New Meanings To Old Words: Love

Howdy! So, the consensus from many of the reviews was a mad love for our little Mini-Daryl, Ben. I'm really glad that you enjoyed the way that all worked out, and can only tell you that there's gonna be more Mini-Daryl comin' so ! This chapter Daryl's bed-bound and Callie's working through what I like to call a bit of Karma biting her in the ass (which you'll probably understand the more you read if you're not there with me now)

A note: BLUE VEINS IS AN AWESOME SONG. If you're payin' attention to the sound of the songs (listening at all to them) you'll see a sort of old folk influence that I'm sticking with for the majority of these chapters. To me it's really fitting, and if you haven't checked-out the songs that are the soundtracks for the chapters, I'd suggest it. I spend half my time finding the perfect song…so ya know, if you're interested… GO FOR IT.

As always read, review and most of all enjoy!

~michelle

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Callie and the crew of misfits (Danny, Miles, Jenna, Mike, Nina, Ben and Gracie).

Blue Veins

When I was surrounded by the world

You were the only one who came

And you were the only one astounded

Which kept me grounded

He was dead.

He was fuckin' sure of it this time.

Because he was in pain, excruciating and searing pain that seemed to ebb and flow from his head in waves. A pain that settled deep into every muscle he'd used and pulled and pushed to the brink to get back to the farm house; a pain that was flarin' to life with each stab of whatever the fuck was pokin' at him. He was in pain, but he was fuckin' settled on something soft and cushy; something that smelt good –unlike his own smoke-infused sheets and bedding.

He was in a world of pain that he'd never felt before, and fuck if he hadn't had his fair share of pain in his life, but he was settled on something comfortable while he had to endure it.

And she was there again.

He couldn't see her, but he could feel her hands slipping across his brow. His face scrunched involuntarily as she skimmed her fingers over his head brushin' his hair back and holdin' it away. Then there was that stabbin' pain in his side and a motherfuckin' push to the area of his head that had apparently exploded. He growled, and he swore he heard her chuckle a bit.

And he knew.

He was dead, and this was fuckin' hell.

He worked his eyes a bit, fleeting awareness coming back, and his vision swam in a bit of a fuzzed out tilt. She was settled on her hip on the comfortable thing with him, her fingers still holding his hair away as she looked at someone over his shoulder. Her eyes skipped down to him and in his hazy bit of vision he saw her smile. Sweet and soft, her fingers sliding through his hair gently. That bit of tenderness during the pain again cementing his current predicament.

Daryl worked his tongue in his mouth, tryin' to get words out of his dry mouth. It fuckin' hurt to even move his jaw at the moment and he winced out what he would never admit to bein' a fuckin' whimper. But that's what it fuckin' was. She smiled at him, the darkness around the outside of her form pulsing and threatening to overtake his vision again. Her mouth was moving and he strained to make out the sound through the rush of blood in his aching head.

"He's awake," Callie said, her voice sounding as if it were echoing in a tunnel when it finally reached his ears. She bent towards him a bit, her fingers raking gently through his hair again. Flyin' quick and soft over the bumps he'd gotten when he fell down the fuckin' ridge. Twice.

"This hell?" Daryl asked her his own voice sounding foreign to his own ears. He squinted, trying to keep the vision of her smiling face in focus. "You the devil?"

"Always said he was a sweet-talker," Callie muttered shifting her attention over his body. Daryl blinked his eyes a few times, listening to the rumbling chuckle of someone else and the low humored voice that followed.

"He ain't even talkin' to you, Cal. 'Cause boy ain't even here." Danny's chuckling tired voice slid over him. "I know where he is," Danny said and Daryl shifted his head a bit to try and see the fucker. Callie put her hands on both sides of Daryl's face holding his head steady and keeping him from moving, her eyes slipping to a figure over his shoulder. Another searing pain shot through his temple causing his eyes to water and close. "That's pain Hell. I been there," Danny's voice again, somewhere in the dark abyss of wherever the fuck he was.

Daryl forced his eyes open, forced past the pain and bleariness and focused on Callie's face. Because if this was hell, he was gonna take what joy he could get before the real torture started. The tiny hint of a smile on her lips had him tryin' to smile back but he just couldn't get past the pain. He stared hard at her, until she sharpened into focus as she leaned a bit closer to him. As if she realized that his vision wasn't quite good enough to see her properly.

"Hey, relax." Callie said to him, her voice still coming from a far off place even though her nose was almost against his. He could feel the whisper of her breath on his lips and his eyes closed again. "I think he's fading again."

"It's better that way," another voice, one that he didn't recognize fully boomed loud in Daryl's ear and had his eyes opening again. "I'm going to run out of sutures at the rate you people are gettin' injured."

The fuzzy vision of Callie settled near him, her hands slipping from his face ebbed and flowed in the darkness that threatened the edges of his vision. He heard her chuckle a bit and watched her eyes slip back from over his shoulder to his face. Her fingers slipped off of his cheeks and Daryl felt himself reach out as she pulled back. He grabbed onto her hand, the pull of the torn muscle in his left side sending a searing breath seething through his clenched teeth. But fuck if he cared. He reached out and grabbed her fingers and pulled her closer. He needed to tell her. He needed to.

Callie moved forward at his pull, her face etched with worry as she came close and let him pull her ear to his lips. He licked at his lips, almost losing his nerve as he pulled her hand up between them holding it to his chest. She squeezed his hand lightly and slipped her fingers from his, using both hands to settle his arm gently back to a resting position over his body as it lay on his side on the soft cushy bed. She opened her mouth, but his head was rushing with that poundin' intensity that had his eyes closing and he missed exactly what she said. Daryl shook his head past the rush of blood and opened his eyes, feeling her hands soothe over his left arm to settle him down. He worked his right arm down a bit, its position against the mattress hindering him a bit but he got his fingers to her belt loop and pulled her closer again.

Callie leaned in close again, her ear at his lips and he took a breath. Working his mouth a bit he pulled her by that belt loop and then gripped tight onto her hip.

