Disclaimer #1: I do not own any characters from "The Walking Dead." They are the property of Robert Kirkman, Glenn Mazzera and AMC. No money is changing hands in the writing, reading or distribution of this story.

Disclaimer #2: Any similarities to any specific persons, living or dead, is unintended.

Badass and Beauty

Chapter 21

It hadn't been that long, Rick had hardly just stepped off the porch and back into the house to get proper gear on and go grab his rifle, but shit was sparking all over everywhere inside of Daryl and weren't nothin' in him fit to be waitin' around no more. Shane…that up to no good, snare settin' bastard, took Daryl's girl out into God knew where for God knew what reason! And the timing of it weren't no good…the worst it coulda been…Daryl could feel the clock ticking on how long he had to try and explain his sorry self to Grecia, and hope like hell that she'd forgive him for all the shit he'd said to her this morning. But Shane took her away…right when Grecia was the most vulnerable she'd probably ever been…Daryl kicked her ass and broke her heart…and then Shane got himself right in front of her…Shane looked at Grecia…Shane had Daryl's girl! "I'm goin' out there! Tell Rick to catch me up!"

"I will do no sucha thing, and neither will you!" Carol replied staunchly, standing straight up and pulling Daryl back up onto the last porch step with the crook of her demanding index finger like he was tied to it. Damn…it was hard to imagine how church-mousy and quiet and passive Carol was once, the kind of woman that would be overshadowed by the décor if she was standing up against a beige wall. Not no more though…if ever there was a proper Mama Dixon, it was Carol! "Now I know you wanna skin Shane's neck and run his legs through it, so do I! And I'm as worried for Grecia just as powerful as you are! But I am not letting you go out there, alone, with your dander up like it is!" She paused, kind of hugged herself around the waist and sighed, then looked back down at Daryl, something in her eyes making him understand. "I'll do whatever I have 'ta to keep you from gettin' all consumed up in a passion and doing some fool thing that gets you hurt…even if it means you'll be none too pleased with me for my efforts."

Well…that about took the air out of Daryl's impatience…'Mama Dixon' was good at being what she was. Yeah, he was full up ready to go charging after his girl and get her back, and jack Shane's jaw…but there might as well have been snares set all over around him again…caution was the most important part of any plan…and wasn't that why Daryl had gone to Rick with the latest shit that Shane had done…making an unapproved change to a patrol team…running off with Grecia and all? Yeah…weren't no good to go running off hot headed and blind with anger and outrage…Daryl needed a calmer influence, a calmer influence that had been the first to penetrate through that rough, tough, metal spiked and razor wire studded wall that Merle taught Daryl how to construct around himself. Daryl knew he needed Rick on this one, knew it was right to go to him with it instead of acting on his own, despite how Daryl himself was due a decent harangue from Rick for the way Daryl just up and left out without Grecia this morning, being completely insubordinate to Rick's decision not to break up Daryl's patrol partnership with Grecia. Rick never flew off the handle, Rick wanted what was best for everybody, Rick had a way with people…Rick had a way with Shane…at least, more of a way than Daryl ever was going to. Yeah…good of Carol to stand in and remind Daryl of what he already knew; he needed Rick.

But Daryl never had been one to settle down right like that; it was like every time his heart beat, it pushed Grecia through his veins. He'd come running home, happy as a sissy-boy out to sea, to see her, praying she'd forgive him, and ready really talk to her and tell her it was all going to be alright…whatever 'alright' was these days…whatever 'alright' ever was between a man and woman; wasn't like Daryl really knew no way of what 'alright' was when it wasn't up against a cinderblock wall. But he'd run back home…run back to Grecia…only to find out that his girl was gone…Shane took her away! Shane…that God damn son of a bitch…stompin' all over Daryl's lands wasn't enough? Settin' them snares didn't do it up? Shane had to go and start messing with Daryl's girl? Oh helllllllll no!

