[I do not claim to own any of these characters or plots. I simply want to mesh two beautiful human beings together. Read, enjoy, review!]

Survival was embedded inside Katniss ever since her father passed away. The country was at war with the enemy and every man was encouraged to sign up. But being an ex-marine her father thought he was required to go. "Don't worry, Kat. I'll come back. Protect Prim and your mother, I'm counting on you." At eleven, Katniss took her responsibilities very seriously. Their family lived close to the mountains which meant that they regularly hunted for their meat and kept distance from their neighbors.

Katniss could still remember how her mother wailed the minute they received the news. Mrs Everdeen fell onto her knees and screamed to the ceiling. Prim was just a young thing and couldn't understand where her father left to. Katniss swallowed her sob and wrapped her small arms around her kid sister while their mother yelled out her husbands name. Then came the silence. Her mother glued herself to the bed and stared at the sky.

But eleven year old Katniss gripped her knife and headed towards the forest. Not a single tear was shed. Why, she would ask. Crying wouldn't bring him back. Feeling sorry for herself wouldn't either. She had her sister and apparently her mother to think about. Nothing else.

"See anything, Kat?" One of the older group members ask.

"Nothing but trees, Dale." Katniss stared off into the distance. Not a single walker had passed by in the last week. Usually it would be great news but not in their new world. In this world the dead popped in the time you'd least expected.

"Good. I'm heading to the lake until the next hour, then I'll come and release you. Sound good?" He stared up at her. Dale had a 1973 rusty RV that worked perfect as shelter but also had a great view of the woods.

"I'll be here." She responded back and sat onto the lawn chair they had on the RV's roof. Her bow and arrow was kept at an arms distance while she kept watch.

Their group was unusual with different ethnicities, opinions, and each person was required a job. Prim hung around the rest of the children. Her mother cooked any food that the gathers gave her. And Katniss hunted or at times, kept watch.

"Having fun up there?" The only Asian guy, and her only friend at the camp, poked his head out of the woods. Katniss had a difficult time making friends or even communicating with the others. She did well one on one but froze when the whole group huddled.

"Doesn't my smile say it all?" Katniss watched as Glenn climbed up the RV's ladder.

"All your face reactions all look the same."

"And that is?"

"Do you really want to know the answer?" Glenn asked with a serious tone.

Katniss kept quiet and broke a smile.

"What brings you up here?" She finally asked.

"Shane gave a speech about how we need more supplies and that we'll all die soon if we don't get moving. Yada-yada-yada. You know how it goes."

Shane, their leader. Or at least tried to be. He was elected because his work background; the sheriffs deputy. It all sounded like a great idea until his big speeches came along.

"I suppose he wants to go back into the city?" Katniss already knew what the answer was going to be.

"Yup. But apparently he's staying behind. Saying about how he needs to the camp safe."

"By banging Lori?" Katniss added.

One of the single mothers and Shane met in the woods every other hour to have a quickie and returned back into the camp. They'd both pretend that things between them weren't happening but the muffles told otherwise.

Glenn cracked a smile, "You coming or not?"

"Can't, I have to keep watch." That was partially the reason. But the truth was that Prim freaked out each time Katniss left. It was the constant worry that something bad would happen and also that Katniss had become a motherly figure to her sisters eyes.

"You really are a team player." Glenn teased and climbed back down. "Before I forget," his head popped from below. "was there anything you wanted from the city? A couple of girls want new clothes. Anything for you?"

"Rope, knives, barb wire, matche-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down, I meant shoes, clothes, funny hats, make up. I'm not so sure that I can carry those things and if I could, Shane would pro-"

"Then never mind. I don't need anything." Katniss cut Glenn off which caused her only friend to nod and walk away slowly.

The time ticked and finally Dale came to Katniss' rescue.

"Thank goodness." Katniss sighed and carried her bow as she climbed down.

Prim had gone off with the children to the lake which meant Katniss was able to wonder into the forest without any interruptions.

Glenn and a couple of other group members had already taken off. Shane was in the process of talking about what the "next move" was going to be when Katniss walked towards the woods.

For ten minutes Katniss walked. A few rabbits climbed inside their holes. Birds flew above her. But she seemed a bit uninterested in the possibility of her food source and continued on. Seven minutes passed and finally she stopped. In front of Katniss stood two trees that intertwined. It was quiet beautiful. She smiled and walked towards a loose log that laid fifteen feet near the trees. Once again, she looked around and knelt on the ground. Katniss placed her bow on the grass, lifted the log and counted her treasures. There laid two hunter knives, twenty arrows, and one machete. With a satisfying grin, Katniss grabbed five of arrows from her quiver and placed it along with her extras.

"What are you doing?" A familiar voice came from behind.

Scared she jumped up and turned immediately to find -

"Daryl! You scared me." Her hand pulled the log back to place and stood up.

"You storing for the winter, little squirrel?" He took a few steps forward.

"No"

"What is it you're hiding? Stealing supplies from the rest?"

Not technically. The last time Katniss went to the city, she nipped two hunting knives and just neglected to mention it.

"No"

Daryl stayed quiet. His hands had spots of dry blood which hopefully meant animals blood.

"Now you're not gonna talk? Just a couple days ago you were yellin in my ear." Daryl traced his eyes on the log and back to Katniss. "What you hidin, girl"?

