A/N: This is a time jump back to present day, we will be here a little while. This is the Friday after Merle first showed Daryl the newspaper with Carol's father's death announcement. That night Daryl went for the drive and ended up at the fork in the road, and took a walk down memory lane for a little while. This chapter gave me fits though, and finally I just said I have to post it so I can move this along to where I want it to be. As always thanks for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting. To any guest reviewers, I love you all.

Because I need my music: All the love gone bad, turned my world to black, tattooed all I see, all that I am, all I'll be. Pearl Jam

Tara hung up the phone and turned around at her desk opening a file that was there. Beth had already called her at work earlier to say something was up with the Dixon's and that Merle was looking for her. Beth didn't know what, or why he was asking about her though. Whatever, Tara had no issue with Merle, she saw him from time to time around town.

They knew each other through Daryl, who had been in Tara's class with Michonne and Carol. He actually defended her one day a few years ago at the garage. She had been in to have her car looked at by him or Daryl, and that homophobe Tony Spinelli, who used to drive the parts delivery car called her a dyke. Merle didn't even hesitate, punched him right in the face and Daryl had fired Tony on the spot.

Merle was ok as far as Tara was concerned.

But she hadn't seen him in a while though. Not since his last brush with the law sent him looking for help from her and Michonne. He never changed. She would have recognized him anywhere as he came walking into the office. Merle Dixon was one of a kind, larger than life. She quietly leaned into the intercom "Heads up 'Chonne Merle Dixon's here."

"Well, Merle Dixon as I live and breathe." She batted her eyes at him and smiled. "How ya doing."

"Awe ya flirting with me Tara? Imma tell your girlfriend, I just saw her, few hours ago." He said, smiling at her.

"Nu uh, just charming a new client, what's up, ya in need of MIchonne's legal services again?"

He sat on the corner of her desk. Cocky bastard that he was, leaning over to her. He was here for e reason that much was clear. But what that was Tara didn't know.

"So happens I don't I'm on the straight and narrow now Miss Tara." He said.

"Is that so?" Tara feigned surprise.

"Yup, it is so, I'm a new man."

"That's great Merle."

He stared at her for a beat. Then he reached into the candy bowel of gummy bears she kept on her desk and snatched a few.

"So what brings you in then?" Tara asked.

He plopped. Three gummy Bears into his mouth as he leaned his head back.

"My brother been here?" Merle asked.

"Nope I haven't seen Daryl since my car broke down last time, he towed and fixed it for me. Why?"

She had an Idea where this was going now, her wheels were turning. She connected the dots pretty quickly. Merle was asking about her, Carol's father had just passed. Carol was in town and Merle obviously found out and was there to stir up something. She sincerely hoped he was here to stir up the right something.

"Heard about New Jersey's father, I figure she's in town…..that right." He said chewing.

Tara looked at him, he knew Carol hated when he called her that. Merle called her New Jersey or Little mouse, neither nickname was appealing to her. He had a nickname for everyone, Darylina for Daryl. Miss Tara, for her, though she had no idea why he called her that. Sometimes he even got away with calling Michonne his Nubian Queen, but not very often. He called Carol New Jersey because that was where she was from, and at one time it was to annoy her. At one time it was his life's work to annoy Carol.

Now he just wanted to make things right.

Tara looked at him noncommittally, tilting her head. She was listening. Whatever Merle was cooking up, she was all in. Carol's life was a nightmare beyond belief, she didn't complain much, but her friends knew. She wasn't above butting her nose in Carol's life, it wouldn't be the first time and probably not the last either. Tara would do just about anything if that's what it took to get her to do something. Yeah, Tara was all in for whatever Merle had in mind.

"Look ya gotta make sure she sees my brother, goes by the garage or something." He said.

"And why would she want to do that?" A voice from the other side of the room said, Michonne.

He turned to see Michonne leaning against her doorframe. He long braids hanging down her back and a purple and orange scarf around her head. She had on a Power suit in blue pinstripes and a white shirt. She was always dressed to the nines. Tara turned also.

"He ain't been right, Michonne, not ever, since she blew outta here."

She stared at him. Arms folded across her waist, observing him.

"Really…." She let that hang in the air a minute as she walked slowly towards him, her high heels clicking on the floor. "Seems I remember it was your brother who told her to go away and never come back. I believe his exact words were "I don't want you here." She said. "He broke her heart. And because of him she's not here with Tara and I."

"Always the Lawyer aintcha. "He then changed tactic and really he was going to plead now. Whatever it took, he owed his brother this." Look, we're all friends here, right ladies?"

Michonne crooked her eyebrow at him Tara nodded.

"You gotta help me make this right, come on I weren't nice to her, and I helped drive her away."

"And what do you think is going to happen?" Michonne asked.

