A/N: So, hopefully there are no spelling errors in this BECAUSE i checked. Usually they only appear because my keyboard likes to be a douche bag and leave off letters at the end of a word or something, or i'm just being slow and put a certain word twice or where another word is supposed to be in place of it, so if you see it before i get a chance to double and triple check, just ignore it because i was kind of rushed toward the end. please let me know if i fucked something up, also, i feel like Daryl is a bit unusual this chapter, i don't know if it's just because of Sara being around or their hug in the forest that's thrown him off but i tried to keep him as Daryl-ish as possible. Also, i don't know if it's just me but this is not my all time favorite chapter, let me know what you guys think. Enjoy.


"So lemme get this straight…", Rick paused, eyes lingering on both Daryl and Sebastian. "You're proposing that we just drop everything we're doing, stop going farther south, and head back towards a way we've already been? You want to back-track, that's what you're telling me?"

Daryl stood there, chewing on his lip, wondering if Rick was actually finding the idea insane or if he was actually considering it. "We already have a place to stay. A permanent place.", Sebastian interjected and Rick swayed back on his heels as he thought more deeply. The more he thought, the more it sounded like a great idea. "And Sara is alright with this?"

Sebastian nodded at his words, seeing as how Daryl remained perfectly quiet, only saying something once he glanced behind him at Sara. She was sitting with Lotty and Lydia and brushing leaves and dirt out of Denny's hair. "She said it would be fine with her and the others who stay there. The house is big enough, it's windows don't let out sound or light, it has acres of gated up land in the middle of the woods of Charlotte. Not to mention, they've got unlimited food sources.", Daryl was rambling now and the more he said, the more Rick was leaning towards being on board with his new right hand man.

"What do you think they're saying?", Lotty said, her raspy voice immediately catching Sara's attention. "I don't know", the younger cousin said briskly, brushing frantically at her young son's tufts of dirty-blonde hair. She didn't really understand why the child never put up much fuss but after all, it was his own fault for getting twigs and such caught in his hair. "But, we do know they're probably trying to get Rick to let us go to Charlotte.", Lydia said. Lotty raised an eyebrow at Lydia and then looked at Sara to see of the words were true. Sara only nodded.

"What's his deal, anyway?", Maggie cut in, coming from behind the three women, having heard mostly everything. Immediately, Sara noticed Beth wasn't accompanying Maggie which probably meant she was still somewhere resting. They had all had a pretty late night. "What's whose deal?", Lotty asked curiously, even though she knew the words were aimed at Sara. Maggie pursed her lips, sitting on a lawn chair next to Lotty, who was seated in one next to Sara. Lydia just stood, expressing the pain that Denny didn't as she watched Sara battling with his tangled dirty mess of hair. Maggie nodded in Daryl's direction and instantly Lotty started laughing. "Oh, sweetie, if you don't know by now…you won't ever understand."

Sara rolled her eyes before huffing in frustration, "Jesus Christ, boy. What do you get into? Do you just pick crap up off the ground and shove it in your hair?" Denny just stayed quiet and gave a slight hunch of his shoulders, blue eyes shaded with indifference.

"Alls I'm sayin' is, it's better than goin' off into the unknown and gettin' ourselves killed. We'd be safe. Probably forever.", Sebastian nodded in agreement, taking all Daryl said into account, hoping that Rick was doing the same. "If we go, what if things don't go as planned? What then? We'll be out of fuel, out of food, then what?", Rick asked, considering the safety of not only his family, but the remaining survivors as well. Daryl rubbed his face, sighing upon discovering his words hadn't been getting through to Rick completely. He decided that he could up the stakes, "Look, we ain't got the luxury of restin' here on our asses. Randall's group is headin' in our direction an' if they find us, you know what could happen.", Daryl said gruffly and Rick's eyes went wide. Sebastian smirked lightly at his friend's adjustment of the truth.

