A/N: Okay. So I suck at updating :/ I'm really sorry :/ I don't know why, but I do. Blech. Anyway, I hope you all don't hate me...Also, I'm going to be switching the ages of Carl and Sophia, so now Carl is 12 and Sophia is 10 :) Ok? Awesome lol Also, this was supposed to be chapter 5, which is why chapter 4 is entitled The Notes Before…yeah, explanations are fun Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 6: The Lesson

By sundown, everyone had finished setting up, and people were either cooking dinner, talking amongst themselves, or keeping watch. Carol was sitting alone by a small fire watching the others around the camp, too afraid to join in herself. She longed for the socialization, but knew Ed would be none-too-thrilled by it, and she really didn't need any more bruises marring her body. So she sat quietly, warming her hands by the small flame, and gazed at the others. Carol noticed the other woman were all together, talking and laughing as they cooked for their families. She tried not to let their happiness upset her as she observed them, but it seemed almost hopeless.

Carol heard her daughter's squeal to her right, followed by Carl's voice crying, "It won't bite! Just come look at it!" as he chased Sophia, grasping something in his hand. The two continued to run around the camp, and almost knocked into the older man, Dale, as they chased each other. Carol stood up, afraid of what the man's reaction might be, and went to her daughter's side. Sophia had fallen to the ground,and was looking at the old man, terror written all of face. Carol helped her back to her feet, and quickly apologized.

"I'm so sorry, Dale. It won't happen again. I should have been keeping a better eye on her, I'm sorry."

Dale looked at her, and then down at Sophia with a smile on his face. "No harm done. Seems to me like it might be good to get some of that energy out." He gave them one last reassuring smile before he walked back over to his R.V., passing Lori who wore a curious expression as she made her way over towards them.

"Is everything alright? What happened?" She asked, standing in between Carol and Carl.

"We were just playing, Mom," Carl said, still clutching the mysterious item in his hand.

"I knocked into Mr. Horvath," Sophia spoke quietly from besides Carol, looking at the ground.

"He's alright, isn't he? I saw him go into his R.V. just now," Lori said, looking back at the vehicle in question.

"He's fine, but you two need to not be running around camp like a couple of hooligans. I want you staying close by, Sophia, alright?" Carol told her daughter sternly.

"Yes, momma," Sophia answered.

"Okay," Carl said dejectedly, kicking the dirt at his feet. The two of them went off, heads hung as they left.

"I have a feeling we're going to need to keep an eye on those two," Lori laughed as she watched her son and Sophia sulk into her tent.

"It's good that they get along, though," Carol said as she also watched them. "It's always been so hard for Sophia to have any friends," she added, more to herself than to the woman standing next to her.

Lori looked at Carol out of the corner of her eye, trying her hardest not to stare too long at the bruises littering her delicate features.

"Would you like to come cook with us?" Lori asked suddenly, knocking Carol out of her thoughts.

Carol looked over at Lori, and hesitated with her answer. Of course she would like to, but what would her husband have to say about the matter. She turned her head slightly towards her tent and car in search of her husband, a move that did not go unnoticed by Lori, but didn't see him anywhere.

"I would like that," Carol said with a small smile, and she followed Lori over to the group of women laughing, talking, and cooking by a fire.

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Daryl angrily trudged through the woods, snapping twigs and crunching leaves under his feet as he went, giving no mind to being quiet. He was pissed at Merle. Of course he wanted to help his brother, but not at the cost of causing trouble between the frail woman and her husband. He had seen the looks the man had given to her, so much like the ones his father had given to his mother as he beat the life out of her. Daryl closed his eyes, trying to force the memories out of his mind as he continued to walk through the thick woods. He had no problem hunting for them, it was probably better for them anyway, having fresh meat rather than packaged food. He and Merle didn't need to steal food, what they needed was ammo, water, gas, and first aid supplies that weren't pills, God knows they had enough of those. No, he would provide the food for them, and they would focus on collecting supplies they actually needed.

Daryl's temper slowly cooled with every step he took, walking further and further into the forest that was helping to calm his nerves. He perked his head to the right when the sound of cursing in the distance caught his attention. He narrowed his eyes and silently walked forward towards the disturbance, aiming his crossbow in front of him.

"Stupid, worthless, fucking bitch. Can't do one goddamn thing right. And the fucking kid. Making my head think thoughts . . . Can't fucking think straight with those small, pert . . . AHHHH!" Daryl watched as the man gripped his skull, and lowered his chin to his chest, before he swiftly let go of his head and swung his fist at the nearest tree trunk it could find. He watched in shock as the man proceeded to beat the bark on the tree with his bare hands, cursing his family with every punch.

Daryl slowly backed away from the violent man, the sound of fists connecting with bark strengthening his resolve. There was no way in hell he was stealing from that woman. Not only would there be hell to pay for the woman when her husband found out, but the shit-storm to follow at the camp would surely blow their cover. He and Merle needed to keep a low profile if they wanted to steal some goods before they went on their way, and there was no way that was going to happen if they sampled from the M.R.E.s.

