Our sanctuary- who we used to be

A/n: This is first story actually using the characters from the show / comics (none of them will belong to me). I have wrote fanfiction before but with my own characters so I don't know how this will turn out.

Also, this is an Au story but I will still use Carols abusive relationship with Ed AND Daryl's past abuse from his family, so if you feel uncomfortable reading about abuse / mentions of abuse please do not read for your own sake. Some parts are only mentions but other may be a bit more graphic.

I take full responsibility for any grammar/ spelling mistakes but you know.. It happens sometimes. Always open for feedback (tell me if you did or didn't like anything) and even suggestions for future chapters. No promise on when the next chapter will be up OR if I'll even continue the story. That's all from me and I hope you enjoy :)

Ps: even though it's kinda au but kinda pre apocalypse (not sure where I'm taking it yet) ; just role with the ages of characters. Age gaps are roughly the same but a few character are older than they would of been at this point before the apocalypse.

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A tiny café huddled, almost hidden, among the huge city buildings. Retreating from the dark, stormy sky, it hunched in on itself, fighting against the horrendous rain. Hundreds of people rushed by it, outside on the crowded street. It's old wooden sign creaked as it shivered in the unrelenting wind, it's paint chipped and washed out. The customers glanced up as the door swung open as more people piled inside, accompanied by a blast of bitter wind, looking for shelter. Unlike the outside, the interior of the café was warm and cheery, with bright lights and colourful walls; its mahogany counter gleaming under the artificial lights. The customers returned to their conversations as the door swung closed behind the new entrant and the cold breeze was forgotten.

A small woman with mouse grey hair stood in the door way with a stroller, looking around the overcrowded shop for an unoccupied seat. Carol Peletier had never set foot in this rustic cafe before today. She was always too scared to venture too far from home before now. Her husband had been given work out of town, meaning he would stay in a motel for a night. This would also mean she wasn't prisoner in her own home for an entire weekend. An entire weekend with no harassment, no name calling and no abuse. Just her and her baby daughter, Sophia, whom was nearly six months old. Sophia was the only thing in this world that gave Carol hope and the will to suffer through her husbands mistreatment.

Carol didn't have a job as Ed didn't like the idea of her being out the house for that long, so she couldn't support them living on their own. At least a small cut of his money was used for Sophia's formula and diapers, and no longer fuelling his smoking and drinking habits. It was much to his distaste but Ed never saw his daughter go hungry. When Sophia was born, there was a moment, just a brief moment, when Ed first held his daughter, when his hateful eyes softened and a smile briefly played on his stern mouth. His unforgiving hands held the little bundle gently and the boy whom Carol fell in love with, was back. Only for a moment. That was the first and the last time he ever held his own daughter. The abuse had stopped for nearly 3 months when Sophia was born, and Carol was fool enough to think he had truly changed.

One day she went out to the walk Sophia around the park but didn't mention it to Ed. When he returned home from work to an empty house and no food on the table, he was furious. The second Carol stepped through the door of their small home he was bellowing, face red with anger and his clenched fists were shaking with rage. As he raised his hand to her to lay the first blow in months, the monster she had grown to fear was back. And in that moment, life had slipped back into the constant cycle of fear and abuse. He pushed her against the stairs and the wind was knocked out of her as he lay another slap across her face. Her ribs were bruised for weeks and movement only made the pain worse.

No matter how many blows he landed on Carol, not once did Ed lay a hand on Sophia. That's all Carol cared about. That's where Carol would draw the line. The day Ed decides the day he will turn the mistreatment on his daughter, is the day Carol would leave. No matter what.

As she shrugged off her old jacket and placed it over the handles of the stroller, Carol was approached by a young Asian boy in a black apron. He wore a name badge which read 'Greene's café; Glenn Rhee' and smiled kindly as he greeted her.

"Good morning ma'am. We're slightly over worked today so it will be hard to seat you." He stated, gesturing around the crowded shop "If you would like, we can seat you with another costumer?"

Carol could sense the slight hint of nervousness in the young mans voice. He must be used to dealing with rude costumers who would have been angered at this point and taken it out on the worker. It had been so long since Carol had spoke to someone other than Ed, his equally repulsive friends, or her good friend Michonne, whom managed the local store. Carol returned the smile and spoke sweetly to the young man.

"That would be perfectly fine. Thank you. As long as it's okay with the other costumer. I wouldn't want to be an inconvenience to them."

"I'm sure they will understand" Glenn smiled professionally "would you like to follow me?"

Carol nodded and trailed behind the young man to the other side of the shop. Every table that they passed was surrounded by people, not a spare chair in sight; until they reached a secluded corner of the shop, right next to the counter and the window. There was one, small table that seated a solitary, gruff looking man in a leather coat. He had his head in a news paper and was switched off from the bustle around him, his motorbike helmet occupied the other seat across from him. From the way Glenn sighed, Carol instantly new this man didn't like to be disturbed. Just as she was about to make an excuse so she could leave, Glenn spoke out to the man.

"Hey..um..Daryl?"

The man sat at the table didn't look up from his paper; he grumbled a "hmn?" in response.