"Jenna," his voice broke on the name and he cleared his throat, his face contorting with every bit of pain he felt and all the shit he was holdin' in. He took in a deep breath, feeling her fingers grip his arm a bit and then slide up until they wrapped around his neck. She put her cheek to his and he felt her nod, her thumb moving around to press against his still working lips.

"I know," Callie said quietly as she pressed her lips to his ear. The breath he let out shuddered through him and a spasm of pain rocked him. He opened his eyes and watched her pull away and look at him. "I know, Daryl. Rick told me. We're gonna go get her." He started to shake his head, the motion almost too much to bear but necessary. 'Cause she couldn't go.

She couldn't see her like that.

See what he'd done to her.

Daryl started to move, his entire body flaring to life in searing pain with each tiny twist. Callie was trying to settle him, while two other sets of hands were grippin' him from behind. Two other sets of hands from people he couldn't fuckin' see.

Finally he settled, Callie's hands pressing firmly into his chest pressing him back. Her hands slipped up, slender fingers wrapped around his neck, thumbs smoothing over his throat as it constricted. The world titled and his eyes closed.

"Daryl," her voice echoed around him and he clenched his eyes tight tryin' find any little bit of strength he could. "Daryl."

"It's the meds," another woman's quiet voice echoed near his head. "Hershel's right. Let him sleep. We need him still to stitch this all up."

His head fell back from hers and he stared up at Callie's worried face. She slipped her fingers gently over his face brushing his hair back again and smiled sadly at him. The black around the edges of his vision started closing in, and he saw her slip her eyes over his shoulder to whoever the fuck was at his back again. He stared at her, and only her until that black took over most of her face. He felt his eyes close and he fell into that darkness with one thought in mind.

This was hell. He was sure of it.

Callie walked out of the room, that same fucking room that Jenna had been in, and staggered her way towards the sound of the voices of the rest of the group. She settled her forehead to the doorjamb for a moment, slowly inhaling and exhaling, listening to the cacophony of voices from the dining room just beyond.

There was just too much in her head right now. Too many emotions. Fear. Pain. And whole lot of fucking anger. She waited at that doorway and listened to Andrea's voice as she apologized, and Rick's voice as he dismissed her and sent her off. Callie's brain went back to moments ago. The point where she'd had to excuse herself from the room where Daryl was laying seemingly lifelessly, letting Rick, Danny and Hershel work to get him undressed. She'd made her way out the back, avoiding everyone she heard and then ended up running smack dab into Dale and Andrea.

Andrea had been upset, undeniably upset and utterly beside herself when she realized the mistake she'd made. And a part of Callie had wanted to comfort her as Dale was doing. To sit down and tell her that Dale was absolutely right; they'd all wanted to shoot Daryl at some point.

But another part was just sick of it. And fuckin' pissed off.

And as she'd made her way off the porch, actively ignoring both Dale and Andrea who watched her as she descended the stairs, it was that part of her that had kicked in.

"Callie," Andrea called out but Callie refused to turn. "I'm so sorry. If I'd have known—"

Callie lifted a hand and stopped Andrea mid-stride and mid-sentence. Her eyes closed and she wiggled her toes on the ground as her head shook slightly. Ben and Miles had assaulted Callie with their rendition of how that shot had gone down, and Dale's muted silence during the boys' telling had told her that what they boys said was the God's honest truth. To say she was irked with the woman for her apparent plea of ignorance was putting things mildly.

"Andrea, let it go for now. Let's go back to the RV." Dale's voice broke in, his tone obviously meant to pull Andrea away from yet another act of stupidity. But in true Andrea fashion, she moved ever forward.

"I was only trying to protect the group," Andrea said shaking her head and looking at Callie with wide eyes. "You of all people have to understand that. I wanted to help."

"You needed to listen," Callie spat back her head shaking and her eyes snapping open as she turned to face the woman. She really didn't feel like doing this now, but if Andrea was going to keep pushing then Callie would happily push back. Andrea stepped back and Callie pointed at her. "I understand you wanted to protect the group. I get that. I really do." Callie said emphatically, because she did understand that. Straight down to her core. "But Jesus, Andrea, there's more to protecting the group than pickin' up a rifle and standing up on the RV. There's more to it than just takin' out a Walker when it rears its head."

"Callie," Dale's kind and calm voice called out but Callie shook her head and held up her hand to him.

"No, she needs this Dale. You wanna treat her like a child and placate her, that's fine. But she's a grown ass woman and she deserves a bit of the hard truth." Callie had continued to stare at Andrea whose eyes had gotten wider with each word Callie spewed out at her. "I understand that you're feelin' like you need to assert yourself, and that you need to find a place in this group outside the apparently menial tasks of the other women."

"You-"

"Uh uh," Callie shook her head and finger as if chiding a child, because really she felt like she was. "I talk. You listen." Andrea balked at that and Callie advanced a bit. "I know you thought because Miles was up there that you just automatically should have been able to take a turn. Prove yourself. And good for you, Andrea, for finally fucking takin' charge of your life. But you know what," Callie had stepped a bit closer to the still shocked woman. "Miles was up there, because he never would have taken that shot that you took today. Never. Because he knows how to listen. How to make calls based on more than just fear and hurt pride. He earned that spot."

"And you don't think I've earned it?" Andrea said incredulously. Callie watched as the woman's jaw clenched tight and her hands fisted.

"I think you're acting like a child, and that you have been ever since Amy died." Callie said in a tone much calmer than she'd been expecting. Andrea's eyes widened again and her head began to shake slowly and Callie just shook her own head in return. "I think you expect things, and feel you deserve things, that you don't. Things that you haven't even tried to really understand yet. And that you climbing that ladder today was a very ill-thought temper tantrum; thrown because you thought people were telling you that you were less than someone else. I think you almost killed someone because you were too pig-headed to just fucking listen."

Callie had taken a breath then, watching in her periphery as Dale grimaced and shook his head at her a bit. Andrea had been damn near shaking with anger, or frustration, or something at that point but Callie didn't care. She'd just shaken her head at both of them and lifted a hand.

"You wanna protect the group, Andrea?" Callie said as she turned her back on the woman. "Grow the fuck up and learn how to do it right."