Fury and fear slung themselves around in a wide trough inside him, pulled Daryl's muscle's tight and taut, shoulders stout, arms pumped so much that the crossbow seemed to be made out of folded paper instead of wood and steel, but all Daryl could do was stand by…he needed Rick…but…but…damn it…he sighed, wished like hell this wasn't where he was and that none of this had happened…if God wished corpses to walk about devouring those too slow on the draw, fine, so be it…at this point, all Daryl was asking for from God was to have his girl back! His girl…it was Daryl's own fault he could be losing her…he wished someone would bust his lip for what he done too…but the only one here right now was Carol…and 'Mama Dixon' wasn't looking angry enough at him to belt him one when Daryl felt he needed it the most. So…he just sighed, put his foot up on the step he was stood next to and leaned his weight on it, thinking thoughts that were now as useless as Grecia used to be. "Why didn't you call me on the radio when Shane showed up and took her? You shoulda let me know, I'd 'a come back."

"I know you would have," Carol nodded, no offense taken by how anyone else might have construed that Daryl was trying to blame this on them…but not 'Mama Dixon,' she knew her boy too well to do that…she knew her boy so well that Daryl hadn't even had to say that he loved Grecia for Carol to have knowed he did. She deserved a lot of credit for that, but right now she weren't looking too happy with herself either. "If I'd called you on the radio, Shane would've heard it too, you know. And even if I'd radioed for you to switch from our usual channel one to channel three so I could try and tell you privately, whatja think Shane was going to do then once he heard me tell you to go to three? He can turn his channel dial as easy as you can." There was a slight sharpness to her tone, but Daryl knew it wasn't directed at him, just like his hadn't been aimed at her, so he just stood and listened to her go off the same as Carol had him. Then she sighed again and shook her head at herself some. "I kept trying to think of a way to get a hold of you, but I didn't come up with nothin' else but storming out onto this porch at the first look of your face…and it was far too late by then."

Daryl said nothing, weren't nothing to say, him and Carol just hanging their heads and both wishing they'd done something different…sometimes, that's all there was that could be done, live in the past just long enough to learn from it…Carol understood that even before Daryl come to know her the way he did now. But 'Mama Dixon' never could go as long being silent as what Daryl could, and that was alright, because when she talked, she always had something to say that was worth hearing.

"You'd 'a been so delighted with Grecia if you'd seen her this morning after she come back." Carol began; that quiet, proud smile on her face that was always tainted with just a degree or two of sadness. "She confessed to me how jealous and spiteful of me she used to feel; poor thing's likely never been good at sorting out how people connect to each other, and she got to thinking you and me had something together that couldn't have been further from the truth." Carol unfolded her arms and leaned forward onto the railing, looking down at Daryl even more in a way that he used to hate. "She didn't have to say a word about it, but she still told me, and then said how sorry she was. You've got yourself a good'n there, Daryl. You'll get her back; you've put too much of yourself into that girl for her ever give up on you or stop loving you."

Once more Carol had said exactly what Daryl needed to hear, but just like always when that happened, Daryl felt himself shiver and his skin crawl, muscles clenching in defense against the feelings that were trying hard to creep into him; Daryl didn't like feelings, and he'd been feeling enough feelings today, damn it! "Whatever," he shrugged distantly, immediately finding a callous on his hand what needed picking at, despite how what Carol had said was making him feel so much better…but then, Carol knew it did…'Mama Dixon' knew her boy.

"Daryl," came Carol's reply, and Daryl braced himself for Carol to be disappointed in him for how he'd reacted, but then he heard her start coming down the steps towards him. Daryl looked up, if 'Mama Dixon' was about to be in his face, he wanted to be ready…but that's not what was in Carol's eyes at all. Her head was cocked a bit; eyes steady on his and her over all demeanor thoughtful and a little bit ashamed of herself too for some reason. Why? What did Carol have to look like that over?

"You ain't still harping on yourself for not thinking 'a some other way to get me when Shane come 'round and—" he started to ask, but Carol didn't let him finish.

'Hush now and listen," Carol continued speaking as she came down the stairs. "When I said about what you put of yourself into Grecia, and what that's done for her, it got me to thinkin'." Carol stood on the last step now, which put her about at Daryl's height where she could look right at him, and she was. What was this? Should he be running? But Carol was talking again before Daryl could figure out the appropriate response. "You did the same thing for me too after Sophia went missing; there I was, feeling like I had no purpose anymore, no more reason for going on…but then I'd see you putting all you had into finding her…and…and when we did…" she paused a moment, eyes looking a little puffy and Daryl had to look away. "You held me back with just as much so I wouldn't run to her and go and do…what we both knew I was going to. And even then, I found myself thinkin'how you didn't have no reason to be giving me, or Sophia, the amount of strength you were giving us…none…you hardly knew us, but still, you put the two of us on your back and carried us through, right 'til the end." The puffiness was going away around Carol's eyes, she was looking stronger herself, despite how she had to pause and swallow hard. "And that's when I knew what it takes to make it now; we all gotta be strong for the others of us that are weak and teach them to be strong too. I lost my little girl, but that don't mean that I can't, or that I shouldn't be looking out for everyone else. It was you who showed me that…and I just realized that I never did say 'thank you' for any of it."

