Hi guys! Sorry for being so late with this chapter! I meant to post it before midseason premiere but it didn't work out somehow. But the next chapter will be posted shortly, it's almost ready. Thank you for reading, following and reviewing!

Daryl shielded his eyes against bright morning sun. He was fully focused on one thing only. Today he would find the way out no matter what.

He tensed when he heard his name called in imperative tone, which made his skin prickle. He slowly turned to face Alan who was standing outside his cabin with steaming cup of coffee in his hand.

"I want you to go hunting today. We could use some fresh meat and two other idiots who claim themselves hunters never bring back anything."

Daryl tried hard to hide his irritation and nodded solemnly.

"And I want you to take somebody with you," Alan continued and this time Daryl failed to conceal his resentful approach to the whole idea.

"I'm better off on my own," he growled but clammed up when he peered at Alan again. It wasn't only about him, it was mostly about Carol and his ass attitude wasn't going to help the matters.

"I'll go."

Daryl's head snapped up when Mike all of sudden appeared in front of him. The man was like fucking ghost when he wanted to be.

Alan looked from one man to another quizzically.

"We need to do some man talk to clean the air, right Dixon?" Mike cleared his throat and patted Daryl on his back. Daryl swallowed hard to control his sudden urge to kill the man on the spot with his bare hands.

Alan shrugged and walked back into the cabin. Daryl turned to Mike and glared at him.

"Why the fuck ya wanna go with me?"

Mike raised his hands in placating gesture and gave him a crooked smile.

"Hey man, chill out. As I said to Alan, just wanna clear the air."

They were walking in complete silence for an hour when Mike started whistling softly.

Daryl turned to him furiously. He wanted to get back to camp as soon as possible but with this asshole by his side he was never going to catch anything.

"Shut the fuck up ya idiot! We are huntin' for fuck's sake!"

Mike sneered.

"Is she that good Dixon?" he asked and kept whistling leisurely after his question.

Daryl froze in his tracks.

"Does she go down on ya willingly or ya have to force her? Does she suck ya off good?" Mike continued walking nonchalantly, checking from the corner of his eye that his words had coveted effect on Daryl, "I bet she's tight, ain't she?"

All of sudden Mike found himself pressed hard against the nearest tree. Tree bark was digging into his back but he couldn't help a smirk. Fucking redneck was so predictable that it was almost too easy.

"You. Will. Stay. Away. From. Her," Daryl was fuming, each word strained through his clenched teeth as he emphasized each of them shoving Mike against the tree hard, "I'm gonna kill ya if you as much as look at her!"

Daryl Dixon had thought he knew what the anger was. He'd grown up hemmed in by anger and it had been one of his most significant means of expressions for very long time. Anger was natural, branded into his DNA as much as kindness was branded into Carol's.

But he'd never been possessive. Never owning anything, there was no need to be. Therefore he was taken aback by fierce feeling that cut right through him leaving angry and raw wound. Carol was his. His to protect, his to share a bed with, his woman and although he knew in the back of his head that Mike was riling him up on purpose he wasn't able to control his emotions that were suddenly shaking his body.

"Ya know that ya will never get her tonight again, right?" Mike sneered, "but don't worry my friend, I can assure ya I'm gonna give her the night of her life!"

Mike could sense that the man, who was holding him against the tree, was slowly but surely losing the last remnants of his self-control and he decided to press on.

"But don't forget to wave her good-bye tonight, Dixon. I'm not sure if her pretty face will make it through the night."

This time Daryl shoved him against the tree so hard he almost knocked his breath out.

"Ya ain't gonna touch her!" Daryl growled.

Mike was waiting for this moment.

"There's two nights rule ya idiot! Ya can never pick woman more than two nights in a row!" Mike spat and watched in gratification as Daryl's eyes grew wide and he stumbled back, releasing his grip on Mike.

Throwing hunter completely out of balance, he knew it was the chance he'd been waiting for.

"I'll fuck her in every possible way Dixon and I ain't gonna hold back, she'll wish she was never born! And if she as much as whimpers, I'm gonna beat the shit out of her over and over again!" Mike was yelling by now, the frustration of last couple of days taking over, "and you ain't gonna stand in my fuckin'way!"

Mike watched Daryl stumbling back with his arms limply hanging along his sides and he swooped on him knocking him to the ground and throwing the first punch.

It took a few seconds for Daryl to realize what was happening. His mind wasn't able to get past two nights rule and disgustingness Mike had so vividly described, so the first punch had caught him off guard and he groaned in pain. Prickling pain of the first blow helped him to clear his head.

Daryl had never been that dirty street brawler Merle had been but he could definitely hold his own. And for the first time in his life was wasn't fighting to defend his iffy reputation or Merle's ass, but he was fighting for the woman he loved and who, by some crazy and incredible twist of universe, seemed to love him back just the same.

