AN: hey guys...sorry I have been slow to update this week -I got some bad news that was upsetting (one of my daughters has a serious eye condition and I got some bad news from her specialist) and then I got a bad virus on my laptop... Anyway enough about my bad week. A little short, done on my phone, but let me know what you think:)

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Part 4

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"Hey Pookie, what are you doing here?" She said with a grin

He flushed stumbling over his words like a schoolboy as that grin, the one he loved so much spread across her face as he spoke "I...I..ah came to save you?"

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"Aww ..." Carol said straightening her dress and walking over to him. "That's sweet" she said with a grin patting him lightly on the cheek.

He touched her bruising cheek lightly with the tips of his fingers "Ya alright?" He asked his voice a little hoarse.

She nodded "Yeah...I've had worse..lucky for me I know how to take a punch" she snorted sarcastically.

He grew serious then "That ain't funny...none of this is..." He said softly.

She looked at him with a confused expression on her face "I know...I was just.." She paused as though searching for the right words.

He stared at her face as his hand traced her cheek. Just say it! He thought, just blurt it out right now, let her know the truth...finally. He opened his mouth to speak when the noise of a golf cart pulling up behind them stopped him.

"You folks alright?"

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"So, when he punched her in the face, that's when you took him down?"

Daryl was finishing giving his statement to one of the safe zone patrol officers. He flushed brightly "No ...no..that was all her"

"Wow...that's one hell of a girl you got there" the officer said in awe, eying Carol who was giving her statement to the other officer. The fucker had to be in his early thirties but he was eying Carol like she drink of water on a hot day.

"Yeah..I do" he said emphasizing the last part. The officer smirked at him, nodding. "So what's going to happen to Alan?" Daryl asked

The officer sighed "Well...we'll throw him in a cell for the night to dry out ...again...then have ourselves a chat with him in the morning ..again. I doubt he'll bother her anymore, but I'll see if we can get his housing reassigned ...again."

"He's done this before?" Daryl asked

The officer nodded "Yeah...a couple of times...Asshole usually gives up once it's made clear no is no...and your girl made it pretty damn clear" the officer said flinching unconsciously.

Daryl chuckled, she sure had. It had been the hottest thing he'd ever seen. He'd had a hard time to keep his hands off her after that,but he didn't want to be an asshole, insensitive to what she'd just been through. He imagined she'd not want another man looking at her after experiencing something like that.

He heard her giggle then and place her hand on the forearm of the officer taking her statement. ...Was she fucking flirting with that guy ? he thought incredulously as she smiled that smile he loved so much at the officer. That was his fucking smile. No way that was happening he thought as he marched over beside Carol, slipping his arm around her waist as she finished up.

"Ya ready to head home?" He asked as the patrol drove off, a now sleeping Alan in the backseat of the cart. He squeezed her waist slightly not letting go as she gave him a slightly confused look but didn't move.

"Sure" she said softly turning to head up the lane.

He let go of her waist but caught her hand as her arm slipped away, threading her fingers in through his.

She smiled at him, her expression thoughtful but didn't let go as they walked the rest of the way home.

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"Here..put this on your face"

He came out into the living room a disposable ice pack and wet washcloth in his hands. She was standing at the fireplace staring down at the fire he'd made, as though hypnotized. She turned then and smiled.

He paused, unable to speak for a moment. She was so beautiful, the past two months had changed her and she seemed ...happy, and confident. He could only hope that she felt the same way he did, and that she hadn't moved on.

"Are you alright?" She said a sweet smile on her face.

Snapped out of his thought he cleared his throat and walked forward. "Yeah...here"

He reached forward and grabbed her hand pulling her gently toward the couch, sitting down she settled beside him.

He reached up and brushed her hair away from her face, several times slowly. Threading his fingers threw her hair he cupped the back of her head, bringing the wash cloth up he wiped away blood from a small cut where Alan's ring had cut her skin.

He focused on his work but felt his hand shake a little as his nerves got the better of him.

She watched him intently, silently, her gaze never leaving his face. He put the ice pack up on her cheek holding it in place.

"Thank you" she said covering his hand with hers.

Just tell her! He thought as he stared at her lips

"Daryl, I think we need to talk"