With his mind made up, Daryl traveled back to his tent, the setting sun making it too difficult for him to hunt anyway.

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Carol had just finished helping the other women cook some food for their families, and started to turn to make her way back to her tent when she heard Lori's voice.

"Carol! You and Sophia are welcome to join the rest of us by the fire for dinner. There's plenty of room," she said with a hopeful smile on her face.

Carol turned to her tent, but still saw no sign of Ed. She knew she couldn't stay for long, but spending a little time with the other family wouldn't hurt anybody. "That would be wonderful. Thank you, Lori. I just have to grab our food, and I'll be right there."

"No problem," Lori smiled, "I'll grab Carl and Sophia. I think they're in our tent playing cards."

Once Carol had gotten together two of the M.R.E.s, she brought the food over and sat down next to her daughter, who was laughing at a joke Carl had just made.

"Thank you, Momma," Sophia said, accepting the meal politely, before turning back to Carl. Carol sat quietly, slowly chewing on her food as she watched the rest of the group.

"You're hogging all of the fish!" Cried Amy, playfully pulling pieces from her sister, Andea's plate. The two sat together, poking at each other's plates, their laughter becoming infectious.

"Your eyes have always been bigger than your stomach!" Laughed Andrea, smiling at her sister out of the corner of her eye as she stapped a piece of fish and shoved it in her mouth.

"Ha ha ha," Amy said dryly after swallowing her bite.

Carol smiled at the girls, happy that they had each other. It was a miracle they survived, let alone had each other. She looked over at the Asian boy, Glenn, and felt her heart break a little. He had no one, as far as she knew, but he seemed to have become friends with Dale, which was nice. The old man looked down at the boy with a smile as they ate together.

Carol glanced at Sophia, who was whispering with Carl and Morale's daughter, Monica, and felt joy that her daughter was opening up to the other children. Maybe there could be some good out of all this terror after all.

They spent the next 30 minutes sitting by the low fire, talking about where they were all from, and what the lives they hopefully would still have to go back to. The sun had set not fifteen minutes before, and the fire was just starting to turn into mere embers when the smell of booze overpowered Carol's senses. She felt her back go rigid with fear as she clutched her plate in her hands. Sophia scooted closer to her side, slightly shaking in her seat. Carol lowered her head to try and calm her daughter. The rest of the group didn't pay any mind to the two, still talking and laughing amongst themselves, trying to enjoy the rest of the night before they had to turn in.

"Sophia, I want you to go to the tent, and zip it up, alright?" Sophia looked at her with big blue eyes. "Go now." She kissed the top of her daughter's head and let her slip out of her embrace. Sophia stood up, quietly said good night to everyone, and rushed to their tent, knowing the horror's that awaited her mother.

Moments later, Carol felt Ed's head next to hers, his alcohol ridden breath filling the air around her as he whispered in her ear, "Get your ass outta that chair." Carol's eyes watered as she stood, keeping her head lowered, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Ed grapped her arm and tugged her behind him.

"Carol?" Lori called behind her, concern written all over her voice.

Ed glared at her, but let her turn to respond. "I'm alright, Lori. Just going to bed with my husband. I'll see you all in the morning."

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Daryl exited the woods just after sundown, but instead of gathering by the fire with the rest of the group, he made his way towards his tent. He could hear the faint sounds of laughter by the fire, but tried to block it out as he opened the flap of his tent. His nose was instantly hit with the smell of meth, and he felt his gut wrench. He hadn't been gone more than 40 minutes, and Merle was lying on his sleeping bag, pipe in hand, high out of his mind.

Merle whipped his head around to stare at Daryl, a glazed look in his eyes, and a slow smile crept onto his face.

"You wanna a puff, baby brother?" He asked, letting his head loll to the side.

Daryl didn't answer him, just stormed out of their tent in rage. If there was one thing he couldn't stand about Merle, it was his drug problem. They needed to keep a level head in here, and what's the first thing his brother does? Get high as a kite without a care in the world. It made him sick to his stomach. Merle was gonna get them thrown out on their ass, and then they'd be fucked. Sure, they could walk some, but he didn't want to have to do that right off the bat. They needed supplies if they wanted to survive. Daryl shook his head as he walked. He slung his crossbow over his back and headed towards the trees, seeking solace in the woods once again.

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They had made their way passed the camp site and into the woods, Ed dragging Carol, and Carol stumbling along behind him, tripping over stones and sticks as they went.

"What have I fuckin' told you about talkin' your goddamn, worthless mouth off to other people!" Ed growled, whirling her around and throwing her to the ground when he felt they were far enough in the woods for no one to notice them. "Think anyone would really want to talk to a washed up hag like you?" He snarled in her face, specks of his spit hitting her cheeks. He slapped her hard hard across the cheek, smiling in drunken glee as he watched her fall. "I'll teach you to fuckin' learn your place." He muttered as his fists beat her over and over again, taking pleasure in her whimpers and small screams.

