Summary:

'Tethered' is a depiction of the way Daryl and Carol's relationship first develops (we start out on the farm, post Sophia).  You'll see them as friends first.  They slowly become more.  You're in for tons of angst, feels, some humor, flirtation, and so much wonderful tension!   Fair warning: you'll encounter language, violence and adult situations.

Rated: E
Categories: Season 2/3 Interlude
Characters: Carol Peletier, Daryl Dixon
Genres: Angst, Drama, Romance
Warnings: Adult Language, Sexual Situations
Series: None
Chapters: 41 Completed: Yes
Word count: 402350 Read: 41352
Published: September 30, 2015 Updated: October 15, 2015

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1. Solace by SamiWammy [Reviews - 15] (1507 words)

Wanted to start with Daryl's POV.  Our group is on the farm.  The barn incident has already taken place and Daryl hasn't gotten over it.  He's angry with himself.  He's carrying the guilt of what happened.  Here, we'll see him taking a moment to get away and clear his head.

2. Clean by SamiWammy [Reviews - 4] (1745 words)

Daryl is still trying to get the ghosts out of his head and shake off the guilt.  He hopes that by swimming, he can cleanse himself somehow.  He wants to wash away more than just sweat and dirt. 

3. Motions by SamiWammy [Reviews - 4] (2803 words)

Getting into Carol's head now.  She's struggling to maintain any sort of normalcy now that Sophia is gone.  She's gone numb.  We see a breif flashback which provides a glimpse into what life was like with Ed.  By the end of the chapter, we see some cuteness between her and Daryl.  He's breaking through her wall.

4. Control by SamiWammy [Reviews - 2] (2676 words)

Last chapter left off with some Caryl cuteness.  Picking right back up here.  Rick and Shane interrup our couple only to let them know that they're trying to get a group together for gun training later in the afternoon.  Carol isn't sure about whether or not to join in.  As she considers, we flashback to the quarry...to when the camp was attacked and she put Ed down.  Feels ahead, but we'll end on a lighter, humorous note.

5. Distractions by SamiWammy [Reviews - 2] (3116 words)

Daryl needs to keep his mind off Sophia, Carol...everything.  So he decides to go hunting, hoping that some time alone in the woods will help clear his head.  We'll jump back into his POV while he tries to figure out what keeps him with Rick's group.  At the end, we'll be one step closer to gun training :)

6. Trigger by SamiWammy [Reviews - 4] (3657 words)

Okay...so we've had some feels, some serious flashbacks...and now it's time to get a little saucy ; )  No smut here, just some subtle, or maybe not so subtle chemistry developing between Daryl and Carol.  It's time for gun training, and our heroes are a little frustrated while Daryl tries to teach Carol to use his weapon...ahem...a weapon.  Things are heating up on the farm lol.  Enjoy!

7. Muddy by SamiWammy [Reviews - 3] (5065 words)

Daryl and Carol are both confused by what happened during gun training.  While our hunter stays busy walking the perimeter of the farm, Carol helps out in the kitchen.  The women hope that by preparing a good meal, they can bring everyone together for at least one night of peace.  Carol is secretly hopeful that Daryl will come to dinner...but he's working out his stress in the woods.  Things get a little more confusing.

8. Talking by SamiWammy [Reviews - 3] (3596 words)

Some serious awkward, Caryl cuteness here.  Our hunter needs help getting a splinter out of his hand, and who better to nurse him than Carol?  Fun, sweet scenes with the two of them in the kitchen.  They even start to let their guards down a little.  Enjoy!

9. Split by SamiWammy [Reviews - 3] (4581 words)

Picking up the morning after the dinner.  Daryl and Carol are struggling to figure out what's happening between them.  They don't get it, and they're not prepared for it.  Daryl gets asked to tag along on a supply run.  Carol finds out he's going and it makes her uneasy.  She's incredibly frustrated and distracted by her sudden feelings for him, and the whole thing has her on edge.  In for some feels here.

10. Close by SamiWammy [Reviews - 3] (7972 words)

Here's where we get into the action!  Daryl, Rick and Glenn are off on a run, and have a few close calls.  Back on the farm, Andrea is working to keep Carol distracted.  While the men are gone, Carol can't help but worry about the hunter.  He's found his way under her skin.  All she can do is hope that he comes back in one piece.  We end with more cute, awkwardness between them.

11. Thoughts by SamiWammy [Reviews - 4] (6647 words)

Picking up later that same day.  The group is back from the run, and everyone's a little shaken up.  The tension increases between Daryl and Carol.  It's really starting to get to them.  They don't know how to deal with it.  They're frustrated and confused.  We end with some fire between them as tempers flare and they share an intense moment in the middle of camp that night.

