It had been 6 days since Rick had walked in on Daryl gathering his things. It had shook him to the very core that Daryl had thought he wouldn't want him anymore. The archer had been so close to leaving their cell, and it frightened Rick to think what would have happened had he not been there to intervene.

And so, he had made sure to let Daryl know every single day how much he loved him. He'd kiss Daryl whenever he caught the archer, placed his hand on Daryl's thigh during meals.

At night, Rick worshiped the redneck's body, covering every inch of skin with gentle caresses. Much to the brunette's annoyance, the ex cop took as much time as they could possibly afford, drawing out the foreplay and not giving in until he had Daryl whimpering into his fist, begging to be taken. Only then would Rick settle between the archer's wide spread legs, sliding into the tight heat that was Daryl, setting a slow, gentle pace.

It had been weeks since they had last been rough with each other, and Rick missed it just as much as Daryl appeared to. But whenever the archer dropped his clothing, the cop's eyes automatically settled on the new scar on the archer's chest, and was reminded that the one's that were responsible, were still out there. The fear, and the panic, and the ultimate feeling of being lost would rise up, tighten the sheriff's throat, and he just couldn't bring himself to be anything but gentle.

Even now, when he was on his knee's in the dirt, tending to his crops, the memory alone was enough to make his chest clench, his hands tremble. He couldn't go through something like that again, he'd break apart, shatter, with no chance of recovery.

And tomorrow, Daryl would be out on his first run since the incident. Every fiber of the farmer's body screamed that this wasn't a good idea, that he had to keep Daryl safe behind the gates and fences of the prison. The world had become such a dangerous place, and fuck, how could he be alright with the man he loved running into his potential death?

"Rick, you got a minute?"

Ripped from hos dour thoughts, Rick turned his head upwards.

"Sure, Michonne." Pulling off the gloves he used for gardening, the sheriff stood, brushing the earth of his pants before finally turning his attention to the female. "Found somethin' interesting?"

"You could say that." Michonne replied carefully, and Rick knew that whatever she had found couldn't be good.

"A'right. Go on."

"I was checking the rabbit traps, and. I think I saw the one's that shot Daryl."

Rick froze. They were here. They were close.

"Did they see ya?" He ground out, trying his hardest not to let his rage cloud his judgment, not grab his gun and go out there himself to put a bullet into the person responsible.

"No, I got away before they saw me. But Carl mentioned something about the men saying they had 'claimed' the deer back then. These guys were talking exactly the same."

The cop startled as he felt a warm hand on his shoulder, needing a second to realize that he was being comforted. Giving a soft nod, he inhaled deeply, needing the moment to calm himself.

"Ya told anyone else?"

The counsel had to meet, they had to talk about what they were going to do against these men.

"Only you. Figured you'd want to tell Daryl yourself."

Fuck. Rick hadn't even thought about what would happen when Daryl found out. He had no doubt that Daryl would go for his crossbow, and march out the prison's gate to find and kill the one's that had endangered Carl, that had shot him over a deer he would have given up willingly.

"Go tell Hershell and Carol. Tell 'em that the counsel is meeting in two hours. I need to talk to Daryl 'bout this before."

He didn't need to say more. Michonne gave a short nod and turned to leave, and Rick was grateful to her. He needed to figure out a way to let Daryl know, and not risk him running off to get killed. Whoever these men were, they were dangerous, and ruthless, and the sheriff didn't want his archer within a thousand miles of them.

But first, he would have to find the redneck.

After checking their cell and the shower's, only to find them empty, Rick went to check the main room. And there Daryl sat, Judy bouncing happily on his knee's, squeeling whenever Daryl cooed at her, chubby little arms flinging around happily. It was such a domestic scene, Rick barely had the heart to disrupt it. But the matter couldn't wait, and the sooner he told Daryl, the more time the archer would have to come to terms with it.

"Daryl." He called out, forcing a crooked smile, not wanting to alarm the other male. But of course, Daryl saw right through that, brows furrowing as he stood to hand Judy over to Beth, making his way to the sheriff within moments.

"Somethin' wrong?" Rick gave a small nod, not wanting to get into this in front of others.

"Come on. Need ta talk." He said instead, taking Daryl's hand into his own to lead him out of the large room, somewhere more private. It felt good to feel the work roughened palms against his own, equally calloused hand. It was warm, and strong, and reminded Rick that his lover was very much still with him. That he wasn't imagining things as he had when Lori had passed.

