Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting! Thank you also for sticking with me and I hope you all had a great New Year and an even better year to come!

Ruby limped across the yard and trotted up the steps to the farmhouse before pausing in front of the door. She hadn't actually been invited into the farmhouse yet and she was a bit unsure as to what kind of manners were applied in this situation. As far as she knew everyone else could walk right in and do as they pleased, but everyone else knew Hershel. Ruby had never officially even met the man, just his daughter, Maggie. She bit her lip before deciding to do the polite thing. She knocked three times on the door and waited.

A young blonde girl of about seventeen answered the door. Her innocent blue eyes met her green ones and she gave her a warm smile.
"Hi! You must be Ruby," she greeted pleasantly.
Ruby smiled and nodded.
"That I am. I just wondered if I would be allowed in to see Daryl yet?" she asked.
The girl nodded and opened the door wider. She stepped aside and Ruby nodded in thanks as she stepped through.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know your name," Ruby apologised.
"Oh, I'm Beth. I'm Maggie's sister," she responded easily.
"Nice to meet you, Beth."
Ruby's first impression of the girl was that she was rather sweet. Of course, she couldn't say anything definitively without getting to know her properly, but she had a good feeling about this girl.
"He's upstairs and in the second room to the left," Beth directed, pointing to the stairs.
"Thank you," Ruby said, before following the girl's directions.

Ruby limped her way up the stairs and peeked her head into the second room. She saw Daryl in there with an older man she figured to be Hershel.
"Hey, just coming in for a quick check up," Ruby called softly.
Her eyes darted from Daryl to Hershel, back to Daryl; not knowing which man she should focus her attention on. Hershel stood up from his spot beside Daryl and held out his hand to her. She took it in surprise and confusion, giving him a firm handshake. He had a weathered, but kind face with bright blue eyes, which made him seem younger than he appeared.
"Thanks for bringing back my horse," he thanked her.
She shrugged it off, the horse wouldn't have survived if she hadn't brought her home. That was a thought that simply just didn't sit right with her.
"It was nothing," she said offhandedly.
"Damn horse nearly killed me," Daryl muttered.
Hershel gave him a disapproving look.
"That horse is Nelly. As in Nervous Nelly. I could've told you she'd throw you if you'd bothered to ask," Hershel said with a hint of a snap to his voice.
Ruby raised an eyebrow at Daryl who scoffed at Hershel.
"In any case, I'm grateful you brought her back," Hershel said to her before walking out and closing the door behind him.

"Yikes," she muttered once he was gone.
Daryl rolled his eyes.
"Grumpy old man," he muttered.
She gave him a reproachful look.
"You should be more grateful, he did help save your life even after you stole his horse," she scolded him lightly.
Daryl just grumbled something under his breath. She assumed it was something unflattering but she didn't care.
She sat down in the chair that Hershel had just vacated and slipped her boots off before resting her feet up on the bed.
"Comfortable?" Daryl asked sarcastically.
Ruby gave him an innocent, doe eyed look and then looked around mockingly and shrugged.
"I wouldn't mind a pillow," she said sarcastically.
He rolled his eyes and just lay back on the bed. She studied him as he did so and took note of how carefully he moved; that was enough to tell her that he was in considerable amounts of pain.

"So, is it serious?" she asked him, trying to sound casual.
He didn't even bother looking over, just stared straight up at the ceiling.
"No. Hershel patched me up pretty good. I'm just glad her aim ain't any better," he said dismissively.
"God, that scared me when that happened," Ruby admitted.
He turned to face her in confusion, his blue eyes narrowing suspiciously at her.
"I thought I'd been hauling your smelly, bloody, whiny ass all through the woods for nothin'," she teased lightly.
Daryl rolled his eyes and threw a pillow at her. She laughed loudly as it hit her in the face.
"Watch out, you just gave me ammo," she mock threatened him.
"That's okay. I've got more," he smirked.
She looked at the armada of pillows stacked up on the bed and had to agree. The odds were in his favour.
"Uncle," she said, raising her hands in surrender.
Daryl's smirk grew, before he seemed to realise something and frowned.
"Ya shoulder's better," he commented.
She looked at it and nodded.
"Yeah, Shane fixed it for me," she said dismissively.
Daryl frowned and gestured for her to come closer. Confusion flickered through her mind, why did Daryl want her to come closer? She eyed him off on the bed, he was injured but she knew he was surprisingly strong even when injured. She hesitated as her heart rate increased, and when she met his eyes he encouraged her closer again. She took a deep breath and cautiously sat on the bed next to him. Daryl rose up and pushed himself up against the headboard before leaning over her previously dislocated shoulder. Ruby tensed as one of his hands held onto her arm, while the other began pushing and prodding at her shoulder again. He started to move her arm around and she raised an eyebrow at him. His calloused fingers continued to press against her shoulder joint before he huffed and dropped her arm.

