Author's Note: Another story of MY FAVORITE OTP for anyone that's interested in reading. I've done a few Walking Dead stories. I liked the show until season 5. I'm not really caught up on the story line but I know Glenn, Abraham, Sasha and Carl are dead. I know about the Wolves, Negan and the Saviors and I've used those plot devices in my own stories. I know a little about the comics so I'll be using a few of those, too.

The names of the towns and roads are real, but I don't know anything about Virginia outside of MapQuest. Artistic license.

Also, some of the characters might be OOC, but I didn't take time to go back and rewatch seasons 1 - 5. This is solely based on my memory and how I think characters would react if they did, in fact, find a true safe place (as safe as you can get anyway in the walker apocalypse.)

In the comics Michonne did leave Alexandria.


Michonne took one last look at the gate to Alexandria before she turned and walked down the road, passing the shell of the burned house outside the walls. She didn't have any idea where she was going to go, but she wasn't staying here. She wished she could have seen Carl one last time, but Rick? The best defense was he screwed up? Threaten to slit their throats?

It was Deanna's community and she could run it how she liked. If they didn't like it they could leave. The woman didn't seem like she would mind. Unlike the Governor. Not letting anyone leave. Unless it was his goon squad. Slitting their throats? It wouldn't have made them any better than the asshole she chased for so long. Or those assholes at Terminus.

She'd been on her own before. She could be on her own again. She found two walkers and made them her protection before she left the area. Holing up in the abandoned town Aaron had led them to, she ate some of the food she took from Alexandria before she laid down on the ratty ass thing on the floor of the garage. Where Eric had been waiting for Aaron. She contemplated her future.

She wasn't staying around here. Deanna was a dumbass. She didn't need to die because she was a dumbass. She wasn't sure if Rick or Carol wouldn't go through with it. Rick and Carol, she was eighty percent sure, they'd kill Deanna and Reg. Daryl? He'd probably help. He was behind Rick when he sent her with Merle.

Carol? That woman was a piece of work. Michonne hadn't been buying the bullshit she'd been selling. Rick? Sat there, on that mattress, face covered with bandages, and took it. Didn't say a damn word. She'd been a lawyer. Not criminal law but she could spot a bullshit story a mile away.

He just proved they couldn't be trusted. He couldn't be trusted. He could get his kids killed. Some of the Alexandrians killed. She'd done enough killing. Looking at her katana on the floor, she realized she'd have to do more. She wanted to find someplace where she could really put up her sword.

Aside from Carl and Judith, she'd miss Daryl the most. Even though he was an ass for following Rick and Carol. She was disappointed actually. She let out a sad laugh. She was so disappointed in him. She wiped the tears away. She should have never saved Andrea's ass.


Rick looked at the empty space above the mantle. He'd gotten used to it being there. He frowned. Then he got angry. He was doing what needed to be done to protect his people. She was one of his people.


Daryl looked at Pete Anderson, lying on the ground and shook his hand out. When him, Aaron and Morgan had walked in, Pete and Rick were fighting. When Anderson pulled a knife, Daryl jumped in the middle, hitting Pete with his gun. The man was stunned, but it didn't stop him from trying to use that knife on him. He punched the asshole in the face. When he looked up, he saw Rick getting to his feet and the rest of the idiots standing around with their mouths open.

"This is what you get, Deanna, for letting a drunk walk around. And some asshole left the gate open," Rick yelled at her and pointed to the dead walker that was on the grass.

"That's enough," Reg raised his voice. "That's enough."

"Rick," Deanna's voice was shaking. "I want your weapon," she demanded and held out her hand.

Rick stomped over and put it in her hand then took her hand and put the barrel of his gun against his forehead. "Then you better kill me, Deanna. 'Cause this? This is what it's like out there." After a few minutes Rick took his gun back. "What I thought." He turned to the Alexandrians. "This? This is what it's like out there. You. All of you. Sitting here in your nice development, hiding behind walls. You don't have a fucking clue what the real world is now." He went and picked up the walker. "These are what's out there. You people couldn't save yourselves. Deanna sure as hell can't save you. Reg?" Rick shook his head. "He won't be able to save you, either. You need to learn to save yourselves. If you don't? You'll end up like this." He threw the walker into the crowd. "You'll walk. Until someone kills you again."

