AN- So Since I was sick yesterday I decided to finally listen to my friends and watch the walking dead. Well turns out I ended up not sleeping at all or resting I spent all of yesterday, last night and this morning watching all three season. So of course I have to write a story when I finally did get some sleep and I had a dream or an idea about Daryl. (I would say this would take place mid season three back when they still didn't want to help anyone outside of their own group.)


"You're better then this!" she yelled from the hallway as he threw his clothing into a backpack, "You know that you are!"

He looked up at her pausing for a moment as he saw the tears in her eyes he could tell by the look in her eyes she was hurt, upset but also angry. He wanted to look away from her, but even now he couldn't. Her gown hugged her in all the right places and while he thought she looked beautiful in it he knew just the look of the dress proved this wasn't the place for him, she wasn't the girl for him or rather he wasn't the guy for her she deserved so much more then he could ever give her. He turned back to his bag throwing the last bit of his clothing into the bag without saying anything back to her. He stood and carefully pushed by her and continued down the hall.

"You are going to give everything up just because he's out of jail?" she followed after him, "He's no good for you!"

He turned to her as he reached the front door, "He's my brother he needs me."

"And what about me?" she asked, "What about me?"

"I'm not right for you, I never was this was a fools dream to think I could fit into your life, go find your rich doctor who will say all the right things, do all the right things." He paused, "Or your boss he bought you that dress I see the way he looks at you."

"We have been over this! I don't care how he looks at me I love you!" She shook her head and was about to say more, but he cut her off.

"I'm never going to give you that life." He nodded to her dress, "I can't give you the life you grew up with, your parents hate me, and they know I'm no good I'm white trash while you are a southern bell."

"Don't say that about yourself." Her tears began to fall again as she moved forward and kissed him softly, "You are not white trash you are more of a man then any of these rich men around here."

He dropped his bag and wrapped his arms around her waist and he kissed her back he wanted to stay he wanted to be with her, but he couldn't he knew that and she should know that too. He broke away softly resting his forehead on hers, "I have to go." he whispered as he let go of her and took a step back, he picked up his bag and swung it over his shoulder.

"You walk out that door don't you ever come back." She told him. He paused in the doorway for a moment but then continued on. He walked out the door and down the front steps of the porch. Slowly he walked over to old beat up pickup truck and threw his bag inside before he opened up the old door that creaked so loud it seemed the whole neighbor hood would wake. He got up inside turning the key the engine roared to life echoing in the still night air. Glancing up one last time at the grand house he saw her hurrying out the door and stopping on the porch. "Please!" she yelled, "Please don't!" His eyes met hers for a moment he felt his heart breaking, no woman would be able to make him feel the way she made him feel. He put the car in reveres and backed away. As he drove away he watched her in the review mirror fall to her knees sobbing. He wanted nothing more then to turn around and go back to her, to wrap his arms around her and say he would never leave, but this was for the best her life could be so much more without him. She was meant to be a wife to a wealthy man. He should have known from the start this was no place for him.

Daryl opened his eyes taking a deep sigh he sat up he had the dream about her again. He sat up carefully not to hit his head on the top bunk. So much had changed since he had last seen her that night. He knew she was gone now, all the money in the world couldn't have saved her and none of the men she would have found could have kept her safe. All those men with money were nothing without it. Perhaps if he had stayed, if he knew what was coming he could have saved her. He shook his head it was a useless to think of the what ifs in his life. He heard Judith crying and followed the noise he saw her in Carl's arms

"You all right with er?" he asked looking at the kid.

"She won't stop crying." The boy said, "And I don't know where anyone is."

Daryl walked over to the formula and made the baby a bottle then took her from Carl's arms.

"You go get some sleep you look run down." The boy didn't argue he listened to Daryl and hurried off to one of the cells to sleep. Daryl turned back to the baby and placed the bottle in her mouth as she quickly latched on.

"There ya go." he told her, "Happy now?" he sat down next in an empty chair as he let his mind wander back to the woman in his dreams. He didn't know why he was thinking of her so much lately it was useless it just added more pain. In all this time here he had lost so many people including his own brother, but why thinking of this woman did it hurt so much more? He closed his eyes and in that moment he saw the flash of her smile and her beautiful brown eyes staring at him her blonde hair bouncing in the sunlight. He opened his eyes and glanced down at that baby who had already finished half the bottle. He took the bottle from her mouth knowing he shouldn't let her take the whole thing without burping her. He lifted her up on to his shoulder and began to pat her back.

"Why don't you try?" she asked him as she had the baby leaned up against her shoulder as she patted her on the back. He laughed and walked up behind her and kissed her on the cheek

"Baby's ain't my thing." He told her walking around her he sat across from her in a chair on the other side of the table. It was true he never saw himself with a child he wouldn't even know where to start.

