Author's Note: Thanks so much for the great reviews guys! And I'm so proud of the great feedback Catalina is getting, sorry this chapter took so long to update but between work and this flu I can't get over and my family it's all a giant cluster. So here's my part two I hope it continues to live up to your expectations and that the flashbacks don't get too confusing

Song: Halestorm - I Bleed


They were everywhere, how were they everywhere? Had they come in through the front? Catalina couldn't understand it, everyone in the house could only think to try and go out through the kitchen and quickly rushed in because the front door was no longer an option. Catalina couldn't help the tears welling in her eyes at the sight Mason's parents made, her mother in law clinging to Joseph Shaw for dear life and the man doing his best to put on a brave face but she could see the fear in his eyes. Mason, he was doing his best to keep a brave face though and Catalina couldn't read his expression try as she might and all she wanted to know, all she needed to hear was that they would be all right. That wasn't what happened though, not even close before the woman could blink it happened without blinking, Mrs. Shaw was pulled away from Mason's father, Mason and his father pushed Catalina out of harm's way and Mrs. Shaw… Miss Linda…

Catalina shot up in panicked frenzy, drenched in a cold sweat and knife in hand. She hadn't realized she had fallen asleep. Hadn't realized she'd slept through dinner, and straight through the night, it was unsettling and it upset the woman that the camp hadn't even thought to wake her. The woman's heart was in her throat as she scolded herself for a moment for being so stupid and callous these past few days. It had been weeks now since that night and she didn't want to relive it every day of her life because if she did… The thought sent a cold chill down Catalina's spine as she stood and stretched inside her tent, changing into a pair of denim cutoffs as the heat was already beginning to suffocate the woman and she saw nothing wrong in doing what had to be done to remain cool.

Digging through her belongings, the things Mason had packed for her it still made the woman tremble the more she noticed that his bags were still in the pickup as were his parents things, she knew that the camp would do well with some clothes but to give their clothes away would be accepting a reality Catalina wasn't so sure she wanted to be a part of. After some light rifling through her bag the young Hispanic woman pulled out a plain black string bikini top and a white wife beater. Catalina wasn't exactly sure why Mason would have packed a bikini but he had always been an over thinker which Catalina had always loved about the man but again the woman refused to think about the situation and instead slipped out of her dirty clothes and into something light and far more suitable to the weather, Catalina kept on the heavy laced biker boots she was wearing because she knew she couldn't get too comfortable and grabbed her satchel deciding to herself that today was just a day too hot to bother with and thought that some time to herself in the quarry might be good.

Panther and Sugar wasted no time whatsoever in sprinting to freedom as Catalina walked out of the tent only to find that much of the camp had decided to take her route, aside from Shane who was keeping watch most of the women had taken to sitting in the shade while the children played, instantly drawing Panther and Sugar's attention. Catalina felt Shane's eyes on her immediately and had to fight the urge to cringe outwardly. He was fairly unabashed which made the woman wonder how his girlfriend felt because from the few encounters she'd witnessed between the two it was more than obvious that they took the roles of playing house quite seriously, but again not Catalina's business and it was only all the better because at least that way maybe Shane would leave the woman alone and stop at some lewd staring here and there when he thought she wasn't paying attention. Walking towards the center of the camp where the women seemed to be cooking and Dale eating Catalina politely walked up to the group and bid them good morning.

"Buenos Dias, como estan ahorra?" (Good morning how are you all today?) The woman said coming up beside Dale, offering the man a gentle smile as she took a seat on the arm of the chair he sat on to which the man merely shook his head and laughed as for a few minutes Catalina carried on conversation with Mrs. Morales before declining any food and explaining that she'd be out by the quarry for a bit to get some thinking done. No one objected and merely bid her a good day as she placed a peck on top of Dale's head once more bidding the man farewell as she readjusted the strap to the brown leather satchel that rested at her hip and bounced every time she took a step.

It didn't take long for the woman to leave Shane's sight before he was calling out to the camp.

"And just where does she think she's goin'? Daryl said he was goin' solo today!" The man shouted obviously displeased with the Latina's lack of presence. Nobody really appreciated his sudden interest in their newest member and left that to Lori who rolled her eyes and shot back.

"Are you gonna go babysit the girl? She's killed about as much as Daryl I think the girl can handle herself fine."

