A/N: This is my first time attempting a walking dead fanific, but I adore the show and even more I adore Daryl so I decided to give it a try. Please review and tell me anything you think would help me improve this chapter! Constructive criticism is very helpful and I take it all into consideration and use it to improve my story as it goes by.

Rating: M for violence, gore, swearing and sexual thoughts or encounters.

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The wind was cold, ice cold, like the first touch of winter when your body has yet to get use to it. Like the first drink of water from the fridge on a hot summer day, running down your throat. However, to be honest it was better then the scorching heat waves of the earlier mid day sun, which burned your unprotected skin. At last the sun was falling, giving only a few hours of daylight left. It was almost a blessing in disguise that night was slowly edging into the sky taking the heat with it. Nevertheless, along with the dusk came the darkness of night and the danger that hid in the darkness.

That was the card dealt, survival of the fittest all around, everyone pitted against everyone even within a group. Most stayed together, a lot fell apart, almost no one survived. However, that wasn't always true, there were people given what you could call, a second chance.

You could hear the sound of the wind, whistling as it blew past the abandoned cars scattered across the road. Within the wind, if you listened close enough you would hear something else, the sound of survival, the sound of hope.

Strolling down the road, black tires moved across the pavement slowly, holding a large black and brown painted steel RV. The kind old, retired, golfers bought when they had nothing else to spend there money on. Stolen from the road, keys dangling from the ignition, call it a sign of God if you go that way but an opportunity like that was easily decided upon. Finally, the large vehicle came to a slow stop, the sound of the engine cutting and silence filling the wasteland around them.

"Hey Brad, where are we?" A thick Georgian sounding accent filled the previous silence of the RV. The man belonging to said voice moved his scrawny long legs to stand up from the dirty, dark brown couch held against the ugly yellow wallpapered walls. Walking in baggy, bloodied up and dirty blue jeans and ratty running sneakers he continued his move towards the front of the vehicle. A kind smile stretched on his tan, clean-shaven face, optimism lighting up his bright green eyes.

"Coming towards Atlanta Jason, we stop now, we'll get there by noon tomorrow" the driver of the large hunk of metal answered , his accent as equally as thick as his counterpart, however that was the only similarity the two men had to each other. Brad; the oldest brother, sat in the leather seat always had a scowl oh his sun kissed, unwashed face and almost never smiled, not no more he didn't. Long straggly black hair fell into deep brown eyes as he pocketed the keys. It was hard to believe that the two were brothers.

"We need to set up camp now, it's getting late and were running out of time before it gets to dark", Brad was the unofficial official leader of there band of survivor's and he was right, it was getting dark. "I'll get the others" Jason commented before he turned around and walked back the way he came. Passing the cluttered counter tops and tables as he went past the kitchenette area, he reached the 'living room' portion of the mobile home. Sitting in the chair by the window sat a woman he had known for a very long time, way before the earth they lived on went to hell. "Mary, were setting up camp now before it gets dark.

Mary was rounding the ages of her mid fifties now and for the first time in her life she looked it. Her grey hair was flush against her head pulled into a tight bun. Stress and fear had turned her into a fragile old woman he never thought she would be. She had always been strong, stood up for her self and made a living of a sweet cherry pie life. She forced a smile at the former employee of the small café she use to own, "I'll wake Jake" she offered, sparking honey brown eyes smiled kindly at him, standing up to shake off dirt from her flower patterned dress.

Jake was ten and he was Brad's and his girlfriend Caroline's little boy, however Caroline had been previously taken from them when they ran into a problem with the walkers a few weeks back.

Jason continued down the aisle of the RV and reached the end, opening the small door to the open makeshift bedroom. Finding the last person in their caravan, a person he learned over a short period of time would keep a smile on his face. Her small, dirty, black combat boots hung untied and lose on her small feet as they dangled off the side of the large bed as if not to get dirt on the already dirty bed sheets. Slightly baggy washed up black cargo pants hung down low on her small waist, a thin sight of her red boy short panties showing from underneath. Covering her chest was a tight, light blue tank top, which had risen up showing off her toned stomach and the small piercing hidden in her navel. Sweat, blood and dirt drenched the girl's skin and clothing along with bandages and bruises which made his stomach clench with unforgettable guilt.

He swallowed a gulp and decided to speak, "Kayla, tomorrow we reach Atlanta, want to help me set up?" he asked smiling down on her as she turned her head to the side.

Pale, fading blue eyes looked over at him through the thick lock of her dark brunette bangs that had fallen across her ivory pale skin. A moment of silence passed before, "Okay". He wasn't expecting more then that but he always had a hope she would eventually talk to him. The said girl moved to get up from her spot across the bed, grabbing her sweater in the process, throwing it over herself before following the tall man outside.

