A Dixon's Heart

~One~

Early in the morning, the Dixon family are out hunting. Their goal is to get enough deer and other meat to last them all spring and summer in order for them to not have to buy from the store. The Dixons try to save their money as much as they can in order to give the young children everything they need. Luckily Nathaniel, better known as Nate, has graduated school and no longer needs new school supplies every year and can now get a job to help his family out.

But at the moment all of them are hunting or at least trying to. "Daddy, I'm tired." Gracelyn, better known as Grace, was supposed to go to bed early last night in order to get up early this morning, but now, just as the sun is rising, Grace is beginning to grow tired. She, instead of going to bed early, had stayed up pretty much the entire night.

"You shouldn't have stayed up so late like I told you not to do."

Gracelyn is a beautiful young girl. She has the dixon blue eyes, but her mother's dirty blonde hair that falls to her waist. She is small and petite, but has the beauty of a porcelain doll. Nate looks more like his father every day. The same dark brown hair, the same blue eyes, the same lean and strong frame.

"Daddy can you carry me." Nate bites back a smile as he glances back at his sister. Daryl says she is a little angel, but Nate knows she is a devil in disguise, she always knows how to get her way.

"Grace, I told you already, you should have went to bed when I told you to. Walking is your punishment." Daryl's 'punishments' never last long when it comes to Grace.

"Natey?" Nate shakes his head, glancing back at her with a slight grin.

"Not going to happen, Grace. You're better off convincing dad." He says before crouching down to look at the tracks on the ground.

"Anything?" Daryl asks, looking down at his son.

"Some raccoon tracks, but that's about it." He stands up and looks at his father.

"Let's keep going then." Merle stays silent, silently brooding about having to hunt with the kids, while Grace stays in the back, growing slower with each step. Her eyes grow heavy as she forces herself to stay awake.

Nate focuses on the ground as the group continued to walk. Growing up Nate never really socialized with anyone outside the family. He never dated, never did any school activities, never went to any school activities, he just became a loner and outsider at school. Nate is a very handsome young kid, who can easily find a girl if he got out of his shell and allows himself to socialize more with people.

Nate, as much as he says he prefers his family over meeting new people, has been growing a bit restless, even more so seeing how he is beginning to mature more and certain male cravings are beginning to come over him. Nate also doesn't feel comfortable talking to his father about these certain feelings nor does he wishes to talk to his uncle. Knowing Merle he'd probably just take Nate to a strip club and tell him to let loose. Nate really didn't get along with Merle, like at all, and for him it's hard to even stand looking at his uncle never mind trying to get advice out of him.

"Ow." Nate shakes his head, ridding himself of his deep thoughts, and turn in time to see his little sister fall flat on her face.

"Nice trip, Grace?" Nate asks teasingly, causing her to glare at him.

"Goddamn it, Gracelyn." Daryl snaps, yanking her up from the ground. "What the hell did I tell you?!" Nate frowns, glancing at his father a bit surprise. He never raises his voice at his kids, but instead tries to talk calmly to them and discuss the issues he is having with them, but right now he's yelling at Grace, which is causing her to tear up. "Answer me!"

"Dad." Nate says warningly. "That's enough, you're upsetting her." Nate says, going and taking her out of Daryl's hands and picking her up. Grace clings to her brother and tries to stifle her cries into his chest, but Daryl still can hear the soft sobbing, which causes him to begin to feel guilty.