"That ain't the point Lori!"

"Then what is Shane?" The woman shot back and suddenly the entire camp felt all the part of being stuck in a lover's spat and unsure of what to do they instead focused on the children who were happily distracting themselves with Catalina's pets leaving Lori and Shane to silently stare at one another before Shane backed down and rolled his eyes, muttering something incoherent from his spot on top of the RV.

The sun was beating down hard on the quarry but Catalina had managed to find herself a nice spot, distanced from the usual haunts that the rest of the camp frequented but not too far off. Catalina had taken off the heavy biker boots for a moment and let her legs dangle off the rock she had been sitting on the over looked the quarry's fresh water. It looked inviting but there was no doubt that sooner or later the kids and the women would be thinking to get in on the cool dip. Instead the woman sat in the cool shade provided by the trees of the forest behind her but still the woman had slipped off her shit and left it with her shoes while she held her hair up in a messy, curly bun with a pencil as she hunched over a sketchbook, almost full but still with some clean pages left as she drew out the face of a man, extremely handsome, a crooked grin and bright eyes, and even looking at the portrait of Mason staring back at her Catalina couldn't help but to close her eyes again and let herself relive the one thing she was looking to get away from…

"Mason this isn't right, why are there so many, what do I even call them? Those aren't people Mase and this is getting pretty dangerous." Catalina said worriedly as she noticed that all over the road were people once dead somehow back alive, though not at all it was something straight out of the comic books but somehow so much worse.

"In and out baby girl I promise." Catalina let out a shaky breath only to find Mason's fingers lacing together with hers, pulling her hand up to his lips and kissing her knuckles softly. "I love you, Catalina I will never let anything happen to you." She wanted to believe that, Catalina really did.

"In and out." Was all the young woman said which seemed to ease her boyfriend's worry as he grinned that same crooked grin and nodded. "Attagirl." Was all he said before setting his eyes back on the road and heading towards his parents house… Nothing seemed wrong, maybe they actually could make it out of there alive, Catalina could only pray that was the case.

"Wait here."

"Like hell." The woman said immediately.

"Catalina we don't have time to argue."

"And we don't have time for your parents to play this game and let's face it they won't listen to you but little ol' me? The daughter they never had? You're dad will come because I'll be damned if he argues." The woman said matter of factly as she hopped out of the truck but not before grabbing the hunting knife that had been resting between the young couple and sticking it in her belt, Catalina would be damned if she was up shit creek without a paddle and the longer they stood around the further upstream she was starting to feel. "Please just in and out Mason, I don't have a good feeling at all." The man didn't seem to want to take her gut feelings into account but the look on her face it told him all he needed to know because he hated to see fear etched onto her beautiful features, nodding the man quickly followed his girlfriend into his parents house, not thinking about closing the door, not paying attention to anything other than the fact that he had long ago promised to protect this woman and to never let her feel scared and he couldn't help but to think he was failing her, no matter what brave face she put on.

"Miss Linda? JoJo..?." There was nothing, and suddenly Catalina and Mason's blood began to run cold as they began to search the farmhouse for any sign of the man's parents.

"Ma? Pop!." Catalina could hear from the downstairs

"Mason what if they left?" She called down to her boyfriend

"Catalina I talked to them thirty minutes ago, they didn't leave." Catalina's stomach was starting to turn and her eyes starting to well as she ran upstairs checking all the rooms, calling out for her in laws all the while panic beginning to slowly rise in her. Where the hell were they? What could have happened to them?

"Kitten?" Catalina heard from downstairs and the woman couldn't help but to let out a cry of relief before flying down the stairs and straight into the arms of her father in law, trying her best not to cry at all the thoughts her mind had been drifting to.

"We were only grabbing a few things, Mason is putting them in the car-"

"Bags our ready, lets get the hell outta here." Mason spoke cutting his father off, his heart breaking at the sight of Catalina clinging to the man while his mother, softly pet her hair trying to soothe her. Drying her eyes and trying to laugh off her panic as a mere 'girl thing' but before she could really get another word in her eyes were drawn to the door just behind her boyfriend.

