I apologize for how long it's been since I've uploaded a chapter. A different fandom completely blindsided me, so I spewed out four stories before finally returning to this baby. Hope you are all still with me since this is my longest chapter. Also, a reviewer was deeply offended by Paige's remarks in regards to Bush and Republicans in chapter 4, accusing me of pushing my beliefs onto people. Firstly, I want to remind you that this is a story of a jaded girl who has her views for a reason. Secondly, if you don't like them, I'm sorry, but characters are entitled to their opinions and I'm entitled to creating my character however I want. Lastly, I am indeed a different person from Paige, in case you forgot. Which means I do have different views than her. It's called fiction. Honestly, the review didn't bother me. I was more disappointed by the thought that I'm trying to brainwash my readers into what I want. My audience does indeed have their own beliefs as well and I respect them for it. It's a story. Any issues you have, deal with them in your own time. And to everyone else, thank you for the reviews. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 7 - Dead Faces

The closer Daryl approached the camp ground, the more insistently Paige struggled, renewing her efforts with a violent desperation. She could only imagine what she looked like right now, slung over his shoulder. Like she was a wayward child needing to be set straight.

Humiliation caused her cheeks to redden and with another strangled gargle, Paige began beating at Daryl's back with her knuckles, squeaks and yelps making their way out from between her twisted lips.

Daryl only grunted a few times, but other than that, did nothing to fight her off.

Sooner than she liked, the trees began thinning. As a result, Daryl's steps weren't being taken over branches anymore. Instead, they followed an easy march forward, shoes kicking away the stray twig or so.

"I'm giving you a final chance, Daryl. Let me go," Paige warned, tugging desperately at his shirt.

"Ain't happening tonight," he promised.

The complete alphaness of the statement ultimately made her see a blasphemous hue of red.

Gritting her teeth, Paige sent a particularly painful punch into his spine, a triumphant smile flying up as he jerked forward at the action.

"Jesus, woman! Did ya get raised by a bunch of apes?" he scowled, pulling her legs down a bit so she wouldn't have such open access to his back.

"LET ME GO!" she screamed, her lungs burning as he continued forward.

Seconds later and Daryl finally flung her off his shoulder, disposing her unceremoniously on the grass before him. She didn't even have to glance behind to see the other members of his camp approaching her, most likely having heard the yells already.

"Are you guys tryin' to attract the walkers?" Shane demanded angrily.

Rick stalked up beside him, watching the exchange silently rather than voicing an opinion.

"Blame the stubborn bastard who refuses leave me alone," Paige hissed, stumbling up as dead leaves scattered to the ground.

"I saved y'er ass," he argued, unafraid to stomp toward her.

"I never asked you to!" she exclaimed, throwing a wild hand in the air. "I could have handled myself."

"Keep sayin' that, but I ain't seein' it happen," he growled back, a fire re-entering his eyes. "You're stayin' here for th'a night and tellin' Rick everythin' you know 'bout the cadets. No discussin' that."

"If you don't stop ordering me around, I will dismember, piece by piece, your tiny scrotum," Paige threatened darkly, ignoring the unnaturally close proximity they'd reached with only an inch separating their fuming bodies.

"Shit just got real," T-Dog whistled from the gathered crowd.

"Ditto," Glenn agreed, hand subconsciously descending from his abdomen.

"Mom," Carl murmured, a puzzled look crossing his face, "by scrotum, does she mean-?"

"We'll talk about it alter," Rick interrupted, anxiously watching the duel before him.

"If I hadn't been there, they woulda raped and killed ya. We both know that. What're you so pissed 'bout?" Daryl retorted.

"I'm pissed about you thinking that you can throw me over your shoulder like a caveman and rescue me all the time. That's not the way life works, and I certainly am not expecting that of you. I'm thankful you helped out, yes. But now, you have got to let me be."

"Whenever I let ya be, you're ready to drop dead. Think it's time you start pushin' away pride and channelin' the need t'a survive, since you don't like bein' told what to do."

"I think you hate being refused," she goaded back, suddenly pushing him against his chest. "Or you don't value a woman's opinion. Each time I've made a decision, you've gone behind my back and done the exact opposite."

The push hardly fazed Daryl who stormed back to where he'd been, his quarrelsome aura compressed around them both, making it impossible to see reason. With narrowed eyes and the dominant stance he sprouted of being at least a head taller than her, Paige faintly felt the need to retreat.

