"I think we're going to need to offer Daryl a job," Michonne told Andrea as they were having lunch, just the two of them.

The blonde laughed and said:

"He is around the office so often I sometimes forget he's not part of the staff..."

"You knew, didn't you, when you brought him in on that first day that Carol would become whatever she is to him?" Michonne said, and her tone was not accusatory but there was something about it, which made Andrea think that her friend and partner was actually worried.

"I had an inkling... I don't know how to explain it really, but yeah, I had an ulterior motive..."

"Carol... She's strong, tough, or she pretends to be... I just don't want her to be hurt," Michonne said and Andrea could tell there was much more at stake.

"He will be the last person on Earth to hurt her..."

"Ok," Michonne said again, "but then we really need to find Daryl a job. He's running out of excuses to pop by."

TWDTWDTWD

Completely unaware of what was being discussed not too far from the office, Daryl found himself parked in front of the building and racking his brain for a good reason to come over.

This was pathetic, he thought, Merle kept making fun of him. And yet, he wouldn't have it any other way. It just felt right, even when he found himself like ... This.

He had found so many pretexts to come around these past couple of weeks, he could have written a book on the art of coming up with bullshit excuses to use to see somebody that no one would ever believe. Thankfully, he was not a writer.

He had seen Glenn park his bike nearby, bringing in pizzas, so offering to bring lunch was not possible. He had no legal issues he could come in to discuss (first time he was actually sad he had stirred away from trouble).

So he was left racking his brain for any idea that would get him to the third floor where his - whatever she was to him, he was not good with label - was,

He almost jumped out of his skin when someone knocked on the truck window and he was pretty sure he was blushing as he rolled down the window.

"Hey Carol, of the Peletier Dynasty," He said, trying to play it cool.

"Sup Daryl from the Dixon bloodline?" She asked with laughter in her eyes.

He'd never thought he'd have a corny habit with anybody. Yet, he did.

"Not much... You?"

She laughed, and he was unable to hold back a smile.

"Glenn saw you parked there when he came for his usual delivery half an hour ago. Do you want a slice of pizza?"

He had to admire the way she both put him on the spot for acting like a stalker but also managed to make it a nice and warm moment.

"Only fools say no to pizza," he replied, as he opened the door to get out of the truck.

"Can"t argue with that," she said.

They both walked into the building, not touching, yet close to each other, very close and extremely aware of this proximity. In the elevator, she let him push the button, and he brushed slightly against her. It made him feel like a teenager.

TWDTWD

Carol couldn't wipe the stupid grin of her face, and she didn't really care. When Glenn had mentioned that he thought he had seen Daryl parked in his truck, she had waited for the man to come up and greet them, then had realized that he was not coming up. Maggie had given her a look, and Carol had winked at her.

Getting out the building to go get Daryl had been a no brainer. Carol had noticed that he was coming up with bogus reason to come and see them. Apparently, he had taken to driving Andrea to work every time she spent the night at his place with his brother. He would come in for a cup of coffee when he did. Carol had started regretting Andrea and Merle were not your usual boring couple, who lived together, as it would have meant that Daryl would have driven her over every day.

The man was a mystery in many ways, but she felt like she was learning read him a little better with every moment they spent together.

They got into the office and she exchanged a smile with Maggie as he went for the pizza in the small kitchen. The women had discussed it before, and Carol knew that her friend hoped something would grow between her and Daryl.

"Bosses aren't around?" Daryl asked from the small kitchen.

"Nope, they decided to have an executive lunch," Carol said walking into the small place.

"An executive lunch?" Daryl said, looking like he wanted to laugh.

"Yep. Apparently, going to have martinis for lunch is an executive decision. You know this big case they were working on? We won."

"Never doubted it."

"Neither did we... But when we say it out loud, we are called cocky," Carol laughed.

"So, how are your classes going?" He asked, and she was not surprised he remembered.

She had been going to community college for evening classes to be able to become a lawyer. Being a paralegal was already something she was very proud of, but she had decided that she wanted to try and become an attorney. Michonne had supported her when she had taken the decision, a little over a year ago, but then again Michonne was the one who had nurtured the law bug in her and had supported her when she had decided to become a paralegal before.

"Good. Getting a little closer to my lawyer degree with every class I attend," Carol said. "It's a bit rough but having my paralegal background gives me the upper hand, if you will."

He gave her a look she had come to know well. He was trying to figure her out. He didn't ask, he never did as if he was afraid to pry. Yet, he wanted to understand. More accurately, he wanted to understand her. She was not sure about what he knew, what he had accurately guessed, what he had inferred… He would be one hell of a P.I.

This idea had been in her head for a while actually, both the fact that he wanted to figure her out not because she was a puzzle but because he cared, but also the fact that he had good instincts they could use in the office. He was a hunter, she could tell, and strangely, it didn't scare her. She saw the way he always came back to the office, to her she hoped, and the way he was remembering everything. She wasn't sure she could explain it. A few days before, she had asked him to take her in town where she knew a witness would be, and when they had been in the car and she had told him what she wanted, he had literally hunted the witness, who was a scareddy person thus unpredictable and he had managed to get her in a place where she could approach the witness and he would have no choice but to hear her out. She had told Michonne about her thoughts on that experience, hoping to entice her beloved boss to get the favor she didn't dare ask. The woman had already done so much for her…

It had been a good experience, all in all, on several level. She had seen what she had always known, that there was a feral side to Daryl. He had been awkward when they had met, but she had not been fooled. He just had a vibe perhaps about him, like he would rather hurt himself than hurt a woman. She had gotten good at detecting that quality in people, with her history. She could defend herself, or at least, now she could, but it was always reassuring when you met one of those men, cut from that clothe.

