Okay, this is it. It was fun to write and I appreciate all of you for giving it a go. Now I'll move on and try my hand at finishing something else. lol Thanks for reading =)

Chapter Four

He was surprised that so many people from the reunion had actually booked rooms at the hotel but as they stepped outside the lot was brimming with cars and a lot of people from last night were huddled in groups, saying their goodbyes.

"I'm the only person still wearing the same thing I came here in," she grumbled, her grip on his hand, tightening.

He glanced down and tried to smother a grin but he wasn't successful. "I don't think anybody cares what you were up to last night."

"Oh my God," she said, stopping in her tracks, her eyes widening. "My car! I bet they-"

"Already made a call. Somebody picked it up last night. It's already fixed."

She blinked and then she frowned. "Daryl, you didn't have to do that. Of course, I'll pay for the tow and the-"

"Shut up," he snorted, cutting her off and pulling her along.

"I mean it, just because you're some big shot business owner doesn't mean that you have to do things for me that-"

He laughed. "Big shot, huh? I fix cars, Carol. That sure as hell don't make a man a big shot. And if that's what I do, why wouldn't I fix your damn car for free?"

Her frown deepened. "It isn't the same."

He sighed. "Okay, so, when you invite me over to your place for dinner, you gonna have me pay for the meal before I leave?"

Her expression never changed. If anything, she grew more pensive, her brows pulling together. "Of course not. You'll stay over and work off the charge."

He stared at her, waiting for her to crack but he couldn't hold in his laugh for long. She was good. "Fair enough. You can pay me back. Course, it might kill you to work off a debt that big in one go so I'll let you take care of it in installments."

"Mutual favor trading for goods and services, huh? I kind of like that idea. It makes this relationship a little nasty. In a good way of course."

He chuckled at that and threw an arm over her shoulder before they started towards his truck. He spotted the group before she did and he couldn't help the smug smile on his face when his eyes met Ed's. Rick seen them and waved, calling them over.

"Jesus, doesn't he know that none of them like him? Why is he lurking?" she grumbled as they veered off.

"Keepin' tabs on you is my guess."

"He's so gross."

"You married him."

"Shut up."

"You two have a good time last night?" Shane asked once they made it to the others.

Carol flushed but Daryl couldn't help himself. He had to call him out. "Ask Ed. He watched."

Carol made a strangled sound in the back of her throat and Ed glared.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," he spat.

Daryl grinned, pulling her further into his side. "You're a sick son of a bitch, you know that?"

The rest of them, once they got over their initial shock, started laughing and Ed, once again, turned that unhealthy shade of purple before he turned on his heel and stormed off. Tormenting the man was fun, sure, and Ed deserved it, but he couldn't help but to be a little worried. Ed had been publicly humiliated ever since the previous night and Daryl knew he had a mean streak. Sure, he knew that Ed wouldn't ever go toe to toe with him, but that didn't mean that he might not try to hurt Carol if the opportunity every arose. He watched the man go, wondering how hard it would be to talk her into spending all her free time with him so Ed wouldn't be an issue.

"He didn't," Lori said, her eyes wide.

Daryl realized now that he had let his big mouth make them the center of attention, and not for the first time, but he hadn't been able to keep his mouth shut. He had hated Ed Peletier since the day he had met him. "I wasn't sure but now I am. Nasty bastard," he muttered, not looking back at the others until Ed, spinning tires furiously, pulled out of the parking lot.

"Keep an eye on him," Rick said, sounding worried.

"Plan on it," Daryl said, glancing down at Carol who looked like she really just wanted to get away from the knowing looks. "Anyway, we gotta go."

Shane grinned. "Yeah, you got yourself a garage to run. You know Dale left you a mess of paperwork. You need to hire a couple of folks just to get that sorted. I don't envy you, Dixon."

This, at least, gave him an idea, if she would go for it. "Yeah, tell me about it. That man's heart was in the right place but damn if he didn't suck at his job."

Rick rolled his eyes. "I already know. That's how you got such a good deal. He was running it into the ground."

They spent a few more minutes with the group, making plans for the following weekend to get together at Rick's for a cook out, and then they finally found themselves in the truck, heading towards home. Or what would be home as soon as Daryl got his granddad's old place livable.

"I thought you were staying at the hotel until you were able to move into your old family home?" she asked, sitting closer than she needed to, her nails tracing patterns on his forearm.

He shrugged. "Plenty of motels where we're goin'. Cheaper too."

She glanced up at him but he kept his eyes on the road. "You know, you could stay with me until you get it ready. If you wanted." She sounded hesitant, like she expected him to blow off her offer.

"What, me and you in Ed's house?" he made a face but then he grinned. "Goddamn, that would really burn his ass, wouldn't it?" If she was serious then he would do it. He didn't like the thought of her being alone at night. Not now that Ed was this pissed. He should have thought about that before taunting the man.

She smiled. "It would. But I was planning on selling the house anyway. It isn't like it holds any good memories for me. It would be nice to have a fresh start."

He nodded.

"Would you want to?" she asked after a few long silent moments.

He wanted to and she needed to know it. She needed to know everything. "Yeah, I want to. You're the whole goddamn reason I came back here at all."

"And you don't feel like we're moving too fast?"

He braked at a red light and finally looked at her, meeting her eyes. "No. I don't. Everyone else might but fuck them. They ain't us."

She smiled, her eyes bright. "We haven't seen one another in ten years. What if it doesn't work?" The smile faded and she looked down.

For a brief moment he was worried. Maybe she didn't want the same things he did but then he threw those thoughts right out the window. He knew her better than that, no matter how much time had slipped away. She was scared, and that was fine. It only meant that he had to do everything he could to make sure she knew that this was the right thing. This was real and it always had been.

"We'll be alright," he said, hoping that she would let go and accept it for what it was soon.

"I probably sound as crazy as you do, but I think you're right. I meant what I said last night. It's always been you."

He didn't need to look at her because he could hear the emotion in her voice, just like he could feel it in the room the night before, the unspoken didn't need to be voiced because they both knew it was there.

"So, we're really doing this?" she asked.

He could hear the smile in her tone. "Yep."

"And to think, I seriously considered skipping the whole thing last night."

He grinned. "That would have been a damn shame, but I'd have come to your damn house eventually anyway."

"I'm gonna make an honest man of you, Dixon."

He grabbed her hand, pulling her closer and she eagerly slid across the seat. "You think?"

"Oh, yeah. I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

Before he could respond with a quip of his own he felt her hand high on his thigh. Instantly his body responded to her proximity and she must have noticed because he heard a small laugh escape her.

"Shut it," he muttered.

She pressed her lips to the bare skin of his bicep but he felt her lips turn up. "Shutting it."

He smiled, shaking his head. He knew they were going to make it. Today was gonna be a damn good day and from here on out, he was gonna make sure that both of them were gonna have a damn good life. They had both waited too damn long to have it any other way.

"I love you," she said, her voice low. "Is that strange after all this time?"

He shook his head. "It's what got us here." And it was the truth, but knowing she felt it and hearing her say it were two different things. "I love you too."

"I know."

He glanced down, meeting her eyes. "Good."

She flashed him an easy grin and then rested her head on his shoulder.