A/N: 11/25/2014 Sorry I took a while to update, life decided to get in the way of my fantasy/creativity :P

I had someone else read this before I posted (you know, to make sure it was good?) and they told me it was too short and I needed to post another chapter or there would be riots D: lol so that's what I'm doing. A double-post! :)

Guest: Aw. You're so sweet, looking out for me like that :) But really, it's fine. I don't mind reading or reviewing something that someone else wants me to look at, and besides it's a great way to find new stories and great authors. Thank you, though :)

Prettyprincess45: That's okay! No rush! I wouldn't want to review a story either if I came down with something D: I hope you're better by now, and I'm glad you like this story so much! :)

wildcow258: Yep, poor Daryl. And yep, very typical Merle. Hahaha yeah, even though he didn't have the best upbringing Daryl's still a gentleman who could still be embarrassed by the messy state of his home. Who wouldn't want that? ;)

SuperNeos2: Thanks, dude!

Guest: Yes, lots of tension! Glad you like it, and I hope you like these next 2 chapters!

Reading time: 5 mins.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

Chapter five: Becoming Acquainted~

A few minutes after leaving her alone in the bathroom, Carol knocked on the door, signalling Daryl to come and take her back to the closet.

He stood just outside the door now, bandana back over his face, as he heard her softly knock again.

He half expected her to be crying in there for an hour. He wouldn't blame her - after all, she was a single woman who had been kidnapped by an armed man and taken to a strange place with even stranger occupants. But she had done no such thing, just did her business and waited for him to come back, and for that, he was glad.

He wasn't sure why he hadn't opened the door yet, but he knew he was none too keen on stuffing her back in that dusty closet. Woman would probably catch something if he left her there again.

She knocked on the door again, louder this time, and he swallowed, finally deciding on what he was going to do.

Daryl gripped the doorknob, calling out, "You got yer eyes covered?"

She slowly answered, voice muffled by the wood. "...Yes."

"Alright, I'm comin' in."

He slowly opened the door, peeking around the edge to make sure she wasn't waiting on the other side with a razor or other makeshift weapon in her hand, and saw that she did, in fact, have her blindfold back on.

He moved to stand awkwardly in front of her, trying to make a healthy amount of noise to let her know where he was (even though it wasn't the smartest thing to do) and the two stood in awkward silence for the longest of seconds before he gained the nerve to reach over and grab her hand.

Carol snatched her hand away, startled, but relaxed when he took hold of it again, gentler this time.

Daryl backed away, slowly tugging her with him, and guided her out of the bathroom.

Halfway through the living room, he decided he wasn't going to put her in the closet.

Instead, he led her over to the couch and sat her down, moving over to Merle's recliner to sit across from her.

He sighed, the sound loud beneath his bandana, and gazed at the dirty spot on the carpet just between Carol's feet where Merle had spilled his beer a few weeks before.

He contemplated letting her take her blindfold off, but he knew she would only use the opportunity to plan her escape and, really, it wasn't like there was much to see in the first place.

"I don't have your gun."

Daryl's head shot up, eyes landing on Carol, not quite sure how to respond. When he said nothing, she continued.

"He- the other guy, took it from me when I was on my way home last night. So if that's what you're after, you can just let me go now. I won't say anything to the police, I promise."

He considered her offer, but knew deep down that he couldn't take it.

It wasn't that he didn't believe her - he'd believe the sky was falling if she told him to - it was just that, after years of being out on the streets with Merle, dealing with low-lives and foster homes and scrounging around dumpsters for food, he had grown accustomed to never trusting anyone. It was common sense; after all, when you'd been let down as many times as he had, you didn't tend to trust the words of a pretty stranger, no matter how truthful they seemed.

Daryl rested his elbows on his knees, fisting his hands together and putting them under his chin, and, sighing, replied, "I know. But I can't do that...'m sorry."

Carol deflated a little, shoulders sagging in defeat even though he was sure she knew it was a longshot to begin with, and sighed herself.

They sat in silence for a few more moments, when suddenly she said, "You're not like him."

He blinked, brows knitting. "...What?"

"That other man," she said, resting her hands in her lap. "The one who took me. You're not mean or cruel or heartless like him. You're...different."

Daryl pursed his lips, anger sparking briefly in his chest before ultimately fading back to where it came from.

He wanted to tell her to shut up, that she didn't know what she was talking about, that his brother was every bit caring and compassionate and worth a damn and not some cruel, heartless bastard, but he realized that if he had, he'd be lying.

Because she was right.

Merle was all of those things, and more. It would be stupid of him to say otherwise. But he was his brother, and it was his job to defend him. What would he say if he were standing there right now, watching on as his little brother said nothing on his behalf? What did that make him?

Choosing not to answer either her statement or his thoughts, Daryl shifted in his chair and said, "You hungry?"

Carol tilted her head, and he imagined her eyebrows knitting beneath her blindfold at the oddness of his question (or maybe it was just the way he was blatantly trying to change the subject) and rather than answer, she did the strangest thing a person could do in her situation.

She smiled.

A/N: I've been being very careful lately when I spell bandana, because when I have someone else read through it to proofread they think Daryl's putting a banana over his face T_T gotta admit, though, that is pretty funny XD

Anyway, go on ahead to the next chapter! :D