"You both know my brother, always the sweet one, he needs to make things right with her somehow and maybe then he'll be able to move on with his life, I don't know, it's like she was it for him."

"Yeah Merle she was it alright, as he was dumping her for Karen."

"Now MIchonne, I think your memory is a little off, that ain't how it went down and you know it. They was over a long time before her took up with Karen. Maybe she'd like to see him? You don't know."

"I'll think about it"Michonne replied. She wasn't giving Merle Dixon one inch, not when it came to her best friend.

"Its true Michonne, they parted on less than desirable terms." She air quoted that part for emphasis and Merle smiled at her, knowing she got it." I think Carol would want to see him settle her Chakra or her Karma, and all that"

"Really Tara who's side are you on?" Michonne asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Carol's, she's a grown ass woman, and we don't even need to be discussing this like she's twelve and going on her first date. Jeez." Tara turned to Merle "She's in town for a while, Ed's not with her, she's at her Dad's go ahead and tell Daryl."

"Give her a little push, how about it? You know how he is, a big baby." Merle asked.

"No promises." Michonne deadpanned.

Tara nodded to Merle. Letting him know she was already thinking up some way to get this done.

"Thanks Tara," He got up tipping an invisible hat "Michonne."

He turned and started out the door as Beth was coming in, not in her uniform now. Jeans and a t-shirt and sneakers, ready to go out. Swinging her little purse as she walked. Yeah that was embarrassing when Merle tried to get her to date Daryl. Well, for him anyway, Daryl and Beth had a great laugh over it.

"Hey Bethie." He said.

"Sup, Merle?" Beth replied.

She tapped his hand and he tapped hers in greeting as she walked by and over to Tara's desk giving her a big smile.

"Hey Babe" Tara said to her smiling as well.

Merle shook his head as he walked out smiling. Beth and Daryl was not one of his better ides, he had not seen that coming at all, and he laughed to himself. He had tried to set his brother up with every women that came across his path. That's what older brothers were for right?

/

Two days later Tara looked up from her files at her desk and saw Daryl lurking in the parking lot across the street by his car. She watched him for twenty minutes with interest. He smoked a cigarette, and then another, he did a little pacing in between. It was some show but it didn't look like he was going to come in.

Ten minutes into it she called over to Michonne that this was really pitiful and if he didn't come in soon she was going out there. Maybe it would start to rain and he'd be forced to come in, but she supposed he might go home just as well. He wasn't coming in until he finished whatever inner conversation he had going on out there. Finally he started across the street. She reached in her desk as he was walking in. Pulled out a card and started writing on it. As he came to her desk she held it up.

"Here ya go Daryl."

"What's this? "He asked taking the card from her.

"Merle was here the other day, been kind of waiting on ya."

He didn't answer, just kind of looked at Tara, he couldn't believe Merle had come here. He was still kind of getting over the fact he was even here doing this crazy thing. Because this was crazy, he had no doubt. Somehow he didn't have a choice, he thought to himself as he turned the card over, he couldn't stop thinking of her. There was a phone number on it, Carol's. He didn't know if he could call her.

"Look I sent her after you the last time, just returning the favor. "She shrugged, smiling.

"Yeah, thanks for that." He laughed.

She had called Carol, when she had heard that Daryl and Karen were getting married. Even though it had been over between them for a long time by then. Tara had hoped it would turn out better than it had, and she was never sorry for telling Carol. That had been the last time they had seen each other. Carol had driven home from school, 14 hours, or something like that. To try one more time to get through to him.

He looked down at the card and back up at Tara.

"Thanks..."He waited then said. "Her husband gonna get pissed, if I call her, ya think? I don't wanna cause her any problems."

Tara closed her file and began to stand up.

"I think he's a dick who couldn't even be bothered to come home with her and bury her father." She said.

They were interrupted by the sound of Michonne's voice coming from her office.

"Is that Daryl out there? Send him in Tara."

Tara looked over at him sympathetically, and shrugged.

"Boss wants to see ya, I guess ya knew this wasn't gonna be a walk in the park right?"

"Story of my life Tara." He smiled.

They bumped fists as he walked into Michonne's office. Michonne was sitting behind her desk.

"Sit Daryl, make yourself comfortable."

He sat. The chair actually was comfortable which surprised him since it was a fancy antique straight back chair, expensive for sure. This office was fitting though, for his old friend, she was an excellent lawyer, she deserved it. He Looked at Michonne across the huge Mahogany desk. Here was Carol's best friend, in protective mode.

"How have you been? I haven't seen you in a while." She asked.

"Been alright, Merle hasn't been in trouble that's why ya haven't seen me, he's got a new girl she helps him do the right thing."

"Oh" Michonne smiled "That's good, I'm happy for him."

