Daryl was thinking of going hunting again just for the hell of it when Shane and Merle finally rolled back into the quarry. The two of them stepped out, a second later the back-door opening an Asian guy stepped out behind them. Another guy sliding out as well, both looking around the group nervously. Top covered in blood, backpack threw over his shoulder.

"What's going on ? Did you find anything?" Lori asked, running over, Carl stayed sitting with Sophia. Watching them curiously.

"It's gone. There's nothing left just the dead."

"But they said Atlanta was safe!"

"Atlanta's gone. Glenn, tell them" Daryl watched the Asian kid look around at everyone nervously.

"The refugee camp. Some of those uh"

"Walkers" Shane supplied.

"right, they managed to get in. It spiralled after that. The military tried to stop it but the walkers managed to get to many. The bite, it changed them. They didn't know at first, trying to treat it but then the people they just changed, got the people inside the military."

"What we eating little brother" Daryl looked at his brother and away from the others talking, the others swarming to them, pounding the kid with questions.

"Squirrel" Daryl grunted, nodding to where the cold cooked squirrel sat.

That night, they all sat round a low camp fire, Merle with a blunt as Lori and carol glared at him , Sophia's small coughing filling the silence.

"Merle, there are kids here" Lori growled out.

"So" Merle replied with a smirk, blowing smoke towards Lori. Another cough from Sophia, sitting to the left of Merle the wind dragging the smoke into her face instead. Daryl could see Shane getting agitated, Lori was pulling her son to her side. Carol was sitting next to Lori, Ed in between her and Sophia. The man not seeming to care about.

"Merle, stub it out" Daryl ordered.

"You gunna make me?" Merle replied, looking to his brother, challenging glint in his eyes as he took another toke. Daryl looked back down to his plate, scrapping a few more beans from it and chewing on them. "That's what I thought little brother" Merle hacked out a laugh. They fell silent again before Sophia coughed. Daryl rolled his eyes, standing up and walking over to Sophia.

"Move" Sophia looked up to him wide eyed, Daryl's eyes shifting around the circle. "I said move" The girl jumped up as if the seat was on fire, Daryl moved past her falling onto the log. Watching as she slowly walked to his vacated seat nervously sitting in it. A long trail of smoke blew into his face. Merle letting out a low chuckle afterwards before blowing more at him.

"Piss of Merle"

"Does anyone know any ghost stories?" Carl suddenly asked.

"Look around kid" Merle mumbled.

"I have one" The Asian guy said, lunging into a story. Daryl listened as Glenn spoke, the kids eyes darting to other people. A small smile on his face as if they where just camping instead of hiding. Eventually he finished.

"That's bullshit" Daryl snorted.

"like you could do better"

"You ever heard of a chupacabra?" The kid and others in the circle nodded. "Well I saw one" Daryl went off on his story about the chupacabra, ignoring Merle's snorts beside him. When he finished he looked down to his food, ignoring the amused expression of the adults of the group.

"That must have been scary"

"If it was real it might have been" Ed sneered.

"Ed" Carol scolded a look from Ed quickly shutting her up.

"I know what I saw" Daryl growled, glaring at the man.

The camp slowly got bigger after that night. Shane, turned out to be a police officer. Everyone would listen in waiting for someone to try to use a radio. A few people they couldn't get, running straight into Atlanta probably to be turned into Walker chow. Others came, a family a few couples. They started supply runs after a family of 4 arrived, Glenn knew his way around the city, popping in and out of Atlanta. A couple of times he'd come back with Walker blood on him but most of the time he'd be sweaty but unscathed.

Daryl watched as Ed grabbed at Sophia and Carol's arm, dragging them both towards the bushes. It wasn't uncommon for Carol to appear with fresh bruises whilst Ed sat looking extra smug. The idiot did nothing around camp, never cooked, never cleaned, never took watch. Daryl stood up as he heard Sophia let out a small cry grabbing his crossbow and storming forwards. Only to be stopped by Merle walking in front of him.

"Get out of ma way Merle"

"We need to talk little brother"

"Not now we don't" Merle turned his head slightly, at the sound of crying, only to turn his eyes back to Daryl, staring him in the face Daryl's eyes quickly looking to the woods.

"Not your problem. Now come on" Merle grabbed Daryl's arm, dragging him to the pick-up truck.

"What do you mean not our problem. Hes hi-"

"I mean it's not our responsibility. We got more important things to do" Daryl said nothing. Glaring at Merle. Not my problem, how many people thought that when they heard you screamin' hu? How many times did you wish one of them would do something. Daryl thought angrily. "You leave it alone and you listen to me" Daryl stood silently, listening as Merle whispered a plan about robbing the camp. Taking the food, weapons and gas and getting the hell outta there. "They have no idea how to survive little brother, that old guy. Couldn't see a Geek if it was right up in front of him. Only one who got any survival instinct is the Asian kid. That police officers to busy shagging his dead mates wife to give a damn about camp. We gotta get out of here, it's me and you brother, that's how we survive"

"When?"

