into the wild.

Dakota sat around the lowly burning fire. It was really only embers at this point. She clutched the .380 pistol in her hand, hoping that she wouldn't have to use it anytime soon. Her eyes wandered over to Daryl who was sitting opposite of her. He was on edge. Merle, Glen, T-Dog, and a few others had gone out on a run earlier in the day and hadn't returned yet. She sighed. She wished that the older man would allow her in, but he wouldn't. She was there when he needed sexual relief--other than that--nothing. "Hey, Daryl?" she said softly. "Are you okay?"

---

Shane narrowed his eyes as he looked around the camp they had set up. He was standing on top of the RV as he helped with night watch. He was tired, irritable, and hungry. But that wasn't anything new, especially since all this bullshit had started. Shane whipped his head around when he heard a noise behind him. Blonde hair emerged first, followed by the rest of her body. "Dammit, Constance. Are you trying to get shot? You scared the shit out of me."

She shrugged a little as she looked at Shane,"Guess you're a bit more jumpy then huh?" She said as she brushed some hair out of her eyes. Licking her lips she shrugged, seeing him now and remembering how they used to be kind of stung. Ever since her brother had found out about the two of them they'd kind kept their distance from one another. Not by her choice either,"Just thought I'd tell you that dinner is done,"

"M'fine," he said to her as he looked up, if anything ever happened to his brother while he was out with these people he wouldn't take it well. Daryl liked Dakota, she wasn't suck up or annoying but he didn't want her know in that. "Jus' waitin' on them to get back. Y'should eat somethin',"

@ Holden Caulfield.

Shane lowered his gun, relaxing his posture a little. He ran a hand through his hair. God he wished he could have a proper shower. "Just a tad jumpy," he commented. "Never know how long where we set up is going to last, ya know?" He sighed and looked around. He tucked his gun back into the holster and nodded. "Well. Lets get down there and get some food then." He followed her down the ladder, walking over to where they had the dinner set up at.

---

Dakota shook her head, she really wasn't that hungry. She was just as nervous that all of them were out and the sun had almost completely sunk down over the horizon. "I'll be fine for now," She said. "Why don't you go grab something? You haven't eaten since yesterday?"

"Athe a bit when I went huntin' earlier," he said as he sipped some water from his canteen. He didn't much care for the group they were with, they were all nosey and in everyone's business. As far as he was concerned if it didn't effect him he didn't give a rats ass.

She nodded,"we haven't talked much, since that day," she said to him with a all sigh. Everything about that had been heart breaking and sitting that she wanted to forgqet, but it was sitting right in the back nod her mind.

@ Holden Caulfield.

@ lifeless devils;
"What is it you want to talk about Constance?" Shane grumbled as he grabbed a little bit of the beans. "If this is gonna be an in depth conversation, I don't want to be in ear shot of the others."

---

She nodded and looked away from him, not really knowing what else to say. She knew Daryl didn't like to be pushed--and now wasn't the time to be doing it either, especially with Merle being gone.

"Nevermind then, wouldn't wanna inconvenience you," she shook her head as she walked with him to get her food. Constance didn't know how to handle Shane anymore, they used to be so close and now they could barely get alone.

He stood up,"m'gonna do a perimeter check, don't need nothing sneakin' up on us," he said as he looked at hee,"you wanna com" he asked her.

@ Holden Caulfield.

Shane sighed. He hadn't meant to be so harsh with her. He had just been on edge the past couple of days. It was hard to try and be relaxed at times. "Look, if it's important to you, let's talk. I didn't mean to come across as such an asshole."

---

Dakota nodded as she stood up, "Yeah, I'll come along." She followed him in the direction he was headed. She reached into her pocket and pulled out one of the very few cigarettes she had left and lit it

She sighed as she looked at him,"I miss you,"she said to him suddenly.

"Because I've felt like a burden in all this when you dragged me out without so much as a reason. When you cared more about what Rock thought than what I thought on there being an us..." she said quietly as she looked at him.

"I know I'm a lot younger than you but I don't want to be so tense around one another," she said as she looked at him.

He walked with her into the woods just to checking the woods for walkers. He held his cross bow up and sifhed,"the next run we should go,"

@ Holden Caulfield.

