ChildishAssassin: Honestly? That would screw up plans further down the line. I can't save everybody, unfortunately. But don't worry. I promise Sasha gets a happy ending.

To my dear Guest reader who commented: Him and Ani...maybe Merle now...But yeah, I don't really understand why Maggie only went after Glenn and then willingly leave without knowing for sure if Beth was alive...

Ani fell asleep in Daryl's arms after another twenty minutes of walking. After an hour, his arms began to burn, but he wasn't about to take Merle up on his offer to carry her. If he could drag a 200lb buck back to camp, he could handle carrying his tiny little Ania until they reached the church the priest said was less than an hour's walk away, especially since she'd lost weight since all this started. She was still clutching his shirt as she slept, too, a fact that made him smile. Bobby had clawed his way out of her bag at some point and had plodded alongside Daryl as he walked, meowing up at him and at one point trying to claw up his leg. Sophia had bent down to pick him up only for him to hiss at her and continue his attempted climb, making Daryl cuss up a storm. Merle had come to the rescue and grabbed the damn thing off of him and put it on Ani's chest.

"Think it wanted it's momma," Merle chuckled as it curled up between their chests purring.

"So she's really your wife?" Abraham asked.

"Mm-hmm."

"How'd that happen? 'Cause, buddy, from where I'm standing, fire and water don't mix."

"The hell you mean by that?" Daryl asked, becoming agitated.

"She's a soldier, ain't she?" Abraham asked him. "I mean, she's precise, calculating, I have yet to see a woman who can fight like I saw her do and I've been with Rosita a long time. That woman knows how to kick some balls from point A to point B. Yet there is no way in hell she could do half of what I saw that tiny thing there do back at that shit-hole. So tell me, how'd it happen."

"She ain't a soldier," Merle chuckled. "She's just really good at what she does."

"Which is?"

"Kickin' ass without botherin' about names?" Sophia asked while looking at Merle, who outright chortled at what she'd said.

"That's right, girl!"

Abraham looked at them and shook his head before asking Daryl again, "So?"

Daryl gave the man a sideways glance before sighing angrily, "Just happened. She's mine, I'm hers, that's all."

"Well, if that ain't the lamest story I ever heard," he said before falling back to talk with Eugene.

"Damn nosy asshole," Daryl muttered, earning a chuckle from Merle.

"He's alright."

"He's annoying."

"He's a redhead," the sleepy voice sounded from Daryl's shoulder.

"Go back to sleep, baby girl. I got you," Daryl told Ania as he shifted her in his arms, bringing her head back up higher on his shoulder.

"Mm-hmm," she sighed, snuggling just a little closer to his neck before returning to her semi-sleep state; she could hear everything everyone was talking about but was too sluggish to respond.

"Still can't believe this shit. Jumps off two stories, comes back with bobcats. Only our Ani," Merle said. "Think her legs'll be alright?"

"Yeah, just needs to rest 'em. All that jumpin', surprised she didn't break a bone."

"You and me both, brother."

They quieted down hearing Rick speak up to the priest, "Hey, earlier in the woods, were you watching us?"

"I keep to myself," he said as he lead them down an obviously man-made trail through the woods. "Nowadays, people are just as the dead, don't you think?"

"No, people are worse," Daryl replied from his spot behind Rick.

"Well, I haven't been watching you," Gabriel said, glancing back at the man with the girl in his arms. "I haven't been beyond the stream near my church more than a few times since it all started. That was the furthest I've gone until today." When no one responded he chuckled and cocked his head. "Or maybe I'm lying. Maybe I'm lying about everything and there's no church ahead at all. Maybe I'm leading you into a trap so I can steal all your squirrels," he chuckled as his voice became increasing sarcastic. When the group remained silent and simply stared at him, he realized they didn't appreciate the joke. "Members of my flock had often told me that my sense of humor leaves much to be desired."

"Yeah, it does," Daryl said.

"Never joke about a man's squirrels, son," Merle chided, inwardly smiling at the fact that Sophia was scowling too.

"Ani would have laughed, though," Glenn offered, making some of the original group give small smiles while Daryl just rolled his eyes and scowled.

After another twenty minutes or so, they reached the church. Upon seeing it, Daryl roused Ania and put her down, making sure to keep the damn kitten's claws away from him; his leg was already scratched up and he was going to have words with Ania for that. She held it in her arms for a moment, kissing its head before she put it down and looked at him with that bright smile of hers. Filthy, bloody, bruised, and still looks like a damn dream, he thought before he grabbed her by the neck and brought her to him for a kiss. She reciprocated in kind before they broke apart, taking note that they'd fallen behind the others as Merle watched on with a small smile.

"C'mon you two lovebirds," he said as the others moved towards the church.

