Disclaimer: I do not own the Walking Dead
AN: So I went back and corrected a few things. Spelling mostly. I hope this is better!!!!
Daryl was in a panic. He knew this was bad. Everywhere he looked people where crazed. Packing their cars, causing crashes, looting every store they thought had something useful. There was all out kayos. Merle was the only one that seemed to be calm about the whole thing.
"We need to go find June and July." Daryl said pulling on his brother's arm. "Their power had been off for weeks."
"They'll be fine little brother." Merle said getting into his car. "Let's head out before the shit hits the fan."
"Man, the shit had already hit the fan." Daryl demanded. "I'm going back for them. They are only a couple miles down the road. How can you not want to make sure they are ok? After all July had done for you?"
Merle glared his brother down. "They'll only slow us down. And besides, I'm sure Tony had got them."
Merle laughed at the glare he was receiving from his brother, and hung his arm out his car window. "Now I get it. You want to be June's night in shining armor. Well let me tell you something. Tony has had clams on that for quite some time now. And from what I've over heard, he's doing a damn good job at it too."
"Shut up Merle." Daryl growled and revved up his bike. "I'm going."
Daryl ignored the calls of his brother as he drove away. He knew it was a stupid idea. Those things where everywhere. And the farther out of town he got the worse they got. On each side of the street, they were taking bites out of people and pets they had found. Daryl fought the urge to puke as he watched one of those things take down a man as he watched the rest of his family drive off.
He shook it off and took a left. Knowing that June's house wasn't that much farther down the old gravel road. It looked like what ever those things where didn't even attempt to head that way. They where all focused on the town. He turned into the long drive way and his heart started racing as the small shack of a house came into view.
He stopped a few yards away when he saw July and his father attacking Suzie, the family German Shepherd. But they weren't the same people any longer. They where one of them. And from the looks of it, Suzie had put up one hell of a fight. Mr. Bryant was missing an arm and July's stomach was torn to shreds, but they never stopped attacking the dog. Like they couldn't feel their injuries. Daryl got off his bike and took aim at the two men. He shot both in the knees causing them to go down, but never stopped their feeding frenzy on the poor dog.
Daryl raced to the door and started banging on it as hard as he could. "June! Mrs. B! You in there. It's Daryl!"
The door flew open and a young girl flew into Daryl's arms. Daryl was so surprised he almost lost his balance. But once he found it, he wrapped his arms around the young girl. "Justice! Where's your sister?"
"She and momma went to town. Looking for July and Daddy." Justice said in a fit of tears. "They where gone for a couple day. Momma thought they got locked up again. Then they came home. Suzie was going crazy so I let her out, and that's when they just came out of the trees and started attacking her."
"Listen Justi, those things aren't your brother and daddy no more." Daryl said taking the girl by the shoulders. "My bike is just up the drive a ways. I need you to come with me ok. We'll find your sister."
Justice nodded and took a tight grip on Daryl's hand. He quickly led the girl back up the drive. Justice didn't even flinch at the sight of her father and brother. She looked straight a head and followed Daryl.
"Daryl!" Justice yelped as she saw a few of the things heading down the long drive.
"They're slow Justice. We'll be long gone before they even reach us." Daryl said getting on his bike. He helped the girl get on behind him. "Now hold on as tight at you can. Close your eyes, and don't look till I tell you too."
Daryl didn't even wait for the girl to answer. Those things where moving faster than he thought and all he wanted to do was get him and Justice out of there. He sped off down the road, realizing a lot of them he had passed on the way out of town had turned and followed, know leaving it harder to get though. Daryl weaved in and out, as each one tried to grab him. He was sure they had touch Justice a few times with the way she tightened her hug around his waist.
He turned the corner and let out a breath as he saw June's gray 88 Bonneville parked next to Merle's car. Slowed down a bit and parked next to it.
June at once got out of the car and wrapped her arms around Daryl. "Thank you."
She grabbed Justice and brought her into a hug. She looked back up at Daryl, about ready to say something when Tony got out of the driver's seat. "Come on June. They're coming back!"
