"Hey Mister Daryl?" Grace wandered out to where he had set his tent up far away from the others. Grace wasn't sure why but knew it worried her mom when he'd moved his tent out so far. And now there was the bad boy they kept locked in the shed. Mister Rick and Shane took him for a drive today, though.
"I done told ya kid. It's just Daryl. Ain't no mister in front." Daryl tried to snap but he couldn't seem to muster the necessary conviction when the little girl stared at him. She had the same hypnotizing stormy grey eyes as her mom.
"Mom says I have to. That it's a matter of courtesy," the little girl said solemnly, cautiously sitting down on the log next to him.
"But you call Shane by his name?" Daryl countered.
"Mom says he's a douche bag and I am not allowed to be alone with him." Grace said with such utter innocence that he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
The sight of Daryl laughing so freely apparently delighted and fascinated Grace.
"Ya listen to yer mom, ya hear! And ya shouldn't be walkin' out here on yer own either!" he was glad Emory had picked up on how dangerous Shane was getting, but with Randall's group out there, it was still very dangerous. She might have been some posh society lady, but so far she'd shown good survival instincts. Not only that but she was a damn good shot with that Sig of hers.
"I'm not on my own. I'm with you. Can I help you?" Grace asked, looking down at the pile dead squirrels by Daryl's feet.
"I think yer momma might not like it," Daryl didn't want to explain how she ended up bloody and filthy.
"No she will, I promise. We talk about things before I go to sleep, ya know. And she said she wants me to learn how to do stuff. Stuff like you can do. She said she wants to learn to." Grace replied with such sincerity that Daryl had no choice but to believe her.
"Ya ain't gonna get squeamish and cry like a baby are ya?" Daryl accused, trying to sound harsher than he was. Normally kids irritated him, but Grace was different. She was smart and always just said exactly what she was thinking. And she was never afraid or intimidated by him."
"I promise!" Grace answered solemnly.
"Then come over here and pay attention. Ya gotta do it just like I say," Daryl grabbed the next squirrel and laid it out to begin showing Grace how to skin and gut it.
-/:/-
Emory watched the scene from afar for some five minutes before she finally intruded. Daryl had Grace wielding a knife like a pro. Not only that but they were joking and laughing together. It was the happiest she'd seen her daughter since this whole thing had started.
"Hey you two!" she sauntered over, taking in the sight of the fresh carcasses and meat.
"Mommy look what Mister Daryl taught me!" Grace's hands were covered in filth and blood and she had a huge grin on her face.
Emory squatted down in front of the bowl, making a big show of how impressed she was. "Wow baby! This is impressive. Ya gonna teach me how to do this next time?" Emory looked proudly at her daughter.
"No. I can't because Mister Daryl still has to help me. But Mister Daryl can teach you!" Grace explained matter of factly.
Emory chuckled at her daughter's presumptuousness. "Maybe we should ask Mister Daryl first sweetie?" Emory looked up at Daryl, hoping he wasn't feeling too pressured.
"Oh he will. He's the best!" Grace bounced off the log and came at her mom with her gross, bloody hands.
"Oh no you don't you little stinker!" Emory put her hands up to fend her off but it was too late. She toppled backwards, falling on her ass just as her daughter attacked, erupting in a huge case of the giggles.
Daryl watched mother and daughter wrestle. He'd expected Emory to start yelling when she realized how dirtied she'd become with squirrel blood. But she didn't.
"Enough! Enough!" Emory finally lifted her daughter off of her and set her upright. "Now take that bowl of meat to Carol and get washed up, you little monster!"
Grace dutifully picked up the bowl of meat and began to leave, but Emory interrupted her. "Grace? Aren't you forgetting something?" Emory's voice had switched into her firm 'mom' voice.
Grace turned around dutifully to face Daryl. "Thank you Mister Daryl. For teaching me stuff and everything!" Grace said sincerely, looking utterly pleased with herself.
"S'alright!" Daryl nodded and watched the little girl skip away.
"She told me you said it'd be ok," Daryl looked at Emory, preparing to defend himself.
"Of course it's ok. I love my daughter more than anything but I am well aware that I don't know how to teach her the things she needs to know to survive. So thank you for teaching Grace what you did." Emory sounded so lost and desolate.
"Ain't a big deal," Daryl started feeling uncomfortable under such sincere praise.
"It is, but I won't make you any more uncomfortable than I already have," Emory stood up to leave him alone. But suddenly she spun back around.
"Daryl? I have no right to ask this and I know this place is nothing short of Dysfunction Junction. But please don't leave. Dale said you mentioned..." Emory paused to get a grip on the sudden onslaught of emotion. She paused a second, then headed back to the house.
Daryl watched Emory walk back and came to the realization that there was no way he could leave. Not without them.