An AU in which Daryl and Carol meet in another lifetime and still find their way to each other. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: Not mine!
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Daryl Dixon wasn't interested in having more children.
A year ago, after getting drunk and breaking a few bones, he had wound up in the ER, where he was tended to by a sweet, quiet nurse named Carol. They got to talking after she patched him up and he learned that she had a newborn daughter named Sophia and a husband named Ed. The shadows that appeared in her eyes when she had spoken of her husband had raised Daryl's suspicions and he was proven right a few months later when Carol showed up with Sophia on his doorstep, bruised and bloody. He had left her and Sophia in his home and proceeded to beat the shit out of Ed, and six months later Carol divorced the bastard.
His lips curved slightly in a smile as Sophia shifted against his chest. She was three now and she and her mother were the best part of his life. Ed had disappeared over a year before and Daryl's only thought to him was good riddance. Carol and Sophia were his now and he intended to keep it that way.
A few feet away, a thin brunette mother chased after a giggling boy with a mop of messy brown hair.
"Carl, come back here. We have to go home and get you cleaned up before Daddy gets home."
He giggled again and dove behind a fair haired blond girl who was wearing dirty overalls that had obviously been passed down from an older sister. "Save me, Beth!"
His mother finally caught him and picked him up. "Let's go, deputy."
A few minutes later, a redheaded teen came as well. "Beth! Time to go."
"But Maggie," Beth whined, absently pulling at her braid. "I don't want to go yet."
"Too bad. Daddy wants us home."
"No, he doesn't. You just wanna go home so you can see that delivery guy!"
"Beth!"
The small blond continued to complain as her sister took her hand and led her from the park.
Carol sat down beside him and rested her head on his shoulder.
He kissed her forehead. "Skipping work?" he teased.
"Mm hmm. Wanted to see my baby, but she fell asleep, I see."
"Yeah. Wore herself out."
"Good. Let's get her home and we'll have a nice quiet evening."
"Don't ya ever have anything on your mind but sex?"
Carol flushed and Daryl grinned knowingly as they rose from the park bench and began the walk back to their home.
Daryl wasn't interested in having more children, and Carol knew that. They were perfectly content as a little family of three. But that didn't mean he would always feel that way. Things changed every day, and knowing how much he loved Sophia, he knew he could easily love another baby just as much.
He slung his arm around Carol's thin shoulders and drew her closer to his side.
Maybe they weren't ready for another baby right now, but tomorrow was another day.
The End