She sat there dub founded as she watched her eldest brother leave with the group making the run. She had wanted to go seeing how it was so boring at camp, had even succeeded in convincing Daryl that it would be ok. Not that she made much noise, she knew how to be quiet and talking like it mattered much. She didn't have much vocal cord left as is.
Daryl walked up next to her and calmly watched the small group leave heading to the city for supplies. Huffing Zoey folded her arms across her chest frustrated to no end. It didn't matter how many times she and Daryl would gang up on their brother, they would even have a good argument. Merle would shut them down with a big macho speech.
Daryl reached over and grabbed the back of her head turning her around, "c'mon let's get us some meat." Zoey smiled some, 'fine but you're carrying them this time' she signed back smiling as she took off for their stuff.
Two days in the woods and they had finally spotted something bigger than a squirrel. A doe stood there unafraid of her surroundings, and totally unaware of her hunters. Zoey smiled and grabbed Daryl's arm 'can I take the shot this time?' she signed breathing in the woodland air. Daryl sighed and gave her the go ahead. She smiled and lifted her compound bow, that her brother had gotten her for her 19th birthday, and took aim. Taking a deep breath she pulled back on the sting giving tension to the weapon and with the release of air from her lungs she let go with her fingers.
The deer moved just enough in scavenging the forest floor for food that the arrow missed its mark and stuck fast in the doe's hip bone. Swearing quietly under his breath Daryl pulled up his crossbow and pulled the trigger, the arrow his its mark but the doe still continued to run. Zoey frowned and looked at her big little brother. 'Don't look at me like that, it was your hair that scared it.' Daryl signed teasingly as he ruffled the loose hair that had fallen out of her crimson ponytail.
Smiling as she followed him further down the hill after their kill. It had taken a couple of hours for them to find the dead doe and when they did Zoey groaned inwardly. There was the biggest kill of the last two day much less month and it had been chewed on by some stupid walking corpse. Which had been pulled to the side and beheaded by the time she breached the surrounding shrubbery. She watched as Daryl, quietly, shot and arrow through the bodiless head as he mumbled about the loss of the kill. She walked over and attempted to pull her arrow from the doe's hip, but it wouldn't budge. Pushing her hair out of her face she sighed and walked back to camp.
She heard her brother hollering for Merle which of course he did not answer. That's when a stranger's voice spoke up," we need to talk to you Daryl." The voices owner paced up behind him as he turned around dropping the load of squirrel on the ground. "Who's this?" he asked accusingly looking around. Everyone seemed to freeze up and look around nervously. After about thirty seconds of uncomfortable silence Zoey noticed that Merle still hadn't made an appearance. Snapping her fingers to get Daryl's attention she asked, 'where is our brother?'
With a flurry of movements Daryl responded with 'how should I know.'
'Well ask them! They won't understand me.' She signed quickly before crossing her arms again and resumed staring at the stranger.
The man was at least two inches taller than Daryl, but he had gentler eyes. Eyes that didn't hold malice for all mankind, but at the same time held a fierceness that meant he could be dangerous. Zoey dropped her arms and moved to a better vantage point so her brother could see her if need be. That's when Daryl spoke up again. "Yeah where is Merle?"
The stranger shook his head. "I am sorry we had to leave him."
"Is he dead?"
"No, handcuff to a pipe on a roof."
That when all hell broke loose Daryl started to throw a punch when Shane rushed up behind him and place his arm around his throat. Choking out a smart ass reply Daryl retorted with "choke holds are illegal." Zoey snapped and the typical Dixon fire exploded in her chest. She ran up and while grabbing Shane's head she guided the side of it to her knee with an audible thwack. When she went to do it again seeing as how somehow he still hadn't let go she was lifted up arms threaded under her arms and latched behind her head, causing her to fight back, thrashing and kicking.
"Everyone needs to calm down!" the man holding her stated as he waiting for the red head to relax.
Zoey continued for a moment longer before going still as she hung there. In the process Daryl was released from Shane's grasp and scrambled back to his feet. "Ok we're calm put 'er down." Daryl stated looking very much like a caged animal, well with less cage. After a moment as if making sure another outburst wouldn't happen the new guy slowly placed the red headed women on the ground.
Once her feet hit the ground she scramble up and over behind her brother. As they begin to argue whether or not it was a justified act. After a few hot moments it had been decided that they needed to go back in to get some things that had been left anyway, including one of her brothers. She huffed and grabbed Daryl's arm, 'let me come.' She signed impatiently. Shaking his head no Daryl grabbed his cross bow from the ground from where it had landed. "No you need to stay here." He stated flatly. Zoey went to argue when the stranger spoke up. "I think it would be best for you to stay here. They made need you hear."
Frowning and more than just a little disgruntled she turned back the man who held who up in the air like a sack of potatoes. Just as her brother began to pass by her again she grabbed his shirt. 'Translate for me.' She told him before focusing on the newest member of the survivors. 'I go where my brothers go. I also only listen to them if I listen at all. So what makes you believe that I would take your assumed position of leadership to heart?' when her hands finally fell down to her side she looked at Daryl who still hadn't spoken.
