Summary: After the war, sixteen-year-old Danielle Hale left Britain, moving to live in the States with her Dad. She struggles to come to terms with what happened, what she had to do in the war, and hoped never to do again. But her hopes are shattered years later when the dead rises and society falls. On her own, Danielle searches for her Dad, not letting anything get in her way.

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. There are plenty of flaws in this fic and even I recognize them but I used my creative license on some things. Constructive criticism is helpful and always appreciated, as are followers, reviews, or comments. Enjoy! If not, eh, I enjoyed writing it myself.

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Chapter 1: I'm In

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"Little pet, why do you taunt me so?" A dark, feminine voice crooned in her ear, almost like a mother disappointed in her daughter. Dark eyes, gleaming with malice and insanity, stared into hers. When she didn't provide an answer to her question, the woman sneered, shoving her face to the side.

"Crucio!" With that one-word, unbearable pain spread through her body, causing a piercing scream to leave her throat.

Deep brown eyes flew open as Danielle Hale shot upright in bed. Her hand instinctively grasped her wand, in its usual place tucked under her pillow. She aimed it around her wearily, searching for a threat. Her chest heaved, her heart beating fast as memories slowly came back to her. She was in her Dad's apartment, not in the Malfoy manor, where Bellatrix had kept her for fun. She was safe.

Slowly, her heart rate lowered and she calmed down, lowering her wand and tucking it back under her pillow. Danielle looked around and sighed, seeing the slightly dark sky outside. Luckily, this time, it wasn't too early, about seven in the morning. Knowing she couldn't go back to sleep, she stood and slipped into the bathroom attached to her small bedroom.

Danielle turned the shower on and stripped out of her nightclothes, a pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeved sweatshirt. The bathroom started to fill with steam from the hot water as she stepped into the shower. A pleased groan left her mouth as the burning hot water hit her bare back, closing her eyes in bliss. Her hands reached out, plucking a bottle of shampoo up from the floor and squirting some into her hands. She lathered it into her hair, scrubbing her scalp hard, before washing it all, repeating the process with the conditioner.

Her hot shower lasted only about ten minutes as she hopped out, turning off the water. Grabbing a towel, she wrapped her hair up in it and used the other one to dry her body, wrapping it around her when she was finished. She stepped in front of the sink, taking a few moments to brush her teeth, taking care to avoid her tongue where she'd bitten it in her sleep. Once that task was complete and her mouth no longer tasted like blood, Danielle wiped the foggy mirror and studied her reflection.

Deep brown eyes, the same shade of her Mom's, stared back at her. Dark purple bags sagged under them, effects of her lack of rest. She'd slept but she hadn't gotten more than five hours of sleep a night in years, not since she was fourteen. It had been fifteen years but she still wasn't over what happened. At twenty-nine, Danielle still had nightmares.

Her Dad wasn't aware of how bad it had been. He knew the basics, that she had been kidnapped when the school was taken over and suffered at the hands of the teachers. It's why he never asked her to go to high school in the Muggle world when she got back. Instead, he taught her himself, not everything but enough to make it by. He knew she had nightmares and when it came to the bad ones, she would wake up screaming and he would be right there, staying there in her bed until she fell asleep.

Danielle hadn't spoken to her Mom since she was sixteen. Fresh from the war, she'd been placed back in her Mom's care but her Mom simply didn't and didn't want to know how to take care of a traumatized teenager. Her Mom was non-magical and unlike her Dad, she wasn't interested in it. She wanted Danielle to forget about Hogwarts, forget about being magical, and to be normal. But Danielle wasn't a normal teenager and she couldn't forget. Finally, her Mom contacted her Dad and Danielle moved to the States to stay with him.

Her Dad wasn't the parent who taught her to walk or talk but he was the one that taught her how to cope, that showed her the world wasn't all bad. He was there through every step of her recovery and Danielle appreciated it more than he could ever imagine. She loved him so much, loved his loud laugh, his broad smile, his kind eyes, and his big, bear hugs. She swore there wasn't another human being in existence that hugged like her Dad. His hugs were tight and warm. In his arms, she felt like she was safe from anything and everything.

When Danielle turned nineteen, she applied at the zoo that her Dad worked at as a surprise. He was a zookeeper at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, working primarily in the Great Cats section. Danielle's application was accepted and she'd never forget the look of pleased surprise on his face when she showed up at work bright and early, dressed in the zoo uniform. She wasn't an official zookeeper like her Dad, only a worker for the dining areas, but since their boss trusted her Dad, she was allowed into the exhibits with him.

