyman and Kill Bill. They both looked back at her, speaking without words.

"Fine with us, as long as you stick to in front of your row of cells. Anyone wandering around our guys' places will be considered a threat though," Lara said firmly. Her gut told her these were good people, she wasn't going to rely just on that though. She couldn't and wouldn't risk anyone hurting her family.

"Understood," Rick said with a short nod.

"Oh Princess!"

Lara groaned at the voice and contemplated running. If it weren't for her ankle she would have. Merle nudged her with his elbow and she sat up straighter.

"Oh my god! Carol, Rick! Daryl! It's just so good to see you all again!" The blonde rushed out, giving Carol a hug first then moving onto Rick who she gave a longer one to and lastly Daryl who seemed to freeze under her hands. She didn't seem to notice though and basically mauled him. Lara gritted her jaw. It looked like she was going to try it with the younger Dixon next.

Lara didn't blame her too much, he was good looking, his muscles bunched attractively under that sleeveless shirt and he could certainly take care of himself. However she couldn't help but dislike the woman even more for it. Which was ridiculous. Lara didn't even know Barton and she couldn't base anything on looks alone, that much she knew from painful past experiences.

Lara sat eating through the greetings, not feeling the need to say anything.

"Princess," she said in that snide way of hers. "I wanted to talk to you about guard duty again."

"You know my stance," Lara said firmly.

"I told you, I used to do guard duty for my last group all the time. Now they're here they can tell you!" She said, her arms crossed, a temper tantrum on it's way.

"And I told you, Andrea, the rules are the same for everyone. Until you can hit the target it's no," Lara said, looking the woman in the eye and not backing down.

"Merle's in charge of security-"

"And I agree with Princess, Sugartits. Ya can't shoot ya a liability," Merle said, not even bothering to look at her.

"Fine! I have more to add to my list, here!" Andrea said, shoving a piece of paper down next to Lara before storming away.

With gritted teeth Lara opened the list. She looked through it and took a deep breath. She realised everyone was looking at her and she gave a wide smile before standing up.

Both Merle and Bill grabbed her arms and yanked her back down.

"You can't kill her before dessert, it'll bring down the room," Kill Bill said.

"After?" Lara asked hopefully.

"Let's see," Candyman said, holding out his hand. She passed it to him. "Hot damn she's pushin' ya sweetheart," he chuckled.

"Don't I fucking know it," Lara growled.

"Ya can't take Red or me on your run anymore. Why don't ya take her, let her see what ya actually fuckin' do?" Candyman suggested as he balled up the list and threw it over his shoulder.

"Bit sweetheart, cover your ears a moment," Lara said to the girl who rolled her eyes but complied. "Merle, I would rather be finger fucked by Edward Scissorhands."

Lara started laughing as Daryl spat his drink across the table and started choking. Michonne was laughing and even Carol was spluttering, her face turning red as her head was back. Eastwood looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Alrigh' there Darylina? This one's got a mouth like a sailor, gonna have to get used to it," Merle said, patting Daryl on the back.

"I was as sweet as pie before I met you, you're a bad influence Dixon," Lara grinned at the man.

"Bull-shit!"

"Erm… Lara?" A little voice came from her elbow and Lara grinned at the owner of the voice.

"Hey there Twink, everything okay?" Lara asked before picking up the little girl and sitting her on her knee.

"Jane said I's can't sleep with her tonight and I can't stay with Sophia, cause her momma is back now," the little girl said, starting to tear up. Lara's heart broke for the five year old.

"You can still stay with me Twink? Right mom?" Bit spoke up, looking at her mom with those puppy dog eyes.

"Well, if that's okay with Twink's mom?" Carol asked hesitantly.

"I ain't got no momma no more. Lara and Candyman and Sophia looked after me and then Jane and they said they were my new family," Twink said, her adorable brown eyes looking at Carol sincerely.

Lara, Merle and Sophia had come across Twink quick enough to stop her being eaten by shitbrains. Unfortunately they hadn't been quick enough to save the girl's family. Though after a couple of months it became obvious that they wouldn't have wanted to save them. They were the worst kind of people. Twink hadn't spoken for weeks when they had first met. So Lara had christened her Twink and they all did their best to make her happy. It was hard, and it still was, but the blonde haired, brown eyed little girl, with the scars, was loved by the family they had made together in the prison.

"Oh, well then if it's okay with Lara and Merle, it's fine with me sweetheart," Carol said, melting a little bit more.

