A lot going on this chapter. A lot.

Carol walked into the house and followed the sound of a bull in a china shop. Hannah was slipping out of the kitchen her eyes wide and face red. She didn't even pause as another crash came from upstairs. She gave Carol a reassuring look before she was gone, leaving Carol alone with Daryl Dixon and his temper. She wanted to march right back out there and punch Rick right in his face. Who did he think he was to say such things to Daryl? An asshole, plain and simple.

Walking deeper into the house she was actually happy no one was here other than her. She felt like Mac would likely make it worse or stab Rick in the throat. Merle would lose his shit, Brian was already working on that himself and Hannah just abandoned her. She knew the Dixon's temper. Hannah had known them all her life just about and when Daryl lost his temper apparently it was something to remember. It wasn't as often as Merle or Mac so it tended to be something to batten down the hatches over.

His bedroom door was shut and she swallowed. A loud thump and groan had her raising a brow. She couldn't let him leave, especially not alone, and not after everything. She really hoped Sophia misunderstood and that he wasn't about to just walk away. It'd kill Sophia, it'd devastate his brothers, and with a startling clarity it'd really bother her.

Carol took a deep breath and ripped the bandaid off. His door swung open and his back was to her. The tension in his shoulders was painful looking even from here.

"Get out."

Carol bit back her snappish retort and shook her head. "No."

Daryl turned his head looking over his shoulder, "Carol, I'm not in the mood for a bunch of fucking excuses and coddling."

"Good because I'm offering neither." Carol smiled.

He shook his head reaching for something. Carol's eyes went to it and she moved jerking the pack from his hand. He turned on her then and if she'd been the old Carol she would have cowered from him. He was intimidating as it was but right now he was downright scary looking. She understood why Hannah had made a quick escape.

"Give it here." He growled low.

His voice dropping had her heart rate picking up for all the wrong reasons. Biting her lip she fought to keep her breathing even. How could he have such an impact on her? His eyes were a dark, a storm cloud rolling in and threatening. Licking her lips she tossed it behind her hitting the door and causing it slam. His eyes shot to it and then her, she suddenly felt trapped. Why had she thought this was a good idea to corner him?

"What do you want?"

Want? When was the last time a man asked her that and she thought he could deliver? Never...well until now. HIs eyes changed and she took a step forward. She wasn't sure what was showing on her face but the tension in the air changed and she felt that heat pooling low in her stomach. It was almost intoxicating.

He was standing stock still and it took her a second to realize she'd moved closer to him. He was regarding her quietly and she reached out her hand touching his side. He didn't flinch away but instead kept his eyes steady on her. Carol trailed her fingers over the muscle there and watched as the color in his eyes changed. It started slow like the changing of the seasons but before she knew it she was backed into the wall. His hand was around her wrist pinning it to the wall and looking down at her.

Carol looked up at him. She wanted this...whatever this was she wanted it and knew he did too. They both had for a long time but just danced around it.

He started to speak but before he could her mouth was on his. She felt like the breath was knocked right from her body as he invaded her completely. She was pressed against him fully and reminded of the same thing happening earlier. His tongue teased at the seam of her lips and she moaned. He took advantage of it and swooped in deepening the kiss. Using her free hand she started ripping at the buttons of his shirt not bothered with being gentle.

Carol wrenched her hand from his grasp and Daryl grunted as he was suddenly knocked back. His chest rumbled in what she knew was a growl but they hadn't broke apart. She jumped wrapping her legs around him and he didn't even stumble under the sudden weight. His hands gripped her ass like he knew she was going to do just that. His shirt was hanging open and Carol tore hers over her head letting him take her full weight. The second her shirt was off his mouth skated down her jaw and throat and beyond.

She felt like her body was humming and tightened her thighs around him pressing herself tighter to him. He groaned against her chest, his breath washing down her chest over her breast.

"Bed." Carol panted.

Daryl done just that turning and dumping her down on the bed. Carol scrambled kicking off her boots and jerking her jeans open. Daryl was watching her and it only made the intense feeling of need tighten in her chest and core. When she was in nothing but her panties she set up and unsnapped her bra letting it fall away. He was on her then crowding her back on the bed as the thump of his discarded boots sounded.

