Chapter 44 – Lauren

I was never so happy as when I heard Daryl knock on that door. I had no doubt that it was him and I just flew into his arms when I saw him. I kept saying over and over, "I'd knew you come…I'd knew you'd come."

He tilted my chin so I was looking up at him. "Did you doubt it?"

"Not for a single second!" I told him. He would always be my dark knight and I knew I could count on him for anything.

"Don't you ever do that again," he told I could hear his gravelly voice shaking. "Don't you scare me like that. I can't lose you… I…love you."

My heart soared and everything I went through today was worth it just to her him finally tell me he love me. This was huge for him… for us.

I could feel tears creeping into the corners of my eyes...again. "Daryl Dixon I have loved you since we were at Hershel's farm. It's about time you told me."

I saw him relax with my declaration. He looked peaceful in the moonlight for the first time ever. I reached up to touch the handsome, strong face that I dreamed about every night and loved every day. I never wanted him to doubt my love for him ever. "I love you so much, Daryl…but let's get the hell outta here."

After a quick, but still fiery kiss, we jump onto his bike to head back home. As we get in front of the sporting goods store I had him stop. "What?" he asked.

"The bolts…I dropped them by the door…couldn't we just get them? You need them." I suggested.

"Really?" he turned looking at me like I was crazy. "Those things almost cost you your life and you want to go back for them? Fuck no."

"Daryl, they are right by the door. We could do it together. Please?" I begged him. I don't know why but getting them for him was so important to me, but it was. "Please?"

"Okay, I saw them when I searched the store for you and they're close to the door." He turned off the bike and we got off. "We do this together and if there are any walkers, I mean even one…we are outta there. You got that?"

I nodded yes and hoped he could see that in the dark. Daryl grabbed his crossbow and I unsheathed my knife and had it ready in my hand. We only had to go about ten feet into the store and about a half dozen packages lay in a pile on the floor. Daryl kept watch as I scooped them up and put them into my pack.

"We gotta go now!" he said and I followed him without question. He used his knife to take out a walker by the door as we ran out to get back on the bike. It only took a second or two for Daryl to have the engine roaring and we flew down the dark road towards home.

The relief of seeing the cabins again was incredible. I was so happy to be home and see everyone again that I practically ran up the front steps. Daryl was dragging behind. "C'mon. I want to see everyone and I'm starved," I told him.

"Yeah…about that," he started to say when the front door burst open. I was surrounded by my family immediately. Hugs, kisses and welcomes backs flew all around me. We all settled into the living room. I knew they would want to hear what happened. I noticed that Daryl was off to the side, not with me and the group and that didn't make any sense. Then I felt the tension in the room skyrocket.

"What's going on?" I asked looking around the room before my eyes settled on Daryl. I saw Glenn and Tara look down at the floor and I knew what was going on. Daryl blamed them for what happened to me. I could only imagine what he had said when he found out I was missing. I had to make this right, it was my fault after all.

"Daryl, please come here. I need to say something to you and everyone."

"We can talk later," he tried to convince me.

"No, it has to be now." He moved closer to me sitting on the arm of the sofa, but I moved over and pulled him down to me. "I want everyone, especially you Daryl to know that this was my fault and mine alone. This was not Glenn or Tara's fault. I'm taking full responsibility for what I got myself into."

"No," both Tara and Glenn said at the same time. "We split up and we never should have left you in the store," Glenn added.

I saw Daryl's face get the stone cold look that happens with he's really angry. "Fuckin' right. You never should have left her." If looks could kill, we'd be burying Glenn and Tara right now.

I put my hand on his arm, hoping to relax him. "Daryl, it was my idea. I thought I'd find the bolts in the next aisle and be right behind them. Glenn fought me about it, but I insisted. I was two maybe three minutes behind them, but we didn't realize a herd had moved in. They had no choice but to go."

"They left you there," he growled.

"I told them to. They didn't want to, but why put all three of us in that position, instead of just me. It was my fault, why should they have to suffer for my bad decision? They made the right choice, Daryl."

"I'm sorry," Glenn said softly. "I wanted to stay…we wanted to stay, but we were overrun. She was safer in the store and we barely made it out past the herd."

I could see that Tara and Maggie both had tears in their eyes. Rick finally spoke up. "Daryl, I know this was hard, but they did the right thing. Lauren knew she had to just wait it out until we could go back for her. We weren't giving up on her, we just needed the daylight."

I could see Daryl starting to come around. "Babe, it's okay. I'm back fine. Just a few bumps and bruises. I knew you'd find me as soon as you found out and you did. I never doubted that for a minute. You're my own personal knight in shining…leather?" I said with a big smile. Everyone laughed except Daryl who I think was a bit embarrassed by my declaration.

"Instead of using a horse, he uses horsepower," Sasha added.

"Exactly!" I said with a laugh. "Now do we have anything to eat...I'm starved."

The girls all followed me to the kitchen where Carol was insisting heating up the left over dinner they had earlier for me. I saw Glenn walk up to Daryl and they talked. The tension in Daryl was gone and I could see that he no longer blamed Glenn. I caught his eye and gave him a wink. Whether he liked it or not, he was my hero…and he always would be.