They were up early the next morning, sleeping on the floor of Applebee's was not the most comfortable of accommodations but it was had both had worse. As they walked through the mall with the baskets full of medicines and baby formula they talked things over and made some plans.

Lucy thought they should try and reinforce the fences on Herschel's farm if he agreed. It would take a long time to finish but it could make them all feel safer in the long run, Daryl agreed with her. They did agree on a lot of things it seemed, and she was right, they would be a great team.

Daryl even ventured to hold her hand as they left the Applebee's, for him that was a big thing, another first. There were so many things he wanted to experience with her, he wanted to give her everything.

On the way out Lucy noticed a game store and ran in real quick to grab a few games, and Dungeons and Dragons; they had not been able to get any books because the guy pissed all over them. She had ranted to Daryl about that again the night before, still unable to believe they had done that.

"So now we're really doing this?" Lucy asked,"You aren't going to…"

"No," He cut her off, "I'm not."

"I'm not here for it, if you change your mind a third time, there won't be a fourth. I don't care how good you throw it down, I won't be played with like that," Lucy began as they stopped for a second in the CVS to check one more time before going. Then they headed outside to look around, no one was in sight either living or dead.

"You have my word, it's you and me from now on, no matter what."

"I don't need you…"

"Yeah you do." He grinned and grabbed her, pulling her closer, and holding her at the small of her back. He ran his nose over her neck, smelling her hair, tickling her, then placed three soft kisses on her neck, and let his hands slide down to cup her ass."We should go look for a bed in that mall, we can really get it in a bed. You remember that night on the way to the CDC."

"Should have thought of that last night Romeo." She laughed.

"Coulda, woulda, shoulda," He pulled her closer, crooning into her ear, "Problem was I couldn't wait to find a bed last night."

His mouth was hot against her skin as he made his way up her neck until they were forehead to forehead and she was almost convinced when they heard tires squeal into the lot and Merle hollered out the window of the truck.

"Alright, alright, don't make me throw a hose on ya's, lets go!"

Daryl flipped him the bird as they walked to where the car that Rick and Lucy had driven in was parked. In the back of the truck was a generator and a freezer, along with various tools and some fencing.

"You get everything you needed?" Merle cackled.

Daryl gave him a curt nod as they followed along with the truck until they got to the other truck. Daryl held the door for her and she got in. Then he slid behind the wheel of the truck and started it.

The ride back had been uneventful, they stopped for gas and to stretch their legs and that was when it all went to shit. Lucy was walking past a shelf in a convenience store filled with canned goods and something behind it moved, causing the whole shelf to fall on her.

Daryl gasped out when he heard the racket and went running to her, she was out cold and bleeding from her head.

"Oh shit, shit." He picked her up and came out of the store to the horrified look on Andrea's face as she ran towards them, followed by Merle and Rick.

"Oh my god, oh my god what happened?"

"Something fell on her, hit her in the fucking head it looks like."

Lucy was bleeding from her head and not moving, "She's breathing right?" Andrea asked and Daryl nodded vigorously as he got her to the car, "I'll drive, you get back there with her."

"She's gonna be so pissed when she wakes up brother," Merle's words were meant to make him feel better but it didn't help as he laid her on the backseat and Daryl got in there to cradle her head in his lap.

They loosened her jacket and Andea got behind the wheel of the car followed by Rick and Merle in the truck. Daryl checked to make sure she was breathing, took her pulse and ran his fingers through her hair trying to will her to wake up.

"Come on baby, wake up," He held her close to him the whole way home. He couldn't believe this had happened just when they had finally worked out their problems.

/

"Yeah she got taken out by a rack of pork and beans…" Merle explained to everyone as Daryl carried Lucy out of the car and up the stairs of the Greene house. She was still out cold and Marylee came running out of the door as he brought her inside and carried her to the back bedroom where Carl had recovered.

"What happened," Marylee cried as she followed him.

"Shelf fell," He laid her down gently on the bed, "She's breathing and her heart rate is good."

Herschel was in the room next with his doctor's bag, "How long has she been out? Did you need to do CPR?"

"About two hours and, no she never stopped breathing and had a pulse the whole time." Daryl answered.

"Ok son, back up and let me in there, she's gonna be just fine." Herschel reassured. Daryl stepped aside and Lori was behind him, she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Behind them Beth and Amy were hugging Marylee who sobbed softly.

Herschel checked her pupils and did a few other neuro checks on her as Daryl and the girls watched. Glenn came running down the hall followed by Maggie and when he saw Lucy laying there unresponsive he lost his mind. Maggie slid her arms around him to give him comfort as he worried about his friend.

/

"You gonna dump her again when she wakes up?" Merle asked later that night as he walked out to where Daryl sat on the porch smoking cigarette after cigarette with shaking hands. He could see Daryl was upset, but Merle was trying to give him something else to think about. He had never seen Daryl's hands shake like that.

"Why you gotta be that way, huh?"

"I'm just saying…"

"No Merle," Daryl answered, "She and I are solid, I just can't believe I wasted so much time…"

"Then don't waste anymore time…" Merle held out his hand, in it was a wedding band, a plain gold band and Daryl recognized it right away. He hadn't seen that ring in years.

"What are you doing with that?" Daryl couldn't hide his surprise, he didn't know Merle even had the rings.

"Had it in my side bags all this time, Lucy doesn't strike me as a diamond ring girl, so if you agree I'll give Andrea Mom's engagement ring and you can give Lucy the band?"

Merle placed the ring in Daryl's hand, "I don't think we're there yet Merle…"

"That's ok, you will be, so you hang on to that, M'kay." Merle answered, "She's gonna be just fine."

Merle placed his arm over Daryl's shoulders and encouraged him to put the ring in his pocket to save it for another day. He looked at it for a few minutes, the last time he saw the rings it was in a safety deposit box at the bank. Merle had hid it from their father for years to prevent him from hocking both rings for more booze.

"Went back for them when the shit started hitting the fan bad, didn't really know why, until a few weeks ago."

They were quiet for a second and then Daryl spoke again.

"I love her…"

"Did you tell her that, or have you still been being an idiot."

"I told her," He assured his brother, this was all still so new for Daryl and between his feelings and her being hurt his head was still spinning.

"Good, I'm proud of you," Merle replied.