Her hands were on the button of his jeans instantly. She knew she was probably being too rough but she was almost desperate for this, for him. He grunted and went to his knees taking over and his pants fell a little around his hips. Carol licked her lips her eyes going to his and she watched him intently. He leaned over her his mouth on hers again and she hook her feet in his jeans pushing them down his body and off. The only thing between them was the thin scrap of material that was her panties and she gasped when she felt his fingers slide against them. He groaned breaking away from the kiss, pulling in deep lungfuls of air, he met her eyes and smirked.

Carol wasn't a bit ashamed at how wet she was. Maybe later she would be but then probably not. Since meeting him she felt like she was constantly in limbo. Between unbearable need and being wet to her own fingers not being enough anymore. It was miserable.

He pushed her thighs further apart and she gasped feeling him against her. It didn't matter that her panties were there because the pressure of his erection against her was perfect. His mouth was making it's way up her throat and she turned her head giving him better access. His breath was hot against her skin and she bit her lip stalling the whimper that threatened.

"You sure about this?" The strain in his voice sounded almost painful.

Carol turned her head meeting his eyes and nodded. She was a hundred percent sure about this, they were both consenting adults. He growled suddenly and she felt his fingers catch in her panties. She gasped as the material was jerked to the side and his fingers slid against her. His forehead landed on hers and his breathing deepened, she felt like he was pulling his breath directly from her, and she would let him right now.

His fingers traced her and she moaned spreading her legs more for him. He shifted causing her legs to wrap around his waist and she felt him right there. Rocking her hips up as he circled her clit, she kissed him, and her entire world tipped. Ed had never been anything to brag about in bed, if anything it was one of those things where you wanted to clorox your brain. It'd made her think that she would never want a man like this again, that was until she met Daryl. This...this was proving to be just the opposite.

When she felt her heart start aching, her body start shaking- felt like she couldn't take anymore. His mouth was on hers again and she felt his smile against her own gasping mouth as her body fluttered around his fingers. He groaned against her mouth the sound morphing into a growl when her breathing started to calm down. She expected the ache to go away or at least feel manageable but now it felt like it was rocketing even higher.

Carol opened her eyes meeting his own finally untensing her fingers from where they'd clawed into his side and hip. Her mouth popped open as his fingers slowly pulled from her body, the drag of them almost setting her off again. Every movement of his body slid against hers making her want to pull him even tighter to her. Lifting her hips towards him able to feel him hard and trapped between them.

"I really need you." Her voice was soft.

His eyes snapped back to hers and he studied her face. He'd find no rejection there. Instead she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him in tighter against her. She wanted and needed something only Daryl could give her.

His hand that was still pressed against her caught her panties again and she felt them jerked tight. It forced her hips to lift as they were pulled to the side allowing his hard on to slide against her. He pushed up kneeling between her legs gripping himself. He was watching looking at her differently, it was the same look she'd seen a few times but never got a chance to study before. Usually he avoided eye contact or kept his face stoic. Now though all his walls were down and he wasn't pulling away in the slightest.

Carol pushed up on her elbows watching as his cock dragged through her lips teasing her. He was singlemindedly focused on just that. Biting her lip she studied him unabashedly. Sure she'd seen his body but they'd almost killed him at the time. Since then it'd been fleeting glimpses. His bruises were faded, most gone, and he was beautiful.

Daryl met her eyes before pushing into her slowly. Something about seeing her panties in his grip so tightly had her heart hammering. His eyes were no longer blue and there was an intensity to them that called to her. Carol arched her body more towards him wanting more contact with him. His hand landed next to her head, his elbow next causing each of his thrust to slide her against him. His grip on her panties only caused her to slam back into him, making their thrust meet harder and harder.

She was aware she was being way too loud but had no power to stop it. With each noise and whimper that fell from her he seemed to drive into her more like he needed to hear them. He needed to hear them like she needed him as deeply as she could take him. His groans were deeper and his breath was coming in harsh fast panting breaths.

Carol felt herself right there and he lifted up suddenly his eyes meeting hers. Her hand slid up his back and into his hair gripping it tightly. He growled and she smiled at him watching the emotions washing into his eyes. He wasn't hiding from her. It only took a second for her to fall over the edge again, getting washed up in sensations long since denied to her until Daryl. He followed right behind her, his mouth on hers again drinking down her cries and his own name.

She clung to him as their thundering hearts calmed together where they were pressed together. His head was laying on her shoulder his lips just touching her neck and his breath ghosting over her overheated skin.

