Introduction:

The following story is a sequel to my story A Million Reasons Why. That story covers preshow events as well as includes my adaptation of season 1 cannon. I believe that in order to no be confused by this story you will need to have the information from that one. I highly suggest that you read it first.

The title of this story is adapted from the Poem Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas, which is also referenced in the first story.

Chapter One

They drove away from the carnage of the ruined CDC building knowing that everything in the area would be drawn to the wreckage.

Dale pulled the RV in the first spot in line but he immediately brought it to a gentle stop. Shane, Andrea, Glenn, T-Dog, and Claire had all piled into the motor home. The more people they could fit in fewer vehicles, the better. Rick had his own car full with his family and the Peletiers. Though they had no extra passengers, the back of Daryl's truck was packed full - still holding all the bags that had been hastily rushed out of the doomed building. Daryl might have chosen to let his brother have the bike back so he could drive in the truck with Grace, but he didn't seem to even be paying any attention to her. It was a long ten minutes of silence before Rick's signal on the horn brought the convoy to a stop.

Merle circled back around to Daryl's side of the truck and hopped off his bike. His face was streaked with dirt but his smile was gleaming. Everything fell into place for Merle when he got his way and being on the back of that bike was just one more thing going right for him.

Shane and Rick were holding some sort of conference off to the side of the RV. They nodded back and forth until finally Rick raised a hand and beckoned everyone over.

"So I've talked it over with Shane and we've decided…"

"Wait up there Officer Friendly," Merle shook his head. "I ain't exactly too sure about any decisions you two is makin'. Last one didn't turn out so well, what with us nearly bein' blown up an all."

"Fair enough." Rick nodded. "All I was saying is that we need to regroup before we make any final decisions on what our next move as a group is. We need somewhere safe with food, water, and shelter for tonight and then we'll figure out where we go from there." He tipped his head at Merle, not the slightest bit of a smile on his face.

Shane was smirking though, his voice mocked the older Dixon when he spoke, "That good enough of a plan for you?"

Merle glared but stood his ground, "Sounds fair enough for now. I'll let ya know if ya start fuckin' things up."

"Just where are we planning on going though?" Andrea spoke up. "We're nearly out of fuel. We can't make it too far on what we've got. We could split up what's in the RV's tank but even then it's not going to get us all very far. "

"We'll find some place close by, just for now." Rick agreed. "Then we'll figure out how to move on." He turned to Carol who was hugging her daughter tightly to her body and standing at a distance from the rest of the group. "Carol says she knows a place that might be safer."

Lori shifted to stand beside the other woman, patting her shoulder to encourage her to speak up.

"There's a housing development." She whispered. "Probably five minutes from here. We had to drive past it on the way to my aunt's house. I used to take Sophia there on rough weekends." Carol blushed, realizing just how much she was admitting. "They'd only been working on it for a few weeks."

"Yer point?" Daryl butted in.

"They've only got the show house finished. No one's moved in yet. The site was probably abandoned." The grey haired woman held her head up proudly.

The cogs of the group's minds were turning. All around, people looked from one set of hopeful eyes to the other. No one having moved in meant a good chance that there wouldn't have been many people stuck there to turn. Most people would have stopped coming to work when things got bad. These houses could be the answer to what they were looking for. Any houses they found would have to be thoroughly searched, but these ones may still be completely free of walkers.

"We should make this place our goal for tonight." Rick swept his gaze across the faces in front of him, looking for protest. No one spoke up so he continued, "We make sure one house is cleared out and secured. Board up the ground floor windows that need it and sleep upstairs. Tomorrow we look for supplies."

"Everyone good with that?" Shane stood tall, eyes trying to target any protesters in the group. When the murmurs that came back to him were all positive, he nodded his head once stiffly. "Rick drives first." He cuffed Rick's shoulder. "Seein' as he's got Carol in the car and she knows where we're going."

Dale nodded. "Rick first and then I'll follow behind just in case anywhere is too tight of a squeeze for the RV. The faster we find out, the faster we can turn around."

Everyone piled back into the vehicles, the convoy rearranging itself so that Rick and the RV switched places. Merle's bike fell behind the truck. Grace imagined his jaw twitching with being the last one in line, but he hadn't voiced his disgruntlement. Maybe he was tired of fighting or just too weak from recovering from his roof ordeal. She made a mental note to check to see if he was getting enough water when they stopped.

Carol was right about the subdivision. The billboard out front announced an open house scheduled for the weekend of August 11th, a date which had passed over a month ago. The street was completely paved and a second billboard showed a basic map of the lots available. Aside from the mostly completed home right at the mouth of the cul-de-sac, there were only four foundations and the framing for the garage on one of them. The middle circle in the concept art boasted a leafy park and playground complete with frolicking children and a dog catching a Frisbee. Mostly though, the area was sand and parked equipment, with the occasional clump of scraggily, knee-high, yellow grass.

The area seemed completely empty though. Totally abandoned. It would probably be safe for overnight, but if the walkers started moving away from the populated areas of the city the same way they had stumbled upon the camp, then it could be just as dangerous too.

The group pulled up in front of the show home, which had a driveway with paving stone and elegant accents. These were designed to be beautiful homes. The garage door from one of the units was opened, clearly showing extra building supplies and a makeshift table with some chairs around it. The other two were closed though, which made it a guessing game between the second and the first unit for which ones were completed enough for them to stay in.

The single building was made up of three, three story townhouse units. The ground floor was the garage door and had a separate door for entrance but the main door to the house was on the second story. The front of each second story was taken over by a covered porch and leading to it was a wooden staircase with sturdy looking railings . The third floor seemed to be living space as well.

"This it?" Merle called out as Rick started getting out of the car.

"I would prefer if you didn't shout just yet." The officer grimaced. He was gripping his gun, scanning the area for any signs of movement. "We have no idea what could be hiding out of sight."

Shane gave the older Dixon a death glare. "We search the house before anyone makes any moves."

