Final chapter for this story. I think there are *spoilers* in here for tonight's episode or future ones. I'm posting this for Monique she's not feeling well and asked me to post this for her. She hopes you all enjoy this new update, I did! 12/1/2013
Chapter: 2
Just Accept It;
32 hours ago;
"…You don't have to like what I did, Rick. I don't. You just accept it."
Carol hadn't even driven away twenty minutes ago in the opposite direction she and Rick had come from originally and she already brought herself to a stop in the middle of the road. She hadn't run out of gas, Rick had given her a full tank before he sent her off and gave her the rest of what was left in the gas can – no she had to stop to process what just happened back there.
Rick just sent her off on her own.
She was more than certain she could make it on her own –or at least she thought she could make it on her own. She'd told herself enough times she could if it ever came to this but she never thought it would actually happen. There was always someone else around –Rick, Maggie… Daryl.
Daryl…
She'd never see him again or ever be able to say goodbye to him. She was sure that as soon as Rick got back to the prison he would tell everyone of what she had done. They would all hate her of course and she knew that –she knew Rick knew that. Apart of her knew that was why he sent her away –but still how could he after everything they had all been through together. She wished she had the heart to tell him the truth of the matter that she really didn't kill Karen and David but she couldn't. She promised she would protect those little girls as if they were her own and that was what she was doing. If Sophia ever did what Lizzie did she would cover for her just like she was doing now.
She had caught Lizzie down in the cells where David and Karen where being held and David's throat had already been slit by the time she was down there to check on them. She had no idea that Lizzie was in Karen's cell by that point until she heard her talking to the woman. Karen was coughing so hard and struggling to push the girl away and then Carol heard the young girl say her name.
"Carol say's I have to be strong. Your sick… you can came back, big and strong. Don't you want that?"
Carol beat her hand against the steering wheel as the tears ran freely down her face at the sound of the little girls voice echoing through her head before she remembered the sound of the gurgling and struggling Karen put up as Lizzie sliced through her neck lazily. Carol didn't make it to her in time –it was too late. Karen and David were both gasping for air choking on their own blood; Carol was put into a position at that moment to end their lives after they took their last breath. They would turn if she didn't but she knew the flu was getting around to so many others. Karen and David had been around so many people, touched people and coughed on people. They were the only two sick at that time she couldn't just leave them like that.
After she drove her knife into their skulls she explained to Lizzie to head back to the prison yard and to never tell anyone about this. The girl thought she was doing something right –it was then she confessed to Carol in hysterics that she had been feeding the Walkers at the fence –she was doing it to keep "Nick" her … Walker boyfriend and friends fed. Carol knew she had a lot on her plate taking care of two girls that weren't really hers but Lizzie had a lot of mental issues and now it was just something more to deal with, Carol couldn't let the girl take the rap for this –she was already too messed up in the head.
Carol burned the bodies.
That was the only thing she was guilty of doing –she told Rick that –that was the truth. She did want to stop the infection from spreading but she didn't kill them. That little girl back at that prison was the one and that was one reason why Carol wanted to go back for them. She knew if Lizzie slipped up and told there was no telling what they would do to her. Rick just kicked her out of their group… out of their family now there was no telling what he would do to her.
Now that she thought back about it, she knew it was a mistake to let the little girl have her knife in that cell block but she wanted her to protect herself in case others turned while she was in there. Carol had a long talk with her after the bodies were burned and told her that that knife was to be used for killing walkers and walkers only, knife to the head and nothing else. The girl gave her, her word and she trusted her and she only hoped that from now on that that was what that knife would be used for.
She hoped that once the smoke was cleared and Rick told everyone, that Daryl would look after the girls for her in some way. She knew he was good with Ass Kicker and she only hoped he would check in on the girls for her every now and then to make sure they were safe.
Looking out ahead of her she could see a few stray walkers roaming about. She frowned and whipped up a few of her tears. The thought of Daryl just tugged at her heart; out of everything that she thought of knowing that she would never see him again hurt the most.
When he went away with Merle that hurt her more than anything, but then after that first day she had time to understand his decision –but this was not a decision she made for herself. This was Rick's doing and it wasn't fair to her. She only wished she knew how Daryl would react to her having to leave their group for good.
/D/C/D/C/D/C/
Carol had a hard time hiding the car that night, she wanted to look for a place to sleep but it was just her and she wasn't confident enough that she could scout a place out on her own just yet. She knew eventually she would have to – and she would have to eventually –she was on her own now and it was inventible but for right now she wanted to give herself time to let it all sink in. She was tough and she knew she could do this. She wasn't the same weak woman she was a year and a half ago when she met everyone, no she was a tough as nails fighter now. The world had made her that way. This world had taken everything from her –well it had taken Sophia from her and that was the only thing that had ever meant anything to her.