"But you will have to learn one day." She said with a smile, but it caused him to frown.

"No I ain't ever having one of my own so why learn?" he glanced away from her knowing she wanted kids one day, but he didn't want to think of the future he didn't want to think of her future because he knew he wouldn't be part of it. Yet his words didn't falter her smile instead she kept patting the baby on the back.

"I'll change your mind about that one day." She told him, "Plus even if you don't have your own children you never know when you will have to help with one."

"No you ain't ever changing my mind, My old man was no good I wouldn't even know where to start." He frowned she had a way of making him want to tell her the truth.

"You aren't him." She smiled her brown eyes meeting his, "You will be a wonderful father." She stood up and walked over to him and kissed him on the lips and while he was distracted kissing her she placed the baby in his arms. She broke the kiss and looked at the child in his arms then handed him a bottle. "You should feed him before he starts to cry." She took a step back and folded her arms watching him hold the baby.

Daryl froze once the baby was placed in his arms, what was he supposed to do? He glanced down at the baby wanting to give him back. When the baby started to cry he carefully placed the bottle in her mouth. "This ain't funny." He growled glaring at her.

"You're a natural." She told him ignoring his words, ignoring his glare she had learned a long time to look past his act of being a tough guy she didn't fear him, she didn't care he glared more then he smiled. She knew him better then he knew himself. She watched as his eyes left hers and went to the little boy in his arms. She saw the glare melt from his face as he smirked at the baby his poster seemed to relax and he softened looking more natural holding the baby.

He heard Judith let out a burp that brought him from his thoughts. "Good one." He told the baby and he took her back into both arms and put the bottle back in her mouth. "If only she could see me now." He muttered, "She wouldn't believe I actually enjoy spending time with you."

"You're up." Carol said with a smile as she walked into the room with clean clothing she had just finished washing.

"Yeah the kid got me up." He nodded his head to the baby drinking in his lap.

"You're a natural with her." Carol told him she didn't notice the slight frown that crossed his face she never was able to read him the way she had once read him.

"Practice." He muttered.

"You've been around babies before?" she asked surprised.

"Why the surprise?" he asked, "An ex of mine her watched her sister's kid a lot and always insisted I help her to get the practice in for when we would eventuall-" he stopped he didn't want to talk about her.

Carol was surprised Daryl didn't seem like the type that would settle down in a relationship long enough for a woman to even think of having a family with him. At times she had thought about starting something with Daryl but she thought that was only because of the lengths he went to find her little girl, but she thought that was all due to everything that happened in the world. She wondered about his past who he was before the world had changed.

"Mind taking her for a bit?" Daryl asked as he walked over to Carol the baby in his arms.

"Not at all." She said with a smile scooping the baby right up from him.

Daryl walked outside his cross bow in hand his eyes fell on to Rick who was loading up a car he walked over, "Where ya heading?" he asked.

"Just going to look for more supplies Judith is running low on just about everything." Rick told him.

"I'll join you." He knew going out would help clear his mind at least out there he could focus on killing some walkers and not focus on any thoughts on her.

"Sure." Rick never argued about taking Daryl along he always was help, never getting in the way. "I'm thinking of going farther this time we have just about used up the stores around here."

Daryl didn't respond instead he fired up his motorcycle waiting for Rick to be ready.


She winced as they shoved her forward in front of them her hands bound behind her back.. She had tried to run many times but it only made them angry. They told her she was lucky they kept her alive kept her as they called it safe. Bruises covered her body from them, they took out frustration on her, they forced themselves on her saying it was the least she could do for them. She and longed to be dead far longer ago then now. This wasn't living, every night being used again and again like she was nothing. They forced her to walk and carry heavy bags on her back that they didn't want to carry, when she stumbled she would get hit, when she was to tired to walk on they would make camp, then she could hardly sleep for the men took turns with her.

"Get going." One hissed at her as he took off her restraints. "Gather supply's from the store." They shoved her inside carefully they followed her through the window

She walked inside and picked up a red basket and quickly began filling it with some of the basic food they would need. She reached for a can of corn, but accidently knocked into to the ground she froze as the noise echoed through the store.

"Dumb Bitch." One man yelled and slapped her hard enough to make her fall to the ground with a yelp, her basket hit the floor and more food hit the ground with more crashing.


The two were quickly gathering food for the baby knowing that they would lose daylight soon and they still had far to travel back to the prison,

"Think she's old enough for this?" Daryl questioned as he held up some Gerber baby food.

"Get it anyways." Rick told him, "We haven't seen it at any local stores we might as well get it now, who knows when we could come out this far again.

Daryl gathered as much as he could carry in his bag while Rick grabbed more formula and bottles. Both men froze when they heard the commotion from the other side of the store. "Walkers." Rick hissed as both men pulled out their weapons slowly they walked closer to the noise ready to take out the first thing that moved.

