Daryl woke up, his internal alarm waking him from his slumber just as the sun began to rise. The familiar weight of his chest made him smile as he knew it was his wife's head resting on him. He brought a hand to her hair and ran his fingers through it, making Kayla let out a sleepy sigh.

"Morning." He whispered softly as she woke up.

"Is it?"

Unable to fight it, Daryl let out a small chuckle. "Want breakfast?" he asked.

"If you're cooking."

"Why else would I ask?"

Daryl went to stand up, but Kayla didn't budge from her spot. She draped an arm across him and moved closer to him. "Can I just have a few more minutes of this?" she asked in an almost pleading tone. Daryl instantly felt pang of guilt knowing why she didn't want to get up. Tomorrow he and Aaron were leaving on their first recruiting trip that although Kayla understood his need to go, she wasn't happy about it. What wife would be happy with her husband putting himself in that sort of danger? But Daryl's mind was clear and made up, he was going and all Kayla could do was tell him to be safe.

The couple spent a few more minutes under the covers, Kayla just remembering every second. Every breath he took, each time his heart beat, how his fingers felt in her hair, and the way his cheek rested on top of her head. She wanted to remember ever single second of him in the best detail she could because just knowing how tomorrow night she'd be going to bed alone, without her husband in the safety of their home falling asleep with her in his arms after reading part of a book to Jonathan to help him get to sleep.

Eventually Daryl got out of bed to make breakfast, but Kayla got out with him. She wasn't going to waste time away from him when tomorrow morning he'd be leaving. Daryl glanced over at Kayla as he pulled on a shirt, noticing how her shorts left most of her long legs exposed. She walked around their bed to the door and Daryl followed her, scooping her off the ground. Her laughter was music to his ears as he carried her down the hall, her arms wrapping around him as he carried her down the hall towards the kitchen.

Daryl set her down on a kitchen chair as he started breakfast, starting coffee first as he knew it was one of Kayla's favorite things since finding a new place to call home. Coffee was one of her favorite things before the end of the world and now she got to have it every day again. It warmed Kayla's heart how every day, before anything else, Daryl made her coffee. It was moments like that it didn't feel like they were living in the apocalypse but instead, living a normal life as husband and wife. While they were in their home there were no walkers, no evil people, no fighting to just live, within their four walls it was home.

Jonathan eventually emerged from his room at the smell of cooking eggs and bacon. He sat down with Kayla as Daryl set out breakfast for the three of them. Kayla wasn't needed at the infirmary today so she was going to take Jonathan out shooting in the afternoon. Daryl had plans with Aaron to get the last of the items together they needed for their trip before making the final adjustments to his bike. After that, he had hoped to spend whatever time left in the day with his wife and Jonathan. It would be hard being apart from them and the rest of the group, but knew it was for a good cause.

After breakfast, Johnathan took off to Jesse's house to spend the morning with Sam since he didn't have school. Kayla drank her coffee at the kitchen table as Daryl did the dishes, smiling at the sight of him in pajama pants scrubbing a pan. Her smile faded though as she realized it was a sight that would disappear while he was gone. She finished her coffee silently, just watching her husband do the dishes from where she sat.

Once the kitchen was clean, the couple went to dress and prepare for their days. Daryl had planned to go over to Aaron's first thing, but as he pulled on one of his shirts he glanced at his wife. He could tell how much she wanted to tell him to stay, to not go tomorrow, but she bit her tongue because at the same time she knew it was what he needed to do. She knew it was his way to help their new community the best, most efficient way he knew how.

Without thinking, he walked over to her as she pulled her clothes from their dresser. She had barely said two words since Jonathan left, most likely because she didn't know what to say. He went to her side, taking the shirt from her hand and putting it back in the drawer before pushing it closed. Before Kayla could get out a syllable, Daryl put his hands on the side of her face and closed the distance between them. It took Kayla by a bit of surprise, but she welcomed his kiss. She knew he had a hard time saying what he felt in words, so he did it through his actions. Whether it was making her coffee or stealing a kiss, he always found a way to tell her how much she meant to him without saying it.

OOOOO

Later that morning once securing Jonathan a place at Jesse's for the day under her eye, the couple drove away from Alexandria on Daryl's bike. They agreed to take one day to be selfish. One day to have to themselves. One day that for them could be perfect before Daryl took off with Aaron tomorrow. Daryl had already grown quite familiar with the woods surrounding their new home and Aaron had given him a map of small town not far from the development. They weren't going to risk entering the main city of D.C, the place was swarmed with walkers, so they opted for one of the towns a handful of miles from Alexandria.

Daryl couldn't help but smile at the familiar feeling of Kayla's arms around him as they sped down the roads. She rested her head on his back as shew watched the trees blur by, a smile on her face. She thought of nothing but the moments as they came as she didn't want to think of anything else.

