Chapter Fifty-Five

Rick tapped his fingers idly against the steering wheel as he drove down the little-known backroad Daryl had found. It would take them around most of the traffic snarls on the highway and past what used to be moderately populated towns which might give them problems. Daryl sat at his side, his eyes scanning the sides of the road. Carol and Shane had taken the backseat, Sophia wedged between them dozing lightly. They'd only been on the road for a little over two hours.

The sun was just making its way over the trees now. He'd thought it better to leave before Lori roused herself from sleep to avoid an argument. He doubted she'd ever feel comfortable with him leaving on a run, but it couldn't be avoided. He was their leader. It wouldn't be fair to send out members of the group to put their lives at risk if he weren't willing to do the same. At least things were better between them, he mused.

"Carl talk t' y' before y' left out this mornin'?" Daryl asked quietly, not wanting to disturb Sophia. He knew she'd been up late with Beth.

"No," Rick shook his head. "He was still upset with me and his mom when he went to bed last night. Locked himself in the attic, if you can believe it."

Daryl chewed thoughtfully at his lip, glad he and Sophia didn't have the same problems Rick had with his son. He didn't want to think of Sophia going to bed angry with him. She was his little girl now, and he expected her to come to him when she had something on her mind whether or not he was equipped to deal with the problem or not. Carol would come to his rescue if he couldn't.

"Crap!" Rick slammed his hand down on the wheel, his foot landing heavily on the brake as they came over a rise to find the road blocked by at least a half a dozen cars.

Shane stuck his head between the front seats and sighed. "Don't look too bad. We should be able to clear it."

Daryl's gaze shifted to the tree line on either side of the road. The drainage ditches were too deep and the shoulder too soft for them to go around. "Gonna take time, but it ain't like we got a choice."

"This is going to put us behind."

An audible sneeze from the storage area all the way to the back of the small SUV had everyone swinging around in their seats. Everyone but Sophia. Shane reached behind the seat and whipped back the blanket covering their supplies. "Carl Grimes!"

Carol looked down at the boy as he grinned and gave a little wave before sitting up. "Hi."

Sophia still hadn't said a word, and Daryl speared her with his sharp gaze, noticing the blush riding high in her cheeks. He reached back and goosed her in the ribs, causing her to jerk upright against her mother. "And I suppose you ain't had nothin' t' do with him being here, right, Soph?"

Carol groaned as she took in her daughter's guilty expression. "Of course, she did."

Carl plopped his Stetson firmly on his head and crossed his arms stubbornly over his chest. "Don't blame Sophia. It's not her fault. It was all my idea," he quickly came to her defense.

"How is coming out here and putting yourself in danger –"

The boy glared at his father. "You have Shane, Dad. Daryl's got Carol. Sophia needed me! She's my partner; she needs me to watch her back. I couldn't let her come out here without me."

Shane gaped at him, still unable to believe the boy's reasoning. "So, what … you just decided to stow away until we were far enough away and couldn't take you back?"

"That's exactly what he did," Daryl growled disapprovingly. He shared a knowing look with his wife, not sure if he wanted to applaud the kid for wanting to protect Sophia, or shoot him for moving in on her like she was his own personal property. Next thing he knew, he'd be catching them in a compromising position. Over his dead body!

"This is not how this works, Carl," Rick hissed angrily. "When I give you a direct order, I expect you to obey me. I am your father first, but I'm also part of the leadership of this group. I'm not trying to be an asshole when I give you an order –"

"No," Carl snarked, "you're trying to coddle me like Mom does. I'm not a baby!"

"Then stop actin' like one!" Daryl chided. "We don't know what we're gonna find out here at th' prison. Rick's tryin' t' protect y', boy!"

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Sophia apologized, hating that she was partly responsible for everyone's upset.

Carol pinched the bridge of her nose. "This arguing is getting us nowhere. He's here with us, and there's nothing we can do to change that right now." She nodded out the front window. "We've got work to do, and now we have an extra pair of hands."

"She's right," Rick agreed. His eyes narrowed on his son. "But when we get back, your ass is so grounded."

