The group had been at the quarry for almost three weeks now and everyone was starting to realize this whole end of the world thing was for real. They hadn't heard any planes fly overhead, no cars except for their own and they weren't able to reach a single soul on the radio. No one knew if help was coming or if there was even anyone left around them after the bombs went off. The dead were walking, being able to hunt the living and bite their flesh, infecting anyone they sunk their teeth into. They were all stuck together for the time being, everyone still getting to know one another and try to get along. The Grimes family had been doing well since Rick had come back, the rest of the group being happy that they found each other in the mess that their world had become. Shane had been acting a little odd about him coming back and Carol figured that was because he and Lori had gotten so close in Ricks' absence. Andrea and Amy were becoming quick friends with Dale, having been sharing the RV with him. Glenn, T-Dog and Jackie took turns on watch with the rest of the group, wanting to help out as much as everyone else.

Carol was washing some clothes by the water while Sophia and Carl played up by the RV. It seemed odd having Lori watch her because for the past eight years Carol had been the only one to watch her. Ed helped with her when she was younger but he'd always wanted a son and it was obvious. He'd wanted to someone to throw the ball around with and show off to his friends. When he hadn't gotten that, he'd become angry and bitter. Carol knew Sophia was more reserved than kids her age because of her father, but she still loved to play and was a tomboy at heart. It made her happy to see her daughter running around with the Grimes boy in the midst of the disaster they were dealing with.

She knew that Ed was watching her and the other women in the camp talking and laughing. Carol glanced over her shoulder and saw his angry face, wiping the smile off of her own. He hated her having any kind of fun or making any friends. It was harder for him to hit her now that there were more people around but that didn't mean he didn't do it. He just didn't hit her in the face as much. Yesterday it was because she looked at Shane for too long as he handed her an extra sleeping bag for Sophia. In Ed's eyes, the only two people she was allowed to be around, were him and Sophia. She loved spending time with her baby girl but it seemed that every second spent with Ed, just gave him more time to hit her or grab her so hard that she bruised. Carol still had bruises on her sides and arms from weeks ago. He made sure he grabbed places that could be covered up in front of the others.

Carol turned her head a little when she heard Daryl Dixon come down, the man everyone had stayed away from ever since he freaked out when they'd left his brother, Merle, on a rooftop in the city. She knew he reacted badly, but could they really blame him? She felt horrible when they went to Atlanta to seek him out and only found the older brothers hand. Carol wasn't allowed to talk to any of the men either, except for Ed, but she'd spoken to Daryl once before. Ed had gone into the tent, drunk again and she and Sophia were sitting around the campfire, listening to everyone's conversations but not really contributing. Sophia pulled on her mothers arm a little and looked at her. "Momma, I'm cold." She'd said and Carol went to take the blanket off herself to give to her daughter but Daryl stood quickly, putting his hand up and gave Sophia his own. Carol looked up at him and smiled, not used to anyone showing her kindness anymore. "Thank you." She said quietly and he only grunted something and nodded his head in response. Carol was in charge of most of the cooking around here so he also stopped by her tent every morning after his hunt. He was a complicated man but he did his part in keeping the group safe and fed. Everyone felt safe with Rick and Shane around, being that they were former sheriffs, but she felt extra safe with Daryl around. There was something about his presence that made Carol feel protected. She knew that he was a good man but that he was just a little rough around the edges.

Carol had stopped washing as she thought about him but snapped out of it when she heard the gravel crunching behind her from Ed's boots. She visibly stiffened but tried to stay calm because there were people around. She knew how bad it could get if she didn't listen.

"I'm almost done." She said, being used to the fear that was in her voice.

"Woulda been done an hour ago if you stopped all your damn daydreaming." Ed said, looking down on her.

"I'm sorry." She said and stood, feeling Daryl's eyes on her face, almost waiting for Ed to do something to her.

Ed gripped her arm and leaned in close to her. "Finish and get your dumb ass back to the tent, now." He said and she almost cried right then and there when she heard Andrea come over.

"Let her arm go Ed, she's going just as soon as she's done." Andrea said and Carol knew that this wasn't going to end well.

Ed gripped her arm tighter and dragged her towards him a little. "She's mine, I'll treat her however I see fit." He said and tried to drag her again but Carol tried to pull back, making him turn and clench his jaw tightly at her.

