AN: I really hope this isn't disappointing. I can't look at it anymore. Also, the kiss is all madwomanlexie's beautiful fanart but without a tree and moonlight. ;-)

Daryl was doing great. After downing his second cup of coffee and eating some crackers, he went into the business of inventory and secret stashing. He chose some canned food to take with him, the rest he carried down into the basement and hid behind the dingy and some trash. He picked up an old rucksack that hung on the wall, nicked another bottle of wine, stuffed it in and walked up from the basement. He intently smashed some other windows of the house, not much but a little so it would look like the house had already been visited. After that he did the same with some of the neighboring houses. In one house he found loads of sweets that still looked okay in a cupboard. They would come with him to the Kingdom. Because he was going back there. He had never been more sure of anything in his life. He was gonna go back and face Carol head on like a man and tell her how he felt. If it all went to shit, she would know and he would know he'd done everything he could. He didn't really have a plan for anything after that moment, but do or die, man!

For lunch, or it was more dinner time, he feasted on some corn and cold ravioli together with a Heineken he found in another house, and it was almost cold too. Was this what vacation felt like? He wondered as he half lay in one of those recliners on the upper porch of "his" house, sipping on his second beer. If so, he liked it. They should do this more often, go on vacation. Why not? If slaying walkers and fighting wars with psychopaths was everyday work, going away for a few days to a secluded place could be vacation. Why shouldn't there be vacation in the new world? He couldn't think of a reason not to. But of course he knew it was a selfish thing, just slipping away from responsibilities, but like Denise had said, they're was surviving and there was living. Daryl wanted to live a little now.

So during the evening he strolled the beach, gazing out over the blue horizon. He picked up some sea shells he found pretty and that gave him an idea. He knew he had seen some empty glass jars in the kitchen, so he went inside and fetched one and then he walked back to the beach, filled the jar to its half with sand and laid the shells on top. If someone ever questioned him if he really had been to the ocean, he had some proof.

When darkness fell over Westland, Virginia he went to bed. He wanted to get an early start the next day and he fell asleep with a satisfied feeling in his heart.

The next morning he woke up at dawn and instantly got ready for his journey home. It saddened him a bit to leave this peaceful place but he told himself, there was a good chance he could come back here, and maybe not alone the next time.

He siphoned some gas from a couple of cars that were still parked around the marina, and with a backpack heavy from food, wine, batteries and other useful things he'd picked up, he took one last look at the Chesapeake Bay before he drove away. He had a plan for the ride home. He would swing by the Birthplace again and trade in some bread for Carol. He knew how much she missed having freshly baked bread, cookies aside. It would also be a piece offering and he felt he could need one.

Just as he was thinking that his eyes caught sight of something green in one of the gardens he passed on his way off the island. It was weaving in and out through the white picket fence and he instantly recognized the leaves. He hit the brakes and stared at the shrubbery. He'd never been a spiritual guy but just like the first time, it felt like a sign from above. What the hell… He dismounted and walked up to the fence. He let his fingers follow a small branch down to where it had its roots and with his knife he dug as many roots as possible to the branch and cut them off. Together with some soil he placed the plant in his red rug and tied it and then he carefully placed it in the top of his back pack, hoping it wouldn't die during the day. It was almost too good to be true.

In the Kingdom it was evening the third day Daryl had been gone. Carol told herself she wasn't keeping count but who was she kidding. She might as well carve lines in the wall, it was that obvious. She had made a mistake with Daryl, she knew that now, so she hoped fiercely that Ezekiel was right. Daryl was going to come back. He had to. He would. She too had a hard time believing he would want to be alone now that he actually had a family that loved him for him, because they did. She may have pushed him away forever but he would come back to Alexandria, and she knew the way there. Just in case…

Suddenly a familiar sound reached her ears. Oh my God, could it be? She walked to the windows of her room and looked out. Her heart stopped. It was. It really was him. And she saw him park the bike and turn the engine off, looking up the building, searching for her windows. She jerked back from the windowsill, her heart now thumping wildly in her chest. Would he? Yeah, he would. Oh God, how did she look? She looked herself over in the mirror and told herself he'd seen her in much worse states. What would she say? What should she say? She hadn't exactly been nice to him the last time they talked. She'd been so sad and angry that day. She was pacing around the room when there was a knock on the door. Okay, calm down, it's just Daryl, she thought, knowing it wasn't just Daryl. It was Daryl, her best friend who she wanted back more than ever. She took a deep breath and walked up to her door and opened it. There he was, looking nervous as hell. She hoped she didn't look as nervous even though she felt she was.

