Author's note:Another update! :D I'm sort of on a roll with this and that makes me excited. I hope you're all enjoying it, and I'd love to hear you thoughts! Reviews and messages are awesome, and so are the people who are following the story! :3 This chapter as Daryl in it~ and there is to be more of him in the future!

Emberka-2012: Thanks so much for the review! And yes, she does know the Dixon brother's quite well. : )

Chapter Three

Hope

The sun was setting on the quarry by the time Gwendolyne decided to explore. Sliding off the tailgate, she pulled the elastic from her hair and ran her fingers through the waist-long strands. The heat was decreasing with the fire body in the sky and she was thankful for it. Merle was working on his motorcycle off to the side of their tents, and Daryl had gone to hunt something for supper.

Most of the other people in the group avoided the three of them because of Merle. No doubt they assumed that Daryl and she were the same. There were four fires, one for a family of three, the R.V. group and the other two were people Gwen hadn't really noticed. Canned food was on the menu tonight, and Gwen could tell that no one was excited for the meal.

"Hello, Gwendolyne," Dale greeted when she made it to his groups fire. "I see your tents have been put up, do you have enough blankets? The night is going to be chilly."

Dale was the only one that truly seemed to care about everyone in the group. For some reason he had the gift to always see the good in people regardless of how they acted or looked.

"I think so," she said with a small smile and took a seat between Dale and Amy. "I'm sort of looking forward for cool air. It'll be more familiar to me."

Amy turned to look at her with a curious expression. "You aren't from here?"

Gwendolyne glanced at the blonde that was close to her age. "Canada."

"Carl, you have to eat, sweetheart," Lori whispered to her son.

"I'm not hungry," Carl stated, pushing his beans around the paper plate.

"Not a fan of beans?" Gwen asked and caught Lori's eye.

Carl shook his head with a sullen expression. Her heart squeezed and she pushed herself up from the ground. The group watched as she walked across the dirt ground and climbed the back tire of Daryl's truck. Sitting on the side of the truck bed, she opened the metal box that held the food they had packed. There was quite a variety thanks to her parents buying non-perishable foods. They were always paranoid that a hurricane would hit and they'd starve to death.

Hauling out a few cans of spaghetti and meat balls, Gwen put them in a plastic bag to carry them. She also took two boxes of cookies for desert. Children were one of her largest weakness, and if she could help bring up their spirits she would.

A loud clang came form behind her and Merle was leering as he watched her. "W'at da hell ya doin'? Feeding the weak and useless?"

Gwendolyne looked over her shoulder at the burly man. "No, Merle, otherwise I'd be cooking for you."

Merle wheezed with laughter before grabbing his wrench and went back to his bike. The skin under his nose was red, along with his eyelids and it was a clear sign that he was stoned. If Daryl didn't keep to his word about being back by dark, she was sleeping in the truck with the doors locked.

Once she was standing in her previous spot by the fire, she started pulling out the cans. "It's not much, but it'll taste better than beans."

"Cookies!" Carl exclaimed, smiling form ear to ear as his mother scrapped his beans to her plate.

Jacquie and Dale started opening cans to cook them and Gwen passed the cookies to Amy. Everyone seemed a bit more chipper with the change in the menu. Moving from the group, she walked to the woman and little girl that were sat quietly by their fire. The husband had walked off toward the woods a moment ago and the brunette took the opportunity.

"Hi," she greeted, and she notices the way they looked anxious. "Sorry, I just wanted to give you some spaghetti and meat balls. There's cookies there, too."

Carol took the bag and smiled timidly. "Thank you."

Gwendolyne smiled and nodded before taking her leave. Dale had a smile on his aged face as she sat back down and accepted the plate he handed over. The chatter amongst the group was a wonderful relief, but she didn't say much herself. Her mind was still having trouble wrapping around what had happened in the past day and a half. From her work, to her parents, to the fact that the Dixon brothers had actually went out of their way to see if she needed help.

Even though Merle had helped her initially, it was Daryl who stayed with her the entire time. The guy was more than a bit confusing. One minute he said he didn't want her around, and then the next he was opening up to her unexpectedly. No doubt he was having trouble trusting her, but after being raised by his abusive father then being bullied by Merle, she understood why.

"Gwen, what did you do before all this happened?" Andrea questioned as she placed her empty plate down.

"Um… I was a nurse," she answered and thought about it for a moment. "I guess, I really didn't loose my career though, just the pay check."

