Merry Christmas my loves! Just thought I'd stick my head in and deliver a wee prezzie!

This started off as a whole different other idea which I may still get around to - I dunno - but anyways here we have a little festive fic set in Embers-verse (yes Sweettooth you heard that right!) It's not perfect but I had to get it out of my system so I actually feel as though I've done some writing. Fluff and smut, don't even know what half of this *is* but hope you like!

PS: I would like to thank my long suffering buddy kaoscraze82 for her help on this one! Loveoooooo!

Disclaimer: Carol, Daryl and Sophia are property of Kirkman and his cronies at AMC. I own nothing... except many Christmas socks!

"A little to the left. Little more. Nah, you've gone too far again."

Daryl's heart sank again in frustration as he put down the tree he'd been moving around for the past fifteen minutes. The needles were starting to be a real pain in his ass now, and he could already feel an itch crawling its way up his forearm from all the scratches. Sophia was perched on the arm of the sofa, delight barely contained within her features. The little shit was loving every minute of this.

"No, a little more to the right…"

"You are testin' my last nerve, kid," he grunted, bearing the weight of the tree once more.

"Whoa, that's perfect!" Sophia leapt up from the sofa arm.

"Thank God," he huffed in relief. "Damn needles itch like hell."

He stood beside Sophia, narrowing his eyes as he looked for himself and satisfied his need for a good scratch. Sophia cocked her head in contemplation, which was always a worry. He could practically hear the cogs turning.

"What?"

"Don't you think it looks a little… lopsided?"

"Well I hate to rain on your little Christmas pageant, but real trees ain't all poker straight." Daryl hated to agree with her, but it did look far from straight. "Besides, gives it character."

"Character shmaracter," Sophia drawled, side-eyeing him. "You know Mama's gonna notice it right off the bat. She always notices everything."

He couldn't argue with that; Carol had eyes in the back of her head. Last week he and Sophia had tried to make dinner and smashed a plate in the process. He thought they'd done a pretty good job of cleaning up and hiding the little shards of crockery, but she had known the minute she had walked through the door. It was like friggin' extra sensory perception.

"Hmm, yeah. How about if we just put more decorations on this side? That oughtta even it up."

Sophia looked up at him like he'd had a brain bypass. "You're kidding, right? Do you really think that's gonna work?"

"Probably not, but what other choice do we have?"

Sophia sagged in defeat and started hanging baubles from the slender branches. Daryl started pulling garlands of tinsel from the box and draping them around the most obvious areas. It didn't exactly fix the problem, but it was definitely a distraction from the slightly jaunty angle. Daryl watched as Sophia carefully picked a spot out on the tree for each decoration, co-ordinating colours and making sure the same ones weren't too close together. She was in her element, and it brought the most stupid smile to his face.

It was their first official Christmas together as a family. In fact, the events of only a few months prior, seemed a whole lifetime ago. It hadn't exactly been a picnic; there were still nights where Carol would wake in a cold sweat, gripped by panic, arms flailing until he was able to calm her down. But all in all, they seemed to be holding their own, making progress each day and leaving the nightmare a little farther behind them. The dreams were becoming less frequent, and her smile was starting to become a permanent fixture. She was laughing, and being silly, not to mention at times downright naughty. That side of her he was having fun getting reacquainted with.

As Sophia's eyes combed over the tree for spaces to hang the remaining adornments, he realised heavily that she had probably never known the joy of something so small and stupid as decorating a Christmas tree. He knew they'd had a tree in the Peletier household, but he wasn't fool enough to think they would've had fun decorating it as a family. Hanging battered ornaments from artificial, tatty branches that had spent too long in the musty attic. It had been well past its expiration date, but Ed treated Christmas like enough of a frivolity as things were that Carol had never dared ask for a replacement. He knew the feeling all too well.

He'd had his own fair share of shitty Christmases as a kid; hell, they didn't even have food in the cupboards never mind a tree. But he knew what it was like to wake up on Christmas morning and just hope that for today at least, nobody would yell at him… or worse. It still made him sad – and mad as hell – to think of the kind of Christmases Carol and Sophia were used to. His heart broke anew every time he thought about it. It just made him more determined to give them a Christmas they wanted to remember. He'd taken Sophia out while Carol finished up on some last minute Christmas shopping, and they'd both chosen the tree together. Damned sure he wasn't gonna have a crappy, plastic tree for their first Christmas together. He wanted them to have a special tree, because for the first time in his life, Christmas meant something to Daryl.

"Now, be honest." Sophia stood back for a moment to admire her handiwork. "How does she look?"

