Eep! Here's the second part. I was going to post it tomorrow but because you guys are as excited as I am and I couldn't wait to see what you're reactions would be to the end of this segment I just had to post it early. Anyway yeah, so who the hell is this Nathan guy? All suave and what not! I've been wanting to introduce another character for a long time, not saying our cast isn't enough, but to add a little more fuel to the fire. :D And a guy from Woodbury of all places? Pffttt. Anyway, everyone is just itching for Daryl to stop being such a pussy and make a damn move! Yeah, Daryl what the hell? Do something!

Reviews reviews! I love them. Keep them coming!

Theme for this chap is 'Flowers for a Ghost' by Thriving Ivory...Well this is technically Daryl's specific theme.

I do not take credit for characters with an exception to my OC's.

When Glenn and Rick returned with their share of food, Elena kept herself busy with setting them up in the back of the truck, ignoring the thoughts about Daryl, ignoring whether what she said to him had finally struck a nerve and made him think through things. Right now, Elena kept her mind occupied, away from any worry. In all honesty there wasn't more she could do.

Elena counted the boxes they had so far, realizing that Rick and Glenn had gone back to get the last of it. She straightened herself on the back of the Dodge Ram and her eyes drifted. She didn't mean to look at him, but avoiding the fact that he was waiting on her answer wasn't something she could do. Nathan was watching her, his arms cross over his chest, but he was too far for Elena to really read his face.

Daryl gazed at Elena, the anger that he had boiled under immediately gone. He had kept his distance after her outburst, completely clueless as to what to even say to her.

Hell, he was so distrusting of getting close to people, expecting them to leave and he realized that he always just let them. He never even put up much of a fight. Was he going to do that to her too?

Elena was giving him one final chance, one more to finally show what she meant to him. She didn't need to, but she wanted to. It was more than Daryl ever had. And if he didn't do something, say something to her, she could walk out of his life completely. As much as he wanted to deny it, he didn't want to let her go.

Daryl hid behind his anger, always had. It gave him strength. But now he wondered if it was really an act of cowardice. He was too afraid to be honest, afraid of being hurt. But that's all he ever experienced, that's all Daryl knew.

When he finally followed the gaze that Elena was staring, he began chewing on the side of his cheek. Pretty boy was looking back at her, waiting. Waiting for her. Was Daryl really willing to let her go?

"Here," Glenn called out from under Elena suddenly, breaking her from her revery. "It's the last of them."

Elena reached for the box he handed to her, placing it down and taking the other Rick offered. When Elena dropped from the back of the truck and shut the tailgate, Rick approached her side.

"Everythin' went alright with him?"

Elena sent him a fake smile, and immediately lowered it, realizing she didn't have the energy to force a facade in front of him. "Yeah. He just asked me to talk to him before we leave."

Rick narrowed his eyes slightly, but it was out of thoughtfulness. "It's not about joinin' us..."

She shook her head. "No. He said he has his own camp. And I know there's no way we can take him in." Elena met his eyes. "I think he's just making sure we have our chance to say goodbye to each other."

Rick nodded his head in understanding, placing his hands on his hips and looking back down the street, at the white Dodge truck. Rick's jaw clenched before placing his hand briefly on her shoulder.

"Go on." He gestured toward Nathan. "We'll wait for you."

"Thank you," Elena whispered and gave him a genuine smile. But the smile eventually fell when she began walking, seeing Nathan lean away from the truck and stepped toward her, meeting her halfway.

His eyes were soft again, like they always were, but they didn't ease Elena's nerves. They didn't ease what she knew she was about to say to him. And maybe it was a harsh choice, maybe it was one she should have thought longer on. But she knew it was the right choice.

"Gotta extra seat for you—"

"I'm not going with you," Elena admitted quickly, cutting him off.

The softness in his eyes faded in that instant, along with the confident hope that she assumed he actually expected her to leave with him. Nathan stared at her stunned and it almost broke her heart. It was the same reaction he had when she suggested they ended things several years ago.

"What?" he finally uttered, his voice breathless.

"I can't."

Nathan's brows furrowed, his lips parted in confusion. He looked passed her shoulder briefly. "How well do you even know those guys?" he asked her, then took a step forward. "You know me. I can keep you safe. Alive."

