A Thousand Words
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Callie and the crew of misfits (Danny, Miles, Jenna, Mike, Nina, Ben and Gracie).
Danny's Favorite Game
Dusk, maybe. The light was dim, and the bare hints of the fire in the pit could be seen. The angle was low, obviously taken by someone who sat lower than the rest of the adults. Smiles graced the faces of everyone, in one of the few group shots that had survived in that backpack. It wasn't everyone at camp. Just a few. Shane sat beside Lori, his arm slung over Carl's shoulder as he ruffled the boy's hair. Carl was smiling and holding onto a spoon. Lori was watching with a small smile, her spoon almost to her mouth. Beside her Carol and Jacqui were smiling down at Jenna and Sophia, both with spoons in their mouths. Next to them Glenn sat, his brow raised at someone off camera, the handle of the spoon sticking out of his mouth. Behind him Amy was smiling and pushing down on one of his shoulders saying something, as she handed the jar to the person off camera.
It was honestly just Goddamned ridiculous the shit you could accumulate in a car in such a short amount of time. Danny wiped a hand over his head looking at the three small plastic tubs, three carry-on size suitcases, and various grocery bags that he'd taken out of Nina Dennison's VW Bug. Along with that there was the large tote that had been strapped to the top rack. The Bug was long gone now, picked apart by the odd mechanic named Jim and good ol' Dale a little over a week ago when Callie first brought it back, and then pushed out of camp.
Callie said it was a fuckin' Walker magnet. And remembering the way she'd looked when she got back from getting it. Remembering the hand that had been stuck to the windshield. He believed it.
Danny put his hands to his hips and in an overly dramatic way jutted out a hip. Flicking his gaze to the lazy ass kids sitting not far off, he put two fingers to his lips and whistled. Miles looked up with a raised brow, but like the teenager he was, he didn't get off his ass.
"Hey," Danny waved his arms. "Get your ass over here and help me out." Miles slowly got to his feet, then looked over to where Jenna was sitting with her back to a tree just outside of the small 'school area' that Lori and Carol had established. Amy was sitting nearby showing Jenna some of the books she'd had with her from college. Just as Miles was about to whistle to get Jenna to come over Danny whistled again. He shook his head and waved the boy over.
"It's her shit," Miles said quietly as he came over, still a bit confused. "She should help."
"Leave her be for now," Danny said, looking at the girl who had looked up now and was staring at him. The pain of losing what was left of her family was still new. A week was not long enough to get over something like the loss of your only remaining family as an adult. And especially not when you were fifteen. "She'll come over if she wants to."
"Whatever," Miles said, glancing over his shoulder at Jenna and then back at the stuff scattered on the ground. "All of this came out of the Bug?" He surveyed the stuff and looked back up at Danny. Danny smirked at the kid before him, seeing more and more of himself in Miles each day. "How the hell did they fit three people in there?"
"That's why they use Bug's as clown cars," Danny said again settling his hands on his hips and staring at the stuff. His eyes shifted up to the top of the RV where Callie was standing with Dale and Glenn. Her eyes shifted down to him and he waved, earning a shake of her head. She turned back to Glenn, no doubt to discuss their plan to head into Atlanta for supplies in the morning. A plan Danny wasn't quite happy about.
"So, why didn't you do this when we first took it out," Miles said crouching down and opening the small tote nearest to him. Miles looked up and saw Danny shoot him a look. Miles again shot his gaze over to where Jenna was watching them with wide eyes, completely ignoring Amy who was valiantly trying to get her attention off of them. Grimacing Miles returned his gaze to the tote and began to pull out boxes of ammo and set it on the ground. "She's gonna have to get over it."
"Some people take longer to do that," Danny said as he opened a sleek black suitcase. Him included. He'd liked Mike and Nina, they were good kids. But he wasn't going to tell that to Miles. Miles was a pro at distancing.