"Happy now?" she asked.
"Ya gotta be careful poppin' joints in. Merle once popped his shoulder out and tore his muscles up good poppin' it back in," Daryl grunted in explanation.
She felt herself relax slightly as Daryl moved away. It wasn't that she thought he was going to hurt her, he'd had ample opportunity to do so before. It was just that after everything that had happened, a kind touch was one she was unused to.
"Well, thanks for checkin' me out, Doctor Daryl," she said with a teasing smile.
He smirked back at her and then lay back, staring at the ceiling. She copied his relaxed posture and stared up as well. Silence stretched between them but for once it wasn't borne from anger or frustration. It was pleasant. She realised it was because she was comfortable and she knew that her guard had come down slightly around Daryl. It was hard to believe they had only met the day before. She supposed that times weren't the same as they used to be. A day could last a lifetime in the apocalypse. Plus, after all they had been through, fights, doubling and dragging him through the woods, she felt like they had actually started to forge a bond, a rapport. She wondered if he felt the same way.

She quickly glanced over at him to see his eyes had closed. She was surprised at just how much more relaxed he looked; when he was in the camp or in the forest he nearly always had a frown on his face. Now, he looked a lot less severe, a little less likely to rip your head off.

Ruby decided to take advantage of this moment to really study him and his features. He had kind of angular features, with naturally distrustful, hooded eyes. Facial hair was growing in over his sharp jaw and it suited him. That combined with his short messy brown hair gave him a real wild appearance. He looked like a survivalist, like a predator. She felt like she wasn't that far off the mark. He clearly spent a lot of time outdoors and in the sun, even before the apocalypse. His skin had that slightly golden hue that you only got from the sun, and he had a smattering of sunspots over his arms and shoulders. Which just brought her to his arms. Even if, overall, he was on the lean side of muscular, those arms were strong and when he held his crossbow the muscles almost bulged. He was attractive in a different kind of way. He definitely wasn't a Heath Ledger, pretty boy. However he didn't quite have the same bulky ruggedness as Hugh Jackman. She decided he looked just fine the way he did now and she had done enough ogling for now. She thanked her lucky stars that he hadn't opened his eyes to see her staring at him and figured he probably wanted some rest.

She made to leave but as she shifted a discontent noise from Daryl's direction made her pause. She looked at him with surprise and curiosity to see his eyes had opened and were looking straight at her. As much as he may not have wanted to show it, a hint of uncertainty glimmered in his cornflower blue eyes. She wondered where it had come from exactly and what it meant.
"Thanks for findin' me," he mumbled finally after the silence had stretched out to the point of tense awkwardness.
She studied him carefully, trying to gauge his sincerity and mood. She knew Daryl was prone to more mood swings than a pregnant woman.
"Might come as a surprise to you," she murmured, dropping her eyes from his. "But I don't actually hate ya."
Such displays of sentiment, even if it wasn't much, were foreign and uncomfortable for her.
"I don't actually hate ya either," he smirked back at her.
She was grateful that he chose to not make the moment awkward between them. She matched his smirk and shook her head.
"I'm obviously not tryin' hard enough," she laughed.
Daryl snorted hard enough and loud enough to make her frown slightly but then smirked as he winced and held his injured side.
"Karma," she teased and he glared at him.

