New chapter is up!

I hope you'll love it, it wasn't easy to write all of these emtions, trying to keep it as realistic as possible.

Many thanks to all the kind reviews (and the amount of follows and favs!)

Enjoy :)

Chapter 38

He found her. Sophia. She was still alive. I wanted to wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him. But the way he was standing before me, his body turned sideways, his eyes not looking at me, stopped me from doing so.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, "And… Carol?" I asked him.

He nodded before looking into the direction of Rick and the others, "Both are alive."

Both were alive…I repeated in my mind. The relief that washed over me was so intense I felt like crying. What was I supposed to do now? Go back with Rick and hold Sophia within my arms or follow Daryl? Daryl who managed to become an important part of my life, a part of my heart, how could I choose between them?

I didn't know what to do. I wondered why Daryl or anyone forgot to mention this earlier. Of course we were busy making an escape, but during the long walk through the forest, there was enough time to even mention it once.

"Why are you bringing this up now? Are you using Sophia as leverage to get me to go back to the prison?"

Daryl shook his head at my accusation, "Of course I ain't."

"Great, because it won't work," Which wasn't true. The moment he told me he'd found her, I could think of nothing else except for hugging her close. Sophia is the one who saved me. I may have saved her life from Walkers, but she saved me from a far worse fate. She taught me I could open up again to the people around me. And then there was Daryl…

"I'm coming with you."

"No." He said again.

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists, "Fine. It's because of Merle. Merle is all that matters to you."

Daryl didn't reply. He didn't have to because I knew his brother meant the world to him. More than I did…

"No Merle, no you. I don't matter. Sophia doesn't matter,-" Anger and pain seeped through my voice. My eyes shot towards the older Dixon brother, "If you don't want me, perhaps your brother is able to change your mind."

I shot past Daryl before he had a chance to respond. I doubted Merle gave a crap about whether or not I'd come with them, but all I really wanted was a response from Daryl.

I got one. Before I reached the edge of the asphalt a hand wrapped around my wrist and pulled me back. I collided against Daryl with my back. He turned me around to face him.

"You ain't coming." He said through clenched teeth, "Damn it, Mads."

Then I saw it, the concern within his blue eyes.

"Little brother, you coming? Bring Toots with ya, we could use some entertainment." Merle shouted from behind us, "Because quite frankly, you can be pretty boring."

For a quick moment Daryl averted his gaze to glare at his brother.

"Daryl…" I said and he locked his eyes with mine.

"Don't leave me like this. I know he's you're brother…But,-"

"You're hurt," He said without letting me finish, "I can't keep you safe."

He glanced over his shoulder in the direction of Rick, "Rick can keep you safe."

The moment that sentence crossed his lips I knew I had lost the game. He was going to leave, no matter what I or anyone else would say to him. Merle was the winner in this. I shook my head vigorously. I refused to lose, especially to Merle Dixon.

"No one can keep anyone safe. Look at them." I moved my arm and waved it in the direction of the others.

"Rick is a broken man. Glenn and Maggie are broken too…and you…" I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"You're breaking my heart." My voice cracked.

Daryl turned his head away and motioned for Rick to come over.

"No, Daryl." I pleaded as Rick approached us. But he ignored me and I felt Rick grabbing hold of my arm.

"Take care of her…and the others too." He said softly.

"I will." Rick replied and his grip on me tightened.

Daryl rested his eyes on me for a mere second before he walked back and headed into the woods, where his brother warmly greeted him.

"Daryl! DARYL!" I cried after him. But it was useless. I watched him walk away, walking away from everything we had.

"Come back." I pleaded through sobs.

"Madison…" Rick whispered.

I couldn't hear the rest of his words, as his voice got drowned out by my cries and tears. I struggled against his hold but it was futile, I wasn't strong enough. I was broken.

::::::…::::::

I sat in the back of the car, squished between Glenn and Michonne. I stopped crying a few minutes ago. There were no tears left to cry. Besides I had to look alright for when I would see Sophia again. I needed to be strong. I felt numb. Cold and empty…

I could feel Rick's eyes on me, looking at me through the reflection of the rear-view mirror. I leaned back and turned my head away. Rick abruptly stepped on the breaks and the car tyres screeched.

I grabbed hold of the seats in front of me to stabilize myself.

"What's going on?" Glenn asked.

"Road is blocked." Maggie answered her boyfriend, "Red truck."

Rick opened the door on his side and got out. Maggie followed his example, as did Glenn. Without asking me anything, the three of them shut the doors. Now it was me and Michonne left in the back.
The woman didn't look at me as her gaze was focused on the eyes of the road. Mine weren't. Mine were aimed at her. She appeared tired, like we all were. She also seemed to be hurt pretty badly.
Michonne raised her shoulders and leaned further into the side of the car. She was obviously in no mood for talking. I didn't care. She was coming with us to the prison, so obviously I had to know who I was dealing with.

"Madison." I introduced myself to her.

Not surprisingly Michonne stayed quiet. I shifted in my seat and stared directly at her reflection in the window.

"Nice to meet you too…Michonne." The woman immediately swung her head around, her eyes wide with surprise and shock the moment I addressed her by her name.

Her eyes searched my face for probably a sign of recognition. She narrowed her eyes and shook her head for a short moment.

"Andrea told me." I said. Michonne's features softened at the mention of Andrea. I nodded at the wounds and scratches on her face. I remembered how she was more than willing to stick her sword through Merle the moment we arrived from Woodbury, I wondered if he was the one who had attacked her face and body like that.

"Merle's work?" I asked.

Michonne blinked and but did not avert her eyes, her mouth moved, "Governor."
"Took his eye out," She added.

