Jameson smiled when she saw Daryl's text message saying he'd see her in the afternoon. Surprised he didn't just cancel, Jameson didn't understand why he was helping her out but she appreciated it. He didn't seem to want anything in return, which also surprised her.

Going into the kitchen Jameson started helping Lori mix up the dough for breads and cupcakes. They worked efficiently and got loaves rising and cupcakes in the oven. She cleaned out the old items from the cases and placed new ones in. Jameson also brewed the coffees and iced teas. When they opened at 7am she was so busy the day flew by. In no time it was almost noon and she heard Daryl's motorcycle pull up.

"Hey Lori thanks for letting me out early. My ride had to be somewhere. I appreciate it.," she told Lori while pulling off her apron.

"No worries Jameson. You always stay late. Have a good night." Lori said with a smile.

Jameson walked out back and saw Daryl leaning against his bike smoking a cigarette. "Hey," she said while walking up to him. He flicked his smoke away and said, "Hey. Your boss pissed at ya for leavin' early?"

Jameson shook her head and said, "Nah she's fine with it. I don't call in sick ever and usually stay late." Daryl climbed on, holding his arm out for Jameson to grab onto. "Ya smell like cupcakes," he remarked.

"Ya it's better than stale beer," she laughed. He kick started the engine and she wrapped herself around him while he pulled out of the parking lot. He rode to her place and pulled into a spot near the stairwell. She climbed off and pulled her keys out.

"Thanks again Daryl. I appreciate it," she said while looking at her feet.

"Hey," he said making her look up at him. He had the corner of his mouth turned up, "It's no problem. Like helpin ya."

She smiled and nodded. "I'll see ya Daryl. Have a G'night."

Daryl laughed and shook his head. "Yeah probably not Merle got arrested last night. On my way ta tha courthouse."

Jameson shook her head. "Pain in the ass that one." Jameson smirked, "Well good luck. See ya later."

Daryl smiled and backed up his bike then pulled out to the road. Jameson stood on the sidewalk and gave him a wave when he rode off. She went up stairs and fixed herself some lunch and was lying down about to take a nap when Dale called.

"Hey James, I know it's your day off 'n all and I know you work tomorrah at the bakery early but could you pick up Bob's shift tonight? He's sick." He asked. Jameson groaned but told him she would take it, needing to pay for her car repair. "Sure Dale. I'll be there." She said while rubbing her face.

"Thanks hun. Sorry if ya had plans." He said.

Jameson laughed and replied, "Dale ya know I never have plans. I'll see ya at 6."

Jameson set an alarm on her phone for a couple hours and fell asleep on the couch. Later she woke up to a text message alert and grabbed the phone expecting it to be Dale changing his mind but it was from Daryl.

Merle not goin' anywhere.

Ya wanna get dinner at the diner? ~ Daryl.

Jameson smiled and sat there for a moment. 'Funny. Tell Dale ya never have plans and then get an offer for plans.' She thought. It didn't really matter because she probably wouldn't have gone with him. Jameson didn't date and that sounded too much like a date. She texted him back.

Can't. got called into the bar.

Gotta pay for my car. ~ Jameson

Her phone beeped a second later.

Pick ya up at 545. ~ Daryl

Wanting to tell him that he didn't have to but she knew what he would say.

Thanks. ~ Jameson

Smiling Jameson laid her head back. Not knowing why the younger Dixon seemed to want to help her but she enjoyed the fact the he did. It was nice having someone look after her but it also made her nervous. Jameson didn't want him to think it meant more than it did. It was just a few rides to work. She hoped didn't want him to expect more than a limited friendship.

Jameson rested for a while more and then changed for work. Pulling on a loose black top that hung off one shoulder and had slits down the sides with a white wife beater under it. Jameosn paired it with her dark skinny jeans. Her tall combat boots had her knife in the top. Keeping her braid jameson added a little lip-gloss. Not really one to wear makeup; Jameson always felt it was pointless to paint your face. After eating a can of soup she headed downstairs a few minutes before Daryl would be showing up. Jameson lit up a smoke when she got outside while pulling her jacket around since the temp had dropped when the sun got low in the sky. She heard his bike before she saw it and smiled softly when he pulled up.

"Hey stranger," she said while throwing her leg over the bike. Jameson wrapped her arms around his warm stomach. Daryl patted her on her thigh as a greeting and pulled out of the parking lot. They arrived shortly after and he parked in the back. He let her balance on his shoulder and climbed off once she was standing next to the bike. Looking at her for a minute with a strange expression Daryl shook his head.

"What?" Jameson asked, confused by his expression.

"Nothin. Did ya eat before I picked ya up?" he asked.

"Ya." She answered.

"Ok I'm gonna get some dinner 'n then I'll be back." Daryl said while looking away.

