A/N~ Have to say-wow! I was actually really nervous about introducing a triad type relationship with Merle, Daryl, and Rachel-I'm thrilled at all the encouraging responses! Thank you all soo much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! I just love hearing from everyone and getting your thoughts and opinions! -melkS- Don't worry! I promise I'm getting to it! (I just really hate writing the CDC! It's soo damn hard for me!) Thanks again to everyone!
~hateofme
...
Ok, so to do a quick recap- Rachel and Daryl got trashed, Merle got pissed, then Merle got Daryl got pissed. Rachel wakes up in Merle and Daryl's room and rushes out wondering what the hell happened last night? A few flashbacks later (that she may or may not remember) and now we pick up at her running out of Merle and Daryl's room :).
...
The door slammed behind her but she refused to look back. What the fuck was going on!? Her thoughts were cut short as she ran into a fairly solid wall of Rick Grimes. "Oomph!"
He laughed lightly, steadying her with his hand on her arm. "Hold on there Ray! I promise breakfast will still be there if you walk."
He was right of course, but judging by the looks she was getting from the rest of the group as they sat down to eat, she may have needed to look in a mirror before she came out. Hind sight is always twenty-twenty after all. Pretty much the entire breakfast was awkward. Merle and Daryl seemed to have switched personalities, with Merle still giving her that odd glare/confusion combo, and Daryl smirking at her and looking at her like she was fucking candy. T-dog was giving her an odd look she couldn't for the life of her decipher and Shane was glaring at her more than usual. The others were busy looking back and forth between her and whoever was giving her looks, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.
She glared right back at Shane almost laughing as his eyes narrowed. Then, a slight foggy memory hit her; Shane, last night, running into him, he was lost and angry, had blood on his neck... Trying to hold onto the memory was like holding water in cupped hands; the harder she tried to keep it, the more slipped out till she was left with nothing but the knowledge that at some point last night she had run into him. After an awkward breakfast T cornered her as she tried to discreetly leave the room.
"So, you not talk to them?"
Ray turned abruptly. Oh that's right, she had walked in on T last night, hadn't she? She smacked her head into her palm and groaned; she had a big fucking mouth when she was wasted. "I don't know. Lets forget that conversation ever happened."
It was his turn to smack his head, although somehow he made it look much more dignified. "Can't exactly un-hear all that girl. 'Sides, I don't really want to have that conversation again the next time you get drunk. What do you mean you don't know?"
"I don't remember."
He looked at her with what she was guessing was pity as he placed his large hands on her shoulders and spun her around. "Go and talk to them." He commanded, giving her a firm yet gentle shove.
Ray took a deep breath, attempting to reassure herself that he was right. This really did need to be discussed; if nothing else to make it less awkward between her and the Dixon's. With a slight smile and a grateful nod at T she was off. Except that talk never happened. She felt as if she were hit on the head with a dumbbell with all the information she was being thrown. From Candace really being dead and Edwin having to put her down, to the fact that everyone was infected, to Edwin's mental collapse and subsequent attempt to kill everyone. She stood still as chaos rained around her, Edwin finally opening the doors the entire group scrambling to get their belongings and leave. Well, almost the entire group. As everyone ran off Dale, Andrea, Jacqui, and Edwin stayed behind with Rachel.
"C'mon! We gotta git tha fuck outta here!" Merle hollered at her from the doorway. Daryl stood next to him eyeing her hesitantly. When she showed no response Merle rounded on Daryl. "The fuck ya waitin' for?" He snapped. The brothers ran over to her still form, each grabbing an arm, and ran.
It wasn't till she was upstairs that she registered the world around her again. They were stuck. The glass was bulletproof and there was little hope of escaping when Carol piped up and started digging through her purse.
"I found something when I washed your clothes back at the quarry..." She mumbled still rummaging.
Shane's snide voice snapped over her. "I don't think a nail file is gonna help us here."
