So I wrote this a while ago. It takes place while the prison group is preparing for a war with Woodbury. It's basically 1st draft, gonna make changes into it, because I think there's so much to improve. I just had to put on paper my thoughts and feeling about what's I hope to come with our favourite pair at the end of this season. Please be gentle. I never published any of my work before, although I've been writing for a long time (I wrote some Dragon Age and LOST FanFiction a while back). Also, English isn't my first language so dialogues might be a bit stiff, but as I said, I am working on it. Just want your opinion guys if I should continue or not. Writing Caryl stuff is catharthic to me. I wanna keep going but if I write shit, probably it's not worth the effort:P. Anyway, chapter 1 is here for you to have a look, enjoy.

Red sun was fading slowly. The sunset was beautiful and quiet. Probably one of the last so peaceful and colorful evenings this fall. Soon the temperature will drop, and rainy, unpleasant days will approach. It was already cold in the nights and the first signs of falling leaves were to be seen around the prison courtyard. Soon the group will have to figure how to survive the winter here, in these cold and damp prison walls. If they all survive Woodbury, that is.

You look around the prison block, a place which became a home to you, not by the choice but by the need. A place that was supposed to be a safe haven for all of you. A safe place to have the baby born. But Lori died here. Safe and strong walls and fences - yet they didn't stop the herd of walkers to storm here and kill T-Dog. Tall watchtowers and lots of spots to observe, keep a lookout. Yet Axel was shot and you lost another friend. Finally a place that could be a perfect hideout, a secret place, a safe place. But Merle found you. Governor found you. Attacked you and now you are on the brink of war. You will fight for your life and the life of those who became so dear to you. You close your eyes. How did it come to this..?

You take a look at the people around you. The room is quiet, everyone seems to be lost in their own thoughts. Michonne is cleaning her katana which is already clean enough. Hershel is reading Bible in the dim light of a candle. Beth sings quietly and cradles Judith. But you can hear her voice breaking. Maybe the song is too sad. You recognize "Safe and sound". Rick watches her intently. But you know his thoughts are elsewhere. In another place and time. Maybe with the Governor, maybe with Andrea and Woodbury. Maybe with Lori. Maybe in times before all the world went to hell. Glenn and Maggie are nowhere to be seen, probably enjoying the last peaceful moments together in their own way. Merle though seems the only one calm in the current situation. He snores silently in his cell and you wonder how can he sleep in peace when war is approaching. But he is a Dixon, tough by definition. A little smirk forms on your mouth, as you think "of course he is". You know his brother is on watch with Carl right now and you suddenly feel the urge to go find him, see how is he dealing with this situation, or just be around him for a while. Because tomorrow they would all fight and you will most likely be inside watching over Judith, that's the role Rick assigned to you. And that is a big responsibility. You're not too happy about this, not that you want to be on the front lines but you know you shoot well and could be useful. And you could be close to Daryl, keep an eye on him, know that he is safe. You sigh. You know the baby needs you more.

Your watch starts in an hour. You go to your cell to pick up a jacket, the night will be cold. Going out, you hear Beth singing "My heart will go on" now. How sentimental. How hopeless in this current situation. Still beautiful.

As you emerge outside cold air hits you violently. Cold wind and some rain drops. "What month is it" you wonder. Probably end of September, time stopped to mean anything long ago. And for you time stopped probably before everyone else felt it. When Sophia died. You thought then that it won't matter again if it's Monday or Tuesday, if its 7 or 9 am, if it's winter or spring. This was a part of the rest of normal lives you all pretended to be having back at the farm. But you knew then, that nothing will be normal ever again. Yet the days went by and Rick still wore his old watch, Glenn found a calendar somewhere in the prison block and crossed out day by day, Hershel still read the Bible out loud when you thought it was Sunday. Maybe some parts of the old world were still alive.

Deep in your thoughts you don't notice a dark figure in the front and you stumble right into Daryl's back. He turns back instantly and you see a knife in his hand.

"Jesus, Carol, you tryin' to get me a heart attack?"

"Looks like you lost your guard. Thought nothiug could surprise you. But yea sorry, I wasn't trying to sneak around, it was just..stupid"

This sudden contact caught both of you off guard. Even though you have been through so much together, you fought for life, laughed and cried together...physical contact is something both you and Daryl always preferred to avoid. Like your bodies were a forbidden territory. Like it could disturb this weak bond that you established back at the farm and which strengthened through last winter. Like it could start an avalanche of feelings that would be hard to stop.

"What you doin' here, your watch starts in an hour?"

"Needed some air, sitting inside and waiting to be attacked is depressing".

He looks at you with a questioning face. You can see rain droplets on his cheeks. He smells of nicotine and you wonder where the hell he found cigarettes. Although you don't really smoke, you could use on at that moment.

"Mind sharing a cigarette?"

"you smoke?"

