I watched Daryl bash against the impenetrable metal door with an axe in horror. We weren't getting out of this alive.

It had only been less than a day since we were begging to get in, and now we were begging to get out.

Apparently, this whole place was rigged to blow and Jenner didn't have the decency to tell us we were walking into it.

"Daryl, stop," I pleaded, "it's useless."

"No it's not," Daryl said without looking back to face me. I waited to see if he'd realize the weight of my words; he kept hacking away. I whimpered and turned toward the ongoing pleads and threats to Dr. Jenner, who said we couldn't get past the metal doors after they fell. I was starting to believe him.

Something sparked in the room, something I didn't catch. Everyone turned toward Jenner, and Shane was already awaiting an attack toward him. It came expectedly.

"You motherfucker!" Daryl yelled and slung the axe over his shoulder. He angrily made his way over to Jenner, who was getting pushed back by Rick.

"No, no, no," I whispered, jogging in front of Daryl before he got to the main computer's platform. "As he readied his axe to be unmercifully swung down at Jenner's head, I jerked in front of him, putting myself in the line of fire. Shane attempted to pull me back, but I steadied myself and grabbed Daryl's waist.

"Daryl," I said calmly, feeling, once again, like his spiritual advisor, "look at me." The muscles in his face relaxed and his eyes shifted to mine, but his hands remained in striking position. "He's the only one who can get us outta here."

His hands relaxed as he let Rick take the axe. I hugged him tightly, sighing almost contently when he romantically grasped my waist in one hand and my neck in the other. I swore I could hear a whimper escaping his lips, choked back by three words that I've been waiting to hear since day one.

I love you.

These were not just words evoked from the near death situation we all found ourselves in. These were words bottled up from endless hours we were more or less forced to spend together. These were words that pulled us together and saved our lives before we joined the group. These were words that were never said but felt throughout the shitty lives we were handed after the new age. I thought I never would've heard them, especially coming from the unmoral, anarchist being titled Daryl Dixon.

I pulled away from the strong grasp that held us together, coming inches from his face. I almost expected Merle to pop out of nowhere and kill the moment. Instead, everyone ignored us except Andrea, who watched in melancholy glee.

"I love you too," I choked out, laughing at the romantic cheesiness of it all, "Do-do you think we're gonna ma-ake it out?

"I've never said or thought this to anyone in my life," he started, removing a piece of hair that lay across my eye, "but it doesn't matter as long as it's with you."

I whimpered and shuttered, practically slamming my face into his shoulder. There was another thing that shocked me to death because it ever crossed Daryl's mind, let alone him saying it out loud. It was probably one I'd never hear again.

The situation was so bittersweet it made me want to hurl. It was like that one baking chocolate that tempted you when you were younger. It smelled so good until smell wasn't enough. Then you tried to eat some; it definitely didn't taste as good as it smelt. Nothing ever does. Especially after the apocalypse.

"My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this!" Carol screamed in blind hysteria. I blinked several times before I realized the past three minutes went by in a blur. Everyone now was pacing in swift anxiety or rocking themselves in a corner.

"I think you're lying," Rick confronted Jenner, making us all turn and await his reply. I forcibly removed myself from Daryl's shoulder to join the group around the doctor's computer. He grabbed my hand tightly as we awaited Rick's pleads. The countdown had hit the ten minute mark.

Surprisingly enough, I hadn't the need to panic. Daryl's hand in mine comforted my nerves enough to not care if a blinding explosion caused by Rick's instincts was how it all ended. If only Merle was here, if he was even alive. We all doubted it by now.

Finally, at the four minute mark, Doctor Jenner let out a sigh. The pacing stopped. The rocking came to a halt. Everyone stood and watched as he walked toward another card reader and set his ID on the blue light that illuminated the crescent shaped cove. He punched in some numbers as we all watched the metal door lift, also lifting the fear that all weighed us down in varying degrees. Daryl was the first to speak.

"Come on," he said, pulling me along as he ran towards the exit.

"Wait," I whispered, halting him to a stop when I saw Jacqui and Andrea not following, "I'll catch up."

He huffed doubtfully but let go of my hand, giving me a peck on the lips before joining the others. He wouldn't have gone so quickly and self willingly if he doubted my return. I kept that in mind as I approached Andrea.

"Go," Andrea yelled, her voice shaking tremendously. The clock was ticking down, coming down to almost three minutes before Dale came in and excused me from Andrea's presence. I could tell Jacqui was already convinced that she wanted to stay. Andrea, on the other hand, was making rash decisions based on guilt about Amy. I trusted Dale had it under control and I headed toward the CDC's entrance.

"Move, move, move," I heard Rick yell as I got to the stairs leading to the main lobby and our exit way. Daryl practically tackled me to the floor as a grenade blew and shattered the front window.

"Jesus, Daryl," I sneered, rubbing the shoulder that I hit while Daryl's body slammed into mine.

"Sorry," he apologized, holding out his hand. I smiled and took it gleefully. He pulled me up and grabbed hold of my waist and didn't let go until everyone was out of the window. Dale and Andrea were heading through the hallway toward us as he kissed me on the cheek.

"Let's go kick some ass, huh?"

I smiled and ran toward the window, leaving Daryl behind. He caught up quickly.

Most of the Walkers heading toward the building were killed by everyone else. The only thing we could do was to get to Daryl's truck before we got blown up.

