Daryl was on watch duty in one of the guard towers. It had been four days since they had gotten back from the run. During that time he had barely seen Lara, though he heard her nightmares every night and every night went to check on her. He couldn't not. It annoyed him that he hadn't seen her and it annoyed him that it annoyed him.

She had guard duty, he had guard duty, then she had been helping organise the things they'd got on the run. He'd been hunting with Merle. She was looking after Twink and Sophia, or playing with them. Taking stock of what food they had. He saw her only at meal times. She had still been the same then, talking with him, making jokes and smiling like he was the only guy in the room. It was infuriating. He didn't know what the fuck was going on or why she was on his brain so often.

She had spent the morning showing the two little girls some self-defence. It looked to him like she'd been trainin' them real good. It gave them more of a chance and he respected that.

After she had finished with the girls Lara had started sparring with Merle. He was not amused to see Merle wasn't pulling his punches and he frowned harder when she had waved Red over to them and got the two of them to fight her at the same time. The fuck was she doing? She wasn't even healed from the attack at the mall! Stupid, stubborn, bitch.

Still he watched in fascination as she went into the cells and came back not long after with some kids toys. Play swords and knives, along with two real guns. Forehead wrinkled in confusion he sat forward in his seat, reminding himself to quickly glance around the perimeter as he was supposed to be doing.

Daryl looked back to see Merle and Red turning the guns on her, before Merle showed her quickly how to disarm Red. With a nod she went for the foam sword, disarmed Red with the sword and then Merle with a well placed kick to his wrist. She was makin' sure she could take anyone down next time. Smart dame. Real smart. Of course it was easy enough in a simulated situation like that but not in real life. He bet she knew that though.

"Here, I brought you some lunch," Carol said and Daryl frowned as he tried not to show that she had actually surprised him for once.

"Thanks," he said, taking the plate off her.

"What's going on down there?" She asked looking down at the scene Daryl had been watching, her hip propped against the wall.

"Dunno," Daryl said, keeping his eyes on his food.

"She's a strange one, isn't she? Looks all tiny and defenceless but she's holding her own against those two. Kind too. Can't thank her and Merle enough for what they did for my Sophia," Carol said casually, still watching the training down below.

Daryl just grunted in her direction. He didn't want to talk about Lara. He still didn't understand how he felt about her. Or why. And he didn't need Carol adding to his mind fuck.

"There's that guy again, what's his name Tommy?" Carol asked and Daryl actually looked that time.

Carol was right. Tommy or Tommy Boy was watching the training session. He always seemed to be hanging around wherever Lara was. He was in his mid-twenties, clean shaven and very preppy. He was also about as useful as a used rubber. Tommy Boy's eyes seemed to always be on Lara, but Lara either didn't notice or, as was more likely, just ignored it. Daryl had seen though that the smiles she gave the man never quite reached her eyes.

"I think he's got a thing for her. He's pretty handsome, I wonder why she's never hooked up with him?" Carol asked, her voice far away. Daryl felt his hands tense on his plate.

"Dunno," Daryl said, going back to his food and purposefully not looking again.

"Poor man, she treats him like a kid," Carol sighed.

It was true. Apparently Lara had found him on a run a little over a month ago. He'd been holed up in his parents house and hadn't left it since the turn. Lara treated him like she treated Carl. As though he was a cute kid who got under her feet and wanted to sit at the grown up table before he was ready.

"Alright, guess I better get back. Sophia's going to show me her cookie making skills," Carol said with a wide smile.

"Ya save some for me, alright?" Daryl replied with his own smile. He was damn happy for Carol, getting her kid back, it was nothin' short of a miracle.

"Of course," Carol chuckled before leaving.

Daryl looked around the perimeter again before once more his eyes were pulled to Lara. She was getting Tommy Boy to join in as well now. Laughing at something he had said or done. His frown deepened and he tore his eyes away to watch the woods for a bit.

01010101010

Lara was exhausted, she needed a good night's sleep. She was carrying on as normal but her disturbed sleep and her anxiousness at waking up Daryl every night was wearing on her. She couldn't carry on like she was. She needed to be better for the group.

Sitting outside as it started to get dark around her she lit up a cigarette and breathed out the smoke deeply. It would be dinner soon and just for once she wished she could take her food to her room and ignore everyone. However she couldn't. If she did, people would come and check up on her and she did not want that. Plus people always seemed to have problems at dinner that they just had to talk to her about right then.

Lara wished she could just… relax. A smile curled her lips at that. She could relax. Finishing her cigarette she bounded to her feet and went in search.