It only took forty-five minutes to the nearest town that was as abandoned as it came apart from scarce walker presences. As Daryl and Kayla climbed off the bike, Kayla had a wide smile on her face. "What?" Daryl asked as she handed him his crossbow.

"I forgot." She answered.

"Forgot what?"

"How much I like riding on a bike with you."

Daryl just smiled as he extended his hand to her. She took it in hers as he led her to their first destination of what used to be a clothing store. Some racks of clothes were picked clean, but others remained with a plentiful number of clothes. The racks extended down the store's length. On the sides of the store there were shelves with shoes and belts hanging on hooks.

The couple went down separate aisles, each scanning the racks for anything caught their eyes. As Daryl came across some jackets, he dug through the pockets. While on the road, Kayla told him how before the apocalypse she'd root through pockets in stores like this and occasionally find cash or loose change. Then after the world ended, she searched them in hopes of finding forgotten pieces of candy. Butterscotches were her favorite and today was her lucky day. The pockets Daryl went through contained a few butterscotch candies. He put them in his pocket for now for later as his eyes landed on something else. With a smile, he took the piece of clothing off the rack and walked over towards Kayla whose back was towards his as she searched her clothing rack.

"Close your eyes." Daryl told her.

"Why?" she asked.

"Just do it."

Kayla chuckled as she abided. Daryl carefully took her arms as she slipped the article of clothing on her, smiling when it was a perfect fit. "There ya go." He told her as she opened her eyes. She chuckled as she saw the item of clothing he put on her. It was a simple black leather vest like his, only it didn't have the angel wings his did and hers had a zipper instead of buttons.

Turning around Kayla flashed her husband a smile. "How's it look?" she asked.

"Perfect." He told her with a smile.

Kayla turned around and grabbed a pair of sunglasses off the rack she was looking through. "I think these would suit your face well." She told him as she opened the glasses. Daryl let her slip the sunglasses off his face and adjusted them once they were on.

"Can't go wrong with Ray Bans." Kayla told him.

Daryl wrapped an arm around her shoulder and smiled.

"Wanna go see if there's anything worth grabbing at the grocery store down the street?"

"Sounds good."

Once they cleared the grocery store, Daryl and Kayla walked down the aisle of the grocery store with Daryl pushing a cart. They managed to grab a few cans of food, some medical supplies, and a couple of toiletry items, but they only had two backpacks and didn't bring a car so they couldn't carry back all that much. As they walked down the pasta aisle, Daryl heard Kayla chuckle.

"What?" he asked.

"We're almost like a normal married couple." She commented. "Walking through the grocery store together while the husband pushed the cart."

Daryl just rolled her eyes as they reached the front of the store. The items they found they squeezed into their backpacks and decided to head back home. As Daryl looked up from zipping his bag, he saw figures approaching the store that weren't walkers. His eyes widened as he saw one raise a gun.

"Get down!" Daryl yelled as he pulled his wife to the floor. A shot rang out, shattering the window a few feet from them. "Over there, move!" Daryl yelled as he pointed to the nearest aisle. The couple crawled across the floor as fast as they could towards the cover. Once behind the almost empty shelves, they got to their feet and ran towards away from the front of store as the people entered the store.

"Come out, come out wherever you are." A man's vice echoed through the store. Daryl and Kayla stopped at the other end of the store behind the shelves and looked around. The store wasn't that big and only had one way out the back. But Daryl could only make out one set of footsteps in the store, making Daryl think the other person went around the back.

"How many did you see?" Kayla asked.

"Two. I think the other one went around back."

"Alright, you go get the jump on this one, I'll swing around back and see if I can take out his friend."

Daryl was about to object and volunteer staying together, but also knew how capable his wife was. She was one the best shots in the group and was no beginner when it came to using her hands.

"How many rounds do you have?" Daryl asked.

"I gotta full clip."

"Alright be careful and quiet. Something happens, yell and I'll come running."

"Be careful."

"Always am."

Kayla quickly and quietly headed towards the back exit and Daryl brought his crossbow front, an arrow loaded in and ready to fire. The aisles on either side of him were clear and he listened for footsteps, hearing them to the far left towards the produce section. Carefully, Daryl made his way down the aisle beside him and intended to go around to get the jump on the man from behind.

Daryl rounded the corner and saw the man disappear beyond the shelves once more as he continued his search. Daryl quickened his pace to catch up, stopping at the end of the shelf of spoiled fruit to look around the corner. Just as Daryl raised his crossbow to take his shot, a click by his head stopped his actions.

"Put it down." A deep voice commanded.

Lowering his bow, Daryl abided and turned around to meet the cold eyes of a middle-aged man. Scars scattered his face and his clothes were pretty worn, holes and tears all throughout them.

