Not too terribly pleased with this chapter, but my brain has been kind of fried due to school. Daryl may be a little OOC, since he's especially chatty. I hope you all don't mind. Especially since he's being chatty with Carol. ;)

I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter Twenty

Carol and Daryl sat together on watch for a few more hours before Glenn and Maggie relieved them. Sometimes they had talked, but mostly they were silent. Comfortably so. It was clear that they had a lot on their minds as they stared over the railings and into the night.

Daryl followed Carol down the steps, ready for bed. "You know, if things weren't so grim right now, I would have made a joke about Glenn and Maggie being in the guard tower," Carol said, her voice sounding tired as well.

"Yeah?"

"There isn't much privacy inside the cellblock, if you haven't noticed. They used to go up to the guard tower to...you know." Her cheeks flushed.

"Oh. I get it." His cheeks burned. The first thought that had popped into his head was him taking Carol up there, but he quickly shook that away. Especially since he had no business thinking about her like that. None at all.

"They've been together since the farm. While we were on the road for those months before here, everyone knew when they would get together. We practically lived on each other."

"Suppose I should consider myself lucky that it was just Merle and me, huh?" He gave her a smile. Though, most days he hadn't considered himself so lucky. If he had known Merle would have gone and got his ass killed, he would have treasured those days spent with just his brother.

"I love each member of my group dearly, but let me tell you, I have seen at least all of them naked at one point or another." She shuddered. "I love them, but I love them even better with all of their clothes on."

"Does that mean you even seen Hers-?"

"Yes. Even him. Don't remind me." She shuddered, again. "I think I may be scarred for life because of it." When she laughed softly, Daryl figured it was all right if he were to chuckle along with her.

They passed the man in question in the common are of the block, reading his bible with the light of a candle. Daryl looked at Carol the same moment she looked at him and they burst into laughter, once more.

"What's so funny, you two?" Hershel looked up from his book and gave them a curious look.

"Nothing, Hershel," Carol answered quickly. "Uh, Daryl just told me a joke."

"Oh, really." Hershel closed the bible. "I'd like to hear it, if you don't mind. It's been awhile since I've heard a good joke."

Daryl glared at Carol, who was struggling even harder to contain her laughter, now. "Uh," he scored his brain for a joke. Of course, he couldn't tell the old man any of Merle's dirty jokes. Especially since he had just gotten done reading from the bible.

"What has four eyes and no face?" Daryl mentally slapped himself, knowing that this was the lamest joke he could have told.

"What?"

"Mississippi."

The old man didn't even crack a smile, instead he looked at Carol. "Is that what had you laughing so hard? Because there are other ways you can flirt without laughing at everything a man says." He turned back to his bible.

"Uh. Okay." Carol's face had gone beet red and she grabbed Daryl's arm to pull him into the cellblock and away from Hershel. This time she was the one to be embarrassed.

"Sorry about that," she said, once she shut the barred door behind them. "Hershel can just be-"

"A typical old man?" His mouth quirked up. "When I was little, I spent a lot of time with my mom's dad before...before she died, and he acted the same. Bet he tells long-winded stories."

"God yes." Carol rolled her eyes.

"So did my grandpa. Merle hated them, but I always sat at his knee and listened. Even if he had told the same story over and over." They walked up the metal staircase to the second floor and Daryl lowered his voice to a whisper so not to disturb anyone who was trying to sleep.

"I bet he loved that." Carol flashed him a smile over her shoulder.

"He did. I know it ain't sayin' much, considerin' who my brother is-was, I'm pretty sure I was his favorite grandson. When he passed away when I was eighteen, I got his name tattooed on my chest, over my heart." He flushed a little, since he was spilling that was so personal.

"That's a wonderful way to remember him by." They stopped outside of their cells, though neither one moved to walk in them. "Sometimes I wish that we had things like tattoos, now. I would like to have something to remind me of Sophia. All that I have left of her is one of her hair ties." She held up a wrist and showed him.