Walking out into the cold felt nice against the heat of the RV and the previous sun of the afternoon. A few cars were scattered here and there, a few toppled over, some crashed into others, most just abandoned. The actual dead still lay on the ground around them but for the most part, it had been one of the more 'decent' places they had set up camp. "I'll grab the table, you grab the weapons". He knew they had to be more careful since they were out in the open.

Kayla walked, feeling her way down the side of the trailer, the cold metal leaving a stinging feeling which almost burned the tips of her fingers as she made her way down the to the end of the trailer. The blurred image of her own distorted reality stared back at her, mocking her almost. Finally finding the small lock that held close the compartment of all their valuables, she moved the key, trying to find the opening, squinting her eyes in a sad attempt that she would be able to see it more clearly.

In an almost sick twist of irony, Kayla was unfortunate to have partial retina damage, caused by BFT; severe trauma to the head. Now Kayla wasn't blind now, she could still see, shapes, colours, movement, however, it was like looking through smoke or fog. Her reality and her life was blurred out like an ash covered window. Usually one would of gotten surgery done, or started wearing glasses but Kayla didn't have even a penny to her name before the world crashed into hell around her. So as a result she learned to live with it, not around it, as it was something that defined her and she would have to live with.

Finally the lock sprung free and fell into her hands, the compartment door falling and hitting the side of the vehicle. Grabbing the bag she pulled it out, careful not to damage anything or make to much noise. Placing the blue duffle bag on the just made table she un-zipped it and pulled it open. Already she could smell the snuffed out smell of food that Mary was preparing outside. The sun had only half hour left before it left them completely. Night time was the worst for Kayla and she feared it more then anything, she wouldn't even be able to see the end of her nose.

"I'll take first watch tonight" Jason said sitting down at the table, leading Kayla to her spot as Mary placed down warm soup and toast. "I want to stay out too". Everyone was silent as they looked over at Kayla, the one who had spoken. They all knew about her condition, it wasn't something that could be kept a secret even if you tried but they knew her determination to help the group. "Kayla, I don't think-", "I want to be out" she said again before ending the conversation the way she always did. Turned away and completely ignored the one she had previously been talking too. "Hey Jake, you hungry?".

Short dirty blonde hair, light brown eyes, a fair complexion, Jake was completely half and half with his parents. With Caroline's, blue eyes and her beach blonde hair, together her and Brad birthed a beautiful boy. "Yeah" he said with a giggle as Kayla scooped him up and sat him beside her on the bench. Mary, Brad and Jason stared at each other and shrugged just before there last bit of light fell from the sky and darkness consumed them.

"You cold?"

It had been the first words spoken after Jason and Kayla had set up on top of the RV, chairs standing around a small table with a radio and pop in a cup. Kayla nodded as she shoved her frozen hands deeper within her small sweater pockets. Suddenly she was engulfed with more warmth as a large black, hooded DC sweater fell over her shoulders. Her pale blue eyes turned to rest on the small amount of light she could see radiate against a blurry face she knew was smiling at her. "Thank you" she said, her voice just above a whisper in the dark silence.

"You know you can always talk to me, I'll listen"

The comment hung in the air around them and Jason knew it would remain there, as she wasn't going to say a thing. Kayla's strongest defence mechanism, her ability to completely shut down. Jason had met Kayla before the world was like this, full of nightmares and horror. It was June 30th, and unless corrected he stuck to that date, that he had met Kayla at the small café Mary owned. It had been a warm, slightly breezy day and the shop had slow business. Mary was humming to the country songs playing on the radio while Bob; her husband filled the air with freshly baked bread.

He himself was also in a good mood after serving a cute blonde, which had given him her number, he would have never called her but it was certainly an ego boost. It was rounding 3 o'clock in the affternoon and Mary had been out doing, what the two men called, help shopping. The 40-year-old woman had a knack for sneaking out coffees and food to the neighboring orphanages and homeless retreat centers. "Well will you look at that" Bob said as Jason turned to look at the glass, red framed door to the small shop, and that's when he first laid eyes on her.

Wearing a washed up, run down pair of blue jeans and a dirty grey hoodie was a short girl with long brown hair and the most interesting pair of eyes he had ever seen. Mary's arms were wrapped around her shoulders leading her through into the restaurant. "And who's this?" Bob said smiling kindly at the stranger and lovingly at his wife. The girl kept her face down, staring at the floor and looked extremely irritated. "I'm going to take her upstairs to the room; she's going to be the new member of our shop".

Picking up strays was one of Mary's fortes, cats, dogs, but this is the first time she had brought home a human.

"I remember the first time you spoke to me, gave my brother a good laugh" Jason said again trying to strike up a conversation, it failed, however he did see her lips curl in the right corner and that was good enough for him. "You're still a loser" she said her smile finally breaking as Jason chuckled. Suddenly the sound of a bell echoed through the darkness, Jason and Kayla jumping to attention. Brad had been a boy scout and learned the bell theory, setting up fishing wire two inches above the ground around your camp that held bells on all side, that way you know when an animal was about to make you campsite its territory, they saw this strategy worked the same with this.

