I'm glad you were all happy to see Jacqui! I always did like her. There is a lot more familiar faces to come. The computer place said that my computer is getting sent out on Tuesday and it will most likely take them a week to get it back to me. Whatever was wrong with it must have been super major. I don't talk computer so don't even ask me. I have no idea. Anyway, thanks for the love! Hope you all enjoy this one! It made me laugh when I wrote it.

Chapter 25

Carol was worried. She knew that he really did believe what the woman had said about the cards, about his mother. But he refused to talk about it. Instead, after they did get home, he went out to the garage, the older one that was attached to the house, and started cleaning. Cleaning! She was shocked but then he told her that there was an old sofa under some of the junk and boxes and he wanted to clean it all out so they would have somewhere to hang out as soon as the dust settled and Buck let them stay home again.

She helped him and didn't bother mentioning that things weren't going to settle until they figured out something to do about his mother. He already knew and it wasn't going to do either of them a bit of good to fight about it.

"Might be able to pick up a second hand T.V. Grab some old chairs and stuff from the newer garage. Buck won't mind," he said as they hauled boxes of junk up to the attic space above the garage.

"Sounds good. But can't we just hang out in the living room? It doesn't need cleaned up," she wiped sweat off her brow before grabbing another box to hand him.

He looked down at her from his spot halfway up the ladder. "What about when you start makin' friends and shit and wanna hang out somewhere when they stop by?"

She scoffed. "I don't need friends. I have you."

He chuckled, shaking his head. They worked in silence for a while after that until Buck came out to see what kind of progress they made.

"You two worked your asses off but wouldn't it be smarter just to hang out in the house, though? Not that I'm bitchin' that you volunteered to straighten this shit up. Just don't make much sense to me is all."

Daryl gave him the same shrug he had given her.

"Well, wrap it up, you two. It's goin' on midnight and we all got an early day. Merle and Andrea went to bed hours ago."

Daryl laughed. "I'm sure they did but you can bet your ass they ain't asleep."

Buck grimaced. "Shut it, kid."

~H~

Carol listened to his deep even breathing. He had been asleep for quite a while now, worn out from all of the work they had done in the garage. She was worn out herself but she couldn't sleep. Every time she tried she would see Jacqui's worried eyes in her mind or the leering face of Daryl's mom. She knew what she had said to him about not telling anyone but she couldn't let this go. She had been arguing with herself for hours and now it was time to do something. She had too.

She slowly slipped out from under his arm. If he woke up while she was getting up she would claim to be going to the bathroom. She hoped he slept through it though. She hated lying to him but didn't feel as though she had a choice.

Luck was with her and when she finally found herself standing beside the bed, looking down on his sleeping form she felt a painful stab of guilt pierce her chest. He told her that he couldn't lose his father again and she was almost certain that, no matter what, Buck would make sure that didn't happen. He wasn't going to lose his father but she couldn't shake the feeling that if she didn't do something, anything, then she was going to lose Daryl and that was something that she refused to let happen.

She slipped out of their room barefoot and padded down the hallway quietly. She hesitated outside of Buck's room, unsure how to proceed. She hadn't ever had a reason to seek Buck out before now. She didn't want to just barge into his room but she didn't want to risk waking up the others by knocking on his door.

She put her ear to the wood and heard nothing but silence. She cracked the door open a little and was surprised to see a dim light from inside the room. She pushed the door a little wider and poked her head inside. Buck was sitting up, his back to the headboard, reading. He had glasses on, which was just weird, but the rest of him was intimidating as ever. She almost shut the door and slunk back to bed but he looked up in surprise and plucked the glasses off like he'd been caught doing something dirty.

"Carol?" He seemed to be more than surprised.

She took a deep steadying breath and went inside, shutting the door behind her. His eyes widened and gave her a once over before settling on her face worriedly. He had the sheets pulled over his waist but his chest was bare and she couldn't stop looking at him. It wasn't that she was attracted to him but she hadn't ever seen him without a shirt on before and the size of him was a hard thing to ignore. His chest was huge and he looked like he was made out of a slab of granite.