"You've made your point, Rick," Reg stepped toward him.

"Have I, Reg? Are you hearing me?" Rick shouted.

"Yes. We're hearing you. I'm speaking with Father Gabriel tomorrow. He's the one, one of your group, that left the gate open," Deanna frowned.

"Someone get Pete to the infirmary," Reg requested.

"You'll be segregated from the rest," Deanna told him. "Your people, too. I'll make a decision in the morning whether to banish you or not."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Deanna." Carol strode forward. She put her gun to Deanna's head. "Everyone? Go back to your homes. We'll decide what's going to happen tomorrow."

"Mom," Spencer started walking toward her and Carol pressed the gun in deeper.

"Stay where you are," Carol warned him.

"Spencer," Reg held up his hand. "Carol, you don't want to do this."

"You're right. I don't. I will. This is what you have to do to protect yourselves. I'm protecting my people. Like you don't with your people." She turned to the crowd. "Go back to your homes."

"Everyone? Just go home," Deanna raised her voice.

"Deanna," Nicholas shouted.

"Go home, Nicholas," Glenn yelled at him. "Just go the fuck home."

Daryl watched as everyone filed out. Jessie Anderson and her sons went over to Pete. Abraham picked him up and motioned with his head for them to go first.

"What the hell, Rick?" Glenn shouted at him after they'd gone back to his house with Deanna.

"I screwed up. I'm making it right, Glenn," Rick snarled.

"This? This is more than screwing up. Were you really going to shoot her? In the head?" he whirled on Carol.

She didn't say or do anything.

"This? This isn't us, Rick," Glenn yelled. "This is bullshit."

"It's us now, Glenn," Abraham sat back in one of the chairs.

"It's how you have to be now, Glenn," Maggie stated.

"Nah. Don't gotta be like this," Daryl grunted.

"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem," Rick glared at Daryl.

"Where the hell is Michonne? She could talk some sense into your stupid ass," Glenn huffed.

"She was part of the problem. She's gone. If you don't like the way I do thangs, Glenn, you and Daryl can leave."

"You don't mean that," Glenn scoffed.

"I do mean it."

"Maggie? You're going along with this?"

"Rick's right. If you aren't with us, helping us survive, why are you here?" she raised an eyebrow.

Glenn's mouth dropped open. "Look, I know losing Hershel and Beth was hard."

"That's right. It was hard, Glenn. I'm not losing anymore," she shouted.

"I don't like the way Rick's doing this, but if he doesn't? Then we're sitting ducks here, Glenn," Sasha echoed. "They don't have a watch. That asshole Aiden left here on a run blasting music. Him and Nicholas killed Noah and injured Tara. She might not make it. These assholes are partying."

Daryl shook his head. "Guess I'm part of the problem, Rick. This? This ain't us."

"You leave in the morning," Rick decided. "You, too, Glenn."

"Maggie?"

"It won't be for long. We'll talk to Deanna tomorrow. Take her outside. Show her what it's like. She'll come around."


Carol stood by the gate as Daryl packed his bike. "You're making a mistake."

"My mistake to make, Carol. This ain't right. Don't give a shit what you or Rick says."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "It won't be for long."

He shrugged. "Don't matter." He got on and started the engine. "See ya."

She held open the gate and watched as he drove away.

Daryl drove until he made it to that little town Aaron and Eric had taken them to, before the shithole of Alexandria. He knew Michonne would make her way there. He rolled his eyes at himself. Out here chasin' a woman.

He knew she'd been on her own and could make it on her own, but Rick was bein' a dick about her. She wasn't part of the problem. The shit Carol pulled almost made him pass out. He knew she'd changed, but damn. He'd told Rick they'd do what they had to do. He didn't think it'd come to that.

He kinda liked Aaron, even though he was a talker. Seemed like an alright guy. Could kill walkers and use a gun. He'd find Michonne, talk to her and get her to go back. They'd talk Rick down, figure this shit out. When he found the walkers, without heads, he knew he didn't miss her by much. Getting back on his bike he drove south, away from Alexandria. 'Chonne would take the roads. Easier. If she found a car, even better.


Michonne looked around the dingy hotel that would be her home for a while. She locked the front door so no people, living or dead, would come in as she slept. Tugging the rope around the walker's necks, she used them to find an empty room. She put her things on the bed and pulled back the flowered bedspread.

