It's 2 A.M. and I have a 7 A.M. wakeup call to make a trip to Elgin, Illinois to see my grandma :)...but I'm gonna start writing this anyway and see how far I get!
Oh and...um...2 MORE DAYS! :D
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It was bordering on the three week mark...three weeks since Carol's world had taken a sharp and shattering turn. Two more days and it would be exactly three weeks since her falling out with Daryl. The night Shane had died, nearly a week ago, had been the last time they'd actually been alone together and Carol felt she'd lost a lot of the small progress she'd made in repairing them. Daryl never made an effort to speak to her and his glances had become fewer and farther between...not to mention Beth was starting to get a little on the overly friendly side with him.
It was infuriating, watching it all unfold and not having a good enough relationship to walk up and claim him as her own. Beth flirted shamelessly, and lately she'd even taken to laughing and touching him on the arm...but the worst thing about it all was that Daryl actually put up with it and allowed her to follow him around the farm while he worked, and sometimes he even smiled and laughed with her. It made Carol want to throw punches and then mark her territory with a rough round of mind-numbing sex. But that was out of the question.
It was a Monday. Mondays were already the bane of human existence BEFORE the outbreak, and now Carol found that Mondays marked the most painful moment of her life. Sophia had been lost on a Monday, her and Dary's fight had been on a Monday, and now this. It all started when Daryl walked into the kitchen and tossed a pile of skinned and gutted squirrels on the counter she'd just cleaned.
"Daryl, I JUST wiped that counter down," she sighed heavily, annoyed and sorry their first words in a long time had to be an argument.
"Well forgive me for wantin' t' feed ya'll," he bristled, she saw the way his shoulders visibly tensed. And at that moment, Beth decided to show her pretty little innocent face.
"He's right, Carol," she said gently, "He's only trying to keep us all fed."
And the cherry on top was when those soft little white hands of hers reached boldly up to Daryl's tensed shoulders and begin a rhythmic squeezing motion, causing Daryl's eyes to drop shut without even thinking about it. Carol threw her dish towel down and stormed out, feeling bile rising in her throat and the desire to punch the pretty right off of Beth's face. Getting out of there was the only option.
"Whoa there," the voice of Andrea met her ear a moment after she collided with her in the doorway and Carol made to go around her but found herself gripped by the arm and Andrea was staring at her. "Oh, wow, Carol what's wrong? You look utterly pissed off."
"I just...really don't want to talk about it, Andrea," Carol sighed, "If you want to know what's going on, just go take a peek in that damn kitchen!"
With that, she walked out of the house and headed for the barn, feeling a mad desire to talk to Merle...why, she had no idea. Maybe it was because, of everyone on this farm, he understood Daryl the most besides her, but right now her knowledge seemed insufficient.
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Daryl successfully extracted his shoulders from Beth's grip with a twist and he was about to go after Carol when Andrea came around the corner and pushed him back into the kitchen.
"Daryl, don't do it," she warned, "Give her some space or you're liable to get a black eye or something. Beth, can you find Lori for me?"
Beth gave Daryl one last look, spilling over with sweetness, before she nodded and made her way to the old campsite by the RV. Andrea and Daryl watched her go before Andrea turned back to him and placed her hands on her hips.
"What's up with Beth?" she asked.
"I have no idea," Daryl groaned, "She's followin' me around like a puppy."
"Yeah, I've noticed...and so has Carol," Andrea tried to make her point clear.
"I know," was Daryl's simple reply and Andrea squinted at him suspiciously. "To be honest...I've kind of been using it to get her wound up."
Andrea gaped at him.
"Daryl, that's cruel," she said disapprovingly. "Carol's been walking around in a constant mope because of what happened between you. Don't you think it's about time to let go of your pride and take her back?"
"Don't ya think it's time ya mind yer own business?" Daryl drawled, not meanly but just matter-of-factly.
"Not when the happiness of two of my good friends is at stake," Andrea retorted easily. "And don't you even try to lie and tell me you're fine, I know you're not. You miss her and you KNOW she misses you. I know you're trying to prove some kind of point to her and make her prove herself...now, I don't know what all happened between you, but I can tell it was pretty hurtful on both sides."