Looking at the contents of the suitcase he couldn't help but smile at the organized chaos held within. Mike's suitcase. He looked up at Miles who was now staring at him. Eyes wide and a bit unsettled. No doubt wondering what was wrong with him that he'd been able to move on from the loss of his entire family so easily. Danny bit at the inside of his mouth and smiled at the boy.
"And some people don't, Miles. Some people can't move their feet under the weight of that pain, and some people can. Some people bounce back quick," he tossed a rolled up pair of socks to the kid, and laughed as Miles caught it one handed with a smirk. "And others need time. And hell, some people never fully move on. Any way you work it is perfectly normal. At least as normal as anything can be in this fucked up world."
Miles nodded his head, his eyes straying back to where Jenna sat. Her eyes met his and he felt himself smile at her slightly before shaking his head.
"She doesn't need a push," Miles said quietly, taking out the last few boxes of ammo that they had. His eyes settled on the canned food still in the tote. "She just needs a reason to pick up her feet."
Danny's eyes lifted from the contents of Mike's suitcase, his fingers stilling on the shirt he was pulling out. He stared at Miles for a few moments, before a smile worked its way onto his lips. He nodded his head and then shook it, before returning to the suitcase and pulling out the shirt.
It was a huge fucking shirt. Strange how easily you could forget exactly what someone looked like after only a week. Mike was a big man, not husky but built like a brick house. Like Shane, only taller. Danny set the shirt aside for the former sheriff and moved on to the next item. He held up the black leather vest, and smiled. He knew exactly who would fit this. Setting it aside with the shirt he pulled out a magazine and chuckling he raised his brows and showed it to Miles.
"Fuck yeah," Miles said grabbing for it. Danny pulled it away and wagged a finger at the boy. "Oh come on, Callie wouldn't let me grab one at the last stop. You know I got a collection." Danny chuckled and thought about what the inside of their tent looked like.
"Nuh uh," Danny said shaking his head. He pulled out a couple more magazines setting them in the pile with the shirt. "I'm giving these away."
"Man," Miles said, but chuckled anyway. What did he care. He had enough pages taped up inside their tent to last a lifetime. Digging his hand into the tote he pulled up a can of creamed corn and made a face. "I never thought I would say this, but I actually miss corn on the fuckin' cob. This shit reminds me of my mom's cooking." Danny looked up and raised a brow, and Miles shrugged. "She sucked. Real bad." Shaking his head the boy lifted another can out of the tote, grimacing at the baked beans. "But it didn't really matter, you know? We'd all sit there and try to smile, until she would finally laugh and put her hands up in defeat. Then dad and Steve would go out and get a pizza or something while I would help her pry whatever the fuck it was she'd tried to make off the dishes."
Danny watched Miles as he spoke so easily about his now dead parents and brother, the memories seeming to lift a weight off the boy even as they added to his heavy heart. Miles continued to go through the tote, until finally he lifted out two jars of peanut butter. Miles smiled at Danny, raising both of his brows and waggling them.
"Give those here," Danny said reaching out and taking the jars. Smiling at the unopened jars, he lifted his gaze to Callie on top of the RV and then moved it around the camp, the people milling about doing chores to keep themselves busy. "I got me an idea."
"Is it wrong that I'm a bit scared by that grin," Miles said chuckling as he watched Danny toss the peanut butter to the side with the magazines and the shirt.
"Not at all," Danny said shaking his head and chuckling. "Just means you're paying attention. Grab the spoons. We'll play after dinner."
Callie rubbed at her wrists, itching at the sweaty raw skin. Moving the metal cuffs this way and that as she dumped the remaining contents of her canteen on them to try and soothe the welts. Emptying the canteen she shook it out and tossed it into the back of the Hummer. Crouching down she started rummaging through her backpack, getting it set up for her trip to Atlanta with Glenn.
The boy had tried to pull some bullshit about working better alone. She'd then pointed out that the last time he'd been 'working better alone' she'd had to take a Walker that was about a foot away from him. He'd conceded at that point, but begrudgingly. And she held him a bit higher in regard for it. Glenn was a smart, resourceful guy, and she didn't have any trouble thinking that he probably did work better alone.
