So, I have no business starting another story right now, but this is going to be a short one. Like 2 or 3 chapters. I wasn't really feeling Chapter 7 of Ashes and I wanted to write something Caryl and I suddenly remembered a piece I had written a LONG time ago. You can say that this was my first TWD story. So, I found it in one of my old notebooks, tweeked it a lot and here it is! Yes, I know it's Season 2 but I really miss that season and the farm, so I had to do this!
I hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 1
Four days.
Her daughter had been missing for four days. It felt like it had been longer, as if each day had been more than twenty-four hours. At night, she willed time to move faster but the minutes seemed to get longer and longer every time she wanted them to hurry up and tick past. Night meant sleep and sleep meant nightmares.
Carol hadn't slept much in the past four days. The tears had dried up on the first night and each night after that she counted the tiles on the ceiling of the RV.
Fifty-six. That was how many squares that lined the ceiling.
The Cherokee rose on the dresser had begun to wilt, even though she had changed the water in the old beer bottle. The thought of the gift slowly dying saddened her and in a moment of impulse she grabbed it by the stem and pressed it between the pages of the book she had been reading. She knew this way she would be able to keep it longer.
"Carol," the RV's door squeaked open and Lori peeked her head in. "Can you help me with breakfast? Everyone is starting to get up and I want them to get something to eat before they go and look for Sophia." And I know if I make breakfast, I'll puke. Was the unspoken part. After Lori had finally told Rick about her pregnancy, Carol had been the first to know. She felt sorry for the woman. She couldn't imagine being pregnant in this world.
She hadn't even noticed the sun coming up or the sounds of the others in camp. Pulling back the curtain that covered the tiny window near the bed, she looked out to see who all was up and was surprised to find Daryl sitting in one of the lawn chairs.
He rarely took his meals with the others and when he did come up to get his food, it was after everyone else had gone their separate ways. Ever since they had left the quarry, she had longed to know more about the man underneath the dirt but never had the courage to speak to him.
Maybe today would be the day she'd speak with him, have an actual conversation and thank him, again, for all that he had done for Sophia. Every day he had gone out looking and would probably have been gearing up now if he hadn't been injured.
She followed Lori to where there supplies were gathered and hand was handed a handful of fresh eggs and a pan.
"Can you scramble these? I think that's all we should make for breakfast now."
Carol nodded and went back to the fire. Daryl was the only one there and she offered him a smile and squatted down to start cooking.
"You're up early." She finally gathered up the courage to say, but didn't have the courage to look him in the eye as she said it.
"Yeah," he grunted and chewed on his thumbnail. "Couldn't stay in that fuckin' tent a second longer."
Eyes on the egg, she began to scramble them. "So, you were getting a little stir crazy, then?"
"You can say that, I s'pose." The lawn chair creaked slightly as he fidgeted in it.
"I hope you're hungry." She smiled. "These are done and they smell real good." She stood up with the pan and was surprised to find the rest of the group had gathered around the fire without her noticing them.
"We're starving!" T-Dog rubbed his growling belly with a smile.
"Okay, why don't you all grab plates and I'll scoop some out for you."
T-Dog had been the first to show up with a plate, eager for his food, and had even grabbed one for Daryl, who hadn't moved from his spot.
"Here you go!" She chuckled and scooped a spoonful on to his plate, then moved over to Daryl and did the same thing.
"Thanks." He mumbled and dug in.
T-Dog had been more enthusiastic about his thank you and gave her kiss on the cheek before he set down to eat his food. She smiled widely at him and went to feed the rest of the group.
It felt nice to smile.
The warm air suddenly turned to ice when Glenn announced that there were walkers in the barn. The eggs in her mouth turned to ash and she felt Daryl tense in the chair next to her.
Shane and Rick were on their feet immediately, their breakfasts deserted by their chairs.
"What the hell do you mean there's walkers in the barn?" Shane took a step closer to the Asian, his face twisted in anger.
"I-I mean, that Maggie's dad has locked up walkers in the barn." Glenn looked nervous and his eyes shifted between Shane and Rick.
Shane shook his head violently, glared at Rick and stalked towards the barn. Rick followed close behind and the rest of the group followed him.
It had been true. The barn was full of snarling, hungry walkers. To think they had spent nights on the farm and not known it. What if the barn had broken open? They all could have been easily killed in their sleep. The thought made Carol shudder.
These past few days had been hard for her, sometimes she thought about what she would do if Sophia really was...dead. It would break her, she knew, but wouldn't opt out. No, she'd live for her daughter.
