Sweet Caroline
Chapter 55 – "No Return"
Caroline can't believe her eyes, at the fence was Lee Jr. bloody and battered. He leans against the fence, his fingers lacing into the wires.
"Caroline, Raylan … guys you got to let me in." He begs from the other side of the fence. Samuel and Dean come barreling out of the guard tower, taking the keys from Carl.
Once Lee Jr. is in the yard Dean goes about questioning him and he learns more than he wanted to know. When Lee and the boys took off in the dead of winter they came upon this small town called Woodbury. This man they call the Governor took them in and they've been there ever since.
Clinging to Raylan, Caroline grabs Lee Jr.'s arm. "What happen Jr., how did you get here?"
"Caroline, they're dead, Dad and Michael. Rick shot Dad on the wall and Michael got bit a month back. I don't know why Rick came to Woodbury but I think it has something to do with Glenn, I saw them bring him in. I'm sorry Caroline but you have to take me in … I ain't got nowhere else to go." Caroline looks up to Raylan, rage covering her face.
"Did you see Daryl?" Lee Jr. shakes his head, tears in his eyes.
Raylan helps Caroline back to her feet, her tears falling again. Samuel and Dean take Lee Jr. up to the guard tower with them, Dean looking back at Caroline.
Caroline curls up in Beth's cell, her arms wrapping around her stomach. "Raylan, what if he doesn't come back? What if he never knows about the baby, what do I do?"
Raylan kneels to the floor, stroking her hair. "You get some sleep and when Rick comes I'll wake you. Daryl will come back you wait and see."
Caroline can hear the others talking in the cell block, Hershel concerned about her state of mind if Daryl doesn't come back.
She strokes her belly when Beth comes in with Judith. "You want to watch the baby for me? I need to help Carol for a bit."
Sitting up in the bunk Caroline takes the baby, cradling her to her chest. "You're gonna have a little friend to play with soon Judith, maybe a little boy to grow up with."
Rocking the baby back and forth she starts to hum a lullaby, praying silently Daryl would come back soon.
Raylan comes running in the cell block, the smile on his face as wide as Georgia itself. "Caroline, they're back."
Holding the baby tight she runs towards the prison yard, Glenn and Maggie climbing out of the car with Michonne exiting next. She stands there waiting, waiting to see Daryl.
"Maggie … where's Daryl?" Maggie hugs her tight, Rick with Carol and Carl walking up behind her. Hershel and Beth hug Maggie, Maggie not saying a word to Caroline. Hershel looks at Maggie, kissing her cheek. "Go on, take your sister inside and Maggie take Caroline with you."
Beth takes the baby back from Caroline, Maggie walking her cousin to a cell. "Caroline, I don't know how to tell you this…" Caroline starts screaming, her tears making her vision blurry.
"Don't you say it Maggie, just don't." Caroline lies on the floor curled up in a ball. Maggie sticks her head out the cell door and yells for Raylan. Raylan runs to Caroline, picking her up in his arms.
"What did you say to her Maggie? Is Daryl dead?" Glenn walks up to Raylan, his swollen bruised eye almost closed shut.
"He might as well be he left. He picked Merle over us, over her. That bastard beat the shit out of me and Daryl knew that and still he left when Rick told him Merle wasn't coming back to the prison with us. Daryl isn't the man I thought he was." Raylan stands there shocked and angry.
"He's gone, for good?" Raylan looks at Maggie watching her nod her head.
"I'm sorry Raylan. Will she be okay?" Maggie takes Caroline's trembling hand, Caroline shaking in Raylan's arms.
"No I won't Maggie, I'm pregnant." Maggie and Glenn both look on all slacked jawed.
Glenn punches the wall behind him, Maggie trying to control his rage. Raylan holds his sister closer to him, his sad eyes gazing down at her. "It'll be alright, we'll get through this."
Caroline looks up to the perch seeing Carol standing there crying. Carol smiles down at her, both of them crying over the same man.
Caroline listens as Raylan tells Maggie about the walker attack at the cabin and Caroline getting hurt. The biggest shocker is that Caroline is immune, Maggie just standing there looking at her cousin. "So she didn't turn, she didn't become a walker. Oh my God Raylan, if the Governor finds this out she won't be safe."
"I know Maggie that's why we got to keep this quiet for now." Raylan can feel Caroline squirming in his arms, her hands pushing against his chest.
