Evening all there's the next chapter for you. thank you for the reviews, favorites and followers i really do appreciate them. This chapter has points of view from Carol, Daryl and Merle.

Happy reading :)

Chapter 33.

January 25th

Merle was sat in one of the leather sofa's around the TV on the left- hand side of bar, he isn't watching the foot game that is playing or paying attention to anything that is going on around him, so he doesn't notice the man sitting in the back, in the shadows a few feet away from him, doesn't realize that it is the man the police are looking for, the killer the same person who is at this very moment thinking about now he can get raid of Daryl and how he needs to have a long talk with Carol. If only Merle was paying attention he would of noticed the man hiding in the shadows, probably wouldn't have realized straight away that it was the killer the police were looking for. He would of noticed the man though and realized that he knows him just like everyone else does, would of questioned why he was hiding in the corner in the shadows and that alone might of just been enough to raise suspicion, but Merle doesn't notice any of these things he is too lost in his own thoughts, his mind and body still in shock from earlier, he still can't quite process exactly what happened never in his life as he ever been so affected by a woman before, the feelings that ran though his body earlier are new, the physical reaction he had is also new. Sweaty palms and a racing heart is something he has never felt before which is why he is still in shock, why is he so affected by Andrea he doesn't know, but he knows one thing and that is the fact he is not comfortable with feeling this way. He needs to keep away from her than hopefully he wont be feeling like this any more, it's other keep away from her or fuck her and be done with it.

"Hey, Merle."

Merle hears someone calling his name snapping him out of his thoughts, he turns his head to see Tara walking towards him, he smiles at her as he gets up from his seat to met her half way.

"Hey, baby girl, what ya doing here?" Merle says giving her a hug.

"I'm looking for you." said Tara hugging him back.

"ya miss me did ya?"

"you wish Merle." Tara chuckled as she pulls out of the hug, standing back a bit to look at him in the eyes. "You still going to Atlantic tomorrow?"

"I'am, still don't know what I'm going to tell Daryl though." Merle signed

"That's why I'm here, I thought I could go with you, so than you could just tell Daryl you're taking me up there for something."

"That's actually a great idea, thank you."

"you're welcome, now are you going to buy me a drink or what?" Tara chuckled.

"sure, baby girl."

Merle and Tara walked up towards the bar to order their drinks, Merle spotted Andrea and noticed she was flowing as she watched him.

Don't think about it, just order the drinks.

"Two beers please."

"Sure, coming right up." Andrea said turning to grab the beers. "Who's you're friend? Andrea asked handling them a beer each.

"Thanks, this is Tara, Tara Andrea."

"pleased to met." Tara smiles.

"You too." Andrea smiles

"Me and Tara have been friends for years, she owns the Grill."

"oh, you do amazing food at the Grill."

"Thanks."

Andrea smiles at Tara before glancing at Merle.

"we just friends, she doesn't even like dick." Merle mumbled.

"Jesus, Merle." Tara laughed

Andrea chuckled.

Merle didn't know why he felt the need to explain this to Andrea, he only knew that it is important that she know that Tara really was only his friend.

"Well you guys enjoy your drinks, give me a shout if you need anything else." Andrea said smiling at them both.

Once Andrea had gone to serve someone else, Tara turned to glance at Merle with one eyebrow arched. "what was that about?"

"nothing." Merle mumbled.

"nope it was definitely something."

"it's nothing." Merle grumbled unable to look Tara in the eyes.

Merle quietly slips his beer while avoiding Tara's glaze as he kept his eyes down paying Tara didn't finger out, what he was slowly fingering out himself and that was that he likes Andrea. Just like with all prays and wishes this didn't happen.

"OMG." Tara screeched her eyes wide, her mouth drop opened. "you like her."

"Do not." Merle protested.

"oh yes you do, you actually like her, I mean really like her and not just in a I want to fuck her way, but in a I want to get to know her."

"Shut up, I don't know what ya mean." Merle muttered.

"Yes you do, well this is a first Merle Dixon actually likes a woman." Tara grinned.

As the night went on, laughter and loud music filled the bar, most patrons seemed to be in good spirits, some leaving with people they own met an hour ago. The rest where quietly slipping their drinks, in their corners; their own darkness of the bar lost in their own thoughts.

Carol was severing the few patrons that reminded while wiping down the bar, her own thoughts consuming her mind. Earlier she had introduced Daryl to Rick and Lori her two oldest and closest friends in her life which went as well as expected, Lori already knew about her and Daryl as she had called her earlier in the day to tell her about the last couple of days she had spent at Daryl's, Lori seemed happy for her but still urged her to take things slow. Both Rick and Lori where polite to Daryl and full of smiles but Carol still saw suspicion in Rick's eyes, but given that he knew a lot of what ED did to her, not all of it though and the fact he was a police man, a DI for the homicide and serious crime command meant that suspicion come with the job, plus Daryl had told her after Rick and Lori had left that he knew of Rick from all the times in the past when Merle use to get in trouble for drugs, drink and violence. Daryl had stressed that Merle had been clean of drugs now for a few years and was working on controlling his drink and violence and that he was turning over a new leaf. Daryl had promised her that he was nothing like Merle, but he did have issues all the same he also promised her that he would talk to her later about the reasons behind his issues and Merle's problems to which Carol had explained to him that everyone has some issues and problems in one way or another even herself, she also has a pasted that she would tell him about. Just thinking about ED had left her terrified, cold all over it was consuming her. She is ashamed of herself for stating with ED for long, she hopes Daryl doesn't ask her why because it she doesn't have an answer it is the vary question she still asks herself. Apart of her is also terrified to hear what Daryl has to tell her, she hopes to god that it is nothing bad, nothing similar to her own past even though deep down she knows it it. Just the thought of someone hurting Daryl in anyway that is similar to how she has been hurt leaves her feeling nauseous, her stomach clenches and drops it feels like she is on a roller coaster, tears spring in the corner of her eyes leaving her vision burring, she blinks trying to forces even though the wall seem to shift up and down, her mouth starts to water, she stops want she is doing and rans to the toilet just barely making it as she vomits up everything she has eaten and drunk today. Sweat pours out of her forehead as she leans back against the wall opposite the toilet trying to control the nausea feeling.

