Hey guys, like i said: New chapter soon ;o) wohooo! I hope you'Re still on. Special thanks to JayMars, that made me write even faster ^^
This chapter is maybe much too long or maybe i could have plitted it somewhere, but i was too deep in writing than to stop hahah, so enjoy!
R&R

I sat in the grass, in a safe distance, watching Maggie and Carol killing zombies at the fence. They all knew how to deal with this horror movie called life. They were all strong, most of all Carol. To me she was like a kid who had grown up. Everyone had a role in this play … everyone had work to do, even Carl who was on top of the watchtower scanning the area a rifle in his hand. I was just sitting in the grass observing everyone else, doing nothing. Useless. When I had awoken in the morning all alone in the tower I had felt lonely and all-no-good. I had wanted to know were the others where and help at daily routines. I wanted to be part of the group but on the other side I was afraid of their questions and glances. Don't go all turtle, hole up in a shell of thoughts.

It felt like two souls were living in my body and none of them were mine. Was I going schizophrenic? From time to time I felt happy being alive and with my friends who helped me in the very beginning to deal with the apocalypse. And there were times I wanted to have died a long time ago. Everything was dark and no light could reach me in this dire world of mine.

"What ya thinkin'?" Without looking up I knew Daryl was standing next to me. I still watched Carol, admiring her strength. I couldn't tell him about my shattered soul, so I avoided his glance. "I need to do something too. I want to help."

"Ya need to regain strength. Then ya can help!" Carol waved to us, beckoning Daryl to come over and he left without another word. I watched him walking over to the others. Carol smiled at him, it was a warm lovely smile. I tilted my head thinking about them being a couple. I wasn't around a long time, everyone had changed. Carl was a grown-up now, daunted Carol was strong, and Rick … the strong Rick I had met at camp had turned into a schizo guy. I zoned out. Maybe Daryl and Carol had feelings for each other. Suddenly a voice interrupted my thoughts. "Hello Miss."

I looked up at a man in blue clothes I had never seen before. I was afraid and wanted to turn and run, but rethought my attempt. Daryl and Glenn would never have a man around they didn't know or didn't trust. The guy sat down next to me, a warm smile on his lips. "I am Axel." I took a closer look and realized he wore the cloth of an inmate. "Ella, right?" I slowly nodded not really comfortable with the situation. "I heard you met Rick and the others in Atlanta but got lost?" Was he asking or was it a statement? He looked over to Carol who was still talking to Daryl. I sat there quiet as he talked on. "And you found your way back to your group?!" I looked over to him feeling more than awkward with the topic of this conversation. What a weird way to start a chat with someone you didn't know. "You're a pretty girl." His eyes wandered to me again. I didn't like the look in his eyes nor the change in his voice. "Such an innocent girl alone on the road. Lucky they found you in the woods." I was about to stand up, when he touched my right hand in the grass. "Don't worry. You're safe here!" I hated to be touched and my body reacted to his touch by being paralyzed. His voice was nice but his eyes reminded me so much of Andy. I wanted to tell him back off, tell him to watch his hand, but I kept quiet. Suddenly he was raised by two hands. "Back off!" I saw Daryl holding Axel by his blue shirt, throwing him into the direction of the prison. "Careful man, we were just talking."

"Seemed to me ya were the only one talkin'." Daryl's voice was wrathful.

Axel raised his hands in surrender. "No harm meant."

Before Daryl could say something or act stupid, I stood up. "None done!" Axel smiled and walked away his hands in his pockets. Daryl turned to me. "Ya okay?"

I tilted my head again, thinking about him being the lover of Carol. Was there really something going on between them? I pictured them holding hands when he reached for my shoulder I automatically stepped back. I was still living in a bubble and didn't want to be touched by anyone. I knew he wouldn't hurt me, but my body still hurt from the inside. "I'm fine." I finally said.

"Did he bother ya?" He watched Axel who was almost at the prison.

"No!" On the one hand I liked him protecting me but one the other hand he still acted as if I couldn't handle any situation by myself and that hurt. I turned and started to walk over to Carol. I needed to be needed, I wanted to help. But Daryl grabbed my wrist to stop me from walking away. I turned around but he said nothing, just starred me down. "What do you want from me?" The words came out with an unmeant harsh undertone. Daryl still held my wrist wordlessly. "I can handle myself alone." With these words I broke free from his grab.