Ani contemplated the building as they walked up to it, Rick stopping the preacher from opening the door himself. It was mostly white with a mahogany door and off white window sills. It had a single steeple and looked relatively small for the size of church she was used to. Even the old church her parents used to drag her to had three different levels and an attached dining hall. This church was absolutely tiny in comparison, and she wondered just how small the town must be for it to have such a small church. Then again, it was probably one of the hundreds of denominations so it might not have had many attendees.

"Episcopal, that's why," she muttered under her breath as Rick spoke to Gabriel.

"Can we take a look around first?" he asked the man. "We just want to hold onto our squirrels," he joked, causing Ani to chuckle while looking confused.

"Man thinks he's funny jokin' 'bout takin' our squirrels," Merle enlightened her which made her snort.

"Soon 'nough, someone tries takin' our squirrels, Bobby and Catty'll get 'em," she joked.

"Tell me about it. One you were carryin' scratched my leg all to hell tryin' to climb up to you," Daryl growled at her.

"That would be Bobby. Catty got 'is name 'cause 'e's a scaredy cat. Bobby's much more adventurous," Ani informed them as Gabriel gave Rick the key to the church and he unlocked it.

Opening the door, Rick, Michonne, Daryl, Ani, Glenn, and Carol made their way inside. Like Ani thought, it was just a tiny little church with an office attached to it and that's it. Keeping her knives at the ready, she didn't fail to notice how Daryl was following her around, although still checking for danger. It almost felt as if he thought she was going to disappear again if he didn't stay right by her, not that she was complaining; she'd rather be in his arms again than walking around as her legs were still sore. Together, they double checked the small area near the pulpit, Daryl stopping to take in a clay mural of The Last Supper hanging on the wall.

"Seen one where it was cats 'stead a this," Ani told him quietly, leaning against him under the pretense of not wanting to be loud but wanting him to hear her. "Liked it way betta."

"You would," he scoffed, bending his head a little to kiss her forehead.

Rick whistled then, catching everyone's attention and drawing them back outside and handing Gabriel the key. "I spent months here without stepping out the front door," the man informed him. "If you found someone inside, well, it would have been surprising."

"Thanks for this," Carl said as Ani and Daryl exited the church.

"We found a short bus out back," Abraham informed Rick. "It don't run, but I bet we could fix that in a day or two. Father here says he doesn't want it. Looks like we found ourselves some transport." Rick just patted Judith's head while contemplating the man's words, prompting Abraham to continue, "You understand what's at stake here, right?"

"Yes, I do."

"Now that we can take a breath-" Michonne started saying.

"We take a breath, we slow down, shit inevitably goes down," Abraham cut her off.

"Hey, Red, ya trip north? How long it gonna take? What food ya got? Gas? Wata? Ammo?" Ani asked in a tone that was all but calling him an idiot.

"We need supplies," Michonne agreed. "No matter what we do next."

"That's right," Rick said as he walked up the stairs, Michonne, Carl, Sophia, Merle, Tyreese, and Carol following behind. "Water, food, ammunition."

"Short bus ain't goin' nowhere," Daryl told him before heading inside himself, pulling on Ania's hand. "We'll bring you back some baked beans. Let's go, Ania."

"Hold on a minute," she said, turning to him and giving him a quick kiss. "I'm gonna talk ta the man 'e says 'e has ta get ta DC."

"Now you wait just a hot damn minute, Tiny," Abraham told her. "You aren't qualified or ranking enough to talk to him."

"I'm a forensic psychologist a the Atlanta Police Department and the only one here qualified ta ensure the state a his mind ain' been compromised by recent events," she countered. "'Sides, ya know damn well ya can' stop me if ya try. 'Cause if ya try, I'll go for the kill. And if I kill ya, I'll have ta kill her 'cause she'll retaliate. That leaves ya little man ova there all on 'is lonesome tryin' ta get ta DC."

"Might as well let her talk to him," Glenn sighed. "She'll get what she wants anyway. Always does in these situations."

Abraham was red in the face as she walked right past him and over to Eugene, "Hi, I'm Ani. Let's talk." She dragged him over to a place out of earshot but within sight range of the others. "So, I here ya gotta get ta DC."

"Yes, ma'am, that's right," Eugene said, somewhat intimidated by the woman in front of him.

"And why is that?"

"'Cause I know how to end this whole fiasco," he said, looking her straight in the eye.

"Care ta share with the class?"

"No, I do not."

"Well, I think ya a lyin' sack a shite."

"Excuse me?"

"Ya heard me."

"I'm the only one who knows the cure," Eugene told her more seriously.

"Bull," Ani said, knowing that the man was going to crack under pressure; he might be able to keep a straight face in his mind, but all the subtle differences were plain as day to her.

