I sat beside my father, where he sharpened his bolts and me my arrows. I heard soft footsteps walking over, causing me to look over. Amy walked over and smiled softly. "Hey Danny." She said in a soft voice.
"Hey." I said before looking back at my arrow. I could see my dad was glancing at me from the corner of his eyes, but I ignored it. Amy came and sat beside me, our sides brushing.
"What are you doing?" She asked me as she watched my hands work.
"Sharpening my arrows." I mumbled as I focused on working. Amy looked down at my hands. She watched as I worked, while my father watched us, while he worked.
"You two ready to go?" Grace asked, stopping in front of us.
"Danny ain't going." My dad surprising me. I looked up at him. "But ya, I'm ready." She nod, gave me a sympathetic look, and walked away.
"Why ain't I going. He's my uncle I-
"Ya, and I don't want you gettin' yourself killed." My dad said and I glared his way.
"Ya because I would just be stupid and get myself killed."
"Danny-" My father started, but I just got up and walked away. My father doesn't even think I can handle Atlanta. He doesn't think I can take care of myself. Of course he doesn't, he think I'm just some stupid kid.
I watched Danny walk away and frown. I don't know why I keep feeling like I should look out for the kid, but I just... it's strange. I feel like some mother hen for him and I can't even help it. I saw Daryl looked frustrated. He went to get up, but I found my legs already heading to Danny. I walked over, ignoring the look I got from Daryl and lean against a tree just across from Danny. "Your dad won't let you go?" I asked. Danny looked over at me.
"What does it matter to you?" He snapped.
"He's just looking out for you Danny."
"No, he's not. He thinks I'm just some stupid kid." I sighed and pushed off the tree.
"Danny, he doesn't think you're just some stupid kid. Your his son and he just lost his uncle, he doesn't want to loose you. He cares about you and wants you to be okay. He wants you to stay safe and alive." I said, gently resting a hand on his arm, this time he didn't flinch away. "Just give your dad a chance, Danny. He's trying. You think him letting you stay with these people make him happy. I think he would rather have you with him, but he would much rather know you're safe. It's no secret it's safer here than out there." I said. He glanced at me.
"Are you going?" I nod.
"Ya, I'm going." I said with a small smile. Danny glanced over at his father before looking at him. I could see his father watching us, but I ignored it as Danny spoke.
"Can you keep an eye on him. Sometimes his temper gets the better of him. I don't want him getting hurt." I laughed. "What?"
"Your father is worried about you getting killed and you're worrying about your father loosing his temper and getting hurt?" Danny smiled.
"We look after each other, that's what family is about. So will ya?" I nod.
"Ya, I'll make sure he doesn't get himself into trouble." Danny gave a small smile.
"Thanks, Grace." I nod.
"Sure think kiddo. So... you going to talk to your dad or am I going to have drag your ass over there?" Danny laughed.
"I'm sure you would." I smiled.
"Yes I would, so answer?" He rolled his eyes.
"Don't worry I'll talk to him." I nod.
"Good." I smiled at him. "Then I'm heading over there." I said before walking away and over to Daryl and Amy, who had stayed. Daryl eyed me over, but I ignored him as I sat down.
"You good to go?" I look over and saw Rick standing there.
"Ya." I said with a nod. He nod back. "Good."
"Could you just tell me why?" Shane said walking over to us. I rolled my eyes, causing Danny to smile "Why would you risk your life for a dochebag like Merle Dixon." I looked at Shane annoyed.
"Hey, choose your words carefully." Daryl warned as he pointed a bolt at Shane/
"Oh no, I did. Douchbag's what I meant." Shane told him.
"You guys left him on a roof." Amy said making everyone look at her. "He might not have been the best person, but he was still human. That ain't no way to die." Amy said.
"Merle Dixon," Shane threw a disgusted look at Daryl, causing me to give Shane a look. "The guy wouldn't give you a glass if you were dying of thirst."
"You're not even going with us Shane, why do you even care what we do." I said annoyed. "All you gonna do is complain. The people going are willing. It's our choice to go, not yours. So get over yourself and grow up." I said walking away from them and leaving everyone speechless. My patients is long gone with that douche. He thinks Merle's bad? Then he obviously hasn't met himself. Lying to a family about me being dead? What the hell was he even thinking."
I watched the woman walk away in surprise. "Has a temper." Danny said beside me with a shake of a head.
"So you, Grace, and Daryl?" The bitch asked. "That's your big plan?" Rick turned and looked at Glenn who looked at Rick confused before groaning a little bit after.
"Oh, come on."
