No Doubts

I was in Atlanta for business when the world as I knew it ended. One day I was in meetings, and the next there was chaos, curfews and the unthinkable.

I was stuck in my hotel for 3 weeks. There were no flights, the government had shut down the internet, and the phones stopped working. We received only spotty reports on one station of the television and after a while that stopped too. All the hotel employees and most of the guests were gone. The few of us who were left raided the kitchen and barricaded the doors. During this time, no one dared venture out into the streets. Eventually food ran scarce and I knew I needed to make a move. By now, the city was crawling with the undead. We would see them shamble past the hotel, occasionally stopping to stare at the glass front doors. The hotel was on the outskirts of town with a beautiful golf course bordered by dense woods. For hours on end I would watch the golf course from the upper floors. I only saw the undead back there a few times and so decided my best bet was to get as far away from the city as possible by way of the woods. We heard there were refugee camps north and west of the city and since I was already on the west side I figured I could go through the woods and then maybe head north til I hit a highway. No one else wanted to risk going out in the woods, saying it was too dangerous, there was no visibility. But I wouldn't be talked out of it and early one morning I ran across the golf course with a heavy pack and slipped into the trees.

As a country girl, I was comfortable with nature. But by nightfall, I hadn't stumbled upon a road, house or any signs of civilization and wondered if I'd made a terrible mistake. I tried to keep the sun at my back, but later in the day it clouded up. That and the dense woods made it impossible to keep track of the direction I was headed. I must be lost and walking in circles. Around dusk I found a tree with thick, low hanging branches and decided to climb up it to rest. Naturally there was no sleep to be had. Straddling a large limb was uncomfortable but by morning I was dozing fitfully from exhaustion when I heard a slight rustling of leaves. I hadn't encountered so much as a squirrel so I had no clue what I was about to see. There! Someone was moving through the trees about 20 yards to my left. Was it a walker? My breath was frozen with fear as he disappeared from view.

"Damn woman, what the hell ya doin' in that tree?"

I had no idea I'd even been spotted. I stifled a scream.

"Git down here. You alone?"

I hoarsely squeaked out a yes as I tried to shimmy out of the tree. I dropped to the ground with a thud, not realizing one of my legs was asleep.

"Are ya hurt?"

"No." I eyed him warily.

"What the hell ya doin' way out here by yourself?"

"I was trying to get out of the city."

He shook his head as if I were an idiot. I wanted to ask him what the hell he was doing out here but it was obvious. He was carrying a crossbow and had dead squirrels tied to a rope slung over his shoulder.

"Got any water?"

"Yes."

"Good, you'll need it. It's a long way back to camp."

"Camp? What ca... Hey wait!"

He was already making his way through the brush without looking back. I rushed to catch up, asking again: "What camp? A refugee camp?"

He didn't answer so I thought I'd better save my breath. His strides were long and fast, and before long I was panting for breath. It was still early, but the heat of the day was already upon us. After almost 2 hours I had to stop and put my pack down.

"Wait! I need a break!" Those were the first words I'd spoken to him since we met.

He stopped and leaned against a tree with a disgusted look on his face while I gulped one of my bottles of water.

"You want some?"

He reached over and finished it off without even a thank you.

"Ya done restin'?"

"Yeah I guess. Hey what's your..." But he was off.

We walked for what must've been miles, every tree looking the same. I marveled at how he knew precisely where he was headed. Maybe he grew up around here? Who was this guy and what exactly did I get myself into?

The sun was high overhead when we finally reached some sort of marker. It was rope tied between trees. There were cans dangling from it. Strange, I thought.

Next thing I knew he was shouting out "Hey Merle! I'm back!" We had walked into a campground of sorts. There were cars and trucks, and a large RV. People were going about mundane tasks like hanging out laundry and stacking wood. I could see at least a dozen people. A few children were sitting on the ground in a circle, playing cards.

"Oh my God Daryl, who is this?"

He shrugged as we passed by a woman at a table cleaning fish.

I stopped. "Uh, my name's Kim."

"I'm Andrea. What are you doing with Daryl Dixon?"

"He... Daryl… found me in the woods. I was kinda lost and he brought me back with him."

So his name is Daryl. Six hours of tromping through the woods and he couldn't stop to introduce himself?

"Oh honey, what were you doing out in the woods by yourself?"

"I was just trying to get as far out of the city as possible. Maybe find a refugee camp or a smaller town."

"As far was we know, there aren't any refugee camps anymore."

