The New World 4

A lot has happened at the prison in the last seven months. The people from Woodbury had moved in and while groups went on runs they'd bring a couple of more people in. But the biggest thing that happened in those seven months was when Daryl put a diamond ring on Sabrina's left ring finger. It was winter time, probably around the end of December, Daryl was out on a supply run with Michonne they drove past a mall. Once they got the supplies they needed they headed back towards the prison but Daryl decided to stop at the run down mall. He had told Michonne to keep watch and that he'd be right back. Taking down some walkers he finally made it to Zales. Daryl looked over most of the rings until one caught it eye, he smashed the top glass of the display case, got the ring and put it in his pocket. He quickly exited the mall and back to Michonne. Michonne gave him a knowing look and Daryl gave her the don't say anything lecture. Later that night Sabrina and Maggie were supposed to take watch in the guard tower but Rick told Maggie that Daryl was taking her place for the night. She was eating a granola bar when Daryl came up.

"It's not your night to take watch." She said looking at him curiously.

"Rick decided ta switch me 'nd Maggie las' minute." But the truth was, Daryl went and told Rick and Rick had agreed.

Sabrina just shrugged it off. "Want some?" She asked holding the half eaten bar towards him.

"I'm good." He started rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Shorty, why don't ya come in...we need ta talk."

She swallowed the last piece pretty hard. Those were the worst words to say in a relationship and it's even more worse to hear it in an apocalypse. She walked in, grabbing a bottled water and drank some to get the rest of the granola bar down.

"What do we need to talk about?" She asked sitting down on the piles of blankets.

Daryl stood there a few seconds before putting his hands in his pockets and putting on his poker face. "We need ta talk 'bout us. The world's gone ta shit 'nd there's really no time fer people ta fall in love 'nd all tha' crap. Bu-" Daryl was cut off when they heard Glenn yelling from below. Daryl growled out of frustration and gave Sabrina a pointed look. "Stay righ' there." He went out the door and put his hands on the railing. "Wha'?!"

Glenn chuckled nervously, Daryl was giving him the most menacing look he could muster. "Sorry! I just wanted to know if you guys wanted some dinner!"

Daryl rolled his eyes and scoffed. "We're fine!" He then went back into the guard tower with the door slamming behind him.

"So you were saying?"

Daryl took a deep breath before starting back up. "Bu' when we were at the CDC you changed my mind."

Sabrina was beyond confused now. Daryl sighed, scratching the back of his head before pulling the ring out of his pocket. "Wha' I'm tryin' ta say Sabrina is will ya be mine ferever." He said holding the diamond ring in between his thumb and index finger.

She covered her mouth as she gasped in shock. It took her a few moments to let his words sink in. She finally got up and went to Daryl, hugging him. "Yes, I will."

Daryl let out a breath that he didn't even know that he was holding. He slipped the ring on her left ring finger. "Tha's as close ta bein' married as we're gonna ge'."

Sabrina smiled and leaned up and kissed his lips. Daryl wrapped his arms firmly around her waist, bringing her closer to him. The innocent kiss turned heated pretty quickly and before anyone of them knew it, they sunk down to the floor and took their time with one another. Now it was summertime in Georgia and was it hot. It was morning, Sabrina, Carol and a few other people were on breakfast duty. She was busy cutting up lettuce that she didn't realize someone was behind her until they wrapped an arm around her waist.

"If I was a walker you'd be eatin' already."

"Morning to you too Daryl. And I don't really have to worry about walkers unless I'm outside the prison fencing."

He chuckled a little before putting a kiss on the side of her head. Sabrina decided to look up from what she was doing and caught Carol giving Daryl and her a smile.

"I'll take over for you Rina, you've been cutting things up for hours."

"Thank you Carol." She smiled then turned her head when she heard another chorus of good mornings to Daryl. She chuckled at his reaction. "It won't hurt to say hello every once and a while to them."

"I do say hi ta 'em Shorty. Been sayin' hi all mornin'."

"Patrick could you take over, I've got to show Rina and Daryl something." Sabrina and Daryl looked towards Carol before they started to follow her.

The three of them didn't make it to far when Patrick spoke up.

"Uh, Mr. Dixon?" Sabrina blinked a few times in amusement when Patrick said that. "I just wanted to thank you for bringing that deer back yesterday. It was a real treat sir and I'd be real honored to shake your hand." Patrick finished as he extended his right hand out.

She chuckled when Daryl looked at Patrick's hand like it was foreign. Daryl gave a slight irritated sigh, licked his fingers, then shook Patrick's hand with his spit infested fingers. She cringed a little. Carol, Sabrina and Daryl walked away from Patrick.

"Did you really have to do that?" Sabrina groaned.

"Wha'? It was jus' spit. Nothin' else." He said with a smirk.

Sabrina started blushing, she knew what he meant. She smacked his arm as hard as she could, which made him laugh. The three of them stopped and stared at the fence, seeing a bunch of walkers piling up at the fence and the fence cleaners were taking them out.