"I think she looks pretty damn good," Daryl nodded, draping an arm over her shoulder. "Awesome job, Freckles."

The sound of the front door closing and the familiar jingle of keys broke through. Sophia almost combusted with excitement on the spot, her body coiling like a spring as she tried not to jump up and down like a five year old. Daryl found her excitement both funny and a little disturbing. She had the tendency to look slightly wired when she was excited about something.

"Hello? I'm home... Sophia, honey? Daryl?"

"We're in the living room," Sophia called, barely reining in the quiver in her voice.

Daryl gave her a playful nudge and an amused smirk as she shuffled excitedly from foot to foot. Carol rounded the corner, and there was a split second before she noticed the tree when she gave him that look, the one she kept only for him. The one that made his heart beat a little faster and made his mouth dry up. All it took was that fraction of a second, even after all this time.

"Oh wow," Carol gushed, taking off her scarf as she admired the fruits of their labour. "It's beautiful! You should have waited though, I'd have given you a hand."

"You still can," Daryl replied, pulling the angel from the decorations box and offering it to her. "Saved the most important part for you."

"And how am I supposed to reach up there?" Carol demanded in amusement.

"I'll get you a ladder, just hold on," he retorted with a smile.

Daryl brought the step ladder in from the kitchen and Carol climbed it cautiously. It wasn't very sturdy and did wobble a bit, but Daryl kept his hip braced against it to balance her.

"Is this tree leaning to one side?"

"Nah, must be your imagination," he teased, side-eyeing Sophia, who promptly disappeared into the kitchen.

"It definitely is," Carol grunted as she strained to reach. "I can't reach the top, it's pointing away from me."

His mind immediately went into double entendre mode and he considered making a naughty comment but decided against it. He couldn't risk losing such a prime spot; he had a great view of her ass from here. He didn't even feel bad, taking advantage of her when she was at her most vulnerable – up a ladder with arms outstretched, relying on him to keep her steady. He drew even more amusement from it, knowing she would probably slap him in the head if she caught him staring.

"Are you even listening to m-"

A frightened yelp drew him out of his private show as Carol tumbled from the ladder. Daryl caught her awkwardly and they both ended up on the floor, near enough under the tree. They both watched in dread as the lopsided fir swayed, teetering on the brink of collapse as the odd ornament missed them by inches. Daryl breathed a sigh of relief as it righted itself again. Blue eyes burned into the side of his head, and he turned slowly, anticipating laser beams.

"What?"

"You did that on purpose."

"How could I?!" Daryl protested, only half feigning innocence.

"You took your leg off the ladder because you were too busy getting an eyeful."

"What the hell? Why would y-"

"I saw your reflection in the window, you perv," she pouted, innocently smacking him in the chest as she made to get up.

"Oh yeah?" Daryl pulled himself on top of her, pinning her down. "Well maybe it was just a ruse to get ya right where I wanted."

"You wanted me under the Christmas tree?" She teased, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Why the hell not? Only one thing I want for Christmas."

Daryl swept in for a lingering kiss. It had only been a few hours since he'd last seen her but he felt like a starving man. His arms tightened around her as his mouth devoured her. It was just as well they were lying on the floor; even now, she still had the power to weaken his legs with a kiss. The prospect of spending their first Christmas together as a proper family seemed to have injected something more into their relationship, and it was all he could do to keep his hands off her.

The feeling that they were being watched pulled Daryl from the kiss. He looked up to find Sophia standing frozen to the spot, a disgusted expression plastered across her face.

"You two make me barf sometimes."

Carol woke to the twinkling of lights on the Christmas tree, and the gentle flickering of the fire, and for a moment she almost had no idea where she was. The warmth of Daryl's arm curled around her and the subtle hint of his smell brought her back around, and she snuggled in closer to him. She felt him stir slightly, his arm tightening around her.

They had to stop doing this, falling asleep before bedtime. Nearly every night since the winter had settled in, they'd light the fire, curl up on the couch with the TV quietly playing in the background, and next thing she knew she was trailing him sleepily upstairs to bed. She didn't know if it was a sign they were getting old or if it just meant the two of them were going into hibernation. Either way, it wasn't very productive. She blamed the open fire. There was something about it, and something about lying curled up next to Daryl, that brought the shutters down over her eyes.

"We have to stop doing that."

"Hmm?" Daryl mumbled.

"Lighting the fire and falling asleep." Carol yawned, reluctant to move just yet. "We're turning into a couple of old bears."

Daryl laughed. "Yeah, I didn't wanna say nothin'. Was gonna put it out earlier but ya had me pinned down."

