Hi you guys! I'm gonna brief you on what's been going on really quick. I've been working on something else for a while now and that's one of the reasons I've been MIA. The truth is. I wrote a book. I finished it last month and since then I've been dealing with Query letters and Agent letters and the general stress of going about getting published the hard way. I've missed writing Caryl but I really need to do this. I think I've found a work around. I can do both for the time being. I'm going to start a drabble series. Every Sunday I'll write a new one shot that takes place directly after the episode. It won't take up too much of my time and I won't run out of new ideas. I've missed talking to all of you. My email inbox was stuffed with over 1,000 emails just from ff. I'll try my best to get back to all of you and I'm humbled by the outpouring of support. I WILL finish The Runaways and Black Moon Blues. That's a promise. But right now I'm giving you all I can while still trying to pursue something that I think I have a real shot at. I hope you enjoy this! I'm a little rusty. Much love to every single one of you, whether you are a reviewer or a silent reader.

A Time to Forget

Again Daryl glanced up and over the fire, meeting a brief flash of blue eyes and a quick smile that he hadn't even realized he had been desperately missing. His gaze slid back down to the flames, the strange feeling in his chest swelling once more. When she had taken a seat all the way across the fire from him instead of by his side his first thought had been that maybe she hadn't spent much time thinking about him. Maybe she hadn't felt the loss of him like he had her. Not that any of them had been blessed with very much time to do anything short of stay alive. When he realized that she had sat down next to Tyreese, however, he instantly understood. He knew they had been through a lot together during their time away from the group and from the looks of it, the man needed as much support as he could get. His sister was seated next to him but Tyreese didn't seem to pay much mind to either woman that flanked him. He stared off into the flames, a haunted look in his dark eyes.

He looked over at Rick and shook his head, still in disbelief that Judith was snug and secure in his friends arms. Rick looked down, following his gaze, his eyes growing misty as he studied the face of the child that he had mourned. "I never thought I'd see her again," Rick whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Daryl sighed. "None of us did."

Rick grudgingly looked away from his daughter and met Daryl's eyes. "She did this. She risked everything to keep my daughter alive. After everything I said to her. After what I did-"

"Stop," Daryl said, not needing to be reminded of what Rick had said and done. That was in the past.

"She's the one that got us out of that place," Rick said, glancing quickly across the fire and lowering his voice even more.

Daryl followed Rick's gaze and was on his feet as soon as he saw that the spot next to Tyreese was now empty. He scanned the group, his mouth going dry. He hadn't even heard her get up. "Where is she?" He hissed, glaring down at Tyreese.

Tyreese looked up and then to his left. He shook his head, "I didn't even see her move," he said, his tone apologetic.

Daryl opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. What if she had decided to leave the group after all? What if she didn't truly believe that Rick wanted her there? What if she thought he didn't want her? Without another word he tore off towards the creek that was just outside of their camp. Fear seized him, sending cold fingers creeping up his spine. He knew better than to call out to her but he had to do something. He came up short when he crested the small hill and came face to face with Glenn. He was standing there, arms crossed over his chest, one eyebrow cocked.

"Have you seen her?" Daryl barked.

Glenn nodded swiftly. "Her and Maggie are down there washing up. I think Maggie wanted to talk to her. They put me on guard duty." Glenn frowned. "Are you okay?"

Truthfully? Hell no he wasn't okay. He'd been scared to death at the mere thought of Carol being out of sight. So, of course, he scoffed. "I'm fine. Just don't need anybody runnin' off out here."

Glenn's face grew serious. "You go ahead and keep watch. They should be back up soon. I'll go on back to camp"

Daryl wasn't about to argue. His nerves were wound tight but he would stand out there for as long as it took just so he could see first hand that she was really okay. He could barely believe she was back. He had been so sure that he would never see her again and now that she was there he couldn't stand the thought of something happening while he wasn't around to stop it.

Glenn clapped him on the shoulder and walked away. After a few steps he turned. "I'm glad you got her back, Daryl." He hurried away before Daryl could say anything.

