Carol walked up the steps to her neighbor's house with determination in her step and a deal to strike. He had told her if there was anything she needed to come on over. They met a month or so ago on the day she moved in after he helped her move some boxes and she didn't know him all that well, but that didn't matter. Now she needed something and it was something big.

Merle was a good guy and since she had lived here they had become friends, waving to each other from their respective yards and once sharing beers while they watched the fireworks on Fourth of July from her driveway that the neighbors had set off.

Merle Dixon was her friend, Carol knew that and now she needed his help. Her ex- boyfriend had gotten wind of where she was living now and Tara said Ed had been shooting his mouth off around town about coming to find her over the summer.

That would not be good, she had purposely left school right after exams and not even stayed for Graduation to get away from him. She had a job as a Nurse in a town clear on the other side of the state; that was by design, to hide from him. But this morning Tara had called and said Ed told Phillip Blake, who told Rick Grimes, who told Lori, who told her; Ed was on his way.

Carol needed a boyfriend STAT.

She never thought she'd be knocking on this older man's door to ask something like this but she was desperate; would Ed believe she was dating this man who was a good ten years older than her? Merle had said anything at all, with a wink of his eye and she needed this. Would he go for it?

"Hold your goddamn horses," Came the voice from inside as she pounded on the door, and it didn't sound like Merle. Great, just great!

When the door swung open, Carol was faced with a younger version of her neighbor, he was blonde, shirtless and barefoot, with just a pair of low hanging jeans on his lean frame. The man before her pushed his hair out of his eyes and looked at her as if she was an annoying bug on his arm and she felt like she was when he stared at her that way.

He was clearly angry to have been woken up, even if it was ten in the morning. Jesus could her day get any worse?

"Whatddya want?" He barked as Carol tried to pull her eyes from the man's brilliant body. He was all shoulders and arms and he wasn't even trying to cover himself. She thought she saw him smile a bit when he realized she was staring at his flat stomach and the trail of hair going down into the waistband of his jeans.

"I'm looking for Merle, I'm Caro..."

"Yeah, I know who you are," The man growled, "Ya woke me up, Carol from next door."

Carol didn't answer so he pushed the door open more and put his hand up on the door jam. She was still shocked that it wasn't Merle who answered the door.

"Guess Merle didn't tell you he had a brother, did he, sugar?" He said realizing that it wasn't her fault that he had gotten in so late last night, that was his fault.

Carol shook her head, "No he didn't."

"I'm Daryl," The man smiled, "I don't figure he'd tell ya about me." He pulled a cigarette out of his back pocket and stepped outside on the porch with her.

"No, he didn't." Carol answered.

Daryl shook his head, "I wouldn't figure he would."

"Well," Carol forced a smile, because her day was going down hill fast like a kid on a sled in the snow, "Welcome to the neighborhood."

He laughed then, and she didn't understand why, but his face lit up and she could see dimples on his cheeks, small ones, but they were there.

"Might as well tell ya, cause Merle sure will as soon as he gets back," He replied, "You may take that welcome back cause I just got out of jail."

Carol didn't even bat an eye at that news, she had bigger fish to fry today. She watched as he lit his cigarette, Daryl was about her age, or a year or two older, if he was Merle's brother, she could trust him; even if he had been in jail. But she could not ask this favor of him though and she would have to think of another way of dealing with Ed.

"Will he be home soon?" She continued, hoping still that Merle was due home that day. Daryl offered her a cigarette and she took it and allowed him to light it for her. She hadn't smoked in a while but she needed it now.

Daryl shook his head, "Afraid not, he's fishing with his buddy Milton up at the cabin for the weekend."

"Oh, shit, shit, shit." Carol replied and then realized she was indeed in deep shit. Tara said Ed was due in three hours and she needed a big, strong boyfriend to scare him away once and for all, "Shit."

"Whatddaya need sweetheart?" He asked with a grin that made his eyes light up, and Carol shook her head. She couldn't ask this stranger, she didn't even know what he was in jail for, or for how long, Merle never said a word.

"Nevermind," She said softly and turned to leave.

"Seems like you came over here for something..." He persisted as she turned back to look at him; his eyes were deep blue, like Merle's but...different. She felt her heart speed up, and her blood pumping through her ears suddenly and told herself it was because she was afraid of Ed, but it wasn't that.

"What were you in jail for?" Tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop it, he was her only choice, she didn't know anyone else.

He took a long drag on his cigarette, "Possession with intent, 100 grams of pot, what's it to ya?"

Carol swallowed, "I need a boyfriend...today."