AN: Here we go, the last little chapter. More notes at the end.

I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

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"You left me," Carol said as she came out on the porch, tightening her robe around her.

Daryl was sitting on the lounge out there, staring out at the lake in the darkness that was only illuminated by the small flicker of the solitary flame of a citronella candle sitting on the table next to him.

"You alright?" Carol asked, concerned that something might be bothering him.

They'd had a good evening…a fish fry and a few drinks with some good laughs and good conversation. Daryl and Merle had entertained them with some "guess what he did" stories about similar times they'd had at hunting cabins and Carol and Andrea had talked a little about the weekend possibilities for the wedding weekend they were planning. And then, when everyone was tired out, they'd retired to their rooms on opposite sides of the cabin.

And Carol had woken up to find that Daryl, who usually slept wrapped up with her some way in the bed, was nowhere to be found. She'd stayed there for a few moments, thinking he might have gone to the bathroom…or he might have wanted something to drink…but when he didn't return, she started to get concerned.

Daryl turned toward her then and offered her a smile.

"Fine," he said, his voice taking on the croaking sound of disuse that it got whenever he'd been sleeping for some time.

"Couldn't sleep?" Carol asked.

Daryl reached a hand toward her and she took it, letting him guide her around the little table to his side. Then he yawned and smiled at her.

"I slept a lil' while," he said. "Had ta piss…an' I just…thought it'd be nice ta come out here a bit."

He chuckled.

"An' I weren't wrong," he said.

Daryl rubbed her hand between his fingers and then pulled her toward him.

"Come 'ere," he mumbled.

"I don't know if that lounge is going to hold us," Carol said, shaking her head doubtfully.

"Come 'ere!" Daryl said, his voice breaking into a chuckle as he tugged at her hand.

Carol sighed and turned around, easing herself down into his lap because she didn't trust the integrity of the piece of furniture at all. Much of it had come with the cabin when they'd bought the place and she wasn't sure what kind of condition it was all in yet.

It creaked and groaned a little under their weight and Carol started to get up, but Daryl caught her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Don't go…just ease on down here…" Daryl said. "It ain't gonna break…I don't think…"

Carol laughed and tried to hold it back, afraid of what the shaking of her body might do to whatever it was in the piece of furniture that was holding them both up.

"And if it does?" Carol asked.

"We'll sit on the floor…" Daryl responded. "Besides…what you so worried about? I'm the one on the bottom here…"

Carol let him help her ease into position and finally she was lying with him on the lounge, very nearly lying entirely on top of him. Daryl rubbed his face against hers, wrapping his arms tighter around her.

"This is nice, ain't it?" He asked.

It was nice. It was very nice. The temperature was good and the bugs weren't as bad as they could be at times. Carol closed her eyes and sighed, breathing in the smell of citronella and Daryl after a shower.

"Mmm…it is nice," she said. "You know what we need?"

A soft laugh echoed through Daryl's chest.

"No…but I bet you gonna tell me," he said.

"A hammock," Carol said. "A nice one…big enough for both of us that we could sleep in."

Daryl hummed at her.

"I like that…yeah," Daryl said. "I could be a hammock kinda guy."

Carol laughed.

"I love it up here," Carol admitted. "And I'm glad we brought Andrea and Merle up."

"Me too," Daryl responded. "Been a long damn time since me an' Merle just got out…huntin'…fishin'…used ta do it all the damn time when we was younger. Been a long time since Merle said his ass weren't sleepin' in no tent on the wet ground, though."

Carol laughed.

"I can't blame him," she said. "I don't think I'd like the whole roughing it experience."

"Yeah…" Daryl said. "Too damn old for that shit now..."

Carol sighed.

"Are we just too old for most things now?" She asked, daring to move her head only enough that she could look at Daryl.

He considered a moment, chewing slightly at his lip, and then she felt his fingers drumming gently on her shoulder…playing some kind of silent and unheard tune.

"Nah…" Daryl said. "Thing is…we ain't too damn old ta do it. I mean hell…if I wanted ta go sleep in the damn yard I could…an' so could you…an' Merle an' Andrea too…"

"We could…" Carol agreed halfheartedly.

"Thing is, though…ain't that we can't do it…it's that we got the good damn sense not ta do it…an' hell…who the fuck wants ta sleep in the dirt with roly poly bugs crawlin' in their shorts when this is a helluva lot better," Daryl commented.

Carol laughed.

"You're right," she said. "This is a lot better…"

"Tomorrow you an' Andrea catchin' the fish," Daryl said.

"OK," Carol said. "As long as you're baiting the hooks…"

"You cleaned them fish tonight an' you don't wanna put a bug on ya hook?" Daryl asked.

"Fish aren't bugs," Carol said. "You bait the hooks…and we'll make sure you eat well."

Daryl chuckled.

"Fine…I'll bait'cha hooks," Daryl said. "But you cleanin' again."

"Deal," Carol said. She rooted into Daryl a little and he tried to shift to give her some more room, causing the lounge to creak again and both of them to laugh. "Maybe we should go in," Carol said. "Go to bed?"

Daryl tightened his arms around her, holding her closer to him.

"Nah…" he responded. "I think we fine right here. You go on an' sleep if you wanna…I won't let'cha fall off. Besides…I'm busy…"

Carol closed her eyes again and settled down, feeling very much like she did want to sleep…feeling very much like she wouldn't be awake for long, no matter how concerned she might be about both of them spilling off onto the porch floor, because it was comfortable there, wrapped in Daryl's arms.

"What are you busy doing?" Carol asked.

"Thinkin'," Daryl said. "Decidin' where the hell's the best place ta put the hammock we gettin'…needa good damn view…gonna spend a lotta damn nights there."

Carol chuckled lightly at him, but she didn't respond with any words.

There wasn't much to say…because to her, it sounded like just about the best way to spend a night…or a lot of them…that she could think of.

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AN: Well, we've come to the end of this little story!

I want to thank you all who took the time to review as you read. Your reviews always help to keep me motivated to keep writing and they're greatly appreciated.

I want to thank all of you who read and didn't review as well. Thanks for reading! There wouldn't be any use in sharing anything I write if it weren't for people reading it!

I hope you've enjoyed this little story. I've really enjoyed writing it! Hopefully I'll see you again on some other story (either in progress or to come).