Daryl sucked in a deep breath and then blew it out slowly, trying to ease some of his tension. His eyes were sharp, scanning the woods, but his mind went back to the moment she stepped out from behind those trees and he realized that she was alive. He had never felt like that before. At first he hadn't been able to believe it was really her. When it clicked that she was standing there in the flesh he thought his heart was going to jump out of his chest. All that time he had been so sure that she was gone forever and then there she was. The next thing he remembered she was in his arms, hugging him back. Once she was there, right there, he had broken down. Emotions he hadn't even known existed seemed to swell inside of him until he was left standing there in her arms crying like a baby. And he didn't even care who saw it. Not one damn bit. It had been too much to hold in. He thought that those crazy feelings would settle, but he was wrong. Every time he looked at her all he could think about was how right it had felt to have his arms wrapped around her. He didn't understand it but he couldn't deny that there was something there between them. Something strange and all consuming. He realized with a start that it had been there all along.

He ran a hand over his face. He could just make out the low campfire through the trees but he didn't hear any conversations coming from camp. Maybe they were all talking too low. Maybe they were silent, taking comfort in the fact that most of them were together now, not exactly safe but not locked up in a train car awaiting certain death either. That was as good as it was getting for a while.

He turned when he heard footsteps approaching, knowing it was Maggie and Carol. Maggie gave him a quick nod and moved past wordlessly, her face unreadable. She had finally asked about her sister when they had been in that train car and he had a feeling that she might hold him to blame for what had happened. He felt that way himself. He should have kept a better eye on the girl. If he had then maybe Beth would have been able to find a little joy in being reunited with her sister. There was nothing he could do about that now. Hopefully there would be plenty of time to beat himself up over not being able to save the kid.

"You ready to head back?"

He looked up, his breath catching in the back of his throat when he met Carol's eyes. The truth was, he wasn't ready. Not yet. He wanted to talk to her without everyone else around. He wanted to ask her how the hell she had made it out there with only Tyreese and a baby. He wanted to know if she felt the same things he did. Unfortunately, he was having a hard time finding words. Maybe he didn't need to talk to her but he needed to be near her, to be reassured that she was there and wasn't going to disappear like she had done before.

She tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes slightly. "Maggie told me what happened after the prison. Are you okay?"

He frowned. Was he okay? Was any of them? He shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets, not exactly sure what she meant.

"Daryl? If we don't get back to camp Rick might send out a search party," she said with a sad smile. The smile was a forced one, not reaching her eyes.

"Glenn knows where we are and I don't think Rick is noticing very much at the moment. Not with Ass Kicker there to look after." He didn't really know why he was making small talk. Or excuses. If she didn't want to be out here with him then there was no use in forcing her. There was something going on with her that he couldn't put his finger on. Something was off. He'd been so shocked to see her, and more shocked at the onslaught of feelings that seeing her had stirred up in him, that he hadn't been as perceptive as he usually was. But he could see it now. She had gotten good at keeping herself composed but he knew her. He knew that there was something eating at her. "You wanna tell me what happened out there?" He finally asked.

Her gaze shifted, focusing on a point behind him. "We survived out there. That's all that matters." Her voice was thick and she winced when she swallowed. "You don't want to know what happened out there."

Something bad had happened. He hadn't seen that look in her eyes in such a long time that he had forgotten it existed at all. At that moment he would have done anything to stop the pain that she was barely able to keep at bay. "Ain't gotta talk."

He expected a snarky quip. That was just Carol's thing. Instead she closed her eyes, the ghost of a smile threatening at the corner of her mouth. When she opened them she didn't even hesitate before she closed the distance between them, her arms sliding around his neck and her head pressed against his collar bone. He didn't hesitate to return the favor, his arms locking around her tightly. He almost expected her to finally drop her guard and shed some tears but his shirt remained dry and no sobs shook her. The way his heart hammered against his ribcage was almost enough to embarrass him, knowing that as tightly as they held on to each other she would definitely be able to feel it. Her warmth seeped into him, thawing out parts of himself that he hadn't realized had been frozen. He wasn't sure how long they stood there like that before her arms loosened and she lifted her head.

"I think we need to try to get some sleep. It's been a rough few days," she said reluctantly.

