In this chapter a little bit of sweetness before a confrontation at Hilltop with Negan and the Saviors that will change everything.

Warnings: secondary character death.

Thank you to the Admins. who do such a wonderful job of keeping this place humming along. It's a safe place to work out all my feels. You are my people. I have too many feels about this stupid show and none of the people I know in my regular life who watch it are Carylers so their eyes kind of cross when I try to talk about my ship with them. My BF literally said, "You have to disengage—just watch the show for the overall plot and stop caring so much about the characters—you're making yourself crazy." Sigh. It's like he doesn't even know me at all...

Should the Wide World Roll Away

Should the wide world roll away
leaving the black terror of
limitless night,
Nor God, nor man, nor place to stand
Would be to me essential
If thou and thy white arms were there
And the fall to doom a long way.
- Steven Crane

"This is nice." Carol said, feeling a blush pinken her cheeks.

Daryl had been sitting in the chair beside her Infirmary bed while they talked but she'd fallen asleep and when she'd woken up she was in his arms.

"You were tossin' n' turnin' so hard in your sleep I thought you were just gonna roll right off the bed." he murmured, his face only inches from hers, his body flush against her. When he looked her right in the eyes his were warm and soft, full of tender concern.

"Sorry." she said softly.

"Nothin' to be sorry for." he told her, reaching up to push her hair back behind her ear, "Bad memories?" he asked carefully, not wanting to upset her, but worried.

Carol nodded.

"We both got plenty a' black nights full a'nightmares worth a' them." he agreed. "You and me? Need to start making some more good memories."

Carol's mouth curved into a very small smile as her eyes rose to the crib beside the bed.

"Yeah, makin' him is a pretty damn good one..." Daryl's voice sounded quietly proud, amused and slightly shy.

"You think we'll... ever..." Carol stopped. There was so much standing between them; his horrific time with the Wolves, hers with Negan and both their pasts before the Turn. She wasn't sure they could ever get back to a place where more than this was possible.

"I think..." Daryl said, running two fingers under her chin to draw her attention, "I think we got a chance to keep trying."

Carol's gaze returned to meet his. Her small smile returned and bloomed, lighting up her face. Her eyes softened more and crinkled at the corners, glowing blue.

They both leaned in, slowly, with hesitation, unsure, but when their lips met it was with a sense of grateful relief. For some reason the universe had yet again given them a chance to be together. There was a profound sense of rightness to the way her body automatically molded to his, comfort that soon became tinged with desire.

Her pale, slender but strong arms went around his shoulders, her fingers catching in his hair to keep him close and he slowly deepened the kiss, responding to her silent entreaty. Soon his hands started to seek out the curve of her hip, pulling her even closer and she felt the evidence of his desire, but the reality was that neither of them was really ready to do much more than exchange these kisses to serve as hopeful promises of something more.

"Best stop." he said softly, regretfully pulling his mouth from hers to rain little kisses along her jaw with a sweetness that made Carol sigh. This side of him was what she'd first glimpsed so long ago along a Georgia roadside, when his voice went all gentle and he'd pledged himself to finding her child. Hidden inside his formidable exterior was a man with deep emotional strength and compassion. Was it any wonder she'd fallen in love with him?

The baby started fussing, giving a rusty little cry that they'd come to recognize as unhappiness with something in his world.

"I'll get him." Daryl said, forcing himself to move away after one last quick kiss, and she released him so he could rise and go to their son.

Carol watched Daryl deftly diaper the baby and carefully rearrange the tiny white onesie so he could snap it shut over the postage stamp sized Pamper that covered his bottom.

"He still needs a name." she said, frowning slightly as he handed the boy over to her to hold. She cradled the child to her breast and he began making soft snuffling noises as he nuzzled in.

"Just call him hungry. This age all they do is eat, piss and shit." Daryl grunted with amusement. After his precarious start in the world baby Dixon was doing his best to make up for it by exceeding his doctor's expectations in feeding and putting on weight.

"Daryl." she admonished, pursing her lips and giving him that quietly exasperated narrow eyed stare that said she'd had just about enough of his shit but still loved him anyhow. Huffing at him she moved aside her blouse so the baby could latch on and gave a small smile when both father and son gave a small satisfied sigh when he did. Yes, she loved this sweet nurturing side of Daryl.

