* Please review. I need to take a break from the other stories and this idea, I have been kicking around for a while. So I'm bring it here, in hopes that a fresh story will help me. Thank you!*

" Come on in, Daryl, and see your new home." Joe said with a slight swing of his arm. Daryl frowned and peered inside the big car garage as the other guys in Joe's gang walked in ahead of them. " Go ahead and go in. It's safe. We cleared it out a while ago and ain't had a problem with walkers yet." Daryl's eyes flicked to his face before he looked back inside the building. He stepped over the threshold as the other guys started to mill around. " Honey! We're home!" Joe yelled out when he stepped inside after Daryl and shut the door.

The sound of chain shuffling on the old cement floor made Daryl tense and his body freeze. It was a slow drag, a walker drag, and Daryl had to wonder what type of shit Joe was playing with. The Governor had had walkers on a chains too...did Joe have a walker they toyed with? If so , that was not something Daryl wanted to get mixed up with. You can't toy with walkers, sooner or later, they get loose and eat you. He might not want to be alone, but he didn't want to risk being bitten either.

" Relax, Daryl." Joe said, resting a hand on one of Daryl's shoulders. He squeezed it as he laughed. "It's not what you think."

Daryl's eyes flipped to his face then back towards the sound of the chain. But instead of a walker shuffling around the corner, there was a young woman. With a chain link around one of her ankles and the link was attached to big, long looking chain. She looked both tired and annoyed. Her hair was pulled up with some strands stuck to her skin by sweat and she was wearing a dirty, white tank top and a skirt that stop just above her knees. It was also dirty and very ill fitting. She was wearing a pair of black flats that seemed off with the times.

" Well don't just stand there, Salem. Say hello to Daryl." Joe said as he squeezed Daryl's shoulder a second before he started to rub it. Her jaw tensed as her eyes took Daryl in. There was anger swirling in the blue-green orbs as they raked down his body. Daryl found him straighten up while she sized him up, but for what? Was he going to have to fight her for a place in the garage? Daryl wasn't sure he could fight a woman. " Daryl, this is Salem. She takes care of us and we take care of her, isn't that right, Sweetheart?" Salem flinched when Joe made the statement and almost shrink back. " Go into the kitchen and fix him something eat. Man's been out there and he's tired. Come on, Daryl, I'll show you to our free room."

Salem turned and started to shuffle away as Joe passed in front of Daryl. She cast a look over her shoulder to the hunter as Daryl frowned. If they all took care of each other than why was she on a chain? Why did she look like she wanted to throw up when they looked at her? Daryl followed after Joe as she disappeared into another room.

" What is this place?" Daryl asked while he looked around.

" Well, it used to be a car garage. Salem's daddy owed it. I guess they lived there with her brothers so lucky for us, there are bedrooms here, five her daddy built." Joe said. Daryl moved up to his side while they walked down a hallway, passing a few doors.

" He still here?" Daryl asked.

" No. He didn't make it and that is why we take care of her." Joe said.

" Why you keep her chained up?" Daryl asked.

" Here you go." Joe said, clearly brushing off Daryl's question. He grabbed a door handle and turned it before he swung it open. Joe grinned at him as Daryl took in the room. It was a small but it was a room. There was a twin size bed, a dresser and a closet. In the middle of the room was a support pole that ran up from the floor through the ceiling of the room. Daryl frowned again. " You can stay here. The bathroom is just across the way. We have running water. Sometimes it's hot and sometimes it's not. Lucky for us, Salem's daddy thought ahead. There's a well in the back and we run on propane. Got a nice stock pile of it in the back, which is why we have power. Get comfortable and I'll send Salem in with a sandwich and a beer." Another clap on Daryl's back then Joe was walking away.

Daryl walked into the room, still taking it in, taking everything in. Joe's group was made up men that Daryl had known his whole life, back before the walkers came. They were drug users, fighters, rough necks. They would fought outsiders and each other. They were mouthy and took what they want, when they wanted. This was the type of world they loved because there was no law to speak off. No one to stand up to them and they could kill as they went. And killing living people were something Daryl was sure they didn't have a problem doing.

