Weeks progressed and the group continued to struggle. The paranoia on watch was replaced with an almost desperate longing for walkers. At least that would provide the group something to do. Some warmth from movement and adrenalin. Instead they'd found a rather defensible location of a sturdy home that the group had been trapped in for nearly a month. Rick never allowed them to let their guard down even for a second. Someone on watch every minute of the day. Supply runs done only once a week in groups of two to four.

That left the issue of food. Food was Daryl's department. Sure Glenn and Maggie got standard supplies that sometimes included canned food but Rick preferred to keep those until the group was really desperate. The winter months seemed to be testing their strength and fortitude against the body limits. Daryl kept the group as supplied in food as he could. But competing against nature (it was a particularly nasty winter, the last time Georgia had such a blizzard and harsh weather had been back in the 1990's according to Hershel) and walkers made Daryl's job incredibly difficult. He would never say it was impossible there was too much riding on his shoulders to say it was impossible.

Daryl was used to going hungry. His childhood was filled with pockets of time when he didn't get enough food for weeks. He knew the difference between hunger and starving. It was part of why he learned how to hunt. To make sure the hunger didn't hit the starving stage not if he could do anything about it anyway. The rest of the group however was a completely different matter. For Carl who'd never known a missed meal in his life (not even when he was bad Rick confessed to him one night when the group had been snowed in for three days and the canned food had run out.) The gnawing aching feeling of the stomach moaning its own distress a novel but nasty experience for everyone but the hunter.

Daryl often found himself driven outside in the snow or freezing rain in hopes of finding some food, any food. He often rushed out in the middle of the night when the soft growls of hunger and little whimpers became too much for his sensitive ears to bear. More often than not, he would stay out all night until finally finally a rabbit or squirrel would scramble across his path. But every joyful smile or nod his successful hunt gained was often short lived. No matter how big his hunt was it was never enough. Someone always seemed to go hungry.

As Lori's pregnancy continued that drift grew even bigger. Daryl hated the looks that the one person would send towards those who had food that night. It became hard for everyone to not be resentful (despite all attempts otherwise.) With Lori's pregnancy with little Shane she ate like Shane did back at the rock quarry. Not like Rick who even when things had been better (peaceful almost) made sure that every member of the group had enough to eat. (At the rock quarry things had been different though the group seemed to almost eat double what they needed just to keep Daryl and Merle out in the woods as long as possible trying to secure their precarious position in the group. But perhaps that was just Shane's excuse even from the start he never seemed to like the Dixion brothers. Something Merle instantly picked up on and tried to instigate even more fights than usual because of Shane's attitude.) This observation led Daryl to believe it was Shane's child not Rick's growing in Lori (a completely stupid reason he knew but at this point who cared.) That and the unfortunate times when Shane and Lori's groans had scared off all his prey back at the quarry (seriously if you're going to send a hunter out to hunt then don't do it in the woods. Their sounds carried for miles much to Daryl's disgust.) Then again the pair wouldn't have known subtlety unless it bit them in their too perfect faces.

As food became sparse Rick often gave his food to Lori and Carl. Daryl in response kept his food and gave it to Rick when he came by to check on how much food and supplies were left each night. The hunter never mentioned where the food came from, Rick wasn't stupid chances were he knew where the food came from. But Rick had also lived a pretty sheltered life. Hunger was undoubtedly something new to him as well. However, despite Daryl's best attempts the whole group (minus Lori) lost weight. More than was probably good for them. They'd put on muscle certainly but still it was painful to see ribs sticking out on Beth or Carol. Or elbows too slim on Carl's already small body. It struck an unpleasant cord with Daryl and reminded him too keenly about his childhood. It was especially difficult to see Rick's already slender body grow even thinner. It felt like a personal failure to Daryl.