But, she fought back against this with a malignant force.

"I'd do it again if it means knowin' y'er safe."

Appropriately enough, the words managed to freeze all of the flames rippling through her veins in one single second.

Cautiously, Paige backed a step away, unaccustomed to the brief concern flickering in Daryl's dark blue eyes. Not once had she ever been the recipient of such a stare, unless it'd been her own family.

"Why?"

As soon as she asked, she knew she wasn't going to get a proper answer. In fact, she guessed Daryl didn't have an idea as to why he said it. It spilled out in the heat of the moment.

But to her surprise, he did respond.

"It's an apocalypse," he mentioned with a careless shrug, recalling her initial words to him. "Got to have someone watchin' y'er back, whether you want it or not."

The confusion was sprawled across her face like a mural over a brick wall.

Luckily for them both, however, their audience decided to break the tension.

"Nice to see you again, Paige."

Huffing out a breath, Paige wearily turned to Rick, not as bothered as she should have been to see a tiny smile playing his lips.

"You as well. Though, understand I didn't come back here willingly. And Daryl is under the impression that he can make my decisions for me."

Daryl stayed silent through this accusation, seemingly having receded into a transparent state after his declaration.

"I'm sure Daryl had a good reason for bringing you back here so urgently," Rick reasoned.

In an instance, Adley and Lawrence's leers materialized back into her mind. And what almost happened had Daryl not been there.

"He did save my life, yes. But there really was no need for dragging me back here."

"You ain't leavin' 'til you talk 'bout the cadets," Daryl pointedly noted, eyes focused intensely on her.

"How's that your business?" she glowered.

"You made it my business by acceptin' my help back there," he snapped back. "You wanna keep survivin' the way ya do, then spill out what happened."

"It's not a story I go around telling people out of pity."

"Never said it was."

"Well you're certainly making it seem like it is."

"I don't even know what happened between ya three. I can guess though. And if that's the truth, then you know y'er not safe out there."

Again, there was that ever brief concern resting in his eyes, aimed solely at her and detectable only to her alone. And underneath it, Paige truly wanted to find shelter. To believe in what it broadcasted.

"The warning you gave us earlier," Rick specified, glancing between the two. "I'm to guess they found you."

Paige looked down at her shoes in guilt, suddenly not feeling so boundless.

"If you want to hear it, then you're going to have to prepared for it. When I tell this thing, I'm not editing anything out. You need to know how strong and clever these guys are," she finally breathed out, risking a glance at Rick.

"There are people after you?" Shane clarified, eyes momentarily falling to the woods.

"They've been after me for awhile now. And the last thing I expect is help, though Daryl is adamant in thinking I will get it here. Understand this. I do not under any circumstances want to put your group into danger. Because by promising to keep me safe, if you find yourselves insane enough to do this, you are also risking your own lives. This needs to be clear above all else."

Lori gave Paige a disapproving look, but kept her lips tight as the group stirred.

"How many people are after you?" Shane asked.

"Two."

"What's their weapon count?" Andrea wondered.

"Far as I know, they each have a knife. But I don't know where they're camped so I can't be sure that's all they have on them."

"How come they're after you?"

Glenn worded this question, but Paige didn't answer, eyes glued on Rick.

"Discuss what I said among your group, Rick. Because if you hear this story, you will be less inclined to let me leave. I don't mean to sound imposing when I say this. And as I've mentioned, I am capable of caring for myself. But I am saying that this outbreak affected some of us in...not so good ways. And if I was to hear my own story from someone else's lips, I'd feel enough compassion no matter how lonely I chose to be, to help them out in whatever way I could."

Rick nodded firmly, though Paige got the distinct (and hopeful) feeling that his answer had already been made up.

But if Rick did decide on helping her, she knew a brand new guilt would open up regarding the lives of every person in the camp. If one of them was hurt trying to protect her, she would never live that pain down.

"I'll be by the fire," she informed, making her way toward the heat as voices began forming an opinion.

To be honest, she didn't know what she wanted anymore.

At first, it was to be alone. Far, far away from the depravity of humanity and the sickness of the walkers. Being on her own had restructured her. Had given her a new sense of hope to live only for herself. It discontinued the ever present guilt she felt at allowing others to help her.

But ever since...Daryl entered her life, her priorities were a mess.

