Enjoy, we'll be wrapping up this story soon :)

He stumbled into their "living quarters" half from pain, half from a blissful daze he was in, he was tryna hide the smirk that had been there the whole ride home but he guessed it ain't working too well, cause Shane was on him about the minute he sat down.
"He smiles, thought your ugly mug was just stuck that way. You gonna tell me or am I gonna have to pull it out of ye?" he hit his arm playfully his smirk just as big as his own but the weight his hand landed on was some now fucked up part of his body.
He hissed sending him a dirty look, holding up his hands in apology he silently mouthed an "I'm sorry," peoples sorrys didn't do shit. He still felt like a piece of crap.
"Ye actually look worse for wear, so I'm guessing this has something to do with Carol." He pressed on, he really wished he carried a better poker face for this sort of thing.
His whole body was aching with tiredness, he just wanted to sleep but he wouldn't be able to with Shane niggling at him all the time. "This what you and Rick do? Stay up late braiding each other's hair and gossiping like a bunch of teenagers."
His head flopped uselessly against the skimpy pillow, one leg still firmly placed on the ground while the other stuck out at the end of the bed. This was the best he could do, he wasn't moving no more.
"Want me to tuck you in?" teased Shane he shot him a look that silenced him which sent Shane into some sort of sulk, crossing his arms against his chest like a big kid, turning his head away from him.
Was he serious? "You ain't sulking?!"
"Man I'm bored out of my tree, haven't talked to anybody all day. All these other men are as dull as dishwater, wanna get out as much as anybody but we don't gotta be so down in the mouth about it. Now you come in and won't tell me a thing."
Shane closed his eyes leaning against the wooden bed frame his annoyance still clear on his face and he had to laugh, his chuckle turned into some sort of snort, which made him "pry" open his eyes.
"Next time we see Carol, we'll be when we get out. M'not allowed go back. So we best get moving on this, as soon as I can stand."
He was more aggravated by this so he was officially giving up. "That's all your saying, you weren't happy cause you can't see her. Shit. I think I'm losing it here, we gotta get out man. Soon."
"I know." He said shortly finally allowed sleep again.

Finally moving a little like himself Shane decided it was time to sit the men down and have a little chat with them, he didn't know what he could say to them but Shane'd been breathing down his neck. So here he was clammy hand and unsure with a thousand desperate men's eyes on him like he'd a clue what he was doing. "Tomorrow were getting out of here, I can't talk for you's but I am. I've got someone I have to get out of Negan's compound and I'm gonna do it no matter what, with or without your help…." He was cut off by Shane's constant tapping at his shoulder he growled at him knocking his hand away, "What?" he hissed.
"Your tryna get this men to help you, you know that right?"
"I'm getting to it, now shut the fuck up."
"It'd be easier if I had your help but I ain't gonna force ye, you've been under Negan's thumb long enough and I ain't gonna lie were not all gonna make it but we'll rot here for sure if we stay. So it's up to you's what ye wanna do." Taking a deep breath he stepped back gesturing to Shane to step in front of him he loved talking he had to have something to say but he gave him a thumbs up which he rolled his eyes at.
After an annoying amount of whispering, hushed talking and arguing voices chattering over each other one completely ordinary man stepped up. He was barely six foot, must've been about forty with dangling less than meaty bones but he spoke with conviction which surprised the hell out of him. "We all got people in there and if not in there, their at home and were certainly not gonna see them again by sitting on are asses. So we'll help, even if that means dying."
They nodded in unison with him, Shane smirking broadly stepped up slapping his hands loudly and gruffly together. "Glad to hear it. Now who is ready to shove a gun so far in Negan's mouth it comes out his ass?"
They dissolved into a chorus of grateful and nervous laughter all getting ready to try and sleep with fitful dreams of their loved ones which they may or not see again.
He was gonna dream of Carol, no point denying it anymore. He was a stubborn ass so he'd fight his way out no matter what but now he had everything to fight for.
He wasn't planning on losing.
Just as he was tryna shut his eyes one arm draped lazily underneath his head, feeling more like himself his eyes were shot awake as he stared into the fuzzy ceiling that was hung with infinite darkness.
"You awake?" whispered Shane roughly in not the most hushed whisper he'd ever heard.
"If I wasn't I would be now." He grumbled back lightly.
"Ye ready for tomorrow?"
"Mhmm." He bit down on his lip tapping lightly on the side of hit with nervous hands, "You?"
"I was born ready." He scoffed landing his head back harshly on the pillow causing the whole bed to rock back and forth shrieking all the way.
Thank god none of the men had women in here. "You was also born with a brain and look how that turned out for ye."
Shane sniggered disbelieving for a second, approving of his handiwork before snapping but it was hidden within a laugh, "Dixon ye little shit."
"I ain't born yesterday, what?"
They fell into a mutual comforting silence, both not acknowledging what they were too chicken to say out loud, that if they didn't make it. The other wasn't as bad as they thought they were.