Awww, now why in hell'd she have to go and do tha—Daryl stopped mid inward groan when the squeaky front door finally squeaked open again and Rick clambered onto the porch and down the steps. Okay, good…time to go…Daryl's girl was out there, and Daryl was huntin' her and the asshole what had her. But he had to say something to Carol before he lit out…which he was really wanting bad to do…he had to get Grecia and he didn't want to hang around with all a what Carol had gone and let out…even if it was awful nice of her to have said to him. Yeah, he had to acknowledge it…'Mama Dixon' deserved a lot of credit…a lot. "You're welcome," the two words slipped through Daryl's tight lips at a much faster rate than how they'd sounded in his head, but he didn't have no more to say, that he knew how to say, than that.

But Carol smiled a mother's smile, proud of her simpleton boy even if no one else coulda been. "I know," she answered, then turned her head to smile encouragingly at Rick as the group leader gave her a respectful nod, telling her to keep her radio on, but it was already on…Carol never put her radio down, or turned it off, not even when she had it sitting in the charging dock beside her bed. Carol turned back to Daryl again, the light in her eyes helping to spark a little more hope for how things would go with Grecia than Daryl had originally. "Now," she sighed as she laid her hand softly on his battle-ready shoulder. "You take all that strength you're so willing to lend out to whoever's in need of it and you go get your girl back!"

Part 2

Everyone thought models were tall…any woman six feet or taller who described herself as "gigantic" or "gawky" was constantly being reminded she was "model height" so she'd feel better about herself. The truth was that different agencies wanted different things in a girl. Some promoted that huge, big boned, stately Amazon image…but Grecia's agency had been tickled enough with her less than impressive height of five feet eight inches and never too skinny little body. But right now, Grecia would have dealt out anything to be one of those six foot, or taller, big boned beauties! Figures…the first walker that she takes on…the first one that she herself had decided to try and put down, had a good eight inches on her and likely close to about 175 to 200 pounds too!

"Well?" Shane was standing there impatiently, about three feet behind Grecia, the muzzle of his rifle pointed directly at the big, fat walker's rotten head and Andrea on the other side of Grecia, doing the same. She was literally shaking in her boots and she didn't want to have to face this down, despite that Grecia had plenty of back-up…and she also head that fat walker's full attention too, that big geek was on his way over to meet her…what she didn't have was a plan! Shane didn't seem to care though, he just wanted it done and he wanted Grecia to do it, like she was some pitbull he'd just tossed in with some other fighting dog. "Get after it, now…you said you were going to!"

It must have been that walker's lumbering size that made it move in what seemed like slow motion…he probably moved like that when he was alive too…but now that, and the adrenaline that was keeping the fractured rib pain at a minimum, was the only help Grecia was getting…and neither one was enough! She couldn't shoot the big, fat, dead thing; shooting walkers with a gun and bullet was a last resort now, Rick had put that message out to everyone weeks ago; said it wasn't worth drawing in ten more walkers just to take one out. He was right of course…but right now Grecia was wishing all she had to do was shoulder her Savage 110 and pull the trigger…she might have been able to stay settled enough to do that…but the closer that big, globule of a hungry corpse was getting to her…it's putrid, bloated, fat belly shaking like a bowl full of…of…rancid entrails…no…Grecia wasn't feeling this…oh God, she was going to get bit! No…stop…she couldn't let her fear run away with her like that again…she'd been working on that for days now and she'd been doing so good too…until now…God, she hoped that if she froze…or pretended to…either Andrea, or Shane, or both of them, would blow that big boy's fat head off and end this for the walker and Grecia.

