Made a decision...sort of, I hope you guys like it.

Chapter 13

Merle was sitting on the tail gate of Daryl's beat up truck, smoking a cigarette and breaking David's sunglasses piece by piece. He didn't look up when Daryl walked up to him and leaned against the side of the truck. His heart was racing and the concern he was feeling for Lina wasn't sitting right with him. He'd always used women for play and nothing more. He'd known Jennifer intimately for more years than he'd known of Lina's existence. Jennifer was a few years older than Lina and only went to school with her because like Daryl she'd flunked several times. Merle could remember her when she first started stripping at his favorite club. The naughty school girl bit even sweeter because she was actually still in high school. He had fucked her right away and they settled into a routine that had lasted a little over a decade. Lina hadn't even been on his radar until she began working at the bar. He'd fucked Lina one time, kissed her what? Twice? How could he be so fucking attached as to choose her so completely over another? Especially since that other, put out on the regular. He had been sitting outside trying to figure out what the fuck was going on in his head. He knew it wasn't only Johnny, it was Lina herself. What he couldn't figure out was, why.

"Why'd ya fuck her Daryl?" Merle looked bitterly at his younger brother.

Daryl kept his eyes even with the older man, "I wanted to, I wanted to for a long time. You beat me to it."

"Then why the fuck didn't ya?" Merle was getting angry.

"You know why."

"Cause you're a pussy?"

"Fuck you, Merle. You know the shit storm ya woulda caused."

"Obviously not!"

"What does it fuckin' matter now anyway? I did….WE did, it's done."

Merle laughed, "If our pa could see us now boy! Fighting over a girl," he chuckled "A very not white girl! Fuck, he'd tear us a new one."

"He'd tear us a new one either way." Daryl didn't laugh with his brother. Merle looked like he was about to break down. This was not something he'd ever seen or ever wanted to see outta Merle.

"Yeah, Yeah, guess you're right."

"We ain't fightin', Merle. Least I ain't."

"What are we doin' Daryl. I just threw away my regular pussy for pussy I ain't even fuckin'. Shit! I'm sharin' pussy I ain't even fuckin'."

Neither Dixon was good at this sort of thing, stating their true feelings, but after 31 years of living with Merle he knew it wasn't the pussy he was worried about.

"I'll step aside."

"What?"

"I'll step aside, if it's Lina ya want. I ain't steppin' aside with Johnny, but Lina…yeah." Daryl could see the affect this was having on Merle, and hoped in his heart, that this dream of having a family, that Merle had always had, had and would never admit to, could change his brother for the better. Daryl never wanted that, he wanted to be a better man, he didn't want to be trash, but a family had never come into the equation. He wanted Johnny, he wanted to fix the Dixon line and have the abuse end with him and Merle. He liked Lina, and desired her, but for his brother he could walk away from her. He hadn't let himself get close to her, the way Merle had.

"Just like that little brotha?" Merle looked at him suspiciously.

"Naw, not just like that. Ya know Lina ain't Jen, or Gloria, or Stacy or any other bitch we been fuckin'. Ya can't treat her better than our pa treated our mama then just leave her ta me."

"What about you, you ain't any better."

"I would be, for Johnny. The bullshit ends with us and Lina's bullshit ends with Lina. Johnny will have it better than all of us no matter what I gotta do."

Merle threw the broken pieces of sunglasses out into the yard. His mind was racing, Daryl was handing Lina over on a silver platter and Merle really wanted to take her. He wanted to take her so bad it was overwhelming. He decided to focus on what was comfortable, what he knew and understood about himself and Lina. "All I want to do is fuck that girl in there." He laughed bitterly, "Maybe all I need is ta get it outta my system. I can't fuckin' find out though, not the way she is now."

"Ya really think that's what it is?"

"Fuck should I know. I don't do this shit!"

"So ya gonna go in there fuck her and walk the fuck away? Let me have her?"

"I just said I can't, she's all fucked up."

"Right. You're forgettin' one thing."

"Wha's that Daryl?"

"Ya already fucked her. Why ain't it outta your system."

Merle turned to look at his brother. Fucker had a damn point.

"I don't know how ta do this. This shit right here is fer pussies." Merle got up and started pacing.

"I ain't gonna be wrapped around some bitches finger! Not now! Not eva!"

"Shit, Merle! Ya know she ain't even gonna try that shit. She wouldn' even think ta do it."

"Don't matter," Merle sat back down, letting out a breathy laugh. "Ain't nobody gonna touch her for a while."

"I'm stayin' tonight, I'll be gone tomorrow," Daryl stepped up to his brother. "You can stay with her, if ya get tired, I'll step in."

Daryl turned and began walking back to the trailer.

"Hey Darylina!" Merle called after him.

He turned "Yeah."

