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How to avoid White Room Syndrome

by Writerthreads on Instagram

A common problem writers face is "white room syndrome"—when scenes feel like they’re happening in an empty white room. To avoid this, it's important to describe settings in a way that makes them feel real and alive, without overloading readers with too much detail. Here are a few tips below to help!

Focus on a few key details

You don’t need to describe everything in the scene—just pick a couple of specific, memorable details to bring the setting to life. Maybe it’s the creaky floorboards in an old house, the musty smell of a forgotten attic, or the soft hum of a refrigerator in a small kitchen. These little details help anchor the scene and give readers something to picture, without dragging the action with heaps of descriptions.

Engage the senses

Instead of just focusing on what characters can see, try to incorporate all five senses—what do they hear, smell, feel, or even taste? Describe the smell of fresh bread from a nearby bakery, or the damp chill of a foggy morning. This adds a lot of depth and make the location feel more real and imaginable.

Mix descriptions with actions

Have characters interact with the environment. How do your characters move through the space? Are they brushing their hands over a dusty bookshelf, shuffling through fallen leaves, or squeezing through a crowded subway car? Instead of dumping a paragraph of description, mix it in with the action or dialogue.

Use the setting to reflect a mood or theme

Sometimes, the setting can do more than just provide a backdrop—it can reinforce the mood of a scene or even reflect a theme in the story. A stormy night might enhance tension, while a warm, sunny day might highlight a moment of peace. The environment can add an extra layer to what’s happening symbolically.

Here's an example of writing a description that hopefully feels alive and realistic, without dragging the action:

The bookstore was tucked between two brick buildings, its faded sign creaking with every gust of wind. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of worn paper and dust, mingling with the faint aroma of freshly brewed coffee from a corner café down the street. The wooden floorboards groaned as Ella wandered between the shelves, her fingertips brushing the spines of forgotten novels. Somewhere in the back, the soft sound of jazz crackled from an ancient radio.

Hope these tips help in your writing!

Y/N: Of course I have a lot of pent-up anger! I've been the same height since I was twelve!

Daryl, chuckling: You’re like a lil’ travel-sized ball’a rage.

Y/N: Say that to my face!

Daryl: Stand up then.

Y/N: I am standing!

Daryl, smirking: I know.

Y/N: Your shins are in danger.

Always more daydreaming than actually writing.

Dunno if you already did this, but can you do one about showing characters processing something or in deep thought. I always fall into the trap of "their eyebrows furrowed".

Oh, I totally get that! It’s so easy to fall into the whole "their eyebrows furrowed" thing, but there are way more ways to show a character deep in thought.

First, try switching up their body language. Instead of focusing on their face, have them fidget, maybe they’re tapping their fingers, messing with the hem of their shirt, or pacing a little. These small movements show they’re distracted or thinking hard about something without always going for the obvious expression.

Example "She twisted a strand of hair around her finger, eyes locked on the floor as if the answer might appear there."

Next, think about their eyes. Are they staring off into space, completely zoned out? Maybe their eyes flicker back and forth, like they’re mentally working through something. You can use their gaze to show that their thoughts are elsewhere, without even needing to mention their face.

Example "His eyes drifted past the window, staring at nothing, the world outside a blur as his mind raced." Or "She narrowed her eyes, her gaze shifting from one corner of the room to another, piecing together the clues in her head."

Another good trick is to dive into internal sensations. You can describe how their thoughts are racing, their chest feels tight, or their stomach twists with uncertainty. Maybe their mind is replaying a conversation or trying to make sense of something confusing. Little details like that can really pull the reader into their head.

Example "His thoughts were a tangled mess, one question bleeding into the next until he couldn’t keep track anymore." Or "She kept replaying his words in her mind, over and over, trying to figure out what he really meant."

Also, silence can be super effective. Maybe they stop talking mid-sentence or give short, distracted responses to people around them. It’s like their brain is too busy to focus on the conversation, and that can show how deep in thought they are.

Example "When Jake asked her a question, she didn’t even hear it. Her mind was too far gone, trapped in a spiral of what-ifs." Or "He nodded absentmindedly, not really listening, his focus somewhere far from the conversation."

And don’t forget about small physical reactions! Maybe they’re feeling a weird heaviness in their chest, or a knot in their stomach forms as they overthink. Physical sensations tied to emotions can really ground the moment and make it feel more real.

Example "Her chest tightened as the weight of the decision settled over her, heavy and unavoidable." Or "A dull ache formed behind his eyes, the pressure of too many unanswered questions closing in."

So yeah, there’s lots of cool ways to show deep thought without just saying "eyebrows furrowed", Mix it up and it’ll feel way more natural. :)

*Dog takes off running, Daryl and Carol follow*

Daryl - “Dog. Dog. Stop, c’mon!”

*dog stops and sits right at your feet*

*Daryl and Carol come out of the woods, stopping when they see you*

Daryl - *starting at you with a slight smile* “Hi.”

Y/n - *Scratching Dog’s head, giving him a smile* “Hi.”

Carol - *looks and motions between the two of you* “You two know each other?”

*You and Daryl speak at the same time* “You have no idea.”

——

Here’s a kiss for likin’ and rebloggin’💋

Body type and shape

Lean Having a slender and toned body with minimal body fat.

Muscular Having well-developed muscles and a defined physique.

Slender Having a thin and graceful body shape.

Curvy Having an hourglass figure with well-defined curves, particularly in the hips and bust.

Athletic Having a fit and muscular body, often associated with participation in sports or physical activities.

Petite Being small and slender in stature, usually referring to height and overall body size.

Voluptuous Having full and shapely curves, often emphasizing a larger bust, hips, and thighs.

Stocky Having a compact and solid build with a sturdy appearance.

Thin Having a slim and slender body shape with little body fat or muscle definition.

Well-proportioned Having balanced and harmonious body proportions, with each body part in good proportion to the whole.

Toned Having firm muscles and a defined physique resulting from regular exercise and strength training.

Chubby Having a plump or rounded body shape, often with excess body fat.

Pear-shaped Having a body shape where the hips and thighs are wider than the shoulders and bust.

Hourglass figure Having a curvy body shape characterized by a well-defined waist and proportionate bust and hips.

Apple-shaped Having a body shape where weight is primarily carried around the midsection, resulting in a broader waistline.

Broad-shouldered Having wide and well-developed shoulders in comparison to the rest of the body.

Long-limbed Having long and slender limbs in proportion to the body.

Stout Having a sturdy and robust build, often characterized by a solid and thick physique.

Plump Having a pleasantly full and rounded body shape, often indicating a higher percentage of body fat.

Tall and slender Being tall in height and having a slim and elongated body shape.

Loving this series so much! Can’t wait to see what happens next!

Desert Rose

Chapter 61 ~ White Crosses

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 5

✧ Word Count : 8k

In this chapter ~ In an effort to save Beth, Daryl and Rose take off after the car that heads straight into the city of Atlanta. As they navigate through the abandoned city, they somehow manage to find a clue at where she's being held, along with the help from an unexpected stranger.

The roads were pitch black, the only light source coming from the moon above as we followed behind the car for what felt like forever, but really it had only been an hour judging by the blinking red numbers that flashed on the dashboard. My leg hadn't stopped bouncing since I first sat down, too anxious as I pondered the unknown. Neither one of us knew where she was or what was happening to her, and it was slowly starting to torture me.

Daryl explained vaguely a little while ago how he knew they were the same people, the bright white cross painted on the back window being a dead giveaway. He talked throughout the whole ride, explaining everything to me, but I couldn't find the words. I just stayed completely silent as he spoke, nodding along occasionally to show that I was still listening, though my mind was racing. I just prayed that wherever she was, whoever she was with, that she was okay and they hadn't hurt her.

But suddenly the car became dead silent, glancing over at Daryl to see that he had stopped talking completely, now only focusing on the road. I could tell by the way he was chewing on his thumb nail, his other hand gripping the wheel harshly, he was silently blaming himself for the situation we were placed in. Overthinking every little thing as the reminder of the vehicle in front of us was only making it worse.

I studied his side profile for a long moment before gently placing my hand on his knee so he would look at me, and when he did, I could see the guilt filling his eyes like tears.

"It's not your fault, love." I said softly.

He shook his head, "I shoulda been there with her...never shoulda told her to run."

"You couldn't have known; you just wanted her safe." I gently reminded him, "That could've happened no matter who she was with, this isn't on you...you hear me?" I asked.

"Yes ma'am." he muttered softly, his lip quirking up the smallest bit.

I knew with that little comment and the slight smile he seemed to muster, I somehow got his mind to ease at least a bit. Though no matter what I said to him, I knew he would still blame himself. But at least this was a start.

He took my hand from off his knee and kissed my knuckles softly, moving to rest our intertwined hands on the center counsel, "Rick's gonna wonder where we went." he said suddenly.

"I know," I nodded, "But hopefully they'll stay put for the next few days until we come back. He wouldn't leave us behind like that." I assured.

He nodded, "Tank's runnin low."

"Maybe we could end this now...just run them off the road." I suggested.

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

I began to feel myself get more antsy as I sat uselessly in my seat, glancing over at the red gaslight that suddenly flashed on, "If they're holding her somewhere, we can get it out of the driver."

"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 we do what we gotta do to get her back."

I nodded slowly, knowing he was right as we couldn't waste this opportunity. But still, it felt like this drive was never ending. His eyes panned off the road for a short moment, noticing my knee still bouncing up and down rapidly. His thumb rubbed softly on the back of my hand to grab my attention once more.

"We're gettin her back." he said confidently.

I nodded my head again, "I know."

My attention was then pulled to straight ahead of us, not taking my eyes off the vehicle as we followed the two red lights while it swerved through lanes. They only seemed to be going deeper and deeper out of town, not stopping once for anything, before finally taking an onramp to head towards Atlanta.

Another thirty minutes passed by and we had managed to follow them all the way into the large city, now surrounded by many street signs and tall buildings. But my heart stopped in my chest as the car finally stopped moving, their taillights lighting up as the driver then put it in park on the side of the road. Daryl slowed our car down to a stop, a good distance away from them so they still wouldn't notice our presence, watching, waiting silently to see what they would do next. Though the car stayed perfectly still and unmoving, no one making an attempt to get out as it just sat there in the dead of night, confusion consuming me as my eyes never moved away.

"What the hell is he waiting for?" I muttered.

Right as my voice broke the silence, the brake lights suddenly went out as the person inside shut the car completely off, causing me to tense as little as the anticipation was now killing me. Finally after what felt like years, two people stepped outside, both wearing some kind of cop uniforms as they scanned the empty area around them.

It was hard to tell what the hell they were doing from the darkness that consumed the streets, but it also didn't help that we were parked a good seventy yards away from them. I squinted as I tried to follow their slightly moving figures, quietly moving to take out my handgun that was still secured in my belt. My eyes glanced down briefly, checking to see how many bullets I had left just in case.

I then looked back up just in time to see the two walking away from the car, towards the right into an alley behind one of the buildings, disappearing where we could no longer see them. I sighed in annoyance as I slowly leaned more into Daryl's side of the car, seeing if I could get a better look at where they vanished to, hearing him scoff from right next to my face.

"Woman, I can't see 'em either."

I rolled my eyes as I scooted back, "Well, it was worth a shot."

Our eyes stayed glued to the windshield as an agonizing silence settled in the air, staring at the same spot for what felt like hours, before there was a sudden loud thud against my window. I yelped loudly in surprise, jumping out of my seat as I whipped my head in the direction to see the source of the noise, coming face to face with a walker. A sigh left my lips as I placed a hand over my chest, glaring at the dead thing as it desperately tried to get in, clawing desperately at the glass.

Though I could hear my heart beating rapidly in my ears from the slight heart attack, I could still manage to catch the soft sounds of Daryl chuckling to himself, causing my head to turn back over in his direction. "What?" I asked defensively.

It took him a moment to collect himself as he attempted to control his laughs, "Ya jumped outta yer damn skin." he muttered before laughing again.

I scoffed, "Yeah, got it, hilarious."

"It was." he confirmed once his laughs finally died down.

My eyes narrowed at him, watching as he brought my hand back up to trail a few soft kisses on my skin as some kind of apology. I scoffed to myself as I looked away, knowing damn well I couldn't stay annoyed with this man for very long even if I tried.

The corpse outside continued to snarl as it pounded on the outside of the car, the two strangers finally emerging back into view again. I leaned forward a bit to see what they had done, but from what I could tell, it only looked like they moved some large pieces of scrap and metal from the alley so they were able to drive through. Potentially to take a short cut to their final destination.

As they moved to get back into their car, the driver stopped short with his hand on the handle of the door, looking right in our direction to the walker who was bringing attention to our vehicle. He seemed to stare almost directly at us for a few seconds, before quickly getting back in the car of his own, not hesitating to take off again as if he somehow knew we were watching.

Daryl quickly reached forward to turn the key again, but all it did was sputter. His eyes widened a fraction, trying again and again as he cursed under his breath, though it only seemed to be getting worse. "Shit, the tank's tapped. They gotta be holed up in the city somewhere, they'd have taken the bypass if they weren't."

I let my back hit the cushioned seat in slight defeat that we couldn't follow them further, seeing walkers beginning to emerge from the darkness upon hearing all the noise. "We'll need to find a place to stay until tomorrow morning."

He nodded in agreement as I rolled down my window a crack, sticking the mouth of my gun out the window to shoot the walker in the head. We then didn't hesitate to get out of the car, moving quickly as we scanned each building we passed to try and find some place safe. We ducked and dodged the oncoming walkers that seemed to follow us, killing a few of them off as we began to jog away from the small herd that followed.

Finally, we maneuvered in between two buildings, finding a back door that led into an older abandoned structure that hardly looked like it had been touched. Daryl rushed up to the metal door, beginning to pry it open as I silently watched his back, firing a few bullets at the lone walkers that caught up to us at a slow pace.

He finally pried it open after only a few tries, signaling me inside to follow him before slamming the door shut behind us, easily blocking it off with some furniture inside. The two of us then trailed down the long hallways ahead, finding it hard to see as the only light we had was a small flashlight Daryl carried, pointing towards which direction to go.

The whole space seemed like it had a very eerie and uncomfortable vibe to it, not liking the feeling it gave me from the moment we stepped in here. Although it was completely silent, no type of real threat to come across, just a feeling I couldn't ignore.

Eventually we made it further down to a room on our right, wanting to be a good distance away from the door we broke down in case anything were to happen; we could make a faster getaway through the other side. I reached to open the door in front of me, Daryl shining the light from just over my shoulder as it revealed a small room with a small bunkbed, a desk tucked in the corner, and a giant window straight ahead.

Daryl shut the door quietly behind him as we silently put our things down, "You sleep, I'll take first watch." I spoke, rubbing his shoulder lightly as I passed.

"This place is locked up tight." he voiced.

I slowly moved up to the window, staring out at almost the entire city as I shook my head, "No, it's okay. I'm not that tired anyway."

The truth was I was exhausted, but then again, I had too much on my mind to actually get a decent amount of sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about Beth, how she was somewhere close yet so incredibly far as we would no doubt be looking for hours on end before being able to track her down. And then who knows what we would have to do once we found her, the things we would have to do to get her back.