By this time I'd drawn quite a crowd. Everyone welcomed me, introduced themselves, someone sat me down and handed me a can of fruit and some water. I was so grateful these people were normal. I had been afraid I might be walking into some sort of redneck horror movie.

Suddenly I heard a gravelly voice saying "Ooh wee, look what the cat drug in! Fresh meat! Ya done good little brother!"

"Merle please! Would you give her a break?" said the woman named Jacqui.

"Oh I got sumthin' to give her. What's your name darlin'?"

"Kim."

"Kim. Short and sweeter'n honey."

I was starting to feel really uncomfortable with this guy leering at me when Daryl shouted: "Merle git your ass over here and help me clean these squirrels. Ya wanna eat tonight or not?"

Merle wiped his mouth, staring straight into my eyes, "Oh yeah, I wanna eat tonight," then thankfully went off to help his brother.

Jacqui said "Look, just a warning, you steer clear of the Dixons okay?"

"Why?"

"Merle's wound pretty tight. Try not to engage him in conversation because you never know what might set him off. We suspect he might be doing drugs."

"Why do the rest of you put up with them?"

"Daryl's the lesser of the two evils. Keeps to himself, brings back a lot of food on his hunts and always shares with the whole camp. But Merle's just trouble. They're brothers you see."

"So I gathered."

"We've got more women and children in camp than we have men and so we take the good with the bad. They both take turns on watch and Merle has a rifle. We don't have many guns."

As I looked over at the two guys I'd just been told to steer clear of, I caught Daryl's eye. He quickly looked away.

I settled in quite nicely. Jacqui let me stay in her tent and Merle didn't give me too much more trouble. Daryl would go off hunting by himself, sometimes for 2 or 3 days at a time. I wouldn't admit even to myself that I would get a small feeling of relief when he came back safely from his hunts. One day, after returning from a hunt, I took clean clothes over to him.

"Hey, welcome back. Um, I washed some of your clothes."

"Whadya do that for?"

"As a thank you for saving me that day."

"I didn't save nuthin'."

"You know you did. Who knows if I would've found civilization again, if there even is any." I chuckled. "Anyway, here."

I handed him some clean shirts and work pants. None of his shirts had sleeves.

"So what you got against sleeves?" I said jokingly, trying to make conversation.

"Nuthin'."

"I see you have a few birds today? I can pluck them."

"Ya know how to do that?" He said, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Yeah, I grew up on a farm back in Texas. I plucked a few chickens back in the day. It's been a while though."

He tossed the sack of dead birds at me so fast I almost missed. "Hell, here ya go then. Save me the work."

I was concentrating so intently on my 3rd bird that I didn't notice Daryl standing above me.

"Not bad."

"Thanks." I squinted up into the sun at him.

He sat down on the chair beside me and started deftly gutting one of the birds.

I couldn't help but glance sideways at him, noticing he was in the clean clothes. His brown hair was still wet and he smelled like someone who'd been swimming. We all had to shower in quarry water. He had blue eyes and a sparse goatee that he never seemed to have to shave. I had to admit I'd noticed he was a good looking guy, but today he was downright hot. I was starting to feel a bit like a giddy school girl. "Snap out of it. He's a Dixon and you've been warned" I thought to myself.

"Why so quiet?" His words startled me and I felt a blush warm my cheeks. Please don't be looking at me. I glanced over. Naturally he wasn't; he rarely made eye contact with me.

"Uh, just trying not to miss any feathers."

We spent the rest of the time not talking.

In the weeks to come, I slowly started to feel more comfortable around Daryl. We'd formed a routine of sorts. I would wash his clothes while he was out hunting, and when he returned, together we would sit cleaning whatever he brought back, occasionally punctuating the chore with small talk. I think he admired my lack of squeamishness, which gave me a feeling of pride.

Once Jacqui asked me why was I spending so much time with Daryl after she'd cautioned me against it.

"You know he's not so bad if you'd take time to talk to him. Nobody seems to bother."

"But Merle..."

"He's not Merle." I interrupted defensively.

"You've heard the way they talk; they're just a couple of ignorant racists."

"I know Jacqui, but I don't think Daryl is really like that. Their father was an abusive alcoholic, or as Daryl says "One mean, drunk sumbitch", who wasn't around much so Merle had to raise Daryl. He looked up to Merle and wanted to emulate him. But Daryl was older when Merle went in prison for armed robbery and I think that's when he came to realize Merle was not the best person to emulate no matter how much he loved him. They're close now because they're all they've got. I envy them. I don't know what's happened with my family. Can you even imagine how wonderful it would be to have a family member, hell, anyone from your past for that matter, here with you today?"

