Hey guys, I'm back! I'm so sorry for the long delay in between updates, it was never my intention to leave my story hanging for this long. I've been feeling a bit out of it since my grandmother died, not having the same urge to write as I used to. Also I've been swamped at work, which hasn't helped my inspiration one bit. All in all, it's been a pretty depressing spring, but summer's here and I'm back in my game. I've got a nice long holiday coming up, so hopefully I'll be able to finish this story during the summer.

We left off with Carol and Beth in the hospital last chapter; time to check in with Daryl. This chapter might be a bit short, but all in all I'm pretty happy with it. As always, I don't own anything associated with TWD.

11. Redemption

For the first time since Rick's known Daryl, he feels afraid of the other man. The look in Daryl's eyes when Rick asks about Carol has him taking several steps backwards and he almost reaches for his gun. The pain therein is so raw it completely throws Rick for a loop. He knows Carol is important to Daryl, that he cares for the woman – that much was clear after his display of affection when she turned up after their escape from Terminus. But looking at him now, Rick slowly begins to understand that Daryl's feelings for Carol probably run deeper than any of them ever realized. Noah, feeling the tension between the two men and fearing that Daryl might attack Rick, decides to speak up.

"Carol's with Beth, at the hospital".

Rick and Daryl drop the eye contact and turn to Noah instead.

"Hospital? Beth's in a hospital? Where?" Rick asks.

"Atlanta" Noah replies and starts telling Rick about how he ended up there in the first place and about meeting Beth and her helping him escape.

Rick listens intently, trying to take in everything that Noah tells him. When Noah gets to the part about meeting Daryl and Carol, Rick turns back to Daryl.

"What were you and Carol doing there in the first place?"

"We were out by the car we found earlier in the day and that's when I saw the car – same kind 'a car that the people who took Beth were driving. Never mind why we were out there", Daryl interrupted Rick as he was about to ask for the reason to them being by the car, "point is that we had to act fast, we had to follow the car 'cause I knew it would take us to Beth. So I jumpstarted the car and off we went".

And then Daryl continued to tell the story of his and Carol's journey to and in Atlanta, right up to the point where Noah left off.

Rick sat silent, seemingly processing everything he'd been told so far. Michonne, who'd been quiet throughout the whole story, suddenly spoke up.

"So how'd Carol end up in the hospital on her own? Why didn't you go with her?" she asked Daryl.

Daryl said nothing, trying to figure out how to answer her without bursting into tears. His fault… it was all his fault she was there.

"Daryl?" she asked again, concern in her voice.

"She got hurt" Noah piped up, glancing at Daryl, trying to gauge his reaction. "After the van fell… they thought she was okay, but she started bleeding, just as we were getting ready to go hide. We heard the sirens and….

"Bleeding?" Michonne interrupted him. "Bleeding where?" Noah said nothing, just stared at Daryl, who looked just about ready to explode. "Noah," Michonne insisted, "bleeding where?"

When Daryl still said nothing, just kept staring at the floor with his jaw set tight enough to snap, Noah turned back to Michonne and noticed how everyone in the church were looking at him now. His voice shaking, glancing one last time at Daryl, he told them. "Be…between her l…legs".

Daryl heard Rick take a sharp breath and looked up at the other man. If Rick had been afraid before, it was nothing compared to the fear he felt now, the pure anger radiating from Daryl's eyes. He fixed his eyes upon Rick and opened his mouth to speak.

"Carol's pregnant" Daryl said, pausing to gauge the other man's reaction. It was not without some satisfaction that he noticed the look of fear on Rick's face, as he realized just what Daryl was saying. Unable to stop himself, wanting to hurt Rick just as he had hurt Carol, he continued. "Did ya know that when ya kicked her out Rick? Did ya know that ya tossed a pregnant woman out in the cold ta fend fer herself?"

"No… I- I had no idea, I swear. She didn't tell me… I'd never have…"

"Wouldn't ya?" Daryl's nostrils flared with anger and he rose and strode up to Rick, getting in his face. "She seems to think ya still would have, that's why she didn't say anything".

"Daryl…"

"See, I reckon she's right about that. Ya'd never have believed her. So she didn't tell ya. And 'cause of that, 'cause of you, I didn't know either. She never got around to telling me, 'cause you decided to take matters into yer own hands and kick her out!"

