Phoenix

Author's Notes:

Thank you to my many readers. I appreciate you taking the time to read my story.

OK, so in this chapter we go from not-so-nice Carol to bad-Carol. It just worked out that way for this story.

As always, reviews are welcome. I would love to hear from you.

Onward we go…

Chapter 3

GROUP'S REACTION

Carol walked past Glenn and Daryl's cell just as Glenn is pulling on a long-sleeve shirt over his tee-shirt and she sees the healing bite. Carol gasps and starts shouting for the rest of group.

Her adrenaline was pumping, but not for the reasons as everyone else. This is her chance to get rid of Glenn once and for all. Inside, she was smiling.

The group gathered down in the common area. It was chaotic and loud. Rick tried to take control of the situation.

"Hey…Hey! Let's all calm down and find out what's going on."

"He has a bite," Carol shrieked. "There's not much to discuss."

"Yes, there is," Rick replied.

"Glenn, how could you not tell us? How could you think about hiding this?" Carol growled.

Daryl's protective mode kicked in. He stood and leaned toward Carol. "Don't be blamin' him for this. We talked and we decided we'd have to figure it out before we said somethin'. No one was hidin' anything from anyone. We was just trying to figure it all out…what to do…who to tell…when and how."

"Glenn deceived us all," Carol said, glaring at Glenn.

"Like when Rick neglected to tell us we're all infected?" Daryl didn't intend to throw Rick under the bus, but he needed them to put it into perspective. "He didn't intend to keep us in the dark forever. He was waiting for the right time and place, tryin' to figure it all out."

"You lied to us all," she spat at Glenn.

Daryl stepped in. "We didn't lie to you, but we didn't tell you everythin', least not yet. Was just trying to figure out what to do. I figured that the more time that passed the less ya'll might freak out. Don't be layin' all the blame on Glenn. I talked him in'ta waitin'."

"We decided together." Glenn jumped in to defend Daryl. "We didn't want to keep it from you, we just needed some time."

Carol continued to push. "Glenn has to go."

Rick looked around at the faces and saw confusion and conflict. "Wait. Let's look at this rationally."

"Rationally?" Carol persisted. "He was bitten. He needs to leave or we will have to take care of him," she says rather coldly.

Daryl jumped up. "Hold on. That ain't happenin'. You're not gonna touch him!"

"Then he has to leave." This could be her only chance to get rid of him. It was the perfect opportunity. She just needed the others to see it her way.

"That ain't your decision to make."

"We can't just banish him," T-Dog interjected. "That would be a death sentence."

"I agree with T-Dog. We can't do that," Maggie added.

"He already has a death sentence," Carol hissed.

T-Dog looked at the group. "Don't we all?"

"He's dangerous. He might turn and take us all with him," she continued.

Glenn looked around the room. "If that's your decision, we'll leave."

Daryl turned to Glenn. "Let's get our gear together. We'll head out first light."

It seemed like everyone got up and started talking at once. Most seemed to be trying to stop Glenn and Daryl from leaving.

"Wait," Hershel said waiving his hands to indicate for everyone to just sit back down. "First, let's see what the facts are. What do we know? He was bit but it is healing, correct?" Glenn nods at Hershel and shows him the wound. "How long ago?"

"Almost 2 weeks," Glenn responded.

"Did you get sick?" Rick asked.

"Barely. Just a low fever that lasted about 12 hours. I was also a little achy, nothing else. Can barely even call it being sick."

"Since then he's been healthy…walking, talking, eating, sleeping…ya'll seen him," Daryl added.

Hershel continued. "Well, what ya'll were told at the CDC was that no one went longer than eight hours. He's gone nearly two weeks. I'd say that if it was gonna happen, it'd have happened by now."

Carol threw her hands up. "But you don't know." She knew she was losing this battle.

"Of course I don't," Hershel said, "but how much do we know about any of this?"

T-Dog looked around at the group. "So what do we do now?"

"Nothing," Rick said. "Although I do hope that Glenn and Daryl both agree to keep us in the loop on any changes."

"Understood," Daryl send with a firm nod.

STRAIN ON THE RELATIONSHIP

Glenn stomped down the hallway with Daryl hot on his heels.

"Get the fuck away from me!" Glenn shouted at Daryl. "I told you we're through. I don't love you anymore. Get over it!"

"Hell no. You quit tryin' to push me away. It ain't gonna work. I'm not leaving you. I love you. I'm in love with you. Pussy as it sounds, you're my soul-mate. Never believed in that 'fore you. I ain't goin' nowhere!"

At that point, Glenn just looked exhausted. He sat down hard and looked up at Daryl with resignation on his face. They had been arguing for hours and he was just plain worn out.

"We don't know what's going on. We don't know if it's safe. You need to stay away," Glenn dejectedly.

"Let's get one thing straight. That ain't gonna happen."

