Authors note: This chapter is uber long, and I apologize. I'm not completely satisfied with how things turned out, but there wasn't a lot going on for Daryl in this part of the story. So, most of the scenes with the other characters were cut out, to make room for flashbacks and Daryl moments that sometimes get pushed under the rug in the angst heavy episodes.

I hope you enjoy. Feel free to make comments and suggestions, by reviewing. Chapter 12 may be up tomorrow, but if it's not, I'll have it up Tuesday night after dinner.

Thanks for reviewing and being a lovely audience!

Chapter 11: TS-19 Part 3

Glenn dropped to his bed on the floor, as soon as we entered the room. I smiled, kneeling to cover him with a blanket. He was naked, and wrapped in a towel, but he was in bed where he couldn't hurt himself. That was the only part that mattered. Though, the idea of T-dog waking up to lots of Glenn skin almost made me giggle.

"Goodnight, Glenn…", I whispered, before kissing his temple, and sneaking out the door. I could already hear his quiet snores, as I pulled the door shut with a soft 'click'. Now came the awkward moment with Daryl. After he let his walls down in the shower, I couldn't help but feel like he would push me away, now. He would be rude, and spiteful, pretending that it was my fault he opened up, and that it was my fault he had any feelings at all. I dared him…

I tightened the towel around my chest as I reached the door to the game room. The rest of the group was quiet. I no longer heard them screaming and cutting up from the cafeteria. Good. The alcohol would help them get some sleep for a change.

My horse trotted to the fence, before doing a small dance. I smiled, as my momma clapped for him. He was a tough one to break, and I had managed it in a few short weeks. It was a great way to spend my summer vacation. I was the typical farm girl, slim, but muscular, with a dark tan. I was always running around outside, playing with the horses, pulling weeds, doing whatever was necessary for my daddy.

Something was different about this day. The old abandoned house across the hunting land had been purchased, much to my daddy's surprise. We owned the land, and he was halfway planning to plow the house into the dust, before two guys bought the thing. One of the men, worked at the plant with my dad. I remembered his name from my daddy's stories, and how he had spent nights on the farm, to get away from his brother and father after his mother died in a house fire. It made me happy, to hear he was doing well, after everything.

"I'm gonna go take this down to the boys…You wanna ride me?", my dad asked, holding up two huge bags of groceries. I shrugged, clicking my mouth at the horse below me. Like clockwork, he spun around, and walked through the gate my daddy was holding open. I scooted forward on the saddle and patted behind me, while removing my foot from its bridle.

"We feedin' orphans now?", I asked him, my voice showing my teenage attitude. I was a sixteen-year-old tomboy at this point, in case you were wondering. I was pretty snotty, too. I went to school, and came home to a huge house, and all the food I could eat. I was one of the lucky kids, who never had to worry about a thing, except staying skinny.

"They can't be orphans, now can they? I've told you about the Dixons. Both of those boys are old enough to have a say…they just choose to stay together…", my dad chimed in, ruffling my hair from behind. I sighed, kicking the sides of my horse, starting the gallop across the wooded land.

I let out a deep sigh, coming out of my memory. Who knew that such a simple issue would be my life, in a few short years? Who could have guessed that I would fall hard for someone I wasn't even supposed to know. He was beneath me, and much older. Swallowing the thoughts down I reached forward, pushing on the door. As it creeped open, it revealed Daryl, laying on one of the white couches with a book covering his face. It was a children's book, and he flipped through the pages, looking at all the pictures. The sight brought a smile to my face, as I shut the door. I tiptoed across the sticky tile floor, over to the foot of the couch.

"You never were much of a stalker…", Daryl murmured, not moving his eyes from the book . His voice held amusement. I stopped my sneaking, and crossed my arms, shooting a glare to him, "You never were much of a pouter, either…"

He closed the book, tossing it onto the end table, and threw his legs over the front of the couch to stand up. As he did, he looked me over.

"You ain't got no clothes?", he asked, and I frowned. He understood what the frown meant, and nodded, fidgeting a bit. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and was clad in simple pair of black pants. He looked surprisingly clean, considering the short shower he was able to squeeze out. I could also see, just from staring at his torso, he had lost a ton of weight, since leaving the farm. Being on the road would do that to you. He no longer had my momma's cooking to keep him healthy. He was stuck with scraps, and minimal scraps, at that.

