Bee🖤

_____________________________________________________

Flower (Daryl Dixon x Reader fanfic)

chapter 1

chapter 2

chapter 3

chapter 4

chapter 5

_____________________________________________________

Unlikely (Daryl Dixon x reader Fanfic) (DISCONTINUED)

They couldn't be more different, being from completely different lives. Yet, they're drawn together. The shared feeling of past trauma, and the tragedy of the end of the world, may be the hope they needed.

chapter 1

chapter 2

chapter 3

chapter 4

chapter 5

chapter 6

chapter 7

chapter 8

chapter 9

We’ve been searching the woods for hours. Everything started to look the same to me in about half that time. Trees and bushes and more trees, and then some more trees. No sign of Sofia whatsoever. Daryl’s incredibly good at tracking but even he lost her trail from where Rick had left her after a bit. We haven’t encountered many walkers but those we have we make quick work of putting down, even if it meant going out of our way to do so. There’s no way we’d leave any around with the chance that little girl may be out here alone.

We take a break for a moment while Daryl moves a few feet away to stab his knife into the eye of one of the dead. There's a bang in the distance. If it was any other time I’d assume it was a car backfiring, but I knew what it was. Someone had used their gun, and that was never a good sign.

We stood in complete silence for a moment, waiting to hear more shots. When none came it was even more of a shock. There’s no way Rick or Shane would’ve used their guns for a single walker. Maybe it was an accident, but that’s even less likely.

I glanced around at the others, Glenn and Andreas faces showed they were equally as concerned as me.

“Should we go see what that was” I asked

“Nah, sure they’re fine. Gotta keep searchin b’for it gets dark.” Daryl waved me off.

He was becoming increasingly irritable the longer we stayed out here. I think the fact we hadn’t found her yet was getting to him in a way I hadn’t seen even his brothers fate get to him. The other two and I looked between eachother before jogging to catch up with Daryl, who was already on the move again.

A few more hours passed, and still we found nothing except the dead. Oh, and more trees. At this point I had lost most of the hope I had left. Sofia had been gone over 24 hours by now. Even if she did manage to hide somewhere, she can only go so long without food and water. The thought made tears well up in my eyes, but I pushed them away.

The sun was getting close to setting and we decided to head back for the night. Turning in the direction of the road we set off. It wasn’t long before we could hear the faint voices of the others in the distance.

Carol ran over to us, Lori close behind her. When she saw we hadn’t find her daughter she broke down in tears once again. I pulled her into my arms before she collapsed, just holding her as she sobbed.

“The others back yet” Glenn asked

Lori shook her head

“No, they should be back by now. I heard that shot earlier and im starting to get worried” she explained

I helped Carol to sit down once she had calmed slightly. Then I noticed the lack of Carl. Before i could even speak Lori answered my question.

“Carl went with them. Oh god what if something happened.” Lori was now equally freaking out

“Hey” I spoke loud enough to get her attention amidst her panic “Both Rick and Shane are capable, he’s safer with them then almost anywhere else” I reassured her

It was true, they were probably our best fighters besides Daryl. If Carl insisted on going on the search it was best he was with them.

Not too long later, there was the sound of hooves. A woman rode onto the road on the back of a horse. She stopped a few feet away from us.

“Lori Grimes?” She asked, looking between us

Lori stood, slowly approaching the woman

“You need to come with me now. Carls been shot.”

——

Carl was shot, and was being taken care of by an older man named Hershel. The woman on the horse was his daughter Maggie. They have a farm a few miles from where we had been camped on the highway.

Glenn and I had followed after Maggie and Lori in one of the cars. While the others stayed back with the RV Incase Sofia showed up. Daryl had gone off to search the woods more.

I sat with Glenn on the porch. He seemed to be staring at the house behind me. I turned to track his vision and noticed Maggie just beyond the window.

I nudged him

“She’s gonna think you’re creepy if you keep staring like that” I joked

His face flushed red and he stammered out “what. No. I wasn’t.” Before letting out a sigh “is it that obvious?”

“You couldn't be less subtle if you tried” I laugh

He groans and shakes his head.

Just then a truck pulls up to the front of the house. Hershel runs over just as Shane hops out. There’s a moment of silence as the two stare between eachother, Shane shakes his head slowly, a look almost like sadness on his face. Maggie stands behind Hershel looking shocked, his own face the same.

“No one tells Patricia until after, I need her for the surgery” Hershel half yells, grabbing the medical supplies from Shane.

The three head inside, Glenn and I follow after a few confused glances between us. Shane had been gone when we arrived, I remember someone saying something about how he and some other man went to get supplies for Hershel to do surgery. Obviously Shane had come back alone. Something happened.

Hershel and Patricia set up all the things, prepping Rick for them to take blood as needed for Carl. Then Carl is put into a deeper sleep with the medication, a mask placed over his mouth to help him breathe. The rest of us are practically pushed into the other room, and the door is closed on us.

———

I could see that the sun was rising from between the curtains on the window. We had been sitting in silence for hours while Hershel worked. Finally he slowly stepped out of the room looking completely exhausted.

I’m half falling asleep and can barely hear the hushed voices of Lori and Rick discussing Carls recovery with Hershel. From what I do hear it seems he’ll be fine. The two go in to sit with their son until he wakes up. It feels as if the air is a little lighter.

“You all can have the rest of your group set up near the house while he recovers.” Hershel says to the rest of us.

Shane nods, rising to his feet. He pretty much immediately goes to leave, taking the car Glenn and I drove here back to the road.

The others were here soon after, wasting no time in setting up a small camp not too far away from the house.

I grab my bag out of the truck, and set up my tent. Practically throwing myself inside like I couldn’t get in fast enough. I fell asleep the second I laid down.

——-

A few days had passed, Carl was recovering slowly, and Sofia was still missing.

The sounds of the others were muffled slightly by the thin walls of my tent. I climbed out and headed over to where they were gathered . They were discussing how we would continue the search with everything that had been happening. Many volunteered to go as soon as possible, even one of Hershel’s people, a teenage boy, his other daughter's boyfriend I think, said he’d help.

Daryl looked as if he was impatiently waiting for the conversation to end so he could leave immediately. Tapping his foot and playing absentmindedly with his knife in his hand. Shane continued on.

“We start first thing in the morning.” He states

“Man screw that, m’goin’ now. Not gonna find that girl sitting ‘round here.” Daryl says, waving Shane off and turning to head off in search of Sofia.

Shane tries to call after him but gives up once he realizes it’s no use.

I jog after the man, walking alongside him once I catch up.

“Not gon’ convince me to wait.” He says, not stopping to look over at me.

“Im not. You’re right, shouldn’t waste any more time.” I agree. “I’m coming with you”

He glances at me for a moment, as if deciding whether or not he should tell me to fuck off. Eventually he nods.

“Get yer things, leavin’ in 5.” he says

I don’t say anything, just rush back to my tent. I throw a few things into my bag, water, rags, what’s left of a thing of trailmix I found in one of the cars on the highway, and the gun and ammo I found. I never told anyone I found it with all that was going on, but im sure all I’d get was a lecture from Shane. I clipped my knife to my belt and headed over to meet Daryl.

He stood tapping his foot impatiently. He saw me approaching and nodded before turning on his heel to leave. I followed.

To my surprise we head over to the horse stables. He cautiously approaches one, holding out his hand to allow her to smell him. When she doesn’t react negatively he gives her a pat on the head, moving to rub her neck and he swings himself up and onto her back.

I watch with a raised eyebrow.

“Does Hershel know you’re taking one of his horses?” I question

He shrugs in response, “Nah. got a lot of ‘em, sure he won’t care anyway.”

He holds out a hand to pull me up onto our somewhat stolen horse.

I shake my head a bit and let out a sigh, ultimately taking his hand in mine and allowing him to pull me up with ease. He turns around to check if I’m ready and I give him a thumbs up before going to hold onto his back.

I hesitate a bit before touching him. Deciding to mostly hold onto the fabric of his shirt.

He makes a sound to signal to her it’s time to move and steers her towards the far entrance of the forest.

—————————————-

We moved through the woods in almost complete silence, only the sound of the horse trotting and the occasional calling out Sofia's name. If she heard us she wasn’t making it known.

I was beginning to worry that all the time that had passed with Shane stopping anyone from going out too far meant we were too late. That we had no chance of finding her now.

We had been moving through the forest for hours now, and were pretty far from the farm and the road. If Sofia was out here, I’d be surprised if she had gotten this far out, it was extremely unlikely. Though Daryl was determined, and I didn’t have the heart to break it to him there was almost no chance we’d find her where we were.

We came to a stop, Daryl reaching to tap my leg to signal for me to get off. I obliged and he followed. Rummaging in his bag for his water to take a break and hydrate. I did the same, also pulling an apple out of mine to give to our new friend. I used my clean knife to cut the fruit in half, holding out part of it for her to take. She moved to take it so quickly she just about took my hand with her.

I let out a laugh, giving her the rest before wiping my hand free of horse slobber on my pants. I reach up to scratch the top of her head, and she makes a pleased huffing sound. I haven’t been around many horses in my life, but from what I’ve seen being on the farm, they almost act like big puppies.

Daryl clears his throat, and I look over at him. He doesn’t say anything but I can tell he’s asking if im ready to go on again. I just nod and we get back on the horse and head off.

——————-

The sun began to disappear behind the horizon, and we came to a stop near the edge of a small cliff. Daryl looked over at the rushing water below and thought for a moment.

“Can’t get ‘er down there” he mumbled, obviously referring to our horse friend

I nodded

“we should probably head back anyway, we can go on foot another time” I suggested

Even without him saying anything I could tell he didn’t want to go back, like if he returned without this little girl he had failed. Which wasn’t true of course, he was taking this search more seriously than anyone. But he expected himself to be super human and find her no matter how impossible that seemed to be now.

He was quiet again for a while before grunting in agreement. It had gotten dark quickly and I don’t think any of us were looking forward to riding back in complete darkness. Even our horse friend was getting antsy, huffing and quickly moving her head to look around at the slightest sound.

The snap of a twig followed by that awful groaning alerted us to the walker that had wandered out of the denser part of the forest. It groaned louder as it noticed us causing our horse to startle a bit and move herself out of the way.

Steadying himself after the sudden movement, Daryl swiftly shot an arrow into the dead things head. It falling over with a soft thud. I could hear more groans slowly growing closer. Clearly she could hear it too because she began to huff in what seemed like panic. If horses could have panic attacks that’s exactly what she was doing.

A handful of rotting faces appearing from the treeline were the final straw for her. Moving her front have back and forth out of their grasp, too much for either Daryl or myself to do much of anything. Then she raised her front legs to kick at the dead closing in on her.

I was flying, or falling rather. It happened to quickly, I was thrown off the horse, I felt the air against my skin as I plummeted to the bottom of the cliff I hadn’t realised how close we had gotten to. Then I hit solid ground, the pain welled up in my body all at once. Flat on my back I stared up at the stars painting the night sky. Someone must have hit a light switch up there because then everything went completely dark.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Of course my head is trying to kill me the second I wake up. I immediately regret how much I drank last night, not that it would stop me from doing it again. I practically peel myself out of bed, and make my way to the kitchen to join the group. Sitting down with a groan, Glenn enters soon after me doing the same.

“Never let me drink again” he groans out, laying his head in his hands

“Me either.” I nod in agreement, “unless I really want to” I add

Jenner apparently thinks our pain is hilarious bc he laughs.

“Thought this might come in handy” he sets a bottle of pills down on the table between us

Ibuprofen my beloved, I grab the bottle and pour a few into my hand before sliding it over to Glenn. He says his thanks and does the same. Us both dry swallowing the pills.

“I need coffee” I say more to myself than anyone else

Before I even have a chance to fully stand up a steaming mug is placed in front of me. I look up and my eyes meet those of Daryl.

“My savior” I joke, placing my hand over my heart

He waves me off, settling down in the seat next to mine. His own mug steaming in hand.

Picking up the mug, I take a sip, burning myself a bit in the process. I wince at the pain but it doesn’t stop me from cautiously taking another. The heat in my mouth and throat taking my mind off the pain in my head.

Soon everyone had filed into the room. Taking their seats around the table. Those that also had hangovers passing the bottle of pills around.

T entered carrying a tray of food,

“Eggs, powdered but I do ‘em good” he says proudly, placing the tray down in the middle of the table, we waste no time digging in.

——

After breakfast everyone heads off to do their own thing. I decided on finding a book and hiding myself away in my room for the day. This hangover still kicking my ass. I chose something that seemed like it would make a good escape from everything. Made my way back to my room, closing the door behind me and plopping down on the plush chair in the corner.

