Daryl and Carol had followed Oscar to the hall where he'd last seen Kiry and Sophia, they weren't hard to follow at first leaving a trail of bodies at first then a few abandon knives and arrows. Daryl was ready to kill anything they saw, but Carol had taken her knife out and was cutting a swath through them in her despair. Daryl had never seen her like this, he wondered if she'd been like this when he and Sophia had been gone.
They retrieved the weapons as they went and Daryl knew they couldn't have many left. The bodies were thinning and the walkers were getting thicker. The last body they found had a standard knife in it's head, not a throwing knife. It was through the jaw which made Daryl worry it had been Sophia who was out there without a weapon.
"No! No they have to be here! They have to be!" Carol cried out not quite a yell but still much too loud for where they were.
"Carol, calm down." Was all Daryl could think to say putting his hand on her shoulder, she whipped around slapping him across the face.
"No! You, you brought her back and everything was perfect and now... Oh God Daryl I... What if she's... Daryl I... I'm sorry I..." She sobbed letting him pull her into his chest he knew exactly how she felt if she weren't there he'd be tearing this place apart. "I'm so sorry." She whispered, he soothed her short hair down gently.
"I know... I know. We're gonna find them, you ain't gotta worry Kiry, she'll take care a our little girl." Daryl told her, then they pulled apart both of them looking at the door behind the dead walker. Something had just hit it, not hard, in all honesty it sounded like a walker.
Kiry heard them, but she could hardly lift her hand to try and push the door open and her tongue was dry and sticky, her throat thick. She couldn't get there attention, and with Sophia sound asleep next to her all she could do was bang on the door with the last of her strength.
"Oh God Daryl... what if... what if it's them?" Carol choked, Daryl's heart dropped into his stomach. What if it was, what if that was Kiry's dead body trying to get to them, or Sophia's. He couldn't see them that way, but he couldn't just leave them like that.
"Carol, go grab that things feet and pull." Daryl told her hopping that if she was busy dealing with the walker he could put them down before she had to see. He ripped the door open as soon as she'd pulled it away. Kiry had move to slamming her shoulder into the door since picking up her arm was too much work and so now she tumbled out of the little closet waking Sophia.
"Fuck brother... What I ever do to you?" She asked weakly, Sophia leaped to her feet slamming into Daryl's waist hugging him almost painfully hard.
"Daddy!" She sobbed he fell to his knees hugging her back he knew he was crying now but he didn't fucking care his family was there, they were alive.
"Sophia!" Carol breathed in disbelief Sophia looked over his shoulder letting go of Daryl who despite his desire to hold her for ever let her go to her momma.
"Mommy!" She squealed and Carol scooped her up into a desperate hug.
"New you'd find us brother." Kiry whispered, Daryl reached out scooping her off the floor helping her to her feet.
"What happened? You look like shit." Daryl asked, she snorted wishing she had the energy to crack him across the head.
"Took a knock is all, ain't sure I can walk back." Kiry told him, Daryl could see that her hair was matted to her head with blood.
"I got ya sis." He said scooping up her feet to carry her, Kiry went slack in his arms passed out again. Daryl looked back at Carol and Sophia trying to figure out how best to get every one back.
"Hey girl, you take your arrows out a my quiver so you can keep an eye out on the walk back." Daryl told Sophia, she nodded reaching up to take her things and they started making there way back. When He finally put Kiry in her bed leaving her to be tended to by Hershel it was getting dark.
"He ain't back yet, he should a been back by now." Maggie was pacing worriedly her eyes shooting to the window every few seconds.
"Settle girl if he ain't back by mornin we'll go find his dumb ass, he's probably just holed up for the night." Daryl told her, Beth gave him a grateful smile handing the baby to him so she could go to her sister. Carol looked worried for only half a second that he would be uncomfortable, but he held the baby like it was second nature.
"So what are we callin little ass kicker here?" Daryl asked looking over at Carl, he looked up at the tiny baby.
"I don't know, I was thinking maybe Lori." He whispered tears in his eyes, Carol would have loved to go to him, but Sophia as exhausted as she was beat her to it. Sophia hugged him, and Carl let his head fall on her shoulder the pain of the day washing over him.
"Kid deserves her own name, your daddy ain't gonna be able to look twice at her if she's named after your momma." Daryl told him, Carl nodded weakly and Sophia lead him away towards his cell, Daryl watched them go a little scowl knitting it's way onto his brow.
