Bound By the Depths

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*Danielle Robinson managed to escape from Woodbury and finally come across the prison that the Governor has talked about behind the town's back. Dodging the walkers and Merle's sadistic henchmen, she goes there in hoping to find sanctuary in a safer place. Her reasons for leaving and her backstory still leave Daryl unable to fully trust her.*

*But sometimes it's better to keep your potential enemies close at hand.*

## **Chapter 1**

**Escape From Woodbury**

Everything they had told her was a lie… about her daughter, the medications, about Milton was all a lie. After the death of her little girl Danielle Robinson finally realized how unsafe the town really was. The Governor tried reasoning with her, and when that didn’t work he had Merle and his henchmen take the watch of her.

Though they demanded she pays a price for being a good girl and letting Milton conduct his experiments on her Abigail. What choice did she have? Danielle had passed out after a few hours of relentless torture from Merle and his buddies left naked and violated on the bed with her clothing littered about the room.

So, she took the chance. Gathering what belongings were in the room of hers Danielle made her way out of the room. Biters had managed to squeeze through the wall on the east side of town, alerting the Woodbury people thus giving her the perfect distraction. Danielle climbed the wall and leaped over, taking a somewhat rough landing but was free.

She took off in a run with no means of stopping, her bag slung over her shoulder. Soon the Governor would become aware of her disappearance but she didn’t care. All Danielle wanted was to get the hell out of there.

Day and night she went on, avoiding walkers and throwing Merle and his henchmen off her trail continuously. Nightfall came, blanketing Danielle from Merle and his crew, though it didn’t hide her scent from the biters that lingered in the woods.

So that night she slept in a tree, keeping well out of sight from the hunger creatures that walked below.

Danielle, of course with little sleep waited until the first bit of light shone through the forest before running once more. And as soon as dawn came she willed herself not to cry over everything that had happened to her.

Glenn and Maggie were up in one of the watchtowers, fingers interlocked with one another as they overlooked the yard. Beth and Carol were in the garden tending to the crops while Rick and Daryl conversed in small talk near the fence line.

Glenn’s gaze swept across the tree line, where walkers roamed aimlessly in a scattered formation. But something quickly caught his eye that moved slowly along the ground. He grabbed the binoculars to get a better look as he zoomed in on the figure, which seemed to be a woman who was making her way towards the prison.

“Maggie, take a look at this,” Glenn said as he handed over the binoculars.

She gradually took them from him, looking through as he pointed to where he saw the woman.

Maggie’s eyes went wide as she pulled her head away, and leaning over she yelled: “There’s a woman outside the fence!”

Everyone snapped to attention, heads whipping over to the where she pointed frantically.

Daryl was the first to make a break for it, Rick hot on his heels. The hunter made a quick turn towards his bike, starting it up as Rick went for the gate, opening it as fast as he could with the keys.

Danielle was making an attempt to get to her knees, the walkers looming toward her having seen the woman as a possible meal.

“Cover me!” Daryl yelled to Rick over the revving of the engine as the gate opened he roared out to the yard making a skidding halt beside Danielle.

“Grab on!” he hollered, pulling the woman to her feet she climbed onto the back of his bike, arms wrapping around Daryl’s shoulders as he sped inside.

The gate was quickly locked behind them, Beth and Carol came running over and helped Danielle from the bike. Hershel hobbled over on his crutches, feeling for a pulse in her neck.

“She’s dehydrated but alive, take her in and get a mattress set up for her,” Hershel said as Daryl walked over and picked the woman up, carrying her inside the prison.

The women got a mattress set up as Daryl gently lowered her onto it. He sat on one of the circular cafeteria tables nearby, watching the woman. The other prison members came inside as Danielle’s eyes fluttered before opening.

She took one look at her surrounding area before trying to get away in a frantic yet failed attempt. Rick placed a hand on her shoulder which stopped her, a cup of water in his hand.

“Let’s not try anything stupid, you’re dehydrated. Daryl found ya in the yard. How’d you find this place?” Rick asked, holding the water to her.

Danielle slowly took it, taking a few sips which coated her parched throat that had grown dry in the past few days.

