I cannot believe the response this story has been getting. I never expected this when I started writing this one. I had originally planned on twelve chapters but I already began writing chapter eleven and I don't think I can wrap it all up in twelve chapters.

…

Part Ten.

Axel isn't necessarily wrong in his opinion. Merle Dixon isn't exactly the best news and when he is back in town, word spreads quickly and it isn't long at all until it reaches Daryl's ears. He leaves Dale's auto garage where he sometimes works and rushes over to the diner where he hears his brother is and where he knows Beth is working the morning shift that day.

His heart is thumping so hard and fast in his chest, he wonders what having a heart attack feels like as he practically rips open the door off its hinges and that annoying bell tinkles above his head as he enters the diner, his eyes immediately scanning for both Beth and Merle. He needs to get his brother away from her if he's anywhere near her. Beth knows some stories but she definitely doesn't know all of them and he doesn't want his brother anywhere near her. He doesn't even want Merle to know that Beth exists in his life because Merle has the worst talent for ruining everything and he knows this thing he has going with Beth will be no exception.

"Baby brother!" Merle Dixon grins, standing up from the stool at the counter he's sitting on, his grin wide and his arms open and Daryl's eyes are still looking for Beth but he doesn't see her anywhere as he steps into his brother's embrace.

"Hey, Merle," Daryl mumbles as Merle pounds him a few times on his back.

Where the hell is Beth?

"Man, what is up with that new hot lil' waitress? I've been locked up for almost a year and she is definitely a sight for sore eyes," Merle grins at him.

Daryl feels his body tense. "Which one?" He asks, pretending to play dumb.

"Didn't catch her name. Smilin' at me though like she's already beggin' for it," Merle laughs and pounds him on the back once more and doesn't catch the frown on Daryl's face. "Where you stayin'? At the motel?"

Daryl shakes his head. "Got out of there a while ago. We'll get you a room there though," he says, his eyes still scanning and his heart is still pounding. But the diner isn't that damn big and there's hardly anyone in there and it's not like he missed her. She's not in there and he doesn't know where she would be.

"Why can't I crash with you?" Merle's smile begins to slip as he looks at him closely.

"My place is too small," Daryl shakes his head. "You'll like the motel better."

Merle looks at him for another second and then is back to grinning. "Whatever you say, brother. As long as you're the one payin'."

"Yeah," Daryl nods and swallows. "My treat. I'll be right back," he then says and Merle goes back to drinking his coffee.

Daryl slips through the door that says 'Employees Only'. T-Dog is in the kitchen, whistling to himself and when he spots Daryl, he jerks his head towards the back door. Daryl gives him a nod of thanks and heads towards the back. Through the screen door, he sees Beth at the dumpsters, hefting a few bags up into it and Daryl breathes a sigh of relief.

When she hears the door open, she turns and when she sees him step out, she bursts into a smile. Daryl had never been happier to see her smile. "Hey, you," she says and practically skips up to him. Her hands press on his stomach and she raises herself up, pressing her lips to his in a kiss he barely registers. "Your brother's interesting."

"You didn't talk to him, did you?" Daryl asks; can't help but sound a little panicked.

"I asked him what he wanted to eat and he said me, which I admit, made me shudder," Beth admits and she is still smiling softly up at him. "It's okay, Daryl."

"No, it ain't," he frowns at her. "You didn't tell him 'bout…" he's not sure how to ask it and his throat is dry and he really needs a drink or a smoke or both. He really just wants to grab her hand and disappear into the woods with her for a few days; until Merle gets himself arrested again which will happen sooner rather than later.

"About us?" She smiles a little and shakes her head. "I knew you wouldn't want me to," she says and he exhales a breath of relief.

He lifts his hands to her cheeks and kisses her hard, wanting to thank her for that but not really knowing how to.

…

Oscar understands Axel's hate for Merle but he works the days while Axel works the nights and in Oscar's opinion, as long as Merle keeps up on paying each day, he can have one of the motel rooms. Daryl pays for a week and then hands Merle the key to room six – his old room.

