On Our Way Out {OPEN/AMY}

[lori grimes]

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The whole ordeal was still hard to comprehend. Lori was hurting, a lot, but with Carl there she knew it was better to put her best foot forward. He was still a young boy, and had lost his father. A man that he had looked up too, and Lori was at a loss for words. Rick had been a wonderful man, and she had no trouble admitting that. Though, she did have a bit of trouble admitting that she had taken him for granted.

Their marriage had never been easy, and Lori always talked about their problems with girlfriends. She was certain Rick talked about it to his friends as well, including Shane. When it came down to it though. Shane had been the one to save them, and Lori was still letting it process. Maybe Rick hadn't spoken as badly of her as he thought. God knows that all her friends only agreed with her because they knew how temperamental Lori was.

It was no secret that Lori wasn't the greatest person, but she meant well. Her anger just always shot forth, and Rick was so quiet. He never tried to fight her, or do anything to tell her she was wrong. That was something that Shane did have to offer. He stepped forward, and he was always prepared to push her back. Telling her how stupid she is, and that she needs to grow up. Lori needed that, she needed a foot to be put down.

The RV was parked, and quiet. The hose on it wasn't the greatest, and they'd need a new one soon. They had all managed to make their way out to a sort of hiking trail. Or at least it looked like it used to be one. Lori was sitting along with Carol, and a few others'. Folding some dried clothes, and trying their best to make the most of the situation. A few of their group had went back into Atlanta to try and retrieve some supplies. Part of Lori really wished that Rick would just appear, but it was starting to become clear to her that this wasn't a dream. Unlike most times, Rick was gone... He was really, truly gone...

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TAG || amy smith, & everyone else.

[amy smith]

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Amy, Amy, Amy... She shook her head, and just brushed past her sister. She loved Andrea, but sometimes the two would butt heads. It was one of those times. Amy had been the one trying to reach some man's voice on the radio. She had failed, and Andrea was always a little to tough on her.

Taking a seat near Lori, she smiled, and began to help fold clothes. She was quiet, but that wasn't so strange. Amy was typically very quiet unless she felt she needed to say something. Sometimes she needed to point out something very obvious, just to be certain the others' noticed. Truth be told, Amy was quite a smart cookie. She just wasn't quite as complex, and mouthy as her sister. Then again, Andrea was a lawyer before.

Glancing across from her, she spotted Carol. Carol was a puzzle to Amy, but any idiot could tell the woman was scared for her life. If only Amy could give that Ed a piece of her mind. That wasn't her place though, and she knew she'd never get the courage.

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TAG || lori grimes, & everyone else

[lori grimes]

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Just finishing folding the last pair of jeans, she set them aside as someone seated themselves near her. Lori looked over, and noticed it was Amy. The smile on her lips made Lori smile back. She had heard Andrea giving her a hard time. There it was again, Lori trying to put a good foot forward.

"She's just nervous, making the trip into Atlanta." Lori wasn't looking at Amy at first, but then she turned to give her a hopeful look. The group had hopped into vehicles', and taken off nearly moments ago. Lori knew that it was tough on Andrea, but it was tough on Amy as well. Lori understand that fear, and despite losing her husband. She still had her son to worry about, and Shane too for that matter.

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TAG || amy smith, & everyone else.

[Deleted]

Daryl trudged back into camp, deer carcass across his shoulders. His crossbow dangled from a tether clipped to his waist. Sweat poured off of him, induced by the southern summer's heat. Dumping the meat in the shade, he sat down to catch his breath awhile. He'd tracked the damn deer for three hours that morning and then there was easily two hours of hiking back. He doubted anyone missed him while he was gone, but now that he'd gotten back, he could see a couple other members of the camp eyeing the prize. They didn't say anything though, probably too intimidated by the rough-looking man. Everyone looked rough these days, but Daryl took some pride in knowing he still stood out among them. 

It took a moment for him to realize the estrogen levels were high. Lori and Amy were having some kind of heartfelt moment it seemed. "Yep, just nervous," he echoed, "nervous that a walker might take a bite out of her pretty little neck." He unclipped the bow and slung it across his back again now that the deer was out of the way. "So... anyone else wanna gut this thing?" he asked, gesturing toward the dead animal with a tilt of his head. Sounded fair to him, since he'd done all the tracking, shooting, and hauling.

