This chapter is a hot mess and I hate it. I do not like how it turned out. I've written it several ways and nothing feels right but I need to move the story forward so this is what we're stuck with. :/ Bleh.

She was standing on the icy precipice, watching everyone crash murderously together. It was reminiscent of waves crashing against jagged rock cliff face, the ocean fighting harder and harder with each crash. Above her the sky burned black, smoking and slithering, roaring down at her. Fierce veins of lightning pierced the sky, raising the hairs on the back of her slick neck. Moisture struck her, freezing and slicing her flesh.

Another flash of lightning and she felt a sob building in her chest. Even as the screams of people she'd come to know and people who were hell bent on harm grew louder. It done nothing to eclipse the fear in her heart. Where was her daughter? Where was Sophia at! Carol searched like mad for anyone she knew in the chaos. With a pained noise she charged forward determined to find her daughter.

"CAROL!"

Turning just in time to see someone coming up behind her. They slammed into each other and Carol felt the wind knocked out of herself. Snarling like a dog she fought with everything in her. It wasn't enough though. She felt her body knocked backwards with a sweep of their foot and she went down hard. A groan escaped and she looked up blinking through the rain. A man was above her smiling mad licking his teeth like a predator about to go in for the kill. He brought his hand back and Carol shrieked grabbing for her own. Before she could do much though she watched as the man's head was jerked backwards and a knife tore it's way through his throat and he was thrown sideways.

Mac stepped over the man and finished shouldering his rifle as blood dripped from his knife. He grabbed her hand without warning and jerked her to her feet. Carol almost cried in relief to seeing such a friendly face. His hands were all over her and he stood again his eyes wild

"Are you hurt? Where's Sophia? Andrea? Brian?" He panted rapidly.

Carol shook her head and swiped at the rain as more gunfire tore through the air. Mac's eyes went behind her watching silently for mere seconds. When he looked at her again there was something in his eyes that wasn't there before. It was a darkness that could scare someone who had to face that down. Instead he unshouldered his rifle and shoved it into her hands. When she raised a brow he slid another knife out and rolled his shoulders.

"Find our kids." He took off at a sprint and disappeared into the mass of people fighting.

Carol screamed for him. He didn't look back though and she got a glimpse of him fighting. He was like a well oiled machine steamrolling through the crows. There was an uncapped fury radiating out from him. She knew instantly that this was what Merle and Daryl talked about. Mac's anger was worse than theirs. It ran deeper, went somewhere where there's never did. Daryl told her at times that Mac just wasn't exactly sane, that he didn't exactly feel regret or remorse. He just didn't give a fuck for the most part unless you were family. These people were threatening his family.

Carol turned then and took off at a dead run for the house. If Sophia was here she would go to the house. She knew they'd look for her here. She knew that if she could find Sophia that Brian wouldn't be far behind. Brian would fight through hell for her daughter and Sophia would him. It was sobering but she kept pushing.

Her boots thudded up the steps and she burst into the house. Eyes sweeping she raced up the stairs and burst into Sophia's room just as another burst of thunder and lightning exploded outside. Her daughter's room look like it'd been ransacked. Carol spun on her heel and looked into her and Daryl's room. Nothing. Looking into Brian's room her chest heaved. His room was ripped apart too.

Carol turned when she heard something then. Hope ignited in her chest and she rushed down the stairs. Sliding in water from her boots Carol almost fell. In the process she knocked over a table and huffed.

"Sophia?" Carol called out.

Nothing. It was dead silent. Feeling eyes on herself she looked around but seen no one. Fear licked up her spine and she swallowed the bile in her throat. Her daughter wasn't here. Her and Brian got in a fight before all this broke out. They weren't together. The chances of them finding each other in this unharmed was unlikely. Tears budded in her eyes and it was like when she lost her daughter all over again.

A soft thud had her spinning and her rifle coming up. A man she didn't know was looking at her. He was filthy and she could smell him from where she stood. He was leering at her and his belt was hanging open. His jeans were undone and hanging around his hips. Her heart jumped into her throat and her eyes searched for a head of blonde hair. Andrea would come here looking for Sophia and Brian just like she had.