"You should just have moved me," she replied, stretching herself across his lap like a cat and turning to look up at him.

"What's that saying? You shouldn't wake a sleepin' bear?"

"You mean a sleeping baby."

"Nah, I think I was right first time."

Daryl ducked as she swatted at his head with a cushion. He smiled down at her, and she couldn't recall a time in her life when she had been nearly as content as she was right now. Everything was perfect.

They had come so far. Only months ago, she was living such a different life. This warmth, and the sleepy blue eyes twinkling down at her now, were barely a dream that glinted in the dark, in the cold recesses of her mind. She would dread going to bed every night, and dread waking up just as much. Life was a neverending struggle that saw her limp miserably from one day to the next, wondering how much longer she could. But then it all changed. Even before Daryl came back into her life, something in her changed, and she hadn't really ever been aware of when it happened. She didn't know she could be strong, but she already was.

Now here she was, hitting her husband to be with cushions and recognising that playful yet sultry glint in his eyes. She brought a hand up to his face, smiling at the way his eyes lolled shut at her touch. He turned his face to kiss her palm. The feel of his lips on her hand made her skin tingle with anticipation, a quiet hope that there would be more. Daryl seemed to read her thoughts, placing a gentle kiss on her wrist, trailing a path down the soft skin of her forearm. Carol watched him as he thoughtfully kissed his way up her arm, taking time to make sure each one made its presence felt.

As he reached her shoulder, the fire in the hearth dwindled to mere glowing embers. By the time his warm mouth reached the hollow of her throat, there was a new fire igniting inside her. He looked up at her, eyes dark with longing, twinkling through strands of long hair. She brushed it aside as she moved in to kiss him. She felt him moan softly at the contact, sending a warm vibration through her body. His mouth was hot and sweet, and soft, and every brush of his lips over hers put another match to the fire. It grew quickly, giving life to her hands which found themselves in his hair, pulling and grasping him closer. His hand smoothed down her side, his thumb barely grazing the side of her breast, altogether too close, but not close enough for her liking. It was torturous.

"Think we should go to bed," Daryl whispered, his breath already trying to steal words from his mouth.

"Okay," she mouthed, taking one last kiss before she would need to get up.

She hummed at the contact again, still hazy from sleep. She didn't want to move from the spot, from this moment ever. Neither of them looked like breaking the kiss. Carol certainly had no desire to break it, and she was left wanting when Daryl broke away and stood up, pulling her along by the hand.

They climbed the stairs to their bedroom, and Carol tugged his hand to go along the landing and check on Sophia. She cracked the door just a little. Sophia was out cold, ever the lady with her leg over her covers, hair over her face and snoring like a bear herself. Daryl snuffed a little laugh into the nape of Carol's neck. She smiled and closed the door silently.

She turned around, meeting with his gaze once more, and she couldn't refuse him. He backed her gently against the wall, pinning her there in a smouldering kiss, before taking her hand and leading her to their bedroom.

The moment the door was closed, Carol pounced on him, seeking out the warmth of his mouth and the firmness of his touch on her. His hands found the small of her back, pulling her flush against his body. Everything about him, his smell, his touch, was intoxicating, and she wanted it all. She kissed him greedily, her tongue sweeping over his so deeply it took her breath away. Her heart ached for him, and with desperation she realised that she could never be close enough to him, but it wouldn't stop her from trying.

She backed him towards the bed, eager to get where they both knew they were going. He dropped down onto the bed and she crawled on top of him, flattening herself to his body and slipping her leg between his. The feel of his hands on her backside electrified her, the heat at the apex of her thighs beginning to throb, and she couldn't help involuntarily rocking herself against him. She felt the groan that rumbled low in his throat at the movement, and his body stiffening slightly beneath her.

Carol began picking at the buttons on his shirt, becoming more thrilled as she exposed a little more skin with each one. The hard plain of his chest was hot to the touch, and she couldn't resist tracing a path to it with her mouth, her tongue flicking out to taste his skin with each kiss. Daryl's fingers grazed lightly over the sliver of skin exposed on her back where her top had ridden up slightly. The sensation sent a shiver through her, and she could feel her nipples straining almost painfully against her bra. His fingers crept slowly under her top, pushing it higher and higher until most of her back was exposed to the cool air of the room. Carol propped herself up a little and allowed him to slip it over her head.

As the garment fell, he brought a hand to her face and just looked at her for a few moments. As the seconds ticked past she felt heat creep into her cheeks.

"What?"

"Nothin'," he murmured. "Just… can't believe how damn lucky I got."

