Chapter 1.
Carol sat in the room, thinking no one was looking for her, and no one would even find her. It had been two or so days; she was hungry, thirsty, and weak. She closed her eyes and laid her head against the wall. The door was opening a bit, and then closing making a squeaking noise. It was getting rather annoying but she was dealing with it. She sat there, waiting for it to happen, for her to just slip away maybe now she can be reunited with her Sophia. Suddenly, the door stopped squeaking, and it was bright in the room. She opened her eyes and looked at the blurry figure, soon it came into focus. Daryl Dixon knelt down and put his hand under her chin and brushed her cheek. She saw the look on his face; it looked like a mixture of fear and happiness in his face. She only got a brief look at him before she passed out.
Daryl looked at her and couldn't believe that she had lived, but then again she had become a bit stronger over the past couple of months. He carried her back to the cell block that they had made their home. "Carl open the damn door" Daryl shouted as he walked towards it. He heard the boy running with the keys. Carl stood at the door, staring at Daryl in shock. "Carl please" Daryl said. The boy snapped out of it and unlocked the door. "Where is Hershel?" Daryl asked.
"He is feedin' the baby" Carl replied and stared at Carol. "Is she alive?"
Daryl looked at Carol then at Carl and nodded. "Yeah but she is very weak." He said softly and walked into one of the cells. "Hershel when you're done feedin' that baby, I'm going to need you." He said knowing the other man would hear him. Daryl laid Carol on the bottom bunk and lightly brushed her cheek. Words could not describe how he felt at this very moment, knowing that Carol was alive.
A couple hours past the baby was crying, she was hungry again. Daryl was on the floor his back to Carol against her bed. He sat there cleaning her knife waiting for her to wake up. Hershel told him when she woke up that he had to make her eat and drink some water. The sound of the baby cries grew louder, Hershel was preparing her bottle. "Sophia baby." Carol mumbled and forced herself to sit up. "Mommy's coming."
Daryl turned and put his hands on her shoulders. "Carol it isn't Sophia." He said softly. The look she gave him made his heart sink. Carol looked like she did when she had saw Sophia walk out of the barn.
Carol shook her head and let out a small laugh "Of course it isn't." she murmured and put her hand on her forehead. Suddenly a cup of water was being handed to her.
"Here, Hershel says you need to drink and eat as much as you can that way you can build your strength up." He said and stood up "I'll go get you a plate "he said and walked out of the cell.
Carol sat there, and drank the water like it was the last bit of water she would ever have. She wiped her mouth and looked out of the cell. The baby was still crying, she got up and stumbled out following the cries of the little one. She stopped in the doorway of the cell and looked at Hershel holding the baby. Carol just stared at the little girl with a soft smile.
Hershel looked up "Carol it's nice to see you awake."
Carol nodded with a small smile and looked back at the baby.
Hershel let out a small laugh and moved over making room for her. "You can hold her you know, she won't bite you"
"Oh I know" Carol said and sat down next to him. Hershel handed her the little girl. "Oh hi pumpkin" Carol said and rocked her softly. "Shh it's okay, there's nothing to be sad about" She said calmly. The cries soon died down and Carol tilted her head as she let the little girl squeeze her finger. "Lori?" Carol asked softly and turned to Hershel who shook his head. Carol's eyes started to water, then looked up at saw Carl walking past their cell. "How is he?" She asked.
"He is doin' fine. Rick, not so much." Hershel sighed and looked at the baby. "You are good at making her stop crying" he said.
"Well Sophia was always cryin' when she was a baby, I had to get her quiet or else." she stopped and shook her head. "Let's just say my husband Ed wasn't very happy comin' home to a crying baby"
"Ed wasn't a happy man at all." Daryl said bitterly and leaned against the doorway, with a plate of food in his hands. "Or a nice one" he added staring at Carol and the baby. Daryl had a small smile on his face. He stood there for a couple of minutes then let out a soft sigh. "Carol I hate to cut your visit short, but you have to eat now."
