"So, what's going on between you and Daryl?" Lori raised her eyebrows suggestively at Carol, waiting for her reply and hoping for some juicy gossip. Carol almost wanted to lie to her friend, knowing the disappointment that would be on her face when she told Lori nothing. Nothing was going between her and Daryl, and she wasn't quite sure how she felt about that.
"Oh honey, are you waiting for him to make the first move?" Lori asked after Carol had decided to tell her the truth. "I had to with Rick, I just couldn't stand it anymore. That man is so patient and calm all the time. One day I just got so fed up that I grabbed him and kissed him 'til I knocked some sense into him," she laughed. Carol laughed with her, knowing that it sounded exactly like the Rick she knew in high school.
"And Daryl can be so damn stubborn and thick-headed. Had to twist his arm just to get him to come to dinner," Lori shook her head and brushed her bangs out of her face. Carol nodded her head in agreement, knowing she couldn't deny that fact. Both of the Dixon men were stubborn as hell, but that wasn't really a bad thing.
Sensing that Carol wanted to change the subject, Lori brought up the other Dixon brother. "How is he with Sophia?" She asked, genuinely curious. Carol smiled, remembering how she had found Sophia and Merle curled up. "He's great, better than I ever thought he'd be, based on what Daryl had said about him. Sophia had a nightmare and Merle was just coming in, so she went to him," Carol said, pulling out her camera to show Lori the picture.
The rest of the day had been uneventful, Lori had gotten the hint that Carol didn't want to talk about Daryl. Lori could push one's buttons, but at least she knew when to stop, which Carol was grateful for. Both mothers had gone to pick up their kids for school, promising a playdate soon, and gone their separate ways.
That is, the rest of the day was uneventful, until Daryl came home. Carol was in the kitchen cooking dinner, and immediately ran into the living room, heart racing, when she heard Sophia let out a scream.
Her heart rate was still beating rapidly when she saw Sophia hugging a large blue plush that Carol could only assume was Stitch. Daryl and Sophia hadn't noticed Carol yet, and Sophia set down her new Stitch to hug Daryl.
He forgot all about what he had gone through to get it, and lifted Sophia up to return her hug. He spun around and saw Carol standing in the doorway to the kitchen smiling at him. He felt the back of his neck heat up until it reached his face.
"Thank you so much, Daddy," she squealed.
"You're welcome, peach," he said softly, looking at Carol before setting Sophia down. Sophia brought her new plush upstairs to play with until dinner was done, and Daryl followed Carol into the kitchen.
"Smells good," he said coming up behind her. He looked into the pots on the stove. Carol had home-made sauce in one pot and pasta boiling in the other. Daryl stuck his finger into the pot of sauce and licked it off before Carol slapped his chest playfully.
"Stop that, you haven't even washed your hands yet!" Carol snickered as he just smiled at her. "So if I washed 'em-?"
"No!" She cried, interrupting his question. "Keep your fingers out of my food!" He was about to dip his finger back into the sauce when she rapped his knuckles with the wooden spoon she was using to stir it with.
Daryl dipped his finger in and licked the sauce off quickly before nearly running out of the kitchen. He paused in the doorway and looked at her again, noticing how happy she looked, despite the fact that she was trying to seem annoyed. "Tastes pretty damn good," he winked at her before walking out to wash up and tell Sophia and Merle that dinner was ready.
Carol couldn't help but smile.
They were all sitting at the table eating dinner when Merle spoke up.
"Ain't T's place openin' up next weekend?"
"Yeah, tha's right" Daryl answered. He had forgotten about it until Merle brought it up.
Carol looked at the brothers curiously, but didn't say anything. Daryl saw the look on her face and explained that T-Dog, who worked for Daryl part-time, was opening a restaurant called The Dog Pound, and wanted them to come.
"I'd say yes," she hesitated, "but Sophia-"
"Will be with me," Merle spoke up. "I'll take her out to McDonald's or somethin'. Kids still like that, right?" He asked looking unsure at Sophia, who nodded her head enthusiastically in reply. "Alright kid, sound good to ya? Get to spend some time with ya Uncle Merle while Mama and Daddy have some grown up time?" Merle waggled his eyebrows suggestively at Carol and Daryl, who blushed furiously.
"Don't you want to go though?" Carol asked Merle.
