A/N: Man...well, I got really into this chapter. I don't know what hit me, but I had so much fun writing it. First off, this chapter was much longer than I anticipated but it became necessary as I continued with my idea. Second, I don't think this will continue, though if you wanna send me ideas on how to move it forward...I'd definitely consider writing a sequel or something, time permitting. I do have one idea; however, it would bring the rating of this fic up to an M...please review or pm and let me know if you would be interested!)
It had been a month since Carol had started wearing the ring. She never took it off and often caught herself staring at it for minutes at a time. Sure, the diamonds were definitely something to look at...but what the ring represented, well that meant so much more. When stuck in her marriage with Ed, she'd stopped believing she'd ever be in a loving relationship. Then the world went to hell and she found the person who completed her. What were the odds of that? Not many people were nearly as lucky.
Maggie had spotted the rock on her hand the morning after Daryl had presented it to her, cornering Carol to vocalize her excitement for the pair. "I love it! Daryl has good taste...not gonna lie, I'm kinda surprised. Girl – I wish Glenn would think about asking me soon. I mean I know we all can't get it legalized or anything but I was hoping he'd say somethin'" Maggie said, gossiping like they were in a nail salon. Carol was glad for her reaction. She may have held back her excitement to Daryl when he'd had his proposal of sorts, but to Maggie, with Daryl out on watch, she could react openly. She offered the ring to Maggie to try on and the ring didn't quite fit, a little loose on her dainty finger.
"He had a pile of 'em. Let me choose which I like best, but I think he knew I'd choose this one," Carol explained to her friend. She made a mental note to have Daryl offer the remaining rings to Glenn. She didn't know if any of them would fit Maggie, but maybe it would be the verbal push the boy needed to say something to his girl. "Maggie, I wanna return the favor to him," Carol said, launching into her idea.
The night before, Carol had looped a piece of string around Daryl's finger loosely, as he slept. She managed to figure out the size of his finger before he stirred awake only minutes later. She had no idea how he'd so accurately guessed her size, but figured she wouldn't do as well by eye. He'd managed to surprise her and she would attempt to do her best to surprise him.
"Well, Judith is getting a little big for the few toys she's got. I've been thinking of making a run with Glenn, but you and I could handle it. Less and less walkers out there as the days go by," Maggie offered. She was right. They killed any creature that approached the fence, burning bodies on the daily. They hadn't seen one in nearly two days; a new record. "Near the store...there was a pawn shop. Bet we could find a man's ring there."
Carol was keen on the idea. It seemed like the easiest and safest way for them to retrieve a ring for Daryl...short of ripping rings off of the undead, she hadn't had an idea. She shuddered at the thought of prying wedding bands from the flesh of dead men, much more pleased with Maggie's clean suggestion. Daryl had also secured a crossbow for Carol some time back. This piece was small, fitting Carol's build comfortably. She wasn't up to the task of nabbing targets as small as squirrels, but she had hunt her fair share of large critters and now she had a valuable form of defense against walkers. Because of Daryl, she had undergone a major change. She didn't volunteer for assignment often, but she could defend herself if she was needed on a run and this was a new way for her to spend time alone with Daryl.
The next morning at the daily meeting Rick held, Maggie raised her hand. "I'd like to go on a run to get some things for Judith. There's also the last bit of food and toiletries. I think we can all agree on needing some soap. Things have been really calm and I think it'll be a nice easy trip," she volunteered, eyes flitting to Carol. The group laughed, but Maggie's glance did not go unnoticed to Daryl.
"Alright, who's up for a run?" Rick asked the group, which had steadily grown larger. A few raised their hands, but it was Carol who spoke up.
"I'll go," she said standing to leave little in the way of argument. A few people shuffled uncomfortably. This was unlike Carol. Daryl looked to her, a curious gleam in his eye. "I'll know what to grab. I'm getting pretty good with the bow, I'll be alright."
Rick nodded, looking to Daryl for a moment. "Alright, if you're comfortable with it." Carol felt a sting of annoyance. She wasn't sure whether Rick had directed that comment to Daryl or herself, but she let it roll off of her shoulders. She knew Daryl could be protective but Christ – he needed to loosen up a little. She wanted to surprise him, but she couldn't do that if he didn't back off for a couple hours. The rest of the days assignments were handed out at a leisurely pace before the group disband, Carol stretching her arms before she fetched her bow.
