How Carol Got Her Groove Back by Trogdor19

Summary:

**Winner of Best Multi-Chapter fic from the 3rd Annual Caryl Awards. Thanks everyone who voted!**

How it all started between Daryl & Carol. Untold stories from the winter between Season 2 & 3, including how Carol got her knife & Daryl got his poncho. Friendship, and a slow simmer into the spark of romance. Full cast, but Caryl-centric

Rated: E
Categories: Season 2/3 Interlude
Characters: Beth Greene, Carl Grimes, Carol Peletier, Daryl Dixon, Glenn Rhee, Hershel Greene, Lori Grimes, Maggie Greene Rhee, Rick Grimes
Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Dramedy, Fighting, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Warnings: Adult Language, Domestic Abuse (Implied), Sexual Situations, Violence
Series: None
Chapters: 37 Completed: Yes
Word count: 91996 Read: 51452
Published: December 17, 2016 Updated: March 08, 2017

Print or Download Story:

Story Notes:

Between Season 2 and 3 on the show, we saw Carol and Daryl change so much. By the Season 3 premiere, Daryl was much less defensive, he was touching people freely, and Carol had learned to fight, was confident and teasing with him, and they'd both so clearly come into their own but we never got to see how. I couldn't stand not knowing, so I wrote this fic. Feel free to join me if you're as curious about how Daryl and Carol's relationship really got going as I am.

There have been a few questions about this fic being canon/not canon. My idea is to take Daryl and Carol from the end of Season 2 to the beginning of Season 3, and match the development of their characters and personality to what happened on the show—but also to add a little romance as it matches with their character development at the time. That sounds contradictory, but I swear, it makes perfect sense in my head. I think in this case, the canon and non canon will mesh more naturally than you think.

This story is going to start out rated M, for some violence, gore, sexual tension, etc. It might have to go E for sexual content later, if I know my muse. But for now, we'll leave it open for all.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

1. Ch 1 Crossbow Teddy Bear by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 38] Liked (2645 words)

Author’s Note: This whole story is dedicated to LAH, for inviting me to this truly wonderful site. It’s like you thought candy only came in individual servings and then someone brought you to a whole STORE of it.

2. Ch 2 Limits by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 10] Liked (3251 words)

3. Ch 3 Better by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 4] Liked (1745 words)

4. Ch 4 My Knife by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 10] Liked (1500 words)

5. Ch 5 First Thing That Pops Up by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 11] Liked (1564 words)

6. Ch 6 Velveteen Rabbit & the Shooting Gallery by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 16] Liked (3993 words)

7. Ch 7 Socks by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 11] Liked (1870 words)

8. Ch 8 Hunger by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 14] Liked (3008 words)

9. Ch 9 The Deer Hunter by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 12] Liked (2045 words)

10. Ch 10 Naked by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 13] Liked (3818 words)

11. Ch 11 Listen by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 13] Liked (2108 words)

12. Ch 12 Rebreak My Heart by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 22] Liked (3334 words)

13. Ch 13 I Hear You by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 7] Liked (952 words)

14. Ch 14 Peeping Tom by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 10] Liked (1803 words)

15. Ch 15 Taken by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 9] Liked (2983 words)

Author’s Note: Warning for verbal references to sexual assault and just generally coarse language from this pair of jerks, who clearly do not know who they are dealing with.

16. Ch 16 Lucky by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 8] Liked (1753 words)

Author’s Note: Warning for some verbal discussion of sexual assault in this chapter. Nothing too terrible or explicit.

17. Ch 17 Shh by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 5] Liked (1419 words)

Author’s Note: Warning for some discussion about sexual assault. There are only 2 sentences where it gets graphic, but if you have a history with rape or sexual assault, I would suggest you skip this chapter or scroll to the second scene, and I’ll provide a summary of what happened at the beginning of the next chapter so you won’t miss anything plot-wise.

