Jesus I suck at updating stuff. University has put a rocket up ass about work so trying to fit in writing after doing essays all day was difficult so I hope this chapter makes up somewhat for the wait you guys have endured. Please Review/Favourite etc and I hope that I can update you quicker next time!
When she awoke the next day the sun was bright and bouncing of her eyes, making almost want to curl back up into a ball and sleep more. However the chatter outside the thin window kept her mind buzzing, it being a constant reminder that even though she wanted to sleep more, she needed to go help and be sociable. Ella sat up and stretched her arms over her head before standing up, dragging her hair up into a bun and rubbing her eyes to try and wake herself up. God she missed having coffee in the morning. She was still day-dreaming about a cup of coffee when she stepped outside the RV, seeing everyone walking around, doing chores and some even just talking. "Well look who finally woke up," a female voice from behind her taunted with a chuckle.
Ella turned around and smiled at Andrea who was holding a basket full of clothes on her hip. "Sorry, you should have woke me," Andrea shook her head walking past her and Ella joined in with her stride. "Na, you looked like you needed it, no offence," she put the basket down but the older woman; Carol Ella believed her name was. "Plus, there was nothing for you to do so we just let ya sleep." Ella nodded and smiled as Andrea left her by Carol, who proceeded to take the clothes from Andrea's basket and begin to iron them. "Looks like you could use some clean clothes too," the older woman stated with a small smile. Ella looked down at her clothes, her long sleeved top was caked in blood and shirt, and her jeans were dark with mud and grime. Yeah, clean clothes would be a godsend right now. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, I wouldn't wanna cause any more work. I just got here so,"
"Nonsense," Carol interrupted, smiling weakly. "You're part of this group now, so it's the least I can do for you." Ella smiled at the grey haired woman gratefully and nodded. "Well, thanks. Except I have no clothes to change into," on that note Carol handed you a small pile of clothes. "We organised these this morning for you. Shirt's Glenn's, jeans are Andrea's and the underwear too. She had a lot spare so," Ella's eyes almost watered at the kindness, taking the clothes between her hands. "Thanks, this is probably the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me," Carol sniggered gently, meeting Ella's eyes for a moment before nodding her head towards Lori who was sat washing mushrooms. "Ask Lori for shampoo and stuff, you can go down to the quarry then and clean up." Ella nodded before thanking Carol again and strolled up to Lori, who looked up at her, her hands above her eyes to block out the sun. "How are you today?"
"I'm good, nice to feel safe for once," Ella answered causing Lori to nod. "Um, Carol said you had some shampoo I stuff I could use?" Lori nodded and stood up, walking over to her tent and stepping inside for a moment. "Well good mornin' sleepin' beauty. How'd you sleep?" Shane mocked as he walked past, rifle balanced behind his neck on his shoulders. "Great thanks." She uttered in response, hoping that Lori would hurry up in her freaking tent. "Heading down to the lake to clean up?" He asked, his eyes wandering to the clean clothes in her hands. She nodded, rubbing her dry lips together and tapping her foot.
Nervous habit.
"Alright, just be careful of any walkers down there. Once you're done, we can find ya something to do to help the group. Laundry or somethin', whatever you ladies like ta do," Ella was about to snap back at him when Lori reappeared with a small bag on her hands. "There's some hair stuff, body wash and a razor in there, hope that's enough for ya." Ella nodded enthusiastically, taking the small bag from Lori and putting it top of the clothes she'd been given. "More than enough seriously, I cannot thank you guys enough for all this," Lori shook her head, raising her hand in front of her face. "It's no trouble; least we can do for each other nowadays huh?" Ella could only nod once, offering Lori a small smile in return. "It's a good thing I've got the water already for today ain't it? Quarries free for ya, no one should be around." Shane chimed in nodding his head towards the direction of the water.
"I guess, I'll uh, be back up in a bit to help out with anything," Ella babbled quietly before walking in the direction of the lake, leaving the group behind her to carry on with the chores they had set out for that afternoon.