"I can see that." He looked me up and down. His ironic tone almost made me punch him. But I didn't instead I held back anger and pain. "Any question?" I crossed my right arm over my left arm which was still strapped to my body.

"No. I can tell from your body what happened." His words hurt me like he had shot one of his arrows right through my heart. I told you they would come up with their own story if you don't tell what happened or at least give them something, a story … anything. I turned and ran, well it was more a fast hobbling towards Carol, hoping Daryl wouldn't follow. "Hey Ella. How are you feeling?" I looked back to see Daryl watching us.

I turned back to Carol. "I'm good." I saw Maggie behind Carol killing a Zombie. "May I help?" Now Maggie turned to me with a surprised expression. Maybe they didn't want me here. But Carol opened the fence so I could slip in. When I stood between the high fences I felt trapped. I looked behind the outer fence, were a few walkers were approaching us. I looked back to the fence behind me, where it was safe.

"You don't have to do this." I looked at Maggie. She was a pretty girl, Glenn was a lucky guy.

I smiled all fears away. "I really want to help. I can't stand to sit around all day." Maggie smiled and I felt Carol's eyes on my back. "That's good, 'cause we need a helping hand out here." She handed me the prybar which I saw her using to kill walkers before. On the one side it was shaped normal, but the other side was sharpened. "Go for the head!" She told me.

I made a stepped closer to the outer fence. A walker was coming closer and leaned itself against the fence, clacking its teeth. "Someone needs a dentist over here." Maggie laughed at me. The walker looked like it had been a tall young man with brown hair. Maybe he once was good looking, but now he was more than ugly with his pale face hanging loose around his skull. Just one eye was greedily looking at me, the other one was gone. There were no lips but hungry teeth.

I grabbed the bar tight, the sharp end pointing his direction. Normally I would have used both hands to kill a walker, but now that I just had one useable arm I had to ease into using just one hand. "Always go for the head!" I heard Maggie saying next to me. I nodded, more to myself than to her. You can do that. You did it before. I stabbed it right through the leftover eye and immediately pulled the bar back. It was so easy.

"When they are rotten like that, it is easy. But be careful around the once who turned not long ago. Your weapon can get stuck." I stepped back to nod at Carol. "Thanks!" I didn't thank her for the advice but for being needed. Carol gave me a comforting smile as if she knew what I meant. I looked back at the dead body. It felt good to kill one of these bastards and made me feel stronger. I felt better to take it out on the dead, to unleash my anger at them.

"Well done!" Maggie said while she killed another walker. "When it's hard to pull your weapon out of the damn corpse, just put your leg against its body." She turned to me and whipped away the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand. She was beautiful even when she was all sweaty. I laughed to myself for admiring her.

I heard a noise in the distance and looked to the only street which led to the prison, to a gate a few meters next to us. A bluish car appeared. "They are coming back!" Carol said happily and ran for the gate. Maggie gave me an iron cup. "Make some noise!"

I was confused. "What?"

"Make some noise to attract the walkers, so the car can drive in!" I began to bang the cup against the fence loudly, like prisoners do in the movies, while Maggie screamed at them. "Come on you bastards, today is your lucky day!" She crushed her machete in the heads of the walkers we attracted. Now I admired her even more. She was so strong and powerful. "Don't stare at me, help me!" I took the bar again and helped her. A female walker banged herself on the fence in front of me. She wore a light yellow dirty dress and her hair was done a French braid with white flowers in it. Maybe the flowers were put on purpose maybe the walker just fell into a flower bed. I pushed the bar into her head, but got stuck. Like Maggie told me, I pushed my feet against the fence where the walker stood behind. With all might I pulled the bar out and fell to the ground. "Outch." I groaned in pain.

