This is a story Rated M for violence, coarse language and sexual situations. I do not own TWD but I sure wish I did :P Also if you haven't watched the newest episode I would steer clear of this story :)

I realize others have used this idea. But I thought I could put a twist on it :) Hope you all enjoy it.

Chapter one: Lost in the chaos

It was a rainy, windy November day when Amber decided to walk to the bus stop. She normally took her car, but she had woken only to find the neighbor blocking her in again. He did this on purpose. He seemed to enjoy watching her expression when she found he had left her to figure out a way to work.

She tried hard not to tear up, but it was hard. She didn't have the most high paying job out there. She could afford only a small bachelor suite in the middle of the city. Crime was high and so were most of the other tenants. But she shrugged it off and kept doing what she had to do. It wasn't a life of enjoyment. It was a life of survival.

She climbed up the steps to the city bus and sat down next to a man who most certainly smelled like what seemed to be vomit. Yep vomit. She was sure of it. Her nose crinkled but she tried her best to keep it to herself. If she could make it until the end of her day then she could lay down on her sofa and sleep. She wouldn't have to think about the urine she was most likely sitting in.

Amber was a mechanic. She had been since she left high school. It was the one thing her father had ever taught her that was useful in the outside world. He wasn't the smartest man out there but he gave her all he could. Amber struggled, living day to day but it was all for a good reason. She wanted to upgrade. If she could learn heavy duty mechanics then she could make more money. But to take the courses she needed, she would have to save up. So she spent nothing on herself. Food and a roof over her head. That was it. No luxuries.

Her day had been a nightmare. She missed the last bus home and ended up having to cab it. That cost her nearly forty dollars she didn't have. Now she would be behind on her heat bill.

Amber sighed as she hit the button on her answering machine. "Hey Amber, it's Casey. Still on for tonight? Walking Dead at your place? Pick up. Pick up." The line went quiet a minute before picking up again, "Okay well.. I'll be there at eight." Then the line went dead.

She smiled to herself. Casey was still coming over, thank goodness. Amber could use the break from reality. Her best friend in the whole world would bring pizza and drinks. Then they could sit and watch Daryl and Rick be completely freaking gorgeous together. Fan girl squee!

She hopped in the shower, rinsing off the urine and vomit from the bus and scrubbing the oil from her hands. At least she loved what she did. She repeated it a few times, psyching herself up before climbing out and changing into her pyjamas.

Casey stood outside her best friends apartment, hoping that the crazy drugged out super wouldn't bother her this time. He had every time she showed up Sunday's. But it was better to come and watch their favourite show here then at her house. She had four kids and none of them wanted to go to bed on time. That left Casey and Amber up half the night waiting until they finally went to sleep.

So this was it. Her boyfriend watched the kids and Casey got a break from it all. She rang the buzzer and pulled her sweater closed. "Let me in, It's freezing out here!" She said, her body fighting to get warmer.

Amber buzzed her friend up and cracked the door open enough that she could come right in.

"Hey. I wasn't aware that it got this cold so early in the year." Casey whined, pushing inside. "Something is not right about this weather."

"Yah well, global warming or whatever." Amber said, peeking out from the kitchen. "I recorded the newest episode." She said, smiling. "I wish it didn't take so many breaks.. It just doesn't feel like we've had enough." Amber was talking about the mid season finale. She hated and loved them. Yes good and important things would happen but it also marked the end for a short period of time.

"I wonder if Bob dies." Casey said, plunking down on the large checkered sofa.

"I hope so, and Carol. I hate her so much!" Carol drove her nuts. At least that is what Amber wanted to believe. It made her feel better. "But knowing our luck they will both live. Boo." Carol had become a far better survivor, she would give her that.

They both climbed under the large comforter and Amber switched the finale on. There they sat watching as Bob was turned into a zombie. The best part was when Tyrese killed him. But with every good thing came the bad. "I knew it! I knew they weren't safe there." Casey shouted, hitting Amber on the arm. "The church was to good, it couldn't have lasted."

