Ok, sorry about the lack of sexual content warnings for the last chapter. I will be better next time. So this chapter still has Carol, but is mostly a Mandrea? Merle/Andrea chapter. I know some of you can't picture those two, and I'm not sure why I can, but I do.

I do not own the Walking Dead or its characters. I appreciate all of your pms and reviews!

Enjoy!

Carol sat on the bench seat, her arm around Sophia who was lying with her head on her mothers lap. Everyone was getting antsy from driving for so long. Ahead of them, Daryl on the motorcycle, T-Dog, Glen and Shane in a truck. Behind them Rick, Lori and Carl in the van. Her, Sophia, Dale and Merle were in the RV. Merle had made some excuse that they needed at least one strong man in the RV for protection, but Carol knew better. She saw the way his eyes would glance at Andrea with concern. Carol gently moved Sophia's head from her lap and started toward the back of the RV where Andrea lay. Her friend lay there, sleeping fitfully. Glen had given her a sedative from their medicine stash after last night's events. She could still hear Amy's screams as the monster bit into her arm. Then all of a sudden walkers were everywhere, streaming out of the trees. Luckily Daryl and Merle had heard the shots and come running from their tent. They made quick work of dispatching the walkers; even Carol had killed a couple.

Andrea had sat with her sister until morning, both Shane and Rick trying to convince her to let them handle it. Andrea had yelled at Shane and pointed her gun at Rick. Carol leaned down to pull the blanket more tightly around Andreas shoulders.

What scared Carol most about last night was that Amy wasn't doing anything that was supposed to be dangerous. She didn't go into the woods alone, she wasn't being loud; she was just going to use the bathroom in the goddamn RV.

The group had decided that they weren't safe in the camp anymore. They needed something with walls or fencing. Shane argued for an army base about 150 miles away, while Rick wanted to go to the CDC in Atlanta, which was much closer. Carol noticed that Shane seemed to be competing with Rick and want to say the opposite of whatever Rick suggested. She also noticed that Lori was not being very supportive of Rick, sort of agreeing with both Rick and Shane at all times. Carol was pretty sure she knew what was going on, but she knew that Rick most likely didn't.

She took a last glance at Andrea to make sure she was still sleeping and walked back to where Sophia lay. She sat down gingerly, still nursing her broken ribs. She had healed pretty well since the incident. She was still just a bit tender from her ribs, and the stab wound in her leg. Dale and Andrea had stopped the bleeding in her leg, cleaned and bandaged her wounds. Dale had stepped out while Andrea tended to Carols more intimate wounds. Carol awoke when Andrea was buttoning her into a long short sleeve plaid shirt. She smiled when she saw Carol's eyes open.

"Sorry, we thought the buttons would help if we had to change dressing and such, instead of pulling something over your head. Daryl said you could have it. I didn't know he owned anything with sleeves. She chuckled.

Carol nodded and felt fresh hot tears come to her eyes, "Ed?"

"Merle had to shoot him honey, don't blame him." Andrea answered gently.

Carol shook her head, which made her dizzy and caused her side to ache. "No, I just wanted to make sure he didn't get to Sophia," Carol whispered.

"No sweetie, Sophia is safe with Lori and Carl. She had a meltdown when she saw Daryl running up here with you, but he calmed her down."

"He did?" Carol asked.

"Yep, rocked her on his lap til she stopped crying, carried her in here to see that you were ok." Carol cringed, and Andrea understood. "Don't worry, we had you covered up, she only saw your face."

For that Carol was eternally grateful.

After Andrea left, Carol was laying on the bed trying to sleep when she heard a commotion just outside the RV. Daryl and Merle were arguing with each other in low but growling voices. She had been surprised when Merle was the next one to come into the RV holding a suture kit.

"Hey cookie lady," her drawled, "blondie said you was awake."

Carol looked up at him and pulled her shirt tighter around her, holding it closed at the neck. Merle saw her embarrassment and tsked at her.

"Don't worry none, I was looking at the back of that assholes head honey, didn't focus on nothing else, ok?"

Merle turned around and went to the RV door.

"Hey blondie get yer pretty ass in here." Merle chuckled as she came in and glared at him.

"What's wrong merle?" Andrea asked. Don't have enough brain cells left to remember names?"

Merle grinned. "I know your names, yous blondie and this here is cookie lady. Now, I thought she might want ya in here, so you want to help or just yell at me?"

Andrea sat down on the bed next to Carol. Merle opened the suture kit.

"Alright, just need you to raise the shirt to the top of yer cut, ok?"

Carol looked at him, "why are you doing the stitches?"

Well, Daryl wanted to do I, thought I was too shaky without the drugs, but he aint never stitched nothing, so unless you want it to look like a kid did it, your stuck with me." Merle leaned down with the needle in his hand; Carol pushed the shirt back down.

"What about Dale, he did it to Shanes arm that one time."

Merle rolled his eyes and his voice got gruff. "Old mans hands were shaking so bad when he came out of here, Daryl wouldn't let him do it, so you are stuck with me, now you gonna let me do this or you want it to get infected?" he huffed.

Carol glanced at Andrea who nodded. Carol was surprised how quickly and efficiently Merle worked, even with his prosthesis. He had Andrea hold the edges of Carols skin together and used his good hand. He was done in a few minutes and the stitches were perfectly straight.

"Where did you learn how to do that Merle?" Andrea asked.

"After hunting, I used the skins to make stuff, got a problem with that?" he growled, a little embarrassed.

Andrea chuckled "No, just wondering is all."

Merle hmphed and left the RV. Andrea gave Carol a pain pill that pulled her into a deep sleep.

Now Carol sat across from Merle whose eyes would stare out the window then every so often drift back to a sleeping Andrea. "She will be ok," Carol told him.

Merle looked at her, "Don't care." he said as he crossed his arms and looked out the window again. Carol hid a grin.

"Merle why is Daryl riding your bike?"

"We flipped a coin for the bike." Merle grunted.

"Oh, sorry you lost." Carol said.

Merle looked back to where Andrea lay and then looked back out the window, thinking to himself, "nope cookie lady, I won."