A/N: Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard own The Walking Dead. Not me. I own Alex though. This is my latest story. If you read what I have posted already and are waiting for me to update it. I will as soon as I get the inspiration to write the chapter that needs to written. Have some faith in me please? And as always read and review please. Italics are thoughts. Underlines are flash backs.

Chapter One: Comfy Dumbass?

Alexandera Graham sat on the tailgate of a truck as she watched the others of the campsite that was near the quarry on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia. She was eating a small amount of squirrel that the Dixon brothers had brought into the camp for everyone. Looking down, Alex had just picked up a small amount of meat to put in her mouth when she heard footsteps coming towards her. Alex lifted her head to see Daryl Dixon, the younger brother, coming towards her.

"Ya have enough Cheetah?" He asked her with his hard southern accent. Alex nodded her head as she held her small bowl of squirrel out to him.

"Yeah. Here, you can have some. I don't eat much." Alex told him as he took the bowl and set it down on the tailgate. Daryl looked at Alex and sighed before he tugged on her red hair gently. Alex smiled gently at him, knowing it was his way of showing affection, while the two of them not noticing the rest of the camp watching them.

"Gotta go huntin' tomorrow. Stay away from Merle and Shane." Daryl told her as he watched her green eyes. Ever since he saved her from his older brother raping her, Daryl made sure to keep Alex safe. She was the most stubborn girl in the camp probably, proving it when she helps him clean the kills he gets while hunting when she doesn't have too, and the only other person who had a bow in the group. He knew she was a good shot as she nailed a squirrel that was right outside of their camp while practicing.

"I will. Merle is going with Glenn, T-Dog, Andrea, and Jaqui to the city for a run. I plan to go with them, but Glenn will stick around me." Alex said as she watched his blue eyes as he searched her face for any signs of stress or worry that something may happen to her while he was gone. Alex didn't trust Shane, not liking the ways he looked at her sometimes, and she hated Merle; for obvious reasons. Most of the camp did in fact, though for completely different reasons.

"I really don' want ya to go. But I know how ya are. Stay safe ya here?" Daryl asked her lightly as he ran a hand down her arm before picking the bowl of squirrel up again. He took a small amount of the meat before giving the bowl back to the girl. "Eat." He told her before walking back to his tent to grab his cross bow.

"You are the only person I have ever seen him talk civil to." Andrea said as she came to the red-head. Alex looked over at Andrea and shrugged her shoulders. While the green-eyed girl had noticed that the redneck was more civil to her than the others, she put it off. She knew that he was a kind person once you got to know him and gained his trust.

"He's a kind person. Just takes a bit for him to warm up to you." Alex said as she smiled at Andrea. Amy, Andrea's little sister came walking over to them and sat on the tailgate with Alex.

"We should go swimming later after we get laundry done." Amy suggested as Alex gave her the bowl of meat. Alex was full from eating and didn't want the meat to go to waste. If nothing else, she would give it to Carl or Sophia. Alex gave Amy a smile. While she liked Amy, Alex thought that the blonde was too innocent for the world that they now lived in.

"Sure. That would be nice. Cool off from this heat." Alex said as she watched Lori and Shane walk back from their small time in the woods. She couldn't help but shake her head some. It was a well known fact that they were sleeping together throughout the camp. Even though they tried to hide it. Amy smiled before she left the red-head and the other blonde to talk.

"I don't know who they think their fooling. We all know what is going on between them." Andrea said as she looked at Alex. Alex shrugged her shoulders as Carl walked over to them.

"Hi Alex, hi Andrea." Carl greeted them as he climbed onto the tailgate of the truck to sit next to Alex. Alex smiled and ruffled the boy's brown hair before handing him her bowl of uneaten meat.

"Here, don't want it to go to waste." She said as Carl took it and started to eat it. Carl nodded his head in thanks since his mouth was full of food. Andrea mentioned something about going to help Carol with her task before walking away, leaving Alex and Carl to themselves.

"Hey Carl." Daryl said as he walked back over to Alex, noticing that the boy was sitting next to her, his cross bow on his back.

"Yeah?" Carl asked as he looked up at Daryl. While he was unsure of the man, Carl did notice he was somewhat kinder to him and Sophia.

"Take the meat and share it with Sophia will ya? Cheetah won't eat it all and doesn't want it ta go ta waste." Daryl said as he motioned to the bowl of meat. Carl nodded his head before walking off to go find the blonde haired twelve years old. Alex looked at Daryl and smiled, knowing he was worrying about her going with Merle and the others to the city for a run.

