Disclaimer:

Carol Peletier, Sophia Peletier, King Ezekiel, Henry, Jerry, Shiva, and any other recognizable character or plot of The Walking Dead belong to AMC Network and Skybound Entertainment, Image Comics and Robert Kirkman.

In no way is the author claiming ownage of any of the characters nor is there any economical/monetary gain at any time. The author is extremely respectful of the original creators and is willing to take down this work of fiction if requested.

No copyright infringement intended.

Original characters are property of the author.

Chapter 16: It's Otay To Be Scared

"Carol, we should go to the hospital."

"No, I'm fine."

She's been insisting that she doesn't have to go to the hospital ever since he first offered to take her. As much as Ed's manhandling had hurt while it was happening, it was nothing compared to what he had put her through before. Bruises and swelling were things she could deal within the safety of his home. Going to the hospital would simply be a loss of money she didn't have to begin with.

"It doesn't appear like you are."

All throughout the ride, she had been quiet, unable to form words as she tried to process what had just happened. Tears had slipped down her face as her body shook uncontrollably. She curled herself into a tight ball in an attempt to hide from what had just happened, hiding her aching face and her shame from Ezekiel. In the backseat, Sophia cried loudly, struggling against the seatbelt and her car seat in her attempt to get to her mother. Carol wanted to soothe her, to reassure her that she was alright, but she was so terrified and shook that all she could do was focus on her own breathing to try and not fall into a panic.

Ed had almost taken her.

There is no doubt in her mind that he would have killed her if he'd managed to take her away. In the blink of an eye she would have lost everything to his cruelty; her daughter, her life, and Ezekiel.

He had seen Ezekiel.

The thought that her soon-to-be ex-husband was now aware of Ezekiel terrified her. Ed had accused her of sleeping with him, which simply wasn't true, but she had seen the look of absolute anger in his eyes while doing so. Ed's face had been bright red, his eyes brimmed with fury, and his jaw clenched so tightly that it surprised her he hadn't broken a tooth. She'd only ever seen that look moments before she was beaten within an inch of her life. The anger wasn't just directed her at her this time, it was directed at Ezekiel as well. She knows exactly what Ed is capable of, the last thing she wants is for him to hurt the kind man she is falling in love with. Ezekiel doesn't deserve Ed's anger, doesn't deserve to be in danger, and she's putting him right in front of both by just being with him. The thought of him getting hurt shakes her to her core and makes her chin wobble.

"Here," Ezekiel hands her a bag of ice, his eyes tracing the bruises on her face. "Press this to your chin."

She takes the bag with a shaky hand and winces as the bitter cold spreads on her skin. "Thank you."

In her arms, Sophia trembles and pushes herself closer. From the moment they exited the car, Sophia had attached herself to her mother, her loud cries turning into pitiful sobs that break Carol's heart. She hadn't seen her father, of that Carol was sure, but the sounds and commotion must have been enough to trigger her fear. Carol couldn't blame her for needing to be held for she too felt like she needed a warm embrace and a soothing voice in her ear to tell her things would be alright.

"It's okay, sweet pea." She whispers against her daughter's blond hair. "Mama's got you."

Sophia sniffles and lets out a tiny mouselike sound around her thumb before once again attempting to bury herself against her.

"Talk to me." Ezekiel sits down in front of her on the coffee table, his hand rising to push back a curl of hair that had fallen over her face. "Please."

A single tear escapes her eye, falling down her cheek and leaving a stingy path in its wake. Her chin wobbles again and she hisses as it presses harder against the bag of ice. "I'm fine."

"It's otay," Sophia mumbles against her chest though Carol isn't sure if she's telling Ezekiel they are fine or attempting to soothe herself.

She hears Ezekiel let out a deep sigh and quickly turns to look at him only to see the sadness etched in his expression. "I really am fine." She insists. "This... this isn't the worse he has done. I am just a little shook, that's all. He just... came out...of nowhere."

Her voice breaks as she speaks and Sophia immediately reacts to it. She pulls back enough to look up at Carol, her small hands framing her cheeks, her touch soft as she moves Carol's face to look down at her. "It's otay, Mama. It's otay."

Carol gives her a little nod before leaning forward to press a kiss to her daughter's forehead. She puts down the ice bag and rearranges Sophia on her lap, lifting her slightly to secure her from slipping. The movement makes her arm brush against her body and she hisses at the sting.

