Author's Note: Sometimes I feel like that all I do when the season of walking dead finishes is wait for it to start back up again. Oh well, because right now I'm rather obsessed over the avengers for something else to do. It's nice to be able to distract myself from the void of not having new episodes of the walking dead in my life. Feel free to review if you have the time, makes my day. I've actually finished writing this story and it's going to be 6 chapters long.
They exited the tent together which probably in hind sight hadn't been the best idea, because it got the attention of nearly every one of the camp. Daryl didn't like having attention on him period, let alone the entire population of their camp. Even Merle was looking from over by the fire he was apparently starting for the camp; damn maybe there was something actually wrong with Merle. He was never up this early or doing something helpful within Daryl's line of sight. Maybe not even just Daryl's line of sight either; his older brother really just preferred to be an asshole.
Glenn walked over to the fire with reluctance to leave Daryl's side when he started for Shane. Daryl wasn't fond of leaving her either, but he still had to work something's out with the cop. Shane looked surprised that Daryl was going to speak to him at all; he hadn't really expected anything different though as he images that Shane was the shoot (or more likely punch) first and ask questions later kind of guy. Probably the kind of cop that would have sneered at him while pulling him over from picking up Merle from a bar.
"I need to know what your plan is around here." The alarm that passed its way through on Shane's face was priceless and Daryl was sure that he was going to want to remember that moment for a good long while. Shane quickly recovered though and surprisingly went down to business with the slightly filthy redneck.
"We are circling the perimeter with a chain a noise makers to keep us aware if anything is close by and keeping a guard watching at all time in the day. Buddy system is being used, so no one will be alone and kids are sticking close. We have also been trying to organize a run to the city for when we need more supplies, but are several weeks away from needing that right now." Daryl hadn't expected to get information out of the other man so easily, but was pleased none the less. Maybe they could work together after all, after all more people the safer it would be around camp. It would be a good thing for Glenn to be around these people instead of just him and his brother anyway.
He wondered if Glenn would confess to them her secret or if she'd just mascaraed the truth away from the world. He be with her either way; as long as she wanted him to. "We are hunters, and while I don't think your people will want us on watch; Merle will probably be all for helping with a run and I'll try and provide some fresh meat to help along. We won't get along, but I'll try and keep Merle from bothering anyone. He is all talk anyway."
Shane looked shocked again, and disbelieving in the Merle parts. What Daryl was saying was absolutely true though; Merle was almost all talk and would never go after someone without an expressed invitation. Probably had something to do with the years of watching their mother never have a choice and having to watching her cry while getting breakfast ready in the morning showing more wounds then a woman ever had any business in having. That shit stuck with a person once you've seen it and the two brothers had seen it far too many times in their childhood; Daryl even witnessing their dad dragging whores back with him screaming for the night after mama had died.
The conversation with Shane was over after that with an unease air floating between both parties; but Daryl wasn't sure what else to do about that so he left it alone. Once he stepped away, Daryl found himself searching out Glenn in the small crowd of people.
The girl had a bowl of something just sitting in her lap while talking with the older of the two blonds he had spotted in camp. Merle would be after that one for sure, liking when they back talked him and fought right up to when they decided they would like a try at hate sex and who better for that then a good for nothing ex-army redneck? No one, apparently in the world. Daryl sometimes wondered if Merle had ever had sex that wasn't drunken or hate sex.
He joined Glenn seconds later, just sitting on the ground next to her folding chair. She smiles at him brightly and found himself smiling back instantly. With ease Glenn handed him the bowl, breaking out of her conversation for Daryl like she thought he was more important or something. "Saved you breakfast while you talked to Shane; figured you would be hungry." She went back to her conversation after that, though he didn't really listen to closely to that. He didn't really need to snoop anyway, whatever girls talked about in their free time was their business.
The woman's name was Andrea and woman definitely thought Glenn was a guy. Whatever, Glenn could talk to whomever she wanted; it made Daryl happy just to know that she had thought to save him breakfast. Girl was sweet. Probably too sweet for her own good actually.
He ended up hunting after that, wanting to immediately make good on what had had said to Shane and not give the other man a chance to change his mind. Though it wasn't very fruitful, in the later hours of the afternoon he lugged a string of three rabbits back to camp with him. Many squirrels had caught his eye, but he wasn't sure how camp would react to that on the first try. Maybe he would ease them into it, like over the next week or so bring some mixed in back (or even one) and when they refused it use it in his, his brother and Glenn's meal instead.
Glenn could tell them it wasn't that bad, and maybe they're try mixing a tiny bit in. Glenn would probably try it if he asked her to, after all didn't Asians eat all kinds of weird shit anyway? Shit, was that racist because he didn't really mean it to be; but seriously it's a culture thing right? Maybe he was being racist after all. Though, he should avoid saying anything like that to her face, just in case.
Everyone looked happy enough when he showed up with the rabbits though and Merle took them to skin. Ripping skin from flesh and bone was always Merle's favorite part of hunting; Daryl favorite was when they finally got to eat. He had learned that as a child, trying to fill his stomach.
Later on in the evening, there was a grand campfire and people laughing around and the kids were roasting marshmallows. This was the god damn apocalypse and someone had grabbed the marshmallows? Daryl had a hard time of relating to most of these people. Glenn looked happy enough as she laughed at Carl's attempts to not charcoal his treats. Though to be fair, the boy ate them no matter how burnt they ended up being. He had the sense not to waste them as though he almost knew that a treat like this in the coming months might be a rare thing. The laughs coming from Glenn were Daryl's treat; it made him smile to simply hear it.
When he finally didn't burn one and determined it the perfect mellow; he offered it to Glenn. Little boy sure learned early how to flirt; and Glenn responded over the top but it made the camp laugh and Carl blush. The kiss to the cheek was pushing it though; seriously how the fuck did these people think that Glenn was a boy?! Jesus, what kind of world did these other people come from, she acted like a she with every fiber of her being? And let's not even talked about the camp ladies whistling at them when Glenn suddenly decided that Daryl should have her chair instead of sitting on the ground and she should be situated between his open legs.
In fact, they wouldn't stop giggling about it and Shane kept doing double takes like he was some kind of shocked. Glenn didn't seem to care though, or maybe she didn't even notice. Daryl noticed though and he very much cared. Glenn snuggled into his legs though, and it made him not want to move from this position ever.
He cared perhaps more then he should of when Glenn told him it was time to go to bed and he'd wake her up if they didn't go together. He had no doubt that the context behind that was that Glenn was nervous about being in the tent alone and he didn't blame her for that. In fact, it would be a lot easier to protect her if he never left her alone. That was why he left her drag her away from the camp fire and towards the tent instead of doing rounds around the camp. Why he ignored the almost knowing looks from the other campers and the wolf like howl of a whistle from his brother. Glenn need his protection, and he would be there for her.