At that point Callie had walked away, leaving Andrea to take what she said however the fuck she wanted to. Callie had stopped at her and Daryl's tent and grabbed him some fresh clothes, and when she'd made it back to the house Andrea and Dale were nowhere in sight.

A gentle hand settled at Callie's elbow startling her from her memories of earlier and back into the present. She lifted her head from the cool wood of the doorway and settled her eyes upon the softly smiling face of Carol.

"C'mon," Carol said softly, her hand gently tugging Callie away from the door and towards the dining room. "You should sit for a minute."

Callie followed along nodding idly and blinked away the wetness in her eyes and the pain brewing in her head. She lifted her hand to her head, intent on rubbing at the pulsing point at the bridge of her nose but stopped short. She stared at her hand, her feet freezing just inside the dining room. Callie swallowed hard and brought her other hand up, the wrap of bandages around her left hand marred with blood. Blood that wasn't hers. Blood that had stained her fingers a sickening shade of red.

She needed to wash her hands.

"Sit," Rick's voice came from nowhere, his hand taking the place of Carol's as the woman's slipped away. Callie lifted her eyes watching as Carol walked towards where Maggie was already busy wetting a towel, and then over to Rick staring intently at her. "C'mon. You need to sit down."

"Sorry," Callie said shaking her head and continuing to stare at her bloody hands as Rick led her to the table. She sat down, and Rick took the offered towel from a slightly grimacing Carol, before he sat on the chair next to her. Rick took her hands in his and slowly began to wipe at the blood on her fingers. Maggie settled a small silver bowl of fresh water beside him and Rick gave her a quick smile and nod. Callie stifled a bit of a chuckle and shook her head as she worked to take the towel from Rick. "It's alright," Callie said huffing as Rick brushed off her fingers. "You'd think this wouldn't bother me so much anymore. Kind of silly at this point."

"It's not silly. No one should ever be comfortable with blood on their hands, Callie." Rick said quietly. Callie's eyes lifted and met his as he stared at her. "No matter what kind of world we live in."

"Is he okay?" Ben's agitated voice boomed out and broke Callie's gaze away from Rick and over to where the boy was bouncing on his feet. Miles was doing a good job of keeping him in place, but obviously he was beginning to lose the battle with the younger kid's nerves.

"He's gonna be fine," Callie said wincing as Rick removed Callie's stained bandage, his muttered 'sorry' lost as he began to poke at the stitches. Callie slipped her hands away and smacked at him a bit and finally the man backed off, settling the stained towel and bandages into the bowl. Ben slipped over, Miles in tow hands still at the boy's shoulders, and Callie gave him a small smile. "He's lucky. Very lucky."

"Lucky Andrea's a piss poor shot," Miles muttered.

"Enough," Callie snapped at him and Miles just shook his head and rolled his eyes. Ben huffed out an annoyed, obviously concurrent breath, with Miles and Callie snapped her fingers at both boys.

"Can I see him?" Ben asked quietly his eyes slipping to the doorway and back to her.

"Hershel and Patricia need room to work, Ben. Daryl's got a—" Callie firmed her lips at the memory of all the battery she'd seen to that man's body when she helped to clear him of all the blood and dirt that had covered him. "He's got a lot of injuries. They need to stitch him up and they aren't going to be able to do that with you there." Ben's face fell and Callie leaned forward. "But I tell you what. When they're done, and Danny says it's okay. You can go in." She smiled at him and leaned forward. "I grabbed his boots," she whispered to him, causing a sly little smile to slide onto his lips. "They're by the door. I'm putting you in charge of him while we're gone."

"Where are you going?" Ben asked wincing a bit as Miles' hands clenched into his shoulders. "Watch it," Ben struggled a bit in his hold and Miles muttered out a 'sorry, kid' before drumming his fingers along Ben's shoulders.

"To get something Daryl dropped," Shane said succinctly his tone almost acerbic. Callie's eyes snapped to him, watching as he leaned over on his bulky arms palms flat to the table. His fucking shirt was still unbuttoned leaving his torso bare for all to see in an almost perfunctory slap in the face to any sort of common decency to being in another man's home. Shane stared at Ben holding the boy's confused gaze for a moment before slipping his eyes to the now glaring Miles. Callie shook her head at the man as his eyes slipped to her.

"Shane," Rick's voice was tired and angry and he shook his head as he shifted in his seat to pierce his former partner with a glare.

"What'd he drop?" Ben asked, his innocence piercing Callie's heart as she turned to face him. She stared for a single second before taking a deep breath.

"Jenna," Callie said quietly. The world seemed to stop for that moment, Ben's eyes slowly getting wider before his bottom lip began trembling just a bit. Callie firmed her lips and watched the myriad of emotions fly over the boy's face, his youth doing him a disservice as each and every one was easily read on his face. Finally his head bowed and Callie reached out and put her hand to the top of his head, giving Miles a look.

"C'mon Ben," Miles said shaking the sad little boy a bit and pushing him out of the room. "Let's go grab those boots, and go see Carl. Bet he's gonna want a rundown of what's goin' on." Miles slipped his glare to Shane and then nodded at Callie before leaving. "Your boots are under the front cab of the RV."

"I know," Callie said waving her hand at him and nodding as he left.

"Was that really necessary?" Maggie said from her spot at the back of the room. The sounds of pots in the kitchen could be heard behind her as the rest of the women were working to try and finish up the dinner that they'd planned. Although the mood of the hopefully heartwarming and group building event had been slightly darkened. Callie spotted Gracie's head of curls settled next to Lori and Beth and she let out a sigh before rubbing at her temple a bit.

"Boy deserves the truth," Shane said shifting to a standing position and crossing his arms over his chest. "World we live in." Shane shook his head and raised a brow at Maggie who just stared back. "Ain't no room for sugar-coatin' shit."

"You're a piece of work ain't ya?" Maggie said shaking her head and spearing a sheepish looking Glenn with a glare before exiting back into the kitchen. Rick moved to stand and deliver what was sure to be a wondrous speech to Shane but Callie placed a hand to his arm staying him.

