"CAROL'S gone!"

"What?!" I squeaked out towards Tobin, who came out running from his house. He was yelling and raving about how Carol had slipped out during the night. "Where the hell would she even go?"

"I don't know," he protested, heaving from having to run outside. Morgan and Rick ran up behind us with looks of worry and concern. They asked Tobin what he knew. "Nothing much. She left a note, though."

Tobin handed it to Rick while Morgan and myself looked over his shoulders to read as well. Carol wrote:

I wish it didn't have to end, not this way. It was never my intention to hurt you, but it's how it has to be. We have so much here — people, food, medicine, walls. Everything we need to live. But what we have, other people want, too — and that will never change. If we survive this threat and it's not over, another one will be back to take its place, to take what we have. I love you all here. I do. And I'd have to kill for you. And I can't. I won't. Rick sent me away and I wasn't ever gonna come back, but everything happened and I wound up staying. But I can't anymore. I can't love anyone because I can't kill for anyone. So I'm going, like I always should have. Don't come after me, please.

"Shit," I cursed, turning away for a moment to scan my surroundings. "Daryl's gonna be pissed."

Just as I had mentioned Daryl, his motorcycle flew by and right out of Alexandria. I began to run after him, but to no avail. He was long gone by that point. "Where the fuck is he going?!"

"I don't know," Glenn suddenly said, walking up to me out of nowhere. Michonne came with him, too.

"Well, for God's sake," I growled and shook my head. "Fuck it. I'm going after him."

"You're gonna do what now?" Glenn exclaimed, wide-eyed and jumping towards me. "Not by yourself."

I snatched my arm back from Glenn and faced him. "Fine, then go with me."

"You don't even know where he's going," Michonne protested, taking a stance with Glenn. "You're not going."

"Yes, I am," I growled and quickly ran to get my stuff from my porch. It didn't take long before I came back and Rosita was now standing there, too. "I'm leaving! You going with me?"

"Hell yeah," Rosita agreed before I opened the sliding door to the van.

I threw my stuff inside and was going to get in the front-seat, too, just before Glenn stood before me. "Get in the back. Michonne and I are going with you," he demanded before I could even utter a word. Glenn got in the driver's seat while Michonne got in on the passenger side.

I did as I was told and Glenn started the van up, driving up to the gate — where Rosita was still standing. However, before he could, Abraham ran in front of the van with his arms up before he pressed them on the front hood. "Whoa, hold up! Make room for my freckled ass!" I wanted to laugh, but I kept quiet in the back.

"No!" Rosita hissed before walking over to Michonne's side. "Cover my watch. You stay."

"Hey, we should keep numbers here," Glenn stated towards Rosita, who stood at Michonne's window.

Rosita glanced to the back where I was before looking right at Glenn and quickly replied, "I actually know where Daryl is going."

"Good. Jump in," I said to her before either Captain Glenn or Co-Captain Michonne could say anything else. With that said, Rosita opened the back door and jumped in to sit right beside me.

Despite all the hesitation, Glenn forwarded the van into drive and continue to leave Alexandria, pressing on the gas to get the hell out of there. With Maggie and Abraham both in the background, they started to fade away.

It was very dead quiet in the van, only noise was the raggedy old thing, itself. It only had one good ride in her before she dies, I think. Other than that, it was completely silent in here than the wind from the opened windows an rusty sounds.

I was left looking out my own window when I could sort of see Glenn sat in front of me, looking into his rearview mirror back at me. "Were you gonna do it?"

I don't even look at him when I ask, "Do what?"

"Were you really going to leave without me to go after Daryl?" he questioned, somewhat demanding the eye-contact with me now.

I sighed and finally looked forward, seeing his eyes in the rearview mirror. "Of course," I simply spat out. What else did he expect out of me? Obviously, I was going to go after Daryl, with or without anyone.

"After what we discussed yesterday and last night?" Glenn kept on questioning me, not showing any sort of mercy. He was getting really angry and I didn't want him to, but he had to understand mine and Daryl's own little personal unspoken bond that we were starting to share, too. "Tess, you have to be kidding me. I don't want you out here ever alone. What happened to Denise could easily happen to you, too."

"She won't have to be," Rosita spoke up, taking both Glenn and myself by surprise. "If you can't go out there with her, then I will. But, Glenn, she's not some kid. She's a grown ass woman, who can handle herself."

"She just got shot last week, Rosita," Glenn claimed, shaking his head. "She needs to give her body a break and watch herself. If nobody is there for her, she could easily get hurt again — and possibly even killed next time."

To that, Rosita shook her head and sat back in the seat that we shared. Glenn wasn't done, though. No, he was just getting started. And, so, he continued, "I really care about you, Tess, and I don't want you going out there by yourself and getting killed. Not even for Daryl and certainly not for me."

