A/N: Welcome to another chapter! Thank you everyone for the faves/follows and reviews!

This one goes out to missdaryldixon for all those awesome reviews! I love it when someone stumbles onto this fic and reviews every single chapter despite being 24 behind. Thank you so much for taking the time to do that! :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

Dog Days of Dixon

The end of September rolled around and the courts had made a decision about Merle's confrontation with Ed. A small hearing was conducted within the prison; Daryl and Carol were allowed to attend. Many factors were taken into consideration for the decision but the greatest support for Merle's case was video evidence submitted to the court. They were anxiously awaiting the judge's decision on the matter. He had taken time to review the case and now called a session to share his verdict. Merle stood when the judge asked him to; Daryl sat behind him, nervous, Carol holding his hand.

"Mr. Dixon, regarding this case, you have many factors working in your favor. You were not incarcerated here for a violent crime and the officers I've spoken to about you have nothing but good things to say," Merle almost smirked but kept himself in check. "And that footage showed a man that remained calm when the riot started. It showed a man whose only move was to shove an aggressor away with unfortunate consequences. You did not instigate the attack, you did not throw a punch; you defended yourself. Given the evidence I've reviewed, the only conclusion I can come to is that you acted in self defense and I will not punish an act of self defense when the defendant has not been shown to be violent or uncooperative with officers during his stay here. As such, I rule that you are free to go and serve out the rest of your remaining sentence as you were. This session is adjourned," with that the judge stood and retreated to his chambers.

Merle was stunned. He knew he had a lot of good things going for him but he expected it all to fall through somehow and wind up serving a much longer prison sentence. Turning around, the look on Daryl's face said he thought the same. Neither of them had much faith in Dixon luck but maybe, just maybe, times were changing.

Carol smiled a bright smile and hugged him. Merle was a little surprised she came; he wasn't sure how she felt about things but clearly she was happy with the results. Daryl stood and gave him a relieved smile; he simply couldn't believe their luck.

"See? You's worryin' about nothin' little brother," Merle grinned, putting an arm around Daryl's shoulders. Daryl ducked and nodded, smiling. There was nothing he could say, he was just happy not to be losing his brother.

But the celebration was short lived as it was time for Merle to return to his cell. Carol stepped away to give the brothers a moment and waited by the exit.

"Take care a' yerself little brother. See ya soon," Merle was still grinning and moved to walk away but Daryl's words stopped him.

"Thank you, Merle," he spoke quietly but Merle heard. Their eyes met and the elder Dixon understood perfectly. He knew exactly what Daryl was thanking him for and Merle felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He might be returning to a cell but he was freer now than he'd been in a long time. He might forever carry the guilt of what happened with their father but today . . . today he knew he'd finally done right by his little brother.

"Anytime, brother," he finally turned away and walked out of sight with an officer. Daryl returned to Carol's side and they took their leave.

-TWD-

The sun had barely risen the following Saturday morning and Carol's phone was going off on her nightstand. She grabbed for it quickly and flipped it open, answering with a groggy "Hello?"

"Rise and shine hookah, we's got ourselves that girl's day out we been plannin,'" Carol could hear Lafayette's smirk through the phone; she could also hear talking in the background. "Ya got thirty minutes 'fore we get there an' you best be ready ta go," Lafayette didn't even give her time to respond before the line went dead and she was staring at her phone, perplexed.

She sighed and tossed it back on the nightstand before grabbing some clothes and heading to the bathroom; she almost yelped when she opened her door and nearly ran into a grumpy-looking Daryl. Instead she giggled at his wild hair and his expression softened at her smile.

"Good morning," she greeted him. Daryl decided he liked the way she looked when she first got up; her short hair sticking up everywhere and blue eyes sparkling. Cute. Not a word Daryl would ever utter out loud but he couldn't deny that she stirred a desire in him, a feeling that was still incredibly new.

"Who was that callin' so damn early?" he grumbled after muttering his own "G'mornin.'"

"Oh, that was Lafayette."

"'Course it was . . ." Daryl growled, rolling his eyes.

"Apparently he's stealing me away for a girl's day out . . . Is that okay?" Carol asked, somewhat nervous.

