Warning (s): brief sexual 'contact' at the end of this chapter. Not technically consensual.


It was hard to ignore the feelings churning in her gut as his chest pressed against her back.

She was trembling slightly, but listening to his deep, rhythmic breathing against her helped her calm down. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, breathing out slowly through her mouth.

"Good, breathe in deeply. You has to be calm for this,." He breathed against her throat.

She smelt musk and old hints of mint and it made her shiver all over. "I'm trying," she whispered.

"Try harder," he growled, making her throat vibrate.

She swallowed hard and opened her eyes, releasing the arrow. It whistled through the air and struck the target dead on. She stared at the arrow, stunned for a moment with her bow dangling from her fingertips by the string. A grin broke out on her face, one made entirely of teeth, and she whipped around to Daryl, tackling him to the ground with her arms wrapped around his throat.

"I did it! I actually fucking did it!"

Thick fingers hooked into the hem of her shorts and lifted her up, leaving her dangling comically in the air above Daryl. He grumbled and wiggled out from beneath where she was dangling, jumping to his feet and stalking towards the thick oak tree twenty feet from them. He jerked the feather fletched arrow from the white circle drawn with some sort of cream Merle had produced.

She squirmed in Merle's gasp, kicking her feet and waving her hands, bow clenched tightly in her left hand still.

"Merle let me go!" She whined, giving up and just dangling there.

He laughed a maniacal laugh and dropped her onto the forest floor. Marcine hit the ground with her face first, giving an oomph. She just lay there, groaning a little before a boot dug into her left side and rolled her over. She opened her eyes and saw Daryl staring down at her, emotions faint on his face. He held out a hand to her, obviously giving up on shielding her away from him. She took it with a smile and let him jerk her to her feet.

"Good fer ya first shot," he mumbled gruffly.

She smiled a little wider then squeaked when he grabbed a hold of her elbow and spun her around to face away from him. She stood there, stiff as a board as she felt one of his large hands cup her hip, pulling something through her belt loops.

"D-Daryl what are you doing," she whispered.

"Hookin this holder up," he muttered.

She relaxed instantly, closing her eyes and sighing. "Sorry," she whispered.

"Why ya sorry girly?"

Marcine hesitated but didn't answer him, instead looking over at Merle, but only for a split second. Because he gave her a grin that made her stomach churn. Because she wanted to smile back.


Lori paced back and forth in front of the small fire Andrea and Amy were building, wringing her hands methodically; Amy gave her a side glance, surprised she didn't see permanent wrinkles in her skin.

"Lori," Amy muttered. "Calm down, 'm sure they're fine. Worrying about them will do ya no good."

She shook her head. "I'm not worried about them Amy." She looked back to the path the Dixons had been worrying into the trees. "I'm worried about her."

Amy smiled softly. "Come sit, Lori." She pat the log beside her. "They can't be all that bad, plus Daryl is okay enough. He can make sure Merle doesn't do anything."

That definitely did not put her at ease.

Lori cast one final glance at the path then sighed, shuffling to sit beside Amy. She pressed both of her elbows onto her knees and held her head in her hands. She didn't expect to act like this over a girl she didn't even know, over a girl that almost no one in the camp trusted.

No one understood her reasoning for caring for this young girl. Marcine was just a confused woman, she didn't know right from wrong apparently. The mention brought up the memory of the blood on her, her back pack. In the state she arrived in, it had to be a Walker, just had to be. How could she fend off a 'normal' person when she was nothing but skin and bones? Everyone else in this damn group was so quick to pass judgment on her before they even got to know her. Marcine was funny, witty and very intelligent.

But she was book smart, not street smart like ya needed to be dealing with those Dixons, or at least one of them.

Lori could not believe Shane just threw her to the wolves by forcing her out of the camp. Lori had to at least try to make both of them see reason. She didn't want to lose the poor girl, she didn't want to see her. . .swallowed up by them.

"Hey mom," a small voice came from her left.

She looked over and saw Carl and Carol's daughter, Sophia, standing a few feet behind him with Morales' children, Eliza and Louise. "What honey," she asked, smiling softly so as to keep him from asking questions.

"Can we go down to the quarry? T-Dog and Glenn said they'd watch us."

Lori looked around camp, seeing the aforementioned men standing near the slope down to the quarry. They noticed her eyes and paused from their conversing, waving at her. Lori sighed again and rubbed her forehead, nodding slowly.

"I guess so honey, just don't get out of their sight, okay?" She smiled at the other children. "Same goes for you all."

The children's faces lit up. "Thanks mom," Carl practically yelled before he and the other children ran off towards the quarry.

"I wish I could be a kid again," Jacqui muttered, crossing her legs and leaning towards the fire to scoot a can of opened beans from the fire with a stick. "Seems like fun."

"Same here," Andrea sighed, looking up at the sky. "Don' miss the hormones though, or school."

"Adults go to school." Amy pointed out, a little smug while her sister rolled her eyes.

Lori chuckled but it was half-hearted, standing. "I. . .I think I'm gonna go rest. Can someone get me when they get in?"

