Hi, there! Even though I can't promise regular updates- this story is always in the back of my mind and I enjoy writing when I can find the time. If you're still reading and enjoying please let me know. I would love to hear from you! - CJ

NOW

From her spot in the corner of the cell, Katie wrapped her arms around her knees and stared at Tara. On the other side of the bars, the leader of Hilltop was trying to keep a hard face, but Katie could tell that behind the furrowed brow Tara was scared. Katie understood. Alpha was terrifying and Tara had every right to be frightened. Hell, she was scared too.

Finally, Tara took a deep breath and spoke. "Your people attacked us. They killed my best friend."

"I'm sorry." Katie whispered. She hugged her knees tighter looking for both warmth and security. She was suddenly second guessing her decision to show up. Why hadn't she thought this whole plan of hers through more? Of course they weren't going to accept her with open arms, she was the enemy. Stupidly, she had imagined Daryl throwing open the gates and rushing to embrace her. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. This wasn't a damn romance novel.

Tara's arms crossed tightly over her chest, and she waited for Katie to say more. Her meager apology wasn't enough, but she didn't know what else to say. All she wanted was to see Daryl.

"I'm not here to hurt anyone."

"Give me one good reason why I should believe you."

Katie shook her head. Her tongue felt thick inside her mouth and she stumbled over her words. "I just- I- was- I was here. To get Lydia back? And I saw him. The angel vest he wears? I gave that to him for his birthday."

Tara's eyebrow raised. "I've known Daryl a long time and he's never mentioned you."

"Why would he? He probably assumed I was dead." Suddenly an idea sparked, Katie jumped to her feet and grabbed the bars between her and Tara. "Merle! What about Merle? Daryl's brother?"

Tara backed up. "What about him?"

"Is he here too?"

"Why would I give you any information?"

"Get Daryl. Tell him Katie is here. He will tell you. I'm not here to hurt anyone." Katie begged.

Tara came closer to the bars, her eyes meeting Katie's. "You want to see Daryl? You need to level with me. Does Alpha know you are here? Are you putting my community in danger?"

Katie shook her head. "No. I already told you. I came on my own."

"How do I know you weren't followed? How do I know there aren't skins in the woods right now waiting for my people?"

"You don't. But, I covered my tracks. Guardians attacked our camp during the night. I slipped out then and ran. It was fucking chaos, I don't think anyone saw me leave."

Tara considered her answer. "Guardians?"

"The dead."

Tara took a step back and turned towards the cellar doors. Katie panicked. "Please! Wait, please! I risked my life to come here!"

Finally, something flickered in Tara's eyes. Compassion? Empathy? Katie couldn't exactly tell.

Tara sighed in resignation. "Daryl's gone. He went after Henry."

Katie's eyes widened. Her head dropped to the bars and she took a deep, steadying breath. Even if Daryl managed to make it out alive with Henry, they wouldn't get far. Alpha would send Beta after them.

She let out a squeak that sounded like a mouse. "No."

"Yeah."

Katie shook her head. "You don't understand."

"You must not know Daryl that well if you think some skin assholes can beat him."

Katie leveled her with a stern glare. "You've never seen Beta."

Tara met her gaze and looked like she wanted to retort back before stopping herself with a sigh. "Listen. I'm supposed to meet up with Daryl. I'll tell him you're here. But, when others hear about you…. They're not going to be happy."

"I only care about Daryl."

"Yeah. And Daryl cares about all of us."

"What do you want us to do, Tara?" A guard asked as she emerged from the basement cells.

"Keep her locked up. I'll catch Daryl at the fair and see what he wants to do."

"Will do."

"Thanks," Tara sighed. "I thought we were done with these skin nut jobs."

Michonne drove the wagon into the Kingdom and Daryl breathed a sigh of relief when the gates shut behind him. The journey to rescue Henry and his fight with Beta had left his body feeling battered and broken. Inside the walls, the trade fair was in full swing, and seeing his family's smiling faces was like a soothing balm.

After hugging Carol hello, Daryl looked up, noticing Tara making a beeline towards him.

He reached his fist out, and she bumped it. "Hey."

"We need to talk," she said earnestly.

His chin lifted. "What's up?"

Tara froze, her disbelieving eyes distracted by something behind him. "What the?"

Daryl turned. Tara had seen Lydia.

"The plan was to bring Henry. Just Henry." She cried.

He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her. "We have a lot to talk about."

"Yeah, no kidding." She groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Oh my God. What a cluster fuck."

"We're gonna figure it out."

"Daryl." Tara took a step closer to him, dropping her voice. "Hilltop has a prisoner. One of them." She shot a pointed look at Lydia.

"Everything alright?"

She looked him dead in the eyes. "She showed up at the gates and surrendered herself. She asked for you."

"The hell?" Daryl's brow furrowed. "Me?"

Tara nodded. "Said she knows you from before."

"She tell ya her name?"

"Katie."

Her words felt like a punch to the gut and Daryl felt his heart stop for a moment. He only knew one Katie. His Katie. "Ya sure?"

"I'm sure." Tara crossed her arms across her middle. "You know her?"

He gave a tentative nod. "Maybe. Where is she?"