"wait for them to get a bit more stuff"

So Daryl ignored it, hardly talked to anyone in camp but Merle. Got them thinking he was old reliable, bringing them food most days. No one was allowed to go off alone, 'cept Glenn, Merle and Daryl.

Merle was off on a hunt. He'd taken his bike. Said he'd be a few days. On the third morning of bean left overs Daryl got fed up of the food.

"I'm goin' on a hunt"

"Merle will bring something back soon" Shane argued.

"He could be a few more days. I ain't livin' on this shit till then" With that Daryl stormed towards the forest crossbow slung over his back.

"Mr Dixon?"

Daryl turned around, eyes falling on Sophia, slowly walking towards him from near the tents.

"Daryl" He corrected with a grunt.

"Are you going hunting?" Daryl gave a stiff nod. "have you seen Carl?"

"yes an' No"

"oh...Can I come with you"

"hell no" Daryl said quickly. Sophia gave a small, awkward nod of acknowledgement before turning around to walk back. "why d'ya want to?"

"Nothing. Just..mommy and dad are arguing" She replied quietly. Daryl looked around, he could just see Dale sitting on top of the RV Andrea and her sister sitting with him laughing. T-Dog and Glenn where talking with Shane. The others where no where to be seen. Kicking a boot through the dirt Daryl let a sigh.

"You best be quiet, I'm not eating Beans again tonight" He didn't watch the way Sophia's face lit up, instead turned and walked through the tree's. Sophia stumbling after him. They'd been walking for half an hour or so.

"look!" Sophia whispered excitedly. Daryl looked over to where she pointed, a Deer grazing on one of the bushes. It hadn't spotted them yet. Daryl pressed his finger to his lips, quietly going for his cross bow. Feet sliding silently across the mud as he raised it pointing towards the deer. "you're actually going to kill bambi's mom?" Sophia gasped, Daryl's eyes flicked to her, her eyes flicking from him with a look of disgust to the deer, her eyes shinning happily at the sight of it.

"You ain't gunna cry are you" Sophia looked to him again, this time in a glare. "Do you know how nice she'd taste?" Still a glare. "Gotta be fuckin' kidding me" Daryl growled out. Hand slapping against a tree loudly to scare the deer away before he decided to just shoot it anyway and have the kid help him drag it back to camp, no matter how traumatized she'd be. "Common" Daryl turned around walking off.

"sorry about the deer" Sophia said 5 minutes later.

"s'fine, but if I see a rabbit I'm killing it and you can't stop me"

"Fine" He didn't miss the reluctant tone. "Look! Blackberries!" Daryl looked over as he heard Sophia's heavy running footfalls. Rolling his eyes he followed her towards a blackberry bush. Looking as she pulled one off. "Will they be okay to eat?"

"Why wouldn't they"

"The plant takes in water, we have to boil our water before drinking it"

"We ate squirrel, they drunk water"

"but we cooked it"

"If you wanna eat it then eat it I ain't gunna stop you."

"but it might not be safe" Daryl rolled his eyes snatching a blackberry out of the bush. The thorns catching on his skin before he pulled his hand back out and threw the berry into his mouth chewing on it. He waited a few seconds.

"Don't die instantly, say it's safe enough" The girl giggled and carefully took one plopping It in her mouth. Daryl wasn't to sure how they ended up sitting on rocks eating away at a large pile of blackberries.

"At least it's not beans" Sophia said with a smile. Daryl chuckled lightly, grabbing a few more blackberries. "what did you do before this?"

"Fail at catching a deer" Daryl mumbled making Sophia laugh. When she stopped his eyes flicked back up to her, looking at him inquisitively, still expecting an answer. "Did a bit of work at the national park every now and then."

"what did you do?"

"Tracking, missing people, injured or dangerous animals"

"That sounds cool. I just had school but this one time the teacher dissected a heart, apparently we get to do it in a few years...or where going to do it in a few years...but it was so gross beca-" Daryl listened as she explained the ins and out's of a heart, her face screwed up in disgust as she talked.

"You alright?"

"I think I'm going to puke again" Sophia moaned. Daryl would laugh if he didn't feel like he might puke for the first time. "We should have bought some back with us, we could have given them to everyone" Sophia said sadly. "I feel sooo sick..It's your fault"

"If only you'd let me catch that deer. We'd be cookin' it right about now. All that tender venison"

"You're disgusting"

"shut it Bambi. Anyway, you're the one who puked up purple. I think you're the disgusting one"

"How long till we're back?"

