As Aislynn cried, she felt someone's arm around her shoulders, pulling her into their chest as they held her to them.
"Stop, please," the voice begged.
A boy's voice; soft and gentle yet worn-out and tired. "Aislynn," it said again, pulling her away to face him and then pressing their lips together.
She could not describe the kiss. It was warm and soft yet confused and full of sadness; their lips pressed together as she cried making the kiss taste slightly of her salty tears.
"Please," he said again, pulling away to press their foreheads together; taking her hands in his and putting them to his lips. "Please, Aislynn. Stop crying, Daryl will be okay, I love you."
Aislynn nodded and raised her eyes to him.
Carl.
"I love you too," she replied softly. She had been crying for so long now her eyes were sore and she had not slept for days because she was worried and she could see what that was doing to Carl. He looked so sad and so sorry but he'd done nothing and Aislynn felt horrible; both herself and what she was doing to Carl.
"Would you stop crying, Aissy?" [A/N: Pronounced A-zy]
Aislynn nodded and then fell backwards lightly, letting Carl tower over her as they kissed, her hand brushing against his cheek as she kissed him back.
"Will you do that for me?" he said, a stray tear falling from his cheek to hers. Aislynn gasped and quickly nodded, pulling away from the kiss. "Please stop, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt ya," she apologised sadly, her stomach clenched in guilt.
Carl nodded.
His face was dirty from the tombs and his hair was long past his shoulders, his clothing was soaked in what must have been a nasty concoction of walker blood, sweat and dirt and the hat his father, Rick, had given him would need a really good scrubbing.
"I'll wash your hat," Aislynn offered, "Give it ta me."
Carl took it off and handed it to her, leaning up to sit down as she pulled her head from her pillow to sit behind him as they faced Daryl's bed.
He'd been missing for days.
Rick said he went hunting, most said he died, others tried to argue he skipped out on the group to find the "Beth chick" and then he and Beth were going to leave them.
Aislynn had of course defended him and was then confined to her joint prison room with Daryl.
"It wasn't your fault," Carl assured, "And you did break that woman's nose."
She snorted, playing with the band of the Sheriff hat as her boyfriend's arm went around her neck. "I know it weren't but I should've been there for 'im. Ya know? I should've tried to talk to him and succeeded, I should've tried to do anything and I didn't!"
"You tried, Aislynn. I know you did. Stop blaming yourself for me? Can you do that that? I hate seeing you like this all the time now. I liked Beth but her kidnapping isn't your fault and if Daryl left us-"
"He wouldn't do that!" Aislynn interrupted, disgusted by the idea as she stood from her place and threw Carl back the hat. "Daryl wouldn't leave," she argued through clenched teeth.
Carl nodded, "Just sit down, okay? You need to rest. But would you? Would you stop crying not only for me but for yourself? I don't see any reason to blame yourself for grown men's mistakes, do you? Would you stop blaming yourself for me and you? Will you do that for me?"
Beth was terrified.
After almost what seemed like a week, they had just let her go. She knew something bad would happen, they had promised but what had already happened to her was far worse than anything they could bring down upon the prison group.
A car, speeding down the road, flung over to the side as she screamed suddenly, scared it was someone who was going to harm her.
"B...Beth?" a girl choked.
Beth could make out the figures of Maggie, Glenn and Rick as she began to fall, her grip on the surface beneath her feet faded away as she fell down. A pair of hands lifted her up and when she opened her eyes she was in the car; the back seat, strung across Maggie's legs and the three back seats.
She began to cry.
"Oh, Bethy, please. Oh, my God. We all thought..." Maggie trailed off, her voice now a harsh inaudible whisper.
"You'll be okay," Rick reassured from the frontseat. "Just tell us what happened, would that be alright?"
Beth sighed and cuddled closer into her sister's chest than she had done since her mother, Annette had died on the farm as a waker. "I can't," she whispered to Maggie who nodded.
"Will you tell me, Bethy? Will you do that for me?"
Finally Beth brought up enough strength to talk properly and said loudly, "Where is Daryl?"
GUYS, I'VE HAD NO INTERNET FOR DAYS AND I'VE BEEN DYING, CRYING AND TRYING TO GET CHAPTERS UP FOR ALL OF YOU.
HOPE YOU LIKE IT, BIT LONGER THAN USUAL OR SHORTER THAN USUAL!
LIVE LONG AND PROSPER GINGER-NOTS, AMY.