Daryl didn't have to be on set that morning, or that day at all. He wasn't part of the scene they were filming and he had the day off to do whatever he wanted. But he was there because it was a very emotional scene for Carol and he wanted to support her.

The last couple weeks had flown by and things had gone… remarkably well. In some ways Merle was the same old asshole, but in other ways he'd changed to this almost unrecognizable person. Sobriety had brought a maturity that Daryl had never seen in his brother before. It was like he'd went from a kid who had no idea what he wanted in life to a man - with clear goals and a vision of his future.

Merle had been bitten by the acting bug and he'd been bitten HARD. Just the night before he'd told Daryl that he'd hired an agent. Merle would only be appearing in one episode of The Walking Dead in season 1 but he was contracted to appear again in the following season - though it was solely dependant on him staying sober. The old Merle would have sat back and enjoyed the significant sum of money he was receiving, just biding his time until he was needed again. But this new guy, whoever he was… had hired an agent to find him work in the off season.

Daryl had to admit that Merle was good. He'd gone to watch his scenes on a rooftop in Atlanta - same rooftop he'd be filming at himself in a couple of weeks. There were only a couple interruptions from the acting coaches on set to guide Merle in the right direction and Daryl had overheard the execs saying how impressed they were. It went a hell of a lot better for Merle than it had for him when he shot his first few scenes. It should have been easy for Daryl to act like a pissed off redneck - it was how he'd lived for most of his adult life. But as soon as the cameras started to roll he couldn't focus. They even had to take a break because he had what Carol had called a "massive hissy fit."

She had been there for his first scene and she'd been the one who calmed him down enough to continue. Daryl had been embarrassed that it seemed to come so natural for everyone else, yet he fumbled, forgot lines and was interrupted by the acting coaches more often than anyone else. "Be yourself," she'd told him. "They wrote this stuff to try to capture your personality. They wanted you. You got this."

The rest of the day went well and Daryl had actually enjoyed the scene where he got to get all up in Rick's face and then scuffle a bit with Shane. The physical stuff he could do. When anyone touched him he reacted naturally - like a wild animal. He knew he wasn't naturally talented like some of the others, but he was starting to feel like he might survive.

Merle was good and he knew it, but Daryl was used to his brother's cockiness and it didn't surprise him in the least that acting was no different. But the way he took it so seriously was shocking. Daryl couldn't help but wonder how long it could possibly last though. Merle had never stuck to anything - this would likely be the same.

"And action," the director yelled, catching Daryl's attention. Daryl was a little too far away to hear the conversation between the ladies gathered down by the water, but he knew the dialogue from the script. He knew the entire scene, very, very well. And he was nervous. There was a knot in the pit of his stomach that was getting tighter every second they drew closer to the fight that was about to happen. What they were filming wasn't a long scene, but there were a lot of aspects involved and a lot of characters involved as well. It would take a while to film and the day was hot already. His eyes were focussed on Carol. She had a short line coming up… "Me too." He could read her lips and he smiled when the other ladies all erupted with laughter. It was a sweet and light scene, but it set the table for the exact moment that had Daryl's entire body tense.

"Cut," yelled the director. "Great job ladies. Take 5, get some water, sunscreen… we'll pick back up soon."

Everyone scattered, searching for shade and a drink. Carol came right over to him and he handed her a bottle of water. She took a long drink before either of them spoke. "You ready for this?" he asked nervously. Maybe she was fine and he was way more stressed about it than he should be.

"Nope," she said honestly. "But I do just want this part over with." His heart ached for her. Daryl wished so much that they would just cut this scene, but Mike was adamant that this was very important for what they had in store for Carol's character.

"You're doing great," Daryl said softly.

Carol chuckled. "I've had one line today." She looked up at him with a smile, "But thank you for saying that." He watched her suck in a breath. "I really hope I don't screw this up," she sighed.

Daryl wasn't sure what to say. He was getting more and more angry by the second that they were putting her through this. "You ain't gonna." It wasn't much. It wasn't enough. So he quickly brushed her hand, letting his fingers linger briefly on her palm. His cheeks burned wondering if anyone saw the tiny intimate moment.