12. Spark by SamiWammy [Reviews - 3] (6905 words)

Picking up later that same night, after our couple's little fight.  They're both restless.  Carol can't sleep.  She decides to head up to the roof of the RV, hoping she'll find some company if someone is on watch.  The heat will continue to build here, and as the chapter title suggests...sparks will begin to fly.  Enjoy!

13. Panic by SamiWammy [Reviews - 3] (8467 words)

Daryl and Carol are still on the roof of the RV.  Things get a little heated between them, but an unexpected gunshot cools things off.  Panic settles in as some of the survivors realize that the farm is in terrible danger...

14. Run by SamiWammy [Reviews - 3] (8821 words)

The farm is in chaos as walkers descend.  The survivors are scattered separated, fending for themselves.  They all know they need to leave, abandon the farm...  Carol winds up on her own, fighting for her life. 

15. Scattered by SamiWammy [Reviews - 1] (11443 words)

Some of our survivors are still fighting to make it off the farm.  Meanwhile, Carol is losing herself in strange dreams.  We get a glimpse into her mind and see a tender, heated moment between her and Daryl.  When she wakes up, she needs to figure out how to reunite with her group.

16. Lost by SamiWammy [Reviews - 3] (8619 words)

Picking up from the reunion on the highway.  Carol and Daryl share an emotional moment as they revisit the place they last saw Sophia.  Our group needs shelter and time to recover.  They decide to camp out in a small gas-station.  Daryl and Carol's connection continues to grow.

17. Respite by SamiWammy [Reviews - 5] (6860 words)

The survivors take cover in the gas-station for the night.  Things get interesting when everyone tries to decide where to bed down.  Daryl and Carol can't seem to stay away from each others.  We'll finish off the chapter with some awkward Caryl cuteness!

18. Barriers by SamiWammy [Reviews - 4] (9463 words)

Picking right back up at the gas station.  We'll get inside Daryl and Carol's heads to see what they both thought of that kiss.  Things keep heating up as the two survivors realize they're too restless to sleep.  This is pure, uncut Caryl tension.

19. Struggle by SamiWammy [Reviews - 1] (14222 words)

Interrupted again!  Needing to cool down, Carol decides to head outside with Andrea so the two of them can check on Rick.  In the parking lot, Carol breaks down.  She finally confides in Andrea.  Meanwhile, in the gas station, Daryl is losing the battle with his sexual frustration.  He has a sexy moment of weakness, and has to fight against his urges.  The next morning, the group plans their next move.  Things get tricky when Carol has to decide whether she'll ride in the pick up, the Buick, or on the bike with Daryl.

20. Risk by SamiWammy [Reviews - 1] (9651 words)

Our group decides they need to find a gun store and get their hands on as much ammo as they can.  When they reach their destination, they find themselves in a dangerous situation.  With lives on the line, Carol has to make a difficult decision.  We'll see some action sequences, gore, and end with a moment of Caryl heat.

21. Fight by SamiWammy [Reviews - 2] (12872 words)

Picking right back up where we left off.  Daryl and Carol are trapped in the stock room.  They're running out of time, out of options...and it all becomes too much for Carol.  She and Daryl share several heated moments alone in the dark before they decide to fight for their lives.  We'll see plenty of action as our survivors struggle to make it out of the gun shop alive.

22. Complicated by SamiWammy [Reviews - 1] (14139 words)

Daryl and Rick have a heart-to-heart as they go back to check the stock room for ammo.  The hunter is starting to realize how much Carol means to him.  Our group decides to head for a nearby river in the hopes of setting up camp for the night.  We'll see a few cute moments of jealousy.

23. Confusion by SamiWammy [Reviews - 1] (8948 words)

As our survivors try to make themselves at home near the river bank, Daryl and Carol work to keep themselves occupied.  We'll see some cuteness between them.  As evening falls, Daryl and Carol make a deal.

24. Temptation by SamiWammy [Reviews - 2] (9516 words)

Daryl and Carol's deal backfires...in a good way.  They realize that keeping watch for one another may not be as simple as they thought.  Ditching their clothes, they each take turns washing up in the river.  The attraction and heat continues to build between them and we end with a sexy moment beneath a tree.

25. Shift by SamiWammy [Reviews - 4] (14625 words)

Find out what happens between Daryl and Carol as they struggle together beneath the tree.  Lines are crossed, and Carol is faced with a difficult decision.  Prepared for heat, and tons of angst!

26. Secrets by SamiWammy [Reviews - 1] (14792 words)

After their heated moment beneath the tree, Daryl and Carol have some thinking to do.  They're confused, unsure...lost.  Carol hopes no one will notice the bite mark Daryl left on her neck...but someone does.  Daryl wakes the next morning only to find that he doesn't remember what happened the night before.  It's a difficult morning for Daryl and Carol, and things just seem to be getting more and more complicated.

