Thank you all for the favorite follows and reviews! I am really enjoying this story a lot. I like writing in an AU. Please keep following along as Jameson and Daryl tumble along trying to figure out how to deal with their feels.

Jameson walked into her home and it smelled like Daryl. He had folded the blanket and set the pillow on top of it before they left that morning. She picked up the pillow and smelled deeply.

'You Are A Fuckin Weirdo' she thought while shaking her head. She didn't know why she had done it but she smiled when she smelled Daryl on the pillowcase. It smelled masculine and she hugged the pillow to her chest as she walked into her bedroom. She tossed it on the bed pretending like she wasn't going to cuddle with it later. She took a shower and got the chocolate out of her hair. She changed into a comfy pair of yoga pants and a black tank top.

She lit a cigarette and sat at the kitchen table. She pulled out her cellphone and dialed the prison number she had programmed. Once she got through all of the channels she found out that her brother could take a ten minute call. She waited on hold listening to muzak. She heard her phone beep alerting her to a text message but she couldn't see it since she was making a call. Her brother came on the line a few seconds later.

"Jamsie?" Johnnie said happily.

"Hey big brother. Thought I'd see if ya could have calls yet." She said with a smile.

Her brother laughed and said, "Ya I got them back yesterday. I was gonna call but didn't wanna hassle ya. I know you work a ton. How are you doing?"

"Good. Good. Just workin' lots. My car crapped out, picked up an extra shift at the bar." She said while inhaling on her smoke.

"Fuck. Sorry I can't be there to fix it Jameson." He said sadly.

"It's not your fault you're not here." She said tapping her cigarette on a ashtray.

"Stop Jameson. We've been over this. I'm where I should be." He said in a scolding tone and added, "Le's not dwell. How's everything else? Anyone botherin' my baby sister? I can always have a friend check in on ya. Make sure everything's good."

Jameson laughed and replied, "I'm good Johnnie. Don't worry about me."

Johnnie chuckled and said, "I will always worry about my favorite sister."

"Johnnie I am your only sister." She smirked, crushing her cigarette in the dish.

"So. You're still my favorite." He replied with humor in his voice. They paused a moment when Jameson decided to ask him about Daryl.

"I wanted to ask you…..Um. I…there's." Jameson stammered and cleared her throat, "Nevermind. Its silly."

"What? What's going on?" he asked, sounding worried.

"Nothin' I just. You know how I am with people 'n stuff. My car's been broken and well I met a guy and he gave me some rides to work." She rambled and then growled in frustration but continued, "I don't know if I should keep talkin to him or whatever. It's dumb. Your in prison and I'm asking you about boys."

Johnnie chuckled and said, "Jameson."

"What? Don't make fun of me. You know how I am. I'm a fucktard when it comes to dealin' with people n' stuff." She groaned, laying her head down on the kitchen table balancing the phone on her ear.

"He nice?' her brother asked. Jameson nodded and then realized he wouldn't see her.

"Ya he….I didn't even ask for the rides. He kinda made me take 'em. Not in a creepy way, just refused to let me walk home late at night. He helped me close up the bar and helped with a drunk idiot one night. Wouldn't let me buy my own damn lunch today. That pissed me off." She said and laughed quietly.

"Sounds like a good guy. He try anythin' with ya?" he asked in his big brother voice.

"No he's been gentleman-like. Opens doors 'n shit." She chuckled. "He just isn't one to hang around, I think anyways. I don't think he does illegal shit but his brother does. Just got arrested. Daryl's staying in town I guess while his brother in jail. I don't know if it's permanent."

"Wait what's his name?" Johnnie asked.

"Daryl Dixon, brothers Merle." She said.

"I know 'em. Merle's a cocksucker. Had a pill problem last time I saw him, dealt too. Don' remember much of his brother 'cept he usually got his brother outta trouble." Johnnie recalled.

"Ya sounds about right." she said, sitting up and rolling her neck. The robotic operator came on warning of two minutes left.