But another part of my mind was stuck on the scare I had just a few hours ago, how easily I began to panic like the same incident was going to happen to me all over again. It terrified me, so badly that I truly didn't know how I would someday get over the images I continued to see. Being in a strange new area didn't help with it either, in fact it only made it worse. How we didn't know the types of people that could be lingering here, a strong possibility that they could be similar to the men from that night.

All these thoughts just left my mind in a whirlwind of emotions, not being able to stop my racing heart enough to settle down.

I thought that Daryl had laid down to get some rest, not wanting to question the fact that I was insistent on staying awake. But then I felt his arms slowly wrap around my waist from behind me as he rested his head in the crook of my neck. I instantly melted into his touch, feeling him start to trail soft kisses on the side of my neck, lingering down towards my shoulder.

"What's on yer mind, pretty girl?" he asked in between kisses.

I rested my head against his, "Everything." I sighed, "Beth, the others..." I paused for a moment to the point where he caught on, "That night in the woods." I admitted.

He stopped immediately what he was doing, pulling away to turn me around so we were face to face, "Yer safe." he assured softly, "I ain't lettin anythin bad happen to ya ever again."

I couldn't find my voice to say anything, so I just settled on nodding my head, showing I heard every word. He brought his hand up to my face and stroked my cheek lightly, "Ya don't have to put on a brave face. What ya went through was somethin traumatic, and ya don't have to pretend it didn't affect ya...I know it did. M' so sorry I wasn't there to protect ya."

"Stop. Stop apologizing like it was your fault." I whispered while shaking my head, "I just- I can't seem to let it go...but I want to. I want to so bad but- I just can't stop thinking about it- I can't-"

My voice broke towards the end of my sentence and my vision started to blur with tears. He shushed me quietly as he brought me into his embrace, trying desperately to control my breathing to prevent a panic attack that felt as though it was rising up my throat. His body tensed a bit at my sudden shift of emotions, his hands instantly moving soothingly along my back.

"Shh, Rosie breathe." he spoke softly.

I gripped onto him tightly as I desperately tried to calm myself, closing my eyes to try and think of something else besides the man looming over me with the knife in his hand. My body was running on overdrive as I couldn't find the strength to calm down, but I tried to remind myself that I was safe here with him. Nothing would happen as long as he was right here. And I knew in the back of my mind he would put himself in immense danger if it meant that I was safe. It was just so hard to forget something like that, especially when the man left a constant reminder every time I'd look at my reflection.

As the minutes passed and I finally calmed down enough, I peered up to glance at his face, "I'm sorry." I whispered.

He looked almost hurt that I had said that, cupping my face delicately in his hands, "Ya don't ever have to say yer sorry, darlin. Not ever."

"I don't deserve you."

He shook his head, "Nah, m' the one who doesn't deserve you." he assured, placing a delicate kiss on my lips before I even had the chance to argue.

A weight was lifted from me as I stayed in his arms for far longer than necessary, leading to him eventually convince me to try and get some rest. It was hard to fall asleep at first, but feeling his presence right next to me helped more than he would ever realize.

The next morning came quickly as we devised a plan even quicker, wanting to pinpoint where they were keeping Beth. Ultimately we decided we would head out to try and find a building that loomed over the entire city, wanting to get a better view of where the cars with the white crosses could've gone. I grew nervous the longer we were outside, now being light enough for us to see the number of walkers that still scattered around the Atlanta streets. There were small herds everywhere we went, causing us to be completely silent as we tried to slip past them.

My steps were light and quiet while I followed behind Daryl as he guided us through, slowly coming to a stop when we hit a crossroad. I peered around him silently, seeing there was a much bigger group of them in the middle of the street, seeming to block the building we had been heading towards.

But Daryl thought fast. He crouched down to the ground to grab a few pieces of newspaper that seemed to be littered everywhere across the sidewalk, grabbing a glass bottle right along with it as he dug around in his pocket. He then pulled out his lighter, stuffing the paper inside the bottle before lighting a flame to it, throwing it across the way so the walkers could see it out in the open.

We sat and waited for a moment before they finally turned towards the light source, moving just far enough from the entrance where we were able to run towards without being spotted. The two of us jogged through the parking garage that was attached to the skyscraper, prying one of the doors open to finally make it inside.

Daryl led the way through the giant office building, attempting to climb up as many stairs as we could so we could easily have a bird's eye view of everything around the area. We followed the signs until we came across a large hallway, seeing clothes and useless supplies all over the ground as we slowly stepped around them, seeing a few tents standing in the way of the door on the other end.

The snarls that were coming from behind the fabric was a dead giveaway that there were walkers still alive inside, but we paid it no mind as we kept moving through the trashed area, avoiding their outstretched hands through the material. Though we noticed quickly the double doors ahead were chained together, only being able to open it so much to get to the other side.

Thankfully though it wasn't as much of a struggle as I originally assumed, helping each other out as we individually managed to maneuver through the tight space. And after what felt like ages, we finally came across a huge room that could've easily been used for important corporate meetings, giant windows covering almost every inch of the walls and giving us a perfect view of the city.

The moment Daryl shut the door behind us, I felt myself release some tension from my body. "Finally, I feel like I can actually breathe without drawing attention to us." I spoke.

He chuckled, "Dunno what yer on bout. It was nice not having ya talk my ear off." he obviously teased.

"Shut up." I huffed, brushing past him to move closer towards the glass.

From what I could see, the city looked burnt up and destroyed, finding it almost amazing that some people still lived here when there were walkers all over the place. It made me wonder how they survived for so long. I scanned the area for any kind of clue, any indication of where the familiar cars could be hidden amongst the ruins.

Daryl eventually made his way over to stand next to me, squinting through the window just as I was for a few seconds before letting out a breath.

"See anything?" I asked.

"I dunno...hand me that riffle?" he asked.

I picked it up from right by my feet and handed it over to him so he could look through the scope, zooming in on our surroundings. Once he held it up to his face, it didn't take long for him to spot something, watching as he slowly lowered it from his vision to hand it over to me.

"Right there." he pointed.

I adjusted the gun in my grasp, holding it up to my eye to see where his finger was pointing, spotting a white van on the bridge not too far from here, with white crosses sloppily painted on the windows.

"No shit." I muttered in disbelief, lowering the gun once more.

"Gotta be some kinda lead." he said.

I silently nodded as I began to gather our things so we could move again, check out the van to see if it gave any indication on where they were hunkered down. Though when I looked back up to see if Daryl was following me towards the exit, he hadn't seemed to move. He stood there still, intently looking at a painting that hung slightly crooked up on one of the walls.

He never seemed like the type to just sit and admire a painting, so I knew something else was on his mind. Probably something assholey.

"What?" I asked.

He never took his eyes off the piece as he gestured to it, "I bet this cost a rich prick a lotta money." he voiced out loud, "It looks like a dog sat in paint, and whipped it's ass all over the place."

I tilted my head to the side to try and see what he was talking about with my arms folded over my chest, "I don't know...I kinda like it." I admitted.

He scoffed, "Stop."

"I'm serious, it's abstract...unique. I like these kinds of things." I defended, "You clearly don't know me at all." I spoke sarcastically as I sent him a wink.

"Mhm," he muttered with a gruff chuckle as he began to follow me out the room, "Keep tellin yerself that."

The two of us then retraced our steps back toward the double doors we once came through, Daryl moving forward to slide a few guns through the small space before we made our way out. He helped me first as I slipped off my weapon from my back, placing them on the other side as I slowly squeezed myself through the gap.

When I had successfully made it to the other side, I leaned down to pick up my bow I placed on the floor, before freezing suddenly when I heard shuffling from behind me. Quickly looking over my shoulder, I was met with a younger man holding up one of our guns, aiming it right at my head without saying a word.

My eyes widened slightly as I stared at him, hearing Daryl slowly start to maneuver past the doors, "Daryl, stop." I said quickly.

But he was already halfway through, causing the kid to quickly load a bullet into the chamber as his aim didn't falter, "Get up...hands up both of you." he demanded shakily.

My hands slowly raised as I glared at the man before me, standing up to my full height to face him. Daryl scoffed as he leisurely got out from behind the door, following my actions as anger blew off of him like steam.

"Lay down your crossbow," the kid said, "And the bow with the arrows."

"Ya got some sack on ya." Daryl practically growled.

"Look nobody has to get hurt, I just need weapons that's it." he spoke, "So, please just lay them down."

My eyes slowly panned over to Daryl who was already looking at me, hesitantly nodding my head to just do what he wanted, not wanting to take the risk of getting shot if we didn't comply. He sighed heavily before laying it down a good distance in front of him, the kid watching carefully as I did the same.

He then demanded us to back up in a stern voice, though the assertiveness didn't quite match the hesitant look on his face. Daryl took about two baby steps backward, but I didn't move at all, I didn't even budge as I watched him hesitantly step forward to steal our shit from off the ground.

His gun never moved away from me as he adjusted all the weapons securely on his back, "Sorry about this. You look tough, you'll be alright." he said, before taking out a knife and cutting through the material of one of the tents so the walkers inside could come crawling out.

He took off in a sprint the second the dead began to shove themselves out of the tent, causing both of us to quickly spring into action with our knives. We took care of them effortlessly, only four emerging from the small space before we both took off after the man, following the sound of his loud footsteps down the narrow halls. My eyes just barely caught a glimpse of him disappearing behind a door, pushing myself to run faster to try and catch him.

My body practically slammed into the entrance once I reached it, twisting the knob aggressively to try and open it as fast as I could, but the son of a bitch already locked it from the other side. I sighed as I hit the door once again in frustration before cursing under my breath, running my fingers through my hair.

"Ya alright?" Daryl asked.

I nodded before letting out a bitter scoff, "What an asshole."

He nodded in silent agreement, nudging my arm to follow him through the parking garage we once came through so we could keep moving. Clearly, we were both on the same page about what was more important. Though I realized quickly as we walked that our weapons had dwindled down significantly, leaving us with only a few knives and a handgun. But Daryl practically had nothing which made my frustration grow, but mostly I was worried that he wouldn't have enough to defend himself if things went south. So, as we continued to walk side by side, I wordlessly handed him my gun.

He glanced back at me and quickly shook his head, "Nah, keep it."

I gave him a look, "You don't have anything left."

He stopped walking and pulled out his knife from his holster, dangling it in front of my face to prove some kind of point. I rolled my eyes and pushed the knife away, holding the gun further out to him stubbornly.

"Ya need it more than I do, just watch my back." he winked.

"I always have your back." I assured.

He shrugged as he moved to place his knife back, "Then I don't need the gun, do I?"

I scoffed at his persistence but didn't push him any further as I put the gun back behind me with a heavy sigh. Even if I did have his back, he couldn't at least take the gun to give me a little peace of mind?

It was a long and painful walk all the way to buttfuck Egypt, but we finally managed to make it onto the bridge, coming closer and closer to the van Daryl spotted. Though I think what made the walk more torturous was the fact that he walked too damn fast for me to keep up gracefully. I practically jogged the whole way while he looked like he was taking a Sunday stroll.

As we made our way closer to the vehicle, I noticed the number of walkers we had caught the attention of slowly trailing behind, knowing that we would have to be fast before they eventually reached us. Not only that, but as we approached the van further, we both saw that the front end of it was almost completely dangling off the side of the bridge. Fantastic.

Daryl walked over to the back and opened the doors hesitantly, "Alright, let's get this done." he said as he went to take a step inside.

But I was already shaking my head before he even got the chance, "Nope, back up. I'll go, I'm lighter." I protested.

He raised an eyebrow at me, "Ya callin me fat?"

"Are you serious? No, I'm not calling you fat, I'm saying I'm shorter so I'm lighter. Now you and your long ass legs can wait right here while I go in." I said as I attempted to push past him.

But without a word, he jumped into the van instead and my eyes widened watching the van rock back and forth unsteadily, "Daryl Dixon!" I said through gritted teeth.

"Yes, sweetheart?" he called back sweetly.

I shook my head, "Get out of there."

"Nah." was all I heard him grumble before he moved deeper towards the front of the vehicle, the thing shaking wildly as he did so.

My mouth dropped a little and I looked around anxiously to see the walkers that were still following us, raising my hands up like I didn't know what the hell to do. I glanced back in the van and saw that he made it to the driver's seat, looking around for any kind of clue as he picked through some papers on the dash. My eyes narrowed a bit, who was he to tell me I couldn't go in there? Fuck him.

I shook my head and slowly lifted myself into the van, surprising myself when it didn't move too much as I took very delicate steps. My feet moved slowly, anxious that I would put the thing completely over the edge, before I finally made it to the front, sitting down carefully in the passenger seat. Though his head whipped toward me the second he noticed my presence, giving me a look as if I were insane.

"What the hell are ya doin, woman?!" he asked.

I gave him a pointed look, "I wasn't going to let you come in here by yourself, that's stupid. If you think the van can't support both of us, you're more than welcome to get out, but I'm staying right here."

"Yer crazy sometimes, ya know that?" he asked.

I raised my eyebrows, "Says the man who wiped his ass with poison ivy." I clapped back.

He was stunned for a moment before just nodding his head with a shrug like he was telling me I had a point, before we continued quickly searching through the van. I didn't know how much time passed where we had been scanning through every nook and cranny, but when I finally looked up again through the window, I spotted another small herd of walkers making their way towards us from the other side of the bridge.

I breathed out in a slight panic as I frantically looked through the many pieces of paper, none of them having any indication of where this place was. In my mind I knew we couldn't stay for much longer, not when we were about to be surrounded by the dead.

My head snapped back up towards the window to see how close they were now, "There's more coming, we have to go." I said frantically.

He nodded out of the corner of my eye, "Yeah, I see 'em."

We didn't hesitate to move out quickly, feeling his hand on my back guiding me out first as we were mindful of our steps. Though right as I was about to fully jump out onto the concrete, I saw out of the corner of my eye that he flipped over a medical bed that was laying in the back, scanning the initials printed on it.

"GMH, what is that? A hospital?" he asked.

I looked back at him, "I don't know, Grady Memorial maybe?"

"Grady, the white crosses- that might be where they're holdin up."

I didn't get a chance to respond before we were practically thrown into the lions den, the many walkers closing in on us. We both quickly took out our knives and started to kill the ones closest to us. I harshly stabbed them one by one, ducking out of the way from their reaching hands, glancing back over occasionally to make sure he was still okay.

I watched as he kicked one away from him before reaching around to puncture another, not noticing the one coming up behind him. I exhaled sharply as I stabbed the one right at my face, taking one of my hands to get the gun from my belt, turning my head momentarily to fire at the walker just about to grab his shoulders.

He looked behind him at the sound of the gunshot, his head turning back to me in an instant as he nodded thankfully before quickly killing another, shoving it to the ground. I turned to follow his lead, but I seemed to falter when I slowly started to realize the amount that were still coming at us, not even making a dent.

"Daryl!" I yelled.

"Go!" he shouted back at me, and I didn't hesitate then to get back inside the van.

