I'd like to send out a HUGE thank you for the KIND and AWESOME reviews to the first chapter! YOU ROCK! It's readers like you that keep CARYL alive!

This story will start off AU...not sure if it will stay that way or not yet...we shall see where my imagination takes it. The characters here are younger then they are on the show with the exception of Beth Greene...she is 23 in this fanfic.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own any of The Walking Dead characters and I'm NOT making any money off of them! I only claim the OC characters I created for this story.

**Please leave reviews. They are what keep me wanting to write! IF you are trolling and don't like CARYL or METH pairing...then don't read this story. And if you trolls do, then know I have very tough skin and WILL NOT be scared off easily with your high school bullshit drama that you've been sending to other CARYL writers on this site.**

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CARYL ON!


Rolling over in the bed, Daryl's eyes slowly opened, the early morning sun shining in through the small trailer window in his room. Merle's loud snores echoed from down the hallway and Daryl sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Having spent most of the night drinking and thinking about the woman from the accident, Daryl had finally collapsed into bed sometime after midnight, the shots of whiskey helping lull him to sleep.

Getting up, Daryl headed towards the bathroom, his morning wood tenting his boxers. Taking a piss, he then turned on the shower and headed out the bathroom to get him some clean clothes. Gathering what he needed, he went back towards the bathroom, but instead of going in, went to the door of his brother's room. Scowling at the sight of his brother's bare ass and Beth barely covered with the sheet, he closed the door. Shaking his head, he went back into the bathroom to get his shower.

Emerging twenty minutes later dressed for work, his wet hair dripping down onto the collar of his sleeveless shirt. Going to the kitchen, he started the coffee and went back to his room to gather his socks, boots, wallet and keys. Coming back out, he sat on the couch, getting his socks and boots on before going back to the kitchen. Fixing himself a cup of coffee, he took a sip and then grabbed the box of pop-tarts and pulled out a foil package. Heading back into the living room, he sat down on the couch as Merle came shuffling down the hallway in just a pair of jeans. Taking a bite of his breakfast, he nodded his head towards the kitchen, "Coffee's ready."

Without a word, Merle passed him and headed straight for the kitchen. Fixing his cup, he leaned against the counter, "Beth's listin' that bike for us today. If we're lucky we'll have it sold by the weekend."

Chewing, Daryl then took a sip of his coffee and then set the cup on the old coffee table, "Be good. You two got plans for tonight?"

"Yeah," Merle sighed and frowned. "Damn girl wants us to go eat at that new restaurant they jus' opened."

Smirking, Daryl shook his head, "Sounds like ya pussy whipped to me."

"Screw you, ya prick," Merle groused. "Least I'm getting' some pussy, unlike you."

Finishing off his pop-tarts, Daryl grabbed his coffee and stood, "Yeah, well best be keepin' that pussy happy so she stays with your ugly ass. Speakin' of which, learn to close ya damn door. Don't need to be seenin' ya bare ass in the mornin's."

Chuckling, Merle took another sip of his coffee, "Awe, what's wrong baby brother? Jealous that I got a better lookin' ass then you do?"

"In your dreams, asswipe." Looking at the clock on the wall, he took another sip of his coffee and took his cup to the kitchen, "Gotta get goin'. Remember to pay the damn light bill on your way in so we don't get shut off again."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah...I'll remember." Watching his brother for a minute, Merle raised his brow, "You goin' to see that woman?"

Stopping at the door, Daryl shook his head, "Nah...why should I? She ain't my concern."

"Jus' wonderin', baby brother." Watching him leave, a smirk formed on Merle's lips and he shook his head. He knew his brother all to well. He'd seen how Daryl had watched over the woman at the accident, how his eyes never left her as they worked to get her out the wreck. Merle saw in his brother's eyes something he hadn't seen in a long time. He just hoped the boy would realize it too and take a chance for once in his life.


Pulling into a parking space, Daryl shut off the engine to his truck and starred at the building before him. He'd never been a fan of hospital's, having spent his far share of time in emergency room's growing up and even now tried to avoid them at all costs. If he needed medical attention he either did it himself or up until last year was now letting Beth help him. He didn't even know why he was there now, but the woman had invaded his thoughts for most of the day and he had to know if she was okay.

Daryl had called earlier in the day on his lunch break to find out how the woman was doing, but found out that they had moved her to the hospital in Gainesville due to her injuries. So after work, he'd gone home, showered and headed back out. Most of the ride there, his mind went back to the accident and seeing the bruises on her neck, face and arms. He could never understand how a man could beat on a woman. He'd seen his own momma beaten by their father plenty of times and had swore to himself he'd never end up like his old man. He wouldn't be that monster Calvin Dixon had been. On more then one occasion he'd sat on the toilet seat in the small bathroom of their family home watching as his momma cleaned up her bloody and bruised face, making excuses for his daddy. He'd driven her to drinking to the point where she'd fallen asleep drunk in the bed on a cold day in February with a lit cigarette. An hour later, both his home and momma were gone.

A car alarm going off brought him from his thoughts and Daryl took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. Pulling the keys from the ignition, hey slipped out the door and headed towards the front entrance. He didn't know exactly where he was going or even the woman's name, but something inside him pushed him forward and into the building. Seeing the information desk just ahead of him, he walked over, waiting as the man in front of him was waited on and then stepped up.

Nodding to the elderly looking woman sitting there with a smile plastered on her face, he scowled, "Lookin' for someone. Woman brought in from Clayton Medical Center."

