AN: new story not sure how long it will be. Not sure what I'm doing lol. Just wanted to reassure everyone that Neagan will not do anything bad to Carol in this story, he does not play a major role :) let me know what you think. Short chapter to start

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

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Fuck ...it was all going to hell.

Daryl watched as what was supposed to be a simple bank job get shot all to hell. Fuck fuck fuck. He'd had no time to react. No time to stop it.

It had taken him fucking two years to get in deep enough with Neagan's crew for them to trust him enough to take him into the fold. Two fucking years undercover from the FBI. Two years of his life shot to hell, when one of the dumbass idiots had been trigger happy.

They'd come into the bank separately waiting for a sign. His FBI handlers had told him to let the robbery happen, they would be waiting outside the bank. They would scoop up the crew, they'd be separated and Daryl would have his life back. Two fucking years of working with the scum of the earth. His skin, felt dirty just by association. He wasn't sure if he would ever feel clean. He needed out.

It had all gone wrong. Three other customers in line other than Neagan's crew. Simple in and out job. No one had to get hurt.

Simon was a motherfucking idiot, in the midst of the chaos of announcing the robbery he's been trigger happy. One guard had stepped out of line and suddenly bullets were flying. When the dust settled two of the customers were dead, and all of the three guards. The teller had a bullet in his leg and was bleeding heavily. Simon happily walked to the teller and put a bullet in his head.

"Fuck.." Daryl screamed "You idiot, do you know what you've done? We needed the hostages." Daryl had needed them alive. He couldn't save them. Fuck it was another mark on his soul.

Simon smirked stepping away. "We still have her." He nodded motioning to the last hostage. Even now they could hear the sirens of approaching vehicles.

Daryl swung to look at her. She was tiny, delicate features a short pixie cut style to her hair. She was trembling but she was not crying. She was sporting one hell of a old shiner. The bruising was brown and discoloured.

Fuck he wanted to tell her it would be ok. He wanted to tell her no one would hurt her. But he couldn't make that promise. Not at this moment anyway.

"He's right." Neagan stepped forward and put a gun to Simon's head pulling the trigger, watching as Simon fell lifelessly to the ground. "You were an idiot." Neagan smiled, sauntering his way towards the hostage.

Daryl watched her, praying she could keep it together.

"What's your name sweetheart?" Neagan asked his eyes wiggling like a jackass.

She met Daryl's gaze then, as she looked up. Her eyes connecting with Daryl, he tried somehow to convey to her with his eyes he was one of the good guys. He would help her...somehow. To cooperate. Her eyes were like a sucker punch to the gut, he hated the thought that she would be scared of him. Every protective instinct he had came roaring to life. He had now only one job, and it was to protect this woman. If he wasn't mistaken she seemed to nod slightly before answering softly.

"Carol."

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Today was a bad day. Today was a very bad day.

Carol had come to the bank to withdraw as much money as she could from her and Ed's joint account. She had finally decided to get the hell out of the joke of a marriage. She was running away from Ed. She needed to save her child.

She put her hand protectively on her stomach suddenly glad she wasn't showing yet. She'd thought when he had found out things would be different. But they weren't. Carol wondered if Ed was actually trying to cause her to miscarry, the beatings since he found out had only gotten worse.

Now he would know. Ed would know, she'd been prepared to leave. If she made it out of this mess alive he would kill her for sure. She let out a puff of air holding back a sob at the thought of her child, never having a chance, to live. She long ago had stopped caring for herself, but she wanted everything for this child. She needed to be stronger, for her baby.

There was five men holding her hostage. Well it had started with six but the leader had quickly disposed of one he deemed had screwed up.

There was one man, one man that seemed kinder somehow than the rest. One man that had seemed disgusted but the loss of life. She was probably imagining it, but he seemed as though he was trying to convey a message with his eyes. She couldn't help but get the feeling that he would help her.

She made eye contact with him. It was calming, somehow. Taking deep breaths she tried to calm herself.

"Don't cry honey...we'll take real good care of you. You're our ticket out of here." The leader cackled gleefully. Then he barked "Daryl!"

She watched as the man with the kind eyes stepped forward. "Yeah?"

"Take her back to an office or something and tie her up. She's your responsibility now, I gotta work at getting us out of this mess."