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Just gonna jump into this. I'll redo my normal opening thanking thing in the next chapter

All my love and thanks to my followers, favorites, and reviewers. This one is for you!


Chapter Forty Nine: Truth Comes Out

News of mine and Daryl's fight had spread through the prison like a dieses. I guess since Glenn and Maggie were the romantic couple, Daryl and I were the dysfunctional couple. Since TV was gone Daryl and I were the next best thing. Hershel came to see me the first thing the morning after, he even woke me up. Gave me a lecture how stress was bad for the baby and that I needed to avoid any and all confrontation with Carol and let Rick take care of it. But he also encouraged me talking to Daryl.

I hid inside until I was hungry again, so I quickly grabbed my food and sat at a table fairly far away from the rest of the group. I opened my ears to head what rumors were floating around the prison. Some of the stories I heard were pretty funny, and some of then downright stupid. But as entertaining as I found the stories, I wasn't going to let Daryl's name get drug through the mud. All things considered Daryl was a very good man and they needed to respect him if we were going to live together. Daryl had a short temper and a hard fist. One wrong move from one of these people and I can see a brawl breaking out in the yard.

I did what I could to set them straight, including reminding them that they were adults and they should act like it. Then I canceled my class and decided to walk the fence line. Rick was already down there by the time I got down there. "Hey. How are you feeling?" he asks, looking out at the leafless trees.

"Okay I guess."

"Your face says otherwise."

"I was thinking about last night." I say gliding my fingers up and down the fence line. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"When you found out about Lori, what did you really want to do?"

Rick stays quiet for a little bit. "I wanted to kill him. I wanted to hurt him like he had hurt me."

"What about with Lori?"

"I still loved her, that's why I didn't let her go. I still loved her." then he turns and looks at me. "And no matter how much I wanted to kill Shane, he was still my friend." He sighs and tucks his hands in his pockets. "Look. Can I say something without you flying off the handle?"

"I'll try my best to stay calm."

"Do you even know what happened last night? I mean what really happened?" I shrug my shoulders, not really wanting to answer him. "Kelly, I think you jumped too fast. I think you pointed the finger straight at Daryl before you stopped and looked at the situation-."

"I didn't-!"

"Hey! I get to finish." Rick says pointing a finger at me. "If you can get on my back about how I was treating Lori, I can do it with you and Daryl."

He sits down on the ground and pulls me down next to him. "Look, you have never been in a real functional relationship until this one. You don't really know how to operate within one." I try to interrupt him, but he just gives me a look and I shut up. "I'm not saying it's your fault. But you need to realize that not everyone is out to hurt you. Last night once everything calmed down I talked to Daryl. Sweetie nothing happened. He didn't do anything."

"Sure didn't look that way."

"I know that, and so does he. But he didn't do anything. The look on his face was all I needed to see to believe him. He's hurting too."

"So you're saying this is my fault?"

"I'm saying this is everyone's fault. Everyone who is involved, from you to Daryl and even Merle and I for jumping on him instead of listening. And that goes for you too. You acted on what you think you saw. Not what actually happened."

I'm flipping a rock in my hands as Rick keeps talking. My brother has always been a good guy with a heart of gold. But sometimes I hated that because he made me feel like crap sometimes. He puts his arm around me. "Sweetheart, this isn't just about you anymore. And it isn't just about him either. You two have a new life that's going to be joining us soon. Don't let something like this ruin that. I did. I lost my last few months with Lori because I couldn't over look what she did." He gives me a hug before he pushes up from the ground. He kisses the top of my head. "I would give anything to have that time back. Don't make the same mistake as me." He starts to walk away before he turns back with a small smile. "You're smarter than me. Go act like it."


I draw in the dirt with my rock, there is a walker biting at me on the other side of the fence, but I don't really mind anymore. I'm used to it by now. It was a warm day today, finally evidence that winter was going to be coming to an end. Rick's words kept spinning in my head, as did the events of last night. I knew I had overreacted on one level, but on the other hand, I had tried to talk to him about everything and he had brushed me off. It was just like Rick had said, we both were to blame. I needed to go find him and we needed to talk. A real talk.