"You know the way. You've been there before- in and out, no problem, you said so yourself." Rick went on to say. I glanced over and saw Glenn take his hat off, run a hand through his short black hair, and then put the hat back on. He wasn't refusing, but he sure as hell didn't look happy. I didn't care either way. This was my brother and there was no way in hell I would leave him up there. "It's not fair for me to ask, I know that, but I'd feel a lot better with you along." Rick gestured to Lori. "I know she would too."
"That's just great." Shane said causing me to roll my eyes. "Now you're gonna risk four men, huh?"
"Five." I turned and saw T-Dog walk over.
I huffed. "My dad just gets better and better, don't it?" Danny gave me a look causing me to soften. He always managed to do that.
"You see anybody else stepping up to save your brother's cracker ass?" T-Dog asked. I looked away from his and went back to my bolts.
"Why you?"
"You wouldn't even begin to understand. You don't speak my language."
"That's five." Dale said from behind Rick.
"It's not just five," Shane snapped out. "You're putting every single one of us at risk- just know that, Rick." He stabbed a finger at Rick. "Come on, Rick, you saw that walker. It was here- it was in camp. They're moving out of the cities. They come back, we need every able body we got. We need 'em here. We need 'em to protect camp."
"Sees to me what you really need most here" Rick paused and stared at Shane. "Are more guns."
"Right, the guns." Glenn said. I glanced over.
"Wait, what guns?" Shane asked as he looked over at Rick, obviously confused.
"Six shotguns, two high-powered rifles, over a dozen handguns." Rick said giving a list. "I cleaned out the cage back at the station before I left. I dropped the bag in Atlanta when I got swarmed-it's just sitting there on the streets, waiting to be picked up."
"Ammo?"
"Seven hundred rounds, assorted." I looked back down at my bolts. They were arguing over and over to save my brother, but none of them really had a choice.
"You went through hell to find us. You just got here and you're gonna turn around and leave?" The bitch asked.
"Dad, I don't want you to go." I blocked them out, knowing it didn't concern me. I stood up and headed for the cube van that we would be taking with us. I climbed in the back, but turned and looked at Danny.
"You stay out of trouble, you hear." I said and Danny nod.
"Same goes for you. Don't loose your temper out there, it won't help none." I nod at him and walked in and sat down. Across from me sat Grace.
"Why you coming?" I asked. Grace looked up. Her silk brown hair falling into her eyes. She pushed it back and looked at me, her deep green eyes looking right into me.
"I'm not the type of person that believes in leaving a man to die. Your brother isn't a good person, but he is still a person. If we did leave him there, he'd die of hunger and thirst, then into one of those things. That's worst than being torn by those things." I frowned. "That ain't who I am." She said before looking back down, her hair falling into her face once more. I itched to move it from her face, letting me see those green eyes again, but I knew it wouldn't be wise if I did.
I lean back with a frown. "Why you keep talking to my son?" I asked. It was something that had been bugging me since I saw her pull my son away from us, when we were fighting early, in order to talk to him. I didn't understand.
"I'm normally good at reading people. Danny's a good kid, he just got a temper. I figured it was a Dixon trait." She said with a small smile my way. My insides churn at that smile. "I talked to him earlier because I figured he could use someone to talk to. Not people like you Dixons, and I figured not many talk to any of you. Danny looked upset, so I thought I'd take it upon myself to see if I could help." She said with a shrug.
"Where your brother?" I asked.
"He said he was going to talk to Dale before heading out." She said with a shrug. He was taking forever. I stood up and started pacing. "Will you relax. He'll be here in a minute." I glared at her.
"Ya and every minute we waste my brother is up on that roof suffering." She sighed.
"Ya, but pacing ain't gonna speed them up. So just sit down, you're making me dizzy." I glared at her, but she just smiled. I frowned down at her. This girl was rather confusing. Normal people did not smile when some glared at them.
"What you smiling at?" I snapped. She laughed.
"That fact you think you can intimidate anyone." She said crossing her arms. "Now as I was saying, sit down." I glared at her again before returning to pacing. "Or just don't listen." She grumbled. "Okay seriously, stop pacing. It is really really annoy-" I cut her off as I hit the horn with my foot, almost hitting the chinaman.
"Come on, let's go!" I yelled.
"Okay, you sit, now." The girl said as she pulled me back and pushed me back in the seat. I gave her a shocked look. "Get up again and I will shoot you." She sat back down and crossed her arms. "Guys and their impatience." She grumbled.
T-Dog walked on and sat down by the girl. "Loosing your temper, Grace?" He asked with a smile. The girl smiled and rolled her eyes.
"Shut up." She said as she nudged him. Rick got in the van and started driving away from camp.
"He'd better be okay. It's my only word in the matter." I said, causing the two to look my way.
