A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this out to you. I was at Wizard World this weekend and it was excellent! Got to meet Norman Reedus and Michael Rooker. Giddy!

I'm also super sick now, so if I made ridiculous boo-boos in here, I blame it on the cold medicine.

Now, on to the smut!

"I love you, too," Carol said, eyes shining. "Now kiss me, jackass – why've you been wasting all this time?"

Suddenly, nothing else mattered in the world. She loved him. And this time he couldn't excuse it as head trauma – she really loved him.

Daryl reached to brush her still-bruised cheek with his fingers. That smile and those eyes were for him, and it made his heart swell like the goddamn Grinch's. With a hand at the back of her neck, he pulled her close into the sweetest kiss he'd ever tasted. It started gentle and loving, but when she nipped at his lower lip, heat flared in him. Blood surged south, and he deepened the kiss, sweeping her tongue with his as her lips parted to him. He tightened his arm around her, and she melted into him with a soft sigh, pressing herself against his side.

He shifted them so he was above her, supported on one elbow. Hooking her chin with one thumb, he turned her head to the side and set himself to exploring her throat with his lips and tongue. He could feel the moan vibrate in her throat, sending another surge straight to his groin. Her hands roamed his back, slipping beneath his shirt, nails gently raking the skin there. He growled and nipped at the joining of her neck and shoulder, making her gasp.

Releasing her chin, he let his hand skim down her ribs to her waist, pushing up the hem of her T-shirt to expose her belly. He moved down to continue his rediscovery of her body, kissing and licking his way over her ribs and stomach, dipping his tongue into her navel. Nosing the T-shirt farther up, he found nothing beneath it but more skin. Sweet Jesus, she'd been braless this whole time. He got harder imagining the fabric of her shirt rubbing over her nipples every time she moved. His hand came up to cup one breast through the shirt, letting his fingers move over her, move the fabric over her, too – brushing and sliding across the sensitive skin. His mouth found the other nipple, and she arched into him, pressing herself into his touch with a soft cry of pleasure. His cock twitched in response to the sound, and he ground himself against her thigh.

He kissed his way down her belly, his hands sliding over her hips down to the hem of the narrow little skirt she'd chosen from the frilly closet. That hot little skirt that hugged the curve of her ass and nipped in at her slim waist. He put his thumbs between her knees and slid his palms upward, pushing the skirt to the top of her thighs. Her breath hitched as his thumb brushed the bit of silky fabric just barely visible beneath the skirt. He looked up to see her flushed, her eyes closed to relish the sensation of his hands on her skin, lips parted as she breathed little panting breaths. He slipped one finger under the silk between her legs and found it soaked. The evidence of her arousal just fueled his own. He wanted her – needed her desperately. He wanted to touch and taste and hold her, to drive her to shuddering weakness, crying out his name and asking for more.

He slid his finger along her slickness, beneath the lacy panties she wore, making her gasp. He pressed his nose into her, nuzzling and nipping at her through the silk. She squirmed and moaned at the teasing caresses. Sliding his hands up under the skirt, he caught the top of the panties and stripped them off her, leaving her wet and bared to him. Stroking his hands down her thighs, he pushed her knees apart and settled himself between them. He spread her open and took a long, laving taste of her. Her whole body jerked at the contact, her hips straining toward him. Putting his mouth to her, he began his exploration in earnest – seeking, licking, sucking, tasting, probing – discovering what made her writhe, what made her whimper, what made her shudder in pleasure.

The little sounds she was making gradually became a keening moan, and her hands gripped fistfuls of the bedding. He slipped two fingers inside, curving them up to stroke against her. His other hand came around to hold her hips in place.

"Oh! Oh, God, I'm – I'm – oh, Daryyyl!" She went rigid, shuddering and crying out. He could feel her clench around his fingers and a flood of wet heat as she came for him. He nuzzled along her inner thighs, kissing and licking as she rode out her orgasm.

When she slumped back against the mattress, he sat back to look at her lying there gasping, a sheen of sweat on her skin, hair sticking up in messy spikes. She opened her eyes, and the liquid blue pulled at his heart. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

He wiped the wetness from his chin with the heel of his hand, and ran his fingers along his tongue, gathering up the taste of her. She shivered as she watched him do it. He leaned forward to kiss her slowly and thoroughly. She caught his hand and brought it to her mouth. Pulling his fingers in, she licked at them and sucked hard. Watching her taste herself on his fingers made his erection pulse hard and insistently, making him groan with need.

