Author's Note: HOLY HELL HI, I've got a bit of explaining to do here lol. With the state of the world at the moment, I recently started doing a re-watch of The Walking Dead which made me think of this fanfic and the others that I had written wayyyy back in the day. So i came on here for the first time in literal YEARS and reread this one, the only one I had ever made any progress with. AND THE CRINGE WAS REAL, it still is. I'm not sure how many of you are still here after all this time has passed, perhaps many of you lost interest in the show like I did or stopped reading fanfic (I did as well). But if you're here from before by some miracle, first of all, hi! It's only been what...7 years? Wow that's insane, not going to think about that again lol. When I first started writing this fic, I was super new to writing but always wanted to be a writer and thought fanfic was a good place to start. I was young though and now reading back, I'm surprised any of you liked this fic to begin with. Your reviews made me so happy though and inspired me so much! Anyways, back to where I was now. Just started rewatching and came here to read through this. I still want to be a writer but life/school got in the way and I have been out of commission for super long. So I would like to start writing again but I need practice and a lot of it lol. So I had this wonderful idea to continue this story but as I read through it, I couldn't help but feel it needed some reworking. I also know way more about Daryl and his character then I did when I started writing this and boy did I really make him super out of character at times lol. Alright, I'll stop rambling. I have no idea how many of you will see this but if you do, I'm super grateful that you're still here! Anyways here we go!

Safe and Sound

Chapter 1: The Best Night

Her stomach turned in anticipation as her nerves made her cheeks feel like fire. She raked her hands down her dress again, making sure to smooth out any crinks in the soft, silky blue fabric. Tonight was her high school's homecoming dance. School had just started three weeks ago, her final year. She bit her lip as she looked around the room she was in. She was at her best friend's pre-dance party. She recognized all the faces around her, the curse of living in such a small town. A squeal from behind her knocked her out of her trance.

"Happy Homecoming!" She turned around to see Abigail, the tall redhead that she had known since she could honestly remember. She laughed lightly as her friend embraced her in a tight hug.

Once Abby released her from the hug, she kept her hands on her shoulders and took a step back.

"Wow, look at you!" She smiled, "I knew that dress was the one!"

Grace smiled and twirled for her friend. Abby was quite stunning herself, her emerald green dress standing out in just the right way with her red hair.

"You look so ethereal." Grace said, breathless, "I can't believe this is going to be our last homecoming."

"Our last homecoming, sure, but Grace" Abby said, "You're finally eighteen! You know what that means!"

Grace giggled thinking about what Abby was insinuating. She had always been obsessed with finally getting into the 18+ clubs in the city that wasn't that far from their own small town. Today was her eighteenth birthday, but even so, Grace knew there wasn't a chance she would be going to any of those clubs. Her parents would never approve. She was lucky if she even got to make day trips into the city with her father.

"As if my father would let me." Grace said.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him!" Abby smirked.

Grace just shook her head, a small smile on her lips. Abby gave her a small pat on the shoulder before walking off to greet some other people who had just shown up at the pre-party.

Grace took this moment of solitude to head to the bathroom. She wanted to make sure everything was perfect for the homecoming pictures they were about to take. She shut the door behind her softly before letting out a small sigh. She felt so nervous for some reason. Her stomach felt restless and her face flushed. She couldn't shake the feeling.

She stared at herself in the mirror, hardly recognizing the person in front of her. Blue eyes lined with black liner and mascara, her skin slightly tanned from her hunting trips with her father, dark freckles contrasting the light blonde hair that fell slightly past her shoulders. Everything was in place, just as it was when she left her home earlier today before making the small 5 minute walk to Abby's.

She turned around to look at herself in the full length mirror hanging from the door. Her light blue dress clung to her lithe frame in a flattering way. The small white flowers that decorated the bodice emphasized the soft way her body curved at her waist. She ran her fingers over a few of them; they felt so delicate in her hands.

A knock on the door caused her to jump slightly in surprise.

"Hey Grace, Bobby's here!" She heard Abby yell from the other side of the door.

Grace's face lit up and she eagerly opened the door. Expecting to see Abby, she was surprised to see Bobby standing in front of her.