It took me several tries before I could get off the ground. I had killed the walker to get my annoyance out of my system before I went to go find him. I did a quick search outside the prison, dodging stares and questions as I went. Merle was of no help, unlike Rick, I don't think he was buying Daryl's side of the story so he wasn't telling me where his brother was. Rick didn't know. I went inside and checked in the cell, his stuff was still there, but the mess I had made was still on the floor. Had he even slept here last night? I rubbed my head as I felt yet another stupid headache building behind my eyes. I leaned against the railing. Where in the world could he be? He wasn't out hunting because Rick wouldn't have encouraged me to go talk to him if he was gone. I close my eyes and rub my temples. These headaches were going to be the death of me. I never got them until I got pregnant. Then I perk up, I had a new place to look for him.

I pull open the door between block C and the interior of the prison. I get a few steps down the hall when the most obnoxious voice I have ever heard hits my ears. "Told you my boy was worthless."

"Not now Carter." I say as I keep going.

"I told you he was no good. Just like my other boy. They got it from their mother. Loyalty means nothing to them." I tried to stay calm, reminding myself that he was a bit bigger then me and that Hershel told me basically to chill the hell out with my temper, but this was crossing the line with me. So I ignored my elder and my brain and turned to face him.

"I'm only going to say this once. You don't ever say anything bad about Merle or Daryl do you understand me? They are good men. And they are very loyal, especially to each other. They are smart and can do anything they want. And none of it is because of you. Probably in spite of you at best."

His mouth almost falls off his face. I really guess back-talk is not something he's used to. It takes him a few seconds to recover. I just put my hands on my hips and wait for him to speak. "You've got quiet a mouth on you missy. My son should have pounded some manners in you. But since he can't, maybe I should."

"You really should rethink that."

"And why is that?"

"Do you really think you'll make it out of this prison alive if you hurt me? Think before you act Carter. You avoid trouble that way."

I walked away feeling both smug and sheepish. I had outsmarted Carter Dixon, but I did it with something I should have done myself last night with Daryl. Rick's own words came back and falcon punched me in the face. I should have thought before I acted too. And I had hurt Daryl in the process.

It was weird being on this side of the relationship, being the hurter instead of the hurtee. I didn't like either side, but this side was definably worse. Daryl had tried to explain last night, but I didn't let him. I needed to find him. And I had a pretty good idea where to look.


Daryl's PoV

Jez, I was pretty sure my ears were going to be bleeding for at least a week, so when Rick came back a few hours later I was immediately on the defensive side of things. I had never been punched by Rick before, and it was something I didn't feel like feeling again. But when he apologized and wanted to hear my side of things we were okay. Just like that. "I didn't do anything. She came on to me, I told her to leave, and she did. I guess Merle saw her leave and he flew off the handle."

"How did this result in Kelly waking everybody up in the middle of the night?"

"She showed up in the middle of Merle and me arguing. She just assumed I guess. But she had the right to assume what she did though. She tried to tell me that Carol wasn't right. I just thought it was the hormones. Turns out she was right."

"She has that annoying habit."

"What do I do? I need to fix this."

"Wait until I talk to her tomorrow. If you go to her tonight it will be worse. Let her calm down."

"Do you think it'll work out?"

"Just let me talk to her. This is new territory for her." He goes back inside and I lean against the prison.

"New for me too."

I stayed outside for a long time; I played what had happened over and over in my head. After the fight with Kelly I spent time with Carol simply because I could. I didn't like being told what to do. My allegiance to Rick was one thing, but simply being told I couldn't see someone was way too much for me to accept. But in reality Kelly didn't say I couldn't see Carol, just to back it off a notch. Then she had gone off to do the school thing and I went on a hunt. It was dark by the time I got back and Carol had been up in the guard tower. We had talked and then it happened.

"Kelly was out with Tyreese again today." Carol said as she leaned against the railing.

"She can see whoever she wants."

