This chapter is a lot more tender than the others but I think it helps you see Daryl's and Elena's relationship grow here. :) I got nothing much to say except I hope you like this one. Next chapter is gonna be an exciting one I promise! Keep them reviews coming, and thanks to the new followers! Love you guys!

I take no credit for characters with an exception to Elena Lima and Toni Galvin.

"We could head this way, up north."

Rick pointed at the map, sliding his finger down the trail drawn on it. The map was sprawled across the Hyundai's hood. T-Dog, Daryl, Glenn and Maggie stood beside him, trying to go over what their next move should be.

Glenn shook his head. "We went there already, nothing was left." He leaned forward, looking through the map. "We could head back in the direction of the retail store. A lot of places nearby may also have been stocked up."

"Can't risk it." Rick shook his head. "Walkers probably crawlin' all around there by now."

"The walkers are like migratin' or somethin'," Maggie whispered. "What if they start teamin' up with another herd. We might get caught off eventually."

"We should start marking them down," Glenn suggested. "The size of the herds, where they are. That way we know in what direction they're in and where they might be headed."

Rick nodded his head. "That's a good idea."

He thought for a moment looking over the map. They had been wary for supplies for the winter. When the weather gets worse they might have to hold up at some time. The extra food and equipment was something they needed. Rick then remembered the neighbourhood that had been stocked full of food. But it was overrun by walkers. It had been a while now, maybe the walkers had moved on and the food and supplies were still there. They needed to take that chance.

"Glenn, where was that neighbourhood a while back?"

Glenn looked at him oddly, pointing at the map. "Somewhere it this area, a little way off. Why?"

"We need to head back there."

"Elena ain't gonna wanna go back there," Daryl spoke up after being silent for so long.

"Daryl's right. It'll be too much for her," Glenn said. "A few of us can go separately, Elena can stay here with the others."

"The group is not separatin', we're stickin' together," Rick replied. "I thought I made that clear."

"Yeah, but—" Glenn stopped, adjusting his tone when Maggie put a hand on his arm. "Look, Rick, what happened there traumatized her. It's the reason she can't sleep for more than an hour."

"I know," he replied softly. "I know. But we need to go through there, if there's any supplies left, we need to take it."

Daryl shook his head. "Man, I dunno."

"I'll talk to her. She's been better since then, she'll understand." Rick looked toward everyone, each having doubt on their face.

Even though she hadn't been with them for very long, Elena looked like she had won the heart of the group, each knowing that Elena had trouble falling asleep at night, haunted by nightmares of that day. Rick wasn't being insensitive, he understood, but this was for the good of the group, they needed to push on and if it meant hurting Elena, unfortunately it had to be done.

"The cut has healed nicely," Hershel whispered, taking the tweezers near Elena's wrist again, pulling at the last piece of thread that had been her stitches.

Elena winced, the feeling uncomfortable and painful.

"There we are."

Elena looked it over, the cut on her wrist she got from broken glass over a week ago was now a pink faint line. "Left an ugly scar."

Hershel smiled at her. "Scars tell a story."

"I suppose. Thanks Hershel."

He patted her shoulder. "You're welcome. I pray you be more careful now with broken glass."

Elena laughed at that. "I'll try. No promises though."

"How about your sleeping patterns? How have they kept?"

She shrugged. "Same thing as usual, fall asleep for twenty minutes, then wake up. Then it happens another three more times before I just give up."

Hershel frowned. "That's not healthy. Maybe we oughta look for some sleepin' pills for you. Help you get some rest."

"No," Elena disagreed. "I don't want to be medicated. I don't want the chance that we get overrun at night and the pills make me too disoriented to help protect the group."

"If you don't start gettin' enough sleep, I'm afraid your body will crash eventually." Hershel saw the worried look on her face and sighed, giving her a reassuring smile. "We'll give it time, see it if gets better." She nodded to him.

"Elena?"

She looked over to her side at the call of her name. Rick stood there, his hand on his hips, a look of concern on his face.

"May I speak to you for a minute?"

She nodded to him, giving Hershel a final smile before walking off toward him.

"Everything alright? Did you figure out where we're heading next?" she asked him when she approached.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," he said quietly. "C'mon."

Rick pulled her away, off in a bit of distance for some privacy. He blew through his nose, looking away and back at her, a frown on his lips. Elena watched him, ultimately confused, and the expression on his face beginning to worry her.

"There's no easy way to say this...," Rick trailed off. Then inhaled and his eyes set on hers. "We're heading back to the neighbourhood."

Elena thought she didn't hear him right. "What?"

