Chapter 28 - Puppies

Sorry it's been so long but the muse has been really uncooperative lately and I don't have stuff pre-written like I did before so the chapters may take a little longer. I'm really sorry, please don't kill me for taking so long.

Sophia just nodded, watching as Merle and Carol came over to them. Carol already holding a couple of filled bags. Daryl let go of Sophia's hand so she could go to her mother and handed her their bag to add with the others.

Sophia grinned, "What'd you get?"

Merle chuckled, "None of yer beeswax."

Sophia groaned, "No fair."

"Is too."

"Who's going with who now?" Carol asked to break up their bickering.

Merle rubbed his chin, "I'll go with my brother."

Carol nodded but Sophia interrupted them, "I need to go with Uncle Merle after then, he will know where to get the stuff I want."

Merle shook his head, "Nah, I can go with ya now. Guess it the same."

Carol looked up at him to make sure he wasn't too bothered about the change in plan, "You sure you don't mind?"

"I don' mind."

Carol nodded, "Okay then."

Merle took Sophia's hand, patting Daryl's shoulder before walking off with the little girl. Daryl watched them go before joining Carol.

Carol smiled, "Get something nice?"

"Yep, ya?"

Carol nodded, "Yep. Mostly stocking fillers for Sophia then your present of course."

"She seems real excited."

Carol grinned, "Isn't she always? I wish I got that excited about things."

"Comes from the one grinnin' like a maniac."

"I do not look like a maniac."

"With that smile, it looks like ya just killed someone."

Carol nudged him gently, "Meanie."

Daryl chuckled, nudging her back, "Thank ya."

Carol rolled her eyes playfully, "What shop do you want to go to now?"

"Whatever ya wanna, I can't get what she wants till the day before Christmas."

Carol smiled, her eyes fixed on his with a teasing glint in them, "Not unless you can pre-order puppies."

"Is it possible?"

Carol shrugged slightly, "I don't know. We could always ask."

"Alright."

"Lead the way."

Daryl took her hand, just like he did Sophia's and lead her to where they were heading. Carol smiled as they entered the pet shop, hearing the puppies noisy barks instantly.

Daryl chuckled as he watched Carol's face as she looked at them, "Weak to cuteness."

Carol nodded, "Don't you think they're cute?"

"Sure."

"Let's find someone to ask."

Once they finally managed to find someone who worked at the store Carol looked over to Daryl, it was his idea to get Sophia the puppy after all so he would need to ask.

Daryl rolled his eyes, responding once the worker asked what they were looking for, "We were wonderin' if ya could pre-order a puppy."

The man laughed, "Let me guess it's a Christmas present?"

"Yeah."

"You can decide which puppy you would like and collect it from the collection point on Christmas Eve or early Christmas morning."

Daryl glanced at Carol, "Sounds good to me, ya?"

Carol nodded, "Yeah, sounds great."

"Alright, let's look for that border collie."

The man smiled, pointing over to where he knew the border collie puppies were running around in their cages, "Over there sir."

Daryl nodded and told him thanks before taking Carol's hand and leading her there.

Carol smiled as they looked over all of them, "Which one do you like best?"

Daryl looked at them, he watched one closely that seemed to be staying behind. Then Daryl saw what was different about the puppy, he was blind in one eye, "Ya see that one in the back? He looks to be blind in one eye...I like that one."

Carol glanced over him shoulder to see him, her heart melted when she took sight of the energetic puppy jumping up and down on it's own at the back away from the rest of most of the puppies who had ran up to the front of the cage when her and Daryl had approached, "It's cute. What do you think is wrong with it's eye?"

"Seems to just have been born blind in one eye."

Carol nodded, her eyes still fixed on the little puppy, "We should get that one."

Daryl nodded in agreement, "Yeah, wanna pick that one?"

"Definitely."

He smiled, "Alright, let's go tell 'm then."

Carol grinned, "Yeah."

Daryl took her hand again, "This time, yer talkin'."

She rolled her eyes, "Fine."

Daryl chuckled, his fingers intertwining with hers, "Only fair."

Carol smiled as they approached the man again, "Excuse me."

The man smiled, "Find the one you like?"

"The one at the back, it seems to be blind in one eye."

The man nodded, "It's good to see someone showing love for the fella."

Carol smiled, "We definitely want that one."

The man smiled again, "Ok, I'll reserve him for you guys and we'll bring him to your house...when?"

Daryl spoke up, "Christmas mornin', I'll probably be awake for any of 'em so I'll be there to get 'm."

Carol nodded, "Early morning would be perfect, before our little girl wakes up."

The man nodded, "Alright, we can do that. And as a holiday special, you don't have to pay at all. The poor pup has been ignored and it makes me happy to see you all giving him love."

