The noise of people moving about the barn pulled Kate out of her sleep and she slowly opened her eyes to see Daryl watching her. He raised his eyebrows and smirked which made her blush.

"Thanks for helpin' me keep watch last night," he said.

She stretched lazily before sitting up and wrapping her blanket around her shoulders. Her fingers traced the rough fabric and she realised that she hadn't gone to sleep with a blanket on her. Daryl must have put it on. The thought filled her with warm fuzzy feelings. It wasn't so very bad being under Daryl Dixons personal protection.

"Wanna get out of here?" he held out his hand and she took it.

"Gonna scout around, see if I can find some food," he told Rick before they headed off into the wilderness. Evidence of last night's storm was all around, with felled trees and walkers torn apart. It was a wonder that the barn had remained untouched. Maybe everyone's sheer determination to survive had repelled the tornado she thought idly.

"Thinkin' about what ya said yesterday, now we have the whole mornin' to ourselves," he gave her a sheepish smile. And the idea excited her as much as it scared her. She was well aware of the mounting tension between them but given the circumstances she was hardly feeling at her most feminine. Weeks on the road had made her somewhat pungent and she felt self-conscious to think of Daryl being intimate with her body when it was in such a way. Although he probably wouldn't care.

They walked slowly through the trees casting awkward glances at each other. Neither of them was paying attention to where they were going or looking for food, they walked in a big circle and exchanged not a single word. But her tummy fluttered madly and her palms were sweaty with nervous excitement. She couldn't put her finger on why she was feeling so green around a man she had already shared her body with but he made her feel like a girl on a first date rather than an experienced woman. The tension reached fever pitch and Kate thought that they might set the whole forest on fire with what was burning between them.

She let out a shaky breath and leaned against a tree, "we should probably… um talk… about… you know…" oh dear god what the hell was she trying to say? Words were escaping her. She was quite possibly the most awkward person on the planet when it came to this sort of thing. Maybe she should have never even opened her mouth and just kissed him.

"Spit it out woman," he gripped his crossbow and looked uncertain. She felt bad, he probably though that she was going to reject him like last time.

"Okay," Kate laughed nervously. "I want you to know that I want… this… you … us…" she looked anywhere but Daryl feeling like she might run away at any moment from embarrassment. You are a grown woman, she chastised herself. "But…" she walked closer to him and stroked her hands down his perfect arms and felt her heart flutter, "It does scare me… how I feel… when I'm with you."

"How do ya feel?" His heart jumped and he tried to remain calm. Here was a woman he was falling for and she was telling him she wanted him, that she felt something for him. God he wanted to be inside her so bad right now.

Kate's eyes went wide and she fiddled with the handle of her sword, it was funny to see her so lost for words and uncomfortable. He knew she wasn't lost for words very often. Whenever she was talking to people in the group he was always struck with how smart she was and now she was unable to string a sentence together. She was flushed and breathless and he hadn't even touched her yet. "I feel like…" she looked off to the side "Eugene."

"What? Eugene?"

"Right there," he followed her line of sight and sure enough the man was making his way over. Fuck, he growled. What was she going to say? He should have taken her further into the woods when he had the chance but he reminded himself that she had said she wanted him and that was at least one step in the right direction, but she had said that sort of thing before. He eyed her curiously.

Thank god for Eugene, she breathed a sigh of relief. What the hell was she going to say anyway? One side of her wanted to run away with Daryl and build their own private treehouse where they could make babies all day long. The other side of her was terrified of getting pregnant or dying or whatever the hell else might happen. God, why couldn't he just kiss her and stop her from over analysing everything. She was her own worst enemy. She wanted to bang her head against the tree.

"A man has just turned up, his name is Aaron. He was watching us yesterday and wants us to join his community."

"What's happening?"

"Rick don't trust him, he's sent some people to check out his car and he wants everyone else to split up and keep watch on the barn in case it's a trap... can I stay with you guys?"

"Yes," she said in time with Daryl's "no." They shared a look and Kate shrugged her shoulders before reaffirming the 'yes' to Eugene. She couldn't possibly continue their conversation until she had decided what she wanted to say and then rehearsed it. Or you could just shag him like you want to, she blushed at her inner thoughts and cast another breathless glance to Mr Dixon.