Rummaging around in a bag by the couch, he pulled out a tiny tank top, and a pair of jeans. He weighed them in his hands for a few seconds, as if he was embarrassed of their story, and turned to me. I narrowed my eyes at him, as he thrust the clothing toward me.

"Where'd you?..", I started, before he cleared this throat, and ran the back of one hand under his nose.

"When we went back for Merle..there was all this stuff just layin' around. I didn't see no hurt in bringin' some of it back to camp. I wasn't happy to see ya, but I didn't see no use in you walkin' around…like you were…", he explained with a shrug, looking down at his hands, as he picked his nails. I smiled, taking the clothes from him. The gesture almost brought tears to my eyes.

"Um…", I said, narrowing my eyes to fight back the tears, "…Thank you."

He nodded, again, wringing his hands together, before turning to the bookshelf. The way he stood, registered as privacy, and it made me smile even brighter. This was about as close to Darylness, as I could ask for. I dropped my towel to the floor, and unfolded the tank top. It was a bit large for me, but I didn't mind much, as I slipped it over my head. The feeling of clean fabric against my skin was like heaven, and I let out a sigh, before sliding the jeans over my legs. They too were a bit big, in the waist, but that could be fixed with a belt. I mentally set a reminder to steal Glenn's, tomorrow.

"I'm decent…", I whispered, and Daryl let his hand drop from the bookshelf, turning to me. The look was more familiar, this time. Maybe I was beginning to look more myself. Maybe he hadn't been able to look at me the same, earlier, because of how terrible I looked…

"Y'er face looks a lot better than yesterday.", he said simply, stepping up to me. He ran a single finger along the line under my blackened eye, erasing a tear that I didn't realize had fallen. I closed both my eyes, reaching up to grab his hand. The hand flinched, but flattened, allowing me to press it tightly against the sore skin of my cheek.

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Daryl never cared much for books, or libraries. He spent a bit of time in a library once, when it was raining, and he was running around. Reading books willingly, however, was never his thing. He hadn't finished school, as Shan's father encouraged him to do. If only she knew. If only she knew how much her family meant to him, before she was ever born. He hated to think of where they were, of what they had to deal with in all of this, if they were even alive.

The padding of bare feet on tile caught his attention, and he glanced, with one eye, over the top of the book. The sight of Shan caused his heart to leap into his throat. She looked just as bad, now, as she had looked before, only now, she was more exposed. She was more vulnerable. It almost made him sick, the feelings that overwhelmed his breathing, and his heart rate.

'Calm yourself down, dammit.' he said to himself, in his mind.

Daryl sat down one of the few boxes he and Merle had packed from the old house, sliding it against the wall. God forbid Merle stepped through the living room and tripped. He would hear about that fall for the rest of his life. As he stood up straight, he noticed a horse galloping toward his house, and he trotted out the front door, to see what was up. The sight of a horse reminded him. He needed to get Riot some food and water, if he was going to chill in his trailer, for now. He stepped up beside the trailer, reaching a hand up to pet Riot's nose, "Don't you start yer shit…", he whispered to him, with a small smirk.

As the horse approached closer, he recognized the face on the back. That was his boss. However, the girl that steered the horse was new. From her prominent ears, and red hair, he assumed it was Mr. Berry's daughter.

"Hey, Daryl!", Mr. Berry yelled, sliding off the back of the horse, to greet Daryl face to face. He held out a hand, and Daryl took it gladly, letting himself smile, "How's the house lookin'?"

"It's liveable…better than livin' in that trailer any longer. Thanks, by the way. Sorry bout Merle…", Daryl stammered, trying to make up for Merle's rudeness at dinner the night before. While talking prices, Merle had gone off the deep end, and even threatened the old man. Of course, he left it for Daryl to do damage control. The old man had basically let them live there for free. There wasn't much else they could expect, but Merle was a strong soul. Yeah…that's what you could call it.

"Don't worry about it. I've been around you boys long enough to understand…He's a little hot headed.", Daryl sighed, hearing these words, and nodded, "Where is he, anyways?"

"He's pickin' up some stuff in the city. He'll be back in a few hours.", Daryl explained, running his hand over Riot's nose again. He softly pulled the bridle from him, draping it over his arm.

"Well, we brought you guys some little groceries. It's not much, but it might help you out for a week or so, until you can get into the city on your own. I was wondering if you wanted to um…help out around the house?"

Daryl stared at the old man as if he was crazy. He was offering him a job on the farm. He was offering him not only a place to live, but a job…

"Um…Yeah. What do you need me to do?", Daryl asked, squinting in the hot sun. The old man smirked, and raised his own hand to Riot's nose, patting him, and handing him a carrot he had brought over.

