hey there, thanks for reading. let's give it another go, hopefully i can get a title out of it too

...

'Belle and Daryl didn't speak much the whole way back. They only spoke in the town when they had to, but other than that, the ride was silent. It was always quicker coming back then heading out, something she would never understand. She saw one of them undead on the way home, taking out her gun and shooting it in the head while she drove by. When they got back to the house, 'Belle parked her car near the truck, noting Merle's bike was in the bed of it. Maybe he stayed back with it? But then why would it be in the bed of her stolen truck? She decided it wasn't important.

She noted a couple of them were out in the field, getting ready to burn the mother fucker she pegged with her knife. She walked over there, pulling out the knife before walking back to the house. She didn't bother helping Daryl unload everything they had gathered, fuck it. She walked in the house, noting that everyone had gotten together and cleaned it up. Meaningless tasks to keep busy, she could respect that. It was warm, the fire roaring. She went to the back room where the bed was, to check on the sick woman.

The elderly doctor was there, the woman sitting up and talking with him and his daughter. 'Belle walked in, noting that the woman was still pale. She was under the covers, eating a can of unidentifiable food. The three of them looked at her, eyes unsure of what to think. 'Belle observed them, an emotionless expression on her face. She had nothing against these folk, but she wasn't sure if she could trust them either.

"How far along sugah?" 'Belle asked in a softer voice than they'd heard.

"Three and a half months," answered Lori.

"Why didn' ye tell anyone ya were sick?"

Lori looked down guiltily, "Didn't want everyone to slow down."

"Hopefully goes away soon, can' stay here long."

"Why?" asked the old man.

"Learned from experience that no place is safe. Best way t'live is to keep movin'."

The old man nodded, looking somber. 'Belle thought about that for a moment, wondering why he would look like that. She could tell they had been traveling for a while, the smell of them making it obvious. They weren't exactly prepped for winter traveling, the smart thing to do would be to migrate South. But she wasn't going to, not yet, she had to wait here for a while first.

"I'm Lori, this is Hershel and his daughter Beth," Lori introduced.

"You're 'Belle, right?" asked Beth.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Is it short for something?"

'Belle shrugged, "Don' worry 'bout it."

"You got somewhere to keep watch?" asked Rick, walking into the room with Daryl.

"Yeah, got some sleepin' bags on the roof. Won' see much in the dark 'less the moon is out. Haven' seen much the past week. There's a sniper up there, but y'all take it an' y'can kiss yer sorry asses goodbye," she told him seriously.

"Big words for a small woman," said Daryl angrily.

"No one asked you!" she yelled. Her eyes were dangerous as they fixed on his glare. He was always challenging her, was he trying to kill her?

Daryl opened his moth to say something, but was cut off by a scream of "MOMMA!"

'Belle's eyes widened, her face white but no one really had time to ask her before she shoved Rick and Daryl out of the way and started running up the stairs. They both followed her, weapons in hand as she climbed the three flights of stairs. She booted the door, knocking it down completely and scanned the room. Machete in one hand, gun in the other, nothing was going to get by her. Rick and Daryl had arrived shortly after, but there was no danger to be had.

The only thing in the room was a small child of about seven or eight. She had long strawberry blond hair and the same green eyes as her mother. 'Belle sheathed her weapons, running over and hugging the child to her closely. The relief was obvious along her face, the child looking terrified of the men in the room. Their weapons were lowered, as they watched mother and daughter.

"What's wrong, sugah?" asked 'Belle, looking into the girl's eyes.

"My head started hurting again, momma," the small child replied.

'Belle held her wrist to the girl's forehead, "No fever, Kara. Jus' a headache. Gotta sleep it off."

"I can't sleep anymore, momma. I'm hungry."

"Shit, Ah forgot, sugah. There's some new friends here, Ah got distracted."

"What happened to your arm?"

"Don' worry 'bout it baby girl, jus' go downstairs where Ah can see ye."

"Alright," the girl agreed as 'Belle rose to stand tall. She ignored Daryl, knowing he was going to question about the child. Wasn't his business what happened while she was gone, he can fuck a toaster.

"Girl bit?" asked Rick.

"Nah. Jus' a cold like yer wife. Season's changin'. Kara was born early, more vulnerable to stuff like that."

