“How the hell is this comfortable to you?”

“Shut up. I’m trying to sleep.”

“No, you’re not. You’re trying to seduce me. It isn’t working.”

Daryl chuckled and went back to running his hand up and down my side. I was sitting up, making more arrows and fixing the ones he broke. We both looked up when Andrea came into the tent.

“Here. I brought you this. I thought you might like it.” She said, holding a book out to Daryl.

Daryl sat up slightly and took the book. He flicked it open and read what I assumed was the first page.

“I also came to say sorry. I didn’t mean to shoot you.” Andrea mumbled.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it. You were just trying to protect the group.” Daryl mumbled.

Andrea turned to walk away, but she stopped when Daryl spoke.

“Ya shoot me again ya best pray I’m dead.”

~

“Daryl, what are you doing?”

“Going to look for Sophia.”

“You’re still injured.”

“I don’t see you goin’ out there.”

I grabbed Daryl’s arm when he put a saddle on one of Hershel’s horses. He looked at me and sighed.

“I can’t just sit back and do nothin’.” He muttered.

“I know, Daryl, but you need to rest.” I whispered.

“She’s right, Daryl.” Someone said behind me.

I turned to see Carol. She took a step toward us, and I tucked myself into Daryl’s side.

“You can always look for Sophia after your wounds are healed.” She said.

“It’s your fault the brat is out there.” Daryl growled. “Why aint you lookin’ for her?”

“Because I’m not a tracker. I can’t tell the difference between a human footprint and a Walker’s. Why isn’t Meghan out there? I haven’t seen her try to find Sophia.”

“Don’t drag Meghan into this! There’s a reason why she aint out there!”

“And why is that? Because she’s too weak?”

“No! She aint out there ‘cause, unlike you, I aint losing the most important person in my life!”

Daryl yanked the saddle off of the horse and threw it to the side, flinching in pain.

“Stupid Bitch.” He growled, walking away with his hand on his side.

I led the horse back into its stable and glared at Carol. She simply glared back.

“Daryl’s giving Sophia all of his attention. He’s even injured, and he’s still searching for that damn little kid. How do you think I feel? Every ounce of his energy goes toward your brat. The only attention I’ve gotten is the time he’s been injured. You should have been the one that got chased away, not Sophia.” I snapped.

I ran after Daryl. He was almost to the tent when I caught up to him. He stopped when I hugged him from behind.

“Don’t be mad.” I pleaded.

“I heard what you said.” He whispered.

I lowered my arms, and he turned to face me. I looked up at his blue-green orbs.

“Do ya really think I focus only on Sophia?” He whispered.

“I only get attention at night. You leave me in the morning to go and look for Sophia.” I muttered.

He pulled me into a hug. “I’m so sorry.”

I buried my face in his chest. “I heard her scream.”

He froze. “What?”

“A couple of days before you guys got here, I heard a scream not far from here. I don’t know if it was her for sure, but it sounded like a child.”

He sighed and ran his hands up and down my back when I started crying. He kissed the top of my head after a few minutes, and I looked up at him as I wiped away my tears.

“Ya wanted to have a kid before shit went down, didn’t ya?” He asked.

I nodded slightly, and he smiled as he ran his thumbs under my eyes.

“Maybe someday, Megs. I’ll gladly have kids with ya.”

I smiled and stood on the tips of my toes to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around me and lifted me up so he didn’t have to bend down.

“What the hell is going on here?”

Daryl pulled me behind himself when Rick and Hershel came toward us, each of them holding onto a walker that they had caught with snares attached to the ends of metal poles. I pulled my knife free from its holster and held it tightly.

“This is what Hershel does with the Walkers. We know this.” Rick explained.

That ended in Shane killing both of the Walkers and opening up Hershel’s Walker infested barn. Daryl handed me a gun, and the both of us joined the others as they shot the Walkers who came out. I dropped mine when the last one stumbled outside.

Sophia, a large chunk of her neck missing and growls escaping her small lips, limped toward us. Daryl grabbed onto Carol as she tried to run to the now Walkerfied Sophia, the grieving mother crying out the child’s name as if it would turn her human again. Rick held his gun up and shot her once she reached a certain point, and her body fell to the ground.

~

“Megs, ya can’t stay in bed all day. Ya have to eat.”

“Go away.”

Daryl sighed and laid down beside me. I was cocooned in our sleeping bag. I was laying on my stomach.

“Megs, come on. Get some fresh air.” He pleaded.

“I said go away.” I hid my face in the pillow.

He moved so he was on top of me. He held himself up by propping up on his elbows, and he kissed my neck. I tried my best to ignore him as he attempted to coax me out of bed. He growled when I squirmed, and his hand slid underneath me.

“Don’t make me violate you.” He pleaded.

“Leave me alone.” I begged.

He rolled his eyes and moved his hand to my breast. I bit my lip when he squeezed my breast, holding back a moan I knew he was wanting to hear.

“Ya won’t be getting any attention if ya keep acting like a child.” He whispered, his breath warming my ear.

I let out a soft moan as he continued his actions, and I could feel him smirk against my neck. We both froze when we heard a scream.

“What time is it?” I whispered.

“It got dark a little while ago.” Daryl muttered.

“Dale!” Several voices screamed.

Daryl was off of me in the next second. I grabbed my knife and followed him as he ran toward the others. I slowed to a stop before I reached him. Dale laid there in the grass, a dead Walker less than a foot away from him, and his organs were exposed. He struggled to breathe as he looked at me, and he reached his hand out. I shook my head and backed away, fear running through my veins. Daryl grabbed onto me and pulled me into his arms.

I couldn’t take my eyes off of Dale.

“Someone help him!” Andrea pleaded.

Rick aimed his revolver at Dale’s head, and his hand started shaking. Daryl reached out and took the gun. He aimed it at Dale again and hesitated. I placed my hand over his and leaned back against him.

“Sorry, Brother.” Daryl muttered.

He pulled the trigger, and the sound echoed in my head for the next four hours. Daryl held me close while he tried to get me to talk as we laid in the bed we had been in while he was injured, but the words that were on the tip of my tongue wouldn’t form into sounds.

“Please say somethin’, Megs.” He begged.

I buried my face in his chest and shook my head. He sighed and kissed my forehead when I looked up at him.

“I understand that he was some kind of Dad to ya, but he wouldn’t want ya acting like this.” He said.

I moved to hide my face between his neck and his shoulder. He gasped when I kissed his neck, and a low moan soon escaped his lips.

“M-Megs, don’t.” He muttered.

I ignored him and sucked on his skin. He moaned louder and covered his mouth with his hand. I growled and pinned his hand down.

“Megs, please. Can’t you wait until we’re somewhere safe?” He asked.

“We are safe. We’re inside.” I grumbled.

“The door isn’t locked.”

“Then get your ass up and go lock it.”

He stared at me for a second before kissing me. I smiled when he pulled away.

“I love you.” He whispered.

I sat up and straddled him. He propped himself up on his elbows.

“Say it again.” I pleaded.

He smiled. “I love you, Megs.”

I grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him toward me. I crushed my lips to his, and his arms wrapped around me as he sat up more. His lips moved to my neck when I broke our kiss.

“I love you, too.”