Hi! I got internet back so I can update more frequently! Excuse the name of this chapter. You know Merle. -Sigh- Anyway, we're creeping towards the end of this story and I'm excited for it to be over. I've gotten 19 chapters of a new AU written and 4 chapters a new non AU written but they won't be posted until they are finished. That way no one will have to deal with my slow updates and writers block. =) They'll already be done. Anyway, have a safe weekend and thanks for reading!

Smells Like Ball Soup

He was almost afraid to open his eyes. The last thing he remembered he had been in a parking lot, getting shot at. Well, that was the last thing he remembered happening outside of his head, anyway. He knew he had been hurt because Sophia had told him that much. He just wasn't sure how long ago that had been and what may or may not have happened while he was out of it.

He cracked open one eye and winced as a pain shot through his chest. "Mother fucker,"he groaned, wincing again as his dry throat protested.

"Merle?"

It was his brother's voice and he turned his head enough so he could see him. Daryl was sitting in a chair near the bed but he instantly moved, sitting on the edge of the mattress. That's when Merle realized that he was now in his own room. "Damn, baby brother. You look like shit."

Daryl's smile seemed forced and Merle was pretty sure that there were tears in his eyes. "I was startin' to think you wasn't gonna wake up."

Merle thought of a hundred different things to say but his throat was so dry that he didn't want to say much until he was able to get something to drink. "Don't just sit there starin' at me like a freak. Get me a drink, would ya? I'm bone dry over here."

Daryl was off the bed and shoving a glass in his face almost instantly. Merle raised his head enough so he could take a few sips, too afraid to gulp it all down. He didn't want to end up throwing up on himself. Daryl sat back down on the bed. "You were with Sophia?" He asked like that wasn't a weird question at all.

"Yeah. Man, some of the shit that kid has to deal with in that head of hers," Merle frowned and looked away.

"I need to go get Hershel to look you over. You took a few rounds. Barely missed a lung and it was touch and go for a while there."

Merle heard the poorly disguised anguish in his little brother's voice. He swallowed hard. He knew that he hadn't treated Daryl the greatest throughout their life. He didn't deserve the love that he knew that the boy had for him. He felt a lump form in his throat. "Yeah, you go get the good doctor. While you're at it go get your squirly ass a shower too. Don't know how Carol can stand bein' around you. Ya smell like a steamin' bowl of ball soup and ya look like a train wreck."

Daryl laughed and stood up, shaking his head. "Been preoccupied," he said as he made his way to the door.

Merle sighed and pulled the sheet down once Daryl was out of the room. He was bandaged up pretty tight. He was damn lucky to be alive. Not many men took a bullet to the chest and lived to tell about it. His limbs felt heavy and he felt a lot of pressure but that was to be expected. Considering everything he had been through, he felt pretty good.

He heard the door open but he didn't look to see who was there, assuming that it was only Hershel and Daryl. When he heard a gasp he turned his head in time to see Andrea stop in her tracks, her hand going up to cover her mouth as her eyes grew impossibly wide. He didn't say anything and he didn't move a muscle. This was the last thing he expected. She was pale and the dark circles under her eyes told him that she had worn herself out. Surely it hadn't been because she was worried about him. Her hand dropped and she took a deep breath, forcefully composing herself before walking towards the bed. She stopped and dropped into the chair that Daryl had been sitting in when he had waken up.

"I wasn't sure if you were going to wake up," she said, her voice wavering despite her best efforts to sound strong.

He shrugged slightly. "Takes a lot to take out a Dixon, Blondie. No worries."

"Hershel wasn't sure..."

"Cause Hershel don't know me very well. You really think I'd let myself die knowin' you owe me somethin'?" He winked.

She smiled but he could tell that she only did it to keep from crying. He hated it too because he couldn't take off if the water works started and he had no idea how to deal with an emotional woman. She kept her composure and reached out, grabbing his hand.

"I'm glad you're okay, Merle," she said, her voice thick.

He nodded. "Me too, Blondie. Me too."

~H~

Sophia's eyes flew open, blinking rapidly. She wasn't in the room she shared with the other girls. She was in the old sewing room that now belonged to Rick. She knew because before it had belonged to Rick it had belonged to Carl and her and Penny had spent a lot of time in here.

"Thank God," Carl breathed.

She sat up but was assaulted with a wave of dizziness so she let her head drop back down to the pillow. She turned her head and met his eyes. She couldn't help but frown. "You look like crap," she mumbled.

He rolled his eyes. "Thanks. You really know how to make a guy feel pretty good about himself." He tried hard to make himself sound annoyed but she heard the pain in his voice and it caused her to try to sit up again, slower this time.

"Carl, you should know by now that you don't have to worry about me. I always come back," she admonished gently.

His gaze wavered and he looked down at her hand lying limp in her lap. He sat down on the side of the bed and hesitantly covered her hand with his. The contact instantly soothed her frayed nerves and she turned her hand in his until their fingers were linked. Her grip on him was firm. When she looked up she saw that he was blushing furiously. She rolled her eyes.

"I wasn't so sure this time. It hasn't ever been like that before," he said quietly, still not meeting her eyes.

