All You Leave Behind

by Lynnth2014

Carol's on the run from a mistake in her recent past, but the only place she can go has the man she ran from originally. She had to find somewhere safe for her daughter, and that meant going home, back to her friends and family, back where they would find happiness. But with light, there is always dark, and he was Carol's. He would find them, it was only a matter of time.

33. Saturn

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

––

Carol grabbed her passport and stuffed it into her purse. She didn't pack a bag. She didn't grab her toothbrush or hairbrush. She just grabbed her purse and Daryl's old hoodie. She headed out the front door and drove to the airport. She had business to attend to, and she was done hiding. If Ed wanted to play, she was going to play. No one, not any-fucking-one, will get away with destroying her home, taking her child and Daryl and walked away from the house like it was nothing. Asshole even took her damn cat! Ed made his move, it was time she made hers.

– – –

Live fast, die young. Bad girls do it well

Live fast, die young. Bad girls do it well

Arriving in New York, Carol headed first to ensure she looked the part. If Ed was going to lure her by taking Daryl and Sophia, he would keep them alive to continue the game. Besides, he wanted Sophia alive, and Daryl wouldn't let her out of his sight. She knew they were alive, she would know if anything happened to them. She would feel it. She was going to get to them before he did anything to Daryl. And he would start with Daryl, because he'd been with Carol physically. Carol knew Ed would take his time, but he had to keep up appearances, so he was at work or in a meeting or something like that.

Carol went to get her hair and makeup done. She was going to Ed's office to get his schedule then she was going to wait for him in his house, but she needed to know where he was going to be and what time. She had plans for him. After so many years dreaming of what to do to Ed and his precious image, she could finally employ those dreams. It was going to be such fun. He would have nothing, and she would have her family back.

My chain hits my chest when I'm banging on the dashboard

My chain hits my chest when I'm banging on the radio

Her next stop was a boutique. She couldn't walk into his office in jeans and a t-shirt, not if she wanted to let Ed know just who he was dealing with. She needed clothes, and with her inheritance, she could afford them. She knew the saleslady didn't think she could afford to be in there, but she still tended to her. Carol bought two simple dresses then left in one of them. She was glad her boots went with anything. She was headed to his office next, and he'd best hope he wasn't in there, because her boots might have to make sure his current girlfriend never bear his children.

Yeah back it, back it. Yeah pull up to the bumper game

Yeah with a signal, cover me, cause I'm changing lanes

She slid her sunglasses up and hailed a taxi, smirking with delight at the look he gave her. She was definitely ready for this on the outside, and her insides were doing pretty damn good too. It's been a long time coming, and she knew Daryl would keep Sophia safe, and Ed wouldn't let anyone hurt her anyway. He thought Sophia was his daughter, and he would kill anyone who tried to hurt her, so she was safe. So was Daryl. Ed would want to deal with Daryl himself. She knew that coward better than he thought, but he didn't know shit about her, who she was, where she came from. She was going to make sure he never forgot.

Had a handle on it. My life, I broke it

When I get to where I'm going, gonna have you saying it

Live fast, die young. Bad girls do it well

– – –

Amy and Andrea drank coffee at the island, watching Penny stare out the front window and Paige paint a picture of the bushes outside. The house was so quiet, and Andrea had taken time off work to make sure nothing happened to these little girls and Amy. So far, watching paint dry was more entertaining. Amy played with her braided hair, slowly zoning out, and Andrea tapped her fingernails on the island, sighing softly. She began to wonder what Paige would look like as a boy. All she saw was Merle's head on a little boy's body. Damn, that's creepy.

"How do we make this fun?" Amy whispered.

"I don't know. Let's catch each other fire."

"Stop watching Friends!"

"Okay, Ms. PMS, calm down and have a brownie." She slid the plate over to her. "I kinda miss Merle now," she murmured.

Amy stuffed a brownie into her mouth then went to the cabinet and found icing. She grabbed a spoon and smothered the second brownie in icing, and Andrea frowned now. "Amy, don't eat that."

"Why not?" She licked the icing off the spoon.

"Because becoming a diabetic won't make you feel better about what happened with Merle." She took the plate away from her. "Talk to me."

"And say what?"

"Anything! We're stuck here, watching these two, who are more boring right now than a documentary, and I would like to have something to talk about other than the fact that Micheal is spreading rumors that you're a lesbian."

"We don—What?!" Amy exclaimed. "Why is he doing that?"

"He does it to everyone he's dated. I suspect he's in the closet, but that's just me." She shrugged. "Talk and give me that icing!"

"Then give me the brownies. I need something."

She snatched the icing and closed it and replaced it in the cabinet. She pulled strawberries out of the fridge and tossed a banana at Amy then sat down. "Strawberries and banana boost your mood and give you energy, so munch away, Am."

She opened the container of strawberries. "For starters...I'm in love with Merle."

"I know." She took a drink of coffee. "That's why I was upset that you'd slept with him."

She bit into the strawberry and crossed her legs, watching Paige as she used her fingers instead of the paintbrush to paint. She could almost see Merle encouraging her to be bold in her painting, to not be held back by anything. She knew he would be a great father. He was a good man, he just didn't see himself as one, and that's partly why she didn't want him around Paige. He was just going to keep comparing himself to his father and eventually become the thing he fears the most. She couldn't let Paige be around him if that were to happen.

"Did you want to sleep him because you loved him?" Andrea asked.

"N...no." She bit her bottom lip. "I—I don't know." Her voice was soft. "Maybe."

"Okay. What's sex like between you two?"

"Andrea, gross! I am not going to tell you that! I won't even tell him that!"

"Not what I mean, Am. Is it just sex or making love?"

"There's a difference?" She picked at the seeds in the strawberry.

"Yes, there is. I know you know there is. Don't be childish."

"It was just sex before," Amy whispered, "but this last time...I think it was more. I don't—I don't know, maybe I'm just imaging things." She tried to keep tears out of her eyes.

"Did he hold you after?" She peered at her little sister's face.

"We were exhausted," Amy murmured. "He wasn't really holding me."

"Amy, please don't do that."

"I have to do that." She looked at Andrea. "That's how I'm used to us being. If he did make love to me, if he did hold me then...what the hell happens next? What was supposed to happen next? We have a child together, and Merle doesn't date or marry, so what's the point?"

"The point is—"

"I don't want to have hope that Merle will change," she interrupted her sister. "I don't want to plan out what might happen if he straights up his life and I stop fighting, because Merle slips all the time. He does his best, but that's never enough. It's like he needs alcohol or he needed drugs; it was never him needing me. I was just there, like the couch or the bed. My only purpose was to be used."

"I can't say I know what goes on in Merle's head nor can I say I understand what happened between you two while you were with him, but I can say that in five years, you never loving anybody else speaks in volumes."

"He's just my first love. I'll always kinda love him, right? These feeling will eventually go away. Once he's out of my life, and I don't see him every freaking day, I'll—I'll stop loving him." She searched her sister's eyes, tears burning in hers. "Right?"

She gripped Amy's hand. "You need to stop thinking about how Merle was before and focus on how he is now. If you think you can have a future with Merle...you should talk to him."

"And say what? "I love you, stop being a screw-up"?"

"No, help him with his drinking. Take him to meetings, help him abstain, just be there for him."

She swallowed. "What can I do? I'm just some girl he knocked up who happens to dance. That's it."

"And who happens to love him." She turned to face Amy. "All of his life, he's associated love with pain and anger. You know how Mason Dixon was to them. You need to teach him that love can be gentle and sweet. You're very loving; I don't know why you won't let yourself love Merle like you want to."

"Because when I tried, he came home with another woman. I can't handle that again. It was...like ice water to the face in the middle of a blizzard. Merle's never going to love me like I love him. I know he's not going to, and I really don't want to set myself up for more disappointment." She shook her head.

"If you don't take the risk for love, what do you take it for?"

"What do you know? You haven't been in a relationship since when?" She wiped at her eyes. "You don't know what this feels like."

"Actually, I have been through this," Andrea snapped. "I was in love with a man for a long time, but in the end, he was in love with someone else. I tried to be with him anyway, and it was a disaster. God, Amy, grow up and stop acting like a damn teenager. Your daughter can comprehend this better than you can."

"A—Andrea." Amy tried to grab her wrist as she stood up. "Wait! Please!"

"Don't!" She padded up the stairs to her office.

Penny and Paige watched them, Penny didn't want to be rude and ask what happened, because she didn't know them at all while Paige didn't like how sad her mom looked. She wanted to ask what was wrong, but she knew she would lie and say it was fine. Her mom always lied when something was wrong. She didn't know why, but she hoped she stopped. She was tired of lies.

"I'll be right back." Amy disappeared into the bathroom and sat down on the floor, burying her face in her knees and repressing an urge to scream. It wasn't fair. Love was supposed to be...easier than this, wasn't it? All of those stupid kiddy movies and shows teach you that love can get you through anything, but it wasn't true for her. It wasn't getting her through anything, not her love for Merle. And Jesus, it took her this long to even want to know that her feelings for Merle were, in fact, love.

I've been ignoring this big lump in my throat

I shouldn't be crying, tears were for the weaker days

I'm stronger now or so I say, but something's missing

She was scared to be in love with Merle. She knew how hard it was for him growing up, especially after Mason came by. Merle didn't bend for anybody, but he was for Mason. She knew Merle had issues with touch and affection, and she wanted to be there for him, but she didn't know how. How was she going to be there for him? He blocked her out all the time, and before she even wanted to try and get inside, it exhausted her to try and figure out what he was feeling. Mostly, she just turned his attention elsewhere and told herself that's what he needed. It wasn't what he needed. Sex wasn't love, not then. It didn't help him at all. It was just sex. Why didn't she do more? Try harder? Press him to tell her? She knew he would've gotten pissed, but she didn't even try. She just...left him there to struggle.

Whatever it is, it feels like it's laughing at me through the glass of a two-sided mirror

Whatever it is, it's just laughing at me and I just wanna scream

Was she scared of him? After watching him beat the shit out of Tomas and his group of assholes, did she subconsciously become afraid of him? Was she worried he would turn his anger on her and not in the way she liked? Merle was a big man, very temperamental and easily angered, but she knew he would never hurt her. He would grab her really hard, sometimes he would lunge, but he never went through with it. He would just stare at her then growl low in his throat and back off. The only the time Merle got rough with her was in bed, even then she sensed he was holding back. That's another problem they had. He always held back everything.

