Disclaimer: I own nothing from The Walking Dead. All characters belong to the creators of the television show and graphic novel series.

Gunfire Lullaby

Chapter 1

"Mom?" Sophia asked from the backseat of the old yellow Jeep Cherokee.

"Yeah, hon?" Carol raised her sunglasses and peeked at her daughter in the rear view mirror.

"Do I have to go to school today?"

"We've been over this, Sophia," Carol insisted. Sophia sighed and held her favorite doll a little tighter to her chest. It was some old rag doll her she'd convinced her mother to buy her at a rummage sale one day. After a few washings, it was still old and tattered, but Sophia loved it just the same.

"But my stomach hurts."

"Does it really hurt, or are you just worried about this spelling test?" She glanced at her daughter in the mirror again. Sophia's shoulders fell. "Honey, you're ready. I quizzed you twice yesterday, and you aced it both times. You're ready." Carol was proud that at ten, her daughter was serious about her grades. Sophia had always been smart as a whip, easily surpassing her classmates in every subject. The teachers had pressed for Sophia to skip a grade, but with Sophia being so shy and having trouble making friends easily, Carol hadn't wanted to traumatize her by putting her with kids she didn't even know.

"I guess," Sophia murmured.

"Hey," Carol offered. "Can I let you in on a little secret?"

"Yeah?"

"Even if you missed every single word, I would still love you just as much as I love you right now. You know that?"

"You're just saying that because you're my mom."

"Well, I am your mom, but it's still true. You're so smart, Sophia. I am so proud of the young lady you're becoming. And there is nothing wrong with making mistakes. I want you to know that. Daddy and I are both so proud of you." Carol put her sunglasses back over her eyes and turned the corner toward Sunnybrook Elementary School.

Carol's cell phone chimed, and she glanced at the screen briefly. "Huh."

"What's wrong?" Sophia asked.

"The school just sent out an emergency message. They're closing school today. Too many kids and teachers are out sick, and they don't have enough substitutes to cover. I guess you get one more day to study, huh, Soph?" Sophia's eyes brightened, and she pursed her lips.

"They never close school."

"Well, I guess there's a first time for everything." Carol turned the car around and headed back toward the highway. "You wouldn't mind to run a few errands with your mom today, would you?"

"You're not going to work?"

"Well, I was going to make it a half day, but I think I'll just take the whole day and hang out with you. Sound good?"

"You can do that?" Sophia asked. "What about all the sick kids?"

"Dr. Cloyd is covering for me today. I'm sure if they need me, they'll call. They always do." She grabbed her cup of coffee from beside her and took a sip. "What do you say we go shopping and grab some lunch and maybe a movie to watch when we get home? Then when daddy gets home from work, we can quiz you again. Sound good?"

"Sounds good," Sophia agreed.

Carol was an attending pediatrician at Grady Memorial Children's Hospital just outside of Atlanta. She had originally gone to medical school with the hopes of being a general surgeon, but during her residency, she'd found that while she enjoyed various branches of the medical field, pediatrics was her niche. It helped that she had a young daughter at home, so she was able to relate to her patients better than some of her colleagues.

She was fortunate to work with a team of amazing doctors, and she was even more fortunate that she was able to work hours that gave her more time with her family. Things were far from perfect, and her busy career kept her away for long hours, sometimes more than a day, but she was able to make up for that with long weekends and more time off than she'd ever been able to take as a resident. She loved her job, she loved her little patients, but most of all, she loved that she was able to help provide for her family and give Sophia the things she needed and wanted, in moderation, of course.

"I have to make a quick stop at Dr. Prescott's office."

"Are you sick, Mom?"

"No, honey. When you're grown up, you'll understand." Of course, the school would have to cancel on the day of her yearly exam, of all days. At least Dr. Prescott was the family doctor, and Sophia liked the receptionist Tara very well. She figured Sophia wouldn't get too bored for the short amount of time she'd be there.

"Oh, so it's got to do with that stuff."

"What stuff?" Carol laughed.

"The stuff you talked to me about that you keep under the sink in the bathroom."

"Well, sort of," Carol laughed. "Every woman has to have these appointments. You'll see when you're older. And it's not that bad. It's just an appointment to make sure everything's ok."

