No Tomorrow

.

"That's another problem right now...Daryl left with Merle this morning. He..didn't think that you were going to make it either so he just...left. He left everyone."

I flexed my left hand and when I saw the white part of my ring finger I wanted to cry, tears leaked down my face and quickly turned into racking sobs, Jay leaned back over in his chair and tried to touch my face to get the tears to stop.

"I don't think he left you if that's what you're worried about- he just seems to...ah...need time to figure things out I guess. You still love him and I can see that."

He offered me something to wipe my face on and I took it through blurry tears, dabbling the cloth under my eyes until I could half-ass see.

"I know that I'm kicking a puppy while it's down, but I have to ask you something....the people that took us, declared war....and it could be any day now for it to start...do you want to stay with them and help or do you want to brave our chances and go off on our own?"

I dried my face and sat there for a few minutes until all of the sobs left my body for sure and I was able to speak with a clear mind.

"I want to stay and help, but....I don't think he wants me the same anymore..."

Jay offered me one of his hands and I took it with care as I felt my heart break off into a tiny million pieces, imprinted mate or not, I knew that I still had my best friend for now.

*Many Months Later*

Summer leaked into another fall, fall turned into another winter, and with it the battle with the Governer and his people came and went; it was revealed that Andrea was the one who relayed all of the info to Phillip but she was one of the many who died in the fighting. He himself hadn't been killed though....he escaped hardly alive at the end but Rick took in all of his townies who were still alive towards the end under his own care. It was different to see the prison so full of people but there was always work to be done as the weather got colder and there was always a friendly face to talk to at the end of the day; but if I had to name something unexpected it would be Jay. A few weeks after we took in all the people he met a nice looking woman named Holly and had actually imprinted on her, when she got used to the idea of loving him back those two had moved into the prison together in a different part which left me all alone with the house, which was just as well. I was happy that he seemed to move on from me but now I knew what he meant about watching the happiness- it was good, don't get me wrong, but it was hard to watch. Merle died at some point in the fighting and although I saw Daryl from time to time by passing him up in the main compound, he hadn't spoken to me since I'd lost our child. Everyone knew that I lived in the little house by myself now a days but I rarely went around any of them unless they needed me for something; Jay hadn't used his wolf form since he met Holly so it really was just me out here by myself.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sounds at the front door snapped me from my thoughts and I closed the book I forgot I'd been reading before slipping out of the chair to the balls of my feet in a stretch, the last time anyone went out a lot of books were brought back for circulation and I snagged a few that peaked my interest. I decided to grow my hair back out again before the summer was over and my shiny black hair was now past my shoulder blades. The knocking sounded again, heavier this time, and I rolled my eyes before going across the tiny living space and opening the door to answer it.

"Alright, alright, hold onto your ass-"

I almost wished I hadn't opened the door once I finally yanked the stupid thing back because Daryl was on the small porch looking worse for ware, his brown hair was almost halfway down his neck in some places and there were semi-dark circles under both of his eyes; when my gaze went a little further down to his collar bone I sighed. He still wore the old wedding ring he'd gotten me around a long golden chain that looped around his neck like live snakes.

"Ah...can I help you with something?"

He flinched at the sound of my voice but still pointed a finger over my shoulder like I hadn't said anytthing to begin with.

"If you don't mind....I need to talk to you for a little bit."

He pushed past me without waiting for my answer and I gawked at his audacity before I shut the door, I've been smelling heavy rain for the past few days now and got an espically strong whiff of the oncoming storm when he'd breezed in. I clutched my right hand close to my heart before I walked over to the tiny wood burning stove near one of the far walls and threw in a few moss covered logs to start a fire, not that I needed it but I knew he would and I had a feeling whatever he wanted to talk about was going to take awhile.

"....still the one-sided man that I seem to remember, I could have had plans you know."

I got a tiny fire started and shut the heavy little door before I sat down on the edge of my newest piece of furniture, a faded looking couch; he sat on the same thing but at the far end but turned his body around to face me.