"what did she say?" he ask, he even made an attempt at sounding curious behind what seemed like amusement hiding in his eyes. Daryl looked back and forth between his sister and the man in front of them. Signing out his question he asked Zoey, 'are you sure you want me to say that.' Amusement also dancing across his face as he tried not to imagine what kind of tantrum his baby sister would drum up.
Zoey nodded, a serious expression presently glued to her face. "Alright," Daryl sighed. "She wants you to know that she doesn't even listen to me an' merle half the time what makes you think she would even listen to you."
The man smiled and rubbing his hand down his face. "You can hear me?" he asked the red head directly allowing a full blown smile to grace his features. Zoey frowned and with fast angry motions she said as her brother translated, "yeah I can hear you. I am mute not deaf." When Daryl had finished her sentence she lifted her head and pointed to her throat to reveal a jagged almost round scar where her vocal cords use to be.
Daryl sighed, reaching out and pushing her head down, clearly embarrassed for her. "Go practice your bow, lil' shit." He said. Forcing out a huff of anger and desperation Daryl watched as she stormed off.
"She is a tough on isn't she?" the man asked staring off after her. "Hmm" was all he got of tracker. "I am sorry about earlier. My name is Rick Grimes. I was hoping that earlier would have gone a lot smoother." The new guy said and stuck his hand out. Daryl grunted and shook it briefly before dropping his hand. Rick starred at him for a moment longer before asking. "You mind if I send my son to keep her company?" looking back over to where she was siting again the furthest tree within sight of the camp. "Might keep her mind off of the time we are gone."
Daryl grunted, "Might." Then he shrugged before turning towards the truck. "She likes kids." With that final word he moved away from the camp and jump into the back of the truck.
Zoey felt ganged up on, like two parents were putting her in her place. Sitting there pulling a blade of grass apart she glared at her sibling. She noticed that they continued to talk before shaking hands and after a short dispersal of words, separated.
She just wanted to punch someone, and her targets were on the new guy. Taking out her frustration on her hair while violently pulling the hair tie from her hand and pulling the knots from the tangle crimson waves. Pulling her hair back she began to pull and twist her hair into a braid, plaiting it all the way down over her shoulder. When she was finished her hair rested neatly in the middle of her back. When she was finished she resumed her position of brooding and… well pouting.
After about ten minutes of gloating the horn on the truck begin to honk wildly just before Daryl stuck his head out the back hollering for everyone going to hurry up. It only took a moment for everyone to catch on and load into the truck and take off. Having already th0rouly mutilated the last blade of grass she picked up a leave and started on that while she stared off in to the direction the vehicle disappeared.
After a few moment of silence throughout the camp and her quiet observations she noticed that everyone was looking at her. She was so engrossed in everyone's facial expression, her way of attempting to figure out what they all thought about lil' miss Dixon that she didn't even notice the youngest male sneak up shyly to stand next to her. A small throat clearing noise sounded off besides her startling the living crap out her. She visibly jumped before placing her hand on her heart as she stared at the young man, giving him a tight slightly off smile.
"Hi, my name is Carl." The kid stated before sticking out his hand to her just like the man had to Daryl. She took it gingerly as if she could break his hand by squeezing to hard. "What's yours?" he asked completely oblivious to her condition, either that or he was nervous. Never the less Zoey smiled and in the dirt beside her wrote her name. When Carl noticed this he tilted his head to the side and sounded it out. "Zoeee". When she nodded in approval the boy smiled back. "Can you teach me to talk with my hands like you did with Daryl?" he asked as he folded his body down into the sitting position next to her. Zoey made a gesture with her hands and let out a breathy rasp that resembled a laugh. She reached down if front of them and again in the dirt wrote, "It means yes". Carl smiled and he began to lean to talk to her.
Off in their own small world Lori Grimes watched as her son learned ASL and in the process make friends with a women she wouldn't even let around her family. Well at least when the world was normal she wouldn't have. She watched for a while longer enjoying to her what could be called a new form of normalcy. With a burst noise that startled just about everyone Shane came up and of the hill coming from the quarry. With a half glance Lori noticed that his hands were bloody. She stood up walking over to him she pulled the most annoyed look on to her face she could muster. "What happened?" she asked trying to match her voice to her face. Shane only shrugged and with a short reply "Ed finally got on my nerves." He bent over and retrieved a fresh water bottle from the cooler.
Lori wasn't shocked by this news. Ever since Rick had returned she had noticed that Shane wasn't responding well to anyone. Not that she cared he had lied about her husband and she had a feeling it had been just to get to her. Shane's eyes wondered around the camp before settling on Carl and Daryl's little sister. "What is Carl doing over there with her?" the fury never leaving his voice.
Lori's hackles raised slightly. "His father asked him to talk to her." She spit out emphasizing father. Shane threw down the water bottle that he had just picked up. Storming off in the direction of Lori's son.
