Alexandria was known as a safe haven. The safe zone was nicely fortified with fences, bribe wires, good gates and people ready to protect it. It wasn’t a heavy fortress from the fairytale but it provided. Residential houses, workshops, gardens, wide streets - if it felt weird to have a slice of suburbs survived in the apocalypse when cities have fallen.

You were taking one of the smaller houses, sharing a space with Carol and one lady who unfortunately left a day or two ago due to some inner conflict with the current leader of the zone, Rick Grimes. It wasn’t easy for you to find common language with the community; most people called you “the newbie one” and treated you like a stranger even if some time passed since you joined. However you understood why people felt distrust towards you.You still had to prove the mettle you’ve made of.

People like Carol or Rick already accepted you if you were a family. Their strong paternal instincts kicked in strongly.You were a foreigner from another country suddenly stuck in the US among other Americans. They knew it could be really hard for you; losing your family, being forced to use another language, shouldering your own burdens. It was a little easier with them. Not all from Rick’s group were super sociable. Some of them like Michonne were quiet and distanced, barely talking about stuff other than current plans and survival and rather paying more attention to observation. And there were also people like Daryl.

And Daryl was.. Daryl. The first weeks you thought if you made a mistake, you told something wrong. Whenever you two were paired up for scavenger run the man ignored you completely or nagged you with his usual, grumpy comments using a gruffy, unpleasant voice. His behavior wasn’t very open for you so when one morning you noticed Daryl fixing your car it was shocking as hell. Last night he called you useless because you got hurt during the supply run.. but this morning he was fixing the engine in your damn car?

“Shut yer mouth ‘fore a fly flies in, and hand me the key.”

Daryl said in his usual drawl

"Five-sixteenth wrench and pour me a brew"