"Ain't sure I care for that." Daryl grumbled, Carol covered her mouth to keep from laughing at him.
"Maggie why don't you and Beth keep watch, that way when they come back you'll be right there to great them." Carol told them trying to keep her voice sober, Maggie was scared and it wouldn't do to be laughing when she tried to help.
Merle could hear that Asian kid killing the walker he'd loosed in there, but Merle had to wait a minute before he went back in. His eyes were watering and he'd be damned if he couldn't stop it. He just wanted to find his brother, Daryl was all he had left.
He should have let the Asian go get them, but he didn't trust them as far as he could throw them so he'd done something stupid like always. Fuck he wished Kiry were here to tell him how to fix it, damn if that girl didn't have a knack for cleaning up his messes.
He didn't do well on his own, when the Governor had found him he'd been so strung out on God knows what that he'd found looking for antibiotic for his arm that he hadn't even been able to get on his feet. Kiry had been right though he couldn't keep hiding from his life hell here it would get him killed, so now when he fucked things up this bad he found himself blubbering like a fucking pussy.
He wiped his eyes it wouldn't do for Martinez to come and find him blubbering, he hopped they were getting more from that creep fuck with the mustache. He took a deep breath and turned to go back in for another round, maybe with a bit more tact since the Asian had obviously maned up a bit since he last saw him.
He and Carol had actually gotten to sleep in the small bed with Carol secure in the knowledge that Sophia was with Kiry a few cells away. He was exhausted and they had fallen asleep with her tucked into his side her head on his chest.
He'd woken up with a raging hard on, with how often the two of them were interrupted it was a marvel he could get the thing to go down at all. He ran his hand up Carol's arm to see if he'd wake her when she didn't stir he let his hands drift down to those perfect breasts.
It was nice to look at her, to touch her without having to worry that she'd realize how bad he was at all this. She moaned in her sleep nuzzling closer to him, he smirked letting one hand graze down her stomach sneaking his rough hands under her soft cotton sleeping shorts moaning when he realized she had nothing on beneath them.
"Are you always this bad in the morning?" Carol asked her voice full of sleep, she had woken up to the pleasure of his rough hands slipping across her sensitive folds.
"Only around you woman, keep getting interrupted before the good part." He groaned feeling her impossibly tight core clench around his finger, he didn't know how he would fit with her so tight but damn if he didn't want to try it.
"I don't know I got to the good part last time." She smirked back at him her eyes fluttering open with a devious glint in them.
"I ain't never had a woman and I was used to that shit, but this teasin is getting old fucking fast." He explained shifting so he was over her grinding his painfully hard cock into her core making her whimper.
"Oh Daryl please... Please I need you!" She moaned breathlessly, her hands working between them to try and unzip his jeans. Before she could the curtain that separated them from the group was flung back.
"Daryl... Oh!" Maggie turned around when she saw the state they were in everyone knew they were together, but next to no one had actually seen them being intimate.
"OH FOR FUCK SAKE! When will anyone learn to fucking knock!" Daryl growled composing himself to see what the hell they wanted, Carol whimpered in disappointment at his absence.
"I'll be right fucking back." He told her huffing out to see what she needed.
"WHAT?" Daryl snarled, he could hear Carol giggle through the curtain, Maggie looked up sheepishly.
"I just... They're not back yet." Maggie told him looking worried enough to make Daryl feel bad for yelling.
"Ya alright let me get my shit." Daryl told her, Carol was sad that he had to go but after a few passionate kisses and a promise of more when he got back Daryl left for the gate.
"Who the Fuck is that?" Daryl asked when he saw a black woman by the fence Maggie shrugged looking worriedly over at Rick so he hurried to cut off Rick who was headed towards her with crazed eyes.
"Hey, the fuck you want?" Daryl asked pointing his crossbow at her, she looked down at the basket and Daryl saw it was full of formula and baby supplies. Daryl opened the gate his bow still pointed at her.
"The fuck you get that?" Daryl asked taking it and handing it to Rick who was just coming up as Daryl got the gate shut. Maggie tensed behind him even without looking he could tell she was going mad with worry.
"A man took the two men who were collecting it. I tracked them back here." She told him, with a second look he could tell she wasn't in good shape.
"Oh God, Glenn!" Maggie gasped covering her face, Daryl scowled he didn't like it but she seemed to want to help.
"We'll take a look at ya, get ya patched up then you can show us where they got taken." Daryl told her, Rick was looking on part of hi glad he wasn't responsible for this, but he worried about letting a stranger in too.