Carol looked at him pouting "But the baby."
"She will still be here when you are finished eatin'" He said softly. "Come on"
Carol sighed and kissed the baby's forehead and handed her to Hershel. "Don't let her go anywhere" Carol laughed. Hershel nodded and laughed slightly. Carol followed Daryl back to her cell and sighed softly as she sat back on the bottom bunk. Daryl set the plate in her lap. Carol stared at it for a while, she was hungry but at the same time she wasn't. She picked up a spoon full and took a bite.
"Don't force it." Daryl said and sat down on the floor. Carol turned her head and looked at him. "If you force it you may stress out your stomach, and end up puking. Also eat as much as you can, whatever is left we will set aside for later." He explained. Carol nodded and continued to eat a few more spoon fulls before handing what was left to Daryl. "Done?" He asked and took the plate, then handing her another cup of water.
Carol drank the water and looked at the empty cup when she had finished. "Thank you Daryl." She said softly. "You have done so much for me and I don't know how I can repay-"she was cut off when he got up, and pulled her into a tight hug.
"Don't you ever scare me like that, ever again" he whispered.
She shook her head "I wouldn't dream of it"
Daryl pulled away and looked at her. "I thought." He paused. "I thought you were dead. Everyone thought you were dead. We even made a grave for you, and when I found your knife it all became so real." He stopped for a moment and looked down. "I'm sorry I thought you were dead. I should have gone out looking for you right away." His eyes grew wide when he felt her soft warm hand on his cheek. Daryl looked up at Carol, who had the softest smile on her face.
"Daryl, you and everyone else had every right to think that I died." She caressed his cheek with her thumb "You have nothing to be sorry about. You found me just in time, that's what should matter now. Right?" Daryl nodded and wrapped his arms around her again. Carol smiled and wrapped her arms around him as well. "Thank you Daryl."
Carol sat in the cell with Daryl for the while, until he got up to go get her more water. Carol lay down on the bed and sighed softly, closing her eyes. She was so tired, she felt as if she could sleep for months. As she started to fall asleep her arm was shaken. Carol opened up her eyes expecting to see Daryl but instead she found herself looking at Carl. "Hey Carol" he said with a small smile. "Daryl told me to bring you this." He said holding a cup full of water.
"Where is Daryl?" She asked as she sat up.
"He is talking to Herschel about your condition"
"I am perfectly fine!" She exclaimed
Carl laughed and sat on the ground looking up at her. "I am happy you are alive Carol" He said.
Carol ruffled his hair "Well of course, I couldn't leave without saying goodbye." Carl's expression suddenly changed and he looked down and the floor. They were quiet for a moment and she looked at him. "How are you doing?"
Carl shrugged "Fine I guess"
"Do you want to talk about it? I am always here for you, I hope you know that" Carol said with a soft smile.
Carl was quiet for a moment then glanced off to the side. "I shot her…. I shot my own mother; I just don't know what to do anymore."
Carol looked at him tears rolling down her cheeks; she grabbed him and embraced him in a hug. "Carl baby" she said softly and she felt him shaking. "You know what you have to do now?" she said and pulled away, her hands still on his shoulders as she looked him in the eyes. "You need to protect your little sister, for your mom" Carl nodded and looked back at her. Carol let go of his shoulders and smiled slightly "So has anyone named her yet?"
Carl shook his head "No not yet, but Daryl has been calling her 'little ass kicker' " he said.
"Really?" Carol laughed.
"What I think it is a good name" Carol and Carl bother turned to see Daryl standing in the doorway with a big grin on his face.
"It is not the kind of name for a baby" Carol said.
"Well I think it is."
"Well then name your own kid that someday"
"Like I will ever have my own kid, not with the world gone to hell like it is."
"True"
Daryl looked at Carl and smiled "Thanks for babysitting her while I was talking to Hershel" he laughed.
