A/N A new adventure for Daryl Dixon, he's going on a road trip, will he find love on the way? This first chapter will set the scene, then things are going to move along at a quick pace. x

Daryl had been working at the shop since he was 13 years old.

He was a kid heading fast down a bad road when Dale Horvath caught him siphoning gas out of his work trucks one evening.

He'd gotten Daryl by the shirt collar and demanded to know exactly what he thought he was doing.

Daryl had finally admitted he was going to sell the gas to get enough money for a burger and fries at the diner, maybe even a coke.

"Well if you were hungry you should have come to me and asked if I had any work you could do. I always need a little extra help around the shop. It's better to earn your money honestly son, you'll feel better about yourself."

And that's when it began, him working every day after school for Dale, sweeping, cleaning the bathroom, and emptying trash, all the menial jobs. But after he'd proved himself, worked there a year without screwing up, Dale had made him an apprentice carpenter.

It turned out Daryl had a natural talent for woodwork. He was precise and creative. Dale told him he had "a feel for wood."

Still, Dale told him he wouldn't keep him on if he didn't get his young butt to school and maintain his grades. He was always preaching about the importance of getting an education, of taking responsibility for yourself and your actions, of having respect for yourself and others.

Dale was the father that Daryl didn't have. Daryl's real father was a drunken, abusive asshole who took great pleasure in causing pain.

When he was 15 and he showed up at the shop with a battered face and two black eyes, Dale let him start staying there. There was a small room in the back that he'd been using for storage, he cleaned it out, moved in a twin size bed, a small bar size refrigerator, and a hot plate.

Every couple of days Daryl would walk over to the big truck stop and pay a couple of bucks to take a hot shower. It wasn't the best of circumstances, but it beat the hell out of staying with his no good father.

By the time he was 18 and graduating from High School Dale told Daryl he was a true master craftsman. "You've got incredible talent son, you were born to do this work. I've been at it for 35 years and you got me beat by a mile. There's something I want to discuss with you."

Dale told him he and his wife Erma would like to retire in two to three years. They had a small motorhome and they wanted to see as much of America as they could before they were too old. He was looking to sell his business.

Daryl's heart sank. He loved working at Dale's, he liked his life there. He loved the work. He could think of no better feeling than to pick up a piece of wood and turn it into a piece of art.

Then Dale surprised him by asking, "Why don't you buy the business Daryl? You'll be working full time now that you're out of school. We're not selling for two or three years; you live about as modestly as a human can. Think about it, save your money, I'll work something out with you."

Daryl did have money saved, but he would need a lot more. He never thought he'd really be able to take Dale up on his offer, but he was gonna try his hardest.

He saved nearly every penny he earned. He lived on Ramen noodles, hot dogs and Spam, except when Dale insisted he come to the house and have dinner with him and Erma.

His clothes were getting threadbare, and Lord knows he needed a haircut, but he was determined, if there was a way, he was going to do it.

When he was 19 Dale told him, "Son, if you're going to take over the business, you're going to have to learn the business side of it. That means you're going to have to deal with the customers, bid jobs, purchase the raw materials from vendors, learn about bookkeeping. You don't have to do it all yourself, but you need to have a good understanding of it all. It's a way of protecting yourself and ensuring your success. Tomorrow we're going to start, you're coming with me to bid three jobs. I want you to take off an hour early today and go get a new set of clothes. Doesn't have to be fancy, just some clean Levis and a Dickie's work shirt would do fine. But don't rip the sleeves off the shirt. And either tonight or tomorrow morning get over to the truck stop and get a shower."

"Okay." Daryl was petrified. He didn't interact with people. The only people he ever talked to were the guys at the shop, and only when they asked him a question, or he needed to ask them one, it was always just work stuff. Oh there was his brother Merle, but Merle had been in the state pen for the past five years. Daryl took the bus to see him once a month, but that was different, that was Merle, he did most of the talking.

So he walked to the farm store, got the jeans, got the shirt and even bought a new pair of underwear and a new pair of socks. He took them back to the shop, picked up his shower kit and walked over to the truck stop.

In the morning Dale told him not to worry, he'd be doing the talking, Daryl should listen close and pay attention to how it's done. "Now listen to me son, you can't be looking down. I know you're uncomfortable around people, but you have to hide that. People want you looking at them when you're talking to them. A good trick is to stare at the bridge of their nose. They'll think you're looking them in the eye. And no grunting, nodding and shrugging your shoulders Daryl. You have to speak clearly. And don't hesitate to say a lot of 'Yes Mams, and No sirs.' Folks like to feel like you respect them."

