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Harry's eyes skimmed the tiny room in shock. Even with his care, the chances that a man could wake from a coma and just walk away were slim in the best of cases, which current circumstances definitely weren't.

But the thought was obviously the right one. His patient was no longer in the bed. There was no animate corpse wandering the room. And the clothes and supplies left by his anxious partner in a vain attempt to provide for the man in case he survived to wake up were gone. He'd thought it was unnecessary, sure he'd be able to provide anything his patient needed. Now, he was just wondering how the man had known.

And ok, sure, someone could have broken in and stolen it, releasing the corpse to roam, but his monitoring spell was still updating him on the man's health. He just hadn't thought to put a locator spell on a comatose patient. It had never occurred to him he'd be up and about so soon after awakening. And now, all he could do was pray. 

Godspeed, Rick Grimes. And good luck. 

Chapter Text

Harry appeared back in his home with a small crack, which caused the boy waiting patiently to look up from his book. Something in his expression made him smile. Harry smiled back automatically, moving to hug him still in a daze. 

"Is it time, Uncle Harry?" Harry chuckled at the impatience in his voice. 

"Yes, it's time. My last patient's checked out. We should move on. Are you packed, Teddy?"

"Last week," Teddy chided. "I thought you'd never be ready." Harry ruffled his hair. 

"You know a healer can't abandon their patients. Now that Mr Grimes is on his feet, there's nothing keeping me here." He kissed Teddy on the forehead and stood. "You packed your clothes for woods running, right?" 

"Of course, Uncle Harry." 

"Alright. Let's go find your uncles."

-=-

Harry had to stifle a chuckle as Teddy presented himself for inspection at the door. He was wearing a light dragonhide jacket over a cotton t-shirt, open but secured tightly at the wrists, with the collar flipped up against the back of his neck, protecting it from the irritating nylon of his camping pack. The boy had issues with man-made fibers. He'd been told- finally, after years of dealing with a miserable toddler and no answers- that it was a common problem for the wolf-born. And just that was a revelation for the British born man. That there was a term specifically for the children of werewolves. Hell, he'd never had it even confirmed that werewolves had children who were effected by their condition, until he'd started raising Teddy. Remus had tried to explain, but every word out of his mouth had been bad, and Harry had thought it was only his fear talking. Honestly it probably was anyway. Born wolves -those wolf born children who started changing during puberty- were highly secretive, probably in response to how their originators were treated, and not much was known about either wolf born children or born wolves outside of their own communities. 

The outfit was completed with sturdy denim trousers and even sturdier dragonhide boots. Harry shook his head as he could see at least 6 different knives tucked into his clothes, plus his bow and quiver along the sides of his pack. He couldn't say much; he was similarly outfitted, though he had a crossbow and bolts instead of a bow and arrows. They had determined petty quickly that he couldn't aim a bow to save his life, but he was ok with the crossbow. At least Teddy wasn't trying to bring a sword. 

They started out the back door at a quick walk, heading into the woods. Apperation being what it was, he hasn't needed to live in town to work at the hospital. And nobody thought twice about a country address around here. 

Teddy was relaxed and smiling at his side. He loved being outside, another characteristic of his wolf born nature. Even with whatever it was that was raising the dead - it wasn't any magic he could recognize, and from the messages his friends had gotten to him, the magical world wasn't handling it any better than the mundane- anything that took him into the woods couldn't be all bad, in Ted's opinion. 

It was a long walk to their emergency meet location, but it wasn't long enough or hard enough to make it worth unshrinking his truck and driving, especially with the amount of nervous energy Teddy was putting out now that they were moving. He needed the hike to help calm his instincts. He needed the outdoors in ways most people couldn't understand. And spending the past weeks mostly in the house while Harry had tended his ever dwindling patients had tried his temper. Richard Grimes had been the the only survivor for the last weeks, and it had only been his partner's desperate hope for his survival that had kept Harry from euthanizing him as hope of his recovery dwindled. Now Harry was glad he hadn't given in to the despair and and impatience. Even if he was nowhere near as prepared as Harry would have liked, any man who rise from a coma to negotiate a world like this was a man they needed. Especially the type of man Deputy Walsh had described in long winded, tear filled conversations that were sometimes the only thing that kept the man moving forwards. He honestly seemed more effected by his coma than the man's wife, and more of a support to his son, too. Carl was a good kid, about Ted's age but very quiet and sheltered. He'd lost track of the family in the chaos of the evacuation, and he bitterly regretted it. He worried about the boy who was so fragile compared to his wolf born godson, and his godfather who was stretched beyond his means trying to care for them. 

