AN: What a shame Rick is so gorram stubborn. I didn't really want this to go the way it has, but Rick is a stubborn bastard. Not gonna lie, the characters have their own lives in my head, and that NEVER happens to me. I just can't bring myself to tear apart Rick's family any more than Shane already has. Anyway, this is a big one for Daryl, you'll all be able to tell what my favorite scene to write was... Enjoy, I'll post more later. Love, Shazzy.

Day 11

Daryl woke late. He'd unintentionally slept in. He'd been dreaming for the first time since he'd lost Merle. He didn't really remember the dream, but it was something familiar, and comforting. It let him sleep restfully for the first time in a long time. He blinked rapidly, rubbing his eyes. He wasn't sure where he was at first. He forced himself to sit up and the memories came back.

He'd slept on the couch. He remembered that much at least. What he didn't remember, however, was finding the down-filled blanket that was wrapped around his legs. Daryl stared at the blanket that had been draped over him in the night and smiled. Obviously, Rick had gotten it for him. He sighed, thinking about Rick was getting more difficult. Things were not as black and white as he had hoped.

Rick was up and about. He'd slept well in the bed upstairs, and the six hours of sleep he'd gotten was more than enough to recharge him. He felt good. The sun had risen, there were no walkers and the sheer amount of food that was growing on the property they'd found was staggering. Everything seemed perfect.

Rick had gotten up early and had decided to take a long walk around the property, just in case. He had a bad feeling about the place. It was too perfect, and he still had a bitter taste in his mouth from Herschel's farm. That had seemed perfect too.

Rick's relatively good mood quickly faded as he found the barn on the back of the property. He stopped in his tracks and stared at the building. They'd had such bad luck with barns, Rick was afraid that their good luck had suddenly turned sour. He sighed and turned to head back to the house. He would mention it to Daryl and they'd have to make a decision.

Sullenly, Rick made his way back to the house. The discovery of a barn when they'd had such bad luck made the otherwise perfect property a sudden liability.

The house seemed to be empty when Rick got back.

"Daryl?" Rick called, closing the door behind him. There was no answer and Rick frowned. He hadn't seen Daryl on the way back. "Where the hell is he?"

A clattering noise from the upstairs instantly got Rick's attention. Cautiously, Rick crept up the stairs. The whole time he was silently praying that they hadn't missed walkers in the attic or some other crazy thing. That would be just Rick's luck. As he walked, Rick loosened his gun in his holster. He wasn't wearing his deputy's uniform but he didn't want to take any chances. He checked the first two bedrooms, clearing them with the clarity of police training.

The door to the third room was mostly closed.

"Daryl?"

A groan, too loud to be human rang through the hallway and Rick immediately kicked open the door.

"JAY-SUS CHRIST!" Daryl shouted. "Get the hell out of here!"

Rick turned bright red. Daryl was taking a shower.

"There's hot water?" Rick asked sheepishly.

Daryl was clinging to the thin shower curtain as though it were a lifeboat. He was holding it tight against his legs, shaking in rage and embarrassment. Sudsy shampoo was dripping through his hair and down his face.

"If we're going to have a conversation, I'd take it as a kindness if you'd at least turn around." Daryl growled through clenched teeth. "And yes, for your information there is plenty of hot water. And a generator. And a heater and gasoline to power said generator for a good long while."

Rick was having a hard time turning away. He wasn't sure which was looking more attractive to him at the moment- the prospect of a hot shower... Or Daryl in the shower.

"That's awfully good." Rick said, his mouth suddenly very dry.

"Turn. Around." Daryl ordered.

Rick nodded dumbly and did as Daryl asked, putting his gun back in the holster. "I... I heard a noise."

"The pipes do that sometimes." Daryl said quietly, hurrying to rinse himself off. "It's annoying but it seems to suggest that they haven't been used for a while."

"At least there's water."

"You have no idea how good it feels to bathe." Daryl taunted as he shut off the water with another loud, inhuman groan of the pipes.

Rick nodded and shut his eyes, trying very hard not to blush. A pat on the shoulder told Rick that it was okay to look. Rick looked.

Daryl was standing unabashed, dripping wet and wrapped only in the fluffiest towel that Rick had ever seen. Rick did a double-take – he'd never actually looked at Daryl before. From the rough haircut, to his surprisingly soft facial features, to his intriguing tattoos and his extremely well toned body.

"Uh..." Rick said.

Daryl arched an eyebrow questioningly. "Towels are at the end of the hall. There's soap, shampoo, a razor, you could shave..."

Rick nodded, feeling for the first time at a loss for words when face to face with Daryl.

Daryl offered a half-grin and sidestepped past Rick, disappearing down the hall towards one of the other bedrooms, presumably to get dressed.

Rick exhaled, he hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath. He hesitated for a minute, debating on what to do. Honestly, the shower was really inviting...

Daryl and Rick stood staring at the barn. They were clean and wearing new clothes. Daryl had his crossbow resting against his shoulder and Rick was cradling a shotgun. They were feet away from the barn door.

