I stayed out for a pretty long time and checked a bunch of houses and filled my bags. It was beginning to get dark and I went out pretty far so I figured it was a good time to head back to the house. I wonder if Daryl and Carol are concerned about me.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I had that thought because it just now occurred to me that they might be mad that I just left without saying anything. Oh shit. I swallowed hard.

Then another feeling took over. A feeling of…amusement? I thought about it. Yeah. Amusement. The thought of Daryl being angry with me was kind of entertaining to me and I couldn't help but smirk.

I should still start home now though, because it's more dangerous at night. However, I looked around. I might be a little lost. Did I come from that way or that way? I looked both ways. Shit!

Narrator's POV

Carol was sitting at the table worrying more and more about Abby. She hoped that the girl was okay. Daryl was pacing back and forth walking to the front and back doors looking out for girl. He was pissed but another part of him was concerned. Abby and Carl was his and Carol's responsibility right now, especially his, and he would feel guilty if something happened to either of them.

"This is goin' nowhere." Daryl finally said. "I'm gonna go out and lookin' fer 'er."

"Daryl, no." Carol said. "It's too dark to see and it's dangerous. And you said yourself, she'll come back."

He stared at the woman with an angry expression. The man wasn't angry at her, he was just angry. "…yeah, well, she better get home soon. And when she does, she's gonna have a surprise waitin' fer 'er."

"Daryl, don't yell at her."

Daryl gave Carol a disbelieving look. "What do ya mean don't yell at 'er?" He snapped. "She left without tellin' us! Again!"

"And she should be punished but—

"Oh, believe me, she will be."

"Is my sister okay?" Carl asked innocently.

Both adults looked down at the boy, their moods softening. "I hope so, honey." Carol said to him. She didn't want to tell him she was because she truthfully didn't know and didn't want to lie to the young boy.

Daryl pinched the bridge of his nose, similar to Rick when he does that. "If somethin' happens to her—

He was cut off by the sound of the front door. Daryl and Carol shared a look before walking in there.

Abby's POV

It was dark by the time I got home. I practically ran up the stairs on the front porch. I froze before opening the door though, because I got a nervous feeling inside. Shaking those feelings, I opened the door and stepped in. I heard footsteps as soon as I closed it. Daryl was there with Carol not far behind.

"Abby! Are you okay?" Daryl was there in a second. He kind of crouched down a little and put his hands on my shoulders.

"I'm fine." I looked at both of them.

There was a brief pause, I watched their expressions change. Daryl took his hands off me and stood up straight looking down at me angrily. I was small for my age so he pretty much towered over me. "Where'd you go and why'd you leave without sayin' anythang?" He snapped. I innocently glanced at Carol. "Huh?" Daryl yelled at me.

"I went out." I stated. "On a run." I sat the bags down.

"Yeah? And you couldn't 'a said anythang before ya left?"

I was feeling a bit scared. "Abby?" Carol steeped in front of Daryl. "Listen, sweetie." She pushed my hair out of my face and looked at me. "You can't leave like that. We were worried about you." Her voice sounded kind of shaky like she was getting choked up. It made me feel guilty. Making Daryl mad is one thing but I didn't want to scare Carol.

"Sorry." I said for real.

"No, ya ain't." Daryl snapped. "But yer gonna be." He grabbed my wrist.

"Daryl." Carol stopped him. I didn't know what to think. "She said she's sorry."

"She ain't sorry!" He yelled.

"Please don't." Carol gave him a pleading look. I blinked at both of them, I was confused.

Daryl looked down at me angrily but didn't say anything for a few seconds. He finally let me go. "Yer dad said, the next time you go out without tellin' no one, then yer grounded. So, yer grounded."

I gave him a look. "You can't ground me."

"The hell I cain't!" He snapped. "Yer dad left me in charge 'a you and I say yer grounded…so get upstairs!" He pointed. I just stood there and stared at him. "Abby, upstairs! Right now!"

"…no." I crossed my arms over my chest.

Daryl looked so angry that he looked like he might explode. "You better learn to mind me or…or-or yer gonna get a spankin'! I don't care that you ain't my kid and I don't care how old ya are!"

I squinted my eyes at him and swallowed before speaking. "My dad was joking about that. He would get mad if you hit me."

"I don't give a shit if he gets mad!"

"Daryl." Carol stopped him. "Stop. Just let her go." She whispered. Daryl stared at her. I picked up my bags and walked passed them into the kitchen to unload them.

I heard footsteps behind me as I was unpacking. "I know I shouldn't've left but…I found some really cool stuff." I smiled a little. "Check out this flashlight." I turned it around to show them, it ended up being Carol but Daryl was close behind. "It has a flashing, red SOS light on it, a knife and a whistle and some other things. How cool is that?"

