Danni glanced at the crumbling brick wall where she had sat with Rick on the day of Glenn's rescue. Her mind's eye saw Daryl as he dropped the engineer boots in her lap. Feelings between them were so tentative back then. She felt like a thousand years had passed. The yard was even more full of trash and debris than it had been only the week or so before? The lot felt deserted.

As he walked in the courtyard of the auto shop, Daryl recalled how he'd felt when they came back for Merle and ended up here. He and Danni had spent that entire day circling each other hesitantly, unsure but somehow knowing there was something between them. Here, at Glenn's rescue he'd saved her life too. This crumbling courtyard was where they first felt a pull towards each other when they were close and an ache in their chests when they were apart.

They walked in point formation, guns drawn. Daryl and Rick at the front, Shane and T-Dog at the rear and Glenn and Danni on either side. The rest of the group stayed inside the circle. Since Danni had been unconscious last time they were here, Glenn had to explain to her that behind the auto shop, was a nursing home. The vatos had lived there protecting and caring for the elderly patients, most of whom were relatives. He had spent most of his time in captivity sitting in the day room, conversing with some gangsters and their grandparents. That's what Rick had meant when he'd told her that Guillermo and his people were more like them than he'd expected.

"Where are the lookouts?" Glenn asked scanning the tops of the buildings around them.

They turned a corner and Danni noticed a couple of Walkers feeding on the bodies of the dead cholos.

"Son of a bitch!" Shane exclaimed. More Walkers rose from their meals when they smelled fresh meat.

"To hell with the noise." Rick decided, raising his gun. They all opened fire, dropping Walkers and getting closer to the door to the home.

Finally inside, they continued to walk cautiously through the ruined hallway, stepping over bodies, weapons aimed and ready. The air was rank with the odor of death.

Daryl led with an aggressive, animal alertness; he was hyper-vigilant and more short-tempered than usual. His body was tense and the crossbw seemed like another limb. Danni knew he felt out of his element here, in the city; he'd rather be fighting these things out in the woods. Adding to that the intense group dynamics and she knew he was on edge.

Sophia, clinging to Carol began to cry after seeing yet another body on the floor.

"Put a sock in that kid or I'll do it for you!" Daryl growled back at Carol.

"Daryl, lay off!" Danni hissed.

"I'm trying to keep us alive. You shut it too." He shot back.

She kicked him hard behind his knee almost sending him forward. "Watch it. I don't care where we are."

"Alright. barricade the front door, we'll do a sweep. " Rick said.

When she tried to follow him, Daryl said. "Stay here. They might need you."

He'd never done that before.

Danni and Andrea pulled a desk from the closest patient room and shoved it against the front door securing the mattress Dale had dragged over to cover its broken window. When she tried to thank Andrea for the help, she ignored Danni.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .

When the men returned from the sweep of the building, Rick addressed everyone. "Our best bet is the second floor. We've cleared all the rooms up there. We can barricade them if we need to. We'll be alright."

An exhausted, terrified Carol reached her limit. "Do you mean it? Or are you lying to us like all the times before?" She asked, crying.

"That's not fair," Lori said. " And not helpful."

Danni knelt by Carol. "Rick's doing the best he can. We'll be okay." She put her hand on Sophia's cheek. "Trust me okay, bug?"

Carol squeezed Danni's hand wanting to believe her.

Passing through the day room to reach the stairs to the second floor, Danni noticed that the bodies she was stepping over had gunshot wounds to the head.

"Daryl, look." She motioned to one on the floor in front of them.

"I know. People did this." He said softly.

"What the hell happened?" Glenn was overcome by the devastation. He'd been here only a week before and seen G and his group make a valiant effort to survive.

"What do you think? They were overrun." Andrea said authoritatively.

Daryl grunted to dismiss her.

"Got something to say?" Andrea asked him.

"Yeah, how bout observant."

"Observant. Big word from a guy like you. Three whole syllables."

"You know what, I am so sick of your attitude." Danni finally lost it and lunged at Andrea.

Daryl grabbed her waist and picked her up. "Not worth it." He said swinging her around back to him. He went on, "Walkers didn't do this. Geeks didn't show up 'til after all this went down. Somebody attacked this place, killed all these people and took whatever they wanted. They're all shot in the head execution-style. Y'all worried about Walkers, I'd be much more worried about the people who came and did all this." He paused then glared at Andrea and added, "Get a dictionary. Look it up. Observant."

Danni followed him out of the room to check out the second floor. "These people are gonna get us killed if anything does." He complained.

She felt his struggle with the claustrophobic group atmosphere. He was agitated and running on all cylinders. She wanted to ask him if he was okay but knew better.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. .