"So are you still in love with him or?", Maggie kept pressing the issue and Sara really couldn't understand why the girl wasn't off frolicking in some flowers with her Asian boy toy. It wasn't often that Sara let things get to her or creep under her skin. She smirked lightly as she finished the touches to her son's hair, "This might sound crazy, but you think you could restrain talking about this in front of Denny, maybe?", She spoke sarcastically and in a voice that wasn't her usual. It was more of a California surfer type of voice and it made Lydia giggle. Maggie only squinted and then watched as Denny scurried away. "He's gone, now answer the question.", Sara's eyes crossed slightly in frustration before she huffed and gave in to answering even though she stalled as long as she possibly could. Why did everyone and their mother's not understand that Sara hated reminiscing about Daryl. "I honestly couldn't answer that if I tried. Part of me will always love him, of course. But I just don't think about us like that anymore. I haven't in a long time."

Lydia cocked her head to the side, having always been able to tell when her best friend was lying. "And by long time, you mean a few hours, right?" Sara flushed, she hadn't meant to but she did. Her cheeks didn't burn red because she'd been caught, but because Lydia was spot-on. Instantly, her thoughts roamed back to her vivid dream of that fuzzy Christmas night and she glanced straight ahead to find Daryl's eyes on her from a few yards away.

After the men finished talking everyone started to pack, not that they'd unloaded much in the few days they'd been there. Hershel and his daughters accompanied Glenn to loading up the three cars of which they'd siphoned gas for and decided to take- Sara's Explorer, Rick's SUV, and a pick-up truck that had been declared Glenn's. Sebastian was taking Lydia and Lotty with him in his car, since the two women hadn't managed to siphon a drop of gasoline on their way to Sara, along with Beth and Hershel. In Sara's car would be Denny, Carol, T-Dog, and Daryl- who's motorcycle would be hauled in Glenn's pick-up bed. Rick decidedly would take Carl and Lori with him in the SUV and Maggie would, of course, ride shot gun in the pick-up. It would be at least, a two day journey, one and a half, if they drove on the back roads fast enough. Hopefully, they didn't run into any looters like Lydia suggested they might a few hours earlier.

"Sara, you going to be alright leading the way?", Rick said in a soft and considerate tone as he approached her from behind, almost startling her to death. She was trying to get a signal on her Verizon, hoping like hell that the signal waves from Myrtle Beach weren't all of a sudden too far away. Rick gave her an apologetic smile as she brought her attention to him. "Well, There really isn't any other way of us getting there. I mean, Sebastian knows where it is, but I'd rather he not be the one leading us, no matter how much sense of security I'm lacking in." She shrugged her shoulders to make sure that he understood the decision was unanimous before watching his walk away. She watched him return to the SUV, watching the way Lori eyed him. She hadn't really noticed it much until now but when Lori was alone with Rick, there was this sort of unease about her, like they'd had a fight not too long ago. Sara immediately decided to pretend she didn't notice anything once the other woman caught her looking, besides, it was none of her business anyways- even if now, because of Lori's big mouth, Maggie suspected the true origins of Denny's conception.

"You can ride with me if you want, Darylina. I've got one seat left and it's got your name on it.", Hearing Sebastian talking broke her out of her cell phone crisis. "You don't want to ride with Sara, anyway. Trust me. Girl can't drive worth shit."

Daryl squinted his eyes almost simultaneously along with Sara squinting her own. "Naw, thas' okay. I'll be fine.", He mutter but Sebastian wouldn't drop it and Sara knew instantly that Daryl was becoming agitated. "Sea bass, just leave him alone.", she interjected, walking over to them with her cell phone in hand, holding it like an injured little animal. Sebastian scowled lightly, before begging Daryl to agree that Sara couldn't drive and to just ride in the car with him. Sara knew there could only be one of two things responsible for Sebastian's little fit; He was either doing all this to try to pry their feelings for each other to the surface. Or maybe he just really genuinely missed Daryl, or any friendship in general- maybe Daryl was Sebastian's Lydia. His best friend.

Daryl gave an annoyed sigh, "Look! I ain't sayin' she can't drive. Hell, I'm the one who taught her." Sara smiled faintly at the fact he'd remembered it, but no one noticed and Daryl just continued to rant, "If ya wanna talk to me, just wait 'til we get to the safe house, have all the time in the world then. Sissy ass.." Daryl muttered the last bit and Sebastian gave a grunt of defeat, "Fine then, I din't wanna talk to ya anyway!", he yelled, watching as Daryl walked away from him. Daryl was about to brush past Sara and then he stopped, eyes ominous upon meeting hers. "Whas' wrong with it?", he averted his gaze from her eyes, once she widened them a bit in surprise, and down to the phone cupped in her hands. "No signal. Tell me you know how to fix that?" He nodded a bit, "Come with me."


