When Hunters Become the Hunted

Chapter 19

Ain't No Ronnie Johnson

"God damnit!" Daryl hissed, his eyes scrunched up in irritation.

The one time that he actually decided to try something and it was ruined. It was already bad enough that he had hesitated about the whole thing, nearly kicking his own ass for even thinking about it. When he'd caught her staring at him the way that she was, he couldn't help the bit of mischief that had built up in him. After what he'd been through, he'd been weighing his options, debating on how to approach things.

Women had never really been his strong suit, leaving that sort of thing to Merle. He felt different with Celeste though, finding her company enjoyable. She'd even stayed with him after he'd been shot, crying tears as he held her in his arms. She worried for him and he hadn't even asked for it.

Daryl had barely managed to swallow the lump in his throat when he'd pulled Celeste down, planning to take the bolt back from her. When he had her in front of him though, his mind went blank, the warmth of her hand on his arm soaking into his skin. He'd nearly frozen when she was finally in front of him, hovering as her hair fell down in front of her. He'd barely been aware of his hand reaching up and brushing it away, his mind wandering as he took her in.

Her eyes seemed to shine in the light, her cheeks tinting pink. He found her skin to be beyond soft as he trailed his calloused fingers over the side of her neck, watching as she fought off a shiver. It was then that he felt something shift automatically inside of him, his hand pressing lightly at the back of her neck. Their lips were barely a breath apart, the warmth of her breath washing over him. Then, it was ruined.

He'd been so embarrassed when Andrea had walked in. Their talk in the woods a while back came back to him momentarily as Celeste rushed out of the tent, the bolt forgotten by his side. First Andrea shoots him, then she walks in and ruins… He didn't even know what she had ruined. Why had he even done that? He was almost tempted to go after Celeste. Almost.

T

"Did Kenzie every say anything about what happened?" Rick asked Celeste.

She, Shane, Rick, and Jimmy were gathered around an old car, the map laid out as they went over the grid. They were trying to map out where Sophia could be, but still needed that bit of information from the little blond that Daryl had brought back to them.

"No," Celeste sigh, shaking her head as she looked down at the map. "She wasn't really sure where she was at to be honest."

Biting down on her lip, she looked over the section for the highway, drawing it out toward where Rick had left the girls originally. She then went between the farmhouse that Daryl had found Kenzie near, along with the church and ridge. They weren't together at the farm house, but it was possible that Sophia had still been close enough to the creek and had the doll drift up a ways in the water.

"It'd been a little bit since they'd been together," she muttered, wracking her brain as she tried to think.

"No shit," Shane scoffed, watching as she examined the map.

Celeste merely ignored him, concentrating on what she was doing as she took the pencil from Rick, drawing a line from the initial spot to the farm house. She drew a faint circle around another section that was near the ridge, following with her finger up the water a bit.

"It's possible she dropped the doll trying to cross up this way," she said, gesturing toward a road on the map.

"What's up this way?" Rick asked, looking toward Jimmy.

"It's a housing development," Jimmy explained. "Went in about 10 years ago I think."

"She could be up there," Celeste nodded.

"Take a run up there after gun practice," Rick said, looking toward Shane. "I'll hold down the fort here, but take backup. After what went down with Daryl, I don't want anyone going out alone."

It was a good point that Rick was stating. After all, she'd tried to convince Daryl to take someone with him the last time, but he'd been too stubborn to listen to her.

"We stay in pairs," Rick said firmly.

"I'll take suggestions on a partner," Shane said, looking around for a moment, his eyes landing on Celeste momentarily.

She had to turn her head away briefly, playing it off like she was trying to brush dirt off of her shoe.

"See how they do on the range, and then take your pick," Rick told him.

As Rick said that, Glenn came to stand in front of them, a basket of peaches in his hands as he offered it out. Rick and Shane were the first to grab one, Jimmy following after as Glenn came to Celeste. She gave him a smile as she took two, one for herself and one for Kenzie, but not before thanking him. It was strange though, since he seemed a bit wary for some reason or another.

"You doin' okay, Glenn?" she asked, eyeing him carefully.

She wasn't used to seeing him like that.

"O-of course. Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, if not a little too quickly.

"You sure?" she asked, raising a brow in question.

"Y-yeah!"

For a moment, she said nothing, watching him carefully. His eyes kept looking around frantically as if he'd done something wrong perhaps or wanted to say something, but was debating on whether or not to go through with it.

"Hey, Peach Man," Shane called out, gesturing with his hand to hand something over. "My binoculars," he clarified, Glenn jumping slightly as he quickly pulled them from around his neck.

"Y-yeah, sure!"

With that, he ran off, leaving Celeste and the rest of them utterly confused. When she caught sight of Beth and Patricia walking toward them, she gave Rick a nod, excusing herself to go check on Kenzie. As she went, she watched Shane leave as well, heading in the same direction as she was.

