AN: Sorry it took so long to update this one! Thanks for being patient with me. It's been a crazy few weeks and I also wanted to get Friend Zone finished before Episode 13. Love you all! Thanks for reading!

Chapter 11

Daryl was really nervous to meet this man, Hershel, but from the second they sat down with him at the table he felt relaxed. He was so easy to talk to and had such a wise way about him. It didn't take long for Daryl to realize that it really was going to be okay.

While they were waiting for dessert Carol excused herself to go to the restroom. "She's uh… pretty special," Hershel commented, his eyes watching Carol disappear. Daryl felt a twist of nerves in his stomach. Is this where it all went wrong? Is this where he got to meet the scary side of this man that seemed practically perfect? No one could be so kind and so wise anyway, could they? "Relax Daryl," he said with a chuckle. "I'm not gonna give you the overprotective Daddy speech. I have two girls of my own that I'm reserving that for." Daryl let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Beside… I don't have to with her. I trust her. If she sees something in you, if she believes in you… I do to."

Daryl didn't know what to say at first, but finally the words started to come to him. "I think she might be an angel," he said, completely serious. "She didn't have no reason to help me like she did. I ain't sure where I'd be without her… Actually I do know," he added. "I'd be in prison." He met the older man's eye, "She saved me. Sounds so cliche, don't it? But it's true."

Hershel looked at him for a moment and then spoke, "When she tells you that you saved yourself - believe her." Daryl let his words sink in as he watched Carol making her way back towards the table. "Right now you think you're no one without her, and it ain't healthy. We'll talk more about it, but just think about it some until we meet up again."

The rest of dinner went by quickly and before they parted ways Daryl and Hershel made plans to meet up again, just the two of them, in a few days. Carol was a good buffer for their first meeting, but the men needed to get to know one another a little better and Daryl was completely comfortable to meet on their own.

"So, what did you think?" Carol asked as they were driving home. "Did you like him? Do you think you'll be okay with Hershel as your sponsor?"

"He seems like a great guy," Daryl answered truthfully. "He ain't you," he added shyly. "But I think it'll be alright." They chatted the rest of the way home, but Daryl couldn't think of much else than where they had left things when they headed out for dinner. He tried to focus on all the things they were talking about, but he knew he was leaving the conversation very one sided. Luckily Carol either didn't notice, or didn't mind. She easily filled in all the gaps he left and kept things from getting awkward.

They entered the house from the front and Daryl continued through to the back door. He didn't want to be presumptuous, so he would just go to his trailer and somehow sleep, even though his mind was locked on how good it felt to kiss her and touch her sexy curves. "Daryl?" she asked, from somewhere close behind him. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, sure," he mumbled, stopping and turning to face her. "I was just gonna…" His voice trailed off when he saw the way she was looking at him. Carol looked… well… hungry. "I… um… should I…" he stammered, not really sure what exactly he was trying to ask her.

"Should you get over here and kiss me?" Carol asked, smirking at him. "Yes, you should," she purred.

"Okay," he muttered, like an idiot. But Daryl made sure to make up for his social awkwardness with the kiss. He made sure it was very tender, but also sensual, letting her know it wasn't a goodnight kiss, it was the kind of kiss that meant he wanted more. His hands slid down her back to her ass - he needed to feel it again. God, she was so sexy, she had him hard in seconds.

The next few minutes were a bit of a blur, but every moment still felt completely natural. The kissing and groping on the way to her bedroom was intense and left Daryl dizzy with desire, but somehow he managed to hold it together long enough to get through undressing each other. "Jesus," he muttered, standing back to look at her. Carol was so beautiful and he couldn't help but wonder how on earth he'd got so lucky? She had small breasts but they were perky and suited her frame. He wasn't a fan of fake boobs like his big brother anyway, he preferred natural anyday. The curves of her hips were insanely sexy. She hid them well in her everyday attire - too well, he decided, then changed his mind thinking of other men seeing those curves. No, it was better if he was the only one who got to know what she really looked like.

Daryl was so caught up in her beauty and sexiness that he actually forgot he was bare assed with a massive erection, but it all came flooding back when Carol reached out and touched his dick. He groaned and felt his legs grow weak. Slowly she started to sink to her knees in front of him. "Wha… what… are you doing?" he mumbled, looking down at her in surprise.

