Disclaimer – Still do not own them

"Dale, I am headed out past the barn to look around. Just wanted to let you know." Dale nodded and smiled at Buffy as she stalked, there was no other term for it, into the night. Daryl had just finished his patrol up, after Buffy tagged out with Shane she could relax for the evening.

Uneventful two hours had her checking back in the Dale before trekking back to where she and Daryl were setup. He was sitting in his usual spot in front of the fire, back against the large oak tree. She sat down next to him and placed her head on his shoulder as a greeting and inhaled the smell that was uniquely him as she changed out her boots for a pair of Converse, then picked up the knife and wood she was working on before she left for her patrol around. It was her turn to replenish the arrows for the crossbows, so there she sat carefully carving out their instruments of destruction.

Since she was the one making with the manly it was Daryl's turn to make with the mending of the clothes. He may grumble about having to do woman's work, but it wasn't anything he hadn't had to do before when in the woods alone. Things got ripped, they had to be repaired. He just grumbled for the pretense he thought he needed to keep up, that he knew Buffy could see through. She knew it the first time she saw his handiwork on her clothes side by side with his. He put more care into hers, she had a harder time finding stuff that fit her smaller frame, so he took care, besides she took better care of his when it was her turn.

"You find anything on your hunt?"

"No, was uneventful. All I got was Shane glaring at me when it was his turn."

"Hmph, don't pay him no mind. He glares at everyone more these days. Even Lori an' Carl are getting some of the glare."

"I noticed that too. You know, I was thinking that it has been pretty quiet down by the river. Plenty of moonlight to see by, been a while since we have had quality alone time." Buffy waggled her eyebrows at him as she said this.

"You just want me for my body. It is a burden I must live with." Daryl gave a fake sigh and finished the stitch he was working on then stood up. As soon as Buffy placed the knife back down he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, framing her face with his hands he kissed her backing her up against the tree. Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist and her pelvis grinding against his. With a fake growl he threw her over his shoulder with little effort and started to make his way to river, smiling at her fake protests and pounding on his back.

As they reached the tree line covering on the path to the riverbank Daryl repositioned Buffy where she was once again straddling his waist as he walked. Her hands unbuttoned the flannel shirt as far as she could and pushed the material over his shoulders. With little effort he kept his hold on her with one arm at a time as he shrugged the rest of the way out of the sleeves. Buffy broke off their kiss for only a moment when she dragged the wife beater shirt over his head and tucked it into the back of her pants to keep it with them.

More skin now exposed, Buffy nipped her way down his jaw to his jugular, and gave it a little bite. He responded with a primal sounding groan and pulled her head back by her hair to once again take claim of her mouth. He pinned her against a tree that was lit by a shaft of moonlight.

"I could become addicted to you." Buffy whispered this into the air as her head was tipped back in delight at the assault his mouth was making on her neck.

"Then I guess I will have to make sure there is always a supply for you then." She could feel him smirk against her skin. His hands moving and pulled her t-shirt up over her head and dropped it beside them. He paused momentarily after that movement. "This too rough on you?"

She was touched by his concern and brought her hands to his face. "Not too rough at all."

As his hands went towards the button of her pants, they heard Carl scream. "Who needs birth control? We have a Carl in the camp." Buffy said this as she and Daryl took off running towards the scream as soon as he set her down. She pulled the shirt she took of Daryl on over her head as she ran, a bit big on her, but better than being shirtless around the kid.

They stopped short when they saw Carl up from the ground where he fell near the mud trapped walker and pointed a familiar looking gun at it.

"Carl Grimes!" Carl looked over quickly and stood up as Buffy called out to him.

"Is that my gun?" Daryl asked this as he walked closer to him, Carl nodding his head.

"Shit Carl, what were you thinking? Don't think your parents are not hearing of this." Buffy said this as she picked up a long branch and shoved it into the face of the walker while Daryl grabbed his gun back from Carl.

"What if it got loose? What if you got bit? You think about what your parents would feel about that? What if it got loose and you got away. Would you have told us so we could hunt it? For fuck's sake..." Daryl was seething with anger as he continued to lecture the boy all the way back to camp.

Dale spotted them with the binoculars as they were approaching and called for Rick and Lori. They came running in response to the call. Rick looked uncomfortable at the state of undress at the two of them.

"What happened?" Lori asked, getting on her knees to check out Carl.

"Decided to pull a klepto and play with a walker by the river." Buffy said this and Rick turned to Daryl for translation.

"Kid swiped my gun from my saddle bag. We found him down by the river where a walker was barely stuck in the mud. Buffy took care of the walker, so don't need to worry too much about him."

"I appreciate you bringing him home."

"Damn Rick, we do not need the appreciation, we need him to mind what he is doing. Do you see Sophia running around like that?" Buffy threw her hands into the air and headed back to their campsite, stopping to accept a hug from the girl in question and gave her a soft smile.

"That was a bit harsh, you should talk to her." Lori said this to Daryl and he shot her an incredulous look.

"Seriously? No, she has been busting her ass to help keep this place safe. Kid went off and endangered himself. She had every right to lash out like that. You would have at us if had not gotten to him in time." Daryl said nothing else as he walked off, he nodded in the direction of Carol, and mussed Sophia's hair on his way by.

By the time Daryl got back to their tents, Buffy was stoking the fire absently staring off into the night. "We have gotten too comfortable here." Daryl moved to sit behind her, pulling her back into his chest.

"Which has you more upset? The Randall decision, the Carl thing or constantly being interrupted thing?" Buffy smiled at him a bit.

"Kind of all three. Randall's fate was decided the moment he didn't stop the others in his group from raping those girls. Carl could have gotten himself and others killed. As for the interruptions, well it is not as if we can grab a hotel and take a night off." Buffy gave a soft sigh when he gently placed a kiss on the top of her shoulder.

"Come on, let's go to bed." Buffy nodded at him and he stood up first and held out a hand to her.

They lay together in the dark, she was always wrapped protectively in his embrace as if she was a normal girl.