"Everything's ok, right, Mom?"

"Of course. Like I said, it's just a checkup."

By the time they pulled into the parking lot of the doctor's office, Sophia had pulled out her list of spelling words and was going over them. Carol smiled to herself and ran a brush through her short, pixie haircut. She had gone completely grey a couple of years ago. She joked that being a children's doctor had zapped the color right out of her hair, but the truth was that her mother had gone grey early. Carol remembered seeing her own first strands of silver at thirty. By the time Sophia was five, she'd given up on dying her hair, and now, she actually really liked it, and she often got complimented for the striking color that highlighted her bright, blue eyes. It helped that her husband told her she was beautiful just the way she was. Sometimes, even the smallest things had the biggest impact.

"Hey, there's my favorite patient!" Tara, the receptionist, said from behind the window when she saw Sophia walk in with Carol. "Quick, spell pneumonia."

"Easy!" Sophia laughed, running over to give Tara a high five. "P-n-e-u-m-o-n-i-a."

"Yeah. I think she's right. Yep. Definitely. What are we seeing you for today, Miss Sophia?"

"It's not for me. Mom has one of those appointments." She made a face. "Whatever that means."

"Oh." A laugh fell out of Tara's mouth, and she looked at Carol knowingly. "That's right. I've got you down right here. Dr. Prescott's just finishing with another patient, but the nurse can take you on back so you can put on a gown."

"Is it ok for Sophia to hang out in the waiting room? You'll keep an eye on her?"

"Of course. No school today?"

"No, they cancelled. I guess they have a lot of people out sick."

"Oh, yeah. I heard there was something nasty going around. Yeah, hey, Soph, you can have control of the TV remote. Just don't put on Jerry Springer."

"I have to study," Sophia insisted.

"Oh," Tara offered, getting a little shrug from Carol. "Well, you do that, and I'll be right back, ok?"

"Ok," Sophia promised, sitting down in the chair closest to the receptionist's window. Tara headed back to find the nurse, and Carol fidgeted with her keys for a moment. Within a couple of minutes, the nurse came back and motioned for Carol to follow her.

By the time Carol was stripped down and draped in a thin gown with her feet up in the stirrups, she suddenly started feeling anxious. She was so used to these exams, and they didn't even really embarrass her anymore, but still, she worried. She was forty-five, the same age her mother was when she'd been diagnosed with cervical cancer. Carol had made an effort to make sure she was getting her checkups regularly, and so far, everything had been fine. Still, it worried her for herself and for Sophia, because she didn't want to have to go through or watch her daughter go through what her own mother had. It was always at the back of her mind, even when she got good results from the exams.

"Carol?" Dr. Jacqui Prescott tapped on the door about five minutes later and poked her head in. "You all ready?"

"Hi, Dr. Prescott," Carol offered with a nervous smile.

"It's that time again, already, huh?"

"Yeah," Carol murmured. "I guess so."

"Did I see Sophia out in the waiting room?"

"Yeah," she murmured, folding her arms behind her head to try to get comfortable and to prop herself up a little. "School was cancelled for the day." Jacqui sat down on her stood and picked up Carol's chart.

"Any changes in your health lately?"

"No, not really."

"You mentioned at the last exam that your periods were becoming irregular. Is that still going on?"

"Yeah. I'll get them early and then I'll get them late. I mean, my grandmother was my age when she started going through the change. My mother was gone before…well, anyway, I'm just glad that Sophia surprised us before I missed my chance."

"Well, for what it's worth, I don't think there's anything to be concerned about, and I don't think this is menopause. When was the last day of your last period, if you can remember?"

"Fifty-eight days ago.

"Oh, that's specific. I wish more of my patients kept track of those things," Jacqui chuckled. "They say doctors make the worst patients, but I think you're the exception, Carol." Carol chuckled at that and shook her head.

"I'm pretty sure it'll be starting any day. I had some spotting a few weeks ago, but that was it. I've been tired, not just from work. Just tired. And achy. My breasts have been tender, and I've been having some cramping."

"Alright," the doctor said with a nod, snapping on a latex glove. "Any pelvic pain?" Carol shook her head. "Good. How about sex? Any pain?"

"None," Carol pointed out.

