Daryl

Jo had been gone too long. It had probably only been five minutes but she should have been back by now. I set aside the coffee mug of wine, climbed to my feet and swung my crossbow over my shoulder. I hated to admit it, but I was worried about her. It had been a rough few days and I didn't like having her too far out of my sight.

Rick caught my eye as I was leaving and he gave me a knowing smile. He thought Jo and I were meeting outside for another reason. I didn't bother to correct him. If they thought we were fooling around in the bushes they would give us some privacy.

She had lied to me about why she was going outside. She knew she couldn't lie to me, so I didn't know why she bothered. I could tell without her saying anything Abraham's little speech upset her.

I wasn't sure what I was going to say to her about it. Rick decided he wanted to be a hero again which meant a road trip to DC. It would be dangerous, but I wasn't willing to separate from the group again. I owed too much to Rick and Carol, but I wouldn't leave Jo behind either. I didn't care if I had to carry her over my shoulder kicking and screaming all the way.

I unlocked the heavy wooden door and closed it behind me. The night air was crisp and cool. I zipped up my jacket and looked around. It was going to be too dark to track her, there was only a sliver of a moon cutting through the trees.

"Jo?" I called her name softly, but it was so quiet in the forest tonight she would hear it if she was close.

I blamed it on the wine, I hadn't drank in a while. It took me a few moments to stop and really think. As soon as I noticed I took my crossbow into my hands. No way the woods should be this quiet. Off to my right I heard a sudden motion in the trees of somebody running. I took off after the noise. Either it was Jo or it was whoever had been watching us. A bad feeling went through me as I remembered the feeling the night before. What if it had been someone and they took Jo?

I ran sure footed through the darkness, dodging and leaping as needed. I was better in the forest than whoever I was chasing. I was gaining on them.

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Jo

I ran through the forest, tripping and stumbling awkwardly as I went. They were still ahead of me. I was panting so loudly I could hear nothing but my own breath, pounding heart and the slapping of my rifle against my back as I ran. I nearly fell on my face when the woods suddenly dropped away and I stumbled out onto a road. I looked up and down it but couldn't see anyone.

The black car was still sitting on the side of the road a hundred feet up. I frowned at it. The hood was popped. There was someone out here. Maybe more than one. And I had stupidly come all the way out here by myself. I had my knives in my hands and my rifle over my shoulder but this felt like a trap. I slid my knives away and brought the rifle around into my hands.

I glanced back over my shoulder once, wondering if it would be better for me to return and get back up. When I looked back at the car, I knew I had to investigate now. As I crept towards the car, the unfamiliar weight of the rifle made me feel even more uneasy. I had been carrying the unwieldy thing for a few days now, but I wanted my hand gun back. Well, mine was gone, swallowed up in the mess at Terminus, but I wanted a hand gun again.

My heart started pounding as I got closer to the car. I stayed back about ten feet as I slowly circled. I didn't see anyone.

I frowned. The hood was popped and the charger was running and hooked to the battery. I adjusted my grip on the rifle and finished circling the car. There was no one here. I walked up and down the edge of the trees in both directions for about fifty yards before returning to the car. I didn't like it, but there didn't seem to be anyone here. I leaned the rifle against the front quarter panel and began unhooking the charger. 

There was a soft growl from somewhere out in the trees and I straightened. I tossed the charger in the backseat of the car and moved towards the sound. I groaned as I realized I left the rifle back at the front of the car. Stupid, stupid Jo. I felt like I was making a lot of mistakes tonight. I glanced back at the car. There was still no sign of anyone.

A single walker came out of the gloom drawing my focus away from the potential trap. I pulled out a throwing knife and took it out from a distance. I was just stooping to pull the blade out of it's forehead when I heard movement in the underbrush. I ripped the blade free and jumped to my feet so I was ready to fight. I silently cursed myself for being so stupid to leave the gun so far away.

