Okay guys here we go, the second update of the night in honor of the 6k milestone! I hope you guys are happy with this one! Please comment/vote! I love hearing from you!

<><><><><>

Daryl

I woke up before anyone else. When I looked around I saw Jo sleeping only inches from me. Her face was drawn and tight, even in sleep. She had always been skinny but now she was starting to look gaunt. She needed water and more food. I felt that when I picked her up yesterday. She was so light, but she felt so alive in my arms. I had decided to stay away from her, but I was doing about as good at that as I was everything else these days. 

I sat up and stretched, my back aching from sleeping on the pavement. I wouldn't have chosen to sleep on the road but last night I wanted to stick close to her. Our run in with the dogs had me starting to worry about more things than just Walkers.

She had slept without a blanket or jacket covering her and her t-shirt was pulled up exposing a generous bit of skin at her waist. She wasn't black and blue anymore but I knew she was still hurting. Probably worse than she realized. I saw her get into trouble with that walker the day before. She had kicked up at it like there was nothing wrong and it had dropped her to the pavement. If she didn't start accounting for her injuries she was going to get herself killed. 

I sucked in a breath and climbed roughly to my feet as that thought went over me. I paced away from the group. I needed to get a hold of myself. My emotions were all over the place. I couldn't control the grief over losing Beth and the guilt. The guilt of not being able to save Beth, of not being able to keep Jo safe, and now I was failing to take care of her. I was failing to take care of everybody. This was what I did. I found food and water and took care of the group. I paced another line and when I turned back I saw Rick was up and watching me. He came over to me, moving quietly in the predawn light so he didn't wake anyone else.

"We need to keep moving," I growled when he was close enough for me to talk quietly to him.

He nodded. "We don't have much longer without water. People are getting weak."

My eyes dropped involuntarily back to Jo's sleeping form.

Rick put a hand on my shoulder. "Hey," he said, though he didn't speak until I looked at him. "We'll get through this, together." He said resolutely.

I turned away from him and paced again as fear and anger threatened to beat me down. I ran a hand over the back of my neck.

"You didn't fail her," Rick said quietly.

I turned to glare at him. It was like he was reading my mind.

"You didn't. What happened to Beth happened. It wasn't your fault, it wasn't anybody's fault.  And Jo's still here. She doesn't think you're responsible. None of us do, but brother you gotta forgive yourself." He gave me a grim smile and patted me on the back before turning towards the sunrise. The sky was painted red in the coming dawn. Rick chuckled once. "Red sky in the morning..." he started to say and shook his head.

"Imma go look for water while you get everyone moving," I called to him.

He waved me off as though he expected it.

I bent down to pick up my crossbow and looked back at Jo. I leaned over and brushed some of her hair aside before kissing her gently on the forehead. She hummed in the back of her throat but she didn't wake. I straightened and moved off into the woods.

There was nothing to find, I knew there was nothing to find, but I couldn't bring myself to give up. I stomped through the dry underbrush making enough noise that it didn't matter if there were any animals to hunt, they would hear me coming a mile away. I wasn't very far in when I spotted a clearing up ahead. I pushed my way through to it, praying it was a lake or pond of some kind. When I saw the old barn I dropped down onto the ground in defeat. We couldn't catch a break. I leaned back against a tree and reached into my pocket. I had a handful of crushed cigarettes and my lighter. My hands shook as I lit the first one.

How long could we keep doing this? How long could I keep doing this? People were going to start dying out here and it was going to be my fault. I thought about Jo. She ain't complained once since we been out here. She ain't said a word about being hungry or thirsty or in pain. She just kept moving. She hadn't wanted to come, I knew that. She made it perfectly clear how dumb she thought it was to leave our territory. She always used words like that but I hated it. It made me think of us like animals.

I tossed away the butt and lit a second cigarette.

Seeing her crouched in the road having to fight off a pack of wild dogs had done something to me. She was a survivor. She had fought to be here and alive with everything she had. She was here because of me. Not because I saved her, but because even though she hated the idea of leaving a familiar area she wouldn't leave me. I knew it at the time, but I thought following Rick was what was best. Now I might of killed her. She would be dead as surely as Beth was if I couldn't find us food and water. Jo was going to die and it would be my fault all the same.

I took a last long drag off the cigarette in my mouth and looked down at it. Jo hated when I smoked, she hated the smell. I took another drag. I had smoked as far back as I could remember. I was just a kid when I started sneaking them from my mom when she had too much wine and was passed out on the couch. It reminded of being back there, in that damn house with him. I stared down at the tiny glowing ember on the tip of the cigarette. I pushed it into the skin of my hand. I stared down impassively as it seared my skin and smoked until it went out. That was something else that reminded me of him. He would hit me if I reacted and showed any pain when he burned me with his cigarettes. 

I grit my teeth, and flicked the butt away from me into the dirt. I scared Jo yesterday. I had startled her plenty of times before. Her time in Woodbury made her more jumpy at first, but she had worked through it. Yesterday I didn't startle her. I scared her. Me being pissed had scared her and she backed away from me. I closed my eyes as shame ran through me. I never wanted to be feared like that. She had come to me after, but it had been the wrong move. Then she looked so hurt when I pulled away from our kiss. Jo told me she wanted to stop just surviving, she wanted to live, with me. And all I have done was damndest to chase her off. 

I hung my head as all the emotions I couldn't control rolled through me. I thought about her telling me I had to let it out and feel it. So I did. No one was around to see me and I let myself cry over everything that was wrong. I cried over Beth and Hershel and Merle. Everything. 

