Note: Which brother is more interested in Lina and which is more interested in Johnny, I'm not sure I've really decided yet. My sister put in her two cents, I would love to hear yours.

Chapter 8

He decided to sit and wait for her in the hallway, until she was finished. He would have to check over her injuries and give her something for the pain, luckily Merle had plenty of strong pain killers.

Lina came out of the bathroom and startled at seeing Daryl on the floor waiting for her.

"Come on," he said getting up, "Johnny is in Merle's room tonight, you can stay in mine." He opened the door to his room and led her in.

"I know you ain't gonna like this but I gotta check your ribs." Daryl told her softly. Lina backed away a few steps and shook her head. Breathing out slowly, Daryl approached her.

"I have to Lina. You may have to go to the hospital."

"No! I don't want to go." Her voice was strained and rough. She shook with fear and wrapped her arms around her torso wincing in pain from her outburst.

"Let me look Lina, I promise not to touch you more than I have to OK. I gotta check."

She sighed and let her arms fall to her side before she nodded. He slowly lifted up her sweat shirt noting the way she trembled at his touch. As quickly as he could he felt her ribs and mumbled an apology at her pained moan. He let her shirt fall back into place and went into Merles room. Coming back he handed her a couple of white pills and a glass of water.

"Your ribs are bruised, maybe cracked, not much we can do about that but give ya pain medication. You're going to have to take it easy for a while." He watched her as she swallowed with a wince.

"The pills will help your throat too." He gestured to her bruises. She nodded again.

"Where's Merle?" she rasped

"Taking care of some things. You need that pill, the one that keeps ya from getting knocked up." It was better if she didn't know what Merle was really up to.

"Go to sleep here, I'll go sleep with Johnny across the hall in Merle's room. If ya need anything, just yell OK." He watched her until she nodded, then left the room quietly closing the door behind him.

Lina sat gingerly on the bed and looked around. This was the place she had, had her first and only really pleasant sexual experience. She could remember the night very clearly and a part of her hoped that that was the day she conceived Johnny. It wasn't perfect but it was a pleasant memory. Daryl had been nicer to her than Merle had; she didn't even want to think of David. She scooted up on the bed and carefully laid down on her back. Despite her memories and thoughts about Johnny's conception, it was Merle she missed. Perhaps it was just that she was use to Merle's touch and the way he had ingrained himself in her day to day life, but she could use a night in Merle's arms right now, even a drunk Merle would make her feel safe. She briefly considered asking Daryl if she could sleep with him and Johnny but decided against it. She wasn't as comfortable with Daryl, he was always so aloof. She closed her eyes and whether it was her sheer exhaustion or the drugs Daryl gave her, she fell into a deep sleep almost instantly.

Daryl was in bed waiting on Merle, when he heard his motorcycle pull up. He let out a sigh of relief that at the very least he wasn't in jail tonight. He jumped up and met him in the living room. Merle was still panting and it was clear he was still hyped up and trying to control himself.

"What happened?"

"Nearly killed him brother. Took everything I had not too." Merle shook his head and began rummaging through his pockets for a cigarette and lighter.

Daryl reached into his own pocket, took out a lighter, and lit his brother's cigarette.

"Think he's gonna tell?"

Merle shook his head, a satisfied smirk on his face as he blew out a cloud of smoke.

"Told him we took pictures of what he did to Lina, the little faggot was pissing his pants." He laughed out loud "Scared shitless of ending up in jail, told I had some friends that would finish the job for me in there."

Merle started pacing "He might not make it back to Atlanta, if we're lucky he'll crash and die. Stupid bastard couldn't even walk right."

Daryl scratched his chin, "So are we done with him?"

"Is Lina done?" Merle's eyes became cold, he turned and headed towards the bedrooms, before Daryl grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"She's asleep. I gave her a couple of your pills for the pain. She should be out till morning at least."

Merle nodded "I'm still hyped up, I need to fuck, maybe fight more, fuck I don't know. I fuckin' need to get this shit out."

"You can't fuck Lina, Merle."

"I fuckin' know that! You think I don't know that? I'll go find one of the bitches at the club."

"Naw, Merle you just asking for trouble, get one of those whores to come here. I'll take Lina and Johnny back home and stay there. Did you get her that pill shit, so she won't get pregnant?"

"I'm gonna call Jen to come over, bitch finally wised up and began using them. I'll take it in the morning, get the fuck outta here so I can get some shit done." Merle crackled his neck and paced some more.

Daryl shook his head and turned to walk down the hall. "Hey, brother." Merles soft voice stopped him in his tracks.

"How is she?"

