Disclaimer: Don't own Walking Dead

AN: I felt obligated to give you guys this oneshot after the last one sucked. I like this one a lot better even if it is kinda short.

Enjoy

Quite a Catch

Carl stood at the bars of one of the cells as he watched everyone, minus Carol who was on watch, sit together by a candlelight. Andrea had arrived back here after being dead in their eyes for eight months. Carl was surprised that the woman was alive, but didn't really care right now. Axel was dead because of the man she was sleeping with and they lost the field and courtyard due to The Governor attacking them. Andrea trying to play peacemaker was stupid too. Nothing she said would stop this upcoming war between his group and The Governor's group.

He heard the sound of his crush starting to sing. Carl always liked Beth's singing. It was something that helped to calm the group and to make them feel more at peace with what was going on with them. He heard her sing Judith to sleep a couple times during the past week or so since she was born and Carl always found himself standing around listening to her melodic voice echo in the cellblock. She would catch him listening and would smile when he did, not feeling as embarrassed as she would if it were someone else that heard her. That was how Carl knew how close the two of them were. Beth was shy a little bit around the group and was really only open with her family and him, but lately she's been speaking out and offering suggestions. Carl was proud of her for doing so.

He watched his dad walk down the steps holding Judith. Carl was worried about his dad and his sanity. It was clearly obvious that Rick was losing it and his outrage at Tyreese's group was when Carl first noticed that his dad wasn't as well as he should be. Carl told him that he shouldn't be the leader anymore because Rick did deserve a break from leading. It looked stressful and with everything happening now, the group needed Rick at his best and that didn't include him yelling and screaming at random times. Plus… Carl just wanted his dad back.

Hearing Beth's voice grow louder as her confidence did, Carl found himself smiling. He didn't know if he just had crush-like feelings for her or if they went farther, but there was definitely something in Carl's heart that only beat for Beth. The group was watching her and all of the extra eyes didn't stop her. In fact, she seemed to welcome it. Carl loved seeing her so happy and so confident. It brought out a side of her that Carl enjoyed seeing and being around.

Carl caught Merle coming out from behind him, leaning against the other side of the cell where Carl was standing. Carl didn't like this guy. Even if he respected Daryl and saw him as a brother figure, Merle was someone Carl didn't like all that much. Carl remembered clearly back in the Atlanta camp how much of a douche Merle was to everyone, specifically T-Dog, Glenn, and Morales. Carl couldn't stop the glare coming on his face towards the older Dixon Brother.

Merle caught it and smirked at Carl, "What's up, Mini-Sheriff?" Carl wasn't amused by the nickname. "What's with the stink-eye?" Merle looked around and landed his eyes on Beth, laughing a second later. "Oh! You got your eye on that girl there?"

Carl lowered his glare a little, ashamed at being caught after having kept his crush on Beth a secret for awhile. Merle comes and just finds out within ten seconds. Just great.

"She is quite a catch, ain't she?" Merle nodded. "Good for you, little man. You don't have to worry about me taking your girl. I'm a lot of things, but I ain't a homewrecker. I'll be a hypocrite if I am." Merle seemed to recall something before shrugging it off. "I still don't appreciate the stink eye."

Carl stopped his glare on him.

"Thank ya. If you need any advice on women, my door is always open. So long as your daddy keeps it unlocked." Merle gestured to Rick looking at him with a warning look, warning Merle that if he did anything to his son, he would die.

Carl wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he settled for a nod and a mumbled 'thanks.' Merle clapped him on the shoulder with his left hand as Beth started wrapping up her song.

"If you don't mind my asking, what do you like about her? Aside from how cute she is. There must be something else, right? You don't strike me as the kind of guy that goes for looks alone. You remind me a lot of your pops."

Carl didn't know why Merle was acting friendly with him. Maybe he was just trying to be friendly to him so he can be seen as changed in the eyes of everyone. Maybe he was just putting on an act so he can get close to his dad and take revenge for cuffing him on the roof. That was a reason why Carl wanted his dad focused and back to normal. He needed to be on guard and alert if Merle decided to come after him.

Carl decided to humor Merle, "She's a nice girl. I like her smile and she's my best friend. She makes me feel good when I'm feeling sad and she helped me after I had to shoot my mom in the face to stop her from coming back as a walker. She's just… perfect in my eyes." Carl felt a little embarrassed for talking to Merle of all people about this but he couldn't help himself from ranting about how perfect Beth was.

Merle nodded, "Like I said, kid, if you need help and your pop keeps me unlocked, I'm always ready to help." He motioned for Carl to look forward to Beth, who was wrapped up with her song.

Beth locked eyes with Carl, smiled and blew him a kiss, Carl's face turning a unhealthy red. Everyone laughed when they saw him blush.

"I think she likes ya," Merle hollered.

Beth kept smiling at him and Carl found himself smiling back.

She really was quite a catch. He would be knocking on Merle's door soon if the redneck was serious in what he said.

But it would have to wait as his dad wanted him and Michonne to come with him on a run.

She gave him a hug and kiss on his cheek and was anxiously awaiting for when he returned. As Carl left, he could see Merle talking to Daryl, the latter writing some things down, most likely what Merle was gonna tell him.

Carl locked eyes with her one more time and smiled back as he kept eye-contact until Michonne drove far enough away where they couldn't see each other anymore. He felt his dad clap him on his shoulder from the front of the car.

"You'll see her again." Rick promised.

Carl hoped he was right. His angel was waiting for him and he was gonna come home to her.

No matter what.

End of Quite a Catch

I liked this a lot, hoped you did too.

I kinda liked the Merle/Carl friendship there. Did you?

I might expand on this if you want me.

See ya!