"One Day"

Summary: What if the Dixon's knew the Greene's before the ZA took place? What if Daryl met Beth when he was 16 and she was 5 years old? What if the Dixon's are the reason Hershel decided to quit drinking? What if all these what-ifs were put into one Zombie Apocalypse story? What if that story was this one? How would these what-ifs change the outcome and story line of The Walking Dead? This is "One Day". Better summary inside.

The events of "one day" start in season 2 of TWD, when the Atlanta group (Rick, Lori, Carl, Andrea, Shane, Dale, T-Dog, Glen, Carol, Sophia, and of course Daryl) meets up with Hershel's family (Hershel, Maggie, Patricia, Otis, Jimmy, and of course Beth) on his farm in Senoia, Georgia. "One Day" still takes place in a ZA, and will still follow the events of TWD. Some deaths may not happen, some still will, some will die differently, and some people I will kill off that have not yet been killed off in the show. Anything is possible…

Here are 6 things you should know before you read this fanfiction (Imagine reading this with a Mary like tone, Welcome to Terminus):

-I do not own anything that has to do with The Walking Dead Comics, or T.V. show

-This fanfiction will be and is Rated T (mature content eventually, might rate it M, but I will separate those scenes from the chapter and label them correctly) meaning if you shouldn't be reading it DO. NOT. READ IT!

- Sean, Maggie, and Beth are all the biological children of Josephine and Hershel Greene. (Annette will come later in the story)

-Beth is older in this story then she is in the comics, and Daryl is the age I feel he looks in Season 1. So if you don't like it then GO AWAY! Beth -18 Daryl is 29

-If you do not believe that age gap relationships are not plausible. Then GO AWAY!

-Enjoy, Favorite, and Review. Because sadly it is not easy creating a story for people to read, it takes a lot of time and effort. And if you do not review, well then what's the point in posting. I.e. NO LOVE = NO POSTS!

Enjoy!

- It was hot as hell on the early Georgia afternoon with only a couple cars driving along HWY 85. A young man could be seen walking the dirt path next to the road, his clothing ripped in sections and dirtied from the heat and dust that polluted the air, hair slicked back from sweat and his lips slightly cracked with blood from his constant biting. In his hand was a small yellowed business card that he kept checking every couple of miles, although it was slightly difficult due to his swollen and purple left eye. A few times the young man would stop to kick up some dirt and turn around only to walk a couple steps , curse and turn back to continue onto his destination.

He hated Senoia, hated his life there in his father's small shack hidden away in the woods. He hated that at least once a week he was forced to go search every bar and pub for his Pa who went missing after a hefty drinking binge, hated that he couldn't just abandon him. The boy had tried to run away before, when he was 9 years old, almost made it for two weeks by only surviving on camp fires and hunting berries. Two long weeks only to come home with poison ivy up his ass and a long beating from his Pa who didn't even know he was missing. Only reason he got a beating was because all the alcohol went missing... dumb ass old man was too drunk to realize he was the one to drink it all. Or maybe he wasn't, maybe he just wanted something to beat on and his boy was the perfect target. Yeah that ladder was most likely the reason, but here and now the dirty blonde haired boy was 16 and still searching for his Pa, hadn't even tried running away since. Not that he hadn't thought about it, he did almost every day; he just couldn't if only for Merle.

His older brother promised he would come back for him, and Merle never broke a promise. Yeah it took him a while, but he always came around to them…although this promise was going on its 10 birthday. But he would come for him, he knew he would.

The boy was so distracted by his inner thoughts that he didn't even realize there was a metal sign in front of him, not until his shoulder smacked right into one of its steal poles. Looking up his eyes were momentarily blinded by the suns rays shining off the metal frame, blinking back the black spots in his vision he held up his palm to shield his one good eye, and read the large black letters of "Chestlehurst Road". He looked down at the business card one more time before continuing on for a couple miles where he stopped at a dirt road that curved off towards the right of the freeway. A small white mailbox stood at the beginning of the road. The family name was painted in green as it stood amongst the cracked and dried yellow paint of what looked like daisies.

