I'm going to head off a few things before they happen. Before reviewing or pming me please read on the bottom.

angst ahead!

Carol woke up the next morning with Daryl shaking her shoulder.

"Five more minutes."

Daryl scoffed, "If your comin on the run ya gotta get movin. Unless you don't wanna go."

"I'm going Daryl."

"Fine then get movin."

She flicked him off. He chuckled as he left the room. Carol smiled as she sat up in bed. The expression on her face quickly turned as she raced towards the pail they kept for water and threw up in it. She was reaching to wipe her face and accidentality bumped her breast. She winced at the pain it caused.

She froze. Carol put her hand on her breast and gently stroked it. The tenderness was something she had only experienced once before. Her thoughts were interrupted by another round of throwing up. After that was done she paused again.

'no, ' she thought, 'it can't be.'

She raced to get ready and ran to the infirmary. She ducked inside after seeing no one was inside.

Glenn, Daryl and Gwen were getting ready for the run in the dining room when Carol came in the room. She kept her head down and turned to put together emergency snacks for everyone in case they were to get stuck out there.

Duke was staring up at Gwen with eyes that kept getting bigger and bigger. Gwen sighed, "I know you're finally realizing we are not going hunting this morning. Look at it this way, you get to spend all day with the kids. If you are good tomorrow I'll find you a pig to wrestle with."

Daryl scoffed, "Makes too damn much noise."

Gwen rolled her eyes, "I'm gonna take him down to the kids. I'll meet you by the cars."

Daryl rolled his eyes and the other three made their way out. Carol went up to him on the bike.

"I think I'll ride with Gwen and Glenn so he doesn't drive her crazy."
Daryl nodded once. He wasn't happy, but he saw the logic in it. He thought it strange she hadn't looked him in the eye, but he dismissed it.

Once they were in town they were deciding where to go first.

Glenn was dividing duties, "I think Daryl and Carol should go to the general store and Gwen and I will go to the pharmacy."

Carol didn't look up but spoke, "Actually I'll go with Gwen to the pharmacy. I have to get a few things."

Glenn looked at Daryl. He wasn't happy but he nodded to Glenn and everyone set off.

Carol slowed down and when the boys went into the grocery store she turned to Gwen, "Why don't you take the gas station. I can handle the pharmacy."

Gwen didn't look convinced, "We should stick together."

Carol raised her voice a bit and got irritated, "No matter what Daryl thinks I can handle myself alright!"

Gwen put up her hands in surrender and nodded. Carol stomped off towards the pharmacy and through the door.

Gwen went in the direction of the gas station, but doubled back around the stores to the back door of the pharmacy. She took out two emaciated walkers outside and silently opened the back door and observed Carol.

Carol came out of the bathroom and was crying. She went behind the counter and pulled out a book and started going through it. She got more upset and slumped behind the counter and tried to look through the book through her tears. It was then that Gwen decided to approach her.

She looked at the books cover. It was a listing of medications. A pill guide.

"What are you looking for Carol?"

Carol didn't startle or even look up, "Please just leave me be."

Gwen crouched down, "I can't do that. Something tells me you don't want Daryl here so you are going to have to talk to me."

Carol began Sobbing, "He told me I couldn't...that it was impossible. How could he be wrong?"

"Gonna have to slow down and back up honey, Who said that?"

Carol took a deep breath and tried to explain, "After Sophia was born I had trouble. The doctor said I would never have another child. That I couldn't get pregnant again."

"What happened? I mean there obviously wasn't a hysterectomy."

"No, " Carol sniffed, "I have one ovary and one tube left. He said the fallopian tube was so scarred there was no way I would ever get pregnant again."

Gwen sighed and shifted so she was sitting next to Carol, "Unfortunately what doctors really knew about reproduction could fit on a pamphlet. They liked to say things like never or impossible when what they meant was unlikely or almost impossible. But lets back up a minute. Are you sure? Have you talked to Bob or Hershel?"

"No, I took a test from the infirmary."
"Those are notoriously inaccurate. Lets not freak out till..."

"I took three more when I got here."

"Oh," Gwen paused, "I guess you are pretty sure. But isn't this a good thing. You are as safe as you can be. You have Hershel and Bob. Bob may be an army medic but between the tow of them..."

"I can't lose Daryl."

Gwen was confused, "It's not his?"

Carol looked up at her scandalized, "Of course it is!"

"Then what's the problem."

Carol shook her head, "Daryl just got used to being with me. Now I throw another burden at him. How could I do this to him? He's so good to me and he's all I have." She began to sob again.