I shook my head and dryly chuckled, causing Glenn to notice this, too. He asked what I was laughing about and I almost gulped down my reply before I could even say it.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that...," I paused and blinked, turning to look at him again with a smirk. "I would die for you and Daryl both, no questions asked."

After that, there was a whole moment of silence. Glenn obviously heard what I said as he looked me straight in the eyes, thanks to the mirror. Yet, after I said it, he sighed and looked down at his lap before returning his attention to the road ahead of us.

The question was, though... Would he die for me?

"I would do the same for you, too," I heard him suddenly say, to my surprise. He murmured it out, but I heard him loud and clear. I didn't want to show any emotion towards what he said, so I just smiled to myself.

Finally, Glenn began to slow down as we trailed beside the dividing railroads in this new foggy weather. Man, it was crazy. Two cars were already there, but clearly abandoned.

We began to scramble out of the van one by one, as I stood beside Glenn on his side while Michonne and Rosita made their way over towards us. From across the tracks, we all could clearly see a female Walker chowing down on somebody that was already beyond dead while another dead body sat beside them.

We began to make our way over there when I leaned over and asked Rosita, "Why did we stop? Where are we?"

Rosita took a long look around our surroundings, gulping. "This is where Denise died," she simply said before walking before me onto the tracks.

I followed closely behind them. Michonne was up front, Rosita far behind her, then Glenn, and – of course – myself after him as we all walked down the tracks slowly. Michonne went off the tracks to kill the Walker that was gnawing down on one of the Saviors – that I assumed – was once here after the attack on Denise.

Rosita suddenly stopped on the tracks as Glenn and I caught up to her. We waited until she admitted, "That's where she died."

I felt bad, but I had to keep my focus. Glenn and I exchanged a silent look before he said aloud to us all, "Alright, so he have to start from here."

Meanwhile, I see Michonne off the tracks again and going down to where some branches laid on the ground. She picked them up and we all could clearly Daryl's motorcycle resting there.

I went down down there, too, and bent down next to her. "He did," she said to Glenn and he nodded.

I touched the motor and felt the heat come off of it. "It's still warm, too, so he hasn't been gone for long, neither."

Glenn took that and went over to where Rosita stood, asking her, "Which way did Dwight run?" She didn't answer and, after a full second, Glenn barked out her name. "Rosita?"

It took her another minute, but she ended up finally turning her head towards Glenn from the blood spot that was left of Denise. "We should let him do this."

"Excuse me?" I chirped out from standing by Michonne, but I quickly made my way up to be between both Rosita and Glenn. "What do you mean?"

"He doesn't know what he's doing," Glenn stated right to Rosita. "We don't."

"Yeah, and I don't feel like seeing Daryl die any time soon," I seconded what Glenn was saying, but Rosita was clearly already spacing out again. "Any of us, for that matter."

"Maybe him trying this makes you feel better about it right now," Glenn continued, keeping his ultimate focus on just Rosita. "Maybe they keep knowing more about us than we know about them. Tess is here and she knows them better than we do, so if we keeping listening to her and her brother, it'll all work out in the end. Or, maybe... Daryl's gonna get himself killed."

Rosita heard both myself and Glenn out, as she looked me up and down before eventually looking back down again. Glenn asked the question again, "Now... Which way did Dwight run?"

Again, she fell silent as she licked her lips and kept her focus down. I, myself, was becoming very aggravated. Finally, I cracked. "Rosita!"

She huffed and puffed from my outburst, alone, before she looked forward at Glenn and furrowed her head behind where he was currently standing. He nodded before we began to take off behind him. We ended up in the woods and, before long, we were almost lost, it felt like.

Every tree and leaf appeared the same to me out here, unlike with Daryl.

Finally, we heard a noise and – before any of us knew it – an arrow hit the tree beside me and Rosita. The arrow, of course, belonged to Daryl Dixon, himself.

"Daryl, what the hell?!" I exclaimed at him, feeling my heart in my mouth now.

Rosita gritted her teeth, snatched he arrow out of the tree, and raced over towards Daryl now as we followed directly behind her. "Watch the hell out, asshole," she warned him.

"I did," Daryl growled, now snatching the arrow back out of Rosita's hand.

"What did you think we were gonna do, huh?" I growled, shoving him in the chest as he fell slightly backwards. "You honestly think that we were going to let you leave all by yourself?"

"What is she doing here?" Daryl barked, looking right at Glenn for an answer.

With both my eyes and mouth wide, I nearly fell back in disbelief. "Um, I have a name, y'know," I reminded him with a huff. "Plus, I'm not a baby, Daryl. I can take care of myself and I most certainly can speak up for myself, too."