"You gonna shoot?" he asked, coming up along side of her.

She bit down on her lip, slowing to a stop as they came to stand outside of the R.V. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to go or not. Yes, she needed practice. She would admit that she was definitely better with a bow than a gun, hands down. The sad part was, she was better with a rifle or shotgun than she was with something like a pistol. It was too small in her opinion, allowing for a greater amount of error in accuracy due to length of the barrel as it matched up with the sights.

"Honestly, I don't know if I want to bother with it," she said with a shrug.

She knew what she was good at, so why waste her time.

"Never hurts to practice," he pointed out, coming to stand in front of her. "After all, it takes time to pull back a string and line that bow up. What happens when you don't have that luxury?"

She paused as she took in his words, her mind thinking back to the attack on the camp. She hadn't been able to use her bow when that walker had come into her tent or when the one had fallen on her. She'd nearly been bit, a shiver running down her spine.

"Wanna protect that kid of yours, don't ya?" he asked.

"I…" she started, mouth going dry.

Why did he have to open his mouth? Why? His words echoed in her head as she stood there, fingers curling and uncurling. Wetting her lips, she looked up at him.

"Alright," she nodded, consenting despite her personal feelings toward him.

If it meant keeping Kenzie safe, she'd do anything.

"'Sides, it'll help if shit goes south," he told her, eyes watching her as her face hardened slightly.

It was like he'd said it deliberately just to see her reaction.

"I mean, ya gotta do what ya gotta do to stay alive, right?"

For a moment, she stayed silent, eyes roaming over him. At the back of her mind she knew exactly what he was doing. Did he know? Had he somehow become aware of her suspicions?

"I'd do anything for Kenzie," she said firmly, hoping that it came across the way that she wanted it to.

After a moment, it seemed to do the trick, a knowing look on Shane's face as his lips pulled into a smirk.

"Good," he nodded, turning away after to go sit down at one of the picnic tables.

Once he was gone with his sights elsewhere, she let her shoulders slump, a heavy breath escaping her. Quickly, she made her way inside of the RV, the only thought on her mind to now lay her head down on the table. That had been a little too close for comfort.

"You're back!"

Celeste nearly jumped out of her skin as Kenzie popped up from the back of the RV, running forward and tossing her arms around the woman's legs.

"What? Did you think I'd disappear on you?" Celeste asked, leaning down and picking the little blond up.

She had a smile on her face, teeth showing as she grinned.

"Wait a minute…" Celeste started, fixing the little girl in her arms.

Slowly, she took Kenzie's chin in her hand, tilting it to the side as she squinted her eyes slightly.

"Did you lose a tooth?" she gaped, jaw hanging open slightly.

She hadn't even known that any of her teeth were even loose. After all, wasn't she supposed to notice these kinds of things? If she didn't notice a loose tooth, what else would she not notice? Would she not notice a loss or gain in weight or a change in height? Would she mistake a fever for fatigue? Or even brush off a cold as just a random cough or sneeze? Celeste closed her eyes for a moment as she tried pushing things from her mind. She'd learn to be better, not just for Karen, but for herself. She had to be better.

"So, where'd you put it?" she asked, forcing a smile onto her face until she could muster a normal one.

With a grin on her face, Kenzie wiggled out of Celeste's arms, running back into the bedroom area of the RV. Celeste watched as Kenzie tossed a couple of pillows around, chuckling as she did so. The little blond let out a cry of excitement a moment later, scuttling off of the bed and back toward Celeste.

"Here it is!" she grinned, jumping up and down on the balls of her feet as she held the tooth out for the older woman to see.

"Well, I'll be," Celeste laughed.

"Do you think the tooth fairy will still find it?" Kenzie asked.

Celeste stood there for a moment as she took the tooth in her hand, kneeling down in front of Kenzie, before looking into her bright blue eyes.

"Well, if I know the tooth fairy like I think I do, I'm sure she'll manage somehow," she told her, before handing it back. "It might take a few days though," she made sure to remind her. "After all, we just changed our place of residence."

Kenzie didn't seem to mind the prospect of waiting though as she smiled, nodding her head. Normally, she was a fairly patient child which had always surprised Celeste. Although, there were still sometimes when she was extremely impatient, but she was still a lot better than most children in her opinion.

"So, what did the tooth fairy bring you last time?" Celeste asked, setting down on the floor with Kenzie so that she was in front of her.

"I gots a 20 dollar bill!" she grinned.

Celeste groaned inwardly as she heard this. Right away, she knew that it had been Kyle. How was she supposed to compete with that? After all, money meant nothing now and she was pretty sure that all she had on her any more was just a few random coins if she was lucky.

"That must have been a pretty good tooth then."

