DISCLAIMER: I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. This is for entertainment purposes only.

A/N: Okay, so… I've actually had this idea for a long time now. And I finally sat down and gave it some thought. Turns out I do like it and hopefully I can make it work out. Bringing in some OCs in this one.

The idea for this title came from the band Enter Shikari. They have a song titled "Adieu" and if you are interested, you should check it out. They're a pretty rad band. (I do believe "Adieu" is French for "good-bye"—a more permanent sense of the word rather than "see you later".)

Prologue.

It seemed just like any other Thursday for Elena Fischer. She sat alone at the bar in the local diner before heading to work. It was what she did every week day morning. There wasn't a particular reason as to why she did it; she just liked the atmosphere and giving the poor place some business from time to time.

Elena could almost tell what time certain people were going to walk through those doors and sometimes she even knew what they were going to order before they said anything. She overheard them on previous days, not that she was keeping track or being a creep.

She sipped on her coffee as she scanned through the newspaper laid out in front of her. The diner had a low hum to it—it was pretty quiet for only going on seven in the morning. She thought about what her plans would be for this weekend. They probably wouldn't be anything too grand. Her Friday nights usually ended with her curled up in a blanket watching a couple movies back to back.

The little bell chimed as the door to the diner swung open. Elena folded the newspaper back up and slid it over into the empty seat next to her for someone else to read. Out of habit, she glanced up at the clock on the wall and over towards the middle of the counter. Her guess was that it was Tom Sanders, a man who worked across the street at the gas station. But she quickly realized she was wrong and that news intrigued her—so did the man standing where Tom usually stood at this time.

Elena stared down the counter at the man. He looked to be in his late twenties, maybe early thirties, close to her own age. He had dark sandy blonde hair just long enough to cover the tips of his ears, a little bit of scruffiness to his face. He wore an old plaid flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pair of worn out jeans with a hole in the knee. She also noted that he was wearing a pair of brown boots. Wow, had she really looked the guy over that thoroughly?

She stared down at him, fixed on his face. He was leaning on his elbows talking to Pam behind the counter. He looked familiar now that Elena thought about it. She couldn't quite place who he was though, and where she knew him from. He certainly didn't work with her.

She knew him from high school. It suddenly clicked then. She was staring at an older version of Daryl Dixon—a twelve year older version at that. She found herself slightly smiling as she tried to recall her high school days. She remembered what he looked like back then; his hair had been a little longer and a tad bit darker, he usually kept a clean shave, and he seemed a lot scrawnier then as well. She remembered him being quite the firecracker if anyone got him started. People learned pretty quick not to mess with Daryl Dixon because he wasn't afraid to speak with his fists. She also remembered him usually having visible cuts or bruises, whether it was a black eye or his arms. He had been in a couple fights with guys at school every so often. But she had never spoken to Daryl, not once in her entire life. She thought he seemed a little too chaotic, out of control. There were some days were she could see the hurt and pain in his expressions. Those were the days she wished she could have just stepped forward from the shadows and made her appearance known. Maybe he just needed a hug.

But then he was walking over towards her, closing in the gap between them as she stiffened on that bar stool. She had been staring at him all this time. He probably thought she was crazy.

"You got a problem or somethin'? You've been starin' at me for the past few minutes now." Daryl confronted her, leaning against the counter with a bar stool separating them.

"No, no," Elena shook her head. "Sorry, I was just trying to figure out where I knew you from. Um… Daryl Dixon?"

Daryl raised an eyebrow and stared back at her now, "Should I know you?"

Elena felt a little nervous being confronted. She wasn't sure if he was agitated or if that was how he always behaved. Another reason now why she wished she would have spoken to him in the past.

"Yeah… Well, not necessarily. We went to high school together. Elena Fischer. I… don't think we ever talked," she finally muttered up a response. She was shocked to see Daryl smile.

"Oh, yeah. You was a quiet one," Daryl nodded. "Elena Fischer, huh? Crazy."

"I guess so. The shy awkward child," Elena forced a smile.

"Nah. I never even knew ya back then, but I'd bet ya you weren't awkward. I was the definition of awkward," Daryl jabbed his thumb into his chest.

Elena glanced back over at the clock and clapped her hand over her mouth. It was already 7:40. She had to be in class and ready to teach at 8, and that only gave her about ten minutes to drive there and at least 5 minutes of walking to reach the class room.

"I am so sorry, but I just realized the time. I have to go to work." Elena drank the rest of her coffee and scooted the mug across the counter. She clutched her purse as she got down off of the bar stool.

"What'd ya know. I just got off work," Daryl looked over at the clock. "You best get headin' out if yer gonna make it on time to where ever ya gotta be."

"It's not far from here, just in town," Elena smiled. "Nice seeing you, Daryl."

"Yeah, you too. Maybe I'll see ya around."

Whether Daryl meant it as a friendly parting or he wasn't kidding—Elena seemed to keep running into him around town after that. She had run into him again at the diner and once at the grocery store. He had mentioned possibly meeting up sometime and actually talking, and for whatever reason, Elena chose the damn local bar. She wasn't sure if she was just feeling gutsy or if she was trying to show Daryl up, but she wasn't a big drinker. She didn't even go out that often. Apparently Daryl Dixon was already becoming a bad habit.