"Let me see." Ezekiel pleads before placing a gentle hand on Sophia's back to help steady her.

"No. No." Sophia mumbles and clings to her even harder, her arms sliding around her mother's neck and tightening so that she won't be pulled away. "No, pwease."

Her little sob is enough for Ezekiel to lean forward and reassure her that Carol isn't going anywhere. "I just want to see your Mama's arm, princess. I swear to you on my life that you shall not leave her lap."

Sophia's hazel eyes lock with Ezekiel as she tilts her head to the side to look at him. "He hurt Mama."

"I know, Princess." A flash of guilt quickly rushes through Ezekiel's expression but Carol manages to see it.

Slowly, Sophia loosens her hold on Carol and relaxes on her mother's lap. Carol takes the opportunity to slowly raise her arm so that Ezekiel can tend to it. She knows what he is going to find; Ed had dug his nails into the tender skin of her forearm so hard that he had broken her skin. The sting she felt came from the half-moon cuts he had left behind.

"I'll need to clean it so it won't get infected."

Ezekiel disappears down the hallway for a minute before he comes back with his first aid kit. Carol watches silently as he opens it and starts pulling its contents until he finds an antiseptic wipe and a tube of ointment.

"It's going to sting." He warns her.

"No hurt, Mama." Sophia pleads to him as soon as his warning has left his lips.

"He's not going to hurt me, Soph." Carol sweeps in before he can reply. She knows Sophia is simply reacting to Ed having hurt her and that her daughter knows Ezekiel would never hurt either of them. Still, she wants to reassure her as much as possible with the hope that her tiny body will not shake with fear yet again.

"I promise, Soph," Ezekiel replies in a warm, loving tone.

Tenderly, Ezekiel dabs at the tiny incisions in her skin. It stings, just like he said it would, but she swallows her reaction for her daughter's sake. Once he has finished cleaning the wounds, Ezekiel tenderly smooths the ointment on her skin.

"They are already bruising." He says with a defeated sigh before he turns his body away from them.

Something is wrong with him. She can sense it. She can hear it in his tone of voice and in the little sigh that she hears at the end of his words. She can even see it in Ezekiel's expression. He feels bad for her, she can tell. He doesn't pity her but he feels bad that Ed has hurt her yet again.

But that's not all, Carol is sure of it. Something else is bothering him and Carol can't quite put her finger on what it is. Perhaps he's finally realized the danger he is in simply because he's helping them. Perhaps he saw the expression in Ed's face and has decided he wants nothing to do with running into him. Perhaps he's had enough of both of them.

Carol shakes her head slightly, forcing herself to push away her fears, to fight against the demons in her head that use Ed's voice to place doubt in her heart. She knows Ezekiel loves them, wants to help them, and it's unfair to him to even consider anything else.

"Let me wrap them for you." Ezekiel breaks her thoughts as he points to her arm.

"They aren't that bad, are they?" She asks as she raises her arm. She sees right away that he is right, her arm is already bruising with the imprint of Ed's fingers. She frowns at her own skin, especially the red marks he's left behind.

"Just want to avoid them getting dirty." Tenderly, Ezekiel places a little bit more ointment on her wounds then presses a clean gauze to her skin. She winces right away but swallows the pain as best as she can. Before long, Ezekiel has wrapped her arm expertly and leans back to look at them.

Sophia, who has kept close watch, leans forward and raises a hand to trace the end of the bandage. "Does it pass inspection, Princess Sophia?"

Carol watches as Sophia looks towards Ezekiel and gives a nod before leaning against her mother once more.

"Anywhere else he caught you?" Ezekiel asks. She can feel his eyes sweeping over her, trying to find anywhere else he might have hurt her.

She shakes her head and buries her face against Sophia's head, taking in the baby smell of her shampoo before looking over her daughter's hair at Ezekiel.

He seems to have zoned out for a bit, his eyes empty of that warmth they always carry. Again she feels her mind jump into panic mode, thinking that he's pulling away. Knowing that she'll continue to panic if she doesn't ask him, Carol gathers all her courage and clears her throat. "What is it?" She manages to whisper as she treats his words to him. "Talk to me."

Ezekiel blinks and focuses his eyes on Sophia as if he's afraid of looking straight at her. "I keep going back in my mind to what happened with Edward. I've promised you and Sophia countless times that he'd never hurt you again and yet... the first moment he had the opportunity to do so, I am unable to do a single thing to stop him."

