Chapter Text
I cannot believe it, and before I know what I'm doing, I'm running with all my might toward him. Before he realizes what's happening, my arms are around Daryl, so happy to feel him and smell the familiar scent of him.
I feel one hand run through my hair, knocking off my cap, while the other rests on my back. I hear his happy voice say, "So you've been here all along, you little ass. I've been looking everywhere for you, been fucking worried you were dead!" But I don't care about what he's saying. I can't help but bury my head into his chest, feeling the warmth of his embrace.
I hadn't realized how much I needed this, how much I must have been holding back at the prison, not wanting to pull away ever.
This is what I wanted to do when he yelled at me; I just wanted him to hold me like this. I close my eyes, feeling him lift me up and say, "I see you got us some lunch," as he carries me inside. I feel a hand reaching for the rabbits I've tied to some string on my bag.
I stay in his arms for who knows how long. It seems Rick has woken up as well, which is good timing since I hear Carl yell, "Dad!" There's a huff, probably from Rick, and I imagine Carl running into him like I did with Daryl, but Rick's likely still weak. When I finally decide to open my eyes again, I see that we're inside the house. Daryl is sitting on the couch, just looking at me and smiling. I can't help but smile back, still sitting on his lap. It feels right, just nice to trust someone to look after me now that he's here and alive, not dead because of me.
I need to hug him again just thinking about that, hating how I thought he could be dead. I know now that I need him, and as I feel my eyes closing, a big weight seems to lift off of me as my mind starts to wander in to sleep.
And opened my eyes and saw that I was in a car now, hearing Daryl and Rick talking about where to go. I was just happy it wasn’t a dream. I sat up, realizing I had been slouching on the side of the car while I was asleep. Looking around, I was glad to see Daryl next to me, and Glenn and Maggie were smiling at me, noticing that I was awake. Carl was sitting with his dad on the seats on the opposite side of the vehicle, and T-Dog was driving. So no Carol, Hershel, or the inmates I never spoke to.
I really am bad with faces and names, but I’m glad that at least everyone in this car is now with me and Carl.
Daryl’s arm wrapped around my back, and I looked at him as he asked, “It’s good to see you’re awake. Where do you think we should go? I think we should head west and get away from all this mess, but Rick thinks we should stay around here and find another place to hold up.”
I started to sign “East,” partly because Daryl wants to go that way, but also just wanting to get away from all the trouble. We’re going to have to go far to escape the angry Governor’s men, and I’m not... going to tell any of them that I’m the one who killed the Governor and made them so angry, which is the reason Beth and Judith are dead well, not yet.
so sighed happily and snuggled into his embrace, giving in to the comfort and trying not to act like I didn’t need it, seeing Carl doing the same with his dad. I saw him sign “Are you okay?” to me without anyone else noticing, and I signed back, “Yes, happy your dad is awake and the others are alive and found us,” resting my head on Daryl’s shoulder.
Rick then laughed and said, “I’m happy to be awake and am thankful for you looking after Carl while I was… not in the right mind, I guess.” Carl replied, “Dad, I was on my own for like two weeks and did fine without him here. But I guess he taught me how to properly track and hunt, skin animals and boil water, even if it’s from a flowing stream. But I can still handle myself. I was the one looking after you while Luke just went out and didn’t help.”
Rick smiled and said, “I know. I’m very proud that you managed on your own. I can’t repay you for all you did for me when I was in a coma, but I’m just glad we’re all still together.
All we need to do is find Carol, Hershel, Michonne, Oscar, and Axel, and then we can properly decide where we’re going to go.”
Glenn finally butted in, as if he’d been forgotten, and said to all of us, “Don’t worry. Daryl’s been looking for Luke like a machine, up at 5 and searching for any sign of him until it got too dark. Then he’d just show up, and we’d move. He did the same for the last 4 weeks since we left in the RV and found him in less than 10 hours. You should be glad you were with Luke. He found you Carl and Rick, because of one of Luke’s bolts in a walker’s head, which led him here. So we’ll find the others if we have to.”
Daryl rubbed my head, and I instinctively swatted his hand away, with Glenn just smiling at me, and seemed happy but has not talk much.
But looking at Rick and Carl smiling at me and Daryl made me feel a little uncomfortable. Rick had never really smiled at me like that before. I signed, “Stop, it’s not like left a bolt on purpose. It was Daryl who did all the work. Me and Carl just sat around that farm house until you all found us.”
I remembered that only Carl, Rick, and Daryl could actually understand my signs, and I sighed, wishing I could talk. I hated not being able to say anything to half the group and just rested my head on Daryl’s shoulder, which was still giving me a half-hug.
Daryl smiled and said, “Well, it was all just chance. And I was looking for all of you, not just Luke.”
Glenn, Maggie, and even T-Dog, who was busy driving us who knows where, laughed at that. T-Dog said, “Yeah, sure, man; when we found you, the first thing you called out was Luke’s name, and When you found out he wasn’t here, it looked like you were going to kill us. You even threatened us for leaving without him."
Daryl sighed in annoyance, feeling his breath on me. He said, “Whatever, Luke was the only one I knew would survive on his own. That’s the only reason I was still looking for him the most... and I was still looking for the rest of you Rick and Carl,”
While looking at Rick and Carl. Rick just smiled and said, “Daryl, I would have been the same as you if it was Carl, so no worries. I’m just glad all of you made it out and are alive.”
Feeling Daryl’s hand wrap around me tighter, I saw him nod his head at Rick, knowing that the conversation was over. I, for one, was glad it was.
I didn’t care if Daryl was just looking for me—it didn’t even matter. I was just happy he found me and that we were together again.
I felt tired again, not realizing how exhausted I must have been hunting every day to feed three people. I snuggled closer to Daryl and closed my eyes, finding the vibration of the car and the warmth from Daryl calming and safe.