Okay I know I haven't finished my story A love that echo's and it's been a couple of weeks since I last updated it but I had this idea for a new story and I just couldn't get it out of my head. Set a few months after the season 3 final and for the purposes of this story Merle didn't die instead Daryl caught up with him and talked him out of facing off with the Governor because I love Merle and he must be in my story hehe. Anyway a huge thanks to my beta, your awesome sweetie, I really hope you all enjoy and let me know if you think I should continue or not.

Love and sorrow.

Chapter one

Under the cover of darkness.

Daryl should have seen it coming; things had been far too quiet, too good. After the Governor's first attack they had brought the folks of Woodbury back to the prison, most of them were nice enough, just scared people looking for somewhere safe to hunker down.

Men, women and children of all ages, they all pitched in, earned their keep and worked hard to keep the prison and all the people inside it safe. Daryl had been able to catch up with Merle stopping him from confronting the Governor alone. Merle just wanted to do the right thing by Daryl and take the Governor and his men out before they could hurt anyone else but Daryl knew if he had gone up against them alone he would have lost his brother for sure; so after a heated argument that got slightly violent in true Dixon fashion Daryl had convinced Merle to come back to the prison with him.

After that the Governor had attacked but they had managed to scare him off, then the Governor had killed most of his own people shattering any loyalty the rest of Woodbury had for him. They had found Andrea too late; Michonne had stayed by her side holding her as Andrea did what she had to, to make sure she didn't turn. They had returned to the prison to lay Andrea to rest with the people from Woodbury. Slowly things had returned to normal Maggie and Glenn had gotten married in a small ceremony, Rick, Daryl and Merle had repaired the fence and made sure the prison was as secure as possible and things finally looked like they were looking up.

He should have known it wouldn't last.

Daryl woke to the unmistakable sound of gun fire, he could hear people running and screaming. Jumping off his bunk he grabbed his bow, gun and buck knife looking out his cell door he could see the Governor and the small handful of people on the lower level, he was shooting people as they attempted to flee their cells, turning to grab his jacket and vest he moved fast but quiet straight to Carol's cell next door.

"Daryl what the hell is going on?" she gasped jumping up from her bunk, he could see her hands shaking, panic written on her face.

"It's the Governor and his men, we got to get outta here."

"What? But how? We fixed the fence, the prison is like Fort Knox; you and Merle made sure of that."

"It had to be one of the Woodbury folks, knew we couldn't trust them," he hissed clearly enraged.

"Aaron was on guard duty with Sasha, he must have let him in."

"Or both of them did," Daryl grumbled looking out her cell to make sure the Governor wasn't getting too close.

"No, Sasha wouldn't betray us," Carol shook her head putting on her jacket and shoes and grabbing her gun, then a thought stopped her "Wait, you don't think Aaron would have hurt her do you?"

"It don't matter woman there's nothing we can do now if he has, we gotta go," he said grabbing her arm and leading her out of the cell, they had just moved down the stairs when they saw Carl shoot one of the Governor's men before the Governor turned and returned fire.

"Oh my god Carl," Carol gasped in horror as they watched the young boy slump to the ground. Daryl realized the Governor must have heard Carol's gasps when his head snapped towards them; he smiled sinisterly as he started to move towards them. Daryl saw Rick round the corner and scoop up Carl before fleeing. Daryl raised his bow firing as he grasped Carol's arm.

"Move it woman, run" he barked at her pushing her towards the hallway behind them that lead to the tombs. Daryl couldn't help but smirk smugly as his arrow hit its mark. The Governor hissed when the arrow lodged into his upper chest, he fired at Merle's redneck brother and the woman but it was too late, his bullets hit the wall as they rounded the corner and disappeared from his sight.

Daryl moved through the tombs quickly dragging a clearly shaken Carol behind him. He could tell she was crying, he could feel her hands shaking but he had to keep them moving. He had gotten into the habit of parking his bike at the side of the prison should they ever have to flee the prison suddenly. He could hear the moans of the walkers that still wandered the tombs and when they rounded the corner he saw two walkers blocking the doorway to their escape.

