After Carol got Sophia settled in bed, she went back downstairs to help Daryl finish up the dinner dishes. "You don't have to help with these," said Daryl as he rinsed and loaded the dishwasher. "You cooked, I can clean up."

"I don't mind helping. Heck, Ed never did anything to help out. He would come home from work,,sit down, complain about what I cooked, and then eat it anyway. Then he would go watch TV and I would be stuck cleaning everything up and watching Sophia at the same time." Suddenly, her hand covered her mouth as she realized what she had said. Looking over at him, she spoke quietly, "I can't believe I said that. I just went way out of the WPP protocol. Sorry about that, Daryl."

He stepped over to her and clasped her hands in his. "No need to apologize. Some days we just need to get things out. I'm just glad it was me you were talking to."

"Honestly, you make me feel so comfortable and safe around you, I'm not surprised I slipped up."

"I'm glad to hear you say that because there is something I need to talk to you about. I am still processing it myself, but it pertains to you too. I know that is confusing, but you'll understand in a bit. If you will finish up in here, I want to do a perimeter check. Let's meet on the couch closest to the fireplace in fifteen minutes." He could see the sudden concern on her face and answered, "Don't worry, we'll figure it out. Do you trust me?"

"Of course. I have no reason not to." She smiled at him and got up on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss on the lips. They both froze when they realized what she had done without to make light of it she said, "Go do your stealthy James Bond thing and I will meet you on the couch in fifteen minutes."

He laughed, "Stealthy James Bond thing? Really? You do realize he worked for the British Secret Service, not the F.B.I."

Smiling she said, "Yes, I know." Giving his hands a squeeze, she let go as she walked over to the stove and began to wipe it down.

Daryl was checking behind the garage when his mind wandered back to the kiss Carol had given him in the kitchen. Her lips were soft and made him hope for a deeper kiss sometime soon. He had been attracted to her since the moment he laid eyes on her, but was able to remain professional for her and Sophia's safety. Knowing he had their lives in his hands, he pulled himself back to the task at hand.

It was dark behind the garage, but as he rounded the corner, the motion light flipped on, illuminating the entire yard up to the front porch. He made sure to check all the downstairs windows and the ground beneath them in case there were footprints in the snow. Finding nothing amiss, he went back inside. Locking the door behind him, he removed his winter jacket, boots and gloves. He could feel the warmth of the fire and was glad he had started one earlier in the day.

Carol was sitting on the couch flipping through a magazine when he went to the fridge to grab a beer. "Do you want a beer," he asked as he popped the top off of his.

"Sure, that sounds good," she answered as she put the magazine on the end table and tucked her feet up underneath herself.

Daryl handed her her beer and turned slightly to face her. "I am going to ask you a few questions that may seem awkward, but there is a point to all of this, ok?"

Carol nodded, "Fire away."

"What happened the night your husband was killed?"

She hesitated just a moment before she began, "Sophia was with friends and I was not suppose to be home. My husband pulled into the driveway with two guys I didn't know. I was going to prepare them something to eat, as I was expected to do on a moment's notice, but then I saw the gun. One of them was holding a gun to Ed's head, so I ducked into the hall closet before they even made their way inside. They came in and closed the door. That's when I heard Ed tell them that no one was home, but one of them checked the house anyway. I hid behind Ed's golf clubs when he checked where I was."

Sharing the events of that night overwhelmed Carol and her voice began to crack. She began to well up as she relived how terrified she was when the closet door was opened. "The guy walked away and left the door cracked. Ed was down on his knees and begging for his life. The man who appeared to be in charge was holding the gun to his head talking about not being double crossed. I really had no idea what either of them were talking about. It was so hard to be in that closet." Tears fell as she remembered barely breathing so she could stay hidden. Daryl could tell by the sheer terror on her face that this was probably one of the few times she had to talk about that night. He handed her a tissue box as she kept talking.

"It was only a few minutes later that Merle shot him. Merle Dixon. That was the man's name. He just shot him and then turned around and left. I was terrified and waited about ten minutes before I came out. The agents who talked with me afterward assured me that Ed was dead the moment he hit the floor. I will never forget how Ed looked laying there in a pool of his own blood. How Merle just shot him with no hesitation or remorse."

He watched as she pulled herself together after a few minutes. Daryl turned her so they were facing each other. "I know it is tough to have to recall that, but I need to tell you why. Agent Grimes brought something to my attention right before we left and I need to let you know about it as well. He literally found out minutes before we pulled out. After I share it with you, you may decide you want a different agent to stay with you and Sophia." Carol's concern grew, but she remained quiet while he went on.

"I have an older brother. He and I grew up total opposites. I was always trying to do the right thing and he was always in trouble. We became estranged about fifteen years ago. I had no idea where he was or what he has been up to. That is, until yesterday. Carol...the Merle Dixon you are talking about is my brother."