"Well baby sis. Just be safe. Don' go too fast 'n if he tries shit ya don' like, I'll send someone to take care of it. I can ask around if anyone knows him better?" he offered.

"Don't worry about that. I'm being careful. And you too, stop getting your visitation taken. I'd like to see you." she said.

"I will Jameson. Sorry ya couldn' come. I will see ya soon. I love ya Jamesie. Remember ta keep your head up 'n don' worry 'bout me. I'm fine 'n happy that you're livin' life. If he makes ya happy, keep seein' him." Johnnie told her.

"Thanks Johnnie. I love you. Please be safe. I will see you very soon." She said as the operator came on warning of the 10 seconds left.

"Later James. See you soon." Johnnie said as the line cut off.

Jameson sat back and hung up the phone. Tears stung her eyes. She missed her brother. She missed having him around and she felt such guilt for where he was. She should be sitting there not him.

'Stubborn asshole.' She thought as she turned her phone over to look at the missed message. She saw that it was from Daryl and he was thanking her again. She smiled and felt a little bit of her sadness slip away. She chewed on the inside of her cheek trying to decide what to respond with. She wanted to see him again but decided she would let him make that move. She figured she would see him at the bar most likely.

No problem.

Happy to help.

You helped me out also.

Glad it worked out.

See you soon? ~ Jameson.

She struggled with the decision of using the question mark or not but just did it. She knew she would be second-guessing herself but figured having him responded in one way or the other would shut up her overacting mind.

Worked out well

See ya at the bar. ~ Daryl

She frowned apparently thinking he would offer to see her outside of work but then shook her head. 'Of course you idiot. He was just being nice. Its not like he wants to date you.' she berated herself. She swallowed the lump in her throat. She sighed heavily and decided her bed was calling for her. She crawled under the covers and hugged the pillow he used to her chest. She nuzzled her face into the soft cover and smiled. She wouldn't be washing it for a while. She wanted to enjoy it for as long as she could smell him on it.

Daryl had just shot a bunny when his phone beeped. He smiled when he saw it was Jameson. He smiled even wider when he saw her ask if he'd see her soon. He didn't want to tell her that he would like to ride over to her place now and hangout so he played it cool. He told her he'd see her at the bar so she wouldn't think he was a crazy stalker. They had seen each other a bunch in the last few days and he didn't want her to think he was an obsessed weirdo or get sick of him. He hiked back to his new place after he gutted the rabbit. He would ride over to the grocery store and get a few things to make stew. It would last him a few days.

He had pulled into the grocery store when he saw the security guard from Dale's standing by his beat up bronco. Daryl nodded to him as he passed and the man said, "Hey you." Daryl turned around and said, "Yeah?"

"You been hanging out with Jameson?" the guy asked while rubbing his shaved head.

"What's it to ya?' Daryl asked. He didn't like people in his business. He didn't even know this guy.

"Well she's a friend and she don' need some guy fuckin' with her. She's a sweet girl." He said, stepping closer to Daryl.

Daryl squinted at him and asked, "What's your name?"

"Shane, I work with her and I'm a friend of her brothers. He ain't the type to take kindly to someone fuckin with his baby sister." Shane said.

"Well Shane. I aint fuckin with her. I helped her out, drove her to work, stuck around to make sure she wasn't killed closin' tha damn bar. None a which's really yer business." Daryl said with his arms crossed. He didn't want to fight the guy but he'd throw down if he kept getting closer to him.

Shane squinted at him, "Whatcha mean killed closin' the bar?"

"She's by herself every damn night. Had some fucker 'n her face the other night, wouldn' leave til I asked him too. Not sure what'd he'd a done if I wasn' there." Daryl said while pulling out his cigarette. He was getting stressed out and need some nicotine. Shane shook his head and looked off. He scrubbed his face and then stuck his hand out to shake Daryl's hand and said, "Thanks for being there for 'er. She's a good girl. Needs people ta look out for 'er cuz she's fuckin stubborn. Won't ever tell ya she needs help."

