Safe and Sound

Chapter 3: Moment of Peace

Another day had passed and she was back to her usual routine of not knowing what to do or where to help. This morning, she had helped Lori and Carol wrangle the kids in for some lessons but once the women seemed to have a handle on things, she had instead gone and spent some time reading over the new bible she had been gifted. She had also remembered to ask Glenn to look for a journal or something during the trip he would soon be taking into the city. She figured it was about time she wrote down all the things her dad had taught her in regards to most of the stories and passages in the bible, especially if she was going to start teaching it.

The calendar in the RV had let her know that today was Wednesday. Her first bible study was going to be on Sunday, to keep up the old world tradition. So she had a few days to prepare for the children, which she was thankful for. However, that still left her a lot of time to be wandering around, trying to find other things she could do in the camp to help out.

She thought back to what Daryl had snarled at her, feeling a pit in her stomach as she remembered his words. A part of her felt guilty; she had only wanted to help. But it seems like the hunter had determined that she was insinuating she didn't think he was doing a very good job. She was only thinking back to what Shane had yelled out to them earlier, about them needing to find somewhere to help. Her dad had taken her on hunting trips, she knew a bit about it, so she figured maybe she could help the two Dixon brothers since it seemed like no one else was offering. She shook away the feelings. Clearly, he didn't want her help and after the small interactions she had with Daryl, she figured it was better to just stay clear of him.

She looked over at the supply table. Well, just because she was now choosing to stay out of the man's way didn't mean she couldn't help. Thinking of his words to her earlier, she suddenly felt angry…angry but determined.

She grabbed some of the cords from the supplies table and went off into the woods. She knew it might be stupid to go alone so she didn't venture very far from camp. Looking around, she managed to find six sturdy long sticks and collected those.

She continued walking until she stumbled upon some animal tracks and looked around for a big tree. She found one and began to tie a slipknot in the cord. Looking at the animal tracks closer, she was sure this was a deer so she made the hole about two feet wide. She tied the other end of the cord to the tree and set the sticks in the ground around the cord. She attached the cord to the sticks to make it stand up, ready to catch a deer by the neck as soon as it crossed its path. Looking at her hard work, she was proud of herself. This was the first time she had set up a trap without her dad's guidance.

Footsteps from behind her made her jump in surprise and she whirled around to see Daryl standing a few ways off. She glared at him.

"So ya' are a dumb bitch after all." He said, "Comin' in the woods all by yerself. Are ya' lookin' to be killed?"

Grace glared at him, angry again, "I'm not dumb. And I was setting up some traps."

Daryl ignored her attitude and looked around her to the trap.

"Not bad." He said, "Fer a girl and everythin'."

She bit her lip to refrain herself from biting back at him. She remembered her father's words quite clearly to never speak out against someone. Don't stoop to a level anything beyond what God has intended for us, he would say. In his memory, she wanted to follow his words very clearly. More now than anything. She had no guidance now. She was alone. So she would hold onto the things he had taught her.

She dusted her hands off and stalked past him but he grabbed onto her upper arm with a hard grip looking mad. She wasn't about to lie and say she wasn't scared. This man was obviously bigger than her, stronger than her.

"Listen girl." He snarled, "Ya said it yerself, me and my brother saved yer ass. The least you could do is stay out of my business. I sure as hell don't need yer help and you being out here just seems like a liability I didn't ask for."

She glared at him now, insulted. She might not be as strong or knowledgeable as him, but she sure as hell wasn't a liability.

"I can take care of myself," She retorted, shrugging his hand off her arm, "And I'm not interested in your business. I came out here to help out the camp, not you. Having one person in charge of hunting for food for a group this big makes no sense, and it doesn't seem like anyone else is particularly eager to help you at. Can't imagine why."

The last bit came off far more sarcastic than she intended. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"If I wasn't for me, you'd be dead off in the woods somewhere. So ya' better learn to shut that mouth of yers." He snarled, "Take care of myself, my ass. Is that why you were holed up in that tree, looking a days away from death? If ya wanna help out the camp, maybe try babysitting them kids. Seems you ain't too different from them."

Before she could even say anything in her defense, he stalked off into the woods with his hunting knife and crossbow strung over his shoulder.

She felt her knees collapse from under her as she realized she was holding her breath in. She slid her back down the tree and sat on the floor, drawing her knees into her chest.

Being from a small town that was highly religious, being the preacher's daughter meant she got automatic respect from anyone. People treated her like a child most of her life, even now that she was eighteen. She never had anyone talk to her the way Daryl did and although it was frightening, she couldn't help but enjoy it somehow. She was tired of being treated as someone special when she knew it was just because of her dad. Daryl had just made it very clear that he didn't care about her or where she came from and somehow…she liked it.

He was different, she decided. Rude, racist, sexist, shallow, aggressive, dominant, and flat out cruel. He was so different from anything she had ever experienced and as she sat on the floor, her back against the tree he had unknowingly pushed her towards, she couldn't help but like the way he treated her in some twisted way. Her past life was gone. Grace, the preacher's daughter, her whole identity, washed away in a single night.

