Chapter Twenty-Five

Daryl stood three steps down into the hatch, his upper body still visible, his arms outstretched to her. Carol glanced down nervously, biting her lower lip as her eyes took in the brightness of the shaft. Three lanterns glowed brightly, lanterns he'd found to chase away the darkness which frightened her and made the space seem less intimidating. Yet she still couldn't bring herself to make that first step.

He smiled reassuringly up at her and latched onto her ankles with a gentle grip before skimming his calloused fingertips up the back of her calves to her knees. "C'mon, woman. It's not gonna be like last time. You're gonna be fine, an' y' know I'll be right here with y'."

Rick put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You can do this, Carol. You don't want to keep Glenn and Dale from watch, d'you?" he teased.

Carol arched a dubious brow. "I'm sure they can't wait," she drawled. She looked down at the small smile on Daryl's lips and squared her shoulders, trying to gather her flagging courage.

He'd given her the usual pep talk when he wanted her to do something, the don't do this for me or Sophia spiel … do it for yourself … you're stronger than you think speech. If only she could believe it. He wouldn't let her fall, and he wouldn't let her fail. He was prepared to be her rock, her strength, as he had been from the beginning, but now he was so much more, and she didn't want to disappoint him.

Finally, she nodded and took his hand, striving to keep her breathing steady and even as she let him guide her feet onto the ladder. She closed her eyes for a moment and groaned, already feeling the tightness of the walls closing in on her despite the absence of darkness. Rick had her other hand to help steady her, and she tried to be brave. Ugh! She hated to feel so inept.

"Rick, back away from th' hatch 'til we're down. Don't want y' blockin' out th' light."

"Just yell when you're down," their leader called as he backed away.

Carol's body reacted immediately as Daryl pressed flush against her from behind. He was so warm, and smelled of sweat and sunshine from being on the roof for so long. His presence enveloped her in calm security, and then his lips ghosted over her ear, causing her to shiver, but not in fear. Those stirrings she'd felt earlier when he'd first kissed her were returning with a vengeance, and it took her mind off her anxiety.

He chuckled as her head rolled back onto his shoulder. "That's m' girl. Now let's go slow an' easy. One foot after another … that's it."

All the way down she listened to the sinful tone of his voice, concentrated on the feeling of his body moving with hers, and the gentle caress of the sun on her face. There was nothing to fear in his arms, least of all a bout of claustrophobia. Before she knew it, they were at the bottom of the shaft, and he was giving Rick the go ahead to come down. She gasped as Daryl swung her up into his arms. Why did she feel so weak? She buried her face against his shoulder as they passed by Dale and Glenn, somewhat embarrassed by her weakness.

"Y' ok? Why y' blushin'?" Daryl asked, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"They're going to tease you after seeing you carry me off downstairs."

He surprised her by shrugging off her concerns. "Ain't none o' their business what goes on between us. Y' ashamed t' be seen with me or somethin'?"

She could feel his arms tense beneath her and hear the insecurity in his tone. "I've never been ashamed to be seen with you, Daryl, and I don't care what the others think."

"They think I'm a filthy obnoxious redneck piece o' trash," he said, carefully maneuvering them down the wooden staircase into the bunker.

"Oh yeah? Well they think I'm a poor pitiful excuse for a woman who must've enjoyed being a punching bag," she countered. "Looks can be deceiving."

Daryl carried her into the now deserted kitchen, and set her on a stool at the big center island. He opened the fridge and crowed triumphantly when he came up with a cold can of Coke. He popped the top and set it before her. "My mama's cure all. She always swore it would make everything better."

"Right after it ate through the lining of your stomach," Carol chuckled, taking a sip.

He rummaged around in the fridge and brought out things to make them a sandwich since they'd missed breakfast. "If that's really how y' feel about th' group, why d'you want t' stick with 'em?"

Carol tilted her head to the side, thinking hard. "They're our friends."

"Your friends."

She took a bite of the ham and cheese sandwich he placed in front of her and shook her head. "They could be your friends too, Daryl, if you'd give them a chance. You took a chance on me."

