"Better Days"
Author: carmen_085
Disclaimer: I don't own any Walking Dead characters. Original characters are mine
Author's Note: The twist with Shane in the last chapter was a last minute change in direction but I couldn't resist. I hope everyone is as excited as I am to see where this goes!
Summary: Daryl and Carl go out looking for Sophia and get separated from the group. Alone with two kids, Daryl must keep his own demons at bay while protecting them from not only the dead but also a very dangerous person who has nothing to lose.
Chapter Four
Daryl kept looking over his shoulder as he hustled Carl and Sophia across the field and into the tree line. The forest was dark and cool as he stopped abruptly grabbing Carl by the back of his shirt.
"Hold up a sec." Scanning the fields and the farmhouse he didn't see any movement. Shane wasn't exactly stealthy so Daryl felt confident that they were safe for now.
"What are we doing?" Carl moaned to Daryl a few octaves too high clearly annoyed by their current situation.
"SHHH! What the hell is wrong with you, boy? Attract every walker in Georgia with your big mouth." Pushing past them Daryl continued toward the cave hoping that Carl's outburst didn't attract any local walkers. Behind him he could hear the boy complaining about traipsing through the woods for no good reason.
"What about my dad? He's going to come back and look for us! We're going the wrong way." Jesus, Carl was going to give him a bitch of a time with this. Quickly Daryl began to scan his brain for a solution. He didn't want to lie to him; that would surely come back and bite him in the ass one day. But the truth…the truth was definitely out.
Glancing down at Carl, Daryl avoided eye contact. He wasn't a good liar. "I left a sign out front for your old man. Told him what direction we were heading. He'll find us."
Carl was silent. It had worked for now. Daryl bit his lip. This was some kind of situation they had. Shane was fucking crazy. There was no doubt about it.
Daryl didn't say much because he liked to listen and watch. He had been that way for a . His daddy wasn't much for conversation; usually let his fists do the talking. At one time Daryl had been a bright, outgoing kid. He loved to talk and couldn't read enough books even if he tried. Hard to believe, right? He did well in school and wanted to do so many things with this life. But little by little his daddy and Merle beat that hope out of him. They told him he was stupid and would never amount to anything. That he was garbage and had no use for books or school or any kind of learning that didn't involve the backside of his daddy's hand. Eventually he believed them. They told him he was stupid so he stopped going to school. They told him he was trash so he stopped looking at himself in the mirror; afraid of what he would find. They told him he would never amount to anything and he didn't. He shut his mouth and from then on he just watched as everyone else lived the life they deserved while his slipped away.
Daryl had been watching Shane for a while now. He seemed like an ok guy until Rick showed up at the quarry camp. After that something shifted inside him. He became erratic as his grip in reality began to loosen. At one time Daryl was almost certain that Shane was going to creep off in the middle of the night never to be seen from again. It would have probably been best for all of them but no such luck. He should have figured on that one. Shane would never leave Lori and Carl behind. He had gotten a taste of something he wanted so badly only to have it yanked out from under him. And he couldn't get mad, couldn't blame anyone, couldn't even try to take it back. Because it never belonged to him in the first place. Lori and Carl had never been his no matter how much he wanted that to be true and it just killed him. It was written all over his face every time he looked at them. Daryl didn't agree with it but he understood what it was like to want something you could never have.
Looking down at Carl, Daryl sighed. This was going to be hard. He had to make sure that Carl never ever got sight of Shane. If Daryl was lucky, Carl thought of him as an ok guy; a means to find his father. Realistically, he realized that the boy was probably afraid of him and would try to get away the first chance he got. He needed to make sure that Shane wasn't that chance. He knew that Carl would never in a million years believe that Shane was dangerous. He didn't know the specifics of their relationship but he knew that Rick and Shane had been partners for a long time. Carl had probably known him all his life. In Carl's eyes he was a good guy, a hero cop, and his dad's best friend. He was the man who held him as a baby and came over to play with his new toys on Christmas Day. He probably took him to a Braves' game or the park, or for a ride in the police car. And he was probably there the day Rick got shot or the day their town was overrun with walkers. The point being, Shane had always been there. If Carl didn't have any other uncles Shane was most likely it. And that was the problem. To Carl, Shane would always be one of the greatest guys in the world. Daryl wasn't a betting man but he would be willing to put his life on the fact that Carl would never believe that Shane was dangerous. He would never believe a stupid redneck like Daryl. Never in a million years.
Sighing, Daryl stopped at the base of a rock wall. Gesturing up about five feet was a ledge that went back quite a ways. Hoisting both Carl and Sophia up, he pulled himself up with moderate effort. His arms were still aching from carrying Sophia all over hell's half acre. The cave he was talking about was actually bigger than Carl had thought. Sitting down next to Sophia he looked at Daryl expectantly. What now?
