Nox: Post-Valentine chapter, for Daryl. Thanks to witnesstoitall for the arrow to the heart, haha. Daryl shooting arrows at hearts in the name of a woman? Now why didn't I think of that? Oh right, because Raylene is a Muse whore.

And the boys have been changed to M! Can you believe it? Gah. It rips me up to make that change. Now people will have literally have to search for this story, under the Mature section to find it. That's bullshit.

Disclaimer: The Dixons belong to Kirkman and AMC.

Warning: Animal Abuse/Horror

Heart

He hated days like this.

Thunk

Days when Merle was gone and he wanted him here.

Thunk

Days when the ol' man were gone and he wished Merle were here even more coz a the feelings that brought round.

Thunk

Chief bayed next to him.

Days when he couldn't understand his own fuckin' thoughts. At least Merle woulda smacked him over the head an' told him to git the fuck over it. Least one a them woulda known what to do.

But Merle weren't here. And he had to figure his own shit out.

"Fuckin' sucks Chief," he muttered, holding the crossbow up in his sights. He held the target in sight, a mass of brown and red, hung against the tree. He held his hand over the trigger, letting his finger waver.

He could see her now, blonde hair pulled up on her head, showin' off her neck. Big brown eyes that just wouldn't stop staring at him. She was like one a them girls outta a magazine, all soft and white lookin'. Like she was too perfect ta touch.

"Too perfect fer me," he growled, squeezing the trigger, the crossbow bouncing back against his shoulder, and the soft chink of the arrow flying.

Thunk

He'd felt like some goddamn idiot, gawking in the middle of the quick stop, lookin' like he'd lost his goddamn mind. Over some goddamn girl.

"Fuckin' idiot," he snarled, loading and releasing another arrow.

This time, he'd missed.

He growled, and tossed the crossbow to the floor, going down with it. He drew his knees up, an' took a drink from the beer at his side, pattin' Chief on the head.

He'd tried not to notice her. Acted like he was lookin' at some dumbass sign on the wall fer slurpees. Fuckin' idiot. But he had to. Coz if he didn't, then Merle woulda noticed her too.

Merle woulda made that shit worse. Probably woulda called him out, made a fool of him.

And Merle, he just had to have his goddamn beer. They wouldn'ta stopped off at the gas station if he hadn't a been high to begin with. But Merle just have to stop. Wanted to keep the high fuckin' goin'. And he didn't have much choice but to stop, less he wanted a fist to tha face.

Then he had to go in an' make sure Merle didn't get fuckin' caught actin' like no damn dumbass.

He'd made that mistake in the past. Been a bad fuckin' mistake. Had to run from the police before. He weren't doin' that fuckin' shit again.

So he went in. And there she was.

She musta been new coz she smiled at them as they walked in, bright and shiny. Pissed him off how dumb 'n nice she looked with that big ass smile on her face. But, fuck, if he couldn't stop staring.

Did he have somethin' on his fuckin' face?

"Make yurself useful brother," Merle said in his ear, slappin' him on the back. He pushed him towards the back, to the beer. He made his way down the short aisle, slow, lookin' back as discreetly as possible. Merle was walkin' down another aisle, watchin' the clerk takin' stock, lookin' to see if there were any cameras. He shook his head.

Merle was lookin' to steal shit too. Just what he fuckin' needed. But if it kept Merle busy an' he didn't get caught, then fuck. Who was he to care?

He stood in front a the door, not really carin' what he picked out. The warm air fogged up the window, hidin' his face.

She was watchin' them both. Eyes dartin' between him 'n Merle.

He grabbed a six pack, and walked to the front, seein' Merle stash somethin' in his pocket out a the corner a his eye. She frowned, but didn't say anything. And Merle, he was too busy packin' his pockets to notice her watchin'.

He dropped the beer on the counter, jarring her attention. She brought her focus, that big brown gaze, back to him. Her lips were pursed, brows drawn together. He liked them lips.

Course, he never liked nothin' bout no girl before so this was fuckin' new.

"Yes?" She had the softest voice, sweet and young. He felt his face heatin' up, feelin' like some jackass for even lookin' twice at her. She musta been young, too young for him to be even thinkin' bout her in any kinda way.

He nodded down to the beer on the counter, and she followed his gaze.

"Oh, shit I'm sorry," she drawled as that smile tipped up her lips again. He couldn't help the way the corners of his lips just tilted in response. She watched his face, eyes flicking between his lips and his eyes. He started shiftin' on his feet, rubbin' the back of his head. That stare made him fuckin' nervous.

He tossed the beer away, sendin' it tumbling through the grass. Chief watched it roll away, one brow raised.

"The fuck you lookin' at?" Chief just gave him one last stare before laying his head back across his paws.

He couldn't believe he was reactin' this way to some fuckin' chick.

"Hell am I thinkin' Chief?" Chief sat there, eyes on the target, body curled towards him.

If there was one thing he'd learned from Merle, if was that Dixons didn't think about women. Not like he was doin'.

The fuckin' problem? He actually thought she was kinda pretty. Thought he coulda had a chance.

"Too fuckin' pretty fer me. She ain't no damn Dixon type," he grumbled, rubbin' Chief behind the ears, his low moan of appreciation makin' him grimace.

But he couldn't help thinkin' that maybe, if Merle hadn't a been there, he mighta talked to her.

Mighta got up the nerve to say somethin' to make her smile at him.