Daryl stood at her side. "Jus' made these. Take 'em, in case you need 'em," Daryl said handing her a hand full of bolts for her piece. "Ya know, I can ask Rick to tag along. Tyrese can cover my watch need be," he offered not meeting her eye.
"No," she responded quickly, ensuring him of her confidence. "We can handle it Daryl. Don't worry."
Daryl looked concerned, but kept his mouth shut. With a soft kiss on the cheek, Carols strode away towards the front gate to meet Maggie at the car. With a wave, the two women were off. Carol adjusted the crossbow on her lap, securing the new bolts to it. Maggie looked like she was brimming with excitement. "This is gonna be fun. I've been wanting to check out that pawn shop for months, but never saw a real need to until now. We'll finish wiping out the store and then move on and grab yer man a ring," the younger woman gushed.
The drive was relatively quick, with no traffic to be concerned with. Carol was glad to be outside the confines of the prison. They approached the large supermarket, parking right outside the front doors. The building had been cleared of dangers by the men months ago, each exit being chained up tight to prevent anything from entering. Glenn had the idea of putting the sign out front. DO NOT ENTER: OVER-RUN WITH DEAD. He hoped that would prevent others seeking food or supplies from looting the place and so far it had worked. They'd been running to this place for almost a year, feeding off the vast canned food base and variety of products the store offered. This would be one of their last visits. A year of drinking off the tap and the well was running dry.
Carol prepared a couple lanterns, dividing the list in two so the pair could work more efficiently. They had a car full of things in no time: toys for Judith, the rest of the canned foods available, cleaning products, a few books and some batteries, plus the last bottles of body wash. Car loaded, they drove the short distance to the pawn shop.
Her first thought on approaching was that it had obviously been looted in the early months of the infestation. The windows were barred, but the door was busted off its hinges, ripped away and hanging by a nail. Maggie finished the job, moving it and leaning it against the building so that they could see inside properly. They moved slowly, taking in their surroundings as they did. All electronics were missing, stolen by idiots who couldn't prioritize their looting during the early days. Glass cases were broken into, modest jewelry left behind while empty spots showed the more expensive items missing. The silence was unnerving. After they cleared the room, Maggie holstered her gun. "Let's do this quick. Too creepy in here. You look for a ring, I'm gonna see what I can grab," the woman said. With that, she disappeared behind an isle stacked with used tires.
Carol advanced immediately to a display case that lay cracked open, exposing a spattering of men's rings and watches. There was enough variety, Carol figured one of them would work out. She smiled, pulling out the string that measured Daryl's finger and comparing it to the rings left. Immediately, she saw the one that she knew would suit him. A black metallic band sit tidy in a box. It screamed Daryl's name. Carol ripped it out and compared it to the string...perfect. "Yes!" Unable to believe her luck, she turned about to get Maggie's attention.
"Find somethin?" Maggie called from behind the stacks.
That's when she heard the groans and familiar dragging shuffle of the dead. Before she could hide, they spotted her from outside of the store and approached. She aimed her crossbow swiftly, exhaling and pulling the trigger as Daryl taught her. She nailed the female walker on the left in the forehead. Immediately, she stepped behind the counter to put distance between the monster and herself, giving her a minute to pullback her string. Before she could reload the bolt; however, another groan sounded from behind her. The employee storeroom that lie behind the counter had a swinging door. Out came yet another walker, who looked to be the storekeeper. A gaping shotgun wound on his chest appeared to be his cause of death. She whipped out the knife that had been concealed in her belt. "Maggie!" She shouted realizing she was being cornered. Before she could finish calling her name, her friend came out from the isle, dropping a few propane tanks and a gasoline powered stove from her arms. Carol turned and faced the large zombie approaching her rear, knowing Maggie would have her back on the other one.
Just as she knew she would, the woman pulled out her hatchet and screamed "Got it!" as Carol gave a swift kick backing up the one that had approached from behind. Then she plunged her knife into it's eye socket, it falling to the ground with a thud. Maggie quickly peered out the window, at where the two had come from. "Hope you found what you were looking for. Time to go Carol," she said quietly, frowning. Carol went to where Maggie stood and looked out the window. A herd was advancing swiftly towards them.
Carol wasted no time. She immediately snatched up the ring that had fallen back in the case during the shuffle of the fight and pocketed it, before helping Maggie grab the supplies she'd dropped as well as the arrow lodged in the head of the walker. Then they headed to the car. When the herd caught their site, they began to follow but Carol and Maggie were too fast, speeding off in a different direction to lead the herd East before doubling back and heading toward the prison. The girls laughed and shrieked with the excitement of their great haul, windows down and warm breeze tickling their skin.
