Author's Notes: This is a piece for Kelsey, who makes my lovely story covers. She'd requested a very specific prompt and I've fufilled it as best as I can. Changed a few minor details, to fit my headcanon, but I hope I did it justice. I know Axel isn't like he is portrayed here, especially with the events of the latest episode, but let's just pretend!

Thank you for reading.

He'd been in the yard when he'd heard her scream. Recognised that voice anywhere. It was far away, muffled by walls or something, but he knew it was her.

He'd been at the outside fence with Tyreese and Ben, working on fixing up any gaps and weaknesses. Rick taking off on some stupid quest to find some guy on a radio had hit them hard, only 12 hours after the fact. He'd taken Carl with him, leaving the prison with two less men. Michonne had gone too, vowing to keep an eye on the pair, telling Daryl she would be sure to bring them back, but Daryl wasn't inclined to trust her. She had a long way to go before she'd earned that.

So they were forced to accept Tyreese's group, to let them help. It hadn't been a decision he'd wanted to make, but it was his decision all the same. Everyone seemed to look to him now and he'd been unhappy with it. But still, he'd do it if taking charge kept them all alive.

"Shit!" He dropped the pliers he'd been holding and scooped up his crossbow, taking off in the direction of Carol's scream. His leg still hurt him, he was nowhere near as fast as he'd have liked but he pushed through the pain, desperate to find her.

"Hershel!" He screamed, spotting the old man hobbling on his crutches towards the watch tower. Behind him he could see Axel running into the opposite direction.

"It was Axel! He's done something." The old man panted out. But Daryl didn't stop to look at Axel, who went into the shadows of the building, instead he tore open the door to the watch tower, swinging against the frame and stopped as his eyes adjusted to the dark staircase.

"Daryl." Carol's voice was hardly a whisper but just as he took a step up, he realised it was closer than he thought.

She gripped the railing tightly, holding herself up with both hands and she was only three steps from the bottom.

"What the fuck happened?" He shouldered the crossbow, walked up to meet her. There was a trail of blood dripping from her nose, pooling on her lip, the corner swollen and red.

"Axel. I don't know...we argued and I tripped, I fell down the stairs. My head..." She winced, lifted a hand off the railing and pressed her palm to the side of her head.

"Fuck." He hissed. "C'mon." He wrapped an arm around her waist and the door opened again, Hershel standing in the entrance.

"Maggie and Glenn are going to look for him. He's taken off into A block."

"A block isn't safe." Carol said immediately. "Don't let them go there."

"They'll be fine. Gotta get that fuckin' freak. Get you inside, then I'm goin' too." Daryl told her as they made their way slowly across the yard.

"No. No! Just leave it! We can't risk anymore lives. Just leave him."

The others had gathered up by the time they'd gotten into the cell block and Daryl left her on the bed for Hershel to deal with.

"We couldn't find him. He's setting himself up to get bit." Glenn was out of breath, still struggling with the injuries Merle had inflicted upon him in Woodbury. Daryl didn't like to look at him too close.

"We can't afford to go huntin' him down right now. Is somebody on watch?" Maggie asked, waving to her sister, who was outside Carol's cell, cradling the baby. Beth moved up towards them. "What did he even do?"

Daryl shook his head. "She ain't said much. Arguin' 'bout somethin', she said she fell down the stairs. Reckon he mighta pushed her."

"He's been hitting on her." Beth's voice was quiet, ashamed almost. "He - He tried with me. I didn't tell Daddy." She shot Maggie a look. "Carol told him off. Carl told me. He, he said something about thinking she was a lesbian and when he found out she wasn't...we heard her say no, me and Carl. He's still trying."

His jaw clenched and he found himself practically spitting in rage. How dare he? How dare that fucking piece of shit think he could even dream of putting his hands on Carol? On any of the women in the prison. He was dead. He didn't give a fuck about the risks of going into the unknown. Axel was a dead man.

"Go get someone on watch. I'm gonna see how she's doin'."

It was a feeling of deja-vu, to be in the cell with her and the old man, except it was her turn to be tended to. The blood was gone from her face, the swollen corner of her lip the only trace of any mishap.

