Even though Carol was pressed next to Daryl, she was still scared. He was sat with his eyes closed and his arm around her knees, hugging her in. The worry had her feeling sick. How would they get out of this one? There was just no way-

"Daryl?"

It was Carl. Carol raised her head from Daryl's shoulder and they both glanced at the young boy next to them.

"Sup?"

Carl hesitated then said, "Will my dad be okay?"

"Course he will. Your old man's always fine."

Carol smiled to herself. She had always thought that Daryl would be a good father. After seeing him with Judith, it confirmed what she was thinking. There was a slight pang of sadness as she thought about the little baby just left at the prison. She could have gone back or done something. Then she remembered her own wound and her side ached in response. It still wasn't fully healed and she winced.

Daryl looked down at her. "You alright?"

She maneuvered herself so she was comfortably resting against him again and said, "Yeah, just the wound. Should be fine though."

"You best tell me if it ain't."

Carol nodded, her cheek rubbing against his shoulder. Nobody was sure where Rick and the others were. Woodbury would be idiots if they let them go now. Finally, fatigue took her and her eyelids dropped.

...

Hours later, realising there was no reason to keep watch, Daryl was resting his head on top of Carol's. Just as he was on the brink of sleep himself, the door flew open and banged against the wall. He shook Carol and Carl awake as he got to his feet. Two men entered the room.

"You're the one who escaped last time!"

Daryl looked at him. It wasn't a question.

"Bet the Governor'll want you in the ring again," the other man laughed.

He tensed as he remembered his fight with Merle. Carol came to his side and Carl was stood closely behind her.

"Awwww," the first man said, "this your wife and kid?" He walked closer to them with his hand poised over his gun.

Daryl flicked his eyes from the man to his gun. He glanced down at Carol who pressed closer against him.

"Maybe these can die for you? How 'bout that? Or the other way round?" He smirked. "Would ya like that?"

Daryl gritted his teeth. There would be no way Carol would be taken away from him. Or Carl. The man in front of him grinned and kept an eye on Daryl as he gently stroked Carol's face. She didn't flinch as his fingers ghosted over her cheek.

"Maybe the Governor'll want you for himself instead. Seems to wasteful to put you in the ring," he said, grinning at Daryl again. "Yeah, we'll take her to the Governor. C'mon, let's-"

"You wish," Daryl growled, his hand striking out in front of Carol and pushing her completely behind him.

The man's eyes met Daryl's. He was about the same height as him, if slightly shorter, and roughly the same build. But Daryl didn't have a gun and there was another one pointed at him from the grip of the other man. The man in front of him grinned again.

"She your wife?" Daryl shook his head. "You together?"

Daryl didn't move. His eyes burned into the man.

"Ain't that sweet?" he said, reaching out to grab Carol again.

In a split second, Daryl's fingers gripped the man's wrist hard. The sudden grip made him cry out in pain.

"YOU BEST LET GO!"

Shit, he thought. He had forgotten about the other man in the heat of what was happening. Reluctantly, Daryl released him and nudged Carol back with his arm.

When he had recovered, he glanced at Daryl. "The Governor's gonna want to speak to you," he spat.

Then, motioning to the other man, they left and locked the door behind them again.

...

"You moron!" she cried, pushing him in the chest.

He looked at her, clearly confused.

"They could have shot you!"

"He was... touchin' you. Someone had t' do somethin'."

"I could have handled it!" she insisted.

"You're welcome," he said flatly, sitting back against the wall.

Carol could have kicked herself. Of course he had done it. He had protected her and kept her safe... again. And what was she doing? Throwing it back in his face.

"Shit," she murmured to herself. Then she glanced at Carl who was standing in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do with the situation, and she sighed. With caution, she moving past the boy and back to sit down next to Daryl. "I'm sorry," she said, her hand coming up to turn his cheek to her. "Thank you."

"Ya don't need t' keep sayin' that."

She smiled up at him and realised how grateful she really was for him. Who knows what could have happened if he hadn't have stepped in. Carl, seeing that they were more relaxed, moved over and sat in front of them with his legs crossed.

"You alright?" Carol asked him.

The boy nodded and smiled at her.

"We're gonna get outta here," Daryl said to Carl, with his hand on Carol's knee and the situation forgotten.

He looked grateful to be with them both. Carol felt like she had at least managed to take care of Carl for Lori and felt a little better inside. Still, Carol looked around the room then at the locked door. No ideas came to mind on how they would ever get out of this by themselves.

...

Daryl looked down at Carl sleeping across the floor. The kid could fall asleep anywhere and he wished he had that gift. He'd always been a restless sleeper. Carol was too. She was frequently woken by nightmares involving Sophia, Judith, Lori and losing Daryl. He looked down at her now, her head in his lap and her face scrunched into a frown that didn't suit her pretty face, and sighed. He stroked her arm lightly with his thumb and looked at the faint scars that criss-crossed their way along her body. There were some on her arms, hips that just poked out from under her thin top, her neck, the bullet wound in her side... They were all faint but that didn't manage to reduce Daryl's annoyance. He thought of Ed and why he had started hitting her and why the hell hadn't she left him. He was just glad he wasn't around anymore. Even from his distance back in the Atlanta camp, he'd seen him intimidate and beat Carol and Sophia. The day he returned back to the camp all bloody and bruised from Shane's beating, Daryl noticed him and couldn't resist a slight smirk at a man who had finally met his match. From then on, Carol wasn't scared of him. The day before he'd died when the camp was invaded, she had stood up to him, she had said. Daryl felt proud as he looked at her now. It was a strange feeling for him but he knew that she wasn't weak anymore. He slowly caressed her scars as though he could magically make them disappear. He wished that he could.

A couple of moments later, he was disturbed by the men returning. They looked frantic and unsure as they raised their guns and pointed them shakily at him. His jump caused Carol to rouse from her sleep and knock against Carl in the process. She saw the guns fixed on them all and looked at Daryl for guidance. Carl looked wide-eyed at him too. He didn't have answers so he pulled her closer around her waist and she rested her head in the crook of his neck. His hand came up to her face and rested there, trying to protect her.

Carl closed his eyes.

A tear escaped Carol and rolled down onto his hand.

He shut his eyes as two shots sounded...

But he felt no pain.

Opening his eyes slowly, Daryl saw that the two men were lying dead on the floor. A pool of blood was starting to form under their heads.

"Just in time!"

Daryl would know that arrogant voice anywhere. Carol lifted her head from his shoulder and gasped.

"Andrea!"