His blow hit Mike square across his chin and the man reeled. Soon they were on the ground again, trying to pin each other down. The fight was long and exhausting but Daryl's panic fear for Carol fueled his strength more than Mike's longing for revenge and soon Daryl started to have the upper hand in the fight. Savage and truculent part of him he thought he'd buried for good sprung to the surface with devastating power. It took him a while to realize Mike was not fighting back anymore. Daryl glanced from his bloodied hands to Mike's face beaten to powder. He was half expecting some kind or remorse but the only thing he felt was deep satisfaction and contentment. He grabbed Mike by collar and shoved him hard against the ground one more time.

"Carol's mine and ya ain't layin' a fuckin' finger on her, do ya understand?" he hissed into Mike's face before getting up. Mike's only answer was gurgling and painful rasping. Daryl wiped his hands on his pants and looked down contemplating his options. He couldn't allow Mike to go back to the camp. Even in the state he was in right now, he still was a threat. But he didn't want to kill him in a cold blood either.

"Ya ain't goin' back with me," Daryl decided, walking back to the man to make sure he heard him, "find some shelter, put yerself together and then try your luck with some other group. Ain't place for both of us in the same camp."

He raised his eyebrow in surprise when Mike gave out crackly sound that sounded like laughter and started scrambling to his feet.

"Stay the fuck down," Daryl warned him and reached for his crossbow.

Mike wiped the blood pouring from his torn eyebrow to clear his vision and spat some blood.

"Carol is the cunt's name?" he sneered and his face contorted in painful grimace, "she's never gonna survive this, don't ya fuckin' realize that? She's as good as dead. Alan's already circlin' 'round her and once he gets her, she's gonna wish it was me."

He bent over in a fit of nasty cough. When he straightened up he was staring at Daryl's crossbow aimed right at his head. Mike spat again making a disgusted face.

"Ya too much of pussy to do that. Put that fuckin' thing down," Mike peered at him through the bangs of greasy hair, "we can always make a deal. I'll have her first tonight and I'll leave her over to ya. I ain't gonna beat her up too much, she's gonna be as good as new."

Anger lit and bubbled in Daryl's blood again.

"What the fuck didn't ya understand 'bout 'she's mine' part?"

With this he pulled the trigger.

Some women were even in a worse shape than the day before. Carol immediately started tending them with limited supplies they had at their disposal, ignoring searching looks from other women.

It was Dana again, the girl who'd brought her a toothbrush when she was sick a day ago, who approached her first.

"You are not hurt…again?" she asked quietly and frowned in confusion when Carol shook her head.

Dana lowered her voice glancing at woman below them, who was moaning in pain and clutching her abdomen.

"How do you do that?"

Carol gulped and kept tending injured woman, shrugging.

"He's not violent and I go along with whatever he wants so he's got no reason to hurt me," Carol mumbled, aware of her burning cheeks when she remembered the things Daryl had done to her body last night. How was she supposed to lie if her skin was still tingling and craving for his touch?

Dana sighed and without a word grabbed Carol by her elbow, pushing her out of the room into one of tiny bathrooms. Carol knitted her eyebrows, frustrated that even young girl she was talking to just for couple of minutes didn't buy her lie.

"We all go along with whatever they want," Dana said solemnly and rolled up her sleeve exposing long tattered scar on her forearm, "but most of them doesn't give a fuck. They are sick violent bastards."

"Do you know about two nights rule?" Dana asked after several moments of uncomfortable silence and squirmed at the horrified look on Carol's face, "he can't pick you for more than two nights in a row. If he goes for you again and causes problems, Alan will kill him."

Carol felt dizzy and leaned against the wall feeling around for support and finding the girl's arms.

"What does he mean to you?"

Carol looked into Dana's brown sincere eyes before answering.

"Everything."

Daryl left four rabbits and couple of squirrels in the kitchen and went to clean himself. He caught from Mike couple of good punches and he knew his face was a mess.

"Mike's not coming back, I suppose?" Alan's casual voice froze him in his tracks.

Daryl turned slowly.

"I brought some fresh meat as ya wanted."

"But not Mike, I see."

Daryl was confused how calm Alan sounded. He shrugged his shoulders but didn't answer.

Suddenly Alan smiled.

"You are tough son of a bitch Dixon. I knew only one of you was coming back but I was betting on him. But look out for Dennis, he was Mike's pal."

With this he smiled and walked away, leaving bewildered Daryl behind.

Couple of hours later Daryl kicked a piece of turf with frustrated growl. His plan was desperate but he couldn't think of anything else. He was going to find Carol and they would try to sneak out at the furthest end of the fence. There was a little slope that could help them to get over the fence. This part of the fence was also guarded and he knew he would have to kill again to get to the fence. But he hoped if he was quiet enough, it would earn them couple of minutes to get over the fence and run into the woods, before other man on the watch found out something was wrong. There was just one flaw in his plan – he couldn't find Carol.