"He's right," Callie said, earning a raised brow from Rick and a huffed out snort from Shane. "A fuckin' tactless prick, but he's right." Shane glared at her but shrugged and let his arms fall from their standoffish position at his chest. "You guys figured out where we need to go?"

"From what we can figure," Glenn said, shifting his eyes from their ping-ponging between Rick and Shane and over to Callie. "Daryl probably went down somewhere around here," Glenn moved the map towards her and Callie leaned forward to watch him tap his finger on the map. "Maggie said that this ridge area here," he tapped again and looked up at Callie's expectant gaze. "Runs along the spot that me and Daryl were tracking Sophia from that house. She said we can take a couple of horses," Glenn looked between Rick and Callie and then over to Shane. "Depending on who's all coming." He took a breath and slid his finger back and then around a ways to the area he was just tapping at. "We can take the horses and hit the ravine area here. Flat lands, easier travel."

"Probably shoulda told Daryl 'bout that 'fore his ass left this mornin'." T-Dog chimed in from his spot at the corner.

"Hindsight is twenty-twenty, T." Callie said tiredly as she rubbed at the bridge of her nose. "When are we leaving?"

"Callie—"

"Don't," Callie held up a hand and waved it as she closed her eyes hoping to drown out that horribly concerned look on Rick's face. "I'm going. After all, that thing Daryl dropped," she shifted her attention to Shane and snarled at him. "Was mine."

Then I looked over

Just in time to see you smiling back at me

And saying everything's OK

As long as you're inside my blue veins

Your blue veins

Rick wiped his hand over his face, his fingers sliding over his sweaty brow and then down to clench into his chin. He held his palm over his mouth for a few seconds as he watched Callie slowly bend down and kneel beside Jenna's prone lifeless form.

From his position behind her he could see her hands shaking as she reached out to touch the girl's face. Fingers reaching and then retracting from the gaping wounds at her temple. One a garish gash caused by an ill-aimed bullet from a child who didn't know any better. And one a simple and precise puncture inflicted by the knife of a man who did.

Callie's shaking fingers pulled back without touching the face of the girl, and settled at her lips. Rick closed his eyes, working to quell the rush of tears that he felt over taking him. He took in a deep breath and let his hand fall from its position over his mouth and settled it on Callie's shoulder. She jumped beneath him, and he squeezed as he crouched down to put his lips to her ear.

"Take your time," Rick said quietly listening to her inhale a breath and then feeling her hair move along his lips as she nodded slowly.

"I'm fine," Callie said and he pulled away a bit to look down into her now upturned face. Her eyes skimmed his face, and then slipped over the area around them, catching on the ridge. She shook her head and blinked a few times. "Jesus, Rick."

"I know," he said squeezing her shoulder and looking around at the dead Walkers, Jenna's body and the height of that ridge. "I'm gonna go grab the blankets. We should head back."

Callie nodded, her eyes slipping back to Jenna. Rick stood and slipped his hand behind his neck, rubbing at the sore muscles there as he watched her for a few moments more. His gaze slid to Jenna, and he had to look away. Turning on his heel he splashed through the shallow water and over to where Shane was working to unbuckle the blankets from one of the horses.

Shane's eyes shifted to him at the sound of his splashing steps and Rick lifted both brows before shaking his head. They didn't speak as Rick joined his former partner and worked to get the straps off of the other side of the horse. It had been a silent trip, one heavy with the weight of what they were doing.

A shuffling noise caught Rick's attention as he lowered one of the blankets to the ground and he turned to see T-Dog and Glenn working their way through the bit of forest behind them. The two men were talking in low tones to one another as they tried to find any sign of Sophia in the brush. T-Dog put a hand to Glenn's shoulder, the companionable motion causing Rick's jaw to clench and his eyes to slip back to where Shane was rounding the back end of the horse.

Shane's eyes were on Glenn and T-Dog as well, and his head was shaking as he looked back to Rick with what could only be described as a tired expression. Rick closed his eyes and prepared for what he knew was coming.

"Don't you think it's time we discussed this search?" Shane started and Rick immediately sighed and shook his head. Shane sighed and put his hands to his hips. "It's gettin' a bit ridiculous," Shane said plainly and Rick lifted a hand.

"Don't," Rick said quietly his eyes slipping over his shoulder to where Callie was still knelt down beside Jenna.

"Rick, man, c'mon." Shane said in an exasperated tone his hands falling from his hips and raising in the air in wonder. Rick stared at his friend, knowing that what he was saying wasn't meant to be cruel. He was stating a fact, one that Rick didn't really want to come to terms with, but knew that eventually they were going to have to. He knew that. But as he looked over at Callie again, Rick's pique grew a bit at his friend's sense of timing.

"For God's sake, Shane," Rick seethed through clenched teeth. "Not now." He said taking a step forward so that his harshly whispered words would reach only the ears of the man they were meant for. Ducking his head he looked at Shane and clenched his jaw tight, the words crisp and unmistakable. "Not here. And not now."

Rick shook his head watching Shane wet his lips before firming them into a line. Shane's brows lifted and he inhaled deeply through his nose while Rick turned to face Callie. Hands on his hips Rick watched the woman's shoulders rise and fall with deep heavy breaths.

"This coulda been worse," Shane said in a calm direct voice that had Rick sighing and turning towards him. "Rick," Shane moved a bit closer and angled his face into Rick's field of vision. "Daryl coulda died out here." Rick's head began to nod and he let out a breath; because he knew that. It was the first thing that crossed his mind when they stumbled upon this little ravine and looked up at that ridge. He knew that. Callie knew that. Damnit, everyone knew that. But the truth of the words didn't make their setting any different. "It's time to start re-evaluatin', man. Time to start figurin' out how to move on. That's all I'm sayin'."

"Yeah, and I'm sayin' drop it," Rick said angrily, his eyes locked with Shane's. "This ain't the time or place, Shane."

"And when is the time, Rick?" Shane asked stepping back and sniffing back his anger as he shifted his wild angry eyes around them.

"I'll let you know," Rick said sharply before turning and walking off towards Glenn and T-Dog.

