Daryl didn't know where he was going, nor did he know what Rick had been thinking by kicking Carol out of the group, but what he did know was that he had to find her. The thought of another drawn-out search with the potential of another very unhappy ending was daunting, but he had to do it. He owed it to Sophia to make things right for her mother.
He hadn't really known the kid, but as far as little girls went, Sophia was pretty cool. Shy at first, she clung to her mother, and after getting to know Carol the way Daryl had, it was easy to understand why.
He wouldn't have blamed Carol for giving up after losing her daughter, but to his (and probably everyone's) surprise, she hadn't. She kept on going, even during her darkest days, and for that, he'd come to have a new-found respect for her.
Carol couldn't be gone, she just couldn't. He would know it if she were, he would feel something inside that would tell him to give up, to just turn around. But they had some kind of bond that neither of them really understood or talked about. It was just there, and if it had been good enough for Carol, then it would be good enough for him.
He drove around on his motorcycle, not even knowing what he was looking for. Rick had said something about Carol having a car, but that was practically useless. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack, but if it meant going to the ends of the earth to find her, then that was just what he would do.
She had to be out there. She just had to. Losing Merle had been tough, but somehow he'd gotten through it. He never really talked about it with anyone. Every now and then Carol would find him by himself and ask if he was all right, but she never really pushed him into talking. Just the thought that he could talk to her if he wanted to was enough, at least for the time being.
Yes, he'd let Merle down. He let Carol down by not finding her daughter. But this time, Daryl knew, he would not let Sophia down yet again. He would find Carol and even if the two of them had to find their own camp, then so be it. They were both tough, both survivors. If there was any one person he were to be stuck with during the end of the world, there was no doubt in his mind it was Carol.
00000
Tired, exhausted, weary...Carol had to find a place to rest. Not that anywhere was safe, but she'd found a little hut that had apparently been built by a young person or couple out of desperation. It wasn't much, but it was a place to rest, at least for the time being.
She knew she could have stayed with the group, if she'd been honest with Rick. But it was better for everyone that no one knew what really happened. Her absence wouldn't affect anyone, much. Yeah, the girls were kind of fond of her, and she got along pretty well with everyone. But really, this was for the best.
Then there was Daryl. Even in her utter state of exhaustion just the thought of her friend, her best friend, her only real friend brought a smile to her face. He'd been there for her during her darkest hour, and she never got a chance to thank him for all that he'd done for her. More importantly, what he'd done for Sophia. She tried to ask him why he'd kept looking for her daughter once, but he just kind of dismissed her.
It was starting to grow dark, and that was the worst. Staying in one place was key to survival, but just as important was knowing when to run. Right now the walkers really didn't seem to notice her, so just for the night, Carol found her solace in the tiny hut that she'd managed to find.
It occurred to her that Daryl might be out there, looking for her. That would be foolish. He knew that he was safer in the group than by himself. It would be a suicide mission if he were to look for her. So all alone, wrapped up in some scraps of blankets that she'd found, Carol settled in for the night, unaware that her salvation was right around the corner.
TBC