A/N: Created by Thisway and Litszomania for your enjoyment! We hope you guys enjoy it! The story is AUish. So please no flames about it not being exactly like the show or comic. We hope you guys enjoy
Daryl sat on the small picnic table inside the prison sharpening his knife. Things had been quiet since they took out the prisoners and made this their own. Right now they were just waiting for Glenn and Maggie to return from a run so they could talk about what should be done next.
"Move it!" Rick called out, pushing a woman into their block. Daryl quickly grabbed his crossbow and went over to help him. Rick pushed the woman against the cell wall and Daryl held the crossbow pointed at her face.
She groaned as she felt the cell dig into her back, her leg already tingling with pain from the extra pressure she'd been exerting on it. She looked up as the cowboy was joined by a redneck her brows furrowing with confusion. Something about that redneck.
Daryl let out a involuntary gasp as recognition flooded his eyes. "Michonne," he whispered out as he lowered his bow slightly. Rick cut his eyes at him for a second before glaring back at her.
"Where are our people?" Rick bellowed at her pointing the gun closer to her face.
"They were captured, a guy that was hunting me recognized them." she stated, glaring at Rick wanting to reach for the weapon he had taken from her and slice his jewels off. "Spouting some nonsense about his brother and took them back to Woodbury."
"Why was he hunting yew?" Daryl asked getting closer to her.
"Guy there calls himself the Governor. Has a small town. But there's something off about that place and him." She shrugged " I didn't want to be there anymore so I left. Come to find out people that don't stay in his perfect community end up getting hunted and killed." She was struggling to stay awake, her whole body felt like it was going to give out on her soon.
They both lowered their weapon when she finally collapsed under the weight of her leg and passed out.
"Take her to Hershel," Rick sighed grabbing the basket and walking off toward Beth's cell to give her the supplies.
Daryl picked her up gently, taking in her form. She had grown up beautifully. She still looked as gorgeous as she did the last time he had seen her, no matter how frustrating that time had been.
The judge banged the gavel loudly. "Dixon! I'm getting tired of seeing you and your brother in this place. You're on a fast track to being a criminal." He bellowed.
Daryl just sneered, rolling his eyes at the judge. This was his twelfth offense in seventeen years, one would think the judge would be used to him by now.
"Your honor, Daryl was merely an pawn in another man's game. The system is made against people like him." Danny, Daryl's lawyer and mother's best friend, stated.
The judge just rubbed his face. He's seen Daryl in here plenty of times due to the stupidity of his brother. "Fine! Dixon, six months community service of my choosing. Johnson you follow me to my chambers and we'll discuss your clients punishment." Danny just nodded following the judge, Daryl just set back half listening to his wannabe mother give him an ear full. Since his mother had died, Danny has stepped in as a favor to her to make sure Daryl was kept out of trouble. The woman may have been a alcoholic, but she was still Daryl's mother and she still wanted him to have a brighter future than what she had.
Trina, on the other hand, was Daryl's father new fuck buddy. One day, his Pa brought her home for sex and the next thing Daryl and Merle know she's there all the time demanding that they do shit. She was a trying to step into the role of being his mother without actually having to be his mother. To be honest, Daryl thought maybe she was a junkie and that's why she remained around the Dixon house.
"I ain't reading to no fucking kids!" he hollered.
"Daryl!" Trina scolded, "watch yer language. And yew'll what Danny says! Do you wanna end up in prison like yer brother."
Daryl just grumbled under his breath. He didn't want to do this shit. But he didn't want to go to prison either. He sighed softly as Danny chatted away about his schedule. Everyday. From four to eight. For the next six months. Daryl wanted to bang his head through a wall.
Daryl sat in the children's ward as the kids gathered around him. The books that the nurses had given him were shit. Fairies and princesses, the fuck. No wonder these kids were sick, they were force-fed this garbage.
