I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with their families! Mine was wonderful and I enjoyed every minute of it. Here's a little something more for you that I hope you will enjoy. It's also a longer chapter! Thanks for reading.

**I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters.

The next morning Daryl insisted that Carol keep his cell phone while he went to work. She tried to refuse the offer, but he was insistent and so she eventually gave in with the promise that she would pay him back one day.

"Ain't askin' for no damn money!" He barked as he almost spit out his coffee at her statement. Carol cringed slightly from his tone and his features instantly relaxed. He sighed and set his mug down on the counter, "Hey, I ain't mean ta yell like that. Sometimes I ain't tha easiest person ta get along with in the mornin' til I had my coffee," He mumbled apologetically.

Carol nodded and turned her head to hide the fact that she was slightly shaking. She knew this was Daryl and that she was safe, she really did, but for a split second she had heard Ed's voice instead of Daryl's and her instincts had been to shy away. She felt his hand on her arm and he squeezed gently before tugging her over to him. She was surprised by the action and she placed her hands on his chest to brace herself without thinking.

He frowned down at her as he tipped her face up to his, "Damn woman! Ya shakin' like a leaf. I ain't never raised my hand to no woman an' I sure as hell ain't gon' start now," His voice was soft and rough with traces of sleep.

She nodded as she stared up at him and licked her lips. The act was purely unintentional, but she heard his sharp intake of breath clearly. He dipped his head down towards her lips and she closed her eyes in anticipation. The sound of his cell phone ringing pierced the air and he groaned as his lips just barely grazed hers. Reaching into his pocket and cursing he gave her an apologetic look as he answered the phone.

"Hello?" He said gruffly. Carol watched his face as he listened and responded to whoever was on the other end of the line. He nodded a few times and she smiled to herself because the other person clearly couldn't see him. He was a man of very few words on the phone and he walked the kitchen floor as he listened and then hung up the phone a few minutes later.

"Everything okay?" Carol asked as he stopped in front of her.

He nodded, "That was tha Sheriff. They bringin' my truck back today. Said tha paint samples ain't matched up," He said.

Carol smiled, "That's great!" She said excitedly.

Daryl shrugged, "They still don't want me ta leave town though. I guess I'm still a suspect."

Carol's smile disappeared instantly and she frowned, "That doesn't make any sense though. I know you didn't do it," She insisted and she grabbed onto his arm for emphasis without thinking.

He glanced down at her fingers closed over his arm and smiled slightly, "How do ya know that?" He asked.

She faltered for several minutes, her brain attempting to come up with some logical reason other than she had the hots for the man. She sighed in frustration, "Because I just know! You've been helping me! You wouldn't hurt me," She sputtered.

His dark eyes danced slightly as he watched her. Those eyes of his had the ability to turn her into a puddle of goo in a matter of seconds. The tension in the air changed between them and she shifted a little closer to him. He dipped his head again and she paused before bringing her lips to his, "If your phone rings again, I'm tossing it out of the window," She muttered before closing the gap between them.

He groaned as he tangled his fingers into her hair and slipped his tongue into her mouth. She leaned into him, relishing in the feel of his hard body against hers and suddenly wishing he didn't have to go to work so that she could kiss him like this all day long. He tasted of warm coffee and peppermint mouthwash and when he pulled back from her slowly she sighed.

"I gotta get ta work. Make sure ya call me if ya need me. Tha number's on tha card on tha fridge," He said quickly as he handed her his cell phone.

She nodded and he turned his attention to Roxi who came trotting into the kitchen for a drink of water. "Ya take care o' Carol today Rox. No funny business," He said sternly. Roxi tilted her head at him in that way that she had and snorted as if to say she understood before going to drink her water noisily.

Carol looked at Daryl, "We'll be fine. Have a good day," She said. He nodded and gave a little wave before heading out to crank his bike. She watched him from the window and Roxi came to sit down beside her feet. She leaned over on the crutches and scratched the dog's ears affectionately, "Looks like it's just you and me today Roxi," She said.

It took Carol quite some time to get her shower after Daryl left and by the time she was done she was exhausted from having to hop around and rely on her crutches so much. She headed into the kitchen to fix herself a sandwich once she was clean and saw that Daryl's truck was sitting back in the driveway where the tow truck must have dropped it off while she was in the shower. She fixed herself a glass of tea and decided that she should call and check in at the lawyer's office since they had no way of getting in touch with her now. She picked up the phone and dialed the number from memory, chewing up a bite of her sandwich as she waited.

Finally a cheery voice answered the phone, "Harrison and Frasier Law Office, Amy speaking."

Carol cleared her throat, "Um, yes. Andrea Harrison please," She said.

"One moment please," Amy said and Carol had to listen to soft elevator music for a few minutes while she waited and picked at her sandwich.

"This is Andrea Harrison," Andrea's voice floated through from the phone.

"Hi Ms. Harrison, this is Carol Peletier. I was just calling to check in with you and see if there was any word on my case?" Carol asked.

