Theme Song: "Castle Of Glass" - Linkin Park

The first thing I noticed was that he was holding the bottle of whiskey with his crossbow slung over his shoulder. He stopped abruptly as he saw me on the ground. I squinted my eyes towards him in the sunlight. It seemed as if he was debating on what he wanted to do since seeing me.

"Oh, hey." I murmured over my shoulder quietly. He finally strolled over to me as casually as someone like him could and sat down on the ground a safe distance beside me. I watched as he took off the crossbow and lay it in front of his boots. "Ya'll have lost people." I said matter of factly. The way he clenched his jaw and his eyes became stricken showed how much those two girls they had mentioned in the past tense had hurt him. I didn't push the subject, but he looked away and nodded silently.

I felt another ache for these people because I had a sinking feeling they had all suffered through a lot before coming to the prison. A few moments later he offered me the bottle while asking, "Ya' alright?" His voice was low and he looked to me before looking away towards the chain length fence as I took the bottle.

I wondered if he had come out after me or if he had wondered out here just because. I took the bottle, had myself a swig and handed it back to him before answering truthfully, "Yes and no." He looked over to me quirking a brow at my answer and I shrugged lightly, "Sometimes Daniel just comes to my mind, visions, images. It's suffocating. The fact that he's not even around and he can just creep into my mind and invade it."

I stopped and added, "It'll just take some time, that's all." The few walkers that lingered around the fence line moaned out and I grimaced lightly. They were such ugly, putrid things..it was scary to know that was what they would turn into if they were bitten.

Daryl abruptly got up and I turned to look at him quizzically. He held out his hand as he shouldered his crossbow and chewed on the inside of his cheek. I felt a very small bubbling of trust for this person. Maybe it was because he'd come to wake me up when I had night terrors. Maybe. I didn't know. Whatever it was made me reach up and grab his hand, allowing him to pull me to my feet.

As he did I murmured sarcastically, "Boy, you move fast, huh?" He rolled hjs eyes and groaned out, "Stop." He let go of my hand quickly and started towards the fence line where the three walkers lingered, trying to eat through the gate to no avail.

"What are we doing?" I asked as he started to get his crossbow ready. He arched a brow and said as if it were obvious, "Shootin' walkers. Blow off some steam." He paused for a moment and added, "Usually helps me anyways." I opened my mouth and then closed it. I hadn't thought about killing walkers to get my mind off of Daniel, but I must have looked hesitant.

He looked up, "What?" I frowned lightly, "I mean-I've been drinkin' a bit. I've never used a cross bow.." I looked back towards the cellblock door, the bottle of liquor that was a few steps away from them on the ground, and then at Daryl. He stood there, seemingly exasperated at my protest and asked, "You drunk?"

I shook my head no and he threw his arms out, "Alright then, yer' fine.  C'mere." He turned around towards the fence and I found herself gravitating towards Daryl despite feeling the slightest bit flushed from drinking a few large gulps of whiskey.

Daryl had handed me the left side of the bow, but he still held on to it as well. His fingers were working methodically around the bow showing me the workings of his compound and explaining it all. He would look up briefly and meet my gaze and I'd nod. I was a quick learner with weapons and he seemed relieved he didn't have to go over anything more than once.

I'd been staring at his fine weapon, appreciating it for what it was and running my hands along the bow. I lifted my gaze and saw he'd been watching me. "Here, take it." He handed the bow over and I fumbled with it for a moment before he came around to inspect it and the way it rested against me.

"Here.." He placed his hands on the bow and lifted it slightly. I felt my breath quicken at the idea of shooting a bow and arrow for the first time. I loved learning how to use new weapons and my enthusiasm must have showed because when I turned my green eyes towards Daryl he seemed to be smirking at me.

He moved quickly to stand behind me and I felt the closeness of him against my back even though he wasn't touching me. "Alright.." he mumured and reached his arms around to show me how to raise the bow up. I felt myself stiffen slightly at the contact from him as I hadn't been expecting it. Daryl either didn't notice or didn't care because he continued to keep his arms around, helping me hold the bow and arrow up.

"Aim and fire away." Daryl's voice was now behind my ear and his breath tickled me. I swallowed thickly and breathed out taking aim as he had told me and focused. I fired the bow, but didn't hit in the right spot. I groaned and muttered, "Shit." I wasn't a sore loser, but I had determination and it always made me want to keep trying. The arrow had sunk into a walker's chest and I watched as Daryl walked over to it quickly and yanked it out. Headshots were the target.

Luckily, the fence was between us so each arrow fired would go through one of the holes and the walkers were close enough that they would slump against the fence and the arrows would be easy enough to retrieve. "Try again." He murmured, helping me to load the arrow up and place it back correctly against my shoulder.

I looked to Daryl and huffed in annoyance while saying, "I can hit a man's head dead on with my sickles. So what's the problem?" He looked to me a little amused at my huffing and responded, "You ain't focusin'. That's yer' problem." I shot him a look and said shriller than I should have, "I am focusing!" For good measure, I mumbled "Maybe it's the teacher." He furrowed his brow at me and griped back, "Hate to break it to ya' circus girl, but it ain't me. It's you." When he saw me frown, he sighed.  "When I shoot I don't even think twice 'bout it. You ain't focusin' and yer' overthinkin'. Mind ain't in the right place."

