* Please Review even though this story is finished. *

( Daryl's POV)

I didn't know what it was 'bout her. Didn't know if it was just the way she looked or what, but I couldn't get her off my mind. Ever since we found her house, she been plaguin me. I saw her in ways the other don't. I saw the look she got in her eyes when she thought no one was lookin, the sadness that sumtimes overtook her face when she was doin the dishes at night. Sumtimes people forgot I was around, sumtimes they didn't know it cuz I was quiet.

It was her eyes that first drew me in. They were beautiful, most beautiful set of eyes I ever seen. I'd like to say it was her smile that made me take notice but that would be a lie cause her smile was fake. She offered it up but it wasn't real. She was hidin sumthin. I knew when sumone was hidin shit and she was hidin shit. I wanted to know what it was but I wasn't gonna ask her.

Her name is Lyric. Used to be Lyric Collins and she said she was a waitress but I doubted that from the get go. She didn't seem the type. She was real smart. She was tiny as hell too. She was just bout 5 foot 2 inches, I reckoned. Her hair was dark and when she let it down it damn near reached her belly button. But she hardly ever wore it down. I liked it down. I kind of wanted to touch it and that pissed me off.

I thought it would feel like silk.

She seemed to have an endless supply of shit. She took us to the basement and it was filled with food and supplies. Her house ran on solar power. She said it was cuz she was just a waitress and didn't have the money to pay for things like electricity and water. So she bought solar panels for her house but that shit was expensive and who the hell installed it for her?

She liked to go out huntin with me. She could work a bow and arrow better than most. I didn't want her to go, I told her I wasn't gonna babysit her but she said she could hunt and then she proved it to me. We worked good together but I never told her that. When I saw sumthin I'd whistle and signal to her. She did the same for me. We caught a lot of shit together.

" We make a good team, Daryl." She said as we walked back to the house. I just grunted. Lyric smiled and laughed. " It's okay. You don't have to admit it."

( End Daryl's POV)

XXXXXX

One month beforehand:

Lyric was sitting on the rocker at her porch, enjoying the warm day. She didn't need to worry about the trouble in the world. It wouldn't reach her, not inside her world. She was fenced off by a cement wall that was 5 inches thick and 9 feet tall. She checked the fence everyday, taking out any walkers that might have found their way to her. She would then bury them. They used to be people after all.

She sighed and pushed herself up. The woods were quiet but she didn't mind. She liked the quiet. There were a few times were her sins from the past became to great and during those times she would play some CD's or a DVD. Lyric came off her porch with her bow and quiver strapped to her back. The quiver was stuffed with her freshly made arrows. She always had a gun with her, just in case. It was time to start her patrol.

She was just coming up to the giant gate when she first heard the unmistakable sound of a bike. Lyric froze in her movements and tilted her head slightly. She closed her eyes and honed in on the sound. Yeah, it was bike. She scrambled to the gate and threw it open in shock. She cursed to herself as a bike came down the dirt road, straight towards her house. Behind the bike were two cars. The man on the bike was squinting and caught her eyes right away. He slowed the bike, weaving it slightly side to side. He pulled the bike to the side when he came close to her. The car right behind him slowed down until it stopped. Slowly a man got out of the car and came up to her. His right hand was resting on the butt of a gun strapped to his side.

" Miss, we aren't looking for trouble." He said as the roar of the bike died down.

" And you aren't going to get any here." Lyric said.

" Would you have any gas you could spare us? We are running low on our supplies. If you could just let us camp on your land for night and spare some gas for our cars, I promise you will leave in the morning." He said. Lyric smiled, she couldn't help it. She was overjoyed to see people.

" I thought I was alone in the world. How many people do you have with you?" She asked.

" There's ten of us." He said. Lyric's eyes shifted to the woods and she frowned before she looked back to the man.

" Bring the cars and bike in. It's not safe to be out here for too long." She said, backing up.

" Thank you." He said. He held his hand out to her. " Name's Rick.'" She shook his hand hard.

" Lyric." She answered. " Come on."

She stood back and watched as the man on the bike drove in with a small woman on his back. He rode over to the porch before stopping his bike. Rick's car was next and then the truck. She pushed the gate closed and locked it up before turning back to the people. The live people. She hadn't seen a live person since she left...Lyric shook her head to clear her thoughts. She took a deep breath then started towards the group. The people were starting to gather.

" Hello. Welcome to my home. My name is Lyric Collins." She said as she walked up to them.

" This is my wife, Lori, and our son, Carl." Rick said as he put his hand against a dark haired woman's back. Lori and Lyric shook hands. " Then we have T-Dog, Hershel, his daughters, Beth and Maggie, Glenn, Carol and Daryl, ." Lyric's smile was pretty and bright. She was more than excited to see them.

" Are you guys hungry?" Lyric asked. " I have more than enough food. Come, let me fix you something." She hurried past them. Everyone was casting concerned looks and they didn't go unmissed by Lyric. She stopped walking when she reached the porch. She turned and looked at them, meeting every one of them in the eye as she spoke. " I won't hurt any of you. There are ten of you and one of me. You could take me if you felt scared. I haven't seen a living person since the outbreak. I have been alone so I'm a little excited to see you all."

" We are just a little shell shocked." Rick confessed. " We have been through a lot lately." Lyric nodded.

" You are safe here, I can promise you. The fence can not be broken down. I have food and medical supplies. I have enough rooms so everyone can have their own space. I have power and running water thanks to wells and my solar panels." She explained.

Rick looked around at the tired members of his group. Daryl was standing with his hands on his hips and a frown on his face, which wasn't unusual. Carol was standing half behind Daryl. Carl was clutching onto Lori. Hershel had his arm around Beth, T-Dog looked like he was going to pass out and Glenn and Maggie were hugging. He looked back at Lyric and nodded.

" We can't thank you enough for helping us." Rick said. Lyric smiled.

" Isn't that what we are supposed to do, right? Help each other?" She asked. Saving them won't make up for those she had lost but it might help to ease her mind. Besides, if she really admitted it to herself, she would say that she was lonely. She needed them about as much as they needed her help. " Come on, let me make you something to eat." Then she turned and walked into the house.

" Come on." Rick said as he started up the steps.

" Rick." Lori said.

" Lori, I'm not in the mood to talk." Rick snapped back without turning around. " I'm tired, I'm hungry and the car is out of gas. Let's all get something to eat, rest up then regroup." Without another word, Rick walked into the house. Daryl's eyes narrowed but he followed after Rick.

Girl was right. She was just one person. They could take her if need be. Hell, he could take her out on his own, and would, if he had too. But he was tired and didn't want to ride anymore. When Carol called out of him, Daryl looked back at her then hitched his head towards the house. He was starving and just wanted to sit down and eat.

" Come on. I'm hungry too." He said before turning around and going into the house.

Slowly, one by one, the group members started to file into the house. They followed Daryl who was following the sounds of Rick's and the girl's voice. No one could deny that they were tired and hungry too. Every one needed out of cars or truck. They had spend the night before in the woods but no one had slept good. Everyone had been on edge and scared. In the morning, there hadn't been much too eat. The stranger was offering shelter and food. They would be stupid to turn it down, even if it was going to be for one night.