Newly Revised

Daryl was standing outside of Deanna's late in the evening when Ani finally came out, the two immediately gravitating towards each other as his arm came up over her shoulders. Ani was feeling so much calmer after she'd worked with Deanna, forbidding Nick, Tobin, and several others from going on runs. She had also assigned some people to learning gardening with Maggie and others to go with Beth, Sophia, and Denise for first aide and field dressing training. She'd helped Deanna to come up with a training program that used Rosita, Rick, and Michonne to train the lesser combatants, so everyone who needed to stay behind the walls, while Merle and Abraham were in charge of preparing the guard, those who Ani said were perfect to guard the perimeter and patrol the area outside. They needed to be prepared to guard this place like a military compound, and Deanna finally seemed to be on board with how things had to be. Ani was quite happy with taking on the role of advisor instead of leader; these people wouldn't listen to her anyway, not with her rap sheet already. Taking her head off of what had happened out on the run had helped her calm down and see the reason Daryl did what he did, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"You were in there a long time," Daryl commented as he lead her away from the house.

"Yeah," Ani admitted. "Sorry. Kind a got caught up and forgot ta ask 'er ta send ya word. Was jus' gettin' shite done."

"Like what?"

"Like reviewin' some a the people's videos and gettin' an idea a what needs doin'. Makin' plans on who and how and when ta do what. Goin' ta have Merle and Abe helpin' set up a militia-type detail ta protect the place. Got some more people ta go learn medicine. Jus' a few things like that. Goin' ta be spendin' some time with Deanna the next few days ta finish goin' ova the videos a people. Only saw 'bout twenny a 'em. Wanna double check everyone's mental state who've been livin' here. Need ta know who can be trusted ta go out the walls. Nick's grounded. Nah more leavin'. Not 'til 'e gets an all clear by me."

"You still pissed about earlier?"

"Nah," she said, stopping their progression to press against his chest and wrap her arms around his waist. "Was jus' upset at the thought a losin' ya. Especially like that. Ya can' do that ta me. Sacrifice yaself like that. Ya can'. Heat a the moment, shite happens, I can accept that if it happens. But ya jus' runnin' out inta 'em ta try and save me? Nah, D. Ya can' do that ta me. Ya can' ask me ta watch ya die while I wait for my chance ta run. Ain' eva goin' ta run. Not without ya."

Daryl looked down at her and sighed, nodding his head before she stood on her tip toes and he bent his head to meet her. Sharing a sweet but still intense kiss, he wrapped his arms around her as they pulled away, just holding her to him as they both thought about what almost happened out there. He pressed a kiss into her hair as her arms tightened around him, grabbing twin handfuls of his vest as she willed away her tears. There was no point in crying over something that never happened and there was no point in being upset about it anymore. They had all been able to get out of the trap with nothing more than a few scratches to show for it. She had absolutely no reason to be crying about something that didn't even come to fruition, something that had been completely avoided. It was ridiculous that she was being so sensitive when they had managed to avoid the situation where he gave his life to save hers.

"Why the hell you cryin'?" he asked, gently rubbing a thumb across her cheek before his hand went into her hair.

"I can' rightly say. Almost lost ya. Almost like I can see it happenin' in my head."

"Well it didn't."

"I know, but, please, neva try ta pull a stunt like that again. Don' eva even suggest it," Ani told him, looking up at him as he gingerly ran a finger along her scar.

"Ain't promisin' nothin'," he told her before kissing her again. "Come on."

They made their way back to the houses, Ani stopping to check in on everyone as they passed while several of them were heading home for the day. Sasha was finally feeling better about what was happening as she cuddled on Abraham's lap on their porch, enjoying the evening. Ani asked if she and Daryl looked that sickeningly happy when they were together; even Daryl had to chuckle when they both responded with a resounding yes. Ani made a face at them before looking at Daryl and realizing she had no ally in trying to persuade the new couple otherwise. Pouting, she moved to the railing to see Rosita stalking pass, the woman's face contorting as she saw Abraham, Sasha, and Daryl behind her. They stayed and caught up for a minute before heading over to the infirmary so Ani could check in on Eugene and Tara once more. After that, Ani allowed Daryl to lead her home where Merle had some fresh squirrel fried up. Sophia had made a nice salad out of greens from wild lettuce and dandelion with some fresh tomatoes and peppers she'd worked for in the small garden Alexandria had to offer at the moment. She used some of the grease from Merle's frying as a sort of dressing that actually tasted pretty damn good to Ani.