Maggie held out her hand. "You 'kay Ella?" She smiled at me. "You did pretty well!" I took her hand and she helped me to stand up. I hated to be touched, but slowly I realized she wouldn't hurt me, no one would ever hurt me like I have been hurt before. I was really safe here. Safe with them. I told you so. "Thanks Maggie!" I looked to the fence. While I had killed one single walker Maggie had killed five. There were others but the car was already inside the prison and the gate was closed again. "We'll burn them later." She told me. I nodded and watched Maggie heading to the cars. "Come, let's look what they brought home!"

I took one last look at the dead female walker in the yellow dress and followed Maggie. "You think they brought clothes?" She looked back at me. "No. Glenn and Rick are looking for supplies." She laughed out loud like I had told a joke, then looked me up and down, just like Daryl did before. I froze in my steps. But unlike Daryl her eyes didn't label me victim. "Maybe I can give you something." She walked on and I again followed her. "You have anything in mind?" I thought about her question, wondering what kind of style she used to wear. That's really bothering you? At least it kept me from thinking about Daryl's words.

"I loved my blue jeans and white sweater." I missed my rainbow shirt. I loved it because Alex gave it to me. Alex … my thoughts went back to my friends I'd lost and grew quiet.

"Jeans I have, but I don't think you will get anything shiny white." Was she trying to make me laugh? I smiled at her comment.

"Maybe we can go on a run?!" I asked cautiously.

"You sure wanna go? You are still injured." I could see her trying not to eye my left arm.

"I think I have to live with the fact I won't use that one anymore." Her glance shifted to my bandaged left leg. "I meant my arm. See I am already walking and working!"

We arrived at the car. Glenn was talking to Rick, but when he saw us he hugged Maggie and gave her a kiss. They were quiet nice to look at, a pretty happy couple. "What did you bring?" She asked him and I peeked curiously into the back of the car.

"Some canned food and a two first aid kits." Rick answered. But Maggie looked only at Glenn. There was a stolen glance in her eyes. Glenn just had eyes for Maggie and nodded slightly. I thought he might have brought her something else and blushed. I made a few steps towards Rick so Maggie und Glenn couldn't see my face. "Do you have a fever?"

I shot Rick a questioning look. As he attempted to put his hand onto my forehead I shook my head and made a step closer to the car out of his reach. "No." I must be as red as a tomato thinking about that special something Glenn had brought. I quickly changed the subject. "What kind of canned food?"

His weird look lasted on me, so I turned to open the car. He helped me take out a small cardboard box. "Canned peaches and beans." He wanted to take the box from me, but I held onto it. Maybe I could use just my right arm but I was still strong enough to carry this box.

"I just hope they are not mixed in the same can." He let out a small laugh. It was the first time since I was here that I saw him smile.

"Believe me, you would eat it." Glenn said behind me. He took another box out of the car and Maggie grabbed the two first aid kits. "In apocalyptical times you'll eat everything." Maggie added. I thought about it. At camp I had been eating squirrel I had thought I would never eat. And I always had liked the way Daryl had made his special deer goulash. I looked over to the prison but didn't see Daryl. I was still mad at his comment. I thought it hurt me more because … because you like him! Admit it. I shook my head. In this moment Carol and Carl joint us. Rick turned to his son. "Gate closed?" Carl nodded. I saw Rick giving him a chocolate bar secretly. I smiled at the fatherly gesture. So everyone out on a run brings a special gift for his beloved. Carol tried to take the box from me, just like Rick had tried before, but I started walking into the direction of the prison. "I can do that, see I walk with a heavy box in my arm!" I said to Maggie. She shook her head smiling. "Don't stumble and fall!"

"I won't!" I laughed and suddenly the world seemed to be so much easier. I proudly walked to the door that lead inside the prison. Carol opened the door and waited for me to enter, but I looked at her kind of paralyzed. Was I ready to walk inside a dark prison full of bars? Maggie's touch on my shoulder startled me. "If you can't walk into a closed room how you gonna go shopping?"

I turned around. They were all looking at me. "I … I am not afraid of closed rooms." Rick tilted his head. "What's it then?" He seemed to be annoyed.

"I can't stand the sight of bars." I didn't know what to do. I didn't have the strength to tell them why yet. Someday I might have to go in there. Don't think of it as a prison. It's a safehouse. A hideout.

Glenn softly punched me. "Didn't know you were a criminal." I stuck my tongue out at him.

