so much support for this fic, it helps the muse if you comment I love it.
Chapter Text
Daryl helped load a sleeping Sophia into his truck to go back to his house where everyone was heading for a party of sorts, a yearly event apparently according to Merle, after the park they would light a brazziers around the place, people would drink, talk and dance. Daryl wrapped his arms around Carol before opening the truck door.
'You happy?' He asked her, she nodded and put her arms around him tipping up a little for his kiss. He gave her a squeeze.
'Very,' She told him, he opened the door or her and they left the park.
Before they arrived at Daryl's place he pulled over on the side of the road in a lay away place and killed the engine. He turned in his seat looking at her, he looked over at Sophia and cleared his throat.
'I wanted to talk to you about what you said about Ed this morning, before we got to my place, I promised we could talk about it tonight.' Daryl told her.
Carol just looked at him and nodded, she wasn't sure what she wanted to say. They had had a great night, dancing together in the crowds with some touching and kissing, hand holding all while they had Sophia with them. Small pecks on the mouth, and appropriate touching, arm grazing, thumb on her wrist stroking, arm's around her and Sophia hugging. Everything that made Carol want to jump his bones had it not been for the small child between them.
Daryl had led them to where his friends would be, creatures of habit according to Daryl they danced in the same area every year. Daryl kept them close with a arm around them the whole time. Andrea and Merle took Sophia with them back to the seats to give Daryl and Carol a break, Carol redundantly let Sophia go. She knew she would be fine with them but at the same time she worried constantly.
Daryl took the opportunity of the baby being gone to pull her hard up against her body and in the dark in the crowds there had been some very unappropriated touching going on. It started when Daryl slipped his hand up under her jacket to pull her close and his thumb tucked under her jean's and panties at the dip of her butt cheek, Carol responded by slipping her hand into his back pocket.
They played a game of exploring each other on the pretense of swaying with the music, Daryl had a hand up her shirt cupping her bra with one hand on her butt and his mouth on her neck, Carol was biting his shoulder and running her hand across the front of his jeans and the hand that once was in his pocket was up the back of his shirt, dancing but in reality groping at each other in the dark in the crowd where no one was really paying them attention until Daryl felt a nudge from behind he finally lifted his head.
'Got a sos from Sophia, so stop being a dirty bastard and get you hands of her Mama,' Merle teased them.
Carol blushed in the dark pleased that they couldn't really see her face, Daryl took her hand and tried to use the walk back to walk off a throbbing erection that was straining in his pants. He didn't know if they were going to get to a sex stage tonight but they were defiantly stepping over the just friends barrier and if things went tits up he didn't think they could go back to being just friends, hell they were never just friends from the moment he met them.
So now they were sitting on the side of the road with Car's passing them Daryl assumed that they were heading to his house but before they got in the crowd he wanted to clear the air about Ed.
'So I've been thinking, I talked to Rick about it, if you wanted to you could try and press charges but here's the thing, its been so long and it would be a his word against yours, without evidence,' Daryl told her, he glanced at Sophia. 'If it happened the night you got pregnant with Sophia, I'm really sorry that happened.'
Carol looked at him knowing he was right, they couldn't prove it either way it had been so long so much time had passed. She nodded.
'I don't want to, I don't want her to think she was conceived like that, that way,' Carol told him. He nodded.
'I can organize counselling or something? Someone to talk about it with? We have a lovely lady who works with people through work.' Daryl told her.
'I think in my heart I always knew, I just couldn't see why I would sleep with him like that, I don't know, I need to think about it, I don't want it to affect me like this.' Carol told him.
'I wana say something and I'm probably going to fuck it up but go with it...' Daryl told her, Carol nodded.
'I want you, I want Soph, I don't care how she was conceived, I have all theses feelings when I look at her like I would fight lions to protect her, and punch teen-aged boys when she's a teenager, put bars on her windows kinda feelings to keep her safe, but that's just a drop in the ocean to how I'm feeling about you...' Daryl glanced at her, Carol was starring at him with wide eyes.
'Say something, don't leave me hanging here,' Daryl reached out and stroked his thumb along her wrists. Carol coughed what sounded like a little choking cry, and nodded, with tears welling in her eyes. 'Fuck I don't want you to cry.' Daryl leaned in to kiss her. 'Don't cry, I don't want you to cry,'
'I can't help it,' Carol sniffed kissing him back.
'Fuck it, I want you both, I want you to be mine, and Soph, I know its early days, and Merle said I should back off but I want you to know,' Daryl pulled away, started up his truck and started it up. 'Buckle up we need to get home before someone starts fucking in my bed or something,' Daryl muttered, 'Don't giggle its happened before.'
Carol looked at him shaking her head.
'I'm not lying, Shane was in there with some chick last year in my bed, I had to burn the sheets, I swear,' He kept his eyes on the road, indicated up the drive towards his house driving slowly past parked cars until he hit his parking spot near the front door.