A/N THIS IS THE LAST OF THE INTRO CHAPTERS;THINGS WILL BE MOVING ALONG AFTER THIS. & FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT CARE: THE ROLE OF CAROLINE BINGLEY IS BEING PLAYED BY BETH...YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED...ANOTHER A/N AT THE END.

ENJOY.

••••••••••

The quarter mile stretch of private road that lead down to their friend's new home was lined with peach trees. The branches hanging low and heavy with ripe fruit in desperate need of being picked. The driver maneuvered his car over to the right to share the road with a truck that was coming down in the opposite direction. As they passed each other, the driver of the truck waved his arm out of his window, in thanks, as they kept on down the gravel path.

"Don't see many classics like that driving 'round the city" his passenger said, twisting around in the seat to catch a glimpse of the red '47 chevy truck as it traveled passed them. "The ones you do see are so chopped up and modified you can't even tell what car they're suppose to be any more." He said with a tsk of his tongue.

The driver grunted his agreement and nodded of his head, smoking the cigarette he held between his thumb and forefinger. He blew out a cloud of smoke as they pulled out of the tree cover and drove up to the front of the house.

Their host was just turning to make his way back into his home when the rev of the car's engine got his attention. Lifting a hand in greeting as they pulled up, Rick Grimes made his way down the steps to greet them.

"Welcome to Augustus!" Rick said, holding the passenger's door open. "What d'ya think?" he asked gesturing in the air with his hand to the surrounding property and home.

Their friend had just moved his life from the luxury of downtown Atlanta to a house he had bought in outskirts of rural Augustus. At first, they thought the move random but Rick had explained that his mother had spent her summers in Augustus as girl on his grandparents... or great grandparents... farm. When his mother had got sick and he had been visiting with her in the hospital, his mother had said how much she missed that time there and how she wished she could go back. Rick was intrigued and after doing some research, he'd found the very house she'd known all those years ago and discovered that it was for purchase. So he bought it. His hope had been that he, his mother and sister would have moved their together, but soon after he'd finalized design details his mother had stopped responding to the treatments and she'd passed away shortly before the project's completion.

Rick had nearly abandoned the home after that, but after one particularly sleepless night, he had awoke with renewed purpose and moved forward with the project. So here he was now, standing in front of his new home, silly smile on his face...and happy.

"Well...we definitely aren't in Kansas anymore." the passenger joked "Couldn't you have found some place closer?"

Rick let out a laugh and clapped the man on the back when he got out and they greeted each other. He then turned his attention to the driver. "How was the drive over?" he asked.

Taking one last pull from his cigarette, the driver made his way over to his friends.

"Not too bad." He said, clasping Rick's hand in greeting "Would've arrived sooner if little princess here didn't need his extra beauty sleep." he chuckled, motioning to the other man.

"Shut it, Dixon...That ugly mug of yours could definitely use some extra beauty 'Zs' ...Might do something for that bug you always got up your ass too..." he quipped, earning him a rough punch to the arm as he was passed.

Rick chuckled "Let's get you guys settled in, then I'll take you on a tour. You able to stay the whole weekend, Shane?" he asked, closing the passenger door.

"That's the plan...But technically I am on call, so I may have to take off." Shane answered "But I doubt they'll call me in."

Shane Walsh had been transferred to the Atlanta Police department as their new Lieutenant. He had served two tours in Iraq, moving quickly through the ranks and had then worked as military police at Fort Benning till he'd fulfilled his military contract. When that was up, instead of accepting a carrier position, he accepted the option of a position at the Atlanta city police department and had been working there for about two months. He loved it, but a few days off sounded pretty great. So, when his cousin, Daryl, had asked if he'd like to spend the holiday weekend at their friend's new place, Shane put in some extra overtime and requested the weekend off with the stipulation that he be on call.

"Excellent!" Rick said, clapping him on the shoulder. "What about you, Daryl? Or you here for the day?" He asked.

Daryl looked over to them, closing the trunk "Left the new livestock yardman in charge. Giving him something of a 'trial weekend'..."