"You'll be fine, just keep up and about for the rest of the day, just so we know there isn't any concussion." Hershel gave her a squeeze on the shoulder and looked at Daryl, gave him a nod before leaving them to it.

Last time he'd been alone with her, he'd kissed her. Didn't really know where the urge had come from. Well, he'd been thinking on him and her for a while, a long while, but never even gotten round to thinking about doing something about it. She'd taken him by surprise, when by now she really shouldn't.

The way she'd just talked to Merle, accepted him, like it was easy for her, when it was the hardest thing he ever had to do, deciding whether his brother lived or died. It meant everything to him, for her to be like that. Kissing her seemed like the only he could think to do, to show her that.

But he'd been thankful for the interruption though, because he hadn't a clue what he was going to do after the kissing was done with.

"You alright?" He asked, sitting on the corner of the bunk, bending his head to fit under the bunk.

She nodded, bit her lip. "I'm fine. Just bruised my head, my back a bit. Can't seem to stop getting into mishaps lately." She smiled ruefully.

"Shoulda told me he was givin' you shit." He told her gruffly.

"I can handle Axel."

Daryl snorted. "Don't look like it."

"I don't think he meant for it to happen. He tried to kiss me. I pushed him away and he got irritated. Called me some names. Worse has happened."

Daryl's fists balled up at his sides and she leant over and placed her hand over one. Rubbed her thumb along his chapped and red knuckles.

"I got a few choice words of my own in. He went to grab me again, as I went for the stairs, and I kicked him. Got him good. In the shin." She let out a tiny laugh and he just looked at her incredulously. "I screamed. I knew that you weren't far away and I figured he knew it too. That it would scare him enough into backing off. He did. Went to run down the stairs and I blocked his path and I don't even know how, but I just ended up near the bottom and he was jumping over me and running off."

"Fuckin' bastard." Daryl spat out viciously.

"Look, it's fine. Everything's fine, right?" She gave his hand a squeeze and swung her legs off the worn mattress so that they sat side by side. But it wasn't fine. Axel was a liability. Could've very well have killed Carol. Hurt her in other ways. Ways that brought a lump to his throat.

"We've got to focus on the more important things, right? Us." His heart leapt at that. What did she mean by "us"? The group? The pair of them? "I mean, we're down three people, we need to protect this place." She clarified.

"Yeah. I know." He looked down at her hand, resting on his fist, the way her fingers stroked in that soothing way of hers. He relaxed his fingers and she slid hers in between his.

"Maybe Merle could help you. On watch or something."

He shook his head at that. "No. He stays in the cage."

Carol sighed, but didn't argue. "I'll go and put some dinner together."

Didn't she ever just listen? The woman was terrible at taking it easy. Always insisted on keeping her hands busy. It drove him fucking insane sometimes. Especially because he knew he was just as bad. They couldn't both be fidgeting like crazy.

"You're supposed to be takin' it easy." He told her sternly as she stood up, pulling him up with her.

"No, I'm supposed to not fall unconscious." She gave him a grin and let go of his hand, putting her own on the small of her back and rubbing it. "I'll see you later. Just forget about Axel, alright?" She waited for him to nod an affirmative and then she was gone.

But he couldn't stop thinking about it. How could he just let a pervert like that wonder free? Sure, Axel was pretty useless when it cames to weapons and Walkers, but what if he got free? Came back into the block when he had his back turned and wanted to finish what he started. Or made it to Woodbury. Gave away valuable information. He doubted that the idiot could get that far, but it wasn't a risk they could afford to take.

But it was dark already and too dangerous to go through the prison alone. No, he would have to wait until morning.

He took first watch after dinner. Didn't take his eyes off the window the entire time. There was no way Axel was going to slip by unnoticed. Hershel had volunteered for the second watch and took Ben with him and Daryl was glad to be relieved. His ankle still throbbed like a bitch and he hadn't had a chance to talk to Merle since the morning.

When he limped past his brother's cell, Merle was out cold, spread eagled on the bunk and snoring lightly. He got a good look at his brother's stump, the cover he wore lay on the floor and the skin around the base was puckered and raw, making him wince.