"I'll be okay." Alex told Daryl as he moved to sit next to her on the tailgate of his truck. She leaned against him some as Daryl watched the others with her.

"I know ya will. I havta worry bout ya though." Daryl said as he rested his head on hers briefly. "I don't like how Shane watches ya and Merle… well we both know what he will try to do when yer alone with him." Alex smiled as she looked up at Daryl.

"I know you don't. I plan on staying away from Merle while on the run." Alex said as Daryl smirked as he got off the truck and moved so he was standing in between her legs.

"Don't get hurt." Daryl told her before picking up his crossbow and started walking towards the woods.

"Don't get bit!" Alex called after him as glanced back at her. Daryl gave her a smirk before disappearing into the woods to do some small hunting before going to track a deer he saw earlier. She then hopped off the tailgate and walked over to Glenn and T-Dog. "Hey. Do we have a plan yet?" She asked Glenn as she squeezed his shoulder gently.

"Almost. Just going over final details." Glenn told her before he smiled. "Don't worry. We'll keep you safe. Daryl won't have to worry."

"It's not you or the most of the others he's worried about." Alex replied as she looked over at the Dixon's tents and frowned as Merle emerged from the tent, most likely high. "It's his brother being around me that he's worried about." She replied before squeezed his shoulder again and walked to her tent near Daryl's. She went inside and grabbed the bag she always carried while hunting as well as the arrows that she didn't put in her quiver. "Hey Dale!" She called to the elderly man who stood on top of the RV.
"Yeah?" Dale asked as he looked down at the red-head. He kept watch of everyone in the camp, feeling like it was his duty since he was the oldest one. Dale had a particular soft spot for Andrea, Amy, and Alex as he saw the three as his daughters and made sure they were okay.

"I'm going into the woods to look for some berries. I'll keep within shouting distance. Just let Daryl know if he comes back before me please?" She asked as she smiled at the old man. Dale was sweet to everyone and made it clear when he didn't agree with something.

"Just be careful." Dale told her before the red-head entered the woods. He saw Alex wave her hand to show that she heard him. As Alex walked down the path towards a patch of berries there were not quiet ripe the last time she was there, she noticed a set of tracks as well. Seeing that they were human prints, someone alive since a walker's tracks were different completely, Alex looked ahead before to the sides before finally up in the trees to see Daryl up in one trying to get a squirrel down that he shot.

"How da hell does Cheetah do this?" Daryl asked himself, not realizing that his Cheetah was below him. Alex couldn't help but smirk some as she watched him.
"Daryl, ya want me to get it down for ya?" Alex asked as she tapped on the tree to show that she was there. Daryl looked down and frowned slightly before climbing back down.

"Huntin' or goin' for the berries?" Daryl asked as he noticed her hunting bag, so he wasn't going to be too worried as to why she was away from camp.

"Berries since they are probably ripe now." Alex said before she put her compact bow on her back, the string across her chest, before she started climbing the tree. Daryl watched as Alex moved quickly up to the squirrel he shot and easily got the arrow out of the tree. She quickly climbed back down and gave Daryl the squirrel with a smile. "Want me to tag along or just head back to camp after I get the berries?"
"Head back ta camp. Imma comin' with ya to get the berries." Daryl walked over to her and gave one of her belt loops a tug. "Don't want ya to get hurt." Alex smiled before the two of them walked to where the berries were. Not far off from where they were, the redneck and red-head could hear grunts and moans.
"Man… I really don't want to see Shane's bare ass." Alex groaned as she picked the ripe berries off of the bush. Daryl grunted in response as he helped her, putting large handfuls into the bucket Alex was carrying earlier.
"Let's go." Daryl said as he took the bucket from Alex and led her back to camp. Once there, he and Alex put the berries down near the fire before they both went over to where Merle and Daryl had their tents. Merle looked up when he heard footsteps coming towards him and got a lustful smile on his face.
"Well well well. You comin' to keep ol' Merle company Sweet Cheeks?" Merle asked Alex as she flipped him off before looking at Daryl as he snorted at the look on her face.
"Not in a million years Merle. I would rather keep a Walker company than you." Alex said before she took her knife out and started to skin the squirrels with Daryl. Once the sun had set, Alex and Daryl sat side by side as he told her of his plans.
"It most likely be an overnight huntin' trip." Daryl said as he pulled on her hair gently. Alex nodded her head as she wrapped his flannel around her more. "Just stay safe while you go to Atlanta. Stay away from Merle. Stick around China Man."
"I will. You know I can't stand staying around Merle that long. I only put up with him when I'm around you." Alex said as she watched him before shivering some and pulling the flannel closer around her body. Daryl noticed her shiver and frowned.

