Friday night rolled around everyone had settled down again, each relationship moving on better together better. Carol was happy, She and Andrea had taken to having lunch together every day, becoming fast friends. Carol knew she wasn't interested in her at all, she had enough to deal with with her boys.

Tonight they were all coming together and meeting Shane's boyfriend for the first time. Carol was excited because she hadn't seen Shane for a while. Joey was running around outside kicking a ball with Rick. He was off duty until the next morning. They'd kept Joey home, went shopping to buy food for dinner.

Rick had had two day's off in a row, so did Carol. They'd spent it getting their relationship get on track. Going a couple of towns over spending time going out for lunch, walking around holding hands. Giggling at stupid stuff together. Carol enjoyed it. Rick and Carol hadn't had the same day's off in a long time. His long hours. Carol working different shifts meant that a great deal of their time together had been rushed.

She watched out the window as Joey's little legs chased the ball around the garden. She was pleased he had fantastic roll models to look up to. Rick loved Joey, Carol had no doubt he would do anything to keep him happy and safe. She checked dinner to make sure everything was ok before heading outside to kick the ball around with her son and Rick.

Carol invited Andrea for dinner also so it wasn't just the guys and her, she would be out numbered by guys by 5 to 1. At least having another girl there she would be able to have a conversation with her as well. She was surprised how quickly they had become good friends. Both having a common secret. Merle. She was still a bit jealous of the time they spent together but it didn't actually come into Merle and Carol's time together. She didn't want to give Merle up. She wasn't keen to give any of them up. But she was more likely to share Merle than Rick. No one was coming near Daryl.

Daryl and Merle were coming up the drive from work stopping to kick the ball around with Joey too, pretty soon there was teams drawn, Daryl and Merle, against Carol, Rick and Joey. Rick was cheating and doing it so clearly that soon everyone was doing a free for all chasing the ball. Carol quickly knew she was out numbered on the game. The guy's were competitive.

She sat on the step watching her men chase the ball around playing with Joey. Joey's laughing when Daryl and Rick tripped over top of each other and ending in a heap. Daryl complaining that he could have broken a hip made him laugh. He was going to end up with a bruise on his hip she could tell when he lifted his shirt and loosened his belt on his jeans to show her.

Her eyes drifted down his flat stomach looking at it. She put out her hand to press on it a little to see how bad it was, he groaned and inhaled his breath. She was going to have fun kissing that later.

'Hurts like a bitch,' Daryl told her, he sat down watching Merle and Rick chased Joey around. Joey become tired coming to curl on on Carol's knee, putting his finger in his mouth looking at his dad for a bit.

'Uncle Shane's coming,' He told Daryl with his finger in his mouth.

'I know, he's bringing his boyfriend too, wonder what he's like?' Daryl told him.

'He's like a boy, with hair, and stuff in his pockets,' Joey told him. Carol and Daryl laughed, that was all Joey was interested in. What was in peoples pockets for him to see. Daryl leaned over to kiss Carol, she kissed him back, they were open in their relationship in front of their son. Rick and Merle were not. It was hidden from Joey.

Carol had dinner pretty much done so it would be ready for 6pm. She stood up to go check dinner. Daryl and Joey followed her into the kitchen. Carol sent him out of the fridge when he tried to nab something to eat, shaking her head at him, he knew dinner wasn't far off, looking around the kitchen it looked like it was going to be a great dinner. It didn't stop him dipping his finger into the cream and sucking it off his finger.

'Your dirty hands,' Carol moaned at him.

'I washed them before I left work, see, clean,' He held his hands up. They were not that bad, quiet clean in fact.

'You want me to bath him, get him ready for tonight?' Daryl asked.

'Please,' she stuck her head in the fridge looking for the butter that she needed to put the the potato's, Daryl left to go scrub Joey, 'Don't forget to shower yourself too,' Carol called after him. He called something back that she had no idea what it was.

'Shane just rang saying he doesn't get off shift till 6 so he needs to go home change then come,' Rick told her, he was snuggling into her knowing Joey was with Daryl. He was kissing her neck and harassing her. Merle come into the kitchen looking at them.

'Get ya paw's off my girl, give me some sugar,' Merle muscled in for a kiss and cuddle too. Both Merle and Daryl smelt like they put a hard day in the workshop today, smelling of oil and engine grease and the faint spice of something they'd sprayed at some time of the day.

'Ok, can you remember if we brought butter?' she asked Rick, wrapping her arms around Merle returning his kiss.

'I'll go get some, I didn't put any in,' Rick kissed her head, 'Need anything Merle?'

'Beer, you want some wine?' he asked Carol, she nodded, 'I'll come with, you need anything else Carol?' She shook her head. 'Give me ten minutes to shower and change ok?'

Rick nodded. He sat down at the table writing himself a little list so he didn't get to the store and come home without what he went for. Which was what normally happened when he went to get something he needed. 'Anything else?'

'Ice cream?' Carol told him. Carol made a cup of coffee for her and Rick and they sat talking quietly while Rick waited for Merle to come back.

They both kissed her, talking about crap as they left the house in Rick's truck to go get the butter, and the beer. Carol didn't understand why he didn't buy beer while they were actually at the store. Then she couldn't understand why she forgot the butter. Who kept eating all the butter, Carol looked around the cupboards, probably the same person who kept eating all the food. She was living with three rather large men, who ate a great deal, and a 4 year old with hollow legs.

She ducked away for a quick shower in Rick's bathroom while Daryl was bathing Joey and dressed in jeans and a pretty top. She put some make up on then went to go check dinner again. She hoped the guys wouldn't be too long so they would have time to chill the wine. Maybe they could stick it in the freezer to cool it down fast.

Half an hour later Daryl put a clean Joey on the couch putting him in front of his favourite movie and went to take a quick shower himself. He come out wearing his jeans low and was pulling on the tee shirt, he smelt nice Carol could smell him from the kitchen. There was a knock at the door, Carol looked at the time, it was after six, Merle and Rick were not back now it seemed Shane and his boy friend had beat them home.

Carol opened it seeing Shane there still in uniform and another police officer beside him. Carol smiled at them thinking this was the new boyfriend then she saw Shane's face. Her stomach fell to her knees and her hand started shaking. Shane was in clear distress, something really bad had happened.

'What?' she asked looking at Shane.

'We regret to inform you...' was all that Carol heard when she called for Daryl.

'DARYL get here now!' Carol shouted.

He come running, seeing the two officers standing there then he realized something was very very wrong. His arm went around Carol as he tried to listen.

'Who?' Daryl asked, 'What happened?'

'There was a accident, Rick... Rick...' Shane managed to get out. He shook his head, in a haze Daryl could hear the other officer confirming Rick was dead, it wasn't registering because he was just there, with Merle, outside. Shane was crying, really hard. He was holding Carol upright, as she was shaking making no noise into his chest.

'Merle?' Daryl asked, he worked out the news was bad, 'What the fuck happened... Merle?... Where's Merle?'