A/N: So you know when fanfic authors are like oh this is hot off the press? Well I literally finished writing this chapter about 30 seconds ago. I got into it, it's a very action driven, emotionally packed chapter and covers the second half of episode 14. A lot happens I know and character development guys, gotta love it! I believe the next chapter is reunion time so there's that to look forward too after this emotional one. You have been warned.

Much love to Kazumikit who favourited my story! Welcome. And to my lovely reviewers:

RebornRose1992: Without further ado, your wish is my command...

Gracie Miserables: Sorry, I know they add a lot of value to the group but this story is canon so I'm going to have to disappoint you. I hope you like this chapter though!

Purplepecky: Haha yeah I just wanted to put his POV in to confirm what everyone else already knew. That Rick likes her, oh don't worry they'll see each other soon. As for how the reunion happens, well you'll have to wait and see.

Ryane: I think Lizzie's fate was so tragic and her character was so beautifully written. I think it's creative the way they did it, how the effects of the state of the world can psychologically damage a child's mind. I think their reality made her that way, they were too young to understand what's going on. Mika adapted to it, but unfortunately lizzie couldn't.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Chain by Fleetwood Mac

- Angels and Douchebags

I sat on the porch of the house, holding Judith who was holding one of the peaches we had found in the kitchen. Luckily enough the couple who lived in the house, had a few boxes of food and an entire well of fresh water.

Carol and Mika had gone out to hunt deer which we would hopefully get to dinner. And Lizzie, well I had no idea where she went but my guess was she was in the house sulking. Judith meanwhile was happily sitting in my lap as she dropped the peach on the ground.

I looked at the baby with my eyebrows raised as her wide eyes glanced up to me.

"Well if you won't eat it. I will." I shrugged as the sweet juice filled my mouth.

"You are missing out." I pointed out to Judith who raised her arms up questioningly.

"They're good aren't they." Tyreese walked past me with a bucket in his hands.

"Getting water?" I asked as he nodded.

"Need help?" He paused for a moment as I got up with Judith following him to where the well was. Tyreese had recovered from his fever well, considering the food we found, he was regaining his strength and soon we would move on to Terminus.

There was an old water pump by the well as I sat Judith on a mat on the grass.

"I've been thinking," Tyreese began talking, he pulled the handle of the water pump by the well and sat as the bucket filled up.

"Maybe we don't need to go to Terminus. Mika's right, we can stay here. We can live here." I looked at Tyreese in mild surprise and Judith began clapping her hands together.

"I know Lizzie and Mika. I know you and I trust you." Tyreese smiled at me. Judith began crying and reached her arms out to me, I picked her up and pressed a kiss to her head, rocking her in my arms.

"What about Carol?" I asked the dreaded question as Tyreese flinched.

"I can learn to live with her, I don't have to like it. But I don't have to talk to her." He explained.

"That's not a life." I defended.

"What, you don't think it's a good idea to stay? Are you expecting me to forgive her and just move on?" He challenged.

"No. Of course not." I sat down on the edge of the well besides Tyreese.

"Look you're right in some respects. We do have a level of security here, there's deer around so in terms of food we wouldn't have issues. But Terminus is better protected, they might have more supplies." I argued.

"Also, don't you want to find the others?" I asked gently.

"We have no reason to believe they're even alive." Tyreese said seriously.

"We have no reason to believe they're not." I said firmly as Judith fussed in my arms.

"So you would rather just give up then? Just settle for living here, and that's it? What about Sasha? What about everyone else?" I asked disbelievingly.

"Look I know you're upset, you miss Rick and the others. I miss Sasha. Glenn, Daryl, Michonne, Maggie." Tyreese said sympathetically.

"But we've found something good here, somewhere we can build a life."

"It's not just about Rick. God why does everyone think that." I muttered.

"I am not obsessed with the man. Is it too much to ask for love, even if you're fucked up?" I challenged.

"That's not what I'm saying." Tyreese sighed.

"Look the point is, they're our family. I don't know about you but I didn't have a family before this apocalypse, I had an abusive father who practically killed my mother. I grew up by myself, I didn't have friends or anyone to turn to. So no, I'm not about to give up on the only fucking family I have. Even if you are." I said angrily standing up.

"Pol-"

"I'm sorry." I gasped, feeling furious and upset as Tyreese looked at me wordlessly.

"Her diaper needs changing." I blinked away the tears as I stalked off back towards the house. Mika rushed passed me, almost knocking me over.

