Daryl and Carol begin to play their dangerous game of cat and mouse with Negan while Carl tries to work out where his potential ally's loyalty really lies.

"The only thing necessary..."

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing." –Edmund Burke

"What's wrong?" Carson asked in a worried voice, sweeping forward to Carol's side to give her his support as she came in to the infirmary.

"I'm sure it's just Braxton-Hicks, but Erin wanted to make sure." Carol said, avoiding looking at Daryl as the doctor helped her to the other examining table.

"You should've stayed in your rooms—I would've come to you." Carson admonished her, his hands on her shoulders holding her in place briefly before he took her wrist in his and looked at his watch to check her heart rate.

"I wasn't in my rooms. I wanted to check on my friends. They were assaulted." Carol said with cold anger. Knowing what Enid, Rosita and Tara had already been through in their lives she was furious with Negan for not protecting them better and had let him know it. He'd been proud of the punishment he had given their would-be rapists, and she worried at how easy to agree with him on its correctness it had been. Then she'd insisted on seeing the women while he went off to another meeting and had a near fainting spell there—staged—that had her guards rushing her here.

"Is that what's got your heart racing?" Carson asked, "You know I only let you off bed rest because you promised to take it easy." He got out a blood pressure cuff and wrapped it around her upper right arm, put in his stethoscope ear pieces and began pumping the hollow rubber ball.

"She is." Erin told him hotly, defending Carol. "If his nibs didn't insist on parading her in front of the whole damn place every time he wanted to impress the hoi polloi—"

"She is impressive." Daryl said under his breath, but loud enough to draw Erin's attention to him, which in turn pulled the other doctor's attention away from Carol.

"Shit—Archer—I forgot you were here..." Carson grimaced at the half naked man.

"Don't blame ya—you had more important things to do—if anything happens to the Queen and her pup I imagine King Shit wouldn't take it too well." Daryl drawled.

"That's putting it extremely mildly." Carson said, looking nervously at the guards hovering outside the door.

While Carson's attention was diverted, Carol let her eyes roam over Daryl hungrily, looking for any wounds, frowning at the new bruises on his torso, but relieved to see overall he seemed well.

"Are you feeling better Mr. Archer?" Carol asked with impersonal solicitousness.

"Yes Ma'am. Amazing what some soap and hot water can do." Daryl said deferentially, "Thank you for putting in a good word for me."

"It was either that or hose you down in your sleep." Carol said tartly, turning her eyes away from him and back to Carson, "You stunk."

"Yes, your majesty." Daryl said, smirking.

His Carol was definitely in there.

Erin gave him a quelling look, so he blanked his face before Carson looked up from his examination of Carol.

"You can go, Archer." Carson said.

"Ain't brought me no clothes yet." Daryl said, raising an eyebrow and looking down at the towel he still clutched at his waist.

"What? Oh, right, just a minute." the doctor said, frowning. He went over the door and said something to the guards. While his back was turned Erin walked by Daryl and quickly slipped him a small rolled up piece of cloth that Carol gave her, which he palmed, hiding it in his hand. Then he had a few seconds to share a love loaded gaze with Carol before Carson returned.

Raising his hand to adjust his bandanna, Daryl slipped the rolled cloth inside it, hiding it from possible detection.

"Your pressure is high and your heart rate is up; I need to check you for dilation—you haven't been spotting have you?" Carson asked Carol who nodded no, finding it hard to avoid looking at Daryl. She wanted so much to tell him that everything was fine with the baby... that they'd just needed a reason to come here now, while he was as close to alone as he'd be, before they assigned him quarters with ten other guys.

"I really do think it was just Braxton-Hicks. I don't think he's ready to make an appearance yet." Carol said, smiling, holding her hands palms down against the sides of her belly.

"He?" Daryl breathed.

"He." Carol said, chancing a brief glance at Daryl.

Carson frowned and looked over at Daryl, who cleared his throat before he spoke, schooling his features to simple interest.

"His father must be pleased."

"He's over the moon." Carol said quietly, sounding anything but happy.

"We should let him know you're down here." Erin stepped in; sensing Carol was too close to showing her true feelings.

"I already sent word with your guard, he'll be here shortly." Carson said.

Just then Sherry appeared in the doorway carrying a bundle of clothing that included Daryl's vest and boots.