That was until Daryl came along.
He had grown on her after the quarry when he went looking for Sophia. They had bonded, her daughter went missing and his brother was gone. They were the only two left standing as far as their families went. She had come from an abusive household, being Ed's punching bag and she learned that Daryl was his father's slap around boy when he grew up as well as Merle's from time to time. They were so much a like it hurt –literally it hurt her heart to know they were so much alike but that was why she was so drawn to him and although it took a lot for her to open up to him it had taken even longer on his end for him to open up to her but he had after a while.
He was her best friend. Her rock and she didn't know what she would do without him.
She never thought the day would come when those words would have to come into play because right now she would have to figure that all out…
What was she going to do without him? Could she survive without him?
She supposed she would find out sooner or later as the days went on. Carol cried for a while that night, she cried for herself, for the girls, for Daryl and for the others back at the prison. Everything fell apart so fast and there was nothing she could do about it. She was forced to move on and start over. Rick was right though –there would be others out there that she would find and they wouldn't know her and they wouldn't know her story. She could be someone new and different, someone she always wanted to be and no one had to know it was a lie.
But that also wasn't her –even if it was just to survive, Carol couldn't lie to good people. That was if she found good people. This world was harsh and evil there was no telling what she was getting into.
That wasn't until she woke the next day.
/D/C/D/C/D/C/
4 hours ago;
Carol had done a good job of driving out far; she was probably twenty miles out from the housing development she and Rick were at the day before. So that meant she was a good hour away from the prison. She didn't want to be that far from it, not that soon anyways but it ended up that way yesterday when she was driving. Her mind just went into her overdrive and so did her led foot as she drove. She knew going back to the prison wasn't an option but being closer to it was something she knew she needed to do, just for now. Keeping an eye on everyone for a few days before she decided what she wanted to do was the best thing for her. Or at least she thought so anyways.
The thought of Daryl possibly going out to look for her crossed her mind too –what if when Rick told him that he sent her away for what she had done he came to look for her. Maybe he'd want to say goodbye to her one last time? Then the thought crossed her mind as well that maybe once Rick told him and told everyone, Daryl would be pissed just like Rick was.
But she knew Daryl –he would see her reasoning once Rick told him everything she said. Karen and David were the only two people sick at the time and keeping two people around like that was exposing others to catching it. It was dangerous. She had to be tough when she told Rick about "taking their lives" how else would she be able to "sell" her story to him without giving away what Lizzie had done?
When Carol was driving back towards the prison she hit a snag in the road –there was a large truck in the middle of the road. One she didn't recognize, it wasn't one from the prison and she was only a few miles away from where she had just been so she was about forty minutes from the prison. Lucky for her there was no one inside of it but the doors were open and she could hear the vehicle running, there was no way she was taking a chance driving by it at that moment. She had her knife and Rick had left her with a gun and some ammo but she wasn't about to expose herself like this –not this way. Carol looked behind her before looking around her to make sure whoever was in the car wasn't watching her before she looked beside her to see a dirt path to her left.
Turning her wheel quickly she drove towards the trees and into the wooded area as deep as she could hoping that the car wouldn't get stuck. She prayed that the other truck wouldn't stay there long and that she wouldn't get trapped by the walkers that were stumbling stray. Carol sat there for a few minutes watching the car before she checked her gun making sure it was loaded before stuffing it behind her in her pants. She put the car keys in her pocket and closed the door quietly before quickly making her way behind the front row of the tree line that led to the road. One thing she learned from Daryl was to be quite and quick in situations. She didn't know what she was getting herself into at that moment but she was soon to find out.
Once Carol stealthily made her way across the road she made sure to stay away from the truck as much as possible. Her eyes were glued to the area around her, her knife in hand and her feet were quick and quite. She went a few yards out into the woods and it was then she heard running water, running water and talking. She froze hearing a few different voices –men's voices. She swallowed thickly looking around her seeing a stray walker coming from her left. She bit her lip taking two large strides before digging her knife into the walkers skull. Whipping the blood on her pants she looked around again before hearing splashing ahead of her. She quickly started walking again before stopping to see just over a small cliff three men. One man was crouched down splashing water on his face and the other two were behind him talking. They had jugs with them as well filled with water.
Carol knelt down and watched them closely. As many times as they had been out they had encountered people, hell most of the people that had come into the prison recently were people they had found on runs. She knew of the "three questions" to ask but she was a woman. She was no match for three men, sure she was tough but a gun and knife wouldn't do shit if they got their hands on her.
That thought scared Carol.
So with that she leaned up ready to leave. As long as they were this far from their truck she could make it back to her car in time to drive off.
"They seem to be losing a lot of people, now."