But Grecia couldn't do that…she knew she couldn't. This wasn't even really about her…this was about Daryl! Grecia really had given Daryl a black eye by not having stepped up to put down a walker yet…and Shane was loving that…and it was really pissing Grecia off…and now it was all on her to reinstate Daryl's name and get Shane off Daryl's case…make Shane stop calling him snarky little names like "Sling-Blade" and "'ol Git-R-Done" and "Double Wide Bubba"…which Grecia realized Shane had never said…it was something that her racing mind just suddenly spit out to her…but hey, whatever was going to give her motivation, Grecia was going to use it! Grecia couldn't make Daryl want her, but she wanted him, and because she loved him, she had to do this for him! So, ready or not…scared or not…here went nothing!

In a split second, Grecia found herself within an arm's length of that big, fat walker…one of its arm's lengths…both fat, grayish white appendages stretching out towards her, the fingers grubby black and covered in hen blood and bits of old, dirty white chicken feathers. Grecia instinctively backed up out of reach, her breathing going berserk on her, only able to inhale and couldn't stop doing it, just like she'd all of sudden been hit with a bucket of ice cold water. But she wasn't moving that well herself; her ribs may have been quieted by all the excitement, but she was startled by how accurate the saying "scared stiff" really was! What had she gotten herself into? The fat walker kept coming, Andrea and Shane keeping their guns on it, but now they shuffled their stance some, adjusting to the geek's advance as they waited for Grecia to do what she'd said she was going to.

Okay…there was the remote possibility that if Grecia did screw this up, it could be more than her life on the line…she'd hate to think that she could somehow cause Andrea, her friend who had been sticking up for her today, to get bit…and Shane…even though he wasn't who he used to be…and even though what he was now was a treacherous and eerie pain in the ass…well, Grecia would always remember his wide open brown eyes full of humanity that first night she'd met him, she'd always remember how he'd told her, "sorry about your cat." But way up ahead of either Andrea or Shane, was Daryl…put down this walker, and Shane had nothing to keep jamming into Daryl's ribs! God, did Grecia love Daryl…loved him like she never thought she'd love anyone, or could love anyone…

"This ain't hard, okay? Just listen to me, I'll get you through." The words were like a faint whisper at the very back of Grecia's mind, almost like when her Bluetooth would slip out of position and make the conversation sound far away. But it was Daryl's voice, and Daryl's words she could hear playing back in her head…like he'd left some message in her brain and rigged it to break free and switch on the minute Grecia needed him most…but couldn't have him. Daryl was in her…he really and truly was! And there'd never before been a time when she'd needed him more but couldn't have him than right now! Grecia knew she must have looked incredibly odd, suddenly just standing there with her head tilted a bit to the side, trying to tune in Daryl's imaginary voice a little bit better, but she didn't care.

"…don't be messin' with him for real long," she heard Daryl saying next, and now Grecia was recognizing this conversation…her memory re-booted to when she had caught that snake…okay…she definitely had caught that snake…didn't get bit either…"and if you can overcome your fear of this one, then you can overcome your fear of the other'n too." Alright…technically, she had nothing to worry about then…right?

Okay…this wasn't any different from that snake…and Daryl was here…sort of. Grecia brought her head up and planted her feet, looked up right into the pallid, fat, greasy looking face of the huge walker; he'd had a double chin once…but it had a big bite mark in it, shreds of skin and gooey strings of fat hanging down over his filthy, torn up bib front overalls. At first glance he appeared to have a white beard, but another look revealed his mouth and bulging cheeks to be covered with old, dirty white chicken feathers, lips red with blood as he made some congested, snarling sound at her and reached for her again.

Big…this was a big walker! He towered over Grecia…he towered over Andrea…he towered over Shane…what kind of move did Grecia really have to make here? She could maybe take her gun and try to swing it up and hope to clock the geek in the head hard enough to put him out…but what if the fat corpse came down at her when she did and ended up knocking her rifle out of her hands? What if Grecia tried to jump upwards, high enough so that she could like 'punch' the walker in the face with the butt end of the Savage 110? But what if he somehow caught her with those big, doughy, rotten and juicy looking arms when she did? What if…what if…"what if he grows legs and does a tap dance?"

Legs…legs…that was the answer Grecia had been seeking! Legs! It came to her via the most bizarre thing Daryl had ever said to her, but yes, legs! Thank you, Daryl! Grecia had a plan now, and she was moving quickly into it, not stopping to really think about the what-if's anymore…she had a plan…she was in full on execution mode…which she'd never felt herself go into before, but it was long past due time for her to find it! Daryl's rep depended on her…and she wasn't going to let Daryl down…no way!

