Back to the roots. This chapter is all about the Walking dead crew ;o)
Thanks to my favs and followers again, you guys keep me going!

Daryl was down on one knee. "They were going almost next to each other." Daryl looked up at Glenn, but he seemed distracted. When Glenn realized Daryl's glare, he innocently looked at him. "What?"

"That means Shane was pushing him this way. They were together." Glenn nodded, but didn't say a thing. "So he is lyin'" Daryl spat at Glenn. He was frustrated that Glenn seemed to be not really clear-headed.

"Why would you say she is a liar?" Glenn blinked at him. "I saw blood on her jacket!"

"She? I'm talkin' about Shane." Daryl gave up talking to Glenn and went on following the track, not caring if Glenn followed him.

"I meant Andrea and what she had said." Glenn tried to keep pace with Daryl, but he wasn't paying him any attention. "So you think she was lying?" Daryl turned around and grabbed a fistful of Glenn's shirt. "I don't care about Blondie. I want to find this Randall kid."

Glenn tried to break free. "I thought you would be the one going after Ella." Hearing that name, her name, Daryl immediately let go off him. "What?" He was surprised to hear her name. No one ever talked about her except Dale and now Glen said her name. Glenn stammered. "I … I couldn't really hear what she said … I … I think I heard her say Ella's name … Dunno …" He awfully scratched is neck. "Andrea said she saw her in the woods … wounded." Daryl stepped closer. "I thought I heard wrong … I cannot believe … you know … I mean … But what if she really said Ella's name!?" Daryl was only inches away from Glenn, starring him down.

"What? Where?" His fury eyes were wide as hell, but his words were like the calm before a storm.

"I don't know. I heard her talking to Lori … Said she met her in the woods all bloody." He said again. Now he felt bad that he had mentioned it at all, not really knowing if he was telling the truth. "I was outside, didn't even hear them talk clearly. Maybe she said something else. But there was blood on her jacket." Glenn's eyes mirrored compassion.

Daryl leaned against a tree. Could it be true, did Andrea really meet Ella? Why was everybody talking about her lately? Why talk about a ghost?

Days ago

Daryl was sitting on the front porch, polishing his knife, when Dale appeared and sat down across of him. "You know … I think about her too … a lot." Daryl stopped polishing. He didn't lift his head but starred at Dale out of the corner of his eye. There was no question asked, so he didn't answer. "She is such a cheerful little girl. Can't believe she is already in her late 20ties. Ella always looked like a kid to me." Dale's gaze wandered from Daryl to the farm yard.

"Ya think she is still alive?" Daryl's raspy voice showed no emotion. He noticed Dale was talking of Ella in present tense and realizing he was the only one talking of her. Glenn had talked about her too, but now that he spent more time with Maggie the ghost of Ella faded.

"I just cannot … no, I don't want to believe she is dead. Some people just don't deserve to die." Dale seemed to be lost in thoughts. "She was an asset to the group, always cheered us up with her happy nature. I think she didn't even know she did … Always polite and helping with a sunny mile." Daryl gnawed on his thumb nail and starred wordlessly at the old man. "I think she was the happiest being around you." Their eyes met. Daryl stopped nibbling but still starred at Dale with small eyes. "What makes ya think that old man?" His words were slow and sharp.

Dale smiled about Daryl's offending accent. "That's right I am old. But I saw a lot. I had a niece and you can tell from a girls face when she is happy. Ella always had a rapt smile on her face when she was with you." He smiled over to Daryl who answered the gesture with his lips curling downwards.

"She smiled at everyone." Daryl couldn't believe that this gaffer told him too that Ella had cared for him. But … Ella had said the same thing when he had fallen down the hillside days ago. Her illusion in his head … she had told him she cared more than he knew. He sat back in his chair, pushing away the arousing thoughts. Knowing it was all imagined.

"Of course she did." He stood up, but didn't leave. "I would have kept looking for her back than if I had known she had sneaked out. But I didn't know. After Andrea told us about Ella's pull out, I wanted to pack all my stuff and go back. But I didn't do it. Now that I see we are all transforming into murderers, I want to badly know where she is. But I just don't know." He paused a moment and sighed. "In this world full of walking dead bodies, murderers and … I hope she found her cousin in Atlanta … hope she found shelter. I couldn't stand it if I knew she is hurt or dead. In my heart she is well off, smiling at me in my dreams." He waited, waited if Daryl would say something, but he didn't. Dale smiled at him before he left. "Believe me, she cared and was happy around you." Daryl watched him wandering over to the trees where the RV was parked.

"She is alive … somewhere." Daryl always avoided the thought about where Ella would be now. He always thought about her past-self, replayed moments they had shared in his mind. She was like a ghost to him, always in his head, in his thoughts, somewhere deep hidden in his heart. But he couldn't think where she was now, what she was or would be doing right now. He was somewhat afraid of this thought.

A rustling sound made Daryl wake up from his daydream. Glenn was close behind him, his weapon raised. Daryl hid behind a tree and suddenly he had a too familiar smell in his nose. He looked closer at the tree. "Blood." Glenn looked at the tree too. "Maybe this is the tree Randall pushed Shane's head into."

Daryl looked at him in disbelief. "You still think Shane is telling the truth?"

Glenn shook his head. "Never really trusted him." He looked to the right and his eyes went wide. Daryl immediately turned around and saw Walker Randall coming straight at them. He took his crossbow and shot at the approaching zombie. When he went to Randall, he checked the corpse. "He died of a broken neck!?" With a questioning look he examined dead Randall again. Glenn kneeled down beside him. "Maybe he was bidden after …" But Daryl interrupted him. "Shane killed him. He was lying and now he is with Rick." They both stood up. "We have to go back."

