It had been almost a week now since they arrived in Alexandria. Walking along the small lake in the morning sun next to Rick, Daryl felt restless. For the last few days he'd been working nonstop on the bike in Aaron and Eric's garage and now that it was done he was itching to try it.

'I've been thinking on heading out.' He said and looked to Rick for his reaction.

'Today?'

'Yeah, finished the bike yesterday. Need to take it for a spin before me and Aaron leave. Figured I could check out the neighborhood, see what we're dealing with.'

Rick glanced at him. 'You're worried the bike won't hold?'

'Nah, but best to be sure ya know.' Daryl shrugged and bit the inside of his cheek. The truth was that he just wanted to get out of there and ride for a while. He envied the ease the rest of the group seemed to have with settling in. And although it had been easier after Aaron gave him a job he never seemed to be alone anymore.

'We might need you here.' Rick said, his eyes scanning their surroundings. Daryl watched him. With the clean face and uniform he almost looked like he had when he'd first met him back in Atlanta. But his eyes still gave away that he was a different man now than he'd been back then.

Rick opened his mouth to continue, but was cut off by the sound of a heated discussion coming from around the corner. Daryl recognized Ava's voice.

'This isn't me asking for you permission Deanna.' She called.

The two men exchanged looks and Rick motioned for Daryl to follow him. Daryl almost objected. He hadn't seen her since that day in the garage. As they rounded the corner they saw Deanna holding up a pair of disarming arms towards Ava.

'Ava please – be reasonable. Why wont you just wait until one of the supply teams come back?' She pleaded.

'I've already told you. Either, the place is overrun in which case it would be stupid to risk anyone's lives for it anyway or it's not and I could be in and out in an hour. There's no need to involve anyone else, thus there's no need to wait for the supply team.' Ava said dismissively. 'Now, can I have the car or not?'

'Everything alright?' Rick interrupted them as he strode over with Daryl reluctantly in tow. Daryl's eyes shifted nervously towards Ava.

'We're fine, this doesn't concern you.' Ava said through gritted teeth, ignoring him completely and barely acknowledging Rick.

'Rick, Daryl.' Deanna, on the other hand, greeted them warmly. 'Perhaps you can help us solve this. Ava here want to go out to one of the local high schools and look for some more suitable textbooks for the kids, and I was just telling her that while I appreciate the sentiment think it is a horrible idea for her to go alone.'

'And medicine. The school's health room might not have been looted yet. It's not just for books.' Ava added quickly and looked down at her feet. Daryl noticed the tip of her ears growing pink.

'And like I said, I think it's a wonderful idea.' Deanna reassured her. 'I would just be more comfortable if you didn't go alone.' Her tone was that of a mother speaking to her child and looking at Ava's jaw flexing Daryl suspected it might be one of the reasons for her anger.

'Daryl could go with you.' Rick said suddenly jerking him out of his thoughts. Daryl gave him a glance that shot daggers. What the hell was he doing?

'He's heading out with the new bike today anyway.' Rick continued and turned to Daryl. 'You could fit Ava on the bike, right?'

Daryl glared at him, silently cursing him for putting him on the spot like that. Ava's equally hard glare told him she wasn't overly fond of the idea either, yet he found himself nodding reluctantly.

Rick smiled, obviously pleased with the outcome. 'That way you could pick up another car and maybe some gas on the way, so even if the place is overrun we'll get something out of it. What do you think?' He turned to Deanna.

'What a great idea.' She said. 'What do you say Ava?'

Ava's shoulders slumped in defeat. 'Fine.' She sneered and turned to Daryl, finally meeting his eyes. Her stare was icy and Daryl felt a pang of confusion. Looked like she was back to hating him.

'Meet me by the gates in 30 minutes. And don't be late.' She quipped before she turned on her heel and left.

'What the hell man?' Daryl hissed when he and Rick were alone again.

'I was afraid of what she might have told Deanna. This way you get to figure out what her plan is.' Rick explained as they continued walking.

