AN: So it begins. I was hoping to make it a slow burn, but I'm trying to stick to TV cannon in this one...so I had to pick up the pace, next chapter is even more fun. Remember I'm so down for any suggestions you have. As always please R/R

The next morning; she went to find Merle. He looked up after she walked in; a grin spread across his face. "Well doesn't that just beat all; the princess showed up. All right sugar; shall we get to work?"

He led her outside to on open patch of grass. He gave it a good once over and decided this would have to do. She stood on the field anxiously awaiting instructions. Merle had already removed his knife hand; he turned to face Beth. "Let's see whatcha got."

"Excuse me"

"Oh I'm not looking for excuses darling; let's get to it."

Beth's confusion was evident on her face. "I don't understand."

Merle cupped his hand around him mouth like a megaphone and shouted "I want you to bring your perty little ass over here and attack me."

Beth was mortified, her body frozen in place. She didn't have the knowledge or desire to attack anyone much less this mountain of a man. She wouldn't even know how to start.

Merle sighed and shook his head. "You have 10 seconds or I'm leaving…10…9"

Beth panicked and ran towards Merle. Once she reached him, she shoved him.
He laughed. "Is that all you got?"

She tried to punch him, but he just shoved her away. She began to kick him and even got in some good hits, but nothing phased him.

"Come on princess…you can do better than that."

Beth threw her arms down in frustration. "No I can't. I don't know what I'm doing."

Merle placed his hand behind his ear. "I'm sorry what was that last part?"

Beth sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know what I'm doing."

Merle smiled down at her. "Exactly; best you not forget that. That means what I say goes, no questions asked. If I get any back talk or of you want to get all winey and tell me why you can't do something…this little class of ours is done. I have a zero tolerance policy for bullshit and excesses. Do you copy?"

"Yes sir." Beth stood a little straighter hoping he would take her seriously.

"Alright then; let's start with self-defense. We'll do some basic holds and show you how to break out of em. Pay attention and I just might learn you something today."

She collapsed on her bed that night, exhausted and sore from head to toe. Beth was certain that she would have difficulty getting around tomorrow, but over all she was very satisfied. Merle had proven himself to be a ruthless taskmaster; but he was effective. She was now able to get out of a bear hug, a choke hold and any number of wrist/arm restraints. She was concerned that he might have an issue restraining her with only one arm; that was sooo not a problem. He manipulated her like a rag doll. Beth had to give him credit, he said he wouldn't go easy on her and the bruises she would have tomorrow would prove him a man of his word. However, as difficult as he had made it for her to break the holds; she doubted that anyone in the governor's camp could restrain her by themselves. She drifted off to sleep and hoped that she could hide any visible evidence of her training session.

Merle sat in his room…if you can call a cell a room…and thought about his current situation. He wanted to be with his brother, his entire motivation for surviving after he amputated his own hand was in the hope that he would be reunited with Daryl. Even though they were only apart for around 16 months….he could feel the chasm between them. Daryl had changed and he couldn't help feeling the same since of abandonment he felt while he was trapped on the roof top in Atlanta. The one thing he could always count on was his brother. Daryl had his back no matter how much stupid shit he pulled or what kind of trouble he was in. Now it feels like his loyalties lie with officer friendly and his merry band of fuck ups. There was a part of him; a place in the back of his mind that suggested what he wanted was a place to belong. That perhaps; if he was to make nice and try to follow Daryl's example he could find a purpose for his sorry existence. Merle ignored that inner voice entirely.

After chewing on this for what felt like forever; he decided to get up wander. He found it difficult to sleep and there were no magic pills around to help him get there either. He walked aimlessly until her heard movement and decided to see who was awake at this hour. There was a good deal of echo in the corridors, but Merle was a fair tracker and he made his way around to the right corner. In one of the cells he could see a small figure holding something in its arms. As he got closer; he could hear a low whispered voice. Leaning in; he realized it was the little princess; and it looked like she was about to give the baby a bottle. She situated herself into the chair and propped her legs on the metal bed frame. Once she had the bottle in place she began to talk to the baby again. "There see; I told you it would only be a second. So I'm still writing down my favorite songs so maybe if this crap ever ends no one will forget them. I'm thinking All my Tears for tonight."

The baby cooed and reached up to the girl with her tiny hand.

"I'll take that as a yes." Closing her eyes; she began to softly sing.

When I go don't cry for me; in my Father's arm's I'll be.

The wounds this world left on my soul will all be healed and I'll be whole.

Sun and moon will be replaced with the light of Jesus' face

And I will not be ashamed; for my Savior knows my name.

It don't matter where they bury me; I'll be home and I'll be free.

It don't matter where I lay; all my tears be washed away.

Gold and silver blind the eyes; temporary riches lie.