Danielle loved the animals, loved working there, but she did have a favorite. She loved the Great Cats section, specifically the tiger exhibit. The Bengal tiger, Shiva, was beautiful. Whenever she had a break from work, Danielle would wander over there and sit in front of her exhibit, just watching her. Amber eyes with black irises watched her with just as much interest. Danielle didn't know why she felt the connection she did with Shiva but she knew she did.

Her Dad thought it was amusing.

One day, a few months after she started working at the zoo, Shiva fell into one of the concrete moats in her exhibit. Her leg was ripped open. Her Dad called the vets but he didn't hesitate to climb in there himself. Using his shirt, he wrapped her leg up, trying to stop the bleeding. The low whine Shiva made tore at Danielle's heart and she followed her Dad into the exhibit. He didn't find that so amusing but he trusted her. Bending down, Danielle stroked Shiva's thick fur and whispered comforting things to her until the vets came.

After that incident, Shiva never showed any sign of hostility towards either of them. She rubbed up against Danielle and her Dad affectionately when they came to feed her.

A fond smile came to her face at the thought of the beautiful animal and Danielle shook her head, deciding to go ahead and get dressed for the day. Moving back into her room, she picked out a pair of black leather pants, a dark red sleeveless tank, black leather knee-high boots, and her favorite black leather jacket. It was a few sizes too big but it was comfy. She fought with her hair for a few minutes before giving up, leaving it to fall around her shoulders in wild dark brown, reddish curls.

Knowing that was as good as it was going to get for today, Danielle left her bedroom and walked down the short hallway to the kitchen.

It didn't take long to make breakfast. Half an hour after she got up, there were scrambled eggs with Colby Jack cheese melted on them, sausages, and pancakes on the kitchen counter, along with a bottle of strawberry syrup. It was her Dad's favorite and it had become Danielle's favorite when he finally persuaded her into trying it.

Food finished, Danielle sat at the kitchen table and waited patiently.

It only took ten minutes for her Dad to come stumbling in, the smell of the food drawing him in. He blinked blearily, still half asleep, and moved to sit down across from her at the table. Rolling her eyes in fond exasperation, Danielle got up and made plates, setting his in front of him and sitting down with hers. She ate her cheesy eggs slowly, eyeing her Dad.

He was slowly becoming more awake. It always took him at least half an hour to be aware of what was going around him. Danielle thought it was adorable, watching him slowly munch on his cheesy eggs, finally waking up.

"Good morning, Dad," she smirked, sipping at her cup of orange juice.

"Good morning, Dani," he smiled back, now more awake. He reached for the strawberry syrup, lathering his pancakes in it. "What time is your flight again?"

"Ten," Danielle answered, finishing her eggs and starting on her pancakes, using strawberry syrup like him. "Security shouldn't take long so I was thinking about visiting Shiva."

"She'd like that," her Dad nodded agreeably.

The flight was one to Atlanta, Georgia. Her boss at the zoo talked to some official at the zoo in Atlanta and they wanted her over there for a few months to help with the animals since they were understaffed. Danielle didn't really have a problem with it except that she would have to be away from her Dad for a few months. Her Dad didn't like it either but he knew she'd be okay. He was just worried.

Glancing at her watch, Danielle noticed it was already nine o'clock. She stood up, taking her empty plate to the sink, and turned back to her Dad, who was still eating. Moving into her room, she picked up her black backpack and made sure she had everything she needed for the next few months, a couple changes of clothes, her laptop and its charger, and her phone charger. She grabbed her phone from off her nightstand and slipped it into her back pocket, then tucked her wand into her right boot.

Throwing her backpack on, Danielle moved back into the kitchen.

"I guess I don't have the time to say bye to Shiva so tell her for me please? I have to go. Bye Dad, I love you," she kissed his cheek, smiling at the scruff she could feel. He hadn't shaved in a while. Her arms slung around his broad shoulders, hugging him, and he wrapped his around her waist, returning it.

"Sure thing. I love you too, sweetheart. Bye, Dani. Be safe!"

"I will!"

