"Ya keep yer voice down," Daryl instructed in a hushed voice, placing his palm against Judith's chest and pushing her behind him. They hid behind a wide old growth oak, its trunk thick enough to conceal them. From where they stood they were able to get a good look at the man who several yards away, who was hacking at a much slimmer birch. He felt his pack jostle as Judith unzipped the side pouch and fished out her gun, her hand gripping his pants as she steadied herself.

Daryl unclasped his holster and slid his own weapon out.

They watched in silence as the man split the thicker logs in half to create firewood. The ground around him had been trampled heavily, and Daryl noted several smaller footprints that had left a trail cutting away from the man and into a short distance before they disappeared over a hill. The man paused for a moment to straighten out his back and then arched it, wiping beads of sweat off his forehead. He looked younger than Daryl, maybe in his later twenties or early thirties. Daryl figured he wasn't a born woodsman from the way held his axe and the tattoos that peeked out on his neck from underneath his combat jacket. Daryl doubted he was a military man either, due to the large piercings in his ears.

"'s he gonna hurt us?" The little girl behind him whispered, peering around him.

Daryl shushed her again and waited for something to happen. In the distance the trees shimmered and knocked together as two young children appeared over the hill. He squinted to focus on them, determining that it was a boy and girl. The boy had a good height on the girl, but neither appeared to be much older than ten. They were dressed warmly, and their clothes looked clean enough except for the stray bark that clung to their chests and arms from carrying firewood.

The girl rushed ahead of the boy as they came down the hill but lost her footing and skidded in the snow until she landed in a heap at the man's feet. He laughed softly and helped her up, taking the time to brush her off when she was on her feet. The boy came over more slowly, his eyes scanning the woods around him. When he joined the other's he stood on his toes to whisper in his stooped father's ear. They both turned to look over their shoulders towards the tree that Daryl and Judith were hiding behind.

Daryl wondered how they could have known until he looked down to see that Judith had leaned out far enough to give them away, her face alight with curiosity as she inspected the other children.

"Are you alone, little girl?" The man asked, taking a step towards them.

Judith looked up to Daryl and then ducked behind him again.

"Come out, we won't hurt you," the man's voice rose to carry across the distance to them.

Daryl tucked his gun into his pocket and carefully took a step outwards, leaving the coverage of the tree behind. "We're just passin' on our way now," he gripped Judith's hand, keeping her close to his side.

The man nodded and draped one arm over his son's shoulder. He dropped the head of the axe onto the ground and leaned on it like a cane. The little girl next to him said something, her voice too soft for Daryl to hear, and the man looked to her and then back towards Daryl. "My wife has a stew on for tonight…and some biscuits and canned peaches for breakfast. That's all we've got."

Daryl shook his head and turned around, taking Judith with him.

"Your little girl looks hungry," the man said. "That's the only reason I'm offering. My wife hates to see a hungry child."

Judith's mittens were soft and wet in his bare hands and he looked down at her, plodding along beside him, her little legs straining to match his long strides. "Wass biscuitses?" She asked, watching the ground as she walked carefully over the cluttered forest floor.

Daryl took one more step and then paused, causing Judith to collide into his leg. He looked down at her, his eyes taking in her pale face as she tilted it upwards questioningly. Sighing, he crouched down, turning his back to the man and children. He took the gun that she still held in her mittened hands and tucked it into his other pocket. "Keep yer mouth shut 'bout this," he told her, patting his pocket.

She nodded obediently. "'Kay, Daryl."

"C'mon," he said, getting to his feet. "You don't tell them nothin' 'bout where we're from or where we're goin'."

"Where is we goin'?' Judith asked, running alongside him as they turned around and started back.

They stopped a few feet back from the family and Daryl looked the man over again. "If you got food… we sure could use somethin'."

The man extended his hand, taking the time to remove his leather gloves. "Rob," he introduced himself.

Daryl put his hand on Judith's shoulder to tell her to stay put and then took the final steps that he needed to accept the hand-shake. "Daryl," he muttered.

Rob broke their connection and gathered up his son and daughter respectively under each of his arms. "This here is my son Garret, and Susan here is my daughter."

When Daryl didn't say anything, Rob cleared his throat and nodded towards the little girl who had come forward to hide behind Daryl's legs, her face buried into the spot behind his knees. "Does your little girl have a name?"

"Judith," Daryl answered, turning around to pick her up. He rested her on his side and she wrapped her arms and legs around him, hiding her face in his shoulder.

Rob offered Judith a smile, but she didn't return it. Her expression shifted between curiosity and suspicion as she looked him over, her mouth pulled into a straight line. Finally she turned away from him and snuggled into Daryl's chest, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"You guys gather up the rest of this wood," Rob nudged his kids towards the pile then indicated that Daryl should follow him. "She's young," he said over his shoulder as he led them towards the hill. "She was born after all this started, wasn't she?"