Daryl sniffed at her long-winded reasoning, but she wasn't done yet.
"But, whatever was said or done...is it really worth what you two are doing to yourselves? You two love each other, we can all tell, and I really would hate to see you both mess this up beyond repair. Playing this jealousy card is NOT going to work in your favor, Daryl, it's only going to hurt Carol more."
Daryl sighed and nodded slowly, his head hanging slightly, he looked up at her from under his lashes and he gave her a sad little smile.
"I don't know how t' fix this, Andrea," he admitted, "I don't know if we can ever be the way we were after what we said and did."
"All you can do is try, right?" Andrea reasoned.
"I'm not sure I'm ready," Daryl mumbled quietly.
"Just...don't let the opportunity to try when it happens, ok?" Andrea said kindly, giving his forearm a squeeze.
Daryl nodded and sighed, then he made his way out of the house and headed for the woods to clear his head with a good, long hunt.
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Carol discovered that Merle really didn't have any better idea how to get Daryl in a good mood than she already had. So she took his and her own advice and got down to business making the best dinner she'd ever concocted in her born days, because her and Merle had both come to the conclusion that Daryl Dixon was happiest with a full belly.
She had refused any help with anything, she wanted this to be made by her hands only, and she was gonna let him know it too. She was going to charm the pants off him...hopefully literally, and win him back from that little blonde girl who he seemed to have taken a shine to. Beth may be young and pretty, but she couldn't do anything worthwhile and Daryl was a practical man, he appreciated a girl with skills. Hopefully.
When dinner was ready, Carol eyed it all with pride. A whole stuffed turkey she'd convinced Herschel to let her butcher that morning from the flock, potatoes slathered in hot butter and red pepper flakes, green beans Maggie had brought up from the root cellar, and the best of all...a still piping hot pumpkin pie setting on the counter to cool, the scent of it flooded the house and dream curious onlookers.
"Oh my gosh!" Carl bounced around the kitchen in excitement. "I can't wait for dinner! I LOVE pie!"
Carol laughed at the boy's antics and smiled when she saw how he was eyeing that pie with a grin. Carol opened the stove and pulled out the second pie and set it out to cool with the other. Carl looked like he might pass out.
"You'll have to wait, Carl," she laughed, pushing him towards the kitchen door to keep him from the temptation of the pies. "Don't want to spoil your appetite. Go round everyone up, huh?"
Carl nodded excitedly and flew upstairs to get Lori and Patricia, then he was out the front door in record time to retrieve the others.
Soon enough, everyone was gathered in the house and the excited chatter made Carol blush because mainly it consisted of praise for her cooking. One problem though...Daryl wasn't there.
"Merle, where's he at?" she squeaked nervously.
"Don't rightly know," Merle admitted. "I ain't my brother's keeper."
That phrase was pretty popular in the Dixon household apparently. Carol was about to say something in reply when Daryl strode in the front door looking highly annoyed and covered in mud.
"Herschel, your damn herd of cows broke through the fence!" he snapped, "I tried to round them up but I can't get 'em all so ya'll better get your asses out here and help unless you wanna lose 'em all."
Immediately, everyone stood and the majority of them headed out the door towards the fields, even Carl and Beth ran to help. Only Lori and Carol stood in the kitchen after the metaphorical dust cloud had settled and Carol felt her throat squeezing uncomfortably as the silence met her ears. Lori sighed heavily and took her plate, filled it, and then headed back upstairs with her hand on her belly, leaving Carol standing alone in the kitchen with the food getting cold.
Something about this whole situation just proved to be too much for her and she sat down on a chair and started crying. Daryl was already in a terrible mood, wet and muddy from his cow chasing and now the food was going to be cold and have to be reheated and nothing she ever planned worked out...she just wanted one night of quiet peace to make him remember what their marriage used to be.
"Carol?" a soft voice interrupted her thoughts and she jerked her head up. Daryl was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, mud dripping off the legs of his jeans and rain dripping from his hair, his eyes seemed exceptionally blue under the wet, dark hair hanging in his eyes as he stared at her in surprise. She tried to say something to him but all she managed was a quivering lip before she started to cry again and she covered her face with her hands. She heard the steady clumping sounds of his boots as he crossed the wood floor and she felt him squat down beside her knees, his hand rested on her elbow which caused her to look up at him once again. He was staring at her with a soft, concerned expression.