What now? I just can't figure it out

What now? I guess I'll just wait it out, wait it out

What now? Ohhhh what now?

She was open with him from the minute she met him. She tried to be as honest as possibly. She didn't give him all of the details about her parents, but she didn't think he'd care. He didn't see the type to care about a runaway teenager's problems, even when he asked. She just laughed and made up something. It would appear she wasn't always open with Merle. It was just with her parents, and he never talked about his parents, just that one time he thought she had wanted to kill herself because of him. She saw the scars all the time, but she never asked about his mom and dad, because he would give her this look, this heated glare, and she would stop looking at his scars. He didn't want to talk about Mason and the abuse, she understood that, but it was so hard to not ask when he would wake up in the middle of the night after having a nightmare.

I found the one he changed my life, but was it me that changed

And he just happened to come at the right time, I'm supposed to be in love

But I'm numb again

She was sleeping peacefully, deeply, and she heard a soft moaning beside her. She didn't want to wake up, but Merle was shifting. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times before she saw him clearly. His forehead was wet with sweat, his lips twitched, and his hands were gripping the sheet tightly. She touched him, and his eyes snapped open, his fist came so close to punching her. She gasped and told her it was him, and he looked her over. He didn't even say anything, just removed her panties and went. She knew he needed it, but she wanted to know why. What the hell had been dreaming about? Was Mason beating him in the dream? Was it the fire? She didn't have a clue, and when she tried to ask him what caused the nightmare; he brushed her off, took a shower and left the apartment. He didn't come back until noon, and he pretended like the whole thing didn't happen.

I found the one he changed my life, but was it me that changed

And he just happened to come at the right time, I'm supposed to be in love

But I'm numb again

She lifted her head and exhaled deeply, shaking her head. Even with all of that, all of the good and bad, she loved him. She loved him so much, and she kept trying to push that love off onto other people, like Fee. He was a good friend, and he was good to Paige, but he wasn't Merle. She was fond of him, but she didn't love him like she told Merle. She'd wanted to hurt Merle, so she just said that. She'd hurt Merle enough, why did she keep trying? If she could just try to talk to him, maybe it would all be okay, but...she didn't know if it would be. They could make their relationship worse or wind up screwing again or something else could happen for the worse.

Whatever it is, it feels like it's laughing at me through the glass of a two-sided mirror

Whatever it is, it's just sitting there laughing at me

And I just wanna scream

The door opened slightly, Amy knew it was Paige, so she reached over and opened it the rest of the way. Paige came in with a box of tissue, offered her mom a big smile and the tissues. Amy accepted the box, set it on the ground and pulled Paige into her arms, holding her daughter close in her arms. She kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Paige."

"I love you too, Mommy." Paige met her mom's puffy eyes. "What's wrong?"

What now? I just can't figure it out

What now? I guess I'll just wait it out, wait it out

What now? Ohhhh what now?

She scrutinized her daughter's gray-blue eyes and swallowed. "Merle."

"What about Dad? What happened with him?"

She shook her head. "That's my problem, honey."

"No, it's not. Not when you're crying, I wanna help." Amy laughed weakly. "What did he do?"

"He was just...being Merle." She blinked back tears. "I don't know what to do, Paige."

"Don't cry."

She rested her forehead on Paige's as her shoulders shook.

"You can say you're sorry," Paige suggested. "Or make him say he's sorry. I don't know what happened, but Jeanette said apologizes can fix a lot of fights."

She sucked in air and lifted her eyes to her daughter's. "An apology?"

"It could help."

"It could." She wrapped her arms around her little girl. She would go and talk to him as soon as Carol called and let them know everything was all right with Ed. She had to keep Penny safe, and she couldn't talk to him here where Paige could eavesdrop, so maybe at his place or at a restaurant. They needed to just talk like adults for once. Sober, mature adults, because Andrea was right. She wasn't a teenager, and she needed to start acting like an adult when it came to Merle. She really hoped he stopped drinking, because she didn't want to have this conversation with drunken Merle who wouldn't remember any of it. She wanted him to remember and give him her opinion. She never asked how he felt about being a father or if he wanted to be involved in a way that she gave him updates and maybe monthly visits. She needed to ask. She was going to ask the next time she saw him. The past was the past, and they were both different now, and maybe having Paige in his life would help him straighten up. Merle had a right to know his daughter.

He would always have that right, and she wasn't going to take that from him.

– – –

Carol sashayed into Ed's office building, seeing the lobby full of men she had to suffer dinner parties with. She didn't like most of them. Most of them were just assholes, the others were just there for the paycheck, and only a small few were actually likeable. They were all people who could easily be manipulated, which is why Ed hired them. No alpha males allowed. That was just fine. There were no alpha males here anyway, not even the boss.

She could feel their eyes on her, undressing her, and she ignored them, going to the receptionist that Carol had found blowing Ed at the Christmas party. They never knew she saw, otherwise Ed would've made up some excuse to make her stay. Why she stayed, she didn't know. All she could do now was smile and get into Ed's office. She was still his wife—shudder, gag—no matter what he'd told them, and she was going up there, even if she had to do it the hard way.

The young blonde looked up when Carol approached, her eyes widened as she looked her over, and she smiled at Carol, as if suddenly remembering her manners. "Hello, Mrs. Peletier! It's so nice to see you up and about! Ed told us you were sick. We were all so worried about you, because of how ill you were and the move! Ed was telling us about it, and he was so devastated!"

"I bet he was."

"Poor Sophia. She must be so stressed, poor baby. How is she? How are you even?"

"I'm well. Sophia will be better soon." She adjusted her purse strap. "I'm here to see Ed."

"Oh, you must have still been delirious when he told you, but Ed's been on a business trip for three days. He's flying back in tomorrow morning." She looked at Carol with such sympathy. "I'll call him and let him know you were looking."

"No, that's not necessary. I'd just like to see his office. I want to leave him something since you and I both know he'll be right here first thing."

She nodded. "It's in the same place as always."

"Thanks." She rolled her eyes as she walked away, taking the elevator to the floor where his office was located. She knew Ed kept a copy of his schedule in his office, just in case he might forget something. She knew his calendar was most likely blank, because he wasn't one to write on it, so it was possibly underneath it. Who knows, maybe the asshole has changed his office.

She opened the door and pulled the doors closed behind her, hurrying to his desk to search for the schedule. She checked under the calendar, but it wasn't there. She groaned softly and began to search through the desk. She noticed how nice and neat everything in is desk was. His assistant definitely was the one in charge. Whenever she came here to bring him something before, his desk was a pit, and his assistant was always chewing him out. She liked clean; he loved messy.

She rummaged through the drawers, finding many, many papers she didn't need. She found a drawer full of office supplies, a drawer full of printer paper, and the others were just full of junk. Neatly organized junk, but junk nonetheless. She noticed something in the bottom of the last drawer, and she reached into the drawer, moving aside two folders and knocking her knuckles against the bottom. A hollow sound came back at her.

There was something there! She yanked the files out and set them on the desk then continued to empty the drawer. She felt out the bottom, putting weight on both ends and sides, and eventually she managed to get it to flip open. She lifted the thin plate and saw a black book resting underneath with EMP engraved in gold on it. She picked it up and replaced it with a book off his shelf then placed everything back the way it was.

Slipping the book into her purse, she started for the door, but stopped short. She took another look at the office. The lashing furnishings, the spotless windows, the perfectly organized books and the pictures of her daughter at his desk and hanging on the wall. She ran her hand over the back of the white leather sofa, her breathing increasing, and something inside of her was welling up. The entire room just pissed her off. It was all lies! It was bullshit!

It made something inside of her just...snap. She snatched the pictures frames off the wall and smashed it onto the floor. She did the same to the pictures at his desk then grabbed his laptop and did the same. She was so livid. Ed wasn't a good man, wasn't a good husband or father ever. He had no right to have pictures of her daughter. He didn't deserve to see her face or her smile, let alone have many copies on his computer and dangling from the walls!

She opened a filing cabinet. If half of his clients and business partners knew what he was like, what he did to her, what he almost did to Sophia, they wouldn't have him at their parties and family gatherings. She tossed file after file about, ripping some up here and there, and she slammed the sole of her boot into the cabinet, causing it to fall over, and she grabbed his credentials off the wall and whorled it across the room, where it smacked into a wall and broke, the slip of paper falling free.

He or his men came into her home—her home!—and took her daughter from her bed! She slammed her foot into a picture of him and his bosses. He forced his way into the house using Gareth as his weapon so he couldn't take the fall, and he took her little girl! Her little girl who was finally happy and laughing and full of love! He ripped her out of her house, away from Carol's arms, and she didn't even know what was happening! She was too young to really understand, and she was so exhausted. For all she knew, it was her dad picking her up and taking her out of there! God, she probably thought it was Daryl. She probably didn't even open her eyes or question it, because they told her she was going on a trip with Hershel! She didn't even get a chance to fight! Aah!

She took a deep breathe in, her eyes landing on the wedding picture on the bookcase. She walked over shredded papers and folders, she slipped on one, but caught her balance. She plucked the picture off the shelf and examined it. It was of them at the ceremony, smiling and happy. She removed the photo from the frame, dropping the frame and she tore it in half, separating her from Ed, and she slipped the half with herself on it into her purse then stuck Ed's into his shredder. She then dumped the contents of the shredder all over the office.

If she still her wedding ring, she would shove it down his throat. The only wedding band she should have ever worn was the one she wore with Daryl. The only man's name she should've taken should've been Daryl's. There was no one else in the world she wanted to be with, and that asshole managed to overpower him. How? How dare that fucking murderer subdue Daryl! He would've had to have drugged him or went completely nuts and just beat him down. Either way, Carol's anger coursed through her like blood, and she shattered the crystal vase full of marbles that were now rolling all over the floor of his office. What if that bastard climbed into Sophia's window and used Sophia against Daryl?

She couldn't stand the idea of someone hurting Daryl, but of someone using their little girl to control Daryl made her see red. Those were the two most important people in her life. She wasn't going to let Ed play with them. They weren't toys; they were her family, her daughter and her soulmate. She was so fucking done with Ed.