Daryl shook his hand and inhaled deeply on the smoke. He absorbed everything Shane was saying. It was good to know more about the girl he liked so much. He responded with a grunt. Shane continued talking, "I didn't know she had problems the other night."

Daryl nodded and said, "Well she did." He took another deep pull of his cigarette, finishing it in record time and then flicked it into the parking lot.

"Gotta go. See ya." He said while turning towards the store. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Shane leaving.

Daryl thought over what he learned from Shane. Jameson had a brother, a protective brother. She was stubborn, which he knew. She never asked for help, which he knew. Carol and Shane both had told him that she was a good girl and everyone he saw her with seemed to think that same thing.

'Too good for a redneck like ya' he thought to himself while walking into the store.

Daryl picked up some stuff for stew and a few other items for his new place. He would be outta money soon and hoped that he'd get paid at the shop soon. Hunting for his food would be a necessity for a while, not that it was any different than before. It's how he was raised and it was how he'd keep living. Hunting was his favorite past time and the best way for him to relax or unwind. He wondered if Jameson liked hunting.

'Prob'ly does. Growin' up here, everyone hunts.' He thought to himself as he put his groceries in the saddlebags on his motorcycle. He was about to kick start the engine when the Sherriff Deputy that informed him of Merle pulled up next to him. He saw he was with a woman and a kid.

"Hey Daryl. How's everythin' with Merle?" Deputy Grimes asked.

Daryl grunted and shrugged a shoulder. "He's still there. Don' know much."

"Well it'll work out. This is my wife Lori 'n our boy Carl." Grimes said while placing his hands on their shoulders.

Daryl wondered if his wife was Jameson's boss at the bakery but didn't want to say anything. He nodded towards them as a greeting. Lori stuck her hand out and said, "Hi Daryl. I own the bakery. I think you gave Jameson a ride a couple times." She said with a smile. Daryl shook her hand quickly and nodded. He felt embarrassed that so many people knew that he had been spending time with Jameson.

He cleared his throat and said, "Ya her car was broke. Just got it back."

Lori smiled softly and said, "It was nice of ya. It's early and I know she worked late both nights too. She appreciated it a lot." Daryl nodded and ducked his head, his hair falling into his eyes. "S'nothin'," he muttered, looking away form the trio.

"Well we'll let ya go. Call me if ya need anything." Deputy Grimes said while steering his wife and kid away.

"Officer Grimes?" Daryl said remembering he had a question for him.

"Call me Rick. What can I do for ya?" Rick said.

"The truck. Impound's got it. Do ya know how much ta get it out? Or how long I got ta get it?" Daryl asked.

"It's usually a couple hundred but I can get 'em to release it to you. Just let me know when you're comin' in. I let 'em know it's on the house." Rick said with a smile.

Daryl nodded and said a quiet, "Thank ya,"

Rick nodded and said, "No problem Daryl." Rick led his family into the grocery store, Daryl watched the little boy look back at him and waved.

Daryl went home and cooked up some stew, relaxed on his tiny bed and thought about how things changed in the last week. He went from roaming with Merle, keeping him out of trouble, to getting a job and a new place. He even met a girl that he liked. He'd never had someone to be interested in before. He only did one-night stands and the infrequent bootie calls. They never stayed in one place for very long. Most girls don't want to get involved with a guy like him. He liked that Jameson didn't seem to mind that he was redneck white trash. She didn't look down on him for having a brother who was a fuck up. She didn't even get pissed when he sat there not talking. He wished that she were working at the bar so he could go see her but he was happy that she would get some sleep tonight. Before he passed he had a strange idea pass through his head. 'Maybe I'll go buy some passion fruit strawberry cream donuts tomorrow.'

Jameson pulled up to the bakery and got out of her car. She hated her car now, well more than before anyways. It wasn't the back of Daryl's' motorcycle. She liked riding with him better. It made her grumpy to drive in her stupid car now. She went inside and did her normal morning tasks with Lori. They were unloading racks of breads to cool when Lori mentioned her trip to the grocery store the night before.