As spirits dropped with the temperature and food became a rarity Daryl came to the realization that the group desperately needed meat more than a rabbit or squirrel could provide. He wanted deer or pig or even beef (though he highly doubted finding cows. Not with walkers having a taste for anything that moved.) Glenn had begged him to find a pizza shop at one point and got a sharp smack to the back of the head for that comment. Daryl had been planning the hunt for nearly a week. He knew to find larger game meant hunting and mostly tracking for a few days. That meant leaving the group a man short. One less mouth to feed on the plus side, on the down side one less man on watch and one less fighter should things go wrong. So many things to consider. Like what if a herd passed by while Daryl was on his hunt? The group would be forced to leave with or without him. He would never admit it but part of the reason why he didn't travel too far from the house was in case something went wrong and the group needed to leave quickly. He didn't want to be left behind.

But the need for bigger game pushed Daryl past his concerns and hesitations. No matter how many rabbits, squirrels, and other small creatures he caught it was never enough. But venison or pork something like that could really fill the groups bellies and leave enough for some jerky for emergencies. Realizing it had to be done Daryl started making the necessary preparations. Now though Daryl had to decide how to approach the subject with Rick. Ever since that night when Rick had confessed his fears and thoughts the man had been especially dependent and reluctant to let the hunter leave even to hunt.

The opportunity presented itself just a day after Daryl decided he needed to tell Rick about his plan.

"She needs more food Rick." Hershel whispered harshly.

"We all do." Rick sighed heavily. Normally Daryl wouldn't listen to conversations that were being held behind closed doors. He never told the group exactly how sensitive his hearing actually is. They had a hard enough time getting past his brash demeanor and scathing tongue. (But truthfully Daryl could hear every conversation everyone had in the house. Hell, he knew more about the dynamics of the group the first night at the quarry than they did almost a year later.)

The difference was Daryl didn't give a damn about what they said. He could have told Rick that Lori was pregnant but that would have accomplished nothing. Dixon's stayed focused on the situation at hand by nature. Not on past mistakes. It was both a great strength and weakness of their bloodline. Daryl considered briefly walking away thinking he could wait until they involved him personally but by then it might be too late. He steadied himself and eased the door open.

Rick and Hershel were looking over their food supply (smaller than a gas stations candy section and that only if a really small gas station. The kind that served only one or two costumers a month.)

"Then we should get some." Daryl spoke hesitantly. Rick glanced up at him. His eyes briefly crinkled into a smile before reality tugged back at the man.

"We have you going out once sometimes twice a day. Glenn and Maggie are going out once a week. There isn't much more we can do than that." Rick stated.

"I mean we need bigger food like a real meal." Daryl tried again. He didn't want to explicitly say what he meant to Rick but he seemed to get it almost immediately. His blue eyes grew cold and fiercely angry when he looked at Daryl.

"What do you mean?" Hershel asked, he hadn't noticed the change in Rick's demeanor yet.

"I mean a big hunt like a deer or pig." Hershel's eyes seemed to brighten considerably. Rick's in comparison got even darker.

"That would certainly-"

"You can't." Rick cut in. His whole body tense and hostile like his tone. "We need you here."

"Yah but ya'll need food more." Daryl argued. Rick shook his head. "I'd only be gone a few days!" He insisted (though he knew it would probably be closer to a week.) Rick rubbed his temple with his right hand.

"No."

"Either I go now or we wait 'til people start starvin'!"

"No." Rick said again.

"Think of ya wife and kids! They need the food!"

"I said no!" Rick exploded suddenly. He was at his full height towering over Daryl. Even though the hunter was only a few inches shorter than Rick his sudden explosive anger made Daryl recoil and shrink in on himself like a wounded animal. Daryl narrowed his eyes and felt the Dixon blood and anger take over when he responded.

"Try and stop me." He hissed before storming out of the room. Daryl was halfway down the block before Rick had caught up with him.

"Daryl." Rich called behind him. The hunter moved faster away from him and kept his eyes facing forward refusing to look at Rick. "Daryl!" Rick hissed again. Daryl clenched his jaw and kept moving. "Daryl…please…" Rick whispered he had stopped moving after the hunter and was standing in the middle of the street watching Daryl's retreating back. Daryl blew out a breathe.

"Ya can' stop me." He grumbled at Rick. The sheriff moved quickly to place himself in front of the determined hunter.

