The night had fallen quickly and now you were sitting in Aaron's car, which the group had found. The man had told the truth, he and his friend had arrived separately, carrying a car and a huge camper full of food and other useful supplies. Nevertheless, Rick thought it right not to give them confidence immediately. He first wanted to see the acclaimed community with his own eyes. Although it was more logical to leave early in the morning, the sheriff had forced you not to wait for the sun. In this way you could observe the place unnoticed. If it hadn't convinced you, you could have escaped without attracting attention. It was a considerable advantage, after all. You sat in the back seat, on the right, next to Aaron and Michonne. Before that were Rick and Glenn. It was pitch dark, but you could still see the faint outlines of the trees and wouldn't have missed them at all. You were tired of this life on the street and you prayed that the place you were going to was really safe. Aaron had described the place in detail and told you about houses, lawns, solar panels, and more. Everything that was considered normal in the past. Although he spoke of it with a big smile on his face, you couldn't help but consider it an exaggeration, a possible lie. In short, it couldn't be true... Michonne went on to search the photos, to see every nuance, as if she wanted to find a mistake. And in between, you wondered what Daryl did, what he thought.

"Why aren't people in these photos?", Michonne asked confused and Glenn looked at you from the mirror.

"I screwed it up with the exposure, I had a group photo, but it was too bad.", he curtailed, but none of you seemed to be convinced.

"Did you ask the three questions?"

"No.", Rick replied.

While he was in charge of the interrogation, you leaned forward to see what the sheriff was doing. You put your hands on his seat, peered over his shoulder and noticed some plates. It looked like a collection. Then he sank his hands into the dashboard and pulled out a tape recorder equipped with the necessary equipment to pick up sounds from a distance.

"You heard us?"

"I told you... we kept an eye on you.", Aaron answered in a hurry. You snorted and dropped back into your seat.

"That amazes you, Rick?", you said ironically: "In this community they also have a coffee machine, toaster and video games..."

When Rick wanted to answer, the car jerked noisily. You saw a walker crack on the bonnet and flood the windshield with blood. After him came other bodies. You were traveling, one walker at a time, leaving a trail of granular, dense blood behind you. The car lurched over the bad grip of the tires and Glenn lost control. You turned one hundred and eighty degrees and found yourselves in a crowd of excited walkers. You tried to scan the lights of the camper, but there was no sign of them anymore.

"We lost them!", you shouted and the others immediately noticed. Glenn tried to restart the car, but the engine didn't want to. The sound of the lightning was just a constant repetition, echoing and obscuring the lamentations of the living dead. Rick was ready to fire, but in the sky appeared a signal rocket, which imploded in bright red.

"Shit!", Aaron yelled: "It's over!"

You asked him what he was talking about, but he had panicked. Although his hands were tied behind his back, he kicked the door and flung it open.

"We have to get out of here right now!", he exclaimed excitedly.

Without thinking, you jumped out and freed yourselves from the walkers. Aaron threw himself into the clearing and ran like crazy. Rick ordered the man to stop, but he did not obey.

"I think it's better to follow him!", Glenn advised: "Here we can not last long, there are too many!"

"We have to look for the others!", the sheriff replied.

"The only way to find them is to get where the signal went!", you shouted, killing a walker.

You saw Rick sit down and agree with the idea of ​​following Aaron and seeking refuge in the forest. You ran even if you saw nothing. The more you went into nature, the more your vision became useless. It was a terrible darkness around you that restricted your every action. You barely saw the contours of Rick and Michonne and there was no sign of the other two.

"Glenn! Glenn!", Rick called. He did not care about the stranger, just wanted to make sure Glenn was fine. You paused for a moment just to catch your breath and eliminate a few walkers.

"He has to be around.", Michonne assured.

Then you heard something in the distance and moved in that direction and loaded the weapon.

"Don't you dare take another step!", the sheriff called and blocked you with outstretched arm.

"He might need help!", you protested.

