This chapter came up for a lot of reasons - mainly to tide you guys over, speaking I'm still working on the Big Chapter that will continue along the pathway of the TV show. Also, I feel like I have partially abandoned Ethan and I feel kinda (okay, really) bad about that, so I wrote this chapter as mainly another Daryl/Ethan bonding chapter before the real drama comes. That being said, there's also a little drama in it too (although not much), so I hope this will tide you guys over until the time I choose to bitch slap you guys with some major drama :)

HaloHunter89: Thanks for the nice long review - I needed one! I hate it when I don't get a nice long review sometimes because then I don't know what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong, so once again, thanks! As for everything you've asked, I know you guys hate to hear it, but you just gotta keep reading! A lot of it will be addressed in the next chapter, so don't worry, you'll get answers soon :)

Smittendebs and HermioneandMarcus: Thanks for liking it so much - I'll try to keep the chapters juicy :)

Maddy-MarieXO: I know, I've always had a hard time liking Carol and I suppose its just the way I've been writing her lately, but I've kinda started growing attached to her - as I'VE written her. I have no doubt that I'll be continued to be irked by her in the show but that's somewhat different ha ha.


She found him sitting up against a wall in one of the darkest corners of the abandoned cellblock, eyes as empty as the dead walkers that littered the cellblock and the space around him and his body covered in sweat and dried blood. Tessa had seen and stepped over the bodies that littered her path to the abandoned cellblock that had been where Lori had breathed her last and knew exactly how Rick had vented his anger and frustrations. She was looking for him, in fact, and when she finally found him, the plate of food in her hand suddenly seemed obsolete.

"Hey . . . Rick . . .?"

His eyes flickered up to her but his face remained largely expressionless and he didn't move a muscle, even when she took a hesitant step towards him. She stood there for a moment, shifting nervously from foot-to-foot and wondered if he had truly registered that she was standing there. "I . . . we didn't know if you had food or even if you were hungry, but . . ." She shifted the plate a little in her hand and gave a light little laugh. "We didn't want to take any chances."

There was still no answer and she heaved a sigh then as she set the plate of food down on two pipes jutting from the wall side-by-side before moving to crouch down in front of him. "Rick, listen, you have to come back with me. You have to get out of those clothes and . . . Jesus Christ, you look like you might be on the verge of being sick too!" He gave a little laugh at the worry in her voice, and shook his head in slight awe.

"Why does it shock me that you're the one trying to drag me out of this Hell when no one else is?" He asked and she sat there for a moment before answering, her voice quiet:

"Its because I know what Hell you're going through." She told him and his eyes finally focused on hers. She nodded. "I lost Lori too. Not in the way you or Carl lost her, that is true, but still . . . I lost her all the same."

"How's the baby?"

"She's doing well. Me and Daryl got her formula yesterday and she's eating good. Hershel has also given her his stamp of approval, so she's healthy, thank God."

"Given the circumstances, you mean?"

Tessa stayed quiet for a moment at his muttered words before nodding and averting her eyes to the cement floor. "Yeah . . . given the circumstances . . ."

"How's everything else?"

"Daryl's doing the best he can with Glenn and Ethan and Seth and everyone else helping him, but it's taking its toll on him, Rick! That's another reason you've got to come back quickly - Daryl's not used to leading – he's not used to everything falling on his shoulders and everyone coming to him panicked when something doesn't work or go exactly the way we envisioned it," She shook her head. "He can't do this alone!" Rick let out a scoff of laughter then.

"I should have figured that this would have been about Daryl."

"What do you mean?" The words fell quickly from Tessa's mouth as soon as she registered the words that had fallen from his, her eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion. Rick simply shrugged and shook his head.

"I should have figured that the real reason you came down here was because of Daryl. Fuck the food, fuck me – fuck everything else! You were only worried about Daryl!"

"Rick, he's my -!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know! Do me a favor and don't remind me!" His voice was bitter and slightly angry when he spoke and Tessa could only shake her head.

