Overpass

The moment Daryl disappeared into the woods, I felt the weight of my everything settle over me like a lead blanket. My chest ached with the things I should have said differently, the ways I should have handled it better. I wanted to go after him. To take it all back.

But it was too late.

I stood there, frozen, watching the trees swallow him whole. My throat was tight, my breath unsteady. I blinked rapidly, willing away the tears burning behind my eyes. I couldn't let myself cry - not now, not in front of everyone.

I could hear the sound of familiar boots crunching on gravel, and before I could wipe my face, they were there.

Glenn. Maggie. Carol.

They emerged from the trees just as Daryl disappeared into them, their expressions shifting to concern the moment they saw me.

Maggie’s eyes darted between me and the woods, reading the situation instantly.

“What happened?” she asked, her voice careful but urgent.

“Where’s Daryl?” Glenn chimed in.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I shook my head, but it did nothing to stop the tears that finally spilled down my cheeks.

I hated this. Hated how easily I crumbled when it came to Daryl. Carol was the first to move. She didn’t ask any questions, didn’t push for an explanation. She just walked straight to me, wrapping her arms around me without hesitation.

The moment she touched me, something in me broke. I gripped onto her like a lifeline, my body shaking with silent sobs.

She held me tight, her hand running soothingly up and down my back like she had done so many times before with others who needed it.

“He gone?”

I nodded my head against her shoulder.

“He’ll come back,” she tried to reassure me, her voice calm, certain. “He just needs time.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. “What if he doesn’t?”

Carol pulled back just enough to look at me, her hands resting on my arms. “Athena.” Her voice was steady. “Daryl won't leave you. Ever.”

I wanted to believe her. I really did.

Maggie and Glenn exchanged a look, clearly unsure whether to press the issue.

Carol must have sensed it because she spoke again, this time directing her words at them as well. “Let’s give her a minute.”

I shook my head quickly. “No - I’m fine.”

My voice wavered, making it clear I wasn’t. I sniffed, wiping at my face, trying to regain some semblance of composure.

“Just tell me about the base. Anything left?”

Glenn hesitated before answering. “We... found something we weren’t expecting.”

Maggie stepped closer. “We think we found a lead,” she told me, “on Beth. And Merle.”

The air seemed to shift.

I swallowed, my pulse quickening.

“What do you mean?”

“At the base,” Glenn said slowly. “We found a trail - footprints. A campsite.”

Maggie’s hands clenched into fists at her sides. “Three people,” she said. “One smaller. One bigger. One in between.”

“Three?” I asked, confused.

“I know,” Maggie said plainly, “but there was something else. “Beth’s bracelet.” She held up a dainty gold chain.

My mouth gawped open.

“We followed the trail far as we could,” Glenn continued, “but we lost it near the mountains.”

A flicker of something dangerous and fragile sparked inside me.

“Do you think it’s really them?” I whispered, barely able to get the words out.

“We’re heading back out tomorrow,” Glenn said. “We thought Daryl would be able to track it further.”

Carol was still standing close, her presence steady beside me. I felt her squeeze my arm, a silent reminder that I wasn’t alone.

Maggie’s voice softened, tears in her eyes now. “I really think it could be them.”

I glanced toward the woods, toward the place where Daryl had disappeared. The ache in my chest hadn’t gone away, but now, there was something else. Something that cut through the fear.

Hope.

Maybe, just maybe, we were finally getting closer.

~

I barely slept.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Daryl disappearing into the woods, the pain in his face, the way he wouldn't even look at me. I kept replaying it, wishing I’d done something – anything - differently.

The sky was just starting to lighten when I finally gave up trying. I sat, arms wrapped around myself, staring into the trees. Watching. Waiting.

I felt him before I saw him.

The rustling of leaves. The shift in the air.

Daryl stepped out from the trees like a ghost returning from the past. His hair was damp with sweat, his clothes dirt-streaked, his crossbow slung over his shoulder.

Our eyes met, and for a second, I thought maybe things would be okay.

But then he looked away.

He walked past me without a word, heading straight for the fire pit where Glenn and Maggie were already stirring. The ache in my chest deepened.

