Hey guys, can you believe it is only two weeks until Season 3? What are your Walking Dead premier plans? Tell me in the review section!

Chapter 37

Leah dropped herself onto the queen-sized bed spread eagle and moaned. "Oh god, it feels like heaven."

From the doorway, Daryl gave a little smirk before walking inside and joining her in the pale green and white room. They had gotten lucky. Real lucky. Daryl felt like they were inside a fucking mansion. The best part, Daryl thought was that it wasn't Hershel's home. They were free to make decisions as they pleased without the constant fear over overstepping their boundaries and getting kicked out. The house was huge. Three floors, seven bedrooms and a huge downstairs area. Once they had swept the place and boarded themselves back in, the search for food began. Leah had been thrilled with the kitchen, well they all had really. The pantry was stocked with basics; large cans of veggies, baking essentials, cans and bottles of beverages. And coffee. They all had cheered when the coffee had been unearthed. Altogether, what they had found wasn't a lot. They would still need to make a supply run soon, but it would be just fine to get them through the next couple of days. They had made a pretty big dent in the food already, not even bothering to cook it first. Maggie had found a can opener in the expansive kitchen and they went to town, sharing cans and eating straight from them as their empty stomachs slowly stopped rumbling.

After their feast, they took sometime to really explore what they had found and the realization of what they had found started to settle in. They were all silently thankful Rick had decided to forgo the prison idea. Sweet Peach would do just fine for now.

It had been beautiful at one time, now dust and lack of upkeep had worn it down. However, the survivors didn't seem to notice. It really felt like they had stumbled into heaven. There was a wood fireplace in the library, perfect for the colder weather that was coming. The water was hooked up to a well and with some finagling on Daryl and Hershel's part they got it up and running in just a few minutes. There were maps at the front desk that Glenn had pulled out and scanned for nearby small towns. There were a few within just a few minutes drive, which was either lucky or unlucky depending on how you looked at it.

Leah overheard a conversation between Daryl and Rick about whether or not Randall's group could be nearby. It was short and quiet, as to not disturb the rest of the group, but she noticed definite anxiety in their voices. Which begged a new question: What was more dangerous these days? The living or the dead?

Night fell before they had a chance to explore the outside, but after setting up a watch schedule, Rick made that the morning's first priority.

Leah closed her eyes and listened to Daryl shuffling around nearby before finally feeling his weight drop down next to her on the bed.

"Shit," he mumbled. "It does feel like heaven."

Leah rolled over. "Is this going to work?" she whispered quietly while watching him shed his boots.

"Reckon we'll find out sooner or later." He threw his boots into the corner of the room and rubbed the back of his tension filled neck before standing back up.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Daryl looked back at her with a cocked eyebrow. "Woman, there is a shower and running water. Where the fuck do you think I'm going?"

With a smile, she waved him away and repositioned her body, snuggling further down into the comfortable bed. Her eyes fluttered closed and she stifled a giggle when the water turned on and Daryl hissed.

"Shit. Fucking cold."

She dozed while he showered and grinned sleepily at him when he returned. He was wearing the same clothes he had gone into the bathroom with. Leah realized she was going to have to do the same and suddenly the weight of everything that had transpired in the last 72 hours combined with utter exhaustion hit Leah like a ton of bricks. She choked back a huge sob and covered her face with her hands.

Dale, Andrea, the farm, the RV. The little that they still owned. Gone. All of it. They were starting from scratch.

Daryl stared down at her dumbfounded by the sudden change in emotions. This was throwing him for a loop, he had planned on showering and coming back out to make love to the beautiful women waiting in bed for him. Tears weren't something he had anticipated. He scratched the back of his neck, and wracked his brain for a solution.

Leah pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes and took in a shaky breath. "Sorry, I'm sorry."

He just shrugged, moved closer to the bed and took a tentative seat on the edge.

Leah reached for him and pulled her head into his lap. "It's all gone," she whispered.

Daryl moved his fingers over her tangled, dark locks and chewed his bottom lip while she sniffed, trying to stop her tears. He had to admit that the loss of everything was harder than he had anticipated it would be. As they were traveling away from the prison, the enormity of what had just happened had come at him in a fury. He completely understood how Leah was feeling.

"I just want to be strong," she continued. "I feel so weak lately. All I do is cry anymore. I'm one crazy ball of tightly wound emotions."

His hand dropped from her head to her shoulder and he gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Lot a shit went down. Cry if ya need ta, I guess."

She shook her head. "I'm not the same Leah I was when you first met me. She was fun and snarky and independent and a hell of a lot prettier."