Daryl Dixon was the second son of Albert Dixon, the founder of 'Georgia A&D Cattle'. His father had passed away when he was 17 years old and had left the company to Daryl and his older brother, Merle. His brother already had found a life for himself in the armed forces and had little to no desire to be part of the business and so Merle had signed all rights he had over to Daryl a few years later. Daryl and Rick had just started at the University of Georgia together to study business and commerce when Daryl's father passed away. He wanted to do his father's legacy proud, and with the added stress of his brother leaving the company to his charge, Daryl worked hard and was at the top of his class.

Daryl's undeterred drive to expand what his father had built had made A&D cattle one of the most prominent privately owned cattle ranches in the nation. He worked tirelessly, so when Rick had asked if he would like to come visit and celebrate the completion of his new home, Daryl decided he needed some time away and accepted, inviting his cousin to come along.

"Fantastic!" Rick clapped his hands together "Let's go on in and I'll show you to the rooms my sister set you guys up in" he said, turning to the house. "You guys hungry?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Always man" Shane laughed rubbing his belly.

"Well, come on." Motioning his guests to follow him "We were just going to put some lunch together, so you're just in time."

Shane started forward when a sudden weight hit his chest, forcing him to take a staggering step back. Instinctively, he reached up to grab at what had hit him and when he looked down he saw he was clutching his duffle bag.

Walking past Shane, his own bag in hand, Daryl smirked "I ain't your valet..." he said, walking up the steps.

Grumbling, he started towards the steps "Asshole" Shane muttered, rubbing at his chest.

Daryl snorted out a slight laugh and waited for his cousin to catch up, before making their way into the house after Rick.

••••••••••

Daryl stood at the railing of the large deck at the back of the house, smoking a cigarette, only half listening to what the small group of people at the table were talking about.

After dropping their things off in the rooms they'd been assigned, Daryl and Shane had made their way to the back of the house where Rick and Beth had set a table for a late lunch.

Daryl had introduced Shane to Bethany Grimes,'Beth' as her friends knew her, and they seemed to be getting on well enough.

Beth was Rick's younger sister and had come to stay with her brother for the summer. Like Daryl, their parents had both passed away. Their father in a car crash shortly after Daryl and Rick had met, and their mother a few months ago to cancer, like Daryl's mother had when he was just a young child. Rick had explained that he didn't like the idea of Beth living on her own in the city when he was going to be so far away. And she in turn had explained that she had agreed to come stay with him until she started her final year of fashion school...She had made no promise that she would stay any longer than that.

Beth was sweet enough...to those that she considered her friends at least. Daryl was often in her company the last few years due to his close friendship with her brother and he'd found her tolerable, at the best of times. She was smart, and one would say she wasn't hard to look at. She was a perfect example of Atlanta's upper social class; the definition of southern belle incarnate. She was now, however, at the age where all her friends were married or on their way to being so and much to Daryl's chagrin, she was actively seeking out a man of her own. He found himself unfortunately often in her sights even though he could never see her in that light. That didn't stop her from trying her best to convince him otherwise, and it was getting somewhat awkward and uncomfortable for him when he found himself alone with just the brother and sister. So, when Rick had mentioned that Beth had decided to come down earlier when she'd heard Daryl was coming down, he had invited his cousin. Knowing full well that with Shane's charm and personable nature, he just might be saved the discomfort of spending the weekend alone with both Grimes siblings, instead of just the one.

Snubbing out his cigarette and savoring the calming effect of the nicotine, he let the smoke out slowly and made his way back over to the group.

"Who was driving that sweet classic we saw when we were driving up?" Shane asked, settling a bit more into the padded seat and taking a long pull from his beer.

Rick looked at him furrowing his brow, not immediately knowing what he was referring to. Taking a sip from his own drink, his brow then shot up in understanding. Wiping his lip he nodded his head before he answered.

"Mr. Lucas...He's one of my new neighbors." he smiled.