"Now drop it."

Daryl dropped his bow and stared the man down as he kept the pistol on him. "Over here, Victor!" he called out to the other man.

The other man appeared a few moments later, a grin on his face. "You got one of em' Hunter." He said with a venom filled tone. "Now where's that pretty thing you were with?"

"She's gone." Daryl lied.

"Well I'm sure my guy Jared will track her down and bring her back. Couldn't have gone far."

Daryl felt his heart fall when he realized that there were three men instead of two. He must have missed one. Everything in his body hoped Kayla was holding her own just fine now that he had no way to get to her.

"Of course, I don't know what Jared will do once he gets hold of her." Victor went on, making Daryl's blood boil at the thought of someone laying their hands on his wife. "Tell me where she is and you may be able to prevent your girl from some major trauma."

Before anything else could happen, a shot rang though the air and Hunter dropped to floor clutching his neck. Victor grabbed a hold of Daryl and put the barrel of the gun to his temple as he looked around for the shooter. Hunter let out gargling noises as he bled out from his neck where the bullet went through.

"Where are you?" Victor called out. "Come out or I will kill him!"

Daryl scanned the area for any sign of his wife, but he couldn't even find her. Victor began pulling Daryl towards the front of the store, the gun still pressed against his head just as another shot rang out. Daryl felt the grip on his loosen and Victor fell to the ground behind him. Turning around, he saw Victor went down with a shot through the side of his head. Then he saw his wife appear as she stood up from behind the vegetable display. She rushed over to him with a smile on her face and Daryl smiled at the sight of her alive.

As she got closer, he saw she was bleeding from above her eyebrow but he didn't even get a word out before she had her arms wrapped around him. Daryl returned the gesture, holding her tight and close to him. He kissed her head before they pulled apart, looking at the cut on her head. "You should see the other guy." She told him with a smile.

Daryl offered a smile of his own and then looked at the bodies around them. "I say we get their guns and then the hell out of here." He told her.

"I second that."

OOOOO

Later that night, Kayla and Daryl laid together in their bed after dinner and tucking Jonathan in for the night. Kayla felt completely content as she laid curled up against her husband's bare chest and his fingers traced lines on the smooth skin of her back.

"I love you." He whispered into her hair.

Picking up her head, Kayla smiled at him. "I love you more."

"Can't."

Before she could respond, Daryl's lips silenced her as he rolled on top of her. He rested his forearms on either side of her head as he kissed her and her hands ran up his back. In a few hours, he was going to leave for he and Aaron's trip and wanted to enjoy every possible second he could with his wife. Despite needing the rest for his trip, sleep was the last thing he wanted to do tonight.

OOOOO

The next morning, Kayla walked Daryl with Jonathan hitching a ride o Daryl's back to the gate where Aaron and Eric were saying their goodbyes. When they got to his bike, Daryl set Jonathan down and told him to hold the fort down while he was gone.

"I'll be back soon." He told Jonathan.

After that, the young boy wrapped his arms around Daryl's waist. He was surprised at first, but Daryl hugged the young by back as a small smile formed on his face. The young boy meant the world to him and would miss him while he was gone, but knew he was becoming more and more capable with each passing day.

Jonathan walked off after saying goodbye to Daryl, his departure making him upset and he didn't want Daryl to see him upset. That left Kayla and Daryl standing together by the bike. "Be careful." She told him.

"Always am."

Daryl wrapped his arms around his wife and closed his eyes as he took in everything about her. The way her hair smelled like citrus, how tight she held him, the sound of her breathing. He loved this woman with every fiber in his body and would fight like hell to come back to her.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a couple of women walking by them a few feet away. As they walked by they said a thing or two to each other as they look at Daryl and Kayla. He knew were the type of women to stir up gossip and had heard through the grapevine they weren't Daryl's biggest fans. He wasn't surprised by this. They were raised in a middle class suburban neighborhood who despite the world they now lived in were never fans of people like Daryl.

As he pulled away from Kayla, he put his hands on her face and pulled her lips to his. He kissed her with everything he had in him, wanting to always remember what it felt like to kiss his wife, the woman he loved, the woman who meant the world to him. He'd fight like hell to back to her and their life together as it was the best thing to ever happen to him.

When they pulled apart, Kayla pulled the pair of Ray Bans she found yesterday out of her pocket. "Left these on the dresser." She told him. Daryl smiled and put them on, actually liking the shades more than he thought he would. He got on his bike then, Kayla kissing him once more before walking back to Aaron's car. She leaned down to look at Aaron who had the window rolled down.

"Watch out for him." She told Aaron. "If anything happens to him..."

Kayla didn't finish her sentence because she knew he understood. If she lost Daryl, it was like she'd lose a piece of herself.