Disclaimer: I do not own the Walking Dead, just my original characters.

Deena pushed open the blue pick-up truck door, the rusty metal hinges squeaking. She stretched her legs out before letting them touch the hard pavement. Above her the sun was shining brightly, its rays beating down on her bare shoulders. She had just stepped out of the truck, but already she could feel herself starting to sweat. Deena hated the heat, she hated Georgia, and she hated feeling dirty. It had been a good while since she had a nice, cool shower.

Since being found in the department store by Andrea, a thin blonde woman, she had been taking what she liked to call 'bird baths' in the reservoir at the campsite. Prior to that, her means of cleaning was a water bottle and lots of perfume. She hated how in the zombie movies everyone was squeaky clean or never really covered in blood. No one ever smelled and they all looked so perfect. In reality, the people she had been with smelled sweaty all the time and were always dirty, no matter how much they all washed their shit. Her clothes still had the blood stains from a few walkers she had put down in the past. No matter how much she washed her clothes, blood just didn't come out. Now how in the fuck did the people in zombie movies do it, cause she sure as hell couldnt.

She slammed the door and reached her thin arms above her head in a stretch. Deena wasn't sure why they stopped, but she was grateful for a chance to get out of the truck and walk around for a little.

"What you slammin' my door like that for?"

Deena rolled her eyes. She was so happy until she heard that voice. "What? Afraid it'll break? Not my fault your truck is a rusty piece of shit."

"You ain't gotta ride in it if that's how you feel."

"I ain't got a choice." She mimicked his deep southern twang, purposely trying to piss him off. "What? Is insulting a hicks truck like insulting his mama or something where you from?"

Daryl felt the overwhelming desire to 'accidently' shoot her with his crossbow. It was soundless, so walkers wouldn't hear a thing. Maybe if he just slip, fell (while aiming perfectly at her head), and released an arrow, his headache known as Deena would be gone. Besides, accidents happen all the time right?

"You're way too cranky all the time. Merle was right about you though."

Her left eyebrow arched. "What did he say?" she cautiously asked. Did she really want to know about anything Merle Dixon had to say?

"Your panties are always in a bunch cause you can't get a man to touch you."

Deena's nostrils flared, causing Daryl to smirk in satisfaction. He won this round. "You fucking ass-"

Before Deena could finish her insult, Rick, the group leader, stepped out of the RV with a grim expression. He let out a sigh before motioning everyone over. For someone so young, he always looked so stressed. Deena pitied him really. He didn't ask to be a leader, it was a role almost forced upon him. She admired him because he was what every leader should have been. He cared for the group as a whole, not just himself and his family.

"What's wrong?" she asked once reaching Rick and the rest of the group.

He took in a deep breath before speaking, his hands resting on his hips. "It's Jim. He wants us to leave him."

"Why would he want us to do that?" Lori asked, her son close.

Now Lori was an interesting woman to Deena. She was Rick's wife but she had a thing for his best friend. Rick was thought to be dead and his wife and son was in the care of his best friend Shane. Just like a lot of 'friends', he wanted to have what Rick had. Long story short, Shane fucked Lori, Rick wasn't really dead and found his family. Rick still didn't know his wife and best friend did the nasty.

"Jim says the ride is too painful. Every time we hit a bump, he says it feels like his bones are shattering. He can't take this much longer guys. He's burning up and… Well he won't make it."

"But we can't just leave him out here like that!" Lori argued. "Where's the humanity in that?"

"It's what he wants." Dale chimed. Dale by far was one of Deena's favorite. He was an older man, grey hair and beard. He reminded her of the Santa Clause her father would take her to the mall to see every year. He was round and occasionally looked jolly. "It's his decision."

"If he wants to be left out here, why we even having this pow-wow?" Daryl asked, his crossbow slung over his shoulder as usual. "Makes no sense."

"Course it makes no sense to you." The moment Deena opened her mouth, everyone knew where this was going. "Just cause no one would give a second thought to dumping you on the side of the road, doesn't mean we'd do that to someone else." He was so insensitive and it aggravated her to no end.

