Author's Note: Well, this is probably the longest chapter of ANYTHING I've ever written. So, please, bear with me here. I told you all that I'd be working on this one and I know it's taken a couple days or so to get this finished, reread, and revised so that it was ready to post. But there's a SHIT ton of things going on this chapter. I PROMISE. You see a lot more walker action in this chapter. Two members of the group get killed. A familiar face and a new face are brought into the group – both from the show since I'm sure you're getting tired of me introducing original characters. Daryl gets into a couple fights. And there is some Daryl/Ana moments spread throughout the chapter as well. Plus there's the supply run. So a LOT goes on in this chapter. I'm expecting some love from some readers and some hate from others. We'll just have to see who's left standing at the end of the chapter – who makes it clear to the end. But, I've blabbed enough. I'll shut up and let you read it now.

Chapter 9: Live and Let Die

~*Carol*~

Carol was standing at the stove, smiling to herself as she stirred the group's lunch. They'd actually managed to pull together something nice for once. They'd saved up a stash of potatoes and they had plenty of venison left so they'd have mashed potatoes with their venison today.

She heard feet shuffling into the kitchen and she heaved a sigh, calling over her shoulder, "Carl, I'm FINE. It's sweet of you to keep checkin' on me, but I'm FINE. Really."

When the sound of the footsteps drew closer to her, she turned around, giving a loud gasp as one of her hands flew to her mouth, the other over her heart. It wasn't Carl that had come to come to check on her. It was a group of 8 or 9 walkers that had found their way into the prison.

She grabbed the closest weapon she could find, a simple steak knife, and plunged it into the skull of the nearest walker. But the others were drawing closer and closer with every second. It wasn't more than a couple minutes before they were on her. She'd only managed to take a couple down when the rest of them surrounded her, their bony fingers grabbing at her and their rotting teeth gnashing as they shrieked and groaned, leaning in to tear chunks of her flesh from her body. She gave an ear piercing scream and everything went black as one sank its teeth into her jugular and gave a shake of its head, ripping her throat open. Her scream trailed off into a gurgle as the blood gushed from her neck like a crimson fountain.

-=Liam=-

A blood-curdling scream pierced the air and Liam's head jerked up. He heard feet rushing towards his cell and he nodded for Steph to follow him. Maggie was out on watch in one tower, Glenn in another. Carol was cooking lunch and Carl was supposed to be checking on her every so often. Beth was watching Judith and Hershel was staying with them. Bella was making a patrol on horseback to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary.

"What was that?" Carl asked, hurrying down the hall of the cell block even as Steph followed Liam out of their cell and headed towards the kitchen.

"I don't know," Liam answered truthfully, "But it sounded like it came from da kitchen. You stay 'ere, Carl. Let me and Steph go check it out, see what's what."

"But dad said –," Carl started to protest.

Liam turned to face the boy and looked him RIGHT in the eye, ordering in a firm tone, "You STAY RIGHT 'ERE, ya understand me, lad?"

Carl gave a jerky nod and replied, "Yes, sir."

"Good. I'll be right back, boyo," Liam told the boy before nodding to Steph and slowly entering the kitchen.

He gave a quiet sigh and shook his head, his eyes closing for just a couple seconds as the realization of what had happened hit him like a ton of bricks. Carol had been fixing lunch and a group of walkers had somehow found their way into the kitchen. And, now, the fuckers were chomping away on her lifeless corpse. Carl had just checked on her a couple minutes ago and said that Carol was just fine and that she was getting annoyed with him for checking on her so often.

Liam put a finger to his lips as he looked back over his shoulder at Steph. She nodded and he slid his gun out of its holster at his belt. He started picking the walkers off from his spot just inside the doorway, and Steph covered him, both of them taking out the walkers before they had a chance to get up off the floor.

When there was just one left, he slid his knife out of its sheath and started over to it. It turned to face him and gave a god-awful shriek before he lunged, burying his blade into its skull and twisting it. He heard the sick SQUISH noise as the blade tore its brain open and blood started to spurt out. He wiped his face with his sleeve and hurried back to the cell block.

"Carl! Lock up da fuckin' cell block! NOW!" Liam called to the boy, who came running.

"What's going on?" Beth asked, standing from her perch on the steps and starting towards Liam.

But she only made it a couple steps before Liam put his hand up and told her, "You and 'ershel stay 'ere in da cell block. Carl's gonna lock dis door. You'll be safe 'ere. Walkers 'ave found dare way into da fuckin' prison some 'ow. Steph and I are gonna go see if Maggie, Glenn, and Bella are all right. When we find dem, we'll come back 'ere ta da cell block."

Carl came over to the door even as Liam closed it behind him.

"You lock dis fuckin' door, ya 'ear me?" Liam told the boy, looking into the boy's hazel eyes, his own steely-colored eyes intense, "And don't you fuckin' open it 'til we come back wit de utters."

Carl gave a firm nod and locked the door, taking a couple steps back from it.

"Be careful," Carl told him, "Bring them back safe."

Liam nodded to him and said, "I will. You fuckin' mark me words, boyo."

Carl gave another firm nod and Liam turned and ran towards the exit of the cell block.

-=Carl=-

Carl waited, pacing up and down the hall of the cell block, glancing over at Hershel as the old man sat on the steps that led to the second story cells or Beth, who was sitting in her cell with Judith in her lap, bouncing her gently.

Liam and Steph had left a few minutes ago and he was starting to grow worried.

But, almost as if they heard his thoughts, he heard Liam shout, "Get da door, Carl! Quick!"

The rest of the group came running through the kitchen and towards the door as Carl hurried right over to unlock the door. He closed it behind them and locked it.

"What's goin' on out there?" Hershel asked the others, pushing himself up onto his feet and using his crutches to make his way down the three steps he had to go before he made it to the floor of the cell block.

"Walkers were gettin' into the prison grounds," Bella informed him. We killed the ones that had made their way into the prison grounds and got the door shut and locked again. But there's no tellin' how many made their way into the prison. Like Liam pointed out, the fuckin' lock was shot open and the gate was left open. Take a look around. Who's not here?"

"Carol," Beth answered.

"She's dead," Liam informed the girl, hanging his head.

Beth gasped and Carl passed her a sympathetic look.

"Who else?" Maggie asked, looking around.

"Andrea…" Bella growled out, "That fuckin' BITCH. If she's not dead yet, I'm gonna hunt her down and kill her MYSELF once this is all over. Right now, we need ta figure out if there are any walkers in the rest of the cell block. We should split up and go through the cell block," Bella suggested.

"No," Carl objected, "We should stick together. Dad would want us ta work as a team. We can keep Beth and Hershel in the middle of the group and make our way through the tombs. We don't have to worry about the whole cell block. We've just gotta figure out where she left so we can get the place locked down again and kill the walkers that got into the cell block. If she left the gate open, she probably left the door that shut off the cell block from the rest of the prison open too."

Liam nodded, pointing to him, "Da boy's right. 'e's smart. We should stick togeder, make our way trew da cell block as a big group. Strengt in numbers."

The group made sure that they had their weapons at the ready and ushered Hershel and Beth into the center of the group, Beth clutching Judith tightly, before starting through the tombs. They had no sooner than reached the tombs when a horde of walkers came shuffling towards them from the left side of the hall.

"Maggie, Glenn, Carl, you take 'ershel, Bet, and Judit and 'ide. Find a safe spot and bunk down 'til we come find ya," Liam ordered, pointing in the opposite direction.

"But Liam –," Glenn started to say.

"No. Steph, Bella, and I will kill dese fuckers. We'll see where da fuck dare comin' from and deal wit it," Liam insisted, "You go! Stay safe! We'll make a distraction, lead 'em in a different direction."

Carl nodded and starting leading the group down one of the hallways. He heard Liam, Bella, and Steph shouting, trying to get the walkers to follow after them. Surprisingly enough, it worked.

-=Rick=-

Rick slowed the Hyundai a bit as they pulled into the town Liam and Steph had passed through before making it to the prison. His light blue eyes skimmed over the buildings, just like he knew Daryl would be taking in their surroundings too.

"We'd have better luck if we stuck together," Rick pointed out, "We'll hit the stores as a group. We'll go in, scout the place out ta make sure there aren't any walkers, then we'll raid the place and see what we can take. I wanna fill this car up as full as we can. The more we can take back with us, the longer it'll be before we hafta make another supply run. But we're gonna be smart about this. If there are too many walkers, we clear out. We've still got other stores we can raid, two more towns we can hit. I'd rather have all of us get outta this alive than lose any of us just ta load the car up."

Daryl, Kyle, and Ana nodded.

Rick backed the car up to the grocery store, turning the car off and stating, "Let's figure out a plan right now. What places are we gonna hit here in town?"

"Well there's the grocery store we just parked in front of. We might as well hit it first while we're here," Kyle stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"There's a pharmacy," Ana said, pointing to the building right across the street.

"And a hardware store," Daryl added, gesturing with a nod of his head in the direction of that building, which was just a couple buildings down from the pharmacy.

"Those all sound good ta me," Rick agreed, "All right. We grab EVERYHING that we think our group can use and we load it into the car."

They all nodded before climbing out of the car. They headed towards the door and Daryl reached out to pound on the door but, before he could, Ana was quick to reach out and gently grab his arm, pointing to the bell just inside the door. Daryl nodded to her and she let go of his arm.

Rick saw Daryl glance over at him and Rick nodded his head to his second in command. Daryl pulled the door open, letting the bell jingle to announce their presence, and held the door open. They all held their breath, drawing their weapons, and waited.

When they didn't see or hear anything for a couple minutes, Daryl nodded to Rick and pointed at first himself and then Ana before jerking his head in the opposite side of the door than that of the one Rick was standing in. Rick nodded in response before looking back at Kyle, who stood behind him, and gesturing with a nod of his head for Kyle to follow him instead of Daryl and Ana.

Kyle gave a silent nod and the group split in two, Daryl and Ana sweeping one half while Rick and Kyle checked the other.

"All clear!" Rick shouted.

"We're good!" Daryl hollered back.

"All right! Let's load everything we can up!" Rick instructed.

They all made their way to the front of the store again to grab a cart and head down the aisles. Rick heard the others filling their carts even as his eyes skimmed over the contents on the shelf of the aisle he was currently walking down.

A smile stretched across his face when he saw the baby food section. He started stocking up on formula and baby food. Judith was coming up on 5 months now and she'd be able to eat baby food out of the jar soon. He cleaned the shelf, taking all of the baby food that remained, stacking the jars 3 high in the front of his cart before he started grabbing the big cans of formula and setting them into the cart. Once he'd stocked up, he headed down the next aisle and started filling the cart with canned goods, anything he thought the group would eat. He was surprised that the store hadn't been raided yet.

Once he'd completely filled his cart, he pushed it to the front of the store and waited for the others. Kyle was the first one to show, pushing his cart up beside Rick. Rick looked into the teenager's cart and laughed. It was piled high with junk food.