Elena stayed with his gaze. "They've kept me alive."

"Yeah, for how long?" Nathan's voice was suddenly impatient, bringing in a sudden ire.

"Your friend had a gun on me. On Glenn," she tried to reason.

"And your men didn't?!" he yelled. Nathan let out a breath of frustration, running his hands through his hair roughly, pacing a few steps before he turned back on her, his eyes desperate. "You don't get it, Elena. Do you know what it's like to go through day by day alone? Away from your family? Friends? Not being able to go and look for them? Not knowing whether they're even alive!" He took a step closer, leaning toward her. "Honestly, what are the chances of us seeing each other again? After so many years? This means something!"

Elena bit at her lip, the look he was giving her making this so much harder. Even after so many years, she still cared about him, and yet, she couldn't do this. "Please Nathan, don't guilt trip me on this."

"Those guys are gonna get you killed!"

Elena shook her head, taking a step back. "I trust them."

"Elena," Nathan then grabbed her arm, "don't do this. Don't leave."

Although his words were a desperate plea, Elena tried to pull out of his grip. She made her decision, she wasn't going to change it. But as she pulled, Nathan held on tightly, his grip gradually becoming painful.

"Let go of me, Nathan."

But he wasn't listening, his eyes still boar into hers, the desperation there. Desperation that at the moment made Elena question his motives.

Then, Elena was suddenly shoved back, a body stepping in front of her and Nathan's hold on her arm in that instant ripped away. Blinking, Elena stared into the angel wings on the man's back who stood in front of her.

"Get yer hand off 'er."

"This doesn't concern you, asshole," Nathan replied darkly.

Daryl took a step forward, sizing Nathan up before he narrowed his eyes. "Better watch yer mouth."

Elena stepped aside at Daryl's vicious tone of voice. There was a harsh tension in the air as the testosterone between them began to boil. They glared hard into each others eyes, either of them invading the others space, both of their shoulders tense and their hands balled into fists at their sides. They were both waiting for just one move to start up the fist fight that Elena knew was ready to happen.

"Daryl," Elena warned.

Nathan ignored her. "Or what? I ain't scared of some redneck piece of shit."

"Nathan," Elena tried again.

Daryl ignored her also. "Whatcha call me?"

"Guys, stop."

"You heard me." Nathan leaned in just a little bit closer, a snide smile on his lips, the softness in his eyes gone, leaving the expression of a man Elena didn't recognize. "Inbred white trash."

Elena immediately forced herself in between just as she saw Daryl lift his right fist, ready to aim it across Nathan's jaw. "Enough!" she shouted at both of them, placing her hand on Daryl's chest and shoving him gently back.

The two men didn't say anything, just continued to stare down at each other.

Elena furrowed her brow, turning to Daryl, her hand still against his chest, afraid that if she moved it away he might attack. "Lemme talk to him," she whispered. Daryl kept his eyes on Nathan, his eyes dark. "Daryl."

Daryl exhaled through his nose at the volume of her voice, finally taking his eyes from Nathan and meeting hers. But the darkness in them didn't flee. "Five minutes. Or else I'm comin' to get ya."

Elena frowned slightly, his words a harsh demand. Reluctantly, she nodded her head and Daryl gave one final glance toward Nathan behind her before backing up and returning to the Dodge Ram where Rick and Glenn watched from afar, their posture perplexed.

"That's why you won't come. It's because of that redneck, isn't it?" Nathan suddenly asked, his tone crude.

Elena returned her eyes on him. "Don't call him that."

"Just answer my question."

Elena watched him for a moment, the desperation and plea gone, now replaced with so much anger in his eyes that briefly, it almost scared her. "It's not just him, it's my entire group. I have responsibilities now, I can't just leave them."

"So you're gonna walk away from the last person that knows you more than anyone?"

"High school was a long time ago, Nathan," Elena whispered, her voice holding sympathy. "I'm sorry, I can't give you what you want."

"Elena, please..."

"Take care of yourself."

Elena glanced at him one final time before she walked away, toward the Dodge Ram.

