Disclaimers: I do not own any part of The Walking Dead franchise and no profit is intended or expected or actually received. This story is AU but involves elements of all 4 seasons of the show as well as the comic books so a general spoiler warning is in effect.

Story Notes: This is a real world, non-zombie story centered around a chance meeting between Daryl and Michonne. Other characters we know and love will appear and an occasional familiar scenario from the show will be re-imagined. Also, I took some geographical and logistical license for several scenes so bear with me on those and hopefully it's not too distracting.

Author Thanks: All the props to Jacqi Kennedy for requesting and encouraging this story. I started it eons ago but hadn't gotten much steam on it. When I picked it back up, it became a blast to write (you were on point about everything). And huge thanks, C, who is one of my long-time betas and helped a fair bit with some technical details. And general thanks to everyone for reading. I will probably edit through this fairly quickly so if there's something that you don't think works or something that you particularly like, drop me a line and let me know. All feedback is appreciated and helpful. Enjoy!

Chapter One

Daryl shifted uncomfortably on the bench and stared at his watch for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes. He worried that maybe he was in the wrong place and had checked his paperwork five different times since arriving. Now he had the papers rolled up and clutched in his hand so he wouldn't nervously fiddle with anything while he waited.

He sat in the back of the courtroom just like every other time he'd met with his attorney. But so far, the guy was a no-show. He'd been waiting for an hour and a half for his case to come up. Every minute with no word and no lawyer made him more concerned that he wouldn't know what to do if the judge called his name and he didn't have anyone to speak for him. He was already confused about most everything that happened in this place. It wouldn't do him any good to be further screwed because the damn public defender dropped the ball.

When the door opened, he turned to check if it was his guy but he quickly dismissed the suited, dreadlocked black woman who strolled in with a rollaway briefcase and a few files in her hand.

Another attorney, he scoffed. He'd seen a trail of them going in and out and it didn't look like any of them on either side were doing much work. The woman glanced at him and likewise dismissed him before turning to an older man on the other side of the aisle from him. She sat down next to him and they started some sort of whispered conversation while the people up front rambled on back and forth.

Five more minutes passed and still no attorney. Daryl frowned at his watch again. His lawyer had seemed alright so far but he was supposed to make this case go away. Merle had taken the fall for the fight they'd had at that bar. He hadn't even wanted to go that night. So when Merle got himself in trouble, like always, he'd reluctantly joined in and only after it looked like the two other guys were going to get the upper hand. There was no way he would leave his brother in a lurch even if he did probably deserve an ass-kicking every now and then.

But then the one guy got knocked out before breaking Merle's nose and the second guy got in a hit to Daryl's eye right as the cops were busting things up. All four of them got arrested.

He'd been coming to court for months and this was supposed to be the day that would decide if he was likely to do time or not. It didn't seem right for his lawyer to just leave him stewing like this. And Daryl didn't want to admit that Merle might've had a point that trying to do the right and playing by the rules was a weak move. It seemed pretty accurate right now with his lawyer gone AWOL.

It was just another example of how he couldn't buy a break.

There was a shuffling in the front of the room as the people that had been arguing before left the barricaded area and kept up their intense discussion as they walked out the door. Anxiety flared again in the pit of Daryl's stomach.

Some guy next to the judge picked up a new file. "State versus Daryl Dixon," he yelled, not even glancing up. Daryl cast a skittish sweep of the courtroom before he reluctantly shuffled to the front with his papers. A familiar woman stood off to the right and she scrutinized him for a few moments before turning her attention back to her folder. Daryl stopped at the gate separating the front of the courtroom, unsure if he should move inside.

After a minute of silence with no one speaking up, the judge raised his head. He zeroed in on Daryl standing by the barricade trying to seem defiant while simultaneously looking like a complete idiot standing there without a clue.

"Are you Mr. Dixon," the judge asked. Daryl nodded and the bailiff strolled over to open the gate for him. Daryl walked through and veered towards his left where he'd always stood for his other short appearances. "Where's your attorney?"

Daryl wouldn't admit it to anyone but he was pretty intimidated. He'd barely had to say two words in court, his lawyer doing all the talking. Hell, he hardly ever even knew what was happening until the lawyer explained it to him afterwards. How was he supposed to do this alone without landing himself in jail?

"Don't know, sir," Daryl replied. "He was supposed to meet me here but I aint seen 'em." Hopefully, being polite would buy him some time. But Daryl wasn't known for his luck or his patience—nor his ability not to go off when frustrated.

The judge sighed and leafed through the pile of folders on his desk before typing in something on his computer off to the side. "Just what we all need this morning. You've got Miller?" Daryl nodded, squeezing the paperwork in his hand again before realizing he was probably crushing the very information he needed to get out of this mess. "Typical Miller," he muttered. The judge scanned the crowd as if checking for himself and then honed in on one individual. "Counselor, you want to appear here for your office? Maybe we can postpone or something until your colleague gets his act together."