"Today's my lucky day." He purred.

Carol sneered at him and spit. He licked his lips and stepped towards her. Anger like she'd never felt before ignited through her body. Her rifle raised the second he lunged and the sound of gunfire deafened the world. Something snapped then and Carol rose up to her feet, something dangerous and like fire burning through her. She didn't know if Daryl was alive or Sophia. Even in a way Brian had been like a son to her. Merle wasn't here and she was unsure about him. Mac was alive though and she had to get to him because he was the last remainder of this place she had right now. With bile in her mouth she stepped over to where the man had been. She had to know before she went back out there.

Mac barked at Rick and the man nodded. His eyes were wild and glazed. Even as hazy as Rick's eyes was he knew that he was a whole other mess altogether. Rick paused mid step and done a double take looking at him. He could feel it running like the rain down his arms and over his body. His shirt was ripped and torn in different places only holding on because the rain and blood were plastering it to his skin. His eyes were hungry.

Rick threw his hand up and done a circle. Mac nodded and pulled out his pistol holding his knife at the ready. It was dark and while most of the men were downed it didn't mean other weren't lingering. Now he had to worry about walkers from people coming back and wherever these men came in. In the back of his mind something was whispering that it was too late. That his brothers were dead, that his son was, and that Sophia was broken. His gnashed his teeth and took off the opposite direction of Grimes. His boots splashed through more than rain and his heart beat heavily.

Mac doubled his pace and swept the area for any sign of the men in the area. He wasn't sure how many got in after he'd come down off the eagles nest. He'd killed fifteen before having to come down. He didn't have time to fight with a rifling jam and that'd been it. He wasn't afraid of hand to hand combat. He'd grown up busting skulls and keeping bloody knuckles. Taking a life for his family wasn't that far fetched, wasn't the first time.

A shadow danced at the edge of one of the houses and Mac slowed his pace. Watching the movement. It wasn't a woman. He came to the fence and vaulted it the same time the man turned. Rapid rifle fire exploded three houses down at the same time and it felt like his chest burst, he knew that house.

A stinging sensation tore through his chest but he kept fighting. The man was howling like a wolf and smiling like a lunatic. Mac brought his hand around and caught him in the side of the head with the butt of his pistol before putting a shot in his thigh. The man went down with a scream and looked up at Mac. A mirror of his own smile greeted the man before he'd drove the knife through his eyes. He didn't believe in prisoners.

"MAC!" A familiar voice screamed, pained.

Barely having a chance to look up he seen a man swinging an axe right for his chest. Eyes widened and he exhaled hard. The rain slowed his movements and so did the body at his feet. The axe was coming right for him when he seen a smaller form pivot into the space and a knife drive up and into the person's chest. His arms went slack and the axe thudded to the ground.

The figure stood and tore a hood back from their head. Carol met his eyes and relief washed over her, shoulders slumping. He looked around her but didn't see anyone else with her. He looked to the house he knew she came from and felt a new wash of rage penetrate his blood and mind. Where was his son? He told his son to get to Carol and Sophia!

"Anything?" Carol's voice was hoarse.

Mac picked up his dropped knife and that of the man at his feet. He grabbed the axe and met her eyes, "Nope. Rick's circling the other way, running the fence. Looking for how they got in. Most everyone is fighting in the main part of the town."

Carol grimaced and shook her head, "Andrea?"

Something else tightened in his chest and he met her eyes. Carol stared at him for a while but they both shook their heads. He'd not seen her since he'd gotten in the nest. She was a fighter though and he didn't think she'd go down without a hell of a fight.

"She's fine." He reassured himself.

He stood and shoved another knife and gun into Carol's hand. She didn't have the rifle anymore. Carol nodded and both took off together. Neither needing to explain why they kept each other so close. He'd kill any motherfucker that looked at Carol. She was his sister. She was Daryl's. She was Sophia mother. She was a part of his goddamn family and he wouldn't watch Sophia and Daryl grieve over her if something was to happen.

