Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a while but I haven't had much inspiration to write lately - in anything, not just my fanfics - so I apologize for that. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it, even though not a lot's happening. There is Daryl and Tessa's fluff in the beginning, though, as well as Rick being awkward around him and Tessa now that Daryl IS back, as well as Tessa putting the 'roar' in I-Am-Den-Mother-Hear-Me-Roar.

Oh yeah, and Glenn gets bitch slapped. Yup, pretty productive chapter :)

HaloHunter89 - Oh yeah, I do plan on Merle getting hella jealous. Whether or not that makes his death come to him quicker, remains to be seen, but yes, that will be an excuse for me to write a huge spot of dramatics one chapter . . . or two . . . or three ;). I also haven't had Merle formerly meet the twins yet, as well as Ethan (kinda, but not really) so stayed tuned for that. Glad you so excited! :)

Smittendebs, HermionandMarcus and wickedclownsmile - *insert what I always say here* ;))

Maddy-MarieXO - Yeeeeaaaahhh, sorry for that LOL. I did originally plan on Tessa being angry at him for a long time but for the sake of, I don't know . . for the sake of length, I decided against it. I'm already writing this by the episode, so I didn't exactly know long I would want to draw that out, not-to-mention how he would regain her trust back and all that jazz. It just seemed more trouble than it was worth lol.


Daryl woke up that next morning to the best feeling in the entire world – Tessa in his arms and the smell of her hair filling his nose. Her naked body felt so warm and right spooned up against his and for a moment - a blissful, all-encompassing moment - he was content to simply lay there and relish and revel in something that he hadn't had for so damn long. Eventually, though, he had to shift slightly to get rid of the pins and needles that darted along his side for staying in the same position conscious for so long and when he did, he heard Tessa chuckle.

"I wondered when you would finally wake up." Her voice came out quiet and slightly amused as the early morning sunlight filtered in through the window high above them, letting Daryl know just how early it really was. Vaguely, they heard one of the twins heave a sigh as they continued to sleep in their cradle not that far away from them and Daryl couldn't help but grin.

"No, I've been awake for a while, I've jus' . . . been layin' here, relishin' in somethin' that I haven' had in a while." He replied, his voice coming out as quiet as hers had been and she didn't say anything after that, just simply took the time that was needed to turn over to face him. He allowed her to, swallowing hard the split second before her lips caught his. Her hands sunk deep into his dark locks – a movement he thought he would never grow tired of her ever performing, where she pulled him close to her. She felt his tongues slide wetly into her mouth and hers moved to eagerly meet it. They tangled together in a lazy morning dance as his hands slid along the velvet, warm expanse of her body to wrap around her and pull her closer to him still – so close, in fact, that every curve and dip and valley of her body seemed to mold so naturally to his. His thigh slid in-between hers as a leg moved to hook around his hip and he felt her grin as their kiss came to a slow stop. And for a moment, he marveled at the fact of how much he had missed this - this completely hot, intimate entwining of their bodies.

"You know, I still haven't forgiven you . . ." She murmured, her voice coming out half playful, half serious and Daryl couldn't help but grin in reply.

"Well one of us has to keep up the appearance of ya bein' angry at me, I suppose . . ."

Tessa gave a laugh then at his words as her hands moved down from within his hair. She felt the rough, warm muscles of Daryl's shoulders underneath her hands before her fingertips cautiously traveled down the path of the ugly, brutal looking scars that littered his chest. Her body trilled at feeling of the strength lying kinetic beneath her hands and she felt her breath hitch slightly. His flesh was enticing her in ways that only her instincts completely understood and before she knew what she was doing, her mouth had already landed on his exposed skin, where she ran her tongue along the length of one jagged scar that spanned his non-tattooed pectoral. She had also settled herself on his quickly growing erection and he could feel the warmth of her sex seeping down onto him . . .

Shit. Fuck. Goddamnit - he had really missed this!