Amy and Jacqui nodded, their eyes full of unspoken concern, but Lori didn't want their concern. No one seemed to care about that girl but her.


"I can't believe I did that," Marcine groaned, pinching her nose.

Blood dripped in heavy amounts around her fingers and onto her boots, making her stomach turn. Daryl rolled his eyes and made her stop by bumping his hand on her elbow, crouching down in front of her. Merle watched in amusement as Daryl produced a peach colored rag and pressed it against her nostrils. She sputtered as she held it, thanking him while he just grumbled at her, huffing before he adjusted the bow on his back.

"Maybe ya should've listened when 'e said tighten up," he barked.

"I figured that would make it worse for some reason," she grumbled, fumbling with the rag.

Merle snickered, swaying as he started walking again. "Dumbass."

"Shut the hell up," she snapped.

"Both a ya shut up," Daryl quipped, curving his back. "Gotta get back ta camp."

Marcine felt her stomach drop but said nothing as they started back the way they came, or whatever, she didn't know where they were going really. They could be. . .no, they wouldn't kill her, right now. They would have already done so. They had gone pretty far out into the woods and that had irked Marcine at first but then she realized it was for safety. Don't think anyone would be too happy if they ended up shooting someone by accident, especially one of the children.

Marcine stared at both brothers backs as they stalked in front of her, Merle mumbling to himself as Daryl kept a keen eye out around the woods surrounding them. What was she going to say when they asked why she wouldn't leave?

"So girly, what's yer sleppin' arrangements?" Merle grinned over his shoulder.

Psychic motherfucker. . . "How did ya know," she muttered.

He smirked, eyes flickering over her briefly. "Can' help but notice when ya had a whole gaggle of men swarmin ya earlier. What happen?"

She sighed. "They said if I came over to you for help. . .I couldn't come back to their side."

"Shoulda stayed over there," Daryl mumbled, adjusting his crossbow on his shoulder.

"What?" Marcine asked.

"Ya stupid fer comin' over, shoulda stayed over there with them."

"I need to learn for to handle myself, Daryl. And, to be honest. . .you seemed like the only two people who know what the hell they're doing around here," she sighed. "I hate. . .how they act like it's one big camping trip, it drives me crazy."

It was the truth, she hated how they were trying to make everything normal. She didn't care if it was because of the kids or whatever, they all needed to get with the fucking program or something they couldn't handle would come barreling in and they wouldn't make it. None of this sunshine-lollipop shit would matter anymore.

"Oh just ignore Darylina, he's just a kill joy." Merle grinned again. "Ya can bunk with me girly."

Marcine swallowed hard, staring at Daryl's back. "Sure, Merle, that would work."

Daryl glared at Merle, who was one smug son of a bitch. "No," he barked. "Ya stayin with me."

Marcine suppressed a smile. It wasn't that she didn't trust Merle, it was just. . .she didn't trust Merle. To be honest, she didn't want to know what made her so terrified of him. He was scary in general, sure, but then again what wasn't these days?

"Ooo, possessive are we," Merle coos.

Daryl growls and Marcine can't ignore the fact that it makes her tingle. "Don' fuck with me, Merle," he warned.

Merle laughed and turned, walking backwards, winking at Marcine. "Someone needs to get laid, why don' ya help him with that sugar tits?"

Marcine's cheeks instantly flushed. "Wh-What?"

"Ignore 'im," Daryl hisses, grabbing onto his brothers arm and managing to push him forward. "Get yer ass on."

Merle laughed, catching himself with a jog and slowed back down to be at his brothers side. "I was jus' fucking with 'er, she knows that. Don't cha?"

Marcine looked between the two of them before she ducked her head. Yes, she had to sleep in Daryl's tent, she just douldn't handle Merle – didn't think she would have the strength to fend him off should something happened.

And she wouldn't fight Daryl if he tried.


He could see her face thanks to the dim light filtering through the tent; Merle was keeping a steady fire going, probably smoking his brains out. Daryl could smell the meth.

She laid on his bed roll, head resting on one of his cleanest, bunched-up shirts. He noticed her hips first, how wide they were, that supple ass that was staring at him in the tight confines of her jeans. He licked his bottom lip and eased towards her, cringing at the sound the fabric of his pants made against the bottom of the tent. He swallowed hard and reached out, running a calloused finger around the hem of her jeans. He maneuvered himself up enough to see her face, licking his lips again.

She was so calm, unaware.

He smirked as he dug a hand into the front of her jeans; he had always been good at this.

He ground his groin softly against her ass, cupping her full in his palm, his breathing getting heavier. He pulled his hand from her jeans and slowly eased it up into her shirt, cupping a full breast in his palm. She breathed in deeply, making Daryl freeze in place, eyes wide as he watched her face. She whined softly and rolled her head towards him, eyes fluttering open for a moment. She lifted a hand and he froze as it cupped the side of his jaw. She smiled a little before she went limp again, falling asleep with a heavy huff. He sat there a moment longer, knuckles brushing against the underside of her breast before he rolled away, flopping back and laying his arm across his face.

"God dammit…."