Daryl and Jayce looked through the window and saw something unexpected; a small herd of cattle wondering slowly down the drive. Jayce gave Daryl a "What the hell?" look and in return received a "No fuckin' clue" Jayce busted out of the RV and ran up to the house.

"Guys you would not believe what's in the driveway" She called, "We got cows!" She squealed.

Shane and Rick were at the front door seconds after Jayce had called out.

"What are we goin' to do with them?" Shane asked.

"Keep them" Jayce said obviously, "We can keep them for their milk and meat. But I'm going to need you guys to help round them up" Daryl ran up behind Jayce.

"Daryl you and Rick push them up from the back, Shane and I will take a side each and keep them in line" Carl had come up after hearing the word cow.

"Wow!" Jayce knelt down.

"Ok dude, you got a very important job. I need you to open the gate on the yard"

Carl sighed "Yeah ok"

"Hey, it's really important otherwise we can't put them anywhere" His face scrunched up when Jayce ruffled his hair and he took off outside.

"Alright guys, let's go" The four went down through two paddocks, Shane and Jayce stayed to the side of the herd while Rick and Daryl ran behind the mob, making noise. The cows didn't scatter instead they took off towards the house.

"Shane! Run!" Jayce screamed. All four ran after the cattle, Jayce and Shane managing to back through the gates they came through just as the cows were going past. They pushed the bovine up the side of the house to the gate that Carl had opened. Two dozen head of cattle ran right past the young boy and he stared in amazement. He suddenly remembered that he had to close the gate and ran it around and locked it.

"Woo!" Jayce called, half heartedly jogging up "And that is how you herd cattle"

"How did you know how to do that?"

"I lived on a farm back in Wyoming. Of course it was more beef cattle than Jersey's" Jayce spoke as she climbed over the fence.

"Woah, what are you doing?"

"Gotta see if there are any bulls in here and if any of the cows are in calf" She turned back to Carl and watch the excitement on his face, "You want to help?"

"Yeah!" He exclaimed.

"Ask your dad first. I don't need my ass thrown in some kind of make-shift lock up" Jayce arched her eyebrows.

"Dad!" Jayce and Carl looked over at Rick who threw his hands in the air and mouthed "What?"

Carl waved his hand, beckoning Rick to come over.

"What is it bud?"

"Can I help Jayce with the cows? Pretty please?"

"Yeah Dad pretty please?" Jayce mocked.

Rick chuckled, "Sure but be careful"

"Yay!" Jayce and Carl jumped around like five year olds.

"Don't worry Rick; Daryl is going to help me" Jayce smiled.

"I'm doin' what?"

"Don't worry Daryl; I'm sure we could all help. Right Jayce?" Rick asked.

"You ever separated cattle before?" Jayce looked to all the men, "It's easy. Get over here"

Carl slipped through the bars while the other three climbed over the top.

"Alright we have to push them into the other yard with the crush attached. Cows will be let out to the left so they can go to that paddock. Bulls will be let back into this large yard and we can put them in a different pasture"

"Why not just let them all in together?" Shane questioned

"Because, if some or any of the cows are in calf I don't want the bulls hurting them. If it turns out that they aren't pregnant then we can let the boys get rowdy next season" She smiled.

The first was in the crush and when Jayce closed it; Carl cringed "Doesn't that hurt them?"

"Nah, they have thick necks and it's not tight. It just stops them from moving around" Jayce got down next to the animal and stuck a hand between its hind legs. The four males cringed a little, their faces scrunched up further when Jayce announced it was a bull.

Twenty three cows later and they wound up with three bulls.

"Alright. That was the easy part" Jayce had decided not to release the cows, "You guys stay here. Carl come with me"

The young pair walked into the barn "What are we looking for?"

"Ear tags and a special kind of hole punch"

Carl managed to find about fifty tags and Jayce found the hole punch and they walked back to the trio who, being typical men, were leaning against the gate talking; even Daryl was interacting a little.

"Ok Daryl I want you to stay out here but you three can go inside for a little while if you like" Shane and Rick nodded and started heading off but Carl stayed put.

"I want to watch"

"You sure dude?" Carl nodded, "These cows aren't going to like us very much after this"

Jayce set up the first tag and punch it through the ear of the first animal, the cow bellowing loudly. Carl looked almost heartbroken at the pained sound coming from the heifer.

"Yeah Carl, it hurts them. But only like getting your ears pierced. It only hurts for a second" Carl nodded but went inside anyway. Daryl huffed, a small smile on his scruffy face.

"Don't you dare pick on him" Jayce grunted, punching another tag into the next cow.

"Din't say nothin'" Daryl said as he opened the crush; freeing the cow and bringing in the next one.

"It's all over your face darl. Just cause you're a big manly man who can handle an animal in pain and a little bit of blood" She smiled. Jayce wrote the number of the tag down onto her piece of paper and set the next tag up.

