Oh dear, it's been much too long...

So, I won't keep you in the author's note for long.

Enjoy!


Gareth shifted his gaze from Carl to Blake, tilting his head in what could have been curiosity.

"What are we going to do with you two?" He said again, taking a few steps toward Blake, standing right between the two teenagers.

"Leave her alone." Carl growled, knowing that was all he could do without getting himself or Blake shot.

Garth turned back to face Carl, meeting the kid's scowl with a smirk. "Or what?" he asked, acting incredulous.

"I'll kill you." Carl said simply, his voice dripping with icy confidence.

"Oh will you now?" Gareth laughed at the threat. It was funny considering it came from a fourteen year old boy who couldn't weigh a hundred pounds. "We'll just see about that."

After another moment of tense silence, Gareth spun on his heel and began walking in the opposite direction of the train car he had made the others go to. "Follow me." He said simply. "And remember," Blake and Carl began walking after Gareth, prompted by the unknown men who had materialized behind them, "either of you try anything and the other dies."

Blake heard the hammer of a gun behind pulled back, and didn't have to turn to know it was level with the back of her head. The kids followed Gareth through the compound for a good five minutes before he stopped before a storage container, climbing up the stairs and yanking the door open.

"Ladies first." Gareth smirked at Blake as he came back down the stairs and watched as she went up, entering the dark metal box without a complaint. "And now the gentleman."

Carl glared at Gareth as he climbed the stairs, the door slamming shut as soon as he was inside. "Well shit." He announced to the quiet air. Blake was walking the perimeter of the car, searching for weak spots or alternate exits, but there didn't seem to be any.

"Blake." Carl's voice was gentle but firm as he addressed the girl. She stopped walking, showing Carl that she was listening. "You don't have to talk." Carl's voice was instantly softer once he got Blake's attention. "Just look at me. Please."

Blake wanted to. She truly wanted to see Carl's eyes again, but she physically could not bring her own eyes to meet his. She shook her head gently, which Carl recognized as an 'I can't' gesture, not an 'I won't' gesture.

"Are you scared?" He asked. She knew he wasn't referring to the current situation, he was referring to life in general.

Blake thought for a moment before nodding her head.

"Of my dad?"

Blake shook her head. Rick was nothing to be scared of.

"Michonne?"

Another head shake, this one slightly more confident.

"Daryl?"

The same response came with absolutely no hesitation this time.

Carl took a breath before he asked his final question. "Are you afraid of me?" He asked, his voice quiet.

Blake momentarily froze form shock before she answered, actually answered. "I could never be afraid of you." Her voice was barely more than a whisper, and it cracked when she spoke considering it had been days since she'd uttered a single word.

"Then why can't you face me?" Carl's tone was almost pleading by this point.

Blake closed her eyes and took a breath. "You were there." Were the simple words that made Carl feel the tidal wave of guilt crash over him for the umpteenth time.

"Blake, I…"

"I'm not saying I blame you." Blake clarified, finding it easier to talk to Carl than to look in his direction. "I did it to myself."

"But I should've done something."

"You know we would both be dead now if you had."

"Still." Carl insisted. "I should have-"

"No." Blake interrupted, slight anger in her voice. "I made my choice. It happened, now it's done. That's it."

"Blake…"

"Just don't."

Carl backed off, recognizing that Blake was at the end of her tether, and would lash out if he pushed her more.

Once she realized that Carl was going to leave her alone, Blake went back to searching the walls of the train car for a way out, Carl beginning to search on the other side of their prison.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Rick paced around the train car, his mind running wild with the possibilities of what Carl and Blake could be going through as the adults were stuck in the train car.

"How'd you end up in here?" Glenn asked Michonne.

"Rick noticed that one of them had your watch." Michonne explained. "They overpowered us."

"Carl's here too?" Maggie jumped in. When Michonne nodded, Maggie allowed the slightest bit of hope to creep into her heart. "Daryl?" He looked over. "You said daughter." She stepped towards the redneck, her eyes wide and pleading. "Was that Beth?" Everyone knew Daryl didn't have a child, so it was a reasonable assumption on Maggie's part.

Daryl sighed, shaking his head and looking down at his boots. "No." he admitted sadly. When Maggie's face dropped, he quickly added in, "She's alive. Or, she was. Last time I saw her."

"You were with her? What happened? Where is she?" Maggie couldn't control the slew of questions that tumbled out of her mouth.

"We hot out together, were staying at a house." Daryl started, deciding against telling everyone they were staying in a funeral home. "Got drove out by walkers. I sent her ahead, when I caught up, she was gone, black car with a white cross driving away."

Maggie nodded, taking Glenn's hand for support.

"Who was it then?" Glenn asked, curious about who Daryl would be referring to as his daughter.

"Carl's old friend." Michonne replied for Daryl, knowing the man wasn't too keen on speaking for long periods of time. "We found her wandering the woods on her own. Daryl's quite fond of her." Michonne joked slightly, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work.

A loud bang startled the small group out of their conversation. The silent group across the car that most had forgotten about also looked up to see Rick had pounded his fists against the door of the train car again.

"Rick, it's not going anywhere." Glenn sighed, stepping towards the man he admired.

"I know." The voice was half angry half scared. "I just want them back."

"So do we." Daryl stepped forward, placing a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "So do we."


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