"Somethin'... wrong? Daryl alright?" He asked as he tossed the book onto the nightstand and shifted uneasily.

She shook her head, not sure what to say to him. She wasn't afraid of him but she hadn't ever been alone with him before, in a room behind a closed door and as she stared at him she was starting to get more and more uneasy.

"Umm... Look, darlin'. I ain't too sure what's on your mind but..."

"I wanted to talk," she said quickly, her voice cracking.

He frowned and ran a hand through his long hair before glancing behind her towards the door. "Usually when a female comes into a man's bedroom in the middle of the night to talk, they make sure they got a few more clothes on than what you're wearin'," he gave her a pointed look.

She gasped and looked down at herself. Her t-shirt was just a little higher than mid thigh. Sure he'd seen her in less but that had been different. He was in bed! Maybe he slept in the buff and there she was standing in his room in the middle of the night with barely anything on! "Oh my God!" She hissed.

"Look, let's just forget all about it. Go on back to bed and we can just pretend like nothin' ever happened. Cause nothin' is gonna happen... not that I don't think you're a damn fine lookin' girl but...um... you ain't really my type darlin' and I think Daryl would prolly stab me in the dick if..."

"Buck, stop it!" She wanted to yell but she couldn't without waking the whole house up. She felt disgusting just thinking that he thought that maybe she was in here for that! "Something happened today and I want to talk. Just talk. I need to tell you something. Are you... are you naked?"

He blew out a relieved breath and chuckled. "It's my damn bed. I can be naked if I want."

"Oh, gross..."

"Hey, sassy ass. You're the one that came in here. Don't bitch cause I like to go commando in my own room!"

She wrung her hands in front of her and Buck's smile grew a little softer. "Just spill it, girl. It's alright. You and Daryl have yourselves a spat or somethin'? Y'all seemed a little bit tense when ya got back to the shop. Is that what's eaten ya?"

She shook her head, feeling a little more calm about being in here. "His mama came into the diner we were at this afternoon. She brought a man with her and he hasn't said anything but I know it's the same man from that night. She threatened him," she said the words quickly and flinched as Buck's face went from calm and fatherly to murderous in a seconds.

"Turn around," he said from between clenched teeth.

She didn't ask why, she simply obeyed. She could hear him behind her, most likely pulling on some clothes.

When she felt his hands on her shoulders she tensed and spun around, not liking the contact.

He held up his hands in surrender, "Baby girl, you gotta stop actin' like I'd ever hurt you, alright? You ain't gotta flinch like that. You and Andrea is just as much my kin as my boys. Now," he reached for her hand, knowing she was sure to bolt if he made one wrong move, "Sit your ass down and tell me what the fuck happened."

She nodded and noted that he was now wearing jeans, even if his torso was still bare. She sat down on the edge of the bed and then almost cried out when she sank down and then seemed to sway there for a few seconds before she stood up quickly, turning around and staring at the mattress that was now rolling all on its own. "What the hell is wrong with your bed?" She asked, eyes wide.

Buck's lips twitched like he wanted to laugh at her but he wasn't in the mood. "It's a waterbed," he stated like she should have known that.

"A what?" She stared at it until it stilled.

"It's a bed that's full of water. Water bed," he said dryly. "Now will you just sit down and tell me what the hell is goin' on? When did you see her and why am I just now hearin' about it?"

Carol frowned and then took both hands and pushed down on the mattress, causing it to roll some more. "This is so cool, Buck!" She pushed on it again and then couldn't help herself. She crawled all the way to the middle of the bed and bounced slightly.

Buck crossed his arms, shooting her a look that had the goofy grin dropping from her lips. She settled down onto her knees and took a deep breath. "Well, just like I told you. She showed up at the diner where we were eating lunch and..."

"Daryl brought you lunch," Buck interrupted with a frown.

Carol felt her cheeks flush. "Well, yeah, but I already told you that I didn't eat lunch."

"So you were serious? You skipped class?" Now he looked more exasperated than angry.

"It was gym class! It doesn't even count," she explained with a shrug. "Anyway, we were in there waiting on our food and she showed up with that man. I tried to go after, Buck, I swear but he held me back."

