My Fallen Angel (CARYL/TWD FANFIC)

Starting Over

Check out my caryl oneshots. Honestly they are a lot better.

"Rick?" Daryl called quietly, walking out of the barn. Rick turned around and gestured for Daryl to come over. He's sitting in the grass outside the old barn Daryl had found after Beth and the Church faded from existence.

"You couldn't sleep again?" Rick asked calmly. Daryl shook his head. "I'm sorry about what happened. With Beth and everything. And sending Carol away, a while back."

"Stop," Daryl demanded. He sat down beside Rick, and stared out into the darkness like Rick. "Can we talk?"

"Isn't that what we're doing now?" Rick laughed and pulled out his gun. He ran his fingers over it. "Yeah, about what? Everything that has happened... just hasn't hit me yet."

"That's what happens when you run," Daryl agreed. He watched Rick shake his head as he gulped hardly. Rick took a deep breath. "We can't just stay here."

"That's where you're wrong. It's not pretty, it's not the greatest, but it's the best we can do at the moment," Rick said. Daryl ran his fingers over the tips of the grass. "It is what it is."

"Things aren't just what they are," Daryl whispered. Rick looked over at Daryl, examining him.

"You don't like things, I get it. You're pissed at the world, and you have every reason to be. Don't take this out on yourself, its not your fault," Rick explained. Daryl scoffed. Rick held up Daryl's hand. "We all see this, Daryl. We all do. I know you're not with it right now, I've been there too, but we love you."

"C'mon, man," Daryl ripped his hand away from Rick's grip. Daryl jumped up and pointed out to the darkness. "People did that! Not the Walkers! I could've saved her! I was right there!"

"And you thought the same damn thing about Sophia!" Rick stood up too. He looked back at the barn. "You can't do anything about that now, Daryl. What are you going to do now?  Run off and get yourself killed?"

Daryl looked at him, blankly. He hadn't really thought about it. He just... needed to start over. Just like Carol said.

"What would Carl think? Michonne, Glenn, Maggie, the rest? You've been family and more," Rick spat. "Don't leave me like this. Don't leave Carol like this."

"They'll live. I'll live. Carol is strong," Daryl said, as if it was just that. "She'll understand."

"I should've never sent her away," Rick apologized. "Carol has made mistakes, but you still love her. Just like you've made mistakes, and we love you."

"I aint in love with Carol," Daryl growled. Rick looked at him with wide eyes. "Stop."

"Sure you aren't," A voice said from the darkness. A flashlight shown on them, blinding them temporarily. "I said the same thing about Bob."

"You're going to get yourself shot, Sasha," Rick turned his attention to Sasha, who was walking towards the barn doors, past them. "If you need to talk about Bob, I'm here."

"That's you now? Leader, therapist Rick? It sounds like you're working wonders for Daryl," Sasha said sarcastically. She opened the barn doors and disappeared into them. She shut the doors behind her.

"You can't say shit out here," Daryl kicked the dirt. Rick sighed. "I'll get going in a day or two."

"Are you sure you want to?" Rick asked one final time. Daryl looked at him, his bangs falling all over his face. He nodded. "I'm not going to stop you, if you want this."

Daryl followed the way Sasha went. Rick stayed outside to watch.

Maggie and Glenn were in one corner, wrapped in each other's arms while fast asleep. Daryl scoffed at them. Michonne slept near Carl, with Judith between them. Her sword was in its holster, on her. He looked at them before looking at the other side of the barn. Abraham and the others were laying, lined up, along the ground. He looked around for Carol, but couldn't find her.

Seeing the ground was all taken, unless he awkwardly got by Carl or by Maggie, he climbed up the loft. The end of his lips twitched when he saw Carol in the middle of the loft, asleep. He quietly crawled farthest to the left of the loft and sat up. He brought his knees to his chest and watched her. He wasn't trying to be creepy, if he wanted to he would've curled up beside her.

He usually woke up before her. She would never know. Nobody would ever know. But if he wanted to, he would've done it a long time ago. He's broken, and he doesn't want to broken anymore by the rejection he knew he'd face.

His mind raced back to the prison, on top of the bus. "Just so you know, I liked you first," Her soft voice echoed in her ears. Then, his brother's. "Where's your balls?" He slapped his temple, trying to forget about it.

Rick and the others saw him as someone that kept him alive, a friend.

Alone, Daryl would be a Walker. A non- talking, roaming the Earth human that was misunderstood.

With Carol, he was different. He couldn't tell her he was leaving. She wouldn't go with him. She had been through enough pain. He had to go, though.

"Daryl?" She whispered, rolling over to face him. He perked up, looking at her. He looked at her, waiting for her response. But she just fell back to sleep. She never saw herself as innocent, but laying there asleep and vulnerable, Daryl saw how innocent and beautiful she was.

If he left, and something happened to her, he wouldn't know. He would keep her safe no matter what. That was a promise.