Amber sighed, clicking the TV off. "Well that was certainly a good finale."

"They killed Beth." Casey whined, "I liked Beth. Why couldn't they have killed someone else?"

"Because people liked her." Amber shrugged. She liked Beth to. It made her sad. "I had hoped Daryl would find his happiness with her." It sucked watching him cry like that. And Rick.. Man it was lame.

"I gotta get home. I left Ben with Frank and he was so sick. I wouldn't be surprised if there was vomit." Casey said, slapping her friends knee. She got up and placed the comforter back over Amber. "Get some rest okay? You look like someone stole your dog." And with that Casey was off towards home.

As she moved to get into her car she looked up to the sky. "Lightening? Thunder?" She knew her kids would not be asleep. They hated storms.

Amber's eyes shot open to the loud screams of Maggie as she crumpled to the concrete outside the hospital. She rubbed her eyes and looked over at the flashing clock. "One Am.. Oh god." She groaned, placing her pillow over her face. She let out a loud scream into it. She hadn't been getting the best nights sleep lately. Not to mention she had left The Walking Dead on repeat. Dumb!

She removed the pillow and reached for the remote as a loud cracking sound threw her to the ground. She blinked rapidly, reaching out for the nearest thing but missed it. Looking up she could just make out a bright white light above her head, blinding her. Her arm shot up to cover her face but she had been to late. Whatever it was it knocked her unconscious.

Her shoulder hurt. That was the first thing that came into her head as she realized she was awake. She gripped it and massaged until the cramp went away. But it seemed weird. Normally when she fell asleep on her couch she hurt but it was nothing like the shooting pains she was now getting all over her body.

"Are you alright? If you can hear me say something." She must have left the TV on. Rick's voice rang out around her. She lifted her hand to rub her eyes. Blinking rapidly she began to see the things around her. "Can you speak?" Rick repeated.

He had woken up that morning and gone out to tend to the chickens for Hershel when he found the strange girl asleep in a pile of leaves. He wondered if maybe Hershel's neighbors, Pat and Otis had a daughter he wasn't aware of. "Where am I?" The girl mouthed, sitting in an upright position.

"Outside Hershel's. You from next door?" He asked her. He hoped so.

"No.. No this isn't real. You aren't real." Amber said, realizing she must be dreaming. There was no such thing as Rick Grimes. This was all a TV show on AMC.

"Tell me how you got here." Rick said, still trying to make sense of just whatever the hell was happening. "Did someone hurt you?"

"I was in my living room." Amber whispered, "I was in my living room and there was this flash of light." She reached her fingers to her temple, flinching.

Oh god, Rick thought. She's insane. Just what they needed, to carrying this person around, baby her. "You're alright. Let's get ya to Hershel. He's a doctor." Rick told her.

"He's a Vet." She replied, not thinking.

"What did you just say?" Rick asked, confused. They must know each other.

"Nothing. I guess you can take me to Hershel." Amber said, realizing this had to be a dream. And if it was she might as well play along for now. She would wake up soon enough and have to go back to her shit life, in her shit apartment.

She sat on the large bed as Hershel shined a bright light in her eyes. She flinched. Even her eyes hurt from whatever the heck had happened back in her living room. "She seems alright." He told Rick, "Does this hurt?" He asked her as he pressed the area around her eye.

"Yes." She winced. They felt bruised. She had never had anything like it before. "They hurt."

"It looks as if someone hit her over the head. But it's the strangest thing.. I don't see any bruising or bleeding." Hershel told Rick.

"How is that possible?" Rick asked the Vet. He had seen many injured people who had been in brawls. He hadn't heard of it either. He was also fairly sure Hershel had no idea who the girl was. How had she gotten here? And if she was crazy how the hell had she lasted this long out there?