"She's the boss. Ask her.", he said, gesturing to the girl on the horse. He frowned as she gave a disobedient frown, herself, and she jumped from the horses back, "Daryl, this is my daughter…Shanelle."

"Shan. Don't ever call me Shanelle…ever…", the girl spoke up. Daryl huffed a bit, looking her over. She was a looker, that was for sure, but she wasn't exactly what he was expecting from the old man.

"Shan…", he let the name flow off of his tongue, and sighed. This was going to be a long summer.

"Yeah. So, you can start any time. The main thing that needs to be done is the hay truck needs unloaded. I would do it, but my mom won't let me. So, I guess that's your job, now. Stack it against the barn, and let me know when you're done…", she spouted off, causing Daryl to raise an eyebrow and look at the old man.

"I know. Just…ease into it. Alright, let's get back and see what your mom's fixin' for supper, shall we?", the old man asked Shan. Daryl watched, as they both piled on top of the Palomino, and began their trek back to their house. He opened one of the grocery sacks, realizing that he was holding a few hundred dollars in groceries. Maybe he and Merle could make a home for themselves here, after all.

"I'm decent…", she said, ripping him from his day dream. He often thought back on how easy things were. Sure, the days were hot, and the tea tasted like lake water, but at least he had a roof over his head, and there weren't Walkers everywhere, threatening everything he knew. Though, once you got used to the underground living conditions, this place wasn't so bad.

He turned, and made a comment about her face. He could have kicked himself for bringing it up, but forgetting it wouldn't make it easier to swallow. It would just make things more complicated further down the road. It needed to be addressed, so she could move forward, knowing that she was safe, forever. As his hands brushed over the swollen skin, he sighed. Any other man would look at her, all battered and bruised, and wouldn't want her near, as if they could catch her pain like a disease. He, on the other hand, appreciated her. He appreciated all of the little quirks that were there. The thought of losing her had pushed him away. The thought of losing her twice, had completely shut off any feeling she had left for her. Now, they were in a haven. They could be themselves and start over.

With his hand flattened against her cheek, he grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her face to his. He pressed his lips against her forehead, with his eyes closed, simply taking in the feelings – those overwhelming, nauseating feelings.

He ran his hands down her arms, feeling the scars with his fingertips, like speed bumps, before he reached her hands. Gripping them tightly, he pulled her backward, toward one of the couches. As he sunk down into the couch, he pulled her down with him, forcing her to lie back with him.

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More affection. I almost had to pinch myself, because of all the affection, as I felt his wet lips against my forehead. It had to be the most calming gesture he had ever given to me. As he drug me to the couch, I thought about resisting. I wanted to talk. I didn't want to lie down and be lovey. However, the second my head hit his arm, I turned, and buried my face in his neck, slowly drifting off to sleep.

At one point, as I drifted, I could have sworn I heard him humming to me, and that song followed me into my dreams.

A few weeks had passed since Daryl Dixon had moved in across the way. I didn't hear much from him, but he was one hell of a worker. The second he finished a project, he was asking my momma for more. I had to admit, I should have given him more credit, when I met him. You can look like a piece of trash, and still be a good person.

"Take this out to Daryl, will you?", my momma said to me, thrusting a jug of tea and a plastic cup at my chest. I shot her back a pout of laziness, but realizing I wasn't going to win, I groaned and started out the door with the drinks. It was at least a hundred degrees outside, and there Daryl was, cutting down a tree on the back side of the property.

"Hey. Take a break and drink this. My momma made it for you…", I said to him as I drew closer. He stopped for a second, leaving his back bent over the chainsaw, before starting in again, "Suit yourself, I guess.."

Without thinking, I sat the jug of tea on top of the tractor, and the cup too.

"You think it's alright to mess with people?", he asked, and I stopped cold, my expression questioning.

"What?"

"I see the way you look at me…the things you wear. I'm not stupid…", he snapped at me. I didn't want to react to harshly, as I looked down at my body. I really wasn't meaning to tease anyone, but since he mentioned it, I ran my eyes over his body. He was shirtless, and his jeans were soaked with sweat.

"I don't do nothin' to you…", I snapped back, tearing my eyes from him to walk back to the house. It wasn't more than two seconds that I felt his rough hand around my wrist. I twisted and pulled my own arm to get away from him, but it was no use. I turned to him, raising a hand to slap his face, but the hand was caught, and pressed against my chest with the other one. I stared at his eyes, narrowing my own, "What is your problem?"

