Brandy sat there in Deanna's study, a nervous, wild expression on her face, still in shock from waking up there. She had refused food and drink and hadn't spoken since her initial words to Deanna and Jessie. Deanna pressed record on the camera that was set up and the beeping noise caused Brandy's eyes slide up from the floor.

"How long have you been out there?" she asked, but was met with silence from the young woman. Deanna sighed and sat back on the couch. "I know it's hard, you must have gone through a lot, but I need to know a few things about you, after that I'll leave you alone to figure out of Alexandria is the place for you." Brandy slightly lowered her thin brow at her words and slowly nodded.

"I-" she paused, having to gather herself. "I don't know how long it's been since…"

"Since what?" Deanna asked.

"Since I lost my people."

"You were with others?"

"Ya…" Brandy looked down to her battered knees and picked a scab that wasn't ready to come free yet.

"Your eye, if you don't me asking…" Deanna watched Brandy's hand and as soon as she changed the topic from her people she stop picking the scab.

"I'm blind in my right eye." she answered almost impassively at her disability.

"Were you before?"

Brandy shook her head and ran her fingers down the faded but still visible scars on the right side of her face.

"Nah, it was an accident." she said going for her usual lie. Deanna nodded and intertwined her fingers together.

"You have a Georgia accent." she said, Brandy raised one of her eyebrows that were permanently thinned out from years of over tweezing. "Why did you head north?"

"Where did ya even find me?" Brandy asked, sounding slightly confused by Deanna's wording.

"Brandy, you were in North Carolina." The older woman said, watching the shock come across Brandy's face.

"W-what? No." Brandy shook her head, there was no way that she traveled that far.

"Yes, that was the farthest Aaron and Eric had traveled to find people. You were right outside of Durham." she said. Brandy sat back in the chair slowly, coming to the realization that she had been wandering north subconsciously based on a hope that they all had after the farm. They would pull out their map and try to figure out a way to head north, but they ended up going in circles the whole winter. Deanna stared at Brandy when she put her hand to her chest, and started to laugh as a reaction from her shock.

"North-haha. We-tried going north a while ago-but-we couldn't because there were herds-haha-and-" she wheezed, putting her hand back on her knee. "We tried to go North before the pr-" her painful manic laughs cracked and instantly dropped to sobs, she clawed at the scab as her body shuddered with cries as she tried to say the word 'prison' but the two syllables got caught in her mouth. "We had a place…." she whispered, now looking over an empty corner as she recalled what happened. Deanna leaned forward, wanting to know what broke the young woman in front of her. "I had a family-I was with them for so long then he came."

"Who? Who came?" Deanna asked. Brandy looked over at her, lip twitching, fingers still scratching at the scab that was starting to bleed.

"The Governor." she whispered, speaking his name as if he had been the devil. "He destroyed everything-everything we had-he killed people." she clenched her jaw remembering him using Michonne's sword to slice through Hershel's neck. "They're all gone-" Brandy whispered, not wincing at all as she peeled the scab free, causing it to bleed even more. She looked up at the camera, eyes red, and nose running she just stared for a moment before speaking.

"You could never understand what it's like out there…" she whispered in agony.

"We need people that do."

Daryl hadn't remembered Brandy ever being so quiet as she walked next to him. When she found out about Bob, Tyreese and Beth she had cried of course, but everyone could tell that she wasn't really in the right frame of mind to hear about everything just yet even though through her sobs she asked.

"Y'all have a lot of new people." she said, finally breaking the silence as they walked down the enclosed street.

"We do." Daryl grunted, glancing over at her presence by his side was faded her aura felt wilted. She hummed, and ran her finger along the scar under her collarbone, the one she got when he had shot her with his arrow so long ago.

"Where did you find them all?" she asked, not looking at him.

