Taking Watch

Carol and Daryl had spent the first two hours of their four hour watch walking the perimeter of the yard and keeping a close eye and ear to their surroundings. They had named constellations and chatted aimlessly about things as they strolled. Daryl had stopped at his truck and brought out a Hudson Bay blanket that he has snagged on a run that day and they had taken a seat on the bench at the side of the house that faced the road. Daryl had spread the blanket out on the bench and taken a seat and pulled Carol on his lap. Then, he had carefully enclosed them in the blanket.

Carol had scooted between his legs facing out so that she could pretend at least that she was still keeping watch. "When did you get the blanket?" She was getting used to Daryl's new obsession with possessions. He was always bringing home things for their room or the house. The man who had lived a bare bones existence for his whole life was now "nesting". They were always well made things like expensive sheets and high quality cookware. Carol was beginning to think by the time they made their next move they would have to a semi to move Daryl's finds.

"Got it this morning, and I found some glasses for the kitchen. Do you think we need some more dishes. Same place had some nice dishes all boxed up, maybe we can go tomorrow and you can pick out the ones that you like". Daryl kissed the back of the neck and frowned. She needed a coat with a hood on it. Much warmer than what she had.

Carol smiled to herself. "That would be nice. We don't really have enough to go around. Maybe we could pick up some silverware too. This blanket is amazing. Were there more of them? The cellar dwellers could probably use some more blankets". She leaned back a little and reveled in the warmth of the blanket and Daryl.

"Screw those guys, let them get their own damn blankets," he grumbled knowing that there had been some more in the storeroom that they could get tomorrow. They were silent for a while listening to the world around them.

Carol had thought that she knew Daryl before they had spent the night in the church talking, arguing, and finally admitting their true hearts, but there were hidden depths to Daryl that she hadn't known. He was a surprisingly good storyteller and he liked to talk after sex. She had learned more about his life in the few days than in all the years she had known him. He had definite ideas about their future home in the mountains. He was surprisingly romantic; the hard outer shell peeled back showed a man with a need to express his love for her in all sorts of ways. He was more jealous than she had thought, he trusted her but didn't trust other men.

Daryl hugged her closer to him. He loved her; he had recognized even in Terminus that Carol was in some dark place of sorrow. He had been sunk in his own misery and guilt over losing the prison and not protecting Beth and she had looked at him with Beth clinging to him and had turned away. Carol had never turned away from him before. Morgan and Tyreese were her comforters and he was cast aside. He had been pissed off and that anger had gradually healed him of the layer of misery that had swallowed him after he found out that she was gone and then the prison fell.

He had hated Morgan for seeing Carol as a desirable woman. He hated him for holding her and comforting her. Morgan wanted her and Daryl had sensed that Carol was more in need of tenderness and affection than before. She wasn't the confident leader at the prison anymore; she was tentative and insecure. She needed comfort and Morgan had been there. Daryl had seen him hug and kiss Carol one afternoon and he had been shaken to his core. They were going to have sex eventually and that vision of them fucking had finally cleared the last of the depression away. He had sulked some more but he and Dead Merle had a discussion about what Carol needed. Merle had forced him to admit that Carol needed a loving gentle man. Merle had told him that love should be shown in loving actions, and the barn cat had agreed.

Merle had given him only one bit of encouragement when he reminded him of Carol's own words back at the prison, "Remember I liked you first". He had been able to win her. She was his wife now and meant more than calling her his wife. Daryl wanted to protect Carol from sorrow but knew in the end he could only share in it. He knew Carol was still mourning Lizzie and Mika. Maybe in a way she was allowing herself to grieve the loss of Sophia again. Daughters that were hers and could have been his. He knew that bringing new children into their group might open wounds that never really healed. He should talk to her about Alia and Michael.

Daryl pulled his arms from his jacket and put them around Carol. "Does it bother you to have more children in the house?"

