AN: Here we are, another chapter here.

I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

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"We're just not a hundred percent sure exactly what we're dealing with yet," Melodye said. "There's a lot that's always been somewhat...well...individual about it all. When you're dealing with trauma, stress...really anything like that? I can make generalizations, but that isn't going to always tell me what every single person is going through. For instance, many of you in the community have been through the same sorts of experiences, but everyone comes out of it a little different. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"That you don't know what's wrong with her?" Daryl asked.

Melodye laughed to herself.

"Not exactly," Melodye said. "I know what's wrong with her—and I think you do too. It doesn't take an advanced degree to know that she's been through a lot and it's—well, it's affected her. What I don't know is exactly how she's been affected or what that looks like in the long run. And I'm not willing to jump to too many conclusions when I can let Sophia show me what she's going through and how she's going to react to it."

"So you're saying she's just an individual," Carol said. "You're saying she's...basically that she's just Sophia?"

"That's essentially it," Melodye said. "Which I know sounds like saying a whole bunch of nothing. The thing is that I'm not ready to slap labels on her or say that she is something or that she's going to act some way. I don't want to jump into that until I've had some more time with Sophia. Something beyond one conversation that was very difficult because she wasn't in the best frame of mind."

"But she's OK?" Daryl asked.

"Physically, she's fine," Melodye said. "She's a little undernourished, perhaps, but that can be easily fixed. She's not been eating well for the family that's had her. I didn't see her living arrangements there, but Samirah informs that Sophia was basically being held in a room. Technically it was, in part, due to her refusal to try to join the family, but I also can't say that I believe the family made the best efforts possible to truly welcome Sophia into their lives. There are a few things, though, that I think you should understand before she gets here. That's why I really wanted the chance to speak to the two of you alone. Without Sophia present."

Carol sucked in a breath and, without looking, searched out Daryl's hand. Daryl found her hand and held it tight in his to offer her the comfort that she was clearly seeking.

"I just want to know if she's OK," Carol said. "That's—it's really all I want to know. And—maybe—how much should I prepare myself for maybe not the best news?"

Melodye put on the most sympathetic expression that Daryl had seen her paint on in a while. She shook her head at Carol.

"I don't think it's time to worry," Melodye said. "I didn't come here for you to worry. I came here to keep you from worrying, if anything, about anything you might notice. Sammi was the one that got Sophia to tell her who she was. She was the one that went with the guards to pick her up from the house. She thought that would ease the transition a bit and so far? It seems to help. Sophia will go with Sammi calmly, so that's better than expected. Sophia was examined and I tried to have a conversation with her. She's not quite ready to do much talking to me. I don't think she trusts me yet. Maybe she's not in a position where she wants to trust anyone too much just yet. I'm hoping that will change, but we can be patient. There are a few things you should probably know. Sophia is physically sixteen years old, but I'm not sure where she's at mentally. Not exactly. That's why we had them bring in some soft things to her room. Some things that she could love. We brought in some games and puzzles to just—stimulate her. There's not a lot of information out there on what's happened to Sophia since she was captured but we know that she's been with a couple of families and she was returned by each for being reported as too wild for them to handle. She's simply considered very much wild."

"There's no such thing," Carol breathed out, barely any sound to her voice.

"We don't believe there is," Melodye said, shaking her head. "The problem is that a lot of people do and we're putting together a list of everything that we believe falls under the blanket term of wild. Among that is—basically any action or reaction that isn't controlled or calm. Sophia reacts almost violently much of the time. She's—I hate to say it, but she's also timid. Skittish, even. Standoffish. She's quiet. I don't know if her language isn't developed or if she's just stopped using it. She shrieks and screams more than she speaks. Sammi can get her to speak to her occasionally, but it's usually simple speech and it's mostly surrounding whatever she's most concerned with at the moment. It's mostly you, Carol, that she's interested in speaking about."

"I taught her to speak," Carol said. "I promise. She could speak when...she could speak."

"You're not on trial," Melodye assured her. "And I'm certain that Sophia could speak. I'm certain that she can speak now. Sometimes, however, trauma can make someone regress. It's entirely possible that Sophia is in a state of regression. If her language has regressed, then, I have to assume that it's possible that she's regressed in other ways."

"She's not—developed?" Carol asked.

"Psychologically, she could be in a state of regression," Melodye repeated. "I'm not ready to say that Sophia is permanently what we see now. She may be entirely different after three minutes in your presence. She may take months or even years to, essentially, catch up with her chronological age. It's difficult to say if she's learned much or done much since she was captured. We don't know if she's been denied the ability to move beyond her years with you in addition to the regression."

"What the hell does all this shit mean?" Daryl asked. On more than one occasion he'd asked Melodye to cut the psychobabble that she used. He didn't understand it and he knew it wasn't necessary. It was that doctor bullshit of not wanting anyone to say that she hadn't said something quite right or that she hadn't painted the picture perfectly. These days, Daryl was pretty sure that not a single damn person in the community was interested in getting the perfect picture as long as they got something they could understand. For most of them, this was a case of their lives. The only details that were really truly important were the ones that were going to keep them alive and as whole as possible. "Just give it to us straight. What the hell does this mean for Sophia?"

Melodye looked at Carol.

"Just—tell us the truth," Carol said. "It doesn't matter how you say it."

"Sophia might not mentally be quite at her age," Melodye said.

"How old is she?" Carol asked. "Mentally, I mean?"

