I am so damn sorry I haven't updated this in so long! I've been dealing with stuff, dentists and realtors. Someone should make a horror movie involving both of those. Anyway, again, I'm sorry. Updating seriously slipped my mind! Thank you all for reading!

Chapter Twenty One

Carol watched as Daryl struggled to wrestle shoes on a squirming Lily. It was about time the girl started testing him the way Carol was constantly being tested. It was happening a lot faster than she expected and she thought maybe she would get to see the more stern fatherly side rear it's head.

"But those shoes are awful!" Lily wailed. "I don't even know why mama bought them cause they're that dang awful!"

Daryl's brows pulled down in a frown but he didn't look to Carol for help. "No they ain't and the sooner you quit squirmin' the sooner your little ass gets to go outside," he said, his voice calm.

"But-"

"That's it," he growled, standing up quickly. He reached down and picked her up and then turned her upside down. He held onto her legs with one arm and somehow managed to shove both her shoes on her feet before she could realize what had happened. Lily started laughing, trying to push her shirt away from her face since it had fallen down. He swung her back around, earning a delighted squeal from the girl, and then he sat her on her feet.

She looked down at her shoes, stomped her feet a couple of times and then beamed up at him. "They're not so bad I don't guess," she said quickly and then she took off running towards the sliding doors where her brother was waiting patiently.

Daryl, hands on his hips, stared after her. "Jesus, she's you made over for fuck's sake," he grumbled and then took off after them.

Carol followed him outside, her keys gripped tightly in her hand. He was still mad at her and she knew it but she thought that this was a good idea. She had begged him to just agree with her that it would be better for her to be the one to pick Merle up. She needed to get to know him and she needed to start building a relationship with him. She didn't want her kids living in a house where everyone was tense. But she didn't want Daryl to be upset about it so she was ready to cave.

"You about ready to go?" he asked, plopping down into one of the patio chairs. He kept his eyes on the kids but his jaw was clenching.

"No," she said, scooting the keys across the small table that separated them. "You go ahead."

He looked up at her and then down at the keys. With a sigh he shook his head and then grabbed her hand, hauling her towards him. He didn't stop pulling until she was sitting sideways on his lap with her legs draped over the arm of the chair. "The only goddamn reason I want to do it myself is cause I know he's gonna give your ass a hard time. I know him."

"And you know me. I don't scare easily, but I understand." Her eyes followed Jake's path towards where his sister was perched on a large boulder sitting in one of the flower beds.

"Go ahead and pick him up. I need to start getting shit ready around here for the crew to come in and get started on this damn yard. We need a fuckin' landscaper while your at it. It's a mess out here."

She grinned and then kissed him hard, reveling in the feel of his hand tightening on her hip.

"That's so gross!"

She broke the kiss and turned her head. Jake was standing there, his face screwed up in a look of complete disgust.

"Are you sayin' your mama's gross?" Daryl asked, quirking a brow at the boy. "Cause I've seen you kiss her yourself."

Jake turned red faced. "Well, yeah, I have but you got your hand right there on her butt. And that's just gross."

Daryl stood up, causing Carol to cry out in surprise because he took her with him. He sat her down, kissed her quickly and then shoved the keys into her hand. He gave her a meaningful look and then turned, strolling towards the boy. "I wasn't touchin' her butt," he grumbled, pulling Jake up and then pretended like he was going to toss him into the pool. The boy howled with laughter and Carol had to force herself to go back into the house. She could have watched them all day but she had to go and try to make some sort of progress with his brother.

Besides, it was good for him to get as much time with his kids as he could. All three of them needed it. She was just amazed at how well they were adapting. He couldn't possibly love them more than he did now, even after just a few days and she knew the kids felt the same. It made her that much more determined to bring Merle into that fold somehow and make him realize that he had a place here. Make him realize that he had no choice but to accept her because she was a part of that family too.

The trip to the hospital didn't feel like it took long enough but she got there just in time. He was at the desk, talking to the nurse who was handing him a stack of papers. By the time she made it there he turned, glanced at her and then his eyes searched the room. His lips thinned in a grim line.

"He's at home with the kids. I thought me and you could go grab some lunch. I'm sure you're tired of hospital food," she said quickly.

"So he sent his woman to pick up his baggage. Ain't that sweet?" He grumbled, stepping past her and heading towards the doors.

"Yeah, well, we kind of argued over who would come. He wanted to but he finally got sick of listening to me and told me to go ahead," she explained, hurrying after him.

"Ain't you a peach," he grumbled heading towards the parking lot.

