Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or themes in this fanfiction. Nor do I receive any monetary gain from this. It all belongs to the creators of the Walking Dead. I just enjoy toying with it.
A/N: Not beta'd and all mistakes are my own. Thank you to all the Caryl authors, cheerleaders, lovers, and readers. You have given me light in a very personally dark time.
He ran toward the mirage, unable to believe his eyes. He had to be imagining things. It wasn't possible.
Daryl's mind had pulled up every horrible scenario possible when it came to her fate. Night terrors that wouldn't allow sleep. Pain and heartbreak twisting his gut, wrenching the life from his chest. Every ounce of energy in his body went to moving forward, pushing on, because it was all he'd ever known. She wouldn't want him to give up, opt out, so he struggled to keep going.
Now his eyes told him she was taking down a walker just yards away. Mere space that his feet ate up without thought as he rushed forward.
"Carol!" he shouted, his legs pumping furiously, gaining ground on her position.
Inches from her, he stopped abruptly, sliding across the soft dirt as his arms moved of their own volition, reaching and grasping like a desperate child to encircle the warmth of her flesh.
"You're real, you're real," Daryl whispered into her hair, pressing his cheek into its softness as he pulled her body to his.
"Definitely real. Found you this time, Pookie," Carol sighed against his chest.