Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Carol parked in her parents' driveway at six, Sophia was squirming with excitement, and Carol took a calming breath. She felt as though she was going to throw up, and she repressed the urge. The last time she saw them, she was so damaged—not much has changed. Sophia was trying to unlock the door to get out, and Carol was glad for the child safety locks.

"One minute, baby." She removed her seat belt with shaky hands.

"Are you scared?" Sophia asked, leaning on the console.

"A little. It's been five years."

"Well, family's the most important thing, so it'll be okay."

Carol smiled at her. "Yeah, let's go." She opened her door then Sophia's, taking her hand and walking to the front door. She saw the front door was open, and she could see inside through the screen door. She saw Maggie setting the table, but nothing else from that angle. All of her fears came rushing back at the sight of Maggie, and she wanted to turn and run, but there was no where left to run. This was the only home she and Sophia had. She needed to make amends, and she missed them so much.

She didn't want to miss then one second longer, so she took a deep, cleansing breath to fight off another wave of queasiness and to calm her race heart. Okay, Carol, you can do this. Just breathe. It'll all be okay. They're family, and they love you. They'll understand. Just take your time. There's no rush. Just breathe. In. Out. Okay, just kno—

"Auntie Maggie!" Sophia shouted. "Auntie Beth!"

Shit! She forgot she had an impatient four-year-old with her. Good Lord, help her.

"Who—?" Beth dropped plate in the hall at the sight of them, and Maggie gaped from the dining room.

"Who's yellin'?" Shawn called down the stairs.

"Carol?" Beth's voice broke. "It's Carol!" Beth ran to open the door, hugging her. "You're alive! You're back! You're home!"

"Beth." Carol hugged her just as tightly. "God, I missed you!"

"Daddy!" Beth released her. "Daddy, come quick!"

Maggie hugged Carol next, but Shawn hung back, and the minute Hershel saw in the doorway, his eyes watered, and he held her so tight for so long, she thought he was never going to let go of her again. All of Carol's worries melted away as her father held her, and she wanted to break down and cry and tell them every horrible thing that happened. She kept from breaking down, but she couldn't stop the tears. God, her chest was aching from happiness.

"Who's this?" Beth asked, bending down to look at Sophia. "You're just a little cutie."

"Hi. I'm Sophia." Sophia looked at her. "Are you my Auntie Beth or Maggie?"

"Auntie?" Shawn and Maggie exclaimed.

"Auntie?" Beth whispered, eyes filling. "I am your Auntie Beth. It is so nice to meet you." She hugged her.

"Well, you've got a story to tell," Shawn bitterly remarked.

"That she does," Hershel agreed, letting her come inside.

"I'm Maggie." Maggie was on her knees in front of Sophia and took Sophia's hands in both of hers. "Auntie Maggie. God, that sounds so strange." Maggie laughed a little.

"I'm Sophia."

"That's a beautiful name." Beth smoothed her hair down.

"Well, you be starvin'." Maggie stood up. "Both of you. We made beef stew ironically. I'll get you some chairs and plates." She and Beth disappeared into the kitchen.

Sophia turned to Hershel. "Grandpa...Hershel?"

"Grandpa," he repeated. "Yes, that's me."

"Can I touch your beard? Is it real?"

He chuckled. "Yes, it's real." He led her into the dining room.

Shawn came off the stairs, Carol smiled, but he wasn't in the mood to make her feel at home. She crossed her arms and said hello. He looked at her. "Your contacts are still in." He headed to the dining room, and Carol stepped into the bathroom to remove them. She washed up and joined them, sitting next to Sophia. She didn't see her mom, but they were asking her so many questions, and she felt obligated to answer after her disappearing act.

"Where did you go?" Beth asked after saying grace, passing the rolls to Maggie.

"Er, Kentucky."

"Why?" Shawn asked, his eyes burning into her face.

"So, how old are you, Sophia?" Maggie handed the basket to Carol.