Daryl was eager to go back to tell Rick what they had discovered and he wanted to talk to Andrea. Did she really see Ella? Could it be true? All the time he hallucinated or thought about her … would he really see her alive eventually? And if so, why did he care … what would he say to her?

Back at the farm it was all a mess. Walkers were everywhere. The others said Rick and Shane weren't back yet and Carl was missing too. Because of all the walkers … the chaos … there was no point in going after them. Daryl was just looking for Andrea. Where was this blonde woman? He didn't even listen to the plan or how they all could escape. Suddenly the barn was on fire and the group scattered, fighting for their life. Daryl watched a car driving away, so he ran to his motorcycle. He rode his bike and killed walkers while he looked for Andrea. Through the smoke he saw a person stumbling … Was it a walker or a human being? When he approached it turned out to be Carol. He took her hand and drove away with her. He had to get her to a safe place. The highway popped into his head, the place where they had put food for Sophia. The highway … This would be a place they would all go to. A good place to congregate. He hoped Andrea would be there too.

They were all there, even Rick. Daryl stopped the bike. After Carol descended, he pushed out the kickstand and balanced the bike. He walked over to the group, looking around, and not caring that he interrupted a conversation. He searched for a blonde head, but didn't see her. "Where is Andrea?" The group babbled on and on, but no one saw her around and going back to look for her was not an option. Glenn looked knowingly at Daryl who screamed for her again. "Where is she?" Glenn walked over to him. "Calm down man."

"Don't ya dare tell me to calm down." Daryl's eyes were a thin line.

Glenn turned to Lori. "Andrea was talking to you, right? Before we left to search for Randall she told you something." Lori held her belly where her unborn child was growing. "Ella." Her face expressed bewilderment. You could tell from the faces of the others, that they were bewildered as well. Daryl stepped closer to her. "What about her?"

"Andrea … She said she met Ella." Lori's eyes flickered, she seemed to mull over. Everybody's attention was now at Lori. "At first I didn't believe her, told her she is imagining things. But she talked on and on, said Ella's shoulder was wounded, all bloody … Someone was after her." She mumbled. "She was afraid." Her words were merely a whisper. Daryl wanted to grab her, to shake her … wanted her to talk loud and clear, tell him where Ella was. But when he stepped closer, ready to grab Lori's shoulders, Rick stepped between them his attention at Lori. "Where?" Lori's unseeing eyes were still on the ground. "In the woods."

"Where is Ella now? Why didn't she come with Andrea?" Rick took hold of her shoulders. His voice was a little shaky and he seemed somehow distracted.

"She said they wanted to meet at the highway." Suddenly she looked up and looked straight at Daryl. "She said she will be waiting for you." The words met Daryl like a piercing arrow and he immediately walked to his bike. Rick followed him. "Wait!" But Daryl mounted the bike, ignoring Rick. When Rick grabbed Daryl's arm, he aggressively shook him off. "Get ya fuckin' hands off me!" He spoke through gritted teeth.

"Daryl, we do not know where exactly …" But before he could go on Daryl interrupted his sheriff-leader-speech. "Same shit man. This time I'm going after her." The last time Rick had told Daryl to don't leave was at the CDC. This time there wouldn't be a discussion. He started the engine and when he wanted to drive away, Glenn barred his way. "I am coming with you." Without waiting for an answer he mounted the bike behind Daryl and they instantly departed without a word. Beth watched them disappear. "Who is Ella?"

While they drove the highway Daryl looked right and left. No Ella. Glenn pointed in the woods. "Maybe she is somewhere in there …" Daryl wanted to drive into the woods, but a herd of walkers appeared. "Fuck." Daryl put in the breaks. "Ella!" He shouted at the walkers. The herd grew bigger.

"Daryl. There are more coming out of the woods." Glenn was right. Daryl swallowed hard as his eyes scanned the pack of zombies. He was afraid to see her next to these dead bastards. But he couldn't spot her among them. "Maybe she found Andrea. Maybe they …" Glenn stopped when Daryl accelerated. With one hand on the bike and one hand on the gun, he shot a way through the wall of walkers. Glenn shot in the same direction. Daryl drove into the woods, looking around. There was nobody but more dead bodies and none of them looked like her.

"Daryl!" Glenn screamed. A walker was grabbing him, but Daryl shot him in the head without blinking. If he would have been alone he would have kept on looking. But not only his life but that of Glenn was in danger. Too many walkers, too little ammo. Daryl screamed in frustration and made his way back to the highway. He drover further, but they saw nothing but lonesome cars and walkers. Glenn was silently sitting behind Daryl not daring to speak. After some time passed Daryl turned the bike around and drove back. The group who was still in the same place, awaiting them.

"You found her?" Lori was the first to ask. But she saw in the faces of the arriving man that they weren't lucky at all.

"Did you found at least a hint?" Carol looked at them hopefully, but she too was disappointed when Glenn shook his head.

Both man dismounted the bike. Glen went to Maggie while Daryl took a bar from the ground and began to batter an ownerless car. Windows and headlights were smashed … He thought about Ella coming to his tend the first time. She had asked for help to teach him how to defend herself. No one would teach her so she had asked him. After a few requests he finally had given in. Now while smashing a car he realized why he was angry, why he cared … because he felt responsible. She had asked him for help and now he didn't help her. Daryl crushed the front lid again and again, until Rick touched his shoulders. Daryl was surprised by the touch and almost punched Rick's face. When he realized it was he furiously turned around, and looked into pity eyes. He had always hated the glance of pity and dumpishness. He threw the bar away and felt his hands shaking.

By the way: I read the beginning of my story again and couldn't help but laugh about my writing style. It didnt sound like how i would write it now. haha ... but thanks to the readers who followed till here and kept on reading ;o) You guys rock
See you soon ;o)