Newly Revised

Ani woke up curled into Daryl's side and smiled in content after having the first good dream in forever it seemed, everything still fresh in her mind as she started thinking about how it could have gone differently. Not every scenario ended badly, and it was honestly pings of guilt that ran through her every time she thought of a better way to handle it. The ones that did end in tragedy still had her feeling pain and she had to remind herself that it was done and over with. There was no changing the past and she and Daryl had come out on top, stronger than ever and more sure of themselves than they had been in a long time. Ani couldn't help but smile as she looked up at his sleeping face, that boyish look of relaxation taking over as she watched him. She snuggled herself closer into his chest, leaving no room between her front and his side as she rested her head on his shoulder while she began tracing the lines of his ribs and muscles. It only took a few minutes before his arm was tightening around her middle and he moved to his side, lazily opening his eyes before closing them again.

"Mmm, keep doin' that and I'll have to drag your ass outside," his gruff, sleep-filled voice rang out.

"Maybe ya should," she told him as he rolled on top of her and moved to use her breasts as a pillow, making her laugh and put her arms around him, one hand running through his hair making him sigh. "This is good, too."

"Get a room!" Merle's voice called out.

"Tell that ta Red and Feisty! They're the ones who like puttin' on a show!" Ani shot back, picking up a rock from the ground and tossing it at the man, though she missed thanks to the awkward position she was in with Daryl on top of her.

Daryl groaned and moved his face to press into her breasts before moving sot hat he could give her a chaste kiss. He handed her her shirt as he stood up before he grabbed his and put it back on, not missing the pout on Ani's face and smirking down at her. It felt so good to see that blush gracing her cheeks once again as she quickly moved to put her own shirt back on. Ani watched the kittens playing around with a soft smile while she stood up and got to work reattaching all her knives. Daryl still couldn't believe she'd handed Sasha Bob's knife after they'd gotten back from Atlanta the first time as she apologized for the woman's loss. He was in the middle of grabbing his crossbow when she moved to stand in front of him and held one of the knives out, causing him to look at her blankly. Ani rolled her eyes and moved her hand around to gesture for him to take it, the man doing so only to stop as he looked at he handle. An intricately carved crossbow was on the handle of it, complete with his initials. Looking up at her before looking back at it and the fact that she'd found something like this for him, he wasn't sure what to say.

"What's this?"

"Ya lost most a ya knives, and I got plenty ta spare. 'Fore all this fightin', when I was laid up in the van, well, Beth was given my whittlin' knife at Grady and gave it back ta me," she said, pulling the smallest pocket knife he'd ever seen out of her back pocket; it was seriously no bigger than her pinky. "It was my papa's, and 'e handed it down ta me. How Shepard got it, I don' know, but she kept it in damn fine condition. When I was laid up in the van, I carved that. Only craftin' I was eva good at, carvin'. Can' really whittle as far as makin' figurines and shite since I was still learnin' when 'e passed and I didn' have reason ta practice 'fore, but I can carve."

"You did this?"

"I wanted ta do somethin' for ya, but then we started fightin' and I wasn' sure if ya'd want it...wasn' sure a anythin' at the time."

"Anythin' you can't do?" he asked as a small smile crept on his face, standing like an idiot staring at the gift.

"Live without ya," she said back immediately, stepping into his personal space and wrapping her arms around him, needing to make up for lost time. "I love ya, D. I'm so fuckin' in love with ya it ain' funny. I'm sorry."

"I know. Stop sayin' it. I love you too. C'mere," Daryl said as he stood up, reaching out and pulling her to him, giving her another kiss.

"You weren't kiddin' about the conjoined thing, were you?" Abraham asked from his perch against the wall, internally smiling at the two; there a was a difference between love and being in love, and those two certainly fell into the latter.

"Worse than teenagers is what they are," Merle said from beside Rick, passing the man back his daughter. "Come on, y'all! Got kids around!"

"Like Red and Rose haven' taught 'em 'bout the birds and the bees already. Ain' nothin' me and Daryl can teach 'em jus' by kissin' and cuddlin'," Ani shot back.

"I think it's sweet," Sophia said.

"Yeah, shows real love exists, you know?" Beth agreed, nudging Noah in the shoulder and causing him to scoff; it was no secret the two liked each other.

There wasn't much they could do besides sit in the shelter and try to figure out their next move and where they might be able to find supplies. They were stranded without a vehicle and weren't sure how far out from their destination they were anymore since they didn't have a map. When Merle and Sophia had gone out to hunt in the early hours, they informed the others about the fact that a tornado had come through last night and that they'd gotten lucky it didn't hit them. The destruction around them could only have been from one passing through; it wasn't just luck it didn't hit them, but also that it took out the horde. So many trees had been thrown about outside that neither of them could explain it until Eugene spoke up about how there were some tornadoes that had suction vortices around their main funnel, allowing for structures, objects, and even people to pass through a tornado unscathed so long as they were within one of those zones. Carol had come over to talk to Daryl after a while, the man making good on his promise by pulling Ani into his lap and holding her there while they talked. For everything that Ani promised and had told him she wouldn't do, she never said she wouldn't get back at Carol for the looks the woman had given her. She sat with her head tucked up under Daryl's chin, just smirking snidely at the woman who looked like she'd swallowed one of the twins. If Daryl knew she was basically rubbing their mended relationship in Carol's face, he didn't seem to care one bit as they talked about what they could do with their situation as it was.

"Hey, everyone? This is Aaron," Maggie said, opening the door as they all grabbed weapons as a newcomer entered the barn behind her.

Ani had her knives out and followed quickly behind Daryl as he went to the barn door and looked out, double checking if they were followed before he roughly searched the man for weapons. He didn't seem particularly strong and everything about him was well groomed; he looked cleaner than any of them had since the CDC. Hell, even with her and Daryl using bricks and streams, they were never truly free of dirt. Yet this man was clean shave, more so than even Merle who, who had kept up his shaving as best as he could on the road. His hair was clean and looked as if it had been styled while his eyes were wide and clear as he looked around. It was odd for such a man to be out in the wild when even his clothes were clean; washed and almost new looking. Ani was inclined to believe that the man meant them no harm and was willing to hear him out, but the look on Rick's face said she would have to make the final decision in the end. The man was too cautious of anyone and anything after the Claimers and Terminus and she couldn't blame him; she had to admit that she felt she was still very wary of Carol. But Carol was an actual threat while the man, Aaron, was nothing more than a carrier pigeon sent to deliver a message. He didn't even look half as tough as their children and was carrying less weapons than any of them were; all he had was a gun.

