ELLIE HELD HER trembling hands into the light of the day. Her dead eyes lingered over each nerve that shook so powerfully against the vibrations of her rage. Her fingers slowly fastened into a fist, perfectly crafted to thump into the ridges of the fences surrounding them. She broadcasted a blood-curdling wail as she ploughed her fists against the fence repeatedly. Bloodying her once perfect hands from the impact. Daryl immediately gripped at Ellie from behind, holding her close as he felt her vibrating body crumple to the ground through the loudest sob any human had ever bore witness to.

"Get off me!" Ellie shrieked as she endeavoured to lunge forward to remove Rick from Tyreese's grasp once again, though Rick remained entirely calm, "Stop!"

"She won't want you being like this," Rick contended firmly, his eyes pleading with Tyreese's as he simply vacantly stared back at him.

The simplicity of Rick's words proved to be a trigger. Tyreese's fist to thumped Rick to the ground. His punches repeated mercilessly, bloodying Rick's face with his mighty wrath. Ellie screamed a dangerously piercing wail, and instantly thrust Tyreese into the fence with as much force as she could muster. She sobbed as she pressed against his throat, though he had proven to be much taller than she had anticipated. She had not intended to harm him, only to restrict him as he glared wildly back into her eyes. Ellie's hand that fastened around Tyreese's throat trembled unapologetically, though they both knew her grip on him would do no damage. Tyreese scoffed in her face as he pushed down on her arm, barely lifting a finger to remove her grip.

"What do you think that's going to do?" Tyreese taunted hoarsely; a clear indicator of his internal pain.

The moment Ellie's fingers loosened, and his words reached Rick's ears, Tyreese's body plummeted to the ground as Rick dove into him, proceeding to thwack him with the strength of his fists. All the while, the bodies of their loved ones simmered beside them. Daryl's eyes briefly caught Ellie's, silently agreeing as they both gripped onto Rick's shirt to drag him away from harming Tyreese further. Rick's body had been so tense and rigid that Ellie feared their strength combined would prove worthless.

"Let go of me! Let go of me!" Rick boomed at Daryl and Ellie, his arms flailing wildly as he attempted to evade their grasp, "Let go of me!"

Ellie instantly spun Rick around on his heels, leaving a slap across his stubbled jaw to ease his outburst. His frantic behaviour ceased suddenly, leaving the only sounds to fill their ears to be Tyreese as he sobbed in the pitiful puddle of his own blood. Rick's eyes didn't leave Ellie's once as she stared intensely at him, their chests rising and falling rapidly as he gulped. As if the plight hadn't been unfortunate enough, unwanted eyes couldn't help but stare the entire time when Carol stood from afar, whimpering at the commotion. Ellie's head snapped in her direction, suddenly seething with rage as she clenched her jaw.

"Are we bothering you? Should we keep the noise down, honey?" Ellie hissed at Carol, whose eyes spilled with tears.

Carol shook her head, her lips parted as though she had intended to speak, although remained silent. She bowed her head low as she managed to weakly mutter, "N–no, I..."

"This is not the way forward," Ellie weakly declared, interrupting Carol as her voice cracked. She released her grip on Rick, allowing him to falter as she hissed, "Get out of here."

"Ellie, I'm so—"

"Rick, I said get out of here!" she boomed louder, shoving roughly at Rick's chest for him to meet Daryl. She shot a nod in Daryl's direction, indicating she wanted him to leave along with Rick and Carol, "Leave us."

The very moment both men had left, with Carol sheepishly trailing along after, Ellie's knees buckled beneath her, sending her thumping into the puddle of blood and ashes beneath her. Her eyes slowly trailed to Tyreese as he sobbed unforgivingly into his palms, almost as though he had been far too broken to move. Hesitantly, Ellie's trembling hands outstretched to gently touch at the seething, burning body of her daughter, feeling a breath hitch in her throat as she felt the burn of ashes kiss her skin.

No pain would ever amount to the agony of losing a child, so why not?

These burns would be too meagre to ever comparatively see the difference between some infliction to the skin and the loss of one's meaning.  There was not a single word in existence to describe that sort of pain. With her teeth gritted, she pressed her hand further onto the body, hissing slightly against the distant echo of pain that invaded her skin like starving teeth of wolves.

Yet, somehow, the only thing she could feel was the empty space in her arms where Coda should have been.

"Hey," Tyreese hoarsely called out, and proceeded to drag her hand away from the body. Her eyes fluttered with distant tears, leaving him to squeeze at her arm, "we're gonna find who did this."

"I'm afraid of what I'll do when we do," Ellie whispered in response, her scorched hand trembling as she raised it to her view. She spun it around slowly, observing how the burnt skin had reddened, yet, simply couldn't be felt, "The measure of your faith, is the measure of the pain... you can endure."

Tyreese could only gulp as he released her grip, knowing that when they were to discover the murderer, Ellie would be right there; ready to end them.

>>>

In the library, Ellie could barely stop her hands from trembling as she vacantly glared at the faceless people ahead. The softness of River's hands had barely been recognised by Ellie as she idly sat in her seat, her mouth bandaged with a mask to ensure didn't spread the illness further. With her right hand clasped in a glove, she trailed her index finger down the seam of her shirt, but barely blinked once. River folded a handkerchief over Ellie's bloody knuckles, wincing occasionally as though she had been afraid to hurt her sister, but Ellie had barely moved a muscle. River had always intended to become a nurse, though the world hadn't been generous in its gift to the teenager. She was determined to become what she truly wanted, whether the world allowed her to, or not.

Especially with the aid of Hershel Greene, himself.

"Why did you do that?" River whispered, peering down at Ellie's hand clasped in the glove that had already been treated for the burn, "You could have seriously hurt yourself."

Ellie's vacant eyes connected with River's, though they had been entirely dead, as she breathed out, "I–I didn't even feel it."