" Here." Daryl turned back to the store at the sound of the young woman's voice. She was standing just outside his room with a frown. In one hand, there was a plate with a sandwich sitting on it and in her other hand was a beer. " It's just peanut butter and jelly. We don't have lunch meat or anything." She snapped at him. Daryl didn't move towards her and she didn't move towards him. Instead, her frown deepen and she rolled her eyes. " Well are you going to take it or what? We really can't afford to waste food."

" Yeah, I'll take it." Daryl muttered. She closed her eyes and sighed before she shook her head and looked at him again.

" You need to come and get it." She snapped before her frown disappeared and her shoulders bunched up and uncertainly crept through her anger. " My chain isn't long enough for me to come into your room." She said quietly. Daryl crossed the distance between them in a few strides. He reached out and took the plate first and then the beer as they stared at each other.

" Thanks." Daryl said in his quiet but rough voice. She blinked and gave her head a short shake, as if she didn't understand what he had said or was unsure if she had heard him right. Something flicked across her eyes but it was so fast, Daryl couldn't be sure what it was.

" You're welcome." She said softly. Neither of them moved for a few seconds as they both took each other in. Salem cleared her throat before she swallowed. " The bread isn't great. I made it but I'm not a chef." She said as her hands came up to press into her stomach.

" That's enough talking." Joe said as he suddenly appeared at her side, telling Daryl that he had been waiting just on the other side of the wall. " Don't talk the man to death now, Salem. You go on and get ready for your shower. I'll be along to let you in the bathroom shortly." Anger and tension moved through Salem at once. Her face darken and whatever softness Daryl had thought he had seen was gone. She spun around and walked past Joe and out of Daryl's sight.

" You rest and eat. I'm sure it's been a busy day for you. After Salem washes up, you can take a shower. We like to space them out so you'll only be able to shower every other day but hey, it's better than never being able to shower, right? You enjoy that beer. Later on, I have another surprise for you." Joe smiled before he grabbed the door knob to the door and shut Daryl off from the rest of the garage.

Daryl turned and looked over the small space again. He set the beer and the plate down on top of the dresser. He snatched the sandwich up and took a bite. The bread was a little rough, a little stale but he won't complain. Daryl's stomach growled, reminding him that it had been a while since he last ate...with Beth. Beth, who had been taken...Daryl frowned as he chewed and tried to push her from his mind. There was nothing he could about that right now. He had tried to follow the car that had taken her but he had lost it and now he was here.

While Daryl ate the sandwich, he looked through the closet. He shifted through the shirts, seeing all men's clothes. Tee shirts, long sleeve shirts, flannels, all hanging up neatly and not things Joe or his men would wear. Daryl was sure these clothes belonged to Salem's brothers, not her dad. There was a young man taste to the tee shirts, not an older man. There were band shirts, some of which the names Daryl knew, some he didn't.

When he was done looking the closet over, he walked back to the dresser and looked through those drawers. They were filled with socks, boxers, boxer briefs, jeans and cargo pants and most were his size and they looked almost new. No holes that he could see, no patches placed over well worn spots. Maybe Daryl could borrow some of them and she won't mind.

Daryl walked over to the bed and slowly sank down onto it, testing the softness of the mattress while he finished the sandwich. He laid down over the covers to stare at the ceiling. After a quick twist of the beer cap, Daryl placed his left hand under his head. He brought the beer to his lips and took a long swig, closing his eyes. It was lukewarm but a beer was a beer and Daryl wasn't going to be picky.

TWDTWDTWD

After Daryl had been able to take a cold shower, he changed into some of the clothes in his new room. He picked a pair of dark grey cargo pants and a long sleeve, dark blue flannel shirt. He kept his leather vest on with his knife strapped at his right hip and his cross bow on his back. He wasn't stupid enough to leave his weapons where any of the men could get to them. He didn't trust any of them, not even Joe.

Joe showed Daryl around the garage, turned house. There were old cars in the front of the garage, where Daryl could tell Salem's family had done most of their work. Daryl saw the other bedrooms, the storage room and the kitchen. There were big windows, located at the very top of the building, that provided them with natural light so they didn't need to turn on the huge, hanging lights. Steel poles ran from the floor to ceiling every so often, as support beams for the roof.

