Thank you all for reading so far and for all the great reviews I have received. Thank you to my lovely beta for going over this for me. I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter 12

I will save you or stop you.

Less than a week had passed since Carol and Daryl had made their feelings for each other clear. In that time a few things had changed, she had returned to her room one night to find all her things gone and replaced with Merle's who told her to ask Daryl what was going on. When she had asked him unable to help but feeling annoyed that they would move her stuff without talking to her first, he took her to the room he shared with Merle and said that it was now their room.

"I don't wanna wake up one more morning without you at my side woman," she smiled at the memory of his reasoning, she remembered how her anger and annoyance at them moving her stuff had melted away and how they had made love right afterwards.

Tyrese had mostly kept his distance, avoiding them both at almost every turn. She had to admit she did feel bad for the man; the world was cold and harsh, no one should be alone. She just hoped he found someone who could return his feelings. Michonne had taken to spending a lot of time with her, which at first she found odd but Michonne just smiled and said she found her company soothing as she didn't talk as much as the other women. Carol had laughed at this and nodded, they had become quite close in such a short time.

Merle and Beth were growing closer also. They ate together most evenings usually with an over protective Hershel between or right across the table from them but afterwards he always gave them time alone to go for a walk and Merle had taken to helping Beth to care for the berry bush they had brought in from just beyond the wall.

Carol had to admit she was surprised at their coupling but every time she saw them together she understood it, the way they looked at each other when they thought no one was looking was breathtaking, they truly loved each other.

But even with love in the air there seemed to be problems between Lori and Rick. Truth was they didn't seem to recover from the wedge Shane had caused between them and it seemed they were only together out of obligation and because of young Carl. Carol hoped they could repair things and if not, that they could walk away from each other romantically. She had experienced a loveless marriage first hand and neither of them deserved that.

Carol was now alone in the kitchen, everyone had finished their dinner and had headed off to do their own thing. After cleaning up she decided all she wanted was a hot shower and to hop into bed and wait for Daryl to finish his watch with Merle. She moved from the kitchen through the dining room and out into the hall only to run into Tyrese.

"Tyrese, sorry I didn't see you there," she couldn't help but gasp startled.

"That's alright Carol, I seem to have a habit of scaring you." She laughed softly, nodding.

"Don't take it personally; the dead rising kind of put me on edge." He laughed at her nodding in agreeance.

"Yeah think it put us all on edge." She smiled nodding before a silence fell over them, she could feel the awkwardness thick in the air and couldn't help but sigh.

"Tyrese I don't want things to be strange between us, I'm sorry if you feel I led you on."

"No Carol it's not your fault, Merle tried to tell me there was something between you and Daryl and I should have listened, all I want is for you to be happy," he smiled touching her arm. Even though his words were kind and calm, something in his eyes and his touch left her unsure. "I wanted to apologise so I picked you up something on the trip today."

"Oh Tyrese you didn't have to do that," she sighed unsure how she felt about taking a gift from this man. Tyrese had gone into town with Glenn, Rick and one of the other guards Tony today.

"Please Carol let me do this, it will make me feel better about this misunderstanding." Her head was screaming that she should just go back to her room and stay there, that something just didn't feel right but she already felt bad over her rejection of him that she felt obligated to go with him.

Nodding he smiled as he turned and led her out the back of the prison, he walked over to the wall allowing her to climb up the ladder he followed closely behind once they reached the top. She shivered slightly at the cool night air wishing she had been wearing her coat. Looking over to the far side of the wall she could see Daryl and Merle which made her feel a bit better but as she looked around she noticed there was nothing there except a long bit of rope that was tied to the wall and hung over the edge.

"Tyrese what are we doing up here?" she asked looking up at him confused.

"I want to give you your surprise," he smiled at her but it wasn't sweet and kind like his normal smile, no, this one was cold and sinister.

"What surprise?" she asked swallowing hard.

"This," he replied revealing a small black device that almost looked like a T.V. controller but as she looked closer she realised what it was, she had seen it before with her uncle's line of work.

"Tyrese!" she gasped but it was too late she watched in horror as he flicked the red button and she heard the explosion, people screamed and the wall shook under the force of the explosion but seemed to hold up against it. "Don't do this," she begged him.

"I have no choice, you left me with no choice!" he screamed in her face but as he moved forward she stepped back trying to get away from him but he grasped hold of her jerking her to him painfully.

"Tyrese let her go." Tryese pulled Carol flushed against him, keeping her back pressed against his back and using her as a shield. She watched as Michonne tried to get closer to them but Tryese raised his gun at her.

"Don't come any closer Michonne, I don't want to hurt you but that doesn't mean I won't," he spat at her; she lowered her katana trying to make him see she wasn't a threat but she made sure to keep it in her hand. She had been waiting for this ever since she had found him outside Carol and Daryl's room listening to them as they made love for the first time.

"Tyrese you need to stop and think about what you're doing, you're better than this, you don't want to hurt Carol, she is a good person."

"She is, she is so sweet and soft," he whispered into her ear running his hand just over her breast, she couldn't stop herself from shuddering as she tried to pull away from him disgusted but he held her tightly to him.

"I have known you since we were kids and I have always been at your side even after what you did to Sonya…"

"She was a slut!" he hissed face going red with rage. "She was meant to be mine but I found her with him, fucking him! I couldn't let that go, she had to pay," he yelled.

"Carol isn't Sonya, Tyrese," Michonne tried to get through to him.

"I know that, what do you think I am, crazy?" he laughed Carol couldn't stop herself from think "Ah yeah, just a lot" at his question. "But she is mine, she will see that with time and… and if she doesn't… well I'll just have to punish her too."