"I ran into Daryl last night." She said nonchalantly. Jameson looked over shocked that she knew Daryl's name.

"How did you know it was him?" she asked, pretending to not be interested in what happened.

"Rick was talking to him about his brother. I saw the bike and introduced myself as your boss. He was polite." She said with a smile and added, "I thanked him for helping you out."

Jameson nodded and lifted another large tray of bread, sliding it into a cooling rack. "He seems like a good guy. Ya think you'll see him again?" Lori asked as she rolled out pastry dough for turnovers.

"I'm sure he'll come into the bar. I'll see him there." She said while secretly hoping they'd see each away from the bar. Lori frowned and asked, "You don't wanna see him outside of work?"

Jameson shrugged. She didn't know what she wanted. "Don't know. Not sure it's anything more than him helping someone out." She said, not looking at Lori.

"I don't think a guy who is only interested in just helping you out would take you home at 1 or 2 in the morning and then pick you up at 5. That's above and beyond just helping a random person out." Lori said while patting Jameson on the back.

Jameson shrugged again and told her, "Don't know. Maybe." She didn't tell Lori that he slept on her couch too. She didn't want Lori to think she was some kind of floosy.

They continued the rest of the morning prep work silently. Jameson pondered Lori's thoughts on the matter. She didn't think it was a big deal but when you put it like that it seemed like he must at least like her as a friend to lose that much sleep driving her around.

It was around 1130am when the door chimed alerting Jameson to a new customer. She looked up as she finished ringing up the elderly woman's box of croissants when she saw Daryl stroll in. She smiled and ducked her head, her cheeks on fire for some unknown reason.

"Here ya go Mrs. Phillips. I'll see ya next week." Jameson said to the elderly woman.

"Thanks you dear. Now you tell Johnnie that God forgives all. He just has to find Jesus." The older woman said while patting Jameson's hand.

Jameson eyes burned and her mouth was suddenly dry. She hated when people brought up Johnnie. It pissed her off that this old bitch was telling her that Johnnie needed Jesus to be forgiven for something he didn't even do. She just nodded looking away from the lady and Daryl. She turned around and busied herself with brewing a new pot of coffee and said over her shoulder, "Hey."

Once she felt like she had control over herself she turned around and saw Daryl looking at the giant case of pastries.

"Ya make all these?" he asked with wide eyes. Jameson laughed at his expression because he looked a giant kid.

"Well I help make them all. These here, " she pointed at the cupcakes on the top shelf, "I made all these today and decorated 'em. I helped with all the breads and made the fillings for the turnovers."

Daryl shook his head and said, "Your good. Everythin' looks good." He was glaring at the pink donuts.

"Daryl." She said with a smirk. He looked up and asked, "What?"

"I can covertly put those donuts in a paper bag. No one will know." She said while chuckling. Daryl scowled at her and said, "Shuddup." He shook his head and wandered down the giant case.

"Too many choices." He murmured.

"Want me to pick out my favorites?" she asked while grabbing a box. He looked up and nodded. "Any flavors ya hate?" she asked while grabbing two passion fruit donuts.

"Don' like coconut and don't fill tha box. Gotta budget." He said while watching her place items in the box.

"I get to take a box home everyday. Yer getting my stash." She said while picking out two cupcake flavors.

"No ya can't do that." He said pulling out his wallet.

"Shuddup and let me give you free sugar. I don't need to take home so many myself. I promise I'll take a couple from you." she said as she put the raspberry turnover and peach danish in the box. She added a bagel and one mini baguette.

She closed it, tied it with bakers twine and placed the Lori's sticker on top.

"There, you got enough sweets to last ya at least one afternoon," she joked. She looked up and Daryl gave her a tiny crooked smile.

"Ya don' gotta do that ya know." He said, leaning against the counter on his elbows.

"I know. I wanna," she said and added, "FYI, I tend to not do shit I don't wanna. I'm pigheaded."