"Don' need my permission. Go, have fun," Daryl smiled softly and Carol was once again reminded of the differences between him and Ed. Her ex-husband would have never let her enjoy a day out with friends.

She smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing their warm bodies together. Daryl's face turned red knowing she could feel his half-hard cock and her proximity wasn't helping matters. She was just so soft and so warm and he could tell she wasn't wearing a bra under her t-shirt with her chest pressed against his. Christ, he really was turning into a teenage boy again. Carol tightened her hold on him when he tried to pull away, embarrassed, and she waited for him to look her in the eye. Her sweet smile was still in place and she didn't have to say anything to let him know that it was okay, nothing to be embarrassed about. Carol gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before pulling away and heading to the shower trying to ignore the heat pooling in her own belly.

She knew he was far from any serious intimacy but his body's response soothed the fears in her head, the ones that whispered with Ed's voice, telling her no one would ever find her attractive. It didn't silence them completely but they were quieter.

Just as she was pulling her shoes on, Carol could hear Lafayette honking from the street. She grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder before glancing at Daryl who was eating a bowl of cereal at the table and reading the comics in the newspaper.

"I'll see you later alright? Have a good day," she smiled brightly and Daryl always got a strange feeling in his chest when she did that.

"You too. Try ta get back before dark, storm's comin," he mumbled, rolling his left shoulder. Carol resisted the "yes Dad," joke and nodded before walking out the front door. "And smack that jackass for callin' so early. Next time he pulls that stunt he's gettin' an arrow in the ass," Daryl called after her as the door closed.

"I will," Carol laughed.

-TWD-

Carol hopped into the back seat of Lafayette's car. Maggie was riding shotgun and Andrea was also sitting in the back seat. They greeted each other with small but warm smiles and Lafayette took off towards the mall. The morning was spent shopping until they dropped; Carol and Andrea spent most of their shopping time in the large bookstore browsing books. Carol had to make a trip out to the car to drop off her new library; she'd picked out a few new books, including some she thought Daryl would like. After that, Lafayette dragged them all into the lingerie store before lunch.

"What ya think, Lafayette? Think Glenn will like this?" Maggie asked, holding up a black lace corset. He eyed it up and down, smiling.

"Oh, he'll like it, girl . . . but I bet he won't know how to get it off," he grinned and Maggie laughed, nodding, instead opting for a lace trimmed negligee and satin robe. Lafayette grabbed another corset and held it up to Carol, sizing her up, "This might do the trick to get that man a' yours goin' though, Carol."

Carol snatched the corset away from Lafayette before throwing it at him; her face was bright red but she was smiling.

"How long have you two been dating?" Andrea asked; she was eyeing the store's collection of panties, looking for colors she liked.

"Since the summer-" Carol started.

"But they been livin' together since spring. And still they have not hooked up. Can you believe that?" Lafayette interrupted; Maggie and Andrea stared at her, a little confused.

"Wait, you guys lived together before dating?" Andrea asked and Carol nodded.

"It's a long story but-"

"A very long and boring story because there's no sex," Lafayette punctuated the last word with a hip thrust and smirked."You two's movin' slow as molasses," he teased and Carol stuck her tongue out at him playfully; she didn't mind his teasing.

"Ain't nothin' wrong with takin' your time," Maggie said, smiling at Carol. "It took Glenn and I awhile to work up to that too," she continued before making her way to the register. Lafayette snorted and rolled his eyes at her but Carol appreciated the kind gesture and followed Maggie to the register with her own purchases, a blue lacy bra with a matching pair of panties.

Carol knew things would be slow-going with her and Daryl but she couldn't help getting excited at the thought of one day getting to show off all the sexy things she owned.

-TWD-

"Amy loved this place . . ." Andrea said softly, a sad smile on her face. They were eating at a seafood restaurant inside the mall. A large, floor-to-ceiling aquarium sat in the center of the restaurant casting a blue glow throughout the dining room. It was well-stocked with all sorts of colorful fish and stingrays of various sizes glided against the thick glass. They were seated at a table right next to the aquarium and Andrea was staring at a small, brown stingray that hovered nearby.