There was the sound of papers shuffling, "Mrs. Peletier I'm glad you called. I tried to get in touch with you yesterday but I couldn't get through," Andrea replied.

Carol blushed, thankful that no one could see her through the phone, "Carol please, and yes. There's been a problem with my electricity and it was shut off," She mumbled.

There was a pause, "I'm sorry to hear that. I have some news that shall cheer you up then!"

Carol shifted in her seat, "Oh?"

"I have a check here for you. It's not all of what you'll be receiving, but I got them to go ahead and send you a portion of the life insurance money," Andrea explained.

Carol swallowed a little excitedly. She twisted her fingers in her lap nervously as Roxi curled up by her chair, "How much is it?" She asked.

Andrea chuckled, "Well he had fifty thousand in life insurance so with that minus my legal fees you'll be receiving forty-eight thousand dollars," She paused and Carol heard the shuffling of paper again. "Now this first check I have here is only for twenty-four thousand, but they should be getting me the check for the rest soon."

Carol coughed and took a sip of her tea and struggled to breathe, "I'm sorry. You said only twenty-four thousand?" She asked shrilly.

"Yes. I have it here whenever you are ready to pick it up. You'll have to sign for it in the office as well as some other documents, but this should help to get you back on your feet, Mrs. - uh, Carol," Andrea replied. There was silence as Carol stared off blankly at the wall, her mind trying to process such a large sum of money. "Mrs. Peletier are you there?" Andrea's voice called to her.

"Yes, yes I'm here. I'll be in as soon as I can to collect it. Thank you," Carol said softly as she hung up. She sat there at the table, the rest of her sandwich lying there uneaten and stared at the wall in shocked silence.

Daryl was relieved to see his truck in the driveway when he pulled up and as he parked his bike and lit a cigarette, he sniffed the air. Something smelled really good and as he walked closer to his house the smells grew stronger. He stood at the bottom of the porch steps for a moment as he finished his cigarette. He hoped that Carol wasn't taking on too much. He felt bad about having to leave her alone at his house, but at least she was better off there than in her house with no electricity. He took one last draw from the cigarette and tossed it into the bucket he kept for the butts before entering inside.

His stomach growled as soon as he walked in the door. He stood there for a moment until he heard the sound of Carol's crutches clacking into the kitchen. She paused when she saw him, "Hey you! I hope you're hungry. I made dinner!" She giggled and he tilted his head at her. "I've also been having a little dinner while I've been making wine," She said.

A smile played across his lips at her sentence and he wondered how much wine she had consumed so far. She seemed to be in a pretty good mood and he wondered at the cause as he set his wallet and keys on the counter. "How much dinner did'ja have with ya wine?" He asked with a teasing smile.

Carol waved a hand through the air, "Not much," She explained, not catching his joke. "I've got good news though so I'm celebrating. Come celebrate with me. Dinner's on the back porch," She said.

Curiously he followed behind her, keeping one hand ready as she wobbled slightly on her crutches. He stopped and stared at the steak and baked potato dinner sitting on the table. He raised a brow at her, "Ya did all this yaself?" He asked.

She nodded and he took her crutches from her while she sat, "I did," She admitted.

He sat down and noticed the half empty bottle of wine with another fresh bottle sitting next to it. He arched a brow at the amount of wine already missing from that bottle but he made no comment as he prepared his potato and steak.

"So what'cha celebratin'?" He asked.

Carol put down her fork in the act of taking a bite, "I got my first check from the life insurance today!" She exclaimed excitedly.

Daryl nodded, glad that she wouldn't have to struggle any longer, "That's great," He said as he took a sip of his wine.

"Twenty-four thousand!" She cried.

Daryl swallowed the wine down the wrong windpipe and began to cough. He waved away her attempt at assistance and he sat back in his chair after the coughing fit passed, "Twenty-four thousand?" He croaked.

Carol nodded, "Yes! And tonight we're celebrating!" She raised her glass to his and shaking his head at her he clinked his against hers softly.

Carol woke with a start, her hands sliding against something warm and hard beneath her. She opened her eyes and peered around in the darkness as her eyes attempted to adjust to the lack of light. Daryl groaned beneath her and she jumped as he began to move. She squinted and could finally make out that they were on the floor in the living room. How they had gotten there, she had no recollection of.

"What time's it?" Daryl rasped.

Carol's body ached and her head was hurting, but she rolled over and tried to squint at the clock, "I can't tell," She murmured.

Beside her Daryl sat up and rubbed at his head, "How did we get on tha floor?" He muttered.

Carol chuckled slightly and then winced, "I don't know, but I hate wine."

Daryl snickered, "Got yaself a headache?" He asked.

Carol glanced at him, "You don't?"

"Nope."

"That's not fair at all. You drank just as much as I did!" She exclaimed.

He chuckled and pulled her back against him. His fingers went to her head and he rubbed at her temples. She moaned as her body drooped to lean against his chest. He applied just the right amount of pressure to make her want to melt into the floor and she closed her eyes in relief.

