The Spare Room
Summary: The bills keep piling up and if Daryl Dixon has any hope of improving his life, he and his brother are going to have to find someone to fill their spare room. The problem is that while he can't stand his new roommate, he finds himself falling for his roommate's girlfriend. Caryl. AU.
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that you recognize from the Walking Dead.
Chapter 10
Daryl wasn't really surprised when Carol pulled up to a nice two-story house in one of the nicer areas of town. It was painted a pale blue with dark blue shutters and a white front porch. There was a white picket fence all around it and had a newer chevy car in the drive. A blond man in a polo shirt and jeans was out cutting the front lawn with a push mower. He turned it off when Carol pulled up and checked his watch.
"Hi, Daddy," Carol greeted, climbing out of the driver's seat.
"I thought you girls would be home a half-hour ago," he said, "Your mother was looking for help."
"I had a flat," Carol explained, gesturing to her tire. Her father scowled as he looked at the donut tire before he turned back to her.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm fine," Carol assured him, "I came out of work and it was flat."
"Daryl changed it for her," Catherine piped up as she crawled out of the backseat. The man tried to peer into the vehicle and Daryl figured he ought to get out of the car and introduce himself. After all, if he had a daughter, he'd want to know who she was driving with. He got out and walked around the car with his hand outstretched.
"Daryl Dixon, Sir," he introduced himself.
"George Taylor," the man responded, shaking Daryl's hand while frowning at him, probably wondering who the hell he was. Daryl was suddenly very self-conscious about his clothes, from the dirty green muscle shirt to the ripped up jeans. He certainly didn't belong in this neighbourhood.
"Daddy, Daryl is Ed's roommate. He and Kevin were at the diner and offered to change my tire for me," Carol explained, "Then Kevin left and Daryl needed a ride so he came with me to make sure I got home safe."
George Taylor's face seemed to change after this explanation and he offered Daryl a kind smile, "Thank you for helping my girl, Son. That was a decent thing to do."
Daryl blushed and tried to shrug it off, "It was really nothin', Sir. Just a little flat. It's in the trunk. There should be no problems fixin' it if ya take it to the mechanic in town."
"We'll definitely do that," George assured him, "but in the meantime, it wouldn't feel right to just send you on your way with nothing."
Daryl balked at the idea of taking anything from the Taylor family. He didn't change Carol's tire for anything. He changed it because she needed it and he was happy to help her. He shook his head and refused, "That ain't necessary, Sir. Just glad Carol got home safe."
"Daddy, maybe Daryl can stay for dinner?" Catherine piped up, making Daryl jump a little. He had forgotten that she was there. George smiled.
"That's a wonderful idea, Catherine," he told his youngest.
"I don't wanna intrude," Daryl said hesitantly. He wasn't dressed for dinner nor did he have a right to step into such a nice house.
"You wouldn't be intruding," George said kindly, "My wife always makes more than we need and it would be an honor to have you at my table, Daryl. It's the least we could do after you helped Carol with her tire."
Sensing that he was not going to win this disagreement, Daryl conceded, "I suppose I could stay."
"Great!" Catherine cheered, "You can help me carry all this stuff into the garage."
"Cath, Daryl didn't come here to carry all of your art stuff," Carol reminded her sister.
"But surely he wouldn't mind helping, right, Daryl?" Catherine asked.
"Uh, sure, I guess," Daryl said, shrugging.
"Well, after you kids get the art supplies into the garage, head on inside. I'm sure your mother would like to meet Daryl, Carol," George told Carol. Daryl stomach churned at the thought of meeting Carol's mother, but he did as he promised and helped Carol and Catherine move all of Catherine's art stuff into the garage. Then he followed the pair up onto the porch, stopping just before he crossed the threshold to remove his work boots. He didn't want to get dirt onto the floors inside.
That seemed to be a smart move on his part. The Taylor house was immaculate. There was a staircase as soon as they walked in. To the right, there was a sitting room and to the left, a dining room. Carol and Catherine led Daryl down the hallway beside the staircase to the back of the house where the kitchen was. The most heavenly smells were coming out of that kitchen and Daryl felt his stomach rumble. When they entered the room, a tall woman with reddish brown hair was standing at the stove, stirring something in a pot.