"Are you ok?" he asked gently, his voice void of all the anger she'd heard moments ago when he came in with his announcement.
"Aren't you suppose to be catching cows?" Carol asked bitterly. Daryl closed his eyes for a moment like he was fighting some sort of mental battle and then he sighed.
"They told me they'd handle it, said I needed to get in here and dry off," he replied, "Don't change the subject. What are ya cryin' for?"
He asked for it...he was going to get it. Carol stood quickly and waved her arm over the table full of food, then turned to face him with tears streaming down her face.
"I just wanted everything to be perfect tonight," she sobbed, "I wanted to make a wonderful dinner and start a fire in the fireplace and maybe put some music on the record player and just relax and have one night, just ONE night, of peace and quiet and relaxation! I wanted to make everything perfect for you and try to make you see how we all use to be, how happy we were and now..."
She blinked away her tears and let her arms drop limply at her sides, her breathing uneven and ragged as she tried to calm down. Then she was suddenly enveloped in warmth and she realized she was being held, tightly, clutched firmly against Daryl's soaked shirt. His hand threaded into her hair and he laid her cheek against his chest.
"Carol," he whispered softly, "I'm so fuckin' tired of this. I'm done tryin' t' pretend I don't want ya back. I want t' be with ya again, like we were. I'm sorry for puttin' ya through all this shit."
His drawl, she noticed, was heavier than ever, like it got when he was upset or searching for the right words. When Daryl had any kind of emotions, his drawl got thicker and thicker and Carol loved the sound of it rumbling through his chest under her ear, the words he was saying though were what really made it so much more amazing.
"Give me another chance?" he whispered, so low she almost didn't hear. "And I'll give you one too."
Carol nodded into his chest, not even a moment's hesitation flicked over her mind. She knew there was nothing in this world she wanted more than this chance.
"Yes," she whispered back. Then she pulled away from the comforting familiarity of his embrace and pushed him towards the stairs. "Come on."
"Where we goin?" Daryl asked nervously.
"You're getting cleaned up and dried out," Carol announced, "You look like a poor mongrel dog who got caught in the rain."
"That's just about accurate," Daryl laughed. Carol smiled, come to think of it he did resemble a sad puppy sometimes. She pushed him in the direction of the bathroom and shut the door behind them, locking it.
"Sit," she ordered, yanking a towel down from the cabinet. He obeyed and sat on the chair in the corner, watching her with a twinkle in his eyes. She laid the towel on the edge of the tub and she, without any hesitation, slid his jacket off his shoulders and down his arms, laying it on the floor next to them, then she lifted the hem of his shirt and tugged it up, smiling when he raised his arms to allow the tattered material to come off, along with his tank top underneath, revealing his upper half to Carol's starving eyes. She stared for a few moments before she knelt down and started unlacing his mud covered boots.
"You know, I'm perfectly capable of doing this," he laughed, "Don't need you getting all muddy too."
"Shush," Carol stated firmly, tugging off his left boot and starting on the laces of the right. They both joined the pile of clothes starting to accumulate on the floor, followed by soaked and muddy socks, and then she reached for his belt buckle and found her wrists caught in his hands. He was looking at her with an unsure look.
"Hey, take it easy," he said quietly, standing up and pulling her up with him. "I'm having a really hard time not jumpin' ya right now."
"You're welcome to if this is where you want to do this," Carol replied simply, "I don't care where."
"We ain't makin' up in no bathroom, Carol," Daryl laughed.
"Then relax," Carol said calmly, "I'll get your clothes washed while you shower."
She reached for the buckle again and this time he allowed it, and she had his jeans undone and off in no time, remembering suddenly how he was always going commando these days. She loved that about him for some reason, it was one more way he told the world he didn't give a fuck what it threw at him.
"You got a starin' problem, woman," Daryl's chuckle brought her back to the present and she raised her eyes almost difficultly, wanting to just step back and stare at every glorious, muddy inch of him like she'd been longing to do for weeks.
