As I was writing this, I didn't expect it to be the last chapter. But it is. I'm not that happy with it and I think I resolved the Rick and Carl problem too easily, however, this was the best I could do. I haven't been wanting to write for this story lately and now that it's over, I'm kind of sad but now it's another finished story for me. Yay! :)

I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 21

Daryl watched as Rick and Carol came face to face for the first time in four months. Carol's eyes had started to fill with tears even before she had climbed out of the truck and from the look on Rick's face; it looked like he was close to tears himself. Daryl thought that was a good sign.

"Carol...I can't believe it." Rick looked over her shoulder at Daryl, who was leaning against the front of the truck and watching them very carefully. Rick didn't doubt that if he made the wrong move, Daryl would be there in an instant.

"Yeah, it's me." Carol's voice was soft and her eyes were watery. Looking down, Rick saw that her hands were shaking slightly. He reached out and grabbed them in his hands. Daryl shifted in place and crossed his arms.

Rick was at a loss for words. All the hours he had spent lying awake the past four months thinking of what he'd say to Carol if they met again left his mind and he was left with a blank. Truthfully, he had missed Carol something fierce and that was something he hadn't admitted aloud to anyone. The eight months they had been on the run after the farm, Carol had taken care of Lori when he had refused to and Rick would forever be grateful for that. She had taken care of his children when he couldn't and she'd become a dear friend to him after Lori's death.

"Rick, are you okay?" Carol's hands were still in his and he had taken to staring intently at their joined appendages.

"Oh," Rick immediately let go of her hands and ran one of his through his hair. "Sorry."

"Are y'all goin' to talk or are you goin' to just hold hands all day?" Daryl called out to them. Carol turned and glared at him before looking back at Rick.

"Daryl's right, Rick. We have to talk." Carol crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed at them, as if to keep warm. "You need to know why I killed Karen and David."

"They were sick, Carol. I think I...understand." Daryl raised his eyebrows at the man, but Rick didn't notice.

"They were suffering, Rick. They begged me to kill them and I did it."

Rick was silent and his mouth was agape in surprise. "They begged for it, Carol?"

Tears glistened in her eyes. "Yes. I went down there to see how they were doing. If they had been doing better then I would have left them alone, but if not, then I would have killed them. Even if they hadn't asked. Patrick died in less than twenty-four hours and I couldn't have them getting Judith or anyone else sick."

"You did it for Judith?" Rick asked.

"Yes. I can't have another child die on me, Rick. Especially one so young." A tear slid down her cheek. "It was hard to do it, even with them begging me."

Rick broke down and gathered Carol in his arms. Daryl watched with narrowed eyes. "I'm sorry for kicking you out, Carol." Rick said.

"It's okay." Carol smiled. "I'm back, now. Well, if you let me come back, that is."

"Of course!" Rick smiled and pulled her close, again. When Daryl cleared his throat loudly, they stepped apart and Carol rolled his eyes at him. Rick looked between them and went over to the truck. "I'm going to bring some of your stuff up to the cellblock. Daryl's cell, right?" He winked.

"Yeah," she answered with a smile. The couple watched Rick walk by with arms full of Carol's belongings. Carol wrapped an arm around Daryl. "That wasn't so bad."

"Naw, it wasn't." Daryl agreed.

"Do you think it was too easy?" Worry sounded in her tone. "Do you really think he forgives me or was he just saying that because everyone was watching?"

"What?" Daryl was confused. Carol pointed to the brick building of the prison and Daryl saw Glenn, Beth, Tyreese and the girls watching them. Glenn had the audacity to wave cheerfully at them. Daryl almost flipped him off, but held back because Lizzie and Mika were right there. "No, I don't think he was just sayin' that. We've kind of been chippin' away at him for awhile, now, and we finally got him to understand."

This time happy tears filled her eyes. It felt good to know that so many had cared about her. Carol went up on her tiptoes and kissed him. "I love you so much."

Carol waited in their cell for Daryl to return with dinner. She had offered to help with the cooking, but the Greene sisters had shooed her away and told her she should take the day off. Carol had protested that she had taken four months off, but they wouldn't listen.

The curtain rustled over the doorway and Carol thought it was Daryl returning, but someone knocked on the bars. Daryl wouldn't knock.

"Come in." Carol was surprised when Carl entered the room, the Sheriff's hat still placed on his head. Carol noticed that the boy needed a haircut. Maybe one day she'd be able to sit both him and Daryl down for one.

"Hi, Carol."

"Hi, Carl. Is there something wrong?" This was the first time Carol had seen Carl since she had come back and she was somewhat nervous to see how he felt about her.

"I just wanted to see you." He took a step closer. "Is that okay?"

"Of course!" Carol smiled and made room for him to sit by her on the bed. Things were looking up.

Carl took the offered seat and gave her a tentative smile. "I've missed you, Carol."

Without warning, tears filled up Carol's eyes. "You did?" At his nod, she wrapped him in her arms and pulled him close, not caring that she might be squashing him. "I missed you, too!"

"I was mad at my dad for kicking you out." She released him from the hug, but his body still faced her. "I know why you did it. You were protecting Judith and if I hadn't been forced into quarantine, I would have done the same."

Carol grabbed his arm, horrified. "No! Carl Grimes, you would have not done it."

"I would have," Carl said, vehemently. "If it meant Judith was safe, I'd do anything for her." Carol stood up and reached for him again, not believing where this conversation was going.

"If that's the case, Carl, then I'm glad you were locked up in quarantine. I did what I had to do and the last thing I'd want for you is to have you live with the regret of killing an innocent person." She stepped closer and made sure to keep eye contact with him. "I promised your mother I'd protect you and your sister like you were my own and I did."

Carl stood silently for a moment. "You're right, Carol." He looked up at her, his hat causing a shadow to cast on his face. "Thank you." He hugged her, again.

"You're welcome, honey. Now," she straightened his hat with a smile. "I think Beth has Judith. Why don't you grab a plate of food and sit with her?"

He nodded. "Okay. I'll see you later." A moment later he was walking back through the curtain. Daryl appeared seconds later, a plate of food in each hand and by the look on his face, he had heard everything.

Handing Carol her food, he sat beside her on the bed. "Are you okay?"

Carol smiled and replied honestly, "I am, now." Carl didn't hate her, Rick and the rest of her family were all glad she was back and there would no longer be nights where she'd have to sleep alone because Daryl was always going to be there with her, now.

The End

I say this is the end, but there could be an epilogue. As of now, there won't be but if I get the urge to write more for this story than there will be.

I want to thank everyone who had read this and stuck with it all this time. I never thought it would be this long considering it came from a dream I had a long time ago. :) Anyways, you guys are seriously the BEST group of readers and I'm going to miss hearing from you all on this story!