Merle laughed at Ani when she grabbed some more squirrel, "Gee, you'd think you never had the stuff before."

"Dude, it's fried. They have fuckin' oil for fryin' 'ere! And I don' know what the fuck ya added ta it, but damn is this tasty as fuck," Ani complimented before shoving another piece in her mouth.

"Sure you ain't eatin' for two?"

"Shut the fuck up, Merle," Daryl snapped; even all these months later, they had yet to even have a proper scare, the only one being when he had overthought things and she tried to tell him so.

"Ain' happened yet," Ani said a little more seriously. "And ya got ta stop houndin' me 'bout it."

"He's been houndin' you?"

"Hey now, I just said if it didn't happen by the end of the year, I'd walk around buck naked in winter. That ain't houndin' now is it?"

"Is when it's a sore spot."

"And why the fuck is that?" Merle asked incredulously as they ate around their conversation. "So many topics are taboo with you two."

"So many?" Ani laughed. "Yeah, 'cause whetha or not I'm pregnant and not bringin' up the word 'zombie' or Pluto 'cause a my tirades 'bout 'em are oh so many."

"It is when it comes to bein' a Dixon, girly. Shouldn't be such a pussy about things. Hell, why is this even a sore spot? Ain't like it ain't gonna happen."

"Fuck off, Merle," Daryl interjected.

Ani sighed and looked down at her mostly eaten dinner, "We always say it'll happen when it happens, but it ain' happened yet. That's why it's a sore subject, Merle. 'Cause it ain' like we don' want it ta happen, ain' like we ain' tryin' ta make it happen. It jus' ain' happenin'."

"I'm with Pops," Sophia told her in a light-hearted tone. "Now that we have a safe space, I know you'll get pregnant sooner or later. Maggie is." Sophia slapped her hand over her mouth when she said that, looking around at the Dixons and their faces, Merle and Ani looking at her in shock while Daryl was side-eyeing Ani before he turned his eyes to his plate. "I wasn't supposed to say anything. I'm sorry!"

"It's okay, sweetie. Ya didn' do anythin' wrong," Ani said, giving her a soft smile before picking up another piece of squirrel; even if she felt gutted, they were still really, really, good.

They finished eating in silence, Merle watching his younger siblings and taking in their crestfallen faces. Excusing herself after she'd finished her plate, Ani went up to the master suite and began undressing as she moved towards the bathroom. She closed the door most of the way behind her before she turned on the shower and climbed in. Letting the sound of the water drown out her quiet sobs, Ani couldn't help but sink to the floor as she cried out her grief. She'd been with Daryl longer, been trying longer, but Maggie and Glenn hit it out of the field right off the bat? It wasn't fair and Ani couldn't help the sting of jealousy nor the pain of loss she felt even if she hadn't lost anything, let alone the feelings of guilt from feeling that way to begin with. She should be happy for the couple, not wallowing in self-pity and jealousy on the floor of the bathroom shower. There were so many things that she did have and she should be thankful for; it was wrong to be upset at Maggie and Glenn instead of happy for them.

She didn't know Daryl was standing in the doorway watching her, feeling the same sense of loss and jealousy welling in his chest. Closing the door back to how she had it, he sat on the bed with his head in his hands, elbows on his knees. He didn't know how to help her with this when he was feeling the same thing, let alone feeling guilty that he'd seen her like that. It was obvious that she didn't want him to know how upset she was, having left the bedroom door wide open and closed the bathroom. Usually it was the other way around when she showered; she'd close the bedroom door and leave the bathroom open, mostly for him to see her and usually join her. Furiously wiping at his eyes, he got up and left the room, heading out onto the porch for a smoke, Merle joining him but thankfully remaining silent. Ani came out of the house after another ten or so minutes, walking up to Daryl and just giving him a look as if she wasn't sure what she should do. Reaching out and running his fingers through her damp hair, brushing it over her shoulder, he brought her to him and just held her, both gaining comfort in the other. Merle just watched the pair and internally shook his head; the two couldn't even see what was right in front of their eyes and it was starting to get ridiculous.

