Hey guys! I am so sorry for the wait! Finals are done (I aced them by the way :)) but a new semester started so it's still crazy ): I would have updated sooner because I've had the time but the creative juices just haven't been flowing. I appreciate all of the reviews and follows I've been getting form you guys. It really means a lot to me! I hope you all like this chapter and continue to stay with me and my story! Don't forget to R&R :)

*DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE WALKING DEAD, ITS CHARACTERS, OR PLOTS*

Chapter 4

*Daryl's POV*

I hated silence. It was awkward. I never knew how to be social. As a Dixon, people tended to shy away from us. Guess we weren't "respectable" enough for society. To hell with those people. They probably got what they deserved when the world went to shit. Assholes.

I just wish there was some way I could get Carol to talk to me. She's been quiet and sick the whole ride. We've been driving for a good part of the day now. Carol says we're friends but I just think she's lying to me. It's just pity. It has to be. No nice lady like Carol would ever think twice about scum like me.

"It's getting darker Daryl," her soft voice broke through the awkward silence that filled the cab of the Jeep and almost startled me off the road.

"I know. Why don't ya put this rag out the window to signal the others and we'll pull over for the night. You ain't lookin' too good. No offense."

*Carol's POV*

Our whole convoy stopped about 10 minutes later right inside a little town. The total population before the ZA hit must have only been about 2500 people. I couldn't imagine what it was now. We found a small motel that would have to suffice for the night and a gas station that was virtually untouched. The town was so small that most people overlooked it. It sucked for them but it was lucky for us. The men had the women and children stay with the cars while they went ahead and scouted. They came back about a half an hour later and deemed the area safe. We grabbed what we needed for the night and headed towards for the motel. For it being so small, it was actually really nice. We tried to cram as many people in a room as we could so we weren't separated. Daryl, Andrea, T-Dog, and I shared a room. Andrea and I offered to share a bed but the men felt weird about sleeping in the same bed. Typical men.

By my guess it was about 9 or 10 when we finally went to bed. The curtains were drawn and the windows and doors were barricaded. I offered to sleep on the floor but no one was having that. Daryl was kind enough to let me share a bed with him. I could tell he was nervous. I was too. It was the first time in a long time I had shared a bed with another man besides Ed and the first time I had shared a bed with a man who wasn't a monster. For a small motel, the beds were actually quite comfy. Daryl and I slept on the extreme edges of the bed, neither one of us wanting to impose on the others personal space.

We were both exhausted. Daryl is a huge part of our group and shoulders so much responsibility. With his exceptional hunting and tracking skills, familiarity with the forest, and overall amazing survival skills, he is one of our most useful members. It would be a tragedy to lose him. The more I thought about losing him, the tighter my chest tightens. He's come to mean so much to me. I couldn't lose him now or ever for that matter. I needed to stop thinking and get some sleep. Even though all I did was sit in a car, I could barely keep my eyes open. Something was definitely wrong with me. The more I think about it, the more I worry. I know these symptoms. I've experienced them before. I think I'm pregnant.

I think my heart is going to stop. I've been pregnant before but Ed never let me make it full term. In a way, I was always glad. I never wanted a child to grow up in that kind of environment; one full of violence and hate instead of love and care. This baby was going to have an even worse life. Constantly fighting every day just to stay alive is no way to live. However, I felt sicker just by thinking of not having this baby. If I really am pregnant, which I think I am, I'm keeping it. I've always wanted to be a mother and now was my chance, apocalypse or not.

Until the morning and until I got a pregnancy test, there was nothing I could do except sleep. I curled up in a tight little ball and fell instantly asleep.

"GET OFF OF ME!"

"Shut up woman! You'll never be anything but a whore! You're so stupid. Can't believe I married your stupid ass."

His fist came down hard against my cheek. I knew my cheekbone was shattered as soon as his fist made contact. Ed held me down and started ripping off my clothes. I screamed and thrashed beneath him but he just hit me harder. He smirked at me and was about to plunge into me when I felt someone shaking me.

"Carol? Carol! Wake up!"

It was a dream. Just a dream. Ed wasn't alive anymore to do that to me. But it felt so real. I was sure it was.

I started sobbing and shaking back and forth. I vaguely registered Daryl calling my name but I couldn't respond. I was still shaken from the dream.

Warm arms enveloped me all of a sudden. I knew they were belonged to Daryl but I was surprised. He didn't touch anyone. He rarely touched me and when he did, it was a hand on the shoulder or a nudge of an elbow. The only time he ever really touched me was when he hugged me at the quarry. After that, contact from him almost ceased.

His hug was warm and welcoming. It instantly made me feel better.

"Carol? You a'right?" Daryl whispered so as to not wake up Andrea and T-Dog. I'm surprised they slept through my screaming. They must have been really tired.

"Just a nightmare, that's all. I didn't mean to wake you," I said.

"That wasn't nothin'. Ya looked scared ta death. Ya wanna talk about it?"

I fidgeted. I know Daryl knew what Ed used to do to me but for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to tell him.

"I don't want to burden you with my problems, Daryl. You've done enough for me."

Daryl took my face softly in his hands. I started to flinch away. I wasn't used to be touched in a gentle manner but I didn't want to offend him. He was being so kind to me.

