Chapter 16

Sophia flew against a background of a beautiful sunset that painted the edges of the clouds gold, enjoying the soothing breeze of fresh air as it chilled her body, that privilege was only hers as the only witch with a broom in the area. She was heading west to the Sanctuary from the Kingdom where she had been hoping to find a clue about her mother's face.

The search for her mother, although very recently started, felt like it was going nowhere. Sophia with all her power could only hope to guess and search and try to find clues or come upon her by pure luck, there wasn't a spell in her knowledge that would point her directly to her although she knew there should be.

There are always ways with magic, there is always a twist that can overcome the seemingly impossible. She thought. All she needed was the knowhow and the will, but she knew that one way or another they would meet again.

Who would have thought that her mother's path in life would take her so close to her lost daughter, as she had talked over with Eugene, the man believed a series of miraculous coincidences and circumstances had brought her mother's group to his group and finally to DC. For such a science-oriented man to identify destiny…

Fate had been something Sophia considered at times when she thought of what she lived through and how she ended up there with Negan, it came to mind when Sophia thought of how many times she should have died, how many times she should have given up but she kept moving forward. The question that even then in her altered and lonely state she asked herself, why did she keep going? Why did she get up again and moved if it was only to prepare for the next night of fighting and running? There was no direction that she followed, not objective, she just fought to survive even beyond her limits and it led her to Negan which in turn led her to Sanctuary and eventually her mother.

Thanks to that something that pushed me to survive and hold on, brought me to my mission in life too. Sophia thought as she moved fast under the clouds.

She closed in on the Sanctuary and took a quick fly around the compounds, watching as the last of the workers finished the day, most of them already inside mingling and resting. Finally, she dropped on the roof of the Sanctuary and right through the roof window to her room that allowed her to get in from the sky.

Just that morning her usually lonely room had been visited by the blonde Amber, who was in serious need of a friendly shoulder, but now was back to being her private working and resting place out of the reaches of anyone but her with her magic.

She stood there for a second, aware of the thing next to Glenn and underneath the sheets, hidden to all but her by a no-maj repelling charm that she had placed the night before, then looked back through the roof window.

There's still light left outside… Sophia thought, so she decided to apparate straight to one of her usual spots near and above the main area of the Sanctuary. Where, to her surprise, the people were gathering in quiet murmur and she immediately knew there was something serious going on.

Sophia looked around trying to guess what was going on. A cold tension setting on her skin.

Dwight was prepping the furnace and that meant someone was going to get the iron, but she didn't really know who. Then she saw Laura, who was watching from the first floor next to a very scared Eugene, so she disapparated again and apparated next to Laura, who didn't even flinch at her sudden materialization as opposed to Eugene who would have bolted if it wasn't for Laura's hand on holding him in place.

"Sorry Eugene, I didn't mean to scare you." She said as greetings. "What's going on Laura?"

"The doctor is going to get the iron." Explained the blonde lieutenant. The news caught her by surprise, Doctor Carson was hardly someone to do something so stupid to deserve such punishment.

"What the hell? What happened?" Sophia asked her a little worried about the old man.

"I don't know." Laura simply said, and Sophia got the feeling that she didn't care much about what was going to happen to the doctor. "Something to do with Sherry I think."

Sophia huff in exasperation at the disinterest of the blonde and spared a glance at Eugene, he looked back at her with his usual nervous fear. "I'll find out myself." She said and apparated straight into the middle of the crowd with a loud snap that she heard the tail end of, as she appeared right in front of the furnace.

Some workers greeted her loudly and some even bowed their heads, Sophia looked around and saw that Arat was there along with a very tired looking Amber and she had to suppress a smile, then she turned towards the furnace where Dwight was quietly holding the iron over the flames. Last she had heard of the man was before he left to find Sherry.

"Dwight, what the fuck happened?" She asked. The scarred man didn't pay her much attention, he never stopped giving her the back or even looked at her eyes, only giving her the smallest glance in her direction as a sign of recognition.

What the fuck?...

"I didn't do anything! I swear, this has to be a misunderstanding!" Came the voice of the doctor as he was dragged by two burly Saviors.

"Miss Harpy! I beg of you, there has to be a mistake, please do something!" Begged doctor Carson stretching his hand towards her, but they wouldn't let him get close to her. He already looked like he had been beaten for a while.

