Too Far Gone // D. Dixon

chapter twenty-eight

The next morning, Maren found herself wrapped in Daryl's warm embrace, the soft morning light illuminating his sleeping form. She gazed at him adoringly, her fingers gently tracing the contours of his face, as if she were afraid she might somehow forget every detail.

"I can feel ya starin' at me," Daryl murmured, his eyes still closed but a contented smile playing on his lips.

Maren returned the smile, snuggling closer to her hunter, "So? I can't admire my man in the morning?" She placed her head on his bare chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart.

Daryl chuckled and opened his eyes, blinking away the last vestiges of sleep, "What time is it?" Maren reached over to the nightstand, picking up her worn but reliable watch.

"8:23." she replied, settling back into his embrace. Daryl sat up, taking in their surroundings with a slight flush creeping across his cheeks as he noticed their state of undress. He remembered the night before in vivid detail, his face was sure to be as red as a tomato but he didn't care. He had no regrets, he just hoped this could last forever.

Maren stood up, the sheet pooling at her feet, and began dressing without a hint of self-consciousness. Feeling eyes on her, she turned to look at a very red-faced Daryl.

"What? It's not like you haven't seen it before," she said with a playful grin, catching Daryl's averted gaze. Daryl smiled and started getting dressed as well, but couldn't help but notice Maren watching him, just as intently.

"You really gonna watch?" he teased.

"Well, if I see something I haven't seen before, I'll throw a dollar at it." Maren sarcastically replied, pulling him in for a lingering, loving kiss. Maren then makes her way into the kitchen, leaving Daryl to finish getting dressed.

She began searching the sparse cabinets. They were very picked over, only two cans remained. Still, she'd take them back to Alexandria. At least it was something.

When she opened the refrigerator, her expression suddenly shifted, all the color draining from her face. Daryl, taking notice of the sudden and prolonged silence, moved towards the kitchen.

"You okay in there?" Daryl asked, his brow furrowed with concern, but Maren remained silent, her gaze fixed on something inside the fridge.

Finally, she spoke, her voice hollow and devoid of emotion, "He was here." Daryl watched as a pale-faced Maren turned to face him, dread and apprehension etched in her features.

"Who?" he asked, his heart sinking at the ambiguous implication.

"My Dad."

"How do ya know that?" he asked, brow furrowed.

Maren's voice was hollow as she responded, "This is a bag of medication, Daryl..." She grasped the bag firmly, "Cancer medication." Maren stood frozen, the shock evident in her pale features as she stared at the bag of chemotherapy drugs in the fridge. 

Realization suddenly dawned on Daryl's face.

Maren explains, "You can't just take these home, they make you come to the hospital to get it...which means-"

"Your dad got it for her," Daryl finished for her, nodding grimly. Daryl sighed, the implications weighing heavily, "He might'a been here at the start, but we ain't got a clue where he's at now. No leads..."

Maren's gaze fell to the bag, her eyes narrowing as she inspected the date, "The date on this is after the outbreak, Daryl...like months after. He was here...he's gotta be close."

Daryl remained silent, knowing Maren well enough to understand the determined glint in her eye. There would be no talking her out of this.

"So what's your plan, huh? Go lookin' for a damn needle in a haystack?" Daryl asked, resigned. He knew how this would unfold. He knew there was a chance she'd come home to a funeral, and he'd been right. Now this? He was just worried for her.

"If that's what it takes, yeah," Maren replied firmly, her resolve unwavering. Daryl simply nodded, knowing better than to argue. The pair began gathering their belongings, the air thick with unspoken thoughts.

"What are we gonna tell Rick when we get back?" Maren asked, a hint of trepidation in her voice.

Daryl met her gaze, answering her question with one of his own, "What do ya want to tell him?" Maren thought about that for a moment. 

"The truth," Maren said, her voice steady, "We tell him the truth."

Daryl nodded, understanding the weight of her decision. They would have to face the consequences of this new revelation, but Maren was determined, and he would be by her side, come what may.

- TOO FAR GONE -

The several hour journey back to Alexandria had been a long one; it had been an emotional rollercoaster for Maren. The devastating loss of her mother was tempered by the glimmer of hope she'd found – the possibility that her father might still be alive, searching for her.

She had found closure, in an odd way. She had lost her Mom, she'd been the one to put her down and that had been heartbreaking. But she'd been given a second chance with her dad. She had found a glimmer of hope, even if it was just a single grain, she still had hope that maybe he was still alive, still out there...looking for her. She had hoped, after all this time, he was still looking for her. Maybe he always had been. The thoughts had made her feel like things weren't as bad, like she really hadn't been alone in the world after all.

She was taken out of her thoughts as she pulled up to Alexandria's gates. As she pulled the truck into the gates of Alexandria, Maren felt a mixture of trepidation and determination. Pulling in and parking the truck, Maren sighed as Rick came up to her window.

"Welcome back," Rick greeted them, his warm smile fading as he noticed the somber expressions on their faces, "How was the trip?"

Maren glanced at Daryl then spoke, "We should talk."

Rick's brow furrowed, a flicker of worry crossing his features, "Just say it. You ran into trouble out there."

Daryl shook his head. "Nah...we didn't find anyone. It ain't that."

"Alright. Then what?" Rick asked, his gaze shifting to Maren.

"We went home. My home. Well...it used to be," Maren began, her voice heavy with emotion as she tried to fight to hide the crack in her voice, "I had to know for sure. I found my Mom...I had to put her down. But I found something, I think my dad is still out there."

Rick's expression grew skeptical, "How sure are you?" Daryl and Rick exchanged a weighted look, causing Maren to feel defensive.

"I'm pretty damn sure. I know my Dad, he wouldn't just give up. He didn't give up on Mom, and he wouldn't fucking give up on me. That I know." Maren crossed her arms, her eyes pleading with Rick to understand the significance of her discovery.

"You want to look for him," Rick stated, his tone calm and measured. When Maren nodded, Rick continued, "Then I guess there's no point in trying to change your mind. You can join Daryl and Aaron when they leave, help scout out for new members. You find him, you bring him back here."

A spark of hope ignited in Maren's eyes, and she couldn't help but smile. She knew the chances of finding her father were slim, but the mere possibility filled her with a renewed sense of purpose.

As Daryl and Rick discussed the logistics, Maren silently vowed to leave no stone unturned in her search.

She would find him, no matter what it took.