AN: Lotsa plot bunnies now. I need to write all my stories during summer hiatus. I already miss TWD. MAN the finale was insane. Incoming spoilers for the season 2 finale. Don't read if you've not seen it yet.
Aaaaannnnnyyywayyyy... Gonna write now. Usual disclaimers. Have fun.
Cheers.
-Shazzy
Guardian Angel
The herd of walkers had taken over the farm. The air was thick with smoke as Rick had somehow managed to set the barn on fire.
At least, they assumed it was Rick.
Carl was missing, Lori was in a panic, but they had to go. It was all Carol could do to convince Lori that her son was safe. No one would leave him behind.
So they ran.
The yard was crawling with walkers. Lori had a gun and she managed to take a few out as they ran, but there were too many of them.
Carol had sprinted on ahead.
Before she knew it, she was alone. Pinned down against the shed where they had kept Randall prisoner. Carol was alone. She felt tears spring to her eyes and she pulled her knitted green sweater tighter around her body. She was in a panic, nothing made sense.
There are walkers coming right at you, woman!
She yelled at herself in her head, cursing and screaming every insult and terrible word she'd ever been called by Ed, Daryl's strangely affectionate term of 'woman', even the compliments the other women had paid her. Nothing willed her to move. There were too many.
Silently, she felt herself give up. Her thoughts turned to Sophia and to her imminent demise.
Unconsciously, she screamed.
"Carol! Run!"
The words broke the spell that misery and defeat had cast upon her. Carol blinked as gunshots rang out closer than she'd realized.
Andrea was there, gun in hand, blonde hair gleaming fiery gold in the light of the burning barn.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"CAROL! RUN!" Andrea screamed at her.
With a shake of her head, Carol finally moved. Her legs were like jelly beneath her and it was only by sheer gratitude to Andrea that she was able to stay upright.
No, that wasn't it. Not entirely.
She ran. She didn't look back. The whole yard was swarming with walkers and Carol knew then that if she stopped, she was dead. Despite knowing that if she was caught, she'd see her dearly departed Sophia again, she ran. She wasn't used to it, but she forced herself to continue.
She didn't know where she was going.
"Away. As far away as you can." She told herself.
She was alone. No one from her group was there to protect her and she had no weapon.
Her legs were giving out. She'd been running for what felt like days. She stumbled, once. She heard the walkers behind her, their inhuman moaning, the sound of their shuffling steps.
"God, please..." She begged as she pushed herself further. "Please..."
She didn't know what she was begging for. A hero. A quick death. A second wind. Strength.
She felt fingers brush against her sweater and it was all she could do not to scream. She let a low groan escape her lips, a groan of desperation and fear. She stumbled again but managed to stay upright. Barely.
She had almost given up.
A low rumble changed her mind.
Carol looked up, she could see the glowing orange headlight and she knew he'd come back for her.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"Run! RUN!" Daryl yelled over the throaty roar of his motorcycle.
Carol pushed herself that last hundred yards, her sweater billowing dangerously behind her as dead hands grabbed and groped for her.
She nearly fell off the bike in her exhaustion. She was shaking uncontrollably, but she wrapped her arms around Daryl's chest, feeling the comforting warmth of his body. He was alive. He was real.
The walkers were a hand's length away from them before Daryl revved the engine and they took off.
Carol buried her face between Daryl's shoulder blades as they drove, willing herself not to cry and mumbling thank yous into the feathery wings on the back of Daryl's vest.
It seemed that she really did have a guardian angel.