"Four, but I'm almost five." She scooted back in her chair. "My birthday's in March."

"March?" Hershel picked up his fork. "What day in March?"

"Twenty-third," Carol answered since Sophia didn't have it memorized just yet. She only knew the month.

"Huh, so you must've gotten knocked up in...what, June?" Shawn took a drink of water.

"Mid-July," Carol murmured.

"Who's the father?"

Carol sighed a groan. She knew this would happen, but she didn't expect it from Shawn.

"You don't gotta answer that," Maggie assured her.

"No, she really does. Hey, you, who's your daddy?" Shawn demanded.

"Don't talk to my daughter like that!" Carol stood up. "She's not a you. She has a name; it's Sophia, and she's your niece!"

"Beth," Hershel said. "Why don't you and Sophia go see the horses?"

She left with Sophia quickly as Shawn and Carol got into it, Hershel tried to calm them down, but they were like a dry forest and a burning flame. All Maggie and Hershel could do was watch.

"You're a selfish bitch," Shawn shouted.

"I am n—"

"You left! Just walked out! What kind of person just leaves divorce papers on the table already signed? You didn't even talked about, you just left!"

Carol glared. "You aren't Daryl! You don't get to yell at me! It was my marriage, and it had nothing to do with you!"

"Fine. Fine. What about us?" he demanded. "Huh? Me, your sisters, Mom and Dad. You just up and leave without a single word to us then come back five years later! What the hell, Carol?!"

"I had problems that needed sorted."

"Most people don't hop a Greyhound to escape marital problems!"

"They weren't marital problems!" she shouted back. "I had issues that I needed to deal with! Alone! I couldn't do anything here without somebody breathing down my neck!"

"You missed so much," he seethed. "Beth's prom and her graduation. Maggie's graduation! All of the "what if she comes back today" moments, those were a hoot! Worrying if you were dead in a ditch or alive and doing well! Wondering what we did that made you want to hurt us so bad by never calling or writing or leaving a goddamn slip of paper telling us you were all right and we didn't need to worry for five damn years!"

Carol stared.

"Oh, and you hurt Mom so damn deep, she's in the hospital right now—dying because of you!" He threw the cloth napkin on the floor and stormed out of the room.

Carol blinked back tears. "Mom's—Mom's dying?" Carol felt numb.

"Go, Daddy." Maggie walked over to Carol and sat her down on the on the couch in the living room, sitting beside her, letting Hershel go after Shawn. "Yeah, Mom's real sick, but she's doin' better. She has good doctors, and she's improvin'." Maggie set a comforting hand on her knee. "But Shawn's right. You should've let us know how you were, where you were. We really would've liked to know."

"I had to disappeared," Carol whispered. "You wouldn't understand."

"No, I can't say that I do. What you and Daryl went through...was horrible, but you should've stayed and tried to work it out. Or at least came back and lived with us."

"It wasn't about what happened," Carol clarified. "It was about Daryl and his future. I had to do what was best for him."

"And leaving him was best?"

"At the time, yes. I was nineteen, and that seemed like the best thing to do. I was wrong." She wrapped her arms around herself. "But I'm not going to wish I could redo it, because I wouldn't have Sophia."

"So...her father isn't Daryl."

"I left in early July, but I got pregnant shortly after that date."

"Well, where is the father?"

"Gone. He died, and that's why I decided to come back. Sophia deserves to know all of you, and had I known about Mom, I swear I would've come sooner." She met Maggie's eyes. "Do you want to yell at me too?"

"No. Shawn's the yeller, and I'm the responsible one. I'll understand when you give me the whole story. But Beth? She's pissed at you."

"Yeah, I know."

"You promised you wouldn't leave and not call, but you did. Beth took that personally."

Carol looked at her. "But Beth hates me. We all know that."

"No, Carol, she doesn't."

