Walking Dead 1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Carol came to awareness slowly. She stayed still, trying to listen for any sounds that would tell her where she was. She could hear the muted sounds of people moving around and talking but they were far enough away that she couldn't make out what they were saying or who they were. She cracked her eyes open and looked around her. She was in a large, bright room. A hospital room.

Carol closed her eyes again and tried to take an inventory of her body to see just how badly she was hurt. Amazingly, she felt no pain at all. They must have given her some really good pain medicine – she wasn't even sore. Cautiously, she opened her eyes and started to sit up. Looking down at herself, she saw that she had been re-dressed in a set of blue hospital scrubs.

She flipped back the blanket covering her and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Carol sat there for a moment trying to remember what had happened. The last thing she remembered was running with Daryl and Noah after seeing one of the Grady vehicles cruising around the building. Carefully, Carol stood up and walked to the window, the tiles cold on her bare feet. The view of the ruined city was breathtaking.

Turning away from the window, she went to the mirror, curious to see how bad she looked. She had been pretty banged up after falling from the bridge in the van. When Carol got a look at herself in the mirror she gasped in shock. There wasn't a mark on her. No bruises. No scratches. Nothing. What the hell? How long had she been unconscious? Leaning forward to look closer into the mirror she noticed something on the bed behind her and whirled around.

The shock Carol had felt at seeing her unmarked body in the mirror paled in comparison to astonishment of seeing herself still lying on the hospital bed.

A/N: I'm not sure if I will continue this or not. Let me know what you think! I may have some ideas for future chapters.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Carol stepped closer to the bed and looked down at herself, wincing. She wasn't feeling any pain now but if she ever woke up again that would change. There wasn't a visible place on her body that wasn't marred by bruises and scratches. She had a black eye; red, raw scratches down the left side of her face; a long, dark purple bruise on her right shoulder and collarbone. Her chest above the collar of her scrub top was covered in a mass of cuts and bruises varying in color and size. Her arms were in a similar state.

Almost worse than the injuries was the sight of the ventilator that was obviously forcing her body to breathe. She might have been dead if not for the machine monitoring her heart beat and blood pressure. What the hell was this? An out of body experience? Was she brain dead? Was this in fact death?

Carol thought she should be panicking at the possibility of being dead but she felt strangely calm. She walked to the side of the bed and looked down at her abused body. With a sigh, she sat on the edge of the bed.

"How did I get here?" It was a question she had been asking herself a lot over the last several weeks and she seemed no closer to the answer than before. Looking down at herself, she wondered if she would wake up. Did she really want to? If this was being dead, it wasn't so bad. Waking up would mean pain, hardship, solitude. Ever since Karen and David, she had felt alone no matter how many people were around her. The closest she had come to feeling a connection with another human being was the short time she had had with Daryl.

Daryl. All at once Carol surged to her feet. If her body was lying here in this hospital bed, where was he? Was he alive? What about the boy, Noah? The eerie calm she had felt at the thought of her own death evaporated at the thought that something may have happened to Daryl.

Trying to calm herself, she closed her eyes and pictured his face in her mind. Carol focused on his face, tracing every feature in her memory. His piercing eyes, obscured by the fringe of bangs always hanging down in his face; the beauty mark on the left side of his mouth; his lips. She felt herself begin to focus and the panic melted away. Suddenly, she could hear the sound of a moving vehicle.

Carol opened her eyes and looked around her. She wasn't in the hospital anymore.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the great reviews and encouragement! I love the idea that I have for this story – I just hope I can do it justice.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Carol was sitting in the middle of the bench seat of what seemed to be a moving truck. On her left, in the driver's seat, was Daryl. On her right sat Noah. Both were quiet and obviously didn't see her or sense her presence. Noah kept glancing over at Daryl and she could see the nervous fear in his eyes. She smiled a little. There was no one he could possibly be safer with than the rough looking man driving the truck.

"We will get her back. Your wife? They won't hurt her, they'll help her," Noah spoke quickly as though afraid of Daryl's reaction. It took her a moment to process his words. Wife? She looked at Daryl in shock, yet curious as to how he would react. His hands tightened on the steering wheel, causing his knuckles to whiten. She could see the muscles in his jaw clenching and unclenching, and then he looked over at Noah and she started at the raw look in his eyes.

"You better hope they do. And hell yes, we're gonna get her back. Beth too. And _you're_ gonna help us do it." Daryl's voice was low and grating. He turned back to the road ahead of them and continued to drive in silence. He never corrected Noah, never denied Carol being his wife. She felt a rush of pleasure that she quickly tamped down. Of course, Daryl wouldn't focus on such a trivial assumption. He would already be planning a rescue and what they would tell Rick.

"And she ain't my wife," she smiled ruefully at his words and then she heard him mutter under his breath, low enough she almost didn't hear, "I ain't even kissed her yet."

Carol couldn't stop the wide smile that lit her face. All of a sudden "yet" was the most beautiful word she had ever heard. Her happiness was cut short with the realization that he was as stressed as she had ever seen him. He had no idea if she was alive or dead. Of course, she didn't really know if she was alive or dead either. But for the first time since she had opened her eyes she realized that she wanted very badly to be alive.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As much as she would have liked to just stay in the cab of the truck so she could just look at Daryl openly, without worry of being caught, Carol decided to see what else she could do with this new ability. Closing her eyes again, she focused on Beth. After a moment, she opened her eyes again and was back in her room at the hospital. Beth was standing over her, holding her hand.

Beth had two long cuts on her face and a broken wrist but otherwise looked alright and Carol breathed a sigh of relief. She just wished she could let Daryl know that Beth was okay and they were both alive. At least for the moment. She knew Daryl had been quietly torturing himself over losing Beth and he would only blame himself for Carol being captured and brought here as well. He was quick to encourage others and give them his brand of praise but he took the blame for things gone wrong all upon himself.