"Yeah!" Daryl called out as he chopped a Walker's head off the same time I laid a round on a Walker near the truck. I shrugged like it was something I did everyday. Wait, it was what I did everyday. Never mind.

We climbed into the trucks bench seat and immediately ducked our heads, shortly following an immense explosion that shook the truck. It was over in a few seconds, leaving a fiery heat coming from the flame swallowed building that used to be the CDC. We were close enough that my face got warm just by facing the blaze.

"Whew," Daryl whispered, looking at me and raising his eyebrows, "adrenaline pumping."

"You're an adrenaline junky," I laughed and patted his shoulder. He tsked at me and started the truck.

"So are you, hypocrite."

"Redneck."

"Mental case."

"Hi, I'm Daryl Dixon," I mocked.

"Don't do that."

"I'm from Atlanta, Georgia. Lemme tell you the story about my itchy ass."

"Shut up!" he laughed and pushed my shoulder before pulling out into the street with the others.

"What, you're not gonna drive on the other side of the street, badass?"

"I hate you, ya know that?"

"Yeah, I have mutual feelings about you too."

"Oh, whatever," Daryl snickered, glancing over at me every few seconds. I continued to stare.

"How did we ever become compatible?" I laughed and stopped staring, looking out my window at the flames that heated my face as well as my heart. Or, that might have been Daryl's doing.

"I think that's the point... We're not."

"Hey you guys," I said, making my way across the campgrounds to the cheery campfire that everyone gathered around at the end of the day. It definitely was my favorite time of the day.

"Are you drunk?" Andrea asked, laughing as I stumbled toward an empty seat that awaited me next to Daryl.

"Maybe a little bit," I burped and took the bottle of jack from Daryl's hands.

"Well, pass it around then," Dale commented and laid back in his lawn chair. We all laughed in harmony as I took a swig and passed it to Lori, careful not to place it into Carl's grabbing hands.

"Nuh, uh little man," she said, sipping a tiny drop and passing it to Rick.

"Oh come on," Shane ragged, getting unexpected glares from Lori, "what harm can it do?"

"Less harm than you could ever do," Lori harshly spat, making the group fall silent. I looked at Daryl for an answer; he just shrugged his shoulders and whispered something about what happened between them at the CDC.

"Buzzkill," Glenn muttered, getting up and walking towards the Winnebago.

"Wait... Shhhh," Carl said as the chatter started picking up again, putting his finger to his lips. We all fell routinely silent, listening for a rustle in the tree branches or a crunch of leaves on the ground. Suddenly, a slither like sound was heard from an empty log that was stationed next to Daryl. It was a green snake that stood out from the decaying brown wood. We all stayed quiet as much as we stayed still.

"It's poisonous, Daryl," Dale whispered, "don't move."

The snake hissed and came closer, to the edge of the log. All it had to do now was to slither not even a foot to reach Daryl's arm. His hand clenched mine.

"How do you know for sure," Daryl anxiously said between clenched teeth, blinking rapidly when the snake hissed again.

"It's an Emerald Tree Snake," I amended, whispering in his ear, "you can tell it's poisonous by the neon color."

"Well what the hell do I do?"

Before I could pull my gun out, the snake jumped towards Daryl. Time slowed. The facts about this snake I've learned in the past flooded back. Symptoms after ten minutes of the initial bite already would show signs of death. I panicked. My arm reached out to catch the snake before I knew what I was doing. Time seemed to speed back up as my fingers reached the scaly animal. It bit me immediately as I grasped its small body.

"Ow, shit!" I yelled, dropping the snake as Daryl stood and stomped unmercifully on the head of it. I felt dizzy, but the only problem was that I didn't know if it was the adrenaline or the poison. I've been immune to things before, usually things that other people weren't immune to commonly. Snake venom might've been one.

Daryl quickly sat back down and snatched my hand, bruising his thumb across the two red dots between my thumb and first finger. It burned slightly, nothing I couldn't handle. I furrowed my eyebrows as he licked the puncture holes.

"What the hell are you doing," I drowsily asked, close to falling over if Daryl didn't have an arm around my waist.

"I'm gonna suck the poison out," he said and started doing what he said. I found the situation awkward; everyone was standing around us as Daryl sucked on my hand. He started spitting out the liquid that filled his mouth until crimson blood started flowing out of the wound instead of yellowish clear liquid.

"I do believe you just saved my life, Mr. Dixon," I said, repeating exactly what I said when he saved me for the first time. I attempted to stand but fell into Daryl's arms instead.

"Yeah, ditto. I know nobody woulda sucked the poison outta my bloodstream. Plus, you mean it this time."

"Whatever," I laughed, looking up at Daryl's scruffy face, "I would have."

"Well," he grunted, picking me up and walking me to his truck, "you don't know how."

"That's true," I yawned and closed my eyes as he gently opened the passenger door and laid me on the bench seat.

"You can sleep it off. I'll see ya in the morning, love."

"Are you sure it's safe to sleep in my condition?"

He laughed. "You don't have a concussion."

Before he shut the door, I caught it with my foot.

"Daryl?"

"Yea, darling?"

I smiled as he said darling.

"I love you."

He climbed over the bench seat, lying almost on top of me. My breath halted to a stop.

"I love you, too."

He kissed my forehead, then the tip of my nose, then my lips. We stayed there for a few moments, enjoying the ambiance like chatter that commenced at the campfire.

Eventually, I fell into a deep, dreamless, happy slumber.