Evelyn// Daryl Dixon

08.

In the morning, Evelyn woke up surrounded in all the pills she stole. She was glad Shane had already left so she could gather them all together. She set them in her flannel and piled it in the corner of the tent. She took a few Vicodin before strapping up her boots and leaving the tent.

She joined Lori and Carl, they were feeding the chicken together. She knew she made a promise to come back when Carl was doing better.

"You kickin ass yet, Carl?" She ruffled his hair.

"If feeding the chicken count, then yeah" he laughed.

"Fuck yeah it counts, sorry mama Lori" she apologized for her foul language and Lori threw bird feed at her.

"They don't have a mother" Carl said looking down at the chicks.

"She's probably somewhere else" Lori said.

"Maybe she got eaten," Loris head snapped up, she was caught in shock "everything is food for something else" Carl shrugged.

"You don't gotta be so negative bud" Evelyn tried to move on and nudged Carl with her elbow.

*****

Evelyn saw everyone start to get up and going towards camp. She joined them, Greyson was helping them out as well. She saw Daryl poking his arrow through the screen in the tent, he was bored. She thought quick and went inside. She found Greyson's bag and picked out one of his books. She came back down and poked her head inside Daryl's tent.

"Hey" she smiled, the drug hitting her and putting her at ease.

"Hey" he grunted back.

"I um, brought you one of Greyson's books," she flipped it to see what she had even grabbed "hm, Stephen King" she laughed at herself.

"Whatcha laughin at?" He asked her confused of her change in behavior.

"Just I think it's funny. Stephen writes scary shit. You could totally be a character in one of his books. 'Here's Johnny!'" She mocked Nicholson in The Shining. She noticed how Daryl didn't pick up. "Not a movie guy?"

"Didn't really have time for movies as a kid" he shook his head.

"Well anyways, you can have this. You look bored" she handed him the book.

He flipped through the thick book.

"No pictures?" He said to her.

"That's what your imagination is for" she smiled giddily.

"Yesterday I imagined that some girl shot me from the top of an RV"

"Sometimes people can mistake reality for imagination, that's what you just did" she sighed and laid down on her back.

"It was sarcasm" he fought back.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I was just caught in the heat of the moment, ya know? Just want to earn my place"

"Ya didn't earn it with me, almost killed me"

"What a drama queen, I just grazed you" she sat up and got ready to leave.

"Imma make it clear, shoot me again, you'd best pray I'm dead" he told her before she left.

"Greyson" Evelyn called his name.

"Yeah, ma"

"You goin shootin today?" She asked him as they met half way.

"Nah, I wanna stay with my bow. Either way, I don't want Shane teachin me jack shit" he scoffed.

"Will you watch your mouth?" she flicked him in the ear "I know were equals on the playing field, but I'm still your mom"

"I'll try harder, ma" he shrugged.

"Eve, you comin?" Shane shouted.

"Yeah, on my way" she said to him before turning back to Greyson.

"Be careful, yeah?" He advised her.

"I know baby. I'll be back soon" she kissed his forehead before leaving.

*****

Out in the field, there were bottles set up on a fence. Shane and Rick watched everyone's techniques. Evelyn shot with ease, but she wanted to come out to get any practice she could. She saw Shane talking with Andrea and handed her a different gun to shoot. Andrea lifted the gun, aiming for a tin can. Before she could shoot, Evelyn shot the can from across the way.

"Working on my long range shooting. Didn't do very good nailing Daryl yesterday" she used the play on words to her advantage while she looked at Shane.

"We'll do long range another day, why don't you stick to your target in front of you today, yeah?" Shane replied looking back at her.

Evelyn bit her lip and continued on as if she wasn't angry. Shane and Andrea stayed after everyone else left, including Evelyn. She was letting her feelings get the best of her. She went back to her tent and took a few more pills, leaning back on the ground. She took a deep breath and everything felt alright again. That was her goal and there wasn't anything wrong with that.

"Ma!" She heard Greyson yell for her.

"Yes!" She yelled back from the tent, leaving Greyson to find her.

"You went through my stuff?" He asked her, kneeling at the entrance of the tent.

"I was giving Daryl something to do" she defended herself, her eyes calling against her will.

"Are you high, mom?" He asked, his eyes squinted.

"Just tired. It's been a long day" she flailed an arm, almost swatting him away.

"Just, don't go through my stuff again, alright? I'd appreciate it"

"Alright. Message clear"

*****

When Shane and Andrea came back, Dale was onto something. There was a vibe he got, the way they looked at each other and Andreas attitude. He wasn't dumb, he knew Shane and Evelyn had something. Andrea left with Carol so Dale took advantage.

"This isn't fair to that poor girl, Shane" Dale told him.

"What ain't fair?" Shane came back at him aggressively.

"I know something went on out there. You've hurt this group enough and that nice car you got has enough fuel for you to leave"

"I'm sure it does but little do you know how much she needs me. Evelyn, she needs me. If I leave, she's done and that boy has no mother"

"She was alive before you came and brought her back"

"Alive for one reason, hoping I was still alive to save her ass somehow"