Part One

The drive back had physically pained Daryl's foot. At times he would have glanced over at Merle to see his eyes wide and occasionally flicking across to his brother who- in a normal world- would have been arrested for how fast he was going.

"We can't go in the proper way," Merle said over the engine.

Daryl looked across at him and eased up on the pedal slightly.

"'The hell are we gonna get in?!"

"When I was in prison, there's nearly always a back entrance, ain't there?"

Daryl nodded and thought. They hadn't checked the back way but he could bet that there was one. They'd have to drive round and try to find a way in. He kept his eyes on the road until the prison was in sight. He drove around the outside fence, through the occasional walker that drifted in front of the car, and pulled to a stop when they were round the back. Slamming the door behind him, he grabbed his cross bow and ran through a broken down wall.

"Wait up!" Merle called. "You don't know what could be in there!"

Daryl halted. He knew there would probably be walkers in this part of the prison so he needed to be on his guard or else he'd be dead before he could reach her. They made it through the prison into their own cell block and burst through the doors to the main room.

"Daryl?" Carol asked, standing up. "What is it?"

He ran over to her and grabbed her arm. "We need t' go… now."

"Daryl, what's happened?" Rick raced over.

"We heard 'em. In town. There was a dozen cars all with armed men in 'em. They've figured out were the prison is and they're comin' here now. We need t' go."

Just as Rick was about to say something, Tyreese, Sasha and the other two members of their group came through the doors.

"What the hell's goin' on?" Rick asked.

"There's loads of cars an' men outside the walls. They're comin' here."

Rick nodded. "Okay, we need guns, ammo an-"

"Rick! You're not listenin'! We can't defend this, damn it!" Daryl shouted.

The man regarded Daryl for half a second before he turned back to Tyreese and nodded. Everyone, including Axel and Michonne who hadn't said much to him since her arrival, got whipped into action leaving Daryl stood on his own at the side.

"Daryl," Rick said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "We need y-"

Rage flared up inside Daryl at Rick's stubbornness and he grabbed the man by the lapels and held him up against the wall.

"Anythin' happens to any of us," Daryl whispered, "It's on you."

Rick swallowed and nodded. "Fine."

Still angry, he released Rick and took off towards his cell he shared with Carol to find his other guns.

…

She looked after Daryl and was worried. More than anything, she wanted them to leave and be safe. She wanted to leave with him right now. But she knew that couldn't happen. Daryl would stay here with Rick and the group before he left with her. Against her better judgement, she followed him to her cell and gingerly stepped inside to where he was slamming cartridges inside the guns.

"Daryl?"

He whipped around but he seemed to relax when he saw it was only her.

"Hey," he sighed.

Carol stepped forward and embraced him by throwing her arms around his neck. "Daryl," she repeated.

He hugged her back around her waist and tighter as though he was trying to calm himself. His breathing was heavy as he relaxed into the hug.

"It's gonna be alrigh'. Don't worry. S'alrigh'," he whispered into her shoulder with one hand through her short hair, trying to sooth her.

Carol's thoughts were flying around her head. She knew that he would fight and there so many fears that threatened to take hold of her. But she had to stay calm. There was no way Hershel could fight… or Beth. She didn't think Carl would be let out onto the battlefield but her main priority was Daryl. What would he do? Yes, he was skilled but that didn't stop Woodbury from capturing him.

"I'm gonna be fine, ya hear?" he said, pulling back and looking at her.

Carol nodded. She didn't want to speak. Her voice would crack and betray her. She had to stay strong.

"I jus' want you t' stay safe. Like I told ya last time."

"You need to do that too," she whispered.

Daryl snorted. "I'm gonna be fine. We're all gonna be fine. Don't worry."

Carol nodded and pressed herself against his chest again, wishing she could stay there forever with no threats surrounding them.

"DARYL!" Rick shouted from the main room.

Gunshots had started outside and her heart dropped. She looked up at him thinking that this could be the last time they saw each other. No, stop thinking like that! A voice at the back of her head scolded her. He's going to be fine! Quickly, she took his face in her hands and kissed him. It was only short and he soon pulled away. With one last look at her, he was gone. The emptiness started to creep around her but she couldn't pay attention to that now. Beth peaked around her door with Judith in her arms.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Carol nodded and wiped at her face, forcing herself to be strong. She beckoned Beth into her cell and Carl and Hershel soon followed.

…

Outside was in chaos. Tyreese, Sasha, and their group were huddled together behind a wall for defence. Bullets were flying everywhere. Maggie and Glenn were behind a car shooting towards the vehicles, probably enjoying the last few hours together. Daryl cursed himself. That was no way of thinking but he still felt stupid. He was fighting a war they were not going to win. Merle and Axel were behind a guard tower and Rick was reloading his gun again. Daryl came to crouch beside him.

"Where's Carl?" Rick asked.

"Inside. With Carol."

Rick paused. "I'm sorry. I just want to keep this place. It's the first place we've settled in for a while an-"

Another round of bullets.

"I jus' wanna stay here for a while. I want everyone-"

Another round.

"Safe."

"Well, we ain't safe now," Daryl replied, keeping down the anger in his voice.

Rick didn't know what to say, Daryl could tell, so he kept his head down and kept firing. He saw the Governor step out of one of the cars with a bandage over one eye. It gave him a sort of satisfaction. Then Andrea stepped out of the passenger side. Daryl had only seen her briefly try to defend him at Woodbury but he didn't know what had happened now until she pulled her gun out with a sigh and started shooting.

…

They heard loud gunfire outside. Carol sighed and glanced at their sparse food supplies in their cell then at Judith, Beth, Hershel and… Oh no. Where was Carl? She glanced around and then ran into the other cells. Great. Her only job for Lori and she loses him. Cursing herself, she went back to the main room with the others.

"I need to go out there," she said.

Hershel looked at her. "We need to stay here."

"I can shoot!" she insisted. "I'm going out to look for Carl!"

"He's gone?" Beth cried.

Carol nodded.

"Well then I'm-"

"No, you're not!" Hershel growled. "We're stayin' here with Judy."

Beth obeyed her father and sat back down, nodding at Carol. Carol smiled bravely and picked up her gun. She snuck out to the battle field and instantly a bullet whizzed past her. Her heart leapt out of her chest and she crouched behind the guard tower.

"Well, who let you out?"

She heard the drawl from behind her and turned to face Axel and Merle.

"I can shoot. I need to be here!"

Merle faced her with a smile and said, "Well, look at you!"

She felt pride surging up in her but it didn't last for too long. The guard tower was assaulted with bullets and they froze behind it. Axel stepped out and a bullet went straight through his forehead. Carol screamed and tried to rush forward before Merle grabbed the back of her top and yanked her back just before another shower of bullets raced past.

"'The hell were ya doin'?" he snapped. "Ya think my little brother wants to go through you dyin' as well?"

Carol hadn't thought about that but she focused on getting her breathing back to normal.

"Get back inside!" he shouted to her.

Carol scampered quickly back inside to the main room but, from the doorway, she saw two men with guns pointed at Beth, with little Judy in her arms, and Hershel.

Beth was crying and holding onto Judith tightly.

Carol's heart was in her throat.

No...

Beth looked up and met her eyes.

No...

Hershel looked down at the girl next to him and placed a hand over her own.

No.

Two gunshots sounded in the cell block. Both bodies dropped to the ground with a thud and Judy rolled onto the floor, her cries mingled with Carol's own as she left the room and vanished into the next cell block.