Setting down his crossbow Daryl looked up at them. "What?"
"Now what do we do?" Sophia looked at him expectantly. She hadn't said much and he was grateful to hear her voice. If Carl had asked him he probably would have been annoyed.
Taking a deep breath he knelt down. "We stay here until morning. Then back to the highway."
"What if they're not there?" Oh Carl always had something to say.
Looking at him seriously Daryl nodded, "They'll be there." Carl looked at him for a while before lying down in pile of leaves near the rear. Sophia sat there looking at him nervously in the darkness.
"What?" It came out harsher than he had intended.
"What if they come back? The walkers." He nodded acknowledging her fear.
"Don't worry. I'll stay up, keep watch." She looked at him nervously. Softening his voice he offered her a small smile, "Really, it's ok. Go sleep over there with Carl." Reluctantly she scurried over next to Carl and lay down. Settling back against the lip of the cave Daryl rested his crossbow over his lap. He was so tired and hungry. It hadn't even occurred to him that he was hungry. He has been so busy making sure that Carl and Sophia were fed that he had completely forgotten to feed himself. Closing his eyes, the back of his head dug into the rocks. The night sounds of the forest comforted him with their familiarity. Crickets chirped as he took a deep breath. He loved that sound. At home, before all this happened he used to sleep with his window open every night. Somewhere behind him he heard rhythmic breathing; as he knew that at least one of them was asleep. Shifting he opened his eyes. He needed to stay awake.
The highway was a dead end. He knew they should have gone to the farm. Driving back to the gas station the car was silent.
"We'll find them." Hershel was the first to break the silence.
Rick shook his head, exhaling loudly. "All I can think about it what if he's out there alone. What if he's scared? What if he's…" Rick trailed off unable to say it.
"He's with Daryl." Hershel said it like he knew.
"You don't know that."
"Rick, Carl would not wander off into the woods alone. You know that. He's a smart boy. He probably saw Daryl leaving and followed him."
Rick nodded, Hershel was probably right. If he could pick anyone for his son to be with in this world right now it would be Daryl. If he couldn't look after Carl himself he would want Daryl to. There was no one who knew how to survive better than him. There was also no one he trusted more. Although they got off to a rough start, Rick had never known Daryl to be anything but loyal and trustworthy. A straight shooter and a true believer, he would take care of Carl like the boy was his own. What worried Rick as that he wasn't with Daryl. That he was alone or something worse.
"Daryl….Daryl…" The front door slammed as Daryl sat up in bed with a start. "Daryl…"
He heard foot steps coming down the hallway. Laying back down he pulled the blankets over his head. Maybe if he pretended like he was asleep his old man wouldn't bother him. He heard something slide down off the wall and hit the floor with a crash. A grunt and two more heavy footsteps. His heart was pounding.
The door opened with a creek. "Daryl…" Under the covers he squeezed his eyes shut. Please go away. Please go away. He heard a raspy breath and then the inevitable. "I thought I told you to clean up this room, boy!" His room was clean; it was spotless actually. After the last time he wouldn't make that mistake again. It didn't matter though. It never mattered.
In an instant the blankets were ripped off and he was lying curled up on the mattress. It was stained and dirty. There were no sheets. His father threw them away about a month ago. His father had been on a rampage that night drunk and high on cocaine he ripped the house apart from one end to the next. When he finally got to Daryl's room, the boy was trembling under the blankets so scared that he wet the bed. That night he slept naked on the bathroom floor as punishment. The sheets thrown away, the mattress smelled of urine that his father refused to clean. It stayed that way until the smell eventually started to fade.
"Next time I tell you to clean your room. You clean your FUCKING ROOM!" The first punch hit him in the back so hard that the air whooshed out of his lungs, He opened his mouth to scream but nothing came out. Bending over his father grabbed him by the leg yanking him out of bed. Throwing him on the floor, he stopped when a book fell out from underneath Daryl. A fucking book. Just what he told that kid not to be worried about.
Whipping it as hard as he could the stiff binding hit Daryl in the forehead causing a trickle of blood to run down his face. "I thought I told you not to be bothered with this shit!" Kicking him in the ribs, Daryl rolled over grabbing his side. "Books are for pussies." Grabbing his son by the neck he hauled him to his feet pushing him back against the wall. "You ain't a pussy now. So what? You think you better than your brother, Merle? Better than me? Yeah that's it… you think you better than me." Daryl tried to shake his head no but couldn't move an inch. Tightening his grip his father lifted him off the ground, hands still wrapped around his neck. Daryl's chest heaved; he couldn't breath. Tears involuntarily sprung up in his eyes as ran down his cheeks. His father was going to kill him.
