Chapter Two: Leaving the Darkness Behind

Holy shit! Carol pressed her hand to her mouth, praying she wouldn't hyperventilate as her breath came out in panicked little gasps. She leaned her head back against the cool wall, her eyes falling shut and her mind filling with images of Daryl. It was surreal, a dream … it had to be. She didn't get to be happy. Her life had been nothing but pain, heartache and abuse. How many times had Ed told her how useless she was … worthless, pathetic, stupid? As much as she loved Daryl, she'd never expected him to want her in return. What if she fucked it up?

Her heart slammed painfully against the wall of her chest as she forced her lungs to do her bidding. She wasn't that woman any longer, she screamed inside her head. He couldn't hurt her any longer. She was strong, resilient, brave. She had a reason to go on in a world turned upside down. And she had Daryl. He'd pushed her, every time she wanted to give up, he'd shown her the faith he had in her that she could go on, she could be brave, she could survive. She wasn't the little mouse who'd cowered before her husband, who'd taken her licks as if she'd deserved them because he'd driven her into the ground with the force of a jackhammer. She was shiny and new. She'd blossomed under Daryl's care. He was her best friend, her savior, and with a little luck, something more.

Carol sighed, relieved as she felt her panic subside. She pushed off of the wall, her legs quaking beneath her. Her body trembled and hummed with unrequited desire, remembering the way Daryl had held her in his arms. Her face flushed, and she bit her lip at the way he'd trusted her to touch him. She shook her head to clear it, making her way to the cell block to change as he'd asked her to do. Her moist palms skimmed lovingly over his vest. Never in a million years would she have thought he'd want to claim her so publicly, but she couldn't say she was disappointed. Not in the least. Her heart had belonged to him almost from the beginning.

Even when she'd been sure he hadn't liked her, he'd watched over her at the quarry camp. Ed hadn't liked it, having to curb his abusive tendencies when he'd noticed the younger Dixon brother glaring at him across the campfire, almost daring him to lay a hand on her. She hadn't been aware of him at first, not until Ed had accused her of 'messing around with the camp trash', as he'd put it. It had been then she'd begun to pay attention, finding his protection made her feel safer when she'd gone about her duties in camp. If Daryl had been there by the lake the day Ed had struck her, he no doubt would have killed him. Shane very nearly had.

Then the farm … he'd taken it on as his own personal mission to find her daughter, and he'd grieved with her when he'd failed. Still, he hadn't allowed her to get close. She'd seen the demons riding him, the pain and sadness in his soft blue gaze, and she'd fallen in love with him a little each day. She hadn't just been Carol to him as she'd been to everyone else. Someone to help with the chores, but otherwise a burden. No, he had seen her. If it hadn't been for him, for his watchful eye nearly always upon her, she would have died on that farm. He'd swooped in like an avenging angel and carried her away on the back of his bike. Face pressed to his back, her slender arms wrapped like a vise about his waist, she'd promised herself not to let him down.

The past winter, Lori had looked on skeptically as Daryl had pressed a gun into Carol's hands, insisting she learn how to defend herself. Rick had asked him outright if he were crazy when he'd given her the knife. She'd silently fumed at their lack of faith in her, but Daryl had been quick to inform the entire group of just how much they had underestimated her.

It was as if her dreams had come true, to have him care for her now as she did for him. She was just waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for that one cataclysmic event to come and snatch away her happiness.

Carol forced herself to move, wondering how long she'd stood there. Already the twilight was fading into full darkness at the windows. Daryl would be heading out soon to relieve Oscar from guard duty in the tower. She quickened her pace, feeling rather guilty for being late. She still needed to change before she went to their makeshift kitchen to help Beth with dinner. From what she could tell from the fragrant aroma drifting through the cell block, she'd started without her.

"Where've y' been?" Daryl barked, coming out of Carol's cell with an armful of her belongings. "I was about to come lookin' for y'."

Carol hurried to get out of the way as Glenn stepped around him and lugged more of her things upstairs. "I was just … what is going on? Where are you going with my stuff?" Not that she had much, but she wasn't thrilled with the idea of Daryl and Glenn rifling through her things.

