I am so sorry for the wait! I haven't had my computer and school is so hectic. Finals are next week so hopefully I'll be able to update more often! I'm so happy to get this chapter out. I've missed writing and hearing from my lovely followers. I hope you like this chapter and don't forget to R&R! :)

*DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE WALKING DEAD, ITS CHARACTERS, OR ITS PLOTS*

Chapter 3

My head was out of the tent before the vomit reached the back of my throat. I darted toward the tree trunk before my stomach tried to expel what wasn't there. I had been feeling nauseous since yesterday. It must have been the fish Andrea caught. I half expected Ed to start screaming at me and hit me for being loud so early in the morning. I looked over and yesterday's event came rushing back to me in an array of unwanted pictures. Walkers were everywhere and Ed had huge chunks taken out of him. He was a goner.

Today was going to be awful. The sun wasn't even fully up and it was hot and humid with the temperature steadily climbing. Even though it was barely dawn, the rest of the camp was wide awake. The men all stood in a circle probably trying to figure out our next move. Daryl had his back to me but he must have realized I was up because as soon as I took a step outside of our…my tent, he looked right at me. Those piercing blue eyes seemed to see right into my soul and for some inexplicable reason I had to avert my eyes. A strange feeling settled in the pit of my stomach, a fluttering that normally is not there. It must be nerves due to the task ahead of us.

We had to put our fallen people down. Once you have been bitten, no matter how mangled you are, you will come back as a walker. That is a fate worse than death. Any type of blow to the brain will permanently kill anyone who has been infected. T-Dog, Rick, and Daryl were going around to the bodies with various sharp objects and hitting them in the head before they woke up. It was a tedious task but someone has to do it. I looked all around me but didn't really see anything. My mind was in a daze. However, my mind suddenly became very clear when Daryl walked over to Ed's body. I ran over to him and just looked at him. I didn't know how to ask for the hatchet. How do you ask for a weapon to kill your already dead husband? Thankfully Daryl knew what I wanted.

"Ya sure 'bout this?" Daryl said.

"He was my husband. I have to," I replied.

"Well a'right. If ya need me, I'll be right behind ya." Daryl put his hand on mine as he passed me the hatchet. His hand lingered longer than necessary and a warm, tingly feeling spread from my finger tips to the rest of my body.

I took a firm hold of the hatchet and swung down. Bile began to rise in my throat as I heard the sickening crunch of crushed bones. What little brain Ed had started seeping through the newly made crevices in his face. The first hit both disgusted and liberated me. It suddenly hit me that this man was no longer here and he would never hurt me again. I was really free. However, the anger I felt towards him for how awful he was to me and how evil he was started to rise and I started swinging faster and faster, harder and harder. I lost track of how many times I drove that hatchet into his brain stem. I would have kept going had it not been for a pair of strong, sweaty arms that stopped me from delivering another blow. I didn't realize I was sobbing until Daryl pried the weapon from my bloody hands and held me tight against his chest.

I honestly thought I cried for hours but it was really only minutes. The sobs that violently wracked my whole body gradually slowed so now I was just sniffling. Daryl said nothing. He was kind enough to just let me cry. Or he didn't know how to deal with a crying woman. Either way it was nice to be held. Shane and Glenn came to get Ed's body and load it into the truck with the others so they could be buried. Our people get buried. Walkers get roasted. We would have a ceremony later on this afternoon to honor those we lost.

I was half sitting in Daryl's lap when a violent wave of nausea hit me. I barely had time to get a foot away from him when I got sick again. This time I blamed it on the gore I had a hand in creating. I didn't even have to turn around to see that it was Daryl who was rubbing my back. He had a very distinct smell. It was a combination of a musky, woodsy type smell with a hint of sweat and leather. It was a heady scent that thankfully distracted me from my nausea.

On shaky legs I stood up and would have fallen down if Daryl's quick hunter reflexes had not caught me.

"Ya a'right? You ain't lookin' to good," he mumbled.

"Just a little nauseous. Putting a hatchet through your husband's head tends not to agree with a person's stomach," I said.

He rolled his eyes and tugged on my hand, leading me to the water by the quarry.

"Come on. We gon' get ya cleaned up before the service. The youngins would prolly think you were a walker," he smirked.

The way down to the water was rocky and steep and with the most recent walker attack, Daryl was rigid and alert. He still held my hand as he dragged me down path but he didn't seem to notice. I noticed. His hand was rough and warm. There were calluses that clearly developed from years of manual labor and time in the woods. The tingle from earlier was present in my fingers once again but I wasn't complaining. His hand on mine distracted me from the horrors of earlier. We finally reached two rocks that were large enough for us to sit on but were also slightly in the water. He sat me down and took out the handkerchief that never left his back pocket. He dipped the cloth into the water and grabbed my hands once again, gently massaging them with the wet cloth.

