I peered through the scope on my rifle, only to see two walkers banging on the fence surrounding the prison. I sighed and put the rifle back by my side, I was currently on watch by myself up in the guard tower and I was getting rather bored. It was really early in the morning with the sun barely peeking through the forest and just enough light for me to see the area. I had just relieved Glenn and he seemed more than willing to let me take over for him, he had been taking late night watched for days now. The one good thing about watch this early, was that it wasn't too hot, but that would only last for a few hours. 

I set the rifle down by my side and picked up the binoculars to get a better look of the prison area. And just like I suspected there was nothing wrong. That was really the only thing I could do up here on watch, was check and re check the surroundings, especially since the attack from the governor, but that didn't make this any less boring. I don't even think Daryl knew I had watch this morning, he was dead asleep when I left him about an hour ago. 

It had been two days since Rick told us we were going to war with the governor, and the group was getting increasingly worried as the days passed. Carol and Hershel were determined we should pack up and take our chances out on the road. And when I looked at baby Judith and Carl, it made me consider that option as well. The others I'm pretty sure wanted to stay and protect what was ours, and at the moment that was where i was standing as my decision. We took this prison, spilled blood to get it and I didn't want to just leave without a fight. And I would protect every last one of these people with the last breath of life I had in my body if it came to that, even Merle who was starting to grow on me. I no longer wanted to slice him up in his sleep.

"Em's?" I head behind me, and whipped around to see a sleepy looking Daryl standing by the door to the stairs. I smiled when I saw him and nodded my head for him to come over to me, he silently walked over and rested him arms on the railing beside me. "Been looking for ya" Daryl said softly, rubbing the back of my hand with the knuckle of his finger. "Didn't wanna wake you, you need sleep" I told him, placing the binoculars on the ground beside me with the rifle. I turned around and leaned my back against the railing so I could see him properly.

He had bags under his eyes and looked as if he hadn't slept in weeks, I wasn't lying when i told him he needed his sleep. Daryl had a tendency to toss and turn in his sleep, I knew this as I was laying beside him. The stress of everything going on right now was taking it's toll not only on him, but on all of us. "Don't worry me like that Em's" Daryl said softly, reaching over and pushing some of my hair behind my ear. I sighed and closed my eyes, taking a step closer to Daryl. "I can handle myself Dare" I told him opening my eyes. 

"I know" he said with a nod. "When's next watch?" He asked shifting his position so we were now facing each other. "Two hours" I told him. He nodded again before looking up and looking into my eyes, and i couldn't help but feel nervous at this look I was receiving. He was looking at me as if i was about to leave him and never come back, looking as if i was about to leave him and head off to war or something. I couldn't place what was wrong but i had a feeling the thing with the governor had something to do with it. 

I reached over and placed my hand gently on his cheek, he leaned slightly into my touch. I took another step closer to Daryl, to where our chests were now touching and I could feel every ragged breath he was taking. Daryl reached up and cupped my face in both of his large calloused hands, the way he was looking down at me was making me lose my breath. Daryl's beautiful blue eyes looked down at me with so much love and passion, I honestly could barely take it anymore. Daryl closed his eyes and rested his forehead against mine, "I love you so much" He mumbled to me. I couldn't help but smile at him even though he couldn't see it. "I love you too Daryl" I told him.

Daryl eyes opened and he looked slowly from my eyes down to my lips, before leaning down and capturing my lips with his in a gently yet passionate kiss. His hands still had hold of my face, so i let my arms go around his waist and hold him tightly to me. I opened my mouth and let Daryl's tongue wander inside with mine, and I bit slightly down on his bottom lip causing him to groan in pleasure. I was gripping his waist so tightly I had his shirt in bunches under my fingernails. Daryl was breathing heavily, his breath fanning some of my hair in disarray around my face.

"Emma, we don't know what's going to happen with the governor" Daryl started, and I let myself suddenly get emotional realizing what he was doing. I held a hand up and shook my head to silence what he wanted to say.