"And then I can holler as much as I damn well please?"

"We'd prefer if you didn't." Rick frowned.

"Only messin' wit' ya!" Merle laughed. "Le's check this place out." He swung his leg over the seat and got off the bike. A quick snap of the bungee cords and his rifle was free and ready to go.

"Goin' ta check it out, a'right?" Daryl spoke without looking at Grace, simply picking his gun up off the seat and sliding out of the cab, clicking the door closed behind him.

"What's the plan Rick?" Glenn was clutching his gun to his chest like it was a life vest.

"Looks clear enough out here but we should split up and get the houses covered as quickly as possible. I want someone staying behind with the vehicles though, just in case."

"Daryl an' I'll take one place and make sure it's clean. Let the porch-monkey sit out here." Merle smirked. "Figure tha's where he belongs an' all."

"Fuck you, you white trash piece of shit!" T-Dog growled, his fists balling at his sides. "I wouldn't go any place with you anyways. Almost got us killed once. That's enough for me."

"You wanna take me?" Merle tipped his head as if actually considering it for a moment, when that moment was up though, he shrugged and chuckled.

"I'll stay." Dale shouldered his weapon. Clearly trying to break the tension. "I don't fancy searching around in there but I'll stay out here and keep watch."

"Ain't worth shit on the bottom my shoe." Merle spat, missing by a good foot, which meant he wasn't trying. Stone cold sober, he could hit a fly at that distance. "Come on Darylina. I figure we take that one right there." He pointed to one of the three units that was furthest from the open garage door unit. "Any complaints?"

"You come out if you find anything." Rick hissed, his sheriff's hat low over his eyes. "Anything in there belongs to the group. It's not first come first serve."

"Whatever," The older Dixon flipped the officer the bird and nudged his brother. "Le's go!"

Daryl fell into step behind his brother, crossbow at the ready. Everyone watched as the Dixon brothers chose the door that lead into the garage over the door up the stairs. Merle tested the knob and, seeming to find it locked, he flicked open his pocket knife. A bit of wiggling and he twisted the knob again and this time, the door swung in. Weapons raised, the brothers cautiously entered the building. When nothing happened for a few tense moments, Shane elbowed his partner.

"Glenn comes with me. You take T-Dog. Which house do you want?"

Rick nodded, "We'll take the open garage." He looked to T-Dog to check that his choice was alright. T-Dog just shrugged, he was still glaring hard at the spot where Merle had vanished inside.

"Middle's for us then man. Come on!"

Rick and Shane walked up to their respective houses, cautious but determined. Shane signaled with his hands like he was in some sort of Hollywood flop of an army movie and poor Glenn tried his best to not look like he was planning on shitting himself. Rick and T-Dog moved together with more ease and had no trouble getting into their own house, but Shane needed to imitate Merle's action of popping open the lock with a knife. Unlike Merle though, it took him a good couple of minutes. Grace sat in the truck and tried to fight back her laughter.

She waited until all three search teams were in their respective houses before letting herself out of the truck. Dale had taken up his post beside the RV and was watching the area. He smiled as she approached.

"Don't think Daryl would want you out of the truck." The old man's lack of concern wasn't even hidden. He actually seemed to find the whole thing a little amusing.

"He didn't tell me to stay in there so I think I'm alright."

Dale laughed, "He probably figured you wouldn't leave. What are you doing all the way over here? Just come for a chat?"

"Nah, I want to go check on Andrea. She seemed very shaken after…" ...After the CDC, after her attempted suicide by exploding building, after Dale forced her to leave with him. Grace shrugged. "I just figured she might want the opportunity to talk with someone who wasn't involved. Neutral parties and all that."

"Aren't you worried about the search? Who knows what they'll find in there." Dale seemed to want to press her on the subject but Grace shrugged him off.

"They can handle themselves. Anyway, Merle picked the unit he figured would be the least work. Rick's got the dangerous job. That man has a hero complex. I bet Lori's freaking." They looked over to the car that the Grimes family had driven in. Carol sat in the back seating talking with Carl and Sophia, apparently keeping them amused. The back windows were cracked just a little. The window on Lori's side was sealed tightly. She sat stiffly, eyes locked straight ahead, not sparing a single glance at the house where her husband was. "She's not very good at coping with this life is she?"

Dale frowned, "It's got to be rough on her. Losing him and then getting him back, only to have him go off all the time."

Grace shook her head. "It might be rough but she needs to learn how to cope with it. She's not doing anyone good acting the way she is. Least of all Rick and Carl." The past few weeks hadn't been easy on Lori Grimes but some of that was her fault. That woman wore rose-coloured glasses full time and anytime something started to cloud them up, she would lock down and drink a big glass of denial. It was like she had an inability to deal with reality. If Rick's personality and Lori's reactions to him running off all the time were anything to go by, this wasn't a new problem in their relationship. It was probably difficult to see him risking himself so soon after rejoining his family, but Lori needed to stop making such a big deal out of it. If she wasn't careful, she'd drive him away again. They had been fighting this battle since well before the world ended and now that it had, Lori was rigidly determined that not only would they all be saved, but when they were rescued, everyone would go back and live together in Stepford.

The thought of Merle settling down and living in a house with a white picket fence - maybe even wearing a tie to work, made Grace laugh. Maybe the whole lot of them could live in a magical land of fairies and unicorns too. It seemed that that was what Lori wanted and maybe Dale was getting in on her plan.

"I think you should give her the benefit of the doubt." Dale said slowly, the wrinkles on his face deepening.

"She's still got to learn. I think we all figured out this morning that we've only got ourselves to rely on." Her next words came out sounding a lot harsher than she had meant them to. "We're only as strong as our weakest link."

Andrea was curled up on one of the back beds pretending to read when Grace entered the RV. Grace watched the other woman for a moment. The blonde stared down at the page, not blinking, her eyes never shifting, and the pages never moving. Wherever she was, it wasn't in that story.