They moved in a ground eating lope that their packmates had taught them that tapped into the Earth's natural magic. They had all been surprised that Harry could do it even though he'd been sitting in on Teddy's lessons for as long as he'd been having them. It proved another lie from their former Alpha. And it had proved to them both that Harry was suitable to be part of the pack even though he wasn't wolf born, and brought down the last of the walls they had been taught to keep between themselves and the rest of the world. 

Harry and Teddy spent that night curled up against the base of a giant oak tree. Harry had put wards 20ft out that would keep anything out (he'd had a lot of time to play with it between treatments as his patients had dwindled) and even if it failed, they felt safe enough with the lack of walking dead now that they were away from town. Maybe that would change as this went on longer, but for now, it was enough. 

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Harry grabbed Teddy's shoulder to stop him, staring in shock at the amount of people who had invaded their quarry. Harry shook that thought away as soon as it passed through his head. Everyone had the right to seek shelter, and it's not like he owned the quarry. The two walked more slowly towards the group of people. He was glad now that they had carried their packs, though he didn't know what he was supposed to do about the truck. He jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder from behind, turning to see Shane Walsh smirking at him.

"Doc!" He exclaimed happily. "Good ta see ya! Is that your boy?" Harry smiled back.

"Deputy. Glad you see you. Carl and Lori?" 

"They're here." He turned to Teddy, offering his hand. "I think the doc said your name was Ted, right?" Teddy reached to shake his hand with a grin. 

"Yeah, or Teddy. I don't mind." Shane grinned back at him and elbowed Harry in the side.

"And don'tcha think at the end of the world you could be a little less formal, Doc? I'd really like if you could use my name."

"Alright, alright!" Harry laughed. "I've just found it better to not be on a first name basis with a patient's family. They tend to have more blame for a doctor they feel close to." Shane's face softened.

"I know you always did your best for Rick," he said softly. "And since he's not with you...." He trailed off, squeezing his eyes closed. Harry patted his arm.

"I don't know, Shane. He was stable, last living person at the hospital. I went home to check on Teddy and get some sleep, and when I came back he was gone." He shook his head at the deputy's wide eyes. "I can't swear he's still alive, but he left the hospital dressed and armed." Shane nearly fell on him, wrapping his arms around Harry's waist. 

"Thank you," he whispered, obviously trying to hold back tears. "It was killing me that I left him behind."

"Hey. No." Harry pulled Shane away to meet his eyes. "You got Carl and Lori to safety. That was your job. Looking after Rick was mine, and I did it. Your friend's a bloody medical miracle or he'd be with me now. From a coma to walking out the door in under 10 hours." He squeezed Shames shoulders lightly. "I believe he'll find his way. Have faith." Shane started into his eyes for long moments, as though they contained the secrets of the universe. If they did, Harry had never seen it in the mirror.

"Alright, alright," Shane said, finally stepping back. "I've got faith. If anybody could make it to us now, Rick is the sunuvabitch to do it." Harry nodded back, wrapping any arm around Teddy's shoulders to pull him close. "Hey, let me give you guys the tour. Figure out where ya want to set up, introduce Ted to the other kids, yeah?"

"That'd be great," Harry agreed. Shane gestured towards the RV, of all things, sitting near the mouth of the cutout. Harry followed him, eyes scanning for two familiar forms among the strangers.

"Harry," Shane continued quietly as they moved, not knowing Teddy could hear every whisper. "I just want you to know now, there's a few unsavory characters around here. We can't exactly turn anyone away for suspicions right now, especially when they don't arrive alone. Keep an eye on Ted, ok? There's-" Harry cut Shane of with an impatient hand across his lips as he saw his brother chopping wood. Shane froze in shock at the gesture, then nipped playfully at Harry's hand until he removed it.

"Teddy, go help your uncle," he said, pushing Teddy towards him gently. Teddy head snapped to look at him, and he took off running -at thankfully human normal speeds- towards him.

"Uncle Merle! Uncle Merle!" Everyone in earshot stopped to stare as the axe was thrown to the ground, forgotten as the boy leapt into his arms.

"Izzat my Teddy?" he asked rhetorically as he caught the child and hugged him tightly, Merle pressing his face briefly against the side of his neck as he was hugged to scent that the pack's only cub was uninjured. "I thought you an' yer godfather done bit it." Teddy wrapped his arms around Merle's shoulders, burying his face in his neck to scent him in return. Merle gave him an approving nod as he pulled away.

"No. Uncle Harry had a stubborn patient." Merle just laughed at the description, knowing that Harry was oathed to give his patients the best possible treatment, and oaths didn't end just because the dead walked. "Where's Uncle Daryl?" 

