Daryl slowly cracked his and Kayla's bedroom door open to see her still fast asleep under a cocoon of blankets. He carried her straight home once she returned to Alexandria where she reunited with the kids, ate a large serving of venison with a mountainous side of pasta, took a much-needed shower, and went straight to sleep. Glancing at the clock, Daryl could not help but smile as he calculated the amount of hours she remained asleep in a nest of blankets and pillows. She first crawled into bed around nine o'clock the night before and the digits on the clock just changed to one o'clock in the afternoon. Daryl woke up to make the kids breakfast and debated waking Kayla, too but figured she needed the rest. Plus, he dreaded telling her about Jessie, Ron, and Sam. He held off telling her when she first got back since she instantly lit up at the sight of the kids at home safe and unharmed. He did not want to ruin the happy reunion with sad news. He did tell John who took the news hard at first since he and Sam quickly established a friendship rather quickly. However, John seemed to cope soon after since he seemed to get the hang of the world more with every passing day.

Looking back at his wife, Daryl saw it best to awaken her so she could at the very least eat something. After breakfast, he took Ada and John to the other house to let everyone know of Kayla's well-being and that he would remain with her for the rest of the day. No one objected since Daryl spent his time on the road worried about her and the kids' safety and then the whole day yesterday fearful for Kayla's safety when he discovered her missing. Daryl also mentioned that he needed to relay the info about the Anderson family, a family she knew in her once normal life before the world ended, were gone as well as Carl's current state. For the conversation, he thought it best to do it with the kids out of the home.

After dropping the kids off at the group's house, Daryl went back home and quietly made his way to him and Kayla's bedroom. He slowly opened the door to peek in, smiling as he saw his stirring wife under her burrito of comfort. She sat up as he entered, filling with joy to see her husband's face. He entered the room, Kayla happily taking in the sight of him. His choice of clothes for "a day in the house" consisted of black sweatpants and a gray t-shirt. She always enjoyed those outfits because it signaled that his place would remain at home. Not on a run, not working around Alexandria, but at home with the family. The realization made Kayla smile more as her husband walked over and sat down on the bed with her.

Once he sat across from her, Kayla slithered into his lap and allowed his arms to engulf her. His arms fit perfectly around her frame to hold him close to his chest, so it allowed him to kiss the top of her head as she rested it against his shoulder. Holding her close once more made Daryl even more thankful that she made it back home to him and their family safe. His life would lose a lot of direction and purpose without her and knew for a fact that if he lost her, it would lead to his downfall.

"I love you," He whispered into her hair. "so much."

Kayla let out a content sigh. "I love you, too," she told him.

Daryl pulled back to look down at her, meeting her hazel eyes with hers. He could not help but notice the difference in her appearance from the mini coma she fell into. Her once tired lined face looked much more refreshed from her long sleep that left her well-rested. The color returned to her complexion as well, making her look livelier as well. It made Daryl happier seeing his wife look so much better after all but limping back into Alexandria on the brink of falling over from exhaustion the day prior.

"Where are the kids?" she asked, nuzzling her head back into his shoulder. "With the others? Or over at Jessie's?"

Daryl's heart dropped and his body tense, something that Kayla immediately sensed. His grip on her body tightened and she heard his breathing come to an abrupt halt. That response to her comment made her blood run cold and her stomach drop. She felt Daryl pulled her as physically close to her as possible which made tears prick her eyes. "She's dead, isn't she?" she asked, bracing herself for the response as she looked up at him. Daryl felt his heart break for his wife as he saw her figure out the answer before he told her.

"Rick tried to save them." He told her.

The word them made the tears fall out of her eyes when she realized Jessie did not come as the only one lost to the world. "Ron?" she choked out. "Sam?"

Daryl felt the broken pieces of his heart shatter even further as he realized his mistake. He dropped the ball on the fact that both Jessie and her kids died and could not fight the tears from forming in his own eyes as he watched his wife begin to cry. "I'm sorry, Kayla." Was all he managed to say when she choked out a sob that led to him pulling her as close to him as possible as she cried out of grief for people who not only felt like her family but allowed her a piece of her old life back. The piece that reminded her of the once normal life she possessed. While Angela allowed a glimpse into that, Jessie maintained more of her original due to her confinement in Alexandria for so long and not losing pieces of herself to the ugly world around them. Even though it stemmed from a type of naiveness and ignorance as a result of a sheltered life at the end of the world, but Kayla understood the desire for an ignorant life in exchange for the safety behind Alexandria's walls. However, once Kayla and the group arrived the she and other Alexandrians evolve into truer survivors as they learned the realities of what it took to live in the new world. The stepped up for the community, but some of them fell in the process. In that progression, the Anderson's lost their lives.

