What Still Lies Ahead

by DaphneDixon

Resident tracker Daryl Dixon isn't too damn happy finding himself having to survive with Beth Greene after the prison attack. Will he and the farmers daughter ever learn to get along, become friends or possibly even something more? Based on the episode "Still", a slow burn story seen from both sides. Rated M for language, violence and very adult situations. No O.C.s

60. Chapter 60

…. Chapter 60 …..

Daryl glanced over just as Rick caught up to him, the determined measure of his stride falling quickly in line with his own. He spun the cylinder on the .357 and flicked it back into place, seeming to feel better for having the familiar weapon back in his hand. The former deputy sheriff was a man of his word so Daryl never doubted for a moment that he would come. When he said he would do something, he meant it and it was one of the many reasons why they all followed him.

Appreciating the fact, Daryl gave him a slight nod of acknowledgment before the seriousness of the endeavor took over.

"You ready to do this?" Rick asked as he looked ahead to where Terminus lay in the distance. Large areas of the compound still burned unimpeded and had no idea of the hell that was still coming back for it.

"Ya don't have'ta come," Was ground out in response. Unable to help himself, the stress of the moment forced the words from Daryl's mouth. The justified points of the others sat like lead weights in his gut, making him worry that he was unnecessarily putting his friend at risk. "Can do it on my own."

"I'm gonna pretend that you didn't just say that." Was sniffed back accordingly. "Besides, you're not the only one that cares about Beth. I thought I lost both of you back there."

Daryl knew without having to be told that he was referring to the prison. The last time they saw each other was right before the Governor's attack, when Rick had been forced to face the man down in order to bargain for Hershel and Michonne's lives. Searching his memory, Daryl had a vague recollection of him hiding behind one of the barricades just after all hell had broken loose. He'd barely held onto the idea that he was still alive after that. In fact, it was only because of Beth's insistence that he had even dared to allow himself to believe it.

"Yeah, well… it ain't been easy that's for damn sure." Daryl muttered as he traversed his way over a fallen log.

Since the subject of Beth had been brought up, his friend felt free to ask him about her. Daryl was hesitant but told him how she had been with him from the beginning, reckoning it best to get it out of the way now. Having surmised as much based solely upon his determined efforts to find her, Rick seemed remarkably unsurprised to hear it.

"And how was she... after that?" He asked now for knowing, "She help you out at all?"

Daryl paused with the sudden realization that he might not have been the only one to have underestimated her. Even though the question hadn't intended to sound skeptical by nature, he still couldn't help but become instantly defensive about it.

"Man, she ain't like that no more!" He was quick to say, the leaves churning up beneath his boots as he unwittingly spun around, "I helped her out but she helped me too! Ya wouldn't know it ta look at her but tha girl's been through hell an' back since tha prison fell, which is jus' another reason why I ain't leavin' her there ta rot in that fuckin' shit hole!"

Rick just stared at him as the intuition of his gaze missed nothing. He pulled a deep breath before saying placatingly, "That ain't gonna happen. We'll find her, I promise."

Appeased enough to bring it down a notch, Daryl determinedly got back to walking.

As they made their way closer to Terminus, both men took the moment to fill each other in on what else had happened over the course of the last few months. The exchange was brief, both of them using as few words as necessary to relay only what was needed. Anything outside of that was purposely omitted to not be questioned further.

For his part, Daryl was glad to be done with it. The connection he had with Rick allowed for the information to flow between them easily, almost like they hadn't been separated at all. He told him only what he wanted him to know and purposely left out what he didn't... the most telling of which being the feelings that he now had for Beth.

Rick gave him a condensed version of his timeline as well, the unfortunate series of events that had led him to the front gates of Terminus. Much to their surprise, their individual circumstances had unknowingly crossed paths at the claimer house in Butler. It turned out that Merle had been right, it had been Rick who had killed one of the men that had lived there. Forced to do so when the shit hit the fan, he had been on the run with Michonne and Carl ever since. A week or so later, the three of them had encountered a friendly enough group from Terminus. Hungry and tired, they had been lured there under the false banner of sanctuary and had held there as prisoners ever since.

"So when did Maggie, Glenn an' tha rest of 'em all get there?" Daryl asked, still trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Keeping up with the steady pace that was being set, Rick gripped the embossed handle of the.357 tighter. "Just before us. They had followed the signs like everyone else. None to say, they regretted it ever since."

"Rick...!" A faint voice in the distance called out, "Daryl! Wait up!"

