"That was an insane thing to do!"

Songbird stared in surprise at Andrea.

"What?" she asked.

"You just ran off because you didn't get your way!" Andrea was barely keeping from screaming. "You could have been killed! The fact that the mall wasn't full of Walkers was just luck! What would you and your little friend have done if you'd encountered a hoard of them? What would you have done then?"

"I…" Songbird began. "I just didn't have anything to wear…"

"You almost died for a new outfit!" Andrea shrieked. "Get it through your head Songbird! This isn't a game! People count on you to act like you've got some sense! If you're going to be a complete idiot when she's around then…then…I won't let you associate with her!"

"Wait. You're grounding me?" Songbird couldn't believe it.

"If that's what it takes to keep you alive then fuck yes!"

Dale came into the camper, looking at the two of them in confusion.

"What's going on here?" he asked, putting his hand on Andrea's shoulder.

"I'm trying to get it through her thick teenager skull that this is an apocalypse!" Andrea said cuttingly. "Maybe you can do a better job of explaining to her why she shouldn't have gone to the mall with only one other person! Maybe you can explain to her what it's like to care and then lose people! Maybe you can explain to her what it's like to watch people get eaten or what it's like to have put them down like goddamn dogs!"

She'd run out of breath toward the end and Songbird winced as she spat out the last words.

"I…" Songbird couldn't formulate a sentence. She'd been expecting to get chewed out, sure. But not by Andrea!

"I'm going outside," Andrea said, storming out of the R.V. and over to the fire.

"I didn't do it to hurt her," Songbird said weakly to Dale.

"Sit down," he said.

Oh no. He was mad at her too.

"Now, what you did was extremely reckless," Dale said. "Andrea won't tell you this, so I will. She was on a road trip with her sister Amy when all this started. Amy was a college freshman. She was 18. Andrea watched her bleed out; a Walker ripped a chunk out of her neck."

Songbird swallowed hard.

"It was her birthday the next day," Dale said. "Fate has excellent timing. Now when you showed up, I worried that it would hurt Andrea and I think there were times when it did. To see you laughing, playing with the kids, flirting with Daryl. Living the kind of life her sister would have lived if she was still with us. Well," Dale amended, "I don't think Amy cared for Daryl much. But Andrea took you in and she's grown to care for you a good deal. And you pull this disappearing act? She was frantic!"

"I'm sorry!" she said. "I am sorry!" she repeated when he just looked at her steadily. "I shouldn't have…I didn't know she would care."

"We all care," Dale said. "Andrea, Carol, Sophia, myself, Rick, Glenn…we have to be close. We have to. We could die any day; there are people here that I would die for. Andrea most of all. You're too young to see it and you've been…occupied with Daryl. Open your eyes young lady. They risked their lives to get you back. Nobody knew anything about that mall, except that it was where you two had gone."

Songbird didn't know what to say.

"Thank you," she finally said softly. "I haven't been paying attention. I'll go apologize to Andrea, but first I want to say that I'm sorry to you. You've given me a place in your R.V. when you didn't have to, and you've been so nice. I didn't mean to act like it didn't matter…"

"I understand," Dale said, patting her knee. "I was young once too, you know. I know what's its like when one person takes up all the space in your head. Just try to make some room for the rest of the people who care about you."

"I will," she said. "Now, will you come with me so Andrea doesn't kill me?"

He chuckled and nodded, holding his arm out gallantly. Songbird looped hers through it and walked out to the fire. She was glad she had when pretty much everyone gave her a dirty look. Carol and Andrea the same, "Teenagers" expression, Glenn, T-dog, and Shane a "Women" expression, Rick that even "I'm a cop and you've disappointed me" expression, Daryl only gave her the barest glance before he twisted the cap off of a water bottle and took a drink. Even Sophia looked angry with her, keeping her eyes on the ground.

"I wanted to say that I was sorry," Songbird said, glad that she was used to crowds. Happier crowds admittedly, but crowds none the less. "What I did wasn't right. I shouldn't have gone off by myself. Or…well, with just Lucky, even though she is great with that bow. I made some of you worry," she went on, glancing at Dale. "And I put all of you in danger. Will you forgive me?"