"Alright yew little brats gather 'round. Once upon a time there was great monster that liked to eat little children's souls! He'd wait til they were at their weakest or sleeping and then he'd strike in the night."
A giggle erupted for the door. "Keep telling them stories like that and you'll give them nightmares." A woman said from the doorway.
He looked up at her and his mouth dropped slightly. Standing before him was one of the most beautiful women he's ever seen. She had deep chocolate eyes and mocha kissed skin. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun and she donned a hospital gown. She pushed into the room with an IV machine and a few of the kids ran to meet her. She smiled at them and sat down near Daryl.
"Why don't we try for a more kid friendly book Mr.-"
"Daryl," he mumbled out.
She beamed at him, "I'm Michonne."
He watches her move towards the tiny bookshelf and skim her fingers over the books. A few of the children have abandoned him to go to her side. They speak happily to her and she nods along smiling briefly at the things they say.
"You're gawking at her." A chubby red faced boy whispers, loudly. Which forces his attention away from Michonne. His face burns and he lightly scoffs. "I ain't..."
The child's face breaks out into a grin. "You like her." He claims in a sing song voice. He then begins to childishly chant but the older boy quickly hisses at him. His face hot and his annoyance grows.
"I don't like her." He grumbles. "Yer losing it, boy."
"You do, I can tell. I'm an expert on these things." The boy pokes out his chest as he proudly says.
The teen glares lightly, glancing away from the child. He takes a deep breath to calm down, he can't yell at a child. "I don't... How does that make any sense? It ain't even possible."
The boy gives him a confused look. "What ya mean not even possible?"
The teen sighs, glancing at Michonne, happy she isn't listening to this conversation. "She's black." He blankly states. It is what it is. She's black and he's white.
"Duh..." The child's face is one of pure confusion and his head tilts, red curls brushing against his face. "I mean how does that make a difference?"
"It..." The teen tries to think of the correct words. His father and Merle's words enter his mind but he thinks better of using any of those words. "Yer too little to get it yet is all."
"I don't get it... tell me..."
"No, kid."
"Tell me!" The child face grows redder, which makes Daryl nervous. Wasn't this kid over the tantrum stage?
"What's going on, Brian?" Michonne appears beside the boy. "Are you feeling alright?" Her hand comes to touch the boy's face. "I can go get a nurse if that's what you need."
Daryl watches all this, biting his lip. Michonne gives him a questioning glance. Michonne is close to him, which is effecting him in ways it honestly shouldn't.
"He won't tell me!" Brian suddenly shouted. She blinked. "He told he can't like you because... you're black! I don't understand why and he won't tell me!" The teen groans mentally, great. He had meant to stop him from saying that.
The girl's face goes blank and her shoulders ridged. He watches her change with a churning stomach. Then she lightly smiles at the young boy, "Are you throwing a temper tantrum because of that?" her tone is disapproving. "You can't make him tell you by crying and throwing a fit." Her eyes go to Daryl again, her expression unreadable.
He looks down at the book she's handing him. "Goodbye, Moon. They love it." Her tone is different and after saying that and giving the children around her a grin, she leaves quickly.
Daryl just groans as she walks out of the room. Great. Somehow he managed to fuck that up. He chewed on his thumb before opening the book and started reading to the children.
'Next time,' he coaxed himself. 'Next time I see her, I'll just say it was a misunderstanding.'
"Lay her on the bed," Hershel instructed. Daryl laid her down gently, brushes a dread from her cheek before pulling away quickly. Hershel just arched an eyebrow at him before getting to work.
Rick appeared at the doorway moments later, "Make sure you cuff her Hershel," he informed, still a little weary of the new addition. The last thing that they needed was another person trying to attack them. "Daryl, time for watch."
Daryl just nodded, his eyes lingering on her unconscious form before heading out to watch. This was too small of a fucking world. He hadn't seen her in years and just like the past she had just abruptly appeared in his life. He wonder what would happen this time around.