Lifting his eyes he scanned the area see drag marks were partially obscured and quickly washing away with the rain. Mac sneered at the marks. Carol caught his wrist and he looked up at the shrubbery. It was torn and trampled. He started tracking whatever was happening. It was easy to see that it was two people versus one.

Carol had her knife ready and her gun. Mac kept his eyes on the ground feeling longing for his brothers. Daryl was better at tracking and Merle was just better at thinking tactically. He would have known where the weakest spot was for a breach. He would have known! Mac was good for one thing and one thing only. Killing.

His hand shot back and planted on Carol's chest feeling her heart beating frantically. He shook his head at her and she scowled but something in his face silenced her. Bursting through the shrubbery when he heard a yelp. He didn't pause like his brothers might have. He didn't think. His hand raised without thought and two consecutive rounds were fired. Mac was kicking them away as Carol raised forward.

"Andrea look at me." Carol pleaded.

Mac swallowed and kneeled over her. When she didn't wake to Carol shaking her he grit his teeth and pushed his hair out his face. Looking down at her slack face and at her shredded shirt he felt something snap. He hauled off and slapped her. Carol shrieked and lunged for his arm trying to restrain him. He slapped her again even with Carol fighting against him. He shook Carol off like she was a gnat and stared down at Andrea willing her to open her eyes.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU THINKING!" Carol bellowed.

Mac looked up at her and Carol blanched. He looked down again and was met pale blue eyes. Andrea was blinking water out of her eyes. He stood the same time he he caught her under her arms. Andrea was on her feet seconds before she slammed into him. Her arms went around his neck, her other hand sliding into his hair and tightening painfully.

"Oh god I thought everyone was...I thought." Andrea leaned back looking at them. "Where is everyone else?"

Carol slipped her jacket off handing it to Andrea. She tore the rest of her ruined shirt over her head. Mac inspected her as quickly as he could for injuries but she was merely bruised. The jacket was pulled on and she thanked Carol. Both of them looked at him and he ignored the worried looks for the blood on himself. He knew most of it wasn't his, not saying he wasn't hurt because he was but he wasn't fucking stopping until he found his son. Until his brothers were back and Sophia was safe.

Mac looked at them and felt the heaviness in his chest. "I gotta run the rest of it."

Carol nodded and Andrea met his eyes. She gathered the weapons off the men and the three of them took off. All three bloodthirsty and pained. The night warred on with bodies dropping and lightning bruising the sky. He'd lost count of the bodies he'd stepped over. He'd stopped carrying when even after the fenced was secured he couldn't find his son or Sophia.

When he lapped the last part of the fence he seen Rick's stricken face. Rick was standing over a man pushing him the last of the way to the ground. When Rick looked up his eyes were dead. A shiver ran down Mac's back and he knew that something terrible happened. He walked forward watching as the last of the people fought. Mac stared hard through the downpour and thought he seen a quick flash of silver severing a limb. He blinked and swiped at his eyes trying to shield the storm.

A gasp exploded from Carol's chest and she tried to run. Andrea caught her around the waist holding her back. They fought but the same time Mac's chest heaved. Moving with purpose towards them was Daryl. His eyes were cold and calculating, without mercy. Blood was splashed across his torso and up his arms. It was streaking down his body like blood itself was raining over him. How long had he been here fighting?

He took off at a sprint when he seen them. Mac let out a breath the same time the two slammed together. Carol's feet left the ground when Daryl's arms went around her. His face buried in her neck and Carol held on for dear life. Mac swallowed and Andrea stepped next to him catching his arm and letting her hand slide down to his own. Her fingers linked with his and she tightened her grip. She was shaking and pressed into him. His arm went around her as something beat hollowly into his chest. There was a void in him that until his son was back would never be filled again. He tried to breathe around it but it was like it was crushing his longs and strangling his heart at the same time.

Merle was barking orders out at the remaining people standing around him. Martinez was doing the same. His eyes swept over Mac, Daryl, Carol, and Andrea checking for injury before he looked away. Mac nodded at him and Merle's eyes searched and came back to his. Mac knew that look but he had no answer. Pain and worry echoed in Merle's eyes for a fraction of second before it was locked away and he was ready to fight. He was already.