– – –

Carol grabbed her laptop and went out to the porch, propping her feet up on the rail and listening to the nature around her. She thought of which writer she was writing about—Chaucer—and looked him up using everything but Wikipedia. She typed out the proposal and then a three-paged essay. She heard her sister calling her for dinner when the sun was sinking, and she quickly saved, unplugged her charger and shut her computer down.

"Carol, help Mom with the dishes." Maggie set the table as Carol set her computer down in a chair in the living room and hurried to help their mom.

"Beth, dinner!" Maggie called up the stairs.

"Your dad and Shawn will be home late, so don't bother calling them," Annette told the girls.

Beth padded down the stairs, ending a phone call with one of her friends, and they sat down to dinner. Carol was about to ask if any of them had paid for her car when her mom asked her what she wanted for her birthday. Carol really hated to be asked that question—mostly because she never really wanted anything and just said random things off the top of her head.

"My birthday's not for another week or so," Carol muttered.

"You have no idea what you want then." Annette took a drink of water.

"I've been too busy with other things to think about what I want for my birthday." She shrugged a shoulder. "Just...surprise me."

"Speakin' of gifts," Beth said to Carol, "did Daryl like his?"

"What do you mean?" Carol ate a forkful of green beans.

"You got him that crossbow. Did you give it to him yet?"

"Beth, stop going into my room." Carol glared.

"I didn't," Beth shot back. "You don't throw anythin' away. I saw the receipt."

"Girls," Annette said softly.

"You are such a lair. I know you go through my things! You're wearing my shirt right now. I may not wear it very often, but it is mine."

"It looks better on me."

"You're such a little kid."

"Shut up." Beth glared. "You're just jealous."

"Of what?"

"Everything I have!"

"Girls, please."

"Everything you have? What, your ability to annoy people? Your fake crying that convinces no one? You're 2 point oh?"

"Girls!" Annette raised her voice when they started yelling at each other, and they both stopped. "Enough already!"

"She started—" Beth began.

"Beth, enough." She stood up. "You're getting too old to be doing this, and Carol, I thought you were above this."

"I'm sorry. She gets under my skin." Carol kept her eyes on her plate after speaking.

Annette shook her head. "Eat, both of you, and if you say one more negative thing to one another, you both are going to clean the stable and the chicken coop and the house for a week." Beth slouched in her chair, and Carol wasn't hungry anymore.

"Excuse me." Carol left the dining room and went upstairs. She locked her bedroom door and plopped down on her bed. She couldn't wait to get out of this house, away from Beth. She was so ready for college and life, and since she didn't have to pay for her car, she could get an apartment. Beth would never be allowed into it either. Nosy little brat.

She rolled onto the floor and dug the gift out from under her bed. Daryl already had a crossbow, but she figured it was old and getting worn out, so she bought him this one. She hoped he liked it. She didn't even care about Merle anymore. He was rarely around, which was odd. Knowing him even as little she did, he probably got arrested. It was horrible to think, but probably true. Merle was so irresponsible.

She hid the crossbow in the back of her closet where Beth couldn't reach it. She decided to skip school next Friday since they weren't doing anything major with graduation in, like, two weeks. She would turn her paper in tomorrow. That's the only work she had due, and she'd finished that. All she had to do now was sit through boring classes where they did nothing and wait anxiously for the mail.

– – –

Carol stumbled down the stairs, trying to get her foot into her tennis shoe, and she ran out the front door, nearly knocking Patricia over. The mail had come today, and she'd woken up early just to be the first one to get it. Usually Shawn hid her mail, but not today.

Shawn saw Carol going to the mailbox and set the basket of apples down and went after her. He needed the exercise, and soon he wouldn't be able to bug her. He caught up to her easily, though Carol was trying her best to get ahead of him.

They reached the mailbox at the same time, Carol opened it and dug through the many letters, and Shawn caught his breath as she flipped through them. She saw the seal and pulled the letter free from the others. She swallowed hard and held it out to him.

