Well...sorry this took so long but I've been working on developing my Daryl/Michonne fic, sleeping like a freaking log and planning out my schedule. But never fear, I am back!

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When Carol had approached Rick about being their version of a Justice of the Peace he had been completely and utterly shocked.

"Carol...I think you should slow down a bit and talk to him about this," he said nervously, "Does he know you're planning this?"

Carol looked at Rick like he was crazy.

"Rick, Daryl is the one who asked me to marry him," she clarified.

"Really?"

"Yes, so can you do it?"

"Of course I can! Hey...congratulations," Rick smiled genuinely, "It's nice to know that at least some of us are getting along."

She felt bad for Rick, his best friend was always pissed at him and telling him he was a bad leader and his wife was always going from hot to cold and she had a feeling Rick knew that Lori and Shane had...bumped uglies a time or two.

"Thank you, Rick," she said softly, "Don't give up on Lori...she'll come around. For what it's worth...I think you've led us just fine and I can almost promise you Daryl agrees as well. I mean, he IS your wingman after all. Glenn admires you too, I can tell."

Rick nodded grimly, his eyes dropping. But he took a breath and smiled as his head raised again.

"Thanks, Carol, that means a lot to hear," he said quietly, nodding before he turned and went to do whatever it was that a leader felt he needed to do. She watched him go with a sad head tilt of sympathy but her musing was cut short by the feeling of breath on the back of her neck.

"Daryl...I can tell you're behind me," she stated. She heard his deep chuckle a second before his arms encircled her from behind.

"Well, is he up for it?" he asked, his lips brushing the top of her ear as he spoke.

"Yep," Carol replied, placing her hands over his which pressed into her stomach. "He was shocked though."

"I'm still a bit shocked m'self," Daryl admitted, "I ain't never been the type to take on anyone else. I'm so used t' just takin' care o' me."

"Well you're doing a good job," Carol assured him, "Keep it up and I'll never want anyone but you."

Daryl growled, pulling her closer.

"Ya better not want nobody else," he said teasingly, "I may have to put some arrows in a fella."

Carol pushed his hands away enough to turn and face him, his blue eyes were twinkling with good humor and his lips were pulled into a small half smile as he looked down at her. Carol reached up and ran her hand down his jaw, her fingertips twisting his rough chin hairs and her thumb traced his bottom lip.

"Why would I want anyone else but you?" she whispered softly, taking in every inch of his face and committing it to memory.

"I ain't nothin' special," Daryl reasoned, his eyes were beginning to get that heavy look of arousal but they still held a tiny bit of insecurity. Carol wondered how long it would take to make up for what his life had been before her, to heal the wounds he carried deep inside. "Just a Georgia hick from the hills."

"You're MY Georgia hick from the hills," Carol stated quietly, her eyes locking on his as she put on her best 'you listen to me right now' face, "And that makes you special. Daryl, what do I have to do to make you realize what you mean to me?"

"Maybe...meet me in the barn tonight after supper and show me?" Daryl whispered, his eyebrowes wiggling suggestively.

Carol sighed and smacked him lightly on the chest.

"Do you think of anything besides sex?" she scoffed with a smile.

"If it wasn't so fuckin' awesome with you then maybe I would have time to think o' somethin' else." Daryl countered, his hands slid lower and gripped her firmly on the butt.

"Stop that, there's kids around," Carol half-heartedly scolded his forwardness.

"We're just givin' 'em a good example t' follow," he reminded her.

"You two are just a fuckin' educational live action play, aren't you?" Andrea's voice cut into their teasing and Daryl immediately let go of Carol's ass and backed off, cheeks flaming with color under the tan skin and scruffy whiskers. Andrea grinned. "I'm glad someone's getting some around here. Glenn and Maggie don't count because they're always doing it."

Carol wasn't about to tell Andrea how often she and Daryl "got some".

After supper, which was now being held inside each night in the dining room, Carol slipped out of the kitchen and snuck out to the barn before Daryl could realize she was missing. She had to get there before him so she ran full force to the barn and climbed into the hayloft. She had something she had to keep him from seeing until she was ready.

No sooner had she succeeded in covering the evidence, Daryl swung his leg off the ladder and rolled into the hay. Carol giggled at his obvious rush to get to her. Sure enough, he grabbed the back of her neck as soon as he could reach and pulled her to him as he crawled to her like a dog with three legs.

