This started out as a role play between myself (nolongeraxburden) and happyblueink (gunslingerdixon), and it was mutually decided upon to share with the rest of as a fanfiction. So here it is! Enjoy!
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Also: we own nothing in regards to The Walking Dead. All rights belong to the copyright holder.
Daryl's ears prickled at the sound of the car creaking and immediately his hands were drawn up, knife held up and other free hand tucked near his chin. He furrowed his brow not sure what to expect from the passenger of the vehicle. He weren't sure if he should expect much at all beyond a scared person just wanting to be left alone.
He took a cautious step forward readying himself for when whomever or whatever clambered out of the station wagon. He was holding his breath in anticipation of what was to come. What if it was Carol and she'd already turned? Gotten caught up and left to die in some shitty car on the side of the road for him to find? No, he wouldn't think like that. Times that he had, he'd been wrong and vice-versa. There could be no thinking like that, not when it was people he cared about.
The pop of the lock cut the silence that had stilled around him, not even the brush of leaves skating along the road from the breeze caught his attention. The door swung open and out stumbled the silver-haired woman he had grown to know over the past few years. Carol took a step towards him and he took a step back not quite fathoming that this was really happening. This couldn't be that easy. Daryl had never had any luck finding people, Sophia and Merle had been friendly reminders of this. There was no way he found her alive.
Then she spoke and the knife he'd held high slowly lowered and he raised a brow at her. "Carol?" He growled taking another step back. His guts were twisting inside him and he wasn't entirely sure why all of a sudden he felt a sudden surge of nervousness and anger towards her.
He gave her a once over, ticking off all check-marks of safety, nodding his head more to himself. "Could say the same 'bout you." He replied markedly at her, arms crossed over his chest.
Carol wanted so badly to rush to him and take him in her arms, but she refrained. He shouldn't have come. As badly as she had wanted and needed him to have come, she knew he shouldn't have come. He shouldn't have risked his life. Not for her. Not anymore. She took a step back herself, torn in two with what to do. "Daryl…" she whispered once. Then repeated much stronger. "Daryl, you shouldn't have come."
She lowered her head, feeling shame for the first time since the whole thing happened. She breathed, "Rick cast me out. I'm on my own now. He made a choice, made a decision." She refused to cry. She wasn't okay, but she wasn't going to let him know that the sight of him after thinking she never would again, had shaken her to the very core.
"They need you back there. At the prison." Her eyes moved up then. "Lizzie. Mika…" Her throat tightened. She leaned heavily against the car, bending as she felt the air was being knocked from her at the realization of what her actions had brought her. She felt her eyes welling with tears and she bit her tongue, fighting them.
She straightened back up, taking a deep breath. "You have to go back. You cant be out here. I need to know you're back there, doing what you have to do to save everyone else." He couldn't save her. Not anymore. As much as it killed her, she had to let him go. He had a family now. One that gave two shits if he lived or died, and she wasn't letting him throw it away. Not for her.
She moved to the back of the station wagon, opening the back hatch and pulling the gas can it. "You'll need gas."
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