Sorry it's been a while but whoop the walking dead is back and there was lots of Daryl :)

Just a reminder that I'm not following the exact plot so situations will change slightly, thanks guys please review xxx

Chapter 6: Under That Sweater

Abby couldn't help the relief she felt when she got back to the camp; she hadn't even realised how tense she'd been. She also noted the relief on john and carries faces when they saw her.

She began unpacking the supplies into dales fridge and kept the extra things like bandages in one of the bags. She walked down from the camp to the quarry where she saw the others washing their clothes and talking. Laurie stood up as she walked down,

' Are you all back?' she looked sick with worry

' Just me, the others are still looking merle and trying to get to that bag of guns Rick left behind'

' Any sign of merle?' Andrea said as she scrubbed a t-shirt

' Well… kinda'

' What do you mean kinda?' Andrea said pausing her washing to stare at Abby,

' Well…we found…we found his hand'

' Oh my god they got him!' Jacqui said putting her hand to her mouth

' No, no…well we don't think they have…we're pretty sure merle cut his own hand off and escaped'

' Jesus that's kinda sick!' Amy said grimacing.

The guys returned in the van a few hours later with no merle and no guns,

' What happened?' Abby asked Glenn as he climbed out the back of the van

' We couldn't get to the guns there were walkers everywhere and we couldn't find any trace of merle'

' Fuck…everyone ok?'

' Yeah…well Daryl's not happy but who would be' he walked away and Abby looked at Daryl who was still sitting in the back of the van. He watched Abby hesitate at the door but she didn't climb in and he was grateful, the mood he was in at the moment it was likely princess would have to pull that gun on him again. He watched her leave and had to give it to her, she had good instincts.

The guys agreed to go back in a couple of days and try to get the guns again. Abby sat down by the water with the other girls, it was kind of an unspoken law in the group that if all the girls were down by the water the guys stayed in camp to respect their privacy. Though carols husband Ed never acknowledged it.

Carrie sat huddled up in the same big sweater that had been her moms. Abby wiped her forehead and stared at Carrie,

' Carrie I can't stand this heat, how the hell can you sit there in that sweater?'

' I'm fine' she mumbled

' You're not…Carrie talk to me…just tell me what's going on?'

' I…I cant' Carrie's voice cracked and Abby rubbed her back gently

' You know you can always tell me anything Carrie…it's up to you I'm not gonna try and force you' Carrie looked up at her; she was biting her lip so hard it had turned white. Carrie sat back and raised the sweater and Abby gasped.

Carrie left Abby and went back to camp. None of the others had seen and Abby was grateful, she needed time to think this through.

She joined the others and smiled and gossiped with them. It was nice to see carol smile, it didn't happen very often. She felt awful for thinking it but Abby couldn't stand to look at carol and Sophia. It was too hard to look at them and know exactly how they felt.

Slowly the others went back to camp, Abby had washed and was pulling her vest back on when Daryl trudged down the gravel slope. She did her shorts up and kept her head down, no one had really spoken to Daryl much since the merle incident.

Abby leant down by the water and wrung the excess water out of her hair; she straightened up and saw Daryl staring at her,

' You coming back with us?' he said squinting in the bright sunlight, she walked over and sat near him as she began to pull her boots back on,

' Not this time…besides I haven't got a good enough reason to go and I'll just get bitched at'

' What's up with the kid?' she raised her head slowly, he was staring her down,

' What?' she said trying to act nonchalant

' The kid…she showed you something earlier…what's going on?'

' You make a habit of spying on all of us when we're down here?' she snapped

' No…what's she hiding under that sweater?' he said leaning forward

' Now you do sound like a pervert' she said standing up and starting to walk away, she underestimated how quick Daryl was. He grabbed her arm and yanked her back,

' Get…your fucking…hand off me…now!' she hissed at him under her breath,

' I ain't as stupid as you think I am princess…you think I haven't worked out what's going on? Abby didn't say a word but she was starting to panic about Carrie,

' I never said you were stupid…I said you were hick boy' she muttered as she sat back down, he sat next to her but she noticed he had his hand on his knife as he did,

' So go on then…tell me I've got it wrong' he said quietly, he gestured with his hand and Abby nodded,

' Please don't tell anyone Daryl…she's so scared…how did you know anyway?'

' I figured it was the case yesterday but I didn't say anything…I saw a girl do the exact same thing…they think layers hide it…but eventually everyone will find out…specially when the screaming starts' she looked at him and rubbed her face,

' What do I do?' she murmured

' Deal with it when you have to…thanks for…earlier…you know when…when you…'

' Saved your ass?' she said smiling

' Yeah that…so what's your story princ-…Abby?' she laughed and ran her hand through her damp hair,

' It's too long'

' We ain't got nothing but time' he was drawing in the dirt with his hunting knife as he spoke,

' What's your story hick b-…Daryl?' she said jokingly

' I'll share when you share' he looked up and her and she could see he was trying not to smile,

' You'll be waiting a while then' she said smirking.

Review please my lovelies xxx