Night had fallen, and the camp was still nowhere in sight.

 Despite her legs feeling on fire, Theo's determination to reach her camp, where everyone she cared about was waiting for her, was unwavering. 

Every step she took felt like fire running through her veins. 

They kept going but came to a halt when they heard gunfire and screaming coming in the direction of the camp. 

Theo couldn't speak, but her body reacted quicker than her mind, sprinting toward the screams and ignoring the lactic acid in her body. 

What if she was too late?

What if she was out saving some jackass who turned up missing all the while her brother was being eaten alive?

"CARL!" Rick yelled as she followed him into the camp; there was blood everywhere and walkers everywhere they looked.

A walker came towards Theo, its rotten jaws snapping at her. It held its arms out as if it wanted to be hugged.

Theo stabbed it in the face before continuing to run, like it was second nature; she barely batted an eyelid as she took her knife to another walker.

Daryl was fighting off other walkers when he spotted one from the corner of his eye, heading towards the blonde, who was oblivious. He had no time to reload his crossbow, so he had no choice but to run. 

He sprinted towards Theo, taking her to the ground before turning and shooting the walker that was inches from her. 

"You alright?" He asked as she had a tight grip on his shirt. 

"Yeah, thank you" She sighed, startled by what had just happened. 

"It's okay" He gave her a small smile before exiting the floor. 

Theo followed her dad to Carl, who hugged her before hugging her.

She looked around to see that almost everyone was okay. But unfortunately, not everyone survived. 

Many lives were lost that night. One included Amy, Andreas' younger sister, who was the same age as Theo. 

Theo couldn't help but feel so much guilt. 

She should have been there to help them. 

Theo knew not everyone in the camp could defend themselves, not to mention they took most of their best fighters to find Merle. 

The morning was tough; the camp was practically silent, and no one knew what to say to one another.

Theo spent most of the morning staring into the fire that burned within the camp, covered in walker remains.

"Sweetheart, go clean up. You've covered." Dale smiled gently down at her. 

"No, I'm okay" Theo stood rubbing her hands off on her jeans. 

"Almost everyone has been down to the quarry to get freshened up. You might not think it, but it will make you feel better, " Dale explained. 

She stopped to think.

He was right. 

She nodded, letting out a slow breath before heading out.

Theo walked down to the quarry to get some water and to wash herself up.

"You shouldn't be on your own" The southern accent made her jump from behind.

Daryl saw her leaving the camp and didn't want her to get caught alone or in another group of walkers. She was tired, and no one could see it.

"I wasn't going to be long," She answered, breathing out. "Hey, you don't happen to have a smoke on you, do you?" She asked, just wanting him to say yes. She had craved one ever since her last over a month ago.

He didn't say anything. He just sat down and grabbed a packet of cigarettes from his pocket.

He lit it in his mouth before nodding at her to sit beside him.

He took it out of his mouth and handed it to her. She took a drag before handing it back.

Daryl was so nervous around her; it was something he had never felt before. 

He had never felt attracted to a woman before he saw Theo for the first time, but she was different.

She was the most critical person in the room without knowing it, but one wrong move could get your head bitten off—in the best way possible. 

"Are ya doing alright?" Daryl asked her. 

She looked out to the water in front of her. 

"I just can't help but feel guilty for leaving the camp. I wanted to help you find your brother, but you didn't need me. Not everyone here can defend themselves...and now they're dead." She sighed. 

Daryl nodded.

"I appreciate you coming to help me find Merle." Daryl thanked her as she smiled at him.

"Are you going to tell me where those bruises came from?" He asked her, looking her body up and down.

"They came from me getting grabbed a few weeks ago when I fell" " she lied, refusing to meet Daryl's gaze.

"You sure?" He knew an abusive mark when he saw one; he used to get them from his father.

She nodded.

"The word you used to describe me that time, princess, never use it again", she asked, being firm but not trying to sound harsh since he didn't know.

Theo returned the cigarette to him; he took the last drag before throwing it on the floor.

"Why?" he asked; he didn't sound interested.

"Don't like it?" She snapped.

"You got a problem with it?" Daryl snapped back.

She sighed, rolling her eyes, and continued to do what she had come down the quarry for.

She stood up, kicking her shoes off before pulling her socks off.

"Hey!" he yelled at the undressing girl.

She ignored him before stripping her underwear and walking into the water.

He stood up behind her with a groan before walking away.

"Asshole," she said under her breath.

She stood up so her feet touched the ground and washed herself off before going under.

A couple of minutes later, they were passed, probably 20, when she turned back at the shore to see Daryl holding a towel.

She looked confused, 

"Are you doing something nice for me?" She yelled from the water

"Don't make me regret it," he snapped, trying to hide the smile that wanted to expose him.

She walked over to him, grabbed the towel, and wrapped herself in it.

"Please don't call me princess. I don't want to get into it, but the word reminds me of a bad time in my life," she begged.

"I-" he began feeling guilty by pushing her

"I'm sorry" He mumbled. 

"No need; why are you talking to me, Daryl? You barely speak a word to anyone, not even me," she said, looking out to the water.

"You're alright" He nods his head slowly.

