fics I read

Daryl crept along the thawing forest ground, his feet a little clumsier than normal but still he was barely more than a whisper among the discarded leaves. He was hungry, thirsty, tired, running on fumes - but like always he pushed it away and concentrated on tracking what he was sure was a doe. The winter was harsh and unforgiving and they hadn't had deer in weeks. It was a meal that would fill all of them for days. He needed this; they needed this.

For what felt like years but was probably only a month or two, they had searched and searched for somewhere to call home, to call safe, since the fall of the farm. Daryl tried to drag his mind away from the farm. He'd fucked up too badly there; let down too many people - Sophia, Dale, Andrea.

Daryl was at home in the woods like he'd never been anywhere else and followed the doe's tracks effortlessly, freeing up his mind to wander. Thinking of people he'd lost, his mind drifted, as always, to his brother, Merle. Fucking idiot.

He wasn't sure if his older brother was still alive or not - they'd always had the motto can't nobody kill a Dixon but a Dixon and Daryl worried that was exactly what had happened. Merle had cut off his own goddamn hand. In this environment, this harsh, brutal, fucked up world, that was probably a death sentance.

"How do you know all this?" came a voice from behind him.

Daryl huffed. He'd told his hunting companion more than once that they needed to be silent. As much as he liked Rick, would follow him anywhere, he just wished the guy would shut the fuck up. How the hell did he expect to find anything or learn anything if he didn't listen? "Sorry." Rick said with humor in his voice at Daryl's obvious irritation.

The tracks led to a small stream and Daryl took that moment to take a quick drink of water, Rick by his side. The two rabbits he had slaughtered dragged along the forest floor as he bent down.

He stayed down as his ears picked up a change in the forest. A subtle shift of noise from the birds, the barely noticeable absence of scurries that came from under rotten and half frozen leaves. It felt like the forest around him was holding its breath, and Daryl held his right along with it though Rick hadn't noticed a thing.

There, to the left.

A slight thwack, a hushed grunt, a whispered curse.

They weren't the only ones in these parts. There was someone else out there and judging by the sounds they were in trouble. Daryl hesitated, deciding what to do. He had his own people to

worry about, and it seemed like most others they had met since the fall of the farm had been psychos one way or another.

"Oh come the fuck on!" growled a voice. A female's voice. She sounded frustrated, worn out and down, yet still he hesitated. Not Rick though. He took off without a second thought. Always the hero.

With a sigh he abandoned the doe tracks and followed the voice. He couldn't let some girl be walker bait and he sure as shit wouldn't let their leader get eaten (even if the idea sometimes flashed across his mind in an amusing way). He'd help, then they would fuck off and warn their group that there were others nearby. There must be, no one survived alone anymore.

Daryl almost, almost, stopped in shock at what he saw, although after pretty much a year of this shit his instincts overrode his astonishment, and in less than a heartbeat he was helping Rick and the girl kill the last of the walkers surrounding them.

"Thanks. Thought those last few shitbrains were gonna take me down," the woman said, looking from Rick to Daryl, her breathing labored. Despite her thanks she didn't lower the sword in her hand. A fuckin' honest to God sword.

Looking to be in her mid twenties, the girl had long blonde hair, blue eyes that popped from her face and full lips that were marred by a scar running through them on the left. She was average sized, maybe five foot six, but wasn't gaunt like the people in their group were starting to look. She had the body of a fighter - lean muscles and soft curves contrasting pleasantly. He also noticed that other than the debris of the forest and walker guts, she was pretty clean. All of this suggested that she had a place. Somewhere safe.

Daryl kept his crossbow trained on the woman. Pretty though she may be - beautiful even - but able to take out a pack of walkers on her own, which made her dangerous. He thought of their women. Women who could take care of themselves without a doubt (with the exception of Lori), but who certainly couldn't have handled what looked to be twenty walkers on their own.

"You're welcome," Rick said with a tight nod, also keeping his knife out ready, his other hand lazily held near his gun. "You hurt?"

The woman hesitated. He got it. You didn't admit any weaknesses anymore. Not in this world. Survivors weren't weak.

"Nah. I'm good," she said, not putting too much weight on her right leg.

"You sure?" asked Rick, also noticing the hesitation.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," the woman said with a weak grin, her hands gripping tighter around the handle of her sword.

Then, from behind some bushes on their left, they heard a rustle.

"Stay there!" the woman barked authoritatively, as she glanced wildly between Rick and Daryl.

"There's someone else with you?" Rick asked sharply.

"No one you need to worry about," she snapped as she started shifting, slowly side-stepping towards the hidden person. Daryl caught the small flinch on her pretty yet tough face and knew that she was hurt.

"We're not going to hurt you," Rick assured her, lowering his knife, but Daryl kept his crossbow raised, he wasn't taking any chances.

"Excuse me if I don't take your word for it," replied the woman stonily, her blue eyes still sharp, shifting between Rick and Daryl.

"Okay, I get that," Rick placated her and Daryl grunted in agreement.

This world was harder on women than men. That was sure as hell truer now then it had been before.

Another rustle and Daryl trained his crossbow on the bushes.

A small gust of air passed close by Daryl's face followed by a soft thunk next to his head on the tree at his back. The bitch had thrown a damn knife at him!

"Hawkeye! Point that thing at me all you like but keep it off there. My next one will make contact!" snarled the woman, her voice full of repressed rage.