"You know I wouldn't ask you unless I had to but we're really overworked and we need the seats. Is there any chance we can sit this lady with you? Just until another table clears and we can move her." Glenn spoke quickly, probably before daryl shut him down and dismissed him. She didn't know why but Carol felt nervous, if this man was anything like Ed, he would shout the place down in seconds. The last thing Carol wanted was to cause a scene.

At that, Daryl lifted his head from the paper. He studied Glenn for a moment, then his eyes moved briefly to Carol, then they flicked to the stroller. Daryl sighed, lent back in his chair and turned his attention back to his newspaper. Carol braced herself for a side remark but the man held out his hand.

"Whatever. Just pass me my helmet"

"I appreciate it man" Glenn beamed, relieved and handed over the black helmet. He gestured for Carol to sit down "thank you"

"Hmn" was his reply once again

"Some one will be over in a moment to take your order" Glenn told Carol.

"Thank you" she said once again before Glenn bustled off to help the young woman behind the counter.

This time, when Daryl lifted his head out of the news paper, Carol caught his eyes with her own. She flashed a short smile and nodded to show her appreciation before turning towards her daughter. Daryl dismissed her with a "pft" but Carol could swear a ghost of a smile played on the corner of his lips as he burrowed his head further into the paper. Carol new well enough to not attempt conversation with man like this. Even though he looked intimidating, Carol could tell he wasn't one for talking. He'd obviously known the workers well enough to be on first name basis with them, but he still failed to talk to Glenn. Maybe he just wasn't a people person.

Carol removed her scarf and placed it with her coat as a young girl that introduced herself as "Maggie Greene" came over and took her order. She ordered herself a large coffee to warm herself from the storm. Her short cropped hair was still wet from the rain and her cheeks were still flushed red from the bitter winds. Maggie returned with her drink, which she sipped whilst warming her hands on the mug, enjoying the change in scenery.

Most people would feel lonely, sat alone in a coffee shop, listening to others chat to family and friends. Not Carol. This was the first time in a long time that she felt at peace. The soft hum of machines whirring behind the counter and the occasional laugh from a group sat somewhere in the room, warmed her. It reminded her of life outside of the abuse and fear she lived in. The sweet smell of vanilla accompanied by the strong aroma of coffee seemed the most pleasant scent compared to the strong stench of alcohol and cigarettes she choked on daily.

Sophia began to stir, so Carol removed her from her pushchair and sat her on her knee. Compared to most babies, Sophia hardly cried, which was a blessing due to their situation. It would only anger Ed when Sophia fussed but luckily for both of them, it was a rarity. Carol was blessed to have her and wouldn't know if she could carry on without her. Her big baby blue eyes and tuffs of strawberry blonde hair, was what kept Carol going.

Despite Carol feeling the most relaxed and carefree than she had in years, an unwanted pang of guilt and fear bubbled in the back of her mind. What if Ed found out? Yes he was working out of town but many of his friends lived locally and any of them could walk in and see her sat here. They would tell ed for sure. All of his friends were just like him. Overweight, obnoxious drunks that didn't have a caring bone in their body. If Ed found out she had driven down the block in HIS car, sat at a table with a strange man and used HIS money to treat herself to a coffee, he would be furious beyond belief. Carol shuddered at the thought of the horrors she would face if he did.

One of the first, and possibly the worst beating Carol had received from Ed was when her old school friend, Abraham Ford, was in the neighbourhood and they had bumped into each other in the grocery store. Naturally, Carol invited him back to her place for a quick catchup over a drink as they hadn't seen eachother in years. He was surprised to find out Carol was pregnant with Sophia, and she was surprised to find out he was married with children of his own. They were laughing together when Ed came in from a day in the bar, drunk and angry. Despite the alcohol clouding his judgement, Ed wasn't fool enough to challenge Abraham, a big man, built entirely of muscle. He waited. That's what scared Carol the most. How calm and collected he was before Abraham left. Ed even sternly shook his hand after Abraham embraced Carol. As the front door closed behind him, Ed erupted into a firey fit of rage. He punched her in the jaw, calling her a 'cheating bitch' as he proceeded to kick her on the floor. No matter how much she pleaded with him and told him Abraham was married and they were old friends, Ed refused to stop. Until, he landed a hard kick square in Carols stomach. Her breathless screams and wails of "STOP! The baby!" was the only thing that made him retreat. Later that evening, when Ed had passed out, she managed to get herself to a hospital. She was certain her baby was dead, and was a sobbing mess the whole way there.

The doctors asked questions. That's when she should of told them the truth, right at the start. But she was too scared. Too scared of loosing her husband. Too scared of what could happen if someone pressed charges. Instead she made up a stupid story on how she was attacked but she couldn't recall much else because of the injury to her head. After a few tests and a long agonising wait, Carol was relieved to find out her and her baby were okay. She was so relieved.

A loud gargle snapped her back to reality. Sophia was pulling faces at herself in the reflective surface of the metalic table. Carol smiled brightly. From the other side of the table, Daryl watched the baby from over his paper and scoffed in amusement when she proceeded to pull different faces at herself. This only made Carols beam grow wider. 'Why couldn't it be like this every day' Carol thought. Just her and her daughter...and the stranger that sat opposite that for a peculiar reason, made Carol Peletier feel safe.