Chapter 7! I'm thinking maybe one more after this, then it will link up with 'First Kiss', which is one of the earliest chronological fics in my 'The Farm' arc. Reviews responded to at the bottom! I hope you like this one!

She woke to the sound of footsteps tapping slowly across the floor near her head and flinched back against Daryl's chest. His arm rested across her waist, heavy and reassuring, but she wriggled out of his embrace, knife in hand, and tip-toed after the wraith-like figure that drifted between the racks of musty clothes. It wasn't until she brushed against a rack and made it rattle that the person whirled, katana in hand, and Carol jumped back, pressing one hand over her racing heart.

"Michonne!" She whisper-yelled. "Oh, you gave me a fright…"

"Is everything okay?" The woman whispered back.

"I heard you going past… I wasn't sure who it was so I followed you." Carol shrugged. "Where are you going?"

"Up onto the roof." Michonne shrugged. "I was going to try stretch a little before we got moving, and the sun's almost coming up. You should come up with me." She suggested.

Carol was a little surprised, but nodded. "Okay. How are you, after yesterday?"

"Sore." The woman groaned as they began ascending the stairs. "So, so sore."

Carol hummed sympathetically. "You really think the other group are safe?"

"Daryl went back to check them, he would've told us if they were overrun." Michonne said, without looking back at her as they climbed.

"I mean, are they safe to travel with? Safe to have around Carl, or Mika, or Judith?"

"I think so." Michonne said, cocking her hip against the rooftop door. "They've got kids, too. A pregnant woman. An old guy."

"I trust your judgment, you know." Carol said, watching as Michonne shunted the door open. "But I feel uneasy about it."

"Fair enough." Michonne said, sighing in pleasure at the way the crisp air prickled her skin in the blue-grey light. "But I think they're just like us." She linked her fingers and stretched up high, grunting in pain as her muscles protested. "Less crampy, but otherwise the same."

Carol laughed softly. "Upper or lower back?" She asked as Michonne twisted from side to side, trying to loosen up her spine.

"Upper."

"I can fix that for you." She offered, a little hesitantly. "Your back."

"Really?" Michonne eyed her hopefully, rolling her shoulders.

"I have my degree in massage and physiotherapy." Carol said. "I'm probably rusty but it might help."

Michonne plopped down on the bench that ran at waist height around the roof, and beckoned her over. "Have at me."

Carol kneeled on the bench behind her and went to work, digging her fingers into stubborn knots and smoothing the tightness away across the other woman's shoulders and upper back.

"You okay?" Michonne asked after a while. "You spend so long looking after everyone else, but you never let anyone else look after you."

Carol was surprised. "I like looking after everybody… It makes me feel useful."

Michonne snorted. "You don't need to work yourself to death to be useful."

"I have to do something." Carol shrugged, although Michonne couldn't see it. "It might as well be acting like the camp mother."

"You were in that bathroom a long time last night." There was a distinct note of teasing in her voice, and Carol felt her cheeks heat up.

"I thought he was bit."

Michonne tensed against her hands. "Really?"

"Yep." Carol said gravely. "A walker bit right through the leather on his vest, up here." She tapped on Michonne's shoulder.

"Jesus." Michonne murmured. "That would've spooked you."

"It did." Carol said, and dug her fingertips sharply into a large knot near Michonne's shoulder blade. Michonne grunted at the pain then groaned as the muscle released.

"God," She sighed. "You have magic hands. Never hesitate to do this ever again."

Carol laughed softly. "Just don't go telling everyone. I won't have time to do anything but fix everyone's aches and pains if you do."

"You already do." Michonne shrugged and turned so she was sitting properly on the bench. "Just because it's not physical doesn't mean you're not taking on everyone else's pain."

"I don't…" She stammered. "It's just how I-"

"Atone?" Michonne cut her off with the word, although her tone was carefully neutral. "You take everyone's problems on because you're trying to make up for something?"

"Maybe I do!" Carol snapped, her good mood finally giving way. "But if that's all I can do then I'll damn well do it!"

"You don't have anything to atone for." Michonne said simply, watching her with inscrutable eyes.

"Karen and David?" Carol spat, her voice rising a little. "I killed them. Stabbed them and dragged them outside and set them on fire. I almost let Tyreese and Rick kill each other over it!"

"You had to do it. That wasn't cold-hearted, it was a kindness." Michonne offered evenly.

"I let Mika get stabbed by her sister because I just left them by themselves. She tried to kill her. I knew she wasn't well and I didn't bother keeping an eye on them!"

"That wasn't your fault." Although she hadn't been there, Tyreese had told her of the events leading up to the angry purple scar across Mika's belly.

