Sequel to My Sweetest Downfall

*I own nothing

Chapter One- Cause when it's over, it's all over, and what you gain you throw away

Rick, Daryl, and Merle were out hunting. Or, Rick liked to think of it that way. In reality, Merle was out hunting, and Daryl was attempting to show Rick how to walk quietly in the woods.

It wasn't going all that well, to be honest.

Daryl was a great teacher, very patient, but everyone had their limits. When they lost a deer because Rick stepped on a branch: that was Daryl's limit.

"Dammit, Rick, you gotta step on every fuckin' branch out here or somethin'? You tryin' to starve us?" he asked, exasperated.

Rick rolled his eyes. "Starve us? We got food at the cabin, Daryl, we're not livin' off the stuff we catch. Don't be so dramatic. It was an accident."

Daryl shook his head, turning to walk further into the woods. "Boy born and raised in Georgia should be able to hunt. 's all I'm sayin'," he grumbled to himself.

Rick smirked at him. "Well, what can I say? We all have our talents, but this ain't one of mine."

Daryl cracked a smile at that, but didn't turn around. He hoisted his crossbow up higher on his shoulder when he heard the crackle of leaves moving, but lowered it again when he determined it was just the breeze. "Come on. We'll go 'bout another hour, then head back."

"Alright," Rick said, and followed him.

No matter how many times Daryl brought him up to the small cabin he and Merle retreated to on occasion, Rick never really got the hang of hunting. And he couldn't track for shit, as Daryl put it.

But he enjoyed his time there, nonetheless. But, more than anything, he enjoyed the happiness it brought to his better half.

When Daryl had lived with his father, hunting wasn't something he could do much. Especially not after Merle was put away. If he were gone for more than a day, his dad would become even more violent than usual. When Merle was there, he could deflect some of it, and take most of it on himself.

But the only time Daryl had gone hunting after Merle was locked up, he came back and nearly had him arm broken by his old man. He decided then to cut his losses, as he'd explained to Rick.

After he moved into Rick's parent's house in high school, he didn't mention hunting for a while. Too much was going on, and he honestly didn't know how they felt about it. They could have hated hunting, and he didn't want to jeopardize anything. After they graduated, and Rick and Daryl moved away so Rick could go to school, he'd come home one day to find a note on the kitchen counter. 'Gone hunting. Be back tomorrow. Don't worry.'

Rick was frantic, of course, because he had no idea what Daryl meant, really. They didn't own a gun, or anything, really, to hunt with, and he didn't even know Daryl hunted. He'd never mentioned it before.

When he got back the next day, dirty and carrying a line of squirrels over one shoulder, but peaceful in a way that Rick had rarely seen, he'd decided not to pry. So Daryl hunted. Apparently it brought him some relief.

He was curious, though, and had to ask Daryl how he'd caught the game. When his boyfriend had casually said he'd gotten them with his knife, Rick was too shocked to speak.

And, for some unfathomable reason, too turned on to wait. He'd grabbed Daryl and thrown him into the shower, and then he'd been fucked up against the wall, their bodies slick and wet.

That had been a good day.

Now that they were back home, Daryl hunted whenever he could schedule time off for himself from work. And whenever he could, Rick did the same.

Merle came along this time, as he said he hadn't been hunting in months and was itching to go again. He didn't seem to realize that the other two men used this time to do other activities as well until he'd caught them making eyes at each other over the breakfast table.

"Aw, hell. I'll sleep out in the woods tonight, you love birds. Don't wanna see any more o' that shit." And then he'd stormed off, a bag of supplies over his shoulder and a shotgun in his hand.

They had the cabin to themselves tonight, then.

After Daryl had determined that there weren't any more deer nearby, and he'd caught a few more squirrels, he and Rick made their way back. Daryl laughed every time Rick cracked a stick under his boot, and was often rewarded with a playful shove.

After dinner, Rick watched Daryl drinking a beer by the fire, and was mesmerized by the flicker of the light against his pale skin. Rick was always the paler of the two, but Daryl wasn't exactly tan for a country boy. His hair shone in the natural light, and Rick swallowed and shifted in his seat, his pants becoming uncomfortably tight.

"See somethin' ya like, Grimes?" Daryl asked with a smirk.

Rick didn't even bother to answer. He just stood from the couch, put Daryl's beer on the table, and pulled his lover up by the wrist.

