Nox: This was a prompt, requested by klaineisbrave on Tumblr and FFnet. I've had this in my head ever since you asked for it. I hope you like it. Lots of Caryl. You don't ship it, you probably shouldn't be here.

Disclaimer: The Walking Dead belongs to Kirkman and AMC.

Confession

How was she supposed to tell him?

She wasn't. She couldn't.

But she had too. She couldn't lie to him. Couldn't keep this from him. It was too big, would become too big. How ironic.

When she was with Ed, it had taken her years to conceive Sophia. She'd lost one on the way, had broke her heart in two, but then she'd finally had Sophia. And she was her bright and shining star.

But Sophia was gone now. She'd accepted that.

And now this…this too could be something.

But could he accept that?

She dropped her head into her hands and groaned.

She'd just gotten him to accept her, and now she had to tell him she was…No!

She was forty-one years old for gods-sake! Her body couldn't do this! She'd already lived through Eddard Peletier for twenty-two years. She'd suffered an entire lifetime of hell. He'd beaten her, degraded her, kept her locked away from the world, made her a servant to his needs, forced her to have sex when she didn't want it, didn't give her sex when she did and had only achieved in giving her one amazing thing in her whole life.

And then the damn apocalypse came crashing down around them, like gods smiting fist and it was like her punishment for every thought she had had about Ed's failure, for his destruction, for his death. She didn't deny that she thought she had deserved some of the horrible things that had happened to her since the dead had started walking the earth.

But then she'd met him. And she'd never been so dazed in her entire life. He slowly became everything to her.

Daryl Dixon.

Rough, untrained, unpredictable, and desperate, he quickly became someone she found herself inexplicably drawn to. She wasn't sure if it was the connection she felt to his soul, the way she wondered if he too were lost and broken by a past he couldn't escape, or if it was the person inside of him that he was holding onto ferociously, the one he hid from everyone around him so that they wouldn't see just who he really was inside; brave, fierce, and stronger than he knew.

But it took a long time for him to come to terms with himself, to accept that he was a different man than he'd been led to believe his entire life.

And it took him a long time to see her.

She thought they'd become friends then. After Sophia died, something changed. Winter passed, the world was covered in snow, things began anew. And so did they.

She knew she was developing feelings for him. But she also knew that it was something she would probably never get to act on.

And she was okay with that. Daryl was different than any other man she had known. He was hard around the edges, but there was a softness to him that you could see, once you sanded him down enough. He cared about the group, provided for them like they were his family. Nobody had to ask him to hunt for more food when they were low. Nobody had to ask him to search for supplies when they needed them. And nobody had to ask him to place his life on the line for any others; he did that without question.

Before she knew it, she loved him. Loved the way he would just watch her, when she worried over the group. Loved the way he took initiative to do anything for Rick, like that's the way it just was. Loved the way he looked after Carl, like he was his little brother. Loved the way he kept himself off to the side like he didn't really care, but still near enough that if anyone called him over, he wasn't too far.

She loved him. She loved him. She loved Daryl Dixon.

And before she knew it, one night, sitting round the dying fire while everyone else slept, she confessed it to him.

"Daryl?" She was going to tell him to get some sleep, since she was up and couldn't herself. He grunted, tossing a stick into the fire. He didn't look at her, but she knew he was listening. He was always listening. She loved him for that.

"I…I love you," she whispered instead. She felt her eyes pop out of her head. She hadn't meant to say it, but there it was. Like a damn elephant stomping it's feet between them. He whipped his head up to look at her, so fast, she thought he was gonna strain something.

"What the hell you just say?" She felt the blush creeping over her face and ducked her head, suddenly wishing she hadn't said it aloud. He was going to hate her now. He would never look at her the same. Their relationship, whatever it was, was now ruined, forever.

"It was nothing." His eyes narrowed and he gripped the crossbow tight in his hands.

"Weren't no nothing." But she couldn't look him in the eye and she couldn't say it again. She felt like she had just ruined what she had. And she hated herself for that.