At dinner time, the group gather around what was a crude dining room of sorts. The men talked and grumbled together, with a few of them eyeing Daryl as he sat down at the table. Joe was at the end of the table with Daryl off to his left. Joe was smiling as he listened to his men talk. He was acting almost like a proud papa, watching his sons.

Salem walked into the room, carrying a large tray and her frown. A frown that harden when she noticed the shirt Daryl was wearing. Her hands tighten on the tray, making Daryl shrink back in his chair. She was unhappy that he was wearing her family's clothes. The old Daryl won't have given a shit if it hurt her feelings. He would have told her to suck it up but he wasn't the man he used to be when the world first plunged into darkness. Being with his group had changed him. It had taught him to care about others, to care about their thoughts and their feelings and this new Daryl felt bad that he hadn't asked her first if he could borrow the shirt and the pants.

" What you make for us tonight?" Len asked, slapping Salem hard on the ass. Hard enough that Daryl flinched and she sucked in her breath.

" Now, now, Len, that's not how we treat Salem, is it?" Joe asked. He reached up and took a hold of Salem's wrist. He drew her to him, smiling the entire time. " What do you have for us tonight, Sweetheart?"

" Soup." She set the tray down on the table before she began to pass the bowls of chicken noodle soup around.

" I'm sick of soup." Dan snapped.

" Hey now," Joe began. " we have no right to be picky. We eat what Salem makes for us and we be thankful. After all, she could kick us right out of here, isn't that right, Sweetheart?" The others around the table smiled and chucked while they nodded. Daryl frowned as he watched Salem. There are no doubt in his mind that she did want to kick them out but did not have the power Joe suggested she did.

The rest of the dinner had Salem sitting on a stool in the corner, eating her soup quietly as she stared at the floor. The men laughed and told dirty jokes. Joe nodded to each other but never spoke. Daryl ate slowly, taking it all in. He watched how when the men wanted or need something, they would order Salem around or toss a piece of bread at her. She served them with no words but bitterness erected in her face.

After they were done with meager dinner, Salem worked on clearing the plates while the men milled around. Some of them lounged on one of the old couches, smoking quietly. Joe steered Daryl towards the main room, where they took seats at another couch. Joe offered Daryl a cigar but he waved it away with a frown.

" So what happen to your group?" Joe asked.

" Didn't have a group. It was me and my brother but he didn't make it." Daryl said. He didn't know if any of his group was still alive and he wasn't about to chance it. He wasn't going to give men like Joe any thoughts about trying to find them because Daryl knew what they would do, that is...if any of them were alive.

" Well, it's getting late now. I'll see you off to your room." Joe said after a while. He grabbed a flashlight from the small table in front of them and clicked it on. " We try hard not to use the big lights at night. We haven't had a walker problem here but that doesn't mean we want to advertise that we are here." He pushed himself up, followed by Daryl. " We try to keep it down at night, use the flashlights when we can." Daryl followed him down the hallway that held the bedrooms. " Get some rest, Daryl. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. We are going looting and making plans."

" Plans for what?" Daryl asked. Joe smiled, lazily.

" Life." Joe clapped a hand on Daryl's shoulder again, like they were old friends. " Have a good night."

Daryl walked into his new room, closing the door quietly. He frowned and shook his head. He need to figure things out. He needed to figure this place out and these men. He didn't want to be alone but he wasn't sure he wanted to stay with them either and what was going on with Salem? She wasn't here because she wanted to be, as much as Joe wanted him to believe that. Maybe Daryl could figure out a way to get them both away from this group.

A soft knock on the door made Daryl turn around to face it. He quickly walked back to it and opened the door, surprised to see Salem standing there. Daryl frowned and looked out into the hallway, finding her alone. He looked back at her. Daryl stared down at the young woman as she stood just outside the doorway to his room. She had her hands pressed into her stomach, again, and looked equal parts disgusted and scared. She closed her eyes and blow out a short breath before she lifted her head and meant him hard in his eyes. Daryl pressed his lips together and waited to see why she had knocked on his door.