Shane sighed and rubbed his face with his hand. He knew it was only a matter of time before they had this conversation. He thought that he had been doing right by her and Rick. Rick was his best friend, he had been afraid to tell him how in love he was with his baby sister. He decided the only thing there was left to do was wedge a space between them. "You know I wanted there to be an us," he said. "It just couldn't happen at that time. How is it even supposed to happen now?"

---

Dakota walked closely behind him. She furrowed her brows. "I thought you didn't want me going on runs? You said I slow you down." She took another puff of her cigarette. She clutched the knife on her hip when she heard twigs breaking, but looked down to see that the noise had come from under her own feet.

"How can't their be an us now?" She asked softly as she felt her eyes water, "when I agreed to that date I never thought you'd be the one to rip my heart out, it'd be stupid not to act on it now -shane we're all going to die but I'd rather die knowing I'd gotten the chance to love you right,"

Constance hated talking shit out, felt like a sissy having all those emotions locked up. She wiped her and let out a breath,"I can't make you do anything but you know where I am,"

"This ain't a run, just makin sure no walkers surprise us," he said to her as he looked around. He thought he heard a twig snap and saw a small rat run the opposite way. "Sides I ain't leaving you with them people,"

@ Holden Caulfield.

Shane shook his head. He couldn't seem to form the right words in order to explain how he felt. But if solidifying the fact that he still held feelings for her was going to make her feel better, he knew he should do it. "Look, I feel the same way, Constance. But this shit has changed us. I don't know what to do or how to feel anymore." He sighed. "I'm trying to keep my survival mode on at all times... But I guess I could, I don't know, try?"

---

Dakota tried to keep herself from rolling her eyes, but couldn't. Daryl, if anyone, should have known that she could hold her own ground. "Them people?" she said quietly, "Whatever you say, Mr. Dixon." She ran a hand through her dirty hair and smiled as a thought popped into her head, "If you don't want me with them people, I'm staying in your tent tonight."

She looked at him then nodded,"trying is a start I guess," she said softly as she looked up at him then soghed,"come on let's eat, don't know how much longer I can stay awake," she said to him as she yawned.

"That's fiqne, they'll be back tomorrow them we'll go hunting can't have you not able to feed yourself if we get separated, " he said to heqr.

@ Holden Caulfield.

Shane nodded, happy that the conversation was over. It wasn't that he minded talking to her, it was just that he wasn't really in the mood for a heart felt conversation at that time. Nonetheless, he wrapped an arm around her in a feeble attempt to hug her. "Feel better?"

---

"Were not getting separated," She said sternly. She wouldn't allow that to happen and she knew he wouldn't either. "Not unless you get sick of me and leave me."

She nodded a little bit and smiled at jim,"yeah a bit," she said as she leaned her head on him then took a seat on the log they'd used as chairs. She was a bit better but she knew they were a long ways off from what they had been, they'd done some risky things back before this mess but he was everything to her.

"Shit happens, can't expect everythin'," Daryl said as he looked at jer,"might happen when we feel safe might not happen at all but huntin is a good thing can feed people that way'' he said to to heqr shrugging.

@ Holden Caulfield.

"Well, good." He murmured as he at a spoonful of beans. He looked over at her and swallowed "I don't want you feeling out of place or feeling like I don't care at all. You know that right?"

---

She huffed. She would rather not be talking about being separated at the time. "Can we not talk about that right now, Daryl?"

She nodded as she looked as she took a bite of her food,"I know, it ended so sudden then Rick got shot and then the hospital got so busy, and it was all so fast... and I just...left him there," she said her voice shaking as she wiped her eyes,"I shouldn't have left him there,"

He rolled his eyes and walked back towards the camp,"we'll go huntin early in the morning try and get a deer, " he said to her.

@ Holden Caulfield.

Shane shook his head, "You didn't have any other option... He would have wanted you to push on, he wouldn't have wanted you to get killed or...turn."

---

She narrowed her eyes at him although he couldn't see. Why did he always have to be so frustrating? "Yes sir," she mumbled as she followed him.

She nodded a lottle,"I know that, I do- but everything happened so fast... I feel like I let go too soon," Constance said as she let out a breath.

He's hooked his head,"don't get Smart with me blondie,"he said smirking as he looked aroind.

@ Holden Caulfield.

She nodded a lottle,"I know that, I do- but everything happened so fast... I feel like I let go too soon," Constance said as she let out a breath.

He's hooked his head,"don't get Smart with me blondie,"he said smirking as he looked aroind.

@ Holden Caulfield.