Author's Note: This chapter is a continuation of Daryl's POV – picking up from where we left off. We're about to get a flashback of what happened the night previous at the CDC, after Daryl and Anna's fight!

Thank you for all the love surrounding this story – it really pushes me to continue, so thank you! I appreciate you all.

NOW, LET'S GET TO IT.

Daryl slammed the door shut to Anna's room, the walls shaking from the force of it.

But no matter the anger coursing through him, he just couldn't seem to find the will to move from the spot in the hallway he'd suddenly rooted himself in. With his hand still tightly gripped around the doorknob, breath coming out in steady huffs, warmth shooting through his limbs, he tried to process just where the hell things had gone so wrong.

Daryl closed his eyes, the fury and hurt marring Anna's features flashing through his mind as she'd fought against his certainty that Fort Benning was gone. Why couldn't she understand that he was just trying to help? That he was just trying to talk some sense into her? She was so dead set on Fort Benning, on the idea that her brother had somehow successfully made the hundred-mile trek to the army base and was waiting there for her with fucking roses or something — was she fucking delusional? Did she have some kind of god damn death wish?

Daryl's eyes shot open. What did he care for anyways? It had nothing to do with him. And he wasn't going to just sit around and take the brunt of Anna's projected issues. There was enough shit going on with the current state of the world — the last thing he needed was this sort of unnecessary drama.

With a decision made, Daryl scoffed and shoved away from the door, feeling a fresh wave of frustration wash over him. He marched down the hall, heading away from Anna's room and back towards his own. She could do whatever the hell she wanted — she could go to Fort Benning, she could leave the group, she could join the fucking circus if she wanted to. It wasn't his problem.

If she wanted to go on some kind of kamikaze-suicide-mission…fine. That wasn't his problem. She wasn't his fucking problem.

But the moment Daryl reached his door, hand outstretched towards the doorknob, he paused, glancing back down the hall towards Anna's room for a moment before looking down at the doorknob, inches away from his fingertips. All he had to do was reach forward — that was it. Just reach forward. Twist. Push. Open. And go inside. That was it.

So why was he suddenly turning away from his room and walking back towards Anna's?

What the fuck was wrong with him?

Daryl clenched his jaw, hands balled into fists as he stalked back down the hallway. He wasn't exactly sure why, wasn't exactly sure what his intent was, but it was as though his body had a mind of its own, carrying him down the hallway despite his mind's protests. He made it halfway down the hall before he halted, forcing his feet to remain rooted as he stared at Anna's door just a couple of feet away.

What exactly was the plan here? To burst into her room? To tell her off? To tell her to mind her own fucking business?

No…no, that didn't feel right.

So Daryl pivoted, marching back down the hall towards his own room instead.

But he only made it a couple feet before he suddenly froze once more, a frustrated growl escaping his lips.

No, he had to see her — he had to tell her off, he had to tell her she was wrong, he had to make sure she was alright and —

No, damn it. No, that wasn't right. He didn't care whether she was alright or not. He shouldn't care. He wasn't supposed to care. That wasn't part of the deal here.

But before Daryl could stop himself, there he was, turning on his heels and storming back towards Anna's room once more. It felt as though his insides were being yanked apart, like two different parts of him were duking it out for control. Part of him wanted to unleash the anger bubbling inside him. But another part of him, a quiet, simmering part of him that he hadn't realized was there, genuinely wanted to mend things with the girl on the opposite side of the door.

But why?

Daryl stopped outside Anna's room, hand outreached towards the doorknob, but quickly froze. He dropped his hand to his side, glancing up and down the hall warily, before he leaned forward and pressed an ear against the door, holding his breath.

The room was silent. No quiet shuffling or faint footsteps. Just silence.

Daryl sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he pulled away from the door.

He needed to get a fucking grip.

The archer scoffed beneath his breath, deciding to head back to his room once and for all, chastising himself for allowing this complete stranger to have such an effect on him. But he only took a single step forward before he was pausing yet again. It was as though something was pulling him back, forcing him to remain rooted where he was.

What the fuck was wrong with him?

