Walking Dead 1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I don't own anything having to do with the Walking Dead only Madison and Daniel belong to me.**

**I'm still working on my other fic 'Somewhere Between Angels and Insects' but this idea popped in my head and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it down. I know it's a little short to start but I wanted to see the kind of response I received before I got too into the story.**

**Any suggestions/comments/critiques are all welcome!**

Chapter 1

Madison had just paid the babysitter and was about to sit for the first time since she left for work this morning when the house phone rung out through her small two bedroom apartment.

"Momma, someone's callin'," her five year old son bounced around the living room.

Madison sighed, "I hear that. Thank you, bud."

"Maybe it's daddy," Daniel suggested hopefully.

"Doubt it," Madison mumbled quiet enough so he wouldn't hear. She wasn't ready to explain to him that she had a restraining order against his father, James, as far as Daniel knew his dad went to work one day and just never came home. "Yeah, yeah, hold your horses I'm coming." She grabbed the phone off the receiver and stuck it between her ear and her shoulder while she flipped through the mail from that day. "Hello?"

"Pack up your shit, we're coming for you and the kid," Merle's voice was sharp and to the point leaving no room for any argument.

Madison dropped the mail and held the phone to her ear, "What? Why? What's going on?"

"Didn't you hear me, Maddie? Pack your shit; people are eatin' one another like some dumb movie. Heard on the radio about some center they're settin' up in Atlanta. As soon as Darylina decides he is done getting his shit together we're coming to get you." Madison tried to process her brother's words and was harshly snapped back to reality when he yelled across the phone. "Damn it, Madison, are you listenin'?"

"Yeah," she answered simply not knowing what else to say.

"Good, pack up and stay in the house until we get there. You shouldn't be runnin' around with no weapons on ya."

With that Merle ended the call leaving Madison confused and terrified. Sure, she'd seen some weird things happening on the news the last couple of days but they lived close enough to Atlanta that she figured the CDC was trying out some new vaccine. Her mind wandered to the small handheld gun Daryl insisted on giving her before she filled for the restraining order. He'd spent two hours going over how to properly hold it, how to load the bullets, how to take the safety off and most importantly how to aim. Madison listened intently while Daniel chatted in the other room with Merle. She wasn't strong like her brothers and if it ever came down to it she knew she might not have it in her to pull the trigger.

"Was it daddy?" Daniel tugged on the bottom of her shirt breaking her out of her thoughts.

Madison forced a smile and shook her head. "Sorry, buddy. It was your uncle looks like we're going on a trip with them for a little while."

Daniel gasped and put his hand over his mouth as his eyes got as wide as saucers, "Like Disney World?"

She couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of her two 'manly' brothers walking around an amusement park filled with animated characters. "No, baby, it will probably just be for a few nights."

She flipped through a few channels on the television trying to find some cartoons to keep him occupied while she packed but every station had a warning about this new disease.

"How did I miss this?" she questioned to herself softly but quickly turned off the television off so Daniel wouldn't see too much.

Daniel ran into his room and came back out with his plastic FisherPrice bow and arrow, "Can I bring this? I wanna show unc."

"Sure," she smiled and ruffled his shaggy brown hair.

Madison packed some clothes and toiletries into her duffle bag and a few toys for Daniel in his small backpack he was going to use for kindergarten in the fall. Her brothers lived about twenty minutes away so with the remaining time she had she decided to do up the few dishes in the sink. She's just finished washing the last plate and was running hot water over the porcelain dish when she looked out the window above the sink. Madison dropped the dish and watched in horror as her next door neighbor tore into a local high school boy. His screams were garbled as the woman gnawed on his neck ripping and tearing at his skin like a hungry animal.

"Oh my God," she breathed out running over to her front door to make sure the dead bolt was securely in place.

She then ran back to the phone and dialed her brother's number. Her foot tapped anxiously against the linoleum floor as it rang endlessly in her ear with no answer. Madison could only hope that they were on their way and nothing happened to them. She remembered the gun still hidden away in the back of her closet and though she hated even having it in the house she'd do anything to make sure her son was safe.

Forty five minutes later the banging on her door shot her out of her seat in fear as her hand gripped the gun that was on the table.

