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:

He nodded absently not sure if she saw his agreement in the dark. His eyes could see most everything having adjusted to the dim, but even subtle things like that were lost due to the engulfing darkness and what little light filtered through the vents up near the roof. He'd take first watch and when it came time for him to sleep he'd wake her and hopefully at that point, morning will have come and they could get going. They could return to the comfort of the prison walls and everything will be settled in due time.

That was the plan… he hoped.

A concern was dealing with the walkers outside their door. There was really no knowing how many were out there waiting to get in. For all he knew an entire herd could be milling about outside and they would never know. He could see up along the wall where the stall walls were bolted into that there was a gap large enough for him to sidle over into the next set of bathroom stalls delegated to the men. If he could manage to get over through the gap and likely deal with whatever threat was abound he could easily sneak out and deal with whatever amount of walkers were out there. Again, Daryl nodded to himself noting the plan of action for the morning. He would run it by Carol when he got up after sleeping on it for the few hours he would have. No need to worry her over something so trivial at the moment.

Tonight had been trying and worrisome for the both of them. It was unwarranted but also very necessary that they had gotten these things off their chests. All these pent up emotions had been a long time coming and it was better now than later. No knowing if there could have been another time with the sickness running rampant. Either of them could easily be taken by it— there was no real clue as to how it spread or how contagious it was.

When Carol brushed past him he stiffened slightly not expecting he close proximity. He felt his cheeks get hot and he silently gulped not sure why this had him flustered somewhat. Working his jaw into slowly wedging the inside of his cheek between his teeth, he felt the dip of his gut and a soft flutter in his belly causing a ruckus of wavering emotions. His heart sped up slightly but slowed when the contact ended.

Shaking himself out of his rigid state, he coughed to try and clear his throat but didn't say anything. Making his way over to where his crossbow lay abandoned on the ground, he stooped down to pick it up and his quiver that he'd carelessly chucked into the bathroom. In their haste, Daryl had just thrown everything inside and slammed the door shut to lock it once all of their limbs were inside. He eyed his quiver noticing the poncho-fashioned horse blanket he had stuffed inside along with his set of arrows. Pulling it out of the quiver, he slung the strap over his shoulder and offered the blanket out to Carol.

"Here." He gruffed, giving the blanket a shake indicating he wanted her to take it.

Carol:

Carol gently took to poncho from him, their fingers brushed slightly as she did. It sent a jolt up and down her spine, causing her to shiver in spite of the heat. Her eyes snapped up as a blush colored her cheeks. "Thanks." She pulled it close to her, wrapping her arms around it.

She turned, looking for the right place to bed down. She settled for a space more toward the corner of the room away from the door. Now that they were quiet, the moans and shuffling were louder. Her heart beat seemed to thud inside her head, making it seem louder than it actually was.

Then she remembered his hand. "Should still let me bandage that hand…" Her voice was soft, more so than usual. She wanted nothing more than to take care of him. "Even found some antibiotic ointment. Rick left me with some of it…" She remembered the tube that was shoved into the smaller pocket on the front of the pack.

She continued to make her bed on the floor, shifting her eyes to where he stood. She waited to sit down until she'd heard his final say about his hand. Her own throbbed slightly, sore from wrist to elbow, but she ignored it. It wasn't anything she couldn't handle. It was self inflicted and well deserved.

"It's going to be almost impossible to sleep here…" Her lips were dry now, so she wet them with her tongue. Her voice seemed strangled and distant now. She supposed she should be used to the sounds the walkers made at this point. They'd been doing this for well over eighteen months now. But she never got used to them. She knew she never would. If you got comfortable, you got sloppy. That would cost you your very life.

She was painfully aware of how close they were still standing. She wanted nothing more than to have him that close always. She kept her mouth closed now, waiting for him to either brush her off or allow her to play nurse. "Won't take but a minute…" She narrowed her eyes as she looked for the fallen strip of material she had ripped off her shirt.

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!