So yeah I haven't updated in a super long time, sorry about that folks but I've been going through a lot of stress lately and it's been the last thing I've thought of. I'm in year 12 and have heaps of work to do, plus I recently got fired, which sucks because my plan was to save up for a trip to the harry potter world in orlando with my best friend whilst she was finishing year 12 next year. So now I have to get another job and retail just freaks me out, I'm 17 years old and I have no experience in serving people and the idea of having a bunch of people lining up for good old screw up me to serve is terrifying. Anyways my apologies for burdening you all with my life problems on with fanfiction!

"Rick watch out!" Carol yelled as Rick turned around, facing a particuarly-disgusting walker. Bang! Rick shot it right between the eyes, smiling as he did so.

"Clap, clap" She said sarcastically.

Rick gave her a friendly nod and they kept going on towards the next house.

They split up at the next house to clear the rooms faster. Rick was examining some packaged food seeing if it was edible when he heard a scream. Rick

"Let her go!" Rick yelled.

A scrawny, weird looking man had Carol in a death like grip, clearly not intending to let her go. Carol was by no means weak but she was no way near as strong as this man was. The man had a gun pointed to her head. He was shaking, he clearly had something wrong with his mind, he looked insane.

"Nowww…Now I don't mean no trouble...Just let me take her...I'll give her back man come on!" Carol let out a few muffled screams from under the man's arm at his words.

Rick was filled with complete rage and panic, he desperately needed to save Carol he would never forgive himself if something happened to her but he wouldn't be able to if he was being eaten alive by walkers, and a few were headed their way due to the noise.

"Listen"

He couldn't attack him there was too great a risk of Carol getting hurt, perhaps he could reason with him, or at least distract him enough for Carol to escape. The hand with the gun shook more and he pushed it against Carol's head, tears started falling down her cheeks.

"Listen, you don't have to do this!" he yelled louder as there were two walkers behind the man and Carol, if Rick were lucky they would attack the man for making more noise.

"Just put the gun down, and the three of us can leave here together!"

Rick gestured to the rest of the room. The man looked around, lip quivering as he saw that they were no longer alone.

"Fine! When we get outside she's mine!"

"That's not gonna happen! And that's not just because of me! Look around you! You will die if you don't get away, there everywhere, theres more outside!"

The man began sobbing but he still refused to let go of Carol.

"GRHHHH!" A walker dressed in torn fireman's clothes grabbed Rick's shoulder hard.

As soon as Rick felt it he reacted instantly, he spun around, grabbed the walker by the throat and brought its head down to the ground causing a terrible crunching noise along with the usual splatter of blood.

"Come with us!" Rick yelled impatiently.

He was disgusted by this man's intentions with Carol but his face said otherwise, Rick wasn't sure if was really ever going to go through with it, maybe it was just because he was shit scared of their current surroundings. Not frightened of the man shooting Carol anymore, Rick walked right up to him and faced him.

"Come with us, we'll take you to our camp, just let her go" Rick took his gun slowly as he said this and the man released Carol, she rushed over to Rick and stood slightly behind him.

"Rick we need to go" Carol said as more walkers approached them.

"Come on" Rick ran behind the scrawny man and Carol as the three of them departed the house.

…...

Carol was the first to get to the car, scrambling into the passengers seat waiting for Rick and the bastard Rick was kind enough to bring along with them.

"Now you sit and shut the hell up!" Rick yelled at the man after shoving him into the back seat. There was a small hoarde of walkers getting rather close to the car. Rick quickly got into the drivers seat and drove off. For the first twenty minutes of the drive there was silence, Rick glanced over at Carol who was covering her chest with her arms. Rick frowned at the gesture before looking back at the scrawny man who flinched at the sight of Rick's rage. Carol closed her eyes in thought.

The sound of the gate's being opened alerted Carol that they were back. Rick opened the door for her and she raced towards the prison to find Daryl. Rick told Carl to go and get him some rope much to Carl's confusion. Whilst he was waiting Rick opened the door and stared down the cowering man before him. "What's your name?"

"Thomas" He spat, he was clearly trying to be brave…it wasn't convincing.

