Daryl
He'd been running on adrenaline and rage since the first shell hit the prison. Had that been weeks ago or months? He couldn't remember anymore. There hadn't been time to do much more than survive since then, but he always had time to think of her.
She'd be in his dreams when he managed to catch a moment or two of sleep. He'd hear her in the wind as it rustled through the pines. Sometimes he even imagined that she was there next to him, giving him strength to keep going, keep fighting. Maybe that was why it took a moment for him to realize she was real.
He was leaning against the tree. The rough bark was digging into his skin but it didn't matter. It would keep him awake and alert. If he could feel that, then he was still alive. He turned his head to the right following the almost imperceptible sound of footsteps moving through the fallen leaves. It was her but it couldn't be real. Then he saw the crossbow slung over her shoulder. She never had the crossbow in his dreams.
He didn't even realize that he was moving until he crashed into her. The momentum carried her into the air in his arms. He swayed from side to side, holding her, feeling her collapse against him. She was real. He put her down and stepped back to take another look. It was all too much. He couldn't hold it in any longer and he felt the tears start.
He hung his head and felt her hands pulling him to her. He was home.
Carol
You can't outrun grief and sorrow. It lives in you no matter where you go. She'd carried it with her for most of her life. The only time that it was easier was when he was around. Somehow he made it easier to bear the harshness of reality. Maybe it was just that he understood her.
Weeks passed after the prison fell. She lost her girls. She confessed her sins and was forgiven. There was nothing left for her now. Still she wished that she could see him just once more. She wanted to tell him everything and know whether he would be able to forgive her as well.
The sight of him through the fence at Terminus was like a blow to her midsection. He was bound and gagged lying on the concrete next to Rick, Glen and Bob. Her only thought was to save him, to save them all. Her life could be forfeit but not his, not theirs.
She wasn't afraid as she made her way among the walkers and then into the hostile camp. She wasn't afraid until she found the crossbow and then she was afraid that she might be too late. What if he had been killed? What if it was all for nothing?
As she made her way through the war zone, she caught a glimpse of the group making their way over the fence. A weight was lifted off her heart. They were alive. She could go now.
Once she made it out herself and shed the gore covered disguise, she started back towards the cabin to tell Tyrese where to find his sister and the rest but then she heard voices. "It's right there," he said. She stepped closer just to see if he was alright. They were talking about Terminus, about killing them all. She could turn around now and they'd never even know she was here but then she saw him.
He looked so tired and defeated. There was so much pain in his eyes. What had he gone through since the prison fell? He needed someone to talk to, someone who understood, someone who could help him heal. So, she stepped out into the open and revealed herself to them.
If he rejected her, she could handle it but she would be sure he was alright first. Their reaction surprised her. No one spoke. No one moved until he saw her. Then he was there, holding her, lifting her up. He looked at her and she knew it was okay. She was forgiven. She was accepted. She was loved.
He pressed his head against her and a quiet sob escaped from one or both of them. She couldn't tell. He was there with her and everything was going to be okay again. She was home.
Daryl and Carol
They walked for a long time after she took them to Tyrese and Judith. Rick wanted to be sure they weren't being followed. It was dark before they made camp near a small railroad depot.
Daryl volunteered to stand watch along with the new man, Abraham. She waited until they'd all settled for the night before quietly slipping away to find him.
Neither of them had spoken since they found each other again. There had been no real need for words at first. They looked at each other and knew nothing had changed between them, no matter what they'd been through.
He heard her approaching and turned. She stepped into his arms without hesitation and he pulled her close.
"I missed you, Daryl Dixon," she whispered.
He didn't say anything. She hadn't really expected him to. He wasn't a man of words but she always understood what he wanted to say anyway.
She laid her head against his chest and listened to the steady thump of his heart. His arms were wrapped around her while his thumb played lazily with the curls at the nape of her neck.
They stayed that way, two bodies so close they could be one, just standing and listening to the night sounds around them. She relaxed against him completely and felt at peace for the first time in weeks.
She started to almost doze when she felt him move against her. He leaned down so that she could feel his breath against her ear. "Carol," he whispered, "I love you."
Her heart stopped for a moment. She pulled back and looked up at him with tears shining in her eyes. He was staring back at her with unshed tears of his own.
She smiled and touched his cheek, running her thumb across his lips. "I know," was all she could manage to say before he claimed her mouth. She had always wondered what it would feel like to kiss him. Would he be rough or tender, clumsy or confident? Now, it didn't matter. She just wanted him to never stop.