She took a step back, jammed her foot into the green grass to make herself stop shaking…and she did. She leaned away from the big, fat walker, quickly turning her rifle around in her hands, holding it firmly by the barrel and forestock, bringing it low at her waist and pushing her shoulders out and testing their range of motion in a way that she'd never done before, preparing her body for something it had never done before. But she was ready…something that she'd always sort of felt coming off of Daryl beginning to walk up her spine and infuse itself into her arms, taking hold of that rifle for her, knowing, without having to look, that her fingers were totally clear of the trigger and its housing. She was good to go…and then she did.

Without even thinking, Grecia stepped forward into the motion as she swung her rifle like a club, using it like an ax almost, feeling muscles in her arms, back and shoulders that she didn't even know she had stretching, flexing and squeezing, her Savage 110 swinging forth like a baseball bat in the hands of Gold Glove winning, .388 BA hitter Sancho Calderas himself…and just like the sound she'd heard at so many of Sancho's boring games, Grecia heard something like the crack of a homerun off of the wood in her hands. The impact of the rifle stock into the bend of the fat walker's knee joint jolted her, fingers and hands feeling the steel and wood reverberating against her skin and bones as it rattled every muscle and nerve in her body. She'd never moved with so much speed or power, and when her motion finally stopped and both her feet were once again on the ground, so was the fat walker…face down and struggling to get back up. But he wasn't getting back up…nuh-uh…not ever again…she wasn't letting Daryl down!

"Don't hesitate!" Daryl was yelling in her ear from inside her head now and Grecia wasted no time abiding by him, steadying up and then hoisting her rifle up over her own head like she was some Samurai warrior before the inverted gun had even gone still from taking out that fat walker's knee. Before she knew it, she'd thrust the butt end of the Savage 110 straight down, felt both her feet leave the ground as she leaped up, bringing the rifle and her own weight down into the back of the fat walker's head…felt the walker's skull crack like a big egg shell, felt her rifle go through it, heard the hollow crunch of rotten bone that resonated with a pithy echo against the stock of her rifle as the butt end of the Savage 110 finally struck the ground underneath of the fat walker's pulverized forehead. Walker down!

"…you don't wanna get musked!" It was over; Grecia had done it…she'd done it! She'd come up against her most vicious fear…and she was walking away, victorious! She did it…it was over…so why was she still hearing Daryl? And then before she could even feel the relief of having it be over, or even feel good that she'd done it…finally, she'd done it…she noticed something foul and blackish brown dripping from her cheek and chin onto her boots and the grass…and the fat walker she'd put down herself…what…oh shit…she'd been pretty splattered with rot! Great! Just fabulous! "You're gonna stank for a long time!" Oh, shut up, Daryl!

"Wow…" Andrea's voice blotted out Daryl's…even though Daryl's hadn't technically been real, and when Grecia looked up…feeling incredibly stoked…and also incredibly disgusting…Andrea was staring at her, and that fat, downed walker in amazement. The pretty blond shook her head a bit. "I guess you were saving that up for a while, huh?" She kind of laughed, but Grecia was still feeling a little too stunned, in a good way, to laugh…and she was also feeling really really really disgusting…oh God! Walker goo! On her face! Oh God!

Grecia tried to think of something to say, but she had no idea what to say, and she couldn't have said it anyway because was so out of breath still. She just looked to Andrea and gave her a thankful nod, stepped back from the walker she'd put down…that she'd finally put down…and began the process of getting herself back in order mentally…she'd done it…she'd done it…Shane couldn't point anymore fingers at Daryl or insinuate that Daryl was weak or shirked his training duties…Daryl's character was no longer questionable…but…but…Daryl hadn't been here to see Grecia finally put down a walker…and despite how good Grecia knew her accomplishment should feel, it just didn't…it couldn't. Daryl didn't wan—but a fist suddenly intruded into her line of vision, interrupting her self pity, making Grecia look up.

Shane said nothing, just stood there with his arm extended, a fist at the end of it, but he looked like he'd just been handed a weapons code that would change the tide in some kind of war. What was with him? Grecia was so busy trying to figure this out she'd ignored the fist he'd stuck out at her until finally Shane cracked a crooked, happier than happy grin. "C'mon, don't leave me hangin'! Blow it up, girl!"