"Mason!" The woman shouted but all that seemed to do was rile them up more as the family did their best to find a way out, slowly inching towards the kitchen and hopefully out the back door…

"Hm that sure don't look nothing like me." A painfully familiar, annoyingly close voice called to her and before she could really think anything of it, Catalina had her hunting blade out and aimed straight for Shane's neck making the man throw his hands up as if admitting surrender but it only made the young woman roll her eyes and drop her weapon as she shrugged and went back to her portrait, Mason's eyes calling to her in a way that made the woman's heart lurch painfully. Outwardly though the woman was as unreadable as ever as she continued in her absent minded shading, she could feel Shane's suffocating presence as he watched her draw effortlessly and the man had to admit he was pretty damn impressed.

"You're ah, uh.. Bueno at drawing Catalina." The woman had to mentally keep herself from scoffing at the man's attempt at scoffing and simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Se tiene que hacer algo para no volver se loco." (You have to do something to keep from going crazy.) The woman said nonchalant as she began to work on Mason's hair, short and well kept a small quiff at top but it had always worked so well for the man. Her heart broke silently as she felt hatred at herself for leaving him, despite his making her leave despite his parents telling her to run, it wasn't right she should have stayed maybe they could have gotten out and now Catalina would never know because all she seemed to be doing was moving further and further away from them, Catalina had betrayed them and no one would be able to tell her otherwise.

"Nice tattoo." The man motioned to his back as if playing charades with Catalina who merely nodded continued on her task, she'd rather lose herself in Mason's picture than pretend that she wanted to get to know anything about any of these people. Shane didn't seem to relent though in fact he joined the woman, taking a seat on the rock with her and even going so far as kicking his shoes off and leaning back on the rock, the entire time Catalina's eyes remained focus on Mason's hair even though by the tense way she held her pencil it was not so difficult to tell that the woman was simply not pleased with it but if Shane had noticed he had made no point to take it into account.

They stayed in silence for the most part, Catalina hunched over the drawing of her presumably dead boyfriend while Shane lay on the rock watching her, his eyes drawn to the tattoo of broken angel wings that took over her back. There was a story and he knew it but getting the girl to talk would be different, hell even if he did he'd need a damn SAP button to understand one word she'd said, it wasn't as though he was paying much attention in high school Spanish to begin with. She was an asset to this team though, he wouldn't lie and say he didn't think she was beautiful hell, he'd been caught staring at her more times than he could count but Shane was only a man and it wasn't as though he was going to throw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and drag her off to his tent… As much as the thought had crossed his mind

"So is that you're…. Amor?" The man said and Catalina would have given anything to be able to punch him but she merely shrugged and nodded softly. Shane let out a soft 'oh' sound as if finally getting it through his thick skull that Catalina didn't want to talk and that leaving her alone might be better but that just would have been too easy and before Catalina could react to it, she was being pulled into a tight embrace surprising the woman who merely stiffened at the embrace. "We've all had to lose something in this Catalina, some more than others but just know, you're not alone." It was all a bunch of generic bullshit falling on Catalina's ears but she merely nodded, her eyes as blank as ever as she looked back down at Mason, his smiling face looking up at her only reminding her of what exactly it was that she had lost. Closing the sketchbook, Catalina didn't want to let her emotions out not in front of Shane, not in front of anybody and instead closed her eyes and inhaled deeply willing her emotions away, she just wanted a peaceful quiet day to do what she used to love at her leisure, away from prying eyes but it seemed even privacy had turned to shit in this world and as much as she wanted to punch the former police officer in the throat the woman instead removed his arm from her shoulder as she began to slip on her socks and shoes, suddenly feeling the desire to head back to camp and nap, or even go for a hunt but seeing as it was Daryl that had assigned himself the hunt Catalina didn't even want to get into it with Shane over it being unsafe for her to be out there on her own, because of course a dainty flower like Catalina couldn't handle her own.

"Catalina I know you can't understand me but I didn't mean to offend you." Shane immediately started as he noticed her lack of emotion and slight rush to put her shoes on, as she reached for her shirt though the man couldn't keep himself from holding on to her hand one more time, clasping onto it gently and Catalina couldn't control herself from pulling her hand away as if she had been scolded by fire and shot the man a dirty look but before he could speak any further the pair was interrupted by an equally unwelcome intruder.