They both looked back to see Maggie rushing towards them. Daryl would have been instantly worried if it hadn't been for the huge smile that was plastered on her face.

She motioned at them excitedly,"Both of you... come quick! You're not going to believe it!"

The two men glanced at each other before they took off running, both of them wondering what could possibly be worth all the effort. Rounding the thick of the trees, Daryl could barely believe his eyes to see Carol standing there, a spent AK-47 in her hand and Michonne's samurai sword strapped to her back. She had blood splatter on her clothes and shallow cuts on her face but other than that didn't look much worse for wear.

Everyone was looking at them to gage their reaction and Daryl wasn't one to disappoint, running over to immediately sweep her up into the biggest bear hug he could muster. It had been so long since he had seen her that he didn't know what to say or how to even begin formulating the words necessary to say it. Instead he just did what he did best and swallowed hard at his emotions, stepping back so that Rick could approach her as well.

"Did you do that?" The deputy sheriff asked as he indicated over to the smoke rising above the trees with a tilt of his head.

Overwhelmed herself, she just nodded as he reached for her, hugging her tightly to him as he whispered his gratitude into her ear.

"I had help..." She said, wiping at the tears on her cheeks away to have them all look over...

There… through the smokey haze that lingered in the trees around them, Beth appeared in the distance. She had the Horton slung purposefully over her shoulder and both the weapon and her clothes were covered in a fine layer of ash. Feeling as though he was caught in a surreal dream not of his making, Daryl's heart dropped instantly within his chest for seeing her. He stood there with his feet rooted to the dirt as Maggie took off running. With an elated cry, she snagged her sister up into a hug that had the younger girl's feet flailing in the air and everyone watched with smiles on their faces as they had their long overdue reunion.

"What!… I mean, how…?" The older girl sputtered, "I thought you were dead!"

"I'm ok!" Beth managed to say. When she was caught up in another long embrace, she laughed and gasped out, "Mags… seriously, I can't breathe!"

Smiling even wider for hearing it, Maggie set her back on the ground so that everyone else could have a turn.

Daryl stood off to the side as she happily made the rounds, feeling awkward as shit but not being able to do much about it. Both her and Carol were hugged by all who knew them as the sound of excited chatter filled the air. It all blurred together in a flurry of white noise to grate across his senses. By the time Beth got around to him, his nerves were so shot he could barely function. It must have shown all over his face because she paused in recognition of it before reluctantly taking off the crossbow and handing it over.

"I found this." She whispered as she stared up at him with her heart in her eyes. "I thought you might want it."

He took it from her, painfully aware of the expectant looks the two of them were getting.

"Yeah… well, thanks." Was all he could think to say, his stomach clenching beneath his belt as he dropped his gaze uncomfortably.

Maggie broke the unspoken tension by spinning her sister around by the arm. "Oh Bethie, I still can't believe it!" She rushed to say excitedly, "I've missed you so much! Where have you been? Oh my god, were you with Carol this whole time?"

Beth paused and worried at her lower lip for a moment, completely cognizant of the fact that he was standing right there waiting to hear her answer as well. "Umm, no… actually I was with..."

"I hate to break up y'alls happy family fun time but are we going back to shut this shit down or what?" The big man with the flaming red hair interrupted. "I'm only askin' because I've gotta get Eugene here to Washington D.C. and I'd sure as hell like to get on with it."

Everyone collected themselves as quick introductions were made. The man's name was Sgt. Abraham Ford and by the assertive way he carried himself, he didn't need the title for it to be known that he had been in the military. The scantily dressed brunette at his side was his girlfriend Rosita. The two of them along with their awkward looking friend Eugene had all helped Glenn and the new girl Tara reunite with the rest of the group after the fall of the prison.

With his question still needing an answer, Maggie and Michonne both looked over to Rick who in turn deferred to Daryl. Expected to give it, the latter shuffled back and forth on his feet. He took a moment to think about it, realizing that he was the one that had been hell bent on going back in the first place. There was no real reason to do so now that he knew Beth was ok. Truth be told, he'd be more than happy to spend the rest of his life never thinking of Terminus or the things that he saw there ever fucking again.

As if reading his mind, Rick gave him a slight nod of recognition and then went on to address the entire group. "We're not going back but we're sure as hell not staying here either. This whole area is crawling with walkers with more likely on the way. We need to find a place to hunker down for a while and collect ourselves… somewhere safe."

Carol stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm. "I think I might know of a place." She said quietly, "Come with me..."