She wanted so easily to say the man didn't give a shit about her. It was a familiar guilt he himself felt at not being able to defend himself and this alone was responsible for him helping her out after she'd nearly starved to death.

From then on, however, his actions made little sense.

He offered his tent to stay in. He indulged her in talk. He gave her ammo for her gun. He saved her ass in front of Adley and Lawrence when he could have just let her be.

And now, he dragged her back to a haven he assured would protect her, though she knew that haven carried people who were more concerned about their own safety. Which she couldn't blame them for. With death around every corner, it was hell to worry about others as well as yourself.

Then, that kiss.

She struggled to decipher where exactly that extra passion had erupted itself from. As far as she could tell, he wasn't involved with any of the women at camp. Nor did he appear to be the affectionate type.

So, while the kiss had been an act, it still left her unbearably confused as to why it made her feel like there was something more behind it. Something Daryl poured through, unintentionally, that made her swoon. And why her own limbs lit up in such intense arousal just by a simple kiss.

Maybe I'm horny. And I wanted it to mean something more than it did.

The thought made her smile, though a grim one considering her preference of being physical touched after the outbreak. After having been holed up in the cadet's station where-.

"Hey."

She visibly jumped from her spot, heart beat slowing as Glenn made his way into focal range.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he promised, holding up a cautious hand.

"You're fine. My thoughts are the problem, not you," she explained, feeling eased by his presence. "How come you're not with the others?"

Glenn risked a glance behind him, both hands stuffed into his pockets.

"I already made my decision. But Lori and some of the others are kind of...nervous about helping you out."

"Understandable," Paige nodded, eyes transfixed by the flickering of the flames. "Helping out someone you don't know is risky. There are unseen consequences sometimes. I'm glad they're discussing it."

"You saved Daryl's life without knowing who he was."

Raising both eyebrows, Paige turned to the man.

"He told you?"

Glenn slowly smiled back, a satisfied look entering his eye.

"No, but you just did."

Helpless to fight her own smile, Paige tilted her head.

"What alerted you?"

"Besides the fact that Daryl is actually giving a shit about someone else rather than himself?"

"You make it sound so poetic," she noted dryly.

"If you knew him the months we have, you'd be just as shocked by his behavior. In his own way, he's probably the most concerned out of all of us for you. Eventually, I just kind of put it together after Daryl invited you to stay in his tent."

"If you think you have things figured out, then please tell me why he's continuing to harass me."

She wanted it to sound carefree, even humorous, but it came out sounding rough and weary.

"I'd think that's obvious," Glenn answered easily, balancing that same smile. "He likes you."

Paige didn't react to the statement, eyes falling back to the flames.

"You don't believe me," he observed after a moment of muted silence, sounding disappointed.

"No, I guess I don't," she responded quietly. "Even before the apocalypse, people didn't generally like me. Plus, I'm convinced Daryl still feels like he owes me."

"He was done owing you the moment he carried you back into camp, half starved and nearly dehydrated. Everything he's done for you after that, has been because he wanted to, not because he feels he owes that. And whether he wants to face it or not, though my money is that he doesn't, he's developed some sort of bond to you. One you really shouldn't take for granted because I've got the feeling he doesn't form them very often with people."

Again, Paige stayed quiet, though Glenn's explanation surprised her plenty. Was it possible for him to care about her safety outside feeling like he owed her his life? Or was that more wishful thinking?

Wanting to change the subject, Paige relaxed her shoulders, a familiar heaviness behind her eyes setting in.

"So, you've said you made your decision already. How come you're so trusting of me?"

Glenn shrugged.

"You remind me of someone I once knew. She was kind of stubborn, like you, and a badass. She never let her pain show, and I always thought that was so frustrating. Everyone knows you can't remain strong forever. Seeing you in pain, running from whoever it is you're running from, fighting for your life...what can I say? I feel obliged to help."

He voiced this lightly, but Paige knew whoever she reminded him of, meant a great deal to Glenn. Enough to where he now mirrored her pensive features, smile gone completely.

"Well...thank you, Glenn. I appreciate your compassion."

"You're welcome."

They stayed side by side, transfixed by the cackling flames for a solid ten minutes, minds thousands of miles away. Paige considered saying something, but she understood the moment had to remain unbroken. Nostalgia was thick in the air and needed to spread its way through appropriately.

So, Paige's thoughts turned to her brother and involuntarily, she felt a deep stab in her chest.

