A/N: Starting a compilation of short stories explaining my versions of first experiences between Carol and Daryl leading to their beautiful friendship and slow growing bond. Still trying to finish my next chapter on The Cold and Heartless for those of you wondering why the hell I'm not finishing that story before updating my Walking Dead fics, so don't give up on faith. It will be done in time. I'm just feeling inspired to do Caryl fics lately, and I'm acting on that inspiration.

Please take the time to read and review!

The First Time She Saw Him

The first time she saw him was during the most dire of circumstances. Shane and Lori and her kid were in the car ahead of theirs; she couldn't remember if they had anyone else with them. Their tail lights were trailing quickly from side to side. Ed was in the front seat of Carol's old car following them, slamming into any and every disfigured looking person that lurked towards their car. Once they realized that going into Atlanta was a disastrous plan, Shane told Ed that they needed to get off of the roads and up higher into the hills. Ed was foul mouthing Shane, griping about how he wasn't going to do shit that he said. It wasn't until people—snarling, dirty, grotesque people— came through the trees for the cars that it even clicked inside of Ed's mind that there was a serious danger and he needed to save himself.

Jacqui and the other man, she thought he said his name was Theodore, were with a woman (Chloe?) and her little boy, while the young Asian boy drove the young blonde sisters and the Hispanic couple and their children behind them. She didn't even know if Dale had made it out safely.

Carol gripped Sophia hard against her body and covered her ears as the people's snarls couldn't even be drowned out by the sound of the car speeding down the road. Shane clipped several of them, even ran over a few, but they didn't stop thrashing and growling, even as their legs and arms and abdomens were crushed down to bits. Carol's eyes were wide with shock as she watched Ed swerve around a woman whose left cheek and nose were completely removed from her face, her jaw hanging by thin muscles, as she reached her arms out for them.

Only she wasn't reaching for them.

There was suddenly the loud sound of something that sounded like a chainsaw ripping close to their car, when she suddenly saw it. A motorcycle. It came thundering past their car, two people riding on it, one with a baseball bat in his hands as he swung at the woman's jaw and removed it completely. Carol gasped and heard Ed mumble, "What the fuck?"

The motorcycle jetted past their car and to the side of Shane and Lori's before it passed it. Carol knew that Shane really didn't have a place to go in mind so she assumed he would thoughtlessly follow the two men on the bike, thundering up the hills and further past the roads.

They had found a campsite, most Georgia citizens used it for hunting or Boy Scout camp outs, far up the hills. The people, the dead ones, had become more and more scarce the further they went on. It was a miracle they could slip past the others. She wondered if anyone else on that bridge had even made it out alive.

Sophia was crying in Carol's arms still, Ed was muttering heatedly. Carol looked wide eyed out of the window as she realized that they were finally coming to a stop. Ed parked the car, not even looking around for a threat as he stormed out of the car towards Shane, but Shane wasn't looking at Ed or even noticing his existence. Shane was too busy being chewed out by one of the biker boys.

"Who the hell do ya think you are following us up here?" The younger one—the darker haired one—began. There was an intense southern drawl as he talked and Carol watched his angry stance as he paced closer to Shane.

Shane held up his hands in defense as the man stormed towards him, looking like he was about to shove him over or bash his skull in. "Hold up now, we needed to get off the roads. You did too. Don't you think we—"

"We didn't invite y'all to get cozy with us here. Go find someplace else to lay your head." His voice edged and seemed to bounce off of the trees. The noise would bring them. It was dark, it was cold. The only light was from the headlights and even that wasn't enough to shine across the site. Who knew if more of those things were hiding in the woods. Carol wanted more than anything to call out for the two of them to stop being so loud. She wanted them to be quiet. But she didn't say anything. She was frozen watching Lori pull Shane back as Shane was about to say something in return.

"There are plenty other sites around here. Maybe we can just—" She began but she was cut off by another person, the other that was on the motorcycle. The one with the bat.

"Now, now. There ain't no harm in servicin' some good folks, now is there Daryl. These people seem mighty…prepared…to me. Seems like they could be of use." The one, Daryl, looked back, appalled. But once he caught the other's gaze, he seemed to let his shoulder's slump, before he looked back at Shane and exhaled, annoyed.

The one with the bat in his hands dropped it as he stepped off the bike and clapped with a hearty laugh. A malicious laugh. "Well, y'all best rest up. Daryl…" He called out to him and turned his head sharply to notion him closer. Carol watched him scoff as he took one last look at Shane before he passed by her and Sophia to get to the other one who was leaning against the bike to her left. Carol lowered her eyes and gripped Sophia closer and she turned quickly to walk over to Jacqui. Jacqui looked terrified, but the young man, Theodore, was holding her close, his arm around her shoulder.

Ed shoved past all those who turned to Shane for answers to selfishly collect his own, giving Carol enough time to cautiously but curiously take a glance at the two to her left. They were far off now, walking into the wilderness with only a flashlight, the older one suddenly slinging his right arm over the other's shoulder. Carol inhaled carefully. They were going off into the woods. They could die.

They could become like that woman. All marred and distorted.

But she knew she couldn't spend all of her time worrying about strangers. She shouldn't. So she turned back and looked onto the faces around her.