"Yeah," Merle said with a nod and Lara agreed. Carol wasn't a threat and Sophia would never let anything happen to the youngest member of the family.

"Tank you," Twink said to Carol and then reached over to give Merle a hug.

"Go on ya lil shit, finish ya meal or no dessert," Merle grunted after a moment of allowing the hug.

Lara noticed Eastwood, Barton and Carol all looking at Merle with bemused faces. She didn't get it. Candyman had always been good with the kids of the group. Not the adults, not at all, but he was good with kids. Even if he was still his abrasive self.

"What the fuck y'all starin' at?" Merle bristled uncomfortably.

"Right I'm going to hit the sack, I'm on second watch," Lara said, stifling a yawn and picking up her bowl.

"No, you rest your ankle, I've got second watch," Kill Bill said firmly with that Look.

Lara went to argue but Merle cut over her. "Get ya skinny ass to bed, ya need ya ankle for the run. Now, go on, git."

"Night mom, night dad," Lara said, rolling her eyes at Kill Bill and Candyman. "Thanks," she said to them both sincerely after. "Night Eastwood, Bit, Barton," she said before facing Carol. "Night Suzie."

Merle snorted but nodded and she saw a little smirk on Barton's face. Guess Merle was sharing family secrets. She could do that shit too. Ass.

01010101010

Daryl was exhausted, but he'd had food and water. His first full meal in months, and it tasted pretty decent too. He wanted to go to bed now but he knew it wasn't gonna be that simple. Life never fucking was. Not for a Dixon.

"I don't like the thought of you in another part of the building alone," Rick said quietly as Daryl pushed his finished bowl of pudding away.

"Ya think I'm gonna let anythin' happen to my little brother Officer Friendly?" Merle growled out, his body tense and eyes hard.

"I think he can take care of himself. And it's not just you I worry about, Lara-"

"Would rather face a pack of Walkers than hurt family," Merle insisted. "Now if it were up ta me alone I'd take in Darylina, Suzie and leave the rest of ya on the side o' the road. Lara's the one with tha bleedin' heart not me. Ya would do well ta remember that, Officer."

"What's her problem with Andrea, and why doesn't Andrea have a nickname?" Carol asked, fussing with Sophia's hair that had gotten much longer with the separation.

Daryl shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had heard why Lara didn't like Andrea. He didn't disagree either. Hell last time she had been on guard duty she had shot him. But it hadn't even been a good shot, which was lucky, otherwise his brains would have been blown all over the grass.

"She doesn't trust Andrea. Andrea… she refused to listen to Princess for a little while. Wouldn't do chores… There's no love lost there," Kill Bill said. The woman seemed very laid back but her eyes were alert, on guard around the new people. Daryl could see why she was on the board. Level headed but deadly.

"So why is Andrea still here?" Rick asked with a frown.

"It's a group decision if people stay or go. Plus Andrea is a pain in her ass, Lara wouldn't just throw her out for pissin' her off though," Kill Bill explained, scooping up the last of her pudding.

"So y'all have chores?" Rick asked in interest. He seemed to want to find something to pick fault with. Daryl got it, trustin' people was dangerous now and stupid. It always had been but now, now it was worse. However Daryl thought that so far, everything looked on the up and up.

"Well yeah Officer Friendly, don't everyone pitch in with y'all?" Merle raised an eyebrow but was wound even tighter. Daryl tensed, ready to get in the middle if he needed to. "Someone's gotta look after the kids, wash, cook, watch our asses, work on the gardens, get supplies, clear the rest of this place."

Carol nodded as if it made perfect sense, Daryl agreed. Rick though looked skeptical.

"Each of the board oversees something. Candyman is in charge of security, making sure that guard duty is covered. Red looks after the group area, accomodation, making sure we have enough of everything and trying to make everyone comfortable. Oscar is in charge of the outside, he doesn't like being cooped up too much. Ty makes sure that someone is on the kids and the rest of the chores. Lara arranges the runs," Kill Bill explained to the group.

"What about you?" Rick asked, his eyes on the woman intently.

"Mitch here looks after the group dynamics. Makes sure that there isn't too much drama. So she basically makes sure Lara don't kick anyone's ass," Merle chuckled while shooting the Black woman with the dreadlocks a wink. Daryl was more than shocked about the turnaround of his brother. He was sitting next to a minority without any snide words, and seemed to be fairly calm. This was the brother he remembered while he was a kid, the one not turned around by drugs and alcohol. Still brash, still quick to temper, but more mellow.