She wished more than anything that he was still alive to be there with her. To be her anchor, her support like he always knew how to be. To help her figure this world out. To help her live in it without going crazy. To have a reason to live. To let her know there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

Because Paige could admit it openly to herself. If she kept going at the rate she was now, she didn't envision herself still alive in a month. The starvation and loneliness was eating greedily at her body. Her face reflected years of turmoil, speeding up the aging process in her eyes. While optimism wasn't exactly her forte, even the good thoughts tended to become tainted in one way or another. Everything felt so unbearably challenging. So fruitless in the end. To survive one tragedy, then be drowned by another.

What was the point?

"Paige?"

Pushing away all troublesome thoughts, Paige turned around.

"Rick," she acknowledged, exhaling all anxiety bubbled up in her chest.

The sheriff stood confidently before herself and Glenn, a clear decision in his eyes.

"First, I want to apologize for Daryl's behavior. You're right. He didn't have the right to drag you back here."

She nodded at the statement, relieved for the support.

"But I know why he did it. And I hope you don't hold it against him. It's not often he shows an outward compassion for other people. Obviously, you're different and I don't think he knows how else to get through to you."

"I can be stubborn," Paige agreed, fighting down a grin. "Actually, Daryl and I are a bit like a chemical reaction. Add a bit of opposing view points and watch the violent explosion."

"Oh, we are," Glenn assured.

Rick masked his mirth at the comment, instead, taking on a composed stance. And very briefly, Paige had to admire the man. Just in the way he stood, one could point out him to be the leader of the group. There was a calming presence in the atmosphere around him. A demand in the air that forced all eyes to him.

Really, it was quite impressive.

"If you will accept our help, we're more than willing to offer it. For however long you need, we can offer you a place among our group to sleep, eat, and get in better condition. If these cadets Daryl told us about, try sniffing around here for you, you have my promise that you'll be protected."

"But-."

"It's just not you in danger," Rick pointed out. "If any of us were to venture out by ourselves and encounter them, that puts us at risk. And I don't want you to think you brought this upon us. Because they would have caused trouble whoever it is they stumbled into. This time, they're outnumbered and you don't have to fear for your life anymore than you have to."

She wrestled down her relief and settled for a thankful smile while Glenn ejected a mini fist pump. And yet, the indecision still rested inside.

"You're sure about this?"

"You didn't do anything to warrant them hunting you like a pack of dogs. Watching you get taken down without intervening is the sort of inhumanity I refuse to succumb to. And while some of us may not voice it, they would agree with me."

"Are you still up to hearing my connection to them?"

"Only if you're willing to tell it," Rick responded.

"I am. Are Carl and Sophia going to be present?"

"Carol's offered to hold on to them for the moment at her tent. After you tell us your story, I'll tell Carol and we'll both find an easier way to explain it to them."

Releasing a shaky breath, Paige nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Rick."

"No need," he assured, voice softening. "I have a feeling you need to get this out more than you know."

She wanted to agree, but it suddenly hit her that what had happened at the place would actually be translated into words.

There was no doubt she feared retelling the shaky events. It sounded better in her head, locked away far from her sanity.

But Rick was a sheriff. She reasoned he'd heard stories similar to her own before. After all, it wasn't the walkers that forced the cadets' actions. It was humanity at its weakest.

She didn't acknowledge when the rest of the group merged their way over to the fire, nor the looks she received, some sympathetic, some still mistrusting.

However, not a single one appeared accusing or malignant. She was a mystery to them. And now, she was about to be revealed.

"Whenever you're ready," Rick announced after a few minutes, making his way to her right.

Glenn stood to her left, but he side stepped out of the way when Daryl managed to squeeze his way next to her.

Funnily enough, she didn't mind it, or perhaps didn't realize the gesture was meant to be his own sense of comforting her.

All she felt was a numbness wrapping itself around her heart, making it difficult to find a beginning.

I've dealt with revealing tougher things in therapy. I can do this.

"I always knew the city wouldn't be safe for long," Paige began, eyes focused on the red embers. "So, after I lost contact with my friends from college and found my current sniper, I made my way out. For about three weeks or so, I meandered through suburbs until I gradually made it to where suburb met rural countryside. Along the way, I met a lot of survivors. Some of them were convinced the apocalypse was finally upon us, some were disillusioned with the state of the world. The latter were the ones I always felt bad for. Eventually, their situation would sink in. And when it did, it wouldn't be pretty."