"That spic can understand ya, the bitch just don't wanna talk talk to ya." Catalina shot a dark look towards the tree watching was Daryl and before he had even acknowledged Shane his eyes were drawn instantly to Catalina and the man scoffed at the half naked woman with shirt in hand as she stood from the rock, Shane mimicking her actions.

"Well what exactly did I walk in on, Spic can't speak no English but she'll fuck in whatever language?" The man laughed shortly at his own joke and Catalina could feel her fist itching to crack this man square in the jaw but it seemed Shane was going to beat her to the punch and the woman found herself surprised to have held him off, if she didn't get to teach him some manners she'd be damned if anyone else did. Daryl didn't move a muscle and instead merely smirked at the woman and officer as he slung his crossbow back around his shoulders and watched as Catalina walked right up to him a dark look on her face as she spoke low and even to him and only him.

"No te enojes por que sabes que mas antes yo lo cojo a el que a ti." (Don't get mad because you know I'd fuck him before I'd ever fuck you.) And though he couldn't understand what she'd said just the smug look on her face made Daryl want to wipe it off by any means necessary.

"Whore." He seethed.

"Maricon." (Fag) She replied coolly before rolling her eyes and leaving the two men to their devices, shoving her shirt into satchel as she made her way back to camp no longer interested in what Shane or Daryl had to tell her. The two men however, silently squared off one against the other, Shane looking down on Daryl as though he were lower than dirt and Daryl merely smirking at the man, though his eyes were filled with a fire that was begging to be set off.

"You've got some real nerve talking to a lady like that didn't yer momma teach you any manners?"

"Didn't yer momma teach ya ta mind yer own damn business?!" Daryl shot back, immediately ready to push Shane off a cliff because no one spoke to the man about his mother, no one. It didn't take a genius to tell what a sore spot his mother was for him and it only made Shane grin like the Chesire cat as he closed the gap between Daryl and himself, weary of the hunting knife Daryl was holding onto in his back pockets.

"At least my momma was around now listen 'ere Daryl." The man taunted the younger Dixon and though Daryl would have rather bitten a fucking bullet or gutted the pig like the animal he was he gritted his teeth and kept his grip on the knife in his back bone white. Shane saw this and laughed, he had to give the piece of white trash credit obviously he knew his place pretty damn well and Shane continued with no problem.

"I don't take kindly to men who treat women like dirt and men who think they can talk down on women for simply being weaker, and I sure as hell don't take kindly to racist redneck hicks so how about from here on out I go hunting with Catalina and you just stay the hell away. Don't look at her, don't speak to her, and if you know what's good for you just forget about her." Daryl for his part had to keep from speaking to control his anger but he was sure Shane could see the hellfire in his eyes. His whole life had been someone trying to tell him what he should or shouldn't do and if Daryl hadn't listened then he sure as hell wouldn't start now.

"Feelin' threatened cowboy? Don't worry your Spic loving ass, the last thing on my mind is that little bitch, although I'd love to see just what it is you can hunt." Because as much as it pained the man to agree to it, Catalina was one hell of a huntress he wasn't sure who had taught her or if it was just passed down in her Mexican blood but if the night before had proved anything it was that Shane wouldn't be able to track his way out of a paper bag. A part of him felt smug though, to know that he could intimidate the man when it came to Catalina because why else would it be such a problem if the wetback was out in the woods with him for hours at a time doing something he obviously knew to do so well. "Fer all the talkin' yer doin' for that mute bitch, you sure don't know a damn thing about 'er." Was all Daryl said before shoving Shane away and disappearing into the woods leaving Shane standing by himself, unsure of what it was that Daryl was talking about but for all intents and purposes good and pissed about it as he stood alone in the forest, barefoot and confused.

"Dad?!" That cry threw Catalina out of her daydreams from atop the RV as she hunched over slightly to watch as the crew had made it back from Atlanta and not only that but with a newcomer, and not only that but that newcomer was Shane's best friend and Lori's husband. They could wait for later what really stole her breath was the heart wrenching reunion between father and son, she watched them fall together and the tears pooling around her eyes only made her feel like she should never have left her family no matter how hard they fought her not to stay. It did warm Catalina's heart though, gave her hope that maybe Mason would find her, that he'd come wandering down this same highway and run across this very camp. Sure it was a slim shot in hell but officer Rick Grimes had just fueled her unrealistic dreams.