"You're asking the guy whose parents came up with Daryl and Merle to name your son?" Maggie teased from the doorway.

"You got it easy—you got a good solid name for your kid from a good man—your pop." Daryl grumped to her good naturedly. He had respected Hershel like few other men he'd ever known and still felt responsible for his death. If only he hadn't given up in his search for Blake... He looked over at Maggie, wondering if she still blamed him for that, or for choosing not to go on the run that had put Glenn in Negan's path... or for not saving Beth. To his mind she had plenty of reasons to hate him, but she was her father's daughter and seemed to rise above them.

Carol ran her hand lightly over the baby's downy head.

"There's Dale, Bob, Tyreese, Noah... Glenn..." Daryl said slowly, flashing back on Carl listing out all the women they'd lost since Atlanta when they were trying to name Lil'ass-Kicker. The wave of sadness that had washed over him when the boy had said Sophia and Carol's names still made his heart hurt.

"Glenn talked about us using Dale if we ever had a baby—said it could be a boy or a girl's name." Maggie said, not meeting Daryl's eyes but instead focusing on their baby. She knew how much her husband's mentor had meant to Carol and Daryl as well.

"Dale was a great man..." Carol said slowly, looking down at the baby. "But this baby is something... new."

"You don't want to name him after nobody." Daryl nodded, he could understand that too.

"No Daryl Junior, then?" Maggie flashed a small grin.

"Fuck no." Daryl gave a small shudder. This kid was going to be better than his old man in every way. Look who he had for a mom.

"We'll find the right name." Carol said patiently, "We'll know it when we hear it."

"Let me know when you do so I can have it for the community records. Since he was born here he's considered a resident of Hilltop." Maggie said.

"What about us?" Carol asked.

Maggie and Daryl exchanged a look of surprise.

"You want to stay here?" Daryl asked.

"Alexandria isn't the safest place to be at the moment." Carol reminded them. In the false control of the turncoat, Wade, things could go very wrong there at the drop of a hat.

"No place safe once Negan gets back to Sanctuary and finds out we're gone." Daryl said darkly. "He'll come looking sure as shit."

"We have to hope Rick and the others catch him on the road before that happens." Maggie said, but the troubled look on her face said she knew it could just as easily go the other way.

"Have we heard anything from them?" Carol asked.

"Not yet. Last we heard they were still shadowing his group." Maggie explained. "They went out of the range of our walkies and the short wave is on the blink again. I wish Eugene was still here—no one else can make it work like he can."

"Can you send for him?" Daryl asked. He didn't like being out of communication with the others.

"They need him more at Alexandria..." Maggie shook her head.

"...and he doesn't want to leave Olivia." Carol added. The look she shared with Daryl showed he knew exactly how the mullet man felt.

"I'm sending a patrol to Kingdom this morning to see if they've had any word. Sasha, Heath, Grayson and Morgan all volunteered." Maggie told them.

Carol looked troubled. She didn't want anyone leaving the safety of the fort while Negan was out there probably on the warpath.

"You up for a little more company?" Denise asked Carol from the doorway, putting a hand on Maggie's shoulder.

Daryl scowled. The baby was still nursing and he didn't much like the idea of someone coming in and watching that. He reached onto the makeshift receiving table and plucked up a small blanket and carefully placed it over the baby's head and Carol's chest.

"I don't think I can keep the kids all out of here much longer." Denise smiled. They had all been so worried about Carol, Daryl and the baby. They'd been asking to visit since the birth.

"One at a time." Carol said, frowning a little. A very excited Sam peeked around from behind the doctor and Carol relaxed. She'd missed the boy that she and Daryl had taken in despite her initial reluctance.

"Is it okay? The baby? I mean with the germs and stuff?" Sam asked, suddenly looking worried.

"You can look at him but not touch." Denise reminded him.

"What's his name?" Sam asked.

"Don't have one yet." Daryl said, frowning at Carol, who was smiling.

"What do you think we should call him?" she asked, looking back up at the orphaned boy and then up at Daryl who frowned. What if he unknowingly chose a name more loaded than others? Ed? Shane? Andrew? Phillip? David?

Carol gave Daryl a look that said she trusted the boy and he nodded, sighing in silent agreement.

"You want me to name him?" Sam asked, his voice full of wonder.

"He's your little bro." Daryl said, his voice softly rumbling with suppressed emotion.