She should've got out. She should've, she tried, god she really felt like she tried but she never thought he could hurt her. He could hurt her all she wanted and as bad as it sounded she really didn't care anymore, it was more out of habit than anything and if it helped keep a roof over her little girls head.
Well, she'd stay there forever.
She just never thought he would hurt her.
The memory of that day would always be etched into the very core of her brain like wine stains you couldn't get out not unless you had the proper ingredients.
It started out as any other day, Sophia went to school, her smiling her nervous, quiet smile as she ducked her head of bobbed blond hair, shuffling through the crowd of loud chattering kids.
Like usual she stayed for a few minutes after the doors closed, the noise was brought to a halt as kids were reined in by stern shouts from every classroom all over the school.
Peering around the empty parking lot, she felt herself holding back an on shed of tears smiling them away, feeling stupid she briskly wiped them off with the heel of her hand.
She was being stupid, feeling sorry for herself, they always walked to school liking the chance of leaving early so they wouldn't have to face Ed, it was the one time of the day she enjoyed.
She didn't know why he managed to pop back into her head again but she had thought of Daryl wondering maybe if she hadn't been just a little more pushy, maybe he could've liked her too.
Maybe she would be living somewhere else in the world while he dug his head through cases coming home a tired, grumpy detective and it brought a sad smile to her face.
He was always right about Ed, which made it worse, how could she face him?
Walking past the bar they'd holed in before everyone had fled town looking for new adventures, where she'd last talked to Daryl where Ed hadn't been breathing down her neck.
She remembered his nervous grimace and how the way his body seemed to shuffle around in un ease without him even knowing, while he asked if they were still friends.
Saddest thing she ever heard, hearing that she was the only one that ever took notice of him, shows what a fucked up place this was.
Where Daryl Dixon didn't even exist.

When she collected Sophia she stopped getting them ice creams seeing Sophia's face light up was worth the beating she would soon get later.
She waved over to Lori as she started unlocking the door, she was frowning, hands on her hip, displeased as usual. She had a husband that loved her and she treated him like he was nothing because she craved attention, always had.
Her eyes widened, a fake wide smile and she waved hugely at them before turning now on the phone grumbling in distaste at somebody.
Shane or Rick who knew.
"She doesn't look happy." Whispered Sophia.
"Does she ever?" She laughed boldly, Sophia gaped at her before dissolving in a fit of giggles the few moments of happiness before he came back late from drinking probably all day and night.
Sophia was tucked away upstairs, hands over her ears, squeezing her eyes shut, even though seeing wasn't the problem. She always made sure she was safe.
"Your back late. Fun night with the boys?" she smiled hugely at him trying to keep her tone light and breezy, show she wasn't upset but his eyes squinted as he scrutinised her, feeling fidgety under his stare.
She grabbed the dinner shoving into the microwave with trembling hands, "Wait a few minutes and your dinner will be warmed up. Do you wanna go sit down? I'll pour you something." (Poison maybe)
She was talking too much but for some reason she had a hole in the bottom of her stomach that was eating her up.
"You tryna order me round?"
"No." she answered quickly, "Of course not."
"You got someone else here?" he took an angry step closer breathing heavily.
"No Ed. When have I ever. I wou…"
"You know me and the boys were talking," he paused coming short of breath, "about highschool."
"Oh." Her voice was an octave higher than usual.
"They were reminding me about you and that Dixon boy being real close. Reminding me to make sure you wasn't making a fool of me."
Ed's friends always were a treat. The silence fell hollow around them, she had lost her voice feeling the wind get kicked out of her, he was fishing for anything.
"No Ed I'm not making a fool of you. Daryl doesn't even live around here."
"Where does he live?"
"I don't know, why would I?" she prayed for the microwave to bing so his stale scotch breath wouldn't reach her nostrils and the beads of heavy sweat wouldn't drip onto her brow.
"Don't have to be him. Anyone else ye fancy round here?"
"No. Ed never. Please stop this."
He laughed cruelly pulling out a cigarette sucking on it rapidly trying to reduce it to nothing as quick as he could.
The microwave binged just as he was putting out a stub between his clammy hands and flicking onto one of the counters she'd have to clean.
She grabbed the cutlery shoving the plate in front of her to distract him, some sort of barrier between them but all of a sudden all she could hear was the thudding of his angry boots.