"What'd you just say?" Eugene asked unbelieving of her attitude at the fact.

"I said bull. Ya don' know jack shite," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest and standing straight.

"Look here, I was part of a ten person team at the Human Genome Project to weaponize diseases to fight weaponized diseases," Eugene started his normal spiel, trying to end the interrogation. "Pathogenic microorganisms-"

"Bullshite. The CDC takes care a that shite, the HGP is for mappin' the human DNA sequence both in a physical sense and a functional sense. It was declared complete seven years ago, so ya wanna try that one again?"

"It was a classified project by the U-S-of-A-"

"In collaboration with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan and China? And made public domain as soon as any findin's were made? Are ya really gonna keep ta ya little lie?"

"What?" Eugene said, looking at Ani in shock at the realization he had truly met his match.

"Do ya have a problem with ya hearin'?" Ani asked before jabbing her thumb over her shoulder at Abraham and Rosita. "Ya definitely smarta than the two a 'em, but ya ain' smarta than me. I was very interested in the Human Genome Project 'cause it let me see factors 'bout aggression and addiction within the human gene itself. That helped me in writin' me dissertation 'bout abuse, criminality, and addiction for me PhD, and I was only twenny two. So, yeah, there's no way in Hell ya was workin' on it seven fuckin' plus years ago and the world jus' now went ta shite. No way." She looked at Eugene, who was studiously looking down, and said, "Tell me I'm wrong. Load on some more bullshite for me ta call ya out on. Ain' sayin' ya ain' smart. Ya proven that ya got the technical shite down pat, and that's got nothin' ta do with me smarts, so don' worry 'bout that. Ya still got use for the group. But don' ya dare go 'round givin' people false hope. Eitha ya tell 'em the truth, or I will."

"I'll tell them, ma'am," Eugene conceded, well and truly intimidated by how quickly she'd picked up on a lie he had perfected and maintained for over a year. "When the time is right, I'll tell them."

"Ya betta. 'Cause I got a feelin' Red ain' gonna be too happy with ya when 'e finds out ya been lyin' ta him all this time. Doubt 'e'll like that at all," Ani said, giving the man a pat on the back before walking back up to the church and straight to Daryl's waiting arms.

"So he pass your test?" Abraham asked her sarcastically.

"We'll see. Depends on if 'e does the right thing or not," she responded. "Eitha way, I go where me people go, where me man and me brotha and me sista go. They say we goin' with ya, we goin'. They say we stayin' put, well, adios, mis amigos!"

"We aren't your friends," Rosita sighed with a roll of her eyes.

"Ya loss," Ani said with a shrug before letting Daryl pull her into the church.

They were settling down with Merle and Sophia, Sophia with Catty in her lap while Bobby had been following Ani when Rick addressed the priest again, "How'd you survive here for so long? Where did your supplies come from?"

"Luck," Gabriel told them. "Our annual canned food drive. Things fell apart right after we finished it. It was just me. The food lasted a long time. And then I started scavenging. I've cleaned out every place nearby. Except for one."

"What kept you from it?" Rick asked while handing Judith over to Ani as she walked up with Carl.

"It's overrun."

"How many?"

"A dozen or so," Gabriel answered. "Maybe more."

"We can handle a dozen," Rick said.

"Bob and I will go with you," Sasha offered. "Tyreese should stay here, help keep Judith safe."

"That'll be okay?" Rick asked said man.

"Sure," Tyreese said while nodding his head. "You ever need me to watch her, you need anything for her, I'm right here."

"Well, I'm grateful for it," he said as he walked over to Tyreese and clasped the man on his shoulders again. "And everything else."

"I'll draw you a map," Gabriel said, heading over to his desk area.

"You don't need to," Rick told him. "You're comin' with us."

"I'll go too," Ani said.

"Naw, need your help here," Daryl immediately shot her down.

"With what?!" she asked him incredulously before taking a good look at him.

"Got a lot to do," he said staring straight into her eyes.

It didn't take her expertise to see the pleading in his eyes, the longing and despair being separated had brought him. All the work building the ability to separate from each other had been rendered moot, at least for the time being. She couldn't deny that she wasn't scared of losing him, she just thought that an extra set of hands for the food and eyes on the preacher would be a good idea. Rick was watching the two as they stared at each other, visibly seeing Ani's expression soften as she took in Daryl's distressed one. Nodding her head, she simply leaned back into his chest and sighed heavily.

"Fine, I'll stay with ya," she said. "But ya ain' gettin' away with it foreva."

"If I might," Gabriel interrupted, watching Ani and Daryl's interaction with interest. "I wouldn't be of any help out there. You saw me. I'm no good around those things."

