Well Merry Christmas and Happy New Years everyone. I'll try to get more updates out but with the ever looming holidays coming It'll be slower. Sorry it took me so long to update. I got pretty sick and so did my fiance. I ended up sleeping almost non stop and then I wasn't home to write when I was awake. But I'm getting back in the swing of things here. Hope you enjoy.

Sophia was panting but not giving up and that was more than he had asked for right now. She had been pushing herself for the last two weeks since getting to Woodbury. She had demanded that after it was mentioned him teaching her to defend herself that he really start. It wasn't just him though that was putting her through her paces. Carter, Briar, Martinez, Stevens, and Tucker had all took turns showing her different things.

Mac had found it amusing teaching her dirty ways to go about fighting and not letting anyone know. Carter had caught the brunt of that when she had drove her knee straight into his groin and sent him to his knees. Mac had whooped loudly whistling seconds before laughing and Carter who was breathing heavy from the ground. After that the men had started paying more attention to her making sure that she wasn't going to go for low blows.

Daryl wanted her to understand though that her being a girl things were always going to be different her in a world like this. He knew it sounded bad of him to say it but she was a woman and didn't have what men did. Strength of body. She was going to grow up in this world where men weren't bound by law to keep their hands to themselves and he wanted her to understand she didn't owe them a goddamn thing. He was going to drive it in her head that she never let anyone take advantage of her lest she ever get separated from him and his brothers.

Sophia trotted back over to him and he handed her the water bottle. She was drinking it slowly looking around them and swiping her sweaty hair off her face. She growled and he followed her eyes seeing the girls around her age walking over. She had yet to really fool with them and he found it amusing really. He should push her to be around kids her age instead of just him, his brothers, and the rest of the men from Merle's command but really it didn't bother him and Sophia seemed to balk at the idea.

He had tried a few times when they first got here but she had quickly thrown it out there that Brian didn't so she shouldn't have to. Mac had grinned at him and shrugged thinking he was going to have a fight on his hands. Daryl though wasn't going to force her to do shit she didn't want to do. Hannah had argued saying she needed to be around more women but Sophia had growled and stormed away.

"If they come over here I'm not going with them." Sophia huffed.

Daryl followed her eyes seeing the young girls looking at her. He turned and motioned Sophia with him. She followed and handed him the bottle as they walked towards the house they stayed in. Despite not being tired he was ready to get out of the sun and needed to take time to get his shit together for tomorrow anyways. He was going hunting and scouting. He knew that chances were that Sophia's mother was long gone but he'd made her a promise and he'd look every time he went out.

"You will be careful right?" Sophia looked up at him.

He grunted and nodded slightly at her and she smiled and burst through the door. Daryl snorted when Merle's head turned and he looked at them scowling. Sophia just beamed at him and trotted over climbing up on the arm of his chair looking over his shoulder.

Carter grinned, "Did you kick his ass today?"

Sophia grinned back and shot Daryl a look, "Yup!"

Carter looked over at him where he leaned in the door, "You gonna kick his ass tomorrow cause I'd like to see that?"

Sophia's face lost her smile immediately and she shook her head, "He's leaving tomorrow."

He felt eyes on him from more than just a few and huffed. Pushing off the wall he disappeared leaving them to whatever they were doing. Foot steps behind let him know he wasn't alone and he sighed. Mac was right on his on tail and likely was ready to rage. He was already tired of the shit and just wished Mac would shut the fuck up.

Pushing his door open Daryl walked in and collapsed back on his bed glaring at his brother. Mac was glaring just as hard his face a mask of white hot rage. He had a large red hand print across his face and Daryl smiled knowing Hannah had done it without asking.

"What happened this time?"

Mac snarled and kicked his door shut, "Fuck her!"

Daryl nodded at him still smiling at him, "So Hannah hit you...you gonna say why?"

Mac threw his arms in the air, "The bitch is goddamn crazy!"