"I told you, the geeks can't get at him. Only thing that's gonna get through that door is us." T-Dog said.
"Relax will ya. Honestly you're giving me a headache." Grace said looking at me. "T said he chained the door than he did. You don't have to worry." This time she said in a more gentler tone causing me to shift awkwardly. This girl seemed to make me feel strange. I didn't like it.
"We walk from here." Glenn said once we stopped, just outside the city. I stood up, readying myself to what was to come.
I sat on some rocks by the water. I could see Shane trying to catch frogs with Carl. I could tell Carl was having a good time, but I didn't trust Shane. Never have trusted him. I mean the woman he has been fucking just got her husband back. That gotta make some problems. "I'm beginning to question the division of labor here." I heard Jacqui say as her and Andrea headed down to the water with baskets of laundry. Carol and Amy had been down here for awhile before and they sat on plastic crates that were upturned and both were barefooted.
"They're coming, little man!" I heard Shane yell, causing me to roll my eyes. "Get that net in there and get 'em. What have you got, bad boy? What do you got? What do you got?"
"Dirt." Carl said once he lifted his net out of the water.
"Oh boy," Shane said. "Alright, we've got to start over. Come on, let's find this bucket."
"They might catch something if they weren't making so much noise." I said as I sharpened my hunting knife. Amy look back at me and smiled.
"At least they're having fun, Danny. You should try it some time." She said.
"Can someone explain to me how the women wound up doing all the Hattie McDaniel Work?" Jacqui asked causing me to snort.
"The world ended. Didn't you get the memo?" Amy asked turning her eyes on the woman.
"It's just the way it is." Carol murmured.
"Some people do more than others around here." I said making them look at me. "You woman more than any of us." I said and that got me small smile from the woman.
"Maybe, but you are not like them, Danny." Jacqui said. I glanced over at her before looking back at Shane and Carl.
"All how you grow up." I murmured.
I followed after my brother as he followed Glenn. Glenn was leading the group beneath the underpass that cut through the air that was not far from the tracks where we parked the van. Glenn wanted to go this way because he said it was fastest and safest, but this way was blocked by a chain-link fence. Glenn saw this and pointed out a section that look to have been torn or cut at some point in the past. We needed someone to hold it open in order for us all to fit through.
"Merle first or guns?" Rick asked as he paused on the other side of the fence and faced us.
"Merle! We ain't even having this conversation." Daryl snapped.
"We are," Rick snapped right back. I knew it was hard on Rick. He needed to get both, but he also needed to go for closest at the moment. He looked over at Glenn as I gently touched Daryl. Daryl flinched and look down at me coldly.
"You need to relax. We will get Merle back okay." I said softly. His blue eyes stared into my green ones for a long time, unable to look away.
"You know the geography. It's your call." Rick said snapping Daryl and I out of the trance.
"Merle's closest. The guns would mean doubling back. Merle first." Glenn said without any hesitation.
I glanced over at Daryl and saw him relax. "Just try not to loose your temper. I don't need your son getting mad at me for not doing my job." I teased earning a look from Daryl. "Come on, Daryl, let's get going." I said with a smile.
I was to be down by the rivers with the girls in case anything happens, not that anything ever has before, but it was still the fact that something could happen. The sun was beating down on all of us. I had dark jeans on that was practically burning my skin, and a dark green muscle shirt that wasn't all that cool either, then of course I had my boots on that were hot. On my bag was my bow and quiver too, which didn't help matters. "I do miss my Maytag." Carol said as she scrunched up a t-shirt and rubbed it up and down on the makeshift washboard.
"I miss my Benz, my Sat Nav." Andrea said.
"I miss my coffeemaker, with that dual-drip filter and built-in grinder, honey." I laughed as Jacqui said that as she wrung out a shirt.
"My computer... texting." I snorted as Amy said that. "Shut up." Amy laughed and threw a shirt on me. I caught it and tossed it back. Everyone laughed at our little spat. "Fine what do you miss redneck?" She asked. I looked over at her.
"Nothing." I said and everyone looked at me surprised. "My family, as you can imagine, were the trailer trash type, didn't have much." I said shrugging. "We lived off hunting, which hasn't changed. Everything I grew up and could miss, I still have." Everyone fell silent as I said that.
"I miss my vibrator." Andrea said breaking the silence.
"Oh." I chuckled as Jacqui said that.
"Oh my god!" Amy gaped at her sister, which only made me laugh more.
"You're so innocent." I said causing them to raise an eyebrow at me. "I lived with Merle." I said as if that excused anything and it did. Everyone laughed.
