Sorry for the wait but the last few days I've been really thinking about this story and I have decided that it's going to have a plot! It's not going to be all fluffy feels and stuff, but most definitely going to be all Caryl! So, I hope you all won't mind the change of pace. Nothing too drastic yet, but things will be getting kind of crazy soon!

Part Four

There was a reason why Merle Dixon had decided to uproot himself and his brother from the familiarity of their home state of Georgia to the too crowded city of New York and it wasn't a pretty one. Daryl didn't know about it, of course, and Merle was going to keep it that way. The less his little brother knew about his business and dealings with shady people, the better.

Merle owed a man a lot of money and that man was very powerful one. He wouldn't hesitate to kill the only family he had left in assurance that he got his money. So, Merle knew he had to get Daryl out of there and fast. New York City had been the first place to pop into his mind and that's where he had dragged his brother.

Daryl hadn't been happy about Merle's choice of a place to live. Georgia and the Georgian woods were comfortable to him and Manhattan had virtually no woods for him to hunt in, a fact Daryl constantly whined and complained about. More than once, Merle had wanted to snap and say that he wouldn't be complaining if he was dead, but the less Daryl knew about their situation the better and thankfully, things had been going well the three months they'd been living here.

Now, if only his baby brother could find himself a woman.

~D-C~

Carol was unusually quiet as they walked down the busy sidewalk down to his and Merle's apartment. When they had left the restaurant, she had been all smiles, which was unlike how she had been when they'd first entered the eating establishment. Daryl knew they still needed to talk because there was obviously something bothering Carol and it had been because of something he had said earlier. Daryl just wanted things to go back to how they had been earlier that day. He wanted to kiss her again. Badly. He wanted to feel that soft skin underneath the light blue shirt she wore, he wanted to taste the spot between her shoulder and neck and he wondered what it would feel like to have Carol's body pressed to his in all the right places.

"So, uh," Daryl started, hoping to be able to get Carol to start talking with him again. "Are you and Jenni friends?" He hadn't liked the pushy hostess from the restaurant but Carol had smiled at her and they'd chatted for a second. Daryl wanted to know all there was to know about Carol.

"Oh God, no." Carol snorted. "We're just way too different to be friends, if you hadn't noticed." Daryl had noticed. Jenni had been pushy and blunt, while Carol seemed to be more reserved and though, they had just met that morning, she hadn't thrown herself at Daryl like the other woman had. "We work together, so we're civil. We tried to be friends and I went out with her once to a bar for a few drinks and she ended up going home with some guy she had danced with and left me alone."

Daryl couldn't help but smile. "Bet you got hit on by every drunk bastard there."

Carol sighed. "I did and not one of them was good-looking, either. Not like I would have gone home with them if they had been." The last part had been mumbled and Daryl saw that Carol's face had gone red.

"You're goin' home with me," he gently nudged her with an elbow. "What changed your mind about goin' home with good-lookin' men?" He teased, hoping to get a smile. He did.

"Shut up." Carol smiled widely and shoved him. Luckily, as they got closer to his apartment building the crowds on the sidewalk had thinned out greatly and Daryl didn't have to worry about running into one. Carol was strong.

Crossing her arms, the bag of food swinging in front, she gave him a smug grin. "Don't think I ever told you that you were good-looking, Daryl."

"Oh, really," Daryl shot back, enjoying this teasing more than he'd thought he ever would. "Then how come you kissed me in front of God and everyone, earlier?" When Carol's mouth opened and closed like a gaping fish, Daryl knew he had her and mentally fist pumped at his victory.

"Shut up," she said again and began to walk a little faster.

"Hey!" Daryl jogged to catch up. "You don't know where you're goin'."

"Maybe I changed my mind about coming over and plan on eating both hamburgers, hm?"

Daryl snorted a laugh. "I doubt your skinny ass can eat one of them burgers. Come on," he wrapped a rough, calloused hand around her bicep gently. "This is my building."

Carol craned her neck to look up at the brick building in front of them. She could tell that it was one of the cheaper apartment buildings, just like hers. The alley next to it had a dumpster overflowing with garbage and she knew that if she took a harder look, then she'd probably see a family of rats having a feast. She shuddered at the thought.

Daryl saw her shudder and frowned. "I know it ain't much, but it's all Merle and I could afford." He was suddenly feeling very self-conscious. After seeing how poor he and his brother were, would she run away?

"Oh!" Carol exclaimed. "There's nothing wrong with the building apartment building, Daryl. Mine is the same. I was just thinking about the rats that are probably in that dumpster right now."

"You mean the same rats you talked about eatin' earlier."

Carol shot him a withering glare and Daryl knew that he should stop but was having too much fun with teasing her.

"My crossbow is jus' upstairs. I could run up, get it and we could have a side of rat with those hamburgers. How's that sound?"

Instead of snapping back or getting angry with him, Carol's eyes widened. "You have a crossbow? Can I see it?" Excitement was practically causing her to vibrate where she stood.

"Uh," Daryl blinked a little in confusion. "Okay."

"Sorry." Carol blushed. "I've just never seen you in real life before and I thought they looked pretty cool."

"Don't gotta apologize. Come on." This time he grabbed her hand to lead her through the doors of his apartment building and into the elevator. "Hope my brother ain't home," he said absentmindedly as they stood in the moving elevator, hands still linked.

Carol looked up at him. "Why?"

"He'd be all over your ass. Sweet talkin' you and shit." Daryl had seen how his brother tried to any woman firsthand and the last person he wanted Merle to try to charm into bed was Carol.

A mischievous look sparked on Carol's face and Daryl wasn't sure how he felt about that look. "Would you be jealous?" Luckily for him, the elevator doors dinged open and he used the opportunity to tug her to his apartment. Using his other hand, he fished out his key from his pocket and inserted into the lock.