Nathan could only watch, his whole body running cold. He knew what this meant. It didn't just mean that he lost her, it didn't mean that he may never see her again. It meant that now he had a job to do. He couldn't just let them go. However, no matter how many times Nathan had done this before, his legs underneath him were already moving on their own accord, retreating back. His body already knew he couldn't do it before his brain got the signal. It was when he heard rushed footsteps come up behind him did his spine go rigid.

When Nathan caught sight of the pistol at his side, aimed straight toward Elena who was just entering the Dodge Ram with the three men, unaware, his vision went black.

Nathan turned in that instant, twisting the pistol out of Pike's hands before he pulled the trigger and threw his fist against his face. The force dropped Pike to the ground, blood oozing from his nose, disoriented from the sudden attack. Nathan straddled him then, taking the pistol he disarmed from Pike and aiming the muzzle between his eyes. Pike's eyes widened, but didn't utter a word, swallowing hard.

"Nathan," Wess then whispered beside him, but keeping a short distance. "Put the gun down."

Nathan was breathing heavily, never blinking, the gun trembling in his hands. But he pressed the muzzle against Pike's skin. He kept it there for a moment, catching his breath before he roughly let him go, sliding the clip out of the pistol which landed on the pavement. He threw the empty gun hard into Pike's lap.

"...You know we can't just let them go."

Nathan narrowed his eyes, finally looking at Wess who stared at him with shock and subtle fear.

"They'll die out there anyway." And with that Nathan brushed passed him, and walked back to the truck.

Could she have done something different? No. Then why the hell did she feel so guilty?

As much as Nathan wanted to rekindle their old relationship, Elena couldn't give him what he wanted, because in reality, Nathan didn't know what he wanted. As impressions go, he seemed to want her, but the truth was, whatever had happened to him, whatever he went through, he was using Elena as a haven for hope. The words he said to her bothered her, the fact that he claimed she didn't understand what it was like being alone and stuck in a place where you were far away from your family. Maybe Elena's case wasn't the same, and at the moment she wasn't really alone, but it didn't mean she didn't understand.

She knew Nathan, knew him well, but she didn't know this Nathan. He seemed different, especially after he shed his true colours when her refusal to go triggered something inside him. The anger wasn't something she was prepared for and as much as Daryl stepping in had made things worse, it also made her feel safe.

Daryl showed something then. Not just that he had stood his ground for her, but the fact that he demanded he was coming to get her if she exceeded the five minutes he allowed. He wasn't letting her go. That was what Elena needed to push herself and tell Nathan that what they had was long gone, because now she was starting something new, something that at the time may have frustrated her, may have tested her patience, but she hadn't lied to herself about it. Not before, not now. Daryl was worth it.

No one had said a word on the ride back, the altercation between Elena, Daryl and Nathan causing a tension in the truck. But no one brought it into question, no one asked about it. Just complete silence.

Elena had given the keys to Rick, unable to have a hold on enough concentration to drive. She was sitting beside him in the passenger seat, and from the corner of her eyes she could see Rick at times glancing back at her as he drove. Elena shifted her eyes to the passenger side mirror, her eyes immediately meeting the reflection of Daryl's in the backseat. His eyes were narrowed, but this time it looked different. He stared at her thoughtfully, the anger and irritation she had seen in his face gone. Somehow the way he was looking at her, without breaking eye contact at all, sent a hidden message. But Elena's head was so muddled with what happened, she couldn't read the message he was giving to her.

When they returned to the group, T-Dog and Maggie had already syphoned all the gasoline from the abandoned cars and Rick had made the order for the group to move back onto the road. Maybe it was a quick order before Nathan and the other men had a chance to see which direction they had left, maybe it was just so they could find shelter before nightfall considering they had taken longer at the houses than what was expected. Whatever the reason, no one argued. However, the shelter that Rick ordered for was not found, their entire day to look for one lost. And thus, brought another night where the group had to sleep at the side of the road in the cars.

Elena sat near the small campfire T-Dog had made, the orange and yellow flames licking up the small pieces of firewood Glenn had gathered. The group was having a small bite to eat before everyone decided to call it a night. Daryl, T-Dog and Rick with Carl were on guard nearby while Elena sat by Carol and Lori, across from Hershel, Beth and Maggie.

"Here."