"Oh . . . Why didn't you tell us, we could've picked another place to eat," Maggie asked. Andrea turned to her and shook her head.

"No, it's okay. I don't want to avoid this place, it holds good memories for me," she smiled, eyes glassy.

"It can't be easy trying to move forward but I'm glad you came with us today; it's been a long time since I've gotten to enjoy a day out with friends," Carol placed her hand over Andrea's arm and gave her an empathetic smile; she didn't know the pain of losing a sibling but she knew the pain of losing someone you loved. Andrea returned her smile and then their food arrived which was a welcome change of subject for the group.

"So what's the plan for this afternoon?" Maggie asked before taking a bite of her meal.

"We's gettin' our pamperin' on at the spa. Massages, facials, soaks, whatever you ladies want. And don't none a' y'all start protestin' about the cost," Lafayette quipped, wagging a finger at them, "The owner owes me a favor for callin' me in last minute to cook for her kid's birthday party so I told her I'd be bringin' in some friends today and we'll call it even."

"You don't just cook at the diner?" Carol asked.

"Nope, not enough money in bein' a fry cook. I cater on the side and maybe one a' these days I'll get a business goin' with it."

"That would be amazing! I've never tasted food better than yours," Andrea said; Maggie and Carol nodded their agreement.

"Damn straight you hasn't," Lafayette smirked; humility wasn't his strong suit but the women simply laughed it off and continued their meal.

After lunch they made their way to the spa and Lafayette checked them in for ninety-minute massages. Carol, Maggie, and Andrea made their way to the women's locker rooms to get changed into spa robes before returning to the relaxing waiting room and sipping on cocktails until they were summoned back by their masseuse.

Carol was in heaven. The room was dark and quiet with soft music playing in the background. She'd never had a massage before and the woman working her back had magic fingers. The woman avoided her lower back where the surgery scar was because it was still a sensitive area but everywhere else from head to toe had been turned to jelly with hot oil and skilled hands. Carol had been anxious about baring her back, a little afraid of showing the few scars Ed had given her, but the masseuse was very professional and said nothing about them.

When she returned to the waiting room, the other three had already returned from their massages looking just as relaxed as she felt. Maggie and Andrea opted for some facials while Carol followed Lafayette to the mud baths. She moaned, sinking in to the mud before leaning her head back against the edge and relishing the experience.

"With the way you's glowin' right now, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you got a bun in the oven, Carol," her eyes shot open and she gaped at Lafayette; he grinned. "But I do know better . . ." his voice got soft and his grin became a sincere smile, "He makes you that happy, doesn't he?"

"He does," she smiled softly; her heart swelled just thinking about it.

"I'm real happy for you, Carol. I know things with Ed wasn't good and I'm glad ya found somethin' good," Lafayette had known Carol about as long as Daryl had but he remembered the scared little mouse she had been anytime her husband came around. Looking at her now was like looking at a new woman; she smiled more, stood up straighter, and had an ease about her that didn't exist with Ed looming over her.

"Thank you, Lafayette," Carol murmured. "And thank you for today . . . I haven't had friends in a long time thanks to my ex-husband and I'm glad I have you guys too."

-TWD-

Carol rushed through the front door, trying to avoid getting wet as much as possible; a storm had come out of nowhere as they were leaving the mall, dropping buckets of rain on them. She dropped all of her bags by the door before turning and waving a quick goodbye to Lafayette. Carol closed and locked the front door and turned to see Daryl standing between the kitchen and living room, leaning on the doorway and smirking at her.

"Told ya it was gonna storm," he said before turning and walking into the kitchen, Carol followed him.

"And how did you know it was going to storm? The weather didn't say anything about rain this morning," she cocked an eyebrow at him, smiling, before hopping up on the counter. Daryl had been washing dishes before she got home and was finishing them up; Carol sat on the counter to keep him company.

"My shoulder, the one that got an arrow through it . . . always aches like a sonofabitch before a storm," he said quietly. Carol nodded her understanding before reaching and tugging on his shirt, pulling him towards her. "What are ya doin'?"