Come and eat from Heaven's store. Come and drink and thirst no more.

So weep not for me my friend; when my time on earth dose end.

For my life belongs to Him; who will raise the dead again.

It don't matter where they bury me; I'll be home and I'll be free.

It don't matter where I lay; all my tears be washed away.

Merle was so entranced by her singing that he was unaware how far he had leaned over. His appendage lightly scraped the rail, alerting Beth to his presence. She jerked her head up and scanned the room. "who's there?"

Merle walked to Beth, he figured it was better to scare her in person then try to hide and let her be freaked out for who knows how long.

"Just me princess; I heard ya down the hall and come to check out the noise. Didn't mean to creep up on ya, but your singing was so pretty I didn't want ta intrude."

She smiled at her feet. "Oh thanks; I usually get up with Judith for her early bottle. I sing her whatever song I'm writing down that day. It helps me remember all the words."

"Writing down songs…for posterity. Like Milton and that notebook he's forever scratching in."

Beth gently placed Judith in her crib and sat back down, "Yep; I'm working on stuff I can do…you know…before I go. I've been writing down one of my favorite songs every day. I'm also writing everything I can remember since the outbreak. I guess to tell my family's story…how we survived on the farm and how we meet Rick and his group. I'm hopeful I'll have made some progress on self-defense soon."

Merle laughed. "You're doing just fine princess, just fine. I am curious…how did Rick come across your little farm anyway?"

Beth examined him for a moment. She was desperately curious about the man; but was fairly sure he would not just answer questions openly. Then she had an idea.

"Quid pro quo. It means…"

He flipped a folding chair around so that it faced him and sat. "This for that…I'm a redneck for sure but I ain't as uneducated as you might think."

Beth's face gave her surprise away. She shook her head and looked back to Merle. "Ok; so I answer your question…but you have to answer one of mine."

"Ok princess…you first."

She began to regale the tale of Carl being shot by Otis and how her father, Otis and Shane had saved his life. Merle seamed to get something from the story she did not, like some missing puzzle piece was found. She was told about how he lost his hand, but never how he and Daryl found the group in the first place so that seemed like a good place to start.

"How did you meet Rick and the group?"

He leaned back trying to recall how he had gotten mixed up with this group in the first place.

"We were headed to Atlanta; and come across the group camping out by a quarry. Truth be told, me and my brother had plan's to rob these folks and keep moving. There was a bunch o women and children….so Darylina went all soft on me and we decided to throw our lot in with em. Panned out pretty good at first. There was this hot little blond and her sister…so I had something to look at...the women did the laundry and cooking cuz we did the hunting and took turns on watch. Sargent Shane was a pain in my ass…but nothing I couldn't ignore. The little china man(Merle held up a finger) wait I almost forget….Korean man was real handy at fetching stuff we needed from A town. All in all; it wernt a bad gig. Until the day I decided to go on a group run with these ya-whos and ran smack into the butt end of officer friendly's gun. I was cuffed to a pipe and well (raising his appendage up) I think you know how that ended."

"I got that part of the story; they said you were acting all crazy. That you had to be restrained and that T-dog accidently dropped the key, but they came back for you."

"Sadly; that's true. I was tweaking on meth and got a little gun crazy. I took the truck they came back to Atlanta in…that's how I got to Woodbury. I most likely would have died if I hadn't of done it though. We didn't have your daddy around to stick folks up back them…I'd of just blead out. Might have been better that way…who's to say?"

Beth placed a soft warm hand on his arm. "You can't think that way; if your still here there is a reason. God doesn't call us home till it's our time."

Merle snorted. "The Governor had a bunch of us open fire on a group of Army rangers. Mowed those boys down like sheep; where do you suppose God was then? Sleeping on the job maybe."

Beth was caught off guard by his anger. "I can't speak for God, but that was one evil man's decision. Not some random set of events."

Merle shook his head and stood up. "Girl you got to pull your head out your ass. There are evil people doing fuck up shit out there and God ain't showing up. If you want to make it in this world you gonna have to start protecting you and yours. Otherwise you end up walker chow."

"So that's your mantra. Just worry about yourself and your family and screw everyone else."

"Pretty much"

"How's that working out for you so far?" Beth stood in front of him, unflinching. Her blue eyes were piercing him and he felt very exposed by this young woman. He started to yell some more. Maybe use his size to intimidate her and get her to shut up; but he just felt old and tired.

"Point taken. I'm gonna call it a night…you get some sleep now."

"I will"

He turned to head back to his cell/room when he heard her voice again.

"Hey Merle; I usually feed Judith at this time. Sing her a song and put her back to bed. If you ever wanted to talk…well the company would be nice."

"I'll keep that in mind darling."

As he lay down on his cot; his mind was filled with thoughts of blue eyes that he was certain he could drown in.