Anything recognizable is the property of the appropriate owners. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.

Note: I have not seen past Season 4, Episode 9: After.

Warning: Things get rough here. Read at your own discretion.


Carol used every bit of skill and luck she had to simultaneously avoid Tyreese like the plague and to keep close enough to watch him in case he should decide to take his anger out on any of the children. It meant dancing a fine line between flaunting herself to keep the big black man's eyes on her and disappearing for hours so he couldn't find her. As much as she wanted to think she had things under control, Carol knew that was a lie. She couldn't sleep for fear of Tyreese sneaking into her cell, couldn't eat because her gut was knotted up in pain and worry, and she had to do it all with a smile on her face.

The silver haired woman glanced hopefully into the cell Daryl had claimed next to hers after the Woodies moved in but it was empty and she slumped slightly. He had been avoiding her, and when he wasn't avoiding her, he was shooting her angry glances across the room from behind his long bangs. Carol bore those heavy glares, trying to think of them fondly as she had always treasured any interaction from the hunter. Maybe before the former Woodbury residents moved into the prison she had wondered if they were dancing around some kind of relationship, but she wasn't naive enough to think there was anything left now. As far as Daryl was concerned, she was with Tyreese willingly and she didn't have the time or the energy to track him down to corner him long enough to explain.

She shivered as she changed clothes before watch. Tyreese had requested they be paired up and Daryl hadn't argued about losing his usual partner so Rick made the schedule change and every few days Carol had to endure hours alone with her tormentor. Sometimes the big man would just watch her across the tower, letting her wonder when he would finally take out his frustrations on her pale skin. Other times, he would rape her as many times as he could get it up, leaving her to quietly nurse her wounds in the corner until it was time to change shifts. And as it continued, Tyreese was less satisfied just by emptying himself into her and began to cruelly pinch her skin and twist her arms, taking delight in the bruises that littered her skin.

But she endured, as she had always done, covering her bruises, putting on a fake smile and making everyone think nothing was amiss. Maybe it was punishment for being happy that Ed had died at the quarry, or punishment for letting her daughter out of her sight. Or maybe it was just her role in life to be a living punching bag. The why of it didn't matter to Carol any more when she barely had enough presence of mind to keep her bruises hidden and struggled to remember not to flinch when anyone touched her. No wonder Daryl refused to look at her; such a pathetic creature. Carol could barely stand to look at herself in a mirror either.

Despite being worn down even more than Ed had ever managed to do to her, Carol couldn't help seeing a glimmer of hope when the sickness arrived at the prison. She figured either she would get sick and be left alone for a while, or Tyreese would catch the virus and be incapacitated long enough for her to heal. But then the first death happened, and suddenly Karen and David were coughing up blood. The silver haired woman was conflicted by the news of the quarantine, having found a rather lovely friend in Karen, but also well aware of Tyreese's legitimate romantic interest in the olive skinned woman. Then it didn't matter what Carol felt about her because Karen and David were dead and burned and the virus was still rushing through the prison.

Searching for medicine with Rick gave Carol the perfect opportunity to confess, but no matter how many times she opened her mouth, the words wouldn't come out. The former sheriff finally took pity on the thin woman. "There something you want to tell me?"

Carol knew all she had to do was say the words, but Tyreese was still at the prison with the children, one of the few men strong enough to defend them that wasn't hacking up blood. All it would take is one wrong look from Rick and the big man would start with Judith and Carl like promised. "About what?" She feigned ignorance.

"About whatever is going on between you, Daryl, and Tyreese."

"There's nothing going on." The silver haired woman plucked at her sleeve, fully aware that she was a terrible liar.

"I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night." Rick sighed but didn't look at her. "Daryl's been acting weird about you since Tyreese asked to be paired with you for watch. I asked Daryl, but you know how he can get."

This was her moment, all she had to do was tell the truth. The lean man had been a paragon of virtue as a sheriff, sworn to protect women and children, he could help her. But what if he couldn't? Carol couldn't risk the children, but Rick expected some kind of answer and she threw out the first words that came to mind. "I killed them."

"What?" His neck cracked as he whipped around to look at the woman in the passenger seat, hoping he hadn't heard correctly.

Carol just stared out the windshield, well aware of his heavy gaze. "I killed them." She was committed to her path.

"No, I don't believe it." The tall man finally pulled the car over at their destination, still glancing uncertainly at the matronly woman.

"Stabbed them in the back of the neck, right at the base of the skull." The thin woman mechanically listed what she knew about the killings, having overheard Hershel's findings. "Then drug them outside and burned them."

Rick just shook his head in disbelief. "Tell me you're lying, you couldn't have done it." This was the woman that had befriended his wife, cared for his son, and practically raised his daughter. It was impossible that she could do something so cold and callous.

Carol finally snapped, finding a well of anger that had nothing to do with the pair of dead former Woodbury residents. "I did it Rick, now what are you going to do about it?" She stared him straight in the eye and waited.

"Please don't make me do this." He shook his head, trying to reconcile the woman that did so much for the group with a cold hearted killer.

"You're the only one here, Rick. You have to make a decision." Carol insisted.

The former sheriff rubbed his hands through his hair. "If I take you back to the prison, Tyreese will kill you. Then Daryl will kill me."

"Daryl wouldn't." She dismissed that the hunter would care enough to do something so drastic, but it did start her thinking on what would happen, there were only so many options for Rick to take.

"You can't come back to the prison." He let his hands fall limply into his lap as he stared unseeing out the windshield.

Well, that would solve her problem of being stuck between the children and Tyreese. Hopefully the big man would think the matter suitably repaid and would stay away from the kids without her there. But she couldn't stop her mouth from giving voice to main fear. "Are you going to let me turn?"

"No! Take any supplies you can find, and pick any direction away from the prison." Rick sounded like he had been punched in the gut but he stuck to his decision.

Carol just nodded, glad to have an out from Tyreese's abuses. "Just promise me you'll keep a close eye on the kids."

The former sheriff nodded and they got out of the car to gather what they could on opposite sides of the street. Carol didn't bother to keep the car or Rick in sight, already resigned to her new solitary reality. She ignored more dangerous targets like big stores in favor of low risk hauls like vehicles and houses that appeared untouched and managed to find enough to keep her going for a few days before looking for a vehicle. But once she had a car full of fuel and food, Carol paused on the edge of town, looking back towards the prison hidden by the horizon. It was useless to hope that everyone would be safe what with the virus and the Governor still out there, but she couldn't help a silent prayer that Daryl would survive, if not thrive.