So this is something new I'm going to do. I've not read anything to close to this before and I'm hoping it comes across the way I want it. It takes place at the beginning of season one. I'm still unsure what all will happen since I don't plot or plan stuff. I just set down and write and let things come around naturally for me. I hope you like what I've got cooking here.

Daryl circled back around the water making his way through the brush hearing the laughter of the women that were washing their clothes up. He slipped from the trees and felt their eyes on him but he just silently made his way past them. He wasn't good with crowds and would ten to one rather avoid having to deal with people in general. He could hear his brother up ahead of him making his way through the underbrush and slowed his walk to meet up with him about the time he broke through the trees.

"Brother!"

Daryl turned his head from the water and the soft lapping waves searching out the voice of his brother. Watching as he broke through the trees he snorted at the complete mess he was. "Laugh it up cocksucker."

Lifting his thumb nail to his mouth he chewed watching as he walked his way towards him, his flannel shirt tied around his waist leaving him shirtless covered in more dirt than skin. "What the hell happened to you out there?"

Eyes that were the exact same as his pierced through him as a annoyed smile split his face, "Little fucker thought he'd get away. Got his ass though but goddamn root tripped my ass."

Daryl barked out a laugh as a couple of dead rabbits were tossed his way. Mac slipped down to the edge of the water taking his shirt from around his waist and kicking his boots off. Daryl eyed him feeling his back burn looking at the clear skin of his twin brother's back. Mac slipped into the water a groan sounding from his mouth as he looked up at him.

"You should get your ass in here." Mac called to him.

Daryl dropped down on the sandy bank and glared at Mac, "Got shit to do."

Mac's eyes changed the closest thing to softness his brother's hard glare would ever get. He huffed out a breath and he walked up out of the water it lapping at the back of his thighs. Daryl looked up at him and Mac looked around them his eyes moving rapidly over the landscape. "It's hot as fuck Daryl quit being a queen."Daryl's jaw tightened and he looked over at the women who were still washing clothes. Mac followed his eyes and shot him a look, "What the fuck do those cunts matter. They don't know shit about what the fuck we been through and aint a goddamn one of them gon' say shit to you brother."

Standing up he jerked up his stuff and started for the path. He heard his brother working quick to catch him but didn't slow down. Mac slung his arm over his shoulder his boots in his other hand, "When the fuck Merle supposed to be back?"

Daryl shook his head his eyes catching the group of womens who were appraising the pair of them. He turned his head his face heating up as they walked by Mac slowing down on purpose his eyes sliding across the women. He was glad Mac had dropped the subject from earlier and let sleeping dogs lay.

Daryl pulled from under his arm his pace picking up before Mac could say something that was no doubt going to be sexually charged and spiral out of control. Mac was good at taking normal situations and stirring so much shit you'd rather be a damned honey dipper than deal with it sometimes.

Mac jogged up next to him, "That blonde has a nice set of tits."

Daryl grinned at his twin, "You aint ever said a woman had a bad set Mac your opinion aint for shit on the matter."

Mac spread his arms wide, "You seen one set you wanna see 'em all brother."

Daryl shook his head as they neared their camp and he walked off from his brother to get started on cleaning the game up. He felt eyes on him and lifted his eyes seeing two of the kids watching him with interest. He smirked looking back down at what he was doing as he heard Mac cussing up a storm inside the tent.

"Goddamn!" Mac growled.

Daryl looked over his shoulder as Mac stepped out buckling his belt, "What's your problem?"

Mac adjusted his pants just as the blonde sisters that Daryl was still unsure about their names strided back into camp. The girls were watching them with distinct interest since Mac was once again standing bare chested next to his brother. "Goddamn water and wet jeans. What the fuck you think happened." Mac growled setting down hard next to him and snatching up one of his skinning knives.

Daryl made quick work of everything as Mac disappeared. They had been waiting on the group to come back from Atlanta all day since Merle had took off with them. Daryl wasn't sure what the hell had possessed the jackass to go with them since he was a dick head and a racist bastard, but goddamn if he didn't go anyways.

Daryl looked up as the little girl that had been watching him earlier stepped into his view. She was looking down at him smiling and he raised an eyebrow at her waiting to see what she wanted.

"Mr. Dixon.."

Daryl tilted his head, "Daryl."

She eyed him, "My mama says you call adults by their last name."

Daryl growled but held back his snappish comment, "Nah, only Mr. Dixon I know kid was my father."

She smiled at him, "Okay then. Daryl."

Daryl squinted at her before looking around not really sure why she was over here with him in the first place. Surely her mother was around somewhere or wondering where the hell the kid had got off to.

"Why do you and your brother look just alike?"

Daryl felt a smile tug at his lips at her simple question, "We're twins."

She nodded her little arms crossing over her chest, "How come your other brother looks different then?"

Daryl stood up towering over her, "Cause he's an ugly son of a bitch."

She smiled brightly at him a small laugh bubbling up from her that caught her mothers attention. The woman walked closer to them, "Sophia honey don't bother people and get in their way."