"Carol, ya ain't a burden. Don't talk like that, ya hear?"

I nodded my head. My eyes started to droop and before I knew it, Daryl must have noticed because he started doing something else very uncharacteristic of him. I was being pulled down on the bed, my head lying on Daryl's chest. I could tell this was way out of Daryl's comfort zone because he was as stiff as a board. I didn't want to freak him out so I started to pull away. He wasn't having that though. His arms only held me tighter.

"It's a'right Carol. Jus give me a minute. I ain't used to this. I finally felt him relax about ten minutes later. We covered up and curled up together, my head on his broad chest and his arms wrapped securely around my waist. We fell asleep soon after lying down. I slept with no nightmares for the rest of the night and dreamed only of babies and crossbows.

I woke up the next morning to the sun shining and the birds chirping. I felt more relaxed than I had in a long time. I had the best night's sleep and it was all thanks to Daryl. I looked over at him and he was still sound asleep. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. The worry lines all but disappeared from his usually hard face and his always rigid body was in a relaxed stance. I would have been content to watch him sleep all day but my stomach had other plans. The nausea hit me like a truck and I almost didn't make it to the bathroom. I was 99% sure I was pregnant but I just had to get a pregnancy test today to make sure. Thankfully we were going to scavenge the town we were staying in today. Hopefully, I could find a pharmacy and get a test there. I walked out of the bathroom with my hand over my stomach. I felt Daryl's eyes on me but he didn't say a word. I could sense his worry. Before anyone could say anything, Rick knocked on our door and had us get a move on. Burning daylight meant burning our chance of survival for that day.

Somehow Shane acquired a map of the town and spread it over the hood of one of the cars. We were split up into teams and sent to cover different parts of the town. No one was to go alone. Daryl and I were a team and were thankfully sent to get whatever we could from the pharmacy. Maybe luck was on my side. It was a short, quiet walk to the pharmacy. Neither one of us wanted to bring up last night.

"Daryl, about last-"

"Don't worry `bout it."

"Damn it! Would you let me get this out?!" I huffed.

Daryl just looked at me. I was a quiet person and normally didn't say much. He knew I meant business.

"I wanted to say thank you. Most people over look me but you don't. If I had woken up screaming with anyone else, they would have told me to shut the hell up or else I was going to bring down all the walkers on us. You made sure I was ok. You cared about me! No one has ever done that for me before. I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me. "At the end of my speech, I gave him a kiss on the cheek and continued to make my way to the pharmacy.

Daryl finally got his bearings and walked ahead of me. Here he goes again, protecting me as always. I rolled my eyes.

The doors were unlocked, thankfully. Now we didn't have to break the glass and attract walkers. Daryl walked in first with his crossbow locked and loaded and scoped the place out; it was clean. We split up and got to work on gathering everything we deemed useful. I could tell he was hesitant to let me go off by myself but I had my knife in case anything happened and he wasn't far away if I needed help. Plus, we had to get what we could and get out. I volunteered to get the feminine products, knowing it freaked him out.

I got the feminine items along with any painkillers I could find, bandages, and I checked the prescriptions that were already filled and grabbed them all. You never know what could come in handy. Things that seemed useless before the zombie apocalypse may be the only thing standing in the way of life and death now.

I finally made it to the aisle I was searching for. There was only one box left and I grabbed it and shoved it in my bag as I heard the sounds of heavy boots coming towards me. I assumed it was Daryl but boy was I wrong. I was so engrossed in looking at the box that held contents that could possibly change my life that I didn't hear the shuffling that went along with the boots. The walker came out of nowhere and lunged at me. He fell on top of me and started snapping furiously at my jaw. He was a big man before he turned and was difficult to get off me. I struggled to get my knife from my boot. I didn't think I was going to get it in time so I started screaming.

"DARYL!"

The thudding of boots momentarily distracted the snarling walker on top of me and I was able to get my knife free. Just as Daryl was about to shoot the walker, I plunged my knife in the walker's head, effectively killing it.

Daryl shoved it off me and promptly pulled me up and away from the body.

"Oh God Carol, you a'right? Ya didn't get bit did ya? Please tell me you're a'right," Daryl frantically asked.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Let's just get out of here," I said slightly shaken.

We all met up back at our cars and put our day's spoils in the vehicles. I wanted to get this pregnancy test out of the way so I said I was using the bathroom real quick and I was to be back in a few minutes. I pulled out the test and peed on the little stick as was instructed. The next three minutes were the longest minutes of my life. I glanced down at the stick and read the results: pregnant. I felt bile rise up in my throat and promptly threw up in the grass. I tossed the stick and box into the woods and made my way back to the gang. My face must have looked horrible because Daryl dashed over to me and looked about ready to freak out. Before he could get a word out, I put my hand up to stop him from saying whatever it was he wanted to stay. What I had to say was more important.

"Daryl, we have a problem. I'm pregnant."

There you have it! Like I said, I'm so sorry about the wait. I'm struggling with this story right now but I want to continue writing for you all. Your reviews, favorites, and follows mean so much to me. I finally understand why authors want reviews. They really do help. I hope you all liked this chapter because it took a while to get out lol. The beginning was hard to write but once I got to the middle, it really took off. Please stick with me. I hope you like this chapter and R&R, just like always :)