Merle took a deep breath "Find out if they hirin' at that garage of yours."

Daryl turned back around so that his brother couldn't see the grin on his face, "Yep." He called over his shoulder.

Merle sat for a few moments after his brother left "Shit" he breathed. He was in it deep now.

He couldn't bring himself to go back inside the trailer just yet. He stared at Lina's bedroom window and thought of the woman inside. She was hurting bad, all because some tramp he use to fuck thought she had some claim over him. He still couldn't understand why Jen didn't and Lina did. Maybe it's like Daryl says. She ain't never tried ta claim me, never tried ta control me. FUCK! That shit might change if he went through with what he was considerin'. Daryl wouldn't wait around for very long, for him to make up his mind. Lina had to heal, he had a couple of months….Maybe.

Finally he made the walk back inside the trailer. Daryl and Johnny were sitting on the couch watching Gremlins; Merle gave Johnny a playful bop on the nose before heading into the bedroom. He closed the door behind him and sat on the bed next to a sleeping Lina. He carefully removed the blanket that Daryl had covered her with. He took in a deep breath at the sight of her with her dress open revealing her simple black bra and underwear. He gently ran his fingers up her lean thigh till he got to her hip. His arousal at seeing her half naked evaporated at the sight of the fading finger shaped bruises marring her skin there. He let his hands travel further up to caress her left side. The bruises on her left ribs were significantly darker than the ones on her right. Anger at Jennifer flared up inside him again, there had been no reason for the cruelty she had shown Lina, then again Lina had suffered this kind of treatment all her life. Merle had witnessed her get harassed week after week when she worked at the bar, he had witnessed it, ignored it, even laughed at it a couple of times. Now everything had changed. Am I really willing to fight the whole town for her? He caressed the bruises on her side again. Yeah, I ain't got a choice on that no more.

Lina stirred and opened her eyes. "Merle?" she tried to sit up and hissed in pain.

"Lay down honey, you been busted up pretty bad."

"What happened? I was walking to the car and.. Did I fall?" Lina scrunched up her brows in confusion.

"Jennifer pushed you."

She nodded weakly "Yeah, she's never liked me much."

"Don't worry 'bout her. Don't worry 'bout any of them." Merle realized his hand was still on her naked side and tried to subtly move it to his lap. Lina noticed and her eyes widened noticeably.

Having been caught, Merle decided to cover her with the blanket again. "We took care of Jennifer and her family, they won't be bothering you no more."

"I'm sorry."

"Wha?" Merle couldn't believe she was apologizing as she lay there beat the fuck up.

"I know, you and Jennifer, were….are something. I don't want to cause trouble for you." She sat up slowly.

"Lina, lay the fuck down."

"I have to get dinner ready."

"Jesus woman!" Merle wiped his mouth with the back of his hand "We got that shit don' fuckin' worry, and do not apologize for Jennifer. That bitch ain't shit! Never was!" He made sure to look Lina in the eye.

"I don' answer to nobody."

"I don't want to cause you guys any trouble. I don't care what they say or do, I just ignore them."

"Just ignorin' them ain't my style, sweetheart. I like the fightin', keeps me limber. Now, go back ta sleep, we'll figure somethin' out for food."

"I ruined Christmas for Johnny and you guys." Lina was looking at the closed bedroom door, trying to figure out a way to carry out her original plans.

"Shut up, Lina. Johnny's too young ta give a shit and Daryl and me can survive another day without ham. 'sides there's always next year."

Lina glanced at him then looked down at her lap. Merle could tell with just that quick glance that she had very little faith in their being around next year.

"We ain't goin' no where Lina." Merle got up from the bed, "I'll come get ya in a couple of hours."

He helped her lay back down before heading back out into the living room with Daryl and Johnny.

"Dinners off, we gotta find somethin' else." He sat next to his brother.

"She still bad?" Daryl asked, understanding but lamenting the loss of the apple pie.

"Left side looks all screwed up. She should'na been doin' all this shit ta begin with."

Daryl got up. "I'll go to the gas station an gets some chips and coke. There's shit ta make sandwiches in the fridge."

"Grab some more beer. I'm getting' drunk tonight."

Daryl placed Johnny on the floor and let him crawl around, "Watch him, he's starting ta wanna climb shit." Grabbing the keys to the truck he was out the door letting it slam behind him.

Merle smiled down at the little troublesome boy as he managed to grab his knee and haul himself up off the floor. Johnny looked up at Merle and smiled, his eyes crinkling up and almost disappearing. To Merle he looked just like a tanned Daryl, all he was missing was the blond hair and a couple of moles. Johnny kissed Merles knee and let himself fall back down on his butt with a plop before racing off on all fours to pull ornaments from the tree.

"That's ma boy." Merle grinned