OK, going in a total different direction with this one. Hope you like it. Completely AU. Daryl Dixon is a Sheriff in a small town, content with wrangling livestock and ticketing drunks. He is content with his samll town, quite life. Then he meets a woman that will change everything.

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Daryl Dixon sat at the computer, typing out the last of his report. They had had a full day today, he thought as he chuckled to himself. Yeah, fuckin full. The lone report he had to write today was about Herschel Greene's cow getting out and tearing a hole in Dale's fence. He had gone out there, separating the tow men who were standing at the fence, poking their fingers in each other's faces. He would have laughed if he hadn't been out with these two men like this almost every damn week. But he figured that is why he took the job in this one horse, or one cow town.

He had been a low level deputy in South Carolina for five years. He knew he wasn't going to move up in the ranks there. His dumb ass brother had pretty much guaranteed that. In his youth, Merle Dixon had been the hellraiser in the family. Apart from their drunk, good for nothing father of course. Daryl had kept his nose clean though, bailing Merle out, but not having much to do with him other than that.

He had always left for school early, and gotten home as late as possible. He knew his family was toxic in the small town he grew up in. His mom was known as a lush, his dad was a drunk and a wife beater, his brother was a good for nothing troublemaker. Daryl had been, well, just Daryl. He had skated under everyone's radar.

Everyone except Sheriff Braden. Around the time he was thirteen, Daryl had noticed that every time he went in to pay Merles bail, it seemed like it was lower. His mom or dad would pay his bail and it would be the normal price. But when Daryl paid his bail, there would always be a bit shaved off. Sheriff Braden would always take the time to talk to Daryl personally. See how school was, things like that. Daryl hadn't thought anything of it. Just a small town sheriff trying to keep tabs on a troublemaking family.

When Merle was 18, he joined the service. Daryl saw him a handful of times over the next ten years.

When Daryl graduated high school with honors, he had applied to two colleges. One in Michigan, one in Georgia. He had gotten into both, but he had really wanted to attend the University of Southern Georgia for their renowned Criminal Justice Program. Problem was, he couldn't afford it. He assumed he was doomed to the same fate as the others in town. Stuck at Junior college, probably not graduating, taking dead end jobs just to make ends meet. He had resigned himself starting in the fall, probably in something vocational just to get a fucking job and get out of the goddamn house.

Sheriff Braden had come by on of his part time jobs, working construction. He pulled Daryl aside and handed him a check for $15,000. Daryl had just looked at him, totally confused. The sheriff took off his hat, motioning for Daryl to have a seat on a pile of two by fours.

Daryl tried to hand the check back.

"I can't take this. I haven't earned it."

The sheriff just chuckled.

"Sure ya did son. Every time ya took care of yer ma, yer dad, and yer brother. Every time they came in to pay bail, I had my clerk do a little contribution from the money for a fund. Hell boy, the number of times yer brothers been in jail netted you $6,000. The rest is a scholarship from the Fraternal order of Police."

Daryl shook his head.

"No, they said I wasn't eligible. Didn't have an immediate family member in the organization."

Sheriff Braden just shrugged.

"Sure ya did, old Uncle Braden. Wrote a letter of reference and everything for ya."

Daryl bit his lip and looked up at the older man. "Why?"

"Son, I know what trying ta live down yer family is like. I know yer smart, got a good head on yer shoulders. You'd make a damn fine policeman. Hell, maybe even go FBI on us, shit. But if you take this check, I need a promise from ya."

Daryl nodded willing to agree to anything the man put forth.

"After you graduate, and you will graduate or you will pay back every cent of that money, you come work here, for us for at least two years. Still pay ya, but yer here for two years. Sound good?"

Daryl bit his thumb nail and then looked up at the sheriff.

"Yes sir. About the best deal I've herd in my entire life."

That had been the most important day in Daryl Dixon's life up to this point. Little did he know while sitting at the computer, sipping coffee, wonder who to fine, Herschel or Dale, tomorrow would be another landmark day. The day he met her.