Shane watched Rick stalk away, watched him settle his hands at his slim hips and hang his head a bit as he met up with Glenn and T-Dog. It was obvious Rick was starting to doubt whether they'd find Sophia at all. Alive wasn't even a part of the equation anymore really. Not after what had happened to Jenna. The only thing Rick wanted was to find the girl, give some closure, give some peace of mind to her mother.

Give himself some fuckin' peace of mind for leaving her and Jenna in them woods to begin with.

Shane sniffed and shifted his attention from Glenn, T-Dog and Rick over to where Callie was kneeling. He firmed his lips and watched her settle the back of her hand to her mouth as she just stared down at the dead girl.

Peace of mind. He shook his head. Sometimes, it just wasn't worth it in the end.

Bending quick Shane snagged the two blankets from the ground and made his way over to where Callie was kneeling. His steps started out sure and strong, knowing that after her begrudging moment of agreement with him at the house earlier, Callie was beginning to see things for what they were now. Knowing that she might be able to help him convince Rick that it was time to move on.

Knowing that it was time to get her to try, where he apparently kept fuckin' failin'.

But as he got closer, and as his eyes were better able to focus on the horribly disfigured body of Jenna layin' in the dyin' light of the sun above his steps began to falter a bit. His feet stilled for a moment in the shallow water a few feet away from Callie.

His head went back to the day Callie and her crew showed up at the Quarry. The way that Callie had gone off and went back for the car that had belonged to Jenna's brother. Facing unknown odds to bring back that last little bit of that girl's brother to offer her some kind of peace of mind.

Shane shook his head and let out a slow breath as he watched Callie work to collect herself as she sat there beside the dead girl. He wet his lips and shifted his eyes to where Rick was now looking at the map that Glenn had spread out on the ground. Slowly Shane made his way towards where Callie was, his steps taking him to the other side of the girl's prone body. He crouched down, settling the blankets to the ground beside him.

He didn't really want to look at the girl, but he felt it woulda been disrespectful not to. As soon as his eyes settled upon the face of the girl, the back of his hand lifted to his mouth and he felt the hot press of tears. He felt Callie's eyes on him after a moment, and he looked up and over Jenna's body to meet her steady gaze.

There wasn't any malice in it, which surprised him to no end, because the two of them hadn't been on the best of terms as of late. No, there wasn't any malice, just a steady assessing look that rocked him a bit more than he figured any bit of anger would have. She settled her hands to her knees after a minute and firmed her lips before shifting her attention back down to Jenna.

"I don't think I can lift her up," Callie said quietly, and Shane's brow twitched a bit in confusion. "I don't want to ask," she continued, shaking her head and waving a hand—her bandaged left hand-out at the body. She settled that hand over top of Jenna's hands. Hands that had been reverently placed over the gaping wound in her abdomen by a half-dead redneck hours before. "But I don't think I'm strong enough to lift her by myself."

"You don't have to," Shane said quickly, her eyes slipping back to him. The shining tears he saw in those hazel depths had him reaching out putting his hand over hers on Jenna's. "We're all in this together. We all carry each other's weight and burdens now, right? Ain't no reason for you to ever think you gotta carry anything on your own anymore."

Shane lightly squeezed Callie's hand and she smiled at him sadly, a single tear slipping down her face. He shifted and lifted his other hand brushing it away with the back of his knuckles. She shifted away then wiping at her face and shaking off whatever had passed through her in that moment. Shane put his hands to the blankets and he began slowly unfolding them, his eyes again catching on Jenna's face.

"That's an important thing to remember, nowadays," Callie said causing his eyes to shift back to her and his brow to furrow in confusion. "And an easy thing to forget."

Shane stared hard at Callie for a moment, his mind's eye slipping back to hours earlier. When he'd been watching her sit with Miles in hushed conversation by the Hummer. He and Callie stared at each other for a long moment before the sound of splashing steps approaching had him breaking eye contact and slipping his attention back to the blanket. Callie reached out and took the half of the blanket that he handed to her and together they covered Jenna's body. His hands stilled a moment under the girl's chin, the blanket clenched tightly in his fingers. He stared hard at her pale dead face before slipping the blanket up and covering her.

"Anything?" Callie asked, her voice hoarse from the force of holding back her tears. She wiped at her face again and let Rick help her up to her feet. Rick shook his head, his eyes locked on the covered body at his feet before sliding over to meet Shane's gaze.

"No, but we got a place to start. Gonna cut the search area in half," Rick said idly running his hand through his hair and Callie nodded tucking a stray strand of her own hair behind her ear. "We should get back." Rick said quietly nodding at Shane and bending down to start working the blankets around Jenna's frame. "We need to regroup. Re-evaluate."

Shane nodded and shifted his eyes for a moment to where Callie had settled on her haunches beside him. Together he and Callie shifted Jenna's body onto her side and worked the second blanket under her. Shane's eyes lifted to Rick across from him, their hands damn near touching as they held the dead girl's body in place as Callie settled the blanket on the ground below her.

Their eyes remained locked and the heavy silence that hung in the air between them seemed to grow denser with each word left unsaid. It would be interesting to see what Rick's idea of 're-evaluating' was.

Yeah and the feeling that you gave me

No matter what I do or where I go

It always will remain

And those who would enslave me to get to me must get past you and will have no luck

'Cause you'll protect me from all pain

The most beautiful, yeah the most beautiful thing 'cause anything else can't compare

Must be the blood that's running through your blue veins

Your blue veins

He was awake.

Not full awake, but at least aware of his surroundings this time. Aware of where he was.

Aware that there was something movin' at his back.

Daryl was still layin' on his side, his right arm propped up under his head holdin' the pillow tight to his head in a vain hope that it would help the pounding subside some. But if fuckin' didn't. And he was left with a pulsing sort of blackness under his eyelids that threatened to take him back down into unconsciousness any minute.

But then that thing was movin' at his back again, the bed shifting just a bit as something—or maybe someone—moved around. And his brain was workin' a bit past the pain to try and figure out what or who was movin' around. Something sharp poked his shoulder, sending a fresh wave of pain through him as all of his muscles protested the slight movement.

