Carol intercepted him on his retreat from Rick and Shane, and without a word veered him off away from the group so she could talk to him in private. His heart was pounding in his chest at the thought of being alone with her, fuck he was such a pansy.
"Stay safe out there, please." Carol said reaching out to him, he let her take his hand, he put it up to his lips kissing her knuckle.
"Promise." He told her, she nodded accepting his word he shifted uncomfortably for a moment and she let him wander back to the truck to get ready.
"Only got so many arrows." T-dog told him coming over and holding Dale's gun out to him while he loaded the truck. Daryl took it looking it over.
"This Dale's gun?" He asked checking to see how many bullets it still had to distract himself from that tight feeling in his chest at the thought of the man he'd put down, a good man that he hadn't taken the time to get to know.
"Ya." T-dog said uncomfortably, walking over to close the tailgate to try and keep his mind off Dale's death.
"Wish I knew where the hell mine is." Daryl said looking at the six shooter that didn't come close to how nice his gun was.
"Ready?" Rick asked coming up behind him to get in the truck, Daryl nodded to him.
"ya" Daryl said moving to grab his cross bow, he wasn't fond of the idea of sending this kid off, it was dangerous, but it was better then putting a bullet in his head.
"I'll get the package." T-dog told him turning towards the barn.
"Thanks." Rick called after him, Kiry was helping load things to the house, she didn't feel right about it though, so she loaded up Merle's bike and the other cars too, she went to put the bow stuff in the RV, but then she head the commotion so she tossed it in the closest vehicle, the truck and went to see what was happening.
The kid had escaped so Kiry offered to stay and get everyone in the house, she knew it would make Daryl worry less if she was with Carol and Sophia. They all filed into the house to wait for them to come back. Sophia and Kiry stood on the deck armed and waiting, with the other men, Carol stood with Sophia protectively.
Then they heard what they were all afraid of, a gun shot, it rang out through the night painfully loud, and all they could do was speculate. They all went back into the house afraid of what it might draw in.
"Rick and Shane ain't back?" Daryl asked as he lead Glenn in, the three women all sighed in relief at the sight of him and Sophia ran over to hold onto him.
"No." they told him, he looked around the room with a look of concern on his face.
"We heard a shot." Daryl said worriedly after he'd checked over his family to make sure the three of them were okay.
"Maybe they found Randel." Lori tried looking just as scared for her husband as Daryl sounded.
"We found him." Daryl poked a hole in that logic with his few simple words bringing back the looks of fear and worry.
"Is he back in the shed?" Maggie asked hopefully, Daryl grimaced he wished he had such a rosy answer for them.
"He's a walker." Daryl told them all, knowing this was going to be hard for them to swallow.
"You find the walker that bit him?" Hershal asked worried for the safety of his family, Daryl got that now more then he ever had.
"Weird thing is he wasn't bit." Glenn put in gauging the reaction of the group they all seemed a bit confused, but then he'd been a bit miffed himself.
"His neck was broke." Daryl filled in when he got a few confused looks.
"So he fought back" They tried, but Daryl wasn't buying it nothing about this was screaming escape attempt.
"Thing is Shane and Randle's tracks are right on top of each other, and Shane ain't not tracker so he didn't come up behind him, no they were together." Daryl told them, Lori gaped at his accusation.
"Would you please get back out there and find Rick and Shane and find out what on earth is going on?" Lori pleaded, Kiry sneered at her, the woman was probably the reason all this was happening and she had the gall to ask Daryl to risk his life to fix it.
"You got it?" Daryl said turning to leave again, Kiry rolled her eyes that boy was too good for his own health. They went outside and were greeted by the most horrifying sight he'd ever seen, a herd bigger then they'd ever seen. Kiry went back in grabbing Sophia and herding her around to grab supplies, she knew they couldn't stay, and everyone else was too busy looking for Carl.
The group headed to the vehicles to herd the walkers away from the farm, the barn lit up like a bomb fire so Kiry rushed out in front killing with her knives the ones that came anywhere near the house then collecting her knives and Sophia's arrows. She ran back as they all started gathering to leave handing Sophia her arrows.
Carol and Sophia ran in front of her, they were her only priority but she ran them to a corner, Carol handed Sophia to Kiry and ran the walkers the other way, Kiry rushed to the truck throwing Sophia and herself in the back while Sophia screamed for her mother.
Kiry looked around there was no way she could make it to Carol, she had run off towards the field with no weapon. Kiry's eyes welled up at her complete failure to protect Daryl's woman, Sophia's mom, and her own friend. They huddled together crying.
Daryl was sitting outside the farm watching it burn when he heard her scream, he knew exactly who it was too. He whipped his bike around speeding towards her, he saw her coming to the fence and he whipped his bike to a stop.
"Come on, ain't got all day!" Daryl called out as she scrambled onto the back of his bike, she wrapped herself around him desperately her heart racing. She'd thought she was going to die, and he'd saved her, she wept into the leather of his vest as they pulled through the morning fog past herds of walkers.
