Chapter 2

Before he'd left on the run on the day that changed his life, he'd felt an unusual nervous twitch about himself and he just couldn't shake it, almost like his body warning him there was going to be a storm. Carol and him rarely talked anymore, he would grunt noncommittally at her and he couldn't figure out for the life of him when things had become so different between them.
She was the only one he wanted to talk to but why was he sitting tinkering around with the motorbike and discussing routes with Aaron.
He went blindlessly on a search for her, when he banged head first into her. "Sorry." He muttered.
"Well I was just looking for you."
He waited expectantly for her to say something else he didn't know when their conversation had started to get so strained "You found me."
"I can see that. Before you shoot off," she pushed some food into his hand and he snorted shaking his head in disbelief.
"Spit it out."
"Just you taking this acting job real serious."
She smiled curiously at him making him shift uncomfortably on his feet "Have to. It'll come in handy sometime soon. Does it matter? The people who know me know the real me, I'd say."
He nodded appreciatively towards the food as she turned to leave chuckling quietly as she walked away; he stared after her like he was seeing a ghost.
He just wished he could've been wrote into her act, it was getting tiresome without her.

He felt frantic when he sat up in the hospital bed, he felt too weak and to useless sitting in bed like an invalid. Where the hell was his crossbow? What if the walkers came and he wasn't prepared?
He'd tried convincing himself it was just a dream but it had felt too real. She was too real; no way Carol didn't know him. He had to find her. Maggie was quickly losing her patience with him "Hey!" he roared after he pulled on his clothes that he'd shown up in.
His leather winged vest hung like a safety net on his back, it was real. Maggie scowled and popped her head around the corner. "Can I help you?"
"Ye ain't gotta pretend like ye not pissed. I can take it.I come in here with a crossbow?" he continued fixing his jacket while she stared at him in disbelief.
She looked at him incredulously "No. You need it for the….apocalypse…was it?"
He ignored her clear teasing "Matter of fact I do. If it hits go down by the quarry coming out of Atlanta, well you'll know where."
He was still stiff and his body uncooperative but he shuffled by Maggie nodding at her as he passed "I ought check you in to a mental asylum." She shouted down the hall and he nearly split himself laughing when he saw Glenn bouncing on his toes waiting for Maggie outside.
The Korean lives and breathes, he laughed to himself. "Hey."
Glen looked like he was about to faint when he said hello but shit for brains at the start was shaking every time he used to glance his direction.
Now he was off to find Carol things were looking up because he was going to locate her and she was going to be just fine.

Trying to use his goddam brain for once he sauntered into the police office hoping maybe some things were still the same. He nearly swallowed his own tongue when he saw Shane rubbing his shaved head in frustration about something. He doesn't change ever it seems. "Hey Rick Grimes here?"
Shane sighed louder than seemed bloody necessary, banged one hand on the table and bellowed "Hey Rick some red neck wants to talk to ye."
Rick walked in with a more serene and sane face than he'd seen in a long time, he wasn't used to seeing him without his insane side. "Daryl Dixon-Merle's brother?" he gestured towards him pointing a steady finger at him.
He nodded stiffly "I got a problem. I got out of hospital can't seem to remember if I have a house round here?"
Shane's arrogant laugh sounded off but Rick raised a hand in warning silencing him "I know your place, if you still live there. Not sure if your brothers is still there, hey, how about I give you a lift over there? Sure Shane can manage things here for a while."
Shane didn't look up just waved his hand at him to go, how the hell were these two such good friends before all this started? Arrogant asshole. "I don't need no one's help."
"What you doing here then?" snapped Shane and with that Rick was already walking out the door not even bothering to look behind him to see if he followed, it's not a democracy.