Back in the arena I noticed Philip wore an eye patch over his right eye. That was Michonne's doing?
She wasn't there when we escaped Woodbury. She was with Glenn…waiting by the car.

"You were in Woodbury before?"

Michonne nodded, "Last night."

"With Rick?"

Again she nodded. This only confirmed my suspicion that Rick had been in Woodbury before. Was that when he got Glenn and Maggie out?

I ran my hand through my hair. They came back obviously, without Glenn and without Michonne. But for whom had they gone back? Me? …Daryl…? I spotted them leaving, with Daryl and Merle, but without me.
Even if they had a valid reason, it did not cross my mind. All I could think of was how Rick had come back for Daryl, Daryl and not me. I turned my back to Michonne and opened the car door. The moment I stepped out of the car, Rick, Glenn and Maggie were already on their way back from pushing the car out of the way.

Rick halted at the same time I stepped in front of him.

"Give me one good reason why I should come back with you." I asked him. Rick looked at Glenn over my shoulder and motioned for him to get inside the car.

"We don't have time for this, Madison." Rick said with a deep sigh.

He was right. I knew he was, but my heart didn't care. I needed to feel like there was at least one person in this world that needed me, that thought I was worth saving.

"You belong with us." Rick answered.

"I was still there…Rick." I locked my eyes with his, "I was still there when you saved Daryl from the arena. I was still there when you ran away and was about to sneak out through the fence."

I watched Rick press his lips in a tight line, obviously thinking of something to say, something to prove me wrong.

"If I belong with you, if I am part of this group…Why did I make it out on my own?"

"Madison,-"

"You obviously were in Woodbury before." I continued, interrupting him, "You got Glenn and Maggie out. Then you came back and something tells me that I was not the main priority."

Without warning Rick's hands shot forward and grabbed hold of my upper arms, squeezing tightly.

"Damn it Mads, you are important. You were a priority, but we had no idea where you were or if you were alive. I made a choice…Do you think it was easy for me?"

The moment he revealed to me what his actually feelings and thoughts were I knew I had crossed the line once again. I felt incredibly stupid for thinking Rick didn't care for me. That, compared to everyone else, I was the one he cared for the least.

"Do you realize how happy I was to see you? To hear you call out my name?" Rick continued, "I knew it was you the moment I heard you."

Rick moved his arms and pulled me against him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make him stay…" He whispered.

I forgot that besides me, there were others who obviously cared a great deal about Daryl. It was foolish of me to think I was the only one affected by Daryl leaving.

"I'm sorry too," I said softly, "I know he was important to you as well."

Rick released me and stepped back.

"Let's get back, there is someone waiting for you there."

::::::…::::::

I never would have imagined that the sight of the prison could warm my heart the way it did. The moment we hit the gravel path and drove down it, I sat up straight in the backseat and dug my nails into the passenger seat. Walkers were already making their way towards the car as we neared the fence. I spotted them immediately, Carl, Carol and Sophia.

"How do I look?" I asked Maggie in the seat in front of me.

"Any tear stains on my face?"

Maggie shook her head, "You look fine." She replied, though her eyes dropped for a second to my neck. An obvious bruise left by Nate still rested there.
Daryl moved to the back of my mind and all I focused upon was her. Sophia. We went through the fence and Rick stopped the car.

"Open the door, open the door." I rapidly ordered Glenn on my left.

"Easy, easy," The Korean replied and he placed his hand on the handle. Finally the door opened and Glenn stepped out of the vehicle, I followed him closely.

I nearly stumbled out of the car but luckily I had Glenn to give me a helping hand. I was out and looked down into the blue eyes of a certain someone.
I opened my arms and Sophia jumped against me. With my eyes closed I lowered myself and pressed kisses all over her blonde head, before pulling her as close as possible.

"I've missed you."

"Me too," Sophia replied. She moved her head back and looked up at me, "Mom saved me."

Carol…up until now I'd ignored her being here too. I stepped back from Sophia and nodded at her mother.

"Glad to see you're alive too."

I hoped it sounded sincere, because I meant it. Carol and I, we weren't friends, but I didn't wish her ill or dead.

Carol gave me a small smile, "You too." She said. It sounded honest enough for me.

The car drove through the second fence and went up to the prison, Glenn, Maggie and Michonne inside. Carol knew something was wrong. She wasn't dumb. She knew we were missing some people, Oscar and Daryl.

"Where is Daryl?" She asked her eyes frantically staring at Rick.

Rick looked down at me as Carol again asked where Daryl was.

"Go ahead. You tell them…" I nodded. I felt no need to be reminded of Daryl walking out on all of us, all because he owed it to his brother. His brother, who was all he had when the world went to shit.

"He's alive. We ran into Merle…They left together." Rick said in a low voice to Carol.

"They left?" Sophia asked me, the moment Rick said out loud what had happened.

"Maddy?"

I pressed my lips together and nodded, confirming what Rick had said was the truth, "He wanted to be with his brother…"

"Daryl left? He's gone?" Carol exclaimed with great disbelief, "Well, is he coming back?"
Rick shook his head and placed his hand on her shoulder for comfort.

"You couldn't persuade him into staying?" She looked at me, not understanding how it was possible for Daryl to leave.
"How could he be gone?" She continued, "I thought you and him were,-"

"Carol,-" Rick shook his head.

I turned my back on Carol. I didn't want to hear anything about it anymore. Sophia placed her hand in mine and shook it gently.

"Let's go see Judith, Maddy" She smiled softly.

Judith? I hadn't heard that name before, "Who is Judith?" I asked her.

"You know, the baby."

Lori's baby had been named during my absence? I wondered what else had changed. I smiled at Sophia. Bless her for trying to keep my spirit up.

R&R