I started to lower the bow down feeling slightly stupid for trying this. Especially after having some drinks. He must have seen the look on my face because he blew out a breath and came over to me again. Like before, he stood behind and helped adjust the bow in the correct place against my chest and shoulder. I sucked in a breath, not anticipating him to speak again so close to my ear, "Forget everythin' 'round you. Forget about that prick that had you. Hell, forget I'm standin' right here. Breathe, girl. And don't overthink it."

I momentarily closed my eyes, letting his words take me to a faraway place in my mind. I didn't even hesitate this time, I forgot the world around me and my mind became silenced. It was like standing in a clearing where the water trickled down the stream and the only thing that existed was myself and nature. It was then I fired the bow, hitting the walker right smack in between the eyes.

I looked up from the bow, green eyes bright with delight. Daryl had side stepped me to get a better look. The walker was leaning against the fence line now, completely subdued with the head shot.

Daryl smirked at me, "Alright, that's more like it." He held my gaze for a brief moment before clearing his throat and continued, "Do it again, this time on these two ugly sons a' bitches." Daryl walked over to grab his arrow and I noticed he wasn't the most built man besides his arms and shoulders. He was rather sinewy, not too tall either. Why I noticed these things I didn't know, but I had.

As he came back to hand me the arrow, he watched as I reloaded it this time by myself. I adjusted the bow to my shoulder and continued to shoot. I hit my mark on the next walker without hesitating, but the third one I faltered and had to shoot a second time to make my mark. No matter my misstep, Daryl seemed impressed. It was only then I realized the act of shooting the walkers had cleared my mind of Daniel. Not to mention shooting them was slightly liberating in a rather crude way.

He looked to me as he took the crossbow and shouldered it again. "Jus' wait until ya' don't have no fence between you and them. Shit gets intense." His words made me look back at the dead walkers against the fence and I frowned. I hadn't thought about that. It was easier when they were behind a barrier and they couldn't get to you.

"I take it you've had some close calls?" He nodded, "Hell yeah. Too many to count." I didn't need to think about how these people had survived for so long. It was clear they were all survivors. Adapting and changing with the world and not hesitating to do what had to be done if needed. He reached down to grab the bottle and looked up to me hesitantly, "Better?" I nodded quickly and looked across the quad to the fence line before looking back over towards him, "Thanks." My voice was low and I smiled at him.

I had already figured he was the quiet one of the group. He hadn't had to do what he did for me..let me blow off some steam for a few moments. But, he did and I was grateful for it. I had needed it. He straightened up slightly and looked like he was chewing on the inside of his cheek again. He merely nodded and muttered, "Don't mention it, Vicki."

As we walked in it looked as if everyone had scattered for the most part to do chores, take watch or nap. I looked to Rick and he smiled at me in a friendly way as we both came back in. He seemed to have noticed I was less tense as opposed to when I walked outside. "I have next shift for watch later if you wanna' join." I was surprised Rick had asked me to join, but of course I wouldn't decline. I knew that being part of this group and potentially staying meant getting to understand how they did things around here. I wasn't going to miss an opportunity to learn more about how they operated.

"Yeah, sounds good. I'm going to rest up a bit. Just come get me when you're ready." Rick nodded and I started up the stairs to my room they had made for me and looked to see Daryl following. I furrowed my brow as he continued behind me and smirked, "Coming to tuck me in?" He scoffed, rolling his eyes like before and shook his head. "Hell nah. My bed's up here too." He bit this out rather defensively and I chuckled despite his annoyed look.

I hesitated for a brief moment at my cell as I turned to look at him. He simply nodded at me and muttered roughly, "See ya." I watched for a split second as he started to walk on, liquor bottle in hand, and my voice sounded out before I could stop myself. "Will you teach me more about using your bow some time?" He had stopped and turned around to look at me, clearly surprised. I shrugged lightly as if letting him know I just wanted to ask. He mulled it over for a moment, furrowing his eyes at me in silent thought. Nothing on his face gave me any indication to what he was thinking and his stoic gaze annoyed me to my core.

He nodded his head silently and I arched an brow as if asking what that meant. "Alright, yeah. I'll teach ya'. Heal that up first and I'll get back to ya.'" I beamed at him excitedly and he turned to leave. He stopped this time and turned around once more before raising the bottle of whiskey at me and adding with a small smirk, "Welcome to prison, Vicki." I smiled back and wandered into my cell and to lay down. I did so slowly as not to disturb the wound any more than it had been while shooting the bow.

These people had taken me in with no hesitations and not a day later they were welcoming me with open arms of kindness. It did help that I knew Glenn. I had gotten brownie points for that. From what I could tell, they were a great group of people. They had suffered loss, yet they were still determined to forge on and do what they had to do to see another day. They were my kind of people; the ones that survived.

Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed a little back and forth between Vickyl. (Thank you QueenMiMi96 for the epic ship name for Vicki x Daryl)