"Raylan put me down." Gently Raylan puts Caroline back down, her feet moving swiftly to the main cell door.
"I need to go outside; I can't stand being in her any longer. Let me out!" She shouts back at them, Raylan opening the door. The new group looks at her, Tyreese giving her a comforting smile.
Climbing the stairs of the guard tower she can feel every ounce of her sorrow consume her. Her feet move slower, her limbs feeling heavy as she reaches the platform. Samuel sees her taking her about the waist. "Caroline, what's wrong?"
"I … I thought he loved me Sammy but he didn't. Maybe he never did, he was just passing his time with me. I see now family means more than anything and I actually get that. If it came down to it I'd pick you boys over him and he knew that but I'd never leave him without a goodbye." Samuel wraps both of his large arms around his sister letting her cry it out.
Dean paces the guard tower, his anger building till he fires off a few rounds into the walkers around the fence. "Sammy, get our packs. We're going to go find that stupid son of a bitch. He's coming back here whether he likes it or not. He left my baby sister for some no account ass of a brother and he sure as hell ain't leaving her to have this baby by herself. From what I've heard about Merle Dixon he'd sell Daryl to the devil in a heartbeat. No, that ain't happening on my watch. Go on Sammy and bring a pack for Jr., he can go with us."
Raylan runs up the stairs, his eyes locked on Caroline's. "There's some heavy stuff going on inside, you boys better get in there." Both of his brothers run down the stairs leaving Caroline with Raylan.
"Brother, I don't want to stay here without Daryl. He was the only thing keeping me here. Sammy and Dean are going after him but if they return without him we're done here. We'll go to the cabin and do our best." Caroline sits on the top step, Raylan sitting with her.
"I'm sure once he finds out about the baby he'll come back Caroline. If not then we'll leave if that's what you want to do. Rick just lost it in there. I know crazy, I've seen it too many times as a Marshal and that was crazy. This place isn't safe anymore, not with that madman and his town coming after us. Do you want to go with the boys, all of us leave?" Caroline takes Raylan's hand holding it tight.
"Go get my bag, we're out of here. I want Daryl Dixon to look me in the eye and tell me he doesn't want me anymore." Raylan squeezes her hand tight, giving her an understanding look.
Maggie and Beth come storming out of the prison after Raylan and the boys, Maggie screaming at them to stay. Lynzie joins Caroline, gripping her hand tight. "I'll be in the truck with the boys, say your peace and let's go. Daryl deserves to know he's going to be a dad."
Hershel is soon behind them, telling the girls to come back. Caroline walks up to Hershel, her blue eyes sad and distant. "Uncle I have to go, have to try to bring him back."
"Caroline be reasonable, Daryl's brother tortured Glenn, he's not coming back to this prison. There is a reason Daryl left with him, best let him go sweetheart." Hershel takes a deep breath as Caroline picks up her pack.
"He's going to tell me to my face he doesn't love me, doesn't want me. Before you tell me how dangerous it is out there I know. I have to go." Hershel reaches his hand out to her but she recoils.
Carol rushes out the door staring at all of them. "You'd leave … leave us unprotected? That man that took Glenn and Maggie is coming for us and Daryl is already gone, Raylan please stay. You're leaving us to die if all of you go. Please stay."
Caroline walks up to Carol, her eyes full of malice. "Daryl is the reason I'm going Carol."
"Go on Caroline, go after a man that didn't love you enough to come back for you." Carol stands only inches from Caroline's face.
With her eyes closed Caroline bites at her bottom lip. "Yeah, he didn't come back for me but at least I love him enough to go after him, don't see you doing that bitch."
Turning her back to Carol, Caroline walks to Raylan and the two of them go to the truck looking back at her cousins and uncle standing in the yard. Raylan looks over at her giving her a half smile. "Are you sure about this?"
"Just drive Raylan." She looks up as Samuel, Dean and Lee Jr. climb in the truck bed. Lynzie slides in the truck seat next to her, her hand patting her on the knee. "Once we find Daryl I'm sure he'll be more than glad to see you. I think he left to protect you from Merle. I don't think he was running from you Caroline, I really don't."
As the prison gets smaller in the rearview mirror Caroline feels her heart get heavier. She was going to find Daryl, if it was the last thing she did.