*.*.*

Carol's unease grew as she walked the perimeter with the children. They walked in a counter-clockwise direction, spaced evenly apart, silently keeping watch as the men worked to move the vehicles from the road. They'd picked over the meager contents of the cars, but had found little to nothing. It was odd. From previous experience, when they'd come upon raided vehicles, those who had done the raiding would usually toss items haphazardly about. There would be paper and sundry items littering the road. She glanced down at the dark pavement. Nothing, not even a scrap of paper.

She startled from her thoughts as Daryl gripped her elbow. "Hey. We should be able t' get through after we move that one," he nodded towards an older model Ford. "Y' ok? What's got y' so jumpy, woman?"

Carol shook her head slowly. "How far are we from Woodbury?"

"I dunno … maybe thirty miles if I were t' take a guess."

She bit her lip anxiously, her gaze taking in the abandoned vehicles and how they'd been littered over the roadway. "Do you think the governor could have staged this?" she queried, waving a hand at the cars.

Daryl's sharp gaze immediately swept the area, searching for danger. "What makes y' think that?" he asked, knowing better than to disregard one of her ideas. She had an uncanny ability to pick up on things others might have missed.

"There was no debris on the road, no walkers trapped in the cars, no supplies worth taking. And if you look at the vehicles themselves, there's no damage to them. There wasn't an accident here," she explained, keeping her voice low so as not to alarm the children. "Or am I just paranoid?"

"Naw," he grumbled, "y' ain't paranoid an' y' ain't jus' imaginin' things. You're observant, Carol. Y' see shit th' rest o' us miss sometimes."

Her head tilted to the side as she studied his tense posture. He was feeling it now too. "But why, Daryl? Why this road?"

"Dunno," he said. "He could jus' be blockin' accessible routes t' Woodbury or th' prison. From what Merle says, th' man's crazy. An' that's a dangerous combination considerin' his greed."

"What are we going to do?"

The Ford gave a rusty groan as Rick and Shane pushed it into the ditch before rounding up the kids to pile back into the Hyundai. "Keep goin' … all we can do right now, I guess. But we'll take an alternate route on th' way back jus' t' be on the safe side."

*.*.*

They didn't encounter any more road blockages on the last leg of the journey to the prison, but Carol's worries plagued Daryl the more he thought about it. He wouldn't put it past Blake to form blockades leading into Woodbury. But why hadn't Merle mentioned anything about it? He hadn't seen his brother since the disaster at the spa, but he'd have to wait for him to show up again to have his questions answered. Daryl couldn't just show up at Woodbury and ask to see Merle, and telephones were a thing of the past. Damn, he hated waiting, especially when he had so many counting on him to keep them safe.

He pulled the Hyundai off the road and into the trees as they neared the prison, cutting the engine and stowing the keys beneath the driver's seat. Carol laid her hand over his where it rested on the gearshift, her eyes searching his as he met her gaze. The hunter didn't like having his family out there so exposed, but he'd been outvoted. The colonial was getting too cramped. They needed space to spread out. He gave his wife a reassuring nod and reached back to slap Rick on the leg to wake him from his doze. The kids were already waiting patiently to be let out of the car, eager to stretch their legs from the long ride.

"How far, Dixon?" Shane asked as he got out and propped the Mossberg against his shoulder.

Daryl's eyes squinted against the late afternoon sunlight. "'Bout a mile east. In case our old pal, Blake, has scouts keepin' an eye out, I didn't think It'd be a good idea t' jus' drive on up t' th' gate."

Rick stretched and then went around the back to let the kids out of the hatch. The boy didn't spare a glance at his father, hurrying to Daryl's side. Their leader frowned at the brush off from his son, but knew he didn't have time for a chat with the boy when they had a job to do. It hurt regardless, however. Sophia smiled apologetically before she, too, went to her father for instructions.

"I think we should stick together until we can get a look at this place," Rick said, pulling a rifle from the back of the SUV and strapping it onto his back.

"We don't have too much daylight left," Carol added, glancing at the shadows already forming around them.

"Got enough for a quick look. If we have t', we can hole up somewhere for th' night an' come back tomorrow. We passed a couple neighborhoods on th' way in."

