AN: This is for my friend KEM who pushed me to write to the point where I had to kick the cat out of the warmth of my lap. Mulder might not talk to me for a while, though.

Side note- had some stuff come up today so I didn't get to write like I wanted. Bear with me as 7 might be a little bit delayed. I'll hurry…. Promise!

Special thanks to all who reviewed: C. , Feverishly (Anne), Trixieviv, suzisnowflake, 2carlaa, heatherrk, KemleS (Kem the cat displacer- love you!), and DarylDixon'sLover! You all keep me going! Thank you!

Chapter 6

Daryl left the woman inside his house and loaded up his bike on the bed of the truck with the help of thick wood planks and tied his gear down to the back of it. This included his trusted hunting weapon, something he was never too far from, a Stryker crossbow. Michonne walked out and tossed her bag in the back of the car and smirked over at him.

"Didn't know people still hunted with anything other than rifles in these parts."

"Who says I hunt with it." He countered.

"I'm not an idiot. The scent of blood is faint but present in your house. No food or a refrigerator in the kitchen and the deep freeze out back that hums quite loudly in the middle of the night are a dead giveaway. Not to mention, it's the only house within miles with game tracks all around. I don't need to be a genius to pick up on the signs." Daryl was impressed.

"You a cop, too?" He tossed a glance over his shoulder as he used bungee cords to keep his bag in place.

"Was. When my son was born I left." She didn't elaborate any further and Daryl didn't ask.

After another half hour the trio had everything packed and left the small house. They stopped at Dave's house a few miles down the road. He explained to Dave what was going on and promised to be back to help him rebuild the bar as soon as he could. His only favor was to keep his truck and start it up every so often. Dave, of course, agreed to help with a smirk on his face. Daryl flicked him off as he unloaded the bike and followed the sedan down the road.

Michonne made two stops on the way out of town. The first was to a small grocery store where Beth could get lotion for her tattoo and the second was a small, locally owed gas station for coffee, assorted energy drinks, and gas. Daryl took this opportunity to top of the tank on the bike and check the oil as the girls complained about a lack of Rockstars in the place, whatever that was.

"I'm just not a fan of zero cal Red Bull." Beth said causally as they approached the car and bike at the pumps.

"Once we are half way through Tennessee we'll stop again. He'll probably need gas again at that point anyway." Michonne nodded to Daryl as he pulled on a vest lined with faded wings on the back and mounted the bike as he slipped a cigarette between his lips. "Shouldn't smoke at the pump, Dixon." She grumbled. He responded by firing it the bike and pulling away from the pump and back around next to the sedan. His foot dropped to the side and held the bike up as he pulled the lighter from his pocket and lit the end.

"Better?" Michonne and Beth looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "Any day now." He was sick of sitting there waiting for them and they had at least another few miles before they actually hit 75 South. Without a word they got in the car and pulled out with Daryl in tow.

Once they turned onto I-75 his mind shut off and he focused on the sights and sounds of the road. He didn't think about what he was doing, where he was going, or the blonde in the car ahead of him that he couldn't seem to avoid if he tried. He just felt and that was all that mattered to him.

They stopped two more times. Once just past Knoxville for lunch and more Rockstar's, which Daryl learned was an energy drink that Beth preferred to Redbull, and to fill up his tank. The second was in Ringwood, Georgia- again so Daryl could get gas and this time cigarettes. Driving a motorcycle with a 3.1 gallon tank that gets just over 50 miles per gallon from Kentucky to Georgia might not be the brightest move but he'd done it before and he didn't care one bit if it inconvenienced them in the least.

They arrived in Atlanta just before four o'clock and Michonne quickly navigated the busy city streets until she stopped just outside a small stretch of office buildings in seemingly downtown Atlanta. The neighborhood looked like it had seen better days and Daryl wondered why Rick chose to set up shop here. Probably cheap.

Michonne stepped out of the car and walked over the Daryl on the bike. "158 is Rick's office. He's waiting for you. I'll be back in an hour or so to get you." She started to head back to the car when Daryl stopped her.

"Ya know, I have my own transportation. You could just give me the address and I'll drive there." Michonne's expression didn't change as she held up a finger signaling one hour. Daryl could see Beth in the car looking back at them. When Michonne began pulling out onto the street he could have sworn he saw her wave at him. "Get a grip." He muttered to himself.

Deciding there was no other option he dismounted his bike and put the key in his pocket while walking to the office door numbered 158. There was no turning back now. 300 miles back to a place he'd left to forget and 5 hours on the road seemed to finite his decision and make it impossible to back out now. But then again he wasn't looking forward to seeing the man that put his brother behind bars, no matter how much Merle deserved it.

A bell dinged as he entered the office and Daryl immediately recognized Rick as he walked through the door to the back of the office. His warm disposition dissolved when he saw Daryl standing before him.

"Officer Grimes, been a while." Daryl said in a sarcastic greeting.