All River could do was frown as she pushed her mask further up her own face, quietly muttering, "Ellie, I know Coda's de—" though the blade of denial from Ellie's cut across her speech.

"Stop it," Ellie choked out, dropping her gaze to the ground as she withdrew her arm from River's grip, but all the teenager could do was grip harder, "Don't..."

"We have to talk about it, El," River snapped, though her hands remained as gentle as ever on Ellie's bleeding skin, "Coda's de—"

"Stop!" Ellie shrieked, unable to fathom the term "death" alongside the name "Coda." It seemed far too much like a cruel joke than reality.

"Riv..." Daryl whispered from above, attempting to dissuade the teenager from pressing on the traumatising matter. But, this was her grievance, too.

"Per favore. They were my family, too!" River hissed, ensuring her sister met her pained glare, "We have to deal with this together. We have to work together to fix this illness!"

"She's right, Ellie. The flu virus has spread. Everyone that was exposed is now sick," Hershel informed the group, allowing his eyes to trail over to Ellie as River placed her sister's glove back to her hand.

"So, what do we do?" Carol inquired, glancing around the room sheepishly, though no glances had viewed her fragility.

"Isolate the sick people in cell block A. That would work until we find meds."

A faint cough from Glenn's direction drew Ellie's uneasy eyes to him, suddenly sighting the beads of sweet decorating his forehead. He quickly dabbed at it with a bandana, yet somehow failed to rid it of the sweat. She bit at her lip, for it was the only thing she could do to restrict a sob from sounding from her mouth. The familiarity of the symptoms plagued her, abruptly confirming Glenn had the illness, although he would surely deny it. With a slight gulp, Ellie tuned back into the discussion with Hershel.

"You just die in the end, it doesn't matter," Ellie muttered darkly, avoid Hershel's direct eye contact, "It's another one of those things that we can't fight."

"She's right, it just kills you."

"The illness doesn't, the symptoms do. We need antibiotics," Hershel affirmed, shaking his head at Ellie's hopeless attitude, although the insurmountable pain she had been feeling would surely dampen her faith.

With his voice hoarse from his previous crying, Daryl dolefully declared, "Every pharmacy is wiped out."

"The veterinary college nearby here... that's one place people may not have thought about cleaning out. Check there," Hershel asserted, peering between Daryl and Brett with wide eyes of authority.

"I'm gonna take a group out. Best not waste anymore time," Daryl declared while grabbing at his crossbow, and folding it over his back with ease.

Almost like the shattering of glass, Ellie felt her worthlessness wash over her. It was painful to see Daryl with River, throwing a spare gun. She had taken her place at the young age of fifteen. How expendable had Ellie really been? Her lips shrivelled into a feckless frown; feeling her body shrink to the mere size of an ant. Lost in the a vast colony of Formicidae. She gulped quietly, slowly lowering her gaze to the ground as she sunk back into her seat at  the small table, feeling entirely worthless once again.

"Ellie, ya can't come. You're sick," Daryl asserted, his voice a husky growl as he approached her. He had intended to woo her, not scare her away.

With a quick roll to her glassy eyes, Ellie retorted, "What makes you think I want to come, jackass? Don't talk for me."

"Ellie..." Daryl muttered pitifully, his voice cracking as it trailed away into nothingness, "I know you. I'm lookin' out for ya."

Ellie refused to meet Daryl's intense eyes as she bit at the skin of her cheek, clenching desperately to withhold a sob from escaping. His hand snaked onto her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze of solace to remind her that even though it felt as though gravity could not hold her any longer — he would be there to catch her.

Michonne cleared her throat boldly, shooting Daryl a nod from beside River, "I'm in."

Hershel sighed at Michonne's unnecessary volunteering, shaking his head as he begun, "You haven't been exposed! You get in a car with them and you'll—"

"He's already given me flees," Michonne teased through a chuckle, pointing to Daryl playfully with her thumb.

All Ellie could do was drop her head low in shame that she had been the weakest of them all — the ailed wolf left behind to die. Her eyes clenched shut as she released a deep breath from her chest, strenuously holding onto the woman she was before Coda's death. Her grasp was slipping, along with all remnants of a happy life once led with her family all together. Never to be the same again.

"I can draw you a map," Hershel stated firmly to Daryl, shooting him a sad nod as they darted their eyes back forth from one another to Ellie. With one quick shrug to his shoulders, Daryl left with a lump growing in the back of his throat from shame.

>>>

Ellie's hands trembled mercilessly as she trailed her numb index finger over the fading depiction of Coda's face in the wearing photograph. The very tongue in her mouth had felt more like poison than a necessary organ. Nothing made sense when Coda wasn't right beside her. She swallowed hard as she tucked the photograph into her duffel bag, along with the photographs of Luke she had taken from the attic previously. Photographs were the only remnants of Luke left behind. If she hadn't already felt like a failure, their search for Luke had died down into the many months they spent at the prison. It hadn't been necessary to continue a hopeless quest, yet, Ellie couldn't help but feel the shame lingering behind her like dark shadows.

Everyone she had ever loved, simply always died.

"Who would do something like this?" Ellie shakily whispered as she stood to her feet, though a sudden bout of dizziness halted her in her tracks, sinking her down once again.

"I promise I will find out who did this," Rick asserted firmly, placing his hand of reassurance on Ellie's shoulder as he sunk beside her, "I promise. For now, you have to stay in here."

Ellie pushed a wry cackle from her throat as she buried her face in her palms, muffling her voice as she muttered, "I–I can't just stay here. I–I have to do something, Rick."

"You can't go with them, Ellie, you're sick," Rick gritted, spinning her around to raise her gaze to his eyes as he flashed a sincere smile, "I know you want to help, but, we need you to rest. Quarantine."

With a brief shake to her head, Ellie hauled herself to her feet, instantly gripping at the cell door as she affirmed, "I can't. I have to do this for Coda, Rick. Please, I–I'm so much better. Please."

