hey everyone.thank you to everyone that is still reading and reviewing this story, im so very thankful and grateful for you support. here is the next chapter for you all. i hope you enjoy please let me know.

also merry Christmas everyone, hope you all have a great time.

Chapter 47.

January 28th.

sunlight steamed in through the curtins, casting the room in a soft warm glow bringing in hope and endless possibilities of new opportunities a new day brings. the two lovers wrapped in each other arms, still bathed in the after grow from their love delegation only hours prior. not only from hearing it from each other but also from saying it for the first time to each other. as neither one ever throught it would be possible to not only truly, deeply and completely love someone but to also have that same person love them back just as passionate and completely. begun to stir, slowly waking up.

the two lovers woke up the same way they had falling asleep, wrapped in each other arms, legs tangled together, faces inches apart. as they blinked awake at the same time the first thing they saw where each others eyes, bright blue eyes looking into bright blue eyes.

"morning." Daryl mumbled as he brushed his lips gently against Carol's.

"mmm, morning."

"how ya feeling?" Daryl asked quietly, he was worried about her especially after seeing how she nearly broke after seeing that note. and how she nearly pulled away from him in attempt to protect him. A feeling that all too familiar to how he felt about her but also one that left him feeling overwhelmed and nervous he wasn't use to anyone apart from Merle and Max worrying about him, wanting to protect him and even that was different to how she wanted to protect him. she wanted to sacrifice her own happiest just to protect him, she thought he needed to be protected because of her, because she loved him. he had never had anyone love him the way she loved him and he knew she meant it as well. He had never loved anyone, apart from his family but he knew he loved her with a firely passion that burned through him, sweeping into every nerve ending, every part of him and he knew he would do anything for this beautiful woman that was wrapped around him. protect her, love her.

Carol looked into Daryls eyes as he asked her how she was feeling. she could see the worry in them, he was worried about her and what she was going to, if she was going to try and pull away from him again, like she first tried when she saw that note. just thinking about the note left her feeling cold inside. someone thought she belonged to them, she didnt know how or why they thought that but she knew that they was watching her and knew where she lived and knew that Daryl was with her. it was knowing that they knew about Daryl that unsettled her most, more than someone watching her. she was worried he was going to get hurt because of her. she know she couldn't let that happened but she also knew that she couldn't even try to push him away again even if she wanted to. she loved him with a passion. she had never loved anyone in her life, it seeped through her bones, filling every part of her up, making her feel whole and it was because of that love that she couldn't bring herself to hurt him, not even in attempt to protect him she never wanted to be the reason he was hurt, she wanted him to be happy, wanted to love him with every part of her. "I'm alright." she whispered before giving him a soft kiss.

"ya sure?" Daryl asked while searching her eyes. "Did ya manage to get any rest?"

"I'm sure." she answered as she brought her hand up to his face, her fingers lightly running across his cheeks. "yeah i did." it was truly surprising she felt alright and managed to get some rest, speaking to Rick about it and knowing he was going to look into made her feel a bit calmer about it all. she trust Rick with everything she had, he had always been there for her, looking after her and she knew if anyone could find out who it was, it was him.

Daryl loved the feeling of her fingers running along his cheeks, it made every part of him feel warm. as he looked into her eyes he knew she was telling him the truth and not just what she thought he wanted to hear which made him love her even more. this beautiful, brave woman who was capable of anything, who always got back up after being knocked down and he couldn't believe she was his. He ran his fingers up and down her arms, enjoying the feel of her skin under his touch, as he placed a soft, gentle kiss on her lips.

the gentle kiss Daryl placed on Carols lips, soon turned into something more, especially once he felt her run her tongue along his bottom lip, seeking permission. Daryl opened up letting her in, feeling her tongue against his own, he groaned into her mouth as he pulled her closer and over so she was on top on him. his hands running from her hair, down her neck; her back to her tights where he gripped her thight against him, holding her in place.

