Arrow to the Side

That night while Anna kept watch awful thoughts ravaged her mind. The threat of walkers and the memory of her fathers violent taunts seemed distant. Instead her mind was plagued by thoughts of the group.

Her mind drifted to thoughts of Daryl. She realised there was a chance he might not even be alive. Maybe none of the group were. After all, there was only Daryls truck on the highway. Maybe only one of them had made it out. The thought made her tear up and she wiped the droplets away angrily. She wouldn't think like that. There had to be a reason they had left her there. They wouldn't just leave her. Unless it was Shane. Another shot of anger sprang through her veins. Daryl , T-Dog, Glenn. What if they had all died and that bastard was the only one to get out.

A rang out in the dark surrounding the van and Anna was ripped from her thoughts. Jasmin jumped up from where she lay in the back of the van.

"What was that?"
"Gunshot" Anna stated before starting the van and tearing away up the road. She drove for 15 minutes at breakneck speed before Jasmin turned to her to get her to stop.

"Seriously, are you always this edgy these days?"
"It would seem like it. Sorry."
"Come on, switch sides. I'll drive for a little while. Find us somewhere safe for the night. Go to sleep."

"Are you sure?"

Jasmin opened the door and moved to the drivers side as Anna shuffled across the seat. She closed her eyes as the van started to move.
5 minutes later she was awoken by Jasmin poking her arm and whispering.
"Anna, the road ahead is crowded with cars. I don't know where the people are though."
"Wha?" It took Anna a moment to get used to her surroundings. Sitting up she squinted to see through the dark and the dirty screen of the van.

"No way." A stupid grin spread across her face as she stared at a pale green Hyundai and a red Chevrolet. Her smiled stretch wider when she saw Daryls bike sat at the front of the convoy.

"What is it?"

Anna turned her gaze from the vehicles and looked her friend in the eye.

"My group seems to have made it."

***

Daryl stared into the fire but it did nothing to melt the ice of his gaze. He had left Anna behind and he hated himself. Guilt stirred in his gut and he wanted to puke.
Ricks words from earlier echoed in his mind taunting him.

'I know it looks bad we've all been through hell and worse but we found each other, I wasn't sure I really wasn't but we did. We're together.'

The last word haunted him. Together. 'Not everyone' He thought darkly to himself.

His stomach twisted when Carol spoke beside him.
"We're not safe with him."
Anger flared inside Daryl's chest and his fists clenched.
Carol obviously didn't notice though because she continued.
"Keeping something like that from us." She looked around conspiratorially.
"Why do you need him. He's just gonna pull you down."

He shook his head. Her words were like venom but he quelled the anger in his stomach.

"Nah, Rick's done all right by me." He looked away from her.
A dark train of thought smacked him in the face. If he hadn't of saved Carol he might have been able to save Anna. He knew it was wrong to think these thoughts but he couldn't stop them. He wanted to put the blame away. To give it to anyone else but him.
"You're his henchman and I'm a burden. You deserve better." Her words made him indignant.
"What do you want?"

"A man of honour."

"Rick has honour." He got up and moved to the other side of the fire.

"Gotta take a piss." He didn't like the way the conversation was going and Carol wouldn't just let it go.

****

Anna practically leaped out of the van to Daryl's bike and rummaging around frantically. Jasmin clambered out of the car after her.
"What are you doing?"
Anna realized she didn't know what she was looking for exactly. She shrugged.
"I don't know. Something that'll tell me where they are."
Jasmin turned to look into the woods for approaching walkers and a glimmer of light hit her eye.
She nudged Anna.
"Fire."

Anna turned to look into the trees. Her stomach turned over at the thought of seeing Daryl.

"Okay, quietly, through the woods. I wanna see who exactly is there before we barge in and they don't know you yet." Anna started moving into the treeline."Nice and slow." She whispered.

Approaching the small camp, She moved to stand behind a tree and motioned for Jasmin to stay back a little. Her approach had gone unnoticed by the group, due to all the time she had spent in the woods with Daryl, Her footsteps were light and quiet. She noticed Carl sitting by the fire with Lori. Herschel, Beth, Maggie and Glenn sat next to them with T-dog and Carol opposite. Rick was standing, watching over the group. Anna's heart froze. Where's Daryl?

Jasmin moved a step closer and Anna winced as the crack of a branch echoed through the night.

"What was that?" Beths voice floated over.

