Hey guys! here's an update. Remember to R&R

I'm going straight to bed now! Happy reading!


It would be the coldest winter she remembered and she thanked, whoever was that was hearing, that it was already over. Everything seemed to be more complicated with snow around and the only good it did was slowing down the walkers, but it also slowed them down, so the situation was even. Finding refuge was not so hard, but going house to house was tiring. Scavenging and hunting were nearly impossible, which not only made the winter the coldest she had experienced, but the cruelest. Alyson couldn't be more delighted about the end of the season.

She held on tightly onto Daryl as they ride in Merle's bike, once again moving out of abandoned house they had found earlier. Shaking her head, she blinked a few times as she tried to keep her hair from her face and eyes, only to fail, two seconds after she had succeeded.

"Stop moving around woman! You're driving me crazy" Daryl yelled for her to hear, which made her groan in response, annoyed at the fact he was scolding her for something she couldn't control.

"My hair is all over the place!" She shook her head again.

Soon, a horn was heard, making everyone stop. Sighing in relief, Alyson got off the motorcycle, with a little help of Daryl, to whom she offered a smile as she tied her hair up in a big messy bun.

"My fucking hair was driving me insane."

"Ya moving around was drivin' me insane"

"Ya scare ta fall, Dixon?"

She taunted, mocking his thick accent. He glared at the younger girl as he grabbed his crossbow.

Slowly everyone started dispersing around. Carl moved towards the front of the SUV to keep watch, while Beth stayed at the end of the last vehicle, doing her round. The rest gathered around a map layed on the car. Looking back at the vehicles, she saw Lori sitting on her own. The woman must had been exhausted of all the running around they had been doing lately, especially in her condition.

"I'm going to keep Lori company"

"Be careful."

"I'll be just fine, Mr. Dixon"

With a small acknowledging nod, Daryl headed to the rest of the group. Apparently, they were looking for a new place to stay or so Alyson heard before she moved back in Lori's direction.

"Hey!" She said, offering a big smile to the older, pregnant woman, who seemed distracted.

"Everything okay?"

Lori looked into the younger girl's eyes for a moment before giving her a sad smile and nodding a little bit hesitant.

"I'm just tired and we can't seem to find a good place to just settle in for a while"

"I know. I hope we do soon" Alyson gently place a slender hand in the woman's belly, rubbing it slowly. "Lori…" she started, but stopped as she tried to get the words together, not wanting to say something to upset the woman, after all she had been through with her husband. "Do… Have you thought of a name?"

Lori shook her head, taking a deep breath and looking over to where her husband was standing with the rest of the group.

"No. Rick and I haven't talked lately" She choked on the words as her eyes watered. Taking another deep breath, she swallowed as her hand came to rest where her baby was.

"It's something all of us should pick. Rick, Carl and I, like a family." Her voice was soft and sad, almost grieving. Alyson threw her arms around the woman, trying to make her feel better, trying to give her some sort of comfort.

"You shouldn't worry too much. Rick… he's just stressed. He'll come around, but for now we all have to understand he's tired. Once we find a safe place, I'm sure he won't be able to stay away from the people that love him and he loves most."

A genuine smile appeared once more in Alyson's face as she held Lori's hands in reassurance.

"Thank you, Alyson"

Suddenly, the air wasn't so sad and Lori smiled back at the green eyed girl, thankful for the words. They had made her feel slightly better, as if some of the weight in her shoulders was lifted up.


"Daryl and Carol, you take that tower over there" Rick said, pointing to one of the towers that was further from where they were standing, then turning to Hershel, Carl and Alyson, giving them instructions as for how to help him.

Once everyone one was in position, Rick went through the gate. Shots could be heard all around as each and everyone helped the sheriff put down the walkers as said man headed to close another gate, keeping the flesh-eating prisoners from entering the field he was in.

As the final walker fell, everyone felt relief. For the first time in a while, they had a decent place to sleep and most importantly, it was safe. They joy in the air was almost like Christmas. Alyson hugged Carl as they went in the gate. The kid only smiled as he blushed while they kept on walking.

On the back she heard Carol saying something about the new space they had. Apparently, the woman was not afraid to express her feelings nowadays, which brought Alyson back to the ruins, where she commented on how she wanted a leader with honor. Alyson immediately gave her a piece of her mind for the woman's accusations on Rick and also at the fact that she had been all over Daryl recently, which annoyed Alyson to no end.