"Only when you're around," Carol teased, remembering how easy this was between them. She missed their little playful discussions, the ones that ended in laughter and smiles instead of crying and regret. "I think God spent a little extra time on you, Daryl Dixon."
Daryl laughed out loud at that but Carol thought she may have seen a bit of a blush creep into his cheeks, pale and cold from the exposure to the October rain...at least she assumed it was October.
"Ain't nothing special," he muttered, scuffing the floor with his heel.
"I didn't think so at first either," Carol admitted, thinking back to when she first met him, how angry he was and silent and brooding...not that he had changed much, he was still all those things. But not with her. She saw past it all now, and she had seen beneath the hard exterior to the man inside. "But I know better now. You're the most amazing man I've ever seen in my life."
He got that signature half smile that always made her stomach flip on his face and his eyes softened to a level she knew only she and Sophia would ever see, letting his guard drop completely.
"C'mere, you," he spread his arms wide, an open invitation for her to fill the empty spot between them and Carol immediately ran into his embrace, not leaving a single centimeter of space between them. She didn't care about the fact he was covered in mud and rain and cow manure from chasing the runaway beef, he could be covered in walker guts and squirrel shit and it wouldn't have stopped her. She felt him rest his chin on her head and his chest expanded to its limit before he let it out with a long sigh and she felt that familiar hot twitch against her hip. "You gonna let me get this damn shower over with so we can do this proper?"
Carol backed off immediately.
"Yes!" she yipped, then she covered her mouth, embarrassed by the volume of her statement. She giggled behind her hand and blushed. "Sorry, yes. But only because you need to get warmed up...I like you dirty."
"Well, don't worry, I'll be dirty again before you know it," he chuckled, "Can't seem to stay clean very long in this environment."
Carol laughed and bent over to pick up the pile of mud caked clothing from the floor and backed out of the bathroom...right into Lori.
"Oh! Wow...sorry..." Lori's eyes were wide as she back away and out of the doorway, blushing furiously.
"Lori, you peeper!' Carol giggled, shutting the door quickly.
"I wasn't! I was coming in to get my...ok to be honest, I was listening at the door," Lori hung her head with a grin. "I seriously did NOT mean to actually see anything!"
"Hey, I don't blame you for wanting to look," Carol gave Lori a wink, "Just don't touch."
Both women burst into giggles and Lori offered to help her wash Daryl's clothes and they went down to the washroom to start the task of hand washing them.
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"So...what am I suppose to wear?" Daryl asked when Carol came back to the bathroom. He was standing there with a towel around his waist, hair sticking up crazily from the shower.
"I like this arrangement right here," Carol said, tapping her finger on her chin.
"Carol, I ain't walkin' around like this," he grumbled, adjusting the towel tighter around his hips.
"You don't have a choice, Daryl," Carol laughed, "Your clothes are soaked, drying in the living room and there's no way I'm running to your tent to get more."
Daryl bit his lip and nodded, seeing she was right.
"Well then...I'm staying right here," he stated firmly, sitting in the chair in the corner. He looked so damn stubborn sitting there in that towel that Carol started to laugh.
"Get up, you mule," she tugged on his hand, "Get your tight little ass down to that fireplace before you freeze up here."
"Warm enough," he growled in reply, yanking his arm away.
"Please, Daryl?" Carol changed her tone, getting serious, "I really don't want you getting sick. PLEASE come down with me. No one is gonna care, you know."
He looked at her for a long time, his eyes silently pleading with her to not ask him to do this, but she remained firm. Finally, he sighed and rose from the chair.
"Alright, damn it," he groaned, "It ain't like it matters anymore."
And she realized he wasn't nervous about being half naked...he was worried about people's reaction to the scars covering his torso. To soothe his nerves, she gripped his hand tight, her other hand gripping his bicep, she looked up at him and nodded as they walked out and down the stairs.
"It doesn't matter what they think, Daryl," she whispered as they neared the living room, "Let them stare, who gives a shit? You've got nothing to be ashamed of."
He gave her a weak smile, weak but real, and nodded that he understood and they joined the group of weary, muddy people in the living room.
