Disclaimer: I do not own Walking Dead or anything mentioned in this fic. None of it belongs to me besides my OC, Danielle. I created her with the image of Kiesha Castle-Hughes in mind, the actress that played Gaia in the show "The Almighty Johnsons", with dark hair and dark brown eyes. Thank you very much to those who have followed and favorited this story, a very special thanks to those who have reviewed, skye-speedy, time-twilight, Silver Crystal of Tokyo-Moon, MultiFandomLover99, and sunset sanctuary.

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Chapter 3: Never Regret

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"Such a pretty little thing," Bellatrix sneered, her long nails scraping across the girl's cheek as she caressed it gently. The young girl, a first year from Ravenclaw, trembled, petrified, but she made no move to stop the Death Eater as the older woman inspected her. Her bright green eyes flickered around before locking with Danielle's dark brown and Danielle knew she'd never forget the look of complete fear in them.

She was moving before her mind comprehended what she was doing.

"Hey! Leave her alone!"

Leaving her house section in Gryffindor, she strode across the suddenly silent hall, shoving herself between Bellatrix and the younger girl. The younger Ravenclaw hid behind her and Danielle glanced back, indicating with her head that she should go back to her house section. She got the message immediately and scurried over to her house section, quickly disappearing into their ranks behind some of the older Ravenclaw students.

Danielle faced forward, knowing there would consequences to her actions. Bellatrix stared at her, her head cocked to the side as her dark eyes roved over her, inspecting her like a piece of meat. A sliver of unease rolled through her stomach but she knew there was no use in showing fear to this woman. It would only excite her and Danielle refused to give her the satisfaction.

Her dark brown eyes locked with Bellatrix's in a heated stare, her face set in a hard glare. She was not backing down, no matter what happened. She was fed up with watching the Death Eaters bully the younger kids, fed up with hearing about her Mudblood status, just sick of it all. At this point, Danielle didn't care what they did to her. She was just tired of following their orders.

"Severus, this one is mine," Bellatrix spoke directly to the Potions Professor, not taking her eyes off Danielle.

"Bella- "Severus started but stopped, seeing the warning look she shot him. "As you wish."

"Come along, pet," Bellatrix grasped onto her arm roughly, her sharp nails digging into her arms painfully. Danielle stumbled along behind her as the Death Eater forcefully dragged her out of the Great Hall. Glancing back one last time, she saw the entire Hall silent, watching her. Many held pity on their faces but her eyes focused on that first year Ravenclaw's expression, the gratitude and the pure relief on her face, as well as the guilt.

But, as horrible as the punishment was, Danielle never regretted saving that girl.

Her mind felt foggy as Danielle slowly regained consciousness. Not wanting to open her eyes yet, she kept her eyes closed and just felt, taking in the situation around her. She laid on her front against something, heavy hands grasping one of her legs, just above the knee, and her arm. Whatever she was laying on was moving. Recognizing the sense of motion, her instincts kicked. Her eyes snapped open and she struggled, moving to shove whatever was holding her away.

"Easy, easy, sugar. Yer alright, I swear," a low, Southern drawl rang in her ear and Danielle recognized it instantly. She stopped struggling to move, wincing as her side burned something fierce.

"Not that I'm objecting to this but why are you carrying me?"

Danielle's confusion only grew as she looked around, noticing that they were no longer in her apartment. There was nothing but trees and bushes around them. She wondered where they were. Last time she'd been conscious, they'd been in her apartment in Atlanta.

"Where are we? What happened, Dixon?"

"Relax, sugar. We're fine. After ya came in and passed out, I got us a truck and left Atlanta. I went back to the quarry but it was abandoned. Headed toward the highway, figured that'd be where they went," Merle explained shortly, moving through the forest with a grace Danielle envied. "Truck broke down so I figured it'd be safer to go into the woods."

Taking in the information, Danielle took a moment to absorb it. She was honestly stunned that he hadn't left her behind in Atlanta. Sure, they had a deal but her dead weight had slowed him down. She'd heard the worry in his voice when he found her in the apartment. That right there said he did care about her, if only because she saved him. Danielle was slowly but steadily starting to trust him. He'd gotten them both out of Atlanta, knowing full well that she was dead weight.

He was also currently carrying her, had been for who knows how long.

