Thank you to my super-awesome reviewers! I haven't smiled so much in forever, so thank you. Keep them coming, and I will keep on writing. :) And thank you for reading. ENJOY! PS: I am now totally worried I am going to write shit haha.

13: Mended Bridge

What I liked most about hunting was the quiet communication. It made everything simple: stop, go ahead, look over there, it was all so easy to understand. It was interesting to see Daryl examine the ground as though there was something written there. When I looked down I just saw dirt and leaves. I'd have to ask him to teach me next time.

After an hour our pace quickened, and it became apparent that we were onto something. I readied my bow and silently followed until his hand rose. I scanned the forest and saw it almost immediately. A buck was standing a ways away, chewing on something. I couldn't help but notice the similarities to the way the other looked on that day, the last time I went hunting. I aimed quickly and said an internal prayer, "God forgive me for I am about to sin. Make this deer's death swift and as painless as possible.' I released the arrow and the buck dropped. I couldn't tell if Daryl was angry or not while I followed him to the body.

"You got the fucker right in the eye." I looked down at the poor thing. That would have been painless and instant, but deep down I still felt like a monster.

"We should get him back before something else smells it." I pulled the arrow out and wiped it on some nearby leaves. I grabbed the front portion and he grabbed the back as we slowly made our way towards home.

"Where'd you learn to shoot like that?"

"I didn't." We walked in silence for a long time before he spoke again.

"I always see you and the kid together."

I laughed, "Yeah, we're buddies." We set the carcass down and too a break. "He's just like my brother." He leaned against a tree and I sat on the ground, "Did I do something to offend you?"

"No."

"Could have fooled me, man."

"What's that s'posed to mean?"

"It means ever since you came back you… you're different." His face grew angry so I began to ramble, "It's not bad! It's just that before you were debatably nice, and now you act like I have the plague or something. Not this plague, obviously, but still. I didn't think anything changed, but something must have because now you hate me, or whatever…"

"Who said I hate you?"

"You did indirectly." We stood there for a while more, "We should get going." I grabbed my side.

"I don't." He grabbed his side.

"You don't what?" We started walking.

"I don't hate you."

"Then stop avoiding me."

When we got back he taught me how to properly butcher the deer. In a strange way it reminded me of my old biology classes, but I couldn't help but feel like killing the animal was wrong.

-o0o-

Hunting became part of my morning routine, which was great because that's when Lori 'homeschooled' Carl, so once I got back, after any butchering, we would hang out on the roof. That was short lived though. As the days went on Rick decided it was time to teach Carl shoot properly, so I was back to being alone on the roof. Being alone gave me time to study more. I hate to admit it, but my mind often drifted to the morning's hunting trip during my reading so I didn't cover as much as I used to. When I wasn't studying I was keeping busy and productive with some project of mine, this made my days full. I even got to help cook dinner now, and at these dinners I was included in conversations, but after all that social time I would withdraw and crawl back up to the roof. Most of the time I would just sit there, headphones on, pretending I was in my apartment back in Louisiana. Some days, normally ones when I killed something while hunting or ones where I was particularly missing my old friends and family, I would take it as a chance to smoke and forget. Up here I don't need the brave façade. Up here it is just me, the air, and the stars.

I sat there, occasionally holding the pipe to my lips and breathing the sweet air, listening to The Wall and looking at the stars. It felt so much like happiness, or was it peace? I can't remember, all I know is that my hollowness wasn't so hollow when I looked up. When 'Comfortably Numb' came on I softly sung it to myself. The child has grown, the dream is gone. There was a tap on my shoulder and I jerked up and took off my headphones.

"Oh, it's just you." He sat beside me, "What's up?"

"They called it a night." He picked up the pipe.

"That's cool," I said as I turned off my iPod and set my headphones aside. "You're not tired?"

"Yeah, tired of sleeping on the couch." I giggled a bit. "Can I ask you somethin'?"

"You just did," I laughed for a while before I calmed myself down. I took the pipe from him and filled it again, "Shoot." I took a long hit.

"Why'd you kiss me when I left?" I immediately started to cough. Shit. Shit Shit Shit. We have skated over the subject for how long, and he chooses now to ask?

"I'm sorry about that," I rasped when I stifled my cough. I paused for a second, trying to think of a good way to answer it. I had just wanted to kiss you for weeks, and couldn't stand it any longer. I was delirious. I had a brief crack in my sanity. It's lonely out here in the apocalypse for a young girl. "Honestly?" I sifted through more answers before I decided on the most non-committal one. "There are lot's of reasons I did that."

"That's a bullshit answer."

I smiled sheepishly, "I was hoping you wouldn't notice that." I took another hit, "I think the main reason was because I had wanted to for a while, and seeing as I didn't know if I'd see you again I decided to just do it." I looked over to him, "I was never like that before."

"What do you mean?"

"Before this all, I would have never done that."

"I figured I wasn't your type." He laughed.

"That's not it. And why wouldn't you be?" I hit his arm, "And you're unavailable, which makes you perfect in my book." I laughed and stood up before throwing him the keys, "Take my room for tonight, I'll take the couch."

My night's sleep was oddly comfortable.