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Five months later, Danielle wondered how everything had gotten so twisted around so fast. She was stuck in Atlanta, surviving on her own. At first, Atlanta was broadcast as a safe-zone, a refugee center. But the military bombed the city, considering it too much of a risk. Danielle survived and took shelter in an abandoned apartment building, making one of the apartments her temporary shelter. She'd run into a few of the other groups in the city, like the Vatos, but mostly she stayed by herself. Her goal was to reach Washington D.C, to reach her Dad. But for now, Danielle was living by herself, scavenging for herself and the Vatos. That group had elderly people to take care of. If it wasn't for her bleeding heart, she would have already been halfway to D.C.

What in blazes? This man is either seriously stupid or has a massive death wish.

Leaning forward where she sat on the roof to one of the apartment buildings, Danielle watched the almost comical scene below her. It was like watching a train wreck. She couldn't tear her eyes away. A man, dressed in a Sheriff's uniform, rode down the street in front of her, the horse's hooves clopping loudly on the road. Raising an eyebrow incredulously, Danielle snickered, seeing the horde full of walkers that closed in on the man. Normally, she wouldn't have laughed but that was just a dumb move, riding into a walker infested city on a horse, like some cowboy wanting to save the day.

And there he goes. See ya, cowboy.

Danielle watched as he abandoned the horse to the walkers, using the distraction to scramble inside a tank. Shaking her head, she watched as he leapt out of the tank, five minutes later, and ran, joining up with a Korean guy that she'd seen around the city a few times before. The two of them disappeared, escaping the horde of undead.

Danielle sighed, shaking her head at the stupidity, and stood. She didn't have the time to watch those idiots. It was time for a run. The Vatos were expecting supplies from the hospital the next day.

Running forward, she leapt off the ledge of roof, throwing herself forward. There was a brief moment of suspension in the air before she landed on the next roof. She landed gracefully, not breaking her stride as she continued running and jumping across the rooftops, heading towards the hospital.

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Are you freaking kidding me right now?! Those pricks!

Danielle stared with absolute disbelief at what lay before her. After gathering supplies from the hospital, she'd split the goods, giving the Vatos slightly more and keeping the rest for herself. She returned from the Vatos hideout and traveled across the rooftops as usual, until she stopped at a department store. Imagine her surprise when she saw another occupant on the roof.

It was a man. He was dressed in baggy jeans, black leather boots, a faded black sleeveless shirt, and a black sleeveless leather vest. Honestly, he looked like a biker, one of the men her Dad would tell her to stay away from. His skin was bright red and blistered from the hot Atlanta sun, indicating he'd been there all day. He was unconscious, unaware of what was going on around him. Danielle stared at him, feeling sympathy rise in her.

He didn't seem like a bad guy. There was nothing he could have to deserve being left behind, restrained to a pipe, without a weapon to defend himself or supplies to use. It was like leaving an animal to die. He wasn't an animal. He was a human being who had the right to try his hardest to survive.

Danielle groaned in frustration, realizing she couldn't just leave him there. Inwardly cursing her bleeding heart, she bent down and inspected the handcuffs restraining him to the pipe. It was nothing she couldn't unlock with a simple unlocking charm.

Alohomora.

Forgoing her wand, she grasped the handcuff and mentally focused on the charm, guiding her magic. There was a small click and the handcuffs popped open. Pulling it off his wrist, Danielle turned her back to him and bent down, pulling him forward. She grunted at the dead weight on her back but wrapped her arms around his legs securely, staying bent over so he wouldn't slide off her back.

Standing carefully, Danielle closed her eyes and concentrated, picturing the apartment she'd made into a shelter. Her magic came to her easily, following her wish. There was a tug behind her navel and a slight popping sound before she stumbled, opening her eyes to see her apartment.

Moving over to the couch, she lowered the man gingerly onto it, standing and rubbing her sore shoulders. She looked down at the unconscious guy with a heavy sigh, moving towards her bag. There were some medications inside that would hopefully provide some relief for his blisters.

After leaving a few pain pills and a glass of water next to him, Danielle sat down in a bean bag chair across from the couch, holding her spear. She had a bleeding heart but she wasn't stupid. Her body was exhausted but she wasn't going to sleep with a stranger there.

Hand tightening on her spear, Danielle forced the idea of sleep to the back of her mind. Her dark brown eyes focused on the stranger sleeping on the couch, her body on high alert. Unfortunately, there was only so long her body could go without rest. Her eyes fluttered shut and her grip on her spear loosened as she passed out, her body pushed beyond the limit.