Carol carefully touched both of my shoulders. "It's okay if you don't want to. Maybe you can enter the common room, there are no bars." I looked up to her. Her motherly voice comforted me and I slowly nodded. I didn't even care that her hands were still on my shoulders. See, no one ist doing you any harm. She opened the door again and Rick entered first.

Maggie and Glenn went past me. "Come on Ella, it's just us inside. No walkers, no strangers." Carol still waited at the door for me while Carl took my left hand. I didn't really feel his touch but a movement and looked at him holding my hand. "It's okay, I will protect you!" His words touched me deeply. The kid had a big sheriff hat and a gun at his belt. At camp I had played with him and had helped him with his homework, now he seemed more grown-up than me. "Okay Sheriff!" He gave me a big smile and pulled me with him into the darkness of the prison. It was hard to breath, but when I stepped into what was called the common room Glenn applauded and I blushed. "You go girl!" Maggie punched him slightly. "Idiot!" She came up to me, taking the box out of my hands as I stood there scare stiff.

Hershel was sitting at a table in the middle of the room, an open book in front of him. His warm smile made me relax a bit. Next to him was a blonde girl. She had a baby in her arms. Baby Judith. The room was light-flooded which made it look like a friendly place.

"See who finally got the guts to enter the prison!" I saw Daryl with his crossbow on the other side of the room. Leaning against the wall, his arms crossed he sounded just like Merle. I wondered if they had found him in Atlanta. Was he here too?

"Bite me." I shot back cautiously walking over to the table as if a walker would jump out of nowhere. I looked around as everybody watched me feeling like a wild animal in the circus. As if they were waiting for me to perform a feat. I sat down next to Hershel. Tada! "Welcome inside our new home!" The friendly old man smiled and through his beard I couldn't tell if he had lips. "Thanks!"

"I am Beth." So the blonde with the baby was named Beth. Beth looked at me before she brought her attention back to the Baby. "That's Judith." She smiled to the baby and hugged her close. What a lovely picture in a world like this. A baby in an apocalypse, weird enough.

I looked at the faces staring at me. I knew them all and yet I didn't. Daryl, Glenn and Maggie, Rick, Carol, Carl, Hershel and Beth … a Baby … And a blonde guy I met before. This was my new group. My eyes were fixed at Daryl. He didn't tell me Merle had died, when we were at the graves in the yard. So he must be around. Daryl almost imperceptible shook his head. I looked over to Glenn. "Merle?" But he just shook his head. I wanted to ask where he was, was he dead or alive, but the door opened and I jumped at the sound. "Relax!" Glenn told me. The blonde guy from before entered and I relaxed. "That's Axel. An inmate we found alive." Axel smiled at me but I was somehow afraid of him.

"So you live here?!" I asked while Maggie sat down next to me handling me a bottle of water. "We sleep over there." She pointed to the door where Daryl stood. I remembered last night, I had went through a corridor to get out. It must be the one Maggie was pointing at. "A cell for every inmate." Glenn joked and sat down next to Maggie. I shivered at the thought sleeping inside a cell. I turned my attention back to the table and saw Hershel's book. I needed to distract me. "You read the Bible Sir?" Warm eyes met mine.

"Yes. You know the Bible?" I thought of my mother who was more Christian than the rest of my whole family together. "I used to when I was younger. But in this world I don't believe in anything anymore." His smile dropped but his eyes still smiled at me. "There is always faith!"

Faith … there was no faith no more. The sudden sound of rattling made me jump. "That was just a door in the corridor where we sleep." Maggie tried to calm me, but my heart was breakdancing against my chest. I looked for the door to exit the prison.

"Maybe you wanna take a shower?" Did Maggie try to distract me? Maybe … and I really wanted to shower, but my feet were already on their way to leave the prison. She tried to stop me, but I couldn't stand to be in here anymore. The moment I stood outside I inhaled deeply and my heartbeat slowed down to normal. You are overreacting bad ass! "You sound like Daryl." The only thing I was always afraid of were spiders, now the sight of pure metal made me nervous. You'll get used to it.

