Chapter 18

The ride back to Alexandria was brutally quiet and thankfully uneventful. Daryl wanted to walk on his own to the RV, but when he stood up the room spun and the strength he counted on having in his legs just wasn't there. Rick and Aaron had to help him get settled in the RV much to his dismay. Daryl never wanted to appear weak in front of anyone, even though he had a perfectly good reason.

Emma sat next to him during the trip and held onto his hand the entire time. She made sure that Daryl drank plenty of water during the drive. She finally had to stop asking him, when he told her if she didn't stop, he was going to piss all over her. His blunt words didn't bother her that was just her Daryl. They were the only two during the journey back that had small smiles on their faces.

Rick finally pulled the RV up to the front gate and flashed the lights. The big heavy gate opened for them and he slowly drove inside. Father Gabriel met them shortly after with Judith. Rick grabbed his young daughter from the man's arms and hung onto her tightly. He had come so close to losing everything and everyone that he needed to hold onto his young daughter. He could not let that happen again.

Everyone slowly departed the RV and went their separate ways. Aaron and Emma both helped Daryl out of the vehicle and Aaron headed them towards a house. Emma looked around in wonder. This wasn't a camp or any make shift living quarters, this was a complete housing development behind walls.

"Wow! I never knew living like this was possible now," she exclaimed.

"We even have electricity and running water," Aaron told her. Daryl was too busy trying to deal with the dizziness and pain to listen to their conversation. All he wanted was his bed, but he wasn't going to admit that to anyone.

"I haven't had a shower in months, no make that years! I just can't believe this." Living here was like the apocalypse never happened.

"Baby, you okay?" Emma asked Daryl. She could hear his heavy breathing that got worse with every step.

They had reached the front steps that led up to the house. "Let's rest a minute before heading inside," he said as he tried to catch his breath. The Doc had told him he was anemic because of the blood loss and until that corrected itself, he would be tired and short of breath all the time. Daryl didn't want to believe that, but his body was telling him otherwise.

It was a beautiful day and Emma could hear children playing and people laughing, but it wasn't real. How could this be? Life beyond the walls was the new reality, wasn't it? This felt so normal and abnormal at the same time.

Daryl finally agreed to start moving into the house and it took about them ten minutes to get him up to his room. He collapsed on the edge of the bed exhausted. "Thanks," he mumbled to Aaron.

"No problem, Daryl. Do you guys need anything else?" he asked.

"I think we're good, Aaron. Thank you so much for helping us." Emma gave him a kiss on the cheek and Aaron waved goodbye and left. Emma closed the door and they were finally alone.

"Well this house is certainly a big step up from the trailers we lived in," Emma said looking around the room. It was very nicely furnished, but there was no sign of Daryl in it, just his clothes.

"Yeah, but it never felt right to me," he sighed.

"Why not?" Emma sat down on the bed next to him. She was curious to know why he felt that way.

"Too fancy, feels like a damn hotel. Too many people. And…" he started to say.

"And what?"

"And… you weren't here," he admitted. God how he had missed her.

"Oh. That's the sweetest thing you ever said to me. I missed you so much too." Emma wrapped him in her arms and gently held onto him. She had grieved for him for such a long time and now that was all over. They could start again...a second chance for them both. "Why don't you rest for a while and take a nap?" she suggested.

"A nap? What am I a fuckin' kid?" Daryl retorted. He was tired and he hated feeling that way. "Sorry."

"You think I haven't seen you cranky before? Let's get you undressed so you can relax." Emma bent down to help him take his boots off.

"Now you're talking!" he said with a sly smile.

"No! "she replied a little too quickly. "I mean, you were unconscious just this morning after being shot. You're weak and exhausted. Recover your strength first and we can take it slow, okay?" Emma had yet to tell him of the abuse she had gone through. She loved him deeply, but she wasn't ready to let him touch her that way yet. Somehow she had to find a way to tell him. With his injury she could at least stall him for a little while and maybe by then sex would not make her freak out.

"Fine, but I'm sure I'll be recovered real quick," he told her. He couldn't wait to get his hands on her again. She always turned him on more than anyone he had ever known.

Emma rolled her eyes at him and proceeded to undo his boots and the ties he had around the bottom of his pants. She asked him why he did that and Daryl explained it was a trick he learned years ago for hunting. Tying the pants legs stopped ticks, chiggers and other assorted bugs from crawling up his legs when they were in the woods.

Daryl slipped off his leather vest and handed it to Emma. "I can't believe you still have this old thing," she said laying it on a chair.

"I've lost my bike and my fuckin' crossbow, twice in fact, but I'll be damned if anyone takes my vest away. They won't live to get it." Somehow Emma knew that Daryl meant that. He had lost a lot, but she figured that his favorite vest with the wings was one of the last pieces of his old life he had left.

His shirt was such a mess, that Emma knew it wasn't salvageable. She tossed that towards the door so she could get rid of it. Emma helped him lie down on the bed. It felt wonderful to Daryl. He was absolutely exhausted. "Thanks, Em," he smiled at her before closing his eyes. His life had changed incredibly in the last twenty-four hours. One minute he was ready to sacrifice himself for his friends as he felt he had nothing left to live for and now Emma was back and he was on top of the world. He dozed off with a smile on his lips.

