Set after "Knots Untie" Season 6, Episode 11

He didn't know why she was the first thing to pop into his head as he held the picture in his hand. Perhaps it was knowing that she would never get to have one of her own ever again. Or perhaps it was the fact that he'd hoped Maggie would never have to go through the same thing she did. Watching Rick raise Judith in this type of environment told Daryl that Glenn and his wife were taking a huge risk going through with this pregnancy, not that there was much to be done about it in their living situation. But he knew that he couldn't watch another mother struggle through the loss of her child again. Not after seeing it crush Carol the way it had.

Daryl Dixon quickly handed the sonogram photo over to Abraham, hoping the tears he felt at the surface would not escape his eyes. He never wanted children of his own, he knew that for sure. But for some reason, whenever he saw a child, particularly Judith, his mind immediately went to Carol. He knew deep down that it had something to do with perhaps the feeling of guilt he had. He knew it was not his fault, but he hated that he wasn't able to do more for Sophia. He hated that he wasn't able to save Carol from that heartbreak of having to watch her daughter, turned, shot in the head by someone she trusted her whole life with.

As Abraham finally handed the photo back to Glenn and Maggie, Daryl couldn't help but remember Carol shaking in his arms as he held her in mourning the day it happened. A part of him wanted to shout so everyone in the RV could hear him warning the expecting couple to make sure they knew they could handle protecting their unborn child, but the other part of him told him that he had no right. Just like he had no right to criticize Carol just a couple days after losing her daughter. But he just knew that he couldn't bare the sight of seeing another mother lose their child.

*Three Hours Later*

Daryl stood outside the church, kicking at the ground after hearing Rick's speech to the people of Alexandria about helping out at the hilltop in order to be paid in food, shelter, and peace from the other civilization of people nearby. He bent down, picking up a rock and holding it in his hand for a few seconds. The dark haired man stroked the rock with his thumb, feeling its rough but smooth surface.

"Hey."

He jumped at the soft voice behind him. Looking back down at the ground after turning around and seeing who it was he replied. "Hey."

There was a small silence between them before she finally spoke again. "What are you doing out here?"

He hesitated before answering. "You're the one that should be in there. I already know all the details. I was with them, remember?"

"Yes, of course. But still, what are you doing out here all alone?" Carol wondered.

"I don't know." Daryl turned around and threw the rock as far as he could, letting out a small grunt. "Just thinking, I guess."

"About what?" She leisurely sat down on the church steps, faintly hearing Rick's voice from inside the church doors behind her.

He picked up one more rock and threw it without an answer. Carol decided not to repeat the question as she read his body language stating that he didn't want to answer. Not right away at least. She looked around at the empty town and crossed her arms, resting them on her knees as they were perked up to her chest on the small staircase. "It's a beautiful day today."

"Oh yeah! It's a real wonderful day!" Daryl suddenly snapped, throwing a third rock and turning to face her. "Why don't we all just go out and have a picnic with these new bastards and pretend everything's hunky-dory just because it's a beautiful day out?" He asked sarcastically.

Carol squinted her eyes at him as she just listened to his frustration before responding. "I didn't mean it like that, Daryl. I just meant-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You just meant that the weather was nice and the trees were green and the birds are flying free without a goddamn care in the world. Well, what about me, Carol? Huh? What about us?"

"What about us?" She put a hand on the railing, pulling herself to stand up.

"What about the fact that we're dying here? What about the fact that there are others out there who could be all alone and they haven't been in another human's presence since this all began and we're here still-" He seized talking when he finally noticed that he was beginning to shout and he tried his best to calm down as he waited for her to speak now.

"Still what, Daryl?" She asked.

"It just bothers me that there could be people out there, totally and completely alone who would die to have a community like we do and we're here still fighting with other humans when what we should be doing is coming together to help and protect each other!" He lowered his voice and Carol took a step down to the last stair.

She didn't say anything for awhile as a small grin formed on her lips. He noticed and relaxed a bit more. "Thank you, Daryl."

Caught off-guard, it took him a moment to reply. "For what?"

Her smile grew a bit wider. "For showing me the person who you really are."

"The person I really am?"

She took one last step down, onto the ground, looking up at him and he stared down at her. Their closeness threw him off a bit as he suddenly felt something he'd never felt in his life. His stomach tensed up as the butterflies started out light and grew heavier as her hands reached up to grab his face.

