Big thank you to my lovely beta Jaded79 for going over this chapter for me, hope you all enjoy and let me know what you think

Chapter 14

Singing only for you.

Daryl hadn't seen Carol since their hunting trip. Once they had returned they had showered and then she had gone to the kitchen to help the other women and he had gone to the tower for his watch. Now it was dinner time and he was dying to see her.

She was all he ever thought about anymore, he didn't think he could ever live without her. She meant the world to him; and while the thought scared him a little as he had never been the committing type, he was actually considering asking her to marry him. He knew it seemed silly considering the world they now lived in but he wanted everyone to know she was his and he was hers.

He decided that while he used to be the one night stand type before the world went to shit, that just wasn't him anymore. The world had changed and so had he, and he loved Carol more than he ever thought he could love anyone and he was going to find the perfect ring on their next scavenge trip and ask Hershel to marry them.

He moved into the dining room and saw that everyone had already eaten and moved on to do their own things, but he could see Carol in the kitchen alone cleaning up. As he got closer he heard the sweetest sound in the world.

He stopped in the doorway for a moment, stunned speechless; Carol had ear phones in and was clearly lost in the music she was listening to cause she was singing loudly and proudly and really well too. She had the voice of an angel and he was stunned he was only just finding out that the woman he loved could sing better than most professional singers.

Remember those walls I built. Well, baby they're tumbling down and they didn't even put up a fight, they didn't even make up a sound. I found a way to let you in but I never really had a doubt. Standing in the light of your halo I got my angel now.

This was the best gift she had been given in longer then she could remember, well apart from the crossbow Daryl had given her. Daryl, her mind drifted to him as she listened and sang along with the song, it reminded her perfectly of how she felt about him and their situation.

It's like I've been awakened, every rule I had you breakin'. It's the risk that I'm takin' I ain't never gonna shut you out. Everywhere I'm looking now, I'm surrounded by your embrace. Baby I can see your halo, You know you're my saving grace.

He was her saving grace, he had pulled her back from the brink, when she was ready to just let go, to give in. Her life had come to a grinding halt when she had lost her sweet Sophia and afterward she had been certain that there was nothing and no one in this world that could make her feel like going on; and then Daryl had swept her away.

You're everything I need and more, It's written all over your face. Baby I can feel your halo. Pray it won't fade away. I can feel your halo halo halo, I can see your halo halo halo, I can feel your halo halo halo, I can see your halo halo halo.

She worried every day that the day would come when he would leave her whether it be because of an accident, a walker or even his brother returning and Daryl leaving with him. She prayed she never lost him and that he stayed this strong but sweet guy she had fallen totally head over heels for.

Hit me like a ray of sun, burning through my darkest night. You're the only one that I want. Think I'm addicted to your light. I swore I'd never fall again but this don't even feel like falling, gravity can't forget to pull me back to the ground again.

She had always sworn to herself after making the huge mistake of marrying Ed that she would never allow herself to fall for anyone ever again. While in the beginning she had cared for Ed, she could never claim to have loved him; it would have just been a lie. But Daryl was different, he had come out of nowhere like a tornado and before she even realised it, she was in love with him.

Feels like I've been awakened, every rule I had you breakin'. The risk that I'm takin', I'm never gonna shut you out. Everywhere I'm looking now, I'm surrounded by your embrace. Baby I can see your halo, you know you're my saving grace.

She made a promise to herself that she would never shut him out, never push him away and she would do her best to keep to that promise. She didn't know how she had gotten so lucky and managed to get such an amazing guy like Daryl but she was grateful every day for him.

You're everything I need and more, It's written all over your face. Baby I can feel your halo, pray it won't fade away. I can feel your halo halo halo, I can see your halo halo halo, I can feel your halo halo halo, I can see your halo halo halo. I can feel your halo halo halo, I can see your halo halo halo, I can feel your halo halo halo, I can see your halo halo halo, Halo, halo.

Carol was so lost in the song, the feel of the music washing over her, gripping her and taking hold. She was still so familiar with it, the tones, the sounds; it was like an old friend and she fell right into step with it. She still hadn't even noticed that the object of her words and thoughts was standing right behind her stunned.

Everywhere I'm looking now, I'm surrounded by your embrace. Baby I can see your halo.
You know you're my saving grace, you're everything I need and more. It's written all over your face. Baby I can feel your halo, pray it won't fade away.

She turned almost at the end of her song finally noticing Daryl standing behind her, a big smile on his face but laced with shock. She felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment as she switched the IPod off, pulling the earphones out.