She paused, relieved to have something to talk about before diving into the events at the place.

"I knew through it all, no matter how lonely I would get, that I needed to be on my own. Ultimately, it was safer and easier. I did travel with some people every now and again, but never for more than a day or two. A lot of them were city people who needed help trying to figure out what fruits and berries were edible this time of month. So, I helped them when I could, then moved on. A few times, there were those people who...tried to control others with fear. I ran across one group, thankfully from a far, who's leader forced the people to march directly ahead of him without weapons. Granted, there were only three of them, his family I take it, but his domination was evident because he yelled whenever his daughter stumbled over a rock, aiming his shotgun at her head. She was only eight."

Andrea shook her head while Lori's jaw tightened up.

"Did you try to help them?"

"I asked if they needed help finding food," Paige explained, ignoring Lori's stare. "The guy told me to fuck off or he'd put a bullet through my head. I knew just by looking at his wife and daughters, that if I attempted to help them, he would do exactly as he said. So, reluctantly, I walked away."

She didn't look up to see what the group's reaction was, but she knew they were hooked on her experiences. So different, she guessed, then from their own.

"After about a month, I was short on food. The thing about scavenging is we're not used to it. We never paid attention to the food in nature because we had an unlimited supply at our local grocery. But if we were to pay attention, we'd realize humans aren't the only ones competing for it. Animals are as well. When a full month passed since the outbreak, true exhaustion was starting to weigh in as food was getting more difficult to find. Compared to now, it's miniscule. But at the time, I felt drained constantly. And that was dangerous, especially with the amount of walkers I'd run into."

Again, she paused, knowing the core of the story was approaching.

"I came across Elijah after deciding to follow the road. I needed a better way of detecting trouble before it saw me. He was a cadet and offered me safety and comfort at a makeshift base a few miles up the road. I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't think much of it. My energy was waning drastically and he'd done an excellent job at lulling me into a sense of security. Which it was, at first. Where he'd led me to was like a small community of tents and houses, sheltered by trees. I found out that he maintained this haven with three other cadets. Adley, Adley's brother Jason, and Lawrence. Together, they had enough weapons and food to easily make it through a good three months."

"The haven wasn't all it cracked up to be," Dale guessed.

"Not at all," she agreed grimly. "The first week really wasn't bad. There were other survivors there, though I always thought it was odd how few there were. The tents and houses could easily hold up a hundred people. Why didn't they try to find more people? But I didn't second guess it. After walking for so long, seeing so much bloodshed and constantly wondering if today is the day you're going to die, I felt lethargic. I let my guard down because it felt good to not have to move around constantly. To abandon people because you had to. I relaxed and allowed myself to reboot."

"When did things change?" Rick questioned softly.

Sucking in a breath, Paige hardened her stare, immune to any warmth the fire was emitting.

"I stupidly told Elijah that I'd be heading out. After two weeks there, I was beginning to feel uncomfortable. The survivors...they just walked around with dead expressions on their faces. There was a sense of imbalance between the cadets and ourselves. It was obvious the longer I stayed there, how the men and women felt trapped rather than at ease about being there. I tried talking to some people about why the cadets' unnerved them, but they didn't say a word. Though, if I recall now, I did receive a hefty amount pitiful looks. On the night after I told Elijah I'd be leaving, he offered me a final toast in my honor inside one of the houses. Prior to then, I prefered sleeping in the tents. It let me hear trouble before it found me first."

The silence felt deadly now. As if a weight more malignant than ever, rested inside it.

"He drugged me and when I woke up again, I was in the basement. It's terribly funny how everything seemed to dawn on me as soon as I woke up. All the red lights I'd ignored just because I wanted so desperately to feel safe again. Then of course, Elijah came down stairs and informed me for himself."

Lowering her head to the ground, Paige bit into her lip, fingers curling into fists. She stayed in this tense position for a good minute, fighting off the onslaught of anger and shame so ready to ensnare her.

"I was to be their play thing. They hadn't had a woman for awhile and my duty was to personally satisfy every one of them. Once my task was complete, they'd let me above with the other survivors and I wouldn't be bothered again. I would have food and water once more and it'd be my decision to leave if I so wished, though I knew this was a bunch of bullshit. They killed whoever left. He didn't have to say it, but the intent was clear."