Carol stopped in her tracks hearing one of the men speak. Furrowing her brows she turned around and walked closer to the edge by one of the trees. She crouched down beside it and leaned over the edge squinting to look down at the men seeing the man with the dark wavy hair put his hands on his hips with his back to her nod his head.
"We'll attack soon, in due time. I don't think they'll risk bringing any new people into the prison with this flu they got." A somewhat deep gravelly voice sounded, "We'll grab Stookey on their next run."
"Think we can trust him?" the black man said.
"Trusted him this far." The man with wavy hair said turning around with a grin.
Carol swallowed hard, her eyes going wide to see the man with an eye patch. She didn't need a rocket scientist to tell her who these people were. This was the Governor and his flunkies. She had seen him briefly when he attacked the prison and killed Axel but even then, she hadn't seen his face fully but she remembered Michonne saying she took his eye out. And Stookey? Bob –their Army medic that had only been with them a few weeks –was he a trader? They had been bringing people in for weeks and he was one they found out alone. He said he had been with a few groups and that was all, the man couldn't fight to save his life and … it just dawned on Carol he had gone on every run since he'd been at the prison.
"We don't let the woman know about this… we leave it be for now." The Governor said.
"How long you gonna let them stick around?" The Hispanic one said.
Letting their voices fog out in the background Carol knew she had to think. She had to go back to the prison now; she had to warn them all now that the Governor and his men were coming for them. They all knew it was coming; it had been months since they had had an encounter with him and they honestly hadn't thought about him as a threat anymore and they did let their defenses down but now… now everything had changed. Carol couldn't let anything happen to them. No matter how badly Rick treated her –she still had family at the prison she had to protect.
So caught up in her thoughts Carol almost didn't see them gathering up their water jugs and making their way up the trail towards her. She stood quickly and quietly started to make her way back towards the road. She looked back to make sure they couldn't see her and as she made her way toward her side of the road she ran a little faster. In such a hurry while running and looking behind her Carol tripped falling knees first to the ground. Scrapping her knees and palms on the earth she grunted scrambling to get to her feet before coming face to face with a walker; she grunted dragging her knife forward driving it into the walkers skull. Taking in a few short breaths she started to jog toward the car before jumping hearing a gun shot in the far distance. She could hear the truck's engine rev and take off down the road. She sighed in relieve before making her way inside the car slamming the door shut.
After starting the car she reversed it seeing another walker come up from behind the car. She backed into it completely running it down before driving the car up the dirt path. It took her two reversals before she could get the car to drive forward back onto the main road again. Once she was, Carol looked behind her in her rearview mirror for any signs of the truck. If they were anywhere near her she knew she was done for. She knew what that man was capable of, she would be dead within a minute of meeting him and the prison would be dead too.
As Carol sped along the middle of the road she kept aware of her surroundings the best she could. She didn't want a herd coming in on her from nowhere. She was sure this car wouldn't make it through that and there was no way in hell she could make it through one on her own.
God that thought bothered her.
A herd of walkers on her own, how would she handle that on her own in the future. She was sure once she got to the prison to warn them all they would send her away again. She was preparing herself for it now, she had to. As she drove along and thought about it all the angrier she got. The things she had done for everyone, the things she had done for Rick and he had sent her away, the things he had done wrong, the things everyone had done wrong and he shunned her from the group. Carol sighed with a frown and squeezing her eyes closed tightly leaning back in her seat before focusing on the road again.
In a flash she swerved seeing a black dog run out past the front of the car. She gripped the wheel hard feeling the car spin before her head connected with the drivers side window and the drivers side door connected with a tree.
/D/C/D/C/D/C/
Present time;
Carol's heart was racing in her chest at that moment. She was inside the prison gates now and Daryl was the last person she'd expected to see. He never took watch at the gates so it was a relief to her when she saw him and Michonne. He was looking at her like he'd seen a ghost though and that scared her.
"Daryl -," she started before she ducked with a squeal hearing a bullet graze past her hitting the roof of the car. She ducked quickly covering her head on the inside of the car door. Her head was already spinning from the little encounter she had with a tree not two hours ago.
"What fuck ya' doin'!?" Daryl yelled out behind him up to Tyreese as the big man came stalking down from the tower.
Carol stood up and looked over at Michonne and seen her start to move towards the big man that was heading toward Daryl who was now standing in front of her with his back to her.
"You're dead!" Tyreese said.
"I –I know you wanna kill me for what I did." Carol said. "But -,"
"Stay away from 'er," Daryl growled out. He was still trying to process the fact that she was still there. He saw the blood on her forehead, so maybe she was bit or scratched and just hadn't turned yet. That thought killed Daryl even more –if he had to watch her turn that would just due him in for good.
"Look I know," she started as she walked around Daryl.
"What's going on –Carol?" Rick said as he jogged his way down the gravel driveway with Carl and Maggie in tow.