"How the hell would you know?" Carol snarled. "I shot her in the head!" She crumpled in on herself, and Michonne shifted over to her, hugging her tightly against her chest. "She was screaming for me and I looked her in the eye and shot her." She whispered against Michonne's collarbone.

Michonne rubbed her back and let her cry herself out as the sun rose and stained the sky blood-red.

"Carol!" Daryl called sharply across the parking lot.

She jerked in surprise as his voice permeated her fuzzy brain on the third try. "Sorry…" She yawned. "What was that?"

"You ridin' with me?" He asked as he limped over to where she was packing the combined group's supplies.

"I am… There's room for Mika?"

"Uh huh." He grunted. "They want that pregnant lady and her husband in with us too."

Carol groaned. She had been looking forward to some quiet time with her little family after her emotional morning. "What on Earth for?"

"Guess it's a safeguard thing." He muttered. "Mix us all up, ain't nobody goin' to try anythin'."

"Probably." She said, reaching out to rub his arm. He shifted closer, eyes flicking around to check if anyone was watching. Everyone was preoccupied, and so he sidled up to her and leaned on her a little, letting his head tilt to rest against hers for a moment. "How long 'til we leave?" She asked lightly.

"Soon as the pregnant lady gets her shit together." Daryl groused.

Carol huffed out a laugh. "Alright, Grumpy. We taking the pickup?"

He nodded and nudged her gently. "Where'd y'go this mornin'? Weren't there when I woke up."

"I went up onto the roof." She shrugged, giving her cheeky sideways look.

He snickered. "'Course y'fuckin' did." He nudged her again. "Dunno what I expected."

"Michonne was headed up there. We watched the sun come up, talked for a bit. It was nice."

"You seem a lil'… drained or somethin' this mornin'." He said carefully. "Somethin' happen?"

"We talked." Carol edged tighter against him as the cold wind came whistling through. He eased an arm over her shoulders, hissing as yesterday's aches and pains returned in force. "About some tough things. It felt good to get some of it off my chest, to be honest."

"'M sorry." He said. "Y'deal with all my bullshit an' I don' think I ever asked if you were alright."

"It's not 'bullshit', Daryl." She wrapped her arm around his waist and gave him a squeeze. "You needed me so I was there for you." She leaned her head on his shoulder and snuggled against his side as the sound of voices filtered up from the ground floor of the parking lot.

"What," He squeezed her back. "That mean you don't need me like I need you?"

"You've taken my pain on before today," She reminded him. "At the farm."

"Couldn't'a done anythin' else." He said quietly.

"Well, neither could I." She squeezed his free hand with the one she had resting at his waist. "You're my best friend, Daryl."

He sighed, hugged her against his side even more. The hand that was slung over her shoulder came up and brushed her jaw lightly, and she turned into him, wrapping her other arm around him and turning their pose into a hug.

"You feel better now, right?" He mumbled against her hair.

"I do now." She rubbed her cheek against the denim of his jacket and reveled in the feel of his arms around her.

Her hair was soft and ticklish against his lips and cheek as she leaned into his chest. Hot bursts of pain flashed through his chest and torso as she pressed against the day-old bruises, but he kept his arms around her waist and breathed her in.

"Y'wanna go steal some coffee?" He whispered.

"We have coffee?" She whispered back, but it came out muffled against his collarbone.

"'S'hot, too. Reckon I can swipe us a cup 'fore we go, we could drink it up on the roof."

"You're going to steal coffee from the rest of the group?" She played along, pulling back slightly and grinning up at him.

"Hell yeah I am." He grinned back.

They didn't get time to take their clandestine coffees up to the roof by the time everybody was ready, but they managed to gulp them down in the moments between rushing around organizing everyone without getting caught.

Eventually, everyone was standing around the cars they would be travelling in, except for Carl and Mika, who were standing uneasily away from the pregnant woman and her husband, who were waiting next to the pickup.

Daryl slapped Carl lightly on the back and beckoned him over as he headed for the truck. Carl shuffled after him, dragging his feet. Mika followed, nervously glancing at Carol for reassurance as she neared the strangers.

"I'm Sarah." The woman said, extending one hand to shake. "This is my husband, Andrew.

"Daryl." Daryl said, shaking first her hand, then her husband's. "Carl, and Mika." He nodded at them in turn.

"And your wife?" Andrew asked. "She's travelling with you? Us, I mean."

Daryl stuttered. "I ain't got a wife. Who d'you mean?" He flailed a little.

"Yeah, Daryl." Carl grinned. "Where's Carol?" Mika giggled at Carl's daring.

He fixed them with a look. "Carol's up checkin' that you little bastards haven't left any'a your shit behind."

Carl continued to snicker.