Waking up, Daryl gasped for air. Every muscle in his body was tense as he looked around. He was ok. Looking over at Carl and Sophia they were both motionless. He was covered in sweat as he stood wobbling on his feet. Walking out to the edge of the rock he sat down looking out over the woods. It was just a dream. He couldn't hurt him anymore. He wasn't ten years old and his father wasn't alive. He told himself that over and over as he breathed in the cool night air. Looking down he realized that his hands were shaking. Clasping them together he closed his eyes trying to calm himself down.
"Are you ok?" He visibly jumped clearly startled by the voice beside him. Sophia looked at him with wide eyes.
"Yeah…I uh…I thought you were sleeping." His voice was shaky and clearly rattled.
"I was. I thought I heard something though." Sitting down next to him, he watched as she stared at his hands trembling in his lap. Tucking them between his legs, he tensed his arms hoping that he could control it. They were silent for a moment before she looked at him seriously. "Are you scared?"
Only every moment of every day. He couldn't tell her that though. What the hell kind of man was he if he spilled his guts to a little girl. Shaking his head he looked away so that she couldn't see the lie written all over his face, "No. What about you?"
She thought about it for a moment before quietly replying, "Not like before."
Before. That would be the week she spent out in the woods alone when he couldn't find her. "What did you do?" It had been something he was wondering about since he found her.
Sophia shrugged, "After Rick left me. I went back toward the highway. I thought it wasn't that far but I kept getting turned around." Daryl couldn't imagine what that must have been like. Sure he had been lost in the woods as a kid, but he was used to it. Sophia had probably never set foot outside alone in her life. "Eventually I gave up. I found place and lay down. I cried all night. I missed my momma so much." Daryl felt a twinge in his chest. God, he tried so hard to find her. He hated that she was made to suffer because he failed. "The next morning I was laying there when I felt something grab me. I thought it was my momma and I was safe at home and that all this was a bad dream. When I opened my eyes…" her voice wavered as he could see tears spring up in her eyes. "There was a walker there." He looked away. He would never forgive himself for this. He didn't leave her but he could have found her ...he should have found her. "I ran as far and as long as I could. I don't know what happened but I guess I must have tripped. The next thing I knew I was going over the side of the ledge. Somehow I caught myself before I fell. I don't know. Then you found me."
Daryl shook his head. She had been clinging to that ledge for almost five days? Unbelievable. They were silent for a moment before he finally said something. It was low and barely above a whisper, "I'm sorry."
"For what?" She looked at him quizzically.
He sucked in a deep breath. Guilt was written all over his face as he avoided her eyes, "For not finding you sooner. You didn't have to go through…" Before he could finish she cut in.
"Yeah but you found me." Dumbfounded he didn't know what to say. "And you took care of me. And you're going to find my momma. I know you will." Daryl gave her a half smile as he looked down. The weight of her expectations caused his shoulders to sag. What if he couldn't find the others? What if he let them down? What if he was still nothing more than the helpless kid his father kicked across the floor?
Next to him Sophia shivered in the night air. Pulling her knees to her chest, she hugged herself trying to stay warm. For a second he wondered if he should put his arm around her, keep her warm. It made him feel uncomfortable and he didn't know what to do. Gesturing toward the cave he looked at her, "Go back there with Carl. Get some sleep. I'll wake you guys up when it's time to go."
Sophia sighed. She wanted to stay there next to Daryl. She wanted him to put his arm around her and she wanted to lean against his chest and hear the beating of his heart. It made her feel safe and warm. She wanted him to hold her close and tell her everything would be ok. That they would get out of this. That he would protect her. And that they would find her momma. Like Shane Sophia had gotten a taste of something she had wanted so badly for so long. Looking up at Daryl she realized that it had never belonged to her. But that didn't stop her from wanting it.
Reluctantly she went back and lay down next to Carl. Her eyes were open as she watched Daryl in the dark. Bending his head down she watched as his shoulders slumped forward. He looked so different sitting there. He wasn't anything like the loud mouthed, cursing, redneck she remembered from camp. He was unsure. He was guilty. But most of all he was scared. She knew he would never admit it but she could feel it. It was in everything he did. The way he talked, his posture, and how he didn't make eye contact when he was trying to lie. Just like Daryl, Sophia was a watcher and listener. She picked up in subtle things that other people missed. No matter what he said, Daryl was scared out of his mind. At first she thought that fact would freak her out, but really she didn't mind that much. It just made him seem more human to her. It made him seem like a real person and not the awful stereotype everyone made him out to be.
Daryl sat on the ledge until the sun came up. He was too wired to even think about sleeping. The nightmares hadn't been a problem until recently. His father died when he was eighteen, some bull shit about his heart. Closing his eyes he remembered that day if it was only yesterday.
It was hot and he was covered with sweat and grease as he walked home from work. He had barely graduated from high school a couple of months ago and was now working at the local mechanic's shop. He liked it good enough, but couldn't help but to feel like he was missing out on something more. Like so many of the others in his class, he could have made something of himself. He could have really been something.