"That's what Daddy said," Kenzie smiled, before slowly growing quiet and frowning. "I miss Daddy," she murmured, eyes welling up with tears. "And Mommy…"

Celeste felt her heart clench as she pulled the little girl into her arms, holding her close as she stroked the back of her head, fingers running through her thick hair. She knew that she should have seen this coming. Yes, Kenzie had cried the first week, but she knew eventually that the child would break down. Celeste had been without her parents for as long as she could remember, but that wasn't the case with Kenzie. Kenzie's parents had loved her, doting on her whenever they could since the second she was born. They'd always put their daughter first and made sure that she knew she was loved. She could only imagine how Kenzie felt, having the rug pulled right out from underneath of her.

"Please don't cry," Celeste whispered, feeling her own eyes well up as she continued to hold her close to her chest.

She wasn't prepared for dealing with this sort of thing, comforting a child over the death of their parents. In fact, she still wasn't sure if Kenzie fully understood it or not. She still had no clue that she'd had to kill her father in order to keep her safe. How was she ever going to explain something like that? There's no way she'd ever be able to justify something like that.

A streak of warmth trickled down her cheek as she sat there, hair tousled slightly.

"Please don't cry?" she begged. "Please, baby."

They continued to sit there for a few more minutes as Kenzie cried into the front of Celeste's shirt, hands curled tightly into the fabric of the slightly tattered material. Slowly, her heavy sobbing started to ease, turning themselves into hiccups.

"Everything will be okay," Celeste whispered, carefully pulling her away to hold her half way at arm's length. "Hey now, look at me," she said softly, placing a hand on Kenzie's cheek as she wiped a tear away with the pad of her thumb.

Kenzie's lower lip trembled slightly as she tried to avoid meeting Celeste's gaze, eyes now red and puffy.

"Kenzie."

Slowly, the little blond rose her eyes to meet Celeste, a slight look of embarrassment on her face for crying. Behind them, she could hear someone coming into the RV, their footsteps sounding heavily as if irritated. Celeste ignored it though as she held Kenzie's face in her hands, leaning over and pressing her forehead against her own.

"We'll get through this," she whispered. "I promise."

Kenzie whined slightly, but nodded her head, sniffling as she did so.

"Hey?" Shane's voice called out, making Celeste flinch.

"Everything will work out," she promised quietly.

"You ready to go?" Shane asked, stepping inside just a bit further.

"Yeah, I'm comin', just hold on!" she grunted, standing up.

She pulled Kenzie up into her arms, allowing her to rest her head on her shoulder as she moved over to the sleeping area. She needed her blanket, knowing that it would likely be lying around with the pillows. Grabbing it, she laid it over Kenzie's back, before carefully making her way out of the RV, Shane practically hovering over her shoulder the whole time.

"Cars are this way darlin'," Shane said, tossing a thumb over his shoulder.

Darling. Having that word roll off of his tongue made her shiver. Especially, since the comment was directed at her. She didn't say anything about it though, deciding not to correct him on the matter as she made her way over to one of the tents.

"I know where the cars are," she pointed out, resisting the urge to smack him as he continued to follow her. "Okay, Shane," she sighed, stopping outside the determined tent as she shifted Kenzie's weight around. "I'll be there in a minute, okay? So just go wait in the car?" she pleaded, getting frustrated at being followed around so much.

She watched as his eyes shifted from her to the tent, his gaze squinting slightly with his own frustration. If it weren't for the fact that Kenzie was in her arms, she would have told him to go somewhere, but she decided better. She didn't want to start something that would have Kenzie in the middle of it.

"Please, Shane?" she sighed, hand on the back of Kenzie's head.

He paused for a couple of seconds or so, before nodding his head, turning back toward the cars.

"Just hurry up," he told her.

With that, Celeste let her shoulders slump once more, closing her eyes as she drew in a breath. She knew that the one behind her had heard everything and really didn't feel like explaining herself at the moment. So, with a sigh she turned back to the tent, pushing back the flap as she stepped in. She was met with eyes of blue, a faint scowl on his face as he looked up at her.

"Uh…" she started, eyes glancing around as she debated on where to sit Kenzie down at.

She was still a little on edge from earlier, a faint blush rising to her face as the thought of it flitted across her mind.

"Could you," she tried again, looking down at Kenzie. "She kinda…"

She couldn't seem to find the words as her tongue tied itself in knots.

"Would you mind if she stayed in here with you for a while?" she finally managed to get out.

She watched as he chewed on his lip slightly, eyes trailing from her face to Kenzie, and back again. He nodded his head after a few seconds, pushing himself up a bit in order to receive the child in her arms. When she went to hand her over though, Kenzie started crying again, arms holding tightly around the woman's neck.