Daryl shrugged "Cracked ribs and her throat is pretty fucked up. I didn't check anywhere else but she's hurting pretty bad."

A snarl showed up on Merle's face "I should have just killed the fucker."

"Better you didn't, she might need us and Johnny too." Daryl continued down the hall with Merle hot on his heels. "You get Johnny and I'll carry Lina." Merle quickly walked past Daryl to collect the injured woman.

"Lina," he whispered softly. "Lina, I'm gonna take ya to the car, OK?" She didn't stir until he picked her up. With a soft groan she curled into his body an opened her eyes. Her glaze was glassy and he knew she wouldn't remember this in the morning.

"Merle?" she croaked

"Shhh don't try and talk. You can go home now, it's safe. Daryls gonna be staying with you tonight."

"Why? Why Daryl, you're the one that stays." Merle felt his chest clench.

"Not tonight, I'm bad company sugar."

She didn't reply to that, instead she hung her head down. He heard her sniff a little before she passed out again. He carried her out to the car and gently laid her in the passenger seat, while Daryl put Johnny's car seat in and buckled it.

"Watch out for her, she may have a bad night." Daryl nodded at that. He got in the car and started it up. Leaning out the window he fixed Merle with a hard stare.

"Don't leave the house, make that bitch come to you. We can't risk you getting arrested again, not now."

Merle waved him off with is hand and walked back into the trailer. A piece of him wanted to be the one driving Lina and Johnny home but he knew he needed to work off more steam. He was too pumped up and that was the last thing those two needed to be around right now.

In the morning Lina woke up in her own bed, which considering her last memory of it, wasn't very comforting. On her night stand he found a packet of pills, some more of the drugs Daryl gave her last night, and a letter from Daryl. He had stayed the night but had an emergency at the garage and wouldn't be back until later. She put the letter down and examined the drugs he had left behind. She read the directions on the package of pills he left. These must be the pills that kept you from getting pregnant, she paid extra attention to the directions, she did not want David's child. She was sure the child would live a life of misery with a father like David.

After her morning routine with Johnny she sat down to her computer. She scrolled through work assignment, trying to find something to keep her mind form wandering to last night. An e-mail from Stacy the office gossip caught her eye. Apparently, David had been jumped by three guys last night after eating at a diner, and would be out of work for a couple of weeks.

She reread the email three times. In her gut she knew who had beat up David, she had a vague memory of Merle carrying her to her car, his hands cut up and bloody. She wasn't sure if it was a dream but her instinct told her Merle had done it. Why David was covering for him she didn't know or care, she only hoped it had worked and frightened him away.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Lina was sitting in her car in front of the old beat up trailer the Dixon brothers lived in, debating on whether going inside and talking to Merle was a good idea or not.

What to do?

Behind her, her son let out a screech and babble.

"You're still voting yes, huh, I think you just want to see daddy" her throat was still painfully sore but the ibuprofen she took help a bit.

With a sigh she got out of her beat up old car and walked around to the back seat to get out the baby carrier, as she straightened up to shut the car door she heard Merle call out behind her.

"Aint our day again is it?" She looked up to see him leaning one arm on the front door frame wearing nothing but black sweatpants. He had a great body, but Lina didn't dwell on it; there was no point, she wasn't sure if she could ever look at a man like that again.

"I just came to talk to you real quick. We'll be out of your hair soon. " she whispered before looking up at him waiting for permission before she walked up the three steps to his home.

Merle looked her up and down, then smiled down at his son in the carrier before moving himself from the door, essentially giving her permission to come inside.

Lina walked in and sat on the couch placing the baby carrier on the coffee table in front of her.

"So what do you want?" Merle asked standing to the side arms crossed on his chest.

Lina was thinking this was a really bad idea; she should have just waited until it was his day with Johnny to talk to him. She shook her head too late now.

"I know what you did to David." Merle opened his mouth to speak, but Lina put her hand up asking him to wait.

"I know what you did, and I know you did it for Johnny."

Merle scowled at her

"I wanted to thank you, Johnny is my son and when you do something like that for him, to protect him….well….I'm grateful is all." She rubbed her throat.

"I would'na had too, if you hadn't been so stupid."

Lina looked down and nodded

"Yes, your right. It won't happen again." She let out a small sad laugh at that, she doubted anyone else would pay that kind of attention to her again. Steeling herself for the pain of talking she began to explain how she knew about last night.

"A girl from work sent me an e-mail. She said someone beat David up pretty bad, he'll be out of work for a couple of weeks. I knew it was you, the look on your face when you found out what he did. I….."

