Evie stood at the edge of the woods, watching strangers move around the camp., what had happened in the few hours she'd been gone? And most importantly, where the hell was her family? She could only imagine her Uncle Merle's reaction to these people rolling up on their camp.
As she looked around taking in everything her eyes stopped on a boy that looked to be about her age. His hair was longer, shaggy brown. He was taller than her by at least half a foot with a lean build. Overall, Evie thought he was pretty cute with his bright blue eyes.
Forcing herself to look away, she found her dad and uncle both standing beside the truck. Making her way over to them as inconspicuously as possible, she didn't put her arrow away until she slid to stand between them, not trusting any of these new people at her back.
"Daddy, what's going on?" I heard an explosion loud enough to make the trees shake and come back to find our camp overrun with strangers."
"Military bombed Atlanta, princess." her Uncle Merle was the one to respond. "We saw it from the other side of the quarry. Little over half an hour later these sheep showed up looking to settle in." She could tell by the easy he spoke that he was none too pleased with the company. To be honest, she wasn't thrilled with the news either. She might be more outgoing than either of the other two surviving Dixons but she was very much a Daddy's girl and tended to be more like him in a lot of ways than her mother.
"Great." was all she said in response. That word packed with so much sarcasm and displeasure had both Dixon brothers reacting. Daryl snorted. He knew his kid, she was his mini-me with her mama's angelic face. She had the infamous Dixon temper, her momma's wit, and sass, and the most vicious tongue he'd ever seen. The fact that she was crazy smart meant she could cut a person off at the knees and lay them bare and make them thank her for it.
'Well this is bound to be interesting.' he thought to himself.
Merle's reaction w3as totally different. He busted out in that loud barking laugh of his and nodded his agreement to her one-word assessment. He knew his niece. Merle knew she didn't suffer fools and would willingly put a bitch in place with a verbal smackdown. He was looking forward to seeing that pompous pig get what for if he spouted off at the mouth in front of his feisty niece.
The sound of Merle's booming laugh caught the attention of the whole camp. Namely the cope and the teenage boy.
The sight of such a petite girl standing between two burly rednecks was enough to make most of the survivors pause. That is until they realized just how heavily armed she was.
Shane noticed the Glock bow, and an assortment of knives and snorted, shaking his head. He'd have to take those from her before the tiny girl hurt herself. He wondered whose kid she was and who would let their daughter near the dirty rednecks.
Making his way over he paused slightly hearing the girl speak.
"Are they heading out soon or will we be sharing the quarry indefinitely?" Evie asked.
"Dunno princess. Look to be settling in for a stay." was the response from Merle again.
"Lovely." came another sarcastic and slightly venomous response. "Babysitting city people … again … " Once again, Daryl snorted and Merle laughed. "This is going to be interesting." She finished with a sigh, leaning against her father's side. She knew he hated to be touched but she also knew that she was the one exception to that rule. He had been forced to come to terms with it when he realized that he had a daughter and that girls like to be cuddled.
"It'll be alright babygirl." Daryl said, laying his arm across Evie's shoulders.
"City people, Daddy … City people. Do you not remember the fiasco of that class camping trip last summer?" She asked, tilting her head back to look up at him with a raised eyebrow. This served to earn another snort and laugh from her father and uncle.
Shane was surprised to hear that the petite girl was the redneck's kid, he looked too rough to have such a pretty daughter. The second thing the cop caught was the derision directed towards the rest of the group, himself included.
"Well now, I don't think we're all that bad." Shane interrupted the small family. "I don't think we were introduced when the names were exchanged, I'm Shane Walsh, King County Sherrif's Deputy." The cop said offering his hand.
A hand that was ignored, though Evie plastered on a smile, that same one she'd worn for gymnastics meets for the judges. The one that was fake as Dolly's tits and sweet enough to cause cavities.
"Evie Dixon, charmed." she drawled in her best debutante voice her Grandma Callaghan had beat into her before her passing last year.
It took every ounce of stubborn will both Dixon brothers possessed not to laugh at Evie's response. They knew she wasn't done, not by a long shot and Merle was anxiously awaiting what was sure to be the highlight of his whole damn week.
"And a deputy at that! Well, I'll just bet you'll be able to wrangle your group over there just fine then. Upstanding officer of the law and all that you are, that you should have no trouble making sure they keep to their own business and out of ours. A lot of people who aren't used to it don't do well out in the woods for long periods of time and it would so be a shame to be at odds with people we have to be in close proximity with if they lose their heads and start developing itchy noses and sticky fingers. But I'm sure that as a Deputy Sherrif you have plenty of experience in keeping your people in like and thieves from thieving." Evie finished with a too-bright smile and wide innocent eyes.
Merle just about cracked a rib at the sickeningly sweet bitch slap his niece gave the cop. Made all the better by the way he'd been nodding along in agreement with Evie until the very end where he'd finally realized the threat in her words and the corner she'd backed him into where he couldn't argue or risk looking like a fool.
Shane wasn't sure how the conversation got so far derailed from coming over to confiscate weapons to being backed into a corner by a kid but he didn't like it so attempted to regain control and get back to his point.
"Of course." Shane said with a nod of his head. "And speaking of managing my people, I think you should give your daddy his weapons back. Kids shouldn't play with guns and weapons. It's making some of the others uneasy."
Evie game a smirk while Daryl and Merle both snorted. "That's where you're wrong, officer." She said, her voice changing from sweet and slightly vapid to sweetly condescending. "First, we…" She said, indicating all three Dixons. "Are not your people, so not your concern." She said, holding up a hand to stall him when he went to interrupt her and speaking over him. "Nor will we be. Second, not my Daddy's weapons. These are mine. Custom grips made to fit me and registered in my name., So no, I will not be handing MY weapons to my dad. Third, no one seems to care other than you and as previously stated, we aren't your people therefore not your problem. And seeing as this is not King County, definitely not your jurisdiction. Even in the end of the world. So I'll be keeping MY weapons, along with doing whatever I damn well please and will hear nothing more from you." She said and slipped around her dad to head to her tent.
"Now wait just a minute-" Shane started but was cut off once again by Evie.
"I said good day." She said firmly, giving him the stink eye she'd learned from her Grandma. "And I do so hope it's a pleasant one." She simpered sweetly before slipping into her tent.
"ASre you just gonna let her talk to an adult like that?" Shane demanded as he turned his attention on Daryl.
"You came barging over here making demands to my kid. You asked for it." Daryl said gruffly. "You don't tell my daughter what to do. Ever. Stay away from her.": he said before taking off to his own tent.
"Don't look at me." Merle said when the cop turned his way. "You're lucky you just got told my Evie-girl. Personally, I would have shot you in the ass. Run your mouth at my niece again and it just might happen anyway." Merle said, leaving Shane standing there fuming.