He looked away from her piercing blue gaze, his cheeks reddening. "Didn't have no choice with you, woman. Y' needed me … even if y' couldn't see it at th' time. And y' got a good heart. Y' don't go around judgin' people." He sighed and played with the crust on his sandwich. "Y' saw good in me an' Merle."

"Because there is good in both of you." She reached over and curled her hand over his. "This group needs you, Daryl, every bit as much as I do. They need your strength and your wisdom. If anyone can teach them to survive for any length of time, it's you. Take a chance."

He took a deep shuddering breath, not liking the emotions she brought out in him. It was easy to trust her. She knew the pain he lived with because she shared it. He didn't think he could put that same trust in the rest of the group. "What about when m' brother comes back. I cain't see him wantin' t' stay with th' others after they left 'im t' die on that roof."

She snatched a handful of chips from the bag he opened and popped one into her mouth. "He will want what's best for his family. Merle Dixon may be a hardass, but he adores Sophia. He'll want what makes her happy."

Daryl leaned in and pressed his brow to hers, taking advantage of the relative privacy of the kitchen. "I hope you're right."

*.*.*

"But, Daryl, it's not fair!" Sophia pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "I should be able to help you gather weapons upstairs. It could be a learning experience for both me and Carl. How are we to learn if you won't let us near the weapons."

Daryl gave her a blank look. Why did Merle make it look so easy to talk to the girl? "It's not like that, Soph. Your mama needs your help packing up some o' th' foodstuffs t' bring with us while we work upstairs. Shane an' Rick already have experience with weapons an' know what t' pack up without me havin' to explain what we need."

"Merle would have let me help," she murmured sullenly.

"Yeah, well he ain't here," Daryl snapped. He huffed a sigh, irritated with himself for being harsh with her. "Soph, there's gonna be time t' teach y'. Jus' 'cause Merle ain't here, it don't mean I'ma forget your trainin'. Y' trust me, don'tcha?"

Sophia nodded and let her shoulders slump a little. "Of course." She looked past Daryl where Rick and Shane stood waiting for him to go up into the store. "A lot more than those two."

Daryl smirked. Carol's daughter had a keen sense of insight and wasn't easily fooled by the two men just because they were former police officers. She was shaping up into a true Dixon, wary of anyone who wasn't family, and Rick having left her dearest friend behind on that run didn't instill trust in her.

"Tell y' what," he said. "How bout I get Carl a bow like yours and enough bolts to split between y'? Fair payment for helpin' your mama and Lori work on packin'?"

"What's Rick gonna say about Carl having a bow?" She inched a little closer to whisper as she gave their leader a skeptical glance. "Carl's parents are bad about babying him."

Daryl shrugged. "Boy needs to have 'is own weapon, an' he's already been shown th' basics. Rick'll just need t' understand."

Sophia watched them go, resigned to not getting her way. "C'mon, Carl."

Lori and Carol were already packing canned goods into boxes while Andrea rifled through several suitcases in the storeroom. "Do we really have to leave tomorrow?" the blonde asked. "I don't see why we have to give up this place when it's relatively safe."

Carol didn't look up from her task. "We don't want to be here too long and have a pack of those things venture down from the city and trap us here."

Lori nodded. "We all appreciate having a real bed to sleep in, Andrea. I'm not looking forward to being out on the road again either."

"And TV and showers and real food," Carl moaned. "I wish we could stay here forever."

"I just wish we could stay until Merle comes back," Sophia mumbled.

Carol reached over and brushed the girl's blonde locks off her brow. "Merle will find us, baby, but first he has to help Marty. You know he'd be with you if he could."

"I know."

Her heart went out to her daughter, hating to see how miserable she was. Even as much as Sophia loved Carl, he was a poor substitute for Merle. They had a bond which couldn't be replaced. The elder Dixon had treated Sophia with paternal affection she'd been lacking her whole life only to have it snatched away from her.

Seeing Sophia's lack of enthusiasm, she took the cans from her hands. "We've got this, baby. Why don't you go and fold that last load of clothes in the dryer and then you and Carl can watch a movie or play a game until it's time to start dinner." Carol brightened as a novel idea came to her. "Or better yet … write a letter to leave for Merle. If he comes back here, he'll know we were here, and you can tell him where we're going."

