Ferris Wheel Blues

Thank you all for the feedback on this piece! I was really astounded by all the support for it. I'm glad you guys like the direction I'm taking this.

Also: I own nothing in regards to The Walking Dead. All rights belong to the copyright holder.

Chapter 2

The little girl sat still and Daryl stood just as rigid as she, the two in a silent standoff; the other being just as unsure as the one in front of them. She let out another cough tightening her grip on her stuffed animal scooting an inch away from him. Daryl scowled realizing that this shit was not gonna be easy. He had never really dealt with kids before and having to escort a missing child at that didn't bode well in his favor. Shit was never in his favor even when all the cards were on the table laid out just for him, he somehow managed to fuck it up no matter what.

"Yer lost." Daryl finally grunted out, scratching at his nose unsure of whether he should be asking her or telling her what she already knew.

She nodded at the dirt-smudged mechanic, her eyes still trained on him like a hawk. Her unblinking gaze was beginning to make him uncomfortable. He didn't like being stared at, even if he was just some piece of shit country boy. He hated being the center of attention, but somehow found himself at the heart of it. And here he was— again: center of this child's attention; her "savior" to deliver her to her Ma. The girl's eyes were locked on him like he simply wasn't real and if she looked away for just a second Daryl might just disappear from her.

Finally the girl spoke.

"Can you take me to my Momma?" Her voice was so small and warbled in its pitch as if this were the first time in a long while she had spoken to another human being.

Daryl diverted his attention to his feet, making attempts to work the toe of his boot into the ground to create a hole. Maybe if he worked at it long enough he would dig a hole deep enough for him to hide in. This was just not his forte. Especially trying to be comforting to a frightened child, nope, no siree, not him. He sugar-coated nothin' when it came to dealin' with people and he sure as hell wouldn't start with a child. Kid had to learn on her own that life wasn't just rainbows and shit like that. His Daddy had made sure of that when he was growing up; whipped him up good he did.

Daryl had already made his bed though, he would just have to lie in it now. If he had just ignored the girl and kept on walking he wouldn't be feeling so out of place, but he didn't stop and he was stuck making attempts to coax the kid to him. He finally nodded at her realizing that she had been waiting on him to answer her question. The girl must have thought he was slow with how long he took to formulate his sentences in response to her statements.

"Yeah," he drawled a little unsure of whether he should have answered in the first place. Figurin' that he had already acknowledged her lack of presence with her Ma, only seemed fair he'd return her to her. "I can take ya to yer Ma." He finally muttered back, taking another look at her. "Yer Sophia, right?"

She nodded again. Her bushy blonde hair bobbing back and forth, her brows furrowed in hard angles. Poor kid was probably on the verge of spilling big ol' crocodile tears and didn't even know it with the way her big blue eyes glistened under the garish lights.

"You know my Momma? She send you fer me?" Her bottom lip trembled with such force Daryl was surprised she had even managed to form any coherent words.

Daryl fidgeted with the hangnail on his thumb, carefully chewing the skin off with precise nibbles. He seemed to only make things worse when he questioned the girl. There was obviously something more at work here than just being lost that had her scared shitless. He could feel Sophia's fear thick in the air and it was starting to really make him uncomfortable the way she was just emitted this amount of terror at the notion of being lost. This wasn't just the phobia of being separated from a loved-one. This was on a level much deeper than just physical appearances alone could reveal to him and he didn't want no part of that.

Daryl absently shook his head at the recollection, losing himself in his thoughts. The blonde girl's eyes were still trained on his form. He finally found his voice breaking the permeable silence.

"Let's just find yer Ma." He muttered, beckoning her over to him. "C'mon."

Sophia quirked a curious brow unsure of whether the man shuffling nervously before her was being truthful or just lying through his teeth. She squirmed a little in her spot before weighing his words carefully in her head. Finding the merit in what he said to be true, Sophia pushed to her feet, standing on shaky legs. She didn't move.

