Rachel walks through the woods with her bow and arrow following a trail. She hears a rustling ahead and smiles as she catches sight of a deer. Before she has a chance to draw her bow the deer drops, a bolt going straight through it's side.
"Shit! How the hell did you get in front of me?" She smiles at Daryl.
Daryl shrugs his shoulders. "I'm that good," he smiles.
"Show off," Rachel smiles.
"Did you catch anythin?" Daryl teases.
"Yes," she says, averting her gaze.
"What did you catch?"
"A bird," Rachel says.
"You mean like a Turkey?" He asks, rising an eyebrow.
Rachel looks at her feet. "A pigeon."
Daryl laughs. "A pigeon?"
"Yes! A pigeon. I don't see what's so funny about that?"
"No, you're right. That pigeon's gon be well appreciated back at the prison," he teases.
"If you're going to be like that then i'll just eat it all by myself," she says.
"Fill your boots," Daryl jokes. He turns at the sound of a walker. Daryl aims his crossbow and shoots, the bolt going straight through it's eye. "We should probably head back."
"I don't think so," she frowns, shaking her head. "I'm not going back with nothing to show for myself but a bloody pigeon."
"Shouldn't be so hard on yourself," Daryl says sincerely. "You were trackin it just fine. I've been learning to track since before i could walk. I can see why Merle trained you up, you're a natural."
Rachel smiles. "Thanks. Maybe i'll get lucky and come across some more pigeons on our way back?" She jokes.
"Maybe?" He smiles. "So how long you been usin that bow?" Daryl asks as they walk slowly back towards the prison.
"I found it while i was out with Merle, he said he'd teach me how to use it, as long as i took it seriously and didn't waste his time of course."
"Hey, wait. How long were you at Woodbury?" Daryl stops in his tracks.
"Erm.. six months maybe?" She guesses. "It's hard to keep track of time these days."
"You didn't shoot arrows before?" He asks. Rachel shakes her head. "So you've only been usin that thing for what, four months?"
"Pretty much," Rachel nods.
"Damn! You use that thing like you've been doin it years, i'm impressed," Daryl smiles.
"Thanks.. again," she smiles.
"Daryl catch that?" Rick raises an eyebrow as he opens the gate.
"Yeah, but i've got a bagful of pigeons," Rachel says as she take off her rucksack.
"Pigeon," Rick nods humorously. "That sounds.. great."
"Are you mocking me?" She frowns with a smile.
"No," Rick shakes his head. "Absolutely not."
"Hey, she did good. Come on, let's go cut this up," Daryl says.
"She looks a little young to have had a baby," Rachel says.
Daryl shakes his head. "That's Beth. She's just lookin after lil asskicker, ain't hers," he says through a mouthful of food.
"Lil asskicker?" Rachel raises an eyebrow.
"Judith, lil asskicker sounds better though. She's Rick's. Her Mom didn't make it," Daryl says.
Rachel glances down at her food. "I'm sorry. Is the kid with the hat Rick's too?"
"Yeah, that's Carl. He was there when Lori died, his Mom. Had to put her down himself."
"Jesus!" Rachel frowns. "No kid should have to go through that."
"He's a tough kid," Daryl says.
"I'm sure he is," she smiles sympathetically. Rachel gets up and grabs her bowl. "I'm going to go see if they need any help on the fence."
Daryl frowns. "Don't have to do that. You only just got back from huntin."
"I want to. Helps to keep myself busy, i sleep better."
Daryl nods. "Just don't tire yourself out."
"You need an extra pair of hands?" Rachel asks the women currently elbow deep in walker crap.
A girl with brown, shoulder length hair turns towards Rachel, her eyes squinting. "Sure. The more the better. Take your pick," she points towards an array of weapons on the ground before turning back towards the fence.
Rachel smiles as she watches her plunge a crowbar straight through a walker's head. "It's nice to see women doing something other than washing clothes."
She laughs. "No, there's no sexism here. But they still got us doing all the hard jobs," she turns to Rachel and offers her hand. "Maggie."
"Rachel," she smiles as she shakes her hand briefly.
"That's Carol and Donna," Maggie points towards the others.
"Hi," Rachel waves at them. They wave before quickly returning to the task at hand. She grabs a crowbar almost identical to Maggie's and follows suit of the others. "They always build up like this?"
"Yeah, it's getting harder to keep on top of them. It's almost like they can smell us in here," Maggie frowns as she pulls her crowbar from a walker's head. "Didn't you just get back from hunting?"
"I did, but i like to keep busy. Also, it's good exercise," Rachel smiles. "My arms are killing me already."
Rachel stares at the cracks in the ceiling. Almost her entire body ached yet she hadn't slept a wink, her mind constantly replaying her last conversation with Merle. She sits up, swinging her legs onto the floor.
Daryl watches Rachel climb over the prison fence unnoticed. Unnoticed except for him of course. He follows her.