"We need more people out there." she observed.

"Yeah. This is as bad as last month." Carol said.

"If we ge' more damn fence cleaners then we can get rid of the herd faster."

"It's manageable, we can get ahead of it but not for long. Sorry Pookie."

Sabrina snorted as Daryl elbowed Carol playfully. "Ya know how I feel 'bout 'pet names'. I don't like 'em."

"That's why we do it DarylBear."

Daryl narrowed his eyes in warning to Sabrina. "Ya better watch ya step Rina."

Sabrina laughed as she walked away with him while waving bye to Carol. "Why are you so uptight today?"

"I gotta go out on a run taday."

"You're never this uptight about going out on a run. Who's going?"

"Beth's not so smart of a boyfriend."

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Give the kid some credit. If it makes you feel any better I'll go with you."

The two of them stopped at the truck and Daryl looked at her sternly. "No ya ain't. We don't know if yer..."

"That's one of the reason's why I need to go out on the run."

Their conversation was cut short when Zach came up to the other side of the truck. "Hey Mr. and Mrs. Dixon."

Daryl grunted in annoyance while Sabrina smiled at Zach. "Hi Zach, how are you?"

"I'm doing fine Mrs. Dixon."

"That's good." She patted Daryl's chest. "I'll get some of my things and we'll head out." Before Daryl could protest she walked off.

Sabrina said hello to Beth as she passed her before going back into the prison to get her weapons. She went into their cell and grabbed her thigh pouch that had her ninja throwing knives and snapped it onto her right thigh. She walked out of the cellblock and back outside to the vehicles to see Daryl getting on his motorcycle.

"You weren't going to leave without me were you?"

"No, we need ta find out. 'Nd yer the only one tha' knows wha' ta ge'."

Sabrina got on the motorcycle and wrapped her arms around Daryl's waist. The group of vehicles began their journey to the gate. She smiled when she saw that Michonne was back. Daryl shut off his motorcycle to talk to Rick and Michonne real quick.

"Well, look who's back."

"Didn't find him."

She and Daryl nodded sadly. "Glad ta see ya in one piece."

"Thinking about looking over near Macon."

Silence.

"It's worth a shot."

"That's seventy miles of walkers. You might run into a few un-neighborly people." Sabrina said.

"Shorty's righ'. Ya think tha' it's worth it?" Daryl looked from Michonne to Rick. "Thinkin' 'bout checkin' out the Big Spot. Know which one I's talkin' 'bout?"

"Yeah. I gotta go out and check the snares. I don't want to loose whatever we have to the walkers." Rick put his attention on Sabrina. "Looks like you're going too."

"Yeah, got to pick up some things."

Rick nodded in understatement.

"I'll go." Michonne said hastily.

"But you just got back." Carl said.

"And I'll be back."

Sabrina shook her head as Michonne headed to one of the cars and Daryl started the motorcycle back up. Rick ran to the gate to let everyone out. Once the motorcycle was out of the gate Daryl sped off with the others close behind him. As they all made their way to the Big Spot she rested her head on Daryl's back as she watched the trees and walkers zoom by. The group stopped right outside some fencing. Daryl shut the motorcycle off as the others got out and came up to him and Sabrina.

"What's with the fences?" Zach asked.

"Army came 'nd put these fences up. Made it a place fer people ta go. Las' week when we spotted this place, there was a bunch of walkers b'hind this chain link, keepin' people out like a buncha guard dogs."

"So they all just left?" Bob asked.

"Give a listen." Sasha piped up.

Sabrina heard something that sounded like music. "Sounds like music."

"You drew them out." Michonne said.

"Put a boombox at the other end a few days ago."

"Hooked it up to two car batteries." Glenn said.

"A'righ', le's make a sweep, make sure it's safe. Grab whatcha can 'nd we'll come back tamorrow with more people."

The group followed Daryl through the hole in the fence very carefully and quietly. They done a quick scan and found no threat before making their way to the store. Daryl sat down on the window's ledge and knocked on the window loudly with his elbow. He then motioned for Sabrina to sit next to him and she did.

"Jus' give it a second."

It was a nice peaceful silence for once until Zach started talking. Daryl gave Sabrina the 'See this kid's a dumbass' look.

"Ok, I think I've got it."

Sabrina looked from Daryl to Zach with a confused look. "Got what?" Michonne spoke up before Trixie could.

"I've been tryin' to guess what Daryl did before the turn." He said before sitting down next to Sabrina.

"Been tryin' ta guess fer six weeks."

"I'm pacing myself. One shot a day."

"A'right, shoo'."

Sabrina sat up straighter, she wanted to hear his guess. Zach took a few seconds before speaking again.

"Well with the way you are at the prison... you bein' on the council, you're able to track, you're helping people by being kind of a surly. Huge swing here... homicide cop."

Michonne started laughing, making the three of them look at her. Sabrina had an amused look on her face.

