As usual, I have to say none of these are mine. If they were, I wouldn't need fan fiction to get my fix. J

It was the scent that hit her first…that scent of earth and sweat. A scent that screamed man. In particular, her man. She kept her eyes closed and sighed. This must be the remnants of a dream that she was waking from. A very good dream apparently because she could feel his breath on her face. She pinched her eyes tighter shut, trying to will herself back into a world where they were together. She was trying to hold onto him in her mind, even if it was just for a moment. But she knew she was in bed, in her room in the hospital, drifting in that space between sleep and wakefulness. It wasn't real.

The fact that it was a dream hit her hard. She would have to fight her way out of here to get to Daryl. She had to. But it could be a long time. She had to accept that reality. Her chest tightened at the thought and tears came spilling from her eyes. She could feel a sob role through her body.

Then she felt the bed move next to her. "Don't cry," came a whisper from next to her.

Carol's eyes flew open. There sitting next to her on the bed, was Daryl Dixon. A strangled sound came from her throat. Before she could stop herself, she jumped at him, grabbing him around the neck, pulling him to her.

"It's you…really you!" she said into his ear. She couldn't hold him close enough. "Thank god. I can't…I couldn't…" She grabbed his face and kissed him hard. But he didn't react to her affection. All at once reality hit her and she pulled back from him to look into his eyes. "What's going on Daryl? How are you here? Is everyone ok?"

He untangled her arms from his neck. He stood up and backed away from her. "It's just me, Rick and Michonne here. Maggie and Glenn stayed behind with the 4 kids," he said in a gruff tone.

Carol stood up. "Are you crazy? Why would you do that? What if these assholes find them while the rest of you are here? And HOW are you here? What the hell is going on Daryl?"

"You need to calm down. I'll explain everything." He walked up to her, towering over her with the most intense look she had ever seen on his face. 'But before I do, there's something that I need to say to you."

Carol suddenly realized that something was off with Daryl. Not the usual "up shits creek without a paddle" off, but something was really wrong. She put her hand forward to grab his hand and he snatched his hand away. She looked at him and realized that Daryl was pissed off. Not just mad, but fuming. "Daryl…I…" she began to mumble.

"No! You don't get to talk. Not now. Not about this. Not after what you did."

"What I did?"

"You leave? Just like that? How could you do that?"

She realized he wasn't just mad, he was hurt. She just had to explain to him and he would understand. "Daryl, Beth loves Noah. I couldn't just let them take him. She deserves to have love in her life after everything she's lost and all she's been through. I couldn't stand there and let her lose…again. Don't you see I…"

"See what? That you didn't give two shits about what you were losing? About me? Don't I deserve to have love in my life? Don't you? Do I mean so little to you?"

"Daryl of course not."

"What else am I supposed to think? Do you have any idea what I have been going through this past week, not knowing what was happening to you? Having Beth and Noah talk about how women get raped here all the time!" He put his head in his hands.

"I'm fine. Nothing like that happened to me. Please Daryl, don't do this."

He let out a long breath of relief before the steely look returned to his eyes. "How could I know that? I have believed this whole time that the love of my life is being raped and tortured. Not only that, but you willingly gave yourself up for that. You were willing to never see me again without giving it a second thought."

"That's not true. I was going to get out of here. But you and I both know that Noah never could. What about Beth? I couldn't let her get hurt."

"What about Beth? If I had to choose between you and Beth, there isn't even a question! Its you! I will always chose you! Over anyone!"

"Daryl, you need to listen to me. I will always get back to you. Do you hear me! Always."

He met her eyes and the sadness in them broke her heart. "You keep telling me that you would leave if that was what was best. I didn't believe you. I thought that you would realize that you need me like I need you…like air. Was it easy to walk away because I was wrong? I've been so sure that you love me. But you don't, do you?"

Carol had never seen him look so defeated. She thought he would understand that she would do what she thought was best for the group. She hadn't realized that her thinking that way would break the only man she has ever truly loved. She took his face in her hands again and kissed him softly on his eyes. "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize when I did it how I would feel when I was actually away from you., even if it was only for a little while." He lifted his eyes to hers. "You are the only man I have ever and will ever love. Please don't ever doubt that. I will never, ever leave you again."

He leaned in and kissed her with all of the passion that he had been holding inside. All of his fear and anger came out in relief at holding her in his arms again.

"I love you," he whispered.

"Oh my sweet, sweet man. I love you too."

He walked her back to the bed, her falling with him on top of it. He kissed her like he was making up for lost time and his hands were everywhere, all of the places that had been painfully craving his touch. They both knew that this wasn't the time or place, but neither one could wait another second. They made love quickly, as if they would be interrupted at any moment. But they both needed the confirmation that they were together again.

Carol laid in his arms, thankful for the first time in a very long time that she was alive. But the time that they could pretend that they were the only two people in existence ended very quickly and she began to think about the children they had left somewhere in Atlanta.

"Everyone is safe in an apartment building," Daryl said, as if reading her mind. "We made absolute sure that these cops think we were hauled up somewhere on the other side of Atlanta. They also think that there was a fire that killed a few of them, and then we were over taken by a herd and the rest got caught up in it. They think the kids, Maggie and Glenn are dead."

"How the hell did you pull that one off? And you still haven't told me how YOU came to be here."

"They think they saved Rick, me and Michonne from a herd. They think we owe them now. That Dawn lady is happier then a pig in shit about it. Little does she know what this place will be like when we get done with it."