No one else was inside the apartment and Daryl sighed in relief. The last thing he wanted to deal with right now was Merle.

"You can sit on the couch and put that stuff on the coffee table. I'll get us some plates." Daryl pointed to a worn looking couch in the living room. They didn't have a dining table and ate their meals on the couch.

Seconds later, he returned to the living room to see that Carol had taken out their food from the bag and was waiting patiently for him. He handed her a plate a mismatch from the one in his hand and together they sat down to eat. Surprisingly, the avocado was good.

"I guess I was really hungry," Carol laughed when she realized her plate was empty. Daryl had finished his a few minutes before and had taken to watching while she ate. He hoped that hadn't been creepy. "Can I see your crossbow, now?"

His crossbow was in his room and that was exactly the place he wanted to take her, but knew that they needed to talk first. That had been the main reason why he had invited Carol to come over.

"I think...we should talk first."

Carol's face fell. "It's okay, Daryl. Everything's fine. I was just being selfish earlier, that's all and I'm fine, now." Something in her eyes told him that she was not fine.

"No, Carol, you ain't fine. Somethin' upset you earlier and I want to know what it was." His hand slid across the cushion and grasped hers. "I know we haven't known each other that long and-"

"That's just it!" Carol cried and Daryl was surprised to see tears glisten in her large blue eyes. "I hardly know you, Daryl and yet I..." She trailed off and wouldn't look at him.

"You what, Carol?" Daryl pressed softly and leaned closer hoping to catch her eye.

Carol's next words were so quiet that he had to lean even closer. "I think I'm falling in love with you, Daryl."

Daryl jerked upright. "What?"

Tear fell from her eyes, then and she detangled their hands and covered her face. "I've scared you off now, haven't I? I'm sorry."

"No!" He quickly reassured and scooted closer. "It's jus' was unexpected."

"Just like the kiss?" She gave him a watery smile and he nodded. "The reason I got so upset earlier was because you talked about just up and leaving with your brother and that's when I knew that you weren't feeling the same way I did. Thinking about you suddenly being gone crushed my heart and I knew I was being selfish because Merle is your brother and you'd have every right to go with him."

"How do you know I ain't feelin' the same, huh?" He tilted her chin up so that she could see his face as he spoke. "I've never felt this way about anyone before and especially not with someone I jus' met at a God damn park. There's jus' somethin' about you, Carol."

"Something good?" She asked.

Daryl closed the gap between them and claimed Carol's lips in a gentle kiss. "Somethin' amazing." He whispered against them.

~D-C~

Smoke swirled in the dimly lit room as the tall man sitting at a massive desk smoked a cigarette. There was a splatter of blood covering the right side of his face from an earlier dealing with a man who owed him money and who had, quite frankly, no hopes of paying it back despite the frantic reassurances that he would.

It probably hadn't helped the man that he was in a foul mood and had been for the past three months.

The phone by his hand disturbed the eerie silence in the room with its shrill ring and the man behind the desk answered it. "What?"

"We found him."

Without another word to the other speaker, he hung up. A smile began to slowly creep across his bloody face. He'd get the details later but for now, he'd celebrate. Turning to the cabinet behind him, he took out his most expensive bottle of alcohol and poured himself a generous glass full.

Merle Dixon had been found and he'd know soon enough that crossing Phillip Blake would be the last thing he'd ever did.

~D-C~

Daryl had allowed his hand to creep into the auburn curls on Carol's head and before he knew it, she was sitting in his lap with her legs on either side of his. He didn't know if he had pulled her there or if she'd climbed up on her own. Either way, he was enjoying her nearness as they continued to kiss.

This time instead of jumping away at the feel of her tongue, he had opened his mouth slightly and allowed their tongues to dance. His mouth was flooded with the taste of Carol and he knew he had never tasted anything so sweet despite meal they just had.

A moan escaped from her mouth and Daryl was making it his mission to hear that sound again. He knew that he should stop things soon because he was pretty sure that she'd be feeling the ever increasing problem growing in his pants.

"Daryl," she sighed when he pulled away. "That was amazing." He was surprised to see that her eyes looked glazed over and that there was hardly any blue in them as her pupils had dilated with...desire? And for him?

Daryl leaned his forehead against hers and together, they tried to control their breathing. "I think," Carol said and slid off his lap, reluctantly. "Maybe you can show me your crossbow, now?" She gave him a tentative look.

"U-Uh, yeah. Okay." He stood up along with her and hoped the evidence of his arousal couldn't be seen. "It's this way." Carol followed him to his room and Daryl was glad that he was a tidy person. All his clothes were put away and there was nothing cluttering the night table by his bed except for an alarm clock. Walking over to his closet, he reached up and grabbed his precious weapon. He had been unable to use it since moving to New York and he dearly missed it.

"Wow," Carol said in awe as she ran her hands over it. "Is it heavy?" She looked up from the bow to him.

"Want to see?" She nodded eagerly and with a smile, let her hold it.

Carol brought the scope to her eye but was unable hold up the weapon for long before her arms started to shake with the weight. "Guess I know why your arms are so muscular." She handed the thing back to him.

"Wish there was a place I could shoot it," he said wistfully. "I miss the woods back home."

"Maybe someday you can go back there."

"Maybe," he said and turned back to the closest to put his crossbow back. "Probably won't be for awhile, though." Stepping closer, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled Carol to him. "Don't mind, though." Then, he leaned down and initiated another kiss.

I know Phillip Blake is an old enemy to use but I couldn't think of anyone other character playing this role! I hope you all like what I'm doing with this and let me know what you think! I love every single one of you!

Thanks for reading!