"That what they teach you college football players ta eat?" Rick teased lightly.

Kyle chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, stating, "Heard you pilin' the canned goods into yours so I figured I'd be the group favorite and bring home the REAL loot."

Rick laughed some more, shaking his head, and Kyle joined him.

Ana and Daryl pushed their carts up beside them just a few minutes later and Rick assessed what they'd both packed. Daryl had loaded his cart with various canned goods and a couple cases of soda on the bottom of his cart. Ana had loaded up on cases of bottled drinks – water, Gatorade, and fruit juice. She'd even stuffed a case of Mike's Hard Lemonade and a case of Coors into the cart, making Rick smirk and shake his head. He knew the boys would be happy to discover that.

Rick nodded to both of them and they all pushed their carts out of the store and out to the car. They carefully arranged the cases of drinks, stacking them and limiting them to just one corner so as not to take up too much room in the trunk. Then they put the canned goods into the boxes they'd been lucky enough to find back at the prison. Once those were filled and stacked, they pushed them back to the back of the trunk beside the drinks. Then the formula went in, followed by a box of jars full of baby food. Finally, all the munchies went into the other corner of the trunk, leaving half of the trunk empty.

Rick didn't miss the pout on Kyle's face as the 18 year old joked, "Man! And here I thought I was gonna be the group favorite. Ya just HAD ta go and find the booze, didn't ya, Ana?"

They all laughed at that and Ana replied, "Well, I don't drink beer, so all you boys can have at that shit. But I get at least a bottle or two of the Mike's."

"You can keep it," Daryl commented, "That shit's for pussies."

Ana's brows rose and she asked, "EXCUSE me? You wanna repeat that?"

Daryl just laughed and smirked, shaking his head as he retorted, "NOPE. Ya heard me."

"Yeah well… I got you your beer so I can have mine, Dixon. Mine's just mixed with lemonade so it's sweeter and it tastes better," she bantered playfully.

Rick chuckled and said, "All right. Let's head over ta the pharmacy. Then we'll hit the hardware store."

They nodded and crossed the street, looking both ways and making sure that the coast was still clear.

Once they'd made sure the pharmacy was clear, they were each assigned a certain item to look for. Daryl was to grab the painkillers and medical supplies to make homemade first aid kits. Kyle was to pick out the condoms for Maggie and Glenn and Steph and Liam and any first aid kits he could find. Rick was going to look for any kind of medication for colds, flus, or sore throats. And Ana was supposed to stock up on feminine products and meds for that "oh so lovely time of the month" for all the women.

They all filled up a few bags worth of their supplies and carried them over to the car to load them up into the trunk. Then it was onto the hardware store, where they found whatever supplies it was that the men needed to keep the prison a safe haven for them.

They all breathed a sigh of relief as they loaded up into the Hyundai and headed down the road. They'd managed to make it out of the first town completely unscathed. Hell they hadn't even run into ONE damn walker!

-=Carl=-

Carl ran through the tombs, one hand gently guiding Beth ahead of him, his other firmly gripping the gun his father had given him. Hershel hopped along behind them on his crutches, Maggie to one side of him and Glenn on the other.

They'd been checking every possible exit from the cell block but they were all shut and locked, just like Rick and Carl had always kept them.

"All right. Well all of these are closed and locked," Glenn commented, "Let's just… Let's just head back to the main cells and wait for the others there."

They turned and started back in that direction. But they were ambushed at the first corner they rounded, a group of snarling, shuffling, rotting dead heading their way.

"Can't catch a break, can we?" Glenn sighed in disappointment, clearly discouraged.

"How many are there?" Carl asked the Glenn.

"I don't know. I can't tell," Glenn answered, tilting his head to first one side and then the other as he tried to see around the front of the line of walkers.

"Glenn, what are we gonna do?" Maggie asked frantically, eyeing the approaching walkers.

"We're gonna make a distraction," Glenn said, turning her to face him and looking down into her eyes, "We're gonna make a distraction so that they can run and hide, just like Liam and Bella and Steph did for us. We're gonna give them a fighting chance."

"Glenn, no!" Maggie cried, "Beth… I can't leave her! If she or daddy get hurt –,"

"Maggie," Glenn said, his grip on her tightening a bit, "We HAVE to. This is the BEST shot they have at gettin' outta this alive."

Carl saw her eyes fill with tears before he stole another glance at the walkers.

"Maggie," Glenn prompted.

"But…" she protested weakly.

"Uh… Guys," Carl hinted, stealing another glance over at the walkers again.

"Maggie!" Glenn insisted.

She finally nodded, choking on a sob.

Glenn looked at Carl and nodded in the direction he wanted him to run.

"Find a sturdy cell and lock the door. Take Hershel and Beth and Judith and RUN. We'll come find you. Wait ta come out 'til we call for you," Glenn ordered.

Carl nodded and Beth looked at Maggie, whimpering and crying as she begged, "Maggie… Maggie, don't do this!"

"Go," Maggie said, her voice breaking.

"Maggie –," Beth tried again.

"Go!" Maggie demanded before her eyes met Hershel's and then Carl's.

Carl nodded and pushed Beth gently in the direction they had to run in. She cried but started to run, Hershel hobbling to keep up with them as they hurried back down the halls. Carl heard Maggie and Glenn shouting at the walkers to distract them, drawing them away from Carl, Hershel, Beth, and Judith.

But Carl knew that some of the walkers would follow anyway. And Hershel was starting to grow slower, huffing and puffing as he tried his best to keep up. Carl didn't want to admit it, and he CERTAINLY didn't want to tell Beth, but the old man wasn't going to make it. Sooner or later, the walkers would catch up to them. And Hershel wasn't going to make it out alive.

And, just when they made it to the part of the cell block that Daryl had called the "Isolation Row", the hall that had thick, sturdy doors on each of the cells, Hershel stopped, looking back behind him. He closed his eyes for a few seconds before looking at Carl and nodding. He knew what he had to do, and so did Carl. He was giving Carl permission, silently asking him to protect Beth and Judith and keep them safe.

Carl heard the walkers approaching, knew they weren't too far behind now, and Beth's pale green eyes filled with panic as she looked at Hershel, crying, "Daddy, no! What are you doing?! Come on! We're SO close!"

"And so are they," Hershel stated, gesturing with a nod of his head towards the walkers even as he refused to move, "They're just around the corner, sweetheart. I'm tired. I can't go on. But YOU can. We all have a job ta do. You know that and I know that. We all have a purpose. Yours is to keep Judith safe. Carl's is to keep YOU safe. And mine is to HELP you to keep you ALL safe. I'd rather it be me than you, Beth. I love you. I've ALWAYS loved you. And I WILL always love you. Tell Maggie I love her. And take care of her for me."

"Daddy, no!" she sobbed, tears spilling down her cheeks, "No, don't do this! You don't hafta do this!"

"Yes, pumpkin. I do," he informed her, "Now you go. You have a job ta do. Don't let my death be in vain."

The walkers rounded the corner and started shuffling faster upon seeing their small group.

"Daddy!" Beth nearly shrieked, seeing the walkers coming closer.

"Beth," Carl prompted, gently tugging on her arm.

"Listen to him, sweetheart," Hershel told her, "Go. You have to. You have a job ta do, just like I do."

Beth choked on a sob and Carl nodded to the old man as he turned and pushed Beth towards the end of the hall. He hurried her along as Hershel called after them.

"Tell Rick to lead with his heart, not his head! Tell Daryl he's a good man! Tell Glenn he'll make a good husband for my Maggie! And tell Ana, if anyone could ever love Daryl, it's her!" Carl heard the old man call after them as he pulled open the door at the end of the hall and ushered Beth inside.

"Carl, no," Beth started to protest, peeking over his shoulder and trying to call out to her father.

"Daddy, we're close! See! Come on!" Beth pleaded one last time.

"I'm sorry, sunshine," Hershel replied, "Eyes as pale as diamonds, skin as white as snow, hair as golden as the angels', smile as bright as the sun's rays. You'll always be my sunshine."

Carl gently guided Beth further into the cell before closing the door behind them and sliding the heavy, sturdy bolt across the door to secure it. Beth sunk to the floor as the sobs started to rack her body. Her head lolled from side to side.

"No, no, no…" she whimpered, "No, no, no…"

Carl heard Hershel's scream rip through the halls and Beth screamed, bawling harder. Judith was quick to pick up on her distress and she joined right in, wailing and fussing loudly.

Carl covered Beth's ears as her father continued to scream from just down the hall, easing her head onto his chest and murmuring softly, "Shh… Shh… It's okay… It's gonna be okay… We're safe now… Nothing can get us in here…"

Carl continued to murmur to her as Hershel screamed until he finally went silent. Beth cried until she didn't have any tears left and her sobs were reduced to tiny hiccups, her chest still heaving as she struggled to regulate her breathing. Carl looked down to find his baby sister cradled snugly in Beth's arms. This is why he was here, why he was in this cell. He was supposed to protect Beth and Judith. And he'd do that, just like he'd promised his father. Just like he'd promised Liam and Maggie and Hershel. They all had a job to do. And this was his.

~*Ana*~

Rick pulled the Hyundai up in front of the police station in the town she and Bella had passed through before making their way to the prison.

"You said there was still plenty of stuff in there when you girls left?" Rick questioned.

Ana just nodded, looking at the building, "Yeah. We couldn't take a whole lot since we already had other things in our saddle bags. There was PLENTY left in there."

Rick nodded to her and said, "All right then. We'll hit this place up first. We could use all the weapons and ammunition we can find. Never know when we're gonna need it."

Daryl and Ana both nodded before everyone climbed out of the car. Daryl waited at the front of the car for her and she smiled over at him, reaching out to sift her fingers through his and give his hand a quick, reassuring squeeze before letting it go again. He looked down at her and gave her a tiny smile. Rick and Kyle headed into the building while Daryl and Ana stole a glance in both directions, finding that the road was clear.

Ana smiled up at Daryl again as he squinted in the sun as he looked down at her. She pointed to her lips and he rolled his eyes but leaned down to give her a quick peck on the lips.

"Don't you roll those eyes at me, mister," she scolded playfully, "Ya know ya love it."

He gave a little "Pfft!" noise and shook his head at her.

"Love you," she whispered.

He nodded to her and she stuck her tongue out and crossed her eyes at him before reaching out for the door handle and tugging on it. Daryl followed her closely and they went on ahead of Rick and Kyle to scope out the rest of the station, finding that there were just a couple walkers caged up in the only two cells the station had. So there was no sense in wasting bullets or arrows on them.

"We're good!" Daryl hollered to Rick and Kyle, "Just a couple caged up walkers in the cells!"

Rick came in to see what he was talking about and Kyle actually laughed.

Ana just shook her head and pointed at one of the walkers, joking, "Bet that one got busted for a WWI."

"What's that?" Kyle questioned.

"I've NEVER heard of that abbreviation before," Rick commented.

