AN: I feel horrible for making you guys wait so long for an update but I've been ridiculously busy lately. I'm starting school on Monday so I don't know what my writing schedule will look like. Bear with me now, and I'm sorry if this chapter is too short and sucky! I promise it'll be made up within the next couple chapters ;) A special surprise coming soon!

Freedom.

That was the only word that conjured in Harli's mind as both she and Daryl sped down the highway on his old Shovelhead. She was free, here, on the back of this bike. It felt so good. It felt so right. She couldn't imagine herself anywhere in that moment.

It was all because of Daryl she was here, on her way to Sturgis. He was the reason why her heart was beating strong. Without him, she would be six feet under rotting away slowly like a flower wasting away in a vase. Harli couldn't express how grateful she was for meeting such a man like him. A man like him, who was broken and pieced back together by crappy glue. Daryl was a rogue in his hometown, someone who very few liked just because of his last name. Merle ruined that reputation for him. But Harli knew that with the right time, Daryl could reverse that if he really wanted. Harli didn't know for sure if he wanted that for himself.

She was willing to help him with that. She was willing to help him with anything. The night before, when they stayed at their hotel, that's all Harli could think about: Daryl Dixon. Every time she came face to face with him, the pit of her stomach would burn with nervousness and flutter with uncertainty. Harli became mentally ill around Daryl, in a good way, and there was no stopping her anymore. He was the one. He was absolutely the one.

Harli's arms tightened around Daryl's waist and she leaned forward, staring at the mass amount of scenery passing by them in their wake. Her chocolate brown locks were tied up on the back of her head and she felt the gentle tug of her ponytail whipping behind her. Her green eyes glazed over all they could behind the dim lenses of her Ray Bans. They were almost to Sturgis and a new kind of flora and fauna met them along the way.

Harli had never seen so many pine trees before it felt so foreign. There were masses of them once they entered the lower part of Nebraska and the forestry all around them was super thick. Harli was so used to seeing farm fields and livestock all over the place. But here, in the thickets of the flora, that's all there were: plants. Blue skies shined above them with the sun bearing down on their tan skin, only a few clouds crawling about here and there. Cars and other motorcycles would pass them by, and sometimes Daryl would be doing the passing. But every time they passed a motorcycle, it was biker etiquette 101 to wave at each other and acknowledge their presence.

Harli learned that the atmosphere along the highways up north were a bit chillier than the humid, hot weather in Georgia. Sooner or later, Harli found herself wearing Daryl's coat when he offered it to her at a quick stop for gas. Him being a man and all, he didn't need a jacket. All he needed was his sleeveless shirt and his angel winged biker vest.

Welcome South Dakota

Finally they had arrived and it wouldn't be too much longer before they rolled into the tiny town of Sturgis. After stopping off one last time for gas, and grabbing a few snacks, they were back on the open road in no time.

Harli had to admit she was tired, but she could care less. It was completely worth sitting on her ass for hours on end. The exuberance Shovelhead, the liberty of the scenery, and being in the company of Daryl all felt like a dream to her. But it wasn't a dream. If Harli had her way, she would never go back to Waleska. She would buy her own little house just outside Sturgis and live out the rest of her life in the beautiful Northwest. That way, she could go to Sturgis every year of her life and she would barely have to make a trip. And Harli would gladly invite Daryl to live it out with her.

Just the thought of it made her heart vibrate with excitement.

Over the course of the hour, anybody and practically everybody that was on the highway were motorcycles. Harli and Daryl were surrounded, and with the combination of all the biker's engines, it was absolutely thunderous. They were a combined storm making steady progress to light up Sturgis with nothing but a fun party. Everybody waved at one another and there was not one person Harli saw that didn't have a smile on their faces. Harli smiled and waved at the other biker chicks that sat behind their husbands and boyfriends, their smiles flashing brightly back at her. Here and there, Harli would see even a few independent women riding their own hogs, all by themselves. It made her smile.