Nobody questioned her as she led the way through the woods, leaving the smoky area around Terminus behind until they reached a long and winding dirt road. Daryl brought up the rear with his emotions in an uproar, unable to tell if he was coming or going. On one hand, he was happier than shit to be reunited with the rest of the group. For being separated from them for as long as he had, it felt as though a part of him had returned that he hadn't even realized had been missing. On the other was Beth and everything she had come to mean to him. What was going to happen to them now?

When he had initially seen her walking up, his first instinct had been to kiss the hell out of her. What was he going to do about that? Just because there were other people around it didn't mean that those feelings were going to change, he just hadn't expected to have to deal with them so soon.

Through no fault of her own he had frozen in the face of everyones scrutiny. Looking back on it maybe it was for the best. For as much as he didn't want to expose the two of them to her sister and the rest of the group, he also knew first hand how much easier it would be to hide behind his own antisocial tendencies rather than put himself out there for everyone to judge.

Stewing on his thoughts for lack of anything else better to do, Daryl looked up to see Maggie and Glenn walking up ahead of him laughing and holding hands. The sight of it was like a blow to the gut that he didn't necessarily need right now. When him and Beth had been alone, he realized that he hadn't felt so much like an outsider looking in. The world he had forged with her had been something of his own, a safe place where he could just be himself with someone who genuinely cared about him. There was no coming back from that, not now… not when he'd had a taste of what normal people shared and wanted to hold onto it.

They had been walking for miles when Carol finally pointed to a large group of cabins that sat hidden in the distance. With everyone on the last of their reserves, they all wearily gravitated towards them.

Daryl looked ahead to see someone step out of the shadows and his depleted system instantly jumped on point. The defense mechanisms that came to him naturally ratcheted back into high gear and it wasn't until Rick and Carl took off running that he saw the reason why. Tyreese was standing there holding Lil' Asskicker in his arms, the baby understandably overwhelmed as her father and brother immediately started to fawn over her. The big man handed her over so he could embrace his sister and another tearful reunion was watched by all.

Feeling a deep rooted sense of contentment at seeing everyone back together again, Daryl glanced over to see Beth staring at him from where she was standing nearby.

Caught under the hesitant weight of her gaze, he relaxed his own to give her a wink, the slight gesture hidden by the hair in his face. It was the only thing he could do to let her know that he was thinking of her.

She seemed to brighten immediately, her entire demeanor changing accordingly. When she turned away, Daryl was left to ponder it further as his determinations reset themselves.

The way he figured, whatever was going to happen would do so with or without any help or hindrance from him. As soon as the two of them were alone, he'd find out where her head was at about things and just follow suite. If she wanted to keep them on the down low, he'd be alright with it but only for a little while. He was used to having unlimited access and didn't like restrictions. If for some reason she thought that telling the others about them was for the best, well then fuck it... he'd stand by that too. Whatever it took to get them out of this quandary they were in. The only thing he wouldn't do at this point was go back. He'd either wait or come clean but that wasn't an option.

He looked over to see Rick walking his way towards him, a serious expression all but chiseled on his bearded face.

"This place will do while we pull ourselves together and that's about it," He said as he purposely looked around, "There's too many of us."

"It's a lot'a mouths ta feed…" Daryl muttered in response, already knowing where the conversation was heading.

His friend nodded, "… and not much time."

"Yeah a'right, I'm on it."

"You sure? I know it's a lot to ask... 'specially after the hell we've all just been through."

Daryl fingers tightened around the strap of the Horton at his back. "Said I got it."

"Still, I'd feel better if you took someone with you." Upon seeing his gaze narrow at the idea, Rick was quick to amend himself, "Not that you need it. Just lookin' to pair people up until we leave this place. I don't trust that everyone at Terminus is dead and without us going back to find out, there's no way to be sure. We stick together, so if there's trouble I can trust that it's handled. I'm not takin' a chance with the safety of this group again."

Unable to fault his logic, Daryl conceded begrudgingly. "Fine. If ya feelin' that strongly about it, I'll take Carol."

Rick thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. "No, Carol's needed here. I want you to take Beth."

Daryl could feel the rigid line in his jaw tighten as he wondered what would compel the man to suggest such a thing. Had he given himself away somehow? The former deputy sheriff was as goddamn astute as his brother sometimes, maybe he had managed to read between the lines that he was trying so hard to hide.

Feeling unnecessarily defensively for not knowing, Daryl ground out, "Yeah? An' why's that?"

