I do not own the Walking Dead. I am not associated with the creator, writers, actors or franchise. This is just for fun.

Chapter 14

Daryl stood over the guy that had his hand curled roughly around Carol's neck. HE hadn't seen him yet. Daryl had seen Carol pushing HIM away, but HE'd kept pulling his lips onto hers.

As he got closer to them, Daryl had heard HIS words to her, "Don't pull away. I can give you so much. What you deserve."

Seeing Carol pushing HIM away from her caused Daryl to see red. A type of red he hadn't experienced, since he'd found out Rick had handcuffed Merle up on that roof back in Atlanta.

Without hesitation, Daryl reached down, grabbed fistfuls of HIS shirt with both hands, and part dragged and part tossed HIM away from Carol. The shirt ripped in Daryl's hands from the amount of force he used to get HIM away from her.

For a second, HE was surprised. He looked up and realized that it was Daryl that was manhandling him.

"Asshole, I don't think she wants what you're offerin'." Daryl told HIM. The anger in his voice making his words come out in a low growl.

HE looked angry as he stood up and faced Daryl. Taking two strides forward, HE was then standing toe to toe with the hunter. He was a bit taller than Daryl, but, overall, he was almost equal in build and possibly strength.

"You need to back off man." HE told Daryl. There was a line being drawn, a claiming of sorts. HE had went unchallenged for Carol's attention over the last few months, so HE felt in some ways (even though they hadn't discussed it) that Carol was HIS. Plus, just because Daryl suddenly seemed to have grown some balls, that didn't me HE would just step aside.

Daryl was fuming. No one put their hands on Carol without her wanting them too. It'd been hard to see them having sex, but Daryl had been able to walk away...because it was something she had been obviously wanting at that time. So, he had turned away from them, and shoved down the urge to go and pummel the guy.

However, this time...seeing him forcing Carol to kiss HIM, and after she'd resisted multiple times...Well, that shit wasn't going to fly. Daryl hadn't been able to protect Carol from Ed, but he'd be damned, if another man would ever hurt her the way Ed had. Not while Daryl Dixon was still breathing in this world.

Daryl didn't care if HE thought Carol was somehow HIS. Right now, Carol pushing HIM away, it only solidified Daryl's belief that she wasn't in love with HIM. That there was something in her that she kept from HIM. Daryl felt a flash of happiness at the thought.

"Carol didn't exactly look like she was okay with what you were doing." Daryl growled told him.

"You don't know anything about Carol, and what she wants anymore." HE told Daryl through clinched teeth.

"No, you don't know her, you just think you know her..." Daryl told him. Both men's bodies tensed, and were ready to jump at the other man at the slightest provocation.

...

Carol sat there in shock. She was shocked that HE had been so aggressive with her, and that Daryl had come to her defense.

Carol watched the two men, as they stood toe-to-toe and face-to-face...each one obviously ready to take on the other. Carol could hear the deep rumble of a growls coming from Daryl. She knew that sound. It was the sound he made, when he was doing everything in his power to control himself.

She saw HIS muscles flex and they seemed to itch to get at Daryl.

"Stop this NOW!" Carol yelled standing up.

She could feel the testosterone saturate the air around them.

"I saw what I saw Carol..." Daryl told her not backing down, not breaking eye contact with HIM.

"You don't know shit." HE told Daryl.

Rick showed up then. He'd seen the exchange while he'd been over talking to Glenn.

"Everybody calm down. We can talk this through." Rick told them as he tried to step in between the guys.

"This fucker wasn't letting Carol go." Daryl told Rick.

"Maybe Carol likes it that way Daryl, then again you wouldn't know." HE told Daryl. HE had a smirk on his face...a look that taunted Daryl.

Daryl lunged at HIM. Fists were flying, and the sounds of impacts to bodies were echoing across the yard. They tore into each other like wild animals. Carol couldn't help but to think back to those animal shows, the ones where they would show two males fighting over a female.

Rick pulled Carol back out-of-the-way as Daryl and HE rolled towards her.

"This is fucking ridiculous." Rick mumbled. Unsure of whom to grab to break this fight up.

"We've got stop this." Carol told him. She feared for both men. She cared about both. Yes, HE had messed up, but didn't mean Daryl should kill HIM for it. However, for all intents and purposes...Carol was pretty sure that was exactly what Daryl was trying to do.

Daryl was beating HIM like a machine. Most people never realized, that by being raised in the house Daryl had, and having Merle as a brother, that meant he could handle multiple hits to the body, before it really started to hurt him. Plus, Daryl had a savage part of him, that he could either tap into or was triggered that made his body numb to violence.

...

Carol stood there for a moment. Watching these two men fight like the person who won would get her. Well, that wasn't how this was going to work.

Carol reached down to her side and unclasped her gun. Pulling it free, she aimed to the sky and pulled the trigger. A loud BOOM rang out. She didn't worry about drawing walkers. They kept to surrounding areas of Terminus pretty clear of walkers.

Both men jumped and stopped to look at her. Rick did too.

"If you guys want to beat the shit out of each other fine, but don't think whoever wins gets me. I'm NOT a trophy or object to be won." Carol told them. Carol holstered her gun and then she started to walk away.

All three of them just looked at her in astonishment.

"I don't know what you guys are doing, but this shit better stop." Rick told them.

Daryl pushed HIM off him, and sat up. Using the back of his hand, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Touch her again, and I 'll fuckin' kill you." Daryl told him. Daryl had never meant a threat as much as he did now. He would kill the bastard if he ever saw him getting aggressive with Carol again...

HE just looked at him with a sneer on his face. He had an open gash on his forehead that was bleeding heavily.

"Whatever man." HE told them. HIS pride hurt, and HIS fear at having pushed Carol too far...dominated his thoughts. Then HE got up and headed to his room to clean himself up.

...

Rick walked over to Daryl and handed him a towel. Daryl started wiping at the blood dripping off his knuckles from hitting HIM.

"So, what was that about?" Rick asked. He already pretty much knew, but wanted to hear it from Daryl himself.

"Saw him forcing Carol to kiss him." Daryl told Rick. "Fuckin' prick thinks he owns her."

"That all that was about? Couldn't be about something we talked about earlier." Rick asked.

Daryl finally looked up at him. When didn't answer Rick, it was then that Rick knew that the next few days, weeks, or more would be interesting and intense for the people at Terminus.

Rick sighed. It looked like a war was about to start.

To be continued...

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