SUMMARY: "I ain't ever leavin' ya, woman, so ya better get used to having me around." Daryl and Carol get closer than ever before as the group struggles to find their way on the road. Picks up after the farm but disregards By the Dying Fire. Major CARYL!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of this. Trust me, if I did CARYL would have happened ages ago!
A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it took me so long! I was probably more unhappy with me than you all were. I had prom, my senior project, and I was in New York City, so I just got too busy. I finished all of my finals, and will be graduating from high school in two weeks! So I should be able to update more frequently. Happy reading! Love you all! - Rachael
Everything had been ready the day before, allowing the group to leave early in the morning with the hope that they would be back before dark. They had filled the cars with bags and some food and blankets in case they ended up stuck for the night. Each was loaded with a few weapons, preparing for the worst. No one had any idea what the town would hold, and they had an uneasy feeling based on their past experiences with towns.
"Ya stay near me woman, ya hear?" Daryl said as he handed her a fully loaded gun.
"I'll make sure to stay near. I'm just glad that I'm able to do something for this group that doesn't involve cooking or cleaning."
Daryl nodded, giving her a small grin. The two were taking the truck while Maggie and Glenn were taking one of the other cars, giving them two options of escape.
"Be careful, and try to be back as soon as you can," Rick said, looking at Daryl. They loaded up in the cars and left for the town.
Though she'd never admit it, Carol was nervous for the run. She'd never been taken on any, and she wasn't sure what to expect. She knew that Daryl would do everything he could to protect her, but she didn't want him to be distracted because of her. She'd have to hold her own and prove that she could survive and provide just as well as the rest of their family. She didn't have to be just a housewife to the group any longer.
They pulled into a little town, hitting the smaller stores first. Daryl wanted to go to the camping supply store before they went anywhere else, knowing that if they left the confines of the house, they'd need the camping supplies to live off of the road. He was hoping to get enough that they could survive without shelter, if need be.
The store seemed relatively untouched, a surprise considering their experiences. A few walkers were in the store which Daryl was able to easily take out with his crossbow, allowing the others to move about the store freely.
"You two stay in the front of the store, and we'll take care of the back. Holler if ya need anythin'," Daryl said, gently pushing Carol in front of him to keep her in his line of sight.
She treked to the back with Daryl walking behind her the entire way, poised to take anything out that might be a danger to either of them. By the time they reached the back wall of the store, Daryl only had to take out two walkers, employees of the small store.
There were plenty of supplies available; it seemed as though nobody from the outside had gotten in, leaving everything intact and ready for the taking. They were abel to find some heavier tents that they hoped would be able to endure the cold of the winter. Carol managed to find a few knives, stuffing them in her bag. They couldn't always use guns, and ammo would eventually become limited or obsolete. They'd have to rely on hand weapons.
They continued to poke around, finding some other things they'd need, including a few more guns that were behind a glass case. Daryl quickly broke it, taking out as much as they could carry. He took a few of his own in the large bag he had shouldered.
By the time they had met up with Glenn and Maggie, they'd all found useful materials, more than they thought they'd find. Quickly making their way to the cars, unloading everything, so they'd be able to fit more supplies in their bags.
The next stop was a grocery store which had been picked apart.
"We could try the back room," Carol offered. "If people were in a hurry, they might not have thought to go back there."
Daryl nodded in agreement, so the four went back to storage, hoping to find some canned and boxed goods to store up on for the winter. Daryl led the group, crossbow at the ready, with Carol right behind him.
It didn't take too long to find the door, and it was locked up tight.
"Probably means no one's been through it," Glenn said hopefully, taking the axe from Maggie and hitting the lock off of the door. There were a few walkers by the door, all with vests on from the grocery store. Some of the workers had locked themselves in the room, but it didn't seem that they had been successful in saving themselves. They were easily taken out, and the group made their way further into the room.
There was food lining the walls, causing the four to split. The room wasn't terribly large; they'd be able to reach one another if there was any trouble.
Carol found canned goods and began to fill her bags again, using reusable grocery bags that had been stored in the truck. When she finished putting the cans in the bag, a moan was heard behind her. She quickly dropped one of the bags and grabbed her knife from her belt. She turned sharply and shoved the knife in the forehead of the walker, killing it instantly.
