May 1991-

It was Spring, Daryl's favorite season. He loved it when the leaves came back and everything just…sprang to life. It would grow warm outside, the days would grow longer, and school would end for the summer.

That's what he loved the most, no school. He and Skyla would spend their days together, usually in the woods. It used to be that they'd spend all summer playing some elaborate fantasy game they had invented. Now that they were older, he was nearly twelve and Skyla already was, they spent less time playing and more time talking. Just like this Saturday afternoon; the two of them lay in a clearing in the forest, far away from the trailer court, on an old, ratty blanket Skyla had brought, eating grapes.

"Open your mouth; let's see if you can catch one." Skyla told him. He sat up and opened his mouth wide. Skyla lobed the grape and it flew past Daryl's face and landed about three feet behind him.

"You have shitty aim, Sky." He told her, flopping back down and then wincing. He'd gotten into it with Merle the night before and his back was pretty beaten up.

Skyla pretended not to notice, because Daryl hated it when she made a big deal out of those things. She just lay down on her back beside him and together they stared up at the blue sky.

"You ever think about leaving?" Daryl asked her.

"Leaving what?"

"Deerwood." He answered. She shrugged.

"Sometimes, I guess. Do you?"

"All the time." He said. "As soon as I'm old enough, I'm blowin' this popsicle stand."

She giggled. 'Yeah? Where you gonna go?"

He shrugged. "First, I'm going to see the ocean. I wanna stand with my feet in the water and watch the tides change. And from there, I don't know. Maybe New Orleans…or Los Angeles…or New York City."

Skyla rolled over on her belly and faced him. "Sounds like fun. Can I come with you?"

He nodded, a mental picture forming in his mind. He was picturing him and Skyla as adults, flying along an ocean side highway on a motorcycle. She'd wrap her arms around his waist and bury her face against his neck. Thinking of this gave Daryl that odd tingle that he was beginning to get whenever he thought of Skyla late at night, lying in his bed.

"We'll travel the country on a motorcycle." He told her. "Just me and you."

She smiled and he felt the tingle again. "Like gypsies." She cocked her head to the side. "Can we go to Salem?"

"Salem Massachusetts?" He asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, I'd like to see where they witch trials were held." She replied. They'd learned about them in school back around Halloween and Skyla had been fascinated ever since.

"Okay," He said. "Yeah, we can do that."

"Maybe we could drive out to the Cape, too." She said. "And see the ocean there. If it's warm, we can sleep on the beach."

"I've read that the air gets cold at night, coming off the water." He told her and she shrugged again.

"We can keep each other warm." She said. There was that damn tingle again. "Ohh, you know where else I'd like to go? To Fall River and see the Lizzie Borden house."

He grinned. "You are way too into the occult."

She smiled back. "What? It's cool! And besides, its not like I want to be a witch or anything, I just think it's interesting. Anyway, it's nice to know there are other religions out there aside from Deerwood Southern Baptist."

"Yeah, no shit." He said. He turned over on his stomach too.

The little transistor radio he had brought along was playing Lady, by the band Styx and he turned it up. Skyla smiled because it was her favorite song. Out here in the middle of the woods, all they could get was the classic rock station and since Skyla claimed she always need music, it was what they had taken to listening to, just one more thing for other kids to tease them about. Skyla grinned at him and started to sing along with the sing

"Lady, when you're with me I'm smiling

Give me all your love

Your hands build me up when I'm sinking

Touch me and my troubles abade."

Skyla rolled over beside him and begin to poke and tickle his sides. "I know you know the words, Daryl Dixon! Sing it with me, or I'll tickle you to death!"

Just to get her to stop, he joined in on the chorus and the two of them were practically screaming the lyrics out.

"'Cause you're my lady of the morning
Love shines in your eyes
Sparkling, clear, and lovely
You're my lady"

By the time the bridge came, they were both laughing so hard at each others horrible singing, they couldn't catch their breath. They were just rolling around, laughing together. And somehow…somehow, Daryl was on his back and Skyla was leaning over him. She was looking in his eyes and there was still laughter on her face and without even thinking, he raised his head and kissed her. Really kissed her, and when their tongues touched ever so slightly, he felt a sizzle of electricity flow through his body. He pressed his lips harder to hers and she didn't seem to mind at all.

After a few seconds they pulled apart.

"Daryl?" Skyla asked, her voice breathless and shaky.

"Yeah?"

"If you tell anyone we kissed, especially Merle, I'll beat the living shit out of you." She grinned and pressed her lips to his again quickly. "But you taste good."