He veered towards the spot where Sophia had run from, where they'd left her supplies, as they got closer he saw that green car Shane had fixed up, he pulled around them to let them know he was there. Carol looked in the windows, but she didn't see Sophia or Kiry.
They heard the truck behind them, but she couldn't see who was in it, so when they saw Rick and stopped she frantically looked behind them, Rick shook Daryl's hand. Carol and Sophia ran to each other, and Kiry nodded to Daryl, and the weight of loss fell off him.
"Where'd you find everyone?" Rick asked after he'd gotten his own hug, Daryl shrugged.
"These guys tail lights zig zaggin all over the road, figured he had to be Asian drivin like that." Daryl joked so revealed everyone close to him had made it.
"Good one." Glenn laughed, they all looked around there eyes searching for the people they had lost.
"Where's the rest of us?" Daryl asked, and that's when the shadow fell over them, they all shared who they'd seen go down, and eventually it was decided they'd head east. Everyone got back in or on there respective vehicles, Carol road with Daryl, and Kiry and Sophia road with T-dog while Lori and Carl road with Rick, and Hershel and Beth moved to Glenn and Maggie's car.
Eventually one of them ran out of gas, it was getting late, so they decided to stay there the night and get gas in the morning. Rick hoisted the bad news about Shane and the infection. Kiry had known, she'd seen others die naturally, but the group got crazed about him lying.
Eventually they calmed down, and made a fire, Kiry was with Rick on this one, what good would it have done if he'd told them, none, it would only have made people panic about something they couldn't fix.
Kiry and Sophia laid out on the same sleeping bag after the discussion of leaving, the one she'd packed, and Daryl and Glenn got first watch while Daryl thought about what Carol meant by a man of honor.
"So you and the farmer's daughter, huh?" Daryl smirked when he saw Glenn staring, casually crossing his arms over his chest.
"Ya," Glenn smirked and nodded. The rest of the camp rested up after their long day. The group had literally experienced hell that day, and were exhausted from surviving.
"I told her I loved her," Glenn said, "On the way to the check-point. I told her that I loved her."
Daryl raised an eyebrow at him, that seemed pointless and telling him that was even less so.
"Ya love her?" he said skeptically, even after everything it was a hard idea to swallow. He'd never been around anyone in love, he'd watched it fall apart though, watched people who claimed to love something destroy it completely.
"Yeah." Glenn said with a little smile while his eyes drifted to Maggie's sleeping form, he had this look in his eyes, that look Kiry got sometimes when she watched Merle. Was that love, that look, did he look at Carol that way? No way Merle was right this shit was making him weak, that shit was a pipe dream.
"You really think somethin' like that still exists?" Daryl asked, even before it all went to shit the world hadn't been exactly convincing by the way of love. Kiry loved Merle so she said, but all it ever got her was hurt, Merle said his Mamma loved there Pa and look where that got her, maybe love was just a way to feel more pain.
"Of course it does." Glenn said totally convinced that what he had with that girl was the real deal. He'd see it eventually though how much he could hurt her because he said he loved her, Daryl didn't want to hurt like that, to hurt Carol like that.
"I dunno about that," Daryl rolled his eyes, "Sure you aren't just tryin' to get laid?" That was what Merle had always told him the word love was for, a sure way to get in a girls pants. He knew he felt something for Carol, but he wouldn't ever call it love even if the idea of getting laid was very appealing.
"No!" Glenn answered defensively, "I really love her. I do." The look of disgust in his eyes had Daryl convinced he really believed that. Whatever if he wanted to believe in that delusion then good for him, hell Daryl wouldn't even know the first thing about being in love, how would he even know if he was?
"How do you know?" Daryl asked, randomly pointing the crossbow off to the distance trying not to look too curios, he wanted to know how it felt to be loved. More then that though he wanted to know if he already felt that way so he could try and minimize the hurt it caused.
"I care so much about her," Glenn grinned, "And I know if I were to ever lose her, my whole world would end." Glen had a distant look in his eyes when he talked about that his eyes locked on Maggie. There was that fucking look again, that look that said he would do anything for her if she just asked.
"The world already ended," Daryl grunted trying not to think too hard on the way he'd felt when he'd thought he might not have gotten to Carol in time.
"If she died," Glenn spoke slowly, trying desperately to get through to Daryl, "I'd die. Do you get it now?" Glenn said seriously and Daryl got that, he wouldn't have before he the world ended, sure he'd take a bullet for Merle or Kiry, but it was different now with Carol and that scared him.
"That's love?" Daryl raised a surprised eyebrow, "Really?" He didn't buy that, that was all it took to be in love. There had to be more then just that as different as it felt with Carol he'd die for any of this group, but would he die with them?
"Yeah," Glenn chuckled, "Really. Geez, it's like you don't know what love is." He accused him playfully, but he was right, Daryl had no idea. Even if he did feel it he wouldn't know what to do with it.