After driving all day, dusk soon descended upon them. The only thing lighting Daryl and Harli's way was the small headlight hooked on the Shovelheads handlebars. The purple and orange horizon crouched over the outstretched silhouette of the Rocky Mountains in the distance. The air was contently warm in the lower region of the South Dakota terrain, its surroundings acting like a cooler desert. Harli had always loved Georgia, but the ambiance of this Northwestern state was absolutely phenomenal and she was slowly falling in love with it. She had never seen so many stars in the sky before. Their brightness winked at Harli when her green eyes looked up, and the fullness of the moon sparked against her face. It was so admirable.

Harli looked back at Daryl's frame in front of her, his short brown hair flicking to and fro. The wind rolled off his body and swept its blunt force against his chest and face. The Shovelheads reverberations traveled through his contracting muscles and managed to pound against them like a hammer. His thick, tan skin contorted around the trimness of his muscular physique, Harli wanting to desperately rub her hand over them. But being the lady she was, she kept to herself. But she knew all too well she couldn't keep to herself for much longer. She had to do something about her desires whether it required Daryl's help or not.

Daryl left the highway for the last time. As Harli looked over his broad shoulder, the banner lit up over the entrance of the town of Sturgis. Her lips parted in awe. She was finally here.

Welcome Riders, One and All!

Even though the motorcycle rally didn't start until the next day, the tiny population of the town already sky rocketed. Motorcycles and people were the only thing lining the streets and every single bar was overflowing through the doorway. Even with it being so late at night, people didn't care. They just wanted to party, spend all their reserved money, and have a good time.

Daryl maneuvered the bike in its slow speeds, his boots walking across the ground to keep it steady. The Sturgis police directed the heavy flow of traffic and waved their hands to keep everybody moving. Harli's tired eyes stared at all the people surrounding them and the individuals wore nothing but black leather and tight clothing. Her hands loosened around Daryl's waist and she leaned back against the seat rest, waiting patiently for Daryl to get them through all the traffic. As they passed the cops, Harli waved at them just as a friendly gesture when she noticed that Daryl didn't bother to acknowledge them. They were police officers, after all, his natural enemies.

Once they pushed through the thickness of bikes and bikers, Daryl pulled into the driveway of an older looking hotel. For the first time in hours, the Shovelhead was shut off and Harli's ears felt lonely without the subtle growling of its V-twin engine.

Harli pressed her hands down on Daryl's shoulders and stiffly lifted her body from the large Harley. She took in a deep breath of the crisp air and stretched her back, a light groan blowing out through her lips. A brief wave of vertigo rolled through her and she planted her feet firmly so she wouldn't fall over. She then watched Daryl step off the bike and his trim body arch back to stretch itself. He shook his tired arms and his blue eyes met Harli's, "Welcome to Sturgis."

"I can't believe we're actually here." Harli smiled and looked down the street to where all the people were congested.

"We didn't drive all the way up here for nothin'." Daryl craned his neck and Harli nodded,

"Yeah I know... but we should get some sleep." She reached down and grabbed up her backpack, hooking the strap on her shoulder, "Let's get a room and chill until tomorrow."

"Already got us some." Daryl said and Harli narrowed her eyes,

"How?"

"Called ahead of time and booked two rooms." Daryl turned around and unstrapped his own backpack from the back of the bike.

"Two rooms, huh?" Harli pouted, trying not to make it seem like she was sad about the fact. Even though she, in reality, was a bit disappointed she couldn't share a room with Daryl again. She obviously enjoyed his company.

"That gonna be a problem? We can find a different place."

"No, no..." Harli shook her head and couldn't manage to meet his blue eyed gaze, so she looked at the hotel past him, "This isn't a bad place. I guess I'm just tired."

"Well, there's a bed waitin' for you." Daryl walked towards the office to check into his room. But he soon noticed Harli wasn't next to him, so he stopped and looked over his shoulder, "You comin'?"

"Yeah..." Harli nodded and jogged up next to him, the two arriving in the office to receive keys to their rooms.

Harli was a bit surprised at the room she entered, which was right next to Daryl's. It was nicer than the last room she stayed in, and to say the least, quite comforting and roomy. There was a table with two chairs, a large, flat screen television on a dark stained oak dresser, and a small convection oven complete with a sink and a microwave. Harli smiled and closed the door behind her, her hand dropping her backpack onto the bed.