"So what should we do tonight in celebration of me returnin'?" Merle asks once they're in the room and he tosses his bag onto the bed. "Thinkin' 'bout goin' to see a few of the guys. They still hangin' out at Terminus?"

"Don't know," Daryl shrugs, his hands in his pockets and standing in the open doorway. "Haven't been there since you got locked up."

"Too busy hanging out with your buddy, Sherriff Rick?" Merle grins but it's not a friendly grin at all and Daryl can see the growing agitation in Merle's eyes.

He suppresses a sigh. "Those people at the bar are your friends. Not mine. I've been busy workin'," he says.

"Well, I'm home now and I want you comin' with me for a drink tonight," Merle says – rather tells him and Daryl knows that tone. He can't exactly argue with Merle when he uses it. He's never been able to argue with him.

"Sure," Daryl nods as if he's had any choice and Merle's back to grinning and he claps a hand on his shoulder. "You good here? I gotta get back to work."

"Yeah, yeah," Merle waves him off. "See 'ya 'round nine."

Daryl nods again and leaves without another word. He already has plans with Beth for the night but he will just have to cancel them. Beth'll understand.

…

Beth looks disappointed but she understands just like he knew she would and he is quick to promise her that they'll go to the drive-in movie theater another night. She smiles and kisses him and tells him to have fun. It's Saturday night and Daryl almost invites her to come with him but there's no way he wants Beth anywhere near some dingy biker bar.

Merle walks into Terminus like he's some rockstar and his friends greet him like he is. Merle is immediatley handed shots and drinks and Daryl slips to the bar, getting a beer to himself. He doesn't understand why so many people seem to love his brother. Merle Dixon is an asshole and even Merle seems to know that.

But Merle is his brother. The only family he has and Daryl's never been able to stay away from him even when he knows he should.

…

He feels like he hasn't seen Beth in days and maybe that's the truth. It seems like whenever he's at the apartment, she's off somewhere and when she would be home, he's off with Merle. He's not even coming into the diner for dinner anymore because he's somewhere with Merle, trying to keep him out of trouble as best as he can. He feels guilty about it but keeping Merle away from Beth is the best thing he can do. Merle knows absolutely nothing about her and Daryl wants to keep it that way.

But one night, Merle is off with some woman and Daryl has the night free and he immediately goes to the diner. When he enters, Beth looks so surprised to see him and she instantly looks behind him, excepting to see his brother with him, and Daryl feels like shit because he looks at her and realizes how neglectful to her he's been.

He goes to sit in his usual booth but decides against it at the last moment and goes to sit at the counter instead. Beth appears in front of him and she gives him a small smile but he notes it's the same smile she gives to every customer. Not his smile. And she doesn't lean over to kiss him like she usually does either.

"What can I get you?" She asks.

Daryl just keeps staring at her. "How are you?" He asks and he sounds like a guy talking to a girl he doesn't already live with.

She nods and the same small smile is across her lips. "I'm good. And how are you?"

He nods his head once. "Good."

It's a complete lie, of course. But this is what Merle does. He comes and goes and every time he shows up in his life, he messes everything up in grand Merle Dixon fashion before disappearing or getting arrested again and Daryl has to clean everything up again until the next time.

"Do you want to go campin' this weekend?" He hears himself ask and the question seems to get something sparking in her eyes but then she shakes her head slightly.

"I can't… I told Maggie I would come home this weekend. She found some stuff of daddy's and there's something there he apparently wanted me to have," she says.

Daryl can't help but frown a little. "I didn' know you were leavin' for the weekend."

Of course, he hasn't exactly been around for her to tell him. And he tries not to let it bother him that she has called the farm home and not her apartment in Evergreen.

And Beth just shrugs her shoulders slightly in response. "Do you want anything to eat?" She asks.

Daryl stares at her for another moment and he wants to keep talking, to explain to her what's going on with Merle there, but he's never been the best at having conversations. "You bake anything tonight?" He asks.

She nods and leaves for a moment, returning with a plate with a slice of golden butter cake with buttercream frosting on it. Without a word, she gets him a glass of Coke and sets it down in front of him, too.