"Carl gave it to me, a gift to say sorry for almost getting me killed," she laughed softly placing the item on the kitchen bench. Daryl still said nothing too stunned to talk. "Will you say something please?" she almost begged.

"I'm sorry it's just…," he stammered trying to find the right words, "WOW!" She laughed at his surprise.

"Thanks."

"I didn't know you could sing… I definitely didn't know you could sing like that."

"Oh I haven't in years to be honest," she smiled shyly moving to finish cleaning but he stopped her grasping her hands.

"Why? I mean you're amazing." Taking a deep breath, she decided it was better to start from the beginning.

"I studied music in college, played piano, guitar, violin but singing was always my favourite."

"Why didn't you say anything when Glenn asked if anyone played guitar?" he asked her confused.

"I didn't want a million questions," she sighed guiding him out into the dining hall and sitting them at a table to talk. "I met Ed at my graduation party. I was twenty two and he was a friend of a friend and after way too much to drink we slept together," she admitted. She felt him squeeze her hands tightly before calming and losing his grip.

"Anyway after that, he just kept hanging around but I told him it was a mistake. Then a month later I found out I was pregnant with Sophia and when I told him, he asked me to marry him." She continued, "I didn't want to but my parents were very religious and when I told them I was pregnant, they said that I either did the right thing and married Ed or they would disown me. So I married him thinking I was doing right by Sophia giving her a family, a mother and father who loved her even if they didn't love each other."

"Was he violent from the start?" he asked needing to know.

"No, he was very sweet, gentle even… it wasn't till after Sophia was born that he started to abuse me, at first just verbally with the occasional threat but then eventually he became violent." She stopped for a moment fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. "When Sophia was six, I had decided enough was enough and even though my parents disapproved, I kicked Ed out and filed for divorce." A tear slipped down her cheek at the memory of what happened next.

"So why didn't you go through with it?"

"I was working as a music teacher at the local high school when I got a call saying Sophia had fallen down the stairs at home and broken her arm. When I got to the hospital she was bruised all over and Ed was there… she looked so scared but she kept saying she fell... that it was an accident." She cried softly as Daryl moved wrapping an arm around her, encouraging her to continue. "Ed drove me home and I stupidly invited him in for coffee and he beat me something horrible, and told me he had pushed Sophia down the stairs and that it was my own fault for thinking I could leave him, he promised to never lay a hand on her again if I promised not to divorce him and to abide by his rules. I was so scared for her, my poor Sophia, so I agreed and that was the night Carol Thorn died and Carol Peletier was born." He moved forward wiping the tears from her face.

"I wish he was alive so I could kill the bastard." She smiled softly, placing a kiss on his lips.

"One of his rules was that I wasn't to work anymore and that I wasn't to sing… he knew there were only two things in this world I loved – one was Sophia and the other was singing."

"Well you're my woman now and I want you to sing whenever and wherever you like."

"I love you Daryl," she whispered into his lips kissing him again.

"I love you too woman," he replied as they pulled apart, deciding it was best to change the subject not wanting her to get any more upset. "Rick wants to do a run for supplies in a few days. With Lori getting further along in the pregnancy he wants to start gathering more medical supplies in case anything goes wrong," he informed her.

"Makes sense," she nodded. "It's not like we have a hospital to rush her to if there are complications."

"Exactly, so he has asked me, Glenn and Maggie to go with him. We may be gone for a night depending on if we run into any problems."

"Well I'll come with you."

"No you'll stay here."

"Daryl...," she moved to argue but he quickly cut her off.

"I'm not being overprotective, I'm being smart. This is our first run, we are taking two muscle and two runners. We want to move fast in and out if possible and Rick wants you, Andrea, Michonne and T-Dog here in case something should go wrong here. A herd, travellers, or god forbid if Lori went into premature labour, okay." She sighed nodding, knowing he was right. "I promise when we do another trip you can come."

"Alright," she smiled nodding. "I should finish cleaning and then we should head to bed," she said standing and heading for the kitchen. He was fast behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close.

"Bed, now that is a great idea," he groaned seductively in her ear. She giggled pushing him away playfully.

"You are a horn dog, Daryl Dixon."

"You love it," he smiled as she laughed softly knowing he was right. He smashed his lips down on hers and kissed her with everything he felt for her inside him.

He would never be able to get enough of this woman and he had been glad when Rick had asked him on the scavenge run. He wasn't coming home till he found her the perfect engagement and wedding ring and then they could make it official. He smiled at the thought as they pulled apart. As he watched her start to clean he knew one day soon Carol Peletier would be a woman of the past, and she would become Carol Dixon.