Change

I heard Abi's muffled screams coming from the bedroom. I gripped the counter, wanting nothing more than to run in there and be with her, to take the pain away from my baby sister, my only family in the world, or what was left of it. She had been there for nearly 15 minutes.

I saw the R.V pull up from the open front door. I glanced once more at the door then rushed outside. The R.V door opened and Dean, Robert, Jack and Rick the Sheriff hopped out. They met me on the porch.

"She's getting stitches." I said, as her scream sounded from behind me. I flinched. Dean took my hand and took me off the porch while the rest of the men entered the house. I tried to turn back but he kept pulling.

"I don't want you to hear that." He said, squeezing his hand tight around mine.

"It's okay. She's okay." I said, trying to be reassuring with my smile.

"I just don't want you to worry." He said as we approached the R.V.

"Really Dean, I know I freaked earlier but she's getting the care she needs." I was more thankful for that then anything else. I watched the sun sink lower behind the trees off in the distance behind a pasture.

He wrapped one arm around me. "You're my girl, I think I should care how you-"

I stopped, leaning back from him a little and his hand dropped. "Dean I'm not… We're not…." I trailed off. He stared at me in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"You called me your…girl. Dean, I know you've kissed me, but…"

"Oh." His face got red, and he looked away in embarrassment.

"Yeah."

"I guess I just…assumed." He said. I shrugged.

"I just don't think we should worry about that stuff. Having a boyfriend or a girlfriend. We can have our fun… it just makes no sense to have…titles, you know?"

I was lying through my teeth. I didn't care about titles at all. I just didn't know how to break it to him that I didn't feel…exactly the same about him. He was my best friend and I was a coward.

He shook his head. "It makes things normal, Arken.

"Nothing's normal. We shouldn't pretend it is anyways." I said, starting to turn back toward the house. My eyes asked him if he was coming.

He shook his head. "Nah, I'll hang here for a while. We'll be goin' here pretty soon, once Abi's hand is fixed." He said. I nodded then walked away, toward the house, hoping they were done giving her stitches.

Hershel was walking out of the door when I approached.

"Is she done?" I asked.

"Yes." He said. "But I think ya'll should stick around here for the night, if you'd like. The suns goin' down mighty quick and the young ones awfully tired."

"No, no. You've done enough." I insisted.

"She's nearly asleep. I gave her some pain medicine, we didn't have any anesthetic. Ran out after one of our men shot the little boy."

"Carl?" I asked.

"Yes. But you should talk to your people. I don't think the little girl's goin' anywhere tonight."

"She can sleep in the R.V, sir she-"

"I think she's been through enough today. She needs a nice bed and a hot breakfast."

I nodded slowly. He was right, and I wasn't about to pass up an offer like that.

"Actually, I'll talk to them 'bout stayin' just for the night. I think they take a like'n to Rick. Well, who doesn't?" He laughed to himself. "You should go check on her."

I thanked him and hurried into Abi's room. She lay under the sheets, a comic book and glass of water on the bedside table. Her hand was wrapped in white gauze.

"Bellie." She said as I sat down on the bed. "I told Hershey that I wanted to stay this bed is so fluffy Bellie I like it better than the R.V!" She gushed out before I could say anything. I smiled at how she called him 'Hershey'.

"We can stay tonight." I said, watching her eyes light up. "Does your hand hurt?" I asked.

She nodded sorrowfully. "Will you sleep in here with me tonight?" She asked me.

"I think this is someone else's bed, Abilene."

"I already asked Hershey." She said, puckering her lips out.

"Don't you think we'd be more comfortable in the R.V?" I asked her. She glared at me for a second.

"If you don't wanna sleep here I'll just ask Mr. Daryl to. He's funny. He came in when you were gone and he told me jokes and gave me a comic book." She said.

I sighed. "Okay. I will. But don't wait up for me, Abi. You'll probably be asleep before I get back."

She shook her head. "No I won't."

I rolled my eyes and kissed her on the cheek. "Goodnight, Abi. I'll be back later."

I shut her door behind me and made way out of the house toward the camp. Twilight had set out over the farm, and a campfire glowed from the tents. Everyone was down there, except for a man in fisherman's hat who sat atop their R.V. and Shane. I spotted Robert and Jack sitting on a log, talking to the boy Glenn. Dean was seated next to Daryl, neither of them talking. I walked up awkwardly and found a place next to Lori. She sat by a pretty blonde I hadn't seen before.

Hershel nodded my way, confirming his plans. I nodded back.

"You say ya'll are from Kansas?" Rick asked Jack.