"Woods. Where else, Faolan?" Teddy accepted this with a shrug and a nod.

"Can we go find him?" 

"Nah, Faolan. He'll be back tonight." Harry turned to the deputy sheriff, who along with the rest of the camp was staring at the man holding the pouting preteen in shock.

"Not everything's what it seems, Shane," he said quietly. "They were taught that nobody would love them, care about them, since they were babies. Taught to keep everyone at a distance to keep from being hurt. It took me five years to get them to let me in, and I'm still convinced it only worked because of Teddy."

He remembered the first time the Dixons had seen Teddy, almost five and escaping the house yet again. Shirtless, because he didn't have the words to explain how bad it made him feel, Autumn leaves suck in his hair, being chased by an increasingly frustrated godfather. 

And Daryl had taken one look at him and scooped him up into his arms, told him he was a naughty Faolan for trying to run the woods alone, and let the boy pull his hair as he carried him back to Harry. Merle had taken longer to approach, but neither of them had been able to resist the pull of the packless wolfborn.

"When they found out I was pretty much raising Teddy by myself, they both stepped up to help. Without ever along for anything in return. Because just allowing them to see Teddy was more than they expected from me."

"Where's the little guy's momma?"

"She died in the terrorist attacks when he was a baby. It's why we moved here. I stayed long enough for medical school, but once his grandma passed, we came over here. His dad's a really well known public figure, and so's my godfather. When I decided I was going to come to America to get out of the limelight, he sent Teddy with me so he could have a normal childhood." Shane wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders.

"I'm sorry." Harry shrugged.

"You didn't know. I wasn't close to his mom, but his dad's my godfather's partner." He sighed. "And I haven't heard from them since this started." 

"That's rough," Shane sympathized. They stood in silence for long moments. "So, I'm guessing you wanna set up by the Dixons? If they're your family." Harry nodded.

"Yeah. That would be great."

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"So, mind telling me how we got invaded?" Harry asked Merle and Daryl quietly that evening. He looked across the small fire to where Daryl was holding a sleeping Teddy, looking smug. He shook his head. 

"The good deputy showed up a couple days ago with most of 'em in tow," Merle explained from where he was sitting next to Harry, hardening the tips of sharpened sticks in the fire. He was stacking them next to Harry, obviously expecting him to transfigure the fletchings rather than going to the effort to put them on normally. "The rest drifted in, just lookin' for somewhere safe. Couldn' exactly send 'em away." Merle looked away at Harry's proud smile, uncomfortable as always when someone acknowledged that he wasn't just a racist bastard. He'd learned to spew hateful words with the worst of them in order to keep people away, but he'd never learned to really believe that it made a difference. That was what was so amazing to Harry. 

"Thought for sure you were dead," Daryl added. "It's been weeks since we heard from you."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Neither Dixon had a response to that. They had lost most of their pack as children, and had been left alone with their abusive asshole of a father for an alpha until he'd died. The idea of losing any more packmates was completely terrifying to the both of them, part of why they had let the pack die off with only the two of them rather than reach out until they'd meet Teddy. Born wolves were hardwired to care for children, especially wolf-born. 

Daryl stood, carrying Teddy easily into Harry's tent to put him to bed. Harry didn't bother to follow as the man stepped into the wizard space. Daryl was as familiar with the layout of the tent as Harry himself. The Dixons had been instrumental in building a home away from home that Teddy would be comfortable in. Instead, he moved to kneel in front of Merle, pulling the man into a hug now that most of the camp was settled in for the night and not watching them anymore. Apparently, that he cared about a child had shocked most of them and had them reevaluating the older hunter. 

Merle sighed, but set the shafts aside to hug him back, burying his face in Harry's neck to breathe in his scent. Hot tears slid down his neck, though the man remained silent and still. Harry didn't comment, but hugged Merle tighter, one hand moving to play with the hair at the back of his neck comfortingly. Finally, Merle sat back, brushing their cheeks together in a final caress. 

"Don't do that to me again," Merle commanded gruffly, standing to move to his tent. Harry moved towards his own tent, meeting Daryl just inside the door. Daryl's hands moved around his waist, pulling him in before he had a chance to do more than register the other mans presence. He let Daryl tuck his head down against his chest, as he nuzzled against his hair. In the privacy of the tent, Daryl wouldn't have to restrain his instincts to check over a newly returned packmate. Probably why he had waited for him here. Strong fingers smoothed across his chest and shoulders, digging into his muscles. Daryl brushed their cheeks together as he moved to bury his face on the other side of Harry's neck from where his brother had. Harry hummed happily into the attention, smoothing his hands up Daryl's arms in return, rubbing his cheek against the hunter's hair. He knew they had been worried, but this level of attention from the quieter of the two brothers was unusual. 

