AN: Ok this chapter is ridiculously short but I needed it to end where it does but we have the first real Daryl/Penny interaction! Enjoy.

Chapter 4 – If you take what's yours and I'll take mine, must we go there? Not this time.

Cleaning out the stables was never a job for just one person, unless you wanted it to take all day and usually Penny would have accepted Beth's offer of helping out but for now she was just grateful for the peace being around the horses brought. She stood in the second stall on the right, the one which housed her own horse. Ruby had been a gift from her father when Penny had started college, a good seven years ago. It was odd that he had chosen to buy her a horse just as she was moving off the farm but it was his way of ensuring she would return occasionally- even if it was just to check on her.

Penny stood beside the mare and began to brush her down when she heard the harsh footsteps of someone approaching. She moved silently, running her hand over Ruby's long mane as she passed her, stepping out to see the now familiar metal contraption that was Daryl's crossbow sitting right outside the block. Still walking as quietly as she could, Penny made her way towards him and leaned against the wooden post opposite to where the crossbow was placed, watching in silence as he picked up a saddle-one of her own, coincidently- from where he had placed it on the floor.

"Can I help you with something?" she spoke up. Daryl tensed up immediately and spun around to face her. She had seen the way he tried to reach for his weapon before realising he didn't have it. The hostile expression he wore made his eyes narrower than Penny thought they would usually be.

"Like sneakin' up on people?" Daryl replied. Penny was slightly surprised to see that the shirt he was wearing had sleeves- the other few times she had seen him, the sleeves had been torn off, exposing his toned arms.

"You're the one shifting around out here," she told him casually, walking forward and entering the stall.

"Business is it a yours anyway?"

"Well this is my horse," she reached up, running her hand over Nelly cautiously, knowing that too many people around the horse can spook her.

Daryl glared at the girl in front of him. He'd seen her around before, heard T-Dog talking about her, but he'd never paid much attention; never really had the time to. Now though, his eyes ran across her face, taking in the high cheekbones and large, hazel eyes. If he were any other man, he would have said she was a good looking girl, maybe he would have even taken a liking to her but that was not who Daryl Dixon was. Her expression and tense stance were what he focused on.

"Headin' up to the creak, look for the girl. Good 'nough explanation for ya?"

Penny was floored by his attitude and couldn't help but take it to heart, despite knowing it wasn't intended that way. Daryl wasn't aware of the impact his comment had made, or he chose not to pay attention, instead continuing to saddle the horse.

In another situation, Penny would have informed him that the horse he was currently saddling up would be almost useless in the type of terrain he was heading for. Nelly was spooked too easily and one of them was bound to get hurt. Maybe she would have offered him the use of Merrick instead, after all this was for the little girl. Instead, she simply stood and watched as Daryl retrieved his crossbow from in front of her. Penny's mouth began to form the first words of the remark she was about to give but them he met her eyes once more. This time, the intensity of his bright blue eyes startled Penny into silence and so she had no choice but to just let him go.

"Did you finish the stables?" Hershel asked as Penny walked towards him, a while later.

"No, I did Ruby's and Nelly's. Figured I might as well while she was gone. I'll do the rest tomorrow, Beth can help," Penny told him, not really thinking about her words in her tired and over-heated state. And the run in with Daryl was still playing in the back of her mind.

"Nelly's gone?"

Her head snapped towards her father and then away again in less than a second as Penny stumbled over her words, realising her father hadn't known Daryl had taken the horse. Then again, she shouldn't have been too surprised- the man hadn't asked for her permission and she had been standing right in front of him at the time.

"You mean you didn't know? She was gone by the time I got there."

Later, when she thought back, Penny wasn't exactly sure why she hadn't told her father about Daryl. He was understandably angry at Rick once he put the pieces together that it must have been one of the group but even then Penny hadn't spoken up. She was twenty-five years old and still afraid of her father's disappointment.

-8-

Hershel Greene was not having a good afternoon. First, he had been blind sighted twice with regards to his own property and people which led to him confronting Rick about doing a better job of keeping his people under control; the boundary between them had been clearly drawn. Hershel would look after his own people, Rick could look after his. Then he had found Lori and Carol in his kitchen, cooking dinner for everyone without asking express permission and when he had asked Maggie about it, she had thought it would be ok. But it wasn't ok- especially with the fact that Maggie was becoming involved with the Asian boy, Glenn. He warned her to not get too attached; it wouldn't be pleasant for either when it came to them leaving.

It was becoming plainly obvious that the group might come to cause trouble for him and his family. They were encroaching on his space, doing what they liked with his property and he had heard about the person stuck in the well yesterday. He didn't appreciate the group taking over that and roping his two eldest daughters into it as well. Hershel had specifically told Rick that there were things on the farm that no outsider had any right to know about and he definitely didn't plan on saying anything. These matters were private, family business and he was all too aware of how the group would handle it if they found about the secrets hidden there. The situation with the well was all the evidence that was needed.

He respected Rick, truly he did, but there were things more important than respect- especially now, in today's world. He had made the right decision, telling them to leave once Carl was fit to travel and Sophia had been returned to her mother. Maybe Hershel didn't know exactly what horrors awaited them out there but what he did know was that they couldn't be his priority; his family and his land were what mattered.

He couldn't help but think that Penny was right to be suspicious from the beginning. It was becoming a regular occurrence for him to admit this. She had always been the strongest, most determined, of his children- being the oldest and growing up without her rightful mother had been enough. He honestly blamed himself for her sometimes. Penny was an inspiring girl when she wanted to be but she could also be stubborn and controlling when the times called for it- just like he was. Every so often, it struck him how alike him his eldest was.

The sound of a gunshot broke through his thoughts as it echoed through the air and Hershel ran out of the house, quickly followed by the rest of his family.

"What on earth is going on out here?" He shouted up at Andrea and Dale who were perched on the RV, Andrea with a rifle in her hand.

Penny, who made it to her father first, looked out over the field to see two people lifting up a third. Andrea and Dale took off running towards them and as the group began to make their way back, it became immediately obvious who it was being supported. Daryl had apparently arrived- without the horse and completely covered in dirt and blood.

I feel like I should apologise for the length of this chapter, it's so short. Really it should have been joined with the next one but I thought Daryl coming back was just the right place to stop and honestly I just like ending these with people covered in blood so. I've already written out the next one though so it will be up in the next couple of days!

Thank you to everyone who has read/fav'd/alerted. You're all brilliant. Okay so onto replies!

StardustIsMagic: I know, I know but I didn't want her to be annoying about it but then again she's not really changing her opinion- she still wants them to leave, she just goes through phases of respecting them a little and thinking they're all insane. Hope there was enough Daryl in this one to keep you going till the next chapter. Thank you babe!

Leyshla Gisel: Well she was thinking about it but then they had to go and get all controlling again… Thanks for reviewing again!

Emberka-2012: I was so happy about your review. Most people would see Penny as selfish for being the way she is with them but she really is just suspicious and protective so thank you for getting that!

Padme400: Wow. Your review was amazing. I think my problem with the last chapter was simply because there was so much dialogue, I didn't really know if people wanted to see that; which was why I tried to make the well scene less about Penny. I agree about their reactions. It made me want to be sick and I was watching a screen so… I just completely agree with everything you said. I always felt like the group were far too controlling on someone else's property. Thank you so much for the review, hope you like this one!

Reviews are very much welcome guys, like something or even dislike something, let me know!