18. DELETED SCENE: Tracks by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 16] Liked (1622 words)

Author’s Note: So I’m going to do something a little different here. I want to toss in just a couple of Daryl POVs to give you guys a peek at his thoughts, but since we’re all die-hard fans, I figure the best way to do it is in deleted scenes, little extras that don’t need to be read along with the normal flow of the story, but are fun for those of us who want a deeper look. Because I know y’all are the kind who watch ALL the extras on the TWD DVD sets. The couple of deleted scene Daryl POV chapters will be marked as such, because the main story can be understood without them.

19. Ch 18 Touch Me by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 15] Liked (2776 words)

20. Ch 19 The Resilience of Stones by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 8] Liked (3391 words)

Author's Note: Big special surprise today! the_wd_caryl made a fan video for this fic! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xyLN3PzM1s

She put together scenes from the show that match the emotional arc of this fic, then edited a bunch of shots from the show together to make entirely new scenes that show the events of the attack in Chapter 14-17. So thanks to her incredible generosity and technical prowess you can sort of watch this fic onscreen with the real actors!

This is my favorite present of all time and I'm so flattered and just...overcome that anyone would like my little story so much to make a whole video for it!!!! And I'm going to try to stop gushing right now or I might cry. Everybody go watch her amazing video.

21. Ch 20 Defender of the Innocent by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 18] Liked (1827 words)

22. DELETED SCENE: How to Want by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 10] Liked (1047 words)

Warning for in character homophobic language. Sorry that Merle is so…Merle-y. Posting early for dandelioncherokee, because I am 100% a sucker for reader requests.

23. Ch 21 Get A Room by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 20] Liked (1835 words)

24. Ch 22 That First Night by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 13] Liked (1931 words)

25. Ch 23 Snow Animals by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 11] Liked (2063 words)

Just in case I scared anybody with the A/N in the last update, this chapter marks the 2/3 point of the fic. So you still have lots of story left to enjoy, no worries!

26. Ch 24: 10/10 by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 11] Liked (1993 words)

27. Ch 25 Daryl Takes the Lead by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 10] Liked (2104 words)

28. Ch 26 Broken Toys by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 8] Liked (2124 words)

29. Ch 27 Give Me Quinoa or Give Me Death by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 6] Liked (4312 words)

30. Ch 28 The Poncho by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 9] Liked (2462 words)

31. Ch 29 A Modest Proposal by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 13] Liked (2247 words)

This chapter is dedicated to Goldnox, because sometimes A Modest Proposal gets you the best friend you’ve ever had. Though to be fair, our proposal wasn’t about rodents or hair removal products.

32. Ch 30 What If by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 22] Liked (3636 words)

Author’s Note: For anybody who loved the moment in 7x09 as much as me and Jessums did, I retroactively wrote the heel-toe thing into Ch 11 of this fic. Because clearly Carol learned how to walk quietly in the forest from Daryl, and this fic is a prime place for her to do that. So feel free to peek back at that moment if you like!

33. Ch 31 Ain't Romantic by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 15] Liked (1995 words)

34. Ch 32 A Place To Sing by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 9] Liked (3639 words)

Go get your popcorn and blankets, Annie & LAH! We made it to the prison!

35. Epilogue Pt I by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 9] Liked (2107 words)

Timeline/canon note: I really angsted about letting this blend back into canon at the end, but then there’s no room for Carol and Daryl to relax and enjoy each other because five seconds after they get into the prison, Lori dies and Hershel loses a leg (I’m starting to understand why the show didn’t let Carol and Daryl get together at this point. No freaking space for kissing scenes.) Anyway, so since we’ve already busted out of canon with Carol and Daryl getting together, let’s leave this fic in happy non-canon land.

Carol was with Lori and she safely delivered the baby and fought off the walkers. Since she was such a good fighter, T-dog didn’t have to fight for her. Hershel kept a sharper eye out for the ankle biters and got to keep his leg. And everyone lived happily ever after. In a prison. Because irony.

36. Epilogue Pt II by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 9] Liked (5115 words)

37. Epilogue Pt III by Trogdor19 [Reviews - 22] Liked (3979 words)

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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. Likewise, Nine Lives assumes no responsibility for the content of the fiction archived. Readers are solely accountable for deciding what content is or is not appropriate for them to view. By selecting a story to read, you accept that you read and considered the applicable warnings and are of appropriate age to view the material therein.