It was a two way street as far as Carol was concerned; she had definitely gotten very lucky at her end. Saved from a life that wasn't worth living, and now she had everything she could've ever wanted right in front of her.

She covered his hand with her own. "We both got lucky."

Daryl pulled her in for a kiss, rolling her gently onto her back without severing contact. When he kissed her like that, like her lips were delicate petals he didn't want to risk crushing, it stoked something in her that could set the world alight. He was rough around the edges, and could be stubborn at times, but when they bared themselves to each other there was a tender, loving side of him that showed no signs of fading ever.

His fingers swept over her, his thumb grazing her ribs and prickling her skin in goosebumps. He reached the waistband of her jeans and quietly sought permission with his eyes to unbutton them. Carol lifted her hips towards him eagerly and sighed in anticipation as Daryl slid his fingers underneath and pulled the jeans from under her backside. Feeling the warmth of his hands on her bare thighs sent a tingle spreading over her skin, which wasn't helped by his mouth just above the waistband of her underwear. Her fingers threaded through his hair, secretly urging him to venture just a little lower. He was torturing her, fingers and lips grazing the outskirts of where she wanted him to be, barely tickling the edges of the delicate fabric.

"Hey," she whispered in mock disappointment.

Daryl looked up at her wolfishly, purposefully placing slow, measured kisses below her waist. He was enjoying watching her squirm, taking pleasure in resisting her urgency. He kissed a little closer and revelled in the anticipatory gasp that left her lips.

Daryl left her almost bereft as he made his way up her body once more, leaving a trail of wet kisses cooling on her skin as he traced the valley of her breasts with his mouth. God how she loved his mouth all over her - it was like a drug she could never get enough of. Daryl was such a tender and gentle lover, but for some reason it brought out the animal in her. Ed had never been very physical, apart from the odd drunken fumble when he staggered home and took what he wanted. For years she would wait, until he went out and she had the house to herself, before taking her pleasure into her own hands. In those lonely hours she felt more alive with desire than she ever had felt with him.

But Daryl, oh god, Daryl. He was every bit as attentive and passionate as she could've hoped for. He made her feel beautiful, and although it had taken a while, her confidence was brimming over. There was a cocky strut about her now, and she felt like she could be bolder. Her body was screaming out for him to take advantage of this daring streak.

Still he continued to torture her with his tongue, swirling hot and wet in the hollow of her throat. Her nails raked at his hair, and she purposefully urged him lower again. He resisted, pulling at the fabric of her bra with his teeth. The friction of his chin barely brushing her almost exposed nipple had her writhing against him. He was hard against her hip now, denim scraping at her skin with an obvious urgency. She reached for his belt buckle and couldn't resist letting her hand explore a little lower. Daryl caught her wrist and pinned it above her head.

"Not so fast," he purred, kissing her again. "What's your rush?"

He could be such a damn tease, but the way he was looking at her now rendered her powerless to do anything except meet his lips again. He kissed her like they'd been separated for months, his mouth and lips and tongue consuming her own. Her heart thundered in her chest as he unclipped the small fastening on the front of her bra, her skin immediately puckering in response to the cool air, and then the feathered touch of his sweeping fingers. He traced circles around the mound of her breast, edging ever closer to the tender peak, driving her crazy as he barely missed. Carol wriggled underneath him, her need bordering on desperation.

The hot silk of his tongue suddenly caressing her nipple flooded her body with warmth. The sheer sensation made her toes curl. The weight of him on top of her and the fact her hands were both still pinned above her head were now an extreme turn on. The prize was within touching distance, but she was unable to claim it. Forbidden. The notion excited her.

Teeth gently scraped and pulled at her peaked bud, and the more he flicked and swirled and suckled, the more she wanted him to bite her. It was hot, and exciting, almost dangerous.

One of his hands travelled the soft plain of her stomach, smoothing the curve of her ass with hidden agenda. Her skin was alive with anticipation. Fingertips began smoothing the waistband of her underwear, barely seeking the skin underneath. Carol pushed her hips towards him eagerly, following his touch. He was intent on drawing this out, his fingertips gliding over her thighs, like he was making sure there wasn't an inch of her skin left out. Carol dropped her leg to the side, inviting him to venture further. Daryl took delight in venturing just high enough that his fingers whispered over her bikini line and then retreating.