"Feel good?" His voice was rough and low against her ear.

She shivered, turning her head slightly to the side, "Amazing," She whispered.

His fingers paused in their movements and she felt him shift before his lips touched hers gently. She rested her hand on his thigh and he deepened the kiss, easing his tongue into her mouth. She shifted to give him better access to her lips and he pulled back.

"I don't-" He began.

Carol gripped his shirt tightly, interrupting him, "Don't you dare say we should stop Daryl Dixon. I will tie you up if I have to, but you're not chickening out on me," She whispered fiercely.

He was quiet for a moment and in the darkness she thought she saw him smile. He ran his thumb across her lips and sighed, "I ain't no good at this shit," He muttered.

Carol climbed to her knees, mindful of her ankle and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Everyone's bad at something until they do it enough," She said softly.

She grabbed his hand and threaded her fingers through his before pressing a swift kiss to his lips. She dipped her head and sucked at the flesh on his neck. Daryl groaned and pushed her to the floor gently, guiding her down with his hands. Carol shimmied out of her shirt and he pressed a soft kiss to her stomach. She sucked in a breath, "Help me with my bra," She urged.

He chuckled, "In a hurry?" He asked.

She sat up and he fumbled behind her for the clasp. It took him a few minutes but he finally managed to free her breasts and she tossed the bra somewhere behind her. As she lay back down on the floor he caught one of her nipples in his mouth and sucked on the pink tip. She arched into him, encouraging him to continue. His hands strayed to her hips and she fumbled with the button on her jeans. He moved his hands to help her and in a matter of minutes she was naked and panting on the floor. She was relieved that the lights were off so he couldn't see her body as clearly. It wasn't that she didn't think she had a decent figure, but she had several scars on various parts of her body that she would rather he not see.

"Take your clothes off," She whispered.

He paused and then she could see his outline as he lifted his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. He stood up and she heard him removing his pants next. Then he climbed back down to the floor and she reached her hands out to touch his chest. She felt him tense, but she pulled him into a kiss before he could pull away. She wasn't sure what his insecurities were with his body, but whatever the reason she knew it wouldn't matter to her. She would still want him regardless. She could feel the length of him as he moved over her and when he slowly inserted a finger inside of her she cried out with need. It had been way too long for her. Pushing on his hand for him to continue she lay flat as the sensations built within her. Dipping his head he pressed his mouth to her hip and she sucked in a breath as he sucked at the skin there, marking her. His finger drifted over her clit and she grabbed his hand to hold him still.

"Daryl," She moaned.

He grunted out something that she didn't understand as she slowly came undone beneath him. Her body pulsed with the waves of her orgasm as it washed through her and she panted in contentment as his face appeared before her.

"Pro'bly ain't that best time ta bring this up, but I ain't got no condoms," He said.

Carol shook her head as she tried to catch her breath, "It doesn't matter. I can't have kids," She panted. Daryl paused and started to speak, but Carol put her finger to his lips. "No. You'll ruin it. I'll explain later," She said.

He nodded and she spread her legs underneath him in invitation. She gasped as he entered her slowly and it took her a minute to accommodate his size. He huffed in her ear as he sank all of the way in, "Ya okay?"

Carol nodded and wrapped her arms tighter around his neck. He began to move his hips, slowly thrusting inside of her and Carol ran her hands over his back. She felt his muscles twitch as her hands roamed over rough skin. It briefly registered in her mind that the skin was different there before he dipped his head and kissed her. She lost all train of thought as his tongue entered her mouth. She accepted it with a moan and when he pulled back, she grabbed his lip between her teeth, nipping it lightly. He groaned as his lips closed over her nipples once more. He swirled his tongue over the tip and she shuddered at the feel of it all. Grunting above her he shifted, "Oh fuck," He cursed.

The sound of his voice so rough and laced with passion sent her over the edge seconds after he grunted and spilled himself inside of her. She closed her eyes as her body vibrated around the length of him and she had to take a moment to catch her breath when he slowly pulled out of her. He collapsed on the floor next to her, his breathing matching hers as they both fought for air. They lay there in silence next to each other for several minutes until they were a little more under control. Carol felt like she should say something, but she wasn't sure what to say.

"Did'ja get ta...uh," She heard Daryl fumble for the words.

"Oh yeah," She answered, saving him from having to say it. She rolled into him and pressed a kiss to his muscular arm.

He lay there for another minute before standing and before she could question him he picked her up and carried her into his room. They both glanced at the clock as he lay her down on the bed and saw that it was three A.M.

"Gotta get up in a couple hours. Figure we outta get some decent sleep at least," He explained.

Carol nodded as she climbed underneath the blankets. It felt weird yet good to be lying in his bed. He followed suit a few minutes later and they lay in silence next to each other. Finally she couldn't stand it any longer and she burrowed her head underneath his arm and snuggled into him contentedly as he rested his hand on her hip lightly.

"Daryl?" She whispered.

"Hm?" He grunted.

"That was amazing."

I hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading.