By the time they got back to the cell, Carol had calmed down considerably. Daryl watched her as she went to the table, picking up the bottle he'd brought in. She picked it up, considered it, and ran her thumb over it. She opened the bottle, took out one of the pills, and then swallowed it, washing it down with some of the water that she'd been drinking earlier.

"Why don't we go get'cha a shower?" He asked. "Make ya feel real good an' clean. Besides, ya just about got that damn shirt crusty with snot."

Carol turned back and looked at him. She smiled a little at him.

"Fine," she said.

He got his clothes together and while she was getting hers he passed back by the cell to let Michonne out of her captivity, nobody having come for fear of interrupting anything that might be taking place. He watched as Michonne escorted Alice out with the intention of taking her to Beth.

"She took the pill," Daryl said.

Alice smiled.

"Then go keep an eye on her. It's probably going to make her at least a little lightheaded, you don't want her cracking her skull open," she said.

Daryl didn't say anything, but he did rush back to his cell, finding Carol waiting for him with both of their clothes piled up.

"Come on, woman, let's go get'cha clean so ya can sleep good," Daryl said.

Once they'd gotten to the showers, assured that no one else was using them, and stripped down, Carol started the water while Daryl got them a rag and some clean towels. After he put the towels on the bench he stepped in behind Carol who was standing under the spray, her face in the water.

"Ya alright?" He asked.

"Fine," she responded.

Daryl lathered the soap onto the rag and started washing her. For once she didn't insist in any way that she could do it and he was glad to not have to go through that ritual. He liked doing it. Their physical contact was minimal, and washing her at least let him have that.

"Are ya scared of 'em?" He asked as he worked. Carol sighed.

"Yes…and no," she said after a moment.

"The hell is that s'posed ta mean?" Daryl asked.

"They're not like I remember them," Carol said, "but they look like I remember them."

"So what'cha thinkin' 'bout all that?" Daryl asked.

"Alice…do you think she's crazy, Daryl?" Carol asked.

Daryl chuckled.

"Hell yeah I do, but I reckon we all a little crazy, ain't we? I mean I think she's a few clowns short of a circus, Carol, but I don't think she's dangerous. The Governor, he fucked her up a little, I reckon. Do you think she's crazy?" Daryl asked.

He was taking more than enough time to wash her, and he knew she knew it. He'd washed her legs twice already.

"I don't remember why I thought she was crazy," Carol said. "She was just so calm…but then I wasn't calm…so maybe I just imagined it." She yawned.

Daryl turned her around, washing her front. He stopped a moment as he was washing her tits…sweet Jesus…he wanted to grab them, to suck her nipples, but she didn't seem to even notice what he was doing, so he wasn't going to make any move on her. If he could get her back to the cell, get her to go to sleep, he could slip down here and take care of himself. Right now he had to hold it together. He couldn't go doing anything stupid. She had to feel like it was right or else he might fuck things up worse than they were.

"But ya scared a' Hank still?" He asked, trying to figure out still what to do about the newcomers. He wanted to put it out of his mind that he was washing the woman that he loved, the only woman he'd ever loved like this.

"I don't know," she said. She sighed again. "I don't know…I can just remember being so afraid when I found out he had claimed me, like I was just going to be his, and I didn't want him to touch me."

"He ain't gon' touch ya," Daryl said. He quickly went to washing himself. Carol looked tired. He could see it in her face. He wanted to get her back to the cell now. "I ain't lettin' nobody touch ya 'less ya want 'em to touch ya."

Daryl turned the water off and went for the towels. He toweled Carol off first, and then quickly turned to himself. She was standing there, her hand on the wall, watching him.

She smiled.

"So I'm yours, huh?" She asked.

Daryl smiled back at her.

"I reckon ya is," he said. "Hope ya ain't too damn disappointed."

He brought their clothes and helped her dress. She was sleepy, and he didn't want her to crack her head open like Alice had warned.

"Mmmm mmm…all yours…" Carol said.

Daryl wrestled into his clothes quickly.

"I think I'm gonna carry ya back, woman, ya don't look none too stable," Daryl said. Carol wrapped her arm around his neck as he scooped her up.

"Mmm'ai too heavy?" She drawled.

Daryl chuckled. He left their dirty clothes behind, hoping that whoever did the laundry these days would find them.

"Light as a feather," he said. "Feelin' better?" Carol snuggled into his chest.

"Mmm…yeah," she said. "Daryl…they think we're married."

Daryl thought about it. They did think they were married, even though they weren't. He knew that Glenn and Maggie were supposed to get married. Hershel was going to marry them whenever he got around to it. The kid had found her a ring and everything. Daryl had never imagined himself as the kind of man that would get married to anyone. He'd never imagined himself as the kind of man that any woman wanted to get married to. He couldn't imagine, though, that after Glenn and Maggie got married that anything was really going to change. They already shared a cell together, and he knew that they weren't waiting for their wedding night to sleep together.

"What the hell does it mean ta be married?" Daryl asked. He wondered if Carol had fallen asleep or if she was still awake.