I swallowed hard, pushing myself to my feet.

Glenn sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Daryl.”

Daryl gave him a nod, crouching near the dying embers of last night’s fire. He didn’t look at me.

Carol glanced between us, her expression unreadable. “Glad you’re back.”

Daryl grunted. “Ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

I exhaled shakily, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from saying something stupid. Something desperate.

Maggie stood up, running a hand through her hair. “You should eat something,” she told Daryl. “We’ve got a lot to go over.”

He didn’t argue, but his movements were stiff as he took the food Glenn handed him, eyeing Maggie suspiciously.

I sat down across from him, feeling the weight of the space between us.

“They found something,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

His head lifted just enough for me to see his eyes, guarded but listening.

Maggie took over. “At the base. A campsite – tracks we think could belong to Beth and Merle. Someone else with them, too. I’m sure we found Beth’s bracelet.”

Daryl stopped chewing.

Glenn leaned forward. “We lost the trail in the mountains, but it was fresh enough. We think it could be them.”

Silence stretched.

Daryl’s fingers tightened around the piece of jerky in his hand. When he finally spoke, his voice was rough. “And y’all waited to tell me now?”

“You weren’t here.” Maggie said firmly.

Daryl’s gaze flicked to me for half a second, I saw a hint of regret.

Carol spoke before I could. “We're heading back. But we needed you.”

Daryl exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. He looked exhausted, but something flickered in his expression. Focus. Purpose.

He stood abruptly. “I’ll find the trail.”

Maggie nodded, already gathering her things. Glenn grabbed his pack. Carol squeezed my arm lightly as she passed.

Daryl lingered for a moment, still not looking at me directly.

I wanted to say something. To fix whatever was broken between us.

But the words caught in my throat.

Instead, I grabbed my pack, and we followed him into the trees.

~

Daryl led the way, his movements sharp and precise, like a blade cutting through the underbrush. The others followed close behind, but I kept my distance, watching him.

None of us had spoken since we left. Not really.

We’d made it past the base now, edging further toward the mountains.

The sun burned through the trees, casting long shadows over the damp forest floor. The air was thick with the smell of earth and pine, but all I could focus on was the tension stretching between me and Daryl - pulled taut like a wire ready to snap.

He crouched suddenly, fingers brushing the dirt. “Came this way,” he muttered.

Glenn moved closer. “How can you tell?”

Daryl jerked his chin toward a broken branch. “Someone heavy stepped on that. Bigger prints, deeper in the mud.” His gaze shifted to another spot, near the tree line. “Smaller prints, lighter. Then there’s your third right there.”

Maggie inhaled sharply. “Beth.”

Daryl nodded but didn’t look at her. He just stood, adjusting the strap of his crossbow before moving forward.

I hesitated before following.

Carol slowed her pace to walk beside me, keeping her voice low. “You okay?”

I nodded stiffly, but the look she gave me said she didn’t believe it.

Up ahead, Daryl’s shoulders were rigid, his jaw locked. Every time I opened my mouth to say something, the words felt wrong.

Instead, I focused on the ground, on the footprints barely visible in the dirt. A trail I wasn’t convinced would lead to anything good.

Daryl stopped again, crouching near a tree where the bark had been scraped away. His fingers traced the markings, and for a moment, I saw something shift in his expression - hope, maybe.

Then it was gone.

“Someone rested here,” he murmured. “Fire pit’s cold. Maybe a few days old.”

“Then they’re close - if it’s them?” Maggie asked.

Daryl nodded once, standing again. His eyes lingered on me for barely a second before he turned away.

We kept moving, the space between us feeling like it was growing wider with every step.

~

Daryl was relentless as we continued following what we hoped was Merle and Beth’s trail. He crouched low, examining every broken branch, every faint indentation in the dirt. His fingers brushed the earth like it could speak to him, like he could coax the truth from the silence of the woods.

I followed in tense silence, the air between us thick with everything unsaid. The weight of what I’d seen in his old home still sat heavy on my chest, the fact he still hadn’t spoken to me even heavier.