"Rick, believe it or not, I am worried about more than just Daryl right now. I am worried about what the Hell we are going to do with three babies now and juggle our regular duties! I am worried about food supplies and ever since Andrew let in the walkers – I'm worried about security despite how many times Daryl and Glenn have assured me that it will never happen again! I'm worried about you too and you can be as angrily whatever as you want to be at me, but you need to come back! For the good of the group and for the good of your children – you need to come back with me!" He gave another half-shrug then and a light laugh.

"Of course, because - after all – how could I ever hope to wrest the Father-of-the-Year award away from Daryl?" He asked, his voice turning bitterly sarcastic, and it was then that Tessa slowly shook her head in disgust.

"You know what? Fuck you Rick. Come back when you want to, or don't - I don't even care right now! Hell, I don't even want to talk to you when you're acting like this!" She got to her feet then and moved to walk away, however, his hand suddenly shooting out and clamping down around her wrist, kept her from going much of anywhere. She spun around on her heels at the feeling and when her eyes landed on him, it was then that Rick got slowly to his feet. She watched him warily, her eyes pinned on his and he shot her a curious look.

"Why are you looking at me that way?"

"Because I've been in a situation similar to this one, with a man who had the very same look on his face, and I don't aim to find myself in one again." She answered him without skipping a beat – her heart pounding in her chest and her voice terse - and Rick swallowed hard as he slowly let go of her wrist. She nodded in thanks as Rick stood there awkwardly for a moment.

"I'm sorry . . . I didn't mean those words to come out the way they did." He apologized and she nodded.

"I know. But for some reason, you needed to hear someone tell you 'fuck you', I think." He shook his head then and after swallowing hard, looked away.

"Tess, I don't . . . I don't think I can go back there yet. I can't . . . I can't face not seeing Lori and T and Carol not be in there right now. I can't . . ." He shook his head again. "I can't look at that baby right now!" She nodded in understanding.

"I can understand that, Rick, but the group needs you – it needs its leader. And while Daryl might be your second, he's not the leader – don't for a minute think he is. And while he might not admit it – he is out there struggling right now to do the job that should be yours and that has been yours since you first arrived in the camp!" She shook her head. "I'm not saying do not mourn for her – for any of them, in fact, because, believe me, Rick – I am mourning for all of them right now! Hell, everybody is - you are not the only one. You are different, though, because one was your wife and your children's mother and everyone understands that. We just want you back!"

Smooth hands fluttered across his cheeks and his forehead then and it took him a moment to realize that they were Tessa's hands as she smoothed the hair back from his somewhat heated brow. "Jesus, Rick, you look horrible! And you feel hot as a damn furnace!" She murmured as her eyebrows furrowed in concern. Although he knew the concern stemmed mainly from her role as the group's Den Mother, he still couldn't help but remember that she would do the very same thing to Daryl whenever she was pregnant and he would be sitting or kneeling and caressing her stomach while she stood in front of him. Only difference was that a look of love and adoration would be on her face and in her eyes whenever she would gaze down at Daryl in those instances, not concern like she was gazing at him with now.

He felt a pang of guilt in his heart and silently moved his head out of the way of her stroking her grip as he fell back against the wall slightly. She turned a slightly confused look on him then and he shook his head in reply. Here Lori was, lying dead in a room not that far away from them (a room that he had saw Tessa purposefully avoid with her eyes when she first entered and made her way over to him) and entertaining thoughts about her best friend. This is why he shouldn't go back at that moment – for very reasons like those.

"You should go back to the others, Tess. I'll . . . I'll be back when I feel up to it, okay? Thanks for the food." She gazed at him for a moment before slowly nodding and getting to her feet. He noticed the hesitation in her movements and urged her to go faster. She didn't need to be in walls containing such death and decay . . . such horrible memories.

Finally, she turned around and left him then, where she headed to the door she had entered through. This time, though, she didn't leave with blood staining her hands and carrying Lori's struggling baby. This time, she left with her hands as clean as when she went in and immediately took a deep breath of fresh air as the door closed behind her. Compared to the stench of death and decay that laced every inch of space in the cellblock, the air outside was fresh and sweet from that morning's rainstorm. It was amazing . . . cleansing, almost.

"How's he doin'?"