In the momentary silence that spread between them, Ruby could hear muffled voices from behind the door. She raised an eyebrow at Daryl, silently asking if he thought she should eavesdrop. He shrugged at her and she took that as a 'yes'. She quietly climbed off the bed and crept over to the door, listening carefully.

The voices were distinctly male. She didn't know anyone in the camp well enough to pick out different nuances to identify who was who. One was low, while the other sounded rather annoyed or frustrated. It was hard to tell which. The first voice sounded like he was trying to convince the other of something and the other just wasn't having it. Ruby heard Daryl's name mentioned and then decided this was a conversation they should probably hear.

She threw the door open to reveal a startled Rick and Shane.
"Howdy fellas, anything Daryl or I should know?" she asked brightly.
Rick turned to Shane pointedly and Shane glared at Rick. Ruby's eyes flicked uncertainly between the two men, suddenly wishing she hadn't opened the door.
"Shane, tell them," Rick said quietly but firmly.
"Tell us what?" Ruby demanded.
Shane's dark eyes darted around for a moment while he shuffled and rubbed the back of his head before his eyes met hers where she was waiting patiently.
"Look, the way I see it… Daryl nearly just died tryna get a doll. And all you got from that search was a busted shoulder from it. Maybe… maybe it's time to start thinking about calling off the search," Shane said quietly, obviously not wanting to upset the volatile redneck or Ruby.
"And the way I see it, Daryl's just brought us our first piece of hard evidence we've actually gotten," Rick put in quickly.
Ruby blinked for a moment trying to think rationally and process what she'd just been told. Instinctively, it felt wrong to even think about calling off a search for a twelve year old girl. However, it was the apocalypse, and twelve year old girls didn't exactly have the best chances for survival. On the other hand, she didn't want all Daryl's efforts to be for nothing, and if they gave up the search she would feel even more guilty for not finding the little girl days ago. Those haunting green eyes flashed in her mind again and Ruby knew that her conscience would never let her sleep if she agreed to call off the search. Ruby sighed and rubbed her face, before looking at Shane.
"Shane, I understand. I really do. I can't even begin to imagine losing someone from your community, and I know it's difficult trying to decide what the best thing is for a whole group of people, but I do think we should keep looking. We are that little girl's only hope right now, she's probably terrified, hoping and praying we're going to find her. I think we will too, the longer we stay here the more chance she has to be found," Ruby said, trying to explain her position gently without insulting the man. "And how would Carol feel? Knowing we were giving up on her baby girl? Her morale would drop as would the rest of the groups. I know it's more and more difficult as the days pass, but… as adults, as people, I think we owe it to that little girl."
Apparently, her opinion didn't go over too well as his face twitched and she could see a slight build up of red throughout his face. Rick seemed to notice it as well and she noticed an almost unconscious shift in his stance whereby he placed himself slightly in front of her. The nature of it, the way he did it subconsciously made her realise that Rick really was a good, honourable man. Some part of him at least, was still a cop and suddenly he became more in her eyes. Instead of being the man in charge of the group, he became a leader. A leader protected their people and provided for them. Even if she wasn't a member of the group she felt a little touched by Rick defending her too, it was even enough she thought about reconsidering the idea of staying with the group.
"What would you know?! You didn't even know Sophia!" Shane spat at her venomously.
"Shane…" Rick warned him lowly.
"You're the girl who didn't even bother!" Shane snapped, his mouth curled up into a vicious snarl.
"That is enough, Shane," Rick growled, shielding her further and stepping closer to the man.
Meanwhile, Ruby could hardly believe this was the same man whom had just popped her shoulder in place and she crossed her arms defiantly.

Shane shook his head and stalked off, not saying another word. Rick blew out a tense breath and ran his hand through his hair.
"Hey Rick?" Ruby asked softly, feeling a little embarrassed.
He turned to face her with a curious expression.
"Thanks," she mumbled.
Rick gave her a warm smile and gave her shoulder a light squeeze.
"Thank you," he rebuked.
She felt a slight flush raise to her cheeks, she hadn't expected any praise from what she had said, she simply said her opinion. She glanced down at her feet and shrugged.
"Ain't nothing to thank for. It's not right to leave a little girl out there all alone," she said firmly.
"Who's abandoning who?"