Carol knew if she could just wake up, she and Beth could get out of there. They could figure this out together and get back to the group without endangering anyone else. Then she looked at her broken body again and realized she may not be able to walk out of the hospital on her own. Beth looked so lost, standing there holding Carol's unresponsive hand. Carol walked over to her and after hesitating for just a moment placed her hand on Beth's shoulder. Beth didn't respond in any way.

"Beth. Daryl is getting everyone and coming back for us. We'll be fine," Carol spoke softly into Beth's ear, hoping for a reaction but there was none. She let her hand fall back to her side and stepped away from the bed. She had thought before that if this was death, it wasn't so bad. Maybe it was worse. Being able to see the people she cared about was wonderful but being an observer and completely helpless to do anything was already starting to drive her crazy.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Suddenly, Carol needed to know that Daryl was alright. Unlike before, the moment she thought of Daryl she found herself back in the cab of the truck, sitting between him and Noah. The change was so sudden she felt dizzy and had she been in her physical body she would have thrown up. She took a moment to sit there and let the dizziness pass before turned her eyes to Daryl.

Carol had an idea. She and Beth had talked some and had become friends of a sort but Carol had never formed a bond with anyone that was anywhere near as strong as the one between her and Daryl. Looking at him now, she couldn't help but reach out and run her hand down the length of his face. As with Beth, he felt real and solid to her but they couldn't feel her. As her fingertips grazed his jaw, she saw his eyes flutter closed and he released a shaky breath.

Carol's eyes widened in shock. Could he feel her?

"What is it?" Noah's voice startled her. She had forgotten his presence in the truck completely, she had been so focused on Daryl.

Daryl's eyes popped open and he glanced at Noah. She held her breath for a second, wondering if he would be able to see her but his gaze passed through her to look at the young man next to her.

"Nothin'. Thought I felt…" He looked a little embarrassed and stopped. "Wasn't nothin'."

Carol nearly bounced in her seat in excitement. He had felt her! Would he be able to hear her too?

"Daryl?" she asked softly and almost crowed in triumph when his head jerked around in her direction.

"The hell?" he growled.

"What's wrong?" Noah's voice was starting to sound panicked. The last thing he wanted was for this scary, filthy man to lose it.

Daryl didn't answer for a minute, alternating between watching the road and glancing around the cab of the truck as though he was looking for something. Looking for her, she thought.

"Nothin'," he barked. Under his breath, he muttered, "Must be losin' my damned mind."

Carol took a deep breath, not sure how he would react but needing to let him know she and Beth were okay.

"Daryl, you aren't losing your mind. I can't explain…I don't know how to explain…but you need to know that Beth is okay. And I'm okay." Throughout her speech Daryl hadn't move a muscle. He just stared straight ahead at the road but his body was vibrating with tension. All of a sudden he yanked the wheel to the right and slammed on the breaks.

"Stay here," he growled at Noah as he opened the driver's door and jumped out. She followed him, walking with him to the back of the truck and watched as he sat on the back bumper and braced his hands on his knees and bent forward. She waited, not wanting to freak him out further.

In a sudden move that surprised her, he straightened and looked around him.

"Carol?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hearing Daryl say her name made her want to weep. Carol hadn't realized how alone she had felt since waking up. She was so choked up she couldn't speak for a moment. Finally, she found her voice.

"I'm here, Daryl."

His breath left him in a great whoosh. "What the hell is going on? This can't be real."

"It is real, Daryl, and I need you to listen. Beth and I are at the hospital and we are okay."

"How in the blue fuck can you be okay when you're here _and_ there?" All of the color suddenly left his face and he went pale under all the dirt and grime on his skin. "Shit. Carol. Are you…dead? I mean, are you a ghost or some shit?"

Carol couldn't help but laugh a little at the phrasing of his question but regretted it when he bit his lip in uncertainty.

"I'm not a ghost. My body is still alive at the hospital but I'm…well, this is just so weird. I don't know how to explain it. I guess it's like an out-of-body experience."

"But you're alive?"

"Yes."

Daryl still looked a little pale but he was accepting this far easier than she had thought he would.

"Where are you? I mean…are you in front of me?" He put his hand out as though to touch her, so she stepped forward to stand directly in front of him, just beyond his fingertips.

"I'm standing in front of you." Carol tentatively reached forward to touch her finger to his outstretched palm. The moment her finger touched him he jerked back as though he'd been shocked.

"Jesus," he breathed. "Carol? Did you do that?"

"You can feel me?" she gasped in excitement. Daryl could hear her and feel her. He just couldn't see her. "Did it hurt?"

"No…no, it didn't hurt. Just surprised me, is all. But you're always doin'that," he smirked.

"I…I'm going to do it again. Okay?"

Daryl nodded his consent and waited. Carol stepped forward until she was standing between his knees, just inches away from his chest. She reached out her hand and let it hover next to his cheek for a moment before laying her palm against his skin.

Just as he had in the truck, he closed his eyes when he felt her touch. Slowly, he raised his own hand to where she touched him. His hand passed through hers but the sensation was unlike anything she had ever felt before. His breath caught and he opened his eyes, and she knew he felt it too.

"Carol." his voice was low and raspy as he said her name.

"I'm here," she felt like crying again but didn't even know if she could in her current state.

"Can anyone else hear you? Feel you?" he blushed a little at the last part of his question.

"I don't think so. I tried to talk to Beth, let her know you and Noah were together and we'd be alright but she couldn't hear me." Carol could hear the confusion in her own voice. This entire experience was too bizarre.