I found myself immediately lost in the story, some fantasy thing I couldn’t remember the name of by a few chapters in. Dragons and kingdoms, the usual stuff associated with these kinds of books. Then there was a romance, which is somehow always the most unrealistic part to me. Giant fire breathing flying reptiles are pretty much as likely as cannibalistic corpses, and well that’s already happened. Even so I’m still a sucker for a love story, no matter how fake seeming it may be.

I can’t help being pessimistic about the idea, and maybe that’s because I’ve never had the real thing myself. So the thought of love at first sight, or even love in general sometimes feels like a foreign concept.

I push my possibly irrational feelings to the back of my mind for now, and continue to let myself find my escape. I’m not sure how much time passes, but eventually im thrown out of my fantasy world by a commotion down the hall. A banging sound echoing all through the building, loud voices muffled through the walls.

I rise to my feet, heading towards my door right as it swings open. Before I have a chance to register that’s happening Dale grabs my arm and I'm practically dragged running down the hall. Once we reach the main room I try to piece together the sight before me. Daryl, T-dog, and Shane are taking turns ramming things into the locked door. Rick is standing over Jenner yelling something about letting us out. Others are crying or just sitting on the floor looking defeated.

I pause, looking over at Dale for an explanation. He points up at the timer on the wall. Less than 5 minutes left, and it’s counting down.

It’s like everything slows at the realization. Dale says something but I can’t really hear him. I think its something about decontamination, and it doesn’t take a genius to know what that means. No one wants to die this way. Though it seems we may not have a choice.

I collapse to the floor. All sounds around me muffle as if they’re miles away, and I feel that my face is wet. I reach up to wipe my face and notice it’s my own tears. I wasn’t even aware I had started crying.

There’s still yelling, this time more frantic than before all I see is the blur of the others running. I notice the door is open now, and I know I should follow but I can’t seem to make myself move. It’s like I’ve lost the ability.

I feel arms wrap around me and suddenly im being carried.

I force myself to look up and my eyes meet Daryl’s. He’s blurry from the tears that I can’t seem to stop from falling.

“Aint lettin’ ya die” he says

We reach the entry where the group is frantically trying to break through the windows. He sets me down and joins in. I’ve calmed down slightly but it still feels like I'm far away from my body.

I see Carol hand something to Rick and everyone takes cover behind something. Daryl’s by my side in a second, pulling me close behind a pillar. The room shakes and there’s an incredibly loud bang. Then more yelling again. God I hate the yelling.

I’m scooped up into Daryl’s arms again as everyone runs to the vehicles. He manages to put me down in the passenger seat of the truck. Climbing in the drivers seat after me. There’s a flash of light, an explosion, and he practically throws himself over me. In a matter of seconds what’s left of the CDC is engulfed in flames.

——

By now I’ve mostly regained my composure, I just sit staring ahead as we drive forward in silence. We have no plan. I’m sure Shane will insist on fort benning, but at this point I'm not sure that would go any better than the CDC did.

The RV slows ahead of us until we’ve come to a stop. From what I can see the road is completely blocked. Daryl hops out to see if he can find a way around. I follow, stopping at where the group has gathered outside the RV. From the fact there’s smoke coming from the hood, it seems we would’ve stopped even if the road was clear.

Daryl jogs back over to the group

“Find a way around” Dale asks

Daryl shakes his head, which earns sighs from a few, myself included.

“Alright, check the cars for anything we can use.” Rick announces

There’s murmurs of agreement and I head off to do just that.

I look around the road, at all the abandoned vehicles left to collect dust. There’s blood on some, as well as on the road. The lack of bodies is almost unnerving. There’s some, though not enough for the amount of cars.

I pass by the open trunk of a minivan filled with totes of mostly women’s clothes. The amount is insane, and I wonder if this person was planning on bringing their entire wardrobe with them to the end of the world. Not sure what outfit works for the occasion honestly. I stop for a moment to dig through and throw a few pieces roughly my size into my bag before continuing on.

I peer through the passenger window of one of the cars. Blood is splattered across the steering wheel and the driver side door is ajar. I tap on the glass to confirm there’s nothing that wants to eat me inside before opening the door. There’s not much immediately obvious as useful. A lot of garbage, a half empty pack of cigarettes and a water bottle. I push the pack into my pocket and toss the water into my bag.

I pop open the glove compartment, and there’s the goodies. A nearly fully stocked first aide kit, some sort of multi-tool, and a handgun, complete with a couple full boxes of ammo. I gather the supplies and make my way to search a few other cars. Finding a few more useful things before deciding to quit for now.

Suddenly I become aware how eerily silent it is. The distant voices of the others have come to a complete stop. I turn back towards where the others were gathered by our vehicles. Empty air where there was once people standing.

Then I hear it, the approaching groans of the dead. I now understand why everyone seemed to have disappeared. Dale must’ve spotted them heading towards us and warned the others. My being further away meant I was out of earshot of the warning.

Luckily I don’t think any of the dead have seen me yet and I quickly duck into a nearby car. I close the door as quietly as possible and make myself flat against the seat. I hold my breath as the groans and shuffling of undead feet grow louder. I can feel the car shake slightly as a few bump into it.

It feels like an eternity passes while I wait. I only come out once I hear panicked voices on the street. I run over to where Lori is holding a nearly hysterical Carol. Between her sobs I manage to make out that Sofia was chased by walkers into the woods. Rick had gone after her, which definitely increased her chances of coming back safe. After some time passed and neither had emerged, Shane and Daryl had gone after the two.

The longer we waited the less hopeful I became. I tried my best to look less scared than I was, for Carol's sake. I’m sure the others were doing the same. She had decided she needed to do something to occupy her mind until they returned. Lori and I sat with her going through and sorting the things everyone found. It was incredibly boring but that was honestly probably helping to calm the dread I know we all felt.

Carl stayed within feet of us, Lori not allowing him to leave her immediate sight for even a second. We all knew he was scared for his friend, even if he did a good enough job of hiding it. For a kid his age he’s surprisingly tough. At least he acts like it.

—-

At least an hour later the three men appeared in the tree line, the lack of Sofia causing my heart to drop into my stomach. They make their way over to Carol, who looks as if she’s been punched. I'm sure it feels like she has.

“We’ll find her” Rick places a hand on carols shoulder as he speaks, she nods seeming as hopeful as she can be

“Can’t of gotten far, prolly jus hidin nearby.” Daryl reassures

“We head out to search in groups at first light” Rick announces to the group

There’s no argument from anyone, we will find that girl one way or another.

The rest of the time we’re awake is spent making plans for the search. Deciding who’s going with who, and where they’ll search. Each group has at least one of the more capable fighters Incase there’s any issues.

Carol, Lori, Dale and T-Dog decide on staying back at the RV Incase Sofia comes back to the road herself. I’m in a group with Daryl, Andrea and Glenn. Rick and Shane taking a smaller area slightly further out by themselves. Once the plan has been made everyone heads to bed.

Between trying to get comfortable laying in the backseat of a car, and the thoughts invading my brain I can’t seem to fall asleep. I climbed out of my car bed as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake those who managed to fall asleep. I clip my sheath onto my pants, deciding on taking a walk to clear my head. It’s dark, and it’s quiet. I make my way down the road, until I hear a faint scraping sound. I slow my steps, making myself more silent than I already was. Peaking around the side of a car, I spot Daryl and sigh in relief.

He leans against the hood of the car, cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He’s sharpening his knife absentmindedly while just staring off into the distance. I’m not even sure if he notices im here. I leave my hiding spot and place myself down on an overturned cooler nearby. He glances over at me for a second before going right back to what he was doing.

“Can’t sleep either” I ask

He grunts in response, shaking his head slightly

“Do you really think we’ll be able to find her?” I question, a sadness evident in my voice

He turns to look at me, he looks offended id even ask

“Course we will. Gon’ find her and she’ll be fine” he says, and even with how sure he seems it almost sounds like convincing himself instead of me.

I stay quiet and just nod

We will find her, there’s no way any of us would give up even if it killed us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Masterlist

Chapter 3

After Glenn drove that dinner bell of a car into camp, every bit of information after was more insane than the last. 

The group got trapped, some random guy in a sheriffs uniform saved their asses. Same guy handcuffed merle to a roof, which he probably deserved. Oh, and this guy is Loris dead husband. So that has to be a little awkward. 

To put it lightly, Daryl did not take knowing his brother had been left to die well. After trying to attack Rick, which I learned was the name of Lori's dead husband, Rick, Glenn and T-dog agreed on going back to get him in the morning. As well as going to retrieve the bag of guns Rick had dropped in the road during the chaos. 

That was hours ago now, and they still haven’t returned, though between the four of them and potentially Merle I'm sure they’re fine. 

I sat against a rock near the water, listening to the other women converse and laugh amongst themselves, the children running around playing nearby. If I didn’t know any better I could forget we were at the end of the world. 

I let out a content sigh and closed my eyes, trying to hold on to the moment for as long as I could. Letting myself pretend for just a second that life was normal. That this was a normal camping trip. The more I thought about it the more I thought about how odd our group was, how unlikely it would’ve been for almost any of us to meet before. It's almost funny to imagine how that would ever happen.

My eyes snap open, and I'm thrown out of my daydream by the commotion a few feet in front of me. It’s all happens so fast, Ed walks up, complaining about who knows what, grabs Carol by the arm to pull her away, and within seconds he’s on the ground, Shane on top of him, practically beating his face in.

I run over to where Carol is collapsing on the ground, I pull her into my arms to stop her from falling. The other women are screaming for Shane to stop, and I think this might be the one time I'm on Shane’s side for something. 

After a while he stops. Carol breaks away from my grasp and runs over to her husband, sobbing and echoing apologies to him over and over. 

————-

The rest of the night is quiet, almost everyone eating dinner in their tents and heading to bed early. I can’t help but attempt to do the same, though it’s not exactly going well. 

There’s this almost overwhelming sense of dread I can’t get to go away. Not the one I seem to constantly have as of late, but a new unexplainable thing. I toss and turn for a while before settling on laying in my own anxious silence. 

Then there’s screaming.

 It takes a moment to register in my mind that it’s real, and I exit my tent as fast as I can, my knife already in hand. The dead are everywhere, a few people are running to take shelter in the rv, others fighting off the dead as best they can. 

I take in a breath, the only experience I have killing these things being the few that wandered into my camp days ago. This was much more than that, at least a dozen, probably more, and not enough people or weapons to handle it. 

It’s so dark I can hardly tell what’s happening, but I can definitely see the rotting face steadily growing closer to my own. With another deep breath I do what hasn’t failed me yet, and what I will be trademarking as the “ol’ trip n stab” 

I wait until the thing is barely a few feet away before kicking my leg out, causing it to fall face-first into the dirt. I quickly thrust my blade into its temple, pulling it back out with a tug. 

And I repeat, I stand my ground. I let the things approach me, I knock them off balance and I put them down. They just keep coming, and I wonder if it’s ever going to end. I put down what must be my 3rd or 4th one, and before I even fully stand up there’s a hand on my shoulder. A cold, rotting hand. 

I manage to pull away from its grasp, spinning around in attempt to position myself to kill the thing. Somewhere in the process I manage to trip and knock myself on my ass, the thing falling right on top of me. I hold it far enough away that it can’t hurt me, but with how large the thing is it takes the majority of my strength to do so, and I can’t help but notice that my knife is no longer in my hand. 

The rotting face is mere inches from mine, biting at the air between us and hissing with this animalistic anger. I know it's the least of my problems but god this thing has bad breath. 

I glance around and notice my knife lying not too far away. Mustering all the strength I can manage I attempt to hold the thing up with one arm while reaching with the other for my weapon. After not even a second of pulling my arm away the thing gets too close for comfort and I return my focus to pushing it off. 

Before I have a chance to think of a new plan, a bolt pierces through its forehead, ending up directly in front of my eyes. I shove the thing off, and make eye contact with Daryl who has his crossbow raised a few feet in front of me, I pull myself to my feet brushing myself off in the process and regaining my composure. The air is filled with the sound of gunshots, the group had finally come back with the weapons. And not soon enough.

——- 

By the time all the dead had been put down the sun was beginning to rise. There were few casualties, but not none. Amy and Ed died during the chaos, and Jim had been bit. 

No one knew what to do, but we knew we couldn’t stay here. Not after last night. The camp had become too unsafe, not even to mention the bad memories it now held. 

Rick and Shane were standing at the head of the group, debating amongst themselves between going to the CDC and Fort Benning. One of which was a couple miles away and could potentially have a cure for whatever this was, the other being over 100 miles away. The choice was obvious to everyone but Shane. 

