Hi guys, settle in, this is a long one. I hope you enjoy! Please keep the comments and votes coming I love to hear from you guys, you are the best! 

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Jo

Daryl was sitting out on the porch when Carol and I stepped out together. He glanced once at us and they went back to adjusting the tension on his crossbow. Apparently there just wasn't enough tension in his life already.

We were due at the pantry in about five minutes. Carol looked the part dressed like Martha Stewart in slacks and a nice cardigan. "Time to punch the clock and make the casseroles," Carol said brightly trying to draw Daryl's attention to us. 

I kicked at one of the porch planks with my stupid ballet flats. I don't know why she bothered, he was already pissed off. It would be better to give him time to cool down.

"What?" Daryl snapped, looking up at the two of us. He ran his eyes over the both of us and shook his head. I did the same, we probably looked a little strange for those who
knew us well. Two of the groups strongest fighters looking like innocent homemakers.

Carol flashed a determined smile. "Make dinner for the older people, moms who need a break, people who can't cook," Daryl was unmoved by her words. "Get to meet a lot of the neighbors that way," she said meaningfully.

Daryl scoffed, still too pissed to catch her meaning. "All right," he said as though it were the stupidest thing he had ever heard. "Either of you even armed anymore?" he snapped angrily.

Carol dropped her Susie homemaker act, her voice lowered an octave and she glared at Daryl severely. "Have you even taken a shower yet?"

"Mmhhmm," he didn't stop messing with his crossbow.

She glanced at me and I shrugged. Controlling Daryl had never been something I was any good at. I was more likely to get him worked up than calmed down.

Carol shook her head as though we were exhausting her. We probably were. "Take a shower, I'm going to wash that vest. We need to keep up appearances, even you."

"Hey I ain't starting now," he snapped.

"You're scaring the civilians," I growled back. My back was still up after our fight downstairs.

"Like I care about them."

"You-" I started to yell, but Carol interrupted me. 

Carol grabbed my arm and swung me around so I was facing the stairs. She shoved my ahead of her. "I'm gonna hose you down in your sleep," Carol threatened playfully over her shoulder trying to diffuse the tension between us.

"You look ridiculous." Daryl called unkindly after us.

We were a half a block away before Carol looked at me. I huffed and stomped my feet hard enough I could feel every pebble through the stupid, soft soled shoes. My hands were gripped into fists at my sides.

Carol cleared her throat and lifted her hand to wave to a woman I hadn't met yet. She spoke with clenched teeth through her smile. "If we show up at the pantry with you looking like this you are going to be the one scaring civilians."

I looked up at her annoyed. "It's his fault," I growled. "He's the one-"

"You can't let him get to you like this, it is imperative we keep up appearances. They can't think we have people fighting in our group."

"Me?!" my voice rose a few octaves in outrage. This was not MY fault. It was his stupid, stubborn redneck ass's fault.

Carol gave me a stern look and cleared her throat. It was the epitome of the mom look. I looked away. She was right, my voice was too loud and I was too upset. A block away from the pantry I plastered on a smile and turned to Carol.

"Ready?" she asked in an upbeat voice.

"Absolutely," I responded wryly. 

Olivia smiled when she saw us come through the door. "Carol! Jo!" she greeted happily. She was standing near one of the food storage shelves with her notepad in hand. "Come in! Welcome! Welcome to the pantry," she said with an excited grin.

"Hi!" Carol greeted, matching Olivia's enthusiasm. I smiled warmly when she looked to me.

"Well here, let me show you around," she said. "The food storage is out here, where people can come and browse. Everyone is given a daily allotment based on the size of their household. You both have a fairly sizable allotment," she said with a teasing smile. "Lot's of mouths to feed in your corner of the world," Carol chuckled with her, but all I could manage was a smile. I was still worked up and my thoughts were on Daryl.

"Back there," Olivia said motioning through a doorway. "Is clothing and necessities," I took a step in that direction and peaked at the carefully organized stacks of clothes and miscellaneous household supplies. "And beyond that is the armory," she said with a smile and a casual wave of her hand.