She turned the air conditioning on low and immediately went towards the bathroom. With all the dead bugs sticking to her skin, along with all the dirt and sweat, she desperately needed a shower. The bathroom reminded her of her own back home, so she felt a bit more comfortable in it other than the one she and Daryl had the night before. Thus, she stripped off all her clothes and went to the stand-in shower. Even though it was warm in the room, and she was warm herself, she couldn't help but turn the water on hot. She shivered when the heat generated by the water instantly rose into the air and caressed her skin like a pair of hands. And they happened to be imaginary hands by none other than Daryl.

Harli stepped into the cascading warmth and sighed deeply once it burned against her chest. She dipped her head under the water and the showerhead filled her scalp with its wet matter. The water generated by the shower rolled down her brown locks and made their own waterfalls just by the help of her hair. It slid down her face and bounded off her thin jaw once she pulled her head out of the water. Her fingers scraped through her hair and she reached down for the crappy hotel soap so she could begin to scrub her body with.

Her fingernails grated across her skin as they went, dirt and grime being swallowed by the drain in the middle of the shower. Even though she had only been on the road for a little while, she almost forgot what a good warm shower felt like. She even felt dirty like she hadn't bathed in a week.

Dirty.

At the thought of such a word, Harli's hand involuntarily rubbed down to her thighs. Her fingers scuffed across her tan skin and she felt themselves work their way between her inner thighs. And soon, her knees and feet twitched when her fingers brushed up the delicates of her lower body. Harli's brain was telling her not to pursue forward with what her body was telling her to do, but when Daryl crossed her mind once again, she just couldn't help herself. Her brain was slowly losing and desperately tried to pull back on her hands, but it lost the battle too soon.

He index and middle finger split apart and pushed up against the sensitive mound that was her womanhood. Her face twitched involuntarily from the pleasure she received and she soon found her back up against the cold tiled wall of the shower. Harli took a deep breath and let it out slowly, her eyes closing as she did her best to focus on the lower half of her body. Her fingers began to work miracles with the teasing help of the warm water rolling down her belly and legs. Her hand waved back and forth and the pit of her stomach was beginning to warm with sheer indulgence. She could feel it running through her body before the explosion of ecstasy got to her and she braced for the impact of the orgasm.

Harli's head cocked back and she gasped, letting out a squeaky moan as her knees buckled out from under her. Her hand latched onto the bar in her shower and she let herself down softly, her body aching with wonderful satisfaction. The flesh in between her legs throbbed lightly and her contracted muscles sent shivers throughout her entire self. Harli's wet hair clung to her body and her fingers clawed at the tiled walls all around her, her mouth gaping open in attempts to gather in a breath. But finally, her lungs sucked in a mass amount of air and her muscles released all at once. Her legs and arms trembled from the pleasures intensity and her entire body felt numb for at least a few more seconds until she came back to reality.

Harli panted lightly and slowly opened her tired eyes and stared at the steamy glass door to the shower. She rubbed her face with her hand and shakily got to her feet, feeling the water spitting back against her from the showerhead. With another large breath, she fully found her vision once again and the aftermath of her self-generated enjoyment hit her. Harli felt a bit ashamed at what she had just done, but she couldn't help but feel some sense of accomplishment. She had exorcised her demons as of now. But she knew she wouldn't be able to keep them at bay for too much longer. Her attraction to the man next door to her was growing far too much and far too fast for her comfort. But the darker side of her said otherwise. She could pleasure herself everyday if she had to, but it still wouldn't be enough for it. She need more.

.:=:.

Harli pulled up a pair of jean shorts and tossed on a black tank top over her chest. With her favorite pair of old deep brown cowboy boots already secured on her feet, she tucked her room key in her back pocket. Harli grabbed onto the door handle with a plate in her free hand and she exited her hotel room. She stopped outside Daryl's door and stared at it for a few minutes before lifting her knuckles and knocking a couple times. It was about ten in the morning already and she felt wonderful after sleeping in for about an hour past seven. She just hoped Daryl wasn't sleeping.

Her lips sucked in a deep breath when she heard Daryl's footsteps moving towards the door. She took a step back as he flung open the door, not out of anger, but just that he was so used to opening doors that way. He noticed the plate in her hand and his eyes narrowed as they looked back to her, "You been busy?"