"All the more reason for ya ta go, God-man," Ani told him. "Ya gonna have ta get used ta those things at some point."

"I'd rather not," he told her.

"Then ya might as well give yaself ta 'em now. 'Cause ya damn lucky we were there ta help, and the only reason I came was 'cause I had nothin' betta ta do and was waitin' for all a 'em up at the road," she told him honestly. "Makes ya feel any betta, whateva ya did that kept ya locked up in 'ere and not dealin' with reality, ain' nothin' compared ta what I've done."

"And what have you done?" he asked cautiously.

"What I've had ta. Whateva I've had ta. Doubt there's bloodya hands in this world than mine now."

Gabriel seemed to pale at the intent behind her words as Rick repeated, "You're coming with us."

As everyone prepared for their various tasks, each of the survivors of the prison paid Ani a visit as she was forced to sit in a pew with her legs up by Daryl as he checked her knives and crossbow. It seemed like the only thing she was allowed to do for herself as Merle brought her some food and Sophia gave her a canteen was play with the kittens. And they were on the floor playing amongst themselves, though they would cower under the pew every time someone else came by.

"I'm so sorry 'bout ya daddy," she told Maggie when the woman and Glenn came over.

"Thank you," she said. "And thank you for helpin' get us out. That was insane bein' a one woman army like that."

"Yeah, I kinda lost me head a couple times. Saw 'em takin' aim at Daryl and Merle, jumped two stories. Then I got kicked and almost landed on me back, on me bag and me babies. I went blind with rage. What should a been a damn Cobra Strike ta the collarbone ended up bein' a Roadhouse moment."

"As in Patrick Swayze?" Glenn asked.

"One and the same!" she said. "Ripped the guy's throat out."

"Shut up, no you didn't!" Tara denied in awe from beside Maggie, having come to introduce herself.

"A-tootin' right she did!" Abraham piped up from across the room. "Saw it with my own two peepers. You're one hell of a fighter, Rose, but Tiny's a whole different ball game," he told the woman standing next to him.

"Thank ya for the kind words," Ani told the man.

"I'm sorry," Maggie cut in. "I lost Daryl's poncho. Glenn grabbed it off the line and I ended up in it at Terminus."

"Oh, Ponch—the poncho, right," Ani said, catching herself before she said something stupid in front of Daryl and embarrassed herself again. "Yeah, that bitch is dead and the poncho's in me bag. Needs a right good cleanin', though. Swear I can smell the damn thing through me bag." Glenn, Maggie, and Daryl all gave her a look that had her asking, "What?"

"You're jokin', right?" Maggie asked.

Ani reached down to her bag, disrupting Catty trying to take a nap, and opened it to reveal the poncho, "Still stinks, though."

"I can't smell nothin'," Daryl admitted.

"Maybe it's just me mind, then. Knowin' what they were cookin', knowin' it was 'round the pit," she said with a shrug. "Still ain' puttin' the damn thing on 'til it gets washed."

"I could use your help," Rick told Ani as he walked up.

"She's comin' with me," Daryl said sternly. "Need water."

"I'll come too," Carol said, knowing she needed to talk to Ani, who frowned and twitched her nose when Carol spoke up.

"Alright," Daryl said quietly, though his hands on Ania's legs had stopped moving as he studied her face, her eyes meeting his fleetingly before she quickly looked away.

Ani couldn't keep the pain out of her eyes when Daryl said it was alright for Carol to come with them. The woman would have killed her, thought she'd be thankful for it, and he was letting her come with them? But looking in his eyes, she knew he was doing this for her, so she could resolve it and move forward. The only problem with that was that she didn't want to. Ani was angry at Carol and didn't understand why or how she could give up on her own flesh and blood, on her after saying she was alright with being her ma; she didn't want to understand either. Or at least that's what she told herself, because her mind was already forming questions and answers to those questions as to why Carol would do that and what her answers would be when Ani asked her about it. Carol and the others left the church while Ani was still sitting on the pew, purposefully waiting for everyone to get out of ear distance so she could talk to Daryl.

"Why ya want 'er ta come?"

"You know why."

"Don' want 'er ta come."

"Ania," Daryl sighed. "We both need answers from her. I can't get 'em out of her like you can."

"What'd she say?" Ani asked, understanding from his words that he'd already tried to talk to her.

"You and Phia, you remind her of the old days, what she was, should've been," he said. "Said she loves both of you, but can't think of you the same if she wants y'all to live."

"That's bullshite."

"I know, I told her that," Daryl said. "That's why you need to talk to her."

Ani sighed and nodded, reaching up to grab around his neck and bring him down for a kiss as he sat next to her. "Ya owe me," she said as she pulled back, thinking about everything she could have gotten away with if they had gone for water alone.

