By the time Ava reached Daryl he had already finished destroying the brains of the bodies and was beginning to divide them between Walkers and the human dead, it wasn't too hard considering the Walkers were mostly rotted.
Daryl sneered when he spotted her, "Sorry Princess, you have something better ta do?"
"Yes, putting that cop Shane into his place if I get chance." Ava mumbled, more to herself, as she slipped a set of gloves back on and caught Daryl's smirk at her comment.
"They're talking about going to the CDC," Ava started slowly, "What do you think about it all?"
"Stupid idea if you ask me, going into the city after medicine."
Ava pursed her lips, "Yeah, I heard your argument about someone called Jim when I was in the RV."
Daryl sneered at her as they lifted the next body, "Suppose you think we should cuddle him better too?"
Ava shook her head as they carried the body towards the fire, "No but we should quarantine him, not kill him. It's a downwards slop from there."
Daryl gave her a disgusted look as they dropped the body in the fire, the heat licking at her skin. He shook his head at her, "We? Y'all only been here a night and ya governing us?"
Ava smirked to herself as she shook her head, she knew this camp was a bad idea, "You asked for my opinion and I gave it you, don't like it then don't ask next time."
Daryl shook his head, "It's rich comin' from someone who used to kill people for a living."
Ava shook her head lightly, "How else would I know it's all downhill from there?"
They worked in silence for the rest of the bodies before Ava wiped her knife on a rag and slipped off her gloves as she made her way back to the centre of camp.
"Aunt Ava!" Kyle smiled as he ran towards her. He was wearing a clean set of clothes and his hair had been cut, his face was clean and out in the open air he seemed a lot healthier than just a night ago.
Ava caught him as he ran at her and swung him up to hug him and hold him in the air. He squirmed when Daryl passed the pair just as Ava was kissing his cheek, Kyle wiped his cheek and pulled a face as his aunt put him down, he had far too much manly pride for an eight year old.
"Who cut your hair?" Ava asked as she gently ruffled his hair.
"Carol did it and Shane says we can ride in his car, it's a jeep like Uncle Paul used to have!" He rushed excited.
Ava poked his nose slightly as they continued back into the centre of camp, "Oh that was very nice of them, did you remember your manners?"
Kyle crossed his arms and purses his lips like his dad used up, "Of course I did."
Ava nudged his playfully, "Good boy, why don't you go play with Carl?"
The pair came to Carol, Lori and Sophia, Carl was sat with wet cheeks gently stroking her daughters hair while Lori leant forwards with her forehead resting on her hands.
Kyle ran to Carol and Sophia, "Sophia do you want to come find Carl with me?"
Sophia looked up at her mother and with her approval the pair ran off.
"I'm going to keep an eye on them." Lori mumbled striding after them.
"Thank you for looking after Kyle for me Carol." Ava thanked her as she sat beside her.
"It was the least I can do." Carol replied honestly.
"Could I ask you a favour?" Ava untied her dirty blonde hair and let it fall down by her back, "Would you please cut mine?"
Carol gave her a soft smile and went to get her scissors from her bag while Ava sat on the ground. Carol came back and sat on the log behind her and brushed through Ava's hair slowly.
()()
Ava dropped her discarded locks into the fire after Lori had given her a hard look because apparently hair on the ground is as important as the woman weeping over her lost sister near the RV. Upon seeing the dead blonde girl Ava had banned Kyle from going near there and she didn't care who had heard or if she'd hurt their feelings, Kyle was her priority.
Hearing the ground crunch behind her, Ava turned and gave Shane a levelled look, "Do you need anything?"
"Nice do." He nodded towards her hair that now stopped at her shoulders.
Ava gave him a small amused smile and flicked her hair childishly, "Its all the range."
He gave a deep chuckle, "You and Kyle are gonna be the jeep with me."
"So I've been told," Ava mumbled as she watched Kyle and Carl try to encourage Sophia to kick the ball with them.
When she turned back Shane was closer than before and Ava resisted the urge to step back, mostly because the fire and the smell of her charred hair was behind her.
"It's gonna take us a few days ta get to the CDC, we're gonna hav ta camp out on the way. I've got space for you and your boy in my tent." He offered as he leant towards her slightly, there was still a large gap between them but Ava felt cornered. Domination rolled off of him in waves and Ava chewed her bottom lip, why couldn't see have met him before the zombies and before she had to think about keeping her nephew alive, when they could have had a quick, fun time between the sheets before going their separate ways.
"That would be great, thank you." Ava gave him a grateful smile and tried to not think about Shane's broad chest or Daryl's arms or how long it had been since she'd had sexual gratification. She mentally scolded herself, sex wasn't a pleasure she could afford today.
She strode over to Dale who was watching Andrea leant over her sister, "I'll take over watch."
Dale looked unconvinced.
Ava gave him a hard look, "If you want then you can get someone to watch me on watch, I think you need to be with her." Ava jerked her thumb in Andrea's direction.
Dale relented and gave her his gun as she climbed to the top of the RV. Not too long after she heard a growl and a sobbing Andrea pull the trigger. Ava left her to it. With no concept of time in the new world Ava assumed she had an hour of peace surveying the surroundings through the scope of the gun before Rick's voice disturbed her.
"I see you're throwing yourself into the jobs."
Ava peeked down over the top of the RV to see Rick looking up at her from under his hat and Daryl glaring up at her, "Can I help you gentlemen?"
"You can come down, we're going to bury our people." Rick motioned for her to come down.
"I'm fine here." Ava gave him a soft smile.
Rick's brow knotted, "But we need to say goodbye."
"Rick with all due respect, they're your people not mine. Wouldn't it be better if I stayed on watch? We don't want to lose anymore." Ava told him as she rested the gun on top of the RV.