And while Daryl clearly didn't have a very high opinion of her, at the very least, he didn't treat her like she was something that needed to be coddled or sweet talked. He was just….Daryl. No bullshit, no lies, not looking to gain something from her like most people her life had been. She pictured the rough man again in her mind, thinking back about the many times she had caught his gaze but couldn't distinguish the feeling behind his blue eyes. He was a mystery to her.

Grace walked through the trees, the words of Daryl Dixon swirling around in her mind. She wasn't a child, she thought angrily to herself. She had always thought she was mature for her age but ever since this whole apocalypse happened, it seemed like everyone liked to remind her just how much of a child she was. She wanted to prove them wrong though. She wanted to show them that she could help and contribute to the group more in ways more than just being a babysitter. But how could she prove her worth to these people? They didn't trust her to go on runs with Glenn, they didn't trust her to keep watch, they didn't trust her at all it seemed.

She slumped down next to a tree. She knew enough about hunting that she knew for a fact that she could help Daryl, if only he would let her. But the man clearly didn't like her all that much. Though it didn't seem like he particularly liked anyone here, not even his own brother. She was starting to wonder why he was even here, why they both were. Did they even want to be a part of the group? It really didn't seem like it at all.

"Ay, whatcha' doin' out here, girl?" A voice startled her out of her thoughts, "Gonna climb one of them trees again?"

Grace looked up to see Merle standing in front of her. Great, she thought to herself, another Dixon. She had just made the decision to leave those two be but it seemed like the universe had other plans. Why had she managed to stay out of their way for an entire week but now couldn't seem to get rid of them? She looked over him for a second. He was wearing some dirty denim jeans, a gray t-shirt, and a leather vest. He looked straight up like the man she often saw crawling out of the bar in her town late at night. She wondered what Merle did before the world came tumbling down...what Daryl did too. She couldn't think of a job that suited either of the brothers.

"Just thinkin." She said quickly, realizing she had never answered the man.

Merle glanced over her, his dark eyes sending a small shiver down the back of her spine. Though his presence unsettled her, she had to admit the older Dixon brother had been a hell of a lot nicer to her than Daryl.

"Ya' a far way from camp, girl." Merle said, "Best get back now, ya' don't know what or who is gonna find ya' out here like this."

The way he said that made Grace look at him, alarmed. What or Who? What exactly did he mean by that? I mean, if one of them dead things showed up, she knew she could just run back to camp. She had outrun a few the small amount of times she had run into them while she was on her own. She knew she could do it again. But who? What was that supposed to mean?

She shrugged her shoulders in reply to the man, "I can take care of myself."

"Sure thing, lil lady." Merle laughed, it didn't sound like he believed her at all though, "What's got ya' down in the dumps anyways? Ya' always chattering off at camp with that chink. Now ya' out here lookin' like ya' just found yer dog dead."

Grace bit back a grimace, she had found her dog dead at the start of all this. She shook her head before she let the thoughts of that day consume her. She didn't want to think of that stuff now. She had spent the last few days crying about it in the small moments she had alone in her shared tent with Glenn. That stuff had to be in the past now, or else...well, she didn't know how she could continue on. It had been a struggle, the hardest thing she had ever had to experience, those few weeks alone. She didn't want to think of that now.

"Well, your brother is a bit of a jerk." Grace said, before she could stop herself.

She winced in preparation for what she sure was another onslaught of abuse from a Dixon. She couldn't believe she just said that to Daryl's brother of all people. But the words from the younger Dixon had stung, and she couldn't get them out of her mind. It was all she had been thinking about since their encounter. She was suddenly surprised when she heard laughter.

"Well, I did teach him myself." The older man chuckled, "Don't let Darlena get yer panties all in a bunch. My baby brother ain't really a people person. Why ya' bothering that boy anyway? Lookin' for a man to shackle up with at night? Yer lookin' in the wrong places, lil lady. Hell, I'm standin' right here!"

She honestly couldn't even tell if Merle was joking or not. His laughter indicated he was but at the same time, she knew if she was looking for...that, she doubted he'd have any qualms about it. She rolled her eyes at his response. The Dixon brothers were certainly something else, she decided.

"I'm not looking for a man, Merle." She snipped, "I just wanted to-"

Before she could finish her sentence another voice interrupted her.

"Everythin' okay over here?" Shane had suddenly made an appearance, rifle dangling from its holder around his chest.

Merle scoffed in his direction, insulted by the undertone of Shane's question.

"Everythings fine, deputy." Merle glowered at the man, "We're jus' doin' a bit of talkin'. Ain't that right, girl?"

Grace glanced between the two men, suddenly aware of the tension in the air. Shane was glaring at Merle, his eyes hard and accusatory. Merle seemed to be insulted by the way Shane was looking at him and matched the man's stare with his hard, steel eyes. She was right in her assumption that the camp didn't really care for the two Dixon brothers. They just didn't fit in here.

