Twd gang as werewolves

MALE READER X S5 GROUP

Synopsis: The group reverberates with a somberness upon your potential death

Content Warnings: Mention of Major Character Deaths from previous seasons, S5 and below spoilers

AUTHOR NOTE(S):

Not too sure how I feel about this one

Could be read as GN for the most part (he/him used a few times, 'Father' used once, 'Brother' used once)

Was originally supposed to be centered around Daryl and Rick, but somewhere along the writing process, I devlled into just about every other member of the group

Ya'll know how many last names I had to look up for these tags

Enjoy?

_________________________________________

7 days.

Seven days of them searching for their found family member who went out to investigate and never came back.

Glenn thought for sure that maybe with all the shit they have been through, the apocalypse must have treated you a little kinder.

That was assuming you were already dead.

Which Rick, in all his glory, continued to remind everyone that until there is evidence, there are just as many possibilities as there are stars in the sky.

He thought it was a strange fit, all doom and gloom, it wasn't like Glenn to carry around the carcasses of such negative presumptions about his loved ones, but nonetheless, he had just the same. Glenn's worry was an ever present reminder of your absence as the fire was stoked by his constant fidgets, his spaced-out breaths being released with the baggage of endless possibilities.

"Glenn's gonna lose it when he sees this one. " Is what Daryl said to Rick on the night of day 5, your shirt clenched in hand, approaching the church with footsteps so heavy you could mistake them for Walkers.

The worst part, Rick thought, was how he had found it, which further fueled the possibility that couldn't help but arise. A decaying den of sorts, more like a makeshift home, where there was a mass of bodies.

Hopeless and without explanation Rick approached camp with a grim expression that took root in his features.

And when Daryl had handed the shirt to Glenn after he feverishly chanted let me see it, let me see it, over and over, Daryl observed the way his hand shook when he snatched it and how the same hand came up to rub his face after he confirmed in his own mind that, without a doubt, it was yours.

Maggie had to take the shirt from his hands and when she felt the dirt and grime ragged against her skin, she almost burst at the seams. Rick knew by the strain in her brows and the way her hands turned into fists at her side.

She was the first person Rick had questioned upon your missing presence, wanting to know who you had walked out with that night and who stayed behind, wanting to pinpoint possible places you might be, or routes you could've taken.

Her response was ridden with anxious adrenaline, her lips chewed raw in worry, bouncing on her toes before stomping off and pulling everyone together to go looking for you.

There was no conversation within the group but a mutual agreement.

Naturally, the first person they looked to for some account of wrongdoing was Gabriel.

You had always been so intuitive, like you were the one who could read minds not him.

The others felt so comforted by you, Gabriel assumed.

He was only too accustomed to the fact that everyone saw the good in you, the positive, and while that brought him a modicum of solace, there were times where he couldn't help but wallow in envy.

A man of God and yet, it was you who they looked to, as if you were Christ himself.

As if you were his light.

Gabriel couldn't understand this fascination.

When he had confronted you about it, rather presumptuously, Gabriel was too quick to gauge the situation and allow his ego to speak for him. Said confrontation also happened to occur right before Maggie and Sasha who shared pointed looks with each other as they watched the scene unfold before them.

You were quick on your toes, always had been. Back on the farm, when Shane had been more akin to a wild boar, you were always the first to confront him. Always calm, or whenever you spoke you at least had the appearance of it. Always matter of fact. Even when your voice raised or when anger was seething through you, it seemed like everyone just stopped, and listened.

It was one of your redeeming traits, sharp tongue laced with facts that wouldn't hesitate to point out things that were missing, contradictions, positions and beliefs.

It left some satisfaction amongst the ton when Gabriel pushed out of Judith's designated room, nearly knocking Carl off his feet as the door came with his exit. A flustered look had replaced him, no doubt having felt the embarrassment, as if he had been burning inside.

After a beat, he had apologized under his breath and carried himself in haste towards you.

Unfortunately, this incident occurred the last night anyone had seen you.

When everyone had risen that morning, one by one coming off the floors of the church and stirring awake those who remained sleeping, you were the only one who hadn't stirred. Because your body wasn't even of prescence.

Almost immediately, everybody went on an emotional frenzy.

Even when the conversation with Gabriel didn't bode well for him. He refuted, if a little pathetically, that you weren't very friendly towards him.

Upon hearing of what had happened just hours before they woke, Daryl seemed to retreat back to the deepest of his old roots. Begrudgingly, Rick knew this was what they called "fight or flight."

Luckily for everyone involved, Daryl never moved unless there was something to fight for. The man had gained some sort of control over the years of personal development but like a dog, he'd jumped on Gabriel the second tensions rose.