Annoyance crept over him and he found that he regretted telling Rick about Ava's confession in the garage. 'I've already told ya, we can trust her.' He grumbled.

'I know.' Rick's face softened. 'I just don't want to take any chances. Just do this for me. For us.' Ricks eyes scanned his face, looking for a confirmation that he still had Daryl on his side.

Daryl sighed. He understood Rick's caution even if he felt slightly disappointed that he hadn't trusted his opinion. In the end he knew he'd stand by him no matter what.

'Sure, I'll do it.' He said before he turned back, heading for the garage.

Ava was already pacing at the gate when Daryl rolled up to it about 20 minutes later. As soon as she spotted him she strode over.

'Last chance to back out.' She said, causing Daryl to hesitate for a second.

'Nah, I promised Rick I'd go with ya.' He mumbled. Her fixed glare made him slightly uncomfortable. Her face darkened noticeably at the mention of Rick's name.

'Of course.' She muttered. She held out her hand at him and raised her eyebrows expectantly. Confusion spread on his face as he looked at her outstretched arm.

'What?' he asked.

'Your crossbow?' she said, incredulously. When he didn't respond she continued.

'How do you think I'll fit behind you if you have that strapped to your back?' She motioned to his crossbow.

He eyed her dumfounded, wondering where she was getting at. There was no way he was leaving it behind.

'Just give me the damn crossbow Daryl.' She scoffed.

Begrudgingly he complied. Ava slung the bow over her shoulder, securing it on her back, before she got on the bike behind him. As she settled down, Daryl cursed Rick for setting up this trip. Her legs pressed along the backsides of his, her arms resting along his sides. He suddenly felt too warm and his mouth turned dry.

'Ya might wanna hold on.' Daryl croaked.

'I'll be fine. Just drive.' She replied, giving a sign for the gate to be opened. Daryl cleared his throat in hope of relieving himself of some of the discomfort her close proximity had caused and set off.

They drove in silence, only broken by Ava's short commands for direction from time to time. After a while he managed to mostly ignore the feeling of her and focus on the bike. He had to admit it drove perfectly and he felt a small surge of pride that he'd built it. Hell, even Merle might have agreed that he'd done good if he'd seen it.

'This is it.' Ava called against the air behind him.

Daryl slowed down outside a large brick building. A sign out front read T.C. Williams High School. He scanned the area, noticing quite a few abandoned cars in the parking lot. Good, he thought to himself. The sooner they could get her off his bike and into a car the better.

He eyed the building again. The place seemed abandoned, and he couldn't see any walkers around. There was no way to be sure until they were inside though, and he started mentally assess all the ways things could go wrong in there. He watched Ava out of the corner of his eye as she came up beside him, holding her hand above her eyes and squinting against the sun. He wondered if she'd ever been on a run like this, if she knew what she was getting herself into. He was not going to take any chances – they would need a plan going in. He turned to her, opening his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.

'So, I was thinking we should probably check out one of these cars first, get one of them running and back it up to the front door. There should be signs to both the library and the health room once we get inside. Both should be in the main building according to the brochure I found. I can't be sure though. We could save time by splitting up, but I don't know if that's the best idea if we find roamers trapped inside. What do you think?' Ava watched him expectantly.

Daryl remained with his mouth slightly open for a few seconds. She'd clearly thought of everything already.

'We stay together.' He mumbled and made his way to the first car. They were in luck, the third car they checked had the keys left in the ignition and half a tank of gas. Ava pulled a hose out of her bag and began to check the other cars for gas. Soon they'd managed to siphon the rest and filled a couple of jerry cans.

Daryl allowed himself to steal a couple of glances of her as they worked. A small sprinkle of sweat had formed on her brow and neck. Her hands worked expertly with the hose, her eyes constantly looking over her shoulder to see if they where still in the clear. Her hair was ruffled from the trip and her skin covered with small specks of dirt from where she'd wiped the sweat of with the back of her hand. Looking at her now she looked nothing like the rambling girl he'd met on the porch the first day in Alexandria.