"Come 'ere," he muttered as he tried to capture her lips with his, but she pulled away and slipped out of his grip. His eyes went wide and a little bit of hurt crossed his features. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Carol stated honestly, "Just slow down a little, ok?"

"But..."

"Shh!" Carol put a finger to his lip and grinned wickedly. "Just how badly do you want me right now?"

Daryl looked down at the obvious bulge beneath the fabric of his cargo pants and then back up at her, his eyebrow cocked as if to say 'See for yourself'.

"Do I really have to tell ya'?" he asked with a half smile.

"Yes," Carol stated firmly.

Daryl nodded, his lips twisting in a funny little thoughful way and he looked off to the side for a moment as he thought.

"Like...a heroine addict wants his next fix," he stated, "Trust me...that's a hell of a strong want."

Carol wondered just how often Daryl had witnessed this need when Merle couldn't afford the drugs and she brushed the lock of hair that hung into his eyes to the side and he caught her wrist and pressed his lips to the veins there, teeth gently grazing the paper thin skin there.

"Lay down," Carol whispered almost too quiet to hear, but his eyes looked up at her from her wrist and he smiled. He immediately scooted back onto the blanket and laid back, legs wide open and hands cupping the back of his head as he pulled it up to look at her as she straddle his hips.

"Reverse cowgirl?" he asked, hopefully.

Carol couldn't help it, she let out a loud laugh and leaned her head down to his chest to kiss the scar there.

"Is that what you want?" she asked against his skin.

"I want you to pull off whatever evil plot you've got going on here," Daryl replied with amusement.

"What makes you think I have an evil plot?" Carol asked with surprise.

"Come on, Carol," Daryl rolled his eyes, "You've got that look on ye face ya get whenever you're up t' somethin'."

"M'kay," Carol stated simply, not wanting to waste anymore time herself because the feeling of him growing steadily under her was about to drive her crazy. Reaching to the side, she pulled the little tupperware bowl she had hidden there out from under the hay, Daryl looked at it with curiosity.

"What's that?" he asked, his eyes flicking back to meet hers and laughed at the little kid excitement she saw there, almost hidden by the dark desire that was taking over every part of him.

"You'll see soon enough," Carol stated. She had a plan and she was excited to see that, so far, he was completely in the dark as to what that might be. With a seductive smile, she trailed a few strong kisses down his torso all the way to his navel before pulling herself onto her knees and slipping her shirt over her head slowly and teasingly, watching Daryl's eyes get wider and wider with every inch.

"Holy shit..."

"Not done yet," Carol cut off his admiration. She unbuttoned her jeans and slid the zipper down tantilizingly slow and wiggled out of them, standing slowly as she did, her eyes locked on his. She saw his Adam's apple bob as he gulped when the jeans hit the floor and she stood before him. She had found the delights she now wore on the rack at Wal*Mart on their run and she had been waiting for just the right time to unveil them. Bright red, small and lacy, the bra and panty set had caught her eye then and were now catching Daryl's breath in his throat as he stared at her with jaw slack. "There, NOW feel free to say what you were going to say."

"Please come back down here and fuck me senseless," Daryl's voice was a pleading growl.

Carol smiled, but she returned to her place on his hips and he let out a loud groan as her weight pressed him down. She rolled her hips back once and his hands came up to grab her hips, his fingers dug into her flesh there and she yelped slightly. But he didn't seem to register that fact as his lips found the swell of her right breast and she tossed her head back as the familiar heat pooled in her lower body.

"Nuh uh," she finally managed to whisper, she grabbed him by the wrists and pinned them at the side of his head, causing him to take on a surprised and disappointed look, he gave her the puppy dog eyes he knew made her stomach flip. "That look isn't gonna work this time, hon buns."

"Hon buns?" the corner of his mouth twitched in amusement, and she was surprised that he was laying so still.

"Hey, I had to put something mushy sounding in there," Carol shrugged. "Now...let's get something straight here, alright?"

Daryl nodded silently.

"I am in charge. I'm about to lay down some rules and you will follow them or you get nothing from me, got it?" Carol used her best in charge voice, and it felt weird in her throat because she had only ever used it on Sophia, and even that was a rare thing.

"Uh...yeah...got it," Daryl was looking at her as if he was seeing her for the first time, disbelief in every inch of his features. "Lay 'em on me."

"Rule number one: You will not touch me without my permission." Carol held up her pointer finger as the "one".

"Aw,come on..."

"Number two: You will not say a word from a certain point on until I say so."

"But..."

"I could add a third one if those aren't enough for you..."

