Note: Written as a request before I began watching TWD. So some details may be a bit different from the actual TV show. But as far as accuracy, my other Carl one shots are probably a bit better for that LOL

Everything has been going so perfectly lately. Ever since Carl and I started dating three months ago, life had been blissful. When I was with him, it felt like it was just us - no walkers, no enemies, no death. He took away the pain of it all and made me forget. I smiled at the memory of when Carl had asked me to be his girlfriend, he was so shy and awkward that day. I chuckled to myself as I sat on the porch swing of the house my older brother, Daryl, and I shared.

Suddenly, a deep voice broke in to my thoughts.

"Sierra!"

I looked up to see that familiar sheriff's hat and sparkling blue eyes. I grinned and waved Carl over. He smiled back and walked across the street to me, waiting at the bottom of the steps. I got up from my perch and stood in front of him.

"Hey, what's going on?" I asked.

"Dad wants me and Daryl to go on a run. We're getting low on supplies. Wanna join us? It won't be fun without you." he cooed, reaching for my hand.

I laughed at his dorkiness and took the hand he offered me.

"Fine, fine. I'll go, you dork." I said, sticking my tongue out at him, "Let me go get my knife and I'll meet you two at the gate."

Carl grinned at me and ran off to go join Daryl. I laughed again and shook my head at his antics. I walked back into the house and grabbed my knife from my bedside table. I quickly walked out of the house and down the street to the gate. Carl saw me then and waved me over to where him and Daryl stood, waiting on me.

"Now, wait a minute, I never said Sierra could go." he said to Carl, his eyes hardening.

Daryl turned to me then.

"Sierra, you can't go - it's not safe out there. I can't protect you the entire time." Daryl said to me, putting his hand on my shoulder.

I shook him off, slightly angered by what he implied.

"I can take care of myself, Daryl! You know that. I'm 16 now, I'm not a baby anymore. You don't need to protect me anymore. And anyway, if something happens, I have my knife. And Carl will help as well." I said, taking Carl's hand in mine.

Daryl sighed, clearly agitated, and shifted the crossbow on his shoulder.

"Fine. But if anything happens to her, you're dead, Grimes!" he said, pointing a finger at Carl.

Carl swallowed and clutched my hand tighter. I grinned at his nervous behavior and began to walk behind Daryl as they opened the gate for us to go through.

It was a long walk to the store we had decided to raid but so far, we had seen no walkers. Still, I fingered the knife in my pocket. I took it out as I walked next to Carl, my fingers tracing the letters carved into the side.

M.D.

I sighed quietly to myself. The knife had been Merle's. He'd given it to me the day before he died. He wasn't much of a brother but it still made me sad to think of what had happened to him...and what our life could have been like had he been different. I looked ahead of me to Daryl who had his crossbow pointed at some of the buildings, scoping them out.

Daryl was the only family I had now. He was everything to me. He had taken care of me when our parents didn't. And after their deaths, he'd raised me. I don't know where I'd be without him.

Suddenly, Carl nudged me in the arm and I looked up at him.

"You okay?" he asked, concern written all over his face.

I smiled at his sweetness and nodded.

"I was just thinking." I answered him.

"Uh-oh, that could be dangerous." Carl joked.

I rolled my eyes, "No, I was thinking about everything that's happened. I mean, at the end of the day, no matter what bad things has happened...I still have Daryl...and you." I said, intertwining our fingers, the warmth of his hand bringing a smile to my face.

"Alright, I think this is the one Rick was talking about." Daryl said, stopping at one of the deserted stores.

I shoved my knife back into my pocket as Daryl pushed on the door with his side and it clanged open. He looked behind us to make sure there were no walkers before ushering us inside. As soon as we entered, Carl and I began to go down the aisles of the store, picking up cans of food to put in our bags.

"Oh, look!" I said, tapping Carl on the arm, "Your favorite - pudding!"

