Tuesday morning

Daryl was called into Mr Blake's office as soon as his boss turned up for work. He didn't need to be a genius to guess what they were going to talk about.

He took a seat in the deep leather chair opposite Mr Blake's desk and tried to look nonplussed.

"You had a day off yesterday."

"Yeah."

"Food poisoning?"

The question sounded more like an accusation and the way Mr Blake's eyes were narrowed looked like a challenge. "Yeah," Daryl bit his cheek, part of him wanted to laugh out loud.

"Dr. Ashwood had a day off too."

He sat back in the chair and considered his words like he hadn't spent the entire of last night and the night before having sex with Dr. Ashwood, "did she?"

Mr Blake tilted his head, "I don't have any proof of anything thing time but I want to remind you that security guards come and go and you are now hanging by a thread. It's bad enough that you would risk your job but to pull others into your misconduct reflects very poorly on yourself and your judgement, do you understand?"

Of course any wrong doings would just have to be Daryl's idea. He grit his teeth and took the verbal slap on the wrist without rolling his eyes or saying any of the things that sprung to mind. He didn't give a crap what Mr Blake thought, he wouldn't have given up his trip to Charleston for the world but at the same time he needed the money from this job to help him set up the farm. "I understand."

Mr Blake's smile was smug, his eyes dark as they held each other's gaze in silence before Daryl decided the conversation was over and took his leave walking straight to the exhibition hall. All he wanted to do was find his naughty little temptress of a woman and give her his own version of a wrist slap.

She looked pretty as a picture but he already knew that since he'd woken up in her bed, shared a shower with her, made her eggs for breakfast and drove her to work this morning.

"Fancy seeing you here," she said as she flicked through a stack of notes all stapled together.

"Yer bad conduct is reflecting poorly on the museum and yer judgement, now what ya gonna do 'bout that?"

"You got called into the headmaster's office?" Kate's grin was shameless.

"Well don't look so sorry, ya might make me feel bad," he beckoned her to a corner of the hall where he knew there was a blind spot in the camera and pushed her against the wall, one hand grabbing her breast while his lips crushed against hers.

"Ah hem."

Daryl stepped quickly away from Kate and turned to see Lou leaning with both hands on his cane, his face as red as a beetroot.

"Mornin'" he offered weakly. It felt like he'd been walked in on by Kate's Daddy and after having his tongue down her throat and his thumb brushing her nipple. "I'll be um…" he cleared his throat and avoided eye contact with the old man, "goin' on my rounds."

Before he walked away he looked back to Kate, "see ya later darlin'."

She blushed and he couldn't wait for their shifts to be over so he could go back to her house and carry on what they had just started. But first he would have to swing by Jim and Charlene's to pick up some more clothes since right now he was going commando and had changed into the spare shirt from his locker. The only good thing about not wearing any boxers was Kate had decided to make him feel better about the situation by not wearing any panties. As if her figure hugging little dress didn't drive him wild enough already, now when he saw her he knew just what wasn't underneath the tantalising hemline. He shifted his trousers and wondered how he would make it through the day with a near constant tent between his legs.

/

"I said no strippers," Charlene shouted at Daryl the very moment she stepped through the front door with a sheepish looking Jim hot on her heels. He'd already packed a bag of clothes for Kate's house and instead of heading straight over he'd decided to wait so he could check in with his friends but now he was wishing he hadn't bothered.

"Gimme a damn break," Daryl grunted. Jesus, the bachelor party had been days ago and to him it felt like a lifetime.

"And where the hell have you been? Nobody has seen you since Sunday afternoon," she continued.

"I've been with Kate."

Charlene threw her hands in the air, "oh good lord! I cannot keep up with you two. I thought she didn't want anything to do with you and now you're telling me you have spent the past two nights in her bed?"

"Somethin' like that," he poured a cup of coffee and held up the pot to offer a cup to the others as he asked, "can I bring 'er to ya weddin'?"

