I walked behind Daryl as we a walked down a random trail. He told me stories about when he was younger and how my mom and him were taught to hunt.

"Here." He turned towards me, "Point your arrow where you want to shoot." He instructed.

I pointed and he walked behind me helping me pull back the string.

I aimed, then once the words let go came out of his mouth I let my finger off the white string. The squirrel we were hunting fell off the tree and I smiled.

Daryl ruffled my hair and we ran towards the now dead squirrel. He picked it up hooking it to my belt, where the rest of squirrels were.

"Let's start heading back okay." He said.

I nodded and we started our way back to camp.

•••

We were on our way home when we saw a deer. "We need that." Daryl nodded slightly, "Stay on the trail. It will lead you back home." He said not even giving me a glance.

I nodded and began walking.

I made it back by the afternoon and everyone was doing their daily duties. I walked passed Sophia and Carl. They gave me strange looks but I ignored them the best I could.

Carl was my best friend before the apocalypse. We stopped talking after a fight we got into about his new girlfriend, Holly Winters.

I walked over to Dale and he helped me up on the RV, "How's my favorite Dixon?"

Everyone calls me a Dixon because I act like him. I basically grew up with him. He's like my dad, but I call him my uncle because I know he has daddy issues. I never met my father, Daryl says he wasn't worth it.

He smiled.

"Good I guess." I shrugged.

"Where's Daryl didn't you go out with him?" The old man asked.

"He's tracking a deer." I sat down next to him.

"I got you something." Dale smiled brightly, "It's the book you were looking for." He handed me the book titled Out of the Dust.

I thanked him and opened up the dusty book.

"Why don't you go give Shane those squirrels okay," Dale told me.

I nodded and stood up. I made my way down the steps.

I looked around for Shane but didn't see him. I saw Carl walking around with a stick hitting it against trees.

"Do you know where Shane is?" I asked once I reached him.

He mumbled something under his breath before glaring at me.

I gave him a confused looked, "Can you just tell me or at least show me so I can give him this." I held up tonight's possible dinner.

"He's down there by the tents. I would wait. He with my mom, she's in a bad mood." Carl said breaking the stick. "I can handle your mom." I turned around walking down the hill to the tents. Once I reached them I called out for Shane.

"Ellie?" He questioned.

"Yeah." I said.

"What do you want?" He walked out.

"Dale wanted me to give you this." I handed him the squirrels.

He nodded taking them.

He then looked behind me and I turned Carl stood there. Shane walked over to him and told him his mom was in the tent. Car nodded and stepped forward to me. I noticed the small book in his hands. "You dropped this." He said handing me the book. I thanked him and walked away.

•••

I sat in a lawn chair reading the new book I received. I mouthed the words as I read causing Carl to laugh. He sat in front of me, writing, and Sophia sat next to him coloring in a random book.

I looked around for any adults before flipping him off.

"Mom!" Carl yelled. Lori ran down to him with a worried expression. "What? What happened?" She asked. I looked down at my book.

"My throat hurts." He said. I rolled my eyes at his lies. "I'll go get you some water. Ellie, will you come with me?" She asked.

I nodded shutting my book.

"You haven't said anything about Carl's dad have you?" She asked as we walked. I shook my head. "Nope," I mumbled.

"I know you and him stopped being close and all." She sighed. "Lori, I would never hurt him like that. Besides, he's your son you should tell him." I shrugged. I played with the bottom of my shirt.

"Good I'm going to tell him today just don't say anything. He still thinks he's coming back." Lori poured the cold water into a cup.

"What about Shane?" I asked grabbing a cup for myself.

She ignored my question. "Daryl said that he thinks something is going on with you two. Does it count as cheating if your husband might be dead?" I took a long sip.

"That's enough." She said handing me Carl's water. "Give this to him and keep your mouth shut."

I nodded and walked back to Carl.

•••

"Creating space between us, till we're separate hearts." I sang quietly as I walked around an open field with wild flowers sprouting about.

"But your faith, it gives me strength, the strength to believe." I skipped along the trail. "We're breaking free!" I mumbled quietly so I didn't attack any walkers.

"We're soaring-" My song was interrupted by the roar of an alarm. My feet moved back towards camp. When I showed up I saw Glenn.

I ran over to him and he smiled at me but then frowned. "Where's everyone else?" I asked. As I asked a white van pulled up. I smiled waiting for my mom to step out.

