Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or the characters except my own! The rest is all AMC!

Summary: twenty-nine year old Kathryn Smith and her daughter three year old Jasmine have been on their own until they meet the Atlanta group on the highway. both mother and daughter carry with them a scared and frightening past but Kathryn is also carrying with her something more. Enter Daryl Dixon Hunter, tracker, and all around bad ass as well carries a dark past can they both save each other or will someone or something tear them apart?

Theme song: Everlong by: Foo Fighters

Chapter 3: a way to a Dixon's heart

The next morning there was a commotion of congrats to the Grimes and Carl doing better, and a funeral for the man that accidentally shot him. Seamed the man Otis was "covering" Shane so Shane could get back, but Kathryn knew better she saw the look on Shane's face it was the same one from her old camp.

Not wanting to raise alarm or cause trouble she kept this to herself, after the funeral she and Jasmine helped with what needed to be done. Seeing Daryl walking away from the farm, she sees Jasmine run up to him.

"Hey Mister where you going?" she asked softly as her mother came up from behind.

"Jasmine that's not nice to ask unless he wanted to tell you," She stammered Daryl eyed them both "sorry…my daughter she can be very nosy."

He glared at her "Ya well next time watch her don't need another little girl lost."

He goes to walk away when Jasmine runs to him "WAITE!" Daryl turns in time for her to hug his waist; this caught both mother and Daryl by surprise. For one thing kids usually ran from him but not this little girl, as for Kathryn this was surprising because she thought that men would frighten then three year old.

Jasmine told the redneck to be safe and skipped back to camp, Kathryn grave the man a small smile as he walks into the woods.

That night before dinner Jasmine snuck away from her and her mother's tent, she hid behind a tree spying on Daryl. He knew she was standing there behind that tree, it unnerved him he wished the girl's mother would get her. Then it stumped him why wasn't she watching her!? This just pissed him off "ya can come out I know yer there."

Jasmine had her hands behind her back and her head lowered, her tiny body was trembling was he gunna hit her like the other men have at her old camp? She hoped not he seemed nice just lonely "maybe he needs a hug!" she thought to herself.

He motions for the girl to step up to him "why ya here and not with ya ma?" he grumbled at the three year old.

"I's wanted to see if yous was back. I's glad yous are." She smiled at him.

Daryl raised an eye brow "why? Ya don't know me; I'm supposed to be scary."

Jasmine smiled "nots to me! Yous looks lonely and…yas gots scars…like mommy and me. I's won't tell though it's a secret."

Daryl raised an eye brow in surprise did she say that right? How the hell did she know? She just met him and he makes sure no one sees and what did she mean her and her mother have scars?

"Can I's hug you?!" Jasmine asks, Daryl looks at her and nods as he asks "how ya know about ma scars?" Jasmine flings herself at him hugging his waist as she answers "when I's hugged you, I's saw them."

Kathryn then appeared "there you are you were supposed to be with Lori while I talked to Mr. Hershel young lady." Her hands on her waist, Jasmine looked bashful and a little scared as she berried her face in Daryl's chest.

"But Ma can't I's stay Mr. Daryl looks lonely please can we eat here?" the little girl looked between both adults, biting her lip she looks at Daryl "that's up to him really baby." She answered looking back to her daughter.

"Pawease Mr. Daryl! Pawease I's be good! I's promise!" the three year old jumped up and down her little hands folded together begging, Daryl's eye's widened unsure. This still shocked him why did this little girl think he was lonely? But he couldn't back down not now "yeah sure why not, go gets yas food and come back." Jasmine cheered and ran off to get a bowl of squirrel.

Kathryn smiled at Daryl "that was very sweet of you, I was afraid she would be afraid of men that was really big." He nodded at her then asked "why she afraid, why are ya both?" Kathryn walked over and sat beside him and looked into the fire he hand going.

"Just to tell you a bit because there was much before we met you all," she takes a shaky breath "it was no secret there were sex slaves and people looking for more. My daughter and I…well we weren't mother and daughter until I entered what I thought was a good camp."

Daryl sat stiff turning his head to look at her as she nodded "long story short we were slaves and we escaped." Daryl couldn't talk what was he to say? He his thumb as he stared into the fire, he felt something come over him even when he first met them. He saw the fear and pain and in that moment wanted to protect them, but he couldn't didn't feel like it was his job.

Then again there was the three year old, Jasmine she came to him, no fear in her eyes she just felt like he needed a hug and to be near him. In that moment when she hugged him Daryl felt that need stronger right then, he agreed with himself in that moment after the short story he was going to protect them.

Jasmine returned with two bowls and three juice boxes she gives her mother a bowl and two boxes, Daryl raises an eye brow even though Kathryn tried to make the girl take one Jasmine refused.

He wanted to ask but felt it was none of his bissnes, Jasmine sat on the other side of him and she ate smiling and humming happily which was once again a first for both adults.

"Mr. Daryl does you like hunting?" this question caught him off guard why did she want to know?

"Uh yea I do why?" Jasmine fidgeted in her seat "Well my daddy used to hunt he used that bow to! And I's used to go with him he was teaching me…" she became silent and looked down at her bowl "do…do you think you could teach me?" she asked shyly

Kathryn smiled at the three year old as Daryl agreed happy that someone wanted to learn from him, especially one so small. After both mother and daughter finished eating they bid Daryl good night Jasmine hugging him with the promise of seeing him off tomorrow, they left for their tent.

Yup Daryl was going to keep an eye on them it was going to be his secret.