"But she can't grant you the same decency? Doesn't sound very fair to me."

"It's not a big deal."

"That fight you had this afternoon would say otherwise."

"What are you getting at?" I ask turning to look at her; she pushes up from the rail and smiles at me.

"I don't like to see you get taken advantage of." She steps closer to me and places a hand on my arms that are crossed over my chest. "Rick may have found this place, but you got us here. Rick is weak. You're not."

"Rick is not weak."

"He put his gun down. He gave up. But you, you're still strong. Still fighting." her other hand falls on my arms. My back stiffens.

"You deserve more than to be the lackey of that family. Don't let this thing with Kelly permanently tie you down. You deserve someone stronger."

She could move fast, I'd give her that. But the moment her lips touched mine I had pushed her back. She viewed it as a challenge not a rejection. It took some harsh words and several shoves before she got the point and ran off. But my peace was short lived when my brother had come barging through the door. I had tried to argue my side but he hadn't listened. Tossing blame and accusing me of doing something I would never do. Then when the door had opened up again and Kelly was there I felt my chest tighten. I could see it on her face that she, like Merle, was assuming the worst.

Watching her walk away was so painful. I don't know why I didn't follow her as soon as she turned away, but I didn't. And when I finally did it was too late and Rick was in full blow older brother mode. I knew it well and I learned how powerful it could be. If I had had a younger sibling I still don't think I could be as bad as Rick was. Kelly really was very precious to him.

She was to me too.


I finally got too cold standing outside that I gritted my teeth and went into the cell block. It was late and everyone was probably asleep so I shouldn't have any confrontations. But when I got to the steps that went to the second lever Maggie came out of Michonne's cell. She fixed me with a glare, that probably would have sent Glenn into a corner in fear, as she walked back into the cell she shared with Glenn. Kelly really had left me. I went towards Michonne's cell and I pulled the blanket back and I saw her. She was curled up and I could still see her shoulders shaking and I knew she was crying.

It had taken all my willpower to do what Rick said and walk away from her.


The following morning wasn't much better. Kelly was still asleep when I got up so Rick obviously hadn't gotten to talk to her yet. I went outside and it felt like all eyes turned on me then all the lips started flapping. Apparently word traveled fast. I went to get breakfast.

I piled my powered eggs that were so nasty that they tasted like T-Dogg had come back from the dead to curse me with his bad cooking. Carol had the nerve to come talk to me. "I heard what happened." I just walk away from her. But, like last night, bitch can't take a hint. She followed after me. "It's not a bad thing Daryl. You're free of her now. You can do anything you want. Be with whoever you want." I slam my plate down on the table and turn to look at her; surprisingly it seemed that she actually had brains enough to know to take a step back.

"I guess you fall into that "whoever" category right?"

"I—I just-."

"Well let me tell you something, you are going to stay very far away from Kelly. And then you're going to stay very far away from me. I've never hit a woman before, but if you cross me or her again. I will."

With that said and my appetite gone I stalked back inside the prison. I was just going to go back and lay down, but Hershel's voice in Michonne's cell caught my ears and I decided to eavesdrop. "—is hard for you, but you need to learn to control your temper. You need to avoid stress and confrontation. Your blood pressure is getting higher almost everyday. It's still in the safe zone, but if this keeps up I will have to put restrictions on you. And I don't want to do that."

"Is the baby in danger?" she asks, her voice is very quiet it was almost impossible to hear.

"If this keeps up then yes, the baby will be in danger. But right now you still have time to reverse what is going on. But only if you listen to me."

"Okay."

"I mean it Kelly. I'll get everyone on your tail if you don't start taking better care of yourself."

"I'll try."

I could tell by the look on Hershel's face when he left the cell that he didn't really believe her. I didn't either. Kelly did have a temper. The first time I had seen it my mouth had hit the ground. She's the sweetest thing until you cross her.

I decided to just go somewhere to think. I needed to give Rick time to work his magic and I needed to have an idea of what to say to her ready. And I needed to be somewhere she would think of that was also somewhere important to us.