"Maddie, open up!" Daryl shouted and urgently pounded on the door a few more times. She didn't think she could get her feet to move fast enough as she flung the door open to reveal her brother on the other side. The gun hanging loosely in her trembling hand was the first thing he noticed. "You a'right?" Madison nodded but couldn't get any words to come out. "C'mon, we've got to go. Merle's waiting in the truck."

"Unc!" Daniel ran over to Daryl with his Superman backpack bouncing on his shoulders with every step he took.

"Hey kid," Daryl greeted him with a half smirk and then motioned with his head. "Time to go."

Daryl slipped the gun out of his sister's hand and double checked that the safety was on before sliding it into the small of his back for safe keeping. Wordlessly he grabbed her duffle while she held onto Daniel's hand and led him out the door.

"Don't look," Madison picked him up quickly and shoved his face into her shoulder as she saw what used to be her neighbor lying in a pool of their own blood.

"Get the lead out, we don't got all day!" Merle shouted from the truck as he flicked the butt of a cigarette onto the street.

Madison slid next to her eldest brother with Daniel still clinging to her and as soon as Daryl sat beside her they were off.

"Unc," Daniel started and both brothers glanced over to the small boy but it was Merle he was looking at. Merle grunted so his nephew knew to continue. "Where we going?"

"Away from this hell hole," he grumbled looking at the crazy world around him.

Daniel thought about the answer for a second before he asked, "we're coming back, right?"

Merle laughed so hard he almost couldn't breath, "Not planning on it, kid. S'not safe here."

Daniel sighed and turned to look at his mom's face, "But if we leave daddy won't be able to find us."

"God willing," Daryl muttered under his breath as Madison hugged him back to her chest wondering what this new adventure would bring them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I don't own anything having to do with the Walking Dead only Madison and Daniel belong to me.**

**I'm going to try and keep the Dixon brothers as close to character as I can but they will be a little OOC around their nephew and sister. I have most scenarios planned out already but if there is something specific you want to see let me know and I'll try to work it in!**

**Any suggestions/comments/critiques are all welcome!**

Chapter 2

It took them awhile but they finally got on the highway to head into Atlanta. Madison's adrenaline was running low and she found herself nodding off but every time her head fell she was jolted back into consciousness. Merle was radiating with anger that they were stuck in traffic and had already gone through a half of a pack of cigarettes. Daniel talked casually to Daryl who absentmindedly nodded at the appropriate times though he wouldn't be able to tell you a word of what the kid was saying. Madison's exhaustion eventually became too much and her head lolled to the side resting against Merle's shoulder.

"Hey!" Merle declared making his sister jump at the sudden loud noise. "Do I look like a fuckin' pillow?"

Madison rolled her eyes as she brought her attention back to her son who was incessantly poking her shoulder. "Yeah, buddy."

"I has to go," he bounced slightly in her lap.

Merle nearly growled in frustration, "What you think we're tryin' to do, line up for a fuckin' parade? All these damn pussies need to get off the-"

"He meant the bathroom," Madison cut her eldest brother off with a sigh. She nudged Daryl so he could open his door and let the two out.

Daryl glanced over to Merle almost looking for permission before he got out of the car to let his sister and nephew out. Just as she was about to step over the guard rail he grabbed her arm, "Stay where we can see you."

"Unc!" Daniel gasped as he crossed his legs to hold it in just a little longer and pointed to the grid lock of cars on the highway. "They're gonna see me."

"You're a Dixon ain't nothin' to be ashamed of," Merle called over with a boisterous laugh as he winked at a blonde woman who had walked past the truck.

Madison was too tired to deal with all the testosterone at the moment so she grabbed Daniel under the arms and lifted him over the guard rail taking his hand in her own once they were both on the same side. She led him down the embankment just enough where they couldn't see the cars on the road anymore.

"Alright, buddy, do your thing," she motioned to a tree and then crossed her arms to keep the cool night air away.

Daniel stared at her with a look of horror, "Momma! Don't watch!"

"Boys," Madison mumbled turning her back to her son and listening for the unmistakable sound of his zipper being lowered.

She counted to sixty in her head and was just about to turn back around when she heard a loud noise. Out of fear she wiped around to see Daniel jumping around in place before he zipped his pants back up something he must have learned from one of his uncles. A bright flash of light filled the night sky followed by another loud boom.

"Storm comin'?" Daniel questioned as Madison looked around trying to place where all the activity was coming from.

She shook her head and hoisted him up onto her hip, "Don't think so."