"Yes, that's very cool, Abby." Carol said. Daryl didn't say anything, he was still looking at me angrily but I ignored him. "I'm gonna start dinner." She said to Daryl.

Daryl and I locked eyes for a second, I didn't say anything and finished unpacking the rest of the stuff that I found.

Afterwards, I sat in the living room and played cards with my brother while Carol made dinner. Daryl was sitting in his usual chair messing with his crossbow. Everyone seemed to calm down. I could tell that his feelings from before were gone but not forgotten.

"Show 'em." I said to Carl referring to his cards.

"Full house!" He put them down.

I smirked. "Good…but not good enough." I threw my cards down. "Four of a kind." I grinned.

"That doesn't beat a full house!"

"Yes, it does." I said.

"It does not!"

I gave my little brother an annoyed look, then glanced up at Daryl who appeared not to be paying us any attention at all. "Daryl." I said. "Daryl, doesn't four of a kind beat a full house."

"I don't wanna talk to you right now." He said without looking at me. "I'm still pissed at what you did."

I looked down feeling a bit irritated but also kind of hurt. I know he has the right to be mad at me but couldn't he just give me an answer? He's more childish than me. There was a brief pause.

"Does four of a kind beat a full house?" Carl asked him.

"…yeah, it does." He replied. I frowned. Now I was even more hurt because he answered my brother but not me.

"What?" My brother said. "Man." He sighed. "I'll deal this time."

"I don't wanna play anymore." I said.

"Okay." Said Carl. "Maybe after dinner, we can play more or watch a movie or something."

I was about to respond to that but Daryl spoke first. "Maybe you can but she ain't." He pointed at me. I looked at him with my mouth opened. "Don't gimme that." He said to me. "I told ya already, yer grounded. And yer gonna spend the rest 'a the night in yer room."

I crossed my arms and pouted. We'll see about that, Daryl.

The four of us sat at the table to eat once dinner was ready. Carol set a pan on the table that looked like breaded chicken and broccoli. Carl immediately dug in. "Mm." He said. "What is it?"

"Sesame chicken and broccoli." She said with a smile.

"Where'd we get chicken?" I asked.

"Looks good." Daryl said talking over me. No one ever answered that question.

I spooned some onto my plate, I only took a little because I didn't know if I would like it, then I ate a piece of the broccoli first. It was really good and I liked the sauce that was on it. Then, I tried a piece of chicken. I didn't particularly like it but I didn't want to be rude. The chicken itself was good, but I didn't like the breading.

"What kind of breading is this?" Carl asked almost as if he were reading my mind. I looked over at him, he was being a little chatter box tonight.

"Cornbread." Carol answered him.

"Oh." I accidentally said my thoughts out loud. So, that's why I don't like it. I started scraping the breading off of my pieces of chicken. It tasted better without it anyway.

"It's good." My brother said.

"Yeah." Daryl responded.

"Thanks." Said Carol.

There was small talk here and there but no one really got into a conversation. I was eating kind of slowly because it was taking me a while to scrape the breading off and I also kind of didn't like it.

"What's wrong, Abby?" Carol asked me.

I didn't answer right away. "I don't like cornbread." I said without looking up and continued to scrape off the breading.

"Eat and don't complain." Daryl scolded me.

I looked up at him, then back down at my food. "I'm NOT complaining." I snapped. "And I am eating."

"Don't look like it."

"Daryl, it's fine. She's eating. See." Carol said.

"Yeah, Daryl. Mind your business." I said.

He glared at me. "Yer such a smartass kid, ya know that?" He raised his voice.

"I know." I said without looking up. "It's a gift." I smirked. He exhaled sharply through his nose, I could feel his eyes still on me. I glanced up at him, then did a double take because he looked extremely angry and it actually kind of scared me. My smirk faded. I gave him a worried look and kind of turned away. "Mm." I said sadly. "Stop staring at me."

"Can I have more?" Carl said.

"Of course." Carol said to him. "Eat as much as you want. Same goes for everyone."

I finished what was on my plate and kind of stretched. "I'm definitely not having anymore. I'm full."

"You must get full quickly." Carol said. I looked at her. "You didn't have much."

"Yeah." Carl spoke for me. "She never eats a lot."

I gave my brother a look but didn't say anything. "Well, if yer done, then you can clean up." Daryl said to me.

"She doesn't have to." Carol said. "I'll do it."

I thought for a minute. I wasn't going to let Daryl think he got the best of me. "I don't mind cleaning up." I said with my eyes closed.

"Good, then do it." He said.

"I will." I stood up.

"Abby, you really don't have to. I can do it." Said Carol.

"It's okay." I took my plate out into the kitchen and began cleaning up.

Everyone was done and in the living room by the time I was done. I walked in there. "Everything is clean and put away." I said.