The interior of the prison was decently lit now. Flood lights were on in some of the other blocks and we had spray painted directions on the wall so no one would get lost down here like Kelly had been in our early days. The room I'm headed for is pretty far in, but it's an important room. Kelly had taken me here a few days after Merle and I got back to the prison after the first Woodbury incident. It was the room that she had hidden in while she was missing. It was still empty and we didn't use it for anything, so Kelly and I decided to use it as a place to get away. It's where I went when I needed to think. I also hoped that Kelly would fallow me down here soon. I needed to talk to her. I wanted to hold her again.


Kelly's PoV

It was always weird for me to go in the prison this far. Even though the hallways were somewhat lit and I knew my way, I still hated walking this hallway. Walking through the door that T-Dogg had died in front of always made me feel sad. He would have been so proud of what we had built here. He probably would have made some joke about how we built it inside I prison of all places. But he would have liked it.

It's a fairly short walk from those doors to where I thought Daryl would be. The door was closed, but I saw a light coming from the crack under the door. I knew I needed to talk to him, but now that I was here I felt like just turning away. This was so out of my element that it killed me. I did not know what to do at all. Should I just walk in? Maybe I should knock?

No. that would be so stupid. I stomp my foot at my own cowardice and just grab the handle and push the door open.

The silence that came over to room was terrible. It was like in the movies where all sounds just seemed to stop. He was just sitting at one of the chairs we had drug in there a long time ago. His crossbow and poncho were in the far corner. I tug at the ends of my sweater as I fight not to cross my arms. I didn't want him to think I was still angry. "Rick talk to you?" he asks after a few second. My mouth is so dry that I just nod. "Did he tell you what happened?"

It took me a try or two but I finally found my voice. "Some of it." Then the room is silent again. We're looking at each other, but there is something hanging in the air that feels like its sucking the life out of the room. I clear my throat and cross my arms as I push aside my insecurities and walk into the room. "I'm just gonna say this, okay?" he nods as I sit down in the chair across from him. "What I did was wrong. I assumed. I—I heard what you and Merle were saying; I saw the stupid bed, and her jacket…" I stop and let out a breath and lower my tone back down to normal. "Daryl I don't know how to deal with something that's good. I've never had something that's good. So-so maybe I always have to be looking for something bad, or I have to have something bad, I-I don't know. But the fact is I was wrong. I let my worries and jealousy overcome what I knew. I never should have thought that you would do that."

"And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

He just sat there and looked at me. I felt something form at the pit of my stomach. What if it was too late? What if he wasn't going to accept my apology? He fiddled with his thumbs and my anxiety was growing with each silent second that passed. Then he finally broke it and the first words out of his mouth almost killed me. "You're right. You should have known better. You should have stopped and listened to me instead you flew off the handle and pointed the finger. But I did the same thing." I looked at him confused. He face was guilty, but it was a sad guilt. "Kelly, you told me a long time ago about the trouble you were having with Carol. And I should have taken care of that. I should have taken care of you. But I didn't. And then when it started again…" he stops and just sits there, but I can almost see the wheels in his head spinning. Trying to think of how to say something.

"Daryl, I shouldn't have attacked you about being her friend." I say, not caring for the silence that fell between us again.

"That's the thing." He says, pushing his hair out of his face. "You were right to do that-."

"No I was-."

"Kelly. I can just…just let me say this, okay?" he asks. I nod and wring my hands together. "This is going to be a long thing. And I'm no good at this, so…I dunno….just go with it." I nod again. "There was a reason I started talking to her again. And that reason was you." I feel panic fall into the bit of my gut.

"What did I do?" I ask, forgetting that I told him I would just listen.

"It isn't something you did. It was just….everything that is going on." He stands up from his chair. "Think about Kelly. This started out of nowhere." He gestures between us. "I mean, I didn't even know you then suddenly you're in my life. We shared a room at the CDC-."

"But you-." I interrupt him.

