Howdy! It's been a while...hasn't it? I had to put this on hold to focus on school. And lo and behold, I didn't lose my hope scholarship. :D But I'm sorry it took me so long to update. Hopefully I'll have another chapter up soon! Y'all make sure to review! It's my birthday tomorrow and that would make my day even better. That and tequila. ;)

I don't own the Walking Dead. But I can dream, right?

The next few days passed in a blur. Carol felt herself slipping back into the blissful ignorance she had always retreated to when the going got too rough with Ed. She would simply turn her mind off and let the events unfold before her, refusing to take part in anything. Then, it was keeping her mouth shut and her eyes unfocused during a beating. Now, it was standing in the back of the procession and trying her hardest to block out Rick's speech at the funeral. Now, it was not bothering to worry about the Randall boy escaping from the barn. And even now, when she felt that rough grip on her arms, she retreated even further into herself. In those days, she had wanted to be strong. She really did. To up and leave Ed behind. But she couldn't care for Sophia, not on her own.

"Carol."

The grip tightened, just slightly, and she braced herself for the blow. But it never came.

"Daryl?"

It almost surprised her.

"Who'd you expect, woman?"

"Sorry. I sorta lost track of things."

He had the crossbow slung over his shoulder, knife in his belt and he was still holding her. "Listen, I ain't gotta lotta time. The kid got out somehow and Lori's got me and Glenn lookin' for Rick and Shane. The farm ain't safe no more. Protect yourself. Don't worry 'bout no one else but you."

His words came too fast, too serious. She couldn't grasp their meaning. The farm was safe. Lord, the farm was the embodiment of safety. What was he talking about? But it all happened too quickly and before she could ask, he was gone.

"Carl?"

She turned before she realized it wasn't her name.

"Have you seen Carl?"

Lori was shouting, wide-eyed and frantic.

"What?"

"Carl! I can't find him anywhere."

She wanted the world to stop turning so quickly, she wanted time to feel the pain of her losses. The sting of losing Dale. The constant ache that was Sophia. She wanted to be back in the tent with Daryl, eating candy and hiding from the rain.

But Lori was on the verge of tears and Patricia and Beth were pointing towards the barn. Or, what used to be the barn. Now it was a burning heap of ruins.

Somebody was pulling her out of the house, down the steps and off of the porch, but she couldn't keep up. There were walkers everywhere – worse than in Atlanta. She tried to fight them off but there were too many and she only had a tree branch to protect herself with. They kept coming, kept pushing her back until she was pressing against the side of the shed, unable to move.

And that's when she heard it. That familiar roar. The groan of the breaks. She didn't know where he had come from, but she didn't care.

"I ain't got all day!"

Even as she ran to him, the walkers kept pressing in on all sides. He fired off shot after shot but it made no difference. She gripped him tightly and closed her eyes as the bike jerked forward. She didn't look, didn't want to know. Even the wind rushing in her ears couldn't block the moan of the walkers, the resonating screams playing in her mind.

They had been on the bike for hours when Daryl abruptly turned around. He pulled off the main road and slowed. She didn't see it at first, but that's why he was the hunter. The house was tucked into the upslope of the land, only half of it exposed to the road.

He stopped the bike and hid it in the bushes.

"Stay here. I'm gonna see if it's safe."

"No. I'm coming with you."

"Yeah? And how're yeh gonna defend yerself?"

She looked down at her bare hands. She didn't have a gun, or a knife or even a stick. But then she remembered. "The tools! From when we were working on the fence. They're still in your saddlebag."

Daryl shot her a look but she opened the bag, and sure enough, the hammer was sitting on top, waiting for her.

"See?" She said, trying not to sound smug.

He sighed, loading his crossbow. "Just be quiet."

The house was small and cramped, boxes scattered everywhere. Books were pulled off the shelves, cans of food laid abandoned on the ground. The ground was covered in a thin layer of papers and glass. When they found the lone walker, it was Carol who took her out.

Daryl dragged the body out of the house and patrolled the perimeter while Carol scavenged the house. There wasn't much of anything left, other than a few cans of beans and potatoes.

They set up camp in the living room, building a small fire and dragging the couches closer together.

Daryl pulled a bag of jerky out of his pocket. "You hungry?" He grunted.

She was, of course. The day had slipped through her fingers and she couldn't remember the last time she had had a sip of water, let alone a bite to eat. But she didn't want Daryl to think she was dead weight, that she was incapable of going a few days without food.

"I'm okay," she lied.

He picked up a can of potatoes and pulled a knife from his belt, using it to open the can. "Well I'm starvin'."

