Beth remained silent as the grave, walking in stride with Carol towards the lake. After Carol had agreed that the two women did indeed need to talk, she had led Beth away from the group. Daryl had looked up from his conversation when he saw them moving away from the camp. For a moment, he had held Beth's gaze, his expression hesitant and unsure of whether he should let her leave or keep her close. Beth felt very ashamed of herself in that moment. This man who had given up his bed-it was Daryl's tent she had been sleeping in all this time, he had been sleeping just outside of it at night, with nothing but a pillow that Carol forced upon him nightly-and how did she continue to repay him? Questioning his motives and running away from him at every turn. Yes, Beth was very much ashamed.

"What are you thinking? I'm willing to pay for those thoughts." Carol chimed in, interrupting Beth's condemnation for herself.

"What need for money do you have?" Beth said, smiling, albeit a small one. Neither woman missed the hidden message in Beth's words, but they both smiled. No harm was meant in it, and now, more than ever, Beth understood the need for Daryl and his men to steal. And, she had begun to think it was certainly not the worst of what the Dixon brothers could do when pushed too far.

"You were married." It wasn't a question, and Beth marvelled at the constant change in her personality. There was a time not too long ago that the words would have choked over each other, coming out in meek, silent whispers.

"Mm-mhm." Carol continued walking, as she spoke. "My former husband was not the kindest man I've ever had the pleasure of knowing."

"He hurt you."

Carol just smiled in response. "I guess you could say that, but hurt isn't a strong enough word for it. Edward killed me a little, I think. He took a part of my soul with him to Hell."

"He's dead, then."

Carol stopped immediately, turning to face Beth sternly. "I would like to think we've become close enough that you wouldn't try to patronize me."

Beth lowered her head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry." Carol held her gaze until Beth felt the need to add "We have." Carol smile before going back to staring up ahead of them.

"How did you meet Merle?" Beth decided she would broach this negative situation with the only positive. Whatever had happened between Carol and her former husband had led her to Merle.

"Edward was the patron of a local tavern." Carol began, still not meeting Beth's eyes. "He enjoyed the benefits of his position very much, which is why we didn't make much money. I served as a maid, on the good days."

"Good days?" Beth asked, hesitantly. She could barely hear her own voice; the fear was silencing her.

"Edward had good days when he looked at me as a proper husband should: with caring and a hint of respect. I would never go so far as to say love though. Well, the further into our marriage I found myself, I found those good days were fewer and farther in-between. More prevalent were the bad days, the bruising days." Carol smiled, even as the story became clearly darker. "The day I met Merle was one of those days. We were entirely penniless. Edward had drank or gambled our profits out the door. He couldn't take it out on himself, and I was the easiest, closest target." Beth sensed the need to remain silent and let Carol tell her story, no matter how much time it took.

"The day I let Merle's was one of those days. He and Daryl waltzed in, well, Merle waltzed with his kid brother trudging behind him," Carol paused for a moment with a smile, "just as I planned to lock up. Edward had already passed out, drunk as usual. Not before blackening my eye though."

"At first, I was afraid of them. No one else was around, except Edward in the back corner. They certainly didn't look like friendly men and I was alone, whether Edward was there or not." Carol continued. "But, no matter what their appearances suggested, the moment those two men looked at me, I knew them and what type of men they were. The compassion-no, the understanding-I saw in their eyes told me their story in a way neither of them ever would be able to out loud."

"Did you run away with them that night?" Beth asked, hesitantly.

"No. I didn't know them. I was much more careful with myself than some people." Carol said, teasingly. "They did order drinks though, and I was shocked and still very meek when Merle spoke to me that night."

"'Anything I can help you with?'" Merle had asked me. Though I didn't know him, I knew what he meant. He wasn't the first to offer help or concern."

"Before I could answer though, Daryl accidently knocked his goblet over, waking Edward. Even drunk, he noticed two men sitting at his bar, talking to his wife." Carol smiled, almost sadistically. "Poor Edward. He wasn't the most courageous man. He was used to bullying victims; people to full self-hatred and weakness. He had no idea how to handle those two men in front of him. He immediately came galloping our way, howling and trying to push Merle specifically out. Daryl tried to force his way in between the two of them. He just wanted to get his brother away from the entire situation."

"I'm sure Merle didn't allow that." Beth said, already sure she was right. Merle had spent his entire life being pushed around; he wouldn't stand for much of the same from an abusive drunk as an adult.

"You could say that, I suppose." Carol said, still walking. "I could also say that that night was the first time I'd ever seen my husband knocked unconscious. I can't explain the joy I felt the moment I saw Ed's head hit that wood floor. I'm not proud of it either, but it may have been one of the best feelings of my life."

Beth, for some reason, felt like she understood how Carol felt. To feel powerless against a person for so long, only to watch with your own eyes that person lose that power so rapidly would be exhilarating. Hadn't she felt something similar when Daryl had bested Shane with his words so effectively? Beth couldn't imagine how she would have reacted had she been suffering Carol's abuse as long as she had to see the tables turned. She would have sang out loud!

"I was still wife though, and the guilt over my first reaction took over," Carol continued. "I kicked the brothers out, tears streaming for the bastard." Beth must have done a terrible job of hiding her frustration at Carol's early dependence on her abuser because Carol quickly added, "It wasn't my most proud moment."

It was getting dark as they walked along, skirting the important topic. Sensing she had to ask or Carol would never tell her, Beth took the leap. "How did Edward die?"

Stopping and staring directly into her eyes, Carol said what Beth already knew. "I killed him."