See, you guys! When my chapters are shorter I can update more! I hope you like it. Just stick with me, you know I'm building up to something ;)

Chapter Five

He didn't stop at his camp. He kept on going, his grip on her hand was firm but he made sure he wasn't hurting her. He had no idea what the fuck he was doing and he wanted to just keep going so he wouldn't have to talk to her. Why had he done this?

He knew why. Because this stupid woman had a damn death wish. She was going to do it. Ed had told her to come and she was actually going to go to him. And all day long everything would be just fine but then what about when no one was looking? He was going to kill her. Why didn't she see that? Why the hell did he care? He wanted to stop right there and kick his own ass. Kick it from here to the coast because now people were really going to be talking.

He finally stopped and dropped her hand. When he turned around she actually took a few steps back. His face must have showed the anger he was now feeling. He wasn't even sure where the anger was directed. Himself, this stupid woman or her ass of a husband.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He hissed, leaning into her face. "Do you wanna die at the hands of that son of a bitch? You want that little girl to have to fend for herself? Jesus Christ, Carol."

She flinched at the anger in his voice but then her chin came up and she didn't really glare but she caught him off guard with that steely look she gave him. "I told him no. I'm not leaving with him. You heard me say that."

He threw his arms up in exasperation. "I heard. We all heard. And then I also saw. You were gonna do exactly what he said to do, weren't you? You was gonna walk your crazy ass right over there and you were gonna just keep on with this insane shit. Stick with it till he kills you."

"What does it matter to you? I ain't your concern. I can take care of myself." She bit out angrily.

He took a step closer, grabbed the hem of her shirt and yanked it up. He didn't look down, he kept his eyes on hers. "This is you takin' care of yourself?" He asked bitterly as he brushed his fingers lightly across her bruises. She looked down and then back up, not wanting to see the mess of her body. The trail his fingers made left goosebumps on her stomach and she shivered.

He dropped his hands and stepped away, averting his eyes. She was right. She wasn't his concern. He'd been telling himself the same thing for two days now. But hearing it from her was confirmation. He turned around and then he felt her hand on his arm. He jerked away and then faced her.

"Daryl, I..."

"Your right." He shook his head. "You ain't no concern of mine. I don't even know what the hell I'm doin'. You go ahead and do what you need to do to make that husband of yours happy, Carol. And the water's all yours tonight after you run off to lick your wounds. I'll keep away."

He stormed off back towards camp, leaving her standing there in the woods.

~H~

Rick and Lori looked up when they saw Daryl emerge from the woods. Ed had went back to his tent to fume in peace. Daryl looked as mad as he usually did but there was an edge to his look that Rick hadn't seen before.

"You guys have any idea what that's all about?" Amy asked as her and Andrea noticed Daryl slinging bags into the back of his truck.

Lori shook her head. "I have no idea. I hate to say it, I really do, but I believe Daryl just got that woman in more trouble than she's gonna know how to deal with."

Amy shook her head and leaned into her sister, smiling slightly. "I don't know. Did you see her today? She looked right at him and told him no. And have you noticed the way Daryl is around her. I think I saw him smile today."

Lori nodded. "Dale said that he swears Daryl helped her with the laundry and everything."

Andrea laughed and hugged her sister closer. "And he punched Ed in the face yesterday. You think something is really going on with those two?"

Everyone just watched Daryl as he stomped around camp throwing this and that into the back of the old pick up truck.

~H~

Carol didn't follow him right away. Angry tears were trying to escape her eyes. Who the hell did he think he was? Things were bad enough. She didn't need him making them worse. And her damn skin was still tingling where he had touched her. He didn't have any right to touch her. Or to make this situation more confusing than it already was.

She wiped the tears away before they could escape. What she needed to do was to stay away from him. It had felt good at first. Thinking that maybe she had found a real friend. Someone who got her even though she didn't really get herself. Someone who understood the things she was going through without her having to explain anything to him. Someone who would sit with her in the dark like it was the most normal thing in the world.

She made a frustrated sound and then started to head back the way she had came. She wasn't going to stand out here in the woods and shed tears for the likes of Daryl Dixon. Ed was right. She was making a real fool of herself. Daryl didn't care about her. And she didn't need him anyway. She would stay away from him and Ed both and if neither one of them liked it then to hell with them. Carol was her own person. And it was about damn time she started acting like it.