He laughed and stood up and said, "Good ta know." He smirked.

Jameson slid the box to him on the counter and then asked, "Ya want a coffee or anything?" He shook his head and said, "No. I had some already." Jameson nodded and leaned her hip against the counter. She looked at the clock and saw it was close to the end of her shift.

"Ya off at noon again?" he asked while playing with the string on the box.

"Ya," she said, "Wednesdays are nice because I don't have to be at work until 6 tomorrow night. It's like actually having a day off." She laughs and pushed hair off her forehead.

Daryl nodded and cleared his throat. He chewed on his lip for a moment looking like he was deciding what to say. The door chime went off as the one of the night crew came in.

"Hey Jameson." Beth said as she walked into the back.

"Hey." Jameson said and turned back to Daryl. "I gotta fill her in on what needs to be done…." She trailed off. She didn't know if he had wanted to say something else.

"Oh ya. Sorry." He said picking up the box and started to turn and stopped. "I'll met ya out back." He walked out without explaining and Jameson watched him walk past the window. She shook her head in confusion and walked in the back. She let Beth know what Lori wanted prepared for the next morning and when the coffees needed to be swapped out. Jameson clocked out and got her stuff together. She wasn't sure what she was expecting Daryl to say or ask but her palms were sweating and she found herself hesitating at the back door. She started at the dumb safety first poster and chewed on her lip.

'Just go ya wuss. What's he gonna do? Bite ya?' she snorted inwardly then thought 'Actually biting might not be that bad…'

She shook her head and pushed on the door.

Daryl stood by Jameson's car smoking a cigarette. He didn't know why he was waiting for her but he had been trying to ask her something. He didn't even know what he was trying to ask. He wanted to see her outside of the bar. He wanted to know more about her. He wanted to know who this Johnnie was to her. She had looked pissed off when the old lady brought it up. He could see the tension in her shoulders and the nervous swallowing. He let her get herself sorted before he spoke. He knew what it was like to push down upsetting emotions.

He was just trying to figure out what he wanted to say to her when she stepped out the back door. She smiled and pulled her cigarettes out; she lit one up and wandered over towards him. She leaned against the car next to him. She smelled so good. He couldn't help but take a deep breath. Her shoulder was almost touching his and he fought the urge to lean more to his right so they did touch.

"Work go ok?" Daryl asked her trying to figure out what he actually wanted to ask her.

"Ya it was fine. I didn't pour chocolate all over me, so there's that." She said with a smirk. Daryl snorted and said, "Can't be the worst thing ta have poured all over ya." He mentally slapped himself thinking how dirty the statement sounded.

She laughed and said, "I'll agree with you on that."

They stood there quietly for a moment. Jameson smoking and Daryl biting his thumb. Then he finally decided what to ask her.

"I was gonna go on a ride. Did ya wanna go?" he asked averting his eyes away from her. She looked at him surprised but then hummed.

"Um…." She hesitated and Daryl felt his heart stop. He didn't know why he asked her but the thought of her saying no was terrifying.

'Of course she doesn' wanna go ya idiot. She only rode with ya cause she had ta.' Daryl grumbled to himself.

"Could I go home first?" she asked, biting on her lip. "I'd like ta change into boots if I'm ridin' on the bike. Chucks aren't good for long rides."

Daryl looked at her shocked that she had said yes. "Ya no problem. I can follow ya home. Leave from there?" he said barely concealing his smile.

She nodded and said, "Ok I'll see ya there." She smiled and climbed into her car. Daryl pulled his bike out and followed her home. He couldn't stop the silly grin he got while riding behind her car knowing she was going to be on his bike in a few moments. He enjoyed riding with her wrapped around him and couldn't wait to feel her arms on his stomach and her legs touching his. Now all he had to do was think of where the hell he was taking her.

Thanks for reading! I wonder where he will take her?!

Please checkout my other story "Backroads" a zombie filled Jameson and Daryl fic.

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