"Who the hell you hiding?" Daryl asked. He was almost certain it was another woman, one not so capable. But he couldn't be too careful.

"Look, we really aren't gonna hurt you, or your friend. We have a group-" started Rick, but the woman cut him off.

"Look, Eastwood, I'm gonna stop ya there. You guys seem good and all, but I got people I wouldn't trust ya round even if you helped me take out all the shitbrains in this state. If ya got a group maybe you get what I mean?" stated the woman, her sword held in one barely shaking hand, a throwing knife in the other.

Rick nodded. "Yeah, I get that,"

Pissed off, Daryl nudged Rick. "Hey, let's just go," They'd find no hunting here now after all the noise they'd made and the woman obviously didn't want their help.

"We can't just leave them out here when she's injured!" replied Rick in a loud whisper.

Daryl rolled his eyes. The bleeding hearted man he had first met was momentarily back.

The noise from behind the bushes grew louder.

"Bit! No!" yelled the woman, pained as she darted to stand in front of the small figure that had just emerged from behind the bushes. Her eyes were round, her face pale, but she looked good, well cared for, fed and pretty damn clean.

Daryl dropped the crossbow as his heart leapt into his throat, and he staggered forward. He must be dreaming. He must be. But the forest ground under his knees felt real as his legs gave out and the small person in front of him flung herself at him. For once in his godforsaken life he didn't shy away from the hug. Instead he carefully wrapped his arms around the girl and held her tightly to him.

"Sophia?" he rasped, his eyes filling with tears he would later deny.

010101010

Lara lowered her sword, her eyes wide in disbelief.. This… this couldn't be happening. This shit didn't happen. Not anymore. Not since the whole world had taken a huge swan dive into hell.

She watched as the two men - who moments before had looked ready to take her head off - were both clutching at the little girl and crying. Bit cried with them, her face wearing the biggest smile Lara had ever seen.

The reunion had Lara fighting back tears of her own. They'd tried so, so hard to make this happen months ago. For weeks on end they'd scoured the area until it became too dangerous and they had to run. Had to move.

Every day that passed since then, Lara felt as though she'd let that little girl down. Had failed her. But against all odds, here she was, getting the happy ending she deserved.

Eastwood turned his head to her, his thin face holding so much emotion she could barely stand to look at him.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," the man repeatedly gasped at her.

"Didn't do anything. Seriously. Don't thank me," replied Lara harshly. She knew she had let Sophia down. She had failed. She didn't want thanks for screwing the pooch. It hurt that place where once she thought she'd had a soul.

"Lar!" Sophia scolded, throwing her a sharp look. Kid had that down pat now. "Ya did! Stop ya jaw aching and take the damn thanks!"

Lara laughed at the dumbfounded look on the men's faces as Bit channeled her inner Candyman. Oh shit. Candyman.

As if he had somehow read her thoughts, her walkie talkie burst to life.

"For fucks sake Princess! Ya slipped 'um again! I done told ya I'd kick yer skinny ass up and down the pound if ya did that shit again!" Candyman's yell crackled through the device. Used to his crap, Lara rolled her eyes as she plucked it off her belt.

"An I told ya if ya called me Princess again I was gonna shove my foot so far up your ass you were gonna be choking on toenails. Guess we both got promises to keep now, don't we?" Lara bit back, making the new men look at her like she was a threat again. She noticed that Hawkeye kept glancing at the walkie talkie, a frown on his face. His admittedly handsome face.

"Where the fuck are ya?" Candyman barked at her.

"Out!" She snapped back. "I'll be back soon. And I got a surprise for y'all!"

"I swear ta God woman, if yer think yer bringing back another stray!"

"Think ya might like this lot," Lara said, her tone softening.

"Lot? How many?" demanded Candyman She could picture him in her mind's eye - stopping his pacing to stare disbelievingly at his end, his face downturned and eyes fierce.

"I dunno," replied Lara honestly.

"Princess! Red? Orange?"

"Green Candyman, green," said Lara, sharing a smile with Sophia.

"There is no green!" Candyman yelled, static coming through louder than his voice.

"There is with this lot. I'll be back, don't worry," she grinned before turning the walkie talkie off. She'd catch hell for it but seeing his face would be worth the shit.

"Candyman? Who is…?" asked Hawkeye faintly, his eyes a blue lighter than her own. Although his arms were still around Bit, his gaze was fixed firmly on her.

"So I'm guessing you're Daryl?" Lara asked, wanting to make sure. There were some vague similarities to his brother, but the Dixon in front of her had definitely swam up from the better end of the gene pool.

"Yeah," he replied suspiciously, a familiar growl to his voice. A family trait, obviously.

"That was Candyman, better known to you I'm guessing as Merle," Lara said with a smile. Shit maybe today was gonna be a good day after all.

"Merle?" Hawkeye looked like he was seeing Bit all over again, his eyes wide, his face pale, joy leaping in the light blue of his eyes.

"Yup, that asshole," Lara grinned, unable to help herself. "Oh, and I guess you're gonna be happy to see the blonde again as well," Lara added with distaste as an afterthought. She really, really couldn't stand her.

"Blonde?" Eastwood asked with a frown.

"Andrea," Bit told the two men.

"I'm dreamin'. I'm fuckin' dreamin' again," Daryl said, his eyes losing their hope once more.

"Bit, pinch him, prove he's not dreaming," Lara said with a chuckle. The chuckle turned to an actual laugh as Bit did just that and Daryl hissed in pain.