"I'm fine, I promise." The words whispered into his hair seemed to  startle him. He growled softly, pulling Harry flush up against him. Harry sighed. "I'm not going anywhere," he soothed, running his fingers through the hunter's hair. He hadn't always been so comfortable with letting the brothers manhandle him. Only a twisted ankle had kept him from running away the first time they had tried to check him for injuries. He'd learned better since. Daryl didn't mean anything other than the overwhelming need to make sure he was safe, to reassure himself that Harry was uninjured and really back with them. 

Harry leaned tiredly against him, letting Daryl support him as his eyes feel shut, taking comfort in the man's solid presence. He'd been better off than his fellows at the hospital, able to sense the death surrounding the walking corpses when they started being brought in. Without his insistence, they would have been overrun in a matter of hours. But it had still happened, and he had spent the last few weeks torn between his oaths and the need to take care of Teddy and find his pack. The release of tension when he'd realized Deputy Grimes had removed himself from his care had been overwhelming. No longer being pulled in opposite directions, he'd finally been able to think of leaving without pain. At last he'd been able to use the idle time to pack up the supplies left in the hospital. 

Harry didn't fight it when Daryl swept him into his arms, carrying him through the tent to his own room. Instead, he curled against his shoulder, pressing a soft kiss against the side of his neck. He was too tired and relaxed to be bothered, and letting Daryl care for him was the best way to soothe him. In short order he found himself sitting on his bed, stripped down to his pants as careful fingers poked every visible scratch and bruise. Finally satisfied that Harry was uninjured, Daryl sat sat back on his heels, rational thought showing again in his eyes as the driving instincts receded. He flushed softly, looking away. 

Harry reached out to guide his face back up, leaning in to press their foreheads together. Daryl slowly relaxed again ast Harry's calm affection. He was still getting used to someone who would accept his affection without teasing. Merle had learned to suppress everything in order to protect his brother from their dad, mocking words pushing their awareness back from loosing control, but not without cost. Daryl's hands moved to grip Harry's shoulders, and Harry's hands moved to either side of his neck in response. 

"Get some sleep," Daryl muttered, finally pulling away. Harry nodded with a yawn, curling up on the bed. Daryl hesitated for another moment before making his way towards the door. 

-=-

"Uncle Harry?" Teddy asked quietly after breakfast the next morning. 

"What is it, Teddy?" 

"Could you make training blades for us? None of the other kids can use a knife." Harry smiled at the bewildered note in his godson's voice. Given his upbringing, he hasn't been able to just trust that he would always be there to protect Teddy like most parents would. He'd stated self defence training at 3, and the Dixons had started them both in knife fighting when Teddy was 5. And then the bow (and Harry's crossbow) when the boy was 8. Hence his proclivity for knives. He literally didn't know what it was to go unarmed. And he didn't understand why otter kids would want to, or their parents let them. Harry often thought he was raising Teddy to be far more feral than Remus would like, but so far he hadn't even noticed Ted's weapons, and Harry hadn't planned on telling him. If he showed up, he might have to though. Teddy had already taken leadership of the little mob of kids here, mostly because he wasn't lost and afraid like they were. People followed confidence, adult or child. And children were uninhibited enough to want to be just like their leader. 

"There's 4 other kids, right?" He asked, just to be sure. 

"Yeah.  Carl, Sophia, Eliza, and Louis," Teddy confirmed. 

"Alright. Give me a couple days, and I'll have something functional for you." Teddy grinned and hugged him. 

"You're the best, Uncle Harry."

"I know," he said comfortably. "Go find Daryl. He's looking for you." Teddy's face brightened impossibly as he threw his quiver over his shoulder and grabbed his bow. Obviously, he already knew why Daryl was looking for him. 

"Are you sure it's safe to let him roam the woods?" Harry turned to face the old man - Dale if he remembered the introductions correctly- ignoring the way Daryl had stiffened across the clearing.

"I have complete faith in Teddy's ability to keep himself safe. And if it for some reason fails him, Daryl would never let him be harmed." Daryl's shoulders relaxed at Harry's declaration of trust. "Just because the other kids here can't take care of themselves didn't man I was so careless with my godson's wellbeing." Dale stared in consternation as Harry walked away. He threw an arm over Daryl's shoulders, walking with them to the edge of the camp. "You alright?" He asked Daryl quietly. Daryl pointedly looked away. "Remember, they don't know you like I do." Daryl nodded reluctantly after a moment. Teddy moved in to hug Daryl tightly, trying his best to help comfort the man who had always been there for him. 