His ears turned scarlet as he shuffled his feet slightly, a sure sign of unease. "Uh … I started rethinkin' th' idea of having a cell o' my own. No privacy, an' jus' thought …" Daryl trailed off, distinctly uncomfortable now. "Thought y' would want t' share with me." He cursed under his breath as he watched her brows shoot up towards her hairline. "Unless y' don't want t'."

She didn't answer, excited to see the space he'd chosen. "Which cell did you pick for us? Did you move your stuff already?" she asked, already climbing the stairs.

Daryl stared after her, gob smacked she hadn't upbraided him for assuming she'd want to move in with him just because she'd confessed her feelings for him. By his way of thinking, political correctness flew right out the window when people started eating each other. She was his now, and nothing was more important than her safety and protection, her needs, her desires. "You're not mad?"

Carol chuckled softly as she met his gaze over her shoulder. She stopped midway down the balcony to wait for him, her lower lip disappearing between her pearly teeth. "I was trying to think of a way to ask you to share my cell," she admitted, blushing.

To spare them both the awkwardness growing between them, he slipped past her into the end cell, trying to hide a girn. "Oy! Don't jus' throw her stuff down like that," he scolded Glenn as he took in the mess on the bed.

"I didn't!"

Carol covered her mouth with her hand to hide her amusement as Glenn rolled his eyes and beat a hasty retreat. "You should thank him for helping."

"Yeah … well," Daryl hedged. "What d'you think?"

Her gaze softened as he crossed his arms over his chest, one hand lifted, so he could gnaw on his thumbnail. "Are you sure? I know you don't like to feel confined, Daryl. We could always drag a mattress to your perch."

Daryl snorted, turning away to rummage through their belongings until he located her skirt. "Y' really don't want no privacy, do y'?" He could well imagine what camping out in full view of the group would be like. No thanks. Didn't she know by now he'd sacrifice anything for her?

Quickly, he set his hands – which were a little shaky at this point because of her close proximity – to the task of storing her clothes away in a little chest Carl had found in one of the cells. Even once he'd added his, there was still plenty of room for more. He'd leave the rest for her to sort through and make their cell into a livable space. Women liked to do that, didn't they?

"Daryl … " Her hands were on him, but this time he was able to push back the panic, the voice of his father, his brother at the back of his mind warning him he wasn't good enough for a woman as fine as his Carol. "Are we really together now?" she asked. Her voice, so unsteady and unsure, had him snapping out of his fugue to quickly reassure her.

"We're whatever y' want us t' be Carol, and even if y' …" He swallowed with difficulty around the lump of emotion lodged in his throat. "Even if y' don't want me like that, I still think it's a good idea for me t' stay here with y'. I can protect y' better, y'know." He watched her visibly relax as she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Oscar's alright, I guess, but that other one's a fucking idiot. Never shuts up, an' he's been pantin' after Maggie an' Beth for two days."

Carol burrowed deeper into his embrace as his arms tightened about her, and he was able to breathe a little easier. "I want to be yours. I want to be with you – here – together, just the two of us."

It was what he wanted' too, still feeling as if he should pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He released her, his body having already begun to respond to the husky timbre of her voice, her sweet curves pressed to his harsh angles and her scent buried beneath a layer of peaches and cinnamon. "Alright, woman," he said gruffly, moving towards the open doorway. "I need to check in with Rick, an' then head out t' relieve Oscar. So, get dressed an' I'll walk y' down t' th' kitchen first."

Carol grinned and reached for her skirt, unable to stifle a small giggle as she watched his face suffuse with color.

*.*.*

Daryl went straight to the coffee pot and poured a cupful of the brew. It definitely beat the hell out of the instant crap they'd been drinking. They were lucky they'd found some in the prison stores. That haul had been a blessing. What they'd found in the cafeteria pantry, along with the fresh meat he provided daily, should last them for a while as long as they were able to supplement it on runs. He leaned back against the counter next to the camp stove in the corner and sniffed appreciatively at the pot Beth was stirring.