The door next to meet opened and Maggie and Glenn walked out. "You okay?" I stretched my back and tried to look easy. "Sure, just needed fresh air." I lied with a halfhearted smile. They stepped closer and I felt like being cornered. I stepped to the side and looked around, all of a sudden I felt like trapped in a cage. High fences around the prison, high walls of the prison next to me, and people driving me into corner. I felt hot and began to sweat. Ella, relax! Calling my name he got my attention. If you work yourself up like this you'll get a panic attack again. I tried to breathe but it felt uneasy.

"Why are you afraid of bars?" Maggie asked and I froze. I made a few steps away towards the yard. No one said a word until Glenn spoke up. "Hershel didn't really have the time to check your arm again." He said behind me. I saw their shadows on the asphalt under me feet. They stood close to each other but didn't come closer to me. I looked into the distance and concentrated on a pond behind the fences. Breathe! I looked down on my arm and saw blood trickling through the bandages, they had to be renewed. Finally I turned around. "I am not going inside again." I held my left arm, hoping Hershel could do something about it. I needed this arm to survive in this world.

"It's not like Hershel can't come out." Glenn went inside again while Maggie stepped closer. I liked her but was afraid if I like her too much she will be dead too, just like Alex. "Sorry I asked …" I lifted my hand to stop her. "Let's sit down." We walked over to the bench I had been sitting on before and saw a basketball hoop. "You think you can play with one arm?" Maggie asked with a warm touch in here voice.

"Are you challenging me to a duel?" I laughed at her. She made me feel like normal.

"It's a shame we don't have a ball." She sighed and watched the court were inmates might have played months ago.

"Maybe Axel knows where we could find one." She suddenly looked at me in surprise.

"You're a smart girl Ella." She started laughing and stood up. Maybe she wanted to go and ask him now.

"What's so funny?" Hershel and Carol approached us. Maggie whipped away a tear. "See you later Ella, I'll go and ask Axel." She began to laugh again.

"What was that all about?" Carol asked me putting down a bag while Hershel sat down next to me.

"Basketball." I answered with a smile and she turned around to examine the broken baskets. "Never thought of playing!"

Hershel turned to me. "May I?" I nodded slowly, knowing he wanted to help. "After three days of sleeping you look healthy again." The grandfatherly smile appeared again.

"I was off three days?"

Now he was the one nodding his head. "Since Daryl brought you here you had been sleeping, only once you were awake. You remember us talking?"

I thought about the white dream and awakening in the prison. "Yeah … you examined my arm …" I was trying to recall the situation but it was all blurry.

"That's right." He began to unwrap my arm. My skin was ugly white and a bit bloodied. I saw some bruises and the cuts again.

Carol looked at me. "You wanna take a shower?" If I want to? I needed to … But I wasn't going inside the prison again … not today. "Are the lavatories inside?" She nodded. "Not today then …" I added.

Carol took my arm and assisted Hershel. She started to carefully wash my arm. The water burned on my skin and I tried not to flinch. When I saw the cuts clearly I felt pain rush through my body as if they were newly made. Carol wrapped new bandages around my right arm and I was glad to not see them anymore.

Hershel turned his attention to my left arm. "You feeling anything?" I shook my head. "Let the strap on." I wondered where they had gotten such utensils. Maybe they had cleared the ward. Carol touched my arm carefully, doing the same procedure she did on my right arm. Unwrapping – Washing – Cleaning – Bandaging. What did my body look like under my cloth? I hadn't changed yet. Hershel began scrutinizing my left leg while I turned to Carol feeling like a doll who was dressed.

"The shower you were talking about …" I didn't know how to ask but Carol seemed to understand. "There are no bars inside the shower, but the way to it is dark and we have only cold water." I sighed. "You know, I washed away the blood with a sponge when Hershel had taken care of your wounds." I stared at her. Realizing she had seen me naked I immediately looked away. "No worries. I am a woman too." She let out a small warm laugh and I heard Hershel stifling a laugh too. When I turned to him, I saw Maggie approaching us. "Sorry, no basketball left."