"Yes, it has Dixon. How can I help you?" Rick sat down behind his desk and leaned back with his leg crossed over the other forming the number four with the two. Daryl smirked.

"Working for you apparently." Rick's face paled slightly.

"You're kidding! You're the Daryl Michonne called me about?" Daryl nodded. "How in the hell did you, of all people, get talked into a babysitting gig?" The color returned to his face and he outright laughed at the hilarity of it all.

"Of all people, huh?" Daryl took a seat across from Rick and kicked his feet up in the vacant seat beside him.

"You never were like Merle. How's he doin', by the way." Daryl shrugged.

"Don't know. Just got in from Kentucky." Rick nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, Michonne filled me in a little bit about what happened up there. I hear Zach is escalating and burned down the bar you worked at." Daryl grunted in response, his expression hardening at the mention of last night's events. "He give you that bruise on your jaw, too?" Daryl didn't need to respond, Rick already knew. "How do you know Beth?"

"Boss knows her manager. They came up a few months ago and I got stuck with protection. Came back last night wantin' a tattoo." Daryl summarized. Rick didn't seem surprised which led Daryl to believe that Rick knew about her little field trip.

"You moved to Kentucky right after I nabbed Merle, right? What was that? Two years now?" Daryl nodded again.

"Ya' seem to know more about me then ya' lettin' on, Rick Grimes." He threw added emphasis on the name as his irritation grew.

"It took me six months to nail your brother for trafficking. I never thought you were involved but I kept track of you none the less. After a few months of you layin' low I got shot and retired. Insiders gave me updates every few months. No arrests, taxes filed, a true upstanding citizen of Corbin, Kentucky." Daryl was seething at this point, his fists balling up on their own accord. "Relax, I wouldn't have done anything if you had been flagged. I always figured Merle was the reason you were arrested in the past. Glad you got away from that."

"Didn't do much good now did it? Right back where I started."

"You're back in Georgia to protect a singer, not to help people run drugs." Daryl remained silent. "So why'd you agree to do this? I have to say that I'm more than a bit curious as to how a former drug slinger turned tattoo artist in a bar randomly agrees to protect a girl he hardly knows."

"Kid torched the bar an' I'm out of work. Gotta do something."

"You could do anything else. From fry cook to mechanic. But you chose this."

"First opportunity that presented itself. 'Sides, I don't take to kindly to men that bother women just cause they can." Daryl fidgeted in his seat and dropped his legs to pull the pack of cigarettes from his pocket. "Ya mind?" Rick looked to the right at the no smoking sign on the wall and shook his head.

"Go ahead." Daryl smirked and lit up feeling the tension ebb slightly. "This goes back to your old man then?" Daryl rolled the filter around in his fingers and shrugged. "Just do me a favor, will ya. Don't go mixing something personal into this. It's a job and that's how I need you to see it."

"Don't worry. When the kid's behind bars I'm out." Rick nodded and grabbed a few forms for Daryl to fill out.

"Fill these out and sign them. I'll get you a car since Michonne tells me you insisted on riding a motorcycle up here. Can't have that when on protection. You'll also need to complete a class for your CCDW since I insist anyone working for me, no matter how big or small the job, carry. People these days can't be trusted." Daryl looked up and smirked.

"You been keeping tabs on me for years. Should know I already got one."

"Right." Rick smirked and nodded. "You got a gun with you?" Daryl shook his head.

"Nah, got one back at Merle's. I can run by a pick it up." Rick raised his brow. "S'mine."

"Sure. Once you're done we'll discuss pay and then Michonne should be back to get you. Beth lives in a condo a few blocks away. There is an empty unit in the building next to Michonne a few doors down from Beth. It's furnished so you'll be staying there."

"How famous is she that she needs people to practically live with her? DIdn't know there was a big following in folk music"

"Folk was the start. Glenn, Michonne and I are the only ones to know that she's signed a deal with another record label to begin singing country. She's got her first country album coming out in a month that she's been working on behind prying eyes. The record label thinks she'll be the next Carrie Underwood or some shit. Whoever that is." Rick shrugged his shoulders and reached into his desk and pulled out a cell phone. "You'll be using this to get in touch with me, Michonne, Glenn, or Beth. Her family's information is also programmed into the phone just in case but no calls should be made to them for any reason unless they go through me." Daryl took the phone and shoved it in his pocket.

They finished up business and were walking to the front door just as Michonne pulled up in front of Daryl's bike. Rick followed him out and stopped to talk to her as Daryl mounted his Triumph again and started it up. He waited for a few moments before Rick walked away with a nod to him and wave to her before he was following behind the sedan to his new abode.

The thought that plagued him the entire eight block drive was, why did this feel much more permanent than he wanted it to be?

AN: This was more of a filler chapter but I felt it was important none the less. Get a bit of the past and a little bit of what's to come. Bear with me the next few days. Leave me some love below! I love every single one!