Another poke and he was stirrin'. Instantly his thoughts went back to a time years and years ago, when he'd gotten shitfaced drunk and passed out beside the couch. Not on the fuckin' couch like he'd planned, but beside it. 'Cause his drunk-ass had missed the cushion and plummeted to the hard floor and he didn't have half the mind needed to lift his ass back up. He thought back to that night, and remembered the feel of Merle pokin' at him with his rifle repeatedly tryin' to gauge if Daryl was alive or not the next mornin'.

He remembered Merle's shit eatin' grin when Daryl had turned his head, his nose bloody and broken from its impact with the floor.

"Get up boy," Merle had said poking at him with that fuckin' rifle again and chucklin'. "Unless you want me to put your sorry ass outta its misery."

Daryl had groaned then, pushing stupidly at the floor to try and get his ass up. Merle had got to his feet, but hadn't moved away. He'd chuckled a bit as he gave a rough kick to Daryl's hip. "Get up dumbfuck, we're goin' huntin'." Then the bastard had moved away, whistlin' that fuckin' song by The Hag-

Daryl's mind opened up at that point, no longer remembering Merle pokin' at him at home. No, now he was back in that fuckin' ravine, listening to Merle whistle and hum that damn song, pokin' and prodin' at him with his words not his rifle.

Somethin' poked him in his lower back, right above where that fuckin' bolt had pierced his side. It wasn't a hard poke, but it jolted him and had his eyes snappin' open. His left arm swung out, smackin' into whatever was at his back, his mouth spoutin' against the man he figured it had to be.

"Fuck Merle, quit it." Daryl said his hand dropping to his injured side on a painful sigh.

The next thing he heard was a thud, followed by the door opening a crack, and a giggle.

It was the fuckin' giggle that had him turning, painfully fuckin' turning, to see what the fuck was going on.

He saw Carol in the doorway, a plate in one hand and glass in the other, her eyes on the ground at the side of the bed. Daryl shifted a bit more, his body rolling so that he could lift his head a bit and see what she was lookin' at.

The soles of small shoes met his gaze, wiggling and shifting from their position at the edge of the bed. Daryl pushed painfully up a bit, and was able to angle his head down to see Ben. The kid's head and shoulders were scrunched, makin' Daryl figure that the thudding sound had to have been the kid's head hitting the floor, while his legs remained up in the air propped up against the side of the bed. Daryl instantly felt shame at smackin' the kid and worked to get to a better position, his left arm slowly moving to the boy's feet. Ben was still chucklin' as Daryl's fingers touched his shoes and the boy squirmed this way and that to shift his feet off the bed.

Carol shook her head at the little boy, as he sat up and rubbed at the back of his head. She shot Daryl a glance and watched him try to sit up and fail, falling in a heap back to the pillows.

"Ben," Carol said in that motherly tone that had Ben grinnin' a shit-eatin' grin, one that kids reserved for special for those chidin' adults.

"Doc Greene said to wake him up every so often," Ben said still rubbin' at the sore spot at the back of his head. The kid shifted his smiling eyes up and caught Daryl's raised brow and grinned wider.

"I doubt he meant for you to poke at him to do it," Carol said shifting her weight from one leg to another. If her hands would have been free, Daryl was sure the woman woulda crossed her arms over her chest by now.

"Worked didn't it?" Ben said, and Daryl couldn't help but scoff out a laugh at the kid's lip. Fuck he was a bad influence on this boy wasn't he? Carol sighed and shot Daryl a look that said she was thinkin' the same fuckin' thing, and Daryl shifted a bit more before just quittin'.

"Dinner's on the table," Carol said quietly jutting her head to the open door behind her. "Go wash up."

"But Callie put me in charge of him while she was gone," Ben whined as he jumped up to his feet. Daryl's brows rose, his mind tryin' to piece together where the woman would have - his body slumped further into the mattress and pillows behind him as remembered. His eyes closed for a moment and reopened to find Carol's eyes on him.

"And she put me in charge of you," Carol said in a matter-of-fact tone as she looked back to the now poutin' Ben. "Now get." Ben's head snapped over to Daryl, his little brows lifting on his forehead as he waited for Daryl to bail him out.

"You heard her," Daryl muttered tiredly as he shifted a bit more. "Get." Ben pouted a bit more and Daryl gave a single shake of his head. Ben grimaced, but firmed his lips and nodded as he made his way past Carol.

Carol waited until Ben was out of earshot before sliding further in and closing the door a bit, the slat of light from the hallway outside bathed her back and head in a strange yellow glow that had Daryl squinting at her. She settled the plate of food and glass she carried on the small bedside table and then wiped her palms down her thighs.

"They ain't back yet?" Daryl asked, his tongue working in his mouth as he eyed the plate and cup. He felt his stomach roll at the thought of putting food in it, but the water had him fuckin' salivatin'. He reached out slowly with his left hand, feelin' every pull of his torn oblique like a fuckin' blast of fire under his skin.

"They are," Carol said stepping forward and grabbing the glass. She took the two necessary steps to close the distance between her legs and the side of the bed and pushed Daryl's hand down. Leaning forward she moved the glass to his lips and he glared at her.

"I can fuckin' do it," Daryl said angrily reaching up. Carol shoved his hand down again, and his brow furrowed at her.

"No you can't," Carol said forcefully as she pressed the glass close again. "And unless you want to risk layin' in a wet bed all night, I suggest you let me help you."

"When'd you get a fuckin' backbone," Daryl muttered as he put his lips to the glass.

"The day you handed me that axe," Carol responded, and Daryl's eyes lifted to her. A beat of silence slipped between them before she shifted her eyes away and to the glass in her hands. "Now drink." Carol tipped the glass and he took two slow sips. He pulled away, his stomach clenching a bit and shook his head when she held the glass close again. She settled it back to the nightstand and stared at Daryl.

"What?" Daryl spat, workin' to resettle himself into the bed, hopin' to sink back into the comfort of that mattress and those soft sweet smellin' pillows his head had been resting on. Hopin' that he could just fall back into the darkness and forget for a while. But he knew he wouldn't be able to.

Because she was back.

She was back and she wasn't here.