There was a knife pressed against Gabriel's throat when Drayl pushed him into the nearest wall and the preacher did nothing but pray to himself and accept his fate.

Minuets later of interrogation and threatening, Michonne and Tara intervenned, though Daryl seemed none too eager to back off the smaller man. Not until he was physically being dragged back and Rick telling him to get a hold of himself.

"He's lucky I didn't slit his fuckin' throat! It was him!" Because back in the day, with Merle at his side, he would've and to hell with anyone who said differently.

Rick saw Carol's lips part to say something, as did Abraham, but nothing came out. Not with Rick cutting through them like cloth to speak, clearing his throat, hands rising in demand to appease the tension in the church.

"We are going to look for Y/N. It's no secret that we're standing on a ticking time bomb. " His head turned sharply towards everyone, waiting a beat before he continued. "Everybody gets paired off. No one leaves each other's sides. "

His gaze softened upon the archer as he came around to see the anger and frustration but most of all, the pain in his eyes. He wanted to assure him, they were going to find you. But he couldn't find the words to, as his own fingertips surged with doubt and as the rest of the days proceeded, his whole body seemed to become encapsulated by it.

They all began out at once, weapons gathered, determination and grievance fused into them as they exited the church in pairs. The only 2 persons staying behind being Judith and Abraham.

Before the front doors fell open, Rick sought out Gabriel, his fingers ghosting over the knob as his stomach tied in knots.

"If you so much as touch a hair on her head." He was referring to Michonne who'd gotten the unsavory job of catering to Gabriel, "I swear it'll be the last thing you do. "

His eyes followed Gabriel's timley swallow as he spoke. "And if I find out you had an inkling of any wrongdoing, God won't be able to save you. "

It wasn't just Daryl that was shaken by the fear of your abduction. Worse, perhaps, there was not a moment where Rick could stop to inhale without thinking about you. How tightly you had embraced him 2 nights prior, when he'd confided that maybe he wasn't suited for this leader job anymore, that he didn't know where you all would go, or if you'd even make it past these religious grounds before succumbing to hunger.

There was warmth radiating off you like a furnace and he couldn't shake the soothing way your fingertips glided against his forearm as you told him that things would fall into place in time, no matter how difficult it got.

But Daryl was a damn firecracker, this way of his to emote through hostility and intimidation was a way for him to cope with the potential loss of his brother.

You were not Shane.

There's so much Rick could rationalize before he no longer had the will to counter how much he wished you were there now to quell the savagery within his best friend.

Carl was as much of a mess as the archer, if not more. The rage within him seemed to blaze each step closer to the forest. It burned at his eyes, tearing his hands into fists that felt as if their own knuckles may shatter within the grasp.

Rosita had to stop him.

"What?" He initially sneered at her, pushing out of her grip and continuing to stomp forward until he could feel her nipping at his heels.

"Carl, now is not the time to get some kind of revenge, alright? We'll find the fucker, but getting ourselves killed is not going to help."

In time, she got him to sit down and collect himself, which consisted of roughly pacing and rubbing his face with his palms in an attempt to scrub the hostility right out of him. He wanted to scream, to fucking yell the Earth apart because this wasn't fair, none of this was. Yet, he found it somewhat easier to sit there and allow his teeth to sink into his knuckles while he suppressed tears.

Eugene and Tara had wandered the farthest the fastest, the church began to slowly disappear the deeper they strayed into the density of the trees until there was no distinguishable church at all, or street or houses for that matter.

They were silent the entire way, like speaking would somehow shatter the chances of finding you, safe, sound and alive.

So then when Tara's voice did come, meek and soft, far from anything close to the tone she usually sported, Eugene nearly jumped.

He halted immediately, his body turning as he looked every which way as if you may suddenly appear behind a tree.

"We should turn around and just make our way back." She whispered.

That was her biggest concern, because with the route they had taken, any further into the unknown, she knew there were no way to familiarize themselves with where they were.

"Rick said to keep searching til' sun down and that's just what I intend to do." There was an an irrtation in his expression and an agony to his voice that confirmed his intentions were anything but logical.

"Eugene."

And again, his body suddenly felt like it wasn't his, or maybe his bones weren't aligned and he was a puppet, a stranger, someone entirely else.

"Eugene, we won't get anywhere trying to force out this search. Please. The sun is already setting, it's near impossible to see 5 feet ahead and even if we were to press further in the dark, they're-"

She didn't need to finish her sentence to know what she wanted to say, the image was still clear in her mind as if she had just watched the last interaction you'd had with her and Rosita. The absolute dejection you allowed her to see in your eyes, the hesitation and restraint you had felt in giving your hugs. She took one and wrapped herself around you and you didn't dare do more than reciprocate the tightness, afraid to hurt her. As if.

After some minuets, Eugene came to and they turned back.

