Carol woke up to a sharp knee to her stomach as Sophia rolled over kicking out in her sleep. She had always been like that though for as long as Carol could remember. Always fighting silent battles when Ed was around. Sophia had developed a habit of speaking before thinking about it and though it was nerve wracking it when it turned around and bit Carol in the ass, it was something to see. Her once shy scared of her own shadow daughter was speaking up for herself and talking. She was becoming the little girl she was meant to be. Though her language was becoming more colorful from the brothers but honestly she'd take that any day over the fear that worried her girls face.

Sighing catching another sharp hit Carol rolled over and climbed from the bed. It was to small for them but Carol didn't feel right putting Daryl out of his own bed and the man having to sleep on the couch. Part of her wanted to just walk straight in there and crawl in bed with him, let her body curve to his and let his presence soothe and lull her to safe restful sleep. The part of her that wanted that also was terrified of how he'd react if she were to ever do something like that. Sophia hadn't wanted to share bed and sprawled out shooting them both fiery looks. Carol had huffed and when Daryl offered his bed Sophia got a smug look in her eyes that she swore she borrowed from Mac himself.

Daryl had made it more than clear to her that he was interested in her. He took Sophia under his wing and even when she had stumbled over her word and embarrassed herself as Mac disappeared on them he hadn't made her feel bad for it. Feeling her face burn at her earlier embarrassment had her shaking her head and easing the door open silently.

Mac she was learning that when he noticed something, found a weakness, a strength, any of these things within in seconds he knew how to get the best of someone. Not saying he was a bad man for his ability to get a read on people but she knew he had her figured out. It was stressful to say the least. She had spent the better part of her life hiding herself away from Ed in her mind. No one had ever looked twice, no one had ever figured her out but Mac and it seemed his own brother thought there was something there.

Daryl didn't make her feel studied. He made her feel wanted, desired. Something she hadn't truly ever felt in her life. It was startling and exciting in the same breath as slight fear. If she handed herself over to this man with her emotions she knew he would be able to break her in ways not even Ed had. Ed never owned her heart so he was never able to break it. Daryl though? Daryl was on the fast track to burrowing straight through her and weaving his own heart around hers. But that was what it boiled down to now. Could she trust Daryl not to hurt her? She knew he would never hurt her daughter but could she trust him to not shatter her?

Padding through the hall way she was on high alert still not able to relax. It was odd being inside, sleeping in a bed, not smelling death, not sleeping in a tent. It was just downright odd to be in a place that felt like a home and wasn't layered in lost lives and dust. This was Daryl's home, this was where he had a life before the world went to hell. She could see things around the place earlier that was every bit him. Dark wooden floors all through with a lighter tone walls but also wood. The mantle was rock work as was the entire fire-place. What she seen of the kitchen was devoid of any woman's touch as was the rest of the house. The kitchen was white and gray mix with stainless steel appliances basic but no less well-kept. Surprisingly he wasn't a messy man and it seemed every thing had a place. She could only imagine that his own twin wasn't the same way and that his place was likely a mess.

Carol came to a stop at the threshold to the living room seeing Daryl setting pensively looking into the fire he had made. He wasn't aware of her and she took a moment to study him in his own home. He was setting on the love seat that faced towards the fire with his back to the armrest. He had one of his legs drawn up along side the back of the couch and his arm was slung over his knee while the other sat in his lap. The sound of popping met her ears and she noticed it more than the fires music doing it. He was cracking his knuckles as he set there.

One step and his head whipped around locking on to her. She froze mid-step as his eyes burned over her and she held her breath waiting to see if she was intruding. He had been in deep thought and if he had found a place for his normal restless self to rest then she didn't want to ruin that for him. She would disappear back to a kicking Sophia.

"You just gonna stand there?" He tilted his head eyeing her as he bit his lip to combat the smile threatening to come out.

Carol walked further into the room, "Didn't know anyone was up."

He nodded and started to shift to give her room to set down but she shook her head setting on the floor with her back to the couch. Stretching her legs towards the fireplace she looked over shoulder at him. He was cast partly in shadows and in another life this could have something she could have enjoyed without the threat of the dead. It was surreal being in his home with everything that happened.

"She still asleep?" Daryl's voice was rough.

Nodding she turned slightly and let her arm run along the couch where his other leg would have been if his foot wasn't planted on the ground next to her. "Yeah. I tried to sleep but she turns into a kick boxer at night."