"Yes that would be wonderful." Jacqui agreed, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Wait, you're defending Daryl Dixon? Kim, don't tell me you have feelings for Daryl?"

"Like I said, you just have to get to know him."

"Girl, you don't have one thing in common with that man."

"I think we have everything in common. Now."

"Ok, that may be true, but you better be careful. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"It doesn't matter, Daryl doesn't think of me that way."

One day while Daryl was out hunting a group from the camp decided to go into the city. Usually, it was just Glenn, the Korean kid, but today the camp had decided if more people went, the more supplies could be carried back. We were running frighteningly low on supplies. Glenn had always come back safely but he still seemed to have some reservations about taking a group. Somehow Merle convinced them to let him go too. People were scared of Merle and often catered to him just to avoid conflict. I was happy he was going because when Daryl was gone, Merle had a tendency to come sniffing around me and I always had to make extra efforts to avoid him. Fortunately Daryl had started leaving his clothes on a table outside my tent when he'd leave so I wouldn't have to go near Merle.

The group came back hours later than expected and by that time we were all thinking the worst. Apparently all hell broke loose while they were in the city and they barely got out of there with their lives. They managed to bring back only a few supplies and, surprise, Lori's husband Rick! What a reunion. Carl bawled and bawled. Not a surprise, Merle had gotten out of control so Rick had to restrain Merle on the roof of a department store. Come to find out Rick and Shane were partners in a small town sheriff's department. Small world.

That night everyone sat around listening to Rick's big tale of survival. I could barely stand to listen. I know Merle's nothing but trouble, but how could they leave him handcuffed on a roof in the city? I was sickened at the thought of how Daryl would react when he returned. I went back to the tent and cried myself to sleep.

The next morning there was a big commotion. A walker had made it passed the ropes undetected. The kids were screaming and all the guys ran out with bats, shovels, whatever they could grab to kill it. I hadn't seen a walker up close and had neither the energy or desire to rush over there. As it turned out Daryl came back at that moment. I heard him before I saw him.

"Merle, git your ugly ass out here. Got us some squirrel! Let's stew 'em up!"

Rick stopped him to tell him what had happened in the city. Oh my God, Daryl threw a fit and the squirrels! He was screaming "You left my brother on a roof?" There was a fight and Shane got Daryl in a choke hold. Jacqui had to hold me back I was so angry. How did they expect Daryl to respond to the news?

"Hell with all y'all. Just tell me where he is, so's I can go git him." Daryl was so visibly shaken I ached for him.

Lori said "He'll show you, isn't that right?"

"I'm going back." Rick said.

T-Dog was part of the group who'd gone into the city and was in charge of unlocking Merle. Since he claimed to have dropped the keys, he also volunteered to go back. Rick asked Glenn to go. Poor Glenn got white as a ghost. He's just a kid. I really wished he didn't have to go, but Rick talked him into it.

Daryl pushed his way passed everyone and went to his tent. I pulled away from Jacqui and took off after him. I'd never gone into his tent before but I didn't hesitate. I sat beside him on his cot but he wouldn't look at me.

"It'll be okay. Like T-Dog said, the door's padlocked."

"I hate all those motherfuckers."

"I know."

We sat there in silence until finally Daryl said "I gotta git ready." He got up, collected a couple of spare crossbow bolts and left the tent. I stayed there for awhile trying to collect my thoughts. I'd give anything for Daryl not to go into the city. It was one thing to hunt in the woods, but to go into Atlanta where there were thousands of undead? He told me I was the only live person he ever saw out there, and though he did see a walker now and then, it was from a distance and he only ever had to shoot a couple. Once I asked him why he didn't have a rifle and he said they had make a quick getaway and he couldn't get back to it so I knew that he and Merle killed many geeks before coming to this camp. Still, the others had just gotten out by the skin of their teeth. The fear and dread creeping through my chest made me shiver even in the hot tent.

I went out to see that the guys were packed and ready to go. Daryl was over by the cube van. I went over, took his free hand and gave it a quick squeeze. This was the first time we'd made physical contact.

"Please be careful" I implored.

Our eyes locked for a moment, mine a dark blue, his pale in the bright sunlight, and to my surprise he squeezed my hand too.

"Don't worry." And with that he jumped in the truck. Daryl was back to his old self and wasn't looking at me, instead pacing impatiently in the back.