Rick led Daryl to their bedroom, brimming with anticipation at their first chance to make love in over a week. Time together was a precious thing, with Daryl's hours lengthening at the garage and Rick's job as a deputy lessening their time together.

Rick intended to make the most of their time, now.

Daryl came up behind him and pressed himself against Rick's back. He wrapped his arms around Rick's waist and pulled them closer, and Rick leaned his head back on Daryl's shoulder, angling his head for a kiss. Daryl obliged him happily.

Rick pulled back and smiled at him, and Daryl sighed. "Fuck, Grimes, I've missed you."

Rick turned in his embrace and wrapped his arms around Daryl's neck. "Same here. Now get naked, Dixon."

Daryl raised an eyebrow, amused. "You playin' cop?"

Rick's face was deadly serious as he said, "I don't have to play at anythin'." And then he couldn't hold in his laughter.

Daryl smirked at him, and started walking Rick backwards to the bed. "How d'you want it?"

Rick bit his lip, considering, and ran his hands over Daryl's firm chest and shoulders, then stroked around to his back. "I wanna see you ridin' me."

Daryl groaned, and kissed Rick soundly, before muttering, "Fuck, Grimes, you always know just what t'say, dontcha?"

Rick laughed, and started pulling Daryl's shirt off over his head. Daryl helped by stripping his jeans and boots off. When he looked up from pulling his pants off his leg, he observed Rick's fully clothed form and raised an eyebrow.

"Well? Need help or somethin'?"

Rick nodded, his eyes hungry as they roamed Daryl's naked form. He'd filled out so nicely over the years, and Rick could never get his fill of just looking at him. His pale skin and dark hair, and muscled torso were like a siren call to Rick's libido.

Daryl ripped Rick's shirt off his shoulders without undoing the buttons, and Rick's eyes bulged. "Hey! My mom gave me this!"

"You really wanna talk abou' Beth righ' now?" Daryl murmured, and Rick gulped and shook his head. Daryl's voice was taking on that dark, raspy quality that came out when he was aroused, and it always made Rick's prick jump in interest. This time was no exception.

Daryl unbuttoned Rick's jeans and slid them down his legs. Before Rick could help divest himself of his pants, Daryl pushed him onto the bed, and Rick bounced slightly as his ass hit the mattress. Daryl knelt in front of him and pulled off one boot, then the other. He tugged Rick's socks off one at a time, and planted a kiss on each of Rick's feet at they were revealed, making him shiver.

Then, at last, he jerked Rick's jeans off, and in one quick movement, pushed him back on the bed and climbed on top of him, straddling Rick's hips. Rick pushed his head back up so he could capture Daryl's lips in a kiss, and Daryl devoured his mouth hungrily. His tongue delved into Rick's mouth, and Rick sucked on it eagerly.

Rick's hands lifted to run over Daryl's hips to guide him closer so their cocks would meet. Daryl reached a hand down and grasped both of their pricks in one hand and stroked them together. Rick broke the kiss to arch his bead back in pleasure. The feeling of Daryl's cock, like steel wrapped in silk, pressed against his was pure heaven.

Rick let go of one of Daryl's hips to run his hand up, up Daryl's body to his mouth, where he sucked in two of Rick's fingers eagerly, swirling his tongue around them and wetting them. Rick moaned at the feeling, and he couldn't fucking wait any longer, so he dropped his hand and pushed on Daryl's hip to indicate that he needed to get off.

Daryl let go of their pricks and moved off of Rick to rest on his hands and knees beside him. Rick groaned at the sight, and quickly ran to the nightstand to grab the lube. He saturated the fingers that Daryl had sucked on, and then trailed his wet hand down Daryl's spine, and to the top of his ass, where he gently rubbed his hand back and forth, teasing.

"Fuck, Grimes, just do it!" Daryl grunted, lowering his head onto the bed, so his ass stuck up in the air. Rick's salivated at the sight, and he moved quickly to kneel behind Daryl. He pressed one finger against Daryl's hole to make sure he was relaxed before pushing it all the way in. Both of them groaned at the feeling, and Daryl pushed back against his finger, eager for more.

Rick gave it to him. Without wasting any more time, he pushed in a second finger, and scissored them to open Daryl's hole wider before pushing in a third. Daryl was thrusting back more forcefully now, and Rick felt around until he found Daryl's prostate.

He nudged it, and Daryl went wild. He let out a howl and his legs shook beneath him, and Rick couldn't stand to wait any longer.