He agreed and dropped his arms to his sides. She stayed by his side as they made the short trip back and somehow her hand found it's way into his, her fingers sliding through and linking with his own and gripping like her life depended on it. He couldn't explain how that made him feel. Like he had purpose. Rick had his family back. Sasha had her brother. Maggie and Glenn still had each other. He wasn't lingering on the outside of that anymore. He wasn't simply watching as the others settled with their own family units. He had Carol back and with her came a sense of rightness that he hadn't known was missing. He found himself feeling comfortable in the role of being the man that stood next to her as the others gathered in their own small groups. He felt tied to something immovable.

She moved with him to a spot further away from the fire. The others were bedded down but he knew that there was someone on watch. At least for a little while, he would be able to sleep in peace. He shrugged off his jacket and spread it out as best he could. It wasn't too cold anymore so he didn't need to wear it. There was barely a hint of chill in the air even this late at night. To his surprise she took off her sweater and laid it out next to his jacket. "Is this okay?" She asked.

He had expected her to stay close but he hadn't expected her to be this close. It was more than fine as far as he was concerned. His days of keeping himself at arms length were over. At this point she could have slept right on top of him and he wouldn't have complained. The thought of that had him swallowing hard. "Yeah," he managed before he dropped down onto his jacket.

She followed suit, lying on her back just a few inches away. After a while he turned his head to see if she had fallen asleep but her eyes were wide open, staring up at the canopy of branches overhead. It wasn't the fact that sleep was eluding her that started to worry him. It was the look on her face. She looked like a woman that was completely alone in the world, even though he was only mere inches away. Without thinking he rolled onto his side raising up on his elbow. She didn't even blink so he placed his hand on the side of her face, turning it gently so she would have to look at him. Finally she blinked and focused on his face.

"You need to get some sleep. I'm pretty sure we got next watch," he whispered. He hadn't noticed until now that his hand was still cupping her cheek and he was much closer than he had been previously. There faces were inches apart and he saw her eyes shift to his mouth before meeting his again.

"Do you ever think about how much we've changed since it all first started?" She asked in a whisper.

He frowned and then shook his head. "Ain't much to think about. We ain't had a choice but to change. You may not have noticed but we've been ran through the ringer more times than I can count. After everything, I'd be worried about anybody that didn't change." He wondered if this was about what had happened to get her banished from the prison. Did she think he would look at her differently than he had before?

She sighed and covered the back of his hand with her own before pulling it away from her face. Now his hand was on her throat and her pulse was jumping against his palm. "I missed you, Daryl."

He didn't say a word. There wasn't really anything to say. He lowered his head until her lips were but a breath away from hers and met her eyes questioningly. She looked more curious than anything else and she didn't push him away, which he took as a good sign. When his lips met hers his hesitation was brief and any anxiety he'd felt seemed to turn to dust when he felt her lips part for his and she brought her hand up to the back of his head to keep him anchored to her. Just that simple brushing of lips seemed to have started a fire in him and it took everything he had to keep himself in check. In the back of his mind he knew that the rest of the group wasn't far away and some of the others were somewhere beyond the trees, keeping watch over camp. Even with that knowledge he placed one clumsy hand on her hip and pulled her until she was facing him. She complied with little effort on his part. His body's reaction to her was instantaneous and intense, causing every part of him to throb with every frantic beat of his heart. He caught her delicate bottom lip between his teeth and the small cry of shock that escaped her nearly drove him mad. There was no sloppy clash of teeth and tongues as the kiss grew deeper. It was more like a strategic waltz as they explored each other for the first time, somehow instinctively knowing what to do. It surprised him a little. Every time he had imagined kissing her he had imagined them both being a fumbling mess. But that wasn't what this was.

He wasn't sure when it had happened but somehow he was on top of her, his hand slipping down the back of her thigh and raising it until her leg was draped over his hip. Her fingers were fumbling with the buttons of his shirt but stopped after she had the first few undone. A gentle shove was all she needed for him to stop and pull back enough to look down at her.

"What are we doing?" She panted, her eyes wide and bright.