"Me too." Carol confessed after making sure Ed didn't hear. Every where she goes he goes. He is defiantly a scumbag. Beats and rapes his wife, everyone knows, but of course no ones doesn't anything in this camp and my family don't want no trouble. Still it must not be easy with having him in your life.
The woman all laughed as Carol said it, even I laughed. That is when Ed started coming towards us. "What's so funny." I sighed. This is why I need to be here at times. I jumped down from my rocks and put my knife away... for now.
"Just swapping war stories, Ed." Andrea said. The mood went down and everyone got back to work. Ed stayed however and watched them work as if was the warden and they were his prisoners. "Problem, Ed?" Andrea asked, half turning to look up at him.
"None that concerns you." He said and I shook my head. Time to tell him to scram off.
"Ed, they don't need you down here. Why not just go back up." I said.
"And you oughta focus on your work." Ed said, ignoring me and looming over Carol. "This ain't no comedy club." He said.
"Ed, just go will ya. This ain't any of your concern." I said as I tightened my grip on my bow.
"And who are you tell me what to do, kid. You're nothing, but trailer trash." He said, but I kept my temper back.
"Ed, I'm only telling you once more. Head back up to the camp."
I walked into the department store with my brother. It was eerily quiet and empty. The walkers were long gone. The room was a mess. There was scattered glass every where, from when the sets of doors broke. The mannequins were all knocked over and the clothes were trampled into heaps. I paused in my searching of the room to see movement in the corner of my eye. Rick saw to and held a hand up to stop people from continuing. I watched as a walker shuffled up ahead. It was partially hidden from view by a still-standing mannequin. I reached for my machete, but Rick shook his head at me looked at Daryl. Daryl moved head of us, as quiet as a panther as he creep up to it.
"Damn." Daryl said, not bothering to be all quiet. "You are one ugly skank." He said causing me to roll my eyes. I found it stupid that he got to kill and not me. It was only one. Daryl moved and retrieve his bolt. I rolled my eyes and started on.
I could tell Andrea and Ed both were getting pissed. "How about you just go back to fucking miss blondie." That seemed to have done it for Andrea.
"Ed, tell you what, you don't like how your laundry is done, you are welcome to pitch in and do it yourself." Amy looked at me worried. Seeing both my anger and Andrea. "Here." Andrea said tossing a wet shirt at him.
"Ain't my job, missy." Ed sneered as he threw the shirt back at Andrea with much more forced than he should have.
"Andrea, don't" Amy cried.
"What is your job, Ed? Andrea asked as she took a step towards him. "Sitting on your ass smoking cigarettes?"
"It sure as hell ain't listening to some uppity smart-mouthed bitch. Tell you what?" He blew out a breath of smoke. He threw a nasty glare to Carol. "Come on, let's go." He said raising his eyebrow.
"I don't think she needs to go anywhere with you, Ed." Andrea said. Andrea needed to stay out of their marriage. It wasn't really any of her business.
"And I say it's none of your business." Ed shot back. "Come on now, you heard me."
"Carol." Andrea said softly as she put a hand on Carol's shoulder.
"Andrea, please, it doesn't matter." Carol whispered.
"Hey!" Ed grabbed Andre'a elbow and turned her to face him. "Don't think I won't knock you on your ass just 'cause you some college-educated cooze, alright?" I grabbed Ed's arm and bent it back.
"Ed, if I were you I would walk away now." I hissed in a dangerous tone. If there was anything my dad taught me it was you never lay a hand on a woman or child.
"And what you gonna do about it?" He asked. I bent his arm more and there was a loud crack.
"Ed, I'm warning you, go back up there before I break your whole arm." I growled. Everyone stared at me surprised. I normally stayed out of things, but I'm not one to hurting woman.
"Fuck you!" Ed growled and pushed me back. I didn't expect it, which led to me hitting my head.
"Danny!" Amy squeaked.
"Now you come on now or you gonna regret it later."
"So she can show up with fresh bruises later, Ed?" Jacqui asked. That was when Ed started laughing.
"Stay out of this. Now come on!" Andrea stood in the way as I got to my feet. "You know what, this ain't none of y'all's business. You don't wanna keep prodding the bull here, okay? Now I am done talking." He looked at Carol. "Come on." He grabbed Carol's arm.
"No, no, Carol, you don't have-" Andrea said trying to stop Carol from getting hurt.
"You don't tell me what," Ed roared. "I tell you what." That was when he slapped Carol hard across the face and my will power broke. Before I could do anything, Andrea started hitting Ed's chest. He tried to grab Carol, but Jacqui prevented him to. Amy pulled Carol away and this only made Ed more angry. I moved forward and punched Ed so hard in the face that his nose breaking sounded as loud as glass breaking on metal. I was just going to leave it at that, but then Shane came over, which was not something I had planned.