There were a few chuckles and Shane verbally agreed with her as he raised his water bottle in her direction. At least she'd be able to be useful to the group at some time, but hopefully no one would be seriously ill or injured.

At the sound of a commotion, everyone turned to see Ed Peletier grab the plastic bag from Carol's hands. The cooking pot and food were on the ground, spilled everywhere.

Gwen's temper ignited instantly and she on her feet instantly. "Hey, I didn't give them that food for you to take it form them, jackass!"

Ed turned and glared at her as she moved toward him. "Mind your own business, whore."

Gwen stopped a few feet away from the tall man with a frown. "Rather be a whore than a man who'd rather hurt his family instead of provide for them."

"You keep your mouth shut!" Ed reached out and grabbed Gwen's arm painfully.

When she was about to twist her arm free, a fist collided with Ed's face and made him stumble back. Gwen rubbed her arm and turned to the man that had helped. Honestly, she was expecting Shane but he was a few feet to her other side. It had been Daryl.

"Touch 'er again and you'll regret it," he growled to the heavy set man, his southern accent caused the warning to sound exceptionally dangerous. The redneck adjusted the strap of his crossbow before looking at Gwen. "C'mon, can't leave ya fer five minutes."

Gwendolyne looked to Carol and Sophia with sympathy before giving Ed a heated glare. Not even with the world over would she sit back and watch a man hurt two innocent people. Placing the bag by Carol's chair, the brunette turned and followed Daryl to the tents.

The man took the weapon off his back and pulled open the door to the tent they'd be sharing to put in inside. It was a huge tent for two people, but she had said out right that she wasn't sleeping in the same tent as Merle. In the dark Gwen couldn't see Daryl's expression but he was movements with quick and stiff. So she was sure that the man was pissed.

Their camp site was hidden behind the blue truck and she was happy for the privacy. The last thing she needed was everyone witnessing Daryl telling her off. However, he took a seat in a free chair and started untying the squirrels that he had on a rope.

Merle was sitting in a foldable chair as well and was poking the small fire while drinking a beer.

Gwendolyne sat in the chair next to the youngest Dixon and stared at the other in disbelief. "You didn't leave any cupboard unturned at my house, did you?"

"How'd ya know this ain't mine?" Merle stated, taking another swing.

"My dad's brand is a bit steep for a guy like you, Dixon." The older male just smirked at her and it sent a disgusted shiver down her back.

Daryl took out his knife and started cutting the rodents open which nearly made her gag. So, of course, he looked to her expectantly. "Ya want one?"

"No, I'm good." She'd eat dirt before eating a squirrel.

A snort came from the man and he shook his head. "Food ain't gonna last furever. You'll run outta options soon."

Gwen really didn't need a reminder that the world was over. He wasn't trying to be cruel, but she really didn't need reality shoved in her face right now. Standing from her chair, she grabbed her bag from the truck and moved toward the tent.

Daryl watched her the whole time but didn't say anything. If Merle wasn't there he would have, she knew, but if he showed any emotion Merle wouldn't let it go.

After zipping the door closed, she sat on the edge of the two person cot. Flicking on a flash light, she pulled out pyjamas and a hairbrush. After changing, she crawled under the blankets and shifted to the side closest to the tent wall. Yanking her bag closer, she opened the side pocket and pulled out the pictures that she had packed.

One framed photo was of her parents and Gwen at her graduation form nursing school. The other was of two girls and her at a party that was held after graduation. To think she didn't know whether they were alive or dead. Maybe the island didn't get hit so hard? Or maybe it was worse because it was an island. A painful pressure formed behind her eyes and she put the frames down to take out the album.

It was newer since she had started it once she moved to Georgia. Some were of coworkers, a few new friends and the house. There were a couple of her parents but not many since they traveled a lot. Most were of her adventures through her new home and of a certain person she had met unexpectedly. Daryl probably didn't know of half these photos, and a few were taking by her mother. Like the one of the two of them sitting on the front step of the house. It had been one of the first times he had ever come to her house.

Albeit it was because Merle was in the lock-up again and couldn't keep Daryl in the trailer. It had been her mother that told her to give the man a chance and not to judge. So really, she had her mother to thank for her life right now; otherwise the woman would have eaten her.

The door zipped open and Gwen shoved the pictures back in the bag quickly. She rolled away from the door and hid her face in the blankets as Daryl shuffled around as quietly as he could. He didn't need to know she wished her mother had killed her, because she knew one say it was going to happen anyway.

What was the point of hope anymore?