It seemed as if just as soon as he gave in to whatever it was going on between them-it had been going on for a long time, at least it had for Carol- Daryl surprised her by pulling back. Turning his back on her, Daryl now seemed a million miles away although they were only inches apart.

"Hey," Carol said softly as she touched his back. She could feel his muscles tighten at her touch. "What's going on?"

He said nothing; instead of giving her the attention that she'd been seeking, Daryl found himself looking at the floor.

Coldly removing her hand, she stood up and turned away. Now it was Daryl's turn to do the observing.

"Just go," she ordered in a direct tone of voice- it was one he'd heard her when she was instructing the children, but never with him.

"Carol..." he managed to say but she wasn't having any of it.

"I get it. I really do," she replied defensively without even looking at him.

Still sitting, he continued to watch her. "What do you 'get'?"

"That this-whatever it is I thought we had going- is a mistake. It's all in my head. I'm sorry, Daryl. It won't happen again."

"It ain't like that," Daryl snapped, without even meaning to.

"Then what is it? That even in the end of the world you can't throw me a pity fuck. That's all right. I understand. I really do."

Now he stood up. Angrily, he responded. "I told you, it ain't like that!"

Surprised, Carol slowly turned around. Her eyes narrowed as she spoke. "Then what? What is it? What is it about me that turns you off so? I'm not to shy to admit that you turn me on, more than you realize. At night- I used to have dreams, bad dreams. About Ed. About Sophia. But lately I've been having other kinds of dreams- good ones. Some days all that gets me through them is knowing just for a little bit, even in my dreams- I'll have just a little piece of you. But I do get it- you don't feel the same. I respect you enough to not bother you any more. Now if you can just do me a favor- let me be, at least for a little while?"

Her eyes haunted him, and he knew that if he didn't act fast that they would continue to haunt him for a long time to come.

She closed her eyes, waiting. Waiting for what, he didn't know. But he kind of figured it had more to do with Ed than it did Daryl himself. He'd hurt her, everyone knew that.

"Hey..." he muttered. "When me and Merle found your camp- you knew I pretty much kept to myself."

Not quite following him, nonetheless Carol opened her eyes and nodded in agreement.

"What you don't know-what Rick don't know- is that me and Merle, we really weren't joining you guys to help out."

"Then why..."

"We were going to wait till the time was right- then at night we were going to sneak off, with all you'all's food and whatever else we could get."

Carol, to his surprise, actually kind of smiled. "Your brother always was a wild card."

"It wasn't his idea." Daryl paused. "It was mine."

Carol didn't look at him, didn't want to embarrass him, didn't want him to think any less of him for that. "We've all done things we're not so proud of."

"Maybe," he acknowledged.

"Then why didn't you- why didn't you take what you needed and then hit the road?"

"I don't know. Never got around to it, I guess."

"No, guess you didn't. You stayed, and you proved yourself. That has to count for something, doesn't it?" she smiled at him once again.

He said nothing.

"Why...why are you telling me this now?" Carol queried.

"Merle- when he and I were on the road for ourselves before the shit hit the fan with the governor and all, he asked me why I stayed."

"Why did you stay?"

She could see it in his eyes- he wanted to be real with her, but hadn't the confidence in himself or in her to do so. It doesn't matter now."

"I don't know. I guess I saw how you all took up for each other. I ain't never had that in my life. My brother, he up and joined the army, leaving me all alone with our stupid piece of shit daddy."

It was obvious he wasn't going to elaborate; Carol wasn't going to push him. She knew what he was saying, better than anyone else.

"I'm sorry, Daryl. You didn't deserve that."

He looked at her briefly. "Neither did you."

That made her feel good. Yes, it had been kind of nice when Shane had beat the hell out of Ed for what he had done, but somehow in his own way, Daryl's words to her meant even more.

"I'm sorry for tonight. I didn't mean to..."

"Hey, I ain't Ed. You don't have to keep saying you're sorry for everything. You're not always wrong, you know."

"What's that mean?"

Daryl took her by surprised her and got just a little bit closer to her. "You ain't wrong, that's all."

And as her eyes met his, suddenly Carol wasn't so sorry for starting all this. Did he want her? That, she couldn't be sure. But she did know one thing- he was worth fighting for, even if it took some time.

Usually the first one to look away from their little glances, this time, if he felt awkward, he wasn't showing it.

Carol, reminded of just how far Daryl had come, kissed his forehead. She turned around, fully prepared for him to just leave, for things to be left where they at. But what she hadn't been expecting was the touch of his hands on her neck.

As his lips met the nape of her neck, he could feel the chills that overcame Carol, and it kind of made him feel good.

"You still want this.." he growled, and she sighed.

"More than you know."

The next thing Carol knew was that she suddenly felt the warm touch of a man on her for the first time in a long time- and she didn't hate it.

Far from it.

TBC