"I do not want to let anyone wander around here alone!", he answered.

"You don't trust me, do you?", you whispered annoyed. He raised his eyebrows. Then the footsteps came closer and closer and gave you hope that it was Glenn. Exactly from the side where you had heard noises, Aaron and Glenn appeared and gasped. But you had no time to cheer, because other walkers wanted to reach you again. You accelerated the pace and ran as fast as you could. Whoever fired the rocket should be in danger, and you were convinced that it was Aaron's partner, given the emotional state in which he presented himself. After more trees, shrubs, walkers, bullets, sweat and various other problems you came back to a street. You noticed in the distance the camper, which was on a side street near a dilapidated farm. You prayed that everyone was fine. As soon as you saw Daryl coming off the road, you smiled. He lit a flashlight and made a sign that everything was alright. You reached him at a normal pace, tired from the physical effort.

"What happened?", he asked. Aaron didn't waste time running, eager for his friend to feel well.

"Walkers.", Glenn replied, glancing at his dirty clothes. Daryl looked at you one by one and watched the conditions of your clothes.

"I see.", he answered ironically.

"Who fired the rocket?", Rick asked.

Michonne and Glenn meanwhile entered the house, eager to sit down and meet the other newcomer.

"The friend of this talkative guy.", he said with a grimace and Rick wiped his forehead with one hand.

"He fell 'nd injured his ankle..."

The sheriff snorted: "We'll talk to each other.", he said reluctantly.

It was as clear as the sun that Rick didn't believe Aaron, he was sure that their community would offer no protection, but he still wanted to pretend it was the little flame of hope that was born in you. Then he left and left you alone. Although everyone pretended not to be stressed, there was a slight breeze of tension in the air.

"So...", you said, leaving the word on ice for a few seconds. You took a step forward, curious to befriend the new man, but Daryl stopped you.

"Stop that shit.", Daryl whispered suddenly.

"You and Rick have this terrible habit of always slowing me down.", you answered abruptly.

"Maybe 'cause ya' always harm yerself somehow."

You crossed your arms over your chest and he came to your face, as if he had done it to mock or annoy you: "Ya' stupid as fuck."

He was angry. He loved to laugh at you, but he hated being targeted. You took advantage of his nervous state to walk away, reached for the door handle, ready to enter the building, but he whispered something and turned away.

"Just wanted to know if ya' fine.", he said softly.

This prevented you from completing the action, opening the door wide. You stepped back and pushed your hand away from the door.

"Because of the Sam thing?"

He moved his shoulders slightly, as if to say that the question was general. You stared at his leather vest, his patched wings. Daryl was an angel dressed like a demon...

"I'm fine.", you answered.

He then turned his head slightly to look out of the corner of his eye and nod as if to give you permission to leave. On the contrary, you decided to keep the knowledge in suspense and approached the archer. It was easier to talk to him when his eyes weren't on you.

"What about you?", you asked, hoping he would answer.

"It's all right."

If you had sincerely answered his question, he would have done the same. It wouldn't hurt to get a little closer, together you had a lot of experiences and you always helped each other somehow. If he hadn't been, it would have ended badly with Joe as far as you're concerned. Still, he needed only two or three well-studied words and could instantly become a beast. You knew, however, that he had a tender heart, he had shown it several times, though he loved to hide that part of himself.

"I miss Sam.", you admitted: "Of course, we did not know him long, except Rick and Carol... But he was nice, at least his funny way."

Daryl grunted: "He just got on my nerves. Fucked up, weak, naive, unable to defen' himself 'nd too self-assured. People like him 're destined to die."

It wasn't exactly what you expected, but at least you talked.

"I realized it... Maybe I should stop finding friends, or it's a waste of time, after all, everybody's going to die."

He turned around and pointed the flashlight to the ground so as not to blind you but to see each other.

"Ya' 've to be able to tie yerself to no one.", he said: "If ya' do that, ya' just hurt yerself."