Sophia threw her arms around her mother and hugged her warmly. "Thanks, mom! You always know how to make me feel better."

Carol watched her bolt from the room to do her chore and write her letter, Carl dogging her heels. She looked up to find Andrea staring at her curiously. "What? Did I spill something on myself?"

The blonde shook her head. "No. Just wondering why your girl would get so attached to someone like Merle."

Lori glanced between her two friends, feeling the sudden tension in the air. "Merle was good to Sophia. Carl too. It's the adults in the group he had no patience for."

"What exactly do you mean … Someone like Merle?" Carol asked defensively.

Andrea sniffed imperiously, a condescending smile tugging at her lips. "Well aside from him being crass, rude, and vulgar, he's dangerous. What possible good influence could he be on those kids? His racist tendencies alone are enough to want to keep him away from them. You didn't see him in Atlanta, Carol."

Carol's eyes were cold and hard as they narrowed on Andrea. "Why don't you tell us what happened? All Rick and T-Dog said was that he was a danger to you all and needed to be restrained."

Andrea tossed the shirt she was holding onto a pile of possibles and frowned. "Glenn was determined to do what he could to save Rick. Merle was up on the roof where we'd all been watching to see if they'd make it back. Me, Jacqui and Morales went down to check on them, and Merle just started firing into the pack of geeks. He was only drawing more of them to us."

"So, he was scared," Carol reasoned. "Dixons act irrationally when cornered."

Lori tended to agree. "We don't really know how any one of us would react in a similar situation. It was still no reason to handcuff him to a roof."

"He and T got into a fistfight, Lori. Then he hit Rick when he tried to intervene. He was only supposed to cool his heels for a while. Him getting left was an accident."

Carol felt as if she'd been punched in the gut. "But you're not sorry he was left behind, are you?"

"God, Andrea," Lori winced. "He was one of our own, and even if he wasn't well-liked, he was still a human being."

"I'm sorry for the pain Sophia and Daryl are suffering, but I can't say we aren't better off without him. We're safer at least."

Carol rose unsteadily to her feet. "I'm not going to defend Merle to you when I know I'd just be wasting my breath. I know a little more about him than you, though," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "I remember how callous he was when he and Daryl first arrived at the quarry. I, for one, was terrified of him. Then Sophia befriended him, and he changed. For the better. He cleaned up his act and tried to become part of our group. He and Daryl are the only reason we haven't starved. He and Daryl are the reason I'm standing here today."

Andrea had the decency to look ashamed. "We're all entitled to our own opinions, Carol. I'm not trying to offend you, but I can't bring myself to see good in Merle Dixon."

Carol cast her a chilly smile. "Merle will be back with us before you know it. Let's all hope your opinion doesn't come back to bite you in the butt. You may need him to save your life one day."

*.*.*

Lori jumped as Carol slammed the pan onto the counter, startled by the noise in the otherwise quiet kitchen. Andrea had upset their friend more than Carol was willing to admit, but everyone had their breaking point. She left the pot of boiling water on the stove after adding salt and moved to Carol's side, rubbing a soothing hand over her back. "You ok?"

Carol shook her head. "I guess I let her get to me. I know she's hurting, what with Amy's loss and all, but I can't help but think of how Sophia would have felt if she'd heard her say those things about Merle. I really didn't take Andrea to be so callous."

"Well, she is a lawyer, after all," she snorted. Lori leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest. "We're all hurting, Carol. We've all lost people we care about, but we're not trying to take it out on each other. Andrea just wants to be a bitch and make everyone else feel just as rotten as she does. So what … Merle was an asshole. I think he acted the way he did just to get a rise out of people."

Carol huffed a short laugh. "He did. Daryl and Sophia were probably the only ones who got a glimpse of who he really was … is," she amended. "When did you stop hating him?"

Lori smirked and dumped the package of elbow macaroni into the water. "I never hated him … he just scared me to death. At first, I thought he was gonna murder us all in our sleep. But then he went on that run and brought back that bag full of crafting supplies for the kids. He didn't have to do that." She shrugged. "Made me think he couldn't be all bad if he would do something like that for the children."

