"Daryl...I need you...Don't- don't put this on me...", came a soft plea.
Crystal blue eyes began to brim with tears. Her hands placed onto her hips, as a heavy sigh emitted from her lips. Avoiding her lovers gaze for a few moments.
"No him, no me..." Daryl stated flatly.
"So that's how it is? You gunna just leave? Leave me, and Carl? Leave Judith- God Daryl...she's your baby!" Riley yelled weakly.
"She'll be alright...'sides she probably ain't even mine."
With that the redneck had popped open the trunk to their car, and grabbed his backpack. The distraught woman follows after him. Trying to talk him out of leaving, she could hardly believe it. After everything they had done together, the things they had overcome.
Daryl was leaving.
"Take care of yourself, Carl, and Lil' Asskicker...", he spoke as he slammed the trunk shut.
When Daryl had moved to kiss the woman goodbye, she turned away. The archer sighed softly, his eyes looking over her. He wanted Riley's image to be burnt into his mind.
Chocolate brown hair that was naturally wavy, fell along her mid-back. Those incredible eyes were the color of the clear ocean. The form of her body. Riley was so breathtakingly beautiful.
"I need you...We're your family too!" Riley sighed.
"Don't be a askin' me to leave him again...I already did that once..."
Daryl had left with those words, and that broken her even further. The death of her brother Luke had caused her to grieve, and now with her lover gone she felt helpless.
Days had past, and Riley would do nothing but watch over her children for a few hours, and go on runs. The look on Carl's face when he learnt Daryl left was tear-jerking. Waking up in the morning was difficult, but she refused to leave her kids. Her fingers traced along the fences of the prison.
Thoughts of what Daryl was doing flooded her mind slowly. Was he alright? Did he eat today? Did the walkers get them? She could only wonder.
"So if they didn't have a baby, you'd have left 'em for the biters?" Merle growled softly.
Daryl sent his brother a glare, turning around to lash out at him. Their argument becoming heated. When Riley was brought up, he became instantly defensive.
"I betcha didn't know that the Governor gave it to your lil' girlfriend, now did ya?" The man question the younger.
Anger filled his body rapidly, pacing back, and forth some caged wild animal.
"Oh, so you didn't know? Yeah, she came poking around for that asian, and girl...", Merle began slowly, "Came right up behind her, toyed with that girl. The Governor had his fun...didn't feel like stoppin' when she was well worn out neither."
The archer growled lowly, until he had made up his mind. He had to go back, Daryl needed them.
Back to his family.
Where he belonged.
Riley refused to look at him when he came back, she kept to herself. The woman didn't allow Daryl near her children either. She was an obvious wreck, distress clouding her eyes at all times.
He had broken her, caused her to get even more delusional.
"You can't honestly expect her to take you back like nothing happened...", Glenn interjected.
They needed to talk things through, Daryl couldn't stand the thought of not being with Riley. He rose to his feet, and began to search for her. A sense of protectiveness washed over him, and he wanted nothing more then to find his family...To hug, and hold them, tell them that things would be fine.
That he wouldn't leave them ever again.
Daryl wanted to put her back together. To share the rest of his remaining life with Riley.
With his family.