"Round half an hour"

"Do you think your brother will be back" She asked, peering up at him, Daryl shrugged in reply. "Aren't you worried about him"

"Merle can take care of himself, hell if he got bit he'd bite it right back and live through it"

"No one could do that"

"Nothing can kill Merle, and a lot of people have tried"

"He doesn't seem very nice" Daryl tried not to tell her to shut the fuck up. "You do. Not often, but like today. He never does"

"I'm nice? Thought I'd just made you puke"

"I'm telling my mom"

"fine, I'll tell her you ate them all and didn't save any for nobody"

"You're mean"

"Thought I was nice?"

"shut up" Daryl smiled to him self as he looked around. The sound of them talking had probably scared away any food by now but no harm in checking.

"We're about to cook, what did you get?" Amy shouted to him when they got back to camp.

"Didn't get nothing" Amy looked up to him with a raised eyebrow, frowning slightly before Daryl turned and walked towards his and Merle's tent, he blocked out the soft crying of Carol from her tent. Eyes flicking to where Ed was sitting, as always doing nothing. Lori and Carl where sitting on a few stumps with the rest of the group whilst Shane took watch. He heard the zip of Carols tent open.

"mommy?" Sophia's small voice asked. Daryl sped up slightly, ducking into his tent. Flopping down onto his sleeping bag he peered around at the dull interior of the tent.

"FOOD'S READY!" Amy called later. Daryl stayed for a few seconds longer. Fingers running over the crossbow bolt a few more times before he grabbed the rest of the bolts, along with the cross bow and pushed his way from the tent. Carol was already sitting nervously by Ed as the food was handed out. Sophia sat on her mothers side, holding her hand. She looked over as he got a bit closer.

"I love beans" She exclaimed happily as she got handed hers. Eyes flicking to his amused look in her eyes.

"I'll take watch" Daryl grumbled after he'd had some beans shoved at him.

Merle spent over half his time out of camp. Half the time he'd come back saying he had no food then that night, when Daryl and him where on watch would give Daryl what was left of a possum or squirrel.

"Gotta look out for ourselves little brother. Aint no need feeding them too" He said the first time. Daryl upped his hunts. Merle wouldn't leave camp if Daryl wasn't there. Always giving him a quick thump on the back as he left with a gruff 'see ya in a few'. When he did this no one knew if he was going for a piss or for a hunt. More and More people turned up. The little group turning into family groups. Most of the time Daryl or Merle sitting alone. Merle didn't seem to mind. Daryl thought it was pointless them still being here, the supplies that Merle wanted to steal where getting lower as the days went even with Glenn going for more. A couple of times Daryl had wandered if Merle had just decided 'fuck it we're staying' and forgot to mention it to Daryl, then he would be there, stopping Daryl getting into one of the arguments the group was having with a simple 'not our problem'. Even with the constant leaving Merle was there more than he'd ever been before and for once Daryl wasn't in the constant fear of being left again. It was almost enough to keep him from stepping in when Merle wasn't there. Almost.

The thing was Daryl had never been good with abusive anything. Especially not when it was an abusive parent, he'd sat by for weeks. Waiting for someone to step in. Stop Ed from hurting his wife and daughter but no one ever did. Everyone turned away, even the police officer. There where times when he thought someone would say something. When Carol would come out bruises blossoming or Sophia would appear crying, hand print on her cheek. No one had ever actually seen him hit either of them before. Maybe that's why no one else stopped it, they where delusional, telling themselves maybe they got the bruises from somewhere else.

Daryl was cleaning his crossbow. The ignoring the sound of camp around him, Merle on another hunt so no one to talk with. He still felt it. The shift in the tension, the sudden quite apart from 3 voices. Daryl looked up and around at the camp. Everyone was staying still staring over by the tents. Ed screaming at Sophia, holding her shoulder tightly so she couldn't run away. Carol pleading with him to let her go. The camp watched mutely as Ed he backhanded Carol away from them.

"Mama!" the little girl yelped, trying to move to run to her. The next second eds hand slapped across her face. The small girl's face swinging to the side as the clap of impact echoed around the camp. Daryl's eyes moved over everyone. No one made an attempt to go help her. The parents turning their children away from it. Merles voice echoed in his mind, telling him not to get involved. He remembered screaming as the belt slapped harshly across him, praying that someone would hear that someone would call the police or come save him themselves. He remembered the pitying looks the next day. The feeling of knowing everyone knew but no one cared enough to stop it.

Before he knew it he was moving across the camp towards them. Crossbow in hand. Sophia was on the floor sobbing when he reached him. Ed above her still screaming at her. Pulling at her hair trying to force her to stand up.