"It looks clean," she muttered to herself. After tying thing one and thing two to the rod in the closet she went back to the lobby. A search turned up a gun, loaded, in one of the purses underneath the front desk, as well as aspirin, band aids and tissues. She found the vending machine, surprisingly untouched. She had to tip it over to break it open, then she gathered the chips, cookies, water and sodas.

"Shit," she hissed and went back to the lobby. After looking around the employee's room behind the front desk, she emptied out the blue gym bag she found and went back to gather her food, such as it was, until she found a place.

Michonne stopped when she saw the literature rack. "Huh. Waterpark. Map. Useful. Colonial Williamsburg. Possible. Luray Caverns. Maybe. Assateague Island. Possible. Historical museum. Historical museum. Another historical museum. Days of Yore. Hm." She picked them all up and headed to her room. After she put her food on the bed she started looking at the literature as she ate chips and drank some soda. "Need to find a toothbrush and toothpaste," she said out loud, ignoring the restless movements of the walkers.

She separated the literature into piles, making one for possible places to stay, one for no fucking way and ones for backup. She huffed out a laugh. After Andre, she'd moved around, didn't stay in one place longer than two days before she was off again. After she found the prison, she decided she liked having a home base while she looked for that fucker. Laying down she continued reading.

"Alright. The caverns, they have a lot in this state, possibles. No amusement parks or zoos. No national monuments. No museums. The islands or this 'Days of Yore'. According to this," she held up the brochure to the walkers, "it was just getting ready to open. Right before the world went to hell." She looked at them. The walkers. "You don't give a shit." She closed her eyes. She was tired. "You're not much better at conversation than Mike and Terry. Assholes. They let my baby die." Michonne sobbed a little.

She wiped her eyes and started reading about 'Days of Yore'. "My peanut. He would have liked this place. A castle. A real castle. It's probably in one piece if it hadn't opened yet. Like Colonial Williamsburg. A moat. A drawbridge. Working farms, like medieval times. Knights. A King and queen. It's not far. According to this little map it's outside of Bridgewater. Across the mountains. Need to find a better map. Take the back roads. Find a lot of gas. Maybe a jump starter. This way I can dump any car I find and take another." She fell asleep making plans.


"Damn, Michonne," Daryl grunted. He had to stop and sleep. He was tired. When he reached Groveton, after killing a few walkers, he found a rundown motel. After clearing it out, he brought his bike inside and found an empty room.

He didn't know how much later when he woke up, but looking out the window it was dark. And he was hungry. Grabbing his crossbow from the bed, he got up and looked around. He found a vending machine still intact. He shot the lock off and it opened up. He grabbed a few things and headed back to his room. He'd start again in the morning.

When he woke up again it was light out. He groaned as he sat up. He did miss sleepin' in a bed. He huffed out a breath. Becomin' just like them Alexandrians. Making his way to the vending machine he took most of what was left and shoved it in his saddle bags before takin' his bike outside. He got on and started the engine. He'd check out the streets here, too. Just in case.

He gave 'Chonne credit. She didn't wanna be found. As he was nearing the freeway he slowed down when he saw two walkers by a car. They looked when they heard him and tried to get closer. Daryl saw they had ropes around their necks, no arms, no jaws and they was tied to a red car. He stopped and shut off his bike, putting the kickstand down at the same time. Daryl moved his crossbow in front of him and looked through the back window. Then he checked the cars that were near. Quickly looking around, he didn't see her, but he knew she was here.

He stopped when he felt something sharp in his back.

"Michonne," he greeted.

She dropped the sword and walked in front of him. "I've been following you for the past twenty minutes. What do you want, Daryl?" she asked as she lowered her katana to the side.

"Don't think ya should be out here. By yourself."

"I've done it before. I can do it again. Probably safer that way."

Daryl sighed. "Look, I know Rick's havin' some problems."

"You think?" she raised an eyebrow.

"He don't mean it, Michonne. Deanna and them."

"Are dumbasses, Daryl, I get it. She should have those people learn to defend themselves from walkers. But you know what? They're choosing to live that way. And Rick? He's no better than the Governor."

"It ain't like that, Michonne," he yelled.

"Isn't it? We'll take all of their guns? Threaten to slit their throats? Huh. Didn't know about that, did you?" she laughed harshly at the look on his face.