“I came from Woodbury, they weren’t what they seemed to be. The Governor’s messed up in the head. I had been there long enough so I took my chance and got out of there.”

Her eyes took in the area and the people who were around her before her gaze met Rick’s. He removed his hand, staring her down, “You’re from Woodbury?”

Danielle didn’t back down as she answered, “Yes I’m from Woodbury, I’ll explain myself in a bit. But I will have you know I am done being ordered by men, being bossed around and told what I can and cannot do. So, before we continue forward with this topic I want names.”

Her gaze met each of them before returning to Rick who stood, hands raised. “Fair enough, I’m Rick Grimes, that’s Hershel Greene, his girls Beth and Maggie, her boyfriend Glenn, my son Carl, two others Oscar and Axel, Michonne and that’s Carol.”

Danielle nodded as she sat up a bit more, “And who might he be?” she asked, her eyes glued on Daryl who hadn’t moved since he brought her in.

“Daryl Dixon.” the hunter replied, a gruff tone to his voice.

Something clicked in her mind as her eyes widened at the realization. “Merle Dixon’s brother? He said you would be in a prison with another group.”

## **Chapter 2**

**Danielle's Story**

Daryl narrowed his eyes, “How do you know Merle?” to which Danielle ignored the question and directed her attention to Hershel.

“Can I get more water, please? When I was bugged out I could only grab the weapons bag. Food and water weren’t quite handy.”

Oscar answered before Hershel could. "I'll get it, you want something to eat too?"

She nodded. "Thank you, I appreciate it."

Oscar nodded, turned then went walking down the hall. As he left Danielle looked up at Daryl with a smirk.

"You don't look like Merle at all. I would've never known if you hadn't said your last name. He only called you his baby brother, which I assumed you were a kid on how the way he talked about you."

Daryl holstered his gun. "I ain't no kid."

Danielle began to laugh which quickly spiraled into a coughing fit. She sat down on the cot and dry heaved as Hershel, despite his crutches, hurried inside and sat by her as he patted her on the back.

"You're gonna have to take it easy, when was the last time you ate or drank anything?" Hershel asked as Danielle spit on the floor of the cell, resting her elbows on her knees. She started laughing again.

"My mother would lose her ends if she saw me right now. In an abandoned prison, surrounded by men, with no ladylike bone in my body. My daddy though... he'd be proud. He used to call me his Huckle Mary Finn." She paused before spitting again. "I've been in those woods for about, two, maybe three nights. I got lost and had to circle back to get out of sight from a pack of walkers and to throw Merle and his guys off my trail in case they were following me."

She shuddered as Oscar returned with a bowl of stew and a canteen of water. She took them both gratefully, though after eating a spoonful of the stew she frowned.

"It's squirrel, Daryl keeps us stocked up on meat but it takes the time to get used to." Danielle looked up at the men with a smile as she drank from the canteen.

"I thought it tasted familiar, haven't had squirrel since my daddy died. That's been good twenty-five years at least."

Danielle glanced up at Daryl, "Thank you, it's good."

The hunter kept silent as Hershel patted her on the back. "You just take it slow. We don't need it coming right back up."

She nodded as she set the bowl down on the floor, took another drink from the canteen and slowly got to her feet.

"Do ya'll mind if we go outside? I get it you don't want me around your people in here but, I have a thing for small places."

Rick and Daryl exchanged glances before stepping aside so she could walk through. She stumbled a bit on her way out and Daryl caught her arm which kept her on her feet. Danielle glanced at Daryl, getting a good look at him and looking him square in the eye for the first time.

Daryl didn't like how she was looking at him because he felt defensive. It seemed as if they were challenging him. He released her arm and let her walk ahead of him. Rick led the way to the courtyard, where Beth was out in the garden, Maggie and Glenn talking amongst themselves. Danielle blinked as the Georgia sunlight blinded her the moment she stepped outside.

She followed Rick to a picnic table that had been pulled into the shade. She sat across from Rick and Hershel, Oscar and Axel kept walking to where Carol was dealing with a group of walkers.

