AN: Thank you all so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed this one. It was fun for me the first time around and it was fun again this time, changing it over to Caryl. It's been a pleasure to share it with y'all.

Conclusion

"Okay sir, you're free to go," an officer spoke, opening the door and poking his head inside. "Officers are done at your house now too." They had interrogated Daryl for almost an hour and not 10 minutes later they were letting him go?

"That's it?" Daryl said, standing hesitantly. "I can leave? No bail?"

"You're not being charged with anything sir," the officer replied. "Your story checked out with the account your brother and Ms. Richards gave us. The detectives and the DA agreed you're not involved." The officer poked his head into the hall and then looked back in with a grin. "Heard that Merle was quite adamant that we were to leave you out of his mistakes. He might be an asshole, but he's got your back. "

Many of the cops were familiar with Merle. They'd had their eye on him for years. But in that time, even a criminal can earn a sense of respect. They would never let him away with anything, obviously, but there were a few cops that thought more highly of Merle than perhaps they should. Daryl could tell this officer was one of them and he hoped he could use that to his advantage.

"I want to talk to him," Daryl said. "I need to talk to him."

"I'll ask my supervisor, but be aware that your talk will be monitored and anything he says could still be used in court," he warned. "Sit tight, I'll be back."

Daryl sat back down with a sigh. How had everything got so screwed up? How could Merle be so fucking stupid? And what about Carol? Would she want anything to do with him when she found out his brother was in jail for trafficking? She was on the verge of a huge career move, of course she wouldn't want to get mixed up in his big, fucked up mess.

As much as he wanted to be angry, absolutely livid, with Merle, Daryl couldn't get any farther than just a touch mad. The same reaction he'd of had if Merle drank the last beer or borrowed his bike without permission. At that point anger wouldn't do any good anyway. What mattered was that his brother was likely going to jail. And not just his usual 30 day stint, ended early for good behavior.

Daryl was about to lose everyone he cared about in one fell swoop and there certainly weren't a whole lot of people in the world he cared about. Daryl fought back both nausea and tears while he waited. Wasn't gonna do him any good to start barfing in the garbage can or blubbering like a pussy. He'd figure it out by himself, just like he'd done as a kid.

The door popped open. "I got you 2 minutes. Better make it quick," the cop said. Daryl jumped to his feet and followed the officer down the hall. He opened another door and ushered Daryl inside. "2 minutes boys," he said, closing the door.

Merle was sitting at the table. He looked relieved to see Daryl and immediately stood, walked over and hugged him. "I screwed up bro," Merle said, holding him tight. "I'm sorry." He released him and Daryl fought the tears again. "But don't worry, I made sure they knew you had nothing to do with it. Told 'em you weren't even around all weekend. You got an alibi, right?" Daryl nodded. But the sickness returned to the pit of his stomach at the thought they might have called Carol to check his story. Unexpectedly Merle smiled, "Tell me it's that fox from the bar? The one whose car I fixed? Tell me you were with her all weekend?" Daryl nodded again. "Atta boy," Merle said, clapping him on the shoulders. "You get laid? What's she like? A kinky little freak? Did you show her what a Dixon can do in the sack?"

"Is this really what ya want to talk about right now?" Daryl asked. "We probably got less than a minute."

"Just tell me you fucked her good and I'll move on. Give me some peace of mind before I spend the next couple years in the joint," Merle grinned.

Daryl ignored the question but responded, "I love her."

He was expecting a smart ass reply but Merle shocked him, "Then don't screw it up." His face had never been more serious. "I ain't kidding bro. I know you. I know you're gonna think she'll want nothing to do with you after this... But promise me you'll let her decide." Merle gave him a look. "Don't you fucking decide for her."

"I'll try," Daryl got out.

It wasn't good enough. "No. You promise me you'll fight for her," Merle insisted. "She's worth it... And you deserve to be happy."

Who the fuck was this? And where was his brother. "Okay, I promise," Daryl replied, knowing it wasn't gonna end until he made the promise.

"Ok good. One more thing..." Merle replied, still looking serious. "I need you to take over the shop til I'm out. And look after my place. Take a wage, whatever you need, but just make sure I still have a house and a business when I blow this joint."

"What?" Daryl stammered. "I can't…"

"Yes you can," Merle insisted. "Steve is a great mechanic, Joe too. Bump Joey up to full time, you take the oil changes if they're too busy and look after the financial shit. Nothing you ain't done before - a few weeks at a time."