Rick's face crumpled into a frown as he feared declining Ellie's offer, feeling completely obliged to quietly squeak out, "Get out of here before I change my mind. You better stay safe with those precautions."

Ellie's legs carried her as fast as they possibly could out of the cellblock, bursting through the door out into the open like a bullet leaving a gun. She sprinted as fast as her body could muster, until she halted ahead of Daryl and the group assigned to accompany them on the run. With her doe eyes widened, she held her gloved hands up, and gestured to her mask for ensuring she didn't spread the illness further, but all Daryl could do was scowl. He shook his head repeatedly as he prepared the vehicles, entirely ignoring her presence as they had spoken no words.

"Daryl!" Ellie suddenly snapped, boldly folding her arms over her chest as she raised a defiant eyebrow.

Daryl's eye rolled instinctively, as they always had done at her defiance, and simply mirrored her folded arms as he sarcastically retorted, "Ellie."

"Rick said I can come, as long as I'm covered, of course," she boldly declared, her confidence unwaveringly evident. The sheer audacity Ellie had was enough for Daryl to know it was serious. "I have to. For Coda, Daryl."

Daryl's chest suddenly drained of all breaths as he clenched his jaw, with the only movement in his body being the gentle tip to his head. There wasn't much that Daryl could say made him proud when he hadn't lived an exemplary life. Coda was the one thing that he had ever been proud of; his very own, albeit accidental, perfect creation. How could someone of his destructive volition have managed to produce such a wonderful creation? It didn't seem right, according to any sort of calculation. Yet, somehow, this Dixon had been blessed with greatest gift anyone could ask for. And he failed her.

"I get it," Daryl contended, shooting Ellie a nod as he concealed his tearful eyes from her gaze, "But you're sick, Ellie. Ya ain't ready to come out. River's comin'."

"No, I'm getting better now," Ellie snapped, unable to stop her tongue from nipping. She cleared her throat as she straightened her back, refusing to falter as she stated, "I'm coming with you. Even if it's the last thing I do."

As she stormed past him, Daryl firmly caught Ellie's arm his his grasp, ensuring he squeezed on her arm as he growled, "I ain't gonna let that happen."

Their eyes remained connected briefly, until, although feigned in its nature, Ellie pushed a scoff from her lips as she blushed, and tore her arm from his grasp. She cleared her throat while instinctively tucking a strand of her golden locks behind her ear, ensuring she had stepped far enough from Daryl to consider the distance platonic. With a quick roll to his eyes, and a brief smirk on his lips, Daryl gestured for Ellie to step on his motorcycle with him, though he had previously intended to ride along with Michonne in her car. She bit at her lip to refuse its desire to curl into a smile, and simply trailed after the redneck sheepishly. An unfamiliar move in Ellie's chess-game life, as she had often refused orders.

There was something nonchalant in his gesture that almost enticed Ellie more.

As they had done many times before, Ellie and Daryl leapt onto the motorcycle in a flash, instantly feeling the wind blow through their hair as they zoomed through the gates. The very moment they reached the road, Ellie felt a breath escape her chest that she didn't know she was holding, suddenly relieved to be distant from the place where Coda had been murdered. Her arms fastened around Daryl's torso, gripping as tight as they possibly could as she felt the sobs arise from her throat. It was perfect. Another opportunity to feel like more of a failure than she already had. Though Daryl had witnessed her, somehow, beautiful crying many times before, Ellie couldn't help but innocently command her ex through gritted teeth.

"Stop listening to me. I know you are, jackass," she sobbed loudly, though each of their lips, somehow, managed to twist into grins, "I–I don't do this."

"Ya suddenly afraid to cry?" Daryl teased, feeling his cheeks flush as old memories resurfaced in his mind, "This ain't you. Ya wanted to do what ya wanted, when ya wanted, Eleanor."

Ellie's cheeks flushed a deep crimson splash, suddenly the need to correct him at his choice of name had become undesirable; the very moment her name rolled from his tongue. It seemed far more beautiful when it came from Daryl. It hadn't been the first time he had used her name, only emphasising how "Ellie" was always just a nickname. But, only to him. He had been the only one to have known her from her past. Unable to escape Eleanor's fate. Only now, she never wanted to hear him call her another name than her own.

With a few sniffles, Ellie managed to choke out through sporadic sobs, "I did, but, I'm the furthest from free I could ever be now that she's gone, Daryl."

Daryl's ocean eyes batted repeatedly to combat the tears that dared from in his eyes, and shakily mumbled loudly against the roar of his engine, "I know, Ellie—"

"Daryl, look out!" Ellie shrieked abruptly, gesturing outward towards an overwhelming herd of starving walkers, roaming mercilessly for their hands to grab at fresh skin.

The bike swerved to a halt, allowing time for the car behind to stop rapidly, yet nothing could prevent the sight of possibly hundreds of stumbling walkers. With fear riding up her veins like fire ants, Ellie clutched tightly onto Daryl as he reversed slowly in the car's direction, only to be huddled in by numerous walkers.

"Daryl, we have to circle through the woods — leave the bike!" Ellie commanded, shaking her head at Daryl's reluctance fo leave the motorcycle behind. She clutched his torso tighter as she choked out, "We can come back if we have to!"

Though he hesitated briefly, Daryl's body contorted quickly to thrust the motorcycle to the ground, and firmly grasped at Ellie's hand. He shoved Ellie in Michonne's direction as she snuck through the opening of the woods, wielding her trustworthy katana. Ellie halted, her hand suddenly gripping at Daryl's tightly as her eyes widened upon observing his reluctance to join her in the woods.

"Daryl, what are you doing?" Ellie croaked out, finding herself suddenly unable to function if Daryl wasn't alongside her.

"Go through the woods and don't stop for nothin'!" Daryl boomed, shoving Ellie further in the direction of the woods as he collected his bolts from deceased walkers, "Get outta here!"