Carol giggled, "Pretty sure you know exactly what I'm doing." He felt her hand wrap around his cock and Daryl sucked in a breath. "Don't worry, I'll take it slow," she added in a sultry voice. Slow… fast… it didn't matter… she was going to kill him, he was sure of it. But what a way to die.

"You don't have… oh fuck…." Daryl couldn't finish his thought because his dick was in her mouth and he no longer had any clue what the fuck he was even saying anymore. Carol did just as she said and moved slowly up and down his hard cock. He wasn't sure he was going to be able to stand up for much longer. He couldn't even remember the last time he had a blowjob. It likely wasn't all that long ago, but half the time he couldn't remember what happened when he was wasted. This one he would remember - for eternity.

The warmth of her mouth felt so incredible and the way she swirled her tongue around the tip of his penis was heavenly. There were feelings inside him that Daryl didn't understand, things he was absolutely certain that he had never felt before. But he would have to figure those out later because right then it was taking all his focus to stay on his feet and to not ejaculate prematurely like a teenage virgin.

Slow was not good… it was fucking bliss… which was not good because it was too good. If he let her continue much longer… Daryl stepped back, pulling out of her mouth with a little pop. He looked down at her and held out his hand. Carol placed her hand in his and he drew her to her feet. "You're amazing," he whispered, leaning in to nuzzle her cheek with his. Daryl wanted to make sure she knew he'd enjoyed it and didn't want to hurt her feelings in any way. He hoped she would understand why he needed her to stop.

Daryl moved his hands over her soft skin as he backed her towards the bed and eased her back. He could tell from the look on her face that she was expecting him to fuck her, but he didn't reach for the condom they had ready, instead he took his turn on his knees. He could smell her scent as he moved closer and it was driving him wild. The desire to taste her was overwhelming and it took over as he dove in and had his first lick. The whimper that came out of her was quite possibly the sexiest sound he'd ever heard. "Daryl?" she got out. "You don't… you don't have to…"

He almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of her comment - as if he wouldn't want to go down on her. But what made it even funnier was how similar they were because he realized she'd made the exact statement that he was trying to make to her moments earlier. Instead of laughing her merely lifted his head and grinned at her, then moved right back down and picked up where he left off.

Daryl enjoyed giving oral to a woman because of the control it gave him. He loved making Carol moan and sigh. He adored making her squirm and pant. And most of all he was absolutely delighted when she came, her fingers twisted in his hair, begging him for more, begging him not to stop until finally her body jolted and her thighs squeezed a little tighter against his face and once again she made that whimper sound that turned him on like so much.

He stayed between her legs, breathing in her scent a little longer, until Carol finally relaxed her body. "Oh wow…" she sighed, sitting up a bit to smile at him. "That was amazing." Daryl blushed and stood up as she laughed. "You are entirely too adorable." She bit her lip and reached for the condom. "Looks like you're ready for this, hmm?" Her eyes drifted to his erection, which was every bit as hard as it had been since they kissed back in the hallway.

Daryl felt like he was in a dream as he watched her open the package and roll the condom onto him. If it was a dream it was the best one he'd ever had. And it kept getting better as she moved further back on the bed and reached out to him. There were so many positions they could have chose, but Daryl had to admit that this was exactly how he'd imagined it and exactly what he'd wanted. She was giving him control again, maybe even stroking his ego a little, but letting him be on top.

It allowed him to last longer because he could change the pace when he needed to. It seemed like such a simple gesture, but it was everything. It reminded him how smart and intuitive Carol was and how well she'd got to know him in the short amount of time they had been in each other's lives. They had a deep emotional connection that heightened their physical intimacy even more.

He loved the way it felt to move inside her, but he loved even more the way it felt like they were connected by far more than their bodies. It was something he'd never known before and it was overwhelming to the point that he was crying by the time he finally came.

Daryl felt ridiculous and buried his face in her neck so she wouldn't see his tears, but when he heard her sniffle he lifted his head. There were tears streaming down her face as she smiled at him. He looked into her eyes and for the first time in his life - he knew he was home.