"Daryl, you're doing it wrong.", the newly eighteen year old cried out from the passenger seat, a bit of anxiety caught in her throat.

Daryl smirked back at her, eyes wild with intent. "Think you could do any better than me?", Sara simply nodded and he gestured for her to come over and take the wheel. He put the car in park and dropped his hands from the steering wheel and splayed his legs apart, the girl gave him a questioning look as she waited in the passenger seat, thinking he would move out of her way. He glanced at her, "Hell, I ain't movin'. Best way to stop ya from killin' us both is if I'm in the driver's seat too." She rolled her eyes and crawled over to sit between his legs on the bit of seat she could manage to feel. Daryl sat up straighter and she shifted slightly at the feel of his breath against her neck before he was right at her ear. "Now the objective is gettin' round them cones without knockin' 'em over. Now the reason this is so hard, ya ask? 'Cause of this damn field we're conveniently located in."

Sara smirked at his words, it didn't take a rocket scientist to know he was toying with her, mocking her in some way. She'd known Daryl for two years now and though he'd gotten her out of a shit load of bar fights, had taken care of her when she needed it, and picked her up from school when she didn't ask, she wasn't quite sure why he hadn't made a move on her. Their age difference was there but it wasn't a big deal, she was perfectly legal in the state of Georgia and she knew he liked her. She scowled lightly, trying to shake the thoughts from her head before she stepped on the gas pedal, tapping it lightly. The action seemed weird considering it didn't help for much but to rev up the engine because the car was still in park. She moved her hand to the stick and Daryl's was right along with it. His touch shocked her at first but she seemed to be the only one freaking out about it, knowing she shouldn't have. "Daryl.", He moved his fingers between the spaces of her own and popped the stick shift into drive, knowing she was watching the movement. He ignored his name being called, probably too focused on the driving lesson at hand.

Why was she so nervous, Daryl had touched her before, but only when they danced or joked and there was something different about this. "Okay, ya start driving and make normal conversation with me, alrigh'?", She nodded at his words but said nothing after a few moments of veering in and out of the way of the orange cones in the Hayberry field. All she could think of was how all her friends and cousins we just a few yards away at the barn party Elizabeth Hayberry was throwing. Thinking back, she couldn't even remember what made her come out her with Daryl, "Here, I'll start.", he said gruffly, "Wha' happened with you and Louis two months ago?". The question caught her off guard and she tapped the gas a bit too hard, only to slam on the breaks, nearly knocking a cone over. Daryl smacked right into her due to the force of the jolt and she blushed. Once she recovered the embarrassment, sure she heard Daryl chuckling, she replied, "I don't really know. He said I had anger issues and that as good as the sex was he couldn't stay with me.", she sighed lightly before rolling her eyes, turning the steering wheel ever so lightly.

Daryl grew quiet and she felt bad for joking like that, knowing full well it made him uncomfortable. "He didn't really say that…about the sex, I mean. But I'm in high school and in high school, you hear things. I actually think he did me a favor though, or maybe two, actually." Daryl's curiosity peaked at Sara's words, "And whas' dat?"

She put the car in park, realizing she'd gone around every cone successfully and would surely be at the DMV tomorrow to tell the guy who failed her twice to 'suck it'. When Daryl noticed he only smiled before going back to waiting for her answer, which he still hadn't received while he watched her shift to sit on his right thigh, her body facing him. He placed his arm around her waist and sat up straighter to listen to her, knowing words were about to come. "Well, he took my virginity, so that's a load off of the next guy I'm with because I won't be hoarding sex like it's the holy grail. And then of course, he clued me in to how stupid high school guys truly are, I think I'll just start dating middle school guys now.", She teased and he pulled her in closer to him. Her stomach did cartwheels and her eyelashes fluttered with disbelief as she rested her palm on his face. She was first to lean in and he let her lead for a lot longer than she expected him to. His lips were soft and demanding against hers, then they were quick and calculated as they moved down her jaw line and all the way down to her neck.

