Chapter Forty-One

A/N: Smut warning for this chapter.

"This is a bad idea, Carol."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is!"

"No, it's not."

"Yes –"

Carol glared at Shane over the tray she held tightly in her hands as she made her way across the lawn to one of the storage sheds. "Are we really going to do this?" she asked, cutting him off. "There's no telling when that boy had his last meal, and with the wound in that leg, he surely needs something for the pain."

He stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "Couldn't you just send out a can of Spaghetti-O's and some Tylenol? T-Dog could slip it in to him."

"But then I wouldn't have the chance to talk to him."

Shane groaned and rushed to keep up with her as she stepped around him. "We already tried. He said he don't have anything to say."

"Who's we? Has Rick been out to talk to him already?"

"No. Me and T tried to have a chat while we were moving him this morning."

Carol shot him an exasperated look. "I can just imagine. Does he have any new wounds I should know about?"

"Naw … nothing like that, Carol." He grinned at her.

"He's probably frightened out of his mind, in pain, without a clue as to who he can trust." She narrowed her eyes at him. "And I'll bet you played off of that, didn't you?"

He averted his gaze guiltily.

"Lord, my load is heavy," she mumbled dryly as she stepped between the chicken coop and the lean-to for the generators. The shed was directly behind it, and T-Dog cursed the moment he saw her.

"Aw, hell no!"

"Unlock the door, Theodore," she said in a no-nonsense tone. He knew he was in for a fight just by the use of his proper name.

He shot Shane a look, asking for help, but the deputy just shook his head and threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"No way, Carol. I let you in there, and I'll be the next one to get an arrow in the ass!" T-Dog protested, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You two are just ridiculous. Daryl wouldn't shoot you, T. Now open the door and let me take this in to our guest." She arched a brow when neither man moved to do her bidding. "If you don't …" she murmured threateningly in a calm tone, "you boys will be eating SPAM for a week!"

They both made a face loaded with disgust. Shane actually gagged a little. They had an entire case of that stuff which was to be used as a last resort if Daryl couldn't keep them supplied with meat. It was the bane of their existence and neither one of them wanted to be subject to such torture. T snatched the keys off of his belt and moved to the heavy padlock. "That's just dirty pool, woman."

"Daryl isn't going to like this one bit," Shane protested, blocking the door. "Please make sure you tell him we tried to stop you."

"Would it make you feel better to come in with me?"

Both men nodded furiously.

"Come on then," she sighed. "But keep quiet. Got it?"

"Dixon's gonna come back from his hunt and shoot us both. Just you wait," T-Dog grumbled as he watched Shane and Carol step into the shed.

Carol shot Shane a disgusted look when she stepped into the storage shed. The boy was handcuffed on a dirty pallet on the hay-ridden floor, and he flinched away into the corner as they approached. She set the tray on the floor next to Randall, and then pointed to the wall by the door, making it clear to Shane he was to stay there until she was done. He fetched her a stool, and then did as she asked, his hand resting at ease over his service piece.

Randall watched her warily, not at all sure if the food she'd brought was some kind of trick.

"Hi, I'm Carol," she smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"M' leg hurts," he said, still peering up at her from beneath his lashes.

Carol pulled a bottle of pain medication from the pocket of her jacket and shook out two pills for him to take with the water bottle on the tray. "This will help take the edge off. Hershel says you should be able to put pressure on that leg again in about a week."

Thankfully, his hands were cuffed in front of him. Though it would be difficult, he would be able to eat by himself. He gratefully took the pills from her as he kept chancing wary glances at Shane by the door.

She noticed. "You don't have to worry about Shane." She leaned forward and smirked. "It makes him feel better to think he's protecting me."

Shane clucked his tongue against his teeth disapprovingly. "Carol."

Carol set the tray over the boy's lap. "You can go ahead and eat. I made it myself. We're not out here to hurt you, Randall."

He dove at the food and Carol winced. He attacked the bacon and eggs with a vengeance before he began on the oatmeal. All in a matter of a minute. "Fank oo!" he managed.

"I suppose you left your manners back with your group?"

Shane snorted.

"Haven't eaten in about three days," he said, looking ashamed of himself. "Sorry."