It was a shack. Basically. The house looked like it could barely stand upright, the forest enclosed it, it was solitude just like he used to like. He remembered staying here for a time, in, the other world, fucking confusing shit. Everything seemed to fall away when he saw Merle's bike outside basically calling out to him. "Thanks."
"Be careful Daryl."
He hopped out giving the car a pat as he left "Hey Rick. Ye don't know a Carol Peletier?"
Rick arched his brow questiongly why was it so fucking hard to believe he'd be looking for a woman like her, he was red neck trash though. "I do. You know her?"
"You could say that." He snorted, he was trembling in anticipation he needed to see her after the haunting harsh reality, this world maybe faltering but it would be worth it, if he could see her again.
"I can't really give out information like that…."
He knelt down gripping the side of the door desperately his knuckles going white from strain "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. I need to see her."
Maybe it was Rick's fool romantic heart or he heard a familiar edge to his voice but he scribbled in his notebook silently handing it to him. "I don't want to hear any bad reports from her Daryl."
"I ain't going to hurt her. Thanks man."

"Merle? Ye here?" he found his voice quavering as he called out to him. He hadn't used his name in so long; he'd learned to just pretend he hadn't existed that way no pity could be forced upon ye. Now with the possibly of seeing his asshole brother he didn't want to feel the loss all over again, he stood at doorway of the living room his hand on either side. "Merle?"
The silence was enough, sighing he grabbed some things and jogged outside.

She lived in a nice, big fucking house. She never told me that he thought, if she had the husband she deserved this would've been a handy life, no doubt. Neighbours looked at him questioningly as he marched eagerly to the door hovering his hand over the door; he balled into a fist and hammered the door down. He gasped inwardly as Sophia's face peered around the door, she breathed a nervous breath "Who are you?"
He was too stunned to say anything he just stared back at the little girl, trying to appear less scary than he probably looked he gave her a small smile "Hey is your mom in?"
She gave him a shaky smile "Mom! It's for you!" she shouted as she scurried back into the house with her teddy firmly under her arm.
Carol pulled the door open; he felt the ground started to swallow him. His legs buckled and he held the doorway for support. Her hair was shorter the way it was when they first met, bruises freshly covered her body and he suppressed an angry growl. She gave him a curious look "Can I help you?"
"Carol." He breathed, not able to hold back the grin.
She twitched nervously "How do you know my name? Who are you? Did my husband send you?"
Each question was a blow to the gut he wasn't used to seeing her like this again, he was used to seeing every dam person tremble in fear when she set an angry gaze upon them.
"I…Your husband didn't send me. This ain't easy to explain. I know you."
"I don't know you." She protested.
He tiredly rubbed a hand over his face, how the hell was he going to explain this?
"Sorry I just got out from the hospital, I ain't totally in the right head. It's just…"
"Oh well my husband won't be back for a couple of hours, come in." she sounded unsure of the offer she was presenting but he wasn't about to say no.
He eagerly stepped into her living room refusing everything she offered him, he just needed to get everything explained, "You do look familiar somehow." She smiled gently and he released a grateful laugh and her face seemed to soften a little bit.

He told her the whole story, about the dam apocalypse, about the group. He expected her to laugh in his face and to tell him to get the hell out of the house but she listened silently to the ramblings of a mad man. "Daryl was it?"
He nodded swiftly "You sure you aren't still sick?"
He inched forward on his seat reaching towards her, she flinched backing away from him and his voice seemed to fall away. "I'm sorry. I…I don't know how you know who we are. Or about Ed but I don't really know what you expect me to do."
He searched for an answer, what did he expect? Maybe for her to just all of a sudden remember and feel something for him, Dixon's smooth talkers.
She must've noticed he was at a loss "So we were very close friends, I assume? Bit of an odd couple." She teased leaning a bit closer to him and his breath hitched.
"You're telling me." He laughed.
"So what happened to us in this apocalypse?"
He held his shaking hands together "You….you…."

The door was nearly tore off its hinges as Ed barrelled into the house sweating sweltering, panting and getting ready to bellow "Where's my food!"
"Momma." Whimpered Sophia running into the living room hiding behind a terrified Carol's legs, peering out at him silently begging him to help.
"You shouldn't of come," whispered Carol her blue eyes watering.
"I ain't gonna let him put a hand on ye."