"S'posed to mean ya wanta be with someone forever," she slurred. She yawned before continuing. Daryl snickered.

"Well, fuck Carol, if that's all it means then I reckon we're 'bout as married as they come," Daryl said, easing through the doorway of their cell so as to not hit her on either side. He eased her down on the bed, realizing he'd never make it to the floor without dropping her, and she was just as likely to sleep fine on the bed right now. It wasn't even time to go to sleep, but that didn't seem to faze her at the moment and he didn't care. If she wanted to sleep, and she felt good, then it was just as good a time as any for her to sleep. "'Cause I ain't fuckin' goin' nowhere woman," he said. "Go ta sleep now, an' we'll talk about it when ya wake up."

11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

"Three hots and a cot, isn't that what they say?" Alice called out as Daryl neared the door. She and Melodye had pulled two of the mattresses together and they were lying on them, side by side. Alice leaned up as Daryl neared the door. He assumed that Hank was in the corner of the cell.

"Is she s'posed ta be sleepin' like that? Ya sure she's OK?" Daryl asked.

"You ever been in pain?" Alice asked. "Like the real 'Fuck me, and my life, and my grandmother' kind of pain?"

"I reckon so," Daryl said. He'd been in a lot of pain in his life, that much was for sure.

"And then you got relief and you were just like 'holy fucking Hell! I better take advantage of this shit!'?" Alice asked. "That's what the fuck she's feeling right now. It's probably the best sleep she's had in a while. I'd be more surprised if she wasn't sleeping."

Daryl stood there a moment.

"Did'ja look at Beth?" He asked.

"Physically, she's fine," Alice said. "I don't know about mentally, but I think she'll over that too. Can I ask you something? I mean while I have your attention?"

"What?" Daryl asked.

"Who got a hold of your wife before the Governor?" Alice asked.

"What?" Daryl asked.

"He worked her over, don't get me wrong," Alice said, "but I looked at her when I had her. There were a lot of old scars. Now see, I'd think it was you, being such a peach as you are, but you're too protective of her for that."

"Her husband," the blonde croaked. "Or her ex-husband, or whatever."

"Yeah," Daryl said after a second. "I ain't laid a hand on her, and I ain't gonna."

"You married?" Alice asked.

"Are you?" Daryl growled.

"Fair enough," Alice responded.

Daryl walked away then. Leaving the three locked in their cell.

1111111111111111111111111111

"Ya reckon ya might let 'er look at ya?" Daryl asked Carol while they finished breakfast in the cell. Carol was awake, and she was in probably the best mood that he'd seen her in so far. Despite the fact that she was wearing dingy grey sweatpants and an oversized shirt that he had no idea where they'd come from, he thought she looked as pretty as he'd ever seen her. Her eyes were sparkling, and that was something he hadn't see for a good long time. He'd insisted they eat breakfast in the cell just to keep her as happy as she'd been when she'd woken up and insisted that he let her "take care" of his morning problem.

"I don't know, Daryl," she said. "I mean I guess it couldn't hurt."

"Good," he said. "I'll go get 'er after ya eat ya breakfast."

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

Daryl brought Alice back to cell. She waited on him while he slipped inside and told Carol that she was there. Carol nodded at him and he let the woman into the cell.

"So, you decided to give me a chance?" Alice asked, sliding the bag off her shoulder. Daryl stepped in beside her and leaned against the wall to make sure that nothing happened.

Carol nodded at the woman.

"Dandy," Alice said. "OK…so…I just want to have a look at you first," she said. She dug around in her bag. "I really can't do much, just the basics. I grabbed what I'd need most before we left. The Biters didn't give us a whole lot of planning time."

Daryl watched as Alice examined Carol. Carol had seemed nervous at first, but as the examination went on with Alice talking to her as they went, she seemed to calm down. At one point Alice rocked back on her heels, having taken a position on the floor with Carol sitting on the bunk.

"Your blood pressure is through the roof," Alice said. "I'm not trying to scare you, but you're going to do a lot better if you can relax a little." She turned to Daryl. "Her ribs seem to be doing well. Still tender, but bones take their time." She got up then. "Alright, can I check out everything with the baby now?"

Daryl shot his eyes towards Carol. She sat there a moment and then nodded at Alice. Alice sat on the side of the bed and turned her attention to him.

"So, Big Papa, you gonna stay or leave the room?" She asked. Daryl was a little uncomfortable since she was looking at him, but he'd seen Hershel look Carol over before and he wasn't going to leave unless she wanted him to.

"I'm here," he growled.

"Good deal, gotta love a Daddy that's on board," Alice said. "Did'ja know that I helped deliver my sister's kid?"

"How the hell would I a' known that?" Daryl asked. He chewed at his nail.

"I did," she said. "Her OBGYN was this guy named Jacob. I went to high school with him. I slept with him when I was about fifteen. I thought that sleeping with him would make me not think so much about my best friend Mel. After the worst fucking sex that two people could ever fucking have, he looks at me and says 'Al, I don't think you were wrong, I think ya like Mel.' How's that for happily ever after?"

