I feel this story coming to a close, we are going to find out if Shane did it, we are going to find out if Beth and Daryl really can be normal and go beyond everyone's expectations, and we are going to find out if Merle can ever behave himself. Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming let me know what you think xx

They marched into the apartment, Beth walked straight past Merle and Daryl and into the bedroom, she heard Merle chuckle.

"Boy you got yourself into it this time." he said loudly, she heard the fridge door going guessing Merle had walked into the kitchen and helped himself to a beer, she picked up two pillows off of the bed and went to the cupboard where she knew Daryl kept his sleeping bags, picking one up she walked back into the living room and through both onto the couch.

"I hope you find it comfortable" she said as she glared at Daryl, then she turned to Merle "You staying tonight?" she asked him and he nodded his grin sneaking bigger.

"I get to share the bed with ya tonight?" he laughed even harder at the look on Daryl for just one second she was tempted to say yes but she knew that would kill Daryl, so she walked away getting another sleeping bag, she walked back into the living room flinging the sleeping bag at Merle, it hit him in the chest and landed on the floor.

"Good night my hero's" she flung at the sarcasticly over her shoulder as she went back into the bedroom and slammed the door shut, she heard Merle whistle.

"Boy you gotta tell her what the hell is going on in your head." Merle said to him.

"When I want your advice I will ask for it." came Daryl's worried voice.

"I don't care if you want it or not, you want to keep that girl, she ain't one of the whores you pick up down the bar, she's a good girl and with good girls comes some responsibility. I told ya what our dad said about that truck, you know who it belongs to now its up to you what your going to tell her, but I was right it wasn't out father and you owe him and apology."

"Merle I ain't apologising to him for nothing and I am still going to the police tomorrow, I am going to tell them everything, the need to lock that psycho up."

Beth swung the door open and stood looking at the pair of them, she crossed the room swiping Merle's beer from his hands then turned to them.

"Keeping secrets?" she asked them both.

"Nope missy, just ain't got round to telling ya, what with ya running off and then the whole new friend thing. Ya seemed kinda busy." Merle threw back at her and snatched his beer out of her hand.

"Would someone like to explain?" she turned to Daryl.

"Gunna need ya to ring Rick, in the morning, gunna need to talk to him about what Merle found out." he grumbled.

"And tell him what my little Dixon brothers have worked out who the serial killer in this town is, oh yes Officer Grimes, you have a serial killer on the loose and why didn't you work this out oh I don't know perhaps its because your shit at your jobs." she was exasperated with it all.

"Well done expect ya to put it like that no." he said to her "But a simple Hi Rick, the man that set light to my home was actually your partner Shane Walsh" she stood stunned looking at them both.

"Are you kidding me? Shane Walsh, but he's a police officer, and he's been to my fathers for dinner sat around our table, comes to church every Sunday without fail, you have to be wrong, what evidence do you have?" Merle stepped forward.

"He is a ladies man, has a thing about women and gets obsessed with them, I remember being in the cells one night when I was younger and Shane was boasting to one of his little side kicks that he had slept with Lori, Ricks wife, that they were in love and running off, not to shortly after she dropped a sprog, called it Judith, no one is sure weather or not its his or Ricks, but Rick put in for being the sheriff just after that and Shane had to take another partner." he looked smug.

"But that doesn't put a lighter in his hand." she said, going into the kitchen and taking out more beer, she threw one at Daryl without looking at him, then one to Merle and cracked the third open for herself, Daryl was sitting on the couch, Merle had propped himself on the edge of the coffee table so Beth fell with her back against the wall and slipped to the floor.

"His truck was in every single photograph that was taken well apart from the early fires, but his truck was in a majority of them, and he's around about the right age." Daryl broke in.

"Ok so, so far you are telling me that a police officers truck happened to be in photographs taken at crime scenes, that the man is knocking on the door of 50 but hasn't actually got there yet, that he likes to sleep with women and happened to have an affair with Ricks wife." she sat and looked at them "This wouldn't stand in court boys I need something more concrete and I may just have an idea."

Beth walked into the police station and smiled at the officer behind the reception desk.

"Hello I have an appointment to see Officer Walsh, he is going to take a statement about a fire at my apartment." she fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"Of course, your name?" asked the Officer politely.

"Oh yes Beth, Beth Greene."

"If you take a seat over there I will get Officer Walsh to come and get you." he pointed at a row of seats to the left of the reception desk.

"Thank you" she headed over and sat down, within a few minutes Officer Walsh appeared and Beth stood up smiling at him.

"Beth Greene?" he enquired

"Yes that's me" she smiled standing up to greet him, pulling herself up as tall as possible, she couldn't feel any more uncomfortable if she had tried, her top was so tight she thought any minute now her breasts would push out through the round neck, the skirt that Merle had shoved in her hand and told her to wear was so short she made sure not to bend over or everyone would see her private areas, she had put her highest heels on too, she knew she had looked good because Daryl couldn't bring himself to look at her as they headed out to the car, but when they were in the car she had caught him sneaking looks at her bear legs.