"Hey, Mom," Carol called out. The woman turned around and frowned when her eyes landed on Daryl. He was suddenly reminded of a moment when he was fifteen. He had unknowingly got too close to a pair of bear cubs in the forest and he had had to scramble away before the mother decided to eliminate him. He felt that same fear at this moment as Mrs. Taylor observed him. She crossed the floor so that she was closer, ready to protect her cubs from the intruder.
"I'm Rose Taylor," she introduced herself, "Carol and Catherine's mother."
"D-Daryl Dixon, Ma'am," Daryl stammered, holding out his hand, which she shook cautiously.
"Daryl is Ed's roommate," Carol interjected, "I ran into him at work, which was really good because I had a flat tire. He changed it for me and then rode back to town with me to make sure the spare tire didn't give me trouble."
Rose's expression seemed to soften and she asked, "You helped my daughter?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Daryl confirmed.
"Daddy said that Daryl should stay for supper, Mama," Catherine said.
"Absolutely," Rose agreed, "It wouldn't be right to send you on your way without a token of our thanks."
"It's really not necessary, Ma'am," Daryl insisted, not used to being made out to be some hero. All he did was change a tire.
"Nonsense," Rose replied, moving back to the stove, "It's the least we can do. Catherine, come throw in the baked potato, please, and then you and Carol can set the table."
"Yes, Mama," the girls said together, jumping to work. Daryl figured that Rose Taylor ran a pretty tight ship around here.
"Now, Daryl, why don't you go get cleaned up," Rose suggested, "The bathroom is just across the hall."
Daryl nodded and thanked her before retreating to the bathroom. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and cringed. He was dirty and sweaty from work and his hair resembled a rat's nest. No wonder Carol's mother had been on edge when she first saw him. He set to work scrubbing at his hands, arms, neck, and face before he ran his hands through his hair, feeling each tangle. Maybe Merle was right. Maybe Daryl ought to cut his hair. At least he'd look a bit more presentable and he wouldn't have to deal with all the knots and tangles. Not to mention he wouldn't have to listen to his brother telling him to get a haircut every other day.
Finally, he was satisfied that he looked a little less like a drifter and exited the bathroom. He didn't exactly know where to go now, so he lingered in the doorway of the kitchen. Rose and Catherine weren't there, but Carol was standing at the counter taking down five glasses from the cupboard. She smiled when she saw him and he felt his heart jump up into his throat.
"Hey," she greeted sheepishly, "I'm sorry. My parents can be pretty insistent."
"It's alright," he shrugged.
"Are you sure?" Carol asked, "You seem a little uncomfortable."
"I'm fine," Daryl assured her, "Wish I didn't look like such a hobo."
"They'll understand that you just got off work. Nobody's perfect, Daryl," Carol told him, "C'mon. We're just all sitting down."
He followed her into the dining room and took the seat beside her. George was at the head of the table. Catherine was across from Daryl and Carol. Rose was at the other end on Daryl's right. The meal looked fantastic. It was pork chops with baked potato and corn on the cob. Daryl's mouth was watering, but before he could dish up his plate, the family bowed their heads and joined hands. Daryl found himself holding Rose's hand in his right and Carol's hand in his left. Daryl focused solely on the feel of Carol's soft, smooth hand in his rough and calloused one. This might be the only chance he ever had to hold her hand and he was determined to commit it to memory. He didn't even hear the blessing that George was giving and it was only reluctantly that he let go of Carol's hand when it was over.
"So, Daryl, what is it that you do, Son?" George asked. It was inevitable, really, that Daryl would get asked the question.
"I work roads for the county," Daryl answered, "I spray herbicide."
"So you work for Hal Larken, then?" George asked, "Decent guy. Good friends with my brother-in-law."
"He's alright. My boss back in Louisville recommended me and my brother to him when we moved down," Daryl said, "I guess they were friends or something."
"What did you do in Louisville?" Catherine asked.
"Worked in a mechanic shop," Daryl revealed.
"So that's how you knew how to change Carol's tire," Catherine said, "You know, our uncle owns a mechanic shop in Louisville. Dan Kirkland."
Daryl's eyes widened in recognition, "My boss was Dan Kirkland," he confirmed.