Almost in a run he swung his arm out knocking the plate from her hands, hearing the smash woke her from her ignorance as pieces flew across the room like confetti, it was enough to make her knees wobble.
"Ed please." She cried.
"You sure like begging. Sure you ain't been practicing with someone else."
There was no use he was a paranoid mess, he grabbed her two arms shaking her closer to him, fingertips leaving bruises on her already damaged skin.
Sneering he brought her closer to him almost towards his lips and she tried not to shudder but he had to know she hated him. How could he not?
He threw her away from him till she landed on the tiles, heading knocked off one of the handles of the cupboard, blood probably trickling somewhere.
Dazed and confused she stumbled into the living room where he came in smashing things like a rhino, following her like a dog in heat.
"Ed please." She might've said again she didn't know of her voice carried anything.
He pushed her sending her head first into one of their old clocks that stood more as a decorative piece and she didn't feel the pain, she couldn't but she did hear.
"Mum." Her voice quiet.
"Sophia. Go upstairs." She snapped urgently pushing herself to shaky legs only to stumble back on all fours again, looking up weakly at her lip trembling, tears dribbling down her face.
She was ashamed.
Sophia came closer with a determined scowl she'd never seen before on her face teddy clutched in on hand, her safety blanket.
"Leave mum alone. You can't do this." She ordered.
He marched forward, she blindly climbed to her feet running, she was almost there but she was too late in a rage he threw her teddy across the room. No one knew where it landed the thud too soft for anyone to hear and he pushed her just with his fingertips but in his rage it was still much too hard.
She yelped a wounded animal falling back hitting her head off the table it crashing underneath her and then she blacked out.
She just remembered standing over Ed's dead body realising she released something in her hand letting it tumble to the ground and how quiet the room fell.
No shallow breaths to be heard, not a sound anywhere, apart from her heaving angry huffs, the sobs that racked her whole body making her hurt in places she didn't know existed.
She wanted to rush to Sophia but she knew, she knew she was gone and she didn't want to go over to her daughters still body.
She was a coward, eventually she fell at her side, taking one of her small, dainty hands squeezing it to her chest. She wouldn't beg for someone to help, she'd been begging for years and no one heard, why would they now?
In a trance like state she started moving out of the house power walking forward, tears dried on her cheek, she'd no idea where she was going.
She just knew she needed to leave.

As Daryl drove as fast as he could without experiencing a sure death, his phone rang, Hershel he grabbed it answering it with an urgent bite to his voice.
"What is it?"
"Hello to you to, son."
"Sorry, I'm…"
"On your way to Carol Peletier's house, I know. I just wanted to warn you it's not pretty and if you do find her and it's not, what you expected. You gonna be okay?"
He debated scoffing at him ignoring him but Hershel always had a way of pulling the truth out of him without even trying.
"Gotta be. I'm the only one that can find her." Eyes blazing with determination he gripped the steering wheel tighter in the hand he was holding it in.
"Alright. Just be careful."
"Ain't I always."
"No." he laughed hanging up and he pushed the car on faster.