Grace could hear her father's voice in the back of her mind again, chiding her for her thoughts. Her father was as open minded as could be when it came to other people, which was a sort of welcomed surprise coming from a Southern preacher. He was quite possibly the best man Grace had ever known and the most welcoming...towards everyone. She knew if he were here right now he would treat the Dixons with respect.

'We're very lucky, Grace. For the life that we have. So many others are not. Don't be too weary of them though. Lots of time, if ya' just dig a little, you'll find out all the reasons for why they are so rough.'' She could hear his words now.

"We were just talking." Grace said, looking at Merle for a second, "Merle was actually just telling me to head back to camp."

Shane didn't seem to believe her at all as he looked at her for a moment before returning his glare to Merle.

"If ya' say so." Shane said, still glowering at the older man, "Hell, I'll walk you back there myself, right now."

Grace nodded and hopped up from her spot on the ground. She was kind of upset her moment of solitude had been interrupted by the two men but the way they had been looking at each other just now...Grace knew if they spent any more time together they'd be at each other's throat.

Shane placed a hand on her shoulder and directed her to the path leading back to the camp. She let him guide her but not before glancing back at Merle one last time.

He was flipping off Shane behind his back, letting out a crooked grin when he caught Grace's gaze. She couldn't help but smile back at him.

"It'd do good for you to stay out of the woods, girl." Shane said, filling the silence as they continued to walk to camp, his hand still on her shoulder as if to tell her he wasn't going to let her walk off again, "It's dangerous out here."

There it was again. She was so tired of everyone treating her like a child. She knew it was dangerous out here. She had spent the past few weeks out here on her own. She wasn't in the mood for an argument though, so she just nodded her head at the man's word.

"It'd do you good to stay away from the Dixons too." He added.

"What's wrong with the Dixons?" Grace played dumb, but she was curious about his statement. She wondered if the camp really had a reason for being so distrustful towards the two brothers or if they were just being judgemental.

Shane suddenly stopped walking and turned towards her. She looked at him in surprise as he now rested both his hands on her shoulders. He was far bigger than her, nearly towering over her. Although Shane has been nothing but nice to her since she arrived, his presence now felt a bit looming.

"Look Grace, I don't wanna scare ya' or nothing but," Shane started, "I've been a cop for a long time. Before the world went to shit, I had my fair share of run ins with guys like the Dixons. They aren't good people, ya' hear? Now this world is different, no laws, no structure. Guys like them thrive in this type of world. They're dangerous. My job here is to protect you guys, keep this camp safe. You're only making that harder for me if you run off out here and stick around those guys, alright. It's best ya' stay in camp, stay with the other women."

Grace gnawed on her lip during his rant, her mind swirling again with Daryl's words. Still though, she just had this feeling at the pit of her stomach. When she looked at Daryl, like really looked at him, she never felt scared? She never felt threatened. Sure he was mean, she had been on the receiving end of his brutality twice now, but not once did she ever feel like he would hurt her.

"If the Dixons are so bad, why are they here then?" She asked, "Why do you keep them around?"

Shane sighed and let go of one of her shoulders to rub the back of his head, "If it were up to me, they would've been out the first time they opened their mouths. But this world is new. They have a skill that's handy right now, one we need. We need food and they know how to get it. Once we find a more secure place to be, then our time with them is over."

"So you're just using them, then." Grace said, "Using them and then you're going to dump them the first chance you get?"

Shane looked at her, the emotion being his eyes indistinguishable.

"That's the way the world works now." He shrugged, "We do what we can to survive. We have to. I have people I gotta look after. You're included in that Grace."

He gave her a pointed look, "Now no more questions. Let's get back to camp. And I better not see ya' out here by yourself again."

She nodded her head to him and he finally let go on her. They started their walk back to the camp again. So much had changed for her. It seemed like that old Grace, the one from homecoming night was long gone, even though those events weren't really that far away. She had been thrust into this new world all on her own, needing to find her own way. She barely knew these people, who they were and who they'd been. Some had already come to feel like family for her though, like Glenn and Amy.

She was grateful to be here. She knew she'd be dead if it weren't for this camp. Still though, Shane's words did not sit well with her. Using people like that, well, to her it was just wrong. But what could she do about it? She had tried to help Daryl and when he made it clear he didn't need it, she still tried to help on her own and managed to piss him off again. Well, at least she couldn't say she never tried.

The next day, Grace stood by the edge of the campsite, watching as the group of volunteers struggled to get enough weapons to defend themselves just in case they were attacked in the city. She hated seeing Glenn hold a large crowbar in his hands. It seemed out of place-the stark metal with the hint of violence against his innocent, harmonious expression. She was tempted to go and volunteer to get supplies as well, just to make sure nothing happened to any of them. But she knew she wasn't prepared for what she would see in the city and she would only make the group weaker with her lack of fighting skills. But that didn't stop her from wishing.

