Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, I know I have taken a new twist to this but I promise many more twist and turns to come that will blow your mind! Big thanks to my beta Jaded79 your awesome girl! So let me know if you enjoyed it

Chapter 21.

Face to face.

As the cars drove closer to the prison, Carol could feel her heart pounding loudly in her chest. She wasn't used to feeling this way, so scared and with no control over the situation. Her palms were sweaty and she could feel her cheeks were flushed under her hood. She kept her head down as the car came to a stop and Tyrese opened the car door for them.

She had been silently hoping that maybe Daryl wouldn't be there but as the gates opened she saw Rick and Daryl step out to greet them. Stopping to stand in front of the two men, Carol made sure her face was covered by the hood but Michonne removed hers, looking at Carol hopefully but sighing when Carol made no move to remove it. Michonne had hoped that maybe Carol would do the right thing but she could see she was going to need a push.

"Michonne, I can't believe it's really you, we thought you died the night at the Governor's compound," Rick told her. Carol saw Daryl visibly flinch at the Governor's name and couldn't help but feel bad, did he still miss her? Mourn her? Did that night still haunt him?

"It was a close call," Michonne nodded.

"But you made it out… alone?," Daryl spoke up. It was a question more than a statement. Michonne swallowed hard trying to think of the best thing to say, looking over at Carol. "This is my sister Sophie," she spoke changing the subject.

"I didn't realise you had a sister," Rick spoke surprised.

"Well we're not blood but we share a strong bond." Rick nodded understanding.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Sophie," Rick said extending his hand but Carol just nodded keeping her head down.

"She doesn't talk much," Michonne said.

"Well I'm Rick and this is Daryl," he told her but still she said nothing. "Won't you come in, get your men to drive the cars onto the grounds." Michonne nodded signalling for the men to follow them onto the grounds with the cars before following Rick and Daryl inside the prison.

They led the two women into the common room and Carol couldn't believe how many people now lived there. But still it seemed nothing had changed, everything still looked the same, she guessed the only difference was she had changed. Sitting down at a large wooden table across from Rick and Daryl, soon Andrea, T-Dog and Merle joined them as did Michonne and Carol's men who stood behind them.

"So what seems to be the problem?," Michonne said, wanting to get straight down to business.

"We have been having problems with a local group of rebels, at first it started out as little things, vandalism, threats and unfortunately we didn't take it seriously." Michonne nodded understanding, letting Rick continue. "Then it started to get worse, they started attacking our people when they were on hunts or scavenging trips. Aside from a few minor injuries, the attacks were unsuccessful but then the other day they tossed a grenade over the wall where all the children would play in the mornings."

"I'm assuming they knew your routines, knew the children would be in that area," Michonne spoke up.

"Well we can't say for sure but yes we believe so." Michonne nodded and Carol felt her blood boil with rage. Michonne was right, this was their job and they would deal with it. "Carl, my son, was badly hurt losing his eye, and Lori was killed."

"I heard. I'm very sorry to hear about Lori." Rick nodded.

"Thank you, Lori and I had been separated for a while but she was still the mother of my children, so it's been difficult." Carol couldn't help but notice how Andrea's hand came out to grasp Rick's, squeezing it supportively; this is not what she was expecting.

"Carl, is he doing alright?"

"Yes he is doing well and is doing his best to adjust to only having one eye." Michonne nodded. "So you're happy to help us?"

"We'll leave at first light," Carol had spoken before she could stop herself but her voice was low and gruff and she hoped they wouldn't realise it was her.

"My sister is right, we will rest tonight then head out and lay traps first thing in the morning."

"Thank you both so much, you have no idea how much this means to us."

"We're happy to help Rick," Michonne replied as both her and Carol stood from their chairs.

"Also, Daryl and Merle have offered to help in tracking them." This quickly got Carol's attention.

"We work alone," she debated. "Both Michonne and I are capable trackers."

"But the extra help is welcome, thank you" Michonne cut her off. Carol was fuming and Michonne knew it.

"Great, well Andrea will show you to your rooms and if you need help with anything don't hesitate to ask." Michonne nodded following Andrea to their rooms. Their men were split between two rooms and Michonne and Carol decided to share. Once Andrea left them, Carol moved to lock the door, removing her hood to glare at Michonne.

"What game are you playing at?" she snapped at Michonne.

"No game, Daryl and Merle Dixon are the best trackers I have ever come across," she replied. "We are good but we're not that good, I don't want to spend the next two days stumbling in the woods trying to find them, this threat needs to be dealt with fast, so deal with it." Carol sighed, knowing she was right. "Now I'm going to shower and eat, I hear they have a little pub here and I thought we might go and enjoy a few drinks." Michonne smiled causing Carol to laugh softly.

