We sleep in the next morning but, once we're all awake, Rick is quick to rally us for our infiltration mission. T-Dog, Daryl, Glenn, and Maggie are also coming along. I grip my machete tight, giving it a few test swings, loosening up my tense muscles.

"Ready?" Hershel asks.

Rick unhooks the giant monkey clips he closed the gate with yesterday, flinging it open. T-Dog kills a walker immediately and as we move in, Hershel slides the gate shut behind us. We move in a circle, facing outwards, everyone's back covered. I'm in between Daryl and T-Dog.

The others rattle the fences, hollering and shouting, getting the attention of any walkers they can and killing the ones stupid enough to get close.

"Don't break rank!" Rick shouts.

"Get tight! Get tight!" Glenn yells.

We kill walker after walker, keeping close to our circle. Nobody moves too far from the others and when more than one walker advances at the same time, we use teamwork. Rick knocks one down, leaving Glenn to finish it off as he stabs another.

Daryl stabs one between the eyes and throws it to the ground. As soon as he ducks, I take out another that lunges for him. T-Dog rushes forward to grab a riot shield and I down the walker that goes after him.

"Almost there," Rick urges as we head for the door leading inside. He pushes it open, then peers around the corner only to throw himself against the wall. "Shit."

He holds up his hand and we mimic his moves instantly. Whatever he saw, it can't be good, and I can still hear walkers growling. A second after the thought crosses my mind, five walkers in full riot gear stumble around the corner and the door behind us opens as another walker in a gas mask appears, moaning.

Maggie slams her machete into its head, but the blade bounces off and she backs up, eyes wide. One of the riot walkers lunges for me.

"Hope!" Daryl shouts.

I duck and Daryl shoots his crossbow, but the bolt bounces off the walker's visor. The walker reaches for me and I jump up, slamming my shoulder into its diaphragm, knocking it backwards and away from me.

"DARYL!" Rick shouts.

Daryl downs another walker, then rushes to join Rick as he tries to close another gate into a courtyard full of the dead.

The riot walker comes back at me and I brace myself, gripping my machete with two hands, and I ram it upwards into its throat and up into its brain. It drops and I look over my shoulder to see that Maggie's just done the same to another riot walker, her eyes wide.

"See that?" she asks, grinning.

"Hell yeah!" I say. "Nice!"

Glenn and T-Dog take out another and Daryl dispatches the fourth, then Rick and Maggie finish off the last two. Rick tears the gas mask off of his and the walker's face comes with it, leaving a growling, snapping skull with a bit of muscle left over. Disgusted, he splits its face in two.

When all is said and done, we're covered in blood, there are bodies everywhere and there's a whole other courtyard full of snarling undead, but we've made it. Another small victory for humankind.

Glenn starts towards the others, but Rick calls out to him. "Stop," he says.

"It looks secure," Glenn retorts, confused.

"Not from the look of that courtyard over there," Daryl says, pointing to it. He motions at a female walker in a t-shirt and hoodie. "And that's a civilian."

"So the interior could be overrun with walkers from outside the prison," T-Dog sighs.

"Well, if there's walls down, what are we gonna do?" Glenn asks. "We can't rebuild this whole place."

"We could find the breach and block it off?" I suggest.

"Either way, we can't risk a blind spot," Rick says. "We have to push in. Hope, update the others."

I nod and jog back to where the others wait.

"Everything okay?" Hershel asks.

"We think there could be a breach. We're going to check inside, make sure it's safe," I say.

"Be careful," Carol pleads.

"And don't do anything stupid," Carl adds.

Lori presses her hand to the fence and I put my hand to hers as I give her a reassuring smile. Her lip twitches, her eyes soft, and I turn and go after the others.

There's a caged staircase leading up to the door and others have already gone in, so I follow, machete raised. I don't hear anything inside except for creaking metal as I slowly pull the door shut behind me. The noise echoes.

I emerge into a room with large, barred windows and papers scattered everywhere. There are a few metal tables and chairs and a paned lookout spot overseeing the room. Everything is iron, metal, concrete—cold, unfeeling.

I join Daryl as he peers into a room full of cells. On the wall on the other side, there's a large sign that reads "C BLOCK" in big white letters. Daryl tests the barred door, but it doesn't budge.