Daryl had never heard her sound quite so young before. She was twisting her fingers together nervously as she watched them all. He hoped nobody would yell at her; he'd hate to have to stomp someone's ass just when they were all getting along.

"You did put all of us in a bad position," Rick began.

Daryl gave him a squinty look and he said, "But your idea ended up being a good one. We had no way of knowing it at the time, and I'm still not sure it was worth the risk," he clarified when Shane shot him the look this time. "But it worked out, we're all alive and we have some sorely needed supplies for the winter. I for one do not hold it against you."

"Yeah, me neither," Glenn said. "I kinda wanted to check out the mall too, so I'm glad things worked out the way they did."

"It coulda been real bad," T-dog said. "But it wasn't. And now when I get stressed, I can just borrow Daryl's soap and be revitalized."

"Fuck you," Daryl said with a grin and a shake of his head.

"What?" Songbird asked, distracted.

"Inside joke," Glenn explained. "Out of the moment it wouldn't be nearly as funny."

"So is this your way of saying that you'll act like you have a brain in the future?" Shane asked.

"Now, come on," Dale said. "She's saying she's sorry. She can't take back the past."

"Everybody has judgment lapses," Songbird said. "But I will be more careful."

"You'd better be," Andrea said. "Otherwise…"

"I'll be grounded till I have grandkids?" Songbird asked, giving her a hopeful smile.

"Something like that," Andrea admitted. "Come here."

Songbird stepped over and Andrea wrapped her arms around her.

"I'm sorry I screamed at you," Andrea whispered.

"I don't mind," Songbird answered. "It made me feel at home."

Andrea gave her a funny look when she said that, but it had; everyone had always been so strict with her when she was growing up! It had been strange for her to feel like nobody cared what she did. She wondered briefly if that was why she'd been so attracted to Daryl in the first place. Then she shook off her thoughts of him. Dale was right. It was time to think about other things!

Carol hugged her as well and Songbird looked down at Sophia.

"What about you?" she asked. "Do you forgive me?"

"I was afraid you were dead," Sophia muttered.

"I know," Songbird knelt in front of the girl and held her pinky out saying, "I solemnly pinky swear never to be so stupid again. If you'll forgive me."

Sophia finally looked at her. A small smile played around the girl's lips and she linked her pinky with Songbird's saying, "All right. But just this once."

"Yes ma'm," Songbird said happily.

Daryl looked at her smiling at the kid and sighed, looking down at his boots.

"You're not going to forgive her?" Rick asked in an undertone.

"What?" he asked glancing Rick's way.

"Everybody else did," Rick went on. "Don't you think that it'd mean something to her if you did too?"

"If I do that then she'll want back in the truck," Daryl answered impatiently.

"And you want me to believe that you don't want her there?" Rick asked.

"I don't give a damn what you believe," Daryl said with a shrug of his shoulders, aiming for nonchalant.

The look on Rick's face told him he'd missed the mark; he lost his temper.

"It's none of your damn business anyway," he snarled, starting to stand up.

"Well, now just hold on," Rick said. "You're right. I just didn't want you making her feel bad over this. She's just a kid…"

"Think I don't know that?" Daryl stood up and walked away.

Did Rick think that he hadn't noticed? He stopped by the truck, grabbed his bow and went for a walk. He wanted to hunt but there was no point; there wouldn't be need if that compound was everything it was being talked up to be. He almost hoped for a Walker attack. He was in the mood to kill something.

He didn't know how to act around the group; he thought it was weird that they were talking to him…two cops, a black guy, a Korean kid…nothing in his life up to now had taught him how to talk to people like that. Construction? Yeah. Hunting? Yeah. Sports, beer, and cars? Yeah. Women? Yeah, that too. But not women like Songbird, Andrea, or that Lucky chick. They were women who had it together, women who wouldn't take shit because they wouldn't need to. Even Carol, although he was used to women whose husbands had belted them a few, was different. Where he was from the woman dished it out as well as they took it. He'd seen more than one man come to work with a black eye or a goose egg from a frying pan. He smiled briefly, remembering how Andy Lusk had come to work beat up every time his wife went drinkin'.

He couldn't relate to anybody there; even little eighteen year old Songbird used words sometimes that he didn't know. Daryl headed back to the truck. He was surprised to find Rick standing beside it.