"Kenzie, baby, please," Celeste sighed, kneeling down on the floor of the tent.

The girl wouldn't budge though, tears spilling from her eyes as she cried.

"Sweetie, it's okay, I promise," she told her, trying to calm her down.

Kenzie merely shook her head, holding her tighter until she nearly gagged.

"No!" she cried out. "Don't go!"

Celeste sighed as she leaned back on her hands, closing her eyes as she let her head hang behind her. She could feel it beading up at the corner of her eyes again. The pain was still there. She opened her eyes when she heard Daryl groan, looking over as he sat up the rest of the way so that he could move closer to the two.

"Hey," Daryl said, his voice soft as he placed a hand on the back of Kenzie's neck.

Kenzie sniffled, shaking her head again, refusing to let go.

"Kenzie," Daryl started, a small smile on his face. "Lil' bird."

Upon hearing the name, Kenzie pulled her head away from Celeste's neck slightly, turning it to look at Daryl with puffy eyes.

"That a girl," he smile, brushing the back of his finger against her cheek.

She sniffled again, a hiccup escaping her tiny form.

"'Member what I said 'bout bein' a big girl?" he asked, rubbing his thumb lightly against the back of her head.

Celeste watched as she nodded her head, whining slightly. For a moment, her grip loosened, allowing Celeste to breathe just a bit easier.

"Well, ya gotta be a big girl and let her go for now, alright?" he said, watching her lower lip tremble.

"Kenzie, sweetie, I'll be back," Celeste reassured her, placing a hand against the small of her back. "But for now ya gotta let go."

Again, Kenzie hesitated, sniffling. Both adults were at a loss as they watched the child, trying to gauge her reaction.

"Emerson! Hurry it up!"

Celeste had to bite her tongue to keep from cussing, face scrunching up in obvious irritation.

"Kenzie," Celeste called out to her, drawing her attention back toward her. "I have to go for a little bit, but," Celeste lowered her voice as she brought her lips to her ear. "Do ya think you can keep Daryl out of trouble for me?" she asked, a smile on her face. "Make sure he behaves himself instead of pokin' holes in the tent?"

They watched as Kenzie tilted her head to the side, brows furrowed.

"But it's not nice to put holes in stuffs," Kenzie said, causing Celeste to burst out laughing.

"Emerson!"

Celeste let out a groan in irritation.

"Damnit, Walsh!" she grunted, watching as Kenzie glared at her.

"Not nice!" she pointed out, finger now pointed in Celeste face.

Seeing this as an advantage, Daryl leaned forward, snatching the blonde from Celeste's front and plopping back down on his pillow.

"Hey!" she cried out, squirming slightly. "Not fair!"

Celeste laughed as she watched this, a smile pulling at her lips.

"You're mine now, Lil' bird," he grinned, tickling her sides with his fingers.

Celeste watched as Kenzie erupted in a fit of laughter, tears in her eyes as she giggled. It amazed her how quick her mood could change, but still found herself smiling as she watched the two of them, the little blonde trying to squirm out of Daryl's hold to no avail. The sight brought her peace of mind, knowing that he cared for her and was willing to try and help make her happy. It was all that she could ask for when it came to Kenzie.

"I'll be back in a while," Celeste told them, before quickly making her way out of the tent and toward the cars.

It was going to be a long afternoon.

T

He'd be lying if he said that he wasn't a little surprised when Celeste had stepped into his tent. After Andrea had practically walked in on them, he wasn't sure if she'd even come back. They were both embarrassed. Still, Daryl wasn't ashamed of what he'd done. Yes, he knew that it was a little bold. Well, very bold actually, but it was something that he found himself wanting to try. Given her demeanor when she'd come back though, he wasn't sure what to think. Had he screwed things up between them? Would she even come near him now other than for Kenzie? He wasn't 100% sure of anything when it came to that, other than the fact that she obviously still couldn't stand to be around Shane. That much had been obvious with the look on her face when the deputy had called out for her.

Again, he found himself thinking on things, having nothing else to do except for lounge around with Kenzie curled up at his side. It hadn't gone unnoticed how she'd clung to Celeste, tears in her eyes as she tried to leave. He wasn't sure what had started them, but knew that it had bothered the woman that seemed to care so much for her. Then again, if it bothered her so much, he couldn't understand why she'd agreed to go with Shane and the others.

"Hmm…"he sighed, stretching out a bit more as he laid there, adjusting Kenzie slightly.

At this point, the little blonde had fallen asleep, her head resting on his chest. Carefully, he found himself running his hand through her hair as he let his fingers gently massage the back of her scalp. Sometimes, he still couldn't believe how small she was. Was this how most little girls looked?

"Mmm…" she groaned, her hand curling around the edge of his shirt.

He merely pressed her head further into his chest, fingers brushing against the side of her cheek.