I took a deep breath, centering myself. I pushed all thoughts of Daryl out of my mind I needed to keep my focus here. Carol and I both feigned interest in the food stores in front of us but I knew she was cataloging everything just as surely as I was.

"We have a decent surplus of clothing and housewares right now, everyone in your group is welcome to come and find what they need. We don't keep as close of an eye on that inventory." Olivia explained. "It's the easiest for our run crews to find. Here," she said holding an empty box out to Carol. "You are welcome to take your food stores for your group, plus the extra meals you are making."

Carol flashed her a sincere smile and nodded, taking the box she began loading it with food. I stepped into the other supply room. "Here," Olivia said handing me a soft sided tote bag. "Why don't you grab some more clothes for you guys. I noticed a few of you were still wearing some of your old stuff," she seemed a little embarrassed by her admission. As though it were rude of her to notice. I couldn't believe this place sometimes. It had been so long since things like social niceties mattered. 

I flashed her a smile to show I took no offence and started rifling through the clothes as though it mattered what we wore. While I was sorting the clothes I let my eyes drift to the armory. I couldn't believe the amount of guns they had there. Turning to the next stack of clothing, I continued to fill my bag. I froze as my eyes caught the next wall. There was a huge rack of holsters, machete's and most importantly knives. There were piles and piles of knives. I felt my eyes widen and I fought to take back control of my emotions. Sitting towards the back of the pile I could see a knife roll. It was filled with various sizes but they were all a matching set. I licked my lips. I instantly lusted after that set more than...well all but one other thing...in this world.

Carol caught my eye and seemed to notice my distraction. She instantly began engaging Olivia in a detailed conversation about the food stores and recipe ideas. Olivia turned her back to me and began to chat happily with Carol.

"Hey Olivia," I called, testing her focus.

She paused her conversation and glanced over at me. "Yes hon?"

"Um, would it be okay if I picked out a few things for Judith?" I asked. I shouldn't be doing this. If she kept any kind of record we could get caught here and now, but what were the odds she was going to inventory that huge, annoyingly disorganized pile of knives. My hands absolutely itched to touch the beautiful knife set. How was it possible no one had claimed them before now? 

"Of course!" Olivia gushed, flashing me a smile. "Please, help yourself to anything in that part of the room. We want to get you all settled. It must be so hard not having anything of your own." Then she turned her whole focus back to Carol. Carol met my eyes over Olivia's shoulder for a brief instant before she returned to distracting her. 

I crossed the room and snatched up the knife roll, a slight tremble to my hands. I shoved it into the bottom of the bag under the jeans and shirts I found. I risked a glance into the armory and made note of everything I could. Then I returned to the pile of clothes. I pulled out some stuff for Judith and a few tops that looked like something Beth would have worn for myself. Like Carol said I had to keep up appearances. There were a few black tank tops that I couldn't resist and I shoved those in the bag as well. 

When my bag was full I stepped out into the hallway. "Do you want me to tell you what I took?" I asked brightly. If she said yes and insisted I show her I didn't know what I was going to do. My mind was spinning trying to think up a convincing lie about the knives, but I was coming up empty. I didn't know what I could say, I should be better at lying than this. 

Three men came in at that moment interrupting Carol and Olivia. Olivia just waved me off. I breathed a sigh of relief. Bullet dodged.  

"Thanks Olivia! I'll meet you back at the house Carol," I called over my shoulder. 

Carol's smile was dangerously close to a smirk as I turned and walked out the door.

I took the long way around to get back to the house. I was feeling pretty good about myself. My prize was tucked safely away in the bottom of my bag. I was going to need to find a place where I could practice. I couldn't let myself get soft living behind these walls. 

I was just passing the main gate when Glenn, Tara and Noah came stalking back through. I hesitated. They all looked really upset. Aidan and Nicholas were following close behind them.

"You three need new gigs." Aidan called to them, he was clearly pissed off as well. "You're not ready for runs yet." 