"The person beneath the man who refuses to show emotion everytime he's forced to kill." It wasn't until she finished saying it that she felt his hands around her waist.

She looked deeply into his eyes as he looked down at the ground below them. She slowly tilted his head up, needing him to look into her eyes as well and he obeyed.

"Carol." He basically whispered and shivers ran throughout her body.

A lump rose in her throat and she began to lean in, pulling his face down to hers. Just as their lips were about to touch, the church doors swung open and they pushed each other away seeing the crowd of people descending the stairs and walking in between them. They weakly smiled at each other for a second before he turned and left.

The childless, formerly abused widow let out a loud sigh, just now realizing that she had been holding her breath ever since the moment he held her waist and she found herself breathing heavily. For some reason she felt a bit queasy and the swarm of people leaving the church in front of her as she stared at Daryl walking away seemed to make it worse. Did that really just happen? Could she have been falling for him this whole time and not even noticed until their bodies touched so gently and intimately?

How could this even happen, she wondered. They were from two different worlds before everything happened. They never would've even met if it weren't for the damned dead rising. A part of her believed it too good to be true, especially in a time like this. But perhaps it was each other's absences that could have pulled them so much closer in seeing each other again. She couldn't tell, but she just knew that she wasn't ashamed at all. And she now wanted it more than anything.

*That Night*

Daryl sat in the grass, drinking a beer and looking up at the stars. He had been thinking about that all day. For some reason, he had a feeling for awhile now that something like this could happen between them. But he never thought it'd be romantic. He expected it to just be pure sexuality and nothing more. At least from his end. Maybe she'd be a normal female and fall for him even if he had no known feelings for her. They were getting closer and closer as friends and for awhile he felt that she was the only one there for him or at least the only one he could trust and talk to. But never did he see himself falling for her. If he had, that was.

Maybe that feeling in his stomach was just his adrenaline rush slowing down from being so angry all of a sudden and walking out during Rick's speech. Or maybe it was just subconscious excitement from seeing his best friend for the first time in a while. He couldn't tell anymore. But he could tell that something else was happening in her mind at the time too. Did she feel the same way? He had no clue.

He heard a throat clear behind him and he stood, turning around with his knife quickly out of his pocket and ready. Upon seeing who it was, he calmly put the knife back and stood awkwardly as Carol spoke.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to talk." She looked up at the sky, smiling at all the constellations and remembering teaching them to Carl, whom she recently witnessed talking to Judith about them. Daryl slowly nodded, not looking her in the eye and he turned around, sitting down again. "May I join you?"

"Um, uh, sure?" His tone didn't sound so sure as he said it, but she sat immediately whether he was or not.

Carol looked up at the sky as Daryl took another sip of his beer. "I would say it was a beautiful night, but you'd probably start yelling at me again." She joked with a small laugh that sent goosebumps down Daryl's neck. She noticed his lack of response to the remark and his complete avoidance to look directly at her.

"After you left today, I found something-"

"Look, Carol." He interrupted. "I'm not so sure where this is going or what happened earlier today, but you should know that I've never...I've never been in a serious relationship before and I'm not positive that starting one during the whole zombie apocalypse thing is such a good idea."

"Oh." Was all that escaped her lips and she sat in shock as that came out of nowhere.

"I love you, Carol. I don't know how you feel, but I consider you family and I'm gonna be honest with you when I say that I'm not so sure we should be anything more than good friends."

"Daryl?" They heard someone coming up from behind them. "Daryl!" Rick repeated as he approached.

"What is it?" The man with long dark hair asked.

"We've got a problem." Daryl stood immediately to follow Rick back to center of town.

Carol sat there alone, looking back up at the stars as her eyes filled with tears. She shook her head before setting down something she held in her hands before she stood. Staring down at the object on the ground, she sniffled and spoke to herself as if Daryl could hear her. "I just wanted to tell you I found this." She whispered, wiping away a stray tear before heading toward the ruckus she heard.

As she left, there it lay in the cold grass, free and alone, the wind carrying it away to a place unknown. The Cherokee Rose was gone.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa!" Rick stepped into the circle that was formed near the RV they had rode back into town with. "Hold it!" He yelled, trying to calm everyone.