"Shit."
Daryl sighed as he stood and walked over to his bolt now embedded into the truck of a tree. Fucking squirrel had dodged him, lil' bastard. With a grunt he yanked out the bolt before reloading his crossbow, ready to get back on the trail of some meat for the stupid group he was helping. Hopefully it wouldn't be for too much longer, he didn't like having to look out for people nor have people depend on him. Especially when he already had a high-as-a-kite brother to deal with already. Merle insisted they should just rob the camp, but he was often too fucking gone to even get outta the tent most days so that weren't happening anytime soon. Until Merle decided they could leave, here he was, hunting for a fucking group who didn't know shit about survival and treated him like a fucking dog retrieving their morning paper.
He tread across the ground quietly, careful of any twigs or anything on the ground as well as trying to keep up with any tracks he could follow. He'd seen a trail for a buck not too far back and was hoping to catch its scent again soon, but that probably needed an overnight trip. Fuckin' deer are allusive bastards, but it was meat and that's what the camp needed. He caught the small prints of a rabbit and went ahead with tracking, hoping that and the two squirrels were enough for tonight and probably tomorrow if he was heading out. He caught sight of the rabbit after about ten minutes sniffing around under a tree. He smiled slight at the thing before lining up his shot, eventually nailing it straight in the eye. He picked up the mammal by the ears, pulling the bolt out of its skull with a satisfied grunt. He hung the rabbit next to the rest of his catch before placing his crossbow across his back.
Merle was probably still passed out so would be no help gutting anythin' so Daryl decided to head down to the lake to wash his kill ready for the women back at camp to deal with. They were too much of a pussy to deal with the guts of what he bought them, but at least he didn't have to cook it. Even though those bitches really got on his last nerve expectin' him to come back with perfectly fucking cleaned bits of meat like he just went to the fuckin' local Walmart.
It was only a few minutes' walk to the edge of the lake from the wood. He glanced around him in case any stray walkers had gotten themselves up there, but luckily it was dead quiet. He set himself up next to a rock, laying his catch on the ground before sitting down next to it. He pulled his knife out of its sheath and plunged into the rabbit, the blade making easy work separating the flesh so he could dig his hand in and toss out the organs.
He didn't really notice her to begin with as he was engrossed in trying to skin the animal in his hands, it was the splash that caught him off guard and made him look up. He saw the new girl in camp in the water, dragging her fingers through her hair. He was far enough away for her not to see him watching her try and detangle the knots. He sniggered when she looked like she was in pain at a particular part of her hair, watching her mouth something as she continued to untangle herself.
"Fucking asshole." She hissed to herself as she pulled at the tangle in her hair. It felt like she was pulling the hair out of her roots, which is never a pleasurable experience she thought. Ella huffed a sigh of relief when her fingers finally ran through her hair smoothly, well, as smoothly as it was ever going to be anyway. With a gentle exhale she wadded over to the shore of the lake and grabbed the shampoo and conditioner Lori had given her, rubbing the first into her hair and massaged her now aching scalp. She could almost moan it felt that good but she held it in, allowing herself to groan slightly in satisfaction as she leant back and washed the suds out of her hair.
She didn't know she was being watched intensely by the hunter as she ran the conditioner through her locks to try and get it to feel clean again. He seriously didn't think she was naked, otherwise he wouldn't have started watching her, but even now that he knew he couldn't look away. Shit he hadn't seen a decent naked chick in months, so this new girl made a nice change. As she leant back again to wash the crap out of her hair he saw her breasts again and god did he start aching somethin' awful. He didn't wanna watch her, that was more Merle's thing but he couldn't drag his eyes away from her long neck that went out to broad shoulders, accented with sharp collarbones that he just wanted to gnaw on.