"Walking While Infected," Ana teased,

The guys all laughed at that and she continued, "And ya know what the other one got booked for?"

"What's that?" Daryl inquired, jumping into the conversation.

"Public indecency. Jesus! Can't you see he's naked?" Ana asked, indicating the walker's lack of clothing.

Again, the men all laughed, shaking their heads at her jokes.

"All right. Let's get the gear and get outta here," Rick said.

"Yeah before Stinky and Ugly over there figure out a way ta get out," Kyle chimed in.

Ana giggled and Kyle made a face at the closest walker as they walked back out of the holding area, slipping his index fingers into his mouth and stretching it wide even as he stuck out his tongue and crossed his eyes. The walker growled and stretched both long arms out in attempts to reach him through the bars.

"SO long, SUCKERS!" Kyle exclaimed as they headed to the armory there in the police station.

Once there, Rick showed them where to find the gun bags before he handed one to Kyle, instructing, "Fill it with ammo, as many cases as you can fit into it. It doesn't matter what kind. Try to get a little of everything you see."

Kyle nodded and accepted the bag, going right over to start pulling cabinets open and cramming boxes of ammunition into the bag.

"Daryl, Ana, you two fill this one with handguns and any knives you can find. There ought to be plenty here. I doubt they'd have any arrows but we'll just hafta see. Check all the cabinets. I'm gonna stock up on the big guns," Rick stated.

They both nodded and Daryl took the bag from him. Daryl carried it over to set it on the counter and they both started opening cabinets. Much to Ana's surprise, it looked like no one else had passed through and raided the building.

"We found the knives in here," Ana told Daryl, gesturing to the cabinet she'd just opened and letting him have a good look, "I don't know about you, but I know I want a couple of those hunting knives."

She grabbed up a few of the sheaths and eased the knives out, inspecting them before smiling to herself and waggling her brows at Daryl. He chuckled at her and nodded. She put them into the bag and kicked one of the cabinets with the heel of her boot.

"What the fuck was that for?" Daryl questioned even as the cabinet popped open.

"It's a tricky one. It won't open if ya don't show it some tough love," she informed him, "Take a look inside. I think you'll like what ya find in there. I can go through these knives. I know what you're into and I think I know what the group could use more of."

He heaved a great big sigh and she knew that part of it was because she was telling him what to do and part of it was because he just wanted to razz her a bit. But she giggled and grinned from ear to ear as she heard him curse.

"FUCK me!" he cried as he looked inside the cabinet.

Rick and Kyle were quick to look over at them and Ana held her hands up in innocence, stating, "I didn't do it! I just pointed him to the 'Daryl Dixon jackpot' cabinet."

Both men wrinkled their brows in confusion and Daryl eased a crossbow out of the cabinet, running his other hand over the smooth side of it. He grinned from ear to ear as he stole a glance around the room at the others.

Rick just laughed and shook his head and Kyle teased, "Leave it ta the redneck."

"That's MR. Redneck ta you, punk," Daryl joked, pointing a finger over at him.

"There should be a second one in there," Ana said, "And 3 quivers full of arrows. I know ya could use more."

Daryl's blue-gray eyes widened and he was quick to peek back into the cabinet, crying, "SOME-bitch! Ya weren't kiddin'!"

She just laughed and shook her head, retorting, "Of COURSE I wasn't kiddin'. Jesus, Daryl! Ya think I'd lie to ya about a crossbow and arrows?"

"You'd better not," he told her, stealing a quick glance back at her over his broad shoulder.

"Come on. Quit your droolin' and help me pack this shit. You can play with your big boy toys later when we get back ta the prison," she reminded him.

"I'LL show ya big boy toys," he growled in mock anger as he stood up and started packing the quivers and crossbows into the gun bag.

"Hey now!" Kyle cried, "No HANKY panky, children!"

"Shut up!" they both scolded in unison before looking at each other and bursting out in laughter.

Rick just shook his head at all three of them and continued to fill his bag.

"Come on, Daryl. Handguns," Ana prompted, "Lots and LOTS of handguns."

Once the group finished carting everything out to the SUV to pack it into the trunk, they headed to the local department store.

They scoped the place out, easily taking down the five walkers they came across. Then they split up and filled up a cart full of items. Daryl was assigned to find clothes for the men and Ana volunteered to search for clothes for the women. Rick was looking for baby clothes while Kyle was supposed to stock up on sturdy shoes, socks, and jackets for the group – going by the sizes on the list Rick had been given by the group.

Daryl was the first to finish loading up on his portion of the supplies and Ana heard him call out to her, "Ana! Where ya at?"

"Over here!" she answered as she sifted through one of the racks in the Intimates section of the store.

Daryl rounded the corner with his cart and found her holding up a bra with ample-sized cups and was quick to look away.

"Ya could've fuckin' told me ya were lookin' at… lady shit," he huffed, turning his back to her.

"Well you KNEW I was assigned ta find clothes for the women. And bras and underwear are the FIRST things ta wear out when it comes to women's clothing," she pointed out.

"If you were like us guys, ya COULD just go without," Daryl retorted.

"Well, I don't think Carol or Maggie or Beth or even Steph would be big fans of going commando, Daryl. While I don't mind, I don't think they'd like it very much," she replied, "And I don't do thongs like Andrea. That's fuckin' butt floss if ya ask me. Nothin' like the good ol' never-ending wedgie. No matter how many times ya try ta pick the damn thing outta your ass, it just keeps hikin' right back up your crack again. It's god-awful, it's annoying as fuck, and, quite frankly, it just pisses me the fuck off."

Daryl wrinkled his face up as he cast her a glance over his shoulder.

"Don't sound comfortable at all. Why the fuck women wear 'em anyway?" he questioned.

"One word, Dixon: MEN," she answered.

"Wait a minute…" he pondered aloud, "You go commando?"

She laughed. Apparently that little detail had just caught up to him.

"Sometimes," she told him.

He shook his head hard and Ana bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing again.

"Well fuck. They just don't have very many in the size I need," she stated with a pout, "And no. We're NOT goin' without a bra so don't even THINK about suggestin' it."

He sighed and finally turned around to face her.

"What size ya need?" he inquired, "I might as well make myself useful since I finished my part of the shoppin'."

"36DD," she said.

"36… JESUS!" he cried, "Who the FUCK are those for?"

"Me," she answered as if it was quite obvious.

His brows hiked clear up his forehead and he slowly shook his head.

"You could look for underwear for the ladies if you'd rather do that," Ana pointed out, "I haven't gotten to that part of the list yet."

"Okay! Okay," Daryl stated, "Just uh… Just tell me where ta look for the size. You picky about the color?"

"Fuck no," she told him, "But they need to have the underwire in them for support. And NO push-up bras. Push-up bras might be nice for girls with small tits but they don't push me UP. They push me OUT of the damn bra. And that defeats the whole purpose of wearin' a bra in the FIRST place."

He scrunched up his face and she giggled.

"Here. Come 'ere," Ana instructed.

He sighed but walked over to stand beside her. He knelt down and she pulled a tiny hanger with a huge bra off the rack to show him.

"Now, you look HERE for the size, okay? The number is for the width of the waist, the letter is the cup-size of the bra. You feel HERE along the bottom of the cups to see if there's an underwire for support," she explained, taking one of his hands and guiding it to where her other hand was.

She coaxed him into tightening his grip a little on the bra, asking, "Feel that?"

He nodded.

"That's a bra that's got the wire in it. It'll be soft there if there isn't one in there. I need the wire in there to support my boobs or they'll look like orangutan titties. We don't want saggy and baggy. We want proper support."

Daryl nodded and she noticed that his eyes had roamed to her chest. He swallowed hard before bringing his eyes back down to their hands.

"Now, you feel HERE, in the bottoms of the cups, to see if there's extra material in the bra – like in push-up bras," she commented, moving his fingers and showing him how to squeeze the cups to see if there was any extra material, "This one has extra material. The cups feel fuller. And that's the point. They fill up the cups to give women even MORE of a lift and show off more of their cleavage – that's the whole POINT of the push-up bra. It's why they were invented for women with small tits. Other than that, if you have any questions, you can come ask me. I'll be over there lookin' through the panties."

He nodded and repeated, "No push-up and there has to be an underwire. You need 36DDs. The number is for the waist and the letter is for the cup-size. If I have a question, you'll be over there. I got it."

Ana nodded and praised, "Yes you do. Now, I'm gonna go check for some panties for the ladies while you look for bras for me."

Ana left him to browse through the bras. She'd already grabbed t-shirts, tank tops, long-sleeved shirts, sweaters, hoodies, and plenty of jeans for the women. She'd found bras for the other women too. And, with Daryl helping her by looking for bras for her, she could go check out the underwear selection they had in stock.

She started sifting through them and scrunched up her face. She picked out several plain colored or flower-printed briefs for Carol. She settled for bright-colored, bikini-cut underwear for Maggie and Beth, figuring that they would probably swap some of their clothes anyway. She grabbed darker colored thongs for Andrea. She snagged some briefs with neat patterns on them for Bella. She decided on lacy boy shorts and bikini-cut underwear of various colors for Steph. And she'd JUST started picking through another pile, looking for underwear for HERSELF, when she heard Daryl clear his throat from behind her.

She glanced over her shoulder to find him standing there, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and looking quite uncomfortable. She turned to the side to halfway face him and found that he was holding a couple handfuls of bras for her.

She offered him a bright smile and reached out to take them, sifting through the selections he'd made. She grinned from ear to ear.

"These are really pretty, Daryl," she reassured him, "Thanks. I really appreciate your help. I think YOU have better luck findin' cute bras than I do."

He just gave a single snort of laughter and looked down at his boots.

She tossed the bras into the cart and turned to start picking through the panties again.

"Who ya lookin' for?" he inquired curiously, peeking over her shoulder.

"Me," she answered, "I already found some for the others."

"Puttin' everyone else before you," he commented, shaking his head.

"Don't I always?" was her response.

He nodded and bit his bottom lip as he watched her hands as she grabbed a pair of panties out of the pile, lifted it to inspect it, and disregarded it before grabbing another.

"What kind ya like?" Daryl asked curiously, walking around to stand on the other side of the bin.

"Sometimes I like bright colored ones but I usually go for darker colors. I like red, blue, purple, green, black. I like the bikini cut ones, like these. Or the boy shorts, like these," she explained to him, holding up an example of both, "Lace is nice. Silk gets annoying. I like cotton though, as long as it's not some shitty pattern."

"If you've got shit stains in your underwear, we've got problems," he joked.

She rolled her eyes at that but laughed, informing him, "Nope. Actually, right now, I'm not wearin' any. These are tighter jeans so I didn't bother wearin' any today."

She could've sworn he nearly wheezed and his steely-colored eyes grew so wide.

"Ooo! I LIKE these," Ana exclaimed, lifting a pair of underwear out of the pile to get a closer look at them.