"How can we trust these people when they're stealing from us?" Denise yelled back.

"We're not stealing anything from you!" The man who apparently called himself 'Jesus' shouted.

"Then explain the missing food in our pantry! It's not like we weren't low enough on supplies and now we have to go work for you?" Another angry townsperson added.

"Calm down!" Rick said once more. "Now, listen! We don't know who stole from us, but it don't matter."

"What do you mean 'it don't matter?' How can we trust them to give us what we were promised when they're gonna go ahead and steal from us anyway?" Denise jumped in again.

"We made a deal! Alright? And besides, we're all survivors! We can get through anything! You know that!" The former sheriff encouraged.

"I'm not going anywhere with them." Eugene glared at Jesus.

"Neither am I," said another Alexandria veteran.

"What's going on?" A late Carol wondered aloud when she finally joined the small riot.

"Some food was taken from the pantry. Everyone is blaming Jesus and his friends." Maggie whispered beside her.

"Why would they steal from us if you said that they have more food than we do?" Carol asked in confusion.

"They didn't." Glenn whispered as well. "They're just new, so everyone's gonna blame them first."

They sat and listened to more complaints and accusations as well as arguments between Jesus and Denise before Carol finally spoke up. "Guys! Guys!" Everyone quieted down. "We shouldn't be yelling at each other. If anything we should come together and try to help one another. Look at what's happening out there! People are dying. We're surviving. Now why is that?" No one answered. "Because everyone in this town, well...almost everyone, stuck together. And look where we are. People go out on their own and they last maybe, what? Two days? Three days? We need to help one another. Humans aren't the enemy. Walkers are and the best way to defeat them is to help each other. Not try and kill each other."

It was silent for a moment and her eyes found Daryl's across the town circle from her. She looked down at the ground and hoped someone would speak soon.

"She's right." Sasha broke the silence.

"Did you hear that?" Carl whispered to Enid in a far corner of the circle.

"Hear what?" She asked.

Carl looked around behind him as he listened carefully. Through the dark shadows, he swore he saw a bit of movement.

"Hear what?" Enid repeated.

"Shhh…" He put a finger up. Not trusting his only good eye, he turned to the group. "Hey, everyone! Quiet!" He made his way to the center of the circle to his father. He whispered. "I heard something. Over there." He pointed to a solemn tree beyond the townspeople.

Rick put his finger over his mouth, gesturing to everyone to stay silent and he pulled out his gun. Michonne slowly took out her Katana and held it firmly in hand as she nodded to Daryl who also got his gun ready. He desperately hoped for his crossbow back as he followed the two of them toward the other side of the group. Carol took a knife from her pocket and began to follow. When Daryl noticed, he put a hand behind him, demanding her to stop and she glared at him from behind.

The suspense grew and grew the closer the three got to the outside of the gathering of people, Rick in the front and Michonne and Daryl behind him on either side like his backup singers. At this time, anyone else with a weapon had theirs out and ready, but stayed put and as silent as possible.

Finally reaching the middle of the road, Rick stopped, watching carefully and listening with as much intent as possible. Michonne and Daryl looked around either side and both of their weapons slowly lowered. "Rick?" Michonne said.

"Shhh…" Grimes demanded and Daryl and Michonne shot eyes to each other.

"Rick, there's nothing-" Daryl began.

"No, no. Shhh…" Rick whispered.

Finally, after twenty seconds or so, he began to leisurely lower his gun as well. He turned around, looking at Carl who shrugged his shoulders. "I swore I heard something."

Suddenly, they all heard it and soon they saw a young girl shooting out from behind the large tree, sprinting down the road with a bag on her back. Clearly realizing she must've been the one stealing from them, Rick ran after her. Daryl followed as well as Abraham and Carl. Michonne stayed back, letting her sword down and watching them chase after the stranger with a sigh. Maggie and Glenn began to run as well, but Michonne stopped them. "They've got this." She said before turning to face Mags. "Besides, I don't think you need to be running right now." Maggie nodded once and looked down the street, seeing their figures slowly fade into the distance. The street lights were dull and clearly in need of a light bulb change soon, so they couldn't see very well as they heard a struggle down the block.