"The supplies there might be still intact and—"

"No way."

"Elena—"

"No." She stared at him hard. "You can't ask me to go back there."

"I'm not askin' you, I'm tellin' you."

Elena shook her head at him, completely bewildered. "Well, that's great. I don't even get a choice."

"Look, I understand your feelings on this—"

"No you don't or else you wouldn't be telling me this." She looked away from him, bringing a shaky hand to her forehead. "You do know that what happened back there is the reason I still can't sleep, right?"

"I do."

"Then why are you doing this to me?" Elena was beginning to lose her composure, and she tried to take even breaths. She didn't want to cry. She hadn't cried about it for a while, and she knew that if she started she wasn't going to know how to stop.

Rick sighed, resting his hand on her shoulder. "Maybe it's what you need. To go back there, get some closure."

"Closure?" She pulled away from his hand. "I watched him die. I saw the light leave his eyes. I had his blood on my hands. Then I watched you shoot him in the head. I think that's closure enough."

Elena had to walk away from him, wiping at her eyes, brushing past Lori who had been watching. She didn't really care, she just retreated, walking toward the Dodge Ram, jumping in and slamming the door behind her.

Lori looked over to her, then her eyes back on Rick, who was taking slow steps in her direction.

"We're heading back there?"

"Got no choice. It's a sure place we know that has things we need."

"Her brother-in-law died there," Lori said, narrowing her eyes on him. "Do you have no sympathy?"

Rick's jaw went taut, his gaze on her angry. "It's for the good of the group. We need food, Lori, for the winter, for the baby—" He stopped himself from raising his voice. "We're heading there at noon, with Elena's consent or not."

Lori stared at him as he walked away from her, barely recognizing the man she married.

Elena heard a knock on her window and sighed. If that was Rick she might just blow up on him. She rubbed at her eyes, hoping there was no evidence that she had been close to tears. Her eyes were sore and itchy. Elena heard another knock and finally sat up, looking out the window. It wasn't Rick, it was Daryl.

Not much had happened between them after the night they decided to take things slow, see what this thing was between them. They hadn't really put a label on it, whether it was a relationship or what. They were still trying to get use to each other, accustomed with the way the other thinks and acts. Daryl wasn't so much for affection, Elena had learned. Not that he hated it but was uncomfortable by it. Elena took a guess that he wasn't very experienced with being with someone for more than just a night. He didn't voice it but she had a feeling. When he kissed her after she told him she'd back off if he wanted her to, his movements on her were feverish, not that she minded by all means but it made her wonder if Daryl had ever just slowed down and took his time. Just enjoyed it.

That was cut short anyway. Elena had to stop it before it went too far. She would have taken it all way if she could, thinking that the five day rule for dating really didn't apply here anymore. But Daryl was on watch and Elena didn't want to be the reason they were compromised. Although, she had reason to believe that Daryl wouldn't have let that happen either way. She wanted to keep things slow but at the same time how long did either of them have in this life? It was a hard thought.

Elena inhaled, finally rolling down her window.

"Come out," Daryl whispered to her, jerking his head to the side.

Elena shook her head at him and looked down toward her hands.

Daryl let out an exasperated breath, opening her car door. He stepped in between the opened door and the cab of the truck, resting his arms on either side, leaning in. He stared at her for a moment, then reached his hand toward her face, titling her chin toward him. Elena met his eyes, his expression serious. He pulled his hand away.

"We're headin' there at noon."

"I don't want to go," she said, her voice weak.

Daryl frowned. "Ain't got much choice."

Elena laughed, but it was voided from any real feeling. "Yeah, so I've noticed." She looked away from him again. She bit at her bottom lip, and she felt them again, the tears coming up, and she tried desperately to hold them back. She didn't want to cry in front of Daryl.

But he leaned forward, trying to look in her face. "What's wrong?"

Elena inhaled, and a tear slid down her cheek. She placed her hand over her mouth, trying to find her self control. She moved her hand to rub away at the tear. She couldn't look Daryl in the eye.

"I... All I can think about is how... His body won't even be there because the walkers would have..." Elena trailed off and closed her eyes, more tears falling down her face.

She could see it, Toni's body, being eaten, dismantled by walkers. The memory of him eaten away, like only a piece of meat, nothing but food, and the thought of that killed her. She never had the chance to bury him, to have him rest in peace. Now there wouldn't be a body left to bury.

Elena, after a moment felt a hand on her face, and a thumb wiping at her cheeks. Elena's eyes went back to Daryl's and he pulled away from her reluctantly, making Elena frown. She wished he wouldn't be so nervous around her, because right now she needed support. And she needed him.

