Sophia heavy chapter. If that aspect of the story isn't your thing then you can skip over this one if you'd like. It's mostly filler. Hope some of you enjoy it anyway and thanks for reading!

Chapter Seventeen

Sophia felt uneasy around the new people. She knew that it was only because she knew that there was no more law. People were bad before all of this. She knew that from personal experience that even people that were never suppose to hurt, would if they got the inclination. It was safe to say that this world could easily turn good people bad and bad people worse. All she wanted to do was live their life up here away from everyone else. She felt guilty for feeling that way but the Dixons were like family to her and her mom now. They took care of each other. New people coming along would only complicate things. It would disrupt something that had become very comfortable.

"I can't fuckin' stand that guy," Damon groused as he slid down the wall and pulled his knees up. "Arrogant bastard."

"You're just jealous. I think he's at least kinda hot, in a spoiled rick jock kid kind of way," Piper said, flouncing down on the bed.

Damon looked up sharply. "Oh come on. If a guy like him came on to you in school you'd rip his face off."

"That was then. Not everyone brought live in mates, cousin. Some of us just have to make due with what pops up. What do you think about him, Sophia?"

From the corner of her eye she saw Damon glare at his cousin. Sophia just shrugged. "He's not my type."

Piper rolled over and grinned. "What's your type?"

She shrugged again. "I don't guess I have a type."

"Everybody has a type. See, Damon here is totally into wholesome good girl types like you. He has this deep dark desire to corrupt you," Piper grinned.

"Shut up," Damon muttered.

Piper sat up. "Am I lying?"

Damon's eyes slid over to Sophia and he surprised her by grinning. "No. She really ain't lying."

They both laughed as Sophia felt her face flush. She decided to change the subject. "Well, I don't want them here. I don't feel right having strangers around. We don't know anything about them and that guy gives me the creeps."

Damon pointed at Sophia and looked at Piper. "You see? At least one of you have a fuckin' brain. Those people ain't got any business here. They should hit the road."

"Daryl is pissed," Piper said, ignoring Damon. "I don't think he wants that man here either. Or his family for that matter. The son is sort of okay to look at but that Richard guy, I totally agree with you there. Creep City."

Sophia nodded. "I noticed that Daryl wasn't too happy."

Piper met her eyes. "He's got it bad for your mom, dude."

Sophia shook her head. "So you keep saying but so far I haven't seen either of them give much. I mean, I can tell my mom cares about him a lot but seriously, who wouldn't after going through the stuff they did together? That doesn't mean anything is going to happen."

Damon chuckled. "Oh, trust me, it's gonna happen. You ever see how the hell they look at each other? And were my eyes playing tricks on me or were they holding hands after your mom went after him earlier? That's not a huge deal for most people but Daryl isn't most people. He don't let people in. He sure as shit don't let people touch him like that. Your mom has free reign when it comes to him."

Sophia smiled slightly. "I think they're friends but I think that's all that she's got to offer. My mom's been through a lot."

"Haven't we all?" Piper asked, raising her brow and then sliding off the bed. "I'm going back out there. I wanna know what my old man has planned for these assholes. He just may need a little input. I'm good at input."

"You really think he'll let them stay here? I thought they would be on the road already." Damon muttered, rolling over until his head was nearly in Sophia's lap.

Piper shrugged and started down the ladder. "You never know. A lot of factors at work here. The guy is some big shot politician. My dad might keep him around to torment him. And honestly, I don't know if he'd make them leave since they have kids and all. I guess we'll just have to see." She disappeared down the ladder, leaving Damon and Sophia alone.

It was a rare moment and she felt a thrill of excitement slide up her spine. She wasn't sure if Damon and Piper were simply messing with her or if he really did like her. She knew they were friends. She knew that the three of them had grown extremely close over the past week. But was he seriously attracted to her? She wasn't sure.

"You wanna get back down there so you can gawk at jock boy with Piper?" He asked, angling his head so he could look at her.

She shook her head. "I'm really not all that impressed with the guy. I think you pegged him right. He's arrogant. You can tell that he's full of himself and I can't stand people like that," she said, watching him as he sat back up.

He sat directly in front of her, stretching his long legs out and crossing them at the ankles. "I'm full of myself and so far you ain't complained." He nudged her hip with is foot and leaned back on his arms.

