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"You have got to be kiddin' me." Daryl bit out as his motorbike stuttered to a stop.
"What's wrong?" Carol asked from over his shoulder, she moved her hands from around his waist allowing him to get off the bike and check it over; she quickly surveyed the area for Walkers before climbing off too.
"I thought she had a full tank." Daryl replied furrowing his brow.
"We're gonna have to walk the rest of the way?"
"Hell no, I ain't leavin' my bike," He stated, "It's the only thing I got left of Merle."
Carol nodded her head in acknowledgement as Daryl circled the bike and took out his crossbow from the back, "We'll just have to camp till mornin' then go foragin' for fuel."
"I don't like the idea of being out in the open with Walkers about." Carol breathed turning her head to look behind her.
"There ain't any about, besides, what other option do we have?" He asked referencing to the great expanse of nothingness.
Carol shrugged and cast her eyes down to her boots, though she'd slept outdoors many-a-time in the past year it didn't make the thought any more appealing.
"We passed a bar about 10 minutes that way," Daryl pointed his hand in the direction they had travelled in, "We can stay there till the mornin' and we'll walk back into town tomorrow." He decided.
The bar was occupied by two gaunt looking Walkers who Daryl vanquished easily, the first with his crossbow, then the second with his knife. Then, moving into the darkened bar, he and Carol checked every possible place a Walker could be before settling down on two chairs near the door.
"Have a drink with me." Daryl offered holding a bottle of some brown coloured alcohol out at Carol.
"One of us should stay sober," Carol pointed out, "Just in case."
Daryl shrugged and knocked back a mouthful of booze, "Just a little drink." He breathed tilting the open bottle forward and waving it slightly.
Carol impulsively leant forward and took hold of the bottle in Daryl's hands, she half-smiled and chugged a mouthful of the alcohol, it burnt as it went down and she shuddered, "That's lethal." She choked out, pressing her hand against her mouth.
Daryl chuckled and nodded, "It's good, we should take some back for the wedding."
"You're a very considerate man, aren't you Mr. Dixon?"
Daryl shrugged, taking compliments wasn't something he was used to, instead he brought the bottle up to his mouth and took a slow swig, savouring the fact that Carol's lips had once been where his were now. "Drink up." He ordered handing over the bottle. Carol obeyed and shuddered again and Daryl couldn't help but laugh at the way her nose scrunched up in disgust.
This exchange continued till there was barely any alcohol left and Daryl was contemplating cracking open another bottle, but, decided against it considering Carol did have a point – it was wise to remain sober...or at least sober-ish.
"Ed never let me drink." Carol blurted out, she shook her head, "Sorry, I don't know where that came from." She half-laughed though Daryl could see the pain behind her mask.
"He never let you do a lot of things by my reckonin'." Daryl replied offering her the remaining alcohol, she shook her head and he nodded once, "Lettin' you breathe was probably a stretch for him."
Carol nodded her head in agreement, noting how heavy it felt, "I kinda envy him though."
"How so?"
"Well, he's gone...he didn't have to live through seein' Sophia that way. He doesn't have to... Sorry, I'm talkin' rubbish." She shook her head and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, "I told you that stuff was lethal." She tried to laugh again.
Daryl sucked in a breath and thought about his next sentence carefully, "Do you wish you were gone?"
"Sometimes." Carol confessed. "Sometimes it's all I can think about." She mumbled, looking down at her hands.
A silence fell about them, but again it wasn't awkward, Daryl knew there wasn't much that he could say right now to make her feel better, though he made a mental note to watch how much she drank at the wedding just in case. "For the record..." He began leaning forward slightly, "I'm glad you're still here." He told her.
She looked up into his cobalt blue eyes and knew he meant every word and she knew that that kind of thing would have been hard for him to admit. "Thank you."
Daryl nodded once and averted his eyes from her lips.