"Tho' tha' doesn' exactly mean tha' I ain' angry at ya too, Tess," He finally spoke and she brought her eyes back up to his, where he nodded. "Ya did tell me tha' I wouldn' see my kids again if I left ya, remember? Yeah, didn' exactly sit well with me." She didn't know if he was being serious or if this was his idea of a joke and saw the slight anger simmering beneath the surface of his eyes, although she also saw that it walked hand-in-hand with amusement. For once, she didn't know where Daryl was going with something and if anything, it left her intrigued. She arched an eyebrow.

"Well, it sounds like we have a lot of ground to cover then, now don't we?"

Daryl couldn't agree more as she pressed her lips to his again. Her kisses were messages, and they drowned Daryl in a river of raw need – the same as her. Again, it felt so amazing to be submerged in such feelings of raw want and need that every touch and kiss with Daryl seemed to light inside her, and not the seemingly echoless void that she had experienced when Rick had kissed her. Her desire for Daryl was a thousand times more addictive and potent than any vice that either of them had ever possessed - combined - and that alone gave the entire thing a certain headiness that was almost sublime.

She ran her tongue along the roof of his mouth, making his skin tingle and the fine hair on his arms stand on end. Touch me, the kiss demanded.

I want to . . . He answered by licking the underside of her tongue. Tessa sucked on his lower lip - drawing it in-between her teeth and shaping his breath into loud and heavy gasps as he panted.

Taste me . . .

I am babydoll . . . He captured her lips with his teeth in an eager, retaliatory nibble before her tongue purposefully moved to dip in and out of his mouth.

Take me.

Oh, God . . . Daryl shuddered against those sweet lips as Tessa plunged her tongue farther into the hot space of his mouth.

Take me.

I want to . . . Daryl thought as the fingers of his hands dug into the soft flesh of her back and her ass. The tips of their tongues met then, before twisting around each other in a needy and almost angry exchange. Oh God do I want to . . . She led his tongue back towards her own mouth as they continued to kiss. He hesitated briefly at the invitation, feeling lost and powerless. Losing control - since when did I 'ave tha control of tha situation to begin with? He scoffed at himself as her tongue slid against his again, and when she led him into the wet, open space of her mouth, Daryl readily followed her lead this time.

Take me.

I need to . . . His tongue whispered as it glided past her teeth and he felt her back began to arch against him ever-so-slightly as he passionately kissed her back. Daryl withdrew his tongue only to plunge it back inside her waiting mouth, each time pushing it a little deeper. She briefly flicked her tongue around him as it pulled back.

"For the love of God – take me already, Daryl . . .!"

Grinning at her hushed, slightly impatient words, Daryl pushed as far back into Tessa's mouth as he could, his strong tongue entering her mouth again as he pushed her onto her back, catching himself on one of his hands above her to spare her his full weight as her other leg moved to hook around his other hip.

"Don't worry, babydoll . . . I will."


When the both of them joined the others later that morning on the first floor of the cellblock, it was clear that everyone was still on edge from the events of the previous afternoon. They had lost Axel – a death had hit Carol particularly hard considering how close the two of them had become in his short stay with them, as well as the fact that they now had a yard full of walkers again, did nothing to make them feel any better. In fact, things were so tense that the only two people who even gave notice to the two of them jogging quickly down the stairs, pulling on a shirt (Daryl) and overshirt (Tessa) as they moved, was Rick and Merle. Both men's faces paled when they saw them and Daryl was thankful that Merle's face had fallen expressionless not soon afterwards. His morning had started out way too damn good for him to have to put up with any of his pigheaded older brother's stupid, sarcastic quips.

And likewise, Rick was gazing at Tessa with an almost deflated look on his face as she exited the guard office with Daryl hot on her heels and the both of them pulling on the last articles of clothing for that morning. Her booted feet hit the cement floor and she moved past him towards one of the opened cells in order to get the twins' formula ready, pointedly avoiding her eyes as she moved past him. Wren smoothly moved to fall in beside her as Daryl's eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion at the entire thing. He made a mental note to ask one or both of them what that was about later when things had died down a little.