Maggie walked a few paces ahead, eager, hopeful. I knew she was imagining the moment she’d see Beth again. The moment she’d know for sure that her sister was alive. I didn’t have the heart to remind her that finding a trail didn’t mean we’d find Beth at the end of it.

The trees thinned out near an abandoned gas station at a crossroads. The pumps were long dry, the convenience store looted to the bones. Glenn checked inside anyway, his flashlight beam sweeping through the shattered windows. Nothing.

“Daryl,” Carol called quietly, pointing at the asphalt.

Blood. Old, dried. A splatter near the edge of the lot, leading toward the treeline.

Daryl frowned, moving closer. His fingers brushed the cracked pavement near the largest stain, his jaw tightening.

Maggie swallowed hard. “Is it-?”

“Old,” Daryl murmured. “At least a month.”

I exhaled shakily. It wasn’t a great sign, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad one either.

Then we found the first walker.

It was slumped against a rusted-out car, its face half-eaten, ribs exposed where something - someone - had torn into it. It was been wearing a military jacket, the patches barely visible beneath the gore.

“I’ve got it,” Glenn muttered. Driving his knife through its skull.

A few more staggered into view. Daryl took them out with his crossbow before they even got close. He gathered his bolts, pulling them from the walker’s heads and wiping them on his pants.

Carol studied something on the ground. “Here.”

Footprints. Leading away from the gas station, deeper into the woods.

Daryl barely hesitated. He took off, and we followed.

~

We walked for hours. The deeper we went, the quieter the forest became, like even the birds knew to stay away. The tracks led us to the outskirts of a town - if you could call it that. A few crumbling buildings, a rusted-out water tower, and an old overpass, partially collapsed.

Daryl stopped suddenly.

He was staring at the overpass. Or, more specifically, beneath it.

There, half-hidden by fallen debris, was a faint path leading underground.

Carol exhaled. “They went in there..?”

Maggie looked around, shifting on her feet. “This... doesn’t feel right.”

It didn’t. I could feel it, too.

Then, movement in the trees. We readied our weapons.

A man - thin, wild-eyed, a rifle slung across his back. He seemed startled when he saw us, but he didn’t run.

“You ain’t from around here,” he said, voice hoarse.

Daryl lowered his crossbow slightly. “We’re looking for some people.”

The man gave a humorless laugh. “Yeah. Good luck with that.”

Glenn frowned. “What do you mean?”

The man glanced at the overpass. His hands twitched, nervous. He shifted on his feet, glancing over his shoulder like he expected someone - or something - to be watching. His fingers twitched near the strap of his rifle.

He let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "People come through, lookin’ for somethin’, then they’re gone.."

Glenn exchanged a wary look with Carol. "Looking for what?"

The man hesitated, licking his cracked lips. "The Buried," he said finally.

I felt a chill crawl up my spine. "Who?"

He exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. "A group," he muttered. "Live underground. Down there.” His eyes flicked to the path leading into the overpass. “Nobody knows how many. Nobody sees ‘em. But you hear things. People go in, and they disappear."

Daryl tensed. "You seen ‘em yourself?"

The man shook his head. "Hell no. I ain’t stupid." He hesitated, then added, "But I did hear somethin’ a couple days back. Some new people around here.”

My stomach twisted.

"Did any of them have one hand?" I asked quietly.

The man hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. One hand. Mean look about him."

Merle. It had to be.

“Was there a girl with him? Blonde?” Maggie asked desperately.

The man shrugged.

Daryl steadied himself, fists clenching. “Anybody seen him since?”

The man’s eyes darkened. “No.”

That was all we needed.

We followed the lead, moving fast, ignoring the warnings.

If Beth and Merle were down there, we were getting them out.

Even if it meant running into a situation we weren’t prepared for.

~

We reloaded our guns as we went, following the path leading into the underpass until we reached a hatch in the ground.

Glenn tested it - it wasn’t locked. That alone made me wary. Safe places didn’t stay safe for long in this world. If people were down there, they weren’t trying to keep others out. That wasn’t a good sign.

We exchanged glances. Then Daryl pushed forward, crossbow ready. I stayed close behind, my fingers tight around my Smith & Wesson. Maggie, Glenn and Carol following.