Daryl listened and chewed on his words. He knew he was supposed to say something reassuring and he wanted to. None of what she was saying was true. However, he couldn't think of the right words to say so he just started talking in hopes that something would come out sounding right. He began with words that were still foreign on his tongue and came out sounding silly to him, "I love you. It don't matter to me if ya ain't fun for a few days. Or independent, I can protect ya. I like doin' that."

Leah turned and faced upwards to him.

"And you're hot," he added causing her to blush. "Fuckin' hot." He moved his hand down the length of her side and inside her shirt. "Which reminds me of sumtin'…" he trailed off as his hand moved upwards over her ribs and to her breasts.

Leah smiled. "Oh it reminds you of something, huh? Why do I feel like you never forgot?"

Daryl licked his lips and smirked. "Yer right, I've been waiting days fer this." His hand cupped her breast and Leah bit back a moan.

"Shower first, please? I stink."

Daryl playfully moaned and pouted, but helped her up to a sitting position anyway. "Make it quick. Real quick. Or I might hafta ta come in after ya."

Leah popped up off the bed and stripped out of her dirty shirt throwing it his way before asking, "Is that a promise?"

"Git," He reached out and swatted her ass as she ran into the bathroom giggling.

A smile crept over her face as she cleaned off days worth of dirt and grime in the cold shower. He made her happy, despite everything else that was going on she could still smile when they were together. She couldn't believe that she had almost thrown that away after Dale's death.

The water was cold, but refreshing and Leah washed as quickly and as best as she could. The only towel she could find was the wet one Daryl had used, but it would have to do. She scrunched the water out of her hair and wrapped the big towel around her body before searching the cupboards for a toothbrush or toothpaste that someone might have accidently left behind.

"What's taking so long?" Daryl's smooth voice coming from the door caused her to jump.

She held up a tiny bottle of scope that she managed to unearth. "My fuzzy teeth." She opened the cap and took a swing before offering the bottle to him.

He took the bottle she offered and rinsed his own mouth quickly. "Does feel better," he said after spitting in the skin.

Leah smiled and cupped his face. She planted a slow kiss on his mouth and nipped his bottom lip before pulling away. "Tastes better too."

Her lips on his were all the encouragement that Daryl needed to move things along. He had waited long enough. Leah squealed when he picked her up and carried her back into the bedroom. The towel came undone and fell around her body in a pool when he threw her down on the bed. The sight of her naked, soft, clean body made Daryl ache with desire and he quickly crawled over top of her and went straight to work on her neck.

Leah arched upwards. His lips on her neck were heating her entire body. "Daryl," she whispered while letting her hands run down his sides.

Daryl pulled away and stared down at her body. He made a sound of appreciation low in his throat and kissed the hollow between her breasts.

When it was Leah's turn to cover his body with kisses and tiny nips with her teeth, Daryl was very vocal about how much he was enjoying it. His approval turned her on more as she made her way down his body, covering every inch with hot kisses until reaching his erection and tantalizing it with her mouth in ways that Daryl had never experienced before.

He returned the favor for her and Leah swung one leg over his shoulder and moaned as he kissed, sucked and fingered her. When she cried out his name and arched her hips upwards, it encouraged him to explore her more.

Everything after that was hard and fast. They were desperate to be together. Clawing at each other's bodies and panting with desire.

At one point Leah closed her eyes as Daryl moved quickly in and out of her.

"Look at me, Leah." Daryl groaned above her. " I want to see your eyes." He grabbed her chin and moved her face back towards him.

When she obeyed, he was rewarded with her brown eyes swimming with both desire and pleasure.

They made love throughout the night, not even caring that they both were supposed to take watch at dawn. Sleep somehow seemed unimportant now that they had the luxury of enjoying each other's bodies uninterrupted.

Leah rubbed Daryl's scars gently as he held her after their first explosive orgasm. "Tell me about them," she whispered into the darkness.

Daryl cleared his throat, "Not tonight."

She traced a finger over a particularly large one and sighed. "When?"

"When I feel like it." Daryl's voice was firm, but not agitated.

Leah kissed the scar. "I love you."

Daryl sighed and pressed his lips into her hair. "Love you."

She pressed into him. "I want to know you. Every part of you."

He responded by holding onto her waist tighter. "Something's yer better off not knowing. My life ain't pretty Leah."

"That's love, Daryl. Knowing the bad stuff and loving despite it all. You know my demons. I want to know yours."

Daryl chewed on his bottom lip, this was bound to come up sooner or later. He hadn't wanted it to be sooner. He loved Leah. He would tell her. Eventually. But he refused to ruin this night with the horrors of his childhood. Abused. Neglected. Unloved.

Not tonight. Tonight was about love.

He needed to distract her. Daryl rolled over and pulled her on top of him, grabbing her hips and settling her into a straddling position. Leah responded just like he hoped she would and began to move against him while kissing him passionately.

Those stories would wait for another night.