Finally, he had enough as he basically began to run away from us. "You shouldn't have come!"

"And you shouldn't have left," Michonne yelled, making Daryl slower his pace.

Daryl circled back around until he faced us straight-on. "When I split off from Sasha and Abraham," he began to say, looking at each of us to make sure that we were all listening, "he was out there in the woods, in that burned-out forest with them girls, put a gun to my head, tied me up!"

I held my breath, hearing this confession for the first time. If only they knew about my own personal history with Dwight, I don't think it would even amount to this.

Finally, Daryl turned his back on us once again and began to head deeper into the words as we all heard him say, "I even tried to help him..."

He sounded so disappointed in himself. It was actually really sad.

"It's not your fault," I called out behind him, trying to get it through his thick skull. "I know what it's like, Daryl. Don't blame yourself."

Glenn quickly jumped up to the front of us as he yelled at Daryl, "So, you think it's your fault, then? Is that it?"

Daryl quickly didn't hesitate to get in Glenn's face and say, "Yeah, I know it is. I'm gonna go do what I should've done before."

"What, get yourself killed?" I finally said, trying to bring him back to us.

He stopped and grunted, "Take her back home. Now. It ain't safe for her out here."

"And it's not safe for you, either," I stated, quickly coming to my own defense. I couldn't believe Daryl right now. "I'm not a stranger, Daryl. I am your friend. I am your roommate. I am here, Daryl, and I'm not going anywhere."

"What? So... What, for her? Denise?" Glenn suddenly asked Daryl, indicating to what he had once said only moments ago. Daryl slowed his pace again and the concern that Glenn expressed his tone next had me weak. "She's gone, man. You're doing this for you."

Finally, Daryl had enough as he shook his head and said to Glenn, "Man, I don't give a shit."

He began to take off again until Glenn was right there for him, grabbing his arm. "Daryl...?" They faced off once again. "We need to get back there and figure this out from home. Our home. We need you, and everyone back there needs us right now. It's... It's gonna go wrong out here."

For the first time in a long time, I actually wanted to cry because I knew that Glenn was right. Man, he was a hundred and twenty million percent right. I just wish it wasn't so.

"Daryl," came my begging voice as he slightly turned to focus on just me. "Please don't do this. Because, if you do, I'll have no choice, but to follow you. Don't do this, man. Please."

Michonne approached him as well. "We'll square it. I will. I promise you. Just come back."

"Daryl, please. We can all do this – if we just stick together," I added on to what Moe what saying. "We can't do this if the whole group is in two separate places, fighting two different battles. We need to go back home and let Rick in on what we're cooking up here."

Alas, the silence surrounded us as Daryl looked us all over – especially myself and Glenn, who he couldn't keep his eyes off of. "I can't," he swallowed, which only made me want to crash down to the ground in tears. He cleared his throat and whispered to Glenn, "Please just take Tess back home."

Then, Daryl burst through Glenn and myself. I tried grabbing for his arm, but he shrugged me off. "Daryl!"

"Man, I can't!" Daryl exploded before he took off into the woods. "Now, take Tess home! Don't let her follow me!"

Rosita shook her head and burst through all of us as well. "I can't, either," she stated and began to take off behind Daryl.

"Rosita, no! Wait!" I tried pulling her back, but she rejected my touch and ran off, too, trying to catch up with Daryl.

Glenn, Michonne, and I stood there in total disbelief and shaking our heads in disappointment. "Fuck, man," I cursed and shook my head, holding back the tears for now. "I gotta go, too."

"What? No," Glenn cried out and immediately grabbed my arm, bringing me right back into the fold. "You know what, Tess? Tara made me promise something, too. She made me promise her that I would keep you safe while she's gone. I intend on keeping that promise. And, when she finally returns, she's going to see you safe and sound. You need to come on back with me and Michonne."

"No," I hesitated and snatched back my arm from his grasp. "Even if I do die, it's to protect you guys. That includes Daryl."

"Tess, wait—"

"It'll never be over, Glenn," I said to him – and Michonne, too, for that matter – with tears now fully in my eyes. My blue eyes were glassed over and red. I couldn't hold it in anymore and the bad feeling deep inside my stomach, either. "They'll never stop. They'll just find us and keep us hostage in our own home. They'll take and take and take... Until we're nothing. Even then, they'll make us work for it." I gulped down everything else and so did Glenn, for that matter, too.

Sweeping the tears from my eyes, I faced him and placed my hands on each of his shoulders. "I love you, Glenn. I really and truly do. It isn't easy for me to admit, especially because I haven't known you all that long. But... Like I told you before, my life changed when I met you. For now, though, I've got to go do this with them. I'm sorry. I love you so much. Please forgive me."