"It's alright," he told her. "I ain't goin' nowhere."

With that, she cuddled against him, falling back into what he hoped was a peaceful sleep. He almost sighed, closing his eyes as he soaked in the heat of her tiny body. It was a comforting feeling, almost like when he had Celeste beside him. It was the feel of having someone with you, the company and companionship that followed that let you know that there really was something good out there. It was that tiny shred of hope that kept you going despite the grueling nature of the world around you. It was…

T

BANG!

The sound of glass shattering hit the air, shards scattering in the grass. Each person had been given a hand gun. Most were light weight, easy to handle for the most part. Lori, Patricia, and Carl in particular had been given a revolver, while the others had been entrusted with semi-auto pistols. Celeste in particular had the hand gun that she'd found back on the highway. From what she could tell, the black gun was a Ruger SR 40, but she only knew that due to the obvious markings. There was now 10 rounds in the mag and one in the chamber. It was full. That is, until she took her shot.

One.

She missed the first time, eyes narrowing down the sights. She hadn't fired a gun in a while and it was obvious in her opinion. She tried again, lining things up.

Two.

Again, she missed, glaring at the target. The recoil was messing with her. This is why she preferred her bow. It was far more steady than a gun, more balanced in her opinion when taking in the space of her hands and arms. Clearing her mind, she stared at the target. The blue bottle was a few feet from the ground, its base sitting atop the fence. She stared at the label, finger curling at the trigger as she aimed slightly above where she wanted it to hit.

Three.

She watched with a smirk as it shattered, pieces flying every which way. Finally, she'd managed to hit the target, lining up for the next one.

Four.

The second bottle shattered, brown glass joining the blue on the ground.

Five.

Green followed with the rest. She felt the smile now plastered to her face as she lowered her gun, staring down at it as she took the time to look it over just a bit better. The coolness of the metal was finally starting to warm in her hand. She began to wonder if a moving target would be much harder. All she had to do was follow it like she did with her bow.

"Nice shot, for a rookie."

Rolling her eyes, Celeste glanced behind her. Shane was stood with a smirk on his face as he eyes her, then her target.

"You're still too tense," he told her, stepping forward and placing his hands on her shoulders.

With a sharp intake of breath, she stilled her body, fighting the urge to run. His hands were hot against her skin, fingers curling into the muscle and pulling. He'd shifted her without much effort, turning her the slightest bit, before kicking her feet apart just a tad.

"Now," he started, his hot breath licking at her ear as he lowered his head beside her. "I want you to aim at the tip of that there green bottle," he instructed. "Aim right at the middle of the lip and pull the trigger."

Absently, she nodded her head. She felt like she had a steel rod in her back as he kept contact with her. For a brief moment, her mind drifted back to the CDC, his hands running over her skin. She could still feel them on her body, sliding along her skin, nails scrapping.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forced herself to focus on the target in front of her. She thought of Daryl in that next moment, just for a second. She imagined the look on her face, staring at her as she held the gun in her hands instead of her bow. She could picture the teasing smirk. Closing her eyes, she felt her nerves begin to calm, and her heat beat slow. Her senses had melded into one.

"Shoot."

T

The heat of the Georgian sun beat down on the farm as the group returned. Each of them went their separate ways, Lori and Rick heading back to their tent with Carl for a bit to lay down. Despite the progress that had been made, Carl was still barely back on his feet. He was still healing, yes, but not to where Rick was fully satisfied yet. Lori had agreed with him, laying down with her son as she ran her fingers through his hair. It was getting longer again, which meant that she was going to have to cut it again. She didn't' want him running around looking raged, even if there weren't that many people to see. She wanted to keep him looking clean.

Glancing out through the flap of their tent, she watched as Celeste walked by. She'd been keeping an eye on the brunette throughout everything, eyes lingering on her retreating form. Celeste had been at a loss for words when Daryl had come back with the little girl. She had seen it in that moment, the spark of life that had seemed to enter back into the woman's body. It was as if God had heard her cries for help, leading the hunter to Kenzie so that he could bring her back to the woman that held such love for her. She couldn't have asked for more.

"Has she said much more about Kenzie?" Lori asked, pressing a kiss to her son's forehead.

The question was directed at Rick, the man in question standing there for a moment as he took off his watch and belt, placing them on the small fold up table that they had setup against the wall of the tent.

"She said that she still doesn't remember much," he answered, running a hand through his hair. "It was pretty difficult on the girl, trying to find her way. She's lucky Daryl found her at all given how tiny she is," he sighed.

Lori frowned at his words. She knew them to be true, but she couldn't help, but to feel bad. If Daryl had found her any other way, she wasn't sure if Celeste would manage to come out of it in one piece. Celeste had explained a small bit to her a while back. She didn't give any fine details, but she'd been alright with that. There was no doubt in her mind that the young woman had gone through her fair share before running into their group, all of which to merely protect that one child. She'd done everything for that little girl.