That damned bleeding heart of hers, that damned part that just kept picking up strays, couldn't in good conscious let him go alone.
Camp had quieted down now. Everyone was finishing up the small little dinner that they'd been able to make up, and sat around the campfire. Little groups had formed, people talking quietly about absolutely nothing important. She spotted all of her kids, settled in around that campfire, mixed in nicely with this other group. Safe and sound.
Her eyes narrowed. Well, everyone but Danny. Her head lifted then as she heard a soft rustling sound near their tents. Her hand went to the knife that she always wore on her right thigh, and she shifted just a bit to see what was making the sound.
"Hey, Cal!" Danny, a bit too happy of a Danny for her liking, exited his tent ass first. He pulled along one of the small totes from the Bug and her brow narrowed a bit more. "Get your ass over to the fire. We're gonna play a game!"
"Danny," Callie began getting to her feet and brushing her hands along her tattered jeans. "I don't think anyone wants to play one of your games." The shuddering thought of the game of name that tune that they had played long ago, well before they picked up Miles came to mind. They were stuck on top of a box truck about fifty feet from the Hummer in the parking lot of an abandoned gas station, surrounded by about twenty Walkers pawing at them. Each right answer earned them the next shot at the closest Walker. It was a downright sick thing to do, but it had taken the edge off of what had otherwise been a fuckin' bleak situation.
With a shudder she watched him continue to pull the small tote with him towards the group. Curiosity getting the better of her she crossed her arms over her chest and followed him. Her gaze slid to Miles, who she knew had helped Danny go through the supplies from the Bug. The boy pulled out a bag of spoons, and shook them at her as Danny rummaged around in the tote.
"Alright, folks," Danny said his back to the group as he continued to rummage. "Time for what has been dubbed in the past as my favorite game."
Standing behind Ben, who was looking up and smiling at her now as he fiddled with his camera on his lap, Callie's eyes went wide. Danny's favorite game was only played with one thing, and that was something she loved.
"Oh God," Callie said, a look of pure rapture on her face as Danny pulled the first jar out and tossed it to her. "I thought we were out."
"Mike and Nina were apparently hoarding it," Danny said with another shake of the jar.
"Maybe they were just tired of playing your game?" Jenna's voice echoed around the camp and both Callie and Danny looked to her. She was smiling, a half smile that she didn't really want them to see.
"No way," Danny shook his head pulling out the other jar. "And for that. You have to go first." He turned to Miles. "Get her ass a spoon."
At this point, the rest of the group at the fire was watching in a bit of silence as Callie and her misfits smiled. Miles was on his feet now, passing out spoons. He gave Jenna hers as Danny opened the jar and handed it to her. She sat down next to Sophia and grumbled as she looked at the peanut butter.
Sitting her ass on the ground right between Ben and Merle Dixon Callie twisted off the lid of her own jar. At that point, she didn't wait for Miles to get to her. Instead, she just stuck her finger into the peanut butter. Lifting her finger she, looked at it briefly then shoved her finger in her mouth and closed her eyes. Ben giggled beside her and Gracie bounded over from her seat next to Dale.
"Shit, jail-bird," Merle said leaning over and leering at her. She put her finger back into the jar and slid her gaze to him. "Girl, I could sit and watch you eat that all night. Better yet, you and me could have some fun with that, huh?"
"I am not letting you ruin, peanut butter for me, Merle." Callie said sticking her finger in again. Removing her finger she looked at it for a second and then surprising everyone, she shoved her finger into Merle's open leering mouth. He leaned back, obviously shocked out of his own mind, her finger leaving his mouth with a pop. Beside him Daryl sputtered out his remaining beans and smacked at his chest coughing.
Merle's mouth closed around the peanut butter in his mouth, and his jaw worked this way and that as he savored it. His eyes closed just a little, and when they opened they narrowed on her before sliding to Miles.