We look up at the warden's tower just as Rick appears at the window, holding up a keyring. He comes back downstairs, testing a few keys before finally finding the one that unlocks the door. We move into the cell block, spreading out, weapons ready.

Most of the cells are open and there are more papers and trash scattered everywhere. Some of the cells have bodies of prisoners still inside, blood staining the walls. Rick checks the other door, giving it a test tug, and Glenn and Maggie leave back the way we came.

There's a loud clang from the second floor and I look up at Daryl as he leans over the railing. He presses one finger to his lips, nodding once. I hear snarls, but judging by the lack of panic, the walkers must be locked up. After a second, the groans go quiet and, in another short while, Rick and Daryl toss two bodies down to the ground floor.

As T-Dog and I drag the bodies away, Glenn and Maggie return with the rest of our group and our supplies. Rick comes down the stairs, looking rather proud of himself.

"What do you think?" he asks.

"Home sweet home," Glenn replies.

"For the time being."

"It's secure?" Lori asks, looking around at everything.

"This cell block is," Rick says.

"What about the rest of the prison?" Hershel asks.

Rick moves closer to them. "In the morning, we'll find the cafeteria and infirmary."

"We sleep in the cells?" Beth asks.

"I found keys on some guards," Rick explains. "Daryl has a set too."

"I ain't sleeping in no cage," Daryl calls from the second level. He jerks his chin off to the side. "I'll take the perch."

"Come on," Carol says to Lori, giving her another smile.

Everyone starts to disperse, checking out the cells. Carl hands me my backpack before he and Beth go off to explore. I swing my bag over my shoulder and head up the stairs. Lori and Carol are already picking out a spot and Daryl drags a mattress out onto the platform between the cells and the stairs.

"No cages, huh?" I ask him as he lays down, testing the new bed.

"It ain't for me," he says. "You gonna join me?"

I eye the space left beside his mattress, barely enough for people to walk past, and exhale. "I don't think there's enough room." He looks around as if checking the area, and I smile. "I'll find myself a cell nearby. Feel free to visit me, okay?"

I turn and walk along the block, going to the cell right at the end. It's empty, and relatively clean considering everything, and I toss my backpack onto the top bunk. I sit down on the bottom bunk, testing the cushioning, and figure it's as good as I could hope for.

I peek out the door and Daryl's still on the mattress, one leg kicked up on the other, and I pout a little bit. I'm not good at being forward, I prefer to be coy and let him take the lead, but that's really kicking me in the butt right now. He just had to pick the most visible spot in the place and, what's more, Rick's not in a cell either. He's just...sitting against the wall, head in his hands.

I go back into my cell and grab a rag from my bag, wetting it with some canteen water, and I wash the blood from my hands and arms, then my face. I pause, staring at the cloth, pursing my lips a little in thought.

An idea comes to me and it makes my stomach coil up in a delightful way. I bite my lower lip, fidgeting a bit as I give myself an internal pep talk. I kick off my shoes, remove my socks, then pull my shirt off and set it on the top bunk with the rest of my stuff. I shimmy out of my jeans and add them to the pile.

"Daryl?" I call as I poke my head out of the cell again, careful to hide myself behind the wall. I hear him grunt. "Could you help me for a sec?"

I see him shift, getting up, and I grin a little as I duck back inside the cell, turning my back to the door. I hear his footsteps getting closer.

"Something wrong? I..."

His voice trails off and I see his shadow cover the spot of light that comes through the door. I'm still trying not to tremble with nervous energy as I pull my hair off my neck and over my shoulder.

"Could you get the clasp?" I ask, trying to keep my voice sweet and innocent. "I'm having some trouble."

I hear his footsteps get closer. I still don't look at him, biting my lip against a ridiculous smile. I feel his fingertips fumbling with the worn elastic, the fish hook clips holding my bra on, then a small snap as they come apart.

I reach up, but his hands fall to my shoulders, pushing the straps down, and I have to hold back a gasp when his breath touches my neck, then his lips.

"You think you're real cute, huh?" he mutters.

"Maybe," I breathe.

His hands trail down my arms, pushing the bra down with it, and I close my eyes when it hits the floor. His hands move to my chest, cupping my breasts as he presses another long kiss to my neck. I feel his teeth graze the skin and I swallow, hard.