"We're not leaving!" Rick's emphatic words brought him out of his thoughts and he turned his eyes onto the man along with everyone else.

"Well, we can't stay here!" Hershel spoke up from his place sitting on the stairs leading to the second floor and Maggie shook her head as she glanced at her father.

"What if there's another sniper out there waiting for us? A wood pallet won't stop one of those rounds!"

"We can't even go outside." Beth added as she held a sleeping Judith in her arms and Carol glanced at the young girl as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Not in the daylight, anyways . . ."

"Look, Rick says we're not running, so we're not running!" Glenn finally spoke up, his voice brooking no argument as he moved to hold all their gazes, and Daryl immediately wanted to let out a grin and a laugh. Damn, he had been gone for a few days, leaving Short Round to run things while Rick flirted with insanity and finally, the pressure had caused him to grow some hair on his balls! He should have left sooner!

Tessa and Wren had reappeared by then and made their way for the stairs leading to the second floor and the guard office, bottles of warm formula in Tessa's hands. She smiled at him and he returned the smile with a loving one of his own as they continued on their way, everyone paying them no heed.

"No . . . better to live like rats, ain' it?" Merle spoke up from his place behind the bars of the common room's gate and Daryl saw Tessa flinch slightly at his voice, however, she shrugged it off and continued on her way to the twins. Likewise, he also saw Ethan cut his uncle a none-too-kind look and wanted to smile at that as well.

"You got a better idea?" Rick asked him and Merle gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Other than tha fact tha' we should have slid outta here last night so tha' we could live to fight 'nother day? Nope – none at all." His eyes had been lingering on Tessa's backside the entire time him and Rick spoke and it was that little blatant disregard of respect for his brother standing right there that had Daryl's teeth gritting in irritation and anger. He still didn't know what he was going to do with him yet. "We lost tha' window, didn' we? Hell, I'm sure he's got scouts on every road outta this place by now."

"We ain' scared of tha' prick." Daryl replied, his steely blue eyes moving to hold his brother's and Merle subtly shook his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. How cocky his baby brother was now, after spending the night and the early morning in bed with his girl. Hell, Merle would be cocky too if he had spent the night and that morning with Tessa!

"Y'all should be. Tha' truck through the fence thing – tha's jus' foreplay for him. We might have some thick walls to hide behind, but he's got tha guns and the numbers to make it Hell for us. And if he takes the high ground 'round this place . . ." Merle shook his head as he hocked a great wad of spit to his left. "He could starve us out if he wanted to."

"Ya know, let's put him in another cellblock, okay?" Maggie spoke up, her voice full of false cheer and her eyes immediately sought Daryl's out in the small crowd. "He's taking up the kitchen and it'd do her some good." He knew she meant Tessa – Hell, they all knew she meant Tessa now that it was out about her and Merle's past together and Daryl shook his head as he tore his eyes away from hers and pinned them on his brother again. They were cold and steely again – almost heartless.

"No, he's got a point. And besides . . . I wanna keep this bastard in a place where I can see him at all times if I need to." Maggie shot him a disbelieving glare.

"How could you think that? This is him he all started this! You wouldn't have to keep an eye on him if he could have kept in his pants -!"

"What difference does it make whose fault it is?" Beth asked in slight disbelief as she interrupted her sister. She handed Judith off to Carol before jogging down the stairs to stand beside Maggie. "What do we do?"

"I said we should leave," Hershel immediately spoke up, his voice slightly impatient and stubborn. "Now Axel's dead; we can't just sit here!" Rick glanced at him before heading off in the direction of the common room and the doorway that led to the outside world beyond but an angry Hershel getting to his feet and yelling after him to get back and stay with the rest of the group, made him immediately come to a stop. The sound of Hershel's crutches against the cement of the floor, echoed around the cellblock as he moved to come up behind him and as everyone descended into a palpable silence. "You are slipping, Rick! We've all seen it and we all understand why!"