"Hmm," Daryl moved his face slightly against her palm. "Guess you were wrong."

She quirked an eyebrow. "About what, exactly."

"I know you better than you think."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Carol shook her head but couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. Daryl was certainly persistent. He kept refusing to give up on her even when she had almost certainly given up on herself. She patted his cheek softly.

"Yeah. Keep telling yourself that, Pookie."

"Pfft," Daryl smirked a little but then sobered.

He nodded his head toward the truck and said, "That kid? Noah? He's alright. Just scared as hell of the assholes in the hospital."

She nodded in understanding before remembering he couldn't see her.

"I'm sure he has reason. Beth…well, she has a few scratches and a broken wrist but otherwise looks okay. But I know she would have tried to get back to you or try to find Maggie or the others. She is definitely not staying by choice."

"We're going back to get Rick and the others. We_ will_ get you both out of there. They don't know who they're dealing with. Hell, if you were awake, you woulda probably taken over already," he smiled a little, obviously referring to her heroics at Terminus. Carol snorted in amusement.

"There are others there, Daryl. Patients, I guess. People that are being forced to stay there…" Carol stopped talking as her vision began to darken slightly.

"Carol? I can barely hear you. Carol?" Daryl got to his feet and looked around, worried.

"I'm here." But Daryl was still saying her name. He couldn't hear her anymore. Suddenly, her vision went completely black and she called out to him, trying not to panic, but she couldn't hear him anymore either.

There was a bright flash of light, blinding her for just a moment after the total darkness. When her vision cleared, Carol saw she was back in her hospital room. Once again, standing over her prone body but Beth was no longer there. What the hell had happened? She looked around and her gaze fell on the monitors attached to her body. Her heartbeat was slowing down. Her blood pressure was falling rapidly. Suddenly, the machines started to beep loudly and she realized what had happened. Why she had been brought back to this sterile room in Atlanta. It was over, she thought, stunned.

After wishing for her own death when they found Sophia; after killing David and Karen and feeling empty; after having to put Lizzie down and feeling as though she had died inside; Carol was finally, truly dead.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Carol didn't know how long she stood there in shock before she realized she couldn't hear anything anymore. The blaring machines had fallen silent. She couldn't hear the muted sounds of others in the building. The silence was absolute. At first she thought she had gone deaf but when she moved she could hear the sound of her clothes rustling. She looked around the room and walked slowly to stand under the clock hanging on the wall. The second hand of the clock had stopped moving, ceasing the rhythmic ticking sound.

The air was still, it felt unnatural. She walked back to the bed and looked again at the monitors. They were frozen in time. They were frozen in the exact moment that she had died, she thought to herself. Carol swallowed hard past the lump in her throat. Would she be stuck in this very moment forever? Was this to be her hell?

She was suddenly overwhelmed with despair and self-loathing. She had finally been re-united with Daryl and the others and now, days later she was dead. She would never see him again. Never feel him bump her shoulder with his. Never find out what it would be like to kiss him. Even worse was the fact that she had been ready to give it up so willingly. She had been about to drive out of his life, planning to leave him behind without a word just the night before last.

At the women's shelter, Daryl had asked her what would have happened if he hadn't shown up that night by the car. Carol hadn't had an answer for him at the time but now she knew. She would have gotten in that car and she would have driven away. But it wouldn't have been long before she had gone back. She would have gone back for him.

Carol backed away from the bed until she felt the cool wall against her back. She slid down until she was sitting on the floor with her knees drawn up to her chest. The tears she needed to shed wouldn't – or couldn't – come but the sobs that wracked her body were powerful and pain filled. She closed her eyes and bowed her head until her forehead rested on her knees and she wept tearlessly.

Realizing she would never again see Daryl was by far the worst of the pain she felt but knowing she would never see the rest of her family again felt like another dagger to her heart. Each face flashed in her mind, emphasizing how wrong she had been to try to leave them. Glen, Maggie, and Beth. Rick, Michonne, Carl, and Baby Judith. Tyreese, Sasha, and Bob.

Carol's sobs were beginning to lessen and she was starting to gain more control over herself when the next shock came.

"Mommy?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The soft sweet voice of a child, her child, broke through her despairing thoughts.

"Mommy?"

Carol's head snapped up, eyes wide from shock settled on the beautiful form of Sophia standing mere feet away from her. She was dressed as she had been that terrible day she had been lost, before she had been bit. She clutched her teddy bear tightly to her chest.

"Sophia?" Carol didn't move for a moment, too scared that if she moved her daughter would disappear. "Baby?"

Suddenly, the girl, so slight and soft, was hurtling toward her and Carol barely had time to get to her knees before Sophia barreled into her, wrapping her thin arms around Carol's neck.

"Oh my God, Sophia!" Carol cried as she enveloped the little girl in a fierce hug, holding her daughter to her chest. "Baby! Oh my God, I thought…I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" By this time Carol was sobbing again, in a mixture of pain, surprise, and finally happiness at being allowed another chance to be with her daughter. She hadn't believed that she would ever hold her baby again. Now she couldn't imagine ever letting her go.

Carol couldn't stop moving her hands over her little girl, touching her hair, neck, back, and arms. Sophia had plastered her small body against her mother and was wailing. Carol felt her heart clench at the pain in her daughters cries.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry." Carol kept repeating the words until they ran together as the memories of her daughter's last day on earth flooded through her. She closed her eyes against the remembered terror she had felt as she and Lori had huddled under that car, Lori's hand clamped over her mouth to keep her from attracting attention from the walker's. She remembered keeping her eyes focused on Sophia, willing her little girl to stay still and quiet until the herd had passed by them. Carol remembered the fear etched across her baby's features and the helplessness she had felt at not being able to comfort her.