Tessa's head automatically turned so that her eyes could fall onto Daryl when she heard his voice approaching her. She smiled a small, weary smile. "He's . . . here, but not here, if that makes any sense," She gave a weak shrug then as she moved down the steps and met him halfway. "He's a no go for now, baby." She heard Daryl cursed underneath his breath and saw the weariness in his face and in his eyes as he looked away. Her heart gave a pang of sorrow as she stood there and observed him for a moment. She hadn't been lying when she told Rick that Daryl wasn't used to being a leader; he didn't look too good. The bags underneath his eyes were not going away or getting any better and he seemed jumpy and agitated. She also wouldn't be surprised if he was developing a little bit of insomnia. He didn't seem to sleep that much anymore and the sleep he did have was short and light. Tessa had hoped that by her going to see Rick, she would have been able to persuade him to come back to the group for the sake of everyone, not just Daryl, but of course she hadn't had any such luck. She should have known better when Glenn came back the first time and said that Rick had almost killed him because he thought he was a walker.

"Daryl, it'll be okay - I promise!" She assured him as she took him into her arms and hugged him close. He joyfully sunk into her embrace, seemingly bone-tired, and when he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him even more, she could feel the weariness running through every cord of muscle in his body as they relaxed as much as they could in her arms while standing up.

"I hope so, Tess; I really, really hope so -!"

"Hey deddy, you got a minute?"

Daryl immediately tensed again at the sound of Ethan's voice floating over to them as he crossed the blacktop towards them, and this time, Tessa was the one who wanted to curse their son for interrupting the moment. Daryl had been as relaxed as he had been for the first time in God only knew how long! It figured that something would have to happen to call back his attention before he got too relaxed.

They broke apart and Daryl turned around, where the both of them watched Ethan make his way over to them, bow shouldered and pistol holstered at his hip. "Yeah, what ya need?" He asked and Ethan shrugged.

"It's nothin' big, but . . . last time me and Seth went huntin' we came across this buck. It was huge, deddy – I'm talking a sixteen pointer at the most! Well, we ended up losing it . . ."

"Did ya try trackin' it?"

"Of course I did, but the track got muddied on down the line and I lost it. I was wonderin' if you wanted to come out and give it a shot, since you notice a little bit more than I do. Sixteen pointer, deddy! Do ya know how much meat that is?"

Of course Daryl knew how much meat that was – it was an ass load! They could live off that meat for a good while!

Daryl adopted a look of longing on his face as he turned his eyes onto the tree line outside of the prison walls, chewing thoughtfully on the inside of his lip as he did so. There would be nothing else in the entire world that he would rather do than go hunting at that moment. In the woods, there would be no worries, no duties – just him, Ethan, his crossbow and all the animals they could drag back.

Except for this time. This time it was a deer and if the buck was as huge as Ethan said it was, then they couldn't pass this up!

Tessa eyes softened as she placed a loving hand on his chest. Daryl's eyes flickered down to hers and she nodded in the direction of the forest. "Go on, Daryl – go get us that buck. I can see that you want to go more than anything right now and I promise that we can hold down the fort for an hour or two. You need to go blow off some steam and if this accomplishes that, then great!"

"Are ya sure ya guys can handle things while I'm gone, babydoll?" He asked as a slightly apprehensive gaze appeared on his face, and Tessa rolled her eyes and nodded as a grin appeared on hers. She then pushed him and her son in the direction of the fence. Ethan readily trotted in its direction but Daryl dug his heels into the blacktop slightly and turned around to face her again when he didn't feel her pushing him anymore. "And what happens if somethin' happens and I ain' here?"

"Then I suppose we're just gonna have to handle it ourselves until you two get back, now won't we?" She replied simply and Daryl shot her a look, one she immediately combated with a stern one of her own.

"Daryl, honey, I love you, but you need to get out of here for a few hours! If you have to make one more decision that is normally handled by Rick, then I am afraid that you're gonna put the barrel of that pistol against your head and pull the trigger! Not-to-mention, you haven't spent any time with Ethan lately and he's as much your kid as Danny and Aayla are!" She nodded to the forest. "Now go, and for the love of God – have fun for once – the both of you!" Ethan nodded and Daryl gave her one last look, one she couldn't help but smile and shake her head at as she stood up on her tip-toes and pressed a loving kiss to his cheek. "Baby – go!"