He slicked his hand up with more lube and gave his cock a few quick strokes, before pushing on Daryl's hip again. "Remember what I said I want?" he asked, his voice gravely.

Daryl looked at him over his shoulder, and nodded quickly. He sat up, and manhandled Rick to the head of the mattress, before straddling him again. He grabbed Rick's cock in his hand, lined himself up, and thrust down, hard.

Rick's head banged against the headboard, and his eyes were closed, but he felt Daryl's breath tickle his neck as the man leaned in to lick a stripe up his neck. He lifted himself off of Rick only to drop back down, twisting his hips deliciously and riding Rick hard.

Just like he'd wanted.

Rick had Daryl's hips in a bruising grip, and he began thrusting up into Daryl sweet, hot body, groans escaping his mouth freely.

He grabbed Daryl's cock and stroked it fast and hard, loving the reaction it wrought from the man. Daryl sucked hard on Rick's neck, his tongue darting out to taste Rick's sweat, and he dropped his body harder, faster, whimpering sounds leaving his mouth that drove Rick wild.

Rick felt his orgasm building, and he let go of Daryl's cock to pull him closer, wanting to feel him everywhere. Daryl let go of his neck and instead put his mouth against Rick's, kissing him passionately. He pressed his chest to Rick's and their sweat made their bodies easy to glide against.

Rick's senses were on overload; Daryl's scent, his skin, his fucking beautiful cock was rubbing against both of their stomachs. Rick came hard into Daryl, breaking their kiss to drop his head to Daryl's shoulder. He bit the skin under his mouth until he tasted blood, and Daryl groaned hard, thrusting once more, before he came over both of their stomachs.

He rode out his orgasm on Rick's cock, stopping only when he seemed to be too tired to continue. He laid his head on top on Rick's and breathed him in, his nose in Rick's hair.

"Fuck, Daryl. You're so fuckin' gorgeous," Rick murmured into his shoulder, which he was licking and sucking as an apology for biting him so hard.

Daryl chuckled. "Right back atcha." He lifted a leg off of Rick and swung his body off of him so he was sitting beside him in the bed. He sighed heavily and leaned his head back on the headboard, his eyes closed.

Rick was opening his mouth to ask if his shoulder hurt when his phone rang.

His work phone. Fuck.

He scrambled off the bed, knowing he wouldn't be getting a call unless it was an emergency, shooting an apologetic grimace to Daryl before pulling the phone out of his discarded pants pocket and flipping it open.

"Grimes," he said perfunctorily.

"Rick, we've got a situation at the Wheeler house, we need you to check it out. Got a call from the neighbors sayin' they heard shoutin' or somethin'" he heard Stacy say, and he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose between two fingers.

"Am I the only one available? I have time off tonight."

"Sorry, hun. You're it. Got the other boys out at a liquor store robbery and drug bust. Plus, we know where ya are, and yer the closest," she answered, sympathy in her voice.

"Dammit. Alright, I'm on my way." He snapped the phone shut, and he ran a hand over his forehead and through his hair. He could already feel a headache coming.

"What's goin' on?" Daryl asked, his face blank. Rick shrugged, and walked back to the bed, still naked. He sat next to Daryl, who was watching him with wary eyes.

"I'm so fuckin' sorry, Daryl, but I gotta go," Rick apologized, and Daryl nodded.

"Figured. I could hear your side o' the conversation you know," Daryl said a little testily.

"I know, I just… fuck, I don't wanna go, Daryl. I understand if you're mad, but I wouldn't go if I had any other choice," Rick pleaded, sick at the thought that he was ruining their night.

Daryl's face softened marginally, but it was enough. Rick knew he was forgiven. "I know. Don't worry 'bout it. How many times have I come home to a cold dinner 'cause I stayed late without tellin' ya?" He leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on Rick's lips. "Go on. But hurry back, y'hear?"

Rick smiled at him, and pushed Daryl's hair back from his face so he could see his eyes better. "Fuck, I love you so much. This is killin' me."

Daryl chuckled. "Your boss is gonna kill you, unless you get yer ass dressed and out the door."

Rick nodded, knowing he was right. He planted a kiss on Daryl's lips, then stood and left the room to grab his uniform out of his bag. He always packed one, just in case. He dressed quickly and pulled on his gun belt before running back to the bedroom.

