A/N: Thanks for all the support and please keep the reviews coming! You're feedback is very helpful to my writing and also helps keep me inspired.

Chapter 37

"Don't worry...it will feel like home in no time I'm sure..." The Governor remarked as he stood at the entrance of the apartment above the bar.

Gwen just looked around in silence. Dust covered everything. The only furniture was a small kitchen table. The musty smell was almost overwhelming.

"Damn...don't look like nobody's been up here in ages...smells like it too." Merle remarked.

"Guess we'll need to air it out for a day or two..." Gwen stated as she walked over and attempted to raise a window without success.

The Governor reached behind her and raised it for her. "I'm sure Nancy would be happy to help you fix up the place...Merle's got gate duty in a bit..." The Governor turned and headed back down the stairs and exited.

"Home sweet home Sugarplum!" Merle remarked as he slipped his arms around her waist from behind and started kissing her neck.

Gwen laughed a little but part of her wanted to cry...she never thought she'd miss the hotel...at least not until she set foot in there. "This place is a dump...". The site of the place was depressing and the guilt of Darlene's disappearance still weighed heavy on her. She wasn't thrilled in the least to be there.

"Better than sleepin' out in the woods with one eye open..." Merle commented as he continued to kiss her neck, working his way to the other side.

"Come on Merle...stop..." Gwen gently pulled away from him and headed towards the stairs.

"Come on baby...don'tcha wanna christen our new place?" Merle laughed.

Gwen just rolled her eyes at him and headed down the stairs. "I'm going to see what Nancy has for cleanin' supplies..."

Merle looked around the apartment...it was a dump. It was basically one giant room...a kitchen area with linoleum flooring and a small table in the middle on the left and a place large enough for a bed on the right. Merle leaned against the table and stumbled a little when it wobbled. He noticed the bathroom was just off to the right and just off the kitchen area next to the entrance way was a walk-in closet. The only good thing were all the windows around the room. It helped keep the place from feeling like just a giant box. He knew Gwen didn't want to move in there let alone take over the bar but Merle had convinced her to do it and she reluctantly agreed. Merle ran his finger across the counter in the kitchen then brushed off his finger on his pants, leaving a line in the dust.

.

Merle stood on his post on the gate and stared out into the darkness. He could see the light on upstairs above the bar. Gwen had hung something to cover the windows hours ago. Every now and then he caught a glimpse of her silhouette working hard trying to clean up the place. Merle zipped up his coat as high as possible. The chill in the air stung against his face as he bounced slightly, trying to stay warm.

"See anythin' Merle?" Lincoln called up to him.

"Nah...quiet night so far..." Merle replied as he started to climb down. He passed the rifle off to Lincoln as Lincoln started to climb up.

"Heard you and Gwen are movin' above the bar...guess Darlene's leavin' worked out good for both of ya..." Merle could detect a slight hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Merle asked.

"Nothin'...just sayin'." He replied.

Merle stood for a moment staring up at the post but slowly turned away and headed towards the bar. He walked in and grabbed a bottle of liquor and two shot glasses from behind the bar and headed over to the door marked "PRIVATE". He opened the door and headed up the stairs. He couldn't believe his own eyes as he stood there at the top. The place was still empty of furniture but it was spotless. Gwen had hung curtains...he guessed Nancy had dug them up from somewhere. All mismatched but he didn't care about that. They moved gently back and forth from the breeze coming through the open windows. There was still a slight musty smell in the air but a far cry from what it had been. He never expected it to be as clean as it was and he could've sworn he could now eat off the kitchen floor. Something he wouldn't have even dared to do before...five second rule or not. Over to the right Gwen had laid a bunch of blankets and pillows on the floor. They were now bed-less but she had made the effort to make up a space for them that still impressed Merle, not that it took much anyhow. He sat the bottle and two glasses on the table and pushed on the table slightly. It didn't wobble. He squatted and looked underneath and saw that the bad leg had been reinforced. "Well I'll be damned..."

He could hear the water running in the bathroom but it cut off shortly thereafter. Merle quietly crept to the other side of the bathroom door and waited for it to open.

Gwen opened the door and stepped into the room with just a towel wrapped around her. She shivered from the cold air coming through the still open windows. Merle grabbed her from behind and she screamed. Her body tensed up at first but hearing Merle's laugh she relaxed and tried her best to reach around to smack at him.

"Dammit Merle...don't be sneakin' up on me like that..." Gwen fussed at him.

Merle pulled her to all fours on the floor with him then quickly ground his hips against her from behind. "Now we're talkin'...damn woman...ya out did yerself...and I'm gonna show you how much I appreciate it..." He started kissing down her back.

"Merle...stop...I'm serious..." Gwen pulled away from him and turned to face him. "Quit goofin' off..."

Merle paused for a moment and sighed deeply. "Oh I ain't goofin'...I intend to fuck ya good tonight..." Merle started to climb on top of her but she pushed him back. Frustrated he sat back in a kneeling position in front of her.

"What?..." He folded his arms across his chest and waited for her to speak.

Gwen got up and grabbed some clothes out of her bag and started to get dressed. "It's freezing in here."

"Aw Now come on...I'm tryin' to help fix that...whatcha puttin' all that on for?" Merle slightly whined.

"Merle Dixon...are you pouting?" Gwen laughed as she put her boots on.

"No...shut up...alright maybe a little." Merle started to get up.

Gwen finished drying her hair with the towel then tossed it over the shower rod. She stepped back out into the main room and looked at Merle who was just standing before her looking defeated.

"Well...come on..." She motioned as she started to head towards the stairs.

"Where're we goin'?" Merle asked.

