Dead or alive, I love you

4.16 A

"You had someone?" Joe asks as he's only awake with Daryl.

"A girlfriend," Daryl says thinking about Genny.

"What happened to her?" Joe asks curious about Daryl's life.

"She got sick with some type of flu. Died before I could return with the medicines. I had to end it," Daryl lies.

He had to leave Genny as he knew for sure that she wasn't breathing. But he couldn't end it fully, the thought of her being a walker, locked in a cel. It haunts him and he regrets not ending it when he could've.

Genny listens in a few trees away to the lies Daryl has been feeding the Claimers. It's been two weeks since she caught up with him. She has been waiting for him to shed this group but as time goes on he keeps with them.

"That sucks, man," Joe sighs looking at the fire.

The next day she wakes up when they're long gone. But it doesn't matter as she tracks them by day and sleeps through the mornings. She walks with the walkers as she tracks Daryl to a road.

She stops as she hears Rick's voice followed by Joe's. "No," she breaths out.

She kills her walkers and follows the noises until she's at the brim of the woods. She sees Daryl being beaten up, Carl is on the ground being held down by Dan while Lou holds Michonne at gun point.

Rick is fighting Joe until Joe holds him against him. "What you gonna do now, sport?" He asks Rick.

Rick looks at Joe with a regretting face before biting his throat out. Joe falls to the ground and Genny takes her chances grabbing her bow and arrow from her back.

She shoots one of the guys that's beating Daryl making him fall to the ground. The others shoot around to the woods where the arrow came from.

Daryl's on the ground coughing as another arrow shoots into one of the guys. Daryl looks at the arrows before grabbing his knife and driving it into the last guys leg.

The guy falls on the ground but still manages to kick Daryl in the face. An arrow shoots into the guy's temple and he goes limp.

Daryl turns to his back still coughing while Rick holds his gun out to the woods, "step out! Now!" He yells.

"Calm down, it's me," Genny says walking out with an arrow ready.

Dan tries to run to Rick but Genny shoots him making him fall to the ground. "Genny?" Carl asks as he runs to her.

She hugs him and he holds onto her. Daryl coughs again making Genny pull out of their hug. She pulls her hood down as she rushes over to him.

"You found me," he smiles as she helps him up.

"You left me," she mumbles as she hands him her water.

He drinks it looking at her. "You stopped breathing. I didn't have time to end it, so I ran," he says grabbing her hand.

"I'm happy you didn't end it," she sighs before getting up and making sure none of the claimers turn into walkers.

They settle into the car and sleep for the day. Daryl lays in the trunk next Genny who is half asleep. She lays into his arms making him breath out relieved.

"I thought you were dead," he whispers with tears in his eyes.

She looks up at him and sits up. "But I'm not, hey," she grabs his face, "I'm here. I'm alive, I'm with you. We're both safe." She smiles kissing him softly.

He sits up and kisses her with a little more passion. "I never want to feel like that again," he says pulling her on his lap for a hug.

She holds onto him with a smile. "Hey," she whispers, "I love you." She says making him look up.