Hi all, thank you for the reviews and for reading you guys are great. This chapter is from Carol and Merle's point of view. I really enjoyed writing this chapter because i had to research guns and gun licenses in america as i live in the uk, i hope i got it right please do let me if i got anything wrong.

Happy reading :)

Chapter 37

January 26th

Sunlight steamed in though the window, casting the front room in a soft warm glow, bring promises of hope and a new day with it.

From the white sofa that was against the wall on the right hand side of the room Carol began to stir, her eyes fluttered opening slowly, she blinked a couple of times letting her eyes adjust to the light before finally setting on Daryl who was fast asleep wrapped around her, he had his legs wrapped around her pinning her in place, his arm was wrapped around her waist. Carol had her arm resting on his shoulder, her hand on his neck, her other arm was tucked under her, her hand under her head, their heads were just inches apart from each other.

Carol watched Daryl as he slept, he looked so peaceful, she knew his life had been far from peaceful for years, Daryl had been living in torture both in his waking day and in his dreams. Her heart broke for him, she knew first hand just how much being abused could affect your life, hers from the hands of her ex- husband, Daryl's was so much worse from the hands off his dad. The person that should have protected his sons; done anything for them, did nothing but give them a life of torture both on the outside and the inside, he made his own sons life a living hell and was continuing to do so even now so many years later.

This man beside her who made her feel so safe and alive was still living a life of suffering, he would finch when you touched him. He didn't like to let people get to close too him as he had witnessed first hand just how evil someone could be once you let them into your life; his trust and faith in people had been shattered.

Carol stared at Daryl, watching the steadied rise and fall of his chest as he slept. She brought her hand to his face slowly, with one finger she gently traced his face from his eyelids that when opened had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen, she could get lost in his eyes. She moved her finger down along his nose, to his lips, the same lips that have kissed her breathlessly so many times, every time their lips touched it still felt like the first time. She traced her finger over his mole just above his lips feeling his scuff ticking her fingers as she continue along to his cheeks. He was so handsome, truly beautiful inside and out, he had a gently soul and a good heart in spite of what he had been through, he was just prefect to her and she felt like the luckiest woman alive.

Daryl stirred, he could still the warmth of Carol's body wrapped around him, her gentle touch on his face. His eyes fluttered open and he was greeted with eyes as blue as the ocean and the most breathtaking smile ever.

"Morning, beautiful." He whispered.

"Morning." Carol smiled.

"What are ya doing?" Daryl asked, one eyebrow arched.

"Nothing, just watching you sleep." Carol replied, before pressing her lips against his, silencing any further questions.

Daryl broke their kiss. "Even in my sleep, I'm drawn to ya." He mumbled as he unwrapped his body from hers.

"Coffee?" Carol asked, getting up from the sofa instantly missing the warmth of his body.

"Please." Daryl replied.

Carol showered and changed, Daryl didn't have any spare clothes, so they were going to swing by his, so Daryl could grab a shower and a change of clothes before making their way over to Rick's. Carol had told Daryl last night that Rick wanted both her and Lori to start carrying a gun around, with the murders going on he wanted them to be able to protect themselves. Today he was going to show them how to use them safely, Daryl had decided to go with her and help out, seeing as Merle was out of town today and it was his day off.

Merle and Tara and already been on the road for a few hours by the time they arrived in Atlanta. Merle held the steel wheel in both hands as he squinted at the road, the late night drinking combined with early waking and driving for the last few hours where finally taking its toll on him. He sneaked a glance at Tara who had her head resting against the passenger window, he could see she was feeling it too, while he really wanted to get out and start searching for Karen, he knew they both needed to catch a few hours of sleep.

Merle pulled into the parking lot of a motel, he parked the truck, turned his key letting the engine die. Merle turned and looked at Tara, she was facing him her eyebrows raised in question. "I thought it might be best if we rest up here for a bit, get a few hours of sleep." He answered her silent question.

"Sure, sounds good Merle." Tara replied.

"Alright, wait here, I'll go and get us a room." Merle opened the door, jump down from the truck, his boots hitting the concrete, he walked over to where the office was, pulled open the door and walked inside.

"I'll like a room for a few days." Merle told the clerk behind the counter. Deciding he might as well pay for a few days now just in case they needed to stay longer than planned since he wasn't sure how long it would take them to find Karen.

"That be 80 dollars, and sign your name in the visitor book please." The clerk said.

Merle handed over the money and signed the visitor book.

"Your room is 108, here's your key." The clerk said, handed over the room key.

"Thanks." Merle replied, taking the room key.

Merle walked back to the truck, where Tara was waiting for him with their bags, they brought just in case they end up staying for a while.