It was then, in that palpable silence, that Tessa and Wren stepped out of the guard office, empty baby bottles in Tessa's hand. She handed them off to Wren as she moved to stand beside Daryl by the second floor railing and who was also standing beside Ethan and Seth. Wren made her careful way down the slightly crowded stairs leading to the first floor, before disappearing into the cellblock they had readied them in. Tessa's hand smoothed across Daryl's side and moved to rest on the small of his back underneath his shirt and he pulled her close to him as their eyes fell onto the scene unfolding between Hershel and Rick.

"What's goin' on with Rick?" He asked her quietly as his eyebrows furrowed in interest, feeling Merle's eyes on them ever-so-slightly. Tessa sighed and shook her head.

"He says he's been seeing Lori," She told him and immediately, Daryl's eyebrows almost threatened to disappear into his hairline. Forget Merle – what was this about? Tessa nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know."

"And how d'ya know this, babydoll?"

"'Cause he told me. He was pretty bad the last couple of days while you were gone and poor Glenn – I thought he was going to have a heart attack trying to make the group's decisions in you and Rick's places! Rick and I were talking yesterday before the attack and he told me. I think I had just about the same reaction that you did."

Daryl let out a snort. "Well, sorry to hear tha', but at least tha leadership role finally made Short Round grow his first pubes."

"Daryl, really?"

"Deddy, don' be gross."

Daryl grinned at his son and wife's reactions and finally returned his attention onto Rick and Hershel below them. "Now is not the time for you to detach from us, Rick! You once said that this wasn't a democracy and now you have to own up to that! I put my family's life in your hands – Daryl puts his family's life in your hands! So get your head clear and do something."


Apparently, that 'do something' in question, was going to have to wait, for as soon as Hershel was done with his angry rant towards Rick, the man continued on out through the common room but instead of heading out through the front door like everyone thought, he ended up exiting through another door that lead to one of the outer balconies overlooking the prison courtyard, no doubt to survey how bad the damage was to the yard. He came back a few moments later and handed Maggie the rifle.

"Go keep watch and keep your head down, okay?" Maggie nodded as Rick continued on down the cellblock towards Hershel and Michonne standing in the back. "We'll keep watches – looking for any snipers or whatnot."

"I could get up in the guard tower . . . take out half them walkers and give these guys a chance to fix the fence." Daryl suggested as he moved to join them and the look of slight annoyance that crossed Rick's face at having to speak with him, blew him back. What the fuck was that about? Was he still pissed at him walking off or was it something else? Daryl's eyes landed on Tessa flanked by Beth and Wren doing laundry on the other side of the cellblock before he could stop himself and quickly made the mental note that had him asking the one or both of them what was up, one of his top priorities.

Eventually, though, Michonne's quiet voice breaking the silence between them brought his attention back to the present. "Or we could use some of those cars to put the bus in place."

"We can't access the field without burning through our bullets." Hershel told him, his voice solemn. "Me and Tess counted a few days ago – we don't have near enough the ammunition for it to work."

"So, what then . . .? We're trapped in here?" Glenn asked as he moved to join them, his black eye still a damn near glaring beacon and Daryl stayed silent and allowed someone else to tackle that question that glared out just like his eye did – someone like Rick. "There's barely any food or ammo except for powdered milk, so unless we all want to be drinking baby formula, then we might want to make up a plan!"

Daryl finally nodded his head. "We've been here before – we'll be alright."

"Yeah, well that was when it was just us," He told him and suddenly, Daryl was struck with the keen realization that now that it was focused on him, he really didn't like Glenn's tone. "Before there was a snake in the nest."

Okay, now he really didn't like his tone.

"Man, we gonna go through this again?" Daryl snapped, his eyes clouding over in anger – a snap that immediately caused Tessa to stop what she was doing and turn her eyes onto them. "Look, Merle's stayin' here – he's with us now. Get used to it – all ya'll!"

"And I don't mean to start something, but I do have a problem with that! After what he did to me and Maggie – after what he could have done to Tessa!" Glenn shook his head. "You claim to have this insane love for Tess, but quite frankly, I don't know how you've allowed this jackass to live this long, Daryl!"