T-dog, Andrea, Morales, Jacqui,...

"Glenn where's my mom?" I asked after I saw no sign of her. He looked over at T-dog. Who saw me. "Come here Ellie," T-dog said.

He bent down to me.

"Your mom is-" He was cut off by Carl screaming dad. I turned and saw the little boy ran into his dad's arms. Lori had a shocked expression.

Rick wrapped his arms around her and I looked down as T-dog told me about my mom and Merle.

Apparently, my mom stayed him after they locked him on a roof. I knew Daryl wasn't going to be happy about this when he came back from hunting.

•••

The night fell upon us and everyone gathered around fires listening to Rick's amazing story of how he made it out of Atlanta.

I made my own fire and sat by myself. "Ellie why don't you come to get some food. You did catch it." Shane called. I shook my head.

"I'm not hungry." I lied. "Ellie." He sighed. "Shane," I mumbled. He walked over to me handing me a plate.

I sighed grabbing the plate. He smiled and sat down. "I know you're mad about your mom." He sat down. "You're mom would want me to make sure you ate." I looked over at him.

"And, I know you're mad about Rick," I said. "And I know my mom would tell you to suck it up and be happy that Carl's dad is alive." He looked surprised. "Don't worry I'm no snitch." I laughed silently.

"When you're older you will understand." He stood up walking back to the big fire.

I threw most of the food into the fire as I didn't want to eat. I stood up putting out my fire and began walking towards a tree. "Where are you going?" Ed said from behind me.

"I'm going to sleep," I said. "Why don't you come to sleep with me tonight." He winked. I scoffed. "No thanks." I rolled my brown eyes and began to climb.

I adjusted myself on the tree and grabbed a rope from inside my bag. I hooked my bag on the branch above and laid my head against the trunk.

I closed my eyes and then fell asleep.

•••

I woke up and began to climb out of my tree. "Isn't that uncomfortable?" Carl asked as I popped my back. I shrugged and sat down.

Glenn sat next to me. "How's it going?" He asked. "Fine Chinaman." I copied Daryl's words. "I'm Korean." He said. "Whatever." I laughed.

"You're definitely a Dixon." Glenn smiled. "Actually, it's Moore." I corrected him. "Oh, I always thought you were Merle's kid." Glenn looked kinda surprised. I shook my head, "No, my dad left a long time ago."

"I'm sorry," Glenn frowned slightly. "Don't be." I stated bluntly before standing up.

•••

I walked with Jacqui, Sophia, and Carl as we looked around for berries. "Hey, I know that deer." I pointed off in the distance. "Sure you do and I bet you know that bug and turtle." Carl laughed.

"I do, I saw it with Daryl a few days ago. He's looking for it." I ran over to a bush grabbing my bows and arrows. I always hid them here because Lori says children shouldn't be using weapons. "Ellie where did you get those?" Jacqui asked. I shushed her aiming at the deer.

Let go.

I took my fingers off the string letting the arrow fly straight into the back of the deer. I fell to the ground after my second shot.

I smiled to myself and made my way towards it.

Out of nowhere, a walker made its way to it. "Dang it," I mumbled the others noticed and ran away. I walked over to it ready to shoot it.

I was pulled away by Shane as Rick, T-Dog, and Glenn started to beat it. An arrow went straight through its head and I saw Daryl and he smiled at me.

"Did you do this?" He asked. I nodded. He gave me a thumbs up. "Maybe you are a Dixon kid." He laughed.

"Speaking of Dixon." Daryl's redneck voice said."Where is Merle?" He asked. "They left him on top of a roof with my mom." I said.

"You left my brother and her mother in Atlanta!" He screamed. "Daryl he was out of control and Hanna didn't want to leave him," T-dog said. "He could have got us killed." He said. Daryl ran his hands through his hair.

He pulled out his knife and charged at Rick. I pulled his arm back and he pushed me. I fell back and bumped into Carl. Andrea ran over to me asking if I was okay.

I nodded and Carl helped me up. I dusted off my clothes as Daryl turned towards me. "Sorry, kid. I didn't mean to push you like that."

"I'm going back for him." He said turning back to the group. "No," I said. "Ellie, I have to their just up there." Daryl bent down next to me. "I can't lose you too," I said. "I will never leave you." He kissed the top of my head.

"I'll go with you." Rick stepped in. "Glenn you'll go too, Lori will feel safer and so will I if you go," Rick explained.