"Move aside sweetpea, daddy's gotta work." Came the voice of Negan from behind her and he gently pushed her aside with the help of Lucille.

Negan walked up to the doctor and watched him closely with a terrifying grin on his face.

"I didn't do anything, I'm Negan! I love living here! I wouldn't risk that for anything!" Begged the doctor but he ignored him in favor of casually swinging Lucille back and slamming it hard on the doctor's arm, Sophia could hear the sound of his arm breaking right before the tired screams of the old man. It felt to her like she had to do something.

But if he did betray us… She thought, paralyzed in place.

"Really? Because we found this lovely note tucked away in your desk." Countered Negan as he showed a small piece of paper to the man.

"I don't know what that is!" Immediately said the terrified doctor, Sophia quickly walked up to Negan and took the little paper from his hands to read it while Negan kept beating on the old man, the sound of each beating followed by more pained grunts.

It was a thank you note in loopy, girly handwriting. Sophia looked back at Dwight and he was still keeping his eyes on the furnace.

"Is this Sherry's?" She asked back to Negan, interrupting the beating.

But the man didn't need to nod for her to know. Negan took his time walking over to Dwight, who handed him a pair of gloves he used to handle the hot iron, then walked back to the doctor.

"You let the door open and let my puppy out." Started Negan putting on his gloves.

"You knew she wasn't happy with Daryl being here so you helped her get him out."

"No! Why would I?" Countered the doctor.

"You let him out, so you could try to move in on her, that greedy little pecker of yours is gonna get you the iron now." Threatened Negan.

"But I didn't! She could have done it by herself, she probably helped him on her way out." Pleaded the old man.

"I saw Sherry near Daryl's box the day she ran out, I didn't see the doctor." Sophia offered, trying to argue for him. She didn't believe one second that the old man had done something that stupid.

Negan turned to Sophia giving her a condescending look. "Sherry told everything to Dwighty boy before she was torn apart." He argued, and Sophia had to look at Dwight in shock. Sherry was dead and Dwight had been involved, and now the doctor… what? Was he paying for it?

"What? And Dwight is the only witness?" She argued. "What if he's lying, he should have gone with Laura as she suggested!" She said angrily, this was all again Negan being stupid about Dwight.

"Why would he? What would he get out of lying? He already paid for Daryl's escape and came out in the right frame of mind from his own time in the box, is that right Dwight?" Asked Negan.

Dwight barely nodded but he said loudly. "Yup." It infuriated Sophia that there was something clearly going on with the mand and Negan was about to punish the doctor just on Dwight's word.

"If Dwight is lying I'll just burn his other side until he dies, he knows this so why would he lie?" Asked Negan, and Sophia had nothing to say to that, she didn't understand why he could possibly target the doctor or anyone for that matter if Sherry was already dead.

"If Dwight is lying, and in time I'll fucking know if he is, then I'm going to be the one who deals with him." She promised, giving Dwight a death stare, that seemed to get him out of his mind and he gave her a defying glare.

"I can't prove the doctor is innocent, he clearly has all the evidence against him, but I still believe him better than that fuckup." She finished pointing at Dwight.

Negan walked over to her and faced her straight and close, everyone from Saviors to workers was present and observing the discussion. It wasn't something Sophia ever wanted to happen, not between the two of them and not in front of everyone like that. "We all know that you have it in for Dwighty boy, but you have to accept that he has earned his spurs and has been nothing but a diligent lieutenant." Argued Negan.

"Fine, I'll take the iron in place of the doctor." She finished, it was more of an impulse decision, soon after realizing what she had just said. Her skin froze in expectation for what she had just signed up for.

Everyone was silenced by her declaration, she looked around and saw the shock on their faces, for many workers it would be their first glimpse of the Harpy's face. Not even mentioning the first time she took punishment like the rest of them.

Negan stared at her in surprise for a few seconds, and then came up to her. She didn't fail to notice how Dwight took this opportunity to hand him the red hot iron.

Fucking Dwight. She thought he would surely enjoy it.

Negan grabbed it with his gloved hand and kept looking at her as if thinking about something.

"You know it would have to be on the other side, there's no point in doing it over the old one." He said quietly, suddenly there was a hint of concern on his face.