Daryl knew he could do it, but he didn't want to think about going to the shop every day without Merle, for god knows how long. He took a look at Merle's face and realized how much his brother needed the reassurance. "You're right, I got this. Don't worry."

The door swung open, time was up. But just before Daryl left the real Merle returned. "You gotta tell me... She a sweet piece of ass? Give me a little somethin bro..."

Daryl walked towards the door with a smile. "Best I ever had," he replied over his shoulder.

"Hey, don't fuck it up Dipshit," Merle yelled after him. "And you better come visit me... With smokes." That was the last Daryl heard before the door shut and the officer started to usher him away.

It wasn't until he got to the front to collect his things that Daryl realized he had no ride home and no cash for a cab. "I, Uh... I need to call someone for a ride," he said to the cop at the desk.

"She's been waiting for you for an hour," the officer said, directing his gaze towards a little waiting area. Daryl saw Carol sitting there and instantly panicked. He wanted to turn and dash to avoid her, but before he could move she spotted him and stood. Don't fuck this up, he repeated Merle's words in his head. This isn't the time to run. It's time to be a man. Daryl took a deep breath and walked towards her.

Carol started to move towards him too and she kept walking, right into his arm. She tucked her face into his neck and hugged him tightly. Daryl felt his body instantly relax with relief as he hugged her back. "I'm so glad you're okay, I was worried," Carol whispered, drawing back.

"How'd you know?" Daryl asked, his cheeks feeling flushed.

"You didn't call," she said with a shrug. "You said you'd call and you didn't. I probably should have waited longer, but I was being all girly and decided I would just drive by your place..." This time she blushed and Daryl fell even more in love with her. "And I saw all the cops so I stopped. God, Daryl..." Her voice cracked. "I was terrified something bad happened to you..." She leaned against his chest and Daryl held her with one arm. "They sent me here to wait... But they wouldn't tell me anything."

"Oh... You don't know..." Daryl said slowly. Fuck, he thought she knew already and was still there despite the news. His stomach flipped.

"Don't do that," Carol said, touching his face. "I'm not the kind of girl who falls in love this fast. I'm not. I'm guarded and private..." His stomach churned harder. She was breaking up with him, he knew it, he knew it was coming. "But I did. It happened. With you." Wait, what? Daryl held his breath. "So right now, we are gonna leave here... We can go to my place or yours or just park somewhere... And you're gonna tell me everything." Daryl let out the air. "And then we will figure out what needs to be done... We," she repeated. "We'll figure it out together."

It sounded good. It sounded great, actually. But Carol didn't know what was going on. And Daryl was still skeptical that she would stick around once she did. "Let's drive somewhere," he replied. Daryl didn't want to be awkwardly settled in either of their houses if things went badly. This way she could just drop him off somewhere or he could get out of the car.

Carol drove them to a big empty parking lot and killed the engine. "Okay, what happened?" She asked, turning towards him. When Daryl didn't speak she reached for his hand. Her touch gave him the courage he needed to get the entire story out. She let him talk and get through everything, quietly listening. Every once in awhile she would give his hand a reassuring squeeze and Daryl started to believe that it might actually be okay.

"And now here we are," he ended with, letting the words hang.

"Here we are," Carol echoed.

"Listen," he faced her and spoke quickly. "I'll understand if you want to take me home and go our separate ways. This ain't your mess to deal with and..."

"Daryl, shut it," she interrupted. "C'mere." Carol grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his mouth to hers. She kissed him, long and deep. It was intense and sexy, but so filled with love it made him ache. Any other time he would have wanted to take her in the back seat. But it wasn't the right time. "I'm not going anywhere," she said, after they parted. She pressed her lips to his one more time in another act of reassurance. "I have a feeling your house might be in a bit of disarray," she said. "Let's go clean it up and make some dinner. It's been a long day for you."

"That's it?" Daryl said, feeling quite baffled. "We just act like everything is normal?"

Carol shook her head. "It's not normal. Not right now. But it will be. We'll figure out a new routine and eventually things will feel right." She gave him a sympathetic look. "You miss him already. I can see it on your face. He's been a part of your life for a long time..."

"I don't need him," Daryl muttered.

"No, but you love him and it's okay to miss him," she replied softly.