Charlene folded her arms over her chest, eyebrows raised high, "oh I dunno, are you guys still gonna be talking by Saturday?"

"Its different this time." Kate wasn't pushing him away or running, she was letting him in even if she hadn't mentioned anything about changing her plans and staying. "An' whats with all the damn questions?"

Charlene started to get red in the face enough to match her red hair and Daryl regretted his tone of voice. He'd noticed she was a little tetchy these past couple of weeks and the boys had agreed it had to be pregnancy hormones although they didn't say that to Charlene, they didn't dare say a thing to Charlene.

"Its times like these," Jim declared, throwing his hat down on the kitchen table and wrapping his pregnant fiancee in his arms, "I'm so glad I have you and you're walking down the aisle with me on Saturday."

Daryl looked away while they shared a kiss. It was times like these where he realised he needed to man up and make Kate his.

/

Kate changed out of her work clothes into a pair of black and white shorts and a black cami before she took a seat on the sofa to skype with Isy. She liked to think she was calling her friend merely to gossip but truthfully she was calling her friend because the anticipation of Daryl coming over to cook her dinner was driving her crazy so she needed a distraction.

"5 more days! I'm planning your homecoming!" Isy chimed, her dark eyes filled with enthusiasm.

"What plans?" Kate prayed it was nothing ostentatious.

"Drinking, dancing, hopefully lots of shameful behaviour, all the girls the Saturday after you come home. I even invited Sarah. But I want dinner with you on Monday night first! It'll be just like old times."

"I already have plans on Monday," Kate sighed, "with Jessica."

"The evil witch? The mother in law from hell? Why?" Isy exclaimed.

"She wants to talk, and what can I say? Your son's gone so you're not my problem anymore."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

Although the thought had occurred, in fact the very idea had almost tumbled straight out of her mouth when she had spoken to her a few days ago, "I can't do that. I'll meet her, get it out of the way. Then we can have dinner the next night?"

Isy's face fell and she leaned closer to the screen, "what is it?"

"What's what?" Kate asked.

"Oh come on K! You've had a face like a slapped arse this entire conversation… you're not as excited about your homecoming as I am..."

"I am excited."

"Right…" she drew out the word, "now try saying it with enthusiasm…"

"It's just…" Kate covered her face with her hands, "I'm so fucking stupid Isy!"

"Well I already know that and I still love you, so what's the real problem?"

"The problem is this," she held up her phone and a picture she'd taken of Daryl when he wasn't looking.

"Oh…" Isy's tongue touched the corner of her mouth, "now there's a dish I wouldn't mind eating. Is that your redneck cowboy security guard?"

"Mmm hmm…" she sighed, "I tried to make him piss off and leave me alone."

"And what did he say?"

"He said no." Kate mimicked Daryl in the most ridiculous way possible, "I'm comin' round if ya let me in the door or not."

"Did you let him in?"

Kate held up the picture again, "of course I bloody did. In fact, I've let him in every night since."

"So you're in love with him?"

"Don't say that! I like him, I care about him but I refuse to fall in love with someone I've known for seven and a half weeks. We didn't even talk for most of it!"

"Oh I bet you didn't," Isy's man eating grin appeared.

"Please don't take the mick. I'm anxious enough about everything as it is. I'm dreading getting on the plane and saying goodbye then I remind myself that I've only just met him and feel stupid for getting so worked up about it. Right now it's infatuation, the honeymoon stage, I can't trust what I'm feeling. If we were in England we could let the dust settle and see how we felt when everything was more… real."

Kate knew the honeymoon stage never lasts for long and that cute little quirks of character could end up being irritating niggles that drive you slowly insane. Ryan always left his soggy towels on the bed, incidentally he never made the bed either, and if she had told him once she had told him a thousand times. Over time it made her more furious than was probably healthy and after a night of waking up with a teething Harry and a day of trying to write a paper for her masters degree she had found a towel just lying in a soggy pile on her side of the bed. She'd gone ballistic, grabbing almost every item of Ryan's clothing, shoes, underwear, everything and thrown it all outside into the pouring down rain.