"I'm surprised the other men at the camp didn't say anything to you," Shane noted. "Were they sodomized as well?"

"No, but they were threatened to keep up their silence or they'd be shot. A few were, I learned. They couldn't take their daughters being forced into such a degrading servitude. Or their wives. And with each death, this served a reminder to the other men. If you shut up and do as you're told, you'll have protection, shelter, and constant access to food. For some, this survival outweighed their guilt and they remained silent whenever new women were welcomed into the base. The women who fulfilled the cadets' desires, also refused to say anything once they returned from the basements. But their silence was more scarring. More haunting. I don't think they could have said anything even if they tried."

"I'm sorry," Glenn blurted.

Paige shrugged, but his sympathy made the next words come out easier.

"The first cadet I was to...entertain was Lawrence. Out of all of them, he was probably the most violent. And the rule was that whenever a cadet got bored, they'd pass the woman on to the next one. Sometimes, they'd get bored after a day. Sometimes, after a week. The time period kind of merged together for me. But I think we were in each other's company for five days."

The pain on her lip got more intense, but Paige kept up her rough treatment, the anger steadily rocking her frame.

"He...uh...forced himself on me," she awkwardly revealed, shame causing the burning in her cheeks. "I can't remember how many times because I think I made myself suppress a lot of it. But enough to where I think he messed me up badly."

"Physically?" Rick asked.

"No...it was more psychological. Once he was finished with me, I wanted to die. Even in the toughest days of my life, I never looked to suicide as the answer. But he forced me to honestly consider it. After those days together, something inside me just snapped. Something that had kept me going through life despite its misfortunes."

No one said a word. The once deadly silence, now torn open, oozed out a toxic grief none of the group found themselves immune to.

"They gave me a week to myself before sending in the next cadet. Jason. By then, I was prepared for him. I'd tugged out a lead pipe from the furnace, something that had taken me two days to do, and when he came down stairs, I ambushed him before busting the back of his brain in. He was still alive so...I made sure I was the one who survived."

"What allowed you the strength to face him?" Andrea inquired, her gaze unwavering, if not a bit admiring. "It sounded like you were defeated after Lawrence attacked you."

"I didn't want to walk around like the women upstairs," Paige admitted with a surprising ease. "Their dead faces kept sliding into my head while I was down there. The complete eradication of hope. No purpose. As if their souls, their will to live, had been sucked out completely. I knew I couldn't let myself get that way. I think I turned a bit manic, the opposite of what they expected. I could tell by Jason's attitude when he came down stairs, that he expected me to be properly subdued and lacking all ability to fight back. Of course, I wasn't. And I did what I had to so they'd never touch me again."

"No one blames you for that," Rick immediately assured. "It's a miracle you survived with your sanity in tact, but even more of one that you managed to find the courage within yourself to escape. Understand that there is no blame you should take for the depravity of others."

"I know that now," she agreed. "But I didn't for the weeks after that. Walking hurt. Being alone hurt. Even raising my sniper hurt. There was a pain they'd accessed inside me that couldn't be nursed back to health. I think my faith in others had been wiped out completely. I couldn't allow myself to stick around with people anymore. No matter how hungry or starved for contact I was, I had to keep to myself because the consequences of what had happened the last time I allowed myself to feel safe, were still fresh and raw and would never leave me. Those initial weeks after escape, made me nearly as bad as the walkers themselves."

"And now the bastards are after you 'cause you killed one of theirs?" Shane confirmed.

Unexpectedly, Paige let out a short, sharp laugh, lips twisting into a dark grin.

"Oh, no. I did worse than that. After I got out of the basement, I began a revolution," she proclaimed. "Only Elijah was on guard that night, but I watched him enough times to know where to find their weapons. I busted open the lock to the shed, grabbed as many weapons as I could, then began sneaking into the tents, arming the people inside them. Adley and Lawrence were sleeping in their own, and we avoided theirs until I could arm as many people as possible. Around eleven or so. Some refused theirs, too afraid to hope that a time was upon them where freedom was achievable. Others grabbed at the weapons as if they'd been preparing for that moment all their lives."

"You guys fought back," Andrea slowly smiled.

