The next few days passed uneventfully. Jane worked hard to prove herself useful to the others, cooking and cleaning and taking shifts on watch. Emily had warmed to the group, especially Carl, who played with her, and Daryl, who brought her squirrels, but the dog was never far from Jane. There was palpable tension and uncertainty amongst the group as they waited for Hershel to make a decision and talked about their options for next steps. Shane was pushing to make the trip to Fort Benning, an army base about 100 miles away, where he was sure there would be protection and supplies. Rick was still holding out hope for Hershel allowing them to stay.

Jane learned that the group had been to the CDC in Atlanta and narrowly escaped dying there when the center was destroyed. Her heart sank when she heard the story, now aware that the best chance for any kind of cure had been destroyed with that building. Daryl went hunting and came back with a decent sized deer. Jane had never eaten venison before, as thoughts of Bambi kept her away in the past. but she found she loved the taste.

Jane warmed quickly to Glenn and T-Dog, They shared a sense of humor and joked around with each other, sometimes earning sharp looks of reproach from Andrea or Shane. Andrea was still chilly and Daryl was mostly aloof or rude, but Jane wasn't personally offended. She talked to Rick a few times, filling him in on things she'd learned or seen out on her own, and she was developing a strong respect for his leadership. She kept her distance from Shane but watched how he interacted with Rick and Carl. She knew something was percolating there that she couldn't yet name.

On her fifth afternoon in camp, Jane sat with her back against a tree, lazily sharpening her machete with a stone borrowed from Daryl. Dale walked over, attempting to appear casual, but Jane had him pegged as coming over for a conversation as soon as she saw him look her way. He served as a nosy father-figure type in the group. She knew that it was important for him to trust her and that he could help her learn more about the group.

She looked up as he approached. "Hi Dale. How goes it?"

Dale smiled and sank down on the ground next to her, pressing his back against the tree. He groaned with the effort. "It goes."

"Dale, thank you for welcoming me and letting me stay. I know it was a leap of faith."

Dale nodded. "It's important that we stick together in this. There aren't many of us anymore. Besides, you've got the first dog we've seen. That's worth something."

Jane laughed. "I think you guys like her more than me. I can't say I blame you. She's way cuter."

"I wouldn't say that" Dale chuckled. "How are you settling in?"

"Pretty well. Everyone has been pretty accommodating. Andrea and Shane are going to take me out for some shooting practice in a few days, help me keep sharp with the gun. I still prefer the machete but God knows it can't hurt."

"How are you sleeping? We could make room in the RV if you'd like."

"No, please, I'm fine. I'm sleeping well. It's easier to sleep with someone on guard instead of just Emily and me. It's been so strange to not come across any walkers since I've been here. This farm is really something special. Any news on Hershel and his decision?"

"Rick says nothing has changed. He thinks Hershel's still mostly in shock. Hershel didn't grieve for his people the first time. He feels like he just lost them."

"Dale? Can you tell me about Carol and Sophia? No one will talk about it."

Dale sighed heavily. "Carol is still mourning. They've been kind enough to let her stay in the house and leave her alone. That poor woman... I don't know that she'll ever recover. She hasn't had it easy in this life."

"How did Sophia...?"

"Become a walker? End up in the barn? We're not sure. She was separated from us back on the road, before we came here. Then Carl was shot and we ended up here. Hershel allowed us to stay at first to give us time to find Sophia. We spent days looking for her, hoping she was hiding or found others and was safe. We looked, we organized a grid and we found some signs of life. Daryl. Jesus, that man nearly died trying to find her."

Dale looked up and paused. He removed his hat, wiped the sweat from his head with his hand and put it back on. "When Shane broke open the barn, we had no choice. We had to shoot the walkers. They all came out, heading for us. And there was Sophia. She was in there with them the whole time. Hershel's man Otis must have found her right before we arrived and didn't have time to tell us before he died."

"Good lord, Dale. That is awful. I don't even know how to fathom that."

"I think none of us can. We're just trying to keep doing what we need to do. I hope Carol can come back from this. Daryl too. Trying to find Sophia brought something out of him, some affinity with the rest of us, and now I think he's back to being the angry Daryl we met at first."

Jane looked over at Daryl, who was across camp, cleaning his arrows with his ever-present scowl on his face. Dale followed her gaze. "I think you have some kind of connection with him, though. He watches you."

"He does?"

"Sometimes, when you're not paying attention. He watches you with Emily. He watches you when you're talking to people."

Jane looked at Dale with an incredulous look. "I haven't even noticed. He barely speaks to me. Well, so much for my astute powers of observation. Should I be worried? Is it like creepy watching?"

Dale chuckled. "No, not creepy watching. Just watching, observing, trying to figure you out."

"I'm not sure what there is to figure out." Jane scowled and thought a minute. "Dale, what's the story with why some people don't like Daryl? I mean, aside from the obvious personality flaws?"

"Well, when we first all got together, it was Daryl and his brother Merle. Merle was always angry, picking fights, making racist and sexist remarks. Daryl was quieter, but they stuck together. Seemed like they'd always stuck together like that."

"Daryl made remarks too - calling Glenn a 'chinaman' and such. It just seemed like unnecessary anger, energy that wasn't helping us stay alive. He never made an effort to be part of the group. Merle's gone now, as you know, and when Sophia went missing, Daryl really stepped up. Daryl is a bit different now, though he's still keeping himself on the fringes."

"I get the feeling you're all-seeing and all-knowing, Dale. I've got to keep my eye on you."

Dale patted her leg. "Please do. It can't hurt to have a woman with a machete looking out for me. Are you hungry? Lori said food would be ready soon."

After dinner (more Bambi) Jane retired to her tent earlier than usual. She was tired and wanted some quiet time before she fell asleep. Emily followed, as always, and Jane lay next to the dog in their tent, laying her head on her furry stomach.

"Miss Emily, I love you. You're my favorite."

Emily responded with a stinky kiss and Jane wrinkled her nose. "Phew."

Jane rolled onto her back and listened to the sounds of conversation and soft pops from the dying fire. She felt warm and safe and she was comfortably full from the meal. She fell asleep curled on her side, one hand on her machete strapped to her hip and one hand clutching Emily's fur.