Catalina left the scene alone for the time being, there were enough people intruding on their happiness and she didn't want to feel like a voyeur when she never even spoke one word to these people. From her perch though Catalina could spy one person that didn't seem to know just how to react, she could tell the sight of his best friend made Shane ecstatic and overjoyed but from the looks of it he was trying to figure out just how the hell Rick was even alive and it made Catalina curious. She of course also knew that he must have been asking himself just what the hell this all meant for him and Lori because no matter how well they thought they hid it the young Mexican woman was sure that more than half the camp knew or at least had a thought as to what it was that was going on between Lori and the man who was now embracing Rick. Catalina didn't envy Lori or even pity the woman because she didn't know if Mason was dead but a part of her felt dead inside and anytime Shane tried speaking to her she only felt the overwhelming desire the punch him. He was charming Catalina wouldn't deny it he could disarm your walls if you weren't careful but Catalina wanted nothing to do with him and the harder he tried the less she'd bite and if he thought that just because Lori's husband had made his way into town she'd let him hang all over her now, he'd be sorely mistaken and just plain sore. She wasn't a girl that played well with others, not anymore.

"See you tomorrow Kitty!" The group of girls waved as they all exited the university campus together, unfortunately for Catalina she had parked at a different end of the building then her friends and though they had offered to drop her off at her car Catalina wouldn't think to make her friends veer off their path just for a one block difference, no matter how late… Or dark, Catalina didn't mind though this was a college campus she was safe, right? Of course, no doubt about it so with no second thoughts the woman continued on her way towards her car, one of the few left on campus so late at night and though she'd never felt uncomfortable in her school something about tonight didn't feel right.

"'Ey there pretty girl." Catalina cursed to herself silently, it was like she had been calling to the bad vibes and now that they were responding she was really wishing she had taken that two second car ride. Still Catalina continued walking, faster but not by too much, she didn't want to prove to them just how scared she was, Catalina wasn't even sure how many there were but it wasn't one and the girl wasn't going to stick around long enough to figure it out.

"No speaky English?" She could hear them laughing right on her ass and all she could think was to get to her car, get in her car and call someone, anyone she just needed to get-

"Now I do believe my friend was talking' to ya, you little bitch, don't your people know it's rude to ignore someone when they're talking to you?" Catalina didn't know how to react, one had his hand wrapped painfully tight around her arm and she spotted at least two others looming close by and the woman didn't know what the hell to do. "That attitude is gon' get your pretty face in trouble now you don't wanna go causin' any problems now, do you?" Catalina shook her head fiercely, fighting the iron grip on her arm trying her best to get free but nothing was working and all her struggling only seemed to amuse her attackers.

"Just let me go." The girl pleaded, she sounded like a mouse and against the laughter of the men surrounding her she sounded plain mute.

"Have you even talked to my friend yet? He's a nice guy from what I've heard." The man said pulling Catalina closer as she tried to fight against him but failining miserable and the girl found herself trembling in the man's grip.

"Funny thing is I don't remember the girl wanting to speak to any of you." Someone spoke from behind the group and immediately all heads turned around to find a man, probably no more than a few years older than Catalina, backpack slung over one shoulder watching the scene unfold with no approval whatsoever. Catalina took the opportunity to dig the heel of her boots into the man's foot hard enough to let her pull away and run towards the stranger, her car within sight but would they catch her and if they did, would they hurt him for trying to help a stranger, some girl he didn't even know? Catalina did run though, behind this stranger and he seemed a bit surprised at first but her actions only seemed to embolden the man as he stood straight up but slowly stepped back leading Catalina away from trouble.

"Yer gonna pay for that, you little bitch." She could hear the man grit out and Catalina felt her blood run cold, this was supposed to be a safe zone for her. In her entire three years coming to this school nothing of the sort had ever happened so why now? Did these guys even come to this school? She doubted it, they looked well into their thirties, and drunker than all hell, had she just written a check too big for this man to pay? He didn't seem to care though, he was making sure to keep her well behind him.

"I don't think she is actually, and if I were you guys I'd git already, the cops shouldn't waste anytime in getting here." The man said with confidence and either they were bored with her or they obviously didn't want to spend the night in jail because once the cops were involved they all seemed to back off none too pleased and not before a final threat to Catalina.