Carl made a face and I laughed at him as he went to the other aisle. Suddenly, as I turned to go, I felt something grab onto my ankle, pulling me down to the floor. My knife fell out of my pocket, sliding on the tiled floor out of my reach.

"CARL!" I screamed out as I saw the face of a walker, its decaying teeth gnashing together as it inched closer to me.

I stretched my hand out and struggled to reach my knife.

Bang! Bang!

I whipped my head around to see Carl shoot the walker in the head, blood gushing out onto the floor. I sighed and closed my eyes briefly before opening them again to Carl's piercing blue ones.

"Are you alright? Are you bit?" he asked, checking me all over.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I said as Carl sighed in relief.

Daryl ran over to me and bent down to my level.

"What happened?! Are you okay?" he asked frantically.

"It was a walker but I'm fine. I'm not bit." I said, trying to regulate my breathing.

Daryl then whipped around to face Carl.

"How could you let this happen? I told you, Grimes -"

"It wasn't his fault, Daryl! I should have been more careful. Carl saved me."

Daryl's eyes softened then and he and Carl helped me off of the floor. I hurriedly picked up my knife when all of a sudden, we began to hear moaning from outside.

"Oh, no," Daryl sighed, looking out of one of the windows.

Walkers lined the streets, coming in droves.

"We gotta get out of here! Head towards the back door!"

Carl and I ran to the back of the store, still trying to hold onto the bags of food. All at once, the walkers started pounding on the front doors, the rotting flesh of their hands beating on the glass until it broke, spraying glass shards onto the floor. Daryl started shooting arrows at them, as fast as he could. Carl and I tried to help, slashing the walkers with our knives as we went but they kept coming in, more and more of them.

"There's too many of them!" I shouted to Daryl, pulling on his vest, "Come on!"

Carl pushed on the back door until the chain on it broke free.

"Sierra, Daryl, come on!" Carl called to us, trying to hold off a walker.

Daryl stopped shooting briefly to look at me. Everything seemed to go in slow-motion then. To this day, I can't tell you how long it lasted. It was probably no more than a second or two, but for me, it felt like forever. One of the walkers he was trying to hold off, lunged toward him then, its mouth opening up wide.

It clamped down on his arm, hard. Daryl cried out in pain and I quickly plunged my knife into its soft skull. With all the strength I had left, I pulled Daryl out the back door with me, Carl swiftly closing it behind us. We walked a few paces away from the store before Daryl collapsed on the ground.

Tears began to spill out of my eyes. I couldn't lose him, not like this. He was all I had left in this world.

"Oh, baby girl, please don't cry," Daryl whispered softly, brushing my tears away with his calloused fingers.

"You can't leave me like this - I need you!" I sobbed, taking his hand in mine,"Please don't leave me alone."

Carl watched us, his gun clenched in his hand. Daryl smiled weakly at me and squeezed my hand lightly.

"You don't need me, Sierra. I've always treated you like a baby but you're strong... You've grown up and you're a much better person than I ever was..."

"Don't say that! You're the best brother and I-" I started before choking on my own tears.

"No, baby girl, that's what I wanted. I want you to be better. That's what I've always wanted for you...and for you to be happy." he winced then, as the pain from the bite spread.

He turned to look at Carl then.

"You take care of her, Grimes." he told him.

Carl nodded and looked down at me.

Daryl turned his head to look at me, one last time.

"I love you, Sierra, don't ever forget that." he said, his voice fading.

"I love you too, Daryl...I'll never forget...I promise." I said, getting up slowly and taking the gun from Carl.

With another sob, I aimed my gun towards Daryl and pulled the trigger. One loud shot rang out and I backed away towards Carl. Suddenly, the tears came pouring out and I let out a heart-wrenching sob before I collapsed onto the ground. Carl caught me before I fell and cradled me in his arms, his hands rubbing up and down my back soothingly.

"Shh, it's okay, baby, it's okay," he whispered into my hair, softly kissing the top of my head as I wept.

My life would never be the same...