Daryl groaned as he shifted a bit and glowered as Carol shifted on her feet.

"Ain't gonn ask again," Daryl muttered snarling when she smiled sweetly at him. She leaned forward and helped to adjust his pillows.

"You're a good man," Carol said quietly and he snarled as he turned from her, pulling his sheet up a bit and workin' himself further into the comfort of the bed. His head shook almost in a reflexive motion to her words and he heard her sigh. "You did more for my little girl today than her own daddy did her whole life." Daryl's eyes slipped over his shoulder to her and he felt his mouth twitch.

"Didn't do nothin' Rick or Shane," Daryl snarled a bit and shot a look down his body. "Nothin' Rick wouldn't have done." Carol scoffed out a laugh and her head nodded a bit at his choice of words. Daryl again averted his gaze when she looked at him.

"You're every bit as good as them," Carol said quietly and he felt his face twitch and his shoulders hunch as she moved closer. "Every bit." She put a hand to his shoulder as she leaned in. "Callie's not the only who sees that." Her lips pressed to his head and he shied away, shifting too fast and rushing a wave of pain through him.

"Watch, I got stitches," Daryl muttered groggily as he turned from her, and again Carol smiled. She patted his shoulder and he pulled away from the delicate feel of her hands on him. All that kept echoing through his head was that if he was so good a man, and if Callie really felt that way, why wasn't she the one here bringin' him dinner and holdin' his water glass?

Daryl hunched in on himself, the pain ebbin' back into his head and pulsing behind his eyes. Dizziness threatening his sense of being as he lay there. He listened to Carol shift a bit and the door creak open. He held his breath, for some unknown fuckin' reason when he didn't hear it pull closed again. Shifting he looked over his shoulder just as Carol's mouth opened again.

"They're diggin' her grave," Carol said quietly and his eyes blinked open fully as he watched her eyes drift down to her feet. "Gonna bury her in the mornin'." Carol's eyes lifted to his, and he knew she could see the shinin' unshed tears in his eyes so he looked away quickly. "Half of that's for her," Carol said causin' him to turn to her again. "So don't eat it all. Woman hasn't eaten all day worryin' for you."

Daryl's jaw clenched as Carol exited the room, closing him into the darkness again. Only this time, his eyes were open, and the dark didn't penetrate all of his senses. He settled into the pillows and stared at the horridly upholstered chair facing him and waited for her to appear.

Callie lifted her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, trying to stave off the chill that had settled deep in her bones. She stared at Danny as he argued with Glenn, T-Dog and Rick. The low light of early evening had settled over the farm, and bathed them all in dusky hues of brows and yellows. She was a good distance away, far enough that she couldn't make out every word that was said between them, but Danny's raised voice reached her ears just fine.

"Damnit, Glenn," Danny yelled, his balance thrown off for a second by his arms as he thrashed a bit. Rick steadied him and held tight as Danny hopped on his good leg for a second. He went to pull from Rick's grasp, but Rick being fucking Rick, held tight and shook his head. "I'm not sitting here watchin' while y'all dig her grave. I know I can't do much, but at least let me get it started."

Callie's chin settled to her arms upon her knees and she smiled sadly as Rick patted Danny's shoulder and Glenn handed over the shovel. The sound of footsteps on the grass behind her had Callie shifting to look over her shoulder.

Hershel stood back a distance from her, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched Danny struggle to press the shovel into the dirt. Rick, Glenn and T-Dog were flanked around him as he did it, waiting to catch him when he stumbled. Callie peered up at Hershel, watching his face contort with some emotion she still couldn't read. Finally the older man sighed and stepped a bit closer to where she sat.

"He's an interesting man," Hershel said quietly not shifting his eyes from where Danny struggled to shovel dirt.

"That's one word for him," Callie said quietly, watching as Hershel's eyes shifted down to her. Callie smiled back up at him and he smiled back. Apparently that conversation that he shared with Danny earlier in the day had succeeded in something forming between the two men. Something Callie was sure she never had any hope of understanding. Callie lifted her head a bit before continuing to speak to the man still slightly behind her. "I wanted to thank you for-" she waved her hand out at the scene playing out before them.

"I don't want your thanks, Callie." Hershel said quietly his head nodding as he lifted a hand to wave off her words. "You and Rick damn near killed yourselves buryin' Jimmy's family. People I knew and cared for. It's the least I can do to give you a resting place for your girl." Hershel stopped then, his eyes shifting from her back out to where Danny continued to shovel slowly. "It's important to bury our dead."

"Yes it is," Callie said shifting her eyes to the man standing beside her now. The bright light from the porch far off behind them was at his back as he stood stone still staring at the men working to dig Jenna's grave. Callie's mind instantly flew back to her earlier conversation with Danny, that burning question lighting a fire in her brain that wouldn't seem to fan out. Just as Callie opened her mouth to ask her another voice rang out.

"Hershel," Patricia's voice slid out into the slow growing night and Callie turned to see her smile slightly. "Lori's askin' for you," Patricia said taking a step closer. "Said it's 'bout Carl." Callie's eyes went wide and she shifted a bit to see Rick heading towards them.

"Is he alright?" Callie asked, moving to get to her feet. Hershel's hand went out and steadied her to the ground as he shifted to look at Rick approaching.

"He's fine," Patricia said smiling. "Just a question about the stitches and if he could get up for—" Patricia nodded her head to Rick as he came to a stop near where Callie was sitting. "Your boy wants permission to get up for the burial tomorrow." Patricia said to Rick smiling tightly when his head began to nod.

"I think he should be there," Rick said quietly, settling his hands on his hips as he looked over to Hershel. "But I'll defer to a professional's opinion before I allow it."

"I'll go take a look at him and speak with Lori," Hershel said squeezing Callie's shoulder quickly before sliding his hand off. "I'm sure it shouldn't be a problem. He should get up and try and walk around a bit. He's got a ways to go yet, but the air and exercise will do him good. Your other man," Hershel looked down at Callie. "I don't think he's gonna be up and about for a while."