"This ain't over bitch." The would be leader spit at the young Mexican woman who hadn't realized that until that moment she had been holding her breath, the young man mimicked her actions as he finally turned to face Catalina and the girl couldn't help but to take not of just how boyishly handsome the man really was. His baby blue eyes despite the situation were mirthful and his full lips were twisted up into a one sided smirk. Catalina couldn't help but to blush softly and look away, hiding her smile something that made the man grin wryly as he too took note of just how beautiful the small woman in front of him was.

"Well so long as I'm around you've got no reason to be worried, resident knight in shining armor at your disposal mademoiselle." The man grinned making Catalina laugh softly and shake her head at his antics.

"Thank God for you then, I don't think we have any appointed knights in Phoenix." The girl teased making the man laugh as they slowly began to walk to her car.

"Well it's not every day that fellas like me are made. The name's Mason Shaw it's a real pleasure to meet you….?" The man trailed off obviously waiting for Catalina to give her name and a part of her didn't want to just to hear the man's laugh again, it was light and easy and Catalina felt like she could just lose herself in the sound and a part of her was left to wonder if maybe she was looking too much into a man that had only done what she hoped any good person would have done.

"Catalina De La Cruz." She finally told the man and he seemed to think the name through for a moment as if analyzing it and Catalina couldn't help but to laugh yet again and her laugh brought a smile to Mason's face as they finally made a stop at the Jeep Wrangler parked not so far from a black 1970 Dodge Challenger and the woman couldn't stop the impressed look from crossing her face.

"Catalina, that's a real pretty name haven't heard it much around here."

"Well I did say I'm from Arizona, nice car by the way." Mason couldn't help but to smirk at her smart mouth, she really was hard to just pass by.

"Thanks, my old man gave it to me on my 18th birthday. She's my pride and joy, now I know this might be kinda tacky but I did sorta save your butt back there, would it be too forward to ask for your number?" Catalina looked to be thinking about it for a moment and in the end nodded her head.

"A girl can never be too safe."

"Understandable, I guess I should go bury my head in the sand now." Mason said seemingly defeated only to find Catalina's small hand grasping onto his bicep, holding him back for just a second.

"You have school tomorrow?" And suddenly Mason didn't feel like he'd struck out which must have shown all too easily on his face given Catalina's amusement.

"As a matter of fact I do, Miss Catalina."

"Good. You're buying me lunch." The girl said matter of fact as she hopped into her car, sticking her tongue out at her makeshift knight and turning her car on but not before rolling down her window to Mason's tapping.

"And you're buying me a drink after class."

"It's a date." Catalina said before actually thinking through her words but they only seemed to have made Mason's day because he simply smiled that same crooked smile and nodded.

"A date"

That night Catalina once again kept her distance from the group, she was glad for the grimes family she was genuinely happy that they had found some peace in this world but her heart ached, literally cracked in her chest anytime she saw Risk with his wife and the looks they gave each other it just made the woman yearn for something she didn't have anymore. She had spent her evening in her tent, Sugar and Panther curled up on her pillow while Catalina rummaged through her bag, curious to see what it was that her boyfriend was packed only to find she wasn't sure what he hadn't packed and it just made the woman grin all the more.

Her luggage was filled with almost everything, even her favorite pair of heels and a red dress, it made the woman's eyes well up silently. Mason had been so convinced that it would get better, so sure that they would be all right he had picked out a date outfit for her? A part of her wanted to roll her eyes and laugh, while the other wanted to just hurl the outfit off a ravine but all she did was run the material of the dress through her fingers, the satiny feel of the fabric was slick on her skin and cool to the touch. For a moment Catalina's mind was blank as she softly touched the fabric wondering why Mason had picked this dress, she had prettier dresses, sluttier dress, dresses that looked better on her but he took the time out to pick out her favorite pair of nude stiletto pumps and he knew they were her favorite because she always told him that those were the only shoes that made her somewhat less shorter than her unreasonably taller boyfriend, which would always make Mason laugh before he'd pick her up to even out their height.