"When I was a kid, my mom," he began, his words slow, "liked to drink, smoke in bed. One day, I was playin' with the kids in my neighbourhood when we heard sirens. Fire trucks were there, at my house. Place was burned down, my mom gone with it. Nothin' left of 'er. People thought it was better that way. I didn't know. Didn't really feel real, y'know? Didn't get to see 'er. Sometimes I didn't really believe she was gone. That was the hard part." Elena watched him, the tears had stopped. Daryl looked down for a second, still leaning between the door and the cab. "Truth is, there ain't no better way to deal with it, but maybe it'll give ya a chance to say goodbye."

A small smile lifted the corner of her lips. He was right. Elena lifted her hand to his arm, squeezing gently. "Thank you."

Daryl gave her a short nod.

He wanted to hold her, do something, but he wasn't exactly sure how. He hadn't seen her this vulnerable since Toni died, that you could hardly believe she was even capable of taking care of herself. He didn't want to see her cry, hated it when women did because he never really knew what to do even though he wanted to stop it. Daryl was still learning to deal with this, whatever this was. Elena had been patient with him, more than he really deserved. He knew how to sleep with a woman, but Elena was different, she was... Special. And he was worried about screwing things up because it wouldn't be the first time. But Daryl was trying.

"C'mon," he said, lending a hand toward her. "Get somethin' to eat, clear yer head."

Elena hesitated but took his hand, letting him pull her out of the truck and close the door behind her.

T-dog glanced over at the passenger seat as he drove, looking over at Elena who had her head rested against her window, staring out into the empty farmlands they passed.

He sighed. "How you doin'?"

Elena was playing with the dog-tags around her neck, something she always did when she had something on her mind. She didn't answer for a bit, before parting her lips. "I'm trying...to deal."

T-Dog nodded his head. "Rick, he...it's no attack on you. We need the supplies and that place had it."

"I know," she replied truthfully. She didn't really know what to say after that.

"It'll be fine. You don't have to go in too far. You can stay a little ways back while we get everythin' sorted out." He looked at her again. "Lori, Beth and Carol can stay with you."

"Yeah." Elena didn't feel like talking anymore, just rather go on through the ride in silence. T-Dog noticed this and decided not to push it further, letting her sort it out on her own.

The drive was a long one and Elena was thankful for that, pushing it further helped put her at ease. She tried to stop herself from thinking of that day but she didn't have the power to do so. The images came at her quick and she had to try her hardest to not let them get to her. But remembering what she was telling Toni while he was bleeding out, promising him that everything was going to be okay even though it wasn't. She remembered begging him to stay with her, to not leave her alone. She kept the emotions bottled up inside of her, knowing full well that one day she was going to have to deal with it. She didn't want to and that's why she had been so angry at Rick. She was being forced to go through it without her being able to ready herself. But really how could anyone be really ready to move on from the death of a loved one? Elena thought she had, but she was lying to herself.

When she recognized the road ahead she felt her heartbeat begin to quicken and her head go hot, the anxiety kicking in. She could see passed the Chevy Suburban in front of them, the houses she remembered and she held onto her door handle tightly. T-Dog slowed the Dodge Ram far enough away, Rick's truck in front of them, blocking her view and she was grateful. T-Dog gave her one final glance before stepping out of the cab and jumping out.

Rick exited also, looking around the neighbourhood. It had changed.

Dead walkers littered the lawns and sidewalks. These weren't the walkers they had killed. Rick exchanged a glance with Daryl who was alongside him. Rick approached a body, turning it over with his foot. A bullet hole was in it's head.

"Someone's beatin' us to the punch," Daryl whispered, looking over another body.

"Shit," Rick muttered under his breath. He heard Maggie and Glenn come up behind them.

"You think there's anythin' left?" Maggie asked him.

Rick sighed. "I don't know. Looks like these walkers have been dead a while." He looked around to the distance also, seeing more of them. "Stay sharp, we'll look around see if they left anythin' behind. Glenn and Maggie will take that house, T-Dog and Daryl you head on over to the one next to it. I got the one over."

Everyone nodded and began filing out. Rick placed his hands on his hips. This was the last real shot they had, if there was nothing here Rick didn't know where the group was going to go, and he was becoming desperate. He couldn't help but look off toward the area where they had been last time, but what he had expected to see wasn't there. Rick inhaled and headed toward the house he said he would check out.