Ruby turned to see a confused but severe-looking Daryl still lying on the bed. She realised she hadn't heard any of her conversation with Shane. Which, judging by the suspicious looks he was giving her and Rick, was a good thing. She could just imagine Daryl going a round or two with Shane before injuring himself worse. She gave Daryl a reassuring smile and shook her head.
"No one. We're not abandoning anyone," she assured him.
Daryl's eyes narrowed at hers and he nodded with a slight scowl.
"Damn right we ain't," he grumbled.

Dinner was held shortly after in Hershel's dining room. Ruby noticed it was a slightly tense and awkward affair. No one seemed to know what to say to each other and she could almost feel the tension between Shane and Rick. She also saw Rick's wife, Lori, casting worried looks between the two which made her frown slightly. She knew nothing of marriage dynamics—her own had crumbled into dust in barely five years, but she thought that a couple should provide a united front and the looks Lori was casting suggested nothing of the sort. Ruby decided that she'd do well to just leave it alone and her eyes fell on the 'kiddie table'. She smirked slightly seeing Glenn sitting with them. As her eyes watched them, she saw Glenn and Maggie attempting to be discrete about something and failing.
Honestly, Glenn, who looks at their crotch and smiles? She thought with an inward laugh. She shook her head lightly and stuck another mouthful of chicken into her mouth.

"Does anybody know how to play guitar?" Glenn asked, turning around in his chair to face the rest of the group. "Dale found a cool one."
There was a deep and sombre pause, one that made Ruby reluctant to speak up despite her knowledge of guitar. She felt like she was missing something as the Greene's all looked down. An older, blonde woman sitting next to Hershel dabbed at her eyes with her napkin discretely.
"Somebody's got to know how to play," Glenn insisted.
"Otis did," the woman sitting next to Hershel answered.
The whole group collectively looked down at their plates, feeling chastised.
"Yes, and he was very good too," Hershel added quietly.
Ruby looked around at all the sad faces and felt a little bit of it invading her and weighing her down. She knew then she'd have to speak. Music would bring some light back, some hope.
"I know how to play," she spoke up hesitantly.
She felt the group's eyes on her and she shifted awkwardly in her seat.
"Are you any good?" Glenn asked her curiously.
She gave him a half smile and shrugged.
"I'm so-so. I'm no Jimmi Hendrix or anything, but I'm decent enough. I haven't played in awhile though," she said with an awkward laugh.
"Cool, I brought it in, just in case. Can you play after dinner?" Glenn asked.
She nodded, that would give her plenty of time to choose a song to play.

As she withdrew into her thoughts, running her mind over all different chords and bars, songs and lyrics, notes and keys, she hardly noticed as everyone else finished eating. Carol collected up all their plates and she brushed aside Ruby's offer of help, saying that playing her music would be much more appreciated than drying some plates. Glenn picked up the guitar and handed it to her as everyone began to crowd into the living room. Ruby took the guitar and took an appraising eye over it and nodded her head appreciatively.
"Damn, this is a nice guitar," she whistled.
She carefully plucked a string and winced as it made a sharp twang.
"Just give me a minute, this baby is nowhere near tuned," she told everyone.
She tilted her head slightly, focusing her ear towards the strings and began plucking at strings and adjusting the tuners.

It took her nearly ten minutes of plucking and occasionally strumming for her to be happy with the sounds. She played a few chords in a slow, but upbeat rhythm, just to warm herself up and suddenly felt a wave of nervousness wash over her. She hadn't played in years, and now she was suddenly playing for a group of strangers? She glanced up and she saw the excited and hopeful faces before her and knew she had to. Regardless of whether or not she would be any good, she realised they needed to hear the music. She looked back down at her hand on the neck of the guitar and closed her eyes. Chords ran before her eyes and she began to strum in a slow but light tune. The tune was soft and unhurried, the strings twinging occasionally. She kept playing the same few strings as she coughed and tried to clear her throat in preparation.
"Mama told me when I was young,
'Come sit beside me, my only son,
And listen closely to what I say,
And if you do this it'll help you some sunny day.'"