Hershel stood up. "That's all I can do. You'll be fine in a few days." I looked at my patch-up body. "Thanks." He nodded and stood up. Carol was by his side to help him and carry his back. I grabbed his hand. "I mean it, thank you!" I emphasized my words with all my heart. He smiled at me and stroke over my head as if I was a child. "You had an angel watching over you Ella. I just helped." With a smile he turned and walked with Carol towards the prison.

Maggie sat down next to me. "What do you wanna do?"

"Change clothes."

"You sure wanna go on a run right?" I nodded. "I don't think it is a good idea now. Maybe some other day, when you look healthy again."

I looked over to Maggie. "Do I look that bad?" She didn't answer and I remembered the beadings of the men in my face and my body. Before she could say something I changed the subject. "Do we have something to do? Kill walkers or something like that?"

"You're funny. Half dead but trying to help." She stood up. "Maybe you wanna train some shooting?"

I nodded eagerly, wanting to help and be an asset to the group. Maybe my body was not strong enough but my will was. That's my bad ass. Never give up! I smiled and followed Maggie to the back of the yard. She took out a gun from behind her back. I didn't even realized she had been wearing a gun in the back of her jeans. "We should safe ammo, but some training will do you good!" She handed me the gun. "Go for heads!" I looked through the fence and saw two walkers making their way out the forest.

"Wouldn't that attract other walkers?" I asked her. Even I wanted to shoot I was afraid of the consequences from Daryl or Rick. They seemed to be kind of the leaders here, giving orders and taking watch almost every night. She grabbed in her jeans pocket and gave me a silencer which she added to the gun I was holding.

"Better?" She asked with a smile. I nodded and aimed at the walkers. The gun was heavier with the silencer on it, but there was no way to use both hands.

"Maybe you should aim a little higher. You need to shoot in the head, not the heart!" She stood close behind me. "You don't have that much time to aim when you are outside the prison." I inhaled and shot. The bullet left the gun silently, just a low buzz was heard and a thud. One walker went down. "Did I shoot his head?" Maggie looked over my shoulder and waited, the walker didn't stand up or moved. "Seems dead to me."

"Finally dead?" I said playfully. "Dead is not dead these days!" I laughed, trying to add a little humor to the absurd apocalypse.

"Dead dead." She answered. "You are a hell of a shooter. You done that before?"

I aimed at the other walker. "Daryl taught me a little back at camp." Before Maggie could correct my gun holding I aimed a little higher and shot. The other walker went down too.

"Wow. Daryl did a pretty good job. Two bullets, two dead walkers. I was afraid you would waste ammo." She laughed and patted my shoulder. "You don't need practice, just some distraction from the prison."

I turned around and looked at her. She was distracting me from my fears. A new friend indeed. That was true.

"So you and Daryl?" Maggie took the gun out of my hands and looked at me before she looked back to the prison. I followed her gaze. Daryl and Carl stood in front of the prison and seemed to watch us.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently.

"Was there something going on between the two of you?" Maybe she was just curious to know, but I felt a sudden warmth in my cheeks and bones. I turned a little to avoid her seeing me blush.

"No. He just taught me to not be killed." That was the truth. Maggie somehow reminded me of Amy. The girly talk, the tough appearance and the good looks.

"Yeah, cause Daryl is the one who likes to teach and talk." I smiled to myself as she let out a small laugh.

"I had to talk him into teaching me. Had to proof I was worth it. Almost got me killed." I remembered the time in the woods with Daryl and Merle, how he taught me to kill a walker with a knife.

"Since I knew him, he was always alone and not quite the guy to talk at camp fire." Maggie told me.

I watched Daryl walking the fence at the other side of the yard. Thinking about to evade him the next days I knew he would do the same thing. "They all changed." I turned to her again. "Glenn is so much more of a grown-up now, just like Carl. When I met them they were wild and not thinking before acting. Now they have their place in this group. Even Carol who was withdrawn and obedient is now stronger as I could ever be." I glanced over my shoulder to see if Daryl would come close, but I didn't see him. Instead Carol approached us.

"I need a hand to make dinner."

"A hand I have." I said jokingly. I wanted to be part of this group again. When Carol nodded I followed her to the prison. On the bench where Maggie and I had been sitting minutes ago, were lying some vegetables. She must have known that I would be eager to help and brought everything outside. I lifted my head to look at her. "Thanks Carol!"