"Why doesn't he come to England with you?"

"He's not a stray cat, I can't just bring him home. He's got his own life here."

"You have your own life in England. Has he asked you to stay?"

"No." Would Daryl do that? Would he want to do that? The idea of having a conversation like that scared the shit out of her.

"And if he did?"

"I don't know," Kate yanked her hands through her hair, sucking in short frantic breaths.

"You'd have to give up everything. Friends, family, your career… you'd be so far away from everyone and everything. Not to mention, you will be an illegal immigrant as of next week."

"Way to lay it on with a bloody shovel. I already know how huge it would be. Can we talk about something else a while?" Talking about staying with Daryl and leaving Daryl was making her feel like she was on the brink of a panic attack.

"I just don't' want you to make a huge mistake. God knows I've followed my fanny to some pretty stupid situations."

"Isy we have a conversation that doesn't involve your vagina?"

Isy's brazen smile answered the question without a need for words, "I met someone…"

Kate and Isy discussed the new man in her life until the doorbell rang and Daryl was here. She quickly said her goodbyes then snapped her laptop shut before taking a deep breath as she tried to ignore all the feelings that had started to swirl over the past few days. Then she opened the door and any control over her feelings was gone.

"Hey," Daryl rasped in the way that made even a simple hello sound like a seduction. He wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her against him and kissed her until she could barely remember her own name let alone the reasons why they couldn't always be together.

"Hey," she stared at his face, memorizing him from the slight curve of his lip to the exact shade of blue lighting up his eyes, "I've missed you," her heart admitted before her head could stop her.

"I've only been gone a couple of hours."

Kate's gaze dropped, her cheeks filled with embarrassment and she had the distinct feeling that she had revealed far too much, far more than she was comfortable with, "stupid, right?"

"No," he lifted her chin so their eyes were level, "I've missed you too."

She melted, her heart skipped along like a hummingbird's wings and from the corner of her eye she spotted what he was holding in his other hand. "You brought me flowers," she could hardly contain her delight in the jumble of wildflowers that were tied together with blue string.

"Mr Flannigan's garden is lookin' a little bare now but he was always a mean old bastard."

Her eyes went wide, "you stole these from an old man?"

"I might have appropriated them."

"Daryl Dixon! I'm not having a stolen bouquet."

"I'm jokin' woman." Daryl grinned, giving her arse a gentle squeeze followed by a light slap. "Mr Flannigan let me have them after I helped him fix his screen door. But he really is a mean old bastard. He says the flowers are too…" Daryl sniggered, "cheerful, so he wanted them gone and I thought they would be prettier next to you."

Kate pushed away from him with a roll of her eyes while Daryl grinned looking far too pleased with himself. "Where did you get that line from?"

"You're all the inspiration I need darlin'," his grin grew even more devilish before he bent down and flung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes before carrying her to the kitchen to sit her on the counter. The flowers dropped in a pile besides her, stray petals filling the marble worktop. "Ya can watch me cook dinner."

The strap of her cami slipped down her arm. Daryl's attention was captured immediately as his rough fingers wrapped around the delicate material and gently smoothed it back into place. Kate leaned forward and kissed him before sucking his bottom lip.

"It's gonna be hard to concentrate" he groaned between kisses, his hands sliding up her thighs, the tips of his fingers tucking under her cotton shorts. It was going to be hard for Kate to just sit and watch him cook when he made her feel like this; hot, flutterly, needy. She wanted to take him upstairs and play desert island in her bed

"Maybe we should order pizza instead?" she purred as she wrapped her legs around him, holding his body against hers as her fingers worked his buttons.