With that thought he licked his chapped lips just imagine the taste of her. He only looked away when the rabbit that he was skinning fell on the ground in front of him. "Goddammit," he hissed. He tore his eyes away from and picked up the animal and brushed off the dirt before deciding to sit with his back to the water so he could fuckin' concentrate on what he was meant to be doing rather than bein' some fuckin' perv.
When she was satisfied with her hair she exhaled again and swam to the shore line, sitting at it so only her ass and feet were still covered by the water. Luckily the weather was still mostly warm so she didn't freeze as a breeze hit her skin, allowing it to rise in goosebumps. It felt good to expose her skin to the air as she reached for the razor next to her, beginning to shave her legs. Her eyes gazed around her skin as the blade slid up her whole leg, a gulp interrupting her breathing as she reached the top of her thigh.
Some were still fresh, only days old which made Ella hiss as the razor skimmed over them. She shut her eyes to stop the water leaking out of them and swallowed, concentrating on her breathing and anything she was taught to calm herself down. She murmured to herself to breath in and out, in and out until the urge had passed and she felt like she could continue. Ella shaved her legs and under arms as quickly as she could without nicking her skin before pulling on the clothes Carol had given to her. When she was fully covered up again she exhaled a small sigh of relief and stretched, absorbing the sunshine on her face. It was good to feel safe again, even now as she picked up her knife from the ground, sliding it into sheath she now kept and began the walk back up to the camp.
Suddenly she felt two hands on her waist. "Well looky here, what a sweet piece ass ye are honey." Ella's eyes widened as she ripped out the grasp, tripping and falling onto her ass, the gravel making it a rough fall.
Ella could only describe the man as someone she would avoid, perhaps what you would see in a biker or dive bar in the middle of rural Georgia. He was bald, most likely in his forties, if not older with tattoos and a slight stubble on his face. She gulped and shuffled backwards as he knelt down in front of her. "Scare ya sweetheart? Aw didn't mean ta, just admiring ya goods as it were," Ella's eyes narrowed at the man, her nails digging into the dirt under scuffed palms. "They ain't your goods to admire," she retorted as he scoffed. "Aw darlin', weren't asking your permission as it were-"
"Merle, Whatcha doin'?!" Another Southern drawl called, stopping the guy from saying anything more. Ella's eyes followed the voice, seeing the hunter she had already pissed off stomping towards them. "Aw leave off brother, just seeing if this girlie needed help from her new friend Merle is all. Ain't that right darlin'?" Merle asked, turning his focus back to the redhead in front of him. Ella gulped, of course Dixon had a brother.
A handsy brother.
Great.
Awesome.
"Did you fuckin' touch her?" Daryl asked, his voice dripping with annoyance and even anger. Merle stood up, leaving Ella on the ground as he faced his brother. "Oh come on keep man, I weren't gonna hurt her. I was just admirin' the view and she freaked like a frigid lil bitch. Don't matter,"
"It'll matter when that dumbass pig and the brunette he's fuckin' find out and wanna kick us out," Daryl muttered, offering his hand to the girl on the ground, still standing off against his brother. Reluctantly, she took it and let him pull her up. "Aw whatever brother, fuckin' pig wouldn't dare. Plus I didn't know she was even with those fuckers, could have been just some lone bitch or somethin',"
"Well she ain't," he muttered, letting go of her hand as she was able to stand. Merle waved his hand with a whatever and stalked away from them, heading towards the camp site. Daryl looked at the girl, nodding his head as he too began to walk off.
"Wait!" Ella called, running after the hunter. She grabbed his exposed forearm, his limb shaking her off quickly. "I just wanted to thank ya, Jesus," she hissed as he continued to storm away, the arm she tried to grasp now gripping the strap of his crossbow. He couldn't meet her eyes, not without feelin' fuckin' guilty for starin' earlier. "It's alrigh'. Jus' stay outta our way and I'll make sure he don't do it again," she only nodded at him, letting go of his toned forearm (she must admit she did almost gasp at the muscle, sweet baby Jesus they were strong), letting him stride off back towards camp, diving into his tent quickly without even a second glance.