Daryl opened his eyes at the smell of coffee. He yawned and sat up from his comfortable position in bed. He noticed that he was alone in bed and instantly knew where the smell was coming from. He looked around his room at all the clothes that were scattered everywhere. He smiled to himself remembering how his room came to be such a state.

Ever since him and Sydney slept together after the party they have been spending the night with each other basically every night. It was a little different from other times Daryl has done this. Usually he just fucked a girl and she would leave. With Sydney it was different. They would fuck but she would stay. They would talk, but not all the time. They just stayed in each other's presence. They didn't really need to talk to each other; they were just comfortable being around each other.

Sydney was the one who talked the most, Daryl didn't really mind. He liked the sound of voice. It's been a couple of months since the party and they kind of have gotten into a routine. She would spend the night when Will was either on one of his benders or a hunting trip. She would head to work with Jolene in her car and then Daryl would come and take her home.

Everyone saw and knew what was going on but they didn't say anything. Sydney didn't tell anyone what was going on. It really wasn't anyone's business, what went on between her and Daryl was between her and Daryl.

Mimi would hint about her relationship with Daryl but Sydney would just ignore her. Mimi not wanting to push her buttons just smiled to herself. She reminded her of her mother. When Katrina was seeing Sydney's father she was very secretive as well. Mimi found out everything though; she always found out.

Daryl grabbed his boxer and pants off of the floor and threw them on as he followed the scent into the kitchen. Will wasn't home and hasn't been for the past couple of days. He met some waitress in Macon and was with her doing god knows what.

When he entered the kitchen he felt his dick twitch. He would never grow tired of the sight of Sydney in his clothes. She was currently looking in the refrigerator. She had her hair pulled up in a messy bun and was wearing Daryl's flannel he wore last night. "Are you hungry?" Sydney turned and smiled at Daryl. She loved how he looked when he just got out of bed. His usual scowl had not made it to his face yet.

"Yeah, but we ain't got no food"

"Nonsense! I could make you an omelet"

Daryl tilted his head as Sydney bent a little to grab stuff out of the fridge. He smiled a little seeing she was wearing JUST his flannel. "We don't got shit to make a omelet with"

She turned and smirked at him. She knew he was checking her out. She always got a tingle that would run up her spine when he would look at her. "I have this talent of making anything out of nothing" she winked turn around and started to prepare the food.

The next day after the party Merle busted in his room and saw Sydney lying in his brother's bed. Daryl got all embarrassed and closed up like usual. Merle just smiled like the cat that ate the canary. All he did was slap Daryl on the pack on congratulated him. Since then Merle hasn't really made any vulgar statements to, he was still Merle but he just stopped trying to get in her pants.

Merle left for Barksdale a week after the party. He went to go be with his Motorcycle Gang The Savage Sons. Merle doesn't really know it but Daryl had borrowed his bike and took Sydney for a ride when Merle was fooling around with Jolene. Sydney has never ridden one and was scared shitless. She was so afraid she was going to fall off or crash she just held on to Daryl very tightly. She held on so tight he wasn't sure he could breath majority of the ride. He made his usual snide remark about her grip; she just rolled her eyes and loosened her grip.

"Here you go" Daryl looked at the plate in astonishment. It was a fucking omelet!

"How did you do this?" He started devouring the food like he hasn't eaten in weeks.

"You had a couple of eggs so obviously I used those, then I also used the left over burger from Carl's. I cut the onions and tomatoes and then scraped whatever cheese was left and tada omelet!"

