Rachel blinked, taking a moment to register what Carol meant. Thinking back, Daryl had introduced them by name only. There had been no mention to her ties to him. There was something about the way that Carol looked at her which triggered the territorial instinct that most women possess.

"Daryl's my husband."

"Oh," Carol replied, looking crestfallen. Her mind had made the leap already, but her heart was not prepared to hear the truth. It had taken her the better part of a year to build the relationship that she had with Daryl, so when she saw him interacting so intimately with a woman who had just joined the group, she knew there had to be an explanation. She tried her best to remain as neutral as possible, even though her heart felt deflated. "He never said anything about being married."

"So I've heard," Rachel replied with a slight annoyance, remembering that Glenn had a similar reaction to the news. "Not exactly what a wife wants to hear after so many years of devotion, but I assume it was his way of dealing with our separation."

Carol tried to think of something more to say, but this was not easy to digest. She had grown to care for Daryl in a much different way than she cared for all the others. They had a connection, a friendship, which Carol felt could blossom into something more, but Daryl always seemed uncertain or unwilling when she flirted with him. His reasons were quite obvious now; his heart had been elsewhere. But why didn't he tell her that he was married? "Where have you been all this time?"

"Dead," Rachel said plainly, feeling like the question had been more of an accusation than curiosity. "It's what Daryl thought. He and I got separated very early on. I did the same as you folks and survived with the people I encountered along the way. I kept up hope that Daryl was still alive and prayed that we'd find each other again."

In some ways Carol hated the feelings that were swirling around inside her. Jealousy was something that a grown woman should be able to control. It wasn't like Daryl chose this pretty newcomer over her; Rachel was his wife. She knew that she would have to accept it, even if it broke her already broken heart. Carol offered a small, understanding smile. "Count your blessings."

After Carol walked away, Rachel pondered the conversation for a moment – something felt odd about the interaction. Of course, she had her suspicions as to why it felt so strange, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions. If Daryl had been intimate with another woman, Rachel would have known – she was sure of it. She had always been able to see right through his lies. So, it wasn't that. Brushing off the feeling, Rachel decided to leave it be for now.

Inside the cell block, the remaining members of the group were gathered in the common room. Beth and Sarah had taken over the dinner preparation, and Carol was tending to Judith – the baby had finally been given a proper name. When Hershel suggested that someone keep watch outside, Rachel offered. As much as she wanted to keep her mind occupied, some real time alone felt necessary. Armed with a rifle, Hershel lead her outside to show her exactly how to use it.

Settling into her post at the guard tower, Rachel sat on the edge of the deck with her legs over the side. A cool breeze played through her hair as she soaked in the late afternoon sun and scanned the surrounding area. Only a handful of walkers were visible around the outside fence and in the trees. All was quiet in their piece of the world. Rachel hoped it stayed that way until the others returned. She closed her eyes and prayed for each of them, Maggie and Glenn included. Bring them back alive, that was all she asked.

Between the quiet, the warm sun, and a wandering mind, Rachel lost herself in thought. She reflected on the last few days and all the emotions that they brought. Carol's comment of "count your blessings" really struck her as true. There was so much to be thankful for, despite the loss of Jesse. She felt incredibly blessed to have these people welcome her into their community, to have a safe place to sleep, and food to eat. None of those things, however, held up against the miracle of having Daryl back; that was the true blessing in all of this. It amazed her that there could still be such joy amidst so much chaos and suffering.

She could have sat there for days, lost in the memories and the imaginings of her mind, but after a while Sarah joined her. Rachel did not mind all that much; it was nice to have the company. The teen did not stay very long because she had promised to play a game of cards with Beth and Carl when she returned. Rachel took the opportunity after Sarah left to walk a few laps around the deck to stretch her legs. They were stiff from sitting for so long. On her fourth turn around, she noticed Carol walking across the pavement toward the guard tower. Rachel waited by her original post until the other woman appeared.

"Hey," Carol greeted her with a warm smile. "Axel said he'd come relieve you in a little while, but I thought you might like something to hold you over until then."

Rachel took the bowl. "Thank you. That's very kind."

"You're welcome," Carol replied, folding her arms over her chest and looking out across the yard. "I'm sorry about earlier. It just caught me off guard is all, you being Daryl's wife."

"Don't worry about it – you didn't know," Rachel said, not quite certain how else to respond. "There were quite a few changes for you to process today. It's understandable."

Carol nodded, resigning herself to the next part of the conversation. "I just want you to know that Daryl has done a lot for me over the last year – more than I can ever repay him for, but I've done my best. I've cared for him. We've grown close, but please don't take that the wrong way; it wasn't anything physical."