"Thank you." Rick whispered as they lead this woman inside, Daryl looked over at him not sure what he was being thanked for.
"For what?" Daryl asked shifting his crossbow to cover his discomfort. Rick lookedat hisboots running a hand through his dirty hair.
"I'm not... I can't deal with everything... She didn't even know... I'm just grateful that you're keeping them together." Rick finally spat out, Daryl shook his head.
"Ain't nothin, just lookin out for my own." Daryl told him, they went inside and Rick and Maggie took her to Hershel so Daryl thought he might see if her could squeeze in some alone time while they questioned her.
Carol hadn't wanted to let him go, but they needed that formula for the little ass kicker so she relented. It left her with a burning heat in the pit of her stomach. After what he'd been able to do with just his hand she couldn't help but imagine what the rest of him could do.
She closed her eyes remembering the way he touched her, she snuck her hand beneath her shirt flicking her thumb over her hard nipple with a silent moan. That was it she gave in, she trailed her other hand from her breasts to her core slipping one finger inside her other hand following to stimulate the sensitive nub of her core.
Her mouth fell open as she breathed hard nearing her peak, Daryl's silent steps didn't alert her and when he saw her there so close to coming he felt himself twitch painfully against his zipper. He crept up to her kneeling down without a sound.
He could tell she was close so he bent down kissing her passionately one hand on her breasts and his other replacing her pushing her over the edge. He swallowed her moans moving so he was on top of her.
"I... I thought you'd gone." She moaned when he released her lips, he shook his head while her hands frantically worked his zipper down, Daryl didn't bother taking her shorts off he just pushed the scrap of fabric aside and put himself at her entrance. He looked up at her to see if it was okay, she wrapped her legs around his waist pulling him towards her.
"Somethin came up tell ya later." He told her pushing into her hot wet core, she was so impossibly tight he had to stop just to keep himself together. He hung his head on her chest, carol wrapped her arms around him gasping at his size.
"Oh God Daryl, you're so... so big." She breathed, he bit into his cheek as he started to move very slowly within her.
"I... I ain't gonna last." Daryl whispered bringing his hand between them to bring her to the same pleasure he had. It didn't take much to send her towards the edge.
"Daryl, please, oh come with me." She moaned and sped up spilling into her when her already tight walls tightened in pleasure.
"Carol... Oh fuck I love ya woman." He groaned falling into her, he went stiff when he realized what he'd said but she just stroked his hair gently.
"Really?" She whispered hardly loud enough for him to hear from his position on her chest.
"Wouldn't a said it if it weren't true, ain't gotta say it back or nothin." He grumbled he could feel his cheeks flush, and he was itching to bolt, but she had a hold of him.
"I love you too, so much Daryl." She breathed, he sighed his eyes drifting closed in relief he had never imagined anyone would ever say those words to him and mean them. He was so unimaginably luck to have his little family here at the end of the world.
"I should check on that woman, fuck you're so perfect." Daryl groaned as he pulled out of her, he wanted to stay and enjoy her company, but he really needed to be there to help Rick.
"What woman?" Carol asked sitting up behind him as he sat on the edge of the bed fixing his clothes, she rubbed his shoulders and he went slack beneath her hands.
"Found a woman by the fence, said someone's got Glenn and Axle. Gotta... gotta see what she knows." Daryl struggled to care enough to speak, he was satisfied and now she was rubbing him down and if he didn't need to get up he would just lay back and sleep all day.
"Oh, let me get dressed, I'll come too." Carol said releasing him, he lolled back at her absence and had to shake his head to clear it of the fog she seemed to have shrouded him in. Once they were both composed Carol tangled her fingers with his and they went to check on what was going on.
"Get back in bed." Daryl growled when he saw Kiry standing with the group around the black woman. Kiry turned and looked them over for a second then smirked.
"Finally." She said with a wink heading back to her cell, she had lost a lot of blood and she wasn't supposed to be up and about yet. Carol and Daryl both blushed, but everyone was too distracted by the new girl to see.
"Then you can take us there and we'll get them back, Carol and Sophia you stay here with Hershel, Beth, and Kiry and prepare in case any of them need medical attention. Maggie you can come bring a med kit just in case. Oscar, Daryl you too, we'll be back in no time." Rick anounced, Carol went still, Daryl knew she wouldn't be happy about being left, but Daryl was glad he didn't know what they were walking into.
