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Chapter 4

Sorrowful goodbyes.

When Carol woke the next morning she found Daryl had already gone for his morning hunt. Pushing her disappointment down, she moved out of the RV and started helping Lori with breakfast.

The day had progressed just like any other. After breakfast Daryl had returned with his kills and he had handed them over to her to gut and skin for lunch and dinner. Rick and Daryl had decided to head out after lunch to dump Randall but when they moved to retrieve him from the shed everything went south.

They all gathered around the shed as they realised Randall was gone and when Shane had come across the farm saying Randall had jumped him, the guys had started to gear up intending on heading out into the woods to track him down. As they turned to head off into the woods, Carol couldn't stop herself from grasping Daryl's arm.

"Don't go out there, you know what can happen out there," she said her voice pleading with him but she knew the moment he looked her in the eyes that he was going and there was nothing she could say to stop him.

"I'll be fine woman now get back to the house and stay put," he told her squeezing her hand trying to reassure her. "Keep her safe," he said looking at Dale who nodded at him and they disappeared into the woods.

"Come on Carol, he'll be fine," Dale spoke placing his arm around her shoulders and ushering her to the house.

It was now dark out and Carol was growing worried and frustrated as was Lori and Andrea. She could see the worry in Lori's eyes, and by the way Andrea paced up and down the room that Andrea wished she was out there with the men, helping; but Carol was silent, her worries and concerns burning inside. Dale hadn't left her side since they had returned to the house and she was grateful for his support. Out of everyone in the group, Dale was probably the person she was closest to, aside from Daryl.

When the door opened, she couldn't help but sigh in relief when she saw Daryl and Glenn walk in. Dale squeezed her shoulder and smiled down at her. After they talked about Randall and how he had turned even without being bit things took a massive shove from bad, right into worse. Standing on the front porch, they looked out in horror at all the walkers heading right for them.

"Carl is gone," Lori announced coming outside.

"What?" Daryl spat, he knew he shouldn't be surprised.

"He was upstairs, now I can't find him."

"It's okay, we'll find him," Carol tried to reassure her.

"We're going to go out and kill as many as we can," Daryl announced.

"Lead the rest away from the farm," Andrea agreed.

"If it looks like we're not winning, don't wait too long alright," Daryl said to Carol. "Get in the car and go."

"What about you?"

"To hell with me," he replied slipping something into her hand before jumping off the porch and heading off into the darkness.

"Daryl," she yelled out but he disappeared from her sight. Looking down at the gun in her hand, she took a much needed breath and tried to collect herself.

"Okay Lori, you and Beth check the whole house for Carl, Patricia you can help me; we should pack some supplies just in case we lose the farm," she ordered taking charge of the situation. The women nodded and hurried into the house.

Daryl hopped on his bike. Roaring to life, he headed right for the barn, there were walkers everywhere and the barn was on fire but he had to get to it. Stopping at her little grave, he quickly jumped off the bike and grabbed the statue. Getting back onto his bike, he sped off, weaving through walkers and they tried to grasp at him but he made it through. He must be mad, risking his life for a bloody statue but he knew it was more than that to her, so it was worth it.

Carol moved fast stuffing food, clothes, medical supplies, and bottles of water into a few different bags, slinging them over her shoulders and handing some to Patricia, they moved into the rooms and grabbed blankets and pillows. The supplies were heavy but they had time, heading outside they stuffed them into the car and headed back to the house to get Lori and Beth. They needed to go, the walkers were getting far too close and it was clear they were losing the battle.

It had been a fight to get Lori to leave the farm, not that Carol could blame her; she was worried about her son but they had no choice but to leave. The walkers were getting far too close. Grabbing the woman by the hand, she dragged her towards the car but when they heard Patricia's screams they turned to see her being bitten into. Lori let go of her hand and ran to pull Beth away from Patricia; that is where they got separated.

Andrea and T-dog pulled up letting Lori and Beth in but the truck was getting surrounded. She saw Andrea move to get out but then Dale was there yelling at them to go that he would get Carol into the other car. Carol raised her gun taking down two walkers that were closing in, Dale just got to her when she looked up seeing a walker right behind him.