When a packet of jerky came into Elena's view, she gazed up the hand that held it, staring up at Glenn. He gave her a partial smile before offering it to her again. Elena unwrapped her arms from around her and took it. He then lowered himself beside her.

"You've been quiet," he whispered to her.

She didn't say anything, focusing her attention on peeling the plastic off the dried meat. If it could really be considered meat.

"You okay?"

Elena nodded her head automatically.

"Is this about your friend?" Glenn continued.

Smiling weakly, she gazed at him. "I know you mean well, Glenn. But...I don't want to talk about it."

"Sorry." Glenn lowered his eyes momentarily. "But hey, thanks for getting my back, back there."

Elena raised her brows.

"Y'know, the whole standing your ground, shotgun in my face thing."

She laughed a little at that. "I thought, at least aiming my gun was threatening enough to him. I had no intention on pulling the trigger."

"I know." Glenn gave a small grin. "If you had, we might have both been dead."

Elena frowned. "I'm not gonna lie...meeting with other survivors terrifies me."

"Yeah. But, at least it was someone you knew, right?"

"Do you think..." Elena paused, thinking over her words. "Do you think if Nathan wasn't willing to negotiate, would Rick have killed him?"

Glenn looked thoughtful, returning his eyes toward the fire. "I don't think so. You knew him and Rick's not like that."

Maybe she had some doubt, but Elena found herself agreeing. Rick was only looking out for the group, making sure everyone was safe, making sure they had what they needed for the winter. If there was any threat, Rick wouldn't hesitate to act, even if it was against someone Elena knew. She thought he had every right to be defensive against Nathan. He was unpredictable, Elena knew first hand today. Who knew what would have happened to her had she left with him? As much as his warmth and soft eyes were inviting, something about it just seemed false to her. It was probably because his anger definitely shouted louder than his friendliness but maybe the trust she had for him was only history based. Like it was more an obligation than anything.

Where ever he was now, Elena hoped he would be okay. Whatever he had gone through, she was sorry she couldn't do anything to fill that void. And maybe one day she might see him again, but that was an empty notion that Elena knew might never happen.

Elena stared back at the fire and tried not to dwell on it.

Everyone had gone to sleep back in the cars, the campfire burned out for the night.

Daryl was on watch duty, but the time was going a lot slower than his liking. He paced along the road, exhaling with impatience, the steam of his breath lifting above his head.

He stared at the ground, his mind elsewhere, completely dishevelled from the events of the day. Daryl had a painful headache, his thoughts from the morning adding on to the heavy weight of what happened hours ago.

All Daryl could properly focus on were Elena's words, and what she had said to him. It was the first time she let her temper take control like that, the first time the patience she had broke. And maybe that's what Daryl finally needed. That verbal slap in the face to make him realize that Elena was there standing right in front of him. And she wasn't going anywhere.

The thought of pretty boy asking her to go with her had caused a surge of jealousy through Daryl, but at first he didn't recognize it as jealousy. He thought of it as just rage, maybe fear. The guy was giving her an escape, a chance to be with someone she knows, someone she could handle. Everyone had left Daryl in the past, what was stopping her from leaving him too? And yet, as much as he expected her to take off and leave, she didn't want to. She wanted to stay. With him.

Daryl had pushed her again, shielding himself from getting hurt because he was so use to it by now. He was willing to give her up because of his insecurities. Because of those thoughts in his head that kept telling him that he didn't deserve her, that she could do better, that she deserved more. And yet, she wanted him. In return, all Elena wanted was for Daryl to show her that he actually gave a shit. That he cared. She wanted more from him. And in that moment, Daryl knew he couldn't let her go.

When he saw her returning to Nathan, he thought she went off to go tell him that she had made a decision and was leaving with him. Daryl had to intervene, had to do something. But his assumption that she was going to leave him had died abruptly. When he got closer, he realized they were arguing, and from what Daryl had heard, Elena was telling him that she wasn't going to go with him. Relief had settled into Daryl then, relief that he needed.

Until pretty boy put a hand on her.

The action welcomed Daryl's anger, made him immediately act. If Elena didn't know if he cared about her, there it was. Daryl didn't give a shit who pretty boy was at that moment, didn't care if they even had a history. Elena was staying with him.