"Have you killed anyone?"

"No"

"Don't lie to me!" Rick growled.

The man's watery eyes stared at Rick; they seemed to be telling the truth though Rick couldn't understand why.

"How many women have you assaulted?

Carl ran over the rope at this point. He stayed and listened to the conversation.

"One" He said simply.

Rick spoke softly this time, which scared the man ten times more; it scared Carl a little too.

"You telling me that the only woman you've ever attempted to rape is Carol?

Carl gasped.

"Carl go inside, don't tell the others what you heard"

Carl nodded and went back inside.

"If your talking about my Lucy you'd be right, I dunno who the hell this Carol is"

Rick sighed…. okay so this guy did have some issues.

"Thomas heres what's gonna happen"

Thomas didn't look at him.

"I'm going to use this rope to bind your hands, I'm going to take you inside, you are not to speak to anyone"

Thomas nodded.

"I will place you in a spare cell, you'll have a bed, food and water, but no company."

Thomas nodded a second time.

Rick bound his hands, Thomas did not struggle.

…

"That bastard! Where is he?"

Daryl got up from bed but Carol grabbed his wrist.

"Don't, Rick's bringing him inside"
"Why?"

Carol shrugged.

"That asshole doesn't deserve to live after what he did to you!"

Carol said nothing.

"Does Rick know what he did?"
Carol shook her head.

"Daryl it was only-

"This isn't a "just only" situation Carol!" He knelt down and pulled her into a hug.

When he pulled away he looked seriously at her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes"

He nodded but he could see she wasn't, there were physical and non-physical signs.

He got up and exited her cell.

Daryl only just remembered that Carol would have spoken to Rick and he became self-concious to see Rick for a moment but that feeling quickly past as he focused on Carol and the damage done to her.

As Rick brought Thomas inside he ignored the stares and whispers and saw Daryl walking quickly towards him, glaring at Thomas. Rick felt confused at how confidently Daryl strided towards him, not that Daryl wasn't a confident, proud man because he was and Rick admired him for it. But Rick assumed he would be embarrassed after what happened between them last. Rick's face felt hot at the memory.

"Daryl this isn't a good time" he said apologetically, not before seeing the way he was glaring at Thomas did he understand.

"What are you doing bringing a scumbag like him in here, you better be planning to kill the bastard?"

"I'll explain later" He lowered his voice as the others were listening in to their conversation.

"Do you know what he did to Carol!"
Rick frowned before tightening his grip on Thomas's hands. Thomas grunted in pain.

"You've got some explaining to do" Rick growled, which would have turned Daryl on, if weren't so angry.

Daryl followed Rick as he took Thomas to a spare cell away from everyone else. Once he was inside Rick faced Daryl.

"What did Carol tell you before I came inside?"

"Well as it turns out, he did get to her before you found her"

"What did he do?"

"Enough that I want to rip his dick off and feed it to him"

Rick almost laughed at the description that came from Daryl's mouth; his mind was quite violent when he wanted it to be.

"I am going to punish him Daryl, I'm not just going to let him go"

Daryl's face went red at his words, as their conversation got less angry Daryl kept remembering what he did the last time and actually wanted to leave, he felt cowardess and it pissed him off.

"Alright, well I'm gonna go and keep Carol company, she needs it"

"Daryl wait"

Daryl winced, why did this have to happen to him.

"What?"

Not expecting it, Daryl felt Rick wrap his arms around him in quite possibly one of the best hugs he has ever received. Daryl didn't know if it was approproate to put his arms around Rick, but wasn't that how a hug worked? He decided against it and simply let Rick hug him. When Rick pulled away Daryl made sure to look at him, he was embarrassed but he wasn't about to let Rick see it, although to be honest he probably did.

"You're my best friend Darly, I hope you know that"

Daryl blushed and scratched the back of his neck.

"You too"

"Go and see Carol, she must be very upset"

Daryl nodded, Rick headed back to his cell patting his son on the shoulder on the way. He threw himself onto his bed and fell asleep quite quickly. He dreamt of Daryl kissing him again.

I hope you guys liked this chapter, I'm sorry I've taken so long to update please review and let me know what you think