"Knock, knock." Grace tapped lightly on the counter next to the door so she didn't startle Andrea too badly, but the other woman jumped anyway, dropping her book onto the floor.

"Shit." She muttered, reaching down to grab it. "Hey Grace."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine." Andrea brushed her off. "I zoned out. How long have they been in there?"

"Not long. I figured I'd come keep you company. I feel like I haven't seen you since camp."

Andrea's face fell, "Yeah camp…" Her eyes were blank again, lost in wherever she had been when she was pretending to read. The bed she was on was her own. There were a pile of duffle bags and cleaned bedding on the other one - the one that had been Amy's, the one Jim had been put on. Grace wondered if Andrea had really acknowledged what had happened to her sister before seeing the footage on the screen that morning. The way her voice broke when she announced that Jenner had shot his patient in the head said she hadn't. Andrea was a survivor and an adaptor but that didn't mean she was adapting quickly enough.

"What's the book about?" Grace switched the subject. If she wanted Andrea to feel comfortable, then she couldn't force her to talk about Amy's death or Andrea's bid for death that morning.

"It's a spy mystery novel. Not going to spoil it for you, but I'm putting money on Cassandra hooking up with Ethan Teller."

Grace couldn't help the small snort of laughter, "One of those."

"Yeah, Dale might have had deep taste in books but his wife liked trashy 25 cent Harlequins."

Now Andrea was joining in on the laughter. Grace walked to the back of the RV and pushed aside a small amount of things and sat delicately on the other bed, gauging Andrea's reaction. When the blonde made no move to stop her, Grace settled in. "Let's see it." She held her hand out for the book and Andrea passed it over. Grace scanned the back cover. "I bet if we had more alcohol we could make a drinking game for these. That's what we used to do in high school. Come on, I'll read a chapter then you can."

The blonde nodded, giggling. "We should get the rest of the women in on this once the kids are in bed. It'll be a riot."

Rick's house, though it seemed the most dangerous what with the garage door being opened and the house itself unlocked, was declared safe first. Rick and T-Dog appeared a little bit dusty, but without any news of walkers in the house. The only thing they had found was a small calico cat, but hadn't been able to catch her. The house itself was barely finished and the garage had clearly been some sort of staff room. The water cooler and two replacement bottles were about as much supply-wise that the house offered.

The middle unit was closer to being completed completed, almost entirely done with paint, trim, and tiles all in place. Shane and Glenn boasted about their find. In their unit, it was much easier to see what the lay out for the houses was supposed to be. The kitchen, living room, and dining room downstairs with bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs.

When Glenn had stopped hopping around with excitement, he was the one to point out that Daryl and Merle weren't back yet. There hadn't been any movement from the final unit since the brothers had walked through the door.

"What'd you want to do, Rick?" Shane smirked. "Seems they've probably found somethin' and don't want to share it with the rest of us."

"And just what proof do you have of that?" Grace rolled her eyes. "They've shared pretty much everything with the group so far, haven't they? Merle was the one who told you about the MREs they managed to get out of the CDC. He could have kept them a secret."

"Grace is right Shane." Rick shook his head at his partner. "There's no reason for us to assume the worst about the Dixons until they give us reason to."

"Do you think something's happened to them?" Dale worried. "It's been an awfully long time."

"They would have shouted or something," Rick looked at Grace. "Wouldn't they?"

Now Grace was starting to feel nervous. Why was it taking so long for them to come back? What if something had happened to them and it was too quick for them to make a commotion. Both of them though? What could get both of them without something causing a ruckus? "I'd hope so."

The officer scowled at the house, seeming to try and figure out what to do. "Shane," he stared. "Do you want to come in with me? We'll see what's keeping them."

Shane grunted, "If they got themselves bit, I want a shot at puttin' down Merle. Asshole." The end part was an added mutter but it didn't sit well with Grace. Luckily, no one had a chance to react to anything that may or may not have been heard because the front door flew open. And Daryl stepped out. Even from as far away as the rest of the group was, Daryl smile was clear.

"Those other places clear?" He called down.

"Yeah," Rick called up. "We got them searched. Nothing of merit."

"Well, I think y'all better check this place out. We're sleepin' in this one!" Daryl ducked back into the house, clearly excited over whatever it was that he'd discovered.

Grace immediately began walking to the house, frankly not caring if anyone was following her. If Daryl said it was safe, it was safe. There was no way he'd let her walk into something dangerous.

"Grace?" Shane called, he actually seemed nervous.

"I'm going to see what's got Daryl so excited." She'd made it to the stairs and took them carefully even though they were sturdily made and clearly brand new. The front door was still open when she reached it and she walked in without a second thought. The front window was large and let enough light into the room that there wasn't much concern for how shadowy it was inside.

"Welcome to Casa de Dixon." Merle was lounging on a huge fluffy L-shaped couch; his boots kicked off and laying on the floor so he didn't get dirt on the fabric.

"There's furniture."

"Every damn room." Daryl smiled, grabbing Grace around the waist. "I figure we take out those stairs and park the RV right in front so nothin' can get into the garage and we're sealed up tight in here."

"They got beds Gracie." Merle drawled. "Real fuckin' beds. Not cots, not couches - real mattresses."

"So what's got Dixon's panties up his ass?" Shane squinted into the dark but didn't step through the doorway.

"This one is staged." Grace laughed, leaning against Daryl's chest, her own arms wrapped around him tightly. "We can sleep inside on something soft and we don't have to worry about blowing up while we sleep."

"No shit." He stepped forward, tugging off his hat in the process and mussing his hair. "Well, I'll be damned. Rick!" He shouted outside. "Get in here!"

The footfalls on the stairs seemed hurried and when Rick burst through the door, it was clear he thought he was coming to the rescue. "What's going on?" He gazed around the room dazed. "Shane?"