Now, all Daryl wanted to do was be with her, have her. To hold something that he knew he needed. To hold something he would fight for.

However, his shift was taking much too long, and he kept expecting for T-Dog to come and finally take over but all Daryl's impatience did was make the waiting worse.

"Still awake?"

Elena brought her eyes toward T-Dog who was rubbing the sleep out of his face. She didn't realize how long she had been sitting there in the frontseat staring at the dashboard just thinking. T-Dog was getting up to take over Daryl's watch. Even though Elena told herself that she had to stop chasing after Daryl, she wanted to talk to him tonight, but she supposed she lost her chance.

"Get some sleep, would you?" T-Dog said and yawned before stepped out of the Dodge Ram and leaving her.

Elena frowned and slouched in her seat, watching him through the windshield as he went, leaving her view when he went around the Chevy Suburban. She missed her chance talking to Daryl. She knew he was going to go get a few hours of sleep before the sun rose. Elena supposed she'd have to wait until morning to speak with him, that is if they had the privacy that keeping watch at night usually gave them.

Sighing, Elena finally closed her eyes and rested her head against the passenger door, deciding to just get some sleep and postpone her worries for the morning.

That was until the door drew open.

Elena jumped in that instant, her eyes shooting toward the driver door that was slammed closed. When Elena narrowed her eyes, she recognized the man that entered and she let her heartbeat steady.

"God, Daryl, you scared the crap outta me."

Daryl didn't say anything, catching the breath he briefly lost just to reach the Dodge Ram as soon as he spotted T-Dog. T-Dog had given him an odd look when Daryl quickly brushed passed him, but he didn't care.

"What's wrong?" Elena suddenly asked, adjusting her position in her seat.

Daryl didn't hesitate, he grabbed her, his mouth covering hers. He felt Elena flinch lightly, his move startling her. After a moment, he felt Elena's hands against his chest, gently easing him back, taking her lips from his. Daryl gazed down at her with mild confusion as she stared up at him. He reached for her again but Elena stopped him.

"Wait," she whispered, her lips lightly brushing against his as she said the word.

Daryl forced himself to be patient, waited for her reasoning. But she was so close, and he wanted her.

Her eyes settled on him. "I need to ask you...what happened this morning?"

Daryl went stiff, not having anticipated the question. He watched her as she waited, her eyes big and expectant. If he pulled away from her now, it could cause something far worse than he could mend. And he had to prove her wrong. The fact that he hadn't changed was bullshit, Daryl had never felt this way about someone, cared about someone. Cared about what they thought about him. If he pulled away now, he could ruin everything, and his act earlier, defending her from pretty boy would have been rendered moot. Daryl still wasn't ready, but he couldn't avoid it. Would he ever be ready for this?

Holding on to the little emotional courage he had, Daryl lowered his eyes from hers, taking off the layers of clothes he had, his vest, his long sleeved denim shirt, leaving him with the one layer that stood between Elena and Daryl's painful past.

Daryl hesitated for a moment before bringing his fingers to the buttons of his shirt, unfastening one button and then the other. Slowly, he saw Elena bring her hands toward his, unbuttoning the shirt down for him, a lot more faster and steadier than he had. When she got to the last button, Daryl involuntarily swallowed.

Elena slid her hands up his abdomen to his chest, the touch making every muscle in Daryl's body constrict. Her hands moved on his shoulders, underneath his shirt, shoving it back to reveal more of him.

"Ain't pretty...," Daryl said in that instant with sudden nerves.

Elena ignored him, her gaze on his torso, her fingers gliding across his skin, touching the long thick scar that ran across the skin underneath his right collarbone. Daryl tensed up in that instant, watching her as her brow furrowed, her eyes shifting to the other marks that decorated his entire front. Each mark a memory from his father, each mark a punishment for having been in his life. Each mark reminding him how worthless his father said he was.

Elena's lips were parted, her eyes taking in each defect Daryl had to live with.

"Elena...," Daryl whispered, grabbing her arms in an attempt to stop her.

But when she finally lifted her eyes and met his, the pity he expected from her wasn't there. She was smiling. Daryl opened his mouth to say something but Elena had stopped any of the words from coming out. She grabbed the side of his face, holding him hard against her, her lips firm and strong.

