Carol gradually felt herself waking up, but this time was different than the last. This time there was no uncertainty. She knew where she was. She knew she was safe. And more important, she knew he was safe. In spite of those reassurances, she wasn't eager to open her eyes. She knew that once she did the safe and secure feelings would end. Once she opened her eyes she would have to face the aftermath. She wasn't ready to deal with that yet. She wanted just a few more minutes to pretend that everything was okay.

Carol was good at pretending. She'd done it most of her life. As a child she pretended for fun. In high school, she'd pretended it didn't bother her to not have many friends. After marrying Ed, she pretended she was happy. She also had to pretend she was clumsy. In Alexandria, she pretended she was harmless and weak. That had probably been the most difficult for her. Carol had finally found the inner strength that had eluded her all of her life and she had to hide it. Having to deny that strength in front of others, though a calculated and necessary decision on her part, had been draining. She still believed it was the right call at the timel, but it hadn't been easy on her. Now, she knew there was no point in pretending anymore. The carefully preserved illusion of normalcy under which the Alexandrian's had been living was shattered and her cover had been blown. There was no going back now.

Carol knew Maggie. She had seen it on her face. Whatever happened out there after she was knocked out, it had been bad. Maggie was always matter of fact about such things. She would take some time to allow herself to grieve but she wouldn't wallow. She would dry her tears, assess the situation, take action, and move forward. Carol had seen her do it when the Governor took her father, when she couldn't find Glenn after the prison, and even when they'd lost Beth. Those times it had been bad too. But Maggie was steady. She had overcome. Carol knew she would overcome this too. She always did. So she would be willing to know what Maggie knows soon enough, but not before she was ready.

Carol slowly stretched, assessing the damage, feeling her age. Recovery and physical healing didn't come as quickly as they used to. Thankfully, the severe pain in her head had eased to a dull ache. It was bearable. She took a deep breath and felt her back more than she hoped she would. She let her breath back out and opened her eyes to look up at the ceiling. She could tell the sun had gone down. The room was lit by a lamp over in the corner, near the chair where she had watched Daryl as he slept. She closed her eyes again as she pictured him in her mind. Watching him like that was a luxury she'd not had much occasion to enjoy, either before or after their arrival here. Daryl was typically the first to rise and the last to lie down, always vigilant, always on guard to protect his family. She'd taken advantage of the rare opportunity that had presented itself. He would have been uncomfortable if he had known how intently she was focused on him, but she couldn't help herself. He had looked so peaceful, so relaxed. Even so, she could see the toll his life had taken on him. It was written on his face. She knew every line had a story. Before long she found herself pretending once again. It was easy to do while staring at the man who unknowingly held her heart in the palm of his hand. In an unusual moment of weakness, she gave in to childish fantasies and imagined how different things may have been if they had met years ago. Eventually Carol's eyes had grown heavy and she had slipped back into her own oblivion, thoughts of what could have been drifting through her mind.

"Hey."

She smiled at his voice. It was so soft she almost hadn't heard it. She felt him crouch at the side of the bed and turned her head toward him.

"Hey to you too."

He gently brushed her hair back with his hand and studied her face, "How you feelin'?"

"I've felt worse."

"You know that doesn't answer my question."

She waited a beat, wondering where to start, "I feel okay. Not great, but okay."

He nodded once. Carol noticed him chewing the inside of his lip. It was a something he often did when he was either thinking or feeling something that made him uncomfortable.

"How long was I out?"

"Couple days. They had you at the infirmary when I got back."

She glanced around the room, "How'd I end up here?"

"I told 'em you'd recover better in your own room, in your own bed."

"Good call."

"Besides, I knew I couldn't keep as close on eye on you over there. Lot of good it did. You were still alone when you came to. Shouldn't have been that way."

"I wasn't alone. You were here."

"I was asleep. Ain't the same thing. Maggie should have woken me up."

"She was going to but I asked her not to...you needed the rest."

"Pfft, I didn't need no rest..."

She raised her eyebrows at him, "Really?"

He took the opportunity to change the subject, "Do you remember what happened?"

Carol remembered everything up until the point when she had been struggling with Morgan. The wolves had come first, killing as they went. After they'd been taken out or run off the walkers came and were building up against the walls. Rick and Michonne had returned but not everyone had made it back. Many of their group were still missing at that time: Glenn, Abraham, Sasha...Daryl. Then the tower fell and tore down the wall. The walkers had poured in. They were everywhere. She had used them to her advantage, as a cover to follow Morgan and find out what he was up to. She'd seen the man he had hidden away from them. Morgan had betrayed them by keeping danger locked in with their people, their family. She was going to end the danger, kill the man for the things he had done. But Morgan wouldn't let her.

"Morgan kept one of the wolves inside the walls. I followed him. I was going to kill him, and Morgan too if he got in my way. We fought, and suddenly everything went black. I don't remember anything after that."

"I should have been here." She could see the tension in his jaw, "I was going to, you know, come back. But then Rick started in on how we had to put the welfare of the community above everything else. That y'all could handle things back here without us...and I stayed to finish what we'd started."

"You did what you needed to do."

He began to slowly shake his head, "No...I needed to be here, with Carl and Ass-Kicker...with you."

He dropped his gaze to the floor, "None of this shit would have happened."

"It still would have happened. You being here wouldn't have kept the wolves from breaking in. It wouldn't have kept the tower from falling. This wasn't your fault."

He didn't respond, continuing to avoid eye contact.

"Daryl?"

"Mmm?"

"It's okay...I'm okay."

He nodded, still not raising his face to hers, "Might not have been."

She lifted his chin with her fingers, forcing him to look at her. She was surprised when she looked in his eyes and saw fear. She wasn't used to that. During the time she'd known him she'd seen him convey many things: strength, determination, anger, and even sorrow. She thought she might have glimpsed what could have been construed as affection a time or two. But she had never really seen fear there before. She knew the feeling of being afraid all too well. She had lived it most of her life. She had been drowning in it after the wolves had broken in and she didn't know where he was. She wondered where his fear was coming from.

"Where's Morgan now?"

"Still alive if that's what you're wondering, not by my choice either."

"And the wolf?"

"Dead."

"Good."

He nodded in agreement but didn't say anything more. He shifted and sat down on the floor, leaning his back against the bed. She could only see the side of his face, but she could tell there was something else weighing on his mind.

"Daryl, there's something you're not telling me. What is it?"

Sorry to leave you hanging but I felt this was where this chapter should end. Thanks so much for all the follows and favorites. I am honored by each of them!