She froze as she heard something.

"Bit!" she shouted, her voice a stern bark. Once more, she lifted her sword. It was a cumbersome weapon but very effective.

Lara didn't have to look to know that Sophia was behind her instantly pulling out of the mens arms. Sophia being her literal shadow, a small knife would be in her hands just in case. Nothing for weeks and then on the day Bit had finally talked Lara into letting her check the snares with her and what seems like a herd passes through.

"What!?" Eastwood asked, sounding annoyed.

"Walkers," the younger Dixon grunted, already moving so his back was to Sophia's. At least he had some common sense. He had got the looks of the family, seemed like maybe he'd got the damn brains too and he wasn't just pretty to look at.

"What, how-?" Eastwood was glancing around confused.

Lara shook her head. How had he lasted so long out here?

Out of the corner of her eye, Lara saw the first silhouettes emerge and heaved one of her knives. It rang true and the walker was down. Her second knife also hit its target. By her fifth she was five for five but out of knives. Time to use the sword.

"We're gonna have to run!" Eastwood declared as the shitbrains kept coming.

"Bit, go with them okay? Take them to the pound," instructed Lara, her heart pounding, truly scared for the first time in a while.

"No!"

"You know the rules! Now go!" shouted Lara while swinging her sword and taking the tops off the heads of two.

"Why ain't ya comin'?" Daryl growled.

"Ya know that little injury I might have wanted to hide from you?" Lara said feeling traitorous tears build up in her eyes, her swing weakened with every strike. The undead just kept coming, Rasps of hunger gurgling from wide open mouths in their decaying faces "Sprained ankle, I'll not get far. Or I'll slow ya down. Get Sophia out of here. Back to her momma."

"Lara, no!" Sophia cried out.

"Yes! Now go Bit. I love ya - remember that okay?" Lara said, her voice trembling as the tears streamed down her face. Then she saw Eastwood grab Sophia and start running, and she steeled herself to take one more swing of her sword, knowing it was over now, and went for her gun. It was loaded with one bullet. One for herself. The shitbrains would feast on her and the others would get away.

"Get out of here Hawkeye!" Lara yelled. He was right behind her and there was only a small gap to their left - the way Eastwood had run off with Sophia.

"Fuck this shit!" he spat, then the next thing she knew, his hands were on either side of her waist and she was being tossed over his shoulder like she weighed nothing.

"What the hell are you doing?" Lara screamed as he took off at a run.

"Savin' your ass Goldilocks!"

Lara held on to his shoulder and lifted her head, her free hand gripping her sword tightly If he was willing to risk his neck for her, then she was going to defend his back.

Daryl ran for what felt like hours but could only have been twenty minutes before he lowered her down, surprisingly gently. She expected to just be tossed down like Merle would have done.

"Need ta keep movin'," Daryl panted, sweat soaking through his clothing.

Lara hobbled along as best as she could, trying to ignore her ankle as it sent fiery bolts of pain shooting up her leg with every step. It was that or die. They wouldn't have shaken the shitbrains that quick. Not with that many of them. Thank god they were slow.

"Can ya go any faster?" Daryl asked after another ten minutes or so.

"Believe me if I could I would," she insisted, annoyed. She was moving at a jog as it was, and that had her almost passing out from the pain.

"Got about another mile before we hit the cars," he told her.

Lara stopped for a moment to catch her breath, and as she did so, her ears pricked.

Something wasn't right.

"What the fuck are ya doin'? Ya got a death wish?" Daryl barked, his head whipping to look at her ,his eyes enraged.

"Listen!"snapped Lara snapped at him.

So he did. They were moving away. The shitbrains were moving away from them, not towards them. They must have found another, easier meal. Lara bet it was the doe she had spotted a while back.

Daryl's shoulders dropped a little and Lara took that moment to pull off her pack. She took out two bottles of water and passed one over to the man before passing over a granola bar she had bought out with her.

He looked at her like she was offering him crap on her hand.

"What?"

"Food, drink. You need it," Lara said, wondering what his problem was..

"Why ya givin' me ya shit?" He asked hesitantly.

"Because you need to eat and drink. Why else?" Lara asked, wrinkling her nose. Maybe Merle had got the brains of the family after all. Poor Hawkeye, if that were the case it was a wonder he managed to put on his pants without help.

With another confused and cautious look Daryl took the offered goods from her and ate like a man starving. The bar was gone in seconds and half the water followed straight after.

"How'd ya do it?" Daryl asked as they started walking at a more leisurely pace now. Her ankle was going to give out soon. She could feel it.

"Do what?" Lara asked.

"Find 'er? Find 'im? All of them? How'd ya do it?"

"Ah, according to your brother I have a habit of finding and adopting strays," said Lara bashfully. It was a running joke now. "I found Merle on the side of the road, he had a bad infection, was dehydrated and just generally near death. I couldn't just leave him. I had to try to help him. Made a run, got him some killer antibiotics and just stayed with him 'til he got better, then we just kinda stayed together. Sophia was another lucky coincidence. I was out checking snares like today, Merle and me were passing through to loot a town so we'd put snares out like we do everywhere. I heard her screaming and took care of the shitbrains that were chasing her. Couldn't leave her either."

Lara took a deep breath, the familiar shame building in her chest. The feeling of failure.

"I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry," Lara said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What the hell for?"