"Don't Daryl, don't talk to me like were about to die. Don't say goodbye to me" i said softly, several warm tears rolling down my sun burnt cheeks. Daryl shook his head and quickly reached up and to wipe away the tears. "I would never say goodbye to you, I would die before I let anything happen to you" He said taking my face once more in his hands. I stifled a sob when he told me that, I would never let Daryl die if I could help it. I would lay down my life so he could keep on going, take any bullet or throw myself at walkers if it meant Daryl could live. So instead of telling Daryl that if something happened and it came between the two of us, that i would die for him, I instead just slowly nodded my head in agreement. 

Daryl smiled before kissing my forehead gently "I was going to say, if we die I want to love you in every way possible before then" He whispered softly in my ear. I was glad he had his face buried in my neck because he made a blush creep up from my neck all the way to my cheeks. He kissed my neck softly before trailing kisses all the way back to my lips. I moaned against him and threw my arms around his neck, his arms going around my waist. "Daryl" I moaned against his lips.

"hm?" 

"Make love to me" I whispered pulling apart from his lips. Daryl smiled slightly before picking me up bridal style and carrying me into the watch tower. I kissed his neck gently and ran my fingers through his long greasy hair before Daryl gently laid me down on the floor of the tower. He smirked down at me while i watched him slowly unbutton his shirt, his eyes never leaving mine. I giggled when he tossed his shirt at me and it landed on my head covering my face. I tossed it to the side, and gasped only to see a fully naked Daryl sitting on his knees in front of me. Man he can undress quickly.  I let my eyes wander from his broad shoulders, down to his defined abs and finally to his impressive member that was clearly excited. 

"Your turn" He said with the same smirk on his face. I smiled up at him before ripping my shirt over my head and throwing at him the way he did with his own. I kept Daryl's heated gaze the whole time while undoing my belt and taking off my dirty jeans and boots.

And here we were, two vulnerable lovers sitting under lusty glances of the other. Daryl looked down my slender body before looking back up into my eyes. He was only a couple feet away from me so it was easy for him to reach out and run his hand down my arm, that simple touch sending shivers throughout my entire naked body. "Your beautiful" He told me softly, crawling slowly closer to me until he was hovering over my trembling body.

I didn't know why I was nervous, I had done this plenty of times before in college, and with a couple of fellow interns at my hospital. But with Daryl it was different, he was the first man I ever loved, the first man that could make me weak by one simple glance. It was powerful and scary to know that this man could make me forget everything in the world, that i could lose myself with him. But I loved him so much none of that mattered, and right now it was only me and him. 

Daryl reached down and cupped my chin with one hand, while the other slowly slid down to my bare waist. I smiled up and him before pushing my lips into his roughly, hungry to feel his body against mine. "Slow down baby" Daryl whispered to me, pulling apart slowly and smirking at how impatient I was. I chuckled before wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him down closer to me, where i could feel his member pulsing against my thigh. 

I moaned when Daryl reached down and slid two fingers inside my opening, and I gasped loudly when he started to push them in and out slowly, teasing me. I took one of his nipples in my mouth and gently bit down between my teeth. Daryl moaned and yanked some of my hair in his fist as I kissed upwards from his chest to his neck. With his free hand he yanked my head backwards and attacked my lips with his own, and I groaned at his forcefulness. 

I reached down and grabbed his member in my hand, gripping it tightly and pumping up and down slowly. "Fuck" Daryl hissed through his teeth and buried his head in my neck. After a couple minutes it was as if Daryl couldn't take it anymore and grabbed both of my hands tightly and held them above my head, and it wasn't long before I felt him slide inside of me. I moaned loudly and bit down on his shoulder as he thrust in and out several times. He pulled out fully, only to push himself in all the way once more.

Daryl and I were panting heavily, sweat dripping from both of our bodies as we rolled around on the slick hard floor of the guard tower...

