For Lori, it is going to be a little more Carl-centric, because I get the feeling that Lori doesn't really like Daryl, buuutttttt just see how it goes.

I sort of made one up, because Daryl and Lori don't have too much in common and too many huggable moments.

Once again, sorry for the mixed up timeline. Now, let's all take a trip down memory lane to season two.

Also last night... wow. Just wow. But hey! Zipties! You saw it here first!

5.

Lori was one of those people that couldn't be read. Her expressions, her actions, her habits all sent out different signals. Sometimes it was hard to tell where her head was since it was likely everywhere at once.

If she wasn't worrying about walkers, Rick, laundry, cooking, the baby, the rest of the group or the Sophia-hunt, she was worried about Carl.

It was Carl this and Carl that all day every day. She didn't want to say she didn't trust her child, but she was so worried about how quickly and roughly he had to grow up these last few months.

He wants to learn to shoot, to fish, to make traps and tools, and she doesn't like all the time he spends with Daryl. When Carl isn't hounding Shane or Dale, he's with Daryl.

Carl looks up to Daryl. He thinks he's a pretty cool guy, with his crossbow and motorcycle and all. They never really talked much, but from time to time he would teach the kid a thing or two about tracking.

"If yer ma ever found out, she'd demand you tell her how teh skin game so she could skin me." Carl nodded in agreement. Whatever it took.

Then Lori started catching them catching frogs or looking for tracks when Carl should really be studying. Lori did trust Daryl, but he was as much of a kid as Carl was.

Lori quietly asked Carl to not spend as much time with him, and Carl agreed because if he pissed off his mom, Daryl would hear about it from Lori and Lori would prohibit them doing anything together at all.

They drifted. Carl worked on his tracking skills alone in the woods around the house while everyone was off doing chores and who knows what. He should've been recovering still, but now was not the time. Sophia was still gone.

Herschel made it clear that he wanted the team gone, and that meant the search would have to stop. Early that morning, Carl was up earlier than usual and saw Daryl going into the woods to likely spend the day out looking.

If Carl had only a few more chances to find his friend, he wasn't going to sit idly by. As softly as he could, he chased after Daryl.

When Daryl made his way into the tree line on foot, Carl ran faster to try and keep up. Using his tracking skills, or lack thereof, he followed Daryl at a dangerously close distance, focusing not so much as hiding and tracking, but walking swiftly and quietly.

Daryl was so determined to find the little girl, he paid no notice to the sometimes slight rustling. If a walker was after him, that would be an obvious sound. If it were some fox, it would have to wait lest it rot during the day.

This went on for at least another hour until Daryl had to circle around a down tree, making him walk back where he came. That's when he saw Carl react too slowly to his return and was finally spotted. Daryl was pissed. The kid isn't supposed to be out here! Either he take him with and get yelled at by Lori and Rick for worrying them, or he bring the boy back and lose a day of searching.

Wordlessly, Daryl lunged and grabbed the collar of Carl's shirt, amid his protests demanding his release.

"I just want to help you!" Daryl spun him around and got on his level.

"Yeah, well yer ma don't you're out here. Yer supposed teh be at camp."

With a shove and still holding on the his shirt, the two briskly made their way back to the house.

XXX

Lori was in a frenzy. Carl was gone. Usually he would say where he would be and who he would be with, but he just vanished. And not even just vanished, when she and Rick woke up, Carl was gone! Rick wasn't too worried, Daryl was gone too so they were probably together, meaning he was safe. Rick knew that Carl liked him, so he wasn't too worried. To appease his wife, however, he looked wherever her frantic voice led him.

She was in distress. She looked everywhere, alerted the house and demanded his whereabouts.

No one was too frantic, as they knew about him and Daryl, and just the fact that Carl had a habit for wandering off and worrying his mother.

It wasn't too much later though when Andrea spotted some thing- things coming out of the forest. They weren't walkers, they were moving too quickly, but through the binoculars she recognized the shape of a Daryl and a small child.

She gasped and dropped the binoculars.

"Oh my god! Oh god! Everyone! Everyone look!" She scrambled off the RV and began running, as did others when they saw what she was screaming about. They all closed in on them when their running slowed. It was not Daryl bringing Sophia, but him dragging Carl.

Thankfully, Carol was in the cellar doing inventory. To get her hopes up like that would be cruel.

Lori rushed to her son, practically ripping him from Daryl's grip, scolding him in between frantic kisses. When she finally got over herself, she sent the boy back to camp with the order of cleaning all the dishes. Carl went wordlessly, glad that his punishment was not so severe.

The group began tapering off when Lori was yelling, and only Rick and Daryl remained with the woman, who was currently muttering under her breath about teaching that boy some manners.

Rick chuckled and clapped Daryl on the shoulder, who yet still said not a word. Lori froze, remembering who brought him home. She turned to Daryl and gave him a quick squeeze around the neck. Luckily, she didn't hold on, but she still insisted upon grabbing his hand to give him an appreciation speech.

"Daryl, I should apologize. I'm really sorry I have been more mindful of where Carl is, but with Sophia gone, it's the absolute least I can do. Thank you for bringing him back right away. He probably badgered you to let him stay out there, huh?" The first chance he got, he pulled away from her hand.

"Yeah, it's fine." He side stepped around her and began walking back to the house with Rick, now his turn to grab the other man's shoulder. Lori just stood dumbfounded after such a quick resolution.

She turned around to see Rick whisper to Daryl, "Women."

Lori glared. "That's my baby, Rick! Don't you 'women' me!" Daryl smirked, happy he had absolutely no one holding him down.

…..Yet. Well that was longer than anticipated, by like 600 words, but okay! The muses are with me today! The next one up will be in a few days, as it is the grand finale and it is only appropriate to make you all suffer a little.

Kidding! I send my love~