"Yeah," Daryl answered, holding Judith closer. They walked in silence, and he kept his eyes trained on the woods around them. He was surprised that the boy and girl were allowed to be on their own in the woods. As they came over the crest of the hill the forest opened up a bit to a small manmade clearing. A wooden cottage was nestled into large berry bushes in the middle of a fenced off yard. The fence seemed solid and was made of large spikes that had been driven into the ground and tied together with thick twine. He hung back as Rob unlatched the fence and pushed the gate open. "This keep the Walkers out?"

"Walkers?" Rob asked, waiting for the children to pass through with their arms heavy with wood. "You mean the Savages?" When Daryl shrugged he chucked softly and closed the gate, using his shoulder to slide it into place before he latched it. "Quiet type, huh? Walkers. That's clever. That does seem to be what they do mostly, doesn't it?"

"They bites too," Judith said softly, twisting her body around to look at him. "They eats peoples."

Rob winked. "That's okay. We bite back," he teased, reaching out to tickle her belly. Stone-faced, her eyes flicked down to look at his fingers, wiggling against the fabric of her coat. Frowning, she whipped around and wrapped her arms around Daryl's neck again. "Not the joking type then," Rob offered Daryl an apologetic smile which went unreturned.

Without another word Rob turned around and followed Susan and Garret into the small cottage. Daryl took a moment to inspect the pine boughs piled high on the roof and the small snowy window sills. He could smell the biscuits as he stepped into the main room of the cabin that had been crammed wall to wall with furniture. A large rough wooden table sat in front of a stone fireplace. And iron grate was settled into the flames with a large steaming pot of something. Daryl heard Judith's stomach growl.

A woman, dressed in an ankle length dress had her back to the room as she scrubbed laundry in a metal tub on the floor.

"Katrina," Rob squeezed around the table and a pantry cabinet to make his way over to her. His hands closed around her biceps and he helped her to her feet. "We have visitors."

With her husband's assistance the woman stood and turned around, revealing bright green eyes and a thin nose. She looked between Daryl and Judith for a moment, then her eyes settled on Judith and her face warmed into a smile. Slender hands drifted forward to caress her very pregnant belly. "Welcome," she motioned for them to take a seat at the table.

"I told them about the pears and biscuits," Rob pressed a kiss to his wife's cheek. "Make yourself at home. I'm going to go feed the animals. Susan? Garret?"

"Animals?" Daryl asked, sitting down at the table, Judith still clinging to him.

Rob took a biscuit from the plate that his wife was carrying as she passed him. "We've got a bit of a zoo," he laughed. "It's hard work to keep the Savages from collecting by the pen, but it's worth it for a good meal."

"You can give him a tour later," Katrina flicked at him with a dishtowel, shooing him out. "He'd talk all day if I let him," she said good humouredly. "Have a bite to eat and then we'll see about getting you cleaned up. How does that sound, sweetheart?" She tilted her head as she addressed Judith.

The small girl in his arms lifted her head at the endearment as she recognized it as one Daryl used for her. She looked the woman over for a moment and then offered a small nod in response. "Okay," she whispered.

XXXX

Daryl sat in the corner of the room where he'd made a bed for himself and Judith on the floor. Katrina had given them extra blankets made from thick wool to pad the wooden floor planks. The entire family slept in the only other room in the cabin: a small room in the back that was stuffed with two beds and a couple of large wardrobes.

He watched carefully as Katrina bathed Judith in the same tub she had been using to wash laundry earlier. The little girl was still very wary of their hosts, but she'd at least relinquished her hold on Daryl for the time being. She kept a skeptical eye on Katrina each time the woman asked her to raise her arms so that she could scrub the dirt off of her limbs. The pregnant woman had tried to make conversation with Judith, but she hadn't received any answers to her questions and she'd eventually settled for humming or offering gentle warm smiles.

"She doesn't talk much," Katrina noted, looking over her shoulder at Daryl. "How old is she?"

"Best guess, 'bout four," Daryl answered, getting to his feet and making his way over to them. He picked up the towel that had been left on the table, and then kneeled down beside the tub. "She does alright," he muttered. He opened the towel and Judith eagerly leapt from the dirty water, securing her arms around his neck. Daryl closed the towel around the naked girl and stood, lifting her with him.

Katrina watched them, a small smile playing in the corners of her mouth. The fire picked out the red in her auburn hair as she looked up at him, her green eyes soft. "Where's her mom?"

Daryl carried Judith across the room and sat down with her on their bed. Katrina had given him a large shirt for her to wear and a pair of thick knitted socks. "Died," he answered shortly. "Havin' her."

Katrina's hand drifted to rest on her own belly for a moment. "Poor thing. I'm sorry… she was your wife?"

His hands paused as he fumbled with one of the socks that he was trying to pull over Judith's toes. "Naw," he shook his head. "Weren't my nothin'. Her Daddy died too. S'just us."

"Poor thing," Katrina muttered again, tipping the tub so that the water rushed out of it and down the drain next to the hearth.

Daryl shrugged. "You got scissors?" He asked, reaching up to push Judith's hair out of her eyes. "I'll just take a little," he promised. "So as you can see." He accepted the metal shears from Katrina with a nod.

"You know what you're doing?" She asked, crossing her arms over her pregnant belly.