Darkness had fallen and everyone was sitting by candlelight in one of the cleared upstairs rooms.

"I'm hungry." Carl said.

"We came back here for what? Cough drops and garbanzo beans?" Daryl looked at the only items Rick was able to find in the ransacked kitchen and dispensary.

Shane opened his pack pulling out small bags of chips, pretzels, and nuts.

"Salty snacks," Glenn observed.

"Courtesy of the CDC."

He tossed the bags to the kids, "Thought I'd be in my air-conditioned room having midnight snacks. Didn't know it would be dinner."

"And this." He pulled out a bottle of whiskey.

"That to share?" Daryl asked immediately, sitting beside him on the floor, remembering the freedom he felt last night.

Shane took a long drink then passed the bottle to Daryl, who followed suit.

"Guys, go easy. This isn't the time." Lori scolded.

"Lori's right, don't forget where we are," Danni added.

Daryl nodded. "Yes, ma am," and handed the bottle back to Shane, knowing shore leave was over.

Danni had noticed a chapel downstairs and she wanted to check it out. There might be extra candles. She'd like to have a surplus to take with them. She stood up and headed to the back of the room, where she saw some tall glass 7 day votive candles on a shelf. She began putting those candles in her bag. Rick joined her, handing her the last one.

"Danni, what you said back there at the CDC, about hope...thank you." Rick was earnest, his voice almost breaking with exhaustion. His face was ravaged with worry.

"Its how I feel."

"Really?"

She nodded and gave a half-smile. "I trust you Rick. I haven't trusted anyone in a really long time. I think you're doing right by us, don't worry about what anyone says." She thought of Carol's words earlier and knew they weighed heavily on him. "I sure as hell wouldn't want to be in your place, but I'll help you if can." She paused before adding, "Daryl will too."

Rick raised and eyebrow.

"I'll make him." She almost laughed.

Rick noticed when she smiled her hardness melted. He needed this morale boost.

"Who ever thought I'd be saying 'I trust you' to some hick, southern sheriffs deputy." She said sarcastically.

He smiled, shaking his head. "You're one to talk."

She shrugged and flashed him the heavy metal devil horn sign with her fingers.

They began laughing at the absurd situation.

"Seriously, Rick whatever you need, okay?"

... ... ... ... ... ... . . ... .. .. .. ... .

Daryl sat on the top step taking the first watch shift. "Where are you going?" He asked Danni as she passed him on her way downstairs. When she stopped, turned and put her arms around his neck, he immediatley pushed them off of his shoulders. "Hey." His eyes darted around hoping no one had seen her. She understood and answered him,

"That little chapel. I bet there's a ton of candles. It would be good to have a supply." She answered him, not questioning his reaction to her affectionate gesture. She knew the sex was one thing, private between the two of them, but he was no less awkward with physical closeness in front of anyone else now than the day they'd first met. It was like kissing a schoolboy at recess in front of his friends and having him push you away completely mortified. What did you do that for? His exact words after she'd kissed him for the first time.

He thought of telling her not to go or to wait until he could join her, but he knew she needed to get away from everybody as much as he did.

"Be careful. Got your knife?"

She nodded. "I won't be long."

As he watched her descend the stairs, she turned and gave him a quick smile that tempered some of his agitation at being cooped up so closely with everyone.

"Sure you don't want more?" Shane asked Daryl as he passed him at the top of the stairs. "Last call?" He held out the bottle of whiskey, now half gone.

"Nah, man I'm good. "

Shane seemed to do a fine job downing it on his own.

.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .

Danni walked the hall by candlelight to the chapel. The stagnant air was thick. Her body cut through it like a knife. Shadows danced on the walls around her. She opened the chapel's door reading the script on the window: "Prayer Changes Things." She entered the room that once offered hope to the people who had lived here. She lit every votive on the small altar, bathing the room in warm magic light so she could see all the Mexican religious art on the walls. The beautiful portrait of Our Lady of Guadalupe, almost identical to her tattoo, was enormous.

She needed some time alone. She sat on one of the benches, looking at the flickering faces of Saints surrounding her. There had been no time to think or reflect at all since they'd left the CDC. The Empress card weighed heavily on her mind. She needed to focus more on its meaning.

Brigid taught her that the Empress in the Tarot represents Danu, the great mother of the gods of Ireland. She is the Irish earth mother; the divine creator who birthed all things. Some called her the Celtic version of the Greek goddess Demeter. Danni closed her eyes and tried to remember her lessons. Danu was the mythic mother goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the Celtic tribes that first invaded Ireland. Danu is an earth goddess. Ultimately, all the Irish Gods, can trace their lineage back to her.