She grinned wider as she found him playing a board game with the kids. By the looks of it he was losing. Her heart fluttered a little as he leant forward and tickled Twink when she cheated. This was a side she hadn't seen to the usually reserved and stoic man. As if she needed more fuel for her little crush.

"Hey kiddos," Lara said as she reached the table they were sitting at.

"Lara! Look I'm winning!" Twink bounced in her seat, her little face beaming, her eyes glowing.

"You are! Are you cheating though?" Lara teased knowing damn well the five year old was.

"Yeah she is. She's a damn shark, ain't ya," Daryl smiled ruffling the little girl's head.

"She shouldn't be playin' anyway, she's just a baby," Carl muttered disgruntledly. He did not look like he was enjoying himself, in fact his arms were folded and he had a pout on his face making him look younger.

"I am not a baby!" Twink argued angrily.

"I'm not either!" Lara replied, knowing the quickest way to curb the temper tantrum that was approaching.

"No, you're old!" Sophia replied, sticking her tongue out while giggling.

"Now, quit being ugly Little Bit," Lara mock frowned at her and sure enough all the kids started laughing. Crisis averted. "Barton?"

"Yeah?" Daryl replied, checking the cards that he had for whatever the game was.

"I was thinking, tonight ya fancy sharing what I found in that tobacco tin?" Lara asked, hoping he got what she meant, she couldn't say it in front of the kids.

"Hell yeah," Daryl replied with a little smile. "Now, go away, I'm about ta whoop these guys butts!"

Lara walked away smiling.

As she went to head to her room she was flagged down by Merle, who was sitting with the others of the Board.

"There ya are, been lookin' for ya," Merle said and Lara went to sit.

"S'up?" She asked, looking around at the table.

"We're having a meeting about the new guys. We want to put them to work. See how it goes," Grouch said, gesturing to scattered paper across the table top.

Lara nodded, scooping up the papers and reading what had been written. Her tongue dragging against the groove in her lip she went to grab a pen. As she read she made notes on a clean piece of paper.

"Here," she said, passing her paper to Merle.

"Hmmm," Merle grunted as he read before he looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Not a chance in hell Princess."

"Got to be done," Lara shrugged back.

"What?" Michonne asked, taking the paper off Merle and reading with a furrowed brow. "I can see it."

"Want to share with the rest of the class?" Tyreese asked grumpily. Lara often wondered if she should have put Sasha on the Board instead of her brother, but he was a calming influence which the rest of the hotheads needed. Even if he was grumpy when he had to do the work.

"She wants the good officer on her run to the hardware store with her," Merle said, blatantly unhappy with the idea. "I swear Princess, ya come back with so much as a scratch from that prick I'm gonna knock him the fuck out and then I'm gonna jerk a knot in your tail!"

"I'll be fine," Lara rolled her eyes. "I'm happy for Beth to do what you guys suggested, I want her learning self-defense and weapons with the kids too though. She needs it."

Kill Bill nodded as well. Red just shrugged, not seeming to care either way.

"What's the thinking so far?" Lara asked the Board with interest. It was halfway through the two weeks and she wanted to know what they thought of the other group so far.

"Seem alright, Carol's pulling her weight, Bit and Twink are really happy with her. I think she's pretty much already one of us. I'd trust her to have our backs if shit blew up," Grouch said plainly, getting nods of assent in return. "Daryl too. He hunts, guards and he had your back on the run."

"Of course he's one of us. He's blood, kin," Merle barked angrily.

"Hershel's been helping with the crops and helping sort out the medical supplies with Bob. Him and Grey get along pretty well too, he helps her with foraging sometimes," Kill Bill said, Lara had noticed the older man seemed to be a positive influence on the group too. Always seemed to have sage advice and a wan smile for everyone. She respected that. She also saw the two elders, Hershel and Grey, together on more than one occasion. Grey had come in a couple of days after Andrea and Kill Bill. A basketful of mushrooms as an offering and looking ready to keel over. The woman looked to be around Hershel's age and was a quiet, calming if distant presence.

"Rick is testing the waters. I'm not sure if it's because he wants to know how we operate and make sure we are who we say, or it's a power play. I don't know. I'm on the fence with him," Backer said, surprisingly. Tyreese tended to trust indiscriminately until given a reason not too.

"That's why I want him on my run. I wanna have a one on one with him," Lara said looking at her friends and family. "If he stays he'll be on the board, which I'm a bit unsure about now. I'm leaning a different way so far but I think he'd make a fuss of it. So I wanna set both our cards on the table. See what develops."