Daryl wasn't planning on sitting. He didn't trust her and he felt more comfortable on his feet. Rick watched her for a moment before shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, now that you've eaten, drank something and got introductions. Why don't you tell us what happened," Danielle looked up at Daryl, then looked the two men who sat across from her. Instinct told her that it was fine to tell them but she still felt uneasy. If Daryl was anything like Merle and Rick anything like the Governor she may have jumped from the frying pan and straight into the fire. Danielle bit her lip and looked at the table. Everything that had happened over the past few weeks was racing through her mind and she wasn't quite sure on where to start.

“Just as everything began going to hell, I took my nine-year-old daughter Abigail with me. My husband was enraged when he found out I was taking her out of city limits because of our divorce agreements. I told him he could try taking the issue to the court but that wouldn’t work for him anyway.

Route 20 was closed off, Abigail and I stuck in a traffic jam along the highway. So, taking our things we abandoned the car and went on foot through the woods. Days later we came across Woodbury. They accepted us in rather quickly, the Governor was nice and all but things seemed off.

That was until not even three months later Abigail got sick, which I assumed was only the common cold or the flu. Turns out the doctor there diagnosed it as pneumonia. The Governor heard of it and offered to support the medications needed to treat it. I was grateful shortly after, but soon I realized the medication wasn’t helping and Abigail only seemed to be getting worse.

Weeks later, I was sent down to say my goodbyes to my daughter. When I got there, I was shocked by how pale and cold her small body had become. I held her cold hand for hours at least until finally, she passed.

I was heartbroken and beyond grief-stricken as the Governor comforted me in the room. I cried for hours as he told me how brave I was to allow the scientist Milton to experiment on my Abigail. I heard the Governor whisper to somebody and hands prying me away from him. It was Merle, of course. He pulled me along, taking me back to my room. But what I was gifted with was anything but utter torture.

Merle and his buddies took turns with me, beating me, stripping me of my dignity, of my vulnerable state. Merle sweet talking me, thanking me for letting Milton work on Abigail, to hopefully find a walker cure. A few hours later I was left naked on the bed, clothing littered across the floor. So, I dressed and escaped, ran day and night, and it's how I got to the prison, basically where we are now.”

"He made you pay because you let them work on your daughter's body? Goddamn it." Daryl hit Rick's shoulder, "See, told ya we shoulda killed him! When we got Maggie and Glenn and we figured out what they'd done to them, I told ya that sicko had to die! But you were more worried about getting back here then doing what needed to get done."

Rick didn't turn toward Daryl but raised his hand. "Michonne said he was too well guarded, it would've been a bloodbath and we were needed here. We barely got out as it is and we've been watching the roads for an ambush ever since."

Daryl kicked at the dirt in frustration. "That's a bullcrap cop out and you know it. We got into Woodbury, got Glenn and Maggie and only two people saw us!" He halted his rambling when he noticed Danielle glaring daggers at him.

"What,? Ya got something to say?"

"Yeah. You're welcome." She stood and walked slowly up to Daryl, glaring at him. "The only reason you got out of Woodbury without being seen or detected was that night Merle and his buddies were having a little party in my house, and I was the gift." Daryl flinched slightly but didn't look away.

When he spoke, it was in a near whisper. "You're a liar, my brother ain't no rapist." Danielle took another step closer, fists clenched tightly as both appeared to be squaring off to fight one another. Rick stood and put his hand on Danielle's arm, which she jerked it away and he raised both hands.

"C'mon, let's sit back down and finish this alright? We just need to know what else happened that you remember and we'll go from there."

Danielle and Daryl were still glaring daggers, neither backing down until she turned her back on him, sitting back down. Rick glanced at Daryl who looked thoroughly pissed off, shaking his head in disbelief. Danielle regained herself and continued.

"After she had passed, I began to realize what Milton and the Governor were planning to do with my daughter. As he was attempting to comfort me, Milton duct-taped Abigail's mouth and strapped her arms down in case she turned on the way. I think that before they made it all the way, Milton told Merle to pull her teeth out before he put Abigail in the cage.

"While the Governor came back later, kissing my hair and telling me how brave I was to let them do this. That the world would soon thank me one day after the research led to a cure. I pushed away and told him to get out. He understood, saying I needed time to grieve so he left the room." Danielle paused and took another drink from the canteen.