When they got to the church, Abraham was doing circles around the confinements of the holy sanctuary with Judith in his arms.

"Where's Gabriel?" Eugene spoke cautiously, realizing the weight in his voice when he did so.

"He's locked in his office. Said to leave him to rot or somethin'. Not a bad idea, the bastards a fuckin' killer."

Abraham was just as convinced as Daryl. No one asked to elaborate because they somehow knew the moment he did, he'd lose his shit. Like a bomb that's set to a timer, ticking away until it explodes into your ears.

"Find anything?" He asked as Tara slid down the wall she had been leaning against since they returned and brought her legs to her chest. Eugene shook his head at him which made the soldier nod back bitterly.

By day two, Michonne decided to conduct a one man search party for the nights. When the moon came out, she snuck off to the woods and scouted the area she had previously searched for any evidence that may have been missed on the first visitation. Which would prove to cause strife amongst the group when Carl found her out four days later.

"What are you doing?" He challenged harshly as he forced himself into the dark brush behind her with Michonne's body jolting at the abrupt arrival of company.

"Carl-"

"Are you crazy?”

The boy wasn't the only person who she'd receive these questions from, Tyrese had found himself wandering her way as well.

"Why would you come out here on your own? Have you lost it?" He griped under his breath, tone laced with disapproval as if the woods had just come to eat them alive.

"Well, what are you doing out here?" She retorted back in a whisper yell with a forceful gesture to the man who was just as armed, just as ready as her.

Her efforts were fruitless, though, and no response was heard, which left her walking the same way she came.

Rick wasn't happy about it.

At first, when Carl appeared through the door in the night, he thought his son was the culprit of the secret night searches, but soon he realized what had transpired when he saw Michonne making her way inside.

"Everyone is on edge, alright? Everyone is doing exactly what is expected of them, they have been looking and looking and, Michonne, it's about time you pulled your head from your ass and sat down for the night." Rick had said 5 minuets after they'd settled in the privacy of Judiths room. Their voices were lowered considerably so as not to wake the others, but Rick's tone wasn't anything less than a demand.

"So we should just sit around?" She had, then, the urge to spit at him and remind him that you could be dead in the next second. Gone. Poof.

"We are not–" Rick's voice began to rise in octaves but he took a moment to lower the volume. "We are *not* just sittin' around."

There was an enervation in Rick's stance that Michonne could feel pricking her heart strings. He looked exhausted, absolutely strained.

"He could– he could be in trouble." Michonne attempted to keep her voice leveled as she looked around in disdain, her lip trembling and Rick saw this, that she could not come to accept the way things were."I can't bury him." She hissed as clear glistens of wetness fell from the pools in her eyes.

Rick knew exactly the terror Michonne felt in the pit of her gut and he could almost see inside her head, the vision of a funeral and everyone in a heavy sweat of depression and rage, because it was the same one he saw every night before he closed his eyes.

A few dead bodies surrounding the fire pit in the woods while everyone circled around you and Daryl cried.

He had already envisioned it all, envisioned the way Glenn would crack at your loss. While Maggie was reduced to hiccups and broken speeches, she had somehow found the strength to collapse to the floor and refuse help.

Bobs face would fall, for once, it would fall and Sasha wouldn't be able to handle the breath leaving her body, clutching Tyrese –who looked just as devastated– to her to bring her solace.

Carol would gasp but it wouldn't matter because no one would hear her over Daryl's sobs, no one would see the way her lips pulled down at the corners and the lines in her face would tighten.

Rick didn't like to think about how he might react. He imagined it be something similar to crazed. But beyond that, he didn't want to picture it.

And what about his son? Carl who hadn't even fully grown yet. Rick couldn't stomach the thought, the sheer utter torment he'd experience watching his sons body begin to wither. He didn't want to know.

You'd been there while he was unconscious in that hospital bed, through every storm, everything, by his side. You were a father to Carl as much as he was and you'd been nothing short of a supporting role to Rick. There's been times when you just drove the both of them off in the car, taking trips to lakes and nearby parks, anywhere that offered a semblance of normalcy.

You'd scout the places out days before, cleaned it free of Walkers and set up a picnic on the cool greens of grass or near broken tables. Even once or twice when the fire smothered to ambers or if Carl's blood started to burn so hot, you'd give them a midnight rendezvous, all three of you climbing up a tree or anything that fit the current circumstances in which the group resided.

Rick had to run a hand through his hair and all he could do was grab Michonne by her shoulders, look her forcefully in the eyes and saying,

"We are going to find him. And anyone who gets in the way of that will pay."

Because he wasn't going to accept anything else.

Which is why he didn't stop Tyrese or Daryl or anybody who wanted a chunk out of Gabriel the morning of day eight when he suggested that they move on.