The meeting carried on through dinner. Carol, Elmo and Tommy Boy brought them plates of food as they still discussed not only the new group but other ideas they had for the Pound. Merle wanted to push forward and clear the remainder of the prison. Red wanted to get proper beds and mattresses, which Lara was all for and started mentally preparing a run to bed and mattress stores. Kill Bill wanted something for everyone to look forward to, which everyone seemed to have lots of ideas for. As she pointed out there was no point surviving and not living. Lara smiled widely at that. That was what she always told the kids, when they worried about not being able to do something.

By the end of the impromptu meeting they had made more work for themselves, but Lara was certain that the next few weeks would prove to be good ones. She quickly scribbled down the stores she would need to scout out and other ideas that she had but otherwise would forget. After she had done she looked around for Barton. More than ready to share a joint and some whiskey. Her head was even more full than usual.

He was leant against the makeshift cooking area talking to Carol. With a little smile she got up to head for him.

"And where are you goin?" Candyman asked with a smirk that made her frown. He could not know her plans. Had Daryl told him? Nah. No way.

"I have prior arrangements, if you'll please excuse me ladies and gentlemen," Lara chuckled as she gave a mock bow to her friends. She headed for Daryl feeling the eyes on her back and wishing they still had TV so there was more to do than just gossip or watch others.

Lara bit her lip as she approached. She didn't really want anyone reading into anything that wasn't there. She would tentatively call Daryl a friend, but that was all. She didn't want anyone to think more of it than just two friends sharing - as far as they needed to know- a smoke. Lara thought subtle would be the best here.

"Hey, Carol, dinner was so good, thank you. And thanks for bringing it over. It really is appreciated," Lara said honestly. She really did like the older woman.

"You're welcome sweetie," Carol replied with a genuine smile.

Lara found herself uncomfortable with the endearment that slipped past the woman's lips. No one had ever talked like that to her before, with that maternal ring to it. She didn't know how it made her feel. Just uncomfortable and uneasy.

"Barton, I'm headin' down to the offices if you need lettin' in. If not, Candyman has the keys," Lara said. She had said something similar almost every night since he'd been there so there would be no suspicions. She hoped.

"Night," Daryl replied as a way of an answer but he was looking at Carol.

"Night, sleep well," Carol said with another one of those smiles, her eyes soft on the younger Dixon.

Carol and Daryl seemed really close and Lara wondered about that a little. He had said he wasn't sleeping with anyone. Was that a choice or was he wanting Carol? Did Carol want him? She was usually pretty good at reading people, a self-taught self-defense action, that way you tell when someone was in a bad mood and feeling aggressive. However she found that Daryl had the best poker face she had ever seen, she could get nothing from him, even his eyes were masked. Carol as well was a hard read. Lara doubted she was as Suzie homemaker as she acted. If she were she would have died by then, no question.

"Okay, I have munchies and weed in my room, get the whiskey and meet me back here," Lara said as they stood outside the metal door that led to the admin building. "You're not bothered by heights are you?"

Daryl looked at her and scoffed. She guessed that was a no.

"Well alright then," Lara shook her head and went to get her things along with a heavy sweater and a couple of blankets. She was pretty sure that stoned and drunk the cold air wouldn't affect them but before then it would.

Lara led a silent Daryl through the corridor down to the emergency roof access. There she climbed up and waited for him. It was a blisteringly cold night but it was a clear sky giving them a view of the stars and the crescent moon.

Lara laid down the blankets on the roof then settled atop them so she could look at the stars. She had never got people's obsession with the sky, astrology, space travel, or knowing the constellations. She knew the north star, so she could find her way in the woods, but that was all. Now though, staring at the stars gave her a sense of peace. Maybe it was because with the fall of humanity they were suddenly clear or maybe it was just that familiarity. The stars and the moon were there the same as always, some things wouldn't change. Even when everything else was.

They were still silent as Lara lit up the first joint and passed it to Daryl as she blew out a lung full of the sweet smoke, her limbs relaxing against the tiled roof beneath her.

"It's been about five years since I smoked weed. I had gone to a club with my fake ID and went back to a house party. It was awful, barely got a buzz, but it felt good to be normal for a night. Ya know?" Lara said as the joint was half gone, Daryl laid down next to her, though with a fair distance between their bodies.

"Yeah," he replied softly. "Been about eight years for me I guess. Went with Merle to visit his dealer and smoked some weed while they were doing business."