"No if Daryl goes, I go." Carol told them a stern look in her eyes that none of them had ever seen before. Daryl tugged her arm gently so she would face him.
"Woman, we ain't gonna leave Sophia here alone, Kiry ain't in no condition to keep her safe if anythin happened, we'll be in and out in a few hours. Please, just stay here, and stay safe so I can do this proper." He whipered not too comfortable with doing this in front of the group, but he needed his family to be safe.
"Fine but stay safe, if you're not back by tomorrow night I'll track you down and kick your butt." She whispered back, he chuckled she could do it too of the two of his girls Carol was by far the better tracker she had the patience and the keen eye of the abused.
"Promise, love ya woman." He whispered a deep bush creeping across the back of his neck, Carol smiled covering there clasped hands.
"I love you too Sophia and I will be with Kiry when you want to say goodbye, good luck." She said a little louder since she wasn't in the least embarrassed by this display kissing him on the cheek. Daryl turned back to the group greeted by smiles and looks of amusement that just deepened his blush while he chewed on his thumb.
"Well we gonna fuckin do this or what?" Daryl growled, Rick held his hands up and they went back to planning.
"I don't get to go do I?" Kiry asked from her spot next to Sophia where they were sharpening her knives. Carol shook her head sitting next to her with a sigh, Kiry looked over at her cocking an eyebrow dramatically.
"Can we go Mamma?" Sophia asked looking around Kiry, Carol's frown deepened as she pulled her own knife from the boots Kiry had gotten for her over the winter.
"No sweety, they don't know what they're getting into so we're staying to keep little ass kicker safe." Carol told her, Kiry scowled knowing Carol wasn't happy for some reason.
"Hey why don't you see if Beth needs any help with that little one?" Kiry asked twitching her brow towards the door to signal that she wanted a second with her momma.
"You got a bad feelin about this?" Kiry asked, Carol shook her head staring at the window through the bars.
"Not exactly, I just feel like something is gonna go wrong and everything's gonna change." Carol mumbled, Kiry put her arm around Carol's shoulder comfortingly.
"I'll pray with ya if it'll help, but I'm sure everything'll go just fine, our boy'll keep 'em together." Kiry told her, Carol leaned her head on Kiry's shoulder.
"Thanks, I wish I'd had a sister like you growing up." Carol told her, she smiled she had always thought it would be nice to have a sister.
"We're headed out, ya okay?" Daryl asked when he saw Carol leaning on Kiry, Carol sat up getting to her feet.
"Ya, just worrying is all. Sophia went to check on Beth and the baby." Carol explained, Kiry held her hand out and he took it pulling her into a half hug.
"Get your ass back here quick brother or Carol's likely to beat my ass." Kiry whispered, he chuckled ruffling her hair before she swatted his hand away.
"Watch it I got stitches." She grumbled going back to her work, Carol walked him out, but stopped him when they were alone.
"Don't do anything stupid okay, we need you to come back in on piece." Carol told him lifting her hand to his cheek enjoying the way his stubble tickled her palm.
"You too woman." He covered her hand with his wrapping his other arm around her waist pulling her in and kissing her, her lips were desperate like his had been during there first kiss, even he could tell she was afraid this was there last. "I'm comin back woman, for Christ sake have a little faith." He told her, she chuckled kissing him again before they went to find Sophia,
"Daddy, they finally gave her a name, her name's Judith." Sophia told him as she held the baby girl proudly. Daryl smiled reaching down and kissing the top of her head, Carol smiled he looked more like her father in that moment then Ed ever had.
"I'll be back in a little bit kid, keep your Mamma safe for me, and don't let your aunt Kiry over do it the stubborn ass ain't never been much for listenin." Daryl told her in a conspiratorial whisper, she giggled kissing his cheek.
"Hurry back okay Daddy." She told him and he left with the others, Carol watched them pull away and she had this sinking feeling in her gut that nothing would be the same again.
Merle didn't like the way the governor kept looking at him, he could tell something was off, but worse then that he wasn't getting anything from the Asian. He just wanted to find his fucking brother, maybe he'd give it a little charm take the kid out to the wall tell him he's free to go if he just tells him where Daryl is.
He was about to do just that when the alarm started up, for fuck sake had the kid got out or was it that black bitch getting back in? He pulled his gun out of the back of his jeans to go see what he could do. Fuck this town was a lot a work once he found Daryl he was out, the governor was off his fucking rocker.