And, yes, there was a lot of staring...but Carol saw it was mostly appreciative and from the women. Only one pair of male eyes even lingered on him. Merle's. Carol knew that he was seeing those scars in a whole new light, a new point of view, regret spreading over his strong features. Daryl met his eyes and nodded firmly, a silent way of saying he wasn't blaming him and Carol felt a swell of pride in her chest at how far he'd come from being a wounded animal of a man to the strongly convicted, thoughtful man he was now.
They all ate the now cold dinner in the living room and then, one by one, people left to take showers and then to bed and out to take watch and wherever else these people went every night. Carl and Sophia were fast asleep on the couch, Carl's head in Sophia's lap as she leaned against the armrest. Merle was spread eagled on the floor in front of the fireplace, snoring like a chainsaw. Carol knew it was the perfect time to slip away and she stood up, her eyes instantly taking on that long concealed sultry look and she pulled Daryl's hand insistently.
"Come on," she whispered, "I can't wait any longer."
Daryl grinned and stood immediately, following her out of the house with an eager, excited bounce to his steps. He didn't even give a shit that he was barefoot and in a damn towel! As soon as they were out of the door, he yanked Carol by her arm and pulled her into him firmly, his mouth catching hers immediately, tongue searching for entrance without a moment's hesitation. Carol giggled and turned her head away.
"Barn?" she asked, giggling as his mouth latching onto her neck since he'd been denied her lips at the moment.
"Anywhere, girl, anywhere," he mumbled into her skin, the hair on his chin scratching against her neck. She shivered from the feeling and pulled away, pulling his hand again as she made for the barn. She didn't know if she could make it that far because her legs were shaking so much from anticipation and the distance seemed so far suddenly. But she forced herself to keep going, breaking into a trot to make the distance go faster. Finally, they shoved the doors open and stumbled inside.
Carol found herself pinned to the wall the second the door closed behind them and she let out a surprised squeal as Daryl lifted her legs to wrap around his waist and he pushed his pelvis into her firmly, pinning her up and freeing his hands to practically tear her jacket and shirt off in his haste. He unhooked her bra with what seemed like practiced, expert skill and he immediately ducked his head to take her right nipple in his mouth.
"Oh god," Carol gasped at the feel of his teeth nipping her sharply and she bucked against him, trying to get him to back off just a tiny bit so she could wrap her mind around the situation. Three weeks without this? Carol wasn't sure how she'd lived without him! She gripped his hair with both hands, clutching and pulling as his tongue and teeth worked wicked magic on her exposed and goosebumped chest, the cold air rushed over the wet spots he left behind with his mouth and she felt a shiver go down the entire length of her spine, ending in the junction of her legs, causing her to clench even more firmly around his hips.
All at once, Daryl backed away and Carol was terrified for a second she'd done something wrong, but his hands were undoing her pants and they were down to her ankles before she even realized it! She reached out before he knew what was happening and ripped the towel from around his hips, but he didn't even look surprised, he just grinned and pushed her into the wall again, pushing her legs apart to fit his hips between them pushing his stone hard length against her without any sort of ceremonious teasing at all.
"Carol, I don't think I can even try to be gentle with you right now," he warned, braced firmly in case she changed her mind about the whole thing. He looked at her expectantly, waiting on pins and needles for her ok or her no.
Carol smiled at the look on his face, like a puppy who was told to stay while someone balanced a treat on his nose. His eyes were wide and pleading, she felt him twitching hotly against her inner thigh and she laughed.
"Daryl...I like it rough with you," she replied wickedly.
"Mmmmmm," Daryl literally shuddered, like every single muscle in his body had just been relieved of a tremendous amount of tension, and Carol felt his hands tighten on her hips a moment before he completely buried himself deep inside her, sending a jolt through the entirety of her body and causing a sharp gasp to come from her mouth that had dropped open in a silent, surprised scream.
He wasn't kidding either, he began thrusting into her with more force and determination than she'd ever felt before, so hard that he placed the length of his forearms against the wall behind her, cushioning her from the hard wood of the wall and bracing himself at the same time. Carol felt each thrust lift her high enough that she knew if her feet were on the ground she would have been lifted to her tip toes and she clutched his back firmly, nails digging into his skin as she tried to maintain some tiny ounce of control over the situation.