" I am here for you to use for the night." Salem said quietly. Daryl blinked and frowned.

" What was that?" He asked.

" I am here to keep you company for the night, per Joe's request." She snapped with anger leaking into her eyes.

" For what?" Daryl asked. Salem's jaw tighten as her body tensed.

" To play cards, what do you think?" She snapped. Daryl frowned, making her sigh and her shoulders sag. " For company." She said quietly.

" I don't need company." Daryl said as he stepped back and start to shut the door. To his surprise, her hand shot up to grab it, stopping the door was closing all the way. The anger had disappeared quickly and was replaced with something else...maybe fear? Her eyes darted to her left, towards the other rooms before she looked back at him.

" Please let me come in...I won't bother you. I'll stay in the corner, I swear, but if you don't let me in the night, one of the other guys will come for me." She whispered.

" Come for you for what?" Daryl asked without thinking. Salem looked from one eye to the other with her chest raising and falling slowly. Suddenly it dawned on him. Joe had sent Salem to Daryl for the night, for sex, not to try and get more information like Daryl had first thought. And if Daryl turned her away, someone else would come in and snatch her up, most likely taking her even though she didn't want it.

" Please." Salem whispered, pleading with him with her eyes. Daryl nodded slowly and moved out of the doorway to let her in but Salem didn't move. She closed her eyes again and sighed as the tension left her body. When she opened them again, the fear was gone and the anger was back. " You need to go to Joe. Tell him you want my chain. He will unchain me from the pole so I can come in ." Salem said. " He's waiting for you in the main room"

With his frown still firmly in place, Daryl walked down the hallway until it opened up to the large room. Joe was sitting on a chair, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, sharping one of his knives. Beside him was one of the poles that ran from the floor to the ceiling, a pole that the end of Salem's chain was wrapped around. Daryl walked over to him.

" Did Salem come to you?" Joe asked without looking up. Daryl stopped walking and took a hold of the strips of his cross bow.

" She did." He said.

" Good...good. She's a good girl so don't rough her up to bad. You get her for two nights. Earned that much time by proving yourself today." Joe set his knife down then reached into his front pocket for a little key. Joe looked up at Daryl and smiled. " She's clean. I make the others wear condoms when they are with her. Won't want any little babies around here. I'm going to unchain her and walk it back with you. There's a pole in your room so I'll lock her up in there. She'll be able to reach your bed and be able to do whatever you want her too."

" You let the others earn time with her?" Daryl asked while he watch Joe crouched down and begin to unlock Salem's chain. Now Daryl got it. Now he understood by Joe kept her chained like he did. He understood why she was dressed the way she was. The skirt made it easy for the men to have at her.

" Course. There's nothing wrong with a man spending time inside a woman." Joe said. He grabbed the chain with one hand and used his other one to push himself up to a standing position. He smiled at Daryl while he began to wind the chain up around his arm. " In turn for her services, we protect her and feed her. "

" She alright with that?" Daryl asked. Joe gave him a smirk before he started walking towards the hallway.

" Sure, she is. It's a tough world out there. She won't last a day without us. There are worst things out there than us." He answered.

Daryl frowned but followed after him. She wasn't alright with what they made her do, that much Daryl knew. He didn't know her but he was willingly to bet that if she was sent out into the world, she'd figure shit out. Beth had...at the thought of the young blond, Daryl felt another flash of pain. His frown harden while he walked.

Once they reached Daryl's room, Joe reached out for Salem. She flinched as his hand slipped into her hair. He smiled, seeming to ignore the discomfort on her face and the tension in her body. He pulled her against him by her hair, pulling a whine out of her throat. Joe's eyes narrowed down as he stared at her hard, giving Daryl a glimpse of the real Joe, letting Daryl see he wasn't the caring guy he wanted Daryl to think he was. Not that Daryl had believed it before.

" You play nice with Daryl and maybe he'll play nice with you. You know how to be a nice girl, don't you?" Joe asked. Anger flashed in her eyes but all it did was make Joe tugged harder on her hair. " Don't you?" He asked again.

" Yes." Salem whispered. Joe smiled and nodded.

" Let's get you in his room than." He said.