"Well isn't that a strange coincidence," Rose observed, "Daniel is my younger brother."
"That is strange," Daryl said with a chuckle, "He's a good guy."
"Did you know Katie, my cousin?" Carol asked curiously, looking over at him.
"I did, actually," Daryl replied, shaking his head as he remembered the girl that used to drink with him, Merle, and the other two shop hands after hours, "Used to follow Merle 'round like a puppy."
"Who's Merle?" George questioned.
"My brother," Daryl answered as he carefully cut up his pork chop, "I live with him and Ed."
"Out on Triumph Street, correct?" George prodded, "One of Calhoun's houses?"
"That'd be the one," Daryl confirmed.
"I figured as much," George said, "There had to be a reason for Ed Peletier moving into that house and if I'm guessing right, you and your brother needed a roommate to battle all these rent increases Lenny Calhoun's been wanting these days."
"Ya hit that one on the head," Daryl told him, "If I had my way, Ed wouldn't have moved in to begin with, but Merle don't like spendin' too much money on rent."
"You don't like Ed, Daryl?" Rose asked him. Daryl froze when he realized how that comment must have sounded. He didn't really know what to say. On the one hand, he hated the guy, but on the other, Carol loved him for some reason. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and sound that she had also gone very still. Across the table, Catherine was looking between her mother and Carol, almost as if waiting for something.
"Uh, well, I don't really…uh…know him so good," Daryl stammered, "I just meant that I like my space is all, Ma'am."
"Well, we barely know him at all," Rose told him, her tone disapproving. Out of the corner of Daryl's eye, he saw Carol cringe as her mother continued, "Did you know that Carol's been seeing this boy for almost a year and her daddy and I have yet to meet him?"
No, Daryl did not know that, but before he could reply, Carol protested.
"Mother-"
"Now, hush, Carol Ann," Rose chided her daughter, "It is not proper for a boy to be seeing a girl without meeting her parents."
"Disrespectful is what it is," George added, focusing for the moment on his meal. Daryl found himself nodding along, enjoying the fact that he wasn't the only one in this house that thought Ed was an asshole.
"Exactly," Rose agreed, "What do you think, Daryl?"
Daryl felt put on the spot as all eyes turned on him. He hastily swallowed the bit of potato in his mouth and said, "Don't hardly know, Ma'am," he told her, checking Carol's reaction out of the corner of his eye, "With all the movin' 'round I done since I graduated high school, I ain't had much time to date nobody. I ain't never met no girl's parents before."
It was an honest statement. He didn't think a few quick fucks were considered dating and in any case, he wasn't going to bring that up to the Taylors. It also saved him from answering one way or another. He had a feeling that if he agreed with her mother, Carol might not be too pleased.
"That's a shame," Rose said, "You seem like such a nice young man."
Daryl flushed, "Uh, thank you, Ma'am."
"Where are you from originally, Daryl?" George wondered, changing the topic when he noticed how uncomfortable Daryl seemed to be with the conversation.
"Clayton," Daryl answered, "Clayton, Georgia."
"Are your parents still up that way?" Rose asked. Daryl stiffened, but answered anyways.
"My pa is still there. Don't have much to do with him, though. He ain't the best sort of man. My ma died when I was nine," he said.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry," Rose fretted, "That must have been so hard for you."
Her sentiments were genuine and Daryl was a bit surprised. He got that all the time whenever he told someone about his mother, but Rose seemed to be genuinely concerned for him. He shrugged his shoulders, "I had Merle and my grandparents lived close by so I usually went there or to my Uncle Jess's place. When I turned eighteen, I wanted to get out of town. Find some work."
"Do you have any plans for the future?" George asked, "Or are you planning on moving again?"
"I think we're gonna be here for a while," Daryl answered him, "I'm savin' up to go to college."
"College? And what do you want to do there?" George wondered.
"I wanna be a wildlife biologist," Daryl explained, "They study the environments and habitats of different organisms and then can use all that data to help make decisions about protection and hunting regulations."
"That sounds like a very exciting career," Rose told him, "What made you decide to go into it?"