Rick and Callie nodded and followed Hershel's form as he disappeared with Patricia inside the house. Shifting his eyes down to Callie he watched her continue to stare at the house. Rick sighed and raked a hand over his head before settling down on the ground beside her.

"Can't help so you figure you'll just stare at them 'till they feel bad?" Rick asked with a bit of a smirk, his elbow jabbing lightly into her shoulder. Callie shifted her tired, wet eyes to him and he shifted closer to her.

Callie had been sidelined by not only Rick, but Danny, Hershel, Glenn, Dale, Carol. Pretty much everyone had told the woman she wasn't allowed to dig that grave. They'd ordered her to sit and eat, and God bless her she sat. But she didn't eat, and after a few minutes she'd excused herself. Rick had followed her, finding her settled on the ground staring at the boys working to find the right spot for Jenna's grave.

When Danny had started going off about helping is when Rick stepped over to help himself. Of course, he'd been sidelined by just as many people as Callie had so his words pretty much bounced off of a brick wall. Watching now, Danny stumbled back using the shovel as a crutch to hold him up as he bent at the waist and breathed hard. T-Dog was at his back and Glenn was patting his shoulder as he took the shovel. Danny shook off T-Dog's hands and practically fell in a painful heap to the ground as he watched Glenn start to work at the bare hit of a dent Danny's labored movements had made in the dirt. T-Dog stared at Danny for a moment before Danny tossed a hand out and angrily shooed him over to help Glenn.

Rick shifted his gaze back towards Callie, her mouth settled against her raised arms and her eyes stuck to the morbid scene playing out before them. Night was falling quickly, but bare hint of light remaining made the slight wetness staining her cheeks stand out. Rick shifted closer so that his arm rested against hers, and he saw her lips lift in a bit of smile behind the barrier of her arms.

"Why are you out here?" Rick asked quietly, watching her eyes slip over to him her brow raised a bit.

"Somewhere else I'm supposed to be, Officer?"

"Yes," Rick said chuckling a bit and running his hand through his hair. "Yes there is. And you know where that place is."

"Hi Pot," Callie said lifting her head and extending her hand to him. He raised a brow and she smiled. "I'm Kettle. I hear we're both black." Rick chuckled and lifted his hand and shook hers.

"Let's not play that game tonight, hmm?" Rick said holding on to her hand and pulling it towards him a bit. "What's wrong?"

Callie was silent for a moment, her eyes slipping over his face as she worked out what she wanted to say. She was an honest person, almost to a fault. But she was good at dealin' out honesty while leavin' out details. He envied her that a bit. Finally Callie slipped her hand free of his and settled both behind her, her eyes switching back to the grave being dug not far off.

"I could have lost him," Callie said quietly her eyes blinking a few times as whatever she was really thinking came at her full force. "I'm having a hard time with that." She chuckled and shook her head as she peered over at him. "Karma's a bitch."

Rick laughed and nodded his hand rubbing at his face and then scratching behind his head. Her chuckles died out soon and they sat in silence for a bit, listening to the sound of the dirt being forced from the ground and T-Dog and Glenn groaning with each push of the shovel.

"You two are idiots," Rick said finally and Callie snapped her eyes back to him. The look on her face was downright comical, wide unblinking eyes and a wide-ass grin spread across it. Rick smiled back and lifted a finger to jab at her. "Y'all are playin' chicken with that word," Callie lifted her brow and Rick wagged his finger. "Don't give me that look, you know exactly what word I'm talkin' about." Callie sighed and looked away for a second before shifting an exasperated expression to him. "The feelin's are there," Rick said again lifting his hand and holding off her response. He smiled widely, silently reveling in the fact that for once she was gonna be on the receiving end of a good talkin' to. "They are. Everyone sees it. I know you two see it," Rick said shaking his head. "Yet you continue to play that game. Both of you waitin' for the other to crack and say it out loud. Why?"

Callie regarded him with a quiet assessing look for a long time. Rick stared back, trying desperately to see what she was working to hide. She sighed as she worked her bottom lip between her teeth. Shifting her head back out to the field beyond them she let her forehead fall to her arms.

"I don't know," Callie said quietly and Rick smiled as he leaned into her.

"You're a horrible liar," Rick said into her ear and shifted back when she pierced him with a half-hearted glare. The middle finger of her left hand slipped up and he barked out a laugh as he pushed it back down. "Go inside. Be the chicken."

"Why do I have to be the chicken," Callie almost whined her head falling back into her arms.

"Have you met Daryl?" Rick asked bumping her shoulder with his. She rolled her head and smiled widely at him and he leaned forward placing a small kiss to her forehead. "Now go. I'll watch Danny for you."

And I know you won't deceive me

Like the rest and there's nothing you need to explain

You always were the first to believe me

When I said to you girl

I think it's gonna rain

But I could be wrong

Yeah but all of these things

All these things

They're all truly nice but ain't nothing

Ain't nothing compared to the love that's running through your blue veins

Your blue veins

~Blue Veins/ The Raconteurs

AN: Wow. Alright. I know a lot of you were pulling for a Callie/Andrea beat down, but really, it just didn't fit. I've tried to establish Callie as the type to deal with things on a verbal level before resorting to violence. And I feel the treatment here was apropos to the character. Let me know if you think otherwise!

There are gonna be a few smaller chapters coming up, vignettes that I've had in mind for a while and can't really wait to get down on paper. We're slowly working towards Barn-mageddon so keep your pants on and enjoy the ride.

I LOVE YOU ALL! We've hit 400+ reviews. Y'all rock so hard it hurts! -couple Guest responses below:

Guest (reviewer of chap. 33) Hey there, thanks for leaving a review. Glad you enjoyed Daryl's 'wet dream' and the visual autopsy that he performed on Jenna. Tough scene to write. Happy reading!

Dido (review chap. 34) I couldn't agree more with your assessment of Andrea as a character. It's hard to write someone who really hasn't established herself much. FLIP FLOPPERS! And yeah, Callie did have herself a bit of an AH-HA moment there, that I thought was a bit original and was quite happy with. Ben's quick become a little fan-favorite for everyone. And I'm super happy about that. Thanks for takin' the time to review. Happy reading!