"How are you?" He asked.

"I'm good"

"Rick says he's been seeing a lot of you lately, something goin on with you two?"

"I don't think you're here to discuss Rick and me. "She smiled without going further.

"Nope. I guess not."

"Look, I'm not going to lie, Daryl, I always thought you got just what you deserved. I'm sorry but she's my best friend, she was devastated you know that?"

"Yeah I know, it was a big mistake 'Chonne"

His marriage had been doomed from the start, Michonne and most of their friends had known it. He hadn't loved Karen, but he felt obligated to her.

That's not a good reason to get married, he knew that now. He was sixteen years older now. He understood better how the world worked. Carol had said she understood, all of it, she would have taken him back, helped him raise Travis when he arrived. she would have made room in her heart for his child. They could have worked it out, he knew, but his code wouldn't let him stop what he had set in motion already. Karen was pregnant and he was going to do the right thing. Period end of story. Plus he had Merle in his ear, at the time he was not a fan of Carol's. Merle thought Carol was out to change his brother and take him away, he made sure that didn't happen.

"Biggest mistake o' my life."

He looked down and then up at her through his bangs and Michonne thought he looked so vulnerable in that moment. So unsure of what to do. She felt a little sorry for him just then. Just a little, because he had married someone else, had sent her best friend away. Even after he was divorced, he and Karen had been married just a year and a half. Carol still would not come back, not ever. Michonne was angry about that. Seeing Carol a few times a year and daily phone calls was not as good as having her here.

"Do you know how long it took her to get over it? Forget it, you don't even want to know. Why are you here?" Michonne asked.

"I want to tell her I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" She said surprise in her voice. "About what exactly?"

"About her Dad, about me and her, about everything."

"Why, why now?"

"She's here, I know she hasn't been back ever. I guess, I feel like I may never get a chance to do it again, I think I have to, she's living back up north right?."

"She lives in Philadelphia, yes."

"So this might be the last time she's here? It's now or never, Michonne. I want to apologize to her."

Michonne considered this, not what she would want, or even Daryl. She thought about Carol, what she would want. She had changed over the years, Carol still had a lot of the fire of her youth, but she was calmer these days. The girl who borrowed a car and drove here to break up Daryl's wedding didn't exist anymore, replaced by a more level headed grown up.

"I think she would appreciate that, we're all grown up now, not kids anymore."

He smiled slightly.

"Thank God for that right 'Chonne" He said.

"Maybe she has some things to say to you too."

"I bet she does," He nodded "And I guess I'll take it."

"You'd be surprised, she's different, calmer."

"That'll be a treat."

He laughed. So did Michonne. This was true, Carol had been a hot head especially when it came to Daryl. She got in anyone's face to defend him, even Merle, and at the end she turned that back on him unable to accept what was happening. When it was over between them. It wasn't an easy break up, for either of them really.

"Look Michonne all I know is I got up on Wednesday morning like it was any other day, going about my business as usual, living my life. Then Merle tells me she's likely in town, and it's all I can think about now, took me two days to walk in here, and drove by three times yesterday. I don't know what but I... "

Michonne eyed him sympathetically. She could see he was being genuine, this whole conversation had shown her. He laid bare his regret without any thought to how it made him look. Michonne considered how much he had also changed.

"I don't want to upset her or anything" Daryl said softly.

"I don't think this will upset her, call her" Her voice was soft. "I think she would be glad to hear from you."

"She may hang up on me."

"Well, that's the chance you have to take, but don't think so" Michonne replied. "She really is different now. "She hoped she wouldn't hang up on him, you never knew with Carol.

He put the number in his back pocket. They both stood up to leave the office and walk back out where Tara was.

"Sorry for the third degree, but you know, she's my best friend."

"Oh I get it, can't really blame you."

He took the card out of his pocket again, looked at it and turned it over in his hand. There was something more he wanted to say to Michonne. He wanted to ask about Carol's life, if she was happy. He hoped she was, after all they had been to each other he only ever wanted the best for her. Him wanting the best for her was what drove him to end it with her to begin with.

She had a full ride to that school in New Jersey, he made sure she took it.

He couldn't bring himself to ask. He put the card back in his pocket.

"Always good to see you two, especially not involving Merle." Daryl said.

"Yeah we're glad it's not about Merle this time." Michonne smiled.

"Thanks, both of you."

"Not a problem, Daryl." Michonne said.

"I'll call her tonight I think."

"Good luck with that" Tara piped up as he was going towards the door.

"Yeah. See ya….thanks"

Michonne walked up behind Tara as they watched him cross the street. He lit another cigarette as he got in his car.

"Should we call her?" Tara said.

"No time, look he isn't starting the car, he's calling her now." Michonne pointed across the street.

"She's gonna kill us." Tara said.