"Whadda' ya' doin' girl?" A rough voice came up behind her, making her jump in surprise. She glanced back to see Merle standing there, staring at her with that creepy grin. She bit back a grimace.

"I thought you were going in the city as well?" She asked. She was pretty sure Glenn had told her the man had volunteered, which had shocked her a bit. She didn't think Merle was all down for putting his life on the line for this group.

"Had to take a piss." He said, in that rough Georgia accent of his. "Got a problem wit' that?"

"No." She said, as her cheeks turned a bit red at the blunt mention of his urinary relief.

"Heard that yer lil' boyfrien' is comin' on the trip wit us." He said, nodded his head towards Glenn.

If her face wasn't red before, it definitely was now.

"Glenn isn't my boyfriend!" She exclaimed. In fact, he was quite the opposite. Ever since they had gotten close, he was almost a brotherly figure to her-not that she knew what it was like to have a brother being an only child.

"Sure thing, lil' lady." He said, with that smirk. "But if he is, ya' best end that shit righ' now. It'll do ya' no good to hang out with them chinks."

Grace, growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood, had never experienced racism and was a little shocked that it was still going on.

"That's no way to talk about people, Mr. Dixon." She said, trying her best to be polite but stand up for her friends. She had already enraged one Dixon and she didn't want to see how Merle dealt with his anger.

"Mr. Dixon, eh?" Merle said, raising an eyebrow. "Now I could get use ta bein' called that fer sure. Still though, lil lady. Ya want a man, ya better find yourself one from your kind. Ain't suppose to mix shit up, ya' know. It just ain't right."

Grace figured it was no use trying to reason with him, "Whatever you say, Merle. But can you at least promise you won't start anything with them? From what Glenn told me, things in the city are rough. I wouldn't want any trouble with the group."

"Can't promise ya' much, girl." He said. "Them boys needa learn their place in this world. And from what my brother tells me, so do ya'."

Grace crossed her arms, "Yeah, well your brother isn't very nice."

"Taught him the best I could." He smiled, taking her insult as a compliment. "Have ya' seen that ugly ass fucker around?"

"Last time I saw him he was running off in the woods." She muttered, as thoughts of their last encounter popped up in her mind. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen him since that.

"Dick can't even cum tell his brother goodbye." Merle said, but he didn't look upset about it.

"Hey, Dixon!" Andrea yelled from her place by the car, "Time to go!"

"Yeah it's time to go alrigh'." Merle muttered under his breath. "Time to go back to my tent and get that loud mouth of yers put to good use."

Grace let her jaw drop.

"Merle!" She exclaimed, hitting his arm lightly.

"What?" He asked, looking down at her. "Ya' jealous? Ya' can join in too, girl."

Grace's face turned bright red and she scoffed. That was the last thing she wanted to do.

"I've always wanted ta say I fucked a preacher's daughter." He smirked with a wink.

"Just go, Merle." She muttered under her embarrassment.

Grace sighed as she watched over the children playing on the field. Since the group left, she had been assigned the task of watching the children while the other women went down to the lake to clean clothes. She had played with the children for a while before getting tired of their child-like enthusiasm and had resided to sitting by a tree watching them play tag. She had given them one rule: not to leave her sight.

Lori and Carol had told her that they would come get them when they got back. She figured it wouldn't be for a while.

"Hey! Grace!" Sophia called out to her with a sweet voice.

Grace got up and walked over to the children where they were sitting. It seemed as though they had stopped playing tag.

"What do you need, Sophia?" She asked lightly.

"We're playing duck, duck, goose now." She said, happily. "Do you want to play?"

Grace couldn't deny her with that little smile on her face, "Ok, I'll play with you guys."

So she played with the children for a while. They laughed at her trying to catch Carl but the little boy was much too fast for her. For a moment, just sitting here playing with the children, she was reminded of all the times she volunteered at the church for daycare. Although the world had gone to hell, these children still held the innocence and child-like enjoyment the children she used to watch had. She could tell however, from their worn feet and dirty faces, that they were being hardened by the events of the world. She just hoped it wouldn't change them too much.

Once they had drained her of energy once again, she took the spot back against the tree and folded her legs into her chest. The kids followed after, hair messy and their little chests rising with deep breaths. Seemed like they had tired themselves out as well.

"You guys done playing already?" She asked them as they sat down next to her.

"Carl's too fast." Sophia said, crossing her arms with a small glare in the boy's direction.

Carl poked his tongue out at her, "You didn't believe me when I told you I won my schools end of the year race!"

"Well I definitely believe you." Grace laughed, "I sure couldn't keep up with you. Perhaps you're the fastest one at this camp!"

Carl beamed with pride at Grace's statement but she couldn't help but notice how downcast it had made Sophia.

"If Carl's the fastest, then what am I?" Sophia asked, her voice meek.