Daryl didn't even know what to say to her as she reached down and grabbed Catty, putting him on her shoulder as she stood up. "You're different."

"I know," she said, walking away without looking at him. "I don' like it."

"What happened?"

She stood still, her shoulders slumped and her head looking at her toes, "I'm up ta ninety, D."

Daryl sighed, "Why do you even bother counting?"

"I have ta. If I don'...if I don' it's like it don' matta. It's like I don' care. But I do. I have ta. I can'...I can' be like them," she said as her voice broke.

"You ain't nothin' like them assholes," Daryl said, knowing she was talking about her parents. "You ain't nothin' like them, baby girl. Wouldn't be here if you were."

"I know, but still," Ani said, thinking about how many people she'd killed. "Ain' right."

"Nothin's right in this world anymore," Daryl countered, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "Nothin' but us. You do what you gotta, for you, for me, for them. They take it for granted, too. Think it don't affect you 'cause it's so easy for you in the moment. They don't know you remember all of 'em. Can describe it so well I could draw a picture."

"I don' want 'em ta," she said closing her eyes and leaning against him. "Didn' want ya ta know. But ya always dig it outta me."

"'Cause you can't lie to me," he told her, kissing her neck before letting her go. "Gotta go 'fore Merle starts his shit again."

They grabbed some gallon jugs and headed out of the church and onto the road with Carol walking alongside them. Daryl had instinctively put himself between Carol and Ania, not wanting the two to be next to each other. Part of it was that he didn't know how Ania would react with how she was acting. The other, more instinctive, part of it was that Carol had openly admitted to being a threat to Ania, and he had put himself in immediate line of the threat. Ani was astutely looking at the ground ahead of her, her mind still reeling with questions and possible answers as she watched Bobby strut ahead of them. Carol was similarly quiet, knowing she needed to set things straight with Ani but not knowing where to begin.

"I noticed Sophia didn't come with you," she said, trying to at least start a conversation.

"She's with 'er Pops," came Ani's short reply.

"Pops?"

"Merle," Daryl answered, sensing Ania bristling beside him.

"Oh," Carol said before falling quiet.

They'd gotten to the water before Ani finally couldn't take it any more, "What the fuck, Cars?! Seriously, what the actual fuck?! Ya seem them little girls and are all ova 'em, but ya own fuckin' daughta ya don' even know shite 'bout?! And now they're gone, ain' they?! Now ya stuck with the girls ya don' want!"

"I never," Carol started, starting to break down before looking away and sighing deeply. "I never said I didn't want Sophia, or you. You don't understand, Ani."

"Then make me undastand, dammit!" Ani shouted.

"Keep your voice down," Daryl said quietly from beside her as he filled the jugs.

"Ani, I was young when I married Ed. So young," Carol began, holding up a hand when Ani went to disrupt her. "Let me finish. He was good at first, charming, sweet. Thought the world of him. Then it all turned on its head. My cooking wasn't good enough, I wore too revealing or nice of clothes, I looked at a man too long. It escalated from there. I didn't want to bring a kid into that. I took every precaution I could until he found out, and then...and then," Carol sighed, a few tears escaping as she thought about it. "Well, then he didn't give me a choice. And so Sophia was born, a beautiful, perfect, weak baby girl. I knew what he would do to her when she got older, how he would treat her. And then all this happened and you started teaching her and even at the quarry, she started having more courage and confidence. Then you came back with her, said if I didn't want her you'd take her. I really thought about it back then. You were the mother she needed from the get go, and I couldn't protect her. Not one day has gone by since that I haven't thought about that. And then Liz..." another pause and sigh before she continued, "And then the girls showed up. Sophia was already listening to you more than me back then and you were already so much better with her than I ever was. Building her up while I kept her weak. Strengthening and encouraging her to shine while I told her to hide. Why can I let go of Sophia so easily? Because I never wanted to have a daughter. Ever. The girls, they showed me that."

"What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I don' care, Cars. Ya owe me at least that. For everythin', ya owe me that," Ani said, crossing her arms and staring Carol down.

"They died."

"How?" Ani demanded.

Carol closed her eyes and took a deep breath before sighing, "Lizzie killed Mika to prove a point about walkers just being different. And I...I killed Lizzie."

Both Daryl and Ani stared at her for a moment before Ani spoke, "Lizzie was the one feedin' the walkas at the prison. She was the psychopath we were talkin' 'bout right 'fore the Gov'na showed up." Looking down and then back at Carol, she told her, "Ya did what ya had ta do. But ya jus' Cars now. Stayin' jus' Cars. And that's what Phia'll be callin' ya too. I ain' lettin' ya break 'er heart again. And I ain' lettin' ya back inta mine."

