HUGE THANKS go out to Halohunter89 and EnglishPoet18 for helping me with a few parts of this new chapter. Gotta say, Y'ALL FUCKIN' ROCK! Thank you!

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.

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CARYL ON!

Carol's eyes fluttered open, Daryl's scent filling her nostrils and causing a small smile to play at her lips. The sun was just starting to come up and break through the canopy of the trees, brightening the tree house up some so she could see better. Realizing she was still resting against him, she lifted her eyes, finding him still asleep. It had been years since Carol had woke up with a man and actually felt comfortable being with.

Watching him sleep, she took in his boyish features that seemed to be hidden when he was awake. He was a beautiful man in her eyes, his tanned skin kissed by the sun, his sparse beard that gave him a rugged look. Her eyes settled on his lips, wondering if they were as soft as they looked. Realizing what she was doing, Carol blinked several times and then slowly sat up, his arms tightening slightly before he took in a deep breath and he roused from sleep.

Disoriented for a few seconds when he felt movement, Daryl's eyes then settled on Carol as she watched him over her shoulder for a second and then shyly looked away from him. Licking his lips, he rubbed at his eye with the palm of his hand and then sat up some, "You okay?"

Carol nodded and looked towards the window as the sun started to shine in more, "Yeah. Just a little sore." Looking back at him again, she asked softly, "You?"

"Same." Hearing walkers below them, he sighed and shook his head, "Wonder how big that herd was." Pushing the blanket off himself, Daryl remembered he was only wearing his boxers and reached for his pants quickly. They were still damp, but he put them on anyways and then crawled over to the window. Looking down, he watched as several walkers walked by under them, all heading in the direction of the house.

Making sure to not make any noise, he moved back and looked at Carol, "They've thinned out. Here soon I might be able to go down and check things out."

The baby pushed on Carol's full bladder and she squeezed her thighs together, "Daryl...uh...I gotta pee...bad."

Daryl stared at her expressionless for a few seconds before he looked around. A small rusted can sat on the shelf and he grabbed it, making sure it was empty. Dust and cobwebs occupied it and he shrugged, handing it over to her, "Go in that."

Carol looked down at the can in her hand and then back at him, raising her brow, "You want me to pee in a can?"

"You rather go down there and get eaten by a walker?"

Carol shook her head, her cheeks reddening some and then whispering softly, "Can you turn around?"

Realizing what she was asking, he nodded and then stood up the best he could. Going back to the window, he sighed, "Gotta go myself anyways." Unzipping his pants, he aimed out the window, letting the stream rain down on the walkers below.

Carol turned her back to him, getting up on her knees and positioning the can under her. Moving her panties aside, she releaved herself and then moved the can from under her. Getting back under the old horse blanket, she glanced over to where he was bent over at the window and took in the sight before her.

His back was littered with scars of various lengths, some darker then others in color. A few crossed over another, forming a crude x. Two detailed demon tattoo's covered the right side just under his shoulder blade and looked to be climbing upwards. Her eyes then went back to the scars wondering if they were the one's he had said his dad had given to him. She had her own from Ed, but she was scared to let anyone see them, ashamed of how they had come about.

"He was a monster," Carol whispered. Daryl turned, gazing at her, "He wasn't ever a man to admire."

He kept his eyes locked with hers knowing she was speaking about his father. Realizing she had seen his scars, he then nodded in agreement, "He wasn't."

Realizing he had heard what she'd said, Carol took in a breath, waiting for him to react. When he came back over and knelt down, she watched as he picked up his shirt, holding it in his hands and staring at it. When he didn't say anything, she reached over, placing her hand on his forearm and drawing his attention, "You have a beautiful soul beneath this tough exterior, Daryl. You endured all that and didn't let it break you."

"Same for you," he said softly. "You're still here...he didn't break ya. You're stronger then what ya think you are."

"No..."

"You are. You survived." Looking into her blue eyes, he shrugged slightly and nodded, "Once you have your baby...I'll show ya how strong ya are. Teach ya how to protect yourself. You're strong now...but you'll get stronger."

