They had cleared and seeled off the tombs from the open front half of the prison a few months ago. That didn't mean there was no dangers. The dark echoing narrow halls and blackened cells, were hazardous and easy to get lost in.
Daryl moved slowly through the dim space, the beam of his torch doing little to light more than a few yards in front of him. Each corner he turned harboured it's own unique smell of mould or decay, adding to the gloom and ill feeling in Daryl's stomach.
It wasn't something that he would admit to anyone, Daryl could barely acknowledge it to himself, but he needed her. He needed Carrie. She was his.
He didn't know when it happened. Hell, it mighta been when he first came to in her house after getting shot. All he could tell was that her and Jack were his now. His responsibility, maybe even, his family.
But she was slipping. Whatever that dark cloud was in her head, it was threatening to take hold of her and not give her back. Daryl had been able to sense it in her from the time he had first instructed her to go to bed. That night her confusion and disturbed behaviour had made Daryl realise that she was loosing herself out there alone. Her polar emotions, switching at the drop of a hat between happiness and rage, bliss and depression. People can't be alone, despite what they believe. Carrie needed him, whether she knew it or not. Her little boy needed him. Those old familiar feelings of wanting a child of his own had seeped back into his mind and taken hold of him. No matter what he told himself or how much he fought it, the need to love a baby of his own always came back. Jack was his. Carrie was his.
Daryl spat to the floor as he turned a corner, trying to get his head on straight. He held the small beam of light in front of him and proceeded with a jog down the shadowy passages. His free hand hovered at the small of his back, just above the handle grip of his 9mm. He wasn't expecting trouble, didn't mean he was gonna be caught off guard.
He tracked her movements through the disturbed dust and grime on the floor. Through a few open doors and with the occasional noise of something dropping or scrapping on the hard concrete ground. She had found her way to the lower levels of the prison. Daryl stopped outside the ajar door of the basement laundry. A small cry came from the room in front of him. He had tracked her through the tombs and now that he had found her, didn't know how he should proceed.
There was no right way. She was more than upset. Daryl steeled his nerves and just resolved to do what he could to talk her back to them. He held the torch low and pushed the door open.
"Carrie?" He asked quietly, not expecting an answer. Her quiet sob stopped.
Daryl stepped in and looked around the room. Half the room was dimly lit by the high eastern windows, the other half was shadowed, but once Daryl switched off the torch and his eyes adjusted, he could see enough.
The room was similar to the laundry upstairs. A mid sized room with a few large washers and dryers, a couple of stainless steel benches and a wall of shelving units lined with stacks of folded white sheets. The stench of the halls didn't quite seem to make it into the well ventilated room. It was a small respite from the decay beyond the door.
Daryl lifted his crossbow from his back and set it down with the torch on a bench near the door. Carrie was in here somewhere and he needed to approach her with care.
His silent footfalls guided him around the room as he looked under benches and even inside the empty dryers.
"Carrie, please." He implored. "What're ya doin'?"
He let out a small sigh of relief when he found her, sitting curled up on the floor at the end of the linen shelves. Her head was buried into her knees, Carrie's long legs pulled up and crossed in front of her. She held on to herself and was rocking almost unnoticeably.
"I should have warned you." He began. "That was my mistake. I should have told you more about the men who shot at me." Daryl eased down in front of her, his legs crossed as he sat Indian style. He sighed and continued on. "The man who attacked you is dangerous beyond anything else out there now. He has killed some of our people and many of his own. Those folks out there that you were scared'a, they were the few survivors from his townful of people." Carrie still kept her head down as he spoke, but she was no longer shaking from sobbing. Daryl pressed on. "He hurt you an' ya boy to hurt me."
Carrie lifted her head, but her green eyes didn't quite make it to Daryl's. "It doesn't matter anymore. Nothing matters anymore."
"What doesn't matter?" Daryl asked in a harsh whisper.
