So, I lied and this is not the last chapter. There will probably only be a few more after this. Maybe. I don't know. It doesn't really solve anything when it comes to the Daryl/Carol/Rick conflict, but that should be in other chapters. Also, these next few chapters will jump around a bit, so hopefully that doesn't become to confusing! I hope you all enjoy! :)

Two Months After Carol's Return

Carl wiped the sweat from his brow and settled the sheriff's hand more firmly around his head. The Georgia heat was unbearable, like most days in the summer, but he wasn't going to allow it to hinder his mission. The convenience store would keep them well-stocked for days and he wasn't going to let a little sun deter him from what he had to do and that was to keep watch while Daryl and Tyreese looted the place.

This wasn't the first time he had been allowed on a run, but it was the first time his dad hadn't insisted on going with. Now, it had been two months since he had killed Karen and David and things were starting to look better between Rick, Carol and Daryl. Rick still had a long way to go before the relationship with couple was back to how it was before the sickness and Carl knew that it would never be the same.

And it's all my fault...

If only he had told his father the truth. Then, he wouldn't have confronted Carol and wouldn't have left her in some subdivision several miles away. Daryl wouldn't have exploded on Rick and their brotherly bond wouldn't have been permanently severed.

The matter of his father's sanity would have been the same. Those few weeks after his confession, Rick had walked around like there was a fog in his head. It was almost like losing Lori all over again, except this time he, thankfully, was not seeing hallucinations.

Rick had waited a few days before telling Tyreese about Carl's actions and the big man had been very angry at first, but he had been allowed a few days to calm down and thankfully, his anger hadn't turned violent. Carl had insisted on talking to the man alone and Rick had hesitated. He was afraid something would happen to his son, but Carl practically pushed him out of the room. It took several hours, but Tyreese finally forgave him and Carl felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He would always feel guilty for killing two innocent people, though, but it was nice to feel forgiven.

Day After Carol's Return

Daryl woke up to an armful of Carol and to make sure that she was really there, he pulled her even closer to his chest. Relishing in the warmth and softness of her skin. The last few days had been crazy and thinking back on it, Daryl almost thought he had been walking through some alternate world. A world where Rick had no care for how innocent Carol had been in the killings and banished her from the prison, yet all the while, overlooked his own son's involvement.

Unfortunately, it hadn't been a alternate world or bizarre dream, it had been real life and now, they had to deal with the consequences. Rick wasn't in his right mind and Carl had gone deathly silent.

"Is it time to get up?" Carol mumbled sleepily and turned in his arms to face him. One side of her hair was flattened, due to the way she had slept and he couldn't hide a grin.

Daryl didn't tell her that people had been up and about for a few hours now, knowing that she would feel bad for not helping out with breakfast. After the events of the past couple days, he knew that Carol deserved a break.

"Um, Carol?" Someone called from outside of the cell. "Can I come in, please?"

Carol looked over at Daryl, who laid in her bed, shirtless. He sat up, reached for his shirt at the foot of the bed and nodded at her to let them in.

"Yeah, come in."

Beth walked in and when she saw Daryl in Carol's bed, her eyes widened and she smiled. "About time!" Carol stood up from the bed and immediately had her arms full of Beth. "I'm so glad you're back. Maggie told me everything. She said you killed Karen and David, but I knew you didn't." Beth left the embrace and looked at the older woman. "I'm so pissed at Rick for kicking you out."

Daryl snorted from where he still sat in bed. "Join the club."

"Carl did it, didn't he?" Beth looked between the two. "He seemed...off this morning."

"Yeah, it was him," Carol said. "But he only did it because he wanted to protect Judith and they were suffering." She placed a hand on Beth's shoulder. "Don't tell anyone, though. I think Rick needs a few days to...cope with everything." She ignored Daryl's snort of disgust.

The young woman nodded in understanding. Daryl looked at the both of them and blurted, "Well, is there a reason you're here?"

"Daryl!" Carol scolded, but her eyes twinkled in amusement.

Beth flushed slightly. "I just wanted to see Carol for myself to make sure she was really here." She began to inch towards the curtain covered doorway. "Well, I'm going to see what Maggie is up, too." With one last smile at the couple, she was gone.

"You know, she's goin' to blab to Glenn, right?" Daryl grumbled. Since he had gotten back from the run for meds, Glenn had begun to get steadily better and soon would be able to rejoin the rest of the group.

Carol crawled into the bed and gave him a kiss. "I know, but everyone is going to find out eventually."

"I know. I was jus' hoped everyone but Glenn would find out. He's goin' to give me shit about it."

Carol climbed into his lap and wrapped her arms around him. "Let him."

Rick didn't get out of bed that morning. Carl brought him breakfast and together, the father and son ate in silence. He knew that Tyreese and everyone needed to know who the murderer was, but he couldn't bring himself to tell them, yet.

What if they demanded for Carl to leave? He'd join his son, of course, but would he risk his infant daughter's safety? So many things reeled through his mind and not for the first time since her passing, he wished that Lori was here. She'd be just as devastated as him, but they would have at least had each other to lean on. Now, Rick had no one. The man he called brother, hated him and the woman he had considered a sister, no longer trusted him.

Rick had no one to blame but himself.

"Dad, I'm sorry." Carl's voice came out hoarse, almost like he had been crying. "I messed everything up, didn't I?" In those words, Rick saw his little boy again. Gone was the harden shell of a young man he had become since the farm and in it's place, was the same young boy who had ran into his arms back at the quarry.

"It's alright, son," he said and wrapped an arm around his son's shoulder to pull him close. "We'll figure something out and everything will be fine." Rick just hoped there was truth in those words.

Thanks for reading!