Andrea put Brian down for a nap and went downstairs as the doorbell rang. She answered it and found her ex, Shane Walsh, standing before her. She smiled at him, but he was so pale.

"Andrea."

"Hey, Shane. How are you? I haven't seen you since Amy's going away party. Come inside." She stepped aside and let him inside. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Andrea, this isn't a personal. It's business."

Her heart stopped. "Phillip?" She stumbled back, he grasped her shoulders and helped her into a chair, grasping her hands in his. "Is he dead?" she whispered.

"He was in a car accident," Shane slowly explained. "He's alive, but he had damage to his face, and he lost an eye."

Her eyes squeezed shut and her stomach churned then her eyes opened. "Was this before or after he picked up Penny?" She searched his eyes and covered her mouth as she whimpered.

"She was thrown from the car." He hung his head. "Her died instantly from breaking her neck."

"Oh, my God." She buried her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry, Andrea. I wish this had been personal." He squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. "He's in the hospital. Do you want me to take you to him?"

"Yes." She grabbed the phone and called her uncle. "Hey, Dale." She sniffed. "Could you please come over and watch Brian for a little while? No, Phillip's been in an accident, and I need to see him."

Shane waited outside as she talked to Dale, and soon the old man came himself, and he was so upset, he didn't glare at Shane. Dale hated Shane ever since Dale caught Andrea and Shane in her bedroom on graduation. Hell of a morning, but it wasn't the time to think about.

"Thank you, Dale." She hugged him tightly then got in the car with Shane. She finally asked, "Is he lucid?"

"No. He was too upset about Penny, so they sedated him." He glanced over at her. "He'll be fine, Andrea."

She nodded. "Can I see Penny?"

"I think its best if you didn't." Shane hadn't told her all of the damage done to the little girl. She was thrown from the car, yes, but way the truck hit them, she little body was mangled and warped, nearly beyond recognition. Phillip lost it when he saw them pulling her off the ground. He threatened the driver, who was on his knees, crying and apologizing over and over. It was horrible, and Shane wished he wasn't the first responder, but he was. He saw it all happen. All he could think was what if that was Carl or Sophia, and it tore him up inside. The hell's wrong with people?

At the hospital, Andrea fell apart beside her husband, and Shane left them alone. He closed the door and went to the lobby, rubbing his head.

"Phillip?" She grasped his bruised and swollen hand, his face similar, half of it was wrapped, and she sobbed. "Phillip."

– – –

"Carol?" Daryl searched the house, Sophia waited outside, tying her half-calf boots that Daryl made her pack so nothing could get at her legs, and Daryl returned to the porch. "Huh. Carol?" He grabbed her shirt from last night. "C'mere, boy." He had Patch sniff it, and Patch ran off toward the woods. He waved to Sophia, she shouldered her backpack, grabbing her mother's backpack, and she took his hand.

He stared down at her, her blue eyes met his questioningly then he followed Patch. They found Carol by the water, staring at it. She wore the outfit Daryl had thrown inside her bag at the last minute. A long sleeved red shirt, work pants with black boots, but he didn't understand the turban thing wrapped around her head.

"Patch." She bent down and scratched behind his ears. "Hey, boy. What're you doing here? Looking for me?" She giggled as he licked her nose. "Okay, I won't do it again." She wiped her nose and turned, finding Daryl and Sophia behind her. "You ready?"

"Are you?" Daryl asked.

"Of course." She took her bag from Sophia. "Thanks, sweetie." She shouldered it and looked at Daryl. "It's your move. Where to?"

"Out and about. See where it takes us."

Carol and Sophia exchanged glances as he walked off with Patch, and they followed him. Carol caught up to him, Patch fell back, as if not wanting Sophia alone, and she held onto his collar.

"You were kidding, right? About walking around aimlessly."

"No, I wasn't. Better to go off course. Followin' a trail ain't fun."

"Neither is getting lost."

"Just trust me, all right? I ain't gonna get you or that little girl lost."

"This is the beginning of a slasher film. No one knows we're out here, we're walking through the woods, and soon we'll find a creepy house, one of us will idiotically go inside, and they'll put the killer on our trail."

"There ain't no houses out here." He helped her over the rocks ahead and then helped Sophia, and he turned and spotted a small house, Carol sent him a dark look, and he laughed.

"You jinx." She walked by him. "We're not going near that house." She grabbed Sophia's hand and his, hauling them away. "C'mon, this way."

Sophia giggled at Carol's reaction to the house, Patch walked ahead of them, smelling everything, running off then barreling back when Sophia couldn't see him and called to him, and Daryl tried to focus on anything, but Carol's hand was consuming his thoughts. It was so warm, though calloused. He knew his hands were rough, but she didn't seem to mind. Her or Sophia. It was nice.