Grace glanced over at the girl. Her thoughts couldn't help but drift to the girl's family. Carol, her mother, who seemed very fragile and defenseless and Ed, her dad...She knew all about Ed. Glenn had filled her in on a lot but she had heard it for herself a couple nights. It was no secret Ed liked to beat on Carol and it was quite possible Sophia received the same treatment. Her heart broke at that thought. Sophia didn't deserve that. No child deserved that.

"I bet you're the strongest." Grace said, with such conviction that the girl looked up at her with a bit of surprise in her eyes.

"The strongest?" Carl scoffed from next to her, "Shane is the strongest person at camp! He helped me and my mom get here!"

"I bet Sophia has more of a fighter spirit in her than Shane." Grace retorted, "Why don't we settle this right now? Arm wrestle battle between the two of you. Winner takes all!"

Sophia and Carl giggled at her exclamation but both nodded eagerly. They both placed their elbows on the dirt before locking arms and hands together.

"Alright, the game begins on 3." Grace laughed, "1….2….3"

The kids bickered between each other as they both fought to push the other ones arm down into the dirt. It was a close battle but finally Sophia managed to finally win.

"See I told you so," Grace said to both the kids, "the strongest one here!"

She bopped the end of Sophia's small nose with her index finger. Sophia giggled to herself, the smile on her face was infectious, even for Carl. After that, the group sat silently with each other, all a bit tired from their games.

"Hey Grace." A voice whispered next to her. She turned down to see Carl looking up at her with wide eyes.

"Yes, Carl?"

"Did you have a dad?" He asked.

"Of course, I did." She said.

"Did he die like my dad did?" He asked, his eyebrows pulling together. "That's what my momma told me. Dad died in the hospital."

Grace bit her lip, willing her eyes not to water, "Yeah. Yeah, my daddy died."

Grace ran as the crowd behind her pushed her into the hallway. She tried to stop for a moment, not believing this was happening. She knew she had to get out of the school. She knew she had to get away. She glanced to her right and saw a hallway that was relatively empty of students. She knew everyone was trying to get to the underground shelter, but she just wanted to go home.

So she ran down the hallway that luckily had none of those things, and burst out the back doors of the school. She found herself along the edge of the forest and something in the back of her brain told her to run to the forest, to get away from her town. But she couldn't. Not without her parents.

She ignored the screams as she ran to her house. She could see people getting attacked but she stayed along the edge of the forest, not wanting to go into the streets where she could hear gunshots. Her house wasn't very far from the high school, but her high heels were preventing her from running very fast and her dress kept getting tangled up around her ankles. She paused for a moment to take her shoes off, eyes peeling around to make sure none of those things were nearby.

With her shoes in her hand, she took off again and made it to her house five minutes later. She stopped in her backyard, which had no fence because her dad loved living right in front of the woods. She was instantly met with the sight of her dog, Wilhelm, who had been tied up to a pole in the backyard as he was every evening before they would let him inside for the night. He was lying on the floor, blood pooling around his neck. Tears sprung into her eyes and without thinking, she ran to where he lay and grabbed him in her arms.

His blood got all over her dress and arms, but she didn't think about it for one moment. All she could think about was him. How he had been her best friend since sixth grade. How he had been there the night she had cried when her first boyfriend broke up with her. How he had been there to comfort her when she found out her grandma died. Sadness ripped at her heart but she knew she had to go inside and check on her parents.

With tears still being shed, she left her poor dog's body and walked in the house.

Everything was silent. There wasn't the noise of the TV, or the sound of dishes being washed, or the smell of dinner cooking. The air was stuffy and there was a pungent smell. She figured her parents would be in their bedroom. Probably could hear the gunshots and had holed themselves in there to watch the news. She cautiously walked up the stairs and she could hear a slight moaning. Assuming they were hurt, she burst in the room.

"Mom?" She called out. "Dad?"

Suddenly something cold grabbed her arm and pulled her fiercely. Her eyes grew wide as she saw her mother's face. Her flesh had decayed and she desperately tried to bite at Grace.

Grace broke free of her grasps, thanking the Lord her mother was a small woman and grabbed the nearest thing she could find-a snow globe. Without thinking of anything but her life, she smashed the snow globe down on her mother's head as she tried to attack her. The hit made her mother reel back, enough for Grace to break away from her.

Grace let out a sob as she looked around the room. Her father lay dead in the corner, his head smashed in and his stomach ripped open. She grimaced as she suddenly felt very nauseous and threw up in the corner of the room.

And her dad was dead.

Her dog was dead.

And her mother had just...attacked her?

She could hear the screams in the street growing louder and the gun shots seemed to dissipate. Her mind told her she had to leave now. Run in the forest and never stop running. But her heart kept her in place. She couldn't stop sobbing. Was this all a dream? Why was this happening?

Snarling brought her back into reality as her mother had started pushing herself back up from the ground, her wild hungry eyes locked into to Grace.

"Mom, please!" Grace called out.

