❛ And the day pressed on like crushing weights, for no man does it ever wait like memories of dying days that deafen us like hurricanes. ❜

SEASON 2, EPISODE 2 & 3
bloodletting & save the last one

━━━━━━ day 67.

"YOU STILL WORRYING about it?"

⠀⠀⠀Bianca turned along with the rest of the group by Andrea's question, looking back at Lori. They'd been walking through the woods for a few hours, and it hadn't been long since they heard a shot fired behind them. Daryl urged them to keep moving.

⠀⠀⠀Lori turned to Andrea and said, "It was a gunshot."

⠀⠀⠀"We all heard it," Daryl told her dismissively, readjusting his pack.

⠀⠀⠀"Why one?" Lori asked, shaking her head in protest. "Why just one gunshot?"

⠀⠀⠀"Maybe they took down a walker," Daryl sighed with a shrug.

⠀⠀⠀"Please don't patronize me," Lori scolded him, frowning. "You know Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one walker or Shane. They'd do it quietly."

⠀⠀⠀Lori turned back, staring at the trees hoping to see something, but they were too far out.

⠀⠀⠀"Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carol asked as she turned to Daryl with a sense of dread in her tone.

⠀⠀⠀"There's nothin' we can do about it, anyway," Daryl told them sternly. "Can't run around these woods chasin' echoes."

⠀⠀⠀"So, what do we do?" Lori asked, turning to them with a determined expression.

⠀⠀⠀"Same as we've been," Daryl said. "Beat the bush for Sophia, work our way back to the highway."

⠀⠀⠀The group quieted for a moment; the cicadas singing in the trees to fill the silence. Andrea turned to Lori and tried her best to reassure the woman.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the RV," Andrea said.

⠀⠀⠀Lori gave one last look behind her before joining the rest of them. Bianca trailed after Daryl, walking beside Glenn, but they stopped again when Andrea and Carol talked.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm sorry for what you're going through. I know how you feel," Andrea said, giving her condolences.

⠀⠀⠀"I suppose you do," Carol said softly, a sad smile coming to her face as she accepted the comfort. "Thank you."

⠀⠀⠀Carol turned toward the group, then back to Andrea a couple of times as her face cracked. Bianca understood it. The turmoil, the strain, it was too much to bear.

⠀⠀⠀"The thought of her, out here by herself," Carol cried. "It's the not knowin' that's killin' me. I just keep hopin' and prayin' she doesn't wind up like Amy."

⠀⠀⠀Andrea's face fell, her wide-eyed understanding morphed into pain and distress. She glared at Carol like she had been the one to kill Amy.

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, God," Carol cursed, reaching forward to hold Andrea's hands. "That's the worst thing I've ever said."

⠀⠀⠀Andrea forced a smile, shaking her head to reassure Carol it wasn't.

⠀⠀⠀"We're all hoping and praying with you," Andrea assured her, awkwardly stepping on her feet to keep herself calm. "For what it's worth."

⠀⠀⠀Carol smiled at that as Daryl approached them. His shoulders were tight, and he interrupted their sweet moment by saying, "I'll tell you what it's worth—not a damn thing. It's a waste of time, all this hopin' and prayin'."

⠀⠀⠀He turned to Carol, getting in her face.

⠀⠀⠀"We're gonna locate that little girl," he promised her, then turned to Andrea. "She's gonna be just fine." Daryl stood away from them, shaking his head as he turned back to lead the group. "Am I the only one zen around here? Good lord!"

⠀⠀⠀The group continued walking, the sun cresting near the horizon, and they would pick up Sophia's trail in the morning. Now, they headed back for the highway to get a fitful night's sleep.

⠀⠀⠀"How much farther?" Lori asked.

⠀⠀⠀"Not much," Dary said. "Maybe a hundred yards as the crow flies."

⠀⠀⠀"Too bad we're not crows," Andrea sighed, walking with all her limbs swinging from the exhaustion coursing through her.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca felt the same. Her muscles were weak from the day's hike. It felt like they hadn't even gotten a second of rest, made it to the church, and turned around just as they came.

⠀⠀⠀The group grew quiet once again. Bianca wished they kept up the conversation, her mind a mess of everything and nothing all at once. She wanted to drown it out with something else but had nothing to offer to a conversation. Or rather, nothing she wanted to provide to them.

