Chapter 3

January 21st

Carol was gripping the counter of her kitchen work top as she looked out the window, trying to clear all thoughts of Daryl out of her mind, she knew that since meeting him three days ago she had dreamed about him every night, she dreamed about his eyes and how they had seemed to cut right through her, she dreamed about his mouth and the lop sided smirk he had given her. It was unnerving her as no man had affected her like this before. But there was just something about him and she knew she just had to get to know him more, Andrea had her told that she thinks he liked her and would be back in again on Friday. She couldn't help the smile that played on lips as she thought about seeing him again. Carol turned away from the window and went to get herself ready for today, she was due to meet lori in a couple hours.

Daryl was in the garage working on a car. He loved to strip cars down to see how they worked and the only time he felt calm was when he was working on a car, or when he was in the woods. He needed all the calm he could get at the moment cuz for the last three nights he kept dreaming about carol, how her eyes seemed to look right through him and when she smiled her eyes would light up. It was unnerving him, he was never the type to let a woman affect him, but he knew there was just something about her. A part of him wanted to keep his distance from her before she got too close to him but another part of him knew that come Friday night he would be back in that bar just hoping to see her smile.

Daryl heard the foot steps coming closer, he didn't need to look up to know it was Merle, great that was all he needed right now, Merle had been questioning his ass since Saturday morning, trying to find out what was on his mind. "What ya want Merle? I'm working." he snapped

"No need to snap at me boy." Merle said, standing behind his brother. Daryl had been acting weird since they went to the bar Friday night. Every morning he seemed to have a small smile on his lips. Merle had never seen his brother smile to himself before, he wondered if he even knew he had seen him, he wasn't about to tell him so. He knew his brother and he wasn't one to say what was on his mind. Still, he was going to keep an eye on him and try and work it out for himself.

Daryl stood up and turned to face his brother, Merle was looking at him weird. Daryl glared at his brother. "What ya looking at?"

Merle back up a couple of steps. "Nothing, just wanted to see if ya ass was hungry? I'm going to the grill."

"Can you bring me something back, I've got to get this car finished before max comes in later."

"sure, no problem little brother."

Carol shook her head at another question Lori had fired at her. They were in Lori's kitchen drinking coffee.

"Come on carol, you haven't stop smiling since you got here, I know you and I know someone has put that smile on your face." Lori chuckled. "Andrea said she thinks someone caught your eye on Friday."

Carol laughed. "Why I'm not surprise she said something to you."

Lori took a sip of her coffee. "so, you going to tell me"

Carol nodded. "it's nothing really, but there was this guy there on Friday."

Lori placed her hands on the table and leaned closer. "a guy, well well."

Carol put her hands up and laughed. "stop Lori, it doesn't mean anything, I doubt I'll see him again anyway."

"how do you know carol, even Andrea told me that she reckons this guy likes you."

"it doesn't matter Lori"

Lori stared at her friend, she had known carol most of her life and she had never seen her smile so much. As Lori leaned back into her chair to study her friend, she knew that it wasn't about the guy liking her, this was about ed. "carol what's the problem, is this to do with ed?" as soon as lori mentioned ed she could see the changes take place in carol, she watched her put her head down and place her hands on her lap. If she ever saw ed she was going to hurt him. Carol use to be so out going before him and she hated the change in her, she knew that carol wouldn't tell her everything that happened, but she wasn't going to stand back and watch him still control her. "Carol look at me, tell me what's wrong."

Carol slowly looked up to meet loris eyes. "its wrong to be looking at another guy Lori, I'm still married after all." carol whispered

"carol your divorce will be through any day now,there is nothing wrong with you finding another guy atteched."

"but don't it make a whore?"

"carol you are not a whore." Lori snapped "that's ed still in your head."

"i know your right lori, its just hard sometimes."

"i know" Lori softened her voice "but you cant keep living in ed shadow, you got to live"

"your right Lori, I have only ever been with ed, what if no one else wants me?"

Lori shook her head. " carol your beautiful and even Andrea told you that the guy likes you, so stop thinking he don't and next time you see him, talk to him some more."

"he might not be there anyway."

"don't worry about he will show." Lori laughed.

Carol knew Lori was right about ed, her fears where to do with him. She needed to push him out of her mind and start living her life again. If she saw Daryl again on Friday she was going to get to know him.

"hey you know a good garage around here." carol asked. "i got to get my breaks checked"

"try Dixons down the road." Lori said

Carol s face turned white "did you say Dixons?"

Lori watched the change take place in carols face. "yes max Dixion owns the garage but his grandsons works there, why?"

"that guy I was telling you about, he is called Daryl and his brother is merle Dixion"

Lori laughed "well it looks like you don't have to wait to Friday to see him after all."

Carol said her goodbyes to Lori and made her way to the garage, feeling nervous about the thought of seeing Daryl again.

…...

Daryl had just finished the car he was working on for his grandad max. Max was his mothers dad, but he had been more of a dad to Darly and merle since their own dad will had gone to prison for murdering their mother. Daryl hated will, the man never acted like a father from the start. He was a violent man who would beat his sons and wife all the time. Daryl stilled had the scars on his back from where will would whip him with his belt. Merle had them too. He couldn't remember one single good memory about will, it was all blood, screams and carnage.