Daryl wasn't rushing, to an on-looker, it might have seemed that way but he wanted to savor the moment, especially since he was a bit buzzed from being at the party. In the back of his mind he wondered how he'd drive her home, knowing that at this rate, her cousins and friends would be gone from the party when they were finished but then he remembered that the buzz of sex was way stronger than the buzz of alcohol. His hands were already busy with undoing her pants, her plaid shirt that was missing fabric to cover her midsection would be next to go, but Daryl was still in no rush. Sara pulled Daryl closer, somehow being able to maneuver him between her legs as she unzipped and unbuttoned his pants, he took the hint and laid her down on the bench seat of the pick-up truck. After removing her sandals, he yanked her pants down and though his face was shaded with deep concentration as he hunched above her, she could tell he was as excited as she was.

After pulling her pants completely off, Daryl focused on himself, looking down at her as he pulled his shirt over his head to reveal a slightly sun-tanned torso and boy, did his fair skin tan beautifully. She bit down on her lower lip at the sight of his slightly messed hair and he threw his shirt to the floor of the truck to keep her jeans some company. He tugged at the hem of his pants and she could hear his belt clinking and clanking so she hoisted herself up to rest on her elbows, her tufts of long and wavy dark brown hair falling into her face. He managed to get his pants to his ankles and decided that it was far enough without the trouble of taking off his boots. He hovered over her now, his right hand slowly unbuttoning the four buttons of her torso exposing plaid shirt, a smile on her lips as he removed it and took in the sight of her round and perky breasts that had no bra in sight to cover them. She shrugged the shirt off and threw it to the floor, grabbing his face to bring his attention to hers again and almost immediately his mouth was on hers, stubble pricking at her face again, but she didn't mind the attention of the twenty-five year old.

His hands roamed down to her underwear and he was more than eager to get rid of those, pulling away from the kiss so that he could get leg's length away to pull them off properly. "Ya sure about this?", he asked, eyes shaded with indifference and his fingers pulled the fabric slowly, drawing it closer and closer. She nodded and that was all he needed. For a moment after watching him she lost herself, the sound of music and laughter from the barn catching her attention and soon the laughter died down and there was nothing but music, like it was playing just for them. "Sara.", he said to her and her attention snapped back to him as he pulled his boxers down. She exhaled sharply before she nodded slightly, gesturing for him to move to her with her index finger.

They were face to face and in that moment she didn't care about the life she had or the even worse life that Daryl had. "Put it in.", she directed before laying back, head against the seat. Daryl's posture stiffened and he positioned himself just right, one of his hand holding to his cock and another cupping her thigh and he rested his head against her shoulder, eyes directed at her parted legs to watch as he slid inside of her. Her body was rigid for a moment as her walls welcomed him inside and she gave a sharp inhale, Daryl doing the exact opposite. "You alrigh'?", he breathed as his hips knocked hers a bit, his thrusting gathering a small rhythm as he looked down at her, rose-colored cheeks and a gaped mouth catching his attention. "I'm fine", she managed to say, hands moving to his back, fingers dipping into him deeper with the speed he would gain just as his fingers would sink into her thigh, his other hand propped against the handle, keeping him steady.

Pretty soon the lights from the party could no longer be seen and all that could be heard was the shaking and rattling of the truck's cab and the moans of a frustrated Sara. Daryl let off grunts every now and again and they were starting to become more frequent as their sweat-covered bodies mingled. About an hour ago, Sara grew frustrated, hips knocking back at Daryl's in a battle for release that she wanted so badly, she could almost feel it. Daryl was tired of the games now, feeling the moistness of the tight space in which he occupied, he refused to let her continue this battle with him knowing if he did, they'd be there all night. He moved his hand from her thigh to her hip and slammed her down to prevent movement, she didn't even stop him. Her right hand moved to grab at his hair viciously as he began to pound inside of her continually, her moans and the way she gripped at his waist with her thighs setting him over the edge as they came together, bodies going limp with exhaustion.

"Daryl.", Sara said, wondering why he'd been sitting in the passenger seat with a dazed expression for the longest of times, his teeth biting at his thumb nail. She left him for fifteen minutes to go get the car phone charger from the back where everyone's things were and she came back to find him like that.

