I do not own the Walking Dead or its characters, only my own creations.

Hello everyone! This is my first ever FanFic so be nice please! I just love the Walking Dead and a specific Redneck so I thought why not!

This is an eventual romance between Ava and Daryl! I hate it when Daryl is portrayed all romantic and flirtacious! That's not the Dixon we all love! So don't expect puppies and rainbows just yet!

Also, I won't be following the story line per say more just rocking what I can! Though do not fret, I do have a rough idea of where I'm heading with this story!

I really hope I get Daryl's character across and not disappoint you all!

If you could comment to help me improve that would be helpful because like I said its my first FanFic and I need all the help I can get from you all! Just try not to be rude! It's really not cool!

THERE WILL BE SWEARING AND GORE - it's the walking dead after all, isn't that why we love it so much?

Anyway love you all and hope you enjoy Aria's story!

Chapter 1

"I'm in love with her Aria and I can't let her die"

The bright green orbs that I had loved most of my life, held no remorse as they stared directly into mine, his right arm slowly raising his gun in the air.

Without hesitation, he pointed it at my torso and my eyes widened with fear and absolute bewilderment. It was far from what I had expected to have someone I had spent half of my life loving disregarding my life as it were merely nothing. It almost felt dream like. As if I was going to wake up in his arms and scold myself for thinking he could scoop so low.

If only that were the truth.

I didn't get a moments chance to plead for my life, to beg him to spare me because before I could form the words he pulled the trigger, the explosion of noise reaching my ears in a matter of seconds. A burning sensation coursed through my veins and I had to bite my lip to stop the scream escaping my lips.

I distinctly remember the harsh impact of my body hitting the ground and the silent apology lingering in the air around before the darkness overtook my senses.

I sucked in a harsh breath and tightened the rag that was wrapped firmly around my torso, grinding my teeth from the pain and desperately trying to withhold any noise that could attract the undead. Seven months into the apocalypse and you'd think I'd gotten use to keeping myself quiet. Yet I still found myself close to death because I couldn't keep my damn mouth shut.

It was the appearance of my fellow humans that caused me to squeal in fear. The gaunt facial features and grotesque skin that hanged from their bones made my blood run cold. I couldn't comprehend that they had once been people, just like myself replaced by this infectious disease that took every last ounce of life within them.

The smell was worse.

I could still smell the rancid odor of death oozing from my skin from my last kill. Even after scrubbing my skin raw in a nearby lake I still couldn't get rid of it. I had even attempted to pick up some scented soap in my last supply run but after a near death experience in one of the aisles I came empty handed.

Now I roamed wounded and helpless through the Georgian woods in hope of a place to stay whilst I figured out my next plan of action. Being on my own for the last few months had their advantages and disadvantages.

The advantage was that I didn't have to worry for anyone else's safety except my own, and I didn't have to make the mistake of trusting any other fellow survivors.

Trust was what had caused the gaping wound in my torso and the one in my heart.

The apocalypse changed people, it stole any good left in their souls making them just as evil as the predators walking around hunting us.

It was all a matter of survival now, loyalty was far gone.

The disadvantage were that in a group I would be safer if a herd were to come across my way. More humans meant more ammo and more killing of the undead. I had a close call with a herd a few weeks ago in an ambushed Walmart. I'm lucky to still be walking if it hadn't been the saving grace of a car alarm going off a few blocks down.

It would also help me feel as safe as possible in my surroundings. I can't remember the last time I had slept without waking up in fear at the slightest sound. I always felt on edge.

I slowly brought myself to the ground and lean against the nearest tree. I'd been on foot for the last three days and it was slowly taking its toll. After all I hadn't had a chance to properly clean my injury, by now I was sure I was loosing blood by the second and creating a vicious infection. I brought a shaky hand to my forehead and wiped away the perspiration caused from the blaring sun. If I didn't die from a blood infection, I would die from the heat I'm was sure.

I licked my cracked lips and gulped down the vile that had formed at the back of my throat dreaming of a time when I had the chance to brush my teeth.

It had been so long since I had used necessities such as tooth brush or comb. I dread to see myself in a mirror right now. I had always taken pride in my appearance, to see how inhumane I currently looked would probably cause more pain than my wound.

I knew my long brown hair was matted with blood and mud from sleeping on the forest floor. I had once attempted to comb through it with my fingers but gave up after nearly ripping clumps of my hair from my skull.

Something so trivial like that put everything into perspective. That the world we once lived in is none existent. It's either hunt or be hunted. There's no in between's. I had to learn that fact the hard way and have the physical and mental injuries to prove it.

It had taken hours of mental battle to force myself to continue. I could have just let myself bleed out on the forest floor and let him win. It would have been the easier option, would have saved me all this heartache and pain.

But I couldn't do it.

Memories of the fallen flooded through my brain and if I had given up, all their struggles to keep me alive and safe would have been for nothing.

I needed to continue in order to live on their memories, to show them that I was going to fight to survive not just for me but for them too.

I was never a coward and an apocalypse wasn't going to turn me into one.

This overwhelming sense of exhaustion consumed me and my heavy eyes closed. I felt my body slowly shutting itself down and I was too numb to know the extent of my injuries. I felt as if I was floating carelessly on the ocean bed, swaying ever so slightly with the victorious waves. My throat dryer than the Sahara dessert and my sprawled limbs aching against the hardened floor.

I was unsure as to how long I had dazed in and out of consciousness before I heard the faint noise of movement before me. If I wasn't so physically defeated I would have attempted to defend myself from the source of the noise. They sounded far away enough to give me time to regain my strength.