Carol mewled in renewed pain and rocked Sophia back and forth, remembering as her baby girl had started to move out from under the car too soon. Carol had struggled against Lori, trying to make a sound, anything to warn Sophia to stay still but Lori had held on tight. She had lain there and watched that rotting monster reach for her little girl and she had screamed against her friend's hand, tears running down her face.

Helplessly, Carol sat there on the linoleum holding her dead daughter as images flashed through her tortured brain. Sophia's feet as she scrambled over the guard rail and the last image of her daughter when she had been alive; the back of Sophia's head as she had slid down into the ditch next to the highway, trying to escape the mindless beasts pursuing her.

Feeling the extent of her mother's distress, Sophia pulled back a little to looking into Carol's face. She placed her hands on her mother's cheeks and said softy, "It's okay, mama. It wasn't your fault."

"Oh, baby. Sophia," Carol cried, "I should have looked for you harder. I should have followed you. I left you alone. I should have been stronger for you." Carol's voice was hoarse as she berated herself and begged for forgiveness.

Sophia pushed her palms firmly on her mother's face until Carol met her eyes.

"Mama," she said firmly, looking into her mother's pain filled eyes, " It wasn't your fault. I love you, mommy." Sophia threw herself back into Carol's arms and she hugged her daughter tight.

"I love you, baby. Oh, god. I missed you so much."

Carol tried to get herself under control but couldn't help the sob that escaped her as her baby girl kissed her cheek and said, "I missed you too, Mommy."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Carol thought she could stay there, holding her daughter against her chest, forever. The sight of her own dead body bothered her a little but she couldn't remember why it should. She didn't think it was a sight that Sophia should have to see either, no matter that the girl had died herself, long ago. She leaned back and smoothed the hair back from Sophia's face and smiled.

"You haven't changed at all."

"No, but you have, Mama." Carol frowned, for the first time thinking about the ways she had changed since she had seen her daughter last. She looked slightly older, she was sure. Her hair was longer. She was leaner and more muscular than she had been. Grief and stress had given her a few more lines in her face. But those were just the physical changes.

Emotionally and mentally, the changes were far more drastic. Gone was the weak, cowering woman and in her place was a self-sufficient, strong, and infinitely more confident woman. She felt as though the woman she had been when Sophia was alive, was dead and gone. As she had told Daryl, burned away. Again, she felt a longing and intense despair at not being allowed to see him again but, she thought, looking at Sophia, at least she had her daughter back.

Pushing Daryl from her mind, Carol thought back to everything that had happened since Sophia had died. She thought about everything she had done, all of her mistakes, and she worried about what Sophia would think. Would she be disgusted? Would she hate her?

"Sophia…" Carol began but trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"It's okay, Mommy." Sophia spoke as though she understood what Carol was thinking and maybe she did.

"Okay, baby girl. Hey, let's get out of this room, huh? Why don't you take me to…" All of a sudden Carol had no idea how to finish. Where had Sophia been all this time? Had she been alone?

A look of sadness passed over Sophia's face. "I'm sorry, Mama. But you can't come with me."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"You can't come with me."

The words echoed through Carol's mind as pain ripped through her. Why? Why would she be allowed to see Sophia just to have her taken away again? Then Carol realized how wrong she had been. Walking among the living, only being able to observe the people she loved but not be a part of their lives would be like heaven compared to the devastation she felt at this new hell she was being assigned.

"No!" She nearly screamed in anguish. Carol grabbed Sophia's hand desperately. "I'm not letting you go. I won't leave you again, Sophia!" The inability to shed tears was painful and Carol could feel her eyes start to burn, her head began to throb. Until Sophia reached out and placed a small hand over Carol's heart, she hadn't even realized that she was breathing heavy and fast, on the verge of a panic attack.

Sophia's cool hand on her skin calmed her somewhat and Carol sobbed, burying her face against her daughter's neck as she hugged the small girl too her.

"I can't lose you again, Sophia. I can't." Carol could hear herself begging and felt ashamed. This was how she would pay for the lives she had taken. Her stomach clenched painfully and she whimpered. "Please."

Sophia continued to stand there with her hand pressed against Carol's heart, letting her mother weep tearlessly until she began to calm.

"Mommy. You can't stay with me this time."

At her words, Carol leaned back to look at her beautiful little girl, feeling a glimmer of hope.

"This time? I don't understand."

"It's too soon, Carol." Carol's head snapped up at the sound of the familiar voice and for what had to be the hundredth time that day, her jaw fell open in shock. "You aren't done here. They need you."

"Hershel?"

The older man walked forward slowly, as though he didn't want to frighten her and she saw that he had both of his legs again. He stopped a few feet away and smiled.

"Hi, Carol," he spoke quietly and then turned to Sophia and gave the girl a wink. "Sophia."

Carol looked back and forth between the two of them. They had never met when they had been alive but apparently they knew each other now. Finally, her gaze settled on her daughter once again.

"You haven't been alone?"

"No, there are lots of people," she replied with a little smile.

"Do they take good care of you?" As soon as she said it, Carol thought maybe it was a stupid question but Sophia didn't seem to think so.

"We all take care of each other, Mama." Carol shook her head. There was so much new information, so much she didn't understand, that she seemed to be easily distracted. She looked back at Hershel.

"They don't need me here, Hershel." Carol shook her head. Rick, Daryl, the others; they were fine without her. Sophia reached out and touched her cheek.

"He does, Mommy. He needs you really bad."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Though she knew who Sophia was talking about, Carol averted her eyes and asked, "Who do you think needs me so badly?"