When he got closer to the house he saw Merle sitting on the front stairs smoking a cigarette. Daryl stopped when his brother looked up at him. Something was wrong. He could feel it. Merle looked at him for a second before looking back down at the ground.
"Daddy's dead." And there it was.
"What?" He wasn't sure he heard that right.
"Some bullshit about his heart. I don't fucking know. I went down to St. Maggie's. He was already dead when I got there." Merle flicked the cigarette away. Daryl felt his chest tighten with so many different emotions. Nodding he walked past his brother into the house. Dropping the tool belt on the floor he walked straight ahead into the bathroom.
Turning the sink on Daryl scrubbed the grease off his hands. Leaning down he splashed the cold water in his face. Turning the water off he looked at himself in the mirror. A sob caught in his throat. What the hell was wrong with him? His father, the son of a bitch who beat him within an inch of his life, was gone. He should be relieved. Happy even. But he wasn't. Not in that moment anyway.
When Daryl grew into a teenager he became too big for his father to smack around. At that point the abuse became primarily verbal. He wanted to stand up to him so many times but he never did and now he never would get the chance. He was angry. Gripping the edges of the sink his knuckles turned white. All those years, he thought that one day he would finally stand up to him. Tell him that he ruined everything. The son of a bitch was dead now. Gone from this world without a clue about the fucked up people he left behind. Winding up Daryl punched the mirror as hard as he could.
Snapping his eyes open he looked down at his right hand. The faint scar was still there. Four stitches right across his knuckles. It took forever for that to heal. Clenching his hand he looked up. The nightmares had tailed off after his father died. Over the years he noticed they would start up again when he was stressed about one thing or another. This was definitely one of those situations.
Pushing himself up, Daryl dusted his pants off. The sun was up now and they needed to start moving Bending over he quietly spoke, "Hey. Get up. We gotta start moving again." Sophia stirred awake first, meeting his eyes with a smile. Daryl looked her over. She was still too skinny looking. When they got back to the highway he was going to find them something to eat.
"What about my dad?" Daryl sighed. He wished that he would have had a dad like Rick. That man would go to the ends of the earth to find his son, and Carl would never stop believing in him.
"I told you. I left a sign out front of that house. Told him we were heading back to the highway. He'll find us." Sophia noted how Daryl didn't look at Carl when he said it. He was lying should could tell. Carl shrugged clearly not happy but taking Daryl's words at face value. Climbing down the rock face, the trio headed east toward the highway. It was a risky move and Daryl knew that. Shane could easily be there; waiting for them. He had to check, though. With the farm overrun, the only other place in the area they would know to go was the highway. If he didn't at least try, they might never find Rick or Carol or anyone else. Once someone was gone from your sight, they could be gone forever.
Rick packed the last of the supplied into the car. They were going back to the farm and then he needed to find some real shelter for the group. They cleaned the gas station out of food and supplies leaving the already meager shelves completely bare. It had been decided that T-Dog would go back to the highway and wait there while the rest of them searched the farm and the surrounding area. Rick didn't like the idea of someone out there alone but they were short and manpower and needed every extra body to comb the woods.
Stopping the car near the traffic snarl he looked at T-Dog seriously. "Be safe. We'll be back to get you before dark." The man nodded. He could handle himself and Rick knew it. Doubling back, Rick looked in the rearview mirror at his friend as they sped away.
"How much further?" Daryl smirked when he heard Sophia's voice.
"Seems a lot further when you actually have to walk." Face turning a little red she was silent as Carl snickered.
"Want to play a game?" Carl looked at her expectantly.
"Sure."
"Ok, I say something, you tell met he first thing that comes to mind. Don't think about it at all." Sophia nodded eager for the distraction. "Want to play, Daryl?"
The older man grunted. Carl didn't know if that was a yes or no but he continued anyway. "Ok. School."
"Yuck." Sophia made as a face as Carl laughed.
"What about Christmas?"
"Presents." Sophia chimed in. Daryl looked over his shoulder,
"Sleep." They jumped looking at him surprised that he had decided to join in.
"Sleep?" Carl looked at him skeptically. If there was one day in the whole year Carl didn't want to sleep it was Christmas day. He could be up at six in the morning and that was perfectly ok with him.
"Yeah, sleep. No one's around, don't gotta go to work." Sophia and Carl wrinkled their noses. That sounded like the most depressing Christmas ever.
"Whatever." Carl shrugged his shoulders. "Ok, family."
Sophia got quiet for a second before replying, "Momma."
"No one." They both looked at Daryl, their faces a mix of surprise and sadness.
"What about your brother?" Sophia looked at him arms folded over her chest.
"I thought you weren't supposed to think about it." She couldn't decide if Daryl thought Merle was dead or if he just didn't think of him as family. At least not the way she thought of her momma as family.