"Tyrese you're sick, you need help, please let me help you," Michonne begged him but she could see her pleas were falling on deaf ears. "I will save you if you let me or I'll stop you," she promised raising her blade but before she could do anything more he fired his gun, the force of the hit throwing her off the wall and back into the prison yard.

Carol couldn't stop the scream that ripped through her throat as she watched her friend fall to the hard ground below and when she didn't move she felt dread fill her.

"You crazy bastard you killed her!" she yelled at him but he just smiled before swinging and hitting her, moments later her world turned black.

Daryl heard the gun shot and then Carol screaming, he had been so distracted by the explosion that he hadn't seen her on the far end of the wall with Tyrese, he watched in horror as Tyrese hit her, knocking her out before throwing her over his shoulder and lowering them both down the wall. Daryl ran, Rick closely behind him, but by the time he got to where the rope hung they were gone.

"Daddy quick!" they heard Beth yell, looking down they saw Michonne bleeding and unconscious, Daryl slung his bow over his back and moved to climb down the wall.

"We got walkers at the front entrance," they heard T-Dog yell.

"I want four people on the wall guarding the entrance, T-Dog, you and Andrea get everyone else inside," Rick yelled from beside him. "Where are you going?" he asked seeing Daryl moving for the rope again.

"Where do you think? That's my woman he took out there and I'll be dammed if I'm just going to let him hurt her, I'm going after them."

"Alright I'm coming with you," Rick sighed.

"No you stay, unlikely as it is if the walkers get through the wall the people here are going to need you to keep them safe and get them out in one piece, I'll be fine, besides I move faster alone." Rick sighed again before nodding.

"Here take this," he said handing Daryl his gun, taking it Daryl slipped it into his belt.

"I'll be back in two days or I'm not coming back," he said moving for the rope again and seeing Merle tie his own rope off. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What does it look like baby brother? I'm coming with you."

"No you should stay here with Beth."

"Beth understands, now stop your bloody yammering and let's go," he snapped before climbing down the wall. Sighing Daryl moved do the same. When they reached the ground it seemed the walkers were only near the front entrance for the time being. Moving fast but quiet they headed out into the darkness determined to find Carol and bring her home safely.

Carol groaned at the pounding in her head, her whole body ached and she could feel the cold earth below her. The memory of what had happened flashed before her mind and she shot up from her place on the ground. She instantly regretted her actions as she felt her world spin. Grasping her head she felt dried blood, no doubt from where Tyrese had hit her.

"Hello my love," his voice was grating in her ears and a part of her just wanted to tell him to shut up but the part that had spent twelve years with an abusive husband knew better. She wondered how long she had been out; she knew it must be a while as she opened her eyes. The sun was high in the sky and from what her uncle had taught her she knew that it was at least midday which meant they had been gone from the prison for at least fourteen hours and that worried her to no end. If she managed to get away from him she had no idea which way was back to the prison and to Daryl.

Daryl.

Her heart clenched at the thought of him, he must be so worried, and she couldn't fail him she had to fight to get back to him. She forced her eyes to open and focus, she noticed they were in the woods and she couldn't see any houses or streams nearby.

"Are you hungry?" she heard him ask but she shook her head even when her stomach betrayed her and growled loudly. "You sound hungry my love," he laughed softly, sitting next to her and trying to hand her a plate of what looked like scrambled eggs.

"Stop calling me that," she hissed. "I'm not your love and I don't want anything from you," she snapped pushing the plate from his hand as she stood, watching as it dropped to the floor.

"You ungrateful bitch!" he hissed backhanding her; she braced herself and managed to stay on her feet even with the power behind the hit. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that but I cooked for you my love and you should eat, we have a long trip ahead of us. Oh but you're going to be so happy there we will build a life for ourselves and maybe one day soon we can talk about starting a family together."

"You're crazy," she couldn't stop herself from whispering, she saw the anger rise in his face. "No I'm sorry, I'm just scared Tyrese. You're sick, please you need help."

"No, no you're wrong, I'm not crazy but I love you Carol."

"Oh god."

"Please no , I love you that's all and before that piece of shit redneck interfered I know you felt something, maybe not love, not yet but you'll see one day you will love me too," he grasped her arms almost like he was begging her to believe him.

"Tyrese I know you want that to be true but no matter where you take me or what you do, I'll never love you like you want me too… I love Daryl."

"NO!" he screamed. "You will be mine, you will love me and if you can't… well if I can't have you in life I will take you to your death." She felt her heart pound in her ears at his threat seeing the sincerity in his eyes, his face screwed up in rage but in the moment that his eyes slammed shut she grabbed the gun from his waistband. Pushing him back she flicked off the safety and pointed it at him.

"Stay back!" she ordered him. "I'm not going anywhere with you, you either let me go back to the prison, to Daryl or I make you." He laughed out loud at this.

"You wouldn't, you're just like Sonya keep back or else but she couldn't bring herself to hurt me and neither can you… you're too sweet," he smirked.

"I'm not as sweet as you think I am," she replied. He must have realised how serious she was as she saw his smile fade and she fired shooting him right in the head, sighing as he fell to the ground.

She placed the gun into her waistband and she looked around for anything else she could use as a weapon but that's when she heard the first lot of moans. Looking up she saw about ten walkers heading right for her. Thinking fast she turned and started to climb up the closest tree, screaming when she felt cold dead fingers brush her ankle but luckily she got up just in time. She watched in horror as they tore into Tyrese's still warm flesh. Forcing herself to look away she just prayed Daryl found her fast, she was sore all over, hungry and thirsty and she knew that if she made the mistake of falling asleep she was as good as dead as the walkers below scratched at the tree in an attempt to get to her.

"Daryl please hurry," she whispered leaning her head against the tree trying to ignore the moans and groans of the walkers below.