"Hey," he said gently.

"Hi Daryl."

They stared at each other. After a beat Carol regained herself and welcomed him in.

"I'm sorry it's a mess around here," she apologized and began picking up cloths from chairs, stuffing them in to her lockers.

"S'alright." She heard Daryl fumbling with something behind her back and turned around.

"I got you something," Daryl said and held a tiny bundled up and slightly muddy rosebush in front of him.

"A plant?"

"It's a Cherokee rose, but it ain't in bloom right now. I thought maybe you'd like to plant it somewhere around here."

Carol's hand went up and over her mouth. Daryl saw it and shifted nervously on his feet.

"And I got some other stuff." Daryl quickly put the dirty plant on her breakfast table by the wall and started unloading his rucksack.

"There's this place at the George Washington birthplace memorial. It's like a farm, a bit like Hilltop but bigger. They make their own flour, and thought maybe you'd like to know. It's real great. Here's some bread I traded from them. And some other stuff I found on the way here. "

Carol was in awe. Daryl was piling up her table with bread and wine and sweets and this and that and she didn't know what to say but "Thank you."

"S'nothing," Daryl shrugged, peering at her through his bangs.

"It's not nothing Daryl. Wow! You had a really good trip." She walked up to the table and looked at all the things he had brought with him.

"Yeah, I'm gonna tell Ezekiel and the others about the Birthplace. Think we can trade with them. They didn't know about Negan. We could make alliances.

"Mm, that's great." Something on the table had caught her eye.

"What's this?" She asked, holding up the glass jar filled with sand and pretty sea shells.

"Err, that's from the beach." Daryl took the jar from her. "I've never seen the ocean before so… it's stupid…"

"No, it isn't. It's a souvenir, Daryl. People get them on vacations, you know."

"Yeah, well. You can have it if ya want." He held it out for her again and she took it back, marveling at such a simple thing but still so beautiful.

"Thanks."

Daryl gave her a look and started fidgeting with his bag awkwardly.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when ya needed a friend," he finally said softly.

Carol looked at him and he returned the gaze with growing confidence. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"In Alexandria. I saw you were hurting, but I… I didn't how to help you. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I don't know if anyone could have."

"It was so messed up. Everything."

Carol agreed to that with a nod. "I just couldn't be me."

"Why?"

"Because…" Carol paused. She couldn't talk about it yet. Not now. Soon but not now, but she wanted him to know she never intended to hurt him. She looked down at jar, studying the shells.

"I want you to know, I wasn't trying to start over with Tobin, Daryl. I was trying to forget. That's what I've been trying to do this whole time, and it doesn't work. I was stupid just thinking it could. You know you can't forget, don't you?"

Daryl just shook his head. He knew what she was talking about.

"You know, after the prison, when it was just Beth and me, we found a house. Or Michonne and I had been there before, but it looked a lot like the shithole I grew up in, moonshine included." Carol gave him a curious look. "Anyway, we burned it down. It was all Beth's idea, said I needed to forget my past and shit… and it felt good, seeing it burn. But both my dad and Merle are still yellin' at me, tellin' me how useless I am. It never goes away. You can only learn to live with it."

"I know. I live with it every day."

"I don't know what happened after the prison, but whatever it was, I'm here if you need me."

Carol gave him a tiny smile. "I'm glad you came back," she told him. He gave her a tiny nod.

Daryl watched Carol as she held the glass jar gently in her hands, turning it around, looking at it like it was a miracle of some kind. Okay, here goes, Daryl thought and tried to remember his written words.

"I think we're better together than apart," he said, the words rushing out of him. Carol gave him a puzzled look.

"I mean, I think we… we should be together." Carol was still looking puzzled. God, why was this so goddamn hard? "I mean, not like before, something new. You and me. If you want."

