A Secret

Chapter 7

A/N: I'm at a loss of what to do, these filler chapters are hard to do. I don't want to rush anything between them, you know? So yeah. I'm trying to make it slow and awkward like it has been in the show (Which makes me depressed lol). Anyway, try to stay with me on this while I fill in. Thanks everyone!
McBrideReedusLover.~

"Mom! Mom! It's today! Today!" Sophia jumped on Carol's bed. Carol groaned and covered her head with the pillow. She did not want to get up this early, but Lori told her yesterday they would have to get up early to check in. "Mom get up!" Sophia started to shake Carol.

"Ugh, can't I have like five minutes?" Carol mumbled, the pillow still over her head.

"No, get up now! We gotta pack and stuff! Daryl is going to be here in half an hour!" Sophia continued to jump on the bed.

"Daryl is going to be here?" Carol shot up. "I can't let him see me like this, god I have to fix my hair it probably look like a mess and-"

"Mom." Sophia shook her head. "Just let it go. You'll have plently of time to flirt at the hotel when I'm swimming in the pool. Did you know it's open 24/7?" Sophia smiled. "We could go swimming at three in the morning and no one would care!"

"That's wonderful sweety." Carol got out of bed and looked in the small mirrow she had on the wall. "I look like crap." She sighed, and walked over to the bathroom. "Sophia, you start packing while I have a quick shower and get dressed." Sophia nodded and ran off into her room. Carol closed the bathroom door and leaned against it. She couldn't believe how fast that month had flown by. Now she only had four months before Ed was back. Back to terrorize her and beat her. She needed something, anything, to give her the courage to leave him. She glanced at her watch. Daryl would be there in twenty minutes. She better hurry and get ready.

"You have everything Sophia?" Carol asked her daughter as they made their way down the stairs. "Don't want to forget anything you know."

"I've got all I need Mom." Sophia slipped on her shoes and opened the door. "Now lets go, Daryl is waiting for us." Carol quickly put on her shoes and followed her daughter outside. "You want me to sit by the door so you can sit by Daryl?" Sophia giggled.

"No, that's fine. You can sit between us." Carol nudged her daughter before taking both their bags and throwing them the back of his truck. She got in the truck and buckled herself in. "Well, are we all ready?" She asked.

"Ready as I gotta be." Daryl backed out of the driveway. "So they're payin' for the whole thing, right? Cause I didn't bring any money, and that hotel is fuckin' expensive."

"They are paying for it all, thank goodness. I certainly can't afford it." Carol glanced at Sophia, who was leaning against the seat. She was unusally quiet right now. What was going through her mind right now? Maybe it was best she didn't know.

"Hey Daryl, did you know the pool is open 24/7? You, me and Mom should go swimming at midnight tonight! There will probably be nobody there!" Sophia smiled at him.

"Midnight?" Daryl glanced at her, then turned his attention back to the road. "Ain't that like, past your bedtime or somethin'?"

"Yes, it is." Carol stared at Sophia.

"But Mom! I'm twelve now, and it's summer! I don't need a bedtime!" Sophia crossed her arms.

"Yes you do need one, Sophia. If you don't, you'll start staying up late and then sleeping in, and soon your days will get mixed up and you'll never be able to turn yourself around for when school starts." Carol explained. "So for you, you still have a bedtime."

"But why can't we just this once Mom? It would be fun! Pretty please!" Sophia pulled the famous puppy dog face that she had. Carol was never able to turn down that face, and once again, she couldn't tell her no.

"Fine, just this once." Carol sighed. She got that puppy dog face from her. She used to be able to make her parents to anything, but she never used it very often. Only when she really wanted something. "But after this, no more. Okay?"

"Okay." Sophia nodded. Works every time.

"Hey, there you guys are!" Lori smiled as the three of them walking into the lobby. "Rick's just getting our room keys. So just sit tight for a bit, then we can get settled."

"Hey Sophia." Carl smiled. "You have got to see the pool. The waterslide is huge! Come on!" Sophia grinned and ran after Carl.

"Well, atleast we know the kids are excited." Lori chuckled.

"Alright, I got the room keys." Rick walked up. "Where did Carl and Sophia run off to?"

"Oh, he wanted to show her the pool." Lori responded, and took one of the room keys from Rick. She handed it to Carol. "I guess we better go get settled. Your room is right next to ours, I'll go get Carl and Sophia, you two go to the room."

Carol nodded, and picked up her bag. She had both her bag and Sophia's. She was struggling a but to carry them both. "Ya want me to take one?" Daryl asked, noticing her struggles. She of course refused. Daryl rolled his eyes. "Here, give it." He said, taking one of the bags from her. "Or else we'll never get to the room."

"Oh whatever." Carol stuck her tongue at him. He returned her childish action, and then they both headed for the elevator. They were on the third floor, room 305. She handed to key to Daryl, and he opened the door. It was a nice room, and had two queen size beds. It had a flat screen television. The bathroom was pretty big, with a bath and shower. There was also a small balcony. "Well this is nice." She said, setting her bag on the bed. "Which bed do you want?"

"I'll take the one by the balcony door." Daryl said, walking over to the bed.

"Alright." Carol nodded. She turned around when the door opened.

"Woah! This is, woah!" Sophia was amazed at the room. "This is so awesome!" She grinned, and ran over to the bed. She flopped onto the bed. "Oh my gosh it's so comfy!" Carol chuckled. Sophia was just like a kid in a candy shop. "Mom we have to go swimming! Like, soon!"