Finally Daryl nodded and after hefting his crossbow further up his shoulder, turned and trotted after Ethan. She stood there and watched the both of them go through the gate and through the tied shut part of the fence before finally disappearing into the woods. When she had lost sight of them in the thick, dark foliage, she turned around and headed back into the cellblock.


"Ya first saw him standin' right here?" Ethan nodded as Daryl bent down and observed the leafy forest floor. Sure enough, he saw the deer tracks imprinted in the muddy ground and was partially amazed the tracks had held through that morning's rain, as light as it had been.

"And then one of us stepped on a twig and it broke . . ."

Seth . . . Daryl immediately thought, knowing his son would not be nearly as stupid as to break a damn twig when such a big slab of meat was standing in front of them. Ethan nonetheless continued on: "The buck heard it; it scared him off and then he went runnin' in that general direction."

"When did ya lose him?"

"Over here. Don't know how I could have, to be honest."

"Don' beat yaself up over it. What's done is done and we'll find him." Daryl muttered as he got to his feet and headed carefully in the direction his son had pointed. When he reached it, he bent down again and observed the ground. His eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion when he saw that there were no tracks. Here, the ground was absolutely bare – as fresh as the newly driven snow. Even the grass and the brush around it seemed undisturbed. "Must have jumped . . ." He spoke, more to himself than to Ethan, as he stood up and gazed ahead. Buck as big as a sixteen pointer (if Ethan hadn't been seeing things, of course) would have had one Hell of a jumping range.

"How far could he have jumped?" Ethan asked and Daryl shook his head.

"Dunno. They can jump pretty far to begin with and a sixteen pointer . . . who can tell?" He stepped carefully over the place where Ethan reported him being, and continued on, his eyes diligently scanning the ground. Ethan stepped where he stepped and when Daryl suddenly stopped, Ethan had no choice but to slam into his back. Daryl caught him before he could fall and pointed to the place where he could stand. "Come 'round here – ya should be good to stand there . . ." Ethan moved where he was pointed and it was then that Daryl nodded to the ground in front of him. "Buck did jump – he landed right there. Ya can see in the mud where he landed . . ." Ethan nodded, indeed seeing where he had landed and Daryl pointed off into a thicket. "He went through there and continued on that way some ways. Come on, looks like we can walk 'round it."

They continued on then and Daryl could see Ethan shaking his head. "I still can't see how I missed it, deddy! It should have occurred to me that he had jumped!"

"Why didn' it? Ethan, its not like ya to momentarily forget how to track! That's like me forgettin' how to track – it don' happen!" He spoke and Ethan shrugged.

"I was lookin' away when he ran – thought I saw a walker in the trees some ways to my left – that's why I wasn't paying attention myself. When I turned around, he was gone and Seth told me that he had ran off, although he hadn't seen in what direction. He didn't say anything about him jumping, either. Like I said, it should have occurred to me that he had jumped." Daryl scoffed.

"Oh, of course he didn' . . ."

Ethan gave him a curious look. "What makes you say that?" Daryl shook his head.

"I know he's ya friend and I love Wren to death – she's almost like ma daughter – you know that! Seth, though . . . I don' trust him. I never have and I don' think I'm ever gonna! There's jus' somethin' 'bout the kid that strikes me as . . . almost dangerous, ya know?" Ethan nodded in understanding and Daryl glanced at him then. "Have ya seen anythin' that could . . . ya know . . . suggest such a thing?" Ethan laughed as he glanced at him.

"Deddy, I know that your gut steers ya right in a lot of things, but I think it's just ya being paranoid this time. I've known Seth since we were kids – I grew up with Wren! I . . . I've grown to like Wren. And Seth . . . yeah, Seth didn't mention to me that the damn buck had jumped, but is that enough to not trust him?" Daryl glanced at him before shaking his head.

"I guess not, but it figures that ya wouldn' listen to me. Ya momma didn' listen to me and now ya ain' listenin' to me." Ethan shook his head.