She reached out with her good hand and pushed his hair out of his eyes. He finally looked at her, seeming shocked by the contact. She was a little surprised herself but a part of her hadn't been one hundred percent positive that she was going to make it back to him at all and now all she wanted to do was be close to him. At least she had good news this time. "It's over. I don't think I'm going back again."

He looked up sharply, his eyes boring into hers with an intensity that had her feeling overwhelmed. She swallowed hard. "It's over?"

She nodded, smiling.

"And?"

"I mean, over. What I saw, there didn't seem to be any walkers. Me and you, we were here and everything was... good. I was old. I mean old, like, forty and you even had gray in your hair." She couldn't help it. She giggled. "You were still pretty cute though."

He blew out a heavy breath and he seemed to relax. "What about... You know. The others?"

"Our kids?" She asked, just because she knew talking about it made him a little queasy.

He nodded, flushing deeper. "Yeah."

She nodded. "They were there. They're fine."

His eyes went wide as they met hers again. "You're sure?"

She nodded and couldn't seem to keep from smiling. She had been sure that nothing in the world could have surprised her after everything that she had seen. But that wasn't true because Carl surprised her just then. One second he was just sitting there, relief clear as day on his face and the next thing she knew he kissed her. Right on the mouth. And the most surprising thing of all was, she kissed him back. There was nothing to it. Well, actually there was a lot to it because her stomach was all tied up in knots and her chest was fluttering and...

"Carl Grimes! You little son of a bitch!"

Carl didn't just stop kissing her then. He nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Daryl's angry voice. Sophia touched her lips with the tips of her fingers, Carl looked like he was about to chew his off. Daryl looked like he was two seconds away from stringing Carl up and beating him to death.

"I didn't mean to do it!" Carl said quickly, backing into a corner as Daryl stepped into the room.

"Yes he did," Sophia said, grinning.

Carl gave her a look that told her that he probably wouldn't talk to her for the next week but that was okay. They had a week and she knew it for a fact so he could be mad all he wanted. She didn't care.

"Out. Now!" Daryl growled, pointing to the doorway. "And if I catch your dirty little mouth near hers again I'll rip your lips off and glue them to your ass!"

"Okay," Carl nodded and dashed out of the room.

Daryl watched him go, scowling so hard Sophia was sure his face was going to get stuck like that. When he looked down at her his face softened but he still looked annoyed. "You shoulda throat punched that boy." He said as he sat down next to her and pulled her to him. She hugged him back, feeling more safe than she had ever felt in her life.

"I didn't want to throat punch him. Kissing Carl isn't so bad. I think he'll end up growing on you."

He growled. "Like a fucking wart." He turned his head, taking a deep breath. "I missed you kid. You leave like that again and I'm kickin you're skinny ass till you wake back up."

She pulled back, wrinkling her nose. "I missed you too, Daryl. But you stink. Haven't you bothered taking care of yourself at all? I feel a little bad for my mom."

He narrowed his eyes. "You're just like Merle. Just a little bit nicer about it. I've been too damn busy to worry about me. Worryin' about Jackass and Jackass Junior is a full time job around here for everybody."

She was just about to ask about her mom but suddenly the door was open and she stepped inside. She gasped, her hand going to her chest as her eyes filled with tears. "Andrea just told me about Merle but I wasn't sure if I should let myself believe it. Why didn't you come find me?" This was to Daryl.

He shook his head. "I was in there with Merle when he woke up. Thought I'd peek in here to see if she was awake and she was. She was also kissing Carl," he made face.

Lucky for her, her mom wasn't going to freak out about the kiss until after she freaked out about her being awake in the first place. She sat down on the other side of her and hugged her gently. They both had a lot of questions but she was having a hard time staying focused. Truthfully, she was pretty sure if she didn't get to a bathroom soon she was going to pee on herself. When her mom finally let go of her she apologized and dashed out of the room, leaving them alone so she could take care of business.

On her way back she couldn't help herself, she slipped into Merle's room just as Hershel was leaving.

"You're just the lady I was about to go pay a visit to," He smiled, closing his medical bag.

"I'm fine," Sophia smiled back trying to look past him. He was gently pushing her out the door.

"I'd still like to take a look. You scared us good this time. Your mama and Daryl haven't slept. Barely been able to eat."

She agreed and followed him back to her room, even though she was really just wanting to check on Merle. She thought that he was okay but she had to see for herself.

Her mom and Daryl were still there, sitting on the bed. Carl, apparently unable to stay away, was there too, lingering out of the way against the far wall. Penny was with him now and so were a few of the other kids. She waved at them and they all waved back.

Hershel checked her over, asked her a few questions and then deemed her "fit as a fiddle". When he left the room she placed her hands on her hips. "You two need to go take a shower and get something to eat. Hershel just told me what you've been doing." She pointed to the doorway. "When your done, I'll be downstairs. We all need to talk about something."

Daryl glanced at Carol, his eyebrows raised. "Guess she's right. You stink."

Carol snorted and smacked him in the chest on her way past but even Sophia could see the relief and fatigue fading from her mother's eyes. All she could do was hope she would still feel this good after Sophia mentioned the prison.