"Kelly, you said you would listen." He says fixing me with a look. I sigh and lean back in my chair. "I know I drug you in there and that wasn't your fault. But those few days we were there I started to like you. Admire you. You had this desire to protect your family from everything, especially your brother. That really hit me. I'd do anything for Merle, and I was seeing that same thing in someone for the first time. It was really something." He paces back and forth behind his abandoned chair.

"But then we just hit the ground running. One minute we were just talking and the next we're sleeping together. Then all that stuff at the farm, all last winter, thinking I lost you, then all that Woodbury crap, and now you're pregnant. We went so fast. And you aren't the only one who has never had a normal relationship." Then he falls silent again and his pacing stops. I sit and chew on my lip, very confused.

"But….what does this have to do with you and Carol?"

Daryl just stares at one of the side walls, he actually crosses his arm. It felt like it took forever before he turned and looked at me. "I have to look after you Kelly. Everyday I feel that I have to be there for you. I feel that I always have to take care of you. But I don't have to do that with Carol. It's easier."


Rick's PoV

Just walking away from my sister when she was obviously hurting so much was so hard to do. But just like so many things in her life that caused her pain, they were her issues to fix. I couldn't fix this. I could tell Kelly a thousand times over that Daryl didn't do anything and she could still ignore me and blame him until it broke one of them down. As much as I loved my sister and I never wanted her in pain, she helped caused this and only she could fix this.

I remember when she was born, she was so tiny. But I guess that's what happens when you're born a month and a half early. She was in the hospital for a very long time. I don't remember how long anymore. The first time I saw her she was covered in wires and tubes. Dad had said that she was a fighter. That's all I ever heard when people talked about my baby sister. That was until one day I got on the bus and she was curled up in a seat crying. Later that night dad had told me that I had to help her fight her battles. Then that changed again when she was in High School and dad told me she had to fight her own battles again.

I wished it would change again to where I could fight all her battles and keep her from feeling this way ever again. But I knew it would never happen. And it was a vicious circle that Carl would go through with Judith.

I may not be able to fight this battle, but I was going to make sure that this never happened again. I needed to go find Carol. It was time to listen to my sisters instincts and put her in her place.

It was a short walk to the library, I caught sight of Kelly disappearing down a far hallway, I couldn't help but smile, she was going to go talk to Daryl. I hoped they worked this out. I pushed open the door and Carol's voice fell softly over the room. She was reading to the kids. I walked around the shelves and let her know I was there. She stopped mid-sentence before she regained herself and finished the story. I stayed and listened to Where the Red Fern Grows. She finished the chapter and sent the kids on their way. I smiled at the ones that told me hi before they ran out the door.

"I guess it doesn't matter if there are dead people running around or not, kids do not like school." I say walking around the shelf that separated her and I. Carol stood up and placed the book back on the shelf.

"It looks that way. The first day this happened they were so restless."

"Kind of like when it comes to you and your feelings."

"What are you talking about?" she asks turning to look at me.

"You know I'm talking about."

"Look, what happened last night is between Daryl and I-." she says walking past me.

"No, it's between all of us." I grab her arm and stop her from leaving. "You upset my sister. Made her cry. So I think that involves her. And what involves her involves me."

"It's probably the hormones-."

"Don't even go there. You screwed up, Carol."

She just laughs and rolls her eyes. "If your sister can't keep her man-."

"Do you think this is a joke?" I ask, stepping closer to her. She just smiles back up at me.

"No. I'm taking this very seriously."

"That's it. You have no chances left Carol. You cause one more problem in my sister's life, if you cross anybody in this prison, if you so much as sneeze on somebody, you'll be out. I'll toss you out the gates myself. Do you understand me?"

Her smile freezes on her face and her eyes loose the humor that was there when I first came in the room. "Okay." she says, her voice quiet. I stare at her, making sure she understood that I was dead serious. I let her arm go and she slowly turns and walks out the door.

I stare after her. I didn't know what to make of her anymore. She had changed after Sophia died. And not for the better. She was cold. Focused only on her survival and the people she wanted. She reminded me of Shane. That look in her eyes was the same look that was in my best friends' eyes before I killed him. I had to keep a better eye on her. and I would.