"I'm sorry bout' Ed." Neither one of us had said anything for quite some time so his admission startled me.

"Don't be. I'm not. I wish I had the nerve to do it instead of the walkers," I whispered, looking down at the red tinged water.

"Ya right. I ain't sorry. That dumb prick deserved what he got. I knew the minute ya'll came to this camp that he wasn't no good. I knew he hit you and stuff but I never saw it so there was no hard proof. I didn't wanna start no trouble here cause ya know how Shane gets. He can be a real hard ass when he wants to be. It pissed me off every time you came outta your tent with a new bruise or cut. I shoulda said something or done something. No one deserves that. My Pa used ta beat up on my Ma so I knew the signs. She didn't stick around much longer after he started raising his fists. After she hauled ass, Pa started taking his anger out on me. Merle was never home enough to get hit. Sometimes, while Pop was beating me, I'd wish my momma would come back and get me outta that Hell hole. She did teach me to respect a lady. That was one of the very few lessons she ever taught me and it stuck. I ain't sorry about Ed, Carol, but I'm sorry you had to deal with the consequences. Ya too nice to go through something like that."

That was the most I had ever heard Daryl in the few months I've known him. We're friends, sort of, but he's still never talked that much. Plus bringing up his past was something I never expected from him. Daryl is a very closed off person and hates sharing anything about his personal life. As sad as his childhood was, I can't help but feel slightly giddy by his confession. He clearly trusted me enough to share some of his family history. By that time, he moved up my arms with the wet rag and started cleaning my face. For a man who could kill anything that moved with a click of his cross bow, Daryl had very gentle hands.

"He wasn't always like that. At one point in time, Ed was the perfect boyfriend. He was charming, doting, and kind. Everyone loved him. He was all I could have hoped for and I thought I found my Prince Charming. And then the wedding happened. A week after the honeymoon everything changed. We moved into Ed's apartment and I was cooking dinner. I spilled a little on the stove and he threw a fit. That was the first time he ever hit me. After that, I got hit at least once a day. It didn't help that he raped me as well. At the beginning I told him no constantly but he just hit me and told me to shut up. Eventually I learned to keep my mouth shut. It was easier that way." My voice trailed off in the end. My hands ended up back in Daryl's again. I felt them tighten around mine after I told him my story.

"That son of a –"

"Daryl. It doesn't matter. He's gone and he can't hurt me anymore. It's not your fault. You couldn't have done anything. No one knew the extent of the abuse. I never told anyone until today. You're the first one."

Something seemed to shift in our friendship in that moment. We would never be the same again. Our meek and brief awkward interactions would no longer occur. The talk by the quarry changed something within us. At that moment, Daryl pulled me into a bone crushing hug and just held me there. Time stood still and I would have been content just to stay there all day with him. However, we had a service to attend. I broke away from his warm embrace and told him we had to go back. He grumbled but complied.

We arrived back at the camp just as Rick and Shane finished putting the last body into the graves. We gathered around in a circle. We didn't hold hands or anything but the closeness of our bodies gave us a sense of hope and unity. For once, we all felt a family. Rick said a few, kind general words and then the families or friends of the deceased were given the opportunity to say something if they chose to. When it came around to me, I said nothing about Ed. I had nothing to say. Daryl stepped closer to me and I immediately felt better. The service wrapped up and the graves were filled in. A group meeting was called afterwards about what we were to do next. A unanimous vote decided we were going to back up and head towards Savannah. Hopefully a smaller town would mean less trouble for us. We packed up the cars, I had to throw up (again), and we were on our way by about 3. We wanted to leave with plenty of daylight left.

"I want ya to ride with me. It'll be easier to keep an eye out on ya." Daryl's voice startled me.

"Sure. Just let me get my bag."

I gathered up my meager belongings and hopped into Daryl's Jeep. We started down the mountain and hit the highway. The slowly setting sun gave us hope of a new day. I looked at Daryl and he was already staring at me. The fluttering in my stomach returned and for once in my whole life, I was happy.

So what did you guys think?! Do you think the fluttering in her stomach is love or something else? You'll have to stick with me if you want to know what happens ;) This was definitely a longer chapter because there was so much to put in there. Although this was an important chapter for Caryl, it was also kind of a filler chapter. I hope you all like it and leave me a review! It would be much appreciated! :)