AN:so... (gulps) it's my first AU...I'm very nervous. Longer AN at the end of chapter. Let me know what you think :) Thanks Vicki for the encouragement!

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

SHELTER

CHAPTER ONE

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I was in another lifetime one of toil and blood

When blackness was a virtue and the road was full of mud

I came in from the wilderness a creature void of form

"Come in" she said

"I'll give you shelter from the storm".

Bob Dylan ~Shelter from the Storm

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"He won't find you Carol, I promise"

Carol sighed into the phone "You can't promise me that Rick, you know that, as well as I do. We've been through this before...does it really have to be so far away?"

"Carol...I'm not banishing you, you're acting like I'm dropping you off on the side of the road...this is for your own safety"

"But he's in jail..."

"That's why it has to be now, before Ed gets out, before he has a chance to start all over again. Stalker's don't stop Carol. Lori and I are worried about you, you have to get out now...while you still can"

Carol sat back in her car after saying goodbye to Rick, the urge to throw her new cell was a strong one, as she rammed it into her purse. She stared up at the new building that she was moving into. Leaving Georgia had been hard, especially moving to this small town in South Carolina, she'd never heard off.

The past year had been a nightmare all because of one mistake...one man, Ed Pelletier. He'd asked her out on one date, which she'd agreed to..and she'd immediately known something just wasn't quite right with him. She'd not accepted when he called her for a second time but Ed...Ed didn't like to take no for an answer. Suddenly every time she turned around there he was. Every time she turned him down he got more angry,more belligerent.

Than the phone calls had started, the threats, her best friend Lori's husband Rick had recorded them, enough to get her a restraining order which hadn't meant much to Ed. One night Rick had dropped her off after she'd spent the evening with Lori, he'd insisted on walking her into her apartment. Ed had been waiting for her with a knife. Ed wasn't stupid, Rick was a cop, he'd dropped the knife immediately. Ed went to jail but he wouldn't be there long. Rick had made that clear to her, Ed would be getting out soon. He and Lori had invited her over for dinner and laid their worries out on the table. They wanted to help her get out of town, make a new start.

At 30 she didn't have much holding her back from leaving. She worked part time as a waitress while she gradually grew her name and reputation as a book illustrator. The latter she could do at home from anywhere, the waitress job wouldn't be hard to replace.

She hadn't wanted to move somewhere that she wouldn't be able to see her friends. She had no family left to speak of she'd been an only child, her mom had died in a car crash when she was nine, her dad at the age of eighteen of a heart attack. Her dad had left her a small inheritance and between that and waitressing she'd made her way through art school, switching her focus to illustration when she'd discovered her passion for it.

She'd sent samples of her work to every editor whose address she could get her hands on, and she'd finally gotten a response. Andrea her editor had shown her illustrations to an up and coming children's author who had loved her work, Glenn Rhee had offered her a contract to illustrate all his books. She'd never met him, but he was rapidly becoming one of her new best friends online. They communicated via e mail several times a day, he would often bounce ideas off her or give her descriptions of new characters he'd dreamed up so she could get started on illustrations of them. She knew he was happily married and expecting his first child. She'd confided in him, about Ed and what was happening and he'd agreed with Rick even suggesting this town to her, he'd lived here, knew the owner of this building Dale Horvath. Who she assumed was the man walking towards her car, a kind smile on his face. Taking a deep breath she got out of the car, well here it goes she thought.

"Carol? ...Carol Miller" when she nodded her head she was quickly embraced in a bear hug much to her surprise.

"So your Glenn's friend?...Well it's great to meet you dear, Glenn told me your situation...no one else knows but me, my lips are sealed." He broke away from her leaving both hands on her shoulder "You'll like it here, furnished, nice building, good security system" he stressed the last part. "Where's your bags I'll take you to the apartment." Carol opened her trunk getting two suitcase and a duffel bag. Dale hoisted her bag with art supplies over his shoulder. Rick and Lori had promised to ship the rest of her things to her and to store her furniture for now. She glanced at Dale with a smile, who had yet to stop talking, he was currently telling her all about the history of the town, after a brief pause he spoke again.

"So Glenn was telling me your looking for a part time job?" Dale asked holding the door for her on the elevator. When she nodded he continued on "Well, I am looking for some help at my office Horvath Properties. I really don't need anyone full time,...I'll be honest I am a slob, since my wife died the office is a mess, I just need someone to help me stay organized, clean up at times, restocking, that kind of thing, maybe twenty hours a week you could set your own hours?" She was a little stunned but nodded."That would be amazing, thank you."

"Excellent" he said leading her to door, and hauling out a seemingly endless ring of keys"Aha found it!"

Dale lead her into the apartment and she glanced around the room, it was an older building, the apartment though had lots of character which surprised Carol, it looked like great pains had been taken to save the original woodwork and moldings. "Wow, this place is amazing" she'd smiled at Dale

"Thank you! we put a lot of effort into restoring our buildings. The head of my construction team Merle Dixon does a fantastic job...in fact his brother Daryl is the manager of this very building...his apartment is next to yours."he looked thoughtful for a moment "I should probably introduce you...just...Daryl is a little...rough around the edges."

Carol quirked her brow, this did not sound good "How so?"

"Well I've known Daryl and Merle their whole life, they're good men... They haven't had it easy, Daryl idiolized Merle, followed him into the millitary. He was injured in Iraq, his recovery hasn't been without ..bumps...he's bit of a hermit" Dale said laughing nervously.

"How sad" Carol said her heart aching a little for the unknown man

"Yes... well he should be home, let's...let's get this over with." Dale said setting her bag down and leading her back into the hallway and knocking on the door next to hers repeatedly "Daryl...it's Dale open up" Dale looked at Carol with a sheepish grin on his face when a deep voice answered him from inside the apartment "I ain't home!"

"Daryl...I'm not alone...I have your new neighbor here...Daryl"

Carol had to bit her lip to hold back a laugh, Dale looked so embarrassed at the grumbled cursing coming from the apartment when the door suddenly jerked open. She was momentarily taken aback, at the man before her. He was shirtless and his broad chest made her go a little breathless, his hair was a little too long, she itched to brush it out of his eyes, they were an intense blue. She felt a shiver run through her body. He seemed a little lost for words too as he stared back at her then a scowl slowly crossed his face "What? You ain't never seen anyone in a wheelchair before?"

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AN:so...I'm very nervous when trying something new...reassurance that your interested would be appreciated. Few points I would like to make

Daryl is not paralyzed, his injuries will be quickly explained

As always negative anons will be deleted and ignored

There may be few trigger warnings which I will warn you of ahead of time.

I am not an American, I'm Canadian please suspend your disbelief up if I screw up any details.

Anyway, please let me know if there is any interest in my continuing.