I do not own the walking dead or its characters. Please leave some feedback. I recently got back into writing, and this is the first time I have taken it more seriously.

I am also open to story line suggestions, PM with ideas and credit will be given if I use them.

I want this to be a long story with lots of interesting things happening. I really don't want to use much of TWD story line since it is heavily used in fanfic. All characters are open for write ins, even dead ones. Who cares, this is a fantasy lol.

Chapter Three

Daryl Dixon

I hear someone bustin on the door and I get up from the chair in the living room. I briefly glanced over at Aspen, I can see that she's still upset, and I make a note to ask about it later. I keep my focus on opening the door and to my surprise I see Rick with a worried face, hiding behind his jacket. I motioned for him to come in and he does, looking over to see Aspen at the kitchen sink he hurries me down the hallway through the living room and into the laundry room, closing the door behind us.

"Hey, hey, what's gotten into you?" I say raising my arms up and slapping them to my side, I'm already flustered at this rude intrusion from Rick, but I know he wouldn't have done it if it wasn't important.

"Walkers have made their way into the community." Sweat already beading down his face and I notice his hatchet still in his left hand, blood from the undead visible on it. "I need your help to find how they got in and to stop it. I don't trust anyone else to go out there and do it the way we can do it." he turns around and places his hand on the door gently opening it and peering out through the crack, "don't tell Aspen about this, I don't need her or anyone else worrying. I went to your house to find you, but you weren't there, and I remember that you mentioned having to stay the night and the storm cellar here. I don't want Carol to come out there either. Get dressed, and meet me outside, quietly." Putting emphasis on the word quietly while pacing in the small room and stops to glance up at me.

Running my hands in my hair I ask inquisitively, "do you think the storm put a hole in the fence?" pausing as I open the dryer, remembering that Aspen had washed our clothes earlier. "Go outside the door down the hall," I point to my left motioning which way, "and I'll meet you out there in 2 minutes." Rick nods and runs his hands over his face clearing sweat from his eyes, and quietly opens the door taking a long stride into the hallway. I see him look down the hall and raise his hand as a wave, so I know that Aspen is now aware that there's a problem. Rick turns back to me, and nod and I close the door, I start stripping myself of my comfy pajamas to make place for my regular clothes. I notice that they smell different... like a field full of flowers. I know that this is Carol's homemade fabric softener at play because she gave the same to me and I refuse to use it because it was extremely girly and powdery. I have no choice but to wear my new bouquet, and hurry up, get the rest of my clothes on, and open the door to a prying Aspen who now has her hands, one over the other, resting on the knob the stairwell.

"Are you going out?" she asks, looking at me and then looking down at her hands, the top hand tapping the hand underneath. "it's not safe out there, we're still stuck in a once in a lifetime Blizzard and you're going to risk your life going out there?" she's now wrapped her arms crossed her waist, fingertips reaching each side of her waist.

Ignoring her, I strode past into the living room grabbing the oversized coat she bestowed upon me earlier in the morning. Putting each of my arms through the sleeves and zipping it up, raising the hoodie once I'm done. A small smile escapes me at the earlier thought of her dressing me up in this, thinking it was funny but, it made me happy she did that. Nobody has ever shown me that kind of compassion, except for Carol, but she did it as if my own mother had. The way Aspen put it on had given me a funny feeling, well, not really a funny feeling but happy feeling. As if making sure I wore this coat would make me safely return to her.

I gather the rest of my things, my crossbow, and my quiver. I turn around and see Aspen is now blocking the hallway to the back door, so I turn and head to the front unlocking it but before I could grab the handle to open it, she yells out, "WAIT!" I turned to face her, and I saw her holding my vest, "you're going without your signature attire?" she asks in a mocking but angry tone, but I see more worry than anger.

I take my time walking over to her not because I want to avoid her, or her excuse to stall me, but because I understand how she's feeling. I promised Rick that I wouldn't tell her, and I don't want to lie to her, but I'll let her know that this is important. Gently, I grab my vest from her right hand, and she sluggishly lays her hand down to her side, looking away from me. In one swift motion I turn my vest around and place it over her back, gaining a fast response from her she looks up at me with big hazel green eyes, hidden behind red curly bangs, "you're gonna put this back on and warm it up for me, so that when I return, I can wear it." I say a demand, she quickly obliges my request, looping it on as I continue speaking, "Rick asked me not to say a word and I promised him I wouldn't, but I won't lie to you there is some trouble but it's nothing that we haven't dealt with before. As I said earlier, we protect one another and right now that's what I am going to do, protect everyone here including you. So, you wear my vest and crawl your pretty little self, back into that bed, open your book and don't worry about me." I finish off my speech by firmly placing my hand on the back of her head and giving her a one-armed bear hug.