Glancing down at her son, Lori couldn't imagine not having him in her arms. If it had been him that had gone missing, she would have move heaven and earth to find him. She even would have traveled to hell and back if it meant bringing back her son.

T

It was quiet, leaning against the fence and gazing out at the sway of the golden fields. Celeste had bypassed everything just to come out at the edge of the fence line to clear her mind. The events of the past few days flitted by, bits and pieces popping in and out of her conscious.

Celeste's weapon of choice had never been a gun. Obviously, she'd had training with one, one of the families that she'd lived with for a short time teaching her how to properly handle and shoot one. In all honesty, she wished that she could have stayed longer with them. They'd been decent people, Richard and Emma Schmidt, if she remembered correctly. They had two sons of their own, Jeremy and Jonathon. The boys had been mostly decent, only a couple of problems flaring up between them and her. She'd have been perfectly fine if they had kept her, but Richard's job had taken him out of state a year and a half after she'd come to them. Unfortunately, since they weren't looking to adopt just yet, they had to let her go, and the state placed her in a different home. She wondered vaguely if the family was still alive or not.

Shaking her head, she buried it in her arms on top of the wooden post, the grain of the wood pressing into the bare skin of her arm. She didn't want to imagine them walking around looking like corpses. It was bad enough that she had to see people that she didn't' know dead and walking around.

Again, her mind began to wander about the people she'd known. When it came across her mind, she could still remember Kyle. She tried to remember the man as he was. Smiling sadly, she remembered how he'd doted on Kenzie, tossing her in the air with a smile plastered on his face. He'd been so proud of his little girl.

She still remembered the weekends where she'd tag along with Karen and Kyle, eating a packed lunch with Kenzie riding on her father's shoulders. He'd spin around until the poor thing was practically green, laughing while Karen scolded him, before pulling her daughter from his shoulders and planting her firmly on the ground. Kenzie would scream every time to go again, trying her hardest to run after Kyle, the tiny thing only ever winning when he pretended to trip and fall on his face. In the end, Kenzie would sit on his back between his shoulder blades giggling and patting his head, telling him that she'd kiss his boo boo's better.

Slowly, Celeste felt tears come to her eyes, the field and the trees blurring and blending into one. She wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to get passed things, a tightness now beginning to well inside of her chest. It was like something was gripping her heart, an invisible force, the unknown squeezing it as she gasped for air. Pain shot through her heart.

"Damn it!" she hissed, slamming her fist against the post.

She barely registered the pain that it brought as the tears continued to fall. She hated feeling so weak in her emotions. She had always been so good about reigning in things and keeping them in check. Now, it was as though that shred of control had abandoned her.

T

At this point, time held almost no place in the world. The days came and went, only to leave night and day and the coming cold of winter. The rest was merely a guess. Regardless, one could still give some sort of idea to time, seconds, minutes, even hours. Daryl was sure that the group had been back for at least a hour, Kenzie already having run out to play with Carl a short while ago. His parents had initially had him lay down for a while, but he was now awake and playing tag with the tiny blonde.

Looking around the camp, Daryl tried to spot Celeste, the brunette absent from his gaze. His brows furrowed as the gears in his head turned, looking around the area. He spotted T-Dog still off to the side, his hand running over his injured arm as he tested the skin with his fingertips. He was seeing how much pressure he could apply, finding out how tender the skin still was.

"Hey, T, you seen Celeste?" he asked, striding toward the large black man.

T-Dog shook his head at first, unsure of exactly where she had gone. After a moment though, he held up his hand as something popped into his head.

"Wait," he started, standing up for a moment as he crossed his arms over his chest.

He was looking around, trying to remember where he'd last seen her.

"I think I saw her headin' toward fields on the far side of the house," he finally said, nodding his head. "Yeah, she headed that way after we got back."

Nodding his head, Daryl gave a grunt in thank, waving over his shoulder as he walked off to find her. It was still odd that she hadn't come back after practice, if nothing else, at least to check in on Kenzie. He was sure that after the whole scene that morning, she'd coming back to check on the kid at least. She had to have known that the girl would go looking for her.

He finally caught sight of her as he made his way around the side of the house, his eyes trailing up the path toward the old wooden fence. She had her head down, her hand shooting out and coming to crash down on top of the post in front of her. He nearly winced when she made no move to check her hand, almost as though the hit hadn't even registered.

"Celeste!"

He thought he saw her flinch as he made his way closer, hands rubbing at her face.

"T said ya walked off earlier and I…"

He stopped once he was close enough, brow furrowing slightly as he looked her over. Her eyes were puffy and her cheeks were stained, a frown pulling at his lips.