"Don't forget making sure you don't stomp anyone into next week," Kill Bill snarked with a grin.

Daryl looked around and saw some people were clearing up, others were talking and a card game seemed to be happening at another table. It looked… peaceful… something that they hadn't had in more time than he could remember. Everyone's body language said comfort, or everyone not from his group anyway. They were comfortable here. Happy

"I wanna hit the sack," Daryl said, more than ready for a decent stretch of sleep. He hadn't slept more than a couple of hours at a time since the farm.

"I'll get the doors little brother, so you can get some nap time," Merle teased with a laugh that was more of a bark. "See if we can find ya a set so no one has ta play guard duty for your ass."

Outside of his room there was a stack of blankets and, more importantly, a pillow. Goddamn but hadn't he missed pillows. Even his shitty old lumpy pillow had been better than the hard ground he'd slept on most of the time.

Sleep came quickly and easily for the first time he could remember.

Daryl was jarred awake by a scream. Grabbing his knife and his bow he jumped up and ran towards the scream. His heart thundering as his eyes took in threats. There were none down the long corridor so he raced towards the door the pained screams were echoing from. The room next to his.

He burst in to see a figure thrashing on the bed. No one else and nothing else in sight.

Shit.

"Lara!" Daryl said loudly, reaching out a hand to touch her shoulder. He hesitated. He didn't know the girl, didn't know if she'd freak out more if he touched her. Hell he wasn't a fan of touching himself.

"Lara!" Daryl repeated himself and the girl sat up with a loud gasp. Her breathing, quick, frantic, terrified.

"Who's there?" She gasped out, sounding small and afraid in the dark room.

"It's Daryl, Merle's brother. Ya okay? Ya were screamin'," Daryl said quieter this time. His hand still outstretched but not putting it on her.

"Oh shit. Sorry, sorry. This is…" she took a deep breath, her voice sounding like she was holding back tears. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake ya."

"S'fine. Ya good?" Daryl asked awkwardly. He wanted to know if she needed somethin' or wanted to talk but didn't know how to ask. He was out of his element here. He didn't take care of people, that wasn't him.

"Yeah… Sorry. Get some sleep. I'm fine," Lara said quietly but he heard her shuffling to get up.

At a loss for what else to do Daryl nodded stiffly and left the room.

020202020

Lara sat on one of the benches outside smoking as the sun came up. She tried to ration the toxic commodity now, but after her nightmares, well they helped her destress. They helped her put on the face that everyone expected from her. She still wasn't sure how she ended up leading this group, it wasn't something she had ever wanted, nor had been remotely prepared for. Most

days it felt like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Days like this though, when she hadn't been able to sleep through the nightmares and her ankle throbbed painfully and the cold made her older injuries throb, those days she felt as though she was buried already under the weight. The expectation. The pressure.

The door opened up behind her and she felt her face flush as Barton came outside, looking surprised to see her there. A cigarette dangling from his lips, a lighter poised just under it.

"Hey," Lara said softly, turning her head back to face the green in front of her as she took another drag from her cigarette and held it in.

"Mornin'," Daryl grunted in her direction, going to sit on another bench, the one closest.

"Sorry 'bout wakin' ya, did ya sleep okay otherwise?" Lara asked, the cool morning air nipping harder with a wind that had started up.

"Fine," Barton said with a nod she saw out of the corner of her eye.

They sat in silence smoking. The silence wasn't bad, not awkward or anything. In fact it was comforting, Lara thought.

"Why they call ya Princess?" Daryl asked quietly as she finished her cigarette and contemplated having another before getting some breakfast.

"'Cause your brother is an ass," Lara said with a chuckle. It was one of the first things he had called her with malice, despite the fact she was looking after his ungrateful ass.

"Tell me somethin' I don't know," Daryl said with a chortle.

"Alright, ya brother isn't called Candyman because of the metal contraption on his hand. It's because he used to give Twink candy to encourage her to be okay around him. First thing she said to us after weeks was Candyman and pointed to Merle with a grin," Lara said with a smile. That day had been a good one.

Daryl raised his eyebrows in surprise and nodded thoughtfully.

"So, are ya screwing him?" Daryl grunted after Lara had just started that second cigarette not wanting to end the moment right then. She choked on the smoke as she gasped at the question.

"Hell no! Barton!" Lara choked out in between coughing. "He's… Merle. He's a good guy and everything when he's not being an ass, but god no!"

