I cowered back as his fist latched out, hitting me square in the jaw. My lip was already busted and bleeding, and my eye was swollen. "Daddy, please" I begged, hoping my begging would snap him out of his drunken haze. I had tears in my eyes but he just started yelling. "You stupid whore, I saw you and your boy toy, you were a mistake!" He hissed, throwing another punch. I forced my cry of pain down as I stood stone faced. He soon grew bored with my lack of response, pushing me down and with a final kick in the ribs he stumbled away, too drunk to walk properly. I pushed myself up and limped towards my bedroom, my legs shaking with the effort of holding myself up. I opened the door and walked in, quietly shutting it, knowing that if I slammed it or made noise I would have another beating coming my way. I sat on my bed and reached toward my side table, opening the bottom drawer and pulling out a slightly bloodied rag and some peroxide. I poured peroxide on the rag and began to clean my face, wiping my lip with a dry piece of cloth before wiping it with peroxide. I continued to clean all my cuts before putting all the peroxide and rag. I hissed out a breath as the drawer slid shut before opening the top drawer, pulling out an open envelope. I smiled as I pulled a slip of paper out, my eyes retaking in each word. In my hands I held my acceptance letter for the University of Alabama, still inside the envelope was my plane ticket, I was supposed to head to Alabama in two weeks. At the young age of 16 I was leaving home to go to college with a scholarship. I'd miss Daryl and Merle, but they'd visit me, at lease Daryl would anyway. I put away the letter and lay down, letting out a painful breath before closing my eyes.

I woke up to the sun in my eyes, wiping away the tears that had slipped down my cheeks while I slept. I sighed and closed my eyes and thought about my dream. The day I had been accepted into college was the happiest day of my life. I had only been 16 but very excited to leave home.

I pushed myself up and threw my legs over the side of the hay bales. My back was slightly stiff but that was better than sleeping in my car. I hadn't gotten very much sleep, I was still only used to at most four hours of sleep a night but I still felt refreshed. I pulled myself up and grabbed my shoes, slipping them on. I walked towards the ladder and slid down it, landing on my feet. I pulled the elastic that was holding my hair out before combing my hair with my fingers. I threw my hair back up in a messy bun and stalked toward my truck tiredly, weakly smiling at the people around me. I grabbed my bag of toiletries and a pair of clothes from my trunk before walking towards the house to change and get ready for the day. I jogged up the stairs and smiled at Hershel before walking to the bathroom and closing and locking the door behind me. I put my stuff on the counter and began getting ready for the day, brushing my hair and teeth, washing my face, etc. After I put my stuff back in my bag I began to change, stripping off my clothes before pulling on a black fitted tank top and a pair of denim shorts. I let my hair down and pulled a brush through my hair softly. When I finished I let the soft curls fall down my back. I looked in the mirror I noticed the bags under my eyes were slightly less prominent, and I had a bit of hay in my hair. I quietly laughed before grabbing my bag and dirty clothes before walking toward the front door. I saw Maggie in the kitchen loading peaches into a basket and sticking beef jerky into her pocket.

I made a pit stop, walking up to her and smiling "Morning" I greeted, her glancing up and smiling. "We missed you at dinner last night" Maggie noted, I nodded in response. "Yeah, I'm not very hungry usually" I said, picking at my chewed down nails. "Besides I don't really feel like part of the group right now, I mean I only just got here and I didn't want to intrude. Besides I thought I should avoid Shane, if he's as bad as you say" I said, shrugging. Maggie smiled. "He didn't show, probably embarrassed that he got hit by a girl" Maggie said. I laughed with her before she picked up the basket. "I gotta hand these out, but I'll see you later, kay?" She asked, walking towards the front door. I followed, holing the door open. "Sure thing" I said, walking towards my truck.

I was about to throw my stuff when a timid hand was placed on my shoulder. I turned around to see a woman who I remembered to be Carol standing behind me, a smiled on her face. "Uhm, the other girls and I were going to do laundry, we figured that since you've been living out of your car that you may need some clothes washed, and we were wondering if you needed anything washed?" She asked. I smiled warmly before turning around and studding my dirty clothes in a duffel bag. Afterwards I turned around and smiled sheepishly at Carol "Yes please! I'm down to just a few tank tops" I sheepishly said. Carol smiled and grabbed the bag "When we're done I'll throw this bag back in your truck, and it's no problem" She said, turning on her heel and walking away.