"Ya know before this, the turn. People used to play those silly games. Like if you could have a dinner party with anyone ever who would you invite? And you'd always get that one person who'd say Jesus. About two months before the virus came up I was at work and one of the girls, Lucy, or Sarah or whatever her name was asked which celebrities you'd want on your zombie apocalypse team," Lara said, not really thinking. Just talking and star gazing. Letting the heavy feeling of relaxation drift over her and a faint smile cross her lips.

"Who'd ya say?" Daryl asked her while passing over the joint again.

"Ray Mears, Bear Grylls, Les Stroud and Brad Pitt," Lara replied with a giggle.

"Brad Pitt?"

"Gotta have a bit of eye candy," Lara told him, trying to keep her eyes on the sky and not let them drift to him. "Who would've been on yours?"

"Dunno, guess the same as yours but with Megan Fox," Daryl sniggered a little.

"Ya reckon there's any celebrities still alive?" Lara asked.

"Guess so, with bodyguards and those big houses and gates and shit. Got better chance than most," she could almost hear his shrug from next to her.

"Ya know what I think?" Lara asked, turning her head to look at him.

"What?"

"I think that it's people like us who are surviving. The ones that always struggled for shit, for survival. We're doing it because that's what we've always done," Lara said, something she had thought about one night when nightmares had kept sleep at bay. She thought that's why Sophia and Twink were so strong. That was why Merle was so strong, hell he'd probably outlive everyone if he kept a hold of his temper.

"I think weeds s'pose ta make ya giggle, not philosophise," Daryl said with a shake of his head but a faint smile on his face. "Means we have to break out the whiskey, can't talk deep shit with that in ya."

020202020

Merle was about ready to head to his room for the night when the crackle of his walkie talkie made him stiffen. "Candyman?"

"Kill Bill, what's tha problem?" Merle asked, standing up and making sure his gun was on him. He always had a knife with him thanks to his attachment, but he felt better with a gun too.

"No problem. But you want to come and see this," Mitch said down the line, her voice sounding amused.

Merle sighed but went to leave the cell block anyway. Anything that amused the woman should be good. She was too damn serious most of the time.

He ambled along, ignoring everyone else until he made it outside. The air was cold and fresh with the hint of approaching rain in it. There were no clouds yet but he could feel it coming. Years of readin' the weather while out trackin' and huntin' had him fine tuned to the elements.

The metal stairs leading up to the guard tower where Mitch was on watch clanged noisily under foot. He could walk them silently if need be but sneakin' up on that particular woman was never a great idea. Last time he'd done it her sword had stopped an inch from his throat. He'd laughed at her then but the bitch had been too damn close for comfort.

"What is it?" Merle growled as he reached the top of the tower.

"Look," Kill Bill said, handing over the sniper rifle she was usin' and pointed over to the roof on the far side of the prison.

With a loud sigh Merle did what she suggested.

"Well, well, look at that now. Little brother's balls are droppin'," Merle said in delight.

Lara and Daryl were sitting on the roof with only the smallest amount of space between them. Passing a bottle of something between them and smoking. He could see both of them had little smiles on their faces and occasionally one of them would laugh.

"You think he'll make a move?" Kill Bill asked with a smile in her voice.

"Hell'll freeze over 'fore that boy will man up enough to make a move," Merle said honestly. Daryl didn't have the emotional or social grace to make a move on a girl he actually liked. Sure he could pick some slut up from a bar for a quick screw when he was wasted enough, but someone he actually liked, found good-looking, someone he connected with? Totally out of Daryl's wheelhouse.

"She won't either," Kill Bill pointed out with a frustrated sigh. She wasn't wrong. Lara was almost as damaged as Daryl. Almost. She didn't think she was worth anything, didn't think she was worth caring about, always worried about being abandoned, like she was waiting for it to happen. And she was one stubborn bitch.

The pair may have needed more help than Merle had originally considered.

How the fuck was he gonna do that? If he pushed either of them they'd run screamin the other direction.

Jealousy only went so far, both of them would just assume the other was better off without the other. Subtle hints wouldn't work. Especially with Daryl.

"Any suggestions rather than criticism?" Merle asked the woman glumly.

"Actually, yeah," Michonne said with a smile that was slightly evil looking. Merle grinned back and let loose a laugh. This could only be good.

030303030

Daryl found out that Lara liked to talk when she was stoned and drunk. Something that usually annoyed him and ruined his buzz. For some reason he found that she didn't annoy him as much as others. He didn't know why.

"What did you want to do when you were a kid, like for a career?" Lara asked when the whiskey was half gone.

"Dunno, get away from my pa," Daryl said, he tried not to think of his childhood ever. The alcohol had loosened his lips more than he would have liked. He thought he could probably trust her with shit though. Merle did. And Merle didn't trust anyone. "What 'bout you?"