Madison walked a little further to the top of a hill trying to figure out what was going on when she saw Atlanta in the distance with helicopters circling the tall buildings and dropping bombs on the unsuspecting people below. It looked straight out of a horror film and Madison couldn't tear her eyes away. This was supposed to be somewhere they could go to be safe, this was only supposed to be for a little while, but she now was filled with fear.

She about jumped out of her skin when Daryl came up behind her, "Thought I told ya to stay by the road." His grumbling was cut off as he watched the scene unfold in front of him but unlike his sister he was able to think quicker on his feet. "Shit, c'mon, we gotta get out of here." Madison kept her gaze on Atlanta and every dream, every wish she ever had for her son went out the window leaving her frozen in her spot. "Madison, now!"

"Where are we going to go?" she asked reluctantly tearing her eyes away from the death and destruction.

Daryl easily picked up on the way her voice hitched at the end of her question like she was about to fall apart at any second but now was not the time to panic. He needed to think and act quickly he didn't have time to chase her fears away this time.

"It looks like fireworks, momma," Daniel pointed back to Atlanta and she tightened her hold on her only child silently telling him she'd do anything it took to protect him.

Madison silently followed her brother back to the truck feeling more like one of those _things_ than her actual self.

"We'll go up the mountain and make camp away from the city and away from the highway until everything calms down," a man with curly hair assured a tall slender woman as they passed in between Daryl and Madison.

That was two weeks ago.

The hopeful feeling Madison once believed in was now diminished to nothing. A Korean guy who they later learned was named Glenn had made a trip into the city to check things out and came back with the news that nothing, more importantly no one, was left. Merle spent his days living in an altered state often disturbing the rest of the group while Daryl went out around the surrounding woods to hunt for food.

Madison tried her best to help out where she could but unlike her brothers she didn't have any survival skills. Before the world went to hell she had been working an entry level job answering phones all day and making copies to make ends meet. She was happy that there were other children for Daniel to play with who seemed to think it was one big vacation as they played under the watchful eyes of the group. He'd become close with one boy in particular, Carl, whose mother was the tall slender woman Madison had seen that night on the highway.

Shane, the curly-haired man, who had been a police officer quickly became the leader of their mismatched group. There were quite a few people and Madison didn't know everyone's name though she tried her best. There was Dale, the kind older man that owned the RV where the men in the group took turns standing on top of for watches. There were the sisters Amy and Andrea reminding Madison of the protectiveness of her own siblings. Then there was Carol, a soft spoken woman, who was married to Ed and mother to Sophia a girl around Carl's age that often played with the other little girls. Madison didn't know their names but knew they belonged to the Morales family. Glenn, Jacqui and Jim seemed to be the odd ones out with no family but they did their part to help out.

"Hey," Lori, Carl's mother, walked up to Madison with a kind smile. "I'm going to look for some more berries to go with dinner, mind keeping an eye on Carl?"

Carl and Daniel had been glued to the hip from day one. Madison offered her a weak smile and nodded. It wasn't that she minded, hell she loved that she could at least do _something _to help around camp, but she was having a hard time adjusting to this new life. Her brothers acted as if it was just any other day, having no problem living off the land, while the others seemed to be falling into a routine of 'Good Mornings' and smiles.

"That's not fair!" Daniel stomped his foot and threw the ball the boys had been kicking around toward the woods.

Madison let out a sigh and closed her eyes for a moment before she picked herself off the stump and made her way over to the boys. "Problem?"

"He's cheating!" Daniel whined crossing his arms.

Carl looked dumbfounded and quickly shook his head, "Mads, I didn't! I swear!"

"Yes. You. Did," Daniel emphasized each word as he walked closer to Carl and grabbed him by the front of his shirt.

"Daniel Patrick let him go right now!" Madison demanded, shocked by her son's temper. _Guess he's got more Dixon in him than I realized, _she thought to herself. "Now go stand by that tree and think about what you did." She watched as he made a face and then trudged over to the tree she pointed out. "Carl, you alright?"

"Fine," he nodded and turned to go find someone else to play with for the time being.

Merle and Daryl were making their way back to camp with a few rabbits and even more squirrels that would be eaten for dinner when they spotted their nephew angrily kicking the base of a tree.

"What'd the tree ever do to you?" Merle laughed and shook his head. "'Course he picks somethin' that can't fight back."