She tsked, feeling bad for him. "We aren't going to let you starve. Have you had it bad out there on the road?" she asked, taking the tray and handing it to Shane.

The boy nodded, leaning his head back against the wall as he sucked in a deep breath. His stomach roiled, and he knew he shouldn't have eaten so fast. "I'd rather be locked up in here than out there. What does that tell you?"

"Tell me about your group," she encouraged him.

He shook his head, looking scared. "No! Soon as I tell you, you're gonna let him kill me," he pointed at Shane.

"Why you little –"

"Shane! Step outside, please."

"Carol –"

"Now! Five minutes, that's all I ask," she commanded, her eyes chips of blue ice.

"I'm tellin' Rick!" he grumbled, taking the tray and leaving the spartan room.

Carol snorted as he stormed out of the shed. "No one is going to hurt you, Randall. At least for now."

The boy frowned. "Why's he scared of you? Are you their leader or something? I can't see a grown man like him following no woman."

Carol grinned, more than a little amused. "What a sexist thing to say," she laughed. "No, I'm not the leader." She leaned forward a little, sizing him up. "But I'm about the only one you've got on your side right now. It would be in your best interests to talk to me rather than one of the others. Daryl, in particular, doesn't play well with others."

He didn't ask who Daryl was. Instead he made up his mind to trust her. "It's m' brother's group. He was up north at Penn State when everything went to hell. This is our hometown, and he was trying to get home. When he finally got here, I was holed up with a few guys in the general store. I worked there." He relaxed a little as she watched him attentively. "He was different after he had to fight his way home. He was cold. I ain't never seen him like that."

"What's his name?" Rick had mentioned over breakfast what he'd encountered the evening before, including the names of the men who'd drawn on them.

"Dave." He saw a flash of recognition in her eyes and paled. "He's dead, ain't he? That guy Rick killed him in the bar?"

Carol bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Randall. Your brother drew on him, and Rick was defending himself."

Randall banged his head back against the wall as a broken sob escaped his throat. "Maybe it's better this way. At least he won't be like that anymore, and he won't have to fight off those things every day."

She felt bad for him. It couldn't be easy to see the world change someone you loved. "How was he different?"

The boy shuddered, lost in his own memories. "He did bad things. He found men to join up with us … men like that guy, Tony, who came down from PA with him. Don't make me tell you, please. I ain't like that, I swear. What they did to those women …"

The bitter taste of bile rose to scorch the back of her throat. With the breakdown of society, she could well imagine some of the atrocities they might have visited upon who they deemed the weaker sex. "How many are in your group? If you tell me, I might be able to convince the others to be lenient with you."

"I don't know … I guess about thirty. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them had served time before." Randall crossed his arms over his chest and slumped once more into the corner, resting his head against the wall and closing his eyes. "With my brother gone, maybe it's better I'm a prisoner. I wouldn't want to go back to that group with him not there anymore. It was hard enough staying there at all."

Carol could see she wouldn't be able to get any more out of him. The pain medication was beginning to affect him, and her time was nearing its end. Daryl would be back any time now and she couldn't take the risk of him finding her there before she had a chance to talk to him. She needed to share her findings with Rick first, however.

"Try to rest … let that leg heal," she said gently.

"A-Are you going to come back?" he asked, reaching out to grasp her hand in both of his. His dark eyes were panicked, pleading with her.

"I'll try, but if not, I'll make sure someone brings you something to eat along with your medication." She smiled. He hadn't gone for any of the weapons on her belt, nor had he tried to threaten her. Perhaps he was truly a victim of circumstance after all.

She extracted her hand and turned to the door. Daryl was standing there, hands on his hips and his face an unhealthy shade of puce. She was surprised his head hadn't exploded right off the top of his neck. In all her years of marriage, she didn't think she'd ever seen Ed turn that color in his rage. She bit her lip, her eyes settling on his. Well. Just. Shit!

"Daryl –"

He cut her off with a fierce look, and held out a hand to her, speaking not a single word. She wondered if he was even capable of speech at the moment. She wasn't afraid of him, knowing he'd never hurt her, and he proved it with his firm but gentle grasp on her wrist. She could feel the fury rolling off him in waves, and she felt a little ashamed of herself for the excitement coiling low in her belly. Lord, what was wrong with her, she thought as he began tugging her past a wide-eyed T-Dog.