"Just a few?" Carol asked raising an eyebrow at the other woman.

"Well, maybe more than a few." Shaking her head, Carol watched Michonne disappear into the showers, deciding Michonne was right, a few drinks this afternoon sounded like a great idea.

After eating, Carol had taken Tyrese and gone outside the wall, wanting to do a perimeter search to see if the rebels had set up any kind of camp nearby, but so far their search had come up empty.

"Sophie, permission to speak freely?," he asked. She stopped, looking at him from under her hood.

"Don't you always?," she smirked at him, he laughed softly nodding.

"The night we first met… well I can't help but notice that I have seen some of these men before." She swallowed, she had been hoping that he wouldn't recognise them. "They were there that night."

"They were," she nodded. "But it's important that they don't know I'm here, which is why I have been keeping the cape on," she told him honestly.

"Yes commander." They started walking again. "Daryl Dixon… was he important to you?," he asked unsure if he should. He didn't want to upset her and he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear her answer; it was no secret he cared about her and wanted to be with her, but she had made it clear that would never happen although he still held hope.

"He is of my past, so what I did or didn't feel for him once is irrelevant," she replied her voice coming out harsher then she meant. He nodded realising she didn't want to talk about it and stayed quiet the rest of the trip.

That evening, Carol sat in the bar alone; she could see Michonne and the men drinking together talking and laughing loudly, but she preferred to drink alone. Merle was behind the bar serving but Carol hadn't noticed Daryl as he came into the bar.

Michonne laughed with the men, enjoying the night off and having a few drinks to relax. Noticing her glass was empty, she stood moving to the bar, she only got halfway across the room when Daryl stepped in front of her forcing her to stop.

"What can I do for you Daryl," she sighed knowing he would confront her sooner or later.

"You never answered my question earlier."

"And what question was that?"

"You made it off the Governor's compound, were you alone?" She looked around noting that Carol was looking up slightly, but her face was still covered by the shadow her hood offered. It was clear she had noticed Daryl had stopped Michonne.

"No I wasn't alone, I found Tyrese and ten other men with a few women and children," she replied moving to step past him, but he moved, stopping her.

"Carol?"

"What about her?"

"Was she among the women?," he hissed his voice coming out angry.

"Don't do this to yourself Daryl," she sighed stepping past him, but he grasped her arm jerking her back to face him. The men stood raising their guns at Daryl. "It's alright," she told her men pulling her arm free from Daryl's grasp, they lowered their weapons sitting back down but still keeping a close eye on their commander.

"Just answer me, did she make it? Did you see her at all?" His voice was begging her and she wanted to tell him Carol was safe and sound but she couldn't betray her sister's trust.

"I'm sorry Daryl."

"Why won't you just answer me?"

"Cause it's not my question to answer," she snapped at him.

"She's alive, isn't she," he spoke knowing he was right. "Where is she? I need to see her." Daryl had grabbed Michonne by the arms, Carol moved fast grabbing him and turning him, making him tumble to the floor. Michonne could see she was contemplating what to do, would she remove her hood? But before she could decide, they heard the unmistakable sound of an explosion.

"Gear up!" Carol yelled at their men. They raced from the room and out to the wall where Rick and Merle met them.

"It's the rebels, they're trying to breach our wall," Rick informed them.

"Is it holding?" Michonne asked.

"For now."

"Alright, we move out on foot, spread out and kill anything that moves," Carol ordered the men.

"Yes commander," they agreed moving for the gate. Michonne grasped Carol's face under the hood placing her forehead against hers.

"Be safe sister," she whispered.

"You too." Michonne nodded as they headed outside the wall and split up. Carol noticed that Daryl and Merle had also followed them out, but she knew it wasn't the time to argue and she headed off into the woods.

They had been outside the wall for a good twenty minutes. Carol had lost count of how many people she had put down, the group was large and well trained but they were better trained; she also noticed that walkers had been attracted by the noise.

She was trying to locate the leader, they had been shown a sketch of him earlier that day and she knew if she could find him, she could get the information she needed to put an end to this. She could hear fighting, gun fire and moans; they needed to end this fast.

When she heard a stick snap behind her she turned crossbow raised. She came face to face with another crossbow and Daryl behind it. He looked shocked, lowering his crossbow she saw his mouth gasp open and his eyes tear up; the moonlight shining in his eyes.

"Carol," he whispered sounding shocked and hurt. It was then that she realised her hood had fallen from her face, revealing her, she figured it must have happened sometime during the battle.

"Shit!," she hissed under her breath angry that she wasn't more aware and even more angry that now he knew, not just that she was alive but that she was here at the prison and had been for the whole day. Sighing, she knew she was in for one hell of a fight.