"It's staged Rick. Set-up like an honest to goodness house." Shane grabbed his best friend's shoulder. He was grinning almost frighteningly large.

"Beds?" Rick asked, the excitement building.

"A couple upstairs." Merle nodded. "We get a room." He sat up straighter. "Daryl, Grace an' I get one uh the rooms."

"I think we can work that out when we…"

"Nope," the older Dixon grunted. "We get pick."

"Merle," Grace turned to him, shaking her head. "Don't push it."

He sat up fast, planting his feet on the floor and challenging her with a glare. "Listen here sweetie, we searched the house, we get ta pick. You just need to sit back an' enjoy the perks." Merle rolled his eyes, "We'll take the small room if yer so worried."

Grace chewed her bottom lip but Merle seemed firm. "Fine," She spat out. "But I don't like you pushing people around all the time."

He just winked, "Jus' takin care uh my family Carter. Ask Daryl. Dixons take care uh our own."

Behind the garage was an unfinished bonus room which held the stairs to the rest of the house, the second floor was the main living area and had a large kitchen with space for a breakfast nook, a dining room, and a living room all designed with big open arches between them. A smaller room off the kitchen was set up as an office and there was a small powder room as well. The door on the office had been locked and, judging by the boot print, it looked like the brothers had kicked it in.

The door to the outside from the kitchen led onto a back deck and into a fenced backyard. Someone had put down sod, but the grass squares were almost entirely dead and brown now. There was no way out of the yard other than into the house though and if these houses were all entirely safe, then the kids would have a place to play outside that required almost no supervision.

Upstairs were three bedrooms, a laundry closet, and two bathrooms. The bathroom in the master was only half tiled and there were no handles on any of the doors, but it was spacious enough and the hardwood floors were cleaned.

Grace did insist on them taking the smallest of the bedrooms though and Merle chuckled at her right up until she was standing in the doorway. The room was clearly supposed to be the children's room, with two single beds, one pressed to either wall with matching end tables and dressers. The room itself wasn't that small but the theme was bold.

Still laughing, Merle tossed his bag onto the left bed. "That one's mine. I like monkeys." He winked. "Welcome to the jungle princess." He didn't stick around for her reaction, but Grace was sure he was rolling around chuckling at them sleeping in a kids' room.

Even Grace couldn't deny the humour in their situation. The entire room was designed around jungle animals and foliage. The bed that Merle had chosen boasted a leaf printed bedspread and three monkey stuffies. The one she and Daryl would be stuck on had a tiny elephant and giraffe. As far as children's bedrooms went, it was actually sort of cute, but the thought of sharing the room with Merle and Daryl seemed like a practical joke.

"Should have listened to Merle, now shouldn't ya?" Daryl seemed to have picked up on his brother's good mood about sleeping arrangements.

"Oh shut-up." She rolled her eyes. It wasn't that bad really. At least they had a bed. Rick, Lori, and Carl were in the master because the bed was large enough to fit all three of them. Carol and Sophia had the bed in the other room with Andrea and Claire sleeping on the floor. Downstairs, one arm of the couch was claimed by Dale and the other was a fight between Shane, T-Dog and Glenn. It seemed that Glenn was winning because the last Grace had seen it, his stuff was on it.

Daryl wrapped his arms around her, pressing his face into the back of her neck. Since their fight about birth control that morning, he'd pulled back a little and now it seemed like he was trying to make up for it. Or maybe he was just hoping she would forget about the whole situation. This little bit of affection away almost enough to make her think that they might be okay. Whatever was going on between them, she didn't need to start a fight about it when things were going well.

"Shouldn't you go help your brother take down those stairs?"

Rick had agreed with the brothers about taking down the stairs to help secure the place. Merle was demanding that they park his bike inside as well but Rick had convinced him that the bike could go in the back room. It barely fit through the doorway into the bonus room, but it managed. The fewer people it looked like they were housing, the better. Daryl had parked his truck in the garage next door and Rick backed the Cherokee into the garage. Until they got the stairs out of the way, there wasn't much else they could do to secure the building.

Carol and Lori had taken Claire and the kids into the backyard to let the children run around and Andrea was inside sleeping on her mattress from the RV which had been carried inside by Shane. There wasn't enough water for washing up and no one wanted to separate to look for further supplies, so Grace found herself sitting in the doorway of the garage, curled up on a pile of blankets and reading one of Dale's wife's trashy romance novels. There must have been fifty of those stupid books in a cardboard box tucked under the beds in the RV. Grace had never been big on them before, but now anything to pass the time seemed like a good idea. Reading kept her out of Merle and Daryl's way but still allowed her to be close.

She had tried to bring up their fight and Daryl had bolted, making an excuse about bringing things in from outside. Now she had to bide her time and wait for a moment when he couldn't escape her.

Daryl and Merle were working hard on removing the staircase one piece at a time so they could cut the wood down to size and use it for a small camp fire in the backyard. The MREs that the brothers had taken from the CDC had flameless heaters but they also needed to be activated by water and that was in short supply. The less they had to use up the better.

As Daryl carried another armload into the garage past her, he gave her a small wary smile. They still needed to talk about what had happened that morning at the CDC but there hadn't been time to slip away for a private moment. Both of them could feel it though. Daryl was carrying himself stiffly and Grace's stomach kept doing back flips. How serious Daryl had taken it had startled Grace. They'd always been a bit lax on birth control, more out of trust than anything else.

Sure, before everything went to hell Grace had been on the pill, but she'd been on it since college and with all her previous relationships it had always been about doubling up with condoms and even then still panicking over her period. With Daryl, there had been no pretense about children - they were simply not an option, but there had also not been a panic until the possibility that there would be one. They'd either forgotten or just not cared enough to use condoms more so than not. A couple of times, she had taken the morning after pill a when she forgot to take her pill and she'd even told Daryl about it. But whatever was happening in his head when he woke-up and saw that condom box still sealed had obviously shaken him. She just needed to figure out what exactly had happened.

