"Daryl." Shane interrupts jogging pass us. "Hey, man, we need to talk."

"Yeah?" He glares at the once Deputy. "What about."

"Your brother." Rick continues.

Daryl's eyes narrow as he stares at Shane and Rick, but softens when he looks at D. "He dead?" He asks them, his gaze steely as he looks at the officers.

Shane and Rick share a glance. "I don't know." Rick answers.

Daryl frowns, his lip curling. "Who the hell are you?"

"Rick Grimes."

"Well, Rick Grimes, he's either dead or he isn't, which one?"

"I don't know." Genuine remorse flickers in Rick's eyes. "There was a problem. Your brother doesn't know how to play nice with others. I had no choice but to handcuff him to the roof."

D's riveted to the spot, staring at Daryl with unblinking eyes. My gaze returns just as Daryl throws his collection of dead squirrels at Rick and goes for a tackle. The Sheriff dodges both squirrel and Dixon, while Shane takes Daryl down, ending in a chokehold.

My eyes narrow and I race over to stand between Rick and Daryl. D's gone for Shane socking the 'Deputy' in the face. He let's go and falls on his rear. She stands defiantly between the two. My full attention is on Rick, my spine stiffening against the imposing man. It's the end of the world. There's no government, no laws; who the hell do they think they are? Rick stares at me, surprise flittering through his blue eyes. I may be attracted to him, but that doesn't mean he can get away with this.

I take a deep breath and stare the man in the eyes, "You and Shane want to play good cops?" My voice is firm with the statement. "You get society started up again."

"You don't get to play good cop anymore, you've forsaken his brothers life" D continues, her voice steady and firm.

There's a moment of pause before Daryl turns on us. "I don' need yer help" he sneers under his breath.

We glance at each other, not that offended, we know him better than he realises. We're well aware of his emotional walls, D more so. His gruff, harsh exterior is only a mask. Not to say we're just going to let him treat us like that; but at the moment it isn't a priority.

Before we can say anything else T-Dog steps forward. "Don't blame Rick, I'm the one who dropped the key."

"And ya couldn't pick it up?" Daryl all but snarls, stepping close to the black man.

"I dropped it down a drain."

Daryl snorts, his narrowed angry gaze pinpointed onto him, "That doesn't make me feel better."

"Does this: I chained the door with the padlock so the Walkers couldn't get in."

"That has to count for something." Rick adds, obviously changing tactics with the man.

The Hunter swears at them all. "Where is he? So I can go get him."

"Rick will show you." Lori calls from the crowd of onlookers, looking upset as she makes her way into the RV.

The ensuing arguments are between Shane, Lori and Rick. Daryl will be fine not that he wasn't before. I'm sure D will stay and talk to him. Or hang around him she's still a little shy. Squeezing her hand, I gesture towards the lake and then slip away. Sitting on a flat rock, I take in the peace and solitude. The water is calm, the sun's light bouncing off the surface, there's a gentle breeze cooling my hot skin. The wind rustling through the trees and the birds chirping are a calming balm to my taut nerves. After days of nonstop people this is a welcome relief. I adore the children, wouldn't think of sticking them with someone else, but seclusion is a huge part of my coping mechanism.

"Hey." D's voice interrupts my thoughts.

Turning to see her, my smile's genuine but confused; would've thought she'd stay with Daryl. Was sure of it. I make room for her, nonetheless. We're silent, sitting and taking in the tranquil silence. Amy always needs chatter and noise. I think that's one of the things that annoy me so much about her; she's not capable of appreciating silence.

"That was kind of exciting." D grins weakly.

My smile is gentle, there's obvious tension in her posture and whether or not she'll tell me; she needs to let it go. "You clocked him pretty good,"

She perks up, her shoulders easing a little. "I did, didn't I?"

We spend a few hours chatting, and not just about small inconsequential things, but our fears and worries. Breathing a sigh of relief it takes a huge weight off my shoulders when she admits that the camp has made complacent. We were both strong, independent girls who could take on walkers. But, that was because we were dealing with them everyday.

That one walker terrified us both, and shouldn't have. By the time we lapse into silence again the tension is gone. It feels really good to have D like this again. I've missed her so much, and trust no one else with my fears and thoughts. I like to think she feels the same.

I spot Glenn out of the corner of my eye. "Glenn, what's up?"

He stares at us, fearful and worried. "I'm going back into the city to lead Rick, Daryl and T-Dog, to find Merle."

We share a look before shifting so he can sit between us. "You know you'll be fine right?"

"I know you'll come back." D adds as she grabs his hand.

"Why is it always me?"

My smile is tender for the boy, "Because you're Korean, and Korean's kickass."

His lips twitch in a small smile, but he frowns. "But how can you be sure I'll come back?"

"Because you do." D replies softly, a warm look in her eyes.

"I just don't want to." He sighs.

"If it makes you feel better, we don't want you to go. I could talk to Rick for you? If nothing else I'll bully him into keeping you here." My tone is light, hoping to ease him somewhat.