Shane grabbed Ed from the ground. "Get off me. Get off me!"
"Shane you ain't gotta-" But I stopped talking as he started punching Ed in the face over and over again, scaring everyone. "Shane I said stop!" I yelled at him, but he didn't. I tried pulling him off as Carol started crying. Shane punched me hard in the face, causing me to fall back. He went right back to hitting Ed. I tasted the blood from my cut lip, slipping into my mouth.
"Danny, you okay." I spat the blood out as Amy knelt beside me.
"Fine." I grumbled.
"Shane, stop, just stop!" Andrea yelled.
"Stop it. Stop." Carol sobbed. I got to my feet and pull Shane off.
"Shane knock it off! You've done enough!" I yelled, as I pushed him back. "You're gonna kill him if you keep up." I said keeping him back, but Shane didn't want to stop. He shoved me back and pulled Ed up by his shirtfront.
"You put you hands on your wife, your little girl, or anyone else in this camp one more time, I will not stop next time." He said as he grabbed Ed's swollen face. "Do you hear me? Do you hear me?"
"Shane that's enough." I snapped trying to break this up.
"I'll say when it's enough, back off Dixon." Shane snapped. "Do you hear me!" He yelled at Ed.
"Yes." Ed slurred through the blood he had in his mouth.
"I'll beat you to death, Ed." Shane snarled. He hit Ed again and I went to stop him, but Amy put a hand on my chest,
"Stop, Danny. I don't want you getting hurt no more." She whispered. I saw tears rolling down her face, so I gave in. I stopped. Shane kicked Ed in the ribs before final stepping back.
"Ed, I'm sorry." Carol sobbed as Andrea let Carol run to him. "Ed, I'm sorry." He knelt beside him, holding his bloody face in her arms. Shane shook his head at Carol, ran his hand through his hair, and stormed off. My eyes went back to Amy.
"Let's get you cleaned up." She whispered as she dragged me away from the group and further down the waterline. She sat me down on the ground and got a rag. "You shouldn't have gotten involved, Danny."
"Isn't that supposed to be-
"I don't care, Danny. You could have gotten killed. I... I can't loose you." She looked up at me and I felt my heart constrict and my body tense. "I just can't." She whispered as she ran her fingers gently through my hair. She turned away and wet the rag. She turned back to face me and pressed it to my lip. I hissed in pain. "I'm sorry, I need to stop the bleeding and clean it." She whispered as she gently, as gently as she could with my deeply cut lip, and rubbed it, trying to clean the blood up. "How's your head. You hit it when Ed pushed you, right?"
"Not that bad. Just hit it on a rock, that's all." To my surprise Amy laughed.
"You're such an idiot some times Danny." She said laughing, but her laughter became more like crying. "You think everything's a joke. It's gonna get you killed and the worst part is I don't even care or take that fact seriously." She said as she wiped her eyes. I sighed.
"Amy, I take it seriously. I'm fine really." She looked at me. Her pale blue eyes meeting my bright ones. "You gotta stop worrying about me."
"Who will if I won't." She said. I laughed.
"Trust me the second my dad sees my lip he's gonna kill Shane and Ed." I said. Amy gave a small smile.
"Does it hurt?"
"Throbs mostly."
"The bleeding stopped." She whispered. It was then I noticed how close we actually were together. "I could make you forget the throbbing if you want." Her lips brushed mine causing a shiver to run down my spine. "I won't if you don't want though." She whispered. My eyes met her before I pressed my lips against hers. Her arms wrapped around my neck as one of my hand slipped into her hair and the other on her hip. She pressed on my chest, causing my back to hit the sand. She followed with me, practically on top of me, as she deepened the kiss. I groan as she started sucking on my bottom and sore lip.
"Amy! Where did you go off to?" Amy groan as she pulled away from me.
"Can't even be away from me for five minutes." She complained. "Like annoying mother." I smiled and pulled her head down, kissing her once more. "Danny I gotta-" She tried to say.
"Who cares. She can wait." I whispered as I kissed down her neck.
"Danny." Amy moaned.
"Amy! Let's go! Where are you!" Amy whimpered.
"I have to go, Danny. Andrea will worry." Amy said as she pulled away. "Your lips bleeding again." Amy said before giving a sigh. "Here keep this against it." She pressed the wet rag onto my lip. "We'll... we'll talk later." She promised. I forced a smile, even though my bleeding lip made it hurt.
"Ya, we will." She blushed before going after her sister. I groan and fell back on the ground.
What did I just get myself into?