"After it all happened Glenn meet, Tara, Abraham, Rosita, Eugene…" he said conveniently leaving out the part of how Tara had actually been with the Governor, unsure of how Brandy would react to that. "After we all met up again we stumbled on to Father Gabriel and his church and after-" he paused, realizing that he would about to say 'after Beth and the hospital.' He readjusted his words "-After a while we found Noah." Daryl looked down and saw Brandy eyeing his face.

"Last night, I asked what happened and Carol was quick to change the subject." Brandy continued to rub the scar under her collarbone. "What happened, Daryl?" He groaned her at her question, and closed his eyes.

"I don't really wanna talk about it." he uttered before biting his nails.

"I told ya'll what happened to me…" she whispered sounding slightly bitter at the secrecy, she knew why they weren't telling her. It was obvious that they they could see the wear that she had gone through the thirty something days that they had been separated. They all had suffered but Brandy, she suffered completely alone, the mental slight cracks form her isolation showed and it obvious that if she had stayed out there any longer she might have lost her mind. "It's amazing to me...that you all found each other…" Daryl looked at her, her voice sounded as if it were about to crack. "...Not only that you picked up a few people on the way, yet no one found me."

"We tried." he said, putting his hand in his pocket and pulling out the star bead that had gone on her bracelet. She looked at in slight surprise and stopped. "I don't understand, things got fuckin' crazy and if I could have found you I would've…" Brandy took the bead Daryl and looked at it.

"So you just left me…" she uttered almost coldly, staring down that he bead. Daryl was taken aback by her words. "I spent a month thinking y'all were dead only to see you y'all again and suddenly you're packin' other people." Daryl narrowed his eyes and tensed his lip at her.

"You ain't got no idea the shit we went through." he said, lowering his voice as he stepped towards her. Her eyes pricked with tears and started to overflow, she felt abandoned by them, cast aside like trash that no one cared about and even though she was finally with them again she had never felt more distant.

"I-I'm sorry, Daryl I just," Brandy hung her head and gave him back the bead and slowly backed away from him. "I'm still in shock, I'm sorry…" she sputtered, turning to walk away, but Daryl reached out and grabbed her wrist, but to his surprise Brandy yanked away from him and shook her head before she turned and walked away. Daryl sighed heavily, and ran his fingers through his hair, he looked up, feeling that someone was there watching him and a window curtain from the house across the street fluttered closed before he could see who was on the other side.

Daryl kept his eyes down, studying the dirt and grass for indents and track marks. He let out an agitated growl at the sound of Aaron behind him. He had went past the wall to get away from the stuffy, prying atmosphere of Alexandria only to run into Aaron outside, who had politely yet intrusively asked to come with him. He was a talkative man, but Daryl could tell that he just wanted someone who would listen so he dealt with the pretty much one sided conversation as they walked through the woods.

"So, I want to tell you something, but I don't know if I'm going to overstep boundaries." Aaron said as they walked along.

"Then don't say anythang'" Daryl grunted. There was a pause and Aaron sighed, deliberating if he should speak or not.

"You and Brandy-" he started and as soon as he said her name Daryl turned around and stared at him.

"Yer' over steppin'" he warned, Aaron put one hand up and shook his head.

"I'm not trying to, just I'm the one that found her."

"So?" Daryl asked impassively, Brandy wasn't a topic of discussion, especially with someone he didn't really know.

"I saw you guys today, she looked upset and-"

"Mind yer' own business, man." he warned as she turned back around and continued to walk.

"When I found her, she thought I was you…" he said and Daryl stopped in his tracks. "She was out of it, and she was hallucinating. She thought you had found her." Daryl slumped his shoulders and he listened to him. "When she realized that she didn't know me she was so terrified. Daryl clenched his jaw and there was a horrible ping of guilt that ran through him, the idea of Brandy scared, scared, alone and in a weak mental state ripped at him.

"She fainted and was out for days, but the whole time she was muttering about your group…"

"You knew." Daryl turned around and looked at him. "You knew we were her people when you met us. Why didn't you say you had her?" He took a step towards him. Aaron put his hands up, but stood his ground.