Daryl chuckled and looked down at her briefly before his eyes went to the fire. The silence wasn't something that was uncomfortable, instead it made her feel at ease with him. She was always afraid of silence with Ed. If he was quiet and not bellowing he was more violent, he was after Sophia. He was so much more a monster. But with Daryl came a sense of calm that was wrapped in silence. She didn't need to guard herself like she did with Ed. He wasn't Ed.

With that thought she looked at him again and shifted pulling herself up onto the love seat. His eyes flickered to her and she smiled at him and he started to turn moving his leg from the back of the seat. Pushing her hand against his knee keeping him in place and shaking her head she set against the other armrest looking at him. Her smaller frame fit more easily along the piece of furniture than his. Her legs set on the inside of his her knees slightly bent to keep from her feet coming into contact with his groin. Daryl grabbed her ankles and pulled her legs straight dropping her feet into his lap letting her stretch out completely.

Blushing she chewed her lip to hide her smile when his hand stayed on her leg ankle. He was watching the fire again and the same look was on his face as before and she studied him. He was absently drawing patterns on her leg with the his index finger causing a fire to start in her blood. She swallowed thickly and he turned his head looking at her.

"Kick boxing is better than nightmares at least."

Nodding, "She fell asleep quick after everything."

He leaned his head back and blew out a breath his hand falling from her leg. She wanted to tell him to keep touching her but stopped herself before she could. With his head tilted back his throat was exposed and she finally noticed that his shirt was undone. It wasn't quite hanging wide open exposing but she could tell it was pulled on as an after thought. It was hanging open an inch or two just enough to expose that sliver of his skin down to his jeans that were also unbuttoned. Needing a distraction before she embarrassed them both she couldn't tear her eyes away from him though.

"Annette likes Sophia." Daryl spoke suddenly."When we were in the house and she went in there earlier Mac was giving her shit and she gave it right back."

Carol sighed, "Is your brothers main goal in life to antagonize everyone? Even little girls?"

Daryl looked at her smiling, "Mac is a braying jackass but he means well. If he didn't like her he'd ignore her like she wasn't there..."

"I know but between those two I never know what she is going to say anymore." Carol watched as Daryl let his chin drop to his chest a lopsided smirk on his face. His hands were sliding over his pockets no doubt searching for his cigarettes. She raised an eyebrow as he lifted his hips shoving his hand down into his pocket retrieving them, it wasn't that he was being obscene but she wasn't able to look away from him. Shaking herself she started talking just to try and keep him talking. The sound of his voice was like honey over sandstone. "Annette seems nice. All of the Greenes."

Daryl made a face but nodded, "Good people."

"Is there something wrong?" Carol prodded. She had noticed that despite how happy Hershel was to see the brothers he had a look in his eyes like he was slowly giving up. "I don't mean to pry."

Daryl looked at her inhaling deeply, "Nah it's fine." He blew out a cloud of smoke from her and looked back over, "Hershel an Annette got another daughter Beth."

Carol frowned, "I met Maggie earlier I didn't see Beth."

"You wouldn't have she's missing. Merle and Maggie were looking for her when they stumbled up on me." He frowned, "Merle always was a shit tracker."

Carol set forward suddenly and his eyes widened, "How old is she?"

Daryl frowned again and gave a weak shrug, "Fuck if I can remember. Fifteen maybe sixteen."

Carol looked out the window towards the big house and felt her chest ache for a woman who had more strength than she had thought possible. Annette never once gave the impression that she was struggling with her daughter missing. She had been strong, kind, gentle, and smiling all day.

"Going out before first light and I'm hitting the woods to see what happened." Daryl was talking mostly to himself. His voice was tense, "Beth weren't ever no outdoors type. More like setting around reading and avoiding dirt and outdoors at all cost."

Carol frowned and moved closer to him her hand setting just below his knee on his thigh, "Daryl if anyone will find her it'll be you."

He looked up her his eyes on fire, "I know I will." His voice was determined but there was something underneath it that was pulling the fire from his eyes and drowning them in sorrow, "Just don't know what condition she'll be in when I do."

Carol moved to her knees and without thought settled her hands next to his collar-bones, "If that happens. If she is bit and you find her we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." He was studying her as he exhaled slowly smoke passing his lips, "Something tells me that Annette and Hershel getting you and Mac back along side Merle will help ease the loss of their daughter if that is what has happened."

"I know what you're saying Carol an I appreciate it but we aint their blood. Beth is their daughter."

"Blood doesn't make family Daryl." Carol's voice was sharper than she intended. He stubbed his cigarette out looking up at her as she loomed over him almost completely between his legs, "From everything I've come to understand those two in that house look at you three like sons! Don't diminish that with some old as time words that don't ring true here."

