Author's Note: It's getting close to Easter which is exciting because I'll get to go back home for the weekend and see the whole family for a little while. I haven't been there since Christmas, so it's gonna be super nice. Hope you all get to spend some time with your family as well and I've written this short fic for a good friend whom always gets depressed around holidays. You know who you are and just remember that even though your dad isn't here anymore he'll still be with you in your heart. Thanks guys.
It was hard to be living in a house again and watching what people thought of her. The prison hadn't been anything like Alexandria was; it had been a harsh environment where she needed to stay strong for all those around her. Now she had all the time in the world to break down and just see that she once again had a house, four wall around her and her baby girl wasn't here to share it with.
In the shower she cried thinking about how Sofia loved long hot showers, even though she had barely ever gotten to take them because Ed had always complained that she was going to turn out a make-up mirror slut if she spent to long in the bathroom. Carol cried harder when she remember Ed talking about her little girl and not doing anything about it ever. And she would sit quietly in the safety of the house and wonder what she was doing here and why she stayed.
Then Daryl would come through the door, not ever knocking like he thought it was just to much work to bother to do so. He'd be dirty and smell like he had just fought through a sea of walkers. And he just might have, by the way he also managed to look exhausted and like he hadn't slept in a week. Sometimes he drag her up and away from this place, making her confirm to the others and help out around the society and other times he would just come in and collapse on the to small for him couch face first. Like a moody teenager coming to join in on her pity party.
Talking between the two of them really hadn't happened since they had arrived at Alexandria, but Carol really hadn't been talking to anyone at all. On this particular day though, he stomped through the door and found her sitting quietly in the corner of the room, book in her lap but not even open and Daryl gave her this sad look that didn't even seem to want to belong on his face. A look that screamed I'm sad to see you like this, but I really don't know what to say to make it better. He was worried about her, for some reason or an other; Carol just didn't know why. Sure, they were friend and had been friend for what seemed like forever now, but sitting up and taking night watches together were somewhat different then having sticking together since they were in a new group and making sure the other still had a reason to be living.
It was clear to Carol that while Daryl didn't really appear to fit in with the new group or want to; he was still a wanted and very valuable member of the group. Besides Daryl had done the same thing all that time ago in the quarry as well; pushed then away until the group got fed up with it and they pushed back. That was just the kind of guy he was, running until people didn't let him run and pledge loyalty instead. That loyalty was probably why he was here right now to check on her; even if she was the weak link, he wanted all of his links to continue to be there.
There was just silence in the room, even as Daryl reached out a hand to her; ready to help pull her up and take her away from her spot for a few hours and distract her from herself. She took it of course; she always did and he pulled her from the house and into the yard, giving her a job of skin with him. Daryl was getting more desperate of things to entertain her with it seemed; he had always hated people trying to help him with skinning. She wasn't very good at it as well, having always chosen to cook the food rather then undress it.
But Daryl sat pressed up to her left side; more contact then they had had in most weeks put together since their friendship started. It made her feel better, to feel anything at all after sitting still and unaware. After giving up, she now felt the warmth of another human body, one who dared still close to her because he still wanted her around through the thick and the thin. Okay, so maybe Carol could understand why he wanted her to come outside today. It was calm and warm, with the sun peaking down at them and only a few clouds in the sky.
She took a deep breath and took in the green grass that was free of blood or danger. The way that Daryl's muscles were relaxed even though he was touching her, like he had been practicing himself up to this moment and reminding himself that he shouldn't be tensed up around her. He had always been tensed when she touched him and just straight up had an unwillingness to touch others. Carol had to admit that this really was a nice change.
Like he had worked on this for her; concurred his fears so that he could then help just chase away hers. It made her feel warm inside to know that he cared, that he was willing to try harder himself if only to have a chance to save her. Carol leaned a little bit farther into Daryl shoulder and just rested there instead of helping him skin. He took a moment before doing her share of the work as well.
Truthfully there had never been many words between the two of them in their entire relationship; unless they were joking around or confirming that the other was still alive and well after whatever mess they had just been in. This right here was along those line, yet so completely different from it at the same time.
Daryl made short work of everything that had to be skinned and wiped his hands on his pants, before wrapping an arm around her. It was more comfortable then she had been for a long time to just sit there in the outside world and relax with him. This she guessed what you could call finding peace.