Though they did not had a defined relationship, Alyson couldn't deny herself she was feeling something much stronger than just an attraction towards the hunter. It all had been fun and games with their 'relationship'. It was only supposed to be carnal and nothing more, but at what point did she started caring for this man, was a mystery to her.

Too soon reality knocked her on her ass. She was in love with him, but what now? Was she supposed to tell him? How would she tell him? Would he return her feelings or pull away? Could they remain the same or would he rather stay away and break any type of friendship they had? She had been so happy back at the farm at the thought of packing 'their' stuff. If he pulled away, she knew she would break. He was the closest thing she had now. It was almost like he was the only thing worth living for and in her heart she knew that if he were ever to disappear from her or push her away, that would make her hurt more than the thought of his death.


"Can't sleep, Al?"

A voice came from behind her. Turning around, she came to face Rick. He looked extremely tired. The circles under his eyes making him look older than what he was.

"There's just… a lot of things in my head"

"Seems like you're not the only one"

His blue eyes separated from the empty darkness of the woods to look at the girl that was, now, beside him.

"Thanks, Rick…"

Tilting her head towards the man, she smiled.

"If it wasn't for you, God knows where we would be. I owe my life to you, just as much as I owe it to Daryl."

Lifting a hand, Rick scratched the back of his neck as he placed his other hand on his hip, before he turned to her fully.

"I'm trying to do what's right. Is the least all of us deserve, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but in the process… don't let all of this take who you are, Rick. You are a kind man. Don't let this shit of a world turn you into a monster. Whatever happened, leave it behind. Leave everything behind. This prison is our chance, it's your chance to start over with them" she pointed back at Lori and Carl, whom sleep soundlessly, close to the small bonfire.

"You are a good man and now and even then, when there was civilization, the world needed more men like you. I want you to know I've got your back, always, Rick. Forgive yourself and start over so later on you'll have nothing to regret."

Rick nodded his head gently and looked at his family, then back at Alyson. Smiling best as he could, he placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at her in the eyes.

"Go to rest. I'm gonna need you tomorrow to get in the prison."

"Will do"

His feet started moving as he walked away, leaving his female companion alone as he went to do watch, while everybody else slept, for what seemed the first time in ages.


The prison was theirs. Sure it wasn't fancy or as clean as Alyson would had liked it to be, but it was their new home.

Everyone had settled into a small cell, with the exception of Daryl, who refused to sleep in a 'cage'. Somehow that made her smile. Daryl seemed like the type of guy who had spent one or two nights in a cell, if you didn't know him, but after you got to really know the guy, the story would turn in a completely opposite way.

He was a good man. Just as good as Rick and T-dog, Glenn and Hershel. Whoever said to never judge a book by its cover sure knew what he was talking about. Daryl was a decent man. He was even polite at some point and even a gentleman.

"Ya ain't getting up, Fey? This ain't now 5 starts hotel" Daryl joked as he came up the stairs, two plates in his hands.

"Here ya go. Better eat. Ya looking too skinny lately"

"I wonder why"

"Just eat, Fey"

Her eyes looked at Daryl as he consumed his food. He too looked relieved, just like everyone else. Alyson felt some sort of pride for him. He was becoming one of them, slowly but surely and that made her heart jump. Maybe if she told him about her newly found out feelings, he wouldn't pull away. He had been exposed to all the worry and concern they all felt one towards the others, out of love and care and that maybe could make them work, or at least keep him from pulling away from her.

"Don't ya know is not polite to stare, Fey"

The man pointed out and she felt her cheeks heat up slightly.

"I was just thinking" She lied and began eating the food he had brought to her.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah… Barely felt you beside me"

"Rick wants us to help him look for the cafeteria and the infirmary. We're leaving in a bit"

Daryl told her as he picked his crossbow from beside the mattresses as he finished his share of food and standing to leave. After finishing her small portion of the goodies, she headed down the path Daryl had and saw everyone getting ready to leave. She overheard Rick telling his son to stay with the ladies in case something happened as he handed Carl the keys to the cell block.

Daryl turned to Alyson just before exiting the cell block and looking into her eyes.

"If anything happens, keep em' safe, Fey"

"Keep your eyes opened, Dixon"

Smirking he leaned in and kissed her forehead, before patting her shoulder gently.

"Don't tell me twice, Fey"

He said as he made his way towards the unknown with Rick and the rest.