The group gathered their things and piled into their vehicles. Morales and his family deciding on leaving us to find their own people. Almost no one thought it was a good idea, but we respected their decision as best we could. 

I threw my bag over my shoulders, heading over to where everyone was preparing to drive off towards the CDC. 

“Yer ridin’ with me” Daryl spoke in his usual indifferent tone, that seemingly permanent scowl still plastered across his face.  

I only nodded in response, climbing into the cab of the truck while he loaded his bike into the back. He climbed in the driver seat not long after. A few honks of horns signaling everyone was ready to head out.

——

The drive was longer than it should've been, having to make detours due to roadblocks and the dead. Between that and stopping when Jim decided he was done fighting. Took a lot out of everyone emotionally. 

The awkward silence between me and Daryl felt like it was driving me insane. I knew he wasn’t much for talking, but this thick feeling in the air needed to be broken by something, anything. 

“Thank you” I practically blurted out 

He glanced over at me, a confused expression making its way onto his face. 

“What for?” He questioned, turning his attention back to the road

“Saving my ass again last night” I explained “seems it’s becoming a habit”

I couldn't help but let out a small laugh at the realization that he’s saved my life in almost the same exact way twice now. 

“Ain’t no big deal” he shrugged 

“I still appreciate it” I said

He grunted in response and the air was filled with silence yet again, albeit this time a slightly less awkward one. 

Before much longer we arrived at the CDC. The place was practically a graveyard. Bodies lined the parking lot and roads. An almost unfathomable amount of flies buzzed in the air. They clearly enjoyed the smell more than we did. 

Everyone stuck close together as we approached the large building. Noticing once we arrived that it was locked up tight. Rick banged on the door, pleading with no one to let us in, to save us. 

“Rick there’s no one here” Shane said, placing a hand on his shoulder.  

“There has to be someone” Rick continued his desperate pleading

The noise had attracted the attention of some of the dead nearby, their groaning growing closer.

“Walkers!” Glenn shouted, plunging a knife into the head of the closest one.

He, Daryl, and T-dog continued killing any that got close, while Shane and Dale pleaded with Rick to give up his attempt at opening the door. Soon there were too many of the dead, and we knew we needed to leave before it was too late for all of us. 

Shane grabbed Rick by the arm, dragging him along as we began to flee back to the vehicles. Suddenly Rick escaped from his grasp, taking a few steps towards the door again.

“The camera” he pointed up to the small device above the door “it moved” 

“You imagined it” Dale suggested, desperate to get Rick to leave 

He banged on the door once again, clearly not giving up at the idea of this being our safe haven

“Please, we’ll die out here” he pleaded “all we want is a chance” 

We waited a moment before Rick sighed in defeat and turned to leave with the rest of us. Then there was the scraping sound of the reinforcements coming up off the doors. 

They had opened, someone had opened the doors. That damn camera really did move.   

We wasted no time in running into the building. Weapons still raised as we looked around for our savior. A man with a shotgun stood in a doorway. What a warm welcome. 

“Anyone infected” he questioned 

“One of your group was. He didn’t make it” Rick replied sadly 

The man nodded “you all submit to a blood test, that’s the price for entry” 

Seems simple enough to me. 

The group made mumbled sounds of agreement, most lowering their weapons now. 

“Get your things, once those doors close they stay closed.” The man said gesturing to the doors we entered from

After dragging what we could from the vehicles, we followed the man to another reinforced door. 

Rick stopped once we entered holding a hand out to the man 

“I’m Rick Grimes” he greeted

The man took Ricks hand in his own, giving it a shake 

“Dr. Edwin Jenner” he responded

——

The place was huge, a room filled with computers greeting us as we got to the bottom of the stairs. I looked around in amazement, which quickly turned to concern as I realized Jenner was the only one here. 

“Where's everyone else” I questioned 

“They ran. Or worse” he trailed off 

I nodded, the man had clearly lost people and I didn’t think I should push him to tell that story so soon. 

The group followed as he gave us the grand tour, a kitchen decently stocked with food and, even liquor, an area with private rooms, and at the end of the hall a rec room with shelves full of books and board games.

“If you take a shower go easy on the hot water” Jenner said, but I think we all only heard hot water 

With that he left us to settle in, saying something about making food. All I could think about was that shower he mentioned. I carried my things into one of the small rooms, throwing them onto a cot in the corner. There was a bathroom attached to the room, and I wasted no time in stripping, turning the water as hot as it goes and stepping under the stream. 

I let the nearly too hot water run down my body, the burn of it ensuring me I was sanitizing myself in a way. I made due with the 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner, and soap that vaguely smelled like menthol. I spent longer scrubbing myself and standing in the water than I probably should’ve. Finally leaving once my skin was flushed a light red and I felt cleaner than I had in a long time. 

I dressed myself in the somewhat clean clothes in my bag. Staring at myself in the bathroom mirror for a moment, it had been so long since I had seen my own face. I had lost weight, making my cheekbones more prominent, the bags under my eyes heavy from lack of restful sleep. Though I fully plan on sleeping for as long as I can tomorrow to make up for it. But tonight we have something to celebrate.

I make my way towards the sound of voices, everyone is gathered at a table in the kitchen, drinks in hand. 

“We were starting to think you drowned” Dale joked as I sat down and joined the group 

“The lack of lifeguard is atrocious” I joked back, shaking my head in mock disgust 

That earned a laugh from everyone, I think I even heard Daryl let out an amused huff.

I leaned back in my chair between Carol and Dale, letting him pour me a glass of wine which I gratefully accepted. I took a sip and involuntarily sighed at the bitter yet still sweet taste. 

Jenner finally entered the room with a large pot of pasta, setting it down in the center of the table. No one wasted anytime in filling up their plates. We are in near silence, everyone happy to have a real meal for once. 

The drinking continued once we had finished dinner, Lori and Rick even letting Carl taste the wine, which he promptly spit out in disgust. Everyone was quickly becoming drunk, having not had any alcohol in a while definitely ruined whatever tolerance we had before. For once it was happy, we were laughing at seemingly nothing, when Shane decided he just had to ruin the vibe.

“So, you gon’ tell us what happened here?” he practically interrogated Jenner

The man looked defeated, but he answered after a moment 

“The same thing that happened everywhere. We held out as long as we could, tried to figure out what this thing is. Eventually most left to be with their families, those of us that stayed continued to work. Until I was the only one left.” Jenner explained, the sadness radiating from the man now evident to us all

“Way to be a buzzkill man” Glenn directed at Shane, leaning back in annoyance. I couldn’t have said it better myself. 

Shane rolled his eyes, giving him that same angry look he almost always had. 

“Did you figure it out? Whatever this is?” Rick asked 

“It’s better if I show you” Jenner said, moving to leave the room while we all followed.

He led us back to the room with the computers, saying something to prompt the large screen on the wall to turn on. An image of a persons brain now displayed. 

“She was bit, volunteered to have the change documented” Jenner explained, then telling the computer to fast-forward 

Her brain went dark, all signs of life disappearing. It stayed that way for a moment before the center lit up once again. Then the outline of a gun and bullet going through her head. She had turned. Died and came back, all that made her human gone in the process. 

“All the parts that matter stay dead when it happens.” Jenner continues “nothing left but a shell of a person” he sighed out, turning the screen off. 

“Is there a cure” Carol asked desperately, clinging onto her daughter 

“Not that we could find.” Jenner answered 

The discussion continued around me, but I stopped listening after that. There was no cure, which deep down I already knew. But hearing it from someone whose job it is to figure these things out, it stole whatever hope I had left. 

“I need a drink” I decided aloud, turning to leave the room without a second thought 

I ended up in the kitchen again, rummaging through the cabinets in search of something harder than the wine. I settled on half a bottle of whiskey, grabbing a glass on my way out. 

I wandered into one of the rec rooms, plopping onto a couch and laying back, the bottle of whiskey on top of my chest. I finished my glass in one gulp and decided this would be more efficient without it. Letting it fall out of my hand and onto the floor with a thud. I continue taking swigs from the bottle, wincing at the burn in my throat at first, though eventually becoming accustomed to it. 

Some time passed, I continued taking gulps from the bottle every few minutes. I had drank at least half of what was left. The fact i hadn't drank in a while meant the effects were hitting me harder than they normally would've.

Suddenly there’s a presence in the room, and I shoot up from my position on the couch. Right as I do, Daryl sits down on the floor, leaning against the side of the couch facing away from me. He says nothing, which isn’t new. 

I think for a moment on what to do or say, and I decide on handing him the bottle. He startles a bit as I almost drop the thing onto his lap, and I can’t help but laugh at myself. It’s not even that funny, but my drunken state is ruining my perception of comedy. I go to lay back again and proceed to fall off the couch. Groaning as I rub the back of my head. 

Daryl takes a drink from the bottle as he turns to look at me, an eyebrow raised in amusement. 

“Think you’ve had enough” he said, clearly trying to hold in his own laughter. 

“Absolutely not” I said, pulling myself up, so I'm sitting against the couch as well.

I attempt to snatch the bottle back, but he grabs my wrist easily. We stay like that for a moment, just staring at each other. It’s clear from the way his pupils are dilated that he’s had his share of drinks too, but he’s much more coordinated than I am even drunk. His grip on my wrist tight but not painful.

I’m not sure if it’s the alcohol or what, but I can’t help but think how attractive he is. I had noticed before of course, especially during the many times he saved my life. This time was different though, as I stared at him through my blurred vision I noticed all the details of his face. How angular his jaw was, the overgrown stubble around his mouth, and especially how blue his eyes were. I inspect his face for what feels like hours, in reality it was probably only 2 minutes. If I didn’t know better I’d say he was doing the same to mine. Eventually he loosens his grasp, letting my arms fall. I try again for the bottle and miss completely, just grabbing at the air next to it. 

“M’ cuttin’ ya off” he states, now setting the bottle behind him and out of my reach. 

I pout in response, he actually chuckles a bit I throw my arms up in defeat and lay back onto the floor. We sit in a comfortable silence this time, it only breaking when I yawn. I have no idea what time it is, but it’s definitely late. So much for getting my beauty sleep. 

I yet again have the urge to start a conversation but don’t know how. I look up and see he’s already staring at me. His face flushes a darker color than it already is from the alcohol. He turns away from me almost instantaneously. 

“What’re ya starin’ at” I echo what he said during our walk to camp that first day, trying my best to copy his accent. 

He continues facing away, but I can tell he’s rolling his eyes. I don’t get the courtesy of a real response.

“You know you never did tell me why you’re this quiet” I realize after another few moments 

“Jus’ got nothin’ to say most a’ the time” he shrugs 

“You know you’re a lot nicer when you’re drunk” I blurt out 

He raises an eyebrow as if he doesn’t know what im talking about 

“You act like an asshole most of the time, even when you’re doing something nice” I explain 

“Maybe ‘ts not an act” he suggests 

I laugh, because even in my current state I can tell he’s lying. 

“You just want everyone to think it’s not, no idea why” I reply, sitting up to look at him better 

“Easier that way” he shrugs 

There’s this hurt in his eyes that I can tell he’s trying to hide, and I decide not to push him much further. This is the most conversation I’ve gotten out of the man after all. I don’t want to ruin that. 

“I get it, hell, being secretive’s my specialty” I say, 

In a way I relate to him. We have the same goal of closing ourselves off, we just go about it differently. Though I'm sure it’s somewhat easier to do if you just rarely talk like he does. 

Even if I’ve become sort of friends with some of the group, Carol and Dale especially. I’ve tried my best to keep my personal details private. It’s not like I haven’t been asked about my life before, I just keep it as vague as possible. Not wanting the looks i get that come from telling people about what I’ve gone through. It’s not that I don’t think they’d be willing to listen, or even that they’d judge. I just don’t like the pity that comes with telling anyone the baggage I keep with me. 

“You do that a lot” Daryl says, pulling me back to reality and out of my internal monologue 

“Do what” I question

“Get lost in yer own head” he explains, tapping his own head with an extended finger

“got a lot going on in there” I say

He nods, and we resume our silence I’ve grown so accustomed to. It’s almost comforting that it’s so consistent. 

I pull myself to my feet. The liquor starts to wear off and it's making my head pound. I already know I’ll have a hangover in the morning, and I am not excited about it. I turn to Daryl again before heading off to my room.

“It was nice actually speaking to you, should do it again sometime.” I say, giving him a genuine smile.

I mean what I say, I'm so drawn to this man in a way I can’t explain. I can’t help but hope to get to know him, I would almost be more inclined to open up to him if this continued. Though I know we’ll probably go back to minimal words spoken by the morning. 