The air grew colder as we descended a stone staircase. At the bottom, a long, narrow tunnel led to a heavy steel door standing slightly ajar. Daryl pushed it open.

The room beyond was larger than I expected. A repurposed fallout shelter, maybe. Sleeping mats were scattered across the concrete floor. A few makeshift wooden partitions created a weak illusion of privacy. Lanterns hung from hooks in the ceiling, casting uneven shadows over the survivors huddled inside.

A dozen pairs of eyes turned to us.

And then -

“Maggie?”

The voice was hoarse, strained, but unmistakable.

Beth.

She stood near the back of the room, eyes wide, lip split, a bruising shadow on her cheek. She looked thinner, paler - but she was here.

Maggie surged forward, closing the distance in seconds. She grabbed her sister, crushing her into a desperate hug. Beth clung to her, breathing heavily.

“Oh my God,” Maggie whispered. “I thought- I thought- ”

Beth just held on tighter.

Then-

“Well, well. Y’all really don’t know when to quit, do ya?”

My stomach leapt at the sound of that voice.

Quickly, Daryl turned.

Merle leaned against the far wall, smirking. His face was gaunt, his face more scarred, his shirt torn and stained, but the biggest difference was his right arm.

His metal prosthetic was gone. Lost at Terminus, just like Carol had said.

The stump, jagged and scarred, was all that remained.

Daryl edged forward, his breath hitching. His crossbow dropped an inch, and his face - God, I’d never seen an expression like that on him before.

For a second, Merle just looked at him.

Then he snorted, shaking his head. “C’mon, baby brother, you gonna keep gawkin’ or you gonna say somethin’?”

Daryl didn’t say anything. He just grabbed Merle and yanked him into a fierce, back-breaking hug.

I had never seen Daryl hug his brother. Not once.

Merle went stiff for half a second before chuckling, slapping Daryl’s back with his good hand. “Alright, alright, don’t go gettin’ all sappy on me.” But his voice was gruff, thick with something he’d never admit to.

Glenn snapped out of his stunned trance. “We thought you were dead.”

The memory of what Merle had done to him and Maggie at Woodbury flickered in my mind, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

Merle shrugged. “Yup. Ya happy to see me?”

Beth stepped closer before Glenn could respond. “He saved me.”

Maggie’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“You came through the front door,” An older woman with a shaved head interrupted, her lips curling deviously. “That tells me you’re either desperate, or damn foolish.”

Daryl straightened, raising his crossbow in anticipation. “We came for them.”

Her eyes flicked to Beth and Merle, then back to us.

“This ain’t a place you just leave,” she warned.

My skin prickled. “So we heard.” I sneered.

Beth’s hand curled around my wrist.

Carol’s jaw tightened. “Why the hell not?”

Merle snorted. “It’s the only way she can make friends.”

“You kill people who try to leave?” Glenn directed at the woman.

“Now you’re catching on.” She replied, eyeing him up and down.

Merle stretched his shoulders like he was settling in for a fight.

“Figured we’d need a little backup gettin’ outta here,” he said. “Good thing y’all showed up.”

Daryl shook his head, stepping closer to his brother. “How the hell did you end up here?”

Merle’s smirk faltered just a little.

“Let’s just say, we fucked up.” he muttered.

The silence after Merle’s words was thick, suffocating. These Buried assholes really were captors – just like the man had told us. It wouldn’t have stopped us following Merle and Beth down here – but now they weren’t the only ones trapped.

Daryl’s grip on his crossbow tightened, his jaw flexing as he took in the space.

I scanned the room. Roughly a dozen people - some wary, some empty-eyed, all watching us like we were already dead.

The woman with the shaved head folded her arms, an unsettling smirk pulling at her lips.

“You got guts,” she mused. “I’ll give you that.”

“Yeah?” Daryl’s voice was low, dangerous. “And what you got?”

Her smirk widened. “Numbers.”

The moment the word left her lips, I heard it - the shuffle of feet, the metallic click of guns being readied.

More of them.

