Carol and Daryl had been running through the woods now for a few hours, they were both tried. Carol saw a cabin behind some trees, she hopes the cabin was clear so they could both rest up for the night. they both stop and carol turned to Daryl and said. "wait here a minute while I go and check it out." "ok" Daryl answered.

Carol left Daryl next to tree while she went to check out the cabin, as she got close to the cabin she took her knife out in case there was any walkers, she walked up to door and open it, she waited a few minutes to let her eyes adjust to the darkness before she made her way through the cabin. She walked through the small lounge and the kitchen. She saw a door to right, with her knife in one hand she opened the door, there was one walker inside, carol quickly made her way to walker and suck her knife into the middle of the walkers head and give a good turn, she kicked the walker and released her knife at the same time, the walker went down. Carol took a quick look around the room and saw it was a bedroom, she made her way out of the room to go and check the other door on the left, the room was a bathroom and was clear, there was no more walkers in the cabin. Carol had found a couple of candles and some matches, she lit the candles and place them around the lounge and went back outside to get Daryl.

She found Daryl by the tree. "all clear we can rest up here for the night" she told him.

"sounds good" Daryl said.

Once they were inside, carol closed the door and turned around and gave Daryl a big hug, they held onto each other for a bit, either one wanting to let go. "I'm so sorry I left and wasn't there" carol whisper into Daryl's ear.

Daryl was holding carol not wanting to let her go, when he heard her whisper into ear, as he took her words in he thought to himself. Want does she mean, she left!

Daryl pulled away and looked carol in the eyes. "what do you mean you left?"

Carol took a step back, but kept her eyes on Daryl.

"what do you mean you left carol" Daryl growled. But as he said the words he knew what she meant she had left, Daryl was angry he had stop her from leaving before and couldn't believe she tried again.

"so the minute my back is turned you left, what is wrong with you? Why do you keep leaving?" Daryl shouted.

Carol knew he was going to be angry with her, and she knew that she had to tell him the truth about why she left, she took another step back to put some distance between them, carol kept her eyes on Daryl's eyes, she took a deep breath and said "I left because I couldn't do it anymore, I couldn't keep killing, I thought I couldn't love anymore because it meant I had to kill for you all, so I thought it was best for you all if I left."

"best for us, or best for you?" Daryl growled at her

"best for you, because I thought I was changing you into a monster like me." Carol told him.

Daryl looked at carol thinking what the hell does she mean, she is not a monster. he took a step towards her and calmly said. "why do you think you are a monster?"

Carol looked at Daryl and started crying.

As Daryl saw carol crying he went up to her and pulled her into a hug. "please tell me what is wrong"

With Daryl's arms around her, she let herself cry into his neck.

They stayed like that for a while, Daryl holding carol and rubbing his hand up and down her back, while she cried. When she started calmly down a bit she whispered in Daryl ear. "I had to kill lizzie"

Daryl took his arms from her back, so he could push her back a bit to look into eyes. He always knew something bad had happened with girls and he was glad that she was opening up to him about it.
"why did you kill her?" Daryl softly said

"she killed mika and was going to kill Judith because she wanted them to turn, she thought the walkers where her friends, there was something wrong with her, me and Tyreese knew she couldn't be around Judith or anyone any more, Tyreese couldn't do it so he stayed with Judith, while I took lizzie down into the garden to look at the flowers, I told her to keep looking at the flowers and I shot her in the back of head." Carol told Daryl with tears running down her face.

Daryl felt sick as he listened to everything carol was telling him, he knew she had to do it to protect Judith, but he also knew that she loved them girls like her own, first she lost Sophia and then the girls, suddenly Daryl understood why she thought she had to leave, but he still need her to know how much to meant to him and that he couldn't lose her again.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that and I'm glad you have told me, I wish you told me before so I could have helped you, you don't need to leave you belong here with your family, I really can't lose you again carol."

Carol looked at Daryl shocked as that was the first time she had heard him say her name. "I'm sorry Daryl I just didn't know how to tell you, what's why I push you away when we got to Alexandra." Carol whispered.

"it's my fault I should not have let you pulled away." Daryl said.

They stood there for a minute both looking into each other eyes.
Daryl looked into carols eyes and took a deep breath before he told her what he wanted to say.
"when I was kneeing in front of Negan and I thought I was going to die, it was you I was thinking about, all I could see was every moment I had with you, and I thought I was never going to see you again, I love you carol." Daryl whispered.