Grabbing two of the gallon jugs, she headed back towards the road. Daryl and Carol both followed behind her as she stormed off, the kittens doing their best to keep up. Even if she understood Carol's standpoint, if she understood everything that she'd said, she couldn't understand a mother abandoning her child. Even the bobcat that had birthed Bobby and Catty fought to the death to protect the cubs, as every mother should. But then, Carol didn't want to be a mother in the first place. Even so, being abandoned by the woman she had started to look at as a mother hurt more than the punches and lashes from her real mother.

"I know you didn't want to talk about it," she heard Daryl tell Carol. "You okay?"

"I gotta be," she responded, looking at Ani's back.

"We get to start over," he told both of them. "All of us, with each other. A fresh start. You helped at Terminus."

"Lucky she didn' fuckin' blow up the buildin' ya were in!" Ani scowled.

"I didn't know they were in there," Carol defended. "Just knew they'd been taken. I'm sorry I messed up your plan."

"Ya didn'. 'Twas already in motion when ya blew up that tank. Fences goin' down was jus' a bonus," Ani admitted. "Jus' sayin', ya were fuckin' lucky."

"We did get lucky," Carol admitted. "We all should be dead."

"Yeah, but we ain'. Now we get ta live with ourselves," Ani said, not realizing that her words stung Carol deeply, just knowing that after the twenty six from Terminus in one go, she wasn't the same.

"I'll check it," Carol said, walking ahead towards the abandoned car.

"Why'd you gotta say that?" Daryl asked Ania.

"What?"

"That we gotta live with ourselves? Carol-"

"What's she got ta do with it? I was talkin' 'bout meself," Ani told him confused.

"Oh," Daryl said. "Thought you were still angry."

"I said me piece," she said flatly. "Honestly, I'd ratha jus' forget 'bout the whole thing. Fresh start, like ya said. Jus' don' think I'm gonna let anyone get too close anymore."

"Seem pretty friendly with Abraham," Daryl commented.

"Yeah, well, he's a ginga. Somethin' 'bout ginga's jus' makes me wanna heckle 'em," she admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. "Jesse and I, we were always like that. Ribbin' each otha, talkin' smack. It's the damn red hair, pale skin, and blue eyes. Could damn well be her olda brotha and jus' makes me wanna ride his ass like a drill seargant."

"Should choose your words more carefully," Daryl growled, going to walk ahead of her.

"Wait, what'd I say?" Ani asked confused. "D? Daryl? What'd I say?" When he kept storming off, she began laughing, "Ya jealous!"

That got Daryl to stop and realize what he was doing, "Am not."

"Are too," she teased as she came to stand beside her while Carol climbed back out of the car. "Ya don' gotta be. I like tall, dark, and handsome, not tall, pale, and soulless. 'Sides, why would I eva give up the best man in the world ta settle for less? I love ya, D, ya and only ya."

Daryl sighed and replied to her, "I know. Just gotta get used to it is all. That week felt like forever. Didn't like you gone. Guess I don't like you bein' all comfy with Big Red."

"I promise, the comfiness will stay at verbal level only," she said seriously. "But I gotta tease that walkin' lobster ta be."

"You two lovebirds done with your chat yet?" Carol said as she popped the trunk, finding a battery charger that surprisingly still worked.

"Neva," Ani said with a smile to show she was joking.

"We'll leave this here in case things go bad at the church," Carol said, though Ani could see the cogs working in her brain that told Ani she wanted to cut and run.

Carol reached down and picked up her gallons, Daryl and Ani having carried theirs the entire time. Daryl offered to carry one of them for her, but in offering had raised his hand. In doing that, one of his own gallons of water slipped from his fingers and landed on the ground. While Carol had the grace and dignity to control herself and just smiled and denied his help, Ani burst into a fit of hysterics, scaring the kittens, who stopped in their movements and watched the trio.

"Stop," Daryl told her as he picked up the jug and started walking down the road.

"He's so cute when 'e's all flusta'd like that," Ani told Carol, making the woman chuckle. "Look at them red ears!"

"Stop!" Daryl growled at Ania, causing her and Carol both to stifle giggles.

They walked back to the church with their water, they met up with Merle and Sophia. If the rift between them wasn't obvious before, it sure was when the five were together as Carol walked a few paces to the side while Ani and Sophia were sandwiched between the Dixon brothers. Merle made idle chitchat with everyone, laughing at Ani spilling the beans on Daryl's butter fingers. Sophia had managed to get a few rabbits and a good sized opossum and raccoon while Merle had a bag of fresh greens. Apparently, Sophia had been teaching Merle how to forage while she hunted so that he stopped trying to take over the hunt and had something to do too.