With a final assault, she sent everything on his desk flying and even knocked his desk over. She didn't even care if he knew it was her. She wasn't going to let him taking them go. She was going to seek him out and demand to know where in the hell he had put them then she was going to make sure he never had children of his own. She was going to make sure he paid for what he did to Axel and to Milton and to Elizabeth. If there was even a chance he could get away with their murders...

She ran her hands through her hair, panting and looking over the damage done to his office. She didn't know she'd cried until her fingertips came across the wetness on her cheeks. She shuddered as the anger passed, and she took a deep breathe.

"Oh, honey." Seth, the sweetest, most generous gay man in the office, stepped into the room. "You found out about that front desk bitch today too."

She looked over at him and just nodded.

"Come with me." He took her and and led her out of the office then stopped and grabbed a bust off the shelf that Carol hadn't broken and dropped it onto the glass-top coffee table then pushed her quickly out the door.

They walked to his office, Carol sat down on the couch, and he got her a bottle of water. She drank it and he locked Ed's office.

"If it wasn't for the pay, I would quit." He tossed the keys at his desk and sat across from her. "That man's an asshole."

"Yes, he is." She smiled. "Thank you."

"Well, if you weren't going to trash his office, I was." He smiled back. "Knew Ed was bullshitting us when he said you were "sick". How are you?"

"I'm better now." She closed the lid to the water.

"You look exhausted." He frowned for her. "All right, we're taking you home."

"I—I don't actually—"

"That bitch made you leave your own house?!" He shook his head. "Jesus, if I could run him over."

She laughed at the expression he made, but it was short.

"Here." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a key card. "I won this from the employee of the month thing. I don't need it, but you do."

"Oh, no—"

"Yes! I'm not taking no for an answer, so go. I'll make sure Ed never knew you were here." He escorted her out of the building, hugging her and heading back inside.

She looked at the key card and felt the black book against her hip in her purse, and she hailed a taxi. She needed to plan this out now that the rage was contained again. She couldn't go into his house with no plan and a hell of a lot of anger. It just wouldn't work. For Daryl and Sophia's sake, she needed a plan and she needed to know what he was planning. Ed like to make notes to her all of the time, nagging her to do this and to do that; so hopefully he left a notes nagging himself on what to do with her and Sophia and Daryl.

––

"I know the freaking plan," Shawn argued. "The bag is by the door, the pillow is on the couch, and the keys are—Oh, shit, where are the keys?"

Michonne chuckled and held them up. "I thought you'd never notice."

"Oh, ha ha." He tried to snatch them, but she was quicker. "Hey, if her water breaks and I don't have those—" he tried again. "Michonne!"

She laughed and leaned back so he couldn't reach them.

"Rick, can I borrow your handcuffs?" Shawn called as he, Jimmy, and T and Tyreese moved the handmade cribs into the nursery.

"I'd like to see you try." She smirked.

Rick glared at Shawn while holding onto a crib while Ty and T fit the other into the room, because apparently Jimmy didn't want to set it down. "How 'bout you give us a hand?"

"I would love to, but Michonne is drilling me." He pointed to Michonne when he said her name as if Rick didn't know who she was. "And I have to find a heating pad for my wife's back, so...no."

"I'll help." Michonne tossed the keys at Shawn's face and slid off the stool. She picked up the other side of Rick's end, lightening his burden.

It took ten minutes for Sasha to decide where she wanted the cribs to be then Rick and Michonne went to get the mattresses from the trunk while T-dog sat down to rest his back and Tyreese and Sasha went to dig out the sheets from the closet. Jimmy left to take a call.

Shawn watched Michonne and Rick as they got the mattresses, and he waved Sasha over when she and Ty found the perfect sheets. "They're going to end up screwing before this month is over."

She pursed her lips. "Really, Shawn?"

"Like you don't see it." He leaned against the counter. "Can you feel the love tonight?"

"He's married."

"He's getting divorced."

"Really? Why?"

"Same reason you dumped me," he muttered when Rick walked by. "Need a hand?"

"I think I got it," he shot back.

"He's going to hate me forever, but if I set him up with her, do you think he'd like me again?"

"He doesn't need a date right now. After I broke up with you, it was really difficult in the beginning, mostly because I was trying to make my family think I was all right. I didn't want them to worry about me, so I tried to pretend everything was normal. For a couple of weeks, I didn't even really feel the pain of losing you, because I was so focused on them. He's probably trying to see where he's going now in life and how to tell his son that he and his mom are no longer together."

"You're right. That's wrong." He crossed his arms. "I'll help them with these."

"I think I'll do it." She tightened her grip on the sheets.

"You don't trust me?"

"You killed my friend's turtle, Shawn, so no."

"I didn't kill it! It was just faking! She buried the poor thing alive."

She didn't bother answering. She followed Michonne into the twin's room and handed her a set of sheets.

"All right, T, can I get you something to drink?" Shawn asked. "We have water, iced water and iced tea and some freaky melon crap Sasha likes."

"Water's fine."

"Me too." Rick headed into the kitchen and sat down, checking his phone to see if Lori had replied to his text about him picking up Carl.

Sasha closed the door as Michonne opened a set of sheets. "So, Mom has Andre tonight?"

"He wanted to see her." She looked at her cousin. "What do you really want to ask me?"

"How do you know that's not what I really wanted to ask you?"

"Because I know you. We're practically sisters, so spill."

"Shawn thinks you and Rick will end up having sex."

"We're going out for drinks," Michonne replied.

"What?!" Sasha exclaimed. "Mich, he's married!"

"He's separated from his wife, and it's just a few drinks." She sat down on the rocking chair. "Ooh, this is nice. Can I have this?"

"No. Back to Rick. Who asked who out?"

"I asked him." She crossed her legs. "Anything else, Mom? I promise I'll be back by ten."

"Oh, shut up!" She tossed the sheets at her playfully.

She laughed and caught the sheets then stood up. "Sit. I'll do this." She placed a set on the floor and pointed to a bed. "This is for the boy, right?"

"Yes." She sat down. "Though I doubt it'll matter in the end."

She smirked. "That day's getting closer and closer. How do you feel?"

"Nervous, and a little eager to have it over with. I'm ready for the next part."

"You'll regret that when they start to speak and become their father."

"Mich, don't."

"I know you love him, and you trust him, but I still worry."

"Shawn won't cheat on me again, and you said you would stop bringing it up. It's nearly been four years!"

"I know, but he and Rick's soon-to-be-ex-wife have been spending a lot of time together. You already know she's a cheater."

"He's trying to be her friend. He wants her to know that if Shane isn't there for her, he is. She's going to be a single mom soon, and he knew how tough it was for his mom, so he's just being nice."

"He was also being nice when he slept with someone else."

"You don't have all the facts, so just stop, all right?!" Sasha snapped.

Michonne huffed a little. "Fine, but I'm here if you need me."

"For now, I don't. Just worry about the husband you're seducing." She rubbed her temple.

"So, teddy bears? Isn't that kind of conventional for you?"

"I wanted ninjas teddy bears, but they didn't have any." Shawn brought in two glasses of iced tea. "I also wanted N7 sheets, but nope."

"Thanks." Sasha accepted the glass. "We've had this talk too."

"Fine, but I still am dressing them both in N7 bodysuits and bibs, maybe even t-shirts." He held a glass out to Michonne, and she shook her head. "You sure?"

"Yes." She continued to make the boy's bed.

Hates me, Shawn mouthed to Sasha. "I have to take T-dog home since he threw his back out, and I really want some cheese cubes, so you two need or want anything?"

"Half of your inheritance," Michonne replied.

"That's a college fund," he shot back. "Perhaps I can offer you one of my mozzarella cheese sticks?"

"I think it's best it stays with you," she murmured.

"Will you two just stop?" Sash asked before he could snap back. "You're family now, so just deal with each other! Silently!"

"I'm nothing but nice to her," Shawn argued. "And what the hell do you care what happened nearly four damn years ago that was between me and her?"

"Because she's my family," Michonne growled. "She had to leave town to try and get over you! You didn't see her like I did or like Jacqui did! You just followed her like a little puppy! You make me sick!"

Rick and Tyreese were by the door, peering in to make sure Shawn wasn't bleeding or broken on the floor.

Shawn opened his mouth to retort then stop. "All right, it's been years, and you haven't let this go." He closed the space between them. "Go ahead."

"What?" Sasha and Michonne asked.

"Hit me or kick me or yell at me; just get it out of your system, because I don't want this tension around my kids. You're their godmother, so go on and get it over with."

"What?" Michonne blinked.

"We had not told you that yet." He winced. "Sorry, Sasha."

"Shawn, stop." Sasha was on her feet and beside him now. "You don't need to do this. And yes, you're the one we want to be the godmother to our twins."

"Yes, she does need to do this, and congratulations!" He looked at his wife. "I can take a hit. Ask Ty."

"You hit him?" Sasha frowned. "When?"

"At the shop, at the Greene Leaf and...at the farm," Shawn answered. "My eye was swollen shut for a week."

"Why is anybody trying to hit anybody?" T asked, looking in on them.

"Uhhh, he dumped his drink on Michonne's favorite blouse," Sasha lied quickly.

"The stain never came out." Shawn crossed his arms. "I'll meet you at the car. Just give me five minutes."

T and Ty headed out the front door since they had come together, but Ty had to get a few more things out of the trunk otherwise he would take his dad home.

"Go for the groin," Rick suggested. "They're already having one of each, so groin."

"Get outta here!" Shawn pushed him out the door. "All right, hit me."

"Shawn." Sasha saw Michonne step forward. "Mich! Both of you, stop!"

"If he wants me to hit him, I'll gladly hit him." She smirked.

"I don't want you to hit him!" She moved in between him. "Can't you just let your anger go? It's been years, and he's been nothing but loyal and loving."

"All right. I'll let my anger go." She crossed her arms. "If he tells me why."

Sasha sighed. "Why do you need to know why?"

"Because I just do."

"All right, I was drunk and an asshole and will forever burn in hell because of it. Happy?" Shawn answered. "Now, I'm going to get my cheese and then complain to some poor saleswoman as to why there aren't any N7 sheets." He kissed Sasha's forehead, set the iced tea down then left the house.

"God, he must be good in bed," Michonne commented.

Sasha glared.

"What, it's not like I asked if he was."

"I'm going to finish my iced tea, because I am not allow to drink. Make the beds, please. Or I'll sit on you."

Michonne picked up the second set of sheets. "So, is that a yes?"

Sasha groaned and Rick snorted.