They were a royal blue pair made out of cotton with lace trim around the legs. They were boy shorts and they were just short enough that they would've left about half of her ass to hang out of the bottoms.

"They're um… They're a little short, ain't they?" Daryl questioned.

She nodded and stated, "That's the point."

His brows wrinkled and he asked, "What's the point in gettin' underwear your ass is gonna hang out of?"

She just laughed and shook her head, commenting, "You'll thank me later. You like the color or not?"

"What's it matter? You're gonna be the one wearin' 'em, not me," he pointed out.

"You ever wanna see me in 'em?" she inquired, getting right down to the point.

His eyes grew real wide and he looked from her to the panties and back again.

Finally, he nodded and she tossed them into the cart. She grabbed a blood red colored pair of panties that were bikini cut and were solid lace, tossing them into the cart. She fished out a pair of emerald colored boy shorts that were sheer lace, long enough to cover her ass this time but thin enough to be see-through. She grinned wolfishly and held them up for Daryl to see. His eyes nearly popped right out of their sockets.

"I'll take that as a yes," she stated.

She found a pair of black boy shorts that were covered in frills and pitched them into the cart as well.

Five minutes later, and she announced, "All right. Now to the smellies."

"What?" he asked.

"You know, the perfume," she said.

"Ya don't need any fuckin' perfume," he pointed out.

"You ever bury your face into a sweaty woman's neck? Ya think that shit smells good?" she questioned.

"It's the fuckin' zombie apocalypse. EVERYONE'S sweaty. Ya don't need any fuckin' 'smellies'," he countered.

"That's what YOU think. But I bet ALL the women will be glad to have 'em," she insisted, heading towards the perfume section.

She eased her lock-pick out of her pocket, thankful that she'd brought it with her that day, and let her eyes roam over the glass case the perfume was locked behind.

"Ooo! Come ta momma…" she purred, her hazel eyes fixing on a bottle of Halle Berry's Pure Orchid.

As she picked the lock, she was quick to announce to the bottles, "I'll take you and you and you and you. Oh! And you too. Yes! And you."

She heard Daryl give a single snort of laughter and she turned around to start handing him bottles, instructing, "Set them onto the pile of panties as CAREFULLY as you can. They break and everything will reek to high heaven."

"The ladies are gonna love ya. You're spoilin' 'em all," Daryl commented.

"Good. They deserve it. They do all the cookin' and cleanin'. And don't you forget it," she reminded him, pointing at him.

"You about done there?" she heard Rick's voice ask from somewhere behind her.

"Just ONE more bottle that's comin' home with me," she informed him, reaching out for a bottle of Britney Spears' Fantasy perfume.

She heard something smack against the glass just as she grabbed the bottle and her eyes met the other side of the glass case to find a walker staring her in the eyes, its mouth working up and down as it tried to eat her through the glass. She gave a little cry of surprise and fell backwards onto the floor, landing on her ass with the bottle of perfume clutched in her hand.

"I got it," Kyle stated, pulling his piece from the back of his waistband and leaning over the counter a bit to point it at the walker's head.

He squeezed the trigger and the walker slumped against the glass, its blood, brains, and skull sliding with an audible SQUEEEEAL against the glass case as it fell lifeless to the floor.

"Thanks," Ana said, stealing a glance up at him.

"You're welcome," Kyle replied, giving her a cocky little smirk, "Savin' damsels in distress is kinda my thing."

"She ain't no fuckin' damsel," Daryl growled, glaring at him, "She can take care of herself."

"I can see that," Kyle teased, gesturing to Ana as she pushed herself up off the hard floor and rubbed at her slightly-sore ass.

"Good thing I've got plenty of cushion I guess," she joked, giving a little laugh.

"I can see that too," Kyle razzed.

Ana heard Daryl give an angry snarl and, the next thing she knew, he had Kyle pinned against the glass case that she'd left open, his muscular arm pressing into Kyle's throat as he glared down at him with those steely-colored eyes as hard as ice.

"You'd best keep your fuckin' eyes ta yourself, college boy! She's MINE!" Daryl snapped in his face, his eyes narrowed in rage even as the vein at his temple and the one in his neck stood out in his anger.

"Daryl," Rick warned.

Daryl pressed Kyle further into the glass with his arm over Kyle's throat, cutting off his air, and Kyle started to cough, reaching up to try to pry Daryl's arm off of his neck. Ana knew she had to act fast.

She brought her hand down and slowly slid her fingers through Daryl's, gently twining their fingers together and giving a light little tug at his hand.

"Daryl, leave it," she said, her voice soft and quiet, "If he didn't know we were a thing before, now he does. And I don't have any interest in him like that. YOU'RE the only man I want. So let it be. Come on. Let's go get all this shit out ta the car. We've still gotta stop at the gas station before we can head outta town and make it to our last stop."

Daryl gave one last snarl at Kyle and leaned down closer to his face, sneering, "I EVER see you checkin' her out again or hear you makin' some comment about her body, you'll be spittin' up teeth. Ya got me, college boy?"

Kyle nodded and wheezed, "I got ya, man. I got ya. No harm meant."

Daryl backed off and went to go stand next to Ana, watching Kyle's every move like a hawk. Ana wrapped her arms around Daryl in a tight hug and he rested his chin on top of her head, bringing his arms up to wrap them loosely around her waist. But his eyes never left Kyle as he pushed himself off the glass and started back over to his cart.

Rick looked over to Ana and nodded to her, silently thanking her for quickly and easily diffusing the situation before it had a chance to escalate. She just nodded back, letting her eyes drift closed for a couple seconds before she pressed a kiss to Daryl's firm chest and took a step back, smiling up at him.

"You okay now, Rambo?" she teased lightly.

He just nodded and she turned to her cart, starting to push it for the exit.

"All right, boys… Let's get the hell outta here," she told them.

After they'd loaded their latest haul into the SUV, stacking the clothes on top of the groceries and other items they'd already packed, they drove down to the gas station, where they filled jugs full of gas and filled the Hyundai's tank up to the "full" mark. They headed into the gas station and grabbed more munchies and drinks before loading up and heading out. Now they just had one more town to hit, the one that Kyle had stopped in.

-=Liam=-

Liam led Steph and Bella through the tombs. They'd already checked all the exits from the cell block, discovering that it had to have been Andrea that had escaped since she was the only one of the group members that was unaccounted for. She'd left one of the doors that led into cell block C wide open and Liam had made sure to close it and jimmy it shut. Since he'd been a prison guard before all of this shit had gone down and the world had been infected by psychotic, rotting, flesh-eating cannibals, he'd learned a few tricks of the trade. He'd need to get the keys from Carl and lock it up tight once he and the women found Carl and the others. But, for now, it was at least temporarily closed and locked.

The three of them made their way through the halls, taking out any walkers that they ran into along the way. They'd already secured the outside and Bella had made sure that the horses were still alive. Liam knew that Ana would've flipped a lid if she'd found them dead after all the time and effort she'd put into taking care of them since she and Bella had arrived there at the prison. Now that they'd gotten the front gate locked up and the prison grounds secured, they had to lock down the cell block and clean it out, make sure that there weren't any walkers still shuffling about that could potentially attack any of the group members. Liam wanted this place safe and secure by the time Rick and the others got back.

They heard a gunshot ring out, echoing throughout the tombs, and Liam's head snapped up. He started sprinting in that direction, motioning for the women to follow him closely and keep as quiet as possible. He rounded the corner and came to a screeching halt, the breath whooshing right out of him at the sight that greeted his eyes. He hung his head and gave a single nod, his eyes closing momentarily before he opened them and looked up again.

There, lying in the middle of the hall, was what was left of Hershel, blood and skin smeared all over the floor. Body parts that had been gnawed on and what was left of his vital organs were scattered around his torn torso. Maggie cradled her father's head in her blood-soaked hands, rocking back and forth as she sobbed, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"No… No-ho-ho!" she cried, burying her face into his chest.

Liam's steel-colored eyes met Glenn's dark ones.

"I had to…" Glenn muttered quietly, "He was already gone…"

Liam nodded. Judging by all the blood he'd lost and the way he'd been torn apart, there was no way they could've found him alive. And, without his legs and only one arm remaining intact, he couldn't have flipped himself over or crawled. He would've just been a flailing, snarling, stationary rotting piece of flesh.

"Where are Beth and Carl? Where's Judith?" Liam asked Glenn.

"We had ta draw the walkers away from them and Hershel, give 'em a fighting chance. We drew 'em clear to the other side of the tombs," Glenn stated, jerking his head in the opposite side of the tombs from the side that Liam, Steph, and Bella had covered.

"And you 'aven't seen 'em since?" Liam questioned.

The Asian shook his head and Liam looked down, heaving a sigh.

"BETH!" Maggie screamed, "BEEEEETH!"

"Shut up!" Bella was quick to scold her, hissing the words in a loud whisper, "Shut your fuckin' mouth! We don't know if there are any more walkers shufflin' around in the tombs!"

Liam looked to Glenn again and Glenn shook his head, telling them, "We haven't seen any more. We've killed all of them that we came across."

"We have too," Steph informed him.

Glenn reached down to slide his hands under Maggie's arms, gently tugging her up and onto her feet. He pulled her into his arms and tried to comfort her, murmuring to her softly as he ran one hand over her short, brown hair.

"BETH!" Maggie shouted.

Glenn winced as she yelled right next to his ear.

"I said shut UP!" Bella told her before looking over to Glenn and snarling, "Shut your fuckin' girlfriend up before she gets us all killed!"

There was a very distinct groan and they heard something scrape over the ground. They all froze, their heads snapping around to watch in horror as one of the cell doors in the isolation wing slowly swung open. They held their breath, weapons at the ready, pointed in the direction of the door. They heard footsteps and waited to see what would come out of the cell.

Maggie gasped and each set of eyes grew wide as two figures emerged from the cell, slowly making their way towards the group.

-=Daryl=-

Daryl heard footsteps approaching him from behind and stole a glance back over his shoulder to see Ana coming up towards him. She offered him a little smile and the corner of his mouth twitched upwards as he fought back a smile himself.

She reached down, filling one of her tiny hands with his ass and giving him a firm squeeze. He rocked forward on the balls of his feet, not having expected it, and gave a little grunt of surprise. He cast her a little glare, narrowing his steel-colored eyes at her.

She just giggled and told him, "Sorry. I just couldn't help myself. Your ass is still non-existent I see. Ya never did have an ass."

"Oh comin' from miss 'ghetto butt'?" he razzed.

She frowned and said, "Don't call me that."

His tiny little smile fell from his face. Her mother used to call her that. She'd never been too opposed to it before. Sure, it hadn't been her favorite nickname but she'd never seemed real offended by it.

"Sorry," he muttered, looking down at the ground.

"'S all right," she murmured, "I just don't like ta think about her… about all the problems she caused for Bella and me… But, for the record, I've NEVER heard a man voice any complaints about my ass."