"Hey asshole" Daryl growled out. The second Ed turned around Daryl hit him with the back of his crossbow. The man stumbled backwards a few steps, blood droplets forming on forehead before sliding down his face. Then he was diving at Daryl. Daryl fought under Ed. Using one hand to try to push him further away from him the other to bring into the mans face. Daryl felt ed's fist connecting with his jaw and bought his elbow down on the mans spine. Before he flipped them over. Hands slamming into his face before Ed winded him. Coughing, Daryl stumbled backwards as Ed managed to push him off not getting to far before they where wrestling again. Hands and feet hitting whatever they could touch. Daryl was pounding his foot into Ed's stomach when arms latched around his dragging him backwards.

"Get the hell off me!" Daryl bellowed, trying to fight his restrainer off and missing Ed standing up only to get a fist to the face. Daryl pushed his body back on the restraint throwing a foot up and hitting Ed in the face. "IMUNNA PUT A BOLT IN YOUR BRAIN YOU PIECE A SHIT" Daryl spat. He was dragged back by Shane as a Carol helped Ed into their tent. Shane threw him down in the middle of camp. The other men of the group standing around him. Women standing with their children, still hiding them from what was going on. Daryl looked around at the men around him. Glaring as they formed a barrier between him at the tents. Glenn holding his crossbow.

"You protectin' him now?!" No one answered. "You all wanted ta do it I just had the balls"

"Daryl th-"

"Fuck off" Daryl snorted. Storming back towards his pick up. Grabbing the crossbow bolts and storming back to Glenn "gimmie it chowman"

"I uh" Glenn stuttered awkwardly looking to the rest of the group. Daryl grabbed it out of his hands, easily pulling it from his grip and shouldering past him, he steered clear of the tents and the still crying Sophia and went into the bushes. Pushing through branches as he worked his way further into the forest. Catching a couple of squirrel's and cooking them on a small fire before making his way back to camp an hour after eating, he didn't bring anything for the rest of the group. As he broke into the small clearing a small way from the main part of camp his eyes fell to Sophia. Sitting on a log watching him. Daryl was tempted to walk past her but the bruise on her face and her expectant eyes stopped him. Wandering over to the log she tapped it. Reluctantly he sat down next to her. She turned to face him. Saying nothing she pulled a plaster out unwrapping it and moving her hands to his face. Daryl tried to lean away only to be stopped by her small hand lightly pulling at his shoulder to stop him and gently placing a plaster over the split in his nose. He's eyes fell to her hand as it slipped back into her pocket pulling out another plaster, a mister men plaster, she unwrapped it and placed it on the cut just above his eyebrow. She pulled her hands away and stood up.

"thank you." she breathed before turning and quickly going back to camp.

Merle snorted at him when he came back the next day to see him with plasters. Then later slapped him over the head when learning what had happened.

"I told ya to leave it" Merle growled that night. "We don't need them on our ass's coz you went all hulk on them."

"At lest I did sommin. Everyone else just sat on there ass' watchin'"

"Next time you follow their lead then" Daryl snorted, irritated with his brother. "I'm tellin' you little brother if you want ta go of making daisy chains and braidin' hair then fine,Make friends with that nigger for all I care. But you do that you stay with them. I don't want no pussy covering my back. Your either in or out. Which one is it?"

"I'm in" Daryl grumbled.

"Good. Then stay away from 'em"

Both him and Ed had fully healed by the next time Merle was leaving camp, this time in a group going to Atlanta lead by Glenn. Daryl went to volunteer to go, wanting to get out of camp. Only to be stopped by Merle, just before they left Merle dragged him over to the pick up away from the people telling them what to get and saying goodbye.

"You gotta go out huntin' get sommin good. We're leaving tomorrow. Your meant ta be on watch. We'll grab all the supplies we get today an' some a the food and get the hell outta here." Daryl bit on his thumb, eyes flicking to Merle.

"kay" Daryl mumbled.

"I'll see you later little brother" Daryl watched as the group left, Brother looking back with one final smirk. The Amy girl was crying, Dale rubbing her back. Telling her Andrea would be back soon, safe and sound. He walked away from the group. Grabbing his crossbow and stowing his hunting knife into his pant leg. No one said goodbye to him as he walked towards the forest. He had almost reached the tree's when he heard Sophia's footsteps following him.

"Can I come again? I promise I won't puke" Daryl turned his head slightly, so he could just see her out of the corner of his eyes.

"No."

"but I'll be good"

"I said No. now piss off" Daryl snapped. Not waiting to see what she did before he continued to walk into the woods.

Thanks for reading, If you could review then i would really appreciate the input :)