"Ya' wanna tell me what the fuck is goin' on?" Daryl said standing next to Carol keeping his eye on Tyreese.
"She needs to go," Tyreese said.
"I know you sent me away," Carol said looking at Rick. "But I came here because -," she started.
"What?" Daryl, Maggie and Carl all said at once.
"Let me explain," Rick started.
"You told me she was dead!" Daryl shouted.
"What?" Carol said furrowing her brows touching her bloody forehead.
"After he told us what ya' didn't do…." Daryl started, "he said he lost ya' out there."
Tyreese looked at Daryl then Rick then back to Carol. "She admitted to killing Karen and David," he said surely.
"It was Lizzie… Carol covered for that little girl," Daryl said quickly not forgetting for a minute that the big man just took a shot at her or that Rick lied to him.
Carol took a deep breath and touched her forehead once more, "look I know you want me out of here, but you have to listen to me -," she started once more.
"What happened to ya'?"
Suddenly Daryl was in her space prying her hand away from her forehead replacing it with his own. Her breath hitched as she looked up into his deep penetrating eyes she missed so much. She closed her eyes and hissed in pain as he touched the big cut she had on her forehead.
"Accident, on my way here… I'm fine," she assured him.
Daryl swallowed hard and nodded to her before turning his attention back to Rick. "Now so everyone is clear… Carol didn't do shit –and Rick… you told her to leave… you sent her away?" Daryl said tilting his head to the side squinting his eyes looking at the former sheriff.
Rick put his hands out in a defensive manor, "hold up… when she told me… she …"
"You lied to us, Rick," Maggie spoke up. "You told us she died out there."
Carol looked up at Rick then seeing him looking at her. She shook her head with a chuckle. "Where's Lizzie and Mika?"
"Mika's with Beth in cell block A… Lizzie, we need to figure out what to do with her. She's killed more people in D." Rick stated.
"What?" Carol said with a sad tone. She looked at Daryl and he nodded to her. Although Carol knew this was serous there was something more serious they needed to talk about right now.
"We were all in there … except Michonne and Tyreese; you're the only two now that haven't been exposed, aside from the few in Cell block A. We have to figure something out." Maggie said quickly.
"And we will, right now we need to figure out what to do with Lizzie… Carol she was your responsibility, why didn't you just tell me -," before Rick could finish his sentence he was on the ground from a punch to the jaw.
Daryl drew his hand back quickly shaking it hissing looking down at Rick as he looked up at him. Daryl growled loudly before looking at a shocked Carol before looking back at Rick, "that's for lying to me -," Daryl started feeling his cheeks get hot, "for lying to all of us. For leaving her out there –you ain't on the council Rick… hell there ain't no damn council as of now, not until them three in there get better. So I say we all vote what happens to us all from now on, we don't leave no one out there on their own, understand?" Daryl said all in one breath looking at everyone.
Everyone nodded.
Carol swallowed hard blinking lazily gripping the open car door tighter. Everything at this place fell apart in a matter of a day and half and she wasn't there to help them. She hadn't gotten the full story but from standing there for these few minutes she got a pretty good backstory that they had lost people because Lizzie didn't keep her word and now the cat was out of the bag.
"Hey now," Michonne said coming up to take Carol's other arm.
Carol touched her forehead again feeling the dizziness getting worse. In the mist of the events in the last forty-eight hours she forgot to feed herself. Being a little sleep deprived along with no food in her stomach with an open wound was doing her no good right now.
Daryl turned to see a pale Carol struggling to stand now. He walked to her and nodded at Michonne before pushing Carol towards the beaten up car.
"Get in." Was all he said to her before turning to everyone, "we ain't gonna last long if we can't trust each other." Daryl said seriously before his eyes landed on Tyreese. "Take another shot like that again and I'll put an arrow in your ass." With that he waited for Carol to slide over a little in the car and closed the door before driving it up towards the prison.
/D/C/D/C/D/C/
Daryl took Carol's hand to help her out of the car and when he closed the door behind her he took that moment while the others were slowly making their way back towards them to really look at her.
"Rick told me you was dead," he said softly looking into her deep sea eyes. "If I'd known you was out there, you know…" he said trailing off shaking his head.
She smiled, "I know, Daryl." She whispered blinking slowly.
Daryl squinted at her and reached blindly in his back pocket for his due rag and started to blot at her drying blood on her forehead. When she winced he did too, "sorry," he mumbled stepping closer to her almost pressing her back into the car door. He took her face into his hand to keep her steady and watched her eyes close then –his mouth went dry at how soft her cheek was.
"The Governor is coming." She whispered finally.
"What?" she said stopping his movements.
She opened her eyes to look at him. "I saw him, I heard him… B –Bob… he's with him. Somehow he's informing him of what's going on in here. That's… that's why I came back," she finally admitted.