Daryl dragged her behind him, all the way to the stables, flinging open the large double doors one-handed with a strength which should have frightened her. The inside of the stable was dim where he pulled her practically to the middle of the building, stalls lining both sides with the tack room towards the far end. She wrapped her arms around herself as he let her go, his anger causing a tingle of warning to dance along her spine. She couldn't remember ever seeing him so mad, not even when he'd thrown those squirrels at Rick back at the quarry.

He paced before her, his hands pulling at his hair a moment before he turned that dark smoky gaze on her. "Th' fuck were y' thinkin', woman!?" he growled. "Y' don't know that kid, an' yet y' went in there anyway."

"I was armed," she muttered defensively.

Daryl snorted. "An' how quick could he have disarmed y', huh?"

Her eyes glittered dangerously, quickly tiring of his fury. "I don't know, Dixon. You want to try and find out?" she snapped.

He stalked over to her, his face inches from hers. "Don't. Test. Me. Woman!"

"I'm not the same woman I was, Daryl. Because of you! I can handle myself." Her voice was just as loud and angry as his was now. "Why can't you just trust me?"

To prove a point, he reached for the gun on her hip. She needed to see just how easy it was to be at the mercy of someone stronger than she was, to make her realize she wasn't as ready as she thought. He couldn't allow her to drop her guard for a second. And he was cursing himself the entire time, thinking he was no better than Ed. He wasn't anticipating her hand coming down hard on his wrist. She spun around and then elbowed him right in the jaw, causing him to stumble from the force. By the time his head cleared, she had the weapon in her palm and was pointing it at him. He felt his blood grow hot, rushing through him at an alarming rate. If she only knew what she was doing to him, she'd run.

"Fuck!" He glared at her through narrowed eyes. "Safety's still on." He hid his surprise well as he pointed out her mistake.

Carol arched a brow at him, fighting the smile threatening at her lips. The situation was ridiculous now. "Of course, it is, you silly man. Do you really expect me to point a loaded gun at you without keeping the safety on?" she drawled, holstering her weapon. At least he seemed to have calmed somewhat.

"I should spank your ass," he mumbled, circling her like a caged tiger. "Teach y' t' stay away from dangerous criminals."

"You wouldn't," she gasped as another tremor of need gripped her.

"Yeah? Y' wanna push me, woman? There's a difference between a spankin' and a beatin', y'know." He was on her in a second, backing her against a support beam and pinning her hands at her sides as he pressed his hips into her, holding her in place. "But no," he sighed. "I'd never hurt y' … ever."

Her eyes darkened, the low burn she'd felt earlier escalating. "Daryl …"

"What if he'd gotten 'is hands on y', Carol? Y' weren't thinkin'!"

"I wasn't alone, though, Daryl. T-Dog and Shane were there … well at least until Shane ran off to tattle on me to Rick," she protested.

"Why can't y' see th' consequences? If somethin' had happened t' y' … you're not th' only one who woulda suffered." Oh, god, she could hear the pain in his voice. There was no hiding it. She could see it in his eyes, and feel it in the thundering of his heart where his chest was pressed to hers. "If y' can't see what it would do t' me … think of Sophia. How is our daughter supposed t' go on without y'?" He dropped his head to her shoulder, letting go of her wrists to curl his arms about her waist. "What if he'd have made a grab for your weapons an' those two idiots wouldn't've been able t' get t' y' in time? Y' cain't put yourself at risk."

Her fingers carded through his hair, pulling his head back to meet her gaze. "I just wanted to help. You know Rick … he's not going to want to get his hands dirty to force answers out of that boy. He would have asked you to question him and … I'm not going to let him turn you into his henchman!" She whimpered softly as his rough hands skimmed along her thighs, unmistakable heat enveloping her as he lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and fisted one hand in his hair, the other in his shirt, dragging him closer to her. "I'm trying to protect you."

