Daryl's eyes went around them and he didn't see many walkers at all as they walked. He had insisted on parking a bit from where they were scavenging since they had Sophia with them. Mac was humming just to his side and he already knew what he was about to do and was going to try to stop him.

"Fuckin' stop." Daryl growled.

Mac swung around till he was walking backwards directly in front of Daryl going up a set of steps.

"I hope you fall." Daryl snapped.

Sophia snorted next to him and Mac smiled. "Really? And if I broke my neck? What about my ankle?"

"Just shut the fuck up." Daryl growled.

Martinez shot them both a look and motioned to the next house. Him and Merle were moving up the steps leaving them to clear and search this house. Sophia was waiting patiently next to them.

"Kid you know who Kansas is?"

"A state." She deadpanned.

Daryl tried to stifle his laugh but it started slipping in small barks getting both of their attention. Sophia moved over by him still shooting Mac mean looks. Maybe she hadn't warmed up to Mac completely.

He started humming again Daryl glared at Mac's back as the humming got louder. The door was opened swiftly and Sophia was tucked close to him instantly. Mac picked up a dish at the side table and tossed it making a loud clatter. They stayed silent listening and Sophia stood looking at the broke dish. Her little eyes were wide and Daryl looked at Mac raising a brow.

"You alright?" Mac questioned.

Sophia looked at him and nodded, "I've never seen someone just throw a dish for fun."

Mac grinned at her, "Ahhh kid you aint living if you don't just break shit on a whim."

He handed Sophia a plate crystal vase and she looked to Daryl. He leaned against the wall. If there was walkers in the house they'd surely come running at the noise these two were about to make. She smiled but waited til he nodded at her. She hurled the vase and it hit the hardwood and shattered. The tinkling pinging noises of broken crystal rained around and she clapped excitedly. There was a following crash where Mac shattered something and then her again. He watched as they cleared an entire room of breakable shit before shaking his head. Sophia seemed to be enjoying herself and Mac seemed to not be such a dick. It was a win win.

Daryl groaned and motioned he was going upstairs. Sophia moved with him and he chuckled watching as Mac cleared the bottom of the house quickly. He figured Mac would stick to him like glue for a while after how long they were separated. His eyes went to Sophia and he could only imagine how her mother would feel if she got her back right now. No idea she was alive to suddenly have her back and safe. Daryl smiled and licked his lips, he wanted that for her, for them. He didn't want her to die or her mother.

He couldn't help but be curious about what her mother would think about her being stuck with four men. One of which had a record with some questionable activities. Merle despite being in the military looked more like a hardened criminal. Martinez was the only one who looked like he wasn't going to start shooting people at any second. Daryl didn't deny he looked like a dickhead and he was most of the time. He didn't have time for people and it left him with many social graces missing.

Daryl cleared all the room and motioned Sophia into one, "See if any of this will fit kid."

She made a noise in her throat at him and stomped her foot. Mac walked in and flopped down on the pink bed, "I think this bed was made for me."

"Its pink."

"So?" Mac challenged.

"Boys don't like pink stuff."

Mac set up and shot a lewd look at Daryl before giving Sophia wide eyes, "Surely you aren't insulting me? I'm not a boy I'm a man and I can like what the fuck I want."

"Ed woulda called you a queer." Sophia spoke. Her eyes widened instantly and her hand slapped over her mouth. She made a noise and her eyes watered, "I'm sorry."

She turned and tried to escaped but Daryl caught her by the shoulder and Mac was watching them. He was giving Daryl a questioning look and he wanted to tell him to just leave it. But Mac wasn't one to leave shit alone and he knew he would eventually ask.

"Sophia." Daryl's voice was low.

She looked up at him her little eyes watering, "I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing to his ass and me. You aint done shit to apologize for. Fuck Ed and what he thought. If he's the reason your apologizing cause he'd jumped on to you then he can go fucking himself." Mac snapped. "Who is Ed anyways?"

Sophia looked at Mac and smiled slightly, "He was my dad."

Mac made a face and looked at Daryl again, "Seems like a real fucking peach."

"He's dead."

Daryl shook his head at Mac and Mac nodded. He slipped out of the room and Daryl heard him searching the other rooms. Sophia walked back into this one and started pulling clothes down and setting on the bed. She kept looking to Daryl where he leaned on the wall looking out the window. He was watching for walkers or people in general. He had a feeling they were being watched but wasn't sure. He couldn't shake it.

"Mac don't really like pink does he?" Sophia asked quietly.

Daryl snorted and smiled, "Nah he was messin' with you."

"The fuck I was." Mac called through the house before they heard a loud bang and glass breaking. He was laughing and then there was the sound of him singing as more shit broke.

Daryl scowled and looked at her but she was smiling. "I wish I'd known you and him before things went bad." Her little voice had something in it he tried to place.

He looked at her and wasn't sure why she'd say that. She had her mother even though her father had been a piece of shit. He set down in the window and looked at the clothes she gathered.

"Those all fit?" She looked at him and huffed, "Find the long sleeves and jeans." Walking to the door he heard her moving but turned stopping her, "I'm stepping just into the room across the hall. Try these on kid. Don't wanna pack stuff around that don't fit. Only slow me down if you put a bunch of that in that duffel."

She nodded and he moved into the room with Mac. He was sprawled out on the bed smoking. "Want one?" He held the pack up.

Walking over Daryl set on the bed and Mac handed them too him. Leaning down Mac lit his cigarette and Daryl inhaled.

"Where the hell was her dad when she was out there?"

Daryl looked over blowing out smoke, "Dead."

Mac shook his head, "She don't seem to bothered."

Daryl made a noise in his throat, "From what she's said about him don't think I would be either."

"She aint us though brother."

"I know that asshole." Daryl snapped.

Mac smiled and nudged him with his boot, "I found a bunch of burritos."

"He's gonna hit you."

"I'm gonna ask him how many would it take for a blow job." Mac had a smile on his face and started laughing.

Daryl blew out more smoke and looked at him, "Between your pink blanket she really thinks you want and that joke he's really gonna think your queer."

Mac nodded, "Likely but I'll have a good laugh out of it."

After about ten minutes Sophia trotted in clean jeans and a long sleeve shirt. Her hair was pulled back and untangled from her face. She looked presentable compared to the two of them. She didn't even blink as she climbed up in the bed and laid down next to Mac and let her legs drop in his lap. Mac chuckled again and Daryl shot him a look.

"Sophia whats that mom of yours like?"

Sophia beamed and looked at him, "She's a lot cooler than you."

"I doubt that but humor me." Mac spread his hands out above him.

Sophia started smiling and shifted her body, "I always loved when she would bake. She could make anything taste good I swear it."

Mac hummed and licked his lips, "What I wouldn't give for someone who could cook to be here."

Sophia clapped her hands, "When we find my mama she would cook for you I bet."

Mac grinned and looked at Daryl, "Think she'd want to thank my brother there not me for saving you kid."

Sophia shook her head and set up, "My mama isn't greedy Mac. If she cooked she would wanna feed you too."

Daryl looked at her and how serious she was and had to smile. She set talking more about her mother and he could tell that she was really missing her. He didn't doubt that though. She was holding it together better than he thought a little girl would. Not that he knew much about kids but this one seemed a bit more level headed than he had expected.