"I tried looking for you guys, to get Sophia back to you. Spent almost two weeks looking but we had to leave. There were these men there, more of them than Merle and I could risk taking on, especially with Bit. We tried, but we couldn't go back. I'm sorry," Lara repeated, her eyes on the forest floor, her feet naturally stepping to avoid twigs and leaves. It was second nature by now.

"I don't get it," Daryl said with a frown. "Why the fuck ya gotta be sorry? Ya saved that little girl. Took care of her. Ya saved my brother. Why ya sorry? Nah, don't say that shit."

Lara nodded, but even as she listened to his words she still felt like she hadn't done enough. Felt like she could have done more.

They walked in silence for a little longer before the inevitable happened - her ankle gave way and she fell to her knees with a grunt. With a sigh she shrugged her pack off, ignoring the eyes she could feel burning into her. The adrenaline was wearing off and her body was trembling slightly, her injury throbbing along with her aching muscles.

Pulling out the first aid kit, she removed first her boot then her sock. She winced as she saw her swollen, black and blue ankle. Yeah, she had fucked that six ways 'til Sunday for sure.

As quick as she could she bandaged it tightly. She just needed it to hold out until she got back to the Pound that was all.

Putting her pack on she struggled to her feet, her boot and sock in hand. There was no way she was getting those back used her sword, safely in the scabbard, as a walking stick. It wasn't much help but it kept her moving and that was the difference between life and death.

After another ten minutes or so, they emerged from the woods, and she saw a group of people gathered around the small girl that had been at her side for the best part of six months. Before, six months felt like no time at all, now, six months felt like six years.

As soon as they spotted her, the people trained their guns on her in an instant, on guard and wary despite the reunion.

"Ya think ya can tell them I ain't exactly a threat right now?" she asked Daryl as she hobbled to a stop. She'd raise her hands but then she would fall on her face.

0202020202

Daryl lifted his eyebrows as he looked at the surprising woman beside him. He didn't get her. But then he didn't get most people. She was badass, taking out walkers and she actually threatened Merle, which… fuck... Merle. But then she was all self sacrificing, apologising for keeping the kid alive. He didn't get it. Fucking women. This was why he had nothing to do with them. Mind fuckers, the lot of them.

"She's alright," Daryl grunted at the six people pointing guns in their direction. He noticed Rick and Carol weren't among the gun holders. Carol was firmly wrapped around her daughter, both of their shoulders shaking as they held each other. He couldn't keep the smile off his face if he wanted to.

Daryl started walking towards the group hoping the woman would follow. He hadn't got her name. He heard the slow footsteps and the clunk of her sword behind him.

"Who are you?" Glenn asked in a hard voice though his gun was lowered now.

"Nice to meet ya too," the woman said with a little chuckle.

Sophia turned watery eyes away from her mother to the woman who had saved her. "Lara?!"

"Hey Bit. You okay? Not hurt?" The woman, Lara apparently, asked softly. She had a nice voice, Daryl thought absently.

"You're okay! I thought…" Sophia said, tears leaking from her again. Daryl shifted, uncomfortable with the emotions on display.

"Take more than a herd to wipe me out, Bit. You okay?" Lara asked again.

"I'm okay. Mom, this is Lara, she's the one who found me and looked after me," Sophia said to Carol who had the widest smile Daryl had ever seen from her.

Carol got up and walked over to Lara hugging her tightly. Daryl noticed how Lara stiffened, she was shorter than Carol and her face turned away from the older woman's shoulders.

"I… thank you doesn't seem enough, but it's all I have… thank you," Carol said, her voice thick.

"I didn't do anything. Really. We did try to find you, searched for weeks. I'm sorry I couldn't get her to you sooner," Daryl heard Lara mutter and rolled his eyes. Yeah, he didn't get people. Just smile, say s'ok and walk away. Not that fucking difficult. Hell, a grimace would do rather than a smile if she couldn't fake one.

"Who is she?" Maggie asked from next to Glenn, her voice and face hard as her boyfriends.

"She saved Sophia, does it matter?" Lori asked quietly, tears falling down her face.

"She's gonna take us to her place. Merles there too," Daryl informed them, his back on the emotional situation behind him as he chewed on the ragged nail on his thumb.

"What?" Lori asked with wide eyes. "Merle? Your brother?"

Daryl just nodded. Mixed emotions in his chest about reuniting with his older brother. He couldn't believe the old bastard was still alive, the relief from that alone was enough to have him feel light headed. Nerves also took him over. Would he be pissed? Of course he would. How was this going to go down?

"How do we know we can trust her?" Maggie asked, her eyes still skeptical.

"How can we afford not to?" Hershel asked. "We have no food, little water, Lori is getting closer and closer to her estimated due date. And she took care of that little girl. For months she looked after her. We have got to find somewhere safe, and if she's offering one? How can we resist that?"

Daryl nodded along. The old man was right. They couldn't turn that down. They needed food, they needed to rest, they needed fuckin something. There were still months of winter left and without finding something soon they wouldn't all survive it.

"What's your take?" Rick asked Daryl from behind him. He had managed to move quietly enough out here, why couldn't he do that in the damn woods?

"Need ta go. Need food and… Merles there," Daryl said, keeping his face turned towards the floor.

"She seems legit enough. And if the place ain't safe we can bug out," Rick said with a sigh.

Daryl nodded. They were used to getting up and running without a moment's notice now.

"Alright everyone! Lara has generously offered to take us to her safe base. I think this is our best option, but if anyone disagrees we talk it out now," Rick said loudly.