Daryl chuckled at that reaction. His face was thoughtful as he looked out towards the woods.

"So which one are you screwing?" Lara asked interestedly after a few moments. And not hoping that he would say no one. Not much. Which was stupid. But a woman could dream. Right?

Lara laughed as Daryl was the one choking this time.

"Ain't screwing no one," Daryl said, his voice hard. She wondered how she had offended him? He'd asked her first after all.

"Well me either, you're in good company. I was thinking of making a celibacy club or something. We can mourn the lack of orgasms together," Lara said, hoping that would loosen the man up a little. His quick bark of laughter seemed to be the answer to that and she smiled at hearing it.

"Many joining it?" Daryl asked with a smile in his voice.

"Er… let me think, you, me, Rain I'm pretty sure, your brother…"

"I'm out. Don't wanna hear 'bout Merle doin' the one handed shuffle," Barton said with distaste.

Lara laughed as she carefully put out her cigarette and put the butt in the pot they'd designated for the litter.

"Gonna get some breakfast, see ya," Lara said, turning her smile on the younger Dixon. A small flush crept up his neck and onto his cheeks. She liked it, even as she felt the heat of his blue eyes on her retreating back.

As she walked back to the communal area she started berating herself. She did not need a crush. Not now. Not ever. And there was no way that he would be interested in her anyway. She was angry, had issues a mile long, was foul mouthed and basically everything her momma had once told her would make sure she never found a man. At least that stuff was making her a survivor now. Even if she was lonely sometimes.

Just because she found Barton attractive and funny and easy to sit with, did not mean anything. He would definitely not appreciate her mooning around him like a teenager with a crush.

Lara smiled at the small group of people who were up with the sun that morning. She wasn't surprised to see there weren't many. She wasn't usually an early riser but she wasn't able to get back to sleep after that nightmare. It was one of the ones that turned all of her worst memories into one big clusterfuck. She spent half of the night trying to wash the memories away in the cold water showers. The rest she had spent sharpening her knives and sword, before she went outside just before sunrise.

She sat down with her breakfast after picking up her notebook and the lists she had been given so far. She wanted to try and condense them down into one. And weed out the stupid asks. Like Jimmy Choos. Fucking dumb bitch.

She was going through Rain's list (real name Axel) when she noticed someone had sat at her table. Lifting her head she saw Barton eating a large bowl of oatmeal. She gave him a smile which he kind of returned with a little quirk of his lips.

"I'm going on a run in a couple of days, if ya need anything let me know," she said to him as she scrunched up the lists that she had done with and pulled out the others.

"I'm good," Daryl replied.

"Ya sure? Need socks or warm clothes? Gloves or a new string for ya bow?" She cajoled, Merle had been the same at first, insisting he didn't need anything and if he did he could get it his damn self.

"Nah, I can get anything I need," he, predictably, replied.

"You're as hard headed as your brother, give me ya sizes and I'll pick shit up. And if ya don't I'll just ask one of your group or Candyman," Lara threatened with raised eyebrows. Dixon men may be stubborn, but so was she. He had no idea yet.

"Lara!" Twink broke the impressive staring match between the two, neither one wanting to be the one that broke. Lara wondered if she was imagining the heat between them, the weird, heavy tension she had never felt before.

"Hey sweetheart!" Lara grinned at her little charge who was sitting next to her with her own breakfast. Sophia was right behind her and Carol right behind her. "Hey beautiful ladies! Did y'all sleep well?"

"Fantastically," Carol replied with a wide grin on her face. Lara half worried she was gonna try and hug her again. Luckily she refrained.

"Can we do the course again this morning Lara, pwease?" Twink asked, batting her eyes at the woman.

"Can't today Twinkletoes, I've got a fu-messed up ankle. As soon as it's better though we'll do it, okay?" Lara said to the disappointed looking little girl.

Lara couldn't sleep with the kids, she woke them with her nightmares if she did. Other than that though she tried to spend as much time with them as she could. She would read to them, tuck them in more often than not, she would bake with them and devise fun ways to pass the time. She taught them how to handle guns and bows, even if she was a bad shot with a bow and arrow. Candyman taught them knife skills and self defense. Something he had helped Lara with as well. Others taught basic math and English and life skills. Such as farming, maintenance and hunting. Things the kids would need in this new world.

Soon they were joined by Glenn and Maggie. Lara was cautious around the two who had seemed aggressive the day before.

"Sleep well?" She asked them after they had said good morning to the rest of the table.