"He don't mean."

"He does mean it, Daryl. I left Woodbury. I spent months trying to find that asshole and it turns out I've been following another Governor."

"You shut up," he pointed his finger in her face.

"I won't."

"Rick? He's been through some shit. Lost a lot."

"And the rest of us didn't? We all lost, Daryl. All of us. Not just the prison. You lost Merle. Maggie lost Hershel and Beth. Sasha lost Ty and Bob. We all almost died at Terminus." She cut him off and paced in front of him. "I lost. I lost so much. And you know what?" she stopped and glared at him. "The Governor lost, too. So, because Rick lost," she sneered, "we should give him a free pass? Then we should have given the Governor a free pass. I," she pointed to her chest and shouted, "killed his walker daughter. I took his eye. That's alright," she continued in a quieter voice. "We'll forgive him for bombing us out of the prison. Because he lost." She took a breath. "I appreciate, after a while, Rick let me stay there. He didn't trust me, but he stopped sticking a finger in my bullet hole. This? Killing those people because they refuse to protect themselves?" She shook her head. "You three had no right appointing yourselves their saviors. It's not the way to do things. Not my way. We could have talked to Deanna. If Carol or Rick or you didn't kill her, maybe you still can." She headed back to her walker pets, put her katana on her back and untied the rope. "You should go back. Rick's a dumbass, he'll need help."

"If you care so much you should come back with me," he raised his voice.

She stopped and turned. "I don't care about Rick. I care about Carl and Judith. He's their father. I won't follow him. Anymore."

"Where the hell are ya gonna go, Michonne? It ain't exactly safe out here."

"It's not safe in Alexandria, Daryl. I'm checking out a few places. Which is what we should have done when we got there and saw what it was like."

He walked behind her to the next set of cars where she tied up her pets and checked for gas.


Michonne let Daryl help her. When she had ten full containers of gas she found her car and he put it in the trunk. It was almost like when they were looking for the Governor. It was getting late, so they found a brown ranch style house that was close, killed the walkers inside, tied her pets up outside and barricaded themselves in.

"What places?" he asked.

"I stayed in a hotel last night. I checked out the tourist attractions brochures," she said quietly as she laid down on the beige carpet. Daryl laid down next to her. She got up and looked through some closets before she found some blankets. When she came back he was leaning against the sofa. She threw one at him before she settled back on the carpet, after grabbing one of the beige sofa cushions to use as a pillow.

Daryl muttered something. "What?"

"Thirsty. Left my shit on my bike."

"Lucky you," she dragged her bag over and rummaged through it. She gave him a water bottle and took one for herself. "I'm prepared."

"Whatever."

She gave a quiet laugh.

She could hear him twist off the lid and take a drink. "What places?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Ain't safe."

"I can take care of myself, Dixon," she reminded him.

"Know you can."

She looked up at him. It was almost dark out and part of his face was in the shadows. Still, Daryl was smart. "My favorite is a place that never opened. It was supposed to open before this."

"Huh," he took another drink. "Safe?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "No place is safe." She turned her head so she was looking at the ceiling. "It was a castle."

He snorted. "Like Disneyland?"

"Not like Disneyland. Although that's a good idea, too."

"Well," he nudged her head with his elbow after a few minutes.

"Stop. It was called 'Days of Yore'. According to the literature, it was a working farm from medieval times."

"Huh."

She turned on her side and faced his legs. "It sounded interesting. Working farm. Like Colonial Williamsburg. Won't need electricity."

He huffed. "Yeah. Got use to that."

"Not enough to kill for. If it's not what it says? The mountains."

"Good idea. Can hunt up there."

"Yes, I can. I figure I'll find some books, some seeds and see what happens." She brought the blanket up to her chin. "The prison sucked. It was stable. After. In the beginning, until Andrea, I moved around a lot. When we were looking for the asshole, I liked having a stable place to come back to. And as unrealistic as Deanna is? Alexandria is probably a stable place. I want a stable place."

"Can go back, Michonne," he said.

She shook her head. "No. I can't go back. I won't go back."

"You know how to hunt?"

"Some. Rick taught Carl and I snares. Before Joe and the assholes found us."

He grunted.

"You should get some sleep. The walkers will let us know if anyone comes around," she whispered as she closed her eyes. "You need to go back tomorrow," she yawned.