"Beth," he says her name just when he thinks she's going to walk away. But when she looks at him, he has no idea what to say to her and he just keeps looking at her.

She's waiting for him to say something and she is suddenly looking so hopeful but his tongue is too heavy and his throat is too dry and after a few minutes, she seems to realize he won't say anything else. The door opens and the bell rings and another customer enters and Beth goes to see to them and Daryl sits there, feeling like he's just lost her. Just like that.

…

He's working on fixing the tractor on one of the farms just outside of town when he hears a car approaching and then a few minutes later, he hears feet coming towards him. He lifts his head to see Rick coming towards him and he flicks his head slightly to get the annoying strands of hair from his eyes.

"Wha's goin' on?" Daryl asks, wondinerg if Merle has gotten himself arrested again. He actually finds himself hoping for it.

"Don't screw this up, Daryl," Rick says, giving him a stare. "Not over your brother."

"Don't know what yer talkin' 'bout," Daryl frowns even though he's not an idiot.

Rick sighs. "Beth. She's the best thing to happen to you and you're just tossing her aside for your worthless brother."

And even though he knows it's true, Daryl can't help but frown. "Merle's blood."

"And what has your blood ever done for you?" Rick retorts back.

Daryl doesn't give an answer because he can't. "He's my family," he says instead. "Only family I got left."

"And what the hell is Beth?" Rick asks.

Daryl shrugs. "Just somethin' to pass the time," he says and he immediately hates himself for it and he just hopes Rick never repeats those words to Beth.

Rick mutters something under his breath – sounds like stupid son of a bitch – and then he turns and leaves without saying anything else. Once he hears the car backing away and driving off, Daryl clenches his eyes shut and exhales a deep breath.

This is his problem. Always has been. He has always given Merle his absolute loyalty and he knows he's not nearly as important in Merle's life but after their mom dying and everything with their dad… Merle was all he had for the longest time.

And then he met Beth and for some reason, she wanted to be with him and he had fooled himself into thinking that things in his life could be good like that forever.

But with Merle coming back into town, it just reminds him of his place in the world and it's not with Beth Greene.

…

She's just gone for the weekend but he still checks around the apartment, making sure that most of her clothes are still there and she hasn't moved out without him figuring it out. But her things are still there, the stuffed fawn still in the middle of their bed, her guitar still in the corner – and she would never go anywhere without that – and he sinks down on the couch, exhaling with relief.

He wouldn't blame her if she did leave but he would want to be around when she did it so he could say something or even try to stop her though he knows he wouldn't do either. If she wants to leave, he won't stop her.

Someone knocks on the door and Daryl gets up to go and answer it and when he opens the door to see Merle standing there with a grin, his stomach plummets.

"What the hell are you doin' here?" Daryl can't help but ask.

"Is that the way to greet your brother?" Merle asks, pushing past him and sauntering into the apartment as if he belongs there.

But he looks all wrong standing there. The floors are wood and the walls are white and Beth loves color and it's too nice and too clean for the likes of Merle Dixon. Maybe for the likes of him, too.

"How'd you find out where I live?" Daryl asks.

"Small town," Merle shrugs. He sees a framed picture on the table next to the couch and he goes to it, letting out a whistle when he picks it up and looks at it. "Small town told me 'bout this, too."

It's a picture of him and Beth taken at one of Lori and Rick's barbecues. Daryl is sitting in one of the lawnchairs and Beth is sitting on his lap, her head resting against his and she is smiling so brightly and happily and Daryl is smiling as much as he usually does. When Lori gave it to Beth, Beth immediately framed it and put it on display like she's proud of it or something.

"Can't believe my baby brother is shacked up with some hot lil' number like this," Merle smirks, looking at him.

"It ain't like that," Daryl says and he feels his hands curl into fists at his sides.

"What is it then?" Merle looks downright amused now and Daryl wants to punch him. He doesn't though. He never does. "You love her? Gonna marry her?"

Daryl doesn't say anything. He doesn't think there's too much to say to that.

…

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