It was at that moment Daryl turned the corner searching for her, only to find the dead walker. He ran to her quickly, fear etched onto his face.
"Are you alright?" he asked, running to her as fast as he could.
"'m fine," she sighed. "He worked here too, so we shouldn't have to worry that there are many more back here."
He nodded. "Just stay close."
Carol loved that he wasn't telling her off for dealing with it herself. He wasn't telling her that he'd take care of the walkers and that she shouldn't kill them. Instead, he was enabling her to stand up for herself. She didn't feel like a burden, but she knew that he was there to help her if she needed it.
He gently pulled her arm, indicating that they were leaving. The only things that they still had to get were clothes and things for the baby. Daryl knew of a small department store where they could the rest of their supplies and head back to the others.
The store seemed empty, just like the rest of the small town, though they were still cautious. They started shoving any clothing that would work into their bags, knowing that they could all use fresh clothes, underwear, and socks.
Carol indicated to Daryl that she was going to the baby aisle. He nodded in agreement but let her go on her own as he picked through a few jackets. The baby section was close enough that he would be able to get to her if need be, and they hadn't come across a single walker in the store.
Carol went ahead, putting a few blankets and onesies into her already overflowing bags. She grabbed anything she could get her hands on, though unfortunately, there wasn't any baby formula nearby. She picked up a small pink teddy bear. It was so similar to one that Sophia had had as a baby that it distracted her in thoughts of her lost little girl.
She was so distracted that she didn't see the first of the herd, but she definitely heard it. The moans rang out through the air, causing her to drop the bear. She turned abruptly, seeing them moving towards her quickly. She grabbed her gun out, knowing that there was no way a simple knife was going to protect her against so many.
"Daryl!" she called out, though that attracted even more of the walkers towards her. She had wanted to warn him and the others of the group of walkers. Before he could get there though, the walkers started to converge on her, leaving her to fend for herself. She aimed her gun and shot a few, getting them in the head. She was grateful that Daryl had insisted on teaching her after the farm.
When Daryl rounded the corner, there was no way to get to Carol. The only solution was to start killing as many as he could. He was hoping to kill enough that only a few reached her, though he knew that it wouldn't go in his favor.
He saw Maggie and Glenn get to the other side, drawing their weapons to start killing the walkers too. Daryl through himself in, killing a walker seconds before it was going to bite Carol, who was fighting harder than Daryl had ever seen her fight but knew she was capable of. It fell with a thud at her feet as she shot another between the eyes.
The herd was thinning with the combined effort of the four of them. Carol took out two more while arrows flew into the heads of three others. When the last of them were gone, Daryl let out a sigh of relief. Their family had remained intact.
That was before Carol came flying in his direction, pushing him aside, and shoving a walker out of the way. One had snuck up behind him and almost got him. However, when Carol tackled the walker, she fell with it. Daryl couldn't get a clear shot without the possibility of shooting her too, so he couldn't save her.
Carol quickly pulled out her knife and stabbed the walker in the eye.
Daryl rushed to help her up, checking every orifice for a bite or scratch. When he reached her legs, he noticed a tear in her jeans where blood had pooled. It was seeping into the denim. His face filled with panic as he grabbed her leg.
She eased him, grabbing his chin to make him look at her. "It's from a knife in my bag. It was poking through, and it got me while I was fighting. I promise. I know the rules, and I'm fine. I'm just fine," she assured him. He looked at her bag that was resting on the ground, and sure enough, there as a knife protruding through the canvas haphazardly.
He heaved out a breath before putting both of his hands on either side of her face. He stared into her eyes for a second, assuring himself that she was there, and she was alright. He then pulled her face gently so that their lips could meet. It was rough and passionate, full of fear and desperation that he had felt when he thought he had lost her.
She responded just as fiercely, placing her hands on his waist to steady herself. They pulled away, giving one another a few softer kisses. Maggie and Glenn had big smiles on their faces, clearly happy with the couples progress.
Daryl flipped them off before picking up their forgotten backs before grinning at Carol. "Let's get the fuck outta here."
A/N: So they kissed! Let me know what you think! Hit that button and get reviewing!