SO I don't like this chapter at all, I wanted to scrap it completely and start over. I really thought about it but if I did it'd be a week before I could work on it again since I'm going out of town. This just didn't feel like my normal way of writing or my "voice" or "style"...I don't know. I'm very critical of my own work so it might just be me. I hope you all like it though.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Be safe and make some damned memories people!

Carol's hands shook as she held the small box that held more her heart already. She wanted to look up at him and see if he was serious but she was scared. Nothing good ever really happened for her and she had just been waiting if she was honest with herself for something to rip her and Daryl apart. She felt his warm rough hands swiping away her tears even as more raced to replace them, traitorous tears that they were.

"Carol I need you to say something." He pleaded with her.

She could hear the panic in his voice and realized she had been quiet to long. When she looked up she could see the panic in his eyes and his chest was starting to rise and fall faster. Carol opened her mouth to talk but her breath left her and she launched herself at him knocking him back into the wall.

Carol held onto him for fear that this was a dream and that she was going to wake up. She held onto him as tight as she could hoping that if this was a dream she could stay right here with him. Daryl pulled back all to soon looking at her in question.

Breath mixing, "What to you so long Dixon?" grinning at him, "YES!"

The smile that he gave her made her heart stop with a almost painful lurch before picking up double time. His arms went around her quickly and her feet left the ground completely. Carol couldn't help but to smile as he slid the ring down her finger even as tears streamed down her face.

Carol held her hand out looking at the ring and smiled, "You know Daryl you didn't have to get me a ring."

She felt his body tense and the growl deep and long. She looked up at him and he was scowling at her his eyes flashing with hurt and anger.

"Don't misunderstand me I love it! It's just...I know something like this had to cost a lot of money." Carol shrugged weekly his arms around her constricting her movement.

She still wasn't use to the thought of a man spending money on her. Ed never done anything for her and the only thing he done was use his own mothers gold band for her wedding ring. Had she had money while with him he would have took it all leaving her with nothing. Daryl was the opposite though he refused to let her pay the bills saying it was a man's place to take care shit like that. When she had tried to talk to him about it he shut her down quickly.

Still she knew this ring had to easily cost him more than a pretty penny. She was almost sick to her stomach of the thought of him spending that much on her. Studying her ring further she realized it was modeled after a cherokee rose and she looked up at him seeing him still scowling at her.

"How did you find a ring that looked like the roses?" She looked at him through her eyelashes.

She seen some of the hurt fade from his eyes and them soften while he looked down at her. His face started tinting pink and she watched it run down his throat onto his chest. She looked back up him and grinned.

"Didn't find it. Had it made for you." His voice was soft.

Carol sucked in a breath and looked at him wide eyed. She felt tears on her face again but was past caring right now she knew cherokee roses meant something to him. Something close to his heart that he had only ever shared with his mother.

His hand cupped the side of her face and his thumb rubbed soothing circles on her skin, Carol opened her mouth to talk but he shook his head at her. His eyes intent on hers and he smirked.

"Those roses were the only place I ever felt relatively at peace, ever felt calm." His voice was low and husky his eyes burning into her. "But that was her place." He picked up her hand his fingers sliding around the ring as he looked down at it. "Your my roses Carol."

Carol wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck breathing in the smell that was all him. His arms went back around her and she stepped as close to him as she could could get and jumped. Her legs went around his waist anchoring her to him. His arms slipped around her supporting her weight as she relaxed against him feeling his thundering heart against her chest.

"Take me to bed Daryl."

He turned his head slightly and kissed the side of her head and started walking. Carol ran her hands up into his hair not bothering to hold on knowing that Daryl wouldn't let her fall. His strides were long and purposeful and she felt her breathing deepening and herself already growing wet with want.

Looking over his shoulder she seen Keira and Murphy both trailing after them and she smirked. As he stepped through the room she pushed the door shut in both dogs faces leaving them to set outside the room.

She had expected him to set her down on the bed but instead he started his motions onto the bed with her still in his arms. He was on his knees in the center of the bed completely supporting her weight.

Carol smiled at him feeling herself blush, something that absurd to her after everything they had done together. She seen his eyes dance in amusement at her blush right as a chuckle escaped him.

Daryl dropped her down on the bed him kneeling between her spread legs. Carol didn't waste anytime and started working her shirt up her body and tossed it across the room while Daryl set back on his legs watching her. She smiled at him setting up and unclasping her bra but holding it over her breast. Daryl growled at her leaning down and catching her mouth in a kiss that had her hands going for him forgetting the silken bra all together.

Carol tugged his hair and swallowed down the groan that escaped him. When he leaned back and she met his eyes, her future husband eyes she felt tears again but blinked them away. Daryl started working her cotton shorts down her legs making her kick them up in the air since he was between them. When they were gone she was completely bare to him and his eyes ran all over her body but came back to her hand resting on her stomach, she watched his eyes focus there for a minute before a grin split his face.

Looking down at her hand she seen the ring sparking brightly between them. Daryl leaned down over her body his hands coming down on each side of her head. Dipping his head he caught her lips again in a slow kiss their mouths meeting and tongue dueling. He pulled away kissing down her jaw to her throat his lips never leaving her skin. He kissed his way across her throat nipping her lightly. Each time she felt his teeth graze her skin she jerked against him involuntarily.