"Hell Daryl!" She looked up, brows furrowed at Merle's loud voice. He didn't turn, didn't answer Merle's call. Just kept watchin' her. Watchin' her watch him. Thing was though, she was untouchable. He knew that better than anyone. He couldn't have that, couldn't even look at her agin. She was too good, too much a that other world he could never be a part of.

"Let's fuckin' move brother!" He nodded again, at her hands holding the six pack.

"How much?" She glanced down, and bit her lip. That motion sent his hands into his pockets, his shoulders hunchin' further in. That motion made him want.

"Four dollars and seventy-nine cents," she said, watchin' Merle at the door. She looked over at the stock manager, then back at Merle again.

Her eyes fell on him again as he handed her a five, and picked up the pack, leavin' his change behind.

"Wait!" He didn't stop, watchin' Merle's back exit through the door. He needed to go, before somethin' happened. Merle kept his hands shoved in the pockets he had stashed the shit he stole, and moved fast for the truck.

He felt an arm grab his shoulder, firm.

"I said wait." He didn't turn all the way, but did look back. She stood there, staring up at him intently.

"Your change," she said, holding it out with her other hand. He looked down at it, but didn't make any move to take it.

"Nah," he muttered, shrugging her off. She curled her fingers around it, her eyes studying him hard.

She looked back out at Merle, her eyes narrowing. "So you just let him borrow those then," she said evenly, letting her hands fall to her sides.

He sure as hell didn't know what the fuck she were talkin' bout. An' that musta shown on his face.

"Those," she said, pointing outside. She looked up at him, head cocked to the side, eyes questioning.

"Seems to me those wings belong to you." He stood there, shocked silent.

"The fuck you talkin' bout?" She pointed outside, to Merle, to the wings on tha back on his vest. He laughed then, feelin' like she'd just cracked a joke.

She musta been shit-crazy thinkin' those wings belonged to Merle, let alone him. They was a goddamn joke it was they were. Merle, he liked things that didn't make sense. Like to make the whole world look at him an' just spin.

Her face twisted into a frown and she backed up a few steps.

"Those ain't my wings sister," he said cruelly. She looked down, clinking the coins in her hand. "They my brothers. His."

"He tell you that?" He could feel the sudden anger, like a fist slammin' into his gut, makin' his blood boil. He took a step toward her, threatening. She looked afraid then, took another step backwards.

"He don't have ta tell me nothin'," he whispered. She stood there, fearful, and he took a breath. Backed up a few steps. This isn't how he'd wanted this to go. Didn't think it'd go anywhere, but sure as hell not like this.

He sighed. "Look, didn't mean ta cause trouble." And he turned on his heel and walked out.

"I know," she called, sounding hopeful, sounding like she really did know.

But he didn't look back. Merle was waitin' for him, and that girl - she wasn't a part of his world. Wouldn't never be able to understand his life. Wouldn't never be able to survive them.

She'd said shit she didn't know nothin' about. Made him fuckin' mad. Who were she to talk about Merle like that? Who were she to talk about him like that? She didn't know what he'd done. All she'd seen was Merle, an' tried to compare them both.

Bitch'd made a fuckin' mistake. Merle, well, he'd done some bad shit before. He'd done some ass-backwards things to him before, hell he didn't deny it. But Merle had done right by him too. Merle hadn't let him down so far.

And that was what he knew.

He wouldn't want that girl to know his life, to know who he really was. Just as well that he only got a brief glimpse of who she was, to only have that wish that he could have her.

That was all he could have, all he needed. Was for the best, for both him and Merle.

Didn't mean he didn't hate it though. A part a him wanted to know what it would be like to have that girl. To have her in his life. Her smilin' for him.

How fucked up was it that it was so hard to picture it though?

"I'm fucked up Chief." Chief bayed.

"Don't have ta agree ya dumb dog," he murmured, rubbing him along the back.

He grabbed the compound at his side an' stood up, eyeing the target on the tree. Red dripping down the bark.

He stalked to the tree, where it hung, Chief followin' at his heels. He could hear the girls voice, echoin' in his head, tauntin' him. He hated the way he got round girls. Hated he was such a pussy. Hated how much he knew he could never have'em.

He pulled at an arrow notched in the tree, and stared at the mess. The squirrel hung there, fucked ta bits, shredded, torn open. And there, in the center, was its heart.

Thing had a fuckin' perfect heart. And there it hung, like some goddamn thing on display. Just danglin' in the open, like it'd never been touched. Like it was tryin' ta tell him somethin'.

Like how he'd missed it with every single fuckin' shot he'd taken.

Like how he was just like Merle an' his ol' man, sittin' there, shootin' off arrows at a poor defenseless creature all coz he couldn't figure his shit out.

"Goddammit," he barked, and plunged the arrow into the squirrel's heart.

A/N: I can't be too sure of this chapter. Oh well.

Thanks to what evil lurks for showing up so unannounced and finding me here. Your reviews made me smile.

Now, you know I love you all. And really, I do. The Dixon's past has become so much more because of you all. With that being said, I'd like some input on Raylene. And I'm being serious. About eleven of you seriously review every chapter and I'd love for more of you too, but I'm not Hitler. And the Muse has been prodding me with a hot poker about Raylene and Merle's future, within the Walking Dead's universe. So, the question/s: where would you see Merle and Raylene going? Could you see me going to an AU/IU with Merle and Raylene? And if so, what would you imagine being there, or what would happen to them? Because you'll probably be the ones reading her, and I want to know what you think. Hit me up with a PM to let me know, or just leave it at the tail end of your review.

Which I would dearly love.

Your reviews would mean the world to me.