"I have a feeling if I said anything about her I would have caught a worse beating... you would have thought I was using her to lure you into a trap." Aaron said, and Daryl tensed his jaw. He was right, they would have feared the worst. They would have asked why he didn't bring her there as proof, they would think that he killed her and wanted to kill them. He knew the thoughts of their hive mind better than Daryl wanted to admit.

"Why did you keep her from us? She didn't even know we were there, what the fuck was the point of that, huh?" Daryl hissed. Aaron sighed and looked down to the grass.

"I don't think you understand her grief, she thought everyone she knew was dead and she got to survive and live somewhere safe." He looked at Daryl and shook his head. "Deanna was scared so she put her on suicide watch."

Daryl blinked at his words, completely shocked at the idea and notion of Brandy, of all people wanting to die. The thought made him remember Beth and how long ago at the farm, she cut her wrist open with broken glass. Her actions had been out of shock from the realization that her mother was really dead and not coming back. She fought through it and grew, stronger than he could have ever thought was possible for her. But tough, self sustaining Brandy, the same Brandy that had been on her own since the start, the idea that she would want to die because she lost them shook Daryl to his core and for the first time wondered if the group had done her more harm than good.

"Did she try-"

"No, it was a precaution" Aaron said and Daryl let out sigh of relief." Deanna was worried about the shock of her seeing you all again that is why she waited until she felt you guys out." he looked away and ran his hands through his hair. "I shouldn't have told you that, but I don't know the manner of your relationship, friends or…" he paused "or whatever, uh. I just wanted you to know because it's obvious you're close and I thought you should know." Aaron said. Daryl narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what his angle was when it came to tell him, but there wasn't one.

"She don't wanna talk to me…" he shrugged, sadly. "She thinks I let her down…I should have looked for her, I just thought she'd be fine." he whispered. Aaron sighed and walked ahead.

"Why don't you just tell her that?" he said as if talking thing out was Daryl's strong suit. He narrowed his eyes at Aaron and spat on the ground.

"Ay' man, why are you so interested, huh?" Daryl asked and Aaron shrugged his shoulders.

"Reunions rarely happen nowadays, I don't want to see it go to waste." he said casually.

The machetes sat on the kitchen counter and Brandy stared down at them. They were worn; long past pristine condition they had been when she took them from her little brother's room so long ago. Everyone was out at a party to welcome them all to Alexandria, but Brandy couldn't go. Even though they were the reason she was still alive, she couldn't stand to be around them. They made her sick, fluttering about the world without a care. She knew that she would never truly fit in there when one of her first introduction to most of Alexandrians was a talk with some of the women a few days after she had woken up. They had cooed about iced tea, and what to make for dinner that night one of the black women had even told Brandy that she just might have some foundation that just might match her skin if she wanted to try and cover up her facial scars. As if that was just common conversation for them. She knew that party would be more of that, chatting, laughing, drinking without a care in the world. There was a knock at the door, on impulse Brandy grabbed up one of her blades and felt her heart jolt in her chest. She slowly made her way through the dark living room and over to the front door. She glanced through the peephole and sighed before unlocking and pulling the door open

Daryl looked at her as she stood past the threshold of the house, he blinked and his mouth went dry at the sight of her. She was wearing a simple gray dress that came to her mid thighs, he had never seen her in a dress before and the sight slightly stunned him. She wore her usual boots, but now had been cleaned of their coat of mud and dirt. Her hair was loose, falling into actual coils, void of the frizz he had grown to know so well. He glanced down and noticed the machete in her hand and then a backpack by the door. She was prepared to run at a moments notice if she needed to. Brandy didn't say anything only turning around and walking back into the kitchen leaving the door open. Daryl nervously stepped in and closed the door behind himself.

"I thought you would have been at that party." he said.

"No." Brandy said simply as she put her machete back down on the countertop. Daryl stepped further into her house, and chewed his nails.

"Why are you wearin' that dress?" he asked. Brandy stepped out from the kitchen; she looked down at the dress.