"Mom, Mom, Mom!" Carl cried, running full tilt into the kitchen. "Check out the wicked bow dad gave me!"

Lori grimaced as she took in the recurve bow with its crimson lacquered finish and the full quiver of arrows slung across his back. Sophia stood just behind him, holding herself proudly with her own prized weapon.

Carol reached out and ruffled his dark hair. "That's a fine bow, Carl. You remember what Merle taught you … It's not a toy."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied. He turned hopeful eyes on his mother. "Shane and Andrea are going up on the roof for their turn at watch. Can me and Sophia go up with them to practice with our bows? Dad said I had to make sure it was ok with you."

Lori shared a worried look with Carol, but knew if her son would ever adapt to this world, she was going to have to let go of him just a little. "Ok, but you make sure if you come off that roof you have an adult with you." They took off like a shot, nearly plowing into Daryl as he came into the kitchen. "God, I hope I don't regret this."

"He'll be fine," Carol assured her. "You know Shane would cut off his own arm before he let anything happen to Carl." She smiled warmly at Daryl as he sat down at the island and proceeded to frown at the organized chaos of their meal prep. "Hey. How'd it go upstairs?"

He shrugged. "A'right I guess. Don't think we're gonna have t' worry about guns and ammo for a while. I gotcha somethin'."

Carol tilted her head to the side, the smile fading from her lips. "Haven't you already done enough for me?"

"Nope," he argued. "Not nearly. Ain't nobody gonna recognize y' when I'm done, woman." He opened his hand to reveal two shiny silver cylinders.

Carol's brow furrowed. "What's this?"

"Silencers. They screw onto the barrel of your handguns. Won't have t' worry about the sound attractin' walkers." He pressed them into her palm. "I know y' been worried about shootin' because o' that, so I figured …"

Carol glanced over her shoulder to see Lori busy giving the pasta a stir. She rested a hand on Daryl's shoulder and leaned in to press a quick kiss to his lips. He blushed, but didn't hide his smile. "Thank you. That was very thoughtful."

He rubbed his damp palms on his jeans and opted to change the subject. "Whatcha cookin'? I'm starved."

"Go shower. By the time you're done, we should be about ready to have dinner on the table."

He grumbled and reached over to snatch a slice of cheese from the plate. "Don't know why y' gotta keep it a secret."

"Oh, stop your grousing and go. You'll appreciate it more … element of surprise and all."

His blush deepened, and a warm feeling swept through his chest at her teasing. He leaned in close to her as he got to his feet. "Careful, woman. I might have a surprise or two o' m' own."

*.*.*

Carol giggled. It was a lighthearted sound he doubted he'd ever tire of hearing. It was coming more and more of late, and he hoped he could keep the momentum going. "How many helpings have you had, Daryl? I don't see where you're putting it."

Daryl glanced down at his nearly empty plate and wondered the same thing himself. She and Lori had outdone themselves with the meal. Thanks to the overstocked freezer, they had a feast laid out before them and he wasn't going to let it go to waste. Who knew - after they left the bunker - when they'd be able to eat like this again? Fried chicken, oven baked macaroni and cheese - not that crap in the box, but real homemade cheesy goodness - and something Sophia called 'patty cakes'. In actuality, they were really carrot fritters made with mashed canned carrots, sugar, cinnamon, flour and eggs and then dropped into hot oil in dollops, making a little fried treat.

"I dunno," he shrugged, smiling smugly as his belly stretched for one more bite. "Three?"

Sophia groaned and stuffed one more fritter in her mouth. "More like four. Mom, this is the best thing I think I've ever eaten."

Carol chuckled. "I used to make them for you all the time when you were little and didn't want to eat your carrots."

Rick, sitting to Daryl's left patted his stomach. "What did you do to the corn? I don't think I've ever had it like that."

"Just a pinch of sage. I'm really going to want to cry when my spices run out."

Glenn nodded enthusiastically. "We won't let that happen as long as you keep feeding us like this. I'm sure it won't be too hard to find them on runs if we really look."

