AN: Thank you all so much for reading and continuing to follow this story. I really want to finish this one before we see the version of events that will actually happen on the show. I don't want to be influenced by what really happens, so I can give you my romanticized version of events instead :) There will be one more chapter after this one. Hope you enjoy. I'm actually really nervous about how people will respond to this one, so I hope it's satisfactory for most. XOXOXO

Chapter 7

Carol's heart was pounding with fear and anxiety as she wait for Ezekiel to speak. Morgan seemed to have Ben's bleeding under control, but he would definitely need stitches. Luckily it was just a graze and the bullet hadn't actually went through him like she'd thought initially. Ezekiel seemed to be collecting his thoughts and finally he spoke. "Your friends that came to visit the Kingdom…" he started. "They came on business. But they weren't looking for supplies or to trade goods… Rick was asking the Kingdom to join him in a fight."

Carol's heart sank. She knew it. She knew there was no way Rick would just take a deal where they were giving stuff away to a dangerous bully. "The Saviors?" she asked, just to confirm what she already knew.

Zeke nodded. "Alexandria and the Hilltop have already joined forces, but the Saviors still outnumber them greatly."

Carol narrowed her eyes. "But you said no?" He nodded again. "Why?" She followed Ezekiel's gaze towards Morgan. "Morgan?" she said, asking for an explanation.

"I thought there was a better way than to just go into battle. I worried about all the people we would lose… all the people we would have to kill…" Carol could see the internal struggle Morgan was having. But then something changed. "But I know now that it has to be done. Innocent people are being murdered for no reason… Kids are getting hurt…" His voice was different, like something scary and vicious had taken over inside him. He had demons and they were rising. That scared her a bit, but she trusted he could keep them under control because he always had as long as she'd known him - except that time she pushed him a little too far…

Carol shook off the thought and turned back to Ezekiel. "So now? Now you'll fight?"

"Indeed," Ezekiel replied looking down at Richard's body and then at the wounded Benjamin.

"There's more," Carol spoke up. That wasn't the entire story, she knew there was more. "Tell me what else you're hiding from me?"

Ezekiel shook his head. "Tell her," Morgan snapped. "Tell her or I will."

"No," Ezekiel replied angrily, giving Morgan a warning look. "She needs to hear it from them… from him," he said, still glaring at Morgan. "I will make sure Ben is taken care of and the knights will help deal with Richard and these bodies. You and Carol are going to take two of those horses and you're going to take her to Daryl."

Carol's heart started to beat wildly and she felt dizzy. What could be so bad that Ezekiel wouldn't just tell her? People were dead. That had to be it. But who? And how had it happened? There were tears stinging her eyes. "Just… just tell me who's dead," she whispered, her voice shaky with emotion.

"Nah, he's right," Morgan replied as he got to his feet. "You need to be with your family when you hear what happened. You're gonna need him - more than you ever have before."

Carol felt the tears pouring down her cheeks. Her entire body was filled with terror. "Then let's go. Now," she snapped, moving to the nearest horse and climbing onto it's back.

Ezekiel walked over and pet the horse's nose. "You tell Rick Grimes that the Kingdom is with him. We will support him in this quest - and we will come out victorious."

Carol nodded and swiped at the tears. She reached out a hand to him and Zeke took it. "Thank you," she whispered. She was thanking him for so many things, other than agreeing to fight. She was thanking him for recognizing that Daryl was the man she wanted to be with, and for knowing that she needed to be around the people she loved to hear whatever this horrendous news was. Morgan had got on a horse as well and was ready to go. With a final squeeze she let go of Ezekiel's hand and took off behind Morgan.

They let the horses run for a bit and then eventually Morgan slowed the pace and she moved up beside him. "How long does it take to get to Alexandria?" she asked.

"About an hour, but we ain't going to Alexandria," Morgan replied. She gave him a curious look. "Daryl will be at Hilltop… and some others…" he added. It was an ominous statement, she recognized that, but she didn't understand it. She was so frustrated with not knowing what was going on that she wanted to scream. They needed to get there soon. She needed to talk to Daryl and hope that this time he would tell her everything.

"You need to know something…" Morgan said gently. "Daryl… he was with them for a while but he escaped." Carol's breath caught in her chest and she struggled to breathe. "I don't know if he will tell you that or tell you what happened. I ain't sure if he's actually told anyone what happened. But Negan is a psychopath - it couldn't have been good." Carol listened, but couldn't speak. "He wants revenge, not just for the reasons he will tell you about, but for reasons he likely won't mention too."

