Author's Note: Hey, y'all! So, last week's episode has been bothering me all week. I hate what has happened with Carol and what will probably happen with Daryl. I'm terrified for both of them. Unfortunately, I don't think one of them is going to make it out alive this season, and it breaks my heart. So, I decided to write how I think the rest of this season should play out between them. I need this story to go to as a happy place in case the worst does actually happen. Hope y'all enjoy!
Daryl Dixon jogged to Rick's house, his heart hammering in his chest. Rick calling an emergency meeting was never a good thing.
When he walked in, everyone was gathered in the living room. He nodded at the few people that caught his gaze. He leaned against the door frame, waiting for Rick, who was standing in front of the group, to say what he had to say.
While he waited, his eyes searched for Carol, the one person he always looked for in a room. She was nowhere to be found. What the hell?
Rick cleared his throat, and the room went silent.
"We have a situation, and I need everyone-" Rick paused to give Daryl a knowing look, "-to stay calm and not doing anything rash."
Daryl felt his face turn red.
"Sometime during the night, Carol left Alexandria. She left a note."
Rick gestured to a man sitting on the couch, Tobin, Daryl thought his name was. The big man stepped forward and presented a sheet of paper to Rick. Then he sat back down.
Daryl listened intently while Rick read the letter to the group. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. She couldn't kill anymore? She needed to get away from the people she loved? Don't come after her? It made no sense.
He knew, probably better than most of the group, that she'd been really messed up since she'd been taken by the Saviors. Something had happened, something she still wouldn't talk about, that shook her to her core and made her question everything about herself.
Daryl felt a part of himself he thought he lost months ago suddenly resurface. Anger ignited a slow burn in his body. He was changing into someone he hadn't been since the beginning of the end of the world: a crazy, pissed-off redneck.
He stormed out. He didn't want to hear anything else Rick had to say. He had to go after her before she got herself killed, or worse, killed herself.
Just as he suspected, Rick was right on his heels, along with Morgan and Tobin.
"Daryl, stop! Let's talk about this!"
"Ain't nothing to talk about! Not gonna sit around while the rest of you pussies come up with a game plan!"
Someone grabbed his shoulder and jerked him hard, forcing him to turn around and stop. He should have known it was Rick; he was the only bastard crazy enough to touch him. Before Daryl could stop himself, he landed a blow to Rick's cheek, knocking him to the ground.
The rest of the group was starting to chase after them.
Rick stood up, holding his cheek. Yeah, he'd definitely have a bruise there later.
"Daryl, I know you want to go after, but she could be anywhere by now. It's not safe out there. She said herself not to come after her. We have to respect that."
Daryl got right in Rick's face.
"You gonna try and stop me?" he said, voice low.
"Alright, alright. Everyone needs to calm down. Let's think about this," Morgan said, stepping between the two men. Daryl backed up a few steps.
"Already thought about it. I'm goin' after her. End of story."
"Daryl, you need to think of the risks-"
"I don't give a shit about the risks. I'm bringin' her back."
"Then I'll go with you," Morgan said, "You don't have to go alone."
Daryl wanted to argue, but he agreed. It would be good to have one more person with him, even if said person was against killing other humans.
"I'd like to go too, if that's okay. I don't know much about tracking, but I'm a decent shot."
Daryl turned to stare at Tobin. He felt that anger rise again.
"What the hell's your role in all this?" Daryl inquired, "Why'd you have her note?"
Tobin had the decency to look afraid. He should be, Daryl thought.
"Carol and I…we've been…together…for the past few weeks. She left the note for me in her bedroom this morning."
Daryl just stared at him with wild eyes. Carol and…Tobin? Together? She hadn't said one word to him about it. Sure, he'd seen them talk a few times, but that was it. He had no clue.
Pain ripped through his chest like the blade of a knife. All this time, in a weird sort of way, he'd thought of Carol as his. She was his best friend, his confidant. They joked around, told each other everything, saved each other. That's how it had been from the start. Now, knowing she was with someone else, it hurt, and he wasn't quite sure why.
So, in his anger and grief, Daryl did the only thing he could think of to do: he punched Tobin square in the face and watched him drop the ground like a sack of potatoes. Today was a good day for dealing out blows, apparently.