"Daryl." Rick started. Daryl kept his eyes downcast so he wouldn't have to look at Rick. At the anger he was certain was in the sheriff's eyes.

"We need food. We do." Daryl insisted.

"We do." Rick agreed.

"Then we have to get it. We can' keep livin' like this with so little food."

"We need you." Rick whispered back. Daryl's eyes widened and he looked up at Rick quickly. "What if you go and something happens? We can't make it without you." That burn started in Daryl's cheeks again.

"Ya'll do fine without me." He mumbled back. Rick shook his head.

"No we wouldn't. We need you." He insisted. Rick sighed softly. "But you're right we do need food. And you're the only one who has a chance of getting some." Daryl stared hopefully at Rick. "Listen to me." He gripped Daryl's arm. The hunter managed to mostly repress the flinch. "You have to come back. You have to." Rick gazed hard into Daryl's eyes. "We aren't leaving until you get back. Understand?" Daryl nodded even if a herd came along they would be waiting. He didn't know if that was something he wanted to hear or not. He didn't want to be left behind certainly but more than that he wanted the group to be safe. "When you get back." There was no if. There was no room for an if in Rick's mind. "We're going to start hunting together." Daryl nodded. He had told Rick after they left the safety of the farm that he would teach him how to hunt properly and they were making progress before the winter hit and that cut their lessons short. "You need someone to watch your back out there." Daryl almost argued that he did better on his own when hunting but the look in his leader's eyes made him stop. "Daryl?"

"Hm?"Rick leaned forward and put his head against Daryl's forehead. The hunter did jump at this. But Rick kept him there and held onto his arm to keep the hunter from fleeing. He could feel Rick's breath against the side of his face. Rick stared at Daryl while Daryl shifted the touching was almost too much for him to deal with. He had to work at breathing normally. More than that he had to resist the urge to punch Rick right in the face. The last person who dared to touch Daryl in such a way was in the hospital for two weeks. But this was Rick. He reasoned with himself.

"Come back. That's all I want." Rick murmured against his temple. "Promise me you'll come back?"

"Can' do that." Daryl mumbled. "Can' promise nothin' anymore." Rick trembled at that. Daryl saw Rick start to twist in on himself like he was trying to escape from reality. This caused even more distressed to rocket through the hunter. He huffed as he felt Rick's body shake against his. "Dixon blood oaths don' break." He slurred. Rick looked perplexed. "When Dixon's make blood oaths we always carry through. It's a matter of pride of our bloodline. Nothin' more reliable than a Dixon blood oath." Daryl explained softly. "I can' promise I'll be back but I'll make a blood oath that I will." Rick smiled softly.

"Isn't that the same thing as a promise?" Daryl huffed.

"Nah promises can be broken. Dixon blood oaths ain' never broken. Otherwise ya ain' a true Dixon." Rick thought for a moment.

"You ever break one?" Daryl puffed his chest up at that question.

"Names Dixon ain' it?" He glanced at Rick who nodded at the statement. "Nah I've never broken one. I'm a Dixon through and through." Rick nodded.

"Then Dixon blood oath?" He asked. Daryl nodded in response.

"I'll be back with food." He glared at Rick making sure he wouldn't argue at Daryl's intentions. "Say so on my Dixon blood." The tension in Rick seemed to melt away instantly.

"Okay." He nodded pulling back. Daryl gave a quick nod and took a step back. Rick seemed more secure and at ease than he had minutes ago. "Here." He said handing Daryl a small bag. "Supplies." Rick explained at Daryl's confounded look. "Everyone wants you to be safe too." The bag felt rather full.

"Ya sure?" Rick nodded.

"Stay safe." Daryl slipped the bag onto his shoulder right next to his crossbow. He gave one last look at Rick and the house that the group was in. A reminder of what he was hoping to accomplish with this trip. "Remember, Dixon oath." Rick reminded him. Daryl's lips quirked up slightly before he turned around and made his way towards the forest. The faster he found food the sooner he could return back to the group.


So now you've finished chapter two! I hope you enjoyed it. If you have time review and let me know what you think! See ya'll in chapter 3.