A/N: This story started off as one-shot in my Summer Fun series and several people were interested in a continuing story so if you read this on it then you know why. I'm going to do a whole story based on it. Please read, review, and enjoy. METH and CARYL.
Merle and Beth had been on the run for three days, when they came upon the small house in the woods. Merle wanted to cry in relief because he knew the girl needed some rest, food and water. She had lost weight and he knew that she was extremely dehydrated. Beth sagged in relief as she saw the house. She knew that the house offered shelter and rest and she needed that and it would also give herself some time to process what had happened and maybe she could finally began to grieve some. She had watched her father's murder at the hand of the Governor and it had ripped a piece of her soul from her. She didn't know if she would ever be whole again all she knew was that her father was dead, her sister missing and there was a Judith's car seat full of blood. She pushed the thoughts side of the baby that she had raised and trudged forward they had to reach the safety of the house. She had saw that Merle's side was bleeding and knew that he had been grazed by a bullet and he had lost a lot of blood, whenever she had tried to inspect it he had batted her concerns away telling her it was nothing more than a bug bite.
Merle walked up onto the wrap around porch and tested the door, it was locked. Merle didn't know if that was a good sign or a very bad omen. Merle picked the lock quickly and nodded at Beth, she took up a defensive position on the left side of the door, showing Merle that he had the lead. Merle opened the door slowly and quietly, praying that the house was empty. He stepped cautiously into the living room, scanning over it quickly with his eyes and finding it empty. He motioned for Beth to follow in behind him. "You check the kitchen and I'll take upstairs." Merle told her. Beth nodded at him and put her small pistol away and pulled out the large knife that Merle had given her she waited for a moment until Merle had made it upstairs then she went into the kitchen. She checked and saw that it was clear so she began rummaging in the cabinets for food and water. She was straving and dying for a drink. The cabinets to her delight were stocked and the frig had several bottles of water in it. They had hit a gold mine. She just knew that they could make this the base of their operations and start searching for the others and find what was left of their family. She knew that Merle wanted to find Daryl and Carol as bad as she did Maggie and Glenn.
The upstairs was clear, it didn't even look like a walker had ever even been in the house. Merle's gut told him something was off about this place but he didn't know what, but for the time being it was going to have to do. He needed to tend to the flesh wound he had received and make sure that infection and gain green didn't set it because they had no medicine, he also wanted to start looking for his brother and sister-in-law, he knew that if anyone made it was them. Nothing could kill a Dixon but a Dixon and if he was honest with himself he wanted to get Beth healthier than what she was. Something about that little angel made him want to do what was right. He had liked her from the moment that he had seen her, and wanted her since the moment she had sang, and desired to claim her when she broken up the fight between him and Glenn by shooting a pistol, but most of all he had respected when she had stood up to everyone at the prison for him when he had tried to take the governor out on his own, and now he cared about her because through all the tragedy they had seen in the past week she had stood strong and resilient while they looked for shelter.
Merle walked back down stairs and say that his angel was already fixing lunch for the both of them. She had found them some chili, a rarity now days and some peaches and Merle loved peaches. They were his favorite fruit and always had been. "Looks good little darling." He said smiling at her. "Thanks. I figured you would be hungry and thirsty. There is bottled water in the frig." She said as she went back to stirring the chili trying to make it eatable even though it was cold. "I'm gonna go out and see if maybe there's a generator and gas left in the tank so we can have a hot shower." Merle told her as he grabbed a bottle of water and headed out the back door.
Sure enough in the shed was a generator full of fuel. Merle cranked it and knew that Beth would be happier than a song bird on a bright summer's day. Merle made his way back into the house. Beth was still stirring the chili added spices that she had found. He flipped on the light switch. Beth squealed in happiness and ran and hugged Merle hard. He hugged her back, and he couldn't help but think that she felt completely right in his arms.