Shane pushed his plate aside. "It really was a wonderful meal, Carol, Lori." He frowned as Lori looked away from him. He had to wonder how long she was going to keep giving him the silent treatment. His gaze swung to Rick. "So, what time are we leaving in the morning? Want to get an early start, right?"

"We ain't leavin' tomorrow," Daryl said when he noticed the panicked look on Sophia's face. "One more day."

"What we waiting on?" the former deputy asked, staring at him incredulously. "We're packed and ready to go. I don't see what waiting one more day is going to accomplish."

Daryl put a restraining hand on Sophia's shoulder as she opened her mouth to argue. He didn't want her to set the man off, because despite his promises to Carol to control his temper, he wasn't going to let Shane take out his anger on her. "I promised Soph we'd wait three days for m' brother t' come back. If he ain't here by th' time we pack up tomorrow night, we go anyway."

"I think that's only fair," Rick said. "We have all the comforts of home here, and one more day isn't going to matter. Why not enjoy it while we can … since we don't know what we're going to find out there on the road."

T-Dog disappeared into the kitchen for another soda from the fridge and then leaned against the doorjamb with a contented sigh. "So, what we doing tonight? Movie? Board games? Xbox? There's a sweet setup in the room we're using. Or we could play poker."

"Dale might want to play after his watch …"

Daryl sat back in his chair, listening to the others discuss their possible activities for the evening. He grabbed Carol's hand when she reached for the dirty plates and began stacking them. "Uh-uh. Y' cooked; y' ain't cleanin' too."

She gave him that pointed look he was coming to hate. She'd work herself into the ground if he didn't watch her every second, but he wasn't going to let her get her way. "Me an' Soph'll get the dishes done."

Carol's severe ready-to-argue look warmed instantly. "You're sure? I can take care of this."

"No, Mom, we can do it," the girl chimed in. "Why don't you have your shower and then we can pick a movie to watch before bed."

Never in a million years would Ed have offered to help her in the kitchen. "Alright … I guess. And, baby, make sure you take some bacon and sausage from the freezer to thaw out for breakfast in the morning. Don't forget." She turned to Daryl as he stacked the plates with the silverware on top as Sophia gathered the serving dishes and cups. "Thank you."

His cheeks warmed, but he did his best to shrug it off. "Ain't nothin'," he mumbled. "G'on now an' get clean." His blush deepened. "Not that y' dirty or anythin' like that."

"I knew what you meant," she leaned in close to whisper. Her hand rose to rest on his shoulder as she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. Sophia giggled, and so did Carl. "And no horror movies. I still can't believe Daryl and Rick let you watch one last night. We're lucky you two slept at all."

Lori stared at her husband, aghast. "You did what?!"

The kids groaned and rushed ahead of Daryl into the kitchen, leaving Rick to explain as best as he could to his wife.

*.*.*

"Mom, are you crying?" Carl asked, his nose wrinkled in disgust as he stared up from his seat on the floor at his mother. Lori was blubbering into a handful of tissues as the final scenes of The Princess Bride rolled on the screen.

"Shut up," she sniffled.

"Son, she always cries when Wesley and Buttercup kiss at the end. Don't tease her. Hopefully, one day, you'll understand," Rick said, pressing a kiss to Lori's cheek as he got up to usher them off to bed. He wanted to get a few hours of sleep before taking watch with Daryl in the morning.

"Mr. Rick, can't Carl watch one more movie with me? I promise we won't stay up too late," Sophia asked, her wide blue eyes filled with a pleading gleam hard for the man to resist.

"I suppose," he relented. Carl flopped back down onto the nest of pillows and blankets he'd gathered with Sophia and gave her a high five. "But no horror. I don't want to get up to go to the bathroom and find the two of you in here watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

"Oooh, do we have that one?" the boy whispered to his friend. She smirked and slowly shook her head. Oh, he could be dense at times. It was sometimes hard for her to believe they were the same age.

Sophia held up a copy of The Goonies. "No horror … promise," she grinned.

Lori dropped a kiss to the top of both the children's clean hair. "Goodnight, you two. You know where we'll be if you need anything."

"Night, Mom."

"G'night, Miss Lori."