It wasn't much, but through the houses they went through there had been left over food, what looked to be mostly things that the people before them didn't want. But it was better than nothing, and they needed it. Whoever had been there before them must have been well armed. Each walker he had found were all dead by the bullet to the head, a lot of them.

Rick had Maggie, Glenn and T-Dog set what they could find outside while Carol, Lori, Hershel and Beth brought everything in the cars. Rick, Daryl and Carl set out to check the other houses, in case there was any live walkers they had missed.

Elena still sat in Dodge Ram, watching as the group took the supplies into the cars. No one had bothered her, knowing she needed her space and she had gotten sympathetic looks by both Lori and Carol. Elena was biting at her finger nails, tapping her foot against the trucks floor, staring at the dashboard. Her curiousity was there and she wanted to know. Wanted to know whether he was still there. What was wrong with her? Why did she need to be sure? Was it because she wanted to see him one final time? Elena slammed her hand against her door, pushing herself out. She needed to know, whether it was good for her or not. She went, walking around the truck, her hand on the hood, supporting herself, her heart beating in her ears, bile stuck in her through. Tears were already welling up into her eyes before she even looked but when she did, she saw nothing. Toni's body wasn't there. Completely erased. Gone.

Elena broke, a sob escaping her and her legs gave out from under her. She crumbled to the ground, bringing her hands to her face and shook.

Lori had turned when she heard Elena drop and she placed the box of supplies in the Chevy and ran toward her. Elena was almost hysterical, and Lori ran her hand through her hair before wrapping her arms around her and pulling her to her chest, supporting her.

Elena took it, holding onto Lori. She could hear the gunshots echo in her head, Toni dropping to the floor, blood pouring from his chest onto her hands, him coughing, Toni's eyes on hers. It was the one time Elena saw those images pass through her eyes so vividly when she was awake and it was even worse than having the nightmares.

Daryl was there watching in the distance as Lori held onto her, supporting her. Why couldn't he do that? Why couldn't Daryl be there for her like Lori was now? He wanted to, he really did. But he was afraid, afraid she'd pull away from him because Daryl wasn't really sure how he could comfort her. Lori at least looked like she knew what she was doing and Daryl frowned looking at Elena as she had broken down. It was hard for him to see her that way.

Carol was beside him as they watched and Daryl looked at her, seeing that her eyes were glazed over. Carol met his eyes then, both exchanging a silence of words, because what they saw was almost the same reaction Carol had when she saw Sophia come out of the barn.

Carol helped Lori fold up the clean bed sheets Maggie had found, throwing it over the packed boxes of the little food they could scrounge up. It wasn't the amount they were expecting, but it was still something. Carol reached into one of the boxes, seeing a set of flowers in there, probably put in by Maggie as a sort of comfort that there was still some beauty in this world. Carol pulled out one that looked the least withered, recognizing it as a pink peony flower. Carol remembered having these flowers in her house before, she always bought them after she had done something, whatever it could be to make her late husband, Ed, angry and hit her. Peony flowers meant healing, and Carol held onto that, helping them bloom wishing that one day she too could grow and have the courage to take Sophia and leave Ed for good. That felt like so long ago.

Carol twisted the flower in her hand, and looked up to find Daryl. He was near by the truck, supposedly taking care of watching over the cars and women while the other men and Maggie were off. But his eyes were set on Elena who was away from him and who had calmed down considerably. She was leaning against the Dodge Ram, hugging her knees to her chest. Carol slowly made her way toward him, and reached out the flower to Daryl.

Daryl pulled his eyes away from Elena to Carol, then toward her hand that held a flower to him. "What's this?"

"Something for Elena, to give to Toni's resting place if she has the strength for it," Carol whispered to him. When Daryl didn't take it, she lent it closer. "It'll mean something more if it's you that gives it to her."

Daryl hesitated before taking the flower in his hand. He wasn't exactly sure why she was doing this.

Carol crossed her arms over her chest, staring at him. "You helped me get through what happened to my little girl, helped me stay strong. I think you can do that for her too."

Daryl looked at the flower in his hand then back at her. "Why?"

Carol had a sad smile on her lips. "You seem happy when you're with her. I can see it in her too."

Daryl didn't say anything. His relationship with Carol was a difficult one to decipher. They were close, not in a romantic sense but in a protective sense. Ever since he spent his time looking for her daughter, Carol was always there by his side, needing him. And maybe, although he wouldn't admit it, he needed her too. To show him that Daryl had a place in this group and was more than just a man on the sidelines. And he had stepped up. Carol was probably the only one that truly saw there was something between him and Elena also.