"What's wrong?" he asked, slowly stepping closer until he was standing just in front of her.

"Shouldn't you be laying down?" she asked, avoiding his question all together.

Her response had rubbed him the wrong way, shifting his weight as he continued to look her over.

"Had enough 'o sittin' around on my ass," he said, reaching out and grabbing hold of her arms. "Now, tell me what's wrong?"

"Let go."

Her voice was quiet as she spoke, completely throwing him off.

"Then tell me what's wrong," he said firmly."

"Look, it's none of yer damn business!" she snapped, pushing at his chest until he let go.

Hurt filled him as he narrowed his eyes, taking a step back. He'd been worried when he hadn't seen her with the others. It was the entire reason why he'd gone to T-Dog in the first place. She hadn't even thought about Kenzie when she'd walked off, not bothering to check up on her. He didn't expect her to push him away though. Maybe he'd been reading things wrong. He felt his heart drop and then slowly the bubbling of anger welled up inside of him. It was like he was being cast aside. He couldn't stand it.

"You know what, fine!" he snapped. "I don't know why I even give a fuck 'bout yer stupid ass!"

He didn't even give her a chance to respond as he walked away. He'd bent over backwards for the woman, helping her, only to have it tossed back in his face. It wasn't just that though. After that morning, he actually thought that maybe…

"Bitch," he muttered, hands curled at his side.

Maybe he'd just forget about things all together. After all, he wasn't any good at it anyway, so why bother. What was even the point if no one cared.

"Daryl… Daryl, wait!" she called out.

He didn't bother turning around. He didn't care anymore, not if it was going to be tossed in his face.

"Daryl, please!" she cried out.

He froze as he felt her arms wrap around him from behind.

"Please, I'm sorry," she choked out.

He could feel her head pressing into his back as her hands clutched at his chest. She was shaking.

"I'm sorry," she cried, tears soaking into the back of his shirt.

He could have sworn that his heart skipped a beat as the muscle pounded in his chest.

"Please," she begged, her face pressed between his should blade and the bend of his spine.

She just couldn't seem to stop shaking as she stood pressed against him, her gingers curled at his front. Every time she shook, it felt like he could feel it in his bones, right next to the ache in his chest. Hearing her cry, he didn't know if he could stay mad at her. Despite their words, she'd come running after him, clinging to him as she apologized.

"Don't leave," she whispered. "Please, don't leave, Daryl?"

He felt something pull at his heart again as she said his name, his tongue darting out and wetting the chapped skin of his lips. Slowly, he reached up, curling his hands around her own. His heart was now pounding in his chest as he swiped his tongue across his lips again. Carefully, he pulled her fingers loose one by one, her nails scraping lightly at his skin in protest. She was afraid that he'd walk away again.

"Celeste," he spoke quietly, gently gripping her arms as he turned around to face her.

When he did, he found tears staining her face, the salty liquid washing away some of the dirt and grime from the day. He felt bad now, slowly reaching out and cupping the side of her neck in his hand. He could feel her pulse beating against his palm, pounding as it kept pumping blood through her system. He couldn't wait any longer.

T

Warmth. That was the first thing that she felt. It was the softness that followed that had truly struck her. It was something that she'd never truly felt before as the intensity of it shook her to the core.

Slowly, Celeste closed her eyes, her hand brushing his cheek. The stubble pressed into her palm, scratching lightly. Her body moved on its own as their arms wrapped around on another, his hand tugging lightly at her hair as his tongue timidly darted out across her lower lip. She could feel the heat rise in her face, but she didn't stop as she met him full force, throwing caution to the wind.

Hesitantly, she tucked her hands in under the shoulders of his shirt, the warmth of his skin soaking into the palms of her hands. She could feel him shiver as she brushed her fingertips at the base of his neck, trailing the spine. It have her a surge of confidence as they pulled apart for air, staring at one another.

"Hi," she breathed out, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

"Hi," he chuckled, sounding just as winded as she did, pressing his forehead to hers as he let out a small rumble from his chest.

She couldn't believe that he'd actually gotten the courage to kiss her. She'd been unsure of things, whether or not she could actually put herself out there, and yet he'd still managed to turn her world upside down. The first boy she'd ever kissed had been Ronnie Johnson. That had been a sick joke. This was no Ronnie Johnson though and this definitely wasn't some boy. Instead, this was a man, this was Daryl Dixon.

"So…" Daryl started, brushing his thumb over her cheek.

"Yeah," she breathed out.

Before she could get out another word, he'd crushed his lips against hers once more, savoring the memory. They both were as they stood with one another, their movement more tame as they took a few moments to explore each other.