Daryl stepped out into the moonlight. He had his crossbow over one shoulder and his hair was hanging forward into his eyes. "What are you doing?" he asked, looking from me back to the car. Hurt flashed in his eyes.

I frowned. "What?"

He cut his eyes back towards the car. I glance over my shoulder and see what he sees. The hood is popped, and from here you can see where I left my rifle leaning against the car. I let out a sigh. "It's not what it looks like. There was someone out here."

He frowns and turns in a slow circle, his eyes scanning the trees.

"You sure?" he asks in a low husky  voice as he steps up close to me.

I nod. "I heard them back at the church. They took off and I followed, but I lost them. Found the car hooked up to the charger though."

He nodded slowly. I could see the tension radiating up and down his arms.  "Come on," he said jerking his chin back towards the church. "We won't find them out here tonight. You and me will come back in the light and see what tracks we can find."

I let out a sigh but nodded. I needed to grab my rifle.

"Daryl-" I started to say but a car rumbled up the road. Daryl grabbed my arm and pulled me back out of view. He shielded me with his body. I could feel the warmth of his chest pressing against my back as he watched the car go by. His hand was still on my arm, his fingers moving in slow soothing circles.

The car was black, with a white cross in the rear window.

Daryl's whole body tightened and he leapt to his feet. "Come on!" Daryl yelled and he ran for the black car. He started smashing the back lights.

"Whoa! Whoa! What are you doing?!" I yelled.

"Those are the people who have Beth!" His voice was high with desperation. 

I immediately ran around to the front of the car. I slammed the hood and scooped up my rifle. I smashed the front lights with the butt of the rifle. Daryl was already in the car and had just cranked it over. I ran around to the passenger side and jumped in.

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Jo

We drove through the dark. Daryl kept far enough back the other car wouldn't realize we were following. The only light in our car was the dim glow of the dash lights. They cast strange shadows across Daryl's face. He was scowling as he drove.

He was really worried about Beth, but I hadn't heard much in the way of details about their time together or what happened to her. Either way, something had changed him in our time apart, and I was pretty sure it had to do with Beth.

After a while I finally found the courage to ask the question that had been weighing on me. "So it was just you and Beth after the prison?" I asked. I fought to keep my voice as neutral as I could.

The lights from the dash illuminate his face as he glanced over at me. "Yeah."

"You save her?"

"She's tough, she saved herself," he cleared his throat. "We were out there for a while. We got cornered, she got out in front of me and...I don't know, she was gone. I got out and there was a car pulling out with a white cross on the window."

"Just like that one?" I asked, leaning forward in my seat to try to get a better look at the car in front of us. There wasn't much to see in the dark.

"Yep," he nodded, and settled himself back more comfortably into his seat.

I shivered in my seat. Without saying anything he reached down and turned the dials. Artificial heat began blowing out of the vents. I moaned happily and pressed my chilled hands against the vents. I let out a satisfied groan as the heat warmed me.

Daryl quirked an eyebrow at the noise and smirked at me.

"Shut up," I said, slapping at his shoulder. He chuckled deep in his throat.

"I can't tell you how long it's been since I felt heat," I said. I leaned forward so I could get closer to the vents.

Daryl just shook his head, still smirking and adjusted a few more controls. More of the delicious heat poured out. I unzipped my jacket and let the warm air blow across my skin.

We drove for a few minutes in silence. Once my hands were warm I reached over and slid my hand over his that was resting on the shifter between us. He glanced down at our hands and intertwined our fingers. His hands were cool and strong and the gentle glide of his fingers across my skin made things in my stomach tighten.  

"So after the prison..." he began and he glanced at me.

I froze, all warm feelings evaporating. My mind began tripping over itself as I fought to prepare myself for him to tell me that he and Beth had been together or something.

"Were you...alone?" he asked, looking back at the road as he silently chewed on his lip.

I felt my throat tighten and I moved to pull my hand back. Daryl gripped my hand firmly in his. "Ya don't have to tell me," he said in a gravely voice.  "But ya don't gotta pull away either."