The moment had turned awkward as Carl searched for a way to break it. Out of the three of them he had a feeling that he was the odd man out. Before all this his life had been, for lack of a better word, charmed. His parents were still married and they both loved him. He had never been beaten or abused in any way. He liked school, had friends, and truly believed that he could do anything he wanted to. For a while he thought that everyone was like that. Looking at Daryl and Sophia he realized he had been the lucky one.
"Ok, what about Justin Bieber?" Sophia giggled, as Daryl couldn't help but to smirk.
"Cute." She replied her face immediately turning red. Daryl looked at her. He would have to remember this.
"Kid." Sophia looked at Daryl, her mouth gaping open.
"You know who Justin Bieber is?" Daryl rolled his eyes.
"Good Lord, I got a radio." They both giggled.
Sitting on the trunk of a car, T-Dog turned when heard what sounded like footsteps. Craning his neck he saw a figure coming toward him. Squatting down behind the trunk he leveled the gun. As the figure came closer he visibly relaxed. Standing up he yelled out.
"Shit! We thought you were dead, man!" Shane. When the man came closer the smile faded from T-Dog's face. Something was different about him.
"You with Rick?" Shane narrowed his eyes not bothering with any pleasantries.
Slowly, T-Dog nodded. "Yeah."
"Carl with you?" T-Dog's eyes wandered to the shotgun Shane had over his shoulder and then to knife hanging off this belt.
"Naw." T-Dog
"You know where he's at?" Shane took a step forward so that there was no space between them. Shifting on his feet T-Dog was unwilling to step back although he was clearly threatened by Shane.
Glaring at him he shook his head, "We're looking for him right now. Rick…he'll find him."
Shane let out an evil laugh. "Rick left him. He don't care about Carl." Stepping back, Shane sneered as he thumbed his chest indignantly. "Carl's mine now."
T-Dog raised his eyebrows. He knew that Shane was coming unraveled but this was bad. Watching the other man, he saw his eyes dart from the woods back to T-Dog. He had completely lost his mind.
"Tell me where they are." No way in hell was he going to sell Rick out like that. Tightening his grip on the gun at his side T-Dog shook his head as he looked away.
"No." Shane furrowed his brow. No? That wasn't an answer.
"What did you just say?"
Looking him square in the eye T-Dog said it a little louder. "I said no."
A smile came across Shane's face as he nodded. Rubbing his chin he reached around behind him. "Have it your way." Before T-Dog realized what was happening, the crack went off and he was falling backwards onto the ground. Blood squirted from his chest as he gasped for air. Walking forward Shane stood over top of him. T-Dog frantically grabbed at the pavement for his gun. He should have shot Shane when he had the chance. That wasn't him, though. He had never killed anything in his entire life; walkers didn't count. He had been a youth pastor and a school teacher. He had never handled a gun until a few months ago. His body convulsed as Shane stood over top of him. "Hope it was worth it." Leveling the Beretta at his head he ended the other man's life with a look of disgust.
About a mile away from the highway, Daryl listened to Carl and Sophia banter back and forth. Suddenly his ears picked up a familiar sound. A gunshot, he barely heard it. Stopping he looked around, it could have come from anywhere.
"What's going on?" Carl stared up at him.
"Nothing." Daryl didn't want to worry them for nothing. "Just keep it down, OK? No telling what's in these woods."
They walked for another twenty minutes before Daryl saw the highway come into view. Climbing up the small embankment, he held his hand up for Carl and Sophia to wait. They watched him as he stepped over the guardrail surveying the scene. The place looked pretty deserted as Daryl reasoned that they were safe for now.
Turning back he motioned from them to come over. Helping Sophia step over the guardrail he gestured for Carl to follow. Looking around he bent over, "Carl you remember that car we left the food on for Sophia?"
Carl shook his head, "The yellow one."
"Right. Now I want you two to go over there and see if you can find anything to eat."
A terrified look came across Sophia's face. The last time this happened she ended up lost in the woods for a week. "What if something happens, again?"
Daryl softened his expression, "I'll never be out of your sight, ok? If something comes after you…you run to me this time, Ok?" She didn't like it. That much was evident. Reluctantly she nodded. As they turned toward the car, Daryl yelled after Carl. "Stay together, you hear?" Carl nodded seriously.
After they disappeared between the cars, Daryl began looking for any sign that Rick or the others had been here. Walking along the shoulder of the road, he picked up a faint set of tire marks in the dirt. Tracking them for twenty or so feet he constantly kept looking over his shoulder making sure that Carl and Sophia were always in his sight. The tracks faded near the back of the pile up as he concluded that someone must have turned around and went back the other way. It could be Rick or it could be no one.
