Honestly embarrassed by the amount of time it's taken me to update. I wish I could say that something important came up but i've really just been busy. Forgive me? Please... Anyway, thank you to those of you who are still following the story! Caryl smut ahead ;)

"Does someone wanna tell me why the hell there were walkers in the barn?" Rick asked, staring at Herschel's family.

"They were my family…my wife, my son, others we'd found or had working on the farm." Herschel choked out, Beth leaning down to the spot where he was on his knees.

Daryl stared at them, feeling mostly scared because they'd just gotten the man to agree to let them stay, and then killed his entire walker family.

Carol leaned into him and his arm went around her. "You okay?" He asked, his eyes going to her bleeding forehead. He took out the red rag from his back pocket and carefully placed it over the gash.

"Herschel I'm sorry but…" Rick trailed off, praying that the man hadn't changed his mind about them all staying.

The old man stood and nodded his head, tears still in his eyes. "I should've told you all about them." He said, looking around before his eyes settled on Daryl. "Are Carol and the kids okay?" He asked, seeing that Lori had them all sitting down now, trying to catch their breath.

"They're fine, thanks to Carol saving their asses." Daryl bit out a little harshly. He understood that the man thought there was some kind of a cure but he'd put his family, his group, in danger.

"Daryl I'm sorry," Herschel stood and went over to the small family. "Let me take a look at her head." He led Carol off, Daryl watching as he cleaned the wound.

Sophia clung to her father as he held her, the group standing around in a state of shock.

"Daddy does this mean that we have to leave?" She tried to whisper but most of the group looked up at her question.

Daryl watched as the old man shook his head. "We're gonna be fine kiddo, just fine."

…

Once Daryl helped reassure Sophia that they'd be okay, he returned back to the house where everyone had gathered. Herschel offered a room to Daryl and his girls to make sure Carols head was okay.

"Just try to rest some and stay hydrated. You're all still welcome here so you don't need to worry." Herschel said, suspecting that something was up with Carol but not quite being able to put his finger on it. He started for the door to go tell the others that they were able to stay.

Carol nodded and smiled as the door opened and Daryl came in, nodding his thanks to the old man.

"Sophia okay?" She asked once the door was closed and they were alone.

"She's good, just a little shook up is all. Asked if she could stay with Amy in the RV tonight." He said and she nodded. He came over and sat next to her on the bed, realizing there were tears in her eyes. "You in pain? Need me to get the doc back in here?" Daryl asked nervously.

She shook her head and leaned against his shoulder before she spoke. "I'm sorry, I'm just so sorry." She knew that it was stupid for her to do that. Ed had told her over and over again how stupid she was and she supposed she hadn't changed. She knew that she'd do it again in a heartbeat but still, she wasn't strong enough to take on all those walkers.

"Look woman, I know I was mad before but it's okay, you and the kids are okay. That's all I care about." He said honestly, not understanding why she was practically shaking in his arms.

Carol sobbed a little more before looking up at him, her hands shaking and her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry you're stuck with me, I know I'm not smart or pretty or strong, I can't even take care of a few walkers by myself."

"Hey, hey slow down woman. What the hell are ya ramblin' on about?" He pulled her into her chest and stroked his hands up and down her back and arms. "Carol you're the smartest person I know, the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen."

"Really?" Carol looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Damn straight sweetheart." Daryl kissed her forehead and sighed. "That wasn't no small group of walkers either, you damn near took out a small herd all by yourself." He chuckled a little, getting a smile out of her.

He held her for awhile, wondering where all of this was coming from before she spoke up and answered his silent question.

"Ed didn't just hurt me physically."

Daryl felt his fists clench, wishing he'd been the one to kill that fucker.

"He told me I wasn't pretty enough or smart enough, that I didn't satisfy him or that I wasn't a good mother to Sophia. He always had some way to put me down."

Daryl tilted her chin up so she was looking at him. "Carol ya god damn beautiful." He kissed her, letting his tongue slip into her mouth and when he pulled back she was breathless. "You're smart, hell a lot smarter than me." Another kiss, this time on her neck. "I ain't never had a woman like you in bed before, you know that, you're perfect."

Carol blushed and leaned up to kiss him again, one of her hands cupping his scratchy cheek.

"You're the best damn momma I could ask for for our daughter." He said once they parted and her heart skipped a beat. She loved it when he called Sophia his. She was over the moon at how he always acted like he'd been her father all her life.

"Our daughter, I like that." They were a real family. Carol smiled and kissed him again, her hands going into his shaggy hair. She carefully moved onto her back on the bed and pulled him over her.

"Carol…" He grunted in warning as she kissed up and down his neck. "Baby, you're hurt."