Daryl dropped his hands from her completely and stepped back from her. "I knew that son of a bitch was - I'm gonna feed em' to the walkers myself!" Daryl threatened.
"Daryl calm down, we have enough problems right now." She pleaded stumbling towards him tilting her head seeing the others getting closer to the prison. "We'll figure something out, just … help me get cleaned up and then we'll figure this out … ok?" she said softly.
Without another though he nodded and gripped her wrist pulling her alongside him into the prison. When they hit their cell block Daryl took her to his cell and motioned for her to sit on his bunk. He'd ripped off his top bunk awhile back so he'd have more room to move and it didn't feel so much like a cage to him. He watched her lean forward her head in her hands before he pushed her gently back by the shoulder to motion for her to scoot back against the wall. There was enough light coming into the cell blocks for him to work on her.
Most of their medical supplies were in the other cell block so Daryl didn't have much to work with at the moment so he would have to clean her up with what he had and go from there. Daryl pulled out a half drank bottle of water from his book bag and sat down next to her before pouring the water onto his rag. He angled his body towards her and put his hand on her cheek once more to steady her face before he felt her cuddle into his touch. His eyes wavered between hers for a moment before his lips quirked up into a faint smile. He pressed the rag down the side of her face to clean up the dried blood.
It was silent between them now until he heard Carol chuckle slightly at the sound of her stomach growling. He shook his head. "When was the last time ya' ate?"
She shrugged. "Don't remember." She replied honestly.
Daryl grunted continuing his work on her forehead before he cleared most of the blood. The gash on her head was an open wound, one that would need about three stitches. Lucky for her, he was pro at stitching things because when Merle would get into a fight he would sometimes have to stitch him up because they didn't have the luxury of medical insurance.
"Gonna need stitches," he said softly running his thumb below the gash on her forehead.
"I can do it," she whispered. "Done it before," she said weakly not meeting his eyes.
"I got it. Just keep this pressed against yer' forehead til' I get back."
He was gone before she could protest.
Carol sighed softly closing her eyes. She let the scent of Daryl engulf her then. The smell of man and earth –the lingering touch of his fingers still ghosted on her flesh. She thought she'd never be here again and yet here she was. She was home –with Daryl and the others and the truth was out but everything had turned into such a mess. She felt the tears start to sting her eyes then with those thoughts. She let them fall down her cheeks then and before she knew it she was slowly falling into a light slumber.
Daryl had been gone for almost thirty minutes and by the time he returned to his cell he found Carol slumped over on his bed sleeping soundly. He didn't mean to take so long but he needed to clear a few things up with Rick about what happened out there and tell him and the others about the Governor –they had a lot to prepare for. Rick asked him about Lizzie and honestly Daryl didn't know what to tell him but he decided for now the best thing was to keep the little girl cell block D with the others but keep her locked up so she couldn't hurt anyone else until Carol was able to talk to her. He decided to keep his new found news about Bob Stookey to himself until he talked more about it to Carol.
Everything had happened so damn fast out there he was having such a hard time processing it all. Carol was alive and well –she wasn't bit or scratched. Rick had just left her out there to die thinking she had killed two of their own because she had apparently "confessed" to doing it when really she was covering for a little girl she promised to take care of. This whole time Daryl was making promises with himself that he would have done right by Carol if he had one more chance with her and there she was and he still hadn't made a move –but in his defense he was just still so stunned she was there he didn't know what to do. She came barring big news that would jeopardize a lot for them all and none of them had a clue where to start.
Daryl furrowed his brows looking down at her then watching as she took in a deep breath, she looked so frail to him in that moment. The tough Carol he knew wasn't laying there right now –the scared woman he knew long ago was lying before him and he wanted nothing more than to protect her. He just wanted her to keep level headed and not pull any more of that shit she did with Rick and lie about something and he sure and shit didn't want Rick to pull anymore of his stunts either. He meant what he said –everyone had to vote around here or there were going to be consequences. If they couldn't trust each other they had nothing anymore, they were all done for and if Rick went around making calls like that one more time Daryl was done for good and he would be damned if he left her behind.
"Hey," he said softly sitting on the bed. He set the gauze and tape on the bed as well as the needle and thread and antibacterial ointment. He reached out and shook her shoulder slightly and when she turned her head towards him he saw her pale face in the light and saw the blood slightly on her wound. He cursed under his breath and took the abandoned rag from her hand and pressed it to her head seeing her eyes flutter open. "I need ya' to sit up for me," he said softly.
Carol leaned up slowly watching him adjust himself on the bed better. "Sorry," she said softly.
"S' ok," he said softly. "I'm the one that should be sorry… I ain't got nothin' ta' give ya' for this…" he said with a grimace as he started to thread the sterilized needle.
