Hey guys! Okay, for the sake of myself and the story, there will be some fast fowarding here. I hope you are all up to date on TWD because there will probably be spoilers. I will possibly be doing another chapter after this one to have Daryl and Emma have 'catch up' time! I just wanted to get to this point in the story so I felt more inspired! Thanks everyone!

Everything went to hell.

It seemed like such a blur. So much death and misery had happened so quickly she thought her heart might explode, and already losing Merle had been a big enough blow, no matter how much of an asshole he was, he was a memory of home.

Maggie and Beth's father died in the most gruesome way, and The Governor attacked. It didn't seem real. The gun fire and explosions and walkers starting to come in every direction. Emma would lose sight of Daryl every now and again and then would appear through the smoke like a ghost, beckoning her quickly towards him as he fired his gun and she hers. It was too chaotic. People that they had taken in from The Governor were now running everywhere, children and women screaming, walkers groaning as they shuffled around, aching for their next meal.

In a loud boom, her body was thrown back violently, hitting a crumbled side of the prison causing her body to collapse against it. Her head rang and her vision blurred. A walker sauntered up to her, mouth crooked and wide as it's yellowed teeth smashed together as it neared her. She closed her eyes tightly, fumbling around for her weapon, and lifted a foot to stop its movement closer. It's arms reached out, grasping towards her. She struggled to keep it back with her leg, trying to push harder she could just now feel the bottom of her boot starting to sink into the belly of the walker. Emma still couldn't find her gun, and her leg was starting to feel the burn of holding the walker back, but a loud pop followed by brains flying out of the side of the walker's head. She hadn't seen who had shot the walker, for all she knew it could have been a stray bullet. Either way, it was an escape route. Emma scrambled up the wall, wincing as she pushed herself up and finally found her weapon. Swinging it around to her front, she grabbed a hold of it and continued on her way out of her, but she couldn't find him. Daryl was gone, and it was to either stay and hope for the best or to survive. With her heart heavy she ran. Hope was gone, and so was he.

She remembered wandering for days. It was hot. Her stomach growled with hunger. She was lost. Emma remembered finding signs for a Terminus, and followed the tracks. She remembered seeing the writing in blood and her heart soared. They were alive. Who exactly was alive she wasn't sure but they were alive. Emma could only hope that one of them happened to be Daryl.

But, the group always had trouble follow them, and before she could reach Terminus, an explosion rocked the ground. Fuck.

She turned around.

All she did was walk. She managed to settle into being alone pretty well, eating rabbits and squirrels, living on no sleep, not stopping to talk to the very few people he met along the way. Some had kids, some were alone, others looked like they had gone insane. She probably looked like she had gone insane.

She would dream about Daryl during the short times she would sleep. She dreamed that he was still alive, and sometimes she dreamed that he had died and didn't have to live in this world any longer. Sometimes Emma wished she had died miles back. Besides, hope was dead anyways.

She met a man named Aaron. He had claimed that he had a safe place for her to stay. Emma was hesitant, but he provided fresh water and food . What else did she have to live for anyways? If she was going to die today, she might as well die with food in her stomach. He tried to catch her up the whole way to where ever they were going. Aaron said the place was called Alexandria. He tried to ask her about where she lived, what she was doing out here by herself with no one to protect her. Emma scoffed at his question and for the first time during the whole ride she looked over to Aaron, "I don't need anyone tah protect me."

Aaron offered a smile back, "I know that. I just wanted to get you talking."

They walked the last mile or two back to Alexandria. It was surrounded by a large wall and she could spy lookouts placed around the top of the wall, following the two of them as they neared closer. Aaron made his presence known to whoever who was behind the door and Emma followed.

"No shit."

Emma's head popped up, and standing directly in front of her was none other than Daryl Dixon, Rick, Michonne and and a few others that she did not recognize. Her heart leaped. It felt like it was pumping again. She had found them.

Daryl took a few long strides forwards, wrapping Emma tightly in her arms, one hand grabbing a mess of hair as if he just had to make sure that she was still real. It took Emma a few more seconds to drop her backpack and gun and wrap her arms back around him. It was real.

"So," Aaron asked, now standing next to Rick, "I'm guessing they know each other?"

Rick nodded, a smile lifting into the corner of his mouth, "Yeah. They know each other."

I found love where it wasn't supposed to be
Right in front of me
Talk some sense to me

-Amber Run, I Found