Daryl knew he should probably be watching the barn but all he could think about was the best way to get rid of Eugene. He pictured cold cocking him on the head and then he could be alone with the brunette, showing her how he felt in a more literal sense. It was hard to focus on words or much of anything with the tent in his pants controlling almost every thought entering his brain.

In hindsight he should have come out on his own this morning and then he could have taken care of the situation that was straining painfully against his jeans instead of standing around in frustration. All that was between him and Kate needed to be released soon or he felt he might actually explode into a thousand pieces. How could she look so fucking relaxed?

"They're back," she said and started to walk towards the barn to see what news the group had on the vehicles they had gone to investigate. "You coming?" she called to him and he almost burst at her choice words.

"I will… just gonna hang back a while, make sure everythin' is… in order."

A road trip to some safe zone? God only knows when he might get a chance to be with Kate like he wanted to. One kiss and he was already hooked on her again. When everyone had gone into the barn his eyes swept the area for any signs of danger before he could relax. He leaned one hand on a tree, unzipping his manhood from his jeans. Daryl breathed in relief, he already felt better. He started to make steady strokes with only one thing on his mind, Kate. He replayed their kiss, the feeling of her mouth on his and her soft full breast pressed against his chest. Only this time it didn't end there...

She swept her hands down his stomach as she dropped to her knees. He groaned heavily at the image in his mind, goddamn. He pictured Kate kneeling before him as she unfastened his belt with those deft fingers, looking at him hungrily and licking her lips. She took him in her hand and stroked his length slowly, teasing him. While that perfect mouth spread open in anticipation glistening with moisture ready to devour him. He felt his orgasm start to heighten to near release as he pumped his hand urgently. Then he pictured her wrapping her soft pink lips around his end and the idea was too enticing to resist and he could contain his desperation for release no longer. Fuck, he burst apart hard with Kate's name on his tongue.

Daryl leaned his head against the tree in temporary ecstasy before he caught his breath and laughed. Kate would probably never get on her knees for anyone. It had felt relieving to climax but it hadn't satiated him in the way that it used to, he needed something more. He needed her, naked, wet and wanting, calling his name as she reached her peak. Fuckin hell, he hoped this new community was the real deal so he could find them a bed and never leave it.

Daryl walked back to the barn in a daze, he was completely spent and remembered that he hadn't slept at all last night. The sounds of Rick arguing were apparent before he even entered the building. He strode in and took a long look at the man called Aaron, he was talking to the group about how they were going to get to his 'community'.

"Using a different route and going at night is just putting your people in danger," Aaron looked desperately at the redneck. "You want your wife to be safe? Don't risk her life like this."

"My wife?" Daryl laughed.

Aaron looked a little confused at Daryl's reaction and then gestured towards Kate, "I watched you last night…" Daryl just laughed again and saw the brunettes cheeks flush.

"You led your people to safety in this barn… that's when I knew you belonged in my community."

Rick's mind was already made up on the plan, "we leave tonight… get some rest if you can."

The redneck didn't say anything in protest since he couldn't stop thinking that Aaron had thought Kate could be his wife. The man hadn't even batted an eyelid at it. The thought that he could truly have someone like her belong to him made him swell with pride.

His eyes roamed over her figure and rested on her face. He'd never thought he would be the marrying kind but then he'd never wanted to possess a woman as much as he wanted Kate. Maybe he should marry her and then he wouldn't have to worry about her changing her mind every time he got close to her.

He lay on the ground of the barn to get some rest and couldn't stop picturing the brunette as a bride. Holy shit, the idea of being with a woman long term had never even entered his mind before. It was never even in the realms of possibility. But that's exactly what he wanted from Kate, wasn't it? He half opened his eyes and looked to the direction he could hear her voice.

She'd make a beautiful bride. Fucking hell, I'm going as soft as a baby. A baby? That was another thing entirely. This kind of shit is why he stayed alone. But with a woman like her soft and warm yet wild and strong he could see a life together. Even in the middle of the end of the world. She'd never stand in a kitchen all day baking pies, but she could chop a man's head clean off and that was even better nowadays.

