*SPOILERS for season 2 of Walking Dead*

Daryl Dixon had been called many things in his life, but caring was never one of them. But here he was, out in the woods and searching for that little girl when everyone else was back in that farmhouse and having a respite from the horror that was the world now.

Daryl couldn't blame Rick. He had to stay with his family after his son got shot. And he was thankful that Carol was with them. She had wanted to stay and search for her daughter, but it was safer for her in the farmhouse. She was in a terrible state when Sophia got lost, and one misstep out here could cause someone their life. Still he was pissed off at the others, the so called good people of the group.

They have always kept him at arms length, even though he was the reason they had good food on the table for a long while. He had every reason to leave the group after his brother got left behind. Sure Merle was a jerk and had planned to rob the group blind, but still he was his brother. Still he hadn't left them. For the first time in his life he had cared enough for the people around him to worry after them.

But after all this they hadn't lifted a finger to help search for that little girl. He could see in their faces, they had resigned her to her fate. They all were thinking it as a lost cause, that the girl might already be gone and they weren't willing to put their life on the line for it.

Officer friendly was guilt ridden of course. He was the one who told Sophia to hide when he took care of the walkers, and he was the one that went searching after her until his kid got shot.

Daryl cleared his mind of these thoughts. He had to be focused out here. The sun was going down and with it the chances of finding Sophia were going down.

The day ain't over yet.

Suddenly he heard it, the low moans and growling of the approaching walkers.

Here we go again.

He steeled himself to stay silent, but then he heard something that chilled him to his bones. A scream. A high pitched scream of a kid that could only belong to one person. He sprinted towards the place he heard the scream, hoping against hope that he wasn't too late.

"SOPHIA" He shouted out. It was stupid calling attention to himself like that, but he had no choice.

Finally he saw it. The kid was pinned down by a walker, and she against all odds was fighting for her life. Daryl made quick work of the walker with his crossbow, before he approached Sophia. She shrank to herself when she saw Daryl.

"Hey kid, it's me Daryl."

"Daryl" he could see the tension leave her face replaced by relief.

"Let's get you to your mom kiddo." Daryl gently lifted the 12 year old over his shoulder and started walking back to the farmhouse. He had done it. He had kept his promise.

Soon they reached Hershel's home. It didn't take long for the occupants to stream out of the house to see the newcomer, but when they saw Sophia with Daryl all hell broke loose. There was sudden rush of footsteps as Carol engulfed her daughter in a hug and then thanked Daryl profusely for bringing her back. Gradually everyone came around them patting Daryl on the back and welcoming Sophia back.

Daryl looked around the house and saw a barn.

Why do I feel like I have been in there?

Suddenly his vision began to become blurry, and he could hear low moans and he saw walkers were suddenly surrounding him. Too many, too many.

And then he woke up.

That was a dream? A damn dream?

And then the events of the day came back to him, suddenly causing a pain in his chest. The barn, the walkers and then Sophia. He had failed her, he had failed that little girl. He had failed to keep the promise to Carol.

He remembered Carol's words from that day he went out looking for Sophia. "You did more for my little girl today than her own daddy ever did in his whole life."

Well, it wasn't enough.