"Fuck," he whispered, and stood. He started pacing, feet deftly avoiding the others sleeping beneath him. He was so quiet though that he didn't wake them. He stopped then, stared long and hard at her, and then whirled on his heel and left, disappearing into the darkness at his back.

Turned out, he felt something for her too. Though it took him a while to actually come to her and admit that. Took him a long time. He never actually said he loved her though. It was the way he said it without saying it, and how he showed her.

And she didn't deny that she wanted to wrap her arms around him and kiss him. She wanted to kiss him so bad. She wanted to feel his lips against hers, to know if they were soft or rough; if the stubble on his chin would scratch her. To feel his arms wrap around her body, protective, possessive. But he was a different kind of man. And she knew what boundaries to cross and what not too.

She waited for her moments, the little times when no one was looking, when they had the darkness to conceal them; to touch his hand, to caress his face, his arm, to linger against him longer than she normally would have. She never thought they would kiss, and then suddenly, he initiated one.

She knew he was walking the perimeter of their camp, checking for walkers, for danger. As usual. And she couldn't sleep so she made her own rounds, checking on each member of the group.

When an arm snaked out and grabbed her, pulling her away. She almost screamed out in panic, but clamped her mouth shut when she found the hand connected to Daryl.

"Daryl what-" and then she found herself against his chest. His heart pounding fast beneath her hand. His eyes kept flicking between her and the group. Nervous. Now she felt anxious, unsure.

And then he pressed his lips to hers. Chaste, quick. He almost missed, getting her at just the corner. But she turned her head to meet his lips, and it made her heart skip, her breathe catching in her throat. It was so soft. And just as she was about to reach up and pull his head closer for something deeper, more personal, he pulled away. Eyes filled with panic, and danger. Lust. And then he ran, again. Disappearing into the trees.

They'd had more exchanges since then. Awkward, sweet, longing. Even passionate.

And then…then.

She smiled, softly.

They'd only had sex, twice, and it had been awkward, and difficult and wonderful. But it had been with him.

And that was all that mattered.

But now? Now she was…

"Dammit," she muttered.

Now she was pregnant.

Pregnant! They'd only done it twice, and she was too old to be conceiving! She knew she should have kept the condoms instead of giving them up to Maggie and Glenn. No, instead she had assured Daryl that she was too old, too infertile.

When in reality, she figured she was just too unfit to be a mother, so she thought the universe would see it the same way.

And now, she was five weeks late. Only just realizing it because her period had been spotty over the course of the last year, what with the stress, and lack of sleep and nourishment, and Sophia's death. But this time, it never came. And she knew she was a few years yet from menopause. So she'd asked Glenn to get her a test.

"What?!" She grabbed his arms, trying to quiet him, all while glancing round their camp to see if anyone else had noticed.

"Just…I need one." Glenn's mouth was catching flies.

"I just can't believe-that you-" Carol propped her fists on her hips.

"What? That I could be pregnant? I'm not that old Glenn, you ass." He blushed.

"No, I meant…having sex. With…" He glanced toward Daryl, and rubbed the back of his head. And now it was her turn to blush. She couldn't even look at him anymore. Was it that obvious?

"Please just don't tell anyone. He doesn't know yet. And if I'm wrong…" He clasped her arm, comfortingly.

"I won't."

And then she'd taken the test. And there it was. That stupid little smiley face. As if a smile was what everyone wanted to see. She'd tossed it, into some brush in frustration.

"What do I do?"

Would he run away, if she told him? Would he want her to get rid of it? Would he accept it?

She just didn't know. So, she would have to tell him.

Resolved, she stood up from her position by the tree line, and walked toward the rest of the group where Daryl sat.

He must have sensed her anxiety because he watched her approach with trepidation. She could see his shoulders tense, as his hands reached down to take the crossbow in one hand.

Even Rick noticed, as he kept glancing at her from out of the corner of his eyes.

"Daryl," she said softly, hoping to avoid catching everyone's attention, "can I talk to you?" His eyes narrowed, calculating.

"Yeah." And he didn't move, just sat there waiting for her to continue with whatever it was she needed to say. She started to fidget, as Glenn and Maggie turned to watch.