A rumbling growl sounded deep in his chest as he carried her to an empty stall and lowered them both to a pile of fresh hay, kicking the door closed with his booted foot. She was killing him … the old him … the one who knew only pain and despair. Merle had tried to be there to protect him from their father's harsh blows, but Carol dug in much deeper. She wanted to protect his soul. He brought his lips down on hers, unable to rein in his desire, his tongue delving deep, searching out every place inside which made her mewl and gasp beneath him. They hadn't come together like this in days, not since that first time. It was worth it to have Sophia there with them in their tent, safe and secure under his protection, but now they were alone, and he wouldn't let this opportunity to be with her pass them by. It still scared him a bit … this love he felt for her. Yet he craved it, yearned for it like it was necessary to his survival. And in truth, it was.

Carol's deft fingers worked furiously at his buttons, needing him just as much, it seemed. Her entire body hummed with desire. She could feel that connection which pulsed so powerfully between them. It was soul deep, and permeated her entire being. It made her wonder how she had ever lived so long without this man. She wanted to shout out her triumph when she was finally able to push his shirt off his shoulders and toss it to the side. She didn't waste a moment running her hands over his bare chest and down to the muscled contours of his stomach.

The animalistic purr emanating from him merely fueled her lust as she hooked her heel behind his knee and pushed at his shoulders, rolling them so she was straddling his hips. She moaned deep in her throat as she ground herself against his rigid length. His pupils were blown wide, caught up in the wave of pleasure they were tossed upon. He sat up, burying his face against the sweet curve of her throat as he pushed her jacket off her shoulders and unbuttoned her shirt enough to pull it over her head. He stared in dismay at the tank she wore beneath it.

"Christ, woman! Why y' gotta wear so many layers?" he grumbled, ridding her of the offending garment as she went to work on the button on his jeans and slid his thick leather belt through the loops.

It was growing cooler as autumn approached, but she didn't have the presence of mind to explain. She burned for him, needed him so badly, she could already feel the throb deep in her core. He'd chased away her fear of sex, and awoken a beast within her, longing for the pleasure only he could give her. She keened as he pulled the lacey cup down on her bra, not bothering to remove it, and took her deep in his mouth. She stopped trying to get him out of his pants and simply held on, her arms tight around his head to hold him in place.

She was wild in his arms, unable to control the sensations spiraling through her. Even when his hands went to her hips, gripping her tightly to still her, she fought him. Damnit, she needed him and didn't want to wait. "S-Stop teasing me, Daryl!" she cried as he rolled them, trapping her beneath his body, his hips pressing her into the hay. "I need you."

Tossing her belt to the side, he yanked her jeans and underwear down her legs in one fell swoop before he rid himself of his own. There was no stopping him, the animal inside answering the call of its mate. Her back arched, a sweet little mewl falling from her parted lips as he pushed into her with all the gentleness she'd come to expect from him. She could only imagine what his patience was costing him. She felt the breath leave him in a whoosh as his brow came to rest against hers, sharing that one perfect moment of their bodies coming together.

Carol brushed the hair out of his eyes, her hips rising to meet his as he began to move within her. It wasn't tender and slow as their first time had been, but raw and carnal, a bone deep ache to find something only the other could give. Her nails left red streaks across his chest, over his sides to his hips where they dug into his flesh, and she reveled at the sounds he made. She held his gaze, pulling her legs higher up on his waist, her walls pulling him deeper.

"Daryl …"

"I know." His pace quickened, his control shattered, fire crackling along his nerve endings. He knew … he could see. It was more than sex, more than lust, more than mutual pleasure. What they shared was timeless, ageless, and bigger than anything either of them could have dreamed possible. "Mine!"

She trembled, clinging tighter to him as she crested the wave and fell into the shallows, dragging him right along with her as they both moaned from the sweet ecstasy of it all. Carol wouldn't let him go, needing his warm weight. She was spent, her heart aching with what she felt for him. Words would never be enough to convey just how much she loved him.

Daryl panted against her shoulder, his eyes too heavy to open. "Say it. I need to hear you say it, woman."

"I'm yours," she breathed.

"Not that." He cracked his eyes open and grinned up at her.

She returned it eagerly as he raised up on his arms to kiss her deeply. "I love you."

He rolled onto his back, pulling her with him until she was draped across his chest. "Love y' too. Y' know that, right?"

"I know, Daryl."

He laid his arm over his eyes as he fought with his heart to return to a normal beat, frowning as she slipped away from him to dress. She'd barely got her jeans back on before his arm slipped around her waist, pulling her back down to his side. "I meant what I said before, Carol. No more risks."

