Disclaimer: As always, I don't own the world of TWD, just borrowing its characters for my story.

This chapter's a bit longer than the others and I think that the chapters will keep getting longer, but I want to really try to convey their feelings towards everything that's happening. Love and thanks to all of you who review, follow and favorite my story. Hope you enjoy this new chapter.

8. Rising

It isn't until they've settled down in another fancy office building, that Carol allows herself to relax her body in order to see how hurt she really is. Rolling her injured arm, and wincing from the pain, she realizes that she's probably banged up a whole lot more than she first thought. Every limb aches as she moves, but there doesn't appear to be any internal injuries. Unconsciously Carol moves her hand to her stomach. Just a day ago she might not have been too upset if something did happen to the child in her womb. But that was before she knew that she had Daryl's support, before she knew that he didn't hate her for what happened to Mika and Lizzie. A tiny grain of self-doubt still lingers, but even if she somewhere in the future happens to be right about being an unfit mother, that doesn't mean that their child doesn't deserve a chance. Daryl would always be there for their baby and so would the rest of the group. Carol had finally accepted that loving Daryl and letting him love her, was worth the risk. Feeling around on her stomach, she still doesn't feel different than before and she really believes that everything is alright with the baby.

Daryl's rummaging through his pack for something and soon enough he produces a water bottle, handing it to Carol. She gives him a grateful smile and helps herself to a sizeable gulp. She can feel Daryl eyes roaming her form, scrutinizing her, looking at her as if she's about to implode and disappear before his very eyes. Carol sighs and screws the lid back on to the water bottle before she hands it back to Daryl.

"If your eyes were any more piercing I'd have holes all over me by now. You don't have to stare me down Daryl, I'm fine".

"Yeah, well, ya don't look fine ta me. Don't think I didn't see that pained look on yer face just now. Is it the baby?" he asks, voice laced with concern and… anger?

"No, everything seems fine. My whole body's really sore and I think my arm is in need of some wrapping, but I'll survive. I know you worry, Daryl, but I'm tougher than I look".

"I know ye are. Don't mean I don't gotta worry 'bout ya ass".

"I love you to, Pookie" Carol replies with a smile. Glancing out through the dirty window, she notices something.

"Daryl, look!" Daryl directs his gaze out the window and seems to notice the same thing as her.

"Cars with crosses. Ya think that's Grady?"

"I think so, looks like it's no more than three blocks away. What do you want to do?"

"Don't think you'll like what I want to do".

"I'm not staying here, Daryl" Carol replies calmly.

"Ya came along to check out the van and look where that brought us! I risked the life of our child just 'cause I didn't want to let ya out of my sight!"

There is was, the reason for his anger. How much would it take to make Daryl stop blaming himself for everything that happened to others?

"Daryl…"

"No Carol! Ya shouldn't have come. I know ya can take care o' yerself, should have stayed put and let me sort out the van myself!"

"And you still would have had to get in the van and you would have been alone when the van fell. Things could have turned out very differently than it did for us. What if you had been trapped and alone? No Daryl. I understand what you're saying, but that's not the way we do things. We do it together or not at all".

Daryl had nothing to say to that. He chewed on his thumb and stared out the window. He'd never stop blaming himself for every single thing that got her hurt, Carol realized, but maybe she could make him see that he could not control everything.

"When I was in the shelter with Sophia" Carol began, "I really wanted to start over, to have a new life without Ed. I just didn't know how to do it. So I let my fears get to me and I went back to him. After Ed died and I lost Sophia, the old Carol got burnt away. At the prison, I finally got to be who I always thought I should be. And then she got burned away".

Daryl stops chewing on his thumb and sits down with her. He reaches up to cup her cheek and he caresses the side of her face lightly with his chewed up thumb. The touch sends shivers down Carol's spine. The skin on his fingers are so rough, yet the touch is so soft.

"We ain't ashes Carol".

"I know that now. I used to think that everything now just consumes us; that this world is nothing more than surviving and that there's no place for living. I used to think that we don't get to save people anymore. But you saved me Daryl, more than once. Not two hours ago, you saved me from myself, from making one of the biggest mistakes I'd ever have made. I know you think that you didn't do right by me because of what just happened. I can guess you feel guilty for not looking for me after the prison fell. And I'm sure that you think Beth's disappearance is all on you. But none of that holds true".

Daryl cast down his eyes as she spoke, but Carol takes hold of his head and forces him to look at her. "You're a good man, Daryl Dixon. Everything you do has a purpose. You always give the most of yourself to the ones you love and care about. You need to stop beating yourself up over things that you have no control over. Okay?"

