Okay, so I am SOOOOO excited for this chapter. I'm actually very happy with it.

I hope you guys enjoy! Please make sure to leave a favorite, a follow, and a review, if you have the time. They are what keep me going. Last chapter wasn't as good as usual, but I'm hoping that this one will be much better :)

-M

Chapter Four:

"We're running out of medicine," Carol said one day while looking through their bags of supplies. A frown was on her face, hinting that they were not doing too well with provisions. "Only one bottle of ibuprofen, and it's only half full. We need to get out of here, maybe find a house with more stuff for us, one where he can take shelter in for a few weeks. What do you think?"

"If that's what you think we should do, then let's go," Daryl replied as he wrapped his burn with their last roll of bandages. A week had passed since that nightmare of his, and he seemed to be going on the mend. But if he didn't have any of the meds he had been taking, he wouldn't have made it. And now that they barely had any left, he knew that they needed to find a place that had some. "I'll try ta move for as long as I, but I can't promise ya much. Let me help ya in the time being."

"Don't worry about that," the greying woman assured him, beginning to pack everything up. "I'll get all our things together, and then we'll go. You just get yourself ready. We'll walk as much as we can, and when you decide you need a break, just tell me, all right?"

Daryl nodded, a smirk playing on his lips. "You got it."

Within an hour or so, they were ready. Once making sure that they were all good to go, they left their little cave, heading south and using the tracker's instinct to lead them. They walked for hours, only stopping to take small water breaks. Daryl kept insisting that he was just fine, even though he was growing far more exhausted than he really wanted to be. Still, he tried not to show it, hoping that his companion didn't see the pain he was actually in. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he kept thinking that they wouldn't find a safe place to stay in. He kept thinking that all their efforts to survive were going to be completely pointless.

"You sure you're alright, Daryl?" Carol asked suddenly, pulling him out of his thoughts. Placing a gentle hand on his uninjured shoulder, observing him with that soft gaze of hers. She smiled a little, hoping that he would tell her the truth.

"'M fine," the man said simply, purposely lying so that they wouldn't have to stop. He just wanted to get out of the forest as quickly as possible, if he were being honest. "Let's just keep goin'."

Thankfully, Carol decided to press, and the rest of their journey was continued in silence.

Another hour or so passed, and the hunter really was growing tired. He was almost about to give up and signal Carol to stop when he saw a small clearing, and what looked like a house of some sort. "C'mon," he muttered," stepping past the woman and speed-walking towards his discovery. He almost laughed with joy when it turned out to be an abandoned town. Houses were lined up in rows, and they looked to be in good condition. Most of them had solar panels on their roofs, meaning that they might have electricity. Daryl could even hear a stream of some sort nearby, and he almost shivered at the thought of being able to shower again.

Without thinking, he let his backpack slide off his good shoulder, eyes wide with relief. Turning to Carol, he couldn't help but grin, feeling lighter than he had in a very long time.

"Do you see this, Daryl?" Carol managed to ask, running a hand through her hair.

"Uh-huh," he murmured, locking gazes with her.

The two of them stared at one another for what seemed like an eternity, unconsciously leaning closer and closer … Until their lips met. Carol almost gasped as his mouth captured her own, and she sunk against him, having dreamt about this very moment since the day everything went to hell, since their safe haven was completely destroyed. She had developed feelings for him a long time before that, back when they first found the prison. Unfortunately, she had been too afraid to act on those feelings, and as a result never let the hunter know that she cared for him, that she really loved him. And then the Governor ruined it by declaring war on her family, bringing them all a lot of suffering. After they had been forced to run, she had been sure that Daryl would never be the same again. But now that he was here, kissing her, she felt like all that had happened to them was worth it.

Their kiss lasted for a minute, and it was Daryl that pulled away when it began to become more passionate, a pained, confused expression on his handsome face. "Let's make sure there ain't any walkers first, then scavenge for a bit and pick a house," he said softly, pressing a small kiss to her forehead tenderly. This was such a new feeling for him, but now that he was able to act on it, he wanted to take any chance he had to show Carol that he loved her. Maybe he wouldn't say it yet, but he would at some point, and in the meantime, he would prove it to her in other ways. "Then we'll figure out everythin' else."

"Okay," Carol breathed out, already missing his lips. She followed him as they began to make sure that this town was safe. By the time they finished clearing each and every house, as well as taking anything they could fit into their backpacks, it was getting close to midnight, and they were exhausted. There had been plenty of walkers, and they definitely weren't as tired as them. It left the two of them even more filthy, and even more weary than they had been when they first started.

"Which house do ya want?" Daryl asked her as they made their way out of the twelfth and last house they needed to check. Stopping in the middle of this town, he began to look around, body trembling slightly with fatigue. "Your pick."

As Carol looked, her eyes fell on a rather small house with a high, white picket fence. With a little more tweaking, it was perfect to keep walkers away. She could see solar panels up top, for which she was grateful, as well as a chimney. This one was going to be perfect. Pointing to it, she smiled and said, "That one seems safe enough." After receiving a curt nod from Daryl, she walked inside, grinning at what she saw.

Everything was still intact. She hadn't really realized it when she was checking all the other houses because they were in such a rush, but now that she took a good look, she was happy to see that everything was still there. Couches, pillows, T.V.'s, even. In an open cabinet beneath the T.V., she could see movies on the small shelves, as well as a player. Maybe, if we get the electricity going, we could watch something. Like normal people, she thought to herself.

"What do ya think?"

His question made her smile even more, and when she faced him, she could see just a small hint of happiness on his face, too. "It's perfect," she said, coming closer so she could place her hands on his chest. Her eyes raked him over with a lust she never knew she could feel, but now that she was, she couldn't seem to stop wanting him.

She felt him kiss her again, and it was the best thing in the entire, screwed up, world. Unlike Ed, Daryl was gentle, so unbelievably gentle. It was like he was afraid of hurting her, which was something she knew he would never do. This man was amazing, she concluded. And now, he could be hers.

Slowly, the kiss deepened, their tongues dancing together as they began making their way upstairs and finding the master bedroom. Once taking a quick scan, they were happy to know that, aside from some dust, it was completely clean.

Daryl quickly sat down on the soft bed, pulling Carol onto his lap. He captured her mouth again, wrapping his arms around her. At this point he didn't care about his woun. Feeling her fingers sliding up his leg and to his shirt, he knew what she was about to do, and he suddenly tensed, breaking their kiss again. He hung his head then, closing his eyes as shame began to creep into his heart. This was something he did care about.

"Hey," his companion said gently, cupping his face. "I know about the scars, Daryl," she assured him. "I have them, too, and they're nothing to be ashamed of." Quickly, Carol took off her shirt to show him her own scars, the ones on her chest and waist. They definitely weren't as bad as his, but all Carol wanted to show him was that it was okay to have them. "See? I don't care about them, Daryl. I care about you. This was you then, and this is you now. That's two different people. Please, don't be ashamed of them. They're beautiful, I promise."

The poor man gasped quietly, finally looking up at her. Never had his scars been called beautiful. Anytime another woman saw them, she would gasp, and then start feeling sorry for him, which was something that he never wanted. But Carol was different. She understood. And that was what he needed. "Thank ya," he managed to whisper, kissing her again. He pushed her onto the bed, straddling her, planting kisses up and down her neck.

"Thank ya so much, Carol."

TBC