"I still didn't know what happened, I let them kill my daughter and use her as a lab rat. I knew she was going to turn and it sounded like they were just keeping her alive... in that state forever while they did God knows what to her. When I went downstairs I found Merle on my couch, and he started smiling when he saw me."

Daryl was leaning on the table, staring, his jaw set. When she mentioned Merle, Rick saw the way his fingers curled into fists. Rick didn't think Daryl would actually hit her but something was about to happen.

"'Well well well' he told me. 'Looks like its just you and me now sugar'. I started going to the door but he was too quick. He put me in a chokehold and I couldn't breathe. He kept shushing me and stroking my hair, 'That's right sugar, just stay calm. It'll be alright. You just be a good girl and don't do anything stupid and everything will be alright.' I stopped fighting him and he let go of my neck but grabbed my hair instead.

I cried out and I knew he hit me. He forced me to my knees and unbuckled his pants. 'Now sugar, I won't do you like them other boys did but if you're sweet to to Merle for a little awhile, we'll be just fine.'"

Daryl grabbed the canteen and threw it across the yard, pacing back and forth shaking his head. Rick jumped up from his seat and tried to calm him down.

"Daryl, I know this is hard for you to hear but you can't be like this right now." Daryl shook his head pointing at Danielle.

"You're talking about what she's sayin' is true. I know my brother and he's a lot of things but he doesn't rape women." Rick kept telling him to calm down not realizing that Danielle had gotten to her feet and was right behind the hunter until he saw Daryl glaring over his shoulder. Rick stood aside as Danielle reached and touched Daryl's arm. He flinched and she pulled her hand back. Her eyes, though still with an angry glare, had softened a bit.

"You've been told your whole life that you and your brother are cut from the same cloth haven't you? You think that means whatever Merle did somehow comes back on you." Daryl shook his head.

"If it's any consolation he didn't get to do anything. After I knocked Merle out, I grabbed my weapons bag and ran. I jumped the wall and made it for the woods. I don't know if anyone saw me or if anyone said anything to me, I just ran." Danielle stopped and turned to Rick.

"Where are my weapons?" Glenn and Maggie, who had been standing back listening, brought the bag over and set it on the table. Danielle opened it and inspected the contents.

"Ya'll didn't take anything did you?"

Glenn shook his head. "No, we didn't even open it." Danielle nodded and pulled the bag up over her shoulder.

"So, are you going to send me on my way or is there room in the big house for one more?" Rick frowned and shook his head.

"I think that's something that we need to discuss with the group..." He looked from Daryl to Hershel, who started to speak but Daryl spoke up.

"She can stay." He turned and walked away, his head down. Rick looked at Danielle to Hershel and then caught up to Daryl, stopping him.

"Daryl, we need to talk about this. We've got too much to lose if she's lying to us." Daryl glanced back at her, looked at the ground and then back at Rick.

"Nah, she can stay." It's better we keep her here and keep an eye on her. I don't like what she's sayin' but that doesn't mean it ain't true." He looked back at Danielle and turned to walk the fence where another crowd of walkers was waiting. With a fury that surprised everyone, he began single handily taking out every walker he saw.

## **Chapter 3​**

**Bullseye**

Danielle was grateful to Maggie for the clean clothes. The jeans were a bit snug but they would have to do until she could wash her own. She had washed up the best she could and brushed out her hair. Looking at her reflection in the broken mirror, she almost didn’t recognize herself. Her eyes were sunken and the bruises stood out on her pale face.  She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and walked to the cell block. Carol, who was holding baby Judith, saw her and smiled.

“Do you feel better?” Danielle nodded.

“Where’s Maggie? I need to thank her for these clothes.” Carol nodded her chin toward the window.

“I think she’s working out in the garden with Beth. It’s actually turning out pretty good. Glenn found a bunch of vegetable starters in someone’s greenhouse and they’re coming up rather nicely.” Judith sighed in her sleep. Danielle walked over and smiled at the baby.

“She’s beautiful, is she yours?” Carol shook her head.

“She’s Rick’s baby girl. Her name’s Judith, Rick’s wife Lori… didn’t make it through the labor.” Carol’s voice trailed off. Danielle took another look at the baby and thought of when her Abigail was that small. She fought back tears, smiled at Carol, turned and walked outside.