⠀⠀⠀Her mind was cut through the middle by a scream, not something she had wanted. However, it did the trick as her thoughts and body went numb. Bianca readjusted her sledgehammer in her hand and ran toward the scream. Bianca wished she had brought her tire iron. The sledgehammer felt like a hundred pounds in her grip after the day.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca and the others made it to Andrea, where she lay in a clearing and a walker at her side. A young woman with chestnut brown hair and fair skin rode on horseback above her with a baseball bat in her grip.

⠀⠀⠀"Lori? Lori Grimes?" she asked frantically, looking down at Andrea.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm Lori," Lori greeted, moving ahead of them.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca noticed that the young woman looked close in age to her, maybe a few years older. She was pretty, with an outgrown pixie cut and bright blue eyes. Her expression was worrisome, brows drawn together as she whipped her head toward Lori quickly.

⠀⠀⠀"Rick sent me. You've got to come now," the young woman told her without hesitation, unbothered by coming across the wrong woman at first.

⠀⠀⠀"What?"

⠀⠀⠀"There's been an accident—Carl's been shot. He's still alive, but you've gotta come now," the young woman explained, her words spilling from her lips at a hundred miles a minute. Bianca kept up with her better than most conversations, and her stomach dropped with the news. She turned to Lori, but she was still processing the young woman's words with a furrowed brow. "Rick needs you—Just come!"

⠀⠀⠀Lori stared at the young woman, then dropped her pack and rushed for the horse.

⠀⠀⠀"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Daryl exclaimed as he noticed her doing so, waving his hands around. "We don't know this girl! You can't get on that horse!"

⠀⠀⠀Lori got on the horse, ignoring Daryl.

⠀⠀⠀"Rick said you had others on the highway," the young woman continued as Lori situated herself on the horse. "That big traffic snarl?"

⠀⠀⠀"Uh-huh," Glenn managed to say.

⠀⠀⠀"Backtrack to Fairburn Road. Two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox. Name's Green," she directed, then turned her horse and was gone in the blink of an eye.

⠀⠀⠀When Lori and the young woman were out of sight, Daryl noticed the walker rising again. He shot his arrow through its head with an annoyed 'shut up.

⠀⠀⠀"That was kind of hot, right?" Bianca asked under her breath to Glenn, the two staring at the woods still.

⠀⠀⠀"Y-Yeah," Glenn attempted to say, but it came out more like a strange rumble of noise.

⠀⠀⠀"C'mon, we gotta go," Daryl snapped at them.

⠀⠀⠀They made it back to the highway before dark with half the group behind them. They were whittled down to only Bianca, Daryl, Glenn, Andrea, and Carol, but at least getting to the highway added Dale and T-Dog. Along with creating the division into two groups, rather than three.

⠀⠀⠀Dale greeted them at the traffic barrier with a barrage of questions when they arrived. Glenn explained as quickly as he could what had happened to the old man.

⠀⠀⠀"Shot?!" Dale exclaimed, his brows furrowing as they made it up the hill with him. "What do you mean shot?"

⠀⠀⠀"I don't know, Dale," Glenn panted, stepping over the barrier. "I wasn't there. All I know is this chick rode out of nowhere like Zorro on a horse and took Lori."

⠀⠀⠀Glenn walked past Dale, Bianca behind him.

⠀⠀⠀"You let her?" Dale asked Daryl as he stepped over.

⠀⠀⠀"Climb out of my asshole, man," Daryl snapped, pushing past him. "She knew Lori's name and Carl's."

⠀⠀⠀Daryl moved on, and Bianca followed him, not wanting to be further pestered by Dale's questions.

BIANCA AND THE others on the highway explained in full to Dale what exactly happened in the woods once they settled down. Between the church to the young woman finding Lori, claiming Carl had been shot. They had the means to find the others on a farm and maybe a place to camp for some time before they needed to move again. However, Carol was reluctant. Leaving the highway meant leaving Sophia.

⠀⠀⠀"I won't do it," Carol told them, shaking her head defiantly as she tried to keep her tears at bay.

⠀⠀⠀"Carol, the group is split. We're scattered and weak," Dale sighed.

⠀⠀⠀"What if she comes back and we're not here?" Carol asked, looking at each of them pointedly. "It could happen."

