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- EXILED -

- CHAPTER TWELVE -

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- 12 Days After Banishment

- The Prison

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Daryl looked on nervously as Rick and Carol made their way back up through the prison yard. He, along with the other council members, had made their way outside and now waited anxiously to hear what the two had decided.

The minute that Carol was within reaching distance, Daryl was pulling her into an embrace, not giving a single damn as to what any of them thought of the public display of affection.

"You okay?" he asked once he'd finally released her, his hands twitching to hit something when he noticed that she'd been crying.

"I'm fine," she told him with a faint smile on her face.

"You sure?"

Carol nodded and Daryl felt himself finally breath a sigh of relief.

"Um, I hate to break up this little moment," Glenn interrupted.

"But, you're goin' to anyway, right?" Daryl huffed out in fake annoyance.

"Well… yeah," Glenn said unapologetically. "We're all dying to know what the hell is going on. Is everything okay now or not?"

Daryl brought his attention back to Carol, locking eyes with her and giving her a look that told her that whatever she said was gonna be fine by him. "So, what's the verdict," he asked calmly. "We stayin' or goin'?"

He watched then as Carol glanced over her shoulder at Rick, who had joined the rest of the group a few feet away. When the lawman nodded, she turned her attention back to Daryl and smiled. "We're stayin'."

"Aright then," he mumbled, giving her a wink before turning in the direction of the Jeep. "Somebody give me a hand with these supplies."

Glenn, smiling from ear to ear, waved his hand in Daryl's direction as if to shoo him away. "In a minute," he blurted out. "Right now, I need a hug."

Daryl quickly put his hands on his hips and scowled. "I ain't givin' ya no hug, ya crazy Korean."

Glenn widened his smile before joining in on the friendly banter. "Good, you grouchy redneck, cause I wasn't talkin' about you!" With that, he grabbed Carol and gave her a hardy hug.

Daryl laughed and then watched as, one by one, the group welcomed him and Carol back home.

"That's what I'm talkin' 'bout," he mumbled when he finally moved to gather a box of supplies.

"What's that?" Michonne asked as she moved to stand at his side.

"Everybody's together," Daryl told her. "The way it's s'posed to be. It's us against the world, not us against us."

Michonne grinned. "You know, I think Kyle was headed in the wrong direction with his guesses about your job," she told him teasingly. "I think you were a philosopher."

"Shut it," Daryl warned with a grin, glancing at Carol one last time before heading toward the prison with supplies.

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As night fell, Daryl and Carol lie in their new bunk; spooning.

"Tired?" Daryl questioned as he made little circles on Carol's hip.

"A little," she told him honestly. "It's not like we haven't had a long day."

"Tell me about it," he said with a laugh. "We moved the girls into your old cell, moved ourselves into this one, unloaded supplies, got the lowdown on what we've missed while we were gone and then had to tell every-frickin-body about how we found each other."

Carol giggled. "Don't ya know? We're a livin', breathin', walkin', talkin' romance novel now?"

"Pfft! Don't be sayin' that shit."

"It's true," she told him. "You should have heard some of those girls from Woodbury. Oh Carol, did Daryl really leave the prison just to find you? And, and… did he really fight off all those walkers? Oh, why can't I find a man like that? I wish someone would do that for me... He's sooo dreamy. He must really love you…"

"Stahp," Daryl groaned, nudging her softly.

"I'm serious," she told him. "Those girls are swoonin' Daryl."

"Don't matter none if they are," he admitted. "Already taken."

Carol turned to look at him. "You are?"

"Uh huh," he whispered, moving his hand to caress her cheek. "I belong to some hellcat."

Carol grinned. "Aww, Pookie."

Daryl rolled his eyes. "Can't ya find somethin' better than that to call me?"

"Like what?" Carol teased, a giggle in her voice. "Would you prefer Honey Buns?"

"Aww hell no!"

Carol burst into laughter and she quickly brought her hands up to muffle the sound.

"Shh," Daryl warned. "You're gonna wake the whole damn block."

Carol nodded. "Oops."

He stared at her then, his eyes shining brightly, even in the dimly lit room. "They were right, you know?"

"Who? The Woodbury girls?"

"Uh huh," he whispered as he moved to nuzzle her neck. "I really do love ya."

Carol smiled as she moved her hand to bury her fingers in his long, dark hair. "I love you too."

He pulled back from her, staring down at her with loving eyes, a mischievous grin on his face. "Tired?" he asked for the second time that night.

Carol returned the grin with one of her own, a mix of love and longing showing on her face as she stared up at the man she loved. "No," she whispered hoarsely. "Not anymore."

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- THE END -

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AN:

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited, etc. I really, really appreciate it. I hope that the story was worth your time and thanks for being so kind. :)