Daryl grabbed his coffee and sat down with Merle. He lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. They looked at each other for a beat. Daryl had so many questions for his brother. Why had he done this? Not that Daryl was complaining, but still, this wasn't like Merle, not really. He was still trying to wrap his head around the events of last night, his 36th birthday. He had woken up like it was any other day, and now he felt like his life was about to change in a good way. Shit he woke up this morning with a beautiful girl in his bed.

That didn't happen every day, if ever.

Leslie was the only other girl he had woken up with in his own bed. He didn't think that would ever happen again, that he would let someone get that close.

There was something about her, it felt right.

Daryl was grateful, that Merle had done this, whatever his motive was. Merle had known something he didn't and for once Daryl had no problem admitting that. Usually they had an uneasy relationship, born from the fact that both their parents had been addicts and too busy chasing the high to raise their kids. They were on their own a lot and weren't taught how to relate to each other or other people.

Daryl didn't know that his brother had been worried about him. He knew he was depressed, that was true, but he didn't know Merle had noticed. He had tried to hide it. He thought he was doing a good job of it too, but apparently not. Merle had worried about him, and Daryl realized that he wasn't as clever as he had thought.

"So this asshole she used to date, he been around or what?" He asked.

"Not for a while, she hasn't had to call me to get rid of him in about two months now."

"But you don't let her walk to her car." Daryl said.

"Nope, that girl is precious cargo, brother, I aint letting anything happen to her." Merle said nodding. "I didn't set out to find you a girl, but once I knew what I was going to do. I set out to protect her."

"Why last night, Merle?"

"Why not last night," Merle said. "I know what day is coming up, every week or two before and after June 9th it's like a damn funeral around here. I was hoping for a break this year." Merle shrugged.

"I can't guarantee you that, Merle." Daryl said. "But maybe I might not be in such a bad way this year."

"It's ok." Merle said. "I get it, I always got it, and I saw you that morning, outside."

Daryl hadn't known that, Merle never told him he had witnessed the worst moment of his life up to this point. He didn't want to think about that right now though.

"We talked damn near all night, fell asleep together, best sleep I've had in a long time." Daryl said.

"Told ya, she's something special, it's up to you now, brother, what happens with you two now. I did my part." Merle said.

Daryl nodded. He was going to do his best to make something happen with Jamie. She was something special, precious cargo as Merle had said. He would have to step out of his comfort zone, he knew and that worried him.

But some things were worth a fight.

If he had to fight himself every moment of every day, he would. When he first saw her and thought she was Merle's he had been disappointed, really disappointed. Now, he had a chance, and he hadn't wanted a chance with anyone for such a long time.

He was ready to try.

/

Tara and Glenn were waiting when she got home, like good roommates and best friends. Almost as soon as she opened the door Tara was calling out to her. She dropped her back pack and walked down the hall to the living room where Tara and Glenn were watching some Zombie show on Netflix. She plopped down on the couch next to Glenn and Tara sat up from where she was laying on the other couch. Giving Jamie the eye.

"Oh, I love that guy." Jamie said. "He's so hot." Jamie said pointing to the TV, trying to avoid the questions she knew they were going to ask.

Tara looked at her sideways. Nice try trying to distract her with some actor in a Zombie TV show. He was hot, there was no doubt, but Tara was not having this. They needed the info, the 411. Jamie had stayed out all night. She never did that, not since they all had met three years ago.

"Ok Collins, spill your guts."

Tara said as she took a sip of the can of soda she had on the table.

"What?" Jamie said trying to look innocent, and they weren't buying it. She knew they wouldn't, that was what friends were for. To call you out if that's what you needed. That wasn't the case here, but they didn't know that.

"What?" Tara said. "You text me that your giving Merle's brother a ride home, I didn't even know Merle had a brother, but whatever, then two hours later you text me that you aren't coming home at all."

Glenn sat up more and turned towards her more.

"Yeah, so we wanna know, you said Merle got lucky." He paused. "And ew, but that you had to drive this guy home." Glenn said. "What happened to you?"

"I drove his brother home." She said. "And I texted you again."

"Well, you said in your text and I quote, this guy is hot, not coming home." Glenn said. "I didn't need to read that at three am. Thanks Jamie."

"I did not say that." She laughed, taking a sip of Tara's soda.

"See for yourself." Glenn said holding up his phone. She made a face as she looked at it, she had group messaged both of them. That was exactly what it said and she didn't remember texting that. She remembered texting them, but not that exact text.

"Well." She said looking at the phone. "We got a little trashed."

"Nice." Tara said. "And?"

"And….what."

"You slept at Merle's and he wasn't there, with his brother." Tara said. "And you were drunk, what happened?"

"No, it wasn't like that." Jamie said. "Well I mean yeah, but we just slept, more like passed out."

She said laughing.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Jamie." Glenn. "You got trashed with this guy, passed out trashed?"

"Daryl."

"What?" Glenn cried.

"His name is Daryl, Merle's brother."

"The one you slept with." Tara said merrily.

She was loving this, the three of them had a friendship that went far beyond roommates. They were best friends almost siblings. Tara loved to tease both of them, and today was Jamie's turn. And there was good material for once. Jamie had a reputation of never stepping out of line and keeping her nose in her school books. It was fun to tease her about a guy for once.

Merle had been a frequent flyer at their house, they knew him well and accepted him as Jamie's best friend. They also know how he had stopped Eric from hurting her. That caused them to overlook his loud and proud ways. He did right by their friend, protected her. That went far with her roommates.

He also had a brother they now knew, who Jamie thought was hot.

"I didn't sleep with him." She said incredulously.

"Yeah, yeah we know, we all know about the rule." Glenn said getting up to go in the kitchen to get some chips and dip.

Tara scooted over to her couch and leaned over. "You would have right if you didn't pass out?"

Jamie shrugged noncommittedly. She would have, but she wasn't telling them that.

Daryl was going to be exempt from the three date rule and he didn't even know it. She smiled to herself.

"Dude you capitalized hot, you so would have." She bumped her in the shoulder laughing. "Does he look like Merle, though?"

"The eyes, they have the same eyes, he's about eight or nine years younger than Merle."

"Cute?" Tara said sitting up straighter.

"Very and sweet, I know that's weird to say about a guy." She said. "But it means something to me, you know?"

Tara nodded, it meant he wouldn't hurt her. Tara could have guessed that though, she knew Merle after all. He was a loud mouth and a pain in the ass sometimes, but he would never hurt a woman. Tara expected nothing less from his brother.

Glenn was back in the room with their snacks after a few minutes.

"Are you gonna blow him off like every other guy that comes near you, except Merle." He asked.

"He's picking me up at work tonight, and I gotta go, I'm due in in twenty minutes."

Tara turned to Glenn.

"Guess we're going to Donovan's for lunch."