If Rick noticed anything out of the ordinary in his tone, he didn't show it. "The rest of us are in strung out shape, more so than the two of you. What you saw at Terminus in a day has been our hell for weeks. We've been caged up eatin' scraps for so long I can't barely remember the last meal I had that didn't involve something inedible. Whatever we had left to give, we just did so on the floor of that place."

Daryl let his gaze sweep over the man to see that he was right. Rick look spent… hell, they all did. Maggie had dark circles under her eyes that hadn't been there before and Bob looked damn near gaunt.

Rick looked back over at him and added meaningfully, "Besides, it'll give you both a moment to catch up… y'know, away from everyone. I can tell she wants to talk to you."

Not finding an ulterior motive where there wasn't one, Daryl just nodded and left it at that.

The area around the cabins became a hub of activity as everyone pulled together to make the few they had chosen livable. With Rick focused on Judith, Carol stepped in to assign everyone chores. Every available weapon was pooled together with the exception of Rick's Python, his own crossbow and Michonne's samurai sword. A central cabin was picked to store them all as patrol schedules were assigned. Despite being famished and damn near running on empty, the entire group participated without complaint.

Ready to get done with what he'd been personally asked to do, Daryl looked around for Beth until he caught a glimpse of her pale hair from deep within the trees. At Carol's request, she was collecting pieces of wood for the fire pit that Abraham was in the process of building. As he made his way closer he saw that she had help... from that fuckin' weirdo Eugene. Who the hell were these people anyway? She looked up to see him coming and stood there with her arms full as she waited for him to reach her.

"Rick asked me ta go kill somethin' for dinner," He grumbled, doing so with the uncomfortable awareness that he had the other guy's complete and awkward attention. "Why don't ya come with me an' make ya self useful."

Nodding happily, she turned around to address her coworker. "Eugene, will you take all this to Carol for me?" She asked as she handed over the wood, "Tell her I'll collect some more when I get back."

"Absolutely," He grinned as he proceeded to drop half of what he'd been given. "Oops… I'll get that. Umm... hey there, we haven't been formally introduced... I'm Dr. Eugene Porter, friend of Sgt. Abraham Ford... and you are?"

"Leavin'." Was all Daryl said as he turned and stalked away. The conversation being more than over, he didn't bother looking back to know that Beth would eventually follow.

He pulled the Horton from his back and headed off into the woods, not slowing down even when he heard her footsteps on the terrain.

"Just so you know, I was already making myself useful," She made a point of saying from behind him, "... and you didn't have to be rude."

"Whatever... guy's fuckin' annoyin'."

"Well it's nice to see you too..." She sniffed, trying her best not to be put off by his dour attitude.

Daryl pulled a deep breath and turned around, not even sure now himself why he was being so antagonistic. Maybe it was because he found himself suddenly surrounded by people again, a fact that would be hard for him to deal with under the best of circumstances. The close quarters of it was getting to him already and it hadn't even been a day. He had gotten used to doing things his own way with only her to worry about. Now he was being held responsible for feeding at least a dozen mouths, all of whom looked like they were chomping at the bit to talk to him. Not much one for casually shooting the shit, he couldn't think of anything he wanted to do less.

He pulled a resigned sigh and called himself out, knowing from experience where such grudgy feelings would get him. With no way to know when he'd get a chance to be alone with her again, he didn't want to waste it feeling resentful about something that neither one of them could do anything about.

"Don't mind me." He managed to say for himself, his gaze firmly fixed on the ground, "Jus' having a hard time adjusting, is all. I ain't had ta step up to tha plate for a while now, least not for anyone but you. It's gonna take some gettin' used to… y'know… gettin' back into tha swing 'a things."

"I know..." She commiserated as she stepped hesitantly towards him, "For me too. If it makes you feel any better, I'm really happy to see you."

Daryl regarded her for a moment as though he was hard pressed to believe her. The situation at Terminus and everything that had happened to him there had left so many holes in his memory in that he barely knew how to go about filling them. The last thing he remembered was her standing there purposely facing down one of his assailant, Merle's gun held high in her hand. From there, the lights had gone out. The girl had managed to escape what for him had been a near inescapable situation and his need to know how was starting to get the better of him.

"I'm happy ta see you too." He said, meaning it sincerely despite knowing that he probably didn't look or sound it. Pausing for a moment, he struggled to put his thoughts into some semblance of order, "How tha hell did ya get outta there? Last time I saw ya I was on my knees with a gun shoved to my head. I woke up later alone, locked away in Terminus an' beat up ta shit. Everythin' after's a blur but I swear, I tore that fuckin' place apart lookin' for ya..."