Daryl's arm tightened around Carol as she moved to get up. "Where you goin'? We not watchin' another one?" he asked, his fingers ghosting lightly over her bare upper arm.

Carol yawned, settling back against his side when she saw he wasn't ready to move yet. It was just odd seeing him so relaxed when usually he was a bundle of energy. "We can if you want," she assured him. "I just don't know how much longer I'll be able to stay awake, and I didn't want you to have to pack me off to bed again tonight."

"Ain't no hardship, woman. Y' don't weigh hardly nothin'." he murmured. He rose to his feet, pulling her up with him and tucking her hand securely into his. "C'mon."

Sophia bounded to her feet, intent on raiding the pantry for popcorn. She stopped long enough to tell them goodnight. "Sleep well, Mom," she said, hugging her mother and then Daryl. He flinched, but she was used to it. He wasn't pushing her away, and that was all that mattered to the girl.

"One movie, Sophia," her mother reminded her.

Daryl led her to the room they'd claimed for themselves and shut the door with a soft snick behind him. Carol fumbled her way through the darkened room and clicked on the small lamp by the bed. Thank heavens for the generators. She turned to find him leaned back against the door, watching her with a troubled expression in his smoky blue eyes. "What is it?" she asked as she moved to her pack and took out her sleeping shorts. She'd merely thrown on a pair of black yoga pants and a blue tank top after her shower.

He pushed himself off the door, a delicious burn settling low in his belly as his eyes traveled over her from top to toe. He wanted more of what they'd had that morning. More sweet skin to skin contact, but without the panic which had later ensued for both of them. They knew where they stood now, knew what to expect from one another, and he had a fairly good idea of what to do without sending her fleeing. Daryl crossed the room and took the shorts from her, tossing them carelessly back atop her pack.

Carol's eyes went wide as his hands spanned her hips, the rough pads of his fingers slipping beneath the hem of her shirt to caress her soft skin. "Daryl?"

Daryl took a deep breath, willing his tongue not to stick to the roof of his mouth. Now was not the time for him to fight for words. "Take off your shirt." Damn! Idiot!

He winced as she pulled out of his loose embrace and crossed her arms over her chest. "I beg your pardon?"

He threw his hands up before him. "That didn't come out right," he groaned. And he was failing quite epically to get over his embarrassment and explain himself. "Jus' … I really wanna do somethin' nice for y', ok. Trust me?"

Carol stood rigid before him, remembering what he'd said to her this morning. They were going to take it slow … that's what he'd said. Her mind shouldn't have slid down into the gutter the second the words had left his mouth. And would it really be so bad to take her shirt off for him? For the first time in her life she actually had nice underwear. He'd already seen her naked, so what really was her problem?

"Why? I mean … I do trust you, Daryl, but … why would you -"

It should have been a comfort to him that she was blushing just as deeply as he was, but somehow it wasn't. He'd been thinking about what he wanted to do for hours, and then as soon as he'd opened his mouth, he'd fucked it up. He raked a hand through his shaggy hair and sighed. "I suck at this, Carol. It would jus' be better t' show y' instead of trying t' explain."

Now she was intrigued. She bit her lip and let her posture relax a bit as she stared up at his earnest expression. She did trust him, with every fiber of her being. He wouldn't hurt her no matter what lies Ed had tried to drill into her head over the years. "Ok," she eked out. "But you have to take yours off too."

It didn't even occur to him to be wary of showing his scars to her. He'd bared himself to her before and she hadn't judged or ridiculed him … because she knew what it was like to be marked in such a horrific way. He whipped the sleeveless t-shirt over his head and tossed it over his shoulder, his back straight as he met her gaze squarely. He stepped closer when her hand lifted to trace one of the scars on his chest. "Better?"

Carol fought back the tears which threatened. He'd come so far in trusting her, how could she deny him hers. Her heart sped up a little as she lifted the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, standing before him in only her pants and crimson lace bra.

Daryl's lips parted on a startled gasp. This wasn't what he'd been expecting. How was it possible for her to look more enticing in such a wispy scrap of lace than nothing at all? "Wh-Where'd y' get that?" he rasped shakily, his eyes unable to tear themselves away from her perfect breasts.