He even went as far as leaving the church entirely, not caring to put aside personal feelings, not caring how he may look. His expression was sour and drained and at this rate, the only thing he cared about was finding you.

He would have no problem burying his tomahawk right into the preachers skull.

Daryl kept watch most of the nights, refusing rest for the past week because every time he tried, he felt as if it were a ploy. He became distressed each time he was reminded you weren't going to walk in and slumber on the floor next to him or Carol. You weren't anywhere.

It pissed Daryl off beyond belief to know there was an actual possibility that you weren't breathing anymore, weren't thinking, feeling. His anger had to be one of the few things driving him into the same track-less search the next day as he pushed through the forest ahead of Rick.

Things were starting to feel all too familiar and he thought he might find you in a barn just the same as Sofia. But you didn't pop out the doors in any walkers veil, you weren't bloodied nor torn apart. There were no traces of anyone or anything in those forests.

You simply disappeared.

And it left them in another night of quiet.

Spoons scraping agaisnt cans, the faint sound of chewing. Tiny droplet of rain hitting a window pane or two.

That was all.

No one spoke, yet they all sat around a room cramped with anxious bodies.

Sasha's leg brushed against her guns outline, her boots rubbed together, her tongue flicked at her teeth and she felt as if her thoughts were vibrating the inside of her skull, riling her from the depths. There was an eerie absence of anything positive, because at this point no one was expecting good news.

Gabriel's execution was more or less inevitable as each of the nights rolled by. There'd be the lingering aura of danger and anticipation due to the preachers remaining presence. But no one ever mentioned it, let alone had the will to.

It was hard to digest the concept of your loss because not a single one of them wanted to bury you, the group preferred to be broken and you had become like an integral part of what bound them.

Food was beginning to dwindle down the line of low and low to nonexistent.

And as they sat there, in silence, there was collective knowing resonating around them that this would be the last night they spent in the church.

Not that anyone dared to speak it, not even Rick, who gazed afar into the burning light of a candle and contemplated.

Carol noticed first, maybe it was her nose, fine tuned for the scent of trouble and like a dog trailing a rabbit, she jumped up with a clatter and darted towards the front door.

But she didn't even get halfway across the church, with Rick trailing closely behind her, along with the others who were all clammering to their feet, when the doors burst open on their own, the cool whip of wind entering the room as the room itself seemed to rise up in temperature.

There, with a trail of blood drops, a scarily dehydrated and filthy body fell into her arms.

It was you.

*note: I stopped watching after season 8, so anything that happens after that won’t be on this list*

Merle sawing his own hand off (was not expecting self amputations this early on in the series)

Sofia coming out of the barn as a walker & Rick shooting her (I truly thought that Sofia was still alive and they would find her, so this was a total shock. Plus this was the first time I realized that even kids weren’t safe in this show)

Shane killing Otis so that the zombies would eat him instead & Shane could get away (first time, in my opinion, that Shane crossed the line of no return & completely left behind his morality)

Rick killing Shane & Carl shooting zombie Shane afterwards (when Rick talked Shane down, I thought that was going to be the end of it, I didn’t expect Rick to kill Shane afterwards. The part about Carl was a smaller shock, but I really thought he was pointing the gun at Rick for a minute there)

Carl having to shoot Lori to stop her from turning (I had a feeling Lori was going to die, but I never thought that Carl would be able to shoot his own mother like that at 13 years old)

The Governor keeping his zombie daughter locked up in a closet (this just came completely out of left field for me, I didn’t expect it at all)

The Governor shooting all of his people (again, came completely out of left field. Up until this point, I thought the Governor’s logic outweighed his crazy, but apparently not)

Hershel getting beheaded (I knew Hershel was gonna die, but not that he was gonna GET HIS HEAD CHOPPED OFF!!! Plus the fact that the Governor had to take a few swings before the head came completely off)

Lizzie killing Mika (didn’t think that Lizzie was that deranged yet. Sure, she tried to smother Judith before, but I thought her own sister would be an exception)

Carol executing Lizzie (being forced to kill a deranged child for the greater good of the group was not a place I thought this show was gonna go. When Carol and Tyreese were talking beforehand and Carol kept saying “she can’t be around other people”, I vividly remember thinking “so what’re they gonna do? Leave her by herself somewhere? Cause the only other option is killing her and they wouldn’t do that.” I was wrong)

The claimer trying to rape Carl (going in, I was already expecting there to be SA’s against the women in the show cause every apocalypse show seems to feel the need to include rape in some capacity. However, I was not expecting it to happen to Carl. I knew TWD could be dark, but never in a million years did I expect them to be dark enough to include attempted CHILD RAPE against the main character’s 14 YEAR OLD son)