I licked my lips and nodded, meeting his gaze across the warm car. I was suddenly struck by the intimacy of the small space and I gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I was alone," I said quietly, glancing down at my lap. "I was alone the whole time. Until Joe and his group found me..."

Daryl kept his eyes on the road. His left fist was gripped tightly on the steering wheel but his right was gentle on mine as his thumb ran in soothing circles as I spoke.

"I'm so goddamn sorry about that Jo," he said in a quiet, shame filled voice.

I reached out and touched his forearm with my other hand. "It wasn't your fault Daryl...and being alone was worse, much worse." I shuddered as I remembered. "I...I had planned to return to my tower to sleep, but Bob came in to give me meds. He drugged me so I would stay sleeping."

"He drugged you?!" Daryl snarled sharply.

I nodded but continued. "He didn't want me overdoing it, so he drugged me and closed me in my cell. When I woke up I was alone in D and there was a huge hole in the wall and the place was overrun with Walkers. I fought my way out, but there was no where to go. The walkers were all coming and there were explosions and gun fire outside...I fought my way to the tombs."

I shivered again as the memories went over me and I wrapped my jacket back around myself with my free hand. No amount of heat would make me feel warm while I remembered all I had been through.

"I was in the tombs for a long time, I had no flashlight. I just wandered and wandered. It felt like days...I thought I was going insane," I shook my head and Daryl squeezed my hand again. "I eventually got into C, but it was night so I stayed..." I cleared my throat uncomfortably. "I stayed in your cell," I felt the blush creep up my neck but I wasn't sure why I was so embarrassed. I had stayed there with him not long before. "I fought my way out in the morning and headed into the woods. That's when I found your first arrow in the chest of a walker in the prison yard-"

Daryl made a strangled sound in the back of his throat and I turned to look at him. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"What?"

Daryl looked away, not wanting to meet my eyes. "I killed that man and left him to turn..." he cleared his throat. "I thought he killed you."

There were no words. I simply sat there and stared at Daryl's face. He was tense and ashamed. I felt a frown tug across my face. Steeling my courage I leaned across the dark space between us and brushed my lips across Daryl's cheek. He flinched at the action and then, I couldn't be sure because it was dark, but it looked like he blushed. I settled back in my seat, and squeezed his fingers between mine. I didn't need to relive everything I had gone through and I didn't think it would be better for Daryl to hear about it all either. He already was beating himself up about it. I had been alone trying to find him, but he had been certain I was dead. I don't know where I would have ended up if I thought Daryl was dead the whole time.

I shuddered. We didn't need to relive it, not if we were going to start over. 

Daryl seemed embarrassed and cleared his throat. "Rick's gonna wonder where we went," he said, changing the subject when I didn't continue my story. He glanced down at the gauges. "And the tanks running low."

I chewed on my lip and leaned forward, staring at the car in front of us. "We could end this quick? Run him off the road?" I suggested doubtfully. It would be an incredibly risky move, but we couldn't risk loosing them either.

"Nah, we're good for a bit."

"If they're holding her somewhere we can get it out of the driver."

Daryl didn't seem surprised by my suggestion, instead he remained pragmatic as always. "Yeah, but if he don't talk, we're back to square one. Right now we got the advantage. We'll see who they are. If they're a group, we'll see what they can do. And then we'll do what we gotta do to get her back."

We followed for a few more minutes before the car took a turn. I frowned into the darkness as a sign went past us. "They're heading north, I-85."

Into the city.

I didn't like this, I didn't like it one bit. Beth was one of us and I wanted to help her, but the city was not a safe place, especially at night. I remembered back to the CDC and the sheer volume of Walkers that had come out of the wood work. I glanced over at Daryl and saw the determined glint in his eye. He was doing this and I would be damned if I was going to leave him. I swallowed as I looked up at the dark skyline of Atlanta glinting in the moonlight. This was bit a place we could get out of easily; it was a concrete jungle. The dark, rectangular buildings reminded me of headstones.

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