Both Eyes Open - Daryl Dixon (under editing)

I had my eyes on you.

"Vi, seal the main entrance. Kill the power up here." A man speaks, looking as shocked as everyone else around him.

"Who the hell are you?" The blond woman asks, looking down at the girl lying on the floor.

"I know your face, punk." Redneck started, walking cockily forward, crossbow at his side, gesturing it at her occasionally. "Thought you were dead by now."

"Thought or hoping?" She asked, a little out of breath, but still with a smirk, as she pushed herself to her knees, looking up at the group still staring at her.

"What's your name?" Rick asked, stepping forward authoritatively, but holding a friendly hand out to help her to her feet which she gratefully accepted.

Steadying herself she sighed and took a quiet breath, looking at Rick, "Lara."

"Rick Grimes." He said, holding her hand, shaking strongly, and nodding to her. She frowned as his grip got tight, and his other hand raised up his weapon beside his head, facing the ceiling. It was an obvious threat, and she raised her other hand defensively, and frowned in confusion at Rick.

"Are you bit?" He asked squinting his eyes as if he could scan her.

Pulling her hand slowly from his grip, she ran it through her hair, fixing the strands back into place, watching Rick with bemusement.

"No. Course I ain't bit. Otherwise I would have checked out by now. I certainly wouldn't have come in here and risked hurting you lot." She said, slowly standing up.

Rick nodded, looking her up and down cautiously, but approvingly.

"How do you know Daryl?" Shane asked, his eyes flickering between the pair.

Lara sighed, rubbing her palms of the back of her trousers. "I'll admit I know most of you. I had my own little camp near yours. Moved it's position nearly every day." She confessed, watching everyone's expressions become baffled, a few 'What's?' being tossed about the group.

"Yeah... I was a little bit away inside the woods. I couldn't go into your camp though..." She told them shyly.

"Why not?" Daryl asked wryly.

She looked up at the redneck she had once taken down, "I didn't think I'd receive a warm welcome. At least not from some." She said accusingly, before looking to Shane, "I ran into him a couple days ago..."

Daryl squinted at her, still not staying still on the spot, as if preparing for her to make a move again. He felt somewhat bad that he was the reason for her feeling like she could not approach the group. As much as he hated being outnumbered, this wasn't a bad group of people, and in this world, there are definitely safety in numbers.

"So you just watched us?" Lori asked, her arm around Carl, who seemed indifferent about the situation.

"More or less... I wasn't even going to follow the group, but then Sheriff here showed up," Lara told them honestly, directing a few eyes to Rick for a moment, "and your husband-" she looked at Carol, who nodded like she already knew what was coming, "-well he got what was coming to him, ma'am, and I felt like there was an oddly better vibe from the group after that. More structure... More strength. Strength in numbers and all that, so I couldn't watch you guys just drive off."