There wasn't a moment of peace until just after dinner. In the dining room, Rick had laid out the maps from the camper on the table and they were plotting routes, both for their eventual departure and for a short trip that Glenn wanted to make to a nearby strip mall he had spotted. They were hoping there would be cars in the parking lot they could get gas from at least and maybe even some other supplies. Claire was sitting nervously as near as she dared. Grace was having fun watching the teen cast sidelong glances at Glenn, blushing furiously the whole time and trying to hide her spying in a book. In the kitchen, Lori and Carol had set up the kids for a quick school lesson; it was a chore that had been ignored for the past few days. Merle had decided they needed to fix the hole in the railing where the stairs had been, in case some idiot stumbled out there in the dark. Daryl seemed to be doing pretty well at keeping them close to the group and Grace wasn't planning on blabbing about their secret fight in front of everyone. For once though, he was nowhere to be seen, having slipped away while she was watching Claire. Even if he was just out for a pee, this was the moment that she had been waiting for.

Grace motioned to Carol that she was going upstairs in case anyone wondered, and went to find Daryl. She checked their room first to make sure that he hadn't simply hidden on her. He wasn't in their room but she did hear noise in the backyard. Daryl stood in the back corner splitting wood, probably taking out his frustration on the lumber they had salvaged from the dismantled porch stairs. This was her opportunity. She walked all the way down to the basement hoping that using the bottom door would give her the advantage of surprise. When she opened the door and he was still turned away from the house, she felt relieved. Things couldn't have been easier if she had planned them. Creeping across the yard, she snuck up on him. She knew it was playing dirty and probably not safe to sneak up on Daryl while he was swinging an axe, but she needed to get him alone to talk and here he was, all on his own. She gave him fair warning before she got too close though. It did her no good to have finally gotten him on his own if he turned around and took her head off with an axe.

Pushing as much false calm into her voice as she could, Grace called out to him when she found herself between him and his escape route, but not close enough that Daryl could accidentally swing around and hit her out of shock.

He did give a little jump as he spun to face her. Daryl's expression changed quickly from murderous to a more neutral one when he saw it was Grace. "Grace, what're ya doin' out here?"

"Thought I'd keep you company." She tried lying.

Daryl narrowed his eyes as if her were reading into her mind. "No ya ain't. Ya know damn well I don't need no one ta keep me company." He set the axe down on its head and crossed his arms. "What's really goin' on?"

Grace sighed. She had to expect that the last person she could hide anything from was Daryl. He knew her probably better than anyone and he could sniff out a liar in seconds. He prided himself on being as honest as he could be and he expected the same from everyone around him. "I think we should talk."

He snickered and quirked an eyebrow, "Ya know there might not be too many guys left alive, but we still never wanna hear those words come out uh our women's mouths."

"I'm serious Daryl." She shoved her hands in her pockets nervously. "Look, last night was a mistake, but we've got to talk about that. It hasn't been that long since the miscarriage," Grace swallowed around the word, "but I think we need to start talking about it, because it did happen. We've barely discussed it and clearly we're handling it differently. "

"No." He gave her his back and picked up the axe again.

"No?" She had expected more fight, more confrontation, not a total shut down. "I really think we need to talk about this."

"And I don't. Git back in the house."

"No," She spoke just as firmly as he did, her hair flipping as she shook her head. "I'm not letting this one go. I'm probably not, but what if I am pregnant? What are you going to do then Daryl? Huh? Are you just going to take off? I thought with the last one, that I could just go get it taken care of when we got rescued if we weren't going to go through with it. We're not getting rescued though. This is it. Unless I find a pharmacy around here somewhere, if I'm pregnant, you're going to have to deal with it. I can't exactly go down to Planned Parenthood, so I'd sort of like to know what I'm getting myself into so I can better prepare myself."

Daryl's jaw went slack and he sort of sputtered. "What're ya goin' on 'bout now?"

Grace stood up a little straighter, her fear taking over and spilling out violently. "If you're going to run out if I am pregnant, then I'd rather know now so I can prepare myself. It'll suck, but I'd rather know what the outcome is going to be."

"Grace," Daryl dropped the axe and stepped toward her. "I wasn't never plannin' on leavin' you if you did get knocked up. That weren't what I was talkin' 'bout this mornin'."

"Sure sounded like it." Her voice cracked and her next breath as shaky. "It was a mistake."

"I know it was." Daryl's face contracted with concern. "Fuck, come'ere." He reached out and pulled her into him roughly, her face rubbing against his shirt. "What happened last night ain't just on you. That's my fault too."

"I'm not blaming you." She sniffled. "I didn't come out here to blame you."

"I know ya didn't, but ya said ya wanted to know." He pulled her away from his chest so he could look at her. "It weren't just you that lost that kid." Daryl closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Still with his eyes closed, he spoke honestly, "It hurt like hell losin' tha baby. Hurt just as bad leavin' tha spot behind. It didn't take me no three hours ta find a bunch uh grapes."

"You went back?"

"Ta the grave? Most days. 'Fore you got up an' woulda noticed me missin'. I'd go out there an' think. Just long enough ta have a smoke or sharpen my knife."

The tears in her eyes spilled over at that. To her it was a hole in the ground that held lost potential but to him, it was a grave. She had never buried the baby, instead, Grace carried that child with her everywhere she went. The idea, the potential, the imaginary future where Daryl would proudly show off the baby even if he looked a little squished and Merle said the baby sort of looked like it had got his eyes and maybe Grace should confess their affair but she'd just punch him on the arm and say that they were Dixon eyes and Daryl had them too. Her family. All four of them together. She held onto that in the hope that one day, somehow, she would have that.

"Damn it!" Daryl tugged her back against him. "Ya don't gotta cry over it."

"You wanted the baby?"

"'Course I did!" He seemed offended. "Don't ya remember me tellin' ya that?"

