Chapter 29

Carol hummed softly as she rocked Judith back to sleep in her arms. She sighed softly, stroking the baby's soft, chubby cheeks.

"Carol?" Jenna asked sleepily from her bed.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Can Sugar sleep in my bed tonight?" The puppy, twice the size as she was when they found her, yipped and sniffed the floor.

"Sweetie, Sugar's a dog. No dogs in the bed."

"Please? She makes the monsters go away in my dreams." Jenna's lower lip quivered, and Carol sighed. How could she say no to that?

"Alright, but this is the last time."

"Okay," Jenna said with a little nod and a sniffle. She scooped the puppy up and pulled her into bed with her. "Is Santa coming tonight? Will he bring my mommy and daddy?" Carol frowned and put Judith down in her crib before moving back to sit on the edge of Jenna's bed.

"Honey, I don't want you to be disappointed if he doesn't bring your mommy and daddy."

"I miss them." She rubbed her tear-filled eyes. "Mommy always tucked me in tight and made sure the monsters couldn't pull me out of bed." Carol smiled sadly, tucking Jenna securely into bed. "Carol?"

"Hmm?"

"If Santa doesn't bring my mommy and daddy back, can you be my mommy and Daryl be my daddy?" Carol felt a tug at her heartstrings, and she bit back a little whimper. "And you can be Judy's mommy too! We can be a family."

"Honey, we are a family. I love you and Judy just like I love my Sophia. You girls are so special to me." Carol leaned down and kissed Jenna's forehead. "I'll keep the monsters away, ok?"

"Ok," Jenna said softly before yawning and curling up with the puppy. "Good night."

"Good night, honey." Carol sighed softly and made her way out of the room, keeping the door open so Jenna would feel safer. She made her way to Beth and Sophia's room and knocked.

"Come in." Carol stepped in to see Sophia reading a book in bed. Beth's bed was made and empty.

"Where's Beth?"

"With Noah," Sophia said quietly. "I think they're…"

"Please don't finish that sentence," Carol said quietly, holding her hand up. Sophia giggled. "Need something, Mom?"

"No. I just wanted to see you. Check on you. You ok?"

"I'm ok."

"I know I've been spending a lot of time with Jenna and Judy lately. I just wanted to make sure that…"

"They need a mom," Sophia said softly. "They don't have anybody. I get it."

"You're so grown up," Carol said with a sigh, moving across the room to sit on her daughter's bed.

"I'm thirteen now," Sophia said with a confident nod. Carol smiled sadly. While they didn't exactly know the date, they figured by the weather that her birthday had passed at some point. They'd had a party a week ago to celebrate. "You know, Judy won't have a birthday. I mean, nobody here knows when she was born, except for Carl, and he doesn't even know the day. It happened after the turn."

"Well, I'd say she's five, six months. That's how old you were when you started crawling."

"It's never going to go back, is it?" Sophia asked quietly, picking at her cuticles. "I mean, to the way it was."

"I don't think so, sweetie," Carol said softly, pulling herself to sit next to her daughter on the bed, leaning back against the headboard. Sophia sighed and leaned against her mother's shoulder.

"Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"Daryl. Do you love him?" She looked up to meet her mother's gaze.

"I do. Very much."

"Good. He loves you to, you know."

"I know." A smile warmed Carol's face. "How do you feel about him?"

"He's a good guy. I mean, he helps me. He helps everybody. He helped Beth learn how to shoot, and you know how she is."

"Sophia Elizabeth Peletier!" Carol giggled. "That's not nice."

"I didn't mean it like that. If I was gonna have another dad, I'd want it to be him." Carol kissed the top of her daughter's head and pulled her arm around her. "Can I tell you something?"

"You can tell me anything."

"Well…I mean, did…did Dad ever hit you?"

"What?" Carol asked, pulling back a little, turning her daughter's face so she could look into her eyes. "No. He never hit me. He…he raised his hand to me once, but he didn't hit me."

"Daryl wouldn't ever hurt you, would he?"

"No, honey. I don't think Daryl could ever do a thing like that. He's a good man." She watched as Sophia lowered her gaze and chewed her lip. "What is it, sweetheart?"

"Dad hit me. Once."

"What?!"

"I…I rolled my eyes at him. He smacked me in the face." Carol froze, trying not to completely lose her mind over it, because after all, Ed was probably dead and there was no kind of punishment she could dole out on him now.

"Honey, why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I don't know," Sophia said gently. "It never happened again, and I didn't want you guys to fight anymore." Carol hugged her daughter close.

"It's never ok for a man to put his hands on you like that. Do you understand me?"