"Alone?" This time, he looked at her for a long time. It was when she placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently, that he finally rose to his feet and followed her back to her place by the trees, away from the group's prying ears.

"What is it that you had pull me away from ev'ryone like that and make us look 'spicious?" The look in his eyes filled with her panic then, and she could feel her eyes beginning to burn. This wouldn't go well.

Suddenly, she didn't think it would go well at all.

"I.."

"Well spit it out woman. I ain't got all day." A tear slipped down her cheek. She knew he wasn't the one to be sensitive to these kinds of things. Her crying, was probably going to send him running before she could even get it out. She didn't want to scare him away before she even had a chance to tell him.

"Carol…fuck. What's wrong?" He reached out like he was going to try something but then he pulled back, and rubbed the back of his head. He looked scared now.

"Just tell me what's wrong, a'ight? Can't be nothing that bad." She swallowed hard. She remembered thinking back on when she had first found out she was pregnant with Sophia. She had been so happy. Sure, she hadn't wanted her to be Ed's but she was happy all the same.

Somehow, she wanted to be happy about this too. Somehow, she wanted him to be happy about it. So she took a deep breath, clasped her hands together and just said it.

"I'm pregnant."

He blinked. Once, twice and then his eyes went wide.

"Fuck you mean yer…yer…" He started pacing then, crossbow gripped tight. He couldn't even say it.

She started to cry then. She should have known he wouldn't have wanted this.

"Wha-what the hell you cryin' fer?" She wiped at her eyes, uselessly, and sniffed. Sometimes, she did wish he could just know. She hugged herself tight, looking away from him.

"You don't want it," she whispered softly, dejectedly. The crossbow fell to the ground and suddenly he was gripping her arms, tight.

"Course I fuckin' want it!" She was so surprised she didn't even know what to say, her voice lost, her mouth hanging open.

"I jus'-I don't-fuck." He let her go then and started pacing again, hands on his head. She didn't think she'd ever seen him so lost.

"Hell woman. You spring this shit on me 'n you think I'm jus' gonna jump fer fuckin' joy?"

"You know I don't know shit bout raisin' no fuckin' kid." She didn't understand because he was so good with Judith, so careful. She sometimes wondered where it came from. "And look at us." He gestured to everything around them. She didn't miss the panic in his eyes, the fear.

"Can't barely feed one kid, and now we got two? This world ain't cut out fer no babies." She wasn't sure if he was okay with this or not. Did he accept it, or was he against it? His words were so confusing. She wasn't sure if he was saying a kid was bad for the world so she shouldn't have it, or if it was just a bad time but that's just how shit worked and he would deal with it.

And then he pulled his shirt down, revealing a trail of scars against his collarbone. "My ol' man treated me like shit…" He said softly, his eyes downcast. "What if I'm…" He didn't finish.

And then it all made sense. He was afraid.

It was easy to take care of Judith, because she wasn't really his. She was, and she wasn't. But this child, that she carried within her, was his. His own flesh and blood. A Dixon.

And he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to care for it. He was afraid he would treat it just like his father had treated him.

"Oh Daryl," she said and took his face in her hands. He panicked for a moment, but she held tight. She caressed a thumb across his cheekbone, feeling a tear fall down her own.

"We can do this." He didn't look so convinced, the worry and the fear still heavy in his blue eyes.

"You care for Judith. You care for the group. You care for me." He looked away from her, but didn't pull away.

"Whatever happens, our baby will love you." He looked back, hesitation in his gaze now. She could sense that he could believe in that. She took her hands away and placed one over his chest, where she felt his heart beating frantically, the rough scars beneath her palm making her chest ache. She knew that Daryl would never do anything to hurt their child.

"Because I know you'll love our baby no matter what." She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, her face burying in his chest, her lips brushing across his bare skin, across the marks of his past. She loved him, for all that he was. For all that had made him. She had faith that he could do this. And she would help him see that.

"And that's all that matters."

A/N: I don't normally write Carol and Daryl actually together so this was sort of a challenge for me. Not sure how you'll all like it. But hey, it's Caryl! Together! What's not to love?

The Prompt: Carol finds out she's pregnant and has to tell Daryl.