"We met him outside. He's by himself. We took his weapons and we took his gear."

Merle closed and locked the door as Judith began to wail, Aaron saying, "Hi. It's nice to meet you."

He tried to take a step forward to shake Ani's hand, but she stepped back as Daryl stepped up between them, bow trained at the man who visibly paled and took a step back. Even if she and Daryl were alright again, Ani wasn't ready to touch other people than her immediate family; Daryl, Sophia, and Merle. The twins were hiding somewhere in the barn and Sophia and Carl were standing behind the majority of the group just in case, but Ani really didn't think they needed to be so on guard. If the kids could easily take the man in her opinion, there was no threat to be found. Unless it's a trap and 'e's the bait, she thought, though the possibility of that after the storm was just as likely as a stranger literally walking into a shack full of heavily armed fighters. No matter how she looked at it, and her brain had come up with numerous scenarios, there was simply no way for the man to be anything more than what he said he was. He was too open and honest and unless he was a really good actor that could keep in character even during all the pressure Aaron was currently under. That was also as highly unlikely as there was always a breaking point when it came to keeping in character. Things like love, stress, despair, and fear were all critical factors that eventually would show the true character of a person if they were acting and only the best of actors could overcome that. Ani didn't think Aaron was capable of that considering the fear in his eyes was real and showed in his body language.

"You said he had a weapon?" Rick asked, Maggie handing him a six-shooter. "There something you need?"

"He has a camp nearby. He wants us to audition for membership," Sasha informed them.

"Pfft-ha!" Ani couldn't help it. "Audition for membaship? Seriously? Ah, that's a good one!"

"I wish there was another word," the man told her. "Audition makes it sound like we're some kind of a dance troupe. That's only on Friday nights. And, uh, it's not a camp. It's a community. I think you all would make valuable additions, but it's not my call. My job is to convince you all to follow me back home." When they remained silent, Aaron shook his head in understanding, his words so far ringing true to Ani, "I know. If I were you I wouldn't go either."

"Might, if ya have proof," Ani said, making Rick grab her by the arm which in turn made her jump and accidentally be a little too rough when she used a strike to remove his hand, leaving a large red mark on his arm. "Sorry, but ya don' got ta be so rough. Man's tellin' the truth far as I can tell. All 'is responses are completely genuine, he's by 'imself, unarmed, and surrounded by enemies. Yet 'e's keepin' 'is composure even though he's scared 'nough ta piss 'imself. Give 'im a chance."

"Sasha, can you hand Rick my pack?" Aaron asked. "Front pocket, there's an envelope." Ani walked over to where Rick had backed off a couple steps to look at what he pulled out too, giving Daryl a squeeze on the shoulder before she did so. "There's no way I could convince you to come with me just by talking about our community, just like, um, Ani is the correct name for everyone, right?"

"Yeah, that's not fuckin' creepy," she replied sarcastically. "But, yeah, everyone calls me Ani. Only Daryl and Red get names for me, and Red's only 'cause if I don' let 'im call me Tiny 'is panties get in a twist bad 'nough ta make 'is balls blue."

"Ani, yes," Aaron nodded, Merle and Abraham chuckling at the comment the girl had made. "Like Ani said, I need proof to convince you. That's why I brought those. I apologize in advance for the picture quality. We just found an old camera store last-"

"Nobody gives a shit," Daryl said quietly, just wanting the man to shut up but not missing the amused glint in Ani's eyes that quickly turned to one clearly asking if he was okay.

She might have been able to bounce back quickly, but he was rather grouchy about being hounded by Merle for taking what he needed from his girl. He needed a lot more than just a few kisses and keeping his hands on her; he had been denied the feel of her under him for a little over a month now and damn if that didn't need to change. It was also the need to claim her as his all over again, make her know exactly who she belonged to, and who belonged to her. They had resolved their emotional turmoil and had reached the point where those needs had been met, but they both still needed the physical release that came with their fights. Even if it had been an emotional slip, she'd still almost slipped through his fingers and he needed to make sure she knew that nothing had changed with them. He just nodded at her and gave her a twitch of a smile before Aaron spoke, making him tear his eyes away from her to glare at the man.

"You're absolutely, 100% right," Aaron told him. "That's the first picture I wanted to show you, because nothing I say about our community will matter unless you know you'll be safe," he told Rick and Ani as Rick pulled the pictures from the envelope, showing a very high, but poorly constructed wall. "If you join us, you will be. Each panel in that wall is a fifteen foot high, twelve foot wide slab of solid steel framed by cold-rolled steel beams and square tubing. Nothing, alive or dead, gets through that without our say-so."

"Ya got ya bracas facin' out. Should be facin' in. Anyone can climb up them things and drop down inside," Ani told him, automatically stating what was wrong with the wall before thinking about it. Realizing what she said, she quickly added, "But we can handle anyone. It's good ta keep out the walkas, though."

"You know architecture?"

"I know a good way in when I see one."

"I'll have to let them know back home. Thank you," he told her. "Like I said, security is obviously important. In fact, I think there's only one resource more critical to our community's survival. The people."

"Ya right there. People have always been the world's greatest resource," Ani said, nodding her head and agreeing with the man.

"Together we're strong. You can make us even stronger," Aaron told them as Rick handed Ani the pictures, who happily flipped through them, happy that at least one of the people was on his side, even if it wasn't the leader; if only he knew. "The next picture, you'll see inside the gates. Our community was first constructed-" he started saying until Rick delivered a haymaker and knocked the man out.

"The fuck, Rick?!" Ani asked, handing the pictures off to Sophia. "I told ya he was tellin' the truth! Does nah one listen ta me anymore?!"

"Well, you aren't exactly reliable," Rosita said, earning her a glare from Ani.