"You open it. I can't."

"Chicken." He took it and opened it, scanning it. "What a shame. I really wanted that exercise room."

"What?" Her heart sank. "Give me that." She took it and read it.

Shawn covered his ears when Carol gasped then squealed loudly and jumped up and down. She hugged him tightly and quickly then ran back to the house to tell her parents she got accepted, and Shawn smiled. He looked through the mail on his way back, and he covered his ears as he walked through the house. He could still hear the squealing.

"What's going on in here?" Hershel asked as he and Otis entered.

"I got accepted!" Carol held out the letter. "Daddy, I got accepted! A full scholarship!"

"That's great." He hugged her. "I'm so proud of you, honey."

"Thanks, Daddy." She moved hair out of her face. "I'm gonna go tell Maggie and Beth. Beth loves when I leave." She grabbed her keys from her coat pocket and drove to the shop to tell them. She made her way through the people and found Maggie in the office with Beth, ordering supplies.

"Hey." She sat down as Maggie finished the order, but they could both see she had news. She could hardly sit still and she looked like she'd slept with a hanger in her mouth. The fact that she had unbrushed hair and her nightshirt on also gave them a hint. At least her jeans weren't dirty.

Maggie set the phone down. "Okay, spill it."

"I got accepted!" She jumped up. "A full scholarship and everything!"

"Oh, my God! That's great!" Maggie smiled and gave her a congratulatory hug.

"Accepted?" Beth repeated. "To the one outta state?"

"Yeah." Carol nodded. "Don't look so sad. I might think you actually care for me," Carol teased.

"You gotta be kiddin' me." Beth looked at her with big blue eyes. "That—No. That can't be true."

"Beth," Maggie scolded. "Don't."

"Don't what?" Carol glanced between them.

"You're leavin' for college, Shawn's goin' away this summer, and Maggie has that camp." Beth glared. "Everybody's leavin' me."

"Leaving you?" Carol frowned. "Beth, I'm not le—"

"Yes, you are! You both are!" She tried to keep her voice down. "Who am I gonna talk to this summer? It's hard enough now when we're all together. Who's gonna make time to talk to the kid sister?"

"Beth, we're not leavin' forever," Maggie reminded.

"But it's gonna feel like forever," Beth argued, tears in her eyes now. "I don't have good friends like you both. It's just me. How am I gonna help Ma? Or Daddy? I can't do nothin' to help 'em, and they're gonna expect me to help even more now. I don't wanna be a screw up."

"You'll never be a screw up," Carol told her. "Your talents may not be in farm work, but you have plenty of skills. And Maggie and Shawn and I will call when we can, and I'll visit too. It's not like I'm going to leave and never come back."

"Can't you just go to the college in town?" Beth whispered.

"This college is really good, Beth. Don't try and guilt her." Maggie sent her a warning look, but it was gentle.

Carol hugged her little sister. "You'll be fine. The worse thing that happens is you cut yourself with a tool while working. And I'm not leaving for a while."

"What's goin' on in here?" Jacqui crossed her arms.

"Nothing," they said in unison.

"What's that?" She pointed to the paper in Carol's pocket.

"Oh, I got accepted into my dream college." Carol had lost her excitement.

"I knew you would." She smiled proudly. "I'm proud of you, honey. Real proud. Gimme a hug."

Carol smiled and hugged Jacqui. "Thank you."

Maggie and Beth made it a group hug and then it occurred to them they were busy and no one was at the counter. Carol grabbed two cappuccinos and four muffins, Maggie's green lace top and went to see if Daryl was busy this lovely Saturday morning.

– – –

Beth was curled up in her bed, sniffling, and Maggie went into the room. She jumped onto the bed and tried to get Beth to crack a smile, but she'd been so depressed about Carol's disappearance. She was assuming the worst. They didn't have to heart to tell her Carol was fine and left them without a single word on purpose. Beth was the baby, and no one wanted to hurt her with that news.

