His head was hurting something awful, but it wasn't as bad as the pain in his shoulder. Dislocated again, if the angle of his arm twisted above him was any indication. And someone was crying his name…

"Please wake up, Daryl," she said, a hint of panic in her soft voice. One hand was pressed gently against his chest and another brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes. Kate was worried, but all Daryl could think of was how embarrassing it was that he had let Merle dispatch him so easily. Gruffly, he turned away from her without even bothering to open his eyes.

"Don't need your fussin'," he told her, trying to push himself up with his good arm. Gingerly, he touched his shoulder, judging that a good hard shove against the truck should knock it back into place. Had worked before, anyhow. Her hands fell away and she said nothing as he got up and walked away.

A few moments later, he was blinking through the pain, but at least he had the use of both arms again. As the world stopped spinning, Daryl looked back over at Kate. She was still sitting on the ground, wringing her hands in the hem of her skirt. The flower had fallen out of her hair and there was a smear of blood across her cheek. And there was something not right about the haunted look on her face.

"I need…" she started, but couldn't finish. Tentatively, Daryl closed the distance, examining her more closely. The blood on her face had come from a busted lip, but otherwise there was no sign of bruising. Her hands continued to wrap themselves around her dress and he noticed the dark stains on the yellow fabric that she seemed to be trying to hide. Fury burned off Daryl's pain as soon as a sickening realization hit him.

"I'm gonna kill that sonofabitch," he muttered under his breath, bending down to scoop Kate up into his arms. She was trembling, and had buried her face in his neck, but there were no tears. He couldn't take her home. Not like this. Fortunately, going home hadn't been in the plan for the evening. "You got a change in that bag?" When she nodded, Daryl continued, "I'm gonna take you somewhere to get cleaned up."

She nodded again and clung to him more tightly as he carried her to the truck. Even if their plans had been mucked up, they could still have one last night together.

Daryl cursed his stupid luck. He had gone off looking for Kate's house, while all along she had been at the B&B he had led the group to. The girl followed as closely as she could while he ran through the streets, but his stride was difficult for her to keep up with. He slowed his pace as he entered the building, with Dale and Glenn watching him cautiously while he took in the new surroundings.

"We put your stuff in Room 5," Glenn said, getting a grunt of acknowledgement in return. Daryl wasn't interested in a room right now.

There were voices coming from the back that sounded distinctly female, and Daryl headed in that direction. Try as he might, the conversation was lost on him as he stood, awestruck, in the dining room archway. Her back was turned to him, but there was no denying that it was, indeed, Kate.

Her dark, auburn-tinted hair was shorter, and there was a stronger definition to the muscles in her arms. She was sitting with Carol and Maggie at the table, the former of whom looked up at him with concern in her eyes. Daryl couldn't form words and his heart was pounding in his chest. If she could just turn around…

"Mama!" shouted the girl as she came in the front door behind Daryl. This got Kate's attention, who whipped around out of her seat faster than Merle with the cops on his tail. But she never got further than a step away from the table as her eyes locked with Daryl's.

It felt like the rest of the world melted away with her gaze on him. A tangle of emotions swirled in those chocolate eyes of hers, and it didn't register until it was too late when they settled on anger. The sting on his face where Kate slapped him brought him back to reality, but he could also see the pain in her expression. She moved to hit him again, but this time Daryl was ready.

He grabbed her wrist and glared down at her, allowing just a hint of temper to surface. Instead of cowering, she challenged it.

"I sent letters," she said. "Every week for a year. Maybe longer."

"I didn't get none past the first two months," came his reply.

"You said you'd come for me…"

"I did! Your damn ma sent me away afore I could get a foot in the door." Kate stared at him, unable to speak. The room was silent as everyone watched the altercation. Outside, thunder rumbled to signal the oncoming storm they had seen building on their way into town. Daryl was torn. He was pissed as all hell that she was mad at him, but he couldn't really blame her.

He kissed her. No warning, just pure impulse, and even Daryl didn't fully know why he had to do it. But he crushed his lips to her own and plunged his tongue into her mouth when she sighed and opened to him. There was no cherry slurpee. No gentleness. Just pure, unadulterateded need, and as soon as Daryl felt himself harden he tore away from her again.

"I would've taken care of you," he growled, noticing that her chest was heaving as deeply as his own. Apparently, Daryl hadn't been the only one to forget how to breathe. But he had to look away from her as the urge to repeat the action crept up on him, and his gaze settled on Kate's daughter. "Both of you," he amended, his heart stuck in his throat as the truth of the words surprised him.

Embarrassment washed over him as he noticed their audience. Nearly everyone had come out of the woodwork at the girl's yell for her mother, but instead of the perceived emergency, they got an emotional show from Daryl. Kate still hadn't said a word, and he was insulted by her silence. He dropped her arm and turned around, shoving past Andrea on his way up the stairs to his room.