We're outta here ... ? (closed to Michonne and Sophia)

[zenmotherfcker]

The mess on Sophia's neck was healing up good. It didn't even need a bandage anymore. And with the healing, Daryl got more and more antsy in the walker-bait roach motel. So, when the girl was eating pancakes, Daryl came edge of the kitchen-thing, chewing on the corner of his mouth.

Comments

[ranthewrongway]

Michonne has taken to this taking care of Sophia routine better than she thought she would. She still has to see Lee once a week - something she hasn’t told Daryl about - and she’s put up her kitana. Not for good, just above the couch where she can see it. And she carries two knives on her that can’t be seen at all times. But she’s learned to relax - a bit. She still can’t make it through the night.

Sophia, for her part, has adapted to the village part of it, but the nightmares from being attacked and bitten never seem to stop. She startles awake every night, still sleeping next to Daryl, refusing to move, and refusing to sleep with the lights off. That’s kept Michonne in Sophia’s bed and things between her and Daryl...sparse.

They both look up when he walks in, but Sophia is the only one to speak. “You want some pancakes? Michonne made some for us.”

[zenmotherfcker]

The little family thing still didn't sit quite right; sometimes it felt damned heavy on Daryl's shoulders, Merle's voice in the back of his head taunting him about dark meat and being stretched too thin. But at the same time, there's a wonder to Sophia being alive. He wasn't going to let her down.

Which is why he shuffled over, picking up a pancake with his fingers to eat it like a slice of bread. For Sophia. His gaze skittered to Michonne and away.

[ranthewrongway]

Pleased, Sophia continues eating, her own pancakes drenched with syrup. “I saw some kids outside playing from my window. Maybe...maybe I can meet some.”

[zenmotherfcker]

Following where she was looking, Daryl chewed and swallowed, jaw working. There was a flare of something hot in his gut and he looked to where his crossbow leaned against the wall in the living room. "You wanna, huh?"

[ranthewrongway]

“Eliza and Robby and Carl were my only friends at camp. And...before that...I didn’t have very many friends at school.” Her dad never let her have anyone over, and she was never allowed to spend the night at anyone’s house.

[zenmotherfcker]

Didn't take Daryl much to figure out it was that asshole Ed's fault. Even Merle didn't like Ed, which said a fucking lot. And even Daryl knew that taking a kid to the park armed was a fucked-up idea. "Guess you should go the park, then, sometime."

[ranthewrongway]

Michonne looks over at Daryl. “We can always go. When we go to the store, we can go to the park first.” She figures he wouldn’t want to go, and she knows, or assumes anyway, that he’s having some issues with this. With trying to do something normal for Sophia’s sake.

[zenmotherfcker]

"Was thinkin' … " Daryl started, chewing the rest of his pancake. "That … " Shit. Didn't make no sense he was all nervous. "Since you're gettin' better, we don't have to stay in this place no more."

[ranthewrongway]

“In the village?” Sophia asks. “I thought no one could leave?”

Michonne knows what he’s saying though, and she doesn’t say anything, trying to gather her thoughts.

[zenmotherfcker]

"I guess we can't leave the village," Daryl tried again. "But … doesn't mean we have to stay here. In this … this room." With all its normalcies and all its expectations that he knew fuck all what to do with.

[ranthewrongway]

“Back to the woods,” Michonne states, finally turning. But before she can say anything else, Sophia speaks.

“Live in the woods again?” she looks at Daryl, to make sure she understands right.

[zenmotherfcker]

Shuffling his feet, head down, Daryl nodded. Yeah. The woods.

[ranthewrongway]

“I don’t want to,” Sophia says quickly, putting down her fork. “I don’t want to go back to the woods.”

[zenmotherfcker]

Well, what was Daryl supposed to say to that? He looked around the room at anything but Michonne and Sophia shifting his stance yet again. "Got everything we need out there," he finally muttered.

[ranthewrongway]

Sophia looks up at him, trying to make sense of it. “Not beds. Or hot water. Or pancakes.”

Michonne manages not to laugh, keeping a passive face. “Why don’t you want to go back, Sophia?”

The girl goes quiet, looking down. She doesn’t want to disappoint Daryl, or make him mad at her. “We can go,” she finally says.

[zenmotherfcker]

Well, shit.

Told you, little brother. Just a matter of time before you fucked this up too. Daryl huffed out an indignant grunt. Sophia was right. And even he knew that kids needed normal stuff. Like pancakes. "You been awful quiet," he told Michonne, nearly accusing.