~x~

In the morning, Daryl took Ani over to Aaron's to finish working on the four wheeler for her so they could take it on a test drive around the town. Neither of them had any plans on taking it out of the walls just yet but it was rather nice to know it was almost done. Even though there wasn't much left to be done on it, it got them out of the house and away from Merle's watchful eyes and Sophia's guilty face. Merle was just being an asshole and trying to talk about shit that neither of the younger hunters wanted to deal with and Sophia had apologized three times just that morning. There was no point in Sophia's guilt and they had told her so; Merle, however, was sporting a shiner after he wouldn't leave it alone when they told him to. Ani could only take so much when it came to the man and she wasn't afraid to use her fists since it was the biggest way the man knew to shut up. They were both quiet in the garage, Ani just watching him as he worked, giving him a soft smile every time he looked up at her. After about an hour of working, Daryl stood up and gave her a kiss on the forehead before wrapping his arms around her. She sighed and held him back as they both enjoyed the moment of peace and quiet they were finally able to have without prying eyes around or being in their bedroom.

"One day, baby girl," he told her quietly. "One day."

"I know. It's fine. I'm fine. Got a bit down last night, but I'm okay."

"Are you su-"

"Am I interrupting something?" Aaron asked, coming out of his house with a bottle of water for them.

"Nah, jus'...jus' havin' a day," Ani said, feeling as if it wasn't her place to say anything about Maggie's condition to the others.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry," Aaron told her, earning a bewildered look from both Dixons. "Eric talked to Deanna while he was on his way back from the infirmary for his ankle. She was wondering if you'd stop by later to finish going over the videos. Also, did you really put Eric in the 'stay in Alexandria' group?"

"Yeah, I did. Not that 'e don' got nah business bein' out there, but 'e needs trainin' up. It's best if 'e stays in Alexandria 'til 'is ankle heals up and 'e learns the basics a self-defense. As it is, ya not goin' ta like me, eitha," Ani told him, getting serious all of a sudden. "Ya trainin' with me."

"What?" Daryl and Aaron asked at the same time, Daryl because Ani didn't train the guys one on one simply because he didn't like her doing it.

"Ya goin' ta be there too, D, don' worry. In fact, I'm countin' on it. Ya couldn' take care a one walka that grabbed ya, Aaron, 'specially when ya should a been able ta break the hold it had on ya easy! So I'm goin' ta train ya, and Daryl's goin' ta be ya partna ta spar with."

"Why not you?" Aaron asked before quickly explaining, "I mean, I get it as far as me being a man and you being a woman, but you aren't honestly worried about anything, are you?"

Ani chuckled for a moment before answering with a chuckle, "Hell nah. Ya only got eyes for Eric, but it ain' 'bout that. D don' like otha guys touchin' me, period, and I'm fine with that since I don' 'xactly like bein' touched ta begin with 'less I have ta be. 'Sides, if I did have anythin' ta worry 'bout, it'd be ya havin' ya hands all ova Daryl, not me!" she said with a laugh, earning her a horrified expression from both of them that made her burst. "Oh gods! Ya should see ya faces right now! If looks could kill, I'd be six feet unda! Ya two are too easy!"

Daryl practically growled at her before telling her, "I'm gonna get you for that later."

"Countin' on it, but for now, I should go talk ta Deanna," she told him, hopping down off the table she'd been sitting on, reaching up and putting a hand on Daryl's cheek. "It's goin' ta be okay. I love ya, ya know that, right?"

"Yeah," he said, catching her wrist and bringing her palm to his lips. "Love you too, now get goin'. I'm gonna keep workin' on this."