27. Awkward by SamiWammy [Reviews - 1] (14926 words)

Andrea presses Carol to explain the bite mark.  As she tells her story, Carol realizes how conflicted she is.  Daryl is lost, with no memory of what happened the night before.  T-Dog and Rick get Daryl to take them hunting.  In the woods, Daryl runs into some trouble.  It gives him time to think about the group...the people that really matter to him.

28. Attraction by SamiWammy [Reviews - 2] (11787 words)

We start off with some serious Caryl cuteness and flirtation.  Carol helps him get down to the river so he can soak his injured ankle.  Something comes over the two of them and they start flirting, teasing.  They can't help the forces of attraction that keep drawing them together.  There's a fun, almost feisty air of competition between them throughout the chapter.  Daryl tries to teach the others to skin and prepare a deer that he's killed, but he's really interested in getting close to Carol.

29. Help by SamiWammy [Reviews - 1] (14518 words)

Daryl isn't doing well after he discovers the bite mark on Carol's shoulder.  He recalls another time where he had trouble dealing with reality and tried to escape.  We'll start with a flashback to the CDC.  Carol flees to the river to get away from the hunter.  While Daryl and T-Dog have a heart-to-heart in the pick-up, Herschel shares some kind words of encouragement with Carol by the river.

30. Trying by SamiWammy [Reviews - 1] (12705 words)

Daryl and Carol are trying to cope with the growing tension and awkwardness between them.  We'll see some cuteness between them in the truck bed, and then a little heat while the group gathers around the fire that night.

31. Comfort by SamiWammy [Reviews - 1] (14946 words)

Carol makes a terrible discovery and it leaves her shaken.  The only one who can comfort her is Daryl.  Shaken, afraid, they cling to one another in a moment of darkness.

32. Scars by SamiWammy [Reviews - 1] (12920 words)

Daryl and Carol climb into the pick-up.  They need some time, some space to deal with everything Rick's just told them.  Daryl drives them to the opposite side of the clearing where they're relatively isolated.  Together, under the moon, the two broken people open up, swapping stories, showing each other their scars.  We'll end with some heat.

33. Escape by SamiWammy [Reviews - 2] (14435 words)

Rick has to face the others back at camp to break the news about Patricia.  Our group suffers with the knowledge that they're all infected.  We'll pick back up with Daryl and Carol on the opposite side of the clearing.  They're lost in their own world and things are heating up...

34. Connection by SamiWammy [Reviews - 1] (14413 words)

Picking right back up with that same scene.  Daryl and Carol are still sitting in the grass together, taking comfort from one another.  The heat builds and they realize that they have a strong connection.

35. Together by SamiWammy [Reviews - 1] (12042 words)

The group seeks to honor Patricia with a proper burial.  Carol and Daryl share a tender moment during the funeral.  Daryl realizes that he's becoming a part of the group, all because of the connection he shares with Carol.  We'll some flirtation between them at the end.

36. Doubts by SamiWammy [Reviews - 2] (13769 words)

Carol isn't sure what came over her.  She doesn't know why Daryl has such an intense effect on her everytime he's around.  Rick rounds up the survivors to get them all loaded into the vehicles.  They need to move, find shelter...get someplace safe.  But they don't konw where they're going.  They stumble across a secluded older house.  Find out what's waiting inside.

37. Touch by SamiWammy [Reviews - 1] (14976 words)

Carol gives in to Andrea's nagging and heads outside to find Daryl.  She plans to try and convince him to abandon his tent and join the others in the house, where it's safe.  When she finds Daryl, the two have a heated discussion that quickly leads to more. 

38. Explore by SamiWammy [Reviews - 1] (14838 words)

Picking right back up where we left off.  Daryl is finally going to see her.  But she's nervous.  They both are.  He wants to understand her body and learn how to please her.  Warning: adult situations ahead. 

39. Collide by SamiWammy [Reviews - 5] (14872 words)

Daryl is afraid of what she'll think, now that she's going to see all of him.  But they two survivors are too far gone to stop.  Their need is too great.  Unable to control themselves any longer, they finally collide.  Warning: graphic sexual content ahead.

40. Aftermath by SamiWammy [Reviews - 1] (10808 words)

Picking right back up with Daryl and Carol's conversation in the tent.  They're falling fast now that they've finally given into to the forces attraction.  But they're not sure how to behave around one another anymore.  Prepare for some cuteness and awkwardness as our couple works to keep their new relationship hidden from the others.

41. Beginnings by SamiWammy [Reviews - 10] (7687 words)

Its finally time to bed down.  Daryl and Carol get the isolation they've been after all day.  We'll see angst, tenderness, and heat as they collide with each other again and discuss what the future might hold.  We'll finish the story with a flashback that depicts the first time Daryl met Carol.