Sophia nodded stiffly, she did not trust herself to be able to say anything without her voice quivering. Then she slowly moved her hand over the mask, commanding the feathery clasp around her head to let go and it did. She reluctantly removed her hand and with it came the mask of the Harpy.

Many gasped at the sight of her angrily marked face, and when she glanced around she saw the many faces of the workers reflect concern and surprise at her visage.

She left the mask hanging from the hilt of her sword and then took off her pointy hat so that it wouldn't get in the way. It suddenly felt like she was naked in front of everyone, younger than ever and somehow Sophia couldn't help but lament the state of her hair, which was usually a mess since it was always covered so she tried to flip it to her right side to cover some of her ugly scarred face where no hair grew.

"Don't do it!" Someone shouted in anguish amongst the workers and others agreed loudly.

"Don't hurt the Harpy!" A woman cried. "You can't!" She pleaded, making others agree with her with shouts and cries.

"Leave her alone!" A man shouted in anger, Sophia saw the other Saviors were starting to get nervous at the display.

"Don't touch the Harpy!" Said a big man with a black leather apron pushing to the front, but some of the Saviors pushed back and Sophia could see that the situation was getting out of control.

Through all this, Negan kept his eyes on hers, she thought that she could see a hint of pride in his eyes when they locked eyes.

Suddenly Negan lifted Lucille in the air without taking his eyes from her, and everyone quieted down, waiting for his verdict.

"Believe me, no one here loves this beautiful little lady as much as me…" He said placing his hand tenderly on her face, right on the scarred side. "We understand each other, we respect each other and we share the same goal. To save you." Negan said, making her heart race a little when she heard the kind of words that they rarely shared, in all their eternal banter there were usually things left unsaid but equally felt.

Then Negan turned around, handled Lucille to one of the Saviors, and addressed the people. "You might not realize it now, but the reason she is willing to take the iron, is that she believes in the rules." He said.

"Because the rules keep us alive!" Negan shouted and everyone echoed.

"The rules keep us alive." Everyone repeated.

"So it pains me but if she made this decision, she made it herself, free. So I'll do it." He concluded, and many of the workers started whispering among themselves, then Negan turned and walked over to Dwight.

"You better be shooting straight Dwighty boy, because there is nothing on this earth like the rage of a witch." He warned him. Despite the fear for what was coming, Sophia felt a little proud when she heard that statement.

Finally, Negan turned towards her with the red hot iron still in his right hand, he stood in front of her and caressed her scarred right side again but this time moving her hair to the other side so it was left in the open.

"That's much better, you look prettier with the hair over your left side." He commented.

And without any warning, Negan pushed the red hot iron against her left upper arm, which made every muscle on her body tense and she tried to move but he held her in place.

"Almost done sweetpea." He said, Sophia could hear her skin sizzling against the iron and she tried her hardest to hold back a scream of pain.

Then suddenly it was over, and she looked back at him in shock. He had done it on her arm instead of her face. "Why?" She asked, confused.

"You always wear sleeveless anyway." He said, giving her a wink and then a hug carefully trying to avoid the burned arm then he walked away.

Sophia stood there reeling from the pain and trying to hold back from touching her arm and showing any sign of weakness in front of everyone. Suddenly all the workers started clapping and cheering for her, they called the names of the Harpy and Negan and they shouted about how lucky they were to have them as their leaders.

Sophia tried to ignore it, and slowly, as to not anger her pulsating burning wound on her left arm, took the mask from where it hung over her sword and placed it back on her face then felt how the feathers extended around her head and encased her head in the familiar protection.

"Here." Someone said at her side handing her the black pointy hat. It was Arat, who was looking at her with an amused expression on her face.

"What?" Sophia asked, trying to sound fine.

"Always so dramatic, you two." Arat said, giving her a friendly pat on her back.

"I'll go by your place later for the stuff I promised." Sophia told her, she hadn't forgotten.

"Sure." Arat said and left. Everyone was starting to disperse, but many of the workers and Saviors tried to give her a sign of acknowledgment, either by patting her on the back or bowing their heads in deference. The doctor had been taken to his office, he was too weak to speak but she still wanted to have a talk with him about the situation.

"I knew I should have gone with that loser." Laura told her when she came down with Eugene by her side. "I bet he never even found her. But the note thing is weird."