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"Y'know, the change in the Dixons since you got here is amazing," Shane commented idly to Harry as they watched Merle drilling the kids in basic knife fighting. Teddy was twitching with impatience running through the exercises he'd been doing for years, but his eyes had tracked to Carl and Sophia when Merle offered to let him skip this part, and he just shook his head. Merle had eyed him thoughtfully, but just gestured him back to the other kids. 

"Well, for one they were grieving, and you know what that does to people. And someone judged them negatively before they even had a chance to introduce themselves, so they didn't see a point in trying to be social. Which is hard for them. They've been alone most of their lives." Harry paused for a moment, watching the soft smile on Merle's face as he paired the children up to continue the drills. Teddy was left out, but that was to be expected. He was more of a second teacher than a student in this group, and if the way he hovered at the edges of the group said anything, he was well aware of it. 

"And two?" Shane's voice was neutral, but Harry still turned to study his face for long moments before answering.

"Two, once they decided they could trust me, they also decided I made a better leader than Merle, since I can interact with people better. I disappeared on them at the worst possible time, and all they could think to do was keep everyone fed." He gestured towards the edge of the camp, where Daryl was in the process of breaking down a deer carcass he'd come in with a couple of hours ago. His relaxed posture and slight smile told Harry it had been a good hunt, and Teddy had insisted he be allowed to come along next time. Harry had a feeling he would be, even if all they brought back was snared rabbits. Both brothers had taken Teddy hunting before, but never when it was so important to bring food in. Teddy was having to grow up faster than Harry had wanted, but at least he had the skills to survive in this new world. 

-=-

"Harry, we gotta problem," Merle said softly that night. Beside him, Daryl nodded silently. 

"What's wrong?" Harry hadn't noticed anything. But that wasn't unusual; the two werewolves had much keener senses than he did. 

"Nothin' yet. But we gotta tell them or there will be." Harry shot Merle a confused look. Just two days ago he'd been dead set against telling anyone, and Harry didn't think his reasoning would have changed in such a short time. Merle sighed. "It's Teddy," he added reluctantly. "He's gonna change soon. An' when he does, we either need t'be gone, or tell 'em. I'm still not a fan of the idea, but... Teddy's courtin' already."

"He's only 12!" Harry yelped, shocked. Daryl snickered at his surprise. "I didn't think- Why now?"

"Usually it takes longer," Merle acknowledged with a nod. "But with the dead walkin' is it really a surprise? That he hasn't changed yet is... unusual, but not completely unheard of in stressful situations."

"Who?" Merle snorted softly. 

"Carl an' Sophia."

"Both of them?" Harry's voice was bewildered. 

"That a problem?" Harry turned to face Daryl at his cautious question. 

"More that they're so young than that he's interested in two people."

"You weren't interested in anyone at twelve?" Hay laughed softly. 

"I didn't even kiss anyone until I was almost sixteen." He frowned slightly, but let the memory of that disasterous kiss with Cho slip away. "And I think it was the first overt sign I had that I like guys. The kiss was all her idea." Harry was staring into the fire, so he missed the sharp glance Daryl shot him at this admission. Merle didn't though, and it set him off chuckling to himself. Harry sent him a confused look, but didn't press for an answer when he just shook his head. He wasn't sure he wanted to know, honestly, especially with the way Daryl was now glaring at his brother, making him laugh harder. 

-=-

"Hey Shane, wanna go for a walk with Teddy and me? Maybe bring Carl too?" Shane eyes lit at the invitation. 

"Sounds great, Harry." The happiness in his voice made Harry smile, but the way his shoulders relaxed said relief, making Harry's eyes narrow as he patted Lori on the shoulder and walked away from her. 

"Teddy, get Carl and bring him to our tent. Shane and I will meet you there, ok?" Teddy glanced at his expression and ran off to find his friend. Shane sighed softly as Harry reached out to put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer. It was a perfectly natural, normal gesture that Shane himself had done often, so why did it feel like his heart skipped a beat when Harry did it to him? "What's going on, Shane?" His voice was warm and gentle, but hard underneath. 

"Its ok, Harry," Shane soothed automatically. "Lori's just scared, and looking for someone to take care of her and Carl." Harry shot him an unimpressed look, and he sighed. "I guess I'm just not comfortable with all the ways she wants me to take care of her." He fell silent long enough for them to collect the boys and head out into the woods. Carl and Teddy led the way, talking and laughing happily, but quietly. 

