Beth knew the second Carol with Carl entered the prison that something had gone terribly wrong. Seeing Carol coming to get her and Judith was bad enough as it meant they were losing their battle for the prison, but something in Carol's expression made her stomach drop.

There was no time for questions or worries; time had become the most valuable commodity now. Beth was already prepared, holding Judith tightly. The travel bag with most important baby stuff was ready on the bunk bed. Carol saw Hershel squeezing his younger daughter's shoulder. He was trying hard to keep his composure but Carol could see his kind eyes filled with tears.

Carol hugged the old man quickly.

"Maggie is alright Hershel. And I promise I'll look after Beth."

She knew that her words were little comfort to him but at least she could provide some. There was no comfort for her and she again felt the ice-cold despair clenching her guts. She slowly swallowed a sob rising in her throat. She was afraid that if she started crying now, she could never stop.

She watched Beth saying goodbye to her father and they headed for the car, where Andrea was already waiting.

They agreed to leave the tracks for any survivor from their group, who could follow them. Daryl had taught her how to leave the tracks hardly noticeable for an untrained eye but clear for him. Back then she hadn't doubt that he would have found them. He always had.

Carol touched her lips unknowingly but the sweet memory was immediately pushed back by the vivid picture of his body hitting the ground. She knew that it had burnt into her brain and would never go away. She stumbled, as her mind was desperately trying to hold on to short moment of sheer happiness, they'd shared before the hell had broken out.

Beth quickly glanced at her, uncertainty and fear written all over her face. Carol took a deep breath and looked at two teenagers and baby with her. Judith started fussing in Beth's arms. She must do it. She must lead them all to the safety as she'd promised.

The car was ready and waiting for them exactly on the spot Rick had described. The sounds of turmoil from the front yard of the prison were still loud.

Andrea was already in the back seat, sleeping. She was so bashed up and weak that she spent half of the time semi-conscious or sleeping.

Carol motioned Carl to take the passenger seat; Beth would be sitting in the back with Andrea and the baby.

Carol tuned her back to the car and took one last look at the prison when she heard Beth cry out.

"Well, well…it's finally becoming interesting."

The melodic baritone cut through Carol's brain like a knife. She'd never met him, but she knew beyond any doubt who she was dealing with. She slowly turned to a tall man with a black eye patch. Two of his men were standing close behind him, pointing their guns at Carl and Beth.

"I don't think we had an opportunity to meet but I will make sure I'll make it up to all of you," his forcedly polite voice sent a jolt of fear right down her spine.

"Would you mind joining me?" the Governor waved towards their jeep. Carol was so shocked that she couldn't force herself to move. Judith started crying and the inquiring look the man sent towards Beth and the baby, made Carol sick.

'This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't happening', her thoughts were incoherently flying through her head. She'd lost so much already, what would be the last straw? When would her body, her mind just shut down, when would this sorrowful existence finally end?

Rick wasn't right; the Governor's men had checked the other side of the prison.

No matter how hard they tried, no matter what they did, there was always somebody faster, better armed, somebody who wanted to ruin their little family.

Carol shivered when she realized how vulnerable and lost she felt without Daryl by her side. Three children and wounded woman were relying on her now and she had no idea what to do.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Carl's hand slowly moving towards the knife behind his belt.

"Carl!" she scolded him and snatched the knife. He glanced at her furiously. She was impressed by boy's courage but this hopeless attempt would have been a straight way to hell for all of them.

The Governor watched Carl wordlessly, suddenly taking a long step towards him. Carol quickly stepped in, pushed Carl behind her and held out the knife and her gun in shaking hands, motioning to Beth to do the same. For an instant the man's face twisted and Carol felt unspeakable jab of panic running though her. Something was very wrong with this man, she could just feel it. He raised his hand and Carol closed her eyes. Being hit was nothing she couldn't deal with. The man seemed to be considering his options for a while, then dropped his hand back to his side and stared hard at his two men. Carol drew ina shaky breath.

Finally he shook his head, grabbed Carol and Carl by shoulders and sharply pushed them towards their jeep. One of the Governor's men did the same with Beth and the other one took unconsciousness Andrea out of their car.

Just before reaching the jeep, the Governor suddenly pressed Carl violently against the car and the boy let out a hiss of pain.

"You'd better listen to your mother boy, otherwise I swear I will have you wailing and praying you have never been born, do you understand me?"

Carol tensed, hoping that Carl wouldn't correct the Governor's suggestion that she was his mother. Letting him know he'd just got hold of his enemy's children, would have got them into even more serious situation. But Carl was quiet, nodding mutely and dropping his eyes to his boots.

"Order our men to retreat. We're just wasting our time and ammo here," the Governor looked at the little group of his hostages and smile lightened up his face, "they will come to Woodbury themselves soon enough. Then it will be the right time to throw a welcome party."

Rick couldn't believe what was happening. The army suddenly started to withdraw from the yard and before he had a chance to understand what was going on, they got into their cars and were gone.