"I know," Rachel assured the other woman. Her suspicions from earlier confirmed.

"You do?"

"Daryl questioned my relationship with the man that Sarah and I traveled with, so naturally I turned the tables on him," she explained, a bit amused by the whole situation. If this was a chance to air out any awkwardness and move on, she would gladly take it. Carol obviously felt the need to set things straight. "I was pissed that he felt the need to ask. If he had been with another woman, I would've known from one look at him." She smiled and continued with complete sincerity. "Carol - I'm glad he had someone looking out for him. He needs it more than he knows. So, thank you – I mean it."

Carol offered her a smile and nodded, thankful to have that out in the open. There had already been one severely failed love triangle; this group did not need another. Not that their situation was anything like the one between Rick and Shane, but there was no need to let any assumptions fester and escalate to the point that they became damaging to the group.

Rachel chuckled. "Besides, he'd probably be alone in the middle of woods, eating raw animals and wiping his ass with pine cones, if he'd been left on his own."

"He'd survive though," Carol added with a smile.

"He sure would," Rachel said and then invited Carol to sit with her while she ate. "What's your story? How'd you end up with these people?"

"My husband, my daughter, and I were on our way to Atlanta – just like everybody else. Heard it was safe there. We met Lori and Carl when traffic came to a standstill. When we realized that Atlanta was a bust, a bunch of folks pulled together and made a camp – it seemed safe for a while. There were a lot of us in beginning, but then the deaths started to add up. My husband got bit early on, shortly after Rick turned up. My daughter…Sophia… well, she got bit too."

"Daryl told me about your daughter. I'm so sorry. Losing a child is not easy."

"Daryl was so determined – certain that we would find her some place. I mean, everybody helped look for Sophia, but he did so much more than his share to help look for her. It was comforting to have someone care as much as he did – even though he said it was because he had nothing else to do. I know there was something more to it than that, but after we found her in the Greene's barn, bitten, I never brought it up again."

Rachel slowly exhaled and looked at the other woman carefully, contemplating how much to divulge about the past. In some way she was amazed by how little Daryl had shared with these people, but in another way it was not at all surprising. Wanting to encourage the possibility of a friendship with Carol, Rachel decided to share their story and shed a little more light on the Dixons' past. She inhaled deeply, wondering what it would feel like to talk about it once again; it had been so long. But, if Carol could talk about her daughter, so could Rachel.

"We had a little girl – Ava." Rachel looked away from the wide eyes that were gazing at her with such surprise. She smiled with fondness as her little girl's face filled her mind. "She was perfect. But, about a year before all this started, Ava died in a car accident. She had been on her way home from a play date with a friend of ours. We're not sure exactly how it happened, but Denise went off the road and rolled the car. Denise was dead when the paramedics arrived, but Ava died later in the hospital."

Carol gasped. "How awful – I'm sorry. How old was she?"

"About a month away from turning six," Rachel replied, feeling a lump forming in her throat. "We were absolutely heartbroken – as I'm sure you understand. Daryl was a mess, but I was the one that became unhinged. It got pretty ugly for a while; I started drinking a lot, but Daryl never left me – might have threatened to on occasion, but he took care of me. I'd been sober for about two months when the world went to shit and we got separated; just when I had started to heal and move forward with life."

"It does help explain Daryl some," Carol admitted as she thought back when Sophia went missing. "And you're right; losing a child tears a part of your soul. I had time to prepare for the worst, but it didn't make it any easier when we found her. I think some part of me had known she wouldn't be alive."

Rachel shivered as a chill ran up her spine. "I can't even imagine what that must have been like for you."

"As much as I want Sophia here with me, I know she's in a better place," Carol said confidently.

"I agree," Rachel replied and then grinned. "I also like to think of all the boys who have been spared from dealing with her crossbow-wielding father."

"He wouldn't have been that bad, would he?" Carol asked, laughing.

Rachel groaned and rolled her eyes dramatically. "Now, I love my husband, but good lord, he would have been the worst. He'd have sat out on porch surrounded by dead animals and every weapon he owned."

The two woman swapped stories about the joy of raising children until Axel finally turned up for his watch. As much as she appreciated the conversation, Rachel was grateful for the interruption. It still tore her hear to speak of Ava, especially of things that could have been, but Rachel was proud of herself for doing so with more love than sadness, and even a touch of humor. Rachel made her way back to the cell block alone, because Carol decided stay with Axel for a while. Emotionally exhausted, it felt overwhelming to walk into a room where the rest of the group was gathered. Her plan was to go lay down for a while and with any luck the others would be back when she woke.