They ended up in an empty cell block, and the sheriff couldn't help but recall how many times they had met up in a cell just like this.

"Rick, the hell's goin' on?"

Daryl was growing impatient, the ex cop could tell by the tightness in his voice, by the way the archer curled his fists at his sides, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"Michonne spotted the guys that shot you. They were at one of our rabbit traps. She doesn't think they noticed her."

The words just came out, slipped over his tongue before he could stop himself, find a more delicate way to give the redneck this particular information.

Daryl stood frozen for a second before scowling, eyes narrowing to slits, teeth bared.

"Gonna go after 'em." He snapped, making his way to the cell door, and Rick reacted out of instinct. Grabbing Daryl by the neck, he shoved the archer against the cold concrete wall within the cell, not caring for the painful sounding thud when the smaller male's back collided with the unyielding material.

"The hell ya will." He snapped, practically plastering himself against Daryl, one hand still curled around his neck, the other curling into oily brown hair. "Ya hear me? I ain't lettin' you go anywhere near those fuckers, never again."

"I got more reason than anyone else to-"

"I don't care." Rick interrupted, tightening his grip around Daryl's neck, the tremor rushing over the archer's form not escaping him, making his cock twitch despite his distress. This really wasn't the time to think about fucking, not when they had a serious threat almost on their door step.

Daryl glared at him, blue eyes dark with what Rick had easily come to recognize as arousal. His gaze was drawn to those lips he loved so much, watching as teeth tug into the plush flesh of the lower lip, turning it a soft pink. And god, Daryl had to be just as turned on as he was, judging by the way his hips had started to rock against the cop ever so gently.

They really shouldn't be doing this, Rick thought to himself. He had to stop this, as much as he hated it. He moved to pull away, loosening his grip on the male's neck, lips parting to form words. His plans were thoroughly destroyed seconds later.

He was suddenly on the floor, knocked down with such force that the air was forced from his lungs, leaving his gasping. It all happened too fast for Rick to really grasp what was going on. Daryl was on top of him, straddling his hips, teeth digging into the meat of the sheriff's shoulder, having roughly yanked the fabric covering it away.

And God, he had missed this, the way Daryl was ripping at his clothes, growling and whining low in his throat as hips rocked downward, causing the perfect friction. The ex cop moaned helplessly, just now catching up, grabbing the archer's hips to pull him closer, to get more pressure, more sensation.

"Gotta fuck me, Rick, ya gotta, please-"

Rick could barely comprehend the words pouring over him, arousal coursing through him, clouding his mind, leaving no rational thoughts behind, only want and need and heat. Daryl's voice forced him to listen, though, the way it cracked and strained with his pleads making it all to clear just how much he needed this.

Beyond words, all the sheriff could do was sit up, wrapping his arms around the rednecks chest, immediately moving to press open mouthed kisses against the length of Daryl's neck, biting and sucking whenever he found a patch of skin he liked, dark bruises blossoming under his administrations.

Daryl was writhing in his lap, grabbing at the cop's shirt, his hair, anything he could grab onto as he ground downwards, forcing broken little moans past chapped lips whenever the pressure was emjust right/em, greedy for more.

"Fuck Rick, hurry up, I need ya, need ya now, Alpha, please"

Everything stopped. Rick stared, wide eyed, at the beautiful being in his arms. The archer had never called him that before, not once, but the way Daryl had said that one word.. It was too much too handle. He was on fire, burning up from the inside with need, lost to anything but those gorgeous blue eyes gazing into his own.

"Again." He growled, shoving one hand between them, fumbling with the the button on Daryl's jeans, making the brunette thrust against his hand almost desperately, making the task of getting them open even more difficult. "Say it again, Daryl."

"Alpha" The archer rasped, moaning with relief when his pants finally came undone. Wasting no time, Rick rolled them over, ridding Daryl of his clothing until he lay bare before him, strong legs spread to give the sheriff room.

Daryl was gorgeous, panting and whimpering, squirming under the ex cop's intense stare. The pale skin of his chest was flushed, perk little nipples standing at full attention, cock hard and dripping.. He was perfect, so fucking perfect it almost hurt to look at him. And all Rick wanted to to was pound into that perfect body, to claim Daryl by marking him with bites and bruises and come.