"Nothing" Her answers could have been better but she was still in shock.

"Nothin my ass" Daryl bend down to lift the log and laughed at the stash. Usually she would have made a threatening comment but nothing popped to her head. "Holy fuck, girl. You have just about everything ready to create your own little ass army."

He grabbed one of the hunting knives and studied the curve at the tip.

"I haven't seen one of these in a long ass time. Gator hook, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, both of them are." She slipped the quiver back over her shoulder and cleared her throat.

"You plannin an attack against someone?"

"No. They're for an emergency"

The death of her fathers taught her a valuable lesson. Always be ready for the worse. The minute the broadcast hit of "the dead rising" was the second Katniss began packing. She had stored knives, a few guns in both her cars, moved back into her mothers house, and hid food supplies every place she could. A few of her friends told her that she was overreacting and perhaps in the moment, they were right. But, they were ready by the time walkers spread all over their town.

No walker had gone by their camp in the last two weeks but anything could happen. Meanwhile, Katniss began leaving weapons through the forest. A few guns were hidden another two miles away. Knives were kept twenty minutes from where she was. And every three days, Katniss made the same trip to check on her supplies. Of course Katniss didn't mention to Daryl that she had other stuff hidden.

"Not so bad of an idea. Anyone else knows about this?" He asked.

"Just you. If things go missing, I know who to blame."

"Don't you worry 'bout me, Darlin. I have my own stuff to worry about." Once Daryl's brother got back from the little trip to the city, the Dixon boys were going to rob the camp blind during the night. The only way he would take away Katniss' toys were if Daryl didn't find any good weapons.

"Good" Katniss kicked the log into place and took the bow in her hands.

Daryl was about to walk away when Katniss placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I mean it, Daryl." She didn't have the time or energy for an argument or threats.

"I know" One of the few times Katniss heard a sincere tone in his voice.

"Okay. Thank you."

"You finished huntin yet?" He asked.

"How'd you find this spot?" Katniss knelt in front of a rabbit hole.

Daryl had taken her to a meadow filled with rabbit holes. Typically she wouldn't have agreed to tag along but without Merle, Daryl wasn't a complete ass. At least not all the time.

"Found it two days ago when I was trying to find a place to piss in." Charming, she thought.

"These holes don't look more than a month old. Which means that these bastards are really deep in there." She felt the grass and stood back up.

"Speakin' of bastards." Daryl tapped on Katniss' shoulder and pointed. Out came a walker dragging its heavy legs out of the woods. Its jaw was ripped off, bloodshot eyes and made direct eye contact with both of them. The movements quickened and the grunts rippled through the meadow. Katniss grabbed her bow but Daryl was quick. He lifted his crossbow, aimed, and shot the walker on the head. The only spot to officially kill the dead.

"Great shot."

"Thanks. Third one this week."

"I got two just a couple days ago." Katniss added.

"Sumbitches keep getting closer." Daryl walked towards his arrow and retrieved it.

One of the few things Katniss and Daryl had in common were recycling their arrows.

"You gonna catch a couple of rabbits?"

"Not now. They won't come out with a bunch of noise. I'll just leave behind a couple of traps and hope that the geeks don't get to them." Katniss began collecting the items to make the traps and Daryl helped.

After half an hour later, they finished and started to head out.

"You know, Dixon. You're not that much of an asshole."

"You're still a pain in my ass." His pace got a little faster but Katniss swore that she saw a smile on his face. "We comin back tomorrow then?"

"Yeah, you can tag along."

Together they shot down a couple of birds and walked to camp.

"Guess I'll see you tomorrow?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, guess so."

The two gave each other a nod and went opposite directions.

But, the camp were all huddled together. Prim poked her mothers arms and ran towards Katniss. Without hesitation, Katniss wrapped her arms around her sister and kissed the top of her head.

"What's going on, Prim?"

"They came back from the city." If it was good news then why would they be in a huddle?

"Did Glenn come back?" Maybe Prim pitied her sister and wanted to comfort her before the group told her about the death. "Go back to mom, I'll meet you later." Katniss let go of her and jogged towards the crowd. In the middle of the talk, Glenn was present.

She sighed with relief and Glenn noticed her.

"Hey"

"Don't scare me that way" She smacked his arm.

"First, ow. Second, why? You'd miss me too much?" He teased.

"Shut up. What happened? Why is everyone in a circle?"

"Good news is that we rescued a guy."

Great, another body to know in with the rest of them. Another name to remember.

"Okay?" Katniss still didn't see the big deal.

"Apparently he's Carl's dad and Lori's husband. Oh, and also Shane's best friend." Her eyes widen and looked over to the reunited family. The three of them were hugging, crying, laughing together.

"Wow. That's something."

"Yeah. But, there's some bad news."

"How is there bad news?"

"Merle got left behind."

That's why everyone was huddled. They were all deciding how they would tell Daryl. Almost everyone was nervous to even glance over at the Dixon boys. No one had the balls to comfort them.

"Great" Katniss ran her fingers through her hair.

"We're just trying to figure out how we're going to tell him."

"Don't worry. I have this." Even if Merle was a dick, Daryl still loved his brother.

Katniss took a deep breath and walked towards Daryl and Merle's small tent.