"That's a yes."

– – –

Amy knocked on her older sister's door, hearing her say "Come in" softly, and she entered the room. She offered Andrea, who was sitting on the floor with her back against the bed, a small, very apologetic smile. She dropped beside her and crossed her legs, lacing her fingers together, and she peered over at Andrea like a sulking puppy.

"How rough was he?" Andrea whispered, pulling her legs tighter to her chest. "Be honest, Am."

"I...have a few bruises on my thighs," she admitted. "It's really—"

"Would he have gone through with it?" she cut Amy off.

She swallowed and pulled her legs up. "Honestly?"

"Yes, honestly." She looked at her. "Would he have forced himself on you?"

"He was drunk and jealous and being stupid," Amy told her. "He just was pissed for some reason, and he didn't handle it well. He probably came here with the intention of having sex, yes." She licked her lips. "But I know that Merle would never have forced me. He's a good man. A stupid, drunk man, but good. I just...can't hope that his good side is out whenever he's with Paige."

"What are you so scared of?"

She shook her head. "Of returning to who I was."

"And who was that?"

"A scared, stupid girl who just wanted to escape the world." Her eyes burned. "Merle was just a scared man who wanted to escape too, only the pain of his past. We were perfect for each other, because he made me see the world in a different way, and I gave him a reason to stay. I think. I can't say for sure. He had Daryl, so maybe I was just there."

"If you were just there, Merle would've gotten rid of you a long time ago," Andrea informed her.

She sniffed. "Who was he?"

"Shane."

She rested her head on her knees. "Walsh?"

She nodded. "It was about a year and a half ago when we started dating again, and I fell in love with him. He didn't then...he started pining after Lori." She shrugged. "I'm over him now, don't worry."

"I'm sorry it didn't work out."

"And I'm sorry you won't give Merle a chance." Andrea paused. "Did that just come out of my mouth?"

Amy laughed. "Yes, it did."

She chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll still terminate his right."

"Put a hold on that, just for a day or two." She wiped at her eyes. "I need to speak to him when he's sober. Hopefully, he'll listen to me."

"I hope so too, because I want a nephew. I want to know what the hell that little boy will look like."

"Yes, that's the first thing Merle and I are going to do: get me pregnant." She scratched her nose. "I'm going to call him over and open the door naked, so the work's halfway done then in nine months we can hope it's a boy." She rolled her eyes.

"I'm likely to never have kids, so I need plenty of nieces and nephews."

"I am not a baby machine!"

"I'm actually surprised you don't have more kids."

"What?!"

"It's Merle!"

"And both Merle and I like protection. I don't know how I got pregnant, but thank God I did. Otherwise who knows where I would be now."

"Yeah." She smiled. "I still want a nephew. I bet Paige wants a little brother too."

"I bet I don't care, 'cause I'm only twenty-two," Amy replied. "Bother me again when I'm twenty-five or something. Yeesh."

She laughed. "We have the money to support you."

"I don't want their money," Amy groaned. "I want to make a living myself."

"Amy, you come from money. You're going to have to realize that one day, you'll received a large amount of money, and you can't push that away. Mom and Dad would want you and Paige to live comfortably, even in death."

"Don't talk about that."

She sighed. "I worry about you."

"Look, I'm moving out as soon as I get enough money, and I'll pay you back for—"

"You don't have to pay me back," Andrea interrupted her. "I just want you to take some money from them—that is technically yours from your college fund—once you move so you can be comfortable financially."

"I'll donate it to charity."

She groaned. "Fine, but tomorrow night, I am going out with Jacqui and Michonne, so you can watch the runts all by yourself." She rose and walked out of the room.

"Andrea." Amy climbed to her feet and hurried after her sister, but she wasn't able to get much out, because Paige and Penny were on the floor, wrestling.

Andrea and Amy ran and broke them up. Andrea grabbed Penny by her arms and yanked her back as gently as possibly while Amy wrapped her arms around Paige's waist and held her back, but she really wanted to hit Penny. It wasn't like Paige. She was very gentle, very calm, so whatever Penny said had really upset her. Or maybe Penny attacked her for saying something, and Paige was just trying to defend herself. It was still senseless. Paige wasn't a fan of violence unless it was absolutely necessary, so what the hell happened? They didn't even hear a fight. Damn the house's thick walls.

"What is going on?" Amy struggled to control her daughter. "P—Paige, stop it!"

"No!" Paige fought to escape her mom's grip. "She was being a jerk!"

"What happened?" Andrea held Penny's shoulders.

"She's like a wild animal!" Penny shrieked.

"You're an ass!" Paige retorted.

"Hey, you do not use that type of language," Amy scolded, tightening her grip. Damn, this girl was stronger than she looked. "Paige, stop it now!"

She did, but she wasn't happy about it.

"Tell us what happened." Andrea moved hair from her eyes.

"She made fun of my dad," Paige answered.

"What?" Amy frowned.

"I did not! All I said was he seems like a snake!" Penny shot back.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Amy growled.

Paige said nothing to her mom. "He's not a snake!"

"He bruised her! He's a bad man!"

"Okay. That's enough." Andrea picked Penny up and carried her upstairs. "I've got this one."

Amy released Paige and turned her around to look at her face. "Who started it?"

"She did."

"By calling Merle a snake?" Amy searched her daughter's eyes. "Or did she say something else?"

"She called him a criminal and a snake, and I told her to shut up, but she didn't." Paige lowered her eyes to the floor. "I don't know why, but I got really mad, so I shoved her."

"Paige—"

"I'm not sorry. She was being mean!" Amy sighed, and Paige looked up. "Did he hurt you?"

"Not on purpose," she assured her. "Baby, you can't hit people, just because they were mean. Penny is wrong about Merle, and I know it makes you mad that you can't make her see that, but that's life. People are jerks, and you just...have to be the bigger person. Okay? Promise me you won't fight unless it's in self-defense."

"I promise."

"Good, now go to your room. I'll talk to Penny and Andrea, but you two aren't going to be around each other, expect for dinner."

"Why can't she go to her room?"

"Because you started the fight, and you're in trouble for that and for the cuss word. Now, scoot. I'll get you for dinner."

"Mom—"

"Go to your room for the rest of the day or until Penny leaves."

Paige sighed and sulked, but went to her room, and Amy went upstairs to check on Andrea and Penny.

––

Gareth peered through the front window, hidden by the bushes, and he saw little girl-child with curly brown hair. She was upset about something, her little mouth in a frown, and she was sulking. He breathe onto the glass and traced her round little face. He tilted his head as she turned and disappeared into her bedroom. Soon.

His eyes moved to Amy, and he smiled. Very soon.

– – –

Carol stared at the ceiling to her suite, the alarm clock next to her reading one o' clock. She couldn't sleep. She wanted to kick down Ed's door and demanded to know where they were, but he wasn't home. She knew Ed wasn't stupid enough to keep them at his house, and she didn't know what other property he owned, so she had no idea where to look. She was scared that maybe Daryl was dead and Sophia was locked somewhere dark.

She rolled over and tugged on the chain so that light came on. She pushed herself up and grabbed her purse, digging out the black book. She hadn't read it. She just stared at it for hours, thinking over the possibilities, not sure she wanted them confirmed. She still wasn't sure, but since she couldn't sleep, she might as well read it, it'd give her something to do. Possibly tell her what he had in store for Daryl and Sophia. She had to know, no matter how scared she was to learn what that sick bastard was planning.

She opened it, finding a picture of woman inside. She had light auburn curls and sparkling green eyes with the biggest, warmest smile. She was beautiful and looked a lot like Carol herself. She ran her fingertip over the woman's face, seeing a necklace with the letter S on it. Underneath it was her obituary. She'd killed herself the day after her twenty-second birthday.

"Samantha North." Carol wondered who she was to Ed. The picture and obituary were well taken care of, like he didn't want anything to happen to them. They were both laminated as well. This woman meant a lot to Ed. Perhaps she was his girlfriend, and she killed herself when she learned who he really was. Maybe that's why Ed sought her out at that party, because she looked like this woman. Poor girl.

She turned the page and found his handwriting filling the pages. It was all so perfectly written, small and cursive. She glanced the words over, seeing dates on the pages. He'd had this book for seventeen years. His handwriting was very neat, even as a child. It was strange, but it seemed to fit Ed. He liked control, like things to appear perfect and put together on the outside, but inside things were red, raw and dark. So dark.

She folded her legs and tucked hair behind her ear, touching the necklace Daryl had given her, needing his light, his love. She took a deep breath and turned the page, looking for any bits about Samantha, her fingertip running over the blue gem on the heart, and she read over little pieces about Ed's childhood.

Phillip and Ed's father used to abuse them and their mothers. She read that Victoria was Ed's stepmother; Ed's father and she were married while he was in prison. Carol snorted. Some wedding. Bet the jumpsuit looked nice.

She saw a mention of Samantha on Ed's twentieth birthday, and she pursed her lips, reading over it.

I went to the gas station to pick up a few things before I headed back to my apartment. I just needed chips and some drinks, and since I know the guy who owes the station, I don't have to pay much. I saw this cute little redhead trying to decide on a Pay Day or a Snickers, cocking her head that made her red curls fall into her face. She was absolutely gorgeous. Her bright emerald eyes were sparking as she pressed her lips together and her eyes traveled to mine, and I looked away, feeling the blush on my cheeks. Damn, I didn't mean to get caught staring. She just let out this cute little giggle and grabbed a different candy then paid for it and left. I paid for my stuff and left, finding her sitting on the hood of car with a bag of M&Ms. She waved and patted the spot beside her.

We talked for an hour, opening the chips and sharing a pop. She was really cool, very loving and deep. She's unlike any woman I've ever met. Damn, I think I'm in love with her. Jesus H., how was that possible?

Carol wondered why Ed had written this. Maybe he didn't want to forget this life. Maybe he didn't want to become his father so he wrote what he did each day and looked for similarities. She could honestly see that rat bastard doing that. He was very meticulous, it seemed. She flipped through the pages and spotted an entry about an anniversary. It was probably the shortest one she'd seen yet.

Today's our first anniversary. We've been dating for an entire year. Holy shit, where did the time go? I think I might be rushing into things, but I want to be with this woman for the rest of my life. She's unlike anyone I've met, and she gets it. She gets me, and I think I can be myself with her. I don't have to hide anything, not even my past. I want her to know too. I love her. She means the world to me, and I want to spend my life showing her how much she means to me. I'm going to propose. I talked to Phillip about it; he thinks it's too soon, but what does he know? He's already married or getting married. (Note to self: write speech for the wedding) I know it'll all work out. How can it not?