"How many people are in your group?" T-Dog asked Lara, his massive arms folded in front of him.

"Fourteen," replied Lara confidently.

"Fifteen," Sophia corrected her.

"She doesn't count," Lara waved her away with a smirk. At Sophia's raised eyebrows Lara put on a pretend pout, the scar stretching with her plump lips. "Fine, fifteen."

"And y'all got room for us?" T-Dog asked in disbelief.

"Room ain't a problem," Lara said with a smile before her face became hard once more. "We help others when we can, but there's a two week probationary period. For those weeks we keep your weapons unless there's a reason. Walkers or less desirable people come and you get them back no hesitation. Small knives or blunt objects are permitted for self defence. If you don't work out you get sent away with no hard feelings and a couple of days rations. We have had problems with outsiders before, but I think you guys will work out. I will say now though, without any bullshit, you threaten one of ours, you try anything at all and I will personally take you out. I will not have our people, who I hope will be your people too, threatened or hurt."

Daryl nodded. He wasn't handing his crossbow over to anyone, but he would give up his gun and hunting knife. That didn't bother him any.

"Hand over our weapons?" Carl asked with a frown.

"We have kids there, we aren't going to let you around them with weapons," Lara said firmly, standing her ground.

Daryl saw Hershel nodding in agreement.

"Why only two weeks? It's easy to keep up an act for that long," Rick asked cautiously. Daryl agreed, seemed like a slack rule to him.

"For two weeks you'll be with us. Every single person. It's hard to keep up a facade constantly for two weeks. Plus, it's not like we can't ask y'all to leave after that. We just relax a bit afterwards," Lara shrugged, shifting her weight a bit. He thought her foot must be cold and uncomfortable on the semi frozen floor.

"What if we don't trust you?" Glenn asked.

"Then you can leave. No one is a prisoner," Lara said with a little laugh that Sophia copied.

"Alright, so what do we think?" Rick asked. Daryl looked around, everyone seemed ready to accept Lara's offer.

"Okay then, Daryl, you lead with Lara giving directions. Have Maggie, Glenn, and T-Dog with ya. We'll follow with the kids and Lori," Rick said firmly, dictator Rick was back now.

Daryl sighed but nodded before going to load his bike on the trailer they had picked up when it had been snowing. He preferred riding but he saw the sense in keeping the strongest fighters with the woman, just in case. Though he thought she was being honest. If she was lying she was good at it. Too good.

The ride was made in an uncomfortable silence. Everyone on full alert. The only words were Lara's directions. As they pulled down a long dirt road that was impressively kept without any potholes or shrubbery Daryl shucked in a breath as he saw what was coming up.

"I thought y'all said no one was prisoners," T-Dog said, a little nervous chuckle slipping past his lips.

"I did," Lara said with a smile, her body relaxing the closer they got to the imposing concrete building.

"Fuckin' ironic if y'all ask me," Daryl said as he looked up.

"Why's that?" T-Dog asked, his voice still holding nerves.

"Spent my whole life tryin' ta keep outta places like this, now I'm tryin'a get in," Daryl smirked making them all laugh. He noticed that Lara's laugh was soft and gentle.

A huge gate sat in front of them, walkers surrounded an outside area with a fence around them, behind the fence were black boards of wood, hiding the interior.

"There's walkers," Maggie said.

"Yeah, we leave them there, they can't get out and it disguises our smell from other shitbrains, also makes people think this place is still abandoned," Lara said. Daryl raised his eyebrows at that. It was smart. Real smart.

As they pulled up in front of the gates Lara let out a sigh. "Alright let me out first. Wait for me to let you know to come through or this is gonna be a shit show."

She didn't wait for any words of consent before jumping out of the truck despite her fucked ankle and waving her hands at the gate that slid open.

Daryl's breath caught as he saw his brother for the first time in almost a year. He looked almost exactly the same, more lines on his face and more white hair, but he was still Merle. Just with a metal contraption where his hand should have been. Daryl felt his chest lurch a little. Shit. He rolled down the window a bit, wanting to hear the conversation as more people started coming through the gate.

"What the fuck!" Merle was yelling. "Ya trying to get yourself and Bit killed!"

"Oh come on now. It's fine. Bit's fine and I'm fine," Lara said with a roll of her eyes.

"Now Princess ya can't be telling Ol' Merle lies. Look at your foot. Some shit happened. If it's one of the strays-"

"Nope, tree root while taking down some shitbrains. There's a herd nearby," Lara said, cutting Merle off. Daryl raised an eyebrow, he had never seen Merle let anyone talk to him like that before. Ever. He wondered if his brother and the woman were fuckin'. He didn't like how that thought made him feel and he sure as shit didn't like that he didn't like that. Fuck, he met her a couple of hours ago, he had no need to be thinkin' anythin' of her other than thankful for bringing his family back to him.

"So, what have ya got?" A huge red headed man asked Lara, looking as upset as Merle was.

"Ten," Lara said with a wide smile.

"Ten? Nah, no way is that going down. Take out the kids and it's almost as many as us. They could stage a coup," Red said with a stern face. "They catch us with our pants around our ankles, they could have our balls. And I for one am fond of my balls."

"I trust this lot," Lara said.

"Ya fuckin' trust anyone woman," Merle said with an angry snort of distane.

"Come on out guys!" Lara waved her hand to the cars with a smile.