[amy smith]

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Amy was sincerely listening to Lori, and was feeling a little bit of relief. That was until one of the Dixon brothers slipped his two sense in. Amy shot a look at him, and her eyes went a little wide. How could someone be so heartless? Amy balled her thoughts' into her head, and prevented herself from speaking anything.

Instead, she ignored Daryl. Continued to fold the shirts that still needed to be put away. "Thanks." She muttered to Lori, and continued quietly folding. It was still irritating her that a man could be so unjust with his words. She glanced up when he mentioned someone else gutting the deer. She snarled her nose.

"I can't believe you actually killed it..." Amy was always a lover of animals. Despite the lot of them still needing to eat to survive, she never was a fan of killing animals. Especially ones like fish, and deer. So majestic.

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TAG || lori grimes, daryl dixon, & everyone else

[lori grimes]

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It seemed the moment was cut short when one of those Dixon brothers popped in to frighten them. Which one was he? The less obnoxious one, Daryl, wasn't it? "Hey, that's not nice." There she was, stating the obvious. As if he truly cared. "What if one of them took a bite out of your brother, wouldn't be so funny then would it?"

Lori might strike a nerve, but she glanced at Amy. "Don't mention it." Then her eyes fell back on the man. "I'll leave that to you, and the others'..." She never really was a fan of skinning animals. Thankfully, Rick had only ever went fishing. Sure, he might have hunted occasionally, but he never bothered her to clean anything. It was just... Gross. Lori was such a girly girl when it came to that.

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TAG || daryl dixon, amy smith, & everyone else.

[Deleted]

Daryl didn't pay much attention to the look Amy gave him. He was pretty much immune to the responses his behavior elicited by the time he hit puberty. Lori's comment went unanswered as well. Didn't he have a right to speak his mind? "Merle would never let that happen," he said with a snort.

"Are you for real?" he asked Amy, hearing the tone of her voice. It was like she was calling him a murderer...which in all honesty had become a rather muddled term these days. Moments like this made Daryl wonder why he bothered with the group. He could stick to small game and feed himself just fine. He didn't need to waste his time and energy finding enough meat to make sure everyone had dinner, especially when all these girls did was moan about the stupid deer being a precious creature.

"Fine. I'll do it myself." He grunted as he reached over and pulled the carcass toward him with one hand. It was heavy-- no one would be hungry after dinner unless by choice. Unperturbed by the fact that the women were in plain sight, he drew his knife, clearly intending to do the deed right there. Sooner or later they would have to get used to it. Daryl didn't see the state of the world getting better anytime soon.

[amy smith]

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It was clear Daryl didn't care about her disgust, but when he commented about whether she was being 'for real'. Well, she rolled her eyes, and from that second on she felt her stomach churn.

She nervously watched him remove the knife, and jerk the dear up closer to him. Don't freak out. Amy tried to remind herself, this sort of stuff was bound to happen often. She tried not to watch, but she finished folding the last of her clothes.

With her eyes still on him, she waited for him to actually hurt the deer. She was giving him a pleading look, but she didn't know if he'd seen it. If he even cared. Even if it was something that they would see eventually, maybe even have to do themselves. It was still nice to not have to worry about that until push came to shove. Amy looked at Lori, and then back to Daryl.

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TAG || lori grimes, daryl dixon, & everyone else

[lori grimes]

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Her eyes went back to Daryl, as she sort of just gave him a glaring look. The man had no morals it seemed. His manners were shot as well.

Lori's eyes fell on the deer as she noticed him retrieving his knife. She opened her mouth. "H-hey, why don't you do that some place else..." Lori looked at him with slightly wider eyes. "Somewhere, away, from the children?" She glanced over to Sophia who was near Carol, and Carl was roaming around the group.

'Come on, mom. Dad never let me watch...' Lori's eyes fell on her son who had suddenly become intrigued with animal guts. "No, absolutely not..." She shot a look at Daryl. One that meant, do not do that here. Of course, he had no control over him. Carl was standing beside his mother now.

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TAG || daryl dixon, amy smith, & everyone else.

[Deleted]

Daryl ran his thumb over the blade's edge, feeling shallow chips and gouges caused by use. He really need to sharpen it, but unlike movies, he didn't do it with a rock. He needed a certain tool, which he hadn't been able to find since he'd run into a hoard of walkers and had to lay his bike down. He'd lost several items from the saddlebags that day. Still pissed him off; pissed off Merle more though, and his big brother mentioned it every chance he got. Merle had inherited their old man's bad temper. Bastard.