Carol set the book down and went to make herself some tea. She would need sleep, and this book may keep her up half the night. She was curious about this Samantha. She was curious to know what Ed did to her that made her kill herself. She was a year older than him, so he was twenty-one now, and she was twenty-two. Maybe it wasn't him. Carol just felt that it was. The timing was right. He made it about a year before he showed his "true self" to her. Poor Samantha. What did he do to you?

She sat down with a mug of mint tea and returned to reading, letting the tea cool on the nightstand beside her. She found a date skip, and she frowned. He didn't write what happened between them. She leaned back, placing the book on her thighs, and she read what he had written. It was one line, and there was a two-week date skip below it.

Samantha's pregnant. She didn't want a baby. She got an abortion.

Oh, God. Carol felt sick at the thought of someone killing a baby. She was young, though. If she had lived, she probably would've regretted it. Or not. It wasn't as if Carol knew the woman.

I had to do what was right, didn't I? It was the right thing to do. It had to be the right thing to do. She had to pay. She had to pay. She killed my child. How could I let her get away with that? It was my child. She had no right to abort my child. That bitch. I may regret this, but it was her own fault. She didn't even talk to me about it. All I got was: I found out last week I was pregnant, probably three or four weeks, but I can't have a child right now. I can't support it, and I don't know if my body can take childbirth, so...I aborted it. I'm sorry. That was it. She was upset, crying as she finished, but all I could do was stare. That coldhearted bitch. I'll never forgive her for this.

Carol rubbed the back of her neck, shuddering as she read over every detail Ed had written down on how he was going to kidnap Samantha, impregnate her and hold her hostage until the baby was born then give her an option to stay or die, if she didn't die in childbirth. She felt like throwing up at the amount of thought he'd put into it.

Turning the page, she found a recorder taped onto the page with Samantha name written in marker across it. She removed it and rewound it, pushing play.

"What's going on?" Her voice was soft, full of fear and confusion. "Ed? Ed?!"

"Why didn't you tell me about the baby before you murdered it?" His voice was dark, growling.

"I—It's my body, Ed. You told me yourself you didn't want children, so I thought you'd be okay with it." She was trying not to cry. "Having that baby would've put my life at risk. We talked about—"

"Bullshit!"

It stopped there, at least that conversation.

"E—Ed? I have to use the bathroom. May I—Aaah!" There was an echoing sound, one Carol knew all too well. He'd slapped her. "Please, don't. Please." She was sobbing. "I just want to go home. Please."

"Shut the hell up and lie on the bed."

She was walking. "We can have a baby together, I promise! I promise! I—just let me go. I need to see my bubba. Please. I haven't seen anybody in weeks, pl—aah!"

"What did I just tell you?"

Tears burned in Carol's eyes as she held the recorder tightly in both hands, her lips quivering. Oh, God, that poor girl.

She was panting heavily. "My name is Nora Samantha North. If anybody finds this and it's too late to save me, please take my body back to my family if I'm dead. Let them hear this. Poppa, I love you so much, and I tried to make you proud. And I am so sorry about that stupid fight we had. I love you so much. And Donny, I love you too, meathead. You're the best brother, and it's up to you to take care of Poppa. He's gonna need you, Donny. Be strong. Be the man I know you are. Grams, I love you. I'm sorry for being stupid and not listening to you. I love you guys and don't—don't be sad. Don't be sad that I'm gone, please, just try and remember who I was." Her cries were piercing through Carol's heart. "Please, I don't know how long I've been down here. I—I think I'm out of the city. I don't—I don't hear anybody; they don't hear my screams either. Please, I can't take much more of this."

"Is anybody out there?! Hello?! I'm down here! Please, can't you hear me?! I'm down here! Help me! Please, I'm down here!"

Hot tears pooled down Carol's cheeks.

"I don't—know what's wrong with him. He—he—he just changed. Was it me? Did I change him? Did I make him into this monster? Was it my fault? No, I didn't do anything to deserve this." She sniffed. "I can't get pregnant, and he's getting mad. I think I'm going to die down here."

Carol couldn't catch her breath, her stomach was turning to churn, and she knew she was going to make herself sick. She just couldn't stop. That girl suffered for God only knows how long, being raped and beaten, just like Ed had done to Carol, only there was never a child involved. All Ed wanted was a child, and she couldn't give that to him, so he made her pay for it.

"I think he broke my leg," her voice was small. "I got my period today..."

"Is there anybody looking for me? Anybody at all?" She was sobbing again. "Does anybody care that I'm missing? I have a big brother and a father and grandmother. Do they even care? What's going on?"

"I wish you were a phone... I wish I could call my Poppa and hear his voice just one more time. I miss him so much...and Donny...and Grams. God...please ease their pain. Please..."

"The floor...is...cold," her voice was weak, thin. "Is it...winter? I...love snow. I wish...I could...see it one last...time."

The recorder hit the floor, and Carol gasped as a shudder ran through her body. She was dead. She killed herself. Oh, God. She sprang off the bed and ran to the bathroom, throwing up.

Carol had gone through almost the exact same thing. She wasn't locked in a basement in the middle of nowhere. She was just locked in a house because Ed had bruised her so badly she couldn't go outside. People would start to question their relationship, Ed would only beat her more, and she didn't want him to start hurting Sophia. She just listened to everything he said, hoping she could make it all better by being the best at cleaning and cooking, but she was never good enough for him.

Samantha didn't know what would happen. She was just a girl who fell in love with the wrong guy. She didn't want to risk her life having a child, but all Ed saw was that she had killed his child. She felt bad about it; Carol could hear it in her voice when she was trying to talk him down in the basement. She made a decision based on the fact that she may not be able to have this child without repercussions; and he locked her down there for months, forcing himself onto her, beating her when she didn't get pregnant, driving her to end her life, because she thought nobody cared, that nobody was coming to save her. She was all alone or she thought she was.

Between puking up the food she'd forced herself to eat and the cries that shook her entire body, Carol felt completely weak. She felt dizzy, and her throat was burning, and she just wanted to find that son of a bitch and shoot him dead. The only good thing that came from this was she had proof now. He wrote down everything, so she knew she would find a paragraph about Daryl and Sophia and Gareth, possibly even Axel and Elizabeth. She was going to take that book down to the police department as soon as she had Sophia and Daryl back. She had leverage now. She would make him pay for all of those good people who died because of him.

– – –

I intend to take my daughter to my mother's house. From there, Victoria will drive to one of the summerhouses I have out of state and keep Sophia busy with games and playing and promises that her mother was on the way. Carol wouldn't have told Sophia about me; I know the bitch wouldn't. She was too busy fucking that redneck prick to care about my daughter. Goddamn bitch. She probably spread her left for half of Georgia by now. Disease-ridden cunt. As for Sophia, well she's not the smartest kid in the world, so she probably won't even notice when Carol doesn't to come and join them down there.

Carol adjusted the strap to the sexy, wet-look, lace hem, slip dress she'd bought the other day, her bounce-y, almost fire-red curls spilling over her shoulders, the silver bracelets hitting each other as she ran her hands down the front of the dress. She lifted her chin, confident and ready to destroy this man.

I'll have Gareth take that redneck asshole to one of my cabins outside the city. I have a business trip, so I'll leave him to fester there for a few days. He was a stupid and ugly son of a bitch, and he looked like a wet rat most of the time. I can't believe Carol let my child around that creepy, ass motherfucker. He probably fingered my daughter once he was done with Carol. I'll just have to remove those fingers and make him choke each one down then I'll do the same to his dick. I'll have to be careful, though. It's probably as small as a mothball, so I'll have to see what tools I can use. I'll make that hick suffer for ever thinking he could be the father to my child. There was no way in hell he'll make it through the night. My only regret is that he'll have to wait a few days. I'll enjoy the end of this trip, that's for sure.

Carol applied lipstick after her face was made up. She puckered her lips, her eyes guarded. She closed the tube and set it in her clutch. She was glad this hotel knew who she was. She charged a lot to Ed's account, and she knew he spent a lot himself, so he wouldn't notice until she had him exactly where she wanted him.

As for my wife. I'll have to take my time with her. I'll let her suffer a bit, thinking over everything I'm going to do to her "man". When I'm done, they'll be fishing his guts outs and wondering who the hell they belonged to. But Carol... Her, I'll take my time with. I know exactly where I'll lock that cunt up at. She'll sit down there and only wonder what day it was, where my daughter is, why no one was ever going to come for her. I'll beat her for every second she was gone, and she'll have scars on her body for the rest of her life, because I want her to suffer like I have. I won't kill her. Degrade her, torture her, possibly make her give me a son, but I won't kill her. I'm going to savor the sight of seeing her curled in up the corner of basement, withering away, shaking in fear, pleading for me to let her go, to end it, and I'm going to laugh in her face and beat her again. I've suffered too long, and I will not let her get away with taking my child from me. She'll pay. She'll fucking pay.

Carol swayed her hips, her heels hitting the marble floor of the hotel where one of the bosses of a major company that wanted to merge with Ed's was meeting Ed for dinner in twenty minutes, and she knew she'd caught many eyes. She had one goal for tonight. Well, at this this hour of tonight: destroy Ed's career. She was just going to set fire to his job then to his life.

She smiled and asked where Ed Peletier's table was, flashing an expensive engagement ring she'd bought with Ed's money earlier that day. She planned to sell it and give the money to a foundation that was dedicated to preventing suicides. The diamond earrings were going to one that helped prevent domestic violence.

He led her to the table, and she thanked him, walking over to the middle-aged man in a suit. She sat down, crossing her legs, and she brought out that charmed-filled smile again.

"Well, hello." He returned her smile. "Who are you?"

"I'm Ed's wife, Carol." She mentally gagged on the words. "I think we need to talk before my husband comes."

Money, money, money must be funny in the rich man's world

Money, money, money, always sunny in the rich man's world

She reached into the clutch and pulled out a flash drive Seth had "accidentally" dropped into her purse when he ran into her while she was shopping with a note telling her exactly what was on it. They had lunch, and he found a better paying job with ironically the company Ed wanted to merge with. She was glad and thankful, but felt bad, because he had taken the fall for destroying Ed's office. Ed didn't know, but his assistant did. Carol knew that bitch would scramble to tell him, but Ed was too focused on looking the part to be bothered by her.