He didn't make a comment. But he wasn't going to complain about her ass either. It was the finest one he'd ever seen, always had been. She had a grade A ass, an "onion ass" as Merle would've called it –one that was SO damn fine, it'd make a man cry. Merle had once commented that her ass was "one the men hated to see go but loved to watch leave" when she and Daryl were sophomores, before she'd had to leave, and Daryl had wanted to knock his fucking teeth down his throat for ever having even looked at her ass in the first place. But he could understand why none of the men complained about her ass. It was ample and well-rounded, big enough to fill his long, thick fingers and his big palms and still spill between his fingers a bit.

She giggled and his eyes met hers.

"I saw that," Ana informed him.

"Saw what?" he asked, lifting one hand to nibble at the skin just to the side of his thumbnail.

"You were gawkin', Dixon," she teased playfully, "Ya get yourself a nice, long look?"

He felt his cheeks heating and she cocked her head to one side before laughing.

"Oh my God!" she cried quietly, "Are you… BLUSHING?"

"Shut up!" he snapped.

She smirked up at him and leaned up to purr into his ear, "And ta think I'm not wearin' any underwear."

Daryl swallowed hard. Shit! He'd been trying to forget about that. He'd been keeping himself busy as they'd raided the town Kyle had passed through. They were at the last store and he hadn't thought about it since they'd left the department store in the last town they'd raided.

Okay. That was a lie. He'd thought about it EACH and every time he'd seen her bend over to pick something up and the denim of her already-tight jeans tightened over her ass even more. Or reach up to grab something from a taller shelf and her shirt rode up a bit to show him more of her ass in those jeans. Or walk ahead of him as they made their way around the buildings since she had this walk that was all her own, her ass rolling from side to side and up and down as it made a U-shaped motion that was unlike any other woman's movement he'd ever seen. And, each time he saw her ass, he remembered how she'd told him that she wasn't wearing any panties. Hell he hadn't been able to STOP thinking about it. And her reminding him CERTAINLY wasn't helping him to forget it. Just like it wasn't helping him keep his testosterone at bay.

"If you're a good boy, I'll pull one of those pairs of panties I picked out at the department store today on before I crawl into bed with ya tonight," she murmured, pressing her body into his side.

His hands balled into fists, one around the strap of his crossbow as it rested over his shoulder and the other gripping the handle of the cart tighter, and he struggled to get air into his lungs. He could feel her tits pressing up against his arm, feel the cotton of her shirt and the lace underneath it of her bra. He knew now how big her breasts had to be to fill those cups. He swallowed hard and refused to make eye contact with her.

"And if you're BAD…" she continued, "Well… maybe I won't wear ANYTHING under my top tonight…"

"Stop," he told her, his voice quiet.

He hated how weak it sounded. Apparently she picked up on that too because she continued to speak.

"Ya know I have this little tattoo on my left hip. It's a –," she started to say.

"STOP," he repeated, louder and firmer this time as his voice grew even deeper.

Her little smirk faded and she backed away from him, nodding and looking in the other direction. She put some distance between them and he could've kicked himself, instantly missing her warmth, her husky voice purring into his ear and the way her warm breath had felt at his ear as she'd teased him.

Hell she hadn't been this fucking bold since she'd confessed her feelings for him out at the lake! Scratch that. She'd NEVER been so bold towards him in her life! Not when it came to sexual stuff at least.

"Sorry…" she apologized, so quiet it was just barely above a whisper.

Now he felt like an ass. She thought he was mad at her, that he didn't want her. And, damn it, that wasn't it at all!

"Ana –," he began.

But Rick and Kyle came to join them.

"Ready ta go?" Rick asked.

"Yeah," Ana answered immediately, giving a sharp nod and starting for the door.

Daryl knew they wouldn't be having a discussion like that again. She'd never hit on him so boldly again after being shot down like that. He looked down at the floor and gave a long sigh.

Great! Now he'd gone and fucked up again. He just… He wasn't used to this shit. He wasn't used to women coming onto him. And this was ANA, not just any woman. He'd already hurt her enough and he didn't want to cause her any more pain. It wasn't really that he wasn't okay with her flirting with him. But the things she'd said, the way she'd pressed her body up against his side and purred those dirty phrases into his ear… Well they'd gotten to him. And the LAST fucking thing he wanted was to ride back to the prison with a raging hard-on.

Hell it wasn't even like she'd been giving him a play by play of what she wanted to do with him or anything like that. What she'd told him had been fairly mild in terms of flirting. But she'd been bold. And it had been enough to get his attention and send his testosterone raging.

But, right now, he had other things to worry about.

The group loaded up the Hyundai and they were just getting ready to climb in when Daryl detected movement out of the corner of his eye.

"You see that?" he heard Ana ask from the other side of the SUV.

"Yeah. I do," he answered.

All four of them made their way towards the front of the vehicle, forming a little line. Ana stood beside Daryl and Rick stood on his other side, Kyle choosing to place Rick between himself and Daryl since Daryl had had his eyes on the punk ever since the comment he'd made about Ana's ass back at the department store, stubbornly refusing to let him get anywhere near her.

"They dead?" Kyle questioned.

Daryl lifted a hand above his eyes to block out the sun and squinted a little to try to see further ahead of him.

"Don't think so," Daryl commented, "Looks like they're walkin' too fuckin' straight ta be walkers. Movin' too fast too."

"They're humans," Ana added, stepping closer to Daryl and wrapping her arm loosely around his waist.

He draped an arm around her shoulders and eased her into his side as he watched the approaching figures.

They waited for the figures to draw closer as they headed down the main street that led through the town. Once the people got a bit closer, Daryl could make out that it was a man and a woman. She was black and he was white.

Daryl's eyes narrowed as his eyes roamed over the man. He looked AWFUL familiar. That graying scruff on his face and the matching mop of hair on his head reminded him of someone. Those light-colored, piercing eyes were unforgettable. Those harsh, rugged features only belonged to one man. That broad, muscular frame and the way the man carried himself, the way he walked… Only ONE person moved like that…

"That's Merle…" Daryl thought aloud as his eyes grew wider and wider.

He heard Rick groan and Ana muttered a quiet "Fuck!" even as Kyle asked, "Who's Merle?"

"Daryl's older brother," Ana said as she shook her head and took a couple steps away from Daryl, crossing her arms over her ample chest.

"Merle?" Daryl called as he started towards the older Dixon son, his heart beating double-time in his chest, rattling against his ribs, "That you?"

"Daryl?" the other man asked him, picking up his pace a little, "Lil' brother?"

Daryl met him and threw his arms around him, pulling him in for a tight hug. The embrace didn't last long and the men turned back to the small group Daryl had gone out on the supply run with, Merle clapping him on the back.

"How the fuck ya get outta Atlanta?" Daryl inquired as he stole a glance over at his older brother.

"Well it wasn't easy. But I made it, no thanks ta your friend Rick there," Merle practically sneered, "If those cuffs hadn't been a cheaper pair and there hadn't been a saw right close, I wouldn't have been able ta get outta there alive, lil' brother."

Daryl didn't miss the way Ana's brows wrinkled in confusion and she stole a peek over at Rick, who just looked down at his boots.

"Glad ta see ya made it," Daryl said, stepping away from Merle, "Who ya got with ya?"

He gestured with his hand towards the black woman Merle had been walking with.

He was surprised as hell to see Merle standing there with a woman, let alone a BLACK woman. Merle wasn't exactly known for being kind to people of other races. If their skin wasn't white, Merle thought they were inferior. PERIOD. Hell Merle probably knew every racial slur in the book and he'd used ALL of them too.

"This here is Michonne," Merle told him, "My Nubian goddess."

"I'm not his ANYTHING," the woman stated, her face scrunching up in undeniable disgust at even the THOUGHT of being associated with Merle in ANY way.

Ana began to laugh and Daryl looked over at her. She was quick to cover it up with a cough though, bringing a hand up to her mouth.

"Sorry," she apologized, "Had somethin' in my throat."

Daryl saw the amused grin curl at Michonne's full lips. But Ana had gone and earned herself Merle's attention when she'd spoken up.

"WELL… Looks like you're not doin' too bad yourself, lil' brother. Who's that fine piece of pussy there?" Merle asked, stepping away from Daryl and starting over towards Ana.

Ana's face scrunched up into a grimace and she replied, "One, I'm NOT gonna tolerate bein' treated like a piece of fuckin' meat. Two, you'll NEVER get inside these pants. And THREE, you haven't changed a GODDAMN bit, Merle Dixon."

Merle's brows rose as he made a slow circle around the tiny brunette, his pale eyes roaming over every square inch of her. Daryl tensed as he stood back, every muscle in his body growing taut at his brother's obvious and thorough evaluation of Ana.

"Mmm mmm MMM…" Merle purred in approval, "That's a MIGHTY fine piece of ass right there, brother."

He gave a low whistle and Daryl's hands balled into fists at his sides upon hearing his brother talk about Ana like she was nothing but a piece of ass.

"Back off, Merle," Daryl said, his voice full of warning.

Merle looked at him, his brows hiking up his forehead, and he let his eyes rake over Ana again for a couple brief moments.

"She yours, lil' D?" Merle questioned.

"Yes," Daryl informed him even as Ana retorted with a firm, "YES."

"Weh-heh-hell…" Merle commented, pursing his lips, "Looks like you did mighty fine, lil' D. Mighty DAMN fine."

"Daryl, tell your brother ta take his eyes off my body before I permanently remove them from their sockets," Ana instructed.

"Merle!" Daryl hinted.

But Merle was too busy staring at Ana with his brows high up on his forehead.

"Boy you're a feisty one, ain't ya?" Merle taunted, "I like 'em feisty. They're always better under the sheets. You a little she devil in the sack, sweetheart?"

"Shut up, Merle," Daryl snapped.

"Fuck off," Ana scoffed, casting Merle a dirty glare before heading back towards her side of the Hyundai.

"Hey, if that's what you're into, darlin'. I'll even letcha watch," Merle called after her.

Michonne rolled her eyes and a quiet growl ripped its way out from between Daryl's lips.

"Got a mouth on her, lil' brother," Merle commented, shaking his head as he watched Ana walk away, "I could fix that for ya, ya know."

"Leave 'er be," Daryl snarled, narrowing his eyes at his older brother a little.

"She oughta be taught how ta respect a man 's all I'm sayin'," Merle said.

"Ana's JUST fine the way she is," Daryl stated, his voice full of finality.

NOW Merle turned around to face Daryl, cocking his head to one side a little as he questioned, "Ana? That the little bitch you used ta run around with as a kid?"

Daryl nodded and watched as his brother's brows rose clear up his forehead again.

Merle gave a low whistle before telling him, "DAMN, lil' brother. She sure grew up nice. Big tits, nice onion ass, full lips. Them are dick suckin' lips, ya know? Bet you've already tried 'em out too."

"Don't talk about her like that!" Daryl growled, taking a couple steps towards his brother.

"Whoa now. Hey, hey. Take it easy, Skippy," Merle said.

