Chapter Ten

Once Caroline got done with her shower she got dress in a tank top that shows her back and a part of short shorts. Knowing that everybody would be in their own room or somewhere else Caroline didn't care what she wore. Rubbing her wet hair with the towel she made her way to a room that nobody else has claim. Walking in Caroline shut the door quietly and made her way over to the couch. Setting down her bag and sitting on the couch with her legs underneath her Caroline started to brush out her hair with a brush she found in her bag. She closed her eyes at the quietness in the room letting the feeling of safety consume her. Finally safe. Caroline smiled at the thought and started to hum a song that she hummed when the group left their old safe heaven. So into the song Caroline never notice the door open. The man looked at the woman whose back is turn to him, he didn't think this room was being used. About to walk out the door quietly the man stop when he saw the scares on her back, only one thought came to mind.

Caroline stopped her humming when she felt somebody in the room with her. Frozen on the spot her brush stop moving. Turning her head to see Daryl Dixon standing in the door way looking at her with a look that she knows all too well. Daryl closed the door and walked over to the couch, he didn't know why he is doing this but his legs started to move on their own. He stopped when he got in front of her and saw the scares on her thigh and chest. Caroline looked him in the eye not looking away to show fear. She learnt that when her father mindlessly beat on her, Caroline thought that the man in front of her would turn around and think of her as a hideous person. But it shocked her when he sat down in front of her. Neither one said a word to each other Caroline set her brush down in her bag and looked him dead in the eyes. Daryl wanted to say something but what would you say when you have seen the scares of a person's past.

"Go ahead and asks. I know you're wanting to." Caroline said as she looked down at her hands.

"Who did it?"

"My father." Daryl tense up knowing the feeling about abusive fathers.

"Did your brother help?" Caroline looked up with a glare but soon soften her stare when she knew that the man knew nothing about her past.

"No." Daryl looked at her. "He tried to help save me. But in the end he got it as well; our mom tried to help but it just back fired and she was beaten as well."

Nothing was said after that. Caroline traced the word MISTAKE on her right thigh, she that if her father was alive right now that he would be beating her just because somebody saw what he has done. Daryl watched as Caroline's finger trace the word over and over again on the third time his hand stopped hers. She looked up with surprise that he would even touch her but when she saw the look in his eyes of worry she only smiled at him. And smiling seems to be the only thing she knew how to do when somebody would catch her randomly traces that spot on her leg. His hand didn't leave her instead he went to trace the word his self. Caroline watched as he did and as he traced the others that have made a home to her body.

"If my pa was still alive, I would be dead right now." Caroline said those words made his finger stop tracing. "We could never go out without him knowing, and if he saw one mark showing it would be the end of us."

"What'd he do?" Daryl asks looking up at her.

"Things I don't even want to mention. It became worse when my brother went off to the army. I would come home from college for my ma, but pa would be there waiting. He always was." A tear started to escape her eyes but Caroline stopped it before it could be seen.

"Did your brother know?" Daryl looked at her before he took his hand away.

Caroline missed the heat that his hand gave off. "No, I never told him. He thought that it was from the horses; well I hoped he believed the lies. But Robert is smarter than that, his always been." The woman looked at the floor beside the couch. "Robert started to teach me how to fight whenever he came home. And after a few lessons I started to fight back. You know what the funny thing about this is?"

"Hmm?"

"Pa wanted us to learn to fight back and to never trust anybody. That's why he abuses us; I never forgave him for that." Daryl's hands went into fists when she saw this Caroline placed her hands on top of his. The man looked at her and she only smiled.

"Why are you smilin'?" Daryl asks.

"'Cause my brother would do the same thing, when I told him it was pa that hurt me he would tense up and his hands would go into fists."

"Tell me about your brother." Caroline smiled real big and sat back.

"Where to begin? When he was seven and I was five Robert talked me into going into the woods with him. We didn't think nothing about it, ya know? Any ways, we got in the woods and Robert saw a big mud puddle. And of course he wanted to jump right into it, I thought had him talked out of it 'cause I was scared about what pa would do. But right when I turn around he pushed me into the puddle. I was covered in mud!" Caroline laughed at the memory. "And no sooner then I wipe the mud off as best as I could Robert went to pick up a hand full and slung it at me.

"Then there was the time that I first started school. Robert was in third grade, he had some friends but me I was always alone. I didn't want to know the other kids so they made fun of me; the bigger kids. Robert heard about it one day and it lead to a fight between them and him. I thought for sure that we were in big trouble but nothing happen.

"Also there was the time our pa placed me in a horse show. First time I ever been in one and I didn't think that I would make it. But Robert was there the whole way with me; he never left my side while I practice. And when it came time for the big show my brother gave me a charm bracelet of a horse shoe and a horse head. It became my good luck charm after that, and one day I miss placed it and never saw it again." Caroline's smiled faded as tears came to her eyes.

"Seem like your older brother was always there for ya." Caroline wiped away her tears and looked at the man in front of her.

"Tell me about your brother Merle." Daryl looked at the woman like she is crazy but the look in her eyes told him that she really wanted to know about him.

"There's not much to say. He was never there, always at the detention center. Really didn't have a brother." Caroline looked down at her hands in her lap.

"Your parents?"

"What is this, a question game?" Daryl asks looking at her with a glare.

"Just trying to get to know you better." Daryl looked at her then stood up and was about to walk out the door.

"Don't hide your scares. They make you who you are. They make you stronger." With that he left.

Caroline wonder what Daryl meant by that and why he had said it for. She never would have thought that the scares that have marked her body all her life would make her who she is. And to make her stronger it seems that Daryl is right. Ever since she had received them she would look at them she would promise herself that she will get stronger just to show that low life of a father that she came over come anything. But she as always hid her scares, and this man she only knew for a short time is telling her to not hide them. What if ever body sees them and they think that I have a past with fighting. They would be true but they could think different they wouldn't know these are from being abuse. The woman looked at them before she pulled the blanket over her tired body. She didn't think that she would ever talk to Daryl about this, heck she didn't even know him and he knows her darkest secret. But like her brother always told her is that she will have to trust somebody, someday, somewhere. And Caroline knew that person she would have to trust is Daryl and the group and the time is now in the building.