"We would have...but luck has to run out sometime. One of the women, Emilie, shot at Elijah, but it grazed his leg and he managed to stumble off into the woods. That one shot was probably the loudest thing I'd heard in my life. And it didn't just awake Adley and Lawrence. It awoke any creature passing by. Including a pack of walkers. This was the first time I realized Atlanta had truly fallen. When the walkers attacked, I recognized some of their clothes. Former businessmen. Florists. Restaurant owners. All of them had traces of what was left of Atlanta on them. And it told me that these packs would come to be more common."

"You fled when the walkers attacked?" Glenn inquired.

"I know I should have stayed to help out, but I could only think to grab my sniper, my backbag, then get the hell out of there. It was chaos. Bloody chaos. Shots fired, some hitting the walkers, some hitting our own. You couldn't tell which way friendly fire was coming from or which direction the walkers were pouring in."

"The cadets survived," T-Dog assumed.

"The cadets survived," Paige nodded. "I made my way toward the road Elijah had first led me down, hoping to follow back on a path leading me toward a river, but I ran into Lawrence along the way. He was fighting off walkers left and right and for a moment, our eyes found each others. I don't know how he was able to see my guilt so plainly, but before I sprinted out of there, he vowed that they'd find me and kill me. It didn't matter how far I went. They would find me. And true to their word, they have."

"Shit," Shane mumbled.

"If you want to reconsider your decision, I'm alright with that," Paige reminded, turning to Rick. "If they've gone through hell to find me, I'm positive they're not going to be scared off just because you're offering me protection."

"Like hell we're throwing you back in their path," Shane argued. "I knew you'd been through some stuff when I first saw you, but nothing like what you said. I don't get why you're not letting us help you."

"Like I let them help me?" Paige recalled, scanning the faces peering intently back at her. "You all have been so paranoid about me. Who I am. What I'm capable of. Where I'm from. If I'm trustworthy. Have you even stopped to consider how petrified I am of all of you? Though I've relaxed considerably and have learned to deal with what happened in the month I spent by myself, it still hasn't made me any better at letting people get close. I may put on a good show, I may chat politely with you, but at the end of the day, I trust no one. It's not safe for me to anymore. Does that answer your question of why I'm constantly breaking away from this group? I trust no one but myself."

She didn't mean to sound so harsh, but the words had been lingering heavily in the back of her mind for awhile now. And the near accusation she heard in Shane's tone, only lit up the will to defend her actions.

Am I really that mistrusting of them? Of all of them?

Paige reluctantly glanced to her left, letting out a soft sigh.

"I'm starting to trust you, though."

Daryl didn't react to her words, his face completely wiped away of any expression. But she didn't regret adding in this fact.

Because now, there was no denying it. Something unseen existed between them. Whether it was the exchange of saving each other's lives, or perhaps ignited within the false kiss they shared. She didn't know.

But Daryl was the closest person she felt to in the entire group, perhaps finding so much of herself in him at times, and through his actions, however frustrating, she felt that part of her so sworn not to trust again, fading away. Left instead was a new sensation she hadn't experienced in a hell of a long time.

Hope.

"I'm sorry we misjudged you," Andrea managed out after the gritty silence.

Breaking away from Daryl's intense, blue gaze, Paige found the group's stares once more.

"I shouldn't have been so crass," she apologized. "You've been nothing but helpful to me."

"And you've been nothing but kind to us," Rick finished. "I think you're right. You shouldn't have to be working at gaining our trust. We should be working at gaining yours. Because I know you'll start thinking we can't protect you. Or that leaving will help us so they don't come here. However long it takes, just stay here and allow yourself to rebuild."

There was a simultaneous bow of agreement from everyone else, including Lori.

"I'm sorry you went through what you had to," she voiced.

"It's fine," Paige lied. "I just want you all to be aware of what you're up against."

"We are," the sheriff agreed. "And I want you to know that you have our help for as long as you need it."

"Thank you."

Rick nodded.

And with this gesture, one by one, the group seemed to relax, though they all still watched her carefully. But, Paige didn't think they were stares of pity.

Rather, they reflected their own official acceptance into their camp.

"We should all get some rest," Rick declared. "I'll be on watch tonight along with T-Dog. Paige, you can take T-Dog's cot and Glenn, you can bunk with Daryl for the night."

This order startled every one, including Daryl who finally broke his silence.

"Considerin' she trusts me more, I'd think you'd want her t'a stay in my tent for the night."

There was a dangerous grumble in the tone, detectable to Paige's ears as the hunter gazed coolly at the sheriff.