Carol snorted. "Marty. We found a good bit of upscale lingerie in some of the suitcases in the storeroom." She reached out and tipped his chin up, gently closing his gaping mouth. She ducked her head shyly. "I never owned anything like this before. I have to say I'm rather flattered by your reaction."

"Beautiful." He drew in a shuddering breath which came out as a whimper on the exhale, causing his blush to deepen. Gawd, he'd be lucky if she wanted to have anything to do with him after this. "Bed … now! Lay on yer stomach," he said, his voice rough as he turned away from her to grab the bottle of body lotion he'd scavenged from Marty's bathroom earlier. His body was already responding to her state of undress and he hadn't even touched her yet.

Daryl bit down sharply on his abused thumbnail and winced as he watched her crawl onto the bed. She was teasing him purposely, he knew. Watching her toned little behind sway provocatively, he couldn't help but wonder if she had matching drawers to go with that lacy bra of hers. When she was settled against the pillows, he finally found the strength to move, kneeling at the end of the bed.

"Don't be scared, ok?" he whispered as he felt a shudder ripple through her. "Y' said y' never knew a soft touch before. That's all this is, woman." And maybe a kiss or two, he thought, leaning down to trace his lips over the silver scars on her back. He felt her sigh all the way to her toes as he knelt beside her and flipped back the cap on the cherry vanilla lotion.

Daryl squeezed some into his hands, not wanting to squirt the cold gooey substance directly onto her skin. Warming it first in his hands would be better. He wasn't an insensitive jerk after all, he thought smugly. He didn't care that were Merle there, he'd rib him endlessly for such an act. This was about his woman, his precious Carol, and her trusting him to acquaint her with his touch. Still she shivered as he gently rested his hands against her skin.

"What're you doing? Is that lotion?" she asked, trying to see what he was about with a glance over her shoulder. "It smells heavenly."

"Yeah." He wondered if she could hear the smile in his voice. "Found it earlier and thought y' might like it. Is this ok?"

She twisted her arm around and popped the clasp of her bra free. "There … that'll give you more room."

It might give him more area to work the lotion into her skin, but his flagging control on his libido was marching swiftly out the bedroom door. Focus, dumbass! he chided himself. This was not about what was going on in his fucking pants. His fingertips kneaded the coiled tension from her overworked and way overstressed muscles, and already he could feel her begin to relax. He worked his hands over her shoulders and along her arms with the gentlest of caresses, showing her what it could be like to have someone touch her with love. His thumbs followed the line of muscles along her spine and then used the heel of his hands against knots of strain in her lower back. Her back bowed beneath him as she curled in on herself, pressing the ridge of her spine more firmly into his strong hands.

"Y' like that, Carol? Does it feel good?" he murmured softly as he leaned down to press a kiss to her shoulder.

She sniffled.

Fuckkkkkk! He tilted her chin up and saw the tracks her tears had made over her cheeks. No! No! No! "What'd I do? Was I too rough?" he asked, his face screwed up into a look of disgust directed at himself. Why could he never do anything right? "Please don't cry."

Carol held her bra in place with a hand over her chest as she sat up beside him. Her tear-bright eyes glowed like twin jewels in the lamplight and a radiant smile bloomed on her lips. "You were perfect," she whispered in awe. She brought her hand up to cup his cheek, her thumb teasing softly at the corner of his lips. "I've never had anyone touch me so gently or so selflessly." She felt boneless with relaxation, the stress and strain of her life melting away.

"Gawd," he groaned, collapsing back onto the pillows next to her. "I thought I'd fucked up again. Y' sure y' ok?"

Carol curled up against his side and laid her head on his shoulder as his arm curled around her. "I'm better than ok, Daryl. That was wonderful."

A smug smirk replaced the earlier frown on his lips. "Now y' know a soft touch, yeah?" Her only response was to snuggle deeper into his embrace and wrap her free arm about his waist. He pressed his lips to her brow. "I'll never hurt y'. Not ever."

"I know, Daryl. I trust you." And she did. She'd been honest when she'd told him how wonderful it was to have him touch her. There would be no more pain for her … not at his hands, and she couldn't wait for more of what the future would bring them.