Carol tried to protect herself, bringing her arms up to take most of the hits. She felt her ribs crack under the pressure of his fists, the wind getting knocked out of her. She held her stomach, trying to catch her breath, but it just left her face vulnerable to the fury Ed was determined to unleash upon her.

"Lookin' at them fuckin' rednecks like some common whore. You gonna spread those scarred up legs for 'em? Gonna let them fuck you like some two bit slut?" He screamed, standing up to kick her legs over and over. "Teach you your fuckin' place, bitch. You're MINE! Ain't no one gonna want some washed up piece of trash like you." He punched her once more in the side of the head, and Carol felt her vision start to blur, and her head start to spin as it hit the dirt below. "Gonna fuckin' show you who you belong to, bitch. Teach you a lesson you ain't never gonna forget," he growled as he began to unbuckle his belt.

Carol felt woozy, the world spinning around her as her limbs cried out in pain, but it didn't compare to the fear she felt at the sound of Ed's zipper being lowered.

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He had been walking for a short amount of time when he first heard her cries in the distance. Daryl felt his legs take off, quietly sprinting through the brush, the hits and yells growing louder with every step he took. He felt his heart pounding in his chest as he ran, fear for a woman he barely even knew overpowering him.

Daryl skidded to a halt and let the rage take him over as he looked at the scene that played before him.

The woman was lying in a pile of dirt and leaves, blood dripping from her head, arms, and legs, and he knew there would be bruises forming there as well, it was just a matter of time. She wasn't curled up in a ball, but almost looked as though she'd passed out, her head lolled to the side, and her limbs lying limply at her side. Her clothes were torn in several areas, blood oozing out of the rips in some parts, dirt encrusting her entire outfit.

What had Daryl even more enraged was the drunken mess standing over the broken woman, sneering down at her as he slowly unbuttoned his pants. Daryl stood in a furious stupor, taking in the scene before him, when his trance was broken by the sound of the mans zipper. Memories of his own mother and her bloodied body flashed in his mind, his father's form towering over her, and he felt himself raising his crossbow, and letting an arrow fly. The man stumbled, the arrow narrowly missing his head, but Daryl didn't stop there. He charged towards the man, images of his father still flashing through his mind, and he found himself on top of the other man, beating him senseless. Hit after hit after hit, he connected with the mans face, gut, back, anything he could find. He took the weeks frustrations, and his memories out on the body in front of him. The mans bones cracked and broke under his hands, but he was relentless, never even noticing the man had passed out due to the pain; he just kept attacking him in a blind rage.

All of a sudden, Daryl felt a rough hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of it, and heard Merle's low whisper.

"Get. Up."

Daryl slowly stood to his feet, finally surveying the body that was barely recognizable, covered in blood, and suffering from numerous broken bones. The woman, not six feet away from him, began to stir, whimpering as she did. Her eyes fluttered open and met his own, her blue orbs rimming with tears. She slowly broke her gaze from his, and let her eyes fall on that of her mangled husband, and a small shriek escaped her lips. She whipped her gaze back towards him in fear and uncertainty, afraid of what he was planning on doing to her next.

"This don't concern you, mouse. Get back to yer tent." Snarled Merle, his eyes still locked on Daryl.

The woman painfully stood to her feet, trying to keep her balance when she finally stood, and slowly stumbled out of the woods, limping and clutching her stomach as she went. She turned her head back to Daryl, and then shot her eyes back down to her husband, who was still lying unconscious on the dirt floor, but Daryl shook his head and signalled her to leave. She held his gaze for one last second before scurrying out as fast as she could.

"Thought I made myself clear that I didn't want you anywhere near that bitch and her fuckin' husband, Darylina." Merle continued to whisper in his ear, raising the hair on the back of Daryl's neck. Daryl could feel himself closing up, preparing for the attack that was bound to come.

It only took a matter of seconds before he felt the blow to his back. "Told you it wasn't your place to be meddlin' in, didn't I?" Merle asked, calmly before yelling, "DIDN'T I!" And slammed his fist back down into Daryls stomach. "I don't need you wanderin' off to be some knight in shining armor to every broken piece of trash we find, Darylina. Or do I have to beat you some more for you to understand that fuckin' lesson?" And he kicked his leg out, connecting with Daryl's side.

"Keep your nose in your own shit!" Merle growled, spitting by Daryl's head before he turned on his heel and left.

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A/N: So, end of chapter 6...that was a doosy :/ On the plus side, Daryl and Carol finally get to meet for real next chapter :) So, you know, things to look forward to lol

Ok, now I'm going to quickly talk about reviewing...I hate to be a bitch, but, come one guys. I feel like people don't like my chapters when I have no feedback :/ or even if you don't like my chapters give me some feedback lol the point is, please, give a girl a little feedback please lol i think that's why there's such a lull between chapters, too...soooo yeah. I know, being a needy bitca (as Xander would say) is never flattering, but I want to make sure i'm pleasing my audience :) See you all on the next one! :)