"Listen 'ere, asshat. I am sick a ya attitude towards me. I know I ain' been at my best lately, but I sure as hell ain' goin' ta sit back and listen ta ya talkin' shite anymore. Or did ya forget, I put you on your ass and have been the one callin' half a the shots 'round 'ere even with my head on sideways?!"

"Girl's right, Rose. You're not even this much of a hard-ass to Eugene," Abraham said, still impressed by the girl's own right cross.

"Eugene didn't punch you."

"Yeah, well, I was being a donkey with his nuts on fire, so I deserved it. I was given fair warnin' by Stumpy she wouldn't tolerate my shit and I all but flung said shit in her face. And hell, I got a good night's sleep," Abraham chuckled. "Don't pin the blame on the horse for the donkey bein' a jackass."

"Where do ya come up with these sayin's?" Ani said as she double checked Aaron with Maggie and Daryl. "Neva mind, I don' want ta know. He should be fine, but Rick? Seriously? What the hell?"

Michonne seemed to agree as she told him, "Let's be clear, that wasn't a 'let's attack that man look.' It was a 'he seems like an okay guy to me' look. I'm with Ani on this. He didn't look like a threat."

"Still gotta secure him. Dump his pack."

"Rick, is that really necessary?" Ani asked. "Sure dump 'is pack, double check 'e's tellin' the truth, but let's be honest 'ere, he ain' no damn threat with all a us. Hell, even one a us could take 'im with our eyes closed, even the kids. Ain' got an ounce a trainin' with his posture."

"Say we give him the benefit of the doubt," Abraham said. "And we leave him untied and he just happens to run off and brings back people from his community. I'd rather tie him up than be left lickin' the dog balls of a corpse."

"Fine, but don' be too rough. Man looks fragile."

"Everybody else, we need eyes in every direction. They're comin' for us. We might not know how or when, but they are."

"Uh, Rick? If they were, they'd be here already. Can we at least hear the man out 'fore ya go and condemn 'im? I mean, 'e's clean. That means runnin' wata. Look! He's got fuckin' applesauce! I mean, I don' 'bout ya, but that's homemade applesauce and that says their community has resources. And, let's be honest, lookin' at 'im, they need us. 'Sides, could always jus' take it if it don' work out right," she said with a shrug, making the man look at her in contemplation as Daryl tied the man's hands behind his back. "Might as well hear 'im out. Not too tight, D. No bruises. He won' try ta run."

"Alright," Daryl said, making sure the ropes were tight enough to not be able to break out of, but not so tight they'd bruise; his wrists would definitely be chaffed though.

"Me and Sasha, we didn't see him," Maggie said, agreeing with Ani. "If he had wanted to hurt us, he could've."

"Anybody see anything?" Rick asked, ignoring both Ani and Maggie who shared a look.

"Just a lot of hiding spots," Glenn replied unhelpfully.

"Alright, keep lookin'."

"Rick, I really don' think this is all necessary."

"How you figure, Tiny?" Abraham asked, wondering what it was that the little woman saw in the man that made her trust him so easily.

"Again, he's clean. Home-canned goods. Fuckin' pictures! We need this! Judith definitely needs this," she told him, following him back to where Carl had emptied his pack.

"You need it too, girly," Merle added on, earning several looks of confusion he just shrugged his shoulders at.

"What'd you find?" Rick asked Carl as Ani walked up to check the man's things herself.

"Never seen a gun like that before," Carl told him, handing over an orange gun with a large barrel.

"It's a flare gun," Ani stated. "Ya shoot it in the air ta indicate ya position."

"So you're saying there could be more out there?" Rick asked.

"Well, that's a dumb question. A course there're more'n jus' 'im out there. Don' know how many, but one flare gun with two flairs and nah knives says a lot about this guy. Eitha 'e's sincere, or 'e's expendable. My guess is still definitely leanin' towards sincere," she shrugged as she walked away, going over to Daryl as he paced behind the man while Maggie dealt with his bleeding ear. "Ya okay, D?" she asked as she walked up to him, Daryl reaching out and grabbing her to bring her further away from the man on the floor.

"Don't like this," he said, knowing she'd understand that not knowing how many they were against and the fact that he was uncomfortable with the newcomer.

"I know, love, I know," she said, stepping up to her husband's back and grabbing his shirt as the guy came to.

With a smile and a chuckle, Aaron told Rick, "You've got a hell of a right cross there, Rick."

"Yeah, well, Ani's a good teacher," he said dryly. "Sit him up."

"I think it's better-" Maggie started.

"Ya prolly gave 'im-" Ani said at the same time.

Both were cut off by Aaron's, "It's okay."

"He's fine, sit him up," Rick repeated, causing Michonne to roughly jerk Aaron into a sitting position.

"Easy, Michy, jeez! Am I the only one wantin' 'im ta be treated like a human fuckin' bein'?" Ani asked, thoroughly irritated by the way the group was treating the man; he seriously wouldn't be able to hurt a fly around them!

Groaning as he was righted, Aaron said, "You're being cautious. I completely understand that."

"How many of your people are out there?" Rick asked, cutting off Aaron's response and sending Ani a steely glare she responded in kind too before he produced the flare gun. "You have a flare gun. You have it to signal your people. How many of them are there?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes," Rick and Ani said at the same time.

"I mean," Aaron said while rolling his eyes, more to himself and his own stupid question than anything else. "Yes, of course it matters how many people are actually out there, but does it matter how many people I say are out there?"

"Man's got a point, Friendly," Merle popped up from his station at the back of the barn. "Can't trust a damn number that comes out of his mouth."

"Stop ya shite, Merle. Man hasn' lied yet."

"How do you know?" Tara asked.

"Forensic psychologist. Really good at it. Used ta be called the Atlanta PD's own Sherlock. So yeah, I know."

"Would you believe me if I said there was only one?" Aaron asked.

"I can believe ya scared 'bout whoeva ya thinkin' 'bout," she said, bending down in front of him and taking a good look at him. "Ya partna, ya really care 'bout 'em, don' ya?"

"He's the love of my life," he admitted. "There really is only one other. Just him. We drove in separate vehicles so if we encountered a group, we could bring them all back to the community. He stayed by them to guard them. Look, I know it's hard to trust me," he told Rick who was standing behind Ani, watching the interaction closely, "but I am telling the truth."