Daryl looked over his shoulder but couldn't tell to whom the judge was talking.

The woman on the right who had scrutinized him jumped up at that with a frown. "Your honor, we're trying to get a disposition on this case. I talked to Mr. Miller yesterday and he assured me we'd address the matter and move forward. All of the other defendants have pled out and this last defendant's case has been continued numerous times. If the defendant is going to go to trial, our office needs to prepare for that."

The judge looked like he wanted to roll his eyes at her. "That's why I'm trying to get an appearance in Ms. O'Conner." Daryl glanced over to the prosecutor in time to see the gate open for the suited black woman from earlier. She had her rolling briefcase with her and a stern expression on her face.

He did not like where this situation was heading.

First of all, she looked fucking scary. Second of all, he didn't know how comfortable he felt having some stranger in his business right off the bat. Daryl prided himself on being a practical guy and that didn't include trusting some random to keep him out of jail.

If the woman sensed his discomfort, she ignored it. Instead she stepped up beside him, said something directed at the court reporter and then raised her head to address the judge. "Your honor, I know nothing about this case and wouldn't feel right stepping in for my colleague."

"Well, why don't you ask him," the judge threw back flippantly. "I'll give you a minute." The tightness around the woman's mouth indicated that she was probably biting back a smart response to the man.

When she turned to him, Daryl was frozen by the full intensity of her stare. There was no doubt that she was a hardass. At least her expression reflected annoyance at the judge and the situation rather than anger. And even those emotions disappeared as her eyes settled on him, transforming to a calming curiosity. When she spoke, her voice was softer than it had been with the judge and more gentle than he'd been expecting.

"Can I see your paperwork," she asked, indicating the rolled up mess he was holding. Daryl was too perplexed to protest and handed the documents over. She scanned the pages quickly and efficiently, shuffling them one after the other. As she read, she walked over to the prosecutor and they had a short, terse conversation.

That part pissed Daryl off. How were these people gonna keep him out of the loop on his own damn case? It was his life hanging on the line and they were treating him like some damn bystander. His expression must have shown his frustration since the woman put her hand on his shoulder, ostensibly to calm him. The touch made him flinch a little yet he held his ground and frowned in disapproval; he didn't like people touching him.

She removed her hand quickly ducking her head in apology for the discomfort. However, her parting glance ended with an affirming nod. The reassurance in her face and the steadiness of her brief touch projected confidence as if she'd make sure everything came out okay.

And somehow, contrary to his usual instincts, he believed her.

"Your honor, after reviewing and speaking to the state, I really think we need to get Mr. Dixon's attorney in on this. As you know, this case has been lingering. If it pleases the court, I'll go try and find Mr. Miller if you can put Mr. Dixon's case last on the second call. If we can get this disposed of today with Mr. Miller's involvement, I think it'll be best for all involved."

Daryl's eyes swung over to the judge who appeared wary and put out. But he nodded nonetheless. "Fine counselor. Find your colleague and bring him back here. You've got thirty minutes."

The woman led Daryl from the table and back through the courtroom. She signaled to the man she'd been talking to before, probably a client, and then led Daryl out into the hallway.

Free of the stifling formality of the courtroom, Daryl had to keep himself from exploding on her out of frustration. "What the hell was that?"

The woman was already making notes on a pad she'd pulled out of her pocket. "Judge Benson is an asshole, that's what that was. But I just bought you some time. I think Miller is in another courtroom so I'm going to go find him for you and hopefully you can get this taken care of." She handed him back his paperwork. "All the other defendants have been sentenced yet you're still waiting on your case. If you're out on your own recognizance then this isn't the kind of situation where some newbie should be stepping in to make the judge's life easier. A newbie on your case that is. I've been at this a while," she added absently as she finished her note-taking.

Daryl couldn't help glaring at her even though he realized the situation wasn't her fault and she was actually trying to help him out. "So what am I supposed to do while y'all figure out how my life's gonna go?"

The woman finally looked him in the eye and smiled sadly. "Sorry for the trouble. It's how the system is sometimes. You can wait out here if you like. Just sit tight and either I or your attorney will be back in a few." She gave him that reassuring nod again. "We'll get you taken care of, okay?"

Daryl was feeling a bit defeated at this point and wanted to believe her. What choice did he have really? He nodded back and took a seat on one of the benches along the wall.

She didn't spare him another glance as she took off down the hall with her briefcase trailing her.

TBC …

AN: I feel compelled to clarify that I have no personal knowledge of how the courts run in Atlanta or Georgia in general so I extrapolated with my and my beta's personal knowledge.