"Our room number is 108." Merle said, taking his bag from Tara. "Thanks."

"What do I own you towards the room?" Tara asked.

"Nothing, it's fine, I've got it covered."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, ya doing me a favor by being here with me, the least I can do is pay for the room."

"Thanks Merle, and I'm happy to be here with you, after all someone's got to look out for you, make sure you don't get into any trouble." Tara smiled.

Merle shook his head laughing, creases forming at the corners of his eyes. "Don't ya think, that's the other way around."

"Ha ha Merle, real funny."

"Ya know it's true."

"Maybe so, how about we just keep each other out of trouble than." Tara chuckled.

"Sounds good to me baby girl, now come and lets get some rest."

They locked up the truck, walked over to where the rooms were, theirs was on the second floor up the steps.

Merle unlocked the door, opening it up for Tara. "Ladies first."

"Thanks." Tara smiled, moving passed Merle and into the room.

Merle followed Tara in, locking the door behind him. The room was basic, there was a window next to the door, that had a small TV on top of a small TV unit underneath. Opposite was a double bed, with two bed side tables on each side, each had a lamp, there was a phone on one of them. There was a door to the right which lead into a small bathroom, there was a chair on the left side by the wall.

Merle placed his bags on the chair, Tara did the same before taking her shoes and jackets off. She pulled back the bed covers, climb into bed, waiting for Merle. Merle closed the curtains, took his boots off, climb into bed next to Tara, pulling the covers up over them. He knew he didn't need to ask if it was ok, in the years they had been friends, they had shared a bed on a number of occasions. They were both fast asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows.

It was a little pasted noon by the time Carol and Daryl pulled up outside of Ricks, They got out of the car, walked up to the house knocked and waited.

"Hi." Rick said, opening the door. "Your just in time, Lori has made some sandwiches."

"Thanks." Carol and Daryl both replied, following Rick inside,.

"Hi." Lori called from the kitchen.

"Hi." Carol and Daryl said, walking into the kitchen.

Everyone sat around the table chatting and enjoying the chicken grilled sandwiches, with home made lemonade that Lori had made. Carol was glad that Lori and Rick were making a real effort with Daryl. Daryl was feeling more at ease with Rick and Lori.

After everyone had finished eating Lori and Carol cleared the table and washed up the dishes, the guys went out the back into the garden.

"Daryl seems really nice Carol, its good to see you happy." Lori said, handing Carol a plate to dry.

"Thanks, Lori it really means a lot to me that you and Rick are making an effort."

|"We're your friends Carol, we only want the best for you."

"Thanks." Carol replied, drying the plate Lori handed her. "Hey, Lori want was up with Rick last night?"

"What you mean?"

"Between him and Shane, I thought you said Shane was a friend."

Lori turned to face carol. "I'm sorry about that, Shane was a good friend and partner to Rick once."

"So what happened? Why did you say he was still a friend?" Carol asked

"I don't know Carol, I thought it might be easier to say that."

"easier than what?"

"Its nothing, it don't matter, come on lets finish these dishes so we can join the guys in the gardens."

Carol and Lori finished the dishes up in silence, finally Carol had enough she knew there was something Lori wasn't telling her. She put the tea towel on the kitchen side, turned to face Lori, placing her hands on her hips. "What are you not telling me Lori."

"Nothing."

"Oh come on, I know there is something."

"Ok fine." Lori said holding her hands up in surrender. "I slept with Shane."

Carols jaw dropped, her eyes wide with shock. "You….what?"

"I slept with Shane." Lori said slowly.

"How? Why?"

Lori stared at her, her eyebrows arched.

"Ok I get how, but why? I thought you and Rick were happy?"

"We was, are, it was a year ago. Rick was working all the time, never wanted to spend any time with me, I was lonely looking for a bit of attention, Shane was around showing me the attention and one thing lead to another."

Carol was in shock and angry, how could Lori do that to Rick and make it sound like it was his fault. "Was it just once?" She asked already knowing it wasn't but hoping she was wrong. She definitely wasn't prepared for what Lori said though.

"At first, but than it happened again and before I knew it I was falling for him, it went on for a year."

"A year?"

"Yeah, it ended when Rick found out, I decided to try and make it work with Rick, we been together since school, Rick is trying harder to spend more time with me."

"So let me get this right, you slept with Shane for a year because Rick was working a lot?" Carol asked trying to keep the anger she was feeling at bay.

"I know how it sounds."

"Fuck Lori, do you know how lucky you are to have someone like Rick, someone to look after you, provide for you."

