A Will to Survive

The commotion outside couldn't keep up with the adrenaline in their systems as the people of the prison responded to the threat before them. A section of the fence was down and the hungry soulless creatures responsible for the breech were ambling quickly towards the meal they so desired. Unbeknownst to the vulnerable people inside the prison walls Daryl, Rick and some others were scrambling to take down all the geeks before them and restore the trampled fence before things escalated anymore. Daryl had his cross bow out taking steadying breaths he moved forward shooting multiple zombies down in a matter of a minute. He pulled an arrow out of an already immobilized corpse and stabbed another walker directly in the ear with it killing it instantly and watching it drop to the ground in a heap. Another had a hand on Daryl’s shirt as he stabbed it with his hunting knife. He plunged the sharp knife directly under the jaw through the rotting flesh of the top of its head. Daryl felt a path of bodies forming behind him as he took down each one he saw. Rick worked his way through the heard alongside Daryl. Both of them wasted no efforts taking each threat down in one smooth motion, essentially hitting the off switch and moving on.

Before long the heard had been cleared and the mass of people outside the prison took up the task of restoring the fence. What as of yet seemed like no casualties on the prisons side added a certain amount of triumph among them though it was mostly overshadowed by the panic that couldn’t end until the fence was back up. There was only so much time before more walkers surrounded them. The ruckus they had been making including multiple people using high powered guns was sure to attract every one of these things that heard the bullets echo off the walls and trees beside them. Unsteady feet stepped on discarded corpses as they grabbed wooden pieces to prop up the chain link. They were lucky they had been preparing to fortify the fences already. If they hadn't the group couldn't have fixed the fence in a timely enough fashion and every life there would have been at risk. Daryl cursed himself for not pushing to start the project earlier. He had been distracted by his task of keeping an eye on Lacy and he blamed himself harshly. They pushed stakes into the dirt at an angle forcing the top of the fence back up. Daryl only now noticed a sweaty and exhausted Lacy using all her strength to help Tyrees place another stake down. She helped him guide the top of the thick heavy wooden piece into position since its size made it awkward to carry alone. Had she been out here before him Daryl wondered?

Carl looked much older than he was as he pulled aside corpses trying to clear a way for more of the fence to be repaired. He was always in the middle of things somehow despite all of Rick’s effort to keep him a child for as long as possible. Carl was a survivor. All he knew was staying alive and fighting to protect his loved ones. He was so young but Daryl knew that much of Carl’s life before the outbreak had been long forgotten. His child hood now was one much closer to Daryl’s own childhood though in some ways worse. Daryl put a hand on Carl’s shoulder as he passed him nodding to him and said
“Thanks fer the help, couldn’ do this without ya.” it wasn’t much but it was all Daryl could come up with to make a difference for the kid. He needed to know he mattered. So much of Daryl’s childhood had been spent in a state of feeling worthless and unwanted. With everything else Carl was going through he didn’t need that weight added.

“What the hell happened out here?” Daryl finally got a chance to ask Rick. His voice came out with more aggression than he intended but part of him was fuming under the surface and another was still kicking himself for not preventing this in the first place.

“There was too many of them pushin’ on this section they toppled the thang”. Rick was out of breath. His chest heaved up and down as he sputtered out his response to Daryl’s question seemingly unaffected by Daryl’s tone.

“I thought we sent people down here this mornin’ ta clear these ass holes out”. Daryl was trying to understand how this threat had gotten the jump on them. Lacy responded this time appearing on Ricks left making Daryl turn to her.

“We were down here for 2 hours earlier. There weren't any left when we went inside. I’m sorry” She looked down at the corpse at her feet disbelief on her face.

“Well obviously ya missed some” Daryl snarled.

“Nah, man she’s right” Tyrees offered now in Lacy’s defense. She shot him a grateful look.

“We cleared this area they must have wandered over her e since then”

“We don’t need to blame anyone” Rick took head of this conversation now before Daryl had a chance to respond. Daryl gritted his teeth, he knew Rick was right but he couldn’t help lashing out.

“The important thing is that we are all okay. Daryl looks like we need to get right on this fence project. Gather up everyone that’s available and let’s get some of this area right here reinforced so that we can sleep a little better tonight” Daryl hardly had a chance to nod his consent before Rick was off talking to Carl in a hushed voice. Daryl looked around him now at the person still outside, pointedly ignoring Lacy who was still standing beside him. Maggie had been on guard with Sasha. They stood 25 feet away by the foot of a car another group had prepared to take out before the fence situation unfolded. Daryl walked up to them leaving Lacy and Tyrees without as much as a glance.

