A/N: Three things: 1) Thanks for reviews, especially to those of you who always let me know you like the story after each chapter. That's why I keep writing this! 2) I don't know why on earth I was putting an extra G on T-dog's name, but I'll stop now. I'm a stickler for spelling things right, but somewhere along the way I thought he had an extra G. Sorry! 3) There's some smut and some fluff ahead in this chapter. I hope you like it!

Carol's skin tingled. The days were getting warmer now but nights were still cool, and she was thankful for Daryl's body next to her in bed to keep her warm every night. He was like a furnace, and their lovemaking certainly kept her from getting cold as well. After their bath, they dried off quickly and rushed to the bed to get under the covers together. They lay there for a long time, just enjoying the feeling of their naked bodies against each other. Carol knew he was very tired and she almost let him drift into sleep. But his hands on her in the bath had turned her on, and she couldn't imagine going to sleep without enjoying his body a little, so she decided to make the first move.

She started with little kisses along the side of his neck, soft and sweet, then parted her lips to lick him a little and nip at him with the edge of her teeth. When she heard a small groan escape his lips, she slid her hand down over his chest and stomach. When she reached his cock, she used just her fingertips to stroke it lightly, feeling it harden and grow under her touch. Then she wrapped her hand around it and squeezed a bit, at the same time trailing kisses down his throat and chest until her mouth reached his right nipple. She sucked his nipple into her mouth while her hand stroked up and down his cock. He lifted his hips upward, his hand on the back of her head. She released his nipple and positioned herself between his legs, pulling back on his cock to bring it to her lips. She looked up at him and held the tip of it to her lips, pausing a moment for him to realize what she was about to do. "Carol," he whispered, and she closed her lips over him, sliding them down. He moaned loudly as she used her tongue to push his cock up against the roof of her mouth and hold him there. His hand found the back of her head again, and she looked up to see him watching her. She slid her lips up and down on him, stroking him with her tongue. Knowing what this was doing to him was incredibly arousing for her. She felt herself getting wetter and wetter, and without thinking about it she slipped one hand down between her legs and slid her fingers inside. When he saw what she was doing, he moaned again. "Oh god, Carol. . .please. . .let me fuck you. . ."

She released him from her mouth, moving up until she was straddling him. She tucked him inside her and sank down on him slowly as he watched. She reached up to his mouth and let him suck her wetness off her fingers, hardly able to believe her own boldness. She'd never felt so turned on before. Seeing the desire in his eyes, seeing her effect on him, set her body on fire. She moved up and down on him, riding him, pushing down a little harder and faster each time. He watched their bodies joining together, then threw his head back as his hands grasped her hips and he thrust upward. She rode him harder, grinding against him, until he felt the pulse of her orgasm all around his cock. "Oh, fuck," he said, lifting his head again, holding her hips still and pushing into her until she felt him come inside her. "God. . . Carol," he muttered, dropping his head back onto the pillow. She kept him inside her and lay down on his chest, loving the feeling of his heart pounding against hers. After a while, she moved off him and lay beside him. He turned toward her and she turned her back to him, pulling his arm around her. With a huge smile on her face, she listened to his breathing for a while, waiting to hear him fall asleep.

"Carol?"

"Hmm?"

"Can. . .can you turn around?"

She flipped around to face him. "Hi," she said, a little shyly.

"Hi," he said, smiling a little and looking shy himself. It always astonished her that there could be any shyness left between them. "Carol, I. . ."

She put a hand on his face. "What?"

"I love you."

The feeling that shot through Carol's body was almost painful. She hadn't expected to hear him say it, even though she'd known for a while that he surely loved her. She left her hand on his face and smiled up at him. "I love you too, Daryl."

He closed his eyes then, and soon he was asleep. If she'd known this was their last night together for a while, if she'd known what was to come in the next few days, she would've stayed awake all night staring at him, memorizing him. Instead, she fell into a peaceful sleep tucked against his chest, listening to his breathing.

Daryl left before Carol woke up the next morning, heading out with Rick, T-Dog, and Glenn to scavenge for building supplies. They'd planned a quick trip, but they ended up being gone all day, and Carol started to worry, along with Maggie and Lori. To ease everyone's minds, Michonne went out to look for them in the early evening, and she returned with a report that they'd found tools and were dismantling some sheds behind a house just a few blocks away. Apparently they'd collected a ton of lumber and were busy making plans for their wall.

Another hour or two passed, and Carol began to worry that the men were hungry and thirsty but too caught up in their work to stop for a break. She packed a bag with water bottles and granola bars and headed out after asking Michonne where she could find the men. "Where are you going?" Andrea called from her perch on the roof next door.

"Taking the guys some food," Carol answered. "I'll be right back."

"You sure you'll be ok?"