"Soon 'nough, ya gonna be able ta hunt on ya own," Ani told Sophia as they got back up to the church. "And stop fuckin' growin', kid! Ya almost as tall as me now!"

"That's because you're a midget, Shrimp," Abraham said as he walked by heading out to the bus.

Not missing a beat, Ani turned to Daryl and asked, "Is that what I taste like? Shrimp?"

Merle howled in laughter as Daryl turned beat red and all but ran into the church to get away from the girl that stole his heart and now was stealing his sanity. Carol and Abraham were both looking at her like she was insane, though Carol sighed and shook her head before walking into the church while Abraham had the opposite reaction. After that moment of wondering whether or not she was certifiable, he tried to ask her questions; why would she ask her husband that in front of everyone? What the hell was wrong with her? Did she always have to be so snarky? Was she doing it on purpose?"

"Damn, knew ya liked fish, but didn' know ya could impersonate one too! Good job, Red!"

Rick and Michonne had walked up with several food crates at that moment and heard her comment. Michonne outright laughed, joining Merle's boisterous chortles as Rick snickered, Ani herself laughing at how red Abraham's face was getting. Abraham's mind was completely blank, his jaw hanging open as she continued to bait him.

"Keep ya jaw hangin' open like that, ya gonna eat flies," she said.

"Ania, get your ass in here!" Daryl yelled from inside the church, hearing the laughter outside and thinking it was about him.

"Whelp, see ya lata, Red! Nice talkin' at ya!" she said as she entered the church herself and set the water down next to where Daryl and Carol had before going and literally sitting on Daryl's lap. "Wasn' 'bout ya. Was givin' shite ta the ginga. Sorry I embarrassed ya earlya."

"Wish you wouldn't say shit like that," he mumbled against her as he laid his head on her shoulder. "Hate that shit."

"Make no promises, but I'll try," she said as she ran her fingers through his hair.

Daryl sighed and leaned further into her as he held her, "Missed this."

"Missed us," she whispered before tilting his head and kissing him.

She didn't let it progress too far before letting him settle his head back on her shoulder. Even if they both wanted to do so much more, they could only hold each other and bask in the closeness they could get in moments like this for the time being. Hell, if she never had to let him go again, it would be all too soon. He ended up picking her up and bringing her to lie against a wall, their packs being used as pillows, though she pushed hers to his side.

"Seriously, that damn poncho needs washed 'fore it comes anywhere near me face," she told him, making him scoff and shake his head at her.

They stayed lying there dozing all afternoon, her legs tangled in his as he held her close to his chest. Neither of them realized that they had smiles on their faces the entire time, nor how relaxed they were. But it was a giant topic of discussion with everyone else.

"How come they get to sleep while we work?" Rosita complained as she helped bring in the boxes of food.

"'Cause they earned it, chica," Merle told her. "Been away from each other for a week, she's probably barely slept more'n a few hours a night, so's he. Let 'em have their cuddle time."

"They're really married?" Eugene asked, still intimidated by the little woman who looked even littler and younger when she was sleeping curled up in the redneck with a black eye's arms.

"Yeah," Rick said, looking over to them and smiling as he saw the kittens snuggled up on Daryl too. "Been together since this all went down. How it happened, who knows?"

"Honestly? He'd been head over heels for this girl he met at a bar a little over a year 'fore this all went down. Swore up and down he was gonna find her. Somethin' she said really got to him and damn if he didn't go on and on about her pretty green eyes when he was drunk and stoned. Soon as I saw her eyes, I knew he was gonna fall for her," Merle told them.

"It'd be funny if it was Ani," Sophia commented.

"Maybe we should ask," Bob suggested.

"Maybe later," Merle agreed. "For now, let 'em sleep."

~x~

"Holy shite, that's a lot a grub," Ani said as she watched Carol and Maggie pull can after can of food out of the boxes to make everyone a proper meal after coming back inside. "When was the last time y'all ate something real?"

"Not since the prison," Rick said, indicating his group. "How about y'all?"

The members of Glenn and Abraham's group went really quiet, some thinking about what they'd almost eaten while Eugene went pale. "Don' tell me y'all ate the barbecue?" Ani asked. "If ya did, what's longpig taste like?"

Several choruses of her name, horrified expressions, and retches later, Ani was a laughing mess at the range she'd witnessed. It wasn't her fault that she'd been wondering; she never wanted to taste it herself, but morbid curiosity killed the proverbial cat. Of course, Abraham's expression was the funniest, because it went from confusion, to realization, to anger, to something she could only described as 'constipated and nauseous.'

"You really are one bolt short and a few screws loose, aren't you, Tiny?" he asked as he stared at her while she went to sit on Daryl's lap next to a laughing Merle and confused children.