When the car was backed up against the entrance they walked up to the front door. Daryl knocked two times on the glass and they waited. A lone walker stumbled towards them and Daryl nodded to Ava, motioning for her to get behind him as they went inside. He shot an arrow through its head, quickly retrieving it again.

He looked up and found Ava standing next to an information board, reading. Daryl realized that she was quite comfortable to be around when she didn't talk. She seemed unfazed by his less polished demeanor, just like Aaron.

'We need to get to the second floor.' She mumbled and turned to him. 'It should be this way.' She pointed to the stairs left of them. Daryl nodded and quietly got in front of her before they headed up the stairs.

Ava watched the wings stitched to the back of his vest sway with each step he took in front of her. An angel of death she thought as he swirled around corners, checking out rooms and corridors so fast that she felt utterly useless behind him. They'd met only a couple of roamers inside the school, and Daryl had disposed of them so quickly she'd barely had time to even register their presence. Ava grumbled silently behind him, he was ruining her plan.

'In here.' She whispered as she spotted the door to the library. The two looked inside, but they didn't see any sign of anyone – living or dead. Daryl banged on the door a few times and they waited just in case.

'Be careful.' Daryl muttered to her. She nodded and made her way towards the shelves, looking for a section containing textbooks.

'What kind of books do ya need?' She heard Daryl ask behind her.

'Anything that says introduction to something.' She called back.

Making her way around some shelves she found what she was looking for. She stuffed a couple of books on algebra and geometry in her bag along with a couple of history books. That'll be enough to satisfy Deanna she thought to herself. She rose and spotted Daryl looking at the English lit shelf. She was about to call out to him when she saw him stuff one of the books in his pocket.

'I got it.' She said to alert him as she rounded the corner. He jumped and grunted something she couldn't quite make out in reply. Out in the hallway she pointed to their right. They found the health room next to the counselor's office. When they got inside Ava let out a sigh of relief when most of the room seemed untouched.

Daryl began opening the cabinets and emptying everything of value into his bag. Ava made her way to the back of the room and almost let out a shriek when a pair of hands suddenly slammed on the glass door next to her. Before she knew it Daryl was beside her, his crossbow aimed and ready to fire. A second roamer slammed at the door, their growling jaws gnawing on the glass. Daryl lowered his bow and looked through the glass before he shrugged.

'They're not going anywhere, best just leave 'em.' He said to her and turned back to the opened cabinets.

Reluctantly Ava turned away from the door. They quickly stuffed their bags with whatever they could find, mostly light painkillers and basic first aid kits. Satisfied that they'd gotten everything they needed they nodded to each other and started back to the car.

Ava was deep in thought as they walked back. She hadn't been able to do what she came for. As she came to an abrupt halt, Daryl looked over his shoulder at her.

'I think I might've dropped something.' She said and motioned behind her. 'I'll meet you down by the car in a minute okay?'

Confusion spread on Daryl's face but Ava gave him no time to respond before she turned on her heel and started back to the health room.

She stopped once she got inside the door, listening for footsteps or any indication that Daryl had followed her. She heard nothing. Her eyes shifted to the glass door, and she approached it slowly. Ava watched their disgusting faces of death.

She counted three. Taking a deep breath she reached for the handle, her other hand tightening around her knife. It's now or never she thought. Determined she pulled open the door, grabbing the first roamer by its collar and jamming her knife in its skull. She took a step back while she flung the body to her side, her focus already shifted to the one behind it. She kicked in its knee so that it fell to its knees and drove her knife down on its head before jumping back, preparing for the last one.

The roamer came for her with its arms outstretched and she barely managed to sidestep its deadly grip. Utilizing its slow reflexes she came up behind it and stabbed her knife between its jaw and neck. Her heart pounded in her head as she watched it slump to the ground and she let out a shaky breath.

Ice ran down her spine as she suddenly felt something grip her from behind. She whirled around to face the fourth roamer, but lost her footing in the process. She felt herself fall, as she looked wide-eyed into the roamers face.