"Hard to tell," Melodye said. "She could be sixteen and hiding it. She could be—seven or eight. She might have regressed to four or five. It's all a matter of figuring it out as we go along. She doesn't speak much, but I have a hunch that will change as she gets comfortable."

"So what do we do?" Carol asked.

"The same thing you were going to do anyway," Melodye said. "You love her. You love her unconditionally. Whether her changes happen fast or slow, you love her. And—be patient with her. Know that she doesn't want to anger you or frustrate you. She's dealing with a lot herself and she maybe doesn't know how to deal with it and isn't ready to ask for help just yet."

"I wouldn't care," Carol said. "I love her any way she is. Any way she turns out to be. I'm going to love her. She's my baby and she'll always be my baby."

"And that's an excellent attitude," Melodye said. "Honestly? That's absolutely what I wanted to hear when I came here. But—I also want you to make sure you're looking out for yourself. Don't let yourself get too stressed or ignored."

"Don't'cha worry about that," Daryl said quickly. "I ain't gonna let Carol get hurt. I ain't gonna let Sophia get hurt."

Melodye pointed her finger at him.

"You watch out for you, too," Melodye said. "That stunt you pulled with the chair? You better be glad it was Alice and me. You better be glad that we weren't coming on something official. They would have shot you, Daryl. Dead. They would have killed Carol, too, just for having been in your presence. If you were willing to act out like that? They'd be sure that she was wiling too. They beat Andrea for holding a bottle of juice. How much more violently do you think they'd react to an actual threat?"

"I get your point," Daryl said. "But—I ain't gonna let'cha just march in here and drag..."

Daryl stopped. What was he going to say? Drag my wife away? Carol wasn't his wife. Technically, he had no "claim" to her of any sort. She was, according to the project, his "breeding partner" and nothing more. He could say his "family," but even that might not be actually true. How he felt and how they saw things could be entirely different. He swallowed and shook his head.

"Weren't gonna let'cha take her," Daryl said. "Not without a fuckin' fight."

"And a fucking fight will get your fucking ass killed," Melodye said, putting extra emphasis on each "fucking" that she used. "So don't do it. Anything we have to do? We have to do it. It's under penalty of law. That's for all of us. If Alice refuses to do it? She'll be deemed wild herself. They're currently exterminating all new Wilds or Wilds deemed not fit for assimilation. Do you understand that, Daryl? Do you know what that means?"

"Means we're all gonna die?" Daryl asked.

"If we don't play by the rules," Melodye said.

"What about Sophia?" Carol asked. "If they think she's wild..."

"She's being dealt with a little differently," Melodye said. "She's a person of special interest to Milton and is therefore protected. All the children are. It means that nobody is allowed to...to exterminate them unless they're an active threat. I explained a little of the project to her because I believe she can understand us just fine. You'll explain it a little bit more. The rules apply—at least our rules. She needs to talk to me. She needs to cooperate with me so I can help her and help you. Maggie will want to evaluate her, so she'll need to be on her best behavior. Even if she's quiet and doesn't have much to offer, that's fine, but she needs to at least stay as calm as she can."

Carol nodded her head.

"When does she get here?" Carol asked.

"As soon as I radio Sammi," Melodye said. "She's in a car right now outside the gates with one of the new guards that's coming in. He's Willomen. He's a...he's a real intimidating guy. Size-wise, I mean to say. He's practically a giant. But I've known him for years. He's a real gentle giant, if you know what I mean. Milton's brought him in to be a special guard for the children and the families whose children are being returned to them. The idea is that he can control the children, if necessary, without the use of any unnecessary force. You're going to be seeing a lot of him, but you don't have anything to fear from him. At least—not for any undue reason. He doesn't believe in the whole Wild theory."

Carol nodded.

"I understand," she said. "Can I see her, please?"

Melodye nodded.

"Of course," Melodye said. "Just remember—lots of love, understanding, and patience, OK?"

"We got it by the bucketful," Daryl offered, practically feeling that Carol was starting to get restless over the fact that her daughter was so close and yet still so far away.

"Just—maybe don't push her too much to talk about what she's been through," Melodye said. "Not right away. Let her go at her own pace. For now? Just welcome her here. Let her feel like she's home. Like she's got a place. A safe one."

"I understand," Carol said.

"We both do," Daryl offered. "Go ahead, just—take your lil' radio there an' push the button."

Melodye laughed to herself and raised her radio. She wiggled it at Daryl to tease him about his instruction and then she did push the button.

"Sam? Where are you? Do you copy?" Meloyde asked.

There was static as a response for a moment and then Samirah's voice.

"We're at the gate," Samirah responded. "We just entered the community. Are you with—them?"

Melodye didn't push the button immediately.

"We can't say your name, Carol, because Sophia gets a little uncontrollable whenever we do," Melodye said.

"Get her on here an' we'll deal with the uncontrollable," Daryl offered.

"I'm handling this," Melodye said with a laugh. She raised her eyebrows at Daryl. "Do you want to do my job for me?"

"Right about now I do," Daryl responded.

Melodye laughed to herself and shook her head. She brought the radio back up to her mouth.

"I'm with them, Sam," Melodye said. "We're ready for reintroduction. Bring Willomen with you when you come in."

"Copy that," Samirah said. "We'll be there in a couple of minutes. Have the door open so we can move quickly inside. I think it's better if they stay out of sight just until we get in the door. There are guards out and we don't want anyone getting too stirred up."

"I hear you," Melodye said. "Loud and clear. Come on. I'll have the door open."

Melodye stood up and smiled.

"Let's get ready," Melodye said. "Round one of Wave Thirty Three Homecoming is about to begin."