Hi guys! I'm sorry for delay...again! This chapter is more of a filler between two important chapters so I hope it won't bore you too much!:) Please review, it means everything!

He didn't notice the walker until the freaking thing almost bit his arm off. Daryl stumbled back, shocked that he hadn't heard the walker approaching. He quickly loaded his crossbow and shot. He cursed and stared in disbelief as the walker kept staggering towards him. He had missed. He'd never missed a walker's head in his fucking life.

He took out his knife and buried it in the walker's head with an angry shout.

He was standing there for several long minutes, panting heavily and contemplating what had just happened. He knew why he hadn't been paying any attention and he shook his head in disgust with himself and started heading back towards the prison. Merle would have kicked his ass for this, if he'd been still alive.

Present

Carol was watching Daryl walking angrily into their cell. She expected him to come out for lunch, but when it didn't happen, she finished serving the food, put his portion on the plate and followed him into their cell.

She found him pacing the cell and once again sinking feeling clenched her guts.

"I brought you dinner," she stated simply and handed him the plate.

He hardly looked at it and put it aside. Carol hated beating about the bush but she had to muster her courage before asking him the question.

"What happened Daryl?"

He finally stopped and looked into her face for a second before dropping his eyes back to the ground again.

When he didn't answer, she stepped closer and touched is arm lightly. He jumped away as if she'd burnt him. She stepped back and tried to push back her uncertainties, which had been firmly planted by Ed and had been waiting to emerge for so long.

"This gotta stop."

Daryl finally sputtered out but still didn't dare to look into her eyes. He sensed he was already hurting her and it made him sick.

"What?"

Carol whispered. She didn't really want to ask this question, she'd already known the answer, but it had just come out of her mouth.

Daryl waved his arms desperately.

"This…thing…fuckin' touchin'….what we did last night…I just don't need it, don't want it…it ain't good for nothing!" he hadn't even realized he was yelling at her.

It was so different and yet so similar to the night he'd been yelling at her back at the farm. Back then she'd lost Sophia. Today, she was losing him. She blinked back the tears and forced her anger to take over the pain and self-pity, which were tearing her body apart. She would be dammed if she broke down in front of him.

"Let me remind you it was you who started it last night!" she hissed.

"Don't ya think I fuckin' know that?" he started rubbing his temples, "it was a mistake OK? I shouldn't have done that, I fucked up. What else do ya want me to say?"

"Mistake", that was all she was to him. Her eyes burnt and her throat was so tight with choked tears that she was afraid she would never speak again.

It hurt to hear the words from somebody she loved and it was horrible to strike back in the same manner but she couldn't hold her tongue. She desperately wanted to hurt him too.

He was watching her inner fight and decided to tell her the truth.

"I almost fuckin' died today! 'Cause I was thinkin' of shit I shouldn't instead of payin' attention, OK? I need to focus on survivin' in this shitty world, nothin' else!"

Carol was taken aback by his words but it was too late, this had gone too far now. She wanted to inflict on him at least a fragment of pain she was feeling.

"Don't think too high of yourself! I didn't expect much more than a quick fuck from Dixon anyway!"

She watched his mouth open and close again but nothing came out. He was just looking at her dumbfounded.

She looked around their cell.

"I'll move out after breakfast tomorrow. It's too late tonight."

"No," Daryl's voice was unusually low and quiet, "we should deal with this as fuckin' adults. Ya stayin' in this cell. We ain't gonna bother Rick because of one fight."

It pushed Carol over the edge. She sneered and jabbed a finger into his chest.

"Behave like the adult? Sounds funny coming from you! OK, if this is just a fight for you and I am supposed to stay in this cell, we will try to avoid each other as much as we can, do you understand? We are done and you'd better find somebody else for your quick fucks!"

Carol was shaking badly and she prayed Daryl got out of their cell. She was going to lose it any second and she needed to be alone.

Daryl was watching her in disbelief, wondering where such a fierce fire came from. He knew he deserved it and she was striking back because he'd hurt her but couldn't stop doubting if she really meant what she'd said. Was he really good just for quick fucking and nothing else? He hadn't meant to use her like this. But carrying on in what they'd started was dangerous. He wouldn't be able to protect himself. And he wouldn't be able to protect her.

It was all becoming too complicated. He gritted his teeth and stormed out of cell. Denial and anger were two things Dixon had always been good at. It was so much better than letting the pain and hurt drill the holes into his self-confidence.

Carol listened to the receding sound of heavy boots and she finally collapsed on the bed. She buried her face in the pillow and the scent of their love making hit her hard. She bit the pillow to stop the loud sobs coming out from deep inside her. She didn't know something could still hurt so much.

Daryl put down another walker, knelt down and kept stabbing the geek's head until it was no more than bloody mush. He was covered in sweat, dirt and walker's blood and he was panting heavily. He knew it was dangerous and he was taking unnecessary risks but he didn't know any other way how to release the stress, frustration and hurt, which were joggling his body.

He'd achieved his aim, he was very sure Carol would avoid him by all means, but whether he admitted or not, it hurt knowing that she'd expected from him nothing more. He'd been used to such an approach from pretty much everybody in his life before the apocalypse. Angry, tough, violent Dixon, noting else than disposable goods. He'd never minded others thinking this about him, it'd given him the privacy and solitude he'd always sought out. Merle had done a great job hammering into his head simple fact that Dixon needed nobody.

But for some strange reason he wasn't able to explain, Carol had been a different story, he actually cared what she was thinking. He'd thought she'd seen him in a different light than most of their group that she'd managed to look through him. But he'd been probably wrong.

