Hi all! I'm coming down with the flu. Just thought I would throw that out there. It doesn't really have anything to with anything. I just like to whine about things loudly. ;) Anyway, I hope the rest of you are doing well! For those of you that don't know, BluIcy posted her first chapter to her new story tonight! Check it out if you are desperate for more Caryl. It's great stuff! Thank you all for reading!

Chapter Ten

Carol found it hard to catch her breath. She had never in her life felt like this. She felt like her blood was made of fire. Her heart was pounding and her head was spinning. The hulking man walked out of the room with Merle and Andrea and even though the spell was broken her body was still screaming for him to touch her and her lips tingled in anticipation. At the same time she was totally embarrassed by how she had acted. There was no way he would believe she was a virgin now. Not the way she pretty much offered herself to him, pleading with him not to stop.

And she would have allowed anything to happen. Even now, if he kissed her again, she would sink right back into that strange place his lips and tongue had taken her to. She licked her lips, tasting him there.

He turned his head and looked down at her, his face flaming but his eyes were dark and hungry. She wasn't sure what she was suppose to do now. The friendship that they had built over the past month was precious to her and now she was growing terrified that she had done some serious damage to it by suggesting something like kissing. She still didn't know why she had done it. She didn't regret it. Not yet. But if he pulled away from her then she definitely would want to kick herself in the ass for destroying one of the only things in her life that was good.

"Was that okay?" He asked, his voice laced with uncertainty. His eyes searched hers but he didn't move off of her.

She nodded and felt a slow smile spread over her lips. "That was very okay," she said breathlessly. She bit her lip and waited for his reaction. He looked towards the door again and that was enough to remind her that they had been caught and that one of the people to catch them was a very large man that she had never seen before but still looked vaguely familiar.

"I gotta get out there," he said when his eyes went back to hers.

She nodded. "Who was the big guy?"

He smiled. It lit up his face and she blinked stupidly as she looked him over. "My ol' man."

He had mentioned his dad only once and that was just to tell her that he wasn't around. She hadn't been sure where either of his parents were but she knew that when she brought them up in passing he didn't look very comfortable. She stopped bringing them up. "You should get out there then," she returned the smile as she pushed on his chest.

He nodded and then rolled off of her onto his back as he rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands. "I might need a minute," he grumbled.

She sat up and frowned, looking down at him curiously. "Do you two get along okay?" She didn't want him to have to face the man if they had any bad blood.

He glanced at her and nodded. "Hell yeah we do. My dad's a good guy. A great guy, really."

"Then how come you need a minute before you go out there to see him?" She asked, her eyes wide and worried.

He rolled his eyes at her. "You really are a virgin, ain't ya?"

She felt the blood rush up to her face when she realized what his problem was. She had felt it right there between her legs when he was on top of her. Her chest fluttered with a strange sensation at the thought of causing that reaction. He wanted her. Others had wanted her in the past but she had never been wanted by someone that she wanted back.

"I'll go ahead and leave you alone," she said quickly, not sure if she really wanted to leave the room. She didn't want to deal with Andrea right now.

She was about to get up but Daryl's hand suddenly had her wrist in a light grip. She looked at him questioningly. He looked worried and she was about to ask him what was wrong when he suddenly spoke. "Where alright, right?"

She smiled once she realized that he was worried about them not being okay anymore.

"Yeah, we are," she said with a smile.

He gave her a nod and then dropped her hand. When she left the room she was surprised to see that the party was over. Three heads turned and stared at her as she shut the door behind her. Her face burned as she gave them a weak wave and a half smile. Daryl's dad looked as though he were trying not to laugh at her and Andrea was still looking at her like she didn't even know her anymore.

This night was going to be a lot longer than she thought it would.

~H~

Daryl finally hauled himself up from the bed and ran his hand through his overgrown hair. Carol had left him alone in his room no more than five minutes ago and it had taken that long to fight through his raging thoughts and finally calm himself down. It was embarrassing. Really embarrassing.

He made his way out to the living room, pulling his door shut silently. He was excited to see his dad. It had been eight years since he had been locked away and he had missed him terribly. Especially those years that he didn't have his dad or Merle around. Buck was sitting on the couch, facing Merle. They were talking in low voices and Daryl couldn't help but notice that Andrea and Carol, and all of the other people Merle had invited over tonight, were nowhere to be seen.

Merle was the one that looked up and noticed him first. His brother couldn't hide the huge grin that broke out over his face, causing Daryl to wish the floor would swallow him up. "Romeo! It's about damn time you came out to say hello to the old man. The girls are around here somewhere. Carol's prolly braggin' on your moves," Merle winked.

Daryl shook his head and took a few steps closer as Buck stood up. He was as huge as ever, thick muscles covering his arms and chest. His hair was long, flowing past his shoulders, his beard and mustache trimmed up just enough to bring an even more dangerous edge to his look. He was dressed much like he was the day that Daryl and Merle had watched him get hauled off by the police. That had been eight years ago. He was dressed in black biker boots, black jeans and a leather jacket with the patches from the MC he had belonged to years before he was arrested. The one he no doubt belonged to still.