June and Justice gave Daryl a hug then quickly got into the car. They barely had the doors closed when Tony took off. Throwing rocks at Daryl.
"They are heading to Atlanta." Merle said with a slight smirk. "You know, if you wanna get another hug or something."
"Man. Shut up." Daryl growled.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
It had been a couple weeks since Daryl had seen June. And now he was looting cars along the highway with his brother. He should have followed them. Well he sort of followed. He and Merle had just taken the longer way around. Looting any house along the way that they thought may have been empty. Neither of them had expected things in Atlanta to go bad. Now they realized what those things where. The walking dead. Walkers as the small group they joined called them.
"Will you get your head out of the clouds?" Merle growled. "She's gone. They are all gone. Might as well make the best of what we got now."
Daryl glared at his older brother. "We should have followed them."
"Then we'd be dead too." Merle said with a shrug.
"They were probably the only real friends you had." Daryl started but Merle stopped him.
"Your friends. Not mine." Merle said then froze. "I think we have what we need. Don't you think? Let's get back before it gets dark."
"What is with you?" Daryl was getting annoyed with his brother. "We just got…"
That's when he saw it. The beat up gray 88 Bonneville. All four doors wide open. The back window was cracked and covered in blood. Daryl started to walk toward it when Merle stopped him. "It's no use looking Daryl. We don't need to know."
"I do." Daryl demanded. Merle let his brother go and watched as he walked up to the car. Merle knew then that no matter what his brother found, he wouldn't be the same. He would end up even more like Merle.
Daryl looked inside the car, turned around and puked. He hoped Merle didn't see him, but knew he had. That was the last straw. All that regret of not following them became anger. This had happened because he didn't go with them. He would never let himself forgive.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
June held her sister close to her as the hid behind a broken down car. Tony was a couple cars away with the rest of the group they had joined a couple months ago. A herd of dead where walking past them. The smell of their rotten flesh filled the air, but by this time, no one was bothered by the smell. It was just another smell.
June ran a hand down her sister's mousy brown hair, trying to keep the young girl calm. Even though, it was more for June. A reminder, that she had this young girl to live for.
The herd finally passed by, not noticing the small group of seven. Tony ran back over to June and helped her to her feet, as Justice helped walk her down the road. June had always been a bit on the clumsy side. And this time was no exception. Sprained her ankle tripping over her own two feet.
"June, tell me a story about home." Justice said with her best innocent smile. "Something before all of this happened."
June smiled, knowing her sister was trying to keep her mind of the pain of her ankle. For 13 she was a pretty smart girl. She had always been before this mess, but after she seemed to become even smarter. June thought a moment then smiled.
"Ok, I got one." June took a deep breath and started. "Once, July and I had decided we where going to go on a bit of an adventure. We where probably no older than you. Maybe a bit older. But we went out into the woods. Just the two of us. That was actually pretty normal for us."
"I miss July." Justice said with a sad smile. "He would have had fun with all this. Killing walkers. Surviving on his own."
June smiled back at her. "Yeah. He would have."
FLASHBACK
"Come on June." July said with his mischievous smile. "Grab the bow. I got the gun. Let's see who can bring back the most game."
June ran her fingers through her dark brown hair. "July I am not dressed for this kind of adventure. If I get this dress dirty, you might as well dig me a grave. Mom will kill the both of us."
July chuckled. "Naw, we won't get dirty. Promise."
June thought about it for a moment then nodded. "Fine. But don't be crying when you loose."
June grabbed the hunting bow and arrows then took off towards the woods, before July had the chance to even grab the gun. She giggled to herself, knowing she got a bit of a head start and headed made a sharp left. July wasn't much of a tracker, but he had been trained by the best. She knew it would only be a matter of time before he caught up to her.
She finally slowed down when she was out of breath, believing she was safe from being found. she readied the bow and crept around the woods, looking for any small animal she would be able to shoot. She heard a bit of rustling to her right and raised the bow. She was starting to second guess her choice of the bow. It was set for her brother and was very hard to pull back. He had been the better bow hunter. Give her a hunting riffle and she could hit about any thing.