Carol stayed quiet and just watched him before feeling the bed dip more as he slid closer to him. Hip to hip now they sat while his eyes met hers she smiled weakly at him, "the quicker you do it…" she said trailing off.
Daryl just nodded and leaned forward squinting as his hands touched her face and forehead.
The first pinch she sucked air between her teeth and watched him freeze where he sat, his hands didn't move where they were. "It's ok," she assured him as her fists balled up in her lap. She felt him pull the string through her flesh before another pinch and pull happened but in a tender spot and she jumped which caused him to jump as well.
"Damn woman!" he said dropping one of his hands. He saw how white her bottom lip was from where she was biting it so hard and then he felt bad for scolding her. He covered her hands with his and squeezed them quickly before settling back to work.
By time he was done and her forehead was patched up with gauze both of Carol's hands were gripping the bottom hem of his shirt. Her knuckles were stone white and her bones ached from squeezing too hard but she didn't make any attempt to move away from him when he was done and neither did he.
"Thank you," she whispered softly.
Daryl nodded looking down at her hands before covering them with his own prying them off his shirt. He didn't let go of her hands though, he held them tightly in his much larger own catching her eyes.
"Why didn't ya' tell me what was goin' on?"
"There wasn't time -," she started with a crack in her voice feeling his thumb rolling over her knuckles.
"Bullshit," he grunted. "There was time Carol."
Carol opened her mouth but nothing sounded but a whimper as a tear slid down her cheek.
Daryl sighed watching her, her eyes down cast as tears flowed freely down her pale cheeks. "Don't keep shit from me no more," he said seriously ducking his head to catch her eyes.
Carol nodded, "I thought I could handle it on my own, I'm sorry." She said blinking a few more tears from her eyes.
Daryl moved his hands from hers seeing her head snap up to look at him completely, "no one can handle shit on their own anymore, much less carry the weight of something like that." He huffed leaning back from her seeing her whipping her eyes quickly before averting her eyes away from him. He swallowed hard reaching into his pocket for the jasper that he had brought back for her. "Ya' know I'm always here… you ain't gotta do shit on yer' own no more, understand?" he said moving his hand up to catch her chin between his fingers. His eyes wavered between hers for a few moments before he slid his hand up to her cheek his thumb sliding across her cheek bone catching a stray tear.
Carol's eyes played along his face –he looked so serious in that moment. Daryl never went out of his way to touch her like this. He caught her off guard when he held her hands just a few moments ago but now when he touched her cheek she didn't know how to react. He had gone out of his way to touch her more today than he ever had in their entire relationship –she didn't know how to take it all. But she went with it and closed her eyes then cuddling her cheek into his touch and before she knew it she felt his warm chapped lips touch her forehead. They lingered for a moment before she felt his hand slide to the back of her head and his fingers raked through her hair pulling her close to him. Carol burrowed her face in the nape of his neck minding her injured and newly patched forehead before she wrapped her arms around his waist.
They sat like that for a long time before Daryl finally pulled away leaving a small gap between them. He held out his hand revealing the jasper to her. He watched her eyes light up and the small smile play on her lips before she took it from his hand.
"You know I care about ya' right?"
Carol nodded. "I care about you too, Daryl," she whispered rolling the stone in her hand gripping it tightly in her small hand. Her heart started to race at that moment and the hurt she felt when she realized on the road she'd never see him again started to pull in her chest again, she frowned at the memory before catching his eyes again. "I care about you a lot… you're my best friend," she said with a smile seeing his side smile falter slightly.
"Yeah," he croaked out. He cleared his throat running his fingers through his hair then; he was no good at this shit. But he knew he had to tell her how he felt –it was now or never. He knew things could change for them at any moment, the Governor could come with his army and take them out while they were still vulnerable –or this flu could take them all out with the snap of their fingers –hell walkers could bust through that fence again and flood the prison and kill them all –anything could happen.
Carol cupped his cheek then catching his eyes, "I told you once I thought I could make it out there on my own," she said softly with a chuckle before she dropped her hand. "I couldn't have been more wrong –I was so scared," she admitted to him.
"No one can make it out there on their own; Rick's too blind to see that, he -," he started feeling her fingers go over his lips to cut him off.
"Just listen," she said softly. "You're right no one can make it out there on their own, it's hard without people –without your family. I was gone for one day and worried so much about everyone –," she said with a sigh. "By time Rick and I had left you hadn't returned, I was so worried something had happened to you all out there –then when he told me I wasn't allowed to come back with him," she paused with a sigh shifting on the bed. She leaned back against the wall then pulling her knees up against her chest.
Daryl watched her for a moment and then leaned back on his bunk next to her his shoulder brushing hers. He heard her sigh once more before he looked at her seeing her lean her head back against the wall to look at him as well. He offered her a half smile before he heard her continue.
