Chapter 1: Reverie

reverie (noun) – a state in which you are thinking about pleasant things

The prison fell. Hershel died. So did Bob, Beth, Carol, and Tyreese. With losse came gains in new members to their family of travelers. Michonne recognized that losing did not come without pain. That was a lesson she learned long ago and one that she knew would not be forgotten. Still, she found herself feeling energized that morning. Her movements were stronger and a faint sense of yearning rose in her chest.

"Hey," Rick said, moving into step beside her. Morning sunlight made his blue eyes appear bright and clear. Judith rested comfortably against his chest. A sleepy smile hinted that the baby's dreams were happy.

"Hey yourself."

"Sleep okay?" he asked. "You were up earlier than usual."

"Keeping tabs on me?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Where did you go?"

"Daryl…" she said quietly.

Rick's eyes narrowed. "He brought back a lot of squirrels. Anything else happen?"

She shrugged. "Nothing big. Just took out a few walkers."

"A few?"

Michonne hesitated, unwilling to expose a friend. She understood struggling and grief. Losing so many that they cared about in a short amount of time had taken its toll on everyone, but she had started watching Daryl. Maybe it went back to the weeks they searched for the Governor together. Their friendship was different. Daryl and Rick were like brothers, and her relationship with Rick had yet to be clearly defined. Still, the three of them were close. She wasn't sure what to tell Rick.

"I'll talk to him," Rick said after watching her face for several steps.

"Again?" She frowned.

"Bad idea?"

"He's not ready, Rick."

"Okay. I'll wait."

Michonne glanced at him. He smiled. The gesture had become a new thing between them, occurring as frequently as the stares. After Grady Memorial and what occurred after, none of them had a reason to smile. Michonne hoped the feeling of optimism was contagious. They all certainly needed it.

"What were you thinking about before?" he asked. "You had this…look on your face. You looked—I don't know—serene."

"It'll sound crazy."

"What's a little crazy between us?" He looked at sleeping Judith. "She won't tell. Come on. I wanna know."

If not for the soft footsteps of the others walking with them or one of Abraham's gruff laughs or his off color language, believing that only she and Rick were on a leisurely stroll would be easy.

"Today feels different," she confided.

"How?"

"I don't know," she said. "It just does. Like a change is coming. I'm ready for a change."

He stared at her intently as he said, "Me, too."

"A place…a place where we can call home. Where we can be safe."

He nodded. "That too."

"What other change were you talking about?"

Rick smiled again. "You know."

# #

Two weeks later…

Rick and Michonne stood in the back of the community center. They had reached Virginia without further causalities and discovered the Alexandria Safe Zone soon after. Trusting the space as a sanctuary was not easy for Rick, but the people accepted them. After close to a week of sleeping in barracks, they were in line for housing assignments. Of course, Abraham was first with Rosita at his side. Maggie sat at a table with Tara and Eugene while Glenn stood for the four of them. Nik Cassidy represented his family of four and waited behind Glenn. Daryl and Sasha stood together with Noah and Father Gabriel following. Rick told Carl to sit with Judith on the sofa and he came behind Michonne in line.

"This may take all day," she commented dryly.

He nodded, but her words hadn't registered. His thoughts had been on the impending separation. For weeks, he had grown used to having Michonne nearby. The sounds of her gentle breathing as she slept often helped him relax into a light slumber. His children doted on her. He couldn't deny that he did, too. If she planned on rooming with anyone in particular, the information was a secret to him, but the fact remained that roommates were a necessity as housing was limited. And if her choice was between him or Father Gabriel, Rick wanted Michonne with him and not that cowardly sonuvabitch.

"Mmm…" He grazed her fingers with his. Upon her look, he said, "I want you to live with us."

Her dark brown eyes widened. Her response was not immediate. "That was blunt."

A faint smile curved his bearded mouth. "I wasn't sure how to ask."

"Asking is always good," she said. There was a hint of amusement, but not much. "Is this what Carl wants?"

"Probably."

She frowned. "Probably?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. He hasn't said anything. I could ask him. Ca—"

"Wait." She touched Rick's arm. "Wait. Don't."

The line moved. She took a step forward. Rick moved closer to get a better reading of her expression. Sometimes, he thought his skills had improved. The guardedness was gone. She stopped closing herself off long ago. But she still managed to keep her thoughts concealed. There were times he could read her eyes, though. He'd look into those brown orbs and know that her thoughts mirrored his. He'd know he wasn't crazy because she understood him and they were of the same accord.

"I'm not asking for Carl," he said quietly, "or for Judith."

"I'm not a charity case—"

"You didn't let me finish." He touched her hand. Out of habit, he looked around to assess their surroundings. On the road, there was always the threat of danger. He had to be alert. He couldn't let down his guard for a moment. His quick look around the center assured him that all was safe. No walkers or threats from the living. Once satisfied, he allowed his gaze to enjoy the beauty of her face, the warmth of her brown eyes, and the feel of her fingers against his. "I'm asking for me. For me, Michonne. I'm asking for me. Will you live with us?"