“Hey, how are ya guys?” He asked them, concern barley masked by his tone.

“Were alright” Maggie answered

“We saw the fence giving and got down here as quick as we could. I thought we were going to get crushed under it. They don’t look it but those monsters are strong.” She let out a long breath

“Do ya need ta rest?” Daryl asked in preparation for his next question.

“No, what do you need us to do.” Sasha said right away. She wasn't going to go rest and let them handle the situation from there. She would see it through to the end. Daryl gave her an appreciative nod and sent her and Maggie to gather people while he planned what he was going to have everyone do once they were gathered. He climbed in the car taking it back to the others since they clearly weren't going anywhere tonight.

With the most able bodied residents gathered Daryl began giving out jobs. He had a few people collecting more debris from the prison to use and set others to work burning the zombie corpses out in one of the fields. Everyone worked quickly and before long they had a decent section of the fence beyond the original piece reinforced. The bright red sun was low on the horizon and they were losing light quickly. Lacy quietly approached Daryl. She had been on burning duty; the bright fire fueled by gasoline and discarded pieces of creatures no longer human was dying down now and added a warm glow to the already ambient light. She felt a pang of guilt trying not to think about the families and lives these creatures once held dear. She carried another guilt as well, Daryl’s accusation from earlier still sat in the back of her mind. He had heard her approaching and turned expectantly towards the nearing footsteps. He had been waiting for Rick so when his eyes landed on Lacy he couldn't contain his scoff.

“What ya need?” He asked with his back to her again. He didn't want to look at her. It just reminded him how much of this mess was his fault. He kicked himself again for getting distracted by some new comer and risking the lives of the people he had promised to protect. He told himself again that he had only been trying to protect everyone by watching her but a part of him knew he had been enjoying it and letting down his guard. From now on it was all business he decided then and there.

“Rick wanted me to tell you something.” Lacy wanted Daryl to understand that she wasn't trying to get in the way. She prefaced her statement with Rick’s approval hoping that would smooth the way for her to give him what felt like orders. She wished Rick hadn't asked her to pass along the message she didn't feel like she was in a position to give it. Not to someone like Daryl.

“Well out with it then” Daryl spat on the ground impatiens plastered on the side of his face that Lacy could see. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the forming of words rather than looking at Daryl’s broad shoulders visible due to his sleeveless button down.

“You and I are on first watch” She had thought about posing it like a question ‘Would you go on first watch with me?’ But decided against it in the event he would choose to say no.

“Well aint that a treat” Daryl’s sarcasm hit Lacy hard. She couldn't contain herself anymore.

“Fuck you.” She said flatly. Daryl turned to her eyebrows raised in surprise as much as disbelief.

“I have busted my ass all day for you people. I get it you saved my life but I don’t owe you anything. I didn't ask you to take me in. You offered. I don’t need your snide comments and blame okay? So just stuff all your bullshit up your ass and get off my back.” Lacy felt a weight lift from her shoulders but it was instantly replaced by another. As much as she needed to get that off her chest she didn't actually want to leave. The truth was quite the opposite; Lacy was thrilled to be a part of this group. Leaving would mean death for certain.

“Do ya think yer special er somethin’?” Daryl’s voice slowly grew louder as he towered over her. Though he was only 3 or so inches taller than her the gap seemed much bigger as his voice grew angry. His chest was only inches from hers but Lacy held her ground and set her jaw. She looked him in the eyes as he continued.

“Everyone a’ us has been bustin’ our asses out here. In case you forgot there are children in this prison who look to us to keep em safe. If ya have a problem with how I handle things ya can take yer useless ass back into the woods where I found ya and kindly go fuck yourself”

“Is that so?” Lacy asked Cooley, The rage from before was replaced now with an avalanche. She felt all her fear wash away and be replaced by something much more like the Lacy he had found in the woods.

“Daryl I don’t know what your problem is with me but you damn well know you can’t kick me out” Lacy actually wasn't sure if that was true. She banked her statement on the idea that Rick probably made all final decisions or was at least part of them. The avalanche continued as more and more hurtful words came to Lacy’s mind.

