-m-

Merle wouldn't admit it but he was hating this solitude. After his fight with Eden she had come back to the room a complete disaster and Merle had been waiting for the moment to watch her clean the entire thing. Instead she gathered her camera and bedding and went back out through the hatch. Merle had felt a moment of intense panic thinking that she had left him but it quickly turned into anger as her head appeared back over the opening.

"So this is it, huh. You're just going to leave me here to fucking rot!" Eden gave him a scowl before pinching the bridge of her nose, as if he were a child throwing a tantrum. "Yeah, I knew it from the very beginning. Knew you were just like all the others." There was hitch it his voice that he didn't care for when he thought about his brother and his other group. Why his brother hadn't found him.

"Merle." Her voice was clearly irritated. "You're a fucking asshole and I need space. I ain't leaving you but I sure as hell ain't rooming with you either. That room is yours, the roof is mine, and everything else can be...the fucking living room for all I care right now." She disappeared for a second before throwing down a bottom heavy black bag. "Heres your fucking peaches." She didn't return to the opening after that but she also didn't close the hatch so that was a plus.

After that day he had only spoken to the woman a handful of times. Merle hated being trapped in what he basically felt was a hole and Eden hated coming off the roof. They came to the conclusion that if there weren't any geeks around, Eden would move the dumpster blocking the door during the day and put it back at night. This had been going on for two weeks before Merle couldn't stand the sound of his own voice. Merle had decided that he was going to somehow get her off the fucking room one way or another.

So he started to climb.

Eden had offered, her sincerity irritated him, to help him up the ladder one day. He had growled some obscenities at her and had shoved passed her and into his room. Eden hadn't offered again and Merle never tried climbing it. It took him five minutes to learn how to climb with only one hand, and when he finally made it to the top of the ladder and pulled himself up onto the gravel, he laughed. He was sweaty and his arms hurt but he had done it, and for the first time in a long time he just laid there and looked at the clouds. It was smothering hot outside and the rocks began to burn.

Merle realised something, as the gravel dug into the his back, his head felt clearer than it had in a long time. Merle had been too busy trying to heal so he could find his family and trying to shake the annoying woman that seemed to be hell bent on driving him mad, that he didn't notice the withdrawal.

Merle sat up suddenly a smile coming to his lips that he quickly shot down. He finally took a look at the place Eden was staying. There was a heavy tarp hung tightly between the two large air conditioning units. On one end were a telescope, Edens camera, and the most beautiful rifle he had ever seen; and the other was a large tent big enough to hold three of him. The tent looked brand new, the dark green and bright white material didn't have a single stain on them; however every seam had been tapped, including the flaps around its windows.

Merle was instantly irritated once he looked around some more and realised Eden was inside the tent but she either couldn't hear him or was ignoring his presence. He had gone so far as clearing his throat, waiting for her to come out and see that he had climbed the ladder.

Merle thought about all the times Eden had looked at him like he was a child but now her high and mighty ass was being more of a brat than he could handle. Her mocking hums pushed him over the edge. Merle dunked under the tarp once again and quickly unzipped the opening.

Merle was instantly engulfed in a cloud of white smoke and cool air. Eden was laying in the middle of the largest pile of blankets he had ever seen. Her right foot rocked with the beat of the music blaring through her head phones. Her eyes were closed and she was smoking a blunt. To Merles left was a case of dry ice surrounded by an army of little desk fans.

Merle stood there for a full minute completely dumbfounded by her light pink pajamas. Merle was above the unaware woman instantly, jerking the headphone out of her ears. Edens green eyes flew open as she let out a shrill scream.

"What the fuck are you doing?" She asked, sitting up. "Get your dirty fucking shoes off my bed."

"What the fuck am I doing?" Merle felt like his head was about to explode. "Do you not know where the fuck you are?" It wasn't the first time Merle wondered how the woman was still alive.

"I'm in my goddamn tent." She growled.

"You're a fucking idiot." Her face went red as she forced him out of her tent, his back grateful to be out of the hunched position it was in.

"What's your damn problem Merle?" Eden yelled her voice echoing in the quiet world around them. Merle had to stop himself from running his fist through her face. Merle never really looked at Eden. Never really gave it much thought, she was always so loud and caring. Everything about her was the opposite of what he wanted in this life.

Her hair was wild around her, tight curls sticking out in every direction. He could smell the coconuts on the wind as she moved. Her tank top was thin and left her shoulders bare to the world; the sun glistened off the sheen of sweat building on her smooth brown skin. Those damned pink shorts. Merle was at a loss for words not for the first time since he had met her.

"You're gonna get us both killed." She kept her expressions so open on her face, Merle knew the moment her anger switched gears.

"Excuse me?" Her fist clenched at her sides. "If you came up here to try yourself today, I wouldn't." Merle had learned so much about her in such a small time.

"How old are you, kid?" He asked, looking around the roof at the deserted world around them. If he stopped for a moment and listened he wondered if he could hear his baby brother.

"I ain't no damn kid, Merle. I'm 24."

"You're a kid." He scoffed. "You're a fucking kid and you're gonna get us killed." It was like he was seeing things clearer for the first time since being in this shitty situation.

"How am I going to get us killed?" Her voice raised again as she followed him over to her rifle. God, he would have loved to have one of these, when he had two hands. The thought of his missing hand stung a little less but his anger at that fucking pig still burned.