He glanced up at the sleeping figures lying mere feet away from them. He cursed under his breath and rolled off of her, working to keep his breathing under control. He turned his head to look at her and then his stomach fell. Her hands were covering her face and although she was silent she was shaking. He couldn't believe he had kissed her like that. Now there she was, sobbing and it obviously had something to do with him. He felt all of his hope for a future with her dwindle to nothing. If she was this upset about kissing him then he made a silent promise to himself to never touch her again. It was too soon. She had been through too much. He should have known that.

"Hey," he whispered, his voice cracking slightly from the pain that filled his heart. He moved until he was sitting up, facing her. "I'm sorry, alright. I shouldn't have-"

She removed her hands from her face and propped herself up on her elbows. He blinked in surprise. She was smiling, her face radiant in the dim light. She sat up. "Daryl, don't be sorry."

What the hell was going on here? Was she laughing at him? He stared at her, his confusion must have been written all over his face because she reached out and took his hands. "As old as I am, do you realize I've never been kissed like that in my life?"

He wasn't a stupid man. He'd kissed women in the past and he didn't think he was exactly bad at it. And she had been a married woman. Of course she had been kissed like that. "What are you talkin' about?" He asked, his voice gruff now that he knew that she wasn't upset.

She shook her head and glanced away. "You're good at making a woman forget," she said softly, her smile fading.

His frown deepened. "Forget what?"

She met his eyes. "Everything. You have no idea how bad I've wanted to just forget about everything. Just for a little while. You're really distracting."

Now that he understood what was going on with her he felt relieved. He also felt bad that he couldn't do more for her. If she wanted to forget then he wanted to help her. He wouldn't mind forgetting his own horrors. He thought getting drunk with some kid would ease his mind a little but it hadn't worked out. That wasn't the same as being with a real woman and losing yourself that way. Especially this woman. A woman that he desperately wanted at the moment. He stood up and reached for her hand. "Come on," he demanded. If she wanted to forget then he would make her forget.

She looked at him like he was crazy. "What are we doing?" She asked as she slipped her hand into his.

He pulled her up without answering and then glanced around quickly. As far as he could tell everyone was asleep. He wasn't sure who was on watch at the moment but all he could do was hope they didn't see anything. He led her to a spot a little ways from camp and stopped. He hoped that they were far enough away. If not then he would deal with the fall out when the time came.

"Daryl, what are we doing?" She asked in a hushed voice. "Don't you think this is a little dangerous? Nobody knows where we are."

"That's the point," he said right before he pulled her to him. She had no more arguments for him and this second kiss was just as breath taking as the first. His hands roamed freely up the back of her shirt and he found himself marveling at the feel of her skin. Inside, this world had hardened her but on the outside she felt as smooth as silk. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered if the roughness of his hands bothered her. He tossed that small concern out the window when she pressed against him even harder than before. The only time his lips left hers was to travel to her throat.

She was quick to get the buttons of his shirt undone but must have felt him tense when she went to push it off. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he shrugged it off himself. After that her hands were all over him. The way she kissed him became more desperate and hurried. He wasn't sure what had gotten into her, he also wasn't sure how he had ended up on his ass in a pile of dead leaves with her straddling his lap either but that was okay. He could work with this. The only thing that truly bothered him at the moment was the fact that he couldn't even remember the last time he had been with a woman. With everything that was always going on he couldn't even remember the last time he had managed to get a few minutes alone to take care of himself. The bright side was, if he did prove to be a minute man, he could always say that it was because he didn't want to get caught. His other option was to put the breaks on right now.

He jerked when her hand slid between them and started working his pants open. Yeah, scratch that. There was no way he was turning around now. He was all in. He jerked her hands away and pushed her back, urging her to stand up. She looked like she was about to argue until she realized what he needed her to do. She stood up quickly, her arms hanging at her sides as his slightly shaky fingers worked her belt. When he slid her pants down her hips he looked up, meeting her eyes. His eyebrows shot up when he saw the hungry look there. He'd spent most of his life avoiding a lot of people simply because he knew what they thought of him and his brother. No one had ever looked at him like she was looking at him right now. Like he was some kind of prize. She kicked off her pants and then returned to her spot. This time when she made a move to slip her hand down his pants he let her. He really hoped that she wouldn't want him to get completely naked out here. He was pretty sure that no one would stumble across them but if it did happen, he at least didn't want them to get a free shot of his ass. The thought of being caught at all was mortifying enough.