“I’m here to help, that’s all I've tried to do since I got here what did I ever do to you huh? Or do you just treat everyone like dirt?” Lacy’s heart pounded in her ears. The angry part of her had been building and building for what felt like years. It started far before she met these people and part of her knew it wasn't his fault but she unleashed it on him regardless. She had had it with the guilt he had made her feel when there was so much guilt she placed on herself already. She wanted to push everything right back on to him and make him feel what she was feeling.

“Ya don’t know a thing about me Red” Daryl interrupted with narrowed eyes.

“Oh yeah” Lacy didn't hesitate in taking the offensive while ignoring the strange nickname Daryl had taken to calling her.

“Here is what I know. I know that you’re a redneck ass hole who thinks he can throw his weight around and be rude to people because he’s finally got some sort of power now that they population has been decimated. That of course isn't enough for you because you have some kind of inferiority complex. Oh daddy never loved you or some bull shit like that I’m sure. News flash this is the fucking apocalypse. Get your shit together and stop unloading it on other people before there aren't any people left to shit all over. You aren't the only person with a lot to deal with.” Lacy saw something in Daryl’s eyes that took away her conviction. When she made the comment about Daryl’s father his face had changed. He had flinched. She had taken a blind jab in the dark and she had hit home. Really she had only projected her own issues on to him, her childhood and her father were her biggest traumas and she had spurted them out just now because they were what came to her mind first. Regret flooded through her. Why had she said all those things? She knew the answer though. She knew it would hurt him. Lashing out wasn't like her but then again she didn't know herself all that well these days. Daryl spit directly on Lacy’s no longer clean t-shirt.

“Fucking cunt” He said as he turned and stomped into the prison. The sound of the heavy door slamming made Lacy jump. Maggie quickly walked over to Lacy who hadn't moved yet.

“What the hell did he just say?”

“Nothing.” Lacy lied.

“That right there did not look like nothing. It looked like Daryl was going to rip you a new one. Did I hear him correctly as he left? If he called you what I think he called you I’m about to go after him and teach him a thing or two about respecting women.” Lacy relaxed slightly. Maggie thought that Daryl had been the one attacking her. Which really only proved to Lacy that his temper had been directed at people other than her before. Hers however hadn’t been seen by the prison people yet. Lacy knew that she had instigated that fight but she didn't correct Maggie hoping that if she never let it happen again her temper wouldn’t be one to rival Daryl’s. Maggie looked ready to roll her sleeves up and run after Daryl but Lacy stopped her.

“It really wasn't anything, we were just talking.” Maggie didn't look convinced but she backed down realizing Lacy didn't want her involvement. Lacy looked up at the tower. She walked away from Maggie when she decided to go up there now rather than figure out this stupid guard situation. Since telling Daryl hadn't gone all that well and it was her own fault she would be alone, she reasoned she was responsible for both their jobs of watching. Maybe Daryl would send someone maybe he wouldn't. Either way she would have to be diligent to make up for her own stupidity. She climbed the stairs at a hurried jog reaching the top that was fenced in with more chain linking. The view was somehow calming. She could see a large portion of the prison side from there and out into the large field where many of the residents spent free time. A breeze picked up a piece of her hair and tossed it around. Lacy couldn't hold back a small smile despite the weight on her mind. She had been prone to climbing trees for a better view in her days in the woods. It was an escape and it was a place to sleep. She had grown to like the perspective it provided her with.

Lacy was alone again. She enjoyed the soft hum of voices far below her allowing her to really reflect on all the things that had happened to her in the last day or so. So much of her life had done a complete 180. She thought about the food here. Was it gourmet? No but it was infinitely better than what she had been eating in the woods. In fact eating at all was something she had trouble with before, since being able to kill an animal and being able to skin and cook it were totally different things. When she had set out to travel her only goal was to be away from Chicago. Once she was far enough away she would figure out the rest of the plan. It ended up that she never made a plan. She was not only lost but aimless. She had no hopes or goals. She had contemplated suicide so many times. Lacy shook the thought from her head. The knot in her stomach was making it hard to swallow as it took control of her entirely. She fought the paralysis of her lungs as she reminded herself that she had the chance to make a difference now. She could help somebody, anybody. The people here were good people. She had run into some evil men along her way. You could see it in their soulless eyes before they even had a chance to talk. Daryl wasn't evil. He was angry, he was guarded but he wasn't evil. Lacy thought for another moment about how he had risked his own life to carry her into the prison. Why did he have to poke at her with his sarcasm and bullshit she wondered? Then when she had lashed out at him she had stupidly found the one thing that could have been the most hurtful. If he had experienced even a fraction of what Lacy had then he most certainly didn’t deserve it. She should have known better, that topic should never have even crossed her mind. She was more than just a hypocrite for saying it she was downright cruel. She didn't want to be mad at him and she was beginning to realize she had no right to be. Everyone coped with stress differently and as much as she may not like Daryl’s blame game she knew it was hardly a high price to pay for all that he provided alongside Rick.

