AN: hey you guys, so as you can guess this story is definitely going to be longer than 15 chapters, I'm not sure how much longer but I know what I want to do now so that's a bonus. I've become a little addicted to writing fluff. Sorry if that's not your thing:) this is a little short but please let me know what you think.

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead in any way.

Chapter -14

I meant what I said and I said what I meant-an elephant's faithful one hundred percent~ Dr Seuss.

The next morning dawned quickly. It was the type of morning that made Daryl wish he could stay in bed forever. The air in the attic held a slight chill, and the steady stream of rain tapping on the window told him that there would be no hunting this morning. Carol was still asleep curled on her side,head pillowed on his bicep, her back pressed to his front, his arm firmly around her waist. Her head was barely visible above the cocoon of old quilts she piled on their bed. It was early yet, the light coming in the window was muted from the clouds as he watched Carol sleep, she seemed to glow.

He chucked quietly to himself, if Merle could only hear him now. He smiled thinking of Merle watching over him and laughing his ass off, throwing teasing insults from the other side. He knew Merle would be happy that he had found happiness with Carol. Merle had surmised Daryl's feelings for Carol during his brief time in the prison. The day before Merle had taken off on his failed mission he'd caught Daryl staring at Carol and had told him to "man up and tap that ass already".

Daryl realized with a start he was thinking of Merle without the all consuming sadness that had plagued him since Merle's death rotting his gut. It was nice to think of him and smile he realized. He knew time, and Carol was the reason for that.

Carol had shown him that he could be happy again. Carol had waited for him to be ready. He knew she could have found someone else at the prison. There had been no shortage of available men, and he knew there had been some who had expressed an interest in her that his deadly glares had not scared off. The thought of her with someone else had plagued him so much on his hunts for the governor with Michonne, he'd finally had to tell Michonne his heart just wasn't in it anymore. He'd been leaving his heart behind at the prison every time he went out those gates.

He we grateful she had waited and what they shared now was beyond even the best he had imagined. Two years of sexual tension had lit an infinite fire between them that he knew would never burn out, but he had found something with Carol he'd never had with any other woman. He wanted to take care of her, she took care of everyone and always forgot herself. He wanted to spend time talking to her and he'd never been one to talk. He wanted to touch her non stop. Not just in bed but all the time. If she was within his reach the past two days he'd wanted a physical connection somehow. Whether it had been putting an arm around her shoulders or taking her hand. Glenn and Carl, even Rick to a lesser extent had been teasing him non stop about his new touchy feely self and he just didn't give a fuck, and that most definitely would have bothered him a month ago.

Before the turn he wouldn't have wanted a woman to spend the night, now he was ridiculously content to wake with Carol in his arms, watching her sleep while listening to the rain. Yeah Merle was busting his gut laughing his ass off right now somewhere he thought with a grin as he pulled Carol closer.

Carol stirred a little pressing herself back into his warm chest "is it time to get up?" She whispered sleepily.

"Naw, go back to sleep" he said softly.

She sighed her agreement, she spoke again a few minutes later he wasn't even sure from her dreamy voice that she was even awake

"I love when it rains in the morning"

He smiled kissing her neck softly

"Me too angel".

111111111111111111111111111

Daryl stood leaning against the porch watching in amusement as Reynolds, Anderson, Thomas, Wong, Gallant and Miller said their goodbyes to Beth. The latter had given a furiously blushing Beth a chaste kiss on the forehead, but the other five were worse than a group of mother hens pecking at their young. They all repeatedly hugged her, while making her promise to eat well, get some sleep, not to wander off on her own, listen to Carol. Fuck, the quiet scary fucker Wong looked like he just might cry.

"They sound worse than parents leaving their kid with a new babysitter, they do realize we're not strangers to her right?" Maggie said from beside him a little put out.

Daryl shrugged and turned back to scene chuckling to himself as bewildered a Carol was now the object of the six men goodbye's. With the exception of Wong most of the men were younger than Carol but they fretted over her like they were leaving a younger sister as they had with Beth. He could understand why, Carol was easy to love.

The Lieutenant stepped out onto the porch stopping next to Daryl and watching the scene before him with a grin.

"You got yourself a good one there Dixon." He said.

"Yeah I do" Daryl said emphasizing his words while he spoke and he hoped sending a silent message.

The Lieutenant was silent for a moment before responding.

"Well 'mr twilight's observant too. You can't blame man for looking, but I see the way you two look at one another. Reminds me of how I looked at my wife. I would never try to mess that up. You need to hold onto that, don't let go of it." He said patting Daryl on the shoulder as he moved down the steps. Daryl watched as the lieutenant said his goodbyes and was getting into the truck when Daryl called out

"Who the fuck is Mr. Twilight?"

The lieutenant simply grinned as he got in the truck and drove away.