She couldn't remember much more. It was so long ago that she'd sat on Brigid's lap, listening to the legends, even being tested on them.

She reviewed the indications of the Tarot card. The Empress card and Danu herself indicates a deep connection with your femininity and calls on you to connect with your feminine energy: beauty, sensuality, fertility, nurturing. The Empress highlights that you are grounded in the material plane needing this stabilizing influence, yet you can reach into higher planes of consciousness through your connection with nature. You have the potential to connect between the Earth and the Universe. The Empress is a deeply nurturing and caring card. You are blessed by maternal, protective forces or influences. You are protected as well as a protector. Now that she was older, and in these circumstances Danni began to understand that Nan had beeen training her.

She felt that they were eventually going back to the woods. Connecting with nature had never been on her top ten list. Time to add it.

Suddenly she felt someone's breath on her neck. She turned to find Shane behind her. "You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I'd ask you the same thing. You shouldn't be wandering around this place alone. We cleared it but, we don't know about all the ways in.'

"I can take care of myself." She assured him.

"Yeah, I bet you can."

She didn't like the tone of his voice or that he was still holding that whiskey bottle. She tried to move past him, but he grabbed her arm and said "I just had a little talk with Daryl."

She froze.

"Don't worry, wasn't about that."

"You said you wouldn't tell him."

"I did, but I never asked what it's worth to you."

"What it's worth?"

He grabbed her hand and put it on his groin, where she felt him start to harden. She tried to take it back, but his grip on her wrist was secure.

"So Danni, what are you willing to do to make sure I keep my mouth shut?"

"Not what you're thinking. Let go."

He didn't.

"I'm sorry about what happened before. It was a mistake." She added.

"Yeah, you said that. Mistake or not, I think Daryl might find it interesting."

"What do you want?"

"You, on your knees, right now."

"No way."

"Look I'm not asking you to fuck me, just suck me off. You do that, I'll keep my mouth shut.'

"I really didn't think you were such a bad guy. But this?"

It wouldn't mean anything; for a moment she considered just giving him what he wanted to keep him quiet. She felt disgusted with herself for even letting it cross her mind. That's not who I am anymore. I am comitted to one man now. Besides it would only work until the next time. He'd hold this over her forever if she let him.

He put his hands on her shoulders and started to push her down.

"Okay, take it easy." She appeased, kneeling before him.

He started to unbutton.

"Not so fast." She purred looking up." So you wanna fuck my mouth, huh?"

"Oh yeah."

"Think it's gonna feel good?"

He grunted. "Bet a slut like you don't have a gag reflex."

He went for his zipper.

"Uh, Uh," She held his hand back. "Don't be in such a rush." She ran her fingers over the straining bulge in his pants. Her words and teasing was getting him more excited than he thought he could without her even touching him yet.

"Let me take care of you."

'You're gonna swallow." He panted.

"If that's what you want."

His breath quickened when she said it.

Finally, she put her hands on his hips. He closed his eyes, waiting for her to undo his pants and finally release him. If the build up was any indication, this was going to be worth it, he could tell. Suddenly she was standing. She brought her right knee up fast, slamming his balls as hard as she could. Shane felt like he had a migraine headache in his crotch with all its intense nausea. He cupped himself feeling as if his internal organs were being violently rearranged. He fell, the wind knocked out of him. "You goddamned whore!" He could hardly say the words. His insides were twisted and crushed.

"Don't fuck with me again." She growled at him, moving the bangs from her eyes with a toss of her head.

"I'm gonna tell him!" Shane managed to get out.

"No, I'm gonna tell him." No more secrets. "And he's probably going to kill you." She added looking at his pathetic form curled in a fetal position on the floor. She couldn't believe she'd ever thought he was a good guy.

.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .

Daryl was still on watch.

"Quiet?" She asked sitting beside him on the bottom step in front of the barricaded door.

"I can hear some of them outside, but they ain't getting in. I thought you'd be sleeping by now."

"I need to talk to you."

He let her go on.

"This is really hard."

He felt his gut clench and he sucked in his breath. Here it comes, let's just be friends. She changed her mind about me.

"We're together right?"

He let his breath out. "Yeah. Ain't we? I mean, we are." He was still getting used to it.

She nodded and the words tumbled out. "Then I need to tell you about something and I don't want to hurt you, but its better if you hear it from me, because I know how you feel about everybody knowing our business, and I never want you blindsided. It was a mistake and I wish it-"

"Slow down." He stopped her, not really sure he wanted her to continue.

"The day we moved out from camp, I let Shane give me a ride after my van broke down."

When she mentioned the other man's name. Daryl's gut tensed again.