For Daryl, it'd been the first in a long time that he'd felt any sort of passion. It was the first that he'd managed to single out any real feeling. For Celeste though, it was the first time that she'd actually allowed herself to fall for someone, her thoughts colliding and merging together. She'd never allowed herself such reprieve, a moment in time to be who she was for someone else. She'd never allowed herself to fall into the grip of intimate temptations. She'd spent years avoiding it, unwilling to let herself fall to the first one out. She just couldn't do it. It'd never felt right. That is, until now. All it took was the end of the world to bring her to the one thing she'd always wanted, but had never had the courage to grab.

Closing her eyes, Celeste allowed herself to pull back, resting her head against Daryl's collarbone as she drew in a shaky breath. She could have laughed at how she felt at the moment, the giddiness inside of her making her feel like a young school girl. It was almost embarrassing.

"You should still be resting you know," Celeste breathed out.

"Well, maybe if you join me, I will," he said, a small smirk on his face as he pressed his nose to her fair.

"You just need to lay down," she laughed, moving to finally pull away.

Daryl stopped her by grabbing her hand, her body turning back around to face him.

"Was it Shane?" came the sudden question.

She paused for a moment, running his question over in her head. How would see explain it to him? How was it possible to explain the trauma and nightmares that still plagued her because she was too afraid to except the truth.

"Not entirely," she said honestly, biting at her upper lip this time as she pulled it between her teeth.

She pulled back a small chunk of skin as he watched her, waiting for her to elaborate.

"He made me uncomfortable, but it wasn't him."

Despite how much Shane mad her skin crawl most of the time, she wasn't going to throw the man under the bus for something that he didn't do. Although, she wouldn't mind seeing Daryl beat the shit out of him, but that was neither here nor there.

"I just…" she paused, playing with the flesh of her lip again.

Looking up at him, she found that he was staring straight back oat her, his ears open and listening. His eyes were telling her to trust him, to give him that one little piece of trust that he craved, to let him be the strength that she needed that would push her forward. He wanted to be that for her, he wanted to protect her, he wanted to give her a reason to finally let go of everything else.

"I just can't seem to let go," she finally whispered, closing her eyes as she felt the water slowly build up.

She drew in a sharp intake of breath as she felt his calloused hand slowly caressing her cheek, his thumb brushing the edge of her eye. It only made the flimsy dam crack further, a tear trickling down along his thumb.

"I still can't sleep," she whispered, slowly peeling back her lids in order to see him.

His face was blurred for a moment, before he wiped at her eyes again, leaning down and pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead.

"Why?" he asked, brows furrowing slightly.

"I still… I still see their faces," she choked out. "I see the memories and they haunt me," she admitted, looking off to the side as she stared at the fields.

The tall grass swayed in the breeze, dancing above the ground and mingling with its brothers and sisters. It was like a giant wave as the bristles caught in the wind, a sudden burst of air sending her hair flying about. As she stood there, the sun of day shone against her hair in bursts of color. She wanted to be free like the tall winding grass.

"You know," Daryl started, wetting his lips as he put her at arm's length. "There's nothing wrong with remembering who they were," he said. "Those memories are what keeps them alive."

She felt her lips twitch as she stood there, looking up at him.

"But we can't let the things of the past drag us down. We can't let the past determine who we are now. Who we are," he paused, cupping her cheek in the palm of his hand. "Who we are now, is up to us. It's our choice and we can't let the past define us."

To say she was shocked was an understatement. Still, his words managed to bore into her, and into her heart. She knew that he was right. She couldn't let what was define who she was, she couldn't let those bad memories tear away at her when she had something more important right in front of her, something that she was fighting for. She was fighting for the little girl, the little girl whom she'd come to love. Kenzie needed her now and she had to stay strong.

"Is this speaking from personally experience?" she teased lightly, looking up at him as she placed a hand on top of the one that he'd rested against her chest.

"I'm working on it," he sighed, biting at his lip.

She let out a breath of air as she closed her eyes, savoring the warmth that he'd provided. Turning her head, she pressed her lips to the palm of his hand, trailing it down to the pulse of his wrist. She was committing ever touch to memory, every line, vein, muscle, and plain. She was committing this one moment into her mind, storing it. She never wanted to forget it.

"Why don't we lay down for a bit?" she asked, a small knowing smile on her face.

It was all the incentive that he needed.

Hi everyone! I apologize for the long wait, but I've been busy with trying to keep up with work as I now have a car. I'm also starting back to school next week, but after watching a movie the other night, I finally got the spark of inspiration that I needed to get myself back in the game. Anyway, I really hope that all of you liked it? Let me know what you thought because I'd love to hear your feedback.

What did you think about their little 'verbal' fight?

What about Daryl's sudden burst of courage?

Was it too soon or was it rightfully placed due to the circumstances?

How should things progress?

What should happen next?

How will Celeste respond to the barn and the aftermath?