Sophia released Carol's hand and ran over to some wild flowers, Carol followed, letting his hand go, and he wanted to grasp it, but he had no reason to. He waited for them to stop oohing over flowers, but they didn't. Carol cut some from the rest and put them behind her ear, and then she came over to him.

"Hell no." He ducked her hands and moved away. "That ain't comin' near me. I mean it."

Sophia laughed as he dodged and weaved away from Carol and the flower, Daryl managed to get away, but he didn't know Carol had plans. They returned to their hike, Daryl led them to a lake full of fish, and they sat down for dinner. Daryl had gotten a few squirrels for lunch, which Sophia didn't know, and Carol didn't tell her, and they were going fishing for dinner. Sophia didn't want to be apart of it, so she stayed on the dock with Patch, drawing Daryl and Carol, who didn't take her eyes off Sophia.

"She's f—"

"Don't." She met his eyes. "Jinx."

"How am I a jinx? You was the one talkin' 'bout slasher films, not me." She kicked his boot with her. "Hey, woman, don't. You'll rock the boat, probably flip it with your luck, and I don't feel like swimmin'."

"Did you just call me fat?"

He tensed. "I—No! No, I didn't—" He stopped when she started laughing. "What?"

"Your face." She laughed so deeply, and Daryl had never seen her laugh like that. "That was priceless."

"Let's try to get some fish."

"Yes, sir!" She giggled.

He half-smiled at her. "Havin' fun?"

"I am." She saw his rob jerk. "Looks like you got a bite."

"You too."

They reeled in four fish each, Sophia turned away from them as Daryl taught Carol how to gut a fish, and he found she used a knife well. Sophia got the fire ready, Daryl lit it as Carol prepared the fish, and they walked as it cooked, Sophia took that time to draw them this time.

After eating, the sun was almost gone, so they decided to stay there for the night. Sophia and Carol curled up by the fire, Daryl reached over and moved Carol's hand back from the fire, and she gripped his hand tightly. He tensed.

Her eyes opened. "Daryl?" She sat up. "Hmm."

"No, go back to sleep. Just didn't want you burn your hand."

"How sweet." She was exhausted. "Lay down. You need sleep to."

"I'm all right."

"Daryl, please. I don't want to argue. Get over here."

"Huh?"

"You heard me." She lifted the blanket up. "There's enough room, and it gets cold at night. I'm not taking no for an answer."

"You're 'bout to pass out again, all I gotta do is wait for that."

"Daryl Dixon, get over here."

He groaned but complied. "Anything else?" He lied on his back, his hands stacked on his stomach, and she nodded, sliding her hand over to his. "What're you doin'?"

"Keeping my hand from the fire," she murmured, drifting off.

He closed his eyes, and he rolled over, but her hand only moved to his hip. Her fingers tightened on the material of his shirt, and he sighed softly, trying to sleep. Patch moved beside him, trapping him between the dog and Carol. He felt Carol's hand slip off his shirt, someone lied in between them, and the scent of lemons cross his nose. Sophia.

"My mommy," she informed him, grasping the hand Carol had used to grasp Daryl's shirt.

"My dog," he replied.

"Nu-huh. My dog too."

"What ain't yours?" He rolled onto his back. "Me?"

She slipped her hand into his. "No, my Daryl." She yawned and opened her eyes to met his. "You three...are my...family..."

Daryl stared at her as she fell asleep again. He didn't want a family. He didn't want them to think he was in their family. It hadn't been that long since they moved in with him. They're just staying. They had to be. He couldn't have a family, not like before, not like with her. He couldn't do that again, not with Carol, not with what was happening with him. What she was doing to him, the changes, what the hell did it mean? It was beginning to freak him out. He didn't like any physically contact, and yet there Carol was night after night brushing against him, leaning into him, touching the back of his shirt. She was moving in her sleep, but still, it bothered him that it didn't make him flinch. How could he handle Carol's touch, Sophia holding his hand, and no one else's? What were these women doing to him? He needed to get out of there. Soon.

––

In the morning they headed back to camp, Sophia went back to bed from all the hiking, and Carol noticed how distant Daryl was. It worried her. Did she do something wrong? Did Sophia? They had upset him? Did he want them gone? That scared her. She really cared for Daryl, and she really didn't want to burden him. If they were being a problem, they would leave. She had let him know she had plans. She'd found an ad for a library assistant, and she'd worked for a librarian during her senior year of high school, and she knew most of it still. It wasn't the best pay, but it was a start. All she had to do was call. Se had to tell him that. It was now or never.