Rick went on to explain that the two men, a Mr. Lucas and his friend, Mr. Greene if Rick remembered correctly, had come by to welcome him to town. He had found them both quite pleasant. Their easy manners and warm characters a far cry from the stuffy attitude of the social circles he had grown up around in Atlanta. He told them that Mr. Lucas had extended an invitation to him for the fourth of July party he was having the following night. Mr. Lucas had explained that the fete was an annual event, complete with dancing, barbecue and fireworks. More than half the town showed up every year, so a few more wouldn't be an imposition whatsoever he'd assured.

"...I think we should go" Rick finished, leaning back and taking a sip of his drink.

"Rick, you can not be serious..." Beth incredulously asked.

"Why not? You like parties, Beth. And I know Shane here wouldn't pass up on some good barbeque and the chance to broaden his pool of female acquaintance." he smirked, raising his drink to Shane.

"Barbecue, girls and fireworks?" Shane asked "I'm inviting you to go with me!" the two men laughed.

"What do you think, Dixon?" Rick asked his friend. "I quite like the idea of a country dance myself...I hadn't really planned anything for us to do tomorrow as it is..." he said, taking another pull from his beer and leaning his elbows on the table in front of him.

Daryl lifted an eyebrow at him.

"Spending the evening with strangers and being forced to dance with women I don't know..." he paused "It's like you don't know me at all man..." Daryl finished with a roll of his eye and taking a long pull from the beer Beth had got for him earlier.

It seemed every time Daryl went to one event or another these past few years, he was cornered by some woman, trying her best to sink her claws into him. They were all the same, the only thing different about them were their names...sometimes.

The growing success and wealth behind A&D was attracting more attention than Daryl cared for from the women he found in the social settings he was increasingly forced into. He felt more often than not on these nights as if he was being auctioned off like one of his bulls. Which is why, more and more, if he went, he made to sure he went with Rick, or Shane if he could get away from work that night. He'd even convinced Merle, to go to a couple of events when he'd been on leave. Rarely did Daryl go somewhere alone. Which seemed to be having the opposite desired effect unfortunately.

Daryl looked to Shane, who was smirking slightly at him.

"If I had known I was going to be forced to attend some barn dance, be ogled at and suffer interacting with yourneighbors" Daryl stressed with a pointed look at Rick, "Then I would have stayed home."

Rick laughed. "If there is anyone I know that can repel unwanted attention or interest with just a word, it's you, Dixon."

"Come on, man." Shane said from across the circular table "Get that stick out your ass, come down off your high horse, and just give it a chance. I doubt it's going to be half as bad as you think it's going to be..." he chuckled "Who knows, you might even finally meet a girl that'll get your shriveled little pecker's attention."

Daryl shook his head and scoffed before draining the rest of his beer.

Rick and Shane had made it their mission to find Daryl 'a woman' almost at the same time Daryl had decided the eschew women all together.

The other two men were easily pleased by female company of any kind, while Daryl simply was not. He had had his share of dalliances but they never last more than a night or two. And that was all Daryl needed. Rick tended to fall in love frequently though just as easily fell back out. He was a silly romantic in constant search for his "other half".

Shane wasn't much better but his reasons were different. He had dated his fair share of women also, but almost all had ended quickly and didn't last very long. The difference was that Shane had known real, true love before it had been taken from him abruptly 7 years ago. It was a story that he didn't freely speak or think of and Shane never talked it about but he knew what love did to a person and he wanted that for his cousin...He knew that was what his cousin was missing in his life.

"I don't see any problem in the two of us staying here, while you two go spend the evening experiencing what country life has to offer." Beth remarked.

The idea of spending an evening with local country folks left a bad taste in her mouth. Looking over to Daryl she continued.

"Daryl and I can find something that both of us will find much more enjoyable to do I'm sure..." she trailed off, twirling a piece of her blonde hair around a dainty finger with a glance in Daryl's direction.

Shane snorted and choked slightly on his drink though Rick missed the exchanged completely

"Asshole" Daryl muttered in Shane's direction, avoiding Beth's eye.