Merle continued to the tent him and Daryl shared no doubt to bring his level of feeling euphoric back to where it needed to be.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," Daniel mumbled still kicking the bottom of the tree to take his anger out.

Daryl adjusted the strap of the crossbow and titled his head to the side a little, "What's you get in trouble for?"

"Nothing," Daniel growled reminding Daryl of a mini-Merle. "Momma is stupid."

"Hey, now!" Daryl scolded surprised at his nephew's tone. "You take it easy on your ma."

Daniel grumbled something under his breath and sat down with a huff leaning his back against the tree. Daryl left him sitting there to ride out the rest of his punishment and as he always did when he got back from hunting he scanned the group looking for Madison. When his eyes landed on her sitting by herself with her head in her hands a frown formed on his lip. He'd never seen her so lost, not even when everything was happening with James, but he promised himself right then and there he'd do everything in his power to fix it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I don't own anything having to do with the Walking Dead only Madison and Daniel belong to me.**

**To those of you who were wondering I'm loosely following the events of season one but there will be some changes.**

**Any suggestions/comments/critiques are all welcome!**

Chapter 3

Madison stood next to Lori as they hung their wet clothes on the makeshift clothes line in the Georgia sun that was sure to be sweltering once afternoon hit. The youngest Dixon was pleased that she found something she could do to help contribute to the group besides keeping an eye on the children. This particular morning Carol had offered to take the boys, Carl and Daniel, to go through some workbooks she had packed. The material was way over Daniel's head but while the older children worked on the problems in the book she laid out rocks on the table and started him on simple math. Madison was elated that even if it wasn't originally what she had in mind that her son was getting some kind of education to hold him over until this whole ordeal was over with.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Shane's voice floated over the camp and both women shared a look of curiosity before deciding to go find out what was happening. "Glenn has done just fine getting in and out of the city with no issues the more people you send in the more people you are putting at risk."

The women walked over to see most of the group huddled by Dale's RV with a very uncomfortable looking Glenn taking it all in.

"What's going on?" Lori asked as she brushed her bangs away from her forehead.

"Do you think women can't do the job?" Andrea questioned Shane, not bothering to acknowledge that anyone else had said anything.

Shane readjusted his cap that had 'Police' stitched onto the front and kept his voice calm but authoritative, "Now, I didn't say that, this has nothing to do with gender. There are reasons we have rules in place and we need to make sure that they are followed. It's the only way we keep everyone safe."

Merle snorted in laughter and Madison sighed, silently praying he would just keep his mouth shut for once but she should have known better. "Ain't no cops anymore, piggy. What're ya goin' to do arrest 'em? Shit, if sugar tits over there wants to go into the big city with the Chinaman I'll go with 'em…be a chaperone and make sure we don't got any crossed-eyed babies poppin' out in nine months."

Morales stepped forward before anyone could start an argument about the oldest Dixon's comments, "The more people that go the more we can bring back for the camp at one time. It would mean fewer trips into the city if we could get everything we needed in one sweep."

Shane sighed and rolled his head from shoulder to shoulder trying to keep his cool, "I'm still not comfortable with it." He took in the expressions on the others faces and knew he didn't have a choice in the matter. If he really boiled it down he was just thankful Lori hadn't agreed with the rest of them. "But, if you want to go…then you can go. Just remember that this isn't a trip to the grocery store. You're walking straight into the red zone and if something goes wrong you'll be on your own. I won't risk the rest of the group on a decision that you made for yourself."

The group turned to Glenn waiting for further instruction and he shifted nervously on his feet, "Uh, I guess we'll be leaving in a few minutes."

Merle walked over to his tent to take inventory on what drugs he had left and what he would need to look for. Any pharmacy in big city like Atlanta was bound to have copious amounts of pain killers and cough syrups that wouldn't be available over the counter. Madison scanned the camp looking for Daniel and her heart rate picked up when she didn't see him with the rest of the kids. She was about to panic when she saw his shaggy hair on the other side of camp with his uncle and his plastic bow and arrow.

Once she knew he was safe she made her way to the brothers' tent and cleared her throat once she got to the screen since she had no way to knock. When she got no reply she stepped inside to see her eldest brother digging though his pack. Merle glanced up when someone walked into his personal space but resumed his inventory when he saw it was just his sister.