"What?" Daryl asked, letting down the tailgate.

"I didn't mean to stick my nose in your business," Rick said. "It's just that…hell everybody can see how much she likes you and uh…from the way you say her name I can tell…"

Humiliation washed through Daryl; he could fill in the blanks. Apparently he had actually yelled her name that morning. He wondered who else had heard, but he couldn't bring himself to ask. He boosted himself onto the tailgate, getting a beer and lighting a cigarette.

Then he cleared his throat and said, "You said it yourself, she's just a kid."

"Feel like parting with one of those?" Rick asked, nodding to the beer. "She's above the age of consent."

"Sure," Daryl said, handing a beer over and scooting to the side so Rick could sit on the tailgate as well. "But that ain't the point. I…hell, Rick I wouldn't know what to do with her!"

Rick nearly spit his beer out. He swallowed rapidly and laughed as he said, "Well, I think that explaining that is a bit outside my duties as a police officer…but essentially…"

"Screw you," Daryl said. "Nothin' worse than a sarcastic cop."

"Then what do you mean?" Rick asked.

"You've met her right?" Daryl said. "She's innocent, and young, and smart…" he trailed off for a moment and then continued, "She'll end up grateful when all this shit clears up."

"You really think it's going to?"

Daryl looked up at the dark night sky and then said, "Hell, I don't know. I don't see how it can. The CDC ain't gonna fix it, that's for damn sure. I really don't know who else could."

"About the Songbird," Rick said determinedly.

"Look," Daryl cut in. "You said it wasn't any of your business and you're right. Just let it go."

"Fine," Rick said, taking another sip of his beer. "We'll just wait and see won't we?"

"What do you mean wait and see?"

"There's not many women left," Rick said. "And that girl hasn't exactly made it a secret that she wants you. I'm just saying that I think you could figure out what to do with her."

Daryl only shrugged and popped the top on another beer.

"How much beer do you have back there anyway?" Rick asked.

"Two and half cases," Daryl answered and, pointing at Rick's beer, he continued, "But that's all you get."

Rick stayed till he finished the beer, wondering if the Songbird had changed Daryl that much or if he'd always been a decent, if quick-tempered, guy under that rough exterior. He thought it might be both. Merle wouldn't have adapted nearly this well and he didn't think that Merle would have pushed the Songbird away out of a, misguided in Rick's opinion, desire to keep her pure for when a better man came along.

Rick wasn't as suspicious of the girl as his wife was, but he was positive she was hiding something. There must be something about her past that she was ashamed of. It was odd that Daryl was so sure she was better than him when none of them really even knew that much about her.

Rick left Daryl being martyr-like and went to talk to Lucky. Songbird, who was aware that Andrea would not approve, had inched her way over to Lucky and Freddy, maybe the fact that Rick was there would help her case. He was an officer of the law dang it! Lucky and Freddy were horsing around as usual, so she managed to work her way into the group without being noticed.

"Y'all seem to be having a good time over here." Rick said, giving them a smile.

"Oh, my sister is just telling me how she would throw me under the bus for a few laughs." Freddy said.

"Yep." Lucky agreed. "I am only keeping you around for the moment I can get optimum happiness from your demise."

"Aw, you're too cute to be that evil." Rick said with a grin.

Songbird's mouth dropped open at Rick's flirtatious comment; it was more shocking than the blush that covered Lucky's face when she heard it. She glanced at Glenn who looked sort of downcast and at T-dog who was grinning.

"See, evil people just don't blush like that." to Songbird's further shock, Rick leaned closer to Lucky and even winked at her!

Lucky was apparently as shocked as Songbird was, because she didn't even have a reply. Eventually everyone began to chuckle. Lucky blushed further.

Rick laughed and shook his head as he said, "I think we should be about ready to head out, now that we know there is a hard bottom on the marsh."

"Sounds good." T-Dog answered. "Want us to start packing everyone up now?"

"Yeah, let's try to move out within the hour." Rick responded, slapping Glenn on the back and giving Lucky one last smile before turning to get his stuff together.