Rick biting Joe’s throat out & gutting the pedophile (I knew Rick would never let something like that happen to Carl, but I didn’t expect that level of rage & bloodlust, especially when we’d spent a whole season with lame ass Farmer Rick. Ngl though, I was cheering so loudly when he did this, it was completely deserved)

Terminus (I never trusted it, but I was not expecting CANNIBALS)

Pete killing Reg & Rick executing him for it (I didn’t think Pete was that crazy & I definitely didn’t expect his punishment to be that immediate)

Carl getting his eye shot out (I knew Carl lost an eye before I started the series, but I didn’t expect it to happen like that)

Negan killing Glenn & Abraham (I didn’t expect BOTH of them to die + the manner in which they died, obviously)

Daryl Dixon x Fem OC

The Camp

       "Why'd we stop?" Daryl asked groggily, lifting his head from where it rested against the truck door window, looking around skeptically before gazing between Merle and I, "You know these people?" I couldn't help but laugh softly; he didn't seem so tough when he was this tired. "The hell you laughin' at?" He challenged, rubbing a hand down his face, which only made me laugh more.

        "Never you mind," I sneered at him playfully, "We should probably go talk to these people before they start to get too suspicious," I thought out loud, noticing some of the people start to slowly approach the truck. "Come on, move over," I tapped Daryl's leg lightly, ushering him out of the truck, "We gotta make a good first impression, so watch your mouth, man," I eyed Merle playfully before hopping out of the truck after Daryl, swinging my backpack onto my back. 

        "Someone mind tellin' me where the hell we are?" Daryl asked again, getting a bit frustrated as Merle joined him at his side.

        "Looks like we're gonna find out, brother," Merle said as he watched me walk up to the middle aged man that had approached the truck, followed by a young Asian man and a blonde woman. The two brothers hung back, listening closely to the words exchanged between the three strangers and I.

        "You three come from Atlanta?" The older gentleman asked, "We've been calling out with the radio all morning hoping to reach people, but no luck so far," he informed me with a sigh.

        "Yeah, you guys are the first people we've seen since we put this camp together," the Asian man added, looking at each of us thoughtfully.

        "Well, I'm from a small town outside of Atlanta, but I met these two on the way up here after I got separated from my sister and my nephew," I said, motioning to the two brothers behind me, "I'm Mackenzie and their names are Daryl and Merle," I introduced us us with a smile.

        "My name's Dale," the middle aged man held his hand out for me to shake, "It's nice to know there are more people out there," he smiled.

        "I'm Glenn," the Asian man smiled at me, "And this is Andrea," he introduced the blonde woman next to him as she smiled and waved at the Dixons, who nodded in return.

        "Why don't you come meet everyone," Andrea offered, giving me a kind smile, "I think there might be someone you'd like to see," she said, waving me over.

        I looked behind me to see the brothers give me another nod, "Go on, we'll catch up," Daryl assured me, "Just got some questions 'bout this place," he said, looking to Dale as if he was asking permission, earning a nod from both him and Glenn. I gave Daryl another smile before jogging to catch up with Andrea.

        "So how many people are here?" I asked her, excited to see more people after everything I'd been through the day before, "And who is it you think I'd want to see?" I was both curious and cautious. This woman did't even know me, but anything was worth a shot at this point.

        "Just keep walking," Andrea laughed, leading me around the corner of a huge RV to see a group of even more people, "There's a boy here that just hasn't stopped talking about his aunt Kenzie," she trailed off as she looked around for someone specific, "And I thought that might be you," she looked at me with kind eyes as she pointed to a young boy, who I immediately recognized to be Carl.

        My eyes started to tear up as soon as I saw him, which made it exponentially harder to get any words out as I tried desperately to call his name, "C-Carl? Carl, oh my god," I started laughing almost as fast as I had started crying when his wide eyes met mine.

        "KENZIE!" He all but yelled as he broke into a run, crashing into me as I held him tight in my arms. I sank to my knees, clutching Carl as tight as I could. I know it had only been a couple days, but I missed this kid more than anything.

        "Mackenzie? Oh my god, Mack, is that you?" I heard Lori call from a distance before she broke into a run, "I thought we'd lost you, I thought you were gone, I didn't know what to do- a-and Shane just said we should keep moving, I didn't-" Lori cut herself off as she sank to her knees and joined Carl and I in a mushy pile of relief. I didn't even care how ridiculous I must have looked in front of all the people I hadn't even met yet, I was just glad to have my family back.

        "What happened out there?" I managed to gain enough composure to ask Lori through my sobs, "I came back and you guys were just gone, I didn't know what to think."