Sam's eyes went big and he looked to Carol for confirmation of what Daryl had said. He hadn't known if they would still want him after having their own little boy.

"What do you think, Sam?" Carol prompted again.

"Can we call him Mikey?" Sam asked, leaning forward, trying to get more of a look at the baby than just his little legs and bottom which peeked out from under the towel.

"Michael?" Daryl asked, mulling it over.

"He's an archangel—threw the devil down to Hades." Carol smiled, as the sleepy baby released his hold on her breast with a half-hearted whimper, finished with his breakfast. She shifted him up over her shoulder, readjusted her blouse to cover her breast and then carefully patted his back to elicit a burp.

"It's a good name, kid." Daryl said, his cheek curving into a lop-sided grin. Hopefully Negan would be similarly damned by his concern for Carol and the baby.

Sam grinned proudly.

"Hello Mikey." Carol said, lowering him from her shoulder and cradling him in her arms, the blanket falling away. She petted her hand over the baby's head again and looked down at him, her gaze full of love.

"Our mom's great, she makes the best cookies." Sam confided to his baby brother as he moved closer to look at him, making everyone in the room smile. It had been Sam's almost fatal attraction to Carol's cookies that had first bonded them back in Alexandria.

"She sure as hell kicks ass too." Daryl said admiringly.

Both Carol and Sam scrunched up their noses at the swear words and frowned at Daryl.

"Little pitchers..." Carol said, reminding Daryl to watch his language.

"Guess being a dad is going to take some adjustments." Denise grinned over at him, but Maggie's face turned sad and wistful.

Daryl felt a lump in his throat. Glenn would never get that chance. His sad contemplation of that fact was interrupted by a loud commotion from the outer room.

"Hurry—we have to hide you!" Tara came running in, out of breath.

"What are you doing back here?" Daryl asked, stopping her by grabbing her upper arm.

"Negan—he's maybe a half an hour back—we pushed hard to beat him here." she looked at Carol, "He knows you escaped Sanctuary and he's out for blood."

"Rosita?" Carol asked, her face going even paler white.

"He still has her. We didn't get there in time." Tara said tersely, pulling out of Daryl's grip and glaring at him. "Right now we need to put you, the baby and anyone else who was at Sanctuary someplace where that son of a bitch can't find you."

"Root cellar, under the basement of the big house." Maggie said, moving quickly to gather up supplies, diapers, lotion, wipes and stuffing them in a backpack. "It's set up as a safe house—food water, everything you'll need for a few days."

Daryl was helping Carol stand up, motioning for Denise to take the baby. When she did, he picked Carol up in a bridal carry and headed for the door without looking back, knowing they'd all follow.

"Find Enid and Carl; Carson and Karla too." Carol ordered Grayson, who'd been standing guard outside the door.

"Carl and Enid are with Ron—I'll get 'em." Sam said stoutly and took off at a dead run.

Daryl motioned Gray to follow him.

Outside Rick, Jesus and Aaron were making sure everyone was armed and taking positions on the walls, getting as prepared as possible. They spared a glance at Daryl as he and his group moved past, nodding as if saying they had his back and he returned the nod even as he walked as quickly as possible, following Maggie and Denise.

"They're not here." Maggie repeated, just about forty-five minutes later, standing atop the parapets on the interior of Hilltop's city wall looking out over the main gate.

"Where the fuck else would they go? You have doctors here, medical supplies. She was in a bad way. They'd come here for help." Negan said, his voice full of emotion, looking and sounding for all the world like a frantic husband and father to be.

"They didn't." Maggie shook her head, his face stoic. They'd had just enough time to get Carol, Daryl and the baby into the secure location. Tara, Carl, Enid, Karla and the two doctors were also staying out of sight, in the bunker along with Riley and Judith. If Negan or any of his men saw them it would put lie to Maggie's assertions.

"And this asshole who took them? Called himself Archer, uses a crossbow, wears a bandana on his head, leather vest, has devil tattoos on his shoulder?" Negan snarled in frustration.

"Doesn't sound familiar." Maggie shrugged, the lie coming easily.

"And if I wanted to come in there and see for myself?" Negan said, narrowing his eyes, "Search this place?"

"That's not part of our trade agreement with Sanctuary." Maggie said carefully.