"Give me a fuckin' spoon, boy." Merle spat out as he finished swallowing the peanut butter. Callie chuckled, raised a brow at Daryl who was still shoveling his beans into his mouth, and took another small fingerful of peanut butter out. Miles laughed as Merle snatched the spoon from his hands, and then turned to hand one to Daryl. Daryl just glared at the boy as he continued to eat, his eyes watching as Callie taunted him with that bit of peanut butter on her finger, before shrugging and popping it into her mouth.
"Here," Callie said reaching out for the remaining spoons as Miles finished his rounds. "Leave it here. He'll change his mind." At that point Merle made a grab for her jar, and she pulled it away. "Uh uh. That's not how you play." She gave the jar to Ben who scampered off to sit in front of Danny beside the tote.
"Bitch," Merle spat smacking his spoon off of his knee. Everyone now had spoons and were patiently waiting for this game to start.
"So how exactly do we play this game?" Dale asked chuckling as he looked at the spoon in his hand and then to Danny.
"Well," Danny said smiling. "The game's pretty simple. You have to say one thing you miss. And it can't be anything sad. If you say something sad you skip your turn. Gotta be something completely inane or ridiculous. Something that means something maybe only to you. Then you can have you some peanut butter. " Callie shook her head and smiled.
"We ran across this gas station a ways back," She said thumping her spoon against her knee as she spoke. Answering the unasked question that was on the tip of everyone's tongue. "Place had been ransacked, but for some reason who ever did it had left all this peanut butter behind. Only the day before I'd said I missed peanut butter sandwiches." She shook her head.
"Thus the game was born," Danny said smiling at her. "Fuck we stayed up most of the night playing that. Best one was Mike missing his porn collection."
"Ick," Jenna said eyeing Danny as her hand worked around the jar. "Don't remind me. He was downright wrong to say that." Danny laughed and waved a hand at Jenna, she shook her head and leaned over. "I'm not really-" she cut herself off and handed the jar to Danny's waiting hands. "I don't want to go first, Danny."
"Alright," Danny said taking a spoonful. "I'll start. Got me some prizes too." He lifted the peanut butter filled spoon and looked at it before sending the jar over to Andrea. "I miss shopping." At that the group scoffed, or laughed and Danny just shook his head.
"Shopping," Andrea said taking the jar from Danny's hands as he ducked into the tote that Ben was looking in. "Seriously? Even I don't miss shopping."
"Funny," Danny countered as he pulled out a big black cloth something from the tote. He looked over at Jenna and her eyes went wide as she recognized it. "You okay if we give this stuff away to people who need it?" Her eyes were round, and Danny waited.
"God, please do," she said finally, and Danny laughed.
"You see, Andrea," Danny said turning to the blond woman as she sniffed at the jar in her hands before digging in. "I miss shopping, because I miss buying clothes I like. I miss having the option to pick something out from a rack, instead of ransacking some poor fools luggage." He shifted his eyes to Jenna who smiled sadly. "Hey Merle, think fast." He tossed the black thing to Merle, who reached up and caught it easily.
"The fuck is this?" Merle asked lifting the garment. A big black leather vest with zippered pockets on either side stared back at him.
"That is my brother Mike's stupid biker vest." Jenna said smiling, sadly. Danny noticed that it was that same smile that Miles had on his face when he was talking about fuckin' corn on the cobb. "God I always hated that thing. So did mom. Idiot thought he was such tough shit after he bought his first motorcycle. He didn't realize he looked like a douche wearing that vest over his button shirts."
"Only thing I ask is that you burn that one you got on," Danny said pointing a finger. "Thing's covered in dried blood and god knows what, and smells actually worse than you half the time. So do us all a favor, and burn it. Or bury. Or do whatever the fuck you want, just stop wearing it."
Merle snickered and chucked the garment over his shoulder. Beside him Daryl's eyes roved over to Callie, and caught her ram her elbow into Merle. Daryl couldn't help but think of what a strange group this rag-tag bunch was. Bunch 'a kids, a guy who couldn't keep a straight face to save his life, and a woman who had no trouble interacting with anyone. Not even a couple of dirty rednecks with mouths to match.