The young girl looked at her steadily, with eyes that suddenly looked so much older. "You know who, Mama. Daryl needs you. Even more than the others."

As much as it pained her to think about having to choose between staying with her daughter and going back to Daryl, the man she had loved for so long, Carol knew she would always choose Sophia. She touched her daughter's face softly.

"Daryl will be fine. He's strong and he has the others." Carol tried not to think about the fact that while she knew Daryl had feelings for her, she really didn't know how deep they ran. He had never given her any indication of wanting to be more than her friend.

Sophia rolled her eyes and Carol couldn't help but smile. "He _loves _you. And he needs _you._"

Hershel stepped closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You should listen to her, Carol. She's right."

Carol gaped at them both. "How could either of you possible know what he feels for me or that he needs me specifically?"

The two shared a secret smile and nodded at each other. Sophia stood up and grabbed Carol's hand to tug on her until she stood.

"I'll show you." Carol looked at her in confusion and then to Hershel who just shook his head.

"I'll wait here for you both," he nodded to the bed. "I better keep an eye on you. Make sure you stay out of trouble."

Carol closed her eyes. Everything that was happening was so surreal. Could she be having some elaborate coma dream? Was this all in her imagination?

"We're real, Mama. I promise." She opened her eyes and looked down at Sophia, standing there looking so innocent and sincere.

"Okay, Baby." Carol held out her hand and the younger took it and started pulling her toward the door. Just before they got to the doorway, Sophia turned back to Hershel.

"We'll be right back."

They walked through the door together and went from the hospital room to standing next to a small reservoir of water. The sun was shining brightly and there were sounds of people nearby. Carol looked around and realized where they were. They were back at the quarry.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Of all the places Carol may have suspected Sophia would take her, the quarry was not one of them. If this had to do with Daryl and his supposed love for her, the only connection she could think of was that this was where they had first met. Sort of.

Carol really couldn't remember when she had first seen Daryl and Merle. She had been so wrapped up in the stress of what was going on, trying to protect Sophia from her dad, and avoid Ed's temper that there was really no room for getting to know any of the group back then. She supposed that she should have a more clear memory of the man that had become to mean so much to her but that just wasn't how the world worked sometimes.

She did remember Daryl's temper though, which had really paled in comparison to Merle's or Ed's. He had always been so angry and the only person he seemed to want to interact with was his brother. Not that she had exactly been a social butterfly. Even if it hadn't been for Ed keeping her on a tight leash, she had always been shy and more observant than most.

Carol looked down at Sophia, who was holding onto her hand tightly with an apprehensive look on her young face. Before she could ask what was wrong, she heard his voice and felt her blood run cold. She had thought she would never have to hear or see him again.

_"Carol!" he hollered and he came around the curve in the path, showing a typical reckless disregard for attracting walkers._

Carol fixed her gaze on the man she had married, not with fear as she once had, but with a cold, detached assessment. She could hardly believe this was the man that had paralyzed her with fear just by raising his voice. This man had ruled her life since the day they had married. Carol had known that her strength and confidence had grown but she had thought that she would always harbor a certain amount of fear for her dead husband. So she was fairly surprised when all she felt was disgust. And fury. A burning, murderous fury.

She was suddenly overcome with the urge to take her knife from her belt and kill him again, as though dying once just wasn't enough for a horrid man such as Ed. Without realizing it, Carol had actually taken a step toward him and had her hand at waist before she realized that she didn't have a knife anymore. She looked back at Sophia, snapping out of her rage almost as quickly as she had been overcome by it.

Sophia just shook her head. "That's not why we're here."

_"Ed!" Someone was calling him in a much lower tone than he had been using but the single word managed to convey the caller's authority. It was Shane. Ed thought about ignoring him but he had discovered that he needed to stay on Shane's good side as much as possible in order to maintain control of his "household." With an angry huff, he turned and started walking back to talk to the cop._

Sophia watched until he was out of sight and then turned back to her mother but Carol was distracted by movement off to the side of the trail. Sophia looked up at her with a mischievous twinkle in her eye and pointed back to where she had seen the movement.

"Let's go, Mama." She tugged on Carol's hand and led the way. As they walked further into the trees she saw a figure moving quickly and silently toward the water, walking parallel to the trail. It was Dayrl, she realized with a smile. No one could move as quietly as he could. As they got closer Carol could hear a sound that she hadn't heard in a very long time. Laughter. It took her a moment to realize it was her laughing. Her and Sophia.

Just a few feet ahead of them, Daryl stopped suddenly and dropped to a crouch. Carol and Sophia moved forward to stand next to him. She looked at him. He looked so different. His hair was much shorter and a lighter color, faded from sun exposure, she thought. He was dirty from hunting and moving around in the woods. There was something else though. Daryl didn't look angry. Actually, the look on his face was one of longing. Carol followed his gaze and saw what had captured his attention.

_Carol and Sophia had been able to slip away from Ed's watchful eye with the excuse of washing clothes in the reservoir. Having few precious moments to themselves since the turn, Carol decided that she had seen far too little of her daughter's happy smile. While Sophia had been soaking one of the shirts from the pile, Carol cupped her hands and filled them with water. She waited until Sophia was completely distracted and then flung the water at her, soaking her daughter's shirt and face. The look on the young girl's face was priceless and Carol couldn't help but laugh. _

_Within seconds, Sophia recovered and began splashing her mother with cold water until they were both soaked to the bone and giggling uncontrollablely. Carol couldn't remember the last time they had been this free and happy._

"We were happy, Mom. It wasn't always bad. When it was just us, it was good. It was fun," Sophia spoke with a smile as she watched mother and daughter play. Suddenly, Carol remembered this day and what would happen in just a few moments. She opened her mouth to warn Sophia but it was too late. It was already happening.