"Trade." Negan said thoughtfully, going quiet. "You want to trade? Then let's talk trade."

"What kind of trade?" Maggie said, swallowing hard, keeping her face blank. She knew he had Rosita, but couldn't afford to overplay her hand. She couldn't dare give away that Carol and the rest were there.

"I have something you might be interested in." Negan suddenly gave a shrill whistle and a somber faced Dwight appeared leading a woman with her hands bound in front of her, her identity obscured by her jacket pulled up and over her head from behind. He walked her over to Negan who pulled a pistol out of the holster at his hip and held it to her chest.

"Is that one of our people?" Maggie asked stiffly, forcing her eyes away from Dwight and the woman back to Negan's smug face.

"Open the gate. Refuse and I have no further use for her." Negan said. "I'll give you fifteen minutes to discuss the alternative with your people."

Maggie nodded stiffly and turned away, heading for the ladder.

"You can't." Rick said quietly as soon as Maggie reached the ground.

"But it's Rosita—it has to be!" Abe said pleadingly.

"I know, but we can't let him know we have the others in here." Maggie said resolutely, but there were tears in her eyes.

"He'll kill her." Michonne said, crossing her arms in front of her, "Just to prove his point."

"Why not just take him out?" Abe snapped. "Clean shot right through his fucking head."

"And then his men will blow a hole through the gate just like they did at Alexandria and come in and kill us all." Rick said.

"We don't have much choice or time—do we deal or fight?" Michonne asked.

"We can't give him Carol and the baby." Aaron said adamantly.

"We need a plan." Jesus said.

"He could've come at us with guns blazing, but he didn't... why?" Ezekiel asked, speaking for the first time. "He's a bully—he only has as much power as we give him."

"Use what he thinks are his strengths and our weaknesses against him." Morgan nodded.

Rick looked at each of them and then at Maggie.

"It's time." he nodded.

"This is all over soon as they see what's under that coat." Dwight said with a sour look, his hand on the captive's arm none too gently as he held her in place. In his other hand he'd been entrusted with Lucille and he itched to see if he could use it to hit a home run with his boss's head over the wall surrounding Hilltop.

"Not my fault the stupid bitch would rather die than be used against her friends." Negan snapped. "At least we can still use her to get the gate open."

A low gurgling moan sounded from the walker that had been Rosita Espinosa, its face hidden by her jacket.

Dwight swallowed his gorge which rose at the pathetic sound.

When they'd been breaking camp that morning, she'd shoved her elbow through one of the windows in the small motor home and then thrust her head through, using the broken edge of it to slice through her carotid, bleeding out right in front of them.

That she'd had the strength of will to do that after the way she'd been debased by him throughout the last day and night of her captivity had shocked Negan. He'd thought her broken, compliant, and had been gloating over how he was going to trade her for Carol, but she'd defied him.

"Shut it up." Negan growled at Dwight, banking his fury to keep his voice down, muttering "Stupid fucking cunt."

"Negan!"

When his name was shouted from the top of the wall the Sanctuary leader looked up.

"That you Rick?" Negan squinted up into the sun, shielding his eyes with his good hand, still holding the gun. "Where's that pretty little breeder who said she's in charge of this place?"

"I'm speaking for the United Communities." Rick said calmly.

"United mother fucking what?"

Maggie and Ezekiel appeared on either side of him to show their alliance.

"We're done with you." Rick said. "We're done with your threats and intimidation. We're done with you killing our men and taking our women. We're done."

At every crenelation in the wall a sniper appeared, all rifles pointed at the intruders.

"If you're as done with this asshole as we are, lay down your weapons." Rick called out to Negan's men. "Your Sanctuary is surrounded by walkers and our people; Wade has joined our side and Alexandria is back under our control."

Negan's face turned red and he went practically apoplectic. He raised his gun, pointing it at Rick, but stopped when he felt the prick of barbwire and cold smooth wood against the back of his neck.

"Try it and I'll pound your fucking head into the ground." Dwight said, taking the pistol out of Negan's hand and kicking the back of his knees to force him down to the ground.

Outraged, Negan screamed at his men. "Get this fuck off of me!"

Two of the Saviors started forward, but were pushed back and disarmed by the others who forced them to their knees and zip-tied their hands together. After that task was completed they started piling their weapons at the front of the gate and then stood with their arms raised.

"Put your hand behind your head." Dwight ordered Negan.