"Stop thanking me!" She sat down and we washed and chopped together. It was hard to do this stuff with one hand, but I needed to get used to it, needed practice.

I was sitting on a log washing a few potatoes. Soon it would be supper time and I was hungry, hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. Looking over the fireplace, Shane tried to start a fire. He was kind of good looking, I thought, but his leader-character was sometimes hard to take. I heard him curse and someone laughing. It was already getting dark, the sun already told us goodnight behind the trees, so it was hard to tell who was standing behind him. I watched Shane turning around to face Ed. Ed, I didn't like that man. He was mean to Carol and his daughter and I thought I saw him giving Carol a slap a few days ago. Even she had told me I must have seen wrong I knew something was fishy.

"What are you laughing at?" Shane threw the lighter and a limb on the ground. He seemed mad and aggressive. "Got a problem asshole?"

Ed was taller and heavier than Shane, but Shane was the army type of guy. I wondered who would win that fight, although I didn't really want to know right now. I looked around to see if anyone would stop them if something would happen, but there was just me. Merle and Daryl must be hunting, Carl and Lori were maybe inside their tent and the others … god knew where they were … Damn it.

"Nothing!" Ed said in a low voice, his whole appearance was threatening. Shane made his way across to him and I put down the potatoes in the bucket next to me. I grabbed the knife I wanted to use to cut the vegetables and put it into my boot.

"What's your fuckin' problem, huh?" I could see Shane making a fist ready to punch Ed, so I stood up ready to intervene. Are you joking? How are you possibly able to stop that fight?

"Sit down bad ass." I heard a voice behind me. "They're big boys." I didn't turn instead my eyes were focused on Ed and Shane. I couldn't hear them talking, cause my ears tried to identify who was behind me. Was it Merle or Daryl? Sometimes they sounded very much the same. I slowly sat down. Out of the dark behind Ed I saw Carol trying to pull her husband back. He and Shane were almost at their throats, barking at each other like dogs. "He'll hurt Carol." I whispered.

"Why do ya care anyway?" Daryl suddenly sat down next to me, his eyes focused on the scene as well.

"She doesn't deserve that." I countered. I wasn't that much of a feminist but I was against domestic abuse.

"Her own fault."

I saw Ed pushing Carol aside and shaking his fist at Shane who jumped at him. They were punching each other in the face. Shane looked like a boxer, all sporty. Ed wasn't a sports man. Carol was pleading at Shane to stop while pulling at Ed's arm. Again I rose from my place just to be held back by Daryl.

"That ain't no woman's job." He told me but didn't stand up. I wondered if he really had the intention to do something. Merle silently appeared out of the shadows. "Since when do ya give orders Darlyna?" He joint us sitting down next to his brother who scowled at him out of the corner of his eye. "Shut up!"

I watched both of them. "So you do nothing? Let them bang in their heads?" Now Daryl scowled at me while Merle had one of his smiles on his face that didn't mean no good. "Why don't cha come over here and show ya friend Merle some …" Daryl stood up before Merle could finish and went over to the brawlers. But Lori was already there to stop Shane. Carol was sitting on the ground holding her face. Did Ed hurt her? I was about to stomp over when Merle's voice sounded behind me. "That's serious shit bad ass. Stay here with me I'll show ya somthin' better." I could almost hear his dirty smile. "Fuck you Merle."

I heard him laughing while I went over to Carol's side. "You okay Carol?" She nodded and tried a smile. "I …"

"Step away from my woman." Someone grabbed me hard and rose me to my feet. I was surprised to be lifted up so easily and saw into Ed's furious eyes.

"Your woman?" I asked Ed who still had his hand on my upper arm. "She needs help fucker!" I was enraged. How could he hurt her? I looked around and was glad Sophia was not around.

Shane stepped towards us, but Lori held him back. "Get your hands off her." Shane demanded, but Ed didn't even look at him. "What did you call me?" He sounded drunk and his eyes were red.

