Note: Very short chapter but I want to do their first Christmas justice and I'm a little swamped at school right now.

Chapter 9

Daryl walked into his home to find Merle stuffing nearly everything he owned into a couple of trash bags and panicked.

"Did the police find out ya did it? Ya going on the fuckin' run Merle?"

Merle spun around and looked at his brother in confusion, "What? No, I'm gonna go stay at Lina's for a few weeks. Shit, ya gonna jinx me."

Daryl watched his brother quietly for a few moments, "We could switch off, you stay a few nights, then me."

"Ya can stay if ya want to too, but I ain't leaving I'm staying there for a while."

"Ya know we won't all fit in her tiny ass trailer."

"Why not? We done before; 'member Thanksgiving."

"Yeah, Lina slept on the couch that day, dumbass. She can't do that now!"

"So you do it, alls I know is I'm staying with Lina and I call the bed." He looked at Daryl "She use to me being there."

"Fine, I'm fuckin' going, let me get my shit." Daryl stormed off to his room.

They packed Merle's motorcycle onto the truck and headed over to Lina's with most of their worldly possessions. The ride was quiet for the first few minutes, until Daryl looked at his older brother.

"I had to hit Jennifer upside the head." He was surprised at his brother's lack of reaction.

"She said you grabbed her by the neck, ain't never heard ya doing anything like that."

"Yeah, she don't know when ta shut the fuck up. She said some shit about Johnny…..and Lina."

Daryl nodded "I nearly punched her, thought better of it. She wouldn't shut up about ya."

"I'm done with that whore. Don't need her fuckin' mouth." Merle scowled at the road. "Bitch thinks she's special or sum shit."

"You shoudn'ta let me take her home when she was worked up like that. It coulda been bad." Daryl refused to look at his brother.

"For once it woulda been worse with me brother. You didn't hear her."

They didn't speak again until Merle pulled up to the front on Lina's house.

"We ain't hiding this no more, are we?"

"Naw" Merle let out a breath.

"Good." Daryl got out of the truck and began unloading their things.

Lina in the meantime had been trying to distract herself from the awful memories that had been trying to overtake her all morning. She'd cleaned the entire trailer, except the bedroom. She refused to step foot in there unless it was necessary. Now she was reading one of her favorite novels. Reading had always helped distract her and take her from her boring life into fantastical places. She was hoping that now it could take her from her nightmarish memories. She picked "The Vampire Lestat" by Anne Rice figuring if anything was the opposite of her life right now, this book would be it. It had been working and she was thoroughly transported from her ratty trailer into 18th century France when the door slammed open.

Her reaction was instantaneous and the fear overtook her so completely that for a moment she was paralyzed and her mind could only scream It's David! He's back! He's going to kill you! He's going to kill Johnny! Her body began to tremble violently, the obvious fear in her face stopped both Dixons in their tracks.

It took her mind a few seconds to process that it wasn't David, but Merle and Daryl. The relief flooded her body and she broke down into hysterical sobs. She brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, and hid her tear stained face in the little cave she made with her arms and legs.

Merle continued on to the bedroom after a short pause, while Daryl sat carefully next to the sobbing woman. He made sure not to touch her, and patiently waited for his brother. After dropping off his bags in the bed room, Merle walked over to Lina and sat on the coffee table directly in front of her.

"We'll be staying here for the next few weeks. If he shows up…..he's a dead man, Lina. You understand that? You don't have to be scared."

Lina nodded and put her legs back down. "Thank you.." her voice raspy

"Don't talk Lina." Daryl gingerly placed a hand on her shoulder, glad when she didn't flinch.

"I'll be sleeping with ya and Daryl will stay out here with Johnny." Merle and Daryl both watched her reaction carefully.

Letting out a breath of relief, she opened her mouth to answer "Naw, just shake your head Yes or No." Daryl stopped her again.

She nodded her head carefully, minding her sore neck. Merle, noticing the pain she was in began looking around for the pain pills they had given her. On the coffee table next to him he found a bottle of ibuprofen.

"What the hell is this? Is this what ya been taken?" Lina nodded again.

"Where's the pills Daryl gave you?" She lifted her chin in the direction of the bed room.

"Why the hell ain't ya taken them?" he barked out at her.

"Johnny, I need to take care…" she whispered before Merle put his hand on her knee.

"We'll do it now." Getting up he went into the bedroom and came back out with the packet of pills. He grabbed her a glass of water and handed them both to her.

"Take one and go to sleep, we'll deal with all this. " He gestured to Johnny.

She took the pill and went into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She couldn't get into the bed. The pills began working and she felt stoned and slightly dizzy but she could not bring herself to get into the bed.

Merle and Daryl were sitting outside in the living room looking at each other. Both felt something was off. Merle finally got up and went into the bedroom to find Lina swaying and staring at the bed.

"Have you changed the sheets?" She shook her head at him.

He turned around to find Daryl already looking in the closet for fresh ones. Together they changed the sheets on the bed quickly and then led her to her usual side. Helping her lay down slowly. Merle looked to Daryl.

"I'll stay with her first."

Daryl gave him one quick nod and walked back out to check on Johnny. He closed the door behind him.

Merle got onto his usual side of the bed, careful not to get too close to Lina's sleeping form and closed his eyes. A few minutes later he felt shifting on the bed and opened his eyes. Lina had her eyes open and looking at him with an unfocused look in her eyes. She shuffled over a little more, in a painful attempt to get closer to Merle.

To say he was surprised she wanted to be near him would be an understatement, but after this morning all Merle wanted to do was hold her. He gently stilled her movements and slid his own body closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her cautiously trying not to scare or hurt her. Once she was wrapped comfortably in his arms he asked her,

"Is this Ok, Lina." When she didn't answer he looked down to find her fast asleep

Daryl came into the bedroom a couple of hours later to check on Lina and relieve Merle. He found them both snoring softly, wrapped in each others arms and decided to let them be.