This is just a Carol/Daryl one shot story. First fanfic. I hope you enjoy.

Setting: indeterminate time after Terminus. After escaping Terminus, the group needs to feel safe again. With the Governor gone, Rick decides to check out Woodbury. It was well fortified, and in times like these, shouldn't go to waste. They find a few people there, leftover from the Governors reign. Working together, they've rebuilt the fences and re-established a community. One week has passed.

A successful hunt and the discovery of a few bottles of booze led to a bonfire party. Carol stared into the fire, thoughts of the prison, Mika, and Lizzie running through her mind. No one paid her any attention, too focused on the festivities. Making up her mind, she grabbed a bottle of rum from the cart and headed to the small home she'd been staying at the last week. She didn't notice Daryl get up and follow her.

Inside, she sat down in the living room and took a healthy swig straight from the bottle. The knock on her door made her jump. Before she could get up, Daryl walked in.

"Mind sharin' that?" She handed him the bottle and he sat next to her. "What's goin' on with you? Ain't been yerself since we got here."

"A lot happened while we were separated," she whispered. He took a long swallow, passing it back to her.

"Wanna talk about it?" She took a small sip, fortifying her courage. She didn't want to lose Daryl's friendship, but she needed him to know.

"I'm the one who killed them. Back at the prison." She didn't need to elaborate. He knew who she was referring to.

"I know." She took another swallow, passed the bottle back.

"Some bad things happened. When I was with Tyrese."

"Mika and Lizzie dying," he replied. She nodded.

"But I'm referring to how they died."

"You and Ty said walkers."

"Ty said walkers. I just agreed. But he's not here anymore and I need someone to share this with."

"You know I'll listen."

"Something was wrong with Lizzie. Her mind... Something wasn't right."

"Figured as much. The kid acted strange."

"I think she identified with the walkers, not with humanity. She started to see them as people. I didn't recognize the problem until too late. Thought it was a phase." She paused to take another swallow of rum. "I could have stopped it, Daryl." Tears glistened on her eyelids.

"Stopped what?"

"Lizzie. She needed to convince us that zombies where people. So we'd stop killing them." She stopped, tears clogging her throat. Swallowing hard, she finished. "She cut up Mika. And was about to kill Judith, too. Thank god we got there in time for Judith. By my sweet Mika..." Her voiced trailed off. Daryl wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. He kissed her forehead.

"Nothin' you coulda done," he stated matter of fact.

"I told Ty that I killed his girlfriend. I was hoping he'd shoot me. I failed my girls, all three of them."

"I'm glad he didn't shoot you," he said into her hair. She swiped at her tears with the back of her hand.

"Yeah, me too. We talked about splitting up. I was gonna take Lizzie. Keep her away from people. But he could never keep a baby safe on his own. No one could. We decided it would be best to just, put her down." Roughly grabbing the bottle, she swallowed a few times before continuing. "I did it. She was my responsibility. I took her to a field, told her to look at the flowers. And shot her."

"Did the right thing. You did what most of the others couldn't do. You're strong, Carol. You did the right thing." She continued to stare at the wall opposite them. Taking her chin in his hand, he turned her face towards his. "You did right," he reassured. Her eyes were mostly clear now. Crying didn't last long these days. You get past it, or you get dead. He meant to release her then. He didn't.

Removing his fingers from her chin, he traced her jaw. In that moment, something changed for them. He wasn't just her friend anymore. He was a desirable male. And she'd been celibate for too long. Closing the gap between their lips, she kissed him.

She heard him sneak out of her place early the next morning. She feigned sleep, not wanting to face the decision they made last night. She stretched, feeling sore in places she hadn't felt sore in a long time. She thought she should regret it, but couldn't bring herself to. She was an adult. He was an adult. And they could both be dead tomorrow. She quickly dressed, knowing chores awaited her and everyone else. This was the world they lived in now.

Three days passed, Carol and Daryl both acting as if nothing had happened between them. She tried to convince herself that it should be a one night thing. No sense messing up their friendship to pursue anything more. But at night, her body ached for him and her dreams betrayed her common sense.

That night at dinner, he was sitting opposite the fire from her, chatting with Glenn. His eyes found hers more than they used to. It was the end of the world, and good men were hard to come by. She decided she wasn't giving him up that easily. The next time his eyes found hers, she nodded toward her place. Standing, she headed there, not glancing back to see if he was following.

She walked into her new home, leaving the door ajar. She heard it click shut a moment later.

"What's up?" He asked, appearing slightly uncomfortable. Without answering, she kissed him. He responded immediately, pulling her close to him.

Some time later, he rose to dress.

"You don't have to leave," Carol told him.

"I know. Just don't want nobody thinking bad of you." He pulled his pants up, zipping while looking for his shirt.

"If they think badly of me, it's their own problem. I'm a grown woman and my husband died a few years ago. Feels like a lifetime ago."

"Was a lifetime ago." He leaned down, gave her a lingering kiss. "Still don't want no one thinking bad of you." With that, he slipped out of her house and into the predawn morning.