"Come 'ere." Daryl said as he grabbed her arm gently and pulled her so she was sitting on his lap. "Can't have you gettin' cold on me." Daryl teased as he wrapped his arms around her. "Don't get hurt tomorrow Cheetah."
"Don't get bit while hunting Huntsman." Alex said as she rested her head on his shoulder as she enjoyed the warmth he was providing her. What they didn't know was that the rest of the group, except for Ed and his family as well as Merle, were watching them.

"Why is it that he is so sweet and kind to her, but crude and brash to the rest of us?" Andrea asked as she watched the red-head smile at something Daryl had said to her. "I mean, he can go from being pissed off at Merle to calm and helping Alex within five seconds."
"She must be like a catalyst or something for him. Alex is one who can calm fights down, as we have seen with Shane and Daryl." Dale pointed out as he turned his attention back to the fire. "I do suggest anyone that is going to Atlanta tomorrow go and get some sleep since you will need all energy that you can get." Everyone agreed and soon dispersed to their own tents to get some shut eye. Alex got up soon after and walked over to her own tent.
"Night Daryl. If you're not here in the morning when I get up, don't get bit." Alex said to him with a smile as she unzipped the tent.
"Night Cheetah. Don't get hurt." Daryl said to her before she disappeared into her tent. It was early morning when Alex woke up. She quickly got dressed in her jeans and combat boots before pulling on a sports bra and a black tank top that hugged her curves. She had just pulled Daryl's flannel on when Daryl came into her tent. "Yer awake. I was just comin' in to see if you were."

"Yeah." Alex said as she looked at him as she pulled the holster that held her hunting knife onto her hip. She saw a piece of paper in his hand and took it. "List of things you need from Atlanta?" She asked as she read it over.

"Yeah. Grab it only if ya can Cheetah. I don't want ya gettin' hurt trying to get somethin' for me." He told her as he kneeled down and grabbed her Glock. He stood up and tucked the gun into the waist band of her jeans in the small of her back before tugging on a belt loop. "I gotta get goin'. Don't get hurt." Daryl pressed a kiss to her forehead before backing away and walking out of the tent.
"Don't get bit." Alex told him in return as she followed him out of her tent. Daryl smiled a small smile before walking into the woods after grabbing his crossbow. Alex walked over to Glenn and smiled as she took the backpack he handed to her.
"Ready to go get what we need?" He asked her as she put the backpack on her back. Alex nodded her head as she took enough ammo to fill the clip of her Glock two times. Shortly after the group all headed into Atlanta in Alex's old truck that she honestly hated since it was always breaking down on her. It wasn't long before they were in Atlanta. Alex looked at Glenn and then the others.

"I think we should try the department store… Would have a lot of what we need and maybe some extra that we can grab. It's starting to get colder slowly so we could grab some warmer clothes for winter for everyone." The red-head suggested as she stepped away from Merle as the older Dixon brother stepped towards her. Everyone agreed with her before all sneaking their way into the department store. Soon after they started to split up to go and get the things needed, Glenn sticking with Alex.
"What all do you need?" Glenn asked the girl as she took a large duffle bag off of the shelf and opened it up. Alex held up a piece of paper in her hand, a smile on her face.
"I have a small list that I need to get. Though I was told to get it only if I could." Alex said as she turned her attention back to the things on the list. She and Glenn quickly went and grabbed the clothes that would be needed before grabbing the things that they wanted. Alex split off from Glenn and walked into the sporting goods area before seeing a knife that Daryl had always mentioned he wanted.

"Alex, I need your help with something." Glenn said as he came over to her just as the girl busted the glass to get to the knife.

"Alright. Had to get this for Daryl." The red-head turned her emerald hues to the Asian and smiled. "Let's go." Alex followed Glenn as they went out of the department store and into the alleyway before seeing a sheriff ride into a bunch of walkers. They quickly climbed on to a roof and watched as the cop went into the tank that was in the road. Glenn quickly pulled out a C.B. and turned it on.

"Hey Dumbass? You in the tank? Cozy in there?" Glenn asked with a smile as Alex took the radio from him.

"Comfy Dumbass?" She asked right as a male's voice said hello a couple of times in response to their voices.