Connie woke up early in the morning and wanted to get some fresh air, Dog followed her happily outside. It was a nice morning, the sun was shining in the unclouded sky. Something caught Dog's attention and he ran off. Connie followed him, to see what it was. Dog was facing a hole in the fence, behind the Sanctuary building, growling and Connie found a note on the ground. She was almost certain that something wasn't right as she saw "Daryl's" note. She was wondering why it was lying there since she saw Daryl still sleeping this morning. Maybe he wrote it but then decided against giving it to her? Sure, she could imagine, why he wanted to be alone with her for a moment, but would he be so careless to let her go into the woods all by herself? No, that didn't sound like Daryl and it didn't look like his handwriting either. She already wanted to go back and show the note to him as Dog moved closer to the fence and slipped through the hole in it. Not able to call him back, Connie decided to follow him. She knew, how sad Daryl would be, if Dog ran off and never came back. So Connie made her way through the hole in the fence too, following Dog, who ran off into the woods.
They encountered Beta soon. Dog attacked him, but Beta fought him off with his knife and then grabbed Connie, dragging her further into the woods.

Connie opened her eyes and felt a numb pain in her skull. She touched her head and noticed a wet spot there. She knew it was blood. She still felt dizzy and had to focus. Then she saw Beta with his hands on Daryl's throat, trying to choke him. She got up instantly and took a stone into her hand.
Still fighting against the dizziness and as cautiously as possible, she sneaked up on Beta and hit the stone firmly against his head. Beta let go of Daryl for a moment who used the remained strength he had to punch Beta in the face. Beta's head made a movement backwards and Daryl was able, to push him down from him. Out of the corner of his eye Daryl saw a walker approaching Henry, who was still unconscious. He made a movement towards Henry with his hand telling Connie to help Henry.
Connie, who was standing right behind Beta and ready to help Daryl fighting him, saw Henry and ran to him.
Lydia was fighting two walkers in the meantime.
Daryl and Beta, both of them still on all fours, exchanged a look and there was nothing but hate in it.
Connie took the walker out, who tried to attack Henry and tried to wake him. Then she saw a knife flashing in the sunlight and almost got stabbed by a Whisperer, but avoided the knife skillfully and shot the Whisperer with her slingshot. Henry finally woke up.
Daryl and Beta both stood up, Beta getting out his knives again, like during their first encounter.
Daryl looked at him, than took out the gun he still had with him since the farmhouse, and shot Beta.

"Bad idea to bring knives to a gunfight, asshole," he said, scoffing.

The fight still wasn't over. A few Whisperers and a couple of walkers surrounded them

Despite their injuries, Daryl, Connie and Henry were fighting back to back. Lydia was also fighting with them this time.
They were able to finish all of their enemies off and then they were all catching their breath. Daryl was still holding his aching throat as he looked at Connie who was looking at him in concern. He told her, he was alright asked her, if she was okay. Blood was already drying on her temple. She looked at Daryl, whose face also looked bad and nodded slightly. Then they suddenly saw Dog coming towards them. Dog was limping and stopped for a moment, to lick his wound. Daryl ran to him and hugged his four legged friend.
"Good boy," he said petting Dog happily. Connie came towards them an petted Dog too. She was happy to see Dog alive. She and Daryl exchanged a look and then they fell each other in the arms. Holding each other tightly, they realized how close they have been to losing one another.

Daryl's heart was filled with happiness when he was holding Connie. This time it didn't feel awkward at all. He was joyful and relieved and he was almost crying. Life had taken so many people away from him, at least it let him keep Connie. He embraced her even tighter and promised himself to never let her go.

Connie didn't know exactly why she was crying. She didn't cry often, but this time she couldn't hold back her tears. Daryl's embrace felt so warm and comfortable and she wished she could stay forever in his arms. She realized she loved him deeply. Loved him like she probably never loved a man before in her life. Protective sweet Daryl, rough on the outside but soft on the inside, she knew nothing in the world would make her ever let go of him. She found something in him, she never even thought she was looking for and she was determined to keep it forever.

As they walked back, Daryl's arm was around Connie's shoulder. She wrote Guardian angel on her notepad and showed it to him, pointing at him.

"No, that's you. You are mine" He said and Connie smiled.

No one of the group knew what happened in the last couple of days. They didn't realize that the battle they just won, was only a beginning of a big war. And that they would have a lot of battles like this. They were just happy to be together. To be a family. All of them against the world.