AN: So you wanted Daryl to remember his nightmares? I can do that. You want them to go North? I can do that too. This will be fun, all angst and fistfights. Now, where to place it in the time line? My time line or canon time line? Hmm... I think I'd rather have everyone there to fight with and subsequently kill in my own way. This is hopefully gonna be as long as "Love..." so bear with me.

Miss you all!

Cheers.

-Shazzy

Northward

He felt stupid. He'd been suffering with nightmares for weeks and Carol hadn't said a word about it. He was sure that he'd kept her up unintentionally, it was strange, sharing a tent after so long alone, not to mention sharing his space with a woman. Something had tickled the back of his mind to bring her flowers. She would appreciate the gesture at the very least.

Daryl had to wonder if he was getting soft.

No, he assured himself, she would like the damn flowers. But that was neither here nor there, and this was what needed to be done. And if Rick wasn't willing to listen...

Daryl chewed on the calloused skin against his thumbnail as he waited. Everyone was away doing their own chores and preparing for winter as best as they could. He'd asked Rick to have a discussion with him. Now, he waited against the side of the shed, leaning nonchalantly, but biting his thumb nervously. He knew that he wasn't the brightest one of the group, and he knew that Rick wouldn't take his suggestion without consulting the rest of the group. It was an annoyance.

Daryl sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets instead as Rick rounded the corner.

"You needed to talk?" Rick asked immediately. His voice betrayed worry that something was wrong.

"Relax." Daryl assured the deputy. "Nothin' serious, you ain't gotta worry."

"Oh thank God." Rick breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't think I can take much more... drama."

Daryl smirked. Things had been rough amongst the group lately. Rick's marriage was falling apart, unravelling in the most public of ways, Shane was a loose cannon ready to blow at the slightest provocation, and with the threat of winter looming over them, it was all Rick could do to keep their group from killing one another.

"I was jus' thinkin'..." Daryl said slowly.

"About what?" Rick asked earnestly. He took Daryl's opinions far more seriously than he was willing to admit. The hunter had proven himself time and time again.

"Why are we stayin' here?" Daryl asked.

Rick shrugged. "Seems as good a place as any to try and survive the winter."

"No, I mean, here, in Georgia?" Daryl articulated. "Why haven't we tried to make for the state line or somethin'? There's gotta be other survivors out there right?"

"Yeah..." Rick said slowly. "But I don't wanna risk the group again. Winter's coming fast and we don't have enough supplies to last us."

"We could scavenge..." Daryl said slowly.

"There's something else you're thinking of, isn't there?" Rick asked. "You can tell me, Daryl. I'm not gonna judge."

Daryl smirked. "Yeah, whatever." He mumbled. It was a dumb idea to talk to Rick in the first place.

"No, really." Rick insisted. "If you've got something better for us than this..." He waved his hand noncommittally. "I am all ears. This place is making the group insane. More-so than usual, I mean."

Daryl sighed. He felt stupid but it was worth a shot, right?

"Why don't we head North?"

Rick blinked in surprise. "What?"

Daryl ran his hand against the back of his neck. "I mean, yeah, it's colder an' shit but really, wouldn't there be less walkers there? The damn things are dead, right? Reanimated or whatever bullshit term you wanna give it. They don't behave like us, I assume their bodies don't work properly, like ours anyway. They don't breathe, they don't really sleep, they don't feel pain or anything. So who's to say that they'd be able to survive in the cold?"

A frown touched Rick's lips as he considered it. "You think they'd what? Freeze solid or something?"

Daryl shrugged. "It seems like a good assumption." He said. "I mean, they'd dry up in the desert, right? But we wouldn't wanna go to Arizona or Nevada, too damn many people. But North..."

Rick nodded slowly. "Like Canada, North?"

Daryl shrugged. "Maybe we'd get lucky. Maybe there's a refugee camp or somethin' there. Maybe... Maybe there's no walkers in Canada? Who knows? We're totally isolated here, but the walkers run amok. Why not take a risk?"

"Because," Rick said slowly, "it's a huge damn risk. And we'd be putting a dozen lives in danger."

"We're all in danger here." Daryl pointed out. "And staying in one place is driving everyone insane. Don't you think moving might be worthwhile?"

Rick sighed and ran his hand through his hair in thought. "I'll talk to everyone else." He said after a long moment.

Daryl wrinkled his nose at the thought, but didn't argue it. "S'all I can ask, I guess." He mumbled. "Thanks." He added as he walked away.