_Ed hadn't had to walk back very far before he met Shane._

_"Ed, you can't go around hollerin' like that. You'll attract walkers. You'll give away our position."_

_Ed gritted his teeth and fought to control his temper. "I'm lookin' for my wife and daughter." As an afterthought he added, "I get worried when they're outta sight." From the look on Shane's face, it was obvious he knew that was an outright lie. Everyone knew that Ed wanted complete control over Carol and Sophia and he didn't mind using his fists to get it. Luckily for Ed, just like before the dead started to rise, everyone ignored what was going on. Just as Shane pretended he didn't know the truth behind Ed's stomping around and yelling for this wife._

_"I understand bein' worried, Ed. That don't mean you can go around putting everyone in danger. Look for them, but look for them quietly. If you don't find 'em, come get me and I'll help you look. A'right?"_

_As much as it pained him to allow this pretty boy cop talk to him like a child, Ed knew when to pick his battles. He just nodded mutely, not trusting himself to speak. Shane eyed him a moment longer before turning around and walking away. Ed rolled his eyes and stomped back down to the water where he had heard laughing. What the hell was there to be happy about? Apparently, Carol needed yet another reminder of who was in charge._

_Ed felt immense satisfaction as the sounds of splashing and laughing were cut off. Evidently, they had heard him coming. An ugly smile lit his face at the knowledge of the fear he inspired. When they came into view, he saw Carol and Sophia gathering their supplies._

Carol watched as Ed, breathing heavy and re-faced, advanced on the two in the water. She felt Daryl tense beside her, muscles coiled and ready to move if need be.

_Daryl had seen these two around the camp but hadn't given them or anyone else much thought. He saw what everyone else did – she was an abused housewife and she probably let her husband hit her daughter too. Daryl felt disgusted with the short haired woman. She probably even gave her daughter to the man to save herself from his fists. That's what Merle had done._

_When he had heard the laughter, somehow he had known it was this woman and her daughter. For reasons he couldn't explain he had hidden himself from view to watch them play. They both looked so happy and he felt his heart constrict in his chest. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe she didn't sacrifice the girl to save herself some pain. The love on Carol's face when she looked at Sophia spoke of devotion and protection. And that love was mirrored on Sophia's face. There was no fear when the girl looked at her mother and it made him think that her mother had tried to protect her innocence. _

_Daryl heard Ed coming back before Carol and Sophia did and he tensed, trying to decide if he should get involved or not if things got out of control. The laughter stopped as they became aware of Ed's approach and they got out of the water to pick up their things. He felt sick as he watched Ed walk up and grab Sophia's arm and roughly jerk her away from her mother. The girl cried out in pain and Daryl looked on as Carol dropped everything she had held in her arms. He sucked in a surprise breath when he saw what she meant to do. He froze there, mesmerized by the scene before him._

Carol remembered this day vividly and while it was one of the times in her life she had been most proud of herself, she didn't think Sophia should see it.

"I've already seen it, Mom. Now you have to see it too." Sophia's eyes never left her father as she spoke.

_Carol felt the items she had been holding slip from her hands but she never heard them hit the ground. The blood was roaring in her ears, drowning out all but the sound of Ed yelling into Sophia face. With a strange sense of calm, Carol looked down at the sandy beach and saw a good sized piece of deadwood lying not far from her feet. She stepped over and picked it up and looked back to where Ed was starting to drag Sophia back to the path going to the camp. Sophia was crying and trying to twist away from her father._

_Still eerily calm, Carol walked purposefully forward until she was right behind Ed and, with all of her strength, swung that piece of wood at the back of his head. The crack of the wood against his skull was sickening but all she felt was pride that she had actually been able to do it. Her need to protect Sophia far outweighed her concern for her own safety._

_Ed dropped to his knees, letting go of Sophia's arm so suddenly that she staggered back and fell on her butt. He slowly brought his hand up to the back of his head and Carol walked around his kneeling form to help her daughter to her feet. She glanced back at Ed and the shock on his face when he saw the blood flowing from his head was nearly comical. Sophia was almost hysterical at the point and Carol crouched in front of her, cupping one cheek. The girl began to calm at her mother's soft touch._

_"Sophia, I want you to go back to camp. Quickly and quietly. Find Lori and Carl and stay with them. Don't tell anyone what just happened, okay?" Sophia nodded her understanding and Carol embraced her quickly. "Now go." With a last look at her father, still kneeling on the ground, she turned and started running back to camp._

_Carol stood again and, taking a deep breath, turned back to her husband. He was obviously still in a daze from the blow to his head but he was starting to come out of it. _

_ "You bitch! You are gonna pay for that. You have no idea how much hurt you're in for," he smiled in satisfaction as the deadwood began to droop in Carol's hands as she flinched away from him in fear. Had he just left it at that, it would have the end of_ his_ pain. "And not just you, you piece of shit. That girl you're raising to be a bitch just like you. It's time she started learning who the fuck is in charge here." _

_The moment he threatened Sophia she knew she had to make a stand. He had never outright threatened or tried to hurt Sophia, perhaps realizing it would cost him some of his control over Carol. With renewed strength, Carol tightened her grip on her improvised weapon and lifted it high. She felt a moment of satisfaction when Ed's eyes widened in fear just before she swung the wood again, striking him in the side of the head. She had hit him far harder this time than she had the first time and Ed fell back and hit the ground, eyes rolling up in his head. She thought for a moment he would lose consciousness but he just closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, they were unfocused but filled with rage._