"Yeah, I knew you weren't awake so I made you breakfast before we uh..." Harli looked over her shoulder and noticed the town was already packed, "Go out on the town."

"You didn't have to do that." Daryl grabbed the plate from her and studied the eggs, bacon, and toast all thrown together, "Where'd you get all this stuff anyways?"

"Made a quick trip this morning to the market right down the street." Harli nodded her head and smiled, "I didn't think you'd be up to eating out at a restaurant again."

"Yeah, ain't feelin' it today." Daryl rubbed his head, still dwelling on the fact that Harli had gone off by herself without him by her side. But by what he could see, she was unharmed. Even if something did happen, she wouldn't tell him even if he asked.

Daryl took a much needed breath. He needed to stop feeling so protective over her. It was driving him insane.

"Well thanks. Nice to know I got a little cook hangin' around."

"No problem at all. Just let me know when you're ready and we can get going." Harli said and turned to walk back to her room.

Daryl hesitated, and he wished he didn't. He was going to invite her into his room to enjoy her company, but she was already back in her room by the time he opened his mouth to say something. He scowled and cursed to himself while retreating back into his room. His blue eyes stared down at the warm plate in his hand and the smell of it was already making his mouth water.

After the delightful breakfast her ate in practically three bites, Daryl quickly got ready. After buttoning up his sleeveless shirt, he pulled on a pair of dark blue jeans and grabbed up whatever he would need for the day. With his door key in one pocket, and his wallet in the other, he turned off the television and opened the door to his room. The rush of warm air hurried into the room, but the air conditioning managed to extinguish it before it had a chance to overtake the temperature.

Daryl's eyes involuntarily found Harli in his sights and she was over by the Shovelhead messing around with the bikes motor. He tilted his head curiously and shut the door behind him, his legs carrying him over to the motorcycle. Harli heard his boot steps and looked up from what she was doing, her eyes green eyes glowing upon seeing him. She then jumped to her feet and wiped her hand on the back of her shorts to rid of dirt and grease.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah, just wonderin' what the hell you were doin' to the bike." Daryl's eyes looked down to it and Harli looked at it as well,

"Just making sure it's holding up alright. That journey it took was pretty hard on it." Harli smiled and looked back to Daryl, "I don't want it breaking down on us at all while we're here. That wouldn't be much fun now, would it?"

"We got plenty of fun things to do here." Daryl shrugged and looked up and about, "Hell, I could give a shit less if we got stranded here. Wouldn't make me too homesick."

"What about Merle?" Harli asked and before she knew it, the two were beginning to walk towards the middle of town. Where all the action was,

"Merle can take of himself." Daryl said plainly and Harli brushed it off her shoulder, not wanting to ask any more questions.

Harli's heart pounded inside her ribs when the sights of the town took her breath away.

Motorcycles. Motorcycles everywhere.

Of all shapes and forms, motorcycles littered the entire main street, only two lanes open for incoming traffic from bikers alike. Harley's, Triumphs, Victory's, Shadow's, you name it. Any and all of the big bike brands were there. And they weren't all just heavy hogs; there were street bikes as well. But Harli wasn't so much interested in them as she was all the others. Their intricate paint jobs and extravagant attires made Harli so giddy she felt like a child again.

Daryl smiled to himself when he saw the look on Harli's face when they walked down the strip. Harli walked up to bikes and examined every detail from their paint jobs to the engines they harbored in their frames. Daryl loved all of their appearances, too, and he hoped someday he could get his motorcycle to look like the ones that surrounded every side of him. But he admired more of them afar rather than getting up close and personal like Harli did. He stood back and watched her more than the motorcycles, wondering what was going on in that smart brain of hers. He was just waiting for her to overload and faint or something.

But she didn't. She trooped along the rows of motorcycles, talking with various owners about their two wheeled beasts.

"Don't get too excited or the days gonna end before it even begins." Daryl warned amusingly as they walked and Harli looked to him,

"I can't help it... I'm like a kid in a candy store when it comes to motorcycles."

"An unhealthy obsession?"

"That's an understatement." Harli replied and turned her head back to look at the motorcycles that were her eye candy.