Daryl groaned, pulling her hands away from their task, "I would. Lord knows I want nothing more than to throw ya ass on the bed, the sofa, the table…" his breath shuddered, "other places… but I wanna... cook ya a special dinner."

She pouted and lay across the counter, her hand stroking along her thigh as he busied himself with the cooler box of food he had sequestered to her fridge the other night. No matter how hard he tried to stare into the box, she knew she had him. She could see every flick of his attention falling to her until he cleared his throat and stomped back over, pulling her off the counter like she weighed no more than a feather.

"Maybe on second thoughts ya should just run along an' do whatever it is ya normally do an' stop distractin' me with all this." His eyes roved her body in appreciation and she felt the heat building between her legs at just the feel of his gaze caressing her. Then he went back to his preparations and she gave in. For now. It was sweet that he wanted to cook her a special dinner even if she would rather just have wine and sex.

There was no way she could do what she normally did. She wasn't ready for all her feminine mysteries to be revealed. And by mysteries she was really thinking her slobby little ways which included lying on the sofa with a tub of ice cream, wearing a pair of old yoga pants and an equally worn Led Zeppelin t shirt while watching re-runs of Cold Feet.

Instead she asked, "would you like a glass of wine?"

Daryl nodded and Kate found the corkscrew to open a bottle of Merlot which she poured into two big glasses before grabbing her laptop and sitting at the breakfast table. She began to check her emails and at least try to look busy as she watched, with interest, every single move he made until he was serving up and joining her. He flicked off the kitchen lights in favour of lighting a collection of candles which he had gathered from around her house.

Then he placed the the flowers in the centre of the table and it was all very sweet, like he was wooing her except she had already been wooed.

"It smells delicious," she said before staring at the meat in the gravy, "what is it?"

"Try it."

She looked at him, "what is it?"

"Just try it."

Kate tilted her head to the side, a wry smile covering her face, "it's not road kill is it?"

Daryl snorted, "what's wrong with road kill?"

She was certain he was serious with that statement and her stomach tumbled over, "this is from the side of a road?"

"No, I didn't find any road kill. Got this from a tree."

Kate jabbed her fork into a piece of meat, "oh, so it's a bird?"

"Nope. Squirrel. Well, actually it's four squirrels. There ain't much meat on one."

She stared at the meat, her hunger becoming something closer to nausea, "because they're so tiny and lovable?"

"Ya ever been bit by a squirrel?"

She gave him a pointed look and he laughed, declaring, "they ain't that loveable."

The idea of eating squirrel repulsed her for no real reason except she liked squirrels. But then she also liked lamb chops and cumberland sausages so refusing squirrel would make her a total hypocrite. Poor Daryl, he'd gone to so much effort so she could hardly push the plate away like a fussy toddler. She brought the meat to her lips and took a bite.

"Well? What ya think city girl?"

"It's… okay."

Daryl snorted and scooped a big forkful into his mouth before telling her, "eat what ya can, I'll still like ya even if ya don't appreciate my catching an' cookin' ya a nice ass meal."

Squirrel, never in her life had a date caught, killed and cooked her a creature. Let alone a loveable little woodland one. She ate carefully around her plate until she realised Daryl wasn't eating, or talking, or doing anything. He was just sitting, staring. She caught his eye and watched him swallow hard, his adam's apple bobbing.

"I can't eat if you're not," Kate joked but his stare never wavered as he set his fork down and slipped his hand across the table to take the fork from her fingers and hold her hand.

"Kate," the way he said her name made her heart stop and her breath catch in her throat as she looked from the meal to the candles to the flowers sitting in the vase and then the look on his face. "Kate I-"

"Don't," she insisted. Oh god, maybe he was trying to woo her. Maybe he was going to say something.

His grip tightened on her hand, "don't what?"

She pulled away from his touch, her mind running for an impossible answer, "don't make this complicated."

/

Daryl forced himself to ignore every impulse that told him it was a stupid idea to tell Kate how he felt. "It already is complicated," that ship had long sailed away.