She could tell he was struggling to stop his hands from inching under her shirt, brushing her soft skin there. "I feel fine…and I want you." Her hands moved to her shirt and he gave her some room to slip it over her head.

When Daryl realized she wasn't wearing a bra, he felt his control slipping. "You sure you're okay?" He asked, moving his hands to cup her full breasts and she moaned out.

"Yes…please…need you now." Carol got out in between kisses along his neck.

He finally pushed his jeans and boxers down as she worked off his shirt. "Gonna be the death of me woman." He smirked, his hands working on her jeans once he was naked.

Carol blushed and lifted her hips for him to slide off the last of her clothes.

Her hand moved down and stroked his erection. She still couldn't believe how big he was, how manly he was. She put her hand on his chest, moving him to his back and straddled him. Her lips moved down his chest, his stomach and down to his manhood.

"Sweetheart ya don't have to…" Daryl started but trailed off when he felt her hot wet mouth move around his hardening member. "Fuck Carol…" His hand went to her head and knotted in her growing curls. He just kept it there, not pushing her, just gently guiding her head.

Carol smirked around him and reached up to gently cradle his balls. His hips bucked a little and he started slow thrusts into her mouth. He'd never had a woman do this to him and he knew he wouldn't last long with the way she kept humming around his dick.

She moved her head up and down, working him faster and faster, feeling his balls starting to tighten. He was panting, the occasional groan slipping from his lips as he watched her with hooded eyes. "Carol…I'm gonna cum…fuck baby!" Daryl tried to pull away but her other hand held his hip in place. "Carol!"

His hips shot up and she felt him shoot his seed down her throat. She milked him for everything he had before pulling her mouth back and running her tongue over her lips.

Daryl watched her, knowing she was the hottest thing he'd ever seen. He kept staring at her, trying to catch his breath.

"What? Was that okay?" She asked shyly, blushing up at him.

Daryl chuckled and pulled her up his body, kissing her lips. "Hell yeah woman, never felt nothin' like that before."

Carol smiled and barely had time to react before he rolled them. She giggled as she was flipped onto her back.

"Your turn woman." He husked and opened her legs wide with his hands, starting to kiss down her soft creamy thighs.

Carol looked nervous with what he was about to do and he realized that her bastard husband had never done this for her. "Just relax darlin' it's only me." He said, watching her nod. "Lay back." He ordered and she did.

She felt his tongue slowly pushing through her wet folds, his hands moving her spread thighs onto his shoulders. Oh Lord, the things this man can do to me. Carol lifted her hips and cried out as his tongue flicked out, circling her clit. He smirked up at her and she watched him, panting.

He's teasing me, Carol thought as she moaned, wanting him to touch her sensitive nub. Instead, his hand came up and began kneading her breast, rolling her hard nipple between his two fingers.

"Oohh Daryl…please…" She couldn't take much more and he knew that. She'd never had someone pay this much attention to her pleasure and it was overwhelming. He knew exactly how to set her body on fire.

"Almost there woman." He breathed against her sex and she felt herself building up. Carol felt his lips move to her throbbing clit and suck on it roughly. Her legs clamped down around his head and she saw stars as she came harder than she ever had in her life. "Daryl!"

Daryl smiled as he felt her flood his mouth with her orgasm and he pressed wet kisses on her inner thighs, gently helping her legs back down onto the bed.

"Holy shit…" She panted out, laying back against the pillows as her chest heaved up and down with her ragged breaths.

"That good woman?" He smiled and moved to lay next to her, pulling her so she was half on his chest.

"Mmmh better than good."

He chuckled as she ran her fingers through his chest hair as she started to fade in and out.

"I love you." She mumbled with her eyes already closed.

Daryl tightened his arm around her and kissed her forehead. "Love you too, sleep baby."

…

The group rested a little uneasy after that night, never having discovered how the walkers had gotten out of the barn. Most of the camp slept outside in the tents except for the Dixon family and Glenn who'd been sharing a room with Maggie the past few nights.

They hadn't seen a walker since the barn incident which was almost two months ago. Everything was good, the animals were being taken care of, Herschel and his daughters having taught everyone how to handle them.

Carol was in the garden with Lori one morning, Amy having offered to take Sophia to help with the horses. She hadn't spent a lot of time with Lori since they'd been on the farm. Carol knew that she and Rick had problems because she and Shane had been together.

"Do you ever thinking about leaving?" Lori asked out of nowhere, making Carols head snap up.

"And going where?" She asked, looking at the woman like she was crazy.

Lori took off her gardening gloves and sat back on her legs, sighing. "I don't know, anywhere. I mean, I feel bad but Rick doesn't make me happy anymore. Neither of us are the same people we were before this all started. I just feel like I need…" She trailed off as Daryl walked up, not giving Carol a chance to ask what she needed.