"Come on. Let's go!" He yelled and kicked the horn, interrupting Rick's and Shane's conversation with Dale.

I couldn't bear to watch them leave but couldn't bear not to, afraid this might be the last time I ever saw Daryl. As the truck pulled away, Daryl looked back and gave me one brief wink before slamming the door down.

That afternoon, Andrea and Amy came back from the quarry with a huge stringer of fish. All this food lightened the mood around camp considerably. We decided to have a fish fry and even brought out the last of the beers. I felt a little guilty eating well while the guys were in Atlanta but I was starving. My stomach had been in knots for 2 days and I couldn't resist the smell of the fish grilling on the fire.

I excused myself early and went back to the tent, too worried about Daryl to socialize. Someone let out a terrible scream! Someone else shouted "Walkers!" Gunshots erupted as I saw a shadow pass by my tent. From the silhouette, I could tell it was a geek. Terrified, I dove under my cot and pulled the sleeping bag down to cover myself. Once after a hunt Daryl brought me a pry bar he'd found. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it was all I had besides a couple of kitchen knives I'd taken from the hotel. I felt around for it, my fingers finally locating the cold steel. All at once, the gunshots multiplied and I heard what sounded like rifles and shotguns. It ended as fast as it began as the echo of gunfire subsided. There was only the sound of someone screaming plaintively. I decided to venture out of the tent and the scene that greeted me was straight out of nightmare. The stench of walkers and gunpowder filled the air. My senses reeling, I could see some of our people scattered amongst all the downed walkers. Suddenly I heard Daryl shout my name. As I turned towards his voice, I saw him raise his crossbow towards me and fire. That was the last thing I remembered.

I awoke with a start, momentarily disoriented. I recognized our tent and like earlier, I was staring at it from ground level. Why was I on the floor of the tent again? Just as I realized I was laying on Jacqui's and my sleeping bags I felt someone stir behind me. My heart leapt in my throat but then I heard Daryl say: "You awake?"

I quickly rolled over to see Daryl lying beside me on the floor.

Relief swept over me at the sight. "What happened?"

"You fainted."

"The last thing I remember was coming out of the tent."

"There was a geek gittin' to its feet behind ya. Shot it with the crossbow. Couldn't risk using the shotgun."

My head was swimming again.

"Was… was anyone killed?" I was scared to hear his answer.

"Yeah."

My blood ran cold. "Jacqui?"

"Jacqui's fine. She's in the RV with all the kids. They're pretty shook up."

"Then who?"

"Amy, Ed Peletier, that girl from Florida…"

"Amanda?"

"Yeah Amanda and her friend Norman, both of the Jacksons, that guy who looks like Morales."

So many dead.

"There'd be more if you hadn't gotten back when you did. Is Merle outside?"

Daryl turned away to stare at the ceiling of the tent.

"Never did find Merle." He said flatly.

"But I thought he was cuffed?"

"He was, but he got loose."

I could tell he didn't want to talk about it. I laid my head on his chest and to my astonishment, he cradled me in his arms.

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

"Git some rest. Dale's gonna git me in a few hours when it's my turn to take watch." He gently kissed the top of my head as I drifted off again.

While Daryl was helping bury some of the dead, I packed the contents of his tent. He didn't have much. Except for the cot and bedding, everything fit in one duffle bag. I smiled at his stash of red shop rags. Thankfully he never wanted me to wash those. He had a special pan he used to boil them because they'd been exposed to geek blood. In the bottom of the duffle bag, wrapped carefully in a small towel, I came across an old, framed picture of two young boys. One was a teenager, the other a kid of about 8. The older boy held the younger one in a headlock but both were smiling from ear to ear. As I stared at it, I wondered what kind of day that had been for the boys with the troubled past. Had Merle and Daryl been hunting that day? Was it a special occasion? I imagined their mother taking the picture, laughing and telling the boys to stand still. I had yet to ask Daryl what became of his mother. I only knew his father died many years ago, alone and unlamented. I carefully re-wrapped the precious memento and tucked it safely between the clothes in the duffle bag.

When I finished with Daryl's tent, I went over to Merle's. It was a little bigger that Daryl's and a mess. It looked and smelled like a dorm room after a party. Beer bottles and cigarette butts everywhere. But I wasn't there to pack anything. I'd asked Daryl if he wanted me to write Merle a note before we left and he'd gratefully accepted. So, using a pencil and scrap of paper I got from Dale earlier, I wrote:

"Merle, as you can see, we've all left. Daryl and some of the guys went back to Atlanta to find you but you'd already gotten loose. While they were gone the camp was attacked by geeks. Several people were killed. We went to the Centers for Disease Control. Daryl says you know where it is. If nothing at the CDC, we'll go to Ft. Benning. Please try to find us."