He nodded, walking out of the room. 'Belle started to follow, but Daryl's arm caught her before she could get out of the door. He looked down her, his eyes questioning. She just glared at him, daring him to ask and find out the answer. Kara had nothing to do with him, plain and simple. He grunted, letting her go. He didn't even know how he was going to ask a question like that. He was sure she would have told him if the girl was his anyway. Deciding there was nothing better to do, he decided to go out and find them some dinner.

...

'Belle sat in the common room with some of the others. Lori was still bed ridden, probably afraid of what the girl would say if she got up. She had a bucket of boiled water beside her, red from her own blood. She was cleaning her wound, the hole in her arm gaping at her. It was sore, but didn't stop her from being able to do what she needed to do. Her daughter sat with the young boy 'Belle learned to be called Carl. She didn't like how that boy carried a gun, but how someone else raised their kid wasn't her business. Hell, if Kara was older, 'Belle would probably have taught her how to shoot already.

She hissed when the water from the cloth touched her, but it had at least stopped bleeding. The blood was finally clean, the hole staring her in the face. Arrows weren't thick, so she couldn't see right through it. She took the fresh gauze she grabbed from the drug store and started to wrap it. She was having trouble, only one free arm and her teeth. But she managed, not wanting someone to take pity on her and decide to help. Daryl hadn't come back yet, but she wasn't all that worried. They still had time before the sun went down.

Beth had walked into the room just as 'Belle was finished with her wound. She sat down with the children, joined by Carol. That woman had some kind of pain behind her eyes, 'Belle couldn't deny that. She had to have lost a child, there was no other explanation for why she was looking at Kara the way she did. 'Belle smiled, happy her daughter was still able to be a kid despite what was going on. Carl was retelling the story of how they got here and everything that happened. Of course, he was hiding some parts and embellishing it for her sake, and 'Belle was grateful for that. 'Belle went for her gun when she heard the door burst open. She relieved her arm when she saw it was just Daryl.

"Need that truck o'yers girl, bagged me a bear!" he exclaimed happily. 'Belle smirked, getting up to go help him with it. She hopped in the RAM, starting it up and waiting for him to tell her where to go. She drove to the edge of the forest, following his tracks. They were lucky the bear wasn't touched by any wandering dead.

"Been a long tahme since Ah had a hot meal," mused 'Belle, the thought of finally eating real meat making her feel good.

"Jus' watch that arm," he replied, tying some rope from the truck around the carcass. She helped him, and when it was all done, they both dragged the dead animal back to the truck. It was tough, the bear quite large. They were lucky not to find anything on their way back to the truck, and heaved it into the bed. Daryl noticed she winced with her left arm, but was happy she had taken the time to clean and bandage it.

Evening was settling in by the time they had returned, the sun would go down soon. Days were getting shorter with the winter coming. Frost was starting to appear on the cars in the morning, the nights cold. It was going to make traveling hard when she finally left this place. It was a shame that she couldn't stay in one place for too long. She helped Daryl take the bear from the truck, most of the work on him. He insisted, probably feeling guilty for shooting her with an arrow. The two of them began to skin him, the skills they used completely parallel, like they used to be.

'Belle smiled slightly as she started harvesting the meat with him. He appeared to not really notice her existence as he worked, but that suited her just fine. Despite how much she hated Daryl, there were some really good times with him. He taught her how to hunt when they were younger, how to do all of this. She often wondered why he even bothered living in a house, he was always better off in the woods.

Daryl tried not to think about how easy it was to fall back into routine with 'Belle. Neither of them had much money when they were growing up, and she was always on her own. He figured teaching her how to survive would come in handy one day, who thought it'd be the end of the world to prove that true? He was truly sorry for what he did to her, but he wasn't going to show her any weakness. Might invite the knife she had so securely tucked in her boot.

"Ah'll start with this, should be enough for tonight. The cold'll keep the smell down, see what else we can do with it tomorrow. Sun's goin' down," said 'Belle.

"Do what ye want, woman," replied Daryl.

"Ah intend to, asshole!" she scoffed, walking into the house.

She put down the meat near the fire, Carol getting ready to cook it. She washed the blood off her arms in the bone chilling water. She sighed when she was finished, going back to the fire to warm her arms up. She put on a sweater, not liking the way her daughter was looking at her arm. It was stained in blood, but at least it wasn't hers. Kara walked over to her mother and laid her head in her lap. There was mindless chatter going on, but 'Belle paid it no mind. They talked of lost loved ones, and she was happy that she didn't have any.

"Have you lost anyone?" asked Carol.

"Nah," replied 'Belle.

"Not your parents or anyone? Why aren't you all together?" asked Beth.