"Lizzie!" She called out into the field standing on the porch.

"Hey Mika," I shot her a look.

"Sorry Pol." She looked apologetic.

"It's alright, did you guys bring back deer? I'm starved." My stomach rumbled in response, the same moment Judith began crying.

"Lizzie!" She ran off across the field behind the house.

"I can't deal with that shit right now." I muttered taking the crying baby into the house.

Her crying intensified as she began waving her arms quickly, hitting me in the face. I gave the baby a tired look, the tears falling from my eyes now. It wasn't Tyreese's fault and I shouldn't have unloaded on him like that. But he shouldn't be so ready to give up on them, especially since we took him into the prison. You don't give up on your family.

I laid Judith down on the sofa finding a clean diaper, I cleaned her and threw the old one away, she stopped screaming eventually as she rested in my lap with her big eyes looking up at me.

"You look like Lori." I whispered, as she wrapped her small hand around my finger.

"You don't look like Rick." I tilted my head sideways at her, trying to find the resemblance. It was at the back of my mind and I knew it lingered at the back of his mind too. The possibility that Judith wasn't his.

"You look like your brother too." I pushed strands of her light brown hair back. She settled quietly, not moving as I rocked her in my arms humming the opening tune to a song I knew very well.

"Listen to the wind blow, watch the sun rise." I stood up pacing the room.

"Run in the shadows. Damn your love, damn your lies." I swayed with Judith in my arms.

"And if you don't love me now, you will never love me again. I can still hear you saying we would never break the chain."

"And if you don't love me now, you will never love me again. I can still hear you saying, we would never break the chain."

"Oh you like that song do you?" I smiled softly as her eyes began to flutter close.

"I'm not a fan of Fleetwood Mac myself, but that's a good one." I explained.

"When you get older, I'll tell you all the good songs don't worry. We don't need your dad's music taste." I grinned fondly, remembering the first time I rode in the car with the Grimes family. My expression turned to sadness and I felt my stomach lurch, would I ever see them again?

"Led Zeppelin. Bon Jovi. Metallica. Queen. Those are the basics okay?" I checked as her head lolled to one side.

"Okay I'll also teach you to box. Your dad can teach you to shoot, Michonne can teach you how to wield a katana." I smiled as I envisioned what the future could bring.

I looked down at Judith now whose eyes were closed.

"You know Daryl named you Lil' Ass-kicker when you were born? Yeah thank god we talked him out of that." Judith was no longer moving, and her chest was rising and falling slowly.

I lowered her into the crib we put in the living room and covered her with the blanket. I bit my lip, remembering the spat with Tyreese. I definitely didn't like how I left things with him.

Swallowing my pride I made for the door, when suddenly I heard an ear-splitting scream. I ran out of the house with my gun out, seeing several walkers make for the barbed wire.

Lizzie had jumped through the wire but Mika's foot was trapped in the wire just as a Walker opened it's mouth.

I fired my colt into the Walker as both girls snapped up to me. Lizzie freed her sister from the wire and pulled her back.

"Get back!" I instructed as I began firing into the oncoming walkers.

I heard more gunshots from beside me as Carol took her place, shooting the burnt bodies of the walkers. Tyreese used the rifle to shoot down the 7 that made it's way towards the house. Lizzie and Mika pulled out their own guns, and I watched as they bravely shot down the creatures growling at us.

Within a few minutes it was all over. Lizzie looked petrified as Carol engulfed her into a hug.

"It's okay. You did it." Carol said encouragingly as she released her from the hug.

I looked at Tyreese and gave him a firm nod which he returned. Mika looked visibly shaken, as Tyreese wrapped an arm around her shoulders we went back into the house.

This is what I meant. It wasn't guaranteed security, particularly with Lizzie's unusual and worrying habits.

Later that evening, Mika played with the doll whilst Carol and Lizzie talked on the table.

"It's ugly and it's scary. It does change you." Carol said.

I saw Tyreese with his eyes closed on the armchair. Biting my lip, I walked over to him and tapped his arm gently. He opened his eyes alert and looked at me.

"Hey," I whispered.

"Hey." Tyreese replied sitting up in the chair a bit more, as Carol and Lizzie talked in the background.

"I wanted to say sorry. For blowing up at you like that, I had no right. I was just upset, and yes the possibility that the others might not be alive scares me." I admitted quietly.

