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Tdog whistled to Merle, who pulled away from Buck and Daryl as the two men took the truck up towards the massive house. Merle waved Tdog to follow as he walked towards the barn behind Buck's home. Tdog followed Merle into the barn where the man stopped in front of a stall.

"You got a horse?"

Merle chuckled. "got 2. what's up?"

Tdog sighed. "Man you have got to figure out what is going on between you and Beth. That poor girl has been up there for hours working with the other women on canning. This one bitch Brandi has been ragging on her on and on about how Beth might as well give up on you, because Brandi thinks she's getting you. Some of the other women are defending Beth, but now its such a bitch storm Beth can't get a word in edgewise. Now she's just quiet and sad. Come on man, you've got to give Beth an answer one way or the other."

Merle smirked at Tdog. "mind doin' me a favor?"

Tdog raised an eyebrow. "what is it?"

Merle clapped Tdog on the shoulder. "Mind sendin' Beth this direction? And make sure Brandi hears it."

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"Go on! Run another errand for my man!"

Beth slammed the door on Brandi as she left, tears stinging the edges of her eyes. When Tdog said Merle needed Beth down at the barn, Beth knew he was finally going to turn her down. Probably going to go something like what Brandi had said it would: Beth was too young, too flat chested, too quiet, too plain.

Beth wiped her eyes as she came into the barn, not wanting Merle to see her cry. At first she didn't see Merle, before she heard a sound from the stall next to her. Looking in, Beth smiled and entered the stall.

She walked up to the small mare, rubbing her neck.

Beth smiled to the horse as she spoke quietly. "hello pretty girl! What's your name?"

"That's up for you to decide."

Beth jumped and spun around to see Merle smirk as he came in the stall. Beth looked up at him questioningly.

"What do you mean?"

Merle shrugged as he gave the mare a sugar cube. "she's your horse, you get to name her."

Beth blinked before she stuttered. "You-You got me a horse?"

Merle smirked to Beth as he nodded and grabbed a lead from the wall, clipping it to the mare before handing the lead to Beth.

"come on, I got somethin' ta show ya."

Beth lead the mare behind her as she followed Merle, still confused. Merle smirked back at her as they came out of the barn and walked towards the side paddock. Beth saw a massive stallion standing anxiously, pawing at the ground. The mare whinnied at the stallion, pulling at her lead as Merle opened the gate and unclasped the mare. She immediately trotted up to the stallion, the two horse sniffing and rubbing each other as Merle and Beth watched.

Beth turned to Merle as he leaned against the fence. "You got two horses?"

Merle nodded. "got a story these two. Figured it was fate."

Beth raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Merle chuckled lightly as he led Beth to the stallion. Beth gasped at the scars that covered the stallion, bite marks, scratches, old whip marks. All stark white against his beautiful black coat.

"oh my god! What happened to him?"

Merle gave the stallion a sugar cube before rubbing his neck.

"the guy I bought these two from, James, he saw it happen. Walkers were comin' from all sides, right damn in the middle were the horses. Notice anything odd about the mare?"

Beth looked over at the mare as she came up beside Beth. Beth looked her over as she rubbed the mare's neck.

"no scars, none."

Merle nodded. "See this big guy, he took the bites, the scratches. Took them all, for this little lady here. Fought and fought, and with some help, got his woman out alive. Then a few weeks later, James was able to capture him. While they were loadin' him up, the mare refused to leave. The rest of the herd took off, but this little lady, she stood with her man."

Beth looked up at Merle, hope stirring in her. "that's amazing!"

Merle nodded as he came up beside Beth. "the way I see it, this big guy has had a shit life. Hell at the hands of humans, beat down and scared up. But this little lady, she gave him somethin' to fight for, and she's willin' ta stand beside him, even when the rest of the herd wouldn't."

Beth blushed as she chewed her lip. Merle chuckled, reaching his hand out to rub Beth's lip, his fingers closing gently around Beth's jaw. Beth looked up at Merle, unable to look away from his gaze.

"That's one amazing stallion."

Merle smirked. "pretty amazin' mare too."

Beth blushed and Merle smiled as he stood close to beth.

"Maybe this ain't the life the little mare thought she would have. Maybe she thought she would stay with the herd for life. But when the time came, when others chose to run, she chose to go with the stallion. And maybe now she and the stallion can have one hell of a life together, maybe even start a herd of their own."

Beth smiled as she started to tear up again. "i think the little mare would like that quite a bit."

Merle pulled Beth closer as he ran his right arm down to the base of her back.

"Ya know what i'm askin' here sugar?"

Beth nodded and smiled as a tear ran down her cheek. Merle thumbed away the tear, pulling Beth in for a kiss. Beth leaned into Merle as their lips met, wrapping her arms around Merle's waist. Merle ran his tongue over her lips, moaning as she let him in. Beth felt more tears fall, but ignored them as she kissed Merle.

Merle pulled away from Beth after several minutes, chuckling as she leaned into his chest, her lips swollen and slightly gasping for air.

"about damn time."

Beth smiled shyly. "I've been wanting to do that for 2 months!"

Merle chuckled as he kissed the top of Beth's head. "same angel."

Merle pulled Beth back to look at him. "got another question for ya angel, hopin' I know the answer."

Beth smiled as she looked up at Merle. "i think I know the answer but go ahead."