His watchful gaze never left Carol as she flitted nervously over to the stores and began rifling through them for a loaf of bread to go along with the rabbit stew simmering on the stove. The blush on her cheeks made him smirk, but his woman never faltered. She met Beth's curious questioning glance without flinching, and he was so proud of how far she'd come since the quarry camp.

He'd barely noticed the way conversation had died down in the room, but he'd be damned if he fed the gossip mill. He glanced over at Rick and nodded, happy their leader had finally seemed to man up and come out of the cellar where he'd slowly been falling apart. The ex-cop had his children to think of, not to mention the group in general. There was only so much he and Hershel could do, and decisions needed to be made.

Daryl set his empty cup down next to the wash bin and moved to the table where they all sat. Maggie was the only one not present – still asleep – since she would be on duty to take care of the baby during the night. "How's Lil' Asskicker," he asked, peering over Rick's shoulder at the little bundle.

He cut his eyes at Daryl and shook his head, mumbling under his breath. "I still can't believe you want to name her that."

The hunter scoffed. "Pfft. It's a good name. Carl liked it."

"She's good for now, though I don't know how long the formula will last," Rick answered, glancing up at Daryl, his eyes wide. He wondered just how out of it he'd been not to have noticed the change in his friend's relationship status.

"Someone will have to make another run soon to find more," Hershel added as if nothing was amiss.

Of course, he could always count on Carl to be direct and to the point. "Is Carol your girlfriend now, Daryl?"

He arched a brow at the boy and shot him a level look, letting him think what he would. "I'll check out th' phonebook Maggie found an' see what I can find in th' area," he told Rick. "We were lucky t' find that daycare center."

"Maybe you and Carol could go," he suggested.

Hershel shook his head as Carol made her way to the table with a thermos for Daryl to take with him to the tower. "No, Carol needs t' regain her strength. She should stay close t' th' prison for th' next few days, nothin' strenuous."

"Maggie and I can do it," Glenn piped in, stifling a yawn.

"Where are we going?" his girlfriend asked as she came in, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She went directly to Rick and took the baby from him, cradling the infant girl in the crook of her arm. "Hi, sweetheart," she cooed softly.

"Another run for baby formula."

"And I can make a list of things we might need to supplement our kitchen stores. I can think of several just off the top of my head," Carol said, reaching for the pad and pencil sitting in the center of the table.

Daryl relaxed a bit, seeing for himself the group wouldn't be hounding Carol about being with him. He shot her a small smile as she looked up at him, and he could note the relief on her lovely face. Turning to take his leave, he nearly collided with Oscar – whose shift was over – and the irritating ginger convict for which he had no tolerance. His gaze narrowed, following the man all the way to the table where Axel sat down. He wondered if he should stay, but Carol would accuse him of hovering and being overprotective, and he really didn't want to put a damper on their evening.

But he needn't have worried. Carol was more than capable of taking care of herself; he'd made sure of it. Her reassuring smile put him at ease, but he still dragged his feet out to the tower.

Maggie ushered Carol over to a quiet corner, away from the men. She was bursting with questions and it was a struggle to keep the excitement from her voice. "What's going on? Why are you wearing Daryl's vest? Are you together? When did this happen – "

"Maggie, slow down," Carol chuckled. "Yes, we're together, and I'm wearing his vest because he wants everyone to know we're together."

The young woman looked at Carol as if she'd grown another set of ears. "Wow! I just never expected him to so publicly claim you. You're ok with this?"

Carol smiled sheepishly. "Yeah … I am. Daryl has always held a special place in my heart. It's more than the two of us being part of the core group. He was there for me when I felt like I was alone … completely alone … after I lost my husband." She stared over the girl's shoulder at a mundane spot on the wall, trying to fight back the fear and anguish she'd lived with at the beginning. "Have you ever been in a crowded room and felt alone, unwanted and unloved?"

Maggie cast her a sympathetic look. "No, I can't say I have."

"Daryl has, same as me. I guess the reason we became such good friends, is because we recognized a shared pain. We were able to build on that."

"That and you don't take any of his crap."

Carol chuckled. "Yeah. We grew closer when he was trying so hard to find Sophia."