"Mine, Daryl." He husked, bringing his index- and middle finger to his lips, quickly covering them with saliva, his free hand rubbing soothingly along the archer's leg, keeping him calm . "No one else, ever again, Daryl."

"No one, Alpha, no one." Daryl replied, bucking his hips impatiently when finally a slick finger slipped into his tight channel. Normally, Rick would have taken his time to make sure Daryl was ready. Today, he had no such restraint. A second finger swiftly joined the first, opening the archer up none too gently, until Rick simply couldn't take it anymore.

"Hand's and knee's, Daryl." The whine the younger man gave as he was left empty once more sent a shock of arousal through his cock, already achingly hard and slippery with pre. Almost ripping off the button of the worn jeans in his attempt to get them open, he watched as Daryl turned over, legs spread wide and shaking, waiting for Rick to pound into him. It was a sight Rick never wanted to forget.

Hastily pushing down the fabric covering his length, the sheriff didn't bother with undressing, simply shoving his briefs and pants down to the middle of his thighs. He couldn't wait, it wasn't humanly possible, not with Daryl spread and waiting for him.

One single, smooth thrust and Rick was completely sheeted, groaning loudly when he felt muscles twitching around his length, heard the broken cry of pleasure from the man beneath him. Without thought, he pulled back, only to bury himself to the hilt once more with a punishing thrust. Rick held nothing back, thrilled by the way his lover reacted, keening and whimpering, shoving himself back against each violent thrust eagerly. It was everything the sheriff had missed over the past few weeks, making him mindless him arousal, knowing nothing but the warmth that surrounded his member, the feel of skin slapping against skin.

No more words were spoken between them, both too far gone to be coherent, fucking like a pair of animals, and Rick loved every second of it. The way they moved together, the way they seemed to fit together just right, seamlessly falling into place like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Daryl had been made for him, for him alone.

It was over much quicker than Rick liked, but there was nothing he could do against the raging desire within. He was reduced to fucking into his archer with abandon, groaning and panting as he listened to the absolutely sinful sounds Daryl was making, driving him only to thrust even harder, each time hitting the sensitive bundle of nerves he had learned to find within seconds. And then Daryl was coming, practically screaming out his orgasm, tight muscles convulsing around the sheriff's cock, and Rick was lost.

He came so hard he almost collapsed on top of the redneck, barely managing to pull back before laying down beside the brunette, breathing heavily. They spent minutes in silence, neither moving as they recovered until finally, Daryl shifted until he was resting his head on the ex cop's shoulder, one arm flung over Rick's chest lazily.

He wished they could lay here forever, to stop time at this very moment, and not have to worry about what came next. If only he had met Daryl before, the possibilities would have been endless.. But there was nothing he could do to change the situation they were in.

The silence became to heavy, and Rick had to do something to defuse it.

"So. Callin' me Alpha, now, huh? I like it." He teased, chuckling softly as the archer tensed up, pressing a soothing kiss to the sweaty forehead of the man he loved so much.

"Shut up, Grimes." Came the snarky reply, only serving to make the sheriff grin that much more. It didn't last for very long. Reality was coming back to him with a vengeance, reminding Rick of the tasks now set before them.

"I love ya', Daryl. Ya know that, right?"

It was an odd moment to say this, Rick knew, but it had to be said. He watched as Daryl propped himself up with an elbow, crystal clear blue eyes searching his face as if the hunter was trying to look into his mind.

"..Yeah, I know. I love ya, too." There was a pause, and then. "We gotta go talk to the counsel. Figure out what to do."

"Yeah. We do." Rick sighed, running his hand over his face, feeling about a hundred years old.

"Jus' five more minutes." Daryl said, once more laying down beside the cop. "Jus' five more minutes."


"We have to deal with them now, before they find the prison!" Daryl bellowed, fist slamming onto the wooden table he stood before, eyes narrowed.

The Counsel sat around it, all of them worried. Rick could tell by the way Hershel's brows were furrowed, by the way Carol kept glancing at the hunter. Maggie and Glenn sat close to each other, holding hands. Michonne sat with her sword across her lap, looking almost wary.

"We shouldn't risk an open confrontation." Hershel interjected tersely, shaking his head. "Our fences and walls are high, and strong. We can further secure them. If these men do make it past them, we can still deal with them."

"And what if we don' know they're comin'?" Daryl hisses. "What if they find a way in, and kill us in our sleep?"