"C'mon, Bethy, don't be so down." Maggie smiled. "It's a beautiful day. The birds are chirping, and it's windy. You love when it's windy."

"I'm a horrible person," Beth sniffed.

"What?" Maggie laughed at the insinuation. "No, you're a good person. Too good."

"Then why did Carol leave Daryl?"

Maggie frowned. "How did you—?"

"Daddy was talkin' to Shawn about it." Beth sniffed. It was her fault. It was entirely her fault, and she was a horrible person. She was going to Hell for this. She was forever marked SLUT. She was disgusted with herself. "It's my fault."

"No, it ain't."

"Yes, it is." She sat up. "I—I kissed him."

"What?" Maggie exclaimed.

She nodded.

"When? Why? How?"

"It was after Shane's birthday party. I got a spiked drink, but I didn't know. I felt funny, and I was goin' to Daryl's shop to see if he could take me home, and I threw myself at him." She pulled her legs into her chest. "I attacked his mouth, and I'm pretty sure I licked him."

Maggie stared at her, not sure what to say.

"He pushed me back real quick, but I told him how I felt. A—and how I knew he and Carol weren't doin' good and how he had needs..." She buried her face in her jeans. "It was God awful, Maggie! I may have even grabbed at him."

"Whoa, you grabbed him?"

"I don't know. I had a lot of odd-tasting drinks, but I didn't know what it was. I've never had alcohol, so I thought it was a nasty and cheap soda. It's a hazy mess."

"And that's why you think this is your fault?"

She nodded.

Maggie grabbed her pillow with the blue anchor sewn into it and smacked Beth in the head with it. "You dumbass!"

"Hey!" Beth snatched the pillow.

"Daryl, me, Carol, Daddy and the whole town knew you had a crush on him. Beth, you're a kid. Carol knows you're stupid most of the time, and she'd have forgiven you for that. What happened between them happened, because of...you know."

Beth swallowed. "That makes me feel even worse."

"Me too. Don't waste time blamin' yourself."

She nodded and wiped her eyes, taking a deep breathe. She smiled a little. "Do you thinks she'll call today?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

They looked at the phone on Beth's nightstand, and Beth tucked hair behind her ear before turning back to her sister with a hopeful smile. "It's my birthday tomorrow. I know she'll call then."

"Yeah." Maggie smiled. "She'll definitely call."

––

"Thank you for the guilt trip. I thought Shawn was here for that."

"Well, we backed the car up for two miles, but we're back on course now." Maggie looked into Carol's eyes. "Right? You're stayin'?"

"For now."

"For now?" Maggie shot up. "You're leavin' again?" Hershel and Shawn walked back in, and Maggie pointed to Carol. "She's leavin' again, Daddy."

"Aren't we a bit old for—?"

"Like hell," Hershel interrupted her, and Carol blinked, not used to hearing him cuss. "You don't get to come back after five years, let us meet your daughter then book town. I didn't raise you to do that, and it doesn't work that way. You're staying."

"Dad, I'm twenty-four, and I can leave if I want to."

"We're leaving?" Sophia stopped in the doorway. "Mommy, no. I like it here."

"Sophia, I—"

"No! I'm sick of motels and hotels and nasty canned food! I wanna stay here!"

"Sophia, go to the car," Carol commanded. "Right now, and don't you dare raise your voice at me like that again."

Her eyes filled with tears. "We were having fun for once," she sobbed. "You ruined it!" She ran off toward the car.

Carol sighed. "I have to talk to her."

"Will you come back?" Beth asked.

Carol glanced back. "Yes, I will." She hurried after Sophia, finding her in the backseat of the car, crying and holding Dee Dee close. Her chest tightened at the sight of her little girl, and she wanted to explain, but Sophia wouldn't understand. Carol didn't want her to understand anyway. She wanted her to forgot, and she was young, so Carol prayed she does forget in time. Explaining it would only make it more complicated for her. Carol had to protect her, so she would tell her the easy version.