"Come here, I want to try something," she smiled softly before finally tugging him in front of her and pulling him a little closer to the counter until he stood between her knees. Carol always moved slowly and looked him in the eye to make sure he was okay. She reached up with both hands and placed them over his left shoulder and started rubbing gently, kneading the tense muscles under his skin. "I got a massage today and I figure you could use one too . . ." she said softly but he didn't miss the flirty undertones.

Daryl had his palms flat on the counter, his hands next to her hips. Within minutes he found himself leaning into her touch; he could feel the tension and knots getting worked out of his bad shoulder and almost moaned when she hit a good spot, eyes closing and forehead resting on her shoulder. This woman was going to be the death of him.

"Did ya have fun today?" He muttered.

"I did, even brought a little something home for you," she whispered before pulling her hands away and he raised his head to look at her. Their faces were so close and all he could think about was kissing her. Although that's about all he'd been thinking about lately. Other than a quick peck on the cheek here or there, they hadn't shared a kiss since their first ones a couple weeks ago. He knew she was waiting for him to take initiative; could see it in her hopeful eyes anytime they got close. But he didn't know how something so simple could be so difficult for him; he always pulled away before closing the distance, fear holding him back. Tonight was different though, he was pushing that fear away, telling himself to quit being such a pussy and go for it.

He was staring her in the eye and he could see that hope, just as she could see his nerves. Daryl kept his eyes on hers as he brought his face closer until their lips met briefly before he pulled away to look at her, unsure. Carol gave him an encouraging smile so he did it again. This time he didn't pull away and instead closed his eyes, leaning in to it. He felt Carol smile and wrap her arms around his neck, her knees holding his hips. She wanted to deepen the kiss but he pulled away before she could. Carol kept her arms around him and tightened her knees, keeping him close; he gave her a shy smile and she returned it with a sweet one of her own. She didn't have to say anything to tell him how happy she was; he could see it in her face, the way her eyes gleamed, the way that she smiled.

"I was thinking . . ." Carol glanced at him hopefully.

"'Bout what?"

"Well, it occurred to me today that it's been a year since I got away from Ed . . ." Daryl frowned a little; he didn't like bringing Ed into these moments with her but waited to see where she was going with it. "Things have changed so much since then and I . . . I wanted to celebrate my freedom somehow . . ."

"What did ya have in mind?" he asked, smiling; Daryl already knew he'd say yes to whatever it was.

"I was wondering if we could take a ride on your motorcycle . . . Just . . . drive around for a day?" Carol was looking at him with big eyes and he almost laughed at her expression; it was so adorable (another word he'd never utter out loud). She had been dying to get on that bike with him for a long time now and finally found the courage to ask.

"Sure, jus' gotta get ya a helmet first," he was surprised at her request; it was unexpected. Daryl didn't think she had any interest in riding a motorcycle. "Ya really wanna ride that thing?"

"Yep," she nodded before a devilish grin took over her face, "Or . . . maybe I just wanted an excuse to wrap my legs around you," she winked and his jaw dropped, face turning bright red. Carol giggled, unable to resist teasing him, before she carefully moved forward and slid off the counter; Daryl barely moved to let her down and she could feel the effect of her words pressed against her lower belly. Looking up at him she grinned and suddenly she felt his mouth against hers in a hungry kiss that had him pressing her back against the counter.

Her flirtatious words had all sorts of dirty things running through his head but Daryl only had one goal in mind for now. Carol moaned into his mouth and he pulled away, smirking. She stared up at him, eyes wide, out of breath, and face flushed with color; that bold move had her turned on faster than a light switch. But instead of continuing, Daryl walked away grinning, extremely proud of himself for managing to leave her stunned and at a loss for words.

-TWD-

A/N: Hurray, Merle is fine. And I just loved writing that girl's day out! Lafayette is so awesome; I should have known I wouldn't be able to keep him around for just one chapter, ha ha. And we've got a little sexy times going on here too! Daryl's getting braver but he's still got some hurdles to jump so don't get too excited yet.

Tiny little note – the reason I think Maggie and Glenn didn't immediately jump each other's bones is because in this fic, they don't have an apocalypse looming over their heads. No rush.

Anyway, I'd love to know what ya think! Review?