All of a sudden I heard a commotion and Jacqui was screaming something about Jim. I ran out just in time to see T-Dog grabbing Jim from behind and Daryl pulling Jim's shirt up. Jim had been bitten. Jim pulled away saying he was okay, but we all knew what a bite meant.

It wasn't exactly a unanimous decision for us to go the CDC, some of us wanted to try Ft. Benning first. We were low on gas, but we hoped we could find some to siphon along the way. If it came down to it, we would abandon all except 2 vehicles, and Daryl would ride his motorcycle. There actually wasn't a vote at all because Rick had unilaterally appointed himself leader, and so it was off to the CDC. Because Jim was in the back of the RV, Daryl was worried about me being confined with him and asked me to ride in his truck. I didn't hesitate, mostly because I wanted to be near Daryl, but also because I too was afraid to be near Jim.

The journey to the CDC took much longer than anticipated. We had to stop numerous times so the guys could push abandoned vehicles out of the way and scavenge for gas. At one point the RV's radiator hose burst, and a couple of the men had to go search for a replacement. It was during this stop that Jim asked to be left behind. It was a sad moment for everyone, and as we drove away, Daryl remarked that he should have put a bolt through Jim's brain.

It was nearing dark when we pulled up to the CDC. We didn't expect the horrific scene that greeted us. There had been some sort of massive firefight between the military and undead. Bodies were everywhere and the stench of decay was overwhelming. We made our way to the doors but the place appeared abandoned. We'd drawn the attention of some geeks, and Daryl had to shoot one. Then like a beacon in the night, the CDC doors opened, bathing us in light. This was when we met Dr. Jenner.

He was the only person left in the entire building. He told us he stayed behind to continue the research as long as he could because he had no family to go home to. Jenner was a generous host, inviting us to have dinner with him and afterwards showing us to the employee offices and the showers.

At dinner, Daryl's mood lightened considerably after Jenner gave him a bottle of Southern Comfort. There was also plenty of wine flowing. I drank my share of the wine when I was stuck at the hotel, but now that seemed like years ago.

After dinner, I was back in the office I was sharing with Jacqui. There was a sofa and a roll-away in the room. I found an extra large CDC t-shirt in a locker and I decided to wear the shirt to bed.

"Well?"

"Well what Jacqui?"

"You're not really planning on sleeping here are you?"

"That's the plan."

Jacqui got up and quietly peeked out the door.

"His door is cracked. I can see a light."

"And I'm just supposed to waltz in there and what?"

"Let nature take its course?" She wiggled her eyebrows up and down. "You didn't see how scared he was when you fainted back at camp. Daryl cares about you."

"I know," remembering our night in the tent and how protective he'd since become.

"Kim, who knows what's going to happen tomorrow? Just go in there!"

I pondered her words. Dare I? I knew it was what Daryl wanted, and surely the open door was an invitation.

"Aw what the hell. Don't wait up."

"Oh I won't!" Jacqui gave me a quick hug as I snuck out the door.

I quietly tapped on Daryl's door and went in before he answered. I closed the door and locked it behind my back. Daryl was sitting on the large sofa, the bottle of whiskey on the coffee table in front of him. He wasn't wearing a shirt and the button of his work pants was undone. My eyes lingered and my thoughts wandered until Daryl brought me back to the present.

"Ya just gonna stand there?" There was a mischievous glint in his blue eyes.

"Just taking in the view."

"Well take a closer look."

I went to him and took his outstretched hand. I sat down on his lap, straddling him. He caressed my face with his free hand. "You're so beautiful."

"I was just thinking the same thing about you, sexy."

His hand went to the back of my head and as his fingers entwined in my still-damp hair he pulled me gently towards him. We kissed tenderly at first, stopping to gaze at each before kissing again. His other hand went up my thigh and I moved slightly so he could pull my t-shirt out from underneath me. He let out a small gasp as he discovered bare skin. I'd forgotten that I wasn't wearing anything under the shirt. Now both his hands were caressing my spine, sending shivers through my body. His tongue parted my lips and I gently sucked on it. He uttered a deep groan as he lifted the shirt over my head. He looked hungrily at my breasts, then softly started kissing first one then the other. I felt his teeth on my stiff nipples which sent little shocks of electricity through me. His hand moved between my legs and I shuddered as he slipped two fingers inside me, his thumb rubbing me in small circular motions. Instinctively my hips writhed in rhythm, flooding with warm, wet desire.

