This started out as a role play between myself (gunslingerdixon) and my Carol rp partner untapdtreasure (nolongeraxburden), and it was mutually decided upon to share with the rest of FF as a fanfiction. So here it is! Enjoy!

If y'all are interested in following us just go to: nolongeraxburden. tumblr .com or gunslingerdixon. tumblr .com

Also: we own nothing in regards to The Walking Dead. All rights belong to the copyright holder.

Daryl:

His breath caught in his throat and he felt his heart clench, a convulsion of muscle almost strangling his chest and lungs. His body went rigid when she moved into his physical proximity and he was quite sure in that moment that he'd stopped breathing. The only sound he could hear was the thrumming of his pulse in his head. He kept his gaze held above her crop of hair, not sure if he wanted to look her in the eyes and show how uncomfortable he truly was.

Carol's challenge came to him as a surprise as much as her step forward. He hadn't been expecting her to come into his space as she had— a bold move. Daryl figured that his words to her would end any ties she held with him and she'd simply go away. Be like the others and leave him. Apparently his words weren't worth any merit as she'd seen through his bluff. His bravado. His big shiny feathers trying to bluff his way out of showing that this all bothered him more than he was letting on. Carol always could see through his bullshit, calling him out as she did.

His breaths came in shaky puffs when her hands settled at his waist and in that instant he felt smaller than he really was. A lot less than useless as she could render him sometimes. Daryl wanted to silently slink away unsure of himself. Unsure of what he was feeling. Unsure of whether this was okay. That this slippery feeling in his palms or the rapid beat of his heart was something normal. There was a flutter and a sinking feeling in his chest as his breathing sharpened. He worked his jaw some before swallowing the lump stuck in his throat, brow furrowing at her words.

Take me home.

All this push and fight. He wasn't sure if he wanted to take what she had to give him in that moment. She'd been fighting him the whole way through, kicking and screaming silently as she was. He'd given it thought and he knew he could deal with Tyreese. He wouldn't believe that Carol could do what she'd said she had done. He hadn't— he definitely hadn't believed it true until he heard the words fall from her lips and even then it was something hard to swallow and let settle.

He felt his hands twitch at his sides and his fingers rolling in waves slightly, antsiness of where he wanted to put his hands. She had never stepped into his space as she had with this sort of intention. All their touches had just been simple familiar touches. This right here had his brain in a flurry of spinning cog wheels and gears jamming, unable to really process the meaning… The why. Her warmth enveloped him and the somersaulting of his stomach was speeding his heart up some— the feelings all so foreign and unfamiliar to him all swirling together in a mess in the pit of his gut.

Daryl would never openly admit that she gave him cause to keep pushing on… A reason to keep fighting. And here she was openly reciprocating what he'd always wondered. Always had the slightest inkling that there was something there. Always curious if there could be more to the playful pushes or the silent gazes. He could always tell when she sought him out in a room. There was that quiet connection that he only got when she looked at him.

Those eyes. Those big blue pleading eyes of hers. Always the ever constant. The ever spoken word he could always understand without having to utter a word.

With an awkward hesitation, a held breath, Daryl brought his hands to settle at her shoulders, squaring his own as he drew his eyes to find hers. He let out a small sigh, a warble in his gruff tone, "I ain't got all day. C'mon."

Carol:

Carol's eyes closed at the feel of him stiffening. She got it. She understood it, but at the same time it was a huge step for them after everything they had been through together that he didn't back away or lash out at her for being so close to him. He'd stood his ground and kept his footing. If this had been any other situation, she'd have looked up at him, flashed her smile and made some kind of flirty joke to hopefully put him at ease, but this wasn't the time. And it wasn't the place.

Instead her head fell forward, resting against his shoulder. She took several shaky breaths of her own. His warmth was keeping her grounded, keeping her from getting too far gone inside herself. He'd fought for her every step of the way. Just as she had been fighting for him since that time on the Greene farm when he'd taken it upon himself to look for Sophia. He had given himself to her daughter for no other reason other than he wanted to find her, to keep her safe. And she'd never forgotten the lesson she'd learned in that.

Looks deceived. You couldn't judge a man based on his appearance and attitude alone. Nor by the company that he keeps. Not even his brother. You had to peel back the layers, dig deeper into the mystery of the man, and find what really made him the way he was. And she had seen the man inside him that he was desperate to be and had never really had the chance to shine because he was always standing inside someone else's shadow.

She'd fought hard for that man. Built him up with no want or hope of any personal gain. In this moment, it had paid off. He was standing there, accepting her, and her heart swelled. It was almost ready to burst. She felt the tears pricking her eyes at how intense everything was that lead them here. It had been a strange dance. A coupling that no one on the outside looking in would ever hope to understand. Not that she'd want them to. This was hers and his. She didn't want to share. She didn't have to share. And she'd always known that. Always.

Her grip tightened on his hips. She swallowed back the lump that had formed in her throat. She pushed away all shred of doubt that he'd refuse to take her back. That his words had only been meaningless words. Because in this moment, he was that man of honor that she'd always known him to be. He was that man that would do whatever it took to keep her safe from whatever she might face once she was back on the inside.

When his hands fell upon her shoulders, her head lifted and her eyes were bright with unshed tears. The smile that formed upon her lips at his words was unmistakable and all for him. She lifted one hand from his hip, touching his cheek in such a way that she hadn't dared ever to do before, but it felt right. It felt good. Damn good. Her lips parted and she whispered, "Just let me get what I can from the station wagon. Food and such. There's a backpack…"

She was reluctant to step away, knowing that whatever this was they had right here in this moment could be the very last for them. It caused an ache deep inside her, but she knew they couldn't risk being out here like this in the dark with walkers inching closer every second. She blinked, pulling away and lowering her hand back to her side. "Gas up…" she instructed him softly. "It won't take me long."

And she stepped away. She felt the loss of his heat instantly. And her body quaked visibly even as she tried to stop it. She reached for the backpack inside the still open hatch and began to stuff whatever was of importance into it. She wasn't about to leave anything they'd have to return for. She was all packed away in a matter of minutes. A pistol was shoved into her waistband on the opposite hip of her knife. She shut the hatch as quietly as she could and moved to the door to close it. She left the keys in the ignition. Who was she to deny anyone the use of it.

"All set…" she breathed into the darkness.

Please review and let us know what you thought! Cheers!

*Note: This is also not 100% written by myself. I owe a lot of credit to my wonderful partner as she is Carol and does a phenomenal job. Send her some love too at untapdtreasure here at FF!