"I'm sorry, I should've asked." Andrew apologized. "I just assumed that you two were married… You seem close."

"They are!" Mika piped up, less wary of the strangers now. "It's so sweet…" She batted her eyelashes at Daryl as he growled at them.

"Leave your dad alone…" Sarah giggled at Mika's 'who, me?' face.

"He's not my dad." She said quickly.

"Oh." Sarah's face fell. Just then, Carol came bustling back with a bag slung over her shoulder, looking a little anxious but excited to be on the move.

"I'm Carol." She said, stopping next to Daryl and cocking her hip to counter-balance the weight of the bag. Without thinking, he took the bag from her shoulder and let it dangle from his hand, freeing her from its considerable strain.

Carl smirked at him and Daryl bumped him none too gently with his elbow in retaliation.

"Are we good to go?" Carol rocked a little on her feet as introductions were made, almost bouncing with pent-up energy.

"Who's driving?" Andrew asked.

"I am." Carol said, and went around to the driver's seat. Mika clambered into her spot in the middle of the front seat, and after a moment, Daryl gestured Sarah into the front passenger seat. He wasn't comfortable having the two strangers and Carl sitting behind them, where they could attack them if they were so inclined. He went around the other side so he was sitting behind Carol and Carl shuffled across into the middle seat.

He hadn't thought of how Carl might feel packed next to the strange man, but he realised his error when the boy flinched away and shuffled closer to him, cringing away from the close proximity.

Carol's eyes flicked to them in the rear-view mirror, but he shook his head slightly and she gave him a small smile, starting the engine and pulling out after Glenn and Maggie in another pickup, loaded with supplies and some other members of the new group.

The sunlight was weak and provided little warmth, but it wasn't too uncomfortable travelling throughout the day. Carol chatted lightly with Sarah about all manner of things, and Daryl stared absently out the window, watching for signs of other people or walkers that could cause them problems. Carl stayed crammed up against him, leaving a small gap between himself and Andrew. Abe pulled the Army truck over up ahead around midday and the rest of their convoy followed suit.

Andrew opened his door to leave the vehicle, but Carol stopped him.

"Stay in the car." She instructed. "Until we hear why we've stopped."

"Do you think something's happened?" He asked, sounding alarmed.

"I'm not sure," She said, craning her head to try and see what was going on up ahead. "But just sit tight for a minute."

They sat and waited for almost a minute before Abe came striding around the front of Glenn's pickup and opened Carol's door for her.

"Bathroom break." He announced, nodding amicably to Sarah and Andrew as they eyed him warily. "No walkers to see but make it quick."

They piled out of the car and took turns keeping watch while they relieved themselves and scrubbed their hands with the large bottles of hand sanitizer they had uplifted from the mall.

"You a'ight?" Daryl clapped Carl on the shoulder as they trudged through the woods back to the road.

Carl nodded mutely.

"Sure?" Daryl prompted after a beat.

"Cramped in there." Carl muttered and scuffed his boot in the leaves on the forest floor.

Daryl felt a sick burn starting somewhere between his stomach and his heart as he studied the anxious teenager before him, head bowed under his father's sheriff's hat. "Carl." He said, sharper than he meant to. "Are y'sure? Can swap seats, if you want."

"Can we?" Carl asked. "It makes me feel kinda sick." He muttered as he looked away again.

"Lucky I ain't inclined to be an asshole 'bout your lil' stunt this mornin'." Daryl said gruffly, to conceal his concern for Carl's introverted mood.

"Sorry." Carl said honestly. "It was kinda funny, though… Michonne thought you were together when she first saw you guys, too."

Daryl groaned. "Ain't that simple."

"That's what Carol said." Carl supplied, side-stepping Daryl's half-hearted swipe. He snickered and looked back at Daryl seriously. "I'm not scared." He said. "I'm not."

"I know." Daryl shrugged. "It's all good."

Winter had set in with full force by the time they found somewhere to set up until Sarah gave birth. The barn was on a farm somewhere out in the boondocks and it was damp, and the wind whistled through gaps in the walls, but it was sheltered from the early morning frosts that had plagued them in the cars.

They were sleeping around the loft space in case any walkers somehow got in during the night, because they'd had to set up a ladder to reach the hay-filled space, and the walkers wouldn't know how to climb up. It was difficult for the adults, especially the heavily pregnant Sarah, to climb up with aching limbs from the long hours of travel, but the children had scrambled up without struggling, and had made comfortable nests in the hay by the time the cars were all parked in the usual formation.

By some miracle, the two groups had melded almost seamlessly together in the three weeks they'd been on the road. Carl and Mika still stuck together for the most part, but the other children, most of whom were eight or nine years old, were friendly after the expected standoffishness that went with the territory nowadays.