"Parents were dead 'fore this shit started. Brotha gone for years, don' care where that rat bastard went. Ah see him again, Ah kill 'im."

"Why?" asked Maggie, completely horrified that she would say something like that.

"Som'a'bitch tried to slit her throat for a nickle," said Daryl, standing in the doorway. They looked at her with eyes wide, not believing that was a true story. She only nodded, remembering that day well.

"'Member when Ah put those snakes in his bed? Cried lahke a bitch for weeks, wouldn' sleep," she smiled.

Daryl chuckled, "Best when he tried t'get everyone to think the barn owl was teachin' 'im magic."

"Ah gave him some shrooms wit' his eggs that mornin'!"

They were both openly laughing at the memories. 'Belle hadn't thought about that in years, how the four of them used to torture each other as kids. But then that lead to bad memories, when they grew up and started becoming the bad kids they were. When the laughter had died down, she was aware of the people in the room trying to study her and Daryl. His choice if he wanted them to know, she was going to keep her mouth shut. They obviously trusted him and his judgement, or else she'd probably be dead.

The moon was out, and she had made sure all the doors were barricaded. The windows weren't a problem, already taken care of before she arrived. She knew why there family was already dead when she got here, they forgot to block off one window in the cellar. She took care of that though, always careful about it. 'Belle checked on Lori one last time before heading upstairs to go stand watch. It was about the time that if anything was out there, it was going to move now. She left Kara to sleep with the others, knowing it would be good for the girl. She grabbed her coat, putting it on and making no noise with her boots as she climbed the stairs.

She saw T-Dog with her sniper, keeping a look out into the field. She made a noise closing the door, but not too loud that it would echo and attract attention. He looked over to the source of it, looking nice and snug in her sleeping bag.

"Ah'll cover, go get some rest," she told him quietly. He nodded, carefully getting up and handing her the gun. She held it, waiting patiently for the sleeping bag to wrap up in. He nodded at her, and then slowly opened the door. 'Belle got situated, getting in the familiar position for the eighth night. Her breath was in the air, the cold not really affecting her. She lit a cigarette, a pack that she was fortunate to find in town. She inhaled deeply, letting the feeling wash over her. She was about to put it back in her pocket, when they were snatched right out of her hands.

"Hey!" she whispered hoarsely. Daryl took one and then placed the pack back in her hands. She glared at him, but offered him a light anyway.

He had his crossbow leaning against his leg, looking out into the night. She was annoyed and happy that he was here. Annoyed cause she didn't need to be babysat, happy because at least she wasn't alone tonight. She didn't speak, however, not really caring for conversation. She looked at him, noting that he didn't really do much to protect himself from the cold. Had to be below zero judging from the position of the moon.

"Ain't ya cold, sugah?" she asked, her voice low.

"Not really," came his short reply.

"What are ye doin' up here?"

"Can' sleep."

"Don' blame ye. Barely been sleepin' since this shit started."

"You should be wit' your little girl."

"Can' be wit' her if there's danger near by."

"I'll watch for you."

She looked at him suspiciously. There was something on his mind, but he wasn't willing to surrender the information. He didn't just come up here to make sure she slept, there was something else to it.

"What are ye doin' here, Daryl?"

"Told you, woman, I can't sleep."

"Fahne, lie to me."

"I ain't lyin', you crazy bitch," his voice was getting higher.

"You shut that trap 'fore Ah shut it for ye," she stood, holding his mouth with her hand.

He was warm, his face and lips burning against her ice cold fingers. It stunned her for a moment, only a moment. His eyes bore into hers, and she was unable to look away. He grabbed her hand roughly, using the other arm to pull her close and kiss her hard. She melted into it, the sniper rifle in between them still. They were gasping for air by the time they broke apart. His breath was in her face and it only invigorated her. She pulled him down for more of him, but it was cut short by someone clearing their throat.

They snapped their necks to look at Rick standing there, ready to take his turn to watch the night. He was surprised to find them sucking face, but knew that it wasn't an efficient way to watch out for walkers. Daryl looked pissed that he was interrupted so rudely by Rick, but 'Belle welcomed it. She was losing her mind if she wanted to get involved with Daryl again. She handed Rick the sniper, peeling off the sleeping bag and quietly entered the house again without a single word. Rick took his post on the chair, looking to see if the two of them missed anything.

"What was that all about?" asked Rick.

"Shut the fuck up!" said Daryl loudly, before going to find somewhere to sleep in the house.