Authors note: I do not own the walking dead so no characters are mine except Jane and Angie. I also own this story and the plot line it will flow i will be updating every other Friday. In this story Merle left the camp to go searching for Jane and Angie. Merle will also be alive the whole time. Merle is a little occ and so is daryl but they will still be the characters everybody knows and love in someway.

When Daryl first arrived at camp people could clearly see from the beginning that him Daryl and his brother Merle were closed off individuals. The people at the camp however didn't realize how much the brothers didn't like to be bothered nor to interact on a personal level with other folks within the quarry. As far as the group was concerned since they looked and acted like rednecks they must be like and treated as such. They didn't realize how wrong they were nor would they find out till later. When Merle left Daryl became even more withdrawn however none of the other campers knew why Merle left just that Daryl became even more withdrawn within would they ever realize it until much later when a little girl would go missing. However over time and after the CDC incident Daryl started to interact more and opened up a little bit which lead to his options becoming valuable within the group. However it ws easy to tell that Daryl was carrying something heavy with him, he had a close guarded secret that he refused to give up to the , they never asked and just let it be believing that in time Daryl would tell them everything and they would wait until that day. If they had however they would have discovered the truth of the matter. The group didn't know the loss that Daryl had faced at the beginning of the apocalypse but would they ever find out is the question?

The group was on the highway hiding under the cars when Daryl couldn't help but reminisce on what he had lost in the beginning as he heard the shuffling of walkers going by. The shuffle shuffle of feet dragging on the pavement, the moans of the lost souls that had died and were brought back as walkers started to fade into the background as he went into his memories. The memory of the first day of the apocalypse or rather the last day he saw his family.

( Daryl's Flashback)

When shit first hit the fan Daryl had just gotten home from work. It had been a weird day since most of his workers hadn't shown up for the day but he didn't put much behind it. Even though he was technically raised a redneck he was still highly educated and actually had gotten a business bachelors degree and went back for his masters in business. Daryl created an auto shop business with his brother Merle and only a hundred dollars to their name. Their business had become a franchise and was one of the biggest and best auto shops around the world they even started to create their own cars which was under Daryl's wife's maiden name Raian. Raian car's were known to be the best cars around. The auto shop was also named after his wife's maiden name as they had gotten married when he was going for his masters. Daryl maybe a redneck but he was a sophisticated one at the end of the day. Looking at him in the present time though you wouldn't think as much and it all started because of one measly moment that changed everything. Daryl walked into his house to find everything all over the pace it looked as if they had gotten violently robbed. However that wasn't possible he had one of the best security around to protect his house or as others would call it a mansion. He had left the shop early after nobody showed up for work really and nobody came to get their cars. While leaving he heard reports of strange things happening around Georgia leading to him leaving as soon as raced upstairs to his wife room where he had left her sleeping with their five year old daughter Angie early that day. However they were gone and the bed had blood on it with a body over by the closet. Daryl heard Merle drive up to the house and come through the must have left eh shop minutes after Daryl and had come home. Merle lived with Daryl since all they had was each other and only would ever have each other to rely on now including Daryl's wife and kid. Merle cried out as he began to walk around the house examine the damage " Daryl you here boy I saw you leave so I finished up my paperwork and came after ya". Daryl called down to him " Yeah i'm here but they aren't but there's a dead body up here" As soon as Daryl heard that he heard what sound like thunder as Merle ran up the stairs. Daryl poked his head out of the room to show Merle where he was. Merle was holding Daryl's crossbow and a shotgun in the other hand. Daryl grabbed his crossbow from him and turned around into the room once again. Merle walked into the room " Damn, little lady must have fought and left. There's no photos or nothing and the kitchens empty of all the knifes and I peeked into the garage her cars gone." Daryl and Merle went back down the stairs and headed into the garage and flicked on the light there they found two more bodies and bullets littering the floor as they walked into the turned to Daryl and said " Turn on the radio I'm gonna go grab some clothes for us and you gonna drive my truck while I ride the motorcycle ok boy ?" "What about my car?" Daryl said " Boy it doesn't look like it's gonna be of much use a truck you can fit things that itty bitty car could fit nothing we taking my ride and the motorcycle for when we need to get out of somewhere qui also grab the rest of the gas the little lady left get no that" With that Merle left and Daryl turned on the radio to find out what was going on. Daryl realized that the virus had reached Georgia and that these things on the floor must have been walkers that his wife fought off. Merle came back downstairs after gathering everything and they piled everything into the truck and took off onto the road to who knows where but with one thought in was no sign of them everywhere they looked for weeks and eventually it lead to Daryl and Merle bumping into the camp and deciding to stay. Since that decision he has disappeared into the darkness within himself as he felt that he had somewhat started to give up on finding his family. Merle never gave up though and one day decided to leave to go searching for them as he need a break from the group life as he was more of a lone wolf than anything. Merle left a note behind and said that he would find him if they weren't there if he got back. Daryl knew then and there that he would see his family again it was just a matter of time.

(End Flashback)

(Present day)

Daryl had yet to find his family but he was still holding hope that he would one day and they would all be together again him, Merle, Jane and his baby girl Angie. The group started to crawl out of their various hiding spots when a scream ripped across the air. Everybody turned to look and saw Sophia running into the forest with a few walkers running after her. Immediately Rick, Glenn and Daryl took after her. However they never found her nor the walkers it was like they disappeared. The next day they searched again but while searching Glenn got shot which lead to the group being taken to the Greene farm. However Daryl had a hard time staying on the farm land as the young girls reminded him of his lost wife and child and now Sophia. Daryl spent as much time as possible looking for Sophia and would leave the farm early and come back late trying to find Sophia went missing he felt that it was a way for him redeem himself for not finding his family and that maybe just maybe God may see it as a way to let Daryl eventually find his family as a reward. Maybe by rescuing Sophia he would be able to feel better about not finding his own wife and daughter as of yet. Daryl felt that since he was raised learning to hunt,track and shoot he should be able to find was confident that Jane was surviving as she was raised the same as he to survive no matter what the situation. Jane wasn't the typical woman she did things that most woman wouldn't that doesn't mean though that she didn't do things such as cook and cleaning or taking care of the baby just that they did it together. It wasn't the type of relationship that a woman did woman things and a man did man things no they were equals in everyday and took turns doing things in even went hunting with him for their anniversary rather then going to a hotel or on vacation; she was a female version of him maybe that's why he loved her so. They were raising their daughter the same way with the will to survive and the ability to survive even though she is only five she is still capable of serving with basic things in the woods Sophia wasn't. They wanted Angie to be independent and to know how to hunt and kill and skin food. At the end of the day this was pure survival and he needed to survive for himself and his family even though they weren't together. Everybody knows there are two sides to people. Well he had an educated side and a redneck side it was just a matter of showing the other side of himself and maybe in time he would.

Daryl walked through the woods screaming Sophia's name when he came upon a cabin. He looked around the cabin and saw some Cherokee flowers lining the cabins entrance. He knew this was a good sign. He picked up his crossbow and loaded it before walking inside. Daryl called Sophia's name softly a few more times but got no answer. He kept walking within the house looking in every nook and cranny trying to figure out why the place seemed to be lived in yet nobody was around. He walked into the kitchen and saw that their was still food on the table which meant the people living here had heard him coming. Daryl swore under his breathe and was ready to turn around to figure out where these people went when he heard a raspy laugh behind him. He went to turn a round and shoot but something stopped him and that was the sound of his brothers voice just before he was turned around and embraced for what felt like the first time since the quarry which had been a few months back.