"Wha's so funny?" Daryl asked Michonne.

"Nothing. It makes perfect sense."

"Actually the man's right. Undercover."

Sabrina looked over at Daryl and saw that look and rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to Zach.

"C'mon, really?"

She chuckled, this kid sounded like he'd won the jackpot or something.

"Yeah. I don't really like ta talk 'bout it 'cause it's a lo' of heavy shit. Ya know?"

"Dude, c'mon, really?"

Daryl turned his head back to Zach with the 'You actually bought that' look.

"Guess I'll just keep guessing I guess."

"Yeah, ya keep doing that."

Sabrina felt an eerie presense so she looked behind her and clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle the scream as she jumped away from the window.

"Going to do this detective?" Michonne mocked."

"Le's do it. Ya not scared are ya Shorty?"

"No, it just surprised me." She said while opening up her thigh pouch and taking out a ninja knife.

Daryl pried the doors open and once those were open Tyreese and Sabrina took out the few walkers that were coming out of the door. Tyreese started dragging them out as the others went inside to get the supplies. They done a quick search before getting the things they needed. Sabrina went off to the bath area to see if what she was looking for was there. She looked carefully, making sure she didn't skip over any items.

"Ya findin' everythin' ok ma'am?" The voice came lowly and a hand touched her lower back.

"I'm fine, just looking. And I believe that putting your hand on a customer would be considered harassment." She chuckled as she turned around with a box in her hand and came face to face with Daryl.

"Well, I ain't an employee 'ere so..." He kissed her quickly before walking off to get some supplies.

About that time when Sabrina put the little box into her bag she heard a crash and bottles breaking. She quickly zipped up her bag and got ready to kill some walkers. She rounded the corner to see Daryl kneeling by the tipped over shelving.

"What happened? Everything ok?" She asked coming up behind Daryl.

"Bob's foot's caught. Help me ou'."

Daryl, Tyreese and Zach lifted one of the shelvings off of Bob like it was as light as a feather. Sabrina heard something and she was about to ask them if they heard it but it was cut off when walker fell through the ceiling.

"Oh shit!" She yelled.

"Uh, we should probably go now." Glenn said.

Sabrina started feeling sick to her stomach. The thing was just dangling there by its intestines about 15 feet above them.

"Hurry up and get Bob out from under there so we can go." She said.

"Le's ge' 'im outta there 'nd go, c'mon."

Everyone started scrambling to the shelf to get Bob out. More walkers started coming in from the ceiling. Every which way they turned their were walkers.

"What do we do?" Sabrina asked a little panicked when her back hit Daryl's back.

"We gotta hold e'm off 'til Bob ge's free."

She saw Glenn wrestling on the ground with a walker on top so she ran and stabbed the thing in the back of the head. Glenn pushed it off and got up quickly. "Thanks."

Glenn and Sabrina made a break for it out of that isle.

"Hurry up! We're getting swamped." She yelled as she sliced then stabbed at another walker.

Glenn and Sabrina got back to Daryl and he jumped off the boxes and the three of them made a run for it. They rounded the corner to see Bob trying to hold off a walker with his bare hands. Daryl acted quickly by grabbing the walker by his ankles, pulling it then smashing its head in with his foot. Zach lifted the shelving unit a little and Daryl helped Bob out. The roof started collapsing more and the group heard a painful yell. Sabrina gasped loudly when she saw a walker attached to Zach's leg, eating him. Glenn went for Zach but she stopped him and shook her head.

"It's to late. We need to get out of here."

"C'mon, go! Go!" Daryl yelled.

Tyreese, Michonne, Daryl, Bob, Sabrina and Glenn ran out of the store just as the helicopter came through the ceiling. They quickly went through the fencing, got in the cars and left. The whole ride back her and Daryl were quiet.

How are we going to tell Beth? Sabrina was snapped out of her thoughts when Daryl shut the motorcycle off.

"Ya ok?" He asked lowly.

"How are we going to tell her?" She asked just as lowly.

"We? Ya ain't tellin' her. Ya need yer rest, I'll tell her."

"But Daryl-"

"Sabrina." He said with warning.

"Fine." She got off the motorcycle. "Will you at least let me know how she took it?"

"Yeah."

Sabrina nodded once then headed inside and to the showers to get the days tragedies off of her. When she was done she went straight to hers and Daryl's cell. She wasn't in there for very long, Daryl came through the makeshift door.

"How'd she take it?" She asked pulling the covers down.

"Surprisingly well." Sabrina turned towards him confused.

"She didn't cry, nothin'."

Sabrina just shook her head. "You coming or what?" She asked as she climbed into bed.

Daryl kicked off his boots, put his crossbow right by the door and stripped down to his boxers. He climbed in with her and held her close.

"When are ya takin' it?"

"I'll take it in the morning." She said with a sigh as she hugged him tightly.

"A'righ'. Ge' some sleep." She closed her eyes and fell into a dreamless and restless sleep.