With everyone in agreement, they set off through the woods at a brisk pace. They encountered a half dozen or so walkers during their trek, but those were easily handled. Daryl was pleased to see the kids were focused and on point, their aim – whether by bow or knife – had improved greatly. The four of them were virtually silent as they closed the distance between themselves and the prison. However, you could hear Rick and Shane's heavy tread loud and clear. It seemed if there was a twig or patch of dry leaves anywhere on the forest floor, those two were going to find it. Daryl made a mental note to bring the two hunting with him to teach them a lesson on how to move lightly.

As they neared the edge of the tree line, and the prison came into view, Sophia knelt next to her father and rummaged through her pack for a pair of field glasses. She passed them to Daryl before grabbing her canteen and taking a long drink. Carol and Shane covered them as Rick and Daryl surveyed their new prospective home, though she knew better than to wander too far.

Rick watched the walkers roam the outer yard behind the fences through the scope on his rifle, a slow grin curving his lips. "Most of them look to be prisoners and guards."

"Pretty isolated out here. They must not've had a chance t' get out when it all started," Daryl said, glancing down at Carl and Sophia where they sat resting at his feet. "Whatcha think, Soph?"

The girl glanced up at him, surprised he'd want her opinion. "I don't know, Dad. It has potential if we could clear out all the walkers." She pointed up at the guard towers with interest. "Those towers would be perfect for watch. We'd see anything coming long before it got close enough to be a threat."

Carl dug idly in the dirt with his knife as his gaze focused on the great stone edifice. "There's plenty of us now since taking on the new group. We could take this place," he said solemnly.

Daryl nodded approvingly. "Rick?"

"We should do a search of the perimeter … see what we're really dealing with. Check for breaches. It's not going to do a bit of good to take the front only to have a herd creeping in the back."

"A'right, let's do this." Daryl handed the field glasses back to his daughter and whistled for Carol. "Y' see anythin', woman?"

She shook her head. "No, it's quiet … eerily so."

"So, what's the plan?" Shane asked. "We gonna check this place out?"

Rick strapped the rifle on his back and regarded his group. "We sweep the perimeter, get a feel for it. Two groups of three. Daryl, Carol and Sophia … you take right. Shane, Carl and I will take left. We'll meet up behind the prison. Check for any breaches. We're not going to bring our people back here and have them walking into a slaughter." Carl opened his mouth to protest, angry to be separated from Sophia, but Rick grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and pointed him in the direction they'd take.

Daryl took point, but Sophia was quick to fall into step with his longer stride. "Daddy? Are you mad at me?" she asked, her little mouth pinched with worry.

"Do I have a reason?" He arched a brow in her direction.

She stared down at her feet, keeping an eye on where she was going. "I helped Carl stow away so he could come with us. I know I shouldn't have done it, but … It wasn't fair for him to be left behind."

Daryl shifted the weight of his bow on his right arm and glanced back to make sure Carol was still following close to his heels. "Life ain't always fair, baby girl. Y' know his mama is gonna have a fit when she finds him gone."

"He left a note."

He snorted. "Like that's gonna make her feel any better. I know y' don't agree with th' way Lori and Rick treat your friend, but Carl is their kid. He ain't always gonna like their decisions, but he's got t' obey them. They're only tryin' t' look out for him, just like me an' your mama are tryin' t' do right by you."

Sophia chewed that one over silently, her eyes sweeping over the fences they followed. "Would you have stayed behind … if you were Carl? And mama had gotten to go?"

"Hell no!" He chewed the inside of his lip when he realized his mistake. Double standards. "But I ain't Carl and your mama ain't you, Soph. Look, I get it a'right. Carl don't want t' be left behind. You're his partner. Y'all fight best together an' he wants t' keep y' safe. Still don't make it right that he disobeyed his daddy."

Daryl paused mid-step, pushing Sophia behind him as he let a bolt loose to take down a walker which had ambled into their path. He did a quick sweep to make sure there were no more before he allowed her to retrieve the arrow.

"Daddy, just so you know … if you had told me to stay behind, I would have."