I practically jumped into the vehicle, turning around to see him sit up on the edge, kicking a lone walker back before slamming the double doors shut. My eyes darted around the small space to try and see if there was anything that could remotely help us, but there was nothing. Nothing that could save us from this.

"What do we do?" I asked him.

His eyes moved around frantically like mine were just moments ago, before they lingered towards the front as he nodded his head for me to move, "Buckle up."

My eyes widened, "Are you crazy?"

"It's either we fall off and have a chance, or we die because of them pricks right there." he said bluntly.

"The key word is chance, we have a chance at making it." I spoke.

"And it's a damn good chance m' willin to take." he said, his eyes serious and pleading.

I stared at him for a moment in disbelief, before cursing under my breath, quickly making my way to the front to sit on the passenger side and tugging the seatbelt across my body securely. I glanced down through the windshield to try and see how far of a drop we would have to take, though from the looks of it I didn't like my odds.

I tensed when the van started to shake violently, and I knew that it was going to give and fall over any minute now with the number of walkers pushing. They all shoved their way forward, jerking the van with their dead cold hands as I found myself holding my breath in anticipation. I quickly took Daryl's hand again, feeling him intertwine our fingers together as soon as he felt my hand in his.

He looked back over at me, "You hold on."

I nodded shakily and closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable to hit me. I tensed again when we were practically dangling from the edge, squeezing my eyes shut even tighter as I felt the sudden last push it needed, before we were tumbling down the side. We felt the van completely flip over and all the blood rushed to my head. I squeezed Daryl's hand painfully in my own, preparing for the impact that could easily break us.

We hit the ground with a loud crash, the windshield shattering immediately while my body physically jerked forward, so hard that my spine felt as if it almost broke. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, my brain starting to pound in my skull. But we were alive. And surprisingly upright.

Seconds passed as the initial shock wore off, feeling Daryl turn over to gently touch the back of my head, "You okay? Talk to me."

I nodded, "I'm okay...I'm okay." I breathed, "Are you?"

"Yeah," he said as his hand moved to gently squeeze the back of my neck, "M' okay."

However, we both seemed to jump at the sudden loud noise that hit the car, realizing it was just a few walkers tumbling down as well from being too close to the edge. Their bodies landed on the front of the van, their blood splattering everywhere in the cracks of the windshield. We waited for the noise to die down before slowly turning to get out of the van, not realizing how much pain I was in until I tried to move.

A groan left my lips the second my feet hit the ground, trying to take another step as I held my lower back. Everything was sore, and Daryl was at my side in a flash to help me the moment he saw me struggling.

"Ya okay?" he asked again, holding his hand out to me.

"Just sore." I nodded, taking the support he offered as I knew we needed to get out of here.

I wrapped my arm around his shoulders, feeling his secure around my waist as we slowly moved from the bridge. We walked as far away as possible, knowing all the noise would only draw more toward us. And now that we had a lead of where Beth might be, I was feeling more confident, and the fall we took wasn't for nothing.

The two of us eventually came through an alley away from the streets, and I moved over to take a seat on the ground, needing some kind of breather before we kept going. Trying to regain myself, Daryl couldn't help but pace around anxiously as he watched me with worry.

"Are ya sure yer okay?" he asked yet again.

I looked up at him with a tried smile, "Never better, babe."

He took a second before nodding his head, sitting down next to me, kissing my lips briefly as a silent apology for all the things we had to go through. And though it felt like one terrible turn of event after another, I still somehow grew hopeful. Knowing that we were just a few miles away from where Beth was being held, filled me with a sense of determination despite my growing exhaustion. I knew I had to keep pushing.

I was too anxious to sit and rest for very long, practically jogging over to the closest structure to Grady Memorial so we were able to watch them for a while, see where their blind spots were. Knowing that we needed to see what their people could do, if they had anyone guarding the place, before we just went waltzing in there. We had to be smart and careful about the following moves we made.

The two of us silently made our way through the darkened building, wanting to find a room we could hole up in and keep an eye on the hospital for a while, but we stopped dead in our tracks when we heard the sound of a door being shut with a slam. Someone else was in here. We stood still for only a moment, before rushing towards the sound, watching as Daryl signaled me to stay close as we approached the door.

He opened it quietly, stepping into a hallway where we heard the sounds of a walker from what seemed to be just around the corner. His pace picked up a bit as he took out his knife with the intention to kill it, but upon seeing it, he stopped.

My eyes narrowed as I stood right next to him, seeing the walker being held up against the wall, with a bolt piercing through its throat.

"That's yours." I stated as I eyed the black and green color.

"Yeah." he confirmed.

I then moved around him to yank the bolt out of its throat, quickly plunging it back down into its head before ripping it out of its flesh again. It fell to the ground with a thud as I handed the weapon back to him, before sudden automatic gunfire was heard from another room nearby.

Without a second thought, we both took off in a sprint, knowing in the back of our minds that we had somehow by the grace of God caught up to the same kid that took our shit. And it was obvious we were itching to get it back. As the sounds of shuffling and struggling grew near, we turned the corner to see the very same man wrestling with yet another walker, seemingly between a rock and a hard place.

Somehow he sensed our presence within seconds, glancing over his shoulder with widened eyes as he recognized our faces, wheels beginning to turn in his head. Before either one of us could even take another step closer, he suddenly threw the walker right in my direction, seeing its snapping jaw coming right towards me. I pulled out my knife as I attempted to push it back, but with my weakened arms it only fell straight on top of me, giving the kid his chance to take off.

Daryl crouched down to my side in an instant, attempting to help me as I raised my weapon up to silence its snarls. I took a breath as the weight was suddenly lifted off me, Daryl extending his hand out to pull me back up to my feet gently.

And before he could even ask, I beat him to the punch, "I'm okay."

That's all he needed to know before he suddenly took off again down the hall, not willing to let the kid go this time after the things he had done. I pathetically jogged behind him, trying to catch up although every part of my body was only screaming at me to stop. Everything ached and twitched with pain, but the sounds of crashing ahead only caused me to speed up.

I passed through the threshold Daryl disappeared through just in time to see him ram into the kid and knock him into a bookshelf, causing it to fall down on top of him with a loud slam, crushing his body underneath. He struggled from under the large piece furniture, seeing now that the bookshelf was blocking off another door, a walker inside trying to make through the small gap.

Daryl wasted no time as he began to grab our weapons from the ground, hearing the kid suddenly speak, "Please, I- I had to protect myself."

"Why ya followin us?!" Daryl yelled at him.

"I-I didn't, I swear. I thought you followed me!" he defended.

Daryl glared at him, "Bullshit," he muttered, moving back towards me with my bow and quiver, extending them out to my reach.

I took them from his grasp as I eyed the kid, "Please, please don't do this." he begged, the walker only inching closer to his face.

Daryl pulled out a carton of cigarettes as he watched him struggle, placing one in between his teeth, "Nah, I already helped you once. It ain't happenin again." he said as he lit up the smoke. "Have fun with hoss over there." he grumbled before making his way back over to me.

I snapped out of it when the kid started to become more desperate and begged for his life as the walker was successfully freeing itself from the door. I stood in place as I thought about what to do, I didn't know him at all, he threatened us more than once, but I still felt guilty for some reason. Like something was telling me to help him.

"Come on." Daryl muttered, a gentle hand on my arm as he attempted to nudge me to leave the room.

My eyes trailed between him and the kid, the inner debate settled in my head, "We can't." I said just above a whisper.

"Rosie, ya almost died cause of him." he spoke lowly.

"But I didn't." I pointed out, "He's just a kid."

He scoffed as he took a drag, "Nah, leave him be." he spoke bitterly, exhaling the smoke through his nose as he turned to leave the room.

I followed his retreating figure for only a moment as I was left conflicted once more, watching as the walker as only freeing itself even further, nearly biting at his cheek with how close it had gotten now. His cries were desperate as he attempted to lift the bookshelf off of him himself, gasping and struggling as his eyes were wide with fear. It was then I found myself groaning in frustration as I quickly made a beeline over to help him.

But as I pulled my knife out to stab the walker in the head, I never got the chance, as a bolt whipped past my arm to pierce through the walker's skull. He apparently had a change of heart, glancing back at him with a small smile. He, however, still looked pissed, questioning instantly why he did what he did. But it was too late to back out now.

I moved forward to get the walker's body out of the way, shoving it further behind the door as I tried to lift the bookshelf off of him, feeling him helping me by pushing it up from the underneath. Daryl then came over as we continued to struggle, stepping in on the other side as he lifted the weight with almost complete ease.

Finally the kid was able to squeeze though the space we provided, scrambling up to his feet as we let the bookshelf go again with a slam. He quickly recovered, though it looked like he had hurt his leg in the process, rushing over towards the window to look out as if he expected something terrible to happen.

But I didn't have time to question it as I felt Daryl tug a little at my sleeve, getting me to turn and face him again as his annoyance was quickly replaced with concern, "You okay?" he asked softly.

I scoffed lightheartedly, "If I had a dollar for every time you've asked me that today-"

He cut me off, "You'd probably be a millionaire, I know." he said with a chuckle, my eyes slightly widening as he knew exactly what I was going to say.

"I gotta go...I gotta go. They're gonna come, they probably heard the shot." the kid started muttering to himself.

My head snapped back over to him, "Who?"

"Them, the people at the hospital." he said.

My eyes widened as I quickly stepped around Daryl, "You've been in the hospital? Is there a blonde girl there?" I asked frantically.

"Beth?" he questioned.

Goosebumps rose on my skin, and I felt my blood run cold at the name that became all too familiar to me. The very girl we had been searching for this entire time, he knew her. This kid knew her, that's why I couldn't let him go.

"You know her?" he asked.

"She's my sister." I spoke.

He nodded, "She helped me escape, we were supposed to leave together, but she didn't make it out. We can get her."

My mouth parted to answer him, but I was cut off by the sounds of cars rumbling down the street, seeming start to circle around the place as they were drawn to all the noise we made, "They're coming." the kid whispered.

He then ushered us out of the room, wanting us to follow close behind him as we made some kind of getaway from these people, explaining what he could along the way. He informed us that we could hide in the building next door, allowing us some safety until they moved on. We stopped and waited as he gathered his remaining things in the hallway, giving me a chance to look back at Daryl tearfully, almost not believing the things I was hearing.

"We're going to find her...we're going to see her again." I said in disbelief.

He nodded as he gave my shoulders a squeeze, "We're gonna get her." he said confidently, guiding me along as the kid began to move again toward the exit.

We followed behind him quickly all the way up until we came across the glass doors that would lead us to freedom. But he tripped over his own feet right before we could make it, his leg really messed up from everything that happened back there. Daryl reached down to attempt to help him back up, waving me on to keep going.

"Go, I got him. We're right behind ya." he said, and I quickly nodded in return.

I pushed open the doors with caution, looking around briefly before I began to pick up my pace and cross the empty street to the building that was just out of reach. But the sound of a car speeding towards me from my left is what caused me to look over in a panic, not having enough time to react before it hit me harshly from the side, darkness suddenly clouding over my vision.

~ Thanks for reading!

Taglist - @justareader95 @hayley1998 @ryoujoking @sipsthecoffee @winterassassin1804 @marsmallow433 @catlalice @writingstreetspirit @silentlysuffering98 @mystictf @remuslittlesister

I love how you can see him have to slow down his steps as he approaches her to make sure he doesn't knock her over. I love them so much!

Norman and Melissa discuss iconic Caryl moments … this will always be the one 🥰🏹❤️‍🩹

This is so dad!Daryl coded

Just imagine him returning from a scavenger run. The moment his child spots him and sprints across the worn gravel, arms outstretched. He crouches down, bracing himself as they collide into his chest, wrapping his arms around them tightly. After a long moment, he gently pulls away, still kneeling, and ruffles their hair. "Got ya something," his hand reaches into his worn jacket, and he pulls out a stuffed animal. It's a little worse for wear—frayed at the edges, patches of fabric worn thin

look at him please that is someone's dad (Judith's)

Full blown tears! But oh my my so good!

hii! i NEED daryl angst like where his partner gets bitten or something? or maybe she passes in child birth? It's up to you, just something on how he would react and cope ig? i love your writing! btw :)) 💗

happy ending

⇚ NAVIGATION || MASTERLIST

PAIRING: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader WORDS: 3k SUMMARY: Several times you thought you would die, and yet nothing could have prepared you for saying goodbye just when you finally have your little family with Daryl and your little ray of sunshine. WARNINGS: think about angst then double it and give it to yourself. major character death. talks of pregnancy and childbirth. SETTING: commonwealth A/N: definitely my most gut-wrenching fic so far. i love u nonnie thank u for ur kind words!!! reblogs are appreciated <3

Many times, death has attempted to recruit you into its care, beckoning you to stay. And in every single attempt, you managed to resist: the flu in prison, the uninfected arrow Dwight sent flying that hit your shoulder, and just a month ago when you brought your little girl into the world.

At the center of it all was Daryl Dixon. In every instance you thought it was your time to pass, Daryl was there. You’ve said goodbye more times than you can count, and you thought you were ready.

“Daryl?” you’d called out to him when you wavered in between life and death, your shoulder sore from the arrow hit. He’d held your hand the entire night, his eyes a little more wrinkled, a little more glassy. “I should’ve kissed you back then.”

It was always like that whenever you thought you were at the end of your life. Your time with Daryl was built on close goodbyes. You always managed to bounce back, always ended up surviving. 

“I can’t—I can’t do this anymore,” you had muttered to Daryl, your eyelids begging to shelter your eyes into oblivion.

“Nah,” Daryl shook his head, forbidding you to die on him as Tomi instructed you to breathe in between your pushes. He held your hand with a tighter grip, with a plea somewhere in his grasp. “Please, [Y/N]. I know ‘ya can do this.”

You could remember how gentle his kiss had been on your forehead.

You could recall the desperation in his voice, his eyes, and his touch as he begged you to have the little family you’d been planning to have together.

You thought it was your time to go when you went into labor, and he refused to let you go then. You doubt he’d ever let you. 

This time, though, the moment the bite on your shoulder made its mark on your skin, you knew you were done for. In your mind, you pictured an hourglass with its sand draining minute by minute… 

Any other day, you would have been prepared to surrender to the horde of walkers closing in on you. There was no use wiping off the bite on your shoulder, but you could use at least one more day with Daryl and the little asskicker you’d brought into the world together.

With adrenaline pumping through your veins, you powered through. The next thing you knew, you were holding Rosita’s hand on your way up, your mind only focused on seeing your Daryl and your baby girl one last time.

You were grateful you had entrusted her under Carol’s care. You would never have been able to forgive yourself had you lost her while holding her…

Glad that nobody noticed, you ransacked a closet for a thick jacket, simply stating you wanted to take extra safety measures, internally scolding yourself that you should have done so earlier. You had watched Rosita caressing Coco’s head, pressing a kiss against her baby girl’s forehead.

Your heart broke at the sight. You’d never see your daughter grow up, nor will you get to grow old with her daunting father. 

When you were reunited with Daryl, you found yourself clinging to him a little tighter than you should have, breathing in the scent of him as if you would be able to bring at least that piece of him with you to your grave.