Her voice rose as loud as she dared, which, admittedly wasn't that loud. Her voice had cracked and strained a couple of times, and she missed a few chords in the beginning. She was waiting for people to start yelling at her or to take the guitar away—but it never came, so she kept playing.

"Oh, take your time, don't live too fast.
Troubles will come and they will pass.
You'll find a woman and you'll find love,
And don't forget, son, there is someone up above."

She started to get more into it, as they started to build towards the chorus. She began to tap on the floor to the beat, and nodded her head in time with the music. Her eyes remained closed, she was feeling her way automatically through the song.

"And be a simple kind of man,
Oh, be something you love and understand.
Baby, be a simple kind of man.
Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can."

Ruby played the rest of the song with a quiet solemnity. She kept her eyes closed and just let the hope and serenity flow through her. This song had always calmed her, with the sweet and honest lyrics paired with a nice, soothing guitar. She was pleased that she had remembered all the chords and lyrics, it had been at least six years since she had picked up a guitar last. As the song petered off, Ruby finally opened up her eyes. She focused down on the guitar, not wanting to see everyone's judgemental faces. She idly plucked a few strings, pretending to listen for something, but really she was avoiding the criticism for as long as possible.
"That was beautiful," Carol spoke up, finally breaking the silence.
Ruby looked up in surprise and was greeted with many people nodding. Lori, Carol and the older, blonde lady whom had spoken of 'Otis' were all dabbing at their eyes. Ruby looked around stunned and saw that people were actually smiling, they liked her playing. She felt a blush colour her cheeks and she looked down in pleasure.
"Thank you, Carol," she said shyly.
"How long have you been playing?" Lori asked her.
"I started when I was ten, and played until I was twenty-two. I haven't picked up a guitar in about six years though," she replied, shyly.
"You sing like an angel," the other woman told her, weeping slightly.
Ruby felt rather embarrassed at the praise that was being lavished upon her but it made her feel slightly proud of herself. That was a foreign feeling for her and she looked back down at the guitar self consciously.
"Will you play some more?" Carol asked.
Ruby's eyebrows rose in surprise but a small smile grew over her lips.
"Sure, is there anything you'd like me to play?" she found herself asking.
Carol just shook her head and Ruby started playing the first thing her mind jumped to. Ruby played on for a good hour, choosing all upbeat, uplifting songs, until everyone started yawning and needing sleep. At which point a figure hiding in the shadows on the stairs disappeared as well.

Ruby woke up early again in Athena's stall, feeling more at peace and relaxed than she had for a considerable time. She supposed this group setting wasn't all that bad, she actually managed to get a good nights sleep for a change. She stretched and arched her back before wincing. The fall yesterday had clearly taken its toll and she lifted up the hem of her shirt. She grimaced upon seeing the ugly black, purple and yellow splotches decorating her right side. It honestly looked like she'd tried to go a round with Floyd Mayweather. She huffed in annoyance and pain as she pulled her shirt back down. Knowing there was nothing she could do about that she quickly ruffled her hair, trying to get rid of all the sawdust trapped in her messy red hair. She threw it back into a pony tail and pulled on the same light jacket she had used yesterday morning. Loki looked like he knew what was coming and was waiting patiently for her by the stall door. She smiled and pulled her boots on, hopping closer to the door. She quickly unlatched it and stomped out of the stall, making sure her boots were on properly—and immediately regretting it as pain flared through her ankle. She cursed at her own stupidity and limped out of the barn. She promised herself that she'd go and see Hershel about her ankle later on.