"When Rick told you what I did, were you mad?" she said not even finishing what she was originally saying.
Daryl shook his head immediately. "No I wasn't. Besides you didn't do it."
"Why?" she asked him squinting slightly.
The light in the prison was starting to go dim by this point and the shadow of his face was still bright but it was growing darker behind him.
Daryl didn't answer her right away; he took a while to answer her. Carol had switched positions by this point, her legs curled up underneath her, her body facing him somewhat. Daryl chewed on his cuticle as he looked at her from the corner of his eye. How was he going to tell her the truth without sounding like an idiot?
"Because I just knew," he finally said. "I know ya' and yer' not a killer," he said softly not looking at her.
Carol just nodded and smiled somewhat. She reached her hand out and squeezed his arm, "thank you," she said faintly. It went silent again before she started to slide to the edge of the bed seeing him move quickly with her, "I'm gonna try to get some rest, did you tell everyone about the Governor?"
"They know –," he said quickly snatching her wrist pulling her back to the bunk.
Carol looked down at his hand then to his face.
"I say somethin' wrong?" he asked feeling like an idiot. Carol had stayed in his cell with him ever since she'd returned to the prison a few hours ago and they'd talked and everything seemed fine but it seemed like her mood changed so quickly.
"No, no not at all," she said sweetly. "I'm just tired," she said truthfully.
"Stay," he said quickly.
"What?" she said softly looking him in the eyes.
"Ya' heard me," he said with a grunt. "Lay down," he said once more.
He watched her hesitate for a moment before he toed his boots off leaning back on the bed on his side looking up at her. He watched her put the Jasper in her pocket before she hesitated again to sit on the bed. Daryl reached up to her shoulder and pulled her back, her back against his chest –she was stiff against him.
"Relax," he whispered to her feeling her body fall back into his as he tangled his legs with hers. Daryl had no fucking clue what he was doing right now –he'd never cuddled with a woman in his life. Not ever –but he'd seen Maggie and Glenn do it enough outside on the road to know that this was something that Carol needed right now. Hell he needed it right now, he needed to hold her at that moment to know that she was really there with him.
Carol shuddered against him and closed her eyes feeling his hand slide up her side before he gripped her hand in his own holding it against her chest pulling her against his chest. She could feel his face snuggle against her neck and hair inhaling deeply before she heard him let out a choked sigh. Her eyes snapped open then before she tried to turn in his arms to face him but felt him stop her, "Daryl?" she whispered.
"Shh," he said softly. Daryl wasn't crying but he could feel the emotion building up inside of him at that moment holding her. Fuck if he didn't love this woman and being this close to her just brought something up inside of him –there was no way he could let her leave his cell tonight without him making some sort of move. He couldn't let the days go by now like normal –not after what happened to her.
He couldn't ever risk losing her again!
"I love you, Carol." He whispered out against her ear, hearing her breath hitch in her throat. "If I'd known for one moment ya' was out there alone, I'd come for you." He'd somewhat already told her that but he needed to tell her that again.
"I know," she said once more squeezing their hands together against her chest. Carol's heart was beating so fast at that moment –Daryl just told her he loved her? She never thought she'd EVER hear him say something like that to her. When she asked him why he knew she didn't kill Karen and David she'd expected his answer but she was hoping he would say something a little more romantic. But she knew that wasn't Daryl –but still being a woman she'd hoped for it. So with his words now she was a little taken aback –Daryl Dixon's timing was way off but in the sweetest way.
She wanted to say it back –she wanted to kiss him. She'd never even kissed him yet! She made a move to turn around again and she felt him stop her once more –his hips bucking into hers from behind –she could feel his love.
"I ain't asking ya' ta' say it back, I just wanted you ta' know. I can't go through this shit again and not have ya' know," he said seriously tucking his head behind hers. He squeezed her against him once more brushing his lips against her neck again. "Get some sleep."
/D/C/D/C/D/C/
Carol wanted to tell him she loved him back, but she figured she'd give Daryl his moment. She didn't want to embarrass him or anything –she knew how he could be sometimes and she didn't want to ruin anything between them so she just cuddled back against him and fell asleep. It wasn't until later on that night when they shifted in their sleep that she was finally facing him that she was wide awake watching him, his arm was slung over her hip, one leg over hers protectively and her face was so close to his. Carol took in every inch of his face then, how soft his features were, his thin chapped lips, his cute button nose and scruff on his chin. He was so handsome and Carol was beyond flabbergasted that she was lying beside him at that moment. She smiled softly when she felt him twitch against her and his hand slide up her back pushing her against him more; she gasped slightly her nose brushing his.
