'So tell that someone that you love, just what you're thinking of, if tomorrow never comes…'

In the days and the weeks following Carol's return to normal duties, she and Daryl were spending more and more of their free time together. He went through each day expecting to hear some sort of ribald comments about their relationship, but was astonished when people seemed to ignore their pairing. He waited until he and Glenn were walking the perimeter fence together one day, and suddenly decided to get it out into the open.

"So, me and Carol. What's the story floatin' around the group, Glenn?"

"What do you mean? What about you and Carol?" Glenn was honestly puzzled at the question and wrinkled his brow in confusion. He stopped walking and spun around to face the hunter. "Wait! Do you mean that you and she….finally! That's great!"

"I mean, I expected some sort of snide comments from you or Maggie at least…" Daryl stopped walking as well as Glenn's words sunk in. "You really didn't know? I mean, it's not like we're sharin' a bunk or anything….We're just sorta…. When I think of some of the things we said about the two of you in the beginning. I was kinda expecting payback. You guys really didn't know?" Daryl rubbed his hand over his stubbly chin and peered over at the younger man, only to find him staring back, shaking his head.

"Trust me, Daryl. No one has a clue, it would have been all over the prison by now…and only because people love the idea of the two of you together. If you had started something with anyone else, well that would have made you fair game. But, Carol's special and we all love her dearly."

"Yeah, well. I appreciate it, just wanted you to know." Daryl muttered gruffly and turned on his heel to into the yard. He wasn't used to people acting decently toward him and didn't quite know what to say.

"Hey, Daryl. Want a little bit of advice from an old married man?" Glenn called after him. Daryl cocked up a brow and paused to listen. "Don't leave it too long without telling her how you feel, we never know how long we'll have with the people we love."

"What is it with people and that song? I ain't no touchy feely pansy; and she should know without me having to keep tellin' her alla time." Daryl bent his head down low, scuffing his boots in the dirt; his hair hanging forward to cover his eyes.

"Maybe if you told her just the once, she wouldn't have to keep hearing it all the time. I nearly left it too late with Maggie, I couldn't bring myself to say the words back to her. It was only on that last night on Hershel's farm that I finally said it. I waited until we were nearly killed before I could say it; even though I had felt it right from the start. We didn't know whether we would even make it through the night let alone the rest of our lives. Just tell her, Daryl."

"I cain't just blurt it out!"

"Do you trust me Daryl?" Glenn asked, at receiving Daryl's brief nod he bent forward to lay out a plan.

Later that evening, Carol went to her cell to pick up a towel in preparation for heading over to the shower block. Laying on her bed was Beth's CD player and a note which read – "Play Me." Carol sat on the bunk and switched on the music, placing the headphones over her ears. The melodious voice of Garth Brooks singing 'Shameless' filled her ears and she hummed along with the melody.

'I've never lost anything I've never missed; but I've never been in love like this…"

As she continued to listen she noticed her copy of Pride and Prejudice, the book Daryl had given her when she was ill, lying open on her pillow. Next to the open page was a scrap of paper torn into the shape of a lopsided heart. Written on the paper in Daryl's familiar scrawl were the words - "Read Me".

Carol bent over the page to see that a passage was highlighted and underlined, she saw that it was part of Mr. Darcy's famous speech declaring his feelings for Elizabeth Bennet.

"You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire…and love you." Scrawled in the margin she could see that Daryl had added – "Ain't wearing those prissy pants, though!"

Carol hugged the book to her chest and leapt up from the cot, forgetting that she was still wearing the headphones. She untangled herself from the cord and raced out of the cell to track down the man she loved…

The hallway echoed with her fast footsteps as she raced down the main staircase in search of Daryl. There were pink chalked hearts along the walls, pointing the way to the lower block which housed the kitchen area and recreation room. Daryl had obviously roped in a few more volunteers for his grand gesture as the hearts varied in size and styles as she went on. The cells on both floors were conspicuously empty, not just of Daryl but for everyone. Once Glenn had revealed his plan to Daryl, both men bargained with Rick to empty C block for the evening and moving the group to temporary quarters over in medical, leaving the coast clear for Daryl to set the stage for his romantic declaration.

Carol's footsteps slowed as she neared the kitchen area, the overhead lights suddenly switching off; leaving her in semi darkness.

"Shit! Sorry 'bout that, didn't think it would go that dark!" Daryl called out an apology, cursing as he remembered Carol's fear of enclosed spaces. "Can you follow the sound of my voice?"

"Sure, it's a bit better now my eyes have adjusted…What's all this?" Carol saw a flickering light and followed the corridor into the kitchen; only to see Daryl seated at a small table lit by candles.

"Well, if you cain't tell, I might as well pack it in now…" Daryl nervously twisted his fingers around an old bedsheet that Maggie had lain over the table in place of a tablecloth.

"Just kiddin'. It looks lovely…" Carol sat down at the table and reached across to take hold of Daryl's hand. He noticed that she was still holding onto the book with the other one. Carol looked down and blushed slightly before laying it in her lap and looking into his eyes. "It was lovely Daryl, just perfect."

"I'm never gonna be the type of guy that can just spill out the words….So I thought I would let your Mr. Darcy say it for me…..You know that it's true though, right Carol?" Daryl stroked her hand gently with one long finger, tracing little circles into her palm.

"'Course I know, I think I've always known…" She whispered softly and looked at a beautifully bashful smile spread across his face.

"You have? How?"

"It's in everything that you do, and everything that you say. The way that you wouldn't let me go back on rotation too soon; the way you held my hand…just everything."

"And you….?" He asked hesitantly, it was almost beyond his wildest imaginings.

"I don't just flirt with ANYONE, Mr. Dixon! Only the special ones…I love you, Pookie." They both leant across the table and their lips met for the first time. Of all the kisses given and received in the past, this was the one that held most meaning. It wasn't particularly graceful, teeth bumped tongues clashed, or the most passionate by any stretch; but to the two souls at the table it was a kiss to heal shattered hearts and restore lost hope… Hope that if love could bloom amongst all of the horrors that had come to pass, then all was not lost and mankind would eventually triumph.

As their mouths parted and they shared a soft smile, Carol finally heard him whisper those three little words that she had been longing to hear for so long…

"Wanna screw around….?" She drew back to slug him, only to find that he had picked something up from where it had been resting inside his crossbow sheath. Daryl held out a single, silk red rose with a plush velvet ribbon tied around the stem. Attached to the ribbon were two sparkling circles of gold.

"Marry me, Carol?"