Again his lips twitched as he shook his head at her. "How'd he take it?"

She shrugged. "Like a champ. He was too busy getting in my way to even pay her too much attention. The fry cook kicked her and the man out and we didn't see them anymore. But that isn't all..." she hesitated, not sure whether telling him about the tarot cards and all of the stuff that Jacqui had told them was a good idea or not.

"Go on, girl," he urged as his arms crossed in front of him.

She sighed heavily, wondering if telling him anything at all, and betraying Daryl, was really worth it. Too late now. "Well, when we left we ended up in this... place. Down the street from the diner. We were just trying to get out of the rain. It was some kind of fortune teller or something and she took us back into this creepy room and she knew Daryl's name and everything and..."

"Slow down and breath, darlin. Goddamn," Buck advised as he sat down on the bed, causing the waves to bounce her slightly. He put his back to the headboard and motioned for her to go on as he crossed his long legs at the ankles.

"Well, like I said, she was this... witch, or something. She had these cards and she knew everything! She knew about what his mom did to him and she knew about me and Andrea showing up but then she told him..."

"Told him what?" Buck urged, his voice low and dangerous.

"She told him that if he wasn't careful then his mom would cause him to lose everything. She'd take it all away from him."

"Jacqui Bogan," he said under his breath and stared off at the wall directly in front of him.

Carol nodded. "She didn't say her last name but her first name was Jacqui. Do you know her?"

Buck nodded and folded his hands over his stomach. "Went to school with her younger brother. She's the real deal. Normally I'd tell ya to keep away from bullshit like that but that woman... Well, if she sees it comin' then it's comin'." His voice was grim and it only spiked Carol's anxiety.

"Buck, he didn't want me to tell you. He said that you'd do something and then he'd lose you again. Can we just keep this between us? Please? And can you please not do anything that will get you sent back to prison?" She scooted a little closer to him. "Please. He needs you around. We all do."

He looked at her then, a soft smile gracing his lips. "I'm gonna do somethin' about this, baby girl. But I ain't gonna be stupid about it, alright? I ain't goin' no where."

She nodded and then, to his surprise and hers, she hugged him. It was an awkward hug since he only had one arm wrapped around her while hers were wrapped firmly around his neck, but it felt good. She felt safe. She heard him chuckle into her neck and she realized that he was probably just as surprised as she was at her show of affection.

She was about to pull away when she heard the door open.

"Hey, Buck... What. The. Fuck..."

Carol pulled away from Buck and looked up sharply. Merle was standing in the doorway, his face growing pale at the sight before him. He looked at her, his eyes widening and then at Buck. Carol realized then what this looked like.

Merle shut the door and walked to the middle of the room. "Either one of you mind tellin' me what the fuck is goin' on in here? Why's Carol in your bed, half naked, in the middle of the goddamn night?"

Carol scrambled away from Buck and off the bed. "It's not what it looks like, Merle!"

He crossed his arms over his chest, not even looking at her but glaring at his father. "Buck?"

Buck swung his legs over and sat there on the edge of the bed. "Wipe that look off your face ya little pervert. Somethin' happened today and she was fillin' me in on it. Think you best sit down for this one."

Merle's gaze shifted to Carol who was now standing there, hoping that lightning would strike her dead. He blew out a breath and his face cleared, thankfully deciding that he walked in on something innocent enough. Thank God.

"What happened?" Merle asked as he pulled up a chair that was sitting in the corner of the room that Carol hadn't even noticed.

"Jenna showed up today hasslin' your brother. She had a man with her that Daryl seemed to recognize. We gotta handle this. Me and you. And we can't let him know about any of it."

Carol had been afraid of the look that had come over Buck's face at the mention of their mother. But that was nothing compared to Merle's. His nostrils flared and his eyes flicked back to Carol. "Tell me everything," he growled.

Carol took a step away, her back hitting the wall as she studied the murder in Merle's eyes. She hoped she hadn't just made a mistake bringing this to Buck. If Daryl lost them because of her he would never forgive her. And she would never forgive herself.