mother's day

[melinda]

It was Mother's day, which was, to Carol, the hardest day of the year. Every year for the past eleven years she'd had at least one day to herself, one day to celebrate, but this was different this time. It was her first time without Sophia, and she didn't know how she would make it through the day.

So she hid for most of the day in her cell, her mind being the biggest and worst prison of them of them all. Thoughts of her daughter flooded her mind, and she couldn't stop the tears that fell from her eyes. Everyone had left her alone- they all were sympathetic to her situation and each member of the group felt powerless to ease her pain.

That was, everyone but one person. Daryl had walked by her cell often, checking on her, making sure she was still with it. He hated seeing her like this, but he knew there really wasn't too much he could say that would make her feel any better. Still, it seemed to him as if he should do something, anything. He was probably the only person in the group that could make her feel somewhat better.

He tapped on her cell, to which he received no response.

"Carol...it's me," he whispered.

Against her better judgment, she got up to see what he wanted. To her surprise he wasn't alone- in his arms he was carrying baby Judith. It was the first time she'd ever seen him carry Rick's daughter.

A small smile spreading across her face, she wiped the tears from her eyes. "What do you want, Daryl?"

"I don't know. I don't know. I just thought...I thought if maybe you held her maybe it would help you feel better."

"I don't think anything can make me feel better. But thanks anyways." She started to walk away, but Daryl let himself in her cell and presented her with Judith. She had no choice but to take her.

Carol studied the small child carefully. It brought back so many memories, so many, both good and bad. Sophia had been a blessing, but how she'd come to be hadn't been. Ed had been cruel, forceful, and he had taken what he'd thought was rightfully his. The only good thing to come from that marriage was Sophia, and now she no longer had her to hold on to.

Daryl studied her carefully. She was a natural with Judith, leaving him to wonder what Sophia had been like as a baby. She was probably a good baby, didn't fuss much, and Carol was probably pretty overprotective of her. It was all speculation of course, but that didn't stop him from thinking about them anyways.

"You look real good...holding her like that," Daryl commented. He didn't say much to Carol, but the few words he would say sure packed a punch.

"I know you don't understand...everyone here's been so patient. But I know what they're thinking..that it's time to move on, that I should let Sophia go," Carol sighed.

"I don't think that."

She looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's only right that you remember your daughter. What kind of a mother can just forget about her kid just like that? She wasn't even mine and I still think about her."

"What kinds of thoughts?"

"I don't know. All kinds. That she was a good kid. That she didn't deserve what happened to her. That she was lucky to have you as a mom. I ..never mind, it's stupid."

"No, go ahead, Daryl. What were you going to say?"

"I guess I kind of wished my mom was more like you."

They both stared at each other shyly for a minute. "I'm glad I'm not your mom."

Daryl started to huff. He opened up to her and that's what he got in return? "To hell with this," he turned to walk away.

"Daryl, wait. I mean, that if I were your mom I wouldn't be having the dreams I do of you at night."

Not sure he believed what he heard, he turned around to face her again.

"Trust me, I don't have a single motherly thought in my mind when it comes to you."

He let himself smile, albeit a small one. "Well that's good to know, I guess."

"Daryl... I want to ask you something. Please be honest. I know you won't lie, not to me," Carol started.

"What?"

"How do you think of me? I mean, do you think of me as just a mom?"

"Well aren't you?"

"There's another side to me that most people have never got to see. I am stronger than what most people give me credit for. It just takes most a little longer to see it."

He didn't say much. He looked at her holding Judith, how natural she looked with her. It wasn't right what had happened to her daughter. It was at that moment that he silently made a decision that would change both of their lives- forever.

"I need to get her back to Rick. I'll be back...that is if it's okay with you," Daryl asked with hesitation.

"Sure." She was nervous too, but she trusted Daryl. If he said he would be back, that meant he would. What the night held in store for them was a whole different story.

TBC

[Sanda]

Great start to your new Carol and Daryl story Melinda. I LOVE that Daryl brought Judith to see Carol in prison. I feel bad for Carol since she lost daughter Sophia in such a horrible and violent way. I hope that things get better for Carol soon in your new story and that she and Daryl become a couple in your story.

[jessie]

Awe I love the start of your story, I could see this on the show. Poor Carol she deserves a break, and I think Daryl could make her happy. She will never forget Sophia no Mother would forget their child, but maybe knowing Daryl loved her little girl, and wouldn't give up on her. She was gone but never forgotten. I love this so much I hope you update again soon.

[melinda]

for Jessie...I know you like my wd stories and I wanted to cheer you up. Oh by the way sanda, I sent a tweet to Melissa Mcbride who plays Carol and she is following me on twitter now! that made my day.

True to his word, Daryl soon returned to check on Carol. She was sitting in a corner, alone, but he knew on this day she wasn't alone. Not really. As long as she had her memories of her daughter, she would never truly be alone. And though he wasn't ready to admit this to her, but it was true of him as well. She would always have him, even if she didn't realize it.

“Hey,” he quietly announced himself.

She didn't look up, but she returned the greeting.

“Care if I come in?”

