Ok, new story here :) Nothing really special, just an AU Carol and Daryl story with other characters on it too. Fan fiction is what helps me the most dealing with the frustration after the season finale and pretty much the whole second half of the season when it came to our favorite ship, and for that, I'm really thankful!

Anyway, hope you enjoy this, and thank you for R&R!

Love,

S.-

thin"Remind me why on hell I accepted to do this? Please.. before I just turn around and walk back home", Carol pleaded, and Michonne couldn't help but laugh at how desperate she sounded.

"Jesus… Carol, how can it be that bad? Just give it a try today. If you hate it, you don't have do it again and I won't say a word. I swear. We get one class for free, remember?" Michonne commented, grabbing her arm and leading her through the crowded street.

Carol sighed, but couldn't help to laugh at herself too. She knew she sounded like she was about to be tortured, but exercise had always been kind of like that to her. She remembered her high school years, how she was always terrible at whichever sport they played… so bad she was always the last one to be chosen if they had to play in teams, and honestly, she'd never cared. All things considered, her body was in a pretty good shape despite her lack of exercise, although, she had to admit, it'd seen better years. She wasn't on her twenties anymore, and even when she could still eat pretty much whatever she wanted without gaining weight, she'd noticed how she'd started filling her clothes a little more lately.

"You still didn't give me any good reason though", Carol said, glancing at Michonne out of the corner of her eye, whose expression was slowly changing to an annoyed one.

"Do I really have to, Carol? Ok, I got one. Hot guys. There you go. Lots of half naked, sweaty hot guys".

Carol laughed out loud. "Never been my type, but I'll admit it won't hurt to take a look", she said, deciding she'd stop complaining. "Why do you want to do this so badly?… I mean, it's not that you need to, you're impossible fit", she commented as they walked.

"Yeah, well. That won't be for long if I keep eating the way I am… work's getting more stressful every day and when I finally get home, all I want to do is eat pizza and watch TV", Michonne told her, shaking her head in disapproval.

"So how are things with Rick? Still kind of weird?" she asked, noticing Michonne had stopped walking, and she realized the inevitable was probably about to come.

"Don't even make me start talking about that. Yes, things are still weird… a good kind of weird though, for now… but I have the feeling", she started, glancing around before looking at Carol. "I have the feeling it's not the right time for him or for me to start anything, you know? It's complicated", she finished with a sigh.

Carol brought her hands to her hips and looked back at her. "Is it ever the right time, Michonne? I mean, for everyone, but specially for you. It's always complicated, but it might be worth it…"

"Yeah, look who's speaking", Michonne said, raising her brow. "Ok, I think this is it", she said, looking up at a barely readable sign on a little white door between two large buildings. And Carol knew the conversation was over for now.

"Fitness club, wooho. There we go!" Carol said, turning her head to look at Michonne with a mocking face.

"Bitch", she murmured, and Carol laughed as they walked inside. "You said you didn't want to take any classes, so… I bet there will be someone here telling us what to do".

Carol just nodded and kept on walking through the long corridor, already spotting someone behind a counter and a few working out machines in the distance. She felt nervous, for some reason, the way she always felt whenever she started any new activity to fill her few free hours of the day. She guessed new things where always like that, fun and exciting. Then they just became part of your routine and at some point they just stopped fulfilling you and they turned boring. Or maybe it was just her, she wasn't sure. But that was part of the reason she'd stopped trying new things for a while now.

And she didn't know what happened first: the dig on her ribs or her turning her head up and looking at the guy behind the desk. And she might have given him a terrible look, because that dig had hurt, but quickly she found herself trying to hide it and smile.

"Hey there… huh, we're new? We just wanted to do a little workout routine, maybe for an hour, hour and a half… we saw your announcement on the newspaper", Michonne spoke confidently, like she always did, especially when she was flirting.

"Huh.. sure. I gotta register both of ya 'fore ya start though…" the guy said, grabbing some sheets, his eyes going from Michonne to Carol and then back to the table in front of him.

And he was hot indeed. Maybe your typical hot gym guy, although he wasn't as big and built as most of them were. He was rather slim instead, with the right amount of muscles on his arms, arms that suddenly became impossible not to stare at. His blue eyes were almost covered by his darkish hair, thumb on his mouth as he wrote some things on the sheets he then offered to them,

"Jus' fill this wit' yer name an' all.. I'll be givin' ya yer cards 'fore ya leave today", he murmured.

"Um, alright. So, how do we know what we should do? Are you going to show us too?" Carol asked, and she soon realized that had to be a real stupid question because both Michonne and him were staring at her now.

He narrowed his eyes a little and tilted his head, looking at her like if she was crazy.

"I jus' register people and fix 'em machines.. ain't a trainer or nothin'. There's people inside.. huh, ma brotha.. Merle.. there's a woman too…. ya tell 'em specifically what ya wanna do. They'll show ya."

She saw his eyes travelling down her frame, and then up to her face, and then she heard him ask:

"Firs' time on a gym?"

Carol looked back at him, feeling offended. Just because she wasn't the typical blonde on tiny shorts and a bright tank top and just because she'd asked how on hell this working out thing actually worked didn't mean he had to look at her like she didn't fit there. Yes, this was definitely the typical gym guy. Fit, awkward with words and mean to people unless he wanted to fuck them. Oh. And unbearable hot.

She gave him a tight smile and handed him the paper she'd already filled.

"Yes. First time. Probably last one too." She said, before turning around and heading inside, leaving a confused Michonne behind.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Michonne asked, walking hurriedly towards her, her voice slightly amused. "Did you see that guy? Jesus. I swear that's enough reason for us to come here every day".

Carol snorted and waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Yeah, so what? Did you really have to hit me like that?! All I saw was the weird look he gave me when I asked him a simple question".

"You're overreacting. He didn't do that. Besides, it was kind of funny… your question", she said teasingly. "Alright, let's find that Merle guy… if he looks anything like his brother then this place is a gold mine".

"Oh, god, poor Rick", Carol said with a chuckle.