Songbird walked away with a glance at the still-speechless Lucky. She figured that Andrea would yell again if she tried to ride with Freddy. Daryl thought that at least he had that on his side, watching her get into R.V. He crushed his beer can and got into the truck.

They made their way across Arkansas at a decent pace, Daryl thought. That prick Freddy and Lucky were getting more and more cheerful the closer the caravan got to Kansas. Daryl tried not to begrudge them their happiness, but it wasn't easy, especially since Freddy was still hangin' all over Songbird and she wasn't pushin' him the fuck away. In fact, he could tell that she really liked the guy. She didn't glance his way nearly as often anymore.

Songbird sat beside the fire, chatting with Freddy, or rather listening as he talked. She thought that he might be interested in her, even though he had a strange way of showing it. She looked at him; the firelight made his auburn hair look redder than usual and as he talked she wondered what it would be like to kiss him. Lucky had said that kissing was a test, but to Songbird kissing was what you did with someone you wanted to go to bed with. Freddy wasn't a bad looking guy. He was tall and she'd always had a thing for tall guys. He was strong as well, he could carry her without breaking a sweat and when they had to move cars Freddy always helped with no complaints. And he actually liked her. Unlike some people who barely even spoke to her anymore. Daryl wasn't even rude to her, he simply ignored her.

"Songbird?" Freddy said.

"What?" she asked.

"Are you listening?" he asked.

"Um," she began, trying desperately to figure out what he'd been saying.

He laughed and said, "Is this your way of asking to change the subject?"

"No," she said giving him a smile. "I'm sorry, I was just sort of zoned out I guess. Maybe it's time I went to bed."

"Sure," Freddy said, standing up and walking her over to the R.V. "Sorry I was so boring tonight."

"Oh, Freddy you weren't boring!" Songbird exclaimed, putting her hand on his arm. "I just have a lot on my mind. I'm really sorry!"

"I guess I can deal with it," he said. "Don't worry about it."

"All right," standing on her tiptoes, Songbird kissed Freddy on the cheek and said, "Good night."

"You too," Freddy said. "I mean good night."

They traveled for about a week and a half and, while the weather had been decent and the journey fairly easy since they stayed on the move, Daryl was relieved when Lucky signaled that they had arrived. Songbird looked at the tiny cabin in the middle of the field with her eyebrows raised. The only other thing in sight was a rock tower behind the cabin and the whole thing was surrounded by razor wire fences.

"Don't look like much," Daryl said as he got out of the truck and glanced around, wondering how the hell they were all gonna fit in that shack.

"Wait!" Lucky called. "They might've put some new mines out. You all had better stay put until we know for sure."

"Mines?" Songbird asked under her breath.

She didn't mean too, since she'd been doing such a good job of ignoring him, but she stepped closer to Daryl. He looked down at her, pleased that she still wanted him to keep her safe. He inched a bit closer, so that his arm brushed hers. Songbird shivered at the brief contact, every inch of her skin felt suddenly tingly.

They watched as the siblings walked down the path. The fact that they stayed in one piece told Daryl that at least the driveway was safe. He only questioned the sanity of the thing when that prick Freddy opened the mailbox and said, "Hey we're here!"

"The fuck?" Daryl asked Songbird.

She shrugged; she was hardly the authority on Frederick Mackensie.

"There's a camera." Lucky called back to the group.

She had just spoken when the door to the small cabin was jerked open.

"Here comes a happy family moment," Songbird muttered, surprisingly bitter.

Daryl glanced down at her again and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her head to his chest. She exhaled slowly, trying not to cry, trying to be happy for her newfound friends, who obviously had family left. He felt her start to shake and he rested his chin on the top of her head. It was hard to watch the two of them greet their family; it had been hard for him the whole time actually. Not that Lucky and Freddy had the same kind of relationship he and Merle had, but still. It just reminded him of what he'd lost.

"You gonna be okay, darlin'?" Daryl asked in a low voice, so nobody else would overhear.

Songbird didn't know how to answer; she was afraid that if she lied and said yes, he'd let her go and she didn't want that. But if she said no, he might think she was a sissy loser.

"I don't know," she answered honestly, burrowing closer against him, not really caring if he noticed how much she needed his comfort.