All the things I could do if I had a little money

It's a rich man's world.

They spoke briefly, she handed him the flash drive and excused herself as Ed entered. She sashayed toward to the door, he looked at her, running his eyes over her body, not really paying attention to her face, and he stopped, almost as if he wanted to speak to her, but Carol kept walking.

Money, money, money must be funny in the rich man's world

Money, money, money, always sunny in the rich man's world

She smiled to herself as she walked out of the hotel, the cool night air on her bare skin, and she headed toward her hotel room. It was time for the last round of this game. It was life or death, and she was prepared for both.

All the things I could do if I had a little money

It's a rich man's world. It's a rich man's world

– – –

Andrea left for her dinner or whatever it was an hour ago, and she sent Amy a text to let her know she would be out late, so that's meant pizza and hot wings from Rhee's. Neither of the girls minded, but they did mind that one of they was eating by the window and the other was eating at the table. Andrea didn't like for Paige to eat in her room or Penny to eat in the guest bedroom, and Amy wanted to keep an eye on them both, so she pushed the coffee table against the wall by the window for Paige and left Penny at the table.

She was on the floor with her daughter, who was glaring daggers at her. "What?" Amy finally demanded after two slices of six cheese pizza.

She pushed her plate away. "May I be excused?"

"No. You've only eaten one slice. I expect you to eat two."

"I'm not hungry." She folded her arms. "You can't make me eat either."

"Where is this attitude coming from? I am sitting on the floor with you." She couldn't feel her ass either. This floor was so uncomfortable.

Paige rested her chin in her palm, sighing and looking out the window.

Amy looked at her daughter. "I'm sorry that I'm making you eat at the coffee table, but I have you my big, plush pillow, so you can't be half as uncomfortable as I am."

Paige gasped. "It's Dad!"

"What?" Amy rolled onto her knees, peering out the window as Merle parked his bike and removed his helmet. "Oh, sh—sugar!" She climbed to her feet and ran a hand through her hair. What the hell was he doing here? What if he's drunk again? The girls can't see him grope her like that! They'll be traumatized for life, and they shouldn't think men do that to women, especially since the man is the father of her child.

"That's your dad?" Penny's face scrunched up.

"No, no, no!" Amy hissed at Paige, seeing the same look on her face that Merle got on his when he was about to punch a bitch's lights out. "Yes, that's him. Go back to the table, Penny."

She headed back to the table to finish her dinner.

Amy opened the door and walked over to him before he could come inside. "What—?"

"Open your garage," he cut her off. "It's gonna storm, don't want my bike out in that shit."

She gaped at him then turned and made her way to the backyard, slipping into the door that was directly beside the veranda, and she opened the garage door for him, turning the lights on. This was the first time she'd seen the garage. Andrea told her about it, but she never really had a reason to come out here. It was spacious and full of tools and a spare fridge. What the hell?

She opened it and found beer and soda inside the fridge and meat in the freezer. She closed it and faced Merle as he flicked the switch that closed the garage door. "What brings you here?"

"You know what."

She eyed him. He was definitely sober. He wore dark jeans and a black t-shirt. He looked as decent as he did the night they slept together. Was the other night just a relapse? She wasn't sure, but she wasn't going to let him inside just yet. She wanted to make sure he was there to talk. "You want to talk about the other night?"

He nodded. "Also 'bout what you said."

She nodded back. "C'mon."

They returned to the house, Paige was still sitting on the floor and Penny was at the table. Amy told them to eat their dinner, and if she heard them near the door, they were both going to clean the floors and only eat salad and stuffed bell peppers until it was time for Penny to leave. They both groaned and ate their food, and Amy guided Merle to her bedroom.

"Have a seat anywhere." She closed the door.

Merle took a seat on the couch beside her bed, and she sat beside him. "Who's the other kid?"

"Penny. She's just staying over for a few days." She pulled her legs in. "You look better. How do you feel?"

"Like a massive asshole."

She said nothing.

He rested his elbows on his knees, his fingers loosely laced together, and he turned his head to look at her. "I'm sorry."

"Why were you drinking so heavily?" She studied his face, resting her hands on her knees.

"Saw your performance, it was real good. You were real good."

"Thank you, but...don't change the subject."

He rubbed his palms together. "Felix has been 'round here a lot lately. He's gettin' to know Paige and your family, too, ain't he?"

"He's a dear friend." She licked her bottom lip. "He and I spend a lot of time with Paige, taking her places and such. Yes, he met my parents that night, because they took us to dinner. He met Andrea and Dale before that though."

He scoffed, shaking his head. "That's bullshit."

"How is it bullshit?"

"'Cause she's my daughter, not his," he growled.

"You're the one that walked away."

"Because I couldn't—" he cut off.

Her eyes locked on his face. "Because you couldn't what?"

"Nothin'."

"No, Merle, tell me. Because you couldn't what?"

"I ain't gonna ruin that little girl," he murmured.

"Ruin her?" She frowned. "Merle, you're nothing like your father! You're a good man who has bad habits!"

"Am, I'm just like that son of a bitch. I thought 'bout tryin' to be her father a couple of times, but I got this fear that I'm gonna turn out to be just like him. Tsh, and after the other night? Hell, no. I ain't gonna risk hurtin' you or her. I'll get over my anger." He clenched his jaw.

"You were just jealous, because Fee is getting a chance you're not letting yourself have." She reached over and set her hand on his. "I know for a fact you wouldn't have hurt me the other night."

"I don't," he admitted.

She scooted closer to him, taking his hand and holding it tightly in both of hers. "I do." She searched his eyes. "And I am so sorry about what I said to you. You're not anything like Tomas. You'll never be anything like Tomas, because I never loved him."

His eyes widened at the word love.

She smiled softly. "I meant that I love you the day I left, and I tried to tell myself it was the drug, but it wasn't. I did love you." She rubbed her thumbs into his palm. "I still...believe you can be a good father." She mentally kicked herself. Why couldn't she say it? Just say it, Amy.

"Thought you were takin' my rights away."

"I've decided to let you and Paige spend some time together. She should get to know you. How does that sound? Would you like to do that?"

"Yeah, I would."

"Then let's go talk to her. I'm sure she'll approve. She's—"

The door opened, Penny and Paige ran into the room and over to them, both of them pale with fear in their eyes. Amy frowned, releasing Merle's hand, and she set her feet on the floor, and Merle saw them both jump when thunder sounded. The storm had caught up to them.

"What is it?" Amy looked over their faces.

"Someone's outside!" Paige whispered.

– – –

Carol looked over Ed's house. It was just as pretentious as his office. It was a lot like Andrea's house, only manly and full of shitty art. There were a few pictures of Sophia here and there, and only one of Carol and Sophia. It was in the living room; it was the first thing you saw when you walked in. She was tempted to toss it, but she left it there. She didn't want anything out of order when the police came for his ass.

She'd washed off the makeup and changed into jeans and a leather military shirt with her boots. She knew Ed had a gun around here, probably more than one, and she was going to find it and slip it inside her waistband hidden by her shirt. She had to know the location of the summerhouse and cabin since he had more than one, and she would use it to threaten him. She wasn't going to be afraid of him anymore. She had to be strong for her loved ones, for Samantha and for Elizabeth and Axel; so if it came down to it, she would pull that trigger without hesitation.

She saw the steel basement door and narrowed her eyes at it. She walked over to it and unlocked the door. She padded down the steps and found the room where Samantha had been kept. It was exactly how she'd described it too. She'd listened to the entire recording before Samantha killed herself over again that morning, and softly in the background, she was murmuring about it in her sleep. Ed wanted to always remember her voice, so he recorded her for quite some time, the sick SOB.

She found a bed nicely made up with a nightie and one set of clothes beside it. They were Carol's size exactly. She saw a chair with handcuffs on the armrests and legs and beside it was a table covered with tools Ed was going to use to torture her with. She even saw a few bottles of morphine. She scoffed and shook her head. There was no way in hell she was ever going to let him do any of this to her.

She left the basement, kicking the door closed, and she went to search for his guns. She found a fully loaded Colt Python in the bedroom then a Glock in the office. She tucked the Python into the waistband of her jeans, hearing tires on gravel outside. She walked down the stairs and sat down on the couch, crossing her legs with the Glock resting on her knee. She took a deep breath, willing her palms not to sweat, because there he was. Ed was just another man who begged when karma came for him.

The door flew open, his cold gray-blue eyes met hers with both surprise and annoyance. He closed the door and tossed his jacket onto the couch then went over to the bar and poured himself a glass of rum, downing it only to fill it back up.

"I knew it you who destroyed my office, not that faggot." He sat down across from her. "Welcome to New York, baby."

"I have only two questions for you then you can go silently to hell."

He arched a brow. "You think you can boss me around just because you have a gun?" He chuckled. "That's really cute."

She shot out the glass in the coffee table before he could set his glass down. "Deathly cute." She leaned toward him. "Look, all I want to know is where you took my child—"

"Your child?" He scoffed. "Bitch, she's mine."

She smirked. "Actually, no. I was pregnant before I met you by the "redneck hick" who I was married to for two years. He's actually the only reason why I slept with you. I was trying to not miss him, so I screwed you."

His eyes darkened. "What?"

She nodded. "Sophia isn't your daughter. She's Daryl's, who you called the redneck."

He tossed his glass of rum at her and shot over to her, grabbing her by her shoulders. "The fuck did you just say?!"

––

"I'm sure it's just Andrea." Amy hurried after Merle, waving the girls back into her bedroom. "I'll get a towel—"

Thunder clashed and the lights snapped off, Amy gasped and groaned, and Merle had a bad feeling about all of this, and Amy gripped his sleeve. She wanted to know where he was, and she didn't want him running off to do anything stupid.

"Am, let go." He tried to shrug her off, but she didn't let go. "Go back in your room with the girls."

"What? No way!"

"I'm gonna check the fuse box. Where's it?"

"Uh, no! It's all the way outside on the other side of the garage! It's cold, and raining outside! You'll only get sick. Look, I'll start a fire, and we can get some blankets and just wait the storm out."

"Other side of the garage, huh?" He removed her hand. "Where the flashlights?"