"I want to stay…" She said, her voice quivering as she realizing what she was doing. Andrea and Jackie had their hands on her, waiting for Ed to let her arm go so they could pull her away from the man.

"What'd you say bitch?" He said and raised his hand.

Carol heard Andrea gasp and saw Daryl running quickly towards them right before the slap. He hit her right in the mouth and she tasted the blood before his big hand even left her skin.

Everything happened so fast that it was fuzzy, but she heard Andrea and Jackie yelling, Amy trying to hold them back. Ed was grinning and she watched Daryl come up behind him and drag him backwards, throwing him onto the ground. Ed's smile fell as Daryl stood over him and hit him once, twice, three times before Carol had to look away.

"If you ever fucking touch her or your daughter again, I'll kill you!" He yelled in the mans face. "You hear me?!" He asked hitting him again before Amy came over and stopped him.

Ed just nodded and leaned on his side, coughing up blood and touching his eye which was already swollen shut.

Daryl stood up and clenched his fist a few times before locking eyes with Carol. She was still crying but not for the reason everyone thought. She didn't love Ed, hadn't loved him in years. But she knew that she would be the one paying the price for what happened here. Years ago, she'd stood up to Ed and she ended up in the hospital with three broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder, bruises all over her body. She hated the look the doctor gave her when she told the woman she fell down the stairs. People knew, she understood that she was looked at as weak and helpless. It wasn't true though, she fought everyday to protect herself and more importantly, her daughter.

Carol had just been staring at Daryl but broke her gaze when she heard Lori coming down with the kids behind her, having heard all the commotion. Sophia locked eyes with her momma and frowned, seeing her father finally stand and walk off towards the water, spitting out blood. Carol quickly wiped her tears and walked by Daryl, giving him a small nod and then turned Sophia around to head back up to the RV.

…

Daryl watched as the woman and her daughter went up the hill, hoping that she wasn't upset with him for what he just did. Daryl saw the mans hand fly and just sprung into action. He knew he was a rough, sometimes violent man himself but he wouldn't tolerate a man hitting his own wife. Daryl grew up around men like that, hell even Merle was like that sometimes, but Daryl had never hit a woman and he never would. They'd all seen the bruises on Carol and when he'd voiced his opinion to Merle about it, he told his younger brother to leave it be. Daryl hated knowing what was going on and swore to himself that when he saw it, he'd do something about that asshole. He just didn't realize that it would be today.

Shane had come down and asked what happened, his sheriff skills coming into play. He and Rick had known about Ed hitting Carol but they might have been waiting for her to say something. Daryl wasn't like that. He wasn't close with anyone here so he didn't know why Ed hitting her got him so mad. Of course he'd stop any man from hitting a woman, but the fact that he went after her. Daryl never had to look out for anyone in his life except for Merle, but there was something about Carol and her girl, he wanted to protect them. Not only from the Walkers, even though they hadn't seen one in a couple of days, but from the woman's own husband. He wondered if Sophia had ever taken a hit from her own father but he got too angry whenever he thought about that. Daryl's hand subconsciously went to his back where his own daddy used to hit him silly.

"Glad someone finally put him in his place." Shane said and Daryl nodded at the man.

"Keep an eye on him, he's gonna try to get at her again." Daryl said darkly. He knew it from experience in his own family growing up. If someone ever tried to stop his daddy from hittin' his momma, she always paid once they were home.

"Will do man." Shane said as Daryl headed up the hill back towards camp after watching Ed lick his wounds a minute.

When he came around the turn, he almost collided right into Carol, her girl a few feet behind her but watching them. Her face didn't look bad but her lip was a little swollen.

"Oh! I was just uh…coming down. I wanted to say thank you." She said, barely looking into his eyes. Hers were blue just like his but deeper somehow, like they'd seen how bad the world can really be. His were like that too, he just hid it better.

"Don't gotta thank me, just tell me if he comes at you or the girl again." He said, nodding to Sophia who was still looking at them. He turned to head off then, wanting to hunt before it got too dark.

"I will." She said and Sophia started toward her momma, looking at the man curiously as he walked away from them. He nodded at the girl and she waved her little hand.

Sophia smiled a little and looked up at Carol as she reached her. "I like him momma." She said, making Carol smile.

"Me too sweetheart." She said, unaware of Daryl trying to fight the warm feeling in his chest as he listened to the pair a moment and then finished walking around the bend.