"One of the women gave it to me, I just threw it on." she grabbed the skirt and feel the fabric between her fingers.

"Ya look uh-ya look.."

"Nice?" Brandy asked, looking up at him.

"Yeah." he shrugged. There was silence for a moment and Brandy leaned against the wall and just stared at him as if she was trying to figure him out even though she knew him well. He looked at her too, she had never looked so limp, and delicate before. She blinked, shook her head and cleared her throat.

"Do you want something to drink?" she asked, sounding unsure. Brandy the hostess, a strange notion.

"Uhh, water." Daryl answered and stood up straight and walked back into the kitchen. Daryl followed, looking around the corner. Something so simple as seeing her turn on a sink, and out a glass under it made him realize how mundane things in the old world were know beautiful. Brandy turned around holding the glass tightly, one hand around the it while the other supported the bottom, to stabilize it in her shaking hand. Daryl reached out and took the glass from her, but Brandy still kept her hands out. She didn't look up to meet his gaze, Daryl wrinkled his brow at her odd behavior before bringing the water to his lips. Brandy inhaled sharply before reaching her hand out slowly to touch the leather of his vest. She didn't say anything, only running her thumb along the button as if she had never seen one before. Her lip twitched slightly, and she hissed back a breath as her eyes pricked with warm uncomfortable tears.

"I-it's so strange-I had these thoughts." she sniffled. "These horrible, horrible thoughts-"

Daryl stared down at her, she seemed so frail and meek, words that would have never associated with Brandy. "I just thought that you were all dead.-I-I could see it-" she shook, not letting go of his vest. "Just images of you all dying-I could hear Judith screaming-a-and-it wouldn't stop-" Brandy sobbed and stammered over her words, Daryl couldn't think of what to say as she pulled on his vest. "I almost lost my mind, but now you-you're here-" Brandy sputtered, as she tried to hold herself together but it was becoming more and more difficult by the moment. "I keep thinkin and thinkin that this is a dream and I'm gonna wake up any moment in that shack." she whispered, the tears rolling down her cheeks that at one point had been pulpy but now where angular and gaunt.

"Brandy I'm here…" Daryl whispered, trying to calm her. Brandy sniffled and looked up at him, both of her eyes were red, and then, though only her left one could see him, her gaze searched his face. He swallowed, slightly uncomfortable by the atmosphere. That vulnerability, those wet, matted eyelashes, and gently parted full mouth. He wanted to kiss her, but was riddled with unsure thoughts. He knew she had just had a very hard time, a mental breakdown and her delicate presence made him think twice about the physical.

"Are we still…?" she trailed off and raised her eyebrow slightly. He could see a flicker of the Brandy he knew past that haze of sorrow and shock.

"If you wanna be." he uttered. Brandy watched as he shifted from foot to foot, it had been a really, really long time since they had enjoyed each others company. Brandy licked her lips and let his vest go.

"I know it sounds fucked up, but I kind of need it…" she whispered.

"Nah, I get it." he said, taking a step towards her. There was a small lit smirk that came to her lips before he kissed her. He groaned slightly at the feeling of her soft lips. Brandy felt his rough hands run up her thigh, pushing up the bottom of her dress. She kissed him harder, slipping her tongue into his mouth and he slightly bucked his hips. His other hand, slipped behind her and he grabbed a handful of her ass. Daryl kissed her jaw line, but this time instead of groaning at his tenderness, Brandy tilted her head back and let him.

"You know we ain't ever fucked in real a bed." she whispered before slipping out of his grasp. Brandy heard him groan in agitation as she she slipped the upstairs. Brandy pushed open the first bedroom door, she reached, it was dark and she made no motion to turn the light on before she sat on the edge of the bed. Daryl stepped in, seeing her figure in shadow, the moonlight from the window, illuminating only a strip of her left side. He gently shut the door, and walked over to her, watching as he shifted her hips and bumped her knees together.