        "I'm so sorry Mack," Lori apologized through tears, "It got bad so fast, I tried to get Shane to go look for you before we left, but we had to keep moving," she explained, guilt evident in her voice. Picking up on this, I put a hand on the back of her head and pulled her in closer yet again, letting her know I understood. "How- How did you get here? Is everything okay?" she asked me, slightly worried.

        I nodded swiftly, a smile present upon my face, "I met two guys, Daryl and Merle, they let me tag along and we ended up here after driving for ages," I reminisced, laughing lightly, "I guess I really owe them, don't I," I joked, earning a laugh from Lori and Carl. We were savoring this moment, as we figured they'd be few and far between from this point on.

        The sun had finally set after a long day of meeting new people at the camp and we were all sitting around a fire, talking and learning more about each other. Dale was a nice and helpful man who kept watch over camp and did anything he could when it came to helping around the community. Glenn was a young Asian man who took pride in being quick on his feet and a fast problem solver, as he often went on runs into Atlanta by himself. Andrea and her sister, Amy, were relatively quiet, but sweet, and were very close to each other. I vaguely remember Ed, Carol, and their daughter Sofia from the crowded highway, but I couldn't quite figure them out yet. T-Dog was an incredibly sarcastic man, who I personally hit it off with, as sarcasm functions as a second language for me at this point. Jim and Jacqui were by far the quietest members of the camp, but they seemed like nice people so far. Finally, Morales and his family were pretty quiet as well, but from the looks of it, Lori and Carl had become quite close with them, which was good enough for me. Of course, the only thing that really mattered to me was that I'd found Lori and Carl again. As for the Dixon brothers; I guess everything seemed to check out here, because they decided to stay as well. Everything was looking up, that is, until Shane decided to open his mouth. If I had a bad feeling about him before, I definitely had a bad feeling about him after he deserted me in the woods at night.

        "So you mean to tell me you just got into a truck with two random guys you just met?" Shane asked me sternly as he started the camp fire, looking up every few seconds to eye me. I just rolled my eyes, planning to ignore him before I heard a voice to my left answer for me.

        "Yeah, after you left 'er fer dead," Daryl interrupted him harshly, "Don't go leavin' that part out," he said, shooting Shane one more dirty look before looking back down at the fire that was starting to rise. I discretely placed a hand on Daryl's shoulder, letting him know I appreciated the gesture, removing it mere moments after, not wanting Merle to see and give his brother shit about it. Shane was about to fight back before Dale jumped in, wanting to avoid any unnecessary conflict.

        "Mackenzie, why don't you tell us about yourself, huh?" Dale offered kindly, "We've been talking your ear off all day, it's only fair," he finished with a smile. It had been a long day and I was tired beyond belief, but I guess they were as curious about me as I was about them.

        "Well, I moved here from Washington not too long ago after graduating from university because I wanted to get a master's degree from the university in Atlanta," I began, thinking at what I could say that would even be remotely interesting, "My degree is in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science, so naturally, I work at a zoo," I finished with a smile, trying not to worry myself sick about how all the zoo animals were doing at this point.

        "Not to mention she sucks at Mario Kart," Carl piped up from my right hand side, "That part's important!"

        "You know what you little punk, that was one time you beat me," I narrowed my eyes jokingly at Carl as he began to laugh, "One. Time."

        "And don't you forget it," Carl teased me back as I stuck my tongue out at him. Just about everyone around the fire was smiling at that point, even Carol and her daughter, Sofia, who hadn't cracked a smile all day.

        "You better watch your daughter, Carol, this one's a charmer, he is," I smiled at Carol as I continued teasing Carl, ruffling a hand through his hair, "His auntie taught him everything he knows about charming the ladies," I cooed as he desperately tried to pry my hand off his head in a fit of laughter. To my surprise, she actually laughed a bit, which made me happy.

        "Must mean he don't know much then," Daryl gave me a playful smirk as another round of laughter erupted from the circle, "Can't say you're the smoothest person I ever met," he finished as I put a hand over my heart, pretending to be offended.

        "Yeah, tough guy? Who managed to charm two men enough to give her a free ride, eh?" I challenged him as he just raised an eyebrow.

        "Charmed us, huh?" Merle asked skeptically from across the fire as I nodded, "You broke into our truck and fell asleep lil' girl, ain't nothin' charmin' 'bout that," he finished with a laugh, backing his brother up. At this point, everyone was in high spirits, happy to just have a light hearted conversation again.

        "Alright, alright, I just came here to have a good time, guys, damn," I smiled, placing my hands up in a mockingly defensive manner, "I am feeling kinda tired though, so I think I'm gonna head to bed," I thought aloud, raised arms turning into a stretch.

        "We'll go too," Lori offered, standing up and placing each hand on Carl's and my shoulder, "Come on you two, lets get to the tent," she said, turning towards numerous tents.