"There's going to be a ton of people at this thing!" Rick interjected "It'll just be a night of good food, good music, a good time, and if the other's are like Lucas and Greene, I promise, good company." Rick finished putting a hand down flat on the table.

"If the other's are anything like your new friends," Beth started "then they are rude, ill mannered, busy bodies." She scoffed "Showing up and just...imposing themselves, uninvited I might add, when we're just getting settled in…ridiculous." she said with a flick of the her slim wrist.

"Jesus, Bethy! They were just being nice..." Rick said, fixing his little sister with a look. "It was nice of them to even take the time out of their day to come introduce themselves..."

"I agree." Shane declared, trying to diffuse a situation that might get it's own kind of ridiculous soon enough "What ever their intent, be it friendliness or just being nosey, Rick wants us to experience some country life and I'm all for it. Especially when it's got the promise of spending an evening in the company of a dozen or more farmer daughters." He raised his bottle to his lips and finished it before he stood. "Dixon, you have to go. As a war vet, I forbid you to stay here like a limp dick, when you should be thanking me for my service."

"That's Memorial Day, jackass..." Daryl mumbled.

"Whatever. You're going."

"You too, Beth" Rick added

Beth pouted and Daryl, since it seemed like the subject wasn't something they were going to likely agree on, let it go and nodded his head.

"Now..." Shane said, slapping his hands down on the table pushed himself to his feet. "I've stuffed myself with some mighty fine cooking' " he bowed to Beth slightly making her giggle and Daryl roll his eyes. " So I'm going to go rest up a bit before I make this cowboy take us on the grand tour." he finished, smacking Rick on the back.

"Sounds like a plan." Rick said getting up too. "Wanna take a ride in about... an hour or so?" He asked looking down at this watch. "We brought the horses over last night and they're chopin' at the bit to run. We can ride them out and tour the property.

They all agreed and Rick and Shane made their way inside, with Beth following shortly after when her attempts to pull conversation from Daryl were proving fruitless.

••••••••••

Daryl got up and walked over to the railing again, looking out at the wide expanse of Rick's property. He envied Rick a bit. Being able to create his own life, choose where and when he wanted to go or do something. Daryl's life had always been dictated to him and a schedule always planned out. He wouldn't change it for a thing though. He'd grown up with a lot of privileges not many had and the work he was doing now with A&D made him happy enough. But seeing his friend forging a road for himself, be it with his new home or the success of his new market venture, made him a little jealous.

Lighting another cigarette, he sucked in a pull of nicotine, closing his eyes and letting it sit in his lungs a bit before letting it slowly blow out. Opening his eyes again, he thought about the party he was apparently going to the following night. He chuckled thinking about his friend's eagerness about attending. What harm could it do to go with them he thought. Better than being stuck in the house with Beth he supposed. Yes, he would go. Just another night spent with people he didn't know and ladies he didn't want to see, but knew his friend and cousin would be forcing on him. Couldn't be any different from any other night he spent at some party or another. No, nothing about tomorrow would be any different from any other one of those nights, he thought.

...right?

A/N : Firstly: I'd like to thank everyone that had read/favorited/followed/and reviewed this story! Like I've said before, it is so gratifying to know that others enjoy what I'm trying to do here. - I have a newfound respect for the writers on this site and for this fandom. Especially those that can write multiple chapters for multiple stories each day! While I know where I might want to take a chapter, it takes me quite awhile to actually get it there and proof read and finalize it before I think it's adequate enough to publish-. So, thank you all that have liked what little I've given you so far! I appreciate it so much :)

Secondly: I suppose another truth universally acknowledged (and if it isn't, it should be) is that when your bored: there is nothing to do, but the minute you find a way to remedy that, it opens a flood gate of possibility. My time, as of late, is becoming less and less my own and the schedule I'd had for myself in regards to this story has changed. I promise to do my best to update at the very least once a week so the flow of the story isn't interrupted too much as you read.

I know that can be very frustrating, so I hope to do my best to avoid that.

That's it for now; I'm off to work on the party chapters!

-Thanks again for reading :)