Lina didn't finish her sentence because a woman wearing only a thong and one of Merle's shirts unbuttoned walked up behind him. Merle hadn't noticed her presence, he was too busy studying Lina's face. The woman reached around him and rubbed her hand on his crotch. Merle had a flash of anger that Jennifer was touching him right now, before he realized that one of his lays and his baby and his baby mama were all in the same room. But Lina, as always, was quick thinking.

"So you'll let me know when Daryl can fix the car then, right?" she croaked out, getting up quickly and picked up the baby carrier. She did her best to hide the wince of pain. She shouldn't be moving so quickly and she definitely should not be carrying Johnny.

Jennifer finally noticed who was in the room with Merle

"Lina?" She laughed a high pitched cackle that instantly put Merle on edge "I heard someone knocked you up. Is that the little mutt?"

Merle clenched his fist to keep from slapping the bitch in the face, the cuts peppering his hand began to bleed, he didn't have to restrain himself long because Lina backhanded her so hard Jennifer hit the wall behind her. Grabbing herself around her ribs Lina tried to control her breathing and yelled through the pain.

"Don't you ever call my baby a mutt again you stupid whore." Lina was shaking with anger and Merle had to admit he was a little bit frightened of her.

"You should have done that poor kid a favor and got rid of it! I hear its daddy won't even claim it." Jennifer screamed at Lina

"Screw you! I love my child with or without his father. Just because you kill every child you conceive doesn't mean everyone else is a self-absorbed, druggy slut like you." Her voice was raspy and her throat was on fire with pain. Lina grabbed Johnny and fled back to her car as quickly as her injuries allowed her. She didn't look at Merle as she left, what she had said had been a low blow not only to Jennifer but to Merle too, at least one of the babies she had aborted had been Merles.

Merle rubbed his face and sat on the couch as Jennifer started screaming at him

"What the hell were that bitch and her brat doing here Merle?" She was pacing back and forth in front of him, his shirt wide open giving Merle a good view of her titties bouncing as she waved her arms around in annoyance. For once, the sight of boobs swinging free did nothing for him. He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Get out." His voice was low and calm, which meant Merle was in a dangerous mood. Unfortunately, Jennifer was too worked up to notice.

"What the fuck, Merle. Why was that bitch here? Tell Daryl to tell that ugly red bitch to go to the fuckin garage like everyone else."

With that, Merle snapped. He was up off the couch and in her face in a flash.

"You tellin' a Dixon what to do bitch?"

Jennifer tried to stand her ground, she hated Lina, they had gone to school together, and every time Jennifer had tried to put Lina in her place, Lina had ignored her so thoroughly that it embarrassed Jennifer. She knew she wasn't that smart and the fact that a fuckin' injun could never be broken, had pissed her off. This was actually the first time Jennifer had been able to get a rise out of Lina and she couldn't even enjoy it because Merle was being an asshole and hadn't defended her.

"She shouldn't be here, people will talk. What if they start saying that kids Daryl's…or yours?" She didn't really think either Dixon would father a child with a non-white, but she figured if Merle thought people would consider it, then he'd get rid of the bitch all the faster.

That was the last straw for Merle; he grabbed her around the neck and slammed her against the wall.

"Now if people start sayin' shit like that I'll know exactly where it came from, bitch. So hows bout you do yourself a favor and keep that trap of yours shut unless you sucking dick, cause that's the only thing its good for sugar tits."

Merle let her go and motioned with his head to the bedroom

"Get dressed and get the fuck out. I got shit to do."

Jennifer rubbed her neck in shock, Merle had never laid a mean hand on her before, she got up and stormed off to the bedroom. A few minutes later she came back out wearing the tiny black spandex dress and clear hooker heals from the night before. Just as she was about to demand Merle take her home Daryl walked in through the door.

"Take me home Daryl." She demanded as she walked out the door, Daryl looked toward Merle on the couch. Merle made a motion with his had to go ahead and take her.

"Fuck!" Daryl yelled before following Jennifer and slamming the door behind him.

Merle sat on the couch thinking about Lina. She had continued to play by their rules and kept the secret from Jennifer. He knew that she was giving it until Christmas to tell them they could no longer see Johnny. She was right, they couldn't treat the kid with such extremes and not expect it to screw him up. Lina always did what she thought was best for her son, she was a good mother. His heart squeezed in his chest a little when he realized that not seeing Johnny meant they weren't going to see her either. He hadn't been to her trailer in about a week and he missed it. He liked sleeping next to a warm body that didn't stink of cheap perfume and liquor. He LOVED waking up to a meal. He loved that Lina wasn't always trying to play him, she didn't do mind games. She didn't deserve what had happened to her. He rubbed his face again and made a decision.