A/N: 12/29/2014 This one was hard to start, but was pretty easy once I got going. And just so you know, I didn't go all the way through to the time when Daryl and Merle fought and they ended up going back to the prison because all those feelings will be covered in the next chapter.

WhatWhereWhen: You have no idea how good that is for me to hear. I'm SO psyched you love this story, and I'm glad it's to the point where you're willing to read 58 chapters. Thank you for your review and support, it means the world! ;)

Ange: You're welcome! :D

Prettyprincess45: Nope! Not quite! I found a 'deleted' chapter that I was able to find a place for, so they'll be 24 chapters! Mwahaha! :D And oh my gosh, you just made my week. Best Caryl writer ever? Are you sure about that? Err, don't think too much on that, I'll take it ^^ I've actually got 3 other ideas for Caryl fics, so stay tuned! And again, thank you so much for your kind and constant reviews, they always make me smile. I'm glad this is one of those stories you're constantly waiting for an update on, I know the feeling well ;)

AntoDixon: Thank you, I'm doing okay! Argentina is BOSS, greetings from the bland U.S. :D

Terp4Life: Thank you! I'm endlessly flattered by your kind words. And aww! You think about this fic a lot? That gives me extreme feels, like a warm, fluffy, fuzzball of fluff just settled itself inside my heart. In a way that's gentle and doesn't mess with any of my internal organs and kill me. No, really. lol THANK you! \（*´▽｀*）/

Reading time: 4 mins.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

Chapter thirteen: A Memory~

When they left to rescue Glenn and Maggie, he never dreamed he'd find his brother too.

Now that he thought about it, he wasn't even sure how it happened. One minute they split up to find their lost team members, and the next he was pitted against his brother in a fight to the death. It was crazy, and when he thought back to it, almost insane, but somehow they were able to get out of there and leave that twisted town together in one piece.

But instead of going back to the prison like they'd planned, he'd joined with his brother and broken off from the group. They'd tried to get him to stay - Rick, Maggie, Glenn; they all did - but in the end, family was the most important. Merle was most important. His brother. His own flesh and blood. So why did he have to convince himself of that fact over and over?

It didn't really matter, though. He was already miles out with his brother, and the others were probably already back at the prison. Rick was probably telling Carol about his desertion right now. Carol...

What do you want us to tell Carol? Glenn had asked.

...She'll understand, he'd said.

But would she? Would she really?

He had left, gone away without so much as a word or goodbye. He didn't even have the guts to wait and tell her he was leaving himself. What kind of a chump did that? What kind of loser just up and left a person they had been to Hell and back with? How could someone do that? What was wrong with him?

It didn't matter. It was too late anyway. He couldn't go back now. He'd be damned if he was gonna show his face around there again. Around them again. Around her. He couldn't turn back now. He and his brother were headed to Yellow Jacket Creek, and from there, onward. And there was nothing that would stand between them again. End of story. Simple as that, nothing to it.

Daryl cleared his thoughts, picking up his pace as Merle called after him and beckoned him closer.

He jogged to catch up to him, weaving through trees and stamping his feet down on endless fallen leaves, his crossbow swaying side to side as he carried it.

He moved in front of him to lead the way to their destination, the creek, and fought the urge to cringe when thoughts of Carol and the others flooded back into his mind.

If this was how it was gonna be for the whole trip, the entire time he was out here (his whole life, basically) he wasn't sure he could cut it.

He just wanted to be with his brother, to pick up where they left off and move on. He did not sign up for a lifelong guilt trip.

But the hardest part was that the decision was made. He couldn't go back. And despite all the things he had come to call Carol throughout their time together, he would have to suffice by settling on only one.

She was a memory.

Nothing more.

Just a shadow of a thought, a ghost of a person he used to know. She wasn't important, he didn't need her-

No. That wasn't right. Lying to himself wasn't making it any easier.

Okay, facts;

He didn't need any of the others to survive, only himself.

He had made a decision, and it wasn't her.

He was with his brother, and that was all he needed.

She was just a memory now, simple as that.

No bullshit. No fuss. Just cold, hard math. He could get through this. He would get through this. He'd be with Merle 'til the end of his days, and nothing else mattered. He'd forget Rick, forget the prison, forget her, and he would move on, and then everything would be just fine. Everything would be fine.

Too bad he could never convince himself of that even if he tried.

A/N: Up next: Forgiving.

I think that when Daryl said Carol would 'understand', he meant it, but I also think that he said it largely in part to convince himself of that fact, rather than the others. And when we didn't get some big Caryl reunion like in season 5 with hugs and tears and all that good stuff I think it was because he was kind of afraid that she would reject him for leaving (if I'm thinking straight, it was Carol that went to find Daryl when he came back, not the other way around) so I tried to illustrate that uncertainty here. I just hope I did a good job :/

Now, I've 'deleted' a few of the original chapters I was gonna have in here because I couldn't find a place for them, but I found a place that I could fit one of them so there'll be one extra chapter. And it just so happens that it's one of the chapters I was really looking forward to writing, so yay! :D SPOILER ALERT: the chapter is called Pretty.

See you tomorrow!