"And your sane?"

"Fuck you you're supposed to be on my side you fuckin' dick." Mac snarled flopping back on the bed beside him. "I was standing by my goddamn self and she comes out of nowhere saying some shit about me being an asshole and slapped the fuck out of me and just kept saying shit."

Daryl barked out a laugh and Mac kicked his leg back hard connecting with his shin, "What did she when she rang your bell?"

"DO you know someone name Karen?"

Daryl nodded. He did know her. She had asked him earlier about him teaching Sophia self defense and mentioned her boy Noah. "Yeah I do.'

Mac set up and glared at him, "Why the fuck am I getting hit over you talking to some gash?

Daryl grinned at him and waggled his eyes brows, "She is the mom to you son."

"Fuck that. We aren't together and haven't been for years." Mac growled.

Daryl set up and raised a brow, "How many times did I hear you talk about wanting to slit Todd's throat?"

Mac stood pacing and Daryl watched him. There was a new anger brewing in his brother that he knew all to well. Mac was beyond pissed but was trying to control it, something he wasn't known for. Brian had inherited the Dixon temper and it seemed the older he got the more he took after Mac with that. Daryl shook his head and smiled at the thought that his brother got to deal with a miniature version of himself now and see what he went through.

"You seen those marks on her and Brian was there goddamn it!" Mac snarled rounding on him, "HE seen the motherfucker do it and he said that Todd acted like he wanted to keep going."

Daryl stood up and caught Mac's arm making him stop pacing, "Did he say if anything else happened?"

Mac nodded his nostrils flaring wide, "Said he keeps seeing Todd watching him and her. "

Daryl grit his teeth feeling that tension that was underlying for the past two weeks surfacing. Licking his lips he looked to the door, "Don't do something stupid Mac."

"I'll fuckin' kill him." Mac snapped jerking at his arm.

Daryl snarled right back and slammed Mac back into the wall. Mac stopped moving looking at him his eyes clearing and focusing on him. Daryl wasn't the one who got rough and Mac knew it. Daryl met his eyes, "You do something stupid and it could come back and bite you in the ass or get Brian or her hurt."

Mac released a breath and nodded. The door opened and Merle stepped in looking between them. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Mac is a jackass."

Merle looked at Mac and shook his head, "When the two of you get done tying your dicks together come down stairs."

Daryl shot Merle a dirty look but his face was smug and he disappeared but not before slapping Mac's already red cheek. Mac hissed through his teeth at him and Merle cackled disappearing.

"YOU WISH WE WOULD SO YOU COULD WATCH!" Mac barked down the hall.

Brian and Sophia appeared, "What're we watching?" Brian tilted his head.

Daryl snorted at the look on Mac's face. He looked at Daryl but he just leaned in the door frame. Merle was looking up at them from a few steps down grinning and waggling his eyebrows.

"Well answer him." Merle prodded.

Mac walked forward and leaned on the railing, "Nothing, just fucking nothing."

Brian made a noise and walked forward eyeing Mac. Daryl watched as he seen the hand print and then grinned, "You seen mom."

Mac shot him a look and then looked at Brian, "You got a reason for being a little shit right now?"

Brian kept smiling and leaned against the wall as Sophia walked by to stand by Daryl. "I want to go with Daryl tomorrow."

Daryl stiffened but didn't say anything. Sophia made a noise and shot him a look, "That isn't fair Daryl! You told me I couldn't go."

Brian growled, "Cause you don't know shit about hunting."

"Because your the great master outdoors man!" Sophia hissed. "Just shut up."

Daryl eyed them both and then looked at Mac and he lifted his hands, "He's your son I aint gettin' in that, Hannah will come at me then like she did you."

"Oh fuck you." Mac snapped. "Scared of a goddamn woman."