Daryl walked away. He didn't have time for anymore of anyone else's shit. He heard footsteps following behind him.
Morgan didn't say a word to him as he went home to retrieve some extra weapons and his bike.
When he rode up to the main gate, Morgan was already waiting for him in a car. They nodded at each other before setting off in search of Carol.
They didn't get very far. About two miles down the road, they came across the aftermath of a major fight. A car, presumably driven by Carol, was pulled onto the side of the road. A metal rod stuck out of the car, covered in blood. There was a pool of blood on the ground beside the car, along with Carol's rosary.
Seven Saviors lay dead in the road and on the grass.
"She couldn't have gotten far," Daryl commented. He hoped she'd killed every last one of those sons of bitches. He prayed she hadn't been taken. Again.
He walked around, looking for tracks, and found a path of drops of blood leading into the forest.
"This way," Daryl beckoned to Morgan, stepping into the woods.
They walked for what felt like an eternity, following the blood trail.
He heard a whimper come from somewhere. He raised his bow. Beside him, Morgan got into a fighting stance.
They kept walking.
He found her sitting on a log in a small clearing, trying to tend to a wound on her side.
She jumped when she saw them.
"Daryl? Morgan? What are y'all doing here?" She asked, her voice pained.
"We could ask you the same thing," Daryl growled, walking over.
"Let me look at it," he instructed.
"Those assholes ambushed me on the road. I pretended to be helpless, killed all of 'em except one."
Daryl looked at Morgan, and they had an entire conversation in one glance.
Morgan nodded.
"I'll head back to the road, see if I see anyone. I'll wait for y'all there."
"Got impaled on that metal rod, huh?" Daryl asked, looking at the wound. The rod had gone right through the skin, missing any vital organs or arteries.
"Yeah. Son of a bitch shoved me. Didn't realize it was there."
"Went clean through. Should heal alright, but we gotta get you back home."
Carol lowered her shirt now that she was all bandaged up.
"Daryl, no."
"Why not?" He demanded.
"I can't go back. I can't be a killer anymore. I won't."
He just stood there, dumbfounded.
"What the hell are you talkin' about? You ain't no damn killer! You're a survivor! We all are! It's kill or be killed out here! You know that!" He was yelling, but he didn't care. He had to make her come back.
"Yes, I am, Daryl!" She was starting to cry.
"All this time, I've been telling myself that I was one of the good guys, that all these killings were justified, for the greater good. But I'm no different than the people that are trying to kill us right now. Where does it end, Daryl? I can't be a murderer for the rest of my life."
His eyes blazed, and he stepped closer.
"You ain't gonna have a rest of your life if you go out on your own and stop killin'. You think any of us like killin'? Hell no, but it's what we have to do to survive. It's how we live. These assholes, these Saviors? They ain't all they cracked up to be. Glenn found pictures them assholes was keeping of all the skulls they'd bashed in. Other people, just like us. Took their shit and bashed their brains in. We're still the good guys."
She was crying hard now, the hardest he'd seen her cry since Sophia's death. It was like months of pent-up emotions were pouring out of her.
He crushed her to his chest, holding her through the pain as she wept.
"I'm so tired, Daryl. I can't do this anymore." She whispered.
"You don't got to anymore. I'll protect ya," He felt like he sounded stupid, but he meant every word. He would take this burden from her.
She lifted her head to look up at him. His whole body went warm at her gaze. Something had just changed between them, and it both terrified and excited him.
She placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him. He broke away immediately and hung his head, embarrassed. They stared at each other for a moment before both of them crashed together. Daryl had both his hands on her cheeks, pressing his lips to hers, and Carol had her arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him in as close as she could get.
When they finally pulled away from each other, they were smiling like idiots.
"C'mon, we're goin' home," he told her. He walked around her to the log where she'd dropped her stuff and bent down to pick up her few belongings. When he stood up, he watched her, just standing there, her fingers pressed to her lips.
She turned to smile at him. Then her eyes got wide. Daryl heard a breath of movement behind him and a scream launch itself from her throat before he dropped to his knees and the world went black.
Author's Note: Hope y'all enjoyed my therapy session! Leave a review and let me know your thoughts! Part two will be coming soon!
