"Daryl! Wait! What about Mary! What are we supposed to tell her!" Rick yelled at the scruffy redneck as he walked into the woods after his brother Merle. Daryl froze momentarily, the thought of the petite brunette painting a portrait in his mind. He shook his head to clear the thoughts of the doe-eyed girl.
"She'll be fine," Daryls said, his voice cold and dry. He felt a chill of guilt go down his spine as he lied. He knew she wouldn't be all right. He knew leaving would break her, but the overwhelming need to please and show his brother that the pretty little girl hadn't softened him easily overpowered the need to go back to her. To Mary. Daryl easily caught up to Merle, who welcomed his brother with open arms.
As Daryl walked away, Glenn and Maggie shared a guilty look. Rick sighed and ran a hand through his thick, dark hair. He looked at the sky as if the answer to all his problems would be written in the stars. But, they weren't there, he sighed again in disappointment before looking to the pair.
"What are we gonna do Rick? We promised Mary that we would bring Daryl home, safe and alive! How are we supposed to tell her he just left without a second glance in her direction," Maggie cried, hugging Glenn, who rubbed her back soothingly.
Maggie could relate to the girl. It sent Maggie into major panic thinking of Glenn disappearing with someone else and not thinking of how she would feel. I t might have been selfish, but Maggie wanted Glenn to herself, and she knew even though Mary didn't admit it, she wanted Daryl the same way. Maggie had seen several promising moments between the two, most of Daryl helping Mary, or saving her. But, Mary was always thankful;, she didn't judge or blame Daryl for anything like Carol and Andrea had. Mary and Daryl were good, no, perfect for each other. They just didn't have the courage to admit it.
"I don't know. I don't know," Rick sighed once again after a long silence. Sparing one look to the woods were the redneck had disappeared, he loaded up his supplies into the truck. Glenn and Maggie following with sad faces.
Back At The Prison
Mary and Carl were watching the new group they had found in the tunnels under the prison, mary was hesitant to let them in, seeing as one of them was bitten, but Carl convinced her to let them. Carl had shook his head, muttering something about how she was more and more like Daryl each day and something else she hadn't caught.
Now in the kitchen waiting for lunch, Mary's eyes flickered to the window that showed the courtyard with the entrance. Waiting for the familiar truck to pull in. For her favorite redneck to step out of the truck, complaining about some walkers, then she would take him away. confess her feeling and pray to God he recuperated them. In her own fantasy, he would love her back and they would live happily ever after. But that was never the case for Mary, nothing ever went the way she suspected it, she also imagined him not loving her, making fun of her for showing her feelings. For even having any really. But, like Maggie and Beth said, she could only pray for the best.
"You watching for someone girl? The black lady in the cell asked her, noticing the younger girl's fidgeting nervously. Mary looked at her, shock evident on her face. But, the small brunette nodded, a small blush creeping up her cheeks.
"His name's Daryl, Mary here fell head over heels the first time she saw him. Literally. She was walking to the horse barn and tripped straight into his arms. Lucky he was there, she might have hurt herself more than she usually did," Beth laughed, coming to sit beside Mary. Carl came over to the cell and unlocked it, letting the group flood out.
"So what's he like?" the woman asked, coming to sit across from Mary at the table. Beth looked at Mary smirking slightly. Mary couldn't help the blush that covered her cheeks and neck as she opened her mouth.
"He's tall. Muscular, kind of dangerous, he seems standoffish at first. But when you get to know him, he's amazing, kind and sweet. He can shoot a crossbow, even helped me perfect my shooting, he's very observant, quiet at times, then loud. He's not afraid to voice his opinion and doesn't care about anyone's view point. He's super stubborn, like all the time," the woman and Beth watched in awe as Mary described Daryl with such passion. The woman could easily see she was in love with the unknown man Daryl. Beth could see too, but she was afraid for Mary. She had this nagging in her stomach, that Daryl would take advantage of her trust and innocence. That he would emotionally break her, and Beth knew the timid girl didn't deserve that.
"I'm Sasha by the way," the woman said after Mary had finished blabbering about Daryl. Mary was blushing strongly now, her head ducked in embarrassment. When she started talking about Daryl, she couldn't stop, no matter how hard she tried. He was just, perfect in her mind. She felt her mind slipping into the steady daydream world when Carl suddenly shouted out from the door.
"They're back! C'mon Mary, they're back!" Carl announced excitedly. Mary shot from her seat and ran after Carl. They made they're way to the entrance, ignoring the laughing hyenas in the cafeteria. Mary had grabbed her bow and arrows on the way out, already loaded, she stood in a defensive form ready to take out any walkers who tried to get past the gate. Carl waved the truck forward, Mary shooting down a few walkers while he closed the gate. When it was closed all the way they ran to the truck. Carl immediately hugged his Dad, Mary embraced Glenn and Maggie, ecstatically.
"Thank goodness you are okay!" Mary squealed, she couldn't help but look over their shoulders, waiting for someone to come out of the truck. She couldn't help the excitement that pooled in her stomach.
"Mary, we need to talk," Rick said with a sigh. Mary's smile dropped as she watched a lean, dark skinned woman come out of the car. No Daryl. Her breath quickened as her eyes watered, expecting the worst.
"Is. Is he, you know-" her voice wavered and broke slightly, Maggie shook her head, a expression of pity on her face.
"No. No. He's alive. It's just, Mary. We found Merle and none of us trust Merle. So Daryl said. He said, no Merle, no him," Rick stuttered. Mary's mouth dropped slightly in disbelief. As everyone looked at her with pity she quickly swallowed as the tears pooled in her eyes. He left. He left her. She stepped away from Glenn and Maggie, knocking away their hands as she turned around. They all watched sadly as she walked to the prison, till she disappeared into the building.
"How could he do that to her! He knows how she feels about him!" Carl yelled in frustration. Rick hugged his short tempered son.
"Hey! How are they!?" Beth asked excitedly. The smile fell off her face instantly when she saw Mary's broken expression. Beth opened her arms as the small girl fell into them, tears falling down her face into Beth's shirt.
"He left. With Merle. He didn't even say goodbye," she sobbed. Sasha watched from the table and walked to the sobbing girl.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so so so sorry! You don't deserve that Mary! You deserve better. So much better!" Beth whispered into her ear encouragingly. Mary sobbed harder.
"But I love him," Mary whispered. Beth and Sasha shared a look and hugged the fragile girl tighter.
"I'm so sorry."