Wiping the sweat from the back of his neck he heard a buzzing sound. Checking Carl and Sophia he was satisfied when he saw them sitting on the roof of the car eating out of a soggy cereal box. Weaving through the cars Daryl saw a man's legs as he raised his cross bow. Walking stealthily he crept over the bodies of dead walkers. Crouching down he saw that the guy wasn't moving as a pool of blood shimmered in the afternoon sun. Suddenly he remembered the gunshot. Holding his breath he stepped around the back of the car. His eyes widened as he saw the man lying on the ground.
T-Dog. Daryl's heart was pounding as his eyes landed on the perfect hole right in the middle of his head. No one could shoot themselves like that and besides T-Dog had never struck him as someone who would "opt out". Staring at the man's body a chill ran up his spine. Someone did this. A living, breathing person had killed T-Dog.
Behind him he heard the crunch of gravel. Daryl's blood ran cold as he looked under the car. A set of boots stepped over the median. He froze for a second. This couldn't be happening again. Springing up, he bounded over bodies as he rushed toward Carl and Sophia. From all the time Daryl spent in the woods he was light on his feet and barely made a sound.
When he reached the car he grabbed Sophia around the mouth preventing her from screaming as Carl looked at him in fear. Grabbing the boy by the shirt he pushed him behind a car as they all crouched down. Sophia was whimpering against his hand as he felt her press her face into his shirt. Peering through the dirty windows, Daryl watched as Shane weaved back and forth searching the cars. He stopped when he got to the yellow car seeing the open box of cereal lying on the ground.
Carefully, Daryl backed up dragging Sophia with him. They needed to find a place to hide. Daryl's eyes scanned the cars. Up ahead was an SUV with tinted windows. The back door was wide open. Pushing Carl toward the vehicle, Daryl breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was empty. Motioning for Carl to get inside he immediately obeyed. Daryl gestured for him to crawl in the front and stay down. About to swing himself and Sophia into the back seat, he saw Shane coming around the back of the car.
Leaving the back door open, he backed up around the front of the car. There was nowhere to go. In front of the SUV was another car with the back door kicked open and the window down. Crouching down behind the open door, Daryl squeezed Sophia against his chest.
Sophia kept her eyes closed as she breathed in the scent of Daryl's shirt. It smelled like dirt and sweat and blood. It smelled like Daryl. She could feel his heart pounding through his chest as he reached for something behind him. Pulling the gun out of his waistband, Daryl rested it against the window frame.
Shane stopped at the open back door of the SUV. Leaning inside he saw nothing. Curled up in a ball on the floor in front of the passenger seat Carl held his breath. It was walker and it was inside the car with him. Closing his eyes he prayed that it would just leave him alone. Daryl watched as Shane leaned inside the car. Leaning back out he took a few steps back looking at the vehicle. Peering inside the tinted glass he saw nothing. Shane took a few steps toward them as Daryl held the gun level. This was it. He was going to have to kill Shane.
Then just as quickly as he had appeared Shane went back the way he came. Daryl didn't move an inch until he saw the man disappear into the woods. Letting out the breath he had been holding, he let go of Sophia has he stood up.
"Come on." Opening the passenger door of the SUV he found Carl in a state of near panic.
"Are the walkers gone?" Daryl looked at him confused before he nodded.
"Yeah they're gone."
They needed to get the hell out of there and fast. Looking around Daryl went over his options. They needed a car. There was no telling where Shane went or when he would be back. There was no way he could out run him with two kids.
A black sedan sat near the back of the pile up. Relatively undamaged Daryl thought it would be their best shot. Looking at Carl and Sophia he pointed toward the yellow car about ten feet away. "Go back to the car and get all the food you can carry, ok?" Carl nodded eager to have something to get his mind off what just happened.
Sophia stood there and watched Daryl unwilling to move. He was about to yell at her but stopped when he saw the frightened look on her face. "Why are we running from Shane?"
Daryl's heart stopped for a second. She must have seen him. Stopping what he was doing he put his hands on her hips and looked at her seriously. "What I'm going to tell you stays between you and me. Don't tell Carl. I mean it."
Sophia nodded. She was a good secret keeper. "I promise, I won't."
Sighing Daryl, looked over to where Carl was filling his arms with groceries. "Soph," it was the first time he had called her by a nickname. It made her feel warm inside. "I…I think he's dangerous. I think he isn't right in the head. He wants to take Carl away from us, away from his family." Sophia's eyes widened. This was serious. "Carl won't believe me, though. He trusts Shane." Daryl looked around before he knelt down in front of her. "You have to promise that you won't say anything to Carl. Promise me, Sophia. Not a word."
Nodding she bit her lip. "I promise." Daryl nodded. She seemed to understand. Now he could only hope she kept her mouth shut.
Standing back up Daryl went to work prying the car door open. The latch left loose as Carl came over dropping the groceries on the pavement. Daryl nodded at him. "Good." The car was empty, thank God. Daryl looked around. No keys. Fucking great.