My need to have Daryl inside me surmounted the pleasure of his hand and I lifted up to unzip his pants. He pulled them off and impatiently kicked them out of the way. His erection was throbbing against his abdomen, pulsing with a desperate need. I slid down his legs, stroking it firmly before greedily taking it into my mouth. A vibrating purr emanated from my throat. He tangled his hands in my hair, guiding me to a pace of his liking. When his moaning grew louder, I moved back onto the sofa and slid his hot shaft in me, lowering myself until I felt it against that sensitive spot deep inside me. I was grinding against his hips, the sensation building as his skillful hand again sought that warm place between my thighs. My forehead was pressed to his, my hair covering both our faces. I was close to coming when suddenly Daryl's hand was on my face pushing it back to where he could look at me. He pushed his thumb in my mouth and I could taste myself on it. Daryl gripped my face and wouldn't let me look away. Suddenly intense waves of emotion and pleasure wracked my body, so strong it was almost painful. "Oh God, Daryl." I had to bite my lip to keep from screaming his name.

In one swift movement I was on my back, Daryl's weight on me. I lifted my legs, wrapping them around his waist, my nails buried in his biceps as I bit into his shoulder. His thrusts were hard and fast, his face buried in my neck, his breath hot and ragged until a powerful orgasm ripped through his body. Daryl collapsed on me with a sigh, his heart pounding against my chest.

Once we caught our breaths, he slipped out of me, and we lay face to face, our hands intertwined under our chins, quietly talking.

"And here all this time I thought you didn't like me."

"What makes ya say that?"

"Because you never looked at me, even all those times we were cleaning game."

"Oh I looked at ya, you just didn't catch me cuz I'm stealthy like that." I recalled when he first spotted me in the tree. "I looked at ya so much Merle would say: Why don't ya just go fuck her already!"

Knowing Daryl had been feeling the same way all this time made me smile.

"So what stopped you?"

"Cuz you're outta my league."

"Daryl, look around, there are no leagues. You're strong, brave, handsome. What more could a girl ask for? Money, career, and education don't matter anymore. If anything, you're out of my league."

Now it was his turn to smile.

"Ya didn't exactly make it obvious you had the hots for me."

"When you'd go on your hunts, I always worried you'd never come back." I choked back tears.

"Hey, hey, I always came back didn't I?"

"I wouldn't be alive if not for you. I don't know what I'd do without you." Tears rolled down the corners of my eyes.

"Ya don't have to worry about that. I ain't goin' nowhere. If it makes ya feel better you can come along on my next hunt." His eyes twinkled.

I pretended to be shocked. "Do you realize what you smell like when you come back? You're not going to want me smelling like that, trust me." I sat up on my elbow, stroking his chin.

"Smelly? It's manly. You gals love it."

"I do love it." I looked at him seriously. "I love you."

He grinned. "I know."

"You are such a dog!" I punched him playfully on his shoulder.

Daryl pulled me on top of him. "I love you too Kim" he whispered and we began to make love again.

We fell asleep on the sofa. In the morning we showered together while quickly and urgently making love once more. Afterwards, Daryl waited in my room with me while I got dressed.

"So. Everyone's at breakfast. What are we going to do?"

"I dunno. Eat?"

"You know what I mean. Are we going in together?"

"That's why I'm sittin' here waitin' on ya."

"Are you sure?"

"Ya got some doubts or sumthin'?"

I leaned down and kissed him heartily.

"No doubts."

"No doubts." He repeated.

When we got to the kitchen, Daryl stopped and held the door for me to go in first. You could hear a pin drop as everyone stopped what they were doing to look at us. Most had their mouths open, Glenn, looking a little green around the gills, had a big grin on his face, and Jacqui was hiding a smile behind both hands.

"What the hell people? Got nuthin' better to do than stare?"

Jacqui lost it and put her head on the table, laughing hysterically.

Daryl put his arm over my shoulder and steered me towards the coffee. Rick, who was already standing there, cocked one eyebrow and then gave Daryl a pat on the back before sitting back down. Jacqui invited Daryl and I to come sit by her.

We had a great time that morning. It was the first time Daryl sat down for a meal with everyone and it would be the last for a very, very long time.

-The End