"Thanks, D."

Ani ended up spending the better part of the day with Deanna, going over who was best for what and placing a few of Alexandria's people at the top of some of the classes. For example, Tobin had given Abraham control of the construction crew of his own free will, which opened up his time. He wasn't the best shot, but he knew a lot about welding and building. That knowledge would be crucial in the days to come, as would Reg's architectural knowledge, outside of wall building, needing to be taught. Spencer was being put on as the main guard in the clock tower with him, Sasha, and Abraham switching out shifts as some of the best shots in the entire community. She learned from Deanna that there was a state park a little ways to the north and past a bridge that might be good for hunting. They hadn't really touched the area seeing as they had no seasoned hunters in Alexandria to find the trails and there was nothing significant other than woods out that way. Ani agreed to go on a hunting trip with Daryl for a few days, taking one of the trucks rather than his bike so that they could haul whatever they caught back, to which Deanna was grateful. Maggie had eventually come in to work with Deanna, Ani trying hard to act normal as she used the intrusion as an excuse to excuse herself and head back to Daryl.

They'd made good progress in getting things heading towards the right direction, so Ani was happy enough. It just felt awkward being in the same room with Maggie when she was still trying to process her own feelings on the matter. She was happy for Maggie and Glenn, she really was, but she was also jealous and then angry at herself for feeling jealous. Ani stopped and spoke with Morgan for a while as she found the man moving through his forms. They talked, Morgan telling her how he took up the stick, and she commented about how she had worked with Eastman once or twice personally and had used several of his case files as reference for her dissertation. Morgan reminded her that it was called Aikido, and it had saved his life in more ways than one. Eastman himself had saved his life and brought him back from the edge of insanity after he'd burned Rick's home town down and tried taking the man on himself. He ended up telling her about the 'cage' he had been kept in during his treatment and how it had never been locked, Ani responding that it was a type of reverse psychology. Giving someone the option of staying or going allowed the person to feel a degree of safety whichever way they chose; while Eastman never told Morgan it was unlocked, Morgan never tried to get out, either, not unless the door was opened. They chuckled about it together for a moment before she asked about what had happened to Eastman and how he had died. Morgan told her that as well as about what the man had done, Ani taking the information in before quietly excusing herself, getting up, and leaving. If a man like Eastman had been driven to kill, was there anyone who could be free of the blood?

Heading back to the house, she passed by where Ron and Enid were sitting, Enid seemingly giving the other teen some comfort and support. Ron gave Ani a dirty look, not at all happy that she had not suffered any repercussions for what she had done to his dad and she knew it. Ani had checked in with Jessie, who had told her that they were fine and that she didn't blame Ani for what happened. It had all happened so fast that none of them could have expected the outcome and she had tried not to hurt him until he gave her no choice. Pete had always had trouble calming down when he was angry and it had escalated the more stress he'd been under as a surgeon. But she also admitted that Ron was having a very similar reaction to what Pete had originally suffered making Ani believe it was a genetic factor more than anything else, especially since Sam suffering mentally as well. In all honesty, it sounded like Pete had Intermittent Explosive Disorder, in which a person had exaggerated feelings of anger and violent outbursts regardless of the situation. After talking to Jessie for a bit, she was certain that was what it was, especially after learning that the man's mother had been verbally abusive to him. Ani explained the warning signs to look for in Ron and how redirection and relaxation techniques, helping him reframe his mindset, and maintaining open communication would be helpful in the coming weeks if he did show any signs. She added that she couldn't tell whether or not Sam was a mentally or neurologically off or simply very bad at handling any kind of stressful situation due to how he presented himself. He appeared to have a mental cognition of someone his age while he had the emotional maturity of a five year old while also being terrified of life. Aside from his reasonable fear, there was very little she could help Jessie out with when it came to her younger son. She hadn't been able to talk to him enough and scared him now that she had killed his father, essentially cutting off any line of help Ani could give the child.