He mumbles something in what sounds like agreement, and I wave to say goodnight before heading off to my room. Dreading the hangover I’ll have once I wake. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Masterlist

Chapter 2

I startled awake at the sound of my tent unzipping, readying myself to kick whoever was there. Daryl stood in front of me with an unreadable expression on his face.

“Get up” he said, walking away without waiting for my response.

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and quickly gathered my things, not thinking he’d be the type to wait for me long.

Once I finished I headed over to where he stood, giving him a nod to say I was ready to leave. He just grunted in response, gesturing for me to follow him. 

We walked together in silence for a long time, the only thing breaking it being the grumble of my stomach. I hadn’t realized how hungry I had gotten, the traps I set not doing what they were meant to do very often. It had been a while since I had eaten anything besides a few edible berries I found while on my walks.

“When’s th’ last time ya ate?” Daryl questioned, clearly having heard my stomach just as loud as I had. 

I shrugged “Not sure, few days ago at least.” 

He nodded and stopped walking. Taking his backpack off and rummaging through it, after a bit he threw what was left of a bag of jerky in my direction.

“Eat” he practically demanded as I managed to barely catch the bag.

How he managed to do something nice in such a rude way was beyond me. If I wasn’t so hungry I would’ve protested, but who am I to deny sustenance, no matter how it was given to me.

I sat against a tree, throwing pieces of the dry meat into my mouth. I stopped myself from devouring it in seconds, as I knew that would only make me feel worse. The hunger pains subsiding slightly with every bite.

He leaned on a tree across from me, using a piece of rock to sharpen the tips of his crossbow bolts.

He was so quiet it was almost unnerving, I wondered if he was always like this or if it was just around me. I wanted to break the silence, but I didn’t know what to say, or even if he’d respond.

“What’re ya starin’at?” He snapped, it wasn't intentional, but I was definitely staring at the man.

“I’m trying to figure out if you’re always this quiet.” I replied somewhat nervously. 

He didn't reply, just giving me a look I couldn't quite place with an emotion and raising his chin in a sort of nod. Going right back to sharpening his bolts. 

Guess that’s about the answer I expected. 

I finished the food I was given and stood up, letting Daryl know I was ready to start moving again. He led the way without a word, as usual.

———

After a while longer we could hear voices, signaling we were close to people, his group I assumed. We made our way closer until we were at the edge of the camp, a few of the people noticing our arrival and coming over to greet us.

A man who was equally, if not more dirty then Daryl ran up to the two of us, somewhat roughly smacking him on the arm in some weird form of greeting.

“Little brother you were s’pose to bring back dinner, not a piece a’ ass” the filthy man chuckled, now eyeing me up and down. “Not that I'm complainin’.” He winked at me.

I just about threw up in my mouth at his comments. 

Daryl glared at the man that was apparently his brother. “Fuck off Merle” he grunted, shoving him out of the way and moving past.

I jogged after him, not wanting to be alone with this Merle guy for even a second. We joined the others that were standing around discussing a run into the city for supplies. 

My presence was immediately noticed as new, and the man who seemed to be in charge of this group stopped speaking and turned to look at me. He glanced up and down, in a slightly less gross way than Merle did. 

“Who are you?” he questioned, the way he spoke was stern without even trying.

“Y/N” I answered, my voice coming out more quietly than I meant it to. 

Daryl spoke up then “found ‘er all alone while huntin’, she’s stayin’.” His tone made it clear that he wasn’t asking permission. 

I just stood there, not really knowing if I should say something, and if so what it should be. I wasn’t expecting Daryl to practically demand I be allowed into the group. He seemed determined I stay, even after not acting too fond of my presence all day.

The other man now looked at Daryl with an expression that resembled anger, he was clearly not used to following orders of any kind. After a moment he nodded, turning towards me with an outstretched hand.

“I’m Shane.” I took his hand to shake, his grip tight like he had something to prove in his greeting. 

After that he left the small group of us, heading towards a brunette woman and a young boy. His family I assume based on the way he protectively put an arm around her as they walked away. 

I turned to say something to Daryl only to find him gone, I hadn't even noticed that he left. I glanced over to where he was now speaking with his brother, the conversation seemed heated. Based on the fact Merle kept looking in my direction, I think I might have something to do with what they’re talking about. 

I stop myself from staring too long, realizing the more disgusting of the brothers might see my gaze as an invitation. I turn back to the group, seeing now that most have wandered off. My eyes meet the sad ones of a woman I can tell is younger than her graying hair suggests. She gives me a genuine sweet smile, which I return.

“I’m Carol” she gestures to the young girl now running around with the boy that I assume is Shane’s son “that’s my daughter Sofia, the boy she’s chasing is Carl.” She laughs a bit at the last part

“He’s Shane’s kid?” I ask, expecting her to confirm my suspicions.

Carol shakes her head, “He's Lori’s son, her husband didn’t make it.” She states sadly 

Lori, I gather is the brunette woman Shane approached before. The two were obviously cozy together, and I couldn’t help but think it seemed rather fast to move on from the death of her husband. But who am I to judge. 

Carol gestures for me to follow her, giving introductions to all the others in the camp. As well as giving me the short tour. 

We stop at the small body of water at the bottom of the quarry where Lori, and two blonde woman, who I guess are sisters based on how similar they look, are sat looking out at the water. 

The three of them turned to face us, and I introduced myself, to which they did the same. Lori I knew the name of already, the older of the two blondes said her name was Andrea, and the younger was Amy. 

Carol and I sat beside the group, and I listened to them make small talk to pass time. I wasn’t normally shy, but it’s been a long few days and I couldn't think of much to say. No one seemed to protest my silence. 

The sun was slowly setting, and I could smell some kind of food being cooked up at the main area of the camp. I closed my eyes and found myself daydreaming about having good food again. 

I was pulled out of my thoughts by a tap on the arm from Carol, she raised an eyebrow at me amused at my frown. “What were you thinking about?” She asked

“Cheeseburgers” I said almost dreamily 

She laughed, and Andrea hummed in agreement 

“You have no idea what I would do to have a good burger right now” she sighed out 

I caught her eye, and we nodded to each other in our weird bonding moment. 

Based on the bundle of squirrels Daryl had attached to his pack the entire walk here, I assume that’s what was on the menu tonight. Which isn’t exactly a gourmet meal, not that I'm complaining, it’s still a meal. 

The start of our conversation was cut short by Shane clearing his throat behind us, letting us know food was done. 

I hurried to follow, hunger overwhelming me once again. At the campfire, I plopped down on a log next to Carol and Sofia, along with the man Carol introduced as her husband, Ed. He was a large, angry looking man. I could tell he was an asshole from the way she involuntarily flinched whenever he spoke to her. 

Everyone got their share of food, the children being given theirs first. I waited to take any until others did. I was new, and I didn’t want to rub anyone the wrong way by being rude, though realistically I don’t think it would be. 

As I waited there was suddenly a presence sitting beside me, I glanced up to see Daryl. I was shocked he sat next to me. Though It seems everything this man does is a shock. 

He looked at my empty hands inquisitively, still having that seemingly permanent scowl plastered across his face. 

“gonna eat?” He asked 

“I was waiting for everyone else to get some, didn’t wanna be rude.” I shrugged, a weird look now plastered across his face 

He stood, picking up and filling a bowl to the brim with the squirrel stew, I figured it was for himself, but he held it out to me. 

My eyes widened at his actions, but I didn’t protest, taking the food from him with a hesitant nod. 

He filled a bowl for himself and sat back down beside me. I could feel him looking at me intensely without even moving my head, I took a spoonful of the stew and swallowed. Either the hunger had made me lose all sense of taste or this was actually pretty damn good. 

Daryl let out a sigh, I think involuntarily, and began slurping up his own food. Forgoing the use of any utensils.

Was he waiting for me to eat before he did? If so, why? I couldn’t help but dwell on it for a moment, before pushing it to the back of my mind for the time being. 

We all ate in silence, placing our bowls in a bucket as we finished, to be washed in the water tomorrow morning. Carol and Lori had told their respective children it was time for bed not long after dinner, and after much protest they finally agreed. Shane and Ed both going along. 

“So” a man only a few years younger than myself broke the silence, Glenn I think Carol said his name was. “Who’s going into the city tomorrow?” He asked

A few of the group; Andrea, Jacqui, T-dog, Morales, and Glenn all agree to head out at first light. Daryl mumbles something about going hunting again, and the others give nods in acknowledgment.

I yet again find myself zoning out, the voices of others fading into the background until I'm sitting in silence. Most of the group had gone to bed, and I decide I should do the same. I reach beside me for my pack, realizing I never set up my tent and mentally yell at myself for that. Only to notice when I feel behind me that it’s gone. I quickly raise to my feet, looking around for where it could possibly be. I don’t want to assume anyone stole it, but I also don’t know these people well enough to not. 

In my frantic search I notice, my tent? Already set up, the faint glow of a light coming from inside. I feel as if I'm losing my mind for a moment. Did I already set up and not remember? No I definitely didn’t do that. So who the hell put up my tent for me?

I made my way over cautiously, thinking maybe it was just someone else’s tent I mistook as my own. As I grow close I conclude it’s definitely mine, the few patches of scrap fabric I had sewed in to repair tears unmistakable. 

I entered, my things placed in the corner and my makeshift bed already made. An extra blanket and a small battery powered lantern I didn’t recognize set up as well. Atop the blanket sat a knife in a dark brown leather sheath, one significantly larger than my own pocket knife, yet still a reasonable size to carry around. Someone here had set up my things and even left me housewarming gifts, which I greatly appreciated. 

It was too late now to figure out who left these things, almost everyone being asleep anyway. I made a mental note to thank whoever it was tomorrow before heading off to sleep myself.

—————-

For once, I slept in, at least compared to everyone else. The fact the routine I developed was gone clearly throwing off my sleep pattern. I made my way out of my tent, attaching my new knife to my belt before I emerged. I squinted against the morning sun, it feeling brighter than normal. Once I had finally adjusted, I took in the sight of the surrounding camp, more empty than it had been yesterday. The group having gone on a run to the city first thing this morning, as well as Daryl going out to hunt again. I also couldn’t help but notice a distinct lack of Merle. Not that that was a problem. 

“Morning sleepyhead.” The sweet voice of Carol pulled me back to reality 

I gave her a half smile in response, before we were rudely interrupted by Ed beckoning her over. 

Yet again she involuntarily flinched at the sound of his voice, calling back a quick “coming”, before giving me an apologetic look and heading his way. 

If the man wasn't nearly twice my size I’d kick his ass. 

The majority of the day was spent helping with whatever I could. Trying my best to be helpful and show my gratitude for the people who took me in. I had spent at least half my day helping Carol and Lori wash laundry, and the lack of soap meant that i really just spent half the day getting clothes wet and hanging them up to dry. 

After that I had nothing to do, Shane was very against any of the women being put on watch, especially me. 

He said something along the lines of “no way in hell you could handle that.” 

That didn't stop me from heading over to climb the RV. Honestly made me more inclined to, just out of spite if anything. I made my way up, plopping down next to Dale once I reached the top, my feet dangling over the edge. 

He raised an eyebrow at me “can I help you with something?”

“I'm watching.” I stated, leaning forward as far as I could to dramatically squint out into the distance.

Wow. Nothing.

He waited for me to continue, an amused look creeping onto his face.

“Yeah Shane's definitely right, this is terrifying.” I gasped out, my sarcasm very apparent

Dale chuckled “I'm sure he'd be open to you taking watch once he trusts you better.” he noted

I sighed “doesn't seem like the trusting type.” 

Dale thought for a moment, probably trying to think of a reason I was incorrect, eventually he gave up.

“You're welcome to sit with me for my shifts, I could always use the company.”  he smiled, he radiated this fatherlike energy that I couldn't help but be drawn to.

I nodded in response, leaning back on my hands and settling into my spot. 

We sat in a comfortable silence, watching all the nothing.

Suddenly that silence was broken by the blaring noise of a car alarm, and from how it continued to grow louder, it was heading towards the camp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Masterlist

I tapped my nails against the steering wheel impatiently, the constant sound of static buzzing in my ears as the radio switched through channels. The occasional honking of a horn startling me out of my daze. Stand-still traffic wasn't exactly my favorite thing on the best of days, and it hasn’t been even close to the best of days in weeks at this point. I had been sitting for what felt like hours, realistically it had probably been about 30 minutes. 

I groaned to myself and leaned my head back against the seat, closing my eyes in the false hope that when I opened them, traffic would be moving again. 

My eyes snapped open at the sound of a scream, a couple yards in front of me a… man? Was on top of the woman screaming on the side of the road. It was hard to tell what exactly was happening, but I could tell it was bad. 

