Carol had been resting, or at least trying to when the car had screeched to a halt. She jolted awake with one hand on her knife, searching through the windows for whatever danger had forced Rick to stop. By the time she was sure they were safe, for now at least, she was alone in the car.

Carol eased her battered body out of the door. With one arm cradled against her chest and the other against the car for support, she rounded the bonnet as fast as she could.

When she saw them all - standing, kneeling, lying on the road, she knew instantly what had happened.

It was Beth's fingers that first gave it away, weakly grasping at
the rough bitumen beside her. Her eyes stared straight up at the sky, her
pale lips moving as though she were whispering. Haunting as her appearance was, the sight of Daryl lifting her to his chest and aiming his gun at Rick was worse. The hunch of his shoulders, the tremor of his outstretched arm - he looked utterly lost and broken.

And she understood, because she had been there herself not so long ago.

When they had lost Mika, Carol had felt like all reason to survive was lost too. That sweet little girl with the resilient smile and gentle nature had been the bright spark of hope that had kept her going. Keeping her safe, provided for and protected had been more important than anything. When they had lost her, just like they'd lost everything else, she had felt empty. Inadequate even, because she knew she should have been able to protect her and she hadn't.

Carol could imagine that Beth was to Daryl, in a way, what Mika had been to her. Someone to make the struggle and fight to survive worthwhile, a reason to keep living.

But she also knew there was more to it than that.

From the moment they'd been reunited and he'd hugged her with such open emotion, she saw he had changed. Then as they searched Atlanta together she'd studied him and realized what had changed - he'd grown up. The angry defensive young man she had met so long ago in that quarry was gone, and Carol knew it was because of Beth.

He'd been so desperate to find her, ready to tear Atlanta apart until Noah had said her name and his face had lit up in a way she hadn't seen before. When she had woken in the hospital with Beth holding her hand, and told her that Daryl was nearby Beth's face had lit up in the same way.

She could see it in both of them, the bond that they'd built. Daryl had spent his life keeping people at arm's length in self-preservation, yet somehow that young woman had made it past his defences and into his heart.

Carol's own heart was breaking for him.

What could possibly be left in this world for him now that would make the constant struggle and fight worthwhile?

After Mika, she'd still had Judith depending on her, just as Daryl still had the rest of their family. But she had questioned whether she could be enough to save her either. People like them, people who had been taught their whole lives that they weren't good enough were quick to assume the burden of failure.

That was why she had told Tyreese about Karen. She'd slid the gun across the table, hoping he'd take the decision out of her hands and end it for her. That moment of weakness was how she understood what Daryl was feeling, and why he couldn't distance himself from the danger he now held in his arms.

After that moment though, she'd been glad to still be alive. Watching as Rick and Carl were reunited with Judith, Tyreese with Sasha, and her own reunion with Daryl, she had seen there was still some good mixed up in the bad.

The guilt and the emptiness she had struggled with hadn't really gone away, but now she knew it was worth it. She knew there was still good out there for Daryl too if he would let himself see it.

Rick took a step back, his wide eyes on Daryl and his weapon. This was something he hadn't planned for, a threat he couldn't take down with force, and he didn't know how to deal with it. Carol put her hand on his forearm in silent reassurance that she did. He nodded reluctantly and she stepped forward, placing herself between Daryl's weapon and Rick.

"Daryl, we can't let her turn." She knew the way to get through to him would be if it was for Beth, not for himself. He lowered his gun, deflated. His shoulders hunched and his head hung low.

"Daryl..." Carol took another step closer and he looked up at her, his watery eyes meeting hers, and she shook her head. "Daryl, Beth wouldn't want his."

He still held his gun in one hand, and he used the back of that hand to wipe his cheeks. He sat still for a moment, Beth's head against his chest, and one hand in her hair. Carol could see exactly what he was thinking, because she'd thought it too. Weighing it all up, the cost of living against the burden of failure, the chance of survival against the price of losing even more.

He nodded "She wouldn't want this," he repeated quietly.

He straightened his shoulders and then he nodded again.

"But, I should be the one to do it."

If your still with me, the next chapters where it gets interesting (I think anyway!) Thanks for reading :)