And Daryl looked down and said, "K."

Dale suppressed a laugh and said, "No Daryl, look me in the eye and say, 'Okay Dale, I understand,' see how that comes out."

"Okay Dale, I understand."

"See son? Not so bad. You're going to do fine. You just need to build up your confidence some."

Daryl wished he believed in himself as much as Dale seemed to.

The first job was for new kitchen cabinets. Dale was talking to the potential client, but Daryl was focusing on the existing cabinets and the way the kitchen could be redesigned to make it more functional and much more attractive.

Dale didn't miss the way the young man was taking it all in, so he put it to him, "Do you have some ideas for Mrs. Johnson, Daryl?"

Daryl swallowed hard and replied, "Yes 'm I got an idea in mind, could be much better for ya."

Dale took over, "I'll tell you what Mrs. Johnson, how about Daryl and I go back to the shop and I have him sketch out a couple of designs for you, we'll price those out, and of course we'll include pricing for your design. We can bring that by in the morning, we just need to get some quick measurements."

"That sounds wonderful, thank you both," the woman responded.

A similar thing happened at the second house where the owner wanted an entertainment center built in his living room.

And again, at house number three, where the owner wanted new cabinets in two bathrooms and a closet redesign in the master bedroom.

When they got back to the shop Dale told the young man, "Daryl I was impressed with you today, you did real good son. Now you get busy on those drawings and then I'll show you how we figure out the pricing, alright?"

"Yeah Dale, thanks," he made every effort to look right in the older man's eyes.

"No, thank you son, I'll tell you what, I'll run over to the diner and pick you up a couple of cheeseburgers and a coke."

Daryl was a natural artist and he was able to successfully put his vision for these projects on paper. He quickly sketched out his ideas, and also sketched the client's original ideas so they could make the comparison.

Once the drawings were complete Dale showed him how pricing is figured depending on type, and amount of lumber, as well as all of the other materials used, coupled with design features, such as glass doors and roll-outs, and labor involved in both fabrication and installation.

Daryl caught on quickly, finding he didn't dislike this part of the job like he'd thought he would.

The following day when the ideas were presented to the clients it was as though Daryl was a different person. When he talked about the work and what it could look like he was articulate and expressive.

The shop was awarded the work by all three clients, and all chose Daryl's designs over their original plans.

After that, Dale took Daryl with him for all jobs the small company bid.

When he was 21 Dale and Erma decided it was time to sell and take the trip they'd waited to take for 40 years.

Dale told Daryl he wanted $80,000.00 for the business, which included all equipment and inventory.

In the three years since Dale had told him he was going to sell, Daryl had managed to squirrel away $50,000.00.

Dale told him he thought he'd be able to pay the remaining $30,000.00 off in $10k per year increments.

Daryl agreed. He planned to continue living at the shop and saving every cent he could, not just to pay off the remaining balance for the business, but he had other plans as well.

He'd like to own some ground in the close-by woods and have his own cabin, he'd also like to own a nice motorcycle. To him, both of those things symbolized freedom, and the feeling of freedom was a feeling Daryl would like to have.

Two months after Dale and Erma officially retired Erma was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She never got to take that dream trip with Dale.

What Daryl learned from that was, you can't keep putting off your dreams. Sometimes you just have to take a chance and go for it.

That was when he bought that 10 acre undeveloped parcel. It was treed, there was a small creek that ran on the back end of the property, clear and cold, and although it was secluded, it was still close in to work.

He slowly began to improve the property. He rented equipment and cut in a road. He had a well and a septic system dug. He paid the power company to run power from the road to the property.

When he was 25 the business had been paid off for a year and Daryl was ready to start building. That was also the year Merle was released from prison.

Merle was a changed man. He'd done hard time but somehow it had mellowed him. He wanted to stay on the straight and narrow, wanted to have a life, wanted to be a brother to Daryl like when they were kids.

Merle was the only family Daryl had left and he didn't want to lose him again. So he moved him in the shop with him, put him to work.

Merle quickly caught on to the demo and installation end of the carpentry business. He wasn't afraid of hard work and maybe the most important thing, he was on a mission to prove to Daryl that he really had changed.

Daryl began to build his cabin, working on it evenings and weekends. Merle helped in every way he could, and the brothers working side by side brought them to a new closeness.

When Daryl was 28 his home in the woods was completed and furnished. There were two bedrooms, a great room, a true chef's kitchen, a small office, two bathrooms and a mud room. There was a large front deck and an even larger back deck. It goes without saying, the woodwork was stellar.

