Here is the fourth and final chapter of this little story. I hope you all aren't disappointed in it! I really enjoyed writing this. It was nice to get some of my frustrations out! I also want to thank everyone who has read this. It really means a lot! :) Now, I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter Four

Carol wrapped her thin arms around Daryl's waist and held on tight as he started the bike and drove off. The pack on her back was heavy, since it was filled with as many supplies as they could fit in it. She couldn't believe they were going back to the prison, a place where she was forbidden to ever go back to again.

She had tried to tell Daryl, that, but he wouldn't have none of it.

"You killed the fuckin' Governor, Carol. If you ain't welcome back after doin' that, then they can all go fuck themselves."

Almost everyone in that prison had a reason for wanting the Governor dead and even Rick couldn't deny that while the man was still alive, he was a threat.

"But what about the others? Glenn, Maggie, Beth...don't they all hate me for what I did? I can't go back there, Daryl, if they hate me, then I don't want to go back. I couldn't stand it." She looked away from him and rubbed her forearms, as if she was chilled.

"They won't hate you, Carol." He grabbed her hands and held them in his. "I promise. Maggie told me that she wants you back. The only people you may have to worry about it Rick and Tyreese, but I'll handle 'em."

"Tyreese is a big man, Daryl. A big, angry man." Tears filled her eyes. "You'd get killed trying to protect me from him."

"Ain't goin' to happen. Way I see it, that man owes me one. He almost got my ass killed when we were on that run."

Carol gasped.

"It's true. We found a place that was overgrown with branches and shit. We started hackin' away on it, but that man jus' went crazy. Turns out, he managed to open a fuckin' door that had some walkers behind it. I didn't expect one to grab my fuckin' arm."

"God," A hand covered her mouth. "I'm glad it didn't bite you."

"Me too." He smirked. "So, are you comin' back with me or what?"

Finally, after several seconds, she finally nodded her head.

"Good. Now, come on, we're wasting daylight." Together they made their way back to her car and his bike.

"So, are you goin' to tell me how you managed to kill the fuckin' Governor?" Daryl asked as they made their way back to his bike. He had been curious about how she had managed to kill the man that had been so elusive and untouchable the past several months.

"I still can't believe it was him," she said.

Daryl turned and smirked at her. "It's him. I'd know that fucker anywhere." They walked in silence a few more seconds before she began to speak.

"Well, my car ran out of gas. I got out of the car and went to pop the trunk because Rick gave me some gas before he made me leave. I noticed the walker in front of my car and I killed it." She stumbled over a fallen branch and Daryl quickly grabbed her arm to steady her. She smiled her thanks and continued. "While I was getting the gas can, something grabbed me from behind. I thought it was a walker and I managed to break free, but I was surprised to see it was a man. He gave me this smile and I just knew there was something off about him, so I ran."

"Smart decision." Daryl added.

"He caught up with me eventually and in the scuffle I dropped my knife. He must have thought that it was my only weapon because as we continued walking his grip lessened on my arm. Finally, I took him by surprise, grabbed my pistol from underneath my shirt and shot him."

"Glad you did. For more reasons than one. When I heard that gunshot, I came runnin'."

"I didn't think you come looking for me."

Daryl stopped in his tracks and looked at her. "What?" When had he ever given her the impression that he would never look for her?

"I thought when Rick told you what I did, that you would agree with him. That you would think that it was a good decision to send me away because I'm no longer trustworthy and that I was turning cold."

"I ain't Rick's bitch. Everythin' that comes outta his mouth ain't gold and I don't agree with everythin' he says. This was one of 'em." He walked over to stand in front of her. "You thought you were stoppin' the sickness, I understand that, Carol."

Carol looked away from him. "But it didn't work. I killed them for nothing. What if they could have gotten better?" She looked at him, then, with eyes full of tears. "I took two innocent people's lives, Daryl. I can't come back from that."

"You can and you will." He pulled her to his chest and let her sob in his chest again. "I'm not goin' to go back to that prison without you."

She nodded and the tears quieted down. "Then you won't. I'm coming with you."

"Good."

Several minutes later, they made it back to his bike and her car. Carol seemed uncertain on what to do. Should she drive the car back? Or was she going to ride with Daryl on his bike?

He answered that question for her. "I say we leave this car here, pack up everythin' we can fit in that pack of yours and then head back on the Triumph."

She smiled. "Okay." Together they packed her pack and made sure that it wasn't so heavy that it would pull her off the bike.

"Oh, and one more thing." Daryl stopped her before they could mount the bike.

"What?" She asked. What had they forgotten?

He grabbed her gently by the arm and pulled her close. Before she could ask what he was doing, his lips descended on hers in a gentle kiss. Though it surprised her, it didn't take her long to respond. She had been wanting to do this with him since the farm.

