Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.
A/N: Due to popular demand, Jealousy will not be replaced :) It recieved such enthusiastic reviews that I couldn't possibly change it. As usual, a shout out to all my lovely reviewers: wtldr, what., synethesiac, Pin-Chan2, and Tenderloin Baby. I'd love it if you guys asked questions and gave suggestions for the future chapters, being interactive with you guys is really great. Also, I was asked a question from a rather incredulous friend: How could I find Michael Rooker as Merle Dixon attractive? He's in good shape, has an unusual face (which is attractive to me) and I adore his voice. "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" one of his early roles is a pretty good reason as well (it may be about a serial killer, but he's gorgeous in the movie).

CHAPTER SEVEN: FIELD DRESSING

I pulled back from Merle, panting lightly. The man knew how to kiss! I rested my forehead against his neck and tried to breath. He busied himself with peppering kisses over my neck and rubbing circles into my back with the flat of his hand. "We have an audience," He all but growled into my ear with a rough chuckle.

"I don't really care," I answered with a giggle, nuzzling into him. Merle pushed me back and I immediately started to protest.

"Light the lantern, I'm shutting the back," Merle explained, giving me a quick kiss before standing up. I grabbed the electric lantern from beneath the cot and was switching it on as Merle pulled the back of the van closed. I was fiddling with the brightness when Merle sat back down next to me and snaked his arms around me. I leaned against him and sat the lantern down. "Seems like we didn't do much talking there,"

"Well, it just so happens that we both want the same thing," I said, turning in his arms and wrapping my arms around his neck.

"How 'bout that," Merle rasped, leaning down to recapture my lips. I gave a content sigh and started to lean back, taking Merle with me. He shifted and settled himself above me, his knee resting between my legs and his weight supported on the forearm of his bad arm. I hooked my leg around his calf and tried to pull him closer but he resisted. I made an impatient sound causing Merle to chuckle. "Hold your horses, Cal, ain't taking it too fast,"

"Are you serious?" I asked moodily. Merle hadn't been subtle with the fact that he was attracted to me; he even suggested sex the first night I knew him! I reminded him of that and he shrugged.

"Didn't know you then, did I?" Merle gave me a rather dashing grin that threw me off for a second. Merle wasn't dashing, at least, from what I had seen he wasn't. He was rough and tumble, thick skinned and ready to do what ever needed done. Merle's hand running down my side and over my hip distracted me from my thoughts. Wanting more, I pushed against his hand; I wanted more contact. It had been too long since someone had touched me in this manner, far too long and I craved the contact. More over, I craved it from Merle. The man who saved my life, the man who drove me crazy, the man I had shamelessly eyed like he were a piece of chocolate cake. Somehow in the past five days Merle had become everything and I didn't want that to change, not for the world. "Why're you in such a hurry? We have all the time in the world," The purred promise in his voice made me shiver.

"I just am," I said, kissing his jaw. With him insisting on moving so slowly I took the initiative. I slid my hands under his shirt, running them over his back. I started to pull it over his head but a sharp banging on the side of the van made both of us jump and stop. "What?" I shouted at the side of the van. Merle chuckled and sat back.

"I need to talk to Merle," It was Shane. I wanted to scream at him to leave us alone but Merle had other ideas. He got off the bed and pulled down his shirt. I crossed my arms and sulked while Merle opened up the back of the van and sat on the edge to talk to Shane. Shane wanted Merle's opinion on the group heading to an army base. Merle thought that it was "the dumbest shit idea I ever heard". I listened to him tell Shane our plan to find someplace to stay long term and Shane agreed with it right off. Scurrying off no doubt to tell Rick, Shane left Merle sitting on the edge of the van. I got up from the cot and went to sit next to him since it looked like he wouldn't be moving for a bit. Merle didn't hesitate in wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his side.

"Well, that certainly ruined the mood," I said with a pout. Merle nodded but didn't say anything. He really didn't care for Shane but was playing nice so that we could stay with the group. His jaw was clenched and the hand that rested on my shoulder would give a firm squeeze every now and then. Understanding, I patted his thigh and kissed his cheek; we contented ourselves with just sitting that way for a bit before both of us were summoned to the fire pit. Daryl was grilling up some squirrel (as he had for the past two nights) while the venison was draining itself off to the side. I had been very hesitant about eating squirrel at first but realized quickly that it was all we had really and adjusted quickly. It actually didn't taste that bad, Daryl obviously had some experience cooking on a camp fire, and it wasn't ever overcooked. I complimented him on how nicely cooked it was and Daryl grunted in return. I started to say something snide but Merle stopped me. He shook his head and promised to talk to him later. "I want to be in on that conversation," I said firmly. Merle just shrugged and I took it for approval.

Merle and I sat close together during dinner and the camp meeting that took place after. After he had cleaned his hand (he was one to rip apart the squirrrel with his bare fingers), Merle had his arm around my shoulders non-stop. Daryl didn't like that at all, he kept shooting my dirty looks from across the fire but Andrea was enjoying herself. She had this self-satisfied look on her face that made me want to laugh and slap her at the same time.

"Merle told me 'bout an idea he had earlier that I wanted to talk to you guys about," Shane said in his "I'm in charge" tone. Of all the people in the camp, Shane was the one I liked least of all, and that included grumpy Daryl. There was something about Shane that made my skin crawl in an absolutely horrible way. I didn't trust him.

"So why don't you let Merle explain the idea?" I suggested. The look Shane gave me was hilarious and I shrugged innocently in response.

"Okay, Merle, want to tell the group?"

"Not really no," Merle drawled, wearing a wicked grin. I rolled my eyes and elbowed his side. "Yeah, I'll share. Callie and I decided, before we ran into you guys, that we wanted to find a big, closed in place. We talked mansion but more realistically, a ranch. We were gonna hunker down and just live there," The others listened, some of them with skeptical expressions and others with open, hopeful looks on their faces.

"That's...brilliant Merle," Dale said in a slightly disbelieving tone. "We could start growing produce, a fence would be easy enough to patrol-"

"-We'd be safe," Rick added. The others murmured amongst themselves, the idea gathering a lot of support in a short while. Merle looked pleased with himself to have gotten the entire group to agree with him. I rested my hand on his knee and leaned against him. Merle leaned his head against mine and watched everyone immerse themselves in a discussion about what could be done with a closed in property. Daryl wanted to get some animals to raise somehow, Lori, Glenn, and Carole volunteered to start growing some fruit and vegetables, Rick and Shane dug out a map and started looking for areas we could search.

"Good job," I whispered to Merle. He turned his head and gave me a smile and a quick kiss on the lips.

"I ain't always the bad guy," He said.

"I never thought you were the bad guy,"

"Naw, but they did," Merle nodded to the group. I rubbed his knee and sighed. It was horrible from what he told me. He and Daryl had been outcasts in the camp and Merle had been brushed off when he had been chained to the pipe. They could have done something to help him but they had just left him.

"Would it help if I said you were my hero?"

Merle laughed. "That's the corniest damn thing I ever heard,"

"It made you laugh though,"

"Yeah, it did," We turned back to the group just as Rick lead a vote on whether or not to track down an enclosed ranch to settle in. The idea passed unanimously.