"No it isn't," she stood up, that vulnerable look that he loved so much when she was riding a horse was now etched all over her face and from the slight twitch in her leg he thought she might bolt at any moment.

Daryl had to say it, whether she wanted to hear it or not he had to tell her, "I'm in love-"

"No you're not," she interrupted, slowly backing away.

Daryl let out a low groan as he stood from his chair and wondered exactly why he had to fall for the most difficult goddamn woman he'd ever met. "Jesus Christ woman. Enough is enough." He jumped around the table until he could wrap his hands around the tops of her arms and stop her from running away. "I can't play this game with you no more."

"Daryl-"

"No," he was going to say what he wanted, to hell with her complications and her interruptions. "I'm in love with ya," he paused and the air hung heavy around them, "I love ya so damn much that the thought of never seein' ya again, never kissin' ya again. Jesus Kate, it fuckin' hurts."

"Daryl-"

"Woman, I just can't keep it in anymore. I want ya to move here, live with me on the farm, have a life with me and be all mine. I know that ain't exactly what ya got planned but… dammit plans change."

"I have to leave, my visa is expiring on Monday."

"Then marry me," he blurted.

"What?" Kate pulled out of his arms and walked across the kitchen, bracing herself against the side, "i'm not getting married for a visa, fucking hell."

"Go home, get another visa and come back."

"No."

"Why not?"

"What if I don't want to move to the states? Do you want to move to the UK?"

"Ya know I can't."

"Then we're at an impasse aren't we? I wish I didn't have to leave but that's life. I tried to tell you but you wouldn't listen. This isn't a fairy tail. More than most people we both know that."

"But I love ya… does that means nothin' to ya?" he laughed miserably, "course it don't. People probably just fall in love with ya all the damn time," he shouted, feeling like a complete fool for admitting the truth. He wasn't the first man to love Kate and no doubt there would be more so what did it bother her to leave.

"Of course they bloody don't, and what does it matter how I feel? It doesn't change the facts."

"It matters to me," he strode across the kitchen, placing his hands either side of the counter so she was locked in, "how do ya feel?"

/

Kate's heart was pounding, her palms were sweaty and she was second guessing every word that came out of her mouth. She hadn't expected him to just come out and say everything. "I don't know."

"Don't bullshit me."

She huffed and pulled her gaze away from his eyes that were looking right through her as if he knew exactly what she felt. She wanted to believe she didn't know how she felt but right now she knew it was a lie. At some point she'd fallen and he had caught her. She loved him. Kate loved Daryl just like he loved her. "I'm not going to say it," she pushed his arm but it wouldn't budge. "Please," she didn't want to look at his face, she was sure if she did then she would be lost. "I can't."

He sighed and let her move away before he walked out of the room and pulled his jacket off the hook in the hall.

She followed him as a huge lump built in her throat, "I don't want you to leave."

Daryl looked at her and ran his hand along her hair before wrapping it around the back of her neck and pulling her lips to his, "I don't wanna leave but I can't stay an'... spend another night lovin' ya if ya don't love me back."

She bit her lip and watched him step away looking like a puppy dog that had just taken a beating.

"What about tomorrow? Are we going to go back to not talking, I don't want that."

"I dunno," he wiped his hand across his face, "I ain't exactly had this problem before."

Kate stepped in to where he had moved away and wrapped her arms around him before pressing her cheek to his chest so she could hear the soft thuds of his heart. She felt sick, on the verge of crying, this wasn't supposed to be happening until Sunday night when they said goodbye forever. She tried to swallow the big lump in her throat, the last thing she wanted to do was burst out crying in front of him.

"Ya ain't exactly makin' this easy," Daryl's lips pressed to the top of her head and then he peeled her arms from his body and stepped away again but this time he went all the way out the door then shut it behind him.

Kate took a seat on the bottom of her staircase, leaning her head against the banister as she allowed herself to cry.