All the memories of him, of them together, they made Catalina want to laugh, want to cry, want to run back and grab him but all she did was sit in her tent, numb to everything as she folded the dress back into her duffel bag neatly, the heels on top of the fabric as she rifled through the bag a little more, finding underwear, socks, a pair of converse all star chucks and the rest of her drawing supplies. Even when the world was turning to hell her boyfriend had thought to pack her something so small yet so great, he spoiled her even when he shouldn't have, when he should have been packing for himself he still packed for Catalina because he knew she would have packed herself a few days worth of clothes tops and he was right. Her duffel bag had been small and he had come out with two suitcases, one hers and one his.

His was still in her pick up truck as was his parents, Catalina still didn't have the nerve to trust herself with his belongings because even though she knew what had happened she still didn't believe it, she wanted Mason to pull a Rick Grimes on her, to show up unexpectedly because if he showed up nothing would matter, not the Dixon's and their ignorant, racist clamor. Not Shane's constant advances that Catalina wasn't even sure he knew he was pulling but simple friendship Catalina knew wasn't in the cards with him. She knew that Mason would love Dale, the ever nosy yet warm hearted old man who offered Catalina solace and didn't even have to speak one word to her. Maybe Mason would have wanted to stay for a bit then they would head out to Arizona together to check on her family, to maybe find some solace in her old farmhouse. The possibilities were endless but Catalina had to wonder if maybe Mason hadn't been made to fit in this world. He was just too good a man had been raised on old world morals and would have done anything to keep her safe… Even sacrifice himself would it have only been a matter of time before he eventually would have done the same to her just in another place? With a different group of creeps? Without the safety net this group provided her with? Catalina couldn't think about that and instead laid down into a fitful bout of sleep that woke her up every few hours or so.

The next day came none too soon for Catalina who arose before the rest of the camp to find Shane taking watch. She gave the man a curt nod and put a finger to her mouth signaling for him to be quiet and keep from waking the camp up. Taking the opportunity of a trapped Shane, bound to watch duties, Catalina decided to head down to the quarry to take a quick shower in the complete privacy that the early morning would provide for her. The sky was a light grey color, the sun still rising slowly so she knew the chance of walkers was slightly larger but that's what her knives were for and besides, she had yet to spot one close to the quarry so that woman didn't really think there would be much trouble there.

The water was cool to the touch and sent goosebumps through the woman's body but it felt like heaven in the humid Georgia air as Catalina threw herself into the water, her clothes resting in the satchel set on a rock as she for a few moments simply closed her eyes and relished the water that surrounded her and cleansed her body of the day to day grime. Her toiletries were waiting for her just at the edge of the water but for a few minutes Catalina took the alone time and pictured herself back him, in her bathtub the soft buzz of her radio playing, Mason gone to work leaving her to some alone time. For a second Catalina could almost fool herself into thinking that's what it was. Until a rustling from the brush came by and immediately the woman was upright, slowly inching towards the hunting knife besides her toiletries whatever or whoever it was wouldn't get away with- a squirrel. It was a squirrel. Catalina could almost shoot herself for having been so paranoid but still this was unsafe territory so as much as she would have preferred to just linger in the water, there was no telling when Shane would be relieved or the women would wake up to come do laundry. So as much as she didn't want to Catalina took some of her body wash and with the shower sponge quickly washed her body, the fresh smell of roses filling her senses and easing some of the tenseness from her shoulders before she washed her hair and lastly ran some conditioner through it, feeling all the part of being in a spa once she finished.

Catalina dressed quickly and by the time she made her way back to camp the sun had come out and was bringing out the people from their camps. She didn't fail to notice the look Shane was giving her but that wasn't the problem, for her the problem was that she couldn't read the expression but was thankfully distracted from him when she felt a hand on her shoulder making the girl jump, only to find none other than Rick Grimes pulling his hand back and throwing it in the air. Catalina said nothing as she wrung out her hair one more time waiting for Rick to speak to her already.

"Sorry about that." Catalina merely smiled politely at the man, not feeling threatened by the man but not necessarily wanting to make friends with him either. "My wife tells me you're the go to girl for keeping this camp fed and safe, I just wanna thank you and I know how Shane is 'bout 'little ladies' but don't pay him no worry and I wanna thank you for watching after mine."

"De Nada." (You're welcome) Was all the woman said making Rick laugh and shake his head.

