Maggie was grinning from ear to ear by the time Carol finished explaining everything to her. "I knew it. I knew it this whole time. There was always more than just sex there between you two. I kept telling Glenn that. I kept telling him Daryl really liked you and that you felt the same way about him. He owes me a week's worth of doing laundry and twenty bucks for this."
"Except you can't tell him." Carol firmly reminded her friend. "Are you forgetting the whole part of the story where I'm a horrible person that's been lying to my brother's face left and right for, I don't know, almost a month now."
Maggie straightened her face as she shifted in the seat of her car. "I haven't forgotten about that part of the story. I'm just a little caught up in the fact that the two people I've been shipping are kinda a thing."
Carol quirked an eyebrow as she folded her arms over her chest. "Shipping?"
"Yeah. You know, hopelessly rooting for two people to become a couple to the point it consumes your thoughts and becomes an almost unhealthy obsession."
"People do that to TV characters." She scoffed. "Daryl and I are real people. We're your friends."
"Exactly! And that's what makes pulling for you two to be a couple even better. I know you in real life and care about you both."
Carol rolled her eyes at that and let out a chuckle. If only Rick could have been that enthusiastic about the idea of something going on between her and Daryl when she first moved here. "Well, don't start throwing a party just yet. Your ship hasn't officially set sail. I told you, we're not officially together. We're friends with benefits with potential."
"But you could be." Maggie pointed out matter of factly. "He's crazy about you and you know it just as well as I do. Why are you doing this to yourself? To Daryl? To Rick?"
Carol didn't say anything. She flicked her eyes down to the floorboard of the car and started worrying at her bottom lip as she twirled her thumbs in her lap.
Maggie looked at her friend sympathetically and spoke softly. "Come on. Talk to me. Tell me what's stopping you?"
She let out a nervous laugh in response. "I really can't even give you a good answer." She ran her hand through her long hair and sighed as she rested her head against the window. "At first I was scared it wouldn't work. That Daryl would wake up and wonder what the hell he'd been thinking and that it would be over before it really began. You know? Relationships weren't him. Liking someone wasn't him. Wanting to be with one person wasn't him."
"And now?" Maggie pressed.
"Now? Now, I see how he is with me. The time and effort he puts in to us, to trying to build an, us, and that just doesn't seem to scare me as bad anymore. I know he likes me Maggie, I know he really likes me and he likes me a lot. I can see it in his eyes when he looks at me, hear it in his voice when he talks to me, it's terrifying, and beautiful, and overwhelming all at the same time. And I'm crazy about him too, I really am. I don't even remember feeling this way about Ed in the beginning. Not even when I was ready to give up my future for him, and it's scary to realize that, so scary, but so exciting too."
Maggie reached over and squeezed Carol's shoulder, offering her a small grin. "You're falling in love with him."
Carol didn't respond to that. She ignored it completely. Partially because she wasn't ready to consider that fact to herself yet, and partially because if she ever was ready to consider it she wanted Daryl to be the first person to know that first. Instead, she turned her attention back to why she kept hiding their relationship. "I screwed up so bad, Maggie, so bad." She felt tears threatening to prick her eyes as she kept them as far away from meeting Maggie's gaze as she could. She could feel a sob threatening to rise in the back of her throat and she quickly pushed it down, not wanting to become an emotional roller coaster.
"What are you talking about?
"Rick." She paused, taking a moment to steady her voice once again. "Rick's almost caught us a few times and I looked him in his eyes and I lied to him. More than once. I lied to him like it was no big deal Like it was the easiest thing in the world to do. At first, I didn't think anything of it. I mean, I was supposed to have that one weekend with Daryl and then it'd be done and I really saw it as something he didn't need to know about. You know? Something that wasn't his business. But then things with us got more serious and I was worried about Rick flipping out and then it not working so I kept excusing it. Telling myself he was better off not knowing until there was officially something to know. Until he needed to. But then it just snowballed and before I knew it we kept making up excuses when he'd get suspicious and he'd believe them, or act like he did anyway. And now, now it's just gone on so long and gotten so out of hand, I'm just…." She paused again and shook her head. "He's a good brother to me. He didn't have to take me in, he didn't have to let me move here. He's done a lot for me, and not just now, growing up too. Things with our parents. He defended me."
"You're scared this is going to mess your relationship with Rick up? That it's gonna mess his friendship with Daryl up?"
"How can it not?"