I couldn't imagine a world where Glenn wasn't ready for a supply run. He was the best we had. If it was there to be found, Glenn could find it. Glenn shook his head in disgust. I don't know if I have ever seen Glenn so mad. I walked closer, trying to catch Tara's eye to find out what was going on. 

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you've got that backwards," Glenn tossed back over his shoulder.

"Hey," Aidan called, he sped up to catch Glenn. He grabbed Glenn by the shoulder and spun him around. 

I continued to stroll closer but I wasn't too worried. Glenn was one of the most easy going of all of us, quickly followed by Noah and Tara. If anyone was going to diffuse this situation it was that group. I wasn't exactly known for my ability to diffuse a situation, but I would keep close in case we needed to escalate. That's where my true skills lay anyway. 

The two started talking heatedly in low voices, but I was still too far away to hear the rest of it. Whatever was said had both Tara and Noah stiffening angrily. Aidan stepped forward, his chest touching Glenn's aggressively. Glenn stared the other man down calm as could be. 

Then Aidan shoved him. I sucked in a breath and quickened my pace. Glenn moved back a step and just shook his head, somehow managing to maintain his patience. I exhaled. Glenn would handle this. I glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed the confrontation.  I felt my eyes widen as I spotted Daryl stalking down a side street his eyes narrowed at Aidan. Not good, not good. 

Deanna came across the green and walked up to Aidan and started yelling at him. Glenn said something and Aidan threw a wild haymaker at him. Glenn ducked easily and struck, punching Aidan square in the face and knocking him to the ground. Nicholas ran for Glenn but Daryl was already in motion. He ran straight for him, wrapped his arms around Nicholas' waist and dragged him to the ground. Daryl threw a punch and then wrapped his hands around Nicholas's throat.

"Daryl!" I yelled running for them. Daryl didn't even look up at the sound of my voice. My mind was running at a thousand miles a minute. I was about to risk blowing my cover. If Daryl wouldn't listen to reason it would take a lot for me to be able to knock him off Nicholas, Daryl was much stronger than me. No matter how mad he was I knew he wouldn't kill him, but we couldn't have him choking one of the residents unconscious either. 

Rick suddenly appeared, coming through the gate with Carl at his side. He took in the scene and ran for Daryl without hesitation. He was closer and reached him first. He wrapped his arms around Daryl's chest and fought to pull him back. Daryl wouldn't let go. 

I dropped the bag and ran up to them. Rick was murmuring to Daryl trying to get him to let go of Nicholas. Michonne jumped up between Glenn and Aidan. 

Rick finally managed to pull Daryl off of Nicholas. Daryl moved to get at Nicholas again and Rick shoved him back. Daryl moved like he was going to attack again. I jumped between Daryl and Rick, my back to Rick. I heard a voice I didn't recognize call my name to stop me but I ignored it. 

"Dare-" I said, holding my hand up. I didn't care who was here and who saw. I took a step forward to meet him. He wouldn't hurt me. With him at the level of pissed off I was probably one of the few who was safe to get in his face. 

Daryl took another step forward and I flinched back a step, dropping my weight onto my back leg so I was prepared. That did catch his attention. He pulled himself up before he would have run into me. He looked down at me with an unreadable expression. Sometimes it took him way too long to see past his damn temper. It was exhausting. 

He looked from me to the other guys and shook his head angrily. Daryl paced around the group, doing his best to ignore me. Clearly he was still mad at me. Rick worked to keep himself between him and Nicholas as though Daryl was a beta fish who wouldn't fight if he couldn't see the other man. 

"I want everyone to hear my now. Rick and his group are part of this community now in all ways, as equals. Understood?" Deanna yelled. The last word she yelled straight into her son's face. Aidan pinched his lips together angrily but he jerked his head in a rough nod.

"Understood," he muttered angrily.

"All of you turn in your weapons," she commanded. "Then you two come talk to me," she pointed sternly to Nicholas and Aidan. The men stalked off towards the pantry, their ire still up. Daryl paced along behind our group watching them go. He looked like a caged animal pacing next to the fence.

