Hey everyone! This is going to be the buffer chapter between season two and three. It won't exactly follow a plotline as much as just be a little series of vignettes from different points of in our POV characters time on the road.

I added some more music to the playlist (and removed a few tracks as well, I got tired of them, and all the songs on there was making everything run really slow when I played it) added a song by Run River North, and maybe a few others if I get around to it later.

Thanks to everyone who has followed or favorited this story. Special thanks to redangel2463, my-forgotten-rose, and Inkandtrees for the reviews.

I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! Let me know what you think!

Chapter 28 - Moments

Things were different now. When Shane had left, that was one of her first thoughts: Things were going to be different, but they were going to be good. Now though...she sighed banging her head back against the Tahoe's cab, watching the road fly away from her. Now she wasn't so sure.

Her leg hurt, and she was bored, and really more than anything she wished that she wasn't alone right now. Somewhere behind her, at the front of the caravan, she could hear Daryl's bike rumbling and roaring. She wished she could be with him. She wished she could be with Jada. Jada would have loved this, riding in the Tahoe's bed, watching the trees shoot past them.

To her it was just cold. Cold and boring, with nothing but the sound of the wind in her ears.

She had a couple books with her, but the wind would try and tear the pages back and forth, and the words would only flit through her mind. She ended up wanting to throw the book more than anything else. So she put it down, because Carol had given it to her, and she didn't need to be hurting anyone elses feelings.

Her temper had been shorter than Daryl's the past few days.

Things were different now, for everyone. She didn't have the right to be acting like this, she needed to grow up. She needed to just keep going. Beth had lost her boyfriend, the Greenes had lost Patricia, the group had lost T-Dog...she was the only one who was moping around. Useless.

She wished she could do things. She wished she could stay busy, have something to keep her mind off of the bad stuff - off of dead girls, and the monsters lurking inside them. Hershel said she had to stay off her feet though, and Daryl had been doing an annoyingly good job at making sure she did. She felt like dead weight.

The caravan was turning, the trees faded into suburbs, and slowly the trucks began to come to a stop. Everything jolted as the Tahoe was thrown into park, and she winced. She hadn't actually looked at the back of her leg yet, though she was sure it didn't look good. She knew it didn't sound good - she'd gone over the muscle groups in her head a dozen times: The Soleus, the Tibialis Posterior, the Flexor Digitorum Longus, the Calcaneal tendon. She wasn't going to walk right again, not without some sort of miracle. For all intents and purposes she was going to have a peg leg made of flesh and bone.

Seven or eight months ago maybe something could have been done, but they didn't have modern medicine, or doctors, or hospitals. They had a veterinarian, a pre-med student, and a haphazard medical kit. Hershel had been more worried about infection than motor function when he stitched her back together, though he had tried to realign the torn and tattered muscles to the best of his ability. Maybe, if she was lucky, they would heal together in some way. She could have a pronounced limp instead of a completely dead leg.

She didn't like the idea of not being able to run in the middle of the apocalypse. She had a feeling it would lead to her being dead weight in a far more literal sense.

Doors were slamming somewhere behind her as the group got out, and got ready to run for the closest house. It would be dark soon, they needed to be settled in before the sun went down. If they were lucky they would get a nice quiet night without interruption from the dead. The last two they'd had to make a run for it a few times before they finally got some sleep.

The truck shifted as Daryl hopped up into the bed. They didn't say anything, he just lifted her as gently as possible, and tried not to jostle her leg too much as he carried her out of the truck. Her arms settled between his neck and the crossbow slung across his back, and she leaned into him as he carried her towards the house. She wished she could walk, but she didn't mind the feel of his arms around her.

The group silently grabbed the essentials: some food, some water, weapons and blankets. Had it really just been a few days ago that she woke up in her own bed, that she'd been planning birthday parties and mucking stalls?

Daryl settled her onto someone else couch, before rushing back out the door to bring a few more things in. The house must have been owned by an elderly couple - slightly outdated, lumpy furniture, and a plethora of family photos. Kids, grandkids, old sepia toned portraits.

The door was dead bolted as Daryl ran back in, curtains were thrown shut, and cans of corn and green beans were popped open for dinner. No one talked. Upstairs she could hear Glenn and Rick checking for any trapped walkers.

Just a few days ago there had been an apple pie baking in the oven. Just a few days ago things had been different.

"What's this for?" Jada asked, looking at the gun in her hands. She knew what it was for, technically, but she had no idea as to why Michonne had given it to her. She was a kid. Renee never let her have guns.

"Killing things." Michonne said, crouching down next to her.

"Why can't I have a sword like you?" She asked, the gun felt odd in her hands. It was metal, and cold. She figure the sword felt like that too, but you weren't supposed to hold the blade.

Michonne smiled, "Cause you're too little to lift a sword."