Gwen sighed, "I may not be a Daryl expert, but I know he'd never leave you Carol. He loves you. He'll love the baby too."

Carol shook her head again, "You don't understand."

"I'm willing to admit that."

"I can't tell him. I said I couldn't get pregnant. What if he can't handle it? What if he leaves? I can't do this. What if I lose another child?"

Gwen put her head back, "I am so not the person for this. What were you going to do here?"

Carol held up the book a little, "I was looking for the name of the..."She sobbed, "abortion pill. I was going to fix this, but I can't do it. I'm not strong enough."

Gwen put her arm around Carol, "This is what we are going to do. We are going to pack up what we need here and go back to the prison."

Carol began to argue.

Gwen interrupted her, "I will take back the pill with us. If you decide then we can talk about it with Bob."

Carol shook her head, "He'll want to tell Daryl."

"Bob will do as I take it all back and talk there. OK?"

Carol nodded. Gwen got up and helped Carol to stand. Gwen had no idea what to do.

They were late getting everything out of the pharmacy. When Glenn made to say something to Carol, Gwen headed him off and rushed everyone back to the prison. It wasn't a long drive, but it felt like forever. Glenn felt the tension in the car and sat quietly.

Glenn got out of the car at the prison and Gwen turned to Carol.

"Go to the infirmary I'll meet you there with Bob to talk."

Carol nodded and got out of the car. She made her way to the prison. Gwen watched her go and sighed.

Carol sat in the infirmary and waited. She hadn't even turned on the lantern. Gwen was trying to help but she didn't know her and Daryl like Carol did. She couldn't do this to Daryl. She started crying again at the thought of losing another baby, but it was the only thing to do.

She waited about 15 minutes when Bob came in and switched on the lantern. He was followed by Gwen. Gwen gave her an apologetic look and then Carol saw why. Rick came in after her.
Carol put her hands over her face, "NO, no no. I can't do this."

Gwen stopped Carol from getting up, "I couldn't do this without him. I'm not good at this crap. Now do you want to tell them or should I?"

Carol sighed and looked at the two men. Bob had a blank expression. Rick had one that she knew he had perfected as a sheriff. Rick had the expression on his face she knew he used at every crime scene when faced with a victim. She knew that because she had seen it before on countless police officers faces. No judgment and reserved sympathy.

There was no getting away from it now though, "I'm pregnant."

Rick's eyes went wide and he switched to a big smile, "That's great Carol!" He stopped after seeing her expression. "What's wrong?"

Carol started to sob again and it only got worse when Rick came and embraced her. They all waited for her to calm down a bit before she continued.

It had taken nearly an hour of talking to get to this point. Rick walked towards the quiet hunter in the courtyard. Carol was scared. She had all she ever wanted and had no idea how to handle that. It made Rick sad to know that Carol had no idea how to be happy.

He got Daryl's attention and signaled for him to follow. Daryl followed Rick towards the infirmary. Rick stopped a ways away from the infirmary and turned to Daryl.
"I need you to hold it together for her alright?"
Daryl was confused, "What the hell's goin on? First Carol disappears then ya'll come and tell me to keep it together. Someone better tell me what's wrong pretty quick dammit!"

Rick sighed, "Daryl that's what I mean. Carol is scared and needs you calm right now. Even if it don't make sense right away."

Daryl took a deep breath in, "She ok? What's wrong with her?"

Rick led him to the infirmary and escorted him in. Gwen and Bob exited after he came in. Gwen had given a squeeze on the shoulder to Carol before she left. Carol was sitting on a chair looking defeated.

Rick was at the door. "If you need me I'll be down the hall." With that he shut the door behind him.

Daryl rushed to Carol and went to his knees in front of her,"What's wrong?"
For the first time today Carol looked him in the eye, "I'm pregnant."

Most of this chapter leaves a lot of dialogue to the imagination. Sorry if that bothers you.

Before anyone gets on me about Carol's choices, please remember what she lived with before this. Not only Ed but Sophia's death. She is terrified of losing Daryl because he is the only thing she's lost everything else in her life she loved(Sophia) and she still does not think she deserves Daryl.

As to the controversial abortion pill. First of all it is not used. Secondly Carol didn't want to but saw it as the only way out. Thirdly, This is a different pill than the morning after pill used in the show. It is another medication that exists.

Now if I have not answered your question and you don't have any flames to throw, please feel free to review or pm me. I hate to do this but with the recent run on nastiness toward Carylers in general I felt it necessary.

Long live Caryl!

Please continue to read and review. I love you all!

Xev(aka Jill) :)