"You're loud." He said putting the sexy thing down. "I walked up on you, loudly, if I was someone looking for an easy score. You'd be heaven. Look at what you're wearing." He gestured widely at the wide eyed woman. Merle smiled wide, for the first time he had the upper hand. "Every part of you is just easy access for the the geeks." He pinched the warm skin on her arm and laughed as she punched him. It wasn't that it didn't hurt, the girl had a decent fist on her, but she had no form. "I can smell your hair from here and anything or anyone would make easy work of you with a simple tug. You ain't in Kansas anymore, little girl."

"Well, you said you were going to be on watch!" She almost yelled but lowered her voice. Her checks had turned a new shade of red as she crossed her arms around herself. When she looked like this, Merle could see how unprepared she was for this world, he could only imagine how innocent she was before the change.

"You trusted that I wouldn't just walk away? Get tired of sitting down there eating canned food and listening to you bitch?" Her eyes hardened at the insult. "What i'm saying is, I could have left you. I could have attacked you. You don't know who I am." Her eyes were still hard as she rested her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrow. Merle had learned that look, she was going to verbally beat the shit out of him.

"I know who you are, Merle Dixon. You're a man who is too cowardly to face that it isn't the world or the people around him that he hates so much. Its your damn self." The next time Merle seen Eden her hair was braided tightly to the back of her head and she was wearing well fitted jeans, Merle definitely noticed how nice they made her ass look, and a dark green shirt tightly tucked in.

-e-

Eden wrapped the long extension cord around her back and began to pull. The body slowly rose atop the lamp post, the dead man's legs swinging wildly with each movement. Once Merle had the end tied off she let the slack go and watched in disgust as the body gave grotesque bounce. Merle gave his fingers a hard shake before rubbing the sweat bubbling on top his head.

Ever since Merle had pointed out all the ways she was vulnerable she had been more on guard. She had become so comfortable with the lack of survivors around and her tricks that she had fallen into a gray area. She hated the man for pointing it out but secretly thanked him for making her see it.

Eden took into notice how he hadn't asked for any pills since that day too. Eden was learning a new side to Merle, a focused side that helped push her too. He was ready to go find his brother, ready to move on from their little hiding spot. Eden felt a rush of panic everytime she thought of seeing the dead in numbers. They had been lucky, only having small groups come in twos and threes but closer to the city was another thing. Eden knew the hordes of dead in the cities would branch out soon, they would run out of food and turn to the animal filled forests. To the small back roads and mom and pop shops. Soon there wouldn't be to many places like the one they had.

Eden would never ask Merle not to go, to stay with her there until they absolutely had to run. If Aaron was still alive out there, nothing would keep her from finding him. He hadn't offered her to come with him and Eden didn't know how to ask. He's the only other living person that she's found and she didn't want to die alone.

"Was there anything useful in there?" Merle asks pointing to the truck she got the body out of. He kicked a stray can and began sucking out the fuel. We still had the truck I had found Merle in but it used too much gas and now that we had sorted and used all the junk in the back of it, it wasn't much use.

Between finding supplies and trying to find a decent ride Merle gave her little time to rest. Eden had never seen this side of him, the one who wasn't in constant pain, the Merle who wasn't disabled. The day on the roof had changed more than just her habits.

"I ain't getting any fucking younger, Dorothy. Pick up the pace." The sun felt like it was baking her alive and she wanted nothing more than to say fuck it and turn around. Climb into her tent and start her homemade air conditioner. Eden wasn't stupid though, she saw the way Merle did things. Watched the way he walked when they were deep in the woods, silent. He checked corners and in places Eden wouldn't have thought. She was learning, she was trying.

"I have short legs, Merle." She huffed out picking up her walk until they were side by side. Even carrying the gas canister and the bag, he was faster than her. Her hands shifted around the crowbar a little tighter. Merle was counting on her to take out any dead around them, to put them out while he did all the heavy lifting. Even though she had the weapon, she had no doubt that the man beside her would still find a way to survive.

"Look at what we have here!" Merle cheered as they came up on a sleek four door. He opened the door and the sound of the bell went off. Merles smile went wide as he shut the door and went to fill up the gas tank. "Who said luck doesn't favor the bold." Eden decided to not tell him that wasn't the phrase.

The seats were leather and the heat burned through her pants, but she felt safer inside the car with the doors shut. Merle had made quick work hotwiring the car and took an extra minute to show her the basics. When the engine came to life with a soft purr Eden couldn't help the ecstatic laugh that escaped her. The air conditioner turned on with a loud whirl along with the radio, the noise was so foreign with her now. Merles smile was as wide as hers as the air quickly turned from warm to a sharp cool.

"This is way better than my air conditioner." Eden laughed as they took off back up the road, Merle speeding wide around the curves.

"That thing is pretty cool." Merle joked, giving a loud woop as they dogged a lone dead man making its way across the road. Edens excitement vanished as she saw the man's head turn towards them, from the side mirror. For a moment Eden thought she had seen the man before, the way he held himself, the shape of his shoulder; but he was quickly becoming a small speck, a speck that continued across the road.

In this chapter we see Merle coming out of his addiction and coming to understand Eden just a little bit better. We also see how unprepared Eden is for this world and a moment of bonding for the two at the end. For those of you wanting to know more about their dynamic, Merle and Eden will not be instant best pals. They both have very different ways of doing things. Eden likes to think she knows best and Merle has a lot of hate in his heart that he tries to throw at her.

Please review. Tell me what you think will happen in the coming chapters?