"Ya don't have to hangout all night, it'll be boring." Jameson said, tilting her head to the side a little, still confused at his odd demeanor.

"I'll play pool or somethin'." Daryl answered climbing back on his bike. "See ya in a bit." Nodding Jameson watched him ride off while shaking her head and walking into the bar. 'Weirdo' she thought to herself while going into the office to lock up her things.

"Fuckin hell." he mumbled to himself while he rode away from the bar. Daryl was shocked at how cute she looked when she got off the bike at the bar. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold and her lips looked glossy and pink. Jameson's hair was braided like earlier but it had loosened a bit making it look softer, perfect to dig his hands into. Not to mention she still smelled like fucking cupcakes and fresh baked bread, his mouth watered. Daryl had gotten hard just looking at her. He hadn't planned on even leaving but had to go cool off after seeing her.

Daryl had spent the whole day at the courthouse and the jail. Speaking to Merle for a few minutes, he told Daryl that his tweeker friend had told him about some young girl he'd been fucking and Merle had flipped out. Merle beat the shit out of him for being a pervert. The guy was in the hospital with a broken jaw and arm. Merle then took the guys stash but was pulled over shortly after. And the cops saw how bloodied his fists were and put two and two together. They had just gotten a 911 call from the tweekers house. Merle informed the cops of the guy sleeping with a young girl and they were looking into it. Deputy Grimes told Daryl that the tweeker would probably drop the charges but Merle would still be on the hook for the drugs. It was a substantial amount and he was facing at least a year in jail for it. Merle was not pleased and neither was Daryl. He was pissed that Merle didn't just walk away without taking the guys drugs. He wouldn't be facing hard time if he had not been greedy.

'Typical Merle, always wanting somethin' for nothin'.' he thought with a snort.

When Daryl left the courthouse and knew his brother wasn't going anywhere he texted Jameson on a whim. He couldn't believe he actually asked her to dinner. It wasn't something he had planned or even something he'd thought he'd ever do but there it was. He hit send before he even thought it through. Daryl wasn't surprised she said no thinking it was an excuse but then realized she was being truthful about needing the money for her car. Deciding that he would settle for spending time with her while she worked. Daryl didn't know why he was so interested in the girl. She didn't seem to be interested in him. He knew she wouldn't care if he gave her a ride or not. It didn't make a difference to her either way. Not to say he thought she was ungrateful but he knew she wouldn't hold it against him if he didn't do it, she appreciated it but didn't expect it. He liked that.

Daryl pulled up to the diner and went in for a burger. He had already eaten there earlier and needed to stop eating out, he was running out of cash. Daryl knew he needed to find a steady job immediately since it looked like he'd be staying nearby while Merle dealt with a court case. He figured he would check at the auto repair place and see if they needed any help.

"Back again huh?" Carol said when he walked in. Daryl nodded and sat at the counter. He ordered a coke and a burger.

"Where's Merle? He wasn't with ya this afternoon either." Carol asked while setting the burger down.

"He's in lock up. Got 'imself 'n trouble again." He answered before taking a large bite of burger.

"Oh," Carol answered while looking disappointed. "Anything serious?"

"Prob'ly," he answered with a full mouth and looked up at the woman. He felt bad because he could tell she liked Merle for some reason. She didn't know him well enough to know that jail was just part of Merle's life.

"I'll let ya know," Daryl said trying to make her feel better. Carol nodded and walked away to take another order. Daryl watched her a minute and could see her shoulders sagged a little more now.

'Damnit Merle, such an asshole' he thought while he shoved some fries in his mouth, shaking his head.

Daryl finished eating shortly after and headed back to the bar. When he walked in he saw Jameson behind the bar talking to a few bikers. He approached the bar and sat down in the same stool as before. She smiled at him and approached. Daryl groaned inwardly when he saw the shirt she was wearing hung off one shoulder. Seeing more of her pale skin he notice that Jameson had a delicate looking collarbone that he instantly thought about licking. Blinking hard and looked away.

"Want a beer?" she asked while leaning her hip against the bar. Daryl looked back at her and saw that her cheeks weren't flushed anymore but her lips still looked luscious and pink. Jameson chewed on the bottom one as she tapped her fingers on the bartop.

"Yeah I'll have a guinness." Daryl said roughly. Walking away he could see her ass in the tight jeans she wore that evening. Closed his eyes Daryl sighed heavily having not realized how hard it would be to hangout around her once he had noticed how attractive she was. Daryl started to reconsider staying until she was done with work. He turned in his stool to look at the pool tables instead of her tight jeans.

