Alexandria...

michonne was on watch like she had been most of the day waiting for the car to come down the road worried about how daryl was and how bad it would be when they got back she paced back and forth when Rosita called up to her "hey anything yet." she knows it wasn't her place to tell people. but the people that where there that where in line up with them deserved to know what daryl did that they didn't need to fight that he did it for them alone to keep everyone else safe.

She shook her head "no not yet." she turned back looking again a car crested the corner "wait there they are get to the gate wait til I say." Rosita ran over to the gate unlocking the latch and waiting for the signal to throw it open michonne called down "okay now." she got it open.

rick drove through stopping momentarily by the gate to say "he'll be okay bit bruised pretty bloody but he's okay." then he drove over to their house with the kid they'd have to move into the one next door too they had too many for the one house he shut off the car and climbed out quietly the two archers still sleeping in the back seat michonne reached him with Rosita just as the Morgan, Carl and Carol came out of the house he silenced them before they said anything and waved Carol over to the car having her look through the window she saw Shelby nuzzled into daryl and his nose in her hair

she smiled hand coming up to her mouth muffling the light gasp and looked at rick moving her hand away "he brought Shelby." she asked softly

rick nodded "yeah.." he said softly "he asked she agreed."

Rosita crawled up onto the trunk peaking through the back window silently and smiled daryl their daryl the one who killed without blinking was wrapped around a kid nuzzling the blonde and blood stained mass of hair sleeping seeing the vest on the girl. She pointed to the window looking at rick "what the fuck is that rick." she asked softly to not awaken daryl.

rick smiled "they bonded out there he saved her I couldn't just leave her not after what they did for us." he moved away from the car discretely waving michonne and carol over "carol you know her she tell you what she went through before."

carol nodded "she did and I don't want you guys to think she's at all damaged because of it but you know about daryl right how his father beat him it was the same for her except not as long the walkers and her brother saw to that." they heard the car door open and saw Shelby climb out carefully seeing all the people she turned and saw carol she rushed over and hugged her carol smiled resting her chin on Shelby's head "hey Shel how'd it go."

carols hands grazed the vest back and pulled back a bit lifting the girls head to look in her eyes, bruises and blood covered her face staining her hair she could only imagine how daryl looked "oh, you killed Dwight?"

Shelby smiled up at her "yeah.."

carol smirked softly and leaned to whisper into her ear "you did good Shel thanks for going with him." Shelby nods and moves back to the car pulling carol with her daryl was sitting up in the seat rubbing his ribs a groan bit back with tight lips.

Then carol saw the black eye and split lip and if she wasn't mistaking it through the blood a long knife wound marred the skin of his cheek the blood clotted in a thick line across it she gasped softly "god." she kneeled down in-front of him seeing his leg "hell daryl you should have taken more men."

he shrugged head down eyes hidden behind his hair "didn't need 'em would have been too loud." daryl looked up at the kid and everyone around him and chuckled looking back at carol eyes wandering up and down her frame " 'sides those saviors just a bunch of pussies right kid." carol stood back up clocking people peaking out their window and daryl shifting forward.

Shelby nodded "yeah killed off by only twenty hunters with frickin' medieval weaponry." daryl reached out for the kid to pull him up she tugs carefully to get him standing and ducks under his arm on his bad side.

he smiles "yeah exactly." he grips the door pulling her into a one armed hug wincing into her hair "see the kid gets it they seemed tough with the numbers but its like David and Goliath the smaller army can take out a larger force because the larger force believes they have all the power and underestimate the smaller it all in the mind." he looked at carol and groaned leaning sideways more onto the door "could use your help." everyone else stared surprised he voiced his need in front of them.

She smiles turning to rick "gonna take him to the infirmary can I use the car." rick nodded.

She turned to Shelby "Shel could use some help you mind." she asked

"sure of course." Shelby nodded daryl eased back down and pushed himself to the other side making room for Shelby to slide in too curling into his side and carol closed the door for them and climbed in the drivers seat driving to the house they used as the infirmary back at the house Carl, michonne and Rosita watched the car drive away.

Carl turned to his dad "she looks like Sophia."

rick nodded looking at his son "i know I saw it too at first but she isn't you have to remember that Sophia's gone."

Carl nodded sadly and turned back into the house to check on his sister.

Rosita watched him go and turned to rick "who's Sophia?"

rick shook his head "she was carol's daughter we got separated in a herd and she was just gone she'd be about Shelby's age now that's why this is so important to daryl he went out looking every damn day for that little girl took a bullet and an arrow but still believed she was out there that was till one day when we well... fuck it was my fault." he put his face in his palm standing there shaking with silent tears then spoke around his hand "its why we cant let him lose her too he's tried to save so many people and it always went to shit her and carol are the two he could actually save."