        I turned towards Daryl before getting up, only to see him already looking at me, expressions soft, "Where will you guys be?" I asked, referring to him and Merle, "You're staying here, right?" Once I asked, I could have sworn I just saw him smile.

        "Yeah, we are," he said reassuringly, "We'll probably go out huntin', then set our shit up by the truck," he finished, nodding towards where the truck was parked.

        I gave him a quick smile before standing up, "Night, Daryl," I said, turning around to follow Lori and Carl to our tent. And behind me, in the faintest voice, I heard a singular,

Note: Hi guys! I wasn't really feeling this part so I'm sorry that its crappy.im hoping to be on the highway in the next part as I'm gonna skip out the CDC stop. This was kind of a transition part so that's why it wont be as great as the others. These will get longer as well just stay with me! part one        part two    part three You awoke after a night of little sleep. Your constant tossing and turning kept sleep as far away from you as possible. You rubbed your eyes tiredly and yawned. You replayed the events of last night in your head, but quickly pushed them to the side as you changed into a clean shirt and shrugged on your boots. The sun was blazing down on the camp, the heat would be unbearable if there wasn’t a slight gust of wind every couple of minutes. You saw that the camp was almost empty, no one except the women, Shane, carl and Daryl. You walked over to your brother who was sharpening his arrow bolts and sat on the floor next to him.

“Where is everyone?” you asked curiously.

“Gone out to go get supplies” he mumbled.

“When will they be back?”

He shrugged his shoulders in reply. You rolled your eyes at the little words he could offer you. He wasn’t much of a talker and you knew that, but it still annoyed you. You decided to leave him alone and went over to sit around what was once a roaring fire. You looked over to the women who were washing clothes by the lake. Even in the apocalypse women still had the stereotypical role of cleaning and cooking. You heard someone approaching and quickly looked up to see the small boy -Carl- walking to you. He sat down on the chair next to you and handed you a bottle of water.

“My mom told me to come talk to you. See how you were doing and all that” he said with an innocent smile.

You looked over to find Lori staring at you from the lake, you felt a little uncomfortable and looked away.  You smiled at the boy before replying.

“I’m alright thanks Carl. How are you doing? This all must be a little scary for you, right?” you said.

“It can be scary, but when my dad’s around I feel safer”

Your thoughts quickly went to Rick. How the two people he loved were betraying him without him even knowing. You wanted to tell him so bad, but you were a hundred percent sure he wouldn’t believe you. He hardly even knew you.

“Hey Carl, go back with momma now, I can take it from here” A voice interrupted your thoughts and you saw Shane ushering Carl to go back down to the lake.

“So, what were you two talking ‘bout?” he asked, sitting in the chair which Carl previously sat in.

You tried to keep your voice from shaking. You told yourself that this man didn’t intimidate you, but the truth was he creeped you out a little. You shifted in your seat before replying.

“I just asked him how he was doing. It must be hard when your mom is cheating on your dad with his best friend” you spat.

You saw his eyes darken and you wondered if that was a smart move. You thought that maybe you could get the upper hand considering you had such important information, but it actually made you weaker. No one would believe you if they told them this was happening, they wouldn’t trust your word over theirs.

“If you fucking say anything about this to anyone-” the screeching of car tires skidding to a halt cut off Shanes last words. You were still glaring at each other when all four doors of the car slammed shut. You peeled your eyes way from his to find Rick, Glenn, T-dog and Andrea. They all looked a little unnerved, their eyes were searching for someone. You were shocked when their eyes landed on you and they all walked over to you. Shane stayed glued to his seat, eyes still watching you.

“We need to talk to you- in private” Rick said, glancing down to Shane.

Shane finally looked away from you and you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. Rick sat down next to you while the others stood standing.

“What’s going on?” you finally asked after a long silence.

“It’s Merle. We- he- uh” he wouldn’t stop stuttering. Was Merle dead? He couldn’t be, he was Merle, there’s no way he would let his guard down.

“Where’s Merle?” a gravelly voice spoke out from behind us. It was Daryl, he approached us, brows knitted together, confused as to why Mere wasn’t with them.

“I chained him to a pipe on the roof of a building” T-dog blurted out. “He was a danger to the group and I accidentally dropped the key, I- I’m so sorry-” he was cut off as Daryl lunged for him. You immediately stood up to try and pull him back but you weren’t strong enough.

“That’s enough!” Rick yelled over the two boys, t-dog struggling to keep Daryl from beating him to death. Rick held a gun to Daryl’s head and he stopped fighting.

“Your brother was risking our lives out there and something had to be done”

“So you decided to leave him on a roof to die? What the fuck is wrong with you people?” Daryl asked, rage filling his veins.

“Are you at least gonna go back to get him?” you asked.

