Okay...I just couldn't set this chapter aside so I wrote on it most of the night. SOA loving mom...thank you for all the AWESOME video's you've done...I was listening to them as I wrote this chapter and they seemed to inspire me tonight!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own any of The Walking Dead characters and I'm NOT making any money off of them! I only claim the OC characters I created for this story.

Please leave reviews. They are what keep me wanting to write!

For those on Twitter follow me at GrapeMystic

CARYL ON!

***WARNING: This is a TRIGGER WARNING! This chapter contains talk of domestic abuse/violence, so if this bothers you, you might want to skip over the first 3/4 of it. Granted Ed did rape Carol but, I did NOT go into the details of that and refuse to.***

Daryl had spent what was left of the morning working on T-Dog's bike outside the garage before pushing the machine back inside. He'd seen Carol arrive back at her place not long after he'd gone out to the garage but hadn't seen her since. She'd been upset when she'd left the factory, that much he could tell, but she hadn't let on as to what it was about. Now walking towards her place with a Tupperware bowl filled with soup he'd heated up on the grill and a bag in his other hand, he hoped she'd be up for some company.

Going up the steps, he set the bag down and knocked on the door and then waited. When she finally opened it, he found her wearing a pair of pajama pants and a oversized tee shirt. Her eyes were red and puffy like she'd been crying and she had a tissue in her hand.

When she pushed open the storm door, he lifted the bowl slightly, "Thought ya might like some soup...for your stomach. Heated it up on the grill bein' power's still out."

Letting him in, Carol closed the door behind him and walked back over towards the couch, "Thanks, but I'm not all that hungry right now."

Watching as she curled up at one end of the couch, Daryl took the soup to the kitchen and placed it and the bag onto the counter. Looking back over at her, he reached in the bag, pulling out two beers and going back over to her. Holding one down in front of her, she shook her head refusing it and he moved over to the recliner and took a seat. Opening one of them, he took a drink and then starred down at the can for a moment before speaking, "Ya wanna talk about it?"

Resting her left arm on the armrest and holding her head up with her hand, tears began to form in her eyes again. She couldn't look at him, her emotions were getting the better of her. Her chin trembled and she whispered softly, "I'm pregnant."

Daryl's eyes went to her as soon as the words passed her lips. Tears streamed down her cheeks and he began to feel uncomfortable. He'd never been good with emotions from females, especially crying. Looking back down at his beer can, he clenched his jaw a couple times and then breathed out, "Didn't know ya was seein' anyone."

"I'm not..." she choked out, wiping at her eyes with the balled up wet tissue. "It's Ed's."

Looked back over at her, Daryl shook his head slightly, not understanding fully, "Ed's?"

Reaching over and getting a fresh tissue from the box on the end table, Carol wiped her eyes and nodded, her eyes then going down to her lap. Gradually since the attack she'd began remembering the events of that evening that Ed had came to the house but she'd keep it all to herself, not even telling Jacqui. For some reason though, she felt comfortable enough with Daryl to tell him.

Swallowing, she sniffled and breathed out, "I...I'd been out most of the day, getting things taken care of. It was dark when I finally got home. I'd forgotten to turn on the porch light." Dabbing at her eyes, she then continued, "I remember I dropped my keys and bent down to pick them up and when I stood back up, he was there. He...he told me if I made any noise he'd kill me."

Setting his beer onto a coaster on the coffee table, Daryl's eyes settled on her, "Carol...you don't have to tell me."

"No...I...I need to get it out." Lifting her eyes and meeting his, she took in a shaky breath, "I feel comfortable telling you...and I don't know why."

Resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward, Daryl nodded in understanding but kept his eyes on her, "'Kay."

Licking her lips, Carol then let her gaze fall down to the table in front of them, "When we got inside, he shoved me into the wall. I remember smelling the liquor on his breath, whenever he'd been drinking was when he was really violent. I remember him hitting me and I ended up on the floor. Then he drug me by my hair into the middle of the living room and kicked me a few times, yelling how I was a slut and was worthless. Then he pulled his knife out and...and started cutting at my hair...saying he'd make sure no man would ever want me..."

More hot tears ran down her face, the images of her ordeal playing out in her mind as she talked. She could remember vividly the crazed look in Ed's eyes as he beat her more once he'd dropped the knife. A small sob fell from her lips and she closed her eyes, Ed's harsh abusive words echoing in her head.

Daryl was doing all he could to remain calm for her. Hearing about how she'd suffered at the hand's of her ex husband had him on edge, ready to kill the bastard himself. He'd seen the same abuse when he was a child, his own father beating his mother on several occasions to a bloody mess in his drunken rage. That same violence had been turned onto Daryl years later after his mother's death and not long after Merle had left to join the army. He'd been left broken, not trusting anyone but his brother who'd rescued him from the hands of their old man not too long before his eighteenth birthday. It'd also been the last time either of them ever saw the elder Dixon.

Carol's sob's met his ears and he looked over at her. Before he knew what he was doing, he got up from the chair and moved over to the couch. Sitting beside her, Daryl's arm went around her, causing her to jump at the touch. Her body was radiating the fear she felt and he gently pulled her to him, wrapping her in his strong arms. Resting his chin against her head, he whispered softly to her, "You ain't gotta tell me no more, woman."