"You know what? Maybe you should stay behind with him and hopefully get your smart ass bit by one of them walkers."

She snarled at him. "Fuck you Dixon."

"Seriously, can you two not do this for once?" Rick nearly begged. Deena felt a pang of guilt and frowned.

"Sorry." She mumbled, looking down at her feet like a child that had just been chastised. Rick had a way of making her feel like she was a delinquent child, and a part of her felt like she deserved it for always misbehaving. But it was Daryl's fault, he should be punished too.

Rick ran his fingers through his disheveled hair and looked back at the RV. "Only thing left to do now is wait for Shane and Glenn to get back."

As if hearing his name, Shane pulled up in his land rover. He jumped out, an Asian man following behind him, but keeping distance between them. Deena wasn't fond of Shane, he was a deputy prior to the end of the world and was partnered up with Rick. She knew his type all too well. He had the right words to make a lady fall for him, but he was really a dick. He was alright on the eyes, Deena couldn't deny that, but something was off about him. She could feel it. She kept her distance from him. As much as she hated Dixon, she knew he wasn't a crazy hick like she enjoyed calling him. Shane on the other hand, well he was a ticking time bomb and it became very clear to her once Rick returned.

Glenn walked over to Denna, holding a worn out car hose in his grease covered hands. She noticed Shane was clean, but Glenn wasn't. It was obvious who got forced to do the dirty work.

"What happened?" Glenn asked, furrowing his brows.

"It's Jim." Deena answered. "He's not gonna make it. He wants us to leave him here."

"That's crazy. He's gonna die."

Deena frowned. "I think either way he's gonna die Glenn."

Daryl let out an audible sigh, letting his crossbow drop to his side. He was getting tired of this. They wanted to act compassionate and show they were still civil, but these were the same people that left his brother handcuffed to a roof. Merle may have been intolerable a good majority of the time, but it was still the only family he had. An asshole, but still family.

"So it's decided, we're going to do what he wants." Rick looked around the group for any objection, but received none.

"Think we should be going to the CDC?" Deena kept flicking her lighter on and off. She wasn't a smoker, but Chicago was and it had been his. It was a zippo lighter with the colorful image of pinup model Betty Page. He always had a serious crush on her and Deena could understand why.

"How should I know?" Daryl replied, trying to focus on the road.

"I'm just asking your opinion." She snapped.

"I ain't got one. The Sheriff wants to go there still, don't matter to me."

"Rick. His name ain't Sheriff, it's Rick."

Daryl smirked, still looking at the road ahead of him. "Did I offend you by not calling him that? Pardon me, I know a woman's gotta defend the men she fucks."

"What the fuck? I'm not sleeping with him." She dully replied, though the thought did cross her mind once. There was something sexy about that man when he took charge of things, telling everyone what to do. The naughty thought had exited her mind as quickly as it entered, what would Chicago think? Though it had been a really long time since she got some good loving.

"I ain't too sure I believe that. You're on his dick pretty hard all the time, defending him and backing up his decisions."

"Cause he's the only one suggesting shit that makes sense."

"Whatever, I still think he bangs you out. With that wife of his creeping around with the deputy, I wouldn't be surprised."

"You're just mad no one is creeping around with you."

"Oh, trust me sugar, you should be glade no one is. You wouldn't get a wink of sleep with the way I make my women scream."

"Why? Cause they have to see you naked? Or do they scream cause they're shocked by how tiny it is?"

Daryl laughed, surprising her. "You don't even know how wrong you are." If there was one thing he was always secure in, it was his size. Dixon men were blessed with that and everyone woman that got a taste of a Dixon always ended up addicted.

Deena wanted to say something smart back, but she was speechless. No matter how many cracks she made about him being unable to perform in bed, he never got mad. If anything, he would just grin to himself as if he knew some inside joke. Lord, he pissed her the fuck off