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Chapter 8

"What Hell did you do?!" Dean and Sam were standing out the front of the church facing one another.

"I did what I had to do Dean," Sam spat back, "Zoe couldn't do this! It's eating her alive!"

"So you go and make a deal with Crowley? What were you thinking Sam!" Dean wasn't even attempting to keep his voice level as he growled at his brother, his hands trembling with anger.

"I was doing exactly what you always do! I was protecting someone I love Dean. If I have a chance to save her, to make this a little easier, why the Hell wouldn't I do whatever it took?" Sam growled watching his brother stalk back and forth in front of him.

"What was the deal Sam?" Zoe's voice was soft as she looked up at him from the steps with red eyes.

Dean glanced down at Zoe momentarily before looking to his brother with raised eyebrows, "go on then; tell her what you just agreed to. Tell her the stupid ass decision you made."

Sam shot his brother a venomous glare before turning back to face the young girl on the steps, "Crowley said he knows of a weapon that can separate you and your brother, reverse the blood bond between you guys, so we can kill him without hurting you. I made a deal with him, in exchange for that weapon he can call on me whenever he wants, for whatever he wants, for the next ten years."

Zoe's eyes went wide, her hands in tight fists around her blood stained bandages, "you agreed to be Crowley's whipping boy?"

Sam shook his head and let his breath seep out through his teeth slowly, "I did what I had to do. I wasn't about to just sit back and let you die for this, for us."
"You became Crowley's bitch!" Dean barked, his hands all out shaking as he ran them through his hair.

"You would have done the same thing Dean! You're always the one throwing yourself under the bus for us so don't talk to me about making bad decisions when you know full well if the situation was reversed you would have done exactly the same thing."

Dean shook his head at his brother, his eyes blazing with barely concealed rage. Zoe couldn't seem to bring her eyes to meet either of them at that point, instead she stood up and like a ghost disappeared around the back of the church. Daryl was cleaning his knife by the back door, Rick talking with him in hushed tones when Zoe stalked passed them and off into the woods. Rick shot Daryl a quick glance as he rose to his feet.

"You go check on her, I'll see what's going on," Rick said with a small nod disappearing back inside as Daryl wiped the water from his blade, stuffed it back in its holder, grabbed his crossbow and headed out after the young girl.

She didn't have anywhere to go specifically, Zoe was just walking. Too many people had given their lives for her and for her brother. There was too much destruction and now with Sam throwing himself onto that pile she wasn't entirely certain that staying with the boys was worth it. Crowley had a bad habit of lying and blackmailing people for his own benefit and she couldn't see there being any such weapon or a reason for wanting to help keep her above ground. Crowley had made it impeccably clear last time that they had run into one another that if she so much as blinked at him he would cut her throat and leave her for the Hell Hounds. Whatever was going on was not about her, it was about Sam and getting him onside for something. She just didn't know what it was. Zoe was so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't seen the walker crouched in the clearing in front of her feeding on a baby deer. By the time she was close enough to notice, the corpse was already on its feet, its blood stained teeth bared as it growled at her and stumbled forwards.

Daryl was standing just at the edge of the space of grass, his crossbow now propped in his hands, a bolt at the ready as he watched the decayed carcass edging closer to Zoe. Just as its hand came down on her shoulder though she stepped aside spinning around, her hand flying up to grasp the things head. There was a flash of white and as Daryl stepped out into the clearing the body crumpled to the floor, a bloodied hand print on its forehead. Zoe turned to face Daryl carefully, her eyes wide as he cautiously made his way up to the carcass on the floor.

"It's definitely dead," Zoe said softly.

He glanced back up at her warily before casually firing his bolt right between the things eyes, "what was that?"

"What was what?"

"The light show and the hand print and the dead guy," he remarked placing the toe of his boot on the walkers head and extracting his weapon.

Zoe ran a hand through her hair absently, blue eyes tired, "nothing, just a fancy little trick that I picked up when I was younger."

He wiped the remains of the walker's brain on his pant leg, threw the crossbow and ammo back on his back and turned to face her front on, "that's some pretty fucked up party trick."

Zoe watched the man before her carefully. He was like the Winchester's in so many ways, the way he was constantly watching and listening for anything that could pose a threat. Always on the defensive, his guard always up and an air of anger and determination about him. He was strong and sure of himself, his shoulders even and a piercing stare that showed he wasn't one to be meddled with. Unlike the brothers though there was something behind his fiery glare. Something, uncertain.

"Why'd you follow me?" Zoe's head cocked to the side in the slightest as she spoke. He liked it, the way it made her look so innocent even though she was far from that.

"Didn't want ya to get hurt," he replied easily, his eyes captivated by her strong frame. Daryl hadn't had much experience with women before the apocalypse had hit. Mostly any relation he had was fuelled by alcohol, lasted less than 24 hours and ended with him in bed alone nursing a hangover. He still had a lot to learn.

"That's nice of you, but I won't get hurt, it's okay if you want to go back," she kicked at a stone underneath her boot, "I'll be fine."

