Chapter 53

Disclaimer: I still no own :/, any resemblance to existing stories is unintended.

Charlotte drew her dessert eagle and waited, her heart was pounding so fast that she couldn't even discern the individual beats in her ears anymore. She could hear muffled whispers, they were getting closer. One of them was giving orders, but she couldn't make out what he was saying.

Maybe everyone in the compound hadn't been killed, maybe they were tracking her the whole time? This and many other equally troublesome thoughts rushed through her mind as she waited for them to get close enough. She hated this part. She'd rather face a herd of fifty walkers then face one living person.

But she had no other choice, she had to face them, they stood between her and the only way out of these tombs. Since losing her eye, her other senses became sharper. She could tell when an adversary was within her firing range, and judging by the duration of their footsteps, they were close, just a little more … NOW!

Charlotte whirled around the corner and fired two shots, one went wide, but a grunt told her that she had hit her mark. She also became aware of a sudden burning pain in her shoulder. She looked, shocked to see an arrow, buried half way in, it was then she realized who it was she had just shot.

"Oh, shit!" she said as she holstered her weapon and ran toward the group. "Oh, god, Daryl please be ok … I'm sorry! I thought you guys were the rest of those assholes who kidnapped me!" she said as she ran to him.

There he stood in the dim light doubled over, holding his arm where the bullet had gone through, the other had grazed the side of his head.

Rick laughed in spite of himself. "Charlotte … I hate to say it … but sometimes I am glad you aren't as good a shot as you could be." He said as he relieved her of the heavy duffle bag. "Let's get out of here before all this noise and blood attracts attention." Glenn interjected.


"You both are lucky, neither the bullet nor the arrow did any real damage, you both should be back on your feet in a few weeks or so." Hershel told them both as he sat between Charlotte and Daryl, attending to Charlotte's wound (after much argument between them on who was to be treated first, Daryl's insistence had won out).

"Take these every eight hours, they'll prevent any infection. Now, off with you, you need to rest. Don't worry about him, he's in good hands." Hershel said with a smile as he noticed Charlotte's look of hesitation. Charlotte reluctantly agreed, but not before sharing a look with Daryl before her departure.

"She really cares about you, you know." Hershel said without looking up from his work as he disinfected the bullet wound and prepared to dig the bullet out. Daryl said nothing as he gritted his teeth against the pain.

"I know you love her." Hershel said softly and calmly. Daryl remained silent, but his coloring cheeks gave his inner feelings away. "Don't be embarrassed, son. Loving someone doesn't make you weak, quite the contrary, it makes you stronger."

"The love Josephine and I had for each other is what made me strong enough to quit drinking, because I had a choice between alcohol and her. I couldn't be devoted to both, so I made a choice. I know you don't see it, but you are not the person you were before she came into your life. Like or not you two need each other." He said as the bullet came out in his hand.

"See? You were so deep in thought about her that you didn't even notice me digging this bullet out and sanitizing the wound." Hershel said with a chuckle as he bandaged Daryl's arm and sent him on his way.

Charlotte was standing on the front porch, smoking a cigarette from a carton she had found in the armory. They weren't menthols … but in times like this, beggars couldn't be choosers.

"I didn't know you smoked." He said as he slowly ascended the steps to join her. "I quit about six months before this all started, my modeling agent was always on me about it, she said it was going to shorten my career. But the way I figure it … even if things did right themselves, there is no future in modeling for me anyway, obviously, so I figured what the hell." She said as she took one last drag and snuffed it out with her foot.

In an instant, Daryl was so close that there was no space left between them. His presence was so powerful … so … passionate that it caused her breath to catch in her throat and her heart skipped a few beats. He leaned in and nuzzled his face against her neck, causing her entire body to erupt into goose bumps.

"I thought I had lost you." He hissed into her ear, Charlotte shrugged. "Bastards got what was coming to them in the end." She said, he pulled back, his face serious. "Ya just don't get it. I don't know how else I can make you understand." Charlotte looked at him, confused. "Understand what?" she said as he backed away and stood, looking out into the darkness.

"How I feel … about you." He said, still not meeting her gaze. In an instant, Charlotte understood what he was trying to say. "You love me." She said, slowly, letting the phrase roll around her mouth before allowing it to come out. Daryl looked sharply at her, he said nothing, but his expression said everything.

Charlotte shut her eyes and nodded. "I see. Well the thing is … it was love at first sight for me. The second I laid eyes on you, I was like … damn. But never in a million years did I think you would ever go for someone … someone like me, maybe before the accident, you might have. You might not understand this, but as a model, and more importantly, as a woman ... losing your looks is a hard pill to swallow. I don't kid myself, I've seen the way people look at me. The way kids react to me, they treat me like a monster." She said.

But you didn't … you didn't lose your looks, at least not to me … and you're not a monster … unless you count in bed." He said with a boyish grin, Charlotte laughed in spite of herself. "Well you ain't so bad yourself, you know."

With a sudden growl, Daryl pulled her against him and kissed her hard. He started backing toward the door to their cabin, only breaking their kiss long enough to wrench the door open. Inside was quite toasty thanks to the roaring fire Charlotte had started while she was waiting for him.

Clothes flew in all directions, he hoisted her up and she brought her legs around his waist as he carried her to the bed. They both gasped as he entered her, he waited for a spell, just the heat and wetness of her alone was enough to almost make him come.

"It's ok, babe. Make it a quickie. We have all night for round two." She hissed into his ear, as if sensing his dilemma. In all honesty, she was so full of sexual tension herself that she was probably every bit as close as he was. She buried her face in the crevice of his neck as he thrust into her with reckless abandon, the climax was so intense that she swore she saw stars.

Daryl collapsed against her as his own orgasm ebbed away, once they had recovered, they crawled into bed, nude and he pulled her close in the spooning position. "I don't care what anyone thinks or anyone says. Yer the girl for me, you're mine. I don't want anyone else … ever." He said as he hugged her tight.

For the first time in a long time, Charlotte felt a tear of happiness trickle down her face. She had never had a man tell her that before, she had never had a man love her like Daryl did. She knew what type of man he was, she knew that men like him didn't just say things because they thought it was what she wanted to hear. What he said came from the heart.

She turned in his arms to face him. "You're the only man for me, Daniel Boone … and don't you ever doubt it for a second." She said as she pulled him into a kiss.

Author's note – I hope you enjoy it : ) thanks to all who faved, followed and reviewed. I know it doesn't always seem that way, but I DO take your reviews into consideration when I am writing. If your suggestions don't come up right away, don't fret … they just might : ).