"Okay guys, let's get ready to continue," a voice boomed.

Carol gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you," she whispered. But before she turned he saw the fear in her eyes and he had to restrain himself from chasing after her and taking her away.

Daryl paced as things got rolling. It took quite a while to get through the first part - an altercation between Ed and Andrea. They wanted to push through and film without any lengthy breaks to try to capture the emotion of the scene and it was actually going really well. But then all hell broke loose in the scene and Daryl was pretty sure he was going to vomit.

The actor who was playing the role of Ed didn't actually hit Carol, it was all acting, but from that moment on… Carol wasn't acting anymore. Her emotion, her tears, her fear… it was all real. Daryl started pacing faster, his heart pounding in his chest. What the fuck? Why were they continuing to film? She was crying… yes, she was supposed to cry… but it was real - her tears are fucking real you assholes - he wanted to scream. Everyone else was doing a great job, but they were clearly feeding off Carol's emotion. He eyed the director, Mike the showrunner, the sound team and everyone else involved… they looked fascinated - blown away even. They looked… happy.

There was a brief pause in the action where they swapped out the stunt doubles and brought in a beaten up looking Ed. Daryl hoped the slight pause in the action would give Carol a chance to breathe and calm down, but she looked like she was in another place and time… and still… no one noticed but him. The camera started rolling again and Carol tore away from the others to drop to her knees beside Ed. "I'm sorrry, I'm sorry…" That's all Daryl could hear and then he heard something else and he couldn't hold himself back any longer. "Ned…" She called him Ned. They must have heard that, right?

Daryl ran over to the director and grabbed him roughly. "Stop this… stop it now," he hissed. "You heard that.. I know you did."

"Yeah, it's fine… we can just edit that out… she's amazing though… we can't stop, it's almost over - we're never gonna get her this emotional again if we stop now," he replied quietly.

"You stop it… or I will," Daryl threatened.

"Just… a little longer," he said, glaring at Daryl. "Shhh."

"Fuck you, fuck you all," Daryl snapped, running out into the scene.

"Cut," he heard the director yell.

"What the hell is going on?" Another person said, he was pretty sure it was Mike's voice. But Daryl didn't stop, he headed straight for Carol. The actor playing Ed sat up, looking every bit as confused as the rest of them.

"Get away from her," Daryl snarled, at no one in particular. He was angry with them all. How could every fucking one of them be so damn blind? He dropped to the ground and gathered Carol up in his arms. She was sobbing, still repeating "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" over and over again. "Shhh, it's okay, I'm here," Daryl whispered, holding her tightly to his chest. He glared at Lori, Andrea, Amy and Jacqui. They're her friends… they should have known, they should have seen it.

Slowly people started to clue in and their faces changed, but it didn't ease Daryl's anger, not one little bit. He was furious that this sweet, kind woman was sobbing in his arms traumatized, reliving her worst nightmare… for what? A stupid television show?

People started to move towards them, but finally the director made himself fucking useful. "We're done for the day, everyone back to base camp." When no one moved his tone changed. "Now," he snapped. "Give her space." Slowly they started to back away, everyone but Lori. She came over and dropped to the ground.

Daryl was about to say something, but Lori wrapped her arms around Carol from behind, leaving the three of them in a group hug of sorts. "I'm so sorry Sweetie," Lori said, with tears running down her cheeks. She stayed, just for a moment, then kissed the top of Carol's head before standing up. Lori gave him a look before she left and Daryl knew she felt horrible - his anger towards her lightened. Daryl knew the woman cared about Carol, deeply.

Everyone gave them space and eventually the sobs slowed down and Carol looked up at him. "I screwed it up, didn't I?" she whispered.

"No, no… God no," Daryl soothed her. It annoyed him that she was worried about the scene when there was so much more going on. "Don't worry about that."

"But I can't lose this job…" She protested. "I can't. I need to go apologize. Where is everyone? I can do this… I can finish."