"Maybe-Maybe, once this business with the Governor is over, we can go out and look for a kit or somethin'. I've got a few tattoos and I know I ain't no expert, but I'm sure if I read up on it, I could do somethin'." He offered, shyly.

"I might take you up on that offer, Daryl." She smiled. "Now, I think I'm going to go to bed. I have breakfast to make in the morning."

"If you wake me up, I could help. I-If you want." Really, he didn't know how to cook, but he was going to take any opportunity to spend time with Carol.

"You deserve to sleep in," she said. "Especially after..."

"I don't need that much sleep anymore, anyways. Usually, I go huntin' at dawn."

"All right." She finally gave in. "I'll wake you up. Thanks."

"No problem."

Daryl shifted in place as they stood staring at one another for a little bit. It almost felt as if he should kiss her, but Daryl knew she'd probably push him away. So, with a dip of the head and a mumbled 'good night', he slipped into his cell.

Sitting on his mattress, he lit the candle beside the bed, and pulled out the two letters Carol had handed to him. Maybe, after breakfast, they could place them on the graves of her friends. It would be nice to be there when she placed them on the graves.

Picking up the first one at random, the top of the flap said T-Dog.

Dear Theodore, it read.

We were always the odd ones out in our group, weren't we? Rick had his family and Glenn had the Greenes. Leaving just us. I didn't mind, of course. You were a good man and those days on the road, you always seemed to put a smile on my face. Even if there seemed to be nothing good left in the world to smile at. You and Rick helped me to shoot and helped me to not become a burden.

You didn't deserve to go out the way you did. Things shouldn't have happened the way they did.

You gave your life for mine and I will be forever grateful for that. You gave me another chance at life, though I wish it was a life that had you in it still. But, I know you're in heaven and you're happy. And I know that Amy, Jacqui, Sophia, Dale and Lori are up there with you, as well.

I love and miss you,

Carol

For some reason, Daryl got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach after reading the letter. T-Dog and Carol had been the odd ones out in their group, meaning they spent a lot of time together. He taught her how to shoot and made her smile, even when she didn't feel like smiling. She also said that she loved him. Of course, she could have loved him like a friend. That was what Carol had told Daryl, anyway. That Lori and T-Dog had been her friends.

Besides, he had no reason to be upset even if they had been a thing. He hadn't been there and she hadn't even known he existed.

Setting the letter aside, he picked up the other one. This one said Lori.

Dear Lori,

Ever since the quarry, I always considered you one of my dearest friends. At first, I used to think that you would only talk to me because Carl was friends with Sophia. However, it didn't take me long to realize I was wrong. You were there for me when Sophia went missing and I hope you thought I was there for you during your pregnancy. I tried to be, even though I was still hurting from my daughter's death.

You were the one I always went to when I needed someone to talk to. Remember when we would shamelessly gossip about Glenn and Maggie? Those were some of the few good times we had on the road.

When I came out of the tombs to find you gone...it broke my heart. After my ordeal, yours was one of the first faces I wanted to see. While I was in the tombs, Sophia came to me and I know this sounds crazy, but I'm alive because of her. If only she was alive because of me...but that is another story.One I shouldn't burden you with. But while I was there, Sophia mentioned a man named Daryl. I don't know a man named Daryl. She said he would make me happy. I don't understand. I wish you were here so I could to talk with you about it. Maybe you would think I was crazy and I would have been okay with that. Just as long as you were there.

Rick is lost without you. So is Carl. And that baby, she's going to grow up without a mom, but I'll look out for her. We all will. You won't have to worry about a thing while you're up there in heaven.

Say hi to Sophia for me and tell her that I met a Daryl. I don't know if he's going to make me happy, like she said. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

I love and miss you,

Carol.

The last part of the letter had been written in a different color, letting Daryl know that Carol had just added that part after she written the original letter. It made him smile a little and butterflies fluttered in his chest. Did that mean Carol was going to give him a chance?

Two more lengthy papers and by this time next week, I'll be done with this semester. Thank God! This semester has kicked my ass and seriously has effected my writing and reading!

I hope I did the letters justice.

Thanks for reading!