Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead or Harry Potter.

CHAPTER THREE

Looking up at the top of the tent and seeing that it slowly getting brighter outside I sit up wincing, since the stitches pull a little. I quietly and quickly change before strapping my knife around my right thigh before grabbing the cop utility belt, the one from the cop corpse.

After buckling it on I pick up the bag that I had packed last night, for the hunt with Daryl today. I rather be safe than sorry, I'm not that good with directions so if I got lost, I'd have some food, water and a compass.

I leave the tent silently before walking over to the car. I sit the bag down before opening the back door, so I can check on both of the girls. I just finish changing Gracie's diaper, when Daryl walks up ready to go, his crossbow over his shoulder.

I put her back in her bassinet and then I check on Haylee, her pull up is dry, good that's means no nightmares last night. "You ready to go?" He ask while I close the door. He starts smirking when he sees the gun on my belt. "Do you even know how to use that gun?" He asks adjusting his crossbow strap.

"I drove all the way from California to Georgia and lived in a prety crapy neighbourhood and I lived all by myself. Do you really think I didn't learn how to use a gun?" I said in a joking manner, as I pick up the bag and put it on and all he does is nods his head.

"What's the bag for, you're not gonna be out there long?" He asks as we start walking toward the woods. I wave to Dale, who is on watch, before answering. "It's just in case I get lost." I tell him as I pull the straps tighter. "You ain't gonna get lost, girl." He said not even looking back at me but at the ground.

"I'm prone to accidents Daryl, getting lost even with a great tracker like you is still a possibility." That got a chuckle out of him, which just makes me smile.

"What do you see?" He asks as he pointed to some grass in front of him. I kneel next to him the best I can and focused for a second. "The grass is bent and those leaves are broken." I said softly kind of unsure. "Good, so which way do we go?" He asks biting on his thumb again. "Umm that way." I said after I follow the small tracks a small ways.

We walk for a little while when I see a squirrel sitting up on a tree branch, so I taped Daryl on his shoulder and then point to it. He just raises his crossbow and takes the shot at the poor squirrel. After adding it to his small collection of squirrels on a rope, he starts to walk off. "Let's go."

As I follow him, I watch him in a daze, my eyes slowly roaming his wide shoulders down his back slowly to his… damn it. I look away trying not to blush,while biting my bottom lip when I realize he is looking back at me. I look anywhere else but at him from then on, I can't believe he caught me checking him out.

"Stop!" He says quietly crouching down. When I did the same while looking around everywhere thinking it was a corpse, I put my hand on my knife. "Deer tracks, going that way." He said still whispering. I sit there dumb founded for a second, and then I start glaring at him wanting nothing more than to bitch slap him for scaring me like that. "Come on, I don't want you scaring it off." We both stand at the same time and start our way back to the camp.

"They ain't yours, those kids. Because you can't be much older than that boy. How'd that happen?" He asks all of a sudden and I stop for a second at hearing what he asked, before continuing walking along.

"It's simple, we lived in the same apartment complex, when each of their parents died, I took them in. They're my kids now." I said while trying not to think about just how they became mine.

"So you and that boy Jack, you not together or something like that then." We both stop when he asks that. "God no! He's like a brother to me." We stand there in silence for a minute, looking at each other.

"How did you join the group" I asks, both of us welcoming a change in our conversation. At that, we start walking before he answers. "Was at a bar with Merle, when this guy started eating the bartender. I drove us home, saw a lot of people attacking others on the way. So we packed up and left, got stuck on the highway and ran into some of them, thought it be best to be around a group. Besides you all would starve without me." I smile at what he said, knowing it was true.

"Walk that way." He said pointing to the camp. "I can walk you all the way there, so you won't get lost on the way." He jokes while smirking at me. "Ha, ha very funny, just go get us that deer cowboy." When i say this I see a small grin on his face before I turn and walk away.

As I reach the camp, I see Haylee running up and I pick her up without much difficulty, she is very light for a four year old. "Hey honey bear how was your morning?" I ask her while putting her on my good hip. "Good, I cowored you a piture." She said while brushing her light brown hair back from her face. "Yeah I can't wait to see it." I said as I turn my head to see Gracie walking, well wobbling towards me with Anna close behind her.

After Daryl gets back from finding the deer and after we all had dinner, I walk up to him and Merle, who are both sitting outside their tents, with Haylee on my hip. "Thank you for the deer daryl. What do you say Haylee?" She just buries her head into my shoulder, before shyly saying thank you, although you can barely understand her since she is sucking on her thumb. I look to both of them seeing that they were amused.

"What do you say Daryl?" I teased making Merle laugh as he nudges Daryl's arm. "Yeah boy what do you say?" Shaking his head laughing he looks up at Haylee and I. "You're welcome." He said before taking a swig of his beer.

We talking for a while, Daryl telling me he is going out again in the morning, since he saw more deer tracks when he was coming back and then Merle told us he is going to Atlanta, I can see Daryl is getting angry, so I tell them good night and walk off before they start fighting.