Daryl pulled away. "Made a deal with God and well..." He looked nervous and he chewed on his bottom lip before speaking again. "I love you."

Carol was shocked. She had never thought that Daryl Dixon would say those words to her. Ever.

"Told him that if I found you alive, then I'd finally admit my feelin's."

"I'm glad you found me, then."

Daryl shifted his feet and looked up at her shyly. "So, uh, do you...you know?"

He sounded like a little boy when he asked that and the smile on her face grew bigger. "I love you, too, Pookie."

The moment the prison came into view, Carol's arms tightened around his waist. Taking one hand off the handlebars, he squeezed one of hers in reassurance. Nothing was going to happen to her, not while he was around.

The sound of the motorcycle's engine caused whoever was on watch to come running. It was Maggie. Daryl, then, watched in annoyance as Rick quickly followed. Luckily, it was just them and not a certain hammer wielding big man.

They parked between the outside gate and the one that led to prison yard. Carol had just gotten off the bike, when she was nearly barreled over by Maggie, who was hugging her tightly.

Carol's eyes filled with happy tears as she hugged the younger woman back. She hadn't expected to be welcomed back so warmly.

The warm embrace was cut short when Rick finally walked up to them and Daryl didn't waste a second to lay the man on the ground with a right hook to the jaw.

Both women gasped, but didn't move to stop either man.

Rick wiped the blood that now spilled from his split lip and stood up with a placating hand. "Now, Daryl-"

With a roar, Daryl grabbed the former sheriff by the front of the shirt and slammed him against the chain link fence. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you, Rick."

"Listen, Daryl, I know that sending Carol away was a decision I shouldn't have made on my own, but if I hadn't done it, then Tyreese would have-"

"Do you know who she fuckin' ran into out there? Do you?" He pressed the man harder into the fence. "She ran into the Governor. If she hadn't had a gun, she could have been killed or worse!"

Carol knew that he had been thinking about the way he had found Merle. Not only had his brother been killed, but he'd been able to turn.

"The Governor?" Rick asked in disbelief and his gaze flicked to Carol.

"Yeah," she said and stepped forward. "I didn't know it at the time. He grabbed me while I was getting some gas. It didn't know what he was going to do to me and at the first chance I got, I killed him."

"He's dead?" Maggie turned to her and asked. Relief was written all over her face.

Carol nodded.

"Thank God."

Daryl let go of Rick, then, and stepped back from him. His hard gaze never left the man, though. "So, if that ain't a ticket back into her home, then I don't know what is."

"There's just the matter of Tyreese and the fact that I don't want her-"

"If you were about to say that you didn't want her around your kids, then I'd stop right now." Daryl stepped forward menacingly and he clenched his fists. "That woman would do anythin' for your children. She'd die for them and if you didn't know that, then you obviously didn't know Carol at all."

It was silent for a moment. Everyone looked at Rick. Maggie wrapped an arm around Carol and pulled her closer.

"I haven't told Tyreese about what she's done. I've only told Maggie and Hershel." Rick straightened. "But this is something we have to discuss, Daryl. Tyreese still has it out for whoever killed Karen and I can't keep feeding him a bunch of bullshit."

"Well, you will until we get everythin' sorted out. Carol ain't leavin' here again and if she does, then I'm goin' with her."

Rick nodded in understanding. "Fine. Tomorrow we'll have a meeting and discuss what we should do. Hopefully, Tyreese will have calmed down some by then. You know, Carol," he turned to the woman. "He's not going to understand why you did what you did."

"I know."

"Looks like we're done here," Daryl said and walked up to Carol, motioning for her to take off the pack and hand it to him. He turned and threw it at Rick's feet. "If you need us by tomorrow, we'll be in my cell." He mounted his bike and looked right at Rick as Carol mounted behind him. "I strongly suggest you don't need us."

Then he started the bike and drove off to their cellblock.

That night, Daryl laid awake with Carol curled into his side sleeping softly. His mind was going a million miles an hour. He could have lost this woman. He almost had gone the rest of his life not telling her how he felt.

The moment they had walked into his cell, he slid the curtain across the doorway and began to show her exactly how he felt.

It didn't matter what was decided tomorrow, Carol was never going to leave his side again. Wherever she went, he would follow.

Carol was his home, now.

The End

Well, I didn't know how to solve the problem with Tyreese, so I decided to end it here. I hope you all aren't mad! At least we got some Caryl! :)

So, the other night I had this dream and from this dream I kind of got another idea for a short story. It's Caryl of course! I don't want to tell you the plot because I don't want to give some stuff away, but if you're interested in reading it let me know and maybe I'll post it one day soon!

Thanks for reading!