He seemed to slip so quickly from her grasp as Ellie felt Michonne tugging at her hand, and within mere seconds they had been sprinting through the greenery. Branches twisted and folded above like cracks in a glass, daring to break any moment as they battled against Death. Michonne led ahead until she halted at a tree when she deemed the distance to be sufficient, though the very moment they stopped, they were greeted with silence. Ellie awaited patiently at the opening of the woods, her wide eyes glazed with a layer of tears as she muttered under her breath repeatedly, "Come on, Daryl," as her leg bounced anxiously.

Before Michonne could whisper words of solace, Daryl's strong body burst through the trees with Tyreese and Bob linked to his arms as they stormed together. Daryl's tense eyes had softened the very instant he saw Ellie, and didn't hesitate to immediately release his grip on the men to replace it with Ellie. His hand curled around her fingers as he yanked her along, prompting her to wave for the others to join as Daryl sprinted ahead.

"Let's go!" Daryl commanded through a boom, leading the group out into the woods with their legs scurrying faster than hungry mice. 

At his command, they simply ran until they couldn't any longer. No burning in their muscles could prevent them from going; their fuel had merely been the desire to survive, though with every ragged breath there was no telling when their hearts might have stopped. They had been running for so long that Daryl almost hadn't spotted the lone building in the distance; almost materialising as a hazy mirage in a terrible nightmare. Yet, somehow, it was truly there.

The building pleated with a tree as they grew together, appearing abandoned entirely by previous habitants. Upon approaching the store, Ellie quickly sunk to her knees in a convulsion of pants, suddenly feeling sharp jabs in her already weakened lungs. Mirroring her breathlessness, Bob bowed to his knees, until his body declined all together, sending him to the ground to catch his breath.

Yet, Ellie's chest continued to tighten with each breath, leaving coughs to attack her while struggling to catch her breath. Her hand clasped at her chest as she endeavoured to ease the coughs, only to promptly feel the bile surge from the back fo her throat as she scrambled to relieve her throat of its burden. After removing her mask, she quickly crouched behind a nearby vehicle as the vomit flowed from her throat like a faucet, prompting Michonne to hold the blonde's hair from her face.

"El, you okay?" Bob called out worriedly, his voice anxiously shaking.

With a slight nod to her head, Ellie shifted away from her self proclaimed failure with a scoff. Her jaw clenched tight before she darkly muttered, "I'm better than this."

"El, go easy on yourself. You can't help it if you're sick. Don't you think you should have stayed at the prison?" Michonne responded kindly, her warm eyes connecting with Ellie's, though they quickly shifted to Daryl as he shot a nod in Tyreese's direction.

"Help me get this tree of this car, see if I can start it," Daryl called out gruffly to Tyreese, leaving Michonne to release a deep sigh from her chest.

"El, go easy," Michonne warned, suddenly crumpling her face into a scowl of disapproval.

All Ellie could do was silently stare up at the woman briefly, before her trembling muscles hauled her body to her feet, and strode in Daryl's direction. Daryl hadn't paid attention to Ellie's arrival, though she stood patiently with her arms resting against her curved hips, carrying the air of the princess; as Coda would deem it.

Tyreese aided Daryl as they shifted the nature soup of twigs and leaves that blocked the car, until it was finally free. Daryl didn't hesitate to sink inside the car, and instantly commenced his skilful attempt at starting the car, only to no avail. With a heavy sigh and the clench of his eyes, he slipped out from the vehicle in disappointment, and stood ahead of Ellie with sunken eyes.

"Nothing?" she inquired quietly, though she had already known his answer.

"Nothin'," Daryl replied shortly.

The disappointment had been enough for him to bark his words, though he hadn't intended it harsh in its nature. Ellie had simply always known where his intentions were heading. Daryl's eye suddenly caught the dusty, decaying window on the abandoned repair store. It enticed him him over as he endeavoured to peer inside. Curtains of dust layered the glass, restricting any further view of the inside from months of neglect. With a swift lick to his middle finger, he dangled it ahead of the glass, only to halt from the smash of a walker's hand against the glass.

Ellie whimpered as she staggered back in fear, clutching at her already tightened chest as the air ceased to pump any longer. Her lungs simply could not withstand the burden of anxiety atop of the crippling illness still roaming in her system. With her body involuntarily crumpling to the ground, Ellie felt her body tense as she felt each breath becoming more like a puncture to her lungs. Daryl quickly rushed to Ellie's side, though Michonne called out for him to stay put, as she would always help Ellie in her time of need.

Ellie had become the friend Michonne didn't know she needed.

"What should we do? I know Shane talks her through panic attacks, but this is from the illness," Michonne stated firmly to Daryl, though her kind hand had already slipped into Ellie's for comfort as she whimpered against the illness.

"I'm fine," Ellie breathed out, endeavouring to prop herself up on her elbows, until her coughing knocked her body to the ground by a hand of whiplash, "Stop fussing."

"Ya ain't fine, Ellie!" Daryl snapped, almost unable to stop his tongue from spitting at her desire to neglect herself, "Ya gotta stop doin' this."

Ellie scoffed as she bowed her head, overtaken with tears that she dared not risk Daryl to see, before she muttered, "We can't exactly stop now, can we?"

"We gotta get into the store. Stay here and don't move," Daryl ordered in a mumble, his gaze shifting between Ellie and the house beside them, "And I fuckin' mean it, Eleanor."

She bit at her lip. This order seemed more attractive, somehow. They shortly left Ellie beside the car, her legs folded against her chest as she found herself lost in idle thought. Though he didn't dare admit he had noticed, Daryl had seen Ellie's longing gaze lingering over him as he ploughed his machete against the branches. It was almost as though she couldn't help but look at him; like a higher power had been forcing her to do so. Even in the moments where she had wanted to do nothing but slice him with that same very machete, somehow, she still simultaneously wanted him.

Disrupting Ellie's thoughts came the sudden thumps of Tyreese's rage against the branches, though it seemed like the perfect rage reliever. As he withdrew his weapon a final time, wires had been, somehow, connected to the blade, prompting them all to turn to Daryl for answers.