"I'll go too. It was my fault." T-dog said. Shane protested.

After a few more protests everyone agreed and they were off. I hugged Daryl and he kissed my head. "I'll be back." He smiled. He handed me a picture.

It was of him holding me as a baby next to my mom half the picture was gone I can see part of Merle's face. He was looking down at something and my father was next to him.

I barely remember my dad. My mom said he was supposed to just be a donor. I guess he turned into something more. I brushed my finger over the ripped part and looked up at Daryl.

"I want you to hold on to this for me." He said. I nodded. "Shane, watch her don't let her get in trouble."

"If Carl messes with you again show him how much of a Dixon you can be." He whispered. "I already put worms in his sleeping bag," I smirked.

He smiled at me and gave me one last hug before going to the van. "C'mon let's go!" Daryl yelled as they all walked towards the van.

•••

I sat with Sophia as she colored I sat in the same lawn chair reading. "Is that book good?" Sophia asked I looked up. "Yeah," I said then looked back down.

"What's it about?" She asked. "A girl trying to figure out where she belongs and she just wants to leave her home town," I said. She nodded.

"Hey, guys." Carl sat down next to us he seemed mad. "What's wrong with you?" I said. "My mom, she is the problem." He sighed.

"I love her to death but she's too overprotective." He said. "So you're mad because someone cares about you," I said.

"She overprotective." He said with a shrug. "You know what, there are a lot of people who would die to be you. To have someone care about them but you are too caught up with yourself to understand what people are going through!" I yelled walking away.

I'm tired of listening to him constantly whine about his parents when Sophia literally watches her mom get beat.

And he knows about my dad and mom.

•••

About an hour after my blow out on Carl I was sitting up in a tree. "Hey," Amy said from under me. I looked down. "Hi," I mumbled. "Can I come up?" She asked.

I nodded.

She started to climb and sat down next to me. "What's up?" She said. I shrugged. "Nothing."

"Don't lie to me," Amy said. "Carl acts like it's so bad to have someone to care about them but he doesn't understand what it's like to be all alone and it drives me insane," I explained.

She nodded.

"Understandable." Amy nodded. "I wish he knew when not to talk," I said swinging my legs.

"Don't worry about him." She said. "Come on let's go eat." She smiled. I nodded and climbed down we started walking back to camp.

•••

As the fish cooked I sat in my usual lawn chair. My book in my hands. Jim was tied up to a tree. "Hey, I didn't scare ya did I?" He asked. "No," I answered. "Good. I didn't mean to scare y'all." Jim said.

"You didn't," I said.

He nodded. Shane walked over to us handing him a bottle of water. After pouring on his head Carl sat down next to me and Sophia. Lori and Carol sat down too.

He told them the same thing he told me.

•••

As the night rolled around we all sat around the fire telling stories about our old life.

"What about you Ellie?" Morales asked. I looked up. "What?" I said. "What was like for you like?" He asked.

I shrugged. "I guess how a normal 12-year-olds life would be," I said. "Ellie, you've known Daryl your whole life. Your life is anything but normal." Shane laughed.

"You never talk about your dad. Tell us about him." Carl said taking a bite of fish.

I looked down sniffling. "Uhh, My dad left when I was 5," I said. "My mom said he got up and left," I said.

It got silent for a minute before Amy said she had to go pee. We talked for a few minutes before we heard an ear-piercing scream. We all turned and Amy was getting bit by a walker. Andrea ran towards her and more started flooding the camp.

I stood up running into the forest. I ran towards the bush grabbing my bow and arrows. I started to run back and I tripped.

My wooden bow snapped underneath me. I saw a walker walking towards me. I stabbed it with the head of an arrow. It fell on top of me and I exhaled.

I pushed the walker off me. I stood up. Blood was on my body and I felt the fish start to come up.

I let the food drop out of my mouth and then wiped my face. "Ellie!" I heard Daryl yelled. My mom's voice was next. "Ellie, no!"

I could tell he was crying. I ran back to camp to see him holding a different kid in his hand. She looked similar to me. "Oh don't go soft on me Dixon." I laughed.

Daryl and my mom looked up running towards me. "I love you." He said holding me. "I love you too," I whispered.

My mom smiled down at me kissing my head. "Never leave this campground again. Got it?" She said looking into my eyes.

"Yes." I hugged her.