He wrapped his other arm around her too, tugging until she stood in front of him and shuffling his feet apart so she stood between his legs. Songbird wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her face against his neck while she collected herself. He felt her shudder a few times, but then she took a deep breath and pulled back, giving him a shaky smile.

"That's my girl," Daryl said, reaching forward and brushing his knuckles down her cheek, wiping away the one tear that had escaped.

"Shall we?" she asked, gesturing toward Lucky.

"No point standing out here crying and being sorry," the man Lucky had called Daddy said, he was a tall man with shockingly bright red hair and he was wearing camo pants and a green tank top under a jacket with the sleeves cut out. "Invite your friends in, we'll swap war stories over dinner; besides, it's been a while since I've had a decent sparring partner."

Songbird noticed the familiar way Lucky's dad pulled the other man against him before they went into the house. While she was kind of surprised Lucky hadn't mentioned her father's choice of lifestyle, she'd seen stranger things in her lifetime. As she stepped forward she felt a tug on the hand Daryl was still holding and she glanced back quizzically. He looked completely frozen.

"What?" she asked.

"Did you…did he…they're…" he couldn't manage to say it.

"Are you talking about Lucky's dad's boyfriend?" Songbird asked.

"Oh my God," he said. "You woulda thought that she woulda mentioned that somewhere along the way!"

"Why?"

"Why the fuck not? If you're gonna ask someone to live with you then you should tell them this kind of thing! You should…"

"So, you always tell people about your parents sex lives?"

"My parents didn't have a sex life!" he said indignantly.

"Obviously they had one at some point!" Songbird said with a laugh. "You'll just have to get over it…or spend the winter in your truck."

"Fine," Daryl took a deep breath and walked toward the shack.

Songbird shook her head and followed him inside. The inside of the cabin was tiny. She felt briefly claustrophobic as they all crowded into the living room/kitchen area. Daryl stayed behind her, as far from Lucky's dad as he could get. There was absolutely nothing in the cabin, no furniture, no food, there was no air conditioning or heating unit. It didn't look like the fortress Lucky and Freddy had described. In fact, spending the winter in his truck was starting to look pretty good. He glanced down at Songbird; even she looked sort of worried. T-dog, Dale and Glenn were glancing around, focused on the floor. That reminded Daryl about the promise of an underground safe haven. Carol gave Rick a concerned glance and he put his hand on her shoulder briefly before turning back to address Lori, who seemed to be losing it.

"You need to calm down," Songbird heard him say. "You're gonna scare the kids."

"Calm down?" Lori hissed. "This is a one room cabin with a barbed wire fence! This isn't exactly a fortress, Rick! They promised us protection and…"

"Shhh," Shane said. "We don't have to stay here, Lori. Not if this is all there is."

"Well, what are you all standing around for?" Lucky's dad asked, pulling up a piece of the floor, leaving them all staring at a brushed nickel entrance under the wooden boards. "Please, do come in," he went on as he unlocked it.

Lucky laughed, but Daryl saw that the rest of the group seemed to be having the same flashback. Dr. Jenner had been pretty accommodating too, until he tried to fuckin' incinerate all of them.

"What's the matter?" Lucky asked.

Songbird wondered too. This seemed pretty close to perfect to her.

"We've recently had a, um, unpleasant experience with underground accommodations." Glenn answered after a moment and Songbird was surprised to hear his voice waver slightly.

"But you knew it was going to be underground." Freddy responded. "Why get cold feet now?"

Daryl was on the verge of having words with the little prick because of his mocking tone, but Lucky interrupted, "Leave them alone, Frederick. Whatever happened was obviously terrible. Give them some time to adjust."

"What happened?" Songbird asked, glancing back at Daryl; he'd never told her anything about it.

Shane was the one who answered. "We were nearly cooked alive by the CDC."

"What the hell were you doing at the CDC?" Lucky's dad asked in disbelief.

The entire group looked at Rick. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Songbird heard Shane snort and remembered Lori telling Rick that their plan to go West would be the "CDC all over again."

Daryl held back a laugh of his own when Lucky's dad shook his head and said, "That's almost as stupid as going to an Army base. No one in the government is going to be able to fix this shit."

James put his hand on the other man's shoulder and said, "Don't get all worked up about it here. We're trying to calm them down, love."