"Daryl." Rick reached out, gently placing his hand at the hunter's side. "I know you want to go after 'em. I understand better than anyone else. But Hershel's right. We can keep an eye on them, make sure they don't get close-"

"And put the watcher's life on the line!" In a fluid motion, Daryl shoved the sheriff's hand away from him, taking a step away from the entire group. "If they catch on, they're gonna kill whoever is watchin' 'em, and then they'll know about the prison anyway!"

"I'm with Daryl." Maggie's voice was soft, but firm. Confident. "We can't hide behind these walls forever. Eventually, they'll catch one or more of us going on a supply run, or hunting. They don't seem to be going anywhere. We have to deal with this now."

Hours of debate passed, and with each minute that passed, Rick felt more and more exhausted. It was straining, listening to the bickering and arguing, and all he wanted to do was go back to their cell and rest.

The sun had set hours ago when finally, they all agreed that they would discuss the issue again the next day, and make a final decision.

Quietly taking Daryl's hand in his own, they walked back to their cell. His hunter was tense, on edge, and Rick knew that silence was the best option right now. Not that he would have had the energy to talk much, anyway. Settling onto the slim bunk, he wanted nothing more than to lay down with Daryl and sleep.

"You really think we should hide an' wait?" Rick groaned.

"Daryl, can we please not do this right now." He asked, a futile attempt of avoiding what he knew would be a fight.

"You know I'm right." The archer growled, eyes narrowed, as he looked down on the sheriff. "You're just scared."

"Of course I'm scared." Rick snapped, feeling his patience wearing thin. Fuck, he knew better, knew he shouldn't let himself be baited like this but-

"Then fucking hide here, but don't make me sit and wait like a coward-"

There was no going back now.

"You call me a coward?!" He roared, getting to his feet as quickly as his aching body would allow, grabbing Daryl by the neck and shoving him backwards, until the archer's back hit the concrete wall with a painful sounding thud.

"You who was so afraid of people knowing you liked to be fucked by a guy, who tortured me for months because of some stupid idea about fags-"

"Rick, shut up." Daryl hissed, squirming against the wall, desperately clawing at Rick's hand. But he couldn't stop now, after all these months of worry, after all the fear and pain he had to endure, after Daryl being shot. It was all coming out now, in a rush of anger and desperation.

"No, you shut up!" He bristled, baring teeth as his grip around the archer's delicate throat grew harder, making Daryl splutter, now struggling to breathe. "You did this to me. You made me afraid of losing you, you made me love you, and now I can't live without ya."

"Fuck Rick, whole prison can hear you-" Daryl attempted, but Rick would have none of it.

"Let them hear." He growled, running his free hand through oily brown strands, tugging at them hard enough to make the hunter hiss. "Let them hear what you've done to me, Daryl."

"Didn't do nothin'." Daryl mumbled, eyes cast downwards now, avoiding Rick's gaze all together, but his body stilled, no longer fighting Rick.

"You did. An' now you have to deal with the consequences." As quickly as his anger had come, it was gone at the submissive display. He released Daryl, only to pull him over to their bed, forcing him none to gently to lay down, before situating himself behind the other male. "You ain't goin' anywhere I can't follow, Daryl. I'm going to make sure of that."

He received no reply.


Daryl knew he was being stupid. But sometimes, a man had to do what a man had to do.

He had tracked the men that had attacked him back to an abandoned building along the rail roads, and now he sat in waiting, hidden by shrubbery, crossbow at the ready.

He had lied to Rick, had told him he was going hunting, and might be away for a day or two. Rick had begrudgingly agreed, knowing that their people needed the fresh meat to remain strong, and healthy. The council had agreed to postpone the meeting until Daryl returned, if only to sooth the archer. Everyone knew, sometimes, Daryl just needed space. Rick had joined him until they reached the fence, pressed a soft kiss to his cheek (Daryl was still uncomfortable with an actual kiss in public), and told him to stay safe.

And Daryl had promised he would. That he'd avoid the ones that had shot him.

If Rick knew what he was really up to.. fuck, Daryl didn't even want to imagine what that was going to be like. When he came back and told his Alpha the truth. That he had defied him, lied to him, and gone against a promise he had made. But he needed to get a better idea of what they were up against. So far, he had counted 6 men, all armed, dirty, and drunk. They came out to take a piss, and then returned inside, as if they had no cares in the world. As if they weren't living with walkers snatching at their heels at every turn.