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The sound of a pained grunt is what woke her.

Reacting instinctively, Danielle scrambled out of the bean bag chair, her grip tightening on her spear as she aimed it towards the sound, still on her knees. Her brown eyes widened as they met pale blue. She stared at the man, who stared back at her. Several long moments passed with the two of them in a stare down, trying to see who would react first.

He did. The stranger smirked, breaking eye contact with her to glance down at her spear.

"Yer the one that saved me, sugar?"

"I did," Danielle nodded, watching him wearily. "No matter what crime you committed, you didn't deserve to be left behind on a rooftop, chained up like an animal."

His smirk faltered, replaced by an unreadable look, as he studied her. "Merle, Merle Dixon."

"Dani," she returned politely, standing.

"I don't say this often but thank ya," Merle nodded to her. He tried to push himself up and hissed in pain, wincing as his blisters stung. Impulsively, Danielle moved over to him and gently helped him sit up, ignoring his hands as he tried to push her away. She stayed stubbornly and stepped back once he was upright.

"You're welcome, Dixon," Danielle moved over to her bag, digging around before pulling out a pack of beef jerky. She ripped it open and grabbed a few pieces for herself before handing the bag over to Merle. He chowed down on the beef jerky, like he hadn't eaten in days. Sitting on the floor, she crossed her legs loosely, holding her spear in her lap as she munched on the beef jerky.

"Ya know, sugar, I gotta get back to my little brother. Ya can come with us if ya want," Merle spoke, his mouth full as he chewed.

Pausing in her snack, Danielle raised her eyebrows at him, surprised by the offer. "We just met. Why would you want me to come along?"

"Ya saved me. Why wouldn't I?" He countered, raising his eyebrows back at her.

"You don't know me. I could slit your throat while you sleep," she pointed out logically.

Merle laughed, shaking his head with a grin. "I doubt ya'd go through all this trouble for little old me, just to kill me."

Danielle cocked her head, furrowing her eyebrows. "Fine then. How do I know you won't slit my throat while I'm sleeping?"

"Ya just have to trust me," Merle answered seriously. "I swear I'll never hurt ya, sugar. Without ya, I'd still be back on that darn roof, cookin' like a lobster."

She studied him, wondering if she could really trust him. Danielle hadn't traveled with anyone. She preferred to travel alone, faster and easier to reach her goal. Her interest didn't lie in making a safe place for a group. No, her only interest was to get to Washington D.C, to see her Dad again. Besides, she used magic while she traveled and she didn't feel like hiding it in close quarters.

Her hand stretched out towards the kitchen area. Merle looked at her oddly, confused. With a tug of her magic, a knife flew out of her bag and flew into her outstretched hand. Danielle twirled it in one hand gracefully, raising her eyebrows at the wide-eyed Dixon, mouth hanging open slightly.

"Still want me to come along, Dixon?"

"Heck yeah I do," Merle recovered from his shock quicker than she expected, giving her a sly grin. "What else can ya do, witchy?"

"I can and will turn you into a worm if you keep calling me that," Danielle informed him mildly, her lips twitching into a small smirk. "A lot of other things too."

"If ya can do all that, why are ya worried about me hurtin' ya?"

"I don't want to travel with someone I can't trust," she answered, throwing her knife. There was a light thud as it hit the hall, sticking there.

"Look," Merle exhaled loudly, frustrated with her stubbornness. "We can help each other. Ya help me find my brother and I'll help ya get to somewhere safe."

"I don't want that," Danielle scoffed, shaking her head. "I could care less about getting somewhere safe."

He watched her, interested. "What do ya care about then? What are ya lookin' for? Ya got family out there or somethin'?"

Danielle looked away from him, fingering her finger-less leather gloves. She debated whether she should answer before admitting the truth. "I'm looking for my Dad. He was in Washington D.C. before all this crap happened."

"Tell ya what," Merle proposed, facing her with a smirk. "Ya help me find Daryl and I'll help ya find yer old man. What do ya say, sugar?"

Danielle looked at him, considering it. She wasn't used to trusting anyone anymore but the look in his blue eyes was sincere. He really would help her find her Dad. Deciding to take the risk, she nodded slowly. "Alright, Merle. I'm in."