"It's not that we're not listening to you, deddy, it's just that we think you might be wrong in this instance! I mean, have you once tried to get to know him?" Daryl stayed silent then, knowing that he rightfully had not once sat down with the kid and did what Ethan had said: got to know him. His son gave a laugh then and nodded. "Exactly. Get to know him, deddy, and then if you still have these feelings, come talk to me and momma again. After all, I hardly said a thing when we first came to the group. If ya think about it, Seth ain't that far off from me." Daryl shook his head.

"Now that's one thing I do know for damn sure, Ethan: Seth ain' nothin' like ya. And if ya tell me that again, the buck will be the least of ya problems!"


Daryl had nearly shit his pants when they finally managed to track down the buck and he saw how big it was. Easily standing four feet tall, he couldn't help but allow his heart to race when he aimed crossbow on it and pulled the trigger. The arrow shot cleanly into its chest and with a pained call, the buck reared up on its hind legs before turning and running off in the opposite direction.

He was easy to track after that. All they needed to do was follow was the trail of blood and when they finally caught up to him, he was lying dead on his side, of blood loss or because the arrow had nicked his heart when he was running, they wouldn't know until they gutted and dressed him.

"Great . . . now how are we gonna drag this big son-of-a-bitch back to the prison?" Ethan asked and Daryl sighed and shook his head.

"Have no idea . . . there's no way in Hell we can get the truck back here."

"Could we drag it all the way back?" He asked and Daryl glanced at him, a look of skepticism on his face.

"Dunno . . . we could try, but I doubt it. Fucker's dead weight will make him weight a Goddamn ton! Not-to-mention his rack will catch on everything, as well as his legs . . ." He shook his head. "I ain' gonna lie - it'll be Hell." Ethan heaved a sigh and shook his head as he gestured to the buck's massive rack.

"Well get up there by the rack, I guess. It seems like we're gonna have to drag this fucker back and since you're the . . . strongest, you can take the head." He told him and Daryl shot him a look as he nonetheless moved to stand up by the buck's head.

"Was that 'bout to border on an 'old man' jab?" He asked and Ethan shrugged, although a teasing gleam had laid claim to his eyes.

"Take it as I said it, 'cause you'll never know, deddy."


When they finally managed to drag the buck back to the prison, it was bordering on dark and the truck was already sitting by the woods. Daryl and Ethan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as Daryl briefly left his son and the buck to go look in the front window of the truck. Sure enough, the keys had been left in the ignition and Daryl simply shrugged as he turned around and headed back to Ethan and the scratched and battered buck.

"Keys were in the ignition." He spoke and as took down the tailgate and Ethan couldn't help but grin.

"Momma must have figured we'd be back by nightfall – especially if she thought the buck was as big as I said it was."

"Which it was!" Daryl grunted as they managed to lift the front half of the buck into the bed of the truck. Ethan kept it steady as Daryl quickly hopped up in the bed and after grasping the rack, pulled up the rest of it with a grunt. When that was done, Daryl stood there for a minute and caught his breath as Ethan closed the tailgate. He then slumped against the metal gate then as the both of them suddenly felt the weariness and soreness descend upon them with the heaviness of a Mac Truck that could only have come from lugging the big son-of-a-bitch through probable miles of untamed wilderness to get back to the prison.

"Come on, we can rest when we get back. Out here, we're targets." Daryl spoke as he nodded to a couple of walkers who had caught their scent and were now shambling towards them. Ethan nodded as he jogged to the passenger seat and hopped in. Daryl hopped down from the bed and slipped into the driver's side, cutting on the engine seconds later. After driving carefully up to the prison, the gate was quickly slid open by Glenn and they pulled to a stop not soon after entering the prison yard. Tessa, Maggie and Carl came to greet them, each with a grin on their faces. Tessa's, however, was bigger than the moon.

"Thank ya . . . so much, babydoll, for leavin' the truck down there for us!" Daryl thanked her with a weary smile and Tessa laughed and nodded as she allowed him to hug her to him tightly.