Daryl expected her to be disgusted, expected every negative outcome, not her clenching on him so tightly like she never wanted to let him go. And Daryl gave in, taking her with guarded force. He pulled at her hair tie, letting her hair fall down to her shoulders and Daryl tangled his fingers into it.

When Elena pulled away from him, she grabbed at the hem of her shirt, pulling it off her quickly. Her lips took his again, as he felt her twist her arm behind her, hearing the unclasping of her bra. Elena shoved it away, never taking her lips from his and pressed her body against his. The skin on skin contact was enough Daryl could take, her breasts against him suddenly provoking. In that instant, Daryl dropped her on her back.

Daryl meant to dip his head, feel her skin against his lips, but he stopped himself, wanting to look her over. She laid on her back, her dark hair surrounding her head in voluptuous waves, her bare sun-kissed skin glowed under the moonlight that seeped through the windows. Her breathing was a little bit heavy as she stared up at him, her full lips waiting for the next touch.

Hell, she never looked so beautiful. And so completely his.

Elena pulled him down on her, threading her fingers in his hair as she kissed his lips, sliding her tongue in before he did and Daryl felt the rush of heat run through him. Impatiently, Daryl grabbed at her jeans, hastily unfastening them.

The awkward wiggling of getting out of their last piece of clothing drove Daryl in frustration, so desperate to get that release, that same one he had before. He thought it had satisfied him the first time but in reality all it did was make him want more. He tried to shed them out of their pants and underwear quick, kicking them to the floor of the cab, and settling himself on top of her again.

When Daryl finally entered her, he was reminded of how damn good it felt the first time. And when a short moan escaped Elena's lips, Daryl was consciously aware that he had the ability to make her feel just as good. Maybe more.

When Daryl moved in her, he watched for her reactions, making sure he was doing things right, making sure that this time he was pleasuring her the right way. Elena's eyes were pinched shut, her body stretching out from underneath him at every thrust. Daryl lowered on his elbow that rested at the opposite side of her bruised ribs, avoiding what he hadn't last time. He slid his hand to her thigh, wrapping it around his waist and held it there.

Elena began meeting her hips against his, forcing him to drive in deeper, coaxing him to go faster. When Elena opened her eyes, meeting his, Daryl felt this sudden sensation go through his body. Something he never felt before. That intimacy he never had with someone, that intimacy he never thought he needed to look for. And he hadn't, because somehow it had stumbled in his path. Just like Elena had.

Daryl thrusted his hips against hers again and Elena threw her head back further into the seat, moaning out his name. The sound brought fire to burn his entire body, and Daryl kept at it, wanting to hear it again, wanting to know that it was him making her feel this good. But he didn't get the chance when he felt her nails bite into the skin on his shoulder blades, her body tensing up under him. She bit hard on her bottom lip, concentrating on suppressing the climatic cry that was about ready to escape. But her lip slipped from her teeth and she inhaled deeply. Before she could utter a sound, Daryl devoured her mouth in his.

Elena moaned nonetheless, her voice muffled. When she tightened around him, all of it was enough to drive him over the edge with her. The incredible release completely enveloped him, making every muscle in his body clench and his spine go rigid, leaving him with a harsh breath that passed his lips just after he parted from her.

For a moment Daryl didn't move, allowing himself to recover as he bowed his head just beside her ear. They panted, each breath in sync. Daryl then felt Elena thread her fingers through his damp hair, her lips lazily brushing against his jaw, then neck and shoulder. An affectionate touch that Daryl found surprisingly comforting.

When Daryl finally found the strength to pull himself off of her, he immediately went for his clothes, covering himself back up, not that he really needed to hide himself anymore from her. Elena was also pulling on her pants, abandoning her bra and throwing on her long sleeved shirt. She rested herself back on the frontseat, turning on her side as she watched him when he threw on his leather biker vest.

Then, Elena's hand grabbed his wrist gently. He shot his eyes toward her. Her head was rested on her arm, her eyes already half closed.

"Stay, please," she whispered quietly. "Just for a little bit."