"Alright, I know you've gone through this before, but I like to remind my patients that this is going to be a little cold."

"Thanks," Carol grimaced, as Jacqui began the exam. Carol closed her eyes and begged a silent prayer that everything was still just fine and that she could stop worrying for a little while longer.

...

"Daddy's home!" Sophia called from downstairs. "Mom! Daddy's home!"

"I heard you, Soph!" Carol called from the upstairs bathroom, where she'd just finished toweling off her hair. She turned her attention back to the mirror over the sink and stared at her own reflection. Her gaze faltered, and she bowed her head, taking a steady, deep breath.

How was she going to explain this one?

"Any nausea, Carol?"

"No. Not at all. Why?"

"You said you experienced some spotting. Was it heavy, or…"

"Well, no. I mean, it was just a little…why are you asking me this?"

Carol stared down at the little white stick on her sink. Those two bright pink lines seemed to stare right back up at her. She blinked a couple of times, but they didn't go away.

The doctor's suspicions had been confirmed. During the pelvic exam, she'd felt something that had led her to order a pregnancy test. Sure enough, it had come back positive, and despite that, Carol had been left with a feeling of disbelief. So, she'd snuck a box of pregnancy tests in with the groceries and slipped it to the cashier while Sophia wasn't looking, because surely Jacqui was wrong.

But she wasn't.

"I can't be pregnant."

"Well, it looks like you are. I take it this wasn't planned."

"Well, not planned, no. And definitely not expected. I thought…oh God, I'm a doctor, I should have…I should have known. Are you sure?"

"Is this…good news? Is this something you want to talk about?"

"Well, it's not…it's not bad news. I guess we'd just accepted that Sophia was going to be an only child. We tried for so long to have another one, and…I guess with my work and his work, we just realized that this was it. Just the three of us."

"So you're 're not worried about telling your husband?"

"Well…no. Not worried. I just don't think I know how to tell him. I mean, what do I say? Hey, honey? You know how we couldn't get pregnant again after Sophia? Well, surprise, because we're starting all over again, and we're going to be eligible for the senior discount before the kid graduates high school!"

"Carol, breathe. I need you to calm down."

"I'm calm. I'm…I mean, I came here worried that something was going to be wrong, and then you tell me that…I…"

"I have no reason to believe this won't be a healthy pregnancy. Now, yes, you are considered high risk because of your age, but I've seen women your age and older give birth to perfectly healthy babies with no complications. So I don't want you to worry at all, alright?"

Carol realized that she had tears in her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away and sniffled before tightening the belt of her robe around her middle. She heard his footsteps on the stairs and then the landing, and her stomach felt like it had jumped into her throat. She felt dizzy, and she leaned forward with her fingers white knuckling the sides of the marble countertop.

"You ok in there?" Carol turned when she heard his voice and the gentle rap of his knuckles against the door.

"Yeah, come in," she sniffled, wiping at her eyes again and shoving the little white stick behind the liquid soap bottle. She greeted him with a smile, her blue eyes piercing into his, but he didn't smile back. He'd been married to her long enough to know when she was bullshitting him.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Her smile faltered, and she sighed.

"Damn it, Daryl, how do you do that?" Her shoulders slumped, and Daryl stepped into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He had his gun holster in one hand and had just unbuttoned the top two buttons of his uniform shirt.

"What's goin' on? Soph said you were in the shower, and she said you were real quiet today. Everything go ok at the doctor? I know you've been worried." He put his holstered gun and his badge aside, and he moved to pull her into a hug.

What was she supposed to say? She'd gone over it a hundred different ways all afternoon, and none of those ways seemed like the best way to say it. So, instead of saying anything, she buried her face against his neck and inhaled the scent of him, dug her fingers gently into his shoulders as he held her, and she trembled.

"You're scarin' me, Carol."

"I'm…everything's fine," she managed to bite out, sniffling and pulling back. Daryl eyed her with disbelief, and he watched her turn and sit down on the edge of the bathtub. "Dr. Prescott said she doesn't expect the tests will come back with any problems. And she says everything else seems to be ok, but, um, I'm not so sure. I mean, I'm a doctor for crying out loud. I should have known. But I guess I've been so busy and…"

"What's goin' on?" he asked, a little more forcefully, kneeling down in front of her. "You're scarin' me here, because I know you, and when you don't wanna talk about it…it's…" He took her hands in his own, and Carol felt her heart skip a beat. His hands were shaking. He was so scared, and she knew she couldn't let him start thinking the worst.