"I know you haven't given up on them, you're just being realistic and trying to think ahead." I finished.

"No it's okay." Tyreese wiped the tear from my cheek.

"I was harsh. And I didn't know about your past, that must have been really tough to endure. It explains how you're so strong and protective of everyone all the time." Tyreese smiled slightly as I returned it.

"It must be a sensitive topic, but if you ever wanted to talk about your past. I am here." He offered.

"I appreciate that, I really do. But it was long ago now, and I'm ready to move on. I would actually love to hear stories of a happy childhood. Maybe like yours and Sasha's?" I checked.

"Yeah, anytime." Tyreese smiled. I glanced back at Carol then back to the man beside me.

"How come Carol was with you earlier?"

"I couldn't carry all the water back by myself, so she offered to help." Tyreese shrugged.

I repressed a smile. Baby steps, but I think they could eventually learn to live with each other.

"I don't wanna hurt anyone. I don't want to be mean." Mika's voice sounded out in the room.

"You have to be sometimes. But just sometimes." Lizzie spoke back to her sister.

I left Tyreese's side as he closed his eyes and joined the others on the table, as we began cracking pecans. Lizzie cracked the shell which went flying off into the kitchen, causing the rest of us to laugh.

"I've never had these." I said arranging the pecans on the tray.

"I used to make these with my grandma when we were little." Carol said fondly, taking the tray from my hands.

"You guys are ready to do the cooking, who wants to put them in?" She walked over to the oven as both girls stood up eagerly. They took the tray and put it in the oven, talking excitedly.

I looked over at the interaction between the three. I knew they were happy here, I knew they were comfortable and felt safe. And weren't we doing this all for the younger ones anyways? Tyreese had a point, but I just didn't think I was ready to stop finding the others.

...

The next day I took a walk in the garden with Carol, enjoying the breeze and the sun shining on our faces. It was days like this, that made me forget what kind of world we were living in. No decaying faces, no growling sounds, no heavy footsteps of the undead constantly chasing us and after our flesh.

Just two friends enjoying the fresh air. There were plenty of peaches left growing in the tree, and more pecans to be picked but what I really wanted today was to catch some game. I stood against the old tree as Carol stopped, looking at the ground.

"You okay?" I asked tentatively stepping towards her.

"Tyreese calls out in his sleep. I can hear him saying her name." Carol's eyes were downcast. I looked sadly to her, I knew she regretted it. I knew she carried the guilt around with her.

"The people who are living are haunted by the dead." I came to stand beside her, remembering how Rick was affected by Lori. How I used to see my mother after she had died. How I know Maggie and Beth must be seeing Hershel.

"We are who we are because we do what we do. I killed Karen and David." Carol stated.

"You're not a murderer Carol. That's not who you are. It's what you did, you did for reasons you believed in." I stated.

"Reasons you now know were wrong. You're remorseful."

"Tyreese won't ever forgive me. I don't think I can forgive myself, but I did it because it had to be done. The infection would have spread." Carol said firmly.

"If you want his forgiveness, you have to show your regret. I know the guilt you carry around with you, I'm not saying he'll forgive you straight away. But with time, you never know." I shrugged.

"Have you forgiven yourself for Otis?" She asked.

The question caught me off guard. Now there was a name I hadn't heard in a couple of years, one I tried so hard to forget. For it reminded me of when I allowed myself to be manipulated, and used to the point where I was no better than a walker itself.

"I don't know." I answered honestly.

"Do I regret what I did? Fuck yes I do. And if I could go back, I would change what I did. But I do believe things happen for a reason, good or bad. But our past doesn't define who we are. It's the choices we make right now." I looked directly at her as she nodded.

"Maybe people don't haunt us," Carol said softly after a while.

"Maybe, they're just teaching us. Helping remind us, so that we can live with what we have to do." Carol kept her gaze on the ground as tears fell freely from her eyes.

"Carol," I pulled her into my arms, hugging her tightly. She cried, letting out sobs, it was rare to see Carol so vulnerable.

"Sshhh," I rubbed her back soothingly, allowing her to express herself.

"Don't be ashamed of who you are Carol." I pulled apart looking up at her.

"Me and you are survivors." I smiled as she grinned back wiping her face. I turned around, as Tyreese cleared his throat looking as if he had interrupted something.

"You guys ready to hunt?" He asked, looking awkward.

"Yeah, Judith with the girls?" I checked as he nodded.

"Alrighty, let's go get some deer!"