"I guess. You seemed so angry about it though. Mad that something bad could have happened to me and then you said no more kids. I figured you just accepted it because it happened." She shrugged. "That it was just making the best of a mistake."

"Don't say that." He snapped. "Our kid won't never be a mistake. An accident maybe, but not a mistake. I ain't gonna regret our kid. Nobody deserves that. But that don't mean I want to jump into havin' kids right away. I wanna make sure ya ain't gonna die first."

"Daryl, I'm not going to die."

"Oh yeah? What about last time?"

"All sorts of things could have gone wrong last time. For whatever reason my body wasn't ready to carry the baby." She sighed. "I wonder if it wasn't for the best. I wasn't exactly careful with what I was doing. He could have been born with fetal alcohol syndrome or something."

"Somethin' coulda been wrong?"

"Maybe. We can't tell. There was no way to run tests when he happened. A lot of times they just die because they're not viable." Grace pressed her face against his shirt, mumbling the words, "I should have been more careful."

"Don't." Daryl shook her a little, "Weren't yer fault no matter what happened. See this is why I don't want ta have ta worry about this shit. No kids. I don't want ya all fucked up again. Then there's the nearly dying part."

"I wasn't dying."

"Seemed like it. Never wanna fuckin' go through that again. If we're stuck out here there's no place ta take ya if somethin' goes wrong. What the hell are we supposed ta do exactly?"

"Not every pregnancy ends in miscarriage."

"So things get better when yer pushin' the damn thing out? Don't think so. Then yer dead and I'm stuck with a defective kid."

"Women have babies all the time without medical intervention. Yes there's risk, but it's not uncommon."

"A'right." Daryl nodded stiffly. "I still don't want to have ta worry 'bout ya more than I gotta. We ain't having kids right now."

Grace shook her head, "Not right now, no, but in the future, maybe?"

"What'd ya want me to say, Carter? That havin' a kid scares the fuck outta me? 'Cause it does. I worry about losin' ya or somethin' goin' wrong with a baby or us fuckin' it all up after the kid's born. It scares me. I don't wanna risk havin' kids 'cause I don't want what little good I got left to go straight ta hell. There, ya happy now?"

"No," Grace whispered, hanging her head. All she could think about was one day getting a chance to do things right, to carry the baby to term and end up with a little one that was perfect. Not flawed and dead. Daryl clearly was seeing the negative side of things. "I didn't realize..."

"What that I'm a big pussy when it comes ta this shit?"

"Daryl, you don't have to worry though."

"Ya get why I am though, right? This world, bringin' a kid into it will get ya killed. I'm not riskin' yer life over no kid."

"I'm fine." Grace reassured, hugging him tightly. "It was terrible, but I'm alright now and I'll probably be fine if I get pregnant again."

"An' if you ain't that's on me fer gettin' ya knocked up in the first place. My fault 'cause I couldn't control myself enough ta use a damn condom. That's on me." He was growling now, breathing hard with the tension of his admission.

"We don't know if I'm not pregnant right now though. We can worry about things like that when we get there, can't we? We don't have to live perpetually terrified that something is going to go wrong. If it happens it happens, but we won't panic until then alright."

"I guess. Still gonna worry though."

"That's okay, I worry too but I worry more about losing this. Please, just, if something upsets you, just promise you'll tell me instead of freaking out?"

Daryl sighed. "I'll try. Can't offer you more than tryin'." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

The next morning wasn't the wake-up Grace had expected after her and Daryl had finally talked. First, there was the awareness that she was too hot, the tingling feeling of sweat beading across her skin. They had slept with the window open, but there wasn't much of a breeze to bring relief. The air felt heavy. Not to mention Daryl was uncomfortably close to her, the single bed meant she had fallen asleep – quite comfortably at the time - draped across his chest with his arms around her, but now the vice-like grip was just making her more aware of how sweaty she felt. As she shifted, trying to get comfortable without waking him up, she noticed Merle's snoring. The loud rumble from the other bed drove right into her bones. She wanted to throw something at him, but the only thing she could reach was the pillow under Daryl and she doubted he would appreciate that wake-up.

It seemed like a waste. Here she was, able to sleep in a proper bed for the first time in weeks and she was wasting it being awake. Grace sighed, closing her eyes and resting her cheek against Daryl's chest. She was so close to him that she could feel his heartbeat vibrating his skin, his rhythmic breathing lifting her just a little bit. She slowly relaxed again, letting herself just enjoy the peaceful moment. Even though she would have preferred to still be asleep, it wasn't so bad to lay wrapped up in Daryl's arms, knowing that for once, nothing would be able to get them.

"Yer up, ain't cha?" Daryl's voice above her was gravelly, deep as if he was dragging it out from under something.

She nodded, smiling even though he couldn't see it.

"Fuckin' Merle. Sounds like a goddamn semi drivin' into the house." His arms tightened quickly then relaxed comfortably against her ribs. "An' you, wigglin' like ya think yer gonna get loose or somethin'."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"How's about we not go anywhere together? Mattress is still in the back of the truck." Grace rolled to her stomach, laying flat against Daryl now, their legs tangling together. His hands slid down to her hips, holding her tightly too him and he ground up against her. "What'd you say? Make up for yesterday's wake-up?"

"Alright." She smiled down at him. "But be quiet. We don't want to wake-up sleeping beauty."

Daryl slid a hand up her back and cupped the back of her neck, forcing her down to his mouth. "He deserves it, all the noise he's makin'."

"Still, I don't want an audience." She gave him a quick peck, pausing slightly longer than she needed. "Come on, before everyone else wakes up."

Grace made a quick stop to the curtained off hole in the backyard before they snuck down to the basement and into the other house where the truck was parked. Judging by the mark on the wall, Daryl had just pissed up against the house. He was standing unashamed next to the wet spot and smoking one of his last few cigarettes. He never smoked around Merle any more. He barely had half a pack left and he wasn't risking having them nicked by his brother.