Carol glared at him slightly, she could hear Carl laughing. She looked over just as he stood up "Just let me know when you need me to babysit again" he said with a smile before he walked out. Daryl ruffled the small boy's hair as he walked out.
Daryl looked at her "Oh hold on one minute. Stay put, I don't need to lose you again"
"Daryl Dixon you are lucky I don't have anything to throw at you!" She laughed.
Daryl rolled his eyes smiling as he walked back out, disappearing from her sight. Carol sighed and leaned back a bit on the bed as she waited for Daryl to return. A few minutes passed before he walked back in, with the baby in his hands. "Thought you would want to hold her."
"Of course" she said happily and put her arms out, Daryl handed her the baby. "Hi sweetheart" she said in a soft tone and rocked her slightly. "Has she been eating well?" she asked looking up at Daryl.
He nodded "Yeah, she eats every hour or so"
"Good" Carol said with a smile and took the babies hand. "We need to find you a name soon sweetheart." She said.
"The name I gave her is just fine" he laughed and sat down next to her.
"No it is not." Carol hissed.
Daryl laughed and looked at the baby "Yeah I know. It's a good thing that she doesn't cry much. Or else we all wouldn't last much longer." He said with a small smile.
"Yeah" She said and kissed the baby's head.
After a bit Carol yawned, and Daryl looked at her. "Maybe you should get some sleep now." He said and got up putting his arms out for the baby. Carol pouted slightly before she handed her to him. "Good, now lay down. I'll be back in bit" he said and walked out of the cell.
Carol laid down and let out a soft sigh as she closed her eyes. It didn't take her long before she had fallen asleep.
"Mommy!"
"Sophia!?"
"Mommy!"
Carol ran through the woods searching for her daughter. "Sophia baby where are you?" She shouted. Sophia's screams grew louder then suddenly stopped, as Carol ran past a tree she paused and turned her head seeing something moving. "Sophia?" she said and moved towards it. "Sweetheart it's mommy." She froze where she stood, as she watched a walker bit into her daughter's neck.
Sophia reached her hand out. "Mommy it hurts. Make it stop" she sobbed.
Carol sat up quickly, she was shaking and tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Daryl" she cried out quietly. No one ran into the room, or responded to her cry. "Daryl" she called out a bit louder this time. Carol put her hands over her face and laid back against her pillow as she cried. She had nightmares of her daughter before, but they weren't as bad as the one she had just had.
"Carol?" Daryl said almost out of breath. Carol moved her hands and looked at him; he had the same look on his face when he had found her. "Carol, what's wrong? Beth came running outside, she told me you were calling for me" he said and walked over to her. "What happened?" He asked and put his hand on her forehead. "Are you sick?"
Carol shook her head "No…" She murmured
"What's wrong?" he asked and sat on the bed. Carol was quiet and didn't say a word. "Come on Carol you know you can talk to me" He said and smiled.
Carol looked at him for the longest time before she replied. "I had a dream about Sophia" she said softly "More so of a nightmare."
"Do you want to tell me what exactly happened in the nightmare?" he asked.
Carol shook her head "No…I just want you to stay in here with me."
Daryl looked at her, he wasn't going to make her tell him what had happened in her dream it would only cause further pain. He sighed softly "Woman you are a handful sometimes" he said and shifted on the bed. "Move over" he said. Carol nodded and moved back, until she felt her back against the wall she watched as Daryl lay down next to her. "You can go back to sleep. I won't move an inch, unless you tell me to."
Carol nodded and closed her eyes. She remembered when they were on the farm, and she and Daryl were sleeping in the R.V. and he had crawled into bed with her for different reasons each night. It would because it was too cold, or she was having a nightmare, or the floor was uncomfortable and he thought it would be rude to make a woman sleep on the floor. Carol let out a soft sigh and moved closer to him, she opened her eyes slightly when he put his arm around her, and rested his chin on her head.
"I promise I won't ever let anything bad happen to you, even if it kills me" he said in a hushed tone. These were the last words she heard before she drifted off to sleep.