"Right this way then please Miss Greene." she felt his hand on the small of her back and she let him lead her past the reception desk.

"Oh please Officer Walsh call me Beth, everyone does." she winked at him and continued down the corridor just slightly in front of him making sure to wiggle the way that Merle had had her practice for nearly an hour, she wasn't whole heartedly convinced that she need to practice that long, but Merle seemed to think she wasn't slutty enough, after 15 minutes Daryl had excused himself and gone for a shower much to Merle's amusement.

"Please sit here Miss sorry Beth" he had pulled a seat out from behind an extremely messy desk.

"Thank you Officer Walsh" she smiled as she down on the chair he had offered her then she lent forward on the desk, pushing her breasts together and leaning forward enough to give him a good look at her cleavage.

"I believe Officer Grimes took your original statement?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yes he did, he has been very kind, but with you being a family friend and all I thought I would see you I don't really know who to trust you see, I saw the man, it keeps coming back to me little by little, I remember that he was kinda tall almost as tall as you, and I would say his shoulders were as strong and broad as yours, I think he had blonde hair but sometimes in my dreams when he is lent over me and I am in my bed it is dark?" she smiled and looked up at him, she saw the look in his eyes darken, it had worked, he wanted her and he terrified her, she was glad that the boys were outside waiting for her or she might not have had the strength to carry on.

"Well Beth I will add the description to your statement and hopefully someone will come forward, someone must have seen him running from your apartment. If you would like to follow me I will take you back to the exit." Beth stood up and walked in front of him again, as they reached the small corridor that led to the reception she felt his hand brush against her arse and she stopped this was the bit that Daryl had gone mad over but Merle had insisted that it needed to be done, she turned to face him, standing on her tiptoes she planted a kiss on his mouth, just a swift one but it made him cock an eyebrow.

"Thank you Officer Walsh for everything" she then turned and continued down the corridor past the reception desk and out of the front door, it was up to time now, only time would tell if he would take the bate. She all but ran for the car and Daryl was out and by her side before she made it all the way he wrapped his arms around her and she allowed it everything from the day before forgotten for the time being, she had just invited the wolf to her door and she hoped it didn't back fire and get them all killed.

"We gotta take a quick diversion Beth, got stuff to pick up from the old man's house if he comes we want to be prepared, I stuck ya jeans in the back seat, ya might wanna put em on, the old man likes little girls." he stated, Merle coughed. "Oh get off we both know he does" Daryl scolded.

"Difference is your Beth ain't no little girl" he said out loud. As Beth squeezed into her skinnys in the back seat she spoke.

"Umm boys I don't exactly remember signing my freedom away to either of ya, so don' be calling me no ones." she tipped her head to one side and stared at them.

"Signed it or not sweetheart, your his, he ain't claimed ya yet because sometimes my lil brother needs a written invitation and a map to show him the way but you two will get there. It's like a damned romance novel." he sighed, Beth felt her face blush scarlet and Daryl's gaze suddenly went to the window watching avidly as the world went past.

They pulled up outside the house and Merle jumped out going straight in, Daryl waited dutiful beside the car for Beth to join him. They both stood looking up at the house Daryl grew up in, she took hold of his hand and they went into the house together, she knew how much he hated coming back here, it brought back the memories, the nightmares and she felt the need to protect him.

"What did you bring him back here for?" they heard his father shouting at Merle.

"Shut it old man, you can't do shit." Merle shouted back, Beth pulled Daryl into the main room of the house.

"Mr Dixon" she greeted him, he looked up at her.

"Don't understand it, Merle I don't understand it, how did Darlena get himself such a good looking little thing, and you stayed single after all you followed in my looks and charisma, he was definitely his mothers and who ever she was bedding at the time. She felt him stiffen and pulled him behind her grabbing his other hand and pulling them around her waist.

"Well Mr Dixon, I will let you in on a little secret, Daryl here is the most fantastic lover I have ever had, he can satisfy me in ways most women would die for. Shame the Merle's women tell me he is a wam bam thank you mam type." With that she pulled him out side before anyone else could comment, she knew by insulting Merle she had just taken a swipe at Daryl's father and it made her feel good.

"What did ya say that for?" he asked her in disbelief.

"I said it Daryl because he is the reason we don't, he is the reason you won't, oh Daryl yesterday just for a few minutes I thought we could be normal, I thought you could actually let yourself love me, but when you pulled away, the look in your eyes told me that ya can't let go."

"What do you know?" he raised his voice at her

"I know this, I know that places like this you have to put away!" she pointed at his old house.

"Wot if you can't?" he asked her his eyes dropping to the floor in shame.

"You have to or it kills you" She walked over to him and pushed her hand against his chest "Then it will kill us too." he looked into her eyes and swung his arm around her waist causing her to squeal as he picked her up and kissed her hard, she folded into him letting him know that she wanted him with everything she had.

"Get a fucking room you too" Merle shouted as he came back towards the car and slammed a huge bag into the boot, they broke apart but the look he gave her told her that this time it wasn't over.