Title: Meet in the Middle
Summary: Daryl finds himself alone after the prison falls.
Notes: I saw a gif set on tumblr of Marina Abramovic meeting Ulay and it was a beautiful thing that touched me. Of course, I then thought 'I must turn this into fanfiction. ;)
One shot.

They lost the prison.

A long time ago now. At nights he could still hear Rick's voice, screaming out his name as the gunshots fired out and Rick and the others fled.
He didn't know who made it. It was chaos. And he got pinned down as parts of the prison caved in.

He didn't know if he'd make it. But he did know if he called for Rick, he'd damn well try and Rick just had to make it. He had the baby, Carl, whoever made it from the group. They couldn't all die for him.

So he stayed quiet and waited until it was quiet and he started to make his way from the rumble, slowly, painfully.

His leg was fucked. It hurt to walk. Every damn step hurt.

And he knew he made the right call to let the others go without him.

The walkers must have followed after the cars that left and he found his crossbow abandoned on the side of the road. He imagined Rick holding on to it, just hoping he'd emerge. And when he hadn't, Rick would have left it, just in case.

Just as well.

So Daryl had got to the first car he could and driven his way out of there.

They'd not seriously talked about life beyond the prison, so Daryl had no direction to head in. No way to try and meet up with the group.

He was alone.

He didn't stray far at first. He stuck to the car, making sure he kept close by the car until he could move around better on foot.

And by the time he was healed enough, it was getting late into winter. The days were hard and the nights bitter and harsh. And he struggled. Alone. No one to help with anything.
No one to share the load, the burden. And he missed the group. Missed their company, their help.
And he couldn't find anything to kill to eat. So he went without until he found a run down, abandoned house. He didn't even look at what was in the tins he found, he just ate.

By the time he wandered into the small settlement, he had little choice but to hope they accepted him.

And he was lucky that the people within were kind.

He got cleaned up and was shown where the people in the town would eat. Told to come over and join them for food when he was ready. And one of the ladies told him she'd find him once he'd eaten and get him a place for the night.

He wasn't sure if that was an long as he was welcome to stay but he didn't mind. Even one night was better than nothing.

He opened the door and slipped quietly and unseen into the building. And surprisingly, there was maybe close to a hundred people inside. And the sound of chatter and laughter filled the air.

The smell of food hit him and his stomach growled.

There was a table on the far wall where people were helping to hand out food to people and he went to head over but he froze in place.

A table where one woman sat alone.

He might recognise her anywhere, but suddenly, he was unsure of himself. Could it really be her. She looked down at the table, absently lost in her own world, not even aware of him. But he couldn't see anything else all of a sudden.
And he knew it was her. There was no doubt. He made his way towards the table, weaving in and out of people until he was just a few feet away. She still didn't notice him. Not even as he approached the table and sat down in front of her.

Maybe because she expected people to join her at the table, she didn't immediately look up.

So he waited for her to notice him. Didn't draw her attention to him, didn't do anything but wait. Did nothing but relish her presence.

And when she did look up her eye lit up, and that kind, warm smile spread across her lips slowly.

And Daryl felt uncomfortable, shifted a little under her gaze, as comforting and welcoming as it was. He stretched his still healing leg a little, as though the pain was back from all those weeks ago.

She didn't say anything. She swallowed hard, the lump rising in her throat and her eyes glistened as the tears started to collect.

And then he let out a deep breath. Of relief and happiness that at least somebody he knew and loved made it. That was something he couldn't quite believe.

He shook his head a little.

And then, with her eyes ready to spill the tears she was trying to blink back, she silently reached across the table with both hands for him. And he didn't hesitate to reach for hers. And he smiled, as she did too at their unbelievable luck in finding one another again.

It felt good to have her right there, to know she was real and solid beneath his hands. And then her grip lessened as she slid her hands away from him back across the table.

And the smile left his face as he looked to her, slight unease on his face as though he wasn't sure what he might have done wrong.

But she smiled at him warmly and then a hand clasped onto his shoulder.