Sighing and looking back at the highway one more time he continued on down the road walking past large sycamore trees, silently cursing his Pa for being his Pa. The road went on for about a mile before exiting into a large meadow of dried overgrown weeds and dead plants, the land overrun from not being properly taken care of. A large willow tree stood at the end of the dirt road, the path circling around the trunk of the tree giving it a wide girth. The boy still didn't see a house or any sign of life on the land, he had passed a few small buildings as he walked the remainder of the dirt road and saw a rather large barn set a ways away passed some empty stables.

He stopped as he reached the front of the large willow tree, noticing a rather broken and run down swing lying on the ground under one of its branches. Walking passed it and around the remainder of the tree trunk he finally saw the beginning of a white porch. He realized that the house was blocked by the view of the willow tree, and anyone coming up the path would have to follow the road in order to actually see the house. Smart.

The house definitely matched the rest of the land, white and two stories although overrun with dried vines and cracked paint, there were even a few shutters that lay broken on the ground or hung from their hinges.

He walked up the steps to the front of the house and knocked on the wooden door, when no one answered he knocked again. He hadn't scene anyone on the property and it looked like no one was home other then an old blue truck that sat at the side of the house. He was about to leave and figure out a different way of finding his Pa when the door slowly opened with a creak, but he didn't see anyone there, not until he looked down and saw a tiny little girl staring up at him with giant big blue eyes.

"He- ."

"Bethany go back into the other room!" An older man came from a door off to the left side of the hallway. He looked to be in his late 40's and hung over with blood shot eyes, the boy would recognize that look anywhere. The man didn't even look at the little girl as she ran back down the hallway passed a set of stairs and made a right through an open doorway into what appeared to be a living room. "What do ya want boy?"

"I was wonderin' if ya knew where my Pa was. Will Dixon?" The boy lowered his head as he looked at the man in front of him, worried that at any moment he would overstep his bounds and get a beating like some of his Pa's other friends gave him. "I got yer address from a card in his wallet…yer Hershel Greene right?"

"I am, how should I know where he is? When's the last time ya saw him?" The man was stern and his voice was fairly harsh as he spoke to the young man in front of him, his fingers slowly kneading into the bridge of his nose.

"I saw him a few days ago, said he was gonna go off ter Flanagan's, never showed back. Wallet was left at the house though, and I've checked all the bars and pubs."

"Damn it! Took em to my still the other day, sorry drunk probably never left. I'll take ya to em and bring ya both back to ya house, yer lucky I needed a drink anyways" Hershel grabbed his coat and wallet off the front rack before turning back to the boy and pointing for them to head out, but before he could even move to turn around they were interrupted by a tiny voice from the hallway.

"Daddy, Sea- and Maggie says ya ain't supposed to leave me awone!" the little girl had tears in her eyes as she stood behind her father and looked up at his rather large and rigid back, silently pleading not to be left alone. "Pwease, daddy! Ya can't leave me awone!"

The man's face was rigid as he heard his youngest daughter plead with him not to leave her; he turned to the boy in front of him and looked him up and down before squeezing passed him and walking out the door. "Stay here while I look for ya Pa, she won't be no hassle, and there's some ice in the freezer for your eye." Hershel walked down the steps and around the corner to his blue truck before quickly driving off down the road. Dirt coloring the sky brown from his sudden departure.

The young girl stared at the older boy as he stood in the middle of the doorway just looking down at her with his mouth slightly open, shocked that at one moment he was out hunting down his Pa and the next he was forced to partake on babysitting duty.

"Uhhh"

"Sea- an' Maggie says I aint supposed to talk ta strangers…"

"Is that so…" He didn't know what to do as he looked at the small blonde child in front of him; she looked like she was around 5 or 6 years old. Her hair was down around her face slightly messy and she was wearing a small pink outfit adorned with a small pink tutu. Could you get any more girlie?!

"My names Beth, what's yers?"

"Why ya need ta know?" He was still in shock that the older man had left a total stranger with his daughter, although he wasn't that much of a stranger. The man was one of his Pa's drinking buddies. Either way it really didn't seem like the older man cared.

"Cuz silly, if I know ya name we aint strangers anymore." She looked kind of stubborn as she spoke of her revelation to him. Her tiny palms fisted on her hips as she smirked up at the older boy in front of her.