⠀⠀⠀"If Sophia found her way back, and we were gone, that would be awful," Andrea agreed with a frown, turning to Dale.

⠀⠀⠀"Okay," Daryl gave in, nodding his head. "We gotta plan for this. I say tomorrow mornin' is soon enough to pull up stakes. Give us a chance to rig a big sign, leave her some supplies. I'll hold here tonight, stay with the RV."

⠀⠀⠀"If the RV is stayin', I am, too," Daryl stated, nodding his head toward Carol.

⠀⠀⠀"I'll stay. We should figure what we need from the cars anyway," Bianca commented, catching Daryl's eye before turning back to Carol.

⠀⠀⠀"Thank you," Carol said to them sincerely, her eyes glossy as she smiled softly at them.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm in," Andrea added, raising her hand.

⠀⠀⠀"Well, if you're all staying, then I'm—"

⠀⠀⠀"No, not you, Glenn," Dale quickly cut him off, holding his hand out towards him. "You're going. Take Carol's Cherokee."

⠀⠀⠀"Me? Why is it always me?" Glenn asked, his words strained in annoyance as he took a step back.

⠀⠀⠀"You have to find this farm, reconnect with our people and see what's going on," Dale told him sternly. "But most important, you have to get T-Dog there. This is not an option. That cut has gone from bad to worse. He has a very serious blood infection. Get him to that farm. See if they have any antibiotics. Because if not, T-Dog will die, no joke."

⠀⠀⠀As Dale explained T-Dog's situation, Daryl stepped away and rifled through the bag on the side of his motorcycle. He pulled out a plastic bag of blue crystal and orange pill bottles. He tossed a rag into Dale's chest left on his bike then set the bag down to rifle through.

⠀⠀⠀"Why'd you wait till now to say anything?" Daryl asked. "Got my brother's stash. Crystal, X, don't need that. Got some kick-ass painkillers. Doxycycline. Not the generic stuff, neither. It's first class. Merle got the clap on occasion."

⠀⠀⠀Daryl tossed two bottles to Dale and Glenn while he spoke while they stared back in amazement. Then, when he finished, Daryl sealed the bag and walked off.

BIANCA SLEPT IN Cal's car for the night while the others rested in the RV. She couldn't bear to sleep in the RV, not again. They were leaving in the morning, which made Bianca feel like she was leaving Cal behind. She didn't have the keys to the car, and they didn't have the fuel to spare, even if she wanted to drag the piece of junk around.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca lay in the backseat, staring up at the starry sky as billions of stars danced around without light pollution filtering them out. She had never seen so many stars so close to the city. She just knew Cal would enjoy this view, the beauty it held.

⠀⠀⠀A shadow fell over her, then a light shined in her eyes.

⠀⠀⠀"C'mon," Daryl said, his voice muffled between the window and her dull ear.

⠀⠀⠀"I don't wanna sleep in the RV," Bianca told him, closing her eyes to feign sleep.

⠀⠀⠀"We're goin' to look for Sophia," Daryl said. "Let's go."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca sighed, sat up, and got out of the car. There was no point in arguing as long as she didn't have to go sleep in the RV.

⠀⠀⠀Daryl stood outside with a scowl, his crossbow swung over his shoulder and her sledgehammer in hand. He held it out to her, and she took it. Then Daryl turned on his heel and headed for the woods with Bianca trailing behind him.

⠀⠀⠀When they broke through the trees, Bianca caught up to Daryl and walked next to him.

⠀⠀⠀"What made you go searchin' in the middle of the night?" she asked.

⠀⠀⠀"Carol's cryin'," Daryl muttered, his words forced to sound cold, but Bianca knew it meant something to him to find Sophia. He glanced out of the corner of his eye. "You might've had the right idea, sleepin' in a car."

⠀⠀⠀"I dunno," Bianca sighed, rubbing at her tired eyes. "You got a woman cryin', I've got ghosts."

" I AIN'T ONE to ask," Daryl began. They'd been walking in the woods for twenty minutes, and a thick silence pestered between the two. It seemed to bother Daryl where it usually didn't. "So, this is your only chance. You got somethin' you wanna talk about?"

⠀⠀⠀Bianca didn't stop in her tracks, but it felt like her brain did. The tape in her head rewinding, then moving forward to catch up with where she was now. Her thoughts went everywhere as she held a blank expression.