Carol grinned, "That's fantastic."

The man smiled, "Thank you for giving him a home, he's a really amazing pup to have around."

Daryl smiled over at Carol, "Look who's a good picker."

Carol nodded, "Yes, you're a very good picker."

"Thank ya."

Carol smiled, "Welcome."

He chuckled, shaking his head.

The man watched them with a grin, they were a very cute couple, "Just need to sign the papers saying you definitely want him then we're all done."

Daryl nodded, following the man to his table and signing the needed papers with Carol.

He smiled when they were all done, "The puppy is all yours. We'll deliver it on Christmas morning."

Daryl took Carol's hand, thanking the man for his help and slipping him a small tip.

Carol smiled when they left the pet shop, "Where do you want to go now?"

"Up to ya."

"I still need to get something for Merle, any ideas?"

"Alcohol."

"What type? Whiskey?"

"Ya wanna make 'm real happy, get 'm vodka."

Carol nodded, "Let's see what vodka gift sets we can find then."

Daryl followed her, his eyes roaming down to her ass as she walked in front of him. She led them to one shop in particular where she could see in the window they had plenty of alcohol gift sets.

He only looked up once they entered the store, "I think we found heaven! It has alcohol and ya in it, hot damn."

Carol blushed and laughed as she looked over her shoulder at him, "Heaven has got to be better than this."

"Nope. Can't get any better."

"It could."

"Okay, add Sophia...now it better."

Carol smiled, "Could still be better."

"Merle?"

"Yeah him too."

"Darn."

"Wouldn't include him in yours?" She bumped his shoulder lightly with her own.

Daryl shook his head, "Nope, too annoyin'."

Carol smiled, "Well we know what him and Sophia would include in theirs."

He just looked around at the shelves, humming, "Mmmm."

Carol picked up one of the Smirnoff sets that contained a big bottle of vodka and a branded glass and bottle opener to go with it, holding it up to show Daryl, "What about this one?"

Daryl looked at it, nodding, "He'd like that."

Carol smiled, "I'll get this then."

"Alright."

Carol took it over to the checkout and hide it in one of her bags before they left the store.

Daryl followed behind her to the meeting spot where Merle and Sophia were already waiting.

"Ready to go home?" Carol asked, looking over everyone.

Once everyone nodded, they headed home.

-Hit The Wall- flashback

Sophia smiled as her and Uncle Merle went off to get presents, "I need to go where they sell arrows."

Merle looked down at her, "Alright, let's go."

"Wanna know my idea for Daddy's present?"

"Yeah!"

Sophia grinned, "I gonna get him crossbow arrows and paint all our names on them."

Merle chuckled, "Good idea...just don' use girly colors."

"I won't. Nice colours only."

"Yep."

"Like purple and blue."

Merle chuckled, "Green and blue."

"Purple better."

"Purple is girly."

Sophia shook her head, "No. Normal colour."

"Nah, he don' like purple. He likes orange and green."

"But I like purple so it will remind him of me."

Merle nodded, "Alright, if ya say so."

"Then I do his orange, yours green and Momma will be red."

Merle nodded again, "Sounds good."

Merle nodded, getting the ones she wanted then going to check out. They put them in a box from the checkout then in a bag for safe keeping as they headed off to another store.

Merle looked down at her, "What does yer Momma like?"

"She likes lots of things. What do you wanna get her?"

"Last time I went to the store with her, she was lookin' at these shampoos and soaps."

"We can get her some of that then. Nice smelly ones."

Merle nodded, "Yeah, come on."

Sophia followed him into the bath shop, all of the strong smells instantly hitting them.

Merle groaned, he hated these stores because they always smelled too strong. He looked around at everything, trying to find the one she'd want, "Let's find a gift box."

"Yeah. It smelly here so we should be super quick."

Merle nodded, him and Sophia going to the gift area where they picked out the best one and got it checked out and packaged before leaving the overly smelly store.

"We need to get some arrow paint."

Merle nodded, leading her to the paint store where there were different paints types and structures, "Also need to get permanent stuff to put over it."

"You need to help me then. I don't know what is best," She said, "I never did this before."

"Alright."

"I'm gonna use orange and purple paint though."

Merle nodded, showing her the paint area that had a variety of different shades, "Pick away."

Sophia grinned, looking over all of them before finally picking the ones she wanted, "These please."

Merle got the ones she wanted, checking them out before storing them away in the bag, "Come on, let's go."

"Can I paint it at home then?"

"Yeah."

Sophia nodded, "When Daddy is busy."

"Can get Carol to take 'm out somewhere."

Sophia smiled, "Yeah they'll like that."

"Sure will."

"Yay!"