Notes: Short chapter Sorry! :P

Looking for Carol Fans to help me with the next chapter! I Love Carol, I just can't see them as more then friends. I want to keep her as IC as possible; I love the 'stop it,' 'no you stop it' relationship she has with Daryl in the show;-so I want to preserve that; without giving Fin a nervous breakdown... Tricky tricky!

Anyone willing to beta a chapter and offer suggestions/improvements send me a PM! Thanks!

Chapter Thirty-Six

(Daryl's POV)

Glenn is in the front room sitting on the couch when he emerges. He nods to him, does a half-way decent job of keeping the goofy grin off his face when he looks down at the book he must have found somewhere in the house to read.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, where is everyone?"

"Sasha is on the porch with the kids, Tyreese is with her, we actually got a little snow last night; just enough for it to stick to the wood, kids are writing their names in it."

"Lizzie?"

"Nah, she's in the room." Glenn nods his head toward the hallway. "You want me to go with you?"

"I'm good, just be a moment."

He walks across the ugly blue carpet down the hallway and swings open the first door to find her sitting on the bed staring out the window.

He pauses for a moment before stepping into the room swinging the door shut quietly behind him, he doesn't need Glenn to hear this; he can't keep a secret for two seconds.

"Listen up; I know Carol covered for you. I know what you did to Karen and David. Carol took the wrap for you so Tyreese wouldn't flip out and kill you; he and Rick were at each other's throats over it!"

…Hell he took a damn hard knock in the process too.

"I'm telling you right now, you do not get to make decisions like that for everyone. I don't care what you think is best; we all make decisions together. Karen and David might have lived, just like Sasha, and Glenn and You! And you need to understand this—Seraphim isn't sick. She's not; you almost killed her. You try anything, you so much as look at her wrong and I will end you."

She doesn't flinch, doesn't even look like she heard him till her eyes shift and she stares at him.

"Carol was right, she said you wouldn't see it that black and white."

"Well she's right. 'Cause it isn't black and white; it's people's lives! She got thrown out covering for you; think about that why don't you."

"She'll be fine, she's strong…"

"The worlds more complex then stronger and weaker," He cuts her off voice clipped; agitated. "If that's all you see you're in for a world of hurt. People will surprise you, people change, it's not that easy."

"It is; you guys make it too complicated. Are we done here?" She stares at him.

"Stay away from her." His finger is point at her…he doesn't even remember making the decision to raise his hand.

"Alright," She looks down at her shoes then out the window again.

He turns and leaves shutting the door behind him. Leans against the frame for a second breathing deep.

Is this what they've come down to? Kids that kill and adults that can't do anything to stop it?

He straightens, drags a hand through his hair before going to the back door, sliding it open to find Sasha and the kids on the back porch.

She's helping Molly and Mikka write their names on the railing in the white specks that could almost be large grains of sand.

"Hey man,"

He nods to Tyreese leaned against the wall.

"We're going to try to find a car that works; Fin is pretty sure there's a town of sorts up the road. Hold down the fort?"

Tyreese nods his head. "Yeah, no problem man."