Hey guys! So here is the epilogue, I hope you guys enjoy it. Furthermore, people have been asking me to continue this story, but I don't really have a plot planned. If an idea comes to me, I'll use it, but that could be a year from now. So please, if you really want this story to continue, give me ideas!

Okay, enough of me talking, here's the chapter!

Carol, Sophia, and Daryl had gone through the field the walkers had come from, which was now clear. They passed into the woods and Daryl led them to the highway. A tense silence surrounded them, and every twig or leaf Carol or Sophia stepped on made him flinch, which wasn't good considering he was probably bleeding too much to be healthy.

He paused to rewrap the wound, using the shawl Carol had been wearing to bind his jacket, which he had formed into a pad, tightly against his arm, trying to prevent blood loss. It wasn't working to well. They had been walking for hours, it was near dawn and still they hadn't reached the highway.

" 'M tr'd…." Sophia mumbled, leaning on her mother with her eyes half-closed.

"Come on, just a little farther." Carol sounded exhausted, and she too seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep. Daryl sighed, coming to a halt.

"C'mere kid." They wouldn't reach the highway in time at this rate, and he couldn't stand by and watch the Sophia drag herself along. It was pathetic. It had nothing to do with him actually caring. Of course not.

"Daryl, you're hurt," Carol argued, even as Sophia clambered onto his back.

"Look at her. She's nearly asleep on her feet," Daryl protested. Seeing Carol wasn't convinced, he added, "I'm not that badly hurt. I'll be fine." Carol looked like she was about to say something else, but just then Sophia let out a contented sigh, easing into sleep and resting her head on Daryl's shoulder.

"Okay fine, but not for long," Carol whispered, smiling gently at her daughter.

"We're about a mile and a half from the highway. I'll make it," Daryl smirked, setting off at an easy pace, even as his head started to hurt.

-PageBreakDuh-

Daryl wasn't feeling very good. His head swam and he kept stumbling on things he usually would avoid with ease.

"Daryl, you need to rest. Your jacket's soaked," Carol urged.

"We'll be fine. There aren't many walkers here, so my blood won't attract them."

"I'm not worried about the walkers. I'm worried about you." Carol touched his shoulder, bringing him to a halt.

"That kiss wasn't just out of desperation, Daryl. I really care about you. I don't want to see you hurting like you are now," Carol explained.

"I don't get it. How can you like me? I'm a stubborn jackass who doesn't care about anybody but myself," Daryl replied.

"But that's just it. You DO care. You care about us, and you're kind when you want to be. You're a great guy on the inside, and I see it sometimes. You just have to let him out more," Carol said.

"And if I don't?"

"You will," Carol responded with such confidence Daryl couldn't argue.

"What's going on? We there yet?" Sophia lifted up her head and yawned sleepily, rubbing an eye.

"Not yet sweetheart, but almost," Carol soothed.

"Actually, it's only a few yards away," Daryl pointed out. He gently let Sophia down and the group of three continued to the road, where they walked up the slope and to the road.

"Where is everyone else?" Sophia asked curiously.

"I'm sure they'll be here," Carol reassured her, but her eyes betrayed her.

"It's dawn. They had cars and probably got here before us."

"You mean they left?" Carol gasped.

"Maybe. I can track them," Daryl suggested, but as he took another step his vision began going black. He stumbled into a truck reaching out to grab something to steady him. His knees gave way and he fell to the side, his last thought being, Hope I don't get eaten.

-YouKnowWhatThisIs-

When he woke up next, he had a killer headache, but he was alive. Geez, he was passing out to much. Maybe he should take a vacation….oh wait, he was in a zombie apocalypse. Guess he would just have to deal with it.

"Oh thank god you're awake. Carol, he's awake!" A male's voice called, one that was oddly familiar.

"Dale? The hell you doing here?" Daryl mumbled, opening his eyes to see Dale sitting on the edge of a truck. He was in the bed of the truck, and for some reason he couldn't feel his wound.

"I gave you some antibiotics I had left over, and actually bandaged the wound. It was close, but you're going to live. Me, on the other hand …" Dale trailed off.

"Whatdya mean?" Daryl asked, furrowing his brow.

"I'm here because the rest of the group brought me from the house, but I wasn't ready to travel. I was slow and a day after we left the farm I got scratched. So I had the group drop me off here, in hopes that maybe someone would show up and I could point them in the right direction. Guess it's a good thing I did," Dale smiled.

"But…why haven't you – "

"Changed? Oh, I can feel it coming. It's just slow. I think it has something to do with the fact you gave me blood. Doesn't matter. What matters is you, Sophia, and Carol are safe now," Dale explained.