“Stupid” she said aloud to herself. She shouldn't have responded to Daryl’s remarks. She didn't care what the consequences would be in that moment. Now though, she realized fully her mistake. If it wasn't just that she had started trouble in a group she had only just joined, then it was the fact that the person she caused trouble with may very well be second in command and a good man.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Lacy kicked at the railing that was keeping her in the top of the tower. Spinning on her heels and throwing her weight into it she held her temples tightly. She was so angry with herself. She wasn't some stupid teenage girl she was a fucking adult and she needed to learn self control before Rick and the others decide to kick her ungrateful ass out of this camp. In the dark top of the stairwell Lacy saw movement her hands quickly fluttering around her in search of a weapon she still didn't have. This whole unarmed deal she had with Rick was really not helping her anxiety. As soon as her bow was back in her possession she may never set it down again. Lacy realized now she should have reminded Rick she wasn't armed when he put her on watch. Daryl had stood in the stairwell and watched her for a few moments as she kicked the railing and talked to herself. He had taken a quick angry walk around the prison before he had run into Rick. Realizing he was supposed to be up in the tower he made a quick excuse about needing to get Lacy's bow and left. That moment had been enough to make Daryl realize how over the top he was being. A dirty hand was all Lacy saw as it pushed open the door and a tall figure appeared in the dimming light. Lacy’s voice caught in her throat as Daryl appeared with her bow in hand. He said nothing as he closed the door behind him and leaned against it. Dirt was streaked across his skin virtually everywhere and he had put on a leather vest over his sleeveless button up. Daryl thought for a moment about how to fix this situation so that they could be on their best guard. He considered apologizing but he wasn’t weak he wouldn’t let her just get away with that bullshit she pulled. She wasn’t wrong though which is exactly what was making this moment so hard for him. How do you tell someone they are right without rolling over and taking it? Daryl Dixon aint nobodies bitch. Lacy couldn't come up with something to say quick enough , She wanted to apologize, she wanted to tell him about the evil men she had met and to tell him that he was a frustrating ass hole but before she had put together any kind of sentence Daryl cut in

“Look, ‘fore ya go n’ grovel n’ shit I know yer sorry. You wanna know why I know yer sorry? Cuz I saw ya talkin’ ta Carol this mornin’. You may be a bitch but ya aint wrong. I shouldn't a blamed ya fer nothing’. Okay?” It wasn't exactly an apology and he had just assumed she was sorry which rubbed Lacy the wrong way but she was relieved. She was sorry even if she had wanted to be the one to say it rather than Daryl. She was even more pleased that he had admitted to having done anything wrong.

“Did Maggie talk to you?” Lacy asked passively assuming she had been the one to coax this apology out of him. Daryl looked uncomfortable for a moment when he answered.

“Nah, why?”

“She came and asked me what had happened. She was outside with us and saw our little disagreement. She came and expressed concern to me” Lacy wasn't sure what else to call the conversation her and Daryl had. Disagreement seemed to fit alright. Every time she looked at his face she recalled his eyes when she had made the comment about his father. She thought again about how sorry she was but decided to let it be brushed under the rug.

“What did ya say?” Daryl’s face was unreadable as he waited for Lacy’s response his lower arm swinging loosely as he gestured with his hand that didn't hold her bow.

“I just told her it was nothing, we were only talking.” Lacy shrugged her shoulders. It hadn't seemed like anyone else’s business. Daryl’s shoulders relaxed significantly. He hated all the bull shit games of telephone that gossipy people started. He was momentarily thrilled that Lacy wasn't a gossip.

“I’m not sure if I lied to her or not.” Lacy said in the silence that stood between them hating the idea of deception in a day and age like today.