The night will had killed his mother it had been just the three of them as merle was in jail at the time, Daryl was just ten. When will came home drunk like he normally did and started beating Daryl, but his mother had step in and that's when the worst thing you could manage happen, happened and Daryl had been forced to watch it all until he had passed out from the beating will had given him after he finished with his mother. The next thing Daryl can remember is waking up in hospital. After that night max stood in and Daryl home with him and cared for him like he was his own, when merle came home from jail, he came to live with them too. They both still lived with max now. They even decided to take max's last name, their mother's maiden name because they didn't want to have any part of will in their lives.

Daryl hadn't been the same since his mother died, Daryl loved his mother; rose was a kind, caring woman who had unfortunately met will, which lead to her death in the end. Daryl knew that merle and max both worried about him because he had closed himself off from other people, after seeing what happened to his mother, he couldn't let anyone get close to him, he didn't go out of his to talk to people. But that seemed to change when he met carol on Friday.

Daryl shook his head he really needs to stop thinking about that woman, he couldn't allow her to get close to him. Closing the bonnet on the car, Daryl reached into his back pocket to grab his rag and started to clean the oil off his hands, when he heard a car pull up outside the garage. Daryl made his way to the front of the garage and stop in his tracks when he saw who was getting out of the car. "carol" Daryl called, still not quite believing she was here of all places.

"Hey, Daryl." carol said making her way over to him, her eyes doing a quick sweep of his body before landing on his eyes. "it's nice to see you."

Trying to keep his breathing under control as he watched carol look him over, but when her eyes met his, he nearly forgets how breath, her eyes where as bright as they had been on Friday night, and it seemed as if she could see right into his soul. Taking a deep breath as he tried to find his voice. "ya too." he mumbled while dragging his eyes away from hers.

"I need my break done." carol said biting her bottom lip, looking nervous

"Sure, no problem, I can do that for you."

"Thank you, will it take long?" carol asked

"Nah, just drive your car in here." Daryl answered putting his rag back into his back pocket and moving over to the side, while he waited for carol to pull her car into garage. While he was waiting, he thought back to Friday night, they seemed to get on well than, well he didn't have any problems talking to her, but that was problay because he was drinking. But now he didn't know what to say to her and it seemed the same for her. Daryl decided he wasn't going to think about it too much, maybe it was for the best as just earlier he had decided he needed to make sure she didn't get too close to him. He would do her breaks and then they could both go on with their lives.

…...

Carol was nervous as she drove her car into the garage for Daryl, seeing him again had an effect on her that she didn't quite understand. When she saw him standing there in ripped jeans, a wife beater vest and covered in oil she thought she had never seen anything quite so sexy and she could feel the heat in her cheeks as she couldn't help but check him out, which he seemed to notice. When she brought her eyes back up to his, her heart skipped a beat, it was as if she could see right into his soul, she could see hurt and pain in his eyes which she didn't quite understand but before she had anytime to really think about it, his eyes changed, they had a cold hard look it was if the shutters had come down closing him off.

Carol shook her head it wasn't her place to try and figure out Daryl Dixon for all she knew he could have a girlfriend waiting for him back at home to do that. The thought of Daryl having a girlfriend waiting for him worried her more than she had a right too, just because they seemed to get on well on Friday night didn't mean she had any claims on him. She was kicking herself for listening Andrea and lori now for putting the idea in her head that he might have been interested in her.

As carol killed the engine out on her car, opened her door and made her way over to daryl. She decided to put him out of her mind, she was going to get her breaks fixed and then get on with her life. "heres the keys." carol said handing him her car keys.

"thanks, there's an office over there, if ya want to wait in there." Daryl motioned with his head.

Carol followed daryls head and saw the office he mentioned. Bringing her eyes back to him, she noticed that he was looking straight ahead avoiding her eyes. She could tell that he hopes she would go and wait in the office, it was obvious to her that he just wanted to get the breaks done so he could get her out of here quickly. Not understanding why that seemed to hurt her more than it should carol decided to make it easy on him and just keep out of his way. Maybe it was for the best. "thanks." carol nodded making her way over to the office.

Daryl had been working on carols car for the last hour, if working was what you could call it. He had already worked out an hour ago that she needed new break pads, so he had checked her oil and anything else he could think of doing, he knew that he needed to go and tell her that he would have to order her some break pads in which bothered him some reason, because every time he was around carol his body and react to her without her doing or saying anything, his heart would beat faster and all he could think about was how her skin would feel under his hands. There was a connection to her; a pull he couldn't understand. He knew that he needed to stay away from her but at the same time he just wanted to keep her close. Daryl was scared of this woman and how she made him feel, he felt powerless and that wasn't something he had felt since he was a kid.

"earth to daryl."

Daryl turned around to see both merle and max standing there with their hands on their hips.

"where your head at boy? Been talking to you for 5 minutes now" merle asked

"sorry, just working." daryl answered.