He held you just as tight, and you let him.

“Our baby—?”

“She’s fine,” he whispered to your ear. “Ya have no idea how relieved I am that ya made it. I’ve never been so damn terrified.”

Your heart sank.

How would you ever be able to tell him? 

This was final. It wasn’t something you could just heal from or have chopped off or survive. It was real this time, and there was no escaping it.

You were just having a hard time accepting it and finding the right words to break it to him, if there were even any.

The following day after the grand win, you felt the celebration all over the town. You took it all in: the food laid out on the table that would have looked more appetizing to you had you not gotten yourself into this situation; your friends laughing together, both the ones you’ve known right from the start and the ones you’ve only recently met; and most of all, your little family.

You watched as Daryl came from the room, having just finished his turn on changing your baby’s diaper. You couldn’t help but giggle at the way he looked so natural carrying her.

You hated that the world was robbing you of seeing more variations of the scene. You thought back to the prison when Daryl first carried baby Judith. Though the two of you hadn’t given into your feelings for each other then, some part of you knew he’d be a good father.

And here he was now, entertaining your little ray of sunshine. He looked from her to you, telling her,  “Say hi to yer mama, pretty girl!”

You watched as she cooed, her eyes seemingly taking in the world around her. She probably couldn’t process anything yet, much less perceive anything, but you set that common knowledge aside.

You smiled at your baby, taking her from Daryl’s grasp and pressing her against your chest. “Hi, sunshine.”

You felt Daryl’s eyes on you, and you watched as his face shifted from contentment to contemplation. He leaned forward, pressing the back of his hand to your neck.

“Are ya alright? I can take her off your hands if yer tired. Ya don’t gotta force it if—”

“I’m okay,” you told the archer, but your pale lips and sunken eyes said so otherwise. But you were running out of time. You considered the right way to handle it. “Actually, I need to talk to you.”

“Sure, sunshine, anythin’.” 

It was sinking in. It was becoming realer and realer every time you got closer to confessing about it. “No, I—I wanna talk to you outside. Alone.”

Before Daryl could even peep a question, you called out to Rosita, the nearest companion within the vicinity you could entrust with your daughter. She picked her up with no question, happy to be able to help. 

Confused, Daryl followed you out the door. 

“Ya ain’t breakin’ up with me, aren’t ‘ya? ‘Cause that’d be stinking shitty of ‘ya,” he joked, but you could tell he was nervous. You laughed nonetheless, longing for this normalcy for longer than you had.

“No, idiot, I wish.”

Daryl laughed, too. And he pulled you into an embrace. You took the opportunity to breathe him in again as deep and as much as you could. He reeked of Daryl.

And as you remained in this embrace of his, you couldn’t help but let your defenses shatter and let your eyes let go of the heavy dam of tears it had been fighting to contain for the past several hours.

He pulled you away from his chest. “Hey, hey. S’wrong?”

Just rip off the band-aid. Just rip off the band-aid.

So you do. Reeling yourself for what was to come next, you uttered the words you’d been denying to say in fear that saying it would make it real, even though it already was: “I got bit.”

The words were rolling boulders in his hike. He didn’t know what to make of himself, of the world. Everything and nothing seemed to run through his troubled mind as he looked at you with something you couldn’t describe.

“Daryl,” you manage to say, your sorrow getting a hold of your voice. “Please say something.”

He looked away in desperate search for a solution as if he’d find it in a tree from a distance. Daryl looked back at you. “How long? We still might have time to cut it off.”

“Daryl…”

Three seconds.

You looked at each other in those three long seconds that felt like eternity, but it would never be enough. Nothing could make up for the goodbye you had yet to say to each other. No amount of previous farewells could conclude this one with justice. 

You pulled down the back of your sweater to reveal the bite mark just below your neck, right where he loved to kiss you.

“S’not that deep,” he said hopelessly. “S’probably not even enough to— to—”

“Daryl…” You watched as he had to step back, his world spinning as he thought of ways to save this, to save you. He ran his hand through his hair and down his face, then rubbing his eyes as if it would push back the tears he wanted to contain. It couldn’t.

“Nah, nah,” he said over and over, pacing in the same spot of grass he stood on, racking his mind on potential solutions. There weren’t any, both of you knew that. “Ya ain’t gonna— Yer not gonna go. It ain’t time. You—! Fucking—!”

Daryl held you again, and you let him as you felt his chest rise and fall unsteadily from the lurching grief from inside him. You felt him cover his mouth while he embraced you in his poor attempt at concealing his sobs.

“I’m sorry,” you said as you cried against his chest. It reminded you of all the times he held your hand in every single instance you thought it was your time to go. “I love you more than anything, I love you, I love you. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

“I love ya too, please don’t leave us.” Daryl felt selfish asking you such an impossible favor, but he felt he had to try. It wasn’t meant to be a request for you to fulfill, but rather a plea to anyone who was listening who could, by chance and by miracle, possibly give you more time together. 

Maybe there was someone listening, hence your time kept being delayed. Now it ends here.

That day, it wasn’t just Daryl you bid farewell to. You said goodbye to all your friends one by one, embracing each and every one of them as tight as you could.

You were finally ready, you think.

As Daryl lay you in bed, giving you your little girl to cuddle for your last moments, he knew he’d never recover. He sat opposite you, watching as you rocked your sleeping daughter.

He looked away, the lump in his throat threatening to be responsible for another downpour of his cries. 

“Hey,” you said, sorrow just as present in your eyes as you reached out to put one hand on top of his. “It’s gonna be okay.”

Although you were assuring Daryl, you were also trying to assure yourself.

“Nah, it ain’t,” he said. “I’m—Shit. What makes ya think I can go on a day without you? I shoulda been there with ya, keepin’ ya safe and sound. M’sorry.”

Daryl laced his fingers with yours, pressing an apologetic kiss against the back of your hand. You used it to cup his face, feeling every inch of it. 

“It’s not your fault,” you told him. “Daryl, the past two years and way back have meant so much to me. I love you.”

He shook his head, still unable to accept what was to come. “I should’ve told ya sooner what ya meant to me. Spent too much time dilly dallying, thinkin’ there’d be more time. Maybe then we could’ve—! I never even got to give ya the wedding ya wanted. I was plannin’ for it, y’know? I’d already talked to Gabriel ‘bout stuff, asked Carol the best… I should’ve—”

“Daryl,” you cut him off. “I regret nothing. I love our story. And you’ll tell it to the little ass kicker here once she’s old enough, you understand?”

Your heart broke at the sight of your heart broken dearest. 

“Daryl, I need you to promise me.” You brought his hand to your cheek, pleading with him. “Tell our story. No covers, no fixes, nothing. I want you to tell it to her bare.”

He nodded. 

“A part of me wishes that it had been my time all those years ago, then maybe it wouldn’t hurt as much now.” Looking down at your baby, you couldn’t help but sigh. This was the last time. She wouldn’t even be able to remember you. “But then we wouldn’t be having this little family now and I just end up thanking every force of nature that I was lucky enough to have this even though it’s at my end.” You look up to you to see Daryl, his eyes glassy and forlorn. “I love you. I wish I told you sooner, too. I hope you felt it even before I could say it.”

“I did,” he raised your hand to his lips again and he kissed it with so much more love than you could possibly even imagine. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do, don’t wanna spend the rest of my life mournin’ ya than being with ya.”

He say closer to your right, and you felt his warmth emanating from his presence. He hung his arm over your shoulder, caressing it and paying no mind to the bite that your shirt covered. Daryl looked down on you and your baby.

“She looks like ya,” he commented. “M’grateful she does. She’s gonna see her face and know how beautiful her mama is.”

You noticed he didn’t say was. Your heart ached.

“I left you two something,” you told him. “While you were asleep last night I… It’s in our closet. There’s the rolls of films from the disposable camera I planned on having developed but never did.” You laughed, remembering something. “We have pictures there together that you could maybe show to her.”

Daryl kept pressing little kisses on your hair, breathing you in every single time. “I love you,” he said as he kissed the same spot over and over.

“I don’t wanna go,” you confessed. You had no intention of breaking down in front of your husband for his sake. You didn’t want him to feel helpless, but… It was all so real, so final already that it scared you. “I thought I was ready, I’ve said goodbye to you more times than I can count and—Daryl, I want to watch her grow up with you. It’s so unfair I—I thought we'd eventually get a happy ending!”

He held you as you whimpered. Daryl was just as terrified, but he could tell you needed him to be strong. He held you again, his eyes looking down at your baby.  “S’alright, S’gonna be fine. I’m here. We’re here.”

Daryl wanted to cry, to break down. He didn’t want to do it in front of you. He could wait. 

“I don’t wanna say goodbye, either,” he said, moving away so you could see each other better. 

“So let’s not.” You looked at Daryl and your baby, thinking of all the times you’ve said goodbye to your husband way before. “We’ll say ‘Till next time.’”

The two of you shared your last laugh together, but you needed it untainted. You refused to cry now. You wanted your last memories to be happy.

“Daryl,” you started, “I can do it, okay? You don’t have to—”

“Shh, s’okay. M’here for ya. I ain’t gonna leave you on your last minute.”

“Thank you.” You smiled at him before looking back down to your still asleep baby girl. “Till next time, baby. I hope I have to wait long before I see you again.”

You press a kiss on her little forehead, willing her to live a long life for you. Feeling your eyes sinking into a deep sleep, you nodded to Daryl, who then took your baby off your hands. 

You watched as he carried her out of the door, handing her over to Carol who gave you a warm smile from the doorway. You smiled at her as well before she left to cradle your baby.

Daryl grabbed the knife from the bedside table and sat next to you. His heart broke at the sight of you. You were pale, drained, and dying.

“Can I lean on you and pretend I’m just sleeping?” you asked him. Daryl nodded m and found the right position for himself. He let you lean on his chest, his arm wrapping from under your neck. “Till next time, Daryl Dixon.”

“Till next time,” he nodded. He let you lean on his chest for so long. You let your eyelids close, its weight too heavy to keep open, letting yourself sink into the comfort of your husband. 

Daryl didn’t want to do it, but he knew he had to. He tried to keep his breaths stable so as to not wake you.

With one last kiss against your head, he plunged the sharp end of the knife against the side of your head. He kept his lips right there on your head, and he let go of the knife to fully embrace you. 

He didn’t know how long he stayed there, but someone eventually had to come in and tell him it was time.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Daryl Dixon mastered the skill of cradling his daughter to sleep. And when he did, he forced himself to face the monster in the closet he’d been avoiding facing.

Upon opening the closet, he found a child’s caboodle. He hurriedly opened it, desperate for a trace of you, and you were right.

You appreciated Carl’s last words to everyone, and you realized you wanted to do the same. Daryl ran his finger through the envelopes tucked inside. He knew there was a letter for him and your baby in there somewhere, but he didn’t think it was the time just yet.

He didn’t want to read it just yet for the sake of having something new to hear from you a little ways down the road. 

What Daryl did, though, was hurriedly bring the three disposable cameras to get it developed. 

Soon, he’d be delighted to see you again. The cameras were from back when he was training with Mercer. You and Judith took the free time as means to spend it together and make memories. 

Soon, Daryl would find pictures of you and the kids. He’d also find photos of you and your baby. What would really make him a little less heartbroken, though, was a picture of the three of you.

But right now, he was just grateful to feel the surface of the caboodle, knowing your hands had once carressed it as he whispered to the box, “Till next time, sunshine.”

i'm still building my blog. so for now, just send me an ask to be added to my general taglist :)

TAGLIST: @vaniniweenie @avabh12 @stinkygirl009 @whatchareadingnow @remuslittlesister @romanoffmaximoff0096 @daryldixmedown

goddamn it.

I can’t wait to get to read this one! I’m so intrigued.

idk what the ask game is but it sounds fun!!

Archer

if someone else asked for this, here’s a backup

Quiet

It’s okay! It’s just a word that I search my wip’s for and post the sentence that word is in. :)

For archer:

The Hilltop runner was managing the bike well enough while the archer simply tried to stay awake, the constant abuse his body and mind had suffered finally able to culminate to the surface when he was free of the Sanctuary.

Reblog this if you would not only accept, but welcome fan art, moodboards, etc. of your fics

All of these used to be so common for people to show their appreciation of different fics and authors, and I think it’s a shame people don’t do it anymore. I love seeing fan work for my fics!!

The love I have for this story grows more and more with each chapter!

Desert Rose

Chapter 59 ~ The Priest

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 5

✧ Word Count : 5.9k

In this chapter ~ When the group continues to move with no real destination in mind, they're suddenly thrown off course as shouts for help could be heard in the distance. It turns out it was some kind of pastor, offering his church as sanctuary for those who saved him from the clutches of evil. Though it was no secret that a few members didn't trust his intentions.

AN ~ It's officially been a year since I started writing this story and uploading it to wattpad. And though I started posting chapters here a few months later, I still just wanted to say thank you for all the love and support! It truly means the world to me, and I can't wait for you guys to read what else I have planned for the many chapters to come:))

We all woke up fairly early the next morning, merely minutes after the sun began to rise to keep on moving. Rick made it very clear that he wanted us as far away from Terminus as possible, though he didn't really have a clear destination in mind. It gave me that same familiar feeling of when we lost the farm, not knowing where to turn to next or where to go when there weren't many options to begin with.

Subconsciously I think we all wanted to find a safe place we could build up again like the prison, although that was a long shot. But the truth was, I didn't really care if we had a plan or not. I hadn't felt this positive in a very long time, and to me it didn't matter where we were going, as long as we all stayed together.

We all formed some kind of line as we walked towards who knows where, leaving me next to Carl as we talked casually while he held Judith in his arms. Our conversation was hushed, unheard from the people walking a little ways ahead of us as we smiled and laughed quietly together for the first time in a while. I ravished in the feeling, loving to see the kid actually relax as he felt safe and hopeful after everything we went through.

Though a gentle touch on my shoulder seemed to stop me in my tracks, turning to see Daryl looking down at me with a small smile, "Was bout to go hunt. Ya wanna come with me?" he asked.

I nodded as I glanced back to Carl, "Let your dad know. I'll be back soon, okay?"

"I will." he said. 

With that, I followed Daryl deeper into the woods so we could try and find more food to bring back. I stayed pretty quiet as I looked for any tracks in the dirt, but of course it was pretty slim to none, our luck not being on our sides with finding something to eat. Let alone enough to feed the whole group. All I could manage to see were old walker footprints, settling with looking up in the trees instead to try and maybe spot a few squirrels. 

My eyes scanned around the branches as I tried to pinpoint some nests built up high in the trees, but it was hard to focus on that when all I could feel was Daryl's eyes burning into me. I tried to ignore it for the few silent minutes we spent out there, but my annoyance only grew as I was the only one attempting to find food when it was his idea in the first place.

A sigh left my lips as I finally turned around to face him, watching as he immediately looked down towards the ground acting as if he hadn't been caught.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked.

His lowered eyes slowly traveled up to reach my own, "Like what?" he asked, as if he didn't already know what I was referring to.

