Daryl instantly knew something very bad must have happened when he saw the grave look on Carol's face. She was accompanied by two of the Highwaymen, who had sad looks on their faces too, Henry was standing next to Carol with tears in his eyes and Lydia seemed to feel lost and out of place.

"What happened?" Daryl asked frowning.

Carol gave Lydia a severe look before she answered.

"They came to the fair." Carol's lips were only a thin line, when she paused.

"They were looking for her and killed several of our people."

Daryl shuddered and went pale. Connie, who was reading Carol's lips, approached her and wrote My sister? in a shaky handwriting.
She showed the note to Carol, then put her palms together like she was begging Carol to tell her Kelly was alright.
But she could read the answer in Carol's eyes, before Carol said:

"I'm sorry."

The notepad slipped out of Connie's shaking hands, she was starring at Carol in shock, tears filling her eyes. Daryl came closer and wanted to comfort her.

"Hey," he said almost inaudible and tried to touch Connie's shoulder. But she suddenly span around and ran away. Daryl followed her with his eyes and decided to give her a moment alone, before going after her. Instead he turned to Carol and asked:

"Who else?" He could feel anger and sadness rising in him.

"Several of the Highwaymen. Tammy and two kids from Hilltop. Siddiq… Rosita." She made a pause again. "Jerry."

Daryl let the names sink in for a moment becoming more and more outraged.

"Damn it," he shouted out loud and hit his fist hard against the wall. He felt pain, but it didn't stop him from hitting his fist against the wall again and again.
Losing people again, especially kids and Rosita, who was pregnant made him go mad. Connie's sister who meant so much to her and Jerry who was always so good-tempered and had a big family of his own. Daryl hit the wall until Carol put her hand above his arm.

"Stop it, Daryl," she told him firmly.

His fist was bloody and he tried hard to hold down his tears.

"We need you back at the Kingdom," Carol said then a bit softer. "This conflict… It could lead to a war."

"This never stops, does it?" Daryl said gloomily.

"I guess it doesn't."

Daryl sighed.

"Henry, Lydia, pack your things, we're leaving," he told them both and they started packing the few things they possessed.

Carol took Daryl to the side.

"You know we can't take her with us," she told him. "She's one of them, maybe she's even the reason why..."

"She's one of us now." Daryl cut her so abruptly that Carol was surprised. He didn't have spoken to her in that tone of voice in a long time.
They stood a bit afar, but Lydia could still hear their conversation.

"Look, it ain't her fault," Daryl said in a calmer voice. "She'll fight with us. She already did once."

"We can't let her into the Kingdom. Not after what her people did to our friends."

"The girl stays," said Daryl repeating what Connie once wrote to him when he had the same concerns as Carol had now.

"You're letting your guard down, letting her into your heart." Carol tried to convince him, but Daryl didn't want to listen, he had enough of the discussion.
He knew Carol couldn't know, that the four of them became very close in the last couple of days, almost like a family, and he would explain it to her, but it had to wait.

"I have to find Connie," he said then.

The kids were finished with packing.

"We meet you outside," Daryl said, looking at Lydia and Henry and then back to Carol.

"All of you."

Carol knew he had his principles and did whatever he thought was right. It had no use to argue any longer right now.

When Daryl passed Lydia, she whispered a shy "Thank you" and he nodded.

Daryl found Connie in one of the rooms nearby. She was sitting on the floor, knees to her chest. She was embracing her knees and her face was hidden in her arms.

Daryl sat down next to her. He didn't say anything and didn't touch her. It hurt his heart to see her sad like that and he was close to tears too, thinking about the people he lost… again. She must have sensed his presence, she looked up, her eyes puffy from crying and he took her into his arms. She was still crying and he was slowly rocking her back and forth in his arms, patting her back and comforting her.

After some time had passed, he helped her to stand up and they two went to the gate.

The group rode in silence, everyone caught up in their own thoughts and grief.

Connie was devastated. She couldn't believe Kelly was dead. She felt guilty. Her head was aching from all the crying. Daryl was sitting next to her with his arm around her and her head was resting on his shoulder. She knew, she would completely break down without him. She went through so much and of course lost people along the way, but with Kelly it was too much. She didn't know how to go on, knowing her sister died and she wasn't even there when it happened.

Connie never had been to the Kingdom before, only heard about it. She knew they wanted to have a fair there and that people in Hilltop were planing to go. She was looking forward to this back then. She couldn't wait to meet new people and to enjoy the little festive activities in the middle of the apocalypse. But then everything turned out differently.

She still didn't regret going after Henry with Daryl and that they took Lydia along. The girl wasn't responsible for the actions of her family and she needed her help. Connie just wished she would have taken Kelly with her. She remembered their last conversation, how Kelly begged her to take her along. How badly she wished now, she would have given in and taken her with them. Tears were running down her cheeks again and Daryl saw that. He didn't say anything, just pulled her closer to him and Connie was thankful for his presence and comfort.

When they arrived at the Kingdom it was morning already. There was a strange feeling of emptiness inside the walls, which didn't match the festive decoration. There were booths everywhere and colorful flags. It looked almost like a fair before the apocalypse. But the people they saw, all had grave expressions on their faces and Connie couldn't see anyone talking. She caught sight of Yumiko and Magna, who came running to her as soon as they saw her. They both hugged her and both had tears in their eyes as they told her, how sorry they were. Magna even fell on her knees before her. They thought she blamed them, but Connie didn't, she knew they would have done everything to keep Kelly safe. Connie was searching with her eyes for Luke, who wasn't with them.

"He was with Kelly, when she..." Yumiko's voice broke.

"He was hurt badly by those bastards, but he's still alive," Magna said then. "He's at the infirmary."

Connie turned around to Daryl, who was standing behind her and he nodded. She let Yumiko and Magna lead her to the infirmary.
Luke was lying in one of the beds, he was very pale, but awake. His face lit up a little bit when he saw Connie, but then there was a lot of grief and pain in it. Connie fell on her knees before his bed hiding her face in her hands, when another wave of grief shook her. She was crying and Luke was patting her head. With the loss of her sister her world crumbled and Connie felt like it would never be better again.