Daryl grunted at her.

"There we go," she said suddenly. "Come here, Papa, you want to know where the baby is hiding?"

Daryl looked at her. Though he was curious, it was terrifying to him and it freaked him out right now. He watched for a second as Carol trailed her hand to her stomach and Alice pressed it against it.

"I'm good," he said. He didn't want to go over there. It was weird enough thinking it was in there, and he certainly didn't feel like touching it right now.

"Suit yourself," Alice said. "There it is, though. Well, at least that's its bed."

"Its fuckin' bed?" Daryl asked.

"Well the baby's in her uterus," Alice said. "It's sort of like a big waterbed for the baby. I've got the top of it, if you want to feel it."

Daryl's curiosity finally got the best of him and he walked over. Alice took his hand, pressing his fingers just where hers were.

"Feel it?" She asked.

Daryl did feel something, but it didn't feel like a baby and it didn't feel like a butterbean. He pulled his hand loose.

"Nah, I ain't felt it," he said. He didn't want to admit his confusion at the whole thing when both of them looked so damn happy about it. He just wanted her to do what the fuck she was supposed to do and tell Carol that it was fine.

"Come on, Daryl, that's your butterbean," Carol said suddenly. He glanced at her. She looked so happy right this minute. He had to fight it back not to just smile at her for the face she was wearing.

"Butterbean?" Alice asked.

"I told him that the baby was about the size of a butterbean when he found out about it," Carol said.

Alice smiled.

"Eh, butterbean, huh?" She said. "Well, that's cute, but this isn't a butterbean exactly. You're maybe eleven…could be twelve weeks along. You'd be winning some prizes at the County Fair if this is a butterbean."

Daryl was confused a little. He had no idea about the weeks, and he felt like it was too much for him to take in. He was concentrating on it as Alice continued whatever she was doing. He was only snapped out of it by the sound of Carol chuckling.

"It's OK, Daryl," she said. "It's still your butterbean. Babies grow."

"And growing is what we like, am I right?" Alice asked. "I can't give you any guarantees…I mean I'm good, but I'm not God…but I can tell you that this baby's got as good a chance as any, at least as far as I can tell. It's a trooper."

"So it's OK?" Daryl asked finally.

"Sure, it's fine," Alice said. "And she's a trooper too. I wouldn't have expected this, but I'm not worried about the baby." She turned her attention back to Carol who was dressing. "Just rest a little. You can take the Tylenol when you're hurting, just make sure you're hurting when you take it. Don't get too excited. Just try to rest and get that blood pressure down."

Daryl didn't know how to respond. Carol looked different to him, different than she had for a long time. She was getting dressed, and even though she wasn't looking at either of them there was a hint of a smile on her face.

Suddenly he wasn't sure how to respond. He had to walk the woman who was packing her bag back to her cell, but he hated to pull his crossbow on her as he'd done earlier since she had brought that look on Carol's face…but Carol was afraid of her companion, and he knew that people didn't like leaving their companions.

"Ya done?" He asked when she heaved her bag up.

"Something else I need to do?" She asked. She turned a minute toward Carol. "Good luck to you, I mean, if they let us go, I hope everything's fine."

Carol thanked her, warmly, getting up from the bunk and pausing a moment before she wrapped her arms around her. Daryl waited, unsure of what he should do. When the women separated he wasn't any surer, so he simply pushed Alice into the hallway. She headed the direction she was going.

"So it's back to the cage, huh?" She asked as they were walking along.

"You're the one goin' in that fuckin' direction," he growled, not knowing what to do. Rick was on watch and he didn't have him to discuss anything with.

"I'm not leaving without Mel," Alice said.

"Shut up an' get your ass goin'," Daryl growled. If it had been just her, or just her and the blonde, he might have regretted locking them back in the holding cell, but Carol didn't care for the man, though he'd shown no interest in any of them, and he wasn't letting them out until she wasn't afraid.

The brunette in front of him complied, slipping back into the cell. When he shut the door behind her she grasped the bars in her hands.

"If you're going to keep us here, like prisoners, you might as well go back to where we were. There were a lot of things there that I could use if I'm going to be your on call medic. A fetoscope I could get…I could check your baby's heartbeat later…one of the pod people was pregnant. I was prepared."

Daryl turned back toward her for a second. Her face was pressed against the bars.

"Generators, lots of them, unless you just like living like a boyscout," she said.

"Why didn't'cha bring any a' that with ya?" He asked.

"I consider myself one hell of a woman," Alice replied, "but I didn't know how many 500 pound generators it would take to slow me the fuck down. We didn't have time to find out."

Daryl considered it a minute. A run like that wasn't something to be taken lightly and he needed to discuss it with the rest of the group. They'd have to find a way to get the generators out of there, and it wasn't very likely that they could just carry them.

"Just simmer the fuck down," Daryl called as he walked away from the cell. "I'll talk ta the others, see if'n they wanta try ta go back.