"Calligraphy is a sure way of establishing ID if one can compare more than one sample." Commented Eugene unhelpfully.

"Yeah well whatever, he shouldn't have gone alone to get his ex, that's out of the question." Laura finished.

She couldn't do any more than a stiff nod.

"Gotta say, you are taking it surprisingly well. That looks like extensive trauma." Eugene said, giving her a raised eyebrows look of concern, shifting from her wounded arm to her masked face.

I'm not. Sophia thought. The trembling of her body was hard to control and her muscles were weak, she felt like she was on the verge of passing out but she pushed herself to appear fine.

"Don't think you can take down a witch so easily." She said, trying to sound strong.

"That's right, never underestimate the Harpy, Eugene." Laura said with a smile and slapped hard on the back of the man. She didn't know what the man thought of it, but Sophia didn't care anymore, she was hardly taking the pain and shock well.

Sophia placed the hat again on her head and walked over to the infirmary without saying goodbye, where she found the doctor lying on a cot alone and in pain.

"What a fucking mess." She said tiredly coming up to the man, doctor Carson opened his beaten eyes and merely nodded.

"I took a bunch of painkillers, so I'm a bit out of it." He tried to excuse himself.

"I'll patch you up Doc. But you better not have helped Sherry or I'll be very disappointed." She warned him.

"If you had any doubt I did, you wouldn't have taken the fall for me...Thank you, by the way, I'm forever in your debt." Said the doc weakly.

"Don't go doing anything stupid about this ok? I'll deal with Dwight if he tried to frame you for some reason." She said as she started by mending his broken arm.

The doctor sighed in relief as soon as his broken arm was healed. "We never had even a simple argument, I don't know why someone would lie like that. But I'm sure he is for some reason." He said tiredly.

"Well, be careful around him and don't show any sign of resentment." Sophia advised the doc, patting him on the shoulder.

"Here." She said, taking a small container from the inside of her hat. "You can use this paste over the bruises on your body and they will go."

The doctor took the little potion from her hand and thanked her again, this time more profusely which she tried to stop with little results.

"Doc, do you think you could patch up my arm?"

"Can't you do it faster?" He asked, confused.

"Yeah…But I want to do this one the regular way, otherwise, it would be for nothing."

The doctor patched her up slowly trying to work through the pain of the beating he had received, but eventually, he was finished and gave her a cream to apply every day. When he was done, she thanked him and left him there, it was already getting late and she still had things to do so Sophia headed for Arat's room and found she was waiting for her impatiently.

"Well? Did you bring it?" She asked excitedly.

"I have it in my room, grab my hand and I'll take you there." She said, extending her arm to her and waiting.

"Ugg, I hate that shit." Arat said suddenly doubtful, but Sophia gave her no choice when she grabbed her hand and forcefully apparated her inside her place.

"Oh my god." Arat managed before putting a hand on her mouth, trying to get control of her body, she watched her amused.

"See that small wardrobe next to my bed?" She said pointing near her queen size bed. "It's bigger on the inside, there's a bunch of dragonhide shit in there." Sophia told her as she carefully sat down on her couch near where she had sat with Amber and removed her mask, hat, and boots, resting in the comfort of her room.

Her entire body was shivering and she felt a little feverish, the whole experience had left her tired and sleepy.

"Jesus fuck that fucking bed looks amazing." Arat commented at the giant tall mattress and comfortably looking covers then walked over to the wardrobe, opened and let out a long whistle.

"You are fucking stocked, what do you do with this shit if you always wear the same?" She asked, taking out dresses, blouses, jackets, robes, dress robes, and throwing them on the bed. "Do they all fit?" She asked looking at the questionable sizes.

"I can make them fit, and I have them just in case, what if I need to make an impression or something?" She argued, in truth, much of what she had was scavenged and stored in her large storage compartments, she had done so just because she thought it looked cool or pretty. Sophia never felt like dressing up to go outside or anything, maybe she would try them if she was bored but there was no need for them really. She usually wore tight pants and a tight sleeveless with a dragonhide corset underneath and leather boots, sometimes she changed for some ankle-high boots but the kind she used never really went too high, it the outdoors kind.

Arat kept digging through her stuff as if they were hers but Sophia didn't bother to stop her, instead, she would make some comment or another. When she finally took out all her dragonhide stuff, Arat started sorting the varied jackets she had.