Over his shoulder he heard a hissing sound. Looking up he saw Sophia staring at something her eyes wide with fear. Walkers. A whole herd of them weaved through the cars as Daryl felt his stomach flip.
"Sophia, get in the car." Without hesitation she climbed into the passenger seat. Pulling his gun out of his waistband Daryl handed it to Carl. "If they get close just start shooting them." Carl swallowed hard.
Kneeling down, Daryl pulled the wiring out from under the steering column. Using his knife he cut the wires. Sophia was starting to cry as he heard Carl's heavy breathing behind him. He didn't have much time. Wrapping two wires together he cursed when nothing happened.
"Daryl….Daryl…" Sophia was starting to freak out as he could hear the herd bearing down on them.
Two more wires crossed; nothing. "Dammit." His fingers twisted two more together; nothing.
"Hurry Up! HURRY UP!" Carl was getting frantic. They had to be right there.
He only had two wires left unless he had lost track. Crossing them he prayed that this was it. The engine turned over as the car roared to life. Standing up he took the gun out of Carl's shaking hands and popped two walkers that were within arm's reach. Throwing the boy into the car. He closed the door, dropping it into reverse. Weaving backwards through the mess, Daryl was never so happy to see open road. Pulling a U-turn he slammed the gas down and gunned the vehicle in the opposite direction.
They rode in silence for a few minutes before Carl finally spoke up. "Why didn't you kill them?"
"Who?"
"The walkers."
Daryl shook his head. "There were too many of them."
Carl shook his head. "No before. When you told me to hide in the car. You could have killed them with your crossbow."
Daryl shot Sophia a look but she kept her eyes trained out the window. He was silent for a moment. Looking in the rearview mirror he met Carl's eyes. "Carl…things are different now. The things I used to do before I can't do anymore. I can't just run around killing walkers whenever I feel like it."
Carl looked confused. "Why not?"
"I used to do that and I was reckless. I would square off on a group a geeks and pop everyone of them not caring if another one was creeping up on me. I figured if something got me…what would it matter? As long as I went out on my own terms, who really cared if I was dead?" They were both staring at him now. "Sure you guys would have missed all the BBQ squirrel but…" he trailed off meeting their eyes for the first time. "All I'm saying is before it didn't matter if I didn't come home at the end of the day. Now I need to worry about you and Sophia. I can't do the things I used to do because I need to be here for you guys." He said far more than he intended to but it seemed to work as Carl sat down in the back seat with a nod.
"Hey Daryl…"
"Yeah?"
"Remember when I told you that being a mechanic was useful? That you could fix a broke down car if we needed to get away from a herd of walkers?"
Daryl smirked, "I remember."
"Bet you're glad you became something useful…like a mechanic." Daryl smiled for the first time in a while. Glancing in the rearview mirror he met Carl's eyes.
"Hey Carl….Thanks."
They drove for a few miles before Daryl stopped at a gas station. It was run down and had clearly been raided. Telling Carl and Sophia to wait in the car he cleared the building finding no one. There was also no food and no water. Sighing he returned to the car slamming the door.
"It's picked clean." Daryl wasn't too familiar with this part of Georgia although he reasoned that they would run into a shopping center eventually if they just stayed on the highway.
"Where are we going?" Sophia asked as they merged back onto the deserted highway.
"We need to find a proper place to sleep tonight and some more food and water." From the back seat Carl moaned a little. "Besides, we can't go south. The road's blocked. We need to find another way around that traffic."
"Than what?"
Daryl sighed, Carl would never give up on Rick. "Then we make for Fort Bening."
"What if he's not there."
Daryl looked out the side window at the passing landscape. "He'll be there."
The gas gauge on the car was inching toward empty when a Wal-Mart suddenly appeared off to the right. It was the best thing he had seen yet. Food, clothing, ammo….this could be a gold mine. Pulling up the front door they got out. The doors were chained shut. Walking around the side of the building he found a small window. Carl and Sophia watched as he pushed a dumpster over. Climbing up he peered inside. It looked like some kind of office. Regardless there was no one there. Pulling the gun out he used the butt end to break the glass. A searing pain went through his hand as he realized that he was cut. Blood tricked down his fingers as he tried to stop it with the front of his shirt.
Clearing the glass completely away he turned toward Carl and Sophia. "Jump up here." Carl was able to pull himself up but he needed to pull Sophia up. Boosting Carl up and through the window he watched as the boy landed on his feet. Turning around, he lifted Sophia and then crawled through himself.
The door was unlocked as they came out into a back room of sorts. They stayed behind Daryl as he kept his cross bow raised. The lock on the front door was a good sign. Hopefully everyone bolted before the place got overrun. The main store area was dark except for the rays of sunlight coming down through the skylights. Daryl would need to clear this whole store before he was satisfied that they were safe. Walking around the perimeter he scanned each aisle as Carl and Sophia stayed close behind. When he was done he put down his cross bow and breathed a sigh of relief. They were alone.