Before he could open his mouth to respond, a walker latched onto Daryl's neck from inside the gas station, suddenly boosting Ellie to her feet. Though he had sliced the walker with a knife before Ellie had reached him, her terrified stance ahead of him left him encapsulated in a love that he had been a stranger to for many months. Daryl knew better than to push on a subject that Ellie evidently hadn't desired to discuss, for all he had needed was that very reaction. It was the reaction of someone who simply couldn't live without the other. A shared emotion between two silent, broken individuals.

With their eyes connected; broadened entirely from sharp jabs to their hearts that only told them their true emotions, there had been no time for a discussion as more walkers flooded from the building. Ellie raised her silenced gun to the air, only to be firmly yanked in the opposite direction from Daryl. He roughly tore open the car door, and stuffed Ellie's body into the driver's seat to ensure she would never be in harm's way.

"Daryl, what—"

Ellie's only answer had been the door slamming in her face, leaving her to thump her fists against the glass to raise his attention from the walkers. Ellie raged against the window as she fiddled with the locks, to no avail, as they had been locked entirely from the outside. Daryl ignored her best efforts to draw him back as he proceeded with clearing the walkers, leaving Ellie to raggedly pant from fear. It was far more cruel to place Ellie in the position of an observer when there was a risk of death. She would have to bare witness to the deaths of more people she had loved; seemingly the only thing she was good for. Though the flooding of walkers ceased shortly, Ellie's eyes latched onto Tyreese as he yanked a walker from the trees, only for it to collapse atop of the man in his endeavours.

"Ty!" Ellie screeched from inside the car, frantically yanking at the door handle as she attempted to free herself. The car had been much older than previously anticipated, feeling entirely possible for it crumble to pieces beneath her.

From outside, Daryl hadn't hesitated to thrust the walker away from Tyreese, leaving a brief window for Bob to shoot it down. They each stood around, panting heavily from their successful battle, though they knew Ellie would be far from pleased. Sheepishly awaiting her wrath, the trio stood back from behind Daryl, silently observing as he unlocked the door slowly. Once the hinges of the old door squeaked open, Ellie didn't hesitate to thump Daryl's chest with force, sending him backwards as she growled in his direction.

"What... the fuck?" he snapped, rubbing at his chest from Ellie's vigour as he glared back, mirroring her disgusted expression.

"You son of a bitch!" Ellie snapped, attempting to thump at his chest once again, though he had been more prepared for the second blow, "You have no fucking right!"

Daryl gripped at Ellie's wrists to cease her slaps, and strongly folded them against her own chest to restrict her movement. With a gentle smirk curling at his lips, Daryl hissed, "Woman, ya gotta listen every once in a while. Take it easy."

With her eyes squinting bitterly, all Ellie could manage to spit was, "I don't take orders from you."

"I ain't sayin' you're a damn dog, Ellie, but..." Daryl snorted, but he did not falter in his grip as Ellie had from the restriction, "Ya gotta listen."

"Woof," Ellie provoked, suddenly tearing her arms from his grip as she turned to face Michonne's grin, feigning a grin herself as she declared, "Shall we?"

>>>

The moment Daryl had stepped foot into the repair station, his crossbow was aimed at his disposal, alongside a flickering flashlight that he couldn't quite seem to keep steady. The light beamed down the aisles as Daryl scanned for hazardous risks such as walkers, or even people. Especially people. Bob lingered sheepishly behind with his own flashlight aimed, for he knew with Daryl leading, he'd be safe. Daryl had the ability to make almost anybody feel safe, even without even trying. He was simply the embodiment for the everlasting warmth of safety.

"C'mon," Daryl muttered to Bob, gesturing down an aisle as they pushed against the thick mist of darkness.

A garage sector of the repair store materialised before them, drawing Daryl to the familiarity of old junk belonging to cars. These were simply his toys. The tools he had been familiarised with since the earliest years of his youth. While others had bikes, he simply had spluttering motorcycles that needed fixing; while others got their hearts broken, Daryl was there to fix the broken cars. His eyes shifted instantly a large battery, perfect for replacing the worn out battery of the car. Daryl's body heated slightly at the sight, feeling somehow worthy for the first time since Coda's death. This was his purpose. The car vendor; the fixer of junk. It seemed to be all he was good at, or so he thought.

Daryl's hand slowly stuffed the flashlight into his mouth as he raised both hands to clutch at the battery, and sunk it down onto the cart. A wise decision when he knew the tools would be far heavier than Bob and himself could manage. If Ellie had been inside, Daryl had no doubt she would immerse herself with the struggle of carrying the battery. She was stubborn like that. But, he simply loved it.

Bob sheepishly strode alongside Daryl, his eyes shifting over the battery cells as Daryl carved it open with his knife. Bob sighed, shaking his head as he declared, "Hm, cells look pretty dry."

Daryl removed the flashlight from his mouth quickly, feeling his chest tighten with purpose as he affirmed, "A little distilled water will clear that right up."

They scurried quickly back into the store sector of the building, their eyes instantly widening as they identified a trail of dried blood. Chasing it like the tail of a kite, Daryl's eyes followed the trail up to an blue, empty bottle of Antifreeze, accompanied by a red solo cup. It hadn't been difficult to piece together the events, seemingly a perfect solution for those who hadn't wanted to battle for survival. Those who were afraid to live when living had become so hard. They were the type of people to suddenly realise their past lives of constant complaint had been meagre when compared to the apocalypse. They simply couldn't face it.

"That's puke... Those douchebags in the vines... just took themselves out; holding hands. Kumbaya style," Daryl sarcastically muttered, his eyes rolling slightly at the ridiculous notion.

"They wanted to go out together, same as they lived. Does that make them douchebags?" Bob inquired, taunting slightly but not quite in a disrespectful manner.