"What the fuck Princess?" Merle growled his hand going to his gun.

Daryl stepped out of the car and Merle's face dropped in shock. "Little brother?" He rasped out, his eyes wide and a hint of something in them. An emotion Daryl hadn't seen before.

"Merle," Daryl said, not able to hide his smile at the sight of his brother, mostly whole and alive.

"Well goddamn. Never thought that'd happen. Ya sure can catch um, Princess," the redheaded man said, relaxing now. "Was the little one's mom?"

"Yeah," Lara said, Daryl was too focused on Merle though.

"Princess, goddamn. Ya got some kind of voodoo bullshit in you, I goddamn swear it," Red said as Daryl and Merle walked towards each other.

0303030303

Lara smiled at the brotherly reunion that happened in front of her. The brothers grasped each other in a one armed hug. Both grunting things to each other.

She then turned her attention to the group cautiously walking towards them. Bit was dragging her momma along excitedly, talking a mile a minute. The others looked more reserved. She noticed they clutched at their weapons, their eyes wide on the building in front of them. She got it, they didn't trust this and they probably had more than enough reason not to. She hoped they worked out though. She was sure she would lose Merle along with Bit if they decided this place wasn't for them. As much as the redneck made her want to scream, she didn't want to be without the guy. They'd had almost a year together now, she relied on him, like he relied on her.

"You guys want to come in?" Lara called to them all.

They shared looks before stepping forward, still cautious.

Lara turned to Red. "Get the gates?" She asked him. He raised his eyebrows at her and she pointed to her foot. He nodded and went to open the gates wide for the new group and their vehicles.

"Wow," one of the guys behind them said quietly and Lara smiled. They'd worked damn hard for months on this place and she was proud of what they had accomplished so far.

Behind a row of vehicle's packed with emergency supplies and bug out bags was a large grassy area. Some of it was bare, some devoted to growing crops and a small section held children's play equipment. Which Lara admitted to playing on sometimes as well. It was coming along nicely.

Lara led the majority of the group to the grassy area as the old man and Eastwood drove their two vehicles into the compound.

As they all joined together she turned to face them, but didn't speak until the board was next to her.

"Who's the leader here?" Eastwood asked.

"She is," Grouch, Red, Kill Bill and Backer said at the same time pointing to Lara.

"I am," Merle insisted.

"She is," the others repeated with smirks.

"It's a group effort," Lara said firmly. She didn't want to be in charge, never had, which is why she created the board. Every leader from a group that joined them had a place. They were a democracy. She did have final say on some things and if it was a tie. But ninety percent was a group effort.

"She is," the others said again and Lara rolled her eyes.

"So you're the dictator?" One of the women asked with narrowed eyes, looking Lara up and down. Lara struggled not to roll her eyes again.

"No, no dictatorship here, I created the board so that wasn't the case. Now if he was in charge it would be a dictatorship. He'd be like Mussolini, with less hair," Lara smirked while jerking her thumb at Merle.

"Fuck you Princess," Merle growled at her.

"Love ya too dad," Lara grinned at her surly friend who flipped her off good naturedly.

Looking back at the group she saw more than one narrowed set of eyes.

"Okay, so this is Grouch," she pointed out the man in question. One of the prisoners they had taken in, he was a good guy, level headed and worked like an ox.

"Oscar," he corrected her for the benefit of the group.

"Kill Bill," Lara pointed to Michonne who didn't correct her but rolled her eyes hard. Lara smiled and blew the woman a kiss. "Red," she introduced the large, ex-military man.

"Abraham," he corrected her with a nod for the group.

"Backer," she said, pointing at the gentle giant.

"Tyresse," he said in a long suffering voice. She could see a few of the new group holding in smiles now.

"And most of you know Candyman," Lara smirked at Merle. "I'm Lara-"

"Princess," Merle and Michonne said together both smirking as well.

"Lara is fine. If ya need anything see one of us," Lara said to them all.

"Rick," the leader said, starting to introduce his group. She listened carefully. "My wife Lori, son Carl, Hershel, his daughters Beth and Maggie. Glenn, Daryl, T-Dog, Carol and of course you all know Sophia."

"Bit," Lara said, giving the girl a little wink and a big smile. Despite the twisted ankle this was a good day. Two families had been reunited. This had been better than good.

"Alright, if you want to all follow us we'll take you to your accommodations. For the next two weeks we shall assign them to you, after that you're free to choose whatever is free," Red said, his back straight as he took on his leadership role. He dealt with accomodation and making sure that everything was right with people's rooms (cells).

"We get different rooms after probation? Why?" The blonde girl, Beth, asked.

"For now we keep you together, keep you in our block but separate from our people. It means you can still integrate but that you don't pose a threat that we can't manage," Red explained for them as he started leading everyone to their block. D block. It was the biggest meaning everyone was together unless requested otherwise.

"Have you always been here, since the start?" Sophia's mom asked.

"Nah, me, Candyman, Bit and Twink found it four months or so back. Took about a week or two to clear it out enough to live in. Then we just worked our asses off the rest of the time to make it habitable," Lara explained. Those months had been grueling, a huge task, but everyday it got a little easier, a little more comfortable. With more hands work would be less tiresome, she hoped.

"So there were only four of you clearing this place?" Glenn asked with a frown as he looked around.

"Two ta start with Chinaman. Princess and me cleared out the courtyard, and then took on a cell block while Twink stayed with Bit. It was a fucker," Merle explained with his rasping drawl.