"What about a knife? Daryl and Renee both used knives," she said, and then added, "and bows. Daryl's was kind of weird looking, said it was called a crossbow." Jada had told Michonne all about her families, both of them. They were all gone now, but she didn't know what else to talk about. It was pretty boring out in the woods.

She'd told Michonne about her Mom and her Dad, about her brothers and sisters, and how it used to snow back home. It had been cold here in Georgia, but it hadn't snowed so far. She kind of hoped it would, though Michonne had said the snow was cold, wet, and she wouldn't like it anymore when her toes fell off.

She'd told her about the day Renee found her in Atlanta, she told her about Dale and his RV, how Amy used to dance with her, and how seven people used to eat breakfast together around a table built for four. The beginnings of her little family. They were all gone now, and there would have been plenty of room at the table if she'd had the RV - but that was gone too.

She'd told her about the Dixons, Daryl and Merle. Merle had kind of scared her, but Daryl was nice. He taught Renee to hunt, and gave her food. She told Michonne how he'd kind of ended up being like a second Dad, like Renee was a second Mom. How he came to live with them after something bad had happened to Renee, no one had told her what, but Renee had been different after that.

She'd asked her if they were family now, just the two of them, out in the woods. Michonne had said they were if she wanted them to be. Jada was pretty sure she did, she liked Michonne. She missed Renee and Daryl, she missed Carl and Sophia, and Glenn and Dale, and the Grimes'...but they were gone now. So here she was with Michonne, Mom number three.

As much as she'd told Michonne about herself in the past few weeks, Michonne rarely said a thing about before. Certainly never said a thing about families. Jada had asked a few times, she never got an answer. They were family for now though, Michonne wasn't gone yet.

"You're too little to reach a walker's head with a knife," Michonne said, "I think a gun's our only option."

"I don't like guns." Jada looked at the hunk of metal in her hand, "They're loud."

"It'll be for emergencies," Michonne assured her, "Only if a walker's going to get to you before I do."

Jada still didn't like it, but she nodded, "Okay."

"Alright Sunshine," he murmured, "Nice and easy now." One of her slender hands was clasped tightly around his, his other hand cradling her back as he pulled her to her feet. She made a little noise, grimacing as she tested a bit of weight on her bad leg.

"Don't over do yourself," Hershel said, "We still don't know how that leg's going to hold up." She didn't say anything in response, just nodded, and reached out for her cane with her left hand, holding onto his shirt with her right. He'd found the cane in a house they'd stayed in for a couple days, it had been upstairs next to a bed that still had a body in it. The body had been an old man from the looks of it, it was hard to tell though, hadn't had much of a face left.

The cane was nice though, stained wood, solid. It would hold up well.

The whole group was watching her, sprawled out around the living room of what was probably the nicest house they'd found since they'd lost the farm a month ago. There was plenty of room, place was fenced off. Maybe they could stay, just for a little while. Let Renee get her feet again.

It would be good for her, just to be up and about. She was biting her lip in concentration, trying to find her weight. He kept an arm looped around her waist, just in case. Falling on her ass wouldn't be quite so good. She'd been getting better, not good, but better. She slept badly, and she had nightmares, and the first few weeks had been bad - real bad. She'd been angry, she'd been listless, she'd been 'bout ready to tear the head off of anyone who crossed her...or just happened to be breathing loud in a ten foot radius.

She had practically lunged at Carl one morning after she'd found a bottle of whiskey in a cabinet. Must've dragged herself off the couch in the night. It didn't take much to restrain her between the bum leg and the liquor. He'd scooped her up in his arms and carried her out on the porch while she ranted and cried. Inside he was pretty sure he'd heard Carl start crying too.

He'd been trying to give her her space, let her sleep on her own in the comfort of a couch. After that though, he started setting her on the floor instead, holding her through the night.

She had a lot of bad dreams, but that wasn't different. She'd cried a lot more though.

Now though, she was getting better. She smiled more, and she'd joke around with him when he was sitting in the back of the Tahoe with her. She'd lay her head on his shoulder, and he'd lean down so she could kiss him. They didn't always talk, sometimes they'd just sit, there wasn't all that much to say. What could they talk about? She got that sad look on her face when they talked about the farm, and talking about now wasn't all that much better. It was enough just to be with her.

It wasn't always perfect. She still cried some, and she got that sad look in her eyes from time to time. But she was getting better.

He watched her, a touch of a smile on his lips, as he moved his arms back just a bit, and her fingers left his chest, and for the first time in over a month she took a step on her own.

"Hey! Look at you!" Glenn yelled, smiling and clapping as the others cheered and laughed. He couldn't see her face as she hobbled away from him, one tentative step after another. She didn't seem like she knew quite what to do with the cane, and he and just about everyone else almost jumped forward to grab her when she got all wobbly for a moment. She kept on going though.