"Daddy has issues with, um, 'the man'" Lucky elaborated making air quotes. "But I'm sure he won't have any problems with you guys." she said, with a smile at Rick and Shane. "Oh, this is my dad, the Rooster." she continued as she linked her arm through his and leaned her head against him briefly. "And this is James, our, uh, other dad. Okay, you guys can work your stuff out; I'm going to go get dinner started." With that, she climbed down into the hole. "What do we have that can feed everybody?"

"Take a look in the freezers; I'm sure you'll find something." James answered her.

"Can I come?" Songbird asked as Lucky disappeared. "I could help."

It was quiet for a moment, just long enough for Daryl to hope that Lucky hadn't heard her.

Then, "Sure, come on down," Lucky called up the hatch.

Daryl made a grab for her that she sidestepped easily, disappearing down the hole after Lucky.

"Ah fuck," he muttered; now he'd have no choice but to go down there and get her. And possibly tie her to something so she couldn't do shit like this anymore. Of course now that he wanted to go after her, Rick decided it was time for introductions.

"Lucky has told us a lot about you," Rick began.

"Not nearly enough," Daryl thought.

"It's nice to see that someone is still alive out here. I think we were all concerned about what Lucky might find…"

"Hey! What about me?" Freddy asked indignantly.

"We figured you'd take it like a man," Daryl said. "Or at least I guess Rick thought that."

"Yeah, don't be a bitch Freddy," Rooster said with a laugh.

Daryl had to cover a smile quickly.

"Yeah, yeah," Freddy said. "I'm just glad I didn't have to help her through that, that's all."

"Right," Rick said, humoring him. "Anyway, my point was that we should introduce ourselves."

"Of course," James said. "My name is James and this is Francis, affectionately known as the Rooster." he hurried to finish when Rooster gave him a look promising retribution. James just smiled.

"Um, my name is Rick," Rick said, ignoring the byplay. "And this…"

"I'm Lori," Lori interrupted. "And this is my son, Carl."

"Our son," Rick said firmly, putting his hand on Carl's shoulder.

Rooster shook Rick's and Carl's hands, and gave Lori and appraising look. He shook hands with the rest as well, eventually making his way over to Daryl, who stood off to the side, hoping to fade into the background somehow. He didn't really know what to say or how to act. He was still nervous about the idea of being closed in underground again and…hell it wasn't like he ran into lots of openly gay male couples in the trailer park!

"It seems like we almost missed one, love," James said condescendingly, giving Daryl a glance that made it plain that he knew Daryl was trying to hide.

"We should wrap it up," Rooster said giving Daryl a hearty slap on the shoulder. "This one wants to go after that little girl who obviously has a thing for Lucky. So what's your name, little man?"

Daryl didn't know what to be more pissed off about. Being called "little man," having Songbird referred to as a little girl, or the insinuation that Songbird was attracted to Lucky. Of course, she did spend a lot of time with Lucky, and she hadn't seemed shocked about the gay dads. No. That was just too much; there was no way. Not when she'd been so eager to fuck him!

"Maybe he doesn't have a name. From now on I'll just call him a bhobain." James said.

"Daryl!" Daryl said belatedly realizing that he hadn't answered the question. "My name is Daryl Dixon."

"Too late," James said with a grin and a wave of his hand.

"But…" Daryl began, still confused. James had a Scottish accent and whatever he'd called Daryl was in another language. What the hell could he be saying?

The general chaos of the entire group going down the ladder almost drowned out the sound of Rooster and James' laughter.

A/N: Freddy, Lucky, James, and Rooster are not my OC's. They belong to my best buddy, her fan fic about them (and some of Songbird) is on here, it's called One Last Dream and it's great and you should go read it and comment and stuff!

Lucy Freebird: I know! I would go nuts in a mall where I could have anything for free…apocalypse or no! Thanks for the compliment on the chapter and honestly…I like the jealous Daryl too. He just seems like that type to me.

Gurl3677: He certainly can be at times!

Belladonna925: Yay! Glad the dream seemed that realistic! I was going for it to be a surprise that it wasn't really happening, so I'm glad it came off that way. Daryl is just too stubborn for his own good sometimes and he's sort of paying the price for it with extremely realistic dreams.