This chapter is very short. It shows what happened when Daryl woke up out in the words after being knocked out by his future self. He is extremely confused to say the least. This less of a real chapter and more of an interlude. People really wanted to see what happened to him.

Daryl's eyes opened slowly. He frowned as he saw the bright blue sky. Then he groaned as his head throbbed. He brought his hand up to his forehead. He recognised the sensation. It wasn't the first time he'd been knocked out. That made him pause. He'd been knocked out. He remembers now. Someone had grabbed him from behind and put him in a choke hold. He'd fought against them but clearly, they'd won. But they hadn't killed him. He looked around seeing that he was lying between a patch of bushes. He looked to the side and saw his crossbow sitting there, still loaded with a bolt. If it was a Whisperer, they could have easily used his own bow to take him out. He frowned as he spotted a bit of paper fluttering in the breeze, held down by the butt of his bow. He pulled it out and read it:

'Carol and the group are back in Alexandria. Sorry I knocked you out. There was a good reason.'

Daryl squinted at the message again. Something wasn't right about this. That handwriting was eerily familiar. He'd almost think it was his own but that couldn't be possible. He certainly hadn't wrote it. After another glance gave him no answers, he tucked it into his front pocket where the double acorns sat. He got to his feet, grabbing his bow and marched back to the last spot he'd seen the group. He wasn't going to take some mysterious note as guarantee that nothing had happened to them.

As he entered the clearing, he heard a familiar growl. He turned the sound and brought his bow up, letting a bolt fly. It hit the walker in the forehead, toppling it to the ground. He approached it and pulled the bolt free. He wiped off the gunk on the walker's clothes before loading it onto his bow again.

Daryl searched the area. He could spot their trail quickly. They'd turned back the way they had come. He followed the path they'd left behind but it seemed that the note had been right. The tracks were leading a straight shot back to Alexandria. There wasn't any signs of stopping or interruption to it either. Still, he kept his eyes peeled for any change in the trail.

When he reached the gates of Alexandria, he felt even more stumped. Who the hell had left him that note? There was no way anyone in the group would have done it. They would never have just left him out there. But who would leave a note and not kill him? Not Whisperers. They would have seized the opportunity to take him out. Especially since his fight with Alpha.

Shaking his head, he headed inside, not even looking to see who had opened the gates. He headed to the house he shared with Michonne, Carol and the kids. He needed to see Carol. She'd be able to tell him what happened hopefully. At least, she might help feel less crazy. He entered the house. He passed through the hall and paused in the door way to the dining room. Michonne was there with RJ in front of her at the table. There was a book open between them and Michonne's finger was pointing at something in it. Her grin that she'd been wearing stayed in place as she looked over to him.

"Hey," she said, softening her smile. RJ waved at him cheerfully.

Daryl smiled and waved back at the little boy.

"Hey," he replied.

"Everything alright?" Michonne asked, a trace of worry in her eyes. "Carol got home a few hours ago."

"Fine. Just had some stuff to do," he frowned as he said it, wondering why he was lying to her.

"Okay," she replied, though she looked a little sceptical.

Daryl gave her a last nod and another smile to RJ before moving out of the doorway. He headed towards the stairs. He was damned tired and part of him wanted to head down and drop onto his couch. But he needed some answers. So instead of heading down, he went up. He knocked on her door gently. There was no response at first but soon he heard footsteps. The door opened and Carol stood there looking him up and down.

"Hey," she said, awkwardly for some reason.

"Hey," he replied.

He had to fight not to smile at how she looked right now. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and she wore a cream long sleeved top. Her legs were clad in a pair of black sweat pants and her feet were covered by wool socks. It was hard to reconcile the badass she was when she looked so damn adorable like this.

"I thought... You said you didn't want to talk yet," There was trepidation in her eyes.

Daryl frowned. When had he said that?

"No I didn't."

Carol frowned this time.

"Yes, you did. Earlier when we got back after you untied me."

Daryl's eyes bugged.

"What? Why the hell would I need to untie you?"

Carol gave him a look like he was crazy.

"Because you tied me up..." she trailed off with a raised brow.

Daryl's eyes remained wide as her words absorbed.

"What? Why would I do that? I'd never do that!" he protested adamantly. Tie her up? What the fuck?

Carol was looked really worriedly now.

"Daryl? I don't know what's happening here."

"Neither do I! All I know is I got knocked out in the woods and when I wake up, there's this note beside me," he said frantically, reaching in his pocket and producing said note.

Carol takes it gingerly from his hand. She opens it from the crumpled ball it had been in. She reads it before glancing at him. She looks back to the note again.

"It looks like your handwriting," she says after a beat, meeting his eyes again.

Daryl's stomach sunk. That's what he'd thought.

"But it can't be!" he insisted. He grabbed the slip of paper back from her. "I didn't write this!"

Carol watched him quietly for a while.

"You said you got knocked out?"

"Yeah. Someone grabbed me from behind and put me in a chokehold 'til I passed out."

Carol thought about that.

"Daryl, you came back with us. With the group. There's no way that could have happened," she said, her eyes sympathetic.

"Then why don't I remember it that way?" He was getting hysterical now.

Carol pursed her lips.

"After I left you at the gates, you went off somewhere. You were gone for hours. Maybe something happened. Maybe..." she paused. "Maybe you hit your head."

Daryl huffed.

"I didn't hit my damn head. I know what happened!"

"Alright. I'm just saying, all of this isn't adding up," she amends in a placating voice.

"I know it don't add up. How the hell can there be a note that I know I didn't write?"

Carol had no answer for him. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes.

"Look, you're tired. Get some rest and have a think about what happened. Maybe there's something you missed that could tell you more," she suggested in a kind voice.

Daryl sighed and lowered his hands.

"Alright," he agreed. He stared into her eyes. "You believe me, right?"

"If you say it happened, then I believe you," Carol said, the honesty shining in her eyes.

He relaxed at her assurance.

"Thanks."

She nodded, smiling at him.

"Of course."

Daryl listened to her door close once more as he headed downstairs. He entered his room as was greeted by Dog.

"Hey buddy," he said, scratching Dog's neck. "You're lucky you stayed here. Today was fucked."

Dog followed as he collapsed on the couch and jumped up to curl on his lap. He kept scratching the mutt's fur absently as his mind tried to work out what happened today.

Hope you enjoyed this even though it was short x