"Neva said othawise," she chuckled with a devilish grin.

"You are certainly something else, Tiny," he said before turning away from her, thoroughly crept out by the tiny woman at the moment, though she was fun to have around.

She didn't seem to have a single qualm about being called Tiny and she was as quick witted and sharp

tongued as a snake. Even Eugene was wary of her, but it seemed to be more in the knowing look she'd give him every time he dared to look at her than in the fact that she was a raging wildfire with bobcats for babies. Rosita was threatened by her; she knew these people had a fair few fighters, but having one better at fighting in every way than her was not something his feisty Latino could tolerate. Eventually, she was going to want to fight Tiny, and if that happened, he was pretty sure Rosita was going to land on her ass. A little girl that could rip a man's throat out and had smarts that seemingly rivaled Eugene's, well, they needed that on their trip.

As the food was heated and dishes out, Ania being told to stay seated as Daryl dished hers, everyone was in a jovial mood. Even Daryl himself had a rare smile, albeit small, as he sat down on the floor leaning against a pew eating his food. Ania was set right beside him, leaning against him as she slowly nibbled on her food. Nudging her, he gave her a questioning look before looking at her plate and back at her.

"Ain' eaten nothin' but raw squirrel past couple a days. Gave the babies the last a the jerky. Jus' eatin' slow so I don' puke. Gonna finish it all, don' worry," she told him with a small smile, leaning over and kissing his shoulder seeing as that was all she could reach in their current position.

Abraham stood up then, quieting the chatter down with his loud voice, "I'd like to propose a toast. I look around this room, and I see survivors. Each and every one of you has earned that title. To the survivors!" He raised his glass of communal wine, which they had broken into for this glorious feast, and took a drink amid a chorus of cheers. Even Sophia had some, which made Carl make a face, before Abraham continued the true reason for his toast. "Is that all you wanna be? Wake up in the morning, fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open, rinse and repeat?"

"Ain't so bad," Merle said, Ani and Sophia nodding their heads in agreement while Daryl just stayed quiet, staring at the kitten in his lap that stared right back at him while scowling.

"You've got the strength to do it, I'll give you that," Abraham agreed. "You got the skills. You especially, Tiny. Thing is, for you people, for what you can do, that's just surrender. Now, we get Eugene to Washington and he will make the dead die and the living will have this world again." Abraham must have missed the stink eye Ani was giving Eugene as well as the fact that Eugene stopped in his motions from eating, going deathly pale, as he continued talking, "And that is not a bad takeaway for a little road trip. Eugene, what's in DC?"

Eugene side-glanced at Ani before choosing his words carefully, "Infrastructure constructed to withstand pandemics even of this FUBAR magnitude. That means food. Fuel. Refuge. Restart."

Ani believed at the very least DC would have some sort of infrastructure to withstand a pandemic, though she doubted it would be so great as Eugene made out, while Abraham started talking again. "However this plays out," he said. "However long it takes for the reset button to kick in, you can be safe there. Safer than you've been since this whole thing started. Come with us. Save the world for that little one," he told Rick. "Save it for yourselves. Save it for the people out there who don't got nothin' left to do except survive."

Daryl looked at Ani, thinking about how he could help keep her safe if they went as Rick cooed at his baby. "I think she knows what I'm about to say," he chuckled as he looked at her. "She's in. If she's in, I'm in. We're in."

His revelation was met with jubilation from the survivors before Abraham turned to Ani, "And what about you, Tiny? Are you rednecks comin' with us or what?"

"We're in," she said after looking at her little family. "Not 'cause I believe in ya mission. But 'cause DC would have some sort a infrastructure ta start rebuildin' civilization. That and I ain' splittin' me family up again."

Even more cheers were given as Ani watched Carol get up and leave the building. Finding it odd, she nudged Daryl who nodded back at her, both standing up as he grabbed his bow. Merle had gone for more food and to harass Abraham while Sophia had gone to talk to Carl. Together, they quietly left the church and began following after Carol. They found her pretty easily at the car they'd found earlier, prepping it and letting the engine run.

"What are you doin'?" Daryl asked.

Carol looked from Daryl to Ani before admitting in a defeated voice, "I don't know."

"Come on," Ani said, before the sound of a car could be heard coming towards them.

As they watched it pass, Daryl ran up the road and looked at the car before running back to where Carol and Ani were standing. He started bashing in the taillights as Carol shouted and asked what he was doing. The car that had passed was one of the same cars that had stolen Beth from the side of the road. Pulling Ani with him to the front, he dropped her by the passenger door before running around and getting in the driver's seat while yelling at Carol to get in the car. As soon as the three were in the car and before Carol could even finish closing her door, he took off after the vehicle that had just passed, hoping for a miracle.