Summary:

Things ramp up in the steam department, followed by a new development.

Daryl stood under the hot water mentally appraising what just happened. Had he really helped her as much as her eyes suggested? He hoped so. Here he was in the shower, the hot water beating over him and all he could think about was that he wished she was in here with him. He immediately shut down that thought; berating himself with thoughts to tear down the lust coursing through his body. Its too soon. It's wrong. It will screw everything up. He thought back to what he had said about her being stronger. She was. Now it was time for him to man up and let his feelings out in a way that would not scare or hurt her. Fuck his feelings for a moment. It had to be all about her. He had to reign in the thoughts that raged within him. Those thoughts already had his dick starting to take notice of all the curves Carol possessed. He had to shut that shit down. He had to. . . . . He then heard the door open. He startled like a fucking coward for a moment. He of course knew it was her. He didn't say anything. He had to let her take control.

The silence stretched on a moment. Finally, he couldn't take the wondering. He pushed the curtain aside enough to poke his head out.

She waited. She waited although it created an inner torture of self doubt. She had to see his eyes before she did this. She had to see in his eyes what she thought she had glimpsed before. Finally he poked his face out from behind the curtain.

She captured and claimed his gaze with her eyes. She captured it in such a way that he could not have looked away. Did he want to? She claimed him in that intense look. She may as well have branded his heart.

She didn't hesitate once she had seen what she needed in the look that he directed at her. She slowly unbuttoned her loose shirt. Not looking away from him as she did so. She threw her shirt on the floor to join his clothing, never breaking her lusty gaze into his eyes. She saw the want in there. She continued on, pulling her jeans down to join her shirt. She stood there with her eyes locked on his. Stood there in her bra and panties and looked at him. He just stood there, wanting her to know she was calling the shots. But then she hesitated for a tiny moment and broke the hold she had on his eyes as her self confidence wavered. He immediately put a stop to that.

"Look at me Carol" he said quietly. She looked. "You are beautiful" he said. That was enough for her to look back at his face and give him a brave smile.

She returned to what she was doing. She reached down and stripped off her panties – but turned around while she did it – a modicum of modesty she allowed herself in this moment. She unhooked her bra and slid it down her arms. She was bare to him – her entire back bare to him as his had been to her. Her scars - the whips, the burns, the words carved into her body – all bared for him.

She heard a low groan come deep from within him and took it as a good sign that he was not repulsed by her. That one sound proved to her that he still wanted her in some way. She turned around slowly, not allowing her self consciousness to take hold again. She didn't cover her breasts or her scars. She grabbed his gaze again. He slowly glanced her up and down, then settled back on her eyes. She somehow knew he was seeing her – not just her body, not the scars but HER. She thought not for the first time that his eyes had a way of seeing into her soul.

He knew what she needed to hear almost before she did. "C'mere before the water gets cold sweetheart."

She embraced her inner strength even more, and allowed herself to step into the oversized shower with him. She kept her eyes averted slightly until she was beside him. She stood there waiting. She may be stronger, but she still needed some cue from him on what came next. He solved that by lifting her chin again as he had earlier.

"You are so beautiful Carol. I won't ever hurt ya. I promise."

He then looked into her eyes with such acceptance of her, that it felt only natural that she leaned her head in and placed it on his chest. He held her there for a moment before turning her around so she was facing away from him. She felt a moment of self doubt – was he hiding from her? Then she heard a rustle behind her. She realized he had grabbed the loofah and shower gel from the caddy. His light touch on her back was all she needed to relax into the situation. He explored her back, lightly stroking, caressing all her scars with his hands while tenderly washing her back and legs.

He turned her around slowly, and she realized he intended to wash her front as well. She allowed herself to look at him – all of him – finally. What she saw there was a strong man who was as beautiful in appearance as he was in soul. She would be lying if she said she didn't check out his "equipment" too. What she saw there was a strength and a beauty all it's own. Suddenly, she became more aware of the heat growing in her core. His continued touch to wash her front became more meaningful as he explored her body gently, and without condemnation.

This was new. She had not felt this way with a man in over 10 years if she was honest. She hadn't even felt this way when she was alone in those rare moments she allowed herself her own feeble attempts at passion before she stopped out of shame. Stopped always thinking what Ed would do to her if he ever found out. She found herself wanting to touch him, needing to touch him. She closed her eyes to that idea however. Even now, she wasn't that brave yet.

He sensed the change in her. Her passion showing in her face before she clamped it down. He saw she was loosing herself in doubt. He did what he had wanted to do with her before. What he knew would chase away that doubt. He brought his lips down to her face and kissed her gently, but without reservation. He kissed her and let his hands roam more around her neck and breasts. He didn't fondle or grab. He just caressed her gently until her lips opened to his. Then she was kissing him back. His hands found her waist and pulled her to him gently, all the while kissing her more and more deeply. When she allowed his tongue entrance to her mouth, he grasped her harder; with more purpose. He allowed a low growl to escape his throat, and dared to pull her flush against him so she could feel all of him. Feel his desire for her.