Carol tensed for a moment, "They are children and they need a safe place". She kept her voice non-committal but she could feel her heart rate speed up.

Daryl put his hand over hers and gave in a squeeze, "That is not what I asked, Carol". He waited sometimes she could take as long as he did to make a reply.

Carol played with his hand rubbing his callouses and delaying her answer. "Not so much Michael because he has a mother. Alia is so young to be alone. I know that she had Sarah and Rachel to take care of her. I can't bear to fail another child".

Daryl let that sink in, and they both listened to the night. "I am going to say something that may sound a little strange coming from me. You didn't fail Sophia, Mika, or Lizzie. Things worked out the way they were supposed to. They are together and will see you again. Lizzie loves the flowers where she is". Merle had given him those words but they were from Daryl's own heart and he found himself crying after he finished.

Carol stared out into the moonlight. Daryl was crying behind her and she asked, "Did Tyreese tell you to tell me that?"

Daryl took out his bandana and wiped his snotty face, "Merle did".

Carol turned to look at him, "They… they were there? They are together." Carol wept into Daryl jacket and he held her. Eventually he used the bandana to wipe her tear filled face. He murmured words of comfort and kissed her gently.

Carol thought about what Daryl had told her. She had told him what had happened in the grove but she had not told him about Lizzie and the flowers. Not told him that Mika believed everything worked out the way it was supposed to. Not told him that she had lost her faith in a heaven at the end of this life. Yet, Daryl knew and said that his dead brother told him.

Daryl had pulled her into his lap while she wept and she pulled herself up and away from him and the blanket. The cold clear air of the frost night helped to clear her head. Daryl let her go. She walked off toward the front of the house and stood for a while staring at the sky. The moon was lower now and the stars more prominent. They were in heaven and though that term had never meant mansions and streets of gold for her. It did represent an existence beyond the here and now and they were there. They would be there when she passed from this life. That thought did not make her long for death. She had a life here to be lived and others to love while she was here.

Carol walked back to Daryl. He had pushed the blanket back and was waiting for her. "How much more time before the next watch?"

Daryl had an internal clock and always seemed to know what time it was. "About an hour and Elijah and Beth will be fashionably late".

Carol sat down beside of Daryl, "Do you love me?"

Daryl kissed her wedding rings, "I love you, always will love you."

Carol smiled, "That's the right answer. Now show me that you love me. Right now and right here."

Daryl smirked, "That is breaking the code of watching. We are responsible for the safety of every person in that house. But just this once and you had better have low expectations".

Carol straddled him on the bench, and Daryl shook his jacket off and unzipped her and pulled it off. She unbuttoned his pants and got off his lap long enough for him to pull his pants and boxers down to his ankles. It was cold and he covered himself with the blanket while he unbuttoned her pants and pulled her clothing down. He moved her closer to him and buried his face between her legs.

Carol felt the cold stinging her ass and legs but the warmth of Daryl's mouth inside of her counteracted the chill. He slowed his tongue to long sweeps of her and then did feather like swipes at her clit. She pushed against him wanting the deep strong strokes and the suckling that would carry her to orgasm. He teased her a little more and she grabbed his hair and pulled hard. He finally began using tongue to roughly massage her nub and she felt the strain of delayed climax in her body. His hands were on her ass and he pulled her toward him and sucked harder and she felt herself break into pieces and she was done.

She straddled Daryl and leaned into him as he covered her with the blanket. He unbuttoned her shirt and suckled her breast hard and he guided himself between her legs. She adjusted herself to take him in and for a moment the only sound was his moans against her breasts as he bit gently at a nipple.

Carol sucked his neck and began to move her hips in small thrusts. Daryl leaned back and his hips began to thrust against her in answering motion. They moved slowly at first both of them enjoying the feeling of gradually increasing the speed and depth of the thrust. Daryl moved her hand between her legs and used his to balance their thrusts. It always excited him to see her touch herself and then it was all need and then they were both done.