⠀⠀⠀"I'll tell you what, that look on your face. Everyone has it," Daryl continued. He pointed his flashlight in her face, swirling it, then turned back to the woods. "They're all worried about Sophia, and yeah, yeah, I know you are, too... but there's somethin' different. That car got to you. I know it did. You know who it belonged to."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca had held so much in since she'd met Daryl. Not even then. She often kept herself closed off from the people around her, but it was easier these days. Everything was one catastrophic event after the next, and worrying about her boyfriend was minor in comparison. All that was ever on her mind was Cal, wondering if she'd ever see him again if he had died because of her.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca's eyes watered, and she sniffed, trying to keep herself together. Finally, however, Daryl heard the telltale sign, and his flashback was back in her face, highlighting the tears resting at the edges.

⠀⠀⠀"Kid, I—"

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, yeah, I knew who drove it," Bianca admitted out loud, her words caught in her throat. Daryl already knew that. She'd shown him the stupid picture she found in his car. "My, uh," Bianca continued, wiping her nose and clearing her throat. "My boyfriend drove it."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca pulled the photo from her pocket and handed it to Daryl so he could take a second look at it. He cradled it between his fingers, something she hadn't seen him do before. Nothing was as important as that picture, and Daryl knew that.

⠀⠀⠀"Um, so, that's Cal and me at our friend Elena's birthday party. She had a costume party, which is funny because her birthday is in February, and mine is literally on Halloween... but that's beside the point," Bianca said with a shaky laugh. "Um, Cal said this was his favorite picture of us."

⠀⠀⠀"He seems like a good kid, yeah?" Daryl asked, handing the picture back. She took it, folding it back into her pocket.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, he's my everything," Bianca explained, darting her eyes to the ground. It felt strange to admit. Not because she didn't believe it or that she was embarrassed, but because the tough exterior she held caused her to feel like her more intimate emotions were invalid.

⠀⠀⠀"You found this car. That's a good sign," Daryl pointed out, but the hope building in her chest felt like it was meant to crumble.

⠀⠀⠀"No, there's nothing in that car that tells me anything," Bianca sighed, shaking her head. "No corpse, no blood, no note saying 'Bianca, I'm sorry, but I had to save myself. I'm hiding at X location. I hope you find this," she rambled, mimicking his voice when she brought up the note. She ran her hands through her hair out of frustration and breathed in deeply.

⠀⠀⠀Daryl sighed, turning to her without the right words to say. Despite that, he tried because this kid, some pathetic girl he found about to be walker lunch, had grown on him like a kid of his own.

⠀⠀⠀"I know it doesn't seem the same, but I understand what you're goin' through," Daryl sympathized, his expression so soft it was strange to look at. "Maybe wherever my brother is, your boyfriend is right there with him."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca snorted and started walking again with a shake of his head.

⠀⠀⠀"No offense," Bianca began, raising her hands to show she wasn't trying to start anything. "But God, I hope not. Your brother is a dick. I'd much rather have to deal with him than Cal."

⠀⠀⠀"My brother's my brother. I ain't so quick to persecute him, but yeah, he's a dick," Daryl agreed with a laugh. "My whole family is, shit. Y'know, when I was younger than Sophia, I got lost out in the woods. Nine whole days eatin' berries, wipin' my ass with poison oak. All the while, my old man was off on a bender with some waitress, and Merle was doin' another stint in juvie."

⠀⠀⠀"You got back on your own?" Bianca asked, thankful for the change of subject.

⠀⠀⠀"Didn't even know I was gone," Daryl agreed, glancing at her. "I made my way back through. Went straight into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. No worse for wear except my ass itched somethin' awful."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca bit out a laugh, looked at Daryl when she did, then laughed louder. She could just imagine younger Daryl experiencing one of the most traumatizing events of his life and only worried about how itchy his ass was.

⠀⠀⠀"That sucks," Bianca said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "Can't say my childhood was that bad."

⠀⠀⠀"No, I wouldn't hope it was," Daryl assured her with a smile.

━━━━━━ february 2009.