"Kinda hard to trust a man who smiles after getting punched in the face."

"How about a guy who leaves bottles of water for you in the road?"

Daryl glanced at the water he'd been sharing with Ani and scowled at the man, "How long you been followin' us?"

"Long enough to see that you practically ignore a pack of roamers on your trail," Aaron said. "Long enough to see that despite a lack of food and water, you never turned on each other. You're survivors, and you're people. Like I said, and I hope you won't punch me again, that is the most important resource in the world." Everyone remained very silent, looking to Ani and Rick; Rick was scowling and untrusting, as were Merle and Daryl, but Ani looked relaxed and excited. "Let me drive you to the community. All of you. You can see it for yourselves."

"You're parked just a couple miles away, right?" Carol asked suspiciously, making Ani roll her eyes.

"Uh, duh?" she told the other woman, looking back at her. "Prolly got a car and a big van or somethin'. Prolly been listenin' ta us and watchin' us. Elsewise he wouldn' know any a our names. Honestly, I like 'im! We did the same thing back at Grady, watchin' and waitin' ta see what we could see ta get Beth back. Ain' nothin' wrong with bein' cautious, 'specially with a group like ours. Come on, guys! We really do need this. We've been out 'ere too long. Sasha needs a place to rest and mourn. Red's hand is still bleedin' 'cause we're always fightin' and on the move. Judith needs food. Can' jus' keep givin' 'er crushed acorns and wild lettuce." When they all looked around, Ani gave a little room, "How 'bout this? Red, Glenn? Ya take Maggie, Rose and Michy ta check out the vehicles. The rest a us'll look for his friend. Rick, ya stay 'ere and get ya head on straight. And give that baby some applesauce!"

"What if it's poisoned?" Carol asked.

"Give it ta him first," Ani said, jabbing her thumb in Aaron's direction.

"Where you parked?" Abraham asked, liking the option where he got to get out of the barn.

"East on Ridge Road, just after you hit Route 16," Aaron said. "We wanted to get them closer, but then the storm came and blocked the road. We couldn't clear it. Like I said, I came here, he stayed back."

"You got this all planned out, don't you?" Rick asked.

"Rick, if I wanted to ambush you, I'd do it here. You know, light the barn on fire while you slept, pick you off as you ran out the only exit. You can trust me."

"I believe 'im, Rick," Ani said.

"I'll go check out the cars," Michonne said, agreeing with Ani that they needed this.

"There aren't any cars."

"There's only one way to find out."

"We don't need to find out."

"The hell we don'!" Ani shouted at Rick, making Aaron startle as she stood and stormed over to the older man. "Shite's bein' put right, right now! It ain' ya call ta make, Rick! I'm resumin' my mantle as the sole leada a our group. Red, Rose, Glenn, Maggie, go with Michy. Do what ya got ta ta get ta the road and back safely, but go. That's an orda."

"You got it," Glenn said, agreeing with Ani's move, though still not trusting the man.

"Look," Michonne told Rick. "You know what you know and you're sure of it, but I'm not."

"Me neither," Maggie told him. "I agree with Ani that he's tellin' the truth."

"Your way is dangerous," Rick told Ani. "Mine isn't."

"Passin' up a place we can live? Where Judith can live without goin' without food? Where we don' got ta scramble for wata? That's pretty damn dangarous, Rick."

"We need to find out what this is," Michonne told him. "We can handle ourselves. So that's what we're gonna do."

"Fine, do it your way."

"Ya good with it, Abe, Rose?"

"Sure, whatever," Rosita said as she grabbed her gun; she still wasn't happy that the young woman had been calling the shots half the time anyway and now she was handing orders out like candy.

"Yes ma'am, I'll walk with him," Abraham told her, ruffling her hair a bit as he passed by, smiling at the literal growl that came out of her as she batted his hand away. "Damn, momma to bobcats, should've known you were part animal."

"Get the fuck out a here 'fore I kick ya ass again!"

"Like to see you try with those short legs."

Ani's response was to turn and do a roundhouse kick, effectively kicking the man in the ass and making him stumble forward, "Not that damn hard."

"Told you she takes things literal," Merle said. "Me and Phia'll go with 'em, just to make sure we're good."

"'Alright, the more the merrya' they always say," Ani said nodding her head.

"You got enough firepower?" Rick asked them.

"We got what we got. If there's trouble, we'll take 'em down," Merle assured him.

"Alright," he said as Daryl moved Aaron away from the door. "The walkies are outta juice. If you're not back in sixty minutes, we'll come. Which might be just what they want."

"Rick," Ani drew out. "Will ya jus' fuckin' trust me on this?"

Ignoring Ani, Rick told the remaining members, "If we're all in here, we're a target."

"I've got the area covered," Daryl said, grabbing his crossbow and Ani's hand and leaving the barn as Rick talked behind him.

"Alright, groups of two, find somewhere safe within eyeshot."

Daryl pulled her far out into the woods, worried about the man in the barn but happy about having a moment alone with Ani. It'd been far too long between the prison, Terminus, Atlanta, and their fight and he had about an hour to keep her to himself and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to take it. Pulling her around a large tree, he pushed her back against it as he took her face in one hand while keeping her pinned to the tree with the other and crashed his lips to hers. Ani was drowning in the sensation of him pressed up against her, his knee between her legs and hand pulling her hair. He was holding her hair so tightly that even if she wanted to move away from the kiss, she would only be able to turn her head, leaving him with a much more vulnerable and sensitive spot to torture. It didn't take long for her hands to be exploring him in return, going up under his shirt as she began to rub against his leg. She moaned into the kiss when he picked her up, making her wrap her legs around his waist and move her arms to his neck as he ground his hardening member into her. While it took a few minutes to remember what they were supposed to be doing, Ani still managed to pull her lips away from his, making him attack her neck and shoulder instead.

"S'pposed to be loo...mmm...lookin' out," she told him, though if she was being honest with herself, she would kill him if he stopped.

"Don't care," he said as he dropped his crossbow off his shoulder and grabbed hold of her shirt, ripping it over her head; he really didn't care.

