A/N: I kinda forgot about this story. But it has a plot so I just need to write it. :D

3.

"Carl, will you see if Daryl's coming down for some food?" Carol asked as she dished up bowls full of food to the residents of the prison.

He nodded and headed off quickly. She barely noticed how long he was gone. Not until she'd finished dishing up and he hadn't returned. She frowned, slightly concerned about what could hold him up but before she really had a chance to worry, he returned to her.

"I can't find him." He announced.

"Who are you looking for?" Rick asked as he and Michonne came to get food themselves.

"Daryl. I asked Carl to let him know we were about to eat and he can't find him."

"He's gotta be around here somewhere." Rick said. "He's not on watch?"

Sasha was close by, getting her own food. "Karen's on watch. I talked to her not 5 minutes ago."

"Carl, where did you look for him?"

"All over. I checked all the cells, looked outside."

"Maybe he went down to the tombs." Carol suggested.

"Or he may have simply gone to set the snares again." Hershel added.

"He's always said before when he's gone outside the prison." Rick reminded.

"He took a lot of his stuff with him," Carl added, silencing the adults momentarily.

"He wouldn't just leave," Hershel said, finally sensing that things were about to descend into some sort of panic.

"That's right," Rick agreed. "He'd take the bike."

"The bike's not working. He was out there earlier trying to get it to start." Michonne added.

"Actually, now that I think about it, he wasn't too happy when he came back inside. I just let him have his space, now I wish I'd gone after him."

Beth came in at that moment with Judith in her arms. She could tell by the others faces that something serious seemed to be happening. "What's wrong?"

"We can't find Daryl," Hershel informed her.

"He headed out not too long ago," she answered.

"Where?" Rick asked, urgently.

"He just went off into the woods. I didn't speak to him."

"Damn," Rick said, heading out of the prison. Michonne followed behind him, stopping him just outside the door.

"Hey! Aren't you forgetting something?" When Rick just gave her a confused look she followed up. "Carl. You're supposed to be staying here for him, remember."

"I can't just let Daryl wander off out there alone."

"He probably wants to wander off out there alone. That's why he has. Let me keep an eye on him. Better than you lumbering after him. I can be discreet. See what he's up too and watch his back."

Rick sighed. He didn't like the idea of just having Daryl out there but knew it was important that he stay here for Carl right now. "Okay," he finally nodded.

It didn't take Michonne long to realise that whatever Daryl was doing, it didn't involve simply checking the traps he'd set.

He was walking at a deliberate pace, not slowing down for anything.

From what little she knew about him, he was a skilled hunter and tracker, but he was doing neither right now.

She also knew he was observant, but he hadn't noticed that he was being followed. And that was dangerous for him.

She followed him through the woods before he emerged onto a road. Michonne kept to the trees, staying out of sight as he walked along the road. He started checking some of the abandoned cars on the side of the road and she got a terrible feeling he was looking for one to take.

What the hell was he up too?

"What do you think you're doing?"

Her voice startled Daryl who looked at her with a slightly ashamed look before reeling his emotions in and glaring at her, frustration evident. "What's it to you?"

"I just thought you were Rick's friend and the last thing he needs it to be worried about where you are and what you're doing."

"He don't need to worry about me, I can take care of myself."

Michonne sighed. She almost preferred arguing with Merle to his younger brother. "They're all worried about you. And they know you've gone and don't know if you're coming back."

Daryl rolled his eyes away from her but didn't say anything.

"So that's it? You're leaving them all without another word?"

"Ain't leaving anyone."

"They don't know that."

"Ya can go back and tell 'em then."

"Look, Rick wanted to come after you. Bring you back. If you have something you have to do, then I'm going to have to go with you..."

"No way..."

"I wasn't giving you a choice. It's me or Rick. And Rick needs to be there for Carl. So here's what's going to happen. You do what you want to do and I'll sit here silently why you do it and then we both get to go back to the prison. Okay?"

Daryl huffed at her, but didn't disagree. And Michonne wasted no time going round to the passenger side of the car and getting in before Daryl could argue with her about it.

Daryl started the car and set off.

"Wanna talk about it?" Michonne offered.

"No."