The rustling came again but this time from almost next to her. She turned fast and lost her grip on the string, sending the arrow flying and nailing a tree. She then heard a very familiar laugh.
"Damn it Dixon." June growled as she walked up to the tree and tried to pull the arrow out. It was stuck deep. She put the bow down and attempted to use both hands to get it out.
"You're going to break it." The boy said from some where in the woods.
"Then why don't you get your butt over here and help me get it out, rather than laugh at me." June protested as she turned and looked around the trees, hoping he would give his hiding spot away.
"What's the fun in that?" He said again with a laugh. "Keep trying. If you break it, I want to be there to witness your brother's childish melt down."
"You're not funny." June growled again. She attempted to get the arrow out again when she lost her footing and slipped. Both feet landing on either side of the tree and her landing in an anthill. June at once got to her feet and stripped off her dress. The one thing she hated more than anything was the feel of ants crawling all over her. She threw the dress on the ground and stomped at it a few times.
She felt some one come up behind her and place a sleeveless shirt around her shoulders. She jumped at the touch and turned on Daryl. "Enjoy the show did you?"
Daryl just smirked at her and tugged a bit on the shirt. "Button it up before your brother gets here. Last thing I need is for him getting the wrong idea. Last time that happened I couldn't see out of my left eye for a week."
"Shouldn't have kissed my cheek." June said crossing her arms. Daryl glared down at her. He didn't even seem to care that even though she was wearing his shirt, she wasn't covering up at all, and he could see every thing that wasn't covered by her bra and panties.
"I didn't kiss your cheek and we both know that." Daryl protested. "Now button up before I do it for you."
June obeyed but kept glaring him down. Daryl got out his hunting knife and slowly started cutting around the arrow, just enough to be able to pull it out. "What are you doing out here with a bow anyways? Other than shooting trees."
"July and I are having a contest." June said with her hands on her hips. "Seeing who can bring back more game."
They heard a shot somewhere in the distance and Daryl smirked. "Well looks like he's one up on you."
"It was one shot. You don't know that." June protested.
"Sure I do." Daryl said handing the arrow to her. "If he had missed, there would have been another gun shot."
June knew he was right. But she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of him knowing it. She picked up the bow and started to walk away. Daryl smirked, grabbed her dress off the ground, and followed.
END FLASHBACK
"I came back with two squirrels and four rabbits that day." June said with a smile. "July never being the wiser that Daryl had shot them all. He even made them unclean shots to make it look like I had done it."
"Wouldn't he have known since you where wearing Daryl's shirt." Justice asked and June shook her head.
"Daryl washed my dress in the creek before I went home. And I put it back on." June replied. "But poor Daryl. I put my dress on over his shirt. He never did get it back. Had to walk home shirtless."
"Don't lie to yourself. He enjoyed every moment of having you practically naked walking the woods with him." Tony said a bit bitterly. "That man would have walked over nails for you if you asked him too. Isn't that why he went back for you?"
June rolled her eyes. Since the moment she had gotten into the car with him, after Daryl had saved Justice, that's all he'd talk about when Daryl or Merle was mentioned. Some times even July. Tony had always been a little jealous that Daryl had gone to June's house first. Even if he had known where June was. She would have never forgiven him if Justice had been left behind.
"The Dixon's had been family friends since I could remember." June made the same protest she always did, but knew it wasn't any good. It never was.
"Daryl Dixon wanted you June." Tony said with a smirk. "Deny it all you want. But you didn't see him running to Missy Kings house to make sure she was safe. How long where they together?"
"You don't know what he had done before or after he saved me." Justice said rolling her eyes.
"Sure I do." Tony said with a smirk. "Missy wasn't with Merle and when we drove off he just sat there on that stupid bike of his and watched us drive off. The dead slowly gaining on him and he just watched us go."
"Just shut up Tony." June growled at him.
They had all been in their own little world that they didn't see the rest of the group stop in front of them, and a couple new people join them. They finally joined the rest of the group and the new comers introduced themselves. They told them about a gated community that they had, and that they would like the group to join. For June it was a no brainier. Justice needed a place to live that was safe.