"Carol I know I was wrong and we are trying to move on from it, I'm sorry I told you Shane was a friend, but I was telling the truth when I said he is a nice guy."

"Lori can you even hear yourself, of course it was wrong, you destroyed their friendship and their working relationship just because you was feeling lonely."

"You don't understand."

"Your right I don't." Carol said raising her voice. "I really don't know who you are any more and to think you was telling what to do about Daryl the other day."

"Carol please the guys will hear us." Lori pleaded. "I was just looking out for you, after everything that happened with Ed..."

"Stop." Carol cut Lori off. "I don't want to hear it, I'm going out into the garden so Rick can show us how to use the guns he got for us, so we can protect ourself, than me and Daryl are leaving."

"Please Carol, I'm sorry."

"I'm not doing this with you Lori." Carol turned away, walked though the house and into the garden, she couldn't do this with Lori, she couldn't understand how she could treat Rick like that, she would of giving anything for a nice guy like Rick instead of Ed, and Lori treated it like nothing. She couldn't believe that Lori would try to bring Ed into it, as Carol walked into the garden she caught sight of Daryl, her breath caught in her throat he really was handsome and all hers, she couldn't believe her luck.

Carol and Lori where listening to Rick explain to them about the guns, Daryl stood to side he didn't need to know how to use a gun, he already knows plus he prefers his crossbow, but Carol needed to know just in case there ever was a time when he might not be around to protect her, not that he was planning to be not around. She was his and he always protects what is his, but he knows that Carol needs this for herself, he knows she doesn't want to feel helpless again a feeling he knows all to well.

"This one is a Magnum Revolver." Rick says showing Carol and Lori. "The ammunition is loaded into the cylinder here." Rick shows them, the cylinder swinging out, he loads the ammunition in. "Revolvers can hold between 5-7 rounds, this is 6 rounds." Rick closes the cylinder. "Pull the hammer back like this before firing than pull the trigger." He shows them how, he aims the gun at the target practice he set up, pulls the trigger the gun fires, hitting his target spot on. "This gun needs more finger strength, but its accurate, now I'll show you the other one." Rick puts the gun down, picks up an other gun.

"This is a Glock 19, it holds up to 15 round magazine, which is loading like this." Rick takes out the magazine, loads the rounds in, puts the magazine back in, "This gun has extreme low overall weight and maximum possible safety." He says showing them the safety, he than lines up his target and fires, hitting the target spot on. "Ok, now its your turn." Rick hands Carol and Lori a gun each.

Rick helps Lori, showing her how to use both guns, he shows her difference's between the two, he shows her how to line up and aim at her target. Daryl shows Carol the guns, the differences and how to aim.

An hour later both Carol and Lori are getting better with aiming and hitting their targets that Rick decides they have both enough for the day, he lets them keep one of the guns each for themselves. Lori has the Magnum Revolver while Carol decided on the Glock 19. Rick explains that until they get their gun licenses they are only allowed to keep the guns on them in their own home or car and can't take them out anyway. Daryl lets them know that he is going to get them both a taser each, so they have something to protect themselves with when they are out.

"We are no closer, I'm afraid to catching this serial killer, but I promise we are doing everything we can and will catch the killer in the end." Rick says, his eyes going from Daryl to Carol, finally to Lori. "In the mean time, please don't stay out late at night by yourselves or even during the day, stay in crowded places."

"Rick." Carol call, remembering her phone calls.

"Yes, Carol."

"I forgot to mention to you that I have been getting weird phone calls late bat night, the caller doesn't say anything, it might not be anything."

"I'll have a look at phone records, see if I can find a number, it might be nothing like you say, but keep a note of them if you get any more."

"Ok, thanks Rick."

"You are welcome."

Carol and Daryl say their goodbyes before making their way back to her place.

The air was turning cooler as the sun began to set, casting the sky in brilliant bright colors of Red and Orange, a breathtaking sunset. The sounds of footsteps hitting the concrete and voices taking echo around Merle and Tara in their search for Karen, for a little girl and for some answers. Merle and Tara crossed the street to the pub opposite them, their stop for the evening before retiring back to their motel. They had been walking around Atlanta all day, checking the pubs, shops, stopping and asking people in the street while showing them a photo that Tara had managed to pull from the CCTV footage from the grill, they were still no closely to finding Karen than they had been hours ago.

Merle pulled open the doors to the pub, letting Tara though first before following after her into a very crowded pub, filled with loud music and laughter. Merle signed already he was feeling deflected, no closely to finding the answers he needed, he was being to think that coming to Atlanta was a waste of time, just want was he thinking, how did he think he was going find one woman and child in a big city filled with a million of other people, it was like looking for a needle in a hay stack. Still he persevered with it, putting one foot in front of another as he followed Tara around the pub, showing a picture of Karen. Merle was no quitter, plus he owned it to his baby brother to keep looking, to try.