"Nah"

He grunts and reaches out for a pack of Camels and a lighter and next thing you expect him to do is just hand it to you but instead he approaches you and lightens the cigarette for you. For a moment you stand very close, so close you can almost smell leather, dust, sweat and fuel...everything that resembles Daryl. Sometimes at night, when you can't sleep you wonder how would it feel to feel those hands around your hips, to feel his breath on your lips, and to see in his eyes something more than just plain friendship and polite interest. There are days and evenings, times spent on guard together, either in watchtower or just walking the perimeter..times when you talk for hours, you laugh at the past, at things that used to be important to you then..in these moments you can almost see something more in his blue eyes. Eyes that almost never remain contact, but are always watching you.

"You think they're gonna attack?"

"Yea, I don't think we scare them. That Governor is a nutso, anything can happen really"

"I'm scared"

You have no idea how those words left your mouth. For the past year you did everything to prove yourself and the group that you became strong, that after all the shit that has happened to you, you will not let anything to break you again. And now you say Woodbury scares you. And you say that to Daryl who least of all people should be aware how shattered you really are at this moment. Least of all should he worry about you at this moment.

And then he surprises you.

"I'm scared too"

You turn your head to look at him but you do it too fast and a small ember from the cigarette falls on your cheek. You drop your cigarette and your hand instinctively brushes it away, but the pain remains and Daryl notices it.

"Let me see"

"It's nothing"

"C'mon, let me see, it may leave a mark"

"It's just a burn Daryl, no big deal, a proof that smoking is bad"

You try to turn this whole situation into joke but Daryl isn't laughing.

His hand slowly travels to your face as he steps closer. Suddenly something changes in the air around you. The night is cold but the tension makes the air stiff, heavy, thick. You become unaware of all the sounds other than you and Daryl breathing, you stop noticing all the Walkers surrounding the prison, and you forget of all the people in the cell block. In this moment your eyes only see him. Your look follows the movement of his hand towards your face and when he finally touches you, your eyes close. The skin on his fingers is rough, coarse. And you feel lightheaded. Your world is spinning. Even though not much is really happening, the idea of the two of you sharing an intimate moment like this, is a bit overwhelming. And you know, you know that Daryl's fingers rest on your face for a second longer than it's needed, his breath on your face is an inch too close, and his voice when he finally speaks is a bit too low, and sounds like a whisper.

"Looks like a small burn, but won't leave a mark..Ehm, I should probably..."

Your eyes can't leave his. You nod, but you don't really care what he is saying. Probably wants to ditch, run off. He must have felt all this change in the atmosphere too, it was pretty obvious. And you realize that this time you can't let him go and later pretend that nothing ever happened between you. Because whatever it was, whatever you've had, it had been growing for months. It started with a Cherokee rose and led you both here, to this place and this night. So when Daryl takes his step to walk passed you, you grab his wrist and he stops. You both don't say a word. Words mean nothing. You simply look at him and he knows. Everything that is unspoken is in simple things, gestures, looks, smiles, things like that. He knows you well and you know him. And that look in his eyes, right there, in this moment, he knows this current situation is different. Until now you both knew where you stood. whatever comes next, will change your relation forever.

you hold on to his wrist afraid to let go. Afraid that he will run away from you. You want to prolong this moment but at the same time you know that you are done waiting. You were both going around each other in circles for months, sharing innocent small-talks, prolonged looks over the fire, shy gifts of food or casual cleaning guns for each other. The group already treats you like a couple, only you never were one. And this is the moment to find out if you ever will be.

So you lift your chin and bring your lips to his. You have no idea what to expect, nothing is ever sure with Daryl. His body stiffens and he takes a step back. He inhales deeply but doesn't break the contact. But he also doesn't respond . You kissed him delicately, with closed mouth, it's more just a brush of lips than actual kiss but you both know that you crossed a line which distinguished your close friendship from something more. Seeing as Daryl doesn't really cooperate you move away from him and let go of his wrist. His face shows a complete shock. He looks stunned, or charmed or terrified, all at once.

"Daryl.."

"why?"

"Daryl I'm sorry"

"Why did you do that Carol?" He almost yells at you. Clearly, you misjudged him. He didn't want any of this to happen.

"I am sorry. Oh God, I'm sorry..".

You leave him with this, feeling like a complete idiot. You risked your relation with Daryl for your personal desires and ruined it all.

As you run towards nearest guard tower you hear him calling your name. But you don't stop and don't look back. You are aware of making a total fool of yourself, not to mention you probably distracted him greatly. In the eve of battle. This could put all of the group in danger. Personal problems is something they all should not be thinking right now, even though Daryl is always everything you can think of. He is always in your thoughts, no matter what the situation. And you know that when war finally approaches, there will be no choices, no second thoughts for you. He will always be most important. And you wanted to show him this tonight but clearly things didn't go well. You can only hope he got the idea.