"Brad, we have company," Jason said within the black walkie-talkie knowing that his older brother would wake up even to the smallest of voices. It was the reason he could never scare him as a child. "Kayla stay down and up here, don't move" Jason ordered, "I want to hel-" but her complaint was cut short, "no, you need to stay here and keep safe" and that was that as Jason slid down the ladder to the ground leaving her up there in the darkness. Kayla slid to the very end of the trailer feeling her way to the edge so she didn't fall. Everything was dark, except for the blurred out figures drenched in the light from the moon moving over their campsite. They were under attack.

Jason stood there staring over the scene and he knew this could be the end of their hope, the end of their survival. At least 5 or 6 walkers moved, each with their own pace towards them, their smell burned their senses and there low groans and moans filled the air along with the sound of Brad's shot gun clicking into place. However, they were no match for them, with only two men with two guns and one blunt object it was a suicide mission not to run.

"Watch out" Brad yelled before shooting a large hole through the side of a walkers head that was about to grab his brother. It had been a narrow escape but it was also the moment that everything came crashing down. The first set of walkers that had attacked were dead, really dead and not getting back up, however, they could see and hear at least ten more in the distance

The sound of a gasp and Mary screaming from her look out in the Winnebago brought the boy's attention behind the walker they had just totalled.

"KAYLA"

The sun slowly set in the sky, its light shinning across the lands stretched out over the earth. Casting shadows down the road one in particular that stood out among the rest. An old, rusty, broken up Winnebago rolled down the roads followed by a caravan of multiple other vehicles, including a beat up old Car, an old Chevy truck and a sleek black chopper. Passing scattered bodies and broken, crashed up cars lay motionless on the grounds. Tires rolling to a stop, mimicked by the following cars the engine of the Winnebago came to a silence.

"Dale what's going on?" A true and proud southern accent belonging to a true southern gentlemen sounded through a small black police scanner. "You might wanna come see this" Dale; also known as the 'old man' or the 'father figure' said with an edge to his voice that obviously meant something was up. The sound of the engines cut off silencing, aided with the sound of multiple doors opening and slamming. Rick, the handsome blue-eyed gentleman and his best friend Shane; the tan skinned, rough edged former cop, along with Dale and the sapphire blue eyed, muscular epiphany of every redneck; Daryl.

"It's messy" Dale said as he stepped out of the large vehicle to greet the others before they continued cautiously forwards, all eyes focused on the scene in front of them. "Oh my god" Rick whispered as he lowered his gun to the side of his leg. A large, fancy RV sat blocking half the road where at least 15 walkers lay bloody and beaten scattered around, soaking the ground with guts and gore. However, two bodies stood out amongst the walkers, two that were obviously not walkers. An older woman, around 50 or 60 lay with a bullet through her head and the gun grasped in her hand, as she lay petrified and scared beside the body of a boy around 10, which had been bitten and killed.

"They hadn't no chance wit this many of 'em" Daryl Dixon said as he kicked the body of a walker to the side with his ratty steel toed workers boots. Scanning the area, all four of them jumped to high alert when a sound echoed from behind them. Everyone snapped to attention and aimed there weapons at the RV ready to shoot anything down. Pistol, shotgun or crossbow.

That's when they saw her. Or well saw someone.

Sitting against the RV by the back tire, a baggy sweater and hooded figure sat holding a 6-calibre pistol against their forehead, leaning on it, their finger wrapped around the trigger loosely. Moreover, they were very, very alive. "Are you bit?" Rick asked the question everyone behind him was thinking. Blood tainted and stuck to the person's clothing, pooling on her left side were the hand not holding the gun covered.

The person didn't say anything but the girl's head shook back and forth slowly. "You should put the gun down, we can help you," Rick said, walking slowly towards the clothed figure, however, stopped when the sound of the gun ticked indicating the gun was about to fire. Everyone remained quiet. "You don't have to do this"

The gun dropped to the concrete floor and clattered against the ground as the person moved her head backwards, the hood falling off her head. Revealing long, messy dark brown hairs and a pair of Faded, pale blue eyes closing tiredly as she passed out cold.

Authors note: Well here it is guys, the first chapter to one of my favourite TV shows. I so hope that I did it justice. So please let me know what you guys think. What do you like about Kayla? What don't you like? Did I portray the other characters right? Curious about something? Anything at all let me know. The more reviews and the more good critics and questions you give the better I know I write. (It's just a fact).

Preview: "Didn't mean ta scare ya" he commented walking closer to the girl he had carried to the Winnebago when they first found her. She defiantly looked a lot different cleaned up and in washed clothing, he could almost go as far as saying she was quite pretty.