427DISCLAIMER: I IN NO WAY OWN TWD OR HP!
Sitting around the campfire that night was an awkward affair. Tension was thick in the air and the camp seems to be split into two groups. The group that supports Lori and Shane, they saw nothing wrong with the affair because the two had genuinely thought Rick was dead and that Rick should forgive them and take Lori back. And then there was the group who thought what they did was wrong and irresponsible. If Lori and Shane did not use protection, there was a chance Lori could wind up pregnant, something that none of the group were prepared for.
"So Officer Friendly," Merle leers. "Staying with my little brother, huh? There better be no funny business."
Rick, who was in the middle of biting into a squirrel, begins choking on the meat, only catching air when Daryl thumps him on the back. "No offense to you Daryl, but I just got divorced. Lori and I were high school sweet hearts. I don't think I could just move on so quickly, even if the world hadn't turned to shit."
Rolling his electric blue eyes, Daryl thumps Merle over the back of the head earning a mental chuckle from Raven. "Don't be stupid. Or I guess when it comes to you, stupider than usual."
Glenn, who was part of the group that supports Rick and thus was sitting around the small campfire too, nervously speaks up. "I wouldn't think you would approve of that type of relationship anyways."
While the Dixon brothers, and their pet panther, has proven to be invaluable when it comes to gathering meat, they always gave off this appearance of being completely redneck. With the same back water way of thinking most rednecks tend to have.
Answering before his brother could give a smart ass remark, Daryl shrugs his shoulders. "Naw, Merle used to be like that, but he did several tours when he was in the military. After he came home he changed for the better. Especially when our father died. He really let me know he didn't care about any of that shit. As long as you are not a rapist or a child and woman better he couldn't care less."
Glenn's chocolate eyes widen. "But all the racist comments…"
Waving a beefy hand in a dismissive gesture, Merle replies to Glenn for himself this time. "Mostly just to see how you would react. It is nice to know how the people in your group will react to certain things, especially if put under a stressful situation. I was an ass to Shane and Lori because I just couldn't stand those to shit heads."
Andrea, who was sitting quietly next to Amy, begins to howl with laughter. "Aint that the damn truth. Lori just goes around the entire camp bitching and complaining and Shane acts like a dick on a power trip."
"Yeah," Rick speaks up, casting a glace towards the other side of the camp. "And it is really easy to see who supports who."
Raven, who was laying curled up next to Glenn surprisingly, lifts his head and glances towards the other group. It was by far the larger group seeing as the only people who took Rick's side was Glenn, Andrea, Amy, Merle, Daryl and himself. Raven had a feeling Carl would be over here too if it wasn't for his mother's death grip on his arm.
"Fuck em. They don't know the first thing about what they are going to need in order to survive this shit storm. They are still holed up on old rules and customs. If they can't learn to move on then they are only going to be left behind. Though I am pretty sure Carol would be over here if it wasn't for her husband."
The entire group stares at Amy in surprise. The soft spoken sister of the duo never talked much, and when she did it was usually respectful and soft.
"What? It's a new world out here, and we are going to need to learn how to take care of ourselves."
Laughing, Merle thumps the young blond on the shoulder. "Trust me girlie. Ed is going to get what's coming to him, promise."
The way the older hunter's cobalt eyes glint maliciously cause certain members of the group to shiver. Not that they could blame Merle. It was a known fact that Ed beats his wife.
Daryl, wanting to change the subject, shifts his body towards Andrea. "I want you and Amy to move your tents closer to ours. Where it is now is in no way good spot to defend yourselves in case something happens."
"Yeah, I agree with Darylina. We have been playing our cards close to our chests because we haven't known who we could trust, but this here tonight has proven it."
Raven, who was letting his protective magic settle against the beginning of their new pack, including Carol and Carl, purrs in contentment. This is why Mother pushed them to come here. She wanted their pack to grow.
It was passed midnight when Raven could sense the walkers coming. Lifting himself up to his paws, the panther gently pushes his wet nose against Daryl's stubbly face.
"Wha…? What is it Raven?" Daryl mumbles, squinting his eyes towards his boyfriend.