Letting go of her I can see her confusion and I leave it for another time because I have kept Rick waiting. I start to walk towards my original exit strategy, the back door at the end of the hallway passed the laundry room, I call out to Dog, who follows me to the back door. Opening the door, but before stepping out I turn around to see Aspen already crawled into bed and sporting my vest. I wave a single motion and she puts her hand up in response and nods, then Dog and I exit, closing the door behind me, the brisk winter air closing in around me and my breath becoming visible before my own eyes, and dog roughing up in the fresh snow.

I meet up with Rick who bounces up from the wall he was leaning from on the side of her house and get the latest details. He informs me that while sitting at dinner earlier and looking out the window he thought he had seen one of us walking outside but upon closer inspection realized that it had been a walker. He said he had gone outside and took care of it but had seen a few other stragglers. That's when he came over to my place but had seen the lights were off and I wasn't inside, so he hustled over to Aspen's hoping I was there.

"I hope I wasn't ruining your slumber party," he said sheepishly, but more of a mocking tone, "you know I wouldn't have bothered you if it wasn't important."

"It ain't even like that." I said, hiding the sad feeling that it wasn't like that. Drifting off into thought as we walked out to the wall, distracted, a walker coming up on our side and Rick smashing its skull in with his hatchet, right opposite of my face. I look at him for a response.

"Are you good?" Rick obviously heckling me, "I need you here, with me," pointing to my head and tapping me mid-sentence, pissing me off a bit.

I brought my focus back from him and I raised my crossbow to a walker out in the distance, there's low visibility in this dwindling snowstorm but I proved to him that I'm still as capable now as I was then, taking the shot. "Yeah, I'm good, I'm tired as fuck though and we did a whole day trip to load up shit that was needed here and had to bust my ass through a storm to get home." I say, pulling my arrow bolt from the skull of the now dead undead. Wiping its brains off I reload the same bolt; we keep heading out along the perimeter looking for any holes but see none. Dog prances up ahead, enjoying his little snow day.

Just as we approach the front gate, we see Carol, lantern in hand, running her way through the wind and snow hitting her face. She points over to the gate and I see that it's ajar. I realized that the other night I forgot to chain it back up. This fuck up was my fault and I start to unravel a little bit as I think what would have happened if anyone had come out other than myself or Rick unprepared. My thoughts turned into worry about if it was Aspen and I got lost in thought, imagining I have my hands entangled and her red ringlets, pulling her into my arms and embracing her, keeping her warm and safe.

"Did you guys see the walkers?" Carol asks a bit bewildered; she runs over to close the gate and I help, this time making sure to lock it with the chain.

"Yes, that's why Daryl and I are out here checking the perimeter, but now I see that the gates been unsecure." He glances an evil eye at me, and I'll lower my head, "we can't let this happen again. Too many lives at stake here, women and childr-."

"Oh, give him a break," Carol says lowering her lantern and patting me on the shoulder, "they barely made it back home the other night. I stood on my front porch with my binoculars and saw him close the gate. Yes, he forgot to lock it, but I don't believe that the storm could open a gate this heavy. Which means we're on a manhunt now."

I lift my head up and the most awful thought comes to mind, and a single word escapes my lips, "Aspen." I take off running without an explanation to Rick or Carol and remember that I didn't lock the front door, Dog chases after me. If someone was in here, they saw Rick come in and they saw him leave out the back door, they also saw me leave out the same door too. I feel like my feet can't move fast enough and I lose my footing and fall in the snow. Picking myself up I raised myself up the steps and bust in the front door, but the door was ajar, and I fell through landing on my hands, in a pool of blood, "Fuck."

Getting my shit together, I stand up, following a trail of blood that leads me through the kitchen around the island and into the living room, up the stairs. I motion for Dog to keep low and still and let out a silent sigh, thinking if any thing has happened to her, I'm gonna kill them and display their guts on the gate. I ready my crossbow expecting anything in any given second as I round up the first corner of the stairs, peeking up at the landing, I see that it's clear and continue creeping up the stairs. I push open the first door, which is the bathroom, and the light is off but it's empty. I continue making my next check in the spare bedroom, but before I open the door, I hear crying from Aspen's room and make my way quietly. Gently opening the door to peek through, and I at once pick up pace dropping my crossbow so I can embrace this woman.