"I know you did..." She managed to say, her eyes misting over. "It's... a long story..."

"Yeah, well... Rick ain't expecting us back for a few hours..." He offered, hoping that was enough of a segue way to encourage her to start talking on her own.

Upon realizing that he wasn't going to just let it go, she sat down on a nearby log and told him what he wanted to hear. Keeping the story short, she told him how she had inadvertently woken up from being knocked out herself to see three of the four men that had chased after them dragging him away. Using the crossbow that he had dropped nearby, she had used it to kill the fourth before taking off into the woods to follow his trail.

Stuck on the wrong side of the fence, she had no choice but to watch as they had hauled his ass into Terminus... leaving her alone with the knowledge that her absence and that of the man she had killed would soon be noticed by those who had taken him there.

"Jesus..." Daryl muttered, sitting down next to her as though what he was hearing required it. "What happened then?"

"It was then that I ran into Carol." She said simply, "I was circling my way around the compound trying to find a way in and she saw me from where she was hiding. It turned out that her and Tyrese had been following the signs to Terminus much like everyone else. She had been checking the place out beforehand when she saw Rick, Glenn and Bob get pulled out of one of the train cars. She knew that they were in trouble so she had been formulating a plan to break on her own. I just helped her with it, that's all..."

"So tha two of ya set off them explosions?" He asked, needing the confirmation.

She nodded as the relief of finally being able to tell him about it caught up to her, "We devised a way to use the propane tanks. Carol used her rifle to release the gas into the air and I used your crossbow to set it on fire! I just tied a piece of my shirt around the tip of a bolt and lit it with a match. The chaos caused by the first blast let us take out the other two tanks pretty much the same way. As soon as the place fell, Carol smeared herself in walker blood and went in to try and find everyone. I was left covering her from above with the gun. That's how I knew you were looking for me... I saw you searching the trains through the scope. I couldn't just leave her behind though, so after I saw you jumped the fence, I stayed where I was until she got out as well and... that's pretty much it, you know the rest."

Daryl felt his shoulders slump down on his frame, relieved more than he could say to finally be in the know. His appreciation of what she had done was duly noted before the words that came with it fell meaningfully to the wayside. As happy as he was to have gotten out of there alive, she had too... and to him, that was all that mattered.

"... an' here I was thinkin' it was my job ta save tha day." He smirked, shaking his head for being thoroughly impressed. "Guessin' tha baby ain't tha only lil' asskicker 'round here after all."

She smiled for hearing the lighthearted compliment, giving him the time he needed to regard her more seriously. "I ain't gonna lie, shit got rough in there for a moment but I'm glad you're ok. I wish I could'a shown ya jus' how glad but... well... everyone was watchin'."

"I know." She breathed in return, her lower lip now snagging softly between her teeth, "When I first saw you, I felt the same way..."

Daryl couldn't help but notice that she was slowly edging herself closer to him... to the point where the pheromones under her skin had infused appealingly into the air. The faint scent of wildflowers called to him on a base line level and it drew him in despite himself.

"Jus' not sure how ta act now that... y'know... everything's been said an' done." He could hear himself somehow manage to say before it did. "Reckon it's as good 'a time as any to find out what ya were thinkin' about… us… an' see what ya might wanna do as far as tellin' tha others..."

For as much as he wanted an answer, he undoubtedly wanted her more. Caught up in the quiet moment, he leaned in towards her as his need to relay the sentiment took over...

Her lips had just parted in baited anticipation when a noise in the immediate vicinity had them nervously springing apart. They both looked around, the varying degrees of guilt quick to remind them of the much bigger issue at hand.

When Daryl realized what he was doing, he stood up and swept a frustrated hand down his face. Fuck sakes, really? He was too goddamn old and set in his ways for this shit. He was used to taking what he wanted without an issue, without stipulations and sure as hell without permission. Now everything was getting convoluted because the secret they were both being forced to keep.

Checking the surroundings once more, he glanced back over to see Beth still sitting there with her shoulders braced for the backlash she must have assumed was coming her way. Not wanting to take his ire out on her undeservedly, Daryl attempted to pull a calming breath. The sexual frustration he was laboring under made the simple task difficult and he had to try even harder to reign himself in.

