AN: so, I'm hoping that neither character are too ooc in this chapter. I'm giving them slightly different stories but I'm hoping to keep the feeling the same.

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Chapter 4

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"Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday and shit...don't say I ain't ever got you anything."

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Carol turned in surprise to see Daryl standing in the doorway. All the breath in her lungs seemed to rush out of her body as she let out a little squeak when she tried to speak. God, could she act like more of a moron around this man?

"This is a surprise." His voice was a coarse whisper. He was staring at her with a smile on his face, his eyes watching her intently.

Those eyes again, dam it, just when she thought that she might be able to speak he had to look at her that way. Like she was his was his birthday and Christmas present all rolled up in one, just like Merle had said when he opened the door. Her mouth was opening to speak before she realized what was coming out of it.

"I'm going to kill your brother..." she whispered her eyes not breaking the intensity of his gaze. Great job Carol! She thought with a groan. Threaten his family! God lord no wonder she was going to be alone forever and never get laid again.

But then his face changed, the smile morphing into laughter. Daryl came and sat down in the chair next to her, as laughter continued to shake his body.

He turned towards her when he had stopped laughing, a tender smile on his face, "You must have one hell of an enemies list...The Keebler elves and my brother." He said before he started laughing again.

The door suddenly opened as Merle poked his head into the room "Yah alright baby brother? Heard you laughing, just wanted to make sure you weren't taking a seizure, or the sky was falling or hell had frozen over." Merle ducked as Carol picked up a plastic cup on the desk filled with pencils and threw it at him from across the room. "What the fuck Wheels!" Merle huffed, then smirked as Daryl seemed to succumb to almost hysterical giggles.

"I'd run if I were you Merle." Daryl wheezed out in between laughs "Don't underestimate her." Merle slammed the door shut as Carol picked up the stapler.

Carol's face was bright red at that point, she wasn't sure if Daryl was mocking her. She wasn't sure what to say. Damn it why was he handsome? Life was so unfair she groaned internally.

"Are you..." she paused biting her lip.

"Am I what?" He asked.

"Are you making fun of me?" She asked quickly just to get it out.

He sobered immediately, pulling his chair up closer to her. His hand came up touching her chin "Never."

"I'm sorry, my mouth runs away from me sometimes. I told Merle the story about the cookies to make him feel better when he threw a wrench at me." She said with a sigh.

Daryl made a move to get up. "He threw a wrench at you?" He said incredulously.

Carol grabbed his wrist and stopped him. "ACCIDENTALLY threw a wrench at me." She stressed.

Daryl sighed "Now I'm gonna kill him."

Carol giggled "So...I'm assuming you told him about meeting me? Why?"

He was thoughtful for a moment, then sighed. " I suck at this, like really suck at this, I don't talk about shit like this...ever, so I'm just gonna come out and tell you the truth... the night I met you I got drunk and all I could talk about was you."

"Oh... because it was a funny story?" She said shyly.

"Naw...because I blew it and didn't get your number." He said.

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Daryl held his breath as he watched Carol's face at his words. There was something about this woman, that seemed to bring out a side of him that otherwise never seemed to see the light of day.

Daryl never flirted, or actively chased after women, they always seemed to just find him, most were happy if he spoke in grunts and ignored them, only wanting to be seen around town with the Vice President of the Angels. He was ashamed now that he was watching Carol's sweet face as he thought of how many women he'd used.

She had been on his mind since the day in the grocery store. He'd been caught off guard walking down the aisle as he'd heard her yelling at the cookies and suddenly he'd found himself laughing. He never laughed.

It felt good, and then she'd looked up at him. He could see her, bracing herself for a fight, so full of courage it blew him away, but underneath it all, her eyes were vulnerable. He'd felt his chest constrict, suddenly every protective instinct he never knew he had, had roared to life. A feeling he'd never felt before surged through him. Like she was his, she was what he always wanted.

He had found himself mesmerized by her face, when he picked her up. He'd been surprised she hadn't yelled for security. When he'd inhaled her scent along her neck he'd wanted to carry her out of the store and just keep going.

That night a weekly party at The Clubhouse had seen him drinking more than he usually did or planned and turning away the girls looking for a high profile hook up with a club member and whining to Merle and a few of the guys, about Carol.

"You don't suck at this" she whispered.

She was so different from any other woman he'd been with. One minute she had him laughing the next she was so sweet it struck him in the gut. The fact that she was in the chair didn't faze him oddly enough. Not even knowing if he would see her again, he'd spent some time, on the internet, satisfying his curiosity about sex and paralysis. He wanted to be the one to give her what she needed.

He got down on his knees in front of her bringing his face to her level. " I ain't sure what this is between us..." he paused "but I want more. That alright?"

"Yeah, but I feel like should throw out a disclaimer about what you are getting yourself into. My family is all kinds of neurotic which I think I'm inheriting. I'm yelling at cookies I'm..." Carol stopped when he put his finger on her lips a grin on his face.

"That alright?" He said again.

"Yeah, yeah it is..."

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And now her car wouldn't start. Carol sighed putting her head to the steering wheel with a groan. Life always seemed to have a way of kicking her down a notch when she was on a high.

She'd given Daryl the paperwork for Merle...and her number. That second part was still hard to believe. That he'd wanted it, that he'd been interested in her. For so long, she hadn't even though that dating was a possibility. The Aunts had said the right man would come along, she'd honestly thought it was bullshit.

Cringing she realized she would have to go back in to call a cab because her phone was dead. Her mom had probably texted her 100 times in the last hour, she thought with a groan.

A knock on the window made her stomach cramp. Carol sighed, she wanted to leave on the high she'd had after her and Daryl's talk, not showing him the burdens that would come along with her. Hitting the power window button she kept her forehead pressed to the steering wheel.

"Yah need some help?" Daryl voice floated in threw the window, she smiled sarcastically.

"Gee what was your first clue?" Carol sighed and turned towards him. "That's the thing Daryl... I'm always gonna need some help, that's what you're getting with me...I'm a burden...still want more?"

"Yes." He tilted her chin up to him. "You ain't a burden... I'm a henchman in a motorcycle club. You still want more?"

"Yes."

"Then open the door and let me take you home. I can throw your chair in the back of the shop truck, I'll fix your car."

Opening the door felt like a moment of no return, he was watching her threw the window with those eyes. Those damn eyes.

"It's really unfair that you have those eyes you know? I think they could make me do anything." Carol grumbled as she opened the door. He chuckled then suddenly he leaned down and scooped her up, into his arms, she sighed and gave in, laying her head on his shoulder as he carried her to the truck. Smiling as he murmured.

"Good to know."