Her mother didn't make any indication that she had heard or understood Grace as she stood up fully before lunging again in her direction.

Her mind eventually overpowered her heart and she ran her house, glancing back at it as she stood along the edge of the forest to see her mother running outside towards her before locking sights on her dead dog. She bent down next to him and began feasting on what remained of him. Grace prayed to God to wake up. To suddenly awake in her bed and realize it was all a nightmare. But it never happened and as the screams grew closer and the gun shots disappeared….

She ran.

She ran into the forest and never looked back.

"What about your momma?" Carl asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Dead." She replied. "Both of them, dead."

Carl's face melted into a frown, "I'm sorry, Grace."

"Don't worry about it, Carl." She said, trying to hide her tears.

Suddenly she felt tiny arms enclose around her waist and realized Carl was hugging her. She smiled a bit and hugged him back before releasing him. It seemed like the small rest was enough for the children because soon after Carl yelled 'tag' before lightly hitting Sophia in the arm and jumping up to run away. Sophia ran after him. The game continued on around them.

Grace got lost in her thoughts again, thinking of her family. She wondered where her mom was now, roaming the streets of her town perhaps. It killed her inside to know that her mother had been...turned into one of those things. Geeks as Shane liked to say. She hated that word though. She wasn't sure how long she was stuck in her head before a rough voice pulled her away.

"Sophia." Ed called, walking up from the hill.

"Do you need something, Ed?" She asked politely, standing up as the man approached. The man gave her the chills with his mean gaze.

"Get outta my way." He said, roughly. "I'm taking my daughter."

"Carol and Lori gave me strict orders to keep all the kids here till they came back." She said, not looking him in the eyes.

"Look girl, I don't care what they said." He snarled. "I'm taking my daughter."

He began to walk towards the children, who paid no attention to the two of them, except Sophia. The little girl looked frightened and it broke Grace's heart.

"You can't take Sophia right now, Ed. Not until her mother comes back." She said, placing a hand on his arm to stop him.

He whirled back towards her, his eyes mad with anger. It happened so fast, she didn't even feel it at first. But suddenly, she was on the ground and the spot on her left cheek felt hot. She looked up at Ed in shock, realizing he had hit her. Tears sprung into her eyes and she began to feel the pain of his hit. She stood up as she watched Ed grab Sophia and walk off but felt so powerless to do anything. She stood in that same spot until Carol and Lori came an hour later to fetch the children.

When they saw Sophia gone and Grace's red face and terrified expression, not one question was asked.

Later that day, Grace was in the RV's bathroom, staring at herself in the small mirror. A small bruise was beginning to form on her cheek but it looked like a smudge of dirt so no one had asked any questions about it. She didn't know if she should tell anyone what happened. And who was she supposed to tell anyways? She supposed Shane was a cop but she figured that didn't apply now. They were all just people trying to survive and she doubted anyone cared enough to do anything about it anyways. It's not like they could throw Ed in jail. The most they could do was kick him out of the group and she knew Carol would follow after him. And she didn't want to condemn Carol and Sophia to that fate.

So, she kept her mouth shut.

But she stayed away from Ed. The man was scary and dangerous and she never wanted to see him again. Being at the same camp with him would be hell. But what could she do about it? Leave? And then what? Become walker food?

Grace grabbed one of the clean towels from the pile in the bathroom and decided now was a good enough time to go bathe herself. Everyone was at camp besides Daryl who was hunting so she would have the lake to herself.

She exited the RV, briefly stopping to tell Dale where she was headed as he turned to look down at her from his watch post on the top of the vehicle. She walked down the hill and tried to find a secluded area, but there wasn't much to work with. Taking a glance around to make sure no one was here, she took off Glenn's t-shirt and a pair of jeans that Carol had let her borrow for the day. Once she was naked, she stepped into the water so that her whole body was covered and began to lather her hair with some shampoo.

It felt nice to wash her hair finally. It had been so long since she had taken a shower and she had to rinse, lather, and repeat a few times before most of the grime was out of her hair.

Once she was done, she quickly walked out of the water and wrapped the towel around herself. She didn't see anyone coming down the hill, so she figured it was safe to let herself dry off for a few more minutes before putting her clothes on.

She could feel the heat of the sun bouncing on her skin and for a moment, she just stood there with her eyes closed and didn't think of anything. She could hear the leaves of the trees from the forest being pushed back and forth from the wind and could hear the water from the creek nearby. Everything seemed peaceful and for a moment, she forgot she was in the middle of an apocalypse.

Suddenly, a branch snapping nearby woke her from her thoughts. For a second, she thought maybe Ed was coming down here to hit her some more. That maybe he was still angry with her and saw her walk down here alone. But when she turned around to see Daryl Dixon emerging from the woods, squirrels wrapped on a string around his body, she couldn't help but feel relieved. But then she realized she was only in a towel and dripping wet.

Grace let out a small squeal of embarrassment as her cheeks turned bright red.