"Damn," he mumbles. "Couldn't even wait for people to go to sleep, huh?"

I whine in response. His thumb and pointer finger pinch and roll my right nipple, and I groan softly as I tilt my head back, pressing my back to his chest. I peek at his expression and it's positively ravenous, devouring me with his gaze. I feel his arousal pressing against my ass.

"I've missed you," I whisper.

He pulls me against him a little harder, pinching the other nipple and forcing another groan from me. He turns me around and captures my lips with his, tugging me into a kiss that we both moan into. I try to keep kissing him as I work with the buttons on his vest, then his shirt, but it takes too long and he just pulls it over his head. The second it's on the ground, he cups my face and kisses me again fiercely. I cling to his waist, revelling in the rush of it all.

We back up and I duck down, landing on the bunk, and he crawls over me. He kisses my neck, my collarbone, trailing down my chest and capturing one taut nipple in his mouth. I moan as he swirls his tongue around it, sucking and teasing it lightly with his teeth. His hand trails down my stomach, dipping beneath the waistband of my panties, and I gasp when he finally touches me.

"Fuck, you're wet," he breathes, blowing air across my breast and making me shiver.

"I've..." My eyes close tighter, little sparks shooting up my spine as he strokes me again and again. "I've...been thinking about this...all day."

"Fuck," he repeats, teeth grazing my throat. "You're gonna kill me."

I wrap my arms around his neck, pressing my forehead to his shoulder, panting and whimpering as his fingers work over my clit, moving in little circles that send my brain spiralling. I wiggle my hips, reaching to push my panties out of the way, and the pressure disappears for a moment as he rips them off. Again, our mouths collide, tongues brushing, breaths fast, and I reach down to feel him through his pants. A breath hisses from him, but he grips my wrist and pushes it back up, pinning it above my head.

"You first," he says.

He climbs off the cot only to kneel before me, and he hauls my hips over to him as he hooks my legs over his shoulders. I prop myself up on my elbows, eyes wide, my insides throbbing with need, and he looks up at me through his shaggy bangs. This is new. This is very new. We've only ever gotten to use hands, fingers, but this...I want this.

"Can I?" he asks, leaning a bit closer. I feel his breath ghost over my core and I almost throw my head back, thighs quivering. "Please, angel face..."

"Are...are you sure? I..." I flex my fingers against the bed and he keeps watching me, eyes hooded. "I...what if...?"

"Please," he repeats, low, husky. I bite my lip as I groan, nodding, and he leans just a bit closer. Another breath against my core. "What was that, angel?"

"Yes," I gasp. "Please, Daryl, p-please."

He descends on me, mouth hot and wet and I press my hand over my mouth to stifle a high-pitched whine. His tongue explores every inch of me, flicking over my clit, hands gripping my legs and holding me in place. I grind against his mouth, whimpering and panting and moaning into my palm. He sucks a little bit, groaning against me, and my hand falls to his hair, fingers latching onto the strands as I hold on for dear life.

"Tastes so good," he groans. "So wet for me...so sweet..."

He could say just about anything right now and it'd just drive me crazier. There's a knot building in my stomach and my legs keep quivering. I turn my head to the side and bite down on my fist, still moving my hips against his mouth, his tongue never stopping, exploring. The feeling builds, a wave that keeps getting higher and higher, just waiting to crest. It takes everything in me not to moan like a little whore. Briefly, I worry that his jaw will get tired before I finish, but he grips me tighter and my brain turns back into mush.

The knot tightens. The wave reaches its peak, then breaks, washing over me in a rush of toe-curling, spine-tingling pleasure that has me squeezing Daryl's head between my thighs. As it subsides, I go limp, panting, trembling, and Daryl sits back, wiping his mouth on the back of his arm, licking his lips. There's still a little of me caught in his beard.

"I think you liked that," he says.

I nod. I don't think I could talk even if I wanted to, still catching my breath. I feel a tiny heartbeat in my clit. He ducks out from underneath my legs and rests them on the bed before climbing in next to me. He strokes my hair, gazing down at me, and I'm so deliriously happy that I can almost forget we're in a prison cell.

"You're so goddamn beautiful, you know that?" he murmurs.