Daryl let out a frustrated sigh watching the inner clockwork of the girl's mind deciding on her next move. How was this so damned difficult? Why of all things did he attract broken things? It was like some fuckin' stupid curse with him. Even as a kid he would find the fucked up stray dogs that had been beaten within an inch of their lives by their owners, limpin' and snarling' their way along even with a link of sausage dangling from their mouths that he had given them. He'd been bit on more than one occasion trying to coax the mean bastards, but with the amount of cruelty they'd been shown, no small bit of kindness on his part made them any less resistant to his help. He would even stumble across the animals that had been struck by cars, strugglin' with their last breaths as they crawled along the asphalt on their bellies legs trailin' after 'em. Hell, Daryl had even seen his own Ma burned to nothin'.

The mechanic furrowed his brows at the thought of his Ma and the fire when he was a kid. It hadn't felt real and it still didn't. Daryl figured maybe he would run into her at one of the dives he would meander into one night after a shift and maybe they would acknowledge each other from the other end of the bar and go about their lives like it had never happened. He hadn't thought of his Ma in years and didn't quite figure why this tiny kid compelled him to dwell on his past. Daryl suddenly found himself stooping to get to the kid's level shaking off his own thoughts. He had to try and convince her to follow him otherwise, he'd probably be sittin' behind the damned Ferris Wheel all night exchanging awkward glances with the girl. Maybe he would be less intimidating if he wasn't standing around shuffling like a damned fool. His legs coiled beneath him, joints popping and groaning as he adjusted to a comfortable crouch.

"Kid, I ain't gonna hurt ya." He growled, fingers twitching. He was feeling the itch again. His nerves were creating an anxiety in the pit of his stomach that he couldn't shake off, which he knew could only be quelled with another cigarette. This shit was going to force him to finish the entire pack by the end of the night. He just knew that that was what would go down. "We can sit here all night, but if you ain't movin' I ain't takin' ya to yer Ma."

She shifted on scrawny chicken legs contemplating his words before taking a hesitant step forward. Daryl smirked knowing well that he had finally manipulated the situation to better suit his needs. He popped up from his crouched position, shaking out the pins and needles sensation ebbing up his calves. Gently massaging the sinewy muscle with deft fingers, working through the striated fibers.

Sophia let out another cough to let him know she was ready. She stood in front of him, arms wound tight around the neck of her stuffed animal. Daryl was sure if she had been holding an actual animal, the thing would have suffocated long before he ever found her. She had a mean death grip on the poor sonovabitch. Animal would have been squealing bloody murder and no one would hear it with all the racket goin' on from all the carnival games and people scurrying about their business. She coughed again. With her being so close, he noticed the wet sound of her cough then. The dull roar of the people on the other side of the Ferris wheel drowned out the finer details he had not caught the first time around. He wasn't sure what to think of this. Was the girl sick? What was with her coughing? Was she just clearing her throat? Maybe he was thinking too much into things.

Daryl shrugged listlessly at her and began his trek to the other side of the fair grounds with the girl in tow. He would check every few seconds to ensure she was still trailing behind him, but did not feel the need to do so as often when he would catch the small cough echoing behind him. Her steps were so featherlight he at one point thought he had lost Sophia; come to find she had been trailing him like his own damned shadow. He caught the gentle tug of a smile on her lips at his head jerking around looking for her.

Daryl scowled and grumbled out of earshot, "Fuckin' kids and their damned jokes, find shit so fuckin' funny."

They came across a large group of people that seemed particularly interested in their newest attraction: the bungee jump. The crowd was thick with people. Of course this would make things more difficult for him. Daryl ducked down in front of the girl so he was at her eye level.

"Follow me an' stay close." He replied, wagging his finger at her. She nodded jerkily at him making clear she understood, eyes wide and afraid.