I sucked in a breath. Adapting to life here was going to be harder on Daryl then I realized.

Spencer came up behind me and touched my arm gently. "Are you okay?" He asked quietly, and I suddenly realized it was him that had called to stop me from getting in the middle of the fight.

Daryl must have heard him because he whirled around. His gaze locked onto where Spencer was touching my arm. 

"Yeah, I'm fine thank you," I said quietly and took a step back. Spencer frowned down at the slight tremble to my hands. "Just a little shaken up," I lied easily, hoping he would believe it was nerves that had me shaking and not the pure rage that was running through me that wanted to beat Daryl for acting like an idiot and causing problems our first day here. "I just wish everyone could get along."

Spencer bent down and picked up my bag. He held it out to me and offered me a gentle smile. "Everyone will come around," he said reassuringly. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

Daryl scoffed loudly. He snatched up his crossbow from the ground and stalked back towards our house shaking his head and muttering under his breath.

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Jo

When I got back to house Daryl was no where to be seen. I wanted to find him and talk to him, but all I seemed to be doing these last few days was make him mad. How was it, that every time we started to get together when we were on the road things would be great and then we would come into a new place and everything would fall apart. I couldn't think about that now though. As much as I wanted to have a relationship of some kind with Daryl it couldn't be my priority until the group was safe. We distracted each other at every turn and that wasn't good for the group. 

I carried my bag of loot up to my room. I closed and locked the door and drew the curtain. Then I kicked off the stupid shoes and threw the oversized tunic top over the chair. I rolled my shoulders and immediately felt better. I picked up the bag and dumped it. I set aside the clothes for me and the ones I picked out for Judith and a few things for Daryl. 

I turned my focus to my real treasure. I pulled out the knife roll and unrolled it. It was ten knives of various sizes and a wet stone tucked away in a small pocket. Six of the knives were the same size, double edged with sleek, minimalist handles. They were legitimate throwing knives. The other four knives had matching handles but were larger fighting knives in different sizes. They were beautiful.  

There was a knock on my door. I tensed, "Who is it?" I called. I doubted it was one of the Alexandrian's, there was no way anyone in our house would let them upstairs without a little warning first, but I still didn't want to risk getting caught with my new toys. 

"It's me," his voice was low and gravely. He sounded exhausted.

I breathed out a sigh and went over to the door. I unlocked it and opened it a crack. He was standing in the hall, his crossbow still over one shoulder. He glanced away from me and chewed on his lip. "Can I-" he started to say, but I was already opening the door. 

He stepped in and I closed it behind him, turning the lock. He glanced over his shoulder at me at the sound of a lock and arched a brow. I didn't say anything and came around and sat on the bed. 

"What do you need Daryl?" I asked, I was exhausted. I was tired of fighting with him, I was tired of acting like I was someone I wasn't, I just wanted to rest. 

His attention was no longer on me as he looked down at the knife roll. He reached out and ran his fingers over smooth silver handles. He then looked up at me, the question in his eyes. 

"I lifted them from the pantry today," I responded. 

He was still frowning. "What if you got caught?" 

I snorted and shook my head. "You'd be surprised by how little people pay attention to you if you don't look like a threat." I ran my eyes meaningfully over him. He looked very much like a threat and his little display by the front gate didn't do anything to alleviate that image. 

He snorted and shook his head. I was pretty sure I heard him mutter something about 'not everyone', but he was being juvenile and I wasn't going to fight with him anymore. 

"Did you need something?" I asked impatiently. 

He flinched at my harsh words and his eyes were hurt when he met my gaze. It was immediately swallowed up by anger. "Nope," he said and he turned to go. He unlocked the door and stepped out. When he turned back to close it he leaned in. "Make sure you start carrying a few of those on you from now on. Should be able to hide a few, even in that ridiculous outfit." 

I snorted in derision. "If you think I need more than one knife to protect myself from these people than you're just as blind as they are." 

"Yeah," he called back over his shoulder and stomped down the stairs. 