"Your drunk Ed. Go to bed!" I tried to get rid of him and turned toward Carol to help her up. Carol avoided my glance and stood up herself. She was about to pass me when I felt something bang against the back of my head. For a short time everything went black and I was surprised to look into Carols eyes when I blinked. She held me tight and I wondered what dud just happen. She said something but my ears were ringing. I turned around only to get another bang against my shoulder. I saw Ed's hand coming straight at me again and slapped me across the face. Ed attempted to slap me again when Daryl stepped in front of me and held Ed's hand. I held my cheek which already burned.

"If ya lay ya hand on her again I'll kill ya!"

I blinked again to see Ed's back walking away and Carol with him. Somehow everything seemed to happen faster than I could blink, had I been unconscious? "Carol, you can stay with me!" But she didn't even look. Did I actually say the words out loud? I didn't now … my head was like in a vise. I suddenly realized I was sitting on the ground and looked around, to my left was Lori who vetted Shane. I was abruptly up in the air. Daryl had thrown me over his shoulder carrying me towards his own tent which was a little farther from the others. "Let me down!" And he let me down, ungentle. Again I was sitting on the ground a little disorientated.

Merle came out of the tent. "Playin' hero jackass?"

Daryl didn't pay any regard to his brother's words and kneeled down next to me, pointing his finger at me, his eyes all frightening. "I told ya to sit down!" Maybe this was the first time I was really scared of him. His dark eyes starred me down while I was looking for words. "Ya bitch could have get hurt."

Why was he insulting me? "I'm no bitch!" I spat back.

Merle laughed behind us. "Ya two looking like a pair of fuckers after sex arguing who was best. Let me get next on that bad ass. This hussy needs some good fuckin'." Disgust grew inside me and I stood up.

"Kiss my ass." I walked away with pride in my walk but I deep down was afraid, afraid of Merle. I didn't even dare to look back while hearing him shouting something after me but I ignored it all too good. I was almost at my tent, when I heard steps behind me. I hastily kneeled down to grab the knife out of my boot, ready to defend myself. I was surprised to see Daryl. "What?"

He threw me a slice of meat. "Put that on ya face!" He ordered. I looked at the flesh in my hand, not really wanting to put that on my face. "It'll do ya good." Just like you, Merle's voiced echoed in my head.

"Why have you saved me?" I curiously asked him.

He watched me silently. "Put it on your face before walkers smell it." He was about to turn when he faced me again. His finger pointed at me like before, but this time he hesitated to say something. I made a step in his direction so his finger almost touched me. "Ya stay away from him."

"From Ed?" I slowly put the flesh to my cheek and the coldness of the stinky flesh felt good.

"And from Shane!" His voice was hard, the same hardness mirrored his eyes. "They're no good."

I was baffled. Shane? "And you guys are better?" He let out a small laugh which didn't sound humorous at all. "No. We're worse. Stay away from us and hack the others." He was about to walk away when I stepped into his direction.

"That won't do man." He didn't stop but there was a slight hesitation in his motion. "You don't get rid of me that easily." I smiled thinking about a few days ago when he had shown me how to shoot a gun. "You still owe me a shooting lesson!"

Daryl shot me a look over his shoulder and smiled the crooked smile I liked so much. Maybe it was just Merle who made him an asshole. When his brother was around Daryl acted all Merle, but when we were alone together he was all Daryl. I watched his back until he sat down next to Merle who looked at me doing a gesture like he was having sex which sent shivers down my spine. I stepped into my tent and laid down thinking about Daryl smile. Oh bad ass, are you falling for that redneck?

"Shut up!" I rolled to my left side and put the flesh on my right cheek. "He's a good guy, told me how to survive." I closed my eyes and dreamed of Daryl.

They next days were all the same. Daryl avoided me while I befriended with everyone in the group. Most of the time I spent with Maggie and Glenn. Helping to kill zombies at the fence or walked the fences with Carl. I tried to distract him from daily struggle with stories about comic heroes and tales from the past. He began to smile and laugh more often. He was way too serious for a kid his age. I helped to make food too and went with Hershel into the small vegetable garden. He taught me some stuff about gardening and seizing plants. When I was outside with Hershel in the garden or just walking around, I often saw Daryl in a distance. Was he observing or was it just coincidence he was on watch?

See you soon, xxx