Daryl's teeth gritted with his quickly growing rage and he immediately moved to step closer to Glenn – as up in his face as he could possibly get and he had to give the kid credit – he didn't back down. He held his ground and Daryl's gaze but that didn't mean that Daryl was going to back down the first time Glenn showed the group that he did actually have balls.

"Look, Glenn, here's a little piece of advice: jus' 'cause I haven' dealt with him yet, doesn' mean tha' I'm never gonna! And until – until – I finally decide jus' what tha' fucker deserves for what he done to ma wife, he's gonna stay here and he's goin' to be a productive member of tha group. So until that time – in which case ya will be the first to know, I promise ya – ya jus' gonna have to learn to live with it!"

The entire cellblock was as silent as the grave as Daryl pushed past him then. He jogged up the stairs to the second floor and without anywhere to go, lingered on the far side - as far away as he could get from Glenn at that moment. Tessa pursed her lips as Glenn immediately moved closer to Rick, his voice lowering as he no doubt continued to lament Merle's presence in the prison to the one man whose opinion overruled all. Rick, who seemed more and more quick-to-anger since the attack the previous day, seemed to be getting pretty fed-up with Glenn's words and it was then that Tessa's teeth gritted and she threw down the shirt she had been folding, where she marched over to them. Everyone's eyes immediately shifted onto her as she joined moved to join them and when she was close enough to where they had turned to meet her, a sharp crack split through the air as her hand collided with Glenn's face. The younger man stood there in stark shock as Merle's whistle of both amusement and respect split through the air from the other side of the room.

"Since this is not going to be settled like adults, then I am pulling a trump card on all of you children!" Her gaze flickered from Glenn, to Rick and Daryl and then back again. "Considering that bastard has done more to harm me than he has anyone else here – Glenn, shut the fuck up!" She held up a silencing finger when the man opened his mouth to protest. "Did he rape you repeatedly and to the point to where you left the one person you have loved above all others along with their son, who subsequently lost growing up for thirteen precious years without his father?" Glenn sheepishly closed his mouth and shook his head and Tessa nodded. "Yeah, I didn't think so," She turned around then and with a look of extreme distaste on her face, locked eyes with Merle. "So, unfortunately, I think that the decision when and how to end this sorry, miserable, scumbag excuse for a human being, should be on me. That way, you two are not fighting constantly on whether or not to keep him here and are not getting distracted from more important things – like what the fuck we are going to do about a yard full of walkers!" She turned around and her eyes flickered to Daryl and Glenn again, both of whom had wide-eyed looks on their faces. Her eyes then connected with Rick's and he gave a shrug and threw his hands up in the air.

"I don't care; sounds good to me – just as long as I don't have to hear any more shit on this topic!" He spoke, relief evident in his voice, and Tessa's eyes flickered back to Glenn and Daryl again.

"Are we clear, boys? Comments, questions, cuss words?"

Daryl immediately shook his head, a look of slight amusement appearing on his face. It seemed Den Mother had yet again come out to roar about something else and Glenn took a moment longer but eventually shook his head as well, still a look of slight embarrassment appearing on his face as he stood there before her. Tessa heaved an apologetic sigh. "Glenn, honey, look - I'm sorry I slapped you, but you being kinda ridiculous, I do hope you know that."

He gave a nod as she turned around and returned to what she, Beth and Wren had been doing with the laundry as Hershel reminded Glenn that Merle had military experience and would useful, his voice slightly soothing. It wasn't every day that you got bitch slapped by your friend's wife and then subsequently made a fool of. Understandably, many there were not envying Glenn for his temporary moment of stupidity to try and tempt Tessa's ire.

"So, it seems I'm all ya's now, ain' I sweet-pea? Kinky." Merle grinned and Tessa shot him a disgusted look.

"Shut the fuck up Merle," Her eyes connected with Daryl's again. "I didn't do it for you."