"Did you piss on the house?" She shook her head in distaste but Daryl's boyish grin was enough to make her smile too.

He put his cigarette out and tucked the unsmoked half back into his pack. "Yeah. Was I supposed ta wait for the hole or somethin'?"

"We're not dogs. Don't pee all over the yard."

Daryl chuckled, "We ain't stickin' 'round long enough for it ta be a problem." He reached out for her, wrapping his fingers around the tops of her arms. Grace snuggled into his chest. "Relax a'ready." He kissed the crown of her head, rubbing her arms and shoulders to ease the tension.

"Don't rub your gross piss hands all over me." She swatted playfully at his hands and attempted to push him away, which just made him hold her tighter. He chuckled darkly, tickling her ribs and running his hands all over her. Grace couldn't help but start to relax. They were going to be alright.

"Come on." He tugged her into the shadows of the garage and past the Cherokee. There was no way to see out of the garage, which made it feel a little dangerous to leave. The moment alone with Daryl would be worth it though. Grace stood behind him as he cracked open the door and stuck his head out. When the coast was clear, he moved her around the RV and they ducked into the other house, Daryl using the LED flashlight on his keychain to light the way.

"It's dark in here." Grace tucked herself closer to him. "Makes me worry about running into something."

"Nothin' in here. Wouldn't uh left the truck in here if I thought there was." In the gloom, he pressed his lips to hers, slowly tempting her mouth open. His hands found her ass, holding her tightly against his hips and kneading her through her jeans. When they paused for a breath, Daryl rested his head against hers and kissed her nose. "D'ya really think I'd take ya somewhere that weren't safe?"

"No," she shook her head. "I trust you."

"How much?"

"A lot." Grace pushed his shoulder. "I've always trusted you."

"Yeah," He grinned down at her, stealing another quick kiss. "Missed this." He quietly admitted, snuggling into her. "Shoulda done it this way las' time. Not all drunk, an' shit. Don't have enough control 'round ya ta do it no other way. Ya ain't mad at me fer being so pissy yesterday, right?"

"Not now that we talked." Grace dragged her fingers through his hair, his face pressed against her collarbone. "I just want you to trust me if I'm supposed to trust you."

"Ya scare me more'an those walkers out there." He lifted his head up, blinking slowly at her. The tailgate of the truck was down and he slid her toward it, pushing at her legs with his knees to get her to move backwards until he could lift her up and set her gently on the tailgate. Grace scooted backwards, pulling herself across their mattress so Daryl could follow her inside. The LED wasn't enough and she reached around for the lamp they had left behind. It was already starting to die when she turned it on but there was enough light to throw Daryl's face above her into shadows. Tugging down the strap of her tank top, he opened his mouth against her skin, worshiping her collarbones. She was distracted enough to not even notice Daryl sliding her shirt up her stomach. She never wore a bra to sleep and hadn't bothered to put one on before leaving the house. His right hand clung to the back of her neck while the left found her breast, bringing her nipple to a point and then rolling it between calloused fingers. Releasing his grip on her neck, Daryl tugged her shirt over her head and dropped it beside them.

Taking advantage of the moment of freedom, Grace pulled at his buttons, struggling with them in the poor lighting. When he finally pressed against her again, it was skin on skin, the hair on his chest causing friction between them. Grace found herself sighing against his mouth and Daryl took the opportunity to slide his tongue between her lips, coaxing hers into action. She relaxed further into the mattress, taking all of Daryl's weight with her, wanting to feel every twitch of his muscles and the slide of him against her. Adjusting to the new position, Daryl settled a leg between hers, pressing his thigh against her centre. The pressure made Grace hiss and Daryl pulled back to study her face.

"Ya'll'right?" he worried, eyes squinting.

"Just sensitive," she reassured him.

He pressed again, testing for reaction and she winced. "Yer sore from las' night, ain'tcha?"

Grace reached up and rubbed her thumb over his cheekbones. Smiling softly, she whispered, "Not enough for me to want to stop. Just don't get carried away this time." Leaning up, she captured his lips in another passionate kiss. Just to prove to him that she wasn't too sore, she pressed down against his thigh, grinding in slow circles. Her eyes closed of their own accord and her breath began to catch in her throat.

Daryl growled, "Ya know yer a little tease, right?" Catching her bottom lip between his teeth, Daryl went to work devouring her. Grace's fingers clutched at the back of his neck, just barely brushing through where his hair was starting to get long. She wiggled against his leg, forgetting that she was supposed to be sore and enjoying the reminder that he had forgotten to be gentle with her the night before. Now Daryl took his time, murmuring sounds that never quite formed words gently against her skin. His calloused fingers traced patterns across her skin, never lingering long enough for her to really get used to his touch. His lips were firm though, determined to distract her for anything else she might have on her mind.

"Ya sure 'bout this? Ain't gonna mess ya up or nothing, right?" Grace responded with a smile and sliding her hands down the back of his pants. Shaking his head but clearly amused, Daryl cocked an eyebrow. "That suppose ta be my answer?"

"I was hoping we were going to not talk. Less talking," She leaned up and kissed him, "more doing."

Daryl's answer was to cup her through her jeans, tentatively adding pressure as if unsure of what he was doing. Giving his ass a final squeeze, Grace slid her hands free and wiggled them between their bodies until they covered Daryl's own. Dragging his fingers upward, she pressed them against the button, silently encouraging him. He took complete control then, catching her mouth as he popped the button and slid the zipper down. Graces probably had the pregnancy to thank for the fact that her jeans still fit properly. Andrea had been complaining that she was losing weight and that none of her clothes fit properly, but it wasn't something Grace was struggling with yet. She had never been less grateful for proper fitting clothes when Daryl was slowly dragging hers off. She could just kick herself free from her jeans if they weren't so stuck to her legs. She was just about to demand that Daryl hurry up when she noticed his smirk, he was doing it on purpose.