"I still have her locked up at Hilltop. I wasn't sure at first if she was telling the truth. She could have heard your name anywhere." Tara paused, watching Daryl's face carefully before she gave the next bit of information. "But, then she asked about Merle. I figured she was legit."

Daryl nodded and his fingers anxiously drummed against the strap of his crossbow. Damn. What a shit storm. If Katie had been walking with Alpha her loyalties didn't lie with him anymore. He doubted she could be trusted.

"Could be a trap." He mused and Tara nodded.

"Yeah. I had the same thoughts. Sorry."

He waved her apology off. Would Katie do that? Use their past to gain entry and report back to Alpha? He had no idea. It had been ten long years. There was only one way to find out. He had to see her. He'd know right away if she was lying or being truthful.

A few minutes later, the community leaders were gathered in the theater. Daryl tried to listen carefully from his spot on the stage as they discussed a plan to protect Hilltop, but his mind was on the prisoner Tara had locked up. He had given up the notion of seeing her again years ago. Occasionally, mostly late at night, he felt his mind wander back to her pretty smile and bright eyes. But, seeing her face was too painful, and it was easier to bury the memories.

"There's one more thing," Tara said once the meeting looked to be wrapping up. She locked eyes with him from across the stage and he gave her a consenting nod to continue.

"A skin showed up and surrendered herself at our gates. She said she knows Daryl. From before."

A murmur of surprise rippled through the group.

"What does she want?" Michonne's voice demanded, quieting the group.

"To see Daryl." Tara answered. "She claims she escaped and isn't here to hurt us. I have her locked up at Hilltop.

"Who is she?" Carol asked Tara, but her eyes turned to Daryl.

He rubbed at his chin. Daryl had only shared Katie with two people. Carol was the only one still living. "Katie."

Carol's eyebrows shot up. "THE Katie?"

He nodded. "Probably. Didn't know another."

"Who's Katie?" Gabriel's steady, soothing voice asked.

Thinking, Daryl chewed on his lip a moment before answering. His past intersecting with his present had him reeling. "She was my girl."

Attention turned from him as the leaders all looked expectantly at Lydia. She peered back at them with scared eyes and Henry took her hand.

"What do you know about this?" Michonne asked.

"Nothing. We didn't use names," the girl quickly said. "I would only know her if I saw her."

Gabriel frowned. "But you have to have an idea, right? You don't just live with people and not get to know them."

Lydia shrugged, but remained silent.

From his spot on the stage, Daryl could feel himself getting frustrated. He leaned in towards Lydia. "She's short. About ye high." He touched just below his collar bone. "Big brown eyes. She's got a freckle under her left one. There's a star tattoo on her hip."

She shook her head. "Maybe. That could be anyone."

Daryl restrained himself from rolling his eyes at the kid.

Michonne looked at Daryl with a hard stare. "What do you want to do?"

"I need ta see her. Talk to her. See what she wants." The group around him nodded in agreement. "I ain't naive. This could be a trap.""

"Or it could be as simple as she wants to reconnect with her old love." Ezekiel chimed in with a wide smile. "Put yourself in her shoes. What a shock it must have been to see you, Daryl."

Daryl nodded, but didn't dare become hopeful. Ezekiel could wax poetic about love all he wanted, but Daryl wasn't stupid.

Tara spoke up. "We'll decide what to do once Daryl talks to her. But, I don't want to mess around. The Whispers don't need any more ammunition against us." She looked at Lydia. "What does your mom do to people who leave?"

Lydia shook her head and looked at the ground. "It's not good."

"Will she come after Katie?"

Lydia shrugged. "If she knows she left on her own, yes. Someone might have tracked her and reported back that she went into Hilltop."

The council felt the weight of her words and the urgency to get a group back to protect Hilltop. They dismissed with a plan of action and Daryl stood, his body exhausted and fueled by anxiety. He rolled his neck, followed by his shoulders, easing out the kinks.

Beside him, Michonne burst into laughter and gave him a teasing smile. "Dixon had a girlfriend."

He blew out a breath. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up."

She gave him a playful nudge. "I have to admit. I'm curious to meet this girl. I've always wondered what your type is."

He shot her a death glare which only caused her to laugh harder. She gave his arm a friendly squeeze. "I gotta get back to Judith and RJ. See ya in a bit."

He watched her walk away, a hand rubbing the back of his neck, when Carol showed up beside him, grinning.

He groaned. "Aw. C'mon. You gonna give me shit too?"

"No." She smiled. "I'm excited for you. I know what she meant to you. How are you feeling?"

Feeling? He felt overwhelmed and confused. Mostly just tired. He shrugged. "Dunno. Been a long time."

"Not even a little bit excited?"

He shrugged again. "Ain't gonna get my hopes up."

She reached up, brushing a lock of hair off his face, before cupping his cheek. "You loved her."

His eyes drifted downward and he gave a brief nod. "Yeah."

She patted his cheek before releasing him. "It's going to be fine."

"Yeah. Hope so.

His deepest fear wasn't what he was going to find behind the bars. It was what he wasn't going to find. No matter who was there- she was going to be a stranger.