Survive - Daryl Dixon - Follow The Plot Fanfic

Thirteen

Time skip to just after Beth dies and they're on the road again. Skip to Season 5, Episode 10, Them, 1.30.

Sat next to Daryl, using a knife to dig a hole in the tree in an attempt to find sap. I look over to see Daryl digging in the dirt. I look back to my tree, and after a few minutes of him digging, he nudges my arm and holds out his hand to offer me a worm he found in the ground. 

I look at it and turn my face away and keep working on the tree, smiling a little as I get a tiny glob of sap on my knife, licking it off. "You have it. I'd rather starve..."

Once we've searched around and not found any water we meet up with Maggie and Sasha, who came with us and walk back to the road, shuffling along the concrete, everyone exhausted and severely dehydrated.

"Its been a day and a half... They didn't find any either" Maggie states as we shuffle back to the group.

"How do you know?"

"I just know..." Maggie replies. "How much longer we got?"

"Sixty miles." Sasha replies.

"I wasn't talking about that." Maggie adds.

"Two days." I state matter-of-factly. "The four of us need to make a pact. The first drop of water we find... It goes to Judith." 

They all agree as we make it back to the others that are all sat against the cars.

Once we've driven as long as we can before we run out of fuel, we all get out of the vehicle and start to walk, our feet dragging beneath us.

After hour of just walking, I fall in step with Rick, Daryl in front of me and point out the few Walkers that are following us.

"We're not at our strongest... We'll get them when it's best. High ground or something like that. They're not going anywhere." He smiles softly at me and I notice him wince and re-grip Judith. His arms are hurting.

I pull my weapon onto my back using the sling and gently take her from him, holding her on my hip. 

"Thanks." Rick says. I just smile and fall back in line with Daryl.

As I walk next to him, he looks at Judith and I, rubs my back gently and just keeps walking. I frown softly, he hasn't been the same since Beth passed, he's been cold, less touchy and sweet. I don't like it.

"Hey, Daryl? Its been three weeks since Atlanta... I know you lost something back there. I just want you to know you aren't alone... You're my boyfriend, I'm here for you." Just as i say that Jude fusses a little and I hike her up onto my chest.

"She's hungry." Being the only two words he's spoken to me in three weeks.

"She's okay. She's gonna be okay."

"We need to find water, food." 

"We'll find some in the road. We have to. Its gotta rain sooner or later." I sigh softly.

Daryl turns back to look at Rick and passes him his gun. "I'm gonna head out, See what I can find."

"Okay, don't be too long." Rick replies. 

"I'll go with you." I say as I pass Judith to Carl.

"Nah. I got it." 

"You gonna stop me?" I state, taking the weapon from off of my back and following behind him into the woods.

Walking a few meters apart from each other, looking for water, food, anything, as we scan our eyes across the foliage.

"You finding anything?"

"Nah, its too dry, there ain't nothing here." Daryl responds, never once looking at me. Even when we were still in the cars, he would insist on having a person between us in the seats, or be in a different car to me entirely. He hasn't looked at me, he hasn't touched me... he didn't even speak to me until an hour ago.

"Maybe we should start back."

"You go." He states, coldly.

"Daryl... She... saved my life. She saved your life too... right?" I slowly walk over to him and look at him for a second before taking Beth's knife from my belt and hand it to him. "It... it was hers. She made the sheath herself. You should have it, she would want you to have it. She left it behind, in the Funeral house. I saved it but never... never got the chance to give it back to her." 

He takes the knife and turns it in his hands, just looking at it silently.

"I know you Daryl. You want to push it down. Ignore it. Pretend it never happened and carry on with your life. You want to forget her. But you cant do that... It'll break you. You have to let yourself feel it. Just like Beth told us as the shack... 'You have to, or it kills you. Here.' Feel it Daryl. It doesn't have to be in front of me. I know you lost something big. I know you're distancing yourself from me, and I don't want to push your boundaries. We don't have to be joined at the hip constantly anymore if that's what you want. I don't have to know anything that happens in your life if you don't want me to. Hell... We don't even... have to be together anymore if you don't want to be. But I will always be around. You cant get rid of me. You've been my boyfriend for... I think its just over a year... I love you. and I always will, tough guy. but you don't have to say it back until you're ready... I understand." I just look at him for a second before very gently moving his hair from his face and smiling. 

As I do so, I notice him looking at me, just looking into my eyes, no particular emotion behind them, just, looking at me. I tear up a little, smile more and lean up to kiss his head before walking off back to the road to find the others, wiping my face a little as I reign myself in a little