Ani couldn't and wouldn't stop him now as he bit and licked a trail down her neck to her collarbone, one hand pulling her bra down under her shirt, the fabric practically disappearing beneath her breasts. With every breath she took, noise escaped her as she felt his calloused hand roughly kneading them combined with the feel of his lips and beard on her neck. She was already close even though he had barely even started touching her, all the pent up need and frustration being released as he pressed her further into the tree. Her hands came around to his front and started to frantically unbutton his shirt while he put her down and just as quickly tried getting her pants off. Ani couldn't help the giggle that turned into a moan as he moved out of her reach to pull them down to her knees, not even waiting to them or her boots off before his tongue attacked her core. One of her hands went to her mouth, knowing they weren't very far away from the barn and there was still a possibility of walkers being in the area. The other went into his hair as he finished untying one of her boots, only pulling away long enough to finish exposing her before he had a leg over his shoulder and was right back to sucking her clit.

Daryl moaned himself at the taste of her as she came on his tongue, spurring Daryl to lick every bit of juice off of her lips and thighs. Ani was bucking into his face as best she could for standing against a tree and trying to balance on a leg that was already shaking from her pleasure. He didn't let her come down from her climax, entering her with two fingers and making her cry out his name. She was so damn sensitive she was already on the verge of climax again and Daryl knew just how to make her cum so hard that she drenched his chin with her juices before he let her leg off his shoulder and her to slump to the forest floor. She hissed at the feeling of the bark on her back while Daryl untied her other boot and completely took her pants off. Ani didn't care about the scrapes as she moved to finish unbuttoning his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders, their tongues battling each other as Ani moaned at the taste of herself on his tongue.

It'd been too long since she'd had this connection, felt the connection, with her husband and it was driving her wild. She pushed him onto his back as she moved down his body, undoing his belt and pants swiftly and releasing his thick cock. Daryl grabbed her hair and moved it out of her face, holding it while he looked down at her, propped on one elbow, smirking as he told her to get at it. Ani didn't wait as she licked the slit in the tip before taking it into her mouth and swallowing him all the way down. When she looked up at Daryl, he was staring at her, breathing heavily as she worked him, taking him down to the balls before working her way back up and twirling her tongue around his head, taking him back down. Daryl was going crazy as she went down on him, her tongue working its magic on his shaft and making it hard to keep watching her. It was fucking beautiful, watching her hallow out her cheeks while sucking on his tip and how she would look up at him with those eyes of hers as she took him all the to the back of her throat. He was so close to bursting in her mouth that he harshly pulled her hair and made her get off him, sitting up and pulling her in for a dominating kiss.

"I ain't cummin' in your fuckin' mouth," he growled at her when he pulled back.

"Oh?" she said, her own cocky grin forming and making his dick throb. "Are ya goin' ta punish me, daddy?"

"Say that again."

"Punish me, daddy," Ani told him, knowing that he went crazy when she called him that. "Please?"

"You asked for it, baby girl," Daryl told her, making her stand up as he pressed her against the tree.

He hooked one of her legs in the crook of his elbow before slamming inside her all the way to the hilt, making her cry out in both pleasure and the slight pain that came with his length and girth suddenly filling her up. He set a relentless pace that hit her back wall with every thrust as she cried out and asked him for more. Her back started scraping roughly against the bark of the tree when he grabbed her other leg and hooked it as well, changing the angle of his thrusts in the process. Daryl hit her sweet spot with every thrust now as Ani's walls started trembling and squeezing around him. She was so wet she was dripping and so soft against his shaft as he ruthlessly dominated her until the bubble burst and she squeezed him so hard he had problems pushing through.

"Fuck, baby girl," he huffed, pulling out and moving to lay her down on the forest floor. "You want more?"

"Gods, yes," Ani moaned when his hand reached between her legs and started playing with her clit. "Please, I need ya. Gods Daryl, I need ya."

Daryl's hand harshly smacked her hip as he looked down at her, knowing she liked his rough and savage ways, "What?"

"I'm sorry, daddy," she immediately said.

"Too late now, baby girl. Gotta learn," he told her as he flipped her over and grabbed her hair. "Now I'm gonna teach you a lesson about who you belong to."

Ani's breath shuddered as his gravely voice rang in her ear, her stomach tightening in anticipation of the savage he was about to become. He grabbed her hair and pushed her down on all fours before he leaned into her and attacked her neck and shoulder with his teeth. He harshly entered her once again, letting go of her hair to grab her shoulders, making it to where she couldn't move away from him as he fell closer and closer to the edge. She cried out once again at how hard he was being, slamming into her cervix so harshly she was sure he was going to break her after moving . All it did, as he smacked her ass hard enough to leave a pretty red handprint, was push her further towards climax, her walls clamping down on Daryl as he smacked her again. Her moans and cries of 'daddy' were so loud he was sure everyone else knew what they were doing when they were supposed to be watching for others. He moved a hand around her throat and squeezed just hard enough to quiet her pleas. She tightened around him even more as he sat back on his heels, bringing her with him as he kept his grueling pace.

Her hand came up around his neck as he attacked her shoulder again, one hand wrapped around her waist to hold her in place while the other stayed around her neck. He could hear her wheezing as he choked her, the bubble in the pit of his stomach almost ready to burst. Daryl could feel her juices running down his balls and knew she was close to cumming again, the woman's walls already starting to close down around him. He wasn't going to last much longer himself and he knew it, his breathing in her ear spurring her even closer as he bit into her neck, making sure he left a mark. Everyone was going to know she was his and when she clenched him tightly as she cried out the best she could, he lost his ability to hold back and came hard inside her. He slowed his pace as he continued pumping into her until all that was left was the twitches of her walls around his cock. They were both panting, though that didn't stop Ani from leaning back to kiss him, both moaning as he pulled out.

"Gods, I needed that," Ani sighed when they moved to lean against the tree while they calmed and cooled down. "I love ya, D."

"Shit, baby girl," Daryl said, sitting up straight and turning her torso to see her back after running his hand up her spine and feeling something wet. "Fuck, your back's scraped up. Got a couple spot bleedin'."

"Ain' the first time that's happened," she replied, leaning over to kiss him. "Small price ta pay, Daddy."

"Stop. Gotta head back and you know damn well we ain't got time after that."

"Well, guess we'll have ta head back, then."