Daryl gave her a nod, an acknowledgement to her understanding. He walked away from her, flower in hand, toward Elena. She didn't lift her head when he reached her, and he bent down to her eye level. She looked at him then, sniffling and quickly began rubbing at her eyes, looking embarrassed. Daryl rested his arms on his knees, twisting the flower in his hands.

Elena was staring at it but she didn't say a word.

Daryl inhaled, gesturing to her. "Ya still wanna say goodbye?" She met his eyes and he gave her the flower then. "C'mon."

"I don't know..." She didn't make a move to get up when he grabbed her arm.

"Can take out walkers no problem and yer scared of goin' over there?" he asked her, his voice joking. He moved his hand to hers then, standing up, pulling her with him. He looked in her eyes, almost expecting her to pull away then but she didn't. She inhaled to herself, holding the flower tight in her hand. Daryl placed his hand on her back, pushing her forward, and walking alongside her toward where Toni had last rested. She stopped for a moment, staring and Daryl stopped with her, patient. Elena began walking again, fast this time, past Daryl and closer to where Toni had once laid.

Elena's breaths were shaky but she tried to hold on to herself, trying to focus, trying to remind herself that Toni was in a better place now. She stopped her steps away, standing the same place she stood that day. She looked down, the puddle of dried blood still there. The tears came back but this time they didn't take over. Elena found herself having the strength to bend down and placing the flower down, where Toni's memory still was. Her other hand held tight his dog-tags around her neck.

She was sorry, sorry it ended this way. Sorry that he had to suffer, sorry that he had to lose Amelia, sorry he had to go through everything. But she hoped that he was better off now, with Amelia, and happy, wherever he was. And maybe one day she would be able to meet him and her sister there too. But for now, she was okay where she was, and she prayed that Toni knew that. She really was fine, and she can finally let him go.

When Elena had the strength to stand up and turn, the group was all watching her. But her eyes weren't on them, they were on Daryl, who had been standing a foot or two away, kind enough to give her space. She gave a sad smile, one of gratitude and she saw the corner of his lips tug at that.

Elena adjusted the set up on the back of the truck, throwing a sheet over top so nothing would fly out while they were driving. It was a paranoid precaution but it helped her give her something to do. They were close to leaving, the last few houses had nothing of use except for some extra batteries for their flashlights. And judging by the clouds coming in it looked like it was going to rain soon, so it was better off that they would hit back on the road. Elena jumped out from the back of the truck, flattening the wrinkles in her shirt, looking back at the peony flower on the road.

It was then when she saw Rick coming toward her side. He also looked back toward the flower, running a hand through his brown hair. He looked at her.

"I am sorry," he said, his voice soft. "For pushin' you to come."

Elena shook her head. "No, Rick. It's okay, really." She smiled at him, but her eyes were still sad. "As much as I wanted to deny it, I needed this."

Rick returned the smile. "If you need more time here..." He trailed off.

"I'm alright. I did what I needed to. I just want Toni to rest in peace now."

Rick placed a supportive hand on her arm. "Despite the circumstance, I am glad you are a part of this group."

Elena had to inhale because his words struck her hard. "Thank you."

"Hang in there, you'll get through this. We all will."

Elena nodded her head, Rick smiling at her again, gently ruffling her hair. Rick looked past her, at something behind her, and his smile widened. He pulled his hand away from her, nodding his head at whoever was behind her then turned and walked off. Elena took the time to turn then, Daryl taking his leisure walking toward her.

"How ya holdin' up?" he asked her.

"I'm okay, like a weight's off my shoulders now."

Daryl nodded to her. "I didn't like 'im much, for the way he treated you. But...I think he would've been proud."

Elena took a step toward him, leaning forward and brushing her lips against his. She felt Daryl stiffen a little but then he relaxed just as Elena decided to pull away. Elena wanted to be closer to him, but she didn't want to push Daryl's comfort barrier too far. Plus, she doubted he was okay with public displays of affection in front of the others, and she understood that.

"You gave me the flower and pushed me to it," she whispered. "That did more for me than I think you know, Daryl."

"Ain't nothin'," he replied.

Elena shook her head. "You really don't give yourself enough credit."

Elena wondered what kind of life Daryl had before this. It was just the fact he seemed withdrawn at times, like he didn't really matter. But she wanted to make Daryl know he really was a great person. Not only had he been protecting the group for this long, but he also had a heart and Elena wondered if the others had experienced it as she had. Although subtle in his ways, Daryl cared and Elena could see this. She was definitely fortunate, finding this group, finding him. There was nothing Elena would have changed, because she knew Toni was happy now, and she was too.