I wrote Heat of the Night and I completely fell in love with that version of 'princess.' I got the hankering to write some Daryl fanfiction since Safety Not Guaranteed is over and I'm completely stuck in Usque Ad Mortem. This is the result of that.

I highly recommend reading Heat of the Night first if you haven't already, but it's not necessary as I believe this story can completely hold it's own.

I was supposed to be well on my way to New York by now. Instead, I had one important pit stop to make.

I sat outside of the Austell County Jail. The bail bondsman had already slipped inside. I didn't wait very long before Daryl walked out and started storming down the road.

"Dixon!" I called out the window. He didn't waiver, just kept marching. "Dammit Dixon..." I muttered, jumping out of the car and chasing him down. I caught him by the shoulder and spun him to face me. "I'm sorry. I didn't think he was gonna pull a stunt like that."

"Don't bother." He mumbled, shaking me off.

"At least let me take you home."

"Don't ya have somewhere ta be?"

"I have time to take you. I had time to bail you out."

"You bailed me out?"

"Yeah... who else?"

"Ye shouldn't have done that. Won't yer old man be pissed atcha?"

"He doesn't know."

"He will. Small town. Whatcha bail me out fer anyway? Thought ye were leavin' and never lookin' back?"

"I couldn't leave knowing you were locked up for some shit you didn't do."

"How ye know I didn't steal all that stuff from the safe?" He yelled.

"Because you were busy fucking me the entire weekend." I yelled right back. "I know you wouldn't do that, anyway." I said more calmly.

"Why not? I thought I was just like all the Dixon men?"

"My father said that. Not me." He just stared back at me with his blazing blue eyes. "You have an arrest record now, though. You fit in a little better." I teased him.

He didn't take the bait. "Just git outta here, princess. Yer needed in New York anyway."

"Why don't you come with me?" I searched his face for some type of recognition, all I got was a blank stare. My heart sank about ten feet in my chest.

"I gotta stay here." He half-whispered. "Merle needs me."

"Merle? You mean the brother that abandoned you? Isn't he still in prison?"

"Gets out soon."

"Then send him a postcard!" I shouted. I tried to calm myself, sighing in exasperation. "Look, Dare... this is our chance ta get out of Austell."

"Wrong. This is yer chance. I'm never leavin' Austell and you know it. Yer gonna go to school in New York and be something and I'm stuck here workin' at the steel mill." He bit his lip and looked down to his ankles. "Ye should go. 'Fore anyone sees ye talkin' ta me."

"But Dixon, I -"

"Go on now, git!" He yelled in that gravely voice of his.

I fought back tears as I ran to the car. I locked the door and let the tears fall as they may. I watched Daryl turn the corner before I put the car into drive. I sped down the highway and away from Austell forever.

I had perfect timing, deciding to come home just as the outbreak started. I didn't even make it out of the airport. Me and a few others made it into a break room for the workers in the airport and had been living off of Mountain Dew and Snickers for a few days.

Eventually, the army raided the airport and most of the other large buildings in the city. I made it to a refugee camp just outside of Atlanta, but that night it was raided by other survivors. All the soldiers were slain but they took pity on the women and children. A man by the name of Martinez greeted us when we arrived at their camp. They had been pilfering and pillaging since the outbreak hit. Their goal was to start a safe community, free of plague.

Months passed, our community grew, we found a small town. Pooling our resources, we blocked it off from the outside world. We were able to run generators and get electricity and running water.

We called it Woodbury.

I was there for the founding, and I was there when it came crashing down.

It's no secret that I hate how they ended Season 3 with the Woodbury survivors moving into the prison, but I'm nothing if not adaptable. It gave me a beautiful opportunity to revive this relationship since I was having some Daryl Dixon withdrawals. I'm also going to tie in some of the plot points from season 4 that they covered in the trailer. I'm attempting to try something completely new with this story, so let me know how you like it so far!