It had been at least an hour and to Zoey's surprise Carl was picking up the basics of sign language pretty quickly. He already mastered 'how are you' and, much to her amusement 'where is the bathroom', not that there were any traditional bathrooms anymore. Out of slight necessity she also taught him pen and paper just in case she needed to talk to anyone else while Daryl wasn't here.
She had just tried to teach him how to introduce himself, and well… every time he tried he ended up laughing too hard to finish it. She finally just gave up and pulled him into her lap and started tickling him. She had just got him laughing really hard when he was ripped from her lap and set on his feet with a harsh word.
Zoey startled pulled herself up brushing the dirt off her pants. Folding her arms into her chest she looked at the man who had tried to choke her brother out. Her face full of questions. She looked and Carl and brought her fingers to her mouth and then slid it down her palm and with a quick movement tapped her hands together. Carl smiled and repeated "pen and paper, got it." He said running for the R.V. Zoey put her eyes back on Shane, who was glaring at her.
It took about five minutes for Carl to return with an empty envelope and a broken pencil that had been sharped. Zoey moved her hand to her mouth touching her finger tips to her mouth and brought it down. A sharp sense of pride filled her chest when Carl automatically replied with your welcome before stepping back with his mom. It took a moment before Shane just turned around and stormed off. With an apologetic look Lori reached out and put her hand on Zoey's shoulder. "You wanna help us with dinner?" Zoey shrugged but the smile on her face said it all.
Apparently a couple of the other ladies that were there had caught a butt load of fish. So just to pass the time and to stay out of trouble Zoey helped clean and prepare the fish for dinner. It wasn't long before they were done and the fish was on the fire when all of the camp seemed comfortable enough to try and talk to her. So for the next hour of so she was content to write down her answers and have the nearest person read it, which turned out to be either Lori or Carl. The whole group seemed to take it upon themselves to "get to know her" as the older gentlemen who she learned name was Dale had suggested.
"Hey Zoey?" the older man asked her just as she placed a mouthful of fish in her mouth. "Since we are… well all of us are going to be traveling together for a bit. Seeing as the world seems to be ending why don't you try and teach us sign language. So that you can talk to us without having to find paper." He chuckled a moment and said "you never know the world could run out of paper."
And with that everyone laughed lighting the mood considerably. Zoey had noticed that Shane had disappeared and hadn't resurfaced yet. Glaring into the night in hopes of seeing the ill-tempered man in the shadows', but nothing. They all continued to laugh and talk when Amy one of the girls that had caught the fish got up. "Where you going?" Andrea asked. "Umm, I have to use the bathroom." Amy replied followed by a smart ass answer about not having privacy.
Zoey was feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden. The woods were too quiet. Then past the noise of the laughter she heard Carols husband bitching about something, then a yell. Zoey turned her head towards the direction of the tents listening some more. Then the R.V. opened and Amy announced that there was no toilet paper before letting out a horrified pain filled scream. Everyone was up then and moving. Guns began to go off and skirmishes off around the camp. 'And her I am up a shit creak without a paddle.' Zoey thought as she began to think of what she can use for a weapon.
Her bow was in her tent along with her hunting knife. There was no large pieces of wood nearby that she could use for a club either. She was alone and weaponless, there was no time to make it to the tent to get one either. Getting caught in that tight space would be deadly for sure. Her thoughts were cut short by the sound of gun fire and organized yelling as Shane ushered Carl and Lori towards the r.v. A few others were joining that circle. When she made a move towards the circle to join them and maybe find a weapon something trip her and held tight to her leg.
Rolling onto her back she lifted her cowboy boot up and brought it down on the ugly dead guy's head. It took two or three kicks, but finally the heal of her boot caved in his forehead. The rotting corpse released and laid still. Scrambling to her feet, Zoey noticed it was starting to die down and the gun shots ceasing. Looking around she noticed that the group was back. Spotting Carl's father Rick first allowed her to confirm her though. In a hurried motion she scanned what little survivors were left searching for anyone familiar to her in a past life. That when she laid eyes on Daryl's back as he back away from the darkened forest, gun focused on the night. His cross bow slung across his back.
Zoey couldn't help it she ran around avoiding the riffle and wrapped her arms around his middle. Being a whole head shorter than her brothers she had no trouble staying out of the cross hairs as he dropped his arms around her guiding his baby sister back towards everyone else. Stepping out of his arms she looked him straight in the face before glancing around. Daryl let out a sigh, "he wasn't there all we found was the hand cuffs and well… bastard cut off his own hand."
Zoey just stared at him for a moment a look of disbelief clouding her eyes before she asked 'no seriously where is he?' a smile touching her lips before her hands stopped moving. "You heard me. Don't know" lifting his thumb to his mouth out of nervous habit he moved away from her towards where Rick and Shane were talking. All she could do is frown in utter denial before flopping down on her bottom and wrapping her arms around her knees.