Maggie didn't know what to say to that. She had to agree that they'd gotten themselves into a pretty screwed up situation and they'd gone about things the wrong way. Rick probably was going to be mad as hell at both of them and she'd be mad too if Shawn or Beth had done something similar. There was nothing they could do to fix that now, though. The damage had been done. And lying and telling her it would all be okay wasn't going to do a damn bit of good either. "The longer you keep this from him, the worse it's going to be. And if you slipped up and told me, don't you think it's possible you might slip and say something to Rick or to someone who'll go back and tell him? That's not how you want him to find out."
"I know." She woefully agreed. "You're right, I know."
()()()
When Carol got home that evening after her chat with Maggie she'd been surprised to find Rick alone on the couch. "You and Michonne okay?" She asked, walking over and taking a seat beside him.
"Yeah. We're good." He grinned widely, like he'd been doing non-stop since he'd announced the two of them were an official unit. "She just had to study and needed some peace and quiet. Finals are Friday and she's got an 89.5 in one of her classes. She's trying to make sure she gets an A."
"You're not studying? That's very un-Rick like not to prepare for something."
"Taking a break for now. It was a long day at work. Besides, Michonne's classes are a hell of a lot harder than mine. You need to know a hell of a lot more to be a surgeon than you do to get a degree in criminal justice."
"Don't sell yourself short there detective Grimes."
"Pffft. We both know that's at least ten years away. Dad's gonna make sure I have to work my way up."
"Stop. He's gonne be so proud of you he'll make sure they hand the title to you."
"Nah. You know dad. He's gonna make sure I gotta bust my balls to get to where I wanna be. That's how he's always been."
"Maybe." She shrugged. "But you know how proud that really is gonna make him if you go back home and you work along-side him like you always planned."
Rick nodded at that. Ever since he'd mentioned wanting to be a cop their dad had been all about the idea. He'd insisted his son get a college education first, referring him to one in criminal justice so he could move up the ranks more easily. The man was ecstatic that his son wanted to follow along in his foot-steps and he knew that their father's pride in that fact sometimes didn't help Carol's feelings of Rick being the perfect wanted child.
He hated their family situation was so messy, so he made sure to clear his throat as he broached his next subject carefully. "Hey, um, I, uh, I, talked to dad earlier."
Carol raised her brows at that. "About what?"
"He wants us to come home next weekend. His birthday is that Saturday and then Mother's day is Sunday. I told him I'd be there and might stay a few extra days since classes will be out if I can get the time off work." Rick paused, watching her closely, knowing damn well this could lead to another fight between them. "He told me to ask if you'd come."
She took a moment before she answered that question. Seeing in Rick's eyes how much he wanted her to go. Hearing the strain in his voice as he asked her. Thinking back to Easter at the hurt she'd heard in her dad's voice when she hadn't gone home. She thought about how inevitably they'd be in one of the biggest fights of their life soon enough and how she didn't wanna spend any of their time in the calm before the storm at each other's throats about anything else. So without any reluctance, without hesitation, she simply agreed. "I'll go home for the weekend."
Rick looked at her stunned, as if he couldn't believe she hadn't put up much of a fight to go. "Seriously? You're really gonna go?"
She nodded as she let her head fall on his shoulder. "I am. I can't run from them forever."
"Dad's gonna be really happy to see you. It's gonna make his birthday. I'm glad you're coming."
"I am too." She pulled her knees up to her chest as she shifted into a fetal position on the couch. "I love you, little brother. No matter what I've done, no matter what I do, I always will. Remember that."
Rick wrapped an arm around her tightly. Not missing the quivery sound in her voice as she spoke. He chalked it up to how she hadn't been around much the past few years and everything that had gone on with Ed. "I know you do. Don't worry I won't forget that. Same goes for me."
()()()
It was almost dark by the time Daryl left the clinic and he'd just grabbed a burger on the way home. He had to admit, it didn't quite hit the spot like Carol's cooking did. But she'd told him she'd grabbed a pizza with Maggie and he wasn't going to take the time to heat something up this late.
When he finally got back to his place he found Rick in the living room studying for finals. Hell, it's probably what he should be doing, too. But he didn't really have time for that tonight. He was gonna speak to Carol for a few minutes, get a shower, then go to bed. He'd have to go to the library the next few days after work and cram. Assuming Hershel didn't keep him this late again.
He'd asked Rick if he'd known where Carol was and he said she was out on the back porch listening to music. He found her lying on the deck with headphones in her ears, looking up at the stars. She hadn't heard him or seemed to notice him at all when he pulled the sliding glass door open. So he casually walked over to her and laid down beside her.