I reached forward and hugged him around his neck, mentally noting that he smells better today than he did yesterday and realizing that this may very well be the last time that I ever hug him again. Because, in just a few minutes, I could be dead from trying to hunt down what cannot be traced.

So, for just a good minute there, I held onto him like it would be the very last time that I would. He hugged me back just as hard and tight. I wanted to remember this moment forever, so I kept my head leveled on his shoulder with my eyes shut – but tears were surly making their way down my face now. There was no holding back now.

Alas, we separated, but I held his hand for a minute longer and kept our eyes connected – even though, my own were filled with tears. "I love you, Glenn," I briefly paused and his eyes became full. "I am so sorry."

Before Glenn could manage to say anything, I turned my back on him and began to walk away, but my legs felt like jelly as I tried to suck up my remaining tears. I didn't want to leave him, but I had to. I'll never, ever get the image of his face out of my mind for as long as I live.

There was so much more that I wanted to say to him, but I couldn't and I wouldn't — especially for Maggie's sake. So, I got far enough away from them until finding a wide tree, sinking down beside it. I cried for a little while longer, letting my shoulders and back shake with each sob. What I felt was wrong, but I couldn't help it.

Finally, the tears were finally gone and I felt like I could breathe again. At least, only a moment.

Abruptly, I heard something awfully familiar. It was a whistle — like as if a bird had done it, but it was pretty loud and close by. I looked up from my damp eyes and seen three men standing before me, cocky as ever.

Saviors...

I slowly got up to my feet and held my breath. Before even thinking about it, I tried to run away and I got pretty far before I was suddenly tackled to the ground from behind, smacking onto the hard ground.

"Leave me alone!" I wanted to scream for help, but it would only reveal that I wasn't all alone and maybe – quite possibly – Glenn and everyone else could get away with the help of my yelling.

Before I knew it, I was being tied-up from the back with rope or something rough like it. I went to yelp again, but not before they placed a cloth between my teeth to keep me quiet and tied it behind my head. I nearly choked on the cloth in my mouth from hyperventilating.

As they struggled to get meup, I kept my legs like jelly to make it even harder on them to carry me to wherever they were going to take me.

The whole time that they were dragging me, I kept hearing Glenn's words in my head from before: It's gonna go wrong out here.

Finally, I started to see a small fire within the woods with a black man picking at the fire with a small stick. Then, not far from him, I see both Glenn and Michonne in the same situation as myself.

I hated this. They must have been captured before me. My yell didn't help anyone to get away, I see.

When they heard the noise of the leaves from the men carrying me beneath their feet, they both looked up and saw me. Glenn began to freak out, but I couldn't understand a word that he was saying with the fabric wrapped around his head and in his mouth, too.

I shook my head at him – in a way to keep him calm and quiet – as the guys practically threw me right beside Glenn, as I hit my ass hard on a thick stick and sort of knocked into him, too. As soon as I was there, I began to hit my boots on their ground and they quickly turned towards me in question.

I began to muffle something, but only I knew what I truly saying. "Let us go," is what I was trying to tell them.

What were they doing here? Camping out and kidnapping people without even a word?

Then, all of the sudden, I looked forward and seen something off in the woods. I squinted my eyes together for a better view and nudged Glenn to look, too, without trying to make it so obvious. He looked forward and shook his head. It was Daryl and Rosita! They were okay!

Glenn was trying to tell them to stay back and Michonne took notice of this. Daryl placed his left index finger to his mouth, saying to keep quiet. He was going to rescue us! We were all going to be okay!

However, Glenn began to muffle and shout through the fabric stuffed into his mouth. My heart skipped a beat when I seen what was about to happen before our very eyes. Then, I joined in with Glenn and Michonne did as well.

Just as Daryl placed his crossbow up against the tree, the hammer of Dwight's gun clicked and he stood fiercely behind Daryl. I cried out with hot tears streaming down my face again. Daryl and Rosita were surrounded by new Saviors, and I couldn't do anything about it, either.

I stomped my boots to the ground again, making as much sound as I could. Maybe the sound would draw Walkers to us to take out the Saviors while we ran for home. However, that didn't seem like the case now.

Just as Daryl slowly turned towards Dwight to face him, he had barley turned around long enough before Dwight squeezed the trigger to his gun and shot Daryl. From the distance, I couldn't see where, but that didn't matter. I knew that Daryl was shot and it felt like that I had, too, been shot right in the chest where my heart was located.

"You'll be alright," I heard Dwight say to Daryl, but that didn't appear like so.

With tears falling out of my eyes like waterfalls and my feet hitting the ground so bad — that I am almost positive they'll be welps on them later, I screamed out so loud... But nobody would be able to hear me now.