Behind heavy sobs, she tries to speak, "I...I..th-thought it...w-was you at the d-d-door," dropping her defense to the floor, a broken wine bottle covered in blood, her attacker lay in a bloody mess. I don't say anything yet, I gently spin her around and look her up and down, pulling up her sweats from the ankles looking for blood and gently lifting her sweatshirt around the waist to check for cuts, careful not to expose her, thankfully it's just wine. As she turns around to sob in my chest all I can manage is to just to hold her, looking down at this absolute piece of shit, who's thankfully dead or I would have killed him myself, and be grateful that she's unhurt.

"You're ok," I say repeatedly in between her sobs, still holding her to my chest, Rick and Carol have made their way into the room by now. As Rick assesses the situation on hand, Carol motions for us to go down the stairs, feeling Aspen tremble as I gently move her, I pick her up, carry her down, and place her in her bed. I grab her face and wipe big tears from her cheeks, the smell of wine strong from her.

"I'm sorry," she breathes the words out in a rushed mess, but before she can continue, I take my hand and cover her mouth hushing her while shaking my head.

"Nah, don't apologize, you ain't got any reason to be sorry. I do. I forgot to lock the gate and that's how this asshole got in," I say in a raspier tone than normal, nearly tearing up myself, but I don't show it. I grab her and hold her more, her sobs subsiding and beathing becoming normal.

Looking up at me she squeaks, "I was worried about you," a cute small sniffle from her nose follows, and I, accidentally, interrupt it by my unexpected laugh. Angry eyes pierce my soul, and she goes off, "that's not funny Daryl, I thought this guy had killed you and Rick and made his way into my home." She wipes her face with her sweatshirt sleeve.

"You, were worried about me?" I repeat back to her, still laughing a small bit, "see that's impossible because I was too busy being worried about you," my voice gradually lowering to a whisper, "so there is no way you were that worried about me."

I hear shuffling coming from upstairs, and I motion to Aspen I'll be right back as I stand. I make my way back up the stairs in quick strides, briskly walking into her room where Carol and Rick have now gotten the body wrapped up in the bed sheets.

Rick looks at me with grimace on his face, he starts to talk, "this was the new guy that we took in last week. Now I'm concerned if anyone saw you guys at that distribution center the other night. If anyone followed you the whole community is at risk."

"It could have been a setup," Carol says as she crosses her arms on her chest. "We're gonna need to have people doing walks till the rest of the storm rides out the next few days. We can't take any chances of anyone coming in." She goes to walk out of the room but not before placing a hand my shoulder and tapping, continuing her thoughts," I think it's best that you and Aspen go to your place for the night, Rick and I will get some others over here to help clean up the mess. Poor girls been through enough, grab some of her clothes before you head out, she'll need a shower."

Looking at Rick, he nods in approval. I go to her closet and peer inside to see what's available; I grab the first nightgown that I see and it's a lacey strap looking black nightgown, I turned to see Rick getting ready to lift the body and notice the big blood stain on the floor. I put the nightgown back and walked over to her dresser looking for another pair of warm winter pants and a shirt for her instead. I head into the bathroom and grab the clean towel from the towel rack, followed by her shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. I take note of how light, sweet, and airy the body wash smells, it permeates through the container itself.

Heading out of the bathroom, stepping over the body and slinging my crossbow over my shoulder in tandem with my rhythm, Rick moves aside for me to get through and I make my way in a hurry down the stairs. I see that Carol has wasted no time in comforting Aspen, while also gathering her things for the night at my place. I look at Aspen making eye contact and give her a nod, signifying that we're ready to head out. I whistle for Dog to come with.

We rush for the front door before Rick has time to make the first corner down the steps with the body, I don't want her to see this mess. As we passed the kitchen she breaks away and grabs the last remaining bottle of wine and something else I can't make out, I don't say anything, I can't even blame her. She makes her way back to me, the front door open, and Carol already outside in the blustery wind. I guide her down the steps, my left hand on the small of her back, leaving the door open for Rick who's not far behind us. She tries to turn around and I grip my arm around her waist, pulling her into me, preventing her from seeing that man's lifeless shit corpse. Carol has already not the front door to my unit open, and Dog has made his way inside ahead of us.

