KAIYA'S POV:

I woke up alone again. Why did no one feel the need to wake me up?

I was in a pretty good mood until I remembered what happened last night.

I started getting dressed. Once again, I had my shirt off when Daryl decided to drop by. "Kaiya? I- Oh fuck. Again?"

I looked over and saw him standing in the tent with his hand covering his eyes. Even though I was terribly angry with him, I couldn't help saying, "I'm not that bad am I?"

He looked up, this time I had a shirt on. He looked kind of relieved when he realized I was being civil… for the moment.

"What do you want?" I asked, suddenly icy.

He looked like he had been expecting this. "They sent me to get ya."

"Why you?" I asked, crossing my arms.

He shrugged, choosing not to say anything else, though he looked like he was getting angry.

I turned, pulling on some shoes. As he was walking out, I whispered, "Jackass." I think he heard, too, because his footsteps faltered and paused for a moment before he continued on. Good.

I walked out of the tent, going to the circle of campers by the RV.

Shane began giving us instructions. "We're going to need to assemble a team of people to go into Atlanta with Glenn for supplies."

Beside me, I heard Glenn groan. I knew he thought it would be dangerous; he had told me before that he was glad it was just him going into Atlanta because it was quicker and he didn't have anyone dragging him down.

"Any volunteers?"

Andrea stepped forward. Amy pouted, but kept quiet. She was probably waiting till later to berate her sister's decision. T-dog, Jacqui, and Merle also stepped forward.

Merle came as a surprise to everyone. What we he want to go to Atlanta for? Certainly not the good of the group. His choice had everyone a little nervous; no one knew what he was gonna try to pull when they were in there.

"You all leave tomorrow morning," Shane announced, nodding at Glenn.

The people closest to those going tried to talk them out of it. Jacqui and T-dog were the closest to each other, so they didn't do anything. But Amy drilled Andrea, Morales's wife begged him not to go, and, though I knew it was useless, I tried to tell Glenn not to go.

"They need someone to show them the way into the city," Glenn reasoned.

I knew he was right, but I didn't like it. I had a terrible feeling about their trip. After I nodded, Glenn walked off, going to help T-dog with chopping wood.

I noticed Daryl talking calmly to Merle. It seemed like he was questioning his reasons, too. But Merle didn't respond. He just walked away, leaving Daryl frowning.

He looked up and noticed me watching him.

I sighed and shook my head, walking down to the water. I took my shoes off by the shore and walked out across the wooden dock. I sat on the edge and swung my legs back and forth, my toes grazing the water's edge. I leaned back, my feet still hanging, until my back hit the dock.

I closed my eyes and tried not to think. About Donkey. About Daryl. About Glenn going into Atlanta. About walkers. About anything.

I just sat and listened to the sound of the water and the campers far up at the camp. I was so lost in non-thought that I almost didn't hear a pair of unsure footsteps approaching me.

"If you've come to apologize, don't bother," I said, keeping my eyes closed.

The footsteps got closer.

I frowned, sitting up and turning around. "Look, Dar-"

It wasn't Daryl. It was a walker. And it was standing between me and the camp, blocking my path off the dock. It moaned and made some gurgly snarling noises and continued limping toward me.

I scrambled to stand up and even then, I had nowhere to go. I was on the very edge of the dock as it was. If that walker took just one step forward, I would be within its reach. I couldn't jump into the water because it would come after me and that could contaminate the others' water supply. Then they would all be dead.

It took a step forward, arms swinging out. It grabbed hold of my wrist and started pulling me. I kicked out at it, only enraging it further. It opened its mouth, trying to get its mouth around my hand. I kicked harder, but my hand was in its mouth now. I was done. Game over.

But, just before it bit down, an arrow protruded from its forehead. It fell limply backwards.

I dropped down to my knees, tears falling down my face.

I saw Daryl running down the length of the dock up to me. He yanked the arrow out of the walker's head, and then caught sight of me, crying, fearful, shaken. He frowned and slung his crossbow around so it was hanging over his back. He crouched down and looked me in the eye. Then he started inspecting my hand to make sure I hadn't been bitten. When he was done, he looked back into my horrified eyes. "Ya alright?" he asked, putting a hand on my arm.

I nodded, expression the same.

"Don't tell the others 'bout this alright?" Daryl asked, pointing to the re-dead walker.

No problem there. I nodded.

"C'mon, grab a foot."

I stood, still shaky and helped Daryl drag it down the dock and out into the woods. We carried it a pretty far way, out past the line of tin cans we had set up as a security system. We didn't say a single thing all the way out there.

Then Daryl stopped. "This is good."

I nodded, face devoid of emotion.

"Ya sure yer alright?" Daryl asked, disbelievingly.

"My hand was in its mouth," I whispered.

Daryl frowned and looked at the ground, seeming like he didn't know what to do. Or knew what to do but wasn't sure he wanted to. Then, before I knew what was happening, he was right in front of me, only a few inches away. His bright blue eyes staring into mine as if gauging my reaction. I gazed back steadily.

He reached up and did something I never thought Daryl Dixon would do in all his life. He hugged me.

It took a second for the shock to get through and I lifted my arms and put them on his back. The hug was over way too fast.

"Don't tell anyone," he said, walking away.

I rushed to catch up with him; I really didn't wanna get left alone in the woods right now.

"Hey Daryl," I called.

He turned around, but I kept walking.

"You're still a jackass."

He smirked at me as I walked past him and we made our way back to camp.

A little sympathetic tenderness from our favorite zombie hunter :) Hope you liked it!