A puzzled smile quirked the corner of his mouth for his precious daughter, watching her sprint ahead a few yards. He'd never thought he'd be a parent, but apparently, he was doing something right. His role models hadn't been the best during his childhood, but at least he knew how not to act. Daryl would be loving where his own father had been neglectful and abusive, he'd be supportive instead of trying to tear down what self-esteem she possessed. He'd never give her reason to fear him, never cause her to hate him.

Carol slipped her warm hand into his left, giving it a gentle squeeze. She didn't have to say anything, didn't feel the need to fill the silence with aimless chatter. With just that light touch, she voiced everything she didn't say. He was a good father, loving husband, a strong protector from the evils of the world. She made him feel like a man. His Carol wiped away the pain he carried inside, the pain he had carried for far too long.

Sophia whistled, pointing to the large oak at the edge of the tree line. He gave a quick nod, communicating with her without the need for words. She wanted to climb, to gain a better vantage point to see what would meet them at the rear of the prison. Carol tensed at his side, but she trusted him to keep an eye on their girl as they continued their brisk pace. A soft phish of the silencer on her .45 was the only sound to break the eerie stillness as another walker shuffled out of the trees. She hadn't even flinched, testament to her training. What had the world come to that this was what they could expect from everyday life?

The hunter's ears pricked, footsteps too heavy to be that of a walker, a grunt, and the blood chilled in his veins. He raised his bow as Carol lifted her pistol to take aim. Sophia's bow landed with a thud against the tall grass as an arm moved roughly about her waist, her small body pulled back against a burly chest.

"Now, what d'we 'ave here," the man growled lowly in the girl's ear. "Where'd y' come from, little girl?"

She didn't scream, despite the abject terror coursing through her, knowing if she did it would bring more trouble. "Best let me go, mister, before you bite off more than you can chew," she spat, struggling, her arms trapped at her sides. She needed to get her hands on her knife, already memories of being in the same predicament with Ed that night at the quarry running through her frightened mind. She could hear her parents thundering through the grass, their feet pounding over dead leaves as they hurried to her rescue. They'd let no harm come to her.

Daryl's eyes settled on the man with icy menace, his finger curled around the trigger on the crossbow. "Take your hands off m' daughter, asshole," he growled lowly, his entire frame trembling with rage.

"Naw, gets lonely out here all by m'self. Think I'll keep her," he said, leveling the 9mm at Daryl.

Sophia clamped her lips shut, refusing to show weakness as a whimper threatened to make its way from her throat. More footsteps could be heard closing the distance, and she was relieved to see Rick and Shane round the bend around the prison, their weapons drawn.

"Let 'er go an' I'll make it quick," Daryl snarled, his lip curling back over his teeth.

"Take the shot!" Sophia cried as the beefy arm tightened around her, big blue eyes pleading with her mother first, and then her father. They were both excellent marksmen. It would be easy. Yet, she knew they wouldn't fire as long as she was in danger. When she could get no response from either of them, she focused her gaze on the two former deputies. Shane wouldn't be able to hit him without taking a chunk out of her as well, and she knew Rick wouldn't try and face Daryl's wrath even though he had the python leveled at the man's head. And where the hell was Carl? Her chest tightened with the need to breathe, hysteria building as she thought of her friend.

The man took a hesitant step back, his gun swinging between the four adults with their weapons trained on him. "Nice an' easy, I'm just gonna back away. Ain't no need to 'ave a firefight over one lil' gurl."

"Daryl," Carol whispered fearfully at his side.

"Easy, woman. He ain't goin' nowhere with her," he assured her.

As he took another step back, the four of them advanced, just waiting for an opening, waiting for the bastard to make a mistake. Sophia watched Rick's eyes widen, watched him shake his head, the only warning before she felt the man shudder against her. His arm fell slack and she was free, dropping to her knees upon the cold ground. She rolled away, not an easy feat with her pack dangling from one arm. She stared at the man who'd tried to take her, her lips parting on a gasp to see a very familiar red-handled hunting knife protruding from the back of his skull.

Daryl slung the crossbow onto his back and dropped to his knees beside her, pulling her into his arms. "Y' a'right, Soph?" he asked as Carol's hands fluttered over Sophia, checking for injury, tears glistening in her azure eyes. But the girl only had eyes for Carl.