"Just north of Wichita." He said. "Man, were we doin' good. Had a group of maybe thirty till a herd attacked us. Lost a lot of good people." He said, sneaking a glance at me. My eyes darted away.

"We've been together since then." Robert said.

"Where are you headed?" The blonde asked.

"Atlanta." He said. "Got a CDC-"

"No." Rick cut him off quickly. Everyone was quiet. "Over run, the whole place. CDC blew up a while back." He said, looking to Lori. He put a hand on Carl's shoulder, who sat next to him.

"Dumbass scientist damn near killed us." Daryl said, pulling a cigarette out of his breast pocket.

I turned to ask him what he was talking about, but the look on Ricks face told everyone we weren't going to discuss it tonight. I looked over to Daryl again.

The cigarette hung loosely from his lips as he lit it. He took a long drag and blew it out in a strait, smoky line, some escaping from his nose.

I hadn't noticed until now how handsome he was, in a rugged unintentional way. He hadn't shaven in days, his stubble was rough looking and coarse, like his stare. But he was attractive in ways I was certainly not.

I was tall, I think. Almost 5'8, and slim, but with the lack of food, who wasn't skinny these days? Though I did miss my curves. I was naturally pale, like Abilene, despite the hours I spent in the hot sun. I had hazel eyes, though I'd always wanted my mother's blue ones, and my brown hair fell to the middle of my back. I wasn't pretty, but I wasn't horrible to look at, I think. Daryl was unintentionally eye-catching. It was intriguing, and took my mind off of Abi for half a second.

Daryl caught my stare and looked me over, taking another drag from his cigarette. He looked away before I could blink.

"Is your sister okay?" Lori asked me. The whole group turned to look at me.

I cleared my throat. "Yeah, she's doing just fine. She really likes your bed, Hershel." I said. A couple of people chuckled, including Hershel.

"I'm glad she does, and also to help you all out. We're missin' a lot of that these days." He said.

"And we're so grateful for it." I said.

He waved a dismissive hand. "We can house ya'll for one night. It isn't a big deal, Ms. Arken."

"Thank you." I gave him a grateful smile.

I heard Robert sigh. "Well, there goes Atlanta for us. Dammit."

"I'm telling you, Robert we should try for Texas." Jack spoke up.

Rick shook his head. "Last time I heard it's pretty bad down there. Worse than here."

Robert rubbed his temples. "I'm going to think about this in the morning." He said, using his knees to stand up. "Goodnight everyone." He said, disappearing into the darkness toward our camper. Jack left soon after him.

The fire was now the only source of light, and it illuminated everyone's tired faces with a vibrant orange. Daryl threw his second cigarette butt into the fire. I watched him from across the campfire, the flames the only thing between us. Dean noticed my staring but Daryl didn't. He shot me a skeptical look before looking at the ground.

Dean said goodnight shortly after, glancing at me, his eyes begging me to come with him. I stared back at the fire. He looked once more to Daryl before walking off to the camper. A few people waved goodnight, and went to their tents and Rick took Carl to bed leaving Lori, the blonde I picked up as Andrea, Glenn, Maggie and Daryl.

"The woman with short hair, who was she?" I asked as the beautiful gray hair woman walked to her tent, with a sad smile.

"Carol." Lori informed me. "She uh, lost her daughter. And her husband."

I nodded, deciding not to press the subject. No one seemed to want to talk about it.

"You lost your parents, didn't you?" The girl with short hair, Maggie, asked me.

I nodded, a sudden pain erupting in my chest. I didn't like to be reminded of them, as bad as it sounded. The pain of loosing them was so heavy sometimes I didn't even want to remember them at all. "Yes."

"You just looked a little young to be lookin' after that girl yourself, was why I was askin'." She said.

"I'm 22." I said, trying to smile at her.

She nodded. "Good to have someone around my age."

"Hey, I'm your age." Glenn said to Maggie.

"Unfortunately." She pushed him playfully.

I smiled. They were cute, and they way they talked to each other amused me. It was rare. I wondered if they were dating. I wondered who Daryl was dating, too. Maybe Andrea, she seemed quiet, like him. She was definitely pretty enough. Or maybe it was Carol. I could see that.

My mind refused to cease thinking about the vexed man with a crossbow, even that night as I crawled into bed with Abilene. She was asleep, of course, and she snuggled close to me, her hand lying limp by her side.

Tomorrow we would go and leave the nice people who helped us behind. We would be on the road, long gone from The Greene residence. It ought to be better that way. But as I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't help but get the feeling that this place was better than anywhere we were headed.

And the puzzle that was Daryl Dixon was something I couldn't leave unsolved.