2. Never Tear Us Apart

s i x t y s i x

Daryl and Rick talked for a while about everything that had happened, then filling each other in on what they had experienced during their time apart. 

Rick was able to update Daryl on everything that has happened with him since the prison, and Daryl was able to explain his situation with Beth.

Daryl stood up and walked to the back of the car to go and see Theo but when he got there she was asleep, which was expected.

"Daryl i think something is wrong" Michonne began, looking at the sleeping girl worriedly.

"What?" He asked quietly, looking over her immediately. 

"Listen" She explained, making it quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

"I'm sorry" Theo began "I'm sorry i couldn't save you" She cried in her sleep.

"What-?" Daryl asked but was cut off by Michonne putting her finger up to silence him.

"Wait" Michonne told him.

"Close your eyes" She sighed, her voice was barley above a whisper, she was so small and quiet in this moment it made Daryl's heart shatter.

"Theo?" Daryl gently nudged her awake.

Her eyes slowly opening, looking around confused.

Her mind was hazy, forgetting she had found people, being able to sleep some what safety.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, quietly, not wanting to startle her.

"Why?" She rubbed her head and wiped her tears, embarrassed.

"Who are you sorry about?" Michonne asked, gently resting her hand on Theo's shoulder.

"Nothing, dont worry about it" She walked away calling Saint, excusing herself.

"Follow her for god sake" Michonne told Daryl, making him move fast, chasing after her, making sure she knew he was there.

"Can I not pee in peace?" Theo asked after hearing footsteps behind her, her voice came out a little snappier than what she intended.

"You wanna talk about it?" Daryl asked as Theo peed behind the tree.

She was silent, before she stood back up and over to Daryl.

She sighed as she looked up at Daryl sadly, tears threatening to fall.

"Look while I was alone I came across a family" She began with a steady breath as she sat down, Daryl following her. "They had a daughter named Debbie, they were running from people so i said i would help get them to Terminus" Theo gritted her teeth. "They lied to me, and we got caught by the people after them. The parents were going to let these men kill their daughter to save their own ass" Theo sighed in anger

Daryl continued to listen in silence.

"I got them out, they left with Debbie, even though I didn't want to. But i found her a few days later alone" Theo sniffed. "A couple days later she went out during the night without me knowing, I was asleep. I woke up to her screaming." Theo remembered it, it was permanently stuck in her mind. "She had been bit and she made her shoot her before she turned" Theo finally cried. "I promised her I would take care of her and never leave her," Theo rubbed her eyes.

"Theo, I know you wont believe me, but that's not your fault" Daryl was honest.

She looked up at him, her glossy eyes looking straight into his eyes.

That's when he noticed that small shine in her eyes was fading.

That little light that kept him at peace knowing she still had that spark, was slowly disappearing.

"You get out with anyone?" She asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Beth, but we got separated and I don't know where she is," Daryl nodded, biting his thumb, a bad habit he had when he was nervous or ashamed.

"What happened?" Theo asked, sitting against a tree, Saint next to her, Daryl opposite.

"She ran, thinking I needed help and this car just swooped her up and took her" Daryl explained, throwing his arm to exaggerate the swoop "I followed it for miles but i lost it"

"Not your fault" Theo put sharply "If Debbie wasn't mine, this wasn't yours" Theo began stroking Saint.

A comfortable silence past.

"Where did you find him?" Daryl looked down a the dog.

"He came to me outside of the shed i slept in for the first night, he's a good boy" She smiled down at her pooch.

It fell silent between the two of them for a few minutes when Theo finally looked up at him. 

"I love you Daryl." She told him. His eyes went wide and almost instantly began watering, it felt like a lifetime since he last heard her say it. He hated that she could make him so weak, but he knew that she made him human

"I love you too" He smiled as Theo leaned in to kiss him, connecting their lips once again for a longer and more passionate kiss.

They pulled away, smiling into each other's arms.

"I guess the moment i knew i loved you was when you kicked my ass in the woods that day" Daryl admitted, smiling as he kept her close, hand resting on her hip, the other on her cheek.

"Which time?" Theo teased making Daryl roll his eyes.

"The time where we were on the farm, and I tackled you by surprise" He explained, making Theo nod her head.

She kissed him lips once more before getting comfortable.

Theo sat in front of Daryl between his legs, resting her back against his torso, Daryl wrapped her hands around her body, kissing her head and Saint walked over and rested his head on Daryl's leg.

"You think the place is legit?" She questioned, staring into the dark woods in front of her.

"I don't know, it's hard to tell anymore" Daryl admitted, closing his eyes, resting his cheek on her head, placing a kiss on the side of her head, relaxing into the smell of campfire and gunpowder she radiated.

It wasn't what she usually smelt like, she usually smelt naturally of just sweetness.

Cupcakes.

Something oven baked.

He never really managed to pinpoint the smell, but all he knew was that he loved it.

It faded a lot now that he was getting used to it, but he could smell the survival on her and that to him was just as comforting.

"You wanna sleep?" She asked, noticing the movement behind her.

"Nah, I'll wait for a minute." Daryl quietly answered, wrapping his arms tighter into her body, kissing her shoulder as she reached into her pocket.

"Look what I found" She told him looking at the polaroid in her hands.

Daryl looked at the photo smiling at the image.

"I've got the one that was in the prison. I found it the night you almost died. I looked at it every fucking day. Seeing your face was enough to kept me going" He admitted out loud.

"You know you should defiantly tell me how much you love me more often" She half teased half meant.

"Whatever" He smiled at peace holding her body tight to his. "I love you" He said.

He loved saying it.

And god she loved hearing it.

"I love you too" She turned to look at him, placing a longer, more meaningful kiss on his lips.

It pained them, the love they felt for one another.

It was an addiction.

A medicine.

Their cure.