I huffed as my arms crossed over my chest, "Like...I'm going to break or something." I clarified.

He shrugged, "Just worried about ya."

"I'm fine." I assured in a much calmer tone, not wanting to start something, but also not wanting to be seen as someone weak. 

His eyes held nothing but sadness and concern when he looked towards me, silently telling me he didn't believe a word coming out of my mouth. To be completely honest, I don't even know why I lie to him anymore, because one way or another he's going to know.

"Okay," I confessed, "I'm not fine...but I will be." His face didn't falter, as if waiting for me to continue, "I just need some time." I finished.

This caused him to nod with a small, reluctant smile on his face, now moving to walk right beside me, searching the trees as well. I didn't want to wander too far from the others, but so far, we weren't having much luck finding any animals to bring back. Everything seemed empty, like even the wildlife knew to stay far away from the place we too were trying desperately to get away from.

The silence that fell between us was nice, comfortable, though I missed hearing his voice. But as if he read my mind, he opened his mouth to fill the quiet.

"Talk to me about somethin." he said.

I felt my face scrunch, "What do you mean?"

"Anythin," he said simply, "Just wanna hear yer voice. Tell me somethin I might not know bout cha."

I faltered for a moment as we seemed to have the same damn mind, but laughed quietly to myself at his request, "Well you're my husband, you know pretty much everything...but let me think."

I began to rack my brain for something that he had yet to find out about me but nothing instantly came to mind. On the farm, we spent most of the time talking nonstop, getting to know every single detail about the other before we even got together. So, there was truly not much that he didn't already know. In fact, he probably knew me better than anyone else.

 "Why don't you go first?" I suggested when I couldn't think of anything good, "Gives me more time to come up with something."

"Alright." he huffed, growing silent as he picked through his mind as well. I then looked back towards him a moment later when he let out a quiet gasp, watching as the corners of his mouth tilted up as he nodded, "I got one."

"Go ahead." I said softly.

He grinned at me, "So, before all this...whenever I went huntin, I would always bring back at least one rock I found in the woods. I ended up havin a lil collection by the end."

My heart swelled, "That's adorable. You're so cute."

"Pfft." he scoffed, "I ain't cute." he said defensively, although I could see a little blush appear on his cheeks at the compliment.

"Well, I think you're pretty cute...you're just going to have to deal with it." I said sweetly, reaching out to gently boop his nose.

He rolled his eyes, "Woman, I swear-"

But I stopped him before he could say anything else by kissing him softly. I pulled his frame closer to mine and parted my lips a little so he could easily slip in his tongue. He quietly groaned in response, causing me to smile against his mouth as my hands trailed down to give his big arms a gentle squeeze.

I pulled away after a few seconds to see his eyes open slowly, having a hazy look to them which made me smile brightly as he tried to collect his thoughts.

"Alright...I'll be cute for ya."

I smirked, "You're whipped." I teased.

"Aw, well can ya blame me?" he asked before leaning in to peck my lips once, twice, before finally breaking apart, "Yer turn." 

"Oh yeah," I said, "Well, the only thing I could think of that's kind of interesting is that I know another language."

His eyes widened a little, "Really?"

I nodded my head, "Mhm, I took French throughout high school, and I can still speak it somewhat. I'm a little rusty though."

"Say somethin." he said a bit excitedly.

I thought for a moment before smiling softly, "Je t'aime beaucoup chéri."

His eyes lit up at the phrase, but I thought it was even sweeter that he didn't even know what I said, he just loved the sound of it. "What'd ya say?" he asked.

"I said, I love you very much honey."

He then asked me to repeat it, surprising me a little when he tried to say it himself, nailing it almost right away. I didn't think I could fall anymore in love with his voice, but when he spoke French, I think I could've melted into a puddle if he didn't have his arm placed around my waist.

"You sound sexy." I complimented.

He raised his eyebrows, "Yeah?"

"Yeah." I confirmed.

He smiled and kissed me once more before we were off again to try and actually find something to bring back. Once we ventured further out, by the grace of God we finally found a handful of squirrels, Daryl pulling out a thick string from his bag so we were able to carry them back. To my surprise, we actually got more than what I was expecting, but it still didn't seem like much considering the number of mouths we now had to feed.

After being away from the others for far too long, we decided to head back towards their path to catch up with them, seeing as though we had something that would last us a little while. Though I couldn't help but notice that Daryl was a little more on edge as we walked back, trying his best to hide his anxious feeling, but I caught on almost immediately. His eyes scanned around the area rapidly, almost as if he was keeping an eye out expectantly for something lurking by. But I didn't linger on it for very long when I noticed the group beginning to come into view.

They didn't see us however, and once they heard a stick snap from underneath my foot, they all raised their weapons in our direction. My eyebrows raised a little as Daryl and I coincidentally raised our hands at the same time in a joking matter.

"We surrender." Daryl muttered sarcastically.

I laughed and nudged his shoulder lightly, seeing the rest of them visibly relax as we kept moving forward. Though Rick seemed to make a beeline over to us instead of leading the group like he once was, not saying a word as he looked at Daryl expectantly.

"Nothin." was all he said, and I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"Nothing?" I asked, watching as the both of them tried desperately not to let me in on the private discussion, "Guys, come on. Secrets don't make friends." I reminded with raised brows as I stared at them expectantly.

Daryl let out a sigh before he finally caved, "Last night I had this feelin that someone coulda been watchin us. But when we went out, I didn't see no tracks. Just me bein paranoid."

I let out a breath, "Okay, good. But please just tell me the next time you think there's a psychopath following us." I joked.

"Yes ma'am." he nodded, and I rolled my eyes at the famous phrase he loved to use to get a reaction out of me. And clearly it worked just as well this time as it did the last, seeing him chuckle to himself.

"So, whatever you heard last night-" Rick stepped in.

"It's more what I felt. But if someone's followin us, there woulda been somethin." Daryl confirmed.

Rick nodded, relief filling him momentarily before he looked back towards me, "You doing okay?"

I knew he meant his question with the best intentions, but the annoyance I was feeling only started to bubble over. To everyone else, I had apparently grown fragile after what happened to me when I was out there on my own, but that was far from the truth. It was just a minor bump in the road, one that I had taken care of myself, it was as simple as that. But I could see almost everyone was walking on eggshells around me now that they had an idea of what went down without knowing the whole story, and it was starting to get to me.

"Jesus, I'm fine." I snapped slightly, turning on my heel to walk away without another word.

When my back was turned and I had created some distance, I heard them begin to talk quietly with each other as I only got further away, but I just kept going. Blowing off some steam as I finally caught up with the others, falling in line near the back as I took out my bow to hold in my grasp in case of any danger that passed by.

But as it turns out, I had unknowingly planted myself right next to the new girl, Tara, without even realizing it at first. I watched out of the corner of my eye as she scanned the side of my face, clearly trying to come up with something to say.

"We didn't uh...we didn't get to officially meet." she said after a few seconds, "I'm Tara." she introduced, holding out a hand for me to shake.

I glanced over at her before panning down towards her extended hand, reaching down to grasp it lightly, "Rose."

She smiled with a nod as our hands eventually parted, "Listen, uh...Glenn told me about how you almost...tore my head off last night."

I chuckled sarcastically to myself, "Oh, I'm sure he did." I muttered, not surprised in the slightest, "Him and his big mouth have been nothing but a pain in my ass since the beginning."

She laughed a little before her smile faded once more, "My point is...I'm not trying to cause any trouble. It's just-"

"I know," I interrupted as my face softened, "You don't have to explain yourself to me. Glenn gave me the gist and...I trust him. So, I guess that means I trust you too. You're good."

She let out a relieved sigh, "Good...cause I'm not gonna lie, you kinda scare me a little."

"Good." I said simply, sending her a wink to show that I was joking.

She smiled slightly and held out her hand again, this time in a fist. Her smile seemed to be contagious as my lip quirked up as well, knocking her knuckles lightly with my own before we continued walking in comfortable silence. 

That is until we all suddenly heard a man began to scream and cry for help, his voice echoing through the forest though he didn't seem too far away from the path we were taking. Everyone stopped in their tracks as our ears perked up, our weapons clutched tightly in our hands as we tried to listen and pinpoint where the sound was coming from. But the last thing I wanted or needed right now was to cross paths with someone that we didn't know, and didn't trust.

"Dad, come on!" Carl tried.

I shook my head as I made a beeline towards the front of the group, "Hell no, we keep moving. No more strangers."

"Rose please, he needs help." Carl begged, his eyes darting from Rick to me to see who would make the first move, the decision the others were anticipating for.

I could easily see how anxious the kid grew, wanting to help someone who was clearly about to lose his life, but I didn't know if we should risk it. It could be some kind of trap, the unknown scaring me much more than anything else seemed to as I had an inner debate with myself.

But I eventually closed my eyes as I made up my mind, groaning a little in irritation before running in the direction of all the noise, hearing everyone else following my lead to have my back. As we weaved through the many trees and different obstacles, it wasn't long before we came across the man who was making all the noise amongst the quiet.

He was stuck up on a giant rock as a few walkers surrounded him, some grabbing at his feet while the others reached from different angles. He was now crying as he desperately tried to fight back, wearing to what looked to be a priest collar and all black clothing.

A gunshot was fired from just behind me, watching as one of the walkers went down instantly as the bullet shot through its skull. I grabbed one of my knives and quickly stabbed the nearest corpse in the head, Rick coming up beside me and doing the same thing from my left as we got the ones that clung onto the man's limbs.

The rest dropped like flies as we took care of them with ease, our attention now on the man still somewhat frozen on top of the giant rock in shock. He continued to cry breathlessly as his hands clung to the top for dear life, he didn't look like a threat. But looks could be deceiving, and I was far from ready to trust him just yet.

"Come on down." Rick said to the man.

He scanned the ground below him uneasily to make sure it was safe, before slowly sliding down the side and landing firmly on his feet. He looked to be in pain as his wide eyes scanned all of us, Rick asking if he was alright as he tried to break him out of his little trance.

The man held up a finger to tell us to wait before leaning over and suddenly throwing up everything that remained in his stomach. I cringed at the sound and turned my head away slightly, trying not to laugh at everyone's faces as they watched the man in disgust.

"Sorry," he whispered as he wiped his mouth with his shirt sleeve, standing back up to his full height to face us again, "Yes, thank you. I'm Gabriel."

"Do you have any weapons on you?" Rick asked cautiously.

Gabriel chuckled and looked around nervously, "Do I look like I would have any weapons?" he asked.

"We don't give two short and curlies what it looks like." Abraham said.

I blinked a few times as I glanced back to the man in confusion, trying not to laugh at the same time with the random, out of pocket comment he just made. I thought back to what Glenn said just last night about him, and low and behold, he was right.

"I have no weapons of any kind. The word of God is the only protection I need." Gabriel assured.

Daryl scoffed from beside me, "Sure didn't look like it."

Gabriel only smiled, "I called for help. Help came."

My eyes scanned the man for a moment as I thought about what he meant. I was the one who took off running first, but I sure as hell knew it wasn't God that compelled me to rush towards the complete stranger. It was just...well I actually didn't know what it was. Pity maybe? Or the desperate look in Carl's eyes? Hormones? Who fucking knows.

"Do you- do you have any food?" he suddenly asked, "Whatever I had left just hit the ground."

Carl almost instantly reached inside his jacket pocket, pulling something out to offer it to him with an extended hand, "We have some pecans." 

The man smiled, muttering a small "Thank you." as he took a few from his hand and placed them in his mouth. He began to glance around at all of us again in clear nervousness, his eyes lingering on Judith as she began to coo in Tyreese's arms.

"That's a beautiful child." he complimented.

My eyes narrowed dangerously as I glared daggers at the man, instinctively stepping in front of Tyreese to block the baby from his view. I watched his eyes widen as he instantly looked somewhere other than my intense stare, settling with looking to my left back towards Rick.

"Do you have a camp?" he asked.

"No," Rick said immediately, "Do you?"

"I have a church." he said simply. Shocker.

Rick thought for a second before speaking again, "Hold your hands above your head." When Gabriel did as he asked, Rick moved over towards him, starting to pat him down as he questioned him. "How many walkers have you killed?"

I stepped in quickly, "Rick no. Not this guy." I said sternly.

He looked back at me, "He has a church."

"Woohoo," I cheered sarcastically, "I don't give a shit. I'm not doing this again...I can't."

The last part of my sentence came out quieter than I had intended it too, but I wasn't going to lie; I was scared. After everything that happened to us recently, I thought that the others might agree that going with this stranger wasn't a good idea. He could have more people waiting for us back at his sanctuary and attack us all. I didn't want to risk that. Risk anyone else's lives.

Rick turned to face me fully upon hearing my plea, placing a hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze as he wanted me to really hear him, "Trust me." he whispered.

I stared at him for a few seconds before looking back to the priest, watching as he smiled nervously at me. I turned my attention back to Rick and reluctantly nodded, knowing that I only agreed because I did truly trust him. Not because of the pity I felt for the man.

Rick nodded back to me in return, before turning to face Gabriel who raised his arms up again, "How many walkers?" he repeated.

"Not any actually." he confessed.

"How many people have you killed?"

His eyes widened, his mouth slightly parting in shock as he was blown away he was even accused of such a thing, "None."

"Why?"

"Because the Lord abhors violence." he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, the Lord also wanted that one guy to kill his own son as a sacrifice instead of a goat." I stated, pointing out that God wasn't necessarily a splendid guy, before walking up closer so we were face to face. "What have you done? We've all done something." I questioned in a dangerously low tone.

He looked nervous once again as swallowed harshly, beginning to stutter over his words, "I'm a sinner. I sin almost every day...but those sins, I confess them to God. Not strangers." 

I couldn't help but scoff as I ran my tongue over my teeth, "And I only save my family from danger. Not strangers. Today's just full of surprises, huh?"

He truly didn't know how to answer me, beginning to stammer over his words as he realized I wasn't backing down. That is until Michonne spoke up from behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder for me to back off, mentioning the church he brought up originally. The man then didn't hesitate as he began to lead us in the opposite direction of where we were headed, the group following close behind as he ducked through the many branches in his way.

I still didn't know if I fully trusted this guy, even before we were being leaded blindly through the forest. He was definitely hiding something, but then again maybe his sin was something like he forgot to pray before bed one night or some shit. However, I had grown to read people pretty well, and watching him get a little too nervous at the simple question I asked him, caused a red flag to pop up in my mind.

"Hey earlier, were you watching us?" Rick suddenly asked Gabriel.

"I keep to myself. Nowadays, people are just as dangerous as the dead don't you think?" he asked.

Daryl shook his head, "Nah, people are worse."

"Well, I wasn't watching you. I haven't been beyond the stream near my church more than a few times since it all started. That was the furthest I've gone before today." he informed.

Everyone nodded in silent agreement, moving along right behind him, "Or maybe I'm lying." Gabriel suddenly spoke again, "Maybe I'm lying about everything and there's no church ahead at all. Maybe I'm leading you into a trap so I can steal all your squirrels."

