AN: new chapter
I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead
Chapter 11
Waking with Carol in his arms was becoming a a habit Daryl wasn't sure he could break.
It had been two weeks since that first night he'd slept in her bed. He'd woken that morning with a feeling of peace. Mornings had always been a pleasant time for him. Before his dad's evil thoughts entered his mind. Before Merle's jumbled hungover thoughts started to be broadcast to him like a radio signal. In the morning there was peace. But that morning more than peaceful he felt whole. Complete. Flashes of the future entered his mind. He saw Carol, standing in front of him, naked her stomach swollen with his child. Her face radiated joy, and confidence, and love. She was his future, he knew that now. She had lost herself, in Ed's senseless violence, but she was strong. She would survive this and be stronger.
She woke slowly. She was luxuriating in the feeling of safety of security. Stretching every muscle in a way that was so incredibly sexy. He watched as her back arched and her hands came up above her head. He had another flash of her spread out naked on this bed. Her hands bound loosely with a silk scarf above her head. Her face staring up at him, putting all her trust in him. All her love.
He groaned and leaned down kissing her cheek. "Good morning." He whispered into her hair.
She looked up at him, cupping his face. "You chased all my nightmares away." She said softly.
Every night after that, she simply had turned to look at him. A frightened look on her face, a look of longing on her face. Too timid to ask, one word had filtered through her mind. Please. He couldn't deny her anything.
The flashbacks seemed to come less and less. As soon as he felt one coming, Ruby it seemed would too. He'd gone out to check on her many times in the office to find her happily scratching Ruby's ears. A particular bad one had hit her today, Ruby had been asleep in the office and he'd been out back sorting through scrap metal. He'd stumbled at the intensity of it. Leaning back against the wall at the scene.
That bastard, Daryl flight to control of himself as a scene of Ed torturing her played before. God that bastard. He panted against the wall not wanting to see but needing to know. He turned and pounded his forehead into the wall, he stood up and wiped a tear away then went to find her.
He found her on the floor, Ruby in her lap, with her head on Carol's shoulder. She was hugging Ruby to her, her face buried in Ruby's neck.
He knelt down beside Carol brushing her hair. She looked up at him her eyes glassy.
"Ya alright?" He asked and she nodded.
"I'm sorry." She said.
He ran his fingertips across her cheek. "Never apologize." He said gruffly. "You wanna get out of here?" He asked.
She nodded.
He smiled helping her up, pulling her in to him for a moment whispering into her hair. "Come on...I'll show ya your dream."