"This right here? This is what I'm talkin' about." He asserted as he motioned a hard line between them, "All this does is prove ta me that tha problem we've got here ain't gonna fix itself. Don't know 'bout you but I ain't used ta bein' tha center of attention, even when tha shit I do forces me ta be so. That bein' said, we gotta come ta some kind'a decision one way or another 'cause I ain't much one for skulking 'round in the bushes in hopes of not gettin' caught!"

With the problem he was referring to being her problem too, Beth stood up as well and put a hand to her chest. "Why are you saying that like I'm the one that has to decide? What do you want to do?"

"I don't fuckin' know..." He ground out angrily, feeling put on the spot and unable to help himself. This whole thing was rapidly spiraling beyond his control and he could feel himself losing it as it all became too much. "I ain't never had ta factor another person into my decision makin' before! Figured you'd tell me an' I'd jus' call it good!"

"Seriously, Daryl?" She huffed in exasperation, "I thought you said we were in this together? If it were up to me, I'd be standing in the middle of that camp site telling anyone who listened about my feelings for you... but it's not just up to me, is it? It's up to us! You don't get to bail out of making decisions just because it's difficult. We need to figure this out!"

Daryl could only stand there gritting his teeth in frustration, knowing that she was right but still finding it a hell of a tough pill to swallow. From the moment he had chosen to make her his own he had been dreading this day... the day when he would need to explain that choice to her sister and the others. Now that it was here he could barely wrap his head around it, even with the assertions he had made earlier trying to convince himself of otherwise.

Things had been a lot simpler when the two of them had been alone, that much was for damn sure. Back then, the chances of them finding the others had been so slim that they were practically nonexistent. The decisions he had made had been easy to justify, his conscience taking a back seat to his own wants and needs. Now, the thought of Maggie's reaction alone was enough to cause him to break out into a cold sweat.

All he could think about was the prying questions he was going to be asked, the judging stares he was going to receive. In a normal situation he'd be the first one to tell 'em all to go fuck themselves but that just wasn't an option here! These people cared about them… both of them... but they'd likely never forgive the fact that he took the youngest Greene girl under his wing and then proceeded to take advantage of her.

With no other choice, Beth was left standing there watching as his brain went through the motions, the pressure of the moment sending it into a tail spin where rational thought became damn near close to impossible. All he wanted was to find a way for them both to come out on the other side unscathed, to be accepted unconditionally by those who knew them for who they were and what they had...

"Daryl... just stop..." She interrupted quietly, sounding vaguely disappointed for having to do so. "You obviously don't know what we should do and I don't either. I just don't think it's fair that you'd put it all on me to decide for the both of us. I want to be with you… more so than I've ever had a chance to want anything in my life… but maybe it's best if we just keep things the way they are, at least for right now until the dust settles. That way, we can both take some time to think about it and not end up saying something to each other that we might regret."

Daryl could only stare at the ground... any meaningful sentiment he could've possibly come up with having checked out of his head a while ago. The good intentions from earlier had gone there with them, leaving him with nothing but a heavy heart and a goddamn belly full of rocks. When no response was forthcoming, Beth swallowed hard at her emotions and went to walk away, his perceived indifference making the short trek difficult. She was almost at the edge of the clearing when she stopped and turned around.

"Don't worry," She said quietly, "if Rick asks I'll just tell him that you preferred to be by yourself. Maybe that's how you feel about a lot of things and it's only right now that you're realizing it."

With that she disappeared into the brush, leaving him standing there completely and predictably at a loss. He wanted to stop her and say something… at this point he'd take anything… but the words was stuck there uselessly in his throat. It took her dropping out of sight for him to realize just how fucked up he had been.

By having her make the decision she'd also take all of the risk, therefore absolving him of most of the blame that would undoubtedly come down with it. For as much as they were in it together, he'd been looking for a way to ease his own conscious and had purposely chosen the most half assed way possible to go about doing it. It had been the equivalent of throwing her out there to the wolves and looking back on it now, he couldn't feel more like shit about it if he tried.

Knowing that she was disappointed in him was almost more than he could bear. For having seen the same look from others more times than he cared to admit, the last thing in the world that he ever wanted was to see it coming from her.

Beating himself up about it mercilessly, Daryl stormed off in the opposite direction, feeling pissed off and resentful at his own inability to express himself when it counted. Whatever unfortunate animal crossed his path was about to get the brunt end of his anger and at this point he didn't much give a fuck what it was.

When he was done, he'd go back to camp... he'd keep his feelings to himself and pretend that whatever piece of meat that he brought back with him had undoubtedly and unequivocally deserved it.

...

Thank you for reading!