"Stay here and stay alert," he whispered to her. Moving fast, he raised his bow hoping to take both out before they noticed him but as they turned snarling at him he knew they weren't going to be so lucky. Firing he got the first walker straight between the eyes, he went to reload as it slumped to the ground but the second walker was on him within moments.

Dropping his bow he fought to keep the walker back so he could reach for his buck knife but it was grabbing at him trying hard to take a bite out of him. Before Daryl knew what was happening, Carol was at his side coming to his aid. Pulling his buck knife from his side she slammed it down onto the walker's skull putting it down.

Daryl looked at her with a mixture of shock and gratitude; he nodded at her before retrieving his bow, grasping her hand he pulled her towards the door, and pushing it open they ran outside. It was still dark and the cold air bit into their skin, moans could be heard all around, they quickly realized that the gates had been left open when the Governor had come in and the gun fire had attracted every walker for miles.

"There's walkers everywhere," Carol whispered her voice shaking. While she had become stronger over the months learning to protect herself against both walkers and humans, the thought of being bit and turned still shocked her to her core.

"On the bike quick, we ain't got all day," he hissed jumping on the bike; she quickly hopped on wrapping her arms around him tightly as he started the bike.

"What about everyone else?" she yelled into his ear, he looked around seeing people getting into the cars they had scattered around the prison yard. He could see Rick with Carl in his arms, Michonne was with him nursing baby Judith. Merle, Beth, Tyrese and a limping Sasha were slipping into another car. Hershel, Maggie and Glenn with a few Woodbuy people were piling into the other cars.

"They're fine, see" he said pointing across the field. "Now hold on" he warned her as he took off weaving through walkers before tearing out one of the open gates, they all went in different directions Rick, Merle and Daryl had talked about what they would do if this ever happened and they had agreed they would split up and all meet at a certain spot, a small children's refuge his aunty used to run before the world went to shit.

Merle and Daryl always knew the chance that their Aunt Cheryl being alive was slim. She was the only sister of their mother, a sweet and gentle woman; she had been running the refuge for over ten years. She had dedicated her life to keeping the kids safe from the abuse, even though their father had tried to keep the woman from them after their mother had passed away; she had refused to walk away. When she found out about the abuse she had taken Daryl from him, she had saved him. Merle had already left home but she had opened her home to the troubled teen, even though he had gotten mixed up with drugs and was always getting into trouble with the law she had made it clear that he was always welcome at her home.

When the outbreak had first hit they were heading there to make sure she was safe but so much had happened, the outbreak spread so fast, faster than they thought it would. They had joined the group and then Merle had been left on that roof and he had lost him and he just couldn't face having to put his aunt down alone and he couldn't bring himself to leave the area till he knew for sure whether Merle was dead or alive.

When he had finally found Merle again they had talked briefly about leaving for the refuge but even though Daryl never said it, he knew he couldn't leave the group. He couldn't leave Carol but before he could make up a reason to stay Merle had quietly informed him that he didn't want to go, giving no reason he walked off but Daryl knew Merle couldn't face putting her down if she had been turned not unless they had too.

They had decided on the refuge as a meet up spot because they knew it was secure, high fences located in the middle of the country so there was next to no people around, less people meant less chances of walkers, he just had to get them there in one piece.

They had been on the road for hours, it was still pitch black and he could feel Carol shivering behind him. He knew he should stop, try and find a place for them to bunker down for the rest of the night, somewhere warm but it was dangerous enough moving around during the day with the threat of walkers. At night it was near suicidal.

He knew the Governor would be out looking for their group soon the fact that the prison was now his would be beside the point. No, the Governor wanted them all dead especially Rick, Merle and him. He already had it in for Daryl after they had shot up Woodbury getting Maggie and Glenn back and then him and Merle; but to add insult to injury Daryl had shot an arrow into the man's chest before fleeing the prison.

If he didn't want him dead before, he definitely would now.

No they couldn't stop it wasn't safe. He knew there was a small town about an hour before the refuge and if they kept up their current speed they would make it there by morning. It would offer a place to rest for an hour or two, to find some warmer clothes and some food. He grasped Carol's hand giving it a reassuring squeeze; she nodded her head knowing it was his silent way of telling her they were going to push on, hugging into his back to try and block out the bone chilling wind, she just hoped the others were okay.