He just…he just couldn't leave her. He couldn't do it. No matter how badly he wanted to shut down, to find calm within his own space, he just couldn't leave Anna Brooks alone, by herself, defenseless — especially after what just happened with Shane.

"Damn it," he growled, feeling torn yet again. He thanked whatever higher power was out there that no one was witnessing his distress — the people in this group were too damn nosey. They wouldn't get it. They wouldn't understand. Hell, he didn't even understand himself.

He couldn't go back to his room. But he also didn't want to go back into Anna's. He was at a complete and utter loss.

So instead, he suddenly found himself sliding to the ground, making himself comfortable propped up against Anna's door.

Daryl could practically hear Merle's snarking voice in the back of his head, chiding him, telling him he was 'weak', telling him he was 'fuckin' pathetic'. And maybe he was right. Maybe he was pathetic. Maybe he was weak. But above all that, the thing he was most was loyal. And he'd promised Anna that he wouldn't let anything happen to her — that he'd keep Shane away from her in case the man decided to try anything else.

And that feeling, that innate need to protect, overrode any other feelings of self-loathing sneaking in.

Daryl sighed, resting his head against the door, propping his elbows on top of his knees as his fingers drummed back and forth over the cloth of his jeans.

He wouldn't stay there all night — just until he was sure everyone had turned in for the night…until he was sure that Shane had turned in for the night. He hadn't seen the man since their altercation in the hallway — but he could practically feel his blood begin to boil at merely the thought of what he'd walked into.

Daryl had wanted to kill Shane — wanted to end his pathetic life right then and there. The man was bad news, plain and simple, and he knew for a fact that it was only a matter of time before shit got worse — before the man became even more unhinged. This time, Daryl had been there to stop him — but what if next time he wasn't?

The archer squeezed his eyes shut, shaking the disturbing images from his mind. That was the only reason he was doing this — sitting outside Anna's door like some sort of makeshift guard dog. He'd promised her he'd keep her safe. And that was the only reason he was doing this.

Right?

Daryl groaned softly, his eyes snapping open as he rubbed a hand through his cropped hair, fighting off the tiredness seeping through his bones, the alcohol running through his veins. He gnawed at the side of his thumb absently, his body feeling heavier and heavier with each moment that passed.

Anna's words suddenly spun through his mind — 'Just because you gave up on your brother, doesn't mean I'm giving up on mine.'

Who the hell did she think she was? Going around and talking shit about shit she didn't know anything about. Daryl scoffed, grinding his teeth together, yanking the corner of his thumb from his mouth and resting it atop his knee instead.

He didn't give up on his brother — Merle's dumb ass upped and took off. There wasn't shit he could do about it now. Was he supposed to go on some wild goose chase like Anna was? Searching for a needle in a god damn haystack? He wouldn't even know where to start — if his brother was even still alive, for that matter.

Anna didn't know shit. She didn't know what the fuck she was talking about.

And yet.

Maybe he had. Maybe he had done exactly as she'd said — maybe he'd 'given up on Merle'. Maybe that was why he couldn't shake Anna's hurled words from his core. Maybe that was why he couldn't quiet the nagging thoughts churning in his mind.

Because maybe accepting Merle's fate, his loss, maybe accepting that he'd never see his brother again was simply something Daryl had found easier to live with than he'd expected.

Daryl huffed a breath, quickly shaking the thoughts from his mind, running a hand roughly through his cropped hair. He shook his head absently, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the solid door behind him.

No. Merle was blood. Merle was his blood. His family. And if you didn't have family, you didn't have shit.

Right?

Daryl suddenly jolted awake, his eyes snapping open.

He hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep, right in the midst of his spinning thoughts, right there outside Anna's door. He squinted slightly, his pupils adjusting to the fluorescent lighting down the hall as he sighed, rubbing a hand over his weary face.

That was the moment he felt another set of eyes land on him.

His gaze jerked upward, his hand immediately moving to hover over the knife strapped on his belt as his eyes fell on Shane standing just down the hall. He was staring down at Daryl, his expression so smug the archer fought back the urge to hurl his knife down the hall.