An hour later, after walking around the whole pub asking everyone they still had no answers, no one seemed to know who this Karen was, or where she is, if they did then they defiantly wasn't talking. Merle and Tara decided to call it night and try again tomorrow, maybe with the beginnings of a new day, a different outlook after a good nights sleep they might have a bit of hope, a bit more luck in their search. Merle pulled the doors, about to walk out in the night after Tara when he felt someone pull on his arm, Merle whip around about to give who ever it was a piece of his mind, he really wasn't in the mood. He came to face to face with a young lady. "Can a talk to you please." she asked softly.

"Sorry love, I'm not in mood, plus ya look a bit to young for me." Merle glare at her.

The young lady looked at Merle in utter confusion. "Hmm excuse me..."

"Look young lady." Merle interrupted her, he really wasn't in mood to start playing games.

"Merle want it taking you so long?" Tara asked, her head looking around the door. "oh."

"It's nothing Tara, come on." Merle started to turn away from the young lady.

"No, please wait, it's about the picture you have been showing around."

Both Merle and Tara looked at her, not quite believing their luck, at the same time hoping this lady wasn't full of shit. "You know Karen?" Merle asked.

"Yeah, I use to live on the same street as her, why are you looking for her anyway?"

"We just need to ask her a couple of question, nothing to worry about," Tara replied

"OK, is it about her little girl?"

"What about the girl?" Merle asked.

"Hmm, nothing it don't matter. Karen lives just a few blocks away from here, number 119 south street." The young lady said quickly before hurrying away, before Merle or Tara got the chance to ask any more questions.

Merle and Tara shared a look, they both noticed that she never answered their question about the little girl, which left them wondering why? what did she know? But at least they finally had address now, hopeful they will find Karen and the little girl before the end of the night. They hurried out of the pub, walked the few blocks until they found south street, it didn't take them long to find the house, number 119. The house was covered in darkness, it didn't look like anyone was home.

"Maybe we should come back tomorrow morning Merle, it doesn't look like anyone is home, there are no lights." Tara said.

Merle knew that Tara might be right, the chances of anyone being home was slim, still he wasn't quite ready to call it day yet, they had come to far to give up now, maybe someone was home just course there were no lights on didn't mean anything, he knew himself that sometimes he didn't always turn the lights on at home and considering there was meant to be a child living, the chances of them sitting in the dark was slim. "We just knock, see if anyone answers. If not we will come back tomorrow." Merle replied his feet moving, one in front of the other as if he had no control over them.

Merle knocked on and waited, there was no answer. He was just about to turn around, go back to the motel and come back here first thing in the morning like Tara had suggested, when he was suddenly hit with an overwhelming feeling that something was wrong; dread crept into every fibre of his being, his nerves shot to hell, his stomach drop, his heart beating ten to the dozen. He didn't even think about what he doing, he just acted. He tried the door handle, the door was unlocking. He was opening the door and walking inside before he even realized what he was doing.

"Merle, what are you doing?" Tara asked, watching Merle walk into the house.

"Something is wrong Tara."

"What you talking about, the only thing wrong there is you walking into someone's house without being invited."

"Tara, I can feel it something is wrong here, I have to check ya know I have to."

Tara looked at Merle, his face was pale; white it was as if he had seen a ghost, she knew him and she knew if he through something was wrong it normally meant there was and she wasn't about to let him do this by himself. "Ok,I'm coming with you."

"Ya don't have to Tara, ya can wait outside."

"Merle there is no way I'm letting you do this alone, now come on."

"Thank you." Merle replied.

They entered house calling out Karen's name as the started searching the rooms. "Hello." Merle called.

"Karen it's Tara from the grill, are you in." Tara called

As Merle and Tara searched the different rooms in the house, the feeling Merle was having didn't get better in fact it got worse, but nothing could of ever prepared them for what they were about to find. Nearly every room was clear apart from one, no sign of anyone being at home. Merle tried the handle on the last door of the last room it was locked, he knew that something was behide this door, something they needed to find. "You got a hair clip, Tara?"

Tara handed over her hair clip, standing back as Merle picked the lock. The door opened, they walked into the room that was filled in darkness. Tara switch on the light as Merle looked around the room, as light covered the room revealing the horrors the room hid, the sight in front of them would haunt them to their dying day. On the wall on the far side of the room was a little girl chained up by shackles that looked as if they were cutting into her tiny wrists. Her clothes were in tatters, she was covered in what looked like muck and blood.