It had been a battle. Lara had never felt more exhausted than that afternoon on the courtyard. Merle and her must have taken on sixty shitheads together. Every muscle in her body, including ones she hadn't known had existed, had hurt afterwards.

Red led them into the cell block and started assigning the cells for the new group. Lara smiled up as she saw curious faces peering out of their rooms. They would stay there until they got the all clear from the board. Standard practice when bringing in new people.

"Carol-" Red started saying but Lara interrupted him by nudging him a little.

"Why doesn't she share with Sophia? They've been apart for long enough," she said in a low voice, not wanting to undermine his authority in front of the others but not wanting to keep the pair apart.

Red looked at her skeptically and then glanced at the mother and daughter who were practically glued together. He sighed and nodded. "Carol, you bunk with Sophia."

"Thank you," Carol beamed with sincerity, Lara couldn't help but smile back.

"Daryl," Red started again.

"Ain't sleepin' in no cage," the younger Dixon growled out with a glare for the cells.

Lara couldn't help but laugh. "Can tell you two are related. Candyman, if you guys can clear it out, there's that office next to yours?" She suggested, Merle had said the exact same thing and slept on the perch for the first couple of months.

"Ain't that just dandy. What about that room next ta yours. All the hard work's already done?" Merle asked.

"He can't sleep in the room next to mine. You know it," Lara said, feeling her face heat as she faced Merle but refused to look at anyone else.

"He can deal with it for a week or two. He's not a fuckin' pussy," Merle drawled with a chuckle.

Lara huffed, feeling humiliated. She would talk to Hawkeye later, alone and explain. And then she would kick Candyman's ass. Hard.

"Can I continue?" Red asked with raised eyebrows as he tried to hide a smile. He failed.

"Sorry," Lara said, not meaning it.

The rooms got assigned and Lara pointed out the basic amenities. The new group would be confined to the cell block and the shower rooms for now, with the exception of Daryl apparently. If it worked out they'd see the rest of what they had been working on.

"We'll leave you to get settled. One of us will be around if any of y'all need anything. We'll introduce you to the rest at dinner, which is in… an hour," Lara said. "Welcome to the Pound."

"The pound?" Daryl asked Merle quietly.

"Yeah, she's always picking up strays and mutts like you baby brother," Lara could hear the chuckle in Merle's voice.

"What's the deal here? You really found Merle's brother and Sophia's mom?" Kill Bill came over and asked, her eyes taking in the newcomers.

"I know right," Lara said, letting the happiness she felt take over her face.

"You are something," Kill Bill chuckled with a shake of her head. "You trust them?"

"Barton and Eastwood saved Bit and me from a herd. I was ready to take my bullet when Barton hauled me over his shoulder and ran with me," Lara said. She was impressed. Not many would have done that for a stranger. Especially now.

"Eastwood and Barton?" Kill Bill asked with raised eyebrows.

"The two Clints," Lara nodded with a chuckle.

"Alright let me guess. Barton, that's gotta be Dixon right? The bow, Hawkeye?" Kill Bill nodded at Daryl. Lara smirked and nodded her agreement. "Eastwood… the man in charge? Rick?"

"Yeah, he reminds me of one of those cowboy Sheriff types," Lara said with another chuckle.

"What about the others?" Kill Bill asked.

"We'll see," Lara replied, she would reserve judgement on the others until she knew them better.

"You need to see Bob," Kill Bill said, nodding to Lara's foot.

"Bob!" Lara shouted. She wasn't going up to him. Her ankle hurt too bad.

"Yeah?" The man called back.

"I need you please!" Lara shouted again.

"I'll go get his shit," Kill Bill said while pointing her finger at one of the tables. "Sit."

"Yes mom," Lara chuckled before shuffling herself over to one of the tables and sitting down with a sigh.

0404040404

"Who's Bob?" Daryl asked Merle as they watched a thin man walk down the stairs.

"Medic, he'll fix tha little Princess up," Merle said with a sneer towards the two. The man was checking over Lara's ankle and she was doing a good job of keeping her face blank.

"What's his real name?" Daryl asked curiously.

"Bob," Merle said with raised eyebrows.

"She don't give everyone a nickname?" Daryl asked, she had already given him and Rick one. He had assumed it was just some dumb shit the woman did.

"Yup, everyone she comes across, it's annoying as fuck, but if she don't trust ya then yer get stuck with your real name," Merle explained, eyeing the blonde and the medic shrewdly.

"So she's nuts?" Daryl asked with raised eyebrows.

"Huh, oh fuckin' yeah," Merle chuckled. "She's good people though. She's family."

Daryl was surprised at that. Merle took nothing as seriously as family. For him to call that woman kin? That was something.

"Ya fuckin' her then?" Daryl prodded. He must be.

"Oh hell nah. S'not like that," Merle said firmly.

"Why not? She's pretty. She turn ya down?" Daryl asked his brother, screwing around. It was something he'd missed that year.

"Fuck no. She's… I don't know. It's just not like that. She's like a sister or a daughter or some shit," Merle was getting uncomfortable which meant Daryl had to back off before he got angry.

He could see the signs, the tensing of the fist, the stiff shoulders, the set eyes. Traits he'd learnt to read since early childhood, though mostly off his dad rather than his brother.

"Whatever, so what's about tha room?" Daryl asked, trying to ignore the people obviously staring at the new faces. Why couldn't they all mind their fuckin' business.