He let out a deep sigh through his nostrils and took a step forward. Daryl pushed through the crowd trying his best to make a path for Sophia to follow after. His temper was beginning to get the better of him as he attempted to get around a stocky and rather drunk guest, whom had shoved him in retaliation. He waved for Sophia to stand back just in case the man decided to get rowdy with him.

"Move yer fuckin' ass out of my way. I ain't lookin' fer a fight." Daryl snarled tryin' to make clear he didn't want any trouble.

The man shoved him again forcing Daryl to take a step back. "C'mon ya pussy fuckin' hit me," the man slurred.

"Man, fuck you. I got a lil' girl. I ain't gonna fight ya." He growled eyes narrowed. He wasn't 'bout to trade hay-makers with some drunk that wouldn't even feel it. Why did it seem like the world was out to beat his ass any chance it got?

"Yeah fuck you, ya little bitch." The drunk sussed as he stumbled forward, swaying to and fro.

Daryl chewed at his cheek, fist clenched at his side, nails digging into rough flesh as he guided Sophia around the asshole giving him shit. If he weren't gonna move, may as well try and go 'round. After the first set of heavyset guests he had to tap on the shoulder to get to move out of his way, Daryl felt a strong tug at his shirt that near choked him a little at the collar. He looked down and saw Sophia's hand grabbing fistfuls of his coattails holding on for dear life. Her desire to choke out her plush prize had subsided and she traded its comfort for Daryl's shirt. He huffed as he tried adjusting his collar so she wouldn't choke him out too much as they made their way through the crowd.

It was like a marathon ducking around balloons, hopping over small children and swerving out of the way of oncoming strollers with gurgling babies. The babies worried him. More specifically the strollers did. The way the mothers drove those things made him fearful of the kinds of drivers they were like on the road. He would be lyin' if he had not yet to meet with the wheels of one of those things. Strollers hurt like a bitch.

They made it through the crowds after several minutes and he felt his body relax from the unwanted physical proximity he had to endure. Sophia seemed to relax just as the same letting out a heavy sigh alongside him. Daryl's scowl softened and he let out a chuckle as they spied the gates no more than a hundred yards away. Her grip on his shirt loosened but was still firmly bunched in her small fist.

"You can let go now, kid." He replied when she accidentally yanked on his shirt a second time, making him gasp hand flying to his throat, gingerly massaging it. Her brows furrowed and she quickly apologized, her voice wavering as if on the verge of being hit again. Daryl quirked a curious brow at her before reassuring her that he wasn't going to strike her.

"I ain't gonna hit ya kid. Just calm down." He grunted as he ushered her to the front gates. They had finally made it to their destination, but of course like all things in his life nothing was ever in his favor or even remotely as it was promised to him. No one was there. They were alone at the front gates and not a single person was waiting for them.

Daryl could feel the panic set in the girls steps as she scampered ahead of him towards the gate, peeking through the chain links. Her plush dangled forgotten at her side as she climbed up a bit to get better view leverage.

"You said my Momma would be here." Her voice quivered thick with an accusatory tone as she stepped down from the fence.

Sophia looked up, misty blue eyes glaring harshly at him. Daryl couldn't help but feel partially responsible. They said the Mother would be here, but that was simply not the case. He felt like a liar and a fool. What did he expect just taking initiative like that in hopes that things would go smoothly for him? Life never made it easy. Why would this time be any different?

Wasn't much at this point that could be done but figure out where the mother went or was. "One second," he murmured and depressed the button on the walkie to speak. "Dixon here. I've got that missin' lil' girl. Her Ma ain't anywhere in sight. I'm at the front gates."

The box crackled in his hand for a few seconds before a voice rasped back, "Tommy over. Which gates?"

"The parking lot front gates."

Another pause. "Ya damn moron." The walkie snapped. "She's at the other set of front gates. Can't you do nothin' right without fuckin' shit up, Dixon?"