She rolled her eyes. "That's true, but you're different. You're nice."

His brow shot up. "Nice?"

She nodded. "Yes nice. There isn't anything wrong with being nice."

"No one's ever called me that before." He grinned.

"Well, you went out of your way to save my life and managed to keep your word and get me back to my mom. And you didn't make fun of me for being so scared out there when Atlanta burned. If that isn't nice, I don't know what is."

He looked like he had to think about it for a few moments but then he finally nodded in agreement. "You're right. I'm pretty damn nice."

She laughed. "See."

"You should thank me for being so goddamn chivalrous and helpful and understanding and shit."

"I did thank you."

He cocked his head to the side and gave her a quizzical look. "Did you? I don't remember it."

"I said thank you more than once." He was going somewhere with this. She could tell by the gleam in his dark eyes. "Do you want me to say it again?" She asked, raising a brow at him.

He shook his head, his eyes steady on hers but his lips turned up. "No. You can show me though. Now that it's just me and you and all."

She snorted and rolled her eyes, her cheeks flaming. "And how am I suppose to do that?"

"You're blushing," he grinned.

"It's a hundred degrees up here. I'm hot."

He nodded. "You're hot."

"You're ridiculous."

"You're still hot."

"So are you," she said, catching them both by surprise.

His brows shot up, a startled laugh escaping him before she felt his hand go around her ankle and he yanked her forward. She slid easily across the floor until she was close enough for him to snake his hand around the back of her neck. He met her eyes, his face growing serious as she licked her lips nervously. He was going to kiss her and she knew it. She'd never kissed a boy before and she hoped he didn't realize what a clueless idiot she was.

She didn't have long to silently fret over it before his lips met hers. She closed her eyes and forced herself to relax, even though her whole body felt like she'd just been zapped with a tazer. When his lips moved over hers, soft but demanding, she just went with it. Her mind felt almost numb despite her racing thoughts and that was okay. If she started over thinking this then she was going to mess it up.

When he broke the kiss, pulling back just enough so his eyes could meet hers, she took in a deep breath. She wasn't sure if she had convinced him that she wasn't completely clueless, even though she actually was completely clueless.

"Damn," he muttered, his voice rough.

"What?" She asked, unable to read his thoughts.

"I think things around here just a lot more interesting."

"What's that suppose to mean?" She asked, almost panicked.

He grinned and then pulled her towards him again. This time the kiss grew deeper and she completely lost herself in it. She agreed with him. Things around here really had gotten a lot more interesting.

Maybe a little too interesting. She felt his hand slide up the back of her shirt and then he was pulling her closer. She put her hands on his chest and pushed and he instantly drew back. His brown eyes were darker than she remembered.

"My bad," he grinned and then withdrew his hands from her shirt but kept them on her hips.

She grinned right back, silently willing her heart to slow down to a normal rhythm. Her skin was warm where his hands had been but that didn't mean she was going to let him just put them wherever he wanted. She wasn't that type of girl. He didn't seem to mind though and she was glad of that. She liked him. She liked him a lot, and she would hate to think that he was the type of guy to get mad when he didn't get his way.

"I'll tell you what," he said, dropping his hands and then leaning back on his arms slightly. "Your call. I'll be good if you wanna keep goin'. No more putting my hands up your shirt. Not till you tell me I can." The smile on his face was sinful.

She bit her lip, watching him carefully and then she surprised herself when she leaned in and kissed him again. She could really get used to doing this. It was nice to not feel pressured over any of this. Regardless of what he wanted people to think, he was one of the good guys.

He kept his hands to himself this time but he still kissed her back. Kissed her until she moved closer, nearly causing him to fall. She pulled back, an apology ready but he laughed and shook his head.

"What?" She asked, sounding breathless.

He shrugged. "Does this mean I get to break that Brody kid's nose if he checks you out again?"

"Are you asking me permission to beat someone up for looking at me?"

"I think I might be."

"Am I like, your post-apocalyptic girlfriend now?" She laughed. She was only joking. She didn't know the rules to things like this.

"Don't laugh, Sophia. I'm a pretty good catch," he said, looking mildly offended.

She sighed and shook her head. "You really are."