Soon all the cattle were tagged and grazing, Jayce washed out the yard where the blood was so as not to attract wild animals or worse yet; walkers.

Lori and Carol had prepared dinner and when Jayce sat at the table, she remembered what work on the farm felt like. Her legs and forearms hurt and she smelt kind of bad.

"Whoo" Lori said obviously catching a whiff of Jayce, "Someone's had a good day"

"Yeah I know I smell bad but hey at least we will get milk now" Jayce said, rubbing over her face.

Everyone made quiet conversation while they ate, except Jayce who wolfed her dinner down. She excused herself from the table and went up to her room to shower and drop into bed. The hot water washed away the sweat, dirt and small blood droplets. "Another day of surviving down"

Once she was thoroughly cleaned she came out clad in only a towel. A wolf whistle could be heard from the door way. She looked suddenly and saw a different face to what she was expecting.

"Damn girl. Now I know you looked good taking charge today and working those cows but this. This is too good" Her company smiled.

"You shouldn't be here" Jayce took a slow step back towards the bathroom.

"Oh now come on Jayce. No-one's gotta know"

"I'll know and it doesn't matter I don't want you" She took another step back.

He watched the slow deliberate movement and made his own advance. She countered his actions with a further retreat and was about to close the door when he stopped her. Grunting, he pushed the door open and slid inside. Daryl was coming up the stairs to the bedroom as just was being pinned to the wall, her towel on the ground.

"God you're sexy" A mouth attack her neck.

"No!" Jayce tried pushing him off, "Shane! Stop!" Her hands were jammed between her own body and Shane's, "Daryl!" She called out. Shane laughed at her attempt to call out for help and pressed against her harder so he could undo his pants and release the pressure. He was hard and ready for her; she could feel it and she struggled harder against him.

Daryl was about to enter the bedroom when Rick caught his attention and he walked back to the top of the steps.

"You seen Shane?'

"Na why?" Daryl asked, itching his face. "Time for a shave" He thought.

"Hmm, he just seems to have disappeared"

"I'll tell him to find ya" Daryl turned and heard Jayce call out.

"Daryl!" Was the strangled pleading cry. He ran into the bedroom and heard thumping coming from the bathroom room. He opened the door and saw Jayce; naked with a bleeding lip and Shane bending backwards painfully into the tub.

"Get him out" She panted.

Daryl was stumped for a moment til he saw bruising finger marks on her inner thighs. He grabbed Shane's shirt and that's when Daryl saw his bloody nose and a giant bump on his head. Shane started struggling against Daryl.

"She wanted it man. Threw her towel at me. Hell she even told me to meet her up in the bedroom after she got out of the shower" Daryl dropped him to the ground and punched him twice in the jaw.

"Rick!" He came running.

"I found him" Daryl kicked his leg.

"Where?" Rick had a look of shock on his face.

"Attackin' Jayce" Daryl pushing him towards the stairs and walked back in to comfort the distressed girl as much as he could.

Much to his surprise Jayce was clothed and about to climb into bed.

"Ya ok?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, ahhh I'm fine" She said quietly. He sighed and walked to the bathroom. There was no sign of blood on the tiles. "She's cleaned it up" He stripped and washed quickly. After putting on a clean pair of boxers he crawled in beside her.

"He's been waitin' for a time to get me alone for ages. Since I came to camp" Jayce said calmly, worrying Daryl a little with her attitude.

"Well he ain't gettin' 'nother chance" Daryl confirmed and put his arm around her waist protectively.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Jayce crept down stairs, wearing her pj shorts, boar's nest tank and her big red jumper with her Lucky Strikes in her pocket. She sat on the porch, cigarette hanging from her mouth and smoke escaping her nose and mouth while she fiddled with the zipper on her jacket.

Daryl rolled over in the bed, his arm coming to rest on the cold sheets where Jayce should have been. Three days after Shane attacked her and she had been getting out of bed at this time. Daryl had woken to her whimpering as she tossed and turned. He was the one who suggested they go out for a smoke to calm her down. The second night he got up when he felt the empty space and now he lay there staring at the roof, waiting to see if she would come back upstairs.

"Fuck it" He mumbled, pulling on a pair of pants and a sleeveless shirt and headed down to her.

He pushed the wire door open slowly and watched her flick the ash into the grass before taking another drag from the cigarette.

"Again?" He asked, even though he clearly knew the answer.

"Yep" She sighed sounding irritated.

Daryl sat next to her and pinched a smoke, "Ya gon' get mad if I sit here?"

"I'm not mad Daryl" Acid rolling off her words.

"Don't bullshit me" He took a drag and released the white cloud.

"I ain't bullshitting. You know what? I might get mad, just leave me alone" Jayce stood up and walked out onto the crisp grass.