So the next morning a bed was delivered to the flat and put into the garage by two men from the store. Daryl swung by at lunch time with Rick in tow to set up his bed and Carol watched from the doorway as Rick helped Daryl put the sheets on. It was some sort of dirty playboy story or something. Both of them in uniform half stripped because of the lifting involved.

Carol couldn't help but swallow as Daryl reached over to move something and his dress shirt gave away from his pants and she caught another glimpes of his stomach. Carol blushed and moved into the lounge to get them a drink. Looking at the time they wouldn't have much longer before they had to go back onto duty.

'Ok, we done as much as we can. You happy to stay here? We can take you over to the Greenes?' Daryl asked her coming into the room again. Carol sniffed the air and could tell he had sprayed himself with deodorant again and it was mucking with her senses.

Daryl reluctantly agreed to let her stay home at the flat if that was all that she was doing and not to go out until they got to the bottom of why Ed's parents were back in town. As far as they knew no one had told them were Carol was staying because no one knew.

'I'm off shift at 3 so if you want to go for a walk or whatever we can do that then, I just got to get changed then we can do something?' Daryl asked her looking in the basinet at Sophia who was sleeping.

'Hmmmmm with big sunglasses on and a hat over my face until all this goes?' Carol indicated to her face.

'Its not that bad its getting better,' Daryl told her.

'A walk will be great, sounds good.' Carol told him. Rick and Daryl left and Carol locked the door behind them and went back to doing nothing, but lying on the couch snoozing waiting for Sophia to wake. She only had about 2 hours until Daryl come back so she took the time to lie down and rest. Her body was still recovering from the beating it took, she was feeling better but a sleep would be great.

Thats where Daryl found her an hour later when he let himself into the flat via the garage. He was early he had got back to the station and they had let him go because he needed to talk to Carol. They knew the grandparents had been around looking for carol so they thought that she would be better to have Daryl off duty rather than sending a police officer to keep an eye on her. They had looked into the Grand parents history and the dad made Ed look like a saint. Daryl felt sick when he read some of the stuff he had done to his wife over the years and his kids.

His own daughter had a restraining order on him so that told them a lot. Once Daryl had had a quiet word with his captain that he had offered to stay over with her until the grandparents had shown their hand or left for good. He raised his eyebrows at Daryl when he said he was staying there.

'Its not really my case, Captain, Rick and Shane did all the details I just happened to be camping.' Daryl stated.

'Dixon, are you trying to get into that womens pants?' His Capain Abe Ford asked him.

'I can neither comfirm or deny Captain.' Daryl stated. To be honest he didn't know what the fuck he was doing. He was chasing tail he thought but it was more than that. It had to be because he wasn't going to be mucking around with someone with a baby if it wasn't more than that. He spent the past 12 or so years trying to avoid ever ending up with a baby in tow by accident or a mistake. He didn't think it was a mistake that Carol and Sophia come into his camp that night.

'Dixon, don't do anything that's going to make me regret not telling you to keep away from that women.' His captain told him, 'Tread carefully Dixon, don't make me regret giving you paid leave to go play house.'

'No Captain, I won't. Thankyou.' Daryl told him walking out of the office. Rick looked at him as he was leaving.

'Lucky son of a bitch. Maybe I can get paid leave next time Lori's parents come to town pretending they are a treat,' Rick muttered. 'Its not like that,' Daryl told him.

'Yeah righto like you don't get a hard on looking at her all the time. Whatever Daryl,' Shane muttered walking past him giving him a friendly nudge. 'Use protection you don't want two babies under one to look after.' Shane winked at him.

Daryl gave a chuckle and left the building heading out to his truck to head away. Ed's parents were no where about so it was fine to go straight to the flat. He drove around the town once in a lap to make sure before driving straight to the flat.

He couldn't say that he didn't spend a few minutes watching her sleep before he felt if she woke she might find it a bit creepy so he went through and took a shower then went to get dressed in the other set of clothes he had there. By the time he got out to the lounge Sophia was awake, making noises in her bassinet and Carol was still sleeping.

Carol's face was still so bruised and sore looking. He picked her up felling her bottom deciding that she would probably wet him through, he thought about changing her then decided against it. Then he decided he would give it a go. Carol was snoring and at the moment Sophia didn't seem to want milk so he went and got one of the diapers and wipes. He put her on the change table and managed to change her. It actually wasn't that hard. The first time he picked her up it fell to the ground so putting it on a bit snugger he managed it. Then managed just to get her stretchy pants up.

He all but high fived Sophia for him doing the diaper. Daryl tucked her in over his shoulder and walked back into the lounge and started hunting for food in the fridge. Making a sandwich with one hand was harder than changing the diaper he decided. So he grabbed a banana and made a coffee while he waited for Sophia to wind up.

He was pottering around in the kitchen talking softly to her when he glanced in Carol's direction noticing that she was awake watching him.

'I'm off now until what ever happens with the grandparents happens.' He told her.

Carol sat up on the couch looking at him. 'You took time off for us?'

'Kinda, ummmm they wanted to put a cop on ya so its either me or Shane and Rick and the other guys on shifts. He's got an impressive record. Ed's Dad.' Daryl said looking at her.

'What kind of record?'

'Lets just say he's not a nice man, ya can't be on ya own till they gone,' Daryl said. Sophia began to grizzle a little, Daryl was sure it was because she could hear Carol's voice. 'You want your Mama? Here she is. I changed her.' Daryl passed her Sophia.

'You changed her?' Carol asked, she knew she was repeating herself but he surprised her when she woke up that he was talking and cuddling her making a coffee, and now he said he changed her for her. Carol felt like she wanted to cry. It was all a bit much and over whelming all of it. Now it was just going to be the two of them until Ed's parents actually left. Carol latched Sophia to her breast and Daryl turned away looking everywhere but at her.

'Does it make you uncomfortable?' She asked him, indicating to the baby.

'Nah, just Shane pointed out I was staring at ya chest while your feeding her, I don't want you to think I'm a pervert.' Daryl muttered staring at the wall.

'I think its sweet that your watching, its cute. I don't mind you watching, its just milk.' Carol indicated for him to sit down and he did on the end of the couch turning so his back was on the arm rest watching Carol feed Sophia.

'Its natural. Your interested in whats going on. I don't think your perving or anything.' Carol said stroking Sophia's head. Daryl watched, he was getting far to attached to that baby, to attached. Knowing that she wasn't even his and things could go weird or Carol might not even like him like that. To many thoughts were going through his mind.

'Walk? You up for a walk or what do you want to do?' He asked her in the end.

'Yeah I can walk, not to far though. Maybe you could get that pram Andrea got Sophia?' Carol asked him. He nodded and moved to the garage to get the pram. Soon Carol was finished and she gave Sophia to Daryl to burp while she got shoes, a hat and sun glasses on.

Soon they were walking around the block slowly with Sophia. Carol was done half way home and Daryl debated running back to get his truck. In the end he put his arm around her to help support her walking. She still was suffering from Ed's attack. They sat on a fence for a while talking and Daryl rocked the pram with his foot. Sophia was talking to herself and happy.

Finally they made it back to the house where Carol fell towards the couch to lie down. Leaving Daryl to get Sophia out of the pram.

'You ok?' He asked.

'Just everything is sore and old.' She said from her face in the seat of the couch.

'Ok, I'll do dinner, you watch tv.' Daryl handed her Sophia when she sat up and went to look for something to cook.