A loud grunt came from Rick and another from the strange girl. "Let me go!" She shouted, just close enough to be heard by the group of residents. "Get off me!"

"Who are you?" Rick shouted at her.

The group heard no answer, but soon they saw them returning with the thief's hands held behind her back by Rick as Daryl pointed his gun at her. They led her to the center of the gathered group of people and Rick forced her to her knees. "Ow!" She exclaimed upon hitting the pavement.

Everyone finally had a good look at her. She was very dirty, but they could still make out a darker skin tone. Her physical features and tan complexion made it hard for anyone to recognize her ethnicity as well as her extremely long, dark, and thick hair which seemed Brazilian, but not quite. "Who are you?" Rick asked her one more time.

She finally spoke, shaking beneath his tight grip on her hands. "My name is Evelyn."

"How did you get beyond the walls?" He wondered.

At first, she didn't answer, but soon she gave in. "I jumped over by climbing the trees."

"Did you steal from our pantry?"

She nodded, fear forming in her eyes as she looked around at the people staring down at her. "Rick." Carol stepped forward.

He ignored her. "Did you take anything else? Any weapons? Clothing?"

No answer.

"Rick!" Carol said again, a bit louder.

"Did you take anything else?" He repeated. Tears emerged in the stranger's eyes and she shook her head no. "Are you alone?"

"Rick!"

"Carol!" He shouted at her and she immediately looked up to Daryl who still pointed his gun at the young girl. "Are you alone!?" The former sheriff shouted once again.

"Yes!" The hostage screamed as tears finally escaped her green orbs. Her voice shook, Carol scowled at Daryl who stared blankly back at her with the gun aimed at the outsider's head. It was as if they had a conversation right then and there, but with no words. She was begging him to stop Rick as the girl was clearly scared and he was explaining to her that they had to do this. Upon recognizing the look on his face, she rolled her eyes and looked back to Rick.

"Rick, please. Is the gun really necessary?"

"I don't know, Carol. Is it? Maybe we could ask Evelyn." He looked down at the newcomer. "Is the gun necessary?"

"Dad." Carl also noticed the fear in the visitor's eyes. His father looked up at him and he shook his head no.

After thinking about it for a second, Grimes nodded to Daryl who put the gun back in his back pocket while staring at a clearly furious Carol. Finally calm, Rick put his gun away as well while he apologized. "I'm sorry. We had to make sure."

It was quiet for what seemed like forever before Carol rolled her eyes and walked over to help the frightened girl stand.

"Are you okay?" She asked, while still frowning at Daryl and Rick.

"Yeah." Evelyn nodded. "I'm fine."

"How old are you?' The older woman asked with a gentle and kind voice.

"Fifteen." She sniffled.

"Fifteen? And you're all alone?" The cold grimace on her face grew even colder upon hearing the poor child's age and she never let go of her hand. After Evelyn nodded, Carol asked another question. "How long have you been alone?" The teen shrugged.

"About two years or so. I think?"

There was an audible gasp from the crowd and a couple mumbles as Carol continued to peacefully ask her more questions. "Two years? How did you survive all by yourself? Where have you been all this time?"

"I-uh...I found a treehouse out in the woods. After my big brother died, I ran from those things and climbed up when I saw it. Apparently they can't climb." More mumbling began amongst the crowd and she grew nervous again.

"What did you do for food and water?" Maggie stepped forward and asked her.

"I began to learn things about them...like how they followed sound and eventually, they left the tree once they heard something. So, I climbed down when there were none and I'd go out and find food."

"Where's this treehouse of yours?" Sasha wondered.

"I don't know. It's pretty far from here."

"How'd you find this town?" Michonne asked.

"I was out near the road and I heard that." She pointed to the RV. "I followed it and waited till night to sneak in. I got pretty good at climbing trees." She weakly smiled, but it quickly disappeared.

"Have you been able to clean at all?" Carol wondered, trying not to make it obvious that the young teen carried a strong stench on her. She shook her head no and Carol took her by the hand. "Alright, well. Come with me." Just before leading her up to one of the houses, she stopped and glared at Rick and Daryl once more as she shouted to everyone. "There! You can all go home now! We caught the big, bad thief!" Everyone awkwardly looked down and she grabbed Evelyn's shoulder, while still holding her hand, and led her to a nice bathroom.