Merle had gotten himself a little place in town, close to the shop. It was the first real place he'd ever had, not a flop house, not a crap shack with the old man, not a cheap motel and not the joint. He was proud of the little two bedroom clapboard house and it showed in the way he cared for the house and yard, neat as a pin.

The other thing Daryl did at 28 was buy a Triumph motorcycle like he'd wanted to do for as long as he could remember. He had it tricked out just the way he wanted it. He planned to eventually take a long road trip.

Where was he going? Well he didn't have a plan to ever leave Georgia for good. He had a very successful business, a home in a spot he loved, and his brother back. But he'd like to see a little bit of the country and he'd heard for years about the big Sturgis Motorcycle Rally held every summer in South Dakota.

He thought why not? Why not enjoy it while he was young. He'd get any wanderlust out of his system, and maybe, just maybe when he got back to Georgia he'd be lucky enough to meet a nice woman. He'd never had a real relationship with anyone, he was awkward around women, but he had thought it might be nice to have a woman.

When he was 29 Dale showed up at the shop in his motorhome and praised Daryl's success and the way he'd built up the business. He also told him, again, "Son, enjoy your work, but don't put off your dreams. Life is short, you have to take the time to enjoy every bit of it."

He did spend his evenings and weekends doing the things he loved, hunting, camping, fishing and just riding around on his bike. And he continued to plan in his head, and on paper, the trip he would take.

All in all, life was real good for Daryl Dixon.

Merle had started keeping company with a woman in his neighborhood, Carol. She was a widow, close to Merle's age, with a 12 year old daughter. Merle said they weren't getting too serious too fast, mostly just taking a little "comfort" in one another. Nice euphemism, but Daryl didn't judge.

When he was 32 he started getting all of his ducks in a row. He was planning on hitting the highway the following summer and there was a lot of planning regarding how the business would operate in his absence.

He planned to be gone four weeks. He wasn't just going to head straight to Sturgis. If he was going that far he was going to make it a real trip. He wanted to see Pike's Peak in Colorado, he wanted to head up through Wyoming, see Flaming Gorge, and go to Yellowstone, see a Rodeo and go to the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, see Devil's Tower then head into South Dakota. His first stop in South Dakota would be Deadwood and then he'd spend the full six days at the Rally. After the Rally he'd check out Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands, and then on home.

It was gonna be one hell of a trip and he couldn't wait, the trip of a lifetime. Oh he'd like to have a travel companion, but maybe it was better this way. No one else to worry about, just make himself happy, that would be better, much more fun. That's what he told himself, and that's what he wanted to believe.

He and Merle worked together figuring out how Daryl could manage to stay away from the business for four weeks.

He had four top notch employees in addition to Merle, there was Oscar, Axel, and Caesar in the shop, and Jacqui who ran the front office.

Daryl had built a reputation as one of the most creative craftsmen in the region. He had regular clients, mostly custom home builders and commercial contractors, and Daryl spoke with all of them individually four months ahead of the trip. He told them when he'd be gone, that the shop would not cease production or installations, but there would be no new bids and no new design work while he was gone, so get your jobs in early.

Jacqui called all potential clients they'd already bid jobs for and let them know the schedule, just in case they wanted to get it done before he left, and they all did.

From that point forward Daryl made it clear to everyone they bid a job for when he'd be gone, so if you'd like him to get your plans done so his crew could be working on your job while he was gone, that needed to happen soon.

Daryl felt he was as ready as he was ever going to be. He was going to do this, and he was going to do it right.

He'd rigged the bike with saddlebags and a sissy bar bag. He'd get everything he needed in those, and have plenty of room for anything extra he might pick up along the way. He had clothing for any kind of weather he may encounter, after all he'd be traveling through country where there were regular afternoon thundershowers, he also had a bedroll and a small tarp if he decided to sleep outside. Last and most important, he had his tools.

Before he left on his journey he and Merle spent that last weekend hunting and camping in the woods.

He was as ready as he'd ever be, he and Merle locked arms and Merle told him, "Ya be real careful out there Little Brother, ya get in any kinda trouble ya call me I'ma be there in a heartbeat."

Daryl nodded and said, "Gonna miss yer sorry ass Merle, but I'll see ya soon enough."

And he was off.

A/N I hope you enjoyed it. Daryl has set off on his adventure, maybe he'll meet a pretty little blond on his way. Thank you for reading, please review xo