"Mornin'," she called up to Dale on top of his RV.
"Morning, Ruby. Care to join me?" he asked her.
Ruby nodded and after telling Loki to stay, climbed on top of the RV next to him. The view was much nicer from up high, she could see further and really appreciate the stillness. The odd bird swooped through the field, hunting field mice and grubs, but aside from that nothing dared to disrupt the peace.
"I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your playing last night. It brought a lightness to the group that's been missing for far too long," Dale complimented her.
Ruby was still unused to people liking her music. Back before the apocalypse her mother had always seen music as a worthless hobby and couldn't understand why she would want to pursue something so unstable, instead of something like Medicine or Law. It was a constant source of arguments and it resulted in her mother telling her how much she hated hearing certain songs—the songs she played.
"Thank you, Dale. It's been about six years since I touched a guitar last, so I'm actually surprised I could remember any of the chords," Ruby laughed lightly.
Dale gave her a genuine and warm smile.
"Don't think so little of yourself. Clearly it used to mean a lot to you, only an experienced hand could pick up a guitar and play that well after not having played in years," he told her encouragingly.
She smiled a little bit wider and shrugged as pink touched her cheeks. She felt a lightness in her heart until her mother's sharp voice cut through her thoughts, belittling her. A slight frown touched her forehead and she crossed her arms around her waist. Music was all well and good but it wouldn't help anyone stay alive, and that's what she needed to focus on. Dale seemed to pick up on the shift in her mood but chose not to say anything on it.

"So, what are your plans then?" Dale asked her.
Ruby bit her lip pensively. She had been contemplating many different things but she was finding only one option favourable at the moment. She wanted to stay. She had thought about it at length yesterday and it seemed to make the most sense to her—at least for now. Most of all, she wanted to stay for Athena and Loki. Here, Athena could be unsaddled and let out into paddocks with the bonus of other horse company. Plus Loki could relax a bit, he didn't need to be on alert all the time—and he didn't have to wear his protective breastplate and pack all the time. It was a much more stable environment for them and Ruby felt that she owed it to them to at least try assimilate into the group for them.
"I was thinking… Maybe of asking Rick if it would be okay if I stayed, honestly," she admitted.
Dale practically beamed at her, his wrinkled face appearing years younger momentarily.
"I think that is a fantastic idea. Rick won't mind, in fact, he'll be glad for it I dare say," Dale assured her.
She gave him an uncertain look and awkwardly played with a strand of her hair.
"I hope so," she mumbled.
Dale placed his hand on her shoulder and she looked at him.
"I am certain," he told her kindly but firmly.
She nodded and took a deep breath. She looked out over the fields and finally sighed.
"I'd best get going, these rabbits won't hunt themselves," she joked.
Dale gave her a relieved look.
"I'm glad you're going out, with Daryl out of commission I know a lot of us expected a lean few days. If you're going to stay though… if you could hunt for us, we would be mighty appreciative," Dale trailed off.
Ruby perked up, happy for an excuse to be useful. She gave Dale a warm smile and nodded.
"Don't you worry about food, I'll get us through," she said firmly.
Dale nodded and patted her shoulder.
"I know you will."

"Ready for another hunt, Loki?" Ruby called as she climbed off the RV.
He looked up at her eagerly and stood up, wagging his tail. She gave him a wry smile and whistled at him. He turned to her and she started into a fast paced jog, favouring her sore ankle, Loki keeping at a lope just ahead of her. Heading in the opposite direction, they hunted together for over an hour. Occasionally she would throw a rock to scare the wildlife for Loki and other times he would race off after a scent but in all it was a very fruitful session. She wanted to stay out longer but Ruby figured she shouldn't stress her ankle out too much and so with a handful of rabbits, they made their way back to the camp. Ruby didn't even want to think of how she smelled, she was sure it was close to a sewerage system. She hadn't showered or even taken a sponge bath in weeks. It was her most hated thing about the apocalypse, the sacrifice of showers.