Neither one of them spoke — merely staring each other down as Daryl tensed his body, ready to jump to his feet if the man took a single step towards him while Shane swayed slightly, his red-rimmed eyes giving his inebriation away.

Daryl narrowed his eyes challengingly, as if daring Shane to try something, to give him an excuse to unleash some of that pent up anger brewing. But Shane merely scoffed, shaking his head as he fumbled for the doorknob beside him before he stumbled away, disappearing into his room and slamming the door behind him, leaving Daryl alone once more.

Daryl let go of the breath he'd been holding, his body going slack as he ran a hand through his cropped hair. He had no idea what time it was, there were no windows, no clocks — and they were underground, that thought alone making the archer feel all sorts of discomfort. He quickly pulled himself to his feet, stretching out the crick in his neck caused from the uncomfortable position he'd been sleeping in.

He hesitated for a moment, holding his breath as he rested the side of his head against Anna's door, listening for movement. He thanked whatever God was out there that she hadn't woken up or randomly decided to leave her room — that would've been awkward.

Daryl sighed softly, pushing away from the door. He heard the quiet murmur of voices coming from the door opposite of Anna's, no doubt some of the group finally waking, and quickly hurried back down the hall. He wasn't worried about Anna's safety anymore — the group would be milling from their rooms soon and Shane wouldn't dare try anything if he knew there would be witnesses.

He was just that type of man.

Daryl cracked open the door to his room and slipped inside, shooting one last dark look at Shane's across the hall before closing the door quietly. Once inside, the archer exhaled heavily, feeling the fight leave his body. He brought his hand up towards his mouth, gnawing on the side of his thumb as he paced slowly back and forth, his thoughts churning once more.

That was it.

That was the last time he'd get involved with Anna Brooks. She could take care of herself from now on — she wasn't his responsibility, damn it. She was a grown woman who could deal with her own issues, her own consequences.

He had other shit to worry about.

Like the end of the fucking world, for instance.

But still, no matter how many times he went over it in his head, no matter how determined he was to keep his distance from the girl down the hall, a tiny, nearly imperceptible part of him knew that deep down, he wouldn't be able to stay away from her for long.

Anna whimpered from beside Daryl once more, snapping him from his thoughts.

His eyes flashed back and forth between her and the road, his entire body going rigid as she shifted slowly in her seat, face scrunched up slightly as she finally began to stir. Daryl fought off the sudden internal panic that twisted his insides, his grip around the steering wheel tightening.

And then, she was up.

Daryl watched her from the corner of his eye — the way she jolted upright, her breathing slightly labored, her hand automatically reaching to clasp onto the chain laced around her neck. She seemed disoriented, like she wasn't sure exactly she where she was or how she'd gotten there to begin with.

And then, she saw him.

Anna nearly did a double take when she first laid eyes on him — Daryl wasn't sure why. Her gaze only hesitated on him for a moment before she was facing forward, stiff as a board, leaning as far away from him as the truck would possibly allow.

The space between them was still. The quiet that stretched between them was enough to stand Daryl's nerves on end, his palms inexplicably sweaty all of the sudden.

Say somethin'. Say anythin', damn it, a voice in the archer's head growled. But for the life of him, he couldn't think to say a single thing.

He snuck a glance at Anna — she still looked confused, bewildered almost, as she stared out the front windshield, her hand still twisting around the necklace she wore. She must've felt Daryl's gaze because she suddenly glanced over at him, their eyes locking for a brief moment before she turned to face forward once more — that was when Daryl noticed the sudden redness creep across her cheeks.

He promptly rolled down the passenger's side window.

The Georgian heat must've gotten to her.

Anna suddenly sat up straighter, searching the area around her somewhat frantically, feeling beneath the seat, her brow knitted tight. Daryl sighed, grunting as he stretched to reach into the backseat, keeping his eyes on the road as he pulled out her backpack and placed it between them on the front seat.

He could feel Anna's gaze burning a hole into the side of his face before she slowly picked up her backpack and held it to her chest, a shaky breath slipping through her lips. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice thick from being unused, the words barely above a whisper.

Daryl clenched his jaw. Say somethin'. She's waitin' for an answer, ya stupid asshole.