Kayla cried into Daryl's shirt as he held onto her as she let the grief out. He rubbed her back as he felt her tears stain his shirt, his grip on her never faltering. In moments like this, sadness and grief easily stemmed from the loss of a friend or loved one, but for Daryl his emotions resulted from the hypothetical situations his mind conjured up if he lost Kayla or the kids. He hated the thought of losing any of them, and he lived through many close calls with Kayla that he probably lost a couple years of life from stress and worry. As capable as his wife's survival skills were, he knew how easily a life could end when things went wrong. Daryl knew that firsthand through several close encounters with death.

As the couple sat there, Kayla did not ask for the specifics of how they died but Daryl knew it would inevitably come when she found out about Carl's condition. That news entailed breaking even harsher information to her; that Ron shot Carl trying to shoot Rick. He dreaded telling her one of the people, let alone a kid like Ron, almost killed one of their group members trying to kill another. He knew how hard coping with the cruel actions of a loved one could come; his brother was Merle. Merle killed plenty of people in the life after the walkers took over and did horrible things before the world ended. Daryl hated the news he received in Atlanta where he thought Merle died after tormenting the group and putting them at risk, but when Merle died outside the prison, he died giving the group a chance at overcoming the Governor. Ron, however, did not die in a hero-like way, but rather the opposite. Daryl dreaded breaking that news.

Kayla calmed down after a little while, sitting up from Daryl's arms to wipe her face. Red puffiness filled her cheeks and eyes from crying, and it broke her husband's heart to see his wife so heartbroken. He brushed her hair out of her face, the tangles and knots making it just a tad hard to tame her messy bird's nest.

"I'm sorry, Kayla," Daryl said. "What can I do?"

Kayla just shook her head. "No, I…is everyone else okay?"

Daryl felt like he was going to throw up as he looked at his wife with tearstained cheeks, puffy eyes, and red complexion when he saw how devastated his wife looked. He knew she deserved the truth, but the truth would just further break her.

"Carl is okay," Daryl told her, watching as his wife's face grow in concern. "He just got hit with a stray bullet, but Denise saved him and he's gonna be fine."

Daryl opted to not tell her the full truth if he could help it. He watched his wife's heart break at the news and just could not find it in him to break it even more. He hoped he could keep the full story from her for her own sake, not wanting her last memory of Ron, a kid she knew and loved, to be of his murderous actions.

Kayla's face went from sadness to relief. "He's okay?"

Daryl nodded. "Nothing that kid couldn't pull through in or Denise couldn't handle."

Hearing that Denise managed to step up to the plate when she was seemingly the only hope for the group. She knew Denise could do it, she only needed the motivation and self-confidence she could. Kayla felt pride towards her and knew she owed her a lot more than a simple thank you of she saved Carl's life.

"Where are the kids?" she asked, only now realizing the empty silence signaling the absence of John and Ada.

"With Maggie and Glenn," Daryl informed her. "I wanted it to be just us when I told you."

Kayla wiped the wetness from her cheeks and forced a smile. "Well let me get changed and go see them. I want to see Carl, too and the others."

At first Daryl wanted to press and ask her what happened that delayed her arrival home so much, but figured they talked about enough heavy topics for the day. His wife came home alive, well, and safe. For now, that is all that mattered to him. If there was anything she needed to talk about with him, she would on her own time. In the meantime, she rose from the sheets and blankets while stretching out all her limbs, the sounds of cracking bones and popping joints signaling her unused arms and legs moving back into the proper position after spending over half a day asleep and resting in bed. She disappeared to her and Daryl's bathroom to brush her teeth, splash some water on her face, and brush the knots and tangles from her hair while he made their bed as he waited for her to get ready.

Within about ten minutes, Kayla emerged from the bathroom as Daryl tossed a few stray items of clothing into the laundry basket looking much more fresh-faced and awake. He smiled at the sight of his wife's sadness seemingly gone but knew that those feelings still lingered inside. All he could do for now was be there in the ways she needed him. Right now, it was just checking in on their kids and group and focusing on the silver linings of the last few days.

Once at the house, Maggie all but jumped from her spot on the couch to run over to her. Neither woman wasted any time wrapping their arms around each other in a tight embrace. The last time they saw each other, Kayla hopped the wall and sped off into walker infested territory in a subpar vehicle. Maggie feared it would be her last memory of her friend and the helpless feeling she felt watching her friend drive off.