"What are you really trying to say, Daryl?" Carol asked incredulously, looking at him with big curious blue eyes. Daryl felt his insides itching and he lost it.

"Dammit Carol, I love you!" He almost yelled at her and he winced.

"What?" Carol eyes were big as saucers now and he tried to find a steady but firm voice.

"I'm in love with ya, and I won't leave ya. You can yell all you want, but I'm not gonna let ya push me away again, because I know that ain't the right thing to do here. I'm done with being afraid. I'm done with only surviving. I want it to be you and me and I want to stay with you as long as I'm breathin'!" He was shaking all over with all the feelings he'd finally let out. If she rejected him now, he didn't know what to do, but she nodded slowly, put the ocean souvenir on the table and stepped up close to him. Daryl was still shaking, not convinced yet he hadn't made a complete fool out of himself. When she was right in front of him she raised her arm and cupped his cheek with her hand. He sighed and leaned into it. He didn't notice he'd closed his eyes because when he opened them he saw her still looking at him with worried eyes.

"Daryl? Are you okay?" She asked him. He pondered this for a brief moment and came to the conclusion he wasn't shaking anymore. Instead, he felt weirdly calm.

"Yeah. I'm good."

And without further ado he leaned down and kissed her. Carol tensed up at first but relaxed into his embrace seconds later and reciprocated his kiss. And Lord have mercy, he didn't know it would feel like this! She tasted so sweet and her lips were so soft against his chapped ones and his scruff that he wondered for a second how the hell she could enjoy this, but just as he was thinking that, Carol let out a miniscule moan that was like angels' singing to his ear. She liked it! Okay, she liked it a lot, because she took a firm hold around his neck and drew him as close as he possible could be. Eventually they ended up against the wall and Daryl didn't really know where he ended or she began. His mind was buzzing with pleasure and his hands was firmly placed on her gorgeous ass, and there was heavy breathing between kisses and tongues exploring skin and hips gyrating towards each other with blood flowing to southern parts of the human body.

After a minute or it could have been an eternity, they paused and inhaled some much needed oxygen. Carol looked at him and parted his bangs with her delicate fingers. She looked flushed and there was still something deeply painful registered in her eyes, but there was also hope and longing in those cerulean blues.

Quietly and carefully she spoke, "Daryl, please make love to me. I need to feel something other than this pain. I need you to love me. I love you too."

"Okay," he whispered, his voice trembling.

So he led her to her bed and he did make love to her, and he took his time. Carol finally let her tears fall but they were not tears of pain and sadness. No, they were tears of relief and of love. Daryl collected her tears with kisses and caresses while he took care of both their needs and wants, whispering her name and sweet nothings in her ear. He came shivering inside her and he thought for a moment he'd died and gone to heaven, but when he opened his eyes, she was still there, looking up at him with nothing more than profound love in her eyes. And he saw her smile, that smile that been gone for so long, he saw it again and a weight greater than the world itself lifted from his chest. He couldn't help letting out a laugh as he rested his forehead against hers and tried to catch his breath from their lovemaking. Carol giggled and clung to him, stroking her hands languidly up and down his back as they both came down from the high. Eventually Daryl rolled off her and they lay on their sides on her bed, facing each other and just looked in wonder at the other person. Daryl had a hard time believing this was true. Carol had a hard time believing it finally had happened.

"Can I kiss you forever now?" The question was out of Daryl's mouth before he could stop it. God, what a stupid question, he thought and blushed. Carol tried to hide her amusement.

"Err, well, we might have to take some breaks for food and sleeping and stuff." She was teasing with him again.

"No, I meant… um… fuck…" Carol giggled at him, mirth seeping out of her.

"Yes, Pookie, you got me. Don't worry. And right now, you can kiss me as long as you want. Amongst other things." Carol bit her lower lip and trailed her index finger seductively down his damp glistening chest. Daryl just gawked at her, but secretly his insides were doing an extremely silly and happy dance.

"Good Lord! You'll be the death of me." But Daryl Dixon was more than happy to challenge that, so he dove in again, grinning like a fool in love which was exactly what he wanted to be.

AN: Epilogue anyone?