"I'm pregnant, Daryl. I'm not sick. I'm not dying. I'm pregnant, and I'm terrified, because I never thought this would happen." She watched the emotion in Daryl's eyes change from fear to relief to, what was that? Yep, that was happiness. Joy. He started to smile. "Don't do that…you know, I'm a freaking mess here, and…"

"You're pregnant?" he asked. He was smiling wider now, and his hands relaxed and moved from her hands to her knees. Then he was reaching up and touching her stomach, and she brought her hand over his, curling her fingers around his.

"You're ok with this?"

"Ok with it?" Daryl asked. "'Course I am. Shit, I thought you were gonna tell me…hell, I don't know. But I didn't think it was gonna be this. This is…a baby? We're havin' a baby?"

"Apparently," she uttered, still a little uncertain of herself. "I, um, Dr. Prescott think I'm about six or seven weeks. I didn't even know. I mean, my period's been out of whack, and…I guess I just didn't think anything of it, you know? I just thought…"

"You thought the worst," he pointed out.

"Always have to be prepared," she replied with a chuckle. "I guess I just wasn't prepared for this." His joy faltered slightly.

"You…are you ok with this?" he asked softly, bringing his hands to rest on her thighs. "If you ain't…" She cupped his face with her hands before gently stroking a rogue strange of hair out of his eyes. She'd been on him about trimming his hair, but she also really kind of liked it in its sometimes unruly glory.

"I love you," she whispered. "I love our family. And I love this baby. I'm just scared of starting all over again."

"We ain't," he promised. "We ain't startin' over. We're just adding on to what we already got. Soph's gonna be so excited."

"I don't want to tell her yet, Daryl. I want to wait and see the OBGYN first. I want to make sure everything's going to be ok before we get her hopes up." Daryl nodded then, before he tugged at her wrists and pulled her down with him on the floor. His hands moved up her arms and over her shoulders, gently ghosting over the pulse points on her neck. He kissed her then, softly on the lips, and then his mouth was on her neck. "Daryl! She's just downstairs…"

"Mmmfff," he murmured against her skin. She bit back a laugh, and she waited for him to pull back so she could kiss him again. "You tell anybody yet?"

"Just you," she murmured, wrapping her arms a little tighter around his neck. "I don't want anybody else to know until I'm sure everything's ok." Daryl gently ran his fingers through his wife's soft, damp hair. "How was your day, Officer Dixon?"

"Same old, same old," he replied, leaning in and kissing her again. "Bunch of traffic stops, not much else."

"Did you talk to Rick about supper Saturday night?"

"Yeah. Looks like the whole family's gonna make it."

"Speaking of family. Don't forget, we have dinner at my Uncle Hershel's tomorrow night." Daryl paused for a moment. "You forgot, didn't you?"

"Nah, I didn't forget."

"Daryl," Carol groaned. "You didn't invite Rick over for drinks did you?"

"I can reschedule."

"I can always call Hershel, and…"

"Nah, you don't see him that much. I know how much it means to ya. I'll call Rick and tell him. Sorry I forgot." Daryl kissed her softly, and she smiled against his mouth.

"Well, how can I not forgive you after a kiss like that?" she asked softly, running her finger along the edge of his jaw.

"Mom? Daddy?" Sophia called from downstairs.

"Be right down, Soph!" Daryl called, getting up from off the floor and pulling Carol up to stand. "Ow," he snorted, as his knee popped when he stood.

"See?" Carol pointed out. "We might be getting too old for this."

"Pffft," Daryl snorted. "We're both in good shape, and we keep up with Soph just fine. Hell, I just chased a burglar three blocks the other day. And look at Hershel. He's what? Seventy? He's got one in high school and one just outta college. If he can do it, we sure as hell can." Carol eyed Daryl for a moment, and she frowned. "Hey. This is good news. It's gonna be great." He kissed her again. "Trust me?"

"Of course. I love you."

"Love you more."