"Thanks, Abby." Carol said. I nodded.

I was about to sit down with them but, then Daryl said, "what do ya thank yer doin'?" I looked at him. "Upstairs. Like I told ya."

I looked away. "I don't have to. I cleaned up. That was my punishment." I crossed my arms.

"Yer gonna do what I say and go to yer room." He growled.

I was about to say something but stopped because I heard my dad's voice over the walkie. "Daryl?" My dad said.

Daryl grabbed it. I was right there listening. "Yeah, we're here. Everythang okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine. We turned in for the night. We're staying in a house." He said. "What about on your end?"

Daryl glanced down at me. "Yeah, everyone's fine but—

I grabbed the walkie off of him. "Dad."

"Abby?"

"Dad! Daryl's being mean to me! He said I'm grounded and he's trying to make me go to my room!" I complained.

"…why did he say you're grounded?"

I was about to speak but stopped myself because I just realized what I did. Now I have to tell him that I left. Daryl smirked down at me because he realized too. "…because…I went on a run."

"…Abby? Did you tell anyone you were leaving?"

I hesitated. "…no."

"Well, you were warned about that. And I left Daryl in charge so if he says you're grounded, then you're grounded."

"But dad—

"Abigail." He scolded me. "Is this gonna be an issue?"

"…no."

"Alright. Now do what Daryl and Carol say and behave. You two Carl, if you're there." There was a brief pause as I stared at the floor. "Love you, sweetheart."

"…love you, too." I said. I handed Daryl back the walkie. They talked for a little longer, but I wasn't listening. I was sad.

"Alright. Talk to you tomorra." Daryl said to my dad, then they stopped talking. He looked down at me. "Well, you heard yer dad. Upstairs." He pointed.

"I don't want to." I said sadly.

"Well, too bad."

"…but it's dark up there."

"Well, you can use yer "cool flashlight" that ya found." He mocked me and pushed it into my chest. I sadly stared at it for a few seconds, then I turned and headed up to my room.

Well, here I am again, back in my room. I sat on my bed crying and feeling sorry for myself. I know what I did was wrong, but I apologized. I shouldn't have to stay in my room in the dark. I left my door open since it was so dark, it helped a little.

Just then, I heard a clap of thunder and looked toward the window. It's probably going to storm. I love storms. There was another clap of thunder. I wiped my tears away and went to the window. Eventually, it started pouring, then shortly after that, it was full on storming. The storm sort of calmed me down.

Just then, I heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs and knew it was Daryl. I got a spur of the moment feeling to scare him and smiled. I tiptoed across the hall and stood behind the wall waiting for him. He was illuminating the hall with his lantern.

"Abby?" He stopped outside my door and looked in my room.

"Ahhhh!" I jumped out at him. He actually jumped. It was the funniest thing ever and I busted out laughing. However, he didn't find it funny at all. He looked mad and annoyed.

"I thought ya might be scared up here since it's stormin' so I was comin' to get ya." He said in a rough voice.

"I wasn't scared. I love storms." I said.

"Whatever." He snapped. "Come down or stay up here, I don't give a shit." He started walking away.

"I'll come down." I followed him. "I'm gonna trip you down the stairs." I laughed.

"And then I'll beat yer ass." He spoke roughly again.

"What is it with you and your ass beating threats?"

"Maybe one day it won't be a threat." He said. I just looked at the back of his head as we walked down the stairs.

The next day, I was sitting on the living room floor playing cards by myself. I was playing a game that I made up myself, it's similar to Uno. I liked my version better though, it's more fun.

"What are you playing?" My brother asked me.

"A game I made up."

"…wanna play poker?"

I thought for a minute. "No, I'm done playing for right now." I started gathering up the cards, then I put them on an end table.

All of a sudden, Carl jumped onto my back and held on while laughing. I laughed too and threw him off. He accidentally kicked an end table. "Be careful, guys." Daryl said. We continued rough housing until Carl stepped on my hurt foot.

"Ah!" I screamed. I paused for a minute and held my foot, then I became angry. "That was my hurt foot, idiot." I pushed him backwards, he landed pretty hard onto the floor.

"Abby." Carol scolded me. "He could've hit his head."

"He stepped on my hurt foot." I said and shrugged like it was no big deal that I pushed him.

"And yer the older one." Daryl snapped.

"I'm fine." Carl said. He tried to jump on my back again, but Daryl grabbed his arm.

"No, yer done with that." He told him. "Sit down."

It was completely quiet for a few minutes. "Well…what do we do now?" My brother asked no one in particular.

"Who wants to come help me make pancakes?" Carol asked.

"I will." I said. I always liked making pancakes.

We went into the kitchen to start them. "I like flipping them." I said.

She smiled at me. "Then, how about I mix the batter and you can flip?"