"I couldn't say." Hershel lay down his stethoscope. "What is your name?" He asked her. "How did you get here?"

"Am.. Amber." She stuttered a little from the headache. It was hard to think if she was being honest with herself. It was hard to keep her eyes open. "My name is Amber." She repeated. "I'm a mechanic from Vancouver.. Canada." And this was a dream, it had to be.

"How did you get all the way out here?" Rick asked her, repeating the question.

"I'm dreaming." Amber said, duh!

"She's delusional Hershel. What are we supposed to do with her?" Rick asked the Vet.

"I don't think she is Rick. She have some for of amnesia brought on by a blunt force trauma to the skull. Do you have a history of mental health problems Amber?" Hershel asked, knowing the answer.

"No.. " She said. Amber had pinched herself at least ten times while the two men yapped back and forth.. She always woke up when she pinched herself. But she wasn't this time. Something wasn't right about all this..

Rick sighed, there was no way he could send her away. He would be sentencing her to death.. But he wasn't sure where she was from or how she had gotten here. That worried him. "I'll take you down to the camp, set up a tent for you. You can meet the others." He told her. He hoped her memory came back soon because he wasn't sure he trusted her.

Amber followed him slowly, taking each stair one at a time. It was as if she had to look at every one of them. She had to see them, they were really there. Hershel Greene's family home.

Rick tried to be patient as the girl followed along behind him but he couldn't help feel like it took hours to make it to the porch. "There is the field where I found you." He pointed out to the right by the tree line. "And that is the camp."

She gripped the edge of the door frame and peeked outside. There is was.. The camp. Little dots of blue and red and a large beige RV stood off against a dense forest. It hit her then.. She was going to meet Daryl Dixon. She was going to meet Shane... She met Rick Grimes!

"If you follow me out there I can introduce you. I am sure one of the ladies can find you a tent." He said, snapping the girl out of whatever daze she was in. She seemed to do that a lot. Off in her head somewhere not paying attention to her surroundings. He wondered if she had killed any walkers... She couldn't have survived long if she day dreamed this frequently.

"Lori. This is Amber." His wife looked up from the washing. "Hershel cleared her so I thought I'd bring her out to meet everyone."

"Oh. Well it's nice to meet you Amber." She said, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "We could use the help." Lori was exhausted these days. More so then usual. If they could have just one less job that needed doing she would sleep a little easier.

"Mhm." Amber nodded, not saying much in return. She was in shock, there was no other explanation.

"Can you help her get settled? Maybe find her a tent?" Rick asked her. "I promised Carl we would go shooting today.." He hadn't had much time to spend with his son lately. He owed him one. Not to mention Carl had been feeling a lot better since Hershel fixed him up. It was the perfect time.

"I am sure we can find her something." Lori told him as she slopped a shirt back into the bucket of water. "I was getting bored of this job anyway." She smiled up at Amber. "Shall we?"

Amber spent the day meeting the group. She actually thought Carol seemed like a nice lady, having spent a good hour sitting with her. But they hadn't yet found Sophia in the barn so she could tell the woman was upset. Amber couldn't help but wonder if she should say something. But she came to the conclusion that maybe it was best to let this one unfold on it's own.

"So you're from Canada?" Glenn asked Amber, curious as to why she was in Atlanta.

"Yep.." She had always been a woman of few words but she wished that she wasn't. These people had so many questions.. She didn't know how to answer them all.

"You wanna tell us what you did for a living?" He went on, trying to get the new girl to talk to him. She was quiet and he wondered what had happened to her that made her that way.

"Oh uh.. Ya. I was a mechanic. I worked for my best friends dad." She shrugged, "Been doin it a while I guess."

"Cool! We could use a mechanic." He said, realising maybe it wasn't the best thing to say. "Of course I mean that.. We don't uh.."