The boy was having his own problems as Rick knelt before his son and gripped his shoulders. "Carl! I told you to stay behind," he scolded. "You just … you just killed a man. Not a walker, but a man."

Shane swiped a hand over his pale face and stalked several yards away, keeping watch out for walkers or other threats while they dealt with the kids.

Carl stared coldly at his father through narrowed eyes. "I couldn't let him take Sophia, Dad. Y'all were just standing around and he was just inching back towards the woods. She's my best friend. I ain't losing no one else! Especially not her!" He brushed angrily at the tears smarting at his eyes. "Daryl wouldn't have let him get away. He was as good as dead. I just got to him first."

Rick sighed and pulled his son into his arms. "I know, son. You saved her. I just … I hate that you had to be the one …" He cradled the boy's cheek in his rough hand. "You're growing up so fast, having to make hard choices."

"We all have to make hard choices to protect the people we love. The living … now … is worse than the dead." He pushed himself away from Rick as Sophia climbed to her feet. He retrieved her bow from the ground and moved to her side, holding it out to her.

Sophia threw her arms around him. "Thank you," she whispered as his arms wrapped tentatively around her waist. "Thank you for saving me."

He patted her back awkwardly, feeling the weight of Daryl's narrowed stare on him. "Always, Soph. I'll always have your back."

"A'right, we're losing daylight. We need t' start back," the hunter growled, his emotions still in a coil at how close he'd come to losing his daughter. He wanted to get her somewhere safe where Carol could check her over properly. He nodded at Rick. "What'd y' see at th' back of th' prison?"

Rick huffed out a huge breath and squinted off into the distance. "Looks like a bomb went off back there. The fence is down and there are more walkers filing into the gap, but it's nothing we can't fix."

Shane took point, glancing at the small group behind him. "So … we're seriously considering this as our new home?"

"Looks that way. We just need to get everyone on board."

*.*.*

Shane's driving left a lot to be desired as they sped down the highway back towards Griffin. The deputy was already irritated with Daryl because of the detours he'd suggested. The hunter didn't want to take the same route after his little chat with Carol about whether or not the road blockages had been staged. Another sharp turn, and Daryl didn't know how much more his stomach would be able to take. He never should have volunteered to take the back seat with Carol and Sophia, but the girl had wanted both of her parents close after the scare she'd been through. He wrapped an arm around her legs to keep her from sliding off the seat, her head nestled in her mother's lap.

The man whipped the Hyundai into a modest neighborhood, a few of the houses more than acceptable with their fenced in yards. He pulled into the first one he came to and Rick jumped out to open the gate, so Shane could drive into the garage. No use in advertising. After a quick sweep of the house – only two walkers, most likely the previous owners – they'd declared it clear for Carol and the children.

"Go on an' get them settled. We're gonna check out th' rest of th' neighborhood t' make sure we ain't got a problem on our hands," he said to his wife before leaving with the others.

Carol took supplies from the car – some canned stew and macaroni and cheese – and had them a decent meal prepared over their camp stove by the time the men returned. Daryl dug in with gusto, not having eaten anything but canned peaches and oatmeal for breakfast that morning. When he was done, he tucked Sophia in before taking his wife to the side.

"She ok?" he asked worriedly, his gaze scrutinizing.

She offered him a wan smile. "She will be."

"An' you? How y' holdin' up?"

Carol let him draw her into his arms, relishing the strength of his warm embrace. A soft sob tore from her throat as she buried her face in his neck. "I've never been so scared in my life, Daryl. We could have lost her today."

He brushed a soothing hand over her short silver locks. "Ain't gonna let nothin' happen t' our girl. I wasn't gonna let that asshole get far with her."

"Do you think he was one of Blake's scouts?"

"Prob'ly. He'll send somebody lookin' for 'im, an' we'll deal with him, too. Gonna have t' talk t' Merle about what else we can expect once we get out there."

Carol sighed and lifted her head to meet his gaze. "This is a dangerous game your brother's playing."