He offered both the can and the jerky to her, and hesitantly, she accepted. The potatoes were raw and the jerky was salty, but it was damn near the best thing she'd ever eaten.

"Steak and potatoes," she mused. "You sure know how to romance a woman, Mr. Dixon."

Daryl laughed shortly – more of a grunt, really. "Even got dessert."

"Let me guess. Baked Alaska? Crème Brulee?"

With the tip of his boot, Daryl pushed around the logs in the fire. "Fresh outta 'em. Got some Kit-Kats left, though. Reckon I might even have a Snickers."

They lapsed into silence, eating for once without any reservations. But Carol found herself full quickly and when she shared the candy bar with Daryl, it was far, far too sweet – the sugar overpowering in stark contrast to the modest vegetables she had grown accustomed to.

Daryl excused himself and disappeared. A few minutes later he returned, a rare smile plastered on his face.

"Found me a pack of smokes," he boasted, holding up a pack of Parliament Blues. "Half full. And there must be a well or somethin' cause the water runs."

Carol was just as ecstatic as him. "Running water? You're joking, right?"

He laughed – deeply, this time. "It's even fuckin' hot."

She got to her feet. "No," she said, incredulous.

"Yeah."

"Good lord. Now that's a miracle if I ever saw one."

"I figure the house has got its own generator. Think it's alright to run the water but I don't wanna go turnin' on lights 'nd shit."

"Of course. I'm not sharing my hot water with any walkers."

Daryl nodded and she made her way to the bathroom. It was small, covered in dust, and the door hung off its hinges, but she didn't mind. She turned on the water and as excited as she was, she felt anxious. She would be too vulnerable, too exposed. She stood in the center of the shabby room, deliberating. Finally, she returned to the living room.

"That was quick," Daryl said, eyes still focused on his half-cleaned crossbow.

"I don't like the idea of being split up like this."

What she really meant was that she didn't like the idea of being alone, that she was scared and defenseless without him by her side.

"Yer right. I'll stand watch outside the bathroom."

It was beyond relaxing. For the first time in this new world, Carol closed her eyes and she wasn't afraid. The water came down in steady sheets, radiating warmth that calmed her, her mind, her muscles. There had been showers at the farm, but none with hot water. She was so happy, so tranquil.

"I've gotta question fer ya."

Daryl was in the doorway, just an arm's length away. Carol tipped her head back, felt the water cascade down her face.

She had even found some shampoo.

"Shoot."

"What'd ya do before all of this?"

Nothing. That was the honest to god answer. Wasted away, waiting hand and foot on Ed. Daydreamed about getting out, finding salvation for Sophia: the one meaningful thing in her life. But she had a life before Ed. A much, much happier one. And this was a time for happier thoughts.

"I was a teacher."

"No shit?"

She laughed. "No. No shit. I taught ballet at an arts center near Emory. I mostly taught the young kids – the beginners. Oh, lord. I loved that job. I loved ballet. I wanted to be a ballerina. Spent my whole life training for it."

She had said too much. Even from beyond the grave, the back of her neck still prickled and she could feel the ache in her legs.

"Why didn't ya?"

"Had an accident. Threw my knee out and broke my ankle. Took me 6 months to recover, before I could dance again. And by then, my company had moved on. In the dance world, no one's gonna wait for you to get back on your feet. It's vicious. I just couldn't find work as a dancer after that, so I started teaching."

"What kind of accident?"

"What did you do?"

She heard him sigh but knew he wouldn't push the subject. She didn't have to say what type of accident. He already knew perfectly well.

"Whatever I could. Lotta farmin', mostly. Before shit hit the fan I found me some real work, though. Me and Merle worked fer a movin' company, loadin' and unloadin' the trucks. Had me another job, too. Worked for a chicken farm, breakin' chicken necks. Didn't much like it, but it was good money."

She tried to imagine Daryl in line in a huge warehouse, grinding chickens in his hands, adorned in the rubber suit. She could only see him as he was now. Rough and tumble, crude and gritty. She couldn't imagine him as an employee of some huge company, or moving furniture back and forth. But, then again, he probably couldn't see her as a teacher, let alone a dancer: As someone who could do beautiful things, make beautiful things out of the dust.

The woman she had been was gone, and she found herself suddenly forlorn and full of dread. She shut off the water and quickly dressed. For the rest of the night, she was silent, thinking of all the times she had told herself she would change, she would find a way to return to the things she loved. Well, now she never would.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to review! And happy holidays, y'all. :)