"Alright, 'fess up," Daryl started, beer in hand. "I ain't seen you since high school. Hell, I barely even knew ya then. And now all of a sudden we're just runnin' into each other?"

"If you are implying that I am stalking you, then you are so very wrong," Elena smiled. She spun the beer mug around on the bar nervously. After Michael, she had never really messed around with trying to even talk to another guy. She just kept to herself, minded her own business. She didn't need a guy in her life. She had more important things to tend to, higher priorities. But she had to admit, it did feel a little nice to get out for once, and with a not-so-familiar face.

"So… Did ya ever get to work on time that morning? With like fifteen minutes to spare?"

Elena realized he was trying to make conversation. He was doing better than her so far.

"Oh, yeah. I just work at the high school here. I'm a teacher," Elena shrugged.

"You got out of high school just to go back? Man, that sucks. No offense," Daryl took a drink.

"High school wasn't all that bad. And I like teaching. It's… rewarding."

"Sure, yeah," Daryl gave her a look as if to tell her that she's crazy.

"Alright, Mr. Dixon. Where is it that you work?" Elena placed her elbow on the bar and rested the side of her head in her hand, looking over at him.

"I… have this shitty job where I have to bounce back and forth from third shift to days runnin' machines and playin' with hot steel." Daryl finished off his first beer and pushed the empty glass back. Elena glanced down at hers and realized she only drank half of it so far. Damn…

"Really? That's interesting," Elena took a few more gulps to try and keep up. She wasn't aiming to get drunk but she didn't want to seem like she couldn't handle a beer or two.

"Why? 'Cause ya woulda never thought I'd have a job?" Daryl raised an eyebrow.

"No—No, that's not what I meant," Elena shook her head, almost spitting the beer back into the glass.

"Chill, I was jus' kiddin'." Daryl smiled. "First impressions an' all that shit."

Elena was about to tell him that he never gave her a bad first impression but she quickly bit her tongue, realizing she'd be lying if she did. Maybe not necessarily a bad first impression, but it certainly wasn't great.

"I have to ask… Of all the places you could have picked, why a bar?" Daryl questioned. "I mean, don't get me wrong but I can tell yer not a big drinker. And you seem uncomfortable."

Elena bit her lip. He had busted her. She was sure that it was all very obvious from the start, but she didn't necessarily think he would call her on it. Though he did seem like the bold type.

"I'm not sure?" Elena forced a laugh. "You're right, I'm not a big drinker. It's just..." She paused. "I'm pretty lame. I don't go out very often. I usually just stay home with my daughter, just the two of us."

Elena noticed a change in Daryl's facial expression. She couldn't quite pinpoint it, like he lightened up a bit—not as fierce.

"There's nothin' wrong with that. I'm not a big drinker either. Just figured I'd go with it," he replied.

Elena let the silence fill the air then. She was unsure of what to say, feeling like she had already blew it. She was terrible at these kinds of things; socializing, talking to men, being out in public. It seemed crazy but that was how she felt. But for some reason, it never bothered her being a teacher.

"You wanna get outta here?" Daryl was staring at her. "I mean, just… go for a walk or something."

Elena finally forced herself to look back at him and managed a smile. "I'd like that."

Daryl pulled his wallet from his back pocket as he stood up and tossed enough money onto the bar for the bartender.

The cool Georgia night air felt nice compared to the regular hot days or the inside of that bar. Elena took a mental note that Daryl had paid for the bill and he opened the door for her. A gentleman—something she didn't think she'd ever peg Daryl Dixon for, and certainly not twelve years ago.

They walked down the sidewalk in silence for a couple minutes, both of them searching for something to say. Elena didn't really have many close friends that she truly kept in contact with like she should. Everything just seemed to go downhill after Michael. Everything bad that had ever happened had come from Michael. Except one thing.

"So you said you have a daughter?" Daryl glanced over at her. He had his hands shoved in his jean pockets.

"Yeah," Elena nodded. "Her name is Leah."

"That's a pretty name. How old is she?"

"She's ten. Just turned ten." Elena continued, "She's staying with my sister and her husband right now. I didn't leave her at home by herself."

Daryl laughed, "You don't really strike me as the type to abandon a child at home. I wasn't thinking it."

"Her father would have thought otherwise. He would have just left her..." Elena blurted. "Sorry."

"No, it's cool. Yer fine," Daryl nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that."

It just seemed like for whatever reason, Elena just kept blurting things out. Some things she never even fully shared with her sister because she felt like she was a burden. What made Daryl any different was beyond Elena, but she just kept rattling things off.

She told him all about Leah—that she was ten and she was in the 4th grade. She explained that she was stuck in 4th grade because her birthday didn't fall on the right date and that she should really be in fifth. She told him that she was the highlight of her life. Leah was the one good thing that she got out of Michael.