"Turn the light on." he said, taking her by surprise.

"What?" She asked, Brandy could only recall a few times when they fucked around and could actually see each other. Darkness seemed to be the preference for him at least, she had chalked it up to his insecurities, but there was a tiny part of her that didn't want to see him either. It made it detaching when it was in the dark, loss of context only brought back when he spoke or groaned, reminding her that she was sharing her time with him, Daryl Dixon, a very dear friend.

Brandy scooted back and reached out to the side table lamp, the replacement lamp for the one she had destroyed when she had yielded it as a weapon when she had awoken in Alexandria. The light gave off an orange hue, making yellow shades in her brown skin stand out even more. She felt the heat in her cheeks and she licked her lip and glanced to the window to make sure the curtains were closed; they were. Daryl shrugged off his vest and it hit the hardwood floor with a smack. Brandy grabbed the bottom of the dress and pulled it over her head. She was wearing the same black bra that she always wore, the one that used to have tiny little bows on the straps but had long fallen off. Brandy leaned back on her hands and spread her legs. His eyes dropped between her thighs, making out the outline of her pussy through the thin white fabric. He gritted his teeth and knelt on the bed in front of her.

Brandy laid back, kicking her boots off as Daryl ran his hand up her thigh.

"You smell good." he whispered, causing Brandy to laugh.

"Mmm. I know." she said, reaching up to undo his shirt buttons. Daryl pulled his shirt off and threw it to the floor.

"Fuck...you're kinna' hot." Brandy whispered, and Daryl let out a dismissive scoff at her words.

"Kinna? Is that it?" He asked, undoing her bra and yanking it off of her.

"Ya' okay I guess." she said playfully and Daryl silently prided himself on the fact that he could make her smile after all they had been through. He pinched her right nipple causing her to arch her back and moan.

"Just okay? Huh?" he asked before he wrapped his lips around her nipple. Brandy whimpered and bit her lip, as Daryl stared at her as she writhed and wriggled under him. His ability to please always confused her, standoffish, closed off, antisocial and insecure Daryl Dixon somehow always knew which buttons of hers press. Daryl pulled away from her breast and a hint of a smile came to the corner of his lips.

"You do have nice tits." he uttered, sitting up on his knees and hooking his thumbs into the band of her panties and slid them off. His eyes widened, and his eyebrows shot up. "Oh...fuck. I ain't ever seen your pussy shaved before." he said, his voice low and rough.

"You like it like that?" She asked.

"A snatch is a snatch, but.." Daryl pulled her legs further apart and slipped between them. "It makes this a bit easier I guess…" Brandy's face burned and her mouth dropped open as he pressed his lips to her cunt.

"Oh!" she yelped, arching her back feeling him groan against her. Daryl looked at her and watched as she the almost pained expression fluttered across her face as his tongue flicked her clit. "Ahh like that-fuck-" Brandy hissed. There was a pride associated with knowing that he could make her feel good. She was clenching the bedsheets, tensing her legs and desperately trying not to pant his name. Brandy moaned loudly, she clasped her over her mouth quickly. A second later she lost it, her body shook and she cried from up under her palm and she threw her head back. With a final shiver Brandy dropped limp back down onto the pillow. Daryl pulled away from her pussy and wiped his lips with the back of his hand.

She looked at him to find him smiling with smug satisfaction.

"The fuck you smrikin' at?" she asked.

"It's like yer' possessed when you come." He grunted as he undid his belt.

"Fuck ya, dude." She said, narrowing her eyes and he could see another flicker of Brandy. That attitude having, teeth sucking 'nah' 'chill ma' twangy cursing, that Brandy, the one he knew best. He undid his jeans and Brandy audibly let out an excited pant when he pulled his hard cock free. He didn't say anything, only watching as Brandy slipped two fingers inside of her wet cunt. "I want it." she whispered, and he clenched his jaw and stroked his dick at the sight. "I need it…" she panted. Daryl leaned over her and ran his cock along her slit.

