Again, thank you so much to everyone who's reading and especially the lovely reviews I've had so far. I'm really pleased people are enjoying it. :) I've just written chapter 8 which is certainly not the last chapter so maybe there's a couple more in it yet. I'll keep posting the ones I've written though. Enjoy!

Chapter Three

Carol glanced around the yard, checking for prying eyes, spies that might instantly run and tell Rick she'd been spotted. On seeing no one around Carol paced quickly after Daryl towards the farthest watchtower overlooking the small field of crops they'd created. Remaining a few strides behind him Carol desperately tried to piece together the words in her head to even begin to describe her situation.

Daryl stopped at the foot of the tower holding its door open for Carol to enter. He too seemed to be checking their plan hadn't been foiled by anyone else. Satisfied they wouldn't be disturbed he followed Carol inside, closing the heavy door behind him. The small room at the top of the tower was well stocked with food, weapons and ammunition and even a small mattress for when two people were on watch together and one person needed a break. An uncomfortable silence fell on the pair, something they experienced a lot but rarely with each other. Carol felt the air thicken with tension and as she'd not yet figured out quite what to say she opted for the fresh air of the balcony over Daryl's concerned glare. She took a step outside. Not trusting her nervous legs to hold her for much longer she perched on the edge dangling her feet over the side and she stared off into the distance. Only a few moments past before he followed, sitting to her left leaning his back on the wall of the room. Daryl was just far enough away to be obstructed from her gaze but forward enough so that he could see her expressions.

A silence fell on them again, this time a more comfortable one. Carol sat there willing the perfect sentence to form in her head, one that would sufficiently explain her plight but not result in him hating her. She couldn't stand the thought of that but she knew it would be inevitable now.

"Talk to me." His voice was soft and she could tell his barriers were down. She knew all too well it wasn't something that happened very often and that those opportunities shouldn't be taken lightly. It only made it harder to tell him. She cherished him more than anyone else in the group. How could she lie to him?

"I just wanted to protect them. I promised." She quietly breathed out, seemingly more to herself than to Daryl. She felt a sob well up deep inside her but she pushed it back down. No, if she cried she'd never be able to do it.

He shifted in his spot choosing his words carefully. "You did", he started simply. "You do, but why you snappin' at Lizzie? Y'know she needs ya." Daryl then noticed Carol's expression change and he followed her gaze down until he spotted Lizzie and Mika walking towards the crops below. Buckets in hand they began watering the plants. Looking back up at Carol he sighed, frustrated at himself that he was unable to say the right words to help her open up to him.

She closed her eyes leaning forwards against the railing. "She doesn't need me." Carol finally managed "They're stronger than I could ever give them credit for. In reality they would do absolutely fine without me." She half smiled at the thought of them surviving in this world.

Daryl cleared his throat behind her, uncomfortable with the notion of her going somewhere, or worse. He held back from verbalising his dislike for this thought on the grounds that Carol had only just started opening up to him.

Carol held back the tears as she began explaining the reasons why she'd done the things she had, to the only man whose opinion she really cared about. It took all of Carol's courage and a great long while before she could manage to utter her name out loud. "I just didn't want their fates to be the same as Sophia's." The mere mention of her sent a lone tear cascading down her cheek, as hard as she tried to fight it.

He caught sight of the droplet as it fell from her chin and his hand instinctively hovered inches away from her back. Unable to close the space between them he leant his head back on the wall and sighed sharing in Carol's frustration at not being able to save her daughter. They knew better than anyone, the importance of looking after the children, so no one else had to feel their pain. "That's why I taught them how to use weapons." She confessed easily, it wasn't going to be the hardest thing she had to say to him. "Mainly knives but a bit of everything just to be safe." Safe. She managed a snigger at the word.

Daryl was ready to physically sigh with relief at the admission when Carol interjected abruptly. "All I've ever wanted was for everyone to be safe. We've lost so much already we can't risk losing any more. I made a promise I'd look after those girls…"

"You are!" Daryl interrupted as positively as he could. Carol obviously just needed some space once he'd managed to cool her down.

But if anything, she was calm. She was thinking clearly and rationalising all the decisions she'd made to get to this point. "I made a promise". She repeated the mantra to herself. "Everything I've done has been for the good of the group." She continued in her little pep talk to herself, knowing Daryl would be mentally agreeing with her.

Daryl was agreeing. He would have made this known to her if he'd not been trying to figure out what was upsetting her so much. "Does this have something to do with Rick?" He asked, beginning to get suspicious of her ramblings.

She built up as much courage as she could muster and quietly delivered her confession, "I killed Karen and David. I stabbed them and burned their bodies to prevent the disease spreading. It was me."

She didn't dare turn to him, knowing she'd only be met by a look of confusion and undoubtedly betrayal. She hated herself for doing that to him but she knew he had to know.

The words spun around in his head as he tried to make sense of them. This couldn't possibly be right, not Carol, the epitome of a pure, unspoilt, kind heart. He couldn't bare the thought of all of that being a lie. How could she do that? How could she build up such an image of greatness and hope and optimism, something for him to look up to, only to corrupt it all with one tiny sentence? He was speechless; heartbroken and speechless, even if he was only ready to admit one of those feelings to himself.

"Oh." Carol's soft voice cut through his thoughts and he glanced up to see the older sister walking towards the tower.

"Carol!" Lizzie shouted from a few metres below. The older woman didn't reply, in fact she cowered back slightly in what Daryl presumed to be part of her attempt to keep herself away from the children. That's what the whole thing was about; Carol's way of protecting the girls from the person she'd become. "Carol, can you help us get more water?" Lizzie shouted up again.

Seeing his means of escape Daryl took to his feet and leaned over the rail to shout down to the girls, "I'll help" and with that he retreated back into the glass room and down the cold staircase to the crops outside. He'd deal with Carol later, right at that moment he needed to think.