Carol retraced her steps back through the dark field as she made her way back to camp Dixon. Seeing Sadie so broken and not herself made her heartache even more than it already had been.

As she approached, a low fire burned; she had passed the motorcycle and tent, walking along the laundry line of kills, until she froze at the familiar pair of walker ears hanging at the end. The sound of feet broke her concentration.

"What're you doin'?"

She turned face to face with Daryl, his brow furrowed and eyes leering. Carol stepped back, taking a breath.

"Keepin' an eye on you," she spoke as-a-matter-factly with a hint of concern.

"Well ain't you a peach," Daryl retorted, the same pissed off look plastered on his face.

"I'm not gonna let you pull away; you've earned your place."

" If you spent half your time mindin' your daughter's business instead of stickin' your nose in eveybody else's, she'd still be alive."

Carol knew where the conversation was going.

"Go ahead," she nodded, bidding him continue.

"Go ahead and what?"

The air was dead briefly, only the sound of the crackling fire before the man snarled again.

"Man just go, I don't want you here!"

Like a cornered animal, Daryl stepped backwards before charging back again with more anger.

"You're a real piece of work lady. What are you gonna make this 'bout my daddy or some crap like that? Man you don't know jack."

Carol crossed her arms; Daryl raised his hand pointing.

"You're afraid, you're afraid 'cause yer all alone; you got no husband, no daughter- you don't know what to do with yerself."

Daryl started to walk back to the fire, but faced her, waving his finger before getting in her face.

"And you're not my problem- Sophia wasn't MINE! ALL YA HAD TO DO WAS KEEP AN EYE ON HER! "

He moved to swing at her; Carol turned her face away, but standing her ground. But he did not follow through, Daryl lowered his arm back to his side, his glare unwavering before heading back over to the tent.

"Daryl..."

"What?" He grunted.

"Sadie-" she began.

"She send you up here didn' she?"

Daryl sat in front of the fire, pulling out his knife and began to sharpen it.

"No, I came by myself," she placed her hands on her hips, before crossing them across her chest, "I've never seen her like this."

He stopped and turned his head to her, the flames illuminating his face.

"Like what?" Daryl questioned, breaking his concentration, his eyebrows lifting.

"I dunno, I'm just worried I guess."

"Why?"

"You're really have to ask?"

"Well," Daryl rolled his eyes, "if she'd tell me what the hell's botherin' her..."

Carol raised her arms out, quietly exasperated. "Have you ever considered that maybe it's not that simple?"

Daryl threw his knife to the ground, getting up, closing the gap between them.

"-the fuck that suppose to mean?"

"Never mind, see you in the mornin' Daryl."

Daryl stared as Carol walked off into the tree line, heading back to the farm house and the group as she saw them heading back into the building with Lori in their possession.

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The sky that night was clear as could be as Sadie lay on her back on what seemed to be the only patch of green grass in the area, at least that she knew of; after knowing that Carl was all right and safe in the house with Patricia, Sadie grabbed the decent sized bottle of bourbon from her backpack and went for her walk.

She had heard the car come back and knew that Shane brought Lori back; over the field she heard the exclamations and concerns as they carried over the field. Sadie would admit she was relieved but she was a bit far into her bottle to give a shit.

Stretching her limbs out, she reached into her pockets, fishing out her lighter and smushed box of smokes. Sitting up she sighed, flicking the flint and lit her cigarette sloppily. Wedging it between her lips she grabbed the bottle and lifted it to her lips, dropping the cigarette.

"Shit."

Her head bobbed as she watched the cigarette get lost in the ground as she brought the bottle up to her lips again, the liquidly hardly burning anymore as it ran down her throat.

Then something in her clicked, and her body tensed. Sadie clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms before she raised them to her face. Her head wobbled as she ran her fingers through her hair. Biting her lip, she let her brain run wild, thinking of her current state; the end of the world, where she was a year ago, Daryl, her poor excuse of a child hood, Shane, her shirt soaked with bourbon, the hunting knife she had attached her hip.

"Oh, forgot about this, fuckin' a," she sniffled as she reached for the knife in it's holster.

Pulling it out, she watched the blade shine in the moonlight. She ran her finger along the edge until her finger caught the blade, her skin breaking. Feeling nothing she grabbed the handle fully, dragging the blade of the knife from one side of her palm to the other in a diagonal line. Sadie watched the warm, sticky liquid rise into her palm, collecting. She did the same thing to the other hand before holding her hands together. Quiet tears had ran down her cheeks.

"Maybe I could just-?"

"Sadie?"

Sadie tensed, bringing her hands down into her lap.

"Go awayDale," Sadie attempted to respond, sniffing, still facing the woods; the farmhouse porch light barely lighting the grass around her.