When Carol felt someone plopping down next to her she turned her attention away from the celestial bodies she'd been gazing at and towards the man next to her. She gave Daryl a small smile as she plucked her ear buds out of her ears. Something about his presence had a calming effect on her and after her conversations with Maggie and Rick she could really use some of that right now. "Long surgery? Thought it was just a hernia repair?" She asked as she reached out and swept her hand over his.
He grunted as he placed his other hand behind his head as he gave the hand that was brushing his free one a light squeeze before moving to reach into his pocket. "Hershel gave me this and wanted to talk about it after we finished surgery." He informed her as he slipped the paper into her hand.
She rolled onto her side and looked at him quizzically.
"Go on and open it."
She slowly unfolded the paper piece by piece until the image of the two of them on the dock were revealed. She shot upright and clasp her hand over her mouth. "How did he get this? He's going to fire me. Oh my God. He's going to fire us both."
Daryl pushed himself up so he was sitting beside her. He shook his head as he went through the whole ordeal of how the picture came to be and the talk he had with Hershel and what all the man now knew. When he was finished he watched Carol, who was completely silent as she chewed at her bottom lip. "He's right. We gotta tell him. I can't keep doing this." He offered, trying to get the conversation going.
"I know. I know we do." She sighed. "Maggie knows, too."
Daryl's face fell at that. "What! How!"
Then it was Carol's turn to explain how her night had gone and Daryl was the one sitting in silence, only he was chewing his thumb instead of his lip.
"Are you mad at me?" She asked carefully. "I swear I didn't mean to. It just came out."
He looked at her, feeling bad at how pitiful she sounded thinking he was mad at her. "Nah. I ain't mad. I get it. You slipped up. I licked your damn face in front of Rick. Shit happens. Maggie ain't gonna say nothing."
"Not on purpose." Carol added. "But she might slip up. She was pretty excited about the idea of us as a couple." She couldn't help but chuckle thinking back at Maggie's face after she told her everything.
Daryl hummed at that. He didn't really get why Maggie wanted them together so damn bad, but at least they had someone okay with it. "Reckon she might." He glanced over at the sliding door then back to Carol. "You wanna tell him tonight? Get it over with?"
"That's what I was out here thinking about before you got home. But you've both got finals this week. Then we have to go to Maggie's for that lake house party this weekend, then you're birthday is next Wednesday, then I'm going home with Rick next weekend for Mother's day and my dad's birthday."
"You are?" He asked in surprise.
"Yeah. He asked and I couldn't say no. Not right now. It's not worth the fight and I need to go. I really do."
He felt a tinge of disappointment knowing she'd be gone an entire weekend. He'd gotten so used to spending most of his free time with her that it was going to feel weird being in this house all alone. But he'd also seen the look or regret she'd had about not going home for Easter, and as much as she said she wouldn't change that weekend for anything, he knew a part of her wished she'd been with her family. He wasn't about to ask her to give up time with her family to keep him from feeling lonely for a few days. "So, when do we tell him then? Sounds like there's always gonna be a reason we should wait."
"As soon as I get back from my parents. It'll give us time to think about what we're going say. Maybe give me some time to get him used to the idea I might like you by dropping some hints here and there at my parent's house."
"Alright." He sighed. "But it's gotta happen when y'all get home from there. I ain't trying to push you or nothing. Ain't trying to tell you that we gotta put a title on this by then if that ain't what you want, but we gotta be honest. Like we should've been from the get go."
She reached down and picked up that picture that Hershel had printed off of them and stared at it. It was the first picture she'd ever seen of them together, and though she couldn't see their faces, she saw how relaxed they both were, how perfectly she seemed to fit in his arms, and the image warmed her heart. Sent millions of little butterflies surging through her stomach as a grin lined her lips. "I know you're not. And you don't have to worry about pushing me. I'm already right there on the edge anyway."
He bumped her with his shoulder and grinned at her. "That make you go ahead and fall on over?"
She nudged him back as she let out a quiet laugh. She didn't tell him, but maybe it did. "Can I keep this?" She asked, holding up the picture.
He gave her a small nod. He'd been planning on keeping it, but if she wanted it she could have it. He could always ask Hershel if he could print another one. "I gotta grab a shower then go to bed. I'll see you in the morning." He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before he turned to stand up, but she caught his arm before he could stand and he turned to face her one last time.
"Since we've got the lake house this weekend and I'll be gone next weekend I'm gonna plan something for you on your birthday as a date instead. That okay?"
"Ain't never really had nothing special done for me on my birthday before. Plan away."
"Oh, it'll be special. Really special." She leaned in and captured her lips with his one more time, gently scraping his bottom lip with her teeth as she pulled away.