"He is so handsome," Emma thought as she watched Daryl fall instantly asleep. Even older and in really bad need of a haircut, he still could make her heart race. Now she just needed to convince herself that his touch was okay, that he wasn't like any of the animals that had raped her. She had to remember how he made her feel safe and cherished, and he would touch her out of love instead of violence. It would be hard, but she would find a way. She had to.

While he slept she explored their room. There was a small sitting area in addition to the bed and they had their own bathroom. Emma had a semi-clean set of clothes with her and the thought of a hot shower was too much to resist. She went into the bathroom and closed the door. She went to lock it and then told herself no. She couldn't do that to Daryl, she wouldn't lock him out.

Soon she was standing under the hot spray just relishing how it felt on her skin. She washed herself multiple times and her hair twice, this was a luxury that she wanted to enjoy to the fullest. Once she got out of the shower, Emma wrapped herself in a towel. She noticed the toothbrush Daryl had on the sink and only hesitated a second before she used it to brush her teeth. They had shared more intimate moments than a toothbrush, so she counted on him not minding. After towel drying herself and her hair, Emma dressed in her only other set of clothes and left the bathroom. Daryl was still sleeping on the bed. She walked over to him and brushed his hair aside. It was strange seeing him with hair this long.

Emma's curiosity was too much to resist so she slipped from the room and headed downstairs. She wanted to explore the rest of the house and she had a ton of questions for someone… anyone she could find.

A leisurely walk down the stairs brought Emma into a hallway that led to the kitchen and living room. Michonne was the playing with a toddler. "Who is this beautiful little girl?" Emma asked crouching down next to them.

"This is Judith, Rick's daughter. We're spending some girl time together aren't we, sweetheart?" Michonne said to the giggling child. "Is Daryl resting?"

"Yeah, he's sound asleep." Emma sat down on the sofa and laid her head back on the cushion. "This is all so surreal, Michonne. I never thought I'd see him again and when I saw him last night with the rest of you, I almost screamed and ran to him. I was so happy to see him." Suddenly Emma realized she had a big smile in her face. While she had found Daryl, all of the others had lost a close friend through a brutal death and also Maggie's baby. "Oh Michonne, I'm so sorry. Here I go spouting off like an idiot when you all lost so much. That is so insensitive of me. Please forgive me."

If Michonne hadn't already like Emma, she would now. Emma had been with them less than twenty-four hours, but she was already one of them. Rick had told Michonne that when Harlan asked Rick who he should treat first as they were both in equal need, that Emma spoke up and said Maggie. She was right, that's what Daryl would have wanted. She became one of them at that moment. Now she was apologizing because she was happy that she found Daryl again. Daryl? Michonne never would have thought that his tendency to be loner and the few times he smiled it never really reached his eyes was because of a woman. Then again it made perfect sense.

At some point or another they all hooked up with someone, but never Daryl. Or Eugene, but he was a different story. Daryl befriended women, like Carol and Beth, even herself, but it never moved beyond friendship. He was simply mourning the loss of Emma. Michonne was happy that her friend had found joy during this dark time for them all.

"No need to apologize, Emma. I understand and I'm happy for you both. We all are. You're one of us now," Michonne told her with a smile. She then turned to Judith and blew raspberries on her pudgy belly. They all laughed together.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" Emma said.

"Sure. Fire away."

"Who lives in this house?"

"Rick and I have a room, Carl and Judith, Daryl, Sasha and then Carol. The others live in the house next door except Aaron. He lives down the street with Eric. We share the duties around here and we each have some sort of responsibility in the community. I'm sure Rick will eventually talk to you about that. For now just get settled in and help Daryl get stronger." Michonne was looking forward to see what changes would occur in Daryl. She had already seen him with a real smile which was the first for him. It finally came from his heart.

"You don't by chance have extra clothes for people around here do you? I only have what I had on yesterday and these and both set of clothes needs to be washed," Emma asked.

"I should have thought of that, I'm sorry." Michonne stood up and picked up Judith. "C'mon sweetie we are taking Emma clothes shopping."

On the way to the supply pantry Emma asked Michonne a few more questions about life in Alexandria and how they came to be there. While juggling Judith in her arms Michonne gave Emma a brief rundown on their lives before they came to this walled community. That ultimately they had Aaron to thank for finding them and inviting them to come see Deanna who was the leader when they arrived. Rick was in charge now that Deanna had died.

Walking back to the house Emma felt like her life was finally changing in a way she never thought possible. She had decent clean clothes in arms for the first time in ages and had even picked up a couple of shirts for Daryl. She had noticed his closet was pretty bare. And she felt she had started a new friendship with Michonne. People you could trust were rare these days and Emma had just stumbled into a whole group if them. The icing on her day was being back with Daryl.

"Thanks for the shopping trip," Emma called out to Michonne as they each went their separate ways in the house.

Emma quietly entered the bedroom where Daryl slept. His eyes were still closed and the steady rise and fall of his chest, confirmed that he was still sleeping. She quickly changed into some of the new clothing she had gotten and hung up the rest along with the shirts she had picked up for Daryl in the closet. Then she curled up in a comfortable looking loveseat in the corner of the room and took a nap herself.