A/N: 12/20/2014
wildcow258: I agree about that moment with Carol and Ed's death; I think that was the moment where Daryl really started to 'see' her too.
Salovi: I can't really say about the length of the chapters. I try to keep them short (less than two pages) and I've only got this written up to chapter 9. But we'll see how it goes. Chances are the chapters will get longer, what with Daryl's 'thoughts' and 'feeeelings' and all. Thanks for the review ;)
Terp4Life: Thank you, and I'm sorry! I'll see what I can do about the chapter length (as I've said I've got these written up to chapter 9) but this thing practically writes itself, so we'll just have to see :)
Reading time: 2 mins.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead~
Chapter four: Weak~
When they found the CDC, it seemed like a Godsend.
Except that he didn't believe in miracles, and though they had electricity and food and running water, it was surely not meant to last.
They all enjoyed their first night with hot showers and great food. They gorged themselves on soda and wine and instant potatoes, smiling and joking like it was the greatest thing in the world and they had nothing to worry about. Like there wasn't an endless horde of walkers and ruin outside the steel-reinforced doors.
Though to be honest, it was kind of hard not to enjoy it, however long it lasted. The air was light and the laughter was plentiful, and the supplies seemed limitless. There was no reason not to be merry.
Carol had started talking more.
She seemed to get over Ed's death pretty quickly, and now that she was free of his reign, she seemed to be a happier person. Her daughter, too.
Daryl watched as Carol tossed a spoonful of corn into Sophia's waiting mouth across the table while everyone laughed and ate and savored the last decent meals they would probably come across for a long time, and smiled.
It had been a long time since he'd smiled. Sure, it was probably because he was drunk, but he'd take it over scowling and feeling like shit any day.
And in his drunken stupor, he suddenly decided that, in that moment, he was witnessing a somewhat slow and shifting evolution of the quiet, mousy woman before him.
She was no longer annoying. Or quiet. Or stupid, or dumb.
But she wasn't strong, either. And he didn't look forward to the moment when her lack of strength failed to save her daughter.
It wasn't her fault - he supposed there were plenty of women who were just naturally meek and mild and soft-spoken - but it didn't change the fact.
To a drunk Daryl Dixon, she wasn't hopeless.
At the moment, she was simply weak.
A/N: Up next: Alright.
See you tomorrow!