Daryl Dixon Imagines

Safe and Sound

By imagine-daryldixon on Tumblr

“Where is she?!” Daryl looked everyone up and down, but one after another he only found regret and sadness in their faces. “Just tell me already. Where the fuck is she?! You…”, he furiously pointed at Gabriel, who looked utterly surprised by Daryl’s outbreak. “She was with you. What have you done?!” He took a few steps towards Gabriel ready to jump at his throat if he said anything unpleasant. But before he was close enough to do so he felt a hand against his chest holding him back. “Daryl, listen…” Rick tried to speak as calm as he could knowing that just one wrong word could make Daryl go berserk at this point. “It isn’t anyone’s fault. There were too many of them, we had to get out.” 
“He didn’t see her die.. Did you?!”, Daryl glared at Gabriel who nervously shook his head. 
“See!”, Daryl turned back to Rick. “We have to go back and find her. She could be alive.”
“But that would put everyone in danger. I can’t risk everyone’s lives for her.”
“You can’t. But I can sure as hell risk mine.” His frustration was slowly turning into anger. 
“Daryl, I can’t let you do that. We need you here.”
“She’s my girl. I ain’t leavin’ her behind for no one.”
“Daryl…” Rick tried to hold him back once again only to find himself almost punched in the face by Daryl. 
“You don’t wanna help her, fine. But don’t you dare try to stop me”, Daryl growled angrily before quickly heading for the door that hopefully would lead him back to her. The huge storage hall was heavily crowded with Walkers. The chances were little, but he nevertheless rushed right into the horde, fighting off one Walker after another desperately screaming her name even if he knew better than to run into a bunch of Walkers screaming at the top of his lungs. 
He was suffused with relieve when he finally found her, when he found that his screams had kept the Walkers away from her giving him time to fight his way through the crowd. 