I slammed the door behind him and flopped back on my bed. He had obviously come up here for a reason and all I had done was antagonize him until he ran away. I was no better than he was. I could not understand how he managed to get me so worked up in knots. I closed my eyes and remembered back to when we were in the woods and he had shoved me up against that tree. Or when we had slept next to each other in the barn. How my heart pounded the first time he called me darling. Why the hell were things so complicated now? What was going on with him? Was it just the stress of a new place? Or was it something else?

I finished sorting through the bag, I tucked away my new clothes in the dresser. All of my stuff fit in one drawer. I emptied my backpack as well, laying out my shoulder rig. I would be able to carry four throwing knives, the spine sheath with Daryl's hunting knife and my kukri. In order to add anything more I would need to find more sheaths. Looking it over I wondered if I could somehow rig an over the shoulder set up as well. I shook off the idea, the only way I would be able to do that was if I wasn't wearing my leather jacket. Six knives on me and eight spares. I felt more settled than I had in a long time. I took the rig and hung it one a hanger in the closet with my leather jacket over the top of it. The remaining knives I left in the knife roll, which I hid beneath my night stand. It wouldn't be that hard to find if someone completely tossed my room, but if they were doing a quick look they probably wouldn't find it. 

It was dark when I finally emerged from my room. I carried the pile of items for Judith to the master and set them on the bed. It looked like Rick had set up a room for Judith in the walk in closet and he and Carl were sharing the rest. I felt bad and made a note to discuss giving Carl my room. He was a teenager and would appreciate the privacy. I could easily sleep on the large couch in the basement or the floor for that matter. A bedroom wasn't a necessity for me. 

I carried the pile of clothes for Daryl down the stairs. I paused, peaking out the window and spotted him sitting on the front porch. Breathing out a sigh I slipped downstairs to his room. I laid the clothes on his bed. I wasn't sure if he would use them or not, but I wanted him to have some. I knew for a fact he would never go to the pantry to pick something out for himself. 

When I went back upstairs everyone was back in the living room together. They were laughing and talking about their day. Even Tara, Glenn and Noah seemed to be in a good mood despite their adventures that day. Carol was in the kitchen wiping up. I considered going into the living room with everyone else, but I really didn't feel like being social. 

I moved to the door and opened it quietly. I stepped out onto the porch. Daryl was sitting on the railing in the dark. He didn't look up when I closed the door behind me. He didn't want to talk to me. Despite the tension between us, I still felt more comfortable being near him than with the group. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it and I couldn't help feeling like he was doing it just to spite me. I scoffed and shook my head, leaning against the rail next to him. I wasn't going to take the bait. 

I heard Rick and Carol step out onto the porch together.

"We good?" Rick asked Daryl, I wondered if there had been any tension between them from the confrontation earlier. 

I glanced back over my shoulder to see Rick standing there wearing a police windbreaker.

"Yeah," Daryl said taking a long drag off the cigarette, he blew the smoke away from me, which I appreciated.

"You a cop again?" Daryl asked, narrowing his eyes at Rick

Rick sighed. "Trying it on for size," he said thoughtfully.

"So we're staying?" Carol asked coming up and putting a hand on my shoulder.

Rick nodded. "I think after tonight we can start sleeping in our own homes. Settle in."

I glanced over at Rick and pressed my lips into a hard line. "If we get too comfortable here, let our guard down, this place has the potential us weak."

Rick nodded. "Carl said that. But it's not going to happen." Rick stepped up towards the edge of the porch beside me. "We won't get weak. That's no in us any more. We'll make it work, and if they can't make it..." He turned back to face us a grim look on his face. "Then we'll just take this place."

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I hope you enjoyed this update! I have been working to put out longer updates since there are SO many chapters now. Haha I hope you guys don't mind ;) So I had this horrible moment when I was writing this and Wattpad had a glitch and I thought I lost the whole thing. It was then that I realized I don't have this story backed up anywhere else and decided I should probably do that. It would really suck to lose the whole thing! 

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