"We were drinking. He-"

"What did he do to you?"

"I let him touch me."

"The hell you mean, you let him?" He stood up.

"When you left me that night before right aafter we had sex, I was mad, I was hurt and didn't care about anything. I thought I'd never see you again."

"So you fucked him?" He swallowed hard.

"No. Not that. I didn't do anything to him I swear."

"So what, you let him put his hands on you, down your pants or something?" He hated the thought but knew that's what she was trying to say.

"Yeah, but I stopped him." She couldn't help but cry. "I didn't want to hurt you."

He was silent, clenching his fists.

"You kiss him?"

She nodded, looking away. His body tensed while his breathing hastened and got harsher with rage. Merle would hit her. Merle would call her a cheating slut, force her down and do her from behind, knowing that it scared her. He wasn't Merle. He had left her that first time they'd been together so maybe he deserved this. He knew he wasn't good enough for her. "Hell, ya want from me Danni?" He remembered his exact words from that night sounding harsher than he meant and how her face had shattered. He'd run out on her. He'd hurt her, so she needed to hurt him. He got that. But now she was his. The thought of Shane's hands on her anywhere made him hit the wall next to her head with his clenched fist. She jumped.

"Are we even now?" He glared down at her.

"I'm with you. I only want you."

"Danni, I don't want you ever goin' near him. Ever." It was a command.

She knew she was treading on dangerous ground, but she couldn't stop herself. She was angry that Shane had lied and tried to blackmail her and she knew how to get back at him. "Daryl, he's using it against me. He tried to force me to go down on him, just now, saying he'd tell you if I didn't."

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I knee'd him in the balls."

"That son of a bitch! Where is he?"

"The chapel."

She knew that he was going beat the shit out of Shane; he needed to do it, but she was frightened by how much she wanted him to and that she longed to watch. When he started down the hall, he didn't tell her not to follow. Shane was still in the chapel. He sat on a bench and licked his wounds. Daryl grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him up. Then he tackled him back against the wall. He pulled his knife.

Shane pushed and ran Daryl straight back, slamming him to the ground. They struggled for the knife. Shane wrestled it away and tossed it aside. He hit Daryl's temple with the butt of his handgun. Pain only increased Daryl's fury and propelled him back up from under the larger man. Blood was streaming down his face, blinding him in his left eye as he shoved Shane into one of the paintings on the wall pummeling his face with his fist. Danni was suddenly beside him putting the knife back in his hand. His good eye flashed at her and he held the blade it to the cop's throat.

"Touch her again, I'll gut you, you piece of shit. I will hunt you down and gut you like cattle!"

That's what I'd expect from somebody like you."

"Like me?"

"White trash, low life redneck! That's what I mean." Shane shot back.

The blood was making it harder for Daryl to see out of his left eye. He turned his body motioning to Danni as he spoke. "She wants me here. You know what Walsh, you had a hard on for her since day one and she don't want nothing to do with you. Don't feel too good does it?" He spat blood out of the side of his mouth. He lowered his knife and he stepped back. They were both breathing heavily and starting to feel the pain of their injuries.

"You sure about that?" Shane asked.

"Damn sure. You keep the hell away from her."

"What she tell you? I forced her? Lying slut, she wanted it."

"I meant what I said. I'll kill you."

"Yeah, you keep thinking that." Shane angrily laughed Daryl off. He was feeling drunker and still nauseated by Danni's earlier move. There would be a better time to finish this with Dixon. He backed off.

Daryl turned away from Shane and he finally allowed his face register pain, when only Danni could see it. He let her put her arm around his waist. She took a bandana from her pocket and held against his wound stopping the blood.

They left the chapel without looking back at Shane.

"What the hell happened to you?" T-Dog said before he could be pissed that Daryl had left the watch post.

Danni was helping Daryl, half his face covered in blood, up the stairs.

"Keep this quiet okay?" Danni asked as they passed.

"Yeah, whatever. You sure he's okay?"

"I got him, it's fine."

She steered him into the first room on the right so they wouldn't have to pass by the others sleeping further down the hall. There were some sheets and blankets in the corner. She pulled a few out and laid them down. He sat while she took a bottle of water from her pack, wet the bandana and began washing the blood from his face. She was relieved that the wound by his temple was smaller than she'd expected from the amount of blood it had produced.

"Just missed your eye." She murmured.

He hadn't said a word to her since before the incident with Shane.

His strength had always bowed to her before. But tonight after the brutality something felt different. She was confused and bothered that Daryl's altercation with Shane turned her on. It felt wrong, but she couldn't help herself. No one had ever been there to look out for her like he was doing now. She didn't doubt he would kill for her and that made her feel weak with desire for him. Was that twisted?

