It was raining when Daryl woke up. As he looked outside his tent, the cold wind was blowing raindrops into his face. It was one of those days when getting up was even harder to do. Daryl didn't know how much time had passed. It could have been weeks, months or even years. He didn't care much about time. Every day was very similar to the day before. He hadn't been to Hilltop, Kingdom or Alexandria for a long time, because he thought people there didn't need him anymore. And everything he needed, he could find in the woods. The silence and solitude became his best friends.

Daryl got up and ate the rests of the stew he had made the day before. He ate quickly, hardly chewing the food, since eating was nothing he really enjoyed. It was just a habit, like breathing, fighting walkers and searching for the body of his dead friend. Rick was like a brother to him and Daryl gave himself the promise, he would find his body, so they could bury him. It was the only thing he could do, since he wasn't able to safe him. Michonne helped him too, as long as she could, being pregnant, but after the incident with the kids and after her giving birth to RJ, she wasn't out there with him anymore. Life went on for her, for everyone, but not for Daryl. For him it always stayed the same. He had searched every corner for Rick's body already as the years passed by and still he went out with the same goal every day.

After quickly checking his traps, where he caught only one walker, Daryl went on, searching for Rick. He went to the broken bridge, watching the muddy water under it rushing by and he saw pictures of the day when he lost Rick before his inner eye. So much time had passed since then and still Daryl could see him standing on the bridge, firing his gun and in the next moment he was just gone. Swallowed by the explosion. Faded away. Forever.

As Daryl continued his way he remembered how Rick called him his brother. Daryl always felt that way too about him, but he never told him that. And he regretted it more than ever now. Daryl's thoughts went on to his other friends and to the times back in the day when they were all together. He missed those times. He felt good back then, he felt like they needed him, like he was useful for them. But they were all living in different communities now and had their own lives, some even had their own little families. Daryl didn't feel like he fit in anywhere. Carol offered him to stay at the Kingdom, Maggie said, she would be glad if he stayed at Hilltop and Michonne was happy to have him at Alexandria and still being at one of those places made him feel like his heart was torn apart. None of the places felt like home and he didn't have a purpose there. Being in the woods gave him at least a little purpose and even though he didn't find Rick yet, he had a reason to get up every day.

Daryl heard walker sounds and hid behind a tree. He hit a walker, which was approaching him, with his crossbow and shot another one. He put a new bolt into his crossbow as a third walker came to him. Daryl was too slow and the walker almost got him. He had to do a couple of steps back and was standing on the edge of a small hill now. Suddenly the wet, muddy ground gave away under Daryl's feet and he slipped backwards, rolling down the hill. He landed with his face in a puddle, getting some of the dirty water in his mouth. He got on his knees and spit the water out. As he reached a hand out to his crossbow, something hit his back. A walker landed on him and Daryl tried hard to get rid of it. He rolled on his back and tried to reach a stone lying next to him, but then the walker was above him again and he heard its snapping teeth close to his ear while the smell of rotten flesh got into his nose. It took him all his power to hold the walker away from his body, so it wouldn't bite him. Finally Daryl reached the stone and hit the walker's head again and again. As it finally let go of him, he pushed it to the side. He knelt above the walker smashed its skull with the stone. Then Daryl fell on the ground catching his breath. It was a close call and it's been a while since he had been in such a danger. He was lying on the ground while the cold raindrops were falling on his face. But why all the effort? Maybe he should just stop fighting. Let the walker bite him and then... And then what? Die here alone?

"Stop being such a pussy." That's what Merle would have told him, if he would have known that Daryl was having thoughts like that. And that's what Daryl told himself. He got up and took his crossbow, but couldn't find the bag with the bolts he mad the day before. He searched everywhere but it was gone.

"What a great day," Daryl thought.

He went back to the camp, encountering some walkers which he killed with his knives. He kept the only bolt he had in his crossbow, for the case of emergency. When he walked back to his camp his head was hurting and he also had a sore throat. The day was really getting better and better. He couldn't wait to get back to the camp and warm up a bit. Sure it was too wet to start a fire, but at least he had some blankets in his tent. He also had a big can of soup left, so he wouldn't have to go hunting to find something for dinner. As he approached his camp he heard rustling sounds coming from it. Did some walkers find a way in, despite his traps? Or was it maybe an animal? Daryl put his crossbow up while he was silently coming closer. He saw a silhouette searching his tent. When the person got out of the tent, Daryl saw that it was a woman. She was on her knees with her back to Daryl and Daryl saw that she was holding his can of soup in her hand.

"Hey, put that down!" Daryl shouted, still pointing at her with his crossbow. But she didn't turn to him. She didn't even react at his shouting. Daryl was surprised, but also annoyed that someone was intruding his place. And this person even had the nerve to ignore him.

"Hey, you hear me?!" Daryl shouted again a little louder and approached her.

She turned around and backed away from him in surprise as she saw him, like she hadn't been aware of his presence until that moment. Daryl was confused and something in that woman's eyes made him stop and stare at her for a moment. She had dark, thoughtful eyes and black curls, which framed her beautiful face. Her full lips were closed as she was looking at Daryl. He was almost fascinated by the fact that there wasn't the slightest sign of fear in her eyes. She was just starring back at him with the can of soup in her hand.

"That's mine," Daryl murmured and his voice sounded softer this time.