Epilogue

Notes: This will be kind of a "clean up" chapter for this story. Now this will probably not be the end of Charlotte or Daryl for that matter, I might do another story with them as secondary characters, or start another saga featuring them, I haven't decided yet and I will be on hiatus for a while so I think its best to end it for now in order to be fair to my readers, since I wont be able to update very regularly anyway.

Charlotte sat in a chair on the roof of the Walmart in nothing but a pair of shorts and a sports bra, a pair of binoculars around her neck and 30-6 across her lap, basking in the warm spring sun like a reptile.

Winter had finally relinquished its hold on the landscape to spring, and not a moment too soon as far as she was concerned, she had always hated the cold weather, even if it did make the walkers slower.

Over the winter there had been groups of assholes who tried to take the Walmart from them, some were hopelessly unprepared for combat, others were very well organized, and they were able to repel them all thus earning them the reputation amongst the troublemakers that they weren't to be messed with.

Charlotte jumped slightly as the door to the roof groaned open. "Oh, I'm sorry girl, Rick sent me up here to relieve you, he knows you wont ever come down if someone doesn't come get you." Michonne said as Charlotte stood and stretched. "But, its doing wonders for my tan." She said as she handed her the binoculars and the rifle.

Charlotte put on a nonchalant façade, but Michonne and the others could see right through it. They had lost Sophia a month or so ago to an illness, one of those trivial sicknesses that in the former world would have been treated with antibiotics and bed rest. Rick and Daryl, and Maggie came down with it as well, but they were able to fight it off. The poor girl lingered for the last few days in a delirious state before finally passing on, Charlotte had to put her down.

Colt, the doctor was taking it just as hard, he still very much believed the oath he took in medical school and he put everything he had into helping Sophia and the others who were sick. When she didn't pull through, he was devastated.

Everyone greeted her with smiles and nods of respect as she walked to her place at the back of the store in the hunting and camping section. Gavin the dog bounded out of her tent and greeted her enthusiastically, his long bushy tail sweeping from side to side like a giant feather duster.

Charlotte smiled in spite of herself, seeing the German shepherd always lifted her spirits, no matter how low they were. Just then, Daryl appeared around the corner, dirty and sweaty, dragging a freshly killed deer and her grin grew wider.

"The fuck you smilin' at?" He said, his words were curt but the ghost of a smile played about his mouth. Inside he was happy to see her smiling again after the ordeal she had endured, since the death of her sister, Charlotte always took loss hard, whether it be animal or human.

"Got something for ya." He said to Gavin as he handed him a deer antler. "There's a whole mess of sheds in the woods." "Any walkers?" Charlotte asked suddenly. "A few, nothing I couldn't handle." He said.

"Daryl, please. I know that I don't have to tell you this, but please be careful out there. I don't know if I could take losing you … too." She said, her words catching on the lump forming in her throat.

Daryl halted from hauling the deer back into what used to be the garden section to cut it up for storage. He let it fall to the ground, its head making an unpleasant thud on the linoleum floor.

He strode up to her and gripped her by the shoulders. "You're not gonna have to worry about me, pirate girl, I ain't going anywhere, ya hear?" she wordlessly nodded, tears forming in her remaining eye.

Without refrigeration, the only means of preserving meat they had was to jar it, Michonne, Carl, and Colt's sister, Izzie helped. It took them nearly all night to jar the huge deer, Charlotte jarred the inedible remains for Gavin, as they were finally starting to run out of dog food.

"This'll be enough to feed us for a month, maybe more." Daryl said as they stacked the many jars of meat on an empty section of shelves. Charlotte nodded in agreement as they sat back and looked at their stash.

Things were finally starting to work out for them, they had finally found a place, and were able to defend it against walkers and living people. It looked like they had finally found a place to call home in this hellish, dead world.

"It feels good to finally be able to relax, somewhat." Charlotte said to Daryl as they sat on the roof, overlooking the vacant parking lot, sharing a case of beer and a pack of cigarettes.

"Can't really relax in this world." Daryl said through a long drag. "No, but I'll take what we got here." She replied as she touched the bottle to her forehead, after only two beers she already had a heavy buzz going. "Shit, you sure are a lightweight." He said.

"She clumsily shoved him. "Shut up, its not like I can go out every weekend and drink anymore." He suddenly grabbed her and pulled her close. "Wanna have some fun?" He growled into her ear, causing her to shiver.

She pushed him back and pulled her shirt off. "Do you even need to ask?" She asked as she drew close and rubbed herself against him, inciting a groan. They wasted no time undressing each other, maybe it was the alcohol, but neither one of them cared that someone could walk in on them.

It wasn't a hot, quick, wild romp like many of their encounters were, this bout of sex was slow, sensual, and when they both finally did come, the slow build up led to one of the most mind blowing, intense orgasms they could remember having.

"Oh my god!" Charlotte, who had opted to be on top, hissed breathlessly as she collapsed against him. "Better get dressed, your watch is almost up, Rick'll be coming to relieve you soon and he'll be pissed as hell if he found out we were screwing." He said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, but if he did it was worth it." Charlotte said with a wink as she buckled her belt.

Notes: Please tell me what you think should I make a new story for them? should I make a new story with a new character with them as secondary characters? Opinions please! Your opinions matter, people! : )