Not one to dwell in memories, Daryl shook off the thought and looked up for no real reason. For a split second, his gaze paused on Amy's; possibly the first time he had ever actually looked her in the eyes. It disarmed him momentarily, caught him off guard. She looked so childish and...kind of pathetic really. He couldn't understand these people. It was just an animal. It would taste delicious over an open flame.

"Why don't you--" he started, cutting off when Carl wandered over. His jaw clenched and he stared back at Lori, not at all persuaded yet. "Listen to your mother, kid," he half growled. "Get out of here." He didn't remember his mom, but when he was drunk, sometimes his dad would talk about her.

[amy smith]

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What the... Amy couldn't believe that Daryl was being so stupid. Were all men like this? Amy had her fair share of boyfriends in the past, and a few were pretty ignorant. Daryl just seemed to lift the whole meaning of 'ass' to the next level.

Carl had wandered over to his mother, and Amy messed with the clothes. She picked a bunch of them up, and then looked at Carl. Daryl had acted rudely to the boy. "Hey, you want to help me hand these clothes out?" Amy felt it was better to distract the boy. Instead of just mouthing at him. Lori was surely going to be pissed at Daryl, the woman seemed to have a temper. Two hotheads in one place was never a good thing.

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TAG || lori grimes, daryl dixon, & everyone else

[lori grimes]

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She was clearly bi-polar. Something like that. Lori always knew that she was hotheaded, but the way that she just flicked her attitude lately was making her wonder. She glared at Daryl. "Don't tell him what to do."

Lori might not be number one mom, but she sure as hell didn't want some stranger telling her son what to do. She glanced at Amy, and then to Carl. The poor boy's eyes had bugged out a bit, Daryl had frightened him. "Go with Amy, help her with the clothes."

The boy seemed distracted still, but Lori pulled slightly at the bottom of his shirt. He looked back at his mother. "Carl..." The boy nodded, and Lori handed him a bunch of clothes. In seconds, he and Amy were trotting around the camp giving clothes to everyone. "You don't have to be so hard on us you know. We're all going through hell here..." She muttered to Daryl.

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TAG || daryl dixon, amy smith, & everyone else.

[Deleted]

Daryl had been brought up differently. He'd been taught respect. Or rather, respect had been demanded from him, or else it was a belt across the back. "You told him what to do 'n he didn't listen. But you're right, not my place." He held up a hand in surrender, giving a careless shrug. She didn't need him for reinforcement. From what he could tell, Shane was trying to fill that role. Not that Daryl was great at reading people. But they didn't hide it very well.

After the other two had left, Daryl went right to work, poking the knifetip through the deer's soft belly and slicing up past the ribcage. Mockingly, he grinned up at Lori. "Alright. I'll take it easy on you. Let me know when you want me to serve you yer tea later." He made a derisive noise in the back of his throat and looked back down at his hands, which had never stopped working.

[lori grimes]

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Lori was glad that he backed down when she mentioned about not telling Carl what to do. Maybe in the future, once she knew him better, she'd trust his judgement.

Lori tried to ignore the fact that Daryl was already stripping the deer. She kept her eyes on the area around them. It was mostly filled of boulders. Something marking that there once was human life that probably visited often. Along with that, they had set up an area to lay things on. That included dead animals.

Standing up, she pulled the cloth off the table. Daryl wouldn't need the cloth once he started chucking fresh meat on there. She seated herself again, and folded it neatly. Smirking slightly at his comment. "Well, for what it's worth, thanks." She tried her best give him an honest look. Lori was glad that he at least brought food. That was better than hogging it for himself. "Definitely plenty to go around, and if we rationed it we could survive off it for awhile..." She paused.

"Damn, keep forgetting we don't have freezers anymore..." Freezing the meat was basically out of the question. She sighed.

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TAG || daryl dixon, & everyone else.

[Deleted]

The deer's innards were still warm, which was good. Daryl liked to stay ahead of the bacteria that tended to grow on dead things. He was utterly practical. He wasn't a cruel man; just rude and insensitive. And oh so very rough around the edges. When she spoke, he just issued a lazy grunt, not keen on much conversation as he focused on his work.

Quickly and efficiently, he sliced the meat from the bones and seperated the less appealing organs. He could already taste the juicy, freshly cooked venison. "No freezers, but it can be cured if we got enough salt," he stated matter of factly, for once not pointing out how silly she was for not knowing that. Maybe there was some hope that he could get along with this crew.