He couldn't help but smile as she made her way to fire place, and he couldn't help but smile wider as she turned around, the most brilliant grin on her face as she limped back to him. One step at a time. She was getting better.

"I love you," she whispered, leaning back into him again.

"I love you too, Sunshine," he said, wrapping an arm around her. The group started with their 'awws' and their sappy bullshit, "Fuck y'all." He grumbled, hiding a smile in Renee's hair. She giggled.

She was getting better.

The sun must have been up for a while. Everyone had been letting her sleep in recently, she couldn't exactly do a lot so it didn't matter when she got up. Laundry could be done just about any time of day, and none of the cars were really in need of a tune up (not that Hershel would let her be on her feet for that long). It wasn't a surprise when she woke up late. It was a surprise, however, that Daryl still had his arms wrapped around her, nose buried in the crook of her neck.

He was an early riser normally, and he usually had something to be doing. Whether that be going out hunting, or going with Glenn on runs, or helping Rick fortify the fences around the Big House (that's what they'd been calling the mansion they'd been staying in for the past week now).

There was one bedroom in all of the massive downstairs, and she and Daryl had claimed that as their own. No one objected, it wasn't the nicest bedroom, and she couldn't exactly get up and down stairs all that easily. Her cane was leaning against the nightstand, and she thought she might get up, take a shower. They'd gotten the generator working, and with the generator came the well pump and the hot water tank - she'd been taking advantage of it while she could.

She was thankful her stitches were already out, it would've sucked not being able to get her leg wet. She couldn't stand in the shower all that well - not on her own at least, she'd found herself in there with Daryl more than once now - but she could sit. It was one of those fancy rain showers, with a flat tile floor, it wasn't hard to get in and out of. With a sigh she started to roll over, reaching for her cane, but an arm tightened around her, and Daryl groaned into his pillow.

She laughed softly, falling back to the mattress. His lips found her neck, kissing and nipping and sucking up and down. She moaned softly. If Jada had been awake she would have yelled at them for being gross by now, Renee frowned and pushed that thought out of her head. Just enjoying the sensation of Daryl's touch. His lips trailing up towards her jaw as his hand slid slowly over her stomach, down to the waistband of her cotton pajama shorts.

She gasped as his fingers found her clit, and she felt him laugh against her. Breath cool against her throat. Working his fingers around in slow, teasing circles. He rolled to hold himself over her, kissing her lips hungrily as she threw her arms around his neck, holding him close. She squirmed and wiggled her hips up into his fingers, trying to find more pressure. Her hands wandered over his bare shoulders, he'd stopped wearing a shirt when they slept together a few days ago. She wasn't sure if that was an invitation to ask about his scars or not, so she'd left the matter alone.

"Daryl," she whined, smiling up at him. He could be such a fucking tease sometimes.

"What's that Sunshine?" He stopped his fingers and she moaned in protest, he had that dumb ass smile on his face, and she glared up at him, "You want somethin'?"

"Daryl!" She kicked out with her good leg, bumping his knee with hers, and he laughed.

"I'm sorry, didn't catch that. What'd you want?" His tongue flicked out over his lip briefly, before he bit down on a smile.

"I want you to fuck me," she grumbled.

"Oh really?" He kissed her softly, letting his middle finger trail, featherlight, up her opening and over her clit.

"I'm gonna murder you, Dixon." She half muttered half moaned as he gently traced around her clit.

"I'd like to see ya try an' catch me," he murmured as he left kisses down her jaw and neck.

It took her a moment to get the joke, "Jerk!" She laughed, swinging a hand up to punch him in the shoulder. He caught her wrist and pushed it down to the mattress, his hand slipping out of her pants as he grabbed her other hand and brought them both over her head, holding her down. She giggled and he leaned back down to kiss her, keeping her hands in place with one of his as the other went down to pull off her pajama shorts.

He thrust two fingers into her, and she moaned as his thumb started working hard against her clit. He moved in and out, and she could feel herself getting wetter as she bucked her hips up into him. He smiled into the kiss, as his fingers left her center, and then his lips left her mouth as he slid down her body.

He was careful not to jostle her leg as he grabbed her by the hips, and pulled her up to him. He licked slowly all the way up from her core to her clit, once, twice, again as she moaned his name. He stopped at her clit this time, kissing and sucking the nub and she felt her walls start to spasm with her hips.

"Daryl…" she moaned again, as he pulled back a bit, nose rubbing over her clit as his tongue went to her opening, and he held her up a bit higher. Gently teasing in and out, never going all the way in, she groaned and he plunged his tongue into her center, flicking and sucking, and she could feel herself getting so damn wet as her clit pulsed and hardened.