~x~

"Eyes open, everybody," Glenn said. "Weapons up. If you see someone comin' at us, you fire."

"Copy that," Abraham said.

"No, don't copy that," Merle said. "Don't shoot, just keep 'em in your sights."

"Merle's right," Michonne told Glenn. "So if we see someone we just shoot them?"

"It's a good question," Maggie admitted.

"What if they're someone like us?" Michonne asked him. "What if Aaron's telling the truth? What if they're someone who has nothing to do with this?"

"We're seven people, walking with guns, and a bow," Glenn argued. "No one's coming up to say hello."

"But that's exactly what happened," Maggie countered.

"If it's someone like us, we should be afraid of them," Glenn told them.

"How so?" Sophia asked, not understanding why they should be afraid of people like them when they were pretty damn nice people.

"He said he was watching us, right?" Glenn said. "It means he saw us yesterday. After everything we've done, why would he want us to join his group."

"Prolly been watching us a lot longer than that," Merle said. "I know I would. Knows our names, knows Ani's got a few of 'em. Probably knows more about their fight then any of us will. Not sure how long they've been watchin', but long enough to know whether or not we're good people. That says somethin'."

"People like us saved a priest," Michonne told the young Asian. "Saved a girl who rolled up to the prison with the Governor. Saved a crazy lady with a sword. He saw that."

"I don't know what he saw," Glenn admitted before they fell into silence walking along, an RV coming into view a short while later.

"He was telling the truth," Michonne said.

There were a number of trees on the road blocking it from moving, but it wasn't anything they could all get out of the way. Rosita had just stepped over one of the smaller trees when twigs snapped, causing her, Merle, Sophia, and Abraham to move with precision as a well greased military unit. They spread out with their sights up, ready to fire the minute a threat presented itself. It wasn't that Merle thought they were under a real threat; the man that'd walked in might as well been no better off than Judith in that room. He was as helpless as a baby in a lion's den and didn't even have any real weapons; a six shooter with five bullets wasn't enough to take on twelve people and a single flare gun with two flares was hardly anything to worry about either. Merle had no doubt about the man's intentions since he'd been honest about the RV and car and where they had parked. The only thing he was worried about was that, if it was a trap, they'd already fallen for it and whoever else was out there would already be picking off the members that spread out into the woods.

"Not one step closer, asshole!" Glenn called out.

The only thing that came out was a couple of walkers, Abraham pulling out his knife and saying, "I got 'em."

"We got them," Rosita said, not even trying to hide her annoyance.

The pair went forward, making quick work of the first few problems and only began to have issues after Abraham tried to grab a walker's arm for the damn thing to fall away. It made him lose his balance and made him vulnerable as he fell to one knee, walkers bearing down on him. Rosita did her best to help, taking a branch and swinging it around to smash one walker's head in as Abraham managed to finish off one of the ones surrounding him. An arrow flew past Rosita and entered the skull of the walker closest to Abraham, another falling quickly after. Sophia held Rosita clear the walkers off Abraham who thanked them both for their help, ruffling the little lady's hair as he passed her. Rosita didn't bother to say anything back as she moved to the RV with her gun out, thoroughly annoyed by the group they were with. It wasn't as if it was a bad group, but how could there be such a strong group of fighters when they'd barely been able to make it from Texas to Georgia without having a rotating number of members. Yet there was a group, supposedly led by someone who could barely be considered human with the number of people she killed, that had only had a few casualties to their core members. Most of the group had been together either since or almost since the very beginning of the pandemic while she'd only known Abraham for about nine months. It wasn't just the woman her man had been calling 'Tiny' since they'd met, it was anger and jealousy that they hadn't had a group that strong since she'd joined the mission to DC. Merle stood by the door to the RV, opening it as Rosita and Abraham quickly stormed into the vehicle and began checking the place before giving the all clear.

"Gracious Ignacious," Abraham said, looking ready to cry, pulling out a can of S'getti Rings. "Oh, it has been a while."

"I think I saw Rex eat three cans one night," Rosita said, sitting on one of the benches.

"Four," Abraham corrected with a chuckle. "Son of a bitch knew if he didn't toss 'em back, I'd have come for 'em."

"Man must've had an appetite," Merle responded.

"Hell yes, he did," Abraham told him. "And an attitude to go with it," he laughed. "Now, I got a question for you, Stumpy."

"Shoot."

"What happened to your hand?"

"Got left somewhere back in Atlanta," Merle joked with a shrug. "Last I saw of it, it was lyin' on a roof."

"What's the deal with that girl?" Rosita asked when Abraham went to help clear the road and left her and Merle alone. "What's so special about her that you all defend her so much?"

"You wouldn't even understand it, chika. That girl's been looking out for our group since day one. Had a plan to get supplies and everything within a night. Hunted and foraged, made medicine. Don't know when she started training them 'cause I was only 'round for a couple months 'fore I lost my hand."

"So, she helps you survive and deserves your undying loyalty?" she scoffed.

"Ain't that. What she's been through, what she's survived, and she still wants to help. Shit, she takes care of others more'n she does herself. It's just what she does. I seen how you look at 'er, like she's shit on your boot. You don't gotta like her, but you keep makin' a fuss, I won't catch 'er next time. Only reason Daryl and I could stop 'er last time is 'cause it's us. There won't a second time," Merle warned.

Rosita scoffed and crossed her arms as Glenn walked into the RV and checked the engine, "I doubt someone smaller than me could do anything to two grown men."

"You'd be surprised," Glenn popped up. "First run we ever did, she beat the shit out of Merle and he couldn't even fight back. It was actually kind of scary," he told her as the engine roared to life. "Alright. Let's get these back to the barn."

~x~

"You sure your back's okay, baby girl?" Daryl asked as they trudged back to the barn having heard the whistle, feeling bad about being so rough when she was against a damn tree; she'd scraped it up good.

"Ya ask me that again and I'm gonna smack ya upside the head. People are gonna know, though," she said sheepishly, feeling the sting in her neck still and the aftermath of being so roughly taken still sitting low in her abdomen, making it hurt to walk.

"Still don't care," he told her with a smirk, loving the blush that spread across her cheeks and chest, his marks high up on her neck. "Had to give you your punishment."