“Nah, ya didn't ’lie.” Daryl’s voice was softer now. Moving forward slightly his shoulders swinging as he sauntered toward her. He looked out at the view; the sky was almost completely dark now. The Georgia stars shone beautifully over the woods. Daryl put out the hand holding the bow.

“Rick said ta give this back ta ya. If yer on watch its yers to use. Rest a the time we’re gonna hold on to it, least ‘fore now” Lacy hesitate before grabbing the bow. The smooth cold metal beneath her hands felt better than a hundred showers. Daryl watched Lacy's face closely as he returned her bow. She was like him he realized. His cross bow might as well be another of his limbs. She quickly hung it over her shoulder as Daryl pulled her quiver of arrows over his head.

“Thank you” Lacy stated simply.

“Welcome” Daryl replied this time rather than make the mistake he had before. Silence isn’t the best response to a thank you as it turns out and after just patching this up he really didn’t care if ‘your welcome’ was the truth. He put a hand on the chain link and looked out over the prison. He reminded Lacy of a bird of prey like a Hawk, Maybe it was just the feathers on the ends of his arrows. Whatever he was he was at the top of the food chain. They watched over everyone for a long while. The air grew more brisk and everyone seemed to wander back inside the walls of the prison. All that was left to look at were the biters slowly wandering the edge of the forest. Some approaching the fences others were continuing on. Lacy considered the system this group used for watches. It was a pretty damn good one. It was in 4 to 6 hour shifts. 2 people where on each shift to prevent anyone from falling asleep and to make sure that if a situation called for it there would be one person to stand their ground and another to fetch help. Lacy couldn't have come up with a better way to protect these people, short of a military base that is. Lacy nibbled on her lip wanting badly to ask Daryl questions but was afraid of annoying him.

“Ya alright?” His gruff voice came from the ground across from her. They had both slid into sitting positions as time had passed. Now with their feet almost touching between them Lacy felt something like electricity in the air. She enjoyed how the dim lighting cast long powerful shadows across his face and his warm breath occasionally managed to reach her skin across the gap between them.

“Yeah, just thinking” Lacy answered passively. She fidgeted with her nails and tried her best not to stare at him; she kept reminding herself that she needed to be watching the perimeter.

“’bout what?” Daryl asked. He watched her as often as he could get away with using his peripheral vision to keep an eye on the biters that he was there to watch. It was mostly boredom that had driven him to ask but curiosity hadn’t been completely absent. Lacy was relieved though by the opportunity it presented.

“What state is this?” She blurted waiting eagerly for his answer
“Ya’ve gotta be kiddin’ me.” Daryl said with what sounded like humor in his voice though lacy hadn’t heard humor in his voice yet so she really couldn’t be sure.

“Ya mean ta tell me that little Miss Sacajawea don't even know what state she’s in?”

“I’m impressed you even know who Sacajawea was” Lacy shot back. She heard a snicker and a smile crept over her lips as she realized she was making him laugh, he said

“Welcome to Georgia Red” Georgia? Lacy didn't know what she had been expecting but that wasn't it. She was positive she hadn’t walked that far. She couldn’t have walked that far. It would have taken her sixteen hours to drive that going 80 miles an hour so what exactly does that translate to when you have no direct route and can only walk 5 miles an hour not to mention stopping to sleep and eat. Suddenly though, the climate made a lot more sense. She thought about all the times she had made camp. She hadn't been keeping track of time which made it harder for her to keep track of distance. She had been so cut off she realized.

“Where ya from?” Daryl asked now, curiosity on his face.

“Chicago. How long has it been since the outbreak?” She asked him now turning the subject away from herself and trying for the first time in a long, long time to get a good feel for the world around her. Daryl leaned forward his forearm balanced on his knee as he thought about the answer to that question. Lacy leaned toward the space between them as well watching intently as his mind spun before her. He started talking before he really knew what he was going to say.

