Thank you all for not killing me for the past two chapter's lol. Big thank you to Jaded79 for getting this back to me so quickly. So let me know what you think

Chapter 20

Time rolls by.

One year later

Carol looked out her window smiling as she watched Michonne leading new people onto the base. After that horrible night at the Governor's compound Carol and Michonne, along with Tyrese and about ten other men who the Governor had tortured and tormented, had managed to get out alive.

They had taken the SUVs and headed out into the night, driving all night and at first morning light they found an old boarding school. The best thing about it was it had a tall stone wall all the way around it.

Carol, Michonne and Tyrese had gone in killing three walkers that were on the grounds but surprisingly they found no others. Moving the cars inside the stone wall, they set up a base. Doing runs for everything they needed, food, clothes, bedding, medical gear and most importantly weapons.

Carol and Michonne had set about training the men, making them fast, strong and sharp. Trained in hand-to-hand combat, and all weapons guns, crossbows, swords and more. They had realised they needed to make this world worth living in, going out in teams and dealing with the walkers, taking out as many as they could and soon word spread about a group of people doing good, helping people, saving people and taking them in.

Men, woman and children soon filled the school and it was declared a safe zone. There was a few of them now popping up all over the world. Always starting out the same, a few good people finding someplace safe and secure, like schools, army bases, prisons.

Carol had heard that "the prison" had been declared a safe zone and she was glad they were safe but as far as they knew Carol had died that night at the Governor's compound and she wanted to keep it that way. So the night they escaped, she changed her name, even the men she worked closely with every day knew her as Sophie; she had chosen it in memory of her sweet Sophia. Only Michonne knew the truth about her.

"Hey," Michonne knocked her from her thoughts as she walked in the front door. "Just brought a new group in, found them being chased by a few walkers."

"They alright?"

"Shaken up but thankfully none of them where bit or scratched." Carol nodded glad, she moved across her living room slipping on her bulletproof vest and zipping it up.

"I need you to gear up," Michonne announced.

"Got a mission?" Carol asked stepping forward; Michonne could see the excitement in her eyes.

"We've been invited to another safe zone, they are having a rebel problem, it was fairly innocent at first but there was an attack on their base a few days ago," Michonne sighed, "a young boy was injured and his mother was killed.

"Count me in," she smiled slipping her gun holster over her arms and putting her guns in it, one knife attached to her ankle and one on her hip. She slipped her cape over her shoulders. Michonne had given it to her a week after they found the school; it was near identical to Michonne's and Carol loved it because it kept her face covered. Putting her crossbow over her back, she nodded.

"We'll be gone for a couple of days so I'll give you twenty minutes to work everything out and meet you at the SUVs," Carol nodded.

"Who will be joining us?"

"Tyrese of course, Jake, Paul, Eric and William." Carol nodded, happy with her choices.

"Okay I'll pack a bag and get Theo and Tammy here, then meet you at the cars." Michonne nodded before moving outside and to her own house. She hoped Carol wouldn't hate her for not telling her they were heading back to the prison where Daryl still lived. Taking a deep breath, she decided Carol would just have to deal with it, the mission always came first.

Daryl walked the wall like he did most mornings; life had dragged on since the night he lost Carol. He had tried to find her through the mass of bodies that littered the Governor's compound but it had been hopeless. There were people shooting each other and when the walkers had arrived he knew without a doubt that she was gone for good. He just hoped she had forgiven him for leaving her in the first place.

How had everything gone so terribly wrong? They were happy, in love, a baby on the way and about to get married and then it had all fallen apart. He still remembered when he had gotten back to the prison, the girls had hung up her wedding dress and placed her shoes neatly on the floor thinking he would bring her home for sure.

He hadn't and it had just about killed him.

The dress still hung in his wardrobe and as much as it tortured him seeing it every time he opened it, he just couldn't bring himself to throw it away. He had wanted to die, to just end it but every time he went to do it he would hear her sweet voice.

"Daryl promise me" she had demanded that night after he thought she had died in the woods because of Carl. "I promise"

He had promised her and as much as he didn't want to keep to his word this time, he had. He was thankful for Merle; he kept him going. Merle didn't talk much about what happened to him in his few weeks as a prisoner at the Governor's compound but Daryl knew it had been bad. Merle was a totally different person, soft and kind, all racist tendencies gone and Daryl had watched over the past year as he grew closer and closer to young Beth, much to her father's disapproval.