When Carl saw this he eagerly ran off toward the food section, Sophia not far behind. Looking down at his bleeding hand, Daryl walked toward the first aid supplies. Dumping some peroxide over the cut he winced hoping that he didn't have a piece of glass stuck in there. Clumsily he ripped open a roll of gauze as he tried his best to wrap it around his fingers.
"Want some help?" Sophia stood there a bag of chips in one hand and a new doll in the other. Daryl grunted; he could handle this. Dropping her new finds, she walked over to him. "You're doing it all wrong." Taking the gauze from his hand she began wrapping it around his palm first and then each knuckle so that it didn't move. Daryl just watched her. When she was done she tucked the end inside so that it wouldn't come unraveled. Looking at her hesitantly he nodded. He was afraid to know why she could bandage wounds so effectively. "I got my first aid badge in girl scouts last year." He breathed out. Girl scouts, of course.
Carl had pulled out some of the bedding and was making a nest on the floor. Sophia eagerly went over to join him when she saw the board games he had snagged. Daryl walked past them to the ammo. He hoped that the place wasn't raided. When he rounded the corner to sporting goods his eyes lit up. Guns; still in their glass cases like the world had never gone to shit. He was pretty set with his cross bow and the .9mm Glock in his waistband but he had been thinking that Carl should probably have a gun too. He didn't like the idea but he had to face reality. Something could happen to him, God it killed him to even think about it, but it could happen. If it did, he would want them to have a fighting chance. Scanning the case of pistols he found a small revolver. Jumping the counter he pried the lock off as he reached inside. It was a nice gun. Not too heavy but with the right amount of weight and balance. Grabbing a couple boxes of bullets, he headed back toward where he left Carl and Sophia. Putting the gun high up on a shelf, he would give that to Carl when they left.
Looking up Daryl realized that the sun was beginning to set as the light in the store started to dim. Sitting back against the shelf he adjusted the pillow behind his head. Carl had passed out a while ago, curled up in a mess of pillows. Smiling Daryl was relieved at the prospect of actual sleep for the first time in days. Suddenly Sophia appeared standing over him with a book that she had found. Stepping over his legs she sat down next to him. He looked at her half hoping that she would lay down next to Carl and go to sleep.
"What?" He could tell she wanted something. Handing him a book he looked at him expectantly.
Daryl looked at the front cover. "Goodnight Moon". His breath hitched in his throat. This had been one of his favorites a child. He read it every night until he memorized the words. He remembered the day he came home and his favorite story was sitting on the top of the garbage pile, pages ripped to shreds.
"Will you read it to me?" Her voice startled him out of his thoughts. Handing the book back he felt a wave of unwanted emotion come over him. How many times had he asked someone to read that book to him and been denied, called a name, and sent to bed crying.
"You can read." Sophia pushed it back towards him.
"My momma always used to read it to me." Her voice quivered and her eyes glazed over and Daryl couldn't refuse.
Taking the book he opened it to the first page. Taking a deep breath he started, "In the great green room there was a telephone. And a red balloon. And a picture of the cow jumping over the moon."
Sophia sat back as she inched closer to him. "And there were three little bears sitting on chairs. And two little kittens and a pair of mittens. And a little toy house and a young mouse."
He felt her lean against his arm. It made him even more uncomfortable if that was even possible at this point. "And a comb and a brush. And a bowl full of mush. And an old lady who was whispering 'Hush'."
Daryl sighed. He needed to get over himself and look at this from her point of view. A neglected child for sure, Sophia had probably spent most of her life searching for a strong, protective male figure. In addition to that, she had just spent a week alone in the woods not knowing if she was going to live or die. Every ounce of her craved a sense of security and for some reason she thought he could give her that. God, how many times did he want that as a child? Too many. If he could give that to someone else he should feel good and not like he was doing something wrong. Shifting his body weight he moved his arm and she immediately scooted next to him. Putting his arm around her narrow shoulders, he brought her closer to him. He could feel her relax as she rested her head against his chest. The rhythmic beating of his heart brought back a familiar sense of comfort. Turning the page, Daryl continued.
"Good night room. Goodnight moon. Good night cow jumping over the moon. Good night light and the red balloon." Daryl flipped the page. "Good night bears. Good night chairs. Good night kittens. Good night mittens. Good night clocks. Good night socks. Good night little house. Good night mouse. Good night comb. Good night brush."
Sophia let her eyes slip closed; the sound of his raspy voice vibrating in his chest soothing her. "Good night nobody. Good night mush. Good night to the old lady whispering 'Hush'. Good night stars. Good night air. Goodnight, noises everywhere."
Words taken from the Children's book "Goodnight Moon."
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