He stood there for a moment, not believing his own eyes.

"Rick, the gate!" Michonne's voice woke him from his lethargy and he sprinted to the gate, leaning against it.

"I need a chain!'

Michonne was already running to him, waving her lethal catana and slaughtering walkers on the way. Together they secured the gate and look around them, breathing heavily. Rick rubbed his eyes and closed them for a while. Corpses and walkers were scattered everywhere, partly hidden in the smoke still coming out of smoke grenades. A few walkers were still staggering in the yard and Rick with Michonne automatically took them down.

They were frightened by a loud sob coming from Maggie, who was sitting hidden behind one of the barricades, so they couldn't see her at first. She was cradling Glenn's head in her lap as he was unconsciously lying on the ground. Rick's heart dropped and he was by her side in a second. Michonne was keeping her distance, making sure the yard was cleared.

"Is he…?" Rick wasn't able to finish the sentence. After losing Daryl, he was simply not able to accept another death.

Maggie abruptly wiped the tears off her face and shook her head.

"He got shot into the shoulder, he will be OK, just passed out," Maggie mumbled shakily, "I'm sorry…it was just too much, I can't…"

The girl was trying hard to regain her composure but failed pitifully. Rick felt the wave of relief washing over him. He squeezed her shoulder encouragingly.

"Michonne will help you get Glenn to Hershel. You will be both all right."

He looked at Michonne, who didn't hesitate and helped him to pull up Glenn's dead weight and positioned him between her and Maggie.

"Michonne, when you get Glenn to Hershel, please check the back yard, they still might be there."

The thought of his childen, Carol and Andrea leaving just before the end of the battle was killing him and he was trying to push it back as long as he could.

Michonne nodded and looked at Rick quizzically.

"I'll be right behind you, I have to finish something here," Rick's voice trembled and he felt Carol's knife burning a hole into his side, where he put it into the sheath.

Michonne's eyes grew wide as she'd just realized Daryl wasn't with them. She quickly darted her eyes back to the ground , but Rick didn't miss the glint of compassion he'd seen in them. His son was right, she was one of them.

He took a deep breath, turned towards Daryl's body and started walking slowly. He hadn't turned yet. He must have been fighting it till the very last moment. When he finally reached his friend, all his strength left him. He fell to his knees and tried to fight a sob building in his chest.

Daryl was a mess. His face was dirty as hell and his sleeveless shirt was soaked with his blood. Small puddle of blood was slowly forming under his motionless body. Rick was remorsefully watching his friend, who had nothing to do with an angry redneck he'd met back at the quarry, and couldn't help tears welling up in his eyes. He shakily tried to feel Daryl's pulse, but soon dropped his wrist in despair.

The group would have never made it so far without Daryl. He'd kept them fed and had kept them safe. Despite his tough and grumpy outside he'd been a small beacon of light, when the life had become even more desperate than it'd already been, his common sense and focus on reality keeping them sane. He'd kept alive their hopes they'd have found Sophia and had searched for her restlessly. And it had again been Daryl, who had held the group together when Rick had collapsed after Lori's death. Rick had seen almost all sides of this man; he'd seen him angry, amused, heartbroken and lately he'd thought he'd seen him falling in love, no matter how fiercely Daryl would have denied it. Rick still wondered how far Daryl had come and the wave of desperation forced a sob out of his chest. He grasped Daryl's arm and looked at Carol's knife he was clutching in his other hand. He couldn't do it like this. He wasn't able to shove the knife into his skull. Rick stood up and took out his gun, his vision blurred.

"What the fuck man?" the voice coming from the ground was hoarse and full of suppressed pain, "I survive another fuckin' gunshot from that son of a bitch and ya still wanna blow my brains out?"

Daryl coughed, tried to spit out some blood and paused exhaustedly, closing his eyes again: "I definitely wouldn't make that, I can tell ya."

For a moment Rick earnestly thought his hallucinations had come back to torture him over and over again. It was when Daryl coughed again; he realized that the man on the ground was still alive. Barely, but still holding on.

He fell to his knees again, grabbing the sides of Daryl's head, forcing him to open his eyes.

"How is it possible? I checked your pulse! I was sure you were dead, I almost shot you for god's sake!" Rick was now sreaming into his face.

Daryl snorted.

"Fuck...ya'd make a shitty nurse..."

Rick started to laugh hysterically and he both wanted to hug the wounded man and punch him into face for scaring the hell out of him.

"You are tough son of a bitch Daryl," Rick laughed through his tears he could help no more.

They drove the Governor's men out once and they can do it again. He suddenly felt the confidence he hadn't felt for a long time.

"Told ya only Dixon can kill Dixon," Daryl whispered, feeling his strength leaving him quickly.

He was groggily looking at Rick, who was still staring down at him in disbelief. Daryl was clenching his teeth as the waves of agonizing pain were washing over him.

"Gonna help me or what, Sleepin' Beauty?" With these words Daryl finally passed out.