"Hey," he turned to see Glenn standing behind him. "Rick wants to talk to you in the dining room." Daryl just nodded, climbing down the ladder and moving into the prison. It still amazed him just how alive this place was.

It had been declared a safe zone a little over six months ago and since then it was really filling up. Bubbling with life, men, women and children had made the prison home and they had all become one large family. They all looked out for each other.

Moving into the dining room, he saw Rick, Andrea, T-Dog, Merle and Hershel sitting around a table talking. They had been having a few problems with rebels trying to invade the prison and not for shelter, they were trouble. Daryl and Rick knew they had to protect the group but they knew if they left the prison to deal with the rebels it would leave the others vulnerable to attack, and they knew if just a couple of them were left to deal with it they would be vastly outnumbered.

But they had to do something; Carl had been badly hurt protecting his sister Lilly from the blast that claimed Lori's life just days ago. This was meant to be a safe zone and if they didn't do something fast they knew it would not be safe for long.

"Daryl good, you're here, sit down," Rick said looking up at him. He nodded taking a seat next to Merle.

"So remember when I told you guys about that vigilante group I heard about?"

"Yeah," Daryl replied nodding.

"Well I found them, they have a safe zone about four hours away and I sent a message to their leader who has agreed to come and help us with our problem."

"That's great, when do they arrive?"

"Soon, they actually should be here within the next hour," Rick replied. "They are very hard people, they don't follow common law and believe in doing what has to be done no matter how cold it may seem. They can get a little loud, they tend to frequent the bars when they're not working but they're good people. They do good work so we should try to accommodate them and be tolerant." They all nodded in agreeance before moving off to get back to their normal duties.

"Daryl can I actually talk to you in private?" Rick asked. Daryl turned back to face him, nodding and sitting back down across from him.

"What's up?"

"This group, they call their group Ghost on account that you don't see them coming but we actually know one of their leaders."

"Who?" Daryl asked confused.

"It's Michonne," Daryl's head jerked up in shock.

"What? But I thought she died at the Governor's compound."

"Apparently not, I had heard whispers but I didn't know for sure till I received the reply from my request."

"Maybe… maybe that means Carol…," Daryl started hopeful.

"Don't do it to yourself Daryl, I only told you so you weren't taken by surprise, you saw the compound there was no way she made it." Daryl looked down, his heart shattering all over again but nodding knowing he was probably right.

His beautiful Carol was gone.

They had been driving for a few hours with no problems, they had taken two cars and split into groups, but Michonne had insisted on staying with Carol. Carol looked out the SUV window loving the feel of the cool breeze on her face as her now long chocolate brown hair flowed in soft curls over her shoulder and down her back. That's when she started to realise that her surroundings looked very familiar.

"Stop the car!" She demanded. Tyrese slammed on the brakes and both Carol and Michonne jumped out.

"Sophie is everything okay?" Tyrese asked moving to get out of the car.

"Stay in the car," she snapped at him. He nodded closing his car door surprised by her tone, she was usually the nice one out of the two. "Did you think I wouldn't notice the prison in the distance?" Carol hissed at Michonne pointing at the prison that was now no more than a five minute drive from them.

"I knew you would."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded to know.

"Cause I knew it would become a fight and this is bigger than you and Daryl Dixon."

"Don't you dare speak his name," she snapped angry, she hadn't heard or spoken his name in a year.

"A few days ago the rebels tossed a grenade over the wall where Lori, Carl and Lilly were, not to mention others. Lori was killed instantly, Carl lost an eye but thankfully Lilly and the other kids were far enough away that they didn't get hurt… this is what we do, Carol."

"You know I don't go by that name anymore."

"Sophie, this is what we do, it's our job and we go where we are needed," Michonne reminded her. "The mission is what matters." As much as Carol hated to admit it, she knew Michonne was right.

"Fine but I'm wearing my hood at all times," Carol snapped placing it over her head and getting back in the car.

Michonne sighed she knew she would react this way and that is partly why she hadn't told her the truth, but she knew Carol would be revealed to Daryl even if Michonne had to reveal her herself.

Daryl hadn't done anything wrong, Michonne knew that. And she also knew Carol knew that. Carol wasn't angry or feeling betrayed she was scared and ashamed that Daryl had seen what he had, and Carol needed to let it go, to move on or Michonne knew it would destroy her.

Daryl deserved to know the truth.