Resting her head against him, Carol's hand gripped his shirt and she closed her eyes back. She couldn't seem to stop crying, she was finally letting go of all the pent up emotions she'd been holding back. "H-He...he raped me, Daryl...I couldn't stop him...I...I tried...I tried..."

Daryl's body tensed, her words cutting into him like a knife. His left hand moved up to her head, holding her against him and his other remained around her. "Ain't got nothin' to be scared of anymore. Ain't gonna let no one hurt ya again, woman."

Sitting back, he brought her with him, keeping her wrapped in his arm's. Ever since she'd moved in, he'd felt himself drawn to her more and more. They both had their scars, some the same, others different. Both had survived the abuse in their lives and it'd seemed to make them stronger. She'd shared with him some of the horror stories of Ed before, but never going into much detail and he'd talked a little of his childhood before his mother had died, when things hadn't been so bad for him. She'd seemed to be able to relate to what his mother had gone through at least. He just hadn't been able to open up fully about himself.

When she began to quiet down, and relax against him more, he broke the silence, "How far long the doctor say ya are?"

Opening her eyes, Carol remained still, "I didn't go to the doctor. Got a pregnancy test from the drug store on the way home. I got an appointment Tuesday though on my lunch break. But, I'm probably a little over six weeks. I hadn't been with anyone else."

Comfortable with her there in his arm's, Daryl didn't want to move and break the connection he had with Carol. Raising his brow, he asked, "Do ya know what ya want to do? I mean, are ya gonna keep it?"

Starring at the blank TV across the room from them, Carol shrugged slightly, "I don't know." A single tear fell and she closed her eyes once more, "I never wanted to get pregnant when I was with him...didn't want to bring a child into the abuse. He didn't know I was on the pill, but when he went to prison...I didn't think I needed them anymore."

His fingers traced imaginary circles on her arm without him realizing he was even doing it. Looking down at the top of her head, he whispered, "Do ya want to be a momma?"

Thinking about his question some, Carol finally nodded and breathed out, "I always wanted children...just never with...him."

Biting his lip, Daryl then added, "This is your kid too. Part of you if'n ya want to be a momma ta it. Ain't the kid's fault it's daddy is a bastard."

A small smile formed at hearing Daryl talk about her ex in that way. Hearing his heart beat, she closed her eyes back and sighed, "I think what scares me the most right now is that Ed's still out there somewhere. If he was to find out I was pregnant I don't know what he'd do."

"He wouldn't do shit. He comes 'round here he'll be eatin' buckshot and bolt's," Daryl practically growled. "Me 'n Merle ain't gonna let him hurt you or ya kid. Ain't gotta worry 'bout that none."

Lifting her head some and looking up at him, she whispered, "I believe you."

Starring into her eyes, Daryl moved his hand, his knuckles gently wiping at her tear stained cheek. His gaze fell to her lips, the urge to feel them against his growing. Looking back into her eyes, the fear that had been in them earlier was gone, replaced with something he'd not seen before. The distance between them slowly closed until his lips hovered just above her's. Unable to hold back any longer, he closed the gap between them, his lips ghosting over her's before pulling back. Daryl held her gaze, the space between them filled with an intense expectancy. For long moments neither of them spoke, the silence saying everything. As much as he wanted to ignore it, he was very attracted to Carol and now, his problem lie in what to do with that attraction.

His deep blue eyes held her's captive, and Carol found herself wanting to know more about him. For years, she'd all but given up on dating or even having a relationship because of Ed. But, after getting to know Daryl some, she felt as if she could at least try.

For the first time, Daryl felt his heart stutter to life, each beat pulsating against his chest and giving him warmth. Pulling Carol closer, he bent to capture her soft lips, whispering lightly, "We're in this together, woman."

The kiss was soft, sweet, and everything Carol thought it would ever be. There was no demand, no rushing, instead they took their time, enjoying the moment. When they parted, Carol looked up into his eyes, "That was nice."

"More than nice," Daryl responded with a slight smirk. Running his knuckles over her cheek again, Daryl held her gaze, "One step at a time?"

Nodding, Carol whispered, "Yeah."

He couldn't believe they were here in this moment, her in his arms. He had to reach out to her once again just to make sure he wasn't in the throes of some type of cruel joke. When his fingers skimmed against the silky skin of her arm, he sighed, "I want ta do this right, Carol. Ain't never been like this with a woman before."

Nodding in understanding, she smiled and cuddled back against him, sighing, "And I've never been with a man like this either."

Allowing silence to fall between them, Daryl stared out as he caressed her arm, the act sending showers of electricity through his body. He'd already determined that he wasn't going to step over any boundaries she imposed but his body couldn't help but reflect the tremors of desire that coursed through him.

Okay...so...yes or no? Remember, I did give y'all a trigger warning at the top of this chapter, so if ya didn't heed that warning then that's your own fault! But, I did decide to end this chapter on a good note with their first kiss. Okay, go review...remember, they are my push to keep going! CARYL ON!