My mind went to the recent news stories, people coming back from the dead, only to attack anyone and everyone. Acting as if they were feral animals, no regard for anything at all. Not a man anymore, just an angry shell.

 A few others jumped out of their vehicles to pull it off of her. Even from how far away I was, I could see they were both covered in blood. Based on the fact she stopped screaming, it was safe to assume it was hers. 

I watched in horror, as the feral thing thrashed in the men’s arms, finally snapping its head to one side and biting a chunk out of one’s shoulder. He screamed obscenities, shoving it away, only to be tackled again a moment later.

More people had gotten out of their cars now, ushering their families to grab whatever they could carry and running in whichever direction they decided. 

I took little time in my decision to do the same. Pulling my keys out of the ignition and throwing my bag over my shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye I could see that the woman and the men that helped her had gotten up from their places on the ground. I knew they weren't up because they were uninjured, it was much worse than that. While they all seemed distracted by the people who were running and screaming down the road. I took my chance to open the door and slip out without anything noticing. 

I ran into the woods near the road, my head snapping to look over my shoulders occasionally. Once I was far enough into the dense trees that I was confident nothing had followed, I stopped to catch my breath. 

After a brief moment I continued my journey through the forest. I had a small tent in my bag for emergencies, and I wasn't exactly new to surprise camping trips. My parents were a couple of hippies that thought regular “reconnecting with nature” would help them find themselves. I spent the majority of my childhood living in a van, pitching a tent every few nights once they decided on a spot that felt right. As much as I hated it at the time, I now mentally thanked them for the outdoor skills I had gained.

The sun had started setting now, and I settled on a small break in the thick trees to set up my tent. The patch of grass was surrounded by thorn branches that would at least slow down and alert me to anything that tried to get to me. 

Once I pitched my tent I climbed inside, rummaging through my bag to see what I had for sustenance. The answer was not a lot, a few protein bars and some jerky, as well as my half full water bottle. I decided I better save eating any of it for the morning, as I knew I needed my energy to continue my hike to nowhere. 

Sighing and trying to ignore the soft grumble of my stomach, I laid against the sleeping bag I set up. It was exceptionally quiet, the occasional chirp of crickets and the groaning of frogs being the only ambiance. 

—————

The following morning arrived quickly. Setting out almost as soon as I awoke. Gathering my things and shoving half a protein bar into my mouth to stop the ache of my screaming stomach.

I walked, and I walked, and I walked, my legs growing increasingly tired by the minute. When I was about ready to give up, I heard the crashing sound of a waterfall. This sound alone brought me back to life, and I began heading towards it. 

Not long passed before I found it, I was standing in a clearing at the top of a small waterfall that emptied into a stream. I was high enough up that I could see far into the distance, nothing but trees. It was honestly a beautiful view and in different circumstances I would be even happier to have found it. Right now I was glad to have found somewhere that seemed far enough from everything and possibly safe.

I set up camp, and even built a few traps to catch small animals. My parents would certainly hate that part, insisting we were never meant to eat living creatures, but a girls gotta eat, and the food I have will only last so long. I refill my water bottle from the falls and take a swig, doesn’t taste the best, but it won’t hurt me at least. 

My settling in takes until nightfall and I finish the rest of the protein bar I had earlier before settling in. When I finish my nighttime snack I can't help but hope nothing decides ill be theirs.

————

Many days passed, at least a week, I stopped keeping track after about 3. I had developed a bit of a routine. Wake up, eat if I had anything, wander around the forest, go back to camp to stare into the distance, sleep, and repeat the next day. 

I was overwhelmed with boredom. I wish I had brought something to do in my bag, but I wasn’t planning on being away from society for the foreseeable future when I packed it. Expecting all this to be over within days, unfortunately the eerie feeling of the end of the world never faded.

I had gotten to the “stare off into nothing” part of my routine when I was rudely interrupted by the sound of a twig snapping nearby. I hopped to my feet, taking out my pocket knife and gripping it readily. A groan could be heard in the trees nearby, no emotion behind it, just empty groaning. I stared intently in the direction it came from waiting for someone to emerge. And something did, like the feral thing from the road, another seemingly empty shell of a person wandered into my camp. Groaning louder as it noticed me and grew closer as quickly as it could. I stood in shock for a moment before backing away, careful to not back myself off the cliff and into the water. 

It continued to approach, arms outstretched in hopes of grabbing onto me. From where I was I could smell the unmistakable scent of decay radiating off it. This thing was dead, no doubt about it. Yet still moved with purpose, and that purpose was apparently to eat me alive. 

No, thanks. 

I thought for a moment before picking up the biggest rock i could reach, and throwing it directly at the head of the feral thing. It made contact with its forehead, and it stumbled back a bit, but it didn’t seem to deter much. I repeated my actions, backing up, finding a rock, and throwing it as hard as I could towards it. 

Eventually I backed myself into a tree, unfortunate. It grew too close for comfort and I considered my options. I didn’t want to die, especially not like this. I was fresh out of big rocks to throw and even if I wasn’t, it didn’t seem to be doing much to stop it from growing closer. I still gripped the knife in my hand and decided that was my best chance, to kill this thing before it could kill me. 

I let it approach, once it was within a few feet I quickly stuck my leg out, causing it to fall flat on what was left of its face. In one swift movement I flung my leg up and onto its upper back, effectively pinning it to the ground. I considered the situation for a moment. This wasn't a person anymore, I'm not sure what it was, but a living human wasn't it. 

It thrashed about below me, snapping at the air around in attempt to take a bite out of my leg. I gripped my knife, raising my arm before plunging it into its temple. It stopped moving immediately.

I lifted my leg and kicked lightly to make sure the thing was dead. Well, more dead. 

Once I was confident there was no longer a threat, I decided I should move the body, at least far enough that I wouldn’t have to smell the decay from my tent. I reached down and grasped onto its arms, pulling it through the grass until I decided it was far enough away that it wouldn’t be an issue. I brushed my hands off on my jeans and began making my way back.

As I approached I heard the all too familiar groan. 

“Well fuck” I mumbled to myself, slowing my pace as to quiet my footsteps. 

I hid behind the trees nearest my little camp, 3 more of the feral things wandered around, clearly searching for a meal. I considered what I should do. I had managed to take on 1, but with how short my blade is and how aggressive I’ve seen these things to be, I didn’t think I should try my luck. 

As I contemplated running in to at least grab my bag from where it sat atop the cliff before leaving, my thought was interrupted by a deer running through the trees and into my camp. 

The feral things wasted no time in pouncing on the poor creature. It let out a pained sound and I watched from my spot, thinking this would be the time to run out and grab what I could. I only made it a few steps before the whirring sound of a bolt flying through the air stopped me in my tracks. It landed in the head of one of the things and the thud of their friend falling alerted the others. One took notice of me and began to approach. 

I steadied myself and prepared to do what I did before. Knocking it on its face and readying my knife. 

Before I had a chance to pin it, it managed to grab my ankle and pull me onto my ass. I let out a yelp as I fell, yanking my leg away and kicking the thing in the face. It continued to pull its self towards me, trying its best to learn how i taste. 

In the commotion I had forgotten all about the mystery bolt, and didn’t even notice the other of the things falling with another stuck into the back of its skull. The one at my legs grew closer, though not close enough that I could plunge my knife into its head. 

Before I could think of a way to escape this situation, a third bolt was in the thing, effectively making it stop trying to eat me for dinner. 

I let out a breath I didn’t realise I was holding and looked up to the sound of someone approaching. This one was an actual live person. Though he was probably about as dirty as the dead ones. 

He barely even glanced at me before going over to the deer and kicking it in frustration. Taking a knife out of a sheath on his belt to put it out of its misery. He stood there, glaring at the poor thing like this was its fault. 

I pulled myself to my feet, and cleared my throat awkwardly, getting the attention of the mystery man. 

“I’m fine by the way” I said, more rudely than I meant to. He had just saved my ass after all.

He didn’t respond, just looked at me like he didn’t know why I was talking to him.

“Right.” I said, my voice laced with annoyance “so, I'm gonna drag these things out of my camp so I can maybe get some sleep tonight” I stated, already going to grab one by the arms 

“Y’know more could show up” he finally spoke “shouldn’t be out here alone” 

I let go of the thing and looked back up at him. 

“You got a better idea?” I questioned

“Got a camp a few miles away, couple people. Prolly won’t mind if I brought ya back with me.” He shrugged. 

I debated his offer for a moment, being alone probably wasn't the best plan in the world. What’s the worst that could happen if I joined Mr. Mystery and his friends. 

I nodded to him, signaling I agree to join him and his group. 

“ ‘ts late, we’ll head out in the mornin’.” He stated, settling down and resting against a large rock 

I mumbled in agreement, now realizing how dark it was and how tired I was. 

“I’ll keep watch, get some sleep, ‘m wakin’ ya up at the ass crack a’ dawn” he said as I sleepily made my way into my tent 

I let out a chuckle at his wording, giving a thumbs up in reply. 

I stopped before zipping my tent closed and looked at the man for a moment. 

“What’s your name?” I asked, realizing if I'm going to be staying with his group I should probably know that information.

“Daryl.” He mumbled, still avoiding looking at me. 

“Y/N” I replied, even though he didn’t ask

He didn't bother responding, clearly more interested in anything except speaking to me. Even now knowing his name, I still think he earned the title of Mr. Mystery

“Goodnight Daryl” I said as I zipped my tent the rest of the way, not expecting a response from the man

“G’night” it was so quiet I barely heard, but ill take what I can get from someone who seems insistent on remaining mostly silent. 

Within moments of my head hitting my makeshift bed, I was out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I did the best I could with what's here, I wanted to add more decorations, but…” you spoke as you moved the sheet-curtain out of the way.

You both stepped in, it still looked vaguely like a cell, but it was definitely more homey. Daryl looked around intently for a moment. You stared at him for any response.

He hummed in thought, before turning to you.

“Ya did this for me?” he asked

You nodded, feeling your face heat up.

“I wanted you to feel comfortable enough to stay in here with me. I understand if you still won't, I just wanted to make it a bit nicer” you said faster than you meant to. You were worried he didn't like it, but tried to force yourself to not feel disappointment if he said no.

“Sunshine… ya didn't have to do s’much for me, don't deserve you.” he gave you his small crooked smile as he spoke.

You returned it with a smile of your own.

“So..?” you hummed, looked at his through your eyelashes, attempted to lure him in with the puppy dog eyes.

He chuckled lowly at your action, but grabbed your hand in his again and squeezed it.

“ ‘course ill live with you, Sunshine.” he stated finally.

You let out a small squeak of excitement, and hopped to pull him into a hug. He let out a huff as you knocked the wind your of him a bit, but soon settled into the hug.

As you parted, you stared up at him and he down at you. Once again, you were happy enough that the bad disappeared from your mind at that moment.

Daryl decided to take advantage of the moment, and glanced at your lips for a second. He pushed away any worry he had, and began to lean in. just as you were about to do the same, a scream pulled the two of you out of the moment.

You pulled away from him, and your eyes widened in fear as you both ran out to see what was happening. You quickly realized it came from Beth, in the cell Hershel was laying in. you placed your hand on the knife in your waistband, and approached the cell. Daryl and the others were doing the same. You glanced at Rick who was stood in front of the cell, you couldn't see inside because of a sheet-curtain, but you could hear crying. He pushed the curtain aside and stood there in shock. You looked past him and took in the scene, as did the others.

“You all got a starin’ problem?” Hershel's raspy voice asked jokingly.

There was a lot of happy crying from Maggie and Beth, as well as Rick, who was concerned about the older man's lack of leg. He was checked over, and his stump was cleaned and bandaged. There was no infection, and he seemed to be as fine as he could be in the situation.

Finally, the current chaos was over, Hershel was awake, and he was going to live. After the reunion, you all parted ways once again. You and Daryl headed back to the cell you shared. You followed him in, plopping down on the edge of the makeshift bed. You leaned on his shoulder and gave out a sigh in relief.

“Think we got a little interrupted back there.” he mumbled.

You lifted your head again to look at him in confusion, before you could speak, he slowly grabbed your face in his hands.

“Jus’ wanna do this.” he huffed after a moment.

He leaned in finally and his lips met yours, you instantly kissed him back.

It was a soft kiss, but it was filled with love and care. It was nothing like you've ever experienced before. It didn't last long, a few seconds. But when you pulled away, you wanted nothing more than to stay like that forever.

“It's about time you did that.” you joked, nudging his side as you laid on his shoulder again.

He rolled his eyes, and rested his head on yours. He gave you a sweet kiss on the forehead as well.

“Told ya, want t’take this slow. Got no idea how much I wanted to kiss ya. jus’ couldn't find the right time.” he spoke against your hair.

