Something To Savor

Overwhelming Price To Pay•Pt.2•

Mornings turned into nights that turned into days that turned into a couple weeks. The first day wasn't so hard without Connie because it had been his last day he held her before they parted ways that afternoon. Though that night he slept alone. Tossing and turning more than usual, he couldn't sleep.

He laid on his side, eyes open looking into the darkness just before he reached to turn his lantern on. In its dim glow, he made out dogs silhouette laying next to his bed. Daryl figured he could sense Connie wasn't there with that sad look sprawled across his pity face and droopy eyes. Eyes meeting, dog gave a low whine that made Daryl's chest ache.

"C'mere boy..." patting the bed, he watched dog get up from the floor and jump onto the bed. Laying himself in Connie's spot, Daryl ran his hand through the mutts mane.  

"I know" Daryl muttered," I miss her too.."

Though he barely slept a few hours that night it hadn't stopped him from waking up at sunrise and leaving to go find a trail- any trail in the woods that would have him on a long walk, so he could clear his mind and be alone for a few hours.

A couple days after, he heard through a few people that Connie and her group were heading to Oceanside. That day he felt something inside his chest die a little. Maybe it had been his heart when it dropped to his stomach while he watched them from the doorsteps get situated onto the caravan. Connie was the last to get on before she embraced Michonne goodbye.

Watching from a distance, he felt the need to walk over there, but his feet were stuck to the stairs. Not even moving a muscle when dog barked from beside him before sprinting off towards her.

"Dog!" He called to the mutt only taking a step onto the pavement when dog was already half way to her, continuously barking until he made his presence known to her when he brushed against her legs. From a distance Daryl could see a grin dance onto her lips, lighting up her features while she bent down to run her hands through dog's black mane.

Petting him and letting him cuddle and lick her face before she stood up. Smile lingering on her face when she looked up, searching for someone in the distance until her eyes met with his.

Daryl couldn't look away when their eyes met. Feeling his stomach drop and his chest ache, he didn't wave. Let alone smile. He couldn't move and she seemed to look the same. The moment lingered before she broke it off, turning her head and climbing onto the vehicle with some help from Yumiko. He could see Kelly tapping her shoulder and signing something that made her head shake.

He didn't miss the curious yet narrowed glance she gave his way from a distance and even still, he didn't move to leave. He just stood there. Watching the horses take lead, pulling them along until the gates closed ever so slowly. Watching her fade into distance until the gates shut..

A week passing he mostly found himself in the woods.

Searching the perimeter and making sure there were no signs of danger anywhere. It was quiet and strangely lonely.It was just him and dog, but his missing piece had been Connie. With her sling shot always in hand incase of any lurking threats, she was always there on his perimeter checks.

He found himself thinking about her every second of the day it seemed. Wether he was out scouting or sitting somewhere alone, she was on his mind. Waking up and not seeing her next to him in the mornings made that heavy feeling in his chest linger when he'd seen dog replacing her spot beside him.

He'd been alone before, but this was a whole new lonely he was experiencing. He felt a little down and there was always this tight feeling in his chest that would linger through out the day and worsen when he thought of her. He'd fallen hard for her. He was in love and knew it, but Michonne and Carol always seemed to in grain that in his head with some light hearted teasing.