Carol gave him a small smile and released his arm, sitting back and letting him finish getting dressed. Stealing glimpses here and there as he put his shirt on and buttoned it up, Carol smiled to herself. She was seeing a side of Daryl she knew he didn't show anyone else in their group. A side he seemed to keep hidden away, except to her.

Before leaving the neighborhood they had been holed up in, Felipe had suggested that they hit up some of the houses and see what provisions they could find before getting back on the road. They had already swept through two house, finding a few weapons they could use along with some food and medical supplies. One house had even provided the men with some clean clothes and Felipe a pair of hiking boots.

Clearing the downstairs area of the third house, Merle then moved upstairs, checking each room for walkers. Coming to the last open door, he cautiously walked in and stopped, his eyes taking in the light pastel yellow walls with a clown boarder. A plastic kitchen play set sat in one corner of the room with an overflowing toy box beside it. Dolls and teddy bears also littered the floor with a few sets of shoes scattered about. The small toddler bed was unmade, the dusty purple princess sheets showing it hadn't been slept in in a long while.

On the bed also laid a small teddy bear with pink overhauls and the words "Daddy's Angel's" embroidered across it. Walking over and picking up the bear, Merle starred down at it.

"Daddy, daddy!"

Closing his eyes, his hand tightened around the bear, his body tense.

"Hey there pumpkin! Ya got a kiss for ya daddy?" Kneeling down, she ran to him, her arms going around his neck as tight as she could get them and giving him a quick kiss. Laughing and standing up, Merle ticked at her belly, "Where's ya momma?"

"Right behind you," she smiled as she came around the corner and leaned against the wall, watching them together.

Walking to her, Merle gave her a kiss and flashed her a smile, "Get yourself dressed, darlin'. We got some celebratin' ta do tonight."

"Merle..."

"Baby girl, tell ya momma she needs ta to have some fun," Merle said with a smirk as he held his daughter and tickled her belly.

Laughing and squirming in his arm's, she then smiled at her mother, "Have fun, mommy."

Shaking her head as she smiled, Malinda raised her brow, "I take it you got the job?"

"Got the job...and Daryl's gonna help out too. Get it done quick and we get a bonus," he said and then reached behind him, pulling something from under his shirt. Bringing his hand around, he brought up the bear he had found when he had stopped to pick up some supplies. Growling some, he used the stuffed animal to make his daughter laugh some more.

Giving it to her, he then sat her down on her own two feet and gently swatted at her rear end, "Go get ya shoes on, Becca." When she ran off down the hallway, Merle moved over to Malinda, giving her a smile and grabbing a handful of her ass, "Ya gonna let me treat ya to dinner, woman, or you gonna make me haul you over my shoulder?"

Pursing her lips and acting like she was thinking, Malinda then laughed when he gave her ass another squeeze and and closed in on her neck, nipping at her. Swatting at his shoulder, she groaned out, "Okay, tough guy. Let me at least go change."

"Hurry ya ass up then," he said and then gave her a quick kiss and Becca ran back, her shoes on the wrong feet and a huge smile. She was hugging her new bear and looked up at him, "Ready, daddy."

Kneeling down, he looked her up and down as Malinda slipped by them to go get ready, "Look's like ya are there, sweetheart...only ya got ya feet on wrong. Sit ya ass down and lets get them on right."

Sitting down, she gave her bear a kiss and then held it out to him, "Kiss bear, bear, daddy."

Growling at the bear, Merle then kissed it and went in more, planting several more kisses to her cheeks as she erupted in laughter.

The sound of Felipe and Guillermo's voice brought Merle back and he looked back at the bear in his hand. Clenching his jaw, he then stuffed it in his bag and quickly headed out the room and away from the memories he'd had tried so hard to bury. The cousins had just topped the stairs when Merle strode by them, not saying a word and went back downstairs.

Looking at his cousin, Felipe's brow furrowed, "What's up with him?"

"Hell if I know, cuz. Merle being Merle I guess. Come on, let's get this done so we can get going," Guillermo said as he headed to the first room.

Looking back down the stairs, Felipe wondered what had gotten into Merle. He knew the man could be a loose cannon at times, but the look that Merle had wasn't one like he'd seen before. It was as if Merle had seen a ghost and was fleeing from something.

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