Carrie shook her head. "The world is over Daryl. We're all dead. You just haven't realised it yet. We are all just ghosts and monsters."
Her words set a chill to his bones. Carrie's voice was so hollow it didn't even sound like it came from her lips.
"No. Tha's bullshit." He angered. "You have a baby boy out there. He needs you." He held a tight breath in his chest. "I need you, Carrie."
Carrie frowned lightly at Daryl's words before her eyes lifted to his face and his vulnerable blue eyes. He was bolstered by her attention and pushed on further.
"I need ya. There ain't much in this world worth fightin' for anymore." He brushed his fingertips along her arm and continued. "Every single person up there is surviving for one thing. Each other. That's all that matters anymore. Maybe tha's all that ever mattered, even before it all went to shit." Daryl dropped his hand and hoped that he had gotten through to her.
Carrie wiped her eyes on her forearm. Lifting her arm made a sharp pain jag to her ribs and caused her to wince. She closed her eyes and rest her head back against the cool cinderblock wall for a while. Her quiet breathing and motionless body made Daryl almost believe she had fallen asleep. He had been about to nudge her when she slowly opened her eyes. Daryl breathed a soft relieved breath and got to his feet. Large wet tears rolled down Carrie's hollow cheeks. She licked her lips wet and tried to swallow the hard lump that was resting at the back of her throat. Holding out his hand, Daryl offered to help Carrie to her feet.
She still hadn't said anything. Carrie only blinked slowly and looked at his outstretched hand. Moving slowly, she lifted her arm and put her hand into Daryl's calloused fingers. He grabbed hold of her and eased her up off the ground.
"It's all gonna be okay Carrie." Daryl whispered into her hair as he pulled her into a soft embrace. "I'm always gonna look after you. And Jack." He added.
Carrie's arms were limp by her side. She slowly lifted her hands and put them to Daryl's sides. Carrie shook softly and Daryl held her a little tighter, mindful of her injuries. Carrie slid her hands around Daryl's lower back as he held her against himself for a little while.
Carrie made a small motion in his arms and Daryl relaxed his hold on her. He stepped back, keeping his hands to her upper arms. A sudden tight feeling gripped Daryl's throat and an icy sick feeling settled in his stomach.
Carrie lifted her left hand weakly, pointing Daryl's 9mm at her own jaw.
Daryl pulled his mouth in tight, his face crumpling slightly in a terrible mix of fear and anger. Feeling any move he made was going to be the wrong one, Daryl didn't move a muscle. All he could do was look into her wet, deep green eyes and plead with his heartbroken blue ones.
Carrie felt the warm, heavy weight of the 9mm handgun in her hand. She looked into Daryl's eyes, not knowing herself what she was about to do. Her tears continued to run heavily down her face, her chest constricted as if she couldn't get enough oxygen.
The air in the room stilled. The only sound was Daryl's heartbeat, thrumming loudly from within his chest.
Carrie closed her eyes and dropped her left hand. The gun falling to the floor with a clatter. Daryl slid his hands around her and pushed his lips to her forehead. He held his mouth against her and just breathed her in through his nose. Carrie shuddered in his arms, silent heartbreaking sobs into his shoulder. Daryl brushed his hand up through her hair, stroking her back.
Carrie's fingers wrapped into Daryl shirt. She held him to her as her tears and sobs came to an end. Daryl. Daryl was her tether. If she held on to him, she could stop herself from being swept away by the dark storm inside her mind. She breathed shallow breaths. Her heart beat harder in her chest as he held her against himself.
Carrie tilted her head back slowly and looked at Daryl. He brought his hands around to cup her face, wiping her tears from her cheeks with his rough thumbs. His relief was like a drug, the euphoria calmed his glass-fragile nerves as Carrie's breathing slowed and she relaxed into his hands. Daryl's eyes dropped to Carrie's parted mouth, her sweet breath puffing softly over his skin. His chest tightened and he dropped his lips softly to hers.