She pursed her lips, refusing to let him bait her. Daryl had told her this would happen and she had argued with him all morning that she could handle it. So she was going to handle it. He didn't say anything on the short walk to the car but she could tell that he was feeling bad. He was pale and sweating already.

She glanced at him as she backed out of the space. "Your room is ready if you'd rather just go home. I can make you something to eat there if you don't feel like going anywhere right now."

"I ain't got a home, lady. Might as well be honest and say that you got a room ready at your house. Don't be callin' it mine cause it ain't and that big fancy house might impress my brother but it don't impress me. And I ain't too hungry and I ain't in the mood for small talk, which I'm sure your ass is full of, so just drive."

He yelled in surprise and grabbed the dash as she whipped over onto the side of the street and slammed on the breaks. She turned, glaring at him. He glared right back. "What the fuck is wrong with you!" He barked. At least there was some color in his cheeks now. "You forgettin' a man just got out of the hospital? You tryin' to give me a fuckin' heart attack?"

She took a deep breath and met his gaze squarely. "No, I'm not, but I needed to stop because you have to get a few things straight before we get there. You took every dime you had and you spent it on dope. You ended up using that dope to nearly kill your fool self. You landed in the hospital and they called me, so I came. I didn't have to come. I don't owe you shit, Merle Dixon. As a matter of fact, the way I look at it, you owe me. You can't make rent, you can't pay your bills, you can't even buy yourself a package of lunch meat.

"You're gonna have to get used to the fact that I am offering you a lot more than you deserve at the moment. My home is your home now and you can pretend like you're doing me some sort of favor by allowing me to keep you up until you're better, but you better start pretending with a little bit more respect. I've never done a damn thing to you and I refuse to be treated like shit when I haven't deserved it! Now are you finished with this antagonistic bullshit or are we gonna have to sit here all day because I'll tell you now, my patience is already running thin and I've had a lot of practice dealing with children, which is exactly what you're acting like for no damn reason at all!"

He gaped at her. "I didn't ask you for shit, lady! I ain't gotta kiss your ass! Who the hell do you think you're talkin' to, anyway?"

"I would never expect you to kiss my ass and you are talking to someone that your gonna be stuck with for the rest of your life and from where I sit, I'm talking to an overgrown man child. Now, we don't have to like each other, but as far Daryl is concerned, you and I are just fine. Can you at least do that for him?"

He glared. She glared right back. They sat there like that for a few long awkward moments and finally he glanced out the windshield and then settled back into his seat. "Let's just get this over with. I'm tired already."

She nodded and pulled back out onto the street, glancing at him on occasion from the corner of her eye. He looked so warn down that she felt bad for him despite his horrible attitude. She had made a mistake in coming to get him but she had hoped that if he saw that she was trying to make things better for him, he would finally soften up a little bit. She still had a little hope that he would eventually.

The ride was silent after that and she found herself grateful that it wasn't a long one. She saw him glance around at the scenery as they pulled in behind the van. He frowned when he saw it, squinting as he leaned up in his seat. "Same type of van Daryl had when he left home," he said, more to himself than to her.

She nodded. "It is the same van. I had it painted and the engine replaced but it's the one."

He glanced at her. "He told me that the engine blew up and that's why I had to fly him back to Georgia."

She shook her head. "He just didn't want to leave me with no ride. He wasn't keen on the idea of me hitching the rest of the way." She matched his slow pace as they walked inside and she saw him glancing around, grudgingly appreciative of the space.

He stopped in the middle of the living room and looked at her expectantly.

"Oh, I'll show you around. Daryl's probably still out back with Jake and Lily if you want to see him. Your room is back here," she said, glancing back to make sure he was following her. She opened the door and stood there until he went inside, his eyes taking in the space. "You have a TV and there's some books and you have your own bathroom so you don't have to fight with anyone over it. Your stuff is in the closet. If you'd like I can open those drapes over by that wall. The windows are huge and it looks right out onto the pool. Not impressive yet but once we get it redone it will probably be an amazing site." She was rambling because she wanted him to like it. She wanted him to feel like this was his space and that he was wanted here.

He nodded. She was glad she hadn't gone with Avery's advice and made the room fancier than it was. It was just a guest room, neutral colors, no frills.

He followed her back down the hall and she showed him which door led to who's room. He grunted in response but at least he had stopped the open hostility. She was sure that he would come around. He had no choice but to come around really. When they finally made it to the back yard she found Daryl in the pool. She had known that they would talk him into it.

Merle watched for a few long moments, a look on his face that she couldn't gauge before he finally looked over at her. "Think I'm gonna get a couple hours of sleep in. It's been a long goddamn day already."

She nodded and watched him go.