"You doin' alright woman?" He asked Carol, seeing that she was pale.

She nodded, not really knowing what the hell was going on with her. She'd felt off lately, figuring it was because they'd been eating pretty well lately and she wasn't used to it.

Daryl sighed, not believing her. "Mind if I steal her?" He asked, knowing he would take her for a break no matter what Lori said.

"Go ahead, I'm good here."

Carol stood with Daryls help and he moved his arm around her shoulders as they walked back inside the house. "I missed you." She said, smiling at him.

"I was just on workin' on the fences." He gestured to the other side of camp.

"I know, but still…" Carol moved closer to him once they were upstairs and in their room. "I wasn't able to do this." She smirked and leaned up to kiss him.

His hands went to her ass and he squeezed, pulling her closer to him. "Mmh that is true."

Carols smile fell and she backed up a second, her hand going to her stomach.

"You okay?" Daryl tried to move closer but she shook her head and sprinted into the bathroom, immediately getting sick. "Jesus…" He knew something had been wrong since she took down all those walkers a couple months back.

Carol moaned as she finished, staying on her knees in front of the toilet to make sure it was over. She felt Daryl behind her rubbing her back.

"I want Herschel to check you out woman. Ever since you went all badass on those walkers, you ain't been feelin' good."

Carol nodded and tried to breathe before she threw up again. She hated this, they'd actually been doing well with food and here she was throwing hers up. She hadn't felt this sick since-

Oh god. No no no, I'm not…

Daryl watched her face drop and rubbed her back more. "What? You gonna get sick again?"

She shook her head. "No, I just…I think I may be pregnant."

…

The camp was quiet and dark, the old man in the fishing hat keeping watch on top of his RV. He knew their routine by now, when they turned in, who was on watch which nights. He'd been watching them for two months now, knowing he needed to think of something else to take them down. Letting the walkers out of the barn didn't work so Shane knew that he had to find a way to steal some of the guns. Rick had given him a shotgun and a rifle when the group had left him but he'd lost both while he was running from a small herd of walkers.

"Shane…" He smiled when he heard her voice and stepped out from the woods to see Lori bringing him over a plate of food. "How much longer until I can leave with you?" She asked.

"Soon baby, soon. We're gonna need to take guns, ammo, some food and water from these idiots." Shane had stumbled upon their group after being chased by the dead and scared the hell out of Lori. She was happy though, to have the love of her life alive and back with her.

"I can't wait much longer, Rick is driving me crazy." She whined, making Shane smile. She didn't love Rick anymore. Of course she loved her son, but the boy was becoming more and more like his father everyday, he wasn't close with Lori anymore.

Shane finished his dinner and set the plate down, putting his arms around Lori. "Just a few more days, I want to make sure their guards are really dropped." He said and Lori nodded.

"I love you Shane."

"Love you too baby."

…

Daryl stilled at her words and she started to cry. Pregnant? He thought, his stomach dropping. Jesus Christ, we didn't use anything… He tried to stay calm for her sake and not have a panic attack.

"Whoa whoa, are ya sure?" He asked, his rough hand rubbing up and down her back in an effort to try and stop her tears.

She nodded, "Pretty sure, I feel exactly how I did with Sophia and I'm really late." She looked at him with panic in her eyes but he just smiled at her.

"Well let's get ya to Herschel to make sure." Daryl said and she just stared at him. " It's gonna be alright sweetheart."

"You're not upset or mad?" Carol asked nervously.

He chuckled a little and tilted her chin up so she looked at him. "No I ain't mad, worried maybe, scared but I ain't mad." He kissed her lips gently. "Reckon I made the kid too right?"

She laughed at that, feeling like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. He wasn't mad and she wouldn't be alone with this. Not that she thought Daryl would leave her to be a single mother of two kids, but she knew how dangerous having a baby would be for them, for their whole group really.

"I think havin' a little brother for Sophia would be nice, don't you think? Unless you don't want this?" He asked, feeling like the world was crashing down on him. What if she didn't want a kid with him? Hell, he'd always been looked at as nothin' bein' a Dixon redneck and all. He wouldn't blame her if-

"Daryl Dixon! Don't do that, I know how your head works and let me tell you now, that I want this baby with you." Carol said, sitting up after she saw him gnawing on his thumb nail, something he did whenever he was nervous.

A smile as big as the state of Georgia came over his face and he kissed her slowly. "Alright woman, whatever you say."

"That's right." She smirked back and her heart nearly broke from happiness when she felt his hand rest over her stomach. "I love you Daryl, you're already an amazing Daddy, I've seen it with Sophia."

Daryl blushed and grunted back, "Love you too woman, best momma I could ask for for my kids."

He watched her fall asleep with a smile on his face, knowing that he'd do everything in his power to keep his family safe.