It made Daryl snicker that first night, when Carl and Mika were curled up in a small mountain of hay with a tiny flashlight between them, reading one of the comics Michonne had swiped for them, and they turned to look at each other at the same moment, bumping noses. Carl turned bright red and Mika went all giggly.

He jostled Carol from where she was dozing in his arms, half-leaning across his chest. "Lookit that." He whispered. She hummed softly for more information so he flicked one finger in their direction.

"Oh! God, that is cute." Carol breathed. "I wish I had a camera." She patted his stomach where her hand lay. They were sitting almost upright, with a pile of hay acting as a cushion beneath them and propping them up against the wall of the loft. It was the typical position for sleeping in, with hay around them to provide a little extra warmth, and it gave everyone a clear view of most of the others.

Daryl figured he should probably be enforcing some sort of 'arm's length' rule by this point, but Carol was right; it was pretty damn cute. They sat and watched as Carl fidgeted and Mika blushed and eventually they sidled closer to each other and continued reading, casting shy little looks at each other when they weren't going to be caught. "Little bastards better keep it at that," He grumbled half-heartedly. "Ain't runnin' 'round keepin' an eye on them."

She giggled and shifted a little closer, pulling the blankets tighter. "I don't think they're that invested just yet." She shifted and he let her arrange his arms around her as she liked.

"Comfy?" He asked.

She groaned a little and rubbed her cheek against his chest, pulling the blankets up around her ears. "Send those two to bed." She mumbled, her voice muffled by the blanket. "It's getting late."

He looked around and saw that most everyone was settling down, and nobody had thought to turn off the lantern that glowed in the middle of the space. He considered getting up to turn it off, but Carol was toying sleepily with a button on his shirt beneath the blankets and she felt so good sitting almost on top of him that he stayed where he was.

"Mika," He called as quietly as he could. "Bed."

She looked at him, big blue eyes ready to plead for a few more minutes.

"Go on," He cut her off gently. "S'getting' cold an' you're gonna hurt your eyes with that lil' torch."

She looked at Carl.

"Both of you." He insisted. "Get your skinny lil' asses into bed before I come get you."

They snickered, knowing he wouldn't bother disrupting Carol's sleep to follow through on his threat. What they didn't realise was that Carol wasn't asleep, and he could feel the little vibrations of her squashed giggles as he held his one-sided argument with the kids.

"Get." He jerked his head, and the pair sighed heavily in unison and went their separate ways. Carl settled down next to Michonne, who was sleeping with Judith lying on her chest while Rick took watch. Mika shuffled over to where Beth was sitting, wide awake, and staring out of the open space where hay used to be dropped down onto a trailer. She knelt down beside the older blonde girl and wrapped an extra blanket over her thin shoulders. Daryl figured she'd go to sleep when she was tired enough, and he was quietly relieved that someone was taking extra care of Beth.

Carol's cool fingers slipped inside his shirt just above his belly button and he jerked a little.

"You're good with them." She whispered, lifting her head out from under the blankets. "Mika needs someone to be her Daddy."

He choked a little. "No she don't. Her Daddy ain't long dead an' ain't nobody lookin' to replace him." He returned, pulling one hand out and playing with a lock of hair at the base of her neck.

"You're good at it, though." She countered lightly. "I just meant you look after her like she's your own."

"She's yours." He rumbled back. "Close enough, ain't it?"

"When you put it like that, I guess so." She arched her neck against his fingers, encouraging him to dig his fingertips into the tense muscles there. "That feels good." She murmured, curling her fingers against the warm skin of his stomach, kneading him like a cat. He gave her a gentle one-handed neck rub for a while until she melted against him again, sighing in contentment.

He cast a careful eye around, noting Judith still safely sprawled on top of Michonne and Mika curled up next to Beth, sound asleep. Convinced that all was well, he dropped his cheek to the top of Carol's head and dozed off to sleep.

*Melniewn: Thanks for reviewing! I hope this little bit of group-interaction is what you were after!

*Tinkerbell99: Just because you can't doesn't stop Carol :P

*Pol: This is exactly the sort of review that makes me smile! I'm glad you got some feels from this story, and I'm very flattered by your review

*Sophiacharlotte (who was too lazy to log in :P): "Write for the show!" That was my favourite review for the last chapter… I love that my story made you feel better, hopefully it was just a mildly bad day and not a terrible one!

*everfaraway: Heck yes he is! Heh, not that we need him to be a badass now that we have Queen Carol back!

*Shewolf226: Aaahhhh! MY feels are exploding! Enthusiastic reviews like that are just pure happiness for me I'll see what I can make him do, although he really has a mind of his own at this point!