Making our way inside, I look back to Carol who is about to close the door behind us, and I tell Dog to go with her, "He'll keep ya'll company outside. Let him out with whoever is doing their rounds," and with that Carol shuts the door and Dog is out for another snow day. I think how funny that damn animal is sometimes but return my focus to Aspen who is just standing in my plain living room.

"It ain't much but it will make do," I say, taking note of the old couch and recliner. I see her looking at her palm, lit up, "what's that you got there?"

Turning to me, she showed me an old phone, from before the infection. The time displays 11:43pm. The date is December 8, 2022. I think of the last time I had a semblance of time and date. Nobody here is really keeping track. We just know that it's winter, but the date makes sense of the storm.

"It's my phone, from before." Aspen says, followed by a yawn. "I'm covered in wine and now I'm gonna open up this bottle of wine," she continues twisting off the top with a small cork opener I didn't see her grab. She continues to take a big swig and take in her surroundings; I already know that it's not impressive dwellings. I live like a fucking animal that I am.

"I grabbed you some of your things, Carol suggested you'd want a shower," I point to the one open door down the hall. She sets the wine down on a crooked coffee table and walks over to grab her stuff.

"Will you sit on the toilet while I shower," she asks plainly, walking down the hall to the bathroom and it prompts me to follow. "I really don't want to be left alone, especially after having to kill someone."

"Sure," the word chokes out of me, "I'll be here all night."

She enters the bathroom and I wait outside the door, giving her space to adjust. Closing the door, leaving it slightly ajar and the sound of running water fills the room. Trying to wrap my head around the events of earlier this evening something doesn't add up. I start letting my head fill up with thoughts and what ifs, but I'm interrupted by Aspen.

"Ready," she says.

Taking a deep breath I say, "ok," on exhale and enter the bathroom. Steam is already building up in the small room and I take my place on the toilet, picking up the towel and thumbing the side of my cheek in a nervous habit.

I don't look in the direction of the shower, but I do listen. I can hear the sound of vigorous scrubbing followed by tiny sobs. Breaks my heart to hear her cry and knowing I can't do anything or say anything to make it better. I spend this time sitting in silence, I don't want to disturb her. Glancing around the room my vest is neatly folded by the sink, and I grab it opening it to look at it. There is a small splotch of wine or blood, I can't tell, so I set it back. The water turns off and I cover my face, pulling down and rubbing it all over. Tiredness setting in.

"Will you hand me the towel, please?" She reaches out a single hand, and I oblige her. I get up and walk out of the bathroom, leaning against the hall wall.

After taking a considerable time drying off Aspen leaves the bathroom, walking past me in a daze. She enters the living room, taking her seat on the couch and I take the recliner.

"Do you want to talk about what happened in there?" I asked, scared of her response.

"Maybe in the morning, right now I just want to have more of this wine," she says reaching for the bottle on the coffee table, "would you like some? I'm sure your nerves are as shot as mine are." She chugs some of the bottle down and hands it to me.

I grabbed the bottle and took a drink, handing it back to her. Contemplating how to continue this conversation. I have so many emotions buzzing inside of me I can't focus on just one. So, I drink more and call it even. Getting up from my chair I motion Aspen to stand, she obliges. She loses her footing and I grab her, placing her in my chair. Removing the cushions off the couch to pullout the bed below, my slight intoxication creeping up on me. I pulled bed out the rest of the way and I walk over to the barrel that Carol has placed her bedding on and bring it over. I make her bed for the night and point to it once done. She gets up, wine bottle in hand and walks over to sit. I head to the thermostat to make sure its set warm enough, 78. The storm is dwindling down and I hope tomorrow we can finally meet up in the community and unload the truck. I remember my bike falling in the back and taking note it needs a look over. I return from checking the thermostat and take my seat. Aspen starts making noise and look over. She's scooted over to the farthest side of the pull out and is patting the open side, for me.

"It's really cold out, and there is room for both of us here. I don't really want to be alone right now." She sets the wine bottle down on the bed.

Running my hand through my hair I take a deep breath and walk to her. I take a seat facing out but reach behind me for the bottle. Its just sleep, nothing wrong with that. Right? I reach into my front pocket for a cigarette and light it, she watches me, with big saucer eyes. Tired and empty.