He sat back and pulled her up with him. He pulled her shirt off over her head then stripped off his own. She unzipped her skirt and wiggled it down over her hips, tossing it to the side. Once he'd shed the rest of his own clothes, he pulled her up to her knees and held her flush against him, hands touching every part of her he could reach. His dick pressed hard into the smooth skin of her belly, and his hips rocked into her almost of their own accord. Sliding his hands down over her ass to her thighs, he leaned back and lifted, scooping her up to straddle him where he knelt on the mattress. Her arms tightened around his neck, and her slick folds ground against his cock, making him moan and twitch at the heat of her. He pulled back enough to change angles, probing for her opening. When he felt his head catch, he pushed upward into her. She gasped as he stretched her, then she opened herself to take him in until he was buried completely.

Squeezing his eyes closed, Daryl took a moment to gain control of himself – she was so wet and tight, and he wanted her so badly, it was a struggle not to lose it right there. Slowly, he began to move, thrusting up into her. She rocked against him, matching his rhythm. He buried his face in her neck, kissing and nipping at her, reveling in the feel of her wrapped around his body. She nibbled his earlobe and whispered things into his ear that made his cheeks burn.

Afraid he might lose his balance along with his control, he shifted them. Supporting her slight weight with one arm, he leaned them forward until she rested on the bed. He hooked one of her knees over his elbow, pushing her leg up to rest on his shoulder, giving him a new angle. Her hands clutched at him as he drove into her. As he felt himself coiling up for release, she reached around her own thigh to find his tightening balls with her fingers. The unexpected sensation sent him right over the edge, and he groaned through gritted teeth as he emptied himself as deep inside her as he could get.

Breathing hard, he collapsed forward, releasing her leg and bracing himself on an elbow to keep from crushing her beneath him. She wrapped her legs around his hips, squeezing him tight to her. Her hands were at his face, stroking his cheeks and combing through his hair while she peppered his jaw with kisses. Finally, she slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, never mind the crushing.

"I love you," she whispered.

He lifted his head from her shoulder to look into her sleepy eyes. "Still havin' trouble believin' I'm that lucky."

"Well, believe it."

He quirked a smile. "I love you, too."

They spent the rest of the day naked and wrapped around each other, occasionally pausing to eat or go pee. After a supper of venison jerky and home canned peaches, they lounged together on the narrow mattress for a long time in contented silence.

"You want me to go back to the prison, don't you?"

Carol's question caught him off guard. "Yes, but I don't want to talk about the prison yet. I wanted to wait until you felt better."

"Well, I'm feeling pretty fine right now," she said with a smile and a sensual full body stretch. "We might as well talk."

"I guess."

She was quiet for a while. He wondered if she'd changed her mind, but eventually she looked at him, her face turned serious. "Why would you think I deserve to go back after what I did? No one will want me there, so why should I force the issue? Isn't it better for me to just let it go for everyone else's sake?"

He shook his head in disbelief. "First of all, I want you there. And others do, too. It wasn't Rick's decision to make. We can go back, work it out. Let the fuckin' council do its job!"

"It'll tear the place apart if I go back. It's not fair to everyone else. What's so important about me that I should screw everything up for them?"

He took her by the shoulder. "Carol, you are important – don't you see that? You're as much a part of this family as Rick or anyone else. You've earned your place, and you deserve to be heard."

Her expression faltered a bit. "Don't you think I lost that place when I murdered people?"

"I don't think it's for me to decide any more than Rick. We go back, we can work it out. The whole group together. Look," he said, stroking his thumb down her jawline. "This world's all fucked up, and things just ain't like they used to be. Sometimes we have to make hard choices, and sometimes we choose wrong. Doesn't mean we deserve to be tossed out like trash."

She looked away and actually seemed to be thinking about what he said. Hope flared that she might change her mind. Finally she sat up, chewing her lip.

"I'll go. If it goes badly, I'm out. But I'll go. I'll try it for you."

Relief flooded Daryl and he pulled her close. "Thank you. We'll work this out, you'll see."

She buried her nose in his neck and whispered, "I hope so."