"Walkers are coming. I can sense them. A whole horde. They are almost here. Wake Rick."
Jerking upwards into a sitting position the hunter leans across the tent and wakes the ex-cop. "Officer Friendly, you need to get up. Now."
Rick, who was having a strange dream involving avocados, blinks blearily at the bearded hunter. "Why? What's going on?"
"Raven woke me up. I think he can smell walkers approaching us."
Light blue eyes blow wide in fear. "We need to wake the others! We need to get ready!"
Hearing screams come from outside the tent, Daryl gives Rick a grim look. "They're already here."
The early morning rays cast a bright light over the grotesque scene in front of them. Several mutilated bodies were sprawled out across the ground, blood seeping into the grass and painting the ground a dark crimson.
Merle, Raven, Carl, Carol, Sophia, Lori, Shane, Rick, Glenn, Andrea, Amy, Daryl, and Dale were the only ones left from the massacre.
"We need to move on. Bury our dead and leave. This place is obviously ill protected. We need to find somewhere that we can better protect without worrying that we are going to get attacked at every corner."
Rick's stern yet calming voice echoes around the camp. Dale listlessly nods his head heading towards the vehicles and making sure they were ready for the road. Amy, Andrea, Glenn and surprisingly Lori begin walking around the camp, picking up anything they could find and bringing it towards the RV.
Merle has his arm wrapped around Carol, gently whispering into her ear. The woman is shaking, holding Sophia tightly against her body. Merle was convincing her that she needed to be the one to put her old man out of his misery. The redneck knew it would help the abused mother move on.
Carl was stuck to his father's pants leg like glue. Rick was trying to placate the boy. To assure him that, at least for now, he was safe.
Daryl, Raven and Shane are going around the campsite, making sure their fallen camp-mates were actually dead and wouldn't come back with a taste for human flesh.
"If I was more alert then we wouldn't have to be doing this now. If only I would have sensed them sooner." Raven sulkily complains to Daryl over their bond.
Reaching down and scratching the panther behind his silky black ear, Daryl continues walking through the bodies, placing an arrow through each head. "Yeah but think of it this way, without all the extra people the group we have now will be easier to protect. Not to mention keep track of. Though I wish Queen Bitch or King Asshole would have died too."
Flicking his tail in amusement, Raven rubs his body against his boyfriend's strong legs. "It's true. Plus all of the pack is still alive. So I can't complain too much. Less people to feed also. And with almost all of the people left no big fans of Shane we can get stuff done easier without it always having to be a fight."
Staking the last corpse Daryl turns around and kneels next to Raven. Running his fingers through the blood matted fur, the hunter places his forehead against his lovers. "I don't know what I would have done if I lost you."
Shane, who was walking back towards where Lori was putting up their tent, stops and sneers at the kneeling duo. "If I didn't know better Dixon, I would swear your redneck ass was into bestiality." Smirking at the nasty glare sent to him, Shane continues his way back towards Lori, leaving him and begin digging the graves.
"That fucking bastard." Daryl growls after him. While he was in a relationship they had done nothing sexual together while Raven was in his panther form. For fucks sake, they have been together four years and they still haven't even had sex! A shit ton of other stuff, but sex? Those were still demons the duo was working through. And he would never push his lover into something he wasn't ready for. His walrus uncle left more scars than he knew or cared to remember.
"Don't listen to him. He's just angry and taking it out on you." Raven purrs, rubbing his nose against Daryl's cheek, laughing when it leaves behind a wet line.
"I know. That asshole just really gets to me."
"Well, if you want to we can try some stuff in my panther form. How kinky."
Flicking the panther on the nose while rolling his eyes, the Dixon stands up and brushes his jeans off. "You're an idiot."
Lolling his tongue out to the side of his mouth, Raven beams. "But you love me."
Casting his boyfriend a soft smile, Daryl begins to dig out graves for their fallen.
Rick, who finally managed to get Carl to go help Sophia around the camp, walks over to the youngest Dixon brother and his pet panther.
"Why are you the only one doing any digging? Where is Shane?" Rick questions.
"Well," Daryl wipes some sweat that had been building off his brow. "He walked off over in Lori's direction a bit ago."
