Season 3, here we go!

"Look! There's a house up ahead. Can we go check it out, dad?" Carl asked as the group took a break on the side of the road. Ava stood next to Rick, looking up at him as he squinted against the rays of sun shining through the trees. "I don't know Carl." admonished Rick as he shook his head, "We should keep moving; try to find another house that isn't so close to the road."

Glancing at Carl, Ava saw him lower his head and scuff the toe of his shoe against the pavement. Putting a hand on Rick's shoulder, she moved to look the leader in the eye. "Look, Rick." she stated, "I know you wanna keep moving but you've gotta realize something. Your wife looks like she's about to pop any minute. We have three growing teens that need to rest." She shrugged her shoulders "Shit. We all need to rest. You included."

Rick sighed and looked over to Daryl. Daryl gave a short nod before agreeing "If we hole up here, Ava and I can go huntin'. Maybe find somethin' worth bringin' back 'sides squirrel." Rick paused and was quiet before making his decision. He told the group that he would take Daryl, T-Dog, Carl, Max, and himself to clear out the house while the others would bring the cars around and park them as close as possible to the back of the house.

When Ava turned to grab her bow and quiver from one of the cars, she felt a pair of fingers gently brush down her arm, leaving goosebumps in its wake. The corner of her mouth lifted up in a small smile as she heard a gruff voice murmur "'Ya a'ight?" Nodding, she turned towards Daryl "Yeah. I'm good. Find us a room, maybe?" Smirking, he bit his lower lip and nodded, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief as a blush crept across his cheeks. Ava took a quick look around them before rising to her tiptoes and meeting her lips with his. As she felt his hand rest on her waist, she felt a smile grow on her lips, only to be broken by a small moan as his callused thumb rubbed against a bare patch of skin uncovered by the rising of her shirt.

Breaking apart from the quick kiss, she dropped back to her feet and cupped her hand on his jaw, her thumb brushing over his lower lip. "Be safe." she whispered. He nodded and pressed a small kiss to her thumb before turning around and gathering with the rest of the group that were going to clear the house.

Ava watched as the group headed towards the house, knocking an arrow against her bow. "Okay. Glenn, Maggie", Ava sighed, "let's do a quick sweep while the cars are moved." The pair nodded and the trio moved along to the back of the house, encountering only one walker that Glenn took out with ease. The smaller group waited at the back door for Rick to let them in.

As Rick opened the door, the trio walked in as Ava shrugged her shoulder at the leader. Giving him a small smile, she smirked "See. What'd I tell 'ya?" Rick nodded and holstered his revolver, closing the door behind him. Sighing, he ran his hand over his face in defeat "I know. Just with more and more walkers on the move, I'm not even sure if any place can be permanent." Ava shouldered her bow and nodded "True. But at least we can rest."

Ava entered the living room and saw Daryl sitting on an end table with what looked like an owl in his hands. She sat down on the floor in front of him and started to sort through the feathers that he had plucked from the owl. Feeling Daryl nudge her with his foot, she looked up and answered his unspoken question "Doesn't hurt to have more than enough arrows. We can make some later with the feathers for the fletching." He nodded and went back to plucking his owl.

Soon, everyone had gathered into the living room to catch their breath. All was quiet, everyone content at the chance to sit down and rest.

The silence was broken as the grinding of a can opener hit everyone's ears. Ava looked up from her spot beside Daryl to see Carl kneeling on the ground with two cans of dog food between his knees. Ava opened her mouth to whisper the boy's name but was interrupted by his father stepping forward and picking the can up. Glancing between the can and his son, everyone could see the distraught look on Rick's face.

Rick took a step back before turning around and throwing the can into the fireplace causing Daryl to jump and flinch in his seat. Ava's hand automatically flew to rest on his knee, giving him a calming anchor to hold onto. Everyone was silent once more before Max looked out the window and saw a small group of walkers making their way towards the house. He picked up his metal baseball bat and with a whistled warning, the group left the house and gathered into the cars to be on the run again once more.

It wasn't long before the group decided to pull off next to a city sign and check the map out on places to go. As Rick, Glenn, Max, and Herschel get out to look at the map, Daryl nudged Rick saying, "Ava and I are gonna go hunt while the others wash their panties. That owl didn't exactly fill up the rest of the group." Rick nodded, looking the hunters in the eye "Watch each other's backs. Keep each other safe." Daryl smirked as he glanced at Ava and mumbled "Always."

The duo walked into the woods and found a set of train tracks. Keeping to them, they made their way deeper into the forest. Ava kept her bow at the ready as she balanced herself on one of the rails. She was lost in her thoughts until Daryl nudged her gently and broke through her fog by gently asking "What's on your mind sunshine?" She shook her head, her eyes focused on putting her feet one in front of the other. Daryl sighed and stood on the rail in front of her, his hands reaching up to grasp her upper arms. "Ava", he said firmly.

Looking up, she met his gaze and what he saw in her eyes made his heart turn flips inside his chest. Lifting his hand, he cradled her neck, his thumb rubbing her cheek. Quietly, his voice broke past the sounds of the forest "What's wrong Ava? What's turnin' inside that brain of yours, huh?" Breaking his gaze, she turned her head, slightly shaking it as she stammered "What if we can find another place? Wh-what if we have to stay on the run forever, Daryl? What if we can't find anywhere safe for Lori to have the baby?" Suddenly, she whipped her head back to hold his gaze as her eyes widened with fear "What if she and the baby die? Daryl that means someone is going to have to put them down. To make sure that they don't become walkers! Think of what that's going to do to Rick. To Carl! Dary-!"

Daryl leaned forward and caught Ava's lips with his own, cutting her off from her worrying. All that could be heard was the heavy pants of breath leaving their nostrils as they both clung to each other; Ava to keep from drowning in her own thoughts and Daryl to keep her from floating away. When the couple's lungs started to burn fort he need of oxygen, they broke apart from each other, keeping their foreheads touching. Sighing, Daryl licked his lips and whispered "We'll find somewhere. We always do. We'll find somewhere safe for Lori to have the baby and we'll be fine."

Ava clung to the front of Daryl's jacket, her fingers running over the teeth of the zipper. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I shouldn't have freaked out. I should've told 'ya earlier instead of letting it all build up." Daryl pressed his lips to her forehead before bending down and picking up the bow that Ava had dropped in her mad scramble to cling to her love. Daryl handed it to her and then wrapped his hand around hers, lead her along the tracks.

As they walked down the tracks, they soon started to hear the moans of walkers. They came around the bend in the tracks to see a prison overrun with walkers inside its gates. "Fuck," Daryl muttered. "Damn shame. Would've been a good place." He turned around to go back but was stopped by Ava grasping at his wrist. He looked up at her to see a small smile lighting up her face. He scrunched his eyebrows together "What? You're seriously not thinkin' that we can clear that place out, are 'ya?" Ava shrugged, "It'd be a start, right? Clear out the outer gate and then clear the inner yard?"

Motioning with one hand towards the prison, Ava let a laugh slip past her lips "We can do this, Daryl. I know we can." Daryl stood there, hands on his hips as he looked at Ava thoughtfully. Shaking his head, he ran his hand through his hair as he turned around to head back "Fine. We'll tell Rick."

Sorry that it's short. It just felt like a good place to end it. I have the next few chapters already written so I'm not going to change the length on those. The ones that I'm working on now, I'm trying to make them longer, just for y'all.

Thanks to my reviewers:

Guest 1

Carissa

cln23