When he hooked a finger under the lacy trim Carol rolled her hips in invitation, hoping to feel some relief of skin on skin. Daryl seemed to take the initiative, pulling the material up taught, and watching through hooded eyes as she sought relief against it. The friction was amazing, but it still wasn't him. Suddenly an exploratory fingertip traced the tight stretch of lace at the apex of her thighs and she gasped. He followed up gently, slipping a finger beneath the offending garment and delving into her slick warmth.

"Ohh…"

Slow circles in her wet heat had her pinned hands clawing for the sheets. How the hell could he get her so wound up with the slowest, gentlest of touches? His breath on her skin, his mouth at her collarbone, and his finger literally pressing her buttons. It was intoxicating. She could feel herself building towards a release, her hips bucking towards his hand. That sweet explosion was just within reach when he let go of her hands, and hovered over her for a moment, slowing his hand as he scooted down the bed. He soothed her briefly, slowly, making small circles with his thumb, before lowering himself to kiss the soft skin of her inner thigh.

Her back arched slightly at the contact of his tongue, delving where his fingers had been only moments before. It wasn't the first time he'd explored her with his mouth, but every time seemed to feel like the first. Like he was going all out to make sure she felt how much he wanted her, all of her. Every kiss and every roll of his tongue sent her perilously close to the edge. She couldn't help rolling her hips, increasing the friction and the tension.

"Oh god D-"

It came crashing over her in a kaleidoscopic burst, her body gripped in a fierce tremor. Daryl didn't stop, and the fistful of his hair she had didn't do anything to deter him. She whimpered helplessly as he sucked at her flesh, unwilling to give her up.

"Baby… oh god… please…"

She was in a state of delirium, torn between pushing him away and pushing him on. Daryl released her grudgingly, soothing her trembling legs with a gentle hand. Carol gasped for breath like a fish out of water as she came down from the clouds. Daryl took the time to free himself from his jeans and lay back down beside her. As she got her breath back he placed a gentle kiss on her shoulder.

"Y'alright?" He whispered, gazing at her softly. "Wanna go to sleep?"

Carol looked up at him, shaking her head ever so slightly in response.

She reached for him, pulling him on top of her again and seeking out his mouth. His erection pushed eagerly between her legs, the dampened material setting her motor running all over again. She spread her legs in invitation, desperate to feel him inside her at long last. Her hands grasped for his boxers, urging them down. Daryl obliged, slipping them off and positioning himself over her, propping himself on one arm while the other caressed the curves of her body.

She was more than ready as he slid into her gently. Already she could feel herself tightening around his girth, her hips urging him to fill her completely. Her body was humming with lust and greed; she wanted all of him, as much and as fast and as hard as he could give it to her.

"Ain't gonna be much of a show if ya rush in," Daryl panted.

"I don't mind," she replied, kissing him breathlessly. "Please…"

Daryl moved slowly, pacing himself while Carol writhed beneath him with increasing need. She could feel him filling her up, touching places only he had ever been able to reach.

"Ohh baby…"

She could almost feel his regret as his body took over purposefully. He was always so intent on making sure she felt good, and hated to think of her not being completely satisfied. It only made her love him even more. The heat between them was searing, a blinding haze of teeth and lips and scratching nails as he drove himself into her over and over again.

"Fuck Carol… uh shit…"

A warmth spilled into her as Daryl stiffened, his hips jerking involuntarily and drawing broken grunts of exhaustion from his lips. His arms trembled under his weight.

"M'sorry," he breathed heavily. "I tried… but-"

"Hey," she whispered, sweeping the hair out of his eyes. "It's okay."

Carol appeased his apparent guilt with a kiss and lay his head down on her chest. There was nothing she wanted more than this moment, forever, and she knew there was nothing he couldn't give her. Lying here with her arms around him, fingers bedded in his damp locks, she realised that there were no gaps in her life anymore.

"Love you," she whispered into his hair.

He lifted his head and gave her that crooked half smile, the one that radiated from his eyes, the one he kept only for her. He answered with a kiss, and it was enough. She didn't need to hear him say it back. Somehow it meant more to her that he rarely did. Feeling it, in a look or a touch, spoke to her louder than words ever could.

He was the best present she'd ever had. He was fooling nobody with that crooked-as-shit tree, but sometimes things were better not being perfect, all wrapped up neatly with a bow. Some things were more beautiful because of their imperfections. That much had to be true. She was far from perfect herself, yet Daryl adored her – every scarred, battle-worn inch of her. Some gifts just couldn't be bought.

She smiled to herself as Daryl pulled the blankets around them and hooked his arm over her. She moulded herself into the curl of his body, loving the fire of his skin against hers, and the perfect, small space she occupied against him. Her heart was finally content, echoing the beat of his as sleep washed over them both.