We both finished twenty minutes later, both of us taking our sweet time enjoying to body of the other. We both had our flaws physically, I had scars all over from the years this apocalypse and the crazy people in it did to me, while Daryl scars were from a completely different life, but we both found ourselves admiring the wounds of the other. Daryl would gently kiss my numerous scars on my stomach, while I would take my time kissing every horrible scar down his back. As if trying to kiss away all of the horrible memories that they all held.

Daryl gently ran his fingers down my spine as I rested my head against his chest. We both were sweating profusely, both from the heat outside and from our previous activities but I didn't mind in the least. "Carl will be on watch soon" I mumbled to Daryl as I realized how long we had been up here in the guard tower, and the fact that nobody was technically on guard. Daryl just mumbled something incoherent and squeezed my side with his hand.  "I don't want to scar the kid for life Dixon, Get dressed" I said with a chuckle as I pushed myself up from him and began gathering up our clothing. 

Daryl playfully glared at me before grabbing my hand and yanking me back down on top of him, my clothing falling onto the ground beside him. He kissed the tip of my nose before kissing my lips quickly. "Alright, lets get dressed" Daryl said, disappointment clear in his voice. I dressed quickly and tossed my hair up in a messy bun before lacing my boots up and sliding my knife back inside. Daryl came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing the side of my head. I sighed and leaned back into him closing my eyes.

Carl took over watch a few minutes later, and i was glad he didn't seem to suspect anything went on between us. Rick was wandering around the prison acting rather strange, like he was keeping something from all of us. Daryl had left me to go find Merle, seeing as the last time anyone saw him was last night and he was looking for drugs inside the unused mattresses. Daryl had worn me out when I was supposed to keep watch, and all I wanted to do was take a nap but there was way too much to get done like usual.

I was helping Carol fill the remainders of the pistol magazines that needed to be filled, when Rick ran in to the cell block looking flustered. "Rick, what's wrong?" I asked with raised eyebrows seeing my friend running his hands frantically through his hair. He looked back and forth between Carol and I before locking eyes with me and nodding for me to follow him outside. I sighed and handed Carol the filled clip before following after him.

Rick walked onto the catwalk the was raised above the courtyard and leaned against the chain fence. "The governor said he would leave us alone, if I gave him Michonne" Rick said softly avoiding eye contact. I gasped hearing this, and became even more worried that I didn't see her anywhere this morning. Michonne and I became pretty close lately, and I loved when we were put on watch together, but i couldn't believe Rick would actually do this. "Where is she Rick?!" I demanded wanting to know where my friend was. 

Rick lowered his eyes before looking over and me and shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know, I changed my mind and now her and Merle are nowhere to be found. Daryl went after them" Rick told me, suddenly looking down in shame. I sighed, glad that Rick wasn't actually going to give Michonne up and placed my hand on his shoulder seeing how lost he looked. "You made the right call" was all i told him before heading back into the cell block to see if Daryl had already left.

I ran through the cell block and out to the courtyard when i saw the back of Daryl running down the pathway to the fences. "Daryl!" I yelled over to him, and he stopped in his tracks and turned when he saw me running towards him. When I reached him he was holding his crossbow and chewing on his thumbnail. "Let me come with you" I told him, trying to walk past him to the gate. "No Emma" He said forcefully. "Stay here, I have to find Merle" He told me pushing me gently behind him to the prison. I looked at him with saddened eyes that he was leaving me again.

His eyes softened before walking back to me and kissing me on the forehead "Ill come back to you, I promise" He said softly against my skin, and in a flash he was gone, running down the path away from the prison. I kept my eyes on him until I could no longer see his retreating figure running away from me, and couldn't help but feel something was wrong in the pit of my stomach. Daryl had left again, and all I could do was hope and pray that he would come back to me like he said, that I didn't make a mistake by not chasing after him.