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Walking Dead does not belong to be, but Lily does however.

"I'm curious, blondie," Merle spoke to Lily. She'd been unable to sleep, she figured it was because Carl was going out to look for guns the following day, so she decided to grab a late night snack, but Merle was awake. It embarrassed her because she'd decided to wear actual sleep clothes to bed for once so she was wearing short shorts and a tank top causing her to feel very exposed.

"Why exactly is it that you, someone so dainty… could love my brother. What made you…take a bullet and the beatin' of a lifetime for him?"

She just sighed and chewed the inside of her cheek before finding her words. "I guess my past is not secret, but what you probably didn't hear was how Daryl was the first new face I had seen and he saved me." She sniffed finding the strength to relay this information to someone she knew wouldn't care. "In the beginning, Daryl wasn't much better. He almost shot me, sat on me, and then carried me out to his bike. He kept me tied up until we reached camp. Once there, I actually used your supplies."

"He let you what?"

"He gave me your supplies because you were being handcuffed to a roof for being a douchebag."

"Easy on the name calling, Blondie."

"Oh, no. Douchebag is what I meant. Daryl rescued me from my own personal hell. Yeah, he was rude and rough around the edges, but he saved me. Believe it or not, he looked after me. He made me feel safe. He is still a redneck, but he's my redneck."

Merle just nodded his head trying to absorb all the information he was hearing and keep his comments to himself. "So what you told me about him finding a girl was true. And the baby?"

"The girl is me, in case you didn't notice, but the baby was a lie. It got you to listen though, didn't it?"

"Yeah, it did. You never did explain where your scars came from." He nodded to her wrists. "Overheard the Governor asking 'bout 'em."

"I have many of scars, Merle. Be specific."

He pointed to her forearm. "Shortly after you'd escaped, we went to the CDC. The doctor inside tried to lock us in and kill us 'humanely'. When Daryl tried to kill him with an axe, I jumped between them, but not quick enough to avoid an injury. He was just trying to get me out. He swore he would."

"That one." Merle pointed to her shoulder.

"Daryl and I were out looking for Sophia. A snake spooked the horse and sent us flying. I was bashed against a tree and he was thrown from a cliff. One of his own arrows stabbed him here," she pointed to the spot on her left side. "He and I limped back to camp for hours before we got close. I tried to get him help because he was limping more than me, but he followed me anyway and Andrea thought he was a walker. She tried to shoot him, but hit us both instead." Lily smiled. "They said I'd never get to use this arm again, but I guess this is one of those miracles people talk about."

Next, he pointed to her wrists. The scars were faint, but in the right lighting, they were visible.

"Handcuffs and fighting to get free. To get back to the farm. Daryl rescued me from a camp of men who pillaged settlements and stole what they needed to survive. Any other scars you want to know about?"

"Why were you handcuffed?"

"The men wanted me to be as little trouble as possible, so they bound me with whatever they had, including scarves, ropes, and cuffs without keys." She answered his unasked question. "Yes, memories of the Governor resurfaced."

He seemed to hesitate for a moment as a memory surfaced in his eyes. "Those?" He pointed to the scars that splattered across her back like a sick mosaic and snaked over the tops of her shoulders.

"Same camp. They protected the inside by lining the door with broken glass. Kept barefoot prisoners in and wild animals out."

"But why are they on your back instead of your feet or your hands and knees?"

She walked over to Merle, placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back, not far enough to fall, but enough for him to get the idea.

"Shit."

"This one..." She pointed to the scar running down her thigh. "They stabbed me when I kicked them in the head one too many times."

"You wanna live."

"Yeah, I do. You know where the others come from," she said flatly as she kicked her wounded leg up into his lap and pulled her shirt up to reveal 'LIAR'.

"Just adding to the collection," he replied coldly. He was still trying to joke, but it was apparent he was just doing it to cover up what he was feeling. His eyes tore away from hers, met the gaze of the cold concrete floor and he sighed. "We're kinda similar…and I stress similar."

She was about to object when he stopped her from speaking. "Let me elaborate." With a wave of his hand, he calmed her before she worked herself up. Only then did he pull his shirt from his person to show a smattering of scars across his chest.

Curiosity got the better of her as she examined the scars quickly before making her way around to see his back. She wanted to know if they matched Daryl's. It was the same as Daryl's but somehow it felt worse. Scars were deeper and more jagged. His father hadn't yet perfected his torture technique. Merle had been the first punching bag of his father.

"Parents, man," he sighed, feeling the coldness of her hands trace the scars.

"People, man," she added attempting to match his tone and level of sarcasm.

Merle turned to face her and of all things to do, he chuckled. She soon found herself smiling at him.

Little did they know, but Daryl had woken up and heard them laughing. They were finally getting along.

When they stopped laughing so hard, Merle showed her his stump. He hacked off his hand right below the wrist and went through the bone. The scaring was impressive considering it had happened so long ago.

"Not bad…for a redneck," she said as she reattached his arm for him.

"Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do." There was a pause as he flexed the leather straps making sure they fit right. "Can you imagine what would have happened if I hadn't hacked my hand off? He'd have still met you, but would he have changed like you say he has?"

"Would you? You'd have still robbed us blind though, right?"

"Well, yeah."

Unexplainable laughter burst forth from Lily as she listened to Merle speak as clearly about robbing a dozen people blind as calmly other people order coffee.