"Uh huh," She nodded back awkwardly.

"Do you want me to wait here while you dry off?" he asked. A sudden urge came over him, wanting company.

"No, it's fine. They will need some help up there," she said, looking back at the quarry.

He decided not to push her anymore; he nodded and walked away.

She stayed where she was for a few more moments until she was practically dry, then walked back to camp.

She slowly made her way back up the quarry, seeing that most bodies were either burning or they were being buried.

A gunshot went off, and everyone looked to see Andrea shoot Amy as she turned into a walker. 

Theo sadly walked over to her tent to change. She was dressed in cargo pants and a cropped top that may have been a little revealing, but she was down to that and a turtleneck jumper, which was far too hot to wear. 

She ran out of bras around day 30. They were beginning to annoy her, so they went in the bin. 

Her crop top reached above her belly, showing off a tattoo. 

Her cargo pants were black, attracting the heat even more. 

She placed her boots back on over her dirty socks before tying her hair into a ponytail.

Theo placed her dirty clothing into a bag, knowing she would go clean them later.

As the day went on, the walkers were still burning, and those who died sadly last night were being buried. 

Everyone said their goodbyes; the most challenging thing they had to do was watch Andrea bury her sister.

Tears were spread from some; others just watched, saddened by the night's events.

Theo didn't cry; she was all out of them after she thought her father was dead; she watched quietly, showing she cared.

When the final body was covered, they all returned to camp.

Theo walked with her family.

"Are we safe now, Dad?" Carl asked, his bright blue eyes shining as he looked up at his dad.

"We are for the time being. Now I need to talk to your mum and walk back with your sister," Dad told Carl.

Theo gave Carl her hand as they walked back down to the camp.

"Why do you and Mum fall out all the time?" Carl asked her. She never wanted Carl to notice what happened, but as he got older, he began to notice.

"We just don't get along, buddy" She smiled the best she could.

"But what if you or her die, and you die hating each other?" he asked. Theo's heart broke when he thought about that. 

For Carl's sake, she should try to make up with her mum.

"First off, don't talk like that. Secondly, I don't hate her; I don't think she hates me, but I don't know how to work out it. Carl, you have to understand that." She tried to explain, but it hardly made sense to her.

He nodded before Theo caught the sight of Carol and Sophia.

"Why don't you sit with Carol, give her and Sophia some company, okay?" She smiled as she watched him run over to them, them both greeting him with a smile.

Carol had lost Ed, but it was not that Theo was sad. He was hurting Carol and might have been hurting Sophia, too. In her mind, he got what he deserved.

Carl was the only person Theo would die for; Carl was young, and he still had a life ahead of him. Theo knew she wouldn't let harm come his way.

She walked over to the tent she shared with her family and grabbed one of the photo albums of her parent's wedding. Carl wasn't born, but she was 7.

Her mother managed to grab it before they were dragged out of the house.

Theo looked at the photos, realising you could hardly see her without her dad.

She sighed before throwing it across the tent.

"What are you doing?" Lori came into the tent, anger across her face.

She ignored her, stood up, and went past her. I wanted to avoid joining in communication.

"You stink of smoke", she followed after Theo.

"I had half of one," She said, walking away.

"Turn around and look at me!" she yelled, catching the attention of a few.

She looked around awkwardly before lowering her voice so only Theo could hear.

"Go clean up before Carl smells it on you," She told her

"And what the hell is that going to do? He is currently smelling dead bodies!" Theo yelled

Lori didn't know what to say; her daughter always brought anger to her, but she never lashed out like that. 

"That's what I thought!" Theo yelled, walking away from her. Everyone else watched, confused, unsure of what was happening, but they ignored their drama.

"While you're at it, get changed. You can see your whole world through that shirt!" Lori yelled as Theo sighed heavily. 

"My whole world? I'm not ten, mum, say tits" Theo crossed her arms.

Daryl watched from a distance; he wasn't exactly complaining...

"Theodora Jay Grimes, take that shirt off and put on something appropriate; stop walking around like some hooker" Lori walked over to her, allowing her voice to lay just loud enough for Theo to hear. 

Theo nodded, annoyed, walking away with her middle finger pointing at her mother.

"Theodora!"  Rick yelled after her, but she ignored him. She walked off to god knows where.

"Don't bother Rick, there is no point" Lori told her husband

"What just happened?" He asked his wife.

"She stank of smoke, and you could see everything through her shirt," Lori explained, looking over at Daryl, who grabbed his crossbow and began heading in the same direction.

"What's their deal?" Rick asked his best friend, Shane.

"I don't know, they talk here and there. She makes him bolt for his crossbow, but this is the most I've ever seen them talk", Shane explained, scratching his head.

"Daryl will find her, Rick. Believe it or not, he seems to be a good lad", Dale defended

"They..." Rick struggled to asked

"No, she's always sleeping here; he's out most of the day, so there wouldn't be much chance", Lori told her husband, "But you need to talk to her about smoking."

"Lori, she's an adult; I can't tell her anymore" Rick raised his hands.

"You know she's come home smelling like it for much longer than she has been an adult." Lori sighed

"Well, there is nothing I can do about it now" Rick shrugged before heading into the tent.