You let out a soft laugh, and glanced up at him.

“Any time would be the right time, I'm just happy with you.” you gave him a small smile, and you saw his face flush a soft pink at your words.

“M’so lucky to have ya, Sunshine.” he said finally, pulling you more into him.

It was beginning to get late, and neither of you had slept with everything happening. So Daryl laid back into the bed, and you followed. He pulled the ugly green blanket over the both of you, and you settled into his side. He placed another soft kiss on your forehead as you drifted off to sleep.

“Nah” he concluded, “could just stay up ‘ere with me.” he continued, finishing laying out his sleeping bag.

“But we could have our own room, not be out in the open.” you pleaded, now getting closer to him.

“Not a room. ‘Ts a cage” he stated, he grew more annoyed as the conversation continued.

“If I can make it not feel like a cage, would you consider it?” you asked, leaning on him, still keeping your pleading eyes on him.

He thought for a moment before groaning and nodding.

“I'd consider it, sunshine.” he agreed, “not makin’ any promises.” he stated finally.

You hummed in delight, giving him a peck on the cheek, which caused him to roll his eyes and tense slightly at the sudden affection. You gave him one final pat on the arm before heading off to fix up one of the empty cells.

You entered a cell near the end of the hall, it was one of the cleanest ones left. Taking in the contents, you gazed around. It was fairly small, and had a metal framed bunk bed in one corner. After thinking for a moment, you had an idea. You planned on surprising Daryl, so you couldn't ask for his help, and that would make this a bit difficult.

Rick, Daryl and some others were going to clear other areas of the prison, so you were mostly on your own in this. You stepped up to the bed, and pulled the small mattresses off of each bunk. Placing them to one side, you began trying to pull the bed frame. It didn't move much more than an inch, and you groaned in frustration.

You exited the cell and went out into the hall. Maggie and Carol were sat in the stairs, while Beth helped Lori get comfortable in a cell nearby. You walked up to the two women, and they looked up to greet you.

“Can you two help me with something?” you asked, and they both gave you a look of confusion.

You gestured for them to follow you, once they nodded in agreement. You led them to the cell again and pointed to the frame.

“I just need help moving it out of here.” you explained, looking at them for a response.

“Too old for bunk beds.” Carol teased.

You laughed and followed them in moving into position. You and Carol would try to pull, while Maggie would push the frame out.

It took way more effort than it was probably worth, but eventually the deed was done. You thanked them before they headed back to where they were. Now the frame was in the hall, which wasn't good, but at least it was out of the cell. You decided you'd just ask Glenn or T-Dog to help you get it out of the way later.

You then entered one of the cells you knew no one was using, for good reason you might add, and pulled the semi-stained mattresses off the bunks. You dragged them back to your own cell and stacked them with the other, cleaner ones. It wasn't very high off the ground, and it would look much more like a bed when you had clean sheets, but it was something.

Finally, Rick and the others came back from clearing one side of the prison. A few of them were carrying boxes of clean linens. They placed the boxes on a table before Rick announced that they would be clearing the other side. They headed off again, and you went to search through the boxes.

You pulled out two clean sheets and a reasonably sized blanket, along with two of the flattest pillows you think you've ever seen. You carried them back to your cell, and got to work on fixing up the bed you made. Once all the ugly off-white, prison things were on it, you got out the quilt and pillow you had managed to keep. It was that ugly green set you took from the cabin in the beginning, but it was better than nothing. You placed the pillow in the center of the others and spread out the blanket on top.

You stepped back and admired your work. If you didn't know any better, you may have thought this looked cozy. As a finishing touch, you hung up an extra sheet over the bars of the cell, and placed your lantern next to the bed. You planned on organizing your other things later, and maybe even finding some other decorations. But for now, this would do.

After you finished your remodel project, you were sitting with the other women, just talking about nothing important.

Suddenly, Rick and the others came frantically through the door. You quickly noticed they were carrying an injured Hershel. You hopped to your feet and ran to them as they laid him on a bed. Then you noticed it, his leg was gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I need someone to back me up on this at the meeting tomorrow. The group trusts your judgement, and i need support on this.” he practically begged “I spoke to Daryl too, he said he would think about it.” he continued

You sighed and moved to look at him more directly.

“Dale… I can't make you any promises that they'll listen to me, but ill try to back you up tomorrow.” you gave him a small smile, which he returned.

The older man stood up and gave you a grateful “thanks” before heading off.

Soon after he left, Daryl emerged from the same direction he had gone in. he raised an eyebrow at you, now reaching a hand out to help you up.

“Dale try to get you to help too?” he questioned, gesturing in the direction he had come from.

You nodded and the two of you began walking to his tent.

“I told him I'd back him up tomorrow, just don't think my input will do much for his cause.” you shrugged, not knowing what else to say.

“The group respects your opinion s’much as they do anyone else.” he stated, giving your hand a squeeze.

“Not as much as they do yours.” you argued. “He talked to you first.” you pointed out.

Daryl just grunted in response. He knew you didn't always get considered when decisions were made, and he thought you deserved to be. He didn't want to press the conversation on more, and you both walked in a comfortable silence to his tent.

Once you arrived, you followed him in climbing into the tent. You sat atop the makeshift bed and watched as he flicked on the small battery lantern. He then sat beside you and wrapped an arm around you, pulling you into him.

“How was your day.” you questioned, as you laid back against his chest.

“S’okay, didn't find nothin’ while hunting” he mumbled against your hair.

“Walkers been scaring everything away again?” you questioned, and you felt him nod in response.

You knew not being able to get much food for the group was upsetting Daryl, and you felt bad. He always thought he had to provide in order to be useful, and for the others to like him. It was like he believed Rick or Shane would throw him out if he didn't get any game while hunting. Which wasn't true, of course, but even if he didn't say it directly, you knew it was how he felt.

You turned so that you were laying with your head on his chest more comfortably, and looked up at him. His gaze was already fixed on you, and you gave him a smile.

“Bedtime?” you hummed, looking at him for a response.

He scoffed playfully at your choice of wording, but nodded nonetheless. He leaned forward momentarily to turn off the lantern, causing you to fall off his chest and into his lap.

You huffed in mock pain, which caused him to chuckle lowly. Soon you both moved, so that you were laying next to each other. He wrapped his arms around you from behind and took in the scent of your hair as he nuzzled against you.

It had been around a week since he asked you to be his. The two of you didn't do much more than cuddle in the privacy of his tent. You had agreed to not telling the others, and Daryl wasn't much for public affection. He would hug you or hold your hand when no one was around, but not much more than that. You thought the others must realize you had been spending the nights in his tent, and would piece together what was going on eventually, if they hadn't already.

Daryl wanted to take this slow, in fear of messing up in some way. He had never been in a proper relationship, or even really had feelings for someone. The only things he knew were things he had learned from Merle, and his older brother wasn't exactly the type to “settle down”. If he was around, he would probably call him pussy whipped or have some other remark. He used to say that women were only useful if they put out, which was something Daryl disagreed with, though he never told him that.

If it had been Merle in this position, he would have already fucked you and moved on. Daryl hadn't even gotten the courage to kiss you yet. Hell, he wanted to, more than anything. But the only experience he had was hungry, drunken kisses with random women he met while drifting with his brother. He wanted it to be right, he already regretted the way he admitted his feelings, and asked you to be his. He didn't regret doing it, just thought you deserved for it to be more romantic.

He had such a hard time keeping his normally cold demeanor around you, and he was sure the others have noticed that by now. Something about you awoke something new inside him, something he had never felt. It was an odd feeling, being so close to someone he didn't think he owed in some way, but it was a welcome one.

The next morning you woke to find Daryl gone like usual, he always got up earlier than you no matter how late you both stayed awake.

Now it was late afternoon, and it was time for the meeting to begin. The group would discuss the fate of the young man in the barn. As you thought, it didn't go well for Dale, and it was decided that Randall would be executed within the next few days.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Those few days passed, and it was supposed to happen soon, while most of the group was sleeping. Daryl was going to be the one to do it, which you weren't exactly happy about. But there wasn't much you could say to change it.

It was already late, and you laid in your tent while you waited for Daryl to get you after it was over.

A while passed, and he never came.

Soon you heard a commotion outside your tent, and you quickly exited to see what was happening. A lot of the group was running in the direction of Daryl's tent, and you felt a lump form in your throat as you followed. As you approached, you saw Daryl frame waving the group over to him. You were relieved he was okay, but that feeling quickly disappeared when you saw what he was standing over.

Below him was the near motionless body of Dale. It was a horrific sight, blood and guts spilled out onto the surrounding grass. Daryl was kneeling next to the man, and you could hear him saying words of encouragement. You knew it wouldn't be okay, like he was saying to the dying man. And just as soon as you approached, Rick had run off to get Hershel to help.

They both came back moments later, running up to Dale as Rick shouted to the older man to do something. Hershel only looked at him in sadness, and told him there was nothing to do to help.

Once the group realized what was happening, they all took their turns saying goodbye. You were never particularly close to Dale, but he was a good man, and he reminded you of your father in some ways.

You knelt down next to him and gripped his hand in yours. You knew you should make this quick as to not prolong his suffering.

“I'm sorry, you're gonna be okay now. You'll go somewhere better, and never have to suffer again.” you spoke barely above a whisper.

You were never religious, but it felt like the right thing to say. And maybe you wanted to believe it was true.

Once you stood up, you moved next to Daryl. He grasped your hand in his, not caring if anyone saw at this moment.

Rick stood above dale with his gun raised, tears welled in his eyes. As he was about to shoot, he stopped, and lowered the gun.

“I can't…” he trailed off, now looking away.

Daryl let go of your hand, and approached his friend. He took the gun from his hand, and replaced him in looming over Dale.

He rose the gun to the man's head, and gave out a quiet sigh in sadness.

“M’sorry, brother.” he said, and then the loud sound of a gunshot rang through the quiet night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dales death had put a wrench in the plans for Randall that night. Ultimately, Rick decided to honor the dead man and just let him go instead of the execution. Shane wasn't a fan of this new plan, but to everyone's surprise, he didn't say much after his first protest.

Rick had left not long ago to retrieve Randall from the barn to bring him home. The rest of the group waited patiently for his return. What you werent expecting was for him to run back, yelling something about Shane and Randall both being gone. Shane was on watch, and you all assumed the young man must have escaped and caused the ex-cop to go after him.

The group followed Rick to the barn, and he was going over a plan to search the surrounding area for the two missing men. His words were cut short when he noticed Shane running out from the forest, with an obvious broken nose.

“Bastard attacked me, took my gun.” he said frantically, running up to Rick.

Something about the way he spoke rubbed you the wrong way. Before it had even registered, a few of the men had decided to go search for Randall.

Rick, Shane, Glenn, and Daryl began to prepare to head off into the dark woods. You tried to protest to Daryl, knowing it wasn't safe even if Randall was already gone. He just told you it would be fine as he slung his crossbow over his shoulder. He grasped your hand, and pulled you into a quick hug before heading out with the others.

You joined the others in the house as you all waited for them to return. You sat with Maggie on a small love-seat in the living room as you picked at your fingers in distress. She had quickly become your closet friend here, besides Daryl, and you were grateful she was here now. She placed a hand on your shoulder and gave you a reassuring smile. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, she was cut off.

“Shit” T-Dog's panicked voice shouted from outside.

Everyone inside looked at each other before standing and quickly making their way to the door.

You stood in the porch now, looking out at the most horrific sight. Walkers, probably at least a hundred, were making their way onto the farm. Your eyes widened and you stood in shock.

“Get the guns.” T-Dog shouted again, and you followed the others in doing so.

You grabbed a gun from the pile, and ran back outside to defend your new home. Everyone split off into sections, making sure the house was safe from the threat from all angles. A few others went to secure other areas of the farm, namely the animals, and you watched as they ran off. You stood a few feet in front of the stairs, and raised your gun to begin shooting the closest walkers.

You thought you may go deaf from the amount of noise happening. A lot of people, defending the house with you, had run out of ammo now, and were packing up their belongings to make a run for it. The only ones left, outside shooting, were you and Hershel.

But soon you too ran out of bullets. You ran up the stairs and onto the porch where Maggie and Andrea stood. It seemed as though the older man never ran out of ammo, as he continued to reload and shoot. The two women were pleading with him to stop, to come inside so that the group could leave together. Nothing seemed to be getting through to him.

You could hear Lori’s panicked shouts inside as she called Carl's name. Soon, her and T-Dog exited the house and stepped onto the porch.

“Have you guys seen Carl.” she spoke frantically, looking around in hopes to see he was outside with you.

