Danielle had just finished her daily check up on Carl, along with Hershel. His stitches were looking alright and the kid was joyful as always.

"Hey Danielle..." Carl said, sitting up on the bed, while she and Hershel cleaned the table.

" Yeah?" She asked, flashing the boy a smile. Danielle was a 23-year-old nurse from Bristol, who months prior to the zombie apocalypse had moved to Atlanta. A real peach, like the group would say.

She was tall, lean and pale skinned. Her hair was long like Lori's but straighter. And eyes were the same color as her hair.
Her family was still in the UK, and if they were alive or not was a mystery. Her mum, her dad, her little sister... It was better to remain in ignorance and actually have faith they were alright. So she tried to keep them alive in her mind.

"Did you hear me?" Danielle returned to earth.

"Ahn? Sorry Carl. I spaced out." Carl smirked.

"I asked, why are you always being so nice to Daryl? He's so mean to everyone." Danielle stopped moving.

"Shouldnt we be nice to everyone?" She asked in return, hoping her rigid attitude didn't show her real reason for being nice to the hunter.

" I guess, but Daryl?" Danielle chuckled, glancing at Hershel, who gave her a smile back.

"Danielle is right son. We mus' be nice to ev'ryone" She sat next to the kid and pat his head.

"Daryl is going everyday to the woods to search for Sophia. He always brings us food and protected me more than once. He's just... Proud. He's not used being complimented so that's why he acts so...Daryl. He's shy, I guess." The two stared at each other for a few seconds.

"So if we keep being nice to Daryl, he'll eventually be nice to us in the future?" He didn't seem so sure of what he had just said.

"Exactly!" "So you like him?" Ok, not expecting that. Danielle opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Like a fish.

"Hershel do you need help with anything?" She tried not to embarrass herself more by changing the subject.

"No young lady. You can go. And take the little man with you." Hershel smirked at Carl, who did the same.

"I will. Come Carl."

THe two went outside, discussing what they were going to do next. After some time, they ended up sitting on a few stones over the limit of Hershel's fields. Danielle was reading aloud to Carl and making him a pop quiz over American History.

"Blimey, it's so hot here in Georgia. How I miss England." Carl laughed at her, watching how stressful she looked while swiping the sweat of the forehead with her right arm. She was wearing a white linen dress and cowboy boots.

"Here" He handed his Sheriff hat over to her.

"I can't Carl. It's your fathers hat."

"Im lending it to you... Now please put it on so we can finish the test?" A smirk appeared on her lips as she placed it on.

"And here was I thinking you loved our time together."

Just as he prepared to joke back, Daryl appeared carrying his crossbow over his shoulder and a few squirrels on his right hand. He was sweaty from the heat and more tanned, now that she looked more attentively. His hair was longer, she noted and his arms, well... They looked nice, to be modest.

"Nice look." He mumbled, stopping right in front of them.

She hid her face by glancing down, hoping for the hat to cover her cheeks. Why did this always happen? She never blushed with anyone else.

"Thanks" she mumbled back, clutching the book closer to her chest.

"I'm doing Carl a pop quiz on American history." Nice one Danielle, she thought, why would he care? It's not like he wishes to take one too.

"Whatever." He snorted, his lips almost curling upward. He kept looking at her, as if she was one of those squirrels he caught.

"Danielle likes you very much. She told me."

What had just happened? Why did it seem to her ears that Carl had just technically confessed her feelings for Daryl in her place? And why were the two guys smirking to one another?

Danielle decided to joke about it, trying to smooth it out.

"Aham... Carl is so funny isn't he? We all like you of course Daryl ahaha" Daryl kept his poise.

"S' that true?"

Well, she liked him, there was nothing wrong with it. He just didn't have to know she liked liked him. She nodded, smiling at him, pleading for him not to reject her like a ragged doll.

He kicked some dust from his right boot, and began walking away after some time, not even daring to glance back.

"You'r not bad yeself."

She followed him with her stare, smirking and giggling like a high school girl.

Carl began to sing. "Danielle and Daryl sitting on a tree..."

"Shut up Carl." And she threw herself at him, messing up his hair.