"What's she want you to do that you don't want?" Harry asked gently, the arm around Shane's shoulders having long since slid down to tuck comfortingly around his waist. His grip tightened when Shane flushed and looked away. "Shane?"

"She's talked me into her bed a couple'a times, an' I feel like shit about it," he admitted finally, barely audible. "It wouldn't be so bad, but it's like she's tryin' to replace Rick with me, forget he existed. She doesn't want me to talk about him with her or Carl. She wants me t'move in with them and be Carl's dad. Says he needs it. Needs me. I think I'd be ok with it, or at least more ok, if it was just sex. God knows we both need some comfort, and I think Rick would understand, but... I'm not Rick. I can't be him, even for her and Carl." They had stopped as Shane spoke, and Harry pulled him into a tight hug. 

"I don't need you to be dad." They both jumped at Carl's voice, as they hadn't heard the boys come back into earshot. "I just need you to be here."

"I'm here, Carl," Shane reassured, holding out an arm. He and Harry folded Carl into their hug, and Teddy moved in to tuck Carl into his arms and took Harry's arm around his shoulders without comment. "I'll always be here for you. You know I believe you're dad's still alive, and I'm hoping he'll make his way to us. But whether he does or not, I'm still your godfather, and I'm here to make sure you have everything you need."

"And you have us, too," Teddy murmured into Carl's hair. "My pack will look out for you." The instant confusion on Carl's and Shane's faces reassured Harry that Teddy hadn't been telling secrets, but now he was in an awkward place. Harry glared at his godson, who grinned back. 

"Pack?" Shane asked softly, eying Harry seriously. Harry sighed, dropping his head to Shane's shoulder. 

"This isn't how I wanted to tell you," he muttered just loud enough for Shane to hear. "Faolin, you're in trouble." Teddy just shrugged unrepentantly.

"This is the best way, Uncle Harry," he argued. "Carl and his godfather. Then Sophia and her mom." Harry lifted his head sharply to stare at his godson, suddenly understanding where the tween's priorities were. 

"You're sure, Teddy?" he asked planitively. Teddy nodded firmly, holding his godfather's eyes. 

"I'm sure, Uncle Harry." Teddy blinked at the soft growl that came from his uncle. "I'm sure, alpha," he whispered, dropping his eyes. Harry just sighed, running his fingers through sandy brown hair. 

"You should have talked to me first, faolin. You're still in trouble," Harry said finally. 

"Yes alpha."

"Harry?" Hay reacted to the tension in Shane's voice without thinking, pulling him closer and rubbing his back. Shane relaxed with a sigh, but still eyed Harry warily. 

"Let's sit down." Harry pulled away reluctantly. They found a group of trees, and Shane sat against one with Carl tucked to his side, Harry sitting across from him. Teddy crawled into Harry's lap, nuzzling against his neck in a bid for reassurance that Harry wasn't angry with him. Harry sighed, but raised a hand to rest on the back of Teddy's neck. Teddy relaxed, sitting with his butt on one side of Harry, his legs stretching over his lap, head still tucked under Harry's chin but now turned to watch Shane and Carl. 

"I guess the place to start would be, have you ever heard of werewolves?" Harry asked hesitantly. 

"You're shittin' me." Harry shook his head. 

"Nope. Merle and Daryl are werewolves. We're pretty sure Teddy is too."

"Pretty sure?" Wouldn' ya know if he'd been attacked by a giant wolf?" There was confusion in Shane's voice, not condemnation, but Teddy still flinched. 

"Teddy wasn't attacked. His father was. Teddy was born into it. He's just barely old enough, and he hasn't shifted yet. But we're pretty sure he'd going to."

"Why?" Carl asked simply. Harry's eyes flickered over him. He looked curious, not scared. That was good. 

"Mostly? You." Carl stared at him, eyes wide. "You and Sophia. Everything else can be explained by his being wolf born, and raised by two born wolves. But not that."

"Not what exactly?" Shane's voice was hard now, but Harry could hardly blame him for that. 

"Teddy kissed me this morning," Carl whispered, his first two fingers ghosting absently over his lips. Harry nodded. 

"That's why we're talking," Harry agreed, smiling softly. "You need to know. First off, Shane, Teddy would never do anything to hurt Carl or Sophia. Ok? From here on out, everything is up to Carl and Sophia. Right, Ted?" Teddy nodded against Harry's neck. "Teddy's declared his intent to have Carl and Sophia as his mates. I wasn't expecting to have this talk for a couple of years yet. But his wolf has chosen them."

"What does that mean?" Shane's voice hasn't softened any, and he was holding Carl protectively close. 