"Not like I ain't never cut hair before," he mumbled, lining the scissors up with the top of the little girls fine eyebrows. After a moment he looked up at the woman still towering over him. "Could do better if you weren't standin' in my light," he pointed out gruffly.

Katrina chuckled softly and put her hands up in surrender. Without answering him verbally she made her way across the room to the little kitchen where she started pulling out bowls and spoons. The only sounds in the little room were the fire crackling, the clinking of dishes, and the blades cutting through thick brown hair.

"Could we's use them things?" Judith asked after a moment, keeping her blue eyes squeezed shut to avoid getting hair in her eyes.

Daryl, who'd been collecting the fallen hair in his palm, stopped what he was doing. "What things?"

"Are I done?" The little girl asked, sitting back on her feet. Finally her eyes opened to reveal that they were dancing with excitement in the warm fire glow. With Daryl's confirmation she pushed herself to her feet and dashed across the room to her coat, which had been hung on the back of a chair to dry. She dug through the pocket for a moment, and then pulled out the hair bands. She skipped back over to Daryl and leapt onto their bed, landing on her knees.

Daryl accepted the package and inspected the picture on the now faded and wrinkled cardboard. He looked up at her. "I don't know nothin' 'bout-," he watched Judith start to frown and she took the hair bands back to him.

With her enthusiasm dashed, she slowly got to her feet again and headed over to the fire. She was about to toss them in when Katrina spoke up. "I can show you how to use them. It's really simple," she assured him. Daryl stood up too and joined them at the table. He watched as Katrina instructed him on how to do a simple pony tail, and then a braid. He liked the braid, because it made her look like her mama, so they left it in for the night.

When Rob returned they all sat around the large wooden table and ate goat stew that was packed with carrots and potatoes. Daryl's mouth watered between each bite that he shovelled into it.

"Y'all don't sound like yer from 'round here," Daryl said, pushing his bowl away from him, his second helping devoured. He shook his head to decline a third bowl when Rob offered him another scoop, and wondered why they weren't worried about running out of food to eat. It had seemed to be the thing constantly on his mind for years.

Rob looked up from his bowl. "We aren't. We're from Seattle. We were here visiting my parents when everything went down. We couldn't exactly hop on the next flight home, so we found this little cabin and hunkered down." Using his bun he soaked up the gravy from the bottom of his bowl. "It took a while to adjust to the… rural life. But I think we've got a handle on things now."

Daryl accepted their story with a nod. He'd hoped that by now he would have been able to figure out something more stable for Judith and himself. He hoped that's what they would find if they continued further south. Maybe they could find a boat and sail off somewhere. Find themselves an island, a tropical one, where they could create a home. Eat mangos and coconuts - like Gilligan's island.

"Ain't Susan comin' in to eat?" Daryl asked, looking at the empty seat at the table, next to Garret. He'd found it odd when she didn't come back in after feeding the animals with her father and brother. He was met with awkward silence and he looked up in time to catch the shared glance between Katrina and Rob.

Rob smiled again. "Uh, she came back in earlier. She's already in bed. Sure I can't get you some more stew?"

Daryl didn't miss the subject change, and he hadn't missed her coming in earlier either. Slowly, he sat back in his seat. "Naw. Ain't used to eatin' so much now'days." He looked over to his side to see that Judith had fallen asleep, her cheek resting on the table, hidden behind her half-empty bowl. "Should get'er to bed," he pushed his chair back and stood.

"Of course," Katrina got to her feet as well. "We'll be heading off soon too. I'll just put these bowls in some water to soak. "Garret, you go put your pyjamas on, and don't forget to say your prayers."

The boy handed his bowl to his mother before standing and heading towards the bedroom, his eyes carefully trained on Daryl as he walked. "Goodnight," he said softly before stepping into the bedroom and closing the door behind him.

Daryl had already lifted Judith into his arms, and he carried the limp girl over to their bed. He laid her down so that she would be sleeping between him and the wall and then took a seat beside her. He watched Katrina bustling around as she cleaned up the dinner dishes, her dress brushing the tops of her bare feet.

When she was finished her husband led her to the bedroom, his hand resting on the small of her back. "Goodnight," Rob tipped his head in Daryl's direction.

"G'night," Daryl answered, still seated on the bed. He sat in silence, listening to the sounds of the family talking, their voices so hushed and muted through the wooden walls that he couldn't make out what they were saying. Eventually the light from the bedroom dimmed and the house went still and silent. He watched the logs crackle and spit in the fireplace and listened to Judith's soft breaths as the night crept towards the day.

It was barely dawn when he pushed himself to his feet. The fire had died down to ashes and glowing embers, and the room had grown colder in its absence. Quietly, Daryl got to his feet and crept towards the door, taking a moment to slide his boots on. He glanced towards the bed in the corner where Judith had flipped over in her sleep. She lay on her back with her thumb plugged into her mouth while her other arm was splayed across her pillow, its fingers curled slightly at the tips. Slowly, he opened the door and carefully not to make a sound, crept out into the early morning.