°SHADOWS° (DARYLFANFIC)

BLOSSOM.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

I sometimes wonder where we would be now if things were different. If we hadn't lost Sophia. Or gone to Hershel's farm at all.
If we would've made it somewhere safe or if our death would've come sooner.

Rick had saved our lives many times but what if he hadn't ever showed up? Where would we be now?

I jab my knife into the mattress making small cuts across it as I sat on the bottom bunk, my back up against the pillows.

Hershel made it clear I needed to rest but I couldn't get any sleep. Not with what just happened.

The cell door creaks and I look up as Daryl walks in leaning his crossbow against the wall.

"How's the baby?" I ask sheathing my knife and tossing it beside my bag.

"Healthy. Me and Maggie Brought back some formula." He says Walks over and moving my legs over to sit down.  "How bout you?"

I nod my head looking down at the few blood splatters on my clothes. "I've had better days, but my arm feels better thanks to you."

"Glenn and the inmates finished the graves. If you wanna come out and say goodbye."

I shake my head forcing a smile. "I'll- I'll go out tomorrow. Hershel wanted me to rest up."

"You ain't gotta carry this on you're own.  You and Rick both, we're here for you." He says reaching over and laying a hand on the top of my head.

"I think Rick needs you more. You should go find him." I mutter grabbing his hand and moving it.

He nods standing up and grabbing his crossbow. "Get some sleep then." He utters walking out of the cell.

"Daryl."

He stops turning back to look at me as I debate just letting him leave.

"Do you- do you feel like this place can still work?" I ask and walks back in standing beside the bed.

"We can make it work." He answers laying his crossbow beside the bed.

"I just- I haven't felt safe in so long and I thought for sure this place was." I sniffle rubbing my cloudy eyes. "And now we've lost more people. T-dog, Lori... Carol."

He grabs the side of my face turning my head to look at him. "Ya gotta have hope."

I shake my head as my eyes start to water. "I've lost it Daryl.  I ain't got hope."

He sits up on the bed pulling me against him and resting his chin on the top of my head as I cried into his chest.

"Everytime I start to believe in something, it's- it's gone!" I sob gripping the back of his shirt in my fists.

"We're still alive ain't we? That means there's hope in surviving another."  He says brushing down my hair and kissing the top of my head. "We can't lose hope. There's still something good out."

I pull away looking up at him. "What if we lose them all. What if we're alone when we find that good something!" I choke out wiping away tears with the back of my hand.

"Then we have each other." He says moving my hand and placing his on the side of my cheek.

I knock his hand away and scoot back shaking my head. "What if you die!?" I shout.

"Harper!" He grabs my hands looking into my eyes. "We're not leaving you."

I sniffle looking down and slowly nodding. "Will you- will you stay with me? J-just for a bit." I mumble staring down at our hands.