Disclaimer – See Chapter 1
AN – A side story with Daryl and Carl

"Wake up, time to get something more than canned and bagged food for this group." Carl opened his eyes and saw Daryl standing in the door of his cell.

"Wha?"

"Five minutes, meet you out front." Daryl walked off after that and Carl scrambled to get ready in the time he was allotted. After he got ready, Buffy was waiting for him by the door.

"Here, breakfast, eat while you walk. Mind what Daryl says and bring back some real meat. Oh and have fun." Buffy gave Carl a gentle shove on his back to get him moving again as she followed behind him.

"You coming with us?" The young boys voice sounded hopeful.

"Nope, boys trip. I am just opening the gate."

"Oh." She gave a small smile behind his back at the sound of disappointment. Carl was a bit worried now, Daryl wasn't always the most friendly towards him, sure he was there when his mom died and his dad was off in his own world, but lately it has been Buffy, out of all the other adults, he had been going to for comfort. Carl sighed again when he spotted Daryl with his new crossbow strapped to his back and was holding his older crossbow.

"Strap it on and let's go. Burnin' daylight." Carl nodded and took the proffered weapon and adjusted it to fit on his back and stumbled back a bit from the weight causing Daryl to laugh. "You'll adjust to it."

"Have fun you two." Buffy opened the gate and helped them clear the immediate area before closing the gates back up and headed inside.

They had been walking for a few miles in silence when Carl spoke in a hushed tone. "You gonna talk to me too, about what happened?"

"Nope. Buffy said she already did."

"She tell you what we talked about?"

"No, said it was between the two of you. You wanna talk about it, I won't not listen." Daryl said this as he searched the area for walkers and game.

"You think I'm bad for what I did?" Daryl stopped walking and looked down at the young man and sighed before kneeling down before him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You did what me, Buffy, Faith, Michonne or your dad would have done. Even Glenn and Maggie may have done it. I ain't mad at ya. Don't think you are bad either. Just think you got the wrong end of the situation. Let me tell you somethin' too. The fact you are questioning if you are bad, means you feel guilt and bad people don't feel guilt." Daryl stood again and started to walk again deeper into the woods.

They were out there another hour with only a rabbit and a few squirrels to show for it.

"Hey Daryl."

"Yeah kid?"

"Think we should start trapping the animals and bring them back to the prison?"

"Not a bad idea, we can start it soon then, get their numbers back up. We can get with the others when we get back and work up a plan on where to put them." The low sound of a walker feeding and a soft whimper stopped their conversation. Daryl motioned for Carl to stay there and alert as he notched his bolt and took aim at the head of the walker. After a minute of no more signs of any walkers the two of them walked to the felled walker for Daryl to retrieve his bolt. The whimpering noise got louder as they approached and Daryl knelt down to investigate.

"Poor girl." Carl looked down and saw what the walker had been eating. A black lab was lying on her side, torn open as she tried to protect her pups. Carl watched as Daryl carefully moved the dog out of the way and took a look at the pups underneath. Only one had survived. The others looked to have been crushed during the scuffle. Gently, Daryl picked up the remaining pup and looked it over.

"That one gonna make it?"

"Think so. Think Hope will want it?" Carl looked up at Daryl in surprise at the slight tone of vulnerability he heard, seeing him as a dad in that moment.

"Think she will love it. Herschel can check it over."

"Her."

"Oh, then he can check her over."

"Yeah, let's start on back, be night soon." Daryl placed his crossbow across his back once more and arranged the small puppy in his jacket so she would stay safe and warm on the cold trip back.

They made it back to the safety of the prison with no problems, Glenn and Maggie helped them dispatch the walkers outside the fence and let them back in.

"You've watched me skin enough of these in the past. Think you can do it?" Carl nodded after a moment. "Clean the blade before you bring it back." Daryl handed Carl his knife and the game they caught before heading into the prison. Everyone looked up as he walked in.

"Where's Carl?" Rick asked this as Daryl kissed Buffy in greeting.

"Cleaning dinner."

"How was the hunt?" Buffy asked this, her eyes narrowing as she heard something whimper softly from inside Daryl's jacket.

"Fine, things are scarce. Carl had a good idea about trapping them to start breeding them back here."

"That is a good idea, Herschel can help with that too."

"Yeah, for now I have to talk to Herschel about something else." Daryl left the room and went in search of the former farmer and vet. He found him in his cell, reading. "Got a patient for you Doc." Herschel smiled softly as he saw the puppy that Daryl handed over to him.

"She looks good, make a good ratter for the prison too." Herschel handed the puppy back to Daryl and he turned at the gentle clearing of a throat behind him. As he turned he smiled at the wide grin that was on Buffy's face.

"Got Hope a puppy."

"I love you." Daryl looked at her with a soft smile.

"I love you too."

Carl came back in an hour later with the now skinned dinner and a clean knife for Daryl to inspect.

"Looks good. See a few things you can improve on, will sit with you next time. Get cleaned up and act surprised, and be nice." Carl gave the older man a confused look but went on to do what he said anyway.

"Carl, Carl! Lookit!" Carl looked down at Hope as she came running up to him with a wriggling black mass of puppy in her arms.

"What you got there?"

"Bonk."

"What?"

"Poppa got me a puppy. Momma and Unka Rick said I could keep her, I named her Bonk."

"That is a good name, I gotta get cleaned up. You have fun playing with Bonk." On his way to the showers he was shaking his head at the name of the new dog as he passed by Buffy and his dad fussing over Judith.

"Can't say nothin' about that name Carl. You had a goldfish you named Gold." Carl gave a hesitant smile in his father's direction before continuing on his way, it wasn't an earth shattering conversation, but it was a start.