I shrugged. "Okay." Carol made the batter and mixed it, then poured some into the pan. I stood there waiting to do my job. "Do you think it's done yet?"

She glanced at it. "Probably."

I picked up the spatula and flipped it over, but it accidentally folded. "Aw." I said.

"Oh, man." She said with a laugh.

"That's why you're supposed to feed the first one to the dog." I said. She laughed. I flipped a few of them and they turned out nice. After a while, I started to get antsy. "Oh, we should fill up the whole pan and make a giant one."

"…no, we have to make sure we have enough for everyone."

"Well, we could always cut it up."

"It's easier this way." She smiled.

Disappointed, I flipped the next one. Then, I got another idea. "We could dye them a different color."

"Hey." Daryl said from behind me. I didn't even know he was there. He got real close to my ear. "Quit foolin' around and listen to Carol." He growled at me. I made a sad face.

"Daryl." Carol said to him. "She's fine." She put her arm around me.

He looked at her, then glared down at me. "Yeah, you're mean, Daryl." I said to him.

"I'll show you mean." He snapped and took a step toward me, my eyes widened.

"Could you set the table for me please, Daryl?" Carol shoved some plates at him. He glared at me some more, then took the plates into the other room.

The four of us ate pancakes for breakfast together. I talked to Carol fine, but I didn't talk to Daryl at all. He's just mean. I was only joking around, he didn't have to growl in my ear like that.

"That was a lot of pancakes." Said Carl.

Carol smiled. "Yeah, I thought we should make a lot because…we'll have to snack for dinner." We all looked at her. "I thought there was another package of noodles in there but there's not."

"If I would 'a known that, then I'd 'a gone out to get somethin'." Daryl said.

There was a brief pause. "So…there's no more food?" Carl said sadly.

"We have a little." Carol said. "We'll be fine."

I thought for a minute and perked up. "I could go fishing." I grinned.

"No, yer grounded." Daryl said immediately.

I gave him an annoyed look. "Fishing is for eating, not for fun." I snapped. "So, we can have food."

"Don't care. You broke the rules, you ain't goin' out. Don't argue." He raised his voice. I was about to say something but he spoke again. "I mean it! Not another word or even a sound! I'm sick 'a you!" He glared at me. I didn't say anything, but I crossed my arms over my chest with a huff and rolled my eyes. "Roll yer eyes at me one more time." He said. He said it, so I did it. Then, he quickly jumped up and grabbed my wrist pulling me up.

"Daryl." Carol said.

"It's fine." He said. "I'm just gonna take 'er upstairs." He dragged me towards the stairs.

"Hey." I complained. "No."

"Let's go." He pulled me. I decided to go along with it and walked with him up the stairs. It was actually quite entertaining and I wanted to mess with him some more.

Once we got to my room and he pushed me inside, I quickly snuck under his arm in the doorway and tried to run out. He grabbed me though and pushed me back into my room. "I swear I'm gonna beat yer ass!" He yelled.

I laughed and jumped onto my bed laying on my stomach. He came over to me, I felt him grab the waistband of my pants and my laughter completely faded and I became dead serious. He was trying to tug them down. What the hell is he doing? In the back of my mind, I knew. I quickly reached back and grabbed them as well keeping them up.

"Let go!"

"No!" I said. "What are you doing?" I was a little frantic. "What are you—" I was cut off by a hard smack on my bottom. "Ow. "—doing?" I finished my sentence.

He gave up trying to tug down my pants and just started smacking me. "I'm." Smack. "So." Smack. "Sick." Smack. "'a." Smack. "You." Smack. "You." Smack. "Best." Smack. "Quit it." Smack. "With." Smack. "The." Smack. "Attitude." Smack smack smack. "I mean it!" He gave me one last hard smack, then he flipped me over on my back. He sure hits hard. And it all happened so fast. I stared at him with wide-eyes. He grabbed me by my shoulders and put his face in mine. "Now you stay up here! Do not come down unless I say! Ya hear me?" He gave me a shake.

"Yes." I said sadly ready to cry. I answered him immediately. He let me go, then stood up but still glared at me. I just looked at him sadly. He left as quickly as he came in and slammed the door behind him. I immediately started bawling and rubbed my bottom.

I was so surprised that he actually did it. He spanked me. And hard too. His big hand covered my entire butt. It sure was smarting after that. And what the hell was he going to do at first? He was trying to pull down my pants. Was he actually trying to spank me on my bare butt? I can't see him doing that. My face flushed.

I laid down on my bed and cried into my pillow. This is such a bad situation now. I miss my dad, he would never do that to me. I want nothing more than to cry into his shoulder while he held me. But now, Daryl's going to tell him that I was bad, then my dad will be mad at me and our reunion will be ruined.

I just laid there with my eyes closed and sobbed.