Daryl scoffed slightly, feeling his jaw aching to remain shut instead of passing idle comments. He grunted, "It does if they could've gotten out."

"Everybody makes it... until they don't," was all Bob said, his statement drawing their conversation to a close. Daryl merely gazed at the man, stunned by his comment as he allowed him to continue, "People nowadays are dominoes. What they did — maybe it's not about having to watch them fall."

With the jug tucked under his left arm, Daryl kept a firm grip on his crossbow as he turned back to Bob, shooting him a brief nod as he sarcastically drew out his response, "Right."

"Ellie would agree with me," Bob suddenly stated, his voice firm, but soft. He let a small smile curl onto his lips as Daryl peeked back, "She's stubborn, but she's smart."

"Ya don't gotta tell me that," Daryl muttered sarcastically, feeling his cheeks flush a shade of red, but he had been far ahead of Bob, "Ellie's the most stubborn person I've ever met."

Bob's lips twisted into a wide grin, his eyes almost bulging out of his head as he affirmed, "She loves you."

Daryl's body came to a sudden halt. Distant snarls from a weak walker enticed his attention, but he simply ignored it as he gripped at the battery he had previously placed down. His eyes scanned Bob's as he lingered behind him like a shadow, seemingly awaiting Daryl's response to his sudden statement. Daryl swallowed hard, stalling his response as he had been entirely uncertain of why Bob would even suggest such a thing. It had been out of place. Incorrect, even.

"Nah," was all Daryl grunted, his voice low and gravelly, "She loved me."

>>>

"I'm not just some stubborn bitch who can't follow orders, you know," Ellie suddenly muttered to Michonne, who had been sitting peacefully alongside the blonde. They had the perfect company of Tyreese, as they had awaited Daryl and Bob's return from the inside.

With a slight smile curled at her plump lips, Michonne shot Ellie a nod of reassurance, "We know that, we've seen your leadership with Rick. Daryl's orders are... different. It's understandable."

"I would've used the word "unnecessary"," Ellie teased playfully, earning flashes of wonderful grins from the both of them, "I get it, though. I just want him to trust me, sometimes."

"I think that's the problem. I think he knows what you're capable of, and he's scared of losing you," Tyreese responded kindly, his eyes glistening with the nostalgia of Karen's face, "I would be."

Though Ellie's forehead buzzed with sweat, she dabbed at it graciously as she withheld a cough, and quietly managed to retort, "Things are more complicated now. With... Coda... I feel numb."

"I can't act like I can understand that. But what I do know is what I'd like in that situation. To let it connect you, rather than push you both away," Tyreese declared, his eyes searching Ellie's for a gleam to prove she had indeed wanted Daryl. It was the first thing he had seen, "You need each other. To heal together."

"Every time I look at him, I see... her," Ellie breathed out, suddenly drawing her eyes to her lap as she refused for them to see her tears, "I... I love..." him.

Michonne allowed a sigh to surge deep from her chest as she peered over in Ellie's direction, before she warmly stated, "Hey, there isn't just one way of doing this. It's different for everyone. It's for you."

Allowing a comfortable silence to wash over them, the trio each turned to face Daryl and Bob as they exited the building, prompting Ellie to leave Michonne and Tyreese with watch duty. With her hips swaying, Ellie strode up to Daryl, unwaveringly emboldened by her folded arms across her chest. He knew what was coming indeed. Daryl's arms mirrored hers as they crumpled over his chest, merely dangling an unlit cigarette from his mouth as Bob used the lighter to light his own. Uttering no words, Ellie's eyebrow raised provocatively as she outstretched her hand, revealing her bare palm to Daryl. All he could do was smirk as he placed the cigarette in her palm, observing as she slotted it neatly between her cherry lips.

"Ya sure you should smoke?" Daryl inquired as he received the lighter from Bob, though it wasn't his own he had intended to light.

With a quick nod to her head, Ellie awaited as Daryl lit the cigarette slowly, his ocean eyes somehow enticing her as he trailed them between the lighter and her own eyes. Feeling the smoke harshly attack her lungs, Ellie simply breathed out, allowing her eyes to clench shut at the familiar burn of relief. Once her eyes had reopened, all she could do was stare intensely into Daryl's eyes, dreaming that they could swallow her whole, and to relieve her of the tsunami of grief she had been subjected to. He had wanted nothing more than to grant her even a moment of solace, but he was far less likely to than people like Rick, or Shane. He knew his place, or so he thought.

"I want us to have a funeral for her," Ellie suddenly stated, her voice hoarse and shaky, but assertive nevertheless. Daryl instantly raised his gaze to meet her, fluttering his eyelids shut at her request, "It's the least she deserves."

"If you don't mind me saying so," Bob spoke up, a warm smile curling at his lips as Ellie gazed at him, "I think it's a good idea. We shouldn't have to abandon our old traditions. Coda's worth it."

Daryl clenched his jaw tight as he kept his eyes firmly latched to the ground beneath him, feeling like their eyes had been more like an unwanted spotlight than a comfort. Bob sighed at Daryl's silence, understanding entirely how difficult it must have been for Ellie to communicate efficiently with the man whose heart had been so guarded.

Ellie sighed heavily, feeling her fingers instinctively curl around Daryl's forearm to tug, instantly drawing his eyes back to hers as she stated, "I'm sorry for earlier. Please, don't do the same as I did. We... we are in this together."

Daryl stared intensely into her crystalline eyes, desperately wanting to haul her into his chest to hold her close, but simply couldn't. His veins heated angrily as he gently removed his arm from her grasp, and proceeded to crumple over the vehicle to fix it. His lack of response left a piercingly painful hole in Ellie's chest, slowly draining all life from within her with each moment that rolled by where Daryl hadn't been there to reassure her they were in it together. They had to be. Yet, the cruel truth had simply been: they were no longer in it together.

"You never told us about the group you were with. Before us, I mean," Ellie suddenly stated to Bob, shifting the subject from Coda to ease the tension as she sunk down beside the vehicle.