"Sophia."

"Leave me alone!" She turned away from her.

"Let me explain, honey." Carol rubbed her leg. "Please?"

She lifted her face from Dee Dee. "Fine. You have two minutes."

Carol gently smoothed her hair back. "We're visiting here for a while then we're gonna go, but we will come back. I promise."

"Pinkie promise." Sophia held her pinkie out, and Carol locked her pinkie to hers. "Can we go back?"

"Yes, I believe we can." Carol picked her up and held her, closing the car door. "I bet they made dessert. Probably some type of pie."

"Apple?" Sophia asked hopefully.

"Perhaps. We'll have to see." She set her down as they entered the house, rejoining the others at the table, and even though Shawn was still pissed, they managed to get through dinner and dessert. Sophia fell asleep after dinner on the couch, Carol spoke with her sisters, brother and father in the dining room, telling them about her schooling and about the goods times of Ed. It was nice to catch up.

Maggie was going into the police academy next month, Beth was on her second semester of final year of college, and she was going to be a nurse. Carol was impressed by both of them, and she already knew Shawn was going to take care of the farm. He was born here, and he would die here, like their daddy. It was good to know they had their lives sorted, and Carol was glad they wouldn't lose the farm. She loved this land, and she wanted it in the family forever. This was Greene property, and it only seemed right it stay Greene property.

Shawn still hadn't look or talk to her by the end of the evening, so she gave him a goodnight hug and told him she loved him then did the same to Maggie, Beth and Hershel. He barely hugged her back, but he did tell her loved her. Carol carried Sophia up to her old bedroom, finding it in the same condition as when she left: a few boxes tossed here and there, the bed made and the moon shining into the room.

Carol set Sophia down on the bed, covering and she pulled the curtains back, so in the morning the sunlight didn't hit her eyes. She climbed into bed with Sophia and lied down. It took her a moment to fall asleep however.

–––

"What do you mean, she got away?" Phillip roared at Ed. "You said you had this under control. Jesus Christ, Ed!"

"She had help," Ed growled. "You told me the bitch was in that hotel room alone."

"Well, it was a one-bed room, so I assumed she was alone!" Phillip glared. "And to top it off, you fucking shot the man! What the hell were you thinking?"

"That it would be Carol!"

Phillip took a deep breath. "All right. We'll wait until he's in the hospital, and I'll finish the job since you keep fucking up. Jesus, the bitch isn't even my wife, but with all this effort, she might as well be."

"She has my daughter, Phillip," Ed reminded him. "Your niece."

He sat down on the couch. "I'm doing all I can. I have a job, Ed."

"You're a detective, and you're looking into a kidnapping. How do you think Penny will feel when you tell her some stranger took here baby cousin?"

Phillip gave Ed a heated glare. "Don't tell me what my daughter will feel, you jackass. You're the one that beat Carol into leaving."

"She deserved that."

"I'll bet." Phillip stood up. "I'm only helping you to get my niece back, because family means a lot to me, but brother, when we find them, you can't pussy out on me. When we find them, she dies."

Ed smirked. "She dies."

Phillip checked his watch. "I have to pick up Penny from school. I'll check out her friend Karen and looked into her financials, see if she'd bought any tickets with her credit card or if her alarm system in her summer home has been set off or activated." He grabbed his keys. "I'll have it to you by Sunday."

"That's four days away," Ed complained.

"And that's me rushing," Phillip shot back. "Get cleaned up, and give that gun to August."

"Your partner?"

Phillip nodded. "He'll know what to do with it."

Ed went upstairs and changed out of the clothes he wore when he attacked that ginger in Carol's hotel room the other day, and he set the gun on the counter. He took a shower and thought of what all to do to Carol when he got his hands on her. It was truly arousing.