BIANCA HAD BEEN invited to Elena's nineteenth birthday, which she would hope so since they were having the party in their dorm room. Elena had also insisted that Cal, Bianca's boyfriend yet to be officially introduced, come.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca wasn't sure if she wanted Cal to meet her friends or her brother yet. He was sweet, perfect, amazing, and they would probably end up scaring him away. Eugene was over-protective, Elena was a snobby rich girl, and Peter was a talkative nerd. One of them was bound to embarrass her.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm not going to embarrass you," Elena spoke up from across the room like she had read Bianca's mind.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca looked up, furrowing her brows as she looked through the makeup mirror back to Elena as she set out some food.

⠀⠀⠀"And it's literally only me, Eugene, and Peter coming over, so you're gonna have to get over it," Elena continued, turning to her as she crossed her arms.

⠀⠀⠀Elena was wearing a red and black cheerleading uniform from the god-awful show that had recently appeared on cable. Glee. Elena liked to record it, then blast it at two in the morning when Bianca was asleep or working on a project.

⠀⠀⠀"Y'all are going to embarrass me. I can feel it," Bianca claimed, scowling as she stood from her seat finished with her makeup. "How do I look?"

⠀⠀⠀Elena rose an eyebrow, a frown coming to her lips, "How are you supposed to look?"

⠀⠀⠀"Good!" Bianca exclaimed, turning back to the mirror and deciding to tie her hair up. "Better?"

⠀⠀⠀"What are you going as?" Elena asked.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm the Rock in that picture!" Bianca explained. She had the turtleneck and blue jeans, the gold chains, the fanny pack, and that winning smile.

⠀⠀⠀Elena narrowed her eyes and nodded slowly, "Right."

⠀⠀⠀"What are you going as, huh? A cheerleader?" Bianca asked, rolling her eyes.

⠀⠀⠀"Yes, exactly," Elena said with a sigh.

⠀⠀⠀A knock came at the door, and Elena walked over to open it. Eugene and Peter stood behind the door, talking about Star Wars as they walked inside. Peter was dressed as none other than Luke Skywalker, and Eugene was Han Solo.

⠀⠀⠀"That's cute. You guys did a couple's costume," Bianca cooed with a devilish laugh.

⠀⠀⠀"And you're dressed like normal," Peter retorted, raising a brow.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm the Rock!" Bianca exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

⠀⠀⠀"Isn't he a wrestler?" Peter asked, furrowing his brows. "Why are you dressed like that?"

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, my god! You guys are useless!" Bianca shouted, walking away from them.

⠀⠀⠀"Ignore her," Elena said from behind her, waving her hand. "Just smile and nod."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca sat back on her bed; Eugene sat next to her and rested his head on her shoulder. They watched Peter and Elena kiss, then tease one another relentlessly. It was honestly disgusting to look at.

⠀⠀⠀"I like your costume," Eugene assured his sister quietly.

⠀⠀⠀"Thank you," Bianca said. "I like yours, too."

⠀⠀⠀Eugene smiled and sat up. "So, we're gonna meet your boyfriend tonight, right?"

⠀⠀⠀"Sadly," Bianca sighed, as Elena and Peter took a seat on the floor.

⠀⠀⠀"What do you mean, sadly?" Elena asked, whipping her head towards Bianca.

⠀⠀⠀"We've already been over this. One of you is going to embarrass me tonight!"

⠀⠀⠀"I don't think—"

⠀⠀⠀Another knock on the door. Elena grinned devilishly, running to the front door. Bianca jumped to her feet, following, and tackled her to the floor. Elena squirmed beneath her friend while Bianca pinned her down in the middle of the back.

⠀⠀⠀"Um, hi?" Cal greeted, opening the door when he heard the commotion, and smiled down at the two girls.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey," Eugene and Peter called, like everything was normal.

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, no, it was me who embarrassed me," Bianca muttered to herself, standing to her feet. "Hey," she greeted.

⠀⠀⠀Cal smiled and pecked her lips.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey."

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, cute!" Elena cooed, clutching her hands together, and smiled warmly at them. "I'm Elena. We've met in passing before."

⠀⠀⠀"Right, that first day I met Bianca," Cal remembered, holding his hand out. He turned to Bianca and looked her up and down, then smiled. "The Rock?"

⠀⠀⠀"Yes!" Bianca exclaimed, turning to Elena. "See, he gets me?"

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, you guys were a match made in heaven," Elena sassed, rolling her eyes. "Who are you supposed to be?" she asked Cal.