"There you are." He whispered, before stepping forward and pulling her into an embrace.

Her face turned bright red at his touch, butterflies ripping apart her stomach. Bobby, with his dark brown hair and eyes, had been her crush since freshman year. She was over the moon when he had asked her to be his date to homecoming. It had only taken him 4 years.

She melted into his arms now though. Tonight would be perfect, she decided. The best night of her life.

She ran as fast as she could, the snarls from the dead behind her igniting such adrenaline into her sprint. Her hair whipped around her as she continued to pass tree after tree. They were getting closer, their groaning louder and louder. She could outrun them, she was faster. But they didn't get tired like she did. She had no other option though. The last time she had looked behind her there were three of them following her. She wasn't sure if all the noise had driven more and she was frankly, too terrified to look.

She needed to think of something else and quick. Her legs were burning and her chest felt empty of air. She knew it was only a matter of time before she couldn't keep running. Suddenly she felt something tug on her dress, causing her to tumble to the ground. She let out a noise of fear as she turned around to see her dress had got snagged on one of the tree trunks. She looked up at the dead who were still chasing her. She had put a considerable distance between her and them but she still didn't have much time. She tugged at her dress, trying to break it free from the wood it was caught on. When it didn't budge, she grasped the fabric with both hands and yanked as hard as she could. Her dress ripped free finally, blue fabric now decorating the tree where it had been caught.

She looked back up to see the dead gaining on her. She didn't have time to run, not now, not anymore. They were too close. She looked around in fright, looking for anything to help her in her predicament but there was nothing but leaves and trees around. Frantically, she looked at the tree she was under and noticed some low hanging branches. Maybe...maybe she could reach them and pull herself up.

She stood up quickly and jumped for one of the branches. The wood barely grazed her hand. She looked back at the three dead, now mere seconds away from her. With everything she had, she tried again, this time getting a grip around the branch. She pulled with all her strength, feeling the wood cut into her palms as she struggled to pull herself up. Just as the dead reached the tree, she had just managed to get her legs up and over the branch.

They pawed at the tree now, their empty eyes eager with hunger as they snarled at her. She wanted to cry. What was she supposed to do now? She couldn't come down, not with them there. But at the same time, she couldn't stay up here forever. No food, no water. It would only be a matter of time before she died of starvation or thirst. She bit back a sob and looked up, seeing the branches go up higher and higher into the leaves. Maybe she could at least get out of their sight and hopefully that would cause them to wander off.

She began making the climb upwards.

She wasn't sure how long she had been in the forest for. The days and nights had melted together into one long day of purgatory. Her stomach constantly reminded her just how long she had been away from civilization. Ever since she had discovered that the dead were not able to climb, she had been trying to stick to the trees, only climbing down when she needed to find water. She knew her time here was numbered. She couldn't survive on her own. It was a miracle she had even made it this far into the woods. If she had any hope of living, she knew she needed to make her way back to town soon. Hopefully she would find people like her, alive.

She let out a sigh and brushed her dirty hair from her face. She could feel the coarse tree ripping at the exposed skin on her back. Her dress had been ripped apart even more in the time she had spent out in the woods. It was barely clinging to her now. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the tree. How could she go back now? After all this time, was anyone else even alive? Was anyone else alive anywhere? Perhaps she was the last person on earth. For all she knew, she was. She hadn't heard or seen a single soul out in the woods.

The last memories she had floated in her mind. She prayed to God that she could go back. She would give everything she had if only it would let her go back to that day. Back when all she had to worry about was how she was going to do her hair for homecoming, if Bobby was going to like her dress, if her parents would make her leave the dance early…

She would give anything to go back.

A twig snap nearby caught her attention. Her eyes shot open, taking in her surroundings. It was probably another one of the dead. She knew if she kept quiet, it would pass.

"Merle, keep ya' fat ass quiet. Yer scarin' the squirrels away." Someone with a strong Georgia accent hissed.

Was that...a person's voice? It had been a long time since Grace had heard the sound of another person's voice.

"Yer face has been scarin' them away this whole time." The other person grunted, Merle she assumed.

Their footsteps were getting closer and closer.