"Goddamn, kid. I wouldn't even have recognized ya if I saw ya on the street," Buck grinned as he pulled Daryl closer and nearly crushed him in a hug.

Daryl wasn't sure what to say to the man. He'd missed him something awful but he couldn't help but feel a little angry towards him. If he would have kept his nose clean and not gotten himself thrown in prison in the first place then every damn thing that happened to him could have been avoided. If he would have been there then Daryl would have been able to hug him back without tensing like he was preparing himself for a beating.

"I missed you, boy," Buck murmured right before he dropped his arms and took a step back. He looked him up and down and then nodded in approval. "Sorry bout earlier. Merle told me that you wasn't fuckin' that pretty little red head. I woulda waited." He winked.

Daryl shot a smug looking Merle a glare. "Me and her ain't like that," he said lamely.

This got a laugh from both of them but Merle was the one to finally speak up. "I woulda said the same thing little brother, but looks like the two of ya was close to rippin' clothes off."

Daryl ran a hand through his hair and glared at his brother. He looked around once more but the girls weren't anywhere to be seen. Andrea had probably dragged Carol outside. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"Been lookin' for you boys for a few months now. Got me a place down in Savannah. Your grandpa's old place. Got a real nice set up. We can get your shit packed up tonight and we can head out tomorrow."

Daryl's head shot up, his eyes narrowing. "What the hell do you mean, get our shit packed?"

Buck looked around the small space. "I ain't havin' you livin' out here on your own. Not when I got that spread that your grandad left me. You ain't gotta take care of yourself no more. Ain't no way for a boy to live."

Daryl stared at his father. Leave here? He had never thought of leaving. Ever since him and Merle had moved into the place he had thought of it as home. It wasn't much but it had become home to him and his brother. And what about...

"Son, if you're worryin' about your girl then cut that shit out right now. I wouldn't make ya leave her behind. Your brother done told me that they ain't got no place to go."

Daryl released the breath he had been holding and met his brother's eyes. Merle gave him a nod. "We'll do whatever you think is best for you little brother. You ain't gotta do a damn thing you don't wanna do. It's your call." There was a challenge in Merle's voice that Daryl and Buck both heard right away. Buck tensed.

"That ain't the truth Merle. He's just barely seventeen and he's comin' with me. He's been takin' care of himself long enough."

Merle didn't look like he had any fear when he took a step towards their dad. Maybe Daryl wasn't the only one that harbored a little anger towards the man. "I'm the one that got him outta that goddamn house and away from that bitch. You ain't got no idea what kinda shit that boy suffered. He was beat half to death when I went back for him," Merle said in a low voice.

Buck looked from Merle to Daryl and then back to Merle. Daryl wanted to bolt from the house. He didn't want to think about his mom and the shit that happened before. He hadn't really thought about it at all since Carol and Andrea had moved in.

"What do you mean, when you went back for him? Where the fuck were you?" Buck asked angrily.

Merle was trying hard to keep a lid on his temper. "I wasn't around. Took off on my own. The three years I was gone her and any asshole she brought home used him as a goddamn punchin' bag. I saved him from that, I've kept his ass fed and warm, not you. If he ain't wantin' to leave then he ain't leavin'."

"You shouldn't have left him there to begin with," Buck growled.

"And you shouldn't have fucked up and landed in prison. If I woulda stayed then I woulda killed her. You think I don't regret not doin' just that every goddamn day? She broke him and me and him have to live with that. But I saved his ass, not you. I saved him and that girl outside fixed him. You ain't had nothin' to do with none of it."

Daryl watched as the drama unfolded before him. He didn't want Buck and Merle to fight. Merle had done right by him over the last few years but it wasn't like Buck had left them on purpose. He would have never done that.

Buck shook his head angrily. "We'll talk about this more in the mornin'. I want you boys with me. You ain't gotta make a go of it on your own no more," His eyes narrowed on Merle, "But no matter what you decide to do, I'm takin' him to Savannah with me. Just remember that I want ya both. I'll be back in the mornin'."

They watched Buck walk towards the door. Daryl was torn and Merle was furious. Without a backwards glance, Buck walked out.

Merle looked angry enough to spit as he glared at the closed door. "You ain't gotta do a goddamn thing you don't wanna do. Me, you and the girls," He ran a hand over his face, "Well, we can do just fine where we are if that's what you want. Don't let him make you think otherwise. All we need is each other, little brother. We'll manage no matter what."

Daryl gave him a slight nod and then disappeared to his room. He sat down heavily on the edge of the bed. He didn't know what he was suppose to do. He didn't think that Carol and Andrea would just up and leave Atlanta. To them him and Merle were just a couple of guys that took them in. But to him, the two girls had become just as much family as Merle was to him.

But he knew his dad. If Buck wanted him to come back to Savannah with him then he wouldn't have no choice but to go. With or without the girls. And there wasn't a damn thing Merle could do about it.