"Hey, you can put me down now. I can walk," Danielle told him, feeling guilty that she'd been out of it for so long. At her words, Merle stopped and slowly set her down, careful not to aggravate her side. Her legs felt weak but Danielle forcefully straightened up, a hand pressing gingerly to her side. There was a rolled-up shirt tied around her torso, acting as a make shift bandage. The fabric was soaked in blood.

"Thanks, Dixon," she nodded to him, giving him a grateful smile. Merle nodded back, knowing without her saying what she was thanking him for.

"No problem, sugar. Are ya sure ya can walk?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Danielle nodded and breathed in deeply, taking a step forward. Her body ached and her legs felt weak, like they'd fail her any second. She just kept moving, one step after the other, knowing she'd endured worse.

Focused on moving, she jumped when a thick arm wrapped around her waist, surprisingly gentle, and steadied her shaky movements. She looked over to see Merle, who glanced down at her. Then he started off, Danielle following. She stumbled sometimes, her balance failing her, but he was there to steady her, keep her going. The two continued through the forest. Danielle could tell Merle had more experience in the woods so she let him lead and followed.

When the sky started to darken ominously, they knew they had to find shelter. Merle spotted a little Southern Baptist church and they decided to take shelter there for the night. There were a few walkers but it didn't take long for them to be taken care of. Danielle took down one while Merle took down the other two. They dragged the corpses outside, leaving them pressed against the doors to the church. It would ward off any walkers from coming inside.

After that was done, they headed back inside. Danielle sat down on a pew in the front, looking around her curiously, and Merle plopped down next to her.

A thought came to her and she snorted, amused.

"What?" Merle raised his eyebrows, wondering what was funny.

"I was just remembering. I haven't been in a church in years," Danielle laughed softly, looking up at the statue of Jesus on the cross. "Funny that the first time I'm back in one is when the world ends."

"I ain't really a church goer myself," Merle admitted, glancing over at her. "Haven't been since I was a kid."

"I wasn't really either but I didn't hate it or anything. I was always interested in the Bible, in that level of mercy and love," Danielle leaned forward, crossing her arms over the pew in front of her. "But my Mother forced me to go and that soured it a little."

"Not a Mama's girl?" Merle asked, curious.

"Not at all," she shook her head, laughing a little. "She raised me but I haven't actually spoken to her since I was sixteen. She was one of those people that didn't handle change very well. When I changed, well, she didn't know how to react. She just kept pushing me to go back to the way I used to be but I couldn't. I knew I couldn't so we just drifted apart, stopped talking."

Merle nodded, understanding that. Danielle was surprised he was even interested but he was. He seemed genuinely curious.

Their talk was interrupted by a scream. Danielle's eyes widened, recognizing that as the scream of a child. Bolting up, she ran outside, ignoring the pain in her side, and looked around. Her eyes spotted a young girl running towards the church, running from two walkers. Running to meet her, Danielle shoved her spear through one of their heads, ripping it out and making quick work of the other one.

"Come on," Danielle grabbed the girl's hand, tugging her towards the church while glancing back, watching for any more walkers. They stepped inside and Merle closed the doors behind them. He looked at Danielle and rolled his eyes, scoffing.

"Really? Ya could barely walk earlier and ya just run out. Are ya lookin' to get yerself killed?"

"I'll be fine, Dixon," Danielle rolled her eyes back at him, dismissing his concern. She winced, feeling pain shoot through her side, and grabbed it gingerly. Merle was right. She did regret running out like that without thinking but still. The kid could have been killed if she hadn't.

"Mr. Merle?" the little girl asked, surprised and unsure.

"Well, I'll be. Yer mouse's kid?" Merle asked, obviously recognizing her. "Where's yer Mama?"

"Back at the highway. A lot of monsters came through and I ran," Sophia answered, looking at Danielle uncertainly. "Thanks for saving me, ma'am."

"Just call me Dani, Sophia. It was no problem," Danielle replied, giving her a warm smile, hoping it would keep the girl from being scared. It worked. Seeing her smile, Sophia relaxed, looking around. "We're staying here for the night. If you want, you can go ahead and get some sleep. You look tired."

Nodding, Sophia moved over to one of the pews and laid down, curling on her side, facing the pew. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep. Danielle watched her sympathetically, knowing she must have been exhausted to fall asleep that quick.