Daryl was practically screaming now, clenching his fists, willing himself not to hit the cowering man in front of him. He felt something wet on his cheeks and realized that he was crying.

"I'm… I'm sorry Daryl, I didn't know… no one knew you two were that close. If I'd have known…."

"Then what? You'd done things differently? Hmmm?"

"I don't know Daryl, I just don't know. But I'm sorry. I know I was wrong to do what I did. I shouldn't have… look, I can't take it back, but I can make up for it now. I'll help you get her back, her and Beth. Whatever it takes. I swear it, brother".

Daryl stared him down, blinking away the tears and trying to control his breathing. "Ya best hope she's alright when we get to them. Ya best hope those policemen got her to the hospital in time. Better start making up for it right away, 'cause you've got a long way ta go before yer allowed to call me brother again".

Daryl walked back to the spot he'd occupied before his shouting match with Rick. The tension was still high and no one seemed to know what to say after this revelation. Only a few people had known that Rick had kicked Carol out and why. No one had known that Carol and Daryl were in a relationship. The questions were there on the edge of everyone's tongues, but none of them dared to ask. Except for Michonne, who still hadn't gotten an answer to her question.

"But why didn't you go with her?"

"Hmmm?" Daryl had disappeared into his own mind and almost didn't hear Michonne.

"I said, why didn't you go with her?"

"Because Noah here seems to think that they'd have killed me if I had".

"Is that so?" Michonne asked, turning to Noah.

"You heard what I told you about my father. They could have saved him too, but they didn't, because he might have caused them trouble. There ain't a doubt in my mind that they'd have killed Daryl the minute he set foot in that hospital. They would've known straight away that he wouldn't buy into all their bullshit about owing them".

"'Sides, Carol told me to go back for you guys, that it was the smart thing to do. Reckon she was right, but there'll be no saving neither her nor Beth if we don't get going soon". Daryl looked around the room. "I ain't losing her again. It's on me that's she's in there at all, taking her with me to check out that van. But hell if it's going to be on me that she's stuck in that place. I'm going to get her and Beth back and whoever wants to join me are welcome to".

Rick took a few steps towards Daryl. "I'll go with you, you know I will. But I don't think all of us should go. Someone needs to stay here with Carl and Judith".

"Dad!" They were the first words out of Carl's mouth since Daryl got back.

"Don't argue with me on this Carl. I need to know that you and your sister are safe. I know you're capable to come with us, but I'll feel better if I know that you are here to help protect your sister. Alright?"

Carl opened his mouth, but snapped it shut again and nodded. He seemed to understand where his dad was coming from, just this once.

"I'll stay too" Michonne offered.

"As will I" Father Gabriel said weakly. Daryl thought that he wouldn't have expected anything else from the man. There was a person not cut out for this world if he ever saw one.

"We'll go" Tyreese said and nodded towards his sister. "I owe it to Carol to help her". He looked at Daryl and a silent understanding passed between them. Despite what Carol did to Karen, Tyreese was willing to help her. They must have truly formed a bond for that to happen.

"Alright, then it's settled. Rick, Tyreese and Sasha are coming back with me and Noah to get Carol and Beth back. Now let's get moving. Every minute we linger here is a minute they might not have" Daryl said and rose from his seat, moving out of the church. He could feel Rick's eyes on him and he stopped for a moment in the doorway, waiting to see what Rick would do. When nothing happened, Daryl continued out of the church.

Rick followed Daryl with his eyes and held his breath as Daryl stopped for a moment. He didn't know what else to say or do except for what had already been said and so Rick waited. When Daryl continued outside, Rick caught Michonne's eyes. Her facial expression was grim and Rick could tell that she was not happy with him. He was not very happy with himself right now, but what had been done could not be undone.

"You know we'll lose him if anything happens to Carol, don't you?"Michonne asks.

"Yeah, I know" Rick replied and hung his head. "Best get going if we don't want that happening. We should fortify the church before we go, make sure you guys are protected from walkers and other intruders".

"Alright. I'll start cutting up the church benches" Michonne answered and they could hear Father Gabriel let out at whimper. Rick sighed. The sooner they got to Atlanta and got Beth and Carol back the better. Rick had a feeling that nothing would ever be the same between him and Daryl if they didn't.