"Okay...what's her name, young man?" she asked softly as she pulled up a screen on her computer.

Shifting some, Daryl sighed, "Don't know her name. Just that she was brought here."

Raising her brow, the woman tilted her head slightly, "I need a name, sweetie...otherwise I don't know who you're looking for.

"Said I don't know," Daryl growled, growing more and more frustrated. Clenching his jaw, he looked around and then back to the woman, "Can't ya just find out who was brought in from Clayton? She was in a car accident yesterday...I was the guy that found her."

Loosing her smile, she looked around and then reached for the phone, "Go have a seat over in those chairs, young man, and I'll see what I can find out for you. I can't promise anything now...but I'll try."

"Thanks," he said somewhat satisfied with a nod of his head to her. Going over to the small waiting area, he took a seat, his elbows resting on his knees as he looked around at the people coming and going. Looking back down at his hands, Daryl chewed on the inside of his bottom lip until he saw a pair of small feet come into view. Looking up, the elderly woman stood before him with a slip of paper in her hand.

"I think the person you are looking for is in ICU. The emergency room said she'd been moved there...but only friends and family are allowed to visit." Handing him the pass, she raised her brow, "I can see you care about how she's doing, sweetie. Room twenty one. But you didn't get that from me, understand?"

Taking the pass from her, he nodded and sat up straight, "Yes ma'am. Thank you."

Watching as she walked back towards the desk, Daryl stood up and headed down the hallway towards the ICU unit. Following the signs, he ended up at the far end of the hospital in front of two locked double doors. Seeing the call box to the side, he pressed the button and waited til a voice on the other end came on, "Uh...room twenty one."

The doors opened slowly for him and he walked in, another desk with two nurses behind it greeting him. Showing the taller of the two his pass, she showed him to the sink so he could wash his hands and then led him to the room. Seeing her prone form laying in the hospital bed, he looked at the nurse, "She gonna be okay?"

Nodding, she gave the man a small smile, "She should be. If you need anything, just let us know."

Looking back to the woman in the bed, Daryl took a step into the room, looking around at the machines she was hooked up to. Several wires came out from under the top of the hospital gown and led up to the heart monitor, and a blood pressure cuff was wrapped around her left upper arm with an IV line running from lower down. His eyes settled back on her, taking in the many injuries that he could see. Her head was bandaged and there were stitches closing the cut on her left cheekbone. Her right wrist was bandaged and her left arm in a sling. Even her left wrist and hand were bandaged up as well. Looking back up at her face he shook his head, taking in her two black swollen eyes and various other bruises that littered her face and then her swollen split bottom lip. His eyes finally settled on her neck, the sight of the large hand-prints there turning his stomach.

Coming to the door, Jacqui raised a brow, eyeing the man from behind. She hadn't expected to see anyone there visiting Carol, least of all a man. Crossing her arms over her chest, Jacqui lift her chin slightly, "You a friend of Ed's?"

Turning at the sound of the woman's voice behind him, Daryl came face to face with a slender black woman. Slipping his hands into his pockets, Daryl shook his head, "Nah...don't know no Ed."

"Then you are a friend of Carol's?" she asked, leery of him and unsure of why he'd be there.

Shaking his head, he glanced at the woman in the bed and then motioned to her, "Found her yesterday...just wanted to make sure she was okay."

Realizing he was the man that had basically saved her friends life, Jacqui relaxed somewhat, "So you're the one. The police said some passerby's found her...probably saved her life."

Looking down, a slight blush crept into his cheeks and he shifted from one foot to the other, "Yeah, me and my brother."

Going over beside the bed, Jacqui set her purse down onto the bedside table and looked at Carol, "I'm glad y'all found her when you did. She and I was supposed to have breakfast yesterday morning, but when I went by her place to pick her up..." Releasing a breath, she looked back at the man, "The place was all but destroyed and she was missing. I knew it had to be her ex-husband. That's why I asked if you knew Ed."

"Her ex in the habit of beatin' on women?" he asked, his muscles tensing at his own question.

"Ed Peletier is in the habit of beatin' on anyone he can get his slimmy hands on...especially women. He doesn't care. Cops are looking for him now. Hopefully this time they'll keep him behind bars." Pulling the chair closer to the bed, Jacqui sat down and gave him a warm smile, "What's your name?"

Biting his lip, Daryl shrugged, "Daryl...Daryl Dixon."

"Well, Daryl, I'm Jacqui and I'm sure Carol will want to thank you for what you did once she wakes up," Jacqui smiled and then looked at her friend. Taking in a deep breath, she sighed, "The doctors aren't too sure how long she'll be out. She's got a nasty concussion."

Listening, Daryl nodded and then shifted once more, "I best be headin' back. I hope she wakes up soon...and will be okay."

Standing, Jacqui gave him a warm smile, "I'm sure she will be. She's a fighter." Coming around the bed, she walked with him to the door. "Come back if you want. Like I said, I'm sure she'll want to meet you and thank you herself."

Shaking his head, he sighed, "Got work and all...can't make promises..."

"Well, if not...thank you," she replied as she turned, looking up at the man.

Giving her a nod, Daryl left without another word, walking back through the ICU. He'd came and saw for himself that she was okay, she was gonna recover. Carol, he thought as he left the unit, her name wrapping around his mind. Even though he had implied he wouldn't be back, Daryl ran a hand through his messy hair, knowing deep down that he would be back to check in on the woman again.