"Would you stop teasing and just take them off?" Grace snipped. Daryl's smile split across his face.

"Impatient?"

"Very. Pants off. That means yours too." She scolded, fidgeting and attempting to help hurry the process along. Daryl kissed her hipbone and complied, pulling back to undo his zipper. Grace took advantage of Daryl being distracted by taking off his jeans to strip herself completely, tossing her underwear aside. The low growl of appreciation was all Grace needed to know that he had caught the action, but Daryl gave more than that, swooping down and catching her off guard. His tongue met hers before she was ready and he had to coax her into action. Daryl slowly crept his hand between her thighs, stroking the rough pads of his fingers across untanned skin, places high enough that even when she wore shorts, the sun didn't reach them.

He was hesitant when he first slid a finger between her folds, searching her face for discomfort and only moving more when she demanded it. Grace was sure Daryl was terrified of hurting her to the point that they may not even get to the actual sex if she didn't push him. "I'm okay."

"Huh?" He had been so focused on not hurting her that her voice seemed to startle her.

"You're making me nervous. Stop thinking so hard." Grace pulled both his hands away from her body. "No touching until you figure out that you actually want to touch me."

Daryl grunted, trying to free his fingers from her grip. "'Course I wanna touch you." Grace shook her head. She knew with him being so gentle, he wasn't going to force her to let go of his hands. He tugged for a moment before changing tactics. Carefully he lowered his mouth, sliding it along her jaw until he got to her ear. "Grace," he breathed. "I wanna touch you." He licked lightly at the shell of her ear, tugging her earlobe between his teeth. "Le'go." He freed his fingers, sliding one hand around the back of her neck and the other back between her legs. This time he didn't hesitate to press the pad of his index finger against her entrance.

Grace sighed, this was much better. Daryl's finger slipped inside her, twisting insistently, letting her relax around the digit as she got used to the intrusion. She couldn't help but let her legs fall open, pressing her hips up and trying to find a better angle. There was a burn sure, but Daryl had nothing to worry about, Grace wasn't planning on stopping him. Her body was already singing and ready for more. She could feel Daryl shift against the mattress, trying not to draw attention to himself so he could focus entirely on her. The hand he wasn't using to finger her massaged her thigh in a careful rhythm.

Giving her a quick glance asking permission, Daryl leaned down to mouth at her stomach. He nosed his way down the skin there, nipping and laving attention over it as he went. Finally he buried his face between her thighs, rubbing his stubble against her curls and inhaling deeply. He was entirely focused on getting her as wet and prepared as possible. Already she was dripping though, wanting more than he seemed ready to give her. Daryl slid a second finger inside her and pumped them in an easy but deep rhythm. He pulled her clit into his mouth sucking gently to match the movement of his fingers. Grace couldn't help but beginning to pant as the pressure began to build, fire starting in her stomach and pooling. The feeling spread like wildfire until the earth itself seemed to orbit around Daryl.

Then suddenly he withdrew, chest heaving and chin wet. He fumbled on the blankets for the box of condoms. Daryl's knees held hers apart as he knelt and ripped the box open. This time they would be sure to use protection. He wasn't going to take a single risk. He upended the box beside them and freed a single package. Grace released her grip on the sheets to reach for him. His breath caught as she circled him lightly with her fingers and ever so slowly slid them up and down. Daryl ripped open the package, tossing the wrapper aside and bringing his hands down to join hers. Together they fitted the latex over his cock and Grace pulled him back down to the mattress with her, taking his full weight.

Daryl rocked against her, the pressure and heat of his cock making her buck back. He kissed her sloppily, nearly missing her mouth the first time his lips connected with her skin. As he licked at the inside of her mouth, Daryl reached between them and fisted himself a few times before lining up against her and giving a gentle thrust. Just the head pressed inside her and she gasped. She was so over stimulated at this point, still tender but practically ready to beg for him to just do something. Grace slid her fingers into his hair, gripping hard and fighting her tongue against his. Daryl grunted and shifted, sliding an inch further forward. In response, Grace spread her legs wider and rocked to take him deeper. Finally taking her cues for what they were, Daryl slid a hand under her thigh and hitched her leg higher, encouraging her to wrap around him. He was gentle, but Grace could feel the tension in his muscles from holding back. Everything about his body thrummed against hers.

"Good," she breathed against his lips, "You feel so good. Need more."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she smiled back and rolled her hips.

Daryl accepted her willingness for more and slid forward to settle himself fully inside her. He barely paused before his control seemed to lapse and he gave a few short thrusts. Grace squeezed him tighter with her legs, clenching around him and bucking. It wasn't long before he was rocking in a hard, steady rhythm and thumbing her clit in small, quick circles. They moved together perfectly, sweat slicked bodies sliding together in perfect rhythm, never needing more than a gentle shift to move differently. They knew each other's bodies so well, the years of familiarity bringing comfort, not boredom. Grace had forgotten how Daryl knew just what she wanted without her to tell him. There was no need for words when your lover was able to predict your every move.

Sensing she needed just the smallest push, Daryl pinched her clit and nipped at her earlobe. Her body screamed, tightening and ready, so close to completion. He drew the small bit of flesh into his mouth and sucked lightly, before nipping again, his fingers moving furiously between them. Grace's breath caught in her throat and she gasped as her body tightened around his. Daryl pulled back out of her nearly all the way before slamming back in roughly. She whimpered as her body contracted and she came around him. Her fingers were locked now as he gave up restraining himself and barreled forward, thrusting hard and sloppy into her. The aftershocks of her orgasm set off little stars behind her eyes as Daryl braced himself and buried his cock deep inside her, groaning out his own release.

It was so dark in the garage that she wondered if maybe they had melted into one being. It felt like it. They sweaty and pressed tightly together making it hard for Grace to tell where he ended and she began. They could just be stuck together like this forever; never having to worry about leaving the other because they were one body. She never wanted to leave him.