Daryl snorted. "Ain't th' first time. Merle thrives on drama." He brushed his lips to hers. "Get some rest. I'ma take watch with Carl."

"I doubt I'll be able to sleep," she lamented.

"I'll be back in four hours. Watch over our girl, baby." He kissed her again, grabbed up his crossbow and left her upstairs in the bedroom she'd chosen for them. It was no secret she didn't sleep well without him, but there was no help for it.

Carl was waiting for him on the roof, the best vantage point they'd found to keep an eye on both the front and back yards. It also allowed them to see much of the solitary street where the house was located. Yet, the boy didn't exhibit his usual exuberance, eyeing his mentor with only a nod. Daryl sat down beside him, balancing the crossbow on his lap.

"Y' a'right, kid?"

Carl nodded, keeping his gaze on the street below. Daryl didn't push. He knew the boy would speak when he was ready. "Daryl … do you think Sophia's going to be ok?"

He'd known it wouldn't take him long. It didn't even surprise him that Sophia was the first thing on his mind. "I think so. She's a tough kid, like her mama." He made his voice as non-threatening as possible, sensing the boy's nervousness. "Y' did good today. Y' stepped up. I'm proud of y'."

"Really?"

Daryl bit back a snort at the awe in Carl's voice. "Yeah really. Y' had a shot where no one else did. If we'd have fired, there was ev'ry chance we mighta hit Sophia. Y' were stealthy, used y' head, an' saved her. Not many grown men woulda taken th' risk y' did today. So, yeah … I'm proud of y'."

And just as quickly as his face had lit up with pride, it fell into a dark frown. "My dad isn't too happy with me right now because I killed that man."

"Naw, I don't suppose he would be," Daryl murmured with a shake of his head, his hair falling over his eyes. "Y' need t' ease up on him, though, kid. He's got a lot on 'im right now, tryin' t' lead this group, tryin' to be a good husband t' your mom, tryin' t' be a good dad t' you."

Carl rolled his eyes. "Him and Mom treat me like I'm in preschool, Daryl. You can't see the things I've seen and still be a kid. It doesn't matter how much they may want me to be. I bet when you were twelve, you didn't have your parents coddling you."

"Boy, I wouldn't wish m' childhood on m' worst enemy," he said bitterly, unable to quell the memories of his father which rose up to haunt him. "Th' only good came out of it was learnin' how t' survive an' fend for m'self in the worst circumstances. 'S why I'm tryin' so hard t' teach you an' Soph. Y' have people who care 'bout y', who will stick their necks out t' make sure y' safe, but y' need t' know how t' take care of yourself first. Your dad is fightin' for y', kid. Don't push 'im away. Y' keep up with this attitude o' yours, an' maybe he won't want y' t' train with me anymore. Did y' think about that? Or maybe he won't let y' partner up with Sophia."

That would be worse than being tossed into the middle of a herd, in his opinion, and he gaped at the hunter. "He wouldn't!"

"He might. I ain't tryin' t' drive a wedge between y' an' your dad. I'm jus' tryin' t' help. But it's up t' you t' make him see he ain't lost y'. Talk t' 'im, kid. Make 'im understand how y' feelin'." He couldn't believe he was giving advice on feelings when he had such a difficult time himself talking about his own. He blamed Carol. She influenced every part of his life, including this one. If it helped the boy and his father, however; it was worth it.

Carl pondered those words and took them to heart. "Daryl … do you think maybe you could switch with him, so Dad could take watch with me?"

"I wouldn't mind, I s'pose," he said, shouldering his crossbow to go inside and fetch the boy's father.

"And Daryl?"

The archer turned to glance over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

A/n: Carl and Rick need to work out their issues … for real. I can understand Rick feels some jealousy towards Daryl, though. I tried not to make what happened to Sophia too triggery. Should I have put a warning at the beginning of the chapter? These things are confusing to me at times. When I write a fic or a new chapter, I get so immersed in telling the story, I don't think how it might negatively affect my readers. My sincerest apologies if I've offended anyone. Comment/Review and let me know what you thought. Next time: Rick deals with Lori's upset, the kids are assigned a new job … together, and the council votes.