_Fresh blood gushed from the new wound and Ed started to crab walk backwards, trying to put some distance between them but Carol advanced on him, stepping hard on his ankle to stop his movement. The look on her face was fierce and deadly._

_"Ed," she said his name quietly but with force, causing the bleeding man to look at her. "You will never touch Sophia again, do you hear me?"_

_Ed lay there, dazed, looking up at her. Understanding started to come into his face and his eyes narrowed. "What?"_

_Carol lifted the piece of deadwood again and swung it in front of his face. "You are never going to lay a finger on Sophia again. Ever, Ed. Do you get it? If you touch her again, in any way, I will kill you."_

_A flush crept up Ed's neck and into his face. The confusion in his eyes had gone and it was replaced by anger and disbelief. "You think you get to tell me what to do, Bitch?" He flinched back as she slammed the end of the wood into his chest._

_"You tell me, right now. You tell me, you will never touch her again, Ed, or so help me I will beat you to death right now." Carol didn't know if she would really be able to do it but, by God, she would try. She would take his life to protect Sophia._

_Ed held her gaze, testing her resolve, and when Carol raised her weapon again, he held out a hand to stop her. "I ain't gonna touch that scrawny little bitch," he sneered. He slowly started to stand up and when he was finally upright he glared at her. "You best believe that you're gonna get what's comin' to you." Ed leaned toward her with a twisted smile on his face, made even more grotesque by the blood running down his cheek. "You won't see me comin'." With that he moved to walk around her, giving her a wide berth. _

_Carol didn't bother turning to watch him walk away. She remained standing there, her back to the trail, shaking. When she couldn't hear Ed behind her anymore, she let the wood fall to the ground and then her knees gave and she collapsed next to it. _

Carol could remember thinking that she didn't know if Ed would keep his word to not touch Sophia again but she had no doubt that he would keep his promise to pay her back for what she'd done that day.She remembered Daryl just then and turned back him. She was pleased to see a look of complete shock and admiration on his face.

_Daryl couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. This tiny scrap of a woman, beaten into submission, had just beat the hell out of her abusive husband. And threatened to kill the man, no less. He stared at her, kneeling there in the sand, head bowed and shoulders shaking and he was tempted to go to her. She wasn't as weak as he had thought. She wasn't as weak as she allowed everyone to think, he amended, including her husband. _

_Daryl watched her as she calmed. She stopped shaking and eventually lifted her head to stare out across the water. He didn't think she was really seeing the reservoir but something she was playing in her head. Daryl looked at this woman with new eyes and found, to his surprise, he liked what he saw. Her hair was very short and graying but looked soft to the touch. She had a long, graceful neck. Bright blue eyes. Though her clothes were baggy and shapeless, he could tell she was thin but soft. Her strength was mental and emotional but not physical. He would bet that her arms were already starting to tighten up from swinging the damn piece of wood. _

_Most importantly, she loved her child. Enough to risk her life, enough to take a life, to protect her. He had never experienced that before. His mother had drank herself to death, dying in a fire while passed out drunk. He didn't know any women really but some of the women that Merle had brought home had kids but acted as though they were a prop or hindrance. Carol looked at Sophia with so much love and care that it made his breath catch to think about it. _

_He didn't know about before the turn but he understood why she stayed with him now. Better the devil you know. She obviously had no survival skills and if she tried to leave Ed, where would she go? Also, it was unlikely that he would let her leave without a fight. One of them was going to have to die for that relationship to end. Daryl just hoped it wouldn't be her._

Carol found herself mesmerized by the way he observed her without her knowledge. He had witnessed her at a moment when she had been the strongest she had ever been to that point.

_Finally, Carol got to her feet, still a bit shaky and began to gather their things again. When she had everything packed up, she made her way back to camp. Daryl made sure she had no idea that he was there but followed her to make sure she made it back safely. Sophia saw her mother and ran to her. Carol dropped her things to catch her daughter in her arms, hugging her tightly. He couldn't make out the words but he could hear her speaking to Sophia in a soft, calming voice. He watched for a moment longer and then turned and headed back to the water. He still needed to get cleaned up._

Sophia squeezed her hand lightly. "He started to love you even then."

Carol started at the words and glanced at her daughter. "He didn't know me then, Sophia."

"Yes, he did," she argued. "He saw how much you loved me and how much you wanted to protect me. He saw you stand up to Daddy and he knew how strong you really were. Daryl loved you even then, Mom."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Sophia turned and started walking back toward the reservoir, still holding her mother's hand. They didn't stop until they reached the edge of the water. Carol looked down at her bare feet sinking into the wet sand and wiggled her toes. The cool firmness beneath her feet felt just as solid and real as it did when she had touched Daryl's face. She felt the warm breeze and the sun on her face. Carol closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sun, smiling. She had never before known the feeling of peace that flowed through her now.

The light she could still see beyond her closed lids began to fade. The warmth from the sun disappeared, as did the cool breeze. Carol opened her eyes and discovered that they were standing outside of Gabriel's church and it was nighttime. A moment later the church doors opened and Carol watched herself slip quietly into the night.

_Closing the door softly behind her, Carol paused, waiting to see if anyone would follow. She listened to the celebration still going on inside, the low laughter and conversation. No one had noticed her leaving. She breathed a sigh of relief and slung her backpack over her shoulder. She had a moment of regret, thinking about leaving Daryl without so much as a word but she pushed the thought away. She couldn't stay here. Carol took one last look at the church and disappeared into the trees._

Carol started to move in the same direction but Sophia held her back.

"Wait." Turning back to the church, Carol saw the door open slowly.