"Where did you learn how to do this shit?" She was cleaning up her mess and grabbed his plate when he was finished and started cleaning the dishes. "A lot of foster homes have more then one foster child and I was always the oldest. There was never really anything to eat so I just became inventive and made dinners of whatever was left in the fridge" Daryl just nodded and grabbed a cold a beer and stood next to her as she finished up the dishes. "Not having a lot of money I learned to buy certain food that would last a long time and would be able to make different types of food. I had friends who would complain they didn't have any food in their fridge and it would piss me off because they had so much food. They were just so lazy to do anything about using the food they had"

"Guess that's a useful talent"

Rolling her eyes and curled her fingers around his belt loops and playfully tugged him close to her. "I bet I would survive a lot longer then you would in an Apocalypse"

Daryl narrowed his eyes and moved his hands to her bottom. "Oh yeah, hat happens when all the food runs out. You can't hunt" He grabbed her and tossed her on top of the counter.

"And you will get me that food. Oh Daryl my hero how will I ever survive without you and you amazing hunting skills" she started blinking her eyes and fanning herself. "I'm just a sweet southern belle who could only cook and clean"

"Shut up" he snapped narrowing his eyes at her. Daryl never gave her loving looks or anything; he always glared at her.

"Make me"

Daryl attacked her lips whiling dragging her more toward him. He invaded her mouth with his tongue when she gasped. She tightened her legs around his waist and brought him closer to her by wrapping her arms around his neck. He lifted up for both of them to get some air and started to trail kisses down her neck. When he started sucking on the one spot her found that made her go crazy she squeezed her legs tighter. Just as Daryl was starting to unbutton the flannel the phone started ringing. "Leave it" Sid moaned feeling Daryl hesitate his movements. Daryl tried to continue but the ringing was persistent and just continued to ring.

Sydney moaned in annoyance as Daryl moved away from her to answer the house phone. "Yeah" Daryl snapped into his phone as he watched Sydney walk into his room.

"Hey little brother, hope I'm interrupting anything"

Daryl gripped the phone harder as he heard Merle giggle like he knew exactly what he just interrupted. "What do you want"

"Just letting you and the old man know I won't be around as much for a while. I got pinched. I'll be in county for a couple of months."

"Alright I'll let the old man know" Hanging up he saw Sydney come out dressed with her bad. She was still wearing Daryl's shirt. "Merle's in prison for a bit"

"So what else is knew?" she sighed. "I better go, Mimi has some doctors appointment today and I should clean for her". He just nodded his head and looked down at his bare feet. This was always the awkward part of their relationship. Daryl never knew how to say bye to her. She wasn't his girlfriend so he didn't want to hug or kiss her goodbye. She was more then just a friend or acquaintance to shake her hand. So their good byes were a few seconds or awkward silence and mumbles or farewells.

Sydney sighed heavily as she walked through the door of the trailer. She really didn't mind the time she was spending with Daryl, the only problem was she liked him, and she knew he liked her. Daryl was just so closed up that she knew he would never admit how he felt or pursue anything with her but sex. She knew she was setting herself up to get hurt. At this moment she didn't really care.

"How's Daryl?"

She turned and looked at her aunt sitting on the couch reading Vogue. She didn't look up from the fashion pages; she just smiled. Sydney just rolled her eyes and sat next to her aunt. "We're just having fun. Having what happened with Greg I'm not looking for anything serious"

"That's just what your mom said"

"When is your appointment?"

Mimi smiled knowing she was trying to change the subject. Despite never meeting or raising her Sydney was just like her mother. "I'm going to be leaving in a few minutes"

"I can't believe you have another doctors appointment. It's just the flu and you don't even have it anymore"

Mimi looked at her niece and smiled softly at her niece. She knew she would have to tell her what was going on sooner or later. "Better safe then sorry. I better head out"

Sydney nodded her head and watched her aunt leave. She got off the couch and walked to the window to see her aunt drive off. She walked quickly to the kitchen and looking in the cabinets above the sink. She knew that's where her aunt left her many medicines the doctors have prescribed for her.

Isentress, Rescriptor, Epzicom, Prezista, Aptivus, and Complara. She had no idea what these medicines were for so she decided to go on her laptop and find out what they were. What she saw was not what they were used for. She thought maybe cancer but she never would have thought this.