You put your hands in your pockets and protected them from the rising cold.

"I try to isolate the emotion, but I do nothing but fall back again and again."

He took on a serious expression, but remained tender.

"Y/N, nothin' lasts forever in this world.", he said, referring to the people you lost in your group. You took your hand off your pants and put them on the level of your heart. He stopped motionless and stared at you like a statue.

"But we do, Daryl, we're still here..."

You stood on your toes and he stroked your cheek, grabbed the back of your head and pulled you towards him. But your lips did not touch, leaving them a few millimeters apart, unfulfilled by the desire that burned them. His fingers slid down your hair and you returned to try to hide the embarrassment.

"'Cause we're fuckin' damned.", he said, walked up to the building and you smiled bitterly.

"What does that mean?", you asked angrily.

"What 're ya' talkin' 'bout?", he mumbled.

"Are you afraid to approach a person? Prevention is better than suffering, is that your stupid reasoning?"

He then came back to you like a wild animal, pointing his index finger at your collarbone.

"Ya' should keep yer damn big mouth shut unless ya' want more problems."

"Oh yes, I'm so scared...", you said ironically: "My legs are already shaking with this thought."

He came up to you again, as if he wanted to confront you with all his anger and frustration. He then dragged you into the yard and avoided so curious eyes.

"Ya' stupid if ya' think I can help ya'! I'm not one of those people who can be 'round ya', offerin' ya' a shoulder to cry 'nd all that shit! Look 'round, if that's what ya' want, I'm sorry, but I ain't that kind of person 'nd I'll never be!"
"You don't know what I think, what I want or need! Stop acting like a fucking asshole!"

"I don't care what yer fuckin' fantasies 're, I'm not goin' to be the one who makes them come true! Understood?", he shouted at you: "Go back to yer sheriff! Or maybe he's the problem! Isn't he good enough for ya'?"

You pushed his hand away and grabbed the collar of his leather vest.

"It always amazes me how much effort you put into hiding the fact that you too have a heart, why are you scared, what really scares you?", you hissed, looking into his eyes: "I would be lying if I told you your words did not hurt, but maybe you're right, I'm just stupid, so go ahead, look me in the eye and tell me you don't care that I don't care about you. Say it!", you screamed and his glassy iris warmed your heart even though you were arguing.

"I can't make ya' happy...", he confessed suddenly, staring at you as if he felt guilty.

"I didn't ask you to do that!"

You then heard a voice and immediately put distance between you.

"There you are.", Rick said: "Next time I want to be informed where you are."

He put the gun back in the holster and asked you if everything was alright.

"You're right, I'm sorry.", you said, going in his direction: "It'll be better if we go into the house."

Daryl didn't move. "I'll keep watch.", he informed you.

"Fine.", Rick replied, laying a hand on your back as if to protect you. You walked silently around the building, accompanied only by the sound of your shoes touching the ground and the pebbles. You couldn't formulate any credible explanation, no motivation for your sudden 'loving' behavior. You knew you were an emotional wreck recently, but you couldn't understand what had just happened between you and the archer. It was as if you had explained yourself as if you understood that you needed him not only as a friend whom you could rely on, it was as if you were tired of your argument and decided to get a grip on it give. You wanted an answer... But it wasn't you, it happened and it made you fall back into this paranoid state. The archer hadn't denied your statements, he had simply moved away from the question. You wouldn't be able to see him in his face...

"Another discussion?", Rick asked, interrupting your stream of consciousness.

"Yeah, more or less."

You arrived at the door and couldn't wait to leave everything behind, go inside, meet Aaron's partner, talk about their community and pretend Daryl never said those words.

"Anyway, if you have to talk... Then I want you to know I'm here for you, okay?", Rick said affectionately, though the tension was palpable. You thanked him and finally you were in the house. The interior wasn't so bad, compared to external conditions these were luxuries. Although you weren't yet registered by the rest of the group, everyone looked happy. They really believed in this community, they didn't want to give up hope, on the contrary, they clung to the idea that fate had become their friend for once in their lives. You saw Aaron next to a man as he smiled at you in a friendly manner.

