I know this is a short chapter, but this is also my last day of school! :) So, I'll have more time to write and don't worry, the next chapter should be coming very soon! ;)

Chapter Twenty-Four

After their lunch of pancakes and syrup, Carol declared that she was sticky and needed a shower. Daryl didn't waste anytime, and dragged her to the shower, where he quickly undressed them and slipped under the warm spray of water.

They stayed under it until the water turned cool.

Then, they once again found themselves in bed. Just as Daryl said they would be for most of the day. They didn't get out until it was dark outside and it was clearly time for supper. Carol was a little sore, but in a good way. She hadn't felt like this in well...ever. Daryl was inexperienced, but a quick learner and very enthusiastic. He made Carol feel things she hadn't felt, not even in the beginning months to her marriage with Ed.

"God, I love you."

Together, they stood in the kitchen in the exact spot they had earlier. This time, though, Carol was making grilled cheeses instead of pancakes. Daryl placed kisses along the column of her neck, and Carol made sure she didn't burn their meal.

"I love you, too," Carol said back, and reached behind her to tread her fingers through his hair.

"I wish I had met you, sooner. Before...Ed." There was a slight pause as Carol sucked in a breath at the mention of her ex-husband. "Sorry," Daryl mumbled and pulled away from her back. "Shouldn't have brought him up."

"No, it's okay." Carol turned and grabbed both of his wrists before he could move too far. "I wish you had met me before Ed, too. I would have been so much happier." We may have even started a family... "But fate had us meet when we did, and now, look at us."

"Yeah." He looked at her through his bangs, shyly. Almost like a little boy.

Carol turned back to the sandwiches before they could be burned. Daryl had set two plates next to the stove, and she easily slid a grilled cheese on each one. After turning off the stove, she presented them to Daryl. "Dinner's ready!" She smiled. "Want to take them into the living room? Maybe we can watch a movie?"

"The Princess Bride?" Daryl said with a teasing grin.

Carol blushed, remembering that they had watched as a kind of 'date' a few days before. It was one of her favorite movies, who could blame her for wanting to watch it again? But that wasn't the movie she had in mind. "No." She stuck her tongue out at him and brushed past him to the living room. "I was thinking about watching Robin Hood: Men in Tights."

She placed her plate on the coffee table and went to her shelf of movies by the television. Behind her, she heard Daryl take a seat on the couch.

"Oh, that's right. You said that we should watch that one sometime. It has the guy from the other movie, right?"

"Cary Elwes?" She peered over her shoulder. "Yep. Love him."

"As much as me?" It was meant to be teasing, but when Carol turned to face him, movie in hand, she saw past the teasing glint.

"Of course not," she answered, truthfully. And to be an ass, she added, "But he's a close second, though." Winking, she sauntered over to the DVD player and placed the disk inside.

As the previews began to play, Carol made her way to the couch and sat down right next to Daryl, her whole side flush against his. He didn't mind and slung an arm around her shoulders, and ate his sandwich with one hand.

"Can you hand me my plate?" Carol realized she had left her food on the corner of the table, within reach of Daryl, but not her and she was too comfortable to get up and get it.

Daryl reached for it. "As you wish."

The next morning, Carol's stomach fluttered nervously as she dressed. Daryl was in the shower. Today, she would be meeting Merle Dixon, Daryl's older brother, and she had no idea how he was going to react to finding out Daryl was married.

What if he hated her? What then? Carol didn't want Daryl to have a bad relationship with his brother because of her.

"Stop worryin'." Daryl stepped into the room with only a towel wrapped around his waist. He was using another to rub vigorously at his dripping hair. It showed how nervous Carol was when she didn't stop and stare at his naked chest.

"I'm not worrying," she quickly said, though, not wanting to let him know her fears.

Daryl stopped rubbing at his hair and made eye contact with her through the mirror. "I know you, Carol. Haven't known you long, but I know you."