When she found her way back to camp she stormed right past Daryl, who had just gathered up some things from around his tent. He looked at her like he might say something but she ignored him and stormed right past. He wasn't the only one that got to walk away from somebody. She almost turned around but she forced herself to move. Forced one foot in front of the other. She didn't need to hear what it was he had to say. She didn't want to hear it. But she didn't trust herself to look back, just in case those blue eyes were trained on her. She shook her head. The hell was wrong with her?

Rick, Lori, Andrea and Amy watched her storm out of the woods and she could swear that she still felt Daryl's eyes on her as she stalked off. Didn't these people have anything better to do?

"Mom?"

Carol stopped in her tracks at the sound of her daughters voice. She let out a deep breath and then smiled. "Hi, honey." She said, forcing herself to at least look like she was fine.

"Are you okay?" Sophia asked quietly. She was standing there with Carl, who was acting like he was interested in something further towards camp.

Carol nodded. "I'm okay. Are you okay?"

Sophia nodded and then glanced behind her towards Daryl. "Are you and Mr. Dixon fighting?" She frowned.

Carol looked up in time to meet Daryl's eyes and then she looked away. "No. Him and I are just..."

"Daddy said that he's your new boy toy. What does that even mean?"

Carol felt her face turn red. "That means your daddy is a moron, Sophia. Don't listen to anything he says anymore, you understand?"

Sophia nodded solemnly and Carol turned to walk away. She wasn't sure where Ed had gone but there were still things she needed to gather up so they could head out early. She wasn't even sure who she was riding with at this point. If she was lucky Ed would just leave out on his own. She didn't look up at anyone as she walked by. She didn't want to see the questions in their faces and she didn't want to see the pity in their eyes. They would learn soon enough that Carol was turning over a new leaf. They would have to find someone else to feel sorry for before long.

She made it to her camp and started gathering up some things around the tent. She heard the zipper and stifled a groan. She was really hoping Ed had gone somewhere else but there he was, lumbering out of the tent, giving her his trademark glare.

"That didn't take long." He said in a hushed voice.

She didn't say anything at first but then he was right there, towering over her. "What do you want, Ed?" She asked tiredly.

He grabbed her upper arm but not before he glanced around to make sure no one was looking. "I want you to stop actin' like some whore. You need me to remind you where your place is?"

Carol felt herself flinch back from his words but then she straightened up and looked him in the eye. "I don't need to be reminded of where my place is, Ed. But do I need to remind you what these men around here will do to you if they catch you trying to put your hands on me again?"

His grip tightened on her arm but she refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was hurting her.

"There a problem here?"

Carol turned her head just as Ed dropped her arm. Shane was standing a few feet away, gun on his hip. He was pointing a questioning look towards Ed.

"No. Not a problem here." Ed said in a low voice.

"Yes, there is." Carol said as she stepped away from Ed. "But I think I can handle it okay on my own." Carol continued to pick up their things.

"Carol, why don't you and Sophia ride out with me in the mornin'. That way we'll know there wont be a problem. Anything that belongs to the two of you can go in the Jeep tonight. I didn't have much so there's plenty of room." Shane said as he kept his eye on Ed.

"And you don't think her new boyfriend will have a problem with that?" Ed sneered.

Shane gave him a humorless smile. "You know, I don't think me and Daryl Dixon agree on a lot of things. But one thing I'm pretty sure of is that as long as she ain't with you, then neither one of us has much to worry about where she's concerned."

"She's my wife. Ain't neither one of you have any right to interfere with my marriage. That ain't your jurisdiction, Officer. And it sure as hell ain't no concern of some redneck trash like that Dixon boy."

"You see, that's where your dead wrong Ed. Dead wrong. It's my job to keep everybody in this camp safe. And I don't feel like she's all that safe in your company." Shane kept that sardonic smile in place as he put one foot on the fender of Ed's car and rested his arms on his leg as though he wasn't planning on going anywhere.

Ed gave Shane one last cold look before he walked away. Shane waited until he was out of sight before he looked at Carol.

"Are you really okay?" He asked.

She flashed him a smile and nodded. "I'm fine. It's just going to take him a while to get used to it is all."

Shane's brows shot up. "Get used to what?"

Carol picked up a bag she had filled with odds and ends and glanced in the direction Ed had went. "To me not being his punching bag anymore."

She handed Shane the bag and then picked up another before she walked around him. She went to his Jeep and tossed it in. He sat the other bag down next to it and turned to her with a smile. "I think I'm gonna enjoy watchin' this unfold, Carol."

She shook her head. "I'm glad somebody will."