I let out a sigh and swiped at my eyes angrily. Ain't nobody else going off by themselves and crying over our lot in life. Jo wasn't and Rick certainly wasn't and they needed me if we were going to get the group out of this. They would be on the move by now. I pushed myself to my feet and stalked off through the woods, too pissed at myself to bother with hunting.

I found them on the road, all standing in a circle together. My heart dropped and I think I stopped breathing for a moment, thinking we had lost someone. But Rick stepped up to me and handed me a piece of crisp white paper. My fingers left dirt smudges on the corners. It read, 'From A Friend'.

My eyes dropped to the middle of the circle. There were gallon jugs and bottles of water. I lifted my eyes to Rick who was already resting his hand on his python. I turned to Jo who had her Kukri already drawn and was watching the woods warily. I dropped the piece of paper and swung my crossbow back around into my hands. Everyone else was standing tense and ready. I paced along the line of the trees, looking for the tracks they would have left if they came through the woods.

"What else are we going to do?" Tara asked in a quiet desperate voice.

Rick was looking up and down the road. "Not this," he replied gruffly. "We don't know who left it."

Once I was satisfied they hadn't come through the woods I stopped to stand near Jo. She hadn't looked away from the forest. I bumped her lightly with my shoulder to let her know I was there. She startled anyway, her eyes flashing as she looked up at me in confusion. I knew she wouldn't see any emotion on my face but her eyes were full of confusion. I didn't blame her, I had been an ass to her and she didn't deserve it. 

"If that's a trap we already happen to be in it. But I, for one, would like to think it is indeed from a friend," Eugene was staring down at the water desperately.

Carol was standing next to Rick her arms crossed over her chest. "What if it isn't?" she challenged. "And they put something in it."

I heard Jo scoff lightly beside me and looked down at her. She was shaking her head, but hadn't turned back to the group.

"You don't think it's a trap?" I asked, leaning down so only she would hear me.

She frowned up at me, when I willingly came so close to her, but she didn't react. "We're weak. If you wanted to kill us all you would need to do is wait another day and we'll be dropping like flies. No need to waste valuable resources."

I nodded her words made sense.

"Eugene!" Rosita called.

"What are you doing dude?" Tara called.

"Quality assurance," Eugene said right before there was the sound of a scuffle. Both Jo and turned back in time to see Abraham slam the bottle out of Eugene's hands, spilling it all over the dry road.

Jo sucked in an exhausted breath and cocked her head turning away from the group. "You feel that?" she asked softly, completely ignoring the rest of the group. A cool wind was tossing the trees and the temperature had just dropped.

"We can't," Rick said quietly.

The first rumbled of thunder sounded loud enough to interrupt the rest of the groups fight. Everyone froze, their eyes going to the sky. The first rain drop fell and Jo's eyes flew to my face. Another rumble of thunder built and the skies opened up.

There was laughter all around us, but Jo was already moving. She whipped her bag around and unzipped it, pulling out four empty plastic bottles. She immediately stooped down and lined them up in the middle of the road. Then she was reaching out for my belt. I frowned down at and was about to pull away but her hand latched onto my belt and she pulled me closer.

"Stop," she snapped agitatedly.

And I couldn't help the full smile that broke across my face when she used my word against me.

She unclipped the plastic water bottle from my belt and set it out with the rest of hers.

Once satisfied she stood and stared up at the sky, letting the rain fall onto her face. I watched as the tense lines fell away from her face as she let the rain soak her. Her shirt and clothes clung to her but she didn't seem to care at all. Rick was ordering the others to gather water but I wasn't listening. Jo scrubbed at her face, letting the rain wash away the dirt. I snorted when she missed a spot on her cheek and stepped towards her. I reached out to her before it struck me that she might pull away from me. I frowned anticipating how much it would hurt for her to do that. I would certainly deserve it, but she didn't.

<><><><><>

Jo

Daryl's fingers were gentle on my cheek as he wiped away the last of the dirt I had missed. He reached into his back pocket and came out with his red handkerchief. He held it in his hand, letting the pouring rain soak it, but he never took his eyes off of mine. There was something different about him. Something had happened. I didn't know what, and we would have to talk about it at some time, but now wasn't the time. I didn't want to chase him off. 

When the rag was soaked he stepped forward so he was only inches away and gently wiped my neck. I shivered but I wasn't sure if it was from the rain or the gentle brushes of his finger tips on my neck. He moved to get the other side. Reaching out he cupped the clean side of my neck in one hand while he frowned down in concentration. I held my breath as I watched the rain run down his skin from only inches away. 

The wind picked up all of a sudden and the moment between Daryl and I was broken. We both turned to the forest and the clouds overhead. They were rolling and angry. I sucked in a breath. We needed to get out of here. This storm was about to turn nasty. I glanced towards the woods, it was probably our best bet for shelter, but if the wind continued to pick up it could prove dangerous.

The rain started to pound harder and the next crack of thunder was so loud and so close I flinched and Judith started crying. Daryl touched my elbow gently but he was looking towards Rick.

"Let's keep moving," Rick called though he didn't look like he had any idea where we should go.

"There's a barn!" Daryl had to yell to be heard above the rising storm.

"Where?"

I dropped down and immediately capped my water bottles. They were most of the way full. I shoved them and Daryl's into my backpack before turning back to the group. Daryl nodded to me from the other side of the group and turned to lead them through the woods. I brought up the rear my knives in my hands. Lightning split the sky again. We needed to move. 

<><><><><>

I hope you enjoyed the update! Things are looking up for Jo...sort of haha. Please comment/vote!