Moving over to one of the back pews, she sat down heavily, wincing when she felt her side throb in pain. Merle sat down next to her, his eyes catching her wince.

"Told ya, sugar. How are ya feelin'?"

"Like I got shot," Danielle snorted, shaking her head. "It doesn't hurt too bad."

Merle shot her a look, clearly not believing that. "The bullet's still in ya so we gotta get somethin' to get that out soon. Yer losin' a lot of blood."

"Believe it or not, I've been through worse. I'll be fine," she reassured him, leaning back against the pew.

Quick flashes of memories, of her covered in blood, her wrists slashed, of her laying in a pool of her own blood on a porcelain floor, flew through her mind and she shook her head, dismissing the dark memories. It wasn't something she liked to dwell on.

"If ya don't mind me askin', with all yer witchy stuff, why aren't ya healin' yerself or somethin'?" Merle asked, interested.

"I don't know how," Danielle answered honestly, shrugging her shoulders. "Not only that but I don't think I would be able to right now. Hate to admit it but my body's weak. I've lost too much blood. If I tried to heal myself and failed, I'd pass out again and it'd be a long while before I'd wake up."

"Ya don't know how? Why?"

"I never actually finished my education, learning what I was supposed to learn. I had a year left before I quit," she explained. It was something Danielle knew she'd needed then. At sixteen, traumatized as she was, she'd needed a break from the wizarding world and time to heal. Now, she wished she could go back and finish her education. There were so many things she wished she could learn. At the beginning of her fifth year, she had just figured out that she really liked Runes and had a knack for them.

"Only a year? Why'd ya quit if ya were so close?" Merle asked, confused.

"I changed and I didn't think it was right for me to be there anymore," Danielle answered vaguely, turning her head to look at him. He still looked confused but that was all she was going to say for now. Maybe someday she'd tell him. It wasn't likely, seeing as her Dad didn't even know the full extent. "You should probably get some sleep. I'll keep watch."

"Alright, if yer sure. Wake me up if ya need anythin'," Merle agreed, standing and moving up one pew. He laid down and stretched across it, crossing his arms behind his head. It wasn't long before his snores filled the air.

While the two of them slept, Danielle kept watch. She looked around the church, slightly amused. It had been such a long time since she'd been in a church. The last time she had was before the war, when she was fourteen, innocent with so much hope for the world. After the war, she'd infuriated her mother by not going. She refused to go, finding no reason to worship when she'd suffered so much. It had been a dark time for Danielle. She'd been lost, jumping at shadows, having no idea how to move on from it. Her Dad had been a blessing there. He was non-magical and she hadn't told him anywhere near the full extent of what happened that year but he knew enough. He knew something had happened to her, something that changed her into a very broken sixteen-year-old.

Her Dad helped her move on. He showed her that she didn't have to stay broken. She had suffered greatly but that didn't mean she had to continue suffering. With her Dad's careful help, Danielle slowly began to heal. There were so many emotions she had to overcome but there were two she struggled the most with. The first was her sense of anger, a boiling fury that the God she believed in had not helped her for an entire year. Danielle was so angry that He had let her go through everything she had. It was wrong to feel that way, she knew even at that time, and it caused a sense of guilt as well.

That sense of guilt grew and added to the other conflicting emotion she had to overcome. Danielle hated herself, hated the way she'd broken under Bellatrix's coos and curses, hated the way she woke up screaming from memories that replayed in her sleep. She thought she was weak, letting a Death Eater break her mentally and physically. Sometimes, laying on that floor with Bellatrix on top of her, Danielle had wondered if she was like the Longbottoms, if she had descended into insanity. However, her Dad worked hard to show her that she wasn't weak, that she had lived through something not everyone could, and that she was not insane.

It was because of him that she had become the woman she had. It wasn't perfect since she was still haunted by the memories but she was able to shake it off, to get out of bed in the morning, because of him. Danielle was more grateful to her Dad than she could ever express. She loved him more than anyone else in the world.

That was why she was so focused on getting to him. She wanted to make sure he was okay, to protect him like he had protected her. If she lost him, Danielle knew she would break and this time, there wouldn't be anyone able to pick up all the pieces.

