AN: I really hope you like this chapter. Please give me a review and let me know what you think:) I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead in any form.

Chapter 7

Elephants love reunions. They recognize each other after years and years of separation, and greet each other with wild boisterous joy. There's bellowing and trumpeting, ears flapping and rubbing. Trunks entwine. ~ Jennifer Richard Jacobson

The smell of melting metal permeated the room, as Daryl and the other occupants of the train car ( all who had be roused by Rick) watched as the metal hatch where Eugene had been sitting popped open in near silence, a large man hoisted himself into the car and turned hauling two large bags up after him. Another man remained on the ground and they communicated by hand signals before closing the hatch.

Smirking the lieutenant turned around to face the train car occupants.

"Who the hell are you?" Rick asked.

"Name's Lieutenant Paul Monroe, my colleagues and I are shutting down this little sicko operation and as a nice little side bonus you all are getting you're get out of jail free gotta be the Sheriff" he said gesturing at Rick, "and the archer, and the samurai I would presume" nodding his head at Daryl and Michonne.

"Why are you helping us?"

"My colleagues and I are from an actual safe zone, unlike this human meat trap ya'll walked into. We would have shut it down anyway, but we just ran into some friends of yours." The lieutenant responded.

"Who, and why should we trust you?" Rick asked.

"Beth,Carol and Judith" he turned to Daryl. "Daryl right? Carol said stay safe, nine lives. Said you would understand." Maggie gasped softly at Beth's name. Carl was grinning ecstatically and Rick stood slightly stunned. Daryl chest was heaving with relief. The weight of both Carol's and Beth absence lifted off his shoulders, but the fact Carol was okay had him weak in the knees.

"Holy shit the housewife did it" Abraham muttered.

11111111111111111111111111

Carol once again found herself behind the fence at Terminus watching from a distance the armed standpoint that currently had her heart beating in an accelerated rhythm.

The plan had worked perfectly, the lieutenant's men had taken out the snipers and guards, blocked off all exits without detection. The explosion had drawn the rest out to be ambushed.

She had watched as one by one her group and a few she did not recognize had exited the back of the train car, her eyes straining for Daryl and then she saw him.

She wanted to run to him, she wanted to cry out to him, but she bit her tongue until it bled to stop herself. There was no way he could have seen her standing beyond the fence but his eyes found her exact location, staring intently in her direction for several moments before the group took off in the direction of explosion and sounds of a firefight in progress.

She'd raced along the fence keeping Daryl in her sight. She saw the Lieutenant meet up with Reynolds who soon was accompanying a young women with a noticeable limp and a man with a mullet in Beth's direction she assumed taking them to the vehicles.

The group had quickly overcome the Termites who no longer had the benefit of the snipers. There were only 6 left in a armed standoff. Rick , and The lieutenant attempting to negotiate their surrender.

A man in his early thirties was speaking for the Termites and the more he spoke the less she felt any compassion ( knowing he was facing imminent death)towards him. He was cocky and arrogant, unwilling to admit defeat in one moment, the next attempting to rationalize what they had done and were doing. Carol thought she might be sick when she heard him say they had eaten their own children.

She was wondering why he was talking so much when she noticed it, the rapid movement of his hands. She had noticed the lieutenants men making signals like that to one another . He was communicating with someone she realized with fear.

She began to rapidly scan the area looking for who it was when she saw a man standing on the building pointing a riffle. She knew the group below could not see him. Without thinking she fired off a shot hitting him and seeing him fall.

The man (Gareth) began laughing, his laugh sending shivers down her spine. He was holding his hands out on either side of him exclaiming that the group would never take down the compound. She noticed his fingers start to move again, she had it clear in her line of vision. Without hesitation she took another shot and hit him in the hand, he dropped to his knees in agony, the rest of the Termites dropped their weapons and surrendered.

1111111111111111111111

"Fuck yeah, good shot blue eyes! " Perez yelled out as the psycho fuck had fallen. The lieutenant nodded to him motioning to the gate he glanced up noting Reynolds had returning driving one truck, he had Miller driving the other. Smiling at Carol as she brushed by him he ran up to open the gate and let the two trucks in.

Blondie jumped out and turned towards him and that's when he saw the glint in the trees, he grabbed Blondie spinning her away and pushing her to the ground as he heard the riffle crack and felt a shot hit him in the back. The he felt nothing as the ground rose up to meet him.

1111111111111111111

Daryl had been seemingly transfixed when he saw her entering the gate at the other end of the compound. He took a second to just drink in the sight of her. She was dirty, and sweaty, he could see how fatigued she was, she had dark circles under her eyes. He had never seen anyone look more beautiful in his life.

He heard Rick say something to him from somewhere behind him and Glenn mutter "not now Rick" as he began to walk towards her his pace accelerating with every step he took, that when he saw out of the corner of his eye what could only be the light reflecting of a gun.

With no hesitation he threw himself at her tackling her to the ground, shielding her body protectively with his own as the shots rang out. If it had been any other time he would have reveled in the feel of her soft body under his. Her hands clutched his shirt in a fierce grip. Her head tucked under his chin.

He glanced up just as one of Carol and Beth's new friends took out the shooter. A young guy who barely looked 19.

He felt Carol trembling he looked down at her, they were face to face noses almost touching. He couldn't seem to find words his shock was so great. Carol seemed to be having problem.

When it became clear no more shots were coming he helped Carol to her feet. She glanced toward truck and released a sob when she saw her friend on the ground with Beth crying hysterically next to him.

He put his hands on her waist and hauled her into him, until their chest were touching and brought his hands up to rest on her cheeks.

"Carol are you okay? Please answer me" he didn't recognize his own hysterical voice, but it seemed to snap her out of the shock she was in. She brought one of her hands up resting it over his own on her cheek, her eyes filled with tears as she whispered his name in a voice filled with awe. They could only stare at one another. The group had run over. A man was yelling for Carol's help with the shooting victim. Rick was yelling that they needed to check the woods for more shooters, and "deal"with the prisoners. They all seemed a million miles away, but he knew they were right.

"I gotta..." He stopped his voice wavering.

"I know... I do too" she replied "Stay safe" she smiled

"Nine Lives angel" he whispered leaning forward to brush his lips on forehead. Like two magnets resistant to being separated they pulled apart, he grasped her hand as they moved in opposite directions only letting go when she was no longer within his reach.