"Fucking god, Sophia they are all for women too. Why do you keep this stuff locked, you would look amazing in this." She complained, showing her a tight fit black hide jacket that had a similar neckline to Negan's.

"I don't want to be compared to Negan." She simply said. Arat gave her a raised eyebrow look and then went on to try a few of them while she watched her.

"I get it, you two have a whole father-daughter thing going on." She commented as she tried a red jacket with white details.

"Gross, don't say that. He will start to believe it." She dismissed the notion with a tired wave.

"Do you have something to drink here? Something with a kick?" Asked Arat, the usually tough woman was getting rather comfy trying out clothes now.

"I don't drink alcohol, but I can give you a glass of water." She offered the woman.

"Ugh, forget it." Then Arat kneeled down and from her ankle she took a small flask and took a sip from it, making a face at the strong taste. "Wanna try?" She offered, with her voice strained.

"No chance. Drink your dirty ankle water yourself." She said laughing at the woman. "How was Amber?"

"She was motivated at least, but might as well be a stick of butter, she's so soft." Arat commented. "I like it though, I hope she is up for the challenge."

"Yeah, I think Regina likes the idea too." She said thinking of her earlier conversation

"Oh, check the pockets of that one." She told Arat when she picked a black dragonhide jacket with bony spikes all down the arms and on the shoulders. Arat obeyed her and from one of the side zippers, she took a pair of similar leather gloves with spikes for knuckles.

"Jesus christ Sophia I could rip someone's face off with this shit!" Arat said amazed.

"You want it?" She offered, feeling generous.

"Fuck yeah, but I still want the armor and machete." She demanded.

"Yes I know, just make Amber a decent Savior for me, please?"

"Oh, you will see." Arat promised her, then without any warning, she took her shirt off and started working on her bra.

"What the hell?" Sophia complained, embarrassed.

"What? You like it?" Arat teased her.

"Do you actually want me to answer that?" She said exasperatedly.

"Keep your pants on, I just want to try the corset. You don't use bra underneath it don't you?" Arat asked her and Sophia had to try not to stare at her uncovered breast.

"I never use them, they don't do much for me and It's not like you will need support with them, they feel similar to sports bras." Sophia tried to say. Dragonhide combat corsets tended to have a lot of enchantments for use and benefit of the user, they were thin and flexible but keeping all the protection, they also adjusted to the figure of the user pretty snuggly and came with other comfort charms for extended use. Apparently they were popular among female law enforcers before the fall of their civilization.

Arat tried it on and admired the comfortable piece of protection with the mirror near her desk. "Yeah, this is great." She said thoughtfully.

"You know even small tits can look nice with a proper bra, just something to keep in mind when you start dating more." Arat told her and she tried to ignore embarrassing feeling creeping over her, but couldn't find an answer to that anyway.

"Alright, I'm ready for my sweet machete!" Continued Arat, placing her shirt over the vest, the jacket on top, and the gloves. She looked fantastic in Sophia's opinion.

She stood up and from one of the desk's drawers she took out a machete blade with a wooden handle, it had a silver engraving of a serpent coiled along the blade and handle and the edge looked sharp and new.

"It was made by my old master for a friend of mine who died." She started feeling the weight of the machete, then she held it sideways in front of her and focused on extending it.

"After a time, when you familiarize with it you will be able to do this too." She said and the handle of the machete extended to the length of a tall man, it was maybe six feet with the blade of the machete on the top. As it stretched, the engraved coiled serpent uncoiled along the length of the shaft, with the head baring its fangs just before the blade.

"Oh god this is a dream come true, it's gonna make Laura and Regina so jealous, I fucking love it!" Cheered Arat, as she retracted the machete and offered it to her.

"It will take some time to respond to you. But Ana was able to do it and she was not a witch so I know you can too." She commented with a little nostalgia as she thought of her old friend and first crush.

"I'll name it Ana in honor of your friend, what do you say? She'll be lopping heads even in the afterlife." Told her Arat with a hand on her shoulder.

"That sounds cool, to be honest. Take care of it, something like that might be able to cut your dragonhide armor. I never tried it, but it will at least deal some real damage to it, so don't let it get into enemy hands." Sophia warned the woman.

They talked some more about anything and nothing, having fun as Arat explored her collection of odd shit, luckily the charm on the cloth covering Rapey kept her away from it.