Beth went over to the stove and turned it on and began rummaging through the drawers until she found a pan. She was so excited that she was going to actually be able to cook a meal. Merle could hunt while they were here and they could have real food. Beth just knew that this was blessing from God.
Merle went into the living room and pulled off his dirty wife beater and inspected the wound on his right side. The bullet had grazed him and not actually stuck in his body. Merle was thankful for that. He poured some water onto and balled up his shirt and cleaned it. So far the wound wasn't showing any signs of infection and it didn't need stitches, that was a plus. He was going to be swore for a while but as long as he kept it clean it would heal and just be another scar to had to the long list that he already had.
The chili was finally done, Beth divided it into two bowls and placed them on the dinner table, she then divided the can of peaches into two more bowls and placed them on the table. "Merle dinner's ready." Beth called. Merle pulled himself up off the couch thinking that a nice cold beer would be great right about now and lumbered into the kitchen. He sat down at the table and began to eat his meal in companionable silence with the beautiful woman how had fixed it for him. It was almost like a dream. He had never understood how his brother had let himself become a taken man, but setting there at the table eating a cooked meal by a lovely woman was nice and he could see himself settling down with her. "Why don't ya take the first shower darling." Merle offered. "Okay, thank you." Beth replied.
Beth went upstairs and found the bathroom, she needed clean clothes and she knew it, walker guts covered her and she stunk, maybe whoever had lived her before had left some clothing and she could find something that fit her. She went into the first room and found that it was large bedroom and the closet had several sets of clothing in it. She found a man's white button down shirt and a pair of black sweet pants. They would have to do. She went back to the bathroom and started the water,glad to have some hot water to wash with. She undressed and stepped into the shower. The hot water felt amazing on her body, and the stress began to melt away.
Suddenly the events of the past week came slamming into her mind. Her father's head being severed from his body. Judith's bloody carseat. Not being able to find her sister or Glenn. Beth slid down the shower and began to cry, she sobbed so hard that her body shock. She couldn't make herself stand the pain and the misery that she had went through threw her body into shock all she could do was set in the shower and cry.
Beth had been in the shower for several minutes, Merle began to worry, she had once confided in him that she had attempted to take her life at her father's farm. She had taken her large knife with her. Fear took a hold of Merle in a way that he had never know the thought of Beth bleeding to death at the her own hands in the shower upstairs gripped him. He quickly made his way up the stairs, he threw open the bathroom door expecting the worst, but what he say broke his heart. Beth was trembling in the shower, the water had ran cold. Merle quickly turned off the water, and pulled a shivering, sobbing Beth into his arms and began to rock her. She cried all of her pain and anguish out on his broad chest clinging to him as if he was the only real thing left in the world, hell for all she knew he was. "Sssh. Ol' Merle's got ya now ain't nothing gonna hurt ya. Just cry it out little darling." Merle rocked her back in forth stroking her hair and whispering sweet nothings in her ear. He waited till she pulled herself together. "Please don't leave me Merle?" She whispered hoarsely. "I ain't going nowhere darling." Merle helped her get into the shirt and picked her up and carried her to the bed. He laid down with her and held her while she slept. He knew in that moment that he was falling in love with the youngest Greene and there was nothing to do but let it happen.
Merle woke up early the next morning and quietly slipped out of bed. He was going to go hunting and see if he could bag some squirrels maybe even a small doe. He left Beth a note telling her that he would be back.
Beth woke up to an empty bed, and panic began to set in, until she saw the note that Merle had left her. Her heart felt lighter than it had in long time. She went to the bathroom and put on the sweats that she had found the night before and began trying to find something to cook for them for when Merle returned. The front door opened and shut. "I'm in the kitchen Merle." Beth called out. A man she didn't know walked into the kitchen and grinned. "I'm not Merle but I can be." He snarled at her. Beth screamed just as he clubbed her over the head and knocked her unconscious Merle was just a little way out and heard her. He took off at a dead run he reached the house just in time to see a man throw her in a trunk of the car and spun out.