"Aw, who needs all that mushy crap," Daryl grumbled trying not to look over his shoulder at Carol, or Sophia and his sister. He knew how much he had now, so much he'd never even dreamed he'd have before, but he didn't know that he'd call it love.
"Well, everyone." Glenn told him like it was something even he should know. Dary grumbled to himself how was he supposed to know this kind of shit?
"Not me. I've done just fine so far and I plan to keep it that way. I don't need some woman for me to let down." Daryl grumbled pointing his crossbow at nothing again he'd let down enough people without adding the pain of love into the mix.
"Not even Carol?" Glenn asked knowing he had him with that, the whole camp could see that they were dancing around there feelings.
"Watch it, short round!" Daryl pointed the crossbow at Glenn, "Don't talk about her." It was Glenn's turn to raise a surprised eyebrow. He'd known Daryl cared, but he'd had no idea how defensive he'd get about it
"Ookay…but from where I'm standing, you seem to really care about her." Glenn countered, Daryl knew he was right but he wouldn't ever say it to him. He wasn't weak and he sure as hell wasn't gonna show it if he had a weakness.
"Care about her?" Daryl let out a dry laugh, "I make sure she don't get her or her kids scrawny ass killed." Daryl ground out quietl just in case she was still awake, he would deny it to glen, but he didn't want to hurt her.
"And if she does?" Glen asked simply, Daryl's arm went slack the thought had bile raising in his throat.
"What?" Daryl said taken aback by the question why would he even say something so stupid, he'd never let anything happen to her or her little girl, not ever!
"If she does die, where would that leave you." Daryl aimed the crossbow again at Glen not at all pleased by the question. Saying shit like that was just bad luck and in bad fucking taste.
"Don't you talk about that!" Daryl barked a look of horror and fury swirling in his eyes. Glen swallowed hard he knew he was making his point, but Daryl might actually shoot him.
"Why? Because you're world would end?"Glenn asked using the words he'd used to describe how he felt about Maggie.
"Shut up, Fortune Cookie!" Daryl snarled tuning away from him back to watch trying to joke to hide the wrenching feeling in his gut.
"No," Glenn was on a roll, "Admit it." He tried to keep a straight face to keep from getting punched as much as he wanted to prove the point so the stubbonr redneck could be happy he didn't want to start a fight over it.
"I don't have to admit shit to you," Daryl snarled, "Don't you talk about her dyin' though." Daryl ordered him, he didn't want him to be right. If he loved her that meant he could lose her love, and he couldn't deal with that.
"Why?" Glen asked earnestly. Daryl lowered the crossbow, giving up knowing he wouldn't stop. He couldn't listen to him bitch all fucking night if he didn't talk, and hell it was the truth.
"Because," he sighed, "I don't want to think about that." He mumbled not looking over at Glen. Glen nodded, knowing he was right.
"Okay. But if I didn't know any better, I'd say you love her." Glenn pointed out, Daryl swung his crossbow around again his smart ass was starting to chafe.
"Do you want an arrow in the knee? Because I can arrange that." He said in a low growl. Glen held up his hands in surrender,
"I think I'll manage just fine without one," he grinned, "but Daryl, consider what I said." Glen told him he really wanted Daryl to figure this one out so him and Carol could be happy.
"Ain't gotta consider nothin." He snipped, but he did, he couldn't stop thinking about it. It kept running around in his head like a bad pop song he couldn't imagine how his whole world would be thrown on it's ear if he admitted he loved her.
"Please," Glen tried once again, "just think about it." Daryl lowered the crossbow and nodded he could give him that, he would be thinking about it anyway why not let the kid have this one?
"Between you and me…if she…if something…if we did lose her…" Daryl kicked at the dirt, "…shoot me. Please." Daryl mumbled Glen nodded solemnly. "If I lost her, what'd be the point in going on anyway?" Daryl offered, if he lost any one of them it would tear his heart out, but Carol, he needed that woman.
"That," Glen pointed, a huge smile on his face, "That right there! That's love!" Daryl rolled his eyes. Maybe it was love, he hated the thought that she had that kind of power over him, no it wasn't love.
"Whatever, Spring Roll…" Daryl jibed, knowing eventually the food thing would get to him, and it was more fun then actually insulting him since he didn't seem to care when he did.
"Stop calling me Asian food!" Glen barked trying to keep gloating, but Daryl would have none of that. He wouldn't let him know just how much it had gotten to him.
"Man up!" Daryl glanced over to where Carol slept, covered up with the raggedy old shirt he had given her to use as a blanket. She looked peaceful. Maybe the kid is right…maybe I do love…no. That's just not…is it? I can't…No way! Daryl tried to shake the thought from his head. Carol murmured something in her sleep, and began tossing and turning.
"God damn it," Daryl hissed, "I'll be right back." he shook his head at the infuriating woman before him, that beautiful infuriating woman.
"Got it," Glenn saluted him. Daryl stared at him as if he had purple polka dots all over his face before heading off to go check on her. Daryl crouched down next to her, and slowly shook her shoulder.