Daryl was on top of the covers, lying back with his hands behind his head, and Rick went over to kiss him goodbye—he could never get enough of his mouth—and grabbed his keys from the nightstand.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he said.

Daryl smirked, and brought a hand down to his now limp cock, giving it a quick stroke. Rick groaned, and walked out the door before he convinced himself that he really didn't like his job that much.

"You kill me, Daryl!" he yelled, opening the front door.

He heard a laugh before he pulled it closed.

Rick arrived at the Wheeler farm ten minutes later, and he quickly stopped the car and got out, hand resting casually on the gun on his belt. He began walking to the front door, eyes scanning his surroundings, until a sound made him stop in his tracks.

It sounded like a woman, screaming.

Rick quickly drew his gun and closed the distance to the front door. He tried the knob, and it twisted under his hand. He pushed the door open and scanned the area, unable to see anyone.

"This is Deputy Rick Grimes, I'm with the Sheriff's Department," he called as he stepped inside. He walked down the hallway towards the screaming, which sounded more like sobbing now, and turned the corner into what looked like the living room.

What he saw made his blood run cold.

Mrs. Wheeler was kneeling next to the body of her husband, who had been shot in the head. His arm was wrapped in gauze as well, but that looked to be an older injury. Rick's instinct was to check for his vitals, but he knew there was no need. He was dead.

Rick scanned Mrs. Wheeler's form and saw that she was bleeding from her shoulder, and there looked to be a pretty nasty wound there. It almost looked like a bite mark. Was she attacked by an animal?

Deciding that there were more pressing matters to deal with, Rick scanned the room, looking for the gun that killed Mr. Wheeler, and found it under the couch. He grabbed it, and put his own gun away, before kneeling in front of Mrs. Wheeler, who was rocking back and forth and sobbing, heartbroken or in shock. Probably both, Rick thought.

"Mrs. Wheeler," he said, his voice level and calm. Her breath hitched, and she looked up at him through her wet lashes. "What happened here?"

She gasped, and buried her face in her hands, continuing her rocking motions. "H-he.. he's dead! I killed him, I-I di-didn't have a… choice, he was…" she broke off her stilted explanation to sob harder.

Rick stood quickly and turned his back so he could call for backup on his radio. Stacy let him know more patrols and a coroner would be arriving in ten minutes, so he turned back to Mrs. Wheeler.

"Ma'am," he said softly. "May I help you up? Come on, let's get you outta this room." He offered his hand, and she hesitantly gazed at it before nodding minutely. He moved forward and helped her stand, before leading her into the next room, which turned out to be the dining room.

He led her to the table, and she sat down on shaky legs. Her breathing was fast, but she was alert, and her sobs weren't as severe.

"Are you hurt, ma'am?" he asked, indicating her shoulder.

She nodded, and kept her gaze on the table. "H-he bit me," she said in a sort of trance-like way. "He bit me!"

Rick's brow furrowed, and he shook his head to clear it. "Your husband? Do you mean Mr. Wheeler bit you? This bite here, on your shoulder?"

Rick knew he was asking redundant questions, but damn, he had to make sure. That was one nasty bite to come from a human. She nodded quickly, her eyes a bit glazed over.

"Was he acting strangely before that, ma'am?" he asked, and pulled out his pad to write all of this down for the investigator who would be taking over the homicide case. He didn't know if she would be this coherent later, so he figured he should get her story now.

She nodded again, and began to speak slowly. "He said… he said on his way home, someone tr-tried to mug him. Said the guy bit his arm and... I saw the bite, said he should get it… checked out, but… he wouldn't. He wouldn't! He didn't listen!" She was yelling now, and Rick knew he needed to calm her down.

He crouched down in front of her, and put on his most understanding expression. "It's alright Mrs. Wheeler, I'm sure you did everything you could to convince him. Did he get angry at you, or…" He trailed off so she could take over.

She shook her head and met his eyes, which were on level with hers now. "He got s-sick. Fevered, you know? And then… he was in pain, and I kept tryin' to get him to let me call an ambulance, but h-he said… he didn't want a hospital, that it was just the flu, but… I ain't never seen a flu move so fast." She sniffed, her eyes wide, and continued. "He… died. That's the only way I can describe it. He was in bed, and he stopped breathin'. He laid like that for about ten minutes, I think."

Rick shook his head. What the hell? "He died."