"Archer?" Sherry said, her gaze moving appreciatively over his tightly muscled form. She walked right up to him and then reached her free hand out as if she was going to touch his bicep, staring intently at it.

Daryl narrowed his eyes and side stepped out of her reach.

"Sherry baby." Carson cautioned her. "Big daddy wouldn't like."

"Just running an errand, Doc." Sherry pouted, continuing to stare at Daryl.

"Dwight wasn't enough for you?" Carson said bitterly. He'd had to treat the mutilated man after Negan had doled out the torturous discipline their tryst had caused.

"Get out." Carol said curtly, directing her cold imperiousness at Sherry, whose lip curled up into an ugly snarl. She shoved the bundle of garments at Daryl's chest and then turned around, sauntering away with a sashay of her hips.

"You can change in the head." Carson told Daryl, pointing at the door to the handicap accessible toilets across the room.

Daryl nodded, holding the clothes close with his left arm so he wouldn't drop his boots, still grasping the towel with his right hand. When he turned to walk away Carol gave a sympathetic gasp, knowing her audience required that she needed to react to his scars and bruises, but she was also worried by how many new ones he'd acquired since she'd seen him last.

When he reached the door, Daryl hesitated and turned back to look at Carol, Erin and Carson, briefly meeting their eyes before ducking his head in embarrassment.

"Thank you...for takin' me in... I'll do whatever I can to help you all." and then he vanished inside the smaller room.

"He really does seem like a good man." Carson said softly, almost to himself, sounding worried.

"Yes, he does," Carol agreed, equally as softly, looking at the door, making the doctor turn his head to her and narrow his eyes, but before he could comment, Negan burst into the room, full of concern.

"Darling, what's wrong?" the head of the Saviors asked, hurrying to her side and taking her hand.

"I'm fine—it's just Erin being over cautious." Carol reassured him.

"You look pale..." Negan said dubiously, tilting his head at her and then looking to the two doctors. "You sure she's okay?"

"That's what I'm trying to determine, sir. I was just about to do a full exam." Carson said deferentially.

"I'm glad I made it in time then—let's get my beloved and Junior checked out post haste!" Negan ordered the doctor. "What's the hold up?"

"The new man's still here—changing in there—" Erin nodded her head towards the bathroom.

"Archer! Get your ass out here! Now!" Negan bellowed and the door immediately came open. Daryl had the jeans and his boots on, but was still holding his vest and the t-shirt he'd been given.

"You got some miles on ya, that's for sure." Negan looked him up and down, noting the bruising, tats and scars with approval.

Looking extremely self conscious, Daryl quickly pulled on the tee and his vest, wincing a bit at the pain raising his arms caused him.

"He check out health-wise?" Negan asked Carson, "Aside from all the pretty colors?"

"He's strong and healthier than he's got a right to be after being out on the road as long as he was." the doctor told them.

"Your knight gallant is a survivor." Negan said fiercely, sounding proud of him, giving Carol a wink.

Carol returned a small smug smile. She wanted him to respect and value her judgments and opinions, to trust her as much as possible. Her championing of Daryl would come back later to bite him in the ass, but she didn't want him to know that.

"Find a bunk and go get something to eat; then see Dwight about the weapons demo tonight." Negan ordered. "If you're as good as I think you are, I'll have a special assignment for you."

Daryl gave Negan a deferential but semi-puzzled look, bobbing his chin as a silent yes before his eyes rose to Carol.

"Thank you again, ma'am." he said low, quick and soft before blushing and ducking his head again and striding to the outer door.

"I don't think that redneck has had much experience with the fairer sex." Negan mused and then grunted. "How's his dick?" he asked Carson.

Carson blanched, looking at Carol and Erin in quick apology before he answered. Both of them worked to keep a neutral look on their faces.

"As said, he's healthy... but from the scars... and where he has scars... well, they're not all on his back... he's obviously suffered terrible abuse from quite a young age..." Carson said with meaning.

"Shit..." Negan said, actually sounding contrite, raising his eyebrows. "You mean...?"

"I think sex is probably the last thing on his mind." Carson said quietly, with a somber expression.

"Mother fuck!" Negan exploded sympathetically. "I can't understand why anyone would do shit like that to a kid; he really is a survivor." Then looked at Carol and saw her lips trembling, one tear making its way down her cheek. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to upset you, my dear."