"Pretty sure I saw the glass crack from that asshole remark." Ray scoffed at the man. "Why don't you try a few more, see if that gets us out of here?"
Shane glared at her and opened his mouth but Carol cut over the bickering and handed, of all things a mother fucking grenade to Rick. "That'll work." He grinned widely.
The group ducked behind whatever they could find and braced for the impending explosion. It was loud and it was felt reverberating through their bodies but there was no time to stop-the next explosion was going to be much bigger after all. Daryl grabbed her arm and hauled her towards the truck trailing after Merle, who had barely spared them a glance as he took off. Then suddenly she was shoved roughly to the ground, Daryl's body pinning her. In the next instant she felt as if her eardrums had ruptured, and she could literally feel the heat of the fire and smell the singeing hair and burnt flesh. What a shitty start to the day.
...
Four days later and things were not settled, not even a little bit. Not with Sophia going missing, not with Edwin and his goodie-bag of shitty news and subsequent suicide, not with the insane news that Carl had been shot, and most definitely not with Rachel and the two Dixon's. She pondered the Sophia situation for a bit, still feeling horrible that she hadn't gotten there in time.
~Flashback~
Rachel huddled under the car clutching a shaking Sophia to her chest. The herd was moving out and away, slowly but surely. Exhaling through her nose softly she allowed herself to relax slightly. That was her mistake. As she relaxed Sophia seemed to think it meant 'hop on out' and did just that.
"Sophia!" Ray scrambled after the girl but didn't make it far at all as a clammy hand attached itself to her ankle. She screamed for a bare second before panic overcame her, closing her throat. And then, just as sudden as it had started its grip went slack. She pulled herself rapidly out from under the car, not paying any mind to the scrapes she was incurring. A quick look revealed Merle with his boot planted in the walkers now smooshed head, but no Sophia.
"Fuck!" She swore, and giving a quick nod of thanks to Merle she took off after Ricks retreating figure.
~End Flashback~
She had chased after Rick but had come up with nothing, in fact Daryl had had to come back out to find her since she didn't know the way back. She couldn't help but feel responsible, because, well, she was.
Darkness had fallen on what was left of the rag-tag group and their makeshift camp, the tenseness between the Dixon's and Rachel was palpable and not at all helped by Carols sobs that echoed out into the night. Rachel attempted to stealthily sneak out of the RV, careful not to disturb T-dog or Andrea. Turns out she didn't have to worry about Andrea; she was already outside.
The woman jumped as Rachel approached, spinning with her hand on her chest. "Christ! You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Sorry." Ray shrugged halfheartedly playing with the hem on a bright blue shirt of Amy's that Andrea had given her. "Just...kind of...depressing in there." Andrea nodded, understanding, but saying nothing.
"The fuck ya doin' out here blondie?" Merle's voice snapped through the crisp night air.
"Fuck you."
Merle made a show of looking Andrea up and down. "Last cunt tha' made tha' offer weren't nothin' but trouble. Doubt ya'd be worth it neither."
Ray opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by Andrea who threw her hands up in the air angrily. "You three need to work your crap out! There are other people with real god damn issues who are tired of your shit!" She snapped stomping back to the RV and, disregarding any semblance of quiet, slammed the door shut.
Rachel stared after the woman with her mouth agape. It wasn't that obvious was it? She turned toward Merle and scowled as she watched his retreating back. Sighing melodramatically she wandered towards Daryl's truck and away from moody Merle. Since Daryl's and Merle's abrupt personality switch with Merle always scowling at her with a plethora of emotions running across his face before he would check them blank, and Daryl's somewhat boyish leering and smirking at her every chance she got, she figured Daryl was probably the one to talk to; at least he talked. As soon as she reached the truck she smirked lightly-All that could be seen of Daryl was his feet. She kicked one and snorted when a thunk and various swears sounded underneath the truck.
"The fuck?" Daryl snapped, squinting up at her as he scooted out.