She arrived back at camp and she could see a few people's expressions had brightened up upon seeing her and the score of rabbits she had in her hands. She smiled widely back at everyone who smiled at her and made her way over to Daryl's tent. She had seen movement from the tent which she assumed was Daryl and she was going to ask for his help with the rabbits. As she walked over she could hear voices speaking from inside and waited patiently a little ways away. She didn't want anyone to think she was eavesdropping, nor did she even want to hear anyone else's secrets, but their voices carried.
"—Anything I can do..." a distinctly remorseful, female voice came from inside.
"You were tryna protect the group," Daryl's low voice drawled.
"We're good."
"But hey, shoot me again, and you'd best pray I'm dead," he threatened.
Ruby did her best not to snort in laughter, she had no doubt he would hurt anyone who tried to shoot him. The tent opening zipped open and out stepped Andrea. The blonde woman's eyes met her cool, green ones and her eyes widened. Her eyes flicked to Daryl's tent and she shook her head as her cheeks flushed.
"We weren't—I wasn't doing anything with him. I just wanted to apologise," Andrea said, sounding nervous.
Ruby raised an eyebrow quizzically.
"To be honest, so long as you weren't killing them, I don't care what you do with anyone," Ruby assured her.
Andrea's eyes narrowed slightly as she tried to gauge the truth and she nodded stiffly before hurrying away. Ruby huffed in laughter and stepped over to the tent.

"Knock, knock," she called in.
"Whaddya want?" Daryl grumbled.
She knelt down and with one arm pushed the tent flap away. She held up the rabbits with her other hand.
"I could use a hand..." she trailed off expectantly.
Daryl's eyebrows rose as he counted the rabbits and shrugged.
"Good score," he muttered.
She smiled with a hint of pride.
"I'll join ya in a sec," he mumbled, sitting up slightly.
The blanket fell off him to reveal him in one of his infamous sleeveless shirts.
"Do you even own a shirt with sleeves?" she asked him teasingly.
He looked up bewildered as he eased himself out of his bed. He looked down at his shirt and then shrugged.
"Not any more. Used my last sleeves yesterday," he grunted.
Ruby shook her head amusedly. In all honesty she didn't mind, as she definitely enjoyed the view. He carefully climbed out of the tent, collecting up his crossbow on the way. She could see that he was in a lot of pain still and was sure the crossbow was adding to that.
"Doesn't that hurt? Having the crossbow?" she asked in concern.
Daryl looked at her and down at his crossbow.
"No. Best to be prepared," he grumbled.
It was clear that he didn't like being considered weak and unable. Ruby bit her lip but then shrugged, he was a grown ass man and didn't need her to baby him.

Slowly, they walked over, with Loki happily padding along in front of them.
"How'd ya get him?" Daryl asked, looking at Loki.
Ruby frowned, pursing her lips together.
"My brother was a cop, and I was a brat, basically," Ruby started.
She could see the confusion flicker on Daryl's face as he tried to connect the dots between what she had just told him and Loki.
"He was investigating an underground dog fighting ring and once I found out I insisted on coming. He told me I was an idiot and told me to stay out of 'official police business'," Ruby continued.
She heard Daryl snort next to her and she glared at him. He noticed and smirked before gesturing for her to continue.
"So, in typical me fashion, I ignored him and got myself an invite to the next dog fight."
Ruby's face darkened as she remembered the sounds and smells of the ring. It sounded like someone had let loose a pack of savage animals and dangled a single morsel of food over them, and it smelled of sweat, urine and blood. A smell she associated with death.
"I went in and it was… A direct portal into the most disgusting and depraved side of the human nature. There were two dogs in the ring and…"
Ruby broke off, trying to fight back the angry tears that were filling her eyes. Ruby took a deep breath, forcing back her tears.
"I had to pretend to be excited—" she spat the word out like it was poison. "—as one dog latched onto the other and killed it. And the killed dog was just thrown away like it was garbage while the other was praised. It just felt so fucking wrong. That's when I saw Loki. He was in a cage, and people were cheering and hitting it and he just looked so scared. Of course, all everyone else saw aggression. He had his teeth bared and his hackles up but I could see in his eyes, he was just scared. And it made me so angry I couldn't see straight and I knew I had to rescue him. I mean, he was barely out of puppy hood! He was just over a year old… I mean… Who does that?!"
Ruby could feel her eyes start to swim again and forced herself to stop and breathe before continuing.
"He was the next dog in the ring actually and he was against this monster of a pit bull. The owner had to hold onto this pit bull with the help of two other people because he was just that savage. He was about to choke himself trying to get to Loki, he was practically frothing. And when they let him go he just barrelled into him."
Ruby paused her story to look down at her dog. He was trotting happily just ahead of her. If she met him now, she would never have guessed his story. He was a wonderfully sweet animal. Easily the smartest dog she'd ever met.
"Bless Loki, he is many things, but a dog fighter is not one of them. Loki spent a good portion of the fight running in circles and jumping over him—much to his owners chagrin. But that couldn't last forever, and this fucking dog just kept biting at him."