"I'd really like to just go back to my room now and lie down." Carol said, her voice sounding strained, wiping at her eyes, angry that Dr. Carson had shared such an intimate detail about his examination of Daryl.

"I can come there later to check on her—it probably is best that she returns to bed rest." Carson agreed. "Dr. Yang, will you take her up?"

"Of course." Erin said, coming to Carol's side to help her down off the table.

"I'll take her." Negan instead scooped Carol up and carried her. She put her arms around his neck and let her head rest against his chest, closing her eyes and remembering a time when Daryl had carried her this way, hoping that like they had done at the prison, they could both survive this evil place and save as many of their people as possible.

"Dwight! Where the hell have you been?" Wade called when he saw the bowman emerging from the storage container, "He's been looking for you."

"Had shit to do." Dwight said arrogantly, slamming the door shut behind him. "What does he want?"

"New man came in with the south border patrol—uses a crossbow—boss wants you to set up the test course."

"With dead ones too?" Dwight asked, mentally calculating how long it would take him to reset the course in the arena if he had to round up more roamers.

"Hell yeah—give 'em their money's worth!" Wade chuckled. "People have been getting' restless since we hit Alexandria; want to know when they can move into all those cushy homes. Need a good distraction."

"This guy any good?"

"Been out there alone—no back up must mean he's got some sac on him." Wade shrugged.

"He got a name?"

"Archer."

"Really? That's like a guy named Winchester sellin' guns." Dwight scoffed.

"So it's his nickname; didn't ask for his ID." Wade sniffed, "Whatta ya care, anyway? Just get your ass in gear and set up the course."

"Fine. Be there in ten."

Wade looked behind Dwight to the container that he'd just exited, narrowing his eyes.

"You ain't got Sherry in there again, do you?" Wade asked, "Not even you are that stupid."

Dwight gave the other man a scathing look of loathing, raised his middle finger to point to the scarred side of his face and then lifted the pistol he was holding in his other hand to aim it at Wade's chest.

"Whatever." Wade said, raising his hands and backing away with a sound of derision. "You got ten minutes before I tell Negan where you are if you're not up at the arena."

Waiting until Wade was completely out of sight, Dwight yanked on the storage container door and slipped back in.

"One of your people uses a crossbow? Shaggy, redneck type?" Dwight asked Carl who sat in the back corner, eating the MRE that he'd been brought for dinner.

"Daryl." Carol nodded, looking warily hopeful. Dwight had promised to help him free his friends if they in turn would help in the overthrow of Negan. Their cooperation was based on mutual need, but was tenuous at best.

"He's callin' himself Archer."

"Someone bad called him that once—someone we killed." Carl said, thinking of the horror that had been Terminus; that Gareth and the rest of them had gotten what they deserved, for what they'd done to Bob, for what they were.

"Came in alone." Dwight said suspiciously.

That news worried Carl, wondering why Daryl would show up without anyone else from their group. Why would his dad let him come in without back up?

"Says he wants to join up—willing to go through the trials." Dwight squinted at the boy.

"He must be scouting out your operation, checking for weaknesses..." Carl temporized.

"One a' them women his?" Dwight asked shrewdly.

Carl took another bite of his meal, playing for time to think, wondering what would be the best thing to say, but Dwight took his hesitation as a yes.

"Which?" Dwight asked, "Wait let me guess... he don't sound like the type that's be into little girls n' I bet little miss pouty lips bad attitude teen's yours anyways... " he scratched his chin, thinking, "Asian Doctor woman? Nah, he don't look that smart. That leaves the butch dyke n' the fiery Latina—it's her ain't it? What's her name? Rosita?"

Carl neither confirmed nor denied.

"That's a nice piece of ass." Dwight nodded appreciatively. "I can see why he'd be missing that."

"They're all our friends—our family." Carl said, his jaw tight, controlling his anger, "Enid, Erin, Tara, Rosita and Carol, they're all good people."

"Sorry to tell you this little buddy, but your friend Carol had gone over to the Dark side. She's Negan's number one wifey now a days." Dwight said with false sympathy. "Not that I blame her, what with a young'un comin', but you probably need to cross her off your 'good' list right now."

Carl burst into laughter.

"What? What is it?" Dwight frowned and canted his head at the boy in consternation.

"Go Carol." Carl said softly, feeling more hopeful than he had since he'd arrived here.

Daryl was in the house and Carol was busy wrapping Negan around her little finger.

Thanks for reading! More to come.