_Daryl moved quietly to the doors, trying to follow Carol without attracting attention. A last look at the group confirmed he hadn't been noticed. He slipped out the front door of the church and looked around. He had hoped that Carol was just getting some air. He knew what it was like to be overwhelmed by the people in their group. But in his heart he knew she hadn't left the church for a quiet moment of solitude. She was leaving them._

_She was leaving him, going back to the car they had found earlier._

_His head dropped in disappointment and exhaustion. They had just found each other again but she didn't want to stay. He was so tired of feeling alone and had thought that with her there he wouldn't be alone anymore. Daryl stood there, indecisive. Should he let her go? Who was he to make her stay in a place she didn't want to be?_

_NO. He couldn't let her just leave without an explanation. He was done taking the easy way out and just letting things happen. He was going after her. His head snapped up and he quickly descended the steps. She only had a few minutes head start, he could catch up with her._

Carol watched as he strode past them, a determined look on his haggard face, his jaw clenched, eye's shining. She couldn't help but smile at the thought that he hadn't been willing to just let her leave. They walked after him and as they stepped into the trees their surroundings changed again. Carol looked down at her daughter with a question in her eyes, surprised at the suddenness of the change.

With a sad smile, Sophia said, "We don't have much time left." Carol felt her throat constrict. She didn't want to lose her baby girl again but she was discovering that the decision was out of her control. She looked around her and realized with a start that they were back in the shelter. Not at the time when she and Sophia had been there but when she had been there with Daryl. It already seemed like so long ago.

_Carol moved around the corner, leading Daryl further into the dark building. _

_"Did you used to work here or something?" he rasped, following her into an office._

_"Something," she replied thoughtfully. Memories of her last visit were threatening to overcome her. She had been here with Sophia last time. _

_There were two doors in the office and they moved the desk to barricade one of them. Carol picked up her pack and moved to the other door. Finding it locked, she turned back to Daryl to motion for the keys. He fumbled a little trying to hand them to her but recovered to shine his flashlight above her head._

_Carol led him down a narrow hallway and into a bedroom furnished with a desk and a set of bunk beds. He glanced around the room and, eyes landing on the desk, he saw with some surprise a book about surviving childhood abuse. 'Shit,' he thought._

_"What is this place," he glanced at her but she had her back to him._

_"Temporary housing," Carol responded shortly, not inviting questions. Tough, he was going to ask them anyway._

_"You came here?"_

_"I didn't stay," she said, bitterness in her voice. It was obviously painful or at least unpleasant to talk about and Daryl decided to drop it for now. He turned back to the desk, putting his pack on the surface, next to the book that kept drawing his eye. Daryl wondered absently if she would notice if he took it._

_"I'll take the top. That one looks more like your style," she teased. He looked at the top bunk, covered in stuffed animals and huffed a laugh. She turned abruptly, all traces of humor suddenly gone. "You should get some sleep. I'll keep first watch."_

_Daryl looked at her surprise. "It's buttoned up pretty tight."_

_"I know."_

_"Then we should be alright."_

_Carol turned back to him, a little exasperated. "I'll keep first watch." Her eyes softened and her voice gentled. "I don't mind."_

_They really hadn't talked much and Daryl still didn't understand what was going on inside her head._

_"Suit yourself." He dropped heavily onto the bottom bunk and looked around the room again. Not that there was much to see. Really, he was just avoiding looking at her. She was different now. Confident. Capable. And she was hiding her pain, or at least trying to. But they'd always been able to see past each other's walls. Daryl just didn't know how to breach them this time. Finally, his eyes fell on the woman that occupied so much of his thoughts. She was looking out the window, thoughtful._

_"You said we could start over," Carol said quietly._

_"Yeah."_

_She turned to face him. "Did you?" He looked at her for a long moment before replying._

_"I'm trying." She just nodded and turned back to the window. What had she really been asking? Had he started over without her? _

_"Why don't you just say what's on your mind?" He didn't know what he was expecting but her response took him by surprise._

_"I don't think we get to save people anymore." Daryl sat there, stunned into silence. This wasn't Carol. Not the woman he knew._

_"Then why are you here?" His words came out harsher than he had intended but she only smiled sadly._

_"I'm trying."_

Carol watched with a heavy heart while two damaged people tried to work through their own pain and insecurity. Now that she was on the outside looking in, she could see the longing in his face when he looked at her. She could also see the wariness in her own face. She had felt so broken inside. After all that had happened, she was tired. Numb. Or at least she had thought she was. When Carol had realized the danger her friends were in, she hadn't hesitated in going into Terminus to rescue them.

She had saved them at Terminus, but for how long? Just until the next threat emerged to take one of their own away from them. Sophia leaned against her mother's side, startling Carol. She had been so intent on the scene before her, she had forgotten about the little girl.

_Daryl watched as Carol turned from the window and walked over to the bed. He was a little surprised when she sat and then laid back on the bed. He glanced at her over his shoulder, wondering how he should respond to her sudden closeness. Daryl wanted more than anything to wrap his arms around her and tuck her against him but she didn't meet his gaze so he leaned back until he was lying next to her. He grabbed a pillow to shove behind his head. _

_They lay there together for a moment before he felt compelled to ask her again, "What if I hadn't showed up at the car?"_

_"I still don't know," she said softly. He his heart sank at her words. _

_Daryl wanted to give her a reason to stay. He wanted to tell her…everything. The anger he had felt when Rick had kicked her out. The despair that came over him when the prison fell and he thought there was no chance that he would see her again. He wanted to tell her that he loved her. He had for a long time. But Daryl couldn't manage the words. She was right next to him but he couldn't seem to bridge the distance between them._

Sophia pulled Carol's hand and guided her through the door, but instead of entering the darkened hallway, they found themselves in the brightly lit hospital room.

TBC…


End file.

Walking Dead, Drama, Romance