"I'm not going to let you coddle me. It goes both ways, Daryl … I can't lose you either. Any part of you," she said, ignoring his scowl.

He reached for his jeans, yanking them on over his legs as he rose to his feet. "I ain't arguin' with y'."

"Wonderful! Because it won't do you a bit of good." She tossed him his shirt. "Come on, we need to go talk to Rick."

Daryl hopped after her, pulling his boots on as he tried to follow her out of the stall. He nearly face-planted before he caught his balance. "Hey! Where th' hell y' goin'? We ain't done, woman!"

She shot him a wicked smirk over her shoulder. "I sure hope not."

He shivered as he realized she wasn't talking about their argument.

*.*.*

Carol waved to the children where they stood atop the RV on watch duty. She was so proud of them for taking on such a responsibility, one they actually quite enjoyed. At least she and Lori didn't have to worry about getting into trouble for those four hours every afternoon. She could hear Daryl bounding after her over the dirt path which led into the front yard, not bothering to keep his steps light as he hurried after her. She figured it would be a while before he allowed her out of his sight after the stunt she'd pulled that morning. She still didn't believe she'd done anything wrong. But try telling him that.

Rick was on the porch with Shane, apparently waiting for her. He thundered down the steps when she drew closer, his face a mask of worry. "Where have you been? We were worried sick when we couldn't find you."

He was probably worried he'd have to eat Maggie's cooking, she thought dryly. "I'm fine. Daryl and I were in the stables … talking."

"What were you thinking?! Going in there with that kid. He could have hurt you, and –"

Daryl pulled her behind him. "Don't y' talk t' her like that!" he snarled, his lip curled into a sneer. "Y' ain't got no right, Rick."

He took a step back. "She put herself in danger, Daryl. I don't want to see any of our group harmed. What she did was reckless."

Carol pinched the bridge of her nose to stave off some of the pressure building behind her eyes. "Enough!" she hissed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I've already been through this with Daryl. I'm not going to defend my actions to you, too. I brought food and pain medication to our prisoner. We are still human beings, Rick, and we will act accordingly."

Daryl backed down, but Rick looked as if she'd slapped him. Shane, for once, was holding his silence. "I'm sorry, Carol. It's just … you mean so much to this group. I'd hate to see something happen to you. It would kill Lori, I know."

Her lips softened into a smile. She hadn't realized before that moment just how much they cared. "I just wanted to talk to him. Shane and T-Dog were there to make sure nothing bad happened to me."

Shane snorted. "Stubborn woman. You should've left it to us."

"Why? Because you're a man?" she asked, rolling her eyes. "Didn't you tell me you questioned him this morning? Tell us, Shane … how much information did he give you?"

Shane's swarthy face flooded with color as he glared at her.

"Daryl, you can't approve of her going in there," Rick frowned.

The hunter shot him a quelling glance. "An' if I'd've been here, she wouldn't have!"

Carol glared at him, threw her hands up in exasperation and stormed up the front steps. There was no talking to them when they were so confrontational. Right then, she didn't care if they all beat the crap out of each other on the front lawn. "When the three of you decide to stop measuring your dicks out here, I'll be in the kitchen," she snapped, channeling her inner Merle.

She left them there, gaping with open mouths at her retreating back.

Daryl tightened his grip on the strap of the crossbow.

Rick rubbed tiredly at the back of his neck.

Shane shook his head. "That little woman has fire. What the hell have you done with the meek little lady we met at the quarry?"

The hunter smirked. "I made her a Dixon."

*.*.*

Carol shot Lori a tight smile as the brunette poured a glass of lemonade and handed it to her. "Uh-oh, I know that look. What have our men done now?"

"They're acting like a bunch of cavemen. Next, they'll be clubbing us atop the head and dragging us off to their tents," she growled, draining half the glass with a satisfied moan. "Where'd you get the lemons for this? I can't remember the last time I had fresh squeezed lemonade."

"There are a few trees in the orchard behind the house. Apples and peaches, too." She leaned against the counter next to her friend, tilting her head to the side. "So … you going to tell me what's wrong? It's about time you come to me with your problems seeing as I'm always running to you with mine."