She sat on the couch with her head in her hands and her leg bouncing nervously. She was waiting for her aunt to come home. She couldn't comprehend what she was feeling. Hurt, sadness and betrayed.

"Hey honey. I brought tacos!" Smiled Mimi as she saw her sitting on the couch. Just by looking at her she would have never guessed. The more she looked at her the more she could tell she was sick. As Mimi walked into the kitchen Sydney noticed her very thin figure more.

"Aids?" Mimi dropped the bag of tacos on the table and turned slowly toward her niece. Sid got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen. She glared at her aunt's dumbstruck face. "What? You thought I wasn't going to find out? Where you even going to tell me?"

"Of course I was!" sighed Mimi sitting down at the breakfast table. Now that Sydney knew about her illness she didn't have to pretend to be as strong. After her doctors appointment she was extremely tired. "I was just waiting for the right moment"

"What? When you were on your death bed?! Mimi the drugs you are taking are for advanced cases of aids! How long have they given you?"

"A year"

Sydney felt like a bucket of ice water was poured on her. A year? That's all she had left with her aunt? A fucking year?! "You should have said something"

"What was I suppose to say? Hi I'm your aunt Mimi I know your moms dead but let's be a family! Oh by the way we only have a year before I die due to me being a whorebag!"

"You could have told me instead of lying about the doctors! You didn't have to tell me right away. It's just the fact you have hid this from me for so long" She could feel the tears running down her face, but at this point she just so numb. She just got her aunt she wasn't ready to loose her.

Mimi nodded and grabbed Sydney's hand pulling her to sit across from her. She never let go of her hand as she looked at her niece. "Me and your mom were born to rich, high class sophisticated parents who taught us to be just like them. Katrina and me didn't want to be like our parents. We hated all of their friends; they acted like they were better then everyone. We were sent to public school because we refused to go to private school with all the snobs. Your mom being the youngest didn't really rebel as much. The only bad thing that she really did was get pregnant.

Me on the other hand was a whole different story. I was older then your mother and as soon as I finished high school and I moved out and explored the world. I went everywhere and did EVERYTHING. There was never a moment in my early 20s where I wasn't drunk or high. I had a different lover every other week. Hell I was even with woman. I was a mess, but I was having so much fun I didn't really see anything wrong with it.

That was until I met Jasper. He was the love of my life. I was with him for two years and we did everything together. One day I got really sick and I was taking all types of flu and cold medicine and nothing was working. So I went to the free clinic and found out that I was HIV positive. The bastard cheated on me with some male prostitute, and he didn't wear a condom cause then it would have made him gay. That was around the time your mom started dating your dad. I was missing so much of her life she didn't really tell me over the phone or emails. And what's worse was I left her with our parents.

I finally came home; I got an apartment and found a job. I was there for your mom and worked more on my art. I saw this add about being a message artist and it got me intrigued. When your mom was sent to Chicago I went with her and stayed with our cousin until she gave birth. Our parents treated her like she was scum on the bottom of their shoes, so I took her in.

I had gotten so much clientele and was selling my art I was able to move us out of the apartment and into this luxury trailer. Your mom was devastated when I told her about my disease. I never told her, I didn't want her to worry. I finally told her when she brought up me never dating. She was mad at me for hiding it for so many years. But after she got over her anger she went to meetings with me, self help groups and doctors appointments. Our parents say that it's my punishment for following a life of sin. Dirty blood runs through my veins."

Sydney dried the tears from her face and looked at her aunt. She could see the dark circles under eye and how sunk in her face was. She just grabbed her aunt and hugged her. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, but you should have said something.

Mimi laughed softly. "That's just what your mother said" She smiled at her niece and was so grateful for God sending her not one but two wonderful people in her life to care for her. "I'm beat kiddo. I'm going to bed early." Sydney just nodded her head and watched her aunt go to her room.