She must have let emotions show on her face, instead of staying her cheerful sometimes façade self, as Daryl came to sit closer to her, still not touching her.

He would never ask. He wanted to know, she could sense it in his aura if it made any sense, but he would never ask her.

"You never wondered why I didn't go straight to being a lawyer instead of becoming a paralegal?" She found herself saying.

"Wondered sometimes," he said. "Thought it was none of my business."

"What if I want to share?" She asked.

"I dunno how to answer that. 'Don't want to pressure you. 'None of my business," he started saying, and it was everything.

The way he was swallowing the beginning of his every sentence, it told her that if she told him that she had second thoughts about sharing, he would not consider her a tease or anything. He'd stand by her decision. Yet, he wanted to know. He wouldn't take something she wasn't willing to give, even if it was just a smile or something as lame.

"I was married, a zillion years ago. Before I married the guy, I studied to be a lawyer. He ... I was going to say he made me give up college, but I was ok with it at the time, being pregnant and all. I can blame many things on him, but on this I can't depict him as a tyrant. Anyway, I quit college, thinking I would start again later. It never happened. I met Michonne another zillion years later, when I was in need of legal assistance, to be free of the guy. He kept on saying I would never be able to support myself without him. Michonne never stood up for me, and weirdly, I'm very okay with it, because it allowed me to think about what he was saying, and I thought about that degree I never had finished, and I asked Michonne if she knew some lawyer who would be willing to get a part time secretary while the person worked on becoming a paralegal. It was the shortest way to becoming financially independent. Michonne was so proud when I asked, you'd have thought… I don't know… Anyway, I realized then she was not just a lawyer, she was a person, a human being with feelings, and you can forget it because she looks so fierce…"

She shook her head.

"Anyway, she said she would be willing if I didn't mind working with a loner. I could see more than what she was pretending to be. She got me free of that guy, legally, and then I enrolled back at university as she took me in as a part time secretary."

"What happened to the baby?" He asked, and she knew he knew or pretty close.

"Ed beat me one too many times, I had a miscarriage in my last trimester, and the baby had been killed by the blows we had both received. Michonne got him sent to jail for that."

"I'm sorry," Daryl said.

"So am I."

She took a deep breathe, then said:

"I know you had noticed that we were working closely with a few shelters for abused women and children. That's Michonne's and my story, how we met, how we connected. She was not abused, but her mother was…. Never tell her I said that. Anyway, I knew you had noticed, and I wanted to give you some semblance of explanation."

"You didn't owe me anything…"

"Never said I did, just that I wanted you to know. And now, I'm going to be a lawyer one day."

"To help other women in the position you had been in?"

"To help whoever needs help. You always see the shady lawyers on TV, the guy who got O.J of the hook and more, but there are other lawyers, the good ones, like Michonne and Andrea. I want to be one of those."

"You're making it damn hard to be worthy of you, "he said.

Their eyes met as his went wide, like he had never meant to say that.

"I decide who is worthy of me," she said, feeling the proverbial butterflies in her stomach, and heat in her body.

"Hey lovebirds, sorry to interrupt," Maggie said, popping her head through the door. "Andrea called and said we had a spot for you Daryl on our team, if you wanted it. Michonne and her were thinking you could do some stake outs and stuff… Not to mention we may need muscles around the office with this new case we're taking. They're waiting for your answer…"

Carol and Daryl separated, even though they had never been in each other's arms. She let out a soft laugh and said:

"I was thinking you would be a good P.I. Sure you don't have the license but you can do most of the work without it…."

"I'm shit with computer."

"Maggie is badass at it, and I can hold my own. Besides, you can always learn. I have a sneaking suspicion you would actually enjoy being able to track certain people down, knowing you're doing something good."

"I never thought of myself that way…"

"Doesn't mean it's too late to start thinking about yourself that way," Carol said, feeling braver at the thought that this was her one chance to make sure she would see the man every day, and that maybe in time…

He thought about it for a long time. At one point, he turned to her, and his hand, very lightly, came to brush against hers.

"What are the rules about fraternization?"

"We don't have rules about that. We're all grown-ups and we all trust each other to know what they're doing."

"So, if I decided to, I don't know, ask you out for burgers, or a movie, or to help me find a place to live in, that wouldn't be a problem for the bossladies?"

Carol laughed, though the thought of helping him find a place felt extremely intimate and for some reason she wanted to start browsing real estate websites to find him a home.

"They wouldn't care. And I would love to help, or have lunch with you…"

"I guess this takes care of my only objection…"

He was so close to her, she could feel his breathe on her skin, and she felt like shivering though the cold was not at fault.

"Would I need to wear a suit?"

She burst into laughter and found herself with her head pressed against his chest as she laughed some more. He was rubbing her back, and she could feel his own laughter, though more reserved.

"No suits," Carol said, gesturing to her own casual jeans and shirt.

"I think I'd like to give it a try."

"Do you want me to call them to let them know your decision?"

"How about I fixed us both some coffee, while we wait for them to come back? I'll even fix a cup for Maggie…"

"Two sugars, no cream!" They heard the brunette scream through the door.

Carol buried her head once again against Daryl's chest, and thought that it just felt good. No need for emphasis or big words or whatever. It just felt good, and right.

"Deal," she told him, raising her head toward him. "In the meantime, how about we use my computer to see what kind of places are available for rent?"

He smiled, and she did the same, as he lowered his head and their lips met.