The group of rough men pulled put their guns when they heard something moving closer. "Dumb bitch told them we were here."

"What are they?" Another asked, "Walkers or men?"

"It doesn't matter." Said someone else, "We kill them."

The girl stayed on the ground tears filling her eyes; she hated this life she wanted to die. She didn't want to keep fighting. What ever was coming this time she would make sure she would die, she would make sure what ever was out there would get her this time. Times like this the men would forget about her, only a few times did one grab her and pull her back.

"Get ready." On hissed as a figure came into view, without hesitating the man pulled the trigger.

"Fuck." Daryl yelled, as his shoulder was his by a bullet. "Human." He grunted as he raised his bow again ignoring the pain in his arm.

But before Rick could answer more bullets flew their direction, both men dodged for cover hiding and only showing themselves long enough to shoot at a target. They were out numbed, but both men knew the group before them didn't have training like they did. It didn't take long for them to shoot the group of six men. Rick and Daryl walked over to the dead men and took their knives and made sure that they would stay dead.

"Let's go." Rick said, "Judith had to of run out by now and we still have a long drive home."

She coward in the shadow covered in both dirt and fresh blood she knew she wanted to die, but she was frozen in fear. She couldn't make out the two men in front of her, but she didn't want to let herself known. All men were the same, they had killed her captors but if they knew she was still alive they would take her and do the same horrible things that all the dead men had done to her. She tried to hold her breath, but couldn't hold back a little gag as the smell of blood and death hit her.

Rick froze one was still alive, or coming back he took his gun and pointed it in the direction of the noise. His eyes adjusted as much as they could in the darkness to see a small figure, a woman. His finger moved to the trigger.

"Do it and lets go." Daryl said as he walked up next to Rick, "It's coming back."

She felt her breath falter as she saw him appear next to the man pointing a gun at her. Her heart began to beat fast how could this be? He was here in front of her. She had believed he was dead after all so many had died. Yet she always had held on to a hope that he would be able to survive this, that if anyone could he would be able to. He wasn't like most men, he was strong he was a fighter he had grown up a hard life which made him ready for the new hard world that had grown around them. So many people she had known that grew up in comfort had died quickly unable to make it in this new world, she would be dead if this band of awful men hadn't found her. Up until this moment she had wished they left her to die she had wondered why she kept on living. Now here he was in front of her and she knew why she had held on for so long, hope that she would see him again. Then her heart sank as he raised his cross bow,

"If you ain't gunna do it Rick I will we have to go now the baby is hungry." Daryl growled.

Was this it? Was she going to die after all this time when she had finally found someone she wanted to live for? "Please." She whispered, "Please don't." her tears fell down her face she knew her voice was weak she only hoped they could hear.

"We stick to protecting our own." The other man spoke.

"Rick she's a girl." Daryl protested

"Who just tried to kill us." Rick told him as he raised his gun again and aimed at the girl.

"True." Daryl said as he let his cross bow leave the girl, he wanted to let Rick do this, but something about the girl's voice made him hesitate. He was never the one to hesitate. He watched as the girl pushed one of the dead bodies off of her and struggled to move out of the way. She stood up slowly.

"Don't take another step!" Rick growled, but still he hesitated to shoot her struggling with the idea of killing her. "Turn and leave, we won't kill you."

"I won't last five seconds out there." She whispered as she took a step forward, the light of Daryl's flashlight hit her face.

"That's isn't our problem." Rick growled.

The girl closed her eyes and held up her hand blocking the light from her eyes. Daryl felt his breath quicken, she was covered in dirt from head to toe, he could see the bruises all over her body, he could hardly tell her hair was blonde, but when she finally opened her eyes he felt his rest upon hers. Her big brown eyes he had been dreaming about. It was as if he lost control of his body, his hand reached up and pushed Rick's gun down so it wouldn't be focused on her. He moved forward stepping around the bodies quickly. Tears streamed down her face as she took a step forward she began to fall, but he reached forward and wrapped his arms around her as she fell into his chest. When he looked down at her he could tell she had passed out. He quickly picked her up, she was as light as a feather he could feel her bones through her skin.

"What's the meaning of this!" Rick growled at him.

"She comes with us." Daryl told him, Rick was about to argue but when his eyes met Daryl's he saw he wouldn't win an argument to leave the girl behind.

"We need to get out of her quickly walkers for the next mile had to have heard all the noise." Rick picked up his bag and Daryl's as they hurried back to the car. Daryl placed the girl in the back seat. Rick watched in surprise as he carefully placed the girl on the seat, why did he care so much about a random girl?


AN- So what do you think I know I suck at action scenes and I will get better (I hope.) for the rest of this story.