⠀⠀⠀Cal raised his hand, scratchy penmanship on his palm that read 'Not Penny's Boat.'

⠀⠀⠀"Charlie from Lost?" Bianca asked with a wide smile. "That's probably my favorite show right now?"

⠀⠀⠀"Not Glee?!" Elena exclaimed, resting her hand on her heart.

⠀⠀⠀"No, Lost is league's above Glee," Bianca retorted with a frown.

⠀⠀⠀"Whatever, I'm gonna get my camera, take a photo of you two," Elena claimed and walked away. She returned quickly with the camera in hand. "Alright, smile!"

⠀⠀⠀Cal wrapped his arm around Bianca's shoulder, holding up his hand beside her shoulder, and gave Elena a wide smile. Bianca followed suit, sharing a smile with the camera, just happy to have Cal by her side and her best friends in the room with her.

⠀⠀⠀"Now, say 'happy birthday, Elena!'."

⠀⠀⠀"Happy birthday, Elena!" 

━━━━━━ day 67.

BIANCA AND DARYL kept quiet as they moved through the woods, but had come across nothing. Finally, they passed a rustling, and the two stopped. Bianca readied her sledgehammer over her shoulder, and Daryl followed with his crossbow. They walked Bianca behind Daryl into a small camp. There was a tent that Daryl checked, but came up with nothing. They loosened up a little until Daryl's flashlight raised and shined over a walker swinging in a tree.

⠀⠀⠀"What the hell?" Daryl muttered, stepping forward to a note stapled onto the tree. "Got bit. Fever hit. World gone to shit. Might as well quit."

⠀⠀⠀"Our next Edgar Allan Poe, dead. What a shame," Bianca sighed. She wafted her hand in front of her face as the smell invaded her senses. "Gross, I'm gonna look in the tent."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca held her shirt up to her nose to block out the rancid smell as the walker got restless with them there, livening up the place. She glanced behind her at the walker, then back to the tent as she looked inside for any supplies they might need. There was nothing but a sleeping bag and a crank radio. She left and nodded at Daryl.

⠀⠀⠀He nodded back, pointing up at the walker.

⠀⠀⠀"I guess this is the closest he's been to food since he turned," Daryl explained. "Hangin' up there like a big piñata. The other geeks came and ate all the flesh off his legs."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca looked up, raising a brow as she noticed only bone held on by ligaments.

⠀⠀⠀"Seems so," Bianca nodded, unimpressed. "Can we get movin'? I'm about to throw up."

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, we should probably head back anyway," Daryl nodded. "We've been out here long enough."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca and Daryl walked together silently back and made it within sight of the highway, where they saw Dale and Carol. They stood on the roof, then just Dale. Seeing that they had turned up without Sophia, Carol seemed further disappointed.

⠀⠀⠀"You gonna sleep in the car?" Daryl asked as they got to the traffic barrier.

⠀⠀⠀"We're leavin' in the mornin'. I won't see his stupid, ugly car ever again," Bianca explained, turning to him. "I'm gonna stay."

⠀⠀⠀"Alright," Daryl nodded. "You get into trouble; just holler."

⠀⠀⠀"I will," Bianca assured him with a thin smile.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca stared at Daryl, hesitating, then reluctantly stepped forward. She wrapped her arms around Daryl in a tight hug, overwhelmed by all he had done for her. It wasn't even much, but it was more than she had ever received from her father. She thought it was a strange comparison at first, but in the end, it was true. The recognition she had always wanted from her dad came from Daryl without even asking.

⠀⠀⠀Daryl took a minute, then patted her back awkwardly. It was comforting, even in its most awkward stage. Bianca smiled to herself, then pulled away before he became any more uncomfortable.

⠀⠀⠀"Sorry, okay, good night," Bianca said quickly, giving him a nervous smile.

⠀⠀⠀"Night, kid," Daryl muttered.

AUTHOR'S NOTE —

I have slacked on writing the flashback scenes so I wrote this one today... I'm sorry if it's kind of lame. I didn't get a chance to do a second draft of it.

You might have noticed possible foreshadowing to Cal's whereabouts in this chapter so... ;)

SONG: Savior by Rise Against

Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you'd like. However, this is an all kind of reader safe space. So even if you ghost read or comment every chapter, I hope you know it means the world to me that you've come into this fic ♡ I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and until the next one.