Daryl had heard someone in the lake when he was walking back to camp, but he looked momentarily shocked when he saw Grace standing there, dripping wet, with a towel clinging to her body. He quickly averted his gaze, his body tensing with the shock of discovering the girl in such attire.

Grace held onto the towel tighter as she felt her face get hot. The water dripped down her body, sticking her hair to her face and dripping down the sides of her legs to create a little pool beneath her feet. No one had ever seen her in such provocative attire. For a moment, she felt shameful thinking of what the Lord might possibly be thinking of her being caught in such a state.

Daryl shook his head to rid himself of these thoughts now turning in his head. She was eighteen for Christ's sake. Over ten years his junior. He thought of everything to make them thoughts disappear-dead squirrels, his brother's face, Shane, the walkers, animal's blood. He felt himself calm a bit and turned to look at her again and he noticed a dark spot on her face that looked suspiciously like a bruise.

"What the hell happened to yer face?" He asked, roughly.

Grace looked away, keeping her eyes downcast, and muttered, "Nothing."

"Somethin' had to hit ya' pretty hard to get that lil' mark on yer face." He said.

"It's nothing." Grace said, with more conviction this time.

Daryl looked at her doubtful, "If ya' say so."

Grace still refused to look him in the eyes after the conversation they had in the woods the other day. She still was intimidated by him, now more so than ever. She wished he would leave so she could put her clothes back on and maybe splash her face with some water to get rid of the heat of her cheeks.

Daryl finally began walking away and she let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. He passed her and began walking up the hill but then turned around once more.

"And ya' might wanna put some clothes on." He said. "Before one of them boys up there come down here and see ya' like this. Haven't seen a woman like that in a long time, girl. Who knows what they'll do."

He glanced her over once more, sending chills down her body as he walked away.

It had been a day since the group had gone out to get supplies. They were meant to be back last night, so the whole camp was put on edge, even Grace. In her short amount of time here, Glenn had become so close to her and she really wished he'd come back. It was scary staying in the tent alone at night and she didn't have anyone to talk to before she went to sleep, so memories of her past life came into play and she cried herself to sleep most of the time. And she missed Glenn. Amy hadn't been much fun since she was worrying about her sister, not that Grace blamed her. But she just wanted them all to come back safely so things could resume.

It was nighttime again and everyone was sitting by the campfire. Except Daryl who had made his own campfire in front of his tent. She could seem just a bit of the glow from the fire down the small hill.

The group was expressing their worries about the group, wondering if they got caught somewhere, if someone was hurt, if they got lost, if the city had gotten worse and they couldn't escape. Or maybe they had been caught by the walkers and died. So many questions were being asked and no one had any answers. Their worrying was driving Grace crazy. Sure, she was plenty worried about the group-Glenn in particular, but that didn't mean she wanted to think about the dead. Hopefully the trip was just taking longer than expected. Maybe other survivors had ransacked the stores closest to the edge of town, so they had to walk a bit farther to find any supplies. They'd be okay, she hoped.

But right now, with everyone so frantic and worried, she was losing her mind.

She almost wanted to waltz to the city and make sure everything was okay just to shut the group up.

She pushed her blonde hair from her face and stood up.

No one noticed as she walked away from the group.

Hesitantly, she walked past the campfire Daryl was sitting at.. When he heard her soft footsteps approaching, he looked up at her with careful eyes. She could see it in his eyes. He might not give a damn about the others, but Merle still hadn't returned as well and she could see just a small sign of worry in his hard gaze. She made eye contact for a second, before looking down.

She continued past him before slowly crossing into the treeline, out of sight. She just wanted a few moments to herself, away from the anxious group. She couldn't handle all the talk about the missing group members, and also from Shane who was already thinking of who would take over the jobs those people had around the campsite, talking about them as if they were already dead. She sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the crickets lost somewhere deep in the woods.

She was quite familiar with this sound. It was the only thing she had to focus on during all those nights alone in the woods. She peeked around at the different trees, looking for one that had low enough branches that she could climb into. She spotted one not too far away. She quietly climbed up a few branches, enough that if any of the dead came near they wouldn't spot her. She swung her legs over, laying them out against the branch she now rested on, her back pressed against the tree.

She breathed in a deep sigh, almost laughing at how nostalgic this felt, being up here. She had been so lonely those weeks in the woods alone, but even now, surrounded by people, she felt just as alone. She couldn't place her finger on why she felt that way. Maybe it was because everyone here seemed to have a routine, one that didn't include her very much. She thought back to Dale and her conversation with him. He had given her a purpose, one she held close to her heart. Why was that not enough for her now? She helped out around camp, watched the kids, helped with laundry, helped the women with their daily chores. She still felt like she was just another mouth to feed for them.

She thought back to what Shane had said to her, about the Dixons. She couldn't help but wonder how he viewed her. Just another orphan to take care of for now. Until what? When would the time come for Shane to cast her off. Maybe when rations got enough more scarce? She was scared of being alone again. She didn't want to go back to hiding in trees. She laughed at the irony of that, considering she was up in a tree now, hiding from the group.