Daryl forced his breathing to calm down. He felt like he'd run a marathon and then done it again. He could feel her heart thundering against his chest and smiled to himself. Her face was turned into him, her mouth pressed almost to his forehead. Despite the fact that they'd just had sex it seemed more intimate a gesture.

Daryl shifted and released his grip on her panties. He was pretty sure he'd destroyed them and the thought made him snort. He moved them dragging his body away from her, despite not wanting too. Laying over on his back he threw his arm up and used it as a pillow since Carol was on the others.

"What was the laugh for?" Carol looked over at him smiling.

He looked down and sure enough he had. Her underwear were destroyed. The elastic in them was shot and he could see tears in them. She followed his eyes and frowned before it morphed into a smile. She kicked them off and he felt his cock jerk, it was almost painful since he was spent for now.

Carol rolled over on to her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows, her chin rested on his chest. Again this felt more intimate then he was use to. Any other time he'd slept with women it was nothing like this, ever. Even the sex was different. It wasn't about what that was. It wasn't anything like that at all. It was just about scratching an itch.

This was Carol though. He'd been forcing his feelings back for her since fucking waking up. He was sure he'd fuck it up somehow. He wasn't good with women. He wasn't his brothers and he didn't have whatever charm those two dicks had. He was more of just not trying because what was the point. So he stuck to what he knew and that'd only made his issues worse. He'd felt frustrated since then and it only took him noticing the small touches. The ways her eyes sought him out first thing, how she waited on him before she left the house in the morning, and how she'd referred to him as her husband.

Why the fuck had he been fighting against this? Because he was a dumbass. He scowled and ran a hand over his face. He was supposed to be pissed off right now. He was supposed to be doing something but he didn't know what the fuck he'd really came up here for. He needed away from Rick goddamn Grimes before he'd hit. He wanted to tear his fucking face off out there.

Carol yawned sleepily and her eyes drooped slightly. Her head was now laying over on his chest completely and he smiled watching her fight sleep. Carol shifted closer to him when a breeze blew into the room from the open window. He raised a brow and swore under his breath but she was pressing completely into him now seeking heat. He shifted and kicked the blanket at the foot of the bed up and caught it dragging it over them. It was laying around their hips and his eyes were tracing every inch of her he could see. She'd almost climbed right on top of him in her sleep.

He shifted and her arm tightened around him her eyes popping open. "Don't leave." Her voice was husky and rough from overuse.

He raised a brow, "I'm not."

Carol hummed in her throat and even that sounded rough. "You were...you were going somewhere fast." Carol cracked her eye open and met his, "What would you have done if I didn't get here in time?"

Daryl chewed his lip fighting the urge to dig in his discarded jeans for a cigarette. He wanted one fucking badly. He wasn't sure what the fuck he'd done. Before the world went to shit he would have hit the woods running or he'd hit the pavement with his bike under him drowning out the world around him. Now he didn't have that luxury so he was left seething and ready to kill. He wasn't going anywhere though, he couldn't leave Carol behind and he damn sure wasn't leaving their girl.

Carol tapped his chest softly getting his attention, "You have very expressive eyes."

He snorted and shook his head, "Are you high?"

Carol grinned and shook her head, "No." She sobered though and pressed closer to him as she crawled up his body slightly. He felt his body start to heat as her breast slid against his sweat slick skin, "You aren't going to believe anything he has to say?"

Daryl scowled at her. She shifted more and was suddenly over him, her hands planted on his chest and her thighs pressing into his sides. If she wanted to talk and be able to form a half coherent thought she needed to not be pressed against him like that.

"Rick can go fuck himself." He said each word steadily. "I did what I did and don't regret a goddamn thing. I'd do it again, I would try to avoid getting fucking ran over but..." He shrugged his eyes dropping to her breast before going back to her eyes.

Carol nodded at him and smiled, "And this?" She motioned between them. "What is this to you?"

Daryl met her eyes again. He really looked at her and not just her naked body. He'd never thought he would find someone he could stand to be around this much. He never let a woman come home with him and he sure as fuck didn't let them touch him like this. He didn't let them in his bed and he just didn't ever fucking care for them. Women were complications but Carol was so far from that. Carol was the answer to every riddle he'd been given in life. He had never knew just how starved he was until he met her.

"Everything."