“I found you”, he gasped sinking to his knees. She was trapped under a collapsed wall, completely covered in dirt and rubble he had almost missed her.
“I knew you would”, she whispered in a weak voice before she passed out. Daryl uttered a silent cry before he started to free her from her prison. It took him longer than it would have been good for him and covered in sweat and ashes he rushed over to her again lifting her up in his arms. He ran like the devil, dodging walkers and jumping over obstacles like his life depended on it… since it literally did. 
Then finally the door came into sight. He braced himself for this final effort, forced his trembling knees to keep going. 
Panting and shaking he sprinted towards the door, towards safety.  
“She’s alive”, Gabriel gasped as Daryl stumbled through the door. Only at the last nick of time did they manage to slam the door shut behind him. Rotting bodies were slamming against the door demanding it to be opened for them. 
“Yeah, she fucking is”, Daryl grunted carefully carrying her in his arms not willing to let go of her, not yet. He needed to feel her heartbeat against his chest, needed to feel her breath against his skin. Needed to feel that she was still alive. 
“It’s a miracle”, Gabriel kept on talking. “The Lord saved her life. Praise Him for He had chosen to spare another life.”
“No”, Daryl snapped. “I fucking saved her. I did.”
“You were guided by the Lord.” Gabriel raised his hands to the ceiling. 
“Oh yeah!? God ain’t saving your ass if you won’t stop talking”, Daryl growled. He was about to snap and he was sure he would snap that motherfucker’s neck in the process. 
As Gabriel was about to say another word risking to get himself into serious trouble Rick found himself responsible to end the fight. He quickly stepped in between them raising his hands to keep the two squabblers away from each other. 
“Daryl, Gabriel, calm down. Miracle or not, she’s alive but we need to get back right away or no one’s gonna leave this building alive. Got it!?” He looked them both up and down ready to jump at Daryl. Gabriel wasn’t going to make this physical but he knew that Daryl was ready to do so. 
And hell, he had never been so ready to jump at someone’s throat in his whole life. Daryl bit his lip and forced himself to turn around shifting his focus to the only thing that mattered: his girl. She was still unconscious. 
“Daryl, look at me”, Carol said softly, appearing out of thin air. She gently placed one hand on his shoulder. “Don’t panic, it’s going to be okay.”
“I ain’t panickin’”, Daryl protested but his trembling voice gave him away. He was more than close to freaking out, maybe burst into tears, rip someone apart, he wasn’t sure yet. Maybe both, he thought. 
Carol chuckled. “Just breathe, okay?! I guess you’ll be able to carry her to the car!?”
“Yeah”, Daryl grunted. What kind of question was that?! As if someone would have been able to get her away from him anyway.
“Of course you are”, Carol murmured smirking. “We have to cover Daryl”, she instructed the others in a now loud and clear voice. “And this time we’ll make sure everyone is going to get out”, she added side-eyeing Father Gabriel who was stepping from one foot to the other seemingly wishing to be anywhere but here. 
“We’ll have your back, Daryl!” Rick raised his gun ready to take the lead. 
“Yeah, like you did just now!?”, Daryl muttered back. The others were more than lucky he had his girl in his arms, he thought, or he would have totally jumped at someone’s throat by now. 
“Sorry,” Rick looked down.
“Should be.” Daryl hurried over to Carol, the only person he trusted with his back right now. The only person he would trust with his girl’s life. 
“You ready, Pookie?” Carol flashed an encouraging smile and Daryl gave her a quick nod signaling that he was more than ready to get his ass out of this place, preferably as far away as possible. 
Carol kicked the door open and Daryl followed close behind. They quickly made their way out taking on a fight here and there, dodging the walkers that posed no real threat to any of them. It took less than a minute to get out and back to their cars. 
“What ‘bout your bike?”, Carol yelled as Daryl was shoving the two of them in the backseat. 
“Don’t care. Ain’t leavin’ her side”, he yelled back. 
“We’ll come back for it later”, he heard Rick reply before the front door was slammed shut and the engine started. 
“You okay, man?” Rick looked at him in the driving mirror. 
“Gotta be”, he answered tersely. He was gently caressing her back, buried his face in her hair as if somehow that would help her regain consciousness. 
“I swear to that motherfucker’s God, if she’s not gonna wake up soon, I’ll kill him”, Daryl growled under his breath. “I’ll beat his fucking ass to the ground”, he mumbled over and over again. 
“You’ll have every right to do so.”
“Just shut up. You haven’t helped her either!”, Daryl yelled in a sudden outburst of rage. He knew it wasn’t Rick’s fault. Daryl should have looked out for her, should have protected her like he had promised to do. But he had to do something with his anger and right now the only thing he could do was yell at someone. 
“Why are you so loud?!” 
Daryl’s head flung around at the sound of the weak shaky voice. He was met by her beautiful eyes, her beautiful wide-opened eyes. 
“You’re awake!”, he screamed tears coming to his eyes. He quickly wiped them away. No need for anyone to see his weak-ass tears. 
“How could I not be with you screaming like that”, she whispered softly smiling at him. “What happened? My head hurts…” She tried to sit up but had to lean against Daryl again as her head started to spin. 
“Had an….accident”, Daryl muttered through a clenched jaw. He didn’t want to tell her that Father Gabriel left her behind, not yet.
“Daryl saved you!”, Rick smiled from the driver’s seat. 
“I…know. I… remember.” She looked up at him and Daryl felt his heart skip a beat. He was about to burst in half. Not sure what to do with all these feelings he just wrapped his arms around her pulling her close.
“Ya okay?!”, he whispered into her hair. 
“I am”, she mumbled returning his hug, getting herself even closer to him. “Because of you”, she muttered against his chest. Her hands clutched to his jacket she was holding on to him as if she was determined to never let go again. And so was he. After what happened today he would never leave her side again. 
“I’ll protect ya”, he breathed placing kisses on her head, slowly making his way down to her lips. 
“I know you will”, she smiled happily awaiting his lips on hers.