He lets out a broken sigh, his shoulders falling as he leans against his knees with his elbows. "I've failed you. I've failed Sophia."

"You haven't." Carol quickly corrects him as she reaches for him. Her body must have cooled down and the shot of adrenaline that she's felt during the attack and on the ride home must have ended because the moment she reaches for him she feels her body complain. She grunts and pulls back.

"Are you alright, my Queen?" Ezekiel asks. He quickly pushes himself off the coffee table and sits beside her, his hand smoothing on her back.

Carol brushes away the question, choosing to focus more on what he said before. "You haven't failed us. Ezekiel, we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

"Perhaps, But Edward-"

"Is an asshole." She completes for him. "And he's dangerous and wants to teach me a lesson. Nothing you or I do is going to change that."

Ezekiel's eyes fill with tears and he lowers his eyes promoting her to reach for his hand. She dips her head slightly, searching for his eyes so that he can see she's not lying. "You haven't failed us. You got us out of there. You made sure Sophia was safe. You tried to stop him from taking me. I think you distracted him and got us some time so that the guard could get there."

"I should have pummeled him to the ground for daring to touch you." He mumbles.

"It would have only gotten you in trouble. You'd have been detained as well and you wouldn't have brought us home. You wouldn't be taking care of us right now." She continues to reassure him. She releases his hand and cups his chin to tilt his face up, her thumb gently caressing the hair of his beard. "I'm glad Michonne stopped you. I don't... I don't want you to be in danger. Ed knows about you know and he'll be searching-"

"Let him." Ezekiel interrupts.

"No... Ezekiel, I can't have you in danger. You don't deserve it. If I'm going to be strong enough to fight him through all of this I need Sophia and you to be safe. Please, promise me you'll be safe." She begs, her own eyes filling with tears as she does.

She knows it's hard for him. She knows that he wants to protect them and would gladly give his life for them, but she wouldn't be able to stomach if he got hurt because of her. That's the last thing she wants. She needs him safe as much as she needs her daughter safe. "Please."

Ezekiel is a blur because of her tears but she's still able to see him nod. She lets out of quick sigh of relief and pulls him a little closer, leaning in to brush her lips against his. She enjoys the feel of his lips against hers, especially now that she'd been so close to never feeling it again. Their softness searches hers, deepening the kiss a little further. She'd have spent the rest of the night kissing him if possible, but Sophia squirming in her lap pulls her away. Her daughter is trying to move from her lap towards Ezekiel's but her attempts aren't all that successful. Sophia ends up halfway there before she gives up, her butt still on Carol's lap though her legs are now stern over Ezekiel's lap, her head pressed against his chest.

"That can't be comfortable." She notes but Sophia sighs contently and neither move her. It's a silent agreement that they'll both do whatever Sophia needs to feel comfortable and if that means awkwardly laying over them then neither is going to move.

"It's otay, Mama." Sophia chimes from her spot. "Daddy protects us."

"That he does, sweet pea." Carol agrees with her, a grin appearing on her lips even if the expression makes her chin and cheek burn. She turns to look at Ezekiel once again, sharing a knowing look with him that lets him see that she'd been right about him protecting them and Sophia slowly incorporating the title. Ezekiel, for his part, finally smiles at the sound of being called Daddy.

"Where Shiva?" Sophia asks softly, her words half-muffled.

"She's at the zoo, where we left her." Ezekiel reminds her. "Remember how we were going to pick up your Mama then come and leave all the things we bought for your room and then we were gonna pick her up?"

"Oh yes!" The remainder of the things that were still in Ezekiel's Cherokee is enough to get Sophia to lift her head and sit upright in Carol's lap. "We get them?"

"The things or Shiva?" Ezekiel asks.

Sophia seems to think about her options for a second before putting her thumb in her mouth and mumbling around it unsure. "Both?"

"We can get both," Ezekiel assures her. "But we have to wait for a little first."

"Why?" Sophia asks with a tilt of her head. Carol watches the interaction silently, her hand once more rising to press the cold compress against her chin.

"Michonne is going to send some nice men over to talk to your Mama about what happened." He explains. Carol can see that he's choosing his words carefully. He doesn't want to scare Sophia anymore than she already has been. "So that they can act accordingly."

"Policemen?" Sophia asks. She hasn't brought her thumb out and though Carol knows she'd be clearer without it in her mouth, she doesn't have the heart to stop her daughter from soothing with it.