"Great," Glenn replied happily before tucking straight into his food. He had a smile on his face and seemed a lot less hostile that morning.

"Hmm," Maggie said, her face still hard as she kept looking around the room. Lara tried not to let it bother her, she would be feeling similar in a new environment with new people. She wouldn't let her guard down for a while. Just proved the woman had survival instincts. Maybe not the best gut instincts but survival ones.

"Did you sleep Daryl?" Glenn asked and Lara felt her face heat up and she turned back to her oatmeal. She didn't like people knowing about her night terrors, but living like they did it wasn't exactly uncommon knowledge.

"Yeah, sofa was better than the forest floor," Daryl said easily and she glanced at him gratefully before turning back to her breakfast.

After she had finished she pushed her bowl to the center of the table before finishing condensing the lists she had so far. Concentrating she didn't realize that anyone had got up and left or that new people had sat down until her name was mentioned.

"Huh?" She asked looking up from her lists to see Eastwood, Lori, Candyman, Grouch, Barton and Hershel all looking at her. "Sorry, was trying to sort this lot out, what's up?"

"Just askin' who ya wanted to show the new dudes around?" Grouch asked her.

"Who's on guard?" Lara asked Merle tiredly. She really could have done with more sleep and it was still barely even morning.

"Bob then Sasha," Merle replied. "Axel is finishing doing whatever the fuck he's doin' with solar panels and asked Grouch an' Ty to help."

"Erm, Andrea and Sophia can handle it," Lara said, thinking that the new group would probably react better if some of their old members could show them around. "Eastwood, I'm going on a run, if anyone in your group needs anything can they have lists to me by tomorrow? Candyman, I need ya brother's sizes for shit."

Daryl looked like he was going to argue. "Don't even bother, stubborn bitch don' listen ta no-one," Merle said with a long suffering sigh to his brother. Lara rolled her eyes and nudged her friend with her elbow. He wasn't wrong, but he called her a bitch. Again.

"That's really kind of you, thank you," Lori said with a small smile.

"No problem," Lara shrugged. She was going anyway and if the group decided to stay it meant less work for her on her next run.

"Who ya takin'?" Merle asked, picking up a mug of tea. Coffee was rationed unfortunately. They never had enough to go around which sucked balls.

"Don't know yet," Lara said. Usually she would have taken Red and Merle, but with the new group she couldn't divide their strongest fighters. "Elmo ain't too bad, but she's slow. G.I. Jane hates runs. Grey obviously can't, her bones hurt in the cold. Rain is better off here, if he can give us hot water like he says I will kiss the man."

"Don' give tha poor man false hope now sugar," Candyman chuckled.

"Backer is about as useful as a chocolate teapot on a run. I thought of Tommy Boy but I wanted his first one to be a small one," Lara explained one of a million things that were running through her brain. They had a good group, strong, with many different talents, but with a new group here who was also strong she couldn't divide them as she usually would, she couldn't take Kill Bill either she was a damn good fighter. Which meant her life was harder.

"What about-"

"Don't, I gave you my opinion on that last night," Lara glared at the man who started laughing and slapped her on the back.

"Some of us could be useful?" Eastwood suggested.

"Thanks, but no. I don't know any of you and until I do I won't trust y'all to have my back on a long run. If we were going into town, then yeah, but this is a whole day or two thing and it'll be dangerous," Lara said, hoping she didn't offend the man, but she meant what she said. She did not want to have to watch her back for people as well as shitbrains.

"He's got a point. They're good for doing shit like that. Just don't follow any o' them up ta a roof," Candyman said with a glare towards Eastwood. The mood at the table changed dramatically with that statement.

"Well that really changed my mind. I'll go solo on this one I think," Lara said with a sigh. It was going to be a bitch with the amount of shit she had to get but any one else with her was just going to have her working double anyway watching out for them harder than usual. She knew the way the others fought, how they carried themselves. They had trained together. Maybe she should think about training everyone together in different pairings and groups so something like this didn't happen again.

"No fuckin' way Princess," Merle said instantly.

"Dixon, I don't know who the hell ya think ya are but you ain't my daddy and you sure as shit ain't my man. You can't tell me shit," Lara said, her hackles up. She hated being told what she could and couldn't do. She always had done. Her and authority weren't sympathetico at all. She blamed that on why she had done so badly at school.

"Look, Princess," he sneered. "You ain't going out there with no backup. I will hog tie your ass and lock it up if I have to."