Daryl's completely still for a long stretch of time, during which Carol almost forgets to breathe, waiting for a response. And then he slowly nods and he wraps his arms around her, drawing her into a hug. Resting his chin in the crook of her neck, he murmurs: "Ya saved me to, ya know. More than once. Maybe who we were got burnt away, but we're strong enough to rise from the ashes".

"Yes. Together" Carol replies.

"Together" Daryl whispers back.

They sit like that for a little while longer, just holding each other, relishing in the other's touch and warmth. Daryl is the first to withdraw.

"If we're gonna check out that hospital we better move now while it's still light out. Ya keep behind me and stay alert, alright?"

"Alright Daryl" Carol complies.

The second after, loud gun shots are heard nearby. They both rise to their feet and slowly move towards the sound. Daryl's got his crossbow raised and Carol's got her gun. She checks it for bullets as they slowly navigate in the direction of where the gun shots came from. Daryl looks at her and then the gun. Two, Carol mouths back. Daryl nods and reaches out to move her behind him. Two bullets will not get them far, but fortunately for them, Carol's knife skills will. In a deserted hallway they find a walker, dead from a head shot wound. The blood on the ground looks fresh. Moving on, a low growling reaches their ears. The growling grows louder and now they can hear the pants and sobs from someone human. Rounding a corner, they come upon a worrisome scene. The kid who threatened them earlier is pushing up against a bookshelf, attempting to block a walker trying to get through a door. The rifle he took is thrown on the floor, most likely out of bullets. The kid spots them and there's panic in both his eyes and his voice when he reaches out to them.

"It's you! Please, help me! You can have your rifle back, just please help me! I have to get out of here!"

Daryl and Carol look at each other. This kid threatened them, told them he wouldn't hesitate to shoot. Why should they help him? And yet, that's not the kind of people they are, are they?

The bookcase started sliding back as the walker pushed harder and the kid's grip was slipping. His right foot points out to the side in a funny angle. Most likely he's hurt and Carol realize that he won't be able to hold on much longer. She looks at Daryl, begging him with her eyes.

"He's just a kid Daryl".

Daryl does nothing for a moment. He seems to be pondering on the whole thing; on whether the kid deserves his help or not. But one more pleading look from Carol is all it takes. With a sigh, he raises his crossbow and hits the walker in the head. The kid immediately lets go of the bookcase and drops to the floor. He's breathing heavily, gasping out small thank you-s to the pair. Walking over, Carol stoops down and offers the kid a hand. He takes it and she pulls him up to a standing position. He looks at her with such gratefulness that Carol almost feels embarrassed.

"Thank you. I- I know I don't deserve your help…"

"Yer right, ya don't" Daryl interjects but Carol shoots him down with a hard look.

"You're welcome" she replies. "What's your name?"

"Noah"

"Noah" Carol says and nods. "I'm Carol and that there's Daryl. We're heading to Grady Memorial. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that place, would you?"

"You don't wanna go there. That's why I'm trying to get away. It's run by a crazy police woman and her crew. They're not all bad, but they've got no choice but to follow her. I was in there, but I escaped, my friend helped me. Just wish she could have got out to".

"Ya were in there?" Daryl asks, suddenly interested in the kid.

"Yeah and I don't want to go back. I will have to though if I don't leave soon or the police will find me".

"Did ya see a blond girl in there?" Daryl asks eagerly.

"Beth?" Noah asks.

"Yeah, she's our friend. We've been trying to find her. Is she okay?"

"She's okay. Or at least she was when I left. She's the friend who helped me get out. If you're trying to get in there, you're gonna need more people than the two of you. And…"

Suddenly, police sirens can be heard from afar. Noah limps over to a window and looks out.

"They must have heard the gun shots. We've got to get out of here, come on, I know a place where we can hide".

He turns back towards them and starts to move away when he stops and stares at Carol. Daryl looks at Carol, both of them confused about his behavior.

"Noah? What's wrong?" Carol asks.

"Nothing's wrong, it's just that… you're bleeding" Noah says warily.

Carol immediately starts checking her head and arms, looking for the source of the bleeding. How could she not have noticed that she'd broken skin?

"Carol?" Daryl speaks her name and the fear and worry seeping into his voice turns her attention to him immediately. He says nothing, just nods and points with his crossbow towards her legs. Looking down, Carol understands why he sounds so afraid and a shock of horror runs through her as she sees the blood stain slowly forming in between her legs.

Oh no, another cliff hanger. I know, I'm evil. I'll try to get another chapter up real soon. Reviews are gold!