Kelly's PoV

I stand up from my chair and cross my arms. "I don't get it. You hang out with her because you don't have to protect her? You don't have to protect me! I'm not helpless Daryl!"

"No." he says walking over to me, "I'm not saying that you are." He shakes his head before he grabs my shoulders. "You're pregnant Kelly."

"Thank you, I am well aware of that."

"That's not what I mean-." He lets me go and stalks back to the wall.

"Then what do you mean?!" I ask, wanting to know what in the world he was talking about.

"It's too hard!" He finally snaps. He kicks the chair out of the way causing me to jump. I just stare open mouthed at Daryl as he just goes in random circles before he abruptly stops. "Kelly, if I lost you, and I mean really lost you. I wouldn't make it."

He moves so fast and soon he's right in front of me. "I look at Rick and what he has to go through with his kids, with Judith, alone. I can't do that. And every time I look at you and I see your stomach I feel overwhelmed with worry. What if something happens to you? What if—what if the baby dies and it tears you apart from the inside. Or what if you die giving birth. Or a walker gets in somehow." He grabs my shoulders again. "I can't—every time I look at you I see Lori's body. I see what happened to her. I remember how slow and sick she got. How even the littlest thing caused a problem with her. I can't go through that with you."

He seems to realize that he is almost yelling. His voice occasionally spiking up to a higher octave. He slowly lets me go and steps back from me. "I know that this baby is coming. And when you first told me that it was coming I was happy. But now, now its hitting me what this baby is going to really mean for us. I'll be responsible for a helpless life." He bends down and picks up the chair he kicked over. "That's why I could talk to her. Because she wasn't constantly talking about the baby, or parenthood with me. And she can take care of herself. I didn't have to be the protector. I could just…be. I could ignore these feelings when I talked to her. I didn't have to worry about anything. And I'm sorry."

I think that for the first time since I've met Daryl Dixon that I'm finally seeing the real him. I knew his emotions ran deep, but this is the first time I saw how deep they really ran. I walk over him and wrap my arms around him. Just pulling him into a hug. Trying to help him. His arms are immediately around me and he is holding me so tight it's almost hard to breath. "Oh Daryl. You're not the only one that feels this way." I say after the tension leaves his frame. He pulls back and looks at me. "I'm scared too. Hershel tells me all the time that I should talk to the baby, think of names. But I can't. Nothing ever last in this world. And right now things are going too good. There is no way that things are going this good and their not be a storm brewing somewhere. I'm scared too."

I pull away from him and wipe my eyes. "Why didn't just talk to me about this? Daryl that's what I'm here for. You helped me when I needed you. You have to let me help you. We could have talked about this. I could have helped, or at least allayed your fears a little. Hershel has this baby under closer observation I promise. If I loose this baby at any point Hershel will know and he would be on it." I fix my sweater again and I grab Daryl's hand.

"No matter what we think or feel, this baby is coming. We made the choice to have sex without protection. This is our punishment. Don't make this punishment be a one way street. You need to talk to me, just like I need to talk to you. I've been keeping things from you too."

"Like what?"

For the rest of the night we just sat and talked. I told him about my confrontations with Carter, all the things Carol said. All about the things Hershel had told me that I hadn't told him. All my fears and thoughts. And he did the same. Told me about what really happened in the guard tower, how he felt when he saw me. He told me more about his thoughts on the baby, and he told me about his relationship with his dad.

I knew that Daryl and I had a lot in common, but tonight drove home just how true that was. It was unreal to me that it took an apocalypse to bring us together. How could I have possibly found the man of my dreams in a land of monsters? How could I finally have the strength to let my past go and help him let his go as well in the world?

But in the end it didn't matter why. All I knew was that Daryl made this world bearable. And as much as he feared loosing me, I feared loosing him just as much. He didn't think he could go on without me. I know I could go on without him.


No worries, there is still more to come. The heart-to-heart is now done yet!

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