Let us all take a moment to bask in the fact that Michonne and Daryl are so bad ass. I seriously wish I could re-write the whole 'mega heard' sequence from last night's episode, but it just didn't make sense.

Anyway, I had better plans, plot-wise, for princess. I wanted to start some major Carol conflicts.

Reviews and alerts are always welcomed and encouraged!

Quarantine may actually drive me insane. I never thought I could actually miss the inside of the prison, but being stuck in this cramped up tent with nothing but granola bars and beef jerky may be causing me hallucinations and more anxiety.

I decided to put down Pride and Prejudice and save my flashlight battery and had resolved to lying just outside the tent to stare up at the stars. It must have been a new moon. The sky was clear and perfect for star gazing.

"Ty's still out there, diggin'." Daryl muttered, walking over to our shared living space. He dropped his rifle and stared at me intently. "Havin' fun out here?"

"Is it possible to feel more cooped up outside of the prison?" I sighed.

"Quarantine is fer yer own good. Glenn's sick. Sasha too. Everyone in block A's got it."

"What?" I choked out the words, leaning up on my elbows, staring in shock.

"Council's meetin' in the mornin'." He nodded slowly, grazing his finger over his lip. "I'mma need ta make a run. Ain't no question 'bout that."

"I could go, right?"

"Ain't no way in hell." He said very calmly.

"Seriously?"

"Safer here."

"I think the outbreak proves that theory to shit." I huffed, falling back down. I stared back up at the sky, defeated. "Poor Ty." I sighed. "First Karen…now Sasha?" My mind started spinning again, suddenly making me feel light-headed. "I've never killed a human being before, Dare." I sighed. "Not before, not in Woodbury, not here."

He took a deep breath, picking up his gun, again. "I'mma see to it ye never 'ave to." He crept towards the tent and nudged the flap open. "Ye comin' ta bed?"

I sighed, trying to quell my dizzy spell. "Yeah, just give me a minute."

I found Daryl under the hood of Zach's Dodge Charger, pouring in motor oil. I practically purred at the idea of riding in that muscle car. Watching Daryl getting sweaty under the hood wasn't helping matters. "Couldn't take something more fuel efficient?" I joked.

"Goin' out near sixty miles. Need somethin' fast. Need these meds yesterday."

I bit my lip at his harsh tone. "Who else is going?"

"Not you." He snapped. "Gonna take Michonne, Bob... gonna ask Ty."

"Sasha's sick, you really think he's gonna go?"

"That's my best bet at keepin' him away from you. Keep you outta trouble while I'm out."

"Oh, you know I'll figure out a way to get in trouble anyway." I smirked.

He slammed the hood down and pulled out his rag, wiping down his hands and taking a few steps closer to me. "Yer gonna stay 'ere. Yer gonna help Maggie... Rick. Lotta sick people round here. Lots o' stuff needs to be done."

"Yes, daddy." I teased, sticking my tongue out for good measure.

"Stop." He said, glaring at me.

I spun around and started to walk back to the tent. The full expanse of Daryl's hand connected firmly with my ass and pushed me forward enough to nearly knock me off balance, causing me to squeak. "Go on, naw." He huffed, smirking at me with a playful wink.

"Hey." Daryl whispered. His rough fingers skimmed my forehead and brushed my hair from around my face. "Wake up, princess."

"Wha-?" I whined, wanting nothing more than to sleep. The amount of light seeping in through the thin fabric of the tent told me it was not yet dawn.

"Gettin' a early start. Didn't wanna leave without sayin' good bye."

"Since when was that ever a problem?" I groaned, rolling back onto my stomach and turning my back on him.

"Y'aint still mad, are ye?"

"I don't want to be here alone."

Daryl grunted. "All that stuff..."

"You mean me being accused of murder?"

"Yeah. I'mma get to the bottom of it. Me an' Rick'll figure it all out when I get back." He sighed heavily, cleared his throat. "I wanna put a bolt in their head fer what they done." He admitted, calm and quiet. "I'll be back tonight. Ye don' have ta be alone long."

I rolled back over to study his face. He looked sincere. If Daryl could control things, I knew he would come back. "You can't make that kind of promise, though."

"Shouldn't worry 'bout me comin' back. Worry 'bout not gettin' sick. Tol' Maggie an' Rick ta keep an eye out. Figure we'll move the tent a little closer to the prison..." He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine, soft and sweet. Very un-Daryl-like.

"Hey." I laughed. "You know good and well you're not gonna give me proper goodbye kiss at the car, at least do it now."

"Yes, ma'am." He smirked, wrapping a hand around the small of my back and pulling my body flush against his and kissing me more passionately, leaving me breathless. He pulled away, all too soon, with a grunt. "Now, git yer ass up. Got things to do."

"Yessir."

I watched Carol walk out of the gate and knew something was wrong. I followed her, watching her every move with suspicion.

She crossed the field and went to the stream by the gate. It was covered only by a slight little bridge. She leaned over the edge of the overlay, digging in the murky water. She began fussing with the hose that led to the courtyard, bringing in fresh rainwater to the prison. That would be the third time already this spring that the hose became clogged.

She wasn't even out there two minutes before walkers started closing in. "Carol!" I screamed. All I had was my bayonet, but I knew Carol would need backup.

"Carol, get out of there!" I screamed, running to the clasps on the fence and letting myself out, breaking out in a full run towards the growing heard surrounding Carol. She finally dropped the task at hand and dug the blade of her machete into a skull. It got stuck, wedged so deep in walker brains that she couldn't pull it loose.

I started stabbing temples and eye sockets blindly trying to clear a path for Carol.

I heard Rick screaming just behind me and spun to watch him shoot a few walkers with his handgun, the one he had long forgotten. I suddenly felt more at ease as he covered my back. Carol gave up on the machete and pulled out her pocket knife. She started slashing her way back to the fence.

We made it back inside the safety of the welded wire fence and Rick closed us back in.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" I screamed at Carol, pushing her back into a rainwater barrel, toppling it over. She bounced back quickly, looking defensive. "You don't tell anyone anything, just run outside?"

"Hey, ease up!" Rick warned, stepping between us. "That was a stupid thing you did. We agreed we'd leave this for tomorrow..."

"Yeah, I know. That doesn't mean it didn't have to be done, Rick. We're not always promised a tomorrow." Carol started to walk back off toward the prison and Rick looked upset.

I watched his whole persona changed before he called back to Carol. "Carol!" She stopped and turned back to face us. "Did you - did you kill Karen and David?" Rick said it so bluntly, so casually, I almost thought it was a joke.

"Yes." She said simply, and she walked back off into the prison.

My jaw dropped and I contemplated chasing her down and screaming out my frustrations at her, but Rick spoke before I could act. "Don't say a word of this to anyone. Especially not Daryl. I know this isn't ideal, but I'll deal with it." Then, he followed Carol into the prison.