It was early evening, and things actually had cooled off. She saw Rick and Hershel, standing by the garden as the two girls were pulling weeds. Surveying the yard, she saw one of the mattresses from the cot was propped up with a piece of paper tacked in the center. Daryl was giving a boy lessons on how to shoot a crossbow. Danielle walked over with her bag, which was still where she left it and picked it up, turning to walk toward the training grounds. Rick looked back and saw her, quickly crossing the yard to join her.

“I see you got settled in.” Danielle nodded without stopping. Rick walked in front of her and stopped, forcing her to do the same.

“Where are you going with that?” He motioned to her bag. She raised an eyebrow at him.

“Let’s see… I have my bow in here and that appears to be a target. I thought it would be a good idea to shoot at it and keep my skill up.” When Rick didn’t move, she put her hand on her hip. “What, do you think I’m going to assassinate you all while you sleep?”

“Look, I know Daryl said that it’s better if we let you stay, but not everyone is going to feel comfortable knowing you’re walking around armed.”

She laughed. “Once they see me shoot, they’ll feel a lot more comfortable knowing I’m walking around armed.” She walked around Rick and continued towards Daryl and the boy. Daryl turned on her, standing between her and the boy.

“What do you think you’re doin’?” She ignored him and knelt down to open up her bag, pulling her bow out along with three arrows. She walked around him and began checking her strings and the pulleys. Everything looked okay. She pulled her glove on her hand and stood. Daryl took his crossbow from the boy.

“Carl, run over by your dad now.” Carl frowned and obviously didn’t want to listen but when he saw the look on Daryl’s face, he decided this was the time he probably should. Danielle pretended to ignore it and set up for her first shot. The target wasn’t that big and she overshot it. She swore and picked up her second arrow. Daryl stood back and watched her.

“You’re not aiming level.” Wrinkling her nose, she realized he was right and lowered her bow slightly. This time, she hit the mattress but missed the paper.

“Third times a charm,” she muttered to herself and fired her third arrow. This one was a perfect bullseye. She smiled with satisfaction but wiped it off her face quickly when she turned and saw Daryl watching her. He nodded at the mattress.

“Not bad. Where’d you learn to shoot?”

“My dad. My dad’s family is pure, one hundred percent Louisiana redneck. My grandma told me and my cousins that coming from Louisana, it meant we were special because we were rednecks with hot sauce.”

Daryl smirked. “Yeah but you sure don’t sound like you spent your life running around the swamp, learning to shoot and climbing trees.” She walked towards the target to retrieve the arrows and he followed.

“My mother and I were not close and my dad died when I was in high school so I went to college in California and just stayed out there until three years ago when we moved to Atlanta. Mother was from a very wealthy family in Jackson, Mississippi. All she was expected to do in life was marry well, serve on charity boards and leave her kids to be raised by a black nanny, just like she was. She was a spoiled little sorority girl at Ole Miss when she met my dad. He was the starting quarterback for the Rebels and she decided he fit the criteria: handsome, athletic, and had the potential to make good money when he went pro. Since he had a large number of female followers, she decided to up the ante and got knocked up with me her junior year. Being the southern gentleman that he was, he married her and she spent the next fifteen years making his life a living hell.”

She raised her bow, aimed and once again hit the paper target. She was still too tense in her shoulders but this was better for her than any therapy. Daryl stood back and watched. After she shot the last two arrows, she set her bow down and stretched her neck and shoulders before sitting on the ground. She turned her head when she heard his footsteps moving away.

“I’m sorry,” she called over her shoulder. She heard him stop.

“Sorry about what?” His voice was low and there was an edge to it.

“Sorry I had to tell you that about your brother.” Danielle turned and looked at him over her shoulder. He shook his head and kept walking. Danielle sighed and got up to retrieve her arrows. She needed the practice.

Beth watched from the garden as Danielle shot at the target again and again. Maggie saw and kicked her sister in the leg.

“Quit staring at her.” Beth moved out of her sister’s reach.

“Do you think she’s telling the truth? About what happened to her? She’s not acting like you’d think someone would who have that actually happen to them…” she trailed off and looked at her sister apologetically. Maggie glared at her.