"Working my ass, you're been standing here staring into space." merle raised his eyebrows

"What ya want?" Daryl growled glaring at his brother

Merle glared back; he didn't know what had got into Daryl in the last few days.

"Boys." max said as he looked between the too. "Daryl have you finished with the car I had you do earlier?"

"All done, its over here." Daryl said as he walked over to where he left the car

"thanks, Daryl."

"Come on you two, I'm staving, can we go?" merle grumbled as he followed them over to the car.

"Your always eating merle, thought you just had lunch?" Daryl laughed

"That was 2 hours ago, what's it to do with you darylina"

"Shut up." Daryl growled

"ya going to make me" merle laughed

"Fuck off merle"

"Boys behave" max stood between the two.

Carol had been sat in his office for last hour reading one of the magazines that were laying around. She was bored, putting down the magazine and standing up, carol made her way out of the office to Daryl and to find out what was going on with her car. Carol couldn't see Daryl by her car, but she could hear him talking to someone but couldn't make out the words, looking around the garage quickly with her eyes, she spotted him over in the far corner talking to two men.

"you boys hear about the murder?" max asked

Daryl and merle both shook their heads

"Some girl was found in the alleyway by the grocery store this morning" max said

"no not another one"

All three men turned around to see carol standing there looking pale

"what ya mean another one?" daryl asked

"there was a girl found on Friday as well" carol whispered, dropping her head.

Daryl was worried about her, she looked like she was going to faint, moving slowly so he was standing in front of her, he slowly lifts his hand placing his fingers gently under her chin so he could lift her face. "ya alright?" Daryl softy asks while searching her face

Carol shook her head and before she thought about what she was doing, she flew her arms around Daryl's neck.

Daryl was shocked for half a second before he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

Both merle and max stood there shocked as they watched Daryl hug this woman that they didn't even know. They had never seen daryl hug any one, he didn't even like to be touched or have anyone in his personal space.

Carol was worried about the murders going on and she felt bad for the girls family. But being in daryls arms made her feel safe and calm. His arms wrapped around her felt goods and she didn't want to let go, no one had ever held her close before like he was right now. It was as if nothing else matter, just the two of them.

Daryl loved the feel of having carol in his arms, she had her arms wrapped around his neck and her head resting on his shoulders tucked into his neck. He had never held a woman before, he didn't like anyone touching him. But it felt different with her, he didn't want to let her go. Then he remembers that they were not alone, he could feel merles and max's eyes on him and he knew merle was going to give he some shit later.

Daryl gently removed his hands from carols back and placed them on her waists, slowly stepping back a bit when he felt her hands move from his neck to his shoulder. "ya ok?" he softly asks while searching her eyes.

"yeah, sorry about that." carol said embarrassed as she took a step away from him, she couldn't believe how she acted, she didn't even know this guy and here she was throwing herself into his arms, to make things worse she liked being in his arms it felt right.

Lord...what is wrong with you.

"no need to say sorry." daryl whispers letting his arms fall to his side when carol moved away from him. He was already missing having her in his arms, which was just confusing him, never in his lfe had he let a woman effect him so much, but he already knew deep down it was already to late, she had managed to worm her way in without even trying and now he knows how it felt to have her in his arms he knew he wouldn't be able to stay away from her. He just hopes that he doesn't fuck up somehow.

You always fuck up, what makes you think this will be different.

"im sorry for throwing myself at you." carol said. "just got a bit worried."

"its ok" daryl nodded " ani't everyday ya hear about murders."

"that's true"

Carol and Daryl both just stood there, looking into each other eyes and holding their weird connection either one willing to let go.

Merle and max look at each other either one quite understanding what the hell was going on. "you too alright over there?" max called making his way over to them.

"who is this?" merle asked as he followed max over

Daryl turned and glared at them both

"well come on boy, ani't got all day." merle chuckled

Daryl was getting annoyed with merle, he was always nosey and he knew he was going to get shit about hugging carol probably call him a pussy or some shit. "her names carol." he mumbled

"carol, huh ani't ya a pretty little thing." merle said "not see ya around here before."

"back off merle." drayl growled as he steps in front of carol blocking merle

"oh come on little brother, was just saying hello." merle chuckled trying to step around daryl. "nice bit tail ya got there boy."

"she's not a piece of tail merle." daryl growled placing his hands on merle chest and pushing him back a bit.

Merle looked at daryl in shook he had never seen his brother act this way before with any woman. "all right brother, sorry." merle put his hands up in surrender, backing up a few steps. "how ya know her anyway?"

"met her friday night at the bar" daryl mumbled, crossing his arms across his chest.

"well I'll be damned." merle chuckled

"Boys." max said, "think you need to take her home Daryl."

Daryl glanced behind him and saw carol standing there looking very white, he threw a quick warning look at merle before turning back to carol. "come lets get ya home." Daryl held out his hand for her

"what about my car?" carol asks as she placed her hand in his.

"got to get break pads for it, we take my truck."

"see ya at home." Daryl calls glancing over his shoulder, before helping carol into his truck

Merle and max watched as Daryl drives out of the garage. "well things are going to get interesting around here merle."