"Fuck," Daryl barked sharply as Carol's nails dug deep enough to draw blood, but somehow the pain just added to his force and he picked up speed and strength as he pumped into her like a sex starved animal...which is exactly how he felt. It crossed his mind that he might possibly hurt her, but he assumed she would let him know if he was and he ventured a glance at her face to make sure. Her eyes were closed, mouth wide open as she gasped in sharp breaths and let them out quickly, panting like a dog in July Georgia heat...she didn't look like she was hurting at all and he grinned wicked for a moment before a jolt flew through him and caused his eyes to squeeze shut as he fought back the urge to let go right then and there, but damn it he didn't want to be a three pump chump and leave her hanging like ass. He sucked in a long breath and let it out slowly, calming his pace a little.
"Don't stop now!" Carol demanded, digging her heels into the small of his back.
"Damn it, stop!" Daryl growled into her neck as he buried his face there, "Just...just hold on for a fuckin' second!"
Carol immediately went still and waited, her breathing still rapid and loud in his ear, breathy and hot on his skin. Carefully, he readjusted his stance and ground his hips into hers as he pushed into her as far as he possibly could, drawing a sharp gasp from her.
"Ouch, ouch, that's...ow," Carol giggled, and he looked at her funny.
"Sorry, shit!" he said with wide eyes, backing up a bit. "Why are you laughing if it hurts?"
"It's not awful, just uncomfortable," Carol explained, still clutching his shoulders tightly. "It's the angle."
So he changed it, twisting her to the side slightly, and watched her face as he started again. Seeing nothing that told him this was uncomfortable, he was emboldened and he picked up the pace again, focusing on her face, trying to do it right for her. And finally, he hit that spot that made her groan loudly in his ear and he grinned as he focused on manipulating that difficult to locate spot. Soon enough he was rewarded with the sound of her breathing getting faster, and little whimpers slipping out of her lips which soon enough became sharp little cries and guttural moans and last of all a sharp, long and drawn out cry as every muscle in her body tensed and then relaxed, her inner muscles contracting in rhythmic spasms. Daryl closed his eyes and growled into Carol's freckled skin of her chest as he let that tight rhythm push him over the edge with her.
Immediately, as soon as his body quit trembling, he felt every ounce of strength just...leave. Stepping back, he put his palms to the wall and leaned his weight into them as Carol's legs unwrapped from his hips and her feet settled on the floor. He sucked in air to his tired and burning lungs, his exhales were shaky and mixed with a few whimpers and he heard Carol's breathing matching his. Then he heard that familiar giggle and he smiled, pushing himself back from the wall and turning to see her picking up her discarded clothes from the barn floor.
"Whew, that...was intense," she laughed, pulling her pants back on with a smile in his direction. She found her bra halfway across the barn and clipped it back on then pulled her shirt over her head. She picked the towel up off the floor and tossed it to him.
"Trying t' cover me up already?" Daryl teased her with a wink.
"Not at all," she winked right back, "If I had it my way, you'd never wear anything. But that's socially unacceptable...plus I love the way your ass looks in those jeans of yours."
Daryl gave her a squinty fake glare as he wrapped the towel back around his waist and leaned back against the wall.
"It's kinda cold out here," he mumbled tiredly.
"I vote RV," Carol said, easily. "T-Dog's taking watch from inside because of the rain so no one's in there."
Daryl grinned at her mischievously.
"Ain't you had enough, woman?" he asked smugly.
"Oh no," Carol shook her head quickly, "I'm just getting warmed up."
With a wicked laugh, she ran out of the barn with her jacket in her hand, waving it like a flag as she headed for the RV. Daryl shook his head with a smile and followed her at a steady stride towards the Winnebago, wondering what she could possibly have up her sleeves...God only knows what she was planning after three weeks to think about it.
Maybe an argument and some space WAS healthy for a relationship after all! But then he shook his head. He NEVER wanted to go through that again. Ever.
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Well, they're back together! Hope that wasn't too fast of a makeup but I figured it was about time they kissed and made up, right?
Reviews are awesome! And, I need to know...is it about time to close this story or should I keep going? Let me know if you have any suggestions on what should come next because I need some idears!