He pulled back, eyes meeting hers as he blew a cool breath over her wet core. She struggled not to melt as he did it again, tingles flooding up from between her thighs to everywhere else. He laughed, putting his mouth back to work with an intensity that made her squirm. He sucked harder and harder on her clit, his tongue occasionally flicking circles and pressing into it.

"Daryl," she moaned, and he only picked up the pace, gripping her tightly as he lifted her farther off the bed, "Daryl!" she kicked out with her good leg, hips bucking. It felt so amazing. He was sucking and licking and kissing, and she could feel herself getting close. She didn't want it to end, not yet. "Daryl, stop." She breathed, and he pulled back, looking at her.

Her walls kept tightening, and she wanted him to start again, but the waiting made it better.

"Don't want to come too soon," she said, sitting up as he let her back down to the bed, rocking back onto his knees,"It's your turn."

Her hand trailed down his chest all the way to the button on the jeans he'd worn to bed. She slid a hand in, cupping him through his boxers, he was already pretty hard. She massaged him with the same teasing nonchalance he'd given her, as he leaned down to kiss her (getting all the way up to him was a bit difficult for her at the moment).

His hands started trailing up and down her back, leaving tingles on her spine as he grew harder in her hands. Fingers slipped under her hemline, and pretty soon her sweater was off, and so was her bra. One hand started to massage her breast, as he left hickeys on her neck, and she began to pull his jeans down.

A few moments later they were both completely naked, and he was cross legged in front of her, cock upright in the air. He had a pretty nice dick, she'd give him that. Not too big, not too small, symmetrical - what else could she want? She wrapped her right hand around his length, stroking up and down as she kissed him. His hands cupped her ass as he pulled her up into his lap, his dick was very very close to her center as she jerked him off. It was taking a lot of self control not to just go ahead and ride him now.

They hadn't actually had sex yet, not all the way. They hadn't exactly had a lot of privacy lately, but god did she want to.

She slid back off of his lap, and laid down on her stomach, carefully bringing her bad leg around as she brought her lips up to kiss the tip of his cock. His fingers laced through her hair, and he groaned as she took him into her mouth. Slowly sucking, and swirling her tongue around his head. Her hands went to his balls and she felt him lean back, moaning as she massaged him, as she started to bring her head back again. Pumping up and down his dick, slow and steady.

She slid him all the way into her mouth, and then, squeezing his balls gently, she came back up, inch by inch. She sucked on him all the way back up to his head, ending in a slow, sucking kiss on the tip of his dick. He moaned, and she smiled, as she gave him the same treatment he'd given her: blowing cool air over his now slick cock. The sound he made was somewhere between a moan and a growl, and she felt her walls tighten and her clit throb as he gripped her hair harder and pushed her back down onto him. She pumped him hard and fast with her hand and her mouth, as he guided her head up and down, moaning her name.

Suddenly he didn't seem like he could take it anymore. One hand stayed cradling the back of her head, the other grabbed her hip and he flipped her down underneath him. She yelped as her leg twinged.

"Sorry," he said, meeting her eyes, concern showing in his own.

"It's fine," she nodded, she just wanted him to keep going. He kissed her once, twice, not breaking eye contact as he shifted his hips, positioning himself over her. She could feel tingles racing up and down, a tightness in her belly, and more than anything she wanted him inside of her, "Daryl," she moaned his name in anticipation as she felt him brush against her.

He started to press into her entrance, the tip pushing through her. His eyes never left hers, asking if this was okay. She nodded, trying to keep her hips from bucking as she waited for that first thrust. It came, his lips finding her throat as he filled her, pumping in again and again as she tightened around him.

"Fuck, Renee." He groaned as she pushed her hips up to meet his, as he started to thrust into her faster. Suddenly a very horrible thought struck her.

"Daryl stop!" She said suddenly and he jumped a bit, pulling out quickly, "Condom, we need a condom."

"Shit." He muttered, sitting up. She wanted him back inside her, but she also didn't want a pregnancy, "You got one?"

"No," she said, "Run upstairs, Glenn and Maggie will have one." He bit his lip, suddenly finding the bedside table very interesting, "Daryl," she pleaded, "I can't go up the staircase."

"Damn it, Red. I don't know who's up yet, I can't go out there. Don't matter what I put on, gonna look like a fucking tent."

She took a deep breath, as they sat there for a moment, "Fool around in the shower?" She didn't have to ask twice, it took seconds for him to have his arms around her. She laughed as she was lifted from the bed, and he carried her into the bathroom. She giggled as the water started to pour over them, and his lips crashed back down onto hers.

Things were different now. Not better, not worse. Just different.

I had been planning on putting some Shane into this chapter, but decided to just wait and put him in the main season three chapters (instead I wrote some smut). So we'll be seeing more of him soon, this will be the only buffer chapter. I hope you guys liked it, and I hope to hear back from you guys!