...

"Urghhh, where are they?" I groaned as we had roamed the place for a few hours now and we were heading back to the cottage.

"We'll get one yet, probably not even deer season." Tyreese offered encouragingly.

"My husband used to hunt. He'd tell the same stupid joke every year." Carol rolled her eyes as I grinned at her, from beside me I could see Tyreese's interest was piqued.

"Tell it!" I urged her.

"What's the difference between beer nuts and deer nuts?" She asked as I scrunched my nose.

"Beer nuts are around $1.79 and deer nuts are just under a buck." I laughed loudly, the joke not even funny but Carol's monotone voice making it even funnier. Tyreese snorted and I watched as he supressed a smile at the bad joke.

"Don't judge. There's more where that came from." Carol side eyed us with a grin. We turned around the bend where the cottage came into view.

Judith was sitting happily on her mat chewing her fingers, Lizzie was standing over an unconscious Mika holding a bloody knife. The three of us ran over to the girl who was trembling slightly, there was blood splattering her clothes.

"Lizzie." I gasped in horror as the other two were lost for words.

"Don't worry, she'll come back. I didn't hurt her brain." Lizzie said hopefully.

"What the fuck did you do?" I edged closer around the girl, seeing Mika unmoving on the ground.

I placed a hand over my gaping mouth and felt tears sprout to my eyes. Carol was the closest to Lizzie, gasping for breath as she looked in shock at her smiling face.

I glanced towards Judith who was in a crawling position, her eyes looking at the bloody knife. No matter what happened, I had to get the baby away from her. There was no telling what Lizzie could do.

Carol was the first to react as she lunged for the knife. Lizzie discarded the knife and quickly drew her gun on Carol, her finger over the trigger.

"No, no. We have to wait." Lizzie stressed.

"I need to show you, you'll see. You'll finally get it." her voice wavered.

"Lizzie," I said softly.

"Do you realise what you've done?" I edged closer to the blanket, not making any sudden movements.

"Don't" Lizzie pointed the gun at me as I stopped moving and raised my hands, my eyes glancing to the colt at my waist.

"We have to wait." She emphasised again.

"Lizzie, put the gun down." Tyreese spoke for the first time.

"I just want us to wait." Lizzie whimpered looking to the man.

"We can wait. We can wait. You just give me the gun." Carol's voice was shaky as she held out her hand to the girl.

Lizzie lowered the gun into Carol's hand as I let out the breath I was holding, bowing my head in relief. I glanced at Judith who gave me a smile as she began babbling excitedly.

"You and Tyreese should take Judith back. It's not safe for her." Carol said calmly as I gave her an incredulous look. I reached for Judith quickly when Lizzie wasn't looking, wrapping her protectively in my arms.

"But Judith can change, too. I was just about to-" Lizzie turned around to the baby in my arms as I instinctively stood side on to protect her.

"But she can't even walk yet." Carol argued.

"Yeah, you're right." Lizzie let out an easy smile.

"So you two take Judith back to the house. And we can have lunch." Carol said optimistically gesturing to me. I handed the baby to Tyreese who gave me a reassuring look, standing beside Carol.

"Pol and I can tie Mika up, you know so she won't go anywhere." I nodded in agreement giving her a weak smile.

"Promise that's what you'll do?" Lizzie checked glancing at me.

"Promise." I said, my voice shaky.

"Let's go Lizzie." Tyreese placed a guiding hand on her back leading her away, she looked back at us before they entered the house.

Carol let out the tears she was holding in as she gasped for breath deeply.

"Holy shit. Holy shit. What the fuck." I doubled over in surprise, gasping for air.

"Oh Mika." I brushed the hair from the dead girl's eyes as she lay still unmoving. Her fingers began twitching as I nudged Carol. Carol took out her knife and pressed it into the base of her neck before walking back into the house.

A few hours later, Tyreese, Carol and I were in the kitchen deciding what we were going to do with Lizzie.

"I brought food to her room, took away her knives and any sharp objects like that." Tyreese broke the silence, his hand on Judith's head who was sleeping in his arms.

"We buried Mika." I said sombrely, remembering how we dug the hole in the ground and placed her body in the grave.

"What do we do?" Tyreese addressed both of us.

"I could leave with her, you guys can't sleep with her and Judith under the same roof." Carol said seriously.

"You wouldn't make it. Not on your own." Tyreese stated, but his eyes were full of emotion.