"Well, that was a close one. You were phenomenal Carol! Seriously badass! Daryl woulda been proud!" Maggie called, rubbing her friend's shoulder.
"Just our luck on that herd passing by, don't ya think?" Carol said, but she was smiling. Except for Daryl giving her the ring, this was the best she'd felt in months. Confidence and strength was brewing in her body.
"Well?" Maggie asked eyeballing Carol, who had jumped in the driver's seat. "Let's see it!" Carol maneuvered the ring out of her pocket and placed it in Maggie's hand. "Very Daryl-ish," she concluded happily.
After the thirty minute drive home, they approached the fence to find a very relieved-looking Daryl. He was standing atop the bus, keys in hand as they moved closer. He hopped down, opening the front gate so they could drive in. He pointed to the blood on Carol's arms as soon as she stepped out of the vehicle. "Run inta some trouble?"
Still in a great mood, Carol sauntered to Daryl and kissed him on the cheek, just as she had before she'd left. "Just a few walkers. Wasn't anything we couldn't handle." Daryl stared her down and she felt the truth bubbling up out of her mouth. She couldn't lie to him. "But, there is a herd about 25 miles out. We led them East, but I wouldn't be surprised if they made their way here."
Daryl's jaw tightened as he glared at the woman he loved. Maggie piped in, "Daryl you shoulda seen her out there. She's gotten good with that bow of hers." He merely glanced at the women and offered no more words for the pair. The three of them began to unload the car in silence. Daryl's icy demeanor continued on into dinner. He even sat away from the group, perched upon the bus alone to eat in silence, taking an extra shift on watch. Carol refused to let his negative mood ruin the night. The pair of women told the story of their run into town to the group, earning each of them congratulations on their successful trip.
Carol often was thanked for her housework. She cleaned the dishes and made everyone breakfast. She scrubbed the laundry and helped trim hair, but this time...she'd come with food. She had brought supplies and warning of walkers in the area. This thank you meant so much more. She had Daryl to thank on two accounts. First, he'd given her the skills to survive and defend herself. Then, he'd given her a reason to get out and use those skills. When he pulled the arrow out of his ass, maybe she'd be able to show him her gratitude. She waited for him to lighten up. In the mean time, she spent time with the rest of the group and offering new toys to baby Jude, who took a liking to her new Barbie doll.
As everyone prepared for lights out, Daryl tossed his things around idly. In his carelessness, Daryl slammed his hand against the concrete of the wall. Carol finally felt the need to speak up. "What is your problem?" she asked, holding her hand out to inspect the damage of his. He ignored her actions, laying the blanket across the thin mattresses they shared. Carol was glad to see that in the hustle and bustle of getting ready for evening, no one payed them any mind. "Daryl," she said more forcefully placing a hand on his arm.
He froze. Carol pulled her arm away. "You coulda bin killed. Coulda bin bit," he explained. "I know I ain't the easiest ta get along with. I get ya need some time away, but I shoulda bin there protectin' you."
"That's what you think this is about?" Carol asked. "Daryl, you are a complicated man, but I've learned to deal with that. I don't need 'time away'."
"Then why was you so eager to git away today?" he asked like he was in disbelief.
Carol sighed, placing her hand in her pocket. She should have known he'd ruin the surprise. Every single time she tried to make a nice motion towards him, in secrecy, he ruined it. "This isn't how I wanted to give ya this," she explained, holding her hand out for him to inspect. The ring lie in the palm of her hand. Daryl looked from her face to the ring and back again. For a terrifying moment, Carol was worried he wouldn't be interested in wearing it, but his face slowly broke out into a small grin. He took it from her, stepping closer as he slipped it onto the ring finger of his left hand. He stood close to her, bringing her hand up next to his. They stood together admiring each ring, suited perfectly to their scarred and calloused hands. He gripped her softly, tipping her head back and kissing her passionately, in full-view of the rest of the group.
She wrapped her arms around him, to keep from slipping from his grasp. She responded to the kiss with a fervor. Daryl had just slipped his tongue into Carol's mouth when someone cleared their throat, only a few feet away. Maggie stood, arms crossed and a smirk plastered on her face. Daryl brought her back up from their dip, separating from their heated embrace. "I think we should talk about you two getting your own space."