He gave her a barely there nod but she seen it and relaxed slightly. Her fingers flexed over his shoulders and she couldn't bring herself to take her hands off him. She needed to move away from him, she needed to do something but her body had locked up on her. His eyes still had that sorrow filled look and it was killing her. Shifting closer to him she leaned in letting her lips brush against his softly at first in case he had changed his mind. Her heart was thumping harshly against her ribcage and she felt like she was suffocating as she waited to see what his reaction was going to be. Just as she started to pull pack feeling dread settle into the pit of her stomach smothering out the flames that had built for weeks his hand brushed her side.

Carol sighed and his mouth was on hers suddenly kissing her in a way she had never been kissed before. His arm that had slid along her side wrapped around her hauling her the rest of the way towards him as her arms wrapped around his neck and shoulders. The kiss went from sweet as she pushed herself deepening it and he groaned when she tightened her grip in his hair holding him where she wanted him.

She had never had the courage to act this way with Ed for fear he'd lash out at her. Pulling back for hair when she felt her chest start burning from lack of breath she met his wide eyes with her own. He didn't look mad or any of the things she was scared she was going to see in his eyes. He was a man after all and from her experiences they weren't the type to turn down a woman coming on to them even if they didn't feel anything for them. No what she saw in his eyes was more emotion and hunger than she could swallow. His hand came up cupping the side of her face his thumb skating across her bruised bottom lip as her breathing sped up watching his eyes take her in. His arm was still tight around her refusing her removal from his lap where she was straddling him. She wasn't even sure how she had got into such an intimate position with him without her realizing it.

Her grip was still tight on him and she had his head tilted back and she watched each of his deep breaths as his chest rose high. His shirt was pushed wide and she could see more of him with the light from the fire and she swallowed again. Bringing her hand down she let her finger tips hit at the tattooed name over his heart. His breath rushed out of him as her hands explored his chest freely and unashamed. She had wanted to touch him since the first day she got a glimpse of him. She had seen the way he cringed and flinched from touch and she felt her heart speed up when she realized he wasn't going to stop her exploring. She still couldn't bring herself to let of him and allow his straining neck to rest as she kept him in place.

"Carol." his voice had a husky tone she had only heard once before. Meeting his eyes his pupils were blown wide and his nostrils flared. She shifted on him trying to keep the ache between her legs from swallowing her whole. He groaned and closed his eyes when she shifted again and his hand gripped her hip holding her still as he fought his own battle. "What're you doing?"

Carol looked down as her hand traced the hair across his stomach that was moving with his panting breaths, "I don't know." Her voice was a soft whisper. Tightening her legs around him as she brought them closer he opened his eyes again and the want in them had her panties soaking through.

His grip was tight around her waist and he set up despite her hold on him and she smiled at him shyly. He shook his head but his mouth was on hers not as rough as before but the hunger was still there thrumming under the surface. Carol rolled her hips without realizing what she was doing and didn't even realize she was doing it until he groaned his head dropping to her shoulder his hot breath hitting her chest. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and he released his restraining hold on her hip for his own arm to come around her.

"We gotta stop." his voice was hoarse.

Carol nodded her face burying in his neck while she could still freely touch him, "Okay." her voice was small and light as she kissed him just under the throat.

He shook his head against her, "I'm not stopping you cause I don't want you." He coughed slightly trying to get his voice to level out. "I..we gotta stop cause if you keep it up it aint gonna matter that your girl is just down the hall and we're out in the open."

Carol sucked in a breath and found herself smiling against his neck, "I'm sorry."

He chuckled his breathing slowing down and setting back pulling her with him. "Nothing to be sorry for Carol."

She looked at his face and raised an eyebrow when she knew they were both aware of his obvious arousal seated between her thighs. He grinned at her and traced her throat with his fingers, "Don't ever apologize for something like that."

Carol blushed and he pulled her down against him jerking the blanket from the back of the couch down over her as she laid against his chest. She listened to the strong beat of his heart and watched the fire dance across from her. Her mind was made up and she hoped that she could get the words out and not make an ass of herself like she had done. Finding his hand she laced her fingers through his and squeezed them feeling herself starting to drift off.

"I want this Daryl." She yawned over his heart, "I want you."

His arm tightened around her and she felt her entire world shift and he lifted her like she was nothing and then dropped back down sprawled out on the couch. He settled her back over him her entire weight resting over him. He didn't seem to mind and she let herself absorb the moment with perfect clarity. For a man who hated to be touched he hadn't let go of her since she had started this. She smiled again and turned her head from the fire burying it in his throat again. She was going to make this work and get past her fears of everything Ed had tried to ingrain in her mind.