Okay…Grecia made her own fist, stuck her arm out and tapped Shane's with it, Shane doing the whole explosion of fingers and sound effects thing, but Grecia just watched, trying to decide if this was some attempt at bonding or a genuine congratulations…or something else still. And the next thing she knew, Shane was quickly yanking the black T-shirt he wore untucked from his pants, stretching it up and offering it to her to wipe the walker goo on her face off on…and well, even though that was maybe getting a little too personal…since that end of the shirt had been in Shane's pants and all…Grecia accepted…she couldn't stand having that crud on her! She took hold of the shirt and bent forward, her ribs choosing then to remind her that they were still fractured and that bending down was still going to hurt…but Grecia stayed bent forward long enough to make a few good passes with Shane's shirt tail over her cheek and chin.

"Thank you," she said to him as she let go of the shirt tail and eased herself up right again, and looked up at his eyes, hoping that old Shane would be looking back at her…and he was…a little bit…but it was only a faint glimmer, despite the smile on Shane's face.

"I could tell you the same," Shane's smile got a little bigger, but his eyes flipped to Andrea for a moment, Andrea smiling and nodding back to Shane, like yeah, whatever it was, it was time to go ahead and do it…and Grecia felt her stomach starting to tie in a knot all over again, but that didn't stop Shane from speaking. "Alright, look," he started, and sort of relaxed his posture like he wanted to seem less imposing. "I don't know, and I don't give a damn, what happened with you and Daryl," and he said Daryl's name like he was doing Grecia a purposeful favor. "But if he don't wanna work with you, I do! Sometimes, I got Glenn out here; others, Andrea…Glenn's good, Andrea's better…but I sure could use a tracker, particularly one that can take down the dead like you just did with all that ninja shit!"

Ninja shit? Try as she might to fight it, Grecia felt what Shane had said starting to feel good…wow…not only had she finally put a walker down, but she'd done it with some kind of exceptional skill, too? Really? Well, even Andrea had been amazed…but "ninja shit?" No…don't smile…and she didn't, she just nodded her head a little bit as she looked back at Shane…old Shane…old Shane was in there still, and he was proud of her, old Shane wanted to work with her…but there was a lot more than just old Shane in there, and Grecia kept telling herself that. "I'm not a tra—" she started to say, hoping to push Shane off a little, but just then the wind bent her ear and she could hear boots brushing the grass again…someone was coming…no, two people, they were walking out of step with each other. Grecia turned her head a bit, looking out over Shane's shoulder…Rick…she could see Rick through the fruit trees…but Rick wasn't alone…

Shane shook his head like Grecia was wrong about what she'd been trying to say, and without realizing it, he'd pivoted just enough to block Grecia's view. Shane's expression went serious and he leaned sort of forward towards Grecia. "Think about it," he told her, but just as he said it, Grecia could hear someone running towards them all…running hard…tearing through the peach trees…Daryl! He'd come for her after all.

Author's Note: OMG, I really didn't think this chapter would ever end, and I bet you all didn't either!lol I do apologize for the length of this…I don't like to keep people stuck reading for such a long time…but I really want to get Grecia and Daryl together again soon, and I had to go through all that stuff before I could to set up everything that hasn't happened yet…and oh, never mind, it's Just thank you for reading from deep down in my heart! I hope most of you were able to stay awake through this one!lol

Special Thanks and a big Welcome to AUTUMNKRYSTAL for both subscribing to and making this story one of their favorites! We have a lot of fun here discussing it, so I hope you take all of us up on the invitation to join the happy throng!

I'd like to say a special "thank you" to JEZEBELLA CORVUS and RUNA 333 for visiting the photo album and being kind enough to hit the "like" here and there and also getting into it enough to leave comments! Wow! Thank you for making the album such a fun place!

Oh! And to : I still don't know what happened, but in the AN attached to Chapter 20, ffnet must have freaked out and omitted your name! I thanked you for your review, but when I looked at it today, all it says is "To :" but your name is gone. Huh? I apologize for that, it wasn't intentional…and I certainly hope it doesn't occur again here!lol Thank you again for commenting!

To EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY-READER: Okay, I'm dying to know what you think Shane's intentions are with Grecia, since you've got this very wise, very cool "dangling the carrot" theory going! I love it! I'm just wondering if you're right!lol And I'm so happy you laughed at the "God's out there" part! Really, when you guys laugh at something, it makes me laugh too, so I'm just delighted right now; thanks for sharing that! And I know how much you love Shane-*not*-so, ha ha ha, I made you think he was funny!lol And yes, you hit the nail on the head, Grecia is soooooo channeling Daryl, and by now you've by now seen exactly how right you were in this chapter! Woo-hoo! Score another one for the EOR!lol Oh, and don't go anywhere, and keep those lips ready…Daryl might be needing a "work out" before the next two or so chapters, if you get my meaning!;-) Thanks again for reading and for commenting! I always have the best time reading what you have to say and you send me to the best places in my writing! Thank you!

To ALEC1116: Yay! If you're excited, then so am I! Thank you for letting me know that, and I hope I delivered what you were hoping to see! Thanks for reading and being part of the journey through Daryl and Grecia's universe!

To CORBSXX: Weird and ridiculous is your thing…okay, well that explains why you get along with me, then!lol And I'm so glad that you raised the issue with Grecia not jumping on Andrea for blatantly saying that Daryl had "failed to teach" Grecia. I wrestled with having Grecia jump on Andrea or not, but at the end decided to let Andrea off the Grecia hook there because, well…Grecia, at that point in this story, was seeing Andrea as her friend, and Grecia was also on the edge of having to go into battle, so her thoughts were a little distracted…but mostly, it was Grecia giving Andrea a pass because she's her "friend." We'll see if Andrea really is though! Again, thank you for bringing it up! I could have handle that better; I see it now that you've said something, but this is how I learn! With every question, I get a little bit better and not letting things slip through cracks like that did! Thank you! I need detail oriented readers like you! They're the best!

To ELOQUENT DREAMS: I love it when the first thing typed into a review is "hahahaha!"lol Like I said, when you all laugh, so do I, so thank you…even if your BF won't let me direct some of my bikers to your house for the Very cool that you picked up on how "naughty" Grecia being on patrol and finding a walker with Shane felt! Good! That's how I wanted it to feel! Thank you for getting it and for sharing that you did! And Daryl was *sort of* there for Grecia's walker kill…was that good enough? I'll try harder, don't worry! Thanks again for reading and for saying such great stuff!

To JEZEBELLA CORVUS: Yay! I have another installment of your story to read over coffee tomorrow morning! Yippy! That'll get me out of bed!lol I can't wait! I know you've been throwing me some Merle bones and I want you to know how much it's gettin' me through!lol Hmm…'Merle bones?' Wow! Sure…I'd take at least one of those!;-) Anyway…what you said about Grecia being like a canvas with paint smeared all over it that was finally starting to come together as a painting had the usual effect on me! How do you take an entire chapter…no, in this case, an entire story (so far) and turn into two little lines of poetry like that? Damn! I am a published poet and I don't think I could do that! I bow down to you! And I'm also an animal lover, so that part about Blanche was so terrible to write for me! Thank you for sharing your reaction to it! And I want you to know that as rewarding as it has been for you to be able to watch Grecia take shape, it's been doubly as rewarding to be shaping her with the help of such terrific people who, like yourself, who leave me reviews! You always put the prettiest pieces of yourself into what you write, here and in your story, and I am incredibly fortunate not just to have you as a reader, but also as an influence in my life! Thank you!

Okay, so this chapter from hell is finally at a close! I'm very excited about the coming chapters now that this one is out of the way! Again, thank you all for sticking with me on this marathon of words, and I promise not to do this to you again! Oh! And is there anything that anyone would like to see in the Photobucket album that is not there already? Please speak up if you feel like there's something you need to see! Other than that, we're done here! Thank you all for reading and for your loyal support! Writing this story wouldn't be even half the fun that it is without all of you! I have sincerely enjoyed getting to "know" you all and as I do, I am more and more honored that people like you have chosen to read me! You all really are the best, so never let anyone tell you different…and if they do, I'll bust their ass!lol Have a wonderful Wednesday, be blessed, and here's hoping that VERITASKYM didn't run off with both those Dixon boys without me! Thanks again everyone! - Grace