"When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time outside in the forest. It was where I'd go to get away from everythin'," he revealed, "It always…made me mad…when I'd see people destroyin' the forest or huntin' out of season. My pa was real bad for huntin' out of season. Problem with that is that it affects everythin' else in the forest and messes with the balance. It's one thing to hunt durin' huntin' season, but another thing to do it for the hell of it."
"So you want to save the forest? Like a tree-hugger?" Catherine piped up. Daryl cringed at the word.
"Catherine!" the girl was scolded by her father, mother, and sister.
"Sorry," she muttered across the table, looking very chastised.
"It's alright," Daryl assured her, "My brother says the same thing all the time."
"It sounds like a very good cause," George told him, "After all, with the way the forests are being tore down these days, we should be looking into protecting them so that we can continue to enjoy them. Sometimes we have to step up and fight for the things that really matter in this world."
Daryl nodded, and almost against his will, his eyes shifted over to glance at Carol. For the first time in his life, he had found someone besides Merle that was starting to matter to him. Maybe he ought to make his feelings known. Maybe she ought to know that she had a choice.
But then would he lose her friendship? He had already determined that it wasn't easy to stay away from her. Could he handle it if she didn't want to see him? His stomach churned at the thought. He had only known the woman for two and a half weeks and he could already feel a hole in his life if she ever decided to walk out of it. He swallowed hard and started in on eating his corn.
0 – TSR – 0
With dinner done and the dishes cleared up, Carol offered to drive Daryl home. He was quiet, simply watching the rain drops slide down the window. The dinner had really opened her eyes to him. He had told her parents things that even she had yet to find out. She hadn't known about his mother and despite all his talk about wanting to be a wildlife biologist, she had never heard him say exactly why he chose that field. He had sounded so passionate about it, just like he had in the diner a couple weeks ago.
Her parents had liked him and on their way out, her mother and father both said that he was welcome anytime and that if he ever needed something, he should call.
"I hope that was okay," Carol ventured into the silence, "Mama and Daddy can come off like cops or something for the way they fire questions at people."
"It was fine," Daryl told her, "They seem nice."
"They like you," Carol said, "In the kitchen, Mama told me that she thought you were a 'fine young man'," she teased, earning a nervous chuckle from him as his face turned a little red.
"No one's ever called me that before," Daryl admitted.
"Well, it's true," Carol confirmed for him, "You are a good man, Daryl. A really good one."
She got another chuckle from him and he said, "Ya only sayin' that 'cause I changed your tire."
"No, I'm saying it because it's true," Carol corrected him. And it was. From the moment she met him, Carol had thought that about him. He was polite and respectful. He defended her and came to her aid when she needed it. He was probably one of a kind and she was happy to know him and to be able to call him friend. For a moment, though, she felt a little sad as she thought about some other woman that would someday call him husband. She didn't know where the thought came from and dismissed it.
"With ya tire, ya gotta remember to take it in as soon as ya can," Daryl suddenly said as they got closer to his place, "Ain't good to be drivin' on the donut for long."
"I'll call in to work tomorrow morning and say I'm not going to be in until noon or something. That should give me time to get it fixed," she decided.
"Be careful there," Daryl cautioned, "Sometimes these folks'll try to tell ya that ya tires are no good and sell ya brand new ones. Yours still got a lot of tread left. Tell 'em just to fix the damn tire and if they don't, bring it to me and I'll fix it for ya," he promised.
"Okay. I'll do that," Carol assured him as she pulled up in front of his house, "Thank you, Daryl. For everything."
"Thank you," Daryl replied, fidgeting a little, "Uh, ya gonna come inside? Looks like Ed's home."
Carol found that she didn't really feel like going inside and having to explain to Ed what had happened and how she had come to drive Daryl home. Besides, she didn't always come to this house for Ed. She shook her head and told him, "I have to go. I came here for you, not for Ed."
Daryl clearly remembered their earlier conversation and he looked a little dumbstruck for a moment. Then he nodded his head.
"Well, alright. Let me know what happens with ya tire," he requested before opening the door and running through the rain up to his front step. She watched him disappear inside and then she drove off.
TBC
AN: This was planned from the get-go and I'm happy with the way it came out. Hope you all enjoyed it! :)
Please let me know what you think so far! Thank you for all of the wonderful and kind support!