She looked up at her mother a smile still on her face and nodded. "Okay mama."

Daryl watched her walk away and then looked at the woman next to him. She was watching him and he felt his chest tighten at her proximity and her eyes on him. He just nodded and went back to cleaning his knives.

"She wasn't bothering you was she?"

Daryl lifted his eyes at her soft tone, "Nah." he grunted.

He recognized her as one of the women that had been down at the water earlier while he had waited on Mac to quit dragging ass. Her laugh had been light and lilting catching his attention from where he had stood. She was a timid woman but he wasn't surprised by this knowledge in the slightest after having seeing the fast bastard of a husband she had.

"Why don't you suck my dick Ed." Mac snarled.

Daryl's head whipped around and he stood fluidly startling the woman as her eyes widened seeing Mac advance on her husband. Shoving his knife into place he shook his head at Mac. Daryl jogged quickly over to them seeing Mac gearing up to blow his top real quick and in a fuckin' hurry.

"Who the fuck you think you're talkin' at boy!" Ed snapped back.

Daryl wasn't sure what had Mac snarling like an animal trapped in a snare but he stepped up next to him catching Ed's attention. The man glared heavily at him his eyes snapping with rage and getting darker as Carol slipped past him. Ed grabbed her arm jerking her into him speaking low only to her before releasing her. She nodded and disappeared into their tent and Daryl felt his chest tighten and knew exactly why Mac was worked up.

"Tell you what Ed you keep ya goddamn eyes on your fuckin' face or I'll make sure you have a fuckin' accident." Mac snarled stepping closer to him.

Daryl moved fast stepping between them locking eyes with his brother. It wouldn't have mattered if he had been at the lake or in the woods he would have known anywhere the second Mac started getting to the point he was ready to hurt someone. He knew he didn't have a problem crossing that threshold, hell he'd done it before. It had always been that way though Daryl was the only one who could get Mac to back down and get him calm after he was past that point.

Mac kept his eyes locked with Daryl's his own darker at the moment and Daryl hand came up to his throat feeling the thundering beat of his brother's heart. "We got better shit to do than worry about this fuck." Daryl spoke low to his brother.

Mac didn't speak but Daryl felt his heart beat slowing down at his words. He nodded and Daryl kept his hand on him making sure Mac didn't slip past him and go after Ed. He knew if he didn't keep his eye on him things were going to heat up fast. Mac had a target for his anger now and if Ed was wise he'd keep clear of them.

Getting back to their tent Mac paced like a tiger that had been caged and taunted with the enticing scent of bloody meat. Daryl watched him leaning against a tree as took a deep lungful of nicotine in waiting on his brother to work his shit out in his head.

"Motherfucker." Mac growled, "He was runnin' his fuckin' mouth like he was gonna say some shit to you."

Daryl shrugged, "I'm a grown ass man Mac I can handle myself."

Mac looked at him and Daryl seen the ghost of their past haunting his eyes and he knew his brother was struggling with it. Daryl sighed as he blew smoke rings in his brother's direction causing him to swat at them, "Fuck that and quit with the goddamn smoke."

Daryl grinned blowing a larger cloud at him, "What the fucks his problem anyways aint said shit to him."

Mac looked at him like he'd grown a second head and Daryl shrugged at him, "It's that woman he's with."

Daryl tilted his head lifting his boot and rubbing the butt of the cigarette against the tread. "What about her she's as quiet as a goddamn church mouse."

Mac growled, "Don't tell me you aint seen the marks on that woman and the way he's been lookin' at the little girl."

Daryl stiffened at his words, "He's been beatin' on them?"

Mac nodded, "Aint caught him yet but the second I do Shane can swallow my cock cause we're taking care of that motherfucker."

Daryl knew better than to challenge him on the subject. Not that he would have anyways, all three of the brothers had strong views on abuse and treating women bad. While Mac and Merle might be sexist and love chasing pussy they've never hurt a woman and would never stand by and let it happen.

Mac rubbed a hand through his hair tugging on it slightly making it stick up, "I'm gonna walk it off."

Daryl nodded at him, "Do that."

Daryl watched him disappear through the trees before he turned back towards the camp. Mac was primed and ready for something to light his fuse. He had been since all this shit had started and being around all these people was only making things more tense. He had been doing good, fuck they both had been doing good at keeping their shit together. But with the added stress with Merle gone both were running hot at the moment.

Daryl sighed rolling his shoulders and looking to where Mac had disappeared seeing no glimpse of him. He knew the shit with Carol and Sophia was too close to home for the both of them. Shit like this eat him alive and made his past burn like it was fresh on his back. Mac though, with him it was like someone twisting a knife in a wound and taunting him. He'd get free eventually and when he did you best pray you were dead.

He looked up and seen the woman from earlier looking at him with a small smile on her lips. He caught himself smirking back at her and scowled looking down. He needed to keep his head free and clear of shit like this. Besides she had a goddamn husband and a daughter.