Daryl nodded as he chewed his thumb nail, "Let 'er stay up there."
Ava gave him a sharp nod of thanks and sat back on the roof out of their sight before Rick could protest. Ava kept an eye on the burial to make sure Kyle was safe, he was stood with Carol who held both him and Sophia to her.
()()()()()
Ava swung her back pack over her shoulder and nudged the back of Kyle's head playfully as they approached Shane's jeep.
"Hi Daryl." Kyle chirped as the pair walked by his truck.
Daryl gave him a nod of acknowledgement and went back to watching Rick give Morales a gun and ammunition.
"We're going in Shane's jeep." Kyle tried to engage him again.
Daryl spared him a look, "Oh yeah?"
Kyle nodded happily, "My uncle used to have one and he used to let me sit on his knee and steer."
By the look Daryl was giving Kyle, Ava guessed the older man wasn't used to children and their relentless questions. Daryl chewed his thumb, "Not a good idea now."
Kyle puffed out his cheeks and gave Daryl a defiant look, "Why not? I can do it."
Daryl shook his head slightly and leaned down to be face to face with the boy, "'cus then whose gonna be makin' sure your Aunt ain't causin' no trouble?"
Kyle smiled happily and ran off to Shane's jeep. Ava puffed her cheeks slightly like her nephew had done, "I don't cause trouble."
Daryl motioned to Shane who stood not too far away watching their conversation, "See ya got your claws in quick."
Ava pursed her lips, "Fuck you Dixon." She snapped and turned to walk away.
"Y'all wish." He smirked as he jumped into his truck.
Ava smiled when she saw Kyle jumping excitably in the back seat. Shane stood with his hands on his hips and gutted his chin in Daryl's direction, "What was all that about?"
Ava pushed her backpack in the back next to Kyle, "Just Daryl being charming."
Shane let out a laugh that came out more of a grunt and jumped into the front seat looking back at Kyle, "You ready buddy?"
"Can I drive later?" Kyle asked but scowled when the adults up front began to laugh at him.
()()()()()()()()()()
The group drove in a convoy, surprisingly loud against the silence of the dead world. Ava looked into the back seat to see Kyle's head bobbing up and down as he fought to stay awake. Shane chuckled as he watched the boy in the rear view mirror, "I didn't realise we were that boring."
Ava shook her head slightly, her hair blowing around her face in the wind, "I used to be the fun auntie."
After a moment of Ava trying and failing to hold her hair back, Shane smirked as he slipped his cap off and slipped it onto Ava's head so that her hair stopped from blowing around. She shook her head slightly feeling the space in the hat from Shane's head being larger than hers and the police officer smirked at her.
"Thank you." She gave him as smile as the convey stopped abruptly. Ava woke Kyle and the three slipped out the jeep to the front of the RV.
"It's more duct tape than anything else." Dale lectured at the front of the smoking RV, "And I'm out of duct tape."
"There's something up ahead," Shane told them looking through the binoculars, "Gas station if we're lucky."
Jackie slipped out of the RV, "Y'all, Jim it's bad!"
Shane decided to scout ahead and T-Dog offered to join him, "Y'all keep your eyes open now, we'll be right back."
Ava slipped off the hat and handed it back to Shane as he walked by, Shane looked over the cap in his hands before putting it back on his head since he doubted this woman would let him argue. Ava turned to go back to the RV and paused when she noticed the looks she was getting from the Grimes couple. Rick look amused, like he was resisting the urge to waggle his eyebrows at the exchange while Lori looked like she wanted to rip of the other woman's face. Ava raised a brow at both, she'd like to see Lori actually try anything, she wouldn't get far.
Ava leant of Daryl's truck in the shade while they waited for Shane and T-Dog to come back. Glenn approached her nervously, quietly clearing his throat a few times.
"Is there something you needed?" Ava asked him.
"Erm I think Kyle wanted to stay with Carl in the RV for the rest of the trip." Glenn mumbled and Ava looked around the young man to see Carl and Kyle watching her expectantly.
"Well if Kyle wants to do that then he should ask himself, but this time I'll let him off." Kyle high fived Carl and the pair went to try and convince Lori and Rick that Carl could stay in the RV too. Ava gave Glenn a small smile and a gentle pat on the shoulder as she walked by him, "Don't be scared, I promise I don't bite."
"Yeah like I believe that these days." Glenn muttered and Ava laughed to herself.
"What you laughin' at?" Daryl asked as Ava walked by him.
"Glenn, he's a funny guy. How come you always happen to be where I am?" Ava asked as she folded her arms and leant against the RV next to him.
Daryl ignored her question, "What happened to your hair?"
"I'm going for a new look for this season." Ava smirked as Daryl shook his head, seemingly annoyed with her antics.
"Well you asked." Ava murmured to herself.
"How's ya kid been?"
Ava cast a look over him, trying to gauge if it was a honest interest, "I think traveling has taken it out of him, he wanted to stay with people his own age for the rest of the way."
"Ah'd get sick of lookin' at the cops face too." Daryl grumbled and Ava held back her laugh as she gave him an amused smile.
After a moment Daryl gave her a look, "Do ya'll need help cleanin' ya guns?"
Ava didn't miss a beat, "I'm fine, I only have the one."
Daryl shook his head slightly, "Bullshit, ah know ya've got guns, ah'm not an idiot but if ya don't know how ta clean them then they'll be no use."
Ava frowned slightly, "Oh course I know how but if you knew why didn't you say anything?"
"Ah wouldn't share mine and there only me now." Daryl shrugged.
Ava gave him a soft smile as she noticed Jim being lead from the RV, "I'm sorry about what happened to your brother."
Daryl just nodded.