The kiss swam through Carrie like silk. The tension in her bones leaving her with his tender touches. Daryl's hands slid from her jaw to her back, holding her softly against his chest. Carrie's lips gently kissed and bit at Daryl. A mixture of burgeoning lust and apology. The passion filled nips turned deeper as Carrie tilted her head and opened up to the tip of Daryl's tongue.
Still clinging to Daryl's shirt, Carrie's knees weakened. He sensed it and moved her slowly backwards, so she was pushed against the wall behind her for support. His hands moved softly down her broken ribs to her hips. Carrie's hands dropped down Daryl's front, between them, to the top of his jeans. Her fingers slipped just inside the waist of his denim.
The sensation of Carrie's fingers just inside his pants heated Daryl's blood. His kiss became a little harder and deeper as he edged his knee between her thighs. Prying her legs open slightly, Daryl settled himself against Carrie. She moaned a little noise in her throat as he kissed her and she ground herself softly against his hard leg. Daryl's hands slid around Carrie's behind, cupping her denim rear and kneaded her flesh.
Her tongue lashed softly at his, as her long fingers began working at his belt. Carrie's hands harried as she unhooked the buckle and unbuttoned his jeans. Daryl seethed softly as her cool hands dropped into his underwear, softly cupping around his hardened length. He dropped his mouth to the uninjured side of her jaw, kissing and sucking at her sweet skin, savouring the feeling of her hand massaging his cock. She moaned quietly before he pulled away from her.
Daryl dropped to a knee in front of her. He put his hands quickly to Carrie's fly and opened the button and zip. He dragged her grey denim and black underwear down her slender, long legs. Getting stuck at her boots but not even bothering trying to get her pants down further. He ran his hands over her soft white skin, watching her reaction to his touch in her eyes, skating up along her thighs to her hips before standing up again. Daryl shoved down his own pants to around his thighs and returned back to her soft, waiting lips.
His hands slipped behind her thighs as he pushed himself again between her legs. Carrie tried to pull herself up Daryl's body, but instead, cried out holding her side tightly. She wasn't being mindful of her ribs, but Daryl was, despite his impulsive actions. He kept his hands away from her torso. He grabbed her hands and wrapped them around his back, under his arms. Returning his palms to her thighs, he gave a soft squeeze before scooping her up and taking her weight, pinning her softly to the cinderblock wall.
Daryl hands and mouth drove away Carrie's pain. His lips pressed against hers, asking her to part her mouth, to kiss him deeper. Carrie tilted her head as she felt the tip of his prick brush at her wet slit. Her eyes fluttered subtly as a thread of electric silk tingled from her stomach to her toes.
Carrie held her arms around Daryl, her fingers tangling in the handfuls of shirt she could grab. Daryl pushed himself forward, sliding precisely into her hot centre. A husky moan escaped Carrie's lips beside Daryl's ear. He pulled back slightly and pushed forward into her again. His vision glazed slightly as the encompassing, tight heat, spread over his cock. He sighed out a jagged breath as he turned his face in to her warm hair. Inhaling her scent, Daryl rocked in to her, back and again.
Carrie felt dizzy. The rush of endorphins from her injuries and the incredible blissful ache of Daryl inside her, combined to make Carrie feel almost drunk. She clung to his shirt, wrapped around his body, moved with Daryl as much as she could. All the while, letting the world tip away from beneath her as the coiling sensation grew tighter in her womb.
Daryl's thrusts became deeper and faster. He groaned softly into her shoulder as he felt himself begin to edge closer to release. Carrie's whimpering soft voice in his ear making his skin break out in goose bumps. His hand slipped a bit in the building perspiration between them. Accidentally dropping her left side a little, Carrie let out a hard cry as she banged her damaged ribs. Daryl growled to himself and stopped, his every nerve throbbing and screaming to continue.