Ani heaved a sigh as Sophia and Carl walked up with Judith in the stroller from the other direction, giving them a smile as they came to walk beside her. Sophia apologized again, making Carl look at her in confusion, though Ani just waved her off as if nothing had happened. She walked with the two, chatting about nothing in particular aside from the fact that they'd been going over the walls. Sophia had been going over to forage while Carl had been spending time with Enid out there; Ani did not miss the dark look on Sophia's face about that. Through the girl, Ani learned that Merle wouldn't be coming home that night because, apparently, he'd saved Francine's life and the woman was wanting to 'repay his kindness' according to Sophia. It was an awkward conversation for the kids when Sophia asked what he meant and Ani told them that he was planning on having sex with the woman.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Carl asked.

"What? Tellin' ya 'bout sex? Do ya have any fuckin' education in it?" Ani asked.

"Not really," Sophia admitted. "Just what you told me about cycles and stuff. And that was bad enough! Did you really have to go into such detail?"

"Hey, if ya want a real education 'bout sex and everythin' involvin' it includin' health, it'd be even more graphic," Ani laughed.

"Please don't," Carl asked. "Like, seriously. Please don't."

"Oh, come on, guys! Goin' ta figya it out some day anyway," she reasoned.

"Can't we just, I don't know, figure it out on our own?" he asked.

"Ya could, but ya goin' ta stumble and fumble ya way through it and prolly embarrass yaself in the process. Ya know, premature ejaculation, not knowin' what ta do with what. Lots a stuff ya can fuck up if ya don' know any betta. And then there's diseases and pregnancy and all that good shite. Don' believe the pull-out method, Carl," she stated purposely towards him. "Might as well nut right inside if ya goin' ta pull out 'cause ya precum is already inside 'er!" Both teens began protesting as Ani laughed at their antics. "Ya guys are jus' as cute as Daryl and Aaron are when I tease 'em."

"Why are you teasing people so much lately?" Carl asked her.

"Don' know. Guess I'm jus' dealin' with everythin' right now. Tryin' not ta think 'bout all the bad or sad shite right now. How're things goin' at the infirmary? Ya gettin' betta at dealin' with sutures and shite?" Ani asked Sophia, who'd been trying to get over her aversion to bad cuts, though Ani's injury had made it all the more worse.

"I can do small ones now, but I don't want to do anything with a lot of blood. It's just too scary," Sophia said, looking down and a bit ashamed.

"You can do it, Sophia," Carl said, putting an arm around her shoulder and giving her a little squeeze, Ani smiling brightly at that. "I believe in you."

"Thanks, Carl," Sophia said, a blush creeping up her neck as she dipped her head even lower.

"Ya comin' ova for dinna tanight, Carl?"

"Is it squirrel again?"

"Nah, the guys are sick a squirrel, though I could eat it every damn day with how many ways we can cook it 'ere," Ani told him. "I'm makin' the casserole. The guys'll eat anythin' and Phia liked it when I made it at the prison and they got all the stuff here ta make it, so..."

"Sure. Why not?" Carl said, removing his arm from Sophia to push the stroller. "Gives Judith something new to try."

"Atta boy! Let me go get my rednecks. Phia, ya mind gettin' the stuff out at the house?"

"Yeah, I don't mind! Come on, Carl!" she said, picking up her pace as she tried to get away from Carl and Ani and the awkward embarrassment she felt at Carl's affectionate gesture, the boy slowly following behind her.

Ani laughed as she walked off, going to check in on Denise and Beth, finding Tara awake and talking to Eugene. The woman looked pale still, but the fact that she was awake, talking, and acting much like her normal, quirky, self was relieving. Ani couldn't help but laugh at the pair as Tara told the man about the bad dream she'd had where he'd lost all his hair. Beth had smirked at the story while Denise was still trying to gain a sense of confidence in herself as a doctor. She studied both the medical textbooks she had everywhere and the notebooks Ani had given her any time she wasn't with a patient or sleeping. Ani went over and clapped her on the shoulder, giving her an encouraging smile as she grabbed a few herbs and began making tea for Tara to help with circulation, inflammation, and pain. She told the doctor that she needed to stop worrying and start relaxing, because a taxed mind would rarely absorb information to the best of it's ability. Passing the cup off to Denise to give to Tara, she gave Beth a one arm hug the girl returned before asking if any of them knew where Merle or Daryl were.

