[Author's Note: I dug this up tonight and it's old and not very well polished and Daryl's a tiny bit out of character but I figured I'd just tack on an ending and post it anyways. And I'm releasing chapters as I read over them and at my leisure.]
Awkward, clammy hands gripped around Dale's binoculars as Glenn surveyed the beautifully intact farmland, though he was too preoccupied to notice much except Daryl Dixon setting up shop at the edge of the woods. He was so far away Glenn worried he might see little of the man now, less than before even. But it was his nature to go off on his own. He was the stoic loner-type after all. The young man lowered his binoculars with a small sigh, letting them fall around his neck and turning to take a quick look at the cluster of tents the families were forming. They grouped together for safety, which was something Daryl Dixon didn't need. He had himself and his bow and that was all he needed. Maybe.
"See somethin'?" Dale's voice surprised Glenn and he swiveled his head around quickly to meet the old man's probing gaze.
"Just looking around," Glenn said quickly, lifting the binoculars off his neck and handing them back to their owner.
"Daryl's pretty far out isn't he?" Dale continued as he took the binoculars, glancing out over the younger man's shoulder and squinting into the sun as he observed. "Think we got anything to worry about?"
"With Daryl?" Glenn asked, a slight scoff in his tone. "Naw. I don't think we do."
"Pretty tough guy," Dale said. "I'm surprised the girls aren't all over him."
"Yeah, weird."
Glenn officially wanted to end this conversation. He was a terrible liar and it was hard for anyone to keep secrets from Dale. So he headed down the ladder, his brow furrowing in the bright sun.
"You know there's a funny story about that," Dale continued anyway, leaning over the side of the RV. "It was before you settled down outside Atlanta with us. When the Dixons first came."
Glenn paused, still very uninterested but obligated to listen to Dale ramble. There was always a point to these stories anyway.
"Andrea was...well I wouldn't say she was sweet on him," he continued, chuckling a little bit. "But there was somethin' going on. I heard he turned her down though."
This caught Glenn's attention. He looked back up curiously. "Do you know why?"
A grin spread across the man's whiskered face. "Well I can't tell you for certain, I wasn't there, but she told me he bats for the other team."
Glenn's eyes popped as Dale discretely raised his binoculars, giving the other survivor a moment to process this information.
"Oh..." he said, his voice faltering a bit. "Um...thanks."
"Hmm?" Dale said, lowering the binoculars and raising his eyebrows.
"Nothing," Glenn said quickly. "I-uh, gotta go."
Dale smiled to himself as he watched the kid sprint off, then planted himself in his folding chair and breathed in a sigh of fresh air untainted by blood.