It was when I heard a gruff southern drawl a few feet away from me that I began to stir. It was the first human I had heard in a while and I only hoped he didn't use my weaken state to his advantage.

"She dead?"

"I'm not sure, don't look good though"

Another voice that portrayed youth replied and I questioned how many people were surrounding me. If I was outnumbered I would be screwed.

I attempted to open my mouth to speak but it felt like my body was using all its power to fight against it.

"Do ya think she's bit?"

"Can't tell for sure but looks like there's a wound there"

"You wanna look?"

There was a silence for a few moments and I wondered if they had left, more like hoped they had, but it wasn't until I heard an irritated sign escape one of them that I realised they were still there.

"God Dammit ya pussy I'll check it out"

I heard a twig snap in front of me and I inwardly flinched when I felt rough hands hastily lift my shirt up pulling back the fabric wrapped around my torso. Their hot breath fanning my face and I heard a quiet whistle escape their throat at the sight of my injury.

My heart raced at their proximity and I felt my fingers twitch slightly towards the switchblade in my back pocket. If only I had the strength to use it.

"She ain't bit, looks like a gunshot, ain't in good shape either"

Hearing his words made me inwardly panic. I hadn't realised how far my infection had gone and the thought of death crept into my mind causing my brain to spiral into overdrive.

I couldn't die, not yet. I had so much I needed to do.

It seemed as if the second guy was just as panicked as me but for a different reason as his words came out in streams of utterances.

"If she was shot, doesn't that mean there must be another group nearby?"

"Doubt it, this girl looks like she's been slumming it for a while on er' own, her groups long gone"

"But we don't know that for sure, this could be a ploy"

The man closest sighed out of annoyance at his partner and again his breath fanned my face and I wondered why he hadn't moved yet. It made me feel uneasy that he was close enough to see all my flaws or worse, lean out and break my neck. But I hoped that was unlikely.

From what I had gathered they seem harmless enough, just another group doing what they can to survive.

But Satan was a fallen angel once I had to remind myself of that fact.

"If it were a ploy don't cha think we would be dead by now?"

"Maybe they are waiting"

"Waitin for what Chinaman? Santa Clause? We've been in these woods all mornin' if we were gonna be ambushed it would av' happened by now"

"You never know how people think, they could just be scouting us out, figuring out what we've got before attacking"

The man made a growl in the back of his throat before replying and it reminded me of an animal being prodded at in a cage. I wouldn't want to be at the end of his wrath.

"The girl looks like she ain't eaten in days and look at how shitty her supplies are, and she's been shot, her group ain't with her anymore I tell yer that now"

At his response his partner kept quiet and let his words hang in the silent air. They both knew I was left behind. I could sense it. It was almost as if I could feel the pity oozing off their skin.

"She's on er own"

The male closest grumbled under his breath before getting to his feet. It felt as if he had a deeper understanding and sadness in his words and I wondered if he too had been abandoned at some point.

But I knew curiosity killed the cat and I was best to just keep my mouth shut.

Once I knew he was back to his original position I felt slight relief overwhelm me. If they were further away I could attempt to bring my body round and escape their path.

It's all a matter of fighting against my bodies natural defences.

"There must be a reason as to why she's shot"

"Glenn does she look deadly to you? The girl looks like she wouldn't be able to find er way outta a paper bag"

"So what we going to do about this then?"

The guy I assumed was Glenn asked the question I dreaded to know the answer to. I hoped my previous opinion of them was right and I wasn't going to wish I was dead for stumbling across them. I knew I had no choice now.

My fate was in their hands.

It was silent for a few moments and I wondered if they were having a silent conversation. I knew this would have been a perfect opportunity to escape but my body wouldn't allow me to. I wanted to scream at myself for being so weak.

And I wanted to scream at him too.

For putting me in this situation in the first place, for making me question all the beautiful memories I kept stored deep in the wretched of my brain from my past life.

I could no longer think about distinct memories within questioning them and noticing slight details that should have been a warning sign.

He took everything from me and I wanted to watch him burn.

I had been so transfixed in my hatred I had forgotten for a moment the problem before me. It wasn't until I heard the rougher one speak that my heart accelerated.

"We take er to Rick"

Who the fuck was Rick?

This time I gritted my teeth and fought desperately against my body to move, to run away from these strangers. I didn't have a clue who Rick was but I did not want to find out. The thought left a bad taste in my mouth.

Using all my energy I managed to push through my paralysed state and stumble to my feet, gripping my nails into the trunk of the tree to steady myself. My whole body swayed and I peeled open my eyes, blinking rapidly through my blurred vision, only catching sight of two tall silhouettes facing towards me.

"Ay girl you better sit back down before ya hurt something" One of the silhouettes took a dangerous step towards me in which I instinctively reached for my pistol.

"Woah calm it" He put his hands up in defence and I noticed the other one held on tighter to his shotgun.

"We ain't going to hurt ya" There was a double meaning to his words. He meant that he wasn't going to hurt me, unless I gave him reason to.

"We just want to help you get that wound sorted" The younger one said and I could sense a underline of nerves seeping in his tone. He seemed to be the softer one of the two.

" I don't need your he-" Before I could finish my sentence I felt my head feel as if it were weighed down by a ton of bricks and my whole body fell to a crumple mess on the floor.

The last sound I heard was aggravated curses escaping the rougher mans throat before the darkness explored me.

So what do you think ayy?