"Right now? Not a lot." Harry shushed Teddy when he started to protest. "Think of it like a promise ring. Teddy wants to spend the rest of his life with Carl and Sophia. Now it's up to them to decide if they want it, want him. But it's not a choice to make now. Right now, is time to learn about the pack, learn about each other, learn about themselves. Nothing's going to happen now." Harry's voice sharpened for his next words. "You hear me, faolin? There will be no bonding until at least fifteen. And I would prefer you wait until you're of age. Understood?" 

"I understand alpha," Teddy whispered into his neck.

"What about you?" Shane asked suddenly. Harry raised an eyebrow. "You said the Dixons were werewolves. And Ted. But you're the alpha?" Harry rolled his eyes. 

"How I ended up the alpha of a werewolf pack I have no idea," he grumbled. Shane smiled slightly at his annoyance. "I'm not a wolf, born or otherwise. I'm a wizard. I can tap into the magic werewolves use to shift, and that plus me raising Teddy was enough to make me pack." 

"Magic?" Harry nodded, looking nervous for the first time in the conversation. "Sounds handy." Harry choked out a laugh. "What? I'm accepting werewolves, but you think magic is too much for me?" Teddy turned in Harry's arms to look at the two muggles again. 

"It was for Uncle Harry's relatives," he said softly, but it carried across the small space. Harry's hand came up to cover Teddy's mouth. That definitely wasn't Ted's to share, and Harry didn't want to think about them. Shane's eyes suddenly seemed to see too much, and Harry turned to bury his face in Teddy's hair. He listened to the soft sounds of Shane and Carl moving, probably standing, and them moving across the small space hopelessly, sure they were leaving him and Teddy. 

And then he felt Shane settle in next to him, strong arms pulling him close, and he was suddenly tucked up against Shane's chest. He could feel Carl settling in against his other side, and Teddy shifted over to sit closer to the boy, pulling him to rest on Harry's shoulder and Teddy's chest. 

"You have us too, Harry. Carl and I, we're here for you and Teddy. For your pack. It'll be ok, Harry. And slowly, Harry relaxed into his embrace. 

Chapter Text

Daryl's eyes were following him again. The man -werewolf, Shane mentally corrected himself, still trying to adjust to the idea- had been watching him for days now, any time they were both in the camp. He would have told himself he was imagining it, but his brother had seen it too, and set off in gales of laughter any time the stare got particularly intense. Shane shook his head, deciding to take the bull by the horns -the werewolf by the snout?- and see what he had to say.

Daryl didn't look up from his pointed focus on the knife he was sharpening as Shane sat down next to him, but after a moment he picked up another whetstone and blade from beside him, passing them to the deputy without looking at him. Whether it was a challenge or an invitation, Shane figured he'd take it. For long moments the only sound between them was the soft scraping of blade on stone. 

“Whatcha want?” Daryl asked finally, barely audible despite how close they were. Shane had noticed that unlike his brother, Daryl never seemed to raise his voice unless he had to.

“I wanna know why you keep starin' at me.” Daryl grunted an acknowledgement but didn't respond. He sheathed the knife he was working on and pulled another. Shane didn't push, didn't even look over at him. 

“Harry's never... been interested in anyone before,” Daryl said slowly. “Even me 'n' Merle, he wanted us around for th' faolin, not for himself.” He was silent for a long moment. “I wanna know, what made 'im reach out to you?”

“I don't know,” Shane responded softly. “I didn't know it was a big thing. He doesn't seem to be acting that different from how he was at the hospital.” Daryl gave him a sideways glance. “My best friend got shot, Harry was his doctor. He was always carefully professional, but he made time for me any time I needed to talk. All I see is that he dropped the professional distance.” Daryl shook his head.

“Watch 'im,” he insisted. “How he interacts with them versus how he interacts with you, me, an' Merle. You'll see.” Shane thought it was interesting that he'd put him on the same level of intimacy as himself and his brother, who had known Harry for years.

“If you say so,” he responded finally. He tested the edge of the knife carefully, and then handed it and the whetstone back to the man.

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Harry did still maintain that careful distance with the adults in the camp. Shane didn't know why, but he was incredibly pleased to be included with the man's family rather than held at arm's length with the rest of the camp. That distance didn't apply to the kids though, he would drop whatever he was doing if one of the kids so much as said hello. He would doctor skinned knees and listen to childish worries with all the patience in the world, but found it difficult to hold a personal conversation with anyone over the age of 15. Several times Daryl caught Shane watching Harry with probably a confused expression, raising an eyebrow as if to say 'see?'. Eventually, Shane had to concede the point.