She felt his hardness and her eyes opened back up to his. There was no mistaking the look of desire in his eyes. She tentatively reached out, and mirrored his ministrations on her body onto his. She touched, caressed, and finally grasped everything about him. She felt him grow harder and it excited her to no end.

"I wanna touch you" he said. "I wanna know every inch of you Carol. You gotta know that. I will always be honest with you. I gotta know you are ready though. I ain't gonna be another asshole that takes what he wants from you without thinking of what YOU want first. If you want to stop I won't judge you or stop wanting you."

She reached over and grabbed the shampoo bottle. He watched as she put some in her hands and then felt her start to rub his scalp with it. Thinking she was putting the breaks on, he backed up a moment. She pulled him back to where he was. "I don't want you to stop. I just need a moment. It's been a really long time since I wanted this" she explained. He understood and put some shampoo in his own hands and started to wash her hair up.

They rinsed off and Daryl stood there for a moment. The water had started to turn cooler. He reluctantly turned off the water, turned around and kissed her deeply.

"This ain't over Carol" he said. "I wanna take care of you. I wanna keep you safe and strong. But more than that. Right now, I wanna take you in that bedroom and take care of you. Is that ok?"

Carol sucked in a breath at his words, but was left breathless by the look of desire in his eyes. "More than ok" she said.

He helped her step out of the shower and dried her off slowly. She started to wrap the towel around herself and went to hand him one to do the same. "We ain't gonna be needing those right now" he said as he led her out the door to the bedroom.

The next morning Daryl awoke before Carol. They were spooned together and he never had seen a more sexy sight. He could still taste her when he licked at his slightly chapped lips. She stirred when he began kissing her shoulder and neck. He was pretty sure she was up for round two, and just as his hand was starting to reach around her, there was a loud pounding on the front door.

He told Carol to stay in bed and through his jeans on. He grabbed a shirt too, but didn't button it up. He descended the staircase went to answer the door. He opened the door and was met with Abraham. The big marine was wide eyed and smirking at him. He realized then that probably looked thoroughly fucked even though they hadn't technically had sex.

"Best grab Carol right away Dixon." Bring her to the jail cell. Her better half sure fucked the dog and pony show good and hard last night."

He then pivoted and jogged away without explaining further. Daryl went back upstairs and quickly told her that they needed to join Abe at Ed's cell, and that he had no idea what it was about.

She dressed quickly. She did not want to see Ed. She wanted to forget he existed. However she asked no questions, and got ready as instructed.

Abe met them over at Deanna's house where the cell was located. It was only then that Daryl realized that more people were milling about around her porch. Rick, Michonne and Glenn were all there. They looked stunned, but they had something else showing on their faces that Daryl could not quite read.

"What the hell's goin' on here Rick" Daryl asked, holding Carol close.

Rick led the two through Deanna's house to the stairs leading down to the basement.

"We don't know when it happened. Eugene dropped Ed's food off last night and mentioned that Ed was unusually quiet. Then this morning, Rosita was on duty here. He moved out of the way so Carol and Daryl could see the situation.

The vault style door to Ed's cell was open. Right away Carol was scared he had escaped. She clung to Daryl and tried not to panic. Her mind was whirring with scenarios featuring Ed out for revenge.

"We found him like this. Nobody's touched him since. We thought about just chucking him over the wall, but thought Carol should know."

Carol grabbed Daryl's hand and peeked down into the jail cell pit. She gasped. Ed's head for lack of a better explanation was gone. It was in pieces beside his body. "Oh my god, who shot him?" she asked.

Rick stepped up. "He wasn't shot. By the looks of the underside of the cell door, he rammed his head into it repeatedly. Head finally cracked. Good news is that kept him from coming back as a walker." Rick sighed.

Daryl hugged Carol to him. Examining her face for any hint of her being upset or angry. Instead he found total calm.

"I don't want that son of a bitch to get a funeral" she said to Daryl. "Sophia and I ain't gonna mourn him. Do you think Deanna will force us to have one?"

"Don't worry about that sweetheart. We ain't gonna give that piece of shit any happy send off. Deanna wouldn't either. Rick and the rest of our family believe that we should never bury the murderers of our people in the same place as where we live. Ed's a murderer after all" he said putting a hand to her belly. "He weren't our people, but he was Alexandria's people. We can either pitch him over the fence or burn him. Don't you worry none."

"I have to go talk to Sophia" Carol said.

"She's having breakfast with Carl and Beth" said Rick. "You go on Carol. Daryl and I will catch up in a few moments with you at my house."

Daryl gave her a quick kiss and she was on her way. He looked up at Rick who just stared at him.

"What?"

"Nice haircut. Ya look like the same man who through dead squirrels at me."

"Pffft. Carol did it."

"Well, that's obvious. But sweetheart? What the hell happened last night after you left our house Daryl?"

Daryl remembered how Rick had asked about his attraction to Carol. He also remembered his response.

He smiled wide at his friend while blushing, and said "something wonderful."