"Hmm?", he said, eyes snapping to her before rediscovering reality, the phone grasped tightly in his hands. She was hesitant to say anything at all, but she knew she wouldn't dare ask what he was doing, "You need to finish up and work your magic on the phone, and quickly, the convoy is moving out soon.", She smirked and kinked her eyebrow to show the heavy sarcasm in her words just incase he failed to hear them in her voice. He gave her a smile, a real smile. She was slightly taken aback by it, in all honesty, she couldn't even remember the last time Daryl smiled at her like that. "Alrigh', it'll only take a few minutes an' If I fuck up, we can always catch a signal on the ride out."

She left him again, not knowing what else she could possibly do but when the time came to leave, she was more than willing to climb into the driver's seat, knowing Daryl would be by her side. He was the only person who could make sure she didn't total a car when she was younger, surely he'd keep a watchful eye out on the dangerous roads with her.

They'd been driving for hours and now all that was left to do was find a suitable back road out of Georgia and into South Carolina. She would've just taken them back the way she came but there was little certainty about who or what could be lurking that way now. "The map is showin' a double back road, we should take the second, seein' as the looters might be takin' the first to Augusta. The second back road is closer to the state border, barely anybody knows bout it..", Daryl tried to say quietly, map in his hands, a tiny flashlight in his mouth as he looked it over. Sara only smiled, checking in the rear-view to see the other three passengers asleep. Her eyes lingered on Denny and her thoughts traveled back to Maggie and all her skepticism, she cleared her throat and focused on the road, making sure that there were still three sets of low beams behind her at all times as she took the specific direction Daryl had given and put them to good use.

"Daryl…can I ask you something?", Sara said quietly enough but she knew he'd managed to hear her when he clicked his flashlight off and looked over at her. "Whassup?", he said, a bit of worry escaping from him. "…If I'd gotten pregnant, when we were together, would you have taken care of us?… Me and the baby?", she treaded carefully, knowing that she was crossing dangerous barriers with this conversation but she needed to know. He just stared at her, eyes squinting a bit every now and then before he began chewing at his lower lip. "Where is this comin' from?", he asked eventually. Sara shrugged, trying to pass it off as if she didn't care and she hoped she was doing a well enough job at it, "I was just wondering. It isn't like we never had a pregnancy scare. After our first time of sleeping together, I was terrified that the pill stopped working and that I'd gotten pregnant." Daryl nodded, remembering that, knowing that he himself was just getting hot and bothered earlier from thinking about their first time together. "Ya know I woulda taken care of you and the baby.", Daryl said it matter-of-factly but changed his attitude at the look of doubt on her face. "I may not be the friendliest or the nicest son-of-a bitch but ya know I care about you, I'd been takin' care of ya since you was sixteen up until ya left. I woulda done anything for ya, includin' bein' a daddy.", he said the last part darkly, turning to look back at Denny, "even if the baby wasn't mine." Sara's heart ached and she mentally cursed herself for bringing any of it up in the first place.

She quickly changed the subject, but in a way that wouldn't be damaging, no matter how unsubtle, "He's a great kid, isn't he?" Daryl glanced at Sara now, "The time I spent with him fishin' and huntin' all those times y'all came to visit were the best I've ever had with a kid. I din't even know I liked kids until he came along.", Sara watched Daryl in between taking in the sight of the road ahead, realizing that this conversation wasn't any better, it hurt just as much but she knew she had to press onward, "He loves you, more than he loved Chris. He actually hated Chris. He might not show it now, but I think he's so distant from you because he never truly understood why you were ripped from his life the way you were. He doesn't want to lose you again." Daryl raised an eyebrow before snapping, "Are ya talkin' 'bout him or you?" Sara winced slightly, that was a low blow even for Daryl and this was the last place they needed to be discussing feelings. She grew quiet and Daryl just watched Denny, "He's still somethin', y'know?", Daryl whispered and she looked over at him, about to spill every last bean when her phone vibrated and came to life. She let out a breath of relief, "That must be Carlos, can you get that?" Daryl was quick to grab the phone and answer it, before putting it on speaker shortly after, listening to Sara and Carlos rant back and forth for the first few minutes about who and the hell had just answered the phone. Daryl smirked, eyes resting but ears open to the rest of their conversation, occasionally answering the other man's questions about the convoy in a groggy voice that Sara could only describe as annoyingly irresistible.