"I do," Sophia said with a nod. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

They sat in silence for a few moments, before Sophia took a deep breath. "Mom, you and dad weren't happy."

"No, we weren't."

"You're happy with Daryl. So if guys do stay together, that's ok. He's a good guy."

"You're the best daughter any mom could ask for. You know that?" She saw Sophia's face brighten with a smile. "Aaaand, you're supposed to say ''cause I've got the best mom any daughter could ask for,' right?" Sophia laughed at that, and she hugged her again. "I love you."

"Love you too," Sophia said with a grin.

"And just remember that if a boy ever puts his hands on you and tries to hurt you, you can tell me, because I know how to use a gun, and I will go after him."

"Ok, Mom, but I don't think Carl would ever…"

"Oh, Carl, huh?" Carol asked, watching Sophia's face turn bright red.

"No. I mean…I…"

"Yeah, uh-huh," Carol teased.

"Mom," Sophia groaned. "Please."

"Alright, alright. You staying up a little longer?" Carol asked, tapping the bottom of the oil lamp.

"Yeah," Sophia said softly. "I wanted to finish this next chapter."

"Alright. Have a good night, sweetie." Sophia nodded, and Carol got up to cross the room.

"Night, Mom." Sophia went back to her book as Carol left the room, heading back down the hall to her own room.

Carol was half-asleep when Daryl crawled into bed and snuggled up behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her back against him.

"Mmm," she moaned, turning her head slightly before he brushed her lips with his own. "You finish the crib?"

"Ain't never put one of those together before," she muttered against the back of her neck. "We 'bout put the thing together upside down 'fore we figured out we were wrong." Carol chuckled at that and turned in Daryl's arms, brushing her hand over his face, wishing she could see him in the dark.

"Can we continue our conversation from earlier?" she asked gently, running her fingertips over his lips. He kissed the pads of her fingers before gently biting a finger between his teeth. He released her and kissed her softly.

"You ain't too tired?" he asked.

"I had a catnap before you got home," she chuckled, sighing as his lips brushed over her neck. Daryl sighed softly and moved away. The bed shifted as he got up, and she could hear his feet scruff against the carpet as he made his way around the room. She heard a scrape. Another scrape, and then the hiss of the match as a glow filled the room. Daryl quickly let the oil lamp by their bed. Carol sat up as Daryl moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

"The world ain't what it was. Ain't nothin' like it was. Never been a man of tradition or ritual. Never went to church, 'cept maybe once when I was little and my mama made me go." Carol smiled a little, moving to kneel behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest, resting her chin on his shoulder before pressing a kiss behind his ear. "I ain't never had nothin' like I got with you. You just…you're it." She felt his heartbeat race against her hand as she gently stroked his chest. "Everybody knows 'bout us. Ain't like we gotta shout from the rooftops or nothin'."

"No, we don't," she agreed, kissing the back of his neck, nuzzling him there. With a sigh, she scooted around to sit next to him on the bed. He moved his hand to her knee, and she trembled like it was the first time. That was the beauty of being with him. It was always exciting. It always made her feel like it was the first time, all tingly and warm and magical. "We have each other. We have Sophia. And now, well, we have Carl and Judith and Jenna. We've been a family from the night we met." Daryl chuckled and nodded his head. "I know you're not going anywhere. I'm not going anywhere."

"So you're sayin' we're stuck with each other."

"Daryl Dixon!" she laughed, nudging his shoulder.

"Gotta be stuck with anybody at the end of the world, I'd want it to be you. And, just so ya know, before Michonne even brought it up….I got this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little white box. "Got it at the jewelry counter 'fore I made my last run to the back." Carol gasped softly, gently taking the box in her hand. "It's yours if ya want it." Her eyes met his, and a blush filled her cheeks before she opened the lid, revealing a silver band with diamonds set all around it.

"Oh God," she whispered, delicately running her thumb over the beautiful ring. "Daryl."

"They had all kinds of 'em. Bigger ones. Flashy ones. But this one…made me think'a you."

"It's…wow. Daryl…you…" She felt the tears stinging her eyes, and she swallowed hard, shaking her head. "I love you so much." She brought her hand to his cheek and leaned in to kiss him softly.

"This mean you'll…you'll wear it?" Carol nodded and bit her lower lip, as Daryl took the box from her hands.

"I will," she promised. He started to take the ring out, but she put her hand over his. "We don't have a preacher."

"Don't need one," Daryl said with a shrug. "The way it was ain't the way it is now. Don't care 'bout no piece of paper. Laws and rules ain't what they was." Carol's hand fell away, and she smiled as he gently slid the ring onto her ring finger. "That ok?"

"That's ok," she said with a smile before leaning in to kiss him again.