"Dale, look out," she yelled but it was too late as she watched in horror as the walker sunk his teeth into Dale's shoulder. Raising her gun she fired shooting it. "Oh my god Dale, this is all my fault," she cried.

"It's no one's fault, just my time Carol." Tears slipped from her eyes as she looked around for help but all she saw was the dead closing in. "You need to go."

"We're cut off from the truck," she replied looking up at it.

"Then run and keep running," he ordered her.

"I can't leave you here."

"I'm dead already just go, I'll keep them distracted," he said pushing her towards the open field behind her. "Get yourself to safety, to Daryl, I swore to keep you safe and I intend to keep my word," he told her before turning and running at the herd, she gasped at they surrounded him taking him down.

She knew she needed to get out of there but his screams of agony kept her frozen in her spot. He looked at her from his place on the ground as the walkers tore into him, he nodded at her and she knew what she had to do. Raising her gun she aimed and fired shooting Dale in the head and ending his pain but it also brought the walkers' attention onto her. She went to fire again but nothing happened; that's when she realised she was out of bullets. Turning she did the only thing she could do.

She ran.

Running as fast as she could across the open field, she knew she was running out of time, no weapons, no one to help her all she had was herself and she was starting to tire. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears and her feet slapping on the hard ground. She could hear the groans getting closer and she couldn't stop the scream that ripped through her throat and out into the quiet night.

Just when she thought all hope was lost, she heard it over the walkers' groans the unmistakable sound of a motorbike. Looking up, she saw the single headlight coming towards her. She forced herself to move faster as he came to a stop near her.

"Come on, we don't got all day," he yelled; she quickly hopped onto the back of the bike grasping him hard around the waist as they sped off just in time.

She felt like they had been riding for hours but she knew that couldn't be right because the sky was barely starting to lighten, they had weaved through walkers and she was starting to wondering if they would ever be rid of them. Finally as the sun started to come up, Daryl stopped the bike feeling a little safe as they hadn't seen a walker for a while.

"Are you alright?" he asked jumping off the bike to look at her, shaking her head she began to cry.

"Dale's dead, they got him," she cried. Daryl moved forward wrapping his arms around her.

"Dale was a good bloke and I know you guys were close," he whispered in her hair before pulling back to look at her.

"He saved me, said he had to keep his word to you, to keep me safe and before I could do anything one of them bit him, there was nothing I could do," she whispered sadly, he could see the guilt in her eyes.

"I know what you're thinking and don't," he said lifting her face to look at him. "Dale cared about you and I bet he felt it was a worthy sacrifice."

"He ran at them to give me time to get away but I couldn't leave him there… he looked at me and I saw so much pain and I knew what I had to do, he nodded at me and I fired," she confessed.

"You did the right thing, he was suffering and he would have turned… Dale wouldn't have wanted to become one of them," she nodded but still she couldn't stop the tears and then it dawned on her. Her little Sophia was buried back at the farm and she would never see her grave again, she hadn't even thought to grab the angel during all the panic.

"Oh god Sophia," as a sob tore through her.

"There ain't nothing I can do about her grave but I did grab this before I left the farm," he spoke softly turning and grabbing the angel out of the bag slung over his bike and handing it to her.

"Oh god Daryl," she cried stepping forward and before she could even think she pressed his lips to his in a soft kiss before stepping back surprised by her actions. "Thank you… you have no idea what this means… it makes me feel like she's still with me," she admitted.

He barely heard her words cause all he could do was think about that kiss, the feel of it still burnt on his lips and he was moments from stepping forward and smashing his lips down onto hers when he heard the first group of moans; grabbing the angel he tucked it safely into the bag again.

"Time to go," he ordered getting on the bike. She quickly slipped on behind him grasping his waist again as they sped away just as the walkers came out of the woods. He figured the best place to head was the highway, it was the only landmark they were all familiar with; he just hoped everyone else was alright.