Her smile dropped. "Can I talk to you?"
He stood wiping his hands on his pants, looking around the camp, his gaze lighting on Merle's form near the edge of the woods and the RV before looking back down at her. "Yeah. Gonna go out an' look for Sophia..." He slung his crossbow over his shoulder and gave a quick jerk of his head for her to follow him.
As much as she didn't feel like being ordered around like a puppy dog, she really did need to talk to them. After all, if the entire group had picked up on their oh-so-subtle fighting... Once again she snorted to herself earning an odd look from Daryl. She stopped abruptly when she realized they were heading straight for Merle. Ohhhh so he meant that all three of them were going...yeah, no thanks. As if he sensed that she was no longer following him he turned, noting her narrowed eyes Merle. As she watched him roll his eyes and stalk back to her she mentally readied herself a damn good argument on why there was not a chance in hell she was going with Merle unless he apologized. Therefore she was quite taken aback to find herself thrown over Daryl's shoulder like a sack of potatoes with not even one word coming out of the stoic hunters mouth.
"What the hell!?" He ignored her and her insults and walked straight passed Merle and his surprised scowl. As soon as they had tromped a decent ways into the woods Daryl roughly deposited her flat on her butt on the forest floor.
Ray scrambled up quickly, glaring at both men. "What the fuck was that?!"
"'M tired of your guys' drama. Two 'r worse'n a couple a bitches on tha rag." He grumbled, folding his arms and leaning back against a tree.
"It's not my fault! I get shitfaced! And then with you- then he's an ass-doesn't let me get a word in! Don't even remember! Had to see T-dog in the shower! And then somehow- ending back up in your room- and to top it off HE'S STILL MAD!" Rachel ended her choppy dialogue on a shout, pointing at Merle.
"Ya fuckin' still stupid! Wanna' keep on shoutin'? Bring a whole 'nother herd down ON OUR ASSES?" Merle shouted as well, red faced in anger.
"Ya both shoutin'!" Daryl hissed, effectively stoping them. He whirled on Merle. "An' I told ya she didn't 'member that night! Ya both better pull your heads outta' ya asses 'afore ya git us all killed!"
Merle blew Daryl off effectively, although he did stop yelling. "Don' need no cunt causin' prob'lems between me an' my baby brother." He stopped suddenly registering some of what she had said. "Ya what wit tha' nigger in tha shower?" His eyes had narrowed even more if that was possible and his face was even redder.
It was her turn to blush. "Don't call him that! And I didn't know he was in there!" She turned stabbing a finger in Daryl's chest. "And you don't get to pretend you're blameless here! In fact- why are you even here? Didn't you say you don't give a fuck about me!"
Daryl's face reddened in slight shame before going stony as Merle chuckled and instantly perked up at more confrontation with the little woman as she rounded on him.
"And you! You couldn't have even given me five minutes! Five whole fucking-"
"An' what would ya have done wit them five minutes, ya damn hussy? Pit us against each other? Make some sad eyes at tha one ya want? Come up wit a story 'bout how ya never wanted one a us, an' it was always tha' other? Ya-"
"You're still not listening! I don't want to fuck around with either of you-"
Merle turned, slightly crestfallen, but masking it quickly in triumph. "See! Didn' I tell ya brother? She don't-"
"I WANT BOTH OF YOU!" Ray practically screamed over Merle. "I like you both! I don't know what to do, ok!"
Daryl grinned madly sending a look full of 'I told you so' straight at Merle. Merle, for his part, didn't seem to handle her confession well. His jaw went slack and his body seemed to slump in shock as he turned slowly and disbelievingly to face her. "Ya..." His voice came out off pitch and almost prepubescent, well, if prepubescent boys had deep gravelly baritone voices... Still it came off almost squeaky. He cleared his throat and shook himself slightly. "Ya what?"