And Michael. Oh lord, she blabbed about Michael. She told Daryl how they had met right out of high school and how things happened so fast. She had Leah when she was only twenty years old. Michael never really supported her and he was never really there for her or for Leah. He hardly ever spoke to his daughter. He became aggressive overtime and he abused alcohol. There had been a few spills between them when she didn't quite do something right or she didn't please him. But she had made herself realize that she didn't deserve that. She didn't need any part of that in her life and she didn't want him to ever hurt Leah. She filed for a divorce only two years after being married and she easily took custody over their daughter. Michael had never seen either of them since.

Then she told Daryl about her sister. Skyler was only three years older than her, but Skyler always took bragging rights. She loved her sister and appreciated all of the help she had received from her through life. She had been there for her when things took a turn for the worse with Michael. She kept Leah a lot when Elena was trying to work through the problems. Between Skyler, her husband Matt, and their daughter Hannah—they were truly the only people she thought she would ever need in her lifetime. Just her small family, the only family that she kept in contact with. Her mother had passed away when she was nineteen and her father completely closed himself in. There was no reaching out to him and she was so young, she really wasn't sure what to do. That's when she had started to become really close to Skyler, when it wasn't all about jealousy and who could do what better. Skyler had her own place—her own apartment—that she let her move into.

Then that was when she had met Michael and everything spiraled downhill from there. Sometimes she wondered if her mother's death had just completely thrown her off course and maybe that's why she had stuck with Michael, looking for support and someone to just share life with. At the time, he seemed like a decent man. And with him, she was able to get her own place so she didn't feel like a burden to her sister who was trying to live her own life.

"I'm so sorry. I never had any intentions of rambling my head off about my life story or anything..." Elena pushed her hair back, feeling hot. She sat next to him on the sidewalk with their backs propped up against the wall of a closed bakery shop. She had rambled for so long that they just decided to sit down before they ended up walking miles away from where they were parked and having to trek all the way back.

"Ramble away as far as I'm concerned," Daryl shrugged. "Your family seems nice. And you seem fairly happy, so that's good. I'm glad you were able to get away from Michael. Sounds like it's the best thing for you and Leah, even if yer stuck by yourself. Single parent."

"It really is. I don't even think Leah remembers him at all. She was somewhere close to three at the time. I'm glad he's out of our lives for good with no questions asked."

"Any man who treats a woman like that doesn't deserve ta have a woman in the first place," Daryl remarked.

Elena turned to look at Daryl now, her eyes flitting over him from his feet to his head. He had his legs bent and his arms resting across his knees staring out across the street. She wasn't sure what came over her in that moment because she found herself slowly inching closer. Daryl noticed this as he turned to look back at her. But he didn't move and he didn't say anything. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment and Elena realized that Daryl seemed to be nervously glancing back and forth between her eyes and her lips, examining her face. She could feel his breath on her face and she slowly pushed herself to him, her lips connecting with his.

Elena could tell that he was a bit stiff, afraid to move even though he was kissing back. She was actually afraid to move too. As much as she tried to calm herself in her head, she just couldn't make her hands cooperate with her brain.

Daryl placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her back. Their eyes immediately locked and Elena was having a difficult time reading his face.

"Oh God, you're not married or anything are you?—" Elena's eyes searched his face for an explanation. Then she quickly scanned over his left hand, coming up bare with the realization that there was no wedding band.

Daryl looked a bit taken back, "What?—No, I'm not… I..." He stammered over his words as he scratched the back of his head, sitting up more and turning more to face her.

Elena smiled, "Good."

She slowly eased back into him, locking her lips with his once again. They both seemed to loosen up a bit more as time progressed. She grabbed a hold of his shirt by the collar and pulled herself closer as she could feel his hands travel behind her head and running through her hair. The kiss progressed and before Elena even realized it, she had managed to crawl into his lap, her tongue tracing his bottom lip.

But things never went further than that. He didn't force her to do anything; he wasn't trying to rip her clothes off. In fact, he had been the one to slowly pull away. And they had walked back together to their cars parked outside of the bar. He seemed like a genuine gentleman—and that was hard to come by these days.

At first she thought she was only making a move because she just desired it. It had been so long since she could just simply kiss a man. But she came to find out she had more than just a desire for a kiss.

And really, that was all it took for Elena to fall for Daryl Dixon. That night plus a few more and he had quickly amounted from stranger to the one person she trusted with her life. It was around that time when they declared it to be a mutual feeling and a relationship.

And even though Elena was head over heels for him, she made him wait to meet Leah. She was nervous about him meeting her and likewise. She didn't want to get her hopes up and Daryl end up being another Michael. She didn't want to bring a man into Leah's life if he wasn't going to treat them right and stay with them. Her top priority was Leah and what was best for her. So if that was something that Daryl couldn't handle, then she would just have to say hello to the single life once again.

I am really testing the waters here bringing OCs and this "romance" stuff into The Walking Dead. To be quite honest, it feels pretty strange—especially considering that it's Daryl. Haha. Ohh, and quick side note: her name is pronounced uh-lane-ah ("Alaina"). Not Ellen-a. Just to clear that up, just in case. Yeah!

Please review and let me know what you think! I would really appreciate it! Good or bad, I would love to hear from you!