This was true, Daryl did know her. She didn't know how, in the short amount of time they had been together, but he did. Even more so than Ed. Daryl knew Carol just as much as her best friend, Michonne had.

Tears came to her eyes as she once again thought about her best friend, who had hadn't talked to in years. Daryl saw them, and his eyes widened in panic. Immediately, he was at her back and engulfing Carol in his strong arms.

"Everything is goin' to be okay. We don't have to go if you don't want to." His words were muffled as he placed his face in the space between her shoulder and neck.

"It's not that." Carol quickly wiped away the tears from her cheeks and tried to smile. "I was just thinking about my old friend, Michonne. I haven't spoken to her in a...long time."

Daryl's arms stayed where they were, wrapped around her waist. "You should call her up, sometime. I bet she'd love to hear from you."

"I don't know." Carol didn't know what Michonne would think of her, now. Especially, since she hadn't even had the decency to contact her after she fled from her home when Ed had found out where she was saying.

"You should. I bet she misses you." Daryl unwrapped his arms and stepped back. Carol turned to look at him. A towel was still wrapped around his waist, but the mood in the room at the moment was serious, not playful.

"A-And, if you still want to, you should sign up for classes, so you can become a teacher. There's nothing stopping you, now."

Carol had spent so much of the past year afraid. Afraid that one day Ed would show up at her door, like he continued to threaten, and harm her. She had been so afraid, just going out to buy groceries would give her panic attacks...until Daryl came along. Even that first day, when he had been duped up on painkillers, Carol had felt safe with him around. Now, they were married. Carol felt like she could unwind and become herself, again.

"I-I think I will do that," she said, smiling brightly.

"Good. I want you to do all the things you couldn't do before. I don't want to be the man Ed was."

Carol cupped his cheeks. "You could never be the man Ed was. You're the best man I have ever met."

"I hope you still feel that way after you see who I'm related to."

An hour and a half later, Daryl and Carol pulled up to the prison parking lot. It looked just as Carol imagined it would be. Cold concrete building with no windows, and a yard surrounded by barbed wire. The parking lot was half-full, so when they pulled in, the inmates in the yard stopped what they were doing and watched them exit the vehicle. A few catcalled at Carol as they walked up to the entrance, but she ignored them. Daryl turned over his shoulder and glared, but it did nothing to stop them.

"I doubt they've seen a pretty woman in a long time," Daryl whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek and walking up to the front desk. As Daryl talked with the woman at the desk, Carol looked around the little waiting room. It reminded her slightly of a doctor's office. Except one of the lights was flickering and many of the chairs had plastic holes in their covering.

Carol took a seat in the least mangled chair, and Daryl took the one next to her a few minutes later.

"They're goin' to get him, now." He took her hand in his. "I just want to apologize now for all the things Merle is goin' to say that will upset you. He doesn't have a filter, especially when there is a woman involved."

Carol squeezed his hand in reassurance. "It's going to be fine. I'm sure I'll be able to handle him."

Daryl was about to open his mouth, when the woman at the desk announced that Merle was waiting for them. Daryl stood and didn't let go of Carol's hand. She could tell that he was nervous and wished that she could do more to put him at ease.

He didn't let go of her hand, even when they walked into a large room with several tables. No one was at those tables, except one man in the far corner. He wore the notorious orange jumpsuit and his leg was shackled to one of the table legs. When he looked up and saw the two of them approaching, Carol knew immediately that it was Merle. He and Daryl had the same eyes, though his were...harsher. Colder.

As they walked up to the table, Daryl let go of her hand and held out his to Merle. "Hey, Merle." The other man shook his brother's hand, but his eyes didn't leave Carol.

"Well, who is this?" Merle's hand slipped from Daryl's and he pointed to Carol.

Daryl took a seat, with Carol quickly following, knowing that they would need to be seated for this conversation. "This is Carol," Daryl said, looking his brother straight in the eye. "My wife."

Can anyone tell I love Cary Elwes and The Princess Bride? ;)

Thanks for reading!