Daryl chuckled walking by hearing Brian arguing with his dad. Mac trailing him even as Brian kept up his rant and Daryl grinned loving Mac getting a dose of himself. Brian was as relentless as Mac himself could be. Sophia was silent next to him and stormed to the living room and right back next to Merle. She was leaning into his side looking at the map. She was following his hand as he made a path along the ridges.

The door swung open and Hannah stepped in. Daryl smirked and she smiled at him but her eyes were on her son and Mac. Both were arguing out of earshot of the others. It was clear Mac was getting pissed and Brian was pushing it. Mac had already been mad earlier but now he was getting ready to go off.

"YOU HEARD ME!" Mac barked causing Brian to stall his steps.

Mac hardly ever raised his voice with his son. All eyes swiveled to them and Brian turned looking at him.

"Don't you turn your goddamn back on me when I'm talking to you!" Mac snapped, "Now get the fuck back over here."

Brian walked back and Hannah followed her eyes wide. Mac hadn't acknowledged her and instead was pushing Brian out the back door. Merle looked at Daryl but he waved it away. Mac could handle his shit and he wasn't worried about him hurting those two. The person that Mac wanted to hurt was Todd and so long as he stayed away he might live.

Walking over Daryl showed Merle where he was going to go and looked at him, "I'll be gone before sun up."

Merle nodded at him, "They know at the gate."

Since the two weeks of being here things had been smooth more or less. The Governor hadn't made to many waves after he realized that Merle wasn't fucking around. People were starting to look at them more and more as a guiding force for things and that made him nervous. He didn't like having the people who depended on him looking at him like that let alone all these other people. He wanted to duck away from that shit so he kept more to himself. For the most part that worked unless it came to Sophia. It seemed most of these women were gossips and had seemed to cling to information that Sophia was with him and had assumed she was his kid. They all thought he was a single father and more often than not tried to give him parenting advice for little girls. It made him uncomfortable. He mostly ignored these people and dismissed them.

Brian walked back in his face clear and cheeks red. He was embarrassed and took a seat next to Sophia. He was scowling but look up at Daryl. "Mom said I can go with you if you okay'd it."

Mac glared at Hannah and she crossed her arms over chest, "What?" He snapped.

Hannah huffed and shook her head, "You know Daryl wont let him get hurt."

Looking off at her words cause he knew they were true he crossed his arms over his chest and tightened his jaw.

"Mac you're being difficult because your mad at me and taking it out on him."

"Aint taking shit out on him cause you're a bitch." He snarled rounding on her, "Fuckin' walk up to me like that and slap me for no fuckin' reason."

Hannah's face flushed and she chewed her lip. Her eyes went to his cheek and she gave him an apologetic smile, "I shouldn't have done that."

"You're goddamn right."

Hannah sighed, "She was talking about you and Daryl and then asked something that...I don't know it's nothing but I'm sorry."

Mac raised a brow at her, "Don't you start that shit with me, you made that decision not me. You knew what I said and felt about all of it and you picked that." He growled walking for the door, "You don't like it then that's on you but you don't get to walk around here like you fucking own me."

Hannah grabbed his arm and he tensed, "Do you blame me Mac? I mean really, look at how things were then."

Mac rounded on her, "You want the fuckin' truth?"

Hannah paled slightly in the face of his anger, "Yes, I want to know if your mad."

"You chose to raise him away from me, you chose to not tell me you were pregnant, you chose all that shit but when you did tell me it was because goddamn Daryl found out he was MINE! You done all that shit and still i was fucking here and done everything I could." Mac snarled walking around her, "I was here any time you fuckin' needed me or something. I was here for everything for him and never missed a goddamn second but what did you do Hannah? You let that motherfucker right in and you knew he was a piece of shit that didn't like OUR son! He put his fucking hands on you in front of him."

Hannah stood wide eyed looking at him but didn't say anything.

"You ask if I'm mad? No." He shook his head grabbing the door handle again, "I'm fuckin' hurt that you would rather that piece of shit play daddy to MY fuckin' son than me."