"How bad ya need it?" he growled, savoring the moment.

"Oh, shut the fu-" her words were cut short by the feeling of him filling her with one thrust. Brandy let out a small surprised squeak, but a wicked smirk came to her mouth a moment later.

"Good Lord-" he whispered, he had almost forgotten how good she felt and he couldn't remember the last time he was inside of her. He moved his hips slowly, watching her as she bit her lip and closed her eyes. He put both of his hands against the headboard to stable himself as he started to thrust faster. Brandy hissed, and her eyes rolled in their sockets.

"Yes...ah God…" She panted, as he fucked her harder. The headboard banged against the wall from his force.

BANG, BANG, BANG.

But neither of them cared because for the first time in their friends with benefits relationship they didn't have to worry about noise or rushing to finish as fast as possible. Brandy moved one hand between her legs to rub her clit, the sensation causing her to moan loudly.

"Ahh fuck—" Daryl panted, feeling the tightening in his lower abdomen start to build. "Oh Daryl—why—why are you so good at fucking me?" Brandy thought out loud, causing him to chuckle lowly.

"You ain't as hard to figure out as you thank you are." He breathed.

"I'm ain't?"

"Nah." He said, grabbing her left thigh, he pushed her leg up, forcing him to drive himself deeper inside of her.

"Oh my fuck'-!" Brandy stammered, closing her eyes tightly. He was sitting the sweet spot. "Yes I'm gonna-I'm gonna—"

"Good." He growled and his tone threw her off of the edge. Brandy lost herself, her pussy clenching around his dick, her legs quaking and for the first she actually screamed his name. Daryl hissed and pumped into her a few more times before he pulled out quickly and stroked himself.

"Goddamn it—" he panted before coming on Brandy's stomach. She giggled at the feeling the warm liquid hit her skin. "Ahh shit…" he shuttered, feeling instantly tired one he finished.

"Mmm. Wow." Brandy purred looking down at the mess he made.

"Yeah… it's, uh been a while."

"I can tell, I should clean up," she said and Daryl got off of her. He watched as Brandy got up, eyeing her ass as she slipped out of the bedroom and headed down the hall to the bathroom. "Are you hungry?" she called over the sound of the sink running.

"Nah, I just had some spaghetti." He said pulling his pants back up. There was a pause and Brandy walked back down the hall, she stood in the doorway naked, using a wet washcloth to wipe his cum away.

"What? Spaghetti? Who da' fuck made spaghetti?"

"Uh…Aaron invited me over for dinner at his place" Daryl said, and Brandy blinked at him.

"Wait, you went ova' to Aaron's… as in Aaron, who has a boyfriend named Eric…?"

"Yea" Daryl shrugged, feeling his face flush slightly. Brandy leaned her head against the doorframe and stared at him with a tiny tender smile. "Stop lookin' at me like that. He just wanted me to come over so he could ask me bout' goin out there and getting' people and shit."

"No." Brandy said, the word, leaving her mouth before she could catch it.

"Pssf, Oh so I need yer' permission?" he asked, flicking his brown hair out of his eyes.

"Oh please, I ain't mean it like that, it's just…"

"What you worryin' about me?" he asked.

"I worry bout everyone you know that. I wanna come too" Brandy said and Daryl got up and walked over to her.

"I can ask if he needs any extra help." He looked down at her as she stood there still nude.

"Good, cuz havin me in here baby sitting is a mother fuckin' waste and there ain't no way in hell stayin in this place all fuckin' day." Brandy walked over to her dress and slipped it back on. "All these damn people talk about his like, food and ice tea. I would rather kill myself." She looked at him and noticed that his expression changed at her words. He thought back to what Aaron had said about her, mental state when they found her. "What?" Brandy asked and Daryl shook his head.

"Nothin' uh, I should get goin" he huffed. Brandy put her hands on her hips and looked at him.

"You can stay here if ya want."

"I can?"

"Yes, Dixon. You can."