But the people were now the ones that caught her eye. She stared at their happy faces and felt their friendly auras as she passed each of them by. Most of them held beers in their hands, purchased by the many bars that were up and across the sidewalks. It was just as packed in the day than she saw the night before, and the numbers were still climbing. Lines upon lines of bikers rolled into towns, parked their motorcycles, and disappeared into the bars for a cold drink.

The women all around made Harli feel a bit nervous and overdressed in a sense. All the women, no matter their body type, wore skimpy clothing, and even no clothing at all. Their chests were bare, with nothing but all kinds of different colored and shapes of pasties slapped onto their nipples. Practically everything was hanging out and nobody seemed to care or notice. There were even a few walking around in just a set of bikini bottoms and their bodies painted in all kinds of different forms. Harli couldn't tell whether or not to be surprised or embarrassed by looking at all of them. Their husbands and boyfriends didn't seem to mind sharing their women's goodies all over the place for all eyes to see. And at the thought of it, Harli looked over at Daryl from the corners of her eyes to gauge his reaction on the people around him.

But to her complete surprise, he paid none of the bare-chested women any mind.

It made Harli sigh with a bit of relief at that. She now knew that he was the type of guy that didn't ogle over a woman's body when it was practically thrown right in front of him. Or maybe he just didn't find any of them attractive? She wasn't about to ask him to find out.

Harli stopped and Daryl continued walking when he didn't notice her do so. But when he did, he stopped and looked around for her small figure. It didn't take him long to find it and he narrowed his eyes to where she was. She was staring through a glass window of a local shop, Daryl raising an eyebrow at the particular shop. He walked up to her and she turned to face him, a smile plastered across her face.

"Wanna buy me a tattoo?"

"Tattoo? Right now?" Daryl asked and she nodded hastily,

"Yeah... I've always wanted to get one but I never knew what I wanted until now." Harli laughed and motioned her hand to all the things around them, "It's not like we don't have time to go do other stuff."

"You sure you can handle the pain of a tattoo?" Daryl crossed his arms and tilted his head in amusement. Harli rubbed her neck,

"I guess we're both bound to find out."

"Whatever then. I ain't gonna stop you." Daryl tossed his hand towards the tattoo parlor's door and he pulled it open for her, "Just don't cry like a little baby."

"Since when have you ever seen me cry?" Harli raised an eyebrow and smiled as she walked under Daryl's arm.

"Today will be the first."

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that."

"Well hello there, may I help you two?" A man with slicked back, black hair asked with a smile as he sat behind a receptions desk.

"You takin' walk-ins?" Daryl asked and the man stood to his feet, Harli's eyes glazing over his tattoo-riddled skin,

"We sure are. You lookin' to get ink?" The man asked Daryl and Daryl shook his head and planted his hand on Harli's shoulder,

"My little friend here is."

"Oh well then... what're you lookin' at to get there, sweetheart?" The young tattoo artist asked and Harli smiled,

"I want to get one behind my ear. Some words." Harli said as her index finger slid behind her ear and rubbed her skin. The tattoo artist smiled,

"I always found that sexy on a woman." He nodded and waved for Harli to come back with him. He looked at Daryl, "You're welcome to come back with us and observe."

Daryl followed the two and the artist led them to a table way in the back. Harli stared at the many people sitting in his colleagues chairs, their faces completely unfazed by the tattooing process. Her designated tattoo artist motioned for her to lay down on one of the padded tables, and lay down Harli did. He gave Daryl a chair and grabbed his own, along with his rolling table full of tattooing supplies.

"Is this your first tattoo?" The man asked and Harli nodded as he grabbed a pen and rolled his chair over towards her.

"Yeah... kinda getting nervous now."

"Don't be. It's not as bad as everybody thinks..." The artist smiled and looked over at Daryl, "You got any tattoos?"

"A couple, here or there." Daryl said plainly and the tattoo artist smiled,

"Then just tell your girlfriend here that there's no trouble in it."

"It hurts like a som'bitch." Daryl lied, a halfcocked smiled sprouting across his cheeks. Harli pouted and the tattoo artist chuckled under his breath. The tatted man's eyes found Harli's again,

"What do you want those words to say behind your ear?"

"Tell me a secret."