A/N:: Thank you all for the continued support, I have 5 requests to for-fill. :) but keep them coming, i'll do my best, but lately I twisted my left wrist and it got swollen and purple and my ankle is like sprained and all, so its messed up. So it hurts to do things, hard to write and hard to walk and well...hurts to move lately. ;)

This one goes to Mrs. Future Riggs who wanted one where it's Sophia's birthday and Carol is really upset and Daryl comforts her about it. So I hope I did this right girl! :D

Thank you and remember to review, don't read unless you want too. please. Oh and the song written in this, I made it up myself...so if it sucks, whatever, but you like it, thanks, I did my best and I really like it so woohoo for me. ;)

Chapter three...ain't alone

This just wasn't her day. First she woke up to be told by the damn calender, that Hershal insisted putting up, that it was Sophia's birthday and now while cooking eggs, she burned herself and was running her aching hand under soem cool water, she sighed, aware of the tears springing in her eyes to be let out, but she refused. She turned off the water, smiling to Beth, "honey, can you take breakfest?"

Beth nodded, "sure, is your hand alright?"

Carol chuckled "yeah. Happened a lot before, don't worry. I've had worse" Beth smiled as Carol left, she hurried and made her way outside to a watch tower, rounding the corner, she sat down against it, looking outside the fence, tears flowing down her face already. She pulled her knees up to her chest and cried, after the longest time, she finally let it all out, as hard as she could. She never noticed the shy hunter watching her.

She missed her little girl, today she would be fourteen years old, she was growing up but she wasn't here to do so. Why did she have to lose her? Her life was already living in hell, why did this have to happen. She has nothing left to love or be loved by. Sophia was the only one and it killed her to be sitting here, speading her little girl's birthday in sorrow of her death. She looked up at the sky and closed her eyes. She clasped her hands and whispered the words she thought, "oh dear Lord, I wish to spend the days with my little girl, but she has gone to join you in Heaven. I miss you but she would want me to live on. I know she was the only one who really loved me, but I won't give up, i'll live for her. She won't want me to die because of her, i'll live for her and hope she watches over me and knows i'm doing this for her. Give her my love and a happy birthday, amen" she opened her eyes and right in front of her was Daryl.

She wiped her eyes and looked away, muttering, "sorry, I-I just wanted to pray for my girl, it-its her birthday" she sniffled and gave him a weak sad smile. He shook his head, "I know" he whispered to her in a voice she never heard but she didn't protest.

"Ya know ya ain't alone" he rasped to her, looking at his shoes.

Carol looked up at him, tilting her head, "what?"

Daryl kicked the dirt, suddently loosing his bravery, now he just wanted to run off, "uh, I said ya ain't alone. Ya got everyone in the prison here for ya" he made up a excuse, he meant that she had him but she didn't catch that and by the time she asked what he meant, he couldn't tell her in fear of rejection.

Carol sighed, "yeah. But they don't understand"

Daryl sat down, he was already in this, why not do this, its only Carol, "ya got me, ok Carol? Ya got me. I ain't much but I understand what ya feelin', ya know that"

Carol looked at him as he hesitantly put his arm around her shoulders, she smiled and leaned into his touch, "thank you Daryl"

He scoffed, "ain't nothin' woman. Now tell me somethin', somethin' ya need to say"

Carol nodded, "on Sophia's 10th birthday, she wanted to get tattoos. I told her, but she wanted just a temporary tattoo but she wanted me to get one too. So we went to a tattoo parlor, Ed was in jail, so she got a temporary tattoo of a butterfly on her neck. I told her I didn't want one but she told me it was her birthday and she wanted me too. So I got a tattoo, a permanant tattoo on my lower back of a cross with spread wings with the words 'split paths' after a song I wrote in college that was a big hit. Its still here, Ed never saw it, I made sure of it"

Daryl nodded, aware of the new information he just learned of her, he looked behind her at her back, the part of her back just above that ass of hers, boy did he want to see it. He looked back at her, "Split Paths? I think i've heard of that song. Is it somethin' 'bout a girl tryin' to help a broken boy learn to love?"

Carol nodded and smiled, "yes, that's exactly what its about. Where did you hear it?"

"Radio. That was my favorite song back in college" he smiled, "ya did a good job of it, how did it go 'gain?"

She smiled, glad to have him with her, "you asking me to sing to you?"

He blushed at her words, looking away, "I forget how it goes. Ya can write it done"

Carol chuckled, "don't get worked up, I was just teasing. I don't got paper" she took out a knife-sharpened pencil from her pocket and smiled, "you got paper, I will write it down" he nodded and took a picture that was stuck at a place inside his crossbow, it was a picture of him and Merle with their prize buck they caught on their first hunt. Smiles on their faces, real smiles, not half-smiles but full on ear-to-ear grins and eye-reaching smiles, full of happiness and love. She looked at the picture, he looked handsome just like he does now, she turned it over and wrote the lyrics on it. She knew he was keeping this picture, he would keep the song too.

the hole that you dug
the wall that you built
it all stopped you from
the things that you think

your voice, your eyes,
all rasped and narrowed,
hidden from the fear
the beauty behind

you say you need no one
in this redneck accent of yours
bangs in your face and blue eyes averted
but I just smile and tell you 'we care'

you avoid me, you yell at me
but I don't care, I forgive you
you've been through hell and back
nothing you say it meant, I know that much

you always say sorry, in your own ways,
not the actually words, but maybe with a nod
or a certain stare that flicks in your eyes
your something more than trash

your worth a lot, worth the roads you walk,
the paths you split with your past,
it all makes you, and you are you,
your perfect. Your unique, see it like I do
I can show you love, I can show you care,
you've never felt it, but you will
if you just let me in,

i'll fix the broken for you,
i'll mend the scars and bend the tar,
i'll let you know what your worth,
just let me in and i'll make you feel good

She blushed when she gave him the paper, he read it and hummed before folding it up and putting it back in the place it was on his crossbow. He looked up at her and she was smiling, "thanks Daryl! You really helped me here"

Daryl kicked the ground, turning red, "ain't nothin'. Happy Birthday to yer 'Phia" he whispered the last bit, but she heard loud and clear, smiling as she touched his arm. He didn't flinch, not tonight, not since it was Sophia's birthday, that's the last thing he would do at a time like this.

She sighed, "I guess we better get back now. Don't loose that paper"

Daryl grinned, "I won't" as they went inside, she smiled at him as she left to go cook lunch, it was already lunch time...wow. Before they went their seperate words, Carol smirked at him, "song reminds me of you and me, huh?" and before he could answer, she left, leaving a wide-eyed Daryl to think about what she said. "Dammit woman" he groaned before walking off, didn't he have to hunt?

A/N:: Ok. Sorry I know, that is OFFLY SHORT, but i'm in pain and it hurts, so I couldn't write much...and I started it off fast, so their hardly was a lot to do. :) but I hope you like, thank you Future Mrs. Riggs, i hope your request turned out as liked!

Have a great day and CARYL ON! Dead squirrels to you all, remember to read & review. More on the way!