I smiled slightly before heading towards where Daryl said his tent was, away from all the other tents, near the woods. The sun shun hotly down on me, sweat began dotting at my neck. I wiped my forehead before spotting Daryl's light green and gray tent. I hiked over, the grass rushing against my knees. Daryl was sitting on a log outside his tent, about 15 squirrels by his feet as he began gutting his first one. I sat beside him, pulling a knife out of my shoe before I began to gut a squirrel, my knife cutting away the fur. "Rick said we didn't have any jobs today, said sumthin bout us catching up " He muttered, picking up another squirrel.

Questions began to pour into my mind at his words, and I knew he had a few questions himself. "Well, I have a lot of questions, and we have a lot to catch up on so you'd better start talkin" I say, tossing the skin on the floor. I hear Daryl sigh before saying "So what do you wanna know?" I immediately ask the question that had been nagging at me since I had seen him. "How'd you find the group?"

-Hours Later-

By the time we were done talking the sun was setting and we were being called to diner. He had told me about everything he had gone through with the group and explained what had happened with Merle in more depth. I had told him mostly what I'd been through, just leaving out what happened with other groups and the people I killed. Daryl had always been over protective and I didn't want him angry.

We silently walked up the porch steps, faint smiles on our face as we had just reminisced about my first time on a horse, and I'd been bucked off. Once inside the house I looked at the tale and smiled, everyone was happily eating, chattering merrily. On the table laid a golden brown chicken, along with corn and peas. Two empty seats were among the crowded table, obviously left for Daryl and I. I took the seat by Carl while Daryl took the seat by Carol, I smiled at the little boy.

I pulled a piece of chicken onto my plate, and a tiny bit of corn, leaving the peas which I despised. As soon as Daryl and I were served Rick cleared his throat, efficiently silencing everyone. "So Madison, I think that since you are the newest member of the group that we should know more about you" Lori said, glancing around. A slight murmur of agreement rang out before I shrugged. "What do you wanna know?" I questioned, shoving some chicken into my mouth. I nearly moaned at the sweet taste. "Well I guess just general things such as your age and what you did before well- all this" Lori proposed. I nodded.

"Well I'm 19, and before this I was in Pre-med, I'd wanted to be a doctor or pediatrician. I graduated from high school at 16 with a scholar ship and immediately went to college. Daryl used to always visit me, and on holidays I would always go to either his house or got to see my side family, who always needed help with their children" I said. "Because of my background in the medical field, I'm going to help Hershel, I will also help scavenge, I won't be lazy, I'll pull my own weight and I won't use being related to Daryl as an excuse to be lazy" I say, glancing down at my near empty plate. I only had half of the chicken I'd taken left, and even though I'd only eaten a small amount I was full. "Did you have anyone special?" Maggie asked, glancing at Glenn. I smile lightly, "Does a list of exes count? Otherwise no, I was single" I say, the people around me laughing at my lame attempt of a joke.

"Hobbies?" Andrea asked. "I hunted with Daryl a lot, and I liked to volunteer at the local day care. Sometimes I sang, I don't know, I'm boring really" I said, smiling at her. A comfortable silence followed my answer, only the sound of forks scraping against plates being heard. I pushed my chair back and stood up, picking up my plate. "Where are you goin?" Daryl gruffly asked. I pushed in my chair and looked at him "I'm going to turn in, I want to start doing jobs tomorrow" I said as if it wasn't obvious. "You barley ate a thing" He pointed out, looking pointedly towards the half piece of chicken left on my plate. "I'm not hungry" I shrugged, walking towards the dining room and dropping off my dishes. I avoided the dining room as I walked towards the front door, opening it up and walking outside, jogging towards the stables. I slid easily through the large doors and climbed up the ladder, walking towards my 'bed'

I looked around and smiled. The ground was covered in hay, and bales lay against the wall and scattered on the floor. The place I slept was by a large glassless opening, giving me a view of the field and barn, along with part of the house. I had made a makeshift bed of hay, laying them flat with a small wall blocking me from rolling off towards the ladder. If I got over the smell and bugs this place wasn't that bad. It was warm and had the sound of horses, which was a comforting sound. I couldn't wait for a rainy night so that I could listen to the pitter patter of rain bouncing against the roof.

I kicked my shoes off and lay down on my side, falling asleep while looking at the stars that twinkled over the field.