Takes place near the start of Better Angels.

Maybe she'd felt his eyes boring into her at Dale's gravesite.
Maybe it was woman's intuition.
Whatever it was, Carol took action, as she always did - just as he took action when there was a job to be done.

Daryl needed to see her cry; to acknowledge the ultimate final loss of Sophia. He wanted her to grieve with tears so that he wouldn't seem such a sissy should he need to shed his own tears. The pain and frustration were that great. But nothing had moved her to that point yet. He was beginning to wonder if anything could.

After Dale, the group spent the night in the farmhouse, except those who were on watch. He made sure he was on every watch.

In the light of day, the horror seemed less, but the sense of loss left him hollow. He knew he'd done the right thing. Rick didn't need to execute anyone in front of his son, especially a friend. Dale had spoken of he and Rick in the same breath. Decent men. Sometimes a guy had to give another a break.

As he waited for Rick to deal with Shane, Daryl perched against a stool on the porch. He'd chosen the quiet side of the house away from everyone, his crossbow cradled in his arms. He stared off towards the gravesites. He couldn't stop replaying Dale raising his head to the barrel of the gun. Daryl had held his eyes to the very end.

A creak in the decking gave away her approach. Carol was usually silent. But he would have known it was her anyway. The breeze had lifted her scent ahead of her as she came to stand behind him. He would ignore her. He felt the pressure to apologize to her. He'd been cruel to her out at his campsite, but he really couldn't deal with it right now. He sighed, hoping she would just leave him alone.

He'd learned Carol would never be a physical threat, so he didn't flinch as he felt her warm body press against his back and her arm slide over his shoulder and across his chest. She held her head to his cheek, then turned her face and gently, slowly kissed his temple. And she was gone, leaving a cold vacuum in her place and a sense of loss.

He could have turned, stopped her. But that was enough for now. Daryl relaxed and squinted as he lifted his eyes to the sky. Intuition? he wondered.

As she walked away Carol smiled gently, that's enough for now.