"I thought you wanted to swim at midnight?" Carol questioned, sitting down on the bed.

"Well, I do. But Carl wants to swim now." Sophia sat up on the bed.

"Well, I don't feel like swimming like right now, but you go on ahead. I'll go with you but I'm not swimming." Carol opened Sophia's bag. "Here's your bathing suit." She handed it to Sophia. "Go get changed in the bathroom."

"Okay." Sophia jumped up and took off towards the bathroom.

"So you're just gonna sit there and watch her swim? How fun is that?" Daryl asked, sitting down beside her.

"I'm alright with it. I can always go to the bar." Carol smirked.

"I ain't lettin' you go to the bar anytime soon." Daryl shook his head.

"You aren't the boss of me, Daryl Dixon. I can do what I want." Carol chuckled.

"Sure, ya can do what ya want, 'cept that." He smirked slightly.

"Yep, they're flirting again." Sophia said to herself as she walked out of the bathroom. "Well lets go guys! The pool is calling my name!" Sophia said loudly. She felt like saying 'You guys can flirt all you want at the pool, but not now.' But she knew she'd get in trouble if she did, so she didn't say anything.

"No need to yell Sophia." Carol stood up and grabbed one of the books she packed. "You coming or staying here?" She asked Daryl.

"Well not much to do in here." Daryl stood up. "Might as well go with ya."

"Alright. Let's go." Sophia opened the door and ran down the hallway towards the elevator. "You guys are so slow hurry up!" She said dramatically.

"She sure doesn't hold back does she?" Daryl said quietly as they walked down the hallway.

"Not really. Atleast when Ed wasn't around..." Carol remembered, Daryl didn't know that Ed was a total asshole. He didn't know he beat her every night when he came home. If he knew that, he'd probably pity her, or think she was weak. She didn't want that.

"Ed? That your husband?" Daryl asked.

"I guess so..." Carol sighed. "What is marriage, but a piece of paper." She whispered, looking down at the ground.

"Well, guess it's two people that love each other. I don't know, I ain't never been married." Daryl shrugged. He wondered why she said that. She was married, so she must love the man right? It only made sense that she would. Why else would she be married?

"Right." Carol scoffed. "Love." She didn't love him. There was a time, when she thought she did. But not anymore.

Daryl didn't say anything after that. He didn't want to push the subject. Something was obviously wrong in that marriage, but it wasn't his buisness. It was best he not get involved in it. "Oh my god finally. What are you guys snails?" Sophia groaned and pressed the button to open the elevator. "Now lets not walk like we have all day and lets go!"

"I'm gonna go get somethin' from the drink machine, ya want anythin'?" Daryl asked.

"Maybe a water." Carol smiled, looking up from her book.

"Alright." Daryl nodded and walked off. Carol returned to her book, but was quickly interrupted.

"So, are you and Daryl sleeping in the same bed?" Lori grinned down at her.

"Come on Lori, when are you going to give it up? We're not ever going to be together. It just can't happen. When will you understand that?" Carol sighed in frustration.

"Carol, let me tell you something." Lori sat down beside her. "It's not that it can't happen, it's that you are too afraid to let it happen. I bet you, if you tried to let him know you like him, it could happen. The only thing stopping it is you." Lori wasn't kidding about this. She was serious.

"I don't know Lori..." Carol closed her book. Reading wasn't going to happen today.

"Just think about it, you deserve to be happy." Lori stood up. "You deserve to be loved." And walked away back to Rick.

"Here." Daryl handed Carol the water. Carol looked up at him and took the water bottle from him. "So how much longer we gonna be here? Gettin' kinda hungry. Snack machine ain't got shit." Daryl sat down in the chair and opened his root beer.

"Well it's around supper time now, shouldn't be too much longer." Carol smiled. What Lori said was on her mind. Could something really happen between them if she gave it the chance?

"Well if they wanna keep swimmin' why don't we go get some food. Go get some from the city and bring it back for 'em. That way they can swim all the hell they want and we can eat." Daryl suggested. "Just ask what everyone one wants and then go."

Carol pondered his suggestion for a moment. She was pretty hungry. "Sure. I'll go ask what everyone wants." She stood up and walked over to Lori and Rick. "Me and Daryl are going to go get some supper for everyone. What do you guys want?"

"Just whatever. I'll eat anything." Rick said.

"I'll have whatever you get Carol." Lori smiled. "Carl, he'd probably want a burger if they have it."

"Alright, and I know what Sophia would want. See you guys later." Carol smiled and walked out into the lobby. Daryl was waiting for her by the doors. "They said get them whatever. Carl wants a burger. Sophia would want chicken strips." Carol stood infront of him. "So you ready to go?"

"Hell yeah I am. Starvin'." He opened the door and held it for her.

"Thanks." Carol smiled.

"No problem." Daryl followed her to his truck. "Where ya wanna go?"

"Doesn't matter." Carol shrugged. "Diner I guess, it's closest."

"Alright, let's go." Daryl backed out of the parking spot, and drove down the street towards the diner.

A/N: I hate these filler chapters. But! Don't worry, I'm sure you'll all enjoy the next chapter. Since I know where I want it to go, should be up right after this one! R&R lovelies!
McBrideReedusLover.~