"Ya almost got yourself killed," the words spilled through his lips much more harshly than he intended them to.

Anna flinched.

Way ta' go.

"For a backpack," he clarified, softening his tone, giving her a look.

Anna sighed as she began examining the backpack, unzipping each pocket carefully. "I didn't go back for the backpack," she murmured quietly, absently gnawing on her bottom lip. "I went back for these," she finally confessed, pulling out two objects from the side pocket of her pack.

Daryl immediately knew what it was she was holding — the letter from her brother, as well as the photograph of the two of them. He felt some of the anger trapped in his chest dissipate.

"I know it was stupid," Anna continued, smoothing out the wrinkled edges of the papers. "But it's all I have left of him," she mumbled, tucking a stray strand of hair blown out of place by the wind behind her ear.

Daryl detected the slight tremble in her voice but didn't mention it. He simply nodded. "I get it," he rumbled, training his eyes ahead.

And he did.

Once again, the archer sensed Anna's gaze on him, boring into the side of his face — but he merely clenched his jaw, feeling the tips of his ears flush as he nestled the side of his thumb between his teeth.

Another long silence stretched between Daryl and Anna as miles of pavement passed beneath them, the caravan of vehicles steadfast in their journey ahead. The archer snuck a glance at the girl beside him when he knew she wasn't looking — she had her face turned towards the open window, eyes closed, a rare, fleeting moment of peace settling over her expression as the sun soaked through her skin.

But then Daryl felt the energy around him shift as Anna opened her eyes and lowered her head, her fingers twisting around each other in her lap. She sighed softly as if attempting to steel herself for what was to come — although Daryl was fairly certain he already knew what she was about to say before her lips parted.

"So, about last night," she exhaled quietly before clearing her throat and straightening in her seat. "Look, I — I completely overstepped my boundaries," she continued, gaining a little courage as she turned to face him. "I was just — shit, I don't know. I was just upset and I took it out on you because — because shit, I don't even know why," she huffed, frustration marring her features as she ran a hand through her hair. "And even after everything you did for me — after everything with Shane — and I just — I just," Anna groaned softly, covering part of her face with one of her hands. "God, I'm just such an asshole."

Daryl stilled — unsure what to say, unsure how to feel, unsure what to do to calm Anna's crumpling features.

He quickly cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably in his seat as he shot the girl beside him a quick glance. "Hey," he rumbled, Anna's eyes locking with his, her expression troubled. Daryl cleared his throat once more. "We're good."

Anna's brow furrowed, her mouth turning down into a slight frown. "But —" she paused, the rest of her sentence rushing past her lips as one big breath instead. She took another breath, shooting Daryl a helpless look. "But —"

"Hey," Daryl cut her off, giving her a short nod. "We're good, alright? Got other shit ta' be worryin' about, ya know?" he murmured, turning to stare ahead once more. "So, we're good."

Daryl felt Anna deflate beside him as she leaned back against the passenger seat, her gaze swiveling to observe the passing scenery instead. He peeked over at her, his hand tightening around the steering wheel as his words hung in the air.

He'd meant to comfort her — to assure her that the two of them were, in fact, okay. But somehow, even when he was trying to help, to bring her some peace, he merely came across as brash. As angry. As cold.

"Do you miss him?"

Daryl stilled. The words that came from Anna's lips were quiet, barely above a whisper, hard to hear over the wind spilling through the truck's open windows. But he'd heard them. He'd heard them just as deafening as if she'd screamed them at him.

She wasn't looking at him. She still had her eyes trained towards the outdoors, towards the masses of trees flying by — but he knew by the way she held her breath that she was waiting for a response.

Daryl ground his teeth together, his body suddenly going rigid with tension at the thought of Merle. He knew that's what Anna was talking about — she didn't even have to say his name, he knew just by the way she'd said 'him'.

And Daryl really didn't want to talk about his brother — especially with her.

So instead, he shrugged a shoulder up and grumbled something unintelligible under his breath — that was the best he could do.