She nodded, staring at apparently nothing. Daryl hated seeing her like this. He knew what others had thought, what Shane had thought, well, at times anyways. No one would have ever said it out loud, especially not to him if they wanted to keep their head, but he wondered sometimes if the others had blamed her for what happened to Sophia. They were a good enough group, better to him than his own family had been, but growing up the way he had, he'd learned not to trust anyone.

“You holding up okay?”

“I guess,” Carol sighed.

“Look...you know I ain't good with words. I ain't too smart, the way Rick is...”

To his surprise, Carol actually looked ….alive...for a minute. “Don't you say that. Don't you dare say that. You're just as bit as smart and as good and as brave as Rick is, or as anyone around here is. I know you tried harder than anyone...”

He knew what she was going to say. She was going to say that he'd tried harder than anyone to find Sophia. Maybe it was true, he didn't know. All he knew was that Sophia was just a kid, a kid who needed her mother. Now suddenly he felt an overwhelming sense of sadness, though he didn't quite know why.

“I know it embarrasses you when I talk like that,” Carol started. “But it's true. What you did for me..”

“I didn't do it for you,” Daryl replied a bit too gruffly for Carol's liking. Seeing the hurt look on her face, he knew he'd better clarify. “I did it for Sophia. That's all.”

She smiled, albeit briefly. “That's even better. You're a good man, Daryl Dixon.”

“Why you got to do that all the time?”

“Do what? Daryl, I don't think I did anything wrong, but if I did...please tell me so I can make things right.”

“See,” he ran his hands through his frustration. “You always say those ...those things to me!”

She stood up and took his hand. Surprised, he pulled back, but kept looking at her. “Daryl, do you think I'm a nice person?”

He nodded.

“Why is it so hard for you to believe that someone thinks you're a nice person, too?” she smiled again.

“I don't know. I ain't trying to be nice. I'm just trying to survive, I guess,” Daryl surmised.

“Isn't that what we're all trying to do? That's what I've been trying to do even before this all began.”

He knew what she meant. Ed. That piece of work husband of hers.... “Why? Carol? Tell me why?”

“What do you mean?”

She was worried that he was angry at her, and instinctively she flinched. He hated that, her being scared of him for even a second. But he couldn't help it. Daryl was so overwhelmed by his feelings, but not quite in tune with them, so he lashed out. “Why'd you stay with Ed so long, when you knew....when he did to you what he did? I don't get it!”

She looked down. “I guess you wouldn't understand.”

“What wouldn't I understand? You tell me I'm smart then you treat me like I'm dumb or something..”

“I didn't mean that. Please, Daryl...don't leave. Please.”

“That's it...you should have left him. I was just a redneck kid who didn't know no better than how my family treated me, but you're strong...”

Carol shook her head. “You're wrong. I'm not strong.”

“You're probably the strongest person I know.”

She looked at him in surprise.

He softened his voice. “I mean, after Sophia...I don't know if I could keep going on the way you have,” Daryl admitted.

“I do what I have to do. I know you probably don't understand why I stayed with Ed. I thought about leaving, I really did. The one time I tried he found me, and threatened to take my baby away from me if I ever tried something like that again. I went to the police one time. Showed them the bruises. They said that Ed had every right to see his daughter, that I couldn't keep Sophia from him without good reason. Good reason? Dear God, Daryl, the man beat me up all the time, what better reason was that? I guess after that I just felt like...I wasn't good enough, that I wasn't worth protecting.”

He studied her closely. Not that he didn't believe her, but it was still hard to hear.

“You know, Daryl,” Carol continued. “After a while I believed that it was okay not to have anyone fight for me. I know what you think of Shane, what we all did...but when he did what he did to Ed...well, I hated it at the time because I knew I would get blamed. But you know what? I'm not sorry what happened to Ed. Not one little bit.”

He looked down, trying to process everything she'd just confessed to him. He didn't know why, but he knew that he could trust Carol...about as much as he could let himself trust anyone.

“You want to go for a walk? I mean, just around the grounds?” Daryl cleared his throat.

“Will you go with me?”

He smiled that half-smile of his that she had come to find so endearing. “Yeah. Yeah.”

And so the two of them were off in their own little world. There was so much he wanted to tell her- about his childhood, about Merle, about how he really felt about her. But he couldn't, not yet anyways. Maybe in time. With that he looked up at her and she caught him staring at her. Embarrassed, he looked away, but not without grinning just a bit. And even in her grief Carol took notice. Yes, she definitely noticed.

TBC

[Sanda]

Great update Melinda. I really feel awful for Carol in your story. She went through a lot at the hands of her awful husband Ed, the father of her daughter Sophia. I hope that things work out for Carol and Daryl in your story and that they become a couple in your story. Carol nad Daryl belong together becuase they are perfect for each other. I watched the season premiere of The Walking Dead last Sunday and I loved the scene between Carol and Daryl last week. I hope that they writers put them together on The Walking Dead. I am really looking forward to tonights episode of The Walking Dead.

[jessie]

Thank you for starting this story for me, I really do love your Walking Dead stories. You are so lucky Melissa McBride is following you now on Twitter. I love Daryl and Carol they are the reason, I watch the show. I really hope they get together in your story. You are writing both of them so perfectly. I think Carol needs Daryl to take that next step but Daryl is not ready too just yet. Thanks again, please update again soon.