We all seemed to stop walking at the same time as he attempted to joke around, but it only caused all of us to become a little more on edge. Everyone clutched their weapons on instict a little bit tighter as he slowly turned back around to face us the moment he heard we had stopped.

His mouth parted as he noticed we didn't understand the joking manner, watching out of the corner of my eye as Daryl moved his squirrels behind his back protectively so they would be out of view.

Gabriel looked apologetic, "Members of my flock had often told me that my sense of humor leaves much to me desired."

"Yeah, hilarious." I deadpanned.

He just nodded his head and didn't say another word, knowing that at this point he was just digging himself deeper into a hole. We walked only a little further before a simple white church started to come into view, surrounded by a quiet beautiful greenery. It kind of reminded me of the church we thought Sophia was hiding in way back when this all started, everything about it seemed almost exactly the same. 

Gabriel walked up the few steps towards the giant double doors, pulling out a key to unlock the handle, but Rick stopped him. "Hold up," he said and held his hand out for the keys, "Can we take a look around first? We just want to hold onto our squirrels."

I snorted as I watched Gabriel visibly hesitate to hand the keys over, but eventually complied so we could scope the place out before him. Rick was the first to walk in with his gun raised and we all followed cautiously to see if there was any type of threat waiting for us inside. It was dark and completely silent in the space, the only light coming from a quite beautiful stained-glass window in the very front of the structure.

I stood tall in the back, lingering by the entrance as the other scoped out every inch of the place, focusing more on the doors toward the right and left at the end of the room. But it didn't take long before I saw Rick coming back out, giving me a nod that it was clear before I turned to exit the place along with the rest of them. He was telling the truth.

Gabriel looked a little relieved as we walked back outside, nodding towards the place, "I spent months here without stepping out the front door. If you found someone inside, well it would've been surprising." he said.

"Thanks for this." Carl said gratefully.

I looked down towards him with softened eyes, wrapping my arm around his shoulders and giving his arm a soft squeeze. This kid had been through hell and back but was still so thankful for everything he had. I swear most of the time he was more mature than I was.

"We found a short bus out back, it don't run but I bet we could fix that in a day or two. Father here says he don't want it. Looks like we found ourselves some transport." Abraham announced as he made his way back from around the building.

Rick only nodded as he spoke again, "You know what's at stake here, right?" the burly man asked.

"Yeah, I do." Rick said.

"We can take a breath-" Michonne began to say.

But Abraham was quick to interrupt her, "We take a breath, we slow down, shit inevitably goes down."

"We need supplies no matter what we do next." I stepped in, "And if I remember right, you said it would take a day or two to fix that bus. That gives the rest of us a break we need, and we have shelter right here." I gestured to the church.

He clicked his tongue, wanting to protest but I spoke again before he got a chance, "I'm not trying to be a pain in the ass, okay? But you can't look me in the eye and tell me with a straight face that we haven't been through hell the past few hours. Just a day or two...and then we can go on your little field trip."

He huffed, "Ain't no field trip, missy. It's a mission that's going to save everyone's asses. It's gonna save the world." he stated confidently.

I nodded my head slowly, "Yeah, let me know how that works out in the end." I muttered before glancing back at Eugene. I gave him a subtle look that he would be able to read, telling him silently that I knew his little secret. Everything clicked together when he shifted slightly under my gaze; he was lying.

After seeing enough to only confirm my suspicions, I moved to head back into the church, following behind everyone else except the small trio who lingered outside as they now didn't know what to do.

I slowly walked right up to the very front as everyone else seemed to fan out from around me, though I couldn't pull my eyes away from the giant window. It was mesmerizing, the beautiful colors flowing out of the glass only illuminated everything else so beautifully. They were so bright and vibrant, something I hadn't seen in a long time, it practically hypnotized me.

Until there was a sudden presence at my side, gently placing a hand on the small of my back to turn me around to face them. My eyes then met with Daryl's as he smiled at me softly, though I frowned a little to myself at the black eye he still had.

"It'll be nice to sleep somewhere with a roof for a little while." I commented.

He nodded, "Yeah, tell me bout it."

I tilted my head, "But you love being outside."

"M' just happy to sleep somewhere other than the ground," he said, nodding to the many pews behind us, "Ain't gettin any younger you know."

"Yeah, that's fair..." I trailed off as I ran my hands gently up and down his arms.

I then slowly realized the position we were in, facing each other with our arms tangled together in the front of an altar, only causing me to wonder what it would be like to get married in a place like this. We obviously never had an official wedding, but being in an actual church made me think more about it, especially with the beautiful window illuminating the space. 

He caught my mind wandering almost instantly, placing his finger under my chin to get me to look back up at him, "Whacha thinkin bout?" he asked.

I shrugged, "Nothing. Just...did you ever think about getting married somewhere like this?"

He hummed as he thought for a moment, "With you? Or just in general?"

"In general."

"Pfft." he scoffed, "No."

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"Cause I never thought I would ever get married." he said simply before a slow smile spread across his face, "But then I met a real pretty girl, and somehow convinced her to like me enough to put a ring on her finger." he said as he ran his thumb over the diamond on my left hand.

I smiled a bit sheepishly, "Well, first of all, you got her to love you. Second, any woman would be insanely lucky to have you, leaving me the luckiest girl on the planet." I winked, "And third...I don't have a third, but you get it."

He chuckled, "Alright, yeah, I get it. Why are ya thinkin bout gettin married anyway?"

"I don't know...I guess I always wanted to get married in a pretty church like this one. But it's the end of the world so it doesn't really matter anymore. Just a thought." I said, brushing the topic off completely.

He hummed a response before he grew quiet for a long moment, chewing his bottom lip as he thought hard about something. I watched in amusement as he almost forgot I was standing right in front of him, witnessing him deep in his own little world.

"You still with me?" I finally spoke.

His eyes snapped back to me, "Uh yeah...sorry, darlin. Just thinkin."

"Care to share?" I asked.

He shook his head, "Nah, nothin important. M' gonna...talk to Rick figure out a gameplan bout those supplies."

I nodded, "Okay, love."

He glanced around quickly to see if anyone was watching us before kissing my cheek, turning to make his way towards Rick who was talking quietly to Gabriel further down towards the aisle. I watched for a moment as the three men were having a serious conversation, but then Daryl seemed to say something that made Gabriel look directly at me, and I turned my head away abruptly. 

That was awkward. 

With the silence consuming me once again, I decided to walk around the place a little more until I spotted Maggie and Glenn in the back, having a hushed discussion side by side. "Hey lovebirds." I greeted them.

They both looked up at me and smiled, "Hey," they said in unison.

"So," I started, taking a seat next to Maggie as they looked towards me expectantly, "What do you think about this whole saving the world bullshit?" I asked.

She looked confused, "What do you mean?"

Glenn chimed in from her left, "Ro doesn't think Eugene actually knows the cure."

"What makes you think that?" she asked.

I shrugged, "I don't know, he just doesn't seem very confident, and I can just feel his guilt from here. He just looks like he doesn't know shit, and now it's catching up to him."

They both looked at me with raised eyebrows, "Wow." Maggie muttered.

"It's just an observation, I obviously don't know for sure...but I guess we're going find out one way or another." I said as I gestured to the three now entering the building.

They both nodded in silent agreement as our eyes followed them for a moment, "Should we bet on it?" Glenn suggested, a mischievous smirk coming onto his face.

I blinked, "We don't have anything."

"Oh yeah." he muttered in slight defeat, placing his head in his hands as Maggie chuckled softly, rubbing his back in reassurance.

But before any of us could say anything else, Carol walked up hesitantly, "Sorry, I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

I shook my head, "Nope, just talking about how much of a big fat liar Eugene might be, what's up?"

She looked confused for a second before shaking her head a little at my humor, excitement suddenly filling her features, "I was just wondering if you would like to look for some water with me." she said as she looked directly at me.

"Oh sure, let me just tell Daryl where I'm going-"

"He already knows, Rick's sending out a few different groups to look for some things. Water, food, ammo, all that." she listed.

I furrowed my brows in confusion, "Oh...okay. Then let's go."

She smiled and gestured for me to get up with her hand. I went to grab my bow and arrows from where I left them by my backpack before heading to follow her out the front doors. Though I glanced over my shoulder one last time towards the group before actually leaving, a few people watching my movements as they waved goodbye with the same excitement that Carol seemed to carry.

Confusion crossed my face again, waving back to the rest of them awkwardly before I shut the giant door behind me with a slam. My frame turned back around slowly as I tired to figure out what the hell I missed, jogging a little to catch up with the woman who was already on the move.

"So, did you guys find some special brownies or something? What's up?" I asked in slight amusement.

She looked over with furrowed brows, "What do you mean?"

"Everyone just waved at me before I left like they were suddenly excited to be in God's house or something."

Her eyes flickered with a little bit of an oh shit emotion, but she quickly smiled to cover it up, "I wouldn't know anything about that. Probably just happy we're all together again." she said with a shrug.

I narrowed my eyes at her, "Yeah...probably."

Bullshit. This woman was hiding something. Maybe she was luring me out into the woods to kill me, but then again, I'm always paranoid about that sort of thing. I watched way too many crime shows before the world ended. 

After I eliminated the possibility of her trying to kill me, I dropped the topic completely. Whatever it was, I was either going to find out eventually or there truly wasn't anything suspicious to begin with. For now, we were just two lovely ladies getting some water for the rest of our group. Or at least that's what I assumed.

~ Thanks for reading!

Taglist - @justareader95 @hayley1998 @ryoujoking @sipsthecoffee @winterassassin1804 @marsmallow433 @catlalice @writingstreetspirit @silentlysuffering98

Showing 'Love' in Writing

Gazing into each other’s eyes with a soft smile.

Holding hands and gently squeezing.

Brushing a strand of hair behind the ear.

Speaking in a tender, affectionate tone.

Sharing inside jokes and laughing together.

Leaning in close to whisper sweet words.

Giving a lingering, gentle kiss on the forehead.

Wrapping arms around each other in a warm embrace.

Blushing when receiving a compliment.

Touching foreheads and closing eyes.

Smiling uncontrollably when thinking of the other person.

Caressing the cheek or back of the hand.

Playfully teasing each other with a grin.

Preparing a favorite meal or surprise.

Writing heartfelt notes or letters.

Holding each other close while watching a movie.

Taking care of each other when sick or tired.

Sharing dreams and hopes for the future.

Listening attentively and showing genuine interest.

Expressing gratitude for each other’s presence.

Showing 'Exhaustion' in Writing

Heavy eyelids, struggling to stay open.

Slumping shoulders, barely able to hold themselves up.

Dragging feet with each step.

Speaking in a slow, slurred manner.

Dark circles under the eyes.

Yawning frequently and deeply.

Head nodding forward, trying to stay awake.

Leaning heavily against walls or furniture.

Rubbing eyes and face with hands.

Deep, weary sighs escaping lips.

Wincing at bright lights or loud sounds.

Staring blankly ahead, unable to focus.

Weak, unsteady movements.

Muttering incoherently to themselves.

Falling asleep in unusual places.

Lack of response or delayed reactions.

Propping their head up with their hand.

Collapsing onto the nearest available surface.

Swaying slightly on their feet.

Barely lifting their head to speak or listen.

Showing 'Jealousy' in Writing

Eyes narrowing with a sharp, intense stare.

Clenched jaw and pursed lips.

Crossing arms defensively.

Making snide or sarcastic remarks.

Glancing repeatedly at the object of jealousy.

Trying to outdo or one-up the rival.

Faking a smile that doesn’t reach the eyes.

Speaking in a tense, clipped tone.

Avoiding eye contact with the person they’re jealous of.

Drumming fingers impatiently on a surface.

Feeling a burning sensation in the chest.

Sighing loudly or rolling their eyes.

Gritting teeth and taking deep, forced breaths.

Biting their lower lip hard.

Tapping foot incessantly.

Passive-aggressively commenting on the situation.

Mimicking or mocking the rival’s behavior.

Frequently changing the subject away from the rival.

Feeling a knot tighten in their stomach.

Casting resentful, sidelong glances.

words to use instead of ________

"Mad"

aggravated, angry, annoyed, boiling, cross, enraged, exasperated, fuming, furious, heated, incensed, indignant, irate, irritable, livid, offended, outraged, riled, steamed, storming, upset

"Nice"

amiable, charming, cordial, courteous, delightful, favorable, friendly, genial, gentle, gracious, helpful. inviting, kind, lovely, obliging, peaceful, peachy, pleasant, polite, swell, sympathetic, tender, welcoming, well-mannered, winning

"Pretty"

alluring, appealing, attractive, beautiful, charming, cute, delightful, desirable, elegant, eye-catching, fair, fascinating, gorgeous, graceful, intriguing, lovely, pleasing, striking, stunning, sweet

"Said"

alleged, argued, asked, asserted, babbled, bellowed, bragged, commented, complained, cried, declined, demanded, denied, encouraged, expressed, giggled, growled, inquired, moaned, nagged, rebuked, rebutted, replied, rejected, retorted, roared, scolded, shrieked, shrugged, stated, taunted, vowed, warned, whined, whispered, yelled

"Went"

avoid, bolt, bound, depart, exit, escape, flee, fly, hike, hop, jaunt, jolt, journey, leap, leave, lurch, march, mosey, move, pace, parade, pass, progress, retreat, saunter, scoot, skip, split, step, stride, stroll, tour, travel, vanish

more words to use instead other words to use instead another list of words to use instead

Showing 'Fear' in Writing

Eyes wide with pupils dilated.

Hands trembling uncontrollably.

Heart pounding audibly in the chest.

Backing away slowly, seeking escape.

Holding breath or breathing shallowly.

Breaking out in a cold sweat.

Startling at the slightest sound.

Whispering or speaking in a hushed tone.

Looking over their shoulder repeatedly.

Clutching at clothing or objects for reassurance.

Voice quivering or stammering.

Legs feeling weak or buckling.

Feeling a chill run down the spine.

Hugging oneself protectively.

Trying to make themselves smaller.

Furtive glances around the room.

Feeling light-headed or dizzy.

Stiffening up and freezing in place.

Swallowing hard, throat dry.

Eyes darting around, unable to focus.

Can’t wait to see how this story blooms. I love it so much and can hardly wait to read the next one! Season 5 here we go!

Desert Rose

Chapter 58 ~ As Deep as a Wound

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 5

✧ Word Count : 4.4k

In this chapter ~ When the group settles down for the night after the torturous day, Daryl and Rose take a moment to sneak off away from the watchful eyes. Though emotions seem to run high when she is asked about the memories that haunt her, opening up to the one person she could truly trust.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ROSE POV *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Time seemed to move by quickly these days. But I guess being with the ones you love, catching up on all the many things you missed, it tends to speed up the process. Naturally we had all began slowing down throughout the hours that had passed, the world growing dark as we made it a mission to find a large enough space to sleep for the night. Though the one thing I couldn't seem to shake, was everything that went down at Terminus as I began hearing bits and pieces of the story.

I couldn't believe the things that they must've seen, and the fact that some of them were almost executed didn't sit too well with me. But I had Carol to thank for saving all of them, and believe me, I did so many times that I'm pretty sure she began to get a little annoyed at my gratitude.