He looked down to the half mauled deer then back to her, "I was gonna go hunt anyway," he paused looking sideways at her, "y'can come along if you want."

Zoe looked him up and down a moment, taking in the scruffy shoes and the torn jeans he was sporting, right up to the powerful curve of his bicep and the lines of his shoulders. She couldn't help the slight smile that crossed her eyes, "sure. I need a break anyway."

"What happens from here then?" Rick was leaning against the wall of the church as the two boys sat on opposite pews in front of him.

"Well this idiot spends ten years of his life working off a debt," Dean hissed.

"What happens if he doesn't work off the debt? If he were to just not do what he was asked?"

"Then my little Hell hounds get a new chew toy," Crowley came wandering out of the office to Rick's right.

"That seems a little extreme," Rick folded his arms across his chest as he spoke.

"Them's the breaks kid. Moose knew what he was getting himself into when he signed up," Crowley smirked.

"You won't get the chance to take him you rancorous prick," Dean spat back.

Crowley's eyebrow cocked slightly as he chuckled, "big words little Squirrel, been reading the dictionary have we?"

"I'll do more than just use words in a second Crowley," Dean snapped back, his hands in fists as he stared up at the demon before him.

"Enough," Rick looked between the two angrily, his eyes weary and his voice heavy, "this ain't the place for your bullshit."

"I wouldn't worry Dean, Crowley won't get the chance to so much as look at Sam," all four sets of eyes turned to gaze down the aisle.

"Cas?" Sam exclaimed with a smile.

"Hello Sam, Dean," the angel gave them a nod as he walked towards them. A flood of relief followed by annoyance surged up through Dean and before Castiel had a chance to reach them Dean's fist connect with the angel's eye sending him staggering off to the right.

"Dean!" Sam barked, "what the Hell?!

"Where have you been Cas?" Dean was standing over the trench coat clad man as he regained his balance, "we were asking for your help for months! Begging you to help us find a way to make this shit right! Where were you? We needed you Castiel and, once again, you weren't there."

Rick watched wide eyed as the scene unfolded before him, whatever it was that had happened between the group, he was certain he had missed out on so much more than he realised.

"I," Cas met Dean's gaze evenly, "I'm sorry Dean. But I have a solution, something that can save Zoe."

"Thanks but apparently we are fine," Dean growled, glaring at his brother.

"No, Dean," Cas took a step forwards, his gaze intense, "you aren't."

Zoe was lying on the floor quietly, her gaze focused on the open space in front of her. Daryl's hand was resting over hers, the warmth from his body practically washing over her as he lay next to her belly down on the cool floor.

"Aim just off to the left of where you wanna hit," he whispered, his breath shifting a few stray strands of her dark hair as he spoke. She had been trained how to shoot by John years ago, a skill she had only ever really refined over the years. She was a better shot than most, and nearly as good as the Winchester brothers. Zoe took a slow breath, aiming just as Daryl had told her and carefully pulled back the trigger. The bolt went sailing through the air and plunged into the back of the squirrel, pinning it to the tree as it went limp. Her eyes lit up as she lowered the crossbow from her eyes and turned to look at the man next to her. When she turned, their faces were so close that the tip of her nose almost brushed up against his, her heart skipping a beat in her chest as she gave him a fleeting smile.

"Nice shot," he breathed, his eyes dark in the shadows.

Zoe felt her lip curl up into a half smile, her blue eyes dancing as she felt his calloused fingers still lingering against the soft skin of her hand.

Before she even had a chance to consider what she was about to do, Zoe leaned forwards and pressed her lips against his. Daryl stayed stock still for a second, his eyes wide as he felt the gentle pressure of the curve of her lips against his, the heat rising from her body as she hesitantly leaned a little closer to him. The only thing he could hear was the hammering of his heart against his rib cage and just as Zoe was about to pull away from him she felt his lips start to move against hers. It was tentative and a little awkward to start with but as she shuffled closer to him and pressed her body against his he became far less uneasy. His hand slid to the small of her back, his tongue sliding along her bottom lip eliciting a low moan from her before delving into her mouth. She moved so that he rolled onto his back, her legs straddling his waist, her hands trailing down over his broad chest as she revelled in the warmth of his touch, a burning heat swelling inside of her as he bit down softly on her bottom lip. His hands came to rest on the tops of her legs, his fingers gripping her tightly as she kissed a trail down across his cheek, his jaw bone and sinking her teeth into the flesh of his neck. He let out an involuntary growl, his back arching a little at the insatiable pain that flushed through him. Zoe grinned against his neck, kissing the spot she had just bitten before sitting back and smiling at him. Daryl watched her for a moment before looking away at the crossbow lying next to them.

"We should probably go," and just as quickly as it had started Zoe was gone, walking out of their hiding spot over to where the squirrel was suspended and pulling it from the tree. Daryl lay still for a moment, his eyes wide as he stared up at the thin beams of sunlight trickling down through the trees. He took a deep, shuddering breath and tried to wipe the smile off his face as he hauled himself off the ground.