"Merle's gone over to Francine's already," Abraham said as he walked in with Sasha, a handful of flowers in one hand. "Daryl's lookin' for a certain someone he swears he's tyin' to the bed when she gets home."

"Wouldn' be the first time," Ani said before slapping her hand over her mouth and turning red. "Forget I eva said that! Lata!"

"Hey, make sure you use silk! It doesn't leave a mark!"

"Fuck ya, Red! Fuck ya!"

~x~

"Why are we in this janky thing?" Daryl asked as he sat shotgun while Ani drove the stick shift down the road after forcing him to pull over and let her take over.

"It ain' janky, ya ability ta drive a stick is!" she chided.

"I'm tellin' you it's the truck!"

"I'm drivin' it jus' fine, D. Quit bein' sore 'bout not knowin' how ta drive a stick."

"I know how to drive a stick!" he insisted. "This thing's gotta have a busted shifter or somethin'!"

"Uh-huh, ya keep tellin' yaself that, love. Whateva ya got ta," Ani told him with a laugh, reaching over and grabbing his hand. "I'm jus' happy we're gettin' back in our element. Get ta go on an honest hunt. Haven' been able ta do this since the prison."

"Yeah," he said, bringing her hand to his lips even though it made her reach farther over, making him release it after the kiss.

"Ya know, it's jus' the two a us. Ain' bein' a bitch ta sit in the middle," she said with a smirk and what Daryl called her 'smolder eyes.' "Or are ya that pissy 'bout me showin' ya up?"

"Ain't bein' pissy. Just get us where we're goin'," he grumbled, pointing out the window and earning a laugh from Ani.

"Yes, sir," she replied cheekily.

They crossed the bridge Deanna had mentioned about an hour after leaving Alexandria, the roadways unusually clear, but, then again, if it was a state park, there wouldn't be much use in sticking around. There also wouldn't have been any real reason people would want to travel through the area when it wasn't on a high- or freeway that would get them to bigger cities. A few small towns and byways, but nothing that would be worthwhile unless you knew how to hunt or, at the very least, survive in the woods. Ani was excited and even Daryl had to admit it was nice being out on a hunt rather than just trying to survive for a change. They hadn't been able to just leisurely hunt more than a few times since the quarry and even those times had almost always been cut short. Daryl ended up moving to the middle to put an arm up on her shoulders, one foot on the dash as Bobby laid across his lap with Catty laying on Ani's. Even if Daryl had claimed he'd never like the things, he was still scratching away at Bobby's head, the kitten purring loudly as they traveled along.

"Gonna get too big to be like this soon enough," he told her.

"I thought they didn' get that big?" she asked in confusion. "Ya said max 'bout fordy pounds, right? That ain't that big. Size a a small dog, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Ain' too big ta be like this, then. Bobby still likes ya best."

"Damn thing just likes my lap for some reason."

"Ya like 'im, too, don' try ta lie ta me 'bout it."

"Gonna be a good hunter one of these days. Caught a chipmunk in the yard yesterday. Them things are fast and small."

"Really now? He's been bringin' me birds. Catty brought me a leaf. Don' think she's goin' ta end up bein' much a a hunta."

"Some have it, some don't," Daryl said, looking at the kitten in her lap. "Might not be a hunter, but can still train 'er up and teach her how to defend; you know, attack walkers, that kind of thing."

"Turn 'er inta a guard cat?" Ani chuckled.

"Why not? Needs to earn her keep somehow. Ain't feedin' an animal that ain't helpin'."

"Could jus' be a lap cat," she suggested. "Ya know, go 'round, givin' people lovin' and makin' people happy."

"Hell naw," Daryl told her, removing his arm from her shoulders to squeeze her thigh. "Thing's gotta earn it's keep."