I giggle a bit, nuzzling my face against his chest as he hugs me close. These are moments that I cherish, when he's gentle and sweet and caring and it's just us. I sit up and his gaze follows me, raising his brow. I wipe off the bit of moisture still stuck in his beard, batting my eyelashes.

"Your turn," I say.

His gaze darts to the notable bulge in his pants and I throw my leg over him. For a second, it brushes against me and I tense, eyes closing for a moment, and his hand touches my thigh. More thoughts go through my mind and I lift myself off him before they can take over. Not yet. Not yet.

He sits up on the edge of the bed and I reach for his belt buckle as I lower myself to my knees. I undo it and he lifts his hips, pulling his pants and boxers down. His dick springs free and I flush at the sight of it. I've seen it, but I've never had my face this close to it, or had him look at me like this.

I wrap my hand around it, slowly pulling the foreskin down, freeing the head, already flushed dark pink. The skin here is smooth, soft, and he gets even harder beneath my touch. His hands grip the bed and he stares at me intently.

"Are you okay with this?" I ask, giving a few more strokes.

He nods. "Fuck, yes."

I swallow, wetting my lips, then bring myself closer. I wrap my lips around the head first, swirling my tongue around to test the reaction I get. His thighs tense and a breath rushes from him. He tastes salty, musky, and I take a second to let myself get used to it. He groans.

"You trying to torture me?" he grits out.

"Mm," I hum.

I slide the rest inside, far too aware of my teeth, trying not to graze him, and he lets out another low groan. I bob my head up and down, trying to stop it from hitting the back of my throat, eyes closed as I breathe through my nose, focusing on the movement, on my tongue.

Maybe I'm focusing too much, but I'm nervous about being bad. Can you give bad head? I guess anything with too much teeth would be bad, or if my mouth was dry—

His hand falls to my hair and pushes me down a bit. A thrill runs through me as his head hits the back of my throat and I shift closer. I reach one hand up to grip his shaft, moving my hand up and down as I keep sucking him off, trying to swallow him as deep as I can.

"Ah, fuck," he curses, fingers gripping my curls. "Just like that."

I keep going and I can feel him getting bigger, swelling the more I pleasure him. I've noticed it before, how he starts seemingly average but the harder he gets, the bigger he gets. He's the perfect size, I think, all hard and pulsing. Delicious.

I pull back for a breath, to swallow back the excess saliva building in my mouth, hand still pumping, then I go right back in. Daryl sucks in a breath through his teeth, eyes screwed shut, still gripping my hair.

"Fuck, Hope, I'm gonna—"

He shoves my head down and I swallow him down to the base. I feel his cum hit the back of my throat, spurting down it, warm and salty, and I try my best not to choke as I force breaths through my nose. The pressure on my scalp releases and I pull back, pressing my hand to my mouth, eyes wide. Daryl stares at me, panting.

I brace myself, swallow hard, then cough, my eyes watering at the sting in my nose. He reaches for me and I turn away, coughing again into my arm.

"Sorry, I—" Another cough.

"Here. Water."

He hands me my canteen and I take a long drink. I give it back to him and he takes a drink too. He exhales, falling back onto the bed, reaching out to me again.

"C'mere," he mumbles.

I go to him, still naked as the day I was born, and he crushes me to his chest. I can feel his softening dick against my thigh as he holds me close, my ear pressed to his chest so I can hear how fast his heart pounds.

"Merle...Merle told me Christian girls give good head," he mumbles.

I lightly smack his chest. "Don't ruin the moment."

"Just saying...he had a point."

I bury my face in his chest, groaning, blushing. "God..."

He chuckles softly, pressing a kiss to my hair. "Thanks," he murmurs. "Didn't expect that."

"Thank you," I reply. "That felt...amazing."

"Jaw was really starting to ache near the end though. I got you there, right?"

I snort out a laugh. "Oh, please, not the 'did you cum' thing. You couldn't tell?"

"Just wanna make sure. I can do more if you need." His hand trails down to my butt, squeezing it a bit.

I shake my head, leaning up enough to give him a soft kiss. "I'm good. I promise." He nods, tilting his head back as he closes his eyes, and I smile. "Need another minute?"

"Mhm."

I cuddle against him. "Take all the time you need."

I'm not sure when I fall asleep, I just know that Daryl's beneath me and I feel safer than I have in a very long time.