The gate swung open and Abraham rushed out, heading for what he thought was Rosita, without Dwight restraining her, a walker blindly wandering near the wall. Too late Dwight saw what was happening, just as Abe took a hold of her to pull the jacket down.

"Wait—no—stop! Stop!" Dwight yelled.

Negan used the distraction to try and make a break for it, but Morgan was there, with his stick, which he used to deliver a blow designed to render the receiver immediately unconscious. Negan went down like a rock and Morgan knelt to tie him up.

"Oh shit, no." Abraham moaned, broken-hearted, the unveiling showing the jagged neck wound on the hissing dead eyed revenant of the once beautiful young woman.

"Abraham!" Rick shouted, hurrying towards him, but the big man was already pulling out his knife to take care of the loyal loving woman who had followed him across the country from Texas on a lost cause.

"I'm so sorry." Abe murmured as he quickly slipped in the blade and then caught the body as it fell forward. He swung it up in his arms, ignoring Rick as he tried to offer words of comfort. Maggie fell in beside him, tears running down her face, escorting him back through the gates.

"Bring him inside too." Rick ordered quietly once Abe and Maggie were out of earshot, pointing at Negan.

Heath and another man from Hilltop moved to lift him up.

"What? Just fry his ass!" Dwight protested, blocking the other two men, his eyes burning with hatred.

"Rick—I don't know..." Aaron said, a worried look on his face.

"We're not going to kill him." Rick said, looking to Morgan for support. "We have to be better than that. Better than him."

Morgan nodded, a smile breaking over his face.

"You think Carol will want him in here? Daryl?" Michonne asked, incredulous.

"I'll talk to them." Rick said, brushing off her concerns.

"Are you sure, Grimes?" Ezekiel asked, not looking too happy with the plan.

"There's already been enough killing." Rick said with finality. "Dwight—you're responsible for these men now. I'd say you need to get them back to Sanctuary and give it some relief."

"You're handing it all over to me?" Dwight asked, confused.

"You held up your end of the bargain—helped get our people out of there—the Saviors know you. Easier than trying to put one of us in charge." Rick explained.

Dwight's mouth twitched, looking through the gate at Abe's receding back carrying his sad burden.

"I tried... I tried to save that girl—but she did that to herself, to save all of you—bravest thing I ever saw. You tell him that, okay?" Dwight said quietly.

Rick nodded, expecting him to leave then, but he lingered, looking uncomfortable, shifting his feet.

"Carol have her baby?" he finally asked. "She okay?"

"A boy. They're both fine." Aaron told him.

"Good. And the kids? Karla? The Docs? They all got out okay too?"

"Everyone made it." Rick supplied.

"Good... Good." Dwight nodded, stepping back, suddenly startled, realizing he was still holding Lucille.

"You need to go, Dwight." Rick prodded. "We'll be in touch. Make sure the transition goes smoothly. You can count on our forces still surrounding the compound to help you clear the walkers."

"Right. Clear the walkers." he finally stepped back, still looking a bit dazed, allowing Heath and the other man to take the still unconscious Negan away. Before he started rounding up what were now his men, Dwight turned back to Rick.

"You expect to keep him alive you'd better lock him up tight." he warned. "Especially when Archer and his missus find out."

Rick nodded. Carol and Daryl weren't the only ones who wouldn't exactly be thrilled that he'd allowed Negan to live. He winced and rubbed his hand over his weary face as he thought of how Tara, Abe and Maggie would react; how Eugene would feel about letting the man responsible for both Glenn and Rosita's deaths continue to draw breath.

"Have to start over somehow." he said, mostly to himself.

"What's that?" Ezekiel asked as he, Morgan and Rick watched Dwight and the Saviors depart.

"Civilization." Rick said, blowing out a sigh, "We have to start over somehow."

AN: Thanks for encouraging me to keep coming back to this one! Sorry about Rosita, but she did go out heroically, and her death will cause plot ripples to come.

Comics Spoiler warning! If you follow the comics you know that after Negan is captured there is about a two year period of peace with Alexandria, Hilltop, Kingdom and Sanctuary all working together to try and rebuild their little corner of the world. Kirkman et al. skips over it in the comics for the most part so he can introduce the next big bad, but I want to use that time for Caryl to do some healing and find their way back to each other, so stay tuned!