"Sadie, are you alright?"

"I'm fine Dale," her voice faltering briefly.

"Doesn't sound like it," the man responded walking next to her before seeing what was before him, "Jesus Sadie!"

The man knelt down, ripping off his unbuttoned shirt and ripped it in half, quickly wrapping them around her palms as tight as he could. Blood stained the fabric as Dale grabbed Sadie by her underarms and brought her swiftly over to camp.

As they were passing the fire pit, Carol had exited her tent, her eyes focusing on the twosome.

"What's wrong Dale? Where'd you find Sadie?"

"I was walking the perimeter, and I heard her; that bourbon bottle was damn near empty."

"I'm sorry Carol," Sadie sniffed as Dale practically carried her into the RV, Carol entering right behind them.

Dale sat Sadie down at the table as he opened the closet, practically ripping out the first aid kid that he had. Sadie's head bobbed, wiping tears from her face.

"Sweetie, what were you thinkin'?" Carol sat beside her, rubbing her forehead, taking a wet cloth and wiping her face.

"ApparentlyIwasn'tmom...jesus" slurred Sadie, closing her eyes like a child and shaking her head away from her.

"Stop it," Carol reprimanded, slapping her on the cheek.

Sadie turned, her bloodshot eyes staring back into Carol's. Dale had just finished but was also stunned at Carol's gumption. Dale grabbed the first aid kit and put it back in it's rightful place before speaking.

"You mind telling me what's going on?"

The women only breathed.

"Y'know what Dale, I'm gonna take Sadie back to my tent, thank you."

"No problem."

"Mind keeping it quiet?"

"Wasn't gonna say anything."

Carol nodded and grabbed Sadie by the elbow with one hand and the washcloth with the other and they walked outside, quietly making sure not to disturb if anyone was asleep. Plopping Sadie onto her mattress, Carol pulled her top over her head and placed it beside her; she pulled the washcloth out of her pocket and began to clean her. She made sure that her skin wasn't stained with blood, that her face hadn't had a trace of dirt and she dried her eyes of tears. Carol pushed her over lightly, until Sadie's head hit the pillow.

"You gonna tuck me in?" Sadie sighed, her eyes closed.

"Watch it missy," Carol's brow furrowed before a smile, laying down next to her.

"Y'know, I can sleep in my own tent-"

"Not after tonight you're not, so get comfy."

"Yes mom," Sadie sighed before rolling over, and Carol's heart skipped a beat.

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When Sadie awoke the sun was well on it's way into the sky and she could feel it. Her head felt like an anvil had been dropped on it and she was kicking herself. Sitting up on Carol's mattress, she felt a dull pain in her hands. She stared at the bandages and closed her eyes, kicking herself.

Reaching out to the end of the bed, Sadie had found that Carol had gone and grabbed a new pair of clothes from her tent along with some water and aspirin, and laid them all out perfectly.

"Oh that woman." She smiled.

After dressing, Sadie made her way back to where she had been sitting last night, ignoring anyone she heard nearby. It wasn't too hard to find where she had been; the bottle of the cheap bourbon lay next to her cigarettes and she swear the knife should have been there too but it was no where to be found. There was a few drops of blood on the grass, but she ignored them as she shoved the cigarettes in her pocket and on the way by, hid the empty bottle under the porch.

Stopping at the porch, Sadie sat, lighting up. She held the cigarette in her mouth a moment as she examined her hands again. The bandages probably needed to be changed with all the fists she had made in attempts to hide it. Looking back over to camp, she saw everyone going about; she saw Dale following Andrea out of the RV before the woman walked over to Shane's car, handing canteens over to T-Dog and Daryl.

"What happened Sadie?"

Sadie's concentration broke as a voice beside her, heart stopping as she rubbed her eyes.

"Sophia?"

"Why'd you do that to your hands?"

Sadie stared at the little girl standing next to her by the stairs: she looked perfect; she looked like the last time Sadie had saw her, with a smile on her face. But, she couldn't had been there. They just buried her yesterday, Rick shot her right between the eyes.

"Sophia, you can't be here, can you?"

"Of course I'm not here, what did you do to your hands Sadie?"

"I don't know hun, havin' a bad time I guess."

"Well don't do it again," the little girl pouted, crossing her arms and stomping her foot.

"I promise hun," Sadie smiled weakly, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

Sophia began to turn around and started to leave, or disappear. I still gotta be drunk, Sadie breathed.

"Sophia, does it hurt?"

"Nope," she beamed, "not at all." and she disappeared.

Sadie looked back over to camp, where everyone had stop, seeing a new vehicle coming over the hill towards the house, running towards her and the house.

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