"You trying to piss off your dad, is my problem…", he said softly, staring at my lips. I couldn't help but suck them into my mouth. I wasn't trying to piss off my daddy. What was the use of having a decent looking farm hand, if I couldn't look at him? That was all it was. In Daryl's eyes, however, it was more than that, "Stop comin' out here…"

"I'm your boss. If you want me to stop coming around…you'll have to quit."

"Fine. Then, I quit…", he said simply, shoving my arms back to me, and he walked away. I gasped, covering my mouth. I didn't know what else to do. So, I followed him into the woods.

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There was no sun to wake him up. No. There was only a loud alarm, as he began to stir. The voice was that damn computer Jenner had been talking to, earlier. Daryl listened carefully, trying not to stir too much, as Shan's face was plastered, sweaty and warm, against his chest.

"One hour…", the voice rang out, not once, but eight or nine times. It was warning of something. In this place, that warning couldn't be a good thing. He reached up and ran a hand down Shan's face, causing her eyes to flutter open. She always was a soft sleeper.

"I'm gonna go look for the others…Somethin's goin' on.", he said softly. Shan immediately looked around, before sitting up on her own, with a nod.

"Let's go find them, then."

They stepped into the hallway, looking around, as Daryl threw a tshirt on, to cover himself. The building was quiet at first, but Rick's voice echoed down the hall.

"Vi…What happens when the generators run out of power?", he asked the computer, and got back an honest reply.

"Facility wide decontamination…", the female voice called, as the lights began to shut off. The air, Daryl realized, had already shut off, hence the sweat.

"What does that mean?", he asked from the door way of the lab. Jenner looked over to him, as if he was stupid, "I'm talkin' to you. What the hell does that mean?"

Shan grabbed his arm, which he allowed, but still watched Jenner's movements. Jenner began explaining why the building was shutting down, and even though Daryl didn't understand what he was talking about, he still panicked a bit, and drug Shan over to Rick, as Rick began spouting orders.

"Everyone grab their things, we're getting the hell out of here…", Rick said, looking each of them in the eyes as he made a circle, "NOW!"

Shan flinched against Daryl's side, as another alarm began to go off, signalling more shutdowns.

"Thirty minutes to full decontamination…"

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"Thirty minutes…", the voice echoed, as I looked at the clock for confirmation. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to think. What did the computer mean by decontamination? It was a mystery that even Daryl seemed tense about.

"Daryl…Come on. Let's go…", I murmured to him. Then, our hope ran dry as the door shut behind us.

"Did he just lock us in here?! He locked us in here!", Glenn yelled to Daryl, desperation in every word. Daryl did what came naturally. He attacked.

"You SON OF A BITCH!", Daryl screamed, taking off at a sprint. Rick reacted faster than I did, signaling for the other guys to grab him, and keep him off of Jenner. Before they could reach him, he had a handful of Jenner's hair, and it took both T-dog and Shane to wrench it from his hands, "You locked us in here! I'm gonna fuckin' kill ya! Get off me! I'm gonna kill the mother fucker!"

Once again, I was beginning to feel a little woozy. I couldn't believe we were all going down this way. Jenner knew what was happening. He knew that he was locking us in a death trap.

"You open this door, right now.", I heard Rick say, and Jenner began explaining why we couldn't leave. I didn't hear much more, except 'It catches the air on fire'. Bringing my hands up to my face, in shock. All this way; we came all this way, to die at the hands of some computers.

Daryl ran past me, up the ramp with Glenn in tow. He threw the whiskey bottle against the hard metal, and it shattered, but didn't make a dent. Seeing my face, he growled, and began running down the ramp, toward Jenner again, "OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR!"

Jenner's face stayed solemn, as he watched the computer monitor, and did nothing. Sophia and Carl began crying hysterically, as did Carol. I felt like joining the party, but decided to stick it out, instead. So, I ran over to Jacqui, taking her into my arms, "This can't be happening…"

"Baby..Don't worry. We're all fine…right where we are.", she replied, causing me to pull my face from her shoulder. I stared into her eyes, as the realization set in. She didn't plan to go anywhere with us. As Daryl and Shane began beating the fireproof door with axes, I walked over to Jenner, spinning his chair around to face me.

"Open the fucking door…Please. Just do it.", I said to him, making sure my voice was laced in urgency.