After taking Haylee to the bathroom and change her into her pj's, I can hear Amy, Andrea and Dale arguing in the RV, since Andrea is going to Atlanta as well, while I'm putting Haylee to bed next to an already slepping Gracie. I pray everything goes well tomorrow for everyones sake.

I sit down on my sleeping bag after zipping the tent closed. I'm untieing my shoelaces when Jack sit up. "Emily, can we talk for a sec?" He whispers so he won't wake up Anna. "Yes hun, of course." I said looking at him, the fire outside lighting up the tent some so I can see him. "I want to go to Atlanta." He whispers while not looking at me.

"NO!" I yell and then look to make sure Anna is still sleeping, and then look back to him. "Why the hell not, I'm not a child." He asks glaring at me. "You know why Jack. Atlanta is over run, if you thought Wood Grove had a lot, Atlanta has thousands of those things. You are NOT going." I said trying very hard to not yell.

"You're not my mom Emily, you can't order me around like some kid." He said lying down with his back to me. "You want to be a man Jack, start acting like one. You're not going and that's final." I snap lying down on my back and I clench my eyes close when they start to tear up.

"I can't do this by myself, I can't lose you too Jack, I can't." I sob, wiping my face from tears. "Ok Emily. I won't bring it up again, sorry I ask." He whisper softly. "Just try and get some sleep Jack." I don't fall asleep for a long time after that almost afraid he would try to leave when I'm asleep.

It is very early and everyone is up to get the group ready for Atlanta. The girls are sitting on a blanket, playing with some toys, while I read one of the Harry Potter books aloud so that all the kids nearby can hear me.

I just finish chapter five, when I stop to take a drink of water and I look up to see that Daryl is watching, just staring at me rubbing his lower lip. When he realizes I caught him he quickly goes back to cleaning his bolts before his hunt. I can't get the smile off my face while I go back to reading.

After hugging the others that are leaving, I walk up to Merle. "You here to give me a kiss goodbye sugar tits?" He said laughing. "No, but how about a hug instead… don't touch my ass." I said as his hand moves down my back.I pushed away from him, looking him in the eye. "Come back safe ok."

"Don't worry and maybe when I get back we can have some fun." I take a step back shaking my head no. "Never gonna happen Merle, so stop trying." I said looking away to see Daryl stepping out of his tent carrying his crossbow.

"Oh uh huh, I get it now why you always hanging around. You want my baby brother don't ya?" He said with a grin. "Don't know what you're talking about." I said walking away shaking my head, hearing him laughing the whole time.

After waving off those who left, I go back to finish washing this mornings' dishes, while keeping an eye on the girls who are playing in the dirt. I'm really gonna have to give them a bath tonight. I pass Anna the last plate since she is drying, when I see Daryl starting to leave. I get up quickly and jogged over to him, I catch up to him before he gets too far.

"Daryl, hey do you know how long you'll be gone." I jumped back when he turns around real fast. "Why the hell do you care so much for anyway? What you think since my brothers not here you can run to me. I bet that's the only reason you asked me to teach you to hunt, huh to get closed to him." He shouts and when his hand come up, I flinch away which just made him angrier. "I'm not gunna hit you, good lord." He yells while taking a step back.

"It's a natural reflex and just because you're worried about your brother, doesn't mean you can talk to me like that." I said before walking away but I turn back around glaring at him. "I thought it was obvious why I was around you all the time. Why I talk to you every day and why I asked you to teach me to hunt. I thought you would've figured it out by now." I turn and walk back to camp not even looking back.

I just get back from washing mine and the kid's clothes when the CB radio crackles on. I sit down the heavy basket and I pick up Gracie from where anna was watching her and I walk over and watch as Amy tries desperately to reach the guy who is heading to the horror that is now Atlanta.

I look down at Haylee who just ran up and grabbed onto my leg as Shane tries to reach the man on the other side. "There are others, it's not just us." Lori said to Shane when he can't reach the guy. "We knew there would be. that's why we had the CB on." I walk away as they start talking about putting signs up.

I look down at Gracie to see that she her cheeks are getting a little red, I need to put more sun screen on her. "Come here Haylee let's put more sunscreen on you too." I said lightly pushing her towards my tent. "No!" she giggles while running away. "Haylee get back here." I laugh as i slowly chasing after her, damn she's fast.

Just before lunch I help the other women collect everyone's dirty laundry and put it in Ed's Cherokee, so they can drive it down to the water. When lori comes up carrying her and Carl's clothes. "Why don't you help us wash everyone's clothes?" She asks as she lugs the basket in to the car.

"I wash my kids and my own, why the hell should I wash everyone else's, when they can wash them their damn selves." I said before walking off, I don't know why the hell she asked it's not like she's going to go down and help them when we all know she gonna disappear with Shane, like none of us know what they're really doing.