And although I was going around and catching up with anyone I laid my eyes on, Daryl didn't let me wander too far.

It made sense to me however; I felt the exact same way. Because at one time or another, we thought the other was dead, leaving us to deal with a very hard and traumatic thing to process. The feeling of having each other close by, was just the kind of wake up call that we both needed to see the reality we ended up with. That we had both truly made it right back to each other, like we had promised in the very beginning of it all.

But the two of us still hadn't said all of the things we truly needed to say to each other. Not having a moment alone from the others since we were all reunited, only glancing at each other in silent agreement that we wanted to be completely alone when the day was done. An audience being present last time we had a vulnerable and intimate moment wasn't exactly ideal for either of us.

At the time neither one of us cared about that, only focusing solely on each other, but I was starting to feel the secondhand embarrassment the longer it lingered in my mind. Crying in public wasn't one of my favorite things to do, believe it or not. It sure as hell seemed like it with how much I was doing it recently though.

Currently everyone was starting to settle down for the night and tried to set up sleeping arrangements as we found a decent spot far from the destroyed community. And though we walked for hours to get away from the terrifying place, they all still seemed to be a little on edge as paranoia was creeping back into their minds. Especially the newcomers.

I still hadn't really interacted much with them, but they seemed nice enough from the very few glances that we had exchanged. There was a big guy with red hair who carried guns like they were his baby, and by the looks of it he was with the woman with the pigtails and short shorts. Then there was a guy with a mullet who seemed way too serious for my liking, and another girl with short brown hair and a charming smile. She seemed like the coolest to me.

The group moved softly and quietly as they got situated in the place we would be camping out for the night, a fire we had lit only minutes ago growing and providing a little extra warmth for us all. I sat there silently with my knees to my chest, watching the flames wiggle in front of me as I spaced off and let my mind run, mostly just exhausted from all the recent events.

But a simple nudge on my shoulder seemed to pull me out of my trance, looking up to see Daryl offering me his hand. I smiled up at him and gladly took it as he pulled me up to my feet with ease, not letting me go as he slowly dragged me away from everyone else. We walked away wordlessly, somehow not even catching any of their attention as we slowly slipped deeper into the forest to finally have a moment alone.

And the second we were far enough away, Daryl dropped his crossbow to the ground before wrapping his arms around me once again. I sighed in content as I instantly melted into his frame, craving the warmth he provided in the coldness of the night.

We rocked a little back and forth as tears began to pool in my eyes for the millionth time that day alone. It was partly because of how tired I was; I hadn't slept for a full night in about three weeks, and it was starting to have a really bad effect on me. But I would be lying to myself if I said the tears somehow weren't for the man holding me impossibly closer to him.

I still couldn't wrap my brain around the fact that I was with him, but he kept his promise, just like he said he would.

He pulled away suddenly and kissed me slowly, tears still staining our cheeks. My eyes fluttered, not knowing how badly I had needed that until it was happening. He then broke away to kiss away the tears that had fallen down my face, wiping away anymore that he missed with his knuckles. A small smile was brought to my face as I looked at him so lovingly, whilst he seemed to look at me as if I was going to disappear all over again.

"I'm...I'm just so happy." I said, not being able to find the right words.

He shook his head as he let out a breath of disbelief, "I can't believe yer alive." he spoke before his face then dropped, "I thought I lost ya forever."

"I'm here." I promised, "I'm not going anywhere...God, I missed you so much." I whispered, moving some of the hair from his face so I could easily see his eyes.

"Oh, you have no idea." he said with a light chuckle, "Never wanna feel that way again...not knowin whether or not yer alive..." he trailed off.

I shook my head, "You won't- we won't...I still can't believe this is real. You're really here."

"M' really here." he pecked my lips a few times, "M' here."

I nodded as my eyes gazed upon his face, frowning slightly to myself when I saw one of his eyes was completely bruised, cuts scattered all over his skin in various places. "What happened to you?" I whispered, a part of me almost not wanting to know the real answer.

His face faltered, but I watched as he took a small step back from me, nodding to himself before opening his mouth to speak again.

He filled me in completely, somehow not missing a single detail. How hard he tried to find me with Beth right by his side the entire time, briefly informing me about what happened to her only two nights ago, how they got separated from each other. It broke my heart to hear not only that, but how hard he tried to find her the moment he realized she was gone.

He then mentioned the Claimers, the same assholes that Rick and I had run into in the abandoned house, telling me the whole story about what they did to each of them. Why his face was still slightly beaten and bruised.

He didn't go into grave detail about Terminus like Rick did, but I understood completely. I couldn't even begin to imagine how horrifying it must've been for all of them, even watching him talk about it amazed me. But then again, he was stronger than anyone I've ever met.

By the time he was finally done, we were sat across from each other on the dirt, watching as he let out an emotional sigh, "I tried...I tried so hard to find ya-"

"You did," I interrupted as I gently took his hand in my own, "You found me."

He shook his head, "Nah...you found me."

"What's the difference? We're together, that's all that matters to me. You kept your promise love, you tracked me for miles and miles on end. That alone is enough to make me swoon all over again." I joked lightly.

He smiled a little and reached into his pocket, "Well...this kept me goin." he muttered, pulling out something to place in the palm of my hand.

I looked down in slight confusion until my eyes landed on the familiar picture he stole from me, feeling myself smile, "You still have this?"

He scoffed, "Course I still have it." he said, making a motion with his hand for me to give it back.

I rolled my eyes at the fact that he thought I would take it from him, but I handed it back regardless. He placed it back in his pocket so delicately like he was afraid he would rip it by accident or drop it into the mud somehow. Like it was the most precious thing in the world to him.

He then leaned the other way to fish around in his opposite pants pocket, and to my surprise, he revealed the purple clip that fell out of my hair what felt like ages ago. "You found it." I said in disbelief, delicately taking it from his grasp.

He nodded, "Was the only thing I could find."

"Thank you." I said, leaning up to kiss his cheek, maneuvering slightly to place it in my jacket for safe keeping.

When I looked back up toward him I found he was already looking at me, however he wasn't looking in my eyes. Instead his gaze followed the cuts that would be permanent my skin forever, and I braced myself for the next question that would fall out of his mouth. I was only surprised he hadn't mentioned something about it earlier.

He leaned closer and cupped my right cheek as he scanned the other, rubbing his thumb softly over my chin. I leaned into his touch, though he looked at me with a certain dread in his eyes.

"What happened, hon?" he asked softly.

I sighed and closed my eyes to try and keep myself together, ignoring the memories replaying over and over again in my mind. I felt him take the other side of my face as gently as possible, to try and avoid the wound that was still healing, offering me comfort to know that he was still right there. Waiting to listen, through fearing the answer.

I almost wanted to pull back and shake my head, go to great extents to not have to tell him what I went through that night. Not even daring to want to repeat the phrase let alone relive it. Wanting to brush it off completely, make up an excuse, anything to just desperately forget about that awful moment forever.

But the very second I looked back up into his eyes, seeing so much concern written all over his face, I knew I had to tell him.

I breathed in and out deeply before finally speaking, "When I got separated from Rick and the others...one night this random man approached me in the woods. I immediately knew what he was trying to do, but...this other guy came out of nowhere and-" I cut myself off suddenly, trying to swallow the lump in my throat that caused my voice to crack.

I closed my eyes tightly as I breathed shakily, "He...got on top of me...pinned me down...but when I fought back, he cut up my face, my neck." I stuttered, tears threatening to spill all over again, "He- he tried to-"

But he didn't let me finish, hearing enough of the horrible things as he brought me in closer to him, wrapping his arms around me tightly again.

He shushed me as I cried onto his chest, clinging onto him for dear life as I almost never wanted to let him go. I was so grateful he was there to listen, to comfort me when I told him. But I knew even the vague story would send his blood boiling.

I felt him tense up suddenly the longer he thought about it, "I'll track em down and skin em alive." he spoke in a low voice.

Shaking my head, I didn't pull away from him as I spoke, "I killed them...they didn't even get the chance to do anything, but...I can- I can still feel his hands all over me, it's- it's so haunting." I stuttered out.

I heard him sigh sadly as he gently placed a kiss on the top of my head, "I'm so sorry, baby." he whispered into my hair.

I only nodded as I didn't feel the need to say anything else, holding onto him tighter as I painfully pushed the images out of my head. He didn't hesitate to mutter reassuring things to me, how he would protect me from anything, and how sorry he was that he wasn't around when it happened. But in my opinion, I thought it was foolish that he was apologizing for something that he couldn't have stopped. He couldn't have predicted the events, nor could he have prevented them. All I really needed from him now was his support and comfort. I just needed him.

He then finally pulled away, almost abruptly to look me over once again, "Did I...did I do anythin to make ya uncomfortable?" he asked softly.

"Oh God, no." I said immediately, "Never. I don't think it's possible. You're about the only person who can make me feel the safest, and I just...I love you."

"I love ya more. Just tell me if anythin's too much, or too overwhelmin, alright?"

I nodded my head, "I will, I promise."

After that we just stayed in each other's arms for what felt like forever, but no amount of time would ever be enough. I could spend weeks on end not leaving this man's side, and I don't think I would ever get tired of it. He was so soft and careful after I told him what happened to me, not that I expected anything else, but I truly didn't know how he would really react. After all, how is one supposed to process something like that?

It all happened recently and was still hard to talk about, I could sense he felt a little guilty for bringing it up in the first place. But I knew I had to tell him eventually. My face was obviously a dead giveaway to something bad happening to me.

And though I would never admit it out loud, to anyone let alone him as well, the flashbacks replayed in my mind more often than I was ever willing to say. It was traumatizing, it was to be expected, but it was eating me up inside. I truly didn't know how I would be able to get past it, see though all of the haunting memories, it seemed almost impossible.

But I wanted to trust time. Trust that it would heal the things that I couldn't.

Eventually we made our way back to the group hand in hand, finding everyone pretty much asleep around the dying fire. I scanned the area around us to see who was on watch and noticed Maggie sleeping alone on a nearby sleeping bag.

I felt Daryl's hand leave mine as he set up a spot for us to sleep, but I gently grabbed his shoulder so he would look back at me.

"I'm going to talk to Glenn for a little bit, I'll be back soon." I whispered.

He grew a little concerned, "Are ya sure? Ya need to sleep, Rosie."

"I'm not that tired, plus we have a lot to catch up on. I won't be long, I promise." 

He hesitantly nodded his head before placing a gentle kiss on my forehead. I smiled up at him before turning around, stepping over snoozing bodies to see which way the man went. I followed the pattern of leaves his feet left behind before I eventually spotted him sitting close to the side of the road, a gun in his lap, staring at his surroundings.

"Don't freak out." I said in a quiet voice, just coming out of the tree line.

He visibly flinched and spun around to see who it was, but once he saw it was just me he relaxed and smiled tiredly. I returned the gesture as I approached, taking a seat right next to him with a soft huff.

"You scared the shit out of me." he whispered.

I couldn't help but laugh, "Some bodyguard you are."

He rolled his eyes, nudging me playfully, "Shut up."

I smiled a little at the banter, before we both let the silence linger for a moment as we looked out toward the darkness ahead. I leaned back on my hands as I rested my head on my shoulder, feeling more tired than I was willing to admit. But I missed him, willing to stay up for as long as I could if it meant I was able to spend time with him again.

"So...you just found those guys while you were looking for Maggie?" I asked, jerking my head back to where the group lied.

He nodded, "Yeah, Tara actually made it out with me from the prison. And we found those three a little while down the road."

"Tara? She's the one with the shorter hair, yeah?" I asked.

"Yep." he replied simply.

I nodded in response, though suddenly grew a little confused as the wheels seemed to turn in my head. "Wait...how was she with you at the prison?"

His eyes widened ever so slightly, his mouth parting as he tried to think of an answer but his silence was all the confirmation I needed, and I stood up abruptly. He called my name quietly as I turned around and began to storm back, but I ignored him, wanting to give her a piece of my goddamn mind.

"Rose, don't." he begged quietly, catching up enough to pull my arm back gently.

"Why?" I asked not so quietly, ripping my arm out of his hold, "She was with The Governor? And you want her to stay with us? She was fucking attacking us, blowing up our home, and you-"

"No, no she never shot at us. She never wanted that...she was scared and on her own and she helped me find Maggie. Just please...give her a chance like I did." he pleaded.

I glanced him over once, twice, trying to see if he was telling me the truth, or fibbing now to avoid a fight. She was on his side, but Glenn claimed she was a good person. Hell, I thought the same thing when I briefly met her until I found out she was with the man that broke all of us apart, took everything we had. But she helped him find Maggie and stuck right by his side the entire time, so I felt I had to give her a little credit.

With a sigh and a reluctant roll of my eyes, I finally nodded my head as he let out a breath of relief, gesturing for me to come back and sit down. I followed his lead as we plopped down together on the grass, thinking to myself silently for a few moments.

"I'm sorry," I finally said, "I just have had some trust issues when it comes to strangers lately."

He nodded, "Yeah, I noticed." he said, gesturing toward my face.

My eyes closed involuntarily as I pressed my lips together, still somehow being able to feel his eyes running all over me though I could no longer look at him. I clearly didn't have a mirror on me, but obviously the markings were very noticeable since nearly everyone kept pointing them out to me as if I wasn't aware. And in the back of my mind I knew these would slowly turn into scars over time, ones that I wouldn't be able to hide.

"Can I ask what happened?" he asked cautiously.

I stayed quiet for a moment as my eyes opened again, settling with staring at the ground below me, "Some assholes that shouldn't have ever fucked with me." I mumbled before meeting his eyes, "And they look worse than I do."

"Good." he said instantly.

I desperately wanted to change the subject, and I knew by the look on his face he could tell, "So... tell me a little more about that trio back there." I eventually pulled out of my ass.

He took a breath, "Well, the guy with the red hair; Abraham, is uh...well he's a character."

"I'm not really sure what that means but okay."

"He's just...well you'll hear some of the shit that comes out of his mouth." I nodded in understanding, "And um he's with the girl; Rosita, and she's pretty cool, I guess. But the last guy Eugene...he's something alright."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Okay, you're being very vague about these people."

"Sorry, sorry, he's just...really smart and apparently knows how to stop this whole thing. I don't think they're staying with us for very long, they have to get him to Washington."

"He knows the cure?" I asked in slight disbelief, watching as he nodded his head, "Bullshit."

"It's true." he confirmed confidently.

I put a hand on his shoulder almost sympathetically, "Glenn honey, you are just about the most gullible person left on this planet." I stated, watching his expression morph into a slight glare, "And I say that with love."

He rolled his eyes and shrugged my hand off, "Whatever." he muttered with a small smile.

"And that leaves Tara...the girl who tried to kill us but then...saved your ass I suppose." I teased.

He nodded, "Yeah, pretty much."

There was a beat of silence before I asked, "Does Maggie know?"

He almost tensed at the question, not being able to meet my eyes as he continued to look out into the distance, as if I hadn't even opened my mouth at all. That was a good enough answer for me.

"Glenn," I said sternly, "She deserves to know about that. After what happened to her dad-"

"Stop." he cut me off with a shake of his head.