"Share your house?"

He shook his head. "More than that. Share my bed. When you're ready."

"That's quite a request, Rick Grimes."

"It is," he said, realizing that she hadn't moved away from his touch. "What do you say?"

She frowned as she nodded. "Okay."

"Good." He grinned. "I was getting worried there for a minute."

She shook her head. "No, you weren't."

His expression sobered. "Yeah, yeah I was. This will be good."

She nodded again. "I hope Carl will be okay with the arrangement."

"Are you kidding me?" Rick asked.

"You never know."

"He'll be fine."

# #

The two-bedroom/two-bath house came with furniture and fairly stocked pantry. Daryl decided that come morning he would supplement their rations with squirrel meat and whatever else he could find on his morning hunt. With his bag over his shoulder and his crossbow in hand, he trudged down the hall in search of a spot to lay his head. The first bedroom with its queen-sized bed and attached bathroom suited him just fine so he claimed it. He heard Noah and Father Gabriel behind him, so Daryl blocked out their conversation.

Arriving in Virginia had filled most of them with promise, but not Daryl. He felt as if he'd left everything that mattered in Georgia. Sometimes, he wondered why he continued but then Lil Asskicker would smile at him or Noelle Cassidy would question him about the damn crossbow and then Daryl would have a break from his constant funk. It wasn't that he enjoyed feeling this way. But after watching Beth murdered in front of his face and Carol ripped apart by walkers, he wasn't sure about anything. Losing Merle had hurt and these losses cut just as deep.

"There are no more bedrooms," Sasha said, standing in the doorway.

"Are they sharing that other one?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, it has twin beds." She folded her arms across her chest and exhaled. "I'll take the couch."

"You don't have to."

"I don't want you giving up this room for me," she said.

"Did ya hear me offer?" Daryl asked. "I ain't."

She came fully into the room and headed for the bed. "I suppose it's big enough."

"Um… I'll take the floor," he said.

"You're not sleeping on the floor. We can share the bed."

Daryl frowned. "Or I can take the couch."

"You're not giving up the room, right?" she said with a faint smile. "There's plenty of room. I always sleep on the edge anyway. We can do this."

Daryl stared at her, wondering if she was serious. The trip from Georgia had been hell for her, too. She spoke little. This could have been the most he'd heard her voice in a long time. Tyreese had gone down while trying to save Carol. The memory of that attack played in Daryl's worst nightmares.

"The bathroom's there." He pointed.

She dropped her stuff beside his bag and went inside. He followed at a slower pace.

"The shower is huge. Not bad on the tub," she commented. "I wonder if there's soap."

A knock sounded on their outer bedroom door. Noah came in and Gabriel trailed after him. "Are y'all staying in here?" Noah asked.

"Together?" Gabriel added.

"Yeah," Daryl said, his voice hard, daring them to question anything further.

Sasha stepped out and asked, "Is there a problem?"

Noah shook his head. "It's cool with me. I was gonna give you my bed if you needed somewhere to sleep. Glad y'all worked it out."

The teenager left. Gabriel lingered. He obviously had more on his mind, but whenever his gaze met Daryl's, he seemed to retreat inside himself.

"It's none of my business."

"No, it ain't," Daryl said.

"They're passing out assignments at the employment office," Gabriel said. "I'll see what's available."

"That's a good idea," Sasha told him.

Upon his hasty retreat, she kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the bed. Daryl regarded her relaxed position. She seemed to sink into the mattress and her body sighed with the effort. Just watching her made him antsy. He looked out the window. An urge to hunt came over him, but it wasn't food that he wanted.

"What do you think about this place?" she asked.

"It looks safe enough. The walls're high. Fortified," he said. "It'll take a bulldozer to knock that shit down."

She pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes. "I try to think this will be good. A good beginning. A place for us to start over. The last few days, I've tried to think of all the good things that could happen here."

Daryl turned from the activity of Glenn and Maggie moving in next door with Tara and Eugene to focus on Sasha. Wetness shone on her cheeks. He stepped to the foot of the bed and looked down at her. Offering comfort was difficult. He wasn't able to reach out. Not yet. But he could listen.

"I don't know about that kind of good, Sasha. I thought I did, but I don't no more."

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. "Me either."

He shouldered his crossbow. "Wanna hunt with me?"

"Where?" She sat up.

"Outside the walls. I can't be cooped up. I need to get out," he said. "You can come if ya want."

"Are we hunting squirrels and rabbits or walkers?"

He shrugged. "Whatever you wanna kill. Don't matter none to me."

"Okay." She swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Count me in."

[Author's Note: Thanks for checking out the story. If your interest is piqued to read more, let me know. This story will focus on the pairings of Richonne and Dasha, but others will also be featured as the "family" adapts to life inside the safe zone. Richonne will have the struggles of adjusting as a family unit with other obstacles thrown in, whereas Dasha are coming to terms with the darker sides of their personalities. Of course, everything is open because the gang is back together. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!]