Bob's frame leaned against the white brick wall, slowly relieving the smoke from his chest as he dangled the cigarette between his fingers. He nodded slowly, before he mumbled, "Which one?"

Daryl shot Bob a brief look; his eyes squinted with an expression that revealed he would not press further, but Ellie did not possess the same ability as she affirmed, "Even now it's hard to find your place."

Bob's smile shone graciously on his lips at Ellie, entirely grateful for the kindness of her words. It was wholly true, and Bob was living evidence of such a statement. He turned his gaze to Daryl, and drew his attention by beginning softly, "You know..." Daryl's hand halted atop of the car battery, awaiting Bob's comment, "when you found me out on that road, I almost kept walking."

Daryl's eyes shifted to the jug of water beneath him, though ensured he still had a clear focus of Ellie in his peripheral vision as he inquired, "Why's that?"

"Because I was done being a witness. Two times, two different groups: I was the last one standing." Daryl unfolded from the car, feeling himself gulp at Bob's words as he continued, "Like I was was supposed to see it happen, over and over... like it's some kind of curse."

As Daryl blew out a puff of smoke, Ellie felt her chest tighten at Bob's words, feeling drawn in a way she couldn't explain as she breathed out, "I know how that feels."

"When it's just you out there with the quiet..." Bob's voice trailed off as his head shook, before a huff of air left his chest at the mere thought, "Used to be, I'd drink a bottle of anything just so I could shut my eyes at night."

Daryl's eyes had been glued to Bob in an instant. His back had been rigidly straight as he felt unable to move against Bob's monologue. Yet, somehow, it felt more like an inner monologue for Daryl, than it was listening to someone else's story. His emotions had been far too familiar for the both of them. Proving only that everyone would suffer. Everyone did suffer. And they would continue to suffer when the world was decaying as quickly as the walkers were.

"Figured the prison, the people... thought it would be easier," Bob stated, almost embarrassed with his own expression of his thoughts, "The run to the Big Spot... I did it for me."

Daryl's eyes sheepishly trailed between the blonde and Bob, suddenly overtaken with awkwardness as he muttered, "Ya gotta keep busy." Daryl suddenly drank from the jug of distilled water, until Bob's words brought him to a halt.

"No, I did it so I could get me a bottle..."

Ellie's eyes fell to the ground, unable to peer at Bob a second longer as she sighed heavily, "We don't do that now. I did the same months ago, but it's not right. We are all in this together now. No going back."

>>>

The veterinary college had been a long walk from the repair store, but Ellie had been entirely silent. Michonne, Tyreese and Bob engaged in brief discussions amongst one another, but Daryl nor Ellie spoke a single word. Ellie had been ahead, her hands wielding her gun and knife in preparedness. Just like she couldn't shut off. Or, that she didn't want to. Fearing that the moment she were to stop, the reminder of Coda's absence would fall right back into her arms.

The closer they had been to the college left Ellie with an uneasiness brewing within her, almost as though her heart had been begging for her to stop. But she couldn't. Stopping was not an option. They halted outside the building to prepare their entry, but Daryl's concern had been fastened on Ellie, and her only. He gently tugged her to the side, stroking his chin with his finger and thumb as he anxiously gathered his words.

"Ya want to stay outside? Keep watch?" Daryl inquired, tactfully dressing his "order" as a question to refrain from controlling her decisions.

Ellie's lips curled involuntarily at the edges, a slight smile growing as she leaned up to plant a kiss on his cheek. Daryl's eyes widened briefly, before she whispered, "That's for not telling me what to do. I'll be outside if you guys need me."

Daryl's own lips slowly twisted to a brief smile, entirely unable to withdraw his gaze from her face that seemed to light up so beautifully. He nodded slowly and sarcastically grunted, "Not puttin' up a fight no more, Eleanor?"

Normalcy.

"Not when you asked so nicely," she teased, followed by a brief wink that left Daryl's cheeks as heated as flames. She turned back quickly before they had entered the college, her fingers suddenly clasping onto his as she choked out, "Stay safe."

Daryl swallowed hard at her touch, feeling his fingertips desperate to keep feeling her skin, and gave them one last squeeze. Then he was gone. The only thing keeping her company was the slight breeze that nipped at her bare skin. The building seemed so tall in comparison to her tiny frame, her entire surroundings swallowing her whole as she shivered. Her hand trudged up and down the roads of her arms, attempting to devise some sense of heat, but it barely succeeded.

Ellie scanned at her surroundings slowly, observing as every bush and tuft of grass materialised before her very eyes. Suddenly feeling like nature had been foreign. Her bottom lip sucked under her teeth as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt, overwhelmed with how alone she had been for the first time in what felt like years. If it hadn't been the whole group, Coda was always at her side. The empty spaces surrounding her tasted like nothing but regret.

Ellie's legs pushed her forward, dragging her to inspect the outside of the building idly. Her fingers dragged along the wall, feeling each ridge and crust of concrete blow down her skin. She hadn't quite noticed she'd trailed the wall all along to the back, suddenly gasping as she felt her hands tuck underneath foliage. Ellie withdrew her hand in an instant, before she shakily pleated her hand underneath once again, feeling wooden stumps hit her palm. Had that been... a ladder?

A head tilt had been evident enough of her confusion as she slowly shifted the foliage aside, her eyes widening entirely as she was greeted by a, albeit broken, ladder. The ladder itself sparked Ellie's intrigue as she knew her attention would be best settled on anything other than the sound of silence as she stood watch. She might have been weaker, but she was still certainly not an idle watcher. Her hands curled around the wood, testing her weight against the hazardous ladder. It was merely a broke neck waiting to happen.

But Ellie's curiosity simply didn't care. She pressed her foot against the wood, a smile curling at her lips as it had been sturdy enough to withstand her weight. She bit at her bottom lip with concentration, tucking her hands under the wood as she hauled her body upward. A breath of exhilaration escaped her lips as she begun to climb, almost enjoying the possibility that she could fall at any moment. But, even if she were to fall, the impact would never shatter the Earth as it had done to her. Her pain didn't seem as important to the Fates, somehow.