I turned my head slightly, just enough to see shadows shifting beyond the entrance. Figures moving into position.

A trap.

Merle snorted. “Well, hell, sweetheart. If we’d known we were in for a party, we woulda brought a cake.”

The woman’s smirk didn’t falter. “Shame you won’t be around to enjoy it.”

I barely had time to react before she reached for the gun strapped to her hip.

Daryl moved first.

His crossbow snapped up, an arrow slicing the air - hitting its mark.

The woman crumpled, the smirk wiped clean off her face.

The room exploded into chaos.

Gunfire cracked through the underground chamber, echoing off the concrete walls. I ducked low, firing at the nearest threat - a man lunging forward with a rusted crowbar. My bullet hit home, and he collapsed.

Maggie pulled Beth behind her, shielding her sister as she fired at another approaching figure. Glenn was at her side, knife flashing as he cut down an attacker who got too close.

Merle was using his one good hand to swing a broken chair leg at a man’s skull. “Told ya we’d be leavin’ soon.” He spat at him after the metal collided.

Carol moved fast, taking down a second attacker before they could reach me.

Daryl was a force of nature.

He fired an arrow, swung his crossbow into someone’s face, then turned to reload without missing a beat.

I moved to cover him, taking down another Buried member who rushed forward. “We need to get to the exit!”

Daryl nodded, but his eyes flicked to Merle and Beth. “Go! Get them out!”

I didn’t argue. I grabbed Beth’s arm, pulling her toward the tunnel.

“Noah!” Beth yelled, before a young African-American man with short curly hair reached us, holding the bloody crowbar in his hand.

Okay. Apparently he was on our side.

Beth grabbed his arm and dragged him into the tunnel, toward the stone staircase. Maggie and Glenn followed, covering us as we pushed through the narrow passage.

We’d made it half-way, before a deafening explosion rocked the underground.

The blast was sudden, violent. Dust and debris rained from the ceiling as the walls trembled. A section of the tunnel collapsed ahead, cutting off the way we came.

Were these idiots really desperate enough to keep us here that they were blowing up their own home?

Beth let out a strangled gasp. “Oh my God-”

Maggie pulled her close, shielding her from falling debris.

“Where’s Daryl!” I couldn’t help but cry out.

“He’s coming!” Glenn yelled. “We need another way out!”

Merle coughed through the dust. “Back tunnels. We scouted ‘em before - ain’t pretty, but they lead topside.”

Daryl appeared into view, my heart leaping to see him unhurt. “Then let’s move.” Turning to follow the tunnel in the opposite direction.

As we ran by the door we’d just left through, I felt it...

A hand, cold and iron-tight, clamping around my wrist.

I spun - too late.

One of The Buried had me. A man, much bigger than me, stronger. He yanked me back, knocking my gun from my grasp.

I struggled, kicking, clawing, but he was dragging me into the shadows. Away from the others.

Then suddenly, he was gone.

A knife sank deep into his throat. Blood sprayed.

Daryl.

He had appeared out of nowhere, knife in hand, eyes wild. He wrenched the blade free and shoved the man’s body aside like trash.

My chest heaved, my pulse frantic.

His hand found mine.

For a second, I thought he was going to let go again. That maybe the distance, the tension between us, would hold him back.

But he didn’t.

He squeezed tight. Solid. Steady.

“C’mon,” he said, voice strained, pulling me forward.

I felt like I could cry. Despite everything weighing on us, he still had my back. Like always.

The tunnels were cramped, barely wide enough to move through. The air was thick with dust and smoke from the explosion.

Beth coughed, leaning on Maggie as we pushed forward.

“Almost there,” Glenn urged.

Daryl led the way, one hand gripping mine, the other holding his crossbow ready.

Then, ahead...

Light.

Faint, but real.

An exit.

We moved faster.

We reached the opening - an old maintenance hatch. Rusted, but still functional.

Daryl and Glenn worked together to force it open. The metal groaned, resisting before finally budging

Cool air flooded in.

We climbed out one by one, emerging into the open world. The ruins of the overpass loomed above us, skeletal remains of a forgotten time.

But we were out.

We had Beth.