"Daryl."

The archers head whipped around, blue eyes wide. Michonne knelt beside him, sword strapped to her back, giving him a lop sided grin.

"You didn't really think I fell for the hunting excuse, did you?"

"Was worth a try." Daryl replied, voice barely above a whisper. "You here to bring me back?"

"No. I'm here to cover your ass, should things go south." Daryl couldn't help but smile, quickly turning his head back towards the building the men had occupied.

"A'right. I can work with that."


Rick hated seeing Daryl disappear into the woods, no matter how many times he reminded himself of the fact that the archer was more than capable of taking care of himself. He had made Daryl promise to stay away from any potential danger, walker and human alike, and Daryl had given him his word.

Still. With each hour that passed, Rick became more and more unnerved. Daryl had told him he'd be away until at least the evening, if not longer. You never knew when a horde would force you to take cover, or when the weather decided to interfere with the way home. He would bring back badly needed meat, which would benefit the entire community at the prison. Rick still hated even the thought of Daryl being out there, even more so when his tracker went alone.

Judy had been restless the entire day, as if she could sense her fathers worry. Whenever the sheriff left her sight she would scream at the top of her little lungs, and he had no other choice than to return and hold her in his arms.

The sun was starting to set, Rick had just put Judith down for the night, when Carl came into his cell.

"Daryl's back." His son informed him in a hushed tone. "Michonne's with him. I'll stay with Judy until you get back."

Rick smiled, silently ruffling the boy's hair, a silent thank you passing between them before he made his way to the kitchen. Daryl would drop the game off in the kitchen before he went anywhere else, and Carol would be waiting for it.

Just as expected, he found his archer with Carol, a deer placed on the table before them.

Daryl had turned to face him, no doubt hearing the sheriff's steps long before he had actually came through the door. Rick moved easily into Daryl's space, brushing a kiss over the archer's stubbly cheek.

"Welcome home." He breathed, feeling relief flood his entire body at the sight of his redneck, the warmth radiating off his body. Daryl was safe, had made it back home to Rick, and for a few hours he would get to rest easy, knowing the tracker wasn't risking his life once again.

"Thanks." Daryl replied, placing a hand at Ricks hip, squeezing it gently. It was the most intimate action the archer had ever displayed when they weren't alone, hidden from everyone else. Normally, Rick would have been thrilled at this kind of affection, but when Daryl refused to establish eye contact, gaze lowered to the floor, squirming a bit under the sheriffs gaze, Rick knew something wasn't right.

"Somethin' wrong?" He asked quietly, quirking a brow at the brunette.

Daryl shook his head, but took Rick's hand into his own, pulling the cop from the kitchen and into the hall, into the empty cell block they had both come to know so well.

"Gotta tell you somethin'." Daryl finally said , once they were in one of the cells.

"Tell me what?" Rick inquired, eyes narrowing at the fact that Daryl emstill/em wasn't looking at him.

The archer paused, standing only a few feet from Rick, fingers curling into fists at his sides, head still lowered.

"Broke my promise." The redneck blurted out, shoulders dropping just a fraction.

"You what?" The words were growled, seemed almost unreal to Rick himself. Daryl had recoiled as if he had been struck, head hanging even lower now. "Answer me. What did you do?"

"Just went to watch 'em. Wasn' a big deal" The tracker ground out between clenched teeth, steadily avoiding eye contact. "Know where they sleep now, how many-"

He didn't get any further.

Rick had him pinned against the concrete wall within seconds, shoving Daryl against it so forcefully the breath was knocked right out of the archers lungs, making him dizzy, forcing him to gasp for air.

"You promised." Rick snarled, grabbing Daryls wrists, forcing them upwards and against the wall, right beside the archers head. "Promised you'd go no where near 'em. Promised you'd stay safe."

"I was safe." Daryl snapped, arching his back in a futile attempt to get the sheriff off him, jerking his hands downwards to try and escape the bruising grip keeping them in place, but it was no use. He was trapped here, he couldn't run, was completely at his Alphas mercy, and unlike the other times, he knew this time there would be no pleasure, no excitement between them. Rick was fucking emlivid/em if the throbbing vein on his forehead was anything to go by, cheeks and neck flushed red. "I just watched, they never even saw me. We had to find out what we were up against-"

"And who gives you the right to make those decisions?" Rick barked, slamming the archers wrists against the wall, only succeeding in bloodying himself again. "We have a counsel. We make those decisions together! You don' get to just run off and do whatever the fuck ya like, Daryl. Its not just you anymore. Don't you get that?!"