“We used ta have a guy with a wind up watch, real good guy. He always kept track a time. Said it was a piece a the world before that he couldn’t give up. His name was Dale. When he got bit we sortta stopped keepin’ track of it ourselves. Then Judith was born and with the way she’s growin’ she’s sortta our livin’ calendar. I think it’s been a little more than a year now”. Lacy saw the hurt in Daryl’s eyes even through the shadows when he talked about people he had lost. She didn't know what to do so she just nodded in understanding. She thought again about her birthday. It had been what she thought was 4 months after the outbreak that she had realized she missed it. If it was a little passed a year ago with some wriggle room for miscalculation and based on the changes of season that means that any day now she would miss it again. Silence fell between them as they sat at the top of the guard tower. It was a long pause that left a stillness around them.
‘where are you from?” Lacy asked after a while.
“Righ’ here, ma brother spent alotta time in this prison.” Lacy’s face showed no reaction to that information. He was testing the waters, wondering how she would react. So far so good, if it bothered her she was doing a good job hiding it.
“What was your brother’s name?” Lacy asked she wasn’t sure what else to ask without offending him. Part of her wanted to ask why he went to jail so often but that seemed like something you shouldn’t ask a person you just met.
“Merle” Daryl replied in that gruff voice that only seemed to get more rough when night fell. Lacy lifted her hand to cover her smirk but failed to block Daryl from seeing it much less prevent him from hearing her muffled laugh.
“What ya braying at jack ass?” Lacy gathered herself still snickering slightly
“Merle, and Daryl, they just sound funny was your father’s name earl? Was your mother’s name pearl?” At this point lacy had fallen into a fit of snickers again. Daryl said nothing but his small smirk left Lacy thinking he was purposely trying not to laugh.
“Ya got any siblin’s” Daryl asked now trying to quiet Lacy's giggle fit.
“No..” She said much softer. Daryl picked up on something in her answer. Something about that question was right in the soft spot but what was it?
“What do you do for fun?” Lacy asked this time.
“Huntin’ mostly.” Daryl responded quickly.
“You?” He asked.
“I don’t know, read and write, I actually really like sewing.” Lacy grappled through her memories for any moments in her life when she had actually had time for recreation. Daryl was enjoying talking to Lacy, He got straight answers from her without too much fluff and his own answers were always good enough she didn’t pry for more information than he was willing to give. The more questions they went through the more willing he was feeling to give those answers. For another hour or they asked silly little questions that became increasingly ridiculous as the time passed like which sports teams mattered and who would have been a better president Bruce Springsteen or Morgan Freeman. Then just as quick as the comfort had set in it was gone.
Lacy shot her head forward alarming Daryl with the motion. She had turned onto the balls of her feet and was watching intently between the diamonds of the fence her fingers laced into the links on either side of her head.

“What’d ya see?” Daryl asked in a hushed voice approaching her in a crouch. His arm subconsciously reached to the other side of her to hold the fence so that he could stay balanced. His body heat wrapped around Lacy but it couldn’t distract her as her eyes took in the eminent danger below.

“Look at the fence” She pointed to the section they had just been fixing a few hours earlier. Daryl quickly realized what had gotten Lacy’s attention. One of the wooden support beams was sliding under the weight of maybe 10 biters that pushed against the spot. As the first beam slid another started. Daryl took the stairs down 3 or 4 at a time while Lacy used the railings to slide down halfway to the landing where the stairs rotated. She jumped over the middle where the railings overlapped to the next section of stairs going the other direction and running down the last flight. She beat Daryl down by a few seconds.

The door slammed against the brick wall of the tower as it was hastily cast open. Both of them sprinted towards the fence hearing the blood pumping in their ears as the day’s second wave of adrenaline kicked in. As they got there a small piece of the fence was bending inward and the top had started to drop down, two of the beams lie on the ground between them and the fence. Lacy didn't think before she ran full speed and threw all of her body weight into the fence. She felt squishy cold fingers grabbing at her hair and clothes. She was careful to avoid the teeth that was mashing at her through the metal. Her body weight had bent the wave in the fence back slightly but not enough. She walked back a ways before running full speed into it again. This time one of the walkers, a once young woman grabbed a hold of her hair firmly. Lacy let out a small yelp as she furiously tugged at the hair trapped between its dead fingers. Other hands were trying to grab her ankles. She stomped down on a few hands separating them from their owners while pulling her torso as far away from the chain link as she could manage. It felt like the skin on her scalp was going to get ripped off of her skull when all of a sudden it stopped. The force of her own resistance made her stumble away from the fences. She looked up and saw Daryl had stopped moving the beams to free Lacy from the walkers grasps. Having learned nothing she ran and threw herself into the fence again finally getting it to look almost straight though it continued to tilt more and more towards them from the top. Daryl jammed a beam back under the fences top edge before it could completely tip.