"Don't ever scare me like that again." Maggie told her with a laugh as they broke apart.

"I'll try." Kayla laughed.

Glenn came walking out of the kitchen holding Judith and Ada and John at his heels, all four faces smiling when they saw her. Kayla approached the four and met Glenn in a hug, mindful of Judith.

"Glad you made it home safe." Glenn told her.

Kayla offered him a smile before her attention turned towards the toddler that was grabbing at her. Glenn handed Judith over to Kayla whom held the young girl close to her once she was in her arms.

"Oh hi, sweetheart," she said. "Are you happy to see Aunt Kayla?"

Daryl, Maggie, and Glenn all smiled at the sight of Kayla holding Judith and her kids right by her side. The kids both found a way to wrap their arms around Kayla's waist from where she stood, making Kayla feel all the love in the world. No one else seemed to be at the house as they were most likely working on repairs to the wall or recovering from any injuries sustained in the last few days. That's when Kayla remembered Carl.

"You guys good here, or do you want to go with to see Carl?" Kayla asked her kids.

"Why don't they stay here for now?" Daryl interjected, drawing Kayla's attention. It dawned on him that he had yet to tell her about what happened on the road with Dwight, Sherry, and the group of men on the road. A lot happened during the time they were apart, and he needed to fill her in. "I need to talk to you."

Kayla heard the seriousness in Daryl's tone and saw the look in his eyes that told her it could not wait. She nodded before handing Judith back to Glenn.

"You be good for Uncle Glenn," Kayla told the kids. "I'll be back later."

She kissed all the kids' heads and hugged Maggie one more time before she left. Leaving her on that watchtower by herself was not what she wanted to do, and part of her felt guilty even she possessed no control over the situation. Regardless, it still ate her alive as she drove off knowing her pregnant, longest friend in the apocalypse was left helpless and alone in that situation.

Daryl and Kayla left the house together and began walking towards the infirmary hand in hand. An empty silence hung in the air for several moments before Daryl began to speak. He told her what happened on the road with Dwight and Sherry and running into the biker group on the backroads. Kayla stopped in her tracks after she heard of him getting taken captive and knew she did not want to be around anyone else at the moment. He told her everything because he knew she deserved to know.

"That's why I wasn't back on time," he explained as he turned to face her. "All I could think about out there was you and the kids."

Kayla heard him choke up and immediately reached out to put a hand on his face. "You made it back home, though," she reminded him. "That's what counts."

Daryl met her eyes and felt the secure sensation wash over him at her touch. "You weren't here when I got back."

Kayla's eyes fell. "The car died," she began. "I drove out for a while and had every intention of looping back around, but the damn thing crapped out. I had to come back on foot with detours to avoid all the walkers. I had one clip and a knife."

"Is that it?"

Kayla lowered her hand from his face and Daryl could see his wife begin to close herself off. He knew there was more to the story than she was letting on. Why she would not tell him was the question. Reaching out with two hand, he cupped her face to make her look at him. Her brown eyes met his and he could see the sadness in them.

"Kayla, you're my wife," he told her as he got closer to her. "If something happened that is gonna keep you up at night I need to know. If I need to kill someone, I need to know."

Kayla closed her eyes and rested her forehead against Daryl's as she took a deep breath. "The men you say were following Dwight and Sherry," she began. "I think I was hiding from them."

Daryl stood up straighter as Kayla opened her eyes. "They had guns, cars, and didn't look to be starving, sick, or like the friendly type." She explained. "I stumbled into one while running and he told me they had some sort of camp that was stocked and protected. I told him I wasn't looking for a camp or any help; that I was by myself and doing fine. He tried to get me to go with him and well, you don't have to kill anyone, Daryl."

"What happened then?" Daryl asked.

"I ran. Once it started to get dark, I crashed in some old cabin not too far from here. Nothing but a small herd of walkers came through that were gone by morning. I started heading back, but with walkers crawling everywhere, I had to keep detouring. I managed to get back to the main road and just followed the signs and pavement home."

All Daryl could do was wrap his wife in his arms once more. The last few days have been nothing short of stressful, exhausting, and trying. All that mattered now was that his family was safe in Alexandria again and their home was still standing despite its damage. Feeling his wife in his arms made everything in the world melt away and feel like things were normal. Despite the world's ugliness, he could die happy knowing that the world brought him to the family he calls his.