Anna nodded slowly, probably having expected that sort of response and turned her eyes downward to stare at her clasped hands. "I miss Ben," she suddenly spoke, picking at her thumbnail absently. "We were all each other had growing up. And he, uh — he always knew what to do, you know?" she mused, sighing softly. "I don't know — maybe this shit wouldn't suck so much if he were still around."

Daryl listened quietly, mulling over her words before he shot her a look from the corner of his eye. "Think so?" he grunted under his breath.

Anna glanced over at him, the corner of her mouth rising into a small smirk as she shrugged, sighing softly. "No, it'd probably still suck," she resolved, absently running her fingertips over the glossy photograph still in her grasp. "But maybe just a tiny bit less."

Daryl grunted once more, resting his hand outside the open window, his fingertips drumming back and forth over the dented metal door. "Merle wasn't 'round much," he murmured. He wasn't sure where the sudden confession came from — but for the life of him, he couldn't stop himself from continuing. "He was always runnin' off or gettin' sent away — jus' causin' all kinds a' trouble, ya know?" he scoffed lightly, glancing over at Anna who was carefully watching him, her eyes alight with something he couldn't quite place. Daryl quickly cleared his throat. "Kinda hard ta' miss someone who was never really there ta' begin with," he finished gruffly, his grip tightening around the steering wheel.

Anna was silent for a long moment after that — the quiet that stretched on gnawed at Daryl's insides, sending his heart thrumming just a fraction faster. And in that moment, he regretted speaking up — he regretted sharing that incredibly personal part of himself to this complete stranger beside him.

Stupid prick. Ya ain't got nothin' that nobody wants ta' hear anyways. Ya ain't nothin' but —

"I'm sorry about your brother."

Anna's words were so quiet, Daryl almost missed them.

He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, his gaze locking with Anna's for a moment — the kindness, the compassion in her eyes shooting a sudden warmth through his veins. "An' I'm sorry 'bout yours," he rumbled, his voice deep and gravely in his chest.

They held each other's gazes a moment longer before Daryl turned away, just as the blinker of the RV flipped on and the caravan began to pull off to the side of the road. The archer followed suit, easing the pickup to a slow stop before shutting off the truck.

As members of the group began to filter out of their vehicles, Daryl and Anna remained side by side in silence, each trapped in their own thoughts. It wasn't until Rick hopped out of the RV, sending the two of them a small wave to join the group, that Daryl finally broke out of his reverie.

He slid out of the truck, turning to grab his crossbow from the backseat before slamming the door shut. When he noticed Anna's stillness, not having moved from the passenger seat yet, her eyes far away as she stared at the dashboard, he paused, resting his forearms against the open window on the driver's side. "Ya alright?" he murmured, snapping Anna out of her thoughts.

She nodded slowly, slipping her backpack over her shoulders, Ben's note and photograph still clasped in her hands. "I'm here," she reassured him quietly, taking a breath before she pushed open her door and hopped out.

Daryl's brow furrowed at her response, but he pushed away the concern he felt as he made his way towards the rest of the group.

Several people approached Anna, clearly worried since they hadn't been able to check up on her since the CDC — Lori wrapped her arms around Anna's frame, giving her a quick hug as Rick squeezed her shoulder, making sure she was alright. Glenn made his way to her side, nudging her gently in the ribs, murmuring something to her — Daryl couldn't make out what he said and he wasn't sure why that bothered him.

"Alright," Rick's voice suddenly rose, snapping the archer out of his thoughts, his gaze tearing away from Anna.

The rest of the group settled, all eyes falling on the sheriff, the overall morale of the group feeling incredibly low. Rick took a moment to look at each and every member of the group before he took a breath.

"I know everyone's gotta be wonderin' where we go from here," he began, his expression torn. Most group members nodded in response, other murmured under their breaths. "We thought the CDC was it — I thought it was it. I thought that's where we'd find the answer's we've been lookin' for. But we were wrong," he continued, looking as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. And then he glanced at Carl, tucked into Lori's side, and some of that weight faded into determination. "But we can't give up — not now, not ever," he persisted fiercely, giving Lori an encouraging nod.