When she came back from dropping Arat at her place, Sophia took a potion to alleviate the pain, then shambled towards the bed and fell over the comfy cover like a bag of rocks. Too tired to remove her clothes or move from her spot, she passed out right there, not even managing to get under the covers.

Unaware of what was taking place east of the Sanctuary at that very moment.

Daryl paced back and forth in front of the old rusty high fence that surrounded the place, his nerves getting the better of him, he had been pacing for long enough to lose what had remained of daylight. Unsure of what to feel about what he meant to do there.

Outside was already within the dark of the night, and now Daryl could see the faint orangey light of candles lit inside. The house he had been directed to was an old one, mostly dominated by a front yard and enclosed by a high iron face, which made it safe from any wandering walkers. This is where Ezekiel had said Carol lived.

Was he there to ask his very dear friend to help them kill her own daughter? Tell her of the things she had done and how almost all of their friends would kill her if given the chance?

He knew Carol was struggling with the things she had lived and done, he didn't know if she regretted their travels but he knew that she wanted out, and here he was bringing her back in.

Tired of dancing around the problem, he crossed the fence and walked up to the door then took a second to try for one last time to come up with a way to say those things but of course, Carol gave him little chance because before he could make a decision she suddenly opened the door with a gun in her hand, casually trained on his chest.

He saw her hard face change the moment she recognized him, from the cold and stone-faced Carol she turned at times and into a much softer face with years of hardship in her eyes, she hugged him with desperate relief. Daryl never was someone to feel entirely at ease with these shows of affection, but he knew by then she accepted that part of him.

He realized then by the strength of her hug, that Carol had probably been worrying about them and the thought of it along with the reunion and everything that he and his friends had gone through, as well as the situation with Sophia threatened to break his composure.

"Jesus took us to the Kingdom." He started when they separated. "Ezekiel told me where you were…"

"Why did you go?" Daryl asked her, suddenly feeling guilty for reproaching her when he knew that she hadn't been alright, but he needed it too. She had left him after all.

"I had to." Said Carol barely holding back the tears and staring at him, he thought she seemed a bit lost about what to do. There was a moment of silence between the two when Daryl thought about what he was supposed to drop on this woman who seemed to be barely holding.

He couldn't know, not as someone who never had a child, that's why it wasn't truly his decision to make or anyone else's. Carol needed to know whether she was ready for it or not and it was his job to do it.

She was her mother and no one else could really have a say if she should be ignorant of her daughter's condition. Back then he had searched for Sophia so much, trying to keep her hopes up but in the end, they had seen her dead and he had seen how much Carol had suffered and struggled from that point on. It was her right to know that her daughter was alive and searching for her.

Wouldn't this make it all worse for her, the one person that Carol might love more than anyone was the Harpy, the twisted result of the world's work on her daughter? Someone unhinged, that had been doing some things no one her age should do and that she had grown up with someone like Negan. What if everything went the worst way possible? What if they had to kill Sophia? What if Carol had to do it? It would destroy the woman.

Daryl sighed stressed at the mess of thoughts that occupied his mind.

"I'm sorry, I lost myself. Come inside, I'll make you something." Offered the woman, trying to regain her composure. All he managed was a stiff nod, all those things circling in his mind.

They walked inside and it was a cozy place, a reminder of the fact that the hardened killer that was his friend was also a mother and a housewife. She had set candles all around and cleaned up every speck of dust, there was a fireplace keeping the inside toasty in the night with a pot of something cooking slowly on the side.

She sat him at the table and then went to check on the food, some kind of vegetable stew. Daryl watched everything while he thought about what he should do.

"I couldn't lose anyone...I couldn't lose any of them." Carol started, with her eyes focused on the dance of the flames. "I couldn't lose you." She said finally.

"I couldn't kill anymore…" She continued. "I mean I could, I would. If they hurt any of our people. That's what I would do…" She tried to explain.

"But then there wouldn't be anything left of me after that." She finished trying to explain herself. Daryl understood but remained quiet all the same.

"The Saviors, did they come?" Carol asked afraid, not able to hold herself, Daryl thought about what to say. He was running out of time and he had no idea what he would do to her if he told her.

"Yeah." He managed and Carol visibly trembled, her fears materializing, then she got closer to him on the chair.