"No! I...that's good enough!" Daryl sounded panicked. "But...I want to touch you!"

Carol was loving this...something about the fact that he was willing to put up with her little game made her feel strong and she wasn't use to feeling strong.

"Starting now, both rules apply," she stated firmly and smiled when Daryl clamped his mouth shut. "However, you may remove the rest of my clothes."

Daryl didn't wait to be told twice, he sat bolt upright and his hands immediately cupped her breasts as his lips teased the skin showing above the bra she still wore. His thumbs slid under the lace and teased her nipples into hard peaks before he slid his hands behind her to unclasp the hooks holding the garment on. He growled with delight as it slipped off and his mouth had access to every inch of skin it had kept hidden from him and Carol gasped softly when he pulled her right nipple into his mouth, his tongue sliding across it like a warm snake on the sand. His hands, meanwhile slid down to her hips where they pushed at the lace there, moving it slowly down. She got onto her knees to allow the panties to slid off her and down her thighs before she rolled onto her left hip and he pulled them the rest of the way down her legs and off.

"Alright stop," she ordered when the red lace was completely gone from her body. Daryl didn't listen and his tongue continued to draw designs on her chest so she grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked it firmly, causing him to lean back. "I said stop."

"Didn' know if ya were serious..." Daryl said sheepishly.

"Take your shirt off," Carol didn't waste time, showing him she damn well meant everything she'd said. He eyed her curiously but quickly pulled his shirt over his head and waited for her to tell him what to do next. "All of it. Off."

She unstraddled him as he wiggled his way out of his cargos, letting out a sigh of relief when he sprung free from the confines of them.

"Alright," Carol grinned, her teeth showing from behind her lips, "Lay back."

Daryls groaned slightly but he followed directions and laid back, hands down at his sides. Carol reached over him, her chest purposely running over the tip of him as she did, and grabbed the bowl from his side. She popped the lid and then turned to face him.

"Close your eyes," she said softly, "Don't open them till I say so and remember, no talking."

Daryl closed his eyes gently at first and then she saw them tighten a little as he struggled with his curiosity. Carol smiled and pulled out her secret weapon...those little rectangles of frozen water. Half melted now, but still just as effective. Taking one between her thumb and two fingers, she held it up above his stomach and let it drip down from about two feet. When the first drip hit his skin he jumped, but Carol had to give him credit for keeping his eyes closed.

"What the...?"

"Hush! I said don't talk."

Daryl bit his bottom lip and fell silent. Carol moved the target lower and let the cold drop fall on his right hip resulting in another, more powerful jerk. Liking this reaction better, Carol changed strategy and pressed the cube to the skin there and drug a small trail along his hipbone, then she followed the path with her tongue, warming the trail back up. Daryl moaned softly and she decided to let his little sounds she loved so much slide and not count as talking.

She trailed another line down the side of his neck, her tongue following close behind, then across his chest where his heart would be, then down the underside of his forearm to the wrist, then a circle in the palm of his left hand, then finally down his midline from the hollow of his throat to the base of his cock.

"You can say something if you want," Carol offered, "One thing."

"Fuck..."

"That's seriously all you've got?" Carol laughed, pressing a kiss to his cheek. He nodded, his eyes still closed. "You can open your eyes now. But, you still can't touch or speak."

He nodded his agreement as his eyes fluttered open, she fluttered deep down inside right along with them. She smiled slightly at him before her hand slid down his stomach and took a hold of him firmly, her palm rubbed slowly up and down the stone solid, yet velvety soft length of him and listened as he bit back a groan. She pressed her palm even more firmly into him as she moved her hand down slowly and then back up just as painfully slow. He let out with a long "Mmmmmmm" noise in the back of his throat and she immediately released her hold on his, causing him to inhale sharply.

"You're making an awful lot of noise," Carol commented, crossing her arms.

"I..." But he clamped his mouth shut as he remembered the rules and raised his hand like a fourth grader with the correct answer.

"Yes?"

"You said I couldn't talk," he defended himself, "You didn't say I couldn't make ANY noise!"

"True, true," Carol leaned forward and pressed her lips to his jaw and nipped trail up to his ear. "I guess you can make some noise...but not a lot."

"M'kay..."

"Now shush," Carol restraddled him, pressing into him firmly, loving the way he twitched under her from the pressure. He nodded.

Carol reached down and took him in hand once again, but this time she guided him blindly to her entrance as she slid onto him slowly. His eyes rolled back and he let out a long exhaled through pursed lips.

