A/N: 12/28/2014 Well, I went through all the Walking Dead episodes on Netflix today (well, the Caryl scenes) and I made myself a Caryl timeline. So I've MOSTLY got my stuff together. Which means it should be smooth sailing for me from this point on :)

wildcow258: Yes, we do! Isn't it great? :D And ooh, I hope I killed you in a good way and not a bad one. I don't want tears! D: lol thanks for your review!

Ange: Aww thank you! And do not worry, your English is fine! ^^

Prettyprincess45: Thanks, and it's cool! I'll have to check out some Watch Dogs playthrough videos!

Poppy P: Thank you for both of your reviews! I really love that scene too. At that point I thought it was obvious that Daryl loved Carol, it was really sweet and heartwarming. Sweet calendar, too! Props to your kids! :D

I Love Fanfics: Thank you for your double reviews! I've played COD Black Ops, Black Ops II, Modern Warfare, Ghosts, and another one that I can't remember the name of. Advanced Warfare looked really fun though, so I'm sure you won't be disappointed. I read the first Divergent book a few months ago, pretty good. You might be 'eh' about it, but I think you'll like it overall. Your Walking Dead DVD collection is coming along nicely! Season 3 is essential for Caryl fans ;)

Terp4Life: Ah, okay. Yeah, it can seem that way when you're used to reading/writing really long fanfics, hard to tell the difference in length. You're welcome! I love your reviews! :DD

Reading time: 4 mins.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

Chapter twelve: A Friend~

The news of Carol's 'springing forth from the grave' was music to the entire group's ears.

Daryl had gone up to Rick to tell him the news, and was surprised when everyone else followed to see for themselves. Rick had been the first to see, and the first to hug her before anyone else, even himself. He deserved the comfort, especially in the middle of dealing with his wife's death. Unfortunately, however, the calm and happy atmosphere wasn't meant to last, and it ultimately shattered.

A newcomer, a woman with a hard glare and a well-kept samurai sword, had told them about an Asian and pretty brunette being kidnapped and taken to a place called Woodberry while out on their run - Maggie and Glenn.

Rick acted almost immediately, and now he, himself, and a few of others were heading out to save them.

He was a little overwhelmed with the task - he had only just found Carol and now he couldn't spend any more time with her, stay by her side, help her recuperate - but it was something that needed to be dealt with immediately, and he needed to help Rick and the others to do it. Or rather, they needed him, as Carol would say. He smiled at that.

As the others packed and loaded one of the spare vehicles with supplies for their journey, Daryl walked up behind Carol as she held little Judith.

"Hey," he called, getting her attention. "Stay safe."

It wasn't much, but it was all he could think to say on short notice.

He never was good with words, let alone words connected to 'feelings'.

He just hoped she understood that.

Carol bounced slightly as she cooed to the infant in her arms, and she smirked up at him. "Nine lives, remember?"

Daryl's eyes brightened, and he smiled, feeling his antsy-ness and worry quickly flood out of him.

He lingered by for just a moment more, unsure if he should say something else or not, but in the end he decided to just leave it at that and go on to join the others.

She understood.

She understood him.

And that was more than he could have ever asked for.

As Daryl shifted away from her and walked towards the now loaded van, he realized that he was finally ready to admit to himself something that was obvious long before he feared her dead but wasn't ready to deal with amidst all their other problems.

It had constantly been at the back of his mind throughout the past couple of months. it was a question so simple and yet so complex that he just wasn't sure how to answer; what was she? What was Carol to him? Was she an acquaintance? A companion? A buddy? A person who he'd just happened to be alone with a lot and develop some semblance of a relationship with?

If he would have tried to cope with any of these questions just a couple of days ago, he wouldn't have been able to leave his mind satisfied. But now, after going through a premature grieving process and finding the source of his pain and sadness to be alive and well, he was ready to try and answer. Hell, he already knew the answer.

Carol was something that was very hard to come across in this world.

She was something you could hardly ever find and could never hope to replace once you did.

She was something that, throughout everything you had ever been through, from bad to worse, only took a glance before you realized that everything was gonna be okay.

She was a friend.

Tried and true. Thick and thin. Hell and high water.

She was a friend.

And that was more than he could have ever hoped to deserve.

A/N: Up next: A Memory.

Assuming I can keep going the way I've set out to go and stick to it, there will be a total of 23 chapters in this story. And I hope to see you there through all of them :)

See you tomorrow!