You all shook your heads, and she cursed under her breath before running back inside.

T-Dog stood beside you, and joined the three of you in watched Hershel. Maggie still tried to plead with her father to stop, but he just shouted that he wasn't going to leave his farm without a fight.

Not long after, his gun clicked, signaling it was out of bullets. He turned it around and used the end to hit the walker that was nearing him. You tried to comfort Maggie as she began to cry, not wanting her father to be reckless anymore.

The groans of the dead grew louder as they were closer now. Suddenly T-Dog pulled a machete frim his waistband, and began to walk out to where Hershel continued to fight the walkers.

“I got him, you go.” he shouted at the three of you, stabbing his weapon into the head of the walker nearest to him.

You and Andrea pulled Maggie inside to help the others gather necessities.

Soon you all realized that if you didn't leave now, you never would. Pulling your bag onto your back, you followed the others in exiting the house. There were so many dead, no matter where you looked. You thought about Daryl, where he was, and if he was safe. You couldn't dwell on it for long, as you plunged your knife into the walker in front of you. It didn't take long for the group you were with to get split up. You looked around, and couldn't see anyone through the heard around you.

Suddenly the barn was in flames, and you couldn't even register it. The walkers began to shuffle towards the light, they were like moths, attracted to the bright of the flames. You stabbed a few stay ones in the head as you continued your search for the others.

Then a new light emerged from the darkness, a jeep pulled up next to you, and you saw T-Dog and Hershel in the front. He shouted for you to get in, and you obliged. Maggie, Beth, and Lori sat in the back as well as you climbed inside.

You all sat quietly as he sped out of the farm and onto the road. Not long passed, but now you were all far enough away that you felt somewhat safe. And you began to worry more about Daryl.

“Where the hell do we go now” T-Dog's voice broke the silence, he sounded frantic, just driving aimlessly into the darkness.

“The highway, that's where Rick would go.” Lori replied, and the man attempted to protest.

After a short argument, he agreed and turned the jeep, so he was going towards the highway.

It didn't take long for you all to arrive, and you soon realized you were the only ones there. You decided to stay until tomorrow, in hopes the rest of the group would make their way here too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now it was the next day, and you sat upon the hood of a car, watching Lori as she paced aimlessly.

“They'll get here.” you reassured her for what was probably the hundredth time.

She didn't even respond, just stopped her pacing and looked past you. You raised an eyebrow, and began to speak. But then you heard it, the sound of approaching vehicles. You jumped to your feet, and you saw a car and Daryl's bike not far from where you were. You joined Lori in running towards them, now relieved everyone else was okay.

You stood in front of the vehicles as they stopped, and watched as Rick and Carl jumped out of the car and Ran to hug Lori. Glenn hopped out as well and ran to greet Maggie.

You approached Daryl's bike and watched as he and Carol stepped off. You gave her a smile, which she returned. Quickly, you turned your attention to Daryl, who was staring at you in disbelief. Before you knew what was happening, he ran pulled you into a tight embrace, lifting you off the ground slightly.

“Thought you were…” he trailed off, but you knew what he meant. He pulled away, and held your face in his hands, checking you over for any injury.

“Thank god, you're okay.” he said as happy tears filled your eyes.

You nodded, and he gave you a small crooked smile.

“Can't get rid of me that easily.” you joked, which he scoffed at before pulling you into another hug.

“Never gonna leave you again.” he mumbled into your hair, and you chuckled softly, knowing that it wasn't true.

You were sitting by the campfire with the rest of the group as they discussed what to do.

Then, Daryl walked over and was met with questions from Rick and some others. He said that the kid didn't say much, and that he would try again later before walking off in the direction of his tent. He had set it up near the outside of the farm to get away from everyone else.

You hopped to your feet and began to follow him. You wanted nothing more than for him to talk to you about literally anything.

You stopped when he arrived at his tent and sat down on a rock, sharpening some of his crossbow bolts.

He didn't even acknowledge that you were there, staying focused on what he was doing. You didn't speak, unsure of what to say to him. You just watched his movements for a while before finally heard him sigh.

“Don't want to talk.” he grunted, not bothering to look at you.

“Daryl, please… you can't just isolate yourself from everyone, from me.” you pleaded with the man

Finally, he looked up at you, a hardened expression plastered on his face.

“The hell don't you get? Don't want to talk, don't want anything. Don't need you or your damn pity. Now leave me alone.” he spat angrily.

His words stung, and you didn't speak. You felt your heart break into pieces as tears welled up in your eyes. It was stupid, you thought, to be so hurt by what he said, but you couldn't help it. You just turned away from him and began walking.

Daryl groaned once he saw you were gone. He threw what was in his hand and placed his head in his hands. Why the fuck did he say that? He thought. It wasn't true, as much as he didn't need or want pity, he needed you. He never wanted you to be hurt, and he had just hurt you. He saw the way your face dropped when he said what he did, and it broke his heart to know that he caused you to be upset.

He mentally cursed himself for a while, just sitting there and deciding what to do. Finally, he stood, brushing himself off as he did. He was going to find you and apologize, say he didn't mean it. The last thing he wanted was for you to think he didn't want or need you, because that was so far from the truth.

You had wandered into the horse barn, and were sitting next to a horse as it laid upon the hay. You stroked its mane with your hand, and let tears fall down your face. You didn't want anyone to see you, you didn't want to have to explain what had happened, or why you were so upset. Maybe you deserved it, you thought, maybe you were being overbearing, or he had just gotten sick of you.

Daryl searched for you for a while, even asking anyone if they had seen you. No one had. He began to get worried, where had you gone? Were you okay? The worse case scenarios ran through his head as he continued looking. What if you went off into the forest and got hurt, and the last thing he said was something shitty?

Finally, he entered the horse barn, and he saw you. You were leaning against a horse, and Daryl's heart broke when he saw the tears falling down your face.

You looked up when you heard him clear his throat. You didn't speak, just continued doing what you were doing as you looked away from him.

“M’sorry. Didn't mean what I said.” he admitted, walking towards you and crouching down so that his eyes were level with yours.

You lifted your head and met his eyes. He looked genuinely sorry, and filled with concern.

You wiped the tears that flowed down your face and sat up slightly.

“I get that you just want to be left alone, I'm sorry.” you tried your best to not let your voice break when you spoke.

He moved so that he was closer to you and studied your face for a moment.

“You got nothin’ to be sorry for. I was just bein’ an asshole.” he sighed, looking away from you.

You didn't know what to say, so you just nodded. He was right about being an asshole, but you still felt sorry.

“Don't know why I said that, I do need ya.” he admitted, almost immediately regretting his words.

You looked at him more directly now, and saw that his face was flushed a light pink. His expression was soft, and you thought about what to do for a moment before moving so that you kneeled in front of him. He looked at you intently, waiting for you to say something.

“Okay, I'm glad.” you smiled.

“M’not gonna come back to the group yet, don't really wanna to be around them. But i wanna be around you.” he felt his face heat more as he spoke, but it was the truth.

Quickly, you pulled him into a hug. He tensed a bit at the sudden contact, but soon eased into it and wrapped his arms around you as well. You rested your face in the nape of his neck and breathed him in. you missed being close to him since he shut himself out, so this was a nice change.

After that, the two of you went on your separate ways to do what was needed of you for the rest of the day.

Once everything was done and the group had begun to settle in, you snuck off to go to Daryl's tent.

You arrived and saw that he was already inside. You walked up to the zipper and attempted to knock on the door. You heard him grunt a quick “come in” before you did exactly that.

You stepped in, and zipped up the door behind you before sitting beside him. He gave you a confused look as you did.

“You won't come be with the group, so I came to you.” you amused.

“Just can't resist me” he joked as well, to which you pushed him playfully.

He opened his mouth in mock hurt before smiling his wonderful crooked smile at you.

You chuckled and laid back against his makeshift pillow, closing your eyes. He raised an eyebrow at your actions.

“What're ya doin’?” he questioned, joining you in laying down.

“What's it look like?” you joked, looking over and smiling at him.

“Looks like you're stealin’ my bed.” he remarked playfully.

“I'll leave if you want me to.” you shrugged, once again closing your eyes.

Daryl didn't say anything in response, just looked at you. After a moment, he moved closer to you and thought about what to do next. He sighed to himself before pulling you closer to him.

Your eyes shot open at this, not expecting him to really want you to stay at all, let alone to do this.

“What're you-” you stammered out, trying to move to see him.

“Shut up.” he mumbled against your hair, cutting you off.

Daryl had no idea what had come over him, or why he was being so bold in his actions. All he knew was that he didn't want you to leave. Maybe this was his way of confessing his feelings, which normally he wouldn't have done, but at this moment he didn't care. You were in his arms and that's all he could think about.

The two of you stayed like that for a while, neither of you falling asleep, just enjoying each other.

After a while, you turned so that you were facing him. He lifted his hand and brushed a stray piece of hair out of your face, taking in your expression. You closed your eyes, and hummed in content. Being like this made both of you almost forget about the bad in the world for a bit.

Daryl watched your face as you closed your eyes. He still felt terrible about what he said earlier today, but he was going to make sure you knew he didn't mean it.

He thought you looked perfect.

“Thanks” he heard you mumble, pulling him from his thoughts.

“For what?” he questioned, confused by your sudden statement.

“You said I looked perfect.” you mumbled again, never even opening your eyes, your words were laced with sleep.

Daryl's eyes widened, he didn't think he said that out loud. He felt embarrassed that he did, but there wasn't much to do about it now. He thought for a moment, before swallowing the lump in his throat.

“M’glad I found ya, sunshine.” he admitted.

You just hummed sleepily in response, you were already almost asleep. He pulled you in a bit tighter, and closed his eyes. Finally, drifting off to sleep.

The next morning, Daryl awoke first, as he usually did. The sun still hadn't risen very high in the sky, but he planned on going hunting early today. He carefully removed his arms from you, and you stirred a bit when he did. He wanted you to stay asleep as long as you could, as much as he didn't want to leave you. He considered staying briefly, before ultimately deciding it would be better to go get food before the walkers got to it. He snuck out of the tent as quietly as he could and headed out.

You finally awoke, around mid-morning, to see that Daryl was gone. You frowned as you stepped out of the tent, scanning the area for any sign of him. Realizing he must have gone hunting, you walked back to your own tent to get ready for the day.

“Where were you last night?” Glenn questioned as you stepped out of your tent.

“No where” you shrugged, not really wanting to say anything.

“If you say so” he laughed, nudging you with his shoulder.

You rolled your eyes at him before walking off.

Today you were tending to the chickens, once you had gotten more comfortable doing it, you could without any help from Maggie or the others.

You stood inside the fence, throwing feed towards the chickens as they pecked at the ground. Occasionally, one would peck your foot, which would make you mumble some profanities at it.

“Oh fuck you.” you groaned more loudly than you meant to, as one of the hens pecked you rather harshly.

You stepped out of the enclosure and leaned down to rub your foot in an attempt to ease the pain.

“Makin’ new enemies?” Daryl joked as he came up behind you, placing a hand on your back to steady you.

“Seems that way.” you chuckled, glaring at the hen, who was now pecking away at the feed.

You sighed and turned around to face the archer. As you did, he wrapped his hands around your waist. You raised an eyebrow at him, shocked he was showing you such affection. You didn't know what was happening between you, but it felt childish to ask.

“Didn't wanna leave ya this mornin’, ya looked real peaceful.” Daryl admitted.

His boldness was shocking even himself. Though, he was happy to say his thoughts out loud. You seemed to enjoy it too, which only made it better.

“Could've just stayed.” you joked, now wrapping your hands around his neck.

It was definitely weird, the sudden displays of affection, but it was a good weird. Before he could respond, you mustered as much courage as you could, deciding that you had to know.

“What are we doing?” you asked.

“What do ya mean?” he questioned back.

“I mean, this.” you said, gesturing towards the position the two of you were in.

Daryl sighed, pulling away from you and rubbing his arm.

“Depends how you feel ‘bout it I guess” he shrugged, trying his best to sound nonchalant.

“I like it” you said quickly, “just wanted to know… what it means?” you immediately felt embarrassed at your words. It felt like you were in middle school again, blushing over a crush you had.

You heard Daryl chuckle lowly at your question, and he pulled you into him again.

“Means whatever ya want it to mean, sunshine.” he stated simply.

Your face heated up at the pet name, and you pulled him in to hug him back.

He thought about it for a moment, and pulled back again.

“Don't know if it's weird, you bein’ so much younger.” he admitted, now sounding unsure of the situation.

You scoffed at him, lifting your head to meet his eyes,

“I'm 25, not a little kid.” you stated, rolling your eyes.