He put his forehead to her cheek, breathing steadily. Turning his head slightly, he noticed the shelves of white sheets beside them. Releasing Carrie's body, he pulled himself away from her and started tossing the sheets open and scattering them on the floor. It wasn't much in the way of comfort but it was better than pushing her up against the hard wall.
The piles of crumpled white linen softened Carrie's drop to her knees. Cradling her side as she turned and sat, she ripped open her boots laces and tried to kick off the leather shoes one handed. Daryl fell to his knees in front of her, tugging off her boots and grabbing onto her denim, dragging it down her thighs. He slid the jeans down her legs and tossed them behind him as he crawled forward over her. Sliding her tank top up her abdomen, he urged Carrie to lie back. She lay herself down on the padded ground using her free arm as Daryl moved up her body.
He kissed her neck, moving along her jaw to her ear. A wave of fluttering tingles ran down Carrie's arms as she listened to Daryl breathing heavily beside her face. His hands slid down her thighs, hooking under her knees and lifting her legs to clasp around his hips, one side at a time. He moved with care, not wanting to hurt Carrie.
Taking his length in hand, he guide himself back to her slick entrance. He turned his head and kissed Carrie on the uninjured side of her mouth as he pushed himself again back into her core. She inhaled deeply, shuddering slightly, and turned her face to Daryl's. He withdrew entirely from her, then pushed himself again into Carrie as she kissed him softly on the lips.
He rest his weight on his elbows, keeping off her body. His arms were under her shoulders but his hands were cradling her neck, fingers tangling in the soft hair at the base of her skull. Carrie's hands were wrapped around Daryl's shoulders from under his arms. She lifted and rolled her hips slowly to meet his soft rocking into her.
Daryl pushed his length inside her, sending electric sparks shooting through her abdomen with each repeated stroke. Carrie pushed her head back into Daryl's hands and the pile of sheets. Daryl pressed his lips to her pulse and dug himself into her harder. Carrie seethed and shuddered slightly, the feeling that emanated from her core, pulsing through her body to her fingertips.
Again, harder, and again, Daryl ground himself into her. The feeling of being so close, being inside her, was too good. He groaned slightly into the flesh under her jaw as his pace quickened and thrusts hardened. Carrie was making small noises in the back of her throat as her blunt, long fingers dug into the flesh on his exposed shoulders.
Her toes curled as the ascending ecstasy rolled through her body from her centre. Each thrust driving her, pushing her closer to the blissful threshold. Daryl's panting mouth on her neck, his large hands cupping her skull, his hard cock filling her and stretching her. Carrie bit at her lips as Daryl pressed his perspiration laced forehead to her shoulder. Her body started shaking beneath him.
His heart was thumping hard, out of rhythm with his strokes. Carrie's body, both soft and firm beneath him, drew everything from him. Daryl's breath puffed out in hot waves over Carrie's chest as he staved off cuming as long as he could. Carrie moaned out loud. Even though unsure whether her cry was pain or bliss, Daryl didn't stop this time. He lifted his face from her collar and looked to see her eyes. Her deep green captured his ice blue as the ecstasy crashed through her body.
Carrie shook and bucked as she held Daryl tighter, the pain in her ribs completely eclipsed by the brilliant, white hot orgasm racking her entire core. Carrie's tight walls convulsed around his length and he groaned heavily as he sunk himself deep in to her. He spilled inside her with his last stuttering thrusts, holding tightly onto her shoulders.
Daryl's energy left him instantly. Even now, mindful of her broken ribs, Daryl lifted himself off of Carrie and untangled himself from her legs, shuddering slightly when he withdrew from her. He lay down beside her on his back, keeping as close to her as possible, letting his own bliss seep through his body.
Daryl's warmth radiated through Carrie from her side. She rolled towards him and tangled her body against his, dragging a handful of sheets over them both. Shaking slightly in her thighs and chest, Carrie breathed in Daryl's scent as he lifted his arms and wrapped them softly around her. Running his hands over her silken hair, he breathed slowly until his heart eased down to a normal rhythm in his chest.