She nodded again, her expression earnest. "I know it sounds crazy, but I'm tellin' you, he weren't alive no more. I felt fer his breath, I did CPR, I… nothin' worked. So I sat and cried over him, and just as I was gettin' up to call 911, he… moved. His eyes opened, but they were strange. My Earl's always had brown eyes, but they were a light blue, and he was actin'… strange. Like an animal or somethin'. And he…"

Rick watched her expression patiently. "What did he do, Mrs. Wheeler? Is that when he attacked you?"

She nodded, her eyes wide and frightened. "He… grabbed me, and he bit down on my shoulder. God, it hurt. I fought him, and ran through the house. I didn't plan on shootin' him, I swear! I was hopin' the gun would bring 'im to his senses but he just kept… comin'…" She broke down in sobs, unable to continue.

Rick reached up and patted her shoulder. "It'll be alright, Mrs. Wheeler. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

He heard the sirens and stood up to greet them at the door. After the lead investigator showed up, Rick was told to go back to the Sheriff's Department and fill out his report. He watched as paramedics put Mrs. Wheeler into the back of an ambulance to take her to the hospital, with an officer escort, of course, as she was a suspect in a homicide.

Watching her frightened face brought back what she'd said about Mr. Wheeler, and he realized that he had to see one thing before he could go.

He walked into the living room, where the coroner was examining the body and the tech team was taking photos of the surroundings. Rick stepped just close enough that he could see the blood around the man's mouth, which he hadn't noticed before.

He also hadn't seen that his eyes were partially open. And that they were, in fact, an ice blue color. Rick shuddered, unnerved with this whole situation.

And then he left.

Rick sat at his desk and pulled out a report to fill out. This case was shaking him, and he took a moment to breathe steadily before he attempted to write anything.

What the hell was going on?

Deciding he needed some reassurances before he started, Rick picked up the phone and dialed Daryl's cell phone. It rang twice, and then he heard Daryl's drowsy voice over the line.

"'lo? Rick?" he asked. Rick smiled into the phone.

"Sorry I woke you, sweetheart. Jus' wanted to hear your voice. Go back to sleep."

He could hear Daryl shifting around in bed. "Don' be an idiot, Grimes. You ain't callin' just to hear me talk. What's wrong?"

Rick shook his head, realizing he shouldn't have tried to fool Daryl. He'd learned over the years that it's fruitless. "Just this case. Can't really talk about it, but it just shook me up a bit. I'm just finishin' up my report, then I can head back to the cabin."

There was a beat of silence, and Rick could see in his mind's eye as Daryl's protective instincts and his common sense warred. He knew he could get the story out of Rick, but also knew he'd do it quicker if he could see him in person.

He also knew that he'd only see Rick if he hung up and let him work.

Rick smiled as he heard Daryl sigh in resignation. "Alrigh'. But don't go to the cabin, 'cause I ain't there. Left shortly after you did, figured I'd see more o' you if I came back into town."

Rick smiled into the phone. "God, I love you, Daryl."

"Love ya, too. Now get to work and come the fuck home."

Rick heard the click as the line disconnected, and slowly put down his phone.

Then he got to work. He wanted to get home so he could see Daryl.

Daryl came awake in an instant when he heard the front door open. He listened carefully, and relaxed his body when he recognized Rick's steady walk.

When the bedroom door opened, Daryl turned onto his back and watched though the darkness as Rick moved closer to the bed, throwing his clothes off onto the floor. Rick crawled into the bed, and into Daryl's arms, his naked form pressed against Daryl's.

The skin-to-skin contact was comforting for both of them. Daryl eased Rick up some so he could pull the comforter out from under them and cover them both. Rick snuggled back down into Daryl's chest and sighed.

"Wanna talk about it?" Daryl asked, his voice gravely with sleep.

Rick shook his head against Daryl. "Nah. Tomorrow. Let's just go to sleep."

Daryl nodded against Rick's hair and breathed in the scent of him. He always smelled minty, and earthy, and just so damn good that Daryl had dreams about how he smelled. Though it could be that he just smelled him while he slept.

Daryl hugged the man to him more closely, and pushed one of his legs between both of Rick's so the man was draped across him.

The weight was comforting in a way that Daryl couldn't describe, and never tried to. But he was finally able to fall into a restful sleep.

So there it is, the first chapter to the sequel! It'll pick up in pace soon, so don't worry!

Thank you for reading, and please review!