He would do her the same favor and not insist that she take her shirt off. That didn't mean he was going to keep his hands to himself. She didn't protest, even though he was sure that he wasn't very good at this part. Needless to say he had learned most of what he knew from his brother and foreplay didn't happen to be Merle's forte. Merle's words, not his. But, to his delight, she seemed to like it anyway, arching into his hand when he finally wriggled his way up her shirt. He was finally free of the confines of his pants and she was smart enough to not spent too much time tormenting him. She pushed at his chest until he finally relented and lowered himself onto his elbows so he could still see her. His hands trailed up her thighs as she positioned herself over him. He bit his lip to keep from making any humiliating sounds as she slowly lowered herself onto him. Her breath left her in a rush and she didn't move for several moments. He was a little dazed himself, not being able to recall anything in his life that felt as good as she did at the moment.

She kept her pace slow, like she was as determined as he was to make this last as long as possible. Her movements were fluid, precise, and had him grinding his teeth together to not make a sound. This also came as a surprise to him. He had always thought that if they ever were together, it would be fast, aggressive and for the soul purpose of satisfying a carnal need. He never thought it would be like this. This wasn't just two desperate people getting together for a rough and tumble in the dark. This went deeper than that. Much deeper than he could even contemplate. He wasn't just inside of her physically. He felt like somehow, everything about them were melding together. He would never say it out loud but it was exactly how he felt.

He sat up all the way and wrapped his arm around her waist. Her arms gripped his shoulders and she kissed him hard. He was trying to hold off, reminding himself that there may not be another chance to do this for a while, but he was failing. He growled when she started moving faster. She buried her head between his neck and shoulder just as a shudder went through her body, surprising him with it's intensity. He held her tighter just before a whimpered escaped her lips and then her teeth sank lightly into his neck as her body began to coil and tremble around him. It was all too much. He ground his teeth together even harder as his eyes slammed shut and he let go as silently as he could. She gasped and clung to him, his own release seeming to intensify her own. He cursed out loud and then bit his lip as pleasure wracked his body. When she finally stilled he lifted his head, their heavy breaths mingling in the still air. He was having a hard time coming down from the high. It had been so, so long since he had felt something other than pain and loss and fear. This was a complete shock to his system.

Silent moments passed before she moved at all. She met his eyes sheepishly. "That was..." She shook her head and kissed him, deep and slow before pulling away and grabbing her pants. When she stood up to get dressed he adjusted his own and stood up beside her. He felt exhausted and couldn't help but chuckle.

She looked up at him and smiled. "I don't think I've ever seen you look so..."

"You lose the ability to finish a sentence tonight or what?" He asked, unable to keep a straight face. He snatched his shirt up and slipped it on.

She didn't say a word but she smiled at him indulgently. They made their way back to camp silently. There were things he wanted to say. Things that he knew she needed to hear but it just didn't seem like the time to do it. Then again, if he had learned anything since the very beginning of this, it was that you didn't always have a later. When they came to a stop next to their makeshift pallet Daryl touched her arm gently and cleared his throat. He felt heat rise in his face but he ignored it.

"What is it?" She asked, a frown forming between her eyebrows as she looked at him worriedly.

He cleared his throat again and glanced around. "What happened back there-" His voice trailed off.

"You lose the ability to finish a sentence tonight or what?" She asked, tossing his own words back to him with a smile.

He huffed and started over. "What happened back there, that didn't just happen for no reason, okay?"

She arched one eyebrow at him and waited for him to go on.

"Are you really gonna make me say it out loud?" He asked, his voice strained as more blood flooded his face. Surely she understood what he was trying to tell her.

She tilted her head to the side and gave him a soft smile. "I love you too, Daryl. I have for a long time."

He blew out a heavy breath and nodded. "Alright then. That's good." He stretched out and groaned as he settled onto the hard ground. She wormed her way against him as he closed his eyes. For the first time in a while, he felt at peace. There were still things that they needed to talk about but now wasn't the time for that. Now was the time to let go of everything for just a little while longer and enjoy everything he had gained today.