He and Carl started spending more time around the Dixon's fire. With the doctor who was their only medical professional claiming the Dixons as family, Lori couldn't claim they would be a bad influence anymore, and honestly Shane was tired of her bossing him and Carl around. And the kids were always welcome, even if some of the adults were not. Merle'd had a stare down with Ed Pelatier the first day he'd been in the quarry, and Ed wouldn't come near either hunter now, and did his best to keep his wife and daughter away as well. 

“Sophia!” All three of the children playing near Teddy and Harry's tent stiffened at the angry shout. “How many times do I have to tell you-” Ed reached out to catch the collar of her shirt, yanking the girl to her feet. He didn't even acknowledge the boys standing with her as he started to drag her back to his part of the camp. “How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from those hicks?” Ed came to a stop, spinning to aim a backhand at the silent child. His blow came up short, however, when Teddy threw himself in between Sophia and the striking hand. He turned with the hit, and with perfect accuracy kicked the large man, first in the jewels, and then in the knee, sending him to the ground screaming. The sound drew everyone nearby to see the source of the commotion.

“Teddy.” The preteen looked up at Harry's flat voice. “What happened.” A demand, not a question.

“I don't care if he's her father, he's not allowed to hit Sophia.” Harry nodded a short acknowledgment of the boy's point.

“Whatever was going on, it's not his place to get involved,” someone else started, and Teddy obviously became livid.

“Teddy,” Harry cut off whatever he was going to say. “Back to our camp.” When Teddy looked up at him, he gave a little nod, and Teddy nodded back, taking Carl and Sophia's hands to lead them away. When Lori started to protest, Teddy met her eyes and then flicked his gaze back to where Ed still sat on the ground, reminding her that he didn't have any problem using violence to get what he wanted. Lori backed down, especially when Shane put his hand on the boys' shoulders, pushing them gently towards the small campfire.

“Go on, kids. You don't need to be here for this.” The Morales family was isolating themselves around their truck on the other side of the quarry, watching from a distance. They helped out, and the kids played with the other kids, but they more or less kept to themselves otherwise. “Now, what's the problem?”

“Teddy attacked Ed,” someone cut in before Harry could answer. Harry rolled his eyes. 

“Teddy got in between Sophia and someone about to hurt her, who just happened to have also fathered her and so thinks he has the right,” he corrected harshly. “Teddy is not the one at fault here.” He glared at Ed pointedly. “I would have done the same thing. Only, you might not have gotten up again.” Shane shrugged when everyone looked at him. 

“Gotta say, I'd attack someone I saw hurtin' that pretty little girl. Or her mama.” He caught the eye of Carol, who was crying silently, and nodded. “We got enough problems without hurtin' each other bein' one of 'em.”

“That's the point! Ed won't be able to contribute anything until he heals-” Shane cut them off with a snort.

“Ed wasn't contributing anything anyway,” he said contemptuously, ignoring the furious look Ed shot him. “Teddy already contributes more than he does, so what's the problem here?”

“I don't like that boy being out in the forest all day,” Lori started, all false concern. 

“Fortunately for all of us, how I raise Teddy isn't your concern,” Harry interrupted. “Out of everyone in this camp, Teddy just might be the best prepared for the world as it is now.”

“No, he's right,” Glen cut Lori off when she started to protest. “Teddy runs the forest like he was born in it. I was thinking of taking him with me next time I go to town, for another set of hands. Boy's steady. Steadier than most adults.”

“Faolin ain't goin' into the city by hisself,” Merle cut off any other comment. “Let me know when you're ready, Chinaman. We'll both go.” Harry nodded his approval as the group turned to look at him in disbelief.

“What? I'll always trust Merle to look after Teddy. And Glen's right, he'll be a lot more help than a lot of the rest of you.” His eyes scanned over the group with a slightly contemptuous gaze, but he didn't say anything further. 

“Alright, let's break this up,” Shane suggested. “Ed, learn to keep your hands to yourself like a big boy, huh?” He patted Ed's shoulder with mocking commiseration.

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Harry stiffened as Daryl draped himself across his shoulders to look at the book in his lap,  but relaxed quickly, reaching up to pat Daryl's arm lightly. Daryl turned to nuzzle his face against Harry's neck for a long moment, making the wizard laugh. 

“Did you need something?” he asked, laughter in his voice. 

“Come huntin’ with me tomorrow?” Daryl murmured against his neck. 

“Sure.” Harry shivered as Daryl's teeth grazed gently across his neck before the werewolf pulled away. “What the hell?” he asked the chuckling werewolf sitting across from him. Merle just shook his head. 

“Not my place, alpha. Talk to Daryl.” Harry rolled his eyes. 

Werewolves.