She didn't even know the group had stopped until she ran into the redneck in front of her. He turned and gave her a glare and she mumbled a 'sorry' back. She really needed to get out of her head and pay attention to what was going on around her.
However, after looking around, she wished she could go back to her thoughts or just leave. Shane was yelling about something. He wanted to leave, but Rick was telling him they couldn't leave the farm.
"Why?" He asked angrily.
"Because my daughter is still out there." She found herself saying and stepping forward. They couldn't leave until they found her baby girl. She was still out there, she just knew it!
"Look, Carol, I think it's time that we consider the other possibility."
No! She wouldn't start thinking about her daughter being dead. She wouldn't.
"Shane!" Rick interrupted. "We're not leaving Sophia behind."
She quietly thanked the former sheriff.
"We're close to finding this girl," Daryl stepped up from behind her. "I just found her damn doll two days ago."
"You found her doll, Daryl." Shane shouted and with evident dislike for the other man. "That's what you did, you found a doll!"
What Shane didn't know was that mentioned doll was now sitting on the neatly made bed in the RV patiently waiting for its owner to return.
Daryl took a few steps toward the former deputy, angry. It was often hard to tell when the man wasn't angry. It was clear as day now and came off him in waves.
All she wanted to do was reach a hand out and comfort him somehow, but that would probably subject her to his wrath and that was the last thing she wanted right now.
Then he was off, flinging an arm out and shouting, "Man, you don't know what the hell you're talkin' about!"
The hand she had reached out to comfort with was now covering her mouth as a gasp escaped. This wasn't what she wanted to happen. A fight. They were supposed to be a group. They were surviving together and the last thing they needed was to cause a rift.
He had immediately come to her defense when Shane had tried to make them think that Sophia was dead. Words couldn't describe how grateful she was for this man.
He had started as an outsider, him and his loud mouth brother, and seemed to not want to interact with any other member of the group. Then his brother went missing and even though he had been angry, she could tell that some kind of weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
Then, Sophia had gone missing and he had become relentless in his search. He had even given her comforting words, well as comforting as Daryl Dixon could get, and had even given her a flower.
That beautiful Cherokee rose that was now pressed into the pages of her book.
A small smile graced her lips at the memory, but then she was pulled back to reality and that smile vanished. Rick was now trying to calm down Shane, but the other man didn't want anything to do with it.
"Man, I'm just saying what needs to be said! Now, you get a good lead and it's in the first forty-eight hours and after that-"
Rick jumped in. "Shane, stop!" But the man kept going as if he hadn't heard his 'best' friend talk.
"Let me tell you something else, man." He continued with a slight smirk directed at Daryl. "If she was alive out there and saw you coming, all methed out with your buck knife and geek ears 'round your neck, she would run in the other direction!"
She had no idea how she had reached Shane so fast, since Daryl was lunging at him as well. But the loud slap! that echoed through the group caused everyone to pause and look at her in surprise and disbelief.
Little mousy, weak Carol Peletier had actually stood up for herself and struck someone. She had never hit anyone in her entire life.
Shane looked unfazed by the slap and now was glaring at her. Keeping her still stinging hand close to her chest, she mustered a glare right back.
"You take those words back, right now." She said through gritted teeth.
Shane scoffed. "I ain't said nothing that wasn't true."
"You're going around acting like you know my daughter!" She shouted and ignored the stunned silence around her as she stabbed a finger at the man in front of her. "Now, you listen up, Shane Walsh, I gave birth to that girl, I raised that girl and protected her from her daddy. She knows what kind of men to run away from and I'm staring at one right now."
His eyes widened and his mouth opened, ready to speak, but she didn't want to hear anymore of it. She turned on her heel and marched past the rest of the group, her head held high. She could feel everyone's eyes boring into her back as she made her way to Dale's RV but didn't turn around to acknowledge them.
She should have told them to never underestimate her.
Stuffing clothes and any spare goods she could find, Carol packed up her large bag. If they all thought Sophia was dead, then she would prove them all wrong. She would search for her daughter, find her and bring her back safe and sound.
And if she had to do it alone, then that was okay by her. No one would miss her anyway. All she did around camp was cook and do laundry. Anyone could do that.
She slipped the now heavy bag over her head, moved to swing open the RV door and was surprised to find herself running face first into a strong chest.
Please, don't be Shane, she thought before she slowly allowed her eyes to travel up the chest in front of her and meet the man's eyes.