D catches my eyes and frowns, not believing my carefree attitude. She's the only one who's aware of my feelings for the Sheriff. I hope she is. My intention is for no one else to know. The whole thing between him, Shane and Lori is a mess as it is. There's no need to add me into the mix. Plus, he'd have to feel the same. The one and only time I had a boyfriend was when I was twelve. It only lasted a few months. I had to move. Then again, when I went back to visit the last few times, we kind of picked up right where we left off.

Well that doesn't count anyway. My ex is the same age as me, and we were pretty good friends before hand. That, and he's not a man with a gun in a zombie apocalypse. I mean Rick is a man!

By the time the three of us walk back to the camp the others are getting ready to go. "It'll be okay." I murmur giving him a hug.

"Remember, you're brilliant at this. You can do it." D adds as she pulls him into one.

He waves weakly as he drags his feet to the van, staring at the ground. Daryl passes; crossbow in hand and D reaches out snagging his arm. My surprise is evident and turning to D, she too is taken aback by her actions. My gaze returns to Daryl who's staring at her hand with an unreadable expression.

She drops it just as suddenly, a red blush tinting her checks, "Uh, stay safe." she mumbles.

The two lock eyes but he nods, and grunts a barely understandable, "yeah." before walking away.

"Love you too Dixon." I call out; his response is a middle finger in the air.

The thought of teasing her crosses my mind, what else are best friends for, but my gaze inadvertently goes to Rick. He's getting ready and finishing his talk with Carl. We lock eyes. I give a weak wave and he smiles and nods back before getting into the van. A few moments later it starts and takes off.

Even before the van completely disappears the mood of the camp sinks; there's no laughter, no jokes, no chatter. Amy's taken D to go fishing with Andrea, Dale's gone back to the top of the RV and I don't recall seeing Jim around; must be digging his holes. Shane and Lori have disappeared together, again.

It's disgusting. Rick goes through hell to find his family, and apart from the initial reunion, Lori pushes him aside for Shane. I've seen the way Rick looks at them. He's angry and hurt. Though if you look close enough, you can see his understanding. I'm not sure what took place between Rick and Lori before the apocalypse, but it must have been bad if seeing his 'wife' and Shane together doesn't make him go crazy.

It has to stop or she needs to officially break it off with Rick. She's still too affectionate with him for either man to know whom she really wants. All their focus needs to be on the new world. I sigh and continue to gaze around the camp, feeling a little lost. Morales' kids are clinging to their parents; Sophia is at her mother's side and Carl's…walking over to me.

Blinking at him curiously and slipping an arm around his shoulders, I kiss the top of his head. "He'll be fine."

"I know." He replies softly. "He made it here. I know my dad will be back."

"It's not easy to watch them go is it?"

"How do you know?" He questions, not unkindly.

"My dad worked overseas, he was only ever home a couple of weeks through the year. I was so used to him leaving for months on end, but it was always hard to say goodbye; to watch him leave." I explain, trying hard not to tear up.

Thinking about home always makes me weepy. They're safe in a world where zombies aren't aiming to eat them. But, if they were in this world with us, I…I honestly don't think they'd make it. There's too many ways for them to get into the house, and mum's never thought about a zombie attack; she wouldn't know the first thing to do.

"I'm sorry." Carl's voice brings me back.

I sniff back the tears and smile sadly, "For what?"

"I've made you cry."

I take my glasses off and rub my face, as well as any trace of tears. "I'm not crying," I put them back on and bend to kiss the top of his head again.

"You're sad." He points out.

"Everyone's sad, Little Grimes." My smile is tender, "I just miss them is all."

We stand there for a little bit longer, but a look at the kid's sad expression causes me to pull away. We gather up the other young ones and entertain ourselves. The afternoon flies by, at least for me. Eventually everyone slides back into their routine.

Andrea, Amy and D come back some time later with enough fish for tonight. My smile is forced, which means it's probably more of a grimace. I'm not a fan of fish, really, really not a fan. I won't complain. It's not a good idea to be picky in an apocalypse, but if there was something else to eat I'd be all for it.

Of course, this wouldn't be a proper day with out some sort of drama. It's Dale that points out Jim, who's been digging away all this time, and because no one has anything better to do, they follow him and Shane towards Jim. I don't want to and wish they'd just leave him alone. D pulls me along anyway.

"Hey Jim, buddy." Shane's smile is forced, as is the light tone of voice.

Jim pauses in his digging, turning a reluctant eye to Shane. "What do you want?"

"Just a little concerned,"

"You've been up here for awhile." Morales comments. His wife is by his side and the kids are in front of him.

"Trying to dig your way out of here?" Shane jokes, stepping a little closer.

"I'm not hurting anyone." He mumbles as he goes back to digging.

"You're hurting yourself Jim," Dale states, a frown on his face. "It's over 100 degrees out here."

"I'm fine."

"Jim, you're scaring the kids." Lori adds, gripping Carl's shoulder.

Facing her, and catching her eye, I send her a look to say 'who's-fault-is-that?' She ignores me. With a roll of my eyes my attention returns to Jim. How can she say that when it's her fault Carl's up here. Seriously, if the parents were worried about the result this would have on the kids they shouldn't have been brought. Where's the logic in that?