"Yeah they told me you didn't speak a lick o' English, but I think come the right time-" That was all they got before they heard the blood curdling screams of the children of the camp and quickly dashed in the direction of the scream but Catalina only found herself being pushed aside by none other than Shane who told her to wait there and Catalina found herself fuming that, that bastard would do that to her, to treat her like a princess! Oh what she really wouldn't have give at this point just knee him hard just once. Huffing slightly to herself Catalina kept her distance from the group of women floating near the RV when she Daryl storming up and suddenly she could see why they were all huddled together.

"Merle! Merle! Git yer ass out here! I got us some squirrel." And Catalina couldn't help but to feel a pang of sympathy for the hick as they explained to him about his brother being trapped and left for dead pretty much on top of a building, and she was sure that T-Dog's attempt to keep him from getting eaten had done much to console the man. She watched the range of emotions whirl in Daryl's eyes and she couldn't believe she actually found herself feeling for the man, no matter what no matter how worthless he was Merle Dixon had been Daryl's brother and the way they had left him, no matter if it was mere accident it had been cruel.

Catalina shook her head in disbelief as Daryl whipped out his hunting knife trying to use it on Rick but the man wasn't to blame, it had been unfortunate and Catalina couldn't pretend to know the piling bundles of emotions Daryl was shielding with his rage but killing this man would do nothing, Merle had dug his own grave one too many times, and it was about time the man paid for his sins, or so it seemed.

The crack in Daryl's voice when they'd told him what happened broke Catalina's heart because the pain of losing someone and not knowing what happened, it was hitting to close to home for the woman and she watched as they all agreed one more time to head straight into Atlanta to save what Catalina had to call the most reckless, dangerous, and downright stupid member of the group. No matter how sorry she was feeling for Daryl it didn't change the fact that Merle couldn't hunt as good as Daryl and was so loud she was sure every walker for miles could hear him. Catalina didn't stay long after that, she watched as the men once again readied themselves for battle, Daryl taking in the four arrows he had left and the woman rolled her eyes before heading over to her pickup the woman picked up a new set of arrows in a black quiver that she had left in the bed of the truck, they were Mason's but if they were going to come back alive she supposed Daryl need to have more than four shots. Walking up to the man, ignoring the looks on everybody's faces the woman thrust the set into Daryl's chest, thoroughly distracting him from everybody as she turned to walk away only to find Daryl hot on her trail.

"The hell is dis for" He said, though his eyes didn't seem to hold their usual contempt for her, she was sure that had something to do with the blinding worry he must feel for her brother. Catalina gave the man a blank look obviously not in the mood to have to explain. "I don't need yet fancy hunting gear to get my brother back Spic." The man said with no bite in his voice and it set the woman off, because as he was giving the quiver back to her she shoved it forcefully into his chest and without a second though harshly whispered at the man.

"But you need them to make sure your asses get back here alive, this isn't for your brother or you this is to make sure this camp doesn't lose anymore people than it's already lost." The shock on Daryl's face would have made Catalina laugh any other day but right now she was merely thinking survival and with the majority of the men leaving yet again, Catalina couldn't run the risk of them getting their asses handed to them just because one of them ran out of ammo. "But you listen to me, if you lose so much as one of those arrows, I'll be making a new one out of your bones got it?" By now she was sure the came had taken notice to the fact that her and Daryl were communicating no problem whatsoever and though she could see the look on Shane's face, Catalina didn't care she was sick and tired of this redneck honky thinking he could get away with talking to her like trash and thinking she wouldn't understand it. Daryl though, said nothing and in fact kept his face blank as he merely took the quiver and attached it to the belt on his hips and walked away from Catalina not another word said as she let out a deep sigh and began to head back towards her camp only to hear Daryl's voice calling out to her once again.

"Yo, Spic!" The woman turned, none too happily and ready to take back Mason's arrows when she saw the wry grin on his face and for a second her heart stopped at the completely foreign look on his face, she said nothing though but looked at the man silently telling him to get on with it already. "Don't take anymore of dem pre morning showers, you never know what's hidin' in them there bushes." And before Catalina could fully let it sink in that he had seen her that morning he was in the truck and hollering at them to get a move on. Daryl Dixon had managed to completely throw Catalina through a loop and all she could do about it was shake her head and laugh.