Carol moaned into his mouth as she deeped their kiss, loving the feel of his tongue against hers. when he pulled her over onto him she felt her whole body come alive with desire. she needed him like she had never needed anyone or anything in her life. his hands over her, running down her back set her skin on fire, every part of flesh he touched, set her alight.

the two lovers where lost in each other, skin against skin, setting a fire between them of heat and passion. hands along each other skin, touching every part they could, their kiss becoming deeper and deeper. they forgot everything that had happened, nothing else and no else mattered apart from their need to feel each other, to feel their connection. the only sounds that could be heard from Daryl's room was the sound of their moans and groans as they drove each other crazy with want and need. until it all become to much and they need to part their lips in order to catch their breathe.

the two lovers stared into each other eyes, trying to catch their breathe from their very heated, passionate kiss. before either one could say or do anything the sound of a rumble filled the air, reminding them of their other needs.

Carol laughed, as daryl growled at the sound of their stomachs rumbling.

"guess we should get up and find some food" carol whispered.

"guess so, if ya the sound of your stomach is anything to go by." Daryl grumbled just as his stomach let out another loud rumble.

"mine, pretty sure that was yours." Carol chuckled.

"damnit." daryl growled, resenting the fact his stomach was making so many loud nosie when all he wanted to do was to carry on feeling carol's skin come alive under his touch, and her warm tongue against his. But he knew they needed to get up especially when he heard her stomach rumble again. "alright up ya get." He chuckled before placing on last kiss against her lips.

Carol wanted nothing more than to deepen the kiss, but she knew he had to move up and off daryl, before she made it harder for them to move. she gentle moved off and lied on her back next him.

carol yawned as she stretched her body, feeling her muscles relax

"mind if i grab a quick shower before we eat" carol asked, thinking a shower was just the thing she need to keep herself from touching daryl at the moment and kissing him again.

"yeah sure, ya grab a shower and i go downstairs and make us food"

"mmm sounds good to me, what time is it?"

daryl glanced over at his clock. "little past 1pm" he answered.

"no wonder we hungry, we slept alot longer than i realised we did." Carol said, surprised to see they had slept for over just 6 hours, so much for a quick nap they said they where gonna have when the first got to daryl's house this morning.

"mmm, must of needed it." Daryl mumbled, still trying to stop thinking about Carol's skin under his hands and her lips on his.

"I say so," carol said as she moved to swing her legs out of bed, getting up. she glanced back at daryl giving him a small smile before going to grab her bag at the end of bed and making her way to the bathroom. she brought a little over night bag with a few change of clothes in it this morning she had packed as neither one know just how long she was gonna be staying here for.

Daryl watched her leave the bedroom, before he got out of bed and slipping on his boots. They had both fallen asleep fully clothed this morning as they where both knackered by the time they got here and collapsed into bed. He made his way downstairs and into the kitchen to make some coffee,s and food ready for carol after she finished her shower.

walking into the kitchen, he noticed max sitting there at the table, drinking a coffee. Daryl was surprised by this as he thought max would be in work, but he was also glad as it gave him the chance to have a talk with him and explain what happened last night and that carol would be staying here for a few days. "morning." He said, before taking a seat at the table.

"morning." max answered. "everything alright?"

"yeah, just long night, how come ya not at work?"

"i come back after you never showed up, wanted to make sure everything was ok. you never not just turn up for work, nor do you sleep in so late."

"shit, yeah sorry forgot to say i wont be in today." Daryl couldn't believe he forgot to let max know he wasn't coming in today, he hadn't done that before but than he hadn't had someone he loved and wanted to protect before either. "Had some problems at Carol's last night, and we didn't get back her until this morning."

"problems? what happened? is everything ok? is carol ok?" max asked worry in his eyes.

"some asshole left her a note last night and keeps calling her, fucker never speaks tho."

"what the fuck! what note?"

Daryl rubbed his eyes, he knew max was gonna be worried about him and about carol both him and merle liked her and they knew she made him happy which was something either one had seen before but he wasn't sure how he was going to react to hearing what the note said or about Daryl's need to protect her no matter what. he dropped his hands from his eyes and looked into maxs eyes, he could see the worry in them.