"I know why you're going," Madison started softly and she did. She knew all about Merle's drug use, he'd been doing if for years, but until it affected her or her son she was going to keep her opinions to herself. He was a grown man and could make his own decisions even if she didn't agree with most of them. Merle just grunted in response so she continued, "And I don't think you should go."

Merle smirked and shook his head, "Ah, don't worry even if I bump uglies with sugar tits you'll still be my favorite pain in the ass."

"Ew," Madison scrunched her nose in disgust.

He let out a boisterous laugh as he grabbed his gun not wanting to miss the group leaving, "'Sides Darylina should be able to handle you and the kid 'til I get back."

And with that he was gone.

Of course Daniel's safety was always on her mind but this time she was worried about Merle walking right into the red zone with a group of people who didn't understand his sense of humor or knew how to deal with his rough edges. Walkers wouldn't be the only thing she had to be concerned about it was also the other members of the group who also had firearms.

A little while later Daniel ran over to Madison with the biggest smile on his face that she had ever seen. She had been doing the daunting task of boiling the lake water before cooling it and bottling it for drinking.

"Did someone get into the alcohol?" she teased as her little boy basically bounced from the giddiness.

He rolled his eyes dramatically, something he had picked up from his mother, and rocked back and forth on his feet, "No, momma."

"Good," she laughed and then pointed a finger at him in warning, "And you better keep it that way until your older, you hear?"

He titled his head to the side, his shaggy hair falling into his eyes, "Old like you?"

Madison gave him a playful scowl, "No, old like your uncle Merle." She lovingly swept the hair from his forehead and made a mental note to ask around for scissors to cut it sometime in the near future.

At the mention of his uncle he remembered why he was so excited in the first place, "Guess what?"

"Chicken butt," Madison replied making him burst out in a fit of laughter, a sound that she would not only always be grateful for but one that swelled her heart.

"No," he groaned at his mother's antics, "Unc said he's goin' take me out in the woods with him!"

She about spilt the water she was pouring into the bottle and whipped her head in his direction, "He said what?"

Daniel just smiled unable to contain his elation. "I'm gonna go tell Carl!" He shouted over his shoulder as he ran over to where the small group of kids was finishing up with the problems Carol had given them.

Madison screwed the top tightly onto the water bottle and asked Amy to take over while she set out to find Daryl. This day had her head spinning with one brother off gallivanting and the other wanting to take her five year-old son into the woods. She suddenly wished there had been alcohol lying around somewhere to take the edge off. Under normal circumstances she wouldn't have opposed, she knew he wouldn't let anything happen to his nephew but there were more than animals in the woods these days. She finally found him at the back of the truck sitting on the tailgate as he scrupulously cleaned and checked each of his arrows.

"What the hell do you think you're doin'?" she demanded as she crossed her arms and stuck her hip slightly out to the side.

Daryl squinted as he looked up at her face, thinking she looked exactly like their mother when she stood like that, he returned his attention to the arrow in his hand. He didn't have the patience today to figure out what the hell she was yelling about. "Damn, grumpy, if you got somethin' to say just say it."

"You we're going to take my son out into the woods without even talking to me?!" Madison all but shouted as her face became red with anger. It wasn't often the 'Dixon' in her made an appearance but when it did she was a force to be reckoned with especially if it had to do with Daniel. "He's five fuckin' years old! What the hell does he need to go out there for?"

Though Daryl wasn't one to normally just sit there and take it from his younger sister he was happy to say the least that she wasn't moping around anymore, even if it meant she was pissed instead. He jumped off the tailgate causing a small cloud of dust to float into the air when his boots hit the dry soil. "Thought it was 'bout time the kid learned to hunt."

"H-h-hunt?" Madison stuttered out.

Daryl just nodded, "Live off the land a bit."

The last thing she wanted her son to do was have any kind of weapon in his hand. The risk of getting hurt was too high and in her mind he was too young to fully understand the responsibility that came along with it. He had a temper that went beyond that of his Dixon traits including ones that he inherited from his father.

"Then I'm going with you," Madison stated, successfully stopping him dead in his tracks.

She had never been one of those girly girls growing up but his sister knew as much about hunting as her son did and he couldn't say he wasn't shocked to hear she wanted to go. He was about to argue and give her some line about 'male bonding' or whatever that shit was she was constantly chirping in his ear about but thought different when he realized it would mean leaving her at camp without him or Merle nearby.

Daryl huffed in feign annoyance, "Then grab the kid, we're losin' daylight."


End file.