Squinting, Rick's blue eyes survey the camp. "Neither of them are even in camp! Are that that fucking stupid or just ignorant?"
Curling his body around the ex-cop, Raven purrs quietly using his magic to help calm the agitated feelings in the other.
Feeling the tension slowly leave his body, Rick massages the large cat behind the ear. He doesn't know why his ex-wife and one best friend thought now would be the best time to shack up, but it really pisses him off.
"Whatever, if they are not back by the time we leave, we are leaving them behind." Rick growls.
Daryl laughs. "Damn there, not too friendly, huh officer?"
"Not when it comes to putting the rest of us in danger. It pisses me off that they would be so reckless."
Shrugging, Daryl passes the man a shovel before going back to digging himself. "That's how it has been the past couple of weeks. There aint no helping it. All I am saying is that if they become walker food because they were too careless then that is all on them."
Taking Rick's silence as agreement, the duo continue digging for several minutes before they are joined with Glenn.
"Sorry guys. I would have been over here helping sooner but I really wanted to get to the camp packed up and ready. If there is another horde like that one I would rather we be able to leave quickly instead of being sitting ducks again."
Tossing the Korean a shovel, the two wave it off. "It's fine Glenn. What are the others doing?"
"Amy and Andrea are making sure the kids are alright. Last night was tragic for all of us but Amy wants to make sure they won't be too badly affected. Dale is going over last minute maintenance on the RV. Merle is giving Carol a heart to heart. And Lori and Shane are off making asses of themselves, as usual."
Glenn hates giving that news to the ex-cop, but he knew Rick wanted an honest report. Why those two couldn't keep it in their pants right after so many were murdered and eaten in front of them he would never know.
And getting everything packed was a nightmare. They had to go through the things of people they had known just hours ago and try to find anything that they could salvage for later. It was horrifying. All the blood and bodies of the walkers. Some even had their entrails hanging out, the hot sun causing them to begin stinking.
It did not help that they had to pretend to be strong. Had to pretend like last night did not bother them. But the girls were so amazing. Putting on brave faces and talking things through with Sophia and Carl. It took a lot of guts and will.
"After we bury these bodies we are leaving. No need to worry about that."
Breathing a sigh of relief at Rick's words, Glenn nods. "Good."
"And we are going to start teaching each and every one of you how to defend yourselves and how to use weapons. Nothing like this ever needs to happen again."
Jumping at Daryl's unexpected words, the Korean jerks his head in determination. All he had last night to defend himself was a baseball bat. He was sure he had only gotten lucky. He was almost positive he was geek food a couple of times there. But he somehow managed to pull through.
Emerald eyes watch the three talking. Raven can feel each emotion roiling through his pack. And if there was one thing he would swear to do, it was to make sure those he claimed as pack members were safe.
He knew his magic was the only thing that kept Glenn alive last night.
They were back on the road. Merle driving, Daryl in the passenger seat, and Rick sitting in the back with Raven's head on his lap.
The rest of the group was inside Dale's RV, they had decided it would be safer to drive with only two vehicles, the Dixon's motorcycle not counting because it was put in the bed of the pickup.
The stretch of highway in front of them was long and empty, cars on the opposite side of the highway trying to get out of the city.
They were only on the road for about thirty minutes when the RV slowed to a stop.
Seeing Glenn jump out of the side door and walk back towards their truck, Daryl rolls down his window. "What is going on, city boy?"
Secretly smiling at the new nickname from the Dixon brothers, Glenn spreads his arm in a sweeping motion in front of him. "The highway is blocked off with cars. This wouldn't be a problem because we can find some spots to squeeze through, but the RV broke down. We are going to have to find a spare part to fix it."
Merle whistles, looking out his window towards the abundance of cars and vehicles littering the roads. "At least while we're here we can lot for some more supplies. Never know when we will need it down the road."
Nodding his head, Glenn agrees. "I'll go tell the others."
"This kind of puts a bummer on things. I thought we were actually going to get to go somewhere."
Raven, who was still resting his head against Rick's lap, feels his ears twitch. "Let him know it is okay. This is all meant to happen."
Merle and Daryl gives the large cat a quick look before discreetly nodding.