Rachel swore the heat that was coming off of her face could have warmed up the RV twice over. "I like you both. I didn't want to do anything with either of you until I figured out who liked more because I didn't want to just fuck with one of your heads. And..." She paused, kicking at the floor and once again playing with the hem of her shirt. "I can't figure it out ok? I'm not- I mean like I said, I've only been with one guy... And, I mean, I don't really know how fuck buddies or one nighters work, but couldn't... I mean, I assume since they're called one nighters that you move on to a different person the next night... So couldn't we call it however many nighters and I just- I mean- I...I..."
"Fer fucks sake, spit it out." Daryl grumbled from his tree.
She spared him a slight glare before returning her eyes to the ground struggling to push out the next words. "Can't we just share? I mean, not you two doing anything with each other- unless you want to..." She was admittedly worried about that but her worry was short lived at the simultaneous looks of horror and disgust that crossed their faces.
Daryl managed to spit out a- "Fuck. No." While Merle rushed out with a- "Hell fuckin' no."
She nodded and rushed on, determined to get this out. "Like I said, that part is up to you guys. I'm- I'm just saying...to maybe- if you're both ok with it...just..."
"Y'all have taken tha past ten minutes fer two sentences; fuckin' talk woman." Snapped Merle gruffly.
"Just share me." Rachel blurted, looking straight at the floor.
Is it actually possible to die of embarrassment? Her face felt like it was literally on fire and she was sure it was beet red. As the silence continued, so did the downward plummet of her stomach. This was it, where they laughed or said you're crazy or disgusting. She started to edge away slowly, hoping maybe to make it back to camp without them to spare her even more humiliation. So caught up in berating herself she didn't notice Merle's hand snap out until it had wrapped firmly around her wrist. She looked up at him in shock before noting his cheeky grin as he yanked her into his chest.
"Jus' where d'ya think yer goin'?"
Ray stared up at him, mouth still ajar, her thoughts a jumbled, confused, mess. Was he saying what she thought (who was she kidding) what she hoped he was saying? "Uhhh..."
Merle's smirk grew wider as he held her against his body tilting her chin and making her meet his eyes. "Let's make sure ol' Merles got this right; ya sayin' yer game fer me an' Daryl gettin' our wood wet wit'cha. No strings, no bull, none a tha' playin' us against each other."
Ok, the feel of him against her was making her slightly inarticulate. "I, uhhh..." She shook her head, trying to clear the lust induced fog. "Mostly... I mean if you two go off screwing other girls its only fair if you tell me and I get the same opportunity."
Merle's smirk was so wide she thought his face might crack in two and even Daryl gave a choked cough. What in the world? "Sugar, ya wanna screw some bitches I'd be more'n happy ta help ya find some, on tha condition I get ta participate." He winked at her as she groaned.
"That's not what I meant and you know it." She mumbled, missing the dark looks flash across both mens faces.
"Nah, we won't fuck no one else 'till this is over an' neither will you." Daryl spoke waspishly.
Ray tried hard for the rest of the night to keep the grin off of her face; they were looking for a little girl after all, but it was hard work. Part of her was shaking, trying to convince her that she was just a wimpy girl trying to play a grown woman's game, and the other part was jumping up and down clapping its hands. Soon enough though, the gravity of the situation was hitting them. They were out looking for Sophia, and who knew what they were going to find. By the time they made it back to the RV dawn was breaking and they were exhausted. They left food and a sign for Sophia and quickly loaded up into their respective vehicles.
"C'mon Darylina!" Merle held the passenger door ajar and looked down at Daryl's protruding feet from underneath the truck. "They're rollin' out, don' wanna git this ones panties inna bunch." He turned to smirk at her as she rolled her eyes.
Daryl swore, standing. "Y'all best hope that holds." He snapped angrily, stomping around the front of the truck and hoping in on her other side.
"Do you guys think we'll find her? Alive?" She asked lowly, guilt still weighing down on her.
"Course." Daryl said not leaving room for argument.
