GIVEN TO FLY [Daryl Dixon]

I.

CHAPTER ONE
[ the camp ]

"I won't go if you don't want me to," Glenn had told her before he left. "I'll stay if you need me to."

"They need you more than I do," she told him. "They won't survive ten minutes in the city without you."

"Are you sure?"

"Go." She took both of his hands in hers and squeezed them. "Go. They need you. I'll be here when you get back."

"Okay." He nodded and squeezed her hands back. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I know." She dropped his hands and instead wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. "Be careful."

"Always."

Now, it is way past when they should have been back, and Mercedes Vargas is worried sick about Glenn Rhee. She is every time he goes out on runs, but this time he'd taken a group, and it's taking him longer. They should've been back by now.

He'd taken Andrea, Merle, Jacqui, Morales, and T-Dog along with him, and she knows it's them that is slowing him down or getting him killed.

She paces around the little camp like a nutcase for hours, not even bothering to take her bow when she goes farther than Dale can see. When she returns to camp, she comes across Shane, who appears to be waiting for her.

"Hey, where the hell've you been?" He demands, making her roll her eyes.

"I went for a walk," is her only explanation.

"C'mon, Misty. You know you gotta stay close."

"Just fuck off, Shane," she spits at him, angry, but also tired. After fifty or so days in this camp, she is completely and entirely over his over-bearing protective crap. And that's what it is— crap. Because he doesn't give a shit about her, not really. He doesn't even know her. "I am not your responsibility. I am not yours to protect. So get off my damn back."

"Look, I know you're havin' a hard time, with losin' Addie—"

"Don't." Her eyes burn with rage, with the pain of her loss. "Don't you ever fuckin' use her to win an argument."

She brushes past him, her hand clutching the necklace at her chest— a locket, with only one side holding a photograph. The picture is of her daughter, of Adelita, with Glenn. Both Addie and Glenn both have an identical one, with pictures of Misty and Glenn, and Misty and Addie, respectfully.