She was so smart and compassionate. And she knew him. It was crazy how well she knew him. "Looks like I have a full time job for a while," Daryl gave her a sheepish look.

"I was really looking forward to testing out your acting chops," she teased. One little joke and the tension in the air lifted. "Let's go home and you can show off your cooking skills. I'm starving."

"Uh Carol, maybe we should grab takeout..." He suggested. "I can't promise there's anything other than beer and sour milk in the fridge." Daryl remembered once again he had no cash.

"Fuck," he added. "Ain't got no money."

She rolled her eyes. "Good thing I have a Visa in my purse." He was about to protest but she silenced him with a look. "We're not arguing about this tonight." Daryl resigned. "Pizza work for you?"

"Yup," he nodded. Carol drove to the closest pizza shop, they picked up food and headed to his place. "Holy fuck," Daryl muttered when they stepped inside. The house was a disaster. He hadn't even seen it that bad after one of Merle's wild parties. The cops had ripped the place apart.

"Well, let's clear a spot to eat and we'll get started," Carol said. Her voice was calm and it made him feel a little better about the task at hand. They cleared a spot on the floor and sat - picnic style - to eat. "It's gonna be fine, you know that right?" She said, in between bites. "We'll get this cleaned up. Maybe not all tonight, but eventually. And you'll go to the shop tomorrow, tell everyone what's going on and do what needs to be done. Then after work you will meet me here and I'll have supper ready for you," she finished with a smile. Daryl gave her a curious look. "I want to make this easy for you. I'll get the groceries I need and make you something nice to come home to. Just don't expect it all the time," she added with a laugh.

Daryl wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't used to someone caring about him. It felt awkward, but… he liked it. The house was a mess, there was so much to do but there was something he needed more than anything else - her. He shoved the pizza box aside and stood up, then offered Carol a hand. She wiped her face and hands with a napkin and looked up at him with a curious smile before placing her hand in his. Without a word he led her through the obstacle course and into his room.

He kicked a few things aside on the floor but thankfully the bed was actually clear. Daryl turned to face her. He needed to know she was okay with what he wanted. It wasn't like him to be so forward, but he needed her so badly and she made him feel comfortable. She was the only person he knew that made him feel like he could say or do anything without being embarrassed. All he had to do was look at her and she knew what he wanted to know. "It's okay," she replied, touching his cheek.

They undressed each other slowly and Daryl lifted her, placing her gently in bed. Carol let him do whatever he wanted and Daryl took his time. It wasn't wild and crazy, it wasn't anything strange or kinky. It was just slow, easy lovemaking. It was the emotional connection that he needed, even more than the physical. She knew that and she made a point of doing little things to let him know she was with him, like meeting his eye with a comforting smile at just the right moment.

"Why are you here?" Daryl mumbled, sleepily as he stroked her arm afterwards.

"Because I love you," Carol replied, sitting up a bit to look at him.

"No I just mean…" Darul shook his head, it wasn't coming out right. "I mean, I ain't the kind of guy who gets good things…"

"We you are now… we are now," she corrected herself. "It's not just you anymore, it's me too. And we both deserve something good."

"I don't know how to handle good," Daryl admitted, sucking in a deep breath. It was sad and pathetic, but it was true.

"Well then, it's a good thing I do," she replied with one of her most stunning smiles. "Come on," she said, starting to slip out of bed. "This house isn't gonna clean itself."

"Not yet," Daryl said, grabbing her and pulling her back into his arms. He just wasn't ready to let her go yet.

Carol giggled, but didn't resist. She simply tucked her body right next to his like it belonged there and sighed contently. Daryl knew things weren't going to be easy. At least not at first. But with her in his arms, knowing how much they loved one another Daryl wasn't worried. Merle would serve his time and hopefully learn from his stupid mistakes. And in the meantime Daryl would make sure the shop stayed up and running. But more importantly, he would do everything in his power to make sure Carol was happy and not fuck it up, just like his brother requested.

She mattered. She came first. And if he got to put her first for the rest of his life it wouldn't be long enough. There was a sky full of stars out there, but the only one that mattered was in his arms and Daryl made a silent vow to never, ever let her go.

'Cause you're a sky,

cause you're a sky full of stars

I want to die in your arms, arms

'Cause you get lighter

the more it gets dark

I'm going to give you my heart