"You afraid it's full of walkers?" Daryl asked.

"Walkers I can handle." Rick replied. "What I'm worried about is finding a family strung up together in there."

Daryl wrinkled his nose at the thought.

"On three?" Daryl asked as he stepped up to the barn. He had proven himself to be the stronger of the two and the door would be no problem for him. Besides, if there were walkers in the barn, the gun would be faster.

"One." Rick said.

"Two..." Daryl replied, grabbing hold of the barn door. "Three." He grunted as he pulled the door open against it's rusting hinges.

Daryl sprinted backwards, aiming his crossbow at the inside of the barn as he did. He certainly didn't want to get dirty again after he'd just showered.

The two men stood in shocked silence at what the inside of the barn revealed.

"Are those...?" Rick asked stupidly.

"Yup." Daryl agreed. "Those are cows."

The back of the barn had fallen, opening a hole the size of a double garage door in the otherwise solid wall. The cows inside had broken out of their stalls, it looked like the wood had rotted away as well. The cows were coming and going as they pleased and were well-fed on the grass and hay that had been left in the yard behind the barn. There were five in total, and they all looked healthy and well fed.

Daryl and Rick exchanged looks of sheer joy. They hadn't seen any large livestock since the walkers had first appeared, and Herschel certainly didn't have any cows.

"They're milk cows." Daryl said as they approached the docile animals. "And they look pretty well off to me."

"Not a rancher, Daryl?" Rick asked lightly, placing his hand against one of the grazing beasts. He wasn't entirely convinced that he wasn't hallucinating.

"Nope." Daryl said, examining the run-down barn. "I can slaughter and clean one but you wanna know about raisin' 'em and you're asking the wrong guy."

Rick shrugged. "Fair enough." He said, leaving the cattle to their meal. "Fixable?" He asked of the barn.

"Probably." Daryl said. "But I dunno with what. I've only seen firewood, nothing for fixing things. We got lucky on the plywood we found out back for the windows." He added. "Besides, we only really need to worry about the damn things running away."

Rick nodded. "Let's head back, we're overdue back at Herschel's and I think we should hurry back and get the others."

Daryl sighed but followed Rick back to the house.

They took the long way back, cutting across the property to come up along the side of the house, Rick was still checking for anything out of the ordinary. He was paranoid and he wasn't taking any more chances.

"What if they don't wanna come here?" Daryl asked suddenly.

"I haven't thought that far ahead." Rick replied.

"What if the owners of this place come back?"

"I don't think they will." Rick said more confidently than he felt.

Daryl fell back into silence as they walked closer to the house.

"Maybe I should stay back." Daryl said suddenly as they stepped into the shadow of the house.

Rick stopped in his tracks. "What? Why?" He asked.

Daryl shrugged. "To hold the fort, I guess." He said slowly. "Just in case." He shrugged. "I can get the generators running properly, maybe harvest some of the vegetables and stuff, if I can get the electricity running properly I can get the fridge running, it'll extend the life of the veggies, right?"

"Daryl, I don't think that I can get back here without you." Rick said softly.

Daryl frowned and kicked at the ground absently. "They won't listen to me if I go first."

"Yes they will." Rick insisted, more harshly than he intended.

"As if." Daryl spat. "If it was up to me, I'd leave 'em all."

Anger flashed across Rick's face. "Say that again." It was a dare.

Daryl rolled his eyes, unimpressed with Rick's attitude. "You know as well as I do that I ain't welcome in this little party of yours, Rick." He was calm, no point in sullying the last few hours of their trip. "You an' Carol are the only ones who seem to care if I live or die. Why should I care about the rest of them?"

"You know that's not true." Rick countered lamely.

"Like hell it isn't." Daryl said.

"Have you ever considered that maybe you don't make it easy for them to accept you?" Rick asked.

"Maybe I like it that way?" Daryl retorted.

"You don't." Rick accused. "You wouldn't be so hung up about going to them if you liked being an outcast."

"Did it ever occur to you that I have other motivations for my actions?" Daryl shouted.

"Oh yeah?" Rick shouted back. "Then why don't you act like it?" He asked. "Why don't you just act on those motivations and get what you want?"

Daryl hesitated.

"You don't have the guts to do it?" Rick asked. "You scared of what everyone else will think?" He eyed Daryl. "Or are you too caught up in your own head that you haven't figured out what you want?"

"I know what I want." Daryl said.

"So act on it." Rick replied harshly. "Unless you're too afraid to have it."

Daryl had had enough of Rick's taunts. He shoved the other man up against the wall, pinning Rick across the chest. The two men stared at one another for a long moment, as if each man was trying to size up the other before a full out fight started.

Daryl glared at Rick for half a second longer. He leaned in abruptly and returned the kiss Rick had given him the day before.

Daryl let Rick go.

"Don't you ever tell me I'm too scared to take what I want again." Daryl threatened. With one final glare, he stormed away, leaving Rick standing against the wall with a confused look on his face.