He'd gone to check on Carol, but as he did, he caught sight of a shadow in the higher up, where he bunked down for the night and he recognised the shadow as Carol's.

"Hey." He whispered, so as not to scare her and she turned around to look at him. There wasn't much light, just the moon, streaming through the bars.

"Hey. Sorry. Couldn't sleep. Didn't want to wake Judith with my tossing and turning." She leant up against the bars as he limped up the steps, one hand still on her lower back.

"What's up?" He put the crossbow against the wall, slumped onto his little pile of thread bare blankets and gestured for her to do the same.

"Nothing. Just couldn't sleep. My back is sore...I don't know. Nightmares, I guess. It's stupid." She shook her head at her own words but came a little closer to him.

"Sit down." He told her gruffly, grasped her wrist to tug her down. She lowered herself gingerly and he noticed she was barefoot, not even wearing socks. Her feet must have been freezing on the bare concrete. He picked up the first blanket he could reach as soon as her ass hit the floor, his poncho, threw it over her legs.

Carol's mouth twisted into a smile, marred by the swollen lip, but it made his stomach flutter all the same.

"Where?"

"What?" Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Where does it hurt?" He cleared his throat. He could feel himself getting a little nervous, even though he hadn't done anything yet. But he knew what he was about to offer to do.

"Oh. The bottom." She rubbed her hand over the base of her spine to demonstrate.

"Turn around. Lie down on your side." She looked at him warily but did as he asked, slowly shuffling herself down the pile of blankets and resting on her side, tucking an arm under her head.

He waited for her to settle completely, before he pulled his knife from his belt, pushed it aside and lay beside her, facing her back. His fingers were slow at first, tentative, but he soon found a rhythm, pressing his hands into her skin, trying to relieve the soreness from her spine.

She shifted a little and he knew it was the discomfort that she'd ride through to find the relief and as he pressed on a particularly sore spot, a gasp escaped from her lips, sending her body arching forward. He chased her back, closing his hand over her hip and hooking a foot over her knee, drawing her body back closer to his.

Eventually the gasps wore off, her body stilled and he knew that his fingers had done the job of taking the worst of the soreness away.

He slowed to a stop, let his hand rest back on her hip and she let out a sigh.

"I know what I said earlier but I'm frightened he'll come back. Not for me, for Beth. And if he'll stoop as low as a young girl like Beth, what about Judith?". Carol's words were barely a whisper, so hushed that if his face hadn't been inches from the back of her head, he wouldn't have heard them.

"He ain't comin' back. I'll be takin' care of him at first light. I promise." He murmured back, tightening his hand on her flesh.

Carol turned her head, over her shoulder. Bent her arm back and cupped his jaw, ran her thumb over his bottom lip.

"I know. You always take care of things." She smiled again. He loved her smiles. Loved that he seemed to get them more than anyone else. Loved that some of them no-one else got to see but him.

"Get some rest." He told her. "Fuck knows when we'll get some again." He felt her shift under his palm, sitting up. That was not what he meant. He dug his fingers into her hip, hooked his foot a little tighter around her knee, hoping that it would be enough for her to get the hint. He didn't know if he could quite come out and say it.

But she did get it. Stopped her fussing to scoot back a few inches and press herself right into him, her ass settled right up at his stomach and it seemed the fluttering inside reached fever pitch. Once he was sure she wasn't going anywhere, he let go of her hip, leant down and pulled the blanket that pooled around her feet up over her stomach.

He hesitated for a second, wondering if it was acceptable to slid his hand back under the blanket and onto her. He hated that he always felt so nervous when it came to shit like this.

But Carol took the decision away from him, pulled her hand out of the blanket and grasped his wrist, pulled his arm right over her waist.

Her hair ticked his lips and he took a deep breath, inhaled a scent that was innately her and forced himself to relax.

It wasn't until he felt her body slacken and he was sure she was asleep, that he let himself close his eyes and get to sleep himself.

She wasn't there when he woke up. He'd heard the baby in the night, crying for a feed and she'd just nudged him to go back to sleep muttering something about Beth taking the shift. Not long later, closer to dawn, he'd heard the key turn in the lock of the cell block door, someone switching over watch and not long later, the baby cried once more and by the time his eyes had adjusted, she was gone.