"And here's the only person who trusted us!", he shouted, leaning forward to shake your hand: "I'm Eric, nice to meet you."

You returned that smile with embarrassment and noticed the faces of Abraham and Carol. You also reached out to shake his.

"I gladly took the risk.", you joked: "Y/N. Y/N Y/L/N."

Meanwhile, Rick went past you and leaned against a door jamb.

"When I and Aaron saw that you didn't take the water, we were disappointed.", he said, looking at the sheriff: "We wanted to help you seriously, but fortunately, Y/N had self-confidence."

"Trust is not a positive trait these days.", Rick replied firmly. Eric fell silent and didn't add any words anymore.

"Never?", Aaron asked.

"It never leads to anything.", Carol answered dryly, supporting the sheriff.

Aaron put a hand on his partner's back as if to force him to say something: "You're wrong, and we'll prove it to you."

The two had nothing negative about themselves and the more you watched the two, the stronger the idea that you did the right thing, established. It was worth following these two men and believing their words. Rick ignored Aaron's speech and ordered you to rest. The next day you would leave at dawn, so it was necessary to spend a night here. Judith had slept for a long time, evoking a feeling of jealousy in you. She could ignore what was around her. In any case, the various members of the group have settled within the structure and occupied the different corners of the house. You crouched under the window so you could watch the sky. You were sure that you had not slept much, because it would have been difficult to close your eyes with all the thoughts that were buzzing through your head. Daryl was still out there and you knew he had no desire to enter this house. He would have spent the whole night outdoors, and then would have been able to emphasize the fact in the case of discussion just to get away. You kept thinking about your conversation and wondered what it would do to your overall relationship. You feared that things would change and bring you back to this initial phase, that is, to the antipodes of the world. It took a long time to build what little you had and now it seemed like you destroyed it. Your relationships within the group have not really improved lately either. You wondered if you had changed so much and maybe you couldn't recognize it. By now you've heard a few breaths. You also wanted to sleep at last and were impatient with how you should come to the community, the time had passed so fast that you did not notice. Instead, you were lying there now, eyes open and feeling guilty. As soon as dawn appeared shy, you pretended to yawn and wake up from sleep, hoping nobody would notice your insomnia. Although you were physically rested, your mind wasn't at all. You clung to the window and slowly pulled back to avoid inappropriate noise that might wake the others. Fortunately for you, the people around you were still in the arms of Morpheus. Daryl was still out there, smoking a cigarette. He was sitting on a big rock, his eyes fixed on the horizon and the crossbow on his side. You moved stealthily between your companions just to avoid the annoying crunch that is typical of abandoned homes. As soon as you were outside, a light breeze hit you and made you tremble. If everything went as you had imagined, you would be able to take a shower in a few hours. And as soon as you turned to the corner, a voice reached you.

"Are you leaving?", Abraham asked, chuckling: "Without saying goodbye?"

"If so, then I would probably remember you.", you answered, pointing to your lip. He ran his hand over his beard and followed the line.

"I still have not apologized for that, right?", he said: "Whatever, even if it does not seem like it, I like you Y/N."

You raised your eyebrows and put your hands on your hips.

"I'm serious.", he said sincerely: "You're stubborn and you're not afraid to say your opinion, these are qualities that I appreciate."

You chuckled a dull laugh and he frowned at you.

"Abraham, you have no reason to kiss my ass.", you answered dryly: "What do you want?"

"Don't do shit.", he whispered sourly. He warned you. He believed that if things went bad you would try to avoid an armed confrontation, a useless death. He knew that you would somehow try to defend Aaron and his people, relying on some misunderstandings. The people around you did nothing but die, and you would have done everything you could to avoid it.