"I don't wanna hear you talkin' about her like that again," Daryl ground out of tightly clenched teeth as he pointed towards the car where Ana was now seated, "And I DON'T wanna see you eye fuckin' her like that again neither."

"What's got you so riled up, huh?" Merle taunted, his voice mocking Daryl, "You all worked up over a little piece of ass, brother?"

"Man, I will stomp your ASS!" Daryl shouted, starting towards his brother again, his temper flaring.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey! Easy now…" Rick said as he and Kyle stepped in between Daryl and his older brother, Rick placing a hand on Daryl's chest and Kyle placing a hand against Merle's.

Rick's eyes darted from Daryl to Merle and back again.

"Listen, Daryl…" Rick started, keeping his voice low even as he leaned in and murmured into Daryl's ear so that only Daryl could hear him, "I don't think it's such a good idea ta bring him back with us. He's got a short-temper. He doesn't get along well with the others. He doesn't play by the rules. I know he's your brother but I think you should really stop and think about this."

Daryl's eyes narrowed even further at Merle before he looked back at Rick and nodded.

"I know he doesn't. But he's my brother. We can work somethin' out," Daryl finally said, feeling his body relax as more time passed, "He'll figure out a way ta fit in again."

"He never fit in ta begin with, Daryl," Rick pointed out.

"I can't just leave him here, Rick. Hell I didn't even know he was alive… We'll figure somethin' out. I'll talk ta him and Ana, get shit sorted out."

Rick sighed but finally nodded.

"He's your responsibility if he comes back with us," Rick pointed out.

Daryl thought about it for a couple minutes before finally nodding. Rick released Daryl and motioned for Kyle to let Merle go. Daryl went to go climb into the car, sliding in beside Ana.

"Sorry about him," Daryl murmured quietly to Ana as the others approached the vehicle.

"I won't tolerate bein' talked to like that, Daryl," Ana informed him, "I don't have to. That's BULLSHIT and you know it."

He nodded his head in agreement and said, "I'll have a talk with him when we get back. It won't happen again."

"And I don't like the way he was eye fuckin' me either," she added.

"I know. Me neither," Daryl agreed.

"I'm YOURS," Ana informed him, taking his hand in hers and giving it a tiny squeeze even as she rested her head on his shoulder, "And NO other man is ever gonna get the time of day from me."

He gave her hand a tiny squeeze back, letting her know that he understood, and he murmured, "Good."

Michonne climbed into the SUV on the other side of Ana and Kyle sat between Rick and Merle in the front seat.

"All right. Let's get back," Rick spoke up.

"Rick, there's one more stop I think we should make," Daryl heard Ana chime in, "There's a farm not far from here. Bella and I passed by it on our way ta the prison. It was untouched by walkers. I think it'd be a good place ta check."

"All right," Rick agreed, "But then we go back ta the prison."

Ana nodded before giving him directions on how to get to the farm.

Once there, Ana pointed out a spot for Rick to park beside a barn.

"Are those… Are those gas pumps?" Kyle questioned as Rick put the truck in park.

"VERY observant there, college boy," Merle stated sarcastically.

Daryl knew he'd roll his eyes after a comment like that too.

"They still work too," Ana informed the group, completely ignoring Merle's comment "Bella and I didn't have a car. So we left everything as it was. I think we should stock up on gas. We could take the two trucks that are still here, fill 'em up with gas and take 'em back with us. Ya never know when you're gonna need an extra car and we could ALWAYS use more gas. But I wanna see if the horses are still here. I wanna take 'em back with us."

"Let me get this straight," Merle commented, "You drug us all the way out here for HORSES? You lost your fuckin' mind, princess? We're in the middle of the fuckin' zombie apocalypse. What good is a fuckin' horse gonna do anybody now?"

Rick looked back at Ana and Ana defended her desire to bring the animals back with them, saying, "There's already a trailer hitched up to that truck right there. All we've gotta do is fill the truck with gas. There were about a dozen horses here when we stopped through. I bet most of 'em are probably dead by now or other people took 'em or killed 'em for food. But we could use them at the prison just like we use the three we already have. We could use 'em for patrols around the prison grounds, for pack horses, for short-distance trips outside the prison. If worse comes to worst… We could… We could use 'em for the meat."

"NOW you're talkin'," Merle said, "You ever had horse meat? It's not half bad really."

"That's our LAST resort," Daryl stated, pointing at Merle.

"We'll take 'em," Rick finally agreed, "Daryl, Ana, you load 'em up into the trailer. Kyle, Michonne, you two fill the other truck up and bring it. Merle's ridin' with me."

"Nah. I'll go with Daryl and his little sugar tits," Merle protested.

Ana was quick to climb over Daryl and hop out of the car. Daryl knew she must've been REALLY pissed if she'd climbed over top of him just to get out of the fucking car.

He glared at his older brother, snarling, "Would you cut the shit with your damn rude comments?! She doesn't like it, all right? So just shut the fuck up and do as you're told."

He slid out of the car and started after her, casting one last glare back at Merle. He knew Merle was going to chew his ass later for having snapped at him twice already that day. But he didn't give a shit. By damn, he'd just gotten Ana back in his life. He wasn't ABOUT to lose her again, not even because of his brother. Who would've guessed that finally finding his brother would cause him so much fucking trouble? Then again, trouble had always seemed to stick to Merle like flies on shit.

Daryl followed after Ana as she climbed up onto the gate of the pasture, straddling it as she licked her lips and gave a loud whistle. She waited and Daryl's ears perked up a bit as he heard the thundering of hooves. She'd been right. There were still some horses left. It looked like there were only five remaining though. From the looks of it, there was a black blanketed Appaloosa, a black and white Paint, a red dun Quarter Horse, a pale buckskin Quarter Horse with dapples in its coat, and a flea-bitten gray warmblood of some sort.

Ana reached out to pet them all in turn before climbing down from the gate.

"Saddles, bridles, and saddle pads are already in the trailer," Daryl heard Ana tell him as she unlocked the gate and eased it open, making kissing noises to draw the horses out of the pasture, "If these guys made it while seven others didn't, they ought to be real hardy, real smart. It's been almost a full week since Bella and I were here."

Daryl nodded. He hoped she was right. But he knew that it didn't really matter. Ana would still go out of her way to take care of these horses just like she did with the ones she and Bella had brought to the prison with them. Animals were Ana's weakness. That and children.

"Help me get this damn thing open, Merle," Daryl ground out as he yanked the first pin that kept the trailer's ramp up.

Merle came over to help him and taunted, "Looks like your little she devil is a horse whisperer, lil' brother."

Daryl stole a glance over at Ana to see her murmuring quietly to the horses as they surrounded her and she took turns stroking their soft coats. The Paint even nibbled at her cheek and she giggled.

Daryl finally got the trailer open, without too much help from Merle, and eased the ramp down. Ana coaxed the horses over to the trailer and all but one of them entered without a fuss. The last horse, the red dun, was stubborn when it came to loading up into the trailer but, with a good hard swat on the ass from Merle, it ran right up the ramp. Merle and Daryl closed the trailer and then went over to help Ana start filling up some jugs of gasoline.

Once the truck was filled, Daryl climbed behind the wheel and hotwired the truck. Ana slid right in beside him and left Merle sitting on the opposite side of her.

When the group was ready to head out, Daryl brought up the rear, following the truck Michonne was driving as she followed Rick as he drove the Hyundai.

"Looks like you've got it good, brother," Daryl heard Merle comment, "You've got yourself a little group, got yourself plenty of supplies and a safe, secure place ta stay. You've even got yourself one FINE piece of ass too. I'd say you're livin' the high life, brother."

"If I EVER hear you talk about another part of my body again, so help me GOD, Merle Dixon, I will KICK your ass!" Ana snapped, clearly having had enough of his rude comments.

"Well I'd like ta see you try, sweet cheeks," Daryl heard his brother taunt.

"MERLE!" Daryl shouted over them, "Shut up! Leave 'er be. She's with me now and I'm not givin' her up for nothin'. So calm your shit. She was there for me when you weren't around."

"Yeah? 'S that right? 'Cause if I remember right, brother, she up and left ya between your sophomore and junior year," Merle reminded him.

"She had her reasons," Daryl snarled quietly even as Ana shot his older brother a fierce glare and hissed, "I'd suggest you don't bring that topic up again in the future if you'd like ta keep your balls."

"Ooo! I'm shakin' in my boots, sweetheart," Merle jeered.

"ENOUGH!" Daryl roared.

Both of them were silent for a few moments before Merle finally broke the silence.

"Well…" he mused aloud, "Looks like ya finally grew a pair, lil' D. Never thought ya would've had it in ya."

"He's a better man than you could ever DREAM of being, Merle," Ana growled.

Merle's brows hiked clear up his forehead but he remained silent.

"Not another word, Merle," Daryl warned, "You're lucky Rick even letcha come back with us. You'd better start watchin' that mouth of yours or it's gonna getcha in a LOT of trouble."

Merle glared out the window but didn't open his mouth again.

-=Rick=-

Rick couldn't believe their luck! They'd manage to completely load the Hyundai down with supplies. They had clothes and shoes, food and drinks, baby food and baby supplies, medical supplies and medicine, weapons and ammo, feminine products for the ladies, and they'd gotten it all without any major problems. Hell they'd only dealt with about ten walkers on the whole trip and they'd been through THREE damn towns to get it! And, sure, Daryl had blown up on Kyle but Ana had quickly and easily defused the situation before it could escalate any farther. Hell even running onto Merle and Michonne hadn't been a real big issue, despite the spat between Daryl and his older brother after Merle had started making rude comments about Ana.

They'd managed to stock up on gas and bring back two extra vehicles. And horses! Ana had loaded up five horses to bring back to the prison. Hell they'd managed to gather up more supplies than ANY supply run Rick's group had EVER managed to scrounge together so far. And THAT was what mattered.

He couldn't wait to see the looks on the group members' faces when they arrived at the prison. He could just hear them now, their shouts of joy and their abundant praises. He could see the bright, shining smiles on their faces as they helped unload all their spoils. It was like Christmas in the middle of June.

Sure, he knew most of them wouldn't be happy to see Merle. Hell HE hadn't been happy to see Merle. He'd never thought he'd see that man again after they hadn't been able to find him when they'd gone back into Atlanta to look for him. But there he was, walking into the last town they'd raided for supplies. And there was a black woman with him, a woman that was now driving the truck directly behind him.

Still, they would make due. They were safer with more people in their group. And if they would help out around the prison and share the workload, then they were fine by him.

When the Hyundai broke through the tree line and into the clearing that led down to the prison, his hopes fell and his foot pressed harder on the gas, his pale blue eyes widening in horror. There were bodies piled high, flames licking at the lifeless forms, smoke rolling up into the air. Liam, Bella, and Steph were busy filling what looked like graves.