Black dots formed in her vision as the corner edge of the counter behind her made contact with her ribs before the weight of the roamers pulled her to the floor. She grabbed its shoulders, trying to push it of her. A panic grew in her chest as she felt the roamers skin come of its body, letting it hungry jaws slip closer to her face. She fumbled for her knife before she realized it must've slipped from her grip has she fell. Desperate, her eyes darted to her sides, trying to find it.

She spotted it a few feet next to her. Reaching out, she struggled with her fingers to catch the blade, wishing her arms longer. Not able to reach it, her mind went into overdrive. Maybe she could flip it, and somehow smash it's head against the tiles?

Before she could try the roamer suddenly dropped like deadweight in her arms. Looking up she saw a green arrow protruding through its head. She quickly pushed it of her.

Strong arms lifted her up.

'Did it get ya?' Daryl said and looked her over.

Ava shook her head, adrenalin pumping heavily in her veins.

'I had it.' She uttered faintly.

He gave her a last once over before he turned to the dead bodies. Looking from the pile to the open, unharmed door he seemingly quickly pieced together the dots.

'The fuck is your problem, girl?' He strode over to her, fury evident in his eyes. 'Ya trying to get yourself killed? That's what this whole thing was about, you opting out?'

'Or are ya just stupid?' He growled, watching her through narrowed eyes.

'What? No! I told you, I had it.' Ava said, her voice increasing.

'Oh yeah, it sure didn't look like it.' Daryl growled, his face inches from hers.

'I don't care what you thought it looked like. I didn't ask for your opinion. In fact I didn't ask for you to come at all. I can take care of myself.' Ava yelled, taking a step closer to him.

'Whatever girl, ya wont last long on your own if ya do stupid shit like that again, trust me.' Daryl spat.

'Trust you? Like you trusted me, huh? You couldn't even wait five minutes before you went running to Rick.' Ava was fuming. She went over to grab her backpack and knife, before she turned back to look at him. 'And I'm not a little girl that needs saving.'

Ava clenched her fists as they made their way back to the car, her veins pumping with rage. They didn't say another word to each other as they loaded the car. As soon as they were done Daryl got on his bike and drove out of the parking lot, not waiting to see if she followed.

Ava watched the wings on his back as he drove before her and slowly felt her anger rescinding. She groaned and let her chin fall on the steering wheel. Why did she always have to get so angry? A rumble in the sky drew her attention. The sky was filled with dark clouds. She'd been so angry when they'd left the school she hadn't noticed the change in the weather. A storm was brewing.

Soon enough the first drops of rain fell to the ground. She looked at Daryl to see if he was slowing down, but the wings kept on cruising steadily down the road. In a matter of minutes the rain was flooding from the sky and Ava reached to turn on the windshield wipers. She cursed when they flapped uselessly over the windshield.

She glanced at Daryl again, noting that he was already soaking wet by the looks of it. That stubborn bastard is going to ride through it she realized. Sighing she pulled up next to him, and rolled down her window.

'We have to stop.' She yelled through the wind.

'Nah, we can make it.' He called through gritted teeth.

'Don't be stupid.' She said and wiped her face, rain pouring in through the open window. He shot her a deadly glare.

'Fine. Maybe you can drive through this, but I can't. These wipers are rubbish and I can barely see the road. You can go on if you must, but I'm going to find a place to ride this one out.' She continued.

Daryl's mouth drew a slim line. 'Fine.' He growled. 'We'll hold up there.' He pointed to a house to their right. Ava nodded with relief and rolled up her window. She watched as Daryl opened the garage and drove inside, waving her along with her. Leaving most of her stuff in the car she grabbed her knife and headed inside after him.

As she stepped inside, Daryl came down the stairs. 'Place's clear.' He muttered and went into the living room.

She walked in after him and found Daryl with his back to her, looking out the window.

'We'll leave as soon as the rain clears.' He said. 'Don't do anything stupid.'

Ava took a deep breath and cursed the universe for getting her stuck during a storm with Daryl Dixon.