"Message arrived, sergeant.", you said, without submitting to him. He raised his eyes to the sky after stretching his back so that you could act freely as you wished. You snorted. This man has always managed to make you shiver and that unnerved you slightly. You had a strange feeling in your stomach at the thought of having to talk to Daryl again. As soon as he heard footsteps behind him, he sighed drearily. He knew immediately that it was you. When you reached him, you sat next to him.

"Did you sleep?", you asked.

He kept smoking and the tip of the poison turned bright orange. The paper was consumed and the smoke shook your bodies, resulting in various abstract shapes in the surrounding air.

"No.", he said and you put your chin on the back of your hand, your knees close to your chest.

"At least did you try?"

"I wasn't tired."

You nodded and stared at him. He looked at you for a fleeting moment, but unexpectedly he met your gaze. Embarrassed, he smiled a fake smile and turned back to his cigarette. The minutes passed and the cigarette was slowly consumed. The ashes fell at his feet and a sudden gust of wind visited you. Then you smiled at the pictures projected into your head.

"In the prison...", you said: "You offered me one and your lighter was empty."

"That's the day we argued.", he recalled and you blushed.

"The supermarket... Yeah, that's right."

You remembered him asking you if you could look for his brother. The prison seemed so far in the memories.

"It has been a while..."

He pushed the cigarette out on an anthracite-colored stone beside him.

"I bet this community will be a secon' prison."

"A dream that becomes a nightmare, a possibility to be considered in the light of our particular recent fortune...", you sighed: "Daryl, listen, if what I said yesterday disturbed you, I apologize, I don't even know why I said these things or why I got so mad..."

"We both know it."

He left you like an ornament, like a porcelain doll with empty, glassy eyes, and said goodbye with the excuse that it was time to wake up the group, leave, and embark on this new adventure. His last sentence had aggravated the situation and only confused you more. It was useless to return to the topic, Daryl and you would probably always pretend it had never happened. It wasn't the right choice, nor the wrong choice... You kicked a stone and it whirled a few feet around. You snorted nervously and waited outside the door, hoping the others wouldn't take too long. You were tired of being out in the street and constantly discussing with the members of the group, finally wanting the peace that Aaron so much praised. After a few minutes, you started to sit in the camper. No one spoke, so present was the fear. You sat down next to Michonne. The engine rattled a little before it fully engaged. Rick drove, focused more than ever on the road and feared that a scene would appear as the night before. Aaron and Eric talked softly and smiled. Eugene, on the other hand, looked nervously out of the window, as if he wanted to observe something you didn't understand. Glenn and Maggie chatted with Rosita and Tara and set up various, more or less plausible theories about the community. Carl sat next to his father, with the little girl in his lap. Father Gabriel also seemed very confident. He murmured something to Daryl, but he let out a grunt. Carol intervened in the speech and Abraham simply listened to them without saying a word. You moved your fingers on the wooden table and drummed on it obsessively.

"Excited?", Michonne asked.

A little, but not compared to her. She spread joy from all pores, although you still had no certainty.

"I don't know what to expect.", you replied.

"I think everything will be perfect, we'll be fine, I'm sure."

You smiled at her: "I just hope you're right, Michonne."

The caravan creaked on every hole on the tarmac and made you swing like Hawaiian statuettes. You've never had an accident, but all those repeated movements made you feel sick. It was like being in a boat, thrown around by the fierce salty waves. You tried to focus on one point by focusing on a random object in the car.

"It will not be easy for us to integrate ourselves.", Carol commented.

"If that damn tin can doesn't stop swingin', we won't even get there!", the archer growled. Rick turned around and flashed his eyes at him, pointing out that it wasn't his fault.

"I'm doing everything to avoid those damn potholes, but the road is a disaster.", he said.

You were glad to know that you were not the only one who was caught in a persistent feeling of nausea.

"It'll be like a dream for you, you'll understand it as soon as we get there.", Aaron commented.

Rick grabbed the steering wheel and pulled the muscles of his arms together: "We'll see...", he answered, frowning, already seeing the community from the distance.