Daryl figured he should feel physically worse than he did after the brawl but finally getting into it with Shane had been right. His head hurt, but that was about it. He looked at Danni as she sat beside him, taking care of his wounds, and all he could think about was erasing the thought of Shane touching her. Or anyone else for that matter. He'd never started anything when they'd had sex, but tonight he needed to be the one.

"I want you now and I'm not asking. Stand up."

She did. He pulled her black tank top off over her head. She brought her hand up to unhook her bra, but he stopped her and reached around to do it himself, letting the piece of black lace it fall to the floor. After he unbuckled her belt and opened her jeans, he tugged them down and nodded at her to step out. He didn't touch her, just looked at her standing in front of him, in the flickering candle light. She trembled under his intense gaze as if his hands were on her. His eyes had that primitive look again, the one that sometimes scared her. He wasn't shy or hesitant tonight. She remembered how worked up he'd been all day.

She thought of the door to the room, unable to be closed entirely, broken off its hinges. The others were just up the hallway. After letting his eyes travel over her naked body several times, he placed her hands on his chest so she'd unbutton his shirt. She let her fingers linger on his burning skin for a moment before she pushed his shirt off.

He startled her by shoving her back against the wall and hoisting her, supporting her entire body while her legs wrapped around his hips. He breathed against her neck and he let her fall onto him in one fluid motion. She gasped as he filled her. He bit her neck painfully, drawing blood, and thrust so hard he left her legs shaking and she almost lost their grip around him. He massaged her quivering thighs as he held her against him. The exhibitionism, the violence of the night and his forcefulness overwhelmed her senses. He was in control. He rocked her back and forth gently, then suddenly drove in forcefully. He repeated the sequence until she was barely aware of breathing. It wasn't long before she had to succumb but just as her climax began to wash over her, he stopped as if he knew. She whimpered in protest.

"Ask me." He rasped into her ear. "Like before."

"Fuck me, please." She knew he wanted her to say please. She writhed desperately against him, trying to keep the sensations coming. He moved in her again but made her work for every wave of pleasure. His stopping and starting were unbearable; she bit his shoulder hard and begged him, almost crying.

"Open your eyes." He said, his voice pure gravel. "I want you lookin' at me."

She did. She begged him and looked at him, knowing she was his.

It was familiar somehow. It was her dream, but it was real this time.

When he finally allowed her to climax, her shuddering orgasm was too much for him, forcing him to finish a second later, feeling like he'd exorcised some demon. Still holding her thighs, he fell on her chest and the wall supported them. They stayed like that for what felt like forever until he finally let her down.

She would have slipped to the floor if he hadn't had his arm around her waist. He picked her up and carried the short distance to the blanket, placing her down, gently. She sat hugging herself, still weakened by the throes of what he'd just done to her body.

Daryl never held her afterward and she didn't expect it now, so she leaned against him and took his arm, draping it over her shoulder herself. He left it there.

"Holy shit." Was all she could say.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. .. .

"What the hell happened to you?" Rick was incredulous to see Shane with his face beaten the next morning as he gathered everyone to check the day's plan. He got his answer when Daryl appeared with a gash on his eye and a bruised cheekbone.

"I don't want to know what you two got into, but it needs to end now." Rick hissed. "This is not the time or place. I need you two to keep it together!"

"Fort Benning's the consensus." Rick laid out the next move. "Now, we're wasting fuel driving so many vehicles we need to combine. We'll siphon the gas from the cars we aren't bringing and we'll use it for the RV and Cherokee. That's all we can take. It'll get us to the highway, out of the city."

"Screw that. I ain't riding with all them." Daryl said. "Besides Merle would kill me if I left his bike," Daryl muttered, loud enough for Rick to hear.

"Let's get this done quick and move out." Rick directed.

Glenn and Shane kept watch while the group organized to leave. Shane was staying clear of Danni, but she'd seen him glare from a distance once or twice.

Danni noticed Daryl pitching in more this morning. He was calmer too. He helped T-Dog to siphon all the possible gas and carry everyone's belongings to the RV.

She helped him roll the chopper off the bed of the pickup on the plywood ramp Merle kept in the truck for just that purpose.

"You okay? Not walking so good today." He commented on his handiwork.

She hit his arm. "No thanks to you. Just fuck off. It's not funny."

Daryl straddled the bike. "Get on."

When she hesitated, he added, "If you want."

"Don't you mean if I can?" She could hardly walk, never mind sit on a motorcycle. After she eased herself down on the seat behind him and her arms circled his waist, he turned back. "Better, ain't it?"