Mike had heard her and came over. "We got what we needed," he said gently as Daryl gave him the stare of death. "You were amazing, but I had no idea it would affect you that way. If you want - we can cut this scene - figure out another way to get the same message out there…"

"No," Carol interrupted. "Use it. I want other women out there to know…" her voice cracked. "I survived," she finished moments later, just before breaking down again.

"Will you take her home? Make sure she's okay?" Mike asked Daryl. He knew how close they were and he had to know this would only bring them closer, yet he wasn't objecting to it - he was encouraging it instead. Daryl also know it was because he likely felt guilty about what had happened… maybe the serious business man did have a heart after all… Or maybe he was just protecting his investments.

"Yup," Daryl replied, avoiding eye contact. He gently helped Carol to her feet and they headed for the van waiting to take them to basecamp. When they arrived everyone who was still there gave them space. At least they had the sense to do that. Daryl waited patiently while Carol got changed and washed up.

When she emerged from her trailer she looked a little better. "You want me to drive you home?" he asked.

Carol shook her head. "I want you to take me for a ride," she replied, gesturing to his bike. "I just want to shake it all off and forget for a while. Don't want to think or feel… I just want the wind in my face and that feeling of freedom…" She looked uncertain but he knew the exact feeling she was talking about.

"Let's go," he replied, giving her a smile. Daryl felt her body relax against him by the time they were out of the parking lot. He headed out into the countryside, sticking to the backroads and they flew.

They only stopped twice all day. Once at a roadside food truck for a quick bite to eat and a second time at a gas station to fill up and use the restroom. They didn't talk much at all, but it was okay - they didn't need to. Daryl was giving her what she wanted and he could tell she was thankful.

It wasn't until dark that he took her home. They didn't go back for her car which meant he would just take her to get it the next day - by that point it wasn't something they needed to discuss ahead of time. Daryl walked her to the door and by the time they stepped inside he could see her demeanor had changed again. "You gonna be okay?" he asked, feeling very uncertain. She'd been fine on the bike but now she looked nervous and scared again.

"Will you stay awhile?" she said quickly. Carol chewed her lip. "I hate to ask, but…"

"Stop," he drawled. "You know I'll stay as long as ya need me." They settled in the living room on the couch and Carol turned on the TV. They picked a movie and she leaned against his chest, clearly needing the comfort of being close. They weren't 20 minutes into the movie and Carol was asleep.

Daryl decided to just keep watching the movie a while and see if she woke up, but he knew with the emotional morning and the day on the bike in the fresh air she was clearly exhausted. He stayed put, trying not to move too much so he didn't wake her. It wasn't easy when she would shift from time to time leaving her hand too high on his thigh or tucking her face into his neck so he could feel each breath tickle his skin.

Before he could end up with a massive boner like the last time he was on that very couch Daryl decided it was time to get her to bed. He could have just moved her into a comfy position on the couch and covered her up, but he planned on sleeping on the couch himself. He planned on staying because he couldn't leave her to wake up alone in the house without knowing if she was okay.

It took a lot of careful maneuvering but finally he got out from under her and stood up so he could lift her into his arms. Carol sighed sleepily and stirred when he picked her up, but she didn't fully wake. Poor thing really was exhausted. He easily carried her to the bedroom, trying very hard not to let any inappropriate thoughts creep into mind and failing miserably. How many times had he thought about carrying her to bed before? What came after in his fantasies were a lot different than what was about to happen - he knew that. His dreams resulted in a desperate need to jerk off or take a cold shower.

When Daryl set her on the bed Carol's eyes flew open and she looked scared. "Please don't leave," she said desperately. "Please stay."

"I ain't going anywhere," Daryl assured her. "I'll just sleep on the couch."

"No I mean… will you stay here? In my bed with me? Will you hold me? I… I… just don't want to be alone," she pleaded.

Daryl nodded and she moved over to give him room. Why did she think she needed to beg him? Didn't she know he'd do anything for her? Carol rolled her back to him and he snuggled close, wrapping his arms around her. Once again he felt her body relax right away. If only his would do the same. This was going to be pure torture, but it didn't matter - she was worth it. Daryl closed his eyes and hoped to hell he wasn't going to wake up with an embarrassing hard on, but not feeling very hopeful about that possibility… at all.