"Try it old man, I dare ya," Lara glared. She was pretty sure she could take him. As long as he wasn't allowed weapons. And she was. She hated the fact that she was weaker than him, thankfully she was faster which counted for something.

"He's right," Grouch said with a nod towards Merle. "You made the rule that no one should go off on their own. The buddy system, remember?"

"So I should be allowed to break it!" Lara replied moodily, knowing that actually, he was probably right. But what choice did she have? She didn't want to take anyone green with her and she didn't want to drag dead weight, nor did she want someone who wouldn't actually cover her ass.

"I can go," Daryl suggested.

"Hell naw, ya ain't go on no suicide run baby brother," Merle insisted straight away.

"Hey! My runs aren't suicide runs they're carefully planned operations as you damn well know!" Lara bit out, annoyed. He should know he went on ninety percent of them with her.

"Suppose you can take Darylina as backup," Merle said with a smug grin.

"You old fucker!" She said, slapping his arm knowing exactly what he had done there.

"Look, he can handle himself, he ain't gonna cut an' run if things get hairy cause he got himself a pair of balls. Ya can trust him ta have ya back. Take Red and G.I. Jane too. Those two work well as a pair and you can talk through shit with baby brother today to get him caught up," Merle said, entirely too reasonably. Especially for the first thing in the morning.

She glared at him until she saw he wasn't gonna budge before she looked over at Barton.

"You sure?" She asked the man.

"I can do it," he said as if it was a trip to the seven eleven and she was being a helicopter mom. Redneck assholes.

"Alright then. I'll go over our plans and bug out plans, meeting points and shit with ya then. If my ankle would stop being a bitch then I'd like to go into the woods and do some practice with ya. Mesh our fighting styles so we know we have each others back and we ain't gonna accidentally fuck the other up," Lara said.

"I ain't ever accidentally fucked someone up," Daryl said with a small glare.

"Alright then, so ya don't purposefully try an' kill me. Better?" Lara asked with a raised eyebrow and a grin.

"Much," Daryl smirked at her, his eyes dancing a little bit.

0303030303030

"I think I got you wrong, you know. I'm sorry for that."

A voice dragged Merle out of his thoughts as he watched the tykes play on the play equipment. There were three of them now, soon to be four with the good Officer Friendly's bitch all knocked up.

He looked down to see Carol had joined him. She had changed since he had last seen her. She had grown a pair, it was hard to imagine her as the same mousey woman who let her piece of shit husband knock her around.

"Happens a lot," Merle grunted. He was an asshole. He would admit to being an asshole. He actually enjoyed being an asshole most of the time.

However, he was also a person. And he was loyal to his, there wasn't nothing he wouldn't do for his own. That list was small, but living here with these other stupid fuckers, it seemed to get a bit longer everyday. Daryl had always been on it, top of the list. Then there was that stubborn, bossy bitch Lara, who had taken care of his old ass when she hadn't needed to and had become a friend and then family somehow. Then had come Sophia and Twink. Kids. Kids who had become his responsibility, and who he would make sure he didn't let down. He would do anything to make sure that they never knew hurt like he had done while they were on his watch. Then that bitch Michonne. He never expected to like her, let alone grow fond of the nigg- woman. But there she was, up on his list too, along with Red. The others he could take or leave mostly.

"I bet," Carol said with a small laugh. "Sophia has nothing but good things to say about you."

"She's a good kid," Merle said gruffly, not lying. She was a spitfire and had picked up some of his redneck sayings which always made him chuckle.

"You're a good man Merle. And I see what you're doing with Lara and Daryl," Carol said with the hint of a smirk on her face.

"No idea what your yappin' about lady," Merle said with his own smirk.

"I agree. Never, seen Daryl take to someone like that before. Much less a woman," Carol carried on, as if he hadn't said a thing. Women. Couldn't live with 'um, couldn't chuck 'um to the walkers. More was the pity with some of the coozes.

"She's a hard bitch, but she needs someone. Not that she'd admit it. Deserves something good. Both of 'em do," Merle said before walking away and pulling out a cigarette from his pack. He thought if he just threw the two together as much as possible it would happen. They were both checking the other out not so covertly. And both of 'em could do with getting laid already. A freakin' year dry spell for both of them, at least. Damn. He was surprised they didn't go around dry humping anything that moved by this point.

Both were loyal to a fault and both had bleeding hearts too. They were fighters, warriors but both had softer sides and issues. They would be good for each other. Gonna take more than fightin' together and a run though. Both of 'em were stubborn as damn mules.