Rick pulled the SUV to a stop in front of the gate, staring at the sight before him, and Kyle came running around in front of the Hyundai to unlock the gate. Rick sped up the gravel path and threw the car into park, turning the engine off and jumping out of the vehicle.

He heard Ana shout for her sister as Bella came running from the field and saw the two Spenser sisters throw their arms around each other, hugging each other tight, when they reached each other.

"What happened?!" Rick demanded as he started over to the gate.

"Rick… NONE of us were prepared for what 'appened," Liam answered truthfully.

"Rick, this isn't Liam's fault," Steph cut in, "This is on Andrea."

"Andrea? What's she got to do with this? What happened?" Rick cried, quickly growing frustrated as his confusion deepened.

"What the hell's goin' on here?" he heard Merle ask, "This how you guys throw a bonfire around here? Ya didn't hafta go outta your way ta celebrate for ol' Merle's sake."

"Shut up, Merle!" Daryl snapped, "Somebody wanna tell me what the fuck happened here?"

By now, everyone was out of the cars, all of them gathered at the fence.

Liam and Steph both smoothed the dirt over the graves and grabbed their shovels, heading for the gate that would let them from the field to the prison grounds.

"All hell broke loose," Bella said, "That bitch shot the lock at the front gate, Rick. She bolted and left the gate WIDE open. She left one of the doors in the cell block open too. Walkers found their way into the prison. Two of our own died today because of her. If I EVER find her… She's gonna WISH she'd died too."

"You're talkin' fuckin' nonsense! What are ya sayin'?" Daryl barked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Rick shouted, "Hold on a minute. You wanna explain things ta me? WHO shot the lock? WHO left one of the cell door open? WHO died? Is the cell block still at risk? Are the others safe? Where's Carl? Where's Judith? Where are the others?"

"Andrea," Steph answered, "Andrea fled after you guys left. She left one of the cell block doors open and shot the lock at the front gate open, leaving the gate WIDE open so that the walkers could walk right onto the grounds. Some of them found their way into the prison. We swept the grounds and killed all of them that we could find. We found a new lock for the gate and chained and locked it shut again. We made our way through the prison and took out any that managed to find their way into cell block C. Maggie, Glenn, Beth, Carl, Judith… They're all in there. They're safe. But Carol…? Hershel…? They didn't make it…"

"Thought you said this place was safe, lil' brother?" Merle commented, stealing a glance over at Daryl.

"It WAS," Daryl snarled at him, "You wanna go? There's the fuckin' gate. Help yourself."

"I KNEW that bitch was gonna do somethin' stupid. I just didn't know it'd be THIS chaotic…" Ana murmured quietly.

But all Rick could think about were two things: Carl and Judith.

He pointed at the others of the group, making eye contact with all of them, and firmly instructed, "I want you all ta unload the Hyundai and that trailer. We've got two funerals ta plan and one VERY serious discussion ta have before the day is through."

"You got it, cowboy," Merle sneered sarcastically.

"SHUT your fuckin' mouth and start grabbin' shit!" Daryl snapped.

"What'd you say ta me?" Merle questioned.

"Ya fuckin' heard me!" Daryl growled.

"Ya know who you're talkin' to, boy?" Merle inquired.

Rick heard what must've been Daryl throwing his brother up against the side of the car just before he roared, "If you're not gonna do anything ta fuckin' help this group, I don't want you here! Get outta here!"

But their voices were fading away as Rick's world crashed down and his eyes found the rest of the group standing just inside the doorway to the cell block, at the kitchen.

Carl ran out to Rick and threw his arms around him. Rick knelt down and hugged the boy tight, pressing a kiss to the side of his head and cupping the back of his head in his hand.

"Thank GOD you're okay…" Rick sighed.

"I took care of 'em, dad," Carl informed him, "I kept Beth and Judith safe."

Rick leaned back on his heels and looked up at his son, nodding and stating, "I don't doubt it. You can tell me all about it after we get everything inside."

Rick stood and Beth carried Judith over to him, passing the baby girl over to her father. Tears filled Rick's eyes as he looked down at her, all safe and snug in her baby blanket, wrapped up tight. A wobbly smile curled at his lips as he looked down at Beth.

"Thank you…" he told her, unable to say another word.

She just nodded.

Maggie and Glenn came out to stand behind the teenagers.

"I heard about…" Rick started to say before discovering that he couldn't quite finish that sentence, "I'm sorry…"

Maggie just nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks, and Beth nodded.

"We're gonna help get everything inside," Glenn replied, "We'll tell you about it later."

Rick nodded and motioned for Carl and Beth to follow him into the cell block.

Later that night, after Ana and Steph had prepared a light supper for the group since no one really had much of an appetite after the bad news they'd all received that day, everyone was gathered around in the kitchen. Rick had Judith cradled in his arms as he looked around at the group members and started asking them questions.

He listened as they all told him their side of the story. He heard from Liam when it came to getting the prison locked down again. He heard from Glenn after Maggie after they had split up from Carl and Beth. And he heard from Carl after Maggie and Glenn had made the distraction to let them run for cover. When they were all done talking, he knew that it wasn't any of their faults. They'd done the best they could to keep the group together, to keep them alive. But he also understood why they'd broken apart and tried to distract the walkers to let the others escape and give them a better chance to survive.

He'd learned a lot about the group that night. He'd seen their true colors come out when a tough situation arose. Liam, Steph, and Bella had fought tooth and nail to get the prison gate closed and take all of the walkers they could find out. They'd made their way through the cell block and cleared it out too. They'd formed a distraction to lead the walkers away from Maggie, Glenn, Carl, and Beth, giving them a chance to run for it. And they'd piled up the dead walkers and set them on fire. Then they'd buried what was left of Carol and Hershel's bodies.

Maggie and Glenn had provided another distraction to let Carl and Beth escape from the walkers so that they could go hide. Then they'd worked their way through the tombs and taken out any walkers they came across. They made sure all the doors to the cell block were closed and locked, ensuring that the cell block was secure.

And Carl had gotten Beth and Judith into a sturdy cell in the isolation wing after Hershel had heroically sacrificed himself to ensure their escape. He'd locked the door and stood watch over Beth and his baby sister. He'd only come out when he'd heard the gun fire and Maggie screaming for Beth. Then he'd gone with Liam to lock the door Andrea had tampered with to get out of the cell block.

Rick couldn't have been prouder of the group. And he could tell by the look on Daryl's face that Daryl approved too.

Liam had taken Rick and Daryl out to see the old lock that had been used for the front gate upon their request. And Liam had been right. The lock HAD been shot open. There wasn't a doubt in Rick or Daryl's minds. Carol and Hershel's deaths were on Andrea, not any of the members of the group.

"We'll have the funerals in a couple days," Rick informed the group, "Tomorrow we're gonna have a meeting over breakfast. I want EVERYBODY there. I think we all need to have a VERY serious discussion about where we go from here."

They all nodded to him and he stood up, looking around the room once more, before announcing, "Well… I think I'm gonna turn in early. Goodnight, everybody."

They all mumbled their goodnights and Rick headed to the cell he shared with Carl and Judith. He tucked his daughter into her makeshift crib and then he sat down on his bed, running his hands down his face before staring at the wall across the cell from him. He gave a long sigh and shook his head.

It was amazing how such a great day could turn into a complete disaster in just two seconds.

-=Daryl=-

Daryl set the couple boxes of things Ana had packed for him onto the bed across from his. Ana and Steph had sorted all the stuff out that night and handed out boxes full of supplies to everyone in the group. They'd each gotten a few weapons and ammunition for them. They'd gotten clothes and shoes. The food, drinks, and medical supplies had been stockpiled. But Daryl could understand that. All he needed were the necessities. And he had them now.

He went to turn around to head to his bed but found a head poking around the blanket he'd put up in front of his cell door.

"Hey…" he heard Ana murmur, her voice soft and quiet, "I just wanted ta say goodnight. I know you're probably exhausted –,"

"Whaddya mean 'ya just wanted ta say goodnight'? I thought we'd already decided this was your cell too," he pointed out.

She stepped around the blanket and into the cell, darkness surrounding them, as she said, "Daryl… You got into not one but TWO fights over me today –,"

Again, he interrupted her, this time to remind her, "Ana, I got into those 'fights' 'cause I was defendin' your fuckin' honor. If I didn't give a shit about ya, I wouldn't have fuckin' bothered."

"I know that," she replied, "I just… I don't wanna start any riffs between this group. We've already got enough ta deal with right now and –,"

"Won't be any fuckin' problems if Merle and Kyle keep their fuckin' traps shut about ya," he informed her.

"Daryl… I appreciate you standin' up for me. I REALLY do. I'm not objectin' ta that. But I don't wanna cause you or any of the other group members any trouble," she elaborated.

"You ain't no trouble," he insisted, following her voice and going to stand right in front of her.

"And I'm sorry about today," she added, "For sayin' the things I did in the store… I shouldn't have done that."

"Which store?" he joked, "There were a lot of 'em, ya know."

"When I grabbed your ass and… when I came onto you. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry. It won't happen again," she apologized.

He reached out in the dark, finding her arms with his hands and navigating his way up her arms, over her shoulders, and on up her neck to cup her face in his big hands.

"Ana, stop it," he scolded gently, "Stop fuckin' apologizin'."

"Hell I'm ALWAYS apologizin', Daryl. I'm apologizin' every time I turn around!" she told him quietly, "I just… It feels like every time I try ta do somethin' when it comes ta you, I'm always doin' the wrong damn thing or sayin' somethin' I shouldn't."

"You think about it too much," Daryl stated, "Just let it be. It is what it is. If we're really gonna be a couple, you've gotta be able ta talk ta me, Ana, tell me when you're worried about somethin'."

"But then you'll just get pissed and say it's nothing," Ana insisted, "Like today. I tried flirting with you – hell I was actually BOLD for once – and you told me to stop it. I thought you were jokin' but you were bein' serious so I dropped it when you told me ta stop the second time. You CLEARLY meant it that time. Your voice was firm and there was a warning tone to it, not like the first time. I just… God I NEVER know what ta do or say ta you. Every time I try, it just comes out wrong and –,"

Daryl leaned in, pressing his lips to hers to shut her up, hearing the noise of shock she made against his lips since he never parted his.

He didn't want her to feel bad. He didn't want her to think that he was mad at her or upset with her. He didn't want to make her feel like she was being a pain in the ass or that he didn't want her around. Because he DID want her around. He wanted her here, RIGHT here, with him. She belonged with him, just like the only place he ever TRULY felt he belonged was with her.

When he eased his lips away from hers, she asked, "Did you just kiss me ta shut me up?"

"Does this answer your fuckin' question?" he inquired before leaning back down to press his lips to hers once more.

"I don't want you ta feel bad," he finally admitted when he pulled back, "I'm not pissed at ya and I'm not upset. Ya might be a pain in the ass sometimes but I'll let ya know if ya ever really get on my nerves. I want ya around, Ana. I don't want ya goin' and leavin' me again, whether you're here at the prison or not. Don't you check out on me again. 'Cause I can't take you leavin' again. I want ya here. RIGHT here… with me. You belong here. You belong with ME. And you're the ONLY person that's EVER truly accepted me for who I am. You're the only one that's ever loved me. So I belong with YOU. You get it now?"