Merle smirked as he pulled a diamond and sapphire ring out of his pocket. Merle had found it nearly a month ago, and at the time held on to it for reasons even he wouldn't admit to himself. It was much larger then anything he could have afforded before the turn, just one of many things that had changed in Merle's life since he first saw a walker. Never once had he considered marrying, never once had he even thought about settling down. Now it was all he wanted to do.

"i love you Beth, I have for a while. I found this a while ago, knew what I wanted to do with it but I was too much of a pussy ta ask ya then. When you chose to go with me here, to follow, I knew that second I was marryin' you. No woman has ever put themselves on line for me, not once. And when you grabbed your things and came with us, all I wanted to do on that car ride was hold ya and never let you go. I'm hopin' you'll let me do that for the rest of my life. Will ya marry me?"

Beth felt the tears fall but ignored them in favor of grabbing Merle around his neck, jumping into his arms as he caught her.

"Yes!"

Merle chuckled for a moment before he was silenced as Beth kissed him. Beth abruptly pulled back to look at Merle.

"Can we have kids?"

Merle smirked and nodded. "As many as you want Angel."

Beth smiled and kissed Merle before a bump at Beth's arm distracted Merle and her. Merle chuckled as he set Beth down, the mare nudged Beth's arm.

"she loves sugar cubes this little lady. Thought about a name yet?"

Beth turned in Merle's arms, reaching one hand out to rub the mare while the other clasped over Merle's hand, their fingers intertwining.

"how about Penny?"

Merle nodded. "i like it. What do ya think for this big guy?"

Beth looked to the stallion, taking in his scars. "something manly, like Drake."

Merle chuckled. "Drake and Penny. Sounds good to me."

Beth turned to face Merle again. "i can't believe you got me a horse."

Merle smirked. "i got you way more then just a horse. Come on, got some more stuff for you."

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"Oh my god! How did you know my size?"

"i looked this morning. And then walked in the store and told the woman I needed things ta make a gorgeous girl feel even prettier. Got ya a bunch of girlie shit too, it's in the bathroom."

"is that-oh my god those are real!"

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Tdog gritted his teeth as he carried the finished cans for the women. After he had sent Beth after Merle, the bitching had continued. Brandi was getting on everyone's nerves, especially SweetPea. The older woman was slow to anger, but Brandi's bullying of Beth had pushed the woman to her limit. Now both Brandi and SweetPea were snarking at each other, and tension level was rising.

Tdog heard the door slam shut and turned and immediately started chuckling. Merle was pushing Beth to go around the corner into the kitchen with the other women as he stayed with Tdog in the corner out of sight. Tdog smirked at Merle as Beth walked by, her brand new cowboy boots clicking as she adjusted her new leather jacket. Beth was wearing new skinny jeans, along with a top that even Tdog could admit she looked hot in. add on the done up hair and new diamond dangle earrings, Beth was looking good.

Beth blushed as she went past Tdog who gave her a thumbs up. Merle chuckled and gave Beth a push forward.

Beth took a moment before she entered the kitchen, initially ignoring the other women. Brandi spotted her in and instant and frowned.

"Where the hell did you get that coat?!"

Beth snuck a smirk at Merle before she turned around and smirked at Brandi.

"from my fiance."

Brandi scoffed. "no way is that possible!"

Merle waited another moment before stomping into the kitchen and planting a kiss right on Beth's lips, in front of everyone in the room, who were all staring. Merle chuckled at Brandi's gape before smirking down at Beth.

"come on angel, we best be gettin' home."

Beth smirked at Brandi as Merle lead her out of the room. "see you later Brandi!"

Tdog had watched from his hidden corner, but upon the newly engaged couples exit, he couldn't hold back any more. Tdog burst out laughing, startling Brandi, who was furious.

"What the fuck is so funny?!"

Tdog shook his finger at Brandi as he laughed, barely recovering enough to talk. "You just got owned woman!"

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Merle snickered as Beth proudly smirked at him. "that was pretty Dixon huh?"

Merle smirked back at her. "ya gettin' better I'll tell ya that. Becomin' one hell of a woman."

Beth blushed as Merle pulled her into his side, his left arm over her shoulders as their fingers met.

"so...which bedroom?"

Merle bit his lip before looking down at Beth. "my bed has less pillows."

Beth smiled as she looked up to Merle. "your bed it is."

Merle pulled Beth along the backside of the houses and came up to the back entrance of the massive Dixon house. Inside Buck was laughing with Carol as Daryl blushed and snarked back at the two. It was a comforting atmosphere, one Merle was happy he was a part of.

Merle turned back to Beth, kissing her soundly until he pulled away, chuckling as Beth followed his lips.

"Easy sugar, I'm already in a tight enough pair of pants."

Beth looked confused for a moment, leading Merle to laugh before he kissed her again.

"i ain't takin' ya tonight. I'm doin' right by you Beth. Our weddin' night, that's a different story, but for now, try not ta tease me to much."

Beth blushed violently and ducked her head into Merle's chest as he chided her.

"hey now none o' that. Look at me angel."

Beth lightly raised her head, peaking up at Merle who pulled her face up to his.

"you don't ever drop ya head to me. Truth be told Beth, I live for ya, I'm crazy about ya. I'll do what ever ya want me to baby. Just as long as ya always hold ya head high."

Beth smiled as she kissed Merle. "thank you for waiting for our wedding night."

Merle nodded. "not a problem angel. Now let's get inside."