The other person never replied as they kept approaching the tree Grace was hiding in. She pushed herself up against the tree. She wanted to see them before they saw her, just in case. As much as she wanted to call out to them, the first alive people she had possibly come across in a week, she was also scared. She tried to keep her breathing silent as she finally caught sight of them. There were only two of them. One appeared to be as old as forty with thin, light blonde hair and the beginnings of a beer belly. The other looked younger, maybe early thirties, with light brown hair and dirt masking his features. In his hand he carried a crossbow.

She debated calling out to them. She knew her time here was limited on her own, but at the same time, something about the two of them didn't feel right. They didn't look like folks you would want to associate with, at least, that's what her mom would probably say. But then she could also hear her dad's voice in the back of her head.

'Grace, it's not nice to judge people by their appearances. Life is not gentle for many people and just because someone looks rough around the edges doesn't mean there isn't a fair reason for them to be lookin' that way.'

Her father, the town's preacher, voice was ever so prominent in her head.

"Looks like you scared all them squirrels away, ya' dumbass" The younger one's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

She went back to observing them as they continued to get closer to the tree she was in. Now was her chance to get out of here. All she had to do was speak, say anything. She closed her eyes for a moment, just to get a grip on her racing thoughts.

"Well, wouldja' look at that." The older one called out, "I think I've found the biggest squirrel I've ever seen!"

She opened her eyes for a second and her heart got caught in her throat as she caught his gaze. He was looking right at her. She let out a gasp and the one with the crossbow whipped around, pointing his weapon straight at her. She pressed her back into the tree, preparing for the impact of an arrow. When it never came, she peered back down at them to see them both staring at her.

"What's a pretty thing like ya' doing up there?" The older one chuckled.

Grace, still in shock, couldn't even think of a single word to say.

"What if she's a walker man?" Crossbow muttered.

"Ya' know them walkers don't climb no trees." Merle said.

Crossbow shrugged, "Maybe they learned."

"Why don't ya' come down from up there, girl?" Merle called out, ignoring the other man.

She was so unsure of what to do, if she should trust these people. The guy with the crossbow did not look particularly friendly, his face twisted in a scowl. The man next time to him was smiling, but even so, did not appear reassuring himself.

"She's not sayin' anything, Merle." Crossbow whispered, "It's probably one of them walkers that got themselves stuck in a tree. I say we just kill it."

"Maybe she's just shy, brother." Merle laughed, making a chill roll down Grace's spine.

Suddenly, an arrow whizzed by her ear, almost piercing her head when it came to stop, stuck right in the tree bark next to her head. She didn't even realize the scream she had let out.

"I'm alive!" She gasped, "I'm alive, please don't kill me!"

"So ya' do have a voice." Crossbow muttered, lowering his weapon.

"Why don't ya' come down from that tree, girl." Merle called out, "We can take ya' to our campsite."

"Your friend just tried to shoot me." Grace answered.

"If I wanted to shoot ya', I would've." The younger one glared.

"Don't mind my baby brother." Merle laughed, "He ain't got no manners. Now look, we ain't gonna be forcing ya' to do nothing, but all I'm sayin' is, ya' stay up in that tree and them geeks are gonna get ya'."

Grace toyed with her thoughts for a moment. Could she trust these men? But also, what other choice did she have? He was right. She knew she couldn't survive much longer here.

"Let's just go." Crossbow said, when Grace failed to respond, "She don't wanna come, so what? You ain't her dad."

Merle shrugged and for a second, it looked like they were about to start walking away. She had to make up her mind, now, she realized. She knew he was right though. It was a miracle she was alive. She didn't know how she even survived by herself this long. She needed other people and not just that, she wanted to be with other people. She was never the lone wolf type.

"You mentioned a campsite?" She called out.

"Yeah, we gots ourselves one of those." Merle said, turning back around, "There's other women there-a girl yer age too."

Other women? And a girl her own age, maybe someone from her town? She took a deep breath and then made her decision. She swung her leg over the branch she was sitting on and began to climb down.

"Ay, grab that arrow, wouldja'?" Crossbow asked, though it sounded much more like a demand.