"I've got a knife," Carol said. "You guys have taught me well." She walked off without another word. She didn't really want to have a conversation with Andrea about whether she could defend herself. She still felt awkward around her after that day in the liquor store. She wasn't entirely sure if all of Andrea's anger stemmed from being left behind at the farm, but she didn't want to provoke her regardless. After all her years with Ed, Carol was an expert at avoiding conflict when she needed to. On her short walk, Carol reflected on the conflicts she'd had with Daryl. The two of them had been in some heated arguments, certainly, but Carol knew now that the heat usually stemmed from passion, not anger.

She felt a thrill run through her when she thought of the previous night, of the way she'd pleased Daryl in bed and of his subsequent declaration of love. A part of her had wanted to run straight to Lori and Maggie to tell them what he'd said, but she stopped herself. Daryl was private about these things. Everyone knew they shared a bed, but she and Daryl hadn't yet shown any signs of affection in front of the others. Sometimes Carol longed to kiss and touch him freely and easily, the way Maggie did Glenn, but the secret nature of their relationship almost made it more exciting, if that was possible. All day they were apart, even if they were in the same room, but she knew that when night came he belonged to her. And, as always, she belonged to him.

T-Dog spotted her first, giving her a big smile when she saw the water bottle in her hand. "Oh, thank God," he said. "You're a lifesaver."

"What were you guys thinking staying out here all this time without food and water?" she scolded.

"My fault," Rick said with a smile, accepting a granola bar and bottle of water from Carol's bag. "I guess I got carried away when I saw all the tools. I just didn't want us to stop working while we were ahead."

"So you've found some good stuff for the wall, then?" Carol asked, glancing at Daryl, who was still standing a little distance away, staring at her.

"Yeah," T-Dog answered for Rick, as Rick's mouth was full. "Lots of tools, lots of sources for good lumber. It'll be a lot of work, but we can do it."

"That's wonderful," Carol said, reaching out to give T-Dog a little hug. She could see that he was happy to have come up with the idea, to have made such a major contribution to their safety.

"Did you walk over here by yourself?" Daryl asked, finally walking over.

"I've got my knife," she said, giving him a stern look, almost daring him to question her. "It's not far."

He nodded, and Carol knew it was killing him not to scold her for putting herself in danger, even on a short walk. She appreciated the effort, and she gave him a little smile to show him. The corners of his mouth lifted a little in response and he met her eyes for a moment. He still seemed a little shy with her, and she wondered if he was thinking of last night, of telling her that he loved her. Out of the corner of her eye, Carol saw T-Dog and Rick exchanging a look. Hell, she and Daryl might as well make out in front of everyone at this point. Clearly they all knew the two were in love.

"Ok, I'll let you guys get back to your work," she finally said, tearing her eyes away from Daryl and lowering the bag of food and water to the ground. "Don't stay too long, ok? It's getting late."

"You could stay with us," Daryl muttered. "Ride back with us when we're done. Then you won't have to walk back by yourself."

"Oh no, that's ok," she said. "I'd be in the way, and I need to get back to help Beth figure out something for all of us to eat for dinner. I don't want to be away from Lori for long anyway."

"Is she ok?" Rick asked quickly, a look of alarm on his face.

Carol laid a comforting hand on his arm. She was touched to see his concern, but she wished he would show it to Lori as well. "She's fine, Rick. But the baby could come any time, and I want to be around to help Hershel. It can all happen really quickly, you know, especially a second baby from what I've heard."

"I'm – I'm glad she has you to help," Rick mumbled, turning away to end the conversation. Carol sighed. He simply wasn't ready to forgive his wife.

"Goodbye, Daryl," she said, placing a hand on his chest for a moment. "I'll see you at home."

"Stay safe," he said, chewing his bottom lip. She longed to take his face in her hands and press her lips to his, but she knew it would make him uncomfortable in front of Rick and T-Dog, as much as he might truly want the same thing. Plenty of time for kissing later, she thought. And she couldn't wait.

She walked away then, shaking her head a little. It was always hard to walk away from Daryl. His presence had meant many things to her over the past year. At first she'd felt uncomfortable around him. Back at the camp when she first met him, he was just one half of a pair of hotheaded redneck brothers who made everyone uncomfortable, not just her. He was the gorgeous half, certainly, and the one with more sense, but he was not someone Carol thought she would ever really get to know. Then after Sophia went missing, suddenly he meant everything to her, because he represented hope. She knew no one else really believed they would find her daughter. In the moments when she was being truly honest with herself, she could admit that she didn't believe it either. But Daryl believed, and because of that he became the most important person in Carol's world. In the months after they left the farm, while Carol was slowly adjusting to a life without Sophia, she realized that he was more than her protector and savior. She loved him. It was as simple and as complicated as that. And now he loved her too, so much he was even willing to speak it out loud. Carol crossed her arms, hugging herself a little to contain the joy that welled up in her at the thought of their love.

And that was when she saw the herd.