"Carol that wouldn't work. Eventually she could kill you too." I argued.

"She can't be around other people." Carol looked at Tyreese.

"Maybe we could help. Talk her back somehow." Tyreese reasoned, as I shot him a sympathetic look.

"This is how she is. It was already there. I didn't see it." Carol's voice was thick with emotion.

"I should have seen it." She emphasised.

"How could you?" Tyreese asked, in a surprisingly warm manner.

"Me, Pol and Judith could leave." Tyreese suggested.

"You wouldn't make it either." Carol stated.

"Gee thanks for the faith." I commented sarcastically.

"She can't be around people." Carol looked at all of us seriously. The weight of her words sunk in as I collapsed into the chair around the table.

"You don't mean-" I grasped for words as Carol shook her head. I looked back at Tyreese whose mouth quivered and his eyes were filled with tears.

"I'll do it."

...

Me and Tyreese watched from the window as Carol began to lead Lizzie away from the cottage. She was dangerous, but I felt sorry for the poor girl. She was confused and mentally disturbed. If we still had psychologists around it might have helped, but the fact we were down to this is our solution. What kind of people had we become?

"I wish I'd gone with her." I paced the room as the pair went out of sight.

"She can do it." Tyreese sighed looking out the window.

"Its a difficult thing to do." I ran a hand through my hair frustratedly.

"She shouldn't have to do it alone."

"I think I understand Carol a bit better." Tyreese said after a while causing me to look at him.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"She assumes a lot of responsibility for things she feels like she's accountable for. She looked after and raised those girls after their father died, so I know why she has to do it." Tyreese's words lingered in the air.

"She goes to extremes to find solutions." I stated as Tyreese nodded.

Our conversation was interrupted. I jumped as a gunshot rang out through the air. It seemed so much louder in the deafening silence as we bowed our heads in grief of what had just happened.

Carol returned to the house not longer after, crying profusely. Without saying a word I took her in my arms, comforting her. The three of us covered Lizzie's body and dug her a grave next to Mika, working together in silence, we made makeshift crosses over both of them.

I picked the yellow and pink flowers we had encountered the first day and placed it over their graves. We bowed her heads in respect for the kids, hoping they were in a better place.

The mood was much more morbid that evening. We had only lit a single candle in the living room attached to the kitchen. The three of us sat at the kitchen table, trying to complete a puzzle.

Carol slid the gun over to Tyreese, who looked up at her in confusion.

"I killed Karen and David. I had to stop the infection from breaking out. It was me." Carol stated looking him in the eye. The expression on Tyreese's face was murderous as he choked back sobs.

"You do what you have to do." Carol's voice was laced with emotion. This was common knowledge, but it was the first time she had openly confessed to Tyreese. I gave her an encouraging nod.

I looked nervously back to Tyreese whose hands are gripping the edge of the table, until his knuckles went white.

"Did she know what was happening? Was she scared?" He asked Carol in a controlled anger.

Carol shook her head quickly, the tears staining her face.

"It was quick?" Tyreese checked as I looked at him in surprise. This was not the reaction I was expecting. Carol nodded not able to look him in the eyes.

I looked as Tyreese grasped the gun with his fist, still on the table.

"Tyreese," I whispered in horror, my hand finding the colt on my holster. I didn't want this to be a bloodbath between friends, especially since we had already lost two people today.

"Do what you have to do." Carol bowed her head in resignation closing her eyes.

I looked in shock back at Tyreese, my hand slipping around the colt hanging against my thigh.

"I forgive you." Tyreese released the gun as we both looked at him. I sighed in relief.

"I'm never gonna forget it happened. You did it. You feel it. I know you do. It's a part of you now." Tyreese said earnestly, as Carol let his words sink in.

"But I forgive you." He stressed, his eyes filled with tears. Carol's blue eyes were filled with sadness as she sobbed. I wiped the tears from my own eyes, smiling at them both.

"Thank you," Carol said.

"You don't have to stay." Tyreese said softly.

"We can't stay."

...

The next morning we packed up food, extra provisions such as blankets and clothes and set off leaving the cottage behind. We walked in relative silence, but it was pleasant.

We made our way out of the forest coming back onto the rail tracks. I walked behind Carol and Tyreese, as Judith's head peeked out of the rucksack. I ruffled her eyes playfully as she chewed her fingers looking up at me with her big eyes.

Onwards to Terminus.

A/N: What did you think? Hope I handled the character interactions well!