We had Merle.

We had some new guy.

We were free.

Daryl turned back, scanning the tunnel one last time. He exhaled, shoving his crossbow onto his back.

I didn’t say anything. And we didn’t reach for each other again. But our eyes met for a few seconds before he took up his place back at the front of the group.

~

We moved quickly, uncertain whether any of the Buried members were on our tail. In the chaos of our escape, it wasn’t clear how many of them remained.

We didn’t venture back through the woods, didn’t bother heading back to our old camp – we didn’t need to. We’d got what we came for – Beth and Merle - and now we could start the journey back to Rick and the others.

We stuck to the roads, searching for vehicles. We’d need two now. Our group of five had turned into a group of eight. I still couldn’t quite believe we’d done it.

It was a couple of hours before we found anything old enough to be hotwired. We came across a beat-up Dodge Challenger first of all, it’s red paint almost pink after being left in the sun since the fall. Maggie, Glenn, Beth and Noah hopped in, cruising slowly ahead of us as Daryl, Merle, Carol and I continued on foot. It wasn’t long until we found our own ride – an old-school green Jeep. We piled into it, relieved that all eight of us now had wheels, and drove well into the night.

The journey was quiet, all of us exhausted, processing the events of the day. Any sounds that could be heard were mainly whistles and cursewords from Merle – giddy at being free once again.

Eventually, we pulled up in convoy to a small country inn.

Daryl climbed out and hammered on the doors, checking for walkers, eyes scanning the area around the building.

“Seems good.” He hollered at the rest of us who were now emerging from the vehicles.

We entered cautiously, sweeping each room armed with torches before barricading the front entrance, satisfied that we would be safe here for the night.

We all congregated in what must have been the breakfast room, eager to swap stories by torchlight about what had happened since the prison fell. Merle and Beth knew nothing of where the rest of us had been, and we were just as curious to hear how they’d ended up with The Buried.

Daryl stood with his back against the wall, one foot propped up, like he didn’t know what to do with himself.

We told them about our run-in with The Claimers, our time at Terminus, and eventually Gabriel’s church – where we would be taking them back to.

Now it was time for Merle and Beth to spill their own story.

“I found your hand at Terminus.” Carol told Merle, rubbing her feet.

“Bastards took it off me,” Merle muttered. “Figured I’d make a good slab of meat for their little operation.” He smirked. “Ain’t got much use for a stubborn sonuvabitch that bites back, though. Got out before they could finish the job.” He gestured to Beth and Noah. “These two helped a little.”

Beth scoffed. “Yeah... Just a little eh Merle?”

“Okay. So they might’a escaped from the boxcar and saved my ass while I was being dragged to have my head smashed in ‘n’ turned into dinner.” He nodded at Noah. “This one bashed the two losers holding me’s heads in with a railroad spike. Didn’t know he had it in ‘im.”

“A railroad spike?” Glenn asked Noah, looking amused.

“I’m nothing if not resourceful,” Noah smiled shyly.

“Hold up.” I interrupted. “You need to go back. Where did they take you in the car Beth? And how did you end up back with Merle?” I looked at Noah. “And where did you come from?”

“It’s a long story,” Beth started. They took me to a hospital. Grady Memorial. I was there a while, Noah was too. We tried to escape but I got caught. Noah got away. He ran into Merle who said he was looking for me and together they came back to get me.”

Merle made a mocking bow. “Rescued her sorry ass from those pigs. Thought about leavin’ her behind, but hell, figured I’d better be the hero.” He smirked at Maggie, who still stared at Beth like she couldn’t believe she was real.

“Wow, Merle. You’ve really manned up.” Carol teased snidely.

“I'm all man baby.” He leered at her, raising his eyebrows. “Always have been.”

“I got shot.” Beth continued, pulling down her shirt to reveal a scar on her shoulder. “Blacked out. Next thing I know, I’m in the back of a truck, bleeding out.” She glanced at Merle and Noah. “These two were there when I woke up.”

Daryl’s expression wavered as he looked at his brother, torn between disbelief and something deeper.

“How did you find her? After the funeral home?” I asked Merle. “How did you know where she’d been taken?”