"it said. how dare you, you are mine."

"what the hell daryl, why didn't you call me last night about it, i could of done something. and who does she belong to? does she have boyfriend hiding somewhere we didn't know about."

"what the fuck max." Daryl growled, getting angry how dare he think that of carol, she wasn't that sort of woman. "she ain't like that."

"im sorry Daryl." max said holding his hands up, i can see that but its just what do we really know about her." max know she didn't seen the type but still he had been looking out for Daryl most of his life and he knew he was sometimes over protective of him but than he was gonna be after everthing Daryl had been through. and he didn't really know Carol. Daryl had only just met her himself, but he could see that she made him happy and that Daryl had let her get close to him, closer than anyone else had ever been in the short time they had known each other. he just wanted to make sure he wasn't going to get hurt.

Daryl could see where max was coming from, but it still made him angry to hear max say and think that about carol, she was the sweetest woman he had ever known. so he swallowed his angry the best he could, taking a deep breath before he answered him.

" i know i have only just met her, but I'm telling her you she ain't like that, she is kind and caring. she does have a asshole of an ex but he is locked up in jail. its not my place to say about him, I'm sure carol will tell ya herself if you ask." Daryl answered, his eyes never leaving Max's, hoping he understood what he was trying to tell him. As he couldn't and never would say anything more about Carol's pass without her say so, that was her story to tell and her's alone but he needed max to understand that carol wasnt like that and that she was more like Daryl than either of them knew.

max could tell by the look in Daryl's eyes that there was more to say about that and more to carol than he knew, he trusted Daryl and he trusted him to know what was good for him. "alright boy, im sorry. you know how i worry about you."

Daryl nodded at him. "i know. anyway, we gave the note to Rick, her friend who is a police officer to deal with and told him about the phone calls."

"alright, so what are you not telling me?"

that was one of things about max, he could read between the lines and see what you wasn't telling him sometimes, like now.

"we not sure if it has something to do the murders that is happening." Daryl said, feeling stick and angry at the thought of the killer might be after his woman.

"oh, shit."

"yeah shit, so carol is going to stay here for a few days and wait to see what Rick finds out. i dont want her to be at home by herself."

"i understand that, you care about her,dont you?"

Daryl draw in a deep breath before answering him, it was hard to admit just how much he cared about carol, even tho he had already told merle it was still hard, as he wasn't use to this, loving someone. "i love her, max and by some miracle she loves me too."

"well shit," max knew that Daryl cared about her, but love that was something he didn't think he would ever see from Daryl, he thought he had too much damage done to him to let anyone get that close to him, but he was glad to see that didn't happen and he had allowed himself to love someone, to open up to someone and let them in. He was happy for Daryl really, the boy deserved to be happy after everything he gone through. "it's not a miracle son, she can see the good in you, and the part of you, you try to hide from others me and merle include. its nice to see you happy boy, im happy for you and im sorry about what i said."

"thanks, its ok." Daryl mumbled, dropping his graze from max.

"you know your gonna have to tell merle right?"

"yeah, though when is he back? do ya know what he is up to?"

"don't have a clue and no i don't."

After Daryl got off the phone from Merle, he walked back into the house to make a start on the food, so it was sorted before Carol got out of the shower, tho he was surprised she was still in there giving that it had been a while since he left her upstairs, had his talk with both Max and Merle. Max had gone back to work after they had finished their talk, even tho a part of Daryl was angry at Max he was also glad to know that he still had his back, tho Daryl knew he would anyway, he always had done ever since he was a little boy. The talk with Merle was interesting tho, Daryl didn't know what Merle was up to but he knew he was up to something. Daryl could tell that by the tone in the voice when he spoke to him, apart from the worry over what was happening here, he could hear in his voice he could also sense something else as well, a tone that made Daryl suspicious of what Merle and Tara where up to. Daryl shook his head he didn't have the time to wondering what they were up at the moment, he would just have to try and get it out of Merle when he got back home, which sounded like it was gonna be another couple of days now.