Daryl stared at her as she let go of him, her eyes briefly closing. This was the part after sex that Daryl dreaded, the part that he didn't know what to do. The cuddling, the after sex embrace. But just like a lot of things he had done with Elena, Daryl decided to at least try. He shifted between her back and the back rest, laying on his side near her. But for some reason it just didn't seem right, not with the small gap between them. Reluctant, Daryl brought his hand around her, sliding it over her stomach before he pulled her, molding her body to his, spooned against him. He heard Elena sigh lightly before she completely relaxed. Her fingers then slid over his knuckles, holding his palm to her, making Daryl think twice about moving it. He kept it where it was.

There was a moment of silence, one that was refreshing and they laid there, their body heat enough to keep them warm from the cold air outside.

"I was never going to leave with him," Elena said after a while before she turned her head and looked at him. "Y'know that right?"

Daryl narrowed his eyes in thought.

"Who was he?" he asked the words before he stopped himself, the curiosity getting the best of him. Did he really want to know who pretty boy was to her? He had his suspicions but hearing it from her might be even worse.

"An answer for an answer?"

Daryl figured he was beyond the point of turning back now. "Yeah."

"I met him when I was fifteen. We dated for three years until we decided to break it off when he had to move to a different state."

So, they did have a deeper history. Three years. That was a hell of a long time in Daryl's perspective. And now he understood further the way pretty boy looked at Elena. He still had feelings for her.

"It was a long time ago," she whispered.

Her words eased the sudden nervousness that was building up in him. Elena didn't have feelings for that guy anymore. No, right now she was here, lying down next to him. She was the one asking him to stay. Daryl let his body completely soften against her, trying to rid away the tenseness that always lingered when he was nervous with her. Daryl realized he really didn't need to be.

He waited then, listening for her share of a question she wanted to ask. Whatever it was, Daryl had no idea. His mind was foggy now, the satisfaction of their activity easing out the strain in his muscles and the worry in his head.

"How'd you get those scars?"

Daryl froze.

Elena knew in that instant she had struck a nerve and maybe the decision of asking a question so deep may have been the wrong one. After all, he had the courage to allow her to see them, it didn't necessarily mean he was really ready to share them. When Daryl pulled away from her, Elena wasn't surprised at all. And she wasn't upset. It had been her fault to bring up such a subject that Elena knew nothing about.

Adjusting herself, Elena sat up to look at him, expecting him to jump out the cab of the truck but he didn't. He sat there, his elbows rested against his legs, his stiff back crouched over. He was rubbing the back of his hand against his eyes roughly. And Elena immediately wanted to apologize for going too far.

"Daryl—"

"Was my dad."

Elena stopped, her hand reaching out to him freezing in mid-air. His words struck her hard, an awful understand beginning to form in her brain, along with a memory of what he had said to her before.

"Did you ever have someone wishing you were gone?"

"Every damn day. Had an asshole for a father, didn't give two shits 'bout me or my brother."

At that moment, Elena wished she didn't understand his meaning.

Daryl looked tense in the dark and somehow he looked vulnerable. Elena didn't know exactly what to say, the tension beginning to inhabit the air. A tension of terrible understanding, a tension that Daryl suffered with.

"He got what was comin' to 'im," Daryl said, his voice dark.

Elena couldn't see his face, hidden behind the shadow of his hand, his voice from what he said making her body run cold. Making her stomach ache.

"Daryl I..." Elena tried to reach her hand out to him again, briefly touching his shoulder.

He brushed it off, however gently. "Jus'...leave it be, alright?" he said quietly. He didn't sound angry, just faraway. "It's late. Get some rest. I'll see ya tomorrow."

Daryl turned decisively toward the driver door, opening it up and jumped out. For a split second Elena thought about letting him ago, but her mind had another idea. When Daryl moved to close the door behind him, Elena called out after him.

He lifted his eyes toward her then, leaving the door slightly ajar, his face empty of expression, but his eyes conflicted.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, gazing at him sadly.

Daryl gave a short nod, or just lowered his head. Elena wasn't exactly sure, and she never got her answer when he closed the door and left. Leaving her with regret that felt suffocating in the cab of the truck. Now she knew where the insecurity came from, now she knew why Daryl thought he was worthless. Now she knew why he was emotionally withdrawn.

Daryl had an abusive life and Elena had fed the fire by selfishly digging deeper into his past that he had every right not to share.