Ani chuckled and pulled off to the side of the road, down what looked like an old trail used by forest rangers or hunters. Turning to Daryl after she stopped the truck, Ani opened the door to let the kittens out before moving to straddle Daryl, her hands going under Daryl's shirt and and feeling the hard plains of his body. Daryl moved his hands to her hips as she leaned in and kissed him softly, her hands moving to his, entwining their fingers as she ground down against him. All movements were slow and sweet as their hands released and moved to each other's bodies and the heat built. One of Daryl's hands squeezed high on her thigh while the other went into her hair, tangling his fingers in the hair at the base of her neck. Ani was gripping the collar of his shirt as well as his side as she kept rubbing her core against him, his member beginning to react. She had planned this as soon as she had been granted a truck to use and time outside of the wall. Being thrown around in a bed or plastered to a wall in the shower was well and truly good, but they had never had time to do anything like this. It had her pants wet at the thought of it before she'd even pulled over and let the kittens roam as Daryl used his hand to pull her back.

"Hell's this for?" Daryl asked her as she looked at him.

"Can' blame me for wantin' ta experience somethin' new, can ya?" Ani told him, though she started blushing and doubting herself now. "I mean, if ya don' want ta or if it ain' someth-"

"Shut up," he told her, pulling her back down to his lips.

The kiss got much more heated as he dominated her mouth with his tongue, the thought of taking her in the cab of the truck igniting a fire in Daryl all over again. He had never even thought that she might want to do something like this and so had never initiated it or even thought to ask her. It didn't stop him from beginning to roughly paw at her as they moved together, Ani's hands starting to unbutton his shirt. She didn't even get it all the way undone before her hands were on his chest, moving up to his shoulders as his lips moved from hers to his mark on her neck. She couldn't help the sighed moan that came from her at the feel of his teeth and tongue on that particular spot as he had made it so sensitive by constantly paying it attention. There was a semi-permanent hickey at the junction of her neck and clavicle thanks to the man and her head automatically fell to the side to give him better access. Her fingers finished unbuttoning his shirt and worked their way up his chest as he moved back to her mouth, lazily kissing her even as she started pushing his shirt and vest off.

Daryl responded in kind, popping buttons off her shirt as he pulled it open, the things barely hanging on to begin with. It wasn't until he pulled back enough to try to undo her belt that he noticed she had the same baby blue crop top on as she had back at the quarry. The memory that came along with it, pushing her away, faded out as ground down against his erection, and pulled him back to her. Rather than kissing her lips, Daryl dipped his head down and nipped at her chest, pulling her top down under her breasts to give him better access. Ani arched her back up into his mouth as he took a sensitive bud between his teeth as her hands pulled at his hair. There wasn't much room in the truck, but he managed to move her to the seat before moving further down her body. He kissed a trail down her stomach as he unbuttoned her pants, the belt that held her weapons finally hitting the floor along with the sheath for her throwing knives. He sat back as he pulled the garments off, his fingers immediately moving to work her core only to find her soaked.

Smiling smugly at the feel of her slick sex, he looked down at her and asked, "Worked up already, baby girl?"

"Not my fault ya made my neck a hot spot," Ani pouted, though it didn't last long as his fingers moved inside her.

A moan escaped her lips as Daryl's latched onto her nipple once again while he didn't stop his torturous treatment of her. She was writhing at the feeling of everything he was doing until he suddenly pulled back and began working her pants all the way off her. He wouldn't be able to do everything he wanted to in the small cab but he would be damned if he wasn't going to take advantage. Daryl moved her legs to sit back in the seat as he moved his own pants off his hips before giving her a pointed look. Ani quickly sat up and resumed her position straddling his hips, Daryl aligning himself with her opening before using his other hand to guide her hips down. He bucked up into her at the same time as he made her grind down and entered her in one smooth movement. They both hissed a sigh before she started moving, gyrating her hips while he ground up into her, both of them breathing heavily. Ani had one hand on his knee and the other on his shoulder, looking him in the eye as they moved together.

