They got on the road pretty quickly. There were little to no Walkers blocking their way which meant there was no need to stop or slow down too much. They only stopped twice, once to feed Judith and the second time for a chance to go to the bathroom, stretch their legs and all check in on each other. True to his word Daryl approached Carol after the first hour and she rode with him on the bike for a bit before travelling back with Merle. It was on their second break that she had gone back to riding with him.

"Here."

Carol was sat in the truck-bed of the car. The tail-gate was down and she'd managed to make a small spot for herself among the stuff. She looked up to see Merle standing there, hand extended. In it was a bottle of water.

She reached out and took it from him. "Thanks, where's yours?"

"Don't need one, we're tryin' to keep what we have just in case."

She opened up the bottle, took a decent mouthful then held it out to him. "Here, have some of my mine."

He looked like he wanted to refuse but after a moment he took it anyway. "Ya ridin' with me or Daryl?"

"You."

He nodded, leaning against the side of the car. "He okay with that?"

Carol shrugged. "I did say I was going to talk to you and I haven't yet so I need to be in the car to do so."

"We're talkin' right now," he pointed out. "Or am I missin' somethin'? I love my brother but if you were lookin' for somethin' a bit better I'm not gonna say no."

She rolled her eyes as he winked at her. "No, I'm quite happy with Daryl. I just figured you're his family and we should get on… Or try to."

"We get on just fine," he mumbled. "Only person who don't still look at me like I'm the devil."

"No one looks at you like that."

"Not much anymore but when we got alcohol about or I'm nowhere to be seen the second somethin' goes bad, people assume."

"Some do," Carol admitted, biting her lip. "But you have to give them more time. They're holding their tongues and trying."

"Ain't needin' any of them anyway," Merle shrugged. "Just my brother… And well you now."

"Hershel thinks good of you," Carol commented. "Michonne and Andrea admire your skills, especially in hunting. I know Carl would love to learn a few things from you, and Beth… Well despite everything I know she's bound to see the good in you. Girl doesn't see much bad in anyone."

"What about Officer Friendly or Country and China?"

She hit his arm. "Comments like that won't help your case!"

"Fine," he laughed. "But they ain't exactly on my side."

"Rick has warmed to you, especially with all the suggestions you make and the effort you put into helping the group. As for Maggie and Glenn… I guess they're stubborn. I bet you anything that they'll both learn to accept you at the same time but pretend like they don't so they won't upset each other."

"Do everythin' together don't they?"

"More often than not," Carol agreed.

"Like you and my brother."

"We get on, " she said softly.

Merle scoffed. "Been gettin' on for a long time, startin' to think he weren't really a man."

She pushed his shoulder. "Now don't you go making him feel uncomfortable. You tease him too much."

"My job."

Carol pursed her lips but let the matter drop. "When are we getting back on the road?"

"Soon, I'm ready when everyone else is."

Carol wasn't sat there long before they all decided to get back on the road. Judith was dozing off now which was the perfect time. Everyone else was well rested and stretched enough to get back into their cars and continue on. Carol spoke to Daryl briefly and gave him a kiss goodbye before climbing into the car with Merle. Daryl would normally take up front seen as he was on his bike but Merle and Carol did instead. If anything showed up and they had to stop Daryl would drive forward and check it out seen as his vehicle was the most agile.

For a while neither one said anything. Carol looked out of the window, moving her head every now and again to keep an eye on the world around her. Merle slouched a little in his seat but generally kept his eyes on the road ahead. It surprised both of them that it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. They both got on but they'd never spent this much time in each other's company before.

"When you found us again," Carol started, being the first to break the silence. "Did you expect to find who you did? Out of the old Atlanta group I mean."

"Honestly?" he questioned, receiving a nod from her in response. "I was surprised to see you. Figured that husband of yours would've killed ya himself or somethin'."

Carol managed to subdue the shiver that threatened to take over her. "Yes, well he was killed before he got the chance."

"Good," Merle said gruffly. "Looks like ya can take care of yourself now though."

"I'd like to say so," Carol agreed.

"Although I bet my brother would still wrap ya up in cotton wool."

Carol rolled her eyes, looking out of the passenger window. "He isn't that bad."

"Oh really? Look like he was gonna shit a brick at the idea of ya riding with me," Merle commented. "Maybe 'cause I only got one hand to control this thing, automatic or not, that scares him 'cause you're in the car."

Carol opened her mouth to tell him he was wrong but as she turned she caught sight of the small group of Walkers in the middle of the road. Merle was looking her way and clearly hand't noticed. She reached across and snatched the steering wheel, pulling it to one side. His eyes snapped back to the road just in time to see them. Between him and Carol they managed to dodge the crowd of Walkers but crashed straight into a tree off the side of the road. The car stopped, smoke coming out of the hood.

"Carol?"

"I'm fine," she mumbled, feeling the pull on her neck. "How many were there do you think?"

"At least a dozen."

As if on queue one Walker slammed itself into the passenger side window. Carol's hand instinctively went for her blade. She undid her seatbelt as quick as possible and moved towards the middle of the car.

"How behind were the others?" she asked.

"Not far, they should be right behind us on the road."

"Good they'll come and-"

Carol was cut off by more slamming. Her eyes darted around the car only to realise that they were surrounded. A dozen Walkers and then some. She couldn't see anything. Once she looked passed one Walker she spotted another and then another. The crash must have attracted them all over, despite the other vehicles. Even Merle was looking a little worried now. He tried to get the car moving but it only made a few feeble sounds and then stopped.

"Shit," he growled.

"We need a plan!"

"We need back-up."

Carol looked around, trying to figure a way out. They couldn't stay in there forever. The Walkers were blocking out any outside light they originally had. She could only imagine what it looked like from the outside. A mass of Walkers except for a sliver of light. Light. Carol's eyes darted to the back window where Walkers had been plastered to it. Now there were fewer, just two or three. One of them had its face pressed up against the window as it gnawed at the glass and dragged its hands repeatedly down it. Carol watched, focusing on the haze of light around it just as a bolt flew straight through it's head.

A/N: Merry Christmas guys! And if you don't celebrate it then I hope you have a wonderfully fantastic day anyway! This was going to end when they crashed or when Carol realises their surrounded but it's Christmas and I didn't want to be that mean so I gave you a bit of assurance. Not much Caryl in this but there will be again in the next chapter and the rest probably because this fic is nearly finished (I'm aiming to finish it before the new year). Either way a very merry christmas to you or a very merry fantastic day, I love you guys so much :)

R&R