Daryl held her close and she listened to his heart began to settle down while he listened to the night. He laughed, "I sure hope there isn't anything out there because I would look awful funny trying to use by bow and get my pants back up at the same time".

Carol laughed, "Yeah, I better get myself dressed before Elijah sees my ass shining in the moonlight. He is too young and innocent for that." She pulled away from him and adjusted her clothing while Daryl pulled his clothes back up.

"Maybe we had better get up and walk around a bit. Look more like we are on watch and taking our responsibilities seriously." Carol threw off the blanket and was glad that she could stand up. She felt like a puddle of sex right now.

Daryl put her jacket back on taking the time to give her breast a friendly rub and give her ass and friendly slap before he zipped the jacket back up, "Now you take your responsibilities seriously; you were singing a different tune a few minutes ago." He folded the blanket up and put it back up in the truck.

Carol said, "Maybe Beth and Elijah will get cold."

"They are young and lusty. They can bring their own blanket. I know where there are more. They won't freeze tonight. Beside they should be honoring the code of watching." Daryl found Carol's gloves that had been hiding under the bench since this thing got started and put them on her hands.

They walked around for the rest of their watch holding hands and watching and listening for any dangers that might be out there. Beth and Elijah showed up predictably late and Carol and Daryl went inside and up to their room. Carol heard a deep voice from Michonne's room laughing and knew that Morgan was with her.

Carol went into the bathroom and lit the candle in there. Her hair was all over the place. Daryl leaned against the wall and commented, "Yep, full dandelion". She made a face at him.

She washed her face and said, "I would like a shower cause I am all over a mess here but it might wake up the house."

Daryl smirked, "Don't think it will wake up Michonne. Sounds like she is wide awake." He emphasized the "wide" in his sentence and Carol laughed.

"How about we take a real quick and quiet shower together and then go to bed". Carol turned the water on as quietly as possible and began stripping her clothes.

"No, I will sex you up at least twice a day but you passed your quota before the watch. No more, now way." Daryl folded his arms and watched her undress.

"You flatter yourself, my good husband. I mean really just take a shower and really just go to bed to sleep. You smell more like me at this point than yourself. Suit yourself but I am cleaning up." Carol went in the shower and let the warm water flow over her. She could hear the sounds of Daryl undressing and he joined her in the shower.

Daryl was a little disappointed that she meant that she was just wanting a shower, but she did wash his hair for him. He always loved that and he washed her hair too. They dried off quickly and slipped into bed.
"Do you like these sheets?" Daryl wanted to talk and Carol wanted to tell him to go to sleep but she thought of all those nights that she had wanted to talk to him and he hadn't been there.

"I think we should get some more sets and store them. We might never get a chance to find these again". Daryl was back in nesting mode. Carol had the vision of their room with boxes of sheets stored in every corner.

"We really should. Enough for a lifetime. How about that?" She moved closer to him.

"Like it isn't long enough." That was the surprising romantic that crept out once in a while. They heard a distinctive groan from next door and they collapsed in sudden giggles. "I'll get some for the M and M's next door. They'll probably go through a lot of sheets at that rate."

Daryl leaned over and kissed her, "Don't be afraid to love her and Michael. You were born to love children. That why you are so damn good to me, but I am trying to be the man that you need."

"Go to sleep, my good husband. You need your strength. You have a daily quota to fill. "Carol kissed him and went to sleep.

Daryl always said his prayers before he went to sleep. He had made peace with the Creator. He wasn't missing a chance to hang out in eternity with Carol and Merle.

AN

I love the thought of Daryl being a secret nester and wanting all of the nice things that he never had growing up.

I haven't forgotten the M and M's next door, but more about them later.

I know everyone says no more kids for Carol after "The Grove". But I agree with Daryl. She was born to be a mother and I won't let anything happen to Alia.

I gave you a chapter full of humor and sex. Give me a review. Please, I am always so insecure when I write sex. Probably why I keep telling you to use your own imagination.

Review.