God, Rick was so frustrated, all he wanted to do was beat Daryl bloody, beat him until he was whimpering and begging him to stop, promising he'd be good, letting himself be chained to their bunk, to wait for the cop to return from the moment he left the cell, until Rick returned from a long day of gardening, or any other chores he had.

"Didn't give me a fuckin' choice! You were just gonna hide, wait for them to come to us. You think they would've left Carl alive? An' Judy? You think they wouldn't have put a bullet in her?"

That's when Rick snapped.

Without his consent, the cops body moved, punching Daryl square in the face, knocking him to the floor, releasing his wrists to allow the brunette's body to sink down.

"An' if they had seen you?" He growled, glaring down at the archer. "Think they would've let you live? And if you hadn't been back in two days, think they'd let me live when they find me lookin' for you? Or Carl, or Carol, Glenn and Maggie? Ya think they would let any of us live? You don't get it, Daryl. If you disappeared, we'd all be out there, we'd all be in danger. And you risked that why, because you couldn't wait for the counsels decision? 'Cause ya might not like what we decide?"

Daryl remained silent, eyes down cast, knees pulled to his chest, arms curled around them. It was utterly devastating to see the usually so proud man cowering on the floor like a child, but fuck, what else was Rick supposed to do, how else was he going to get Daryl to believe him that he couldn't die, that the cop would lose his mind if he lost him.

"I ain't gonna do this anymore." He breathed. Finally, Daryl's head snapped up, blue eyes searching for equally blue ones, shining with fear and maybe even tears. "I can't. I can't watch ya do this again and again. Riskin' your life because ya think it's a small price to pay for the groups safety. But it ain't a small price, Daryl. It ain't. Love ya too much for that."

"What'cha saying." Daryl asked, voice small, words barely loud enough to be heard.

"I'm saying do whatever the fuck you want Daryl. Go hunt 'em, or hunt, or stay here in the prison. If ya still don't believe me when I say you matter, there ain't anything I can do. You gotta decide what'cha wanna be Daryl. You wanna be mine, ya listen to me. If not, then you have ta find someone that doesn't give a fuck about you. 'cause I can't stand it anymore."

Nothing in Rick's life had ever been as hard as it was to turn and walk out of the cell, not even the time when he had broken it off with Daryl the first time. Not that Rick had really ended things between them now. He had given Daryl a choice. It was no longer in his hands.


Daryl sat on the cold floor for hours. He couldn't move, couldn't will himself to get up and leave. Rick had left him paralyzed, and not in the good way. The archer was almost hysteric, tremors shaking his body every few seconds, bile rising in his throat.

What had he done?

The thought that he may have lost Rick forever was nauseating at best, heart wrenching at worst, and Daryl could barely keep himself from hurling into the empty cell.

Ya did it now, lil' brother. Made him leave again.

"Shut up." He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut, shaken by another tremor.

Now now, Darleen. Ya only got me left. Managed ta run off the only person that ever really loved ya.

"Had to protect the group, had to protect him-" Daryl whispered, not caring that he was talking to himself, that anyone would call him crazy if they saw him like this. "Didn' have a choice, had to-"

Ya didn' have ta do anythin', lil brother. Just a coward. Was gettin' too much for ya, got scared an' ran away.

"No, I.. That ain't why I did it, it emain't/em.." He couldn't help the whimper that escaped him, and god, he was fuckin' pathetic, no wonder Rick had gotten angry at him again, he just couldn't do anything right, couldn't even let the sheriff love him, couldn't accept love from anyone.

Why would Rick ever want something so damaged, so utterly worthless like him?

Daryl choked back a sob, refusing to let the tears spill from his eyes when he finally managed to stand, legs trembling dangerously below him.

Rick had given him a choice, a last chance maybe, to be his. But what if by being his Daryl did more damage than good? What if, after everything they had gone through together, the moments they had shared, he just wasn't .. right?

Daryl remained where he was until the sun rose, exhausted and torn, utterly unprepared for another day in this fucked up world.

He would face it anyway.