HARLEY STOOD BY THE GATES, WAITING FOR DARYL TO SHOW UP. 

She fiddled with her Swiss Army knife, flicking the blade and other tools out before pushing them back in and continuing.

She noticed the gravel pebbles vibrating on the road leading out of the prison and glanced up to see Daryl approaching on his bike.

Harlow eyes lit up at the smirk that laid upon his lips. He came to a stop next to her, placing his boots on the gravel to steady himself before signing 'get on'.

 She tightened the straps of her bag on her shoulders before lifting her leg over the bike. She placed her hands on his ribs, patting his side before Daryl reached down and grabbed her hands, connecting them together over his abdomen.

He sped forward, and a group of people worked together to open the gates and distracted the walkers near the opening.

Harley gave them a wave in thanks before Daryl increased his speed, leaving the prison in the dust behind them.

They were only on the road for a few minutes before Daryl pulled over. Harley lowered her arms and stared at him in confusion as he dropped the kickstand and stood.

"We walk from here. Hunting." He signed.

"What happened to going on a run?" Harley asked,

Daryl smirked at her and he put the strap of his crossbow over his shoulder before signing, "This is more fun. Isn't it?"

Harley followed him through the trees, gripping her hunting knife in one hand. She carefully followed his footsteps in attempt to keep quiet. Avoiding dry leaves and twigs.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted squirrel resting on the trunk of a tree. Harley slowly picked up a thick branch and tapped the nearest tree to get Daryl attention. He paused and turned to her, where she then pointed with the branch to the squirrel.

Daryl was quick to aim his crossbow and fire at the mammal, swiftly killing it. Harley walked over and picked the animal up by the tail, removing the arrow and handing it back to him.

With a smirk, he took it from her and the squirrel, tucking it into his belt before they moved on.

They walked for another half hour before the redhead gasped as Daryl grabbed her and pushed her against the tree. He covered her mouth and pressed his chest against hers, protecting her from the world. Harley gripped the leather at his side, trying to keep calm as walkers stumbled by.

Daryl didn't want to risk anything. Not after the last time they were in the forest and got attacked.

The walkers didn't notice the duo and kept going. Once they were out of sight, Daryl looked down at Harley.

She was already staring back at him.

He removed his hand and placed it above her head on the tree. In a split second decision, Harley raised herself up on her toes and gently placed her lips on Daryl's.

Harley quickly pulled away, her eyes wide. She quickly ducked under his arm and began walking away. Daryl quickly shook himself from his haze and rushed to grab her arm. He turned her around and as Harley began to sign 'sorry', Daryl cupped her face and crashed their lips together.

She let out a whimper and Daryl moved his hands from her cheeks to her hair, tugging on it gently.

He pulled away for a moment, giving Harley a chance to breathe before lifting her up and she wrapped her legs around his hips.

Luckily, they weren't far from the cabin.

Nora stayed at the fences after Daryl had left with Harley. She held a sharp, metal spear in her hands, stabbing it through the fence to pierce the skulls of the dead on the other side.

"Why do you do that?" Nora turned to see two young girls, she recognised them as the newer residents of Cell Block D, Mika and Lizzie Samuels,

"Do what?" Nora grunted, lowering the spear and wiping the sweat from her brow,

"Kill them." Lizzie replied.

"I'm not killing them. They're already dead. I'm putting them down." Nora explained, "I wouldn't  want a shell of what I used to be, wandering the Earth looking for someone to devour."

"They're not shells. They're still people." The older sister continued,

"No, they're not kid. You'll learn that some day." The woman told her before walking up towards the prison.

"You okay?" Carol asked the brunette woman as she approached the gazebo with lunch cooking underneath,

"Mhmm." Nora hummed, glancing back at the two young girls who were still at the fence, not facing the biters, "Just... strange kids, that's all. They don't get this world yet."

The woman grabbed her lunch and began to walk away, leaving Carol to stare at the young girls at the fence of the prison.

Daryl opened the door of the cabin, kicking it closed with his boot before stalking over to the couch. 

He dropped Harley onto the cushions, dust that had collected from the last time they had visited the cabin pillowed into the air, causing Harley to sneeze.

Daryl placed one knee by her thigh, his hands against the arm of the couch as he leaned over her. He took one of those hands and gently brushed some of her hair away from her face.

Harley was surprised about how gentle he could be, the big bad hunter. She could hardly believe that this was the same man who found them in the woods all those months ago.

"I've been waitin' for this." He mumbled,

"So... have... I..." She whispered, Daryl's eyes widening at the sound of her raspy voice.

Harley had always been able to speak. Before she had learned ASL, there had been foster parents who had forced her to physically say her words instead of writing them down. She had a foster sister who taught her how to pronounce words, how to speak properly. 

It wasn't often where Harley was confident enough to speak her thoughts.

The sun had begun to set and shadows spilled across the room. Daryl leaned down to gently place his lips upon hers. He was hesitant, she could tell. This wasn't in the heat of the moment anymore, he was nervous.

Harley pulled away and brushed his hair away from his forehead, before running it down the back of his neck and over his shoulder, down to his heart.

Daryl pressed his forehead to hers, both of their breaths heavy.

Suddenly, he pulled away, sitting up grabbing her thighs and pulling her right up against him. Harley let out a gasp and  Daryl used that to his advantage, vigorously attacking her mouth with his. 

Her upper body was pressed into the couch cushions. She felt his weight above her, and it was getting harder for her to breathe.

Tears filled her eyes.

"Stop." Her voice cracked and Daryl pulled his lips away, but was still above her, "Stop!"

All she could see was the man that she killed in the woods five months ago. The man who violated her, who stripped her humanity away.

Harley pushed him off of her and bolted out of the cabin, tears running down her face.

She could still feel the man's hands all over her. Ripping her shirt. Pulling her jeans down.

Daryl was quick to follow after her. It was getting dark and he knew she hated the dark. He wanted to call out her name, but knew it was useless.

She just needed to get away. Just for a moment. 

Harley let out a scream as she ran into a soft figure. She stepped back and a biter was reaching for her. She pushed it away and went to reach for her knife, only to realise she left her hunting knife back at the cabin.

With a grunt, the redhead reached into her top to grab her Swiss Army Knife and flicked the blade out before grabbing the walker by its' shirt and pinning it to a tree before stabbing it through the eye, causing blood to splatter across her face.

Harley let go of the biter, letting it collapse onto the forest floor. A hand reached out and grabbed her arm and Harley let out another scream, turning to stab the walker and Daryl grabbed her wrist.

She quickly dropped the knife and let out a sob, "I'm sorry." Daryl wrapped his arms around her as she cried into his neck, "I'm sorry."