Daryl dipped his head down and began a sloppy trail of kisses along her chest, teasing each peak as he reached them. Their movements became faster as the heat in the truck built to an almost unbearable level, Ani mewling while her head finally fell back. Daryl's head fell on her chest as they ground harder against each other while he grunted along. They were both feeling the tension building while her nails gripped into his shoulder and knee and even his were bruising her hips from how hard a grip he had on her. It didn't take long for them both to tip over the edge and Daryl to spill his seed in her once again as she clenched down around him. Their heads both fell to the other's shoulder before he turned his head to kiss his mark on her neck before helping her climb off of him, making her moan in the process. Daryl was smirking proudly as Ani shyly smiled back at him while pulling her top up over her breasts again.

"Had your fun?" he asked her, making her blush bright red.

"Do ya got ta do that every fuckin' time we do somethin' new?" she asked in a huff while she wiggled back into her pants, Daryl bringing his back up himself. "Sorry I ain' as fuckin' experienced as ya."

She was getting ready to open the door and head out when he pulled her back, "You know I don't mean nothin' bad."

"Still, makes me feel like shite every time ya ask me that. It's like I should already know all this shite. I hate it."

"I'm just teasin' you, baby girl."

"Well, quit it. Othawise I'm goin' ta beat ya ass like I do Merle when 'e don' get the fuckin' hint," she warned him. "Let's go hunt."

Making their way through the woods, Ani and Daryl followed the trail of a deer out into the woods, Ani hoping to get more than one deer if they could, maybe three or four. It didn't take them long to catch up to the one they were tracking, bringing it down and taking it back to the truck before heading back out. It was getting to be fall, so their population should be enough if the walkers hadn't decimated their numbers over the months. And honestly, this far north, Ani doubted the numbers would have been hit too badly as it was hunting season, or would be soon enough. The north generally needed to cull deer numbers to protect crops and farmland every year and even though things had changed, she couldn't imagine the population being depleted. They managed to get two more, a doe and a large buck that they both had to carry back and Daryl said he was keeping the antlers from. She couldn't help but laugh and say that they could hang it on the wall or take a bit of the bas to make into handles for knives, that latter of which quickly being knocked down. Bobby and Catty had brought their own catches to the truck, following the hunters' lead, though it was quite funny seeing the contrast. A stick, a leaf, and a small bird for Catty, Bobby bringing in two squirrels and a pheasant. Ani and Daryl had a laugh at that, Ani mentioning that at least Catty had managed to get something living this time, even if it was just a robin. They were following another trail when Ani stopped Daryl and turned her head this way and that, her ears pricked out like a cat's as he tried not to laugh watching them twitch.

"Ya hear that? Or is it jus' the wind?"

"I don't hear nothin'," Daryl said, straining his ears to hear what she heard.

There was something, though, that had him following her when she told him, "It's faint, but it's there."

As they got closer, he heard whatever it was, the sound reminding Ani of the ocean before he said, "Whatever it is, can't be good."

"Holy shiteballs in a fuckin' hand basket!" Ani exclaimed as they got close to a ledge that led into a deep quarry. "Shite, shite, shite, shite, shite!"

"Damn, look," Daryl told her, pointing down into the quarry and then up at the road. "Those trucks. They're keepin' 'em in there."

"Shite, that's how."

"How what?"

"How Alexandria's gotten so fuckin' lucky. All this, the walkas down there, the noise they're makin'. It's bringin' in any walka that comes from miles 'round. And look!" she said, pointing at the lower trucks. "The ones gettin' out, they're pushin' their way through. Those trucks ain' gonna last. We got a month, maybe two, tops, ta do somethin', if that. We gotta get back, tell Rick and Deanna 'bout this."

"What are you thinkin'?"

"I don' know, but we got ta do somethin' ta redirect that herd or else they're goin' ta be goin' ta Alexandria and they'll plow right through. That many, we'd be stuck inside the walls and die out. We'd be helpless. I can' let that happen. Not when...Maggie's pregnant, Judy's there. I don' want ta lose the future we're workin' on buildin'."

"Me either, baby girl," Daryl told her, wrapping his arms around her and pressing a kiss into her hair. "Let's go."