"Daryl Dixon" He finally replied.

"Well Dawill, ya comin in or what?" He just watched for a moment as the tiny little girl turned around and walked back into the living room. Was he really being shown up by a little munchkin? Yeah he was.

Daryl shook his head a few times before walking into the house and closing the door behind him; he looked around the home for a few moments to see if anything was unusual. He was always careful. Not noticing anything too out of the ordinary except for a couple picture frames turned over so you couldn't see the images inside, he slowly walked forward and around the corner where he saw the little girl named Beth sitting in the middle of the room cross legged at a small coffee table. She was reading a book that was lying open on a few scattered pieces of paper with crayons tossed half-heartedly around it; he could hear her soft voice humming out a small tune while her small finger followed along the words she was reading.

"Ya know ya can sit down if ya want." She chuckled into the room her eyes still glued to her book.

He didn't like being told what to do, nor did he like being made a fool of, especially by a little girl. Either way he wasn't just gonna stand there and watch her like some creep, so he crossed the room and sat down on one of the chairs and slowly took in the room. It was too clean and country, white walls with crochet and flower pictures adorned the walls. The room smelled of dust and baby powder, to him it was very unpleasant. The girl's soft voice startled him out of taking the room in; she was singing a soft tune now while her mind was absorbed into her reading.

"Where yer Ma at?" He didn't really want to talk to the little girl, but he was uncomfortable just sitting there listening to her sing. What else was he supposed to do?

She met his grey eyes with her blue ones "Maggie says heaven, but I aint to sure…what about yers?"

Daryl silently cursed himself for accidently bringing up a touchy subject, but how was he supposed to know that her mamma was dead? Deciding that the best solution was tit for tat and letting the little girl know a little about his past he answered. "Dead too, killed in a fire"

"Oh, sowy about your Mamma… I heard Daddy and Sea- fighten one time…Daddy said I killed my mamma, but Maggie said Daddy was full of a really mea- word. She says I aint bad an sometimes ac-accidents' happen, but im nothen but good." The little girl turned her body to look at him as she told him a little bit about her life. "Have you ever been bad?"

Daryl just shrugged his shoulders, he didn't really know how to digest the little girls words, she didn't look like she was abused like he was, but sometimes words could do more damage then blows….or in her case the lack of words.

"I don't think yer bad." She got up off the ground and grabbed her book before walking over to him to sit on the seat beside him. "Did someone think ya was being bad? An that's why your face is like that?"

Daryl just shrugged his shoulders again, he was getting a little uncomfortable with all the girls questions, but he knew they were innocent enough? He would never snap at her, she was just a child.

"Sowy." She turned back to her book and started reading again, sensing his reluctance to answer her questions.

"Wacha readin?" He didn't know why he kept asking her questions but the girl seemed sad after their initial topic of conversation, and he really didn't feel like having an upset child near him.

"Bridge to Terabithia" That got a smile of out her "Maggie would read it ta me at nighttime, she gave it ta me for my birthday, an Sea- got me a music book. Do ya like ta sing?"

Daryl just shook his head at Beth, his brows quirked with amusement. 'Him sing?', that was a hilarious thought.

"Well whadda ya do then silly?" He was still trying to put a read on the tiny creature next to him. Why was she so curious about him, shrugging it off as boredom he answered her truthfully. "I draw."

Beth bounced in her seat at his sudden admission, making him wish he never mentioned his secret, one he'd never told anyone. He squinted at her, his eyes pulling into a dangerous glare he learned from his father, thinking the tiny thing was making fun of him, until she started clapping her hands.

His glare didn't even faze her "oooh, you're just like Jesse from my book. He drew too!"

Beth started to wave her book in front of his face; while Daryl started backing up worried if he didn't he would get another black eye. He was almost off the couch when Beth stopped and suddenly looked at him shyly. "Dawill, will you draw me one day?" The little girl looked so hopeful with her innocent request "pwease."

For some reason he couldn't refuse the little girl, maybe because she reminded him of a younger version of himself. He didn't know and he refused to question it. He'd never see her again and he never cared about lying before, so why not humor the little nugget sitting next to him. "Sure."