She stepped into the tent after him, he moved away instantly, and she sat down away from him. "We need to talk." She met his eyes. "I really am grateful for all that you've done for me and my daughter."

"You already told me this." He cleaned his arrows, though they were clean now.

She shook her head. "I found a job. I'm going to call when we return, and I know of a place where Sophia and I can stay, so please, don't be angry with us."

"Angry?" He frowned. "I ain't mad at y'all. Why do you think that?"

"You...just seemed angry this morning, so I assumed you were thinking about us staying with you forever. We're not. I promise. All I need a few days to find some means of transportation and then to unpack our things, and we're gone. I'll send you as much as I can to repay you for the food and laundry detergent and any bills that rose during our stay."

"You ain't gotta repay me!" he snapped. "You ain't gotta drag yourself through shitty jobs 'cause you think I don't want y'all to stay! This ain't you! It ain't you."

She flinched as he raised his voice. "I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it about me."

"You don't understand shit." He got out of the tent, she started to follow, but he murmured, "Stupid bitch."

Her eyes burned as his feet receded quickly, and she tried not to cry, but his words bit into her. She was a stupid bitch. She was so, so stupid. Why did God ever allow her to live this long? She was so pathetic and meek and worthless. No one deserved to have to see her ugly face every single day. Ed was right. She should just off herself. Sophia would be better off with someone else. If Ed were happy with another woman, Sophia would be fine. Lori would protect Sophia like she was her own. Everything would be better if Carol never existed. Everything.

She climbed out of the tent and waited until Daryl was returning to camp before she left.

––

"Stupid bitch." He stormed out of camp and went into the woods, still holding the arrow he was pretending to clean. He tossed it to the ground and paced between trees. That stupid bitch! She had no idea. She had no idea how much he needed her to stay. She wasn't the stupid one. He was. He really like Carol's little girl, and who wouldn't? She was funny and smart and good at almost everything. She was so sweet, just like her mama. Carol was the most amazing woman he'd ever met. If he wasn't so screwed up, he could be the man she needed. That was a pipe dream. He was never going to be good enough for her.

He punched the trunk of a tree as hard as he could, the pain made him groan, and blood slid down his knuckles. He laughed in spite of the pain.

Good goin', little brother. You make Carol think you want her gone, make her nearly cry, and you come out here and wound yourself. Grow a pair, Darylene. You ain't the one on the edge. Selfish bastard. You might wanna run, son. It ain't lookin' too good for Mousy.

"Carol." He saw the look she had. He grabbed the arrow he'd dropped and went back to camp, Sophia was passed out in her tent with Patch guarding her protectively, staring intently at some trees. He went to their tent. "Carol?" He peered into the tent, and she wasn't in there. Shit! He looked in inside the house.

She ain't gonna be in there, son. No, no, you pushed her buttons. Best be lookin' for a corpse now, boy. O-ooh, you done pushed her like Ed. Merle tsked him in his head.

"Oh, shit!" He remembered her telling him about how used to make her want to kill herself, but she wouldn't do it, because of Sophia. She was pregnant then Sophia was too young and then because Carol had to protect Sophia from Ed. She told him she could handle anything Ed dealt out on her as long as she had Sophia. Now that Ed didn't know where Sophia was, there nothing to hold her back. Add in yesterday's breakdown. That was pretty bad, but was it enough?

Oh, you pussy, just go! Find the damn Mouse already. You know you done broke her. It don't take much. Damn, boy, she probably dead already. Kick off those damn high heels and run!

He padded down the stairs and saw just how intently Patch was staring at those tree. He bent down. "She go that way, boy?"

He didn't move his eyes, and Daryl knew that's the way she went.

"Good boy." He rubbed his head and took off running. He picked up her trial after she'd stopped leading him in different directions, and he followed it out the lake where they'd gone fishing. He didn't see anyone on the dock, and the sun reflected off the water, so he couldn't see her inside. He groaned and moved back, his shoe stepping over something hard. "The hell?" He picked up a bent wedding ring with forever yours engraved in it. It was Carol's.

He kicked off his shoes and dove into the water. He found her instantly. She still wore her red shirt, and among dark and the fish that were swarming her, he got so damn lucky. He swam down to the bottom and gripped her arm. He slid his arm around her waist and pushed off the bottom. He pushed her onto the dock and climbed up on top of her. He put his head on her chest, but didn't hear a heartbeat, so he tilted her head and closed his mouth around her, breathing into her.

"C'mon, woman." He began the compressions. "Breath, Carol." He breathed into her mouth, his heart began to pound frantically in his chest. This can't be happening. Please, don't let this be happening. Be strong, Carol. He needed her to be strong for Sophia right now.