"Mac." Rick's voice was hoarse and rasped close to him. "Daryl!"

Mac looked over the same time Daryl put Carol down. She was still pressed into his chest and Rick stared right at them. He swallowed and he looked ready to puke. There was an understanding he'd never really seen Rick have about Carol and Daryl before on the mans' face. Like he finally got it. He understood what his brother and her had. It was a sick thought that maybe Rick did. Maybe he wasn't always a crack pot out to start shit with his brother. He'd lost people to and the blow just kept coming for all of them.

"Where's Sophia?" Daryl's voice interrupted everyone. Something in his voice quaked in all their chest, like a natural disaster shaking their foundations. Carol's mouth dropped open and she shook her head, "She dead?"

Mac flinched and his eyes took in all the bodies around them. They weren't even sure who all was dead yet. He couldn't answer him truthfully because he didn't know. None of them did.

Rick cleared his throat and flinched suddenly. Andrea looked over then and stepped closer to him. "Rick have you seen them? Where's Carl? He was with Sophia earlier. Maybe they're all hiding together."

Rick met her eyes and Andrea's watered. Her hand went to Rick's shoulder and he looked past them to a set of apple trees. It was dense and had thick shrubbery that hid a little alcove. He swallowed and met their eyes again the rain finally stopping. Blood ran like a river around their boots and Mac stared towards those trees.

Rick stared at Carol and Daryl. His eyes pained, "She was with him earlier. No more than ten minutes before all this started. I'd just checked on them." He coughed and let the knife in his hand drop to the ground.

Daryl turned meeting his eyes and Rick looked towards the trees again. Daryl took off leaving everyone of them behind and Mac cussed. He wasn't sure what Daryl was about to walk into but he knew it'd destroyed Rick. He was a dead man walking. He called to Daryl but he was already disappearing into the trees.

"Rick stop!" Andrea cried out.

Mac turned the same time Rick's' body buckled and gunfire erupted. Andrea screamed and buckled with his weight. Mac stared at him wide eyed and felt bile rising in his throat. Merle was there prying Andrea back from Rick's limp body as she sobbed and cried. Merle met his eyes and jerked his head towards where Daryl and Carol disappeared. Martinez had Rick's dead body now in his arms dragging him away from Andrea.

Stepping into the clearing Mac was met with the sight of Carl Grimes dead. He searched frantically for his son and rubbed his chest when their was no sign of Brian or Sophia. Daryl was kneeling close by Carl. Carol was looking around the entire area her hand on her throat and her eyes wide. Her other hand was reaching towards Daryl like she was stuck in mid gesture. Mac moved forward when he could see the bunching of his brothers muscles. Tension ripped through Daryl. He stood fluidly and Mac jerked back from the amount of anger rolling off him, the amount of pain. Taking a cautious step towards him Mac eyed his brother.

"Daryl she's not here, we'll find them." Mac reassured.

Daryl's eyes lifted to his and Mac recoiled. Carol finally came closer and made a noise like a wounded animal in her throat. There were bodies of three fully grown men here with Carl's body but it wasn't that. Mac stared down and could read the fight just as easily. The scraps of clothes he knew, they were Sophia's but she wasn't here. Her shirt was shredded and bloody. But the ripped panties on the ground were what had his attention. Everything Michonne told them poured into his mind. Everything disgusting thing that'd she told them these men were doing. Hands going to his knees he panted and felt the contents of his stomach start to churn.

Daryl doubled over and puked suddenly. Mac stared wide eyes at the tiny scrap of cotton and looked back at the bodies. Finally able to get himself under control when nothing was left to come up. He forced himself to breathe to calm down. They were cut to ribbons on some places and clear signs of them fighting. He swallowed and looked around trying to find something, anything to help. Carol's breaths were coming fast next to him and Daryl was dry heaving.

"No." Carol snarled, "This isn't happening. She has to be here!"

Mac looped around to a break in the shrubbery and let out a breath when he seen a familiar boot print. It was weighted down and he had a feeling that if they could find his son they'd find Sophia. He just hoped that she wasn't in bad shape. He looked over and seen his brother swiping at his mouth as he stared down at the mess around them. He didn't waste time before gathering himself and locking eyes on the tracks.