"Could be anything." That was Daryl. Anna's breath hitched as she saw him move closer to the camp, Crossbow in hand. "Raccoon, possum, walker."
Anna knew this wasn't a good time to announce her presence. She didn't want to be mistaken for a walker and end up with an arrow to the side.

It didn't seem to matter though as Rick shifted slightly and saw her figure lurking behind the tree.
He stared for a moment or two. His hand hovered over his holster.His gaze harsh and unrecognising.
Anna felt like a rabbit in headlights. The muscles in her body went stiff.She swallowed heavily before reacting.

"Rick." She put a hand up slowly.
"It's me." Anna moved around the tree trunk into the orange light of the fire. She heard a thunk from behind her as Daryl dropped his crossbow to the ground and threw his arms around her.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He said it into her hair like a mantra.

"Hey, Daryl, It's okay. I'm fine." She pulled away a little, tears stinging her eyes. "It's good to see you."

The group looked on,still rattled, until Rick coughed to get their attention. Anna turned and looked at him.

"Hi Rick." Anna didn't know what else to say, or how she could explain Jasmin, who the group still hadn't noticed.
Rick nodded in reply. Anna knew something was a little wrong with him at the moment so she looked to the others for reassurance. She found nothing. The survivors were terrified and on edge. She found comfort in Daryl, who tried to fill the awful silence.
"That was you that snapped the twig?"
Here we go. Anna thought.
"Not exactly."
Daryl looked confused as Anna turned toward the treeline and sighed.

"Uuh, guys, I guess I should probably introduce you to Jasmin."
She waited a moment for Jasmin to come out for the protection of the trees. Nothing happened.
"Jas?" She spoke to the trees.
The group looked at her like she was crazy on toast.
Anna sighed again in irritation before moving into the dark canopy, She listened for Jasmins footsteps and heard them heading back to the road.She jogged to catch up.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Jasmin turned to look at her.

"You found your group. They won't accept me too. It's too late in the game for that."

"What are you talking about? You don't know them."
"That's the problem, Annie, I don't know them. They don't know me. I only know you."

Anna sighed for the third time that evening. She felt like an exasperated mum trying to tell her kids not to jump on the sofa.
"Jas, come on. They're good people and you need a rest. Besides, There is no way on this earth I'm leaving you on your own again."
Jasmin was quiet for a moment and looked at something behind her.

Anna jumped when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.
"Man, Daryl, You scared the crap outta me!"
"M'sorry, This ya friend?"
"Uh, yeah this is Jasmin."
"S'good. Didn't think ya had many friends" Daryl poked. She could tell he was uncomfortable though, He was tense as a bow string, so she turned back to Jasmin.

"Jas, This is my,uh, friend, Daryl Dixon." She stuttered a little, unsure how to introduce the redneck.

"Oh, yeah." A smile tugged at Jasmins lips despite the situation. "Judging by before I'd say he's a very good friend."
Anna's face turned red and she guessed Daryl's had too.
"Aah, yeah." Anna rubbed a hand across the back of her neck."That's, um, not..." She trailed off not really knowing what she was going to say.

Jasmin snorted.

"Trust you to find a boyfriend in the apocalypse, Annie."
Anna decided to shrug it off.
"So, y'know you have ta come back and stay now, right?"
Jasmin groaned.
"Maybe you don't have to meet them all tonight. Maybe we could both stay in the van and I'll introduce you to them all in the morning?"
"If it will get you off my back for a while then, okay. But if I get stabbed in the night I'm blaming you." She joked before heading in the direction of the van.
Anna turned to Daryl.
"How's everyone doing?"
"They're rattled but they're fine."
Anna nodded.

"Is that everyone there?"

"Uuh." Daryl looked at his feet. "Not everyone.We lost Andrea , Shane, Jimmy and Patricia."

"Oh." Her heart lodged in her throat.

"Anna, what happened to ya? I thought ya were dead."

A drop of water landed on Anna's hand and she realised she was crying.

"I don't wanna talk about it tonight, okay. I'm tired. Can you tell the others what's going on?"
Daryl nodded.
"I don't like the idea of you being in the van on yer own." He admitted.

"Daryl, I'll be fine. You don't need to worry about me." Anna kissed him quickly and buried her face in his neck.
"I'm really glad you're okay." The words came out in a sob.
Daryl wrapped his arms around her tightly afraid to let go.

"Missed ya" He whispered the words softly. "Don't scare me like tha' again."