"Get away from my mom," Lara said with a sigh, pulling out her battered cigarettes again. "And her Johns."

Daryl looked at her then, he hadn't been expectin' that. Still he tried through his drunken haze not to let the shock show. He hated shit like that. He guessed she would too.

"I miss being able to dance when I'm drunk. And sing. And shout," Lara said with a smile on her face. The moonlight wasn't that bright, but it was enough to shine down and illuminate her face. She was beautiful.

"What's the story behind your tats?" Daryl asked, he'd been curious since he had seen them that night and morning. He hadn't dared ask though. Instead he pretended he had never seen her naked. Never seen the curve of her ass, or the firm muscles of her thighs. Never touched her bare breast. Or he tried to pretend, because when he did remember flushes of arousal gripped him. He knew she had been ashamed of her body, of her multitude of scars, he however thought she was the sexiest woman he had ever seen. The image of her was burnt into his brain, even if he did try to forget it.

"Christmas presents to myself. One every year from when I was eighteen until last year. I wanted one on the base of my back. But… finding a guy who specialises in tattooing over… the scars... was out of my budget. So instead I got things that made me happy. Some of them are ridiculous now but I can see them and smile anyway," Lara said with a thin smile, her tongue flicking out and rubbing against the scar on her lip.

"So you're twenty four?" Daryl worked out, she had six tattoos that he had seen. Unless he hadn't looked close enough.

"Wow, you really got an eyeful, didn't ya," Lara said while laughing. She didn't seem upset by the fact but she did blush slightly. "You missed one though, I'm twenty five. I'll be twenty six, soonish. Whenever February is."

"Where's the other one?" Daryl asked before he could stop himself. Alcohol had always made him more chatty and louder than usual too. More bold. It was how he'd been able to pick up quick fucks back when there still were functional bars.

"Depends which ones ya saw," Lara replied, her head tipping forward so her hair fell in her face. "Got the skull and roses on my ribs, bird on my wrist, Bambi on my thigh-"

"Bambi? What the hell?" Daryl asked with a snort.

"I said some of them were ridiculous, asshole," Lara said while bumping her shoulder into him, a huge smile lighting up her entire body. "Guessin' that's the one ya missed then."

"Which is ya favourite?"

"Erm the one on my neck," Lara said after a little pause, she moved her hair with sluggish, clumsy movements. At the nape of her neck she had a tattoo of a feather with fight written on it. An eternity symbol went around the calligraphed word.

"Huh, fittin'," Daryl said out loud. Every day was a fight now. As much as being at the Pound was easier, damn easier than the road for sure, there was still fightin' to be done. Whether it was makin' sure that everyone had enough food or clothes, or trying to make the place habitable, there was always a fight.

"Which of yours is your favourite then?" Lara asked, pushin' the subject away from herself. He noticed she did that a lot but less so when it had been just the two of them. Through his mellowed and fuggy brain he wondered if that meant somethin', or if he just wanted it ta mean somethin'.

"This one," he said, showing her the skull he had on his hand. He had gotten all of his tattoos but the demons when drunk. He didn't even remember gettin' the skull done. But he loved it. No idea why. It just spoke to him.

"Hmm… I like it," Lara replied with a smile as her fingers reached to brush against it. Before they connected though she pulled away. He wasn't sure if he was glad of that or not. He didn't like being touched. But he kind of wanted her to touch him. He had noticed that she didn't like being touched much either, she flinched away usually. Her group generally avoided touching her with the exception of Merle and the kids or they sent shoulder barges and elbows to her. Touch she could avoid or was brief.

Silence reigned for a while as they kept passing the whiskey bottle back and forth.

Clouds started obscuring the stars above them and the temperature dropped further. Daryl couldn't bring himself to move though. He was, for the first time probably since the CDC before it blew up, almost completely relaxed. On the roof, with her, just the sky above them and the forest surrounding the Pound, it was almost easy to forget the world had ended.

A raindrop hit Daryl's cheek bringing him out of his introspection and made him look up again. It was gonna rain heavy, they needed to call it a night, he thought with disappointment.

"Please tell me that's not rain," Lara slurred with a little groan.

Daryl snorted out a laugh. "Then I'd be lyin' ta ya Goldilocks."

"Damn, tomorrow is gonna suck great big, hairy, smelly balls," Lara said, getting up disturbingly shakily, considering they were on a roof.

"Why? S'just rain," Daryl asked bemused. Also trying to get up, his movements more clumsy than usual.

"You'll see Barton," Lara grinned at him, her eyes alight with mischief.