Footsteps nearby jolted her out of her thoughts. She sucked in her breath, thinking maybe one of the dead had ventured over here. It had been a long time since she had seen one. Glenn had told her they had never come too close to the camp. Shane or one of the other men had been sure to take out any stragglers they had found but even then, it was always a good distance away from the camp.

Suddenly the footsteps stopped, it sounded like whatever it was wandering around was right below her. She peered down and noticed Daryl staring up at her. His steele cut eyes making contact with her own blue ones, again the feeling beyond them a mystery to her.

He looked at her closely, making her cheeks turn a light pink. She was always blushing, Daryl thought. She was so easy to read. Carried her emotions on her sleeve. Even looking down at him now, he could see every emotion play on her face. Her worry, her fear, her embarrassment, her hesitation. It drove him nuts. He wasn't used to someone like that. Growing up with Merle and his dad, they both didn't do emotions. He was taught to be hard and empty from the day he was born. So seeing someone so opened made him a little uncomfortable.

His silence unnerved Grace. Why was he here? Hadn't he been the one to tell her to stay away from him? So why was he out here in the woods with her a second time now?

"You know, I'm beginning to think you've been following me around." Grace said, looking down at him, "I thought you wanted nothing to do with me."

"I have been and I don't." He answered cooly, "Ya' stomp around, it's easy to track ya'."

That was one way to make a lady feel...well, unladylike.

"If you don't want anything to do with me, why are you following me?" Grace answered, glaring at him now.

"You've been out here long, thought ya' might be dead. Was jus' makin' sure no geek was gonna' be pouncing on me late at night." He answered with a glare of his own.

He studied the bruise on her face, wondering why she refused to tell him how she got it. It had grown a little bigger since that last time he had seen her down by the lake. He quickly pushed those thoughts from his mind, not wanting a repeat of before.

He started to walk away, not caring to interact with the girl anymore. She was alive and that was all there was to it, he had gotten his answer. He heard the tree shake behind him and then the sound of two feet hitting the ground.

"I'm sorry." She suddenly blurted out causing the man to turn to look at her, confused.

"About insulting your hunting skills." She explained.

Daryl continued to stare at her for a moment and his silence was making her fidget.

"I checked yer trap yesterday." He finally said and Grace perked up.

"Nothin'." He said, making the girl deflate. "Set it up too close to camp. Got to go further next time if yer lookin' to catch anythin'."

Grace nodded, taking his comment to heart. She was mainly happy that he wasn't yelling at her for once. She looked at him again, noticing the way his dark blue eyes glistened in the moon's light. His normal scowl was soothed out as he stared at the embers, making him appear younger than usual. On most days, Grace would chalk him up to be around thirty. But looking at him now, he appeared to be in his mid-twenties; his stress lines gone and his eyes relaxed.

"Are ya' gonna tell me how ya' got that bruise on yer face?" He suddenly asked. He didn't particularly care that she was hurt, but he was curious.

She looked up at him for a moment, before her eyes shifted back down towards the ground.

Daryl's eyebrows pulled together, "Did Ed touch ya'?"

Grace still refused to look up at him with those big blues eyes, but her silence answered his question. He felt unexplainable anger. He knew it had been Ed. He could hear it sometimes, him beating up on his wife; their tent was rather close to his. Daryl was a mean person, alright. He got that from Merle. But he would never put his hands on a woman. Ever.

"Fuckin' dick." He muttered under his breath.

Grace's eyes widened a bit at Daryl's cursing. She assumed he didn't agree with the way Ed dealt with his anger issues. Daryl might be a harsh person, but she had a feeling underneath his exterior, there was a person with some morals. He might not be entirely good, but for some reason she felt deep down there might be some good in him.

"Are you worried about Merle?" She suddenly asked, eager to change the subject.

Daryl glanced at her for a moment, but didn't say anything.

"I'm done with the chitchat. Ya' best get back to camp before ya' worry the others." Daryl said, before turning around and walking back towards the opening of the tree.

She let out a tiny sigh and she knew that he was. She caught up to him and walked beside him for a moment. This was a rare moment, a calmer Daryl. She glanced at him for a second, noticing his jaw clench which told her he definitely noticed her looking at him.

"Listen Daryl." She said lightly. He didn't look at her but she knew he was listening, "Merle is a tough guy. I'm sure they've just run into a rough spot and they're making their way back now. Besides, Glenn's with him. He'll keep everyone safe."

"That lil' Asian boy?" He said, "He couldn't even help if he tried. Ain't got the balls for that."

"He's a firecracker, that one." She joked, but then added seriously, "Everyone always underestimates him, but I know he has it in him. He's smart and tougher than he looks."

The doubtful and bewildered look on Daryl Dixon's face was enough to make her smile.

Author's Note: Third revised chapter! This one didn't change all that much :)