“Saw another’a those damn cars. Cross on the back. Followed it. Thought I was comin’ after both’a ya.”

I felt my stomach twist. Merle had assumed they’d got both of us there. He didn’t know I’d escaped the car and gone back for him.

“I got free.” I told him. “I came back for you... you were already gone.”

“Well shit.” He laughed. “I knew ya liked me.”

“Then ya came back here?” Daryl finally spoke, tone laced with something I couldn’t put my finger on.

“We looked for you. All of you. Searched everywhere we could think of before Merle brought up heading back this way to scour the military base.” Beth answered.

“Still knew how to get in and out undetected.” Merle tapped his nose. “Used to sneak outta there to meet my bitches after dark.”

“We were looking for supplies.” Noah chimed in. “It was all gone though. But we met a guy, he told us he had a safe place we could hole up at for a few days, regroup, before we headed back to look for you guys again.”

“Asshole lead us right into that underpass.” Merle sneered.

“What? You just followed him blindly?” Maggie asked, frowning.

“Let’s just say I knew him from a past life.” Merle countered, “Thought I could trust him.”

“Well,” Carol exclaimed. “You’re here now. Soon we’all rejoin the others. Everything’s worked out.”

The group mumbled in agreement, exhaustion creeping in now.

We left the breakfast room, Maggie and Beth ducking into one bedroon,  Glenn and Noah in another. Merle insisted he ‘didn’t need no babysitter’ and headed off in search of a penthouse suite... which I was pretty sure country inns didn't have.

Daryl and I were left standing awkwardly in the hall. He didn’t look at me, and my heart started thumping in my chest. I was too scared to ask if he wanted his own room, knowing it would break my heart if he said yes.

After a few awkward moments, he reached for my hand, fingers grazing mine gently before pulling away. He ducked into an empty room, leaving the door open behind him for me to follow.

My pulse throbbed. He did want me with him.

This was the first night we’d be spending completely alone together since the prison. Sure, we’d had the brief, drunken rendezvous in Gabriel’s office, but it was short-lived, rushed, over too soon. We were quickly back out in the main church, sleeping on wooden pews surrounded by the rest of the group.

No part of me expected intimacy in that way tonight.

Daryl was different, more guarded than I’d ever seen him. The exposure of his past dragging him back into himself. In a way, it felt like we were back at square one.

He laid down on the bed, waiting for me to join him before flicking off the torch. We rested next to each other for a long time, untouching, in silence.

The bed beneath me felt cold.

The whole damn room was.

We'd barricaded the main doors, cleared each room, made sure this place was as safe as it could be. But there was nothing safe about the distance between me and Daryl.

He was right there, just inches away, his back to me, breathing slow and steady. But I knew he wasn’t asleep.

I turned onto my side, watching the shape of his shoulders rise and fall in the dim moonlight that filtered through the window. I longed to touch him, but I didn’t.

I swallowed. “We found them”

He tensed. Just barely.

“I know you already know that.” I continued, trying to keep my voice steady. “But... it’s still sinking in, y’know?”

Silence.

I exhaled softly. “He saved Beth.”

A pause. Then, rough and quiet - “Yeah.”

I studied the back of his head, the strands of hair falling messily against his neck. “Does it feel real to you?”

A long beat. Then - “Nah.”

His voice was tight. Distant. Like he was somewhere else entirely.

I hesitated, then finally asked, “Are you angry at me?”

A long moment passed.

“Mhmh.” He finally breathed quietly in confirmation.

It wasn’t loud. Wasn’t cruel.

But it still hurt.

I blinked away the tears threatening my eyes. “For following you?”

Silence. Then – “Mhmh.” He repeated.

Daryl speak for yes.

“I had to.”

“Ya didn’t.” His voice was low, coarse. “Ya didn’t have to do nothin’.”

I frowned, though he couldn’t see it. “What was I supposed to do? I was worried about you...”

Daryl let out a breath, slow and quiet.

For a long moment, neither of us spoke.

“I dunno know how to look at ya.”

His voice was barely a whisper.

My chest ached. “What do you mean?”