For the first time in years, Danielle leaned forward on the pew and bowed her head, sending a prayer up to the God she still believed in, despite everything that had happened.

I know I haven't been the most faithful, Lord. I was so lost and so, so angry all the time. I'm sorry for how I acted, for losing my faith for a while. But I know you did bless me. You blessed me with my Dad and I can't ever thank you enough for that. Please, Lord, if you can find any love left in your heart for me, keep him safe. You don't even have to do it for me. Just please, keep my Dad safe.

For the rest of the night, Danielle kept watch, glancing every now and then at her sleeping companions. It felt like only a few minutes before the sun rose but she knew it had been hours. It was a beautiful sight, watching the sunlight pour through the stained-glass windows and shine down on the wooden pews. She stayed there, watching, as Merle and Sophia woke up.

The peaceful scene was broken by the ringing of bells. The church they were in didn't have a steeple so there must have been a timer on outside. Merle searched the inside of the church for a minute, frantically trying to find the source of the noise, before cursing loudly. He knew it would attract the walkers and he wasn't confident they could take them all on, with Danielle injured and Sophia just a kid.

There was no time wasted on packing since they didn't have supplies anyway. Merle just had his knife and Danielle had her spear. Sophia had her doll but that was it. Stuffing his knife in his vest pocket, Merle came over and surprised Danielle by picking her up the same way he had before, in a fireman carry. Danielle didn't bother to protest, feeling weaker than she did before. She felt light-headed from blood loss and she was sure she needed to change her make-shift bandage whenever they stopped somewhere.

"Come on, kid! Stick by me!" Merle barked at Sophia, who nodded as the two of them rushed out of the church. They ran into the woods, towards the highway.

Danielle refrained from throwing up as her stomach rolled uneasily, nausea rising. She just wrapped her arm around Merle's back, holding on as best as she could. Her side burned worse than ever and she could feel her bandage getting wet. White spots danced in front of her eyes, obscuring her vision, but she forced them away, blinking rapidly. She couldn't lose consciousness now, not when they were in danger.

"Hey, don't fall asleep on me, sugar. Stay awake," Merle commanded, his hand squeezing her arm firmly where he held it. "If ya fall asleep now, I don't know if ya'll ever wake up."

"I know. I'm trying," Danielle groaned, hissing as her side was jolted when Merle jumped over a log.

"Sorry, sugar," Merle apologized, glancing over to see Sophia next to him, sticking to his side like glue, carrying Danielle's spear.

They broke through the tree line, coming out on the highway. Looking around, Merle froze, seeing that familiar RV in front of them. The old man, Dale, was on top of the roof, keeping watch as usual with T-Dog next to him. Lifting her head, Danielle looked up at them, squinting, before she felt her stomach lurch unpleasantly.

"Dixon, set me down now," she tapped him on the shoulder and he listened, setting her down on her feet carefully. She didn't waste any time falling to her knees and hunching over as everything that she'd eaten in the past few days made a reappearance. It wasn't much, just some crackers and soup, then acid. Gagging, she felt a hand grasp her hair and pull it back away from her face. She stayed there, shaking, as she closed her mouth, wiping the back of it with her hand.

Danielle knew she was getting worse. Her entire body shook, warring between freezing and burning hot, a sign that she had a fever. Glancing to the side, she saw Merle crouched down next to her, letting go of her hair to put a hand to her forehead. His big hand was unexpectedly soothing so she leaned into it, closing her eyes.

"Come on, sugar, let's go take care of that bullet," Merle spoke quietly, slipping an arm around her knees and another around her back. He lifted her up and Danielle didn't protest, just leaning her head against his shoulder as she trembled. Merle glared as he shoved past Dale and T-Dog, who'd come down from the RV upon seeing them.

He didn't bother to say a word to either of them, just shooting them a deep glare, as he moved into the RV, heading towards the back. Seeing the cot in the back, he bent down and gently laid Danielle on it. She was covered in sweat, as if her body was overheating, but she was also shaking hard, like she was freezing. When he felt her forehead earlier, it was burning hot. He needed to do something about that gunshot wound now or she wouldn't make it.

Danielle watched him dazedly, forcing her eyes to focus on him. It was ridiculous how much she already trusted him, having only known each other a few days. Strangely enough, she had a feeling she'd never regret it.