Daryl eyes met hers as his tongue slid between the valley of her heaving breast. She moaned her eyes begging him to do something, anything. His lips skated up the slope of her right breast his tongue coming out and swirling around hardened nipple. Carol watched his every movement from his tongue to his eyes. She let her eyes skate across his form that was hovering just above her own. His arms were still bracing him above her and she took the time to marvel at the strength and musculature that was all of him. Her eyes roamed to his broad shoulders as he switched torment to her other breast. His shoulders had a way of doing her in that she didn't think was normal, he was sculptured. Beautiful.

His eyes came to hers again and she watched him kiss down her down his tongue teasing her as he moved down her body. His hands met her sides and he let them slide down her ribs to her hips just as his mouth met her hip bone. Daryl nipped her harder there and her hips arched chasing his mouth as she felt the breath of his chuckle dance across her skin.

He let his lips skate between her hip bones his scruff tickling her and causing her to jerk against him. His eyes never left hers and he smirked planting his lips just above her mound and sucking. Carol moaned her eyes closing knowing he was marking her in such a intimate place.

Carol opened her eyes back up when she felt his breath brushing her and looked down at him. His hair was mussed up from her earlier treatment and his eyes were bright on her, hungry. Daryl hands slid to her thighs pushing them further apart and slipped underneath her lifting her hips slightly as his head dipped his tongue sliding through her weeping slit.

Daryl groaned against her the vibrations shooting through her and causing her to arch her back off the bed. The feel of his tongue teasing and lashing her bundle of nerves mixed with her emotions already had her on edge. Daryl groaned again against her when his fingers slid through her folds and into her with ease.

Carol set up on her elbows watching him over her heaving chest. Her breathing was leaving her in gasps as she watched him work against her. His eyes flicked to her suddenly locking her in place as he sucked her clit between his teeth holding her in place and let his tongue lash her. Carol's hand flashed down her body locking in his hair just as tight as their eyes were locked and she pulled him into her more. She felt his smile against her and his eyes danced as her orgasm rushed through.

Daryl raised up licking his lips and smiling down at her as she smiled up at him. Her hands went to the waist band of his pants and she started working them down his hips. Daryl moved off the bed stripping himself of his clothes and came right back to her kissing his way back to her face.

Picking up her hand Daryl kissed across her fingers letting his lips skirt across all of them. He picked up her other hand repeating his actions his lips sending fire scorching through her body with the tenderness of his actions. When he got to her ring he paused looking at her and smiling against her finger. He let his lips linger there before kissing the ring itself.

Carol smiled warmly at him feeling her heart swell for him even more, "I love you."

Daryl's eyes darkened and he dropped her hand and settled more between her legs pulling them around his hips. Leaning down he captured her mouth in a heated kiss growling as he slipped inside her. Carol whimpered into the kiss lifting her hips into him meeting his thrust. Daryl released her mouth his forehead touching hers and his eyes burning into hers with love and adoration.

"Love ya woman."

Carol slid her hand down his back kneading his back as she went. He groaned dropping his head to the crook of her neck speeding his motions up with urging. Carol lifted her legs higher around him letting him sink further into the cradle of her thighs using the heels of her feet to push him into her harder.

Carol felt the low burn in her stomach and moaned sinking her nails into Daryl's hips, "Daryl." She panted into the crook of his neck.

He growled grabbing her and shifting suddenly ending up with carol straddling him. He set up gripping her hips never breaking rhythm as he caught her nipple in his hot mouth. Carol jerked against him feeling his own body tensing as his orgasm neared for him as well.

He released her nipple and kissed up the column of her elegant throat and nipped her ear. "Tell me your gonna be mine forever..." His rough lustful voice whispered in her ear.

Carol moaned, "Forever."

At her words Daryl latched onto the side of her neck his hands tangling in her hair and pulling it back giving him more access. At the feel of his teeth and his marking she felt the dam break released a ragged breath letting her orgasm carry her away. Daryl's arm came around her lower back holding her steady as he continued to thrust through her orgasm. He mouth left her throat and he dropped back on his back bringing her down on top of him chest to chest.

They set there catching their breath for awhile when she finally decided she would be able to move. Daryl tightened his grip on her not letting her up. Lifting her head she looked down at him raising an eyebrow at him. "What are you doing?"

He tugged her back down on top of him and captured her smaller hand with his letting his finger smooth over her ring absentmindedly. He loosened his hold across her back letting her shift to the side and drop down to the side of him. His arm came around and she settled her head against his chest listening to the sound of his strong heart.

His hand was still on hers and she smiled watching their hands. She kissed his chest and smirked, "Did you atleast ask my dad like a sweet southern boy?" Carol chirped.

Daryl stiffened against her and she smirked against his chest again, "I can feel you smiling asshole." He huffed.

Carol busted out laughing and felt him shake with his own laughter as he yawned and stretched jerking the covers over them. "Let's get some sleep and we'll work the rest out in time."He kissed the top of her head.

Carol hummed against him and snuggled closer letting the sound of his steady and strong heart lull her to sleep as he continued rubbing his thumb around her ring.