Later that day Jess was out by her horses at the fence, reading her book on a little pallet she'd made out of blankets and her saddle. She'd pulled her arm free of it's sling and was doing little exercises that the doctor had told her to try to help bring back her range of motion as she read when Herschel came looking for her.

He stopped by Nahar who had turned her head to him and patted the horse's neck.

"You look happy," he commented as he continued to show Nahar some affection.

"Yessir, as happy as a hog in mud," she joked as she shut her book.

The older man smiled down at her as Nahar went back to grazing. He was growing fond of what everyone was calling her 'Texisms'.

"I'm glad," he paused as he stepped around the sorrel to speak more directly to the woman on the ground, "I hate to ask you to move since you look so comfortable but we're about to have a meeting and we'd like for you to join us."

Jess raised her eyebrow at him as she shut her book and slipped her arm back into its sling.

"Is this one a yer council meetin's?" She asked as she put her book into her backpack.

Herschel offered his hand to help her up.

"We've got some stuff to talk to you about," he informed as she took it and he pulled her up easily.

She winced at having to move but was otherwise fine as she stood. She readjusted her sling on her shoulder as she spoke.

"Jus' don' ask me ta take tha ring ta Mordor," she jested as she followed him up the hill.

"What?" He asked as he glanced over at her. Jess just laughed.

"Sorry, Lord of the Ring's reference. On yer fourth read through ya find yerself slippin' it inna conversations," she explained as they approached the gate where Michonne was waiting to open it for them. She closed it behind Herschel and Jess and they all headed for the awning.

Jess's mood suddenly changed when she turned and saw the members of the council waiting for her under the awning. The air around them was serious and maybe a bit ominous but Jess couldn't put her finger on it. She approached the group as Carol gave her a reassuring smile and indicated that she should sit next to her. As Jess took her seat, she caught the disgruntled look on Daryl's face who was standing close behind Carol, leaning against a pillar. Whatever they were about to talk about didn't sit well with him for whatever reason.

Herschel called the meeting to order.

"Good morning, everyone. We called this meeting together for our newcomer, Miss Davis," he began while smiling at her, "just so we can get to know you better, do you mind telling us a little about yourself?"

Jess looked around the small group as she spoke confidently from her seat, not wanting to speak above them. Even though she kind of felt like she'd just been pulled into an AA meeting, what could it hurt?

"My name's Jessica Davis 'n' I was a rancher from tha Hill Country a Texas," she greeted as she acted like she was tipping her hat at them, "nice ta meet y'all."

She thought she could give them a little more about herself but the ones she cared to know about here already did.

"Same to you Miss Davis. Daryl and Carol plead your case and we have decided to welcome you officially to our little community. You're welcome to come and go as you please and are welcome to stay as long as you like."

Jess looked at Carol, who was beaming at her, and the cowgirl nodded her thanks to the woman. When she went to do the same with Daryl, she noticed he was looking anywhere but at her so she turned her attention back to Herschel.

"That being said, we have a request for you," he continued nervously before looking at Michonne. The swordswoman took the floor.

"You remember me telling you about the Governor?"

Jess nodded grimly. The story of how crazy the Governor was with what he'd done to them and how he'd killed Michonne's friend was a hard one to hear. She couldn't imagine going through all of what this group had over the past year.

"I want to start making longer trips out to search for him," Michonne continued, "and after talking with the rest of the council I've decided to take on your approach to traveling out alone by using a horse."

Jess instantly bristled. There was no way that they were going to take her horses from her.

"I appreciate ev'rathang y'all've done fer me but I cain't let y'all have my horses. I'd be dead without 'em," she interrupted, emotion thick in her voice. She'd just gotten them back.

"Easy, Jess. We know how much your horses mean to you," Carol said as she placed a comforting hand on the upset woman. "Just hear us out first."

Jess took a deep breath and nodded. She did tend to get a little overprotective when it came to her horses.

"Carol told us that you were a ranch manager back in Texas and could help us find our own," Herschel explained.

Jess looked between Michonne and Carol as she thought about the offer. Finding them a horse could be troublesome. She wasn't accustomed to how the horses had been trained in the area or where they might be able to find one. She'd have to be almost back to one hundred percent before she went out there to re-break a horse that abandoned for three years. All this meant she'd have to stay with them longer than she had intended. Then again, she did owe them her life and owe them for getting her horses back to her.