"It's fine. I would love to help out while I'm here." She wondered just how long she would be in this place? Would she wake up back home? Maybe if she went to sleep here she would wake up back there... Did she want that? Here she wouldn't have to bust her ass to live in that shitty apartment. Here she could go wherever she wanted. Down side was walkers..

"The tent is on the picnic table for you hun." Lori told her, pointing to their eating area. "If you need some help I am sure Glenn would give a hand." She hoped it had all it's pieces. It was the last available one and it may have been in the back of the RV because it was no good..

"Thanks, I think I can handle it." Amber smiled to the woman. She wondered if Lori had figured out she was pregnant yet. It had been a while since she saw this season.. She couldn't remember the order everything had gone in. "You planning on making a run sometime soon?" She asked Glenn. Maybe that would help her figure it out.

"We were gonna go tomorrow morning. Lori needs some things. Why? You wanna come along?" He asked her.

"Oh.. Uh sure. I guess I could come." She twiddled her thumbs. Her intention had not been to tag along. She wasn't sure she would be helpful. But she had to learn sometime didn't she? She had to show she could kill walkers.. She peered off into the forest. Could she kill walkers? She had never so much as killed a spider on purpose.

"Okay. We'll make sure to get you at sunrise. Best to go early so we have enough time. In case we get stuck for whatever reason." Glenn told the new girl. He hoped she would be able to pay attention. You couldn't day dream out there. You would die.

"You should get some sleep." Andrea told the new girl.

"I'm not horribly tired to be honest." Amber lied. She worried that sleeping might send her back home. If this was some kind of magical dream, she didn't want it to end. Zombies weren't ideal but to be here.. To know what is going to happen. She felt excitement. She could try and help them stop things from happening. They could avoid certain things. She also would be lying if she told herself it wasn't easier to look forward to the next day. Here she didn't need to pay rent. She didn't have her creepy psycho super watching her out his window as she fought to replace her tires and make it to work on time.

"You wanna take my watch?" She asked, "If you are gonna be up we could use you." She smiled at Amber. Really she just wanted to help Shane. Since Rick had shown up he had a lot more spare time. She was hoping he would teach her to clean the gun supply. Of course a little flirting went along with it.

"You mean with a gun?" Amber asked her, scrunching her nose.

"Yeah, I'll give you mine." She swung her rifle off her shoulder and passed it to Amber. "Daryl got back a few hours ago. He'll be on watch with you so you won't be alone. But it can be boring, I am warning you. We don't get many walkers out here."

"Daryl." She said back.

"Yeah, he's a quiet guy. Maybe bring a book." She smiled, the girl had no idea. He was intimidating. One wrong word would send him over the deep end. But she had a feeling these two would be fine. She didn't seem like a girl who had lots to say.

"Where do I find a book?" Amber asked her. How did the woman expect her to just have one lying around.

"Dale has some in the RV. As long as you return it later he is fine with it." Dale and Andrea hadn't been talking much lately. Not since the CDC incident. But even if she acted angry towards him she knew he had been right. She was glad to have stayed alive. Of course she would never tell him that..

"Kay. Thanks." She smiled a large fake smile at the blonde woman. She hated her. She had been hoping the character would die and with every episode she only grew worse. Then the whole Governor thing.. Andrea was the worst. She never seemed to learn no matter what happened to her. The only good that came from her was Michonne.

It began to grow dark as Amber wandered towards the RV. She could see the silhouette of the red neck, sitting in a camping chair. His crossbow leaning against his leg. She stopped at the bottom of the ladder and took a big breath in.

She had always wanted to head to a comic con but never figured it would matter much. Meeting the celebrity was so quick and she knew that mostly they wouldn't remember you. There was no point in her mind. But this was different. This wasn't Norman Reedus, it was Daryl Dixon. The real Daryl Dixon. Shy, rude, rash, beautiful, caring Daryl mother fucking Dixon. All Amber had to do was make it up there and she would meet him. It sounded easier then it really was.