He had been a bit… pissed off, hurt? He wasn't sure, but something, when she had declared he couldn't have the room next to hers. He had saved her life, she would have been walker bait if it wasn't for him. Did she think he'd come into her room at night? That he was a sicko?

"Girl gets nightmares. Wakes up screaming," Merle said gruffly.

"That all?" Daryl asked, didn't everyone have nightmares now? Shit, you had to be totally screwed if ya slept like a baby every night after the dead started rising and eating everyone.

"Whatever, come on. I'll show ya to ya room Darylina," Merle said, walking away down a long corridor that passed the cells and a small kitchen area.

Merle took out a bunch of keys and opened up the cell blocks barred gate at the end.

"That stays locked. Someone with keys is always about," Merle grunted, his shoulders tense as they carried on walking. Daryl wondered about that as they walked down a dingy yet lit corridor. Must have some generators.

They walked in silence down the corridor, their footsteps echoing eerily. They passed the shower room and went up a flight of stairs and down another corridor that connected to another locked door. This one solid metal rather than bars. The sign above it declared it the administration building.

"That's the only shitter that works down here at the minute," Merle pointed out a mens bathroom halfway down another long corridor. This one carpeted, making their footsteps soft murmurs. "That's your room."

Daryl looked inside the room that was pointed out to him. It was a good sized office. A desk and a couch, the only things in it currently. No bloodstains and nowhere for anything to hide. It would do. Even better, there were no bars on the window.

"I'll find a bed for ya tomorrow and ya can drag it up. I can't carry shit anymore," Merle said, holding up his metal attachment, it had a knife in the end rather than a hand. His tone was gruffer, angrier and Daryl knew what was coming.

"I went back for ya," he insisted. "All ya had ta do was wait. I went back."

"Makes it all better then, don't it?" Merle asked, his face twisted into a bitter scowl.

"No it don't, but ya must have known I'd come back!" Daryl said, feeling his anger rise.

"I was so fucked I didn't know shit," Merle admitted, his anger dimming a little. That surprised Daryl. A lot. Merle had never been good at reigning in his temper. Not as long as Daryl could remember. A Dixon trait was their fast, harsh, explosive tempers.

"Why d'ya do it? Why d'ya get fucked before ya went?" Daryl asked, a question he had wondered about for the last year.

"Cause I was an addict little brother. Clean now though. Had ta be. Couldn't get the shit anymore and couldn't… couldn't do that ta tha kids," Merle said, his jaw setting and his arms folded. "Anyway, enough of this pussy shit. We ain't gassing like broads. Get ya shit in there and come eat."

With that Merle was gone, leaving Daryl to look at his new living space.

It beat living on the road. And it looked secure enough. Daryl found himself hoping that this worked out. They needed this. They all needed this.

He put his pack down and laid out on the sofa. It wasn't the worst place he had slept by far.

He listened as he heard voices, tensing up, ready. He relaxed slightly as he recognised it was his brother and her, Lara.

"-be fine in a day or two," Lara was saying, her voice exasperated.

"Ya shouldn' have fucking gone an ya know it!" Merle growled angrily. Daryl imagined his brother was pointing a finger at the woman.

"If I didn't get out of there I was gonna kill the bitch. And you voted no to that," Lara said, her voice petulant. Daryl wondered who they were talking about.

"What now? She pissed in ya Cheerios?" Merle huffed.

"No! This! This is her list when we go on the run. She's a lazy entitled brat who wouldn't know hard work if it hit her in the face like i wanna. She doesn't want to do the 'women's' work, but can't do the heavy lifting or hit shit to do guard duty no matter what she fuckin' says. And she's trying to screw her way to a position that's secure!" Lara was saying, her voice rising with her anger.

"Don't hold back now," Merle muttered with a low chuckle. A crinkle of paper came from the corridor. "What tha fuck is this?"

"See? Does she really think I'm gonna risk my ass for a pair of Jimmy Choos, or a designer purse? Where the fuck are her priorities? You can't run in heels! Can't put a weapon in a shitty little purse! Erh! I'm telling ya now Candyman, one of these days I'm gonna take her to the ring and you're gonna be peeling her skinny, slutty, lazy ass off it when I'm done," Lara bit out furiously.

"Gonna be hard ta do now," Merle said.

"I don't give two fucks," Lara said firmly.

"Are ya jealous of her then? Ya want Oscar?" Merle asked, a teasing tone to his voice.

"I am gonna punch ya. Straight in your old man face," Lara said through gritted teeth. "It's just women like her… I… Errr!"

"I know, Ol' Merle gets it Princess," Merle said, his voice placating making Daryl raise an eyebrow. "We'll put Andrea on garbage duty for the week and laundry."

"But what about her nails?" Lara gasped in a fake tone and Merle laughed, a booming laugh.

"Go on, go get ya self changed. Ya fuckin' stink. I'll see ya at dinner," Merle said. "And Lara?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For finding my little brother… it… yeah. Thanks," Merle said quietly.

"Didn't do anything Merle," Lara said.

"Just take the damn thanks, goddammit woman you're a pain in the ass!"

"Back at ya dad," Lara griped with a giggle.

Daryl didn't get her. He didn't get her or her relationship with her brother. How could Merle not be screwing her? Sure she was nuts, but then pretty much everyone was now. She was hot, real hot, she could take care of herself and she took care of those around her. He didn't get it. But for some reason he wanted to find out.