"No need to worry Officer Friendly. Just look at it as a chance to find some more things to help the group.
Grumbling, but seeing the truth in Merle's words, Rick gently lifts the panther's head and opens the door, letting Raven hop out before closing it behind himself.
Walking up to the rest of the group already standing outside the RV, they all form a loose circle.
"Okay, we find the old man's part and look for some stuff we can take. Sound good?" Merle questions. He isn't really too concerned because of all the stuff that have packed away in their bottomless bags but it never hurts to have extras. Especially with a group this size.
"I don't like it, it feels like a massive graveyard." Lori states, her hazel eyes jumping around at all the cars.
"Well that is just too bad missy, because like it or not these people are dead now. We aren't. I am sure they wouldn't mind us taking a look through their things if it meant us staying alive."
Glaring, but not disputing Merle's words, Lori walks off in a huff, Carl following behind her.
"Don't mind her," Rick tells the group. "She just gets pissy when she doesn't get her way."
Glenn snorts in amusement before listening to Dale as he explains to him and Shane what he needs.
Raven walks beside Daryl as the hunter makes his way through the wrecks. Stroking Raven's head as he peaks into gritty windows, Daryl hums slightly. "This place is a mess."
"Yes, but we can get the group more stuff."
"Yeah but what about in the future when we start pulling things from our bags and they get suspicious?"
"After the group is complete and we have our pack we will not need to worry about it. They will accept us just the way we are." Raven replies, shrugging his shoulders.
"Oh yeah? And what is up with you being all cuddly with Officer Friendly? Something you want to warn me about?"
"Oh please," Raven wags his tail under Daryl's nose. "I am just being nice. But you can't deny the connection you feel towards him too."
Chuckling sheepishly and stroking the length of Raven's body to make up for his accusation, Daryl grabs a small ice chest, going through the contents. "But he just divorced his wife after finding out he has been fucking his best friend. I don't think now is the time to try anything funny with him."
Pawing through a suitcase left on the ground, Raven growls slightly at his boyfriend. "I never said we had to jump him right this instant. At the moment he needs friends and people he can lean on. If me allowing him to pet me and be cuddly is what will help heal him, that is what I will offer."
Smiling down at his lover, Daryl lightly flicks his ear. "What did I do to deserve you?"
"You were probably an animal's rights activist in a past life." Rick's string baritone says.
Daryl, who was so engrossed in his conversation with Raven that he didn't notice the other approaching, jumps slightly. "That could be true."
Rick squats down next to the black cat. "I still want to know how you got him so tame."
Cheeks reddening slightly in embarrassment, the archer scratches his lover behind the ear. "I wouldn't say I tamed him, more like I have showed him I have more to offer him than my body as a meal."
"Yes. Like really great blow jobs. Though I don't mind when you let me eat you."
Coughing awkwardly to cover his choked laugh, Daryl swallows down a surge of arousal at Raven's words. God, who knew his sweet little kitty cat could be so kinky when no one else could hear him? Merle really had corrupted him. Though it was his fault for leaving Raven home alone with Merle when he had to go into town. Walking in on Merle coaching Raven on the good things involving sex while watching porn was one memory he wanted erased.
"It must be something good then, if he hasn't tried to attack any of us yet."
Daryl shrugs. "Naw, he just likes y'all too. Well, not Lori, Shane, or Dale but the rest of ya."
Rick's blue eyes widen in astonishment. "Really? He likes me? How can you tell?"
"Well, even though he lets Glenn pet him and will go up to him on occasion, have you seen him act the way he does towards you with anyone else? Besides me and Daryl of course."
Thinking back on it Rick has to shake his head. The panther usually stays glued to the younger Dixon's side. He never curled up against any of the other group members either. Huh.
"I wonder w-" Rick starts but is interrupted when Dale cuts him off with a shriek.
"A horde is coming! Hide!"
Woo. An update! Comment who you want to live and die!
And who you want paired up! :)
BTW, this new season is fucking depressing man! I cried like a little bitch when Glenn died. :( Like full on ugly bawling.
P.S. Rick Grimes has the sexiest butt. And Daryl is just sexy period.