"'Ey, fuck you Tommy. How the fuck was I su'posed to know that? What the hell you wan' me to do now?" He hissed into the receiver trying not to let Sophia hear the argument or his use of colorful language. The last thing he needed was for the girl to go complainin' to her Ma sayin' he tainted her precious daughter with his country boy slang.

There was a long pause before Tommy in a calm and collected tone replied, "Mrs. Peletier is on her way. Just stay where you are."

Daryl stared confused at what had just happened. It almost sounded like Tommy had just been verbally reprimanded because his tone had done a complete 180 degrees. He had taken on a slow and polite, yet forced tone with him. There had been no personal insult thrown in his face neither. Who the hell was this woman? He raked a hand through his hair unsure of whether he had just prodded the bull. What was he going to expect when he finally delivered the girl to her Ma. Was she going to flip her shit on him because he had found her daughter? He wasn't exactly the makings of a model citizen. Daryl was well aware that he was just some dirty white boy with his goat's scruff and a cigarette tucked above his ear, ratty shredded jeans and grease stains pattering his face and hands. The mother would take one look at him and assume he had defiled her little girl in some way, verbally or otherwise.

He looked to Sophia who was clinging to the fence tryin' to see if her Ma's car was still in the parking lot. He couldn't really blame the kid. He'd gotten lost like that before. 'Cept it had been for nine whole days and not a single person knew he'd been missin'. Daryl approached the girl, while still maintaining good distance from her. Somehow he had made it to the gates with nothing major happenin' in the process. The girl was fine beside her incessant cough that seemed to stir at the most infrequent times. She hadn't gotten lost or left from out of his sight. All they had to do was wait and Sophia would be taken off his hands and he could go back to hiding under one of the hoods of the broken-down engines. The thought made him ease up a bit.

"'Ey, yer Ma is on her way to meet us here." He drawled, his own fingers hooking through the links, eyes staring out at the herd of cars corralled in the parking lot.

Sophia looked up towards Daryl, her eyes finding his. They made brief eye contact, before Daryl looked away. Her gaze was still unnerving even if she didn't mean it to be. She nodded in thanks and let go of the fence moving away and towards the lamp post near the single ticket booth. She took a seat, her knobbly knees drawn up, stuffed animal clutched against her chest. Daryl followed after her leaning against the other side of the booth window. He fumbled at his chest pocket trying to fish a cigarette out of its packaging.

As he went to strike the match against the booth he felt a pair of eyes silently boring into him. He looked down to his right shoulder, Sophia's gaze carefully following every movement of his fingers. Daryl arched a brow at her, cigarette wiggling between his lips as he stared right back.

"Problem?" He challenged. Sophia's eyes watched as the cigarette bounced up and down as he mumbled under his breath things she couldn't quite make out.

Sophia opened her mouth then shut it. Daryl could see her tryin' to figure out whether she should talk back to him. She blinked a few times, before breaking her silence. "My Daddy smokes. I don't like it." She whispered looking away from Daryl at the mention of the patriarch. Seemed to him that the man was someone he didn't want to trifle with the way her tone quivered.

Daryl shrugged and tucked the cigarette above his ear, pocketing his box of matches. He dug his hands into his pockets letting out a long drawn out sigh throwing his head up. He glared at the stars in the dark blanket above his head wishing the girl's Ma would hurry the hell up so he could go back to being a white trash mechanic for a traveling carnival. He sure as hell weren't no babysitter. What the hell was he even doing? Why the fuck was he waiting? Wasn't like the pipsqueak couldn't wait herself. She'd be fine— but what if she wandered off with some jackass? It would be his head on the pike and that'd be the last thing he'd need. Especially having to face an angry mother. Hell hath no fury and he knew better'n most of that.

He angrily raked his fingers through his hair not quite understanding his own incessant need to take care of lost and damaged things. It never got him anywhere before— what made this girl any different than any other time? Why didn't he just keep walking? Just run away like he always did? Why did he bother to stay?

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!