Sydney looked down at her hands and took in everything Mimi just told her. She just found her, it's not far that was going to be taken away from her so soon. Whenever Sydney found a place something always came up and she was on her own again. She knew she had to stay around for her aunt, but she wasn't so sure what she was going to do after Mimi died.

Would she stay here? She's made friends and she has a good steady job. She has been finding a place to settle down and she found it. She was just really hoping that her aunt would be a big factor in that. And then there was Daryl…

Sydney looked across the living room at Daryl's flannel she took with her when she left this morning. She got up and grabbed it wanting to take it back to its owner. She totally forgot that she had been crying and her eyes were red and puffy. She needed to get her mind off of Mimi, she needed a distraction and Daryl was that distraction.

When he answered the door he didn't expect to see Sydney standing there like a lost puppy clutching his flannel as a lifeline. "Hey um I just wanted to give this back to you" He grabbed the shirt and nodded his head. He knew she was upset. What the hell was he supposed to do? He wasn't the comforting type. If she thought he would hug her and tell her everything was going to be all right she went to the wrong person. She just stood on the porch staring down at their shoes. She always found it funny Daryl never took off his shoes in his house. The only time he ever took them off was when he went to bed.

"Is that it?"

"Oh um yeah" She nodded and looked up at him. He had this bored look on his face as he looked at her. When their eyes met he would look off to the side. He never really looked her in the eyes really. "It's just I found out Mimi has aids and she only has a year left or less"

"Oh that sucks?"

She laughed softly and shook her head. Why did she come here? What did she expect, him to hold her and be her shoulder to cry on? That wasn't Daryl; she went to the wrong person if she was looking for any type of comfort.

She turned to head back home, maybe she'll call up Jolene. "Hey um do you want to watch a movie? They're showing Blade 2 on Spike" She looked at him and he looked to the side as he chewed on his thumbnail. He was nervous. She nodded her head and followed him inside. She sat on the couch as he went to get them some beer.

"Shit" Daryl cursed as they both saw a set up headlights illuminate the house. "Wait for me in the room" Sydney nodded her head and quickly entered his bedroom. She leaned in close to the door and pressed her ear to it.

"Where's my good for nothing son?!" she heard will yell as he threw the door open. The words were muffled but Sydney could still make out what was being said. "There he is" Daryl looked at his father; he knew he was drunk.

"Sorry Daryl" apologized Jessie as he saw the look on his nephews face. "We caught a big buck and your old man wanted to celebrate on the way back"

Daryl nodded his head and watched his father walk to his room. "Don't apologize for me! Boy don't need to know shit about what I do! "

"Thanks Jessie" Jessie nodded his head and slapped Daryl on the shoulder and went back to his truck to go home.

Daryl followed his father into his room and watched his collapse on the bed. Daryl was about to close the door and paused when he heard what his father usually said in one of his drunken states "You should have died instead of yo mama"

He just sighed and walked to his room. Sydney jumped from the door and on the bed and made it look like she wasn't ease dropping. Daryl sat on the bed and started to take of his boots. He had this look on his face he always got after dealing with Will when he was drunk. Which was majority of the time.

Sydney knew Daryl would never talk about it and knew his defenses would go up right away if she even mentioned anything about his father coming back early. She sat up and scooted closer to him.

She placed her hands on his thigh and started to kiss his neck up and down. Out of instinct Daryl tilted his head and allowed Sid to assault his neck with her mouth. She bit his earlobe and tugged on it with her teeth. Daryl turned and attacked her mouth with his as he ran his hand into her hair.

She turned her body and brought them both to lie down on the bed. She started to unbutton his shirt as his mouth moved from her mouth to her neck and down her chest.

They both needed a distraction and they found it in each other. At this moment Mimi dying from aids didn't matter and Will constant abuse was forgotten. They both needed each other, even though one of them wouldn't admit it.

AUTHORS NOTE: I'm so glad you guys are liking this story! I have so much planned for this story! I have about 4 more chapters written! Please comment! I'll post more often! Thank you to everyone who has commented favorited and followed!