Hey everyone! Thanks a lot for your reviews/follows and for reading this. I'm eternally grateful.

xKim

Carol rocked baby Judith back and forth in her arm, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as the little girl gargled and held onto her index finger.

"You're good with her." Tyreese observed bringing her from her reverie.

Carol looked up at the man speaking and smiled gratefully, "We all are."

"Rick don't spend as much time with her as you and Beth," He pointed out harshly, "Neither does Daryl..."

"Rick and Daryl contribute to the group in other ways," Carol stated defensively, she cast her eyes back down to Judith and thought about her next sentence carefully, "I also don't appreciate you gettin' involved with me and Daryl," She added quietly, "We have a complicated enough relationship as it is without anyone else stickin' their ore in."

"I didn't mean anythin' malicious by it," Tyreese said, "It's just that...never mind."

"It's just that what?" Carol asked as she lowered Judith into her travel cot, she placed her hands on her hips and stared across at him.

"Maybe it's not my place to say," He began, "But you could do a lot better than a dumb as shit redneck."

"You're right," Carol nodded her head in agreement, "It's really not your place to say. But that 'dumb as shit redneck', as you so eloquently put it, has more heart and more brains than you'll ever know." Carol snapped, she was famous for keeping cool in situations but when it came to Daryl and defending his honour, well, that was a different story, "He's the best person I know, he'd do anythin' for anyone. Not to mention the amount of times he's saved my life alone." Carol listed. "I love him." She stated bluntly.

Tyreese nodded once, "Each to their own I suppose..." He mumbled.

Carol glared at him and nodded, "You'll do well to remember that." She stated as Daryl appeared at the entrance to her cell.

"Everythin' alright?" Daryl asked, he looked from Carol to Tyreese and then back again.

"I was just leavin'." Tyreese explained.

Daryl stared him down, with no intention of moving to the side to let him leave, "I wasn't talkin' to you."

Carol cleared her throat, "Daryl." She called out and he finally looked at her, "Everythin's fine."

He nodded once and stood to the side, allowing Tyreese to pass by, when he was sure Tyreese was out of ear shot he turned to Carol who had been calling his name.

"Are you alright?"

"No." Daryl replied curtly, he sat down on her bed and rubbed his hand over his face, "This 'dumb as shit' redneck is not alright." He added.

Carol nodded her head slowly and folded her arms across her chest, "So you heard that?" She asked and Daryl nodded, "So you also heard me tellin' him how incredible you are." She mumbled, blushing wildly as she remembered telling Tyreese she loved Daryl.

Daryl nodded again, he sighed heavily and grabbed her hand, he pulled her down so that she was perched on his lap and looked into her eyes, "He's right you know."

"What?"

"You could do better." Daryl stated sadly, he looked down at her lips and sighed, "I'm nothin'."

"You're everythin'." Carol replied, cupping his cheek in her right hand, she held his gaze and shook her head, "I don't want anyone else Daryl, I know this'll be hard for you to hear, but I love you."

Daryl's heart stopped beating for a few seconds and he narrowed his eyes as he tried to suss her out. He didn't understand how she could ever love him...

"I love you." Carol repeated when he didn't speak, she said it for her as much as she said it for him, trying to get used to the way saying it felt. "You know that, right?"

Daryl nodded once, he smiled a lopsided smile and placed his forehead against hers. He wasn't great at showing his feelings, but the truth was irrefutable, he loved Carol too.

She brushed her lips against his, carefully and tenderly and all the insecurities he felt seemed to slip away, she pulled away just as Beth appeared seemingly from nowhere, a broad smile on her face as she caught them kissing – Daryl cleared his throat as Carol dropped her hand from his face.

"Rick's lookin' for you Daryl." Beth stated, "Said something about goin' on another run." She added as she stepped forward to peer inside Judith's travel cot.

Daryl nodded as Carol shifted from his lap; he stood up and offered her a coy smile, "I'll be back."

Carol smiled as Daryl disappeared out of hers and Beth's cell, she turned to face Beth the ghost of a smile still playing on her mouth, "What?" She asked innocently.

Beth raised her eyebrows suggestively and shrugged, "Just you two are so cute."

Carol laughed loudly and shook her head, if she had to use a word to describe her and Daryl it wouldn't be cute.

Sorry to anyone that likes Tyreese, I don't have a problem with him, in fact, I like him! It's just in this fic, he's apparently a bit of a dick haha.

xKim