"Exactly," Ezekiel replies. "Remember how we talked about the policemen helping us when we need them? About going to them if someone is bothering us or wants to take us away."

Sophia nods before cuddling against Carol's arm. "Uh hu."

"Well, they'll be here to talk to Mama so they can help."

"About the shouts and the ouchies?" Sophia asks before gently caressing the bandage on her mother's arm.

Ezekiel nods in reply. "Princess, did you see anything when the shouting was happening?"

Sophia shakes her head right away as best as she can in her current position. "Just the shouts. It was scawy."

"It was." He agrees with her. "I was scared."

His words make Carol turn to look at him with wide eyes. She knew he was regretting not being able to help her, not being able to stop Ed, but she hadn't thought he had been scared.

"Really?" Sophia asks with equally round eyes as she once more sits up straight, her little mouth hanging open, her thumb falling from it.

"I was. I thought Ed had hurt Mama badly. I was scared he would take her from us. Scared I wasn't fast enough or strong enough to get to her. I was afraid he'd see you in the car and reach for you too."

"It's otay, Zekey." Her daughter reassured him, her hand patting at his knee. "It's otay, Daddy."

Ezekiel smiles once more. Carol is sure that if Sophia keeps calling him 'daddy' for the rest of her life, Ezekiel will keep smiling just as long. "I know it is. I know that now, but then, I wasn't sure and I was scared. It's alright to be scared though, especially when scary things are happening, like the hitting and shouting. Being scared is the way your brain tells you that you are in danger and that you need to go somewhere safe."

"Safe like home?" Sophia asks.

Carol doesn't miss the fact that Sophia looks around Ezekiel's house when she mentions home. Though her heart breaks that her daughter has never really had a safe space to call home, it also rejoices at the knowledge that Sophia considers this their home; the place where no one can hurt them, the place they can hide from whatever monster is ready to hurt them, the place they can fall back on and where they can be loved and happy.

"Exactly like home." Ezekiel raises a hand and gently taps Sophia's nose which prompts her little one to scrunch it up.

"Zekey?" Sophia asks once she's mirrored his actions and tapped his nose. "Does he know where home is?"

"No," Carol finds herself butting into their conversation. "He doesn't, sweet pea. We are safe here."

Sophia turns to look at Ezekiel for confirmation. When her daughter finally sees Ezekiel nod, she gives a tiny nod herself to seal the deal in her mind. "Otay."

Ezekiel takes it a step further and extends his arm so that his hand is near Sophia. Carol can see that he's making a fist with his hand but that his last finger is curled upward. It's the beginning of a pinky promise.

"I promise, Princess," he starts. "That I will do everything in my power so that our home is the safest place on this Earth for you and your Mama."

Sophia grins and reaches forward, her hand also in a fist with her pinky curled upward. She's almost reached his hand before she stops and looks up at Ezekiel. "And tiggy too?"

Ezekiel chuckles but quickly reassured her. "And Shiva as well."

It's all Sophia needs to hear. Her pinky is tiny compared to Ezekiel's but it doesn't stop either of them from making the pinky promise.

Just as Sophia pulls her hand back, lights filter through the closed window shades. The turning of the red and blue lights is enough to tell Carol that the policemen have arrived. She takes a deep breath and swallows the knot that instantly holds her throat hostage. She's never had a good report with men in blue simply because she'd always needed them to leave quickly. She'd lie and pretend everything was alright just to get them out of Ed's house. She'd learned very quickly that the longer they stayed the harder the beating would be. She knows she's about to go through a very different experience but it still worries her that what she'll say will not be enough, that they won't believe her or side with her husband.

"Everything will be alright," Ezekiel whispers. He must have noticed the change in her expression or perhaps felt the stiffening if her body. Either way, he's quick to reassure her. "They are only here to get your statement. That is all."

"I know."

A knock on the door makes her jump, even though she'd been expecting it. Ezekiel gets up from his spot beside her but doesn't leave right away. Instead, he leans down and presses a kiss to the crown of her head. "It's alright, I'm here. I won't let anything hurt you."

As Ezekiel moves away towards the door, Sophia wiggles in her lap until her little legs dangle on either side of Carol's hips. In true Sophia fashion, her daughter gently takes hold of her face and leans forward so that their faces are near each other. Her hazel eyes lock with her mother's blues and her lips pull into a reassuring smile.

"It's otay to be scared, Mama. Daddy is here. He protects us."