She vows to herself that she would do anything to protect Daryl, to support him, as in that moment as the nausea feeling leaves her body and is replaced by an overwhelming new feeling of heat and affection as it sweeps though her whole body and nerve endings, her heat beats faster as it seems to grow too sizes bigger, her palms start to sweat, her whole body lightens up coming to life and bringing hope instead of the darkness she has been living in before she met Daryl. She realizes that she is falling for Daryl, she never thought that it was possible to fall for someone within a week and some people might say that is fairy tail talk, something that only happens in the movies and not in real life. Carol knows it happens though as she is falling for Daryl and she is falling hard.

Carol got up off the floor, walked over to the little sink that was next to the toilet with a small mirror above, she ran the cold tap so she could splash her face with cold water and rinse her mouth out the best she could, trying to get raid of the taste of vomit she could still do with a mint or something but this was the best she could do at the moment. Taking one last look in the mirror she decided it was time to get back to work, Carol turned away from the sink and made her way towards the door and out into the hallway that would lead back into the bar. Just as she was about to push open the door, she froze her hand in mid air reaching for the door, as she remembers something else about Rick from earlier, about how he acted towards Shane. To say she was shocked is an under statement, she thought they were friends at least that was what Shane told her but judging by the daggers of hate that Rick was shooting at him told her over wise in fact if looks could kill she was pretty sure that Shane would of drop dead. But why did Rick hate Shane so much? Why had Shane lied about them being friends, what else was he lying about? And why did Lori look more happy than she had a right to when she saw Shane? Carol decide that she was going to ask Rick about it tomorrow along with telling him about the phone calls she had been getting and had been meaning to tell him about now for a couple of days.

Daryl was sat in the same booth as he, Merle and Carol had sat in earlier that night, he had his arms up resting on the table and his hands wrapped around the tumbler he was drinking from, he was leaning over slightly with his head down staring into his drink looking for answers and hoping he might find some at the bottom of his glass, but the glass like his mind offered no answers, offered him nothing but silence.

The evening had started out so well, so nice, light and funny. He and Merle had shared stories, they all laughed; chatted and shared a few drinks together before Carol had to go back to work, after Carol went back to work he and Merle split up each going there own way, he noticed Merle was sitting on the left hand side of the counter talking to Andrea, Daryl didn't know what was up with them two but his brother looked happy and that was all he cared around. Daryl stayed on the right hand side of the counter, popped up in one of the bar stools, he was was watching Carol he loved the way she moved, the way her lips twitched; the way her blue eyes shined as she chatted and served customers. The evening was going smoothly until Carols friends Rick and Lori showed up, Daryl was secretly glad that she had introduced him to them as it meant she wasn't ashamed of him, but Daryl was worried about Rick as he recognized him straight away as one of cops that use to arrest Merle back in the day. Daryl didn't know if Rick had recognized him but if he did he didn't let on and Daryl was glad about that until Carol had told him him later that she thought Rick was looking suspiciously at him so he realized he had no choice but to tell her about Merle's past problems, but stressing that Merle had turned over a new leaf and wasn't like that any more, he told her there was reason's behind it that stems from their childhood and promised to tell her about it all later after she finished work, Carol had also explained that there was things about her past that needed to tell him.

Now sitting here staring into his glass he was worried about what they had to talk to about and hoping he doesn't end up scaring her off, as he really didn't knew what he would do if Carol decided to walk away from him. It was one of the reason why he didn't let anyone get close to him but it was too late for that now Carol was already a part of him, she had found her way into his heart and soul.

No matter how much he wished the bottom of glass would provide him answers he knew it wasn't going to happen and no matter how much he was dreading their chat later he knows it has to be done for them both to be able to move further on. He didn't know what Carol had to tell him, one thing he did know was that there was nothing she could tell him that would change the way he feels about her.

It was one thirty in the morning and thing were winding down the bar closed at two and only a few patrons remained.

"Just so you all know, this here's the last call." said Andrea addressing the few patrons that remained.

The two Dixon brothers were sitting at a table with Tara, Merle had told Daryl that he was going back with Tara because he had to take her to Atlantic in the morning and he needed to barrow Daryl's truck as he didn't want to take his bike which meant Daryl would have to get a lift with Carol which was fine as it meant that Daryl and Carol would be able to have their chat in peace.

People slowly filled out of the building, some of them tripping and stumbling on their way, others laughing; cursing. Merle, Tara, Carol, Daryl, Glenn and Andrea made their way out of the building, everyone said their goodbyes and went off in separate directions. Merle and Tara made their way over to Daryl's truck, Glenn and Andrea went their separate ways, Carol and Daryl made their way over to Carol's car everyone was lost in their own thoughts. No one was aware of the evil that followed them out of the building, the evil that was hiding in the shadows, watching and waiting for the perfect time to strike.