Rachel walks aimlessly through the streets of a rundown town, the same town she'd walked through with Merle once upon a time. She steps inside an old pet food store and grabs a few pieces of dried floorboard, stuffing them in her rucksack. As she walks out she puts down two walkers with her bow, quickly collecting her arrows and replacing them in their quiver.
She stands in the middle of the street staring up at the tall buildings before she heads towards one, climbing the fire escape right to the roof. Daryl watches her from a distance. A small part of him is worried that she may be working with the Governor, so he waits. He watches as she lights a small fire on top of the building, maybe for warmth, maybe to cook something? His instincts tell him that she's grieving, that maybe this is her way of dealing with it? But when he thinks of his brother, even with everything she said about him, he still finds it hard to believe. That Merle could mean that much to someone other than himself. He waits for a good hour, taking out three walkers in the process, then he heads towards the building.
The fire has almost dwindled to nothing as he steps onto the roof. He walks towards her with a frown then smiles briefly as he sees her sleeping. Daryl sits crosslegged in front of the fire, taking a chunk of wood and placing it on as he warms his hands. The fire pops and Daryl hears the sound of a gun cocking. "I know ya don't have no bullets in that," he smiles without turning.
"Jesus, Daryl," Rachel frowns as she sits up, lowering her gun. "You almost gave me a heart attack. What are you doing out here?"
He turns to her. "Could ask you the same?"
She sighs. "I couldn't sleep."
Daryl nods. "Your not leavin us are ya?"
Rachel shakes her head. "I just needed to clear my head. It doesn't seem real in there. I know that probably sounds stupid. Roof over my head and i come out here to sleep."
"Don't sound stupid at all. Sometimes i lie awake for hours just wonderin how long it's gonna be before someone takes that place from us," Daryl says. "An i ain't slept proper since Merle either."
Rachel smiles. "Did you follow me out here because you thought i was meeting the Governor?"
Daryl laughs. "Damn! You're good at reading people aren't you."
"Just a little," she smiles. "I guess i can't get mad at you for thinking that. I'd probably think the same."
"It's not like i really believed that. I just found it hard to believe my brother actually meant something to someone."
"Well he did," she smiles.
"I can see that. Makes me feel better about him, like he wasn't a complete douchebag after all. He helped someone when he didn't have to," Daryl frowns slightly. "Were you two ever.. ya know, together?"
Rachel laughs. "No, we weren't."
"I just find that really hard to believe."
"Why's that?" She asks.
"Because it's Merle, i don't think he ever did anything for a woman if she weren't doin something for him in return, and.. ya know.. you're kinda alright lookin," he says, his cheeks blushing.
"Wow, kinda alright looking. I think that's the best compliment i've ever had," she says sarcastically.
"You know what i mean," he smiles.
"I'm just going to sleep here, i'll be back before just after dawn," she says.
"Alright," Daryl takes the rucksack from his shoulders and lays on his back, using it as a pillow.
"You're babysitting me?" Rachel smiles as she raises an eyebrow.
"Shh, i'm try'na sleep here," Daryl smiles as he closes his eyes.
"Night then," she smiles as she rests her head against her own rucksack.
"Hmm," Daryl grunts.
Rachel's eyes flicker open as the sun begins to rise. She rolls over onto her side to find Daryl hunched over the fire. "How long have you been up?" She asks as she rubs at her eyes.
"Long enough to cook us breakfast, come on," he gestures towards the fire.
Rachel stumbles her way over, taking a small metal pot from him. "Thanks."
"How'd you end up here?" Daryl asks.
Rachel stares at him, confused.
"It's obvious from your accent that you ain't from here," he adds.
"I was visiting my Aunt, everything kicked off just after i got here," she says before spooning a piece of meat into her mouth.
"You get homesick?"
"Don't really have time to get homesick, but sometimes. Everything's bigger here. You can step into the woods to pee and before you know it you're lost. I mean, Georgia's probably half the size of the entire UK," she laughs.
"I see your point," Daryl smiles as he chews his food.
"Jesus, if i had a bullet for every time Merle yelled at me for going to touch something poisonous, we wouldn't have a walker problem," Rachel jokes.
"I'm surprised he didn't just let ya touch it. He was an asshole like that, make ya learn the hard way. Probably went easy on ya cos you're a girl," Daryl says.
Rachel finishes her food and takes the gun from her belt.
"We got plenty ammo for that at the prison. You're one of us now, all you gotta do is ask," Daryl says.
Rachel smiles uncomfortably. "I don't really know how to use it," she says a little shamefully.
Daryl raises an eyebrow. "What? How's that possible?"
"Guns aren't an everyday thing where i'm from. Up until the world turned to crap i'd never even seen one in real life," she says.
"Merle didn't teach ya how to shoot?" Daryl frowns.
"He took me out a couple of times, but guns are definitely not my strongest point. I don't like them."
"Ya don't have ta like em, but you gotta know how ta use em. Yeah, you could probably get by with that bow a yours, but not if we were at war with someone. With people like the Governor out there, it might come to that."
"I suppose it will," she says.
"Why don't we head back an i'll show ya the basics," he offers.
Rachel smiles. "Sure."
