A/N: We took a few liberties with the rules of the Coast Guard because we want it our way. Hope you enjoy and let us know what you think.

Carol forgave Daryl for the under the desk antics he pulled and they both decided they needed to be more careful or Merle would find out and heads would roll. Namely Daryl's head would roll. So far so good, Merle questioned him, but didn't push it.

Maybe he suspected but he never said anything to either of them.

Tammy pretended she didn't know because she did not want to have secrets from Merle, she told him everything. So she just pretended and stayed in a bubble of ignorance so that she didn't have a secret to keep.

They had been seeing each other for about a month and a half on the sly and it was a Sunday morning. Usually they laid around on Sundays watching TV, eating and fooling around. Half the time they never even got dressed. It was way too familiar and comfortable for Carol. She didn't want to get her heart broken.

He was leaving, that was a fact and they needed to stop ignoring it. They had said things to each other in and out of bed. Things that you say to someone you are planning to be with long term.

She was getting used to being with him and that was scary. They spent many nights sitting out on her fire escape smoking and looking at the stars together. He told about navigating by the stars and about what his life was like at sea.

She told him about her marriage and that she was sometimes still afraid of her ex and he offered to help her learn to defend herself and assured her as long as he was around, she would be safe.

Carol had finally decided to talk about the elephant in the room that Sunday. The fact that he had to go back in two months, and the fact that she was going to miss him. They were sipping coffee in bed and there was a plate of pancakes between them that they were sharing.

"Maybe we should talk." She said sitting up in bed with her coffee cup.

He looked at her and she looked so sad. He knew she had changed her mind. He just knew it.

"I know, you're going to cut me loose, I get it." He said starting to get up, putting his coffee on the table next to the bed, because he felt like he should leave.

"What makes you think I, no Daryl, I wanted to talk about what happens when you go back. How long is each tour?" She said reaching for his arm.

He looked over at her and his eyes were soft and sad. "Eighteen months."

"No shore leave?" She wasn't liking the sound of this.

He shook his head. "I didn't sign yet, the final paperwork."

"Oh."

"I was supposed to this week but I rescheduled." Daryl said. "I'm allowed to reschedule one time, I never have before so I said what the hell, right?"

"Why?" Carol asked.

"I want more time with you, than just three months." He said. "I didn't know how to tell you."

She put her coffee cup down and crawled onto his lap.

"Can you get an extension of your leave at all?"

"It's possible, but I'm not sure." He said.

She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Just the fact that you want to makes me so happy."

He rolled over so that she was underneath him and kissed her.

"You make me so happy." He said in between kisses. "And to be honest, I didn't ever think that would happen for me."

/

Later that day they were getting ready to leave and go on a run together, which they had been doing sometimes on the weekends. They were heading to the door holding hands and when she opened the door Ed was standing there. He came barreling at them and through the door.

He was out of his mind crazy. The look on his face told them he was out for blood and would kill them both if he could.

Carol and Daryl didn't know he had been stalking them for a month, he had worked himself up into a rage over it.

"You fucking whore." He screamed.

She let out a squeak of fear and before she knew it he was trying to grab her, but Daryl was too quick. He had self-defense in the guard and Ed was no match for him.

In about two minutes he had him on the ground face down with his knee in his back. He leaned down to him.

"You just made a big mistake asshole." Daryl hissed at him. "Call the cops sweetheart."