Her smile increased tenfold and she grabbed his hand. "Promise?"

Daryl had never felt sorry for a lie before, not even a white lie but as soon as the word –"promise"- left his lips, he knew he wished he was telling the truth. This little girl made him hate his father even more, he hated men who could just up an ignore and hate on their kids. Their own blood.

Beth had started reading her book again, her voice softly humming…Daryl didn't understand why now out of all times he decided to open up, but he did. To the little girl sitting next to him.

"I was bad" Beth looked up at him with a tiny quirked brow, silently questioning him at the same time as urging him to continue. He gestured to his left eye. "When you asked earlier if I was ever bad…"

Beth's face scrunched up in young contemplation as she looked from his bruised eye to her right hand which she made into a small fist. Shaking her head she jumped off the couch and walked out of the room, her pink tutu bouncing with each step.

Daryl was confused and slightly ashamed that he was so vulnerable in front of another person, let alone a child. He was getting more and more agitated at himself as the little girl was away from the room, silently berating himself with the words stupid, disgusting, pathetic, and worthless….only some of the few terms his father used to describe him.

Screw being a babysitter, who the hell was he to give a shit about this little messed up girl, he was about to get up and leave when she came sauntering back into the room carrying a silver object. Her head was tilted down looking at the item in her hands while she walked towards him, it wasn't until she looked up that he noticed the small little tear tracks on her face.

When she was seated back on the couch next to him she moved to place the object in his hands, he looked down and immediately met the blue eyes of a young women, her hair was brown short and curly. "My mamma…"

He looked at the girl next to him "Maggie says I have her eyes…"

"She's pretty." He really didn't know what to say, hell he didn't even know why he was seeing this, it was obviously one of the pictures turned over in the hallway.

"Dawill, have you ever killed anyone?" He kept being surprised by the youngster in front of him, she was a lot smarter than kids her age…not that Daryl had been around a lot of kids….

"No" who did she think he was, did he really look that bad…maybe his Pa was right.

"Then if I ain't bad, neither are you." Her voice was firm as she spoke her words, they held a deeper message. Did this little girl really blame herself for her mamma's death? He didn't think anyone could be as cruel as his Pa, but Hershel was coming in close.

"Ya ain't bad Dawill Dizon…and one day I'm gonna save you." She turned away from him again to read her book and started to sing her soft lullaby, leaving the discussion closed.

He was still shocked at the girl's words as he looked at the face of her mother, she didn't deserve this life, he hoped if there were some God that he would take pity on her... His inner thoughts were interrupted by the sound of two closing car doors.

"Where the hell is Beth!? Why are you alone?!" he heard the distant angry tone of a guy outside the house. Daryl was guessing Hershel was home. "Ya left her home alone? We gave ya one job! Ta just not leave her alone!"

"Sea-'s home…" Beth said quietly next to him, she was staring in the direction of the front door.

Daryl started to stand as he heard the rest of the conversation outside, he could only hear the younger man.

"You left her with a stranger!"

"I don't care who the hell he is!" The voice was reaching closer to the front of the house, and Daryl could faintly hear Hershel talking back to Sean.

"Mind ya own business Sean, ya ain't her Pa." Hershel sounded gruff, but he wasn't yelling at the other man.

"Might as well be! Ya haven't even looked at her since Ma! Do you even know how old she is now, how long it's been? No? Let me clue ya in! She's five Hershel, and her biological Pa won't even look at her. He's just off looking to get a buzz and forget the past! I'm more of a Dad to her then you've ever been!"

"Sean! Get back here boy!"

"Go get drunk Hershel!"

The front doors slammed open and shut startling Daryl out of his frozen stance, and before he was even able to move another foot a tall and well built blonde young man strode into the room him and Beth were presiding in.

"Sean!" Beth screeched as she bolted off the couch straight into her older brother's arms, showing just how young she truly was. She stood between the crouched boys knees as her arms circled around his neck, holding him tightly in her hug.

"Hey princess, ya alright?" The young man looked to be around 18 years old as he hugged his little sister and checked her over to make sure she was truly okay. "I'm sorry Pa left ya on ya own."

