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:

When her hand came to rest at his cheek those big bright eyes staring back at him, Daryl felt his own cheeks flush and his ears get hot. In that moment he was glad it was dark so she couldn't see the embarrassment vivid on his face. He was sure she could sense the fear, the uncertainty… The lost little boy hidden beneath the layers of gruff and scowl evident in the way he shrank down a bit from her touch. He swallowed the lump thick in his throat, slight curl in his lip at the taste. His mouth hung slightly agape not quite capable of fathoming the meaning of the gesture.

Carol's hand was gentle to the touch, her eyes a soft glimmer of tears still pearled against her eyelashes. Same sorrowful yet sanguine gaze she had given him back in the RV when he had found the Cherokee rose. He could feel the swell of hope in his chest when she looked at him like that. Gave him a certain strength he never knew he had or could ever feel. A person who looked at him for as he was and not what he was. She looked at him with eyes non-judging and undoubtful of what he could offer which he often believed to be nothing. She didn't. She hadn't.

When she spoke breaking his gaze, Daryl's eyes darted elsewhere settling on something less interesting, mouth shutting. He listened intently on her words catching each inflection of her voice. The soft warble of her tone and the slight tremble in her body. When she stepped away breaking the connection, he felt a little uneasy— that steadiness… That familiarity he had felt gone. He felt a little more awkward than before, a heavy weight settling deep in his chest.

He shuffled backwards to the gas can he had ruefully yanked from her hands several moments before picking it up to fill the tank of his motorcycle. He nodded his head working his jaw as he made his way over with cautious long strides. Thoughts swirled about in his head of emotions he wasn't quite able to place a finger on. These flitterings and ripples of uneasiness roiling about in his gut made him a little less confident and a lot more confused on everything that had transpired just minutes before. The way she had looked at him. It was different from before a flicker of something that wasn't there before not so transparent as the familiar gazes and touches like before.

His ears prickling at each pitch of the trees overhead or the dragged shuffle of what he could only assume were walkers headed for them drew his attention away from his wandering mind and back to the here and now. They needed to move fast. Groans and moans echoing louder from what he could wager, growing ever closer as he tipped the can higher to pour the gasoline faster, the liquid sloshing about down the funnel tube. Daryl topped the fuel tank as quickly as he could before he heard the growl and hiss from behind him, hand swiftly yanking his knife up and guiding itself flawlessly up and under the jaw of the walker grabbing for him. He shoved it away ducking his head at the gore splatter, yanking his bloodied buck-knife from its face, throwing the gas can at the next set of hands headed for him.

The thrumming of his heart unsettled his mind as he ran tick marks through a checklist of what could be done and what did he have. His immediate thought was Carol. Getting to her as quickly as possible. He needed a plan and fast. He knew wouldn't be able to start the engine reliably fast enough to get away and swoop back to snatch up Carol. Despite what tune ups he could manage when walkers and supply runs weren't dictating his time, Daryl knew Merle's chopper was a mean bastard— much like his previous owner. Damned thing revved to life when it so chose and in this moment in time… The likelihood of it being a one-time start wasn't in his favor.

He had seen a small rest stop not too far from where they were. They would head there as they could— easily make it without much effort. Ever looming presence of walkers were treading behind him when he took off back to Carol whom was waiting by the car her voice an audible warble in the dark. "C'mon!" He hissed grabbing her arm and pulling her forward. "We gotta go." He gave her another tug, urgency evident in his voice as he barked at her to move.

Carol:

And just like that the magic of everything that had just happened between them, the giant strides toward a sense of belonging to one another, were quickly forgotten as the sounds and smells of walkers were ever present in her immediate vicinity. It was only when his fingers moved to tighten around her arm that her feet began to move. She wanted to scream, but the sound died in her throat.

There wasn't time for fear. Just action. You either moved and survived or stayed standing still and let them have you. And Carol wasn't one for standing still. Not anymore. Her feet started to move faster, hurrying after him as he picked a path for them. It was evident that he had a destination in mind, and she'd follow him anywhere without question. She managed to slide her arm from his grasp and move it so that it was her hand he was clutching. It wasn't the time or the place, but it seemed to give her more reason to keep fighting and pushing to get them anywhere safe.

It was only then that she reached for the knife at her hip to get at anything that came within striking distance. She kept quiet behind him as they moved. Her feet tripping and tangling on whatever roots and brush was in the way as they ducked into the cover of the thicker woods near by.

She only had hope that the same roots and brush would slow them down as well. Anything to give them a fighting chance. Her throat was burning from the heavy, labored breaths that rose from her chest. She didn't want to show him her fear, but she trusted him above anyone else in their camp. It was how it had always been, how it always would remain.

"Daryl, there's nothing out here but trees. No houses. Nothing." She had no idea where he was taking them. "I looked before I settled back there for the night…" The hope still lingered that he knew more about this place than she did and that he had a plan all along. He was usually two steps ahead of whatever was going on. And she knew this time would be no different. She just needed to know there was a light at the end of the tunnel. A light she could desperately try to cling to.

Her hand tightened in his as the sound of snapping jaws was right off to her left. She released his hand, bringing her body around to use the force to push whatever was there off of her. Her knife swung, catching it just about the jaw but not fully sinking in. As the weight of that made itself known, she was knocked off guard, pulling the walker down on top of her. Pushing at it's chest, she managed to keep the teeth from sinking into her flesh. Her stomach was hot with fear, knotted in anger. She shoved, not wanting this to be the last thing she remembered from this life. This wouldn't be the end. This couldn't be the end. Not when everything was starting to make sense again. Not when she and Daryl might finally have found their place at each other's sides.

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!