"Dale, I'm so sorry …" Daryl muttered, unsure of what to say.

"Daryl!" Whatever Dale was going to respond with was cut off as Carol clambered into the truck, followed by Sophia.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Carol sighed, hugging him gently. Daryl awkwardly patted her back with his good arm, smiling at Sophia as he did.

"Hey, told you I'd be okay. How are you two doing?" Daryl asked.

"Fine, we're heading out as soon as you're ready to go, which should be in about a day," Carol explained.

"Well, it was good to see you three. I'm glad you're okay. But I have to go now, I can't risk hurting you guys," Dale sighed, getting up.

"Dale …" Carol whispered sadly, grasping his arm. Dale turned slightly, giving her a gentle smile.

"It's okay. I'll be fine. Good luck, and thank you …. For being here through this time. Don't give up," Dale spoke quietly, but the words he spoke would be his last words, and they echoed in their heads.

Sophia gave him a hug, and Daryl nodded solemnly as Dale turned and vanished into the woods. After a few moments of silence, Carol turned to re-bandage Daryl's wound, and Daryl chose not to comment on the tears quietly streaming down her face.

-DoIHaveToSayIt? -

A few days later, Daryl was ready to travel again. Carol and Sophia had been scavenging, so they wouldn't starve on their way to find the group.

Daryl led them in the direction Dale had pointed out. Carol held Sophia with one hand, holding Daryl's hunting knife in her other. Daryl had his crossbow ready, and was slightly crouched, tense and ready to take down any threat.

A few hours passed, and with only two walkers sighted and taken down, the tension had eased enough that Daryl was walking more regularly and Carol and Sophia exchanged a few words, trying to pass the time.

"They camped here," Daryl spoke suddenly, looking around the area. It looked like an abandoned shed or small warehouse, with crumbling stone walls. He could see the remnants of a fire, and there was soot trailing to the road that people had accidentally stepped on.

"They went by car. How are you going to track them?" Carol asked.

"They probably aren't going to go far. They're low on supplies, and they need a base. This is probably a rendezvous point if they get separated, meaning the main camp isn't far. The nearest town, the one Glenn and Maggie went to for supplies, is close. Hopefully, that's where they went," Daryl assumed, studying the area with a calculating eye.

"And if they didn't?" Carol asked.

"Then we keep looking," Daryl replied, heading off towards the town.

-DUH-

Two hours later, Daryl let very small grin cross his face.

"Why are you smiling?" Sophia asked shyly.

"Because I just found some tracks," Daryl laid a hand gently on her head as Carol broke into a full-blown smile and Sophia just grinned.

"That's wonderful!" Carol exclaimed.

"Alright, let's go," Daryl let Sophia climb onto his back again, as she had been walking for a long time, and they set off.

The tracks were on the side of the road, but they veered into the woods, and soon enough they could hear quiet voices.

And then Carol stepped on a twig.

"What was that?" The voice was Maggie's, and Daryl felt relief consume him. He had been worried they had followed the tracks of a different group.

"A walker?" Carl asked.

"It's okay baby," Lori murmured.

"T-Dog, with me," Rick commanded.

"It's alright! It's just us," Daryl called, walking into the clearing slowly, Carol slightly behind him and to his left.

Rick watched in shock as three members of the group he had thought were dead trudged through the trees. Daryl's arm was bandaged and he had a few scabs on his forehead and scratches that would probably scar. He was covered in dirt, sweat, and blood, but he smirked upon seeing the group, the closest he would get to an actual smile.

He was also carrying Sophia. Her clothes had definitely seen better days and she looked tired, but she brightened upon seeing the group.

Carol too was covered in grime, but she looked overjoyed to be reunited with the group.

"You made it!" Rick breathed in shock. Daryl set down Sophia gently and nodded.

"Yeah we did. Took us forever to find y'all," He grumbled.

"But …. I saw you go down! When you told me to go on …. Daryl I'm sorry … I should have stayed," Glenn said guiltily.

"Oh shut up short-round. If you hadn't gone on we both would have died. I did, sort of. But I fought off the fever again. Found Carol and Sophia and got out of there quick," Daryl explained.

"Did you find Dale?" Lori asked.

"Yes. He told us where to go, and that he was …. He was infected. He fought it off for awhile, but when he felt it was too much, he left," Daryl responded, a hint of grief in his voice.

"Well, we're glad you're back," Rick confirmed.

"Yeah. It's good to be back," Daryl nodded, and then, he actually smiled.

THE END

Woah, that was like the longest epilogue ever XD. (For me at least). If you guys want me to post more, you have to give me ideas on how to write it. Check out my other stories, long live Daryl/The Walking Dead, and have an awesome day!

-Hatakefire