"Did anyone get hurt?...is everybody okay?" She asked with a trembling voice and watery eyes, it hurt him terribly to see her like that. "Daryl?" She begged when he said nothing.

"Forget about everyone." Daryl said finally. Carol looked at him in shock. "Just forget about any of them right now. Even me. You put all of that aside. You have to." He pleaded, but the cryptic request made her even more worried and Carol broke.

"I can't! I left you all. If something happened-" She continued and he cut her off.

"There are some things that you have to know." He started and she looked at him in confusion and fear.

"If it were anything else, I wouldn't tell you shit. I would leave you here and tell no one about this place, just as you want. But this ain't my secret to keep." He tried to explain.

"What are you talking about?" Carol asked, taken back from the man's outburst.

"Carol…" He started and tried to look at her but it was hard to hold his eyes on herhershers own. "Sophia…" He managed and that was enough to halt anything that may have been going on inside her mind.

"What?" She interrupted. "Who are you talking about?" She asked confused.

"It's your daughter, she's alive Carol." Daryl told her angry at what he was doing to his dear friend. Carol watched him in disbelief and unconsciously shook her head in denial, her eyes searching for something wrong in him.

"Daryl, we saw Sophia. She died, a walker bit her… What is wrong? What are you trying to do?" She asked him worriedly. "What is this?"

"I know, I know!" He said angrily getting up, Carol stood up with him also. "You never met her, but Jesus told us about someone the Saviors called the Harpy… " He said.

"What...what does that have to do with-" She said concerned because of his ramblings. Daryl came up to her and grabbed her by both of her shoulders interrupting her.

"Carol, listen to me. That girl at Hershell's farm was not Sophia, your daughter is alive. She's alive... and works with the Saviors, I- I saw her, she recognized me and asked me about you." He desperately explained as best as he could, Carol was speechless, her face unreadable.

"But there's more, there's so much more...I don't even know where to start." He said frustratingly, the fact that the woman was saying nothing and had her eyes lost somewhere far off was making him afraid.

"She's some kind of witch, she can do some crazy shit and...Carol, I think she is not right…" Daryl continued, lost as to when to stop. "I think there's something wrong with her, she's doing terrible things, and the Saviors." He added desperately. "She's some kind of cult figure, just like Negan… You have to believe me, everyone knows now that she's your daughter and she knows you are around, she is looking for you…" He finished, unsure if there was more than she should know.

"I'm sorry, the others, they debated if you should know about her. If we should use you against her, against the Saviors but in the end, they decided that it would be left to me to decide." He finished almost begging forgiveness, he rested his forehead on her shoulders hoping for a reaction.

"I'm sorry, I know you can't deal with this now but it wasn't my choice to make, you had to know...and this is not even the beginning, she's an enemy to the people of Alexandria, the Kingdom, and Hilltop, they want to stop her and the Saviors!" He pleaded, shaking her shoulders harshly, his face pressed against her.

"They might even end up trying to kill her, but she's the Savior's strongest soldier, she might kill them instead." He was worried about the woman's unresponsiveness.

Daryl looked up and faced Carol, she had a lost look in her eyes and she seemed to be whispering something unintelligible.

"Carol!" He said shaking her out of her stupor and managing to make her focus on her eyes. "I'm telling you that Sophia is alive and she needs you, she's lost and unhinged, Sophia needs her mother. Carol please!" He begged her, his voice cracking up in distress.

"I… don't understand….it's impossible but...you wouldn't lie about this, wouldn't you?" She asked him with a weak voice, her eyes finally settling on him again.

Daryl shook his head quickly at her question. "It's no lie, there's so much crazy shit about her...tell me what can I do? What do I do Carol?" He asked, lost. "I don't know if I want to fight anymore if it means killing your daughter, that sweet little girl...she is… I couldn't say anything like that in front of the others, almost all of them want her dead, so please tell me." He begged her desperately. Carol suddenly hugged him tightly and tried to soothe him with her hands on his back.

"Tell me what to do." He finished hugging her back.

"Thank you, Daryl. I only need one more thing from you." She asked in a serious voice.

"Whatever you want." He said with conviction and feeling a little relieved that she seemed more composed than him at least.

Then just whispering in his ear and as they hugged she asked him.

"Tell me where I can find my daughter."