"Here ya are," a quiet voice said but he just nodded in return without looking at her. He heard her walk away and start talking to another customer. Daryl glanced over and saw it was a man in his forties. The guy was leaning over the bar obviously flirting with her. She was smiling back but Daryl could tell it was a mask. It looked like her customer service face, getting people to tip her better. Daryl sipped his Irish beer while he looked around at the other patrons. They were all bikers and rednecks, the typical weekday crowd. There was one waitress working. It was a woman he hadn't seen over the weekend. He saw that her name was Tara from her name tag.

Daryl heard a laugh and looked back over at Jameson. She was laughing with a different older guy at the end of the bar and looked happy with a grin on her face. Daryl liked that expression.

'I wanna make her laugh like that' he thought to himself.

The guy told her some kind of story and was waving his hands, making ridiculous faces. Jameson laughed loudly again and bent at the waist holding her stomach. She was laughing hard and when she stood up she wiped her eyes. Shaking her head Jameson pulled another beer for the guy. Daryl couldn't hear the exchange but enjoyed watching her.

"She's hot huh?" said the man who was flirting with her earlier. Daryl looked at him with a scowl. The guy jutted his chin in Jameson's direction and said, "I'd hit it. She's so tiny, could fuck her good. Prob'ly flexible n' shit."

Daryl scowled even deeper, his nostrils flaring slightly. He did not like some other guy looking at her like that, let along talking about her like that.

"Ya shouldn' talk 'bout her like that." Daryl said roughly, suppressing a growl.

"What ya a friend of hers or somethin'?" he asked Daryl with a raised eyebrow.

"Ya or somethin'. Don' talk 'bout her like that." Daryl responded while taking a gulp of beer. Jameson walked over and asked the sleazy bastard if he needed anything else. He glanced at Daryl and smirked. "Yeah pretty lady. Name's Gorman, How about your phone number?" He asked with a leer.

Jameson looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Sure." She scribbled a number on a piece of paper and handed it to him. Daryl glared at her and felt a wave of rage roll into his chest. He wanted to chuck his beer glass across the room and pummel the guy. The guy stuck it in his pocket and smirked at Daryl. He got up and went to the bathroom.

Jameson walked over to Daryl and leaned against the bar. "Ya want another one?" she asked.

"Why the fuck ya give him yer number?" he spat at her, his eyes burning into hers.

Jameson smiled and chuckled. "I gave him the number to the Dominos. Got it memorized."

Daryl stared at her for a moment and then snorted loudly, shaking his head and pressed his fingers into his eyes. "Jesus woman ya had me worried."

Jameson laughed again and grabbed an empty glass on the bar. "Felt like fucking with him. He's been hitting on me all night. He's gross." She said with a smile. "I don't give my number to just anyone." She said quietly, wiping the counter down.

"Ya gave it ta me." Daryl remarked while finishing his beer.

Jameson nodded and said, "Yer not just anyone. Yer my chauffer."

"Pfft. Thanks a lot." He scoffed while she smirked at him. He watched the guy walking back over to the bar and set some money down.

"Thanks for the drinks, doll. I'll talk to you real soon." Gorman said while grinning at Daryl. Daryl's lips twitched as he nodded his head towards him. Jameson smiled and waved her fingers at him. Once out the door she laughed again.

"Oh god I crack myself up sometimes." She said softly as she filled an order for the waitress.

The rest of the night was mellow. The local crowd was much more laidback than the college crowd. Daryl could tell Jameson preferred the rednecks and bikers to the frat boys. He understood completely because most were courteous and respectful to her. Except for the skeevy guy from earlier in the night. They didn't get handsy or yell at her when it was closing time.

Jameson finished up totally the cash and putting the deposit in the safe. Daryl watched her pull her gun holster on.

"Ya always carry?" he asked her while covertly adjusting his jeans. Seeing her in a gun holster and handling a firearm was hotter than he could have ever imagined.

Jameson glanced over at him while pulling her jacket on and replied, "Not always but whenever I am closing the bar. I'm usually alone and when I lived in the city I'd been mugged a few times. Ended up getting Lucille."

Daryl nodded and said, "They shouldn' let ya close by ya'self. Even with it your not safe."

"Yeah I would prefer not to but Dale's been stingy lately. He's a good guy but he's barely makin' ends meet I think." She said while turning out the lights. The only lighting left was two emergency exit lights. Daryl couldn't see well but heard her approach.

"Can you see at all?" she asked. Daryl shook his head but then realized she wouldn't see him and said, "Nah. You?"

She laughed and said "No but I have it memorized, give me your hand."

Daryl reached out towards her voice and ran his hand into her stomach."Shit sorry." He mumbled.

She took his hand and said, "No worries. Follow me."

Jameson led them to the back door and opened it. He stepped outside and let go of her hand. It had been warm and soft. It was tiny in his large palm. Daryl had an urge to keep holding it but didn't. Locking the door then lit up a smoke, Jameson inhaled deeply and then offered him a puff. "I'd offer you your own but this is my last one." She said when he hesitated. Daryl took it and took a pull, inhaling the sweet nicotine fix. It tasted fruity.