"I just... I should have known she was going to run like that." Ray smacked her palm on the dash.
"Though' you was smart." Snorted Daryl in unison with Merle who said "Shaddup, stupid."
Ignoring Merle she spun to Daryl "And what's that supposed to mean." Ray hissed at him.
"Exactly what he said darlin'." Snorted Merle
"I asked him! Not you-so shut up!"
"Exactly what I said." Supplied Daryl which had him and Merle both sniggering.
"Oh my god is this how you two deal with emotions? Find someone to annoy the crap out of and snicker behind your hands like a bunch of first graders?" Ray shook her head in exasperation.
"Not quite," Merle chuckled as though he were waiting to deliver a punch line, "We don' snicker behind our hands."
Rachel rolled her eyes and hit her head on the dashboard "Oh my god." She moaned. These stupid jerks were getting in the way of her pity party.
"Buck up sweet thing." Merle chortled as he clapped her on the back, laughing even harder at Daryl's pointed glare at his hand on her back.
"Sometimes I feel like you two are trying to kill every brain cell I have." She mumbled.
"Nah, then we couldn't have tha' sweet wild sex ya promised us." Merle leered at her and laughed some more. His face turned somber suddenly. "Don'cha worry, darlin. Kids tough, kinda stupid ta jus' take off, but tough." He cleared his throat and ignored the look he was getting from Daryl, instead choosing to stare out the window.
The rest of the ride was fairly quiet, in fact the only noises made were the surprised squeaks she made when both Daryl and Merle put a hand on each of her thighs. Well, that was the only noise until they tried to pull up to the farm house.
"Aw, hell nah!" Daryl snarled removing his hand from her leg.
"The fuck is wrong wit'chu now." Merle snapped, irritated at the whole peaceful feel up of Ray being interrupted.
"Ain't nothin' wrong with me." He bit back struggling with the gears and pedals. "Hold on, we in for a ride... And a hell of a stop." He muttered the last bit, giving up on the gear shifter- clutch had gone out.
"Brake motherfucker!" Shouted Rachel, her hands clenched so tightly that the knuckles were white.
Daryl spared the smallest of moments to glare at her before turning to pump the brakes some more and blare the horn. It was almost amusing to watch everyone scatter, the group and strangers alike, and see the front door opening and slamming to reveal more people. Everyone watched, transfixed as Daryl's truck slammed into the side of Carols old Jeep Cherokee, somehow flipping it onto its side, and coming to an abrupt halt. The three looked out at the Jeep wincing at the damage and trying to catch their breath. A sudden groan of old, rusted, beaten up metal caught their attention and they watched, Rachel in shame and mortification, the Dixon's with unabashed grins, as the jeep made one last cringe inducing creak, and crashed onto its roof.
The men let out two identical whoops and Ray felt like her brain snapped. "What the fuck just happened!" She shouted.
Merle and Daryl looked at one another, smirking and nodding before Daryl addressed her. "Told ya to hope it held-it didn't."
"What didn't!?"
"Brake lines were leakin'. Y'all rushed me outta there so fast might not have got 'em all."
Thankful that she had worn a seatbelt she reached down to unbuckle it, stopping with her hand in mid air when she finally realized just what the two had been smirking about. Both men had, in what started as a rather nice gesture, put their arms in front of her to brace her for the crash. However, Daryl's right hand was smashed directly over her right breast and Merles left was crossed over Daryl's arm and firmly planted on her left breast.
"You know," She started dryly. "I'm pretty sure that my tits are like my own personal airbags... And airbags don't need protection, they are the protection."
"Ya got it all wrong sweetheart," Merle said almost innocently. "These things are too nice not ta protect. Might need ta walk aroun' like this wit how accident prone ya are. Jus' ta be on tha safe side."
"Course, prob'bly some other areas need protectin' to..." Daryl trailed off smirking.
The banter was cut off by an older mans indignant voice. "What happened here?!"