"Gods, you're incorrigible!" she laughed, her blush going from a pink tinge to tomato red as they reached the clearing the barn was in.

Turning around and bringing her into his arms, he kissed her breathless again before looking her right in the eye, "Don't care."

He was half tempted to take her back out into the woods when Merle shouted at them, "Seriously! Didn't you do 'nough of that in the woods?!" Ani flipped the man off, though she couldn't hide her blush nor Daryl's hickey on her neck, making Merle howl in realization. "Holy shit, you did, didn't you?! Supposed to be lookin' for danger yet you're fuckin' like rabbits!"

"Ya jus' jealous ya got ta use Thumbalina and 'er four friends where we actually get ta fuck," Ani shot right back.

Merle raised his hands in surrender as they walked past him, Ani flipping him off in the process while the man clapped his brother on the back and Daryl pulled her under his arm, "'Bout time the two of you got back in the saddle."

Rick was scowling with a dirty look on his face as he took in the appearance of the two hunters when they entered the barn, "Guess I don't need to ask if you two saw anything?"

"Can' say ya wouldn' do the same afta such a long dry spell," Ani shrugged, slyly looking over at Carol and turning to fold herself into Daryl's side and chest.

She didn't know what the woman thought of Daryl, but Daryl had chosen her over Carol and that was all she cared about. Ani couldn't help the smug smile that came across her face as the older woman folded her arms over her chest and frowned. It seemed to get to the woman that what she had told Daryl, how she had tried to break them apart, had only brought them closer together in the end. They'd resolved so many issues and come out stronger than ever and she knew she wouldn't have to worry about Carol anymore. The marks Daryl had given her were as plain as day, and the way he kept his arm around her was enough to make anyone know Ani was his. Even if Carol didn't have any feelings of attraction for her husband, it didn't matter in the end; Ani won and both women knew it.

"This is ours now," Rick told Aaron as he took in all the supplies.

"There's more than enough."

"It's ours, whether or not we go to your camp."

"Oh, we're goin', Rick. Nah ifs, ands, or buts. Ya ass is gettin' in one a them rides and we hightailin' it the fuck out a Dodge!" Ani told him as she looked around, having left Bobby and Catty at the barn because they had been hiding. "Side note, where're my kitties?"

"I do believe they are above you, ma'am," Eugene told her, pointing above them in a small gesture. "They've apparently been practicin' their tree climbin' skills."

"How the fuck did the two a ya get fuckin' up there?! Get the fuck down 'ere, now!" Ani said after she looked up to be met by the eyes of the twins, stomping her foot and pointing to the ground with a hand on her hip; even on Daryl's shoulders she'd have to convince them to jump because she was so damn short! "I can' fuckin' reach ya way up there!"

Abraham laughed at how petulant she looked and said, "Give me a hand here, Rose."

"I am not getting those things."

"I'll help," Sasha told him, not caring if she got scratched and knowing she owed Ani for screwing up at the bridge the other day.

"Well alright, darlin'," Abraham said, the woman's fighting skills back at the bridge having impressed him, bending down on his knees. "Climb on."

Sasha climbed onto Abraham's shoulders as Ani reminded her, "Grab 'em by the scruff."

When the twins were safe on the ground, Ani told them thanks, only for Abraham to remark with a wink towards Sasha, "Anythin' to be between those two fine thighs. Still got some of that whiskey, darlin'."

Sasha just scoffed at him and rolled her eyes, still scratching Catty's chin as the kitten purred away in Ani's snickering arms as Rick said, "Fine, we're goin'. So where are we goin'? Where's your camp?"

"Well, every time I've done this, I've been behind the wheel driving recruits back," Aaron admitted.

"Nah, that one don' sit with me. We drive. You tell us where we're goin'. I'm willin' ta risk my family's relative safety ta go ta ya camp. I ain' goin' ta be stupid 'bout it," Ani said, seeing all kinds of possibilities of being led into a trap.

"I believe you're good people, I'd bet my life on it. I'm just not ready to bet my friends' lives just yet."

"Admiral, but ya can at least give us the first part a the trip," Ani suggested as a compromise.

"You're not driving," Rick agreed as he walked to the man with a map. "If you wanna go home? Tell us how."

"Go north on Route 16," Aaron told him as Rick looked down at the map, Ani kneeling down to look at it to, even if it was a bit painful both in her back and legs.

"Then?" she asked him.

"I'll tell you when we get there."

"Fair 'nough."

"We'll take 23 north," Rick said. "You'll give us directions from there."

"That's," Aaron started before stuttering and starting over. "I don't know how else to say it, but that's a bad idea. We've cleared 16, it'll be faster."

"We'll take 23. We leave at sundown."

"We're doing this at night?" Sasha asked.

"Gives us the advantage," Merle said in agreement with Rick's call as much as he was with Ani's.

"Look, I know it's dangerous," Rick told the group. "But it's better than ridin' up to the gates during the day. If it isn't safe, we need to get gone before they know we're there."

"Rick, nah offense ta ya, Aaron, but if they're sendin' guys like 'im out ta recruit people, I don' see why we can' jus' take the damn place and make it safe if it 'ain't safe,'" she said, dropping her voice an octave and air quoting around Rick's perceived danger.

"Either way, this is the safe play."

"Maybe. I dunno, but I'm agreein' with it for now," Ani told him.

"No one is going to hurt you," Aaron said, freaking out over them wanting to change the route when Eric was still out there. "You're trying to protect your group, but you're putting them in danger."

"Tell me where the camp is, we'll leave right now," Rick countered. Aaron looked at Ani who gave a nod of her head but he could only shake his, prompting Rick to turn around and tell everyone, "It's gonna be a long night. Eat. Get some rest if you can."