"That's why he's at Hilltop?" Carol asked. "Negan is looking for him?" Morgan confirmed with a nod of the head. She didn't ask anything else and Morgan didn't give her any further details, if he even knew any more about Daryl's capture anyway. They rode the rest of the way in silence. She thought about what she'd just done. It was the same thing over and over again. She didn't want to kill, but she couldn't lose people she cared about. In the past, each person she added to her kill tally would put more weight on her conscience and when it got to the point where she felt that one more would break her - that's when she ran. And as she tried to escape she'd had to kill more, yet she was still able to bear the burden, even though it was crushing her. But the men she'd killed that day… they weren't pinning her down like she expected they would. The guilt still hadn't hit her. But it would, eventually, wouldn't it? Carol wondered. Nothing had changed… or had it?

Before she could figure anything out she saw walls and realized they had arrived. She stopped her horse. "I… I can't go in there," she stammered. Carol hadn't even thought about the fact that she would be walking into a community filled with people, some of which she knew. "Will you go get Daryl and bring him to me?" she whispered, praying Morgan would understand.

Morgan tied his horse to a tree and dismounted. "I'll send him out, wait here," he replied without hesitation. Carol was thankful and managed a weak smile of gratitude.

As he disappeared inside she got off her horse and tied it up as well, then started to pace. There were several old cars lined up along the side of the road, being used as a barrier, so she went over to the nearest and sat on the hood. The last few days had been insane and things were only going to get worse. She wondered if she was equipped to handle it all?

In less than 5 minutes she saw him. He scanned, spotted her and headed in Carol's direction. "So much for trusting me, huh?" Daryl muttered as he approached. He wasn't angry with her, not at all. He seemed almost like he'd been expecting her. That's because he knew her - so well.

Carol started to cry and stood up, moving into his waiting arms. "I'm sorry… I just knew it was bad… and then with everything that happened today…" He gently kissed her forehead in a romantic gesture of comfort. It was sweet and it made her heart flutter thinking of all the times she'd done the same for him, long before either of them had known just how romantic the gesture truly had been.

"Morgan already told me," Daryl replied, hugging her even closer to hold her protectively against his chest. "I'm sorry you had to do that."

"I'm okay," Carol said with a sniffle. She pulled back and wiped her teary face off on her sleeve. She was being honest - for the time being she was okay with the killing from earlier. "Daryl…" she looked into his eyes. "Who died… who is gone? How did it happen?" She barely got the words out and she was crying again. She couldn't help it. Someone or maybe even more than one person she loved was gone. He pulled her close again and nuzzled his cheek against hers. Carol could tell he was stalling, but it felt so good… the calm before the storm, so she was okay with waiting a little longer to have her heart crushed.

"Sit," he said finally, motioning towards the car hood as he released her. Carol sat down beside him and immediately Daryl reached for her hand. She got the sense he needed the comfort as much for himself as for her. It took him a while to get started, but when he finally did tell her what happened Carol had to run behind the car and vomit. Glenn and Abraham had been beat to death with a baseball bat in front of the entire group. In front of Maggie and Sasha.. Rosita. In front of a child… Carl liked to think he was a man, but he was still a child as far as she was concerned.

Spencer and Olivia were also dead… She hadn't known them well, but she did know they didn't deserve to die no matter what stupid move Rosita had tried to pull. And Eugene… he was with Negan now… if he was even still alive.

Carol heaved several more times and the next thing she knew Daryl was with her, rubbing her back, trying to soothe her. "I'm sorry," she muttered finally. "I'm sorry." As Morgan expected Daryl hadn't told her about being captured. He hadn't mentioned it at all. But it wasn't the time to ask him about it. She would eventually, and she knew if Daryl was going to talk to anyone about what happened it would be her. She let it go for the time being though - there were too many other things bombarding both of them. She knew Daryl was in pain, having to relive the moment to tell her about it, but also because she was hurting and that hurt him too.

Carol was so filled with conflicting emotions she didn't know which to display. She felt rage towards Negan and the Saviors, her heart was breaking for Maggie and Sasha, she felt terrible for Daryl because she knew from the look on his face when he told her that he believed Glenn's death was his fault, she was consumed with grief for the family she'd lost - especially Glenn who she had known from the very start. But once again, like it had been for so long, guilt was the emotion that chose to dominate her. This time it wasn't guilt for killing - it was guilt for not killing, guilt for leaving and not being there through this terrible tragedy.

"Maggie... " Carol got out. "Where's Maggie? Take me to her Daryl, please?" She swiped away the tears and stood. "I need to tell her I'm sorry. I should have been here… maybe I could have done something…" Daryl tried to speak but she didn't want to hear it. "Don't. Just take me to her." He nodded and they headed through the gates into a new community she'd never seen before. Her heart was heavy, maybe even broken, but Carol knew the way she felt couldn't compare to what Maggie had gone through. She could only hope that Maggie would forgive her for not being around all this time. The guilt Carol was feeling was immense, but it was also necessary because finally… finally she realized that she was exactly where she belonged and where she would stay - standing side by side, ready to fight, with her family.