"Andrea?" Dale jabbed the woman and she smiled digging her spoon into the jar.
"I miss books." Andrea said. "Actual books, you know. Not the crap in the RV." She passed the jar and smiled. "Sorry Dale."
"Oh, no problem." Dale took the jar. "I didn't really expect to need to feed the minds of complete strangers. Next time I will prepare better."
"Books! We've got books." Danny said reaching in the tote. "Well, not the type of books you're looking for but apparently wee-bitty Nina was a mommy porn addict." Danny pulled out about five paperback romance novels. He looked at the covers and shuddered as he handed them over to the now laughing Andrea. Amy settled in beside her and grabbed for one with a wide smile.
"We've also got a lot of magazines." Danny pulled out a small stack, mostly Fortune, Time, and a few National Geographics. But in the mix Daryl and Jim spotted something that Danny had picked out just for them. "A couple of Car and Driver's here," Danny handed one to Jim and tossed one over to Daryl. "Had to pry that outta Miles' death grip, so be thankful."
Everyone laughed and the jar continued on. The kids missed silly things, like kickball, and ice cream. The adults sillier things. "Swimming in a lake," Lori said taking her spoonful to raised brows. She smiled at them. "For fun."
"Yeah," Callie nodded. "I miss running for fun too."
The laughter continued, and the round table game became a whoever game as they started to reminisce about all sorts of things. Movies. Cars. Dating. Shoes brands. TV shows. Restaurants. Only Dale and Carl missed turns, both of them mentioning people they missed. Danny let Carl have another try and when he spat that he didn't miss his teachers Danny let him have the whole other jar of peanut butter. By the fifth round they had made it to food.
"Sittin' on my front porch sippin' cold sweet tea on a hot night," Callie said licking at her spoon. "Good times."
"Cold beers, jail-bird. That's what you need on a hot night." Merle said in return. She lifted her spoon and saluted him. He'd put on the black leather vest now, tossing his old one behind him.
"Lots of cold beers," Daryl said nodding his head and looking at his spoon. He'd entered the fray at round two, not being able to hold out when Merle waggled the jar under his nose. He only said one or two word answers and never really explained when people shot him a questioning look. But Callie smiled to see that the introvert was actually playing.
"You know what I miss," Glenn said as Amy came up and stole the jar from him. She stood behind him and put her spoon in and all eyes slid to him, it was getting low. "I miss Chinese food." The entire group started laughing, and Glenn's brow rose at them. "What?"
"But I thought you were Korean," Carl said, which earned him a headlock hug from Shane. The former sheriff brought his hand up and ruffled Carl's hair, and the group continued to laugh.
"So?" Glenn said shifting his gaze around.
"It's okay, Glenn I understand." At this point Amy put her hands on Glenn's shoulders as Glenn placed his spoon in his mouth. The blonde smiled as she reached out and passed the jar to Daryl. "We all do, right?"
"Whatever," Daryl shot back, grabbing for the jar. Just then the flash of Ben's camera went off and everyone looked to the boy as the familiar sound of the Polaroid being processed echoed around camp.
The next evening, when Callie and Glenn had returned from Atlanta - both of them exhausted, yet luckily still alive- was the first time that Daryl called Glenn 'Chinaman'. It had annoyed the exhausted kid, and he'd shot the redneck a look and huffed off, ranting about being Korean, and hating the fact that he had to deal with stupid racist rednecks at the end of the world. Callie had caught Daryl's smirk in the dark as he sauntered back over to where he and Merle were set up.
It had taken Glenn a long while, and a glance at that photo some time later to actually figure out why the man just couldn't ever seem to get it straight.
AN: For those who have read the companion fic, Danny plays this game with Jim when tied to a tree in "Walking On Broken Glass". Hope you enjoyed the little swing at the end there as to why Daryl always refers to Glenn as Chinaman.