The night was beginning to approach once again, Will and Sophia now fast asleep in the RV as the other five were awake and waiting.

Finally, after what the kids complained was 'forever', Shane opened the door and waved them out.

Eliza tells her parents that Will had fallen asleep inside the RV to which Dale quickly assures that he could stay there as long as he needed, though Morales swore he couldn't take that hospitality just yet and carried his son to the family's tent.

Dale relays the message again to Carol and Ed, though Ed shrugs him off and steps inside the RV. When he returns, Sophia is yawning and stumbling around sleepily beside him as the trio make their way to their tent.

Carl stays by Shane's side, Lori making her way over slowly and standing with them as well.

Ryan heads to where Glenn was sat on the ground, sweating as he fanned himself with his hat.

Nanami and Sakiko are still until they spot Daryl and Merle walking their way.

"C'mon," Daryl waves, "Made y'all a spot for yourselves."

Nanami steps forward to follow, Sakiko hesitating. Daryl gives her a look that makes her step forward carefully as she internally wonders if she was wrong about him.

Once close enough, Merle takes the reigns, "I ain't blame y'all for cutting out like that but you picked a hell of a time to do it, I'll give you that."

Sakiko looks up to Daryl who looks away from her, picking at his thumb nail.

"What's even going on?" Nanami finally asks, figuring at least Merle might give them answers.

"It's the goddamned end of the world if you ask anyone with a half-ass working brain."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You always ask this many questions?" Merle wonders, glancing back to Nanami.

"Only when we don't know what the hell is going on," Sakiko defends her brother.

"Whoa, there, Mulan," Merle laughs, "I thought we was friends?"

"We'll talk about it in the mornin'," Daryl cuts in.

"That's right," Merle points to his brother, "Officer Walsh has some more plans and a run down for us all.. Go figure we let the pig in charge of the whole damn camp."

--

As the twins laid in their sleeping bags, they were startled by the tent unzipping- Daryl sneaking in as quietly as he could muster.

"So, now you wanna talk to us?" Sakiko asks, sitting up straight.

"More like I finally got away from that jackass," Daryl huffs, sitting down, "Y'all all right? I know it ain't what we had in mind, but I didn't think any of this would happen, either."

"Well.. What is happening? Are you gonna answer that?" Nanami asks, picking at the zipper of his bag.

Daryl sighs, clearly stressed as he runs his hand over his face.

"That virus or whatever we saw on those boards?" Daryl asks, "You remember those?"

"On the way to Atlanta," Nanami nods.

"It's a virus that.. that kills people. Kills 'em real quick and easy."

"So, we're hiding? How does it spread? Like the flu?" Nanami questions.

"Nah, it ain't that simple. This thing.. It makes people die and then come back."

"Come back?" Sakiko speaks up, "As in come back to life?"

"Somethin' like that. That's how it spreads. After they come back, they attack those of us that are still alive- more alive than them things, anyway. They bite or scratch someone, that person gets sick and dies. Then, they come back, attack someone, that person gets sick and.. it just keeps going. That's why it got so outta hand in Atlanta."

The twins are silent at Daryl's revelation, trying to soak in the information though it seemed impossible to wrap their heads around.

"Y'all still got those knives?" Daryl asks.

Nanami shakes his head to break free of his thoughts, reaching to his bag. He unzips one of the pockets, puling out the knife that he holds up for Daryl to see.

"Kiko?" Daryl asks.

Sakiko nods, pulling the knife out of her pocket and holding it out in her palm for him to see.

"All right," Daryl breathes, "That's good. You're gonna need to keep those close, all right?"

"Why?" Sakiko asks carefully.

"Those things.. They don't stop attacking 'till you hit their brain-"

"Stab a person in the head?" Nanami asks, bewildered.

"Not a person," Daryl denies, "I don't know what they are- but they ain't a person. Not anymore."

Daryl lets that lie in the air, the twins more and more visibly upset. But, he knew that Shane and the other adults would sugarcoat it and Merle would be too harsh on them. He needed all this to come from him and only him, that's the only way they would understand.

"We thought.." Nanami sighs, "We thought you turned us over to the state."

"Why the hell you think that?" Daryl asks, face scrunching in confusion.

"Well, you did tell us to just up and go with a cop," Sakiko sassily reminds, dropping her hands to her lap and fiddling with her knife.

"Only cause of Merle," Daryl assures.

"So, now what, then? We just.. What do we do? Merle is here and the world is apparently ending," Nanami frowns.

Daryl scoots a little closer, looking to his boots as though everything falling apart around them was his fault.

"I know this ain't what we had in mind. Far from it and then some.. But, it ain't just about getting out of that shit hole we left behind. It's about staying alive now. We wait for the military or whatever we're supposed to do.. But, we just gotta stay alive now, kids."

Again, the tent goes silent for a couple minutes until Nanami is the one to break it.

"Kiko told a guy that you were our dad."

"Nanami!" Sakiko hisses, looking back to Daryl and slumping over, "Technically, I said step dad."

Daryl huffs out his version of a laugh, shaking his head as he backs up to the exit, "Y'all get some sleep. I'll be by in the morning to wake you up."

As he makes his way out, he pauses with a hand on the zipper, "Night kids."

"Night Daryl," Nanami nods, feeling better now that they've talked.

"Night Daryl," Sakiko mutters, not meeting his eyes.

Daryl nods to himself, feeling a weight off his shoulders now that he'd talked to his kids, zipping the tent up and making his way to his own.

"You suck," Sakiko tells Nanami, just loud enough for Daryl to hear.