"I think this arrangement would be for the best tonight," Rick answered neutrally.

Daryl stared him down a few more seconds, jaw clenched, before turning away and stomping off.

Paige watched him leave, feeling disappointment, of all emotions. While she'd been absolutely steamed at Daryl earlier in the night, she couldn't deny that what he'd said was true. She felt a lot more at ease sleeping inside his tent.

But at this moment, she decided on staying quiet. Rick had an obvious reason for this reversal of sleeping arrangements and she was honestly becoming too tired to argue.

"Thanks for sharing your story."

"Thanks for listening," she nodded to Rick. "If you see either of them, tell me, okay? Adley is skinnier with black, jaw-length hair. He's got hazel eyes. Lawrence is a bit more built and has his blonde hair in a constant buzz cut with dark, brown eyes."

"I'll let you know, but I don't want you to get panicked. Work on trusting that we'll help you out, alright?"

"Okay," Paige agreed, knowing it was easier said than done.

With that, the group slowly began dispersing. Shane retreated back to his tent, but not without throwing her a few more glances. Lori went off to find Carl. T-Dog trekked his way over to the pathway leading into the woods, throwing it a few suspicious looks. Glenn offered her a smile before reluctantly making his way toward Daryl's tent.

Rick, on the other hand, must have known Daryl's location because he made his way past the tent and into the nearby woods.

Dale and Andrea stood before her and Paige offered them a bleary smile as she blinked a few times.

"If you need anything, please ask," Andrea expressed.

"Thank you," Paige repeated, falling into a stroll between the two as they found their way to the camper.

DPDDPDDPDDPD

"Daryl, let me explain what I did back there."

Daryl offered the sheriff a glare before staring off into the woods again, lips set in a tight line.

"It'll make sense if you just let me explain it. I promise it's nothing against you."

"She feels comfortable 'round me. Why th'a hell you havin' her sleep somewhere else?"

Rick released a deep sigh, leaning back against the tree beside Daryl's.

"Paige was raped."

Despite the incoming darkness of the night, he detected Daryl's flinch at the comment.

"There was an incident, back when I was still a deputy," Rick began, knowing Daryl wouldn't say another word unless he explained himself. "A teenage girl decided to meet up with an online boyfriend she'd known for three months. Wasn't any older than fifteen. He picked her up and took her to a motel. What she didn't realize was that the guy brought a few of his friends. They spent hours taking turns, raping her in the room before leaving her beaten and naked on the bed. I still remember the girl coming into the station, unable to form words or explain what had happened to her. Eventually, she did, but refused to file charges against her attacker. The best we could do for her after that was offer counseling. For a few months, it looked like she was beginning to find herself again. Then out of the blue, we get a call from the girl's mother at her home. The girl killed herself."

Daryl's eyes were trained on him through the darkness, and with this attention, Rick studied the hunter carefully.

"What almost happened to Paige and what did, aren't things we can take lightly. I'm more astounded at her ability to accept what happened. Nor can I deny what I'm seeing happening, and that's your growing attachment to her. Which is good. She needs to put her faith into somebody so it can be restored."

Rick paused for a moment, making sure Daryl was still with him. And that what he wanted to say next, wouldn't come out the wrong way.

"But I don't recommend acting out on anything more than being someone she can talk to. There's a trigger inside people who've had sexually traumatic experiences. If you show her too much affection too soon, I'm afraid she'll find herself reliving the nights back at the base...or worse. However healed we think she may be, however stable she handles situations, don't forget that when she closes her eyes, she faces what happened to her every single night at that base. I guess I'm asking...don't get involved with her anywhere past being a friend. Her own state of mind may depend on it."

The hunter didn't say anything for a long while, but Rick knew the man was angry. Whether it was because he finally called him out on the odd relationship he carried with Paige or because he didn't care for his request, Rick wasn't sure. But just by a glance, he could tell the man wasn't too pleased with him right about now.

Daryl ended up stunning him, however, passing by without a single glance.

Just before the woods ensnarled his form, the hunter offered a departing statement.

"Tha girl's a lot stronger than ya think. Think she's always been tough. Don't forget that the next time y'er tellin' me to keep my hands t'a myself."

And with that, Daryl disappeared into the dark.

Next chapter and we have Daryl's thoughts to what Paige revealed. A revelation will hit him that will indeed change their relationship, despite Rick's protest. Let me know your thoughts in a review!