“What do you expect her to do? Curl up in a ball crying because of that? Completely check out on everything and forget about surviving just because she’s been dealt a crappy hand?”

“You watch your mouth now missy,” her father moved quickly and quietly on those crutches. “You girls don’t need to be over here gossiping about someone you don’t know nothing about. You have no idea what she’s thinking right now. She lost her little girl and went through quite an ordeal.” Beth interrupted him.

“If she’s telling the truth, I heard Daryl say he doesn’t believe her.” Hershel frowned at his daughter.

“That’s because it involved his brother, and no one wants to think that their kin is capable of that. That doesn’t necessarily mean she’s not being honest about it.” Maggie looked over at Danielle, who was picking up her bag.

“I know what they’re capable of in Woodbury. I don’t doubt she’s telling the truth.” Hershel patted his daughter’s shoulder.

“Come on inside girls and get washed up.” He looked over at the firepit where Axel was stirring something in the giant metal pot they found in the cafeteria kitchen. “It looks like dinner is almost ready.”

Later that night, Daryl came downstairs from the watch in the guard tower. He didn’t ordinarily take the night shift but he needed to get away from everyone and think for a while. He didn’t realize he’d dozed off until he heard Glenn’s footsteps on the stairs.  Glenn started to speak to him but thought better of it. When Daryl walked into the cell block, the only sounds were the rhythmic breathing coming from the cells. He paused by Rick’s when he heard the baby stirring. Rick obviously hadn’t yet heard her so Daryl picked her up and fixed her a bottle. Cooing quietly to her, he walked with her as she ate. When she fell back asleep, he laid her back down on the mattress next to Rick. Now tired himself, Daryl climbed the stairs to the landing prepared to crash. He stopped when he realized he wasn’t alone.

“What the hell are you doin’ up here?” He whispered to Danielle.

“I can’t sleep in a cell,” she whispered. “I tried but had to come out here. I didn’t think anyone else slept here.” He frowned, angry now.

“Well you thought wrong, I sleep here.” She pulled her blankets and pillow over to the far corner of the landing.

“Look, it’s late and you need to sleep. I’ll stay over here. I’ll find someplace else tomorrow, okay?” Daryl didn’t like it but for once was too tired to argue. He moved his blankets further away and lay down, his back to her, but was too aware of her presence to sleep. He rolled over and looked towards her. The full moonlight came in through the windows and he could see she was lying on her back, staring at the ceiling. He thought he could see tears on her face.

“Are you okay?” He whispered. She shook her head. Giving up on sleep for a little longer, he slid over to sit by her.

“How old was your little girl again?” Danielle sat up, wiped her face and pulled a wrinkled picture from her back pocket and handed it to him. It was a wallet sized school picture of a grinning little brunette, her hair in braids.

“She was nine. She would have turned ten in another couple of months. She was so excited about getting to be that two digit age.” He smiled at the picture and handed it back. She brushed her finger across the picture and kissed it, the tears starting again.

“This is all I have left…” she was losing the battle to keep the tears and her grief inside. She shook her head, wiped the tears away and looked over at him.

“What about you? Any other family besides…” her voice trailed off. He tensed but let it go.

“No. My mom died when I was still a kid. My dad was a drunk. Merle was all I had.”

“No kids?” Daryl shook his head and smirked.

“None that I know of anyway.” He moved away from her and lay back down on his blanket, facing her.

“You should try to get some sleep. We’ve still got work to do tomorrow. Rick wants to clear out another cell block and check for supplies. He might let you come along.” She smiled and lay down turning on her side towards Daryl.

“Thanks for saying I could stay.” Daryl didn’t answer. Instead, he asked the question he really didn’t want to know the answer to.

“How did you get away from Merle?” She shook her head.

“You really don’t want to know the details.” He propped his head up on his head, a little-pissed off.

“You weren’t too shy on tellin’ details earlier.” Danielle bit her lower lip and thought about it.

“Let’s just say,” she said slowly, rolling on her side away from him, “don’t put anything near my mouth you don’t want to be bitten off, okay?” Daryl flinched and turned over. He needed to sleep.

## **Chapter 4​**

**The Courtyard**

WIP