"I know a thang or two 'bout horses. Yer right 'bout going it alone with a horse. It's quiet, fast, 'n' a good horse'll alert you to danger you cain't see nor hear." She paused again, "but actually findin' a good'n is gonna be like tryin' ta bag flies. Ain't no tellin' how bad off a horse'll be with no tendin' ta since tha turn." It took her a few moments to actually give into what she knew would be the right thing to do. She really did owe these people and could get them a horse then be on her way in a few weeks. Finally, she smiled at Herschel, "but seein' as I owe y'all my life and you got a good vet here I reckon I'll give it a go once I can get back in tha saddle."

The old man smiled gently at the younger cowgirl.

"Thank you, Miss Davis," he nodded with a smile before he turned to the rest of the group. "Anybody have anything else to say or ask Jess while we have her here?"

After a few moments of silence, the older man ended the meeting.

"Well, unless anyone has anything else they need to bring up, that's all we needed to meet for."

With that, everyone went in their own directions except for Michonne who came over to talk to Jess about riding.

A week had passed since the meeting and Jess was finally free of the sling and already using her bow again. She'd had to dial back the tension so she could use it, which made the bow lose half of it's power, but it was still taught enough to kill a walker. She was glad to have it's weight back on her shoulder along with her quiver and she'd taken to walking around the prison with it slung across her body if there was any need for it. One of the other residents had challenged her to a contest but she had declined and told them she'd need another few days of recovery.

Every day that passed, Jess felt more and more that she may have found a place to belong in this crazy new world. Everyone here liked her and she fit right in. It was like working back on the ranch but without the responsibility of leadership. Even though she still needed to find her parents, she found out from Michonne who showed her on a map that she wasn't very far from the place her parents had last called her from three years ago.

Jess was sad that Erin hadn't made it to this point with her because she would have liked these people and the safety of the prison. They would have sat alone with the horses and Erin would have teased Jess about the little crush she had on Daryl. Jess was never very good at hiding things from her sister. Erin would also be able to tell that even though Jess had a crush on Daryl, she would see how terrified Jess would be if she were to act on those feelings. One main reason would be because of their run in with the cutting freaks back in Mississippi. Even though the experience had caused her trauma, the loss of her sister had overshadowed that tenfold. Her despair would have killed her if her sister hadn't given her a reason to go on and hope, no matter how false it was, that their parents may still be alive and that Jess had to find them. Now if she were to lose someone like Carol or Michonne or even Daryl she didn't know how she would be able to handle it. However much Jess wished she had left the prison the moment her horses returned and told herself that she wouldn't care, she couldn't help but be happy with these people and she would cling to these moments for as long as she was there.

It amazed Jess how fast these people had taken her in as one of their own and how she had accepted that. Two weeks ago she couldn't wait to get away from them and now she would be sad to leave them to finish the search for her parents. Maybe if she found them they could all return here to live out the rest of their lives. She knew how likely it was that she would actually find her parents alive but it's something she tried not to dwell on too much. She just wasn't ready to accept that she'd lost her whole family.

Jess sighed as she watched Michonne practice her horseback riding with Nahar around the empty field. She could feel a presence next to her and his quiet cough pulled her back from her thoughts and into reality.

"Afternoon, Dixon," she greeted, careful to keep her eyes forward.

Ever since the council meeting he'd avoided her as much as he could and she had done the same. Jess knew that getting close to Daryl was a very bad idea despite her huge, teenage crush on him. However juvenile her feelings were, she wasn't some hormone driven teenager, and she knew what getting into a relationship these days could mean and she felt she wasn't ready for it. Besides, since the avoidance was mutual, she just chalked it up to he felt the same way or just didn't like her.

Daryl didn't waste any time getting right down to his point.

"I'm goin' huntin' in the mornin'," he paused as he shifted, "you up for goin'? Got some ideas on where to find a horse."

Jess considered his offer carefully. She knew she should have kept her distance from Daryl but he did know the area better than she did and he could help her find a horse faster than she could on her own. She was also beginning to get antsy inside the fences of the prison and was ready for an excuse to get to ride again.

Jess cut her eyes over at the man and found he was staring at her, waiting for her answer. She shifted nervously under his gaze.

"Fine with me, jus' gotta clear it with the doc," she shrugged, trying to play off how nervous she was about going into the world again when she wasn't back to her full strength.

"We leave at dawn," he stated simply as he turned and walked away.

Jess scowled as she watched the Dixon walk confidently back up to the prison. Tomorrow would be a long day.

A/N: Just a reminder to check my profile for updates and notes! Also, I am always thankful of Favs, Reviews, Follows, and views. It gives me the motivation and determination to work on this fic for you guys. 3