She groaned. "Hold on, I'll go with you." She opened the hall closet and dug out two flashlights, handing him one.

"No, you ain't. Stay with the girls."

"Merle." She grabbed his arm. "I am not your girlfriend or someone you can boss around, so just shut up and follow my lead."

He snorted. "Like hell. Stay put or I'm just gonna drag your ass back inside."

"If this was a horror film, you'd be the first to die!" Amy called after him.

He flipped her off and kept walking.

She scoffed a chuckle and rolled her eyes. She clicked on her flashlight and went to check on the girls. They were huddled up on the floor by her bed, and she helped them up. Paige gripped her mom's hand and held onto it tightly, and Penny held herself tightly with her arms.

"It's all right. The power just went out. Merle went to check on it."

"Alone?" Paige exclaimed. "He could get hurt! Mommy, somebody's out there!"

"No one is going to be out in this weather," Amy insisted. "C'mon, let's get upstairs. Andrea has a big bed in the guest bedroom up there, and when Merle gets back, we'll all stay in there, okay?"

"I'll be fine in my own room." Penny walked out the door.

"That's good to know, but you're staying with me under my roof, so my rules. Take your spoiled behind upstairs to the guest bedroom now." Amy picked up Paige and headed upstairs.

"Told you she was a jerk," Paige whispered.

"Yeah, yeah." Amy set her down on the bed and grabbed the blanket off the couch. "Under the covers."

Penny crawled onto the bed. "I don't want that man to sleep in the same room with us."

"Well, too bad." Amy handed Paige the flashlight and grabbed the small out of the drawer. "He's a good guy, and I'm gonna go check on him. Stay warm, and don't fight."

Penny glanced at Paige, Paige held the flashlight away from her, and Amy headed downstairs to see how Merle was doing with the fuse box, going to her room to dig out either a raincoat or umbrella.

Merle found the wires in the fuse box cut, but the power was down throughout the entire neighborhood, so whoever cut them wanted Amy to not be able to call for help even when the power came back on. Someone was going to try and hurt Amy and the girls tonight. He knew something was off. He just felt something strange, like someone was watching them when he pulled in. There was no way in hell anybody was hurting his girls and...Penny?

He hurried back inside, soaked to the bone and found a fire roaring. He set the flashlight on the counter and went over to the fireplace to warm himself up, not caring about the muddy prints he tracked inside. Andrea could kill him later.

"You're back." She tossed a raincoat onto the couch. "Oh, you made a fire! That's great!"

He frowned. "Didn't you...make the fire?"

"No, I was digging out my rain coat." She saw the confusion in his eyes. "Didn't...you make it?"

"No."

"Mommy!" Paige screamed.

They bolted up the stairs and down the hall to the guest bedroom, but the door was shut and locked and the girls were pounding on it, trying to escape. Merle moved Amy aside and told the girls to get back, and he kicked the door in. They ran out and gripped Amy's arms.

"There's a huge bug inside!" Penny shuddered.

"A—bug?" Amy sighed, relieved only slightly.

"What's wrong?" Paige could sense the tension between her parents.

"There may be—"

"Shhh," Merle interrupted her, hearing something downstairs then the song came blaring at them. It was a peice of classical music that Amy used to dance to while practicing with Felix.

Penny jumped and gripped Amy's sleeve tighter. "What's going on?"

"Do you have a weapon?" Merle demanded. "A gun or anythin'?"

"No, I don't." She then nodded. "But Andrea does! It's in her room."

"Take the girls into her room and get the gun. I'll come and get y'all as soon I got that ass downstairs under control."

"Merle, no!" Amy shook her head.

"I ain't arguin'. Take the girls and go now!" Merle's eyes were intense and smoldering, and Amy didn't want to fight with him, so she nodded. "Then move." He headed downstairs.

"C'mon, girls." Amy all but pushed them to Andrea's room. She closed and locked the door, looking for the gun. She didn't know where Andrea kept it, but her hiding places were obvious. She checked her drawers, but there was nothing there, just clothes and an adult novel.

"Mommy, what do we do?" Paige whispered.

"Hide in the closet." Amy checked under the bed. "The closet!" She ran inside and looked for the gun, hearing a thud downstairs. Her heart jumped. She swallowed and looked at the door. What if it someone was downstairs? She knew Merle liked to joke, and even if they weren't funny, he'd string her along for quite sometime. She was hoping this was all an elaborate joke to get back at her for saying she was terminating his paternal rights. She didn't want someone to actually be downstairs, possibly hurting Merle. She didn't to believe someone could possibly come into this room and change her world for the worst. Or Paige's and Penny's.

She shook her head. If someone was downstairs, she needed to protect herself and the girls. If Merle was injured, she would have to stop this person from hurting any of them to get to Merle and help him. She needed that gun. She had to focused on the damn gun.

"My dad has a gun," Penny told Amy. "It's in a silver case, like a briefcase."

"Does he?" She climbed onto the shelves to look. What the hell, Andrea? Where did she put the fucking gun?

"Amy!" Merle shouted.

She fell off the shelf and cried out at the pain that shot through her. "Jesus." She took a quick breath, trying to ease the pain, and she felt absolutely queasy. Okay. Okay, get up. She pushed herself up, seeing the door wide open. Oh, fuck! "Oh, my God, Paige!" She shot up and ran to the door, seeing Paige at the top of the stairs. "Paige!" She gripped her side. Son of a bitch. "Get back here!"

A man came up the stairs, Amy paled and tried to get to her daughter, but Merle showed up right behind him, yanking him down the stairs by his collar and scooping up Paige. He ran down the hall and handed her to Amy, Paige was shaking against her mom's arms. Suddenly a gun—the gun Amy had been looking for—was fired.

– – –

Carol covered her face as the glass was tossed at her, the gun fell to the floor when Ed grabbed her up, and she cringed at his hot breath in her face. She reacted instantly, her elbow colliding with his cheek, and she slammed her foot down on his, getting free. The gun had fallen somewhere out of sight, but she still had the Python.

Ed stumbled back, touching his cheek as blood slowly ran down his jaw. "So, that redneck taught you how to fight."

"No, my sister taught me how to fight." She met his eyes. "My name is Carol Greene. You don't know the first thing about who I am. You never did."

He chuckled. "I've always hoped this day would come." He grabbed the table and chucked it at her, she ducked, and he charged at her.

Just see how my body moves and retaliate. Don't cower. Don't be scared. Carol, move! Duck! Faster! That's it, come on! Don't slow down! You slow down, and that might be the last thing you do. With Maggie's voice in her ear, Carol moved to the side at the last minute, Ed slammed into the table, the vase of rocks shattering, and he groaned.

She walked over to him and slammed her boot into the small of his back, he cried out, and she gripped his hair. "Tell me where they are!" she growled.

He smirked. "Your little bitch is rotting in the woods, feeding the crows."

She bashed his face into the table.

"Ed? What is it? What's wrong?" Carol closed the door to their bedroom, having just put Sophia down for the night. "You look upset."

He clenched his jaw and stood up, striking her across the face so hard her nose began to bleed. "You worthless bitch!"

Carol released his hair, he took that moment to try and elbow her in the stomach, but she moved back. She wasn't going to kill him. She needed answers. She walked backwards towards the living room again, her eyes challenging him, and he wiped blood from his mouth. "Look, the police are on their way. You can't hide them for long."

"Oh, the police? What do they have on me?" He smirked.

She narrowed her eyes. "What did you do to Seth?"

He approached her; she kept the distance between them. "I didn't do anything. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." He slapped her in the face, knocking her to the floor. "Just like you."

She caught his foot when tried to kick her and brought her own foot up and made sharp contact with his groin. She rolled onto her hands and knees, watching him double over in pain. She licked the blood from her lip and rose.

"You're home ear—"

He grabbed her waist and kissed her hard, not allowing her to finish speaking. He ripped through her blouse and shoved her back onto the bed. He removed her shorts and belt, tossing them to the side, and Carol tried to sit up, tried to move away, but he didn't let her.

"Ed, no, stop." She pushed on his chest. "Ed, wait, please." She squeezed her thighs together tightly, pushing on him to try and get him to stop, but he gripped her thigh and jerked it away from the other. She cried out and let out a small scream when he slammed into her. She didn't want this. She didn't like it. She wanted him to stop, but he wasn't.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she turned away from him, seeing movement by the door. In the doorway, holding onto her stuffed bunny, was Sophia. She didn't remembered; she was too young to even know what was going on.

"Ed, Sophia's in the doorway," Carol whispered.

He stilled and looked over his shoulder. "Get out!" he shouted. "Get your ass out!"

"Don't talk to her like that!" Carol slapped him by accident, trying to get out from underneath him.

His eyes pulsated, and he his hand closed tightly around her throat, choking her. She gasped and struggled, but he was stronger, bigger. Soon, she could almost feel her heart slowing down, and she couldn't get air into her lungs. He stopped only then and backhanded her across the face. "Don't you ever fucking touch me like that again! Do you understand me?"

With a shot of anger coursing through her, she kicked him in the face, he landed in the glass from the coffee table, and she smashed her foot into his chest. "Where are they?!"

He looked up at her, that smug smirk still on his lips. "Fuck you!"

She wanted nothing more than to slam her boot into his face, but she couldn't do that. She added pressure to his chest then moved back, trying to calm her anger as he coughed, trying to breathe. She inhaled sharply and faced him. "Tell me where they are. I won't ask again."

He chuckled. "Ask m—"

She grabbed a piece of glass from the floor and thrust it into his thigh, not caring that she'd sliced open her calm in doing so. "Where?!"

All that came out of his mouth were curse words, and she looked down on him with such ire.

"Yes, that's right." Carol smiled at her daughter. "That's equals six."

Sophia smiled back. "Can I have a cookie?"

"Sure." She pushed herself up off the floor and went into the kitchen, seeing Ed's suitcase propped against the table. She pulled down the cookie jar and set two on a napkin as Ed walked out of their bedroom. "Leaving?"

"Put those up. You're a damn hippo as it is." He adjusted his tie.

"These are for Sophia."

"Sure, they are." He grabbed the napkin and tossed it into the trash.

"Ed!"

Sophia covered her ears at the sound of Ed smacking her mom, looking around. She grabbed a wooden block and ran into the kitchen as Ed went to smack her mom again. "Stop!" She tossed the block at him.

Carol ran to move in front of Sophia. "Don't!"