"What's the point?", Jenner asked in a calm voice, "You all know what's out there. It's a short life, and a cruel and agonizing death. Leave well enough alone, and your death will be quick…painless."

"We can't make a dent…", Shan interrupted, while Daryl continued hammering at the door.

"Those doors are built to withstand a rocket launcher…", Jenner explained in a mocking way, which pissed Daryl off instantly.

"Y'er head ain't!", he screamed, coming at Jenner with the axe. Once again, the men had to grab him. Only, this time, it took all of them to pry the axe from his hands, "Let me go you sons of bitches."

"Daryl! Back off! If he dies…we all die..", Rick explained as he pushed Daryl to me. I grabbed the tops of his arms, holding him back from the fight he fully planned to pick with Jenner. It's a good thing he didn't have a gun..

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, while Rick was negotiating with Jenner, Shane rushed him with a shotgun. I covered my ears, tired of the screaming, and buried my face in Daryl's back. A few shots were fired, and I refused to look, afraid that it would ruin my morale. If it was over, I wanted to go down without fear. I didn't hear much of the conversation that was had after the gunshots over the sound of Daryl pounding away at the door, again.

I leaned against the railing, placing a hand on my face, "Daryl…it's not gonna work."

"Well, I ain't layin' on my back like a pussy…goin' down with this deathtrap…", he panted, before continuing his assault. The doors let out a sigh of hydraulics and opened, lighting Daryl's face, "C'mon!"

I turned to the group, "Come on. Let's go!", I screamed, grabbing Jacqui's hand. She wrenched it from me, as the rest of the group passed us.

"I'm stayin'.", She said, simply, her eyes filled with tears. I shook my head, grabbing her arm. If I had to, I would force her out of this building, before I let her go up in flames, "No, baby. I'm stayin'."

"C'mon! We only got like three minutes!", Daryl yelled from the hallway, "SHAN! COME ON!"

"I'm not leaving you here. You hear me?"

"Yes you are. You're going to go on…and you're gonna keep fighting. This is your world, sweetheart.", Jacqui whispered, and my levee broke. Tears began streaming down my face, and I grabbed for her.

"Please don't do this to me…", I pleaded, letting out a broken sob.

"You can't be selfish. Go! Go!"

"We don't have time for kissin' goodbye. We gotta go.", Daryl demanded, grabbing my arm and wrenching it from Jacqui's shirt. He then lifted me over his shoulder, and proceeded to carry me down the hall.

"Jacqui! No! Let me down…I have to go back!", I screamed in Daryl's ear. His muscles were tense as he carried me to the lobby. He ignored my pleas and punches, but ordered T-dog to hold me, "No…Oh no…", I whined as the men began beating at the bullet proof glass.

Suddenly, everyone took cover. T-dog covered my head with his arms as the window area exploded, shattering the glass to bits. I couldn't see a clock anymore, but somewhere in my mind, I knew I could go back. So, I pulled away from T-dog, standing to my feet to run. I was speared, as Daryl grabbed me around the midsection and proceeded to drag me through the window.

"Daryl, no! We have to go back. I can't just leave her!"

"She's dead! Now, run!", he yelled, dropping me to my feet in the grass. He decapitated a Walker with the axe was wielding, and grabbed my hand, forcing me forward. Once to the truck, he opened the door, and shoved me in, "If I have to tie you up…I will. She's dead. No one is gonna risk it…Get down!"

I bent double in the truck cab, and felt Daryl's hands on the back of my head, protecting it as the heat engulfed the truck. The explosion wasn't loud. It was just a fire, but the realization hit me. I had lost someone else. Laying my head on the floorboard, I began to cry harder than I remembered ever crying. In his fashion, Daryl started the truck, and we pulled away.

"I hate you…", I whispered. Receiving only a nod of the head from Daryl, as he looked in the rearview to check on Rick's truckload.

"You keep sayin' that. Take all the shots you want, if it makes you feel better…", he mumbled, speeding up.

Once again, we wandered aimlessly through the streets of Atlanta, searching for a place to call home. Now, I wasn't so sure a place existed. I wasn't so sure the world wasn't dead…and we were holding on by a thread. But screw Daryl.

Screw. Daryl.

Before I have a riot on my hands. No, she's not so mad at him that they won't speak or anything. She's just a little hurt that he didn't try to save Jacqui, too. The Shan/Jacqui story was cute, and he will soon learn that she holds onto people, unlike him.

I hope you enjoyed! Review review review!