So this is a really long chapter for me and I know it sends some crazy messages but don't worry! This will eventually turn into a romance between Daryl and Lexi. I just didn't want it to be too simple. Also, warning, after this chapter things are going to get a bit dark. But lemme know what you think so far!

Chapter 11

-Rick-

They had returned to the prison just as the sun was rising, exhausted and feeling defeated despite Glenn and Maggie's return. The loss of Daryl was devastating. Rick truly didn't know if they could survive it as a group. Of the two convicts, Oscar had been the only one Rick trusted. Now he was dead and he was stuck with Axel, who was at best a weak pair of hands, at worse a threat from within. Glenn would need at least a week to recover, maybe more if there were fractures beneath his bruising.

They had about two weeks before they'd need to find more formula, and as things stood now the only person able to go would be Michonne, who Rick had just grudgingly decided to welcome into their fold, more out of necessity than anything else.

With the weight of the world on his shoulders, he walked straight through their cell block as the others exchanged congregated around Glenn and Maggie, unable to face telling them about the loss of Daryl.

'Nothing is certain yet,' he reminded himself half heartedly. He could've had to take a different route out of Woodberry. If anyone could survive making it through the woods after getting separated from the group is was Daryl. He'd insisted on leaving a car for him just in case, turning away as he saw the sympathetic look coming from Maggie. Daryl had become his loadstone after Laurie had died, unobtrusively pulling him back on course without a word of judgement.

The weight of his concerns was finally overpowered by sheer exhaustion and for a few hours Rick fell into a fitful sleep. He woke around noon to the sound of raised voices.

"When my dad wakes up, I already told you."

"Listen kid, that ain't fucking cutting it-"

"Sasha! Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down Tyrese! We've got a body to bury and we're not animals!"

Rick jumped out of bed as his mind registered the presence of strangers. He strode out of his cell to see Carl arguing through the bars with a young African American woman, while a heavy set African American man attempted in vain to mediate.

"Carl!" He snapped, causing the boy to jump and turn.

"Dad! Look I was going to say something earlier but you just walked into your room-"

"Do you have any idea how dangerous other people can be? What the hell were you thinking, letting them see where we live?!"

"I know but I couldn't just let them die." he said looking down at the floor ashamed. Rick was about to fire back when he realized what Carl's shame meant. His thirteen year old was upset with himself for not being heartless enough to leave a group of people to die. He was ashamed of his humanity.

Realizing his mistake Rick reached out towards his young son and exhaled, searching for the right words.

"Carl-" he began, but was cut off as Maggie sprinted into the block.

"RICK! Rick! There's a car approaching the gate."

-Lexi-

Her nerves had been fraying since she let Daryl take over driving an hour ago, but as the prison came into view her stomach started doing literal summersaults.

'You're being ridiculous,' she told herself as they turned onto the gravel road leading up to the prison. Not four hours ago she'd plowed over dozens of reanimated human corpses while fleeing the vengeance of her former townspeople. Facing Rick's disappointment over Caitlyn shouldn't even be a blip on the radar after last night.

But she'd been irrational when it came to Rick for years now. Shane's changing treatment towards her had not gone unnoticed by the Grimes family, and as he began to pull away Caitlyn and Laurie began taking her in more and more.

At first, Rick had just been her brother's nice friend, far less interesting than these cool and beautiful older women. But slowly it had shifted. Thinking back, she wasn't sure if it was really a crush at first or just jealously over the clear affection he showered over his wife and sister, but whatever it was it became a part of her reality in her early teens.

Obviously, it had been completely benign, he was the larger than life fully grown man she idolized from a far, but one day she had realized this was an unacceptable status quo.

She'd been away most of the summer, working as a counselor at a sleep away camp in the Smokey Mountains. Her naturally darker complexion had turned to deep bronze with the constant exposure to the sun, and in a moment of childish vanity she had decided to show off her tan with a cut of denim mini-skirt (all the rage back in 2007) and a white scoop neck clingy tee. Admittedly, it was not the most profound of fashion statements, but on her lithe young body the desired effect had been achieved regardless, and she set out to the Grimes' house feeling great about herself.

Caitlyn was still away in Louisiana, she'd spent the latter half of her summer volunteering with the Katrina relief efforts with Ian, the boyfriend she'd met earlier that year at Georgia Tech. Lexi missed her, things hadn't been the same since she left for college the previous fall, but as she let herself in the front door happily calling out a greeting to Laurie. Carl and another kid from his class were playing in the den, and after proudly announcing to Lexi that he would be starting kindergarten in only three weeks Carl had returned to his Hot Wheels, leaving the two women to talk in peace.

They'd been chatting and laughing together at the kitchen table for two hours when Rick came home from work.

"Babe look who it is! Back from a success first summer of work!" Laurie had said calling him into the kitchen where they sat.

"Alex! It's great to see you!" Rick said pulling her into an affectionate but brotherly hug.

"Rick," Laurie chastised, "We've been over this before. She's Lexi now. Lord the way you and Shane carry on you'd think you both thought she was still ten years old."

"No," he said looking her up and down, his face suddenly growing a little serious, "No I certainly don't think that.".

Lexi had flushed violently, thrilled and terrified that Rick had finally realized she was growing up. Then she glanced up at Laurie and saw that her smile had faltered slightly. Guilt washed over her, as she began to think realistically about what she'd been doing. Laurie was her friend for Christ's sake! And she'd dressed up, broken out her new 34D push up bra and everything, in an attempt to catch the attention of Laurie's husband? She left a half hour later, smiling as she went but internally hating herself. Shane was right. She was not a kid anymore. She needed to put space in between herself and Rick until the crush faded.

The car began to slow to a stop and she looked up, brought back to the present. There weren't many walkers around, but there were enough that they needed the gate in front of them opened or they'd be in trouble.

A badly bruised Asian man approached the gate cautiously, and behind him she could see a young woman running across the yard followed by Rick. Her stomach did another summersault.

'My God is that Carl behind him?' she thought as she watched an unkept preteen run to keep up with Rick, a pistol clutched in his young hands.

Something thumped against the back window of the car, and Lexi realized in horror that the first walker had reached their car.

"Fuckin' A" Daryl muttered, throwing the car in reverse violently and backing over the walker.

"Glenn let us the fuck in!" he screamed, rolling the window down just enough for his voice to travel outside the car.

Hearing Daryl the young man jumped into action, and began to unlock the gate, as Carl and the young woman began banging on the fence to draw the walkers away. They sped into the open gate, and screeched to a halt right in front of Rick, who was staring into the car trying to get a look at the passengers.

'This is it,' she thought unbuckling slowly.

Had she not been so preoccupied she might've anticipated it, but while Lexi was stalling to put off the inevitable, Caitlyn held no such reservations. Flinging open the back door, the 27 year old woman leapt out the back door joyously, and flung herself into the surprised arms of her older brother.

"Ricky!" she cried beaming up at him. "But God you look warn down! You need to have a talk with Mike, just because he's Sheriff now doesn't mean he can work you to the bone. Good lord. How many hours do they have you working? I know you're probably putting in for all that overtime, but you should really give yourself more time off."

Confused he stared down at his sister, and then his eyes shot up, and locked onto Lexi as she emerged from the car. For the first time in her life she saw a strange emotion flash across them, if she didn't know any better she'd have sworn it was hate.

"You."