He wouldn't have ended it in such way if he didn't have to. What they'd shared last night had been good, damn, it was even better than he'd imagined. But it almost got him killed and he couldn't effort the luxury of beginner's mistakes. Survival was more important than anything else. Protecting Carol was more important than making her happy.

Carol was surprised how easily she was able to avoid him. Sometimes she even managed to avoid him the entire day and fell asleep before he came back from his night watch and he was gone hunting by the time she woke up. She was grateful for this because simply just looking at him was hurting her. Her vivid imagination kept replaying the way he kissed her, how he ran his hands over her body with wild passion and unexpectedly made her dreams come true just to shatter them to pieces next day.

She knew she could never forgive him. Ed had spent good time of their marriage proving her how useless, silly and dispensable she had been and it took lot of time and effort to build her self-confidence again and prove herself within their little makeshift family. And when she finally had it all and was as happy as she could be, considering the given circumstances, he'd sent her straight back down the emotional spiral of doubting and humiliation all over again. Something must have been wrong or different than he'd expected last night because he'd backed out so quickly. But more Carol thought about it, the more depressed she felt until she'd finally forced herself to stop contemplating what had gone wrong and carry on life she'd been living before Daryl had turned it upside down.

Carol was pleased to see that most of the Woodbury newcomers had adjusted well to their new life in prison and she found out that she actually really liked some of them. Siblings Sasha and Tyreese were always positive, smiley people and they were working hard, proving soon that they had been great assets to the original group.

There had been also Jonah that Carol came to like quite quickly. He was a widower with cute but hyperactive five year old son who kept him busy most of the day. Jonah was quiet but sweet and Carol liked the slight aura of inapproachability that surrounded him. It was very similar to the one that had surrounded Daryl once.

Jonah was desperate. It was getting obvious toward the end of the week that luring somebody out into the woods would be almost impossible. People from the original group hadn't trusted him enough yet and the Governor didn't want anybody from Woodbury.

When the time came, he went to the meeting all by himself, desperately pleading for more time. The Governor was irritated but managed to control himself and to Jonah's huge relief, Jonah was given another week.

The week Carol was avoiding him was a hell for Daryl. He was actually surprised how well she knew his daily routine because there were days he didn't see her until late at night when he came back from his watch and she was already fast asleep. He tried to surprise her, changing his plans in the very last minute so she was forced to meet him, but he hated how distant and cold she was then. How cold and distant HE made her. He had no idea how to fix it, but he knew he had to speak to her; he wanted her to understand his reasons.

It had taken Jonah another four days before he finally got his chance. First of all he'd planned on taking to the Governor younger farmer's daughter. Beth seemed to be the most vulnerable and the weakest member of the group. However, her father or older sister were still around and when she was alone, she was looking after the baby, Rick's daughter. Rick's boy, Carl, had been his second option, but the kid was turning into unstable angry adolescent and he was carrying a gun with him most of the time. Therefore he'd settled down for Carol at the end and he wasn't happy about it. He actually liked the tiny woman, she'd been always nice to everybody including him and she'd done a tremendous job, making new Woodbury people feel at home.

But she was the easiest option, she seemed physically weak and that white trash finally stopped snooping around her. He hated what he had to do but his son's life was the most important thing in this world and he would do anything to protect him.

He knew the Governor would be waiting the whole day in the woods for him. Jonah waited until the lunch was over and people started leaving the dining hall to pursue their own business and Carol would stay behind to clean up. Jonah was sitting on the metal stairs, peeking inside and making sure that everybody had left. He was sweating and his heart was beating fast. He knew he would get just one chance and if he screwed up, he would be dead. It didn't make the difference if the death came from the Governor's or Rick's hands.

He took a deep breath and ran inside the dining room, panic in his voice.

"Carol! Carol help! My son was playing by the gate at the further end of the prison and his leg got trapped under the fence! Please help me!"

Carol dropped the plate she was washing and wiped her hands on her pants, already running toward scared Jonah.

"Get Rick!" Carol shouted as she grabbed her gun, she'd left next to the sink.

"I couldn't find him! Please Carol, there's no time! Walkers can get to him soon!"Jonah yelled at her.

It finally worked. The picture of helpless trapped child set her into motion and she darted out of the door with Jonah leading the way. She ran to the fence and stopped, looking around confused.

"Where…?" Carol wasn't allowed to finish her sentence as the handle of Jonah's gun collided with her head and after short jolt of pain; she swiftly plunged into the darkness. Jonah didn't waste his time, he knew they were hidden from the people in the watchtower, but anybody from the prison could take a stroll anytime. He gagged her mouth, threw her over his shoulder and started quickly walking to the tree line to finish the trade.

"I admit I was losing my faith in you Jonah," the Governor commented, nodding to Martinez to take over unconscious Carol, "but you have proved yourself. Your son and you are safe now, I give you my word."

Jonah sighed in relief.

"Do me one more favor my friend. Tell them all."

When Jonah emerged from the tree line, his breath caught in his throat. Carl was standing in the exact same spot, where he stunned Carol, looking directly at him, his face unreadable under his far too long hair. Carl turned and left.

Jonah dashed into the prison, entering the dining hall, where a small crowd already gathered.

"They took her! The Governor took Carol, I saw him!" Jonah yelled.

"He took her to him," quiet voice sliced the air and everything suddenly stopped as Jonah was staring into the cold eyes of Carl Grimes.

Next thing Jonah registered was low guttural noise and then something knocked him to the ground and the blows started to rain.