Post by melindajo2000 on Feb 11, 2013 10:43:17 GMT -6
rated K
Carol tried to deal with the fact that he was gone. It didn't matter, she told herself. He was with Merle, and family should stick together. But as much as she told herself that it didn't matter, in her heart she knew that it did. Maybe it wasn't' love that they'd found, but he'd become family to her. Her family wiped out by the apocalypse, Daryl had come to represent everything that had gone missing in her life. And now too he was gone.
Maybe it was for the best. Maybe it would be better if nothing ever happened between them. She'd made the offer, jokingly, just to test the waters. He hadn't said no. The door wasn't shut on anything happening between them, but it certainly was now. Daryl was gone, left to fend for himself and his brother, his crossbow his link to his survival. If anyone could make it out in this world it was Daryl.
Why did it matter so much to her that he'd gone without saying goodbye? It wasn't as if she'd gotten closure with Sophia. That hurt a million times more than this did, so why did she feel like crying? As she rocked baby Judith to sleep during the lull of the night she smiled to herself, remembering what it was like to try to comfort a crying Sophia.
She heard a noise, and she clung tightly to Judith. Whatever the noise was it was coming for her, so she tried to hide. Before she could close the cell she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around, and it was him. He'd come back to say goodbye.
"You look real natural," Daryl whispered, referring to her holding Judith.
She smiled, the first real smile she had since Sophia's death. It was good to see him again. For how long, she didn't know, but he came back. He came back!
"It's been a long time," she said quietly.
"Does it feel weird?"
"Does it feel weird to see your brother again?"
They looked at each other, trying to figure out where the other was coming from. There were so many things each wanted to ask, but were too shy or too hesitant or too restrained to ask. Instead he half-grinned at her, letting her know that he would be okay.
"I didn't think I'd see you again," Carol finally spoke up after what seemed like an eternity of silence.
The baby started to fuss, so she changed it's position so that she rested against Carol's shoulder. Daryl'd never seen Carol with Sophia at this age, so it left all sorts of things to his imagination.
"You think I wouldn't say goodbye?"
"I didn't know."
"It's you. How could I not say goodbye." He said it so lowly she wasn't sure she believed what she'd heard.
"I'm glad you came back. I mean, I hate that you're leaving. But you came back. That means something."
"What do you think it means?"
She said nothing as she kissed Judith's forehead.
"Come with me." It was a request, not an order.
For a second she thought about it. There was nothing more than she wanted than to be safe with Daryl. She knew he'd keep her safe. But she also knew that she was needed to take care of Judith. She had her place in the group, and she was just supposed to abandon that?
Her silence spoke volumes. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, barely missing her lips. She opened her mouth but he pulled back. It was too late. They'd had their chance, and now they both knew what had to happen next.
"Stay safe," he commented as he grabbed his crossbow.
"You too."
As she watched him leave, Carol felt a mixture of sadness and happiness that she couldn't explain. He'd come back, and for now, she could live with that memory. What a memory to live with.
The end
Carol tried to deal with the fact that he was gone. It didn't matter, she told herself. He was with Merle, and family should stick together. But as much as she told herself that it didn't matter, in her heart she knew that it did. Maybe it wasn't' love that they'd found, but he'd become family to her. Her family wiped out by the apocalypse, Daryl had come to represent everything that had gone missing in her life. And now too he was gone.
Maybe it was for the best. Maybe it would be better if nothing ever happened between them. She'd made the offer, jokingly, just to test the waters. He hadn't said no. The door wasn't shut on anything happening between them, but it certainly was now. Daryl was gone, left to fend for himself and his brother, his crossbow his link to his survival. If anyone could make it out in this world it was Daryl.
Why did it matter so much to her that he'd gone without saying goodbye? It wasn't as if she'd gotten closure with Sophia. That hurt a million times more than this did, so why did she feel like crying? As she rocked baby Judith to sleep during the lull of the night she smiled to herself, remembering what it was like to try to comfort a crying Sophia.
She heard a noise, and she clung tightly to Judith. Whatever the noise was it was coming for her, so she tried to hide. Before she could close the cell she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around, and it was him. He'd come back to say goodbye.
"You look real natural," Daryl whispered, referring to her holding Judith.
She smiled, the first real smile she had since Sophia's death. It was good to see him again. For how long, she didn't know, but he came back. He came back!
"It's been a long time," she said quietly.
"Does it feel weird?"
"Does it feel weird to see your brother again?"
They looked at each other, trying to figure out where the other was coming from. There were so many things each wanted to ask, but were too shy or too hesitant or too restrained to ask. Instead he half-grinned at her, letting her know that he would be okay.
"I didn't think I'd see you again," Carol finally spoke up after what seemed like an eternity of silence.
The baby started to fuss, so she changed it's position so that she rested against Carol's shoulder. Daryl'd never seen Carol with Sophia at this age, so it left all sorts of things to his imagination.
"You think I wouldn't say goodbye?"
"I didn't know."
"It's you. How could I not say goodbye." He said it so lowly she wasn't sure she believed what she'd heard.
"I'm glad you came back. I mean, I hate that you're leaving. But you came back. That means something."
"What do you think it means?"
She said nothing as she kissed Judith's forehead.
"Come with me." It was a request, not an order.
For a second she thought about it. There was nothing more than she wanted than to be safe with Daryl. She knew he'd keep her safe. But she also knew that she was needed to take care of Judith. She had her place in the group, and she was just supposed to abandon that?
Her silence spoke volumes. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, barely missing her lips. She opened her mouth but he pulled back. It was too late. They'd had their chance, and now they both knew what had to happen next.
"Stay safe," he commented as he grabbed his crossbow.
"You too."
As she watched him leave, Carol felt a mixture of sadness and happiness that she couldn't explain. He'd come back, and for now, she could live with that memory. What a memory to live with.
The end