Daryl's eyes snapped open at that moment feeling hot breath brush along his face; he saw those ocean blues he loved so much staring back at him. He smirked slightly before he felt her lips on his. He wasn't expecting her to kiss him so it took him a moment to respond before he slipped his tongue into her mouth, wrestling for dominance. When she moaned into his mouth he groaned pushing her back against the bed leaning over her slightly, pressing his hip into her side hearing her gasp into his mouth. He pulled away slightly panting to look into her eyes seeing her smiling up at him.
"You didn't give me a chance to tell you something earlier," she panted against his lips leaning up to nip at them.
"What's that?" he asked huskily.
"I care about you too, Daryl." She said softly seeing his face fall slightly before he cleared his throat and nodded with a faint smile, "I love you," she said surely seeing his smile widen. "I have for a long time, I –I just…" she trailed off.
"Too chicken shit ta' say anything?"
They both started to laugh slightly. Daryl wasn't just talking about her –he was too chicken shit to say anything himself for the longest time so he was surprised when he blurted out to her finally how he felt. He was just happy she felt the same way.
/D/C/D/C/D/C/
It had been a few months since the attack on the prison.
The Governor had brought his army of people in and charged full force –guns blazing without so much as a warning other than what Carol had told them. He'd killed Hershel and kidnapped Michonne –that was his first attempt to get them to leave. They weren't aware that Hershel had been killed when they both ended up missing and the Governor said he'd give them both up if they handed the prison over to him and his group of people.
They were aware of the flu outbreak that was going on inside –that was an easy fix –just kill everyone on the inside and it was simple as that.
Daryl had eventually told Rick and the others of who Bob Stookey really was and they sent him packing. It was never good to just send someone to their death but he was a traitor and no good for their group.
Needless to say the attack was a brutal one, the Governor lost a lot of people and so did the prison.
Other than most of the Woodbury people, Lizzie, Beth, Hershel, Judith, Sasha and Tyreese all lost their lives that day to the hands of the Governor and his men.
Michonne had taken care of the Governor herself –she never said how she did it and no one asked.
Now they were all stationed in a town just outside of Washington DC. There was a small town much like Woodbury, but more secure and bigger that they all had lives now. Their pasts were now behind them and everyone was moving on.
Daryl stood there watching Carol finish up her lesson with some of the younger kids that was in the town. Everyone did their part to keep the place safe and Carol was doing hers at showing the kids weapon control with knifes. Mika and Carl were her helpers with the younger ones on the days she had trouble getting them to listen –much like today. Carol was good with the kids, she was a natural but sometimes he felt bad for her when she got frustrated like she seemed like she was now.
He chuckled chewing on his cuticle leaning against the tree his crossbow attached to his shoulder as she made her way towards him. He tried to get the smirk off his face before she got into sight of him but he couldn't help himself, she looked pretty damn sexy when she was pissed off.
"Don't start with me," she said walking past him with her arms crossed.
"I didn't say nothin'," he said catching up with her.
They walked towards their little house that was in the middle of town.
"I think it's kinda sexy when yer' all worked up," he said casually opening the door for her. He watched her walk in before him before he tapped her ass closing the door behind them.
She squealed and chuckled.
"Dixon what has gotten into you lately!"
He put his crossbow down on the kitchen table and shrugged watching her walk over to the stove pulling a pot over to start some food.
"Can't I just love on ya' woman?"
"Of course you can! I just don't recall you ever being that publicly affectionate with me before," she said with a smile.
Daryl paused and frowned before he walked up behind her putting his hands on her hips turning her around, "ya' think I'm embarrassed of ya'?" he asked seriously. "I hold yer' hand all the time when we're out… I kiss ya'," he said softly. He really was trying to get better at his insecurities of public affection.
"Oh, no," she said shaking her head. She wrapped her arms around his neck, "I just know how you feel about public affection," she said sincerely. "I like when you hold my hand and kiss me… I get a little bit of pleasure knowing I have the George Clooney of the camp, even though you're sexier than George."
"Huh?" he said confused for a moment.
She giggled and shook her head, "nothing."
Daryl chuckled and nodded and leaned in and kissed her lips. It took him a moment before he lifted her up onto the kitchen counter standing between her legs feeling her wrap her legs around him. He deepened the kiss before pulling away to look at her with a smirk, he reached up and moved some of her longing hair from her forehead. He brushed the scar that was there from the accident she had months back when she made it back to the prison after being banned for a crime she didn't do. He frowned at the memory before looking back into her eyes seeing her watching him intensely.
She smiled and cupped his cheek, "no frowning, we're here now… together, that's all that matters." She leaned down and kissed him softly pulling back before slipping down off the counter to return to making them dinner.
He watched her then as she turned her back to him to tend to the food she was making –she was right … they were there now together -in love and that was all that mattered and Daryl had no plans on ever letter her go.
Monique hopes you like it! -Caryl724
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