"Daddy didn't leave me on ma own Sea-, Dawill was watchen me" She turned in Sean's arms as she looked between her older brother and Daryl "He's ma new friend." She nodded to emphasize her point.

Sean looked Daryl up and down for a moment before standing and walking towards the younger boy, Daryl didn't miss how Sean's stare lingered for a few beats more then necessary on his left eye, however he was slightly startled when the older boy raised his hand to shake his own. "My name is Sean Greene; I wanna say thank ya for taken care of ma sister."

Daryl looked at his raised hand for a moment before he decided the human body part wasn't harmful likes his Pa's; he firmly took it and shook the older boy's hand. He didn't expect the older brother, who just moments before was angry, to actually treat him with some decency, but here the man was willingly shaking his hand and saying thank you. Another thing to add to the list of craziness that ensued today; Daryl could count on one hand the amount of times he had been thanked.

"Daryl Dixon, an it was no problem. She's a good kid" Sean just nodded at Daryl's words about his little sister. Both boys not really one for a hearty conversation.

"My Pa is waiten outside for ya, says he's gonna take ya home" Sean nodded his head in the direction of the front door where Hershel was most likely waiting outside. Daryl nodded before walking towards the living room exit, but turned towards a small gasp as Beth came running back into the room, Daryl didn't even realize she had left until she came back in.

"Wait Dawill, ya almost forgot ta say bye!" Before he new what she was going to do, Beth pounced on his leg and firmly gave it a hug. It only lasted for a second before she drew back and was holding something up to him. "Here."

Daryl grabbed the small book she was handing him, and looked down to see the title 'Bridge to Terabithia'.

"So ya won't forget about what I told ya!" Beth's stance was firm yet again as she watched Daryl take in his new present, only the glassiness of her eyes held her true emotions towards the depth of the gift. "Well, bye than Dawill, see ya another time."

Daryl could only utter a small -"bye"- as he watched one of the bossiest people, let alone child, quickly walk out of the room and his life.

"She's a strange one, I'll tell ya that much. But she's a good kid" Daryl looked up to Sean who still stood in the room "Just like our mamma, heart of gold"

Sean looked back at Daryl before nodding once more "I guess I'll see ya around…or maybe not. Either way it was nice to meet ya Daryl Dixon, an again thanks for watchen Beth" and with that Sean exited the room and walked up the flight of stairs in search of his little sister.

Daryl just stood in the living room for another second looking at the book in his hands; he'd never gotten a present before. Not from anyone. Making a quick decision, he went to the coffee table and took a small crayon and opened the book to the first page where he drew a music note trapped inside a heart and signed it with two D's. When he was finished he left the book right next to the picture of her mother on the coffee table and exited the house. -

Daryl woke from his dream to the sound of soft crying in the bed at the end of the RV..Seemed like Carol was still awake, and Andrea was cleaning her guns at the table next to him.

He realized now why 'Xena warrior' riding on the horse earlier was familiar. . . She said the family name was Greene…Well shit today would be interesting…. He left the R.V. with the image of bright blue eyes…how long had it been, almost 13 years...Well that was just unlucky. . . Funny how the last time he had been in Senoia was the day he left his Pa's house and he promised himself he would never come back, not even for his Pa's funeral. . . guess the end of the world changed a lot of things. . . .

FIN of Chapter 1.

Well I hope you guys liked the first chapter! Here is some information if you didn't catch them:

-Sean is the eldest child of the Greene clan. In this chapter he is 19 years old. Maggie is 10.

-Hershel sells moonshine and has a shack just like Daryl's Pa, that is how they met, at a bar and then Hershel brought Will to his still/shack where he left him. . . they do not know each other that well. Hershel and Daryl have not met before.

-Beth's mother Josephine died at child birth, Hershel has been broken since his wife passed away.

-Hershel does love Beth and his family, he would never raise a hand to them…But he does ignore them, and has never been able to look at Beth. She is the only one who has Josephine's eyes.

Author Notes

-My fanfiction "unraveled" is on HIATUS, I have already said in the Author message on that story that I will be posting the full story this summer. That story will NOT interfere with this fanfiction!

-READ and REVIEW . . . because NO LOVE = NO CHAPTER UPDATE!