She wasn't responding, and he wasn't giving up.

"Don't you give up. Breath, Carol, c'mon now. You ain't gotta a choice here! Breath! C'mon, Carol, open your eyes. Come back to Sophia." He tipped her head up as he began the compressions. "You ain't leavin' her! You hear me? I ain't lettin' you leave that little girl!"

"Daryl!" Sophia smiled and waved at him. "C'mon, boy." She ran over to him, not seeing her mother.

"Sophia, stay there!" Daryl shouted.

"Why?" She stopped, her eyes widened. "Mommy!" She ran over to them. "Mommy!"

"Sophia, please, stop!"

"Mommy." She dropped to her knees by Carol's head. "Mom?"

Daryl did the last two compressions, and when his lips touched Carol's, she sucked in a breath. He jerked back as she coughed up water, rolling onto her side, revealing blood on the back of her head.

"Mommy." Sophia sobbed.

"Sophia?" she weakly gasped. "Oh, baby girl." She sat up and hugged her.

"What the hell were you doin'?" Daryl demanded.

She met his eyes. "Getting rid of Carol Peletier." She held Sophia close. "I was going to burn my I.D and throw that and my wedding ring into the lake, but I slid in mud when I went to get the matches. You could've told me this pants had a hole in the pocket."

He closed his eyes, so relieved she hadn't tried to kill herself. "You gotta get looked at." He helped her and Sophia stand up. "Can you walk?"

"Ye—no!" She stumbled over her wet pants, Daryl and Sophia grabbed her arm and shoulders. "I'm okay, just a little dizzy."

"Lean against me." He put his arm around her waist and let Sophia think she was helping Carol walk. They helped her back to camp, Daryl sat her down on the porch, and Patch licked at her face, and Sophia went to get some clothes as Daryl told her to.

"We need to get you outta those clothes."

"I thought you were a good man too," she teased, pushing Patch off. "Go get Sophia." He barked and lied down, resting his head on her lap. "Should I take that as a compliment?"

"Woman, no more teasin'. Go in there, change and come back out. We're goin' home. Gotta get you looked at."

"I'm fine."

"Don't try me, Carol," he warned.

"Has anyone ever told you can be quite sexy when you're pissed?" She giggled at his flustered expression then stood up and took the clothes from Sophia. "I'll be right out." She went inside.

"Okay, kid, you're helpin' me pack up."

"Okay, Daddy." She paused. "Daryl! I said Daryl!" She ran off into her tent and packed her belongings, almost hiding from him.

Daddy? He shook his head and looked over his own wet clothes. He ignored them and packed up their belongings. He and Sophia made quick work of it, he tugged on a sweatshirt and tossed his wet shirt into a plastic bag and Carol came out of the house. "Get your ass in the car." He had the heat on since Carol was always cold. "Sophia!"

Sophia stopped playing with Patch. "What?"

"Shorts? What the hell?" He grabbed a blanket out of the trunk and closed it. "Get in here, Sophia, Patch."

"Hold on. He's got the ball! Patch, c'mere. C'mere."

"Here." He climbed into the car and handed it to her, her grasped his hand, and he tensed as pain spiked through his knuckles. "That ain't nothin'."

"It was bleeding." She gently ran her thumb over his knuckles, and he winced. "Here." She placed a kiss on his knuckles, and his skin burned from her mouth. "All better?" She was teasing him again.

"I wish. Sophia!"

"I'm comin'!" She run over and hopped in the backseat with Patch. "Well? You rushed me just to sit here? C'mon, let's go."

Carol smiled nervously, releasing Daryl's hand, and he wondered if he had the same affect on her. She covered her legs with the blanket, only her knees down showed, but he knew she didn't like for any skin to show. How many scars did she have?

"Okay, I could've thrown ten tennis balls by now. Are we leavin' or what? She needs looked at, Daryl." Sophia leaned into the front seat and noticed the strange looked Daryl and her mother shared and sat back.

Daryl started the car and drove toward town, Sophia reminded them that Thanksgiving was in on Thursday, and Carol smiled. She hadn't cooked in a big dinner in a long time. She mostly cooked for two since Daryl ate out most nights, but with this holiday coming up, he would be her sampler. She had Sophia and Lori before, and Sophia's so picky, Daryl would do nicely. It would give them a chance to talk.

Carol reached to twist her wedding band when she felt it wasn't there. It was left on the dock. She felt worried for half a second then relaxed into the seat. She was three steps closer to filing a divorce. All she needed now was Ryan and for someone to get Ed to sign the divorce papers. She closed her eyes. She's almost free from him. And that made her smile from ear to ear.

[Merle is coming in soon, I promise.]