Maggie shifted the baby in her arms and shushed her softly as she whimpered. "We could all see how much you cared for one another, Carol. I'm so happy y'all found a way to be together." She paled suddenly, her eyes widening. "It was you he was yelling at in the showers!"

Carol blushed, pursing her lips. "Guilty. I wanted to take a shower and then go talk to him, thank him for saving me … again. I didn't expect to find him there."

"He sounded so angry."

"Livid," she affirmed, fidgeting with a button on his vest. "But we worked it out, and now here we are." As much as she enjoyed having Maggie to confide in, she wasn't about to share the intimate details with her. She still felt invisible sometimes, still felt alone amidst the group. It was only with Daryl she felt she could be herself. She wondered if she'd ever get over the feelings of inadequacy Ed had beaten into her over the years.

"Dinner's ready," Beth announced, ladling stew into several bowls. Carol couldn't resist pressing a kiss to the baby's downy hair as she rose from the table, and after bidding Maggie goodnight, she fixed a bowl of stew for her and Daryl and made her way to the door.

*.*.*

Carol smiled tightly at her escort. It was the first time she'd had the opportunity to meet the two men who'd been liberated from the cafeteria – the ones to survive at least – due to her stint in solitary where she'd been trapped. Oscar seemed nice, shy and friendly. She was certain he would fit in with the group if given a decent chance. But Axel … she was less than impressed with his outgoing nature. She could easily see why Daryl was so leery of him. The ginger-haired man reminded her of that loud cousin – every family had one – who wanted to be the center of attention, letting his sense of humor and willingness to please gain them acceptance from their loved ones. The others brushed him off as harmless, but she had to agree with Daryl. She didn't like the way he stared at Beth and Maggie. He'd been locked up for a long time apparently, his crime not as heinous as most, so, of course, he'd be seeking female companionship in any of its forms. And now he'd seemed to have set his sights on her since he'd been informed she wasn't a lesbian.

It was a surefire way to get a bolt in his skinny ass, she thought silently as he walked beside her. She would hope he'd take the hint and leave her be, take his stories with him back to the prison, but it seemed he'd have to learn the hard way. She wasn't worried for her own safety. Before she'd left the cell block, she'd made sure to stow her Beretta in her bag and clip her holstered knife to her belt. She was determined to be more diligent with her own safety after seeing the grief Daryl had suffered. She couldn't be responsible for such pain again if she could help it.

"You really didn't have to accompany me down here," Carol murmured petulantly, shifting the bowls in her grip as the fingers of her other hand tapped against the handle of her knife. Her gaze steadily surveyed her surroundings, including the man next to her, refusing to allow herself to be caught off guard.

"It's no trouble, ma'am."

She suppressed a groan. Even the man's voice seemed to grate on her nerves. If he remained here with them, she would undoubtedly get used to it, but seeing as her stomach was already filled with butterflies the size of condors and her skin hummed with unrequited desire, he was a bit much to take in.

"… and before this I was pulling jobs with …"

Gawd! I don't care! Carol tried to tune him out, and hurried her steps. Maybe he'd eventually take the hint. Before she'd taken five steps, a bolt from Daryl's crossbow hit the gravel path between them, sending the ex-convict skittering off to the left, his arms covering his head as he looked around in alarm.

Her azure gaze drifted up the length of the tower where her hunter stood on the catwalk which wound around the square structure. Daryl was livid, the crossbow now pointing harmlessly skyward. Frankly, she was more worried about his temper. He was rather famous for his lack of control in that respect.

Axel stared in horror at Daryl as he began to make his way down the stairs. "You coulda shot me, man!"

Carol went over to lend him a hand in regaining his feet. "No, if he'd meant you harm, he wouldn't have missed. That was a warning shot." She gave him her back, turning to watch as Daryl bounded down the steps, his tread nearly silent. His snarling countenance threatened violence, and she knew it would be up to her to head off what was sure to be an ugly confrontation. The calm hunter was taking the night off. This was his alpha male swagger, and if she were to be honest, she had to admit it was turning her on.

"Th' fuck y' doin' here?" he growled, pointing the crossbow at Axel. "Jus' 'cause Rick's letting y' stay in D block don't mean y' can have free reign with our women." He reached out with his free hand and pulled Carol behind him, nudging her back towards the staircase. "They're under our protection. Don't lemme catch y' with any of them again. We clear?!"