Carol was whispering to him and Daryl met her eyes. Carol nodded and cupped his cheek. "She's a fighter. You done that, Daryl." Carol nodded, her forehead pressing into his. Mac looked away from the scene. "She's with Brian. I know she is. The house was empty but I think they were there."

Daryl forced himself to breathe normally. Carol and Mac were watching him like he was Rick Grimes. He wasn't. Sophia was alright. His nephew was alright. He would find them. He would make sure every motherfucker who thought coming to this town was dead and he was going to make sure his girl was safe.

He took the steps two at a time and was in Sophia's room before Carol could catch up to him. He felt his chest tighten when he seen her soaked, bloody, and torn jeans. He picked them up and a new wash of murderous intent laced his blood. He was seeing red. He looked around and spotted a shirt on the ground just as wet. Picking it up he recognized Brian's shirt. It was blood soaked and muddy but he knew that it was Brian who found her. He swallowed at the relief in his system.

If Brian found them though where the fuck were they? He looked out into the hall the same time Mac stepped into the hall from Brian's room. Their eyes met and he knew Mac was on the same page as him. He nodded and Mac disappeared down the steps. He wasn't sure if this was all the men. He knew they'd gotten everyone at the camp but a lot had come here. They'd been scoping the place out. Now he knew that some could see be out there, he wasn't stupid. But he knew his daughter and nephew were out there now too.

"Daryl." Carol grabbed his wrist.

"Get your pack." His voice was rough. "They aren't here."

Carol's eyes widened, "Why would they leave?"

Daryl snorted and shook his head, "If I was them I would have. They're kids Carol. She's-" he swallowed and shook his head unable to think about what happened out there. "She's hurt and he could be too. He fought three men out there."

Carol nodded and started grabbing her things. They were done at the same time and Daryl met her eyes. "I'm not coming home until I have her with me."

"I'll be with you."

They came down stairs to Mac pacing with his pack. He looked like a caged lion being taunted with a fresh kill. He looked up and smiled. It wasn't friendly, wasn't reassuring but at the same time it did. These two men were two sides to a coin, a coin that flipped to heads or tails could turn into complete monsters. Daryl's eyes went to the body he could see laying there. The man hadn't died slowly he could tell that. Carol was looking at him and he raised a brow before she grimaced. It was sobering. It wasn't that he was lying to himself that she hadn't fought to survive but to know that someone was in the house and she fought here. He looked further and seen a woman he'd seen around a few times. She was one of them that always followed Kaye. Her clothes were ripped to shreds and it was obvious what'd happened to her. It stomach turned as he recalled Sophia's panties and shredded shirt out there. With each passing second he felt himself dancing closer to the edge. There was a thirst in him that wouldn't be sated till he knew every one of them was dead and Sophia was safe here. This place was ruined to him.

Mac jerked Daryl forward and met his eyes. "We never split up again. Family stays with family."

Daryl nodded and just then Merle came through the door. "Where the fuck are they?"

Carol watched as all three Dixon men suddenly aligned onto the same warpath. Andrea was beside her and ready to go. Carol looked at her and Andrea gave her a brittle smile. Blood was on her face and staining her honey blonde hair. Her eyes went back to Mac as her hand tangled with Carol's.

"Come on." Merle barked.

Daryl turned waiting on her and put her in front of him the same time Mac jerked Andrea to him. He was talking quietly and inspecting her. Carol elbowed Daryl and motioned to Mac.

"His chest." She whispered.

Daryl licked his lips and jogged to Mac. Mac grunted when Daryl was suddenly in front of him. He was swatting at his hands and Daryl barked at him. Both fought until Mac stopped. Merle was there inspecting him as well.

"Clean that up." Merle ordered.

"No time."

Daryl met Andrea's eyes and she came forward. She was already working her pack open and getting out stuff. Mac hissed through his teeth. He kept his grip on Daryl as Andrea scrubbed at the wound on his chest. It was deep and needed stitches. Daryl knew he'd not stop though for stitches and Andrea just sighed before dousing it in betadine.

"We'll find them."