"We can't ever be 'together' again. Do you get that? No sex. The best I can do is give you a hand-job, but that's it. No sex, not even oral. I can't risk giving you something. Just because I haven't gotten sick yet doesn't mean I won't. It doesn't mean I can't give you something, like, I don't know, transfer the bite to you. I could be carrying something we haven't even thought of yet. I can't ask you to live like that."

"I ain't with you for sex. We were never just about sex. I love you. I don't care if we can never have sex again. We can take care of our own needs in that respect. That doesn't mean we can't be together. We can still talk," he said approaching Glenn. "And touch," he said placing his hand on Glenn's cheek. "And kiss," he said lightly kissing his jaw, then his cheek, then his lips. "And hold each other," he said wrapping his arms around Glenn and pulling him close. Glenn leaned into the embrace.

"We don't even know if kissing is safe."

"We been kissin' since you got bit. Too late for that," he said with a grin. "And I'm never gonna stop kissin' you."

"I didn't mean it when I said I don't love you anymore," Glenn said with a sadly. "I love you so much it hurts."

"I know you didn't mean it."

"You deserve more," Glenn whispered.

"There isn't 'more' for me. You're everything," Daryl said holding him tighter.

SHOULD THEY EXPERIMENT?

Maggie, Beth, and Carol were working on checking the inventory of their supplies.

"I wonder what would happen if he got bit again," Maggie said.

"What?" Carol asked.

"Nothing. Just thinking out loud."

Carol thought about that and saw another chance. "Maybe we can do some kind of test. Maybe he should get bitten again and see what happens."

Daryl overhears and storms in.

"What the hell are ya thinkin'?" Daryl hisses. "You can't just experiment on him like some lab rat."

"Calm down. That's not what we're saying," Maggie said.

"Sounds like it. Would you want it done to you or your family? I thought he was your friend. You should be ashamed of yourselves."

"He is our friend, but this could mean so much," Carol responded.

"I'm startin' to doubt that you are his friends. Real friends wouldn't do this. Real friends wouldn't think of doing this. And let me tell you, he ain't just my friend. I love him and you're not going to do that."

"I think we have to try," Carol argued.

"You try it, and I'll kill you. You touch him over my dead body."

ABDUCTION

A month had passed and things seemed to be settling back down into a normal routine. Glenn's bite wound had healed completely. Some were still keeping a close eye on Glenn, but not like before. The group from Woodbury was becoming more comfortable there. As a whole, they were becoming more relaxed each day.

The man watched the interactions of the other group. He hadn't been at the prison long, being from the group that came from Woodbury, but he had been there long enough to determine that he needed to act.

He decided that his best chance at gaining access to his target would be through the woman with the short hair. She seemed to also have similar feelings so she might make a good ally, as long as she proved useful.

They were working in the kitchen preparing the evening meal when the man approached Carol.

"I have seen how you look at him. I can tell that you don't like the Asian man. We are kindred spirits, you and I."

"Why would you think that?" Carol asked warily.

"You believe he needs to leave. I agree. I can take care of that. It is my mission. He should be in hell and I can send him there."

Carol looked at him. "You wouldn't be over here if you didn't need something from me."

"You are a smart woman. I knew we would work well together. You let me into the corridors behind Block B and then you simply need to get him to come to me."

"I can probably do that," she said.

The man smiled. 'I knew it would be easy,' he thought.

Carol's heart was beating rapidly. She was thrilled. This was it. Glenn would be gone and this man would do all the dirty work. With Glenn gone, she would have Daryl. They would never know she helped. She would deny it. They would have no proof. Surely they would believe her over this stranger. It was almost too good to be true.

"When?" she asked.

"Let me in at lunchtime while the others are busy. Then bring him mid-afternoon. That will give me plenty of time to prepare."

Carol nodded.

The next day Carol helped him gain access to the area near their cell block. She talked Glenn into walking with her over to that area. She didn't even have to try hard. Glenn trusted her. As soon as they stepped around the corner, the man viciously cracked Glenn over the back of the head with a piece of pipe and he fell to the ground unconscious.

The man turned to Carol, covered her mouth and wrapped his fingers around her throat.

"You are just as bad as they are," he said menacingly. "I know you want the other one for yourself. They disgust me and you disgust me. I will cleanse the earth of their evil and you shall burn in hell with them."

With that Carol felt his fingers tighten on her throat. She couldn't breathe and her vision started to tunnel into blackness. 'It wasn't supposed to be this way,' was her last thought.

The man easily hid her body. She would not be discovered until well after his plan was complete.

MISSING

Daryl walked into his and Glenn's cell. When he didn't see Glenn there, he asked around and found out that he was seen walking with Carol toward another area. No one could remember seeing them since. He followed in the direction that they went.

Turning a corner, he sees blood on the floor along with one of Glenn's work gloves. There was no sign of Glenn, but there was a blood trail. Not only had someone taken Glenn, they had hurt him.

He was going hunting. And when he found the bastard, he was going to kill him.