She gripped the arrow sticking out of the tree and tugged on it, but it wouldn't budge. She bit her lip and then tried again, using almost all her strength. The arrow came whipping out of the tree, the force knocking Grace back. She let out a loud breath of air and she felt herself falling towards the ground. Her long dress got snatched on a branch and she could hear the sound of fabric ripping just before her back collided with the hard ground. She laid there for a moment, her cheeks flushing red as the embarrassment crept in. She could hear the men laughing.

She quickly got up and dusted herself off with her free hand. A new hole had been torn into her dress around her left mid thigh, the fabric dangling into the leaves. She let out a sigh as she grabbed the fabric near the tear and tore the remaining off.

Crossbow plucked the arrow out of her hand, "What the hell were ya' doing in a dress like that out here?"

Grace glared at him, "I was at my homecoming dance when-"

She couldn't bring herself to finish out her sentence.

"Looks like we got ourselves a teeny-bopper!" Merle chuckled, slapping her on the back.

"I'm not-whatever!" Grace huffed.

Merle just laughed some more.

"Sorry 'bout yer dress, lil lady." Merle said, "I'm sure one of them girls back at the camp have something ya' can wear."

With that, the two men started walking off, Grace trailing behind them.

Shane was the first to catch sight of the Dixon brothers stomping their way back into the camp. His eyes darted behind them to see a stranger also walking in. She looked young, with light blonde hair and freckles dotting her nose. She was wearing some fancy dress covered in dirt and blonde. She didn't appear to be in better shape herself.

"When we sent you out huntin', we didn't mean for people." Shane joked.

"Found this lil' bird on our way back." Merle said, brushing him off, "Figured a lil' lady like this shouldn't be alone in the woods."

Shane had to agree with him. More people meant more mouths to feed, but he couldn't turn them away either, especially not a woman. That would be a death sentence.

"What's your name, girl?" Shane asked.

"Grace." She muttered, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Grace, you said?" Shane clarified, "Well, welcome to our camp!"

She nodded at him with a small smile. Shane seemed friendlier already then her two companions and he looked more clean. She glanced around the camp and was met with the sight of bustling strangers. There was a little boy and girl that seemed to be playing some game near an RV. Behind them were two women who kept taking turns looking in the direction of her. Also near the RV was an older, friendly looking man and two girls with blonde hair that looked related. On the other side of the camp was a family of four and another family of three.

She also spotted what seemed to be a blown out campfire, a bigger black guy sitting near it next to an asian boy who looked her age.

"It's not much, but it's something!" Shane reassured her as he watched her take in the sight of their camp, "I'm sure someone has some room they can spare for you. Ay, Glenn!"

She watched as the younger asian guy directed his attention to the pair. He jogged over to them.

"Think ya' can show our new camp member, Grace, around?" Shane asked the boy.

Glenn nodded before sending a smile in Grace's direction.

"So, Grace, is it?" Glenn said, holding out his hand.

Grace smiled as she shook his hand, "Glenn, right?"

He nodded back.

"Well, let me introduce you to everyone here!"

Grace started to follow after him but not before taking one more glance in the direction of the Dixon brothers. The younger one had already walked off in the direction of a tent that appeared the farthest away from the camp. She realized that she had never asked for his name, nor had anyone else said it. So for now, he was just Crossbow in her mind. The older one caught her glaze for a second and sent her a small wink before following after his brother.

Something about them intrigued her. Maybe it was because they didn't seem to be the type to be at a camp like this. The other folks here seemed...well, more like the people she normally associated with. Those two brothers seemed more like the type to be part of some motorcycle gang. She thought about her father's words again though and chided herself for already judging them. They had, after all, brought her here, which was already a blessing it seemed. She would thank them later, she would make sure of it.

She cast one more look in their direction before finally taking off after Glenn.

Authors Note: aaaannndd that's the first revised chapter ! It's not much different than the original but from here on out, there will probably be a lot of changes to the story. I hope anyone reading will enjoy this as well. If you're here, thank you ! I've posted chapters 1-3 today and 4-6 should be out tomorrow. I'm going to try and catch up as quickly as I can to where the story originally left off so I can finally continue it. Again, if you're here, thanks for reading! See ya soon!