AN:

Hey not sure what this is. First and foremost trigger warnings in this for numerous things; drunk driving, spinal cord injury etc. I'm hoping to show a slightly humorous Carol in this but IN NO way am I minimizing or mocking what happened to her in this story. Wanted to make that clear before the anons start. If you don't like don't read. If I get enough interest I will continue, so let me know what you think :)

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Chapter 1

It was a day Carol would never forget. A day that changed her life and the trajectory she had planned. All her hopes, all her dreams, all her plans, maybe not gone, but now so seemingly unattainable that she wasn't sure if they would ever been in her reach again.

But then again, there was a lot that seemed unattainable lately from her chair she thought with a grunt as she maneuvered her wheelchair closer to the shelving in the supermarket aisle. Dammit, why were the good cookies always on the top shelf?

It had to be a conspiracy by the able bodied. Taunt those poor souls who just couldn't reach the good stuff, with their tallness and their legs that worked, and their stupid selves that had never made a stupid mistake in their lives. Unlike her, she had made the most stupid of all mistakes.

Well numerous stupid mistakes that like a cascading trail of dominoes had lead to her current situation. She could almost hear her crazy Aunt Paulette cackling at her. "You made your own bed, so suck it up princess and lie in it." Or in her case sit on it, it being her chair which was at the moment driving her insane, because she had strained to reach the cookies and because of that the Roho cushion underneath her had moved, sliding down towards her knees. Her physical therapist Glenn said it was a protective cushion to help her butt have better circulation because she sat all day. That was what her life had boiled down to; protective butt cushions, all because of that asshole Ed.

One date, one disastrous date. What could it hurt to give him a chance she had thought? One disastrous date where he had gotten hammered. More hammered than she had realized. One disastrous date where she had let him drive her home. She had known better. She was young, smart, educated. She knew better than to get in the car with him. She had been so busy trying to figure out what to say to let him down easy that she had not been paying attention, because there was no way she would be seeing that asshole again. That's what she got for being nice, waking up two days later in intensive care with a broken back paralyzed from the waist down. Ed was dead, no need to worry about letting him down easy anymore.

Carol sighed straining again to reach the cookies, her mom or one of her what felt like a million (there was eleven but who was counting) crazy aunts would have taken her shopping, but dammit, she was twenty five she should be able to buy cookies when she was pms'ing without having to plan ahead. Grunting again she reached again, then slumped her shoulders in defeat.

She glared at the cookies in defeat. "Fine cookies! You win! I hope you end up as crumbs in some dirty toddlers car seat!" She mumbled. God, she was seriously losing it.

She heard a startled laugh behind her, like someone had heard what she said and just couldn't hold it in.

She spun her chair around and saw him. He was tall one point against him already she thought bitterly. A well worn leather jacket stretched across his shoulders, scuffed pants and motorcycle boots painted him as a biker more than likely. The town had a motorcycle culture, a large dealership had opened a few years ago, clubs had followed, along with motorcycle shops and bars and MC's. She wasn't a fan. Every single one of them out there, risking what she would kill to get back. Her spine she thought grumpily. She glared at him, daring him to laugh again. It wasn't his fault she knew that, she was the crazy lady cursing the cookies in the supermarket but dammit, he didn't have to notice. Then he smiled.

How dare he be handsome? And have eyes like that? Was that sapphire blue? She puffed out a huff; what an Asshole.

"Yah need some help?" His voice was low pitched and coarse but in a good way. Like having your back scratched and getting goosebumps. Dammit.

"Gee...what was your first clue?" She muttered. She expected him to walk off, annoyed by her bitchy attitude. That had been coping 101 lately. Resting bitch more. But surprise he just stood there watching her expectedly.

"Dunno...guess it was you challenging the Kebbler Elves to a showdown."

She and then sighed, rubbed her temple and muttered "I'm sorry...it's been a long day, I just wanted to get damn cookies by myself, without having to ask for help. I should be to do that without asking. Instead I'm going crazy in the supermarket, yelling at cookies... and oh my god, this damn cushion detached from the Velcro and is sliding down my legs and I can't move it." She grumbled frustrated.

He was staring intently. Suddenly he moved , his hand was on the small of her back lifting her up.

Her head fell back as she looked up at him in shock her face a few inches from him. She should be yelling for help or screaming. A strange man was lifting her up in the grocery store, but instead, she was shocked. Her body was filled with an electric current that seemed to be flowing from his touch. She shivered from the feel of his breath flowing across her neck as goosebumps erupted across her skin.

She heard his breath seemed to falter momentarily, then he reached behind her, and repositioned the cushion, pushing the Velcro back in place. She could have sworn that he inhaled her scent before her set her back down on the chair.

She sat staring up at him, stunned. What the hell just happened?

He was watching her, and if she didn't know any better she could have sworn his gaze was filled with lust, and heat.

"Fixed it and you didn't have to ask." He said then moved to shelf. "In fact... beautiful woman such as yourself should be enjoying some chocolate chip cookies today?" The last part was questioning as he looked at her questioningly. She smiled laughing shaking her head no, and pointed to the side as he hand slid over to the next box.

"Hmm." He said as he picked it up. "Double fudge caramel delights..."..as he plopped the box in her basket.

Carol sat there unsure wether to yell for security or to melt into a puddle of goo on the floor. If she did though that would probably dislodge the damn cushion.

"Uh... thanks." She whispered suddenly feeling shy. Shy? What the hell? The crazy lady yelling at cookies shouldn't be shy.

Turning her chair suddenly she plopped her basket on her lap and turned to leave.

"I'm Daryl."

She turned and looked over her shoulder. Smiling at him. "Carol." She said before started to wheel up the aisle.

"See ya around Carol."

She turned again, taken aback as he was watching her wheel up the aisle. Since the accident men just did not look at her like that.

She could have been a supermodel in a wheelchair but most men just did not look at her as a sexual being. Her crazy aunts just said she had not found the right one, but here was this biker staring at her in the cookie aisle like she was sex on ...wheels?

Suddenly since this cookie fiasco began she blushed, a fiery flush passing across her skin, biting her lip she gave her most flirtatious grin and wheeled away.