He cursed himself for not trying to escape last night. He hadn't known about two nights rule then but he should have thought ahead and at least tried something instead of occupying himself with his woman and sensations he'd never experienced before. His ears were burning when the memories of last night invaded his mind and he was embarrassed that his body that betrayed him immediately, despite their bleak situation. He blinked and shook his arms in order to clear his head. He glanced at the clock at the wall. Seven o'clock was approaching quickly and he strapped another loaded revolver and knife to his body, hiding them under his shirt. He could imagine worse deaths than dying for the night full of love and passion. As long as Carol would get out of this hell alive.

Carol couldn't control her nerves. The atmosphere was thick with tension and she flinched when she saw Daryl's battered face, unerringly identifying new cuts and bruises he hadn't had yesterday. Her eyes widened in understanding when she couldn't see Mike anywhere. She could see Daryl was as nervous as she was but she didn't like the look on his face. He was determined and whatever it was on his mind he was going to stop at nothing.

She felt slight touch on her arm and then she heard Dana's soft voice in her ear.

"Be quick, don't let him get you. This is our only chance."

Carol searched for young man in the crowd. His soft brown eyes, the same color and shade as Dana's, locked with hers and Josh nodded subtly.

The moment Daryl darted out he knew he was late. He believed naively that everybody would stay away from Carol after his yesterday's fight with Mike, but he was wrong. His blood turned to ice when he saw young man, the man who had tried talking to him in the kitchen yesterday, grabbing Carol's arm and dragging her out of room. He was far, too far to get to them in time. Daryl's instincts took over and he put his hand over the revolver on his belt, unlocking the safety catch.

Suddenly a small hand covered his and young woman with curly brown hair threw herself into his arms, throwing him out of balance. Daryl cursed and had to let go of gun and wrap both arms around her in order to stop them from tumbling down.

"What the hell!" he hissed angrily into girl's face and pushed her away from him, "get off me!"

The girl glanced around furtively before focusing on Daryl again.

"Carol is gonna be all right! Let her go!"

"The hell she's gonna be all right! Get the fuck outta my way woman!" Daryl was losing his patience rapidly.

Dana took a deep breath, checking again if they still lost in the bustle of the moment.

"Your name is Daryl Dixon. Your older brother was Merle and he was killed by the guy call the Governor. You met Carol in the camp outside of Atlanta and then the group stayed at the farm for some time. You searched for her lost daughter Sophia, but she was bit and turned. A sheriff, a friend of yours, put her down."

Dana's urgent whispering froze Daryl to the spot and he stared at her unblinkingly.

"Do you need me to tell you where else you have a mole on your body Daryl? I'm not going to mention your face, trust me," Dana snorted impatiently, desperate to convince angry hunter that she was on his side.

Dana almost chuckled when Daryl's ears turned bright red within a second.

"Carol's gonna be all right, she's with my brother Josh, he's not going to hurt her," Dana searched his eyes and sighed in relief when Daryl finally started paying attention to her, "and you have to protect me tonight in return."

Daryl's hand slowly slipped from the gun and he motioned toward the exit. His head was spinning from the unexpected turn of the events but he supposed everything was better than starting shooting around himself wildly, which had been the only option he'd seen left just couple of minutes ago.

Dana surely led him to one of the doors and when they shut it behind them, she leaned against the doors heavily taking a deep breath.

"They are just next door," she motioned to the wall, "we will wait for an hour and then we will go to them."

She finally took a proper look at the man in front of her. She could see what Carol had seen in him. He had lean but muscular body, broad shoulders and bright blue eyes that were hesitantly peering at her through his dark bangs that desperately needed cutting.

"Why are ya helpin' us?"

His deep southern drawl brought a small smile to Dana's face. All right, there was something about this man.

"We want to get out of here too. You are not the only ones. We saw the chance," she shrugged and watched the man in front of her gnawing at the skin of his thumb thoughtfully.

"How did ya find out Carol and I knew each other?"

"She wasn't hurt and she was having hard time to wipe that happy grin off her face. I figured she wasn't exactly suffering during the night," Dana smirked, amused by again rapidly reddening hunter in front of her.

Daryl nodded and sat down on the chair fiddling with his crossbow. When they heard muffled voices and cries from other rooms, he started pacing impatiently. He realized he'd been so immersed in Carol last couple of nights that he hadn't even noticed the sounds from other rooms. He shivered at the thought what must have been happening there and what might have been happening to Carol if it wasn't for Josh and his sister.

Daryl raised his head and looked at young girl, who was curled at the bed staring at the wall.

"Uhm…I guess I forgot…thanks. Thank ya for protectin' her."

Dana just smiled at him and nodded.