It was Daryl.
His eyes raked over her and stopped on the bag over her shoulder
"Where you goin'?" He asked gruffly. "You ain't runnin' away, are you? Look, if you're worried about people hatin' you for what you did to Shane then you don't have to worry about a thing. The asshole deserved it."
Her eyes widened. He had never spoken that much to her, or anyone, before. Instead of saying anything, she just shook her head and tried to side step him, but he grabbed her wrist. Then, lightening fast, he let it go when she turned back around to face him.
"I'm going to look for my daughter."
"By yourself?"
She nodded and made to move again, but he stepped in front of her.
"Look, lady, that's a suicide mission. Going into the woods by yourself and without any type of weapon. Are you askin' to become one of them things?"
"No one else is going to look for her and I know she has to be out there somewhere. Besides, it's about time I get off my ass and do something!"
With wide eyes, he took a step away from her. He had never seen her angry before today.
"Fine." He grumbled. "Gimme a couple minutes and I'll meet you by the barn."
"What are you doing?"
"Goin' with you, of course." He said it as if she had been stupid for asking.
"You can't. You're still hurt."
He shrugged. "I don't care and I ain't lettin' you go out there alone. None of these other assholes are gonna go with you, so I might as well."
She wanted to ask him why he cared so much. Why did he want to find Sophia so bad? He didn't owe any of them anything.
"Five minutes and then we'll be off." He didn't even wait for her to say anything before he was walking in the direction of his tent.
Carol's heart fluttered as she watched him go. There was something about that man she was drawn to. She wanted to know him better. Wanted to meet the real man under all that anger and gruffness.
True to his word, Daryl met her by the barn five minutes later with his crossbow securely on his back and a bag of his own in his hand.
"Here." He shoved something at her and it took her a minute to realize it's a handgun.
"I don't know how to shoot one of these." Never in her life had she shot a gun before, but she took it from him anyway.
"Jus' aim and pull the trigger. Hopefully you won't have to use it at all." Then he shoved something else at her and this time it's a knife. "Use this instead of the gun, if you can. But don't hesitate to fire if your life's in danger."
Nodding, she took the knife and stuck it in her pocket. The gun was already stuffed into the waistband of her pants and in easy reach in case she had to use it. Which she hoped she wouldn't.
"You ready?" The crossbow shifted on his back when he adjusted the strap.
Doubt crept into her mind. Should they really be doing this? What if someone needed her while they were gone? What if Daryl got hurt even worse while they were out there and she had no way to help him? What if-
"Hey, you all right?"
She wanted to say yes, but her mind screamed no. Were they stupid for doing this? What if Sophia was really...dead? What of this was a futile mission?
A calloused hand wrapped around her bicep and shook her gently. She looked up to find Daryl closer than he had been a few seconds ago. His eyes, his beautiful blue eyes, were studying her face and for a moment, she thought she had seen concern in them.
"I-I'm fine." She finally managed to choke out and stepped out of his grip. He nodded awkwardly and brought his arm back to his side. "D-Do you think we should tell someone before we just leave? If they notice you gone, then they might go looking for you."
"Me?" He stepped back. "What about you?"
She didn't look at him as she explained. "You go out and hunt for food, Daryl. Without you, we'd probably starve. All I do is cook and do laundry. Those are hardly useful things now."
"Well fuck, if it wasn't for you, lady-"
"Carol." She interrupted.
"I, uh, I know your name." He didn't look at her as he said it.
"Oh, okay." She hid a smile. It was true that there weren't many people in their group and everyone knew everyone's name, but it was still nice to hear him admit he knew hers.
"Like I was sayin'," he began again. "If it weren't for you, my ass would be dead. Your cookin' is the only cookin' I can fuckin' stand. Rick's wife burns her shit and Andrea, I ain't even gonna mention her cookin'."
Lori had an excuse for burning the food she made. Halfway through she would have to get up and was sick. Her pregnancy wasn't being easy on her and Andrea probably had never cooked before the world ended.
"And I told Rick where we were goin'." He added. "Told me that we shouldn't be out here longer than two days, so let's get a move on."
With one last glance at the camp behind her, she hurried after the man with a crossbow. Instead of dread seeping into her bones, she felt hope. Hope that the two them would find her little girl and bring her back with them safely.
So, I'll only update this once a week probably since I still have Ashes to Ashes to work on! I hope that's alright!
Thanks for reading! :)