He'd rolled over into her empty spot, basked in the warmth her body had left behind. Took a moment to enjoy the peace. There was a clang of metal against metal. Merle was awake. And he wore his shit-eating grin, the one Daryl hated more than anything.

"Thought I heard that perch o' yours a-rockin' last night." Merle leaned on the bars, forehead resting on one.

"Fuck off, Merle." He scowled, taking a glance back as his sleeping spot. He hadn't figured on it being in full view of his brother's cell.

"Where you been, bro? Ain't seen ya yesterday."

"I was busy. Got shit to do 'round here." He tugged on his vest, then twisted his ankle experimentally. It was better than it had been. Still sore, still not ready to run on. Had to count on being stealthy to find Axel.

"What this I hear 'bout that lil' con takin' a chunk outta your lady?"

"He's gonna get his. Keep ya self quiet, yeah? 'Cause I ain't gonna be here to stop one of 'em if you piss 'em off." He told Merle, gave him a firm look that meant business. His brother didn't have much to say, just scoffed and pushed off the bars, slumped against the bottom bunk.

Daryl's hand toyed at the knife at his hip. He'd gone and put two on that morning. Had gotten out the second from his pack. Didn't normally do that, but he'd done it anyway. There had been an instinct.

He tried to push Carol's words out of his mind. Didn't want her to be right on this. Didn't want to take the risk when it came to Merle. So he pushed on, even though he knew, just knew, that if he turned back down the bottom of the corridor, she'd be there, watching him. Silently urging him on. To trust Merle.

He shook it off and headed out the block, stopped and turned to Merle. "You even wanna be here?" He asked. Because Merle had been all about the group not wanting him there. About wanting Daryl with him, but he'd never said whether or not he wanted to be in the prison.

Merle shrugged. "Ain't got nothin' better goin', have I? 'Sides, you ain't movin' nowhere."

"No, I ain't."

"Then there ya have it." Merle gave him another smile. But this one was different. This one was a real one, one he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Fuck it." Daryl muttered, tugging the keys off his belt. "You fuck this up Merle, I swear to God, I will put the bolt in your head myself." He wrenched Merle's cell door open and his big brother didn't hesitate to walk past him, right out the cell block.

He couldn't resist turning back and as he did, Carol turned away, the baby in her arms as she moved back into her cell.

He tugged the knife out of his holster, shoved at Merle. "We're goin' to get Axel. Geeks are everywhere in that part of the prison."

"Best trackers in Georgia, fucker ain't gonna get away from the Dixon brothers." Merle grinned once more, nudged his shoulder, like they were brothers, real brothers, who had each other's backs.

His ankle hurt with every step he took. It took all his energy to focus on walking properly, to not show Merle how it hurt. He kept silent, gripped the strap of the crossbow and gritted his teeth, as they stalked silently through the black corridors.

It was the only time Merle was ever silent. When they stalked out their prey. And for all Merle's usual bluster, he was completely silent everytime he took out another Walker, no jeering, no crowing.

It had to have been past midday and there still wasn't any sign of him. Nothing. Plenty of Walker bodies lay behind them, but they were coming towards the second yard and still no trace.

"Dumb ass probably bit it already. Didn't look like the type tha' could handle hisself." Merle muttered eventually, checking the final cell on the block.

"Don't matter. Don't leave business unfinished."

"Ain't got nothin' to do with the fact that it was Carol he put the moves on?" Merle asked slyly.

"Why you interested in me an' her?" Daryl snapped, twisting back to look at his brother in the dark. "It ain't nothin' to do with you."

"She's the reason we're here, so she's got a lot t'do with me."

"Just keep away from her, a'right? For some goddamned reason, she ain't writin' you off like everyone else, so don't mess it up."

"She's a firecracker, that one. Don't remember her bein' like that. You must be rubbin' off on her as well as rubbin' on her." Merle let out a cackle at his own pathetic joke and Daryl felt his lip curl in disdain.

As much as he loved him, he really did loathe Merle.

He was just about to chew him out for it, tell him that they'd head back for lunch and trick him back into the cells when they both heard the scuffle coming from behind the next set of doors.

