Flaws

Oh my god, guys it seems like forever, I got really bad writers block so I didn't write for like two days, but don't worry, after this chapter I have 2 more chapter ideas already, so they should be up in the next two days. Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Sunrise

Daryl opened his eyes, his lids heavy with sleep. It was winter and therefore only beginning to get light outside, so why had he awoke? Then he realised something as he moved the arm that he had wrapped around Carol around an hour ago and realised that she wasn't there. Did he dream the whole scenario? He pondered for a moment and then got up, creeped quietly down they stairs and peeked into Carol's cell, she was gone. He panicked and quickly grabbed his cross-bow, thowing on his leather jacket, threading a knife through his belt and rushed out, to where? He didn't even know, he just hated not knowing where she was and if she was safe.

After a while of panicked, frantic rushing and searching he was outside and looked up to the guard tower. He didn't know what made him do it, whether it be instinct or just chance, but he saw her. She wasn't inside but instead sat on the balcony, her knees drawn up to her chest, eyes not moving once from the horizon. He let out a sigh of relief and walked up to the balcony where she was, sitting beside her, she knew he was there yet didn't acknowledge his presence with anything but a small pat on the floor next to her, signalling for him to sit. He obliged and sat, but in contrast to her, dangled his legs off of the balcony, he didn't say anything, he didn't dare to, he could see how content and calmed she was, he didn't want to spoil that, it's hard to get a moments peace in this world.

Daryl had plenty of questions he would like to ask her, why she was up there so early, why hasn't she brought someone with her, to protect her. Thinking about it Daryl looked around, she hadn't brought any weapons with her either, no knife, no gun. Instead of throwing twenty questions at her he just looked at her, she only had on a light cardigan and was shivering, holding her legs to her chest to keep in the warmth. He removed his jacket and placed it over her shoulders, he scooted closer to her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly as her eyes were still glued to the sky.

The comfortable silence was pierced when Daryl heard Carol's soft, low voice. "I used you watch the sunrise with Sophia, it was her favourite thing to do. She would always cry and wake up for her bottle just before sunrise, so I would feed her the bottle and look out of the window, watching the sunrise while I fed her. It continued when she was a toddler too, she would wake, not crying, just wake up, so we would watch the sunset together." Carol smiled, her eyes filling with tears as she relived the sweet memories that she and her little girl once shared.

"'M sorry." He mumbled, he blamed himself for not finding her, for practically promising Carol she would be fine but instead she had turned and she had to watch as Rick blew her little girls brains out.

"Don't you dare." She took her eyes off of the sky and looked up at him. "You did more for my little girl in those few days than her own daddy ever did in his whole life." Slowly, she turned her attention back to the sky. "Sophia died long before she came out of that barn, you weren't to find her." She paused, trying to push the images of that day out of her mind. "She must have been in that barn while you were looking for her, it's not your fault, Daryl. You took an arrow and nearly a bullet in your head for her; you risked your life for my little girl and that's more than anyone can ask."

He gave a small nod, his eyes still narrowed, sleep causing them to be heavy. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head and held her in his strong, protective embrace while they watched the sunrise together. In that moment everything was calm, the air was cold and crisp but everything was still, except the sun rising from the darkness, birds were chirping in the distance and for once they found some normality, something magically through something so simple and natural, that happens everyday. The scene was therapeutic but they felt in this moment what they hadn't felt in a long time, free, like they had been under water and finally able to breathe now.

I know it's quite short, I'm sorry! But I hope you enjoyed it! It's going to get more interesting, just put up with the fluffiness for a few more chapters. Oh, and you should totally click that review button and write some stuff and thaanngs. ;) Oh, and you guys seem awesome, so follow me on twitter, I follow back. UpsidedownStars :)