"Back to Nancy's...she said we could stay another night...give this place a chance to air out some more before we stay here...it's too cold to sleep in here with the windows open...I'm freezin' as it is...besides I worked my ass off today and I'm sure as shit not sleepin' on the floor after a day like that."

"But..." Merle couldn't help but be a little disappointed...he was looking forward to having his way with her but he could see the only thing she would be having was a good night's sleep. "Ya gonna owe me...ya hear me?" Merle called out to her as she headed down the stairs.

"I hear ya alright..." Gwen yelled back.

.

Gwen woke up the next morning alone in the hotel room. She hadn't bothered to get undressed and had fallen asleep in her clothes. They now felt uncomfortable and restrictive but she got up and straighten them out and started to put on her boots.

"Come on...I got a surprise for ya..." Merle stated as he came busting into the room.

Gwen couldn't help but he startled as he came tearing in. He grabbed her by the arm and started to drag her out of the room. She hadn't finished lacing her other boot as they rushed out of the hotel.

'Where are we going?" Gwen asked as he led her to a pick up truck.

"Come on...hop in...you'll see..." Merle said proudly as he got into the driver's side of the truck and Gwen climbed into the passenger side. He struggled to shift into drive with his left hand and headed towards the gate. He laid on the horn a few times, the gate opened and Merle pulled through as they headed down the road.

"Where are we going? What's going on?" Gwen asked looking concerned.

"I told the Governor this morning we needed some things...thought we could go get some from one of the houses we've scavenged already...said we could take the truck and get what we need..." Merle told her.

"By ourselves?...He trusts us to do that?" Gwen asked.

"Course he do...you already done proved once you'd come back and I gave him my word..." Merle replied.

Gwen chuckled slightly and shook her head.

Merle slammed on the brakes hard forcing Gwen against the dash.

"DAMN MERLE!" Gwen caught herself with her hands.

"What ya laughin' at?...Ya think my word ain't worth nothin?" Merle said angrily.

"I didn't say that..." Gwen stated as she scooted back into the seat.

"Ya didn't have to...ya done laughed like my word is some kinda joke to ya...that how ya really feel 'bout me?" Merle stared at her.

Gwen looked at Merle and could see the hurt and anger on his face. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean that I swear..." Gwen slipped over closer to him in the seat, reached up and touched his cheek. "Really...I'm sorry..."

Merle leaned back and faced the road again and started to drive. They didn't speak much the rest of the way but when Merle turned down a dirt road she started to realize where they were going.

"Merle?..." Gwen didn't know what else to say. She was shocked when she realized where he was taking her.

"Told ya it was a surprise..." Merle smiled as he pulled up in front of the house.

Gwen could see the dead walkers strewn throughout the area surrounding the house. Merle stepped out of the truck and walked around to the passenger side but Gwen just sat there stunned.

"Come on...it's ok...we done came here the other day and cleared it out...ain't no more walkers..." Merle remarked as he opened the passenger door.

Hesitantly Gwen stepped out still looking all around her as she walked with Merle up to the house. Merle pulled the firearm from the back of his waistband.

"Just in case..." Merle stated as they entered the house.

Gwen followed Merle from room to room as they made sure no walkers had wandered back in but it was clear.

Gwen stopped in the middle of the upstairs hallway. "Merle...why did you bring me here?"

Merle turned around and stared at her confused for a moment. "Aren't ya glad to be back here?...Thought you'd be happy..."

"What's the point?..." Gwen asked.

"The point?...the point is it's still here...it ain't over run no more...thought you'd be glad about that..." Merle told her as he walked closer to her.

"Well...I am I guess...but..." Gwen started to speak but stopped herself.

"Besides...thought ya might like to bring a bed back from here...thought you'd like that..." Merle told her. "I know you feel bad 'bout how we ended up at the bar...thought maybe somethin' from here would make it better somehow..."

Gwen couldn't help but feel touched by Merle's gesture...it was simple...a little strange...but sweet...especially for Merle.

"Ok..." Gwen told him as she forced out a smile. The truth was just being there made her a little sad. It made her want things to be like they were before when it was just the two of them there but no matter how much a part of her wanted to stay there, she knew they were safer in Woodbury. They wouldn't be safe if they stayed there...from walkers or the Governor.

Gwen's eyes widened when she remembered what she left behind. "Oh my God!" She proclaimed as she rushed into the bedroom, knelt down and looked under the bed. She sighed in disappointment. "He found it didn't he? When y'all were out scavenging houses..."

"Nope...I got to it first...hid it...here in the house." Merle told her as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Gwen stood up in front of him. "Why did you do that?...If you had been caught..."

"But I wasn't..." Merle pulled her onto the bed with him, causing her to straddle his lap. He pushed her hair away from her face and ran his hand through the back of her hair, pulling her face closer to his. "I did it for us...just in case one day we can come back here for good..."

"You'd leave Woodbury?" Gwen asked surprised.

"If ya trust me to stay in Woodbury for now...mind yer own...I promise...when the time's right..." Merle told her.

It was the first time Merle had ever even mentioned having an inkling of leaving but Gwen couldn't help but feel relieved by it. Being in Woodbury was bittersweet and as much as she liked the security she never thought she'd feel 100% right being there. Not with all the secrets that seemed to surround the Governor. Secrets that no one dared to question.

Merle kissed Gwen and leaned back with her in his arms on the bed. Gwen sat up and tucked one side of her hair behind her ear and smiled. "You wanna do this here? She asked as he rocked his hips up into hers.

Merle grinned as he started to run his hand up her shirt. "Ya owe me from last night...besides...gotta make sure we pick the right bed to bring back..."