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Carol watched as Daryl looked through the rifle scope at a bunch of zombie's surrounding the outer perimeter, he lowered the gun and squinted his eyes into the distance. "What is it?" She asked.

Daryl slung his rifle onto his right shoulder and grabbed his crossbow, "They're all congregatin' there like it's a mothers meetin'." He quipped, "I'm gonna go thin 'em out a little."

"No need," Carol stated pointing towards Rick, Tyreese and Glenn who were charging across the courtyard towards the group of Walkers. "It looks like they've had the same idea."

Daryl nodded his head once and placed his crossbow back down on the floor, "Maybe I should help them."

"I think the three of them can handle a couple of Walkers." Carol replied with a smile.

Daryl watched anyway as the three men took down a large majority of Walkers, "You and Tyreese seem to get along." He observed.

"Yeah, I like him, he's a good man." She began, picking up on the jealous tone in his voice, "So are all of the new ones." She added quickly.

Daryl grunted and tried to think of anything but Tyreese and Carol... he watched as Rick, Glenn and Tyreese eliminated all of the Walkers. He sighed heavily and rocked back on his heels.

"Daryl..." Carol began, she walked forward and placed a tentative hand on his forearm, "Talk to me."

Daryl went rigid at her touch and looked down at her hand, "About?" He asked tight lipped.

"You know what about."

"What do you want? Want me to tell you all about it and then we can hug it out?" He asked still staring down at her hand on his arm, "That ain't happenin'." He shook his head.

"Why not?" She asked pinning him with a look that spoke volumes, she moved her hand, much to Daryl's displeasure and she caught his line of sight. "A problem shared is a problem halved and all that." She pushed.

"Carol, I'm beggin' you not to push this." He breathed.

"But I can see it's tearin' you apart and it's killin' me."

Daryl stared at her for a few seconds as he turned that over in his mind, he had never really had to worry about how is actions might have affected other people before. Except Merle but then he didn't really have to worry about that anymore.

"Please Daryl..."

"He'd been shot." Daryl said quickly and loudly, "I could see that when I saw him." He added shifting his weight onto his other foot, "I'd floored a Walker and clocked another munchin' on one of the Governors lot when it looked up at me." He cleared the lump that had formed in his throat and raked long calloused fingers through his tousled hair, "It was Merle."

"Oh Daryl..." Carol breathed placing her hand back on his arm. "I'm so sorry."

"It took a while, but I did it. I put him down." His voice was thick with emotion.

Carol just waited for him to speak again, when he didn't she cautiously moved forward and wrapped her arms around his waist; she placed her head on his chest, listening to his accelerated heartbeat. "It's okay." She soothed.

"But it's not," Daryl told her, he made no effort to move from Carol's embrace though, "He died fightin' for a group that wouldn't accept him, he died thinkin'..."

"Thinkin' what?"

"Nothin'." Daryl concluded finally untangling himself from Carol's arms; he stepped away and smiled awkwardly, "Happy now?" He asked softly.

"Remember when Sophia died? You sat with me for hours and hours, just waiting for me to want to talk."

"Yeah." Daryl drawled.

Carol smiled a small, sad smile and cast a look at Daryl, "That helped more than you know. I've never thanked you properly."

"You've thanked me enough." He told her but she still leant forward, she placed a chaste kiss on his cheek before smiling.

"Thank you Daryl."

Daryl nodded once, completely in awe of the woman that had just kissed him, "You're welcome." He breathed.