They gave each other look. Recognised it as a human noise. It took one nod for them to charge for the door.

They saw Axel's back as he turned in the opposite direction. Merle was faster, much faster, what with his fucked up ankle. And it seemed Axel, as weasely as he was, could run pretty quickly when he had to. He'd lost sight of both him and Merle, had to double back more than once.

But then there was the hollow cry of a man in agony, the sound of bones crunching and he knew Merle had caught up to him.

Axel's face was bloody and Merle sat atop his hunched body, using his metal covered stump to beat the shit out of the other man. There was a final cry and Axel passed out, just as Daryl caught up to them.

"Hey!" He pushed Merle aside. "Cool it, Merle."

But Merle didn't even look like he'd heard him. He stood up, booted a foot in the unconscious man's stomach and looked at Daryl expectantly. "Man, this is the fucker who laid hands on your woman. Take you revenge, brother." He spread his arms, like Axel was a prize laid out and presented for him.

But Daryl wasn't watching Merle. He watched Axel, the shallow rise and fall of his chest. Saw the mark on his forearm, red and deep. "He's been bit." He bent down, inspected it further. "It's pretty fresh." He dropped his hand to his hip, pulled out of his knife. He didn't wait, just rammed it home, right through Axel's temple, it squelched free and Merle let out a groan.

"What the fuck was that? I saw he'd been bit. Man deserves to fuckin' suffer. Ya supposed to take ya revenge." He was scornful, sent another kick at Axel, inches from Daryl and he shot up, holstered the knife.

Fucking Merle. Couldn't keep a good thing going in his life. They'd spent the best part of the day like it was the old times, where Daryl could forget all the shit that was going on. But Merle was still Merle. Still untrustworthy. Hell bent on causing pain. On getting revenge. None of them were safe.

"Ain't 'bout revenge. It's 'bout finishin' up business. Keepin' them all safe." He gave Axel's body one last look. "Come on. I'm starvin'."

He'd let him back in the block freely. Let him up in the cafeteria too, shoved a bowl of Carol's soup his way and sat by him as they wolfed it down. They were alone, the soup cold. Merle didn't stop his chat, it was like he had to make up for the day that was spent tracking in silence. Didn't seem to care that all the answers he got back were one worded.

In the end, it was easy to lock Merle back up. He'd followed behind as his big brother went back into the cell to pick up his shirt and he quickly slammed the door, locking it quickly.

"What the fuck is this all about?" Merle snarled, throwing himself uselessly at the bars, reaching out to try and grab him.

"You think that's enough?" Daryl jerked his head towards A block. "That came easy to you. It ain't 'bout revenge anymore, but you don't see shit. Time you started earnin' some of this fuckin' respect you want so damned much."

Merle yelled and cussed him out, but Daryl didn't care. Didn't wait around to hear it. Instead he limped down the corridor, found Carol's cell. She sat on the edge of the bunk, looked up at him and drew her lip into her mouth. She'd clearly heard every word.

He sat next to her, set the crossbow on the ground. "It's sorted." He told her, kept his eyes on the concrete floor. Didn't want to see the pity. She knew Merle was loser.

He really had thought different. Thought that is Carol could see the good, then there had to be something there. He was wrong. They were both wrong.

He felt her body twist and slowly she leant towards him. Pursed her lips and pressed them to his cheek. Let her lips linger a moment before resting her forehead on his ear. "I'm sorry."

He sniffed a little, shook his head ever so slightly and shrugged. "Shoulda known better by now."

"There is always hope." She whispered.

"Not for him."

Carol didn't answer that. She lifted her hand off the mattress and took his, curled her fingers around his palm.

"Stay with me awhile." She drew her feet onto the cot, waited for him to do the same. Merle carried on with the shouting, but Daryl found he could tune him out. Especially with her around. He brought his feet up. Lay beside her on the tiny mattress and let her find a comfortable position around him. Twisted her legs into his, tucked her head under his neck. She sighed a little and he could feel his eyes getting heavy, despite it being the middle of the afternoon.

It didn't matter that he didn't have Merle. He had Carol. That was enough.