you'd been abandoned, hurt, more times than you could count. But that was before this whole mess. so many people had hurt a child, yet that child lives to tell the tale and those people do not. Eaten alive by Walkers. You'd be lying if you said it didn't bring ease along with the guilt.

Daryl Dixon was a cold man. He had shut himself out from people, because he had lost far too many.

Daryl hated the guilt. It felt as if there was a black hole in the pit of his chest that gnawed at his ribcage and rattled his bones. He got that feeling a lot when he saw Maggie. he couldn't protect Beth for her.

Daryl didn't talk a lot about his past. Only a couple people truly knew of the abuse he'd endured at the hand of his father after his brother left. This enforced Daryl's feeling that he would not be a good father. He would turn into a drunk like his father.

Carol had just seen it in him. she could see that he was a survivor like herself, that's why they were best friends. He didn't have to talk about it for her to know.

Daryl had scars, proof of what he'd been through. Something he had in common with you. the cigarette burns and cuts - maybe from broken glass or a weapon in the hand of someone gone manic.

you were hardened, cold. And it was easy to be that way. Easier than being abandoned.

when you lot had arrived at Alexandria and Rick began to trust the place enough to have the group sleep in different houses, you didn't know where to go.

you were still a kid more or less, 15. And you hadn't really built bonds with anyone. But you didn't want to be so overtly alone. so when Rick suggested you just take a room in the house Daryl would claim, you didn't fight it.

a lot had happened since then, you and Daryl still didn't talk much, but now Rick was rebuilding Alexandria.

Daryl saw something in you. Himself. It worried him.

Daryl knew his tendencies and didn't want you to fall into a hole of isolation so young, and felt this instinct to protect you. Protect you like someone should have protected him.