"I may be Native American, but I'm also a Southern girl, Daryl. I know a big deer when I hear one and I also know that when you have a big deer, you also need a truck. And I see that you . . . Holy shit! You guys weren't kidding, were you baby?" She asked, her eyes growing wide when she saw the massive deer laying dead in the back of the truck. Ethan and Daryl shook their heads as she left his embrace and headed to the bed with Maggie, Carl and Glenn.

"You guys dragged this monster all the way from the woods?" Glenn asked, wonderment taking a hold of his features and Daryl nodded.

"It was a couple miles at the least."

"That's why we were so happy when we saw that momma had left us the truck." Ethan grinned and Tessa nodded.

"Now I'm glad that I did! You guys must be exhausted!"

"Pretty damn." Daryl answered as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand and Tessa wrinkled her nose.

"You smell bad too." She muttered as she gazed at him over her shoulder, and Daryl shot her a look that she couldn't decide if it was between sarcasm or amusement.

"Well, that's what ya get for lugging this big sumbitch through the woods on a hot Goddamn spring day, babydoll!" He answered her and she grinned and laughed as she turned back to observing the deer with the rest of them.

"Well we got the showers working – finally! - so if you even want to sleep in the bunk with me tonight, then I suggest you go shower off." Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Of course I have to. Is the water hot or cold?"

"Now, what do you think sweet thing?"

"It's cold, ain' it?"

"Of course. Just because we got the showers running doesn't mean we located the hot water heater . . . if there is one here, anyway."

Daryl heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes. "That figures, now don' it? Day just couldn' get any better for me, could it?"

"You never know, it might . . ." Tessa replied mysteriously and the sly smile she threw him over her shoulder immediately made him want to go take that shower.


"Mmm . . . harder, babydoll . . ."

"Daryl, I'm going as hard as I fucking can!"

"No ya ain' – ya holdin' back on me - I know ya are! I ain' gonna break – so go fuckin' harder!"

Tessa rolled her eyes as she bore the heels of her hands deeper into Daryl's shoulder. He let out a pleasured groan at that and she rolled her eyes again as she shifted her weight to a more comfortable seat on the small of his back. Her eyes ran over the countless scars littering his back as she sat there, worrying away the kinks and knots in his shoulders and she shook her head as she took one of her hands away to brush a lock of ebony hair behind her ear.

"Sometimes I feel like I spoil you . . ." She muttered and he grinned and nodded.

"Ya do – and ya say that like it's a bad thing, too, even though I'd hate to disagree with ya!" She gave a half-shrug.

"Well half the time, I do shit for you and don't expect a thing in return – call that scumbag love. But then some of the time I do shit for you and even if I don't expect a thing in return, you sometimes surprise me, so I suppose it's not too much of a bad thing, is it?"

"Is this gonna be one of those times where ya gonna expect me to surprise ya?" He asked and she slowed down slightly before speeding back up. She shook her head.

"No, I'm doing this 'cause ya need it, Daryl. So, no, I don't expect anything in return."

"Good, 'cause then ya ain' gonna see this comin'!"

Tessa let out a grin and a laugh as Daryl sat up, Tessa sliding off his back onto the bunk behind her. He turned around and caught himself on his hands and then his forearms above her as their lips caught. Once again, she felt her breath leave her as the kiss deepened and she arched underneath him as he slid one of her legs up to hook around his waist. Her fingers slid into his hair and she couldn't help but think about how his skin felt so warm and how his body just felt so right against hers as his clothed hips rocked against hers. She let out a low moan but had no choice but to reluctantly break apart from him. She did so with a slightly irritated sigh.

"Give me a few more weeks, Daryl, okay? I still feel a little sore . . ." She told him and Daryl pursed his lips but nodded as he leaned down and pressed a loving kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"Of course . . . sorry . . ." He murmured and she shook her head as she slid a hand over his cheek, her thumb running over one of his high cheekbones.

"No, don't be, baby. I want to be healed because I want you something fierce! But apparently and frustratingly, the still slight soreness of my southern regions protest otherwise!" He grinned then.

"Scumbag body, right?" He muttered and she nodded and gave another laugh as he slid halfway off her before burying his face in the crook of her neck. She hugged him close to her and silently agreed with him, knowing that for now, this would just have to do.