Daryl swallowed thickly, his fingers flexing against the sheet. “Ya saw that place. The way I was-” He cut himself off, shaking his head. “I dunno how to be.”

I inched closer, voice soft. “Because you think I see you differently?”

His breathing went uneven.

I reached out, fingers brushing his shoulder.

“I don’t,” I told him honestly, but I could tell he didn’t believe me.

He didn’t speak for a while. I stroked my thumb against his neck, waiting.

“Ya see it?” He asked nervously.

I knew he meant the book.

I considered lying, trying to save him more torment, but what was the point?

“Yes.”

I could actually feel his eyes clenching shut in unwarranted shame.

I tightened my grip on his him, my fingers pressing into his shoulder. “Daryl, Whatever happened to you - it wasn’t your fault.”

“Well now ya know.” He sighed, defeated.

“I think I already knew,” I whispered. “It doesn’t change anything.”

“It does.”

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “Why does it?”

“I didn’t want ya to know about that shit.” His voice was raw, unsteady. “Ain’t sumthin’ I wanna talk about."

I hesitated. “You don’t have to talk about it. But you don’t have to carry it alone either.”

Daryl let out a bitter, humorless laugh. “Ain’t got much choice.”

“That’s not true. You have me.”

Silence.

“Ya saw...”

He trailed off. The words were barely audible.

I waited, my chest tightening.

“Ya saw how I lived,” he tried again, voice breaking. “Saw who I was.” He shook his head. “Ya shouldn’t wanna touch me.”

My heart clenched.

“Daryl-”

He pulled away, curling further in on himself. “Ya deserve better.”

I swallowed hard. “You don’t get to decide that for me.”

He let out a shaky breath. “I was nothin’,” he rasped. “Nothin’ but dirt. Ain’t never had a goddamn thing that wasn’t rotten.” His breath hitched. “Been kiddin’ myself I can be good enough for ya. But it was bullshit. And now ya know.”

I took a deep breath.

“You’re more than good enough for me... You’re the bravest, most incredible person I've ever met.”

Daryl let out a shuddering breath, his body tight with tension.

“Have you forgotten the things I did before?” I reminded him. “Who I was? Did that change how you felt about me?”

I slid my hand down, lacing my fingers with his. He didn’t pull away, but he didn’t grip back either.

“It's different.”

“It isn’t,” I squeezed his hand gently. “I wouldn’t ever want you to be anyone other than who you are.”

His fingers twitched around mine.

I grabbed his hand tighter, inching up and pulling him over onto his back, forcing him to face me as I leaned over him.

“I love you. All of you.” I reached out and held his face with my free hand. “Nothing will ever change that.”

His eyes looked into mine for the first time since we’d laid here. Even in the dim moonlight, I could see the pain in them, the turmoil. He looked so lost.

“Ath.” He breathed after a few moments, his lip quivering slightly. It broke my heart. “Ya...”

I waited, but no more words came.

“I love you.” I told him again.

He closed his eyes, almost like he couldn’t bear to hear it.

“I love you.” I repeated, louder, more forcefully.

He opened his eyes, gaze fixed downward, but I saw the emotion threatening to escape.

“Why?” he whispered, his voice breaking.

I brushed a stray hair from his face, waiting until he finally looked at me. “Because I couldn’t think of anybody else in this whole world - before or after it all went to shit - that I’d rather have by my side.”

His breath hitched, his fingers tightening around mine. I could feel the battle raging inside him - the instinct to push me away warring with the part of him that wanted, maybe even needed, to believe me.

I wouldn’t let him run from this. Not from me.

“Daryl,” I whispered. “You don’t have to understand it. Just let me love you.”

His chest rose sharply, and for a long moment, he didn’t move. Then, with a shaky exhale, he turned his face into my touch, letting his nose brush against my palm.

His voice was so quiet I almost missed it.

“Ain’t sure I know how.”

My thumb traced slow circles against his cheek. “Then let me show you.”

A/N: How do you feel about this chapter? I’d love to know! I was torn between having Daryl pull away or not - after Athena learned more of his past. Thank you as always for your votes and comments. ❤️