She gasped and he knew that his words had shocked her.

"I can't hear ya shakin' or noddin' your head," he reminded her.

"Sorry," she apologized, "Yes. Yeah I get it. I'm not goin' anywhere, Dare. I'm here, RIGHT here. And there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

A tiny smile curled at his lips and he hinted, "WELL… get your ass in bed then. We'll grab your boxes in the mornin'."

His hands found her hips and he gently guided her towards the bed.

"I put some underwear on," he heard Ana comment, "I didn't wanna make you feel uncomfortable after your reaction ta what I said at the store. And I left my bra on too. And I won't take anything but my shoes and socks off."

"I don't give a shit, Ana. Just get comfortable," he told her.

He heard her shoes hit the floor and it was another minute or so before he told her, "Go ahead. Take your jeans off. I know you wanna."

"Daryl –," she started to protest.

"It's FINE," Daryl reassured her.

He heard her unfasten the buckle of her belt and the rustle of the denim before her jeans hit the floor too. Then she climbed into bed and he heard her pull the sheet up.

Daryl unbuttoned his shirt, tossing it to the floor. Then he kicked out of his boots and yanked his socks off before loosening his belt and sliding his jeans off. He climbed onto the bed beside her and eased the covers up over both of them.

She snuggled right up to him, facing him, and whispered, "I love you."

"I'm sorry about the shit Merle said to ya today," he replied, "I talked to him about it. It won't happen again."

He felt her nod her head as she rested it against the arm he had resting underneath the side of her head.

"There's only ONE man I'll ever want. And he's RIGHT here," she assured him, her hand wrapping around his waist and up his back to press him closer as she pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"My lips are down here," he pointed out.

She gave a little gasp and then asked, "Oh! So now you WANT me ta kiss your lips, huh?"

"Yeah. I do," he answered.

She giggled and teased, "And what if I don't wanna kiss YOU?"

"I know ya do," he challenged.

"And just how is that?" she asked curiously.

"'Cause you're ALWAYS wantin' ta kiss me," Daryl reminded her.

She just laughed and nodded, telling him, "Okay. I'll give ya that one."

"The reason I told ya ta stop this afternoon wasn't 'cause I didn't like what ya were tellin' me, Ana. Sure, I was shocked as hell that ya were tellin' me that shit. But I told ya ta stop 'cause I didn't wanna wind up ridin' back ta the prison with a fuckin' hard-on from hell," Daryl admitted.

She gave a loud gasp and he smirked at that.

"You… you liked that?" she questioned.

He didn't miss how her voice was a little deeper, a little husky.

He was hesitant for a moment before finally speaking up.

"Fuckin' loved it," he informed her, "But it was distracting as hell… Knowin' that you weren't wearin' any fuckin' underwear today…? Ya know how many times I stared at your ass? How many times I was tempted ta grab it or smack it or bite it?"

She gave another gasp and scolded, "Daryl!"

"What? You can be bold but I can't?" he inquired.

"No. It's not that… I just… You're not… You're NEVER like this… You're always real shy and quiet and…" she tried to explain.

"Nervous?" he asked.

She nodded and he replied, "You know why I'm nervous. And you… I have NEVER heard you be so bold before today. Not when it came ta comin' onto a guy. What brought that on?"

There was a bit of a pause and he knew she had to be nibbling at her lip as she tried to think of how to explain it to him.

"You," she finally stated.

"Whaddya mean, 'me'?" he questioned.

"I mean YOU," she explained, "You picked out bras for me. You chewed Kyle's ass and threw him up against a glass case in the department store 'cause he made a comment about my ass. You even stood up to your own BROTHER for me. You NEVER stand up ta Merle. You're the sexiest man I've ever seen, Daryl. You're fearless. You're strong. You're bold. You're independent and confident and capable. You make me feel safe, make me feel wanted. Sure, we might have our fights. But you're EVERYTHING I've ever wanted in a man. And you're my BEST friend, the closest friend I've EVER had or WILL ever have. I LOVE you, Daryl, in every sense of the word. And yeah… I um… I kinda stole some peeks at ya today while we were shoppin'. Ya fill your clothes out VERY well, just so ya know. And I couldn't resist grabbin' your ass. So you weren't the ONLY one coppin' an eyeful."

He chuckled at that. So she'd been checking HIM out all day too? Well that was always good to know.

"I might be shy. I might be quiet. I might be nervous. But that doesn't mean that I'm not attracted ta you, Ana. I'm just… afraid ta make a move… Afraid that I'm gonna fuck it up if I try ta say what I feel or do what I want. Don't EVER think that me bein' shy or quiet or nervous is your fault. It's not."

She nodded and reassured him, "I know it's not."

"It's just… It's gonna take time… I wasn't kiddin' when I said I don't really have any experience…" he admitted, "You're gonna hafta teach me… You're gonna hafta be really patient with me… And if I get frustrated, it's not with you. It's with me."

She nodded and he felt her nuzzling at his nose with the tip of hers, her breath fanning over his lips as she whispered, "I know. And I understand, Daryl. I don't wanna rush you. I don't wanna push you. We can go as slow as you want. You're the one that decides when and what we do, not me."

Daryl nodded, feeling her nose rub against his, and he took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and leaned in to press his open mouth to hers. Ever so slowly, he inched his tongue out of his own mouth and nudged at her tongue with the tip of his own.

One of her hands came up to slide her fingers through his hair, gently fisting the shaggy locks as she flicked the tip of her tongue against his. He mimicked her motions before she started to swirl her tongue around his. He gave it a try and felt her lips smile against his.

He realized then what she was doing. She was teaching him how to kiss her, how to explore her mouth. So he followed her lead, learning how to tease and massage, to swirl and flick, to suck and nibble and nip, and to explore every part of her mouth.

God he LOVED it when she sucked on his tongue. It sent his heart racing and his testosterone skyrocketing. He felt his groin tighten and his cock twitch in his boxers as it started to perk up a bit. He loved the breathy but husky little moans she'd spill into his mouth. He loved the little noises of surprise she made when he did something she hadn't expected. He loved the whimper she gave when he brought a hand down to the small of her back to press her closer and the way she wrapped both arms around his neck, pressing herself up against him. He loved the way she nipped and nibbled and sucked at his bottom lip. And he DEFINITELY loved it when she panted against his lips when they had to pull back for air.

"You're a REALLY quick learner," she praised breathlessly when he pulled back from their last kiss, letting his fingertips ghost down her arm.

She shuddered and he chuckled lightly.

"Helps ta have a good teacher," he joked.

"Well thank you," she said.

And he could almost hear her grin.

"Mmm… Daryl, I hate ta tell you this… But he's pokin' me," Ana hinted.

Son of a bitch! He hadn't known he was getting THAT hard.

"Oh! Shit! I'm sorry!" he was quick to apologize, reaching down to fumble with his boxers and tucking the head of his erection up into the waistband, "Sorry about that. I didn't mean ta offend ya."

She just giggled and said, "Doesn't offend me at all. I just didn't want you ta find out the hard way and get embarrassed. But I guess it's a little too late for that now. But no. It doesn't bother me. In FACT… It lets me know that you got all worked up while we were makin' out. It lets me know that I can excite you. There's NOTHIN' wrong with that reaction, Daryl. It's PERFECTLY normal for a man. And it makes me feel good ta know that I can affect you like that."

He was glad she couldn't see the deep blush that covered his face as his cheeks flamed. He was as horny as a fucking school boy, growing hard over a nothing. Sure, he was a virgin but STILL!

"It IS fuckin' embarrassing. Hell it makes me look as bad as a fuckin' school boy," he argued.

But she just shook her head and assured him, "No it doesn't. You're just FINE, Daryl. And, whenever you decide you're ready… I can start helpin' you out when he gets like that. I mean… if you WANT me to that is."

Holy SHIT! Was she saying…?

"JESUS fucking CHRIST, Ana!" Daryl cursed, "You sayin' you wanna fuck?"

"Daryl, I'm a virgin just like you," Ana reminded him, "TRUST me, it's gonna take a LOT of time ta get ta THAT point. I meant I could use my hand or my mouth. I feel bad leavin' ya like that, all worked up and frustrated without any kind of relief."

Now he felt like an ass.

"Ya don't hafta do a THING for me. I didn't mean ta make ya feel like ya had to –," he started to tell her.

"Daryl, ya didn't make me feel like I HAD to. I was offerin' 'cause I WANT to," she pointed out.

God if she tried to do that right now, he'd fucking cum the second her hand or mouth touched his dick.

He swallowed hard and stammered, "Not… Not this time… Maybe another time… I just… I'm not quite…"

"Ready for that," she finished for him, "It's okay. I get it. You just let me know when you ARE ready. You can always tell me or show me what it is that you want, Daryl. And you can always ask if you wanna do things ta me too. BUT… I think we've had enough of you frettin' for one night. Let's get some sleep before you REALLY start worryin' about it. We'll talk him down. Let's just think of random things. Like purple kangaroos. Or blue bananas."

He laughed at that and added, "Or pink elephants."

"Or pink flamingos," she stated.

"What about albino alligators?" he joked.

"Those are cool. Oh! Or spider monkeys," she said.

He chuckled some more. God they'd just made out and, now, here she was, helping distract him and get his blood to leave his cock and head up to his brain instead.

"The booze was a good idea tonight," he commented, keeping on track with distracting himself, "It's a good thing you grabbed it today."

She just nodded and sighed, "It was the best idea I could come up with after findin' out the news. I know there wasn't much ta go around but there was enough for all of us to have a can of something and there was one can left over."

He nodded and reassured her, "It was a good idea. I'm sure it helped temporarily ease some of the stress. 'Sides, it's not always the action that counts. It's the thought."

She nodded in agreement and replied, "I'm always happy to help in any way I can. And that was the only think I could think of that might help ease some of the tension."

A few minutes later and he was soft again.

"Mmm… Night, Daryl," Ana purred, leaning up to steal a quick kiss from his lips, "Sleep tight. Don't let anything but me bite. I love you."

And just like that, his mind was wandering again.

"Night," he managed to mumble in return.

God he just hoped he could get some sleep!

Sorry! I know it was a really long chapter. If you made it this far, I can't thank you ENOUGH for hanging in there with me. But, now I'm REALLY dying to know what your thoughts were on this chapter. So please! Hit me up. Send me a message or a review with all your thoughts. Did you love it? Did you hate it? Did you like certain parts but think others were shit? Don't hesitate to let me know. All feedback is welcome and highly appreciated. Thanks again for reading and I look VERY forward to hearing from you. Also, I'm always up for suggestions. I don't get very many but I might take you up on some if I like them or think that I can incorporate them into the story.