A muscle in his jaw jumped as he looked down on his wife.

"Go to your room, honey." Carol walked her. "Go. Listen to your music."

Sophia ran into her room, grabbed her CD player and played Seven Devils by Florence and The Machine, hoping her obedience helped her mom.

Ed opened the door to the basement and nodded his head, Carol shook her head no, so he grabbed by the waist and hauled her down the stairs. He tossed her down the last two, she landed roughly on her knees and groaned. The door shut, the light was gone, and Carol stood up.

He pushed her against the wall and lifted her dress up, Carol closed her eyes and found a place that was far away from there as Ed unzipped his pants. After he was done, he tossed her into the closet. "I'll see you in a week." He locked the door and left.

"A—week? No! Ed!" She pounded on the door. "Ed!"

He locked the basement door.

"Sophia!" She screamed. "Sophia! No...God." She collapsed onto the floor. "Sophia..." She sobbed. Who would look after Sophia? Who would make sure she got her medicine? Who would tend to her bruised knees and torn shorts? An entire week down here?

She pulled her legs in and closed her hands around her locket, praying that Sophia would be all right if she were to die down there.

Carol scoffed. "You're a pathetic man."

He pushed himself up, taking deep breaths as blood gushed out of the wound. "You're a dumb cunt."

"At least I'm not the reason some poor woman lost her life!" Carol shouted. "Samantha North?"

His eyes darkened and anger settled over his face. "Where did you hear that name?"

"I read about her, heard her begging you to let her go." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and played a recording. "My name is Nora Samantha North. If anybody finds this and it's too late to save me, please take my body back to my family if I'm dead."

He shot up, Carol kicked his injured thigh, and he fell to his knees, groaning.

"Is anybody out there?! Hello?! I'm down here! Please, can't you hear me?! I'm down here! Help me! Please, I'm down here!"

"It wasn't supposed to be like that!" Tears appeared in his eyes. "I just—I just—It wasn't supposed to be like that!"

"You stalked me," Carol spat. "Chapter after chapter, it was all about you following me around campus, just because I looked like her!"

"You never compared to Samantha," Ed growled. "She was a goddess; you're a mealy worm."

"She's dead, and I'm alive," Carol corrected. "Her family didn't even know why she killed herself, because you kept the damn recorder!"

"And your family will never know why you failed them," Ed shot back. "They're both worm food now, Carol. The man was too much trouble, always fighting, always demanding to know where Sophia was, where you were, so I shoot him right between the eyes. He was a god damned coward."

Her chest tightened. Daryl's dead?

"And the little bitch? She was too damn loud, just like her pussy mother. Victoria couldn't keep her silent with toys and gifts, so she gave her a sedative. She kept giving her sedatives, and the little roach OD'd. Justice, it seems."

She studied his face, his eyes were hard, and he was trying to stand up again. She didn't see a lie in his face, and she snapped. She jerked him to her by his collar and bashed her phone into his face, over and over, putting more rage and strength behind each blow. She saw red, all red, and that's what became of Ed's face.

She dropped him when he stopped grunting and groaning and wriggling for freedom, and she stumbled back, her phone destroyed, and she let it fall to the floor. She looked at her blood soaked hand and sobbed. They were gone... Her baby girl was gone. Daryl was gone. God, no. No, no, no, no.

She tripped back again, her back against the wall, and she bent over, seeing the damage she'd done to Ed's face. She retched onto the wooden floors at the sight and groaned. She covered her mouth with her clean hand, snuffling and sobbing softly. She needed to get to the police station. She had to make sure Seth was all right and that the book had gotten there. They could look into his property, find her baby girl, find Daryl.

She walked on wobbly legs toward the door, wiping her mouth on her sleeve, and she reached for the door. Crying out in pain as her own blood splattered onto the floor and the glass to the front door shattered, she fell to her knees, gripping the wound and looking back at Ed who was wielding the Glock. She quickly grabbed the Python and shot Ed through the forehead.

Their bodies landed on the floor, guns falling from their limps hands, and blood oozed from their wounds.

– – –

"Merle!" Amy screamed, setting Paige down quickly and trying to reach him to drag him into the room, but a man stood at the end of the hall, gun trained on her. "What the hell do you want?!"

He looked at her, head tilting as he walked slowly toward her. "Amy."

She stared at him through blurry eyes, gasping as she remembered who this man with the crazed eyes was. "P—Paul?"

"Oh, Amy." He practically ran to reach her, but Merle trapped his foot with both of his legs and twisted so that Gareth fell to his knees, the gun falling out of his hand.

"Get the hell outta here," Merle shouted at Amy, not able to keep Gareth still as the world grew darker and darker.

"No!" Amy grabbed the gun and pointed it at Gareth. "Girls, get back!"

Penny grabbed Paige and led her into the closet, holding her still, but it was really difficult, because Paige kept strugglingd, wanting to be with her parents. Penny covered her mouth and sat on Paige's back when she didn't stop wriggling, and she told her to stop softly, but Paige wouldn't.

Amy's hands shook as she aimed the gun at Gareth, eyes wide in fear and disbelief. "You were dead! Merle said you were dead! Tomas shot you! Right in the head! The papers said you were dead!" Her voice was booming and breaking at the same time, air with shock and horror.

"I wasn't dead, though I barely survived." He freed himself of Merle's grasp as Merle started to black out from blood loss. "I saw your face in my head, over and over, every single night. They tried to keep me from you, but I got out. I searched for you. I had to find you. I took on many jobs to try and get money for my equipment to find you. So many jobs, so many names." He stood up and moved the gun gently out of his way as he closed the space between them. "You saved me; I had to save you too."

"S—save me?" She shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks.

"I saw him try to rape you." Gareth gripped her cheeks, wiping away her tears. "It's okay. You're safe now. I'll protect you. Always protect you." He wiped away her tears. "It'll be just the two of us."

She shook against him. "P—Paige," she managed.

His eyes were aflame at the mention of her daughter, and his hands went to her throat. "NO! You are mine! My savior! My salvation! Only mine! No more playing!" He watched color rise on her beautiful face then he rested his forehead on hers, his nose brushing against her cheek, and he kissed her, loosening his grip. "I love you."

You taught me the courage of stars before you left.

How light carries on endlessly, even after death.

She shot him in the head, his blood splattering onto the wall, and he dropped like a sack of potatoes. She coughed and dropped to her knees, still gripping the gun. She saw Merle and crawled over to him, seeing the entry wound in his lower abdomen. She caught her breath and set the gun down beside her on the floor. "Merle?" She set her hands over the wound and added pressure. "Merle?"

He let out a groan at the pressure.

"Here." She moved his hands to the wound. "I'll be right back." He didn't make a sound. "Merle? No, no, Merle, baby, wake up."

"Ahh," he grunted.

"Add pressure. I have to call for help." She ran downstairs and to the bathroom where Andrea had an emergency cell phone taped inside the cabinet just in case anything happened. It was always charged and had minutes. She called 911 as she rushed back to Merle, telling them the address and what happened. She used her shoulder to keep the phone to her ear and added pressure to the wound, smiling when he groaned, and she let the phone fall when the call ended. She felt his blood cover her skin, and she was terrified. There was so much blood—on his shirt, his jeans, on her hands, on the floor. She didn't know how he was still alive, still conscious.

"Merle?" She shook his chest. "Hey!"

"Is'my favorite shirt," he murmured.

She laughed softly. "I'll make sure to buy you a new one."

He shook his head a little. "Ain't th' sa..." he trailed off.

With shortness of breath, you explained the infinite.

How rare and beautiful it is to even exist.

"M—Merle? Merle!" She reached over and checked his pulse; it was fluttery, but still there. "Don't you dare die on me, Merle Dixon. I will never forgive you for that."

He was still.

"You're a hero," Amy told him. "You save us all, so you gotta fight this. You have to fight this, 'cause the paramedics are on the way. C'mon, damn it!" Tears splashed onto her blood-caked hands. "Don't do this to me. Don't do this to Paige. Merle, please, fight."

He was unresponsive.

I couldn't help but ask for you to say it all again.

I tried to write it down but I could never find a pen.

Her heart was racing in her chest, fearing his heart was stilling in his chest. She was screaming at him, desperate and dying slowly at the thought of him now opening his eyes ever again. "You have so much to live for. You have me and our daughter. You can't give up. You're a fighter. You always have been, so fight now!" Then softer, "I can't lose you, Merle. I love you. I've always loved you." She dropped her head onto his chest, keeping pressure on his wound, her entire body shaking. "Don't give up. Please, don't give up. I love you so much."

I'd give anything to hear you say it one more time,

That the universe was made just to be seen by my eyes.

"I love you so much, please, God. Please."

Paige stared with wide, horrified eyes at her mom and dad and the man who had broken into the house. She saw so much blood everywhere. It was like one of her nosebleeds, only she knew this was hurting him. He was dying, wasn't he? Dad was dying. Why was Daddy dying? What happened? "No." Paige's eyes filled with tears. She didn't even get to tell him how much she loved him. She didn't get to tell him anything. "Dad." She sat on the floor by his head. "Daddy?"

"Please, please, Merle," Amy begged.

"Dad?"

I love you so much, please!

I couldn't help but ask for you to say it all again.

I tried to write it down but I could never find a pen.

Carol felt the world slip away from her, the cold floor and the pain were gone. She was surrounded by warmth and felt as if she were with loved ones. She felt as if she was being lifted up. She wondered if her mother had felt this too when she passed. She knew she was safe and warm. She felt light as if she was floating. It was so eternal. She was going to see her mom again. And her dad. Everything would be all right now. She was going home.

I'd give anything to hear you say it one more time,

That the universe was made just to be seen by my eyes.

Amy watched as they loaded Merle up into the back of the van, her entire body numb as a cop guided her toward the paramedic. She didn't have the words to tell him she was fine; she hardly felt the pain in her side anymore. She didn't even have the words to tell him what happened. She just kept staring at her bloody hands, feeling the warmth of Merle's blood covering them, even though the blood on her palms was cold and drying.

She fell to her knees, sobbing, and Rick had fallen with her, his attempt to try and catch her before she fell to the ground failing. He wrapped his arms around her comfortingly as she bawled, her tears both sadness and joy as the sound came to her ears. She held onto Rick, her tears soaking into his uniform.

With shortness of breath, I'll explain the infinite:

How rare and beautiful it truly is that we exist