After spending a few hours though in Carol's house, it became apparent that my fears were unfounded. She didn't speak one bad word about me or even bring up the Wolf subject at all. Instead, she spent most of the time catching up with Daryl - reminiscing about old days as well as him filling her in on things she had missed while she'd been gone. All the while, I sat in the corner on the couch by the window. It had grown dark outside, night falling fast around us so Carol had lit candles around the house. It didn't really matter, though - dad could find his way in the dark, no problem.
I bit my lip, listening to their words as Carol made a fire over the dead logs in her fireplace, warming us up. Pulling my blouse close around my frame, I rested my cheek against the soft cushion of the couch.
"I couldn't lose anyone. I couldn't lose any of them... I couldn't lose you," Carol admitted, her voice low and soft as she knelt in front of the fire, "I couldn't kill them,"
The flames licked up the sides of the wood, lighting up her features. She frowned then, pondering over the Saviors and where the conversation was heading.
"I could. I would... If they hurt any of our people - any more of them - that's what I would do," she continued, looking away briefly to gaze into the fire dancing before her eyes, "And there wouldn't be anything left of me after that,"
Daryl was silent, saying nothing at all as he sat alone in his corner of the room. The candles lit up his face but only slightly. From this distance, I couldn't tell what the expression on his face was but I knew - somehow - just what he was thinking about.
"The Saviors - did they come?" Carol finally asked after a moment's silence had descended upon us all.
"Yeah," Daryl mumbled, nodding.
She turned to look at him then, her eyes meeting his before she moved away from the fire to face him fully.
"Did anyone get hurt? Is everybody okay? Did the Saviors-" she asked him softly before cutting herself off, her voice breaking at the end as tears brimmed in her light eyes.
Her hand went to her mouth briefly to stifle sobs that threatened to well up from her throat and she took a deep breath before continuing, "Is everybody back home okay?...Daryl?"
I knew then. Before he even opened his mouth, I knew he would lie. Maybe it was because I'd known him so long now or maybe it was just because we were so alike. But whatever the case, I knew in my heart he wouldn't tell Carol the truth. So when the words tumbled from his mouth, I wasn't surprised in the slightest.
"They came... We got them all. Made a deal with the rest of them, like Ezekiel," Daryl assured her, lying through his teeth, "Everyone's alright... Everyone's alright,"
I looked down at my beaten up boot-clad feet that I'd pulled underneath me as I sat, tracing the patterns of dirt and scuffs that had built up on the exterior of them. I couldn't bare to meet Carol's eyes as a sob of relief spilled out of her mouth. He was doing it to spare her - I knew that, I really did. But...but it was wrong to keep it from her. Glenn and Abraham were her friends, too. She had a right to know of their deaths.
I would've said something - I wanted to. But it wasn't my place and I knew it. So instead of speaking, I kept my mouth shut and just sat in silence. It was quiet for a few moments with the only sound that of Carol's sniffles until Daryl hit the table lightly with his hand, clearing his throat.
"We gonna eat or - or I got to be a king or something to get food around here?" he quipped, making Carol chuckle.
"Shut up." she murmured under her breath before turning back to the fire.
A few moments later, Carol had set out food for the three of us and hesitantly, I took a seat across from her, making sure to keep close to Daryl.
"Ezekiel...is he okay?" he asked finally as she began to fill up his bowl with stew.
I arched an eyebrow, hearing a slight hidden meaning behind his words. Carol turned to face him briefly, smiling.
"Yeah, I think he is," she said, her words soft in the darkness.
A comfortable silence ensued then and Carol put her head in her hand as she absentmindedly watch Daryl eat, happy to have him here with her, I suppose. I ate quietly, my dark eyes focused on my food. A little later, all of us finished eating and soon, it was time for Daryl and I to bid Carol goodbye. Daryl picked up his crossbow and gun and after slinging them both over his shoulders, walked out the door. I arched an eyebrow at him and sure enough, he realized his mistake and trudged back over to Carol. He pulled her in for one last, tight hug and I heard her quiet, muffled sigh into his t-shirt before they finally released each other.
"Watch out for yourself, all right?" he asked her, his voice softer than I'd ever heard it before in that moment and she nodded to his question.
Wordlessly then, Daryl stepped off the porch. I turned to leave, ready to follow him when suddenly, Carol cleared her throat, gaining my attention.
"Angel...can we talk a minute?"