“Do you have a fucking death wish?” He asked harshly.

“It worked didn't it?” She shot back before grabbing the other beam. It was large and heavy. Both her arms wrapped around it tightly she dragged it as quickly as she could towards the fence. Daryl was using his knife to take out the walkers through the fence. One of the walkers had been crawling up the fence while it was bent lower and was now caught on the barbed wire at the top. Wriggling around it sliced its self apart determined to reach them. Daryl grunted with the effort as he continued to stab through the chain link without looking up. Lacy dropped the beam just as the Biter started to fall down over the fence onto an unsuspecting Daryl. She whipped her bow out her heart soared as she realized it was actually there for her this time. In less than a second she had loaded, drawn and prepared her body to release the arrow. Lacy’s feet where set, her breathing was steady and she had an eye on her prey. She was careful not to shoot Daryl but when she released, her arrow whizzed by him so close she thought she saw it brush through his long hair. It embedded itself between the biters eyes and caused it to slump into a very surprised Daryl. He tossed the body off of himself whipping blood from his cheek. What he saw in her eyes hit him hard in the gut. She burned bright, brighter than her glowing hair under the stars illumination. He felt inside himself something much more like ice. He felt brittle and cold. Taking down threats to him was a way to release some of the hate he stored inside himself. Not for her. He hadn't seen someone look so truly alive in a long while.

“The fuck Red you almost shot me!”

“They key word there is almost. You’re alive aren't you? That motherless, disease ridden, bastard isn't.” Lacy felt liberated. She was stronger and smarter than he gave her credit for. She held her bow tightly. With her bow there beside her she could face anything and she could certainly handle anything Daryl Dixon threw at her. She and Daryl replaced the last beam digging it further into the ground so it couldn't slip loose again. An almost giddy feeling crept into them as they managed to handle this all on their own. Lacy smiled a big white grin at Daryl who was standing much nearer to her than usual. He looked at her for a long moment his lips twitching towards a smirk, she was absolutely the most confusing thing to happen to him since the outbreak and he could not grasp why he was allowing himself to be so wrapped up in it. Just as they were finishing they heard the door to the prison creak and squeal open. It was Carol and Tyrees calmly smiling and chatting as they came to take over the watch for the rest of the night. Their eyes landed on the two sweaty disheveled people in front of them along with the corpse inside the fence and those outside.

“Oooohwee… Looks like you guys had an eventful night.” Tyrees said nonchalantly though his face expressed concern.

“Are you guys alright?” Carol asked, her eyes flickering between them.

“Yeah, we are fine. Two of the beams on this fence slipped, we had to take out the threat and restore the fence. Keep your eyes on this area tonight. The two we just fixed should hold but some of these beams aren't far enough into the ground, they might slide.” Daryl looked at Lacy as she explained what had happened. She was good with her words. Her slight Midwestern accent wasn't hindering her diction at all. Daryl admitted to himself that he was glad she had answered Carol’s question. He wouldn't have known what to say. He wasn't one for small talk which made his answers appear short and flat. They left people cold and kept him distanced from others.

“Good to know. If you guys aren't hurt id suggest you go get some rest. We've got watch from here." Carol’s eyes roamed all over them as she said this looking for obvious wounds. Lacy wasn't sure if it was out of self defense or concern for their well being. Lacy turned to Daryl as they began their walk back in. She was waiting for him to ask for her bow back. She knew it was coming and was dreading having to give it up again. Daryl was lost in his own thought barley aware she was still beside him. He knew he needed to talk to Rick now; He needed to bring him up to date not only on the fences and events of the night but on Lacy. Daryl had seen all he needed to make up his mind. That arrow she had shot tonight was vivid in his mind as he prepared himself to report to Rick.

“Aren't you going to ask for my bow back?” A voice that seemed very distant brought Daryl back. He had forgotten about taking her weapons away.

“If ya shoot anyone who’s still breathin’ tonight I’ll hang ya fer walker bait outside a the prison ya got it?” Daryl whipped a dirty rough hand over his face pulling at his jaw and sighing. Lacy’s joy was hard to contain as she nodded firmly and nearly skipped back to her cell. Daryl’s eyes were on her strong back as she disappeared around a corner. It was time to talk to Rick he reminded himself before heading for Ricks cell.