Rick looked among the other and then to Daryl and back to you.

“(Y/n), you have to understand, he has a very short temper. We have kids in this group, you can’t deny that he is very unpredictable” he replied calmly.

Rick lowered his gun from Daryl who had now calmed down. He pointed at Glenn.

“You. You’re showing me where he is”

“Daryl-” you started

“He’s your brother too (y/n)! Don’t you care that he’s out in the open like that?”

“You know he can take care of himself. He will find a way out.” You raised your voice.

“Screw this” he said as he walked over to his bike.

The engine roared to life, but at that moment a gunshot went off. Everyone stood still, knowing that the sound would attract walkers. You looked in the direction of the shot and saw a mangled body lying on the floor. Next to it stood Shane and Andrea.

“Is that a-”

“Uh, guys” Glenn said, pointing to the treeline. “I think we need to go!”

You looked over to the treeline and saw a lot of moving body’s. They moved in an awkward way, as if their feet didn’t know what direction its body wanted to go in.

“Everyone in the cars, follow the RV” Rick shouted.

part one    part two   part four Daryl had returned a little while later with some dead rabbits and squirrels. He was surprised to see you in the camp, but he didn’t show it too much. You both exchanged words along the line of ‘I’m glad you’re safe’ ‘how did you get here’ and ‘yeah, I’m okay’.

After dinner people began retreating to their tents. Dale entered the RV as well as carol and her daughter Sofia. T-dog and Glenn headed to their tents, not before saying goodnight to the group. Merle and Daryl also went to their tents. Now that Merle was gone you felt like you could relax, always having a pair of eyes on you kept you on edge. All that was left was Lori, Shane, Rick and Carl.

“So what’s it like being related to those dickheads?” Shane blurted out after your brothers left.

Lori’s eyes nearly burst out her head as she lightly nudged him with her elbow. Rick raised an eyebrow to Shane but said nothing. You laughed at his confidence and answered the question.

“It’s like living with a time bomb you know? You never know when Merle’s gonna explode. And Daryl, he’s like a moody teenager. Always in his room and when he’s out he doesn’t say much”

They all nodded and looked down at the fire. You couldn’t take your eyes off of Rick. The heat from the fire made his skin shimmer with a light coat of sweat, and his muscles obvious from beneath his uniform. You then looked at his eyes as the refection of the flames danced in his pupils. His blue eyes were mesmerising, like looking into the belly of the ocean. You didn’t know what you would find. He cleared his throat and looked away from the fire and at you. You quickly darted your eyes to look anywhere but on him and you felt your cheeks burn up. Did he catch you looking? You looked back over to him and he offered you a small smile, in which you smiled back.

“Could you take Carl to bed please?” Lori looked up to rick and then down to Carl who was sleeping on her lap. He nodded and scooped him up in one fluid motion. Saying goodnight to the three of us he headed to the tent and disappeared inside. You were all silent for a couple of minutes before your eyes started to close and you drifted into sleep.                                                              ****

“We can’t keep doing this” “Just one last time” “What if she wakes up?” “Well we’ll make sure she stays quiet about this”

You kept your eyes closed as you listened to Lori and Shane talking, or flirting, or whatever they were doing. Then it hit you. Wasn’t Lori meant to be with Rick? What the hell was she doing hooking up with Shane? You opened your right eye enough to see through the gap. Lori was straddling Shane on the lawn chair and they were munching each other’s face off. You didn’t know whether to ‘wake up’ and go to your tent or stay still until they finished and left. But how long would that be? You were still pretty tired and you wanted to change position, your butt going numb from not moving. You decided to move slightly in your chair, rubbing your eyes so Lori could go back to her chair as if you never saw anything. But when you opened your eyes once again they were still in the same position. You were pissed that you were seeing this, how could you conceal this from Rick, you almost felt embarrassed for watching them.

“What the fuck?” you hissed, making them jump. Lori whipped her head around and climbed off of Shane, sitting back down in her chair. She covered her mouth and Shane let his head dangle back, more upset with the loss of connection between him and Lori than actually being caught in the act.

“(Y/n), please don’t say anything about this to Rick. This-” she said pointing at herself then Shane “- is a onetime thing. It will never happen again” she said, shooting a look at Shane, as if that last part was for him.

You couldn’t even reply before Lori stood up and quickly rushed to the tent in which Rick had gone, and she zipped up the entrance, blocking all her troubles out. You looked to Shane who was staring at you. You wondered what he was thinking. Was he planning to kill you? Bribe you? Threaten you? You didn’t know and it made you nervous. Your eyes flickered to a bulge in his pants which Lori had got going. You quickly looked back up and you saw him grinning at you.

“You wanna come finish this or do I have to do it myself?” he asked, almost laughing when your face twisted up.