Jim isn't hurting anyone. Why can't he just be left alone? He's got a hat on, someone just needs to get him a glass of water or two, or three. I'd go with five; the point is though they need to leave him alone!

After more nitpicking, and Shane coming off as a little unreasonable, the whole thing turns a little tense. I'm not all that curious to see what happens; there's a vague recollection of what transpires, so I go back to camp and head to the lake. The nameless survivors are the ones that hadn't bothered to involve themselves.

Sometime later, after staring into the water for what seemed like hours, D's by my side, Amy next to her. "That was intense." D mutters still a little wide eyed.

"I feel so sorry for him." Amy sighs, obviously upset. "I mean to get away because the walkers are eating your family."

"Better than not knowing." I murmur to myself.

"How can you say that?" Amy exclaims sounding disgusted.

"Because I know what it's like to not know." My irritation can't be hidden. "I get that it was obviously agonizing for his family at the time, unless someone's got congenital insensitivity to pain, being eaten alive is horrible." I face the blonde. "And yes, Jim's suffering from the horror of it, I get that." I sigh and turn back to the water. "But he knows what became of them, he doesn't have the worries of if they're alive or not."

"We don't know if our family and friends are dead and walkers, or if they're holding up somewhere worried about us." D adds, her voice thick with emotions.

Theoretically they should be perfectly fine. But, the longer we're here the more I question it. Does this world have our parents in it? Did what ever bring us here create alternate versions of our loved ones? How the hell did this happen in the first place! D and I talk about this, not often, it's depressing but enough to know how we both feel about it. We're both hoping that whatever this is, it's dealing with just us. I don't think either of us would be able to cope if we saw our friends and family as walkers, or dead.

The morbid thoughts and feelings linger, even when night descends and we're all gathered around the fire for dinner. I have no appetite and pick at the fish, pushing it around the plate. They're all having a great time; there's laughter and playful teasing, and all the while I'm feeling lonely.

My gaze lingers on the kids. Carl's laughing at something Shane's said, Sophia is smiling softly as she leans into her mother, and Morales' kids are pouting at their empty plate. I stand, and to be honest I'm not sure whether I'm relieved or not that it goes unnoticed. D looks my way, and I give her a look, one I'm hoping she'll realise means to get ready. She tilts her head to the side, obviously not understanding. With a sigh my destination is our tent to grab our weapons, a crowbar each.

I pause and stare into the darkness. There's movement. Any noise is drowned out by laughter. Rushing to the RV, I get there just as Amy's coming out. She's got one foot in the RV the other on the step and leaning her weight on the arm clutching the door. The first walker that attacks reaches out and grips the girl's arm, pulling it towards its mouth.

I'm not close enough to pull her away, but her pulling back gives me enough time to slam the weapon into it's eye. It drops.

Her scream catches everyone's attention and pandemonium ensues. People scream, the groans become audible and people are going down.

I kick at a fast approaching zombie, jerking the crowbar from the first walker as this one stumbles back. Shoving Amy back into the RV, it's just in time to lash out at another and stab it in the eye; it's the squishiest and easiest place to go for a kill. The skull sometimes doesn't give right away.

I spin and jam the crowbar into a third before it can bite me. D's scream signals her position and I'm there seconds later. She's helping Carol and Sophia, pushing them along to the RV. Shane's voice is loud enough to be heard over everything, yelling for everyone to stay together, to make for the camper. I toss D her weapon in time for her to swing it into the head of a walker that's a little too close.

My heart's pounding. The blood's rushing through my ears, and my nausea is at an all time high. Moans, screams, gunfire, even the sound of the walkers eating are all coming together in such away that I'm going to have nightmares for months. Twisting to swipe at a walker, D and I are getting boxed in. We stand back to back, kicking and swinging at the few that are surrounding us.

A scream rips through my lips as two of them lunge at me. Getting knocked back hard into D, it sends us both flailing to the ground. We roll away as the rest virtually fall on top of us. We struggle to our feet, but my ankle twists on the way up, a sharp pain ripping through my leg. I cry out tumbling back to the ground.

D's own terrified scream jolts me into a mad scramble to get to her. The adrenaline coursing through my veins dulls the pain a little and I throw myself onto the walker that had D by her hair. It focuses its attention on me and the rest of my strength goes to keeping the snapping jaws from getting any flesh.

Shaking and trembling, my mouth is dry and throat sore from my screams. Tears run down my face, the oil and grime of the day seeping into my eyes. The pain annoying at first, but it increases until the walker isn't the only thing I have to contend with. I cry and blink rapidly, my eyes burning, but I'm able to roll the walker off. Struggling to my knees, and leaning over it, the crowbar sinks into its head.

Looking up and breathing heavily, sobs wrack my body. With still burning eyes, my concern is for D. Instead of seeing her, there's another walker lunging at me. I'm out of strength. My arms are limp, useless, muscles aching and the crowbar hangs loosely in my hand. It gets closer, teeth gnashing together, eyes glazed and blank. There's no humanity left. Is this it?'