"Me and ol' T-Dog ain't on so great terms darlin'," he said with regret. "Maybe y'all can double date or somethin' though and invite Officer Friendly and Olive Oyl."
Later that night, Carol sat on her bead reading a book she had borrowed from Lori earlier that day.
Reading was a favorite pastime of hers, and with Ed, she wasn't able to do it very often. Lori had found out and insisted that Carol needed to read this book. She had seen the cover and had her doubts, but was willing to take any book she could get her hands on.
'James was slowly approaching her, forcing her to go back further and further until her back hit the wall. Lily's eyes darted left and right, anywhere but him, to try and find an escape.
"Am I making you nervous?" His breath was warm on her neck, and his lips were getting closer and closer, until they landed softly on her neck-'
Carol's book trance was broken by a knock at the door. A flush of heat came over her, and she was sure that she was red from head to toe. Assuming it was Sophia, she quickly set the book down, with the cover featuring a shirtless man embracing a well-endowed woman in a red dress, facing away from any eyes that might be able to happen upon it.
"Come in," she said, her voice a bit higher than usual, causing her to feel even more embarrassed.
She was startled when she saw a large shadow before Daryl entered the room. She was sure that the red blush of her skin went up about ten shades. She was too embarrassed to notice that he was holding a hand behind his back.
He looked a little uncomfortable and looked at the wall, past her. "Ya alright? Ya look a bit red," he said, coming close enough so that he could put his free wrist on her forehead, feeling for a temperature. "Ya a bit warm too."
"Oh, I guess it's a bit warm in here," she sighed. "Why don't ya have the fan on?" He questioned skeptically, as he pulled the string of the ceiling fan.
"I uh- was reading," she admitted, biting her lip. Daryl's eyes went straight to her mouth. "I didn't want to put it down.
"Sorry to interrupt ya, then," he muttered, noticing the pile of books she had sitting on the floor beside the bed. "Wanted to ask how your day was an' give ya this," he said, holding the plush out to her.
"Saw it and thought ya might like it, but didn't want to give it to ya in front of Sophia. If ya don't or it's silly or whatever-" It was now Daryl's turn to blush.
"I love it," she smiled. "Thank you so much. That was very sweet of you." She hugged the small plush close to her chest.
"I uh, nevermind," he said, backing out of what he was going to ask.
"No, what is it?" She looked up at him curiously. He looked into her eyes and knew that it was hopeless. It seemed like Carol and Sophia always ended up getting what they wanted out of him, like he had no control over it.
"It's just that…well it looked like you were cryin' when we were watchin' the movie…" He trailed off.
"Oh, I'm sorry if I worried you. Certain parts just reminded me of my childhood. I never really had any family before Sophia," she said, looking down and playing with the Stitch plush. "Just hit close to home, I suppose."
"It's okay though," she added with a small smile, seeing the look on his face. "I'm starting to think that everything happens for a reason. You know what you said this morning, about me and Sophia? Well, you and Merle are the best thing that ever happened to us. I want you to know that," she said softly.
Daryl's thumb found its way to his mouth, and he started to chew on the side of it out of nervous habit.
"I'm gonna be honest with ya, I don't know much about bein' a daddy, lord knows mine wasn't much o' one or nothin', but I wanna try."
Carol's smile widened and she put her hand over his. "You're doing great already."
AN: IMPORTANT: I have two questions for you guys that will impact this story, I kept meaning to ask and finally remembered, so review to let me know your answers!
Question one: Romantic interest for Merle? Should I introduce one? Who should it be? Honestly, I don't care for Beth on the show all that much (has more to do with her character, not really about the ships), but in the fics I've read, I like reading her with Merle for some reason. If I bring in a romantic interest for him, I'd like it to be her, but after this past season I can understand if y'all don't want me to do that. I'm not terribly picky, though, and I'm not opposed to making an OC, though I don't usually care for them much. I just don't know how y'all would react to me bringing in Beth.
Question two: Should I leave the world as it is, or introduce walkers? It wouldn't be for awhile yet, and I'm on the fence. I feel like I'd be able to expand the story and make it last a bit longer, but I'm not sure.
Thank you as always for reading, and thank you times a trillion for the reviews, especially the ones that have taken the time to comment on every chapter.
I can't believe I made it to 50 reviews. Might not seem like a lot to you, but it means SO much to me, that I can't even put it into words. Seriously, I'd hug you all and give you those cardboard cut-out standees of Daryl if I could.