"An' where're we supposed ta' go, huh?" Shane called out, standing a couple people over from Daryl — and the archer felt a swell of anger course through him. "If the god damn CDC didn't make it, how're we ta' know that everywhere else hasn't gone ta' shit too?"

"Shane," Lori chastised sharply, shooting him a dark look as she pulled Carl closer to her side.

"I'm sorry, but someone's gotta say it," Shane shrugged nonchalantly, roughly rubbing a hand through his hair. "Where're we supposed ta' go from here, Rick?" he directed the question solely at the sheriff, looking at him pointedly.

Rick was quiet for a moment, resting his hand on his hip, his eyes cast downward, deep in thought. But then his gaze rose and fell on Anna — they seemed to have some sort of silent conversation before Anna shrugged one shoulder up, Rick nodding soon after before he leveled Shane's stare. "Fort Benning."

Collective hushed and panicked conversation broke out amongst the group before Rick began working to reign everyone in. Daryl remained silent, leaning against the front of his pickup truck, simply observing the chaos unfolding.

"Alright, now listen, I know some of y'all are worried but —"

"Fort Benning is on the other side of Georgia, Rick! You can't expect us to —"

"— with what supplies? We lost everything —"

"— unbelievable. We should've just stayed at the quarry and —"

"Listen, jus' listen for a minute —"

"M-Mom —"

"— end up just like Jacqui. Like Amy. We should've —"

A sharp whistle sounded, silencing the growing uproar amongst the group, their gazes swiveling in Dale's direction — he stood on the steps of the RV, rifle in hand, expression bewildered before he quickly marched to Rick's side. "I can't believe what I'm hearing right now," he scolded in disbelief, surveying the group, disappointment marring his features. "Look," he huffed, moving to stand in the center of the circle that'd been formed. "If anyone else here thinks they have what it takes to lead this group, then by all means —" he held his hands out in front of him as if daring someone to step forward.

When no one moved, Dale scoffed knowingly, stepping back to stand beside Rick once more, nodding for the sheriff to continue.

Rick shot Dale a grateful look before he straightened up, taking a breath and facing the group once more. "We can't give up now. There is salvation out there — I have ta' believe that. Fort Benning is a risk, but it's a risk we have ta' take. We'll find somewhere ta' hole up in for tonight and then tomorrow, we'll scavenge — siphon gas, find supplies, see what we can scrounge up around here. Gather enough ta' get us ta' that army base and then —" he paused, locking eyes with Lori. "— and then we'll go from there."

The group was silent, mulling over Rick's words. Daryl crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the front bumper of his pickup, his gaze finding its way back to Anna.

She was quiet, brow pensive as if deep in thought, fingers looped around the straps of her backpack. He wondered what she was thinking about in that moment.

"Let's get a move on before dark, alright?" Shane suddenly spoke, clapping his hands together once. "We'll discuss our next move further once we find ourselves somewhere ta' spend the night," he added before turning around and making his way back to his Jeep without another word. Daryl watched the way Rick's gaze followed his old partner, his expression unreadable.

The rest of the group began to slowly filter back to their cars. Daryl pushed off his pickup, adjusting the strap of his crossbow as he rounded the front of his vehicle, heading back to the driver's side. He couldn't help but look back as he yanked open his door — and there he spotted Anna.

Lori and Carol were standing in front of her, examining a few of the minor cuts and bruises on her elbows and knees, the ones she'd acquired from her narrow escape. He couldn't hear what they were saying from where he stood, but a moment later, Carol was ushering her forward and Lori was grasping Anna's hand, gently pulling her towards the RV.

But right before Anna disappeared inside the RV, her eyes found Daryl's. And then she was gone, the door to the RV closing behind her.

The archer remained rooted where he was for a moment longer until an uproar of vehicles turning over filled the air, snapping him out of his reverie. He heaved a breath, slipping his crossbow off his shoulder as he hopped back into his truck and started it up.

But as he pulled onto the main road, falling back in line amongst the caravan of vehicles, he tried not to think about the sudden emptiness filling the space beside him.

He tried not to think about her.

A/N: Thoughts?

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: How do you think this supply run will go? I have a feeling things won't be ending well…

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