He forced himself to sleep. He was going delirious planning a future with a woman who hadn't agreed to anything except being scared of wanting him. But she wanted him he reminded himself yet again and a huge smile spread across his face.

Night fell and everyone made the journey to Aaron's vehicles. Rick, Glenn, Michonne and the hostage jumped into the car and everyone else squashed into the RV. The campervan was large but it was certainly cosy with 12 people in it. Kate sat shoulder to shoulder with Daryl in the little space between the bedroom and the main portion on the RV.

"Ya think we can trust this?"

"I don't know… but if this is a trap…" she sighed "what's the point in anything?" It was so hard to be constantly looking for danger all the time. Being on the road was unbearable and she was thrilled with the idea that this community could be real.

The RV swerved violently and Daryl caught Kate from falling before they both hurried over to Abraham, who was in the driver's seat, to see what was happening. "a whole shit stream of walkers clogging up the road," the army man said.

"What about the car?"

Abraham looked at Kate and shook his head, "they didn't swerve in time." He pulled over the campervan when they had made it a safe enough distance from the highway of hell and everyone erupted into debate over what they should do next.

"Look," Carl shouted and all eyes turned to see a bright red flare trail through the sky. Abraham didn't need telling once before he jumped back in the driver's seat and navigated the roads to where the flare had fallen.

Kate and Daryl jumped out of the RV and immediately heard the cries for help. She pulled out her sword and her heart beat rocketed as she prepared herself to fight. There was a group of walkers in the street and they cast their hungry eyes towards them. She moved forward to kill the first one and noticed Carol and Abraham joining the fight.

When the street was clear Daryl knelt down to look under the car that the dead had been gathering around. "Thank you," a pained voice called out, "my legs stuck under the wheel." Kate popped the trunk of the car to find the jack.

Daryl almost tried to take the tool off Kate but thought better of it. She hated to be overprotected. And for his own personal reasons he wanted to see her jacking that car. He stood in prime position to cast a lascivious long look down her top as she cranked the lever with vigour. Then he noticed Abraham getting a good long look too.

"Hey," he shouted to the other man and Abraham grinned completely unapologetic before raising his eyebrows and turning to get everyone out of the RV and into the nearby garage. Daryl supposed he couldn't fight every man that simply looked at her, to anyone's standards she was a beautiful woman. Still, he clenched his fist in frustration.

Kate and Daryl helped the injured man to a sofa in the garage. "My names Eric," he smiled warmly and they moved out of the way to let Maggie look at his injured foot.

"What should we do now?" Kate asked.

"We saw the flare, I figure that Rick will have seen it too," Abraham interrupted and everyone agreed deciding to sit tight until the rest of the group caught up with them.

"I'll keep watch outside," Daryl said as he took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it up in the sexy bad boy way that somehow managed to make such a disgusting habit look cool.

She followed him outside into the cool night air and closed the door behind them. He ran his fingers through his hair and watched her intently. His gaze excited her and she moved closer to him and plucked the cigarette out of his fingers and cast it on the ground. She wrapped her arms around his neck, licked her lips and kissed him before she had a chance to talk herself out of it.

The sounds of whistling caught their attention and Daryl put his forehead to hers and uttered "Rick," before whistling back and summoning the missing team members to their location.

They all went back into the garage and everyone was elated. But what struck Kate was the reunion between Eric and Aaron. The way they looked at each other with such open affection was breath-taking and she felt like a voyeur as she watched their romantic gazes and kisses.

Aaron insisted on spending the night by his injured lover despite Rick telling him "no" and Kate found herself looking to Daryl. She could have that kind of devotion if she took it. Maybe she already did. He was one of the most loyal and trustworthy men she had ever met.

Kate's feet guided her to her favourite redneck and she lent her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him. She listened to his heart beating and remembered the first time she had done this in her tiny cell at the prison. It was as soothing now as it was then. If Alexandria was everything they hoped it would be maybe she could rest her head on his chest like this every night for the rest of her life and he could make her forget that anything bad had ever happened.

I wanted to say another big thank you to all the new people who have started reading and everyone who has favourited, followed and reviewed my story. Definately seen a spike in hits since the show has started back up again. Please review, I love hearing feedback :)