Michonne groaned when she woke up. She sat up quickly only to have her arm pull her back down. She frowned at the handcuffs , grumbling softly. That fucking cowboy, no doubt. Him and his lackey. His lackey that looked so familiar. Like someone that had been so important to her at one point in time. From the gruffness to those deep blue eyes, he looked exactly like Daryl.
Daryl. Daryl Dixon. God she hadn't seen him in years. The last time she had she was still so naive. So innocent. So sick. She remembers him though, the one person in the hospital that made her feel like she wasn't sick. Like she was a normal high school girl that giggles and crushes on the bad boy. Her frown deepen.
At one point in time she thought the feeling was mutual. She thought maybe they could try. But he... She groans loudly falling back on the bed. That's in the past. He obviously doesn't remember her. So she should just pretend she doesn't remember him either. Pretend that she felt nothing for him. Maybe if she had done that in the first place she wouldn't have gotten hurt.
"How are you feeling," Hershel asked as he hobbles over to her. She jumps a little and looks at him wearily. "The wound to your leg wasn't too deep. Give it about a week and you'll be running marathons again."
She just nodded and wiggled her cuff hand, "And this?" she asked.
"I'll let Rick know your up and he'll talk to you."
She just nodded as the man hobbled out going to summon the cowboy. Maybe she could convince that asshole to give her back her katana. Or at least uncuff her.
However, when Rick came to her cell he spent a majority of the time interrogating her like she was a prisoner. Apart of her could understand him being so weary due to the state of the world. But another part of her felt the building anger, she had came to warn him about his people. She did bring him all that baby crap and this was the thanks she was receiving. Obviously she was injured and couldn't do them any harm, but that didn't stop Rick from treating her like a common criminal.
Their conversation was cut short by Carol, who brought her some food. Michonne was grateful for the interruption because she wasn't sure how much longer before she reached for this pompous assholes neck. Rick had departed shortly after Carol brought her the food. Carol, however, had spent the time watching her carefully from the corner of her eye. She needed to be guarded apparently, Michonne snorted at the thought.
Daryl passes by Hershel's cell after watch, wanting to catch a glimpse at her. Apart of him wonders does she remember him. Another part of him doesn't want her too. He peeks in seeing her sleeping. He feels that familiar warmth filling his stomach, that feeling he hasn't felt in a long time.
He shook his head and continued to his cell. Nothing good will ever come from him feeling anything. He needed to focus on the issues at hand, not something in the past.
They walked silently through the walkers. Her taking out most of the closer ones and him shooting the ones farther away. After two days of resting, Rick required that she stay under strict guard and he only trusted Daryl with the job. Right now they were scouring through the woods to locate her gear that she had hid away and maybe go shopping in the small town Maggie and Glenn were taken in.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, wondering if he should say something to her. But after watching her slice a zombie down the middle he opted for silence. Once they reached her things they ransacked the town. As they went through town they came across a convenient store, the zombie apocalypse wasn't even a plausible excuse for this place to look like this. She shuddered slightly, bad memories flooding her mind of a different time but a not so different location. She shook the thoughts away and continued to trek through the place now was not the time to dwell on the past.
Michonne felt a squeal wanting to break out of her throat as a rat scurried across her feet. Daryl let out a throaty chuckle.
"Still scared of rodents I see." Daryl stated, attempting to test the waters. To see if she remembered him.
She turned and looked at him incredulously. Half shocked that he remembered her and half shocked that his voice was having an affect on her. She shook off the feeling and continued to walk. "I'm not afraid of anything." she murmured. So, he did remember her, but how much did he actually remember.
"And you're still an asshole, Daryl Dixon."
He starred after her retreating form. Even after all these years, she was still mad at him. He felt his heart clench before he shrugged it off. Because in reality, he was still mad at her too.
A/N: Hope it was to your liking. We'll try not to make you wait for all the chapters to come out. Editing is a pain. Read and Review people.