"Tastes like strawberries." He commented with a tiny crooked smile, smoke trailing out his notrils.

Jameson laughed and said, "Sorry I have strawberry lip balm on."

Daryl shrugged and took another couple puffs. He liked that way it tasted. Jameson finished the cig and smashed it under her foot. "Ready?" he asked. She nodded and they made their way to the bike.

"When's your car done?" he asked as he climbed on his bike.

"Oh it should be done tomorrow afternoon I think. You don't have to worry about giving me a ride tomorrow. It's all right, swear. You already lost sleep last night because me." She said while wrapping her arms around his stomach muscle flexing at the sensation.

"Stop." He said. "S'nothin'" Daryl heard her sigh and then she said, "Thanks."

"No reason ta sound put out, If ya don't want me ta I won'" he said thinking the sigh meant she was tired of seeing him.

"I didn't mean to sound put out, Daryl. I sighed because it was relieving to know I didn't have to walk to work tomorrow. I thought you'd change your mind. I know it's a pain in the ass and you're too nice to say anything." She explained.

"One. M'not very nice 'n Two. If I say I'll do somthin' I do it. Now hold on." He said while revving the engine.

Jameson hugged onto him tightly and laid her head against his back. Daryl liked feeling her so close to him, it was so unlike the way everyone else made him feel. She was warm and soft. He had a stray thought about lying in a bed with her. Her head on his chest and wrapped up in his arms. Shaking the image out of his mind they kept riding. When he pulled up to her place and she slid off.

Jameson stood there awkwardly for a moment and then cleared her throat. "Daryl…..um. would it…nevermind." She mumbled and shook her head.

"What?" he asked with his head tilted.

"Do you…do you want to stay? I mean you could sleep a little longer or something…" she said while trailing off and looking away, twisting her fingers in the hem of her shirt.

Daryl stared at her for a moment and wondered if jameson thought she owed him something and was offering more than a place to crash.

"I'm not expectin' anythin' if that's what ya think." He said harshly, somewhat offended that she'd think that of him.

Jameson's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "What the fuck Daryl…I would never..that's not. Nevermind I was just tryin' to be nice, offer you a couch to sleep on so you'd get more rest." She rambled and then turned away.

Daryl hopped off his bike and grabbed her arm but she flinched, yanking her arm away.

"Shit sorry I didn't mean to grab ya... Jus' wait. I wasn' thinkin'. I'll stay...on the couch. Didn't mean ta be a dick." He stammered. Jameson looked at him and sighed, pushing hair out of her eyes, chewing on her lip. Staring for a moment then she nodded slightly.

"Is my bike safe here?" Daryl asked, trying to calm down his irrationally racing heart. He couldn't believe he'd be sleeping in a room near her all night, well for a few hours anyway.

Jameson said, "My spots the first one over there. You can park there." She stood there as Daryl pushed his bike into her parking spot. He turned around and followed her upstairs.

'What The Fuck Are You Doing?' Jameson screamed inside her head and then continued to berate herself, 'You don't do Relationships. You don't even do Friendships. Why are you inviting this guy you barely know upstairs? Have you smoked crack today or something?'

Jameson is confused as to what got into her. She had never even had someone else in her place and remembered how sparse it was and run down. Hoping he didn't notice that she had so few belongings. They reached her apartment door and her hand shook a little while she tried to put the key in the door. She felt him watching her and it was unnerving. They walked in and she said, "Well here's the family estate." Jameson smirked at him and continued, "The bathroom is that door there and I'll get you a blanket and a pillow for the couch." Walking into the bedroom Jameson closed her eyes a moment, took a deep breath. She brought out a crocheted blanket and her spare pillow. Luckily she had washed her sheets a few days ago so the pillowcase was clean.

Daryl was still standing in the living room when she got back, handing them to him. "So I'll wake ya up. I get up at 4, get a shower and make coffee." Daryl nodded and set the pillow on the couch. "Sorry, the couch isn't the comfiest bed but its long enough for you." she added, wringing her fingers. She didn't have experience with having people spending the night.

Daryl sat down and said, "Feels comfy 'nuff. Go on, get some sleep. See ya in the morning." He lifted a corner of his mouth. Jameson nodded and gave him a tiny smile and went into her bedroom, shutting the door she stood there trying to stop her heart from tearing its way out of her chest.

"What the hell are you doing James," She muttered under breath, pulling off her clothes and storing her gun in the nightstand. She slide on her flannel pants, a new wife beater and climbed in bed. Setting her alarm Jameson tried to sleep but spent the early morning hours tossing and turning, picturing the man on her couch.