Axel – his hands already in the air in a gesture of surrender – started inching backward in the direction from which they'd come. "Sure thing! I swear I didn't mean nothin' by it," he said, trying to placate Daryl and praying he wouldn't get shot in the process.

"G'on … git!" Daryl didn't turn back to the stairs until the man had run off towards the prison. He'd be sure to have a word with Rick – and maybe Hershel and Glenn too – about that man. It wasn't as if he were jealous or anything … was he? No, that was insane. He glanced over his shoulder as he climbed the stairs to make sure the scrawny ginger fucker didn't come back.

Carol was waiting for him at the top of the stairs, a patient smile on her pretty mouth. Daryl blushed to the roots of his hair. Her head tilted to the side as she regarded him. "Come on, Pookie, before your dinner gets cold."

"Stop," he scoffed at the name she'd begun calling him when they'd been fighting to survive the winter, following her into the main guard room of the tower through the trap door. He took the bowl containing his dinner and hopped up to sit on the table situated in the corner. "And I'm not jealous," he mumbled around his first spoonful, trying to convince himself more than her.

"What was that?" she asked, leaning a hip against the table next to him.

He cast her a sideways glance at her smirking mouth. "What were y' doin' out there with him, anyway? Did y' even bring your gun?"

"Of course," she said, patting the messenger bag hanging off her shoulder. Carol dipped the crust of her bread into the thick savory broth Beth had made from Carol's own recipe and took a bite. "He insisted on walking me out here. I told him it wasn't necessary, but he refused to listen."

Daryl wolfed down his food and set his bowl aside, taking up his treasured weapon as he hopped down from the table to make a circuit on the catwalk. "He'll listen once I shoot his ass fulla bolts." One glance back over his shoulder before he exited the room had him frowning. She was picking at her food just as she always did as if it held little interest for her. "An' clean that bowl, woman, before I get back."

Finishing her meager meal – though it was more than she'd had in a long while – she stacked her bowl atop his and squinted into a darkened corner. Only a three-quarter moon offered its light to see by, and the pale moonbeams just weren't enough for her to see by. She could barely make out one of the camping lanterns sitting on a shelf next to the bank of open windows, thankful for the screens to keep the bugs away. A smirk curved one side of her mouth as she turned it on and took in the mattress – which had been pilfered from one of the many empty beds – and toted up to the tower. She knew Glenn and Maggie had been sneaking off up there to have 'alone' time, but it was now made up with the blankets from her bed and Daryl's own pillow.

Having served with him on watch only once before she'd been trapped in solitary, it was enough to know it would be awhile until he allowed himself to relax. Just in the time since she'd settled herself on the makeshift bed, he'd made three circuits around the catwalk, his ever-watchful eyes scanning the tree line, the fence, the area leading into the prison from the former exercise yard, searching out any weak spots.

Carol leaned back against the wall, stretching her legs out before her. She had a clear view of the fences from her reclined position. It hadn't been this comfortable last time, and wondered whose idea it had been to haul the spare mattress up to the tower … Glenn's or Maggie's. It would have been so easy to just let the lassitude in her muscles to win and pull her down into a peaceful slumber, but her mind wouldn't allow her to rest, too anxious to know Daryl's intentions. With every step of his booted feet, she could practically feel the tension radiating from him.

Her fierce protector was as skittish as a newborn colt when it came to his feelings. The hunter becoming the hunted. Which was why it surprised her to see him sigh in resignation and turn towards the door to lead him back inside. Setting the crossbow against the doorframe, he wiped his palms against his pants, his gaze hidden behind his fringe of dark bangs. She held her tongue, as she did so often with him when he seemed on edge, giving him time to decide what he wanted.

A/n: I really hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. Thank you so much to all of you who gave this story a second go and left me a lovely little comment. I cannot express how much I adore my beta. After spending two hours editing yesterday, she swooped in like an avenging angel and found a heap ton of stuff I missed. BettyBubble, you are my hero, darling! Note to self: Do NOT try to edit when children are in your face!