“ ‘m a lot older than you, don't know if that's a problem.” he said back, shrugging his shoulders.

“Well, I don't care about it, so unless it's a problem for you.” you didn't bother finishing your sentence when you saw him shake his head.

“Not at all.” he smiled at you as he spoke.

“So…” you dragged out the “o” as you raised an eyebrow at him.

He did the same in response, unsure of what you meant.

“You're supposed to ask me, stupid.” you chucked, nudging him a bit with your arm.

He understood what you meant then, and his face heated up.

“Well, would ya be mine, sunshine?” he asked, again giving you a crooked smile, his face still flushed a dark pink.

You smiled back and nodded, pulling him into a tight hug. Any embarrassment he was feeling disappeared as he felt you against him.

You both stayed like that for a while, just enjoying each other.

You discussed it, and decided to not mention it to the group directly. You both thought it would be better if they just figured it out on their own.

The two of you spent the rest of the day together, just happy all your feelings were finally out in the open.

Lori was sitting beside his bed, holding his hand as he slept. She looked worried, but way less than she had looked the days previous. Rick was sitting close by too, he looked pale, almost worse than his son. He had multiple pints of blood taken in the past few days, as he was the only known match to Carl.

The two parents looked up at you and smiled in greeting, which you returned. You made the usual small talk and asked about Carl's condition. He was going to recover in the next few days. At least one of the children were okay now, you thought.

You stayed for a short while to chat with the two of them. Until Carl started to stir awake, and you decided to leave.

You spent the rest of the day doing various chores to help out around the farm, and chatting with various people.

It wasn't until it had gotten quite late, and was after dinner, that you realized Daryl still hadn't gotten back. You told yourself that he must have just lost track of time and realized he was too far to walk back before dark. He must have holed up somewhere for the night, and would be back in the morning.

You barely believed that, but it helped calm your unwanted nerves.

You and Daryl normally talked before either of you went to sleep. It had become a habit the last few days. You were glad for it, and it was a bit odd to not do it again tonight. Nevertheless, you went to sleep shortly after eating, and hoped to see the archer tomorrow.

When Daryl still hadn't gotten back by the time you woke up, you started letting the worry flood your brain. You ate a quick breakfast, which you had tried to skip, but had a peach shoved into your hand by Maggie anyway. You wandered the farm for a while, helping out here and there, and hoping you would see the man walk in.

You walked towards the edge of the farm, where Dale had set up his RV for watch. He and Andrea were standing on top of it. You couldn't make out what they were saying, but you knew it was an argument. It seemed that was all they did lately.

You approached just as Andrea held up the gun she was holding, and shot at a walker coming towards the farm. You thought that was a bit dumb, as the noise could cause more to come. But you knew she was going through some stuff, so it didn't bother you much.

It wasn't long before you saw the two of them jumping down the RV, hearing dale mutter a few profanities before they ran to where the walker was.

You weren't sure what was happening, but you pulled the knife from your pocket and quickly followed behind them. As you caught up, you heard Andrea frantically saying some apologies to the corpse laying on the grass. You approached slowly, not knowing what you may see.

You walked up beside dale, who was kneeing, and looked down at what he was looking at.

It wasn't a walker. It was Daryl.

He was covered in a layer of blood, and had an arrow sticking out of his side. He was just laying there motionless, and you felt your heart sink in your chest.

“Is he…” you choked on your words, trying to stop the tears from falling.

“Bullet just grazed him, he's unconscious.” Dale sounded relieved and worried at the same time as he spoke.

You heard Andrea give out a sigh of relief and turned to glare at her. The events of the past few minutes went through your head rapidly.

“You SHOT him.” you shouted, walking closer to her.

“I didn't realize. I-i thought…” she stammered out, still looking at the man laying on the ground.

“Maybe if you weren't so busy throwing a fit, you would see the difference between a living person and a dead one.” you spat at her, knowing you would regret this when you calmed down, but you didn't care now.

She didn't even respond, just continued staring at him.

Finally, a few of your group ran over, presumably to see what the gunfire was about. But before anyone could ask, they saw Daryl's motionless body and soon after Shane ran off to get Hershel from his home.

It was a blur after that, Shane and Hershel came back running. Dale, and Glenn, helped them to carry Daryl into the farm house. You followed mindlessly, but were forced out while Hershel worked on helping the injured man.

You just sat there, on the porch. Unsure of how long it had been, a few hours at least. All you could think about was him, how you wanted nothing more than to make sure he was okay, but you knew there wasn't anything you could do but wait.

Suddenly, you felt a presence sit beside you, and you looked over to see Maggie. She gave you a sad smile and wrapped an arm around your shoulder.

“He's gonna be okay.” she reassured you, rubbing her hand up and down your arm in a comforting way.

You simply nodded, knowing that if you opened your mouth, you would begin to cry. It felt dumb, crying over a man you barely knew the week before. You and Daryl had become so close to each other recently, and it seemed he was always in the front of your mind. The idea of him being hurt broke you, and you couldn't do anything to stop it.

“My dad knows what he's doing” she spoke again, pulling you from your thoughts.

You both sat there in silence for a while. She continued to try to comfort you, but you didn't stop worrying even a little until Hershel stepped out onto the porch.

“He'll be okay. He's still unconscious for now, but you can see him if you’d like.” he spoke, looking at you.

You quickly nodded and practically jumped to your feet.

He gestured for you to follow him, and you did. He led you to a small bedroom where Daryl was. Hershel patted you on the shoulder and left the room.

You sat on the chair that was next to the bed, and placed your hand close to the archers. He looked so peaceful. He had been cleaned up and bandaged, and you knew he would be in pain when he woke. You decided you would stay there until either someone forced you out or he woke up.

You stayed and stared at him for a while before eventually falling asleep sitting beside him.

The next morning, you awoke. Only knowing it was morning from the small about of light peaking thought the curtains of the window. You yawned and rubbed your eyes before focusing them on the man in front of you.

His eyes were open, and he was looking at you inquisitively. Your eyes widened and you lunged forward a bit to look him over. He chuckled gruffly at your eagerness, which turned into a groan of pain. You moved back finally and looked at him again.

“You scared the hell out of me.” you mumbled, now letting the tears well up in your eyes freely.

“M’sorry, won't do it again.” he attempted to joke, but you just rolled your eyes in response.

“Are you okay, want me to get you anything.” You rambled as you began to stand up.

He simply just reached out his hand and grasped your wrist. You stopped in your tracks and looked down at where the two of you connected.

“You shouldn't be so worried ‘bout me.” he remarked.

You shook your head, trying to pull your arm away from him.

“I should at least tell the others you're awake. They're probably worried sick.” you said as you pulled your arm away from his grasp. “You should probably drink something too. God, you're

“Hey.” he said roughly, cutting off your rant. “Don't really want more company just yet.” his tone softened a bit when you looked at him.

You sighed and puffed out your bottom lip at him.

“Hershel at least needs to know. I want to make sure you're okay.” you said quickly, at this point you were begging, and you were fine with that if it meant he would be taken care of.

Daryl groaned a bit, but nodded. Allowing you to go and get the older man. You smiled and went out to get him.

You stepped into the kitchen, where Hershel stood with Beth and Maggie. They all gave you a quick greeting, which you returned, before letting the older man know Daryl was awake. He nodded at you before going off to check on the archer.

Maggie winked at you, which you tried your best to ignore, but felt your face heat up anyway. You decided to get Daryl some water, thinking that he needed to drink whether he liked it or not. Filling up the glass, you finally felt relieved. Once you had finished, you began walking back to the room he was in.

You knocked on the open door with your free hand, and Daryl looked up at you. His usually hardened expression softened a bit as his eyes met yours. He quickly grimaced as Hershel was checking his wounds rather roughly.

Soon he finished and changed the bandages before leaving the room once again.

You sat down on the edge of the bed, and placed the cup of water on the bedside table.

“You need to drink something, even if you don't want to.” you stated firmly, but not in a mean way.

He grunted in protest, but nodded anyway. He attempted to sit up a bit, but was met with more pain in his side. He hissed as he slumped back into the bed. Mumbling some profanities to himself.

You gave him a small smile and reached for the cup. He lifted his head and accepted it when you handed it to him. He drank most of it in one go, before giving it back to you and laying down once again.

His eyes stayed on you, his pained expression was soon one of content. The painkillers Hershel had given him must have started to kick in.

“He's prolly gonna tell the others in awake.” he sighed, not wanting more people to be looming over him.

He was fine with you doing it, but to have the entire group asking about his wellbeing, and staring at him with worry, didn't sound fun at all. Honestly, he didn't think anyone should be worried about him at all, you least of all. But in a way, he was happy you cared about him that much.

“I'm sure they won't stay long, just want to make sure you’re alive.” you amused, poking his arm playfully. “You gave everyone a pretty big scare.” you noted as well, still trying to keep it light-hearted.

He groaned in annoyance but nodded.

Just as he did, the door flung up and everyone stood in the doorway. You stood, and gave Daryl a reassuring smile before moving out of the way. The group said what they wanted to the man, and checked him over to make sure he was okay. Once they were satisfied with the reunion, they decided to let him rest again. You stayed to the side while the group filed out of the room.

Andrea was the last to leave, she was rambling out apologies, which Daryl just brushed off. She left soon after, giving you a hard-to-read expression as she exited the room. You knew what it was though, she was the type to hold grudges, and you yelled at her before in the field when it all went down. Even if she did kind of deserved it, you almost felt bad.

You sat back down on the side of the bed after the door closed. And to your surprise, Daryl placed his hand over yours.

“Ya okay” he questioned, studying your expression.

“I yelled at her, after she shot you.” you sighed, looking down at your hands. “I was angry, and worried about you.” you were quiet when you spoke, a little embarrassed to be admitting it out loud to him.

He rubbed his calloused thumb over the top of your hand, causing you to look up at him.

“She’ll get over it, has to. But ya didn't have t’get upset over me.” he said matter-of-factly.

“I care about you, didn't want you to be hurt.” you argued with his statement. “Would you just be fine if it had happened to me.” it wasn't meant to be a serious question, just to get your point across.

But when you said it, Daryl's face dropped. He looked almost angry at the thought of your words.

“Course I wouldn't jus’ be fine with it. It's not the same.” he huffed angrily under his breath.

He wasn't angry at you, of course not, you hadn't done anything wrong. He just didn't want you questioning whether he would be upset about you getting hurt, even if it wasn't what you were doing. There was no reason he could think of for you to care about him at all. He was some dumb asshole redneck, not exactly someone worth caring about in his mind.

“What do you mean, it's not the same.” you questioned, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Jus’ don't think I'm worth you worrying ‘bout me.” he said gruffly. His words no longer sounded angry.

“But I do, I care about you, and you can't stop that.” you pointed out.

He was about to protest, but stopped himself. The stayed quiet and thought about it for a moment.

You cared about him. As much as he didn't think you should. You did. You were worried about his wellbeing enough that you yelled at someone, he knew you weren't the type to start any confrontation normally. It was endearing in a way, and he felt his face heat up slightly at knowing you felt anything besides disgust towards him.

If he was being honest, you were one of the first things he thought about when he had gotten hurt out in the forest. He thought about how if he died, he couldn't protect you. He didn't think you needed to be protected, but he wanted to make sure you were safe. While he was alone out there, and while he was alone in his tent at night. He thought about you, constantly, about how you looked that night he stayed in your tent, about how your voice sounded, and how god-damn perfect you looked all the damn time.

Daryl had never had romantic feelings, of any kind, for anyone. So he didn't know what to do if he had them, or what they felt like, but he knew deep down that's what this was. The problem, however, was that he didn't think you could ever feel the same way about him. He knew you cared about him, you wouldn't let him forget that. But, the thought that you may share the same feelings he did, was impossible to him.

You did share the feelings, and you thought some of the same things he did. That he couldn't possibly feel the same, but not for the reasons he believed about you. To you, Daryl seemed so comfortable alone, that you sometimes didn't even think he was capable of romantic feelings at all.

Neither you nor him would tell the other about how they felt, in fear of making it uncomfortable between the two of you.

Though, maybe deep down, you both knew. With how close you had grown recently, it seemed everyone else in the group knew. They would never mention it, but the way that you looked at each other was unmistakable.

You sat with Daryl until he fell asleep once again, and you left as quietly as you could. You spent the rest of the day helping with chores around the farm. You knew Hershel wouldn't want you staying in Daryl room again overnight, which saddened you, but you didn't protest at all.

Once you finished up for the day, you checked on Daryl again before heading off to sleep. He hadn't woken up, due to the medication he was taking for the pain. You smiled to yourself while going off to your tent to settle in for the night. He was okay, and that was all that mattered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~