Carol rolled her head, wincing when her neck popped. Finally, she sighed. "They're all up in arms because I went out to talk to our prisoner this morning. I mean, the boy was handcuffed, I was armed, and T-Dog and Shane were there if I'd have needed them."

"Ok … I don't see what their problem is besides being a bunch of sexist pigs. They've been training us to defend ourselves for over a week. Do they have no faith in our skills now?"

Carol smirked. "I think the apocalypse is bringing out their feral side. They want to play cavemen and protect us women."

Lori snickered behind her hand. "I dunno. I wouldn't mind seeing Rick in a loincloth."

"Lori!"

"Is it safe t' come in, or are y' plottin' our murders?" Daryl asked from the doorway, Shane and Rick flanking him.

Carol shook her head and waved them into the room. "Are the three of you ready to discuss this calmly now?"

They took a seat at the table while Lori poured them all something to drink. "We'd really like to know what Randall told you this morning," Rick said, sitting back in his chair.

Carol went to the fridge and pulled out some leftover chicken to make a sandwich for Daryl, knowing he'd missed breakfast and lunch. "That man you killed yesterday … Dave? He was Randall's brother. It was his group. He loved his brother, and is mourning his death, but the boy is rather relieved he doesn't have to go back to them. Those men are dangerous."

Shane's mouth dropped. "He told you that?! He wouldn't tell us anything when we questioned him."

Carol shrugged as she set the plate down in front of Daryl and then took a seat beside him. "What can I say? I'm easy to talk to."

"What else did 'e say, woman?" Daryl asked around a mouth full of his sandwich.

"That group consists of about thirty men … no women, and no children. You killed four last night, and took Randall prisoner, but I don't think those remaining will come looking for him."

"What makes you say that?" Shane leaned forward, leveling her with his stare.

"Because he's not like them. Question is … what are we going to do with him?"

Rick sighed. "When he's recovered enough, we'll take him out to the main road, give him a canteen and some provisions and send him on his way."

Lori frowned at her husband. "Isn't that the same as offering him up to the walkers as a tasty meal?"

"Well 'e can't stay here!" Daryl growled, pushing his empty plate aside. "We can't trust he won't try t' murder us all in our sleep."

Shane folded his hands on the table, his brows drawing together. "We could take him out, maybe a town over, and drop him off."

Carol clucked her tongue in disapproval. "Once again, you want to offer him up as a walker snack. No. We're not going to do that."

"Carol –"

She cut off Rick's protest and rose to her feet. "No, Rick. How can we really trust anyone now? When Shane formed this group out there on the highway, how could he trust any of us? Where would we be if he hadn't taken a chance?"

"Woman!"

She ignored Daryl's soft reprimand to be quiet. "What would have happened to us if he hadn't later allowed Daryl and Merle to join us? I'll tell you where'd I'd be … dead! And my daughter would have been left with Ed. In order to survive in this world, we need people. We need to give him a chance. If he proves he can't be trustworthy, then I won't argue if you send him away. I'll take responsibility for him."

"Like hell y' will!"

"Carol," Lori protested, giving her hand a squeeze. "You can't do that. Do you really want him around Sophia?"

"I want him to have a chance." She met Shane's eyes over the table. "You gave Daryl a chance. This boy is no different. I know it."

Rick drummed his fingers on the table, deep in thought. "He'd have to be watched if we let him out."

Daryl stood so abruptly, his chair banged against the wall. "I cain't believe you're even considerin' this!"

Rick's determined gaze lifted to meet Daryl head on. "Carol's right. We need people. Our numbers are small, and we need them to grow. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but if this boy proves himself, that's just one more person to help protect us."

"Y'all are fuckin' crazy."

"Daryl," Carol murmured softly, using that tone she reserved to soothe him. "It's not like I'm planning to move him into our tent. He can spend the day helping me with chores and at night he can be locked in the shed. We can explain to him it has to be like this at first."

He radiated anger like a thousand suns. He knew she could feel it, but the hand he lifted to cup her cheek was gentle. "I don't like this, Carol. I don't want that boy nowhere near you or Soph."

"I know, but this is the best choice … the right choice."

A/N: Next time: A proposition, Merle gets a new weapon, and two lives are joined.