"Reverse cowgirl, huh?" Carol mused as she rolled her hips back, taking him deeper. "What is it with men and this position? Tell me, no for real you can."

"Because," Daryl sounded relieved he got to explain, "It give us access to everything we need. I mean, we don't have t' focus on holding our weight up, yer chest's right there in front of us, your ass ain't pressed into the bed or...hay, and we love the way you look leanin' over us like this."

Carol giggled at his explaination and she bucked forward and back in a quick motion which made him jerk his hips up in response. Carol had to admit, she liked this position too. She had never tried this before, Ed would have beaten her within an inch of life if she ever tried to suggest something new in the bedroom department. Daryl had played along with her little teasing routine like a trooper and she suddenly found herself not playing anymore. She braced her weight on her hands and knees and began riding him harder, focusing no longer on making him want her more but instead on giving him what he needed.

"You can touch me as much as you want now," she breathed out as she took a small rest to get some strength back, this being on top thing was hard work! Immediately, Daryl's hands were in her hair, pulling her lips to his. He wasted no time in sweet kisses, but dove his tongue right in, twisting around hers and tracing behind her teeth firmly. She groaned into his mouth as he bucked into her, silently begging her to continue her movements.

"I'm too tired," she admitted sadly, wishing she could keep up the pace. Daryl wasn't deterred, he just flipped her over with a grunt, repositioning himself and her to where he was now in control. Carol let out a long sigh as his teeth began nipping along her collar bone. "Sorry."

"Don't you be fuckin' sorry, woman," Daryl mumbled into her skin, "You keep me on my toes like none other. Ain't walkers that make me the most nervous, it's you an' your dirty little mind!"

But he was done with talking for the moment and he began pumping in and out of her with a steady rhythm, not too fast as to feel desperate, but not slow enough to be described at romantic either. Forceful, but gentle. His hands found hers and he entertwined his fingers with hers, pushing them above her head and balancing on his elbows as he smoothly bucked his hips in time with hers, his forehead pressed into her shoulder. She felt his breathing starting to pick up and every once in a while it would hitch and she could tell he was getting close to going over the edge.

"Come on, girl," he growled as a particularly violent jerk shot through his frame, "Don't make me do this alone."

He raised his head and repositioned himselfto where his face was exactly in line with hers, noses almost touching, his increasingly shaggy bangs hung down to his eyes which stared right into hers. It was his eyes that did it for her, that dilated cobal gaze, looking black in the shadows of the barn, that heavy brow that always made him look a little bit angry or at least firm, the way they begged her to release with him, to give up everything to him. When those eyes locked onto hers, she had no choice but to do whatever he said at that moment.

"Just let go," he whispered, almost so quiet she didn't hear. But her body clearly got the message because when he pushed into her again she felt that familiar surge start to build fast and three more firm strokes had her mewling into his mouth as her inner muscles convulsed and her outer muscles jerked wildly, she vaguely felt the heat of his release inside her but she was still in the middle of the wave so she didn't dwell on it. Sighing, Daryl's firm kiss to cover her screams broke and he dropped his forehead to her chest, his nose rubbing against the inside of her breast, his breath tickled her skin.

When he caught his breath, he rolled to the side and pulled her into him from behind, pressing kisses to her back and whispering soft little things in her ears. Things like "I'm so fuckin' lucky" and "Don't deserve this" and "So damn perfect". Carol smiled.

"Daryl," she whispered, rolling over to look at him, all the lust was gone from his eyes now and she saw the calm, relieved, gentle gaze he always held there after one of their romps. She loved that look. "I love you."

"I love ya too," Daryl mumbled, his eyes starting to get droopy with sleepiness. "We have t' get back to the tent before I can't even make it. You better go get Sophia from the house."

Carol smiled and kissed his cheek before sitting up and pulling on her clothes again. She tossed his shirt and pants at him as she stood up and he slowly pulled them back on. He offered to take the blanket while she returned the bowl and got Sophia. He leaned down and kissed her temple before she climbed down the ladder and headed for the house to get the other member of this family.

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Well, damn...that took two and a half hours to write and it's 6 A.M...time for some sleep, I think. Luckily I have nothing to do tomorrow so I'm glad to have spent my night writing for you all :)

Reviews save pandas, and kittens, and baby dolphins, and...well actually that's bull crap, they really don't. But...they DO make this author (ess?) very happy so it's worth your time, I promise!