"No, you can't keep something like that from her. I mean do you really think she would want her around after knowing who's side she was on?"

He paused for a moment before finally meeting my eyes, "She saved me more times than I can count while we were out there. She helped me through everything and when the three of them wanted to stop, to get to Washington, Tara stuck with me anyways. She could've left, but she didn't. I know she's a good person."

"Okay, but honey, good person or not...Maggie needs to know." I said gently.

In the back of my mind, I knew that he knew he had to tell her eventually and obviously it was going to be hard, but it was the right thing to do. It just made me wonder who Maggie thought this random girl was and where she came from. What kind of story they cooked up for the time being, or maybe she just didn't care too much, focusing solely on Glenn whom she found after searching for ages.

Eventually after what felt like hours, he nodded his head, "I'll tell her."

"Good." I said simply, before giving his had a reassuring squeeze.

As we talked for a little bit longer, he told me that even after everything that happened, he still kept my drawing I drew of us safe and sound in his backpack. It warmed my heart not only that he still had the sketch I gave him, but that he held onto it, and it was one of the most important things to him. I wordlessly pulled out the necklace he gave me out of my shirt, and he smiled brightly at the sight. I always found myself playing with it randomly, a constant reminder that the man was always with me. I hadn't taken it off once since he first gave it to me, and I didn't plan to anytime soon.

After some time passed, I found myself yawning and he was quick to point it out as he gestured towards me, "That right there is a sign we need to stop talking." he said with a laugh.

"When do we ever stop talking?" I asked tiredly.

He shook his head at me, "Sleep. I'm gonna switch shifts with Rick in an hour or two anyways."

I couldn't argue much with that, knowing that I was getting closer to falling asleep sitting up the longer I sat out there to talk with him. I reluctantly stood to my feet, mumbling a goodnight as I slowly made my way back to the camp that was set up for the night.

As I finally found my way back through the trees, I noticed that the fire was still going, causing my brows to furrow and do a scan to see who the hell was still up at this time. But then my eyes landed on Daryl, still very much awake as he sat upright, waiting for me to come back. My pace seemed to quicken once I saw him staring off into space in boredom, his eyes shifting towards me once I was close enough, giving me a small smile.

"Hey." he said innocently.

I tilted my head in concern, "Love, you didn't have to wait up for me. I'm sorry I talked to him for so long."

He shook his head, "Nah don't apologize, I wanted to. Just in case ya needed me."

There was a hidden meaning behind those words, but for me I could see it crystal clearly. In the back of my mind, sleeping in the woods again after the attack did put me a little on edge and I didn't want to be alone. But I didn't even really ponder or worry over it until he said something just now. It amazed me that he knew me better than I knew myself sometimes.

When I didn't say anything to his sweet comment, he patted the space next to him a few times to invite me over. I smiled and walked over to sit next to him, the both of us then laying down together to try and get comfortable for the night. I rested my head on his chest to listen to the steady beat of his heart, though I felt that it increased the moment I got closer to him, and I let myself hum in content.

"Thank you." I whispered.

He moved his head to look down at me, "For what?"

"Everything."

In response, felt him place a lingering kiss on the top of my head, and my eyelids started to get heavier with each second that passed. For the first time in the past week, I was safe, I was calm, I was home. I fell asleep that night without tossing and turning, because of the strong arms that wrapped around me protectively. I didn't wake up multiple times throughout the night, because I knew that he was beside me the whole time. And I didn't cry myself to sleep thinking about the family I lost, because they were right here with me sleeping peacefully.

~ Thanks for reading! (Season five has officially started!)

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What Daryl Dixon would be like in a relationship:

I can’t remember if I’ve done one of these before or something similar but oh well

Looking at how he was with Connie, he’d be a lot more smiley with you. Just seeing your face, knowing you’re safe and happy is what keeps him going.

He loves your laugh, no matter what it sounds like. Your happiness warms his heart. Even better if he’s the one to make you laugh.

He loves just touching you. Holding your hand, touching your lowerback as you walk, when you’re alone he’ll trace his fingers over your arms and back.

He’s extremely protective but not to the point you feel suffocated. If you wanted to go on a run he won’t stop you but he will make it known to you that he wants you back safe, even going so far as to almost threaten who you’re going with that you make it home to him.

He’s also more anxious each day, that you’ll be taken from him in some way. He can’t stand the idea but sometimes it’s all he can think about. You have to keep reassuring him that you aren’t going anywhere.

At first he was worried about another man trying to steal you away, always having an eye on you incase they tried anything on you. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust you, just that maybe they’d be successful at luring you away somehow.

He’d teach you how to use his crossbow, letting you wear his wings and even riding his bike with him behind you.

He doesn’t care if you guys don’t have sex regularly, even if you didn’t have it ever again. He enjoys it with you of course but he’d never pressure you, only ask if you were feeling okay.

He’d be rubbish in the bedroom, let’s be honest. You’d have to teach him, show him how to make love. He’d take every lesson to heart, wanting to make you happy.

He loooooooves going down on you. It’s his favourite thing. The first thing he learned how to do well and he cannot get enough.

I feel like he’d eventually be comfortable enough with you to be really chatty, talking about the old days with Merle or some random story that just came to him and you’d listen because he feels so comfortable and safe with you.

If something were to happen, and you broke up or if you died, he’d never move on from that. Anyone after you would be a pale comparison to you, no matter how hard he might try to move on.

Showing 'Anger' in Writing

Clenched fists and knuckles turning white.

Eyes narrowing to slits, brows furrowed.

Jaw muscles tensing visibly.

Speaking through gritted teeth.

Taking deep, sharp breaths.

Pacing back and forth, unable to stay still.

Pointing a finger accusingly.

Voice raising to a shout or a growl.

Kicking or punching nearby objects.

Lips pressed together in a thin line.

Rapid, agitated movements.

Slamming doors or throwing objects.

Standing with arms crossed tightly.

Glaring intensely without blinking.

Face turning red or flushed.

Breathing heavily and erratically.

Snapping at others for minor things.

Shaking with barely contained rage.

Muttering or growling under their breath.

Eyes blazing with fury.

There Is No Coming Back From This - Chapter 4

Characters: Stark!Reader, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark Summary: "It's her time, Tony. And I hate that as much as you do, but there's some things you can't fix. There is no coming back from this."

"What do you mean you're leaving?"

"You're so dramatic," Steve groans, rolling his eyes at Bucky as he makes his way to the door, "I'll be back in an hour. I'm just getting a few things so we're ready to move when we have to." 

"Then take her with you!" Bucky insists. 

Your eyes volley back and forth between the two men, not bothering to pretend that you're not listening to them talk about you. 

"It'll be quicker if I go alone."

Though he did ask you if you were okay with being left alone with Bucky given your tense encounters. You shrugged Steve off and told him you didn't care. Steve only wished Bucky was as ambivalent. 

"Fine, then I'll go with you!"

"We can't leave her alone."

"Well, I don't babysit."

"You're not babysitting because she's not a baby."

Bucky quickly steps in front of the door, wedging himself in the doorframe. "I mean it, Steve! What the hell am I supposed to do with her?"

"I don't know, maybe, and I know this seems a little far fetched, talk to her," Steve incredulously suggests. "Have a normal, civil conversation."

Bucky snorts, "With a Stark?"

"With another person. Don't you remember what it's like to be 17?"

"No, actually, I don't."

"You two will be fine." Steve peels Bucky away from the doorframe, stepping through the door. "I'll be back in an hour. Kid, you have the burner phone I gave you?"

"Yeah." 

"Call me if you need anything."

"Got it."

"Steve, I mean it - " Bucky begins to object again. This time, he's met with the door snapping shut before him. He stares at the door for a long moment. He shakes his head, muttering under his breath, "I'm gonna kill him."

Bucky barely acknowledges your existence as he walks back to his kitchen. He plops himself down at the table, staring at the wall in front of him.

You take this as an opportunity to smooth things over with him. Sure, you didn't really do anything to him, but your father was still mostly responsible for him and Steve being fugitives. You take the only other seat at the table, plopping yourself right in his line of sight. "You know, Steve's told me all about you. He made you sound a lot nicer though."

Bucky barely offers a grunt in response. 

"But I'm thinking that treatment is reserved for me. Because I'm a Stark."

Bucky continues to ignore you, shifting his intense glare to the small kitchen window.

"I don't blame you for what happened to my grandparents. I know it wasn't your fault."

For the first time since you met him, his gaze shifts to you, "Your father does." 

"But I'm not my father."

"Sure you are," Bucky remarks. "Apples don't fall far from the tree."

Your brows pull in. You loved your father. You loved him as your father, as a scientist, as an innovator. And still, you weren't blind to his temper, to his constant need to strive for bigger and better. He wasn't a person that could leave well enough alone. You knew that firsthand. "What does that mean?"

"It means, that it's really only a matter of time before that Stark arrogance and cutthroat ambition kicks in. All you morals, ethics, everything that's right or wrong, it'll mean nothing to you. Consequences be damned. Just like your father."

You're not sure that you're the person that's supposed to be hearing this. These words weren't meant for you, but he unloads it on you anyway. "Don't talk about my father like you know him."

"Isn't that what he did to you? Consequences be damned. He wanted to make his perfect little daughter a perfect super soldier." 

You shake your head over and over, "That's not true."

"Sure it is." He raises an eyebrow. "He's willing to use every single person in his orbit as his little experiments. There's not a single person that he isn't willing to use and discard. That's why you're here and not with him."

You shakily exhale, your voice tinged with laughter, "Ouch."

"Truth stings, doesn't it?"

"I was dying," you state, staring at Bucky. His eyes widen slightly as his face drops. He looks over at you. You stare down at the table, tears starting to fall down your face. "Cancer. That's why he did what he did. He was trying to save my life."

He remains quiet, though this time it's not of his own volition. You've left him speechless. You wordlessly stand up, and take a seat back on the couch to wait for Steve. You lift your knees up, propping your head on them, and pull the hood of your sweater up. 

For the remainder of the hour that Steve is gone, Bucky sits in the uncomfortable silence. He can't quite think of another time he's felt like a bigger jackass. 

And considering he's the reason you're upset, he's pretty sure he has no right to console you or to try to smooth things over without Steve's presence. 

The moment he hears Steve's familiar steps, he bolts for the door, quickly stepping outside into the hall. Steve's eyes widen as Bucky blocks Steve's entrance into the apartment. 

"Okay, now, don't be mad."

"Oh God," Steve groans, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What did you do?"

"What makes you think I did anything?"

"What did you do?"

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you. I just want you to know that I didn't mean to. I just - I kinda lost sight of the fact that she's a kid. And that I wasn't talking to Tony Stark."

"What do you mean? Bucky, what the hell did you do?"

Bucky's mouth twists remorsefully, "I might've said some things... About her family. About how eventually she'll lost sight of all morals, ethics, and sense of right and wrong with that Stark ego. And I may have said something along the lines of her father discarding her and dumping her here with you."

Bucky cringes as he recounts each barbed word he threw at you. "But - but in my defense, I didn't think she'd cry - and - and I didn't know that she was dying. If you think about it, it's really on you for not telling me that. And that means this whole thing is sorta all your fault."

"My fault?" Steve squawks. "So she has to have cancer for you to be nice to - Wait, you made her cry?"

Bucky winces, "There may have been tears."

"I left you alone for an hour. One hour. How did this even happen?"

"Well, she just started talking. I was trying to ignore her, but she just kept talking. She went on and one, saying how you told her about me, that I was nice, and she didn't think I was to blame for her grandparents. I don't know, I just kinda snapped."

"So she, a 17 year old, a child, tried to be the bigger person and smooth things over with you, not that she really had to because she's not her father. And instead of being patient, or at the very least not yelling at her, you berated and insulted her and her family? That's what you're telling me?"

Bucky throws his arms up in exasperation, "Well, when you put it like that, it sounds really bad!"

"Because it is really bad!" 

"Okay, okay, I admit, I was being a jackass."

Steve rolls his eyes, "How did you leave it?" 

"I didn't get to say anything else. She just put her headphones in and sat on the couch with her hoodie up like an angsty teenager."

"She is an angsty teenager! She was on death's doorstep last week. This week, she's a fugitive with powers that she never wanted. I think that would make anyone a little angsty!" 

"Okay, okay! I already said I was being a jackass. Go talk to her or something. She's on the couch with her headphones in."

"Headphones?" 

"There those little things that you put in your ear - "

"I know what headphones are!"

"Okay," Bucky raises his hands in innocence. "No need to shout."

Steve grits his teeth, trying to remain calm in spite of the two children he was now looking after. "Just let me talk to her. Then, you can apologize."

"Fine," Bucky huffs like a petulant child. 

Steve walks through the door first. He spots you on the couch, "Kid?"

"I don't think she can hear you."

Steve holds up a finger, walking up to you and pulling on the loose headphone wire. He holds the wire up, showing Bucky that it's not connected to anything. He pulls down your head to find you staring up at him with a sly smirk on your face. 

Bucky sputters, "What the hell?"

"She doesn't cry," Steve explains. "And she didn't bring her phone with her. There's nothing to plug her headphones into. I'm surprised she even has them."

"Yes, I do cry," you retort. "I can cry."

"I can count on one hand how many times I've seen you genuinely cry. You can, however, cry on cue, but no, you don't cry." 

You narrow your eyes at Steve, "You don't know that."

"I've known you since you were five years old. That's how you used to get out of homeschooling."

A crocodile tear falls down your cheek, "But Uncle Steve.."

He points a disapproving finger at you, "Don't Uncle Steve me, that doesn't work on me anymore."

"Oh my God," Bucky exhales. "She's an actual psychopath."

"And you're an asshole!" you retort. 

"Language!" Steve remarks. He turns to Bucky, gesturing to you, "Now apologize."

"Me?" Bucky's eyes widen in disbelief. "She fake cried to make me feel bad."

"Do I need to remind you what you did?" Steve rhetorically asks. 

Bucky grumbles, "But, Steve..."

"There's two adults in this room, Bucky. Can you please act like one of them?"

"Don't bother," you object. "I head you from in here. You only feel bad because I had cancer. I don't need you to feel bad for me. I don't want to be here any more than you want me here."

"Okay, okay, can we all just calm down?"

Bucky scoffs, turning away from you, "Whatever, Princess."

"Whatever, Buchanan," you counter.

Bucky whirls around, glaring at you, "What did you just call me?"

"What's wrong, Buchanan?" you taunt. "You don't like the taste of your own medicine?"

"Don't call me that."

"Don't call me Princess. At least Buchanan is your name."

"I already told you to quit calling me that. No one calls me that. Who even -" He looks at Steve, who looks entirely fed up with you and Bucky. "Why? Why? Why would you tell her my full name?"

"In my defense, I was just telling her a story." Steve looks pointedly at you, "I certainly didn't think she'd use that against you."

"I have no regrets. He started it." 

Steve quietly mutters to himself watching as you and Bucky bicker back and forth. "How the hell did I end up here?" 

AnonymityIsFun Masterlist 'There Is No Coming Back From This' Chapter List

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