They had just reached the tarp and Ruby lay out the rabbits. She could feel Daryl's eyes on her as he silently took in her story. It definitely wasn't the usual way to get a pet dog. Loki lay down on the ground next to her looking eagerly at the rabbits. He knew he was going to get fed soon. Ruby ran her hands through his coat, her fingers feeling the old ridges and bumps of long healed scars. She looked up at Daryl to see a frown on his face as he looked at Loki. She couldn't even begin to decipher what he was thinking and instead reached up for his hand. He looked at it before slowly reaching to her. She took his hand in hers and lay her hand on his, guiding him through Loki's coat, over the scars. She saw Daryl's frown deepen over each lump and she could see he was becoming more and more pissed off.

"This dog would have killed Loki but Loki jumped out of the ring. Which is when the crowd went into uproar. Jumping out is seen as cowardice and who wants a coward fighting dog?" she spat bitterly. "Loki's owner grabbed him and hauled him off. And Loki was yelping and I just—I had to find him. I don't know why it was Loki of all dogs, but it was. I pushed through the crowd and went searching for him."
Ruby's hands fisted up and she could feel the tears coming back, but she couldn't hold these ones back. They slipped down her cheeks, without her consent and she angrily brushed them away. Her hands clenched around Loki's loose fur and she flinched as Daryl's hand cautiously touched hers.
"I found the owner hitting Loki with a plank of wood. He was yelling obscenities at him and kicking at him all the while beating him. And the sounds Loki was making were... They... I've never heard an animal scream like he was."
She could feel the muscles in Daryl's hand twitch and his hand tightened around her own. Her nails dug into her palms as she heard the high pitched pained screams of Loki echoing in her head.
"He was going to kill Loki and I just… I ran at him. I was so angry, I couldn't see or think and I ran into this guy who could've snapped me like a twig, he was twice my size—at least. I managed to knock him off guard and but he swung with his plank and actually got me fair in the gut. Safe to say, he wasn't happy to see me. He struck me again with the plank, broke a rib, and told me to get the hell out of his business. So naturally, I told him to fuck off."
Daryl's snort interrupted her and she could see just behind the blue flames of fury, there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"Ya told him to fuck off?" he asked.
She smiled sheepishly.
"I never said I was smart," she laughed.
Daryl raised an eyebrow at her and she shrugged before getting back into her story.
"He didn't like my answer and raised his plank to hit me again, but… Loki stopped him."
Daryl looked at her curiously before his eyes flicked down at the peaceful dog lying between them, snapping at a fly that was buzzing around his snout.
"Loki ended up ripping his throat out."
Daryl's eyebrows hit his hairline and he stared at Loki in shock. If you knew Loki now, you would never have guessed he would be capable of something so savage.
"I actually thought he was going to attack me next but… he didn't. He just stared at me and I don't know. It's like he knew I didn't want to hurt him. I whisked him away and ever since then he's been my protector. Hey, buddy," Ruby cooed softly.
Loki grunted and rolled onto his back as she began to rub his belly. Daryl just shook his head and Ruby smiled at him.
"Damn," he muttered.
"That's why I'm not scared. If I have Loki, I will be okay. He will kill to protect me," Ruby said.
Daryl whistled lowly and his hand came to rest on Loki's belly where he gave him an idle pat.
"Good boy," Daryl murmured.
Ruby smiled lightly, wiped the remnants of tears off her face and looked back down at the rabbits.
"Shall we?"