He walked out of the barn, followed by Michonne while Merle tried to steer the conversation back to Ani and Daryl. In true Ani fashion, she had the man in a headlock in two seconds, making the man tap out and give up and ended the entire thing in less than a minute. She and Daryl dozed, Daryl sitting against a beam with Ani between his legs leaning on him, after she made a comment about how Abraham cracked and opened two cans of S'getti Rings at the same time. It seemed like time flew as night fell and Daryl woke Ani up, giving her a kiss after they stood up and he handed her her bag and bow. Ani couldn't help the smug smile she sent Carol's way again, even though she knew she was being petty and vindictive, but damn did it feel good to show the woman exactly where she stood when it came to Daryl. Eventually she would have to stop with the looks, but she figured a few smug smiles and smirks were justified after what Carol had tried to pull, both at the prison and on the road. The smile stayed on her face as Daryl pulled her into the RV and sat her down in his lap, pulling her feet up on the seat beside him and let her rest her head on his shoulder. Maggie, Beth, Merle, Sophia, Rosita, Abraham, Noah, and Eugene all piled in as the others got in the car with Aaron, leaving the barn behind as they set out for the mysterious community the man had talked about.

Ani had started dozing again, lulled by the heat from Daryl and the feel of the RV traveling down the road when she was thrown forward and hit Daryl's jaw as Abraham slammed on the RV's breaks with a declaration of, "Fuckin' shitballs!"

A large horde of walkers spanned the road ahead of them as Glenn plowed through them, Ani quickly shouting, "Turn the RV 'round! Go back ta 16! It's been cleared and we know they know that route!" They'd managed to get away from the horde and back to the 16 when a flare went up, Ani hitting Abraham's shoulder, "There! They got out! Let's go get 'em!"

They had just passed the sign that said they were on the 16 when the flare went up, lighting a water tower a short distance towards where Aaron had told them to go to begin with. They didn't find the car, or their people, but there was a man trapped under a car with a bunch of walkers bearing down on him. Making short work of the walkers, Daryl, Abraham, and Merle helped life the rear end of the car up so Ani and Maggie could drag him out. He introduced himself as Aaron's husband and thanked them for coming to his aide, though he wasn't able to put any weight on his ankle. They took him inside the warehouse the water tower had been located near and checked him over. While Maggie wrapped the man's leg and Ani gave him some water and pain pills from her pack, the others settled in. Merle had reasoned that their missing members had probably seen the flare and just like they had, thought it was them. It was best to sit tight and wait for now until their people caught up than it was to try to go find them when there was no telling where they were. Ani agreed with him before going outside where Daryl was keeping watch and wrapped her arms around him, sighing against his chest as his hands came to her hips.

"We're good now, right? We gonna stay good?" Daryl asked her, making her hold him tighter.

"I wish I knew the answa ta that, D," Ani told him truthfully. "My mind sucks sometimes. I can' promise anythin' more'n I'll try harda ta trust ya and trust us. And I can promise, I eva try somethin' like that again, ya can fuckin' tie me ta a bed and set me straight. Don' wait or let me push ya away. Jus' take what ya fuckin' want and need and shut me up. Ya know damn well I'd put ya on ya ass if I wasn' okay with it."

"Hmm, I can live with that," he said with a smirk as he looked down at her.

Not too long later, a whistle sounded, causing Ani to move back and listen carefully just to make sure she had heard it right. When it sounded again, Daryl whistled back while Ani knocked on the door, everyone starting to spilling out as Carl running to Rick and Maggie ran to Glenn. Aaron was calling for Eric as the group had their reunion, Ani just pointing to the door as the man called out from inside himself. Rick followed the frantic man into the abandoned factory and through the side door to the room Eric was laying in. Ani meant to follow, but Daryl's arm wrapping around her waist and bringing her to his chest stopped her. All she did was smile and turn in his arms closing her eyes as she snuggled further into his chest.

"Don't you ever get sick of him holding you?" Tara asked her. "You've been like that since last night."

"Neva. When my head's on right, ya couldn' pay me 'nough ta get out a 'is arms when I ain' doin' nothin'."

"I honestly don't know whether to puke or say how that's really sweet," the woman said before walking away, leaving Ani laughing at her reactions.

"Hey," Aaron said when he came back into the room after checking on his husband. "Everyone? Thank you. You saved Eric. I owe you. All of you. And I will make sure that debt is paid in full when we get to our community. When we get to Alexandria. Now, I'm not sure about you, but, I'd rather not do anymore driving tonight. Maybe we can hit the road in the morning," he suggested.

"That sounds fine," Rick said from behind him. "But if we're staying here for the night, you're sleepin' over there," he pointed across the room.

"You really think we gotta do that?" Maggie asked.

"Rick, ya couldn' keep me from Daryl or vice versa if and when one a us is hurt. Ya ain' keepin' Aaron from 'is husband."

"Rick," Glenn spoke up. "He told us where the camp is. And he really was only traveling with one other person. If Ani trusts him, so do I. She's right that he hasn't lied yet. They're both unarmed. One of them's got a broken ankle. I want us to be safe too. I can't give up everything else. I know what I said," he said quietly, noticing Ani's look of confusion. "But it does matter."

Rick relented and moved away from the door, letting Aaron go back inside to spend the night with his man. In the morning, Ani and Daryl piled into the RV with everyone but Michonne, Rick, and the kids, who were traveling in the rust bucket in front of them. Ani was sitting on Daryl's lap with her feet kicked up over Merle's this time. As they traveled down the road, Ani listened to the game Eugene was trying to teach Tara but not interested in joining in. They were about halfway there when Abraham started cussing while the RV came to an unplanned stop. Rick took a moment to himself out in the woods while Glenn taught Abraham how to change out the RV's battery. Ani and Daryl were keeping watch on the top of it while the others worked until Glenn gave the okay.

"Don't even think about it, girly!" Merle chastised as Ani went to jump off the RV.

She just smiled sheepishly and jumped anyway, landing in a 'superhero' pose, "Stuck the landin'!"

"Ania! The fuck you think you're doin'?" Daryl yelled at her when he saw her at the edge after he'd climbed down off of the RV.

"Relax, I still got the air casts on," she said, lifting up her pant leg a little and showing the white plastic and velcro. "See? Just a part a trainin'. Not that far, anyway. Less height than the tree."

"Don't you fuckin' da-" he shouted, only for her to jump anyway, landing on her knee with one arm up behind her, looking up at them and smiling.

"How you like my superhero pose?" she asked, making several of the others laugh as Daryl pulled her up.

"You're gonna pay for that later," he lowly told her in her ear, giving her goosebumps and heading straight to her core.

"I look forward to it, Daddy D."