Ellie's limbs yanked and climbed strenuously until she met the top, her eyes widening as she scanned a rooftop. It appeared sturdy enough to walk on, but she questioned whether it was worth it. Of course, it had been. Ellie was reckless before Coda's death; there was simply no bounds to her behaviour any longer. She was a free spirit, just as Daryl had reminded her she craved to be. She finally got it. But, freedom tasted too much like the sour vinegar to be enjoyable. One leg slowly untucked from the ladder, pushing against the roof as she attempted to manoeuvre herself atop of the building. She flopped over the other side, clinging humorously to the wall as she shuffled onto the ground uncomfortably.

Ellie's back met the cold ground of the rooftop, but it didn't matter to her. Her eyes were busy gazing ahead at the clouds as they separated through the sun like sun rays on stained glass. It was magnificent. She almost couldn't help the sigh of contentment that escaped her lips, even if she had been far from peace. But it seemed simple to see that very moment had been enough to bring her peace. Like, somehow, the sun shifting had been Coda's energy, reminding Ellie to go on through the haze of grief. She had to keep going for the baby. The small child whose life depended on Ellie's survival.

"I'll do it for Judith," Ellie whispered into nothingness, her eyes fluttering shut as she felt the heat against her cheeks carry her into bliss.

The smash of the window opposite had been enough to draw Ellie to her feet, her gun raised in an instant as she shook the sparkling beads of glass from her hair. Her eyes widened with disbelief as she observed the group spilling hurriedly through the window, endeavouring you reach the rooftop as they were followed by endless snarls. Daryl's eyes caught Ellie's from afar as he aided Michonne through the window, seemingly unable to even sew his words together to form any sentences. None of them seemed able to.

Ellie shot down a walker that dared nip at Daryl's neck, her eyes broadened entirely with a certain fear that left them both relieved at her quick reflexes. Several others had been shot down, until the dreaded click reminded a dilemma far worse than a broken window. She rapidly tucked the gun in her pocket as she helped Michonne to her feet, accompanied by Tyreese as he repeatedly inquired if Ellie had been alright. It was heartwarming to see him care so much, but it was simply misplaced to Ellie when her only concern had been Daryl.

With as much force as possible, Daryl thrust his crossbow to the ground as he yanked at Bob, whose rucksack had been trapped between the hands of walkers. The moment Bob was free, he swung the bag to safety, like it had been a lifeboat he was unable to relieve his grip on from fear. The bag clinked against the ground, instantly drawing Daryl's head to a stop as his scowl met Bob's face. Time seemed to halt as Daryl merely stared ahead. Entirely unable to withdraw his eyes in disappointment with Bob's behaviour. How reckless he'd been despite opening up only hours prior.

"Daryl," Ellie warned quietly as he lunged for the bag, forcefully tearing it open to reveal a bottle of alcohol to their view. Ellie sighed loudly as she curled her fingers around his arm, gently tugging as she mumbled, "I think we should just get back."

Daryl tore his arm from Ellie's grasp viciously, unable to stop his tongue from nipping at Bob, "You risked your life for this?" Bob's eyes clenched with regret as he lowered his head against Daryl's words, "You should've kept walkin' that day."

Daryl's hand rose to implicitly shatter the bottle against the ground, until Bob's hand instinctively curled around his holster. His weak voice had been barely audible as he choked out, "Don't."

Bob had pushed Daryl too far for mercy. Ellie's hand curled around his arm once again, her voice a lot firmer as she ordered, "Daryl, stand down. We should keep moving."

The man ignored his orders, simply backing into Bob's face with an expression painted of only cold blues and seething hatred. His hand slipped into Bob's holster, ensuring to yank the gun from it to slip into his own pocket as he kept his face against Bob's. His glare had been so cold, Bob's skin raised with goosebumps that had been just as terrified as he had.

"We have to go," Ellie whispered, unsure if her voice could be heard in the vast ocean of turmoil. Daryl's hands gripped onto Bob's shirt, like they had planned an entirely different fate for Bob all together.

"Daryl, leave it," Tyreese calmly ordered, but his voice had been meaningless.

Daryl ignored him.

"Daryl, please!" Michonne begged quietly, terrified that their commotion would draw unwanted eyes of walkers.

Daryl ignored her.

"Daryl, if we go home, we can have a funeral for Coda," Ellie choked out, unable to stop her eyes from spilling with tears as she pleaded, "We aren't this. We are so much more. Coda wouldn't want this!"

Daryl listened to her.

The toughness of Daryl's hands released Bob's shirt suddenly, his eyes trailed between Ellie and Bob's sheepish stance with disgust. But her crystalline eyes meeting his had been enough to draw him back to reality.

"I–I didn't mean to hurt nobody! It was just for when it gets quiet," Bob declared hoarsely, his eyes pooling with tears of regret against Daryl's harsh glare.

Daryl glared at him with hatred, and viciously shoved the bottle into Bob's chest as he threatened, "You take one sip before these meds get to our people; before my girl, I will beat your ass into the ground."

My girl.

Ellie wanted nothing more than to be his girl in that moment. Daryl would've stopped at nothing to deliver the medication to the prison; to save the lives of many in their family that were at risk of leaving far too soon. Ellie was one of them. The way his eyes glistened for her safety made Ellie's arms weaken with desire. All they wanted to do was curve around his shoulders as he held her close, but it seemed so wrong. So incomplete when there wouldn't be small arms clinging on between them. Coda was their glue. She was the very thing keeping them together. And now that she was gone, unity only seemed too far away to return.

A/N:
SUPER LONG CHAPTER, I KNOW. SOZ. I LIKE WRITING, WHAT CAN YA DO? REMEMBER TO VOTE AND COMMENT!