I've been in the Christmas spirit so I decided to add one of my favorite Christmas movies in this chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing.

Chapter 14

Daryl walked into the gas station and immediately felt on edge. He looked around the small store and noticed Lenny, Merle's supplier, looking at him from the beer section. He could see a deep scowl on the tall man's face. Taking a deep breath he walked over, grateful that Lenny was on his own for once. He reached the fridge where Merle's favorite beer was kept, and grabbed a 30 pack without looking at the lanky asshole that was staring holes into the back of his head.

"This shit I hear true?" Lenny snarled out at him.

"Wha' shits that?" Daryl squared his shoulders. Lenny and him had gotten into it before, and the only thing that had saved Lenny from hospitalization was his goons jumping in and stopping the fight. No one was scared of Lenny on his own. His family connections in the drug business put up with him because he was blood, that was the only thing that kept the stupid redneck in practice.

"I'm hearing he's mixin' it up with other races." Lenny stated in a more PC version than what he had originally planned. The look Daryl was giving him ran his blood cold.

"Yeah, and?"

"Can't have dat. I run a white only business." Lenny wasn't going to back down on that. Merle was out, his family wouldn't like it, but shit, he wasn't gonna mess with no injun lover.

Daryl sniffed "Fine, I'll let him know."

"Won't be supplying him neither." Lenny hated Merle, hated that his family trusted the rough man more than they trusted him.

Daryl laughed out loud at that, "You can go ahead and tell him that yourself. Think I don't know your game. Merles gone ta prison for your family, think he don't know ya'll mix up your business with other races all the damn time in there? He done the deals."

"Prisons different."

"Ain't, and your family don' give a shit who Merle's fuckin', but it don't matter, he's gonna be workin' with me now. Don't need ya or ya shit, nothin' but trouble." Daryl knocked him on the shoulder as he passed by him to get to the chips.

"So long as we're clear," Lenny tried to sound tough. "He's out."

"Whatever." Daryl paid for his things and left.

Daryl walked into the trailer to find Merle stretched out on the couch with Johnny asleep on his chest as he watched Die Hard. The trailer was a wreck, ornaments littered the floor and apparently Johnny had gotten into the DVD's. Lucky for Lina he hadn't figured out how to open them yet.

"What the fuck Merle!"

"Shhhh your gonna wake 'em." Merle hissed

"He been zoomin' around like a damn tornado. He almost pulled the damn tree down." Despite his complaining, he couldn't keep the grin off his face.

Daryl picked Johnny up off Merle and set him gently in the crib.

"He's out growin' this."

"Yeah, no room fer anythin' bigger in here." Merle had some thoughts running around his head about that, but he wasn't quite ready to voice them.

"I ran into Lenny."

He noticed Merle sit up and lean forward at that news.

"And what he have ta say?"

"Says your out. "Mixing it up with other races" ain't allowed in the business accordin' ta him."

"That a fact." Merle leaned back. "Fuck it, was out any damn way. You gonna get me that job right?"

"You're better than anyone they got…..taught me, Tom will give ya a chance."

"Good."

"One more thing." Daryl eyed his brother, "He said you was cut off, ain't gonna supply you no more."

Merle rubbed his face vigorously. "You love that shit don't ya?"

"Ain't my choice, but I ain't gonna cry 'bout it. Be better for Johnny if ya ain't doin' that shit."

"Been cuttin' down for a while, 'bout five months."

"yeah" Daryl had noticed, but cutting down wasn't stopping.

"If I gotta do this cold turkey, I ain't gonna be workin' for a while."

"I'll figure things out with tha garage, you just worry 'bout where ta detox."

"I'll stay here, Lina can help me."

"What 'bout Johnny, ya can't detox with him around."

"Ain't like I get violent or nothin'" Merle was annoyed at Daryl thinking he would hurt his own kid.

"I ain't a fuckin tweeker. Just gonna have a rough week or so."

Daryl thought about that for a bit, it was true, Merle liked his drugs but he wasn't a full blown addict just yet.

"Fine, but if shit gets too hard, ya gotta come back home." He had witnessed Merle in detox before, he wasn't pleasant to be around, but he mostly slept and bitched a lot. He had never seen him get violent, he was violent on drugs not detoxing from them, but there was a first time for everything.

"Yeah, let's eat." Merle got up and was surprised to see Lina open the bedroom door in sweats and a t-shirt.

"Hey, honey how ya doin'?"

"I'm OK, a little hungry."

"We're gonna make some sandwiches. Sit down." Daryl helped her sit on the couch, while Merle unpacked the chips and beer. He cracked open a cold one before putting the rest of the case in the refrigerator.

"Cooking is thirsty work." He rummaged around the drawers he brought out some turkey slices, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, and mustard. He grabbed a loaf of bread and a knife and began making sandwiches for them all.

Lina watched him from her spot on the couch with Daryl. He sliced the tomatoes like he was killing a small animal and she was sure he licked the knife he used to spread the mayo and mustard at least twice. It was a little gross and a little adorable at the same time. By the time he had finished making all the sandwiches, Merle was on his fourth beer, that, coupled with the beer he drank while waiting on Daryl gave him a good buzz.

"Here ya'll go." He set the plates with the sandwiches in front of them and opened the bag of chips, instead of pouring them some on each of their plates he just threw the open bag on the coffee table and sat on the floor next to Lina.

They ate mostly in silence as they watched another movie. Lina noticed the split knuckles on Merle's right hand and wondered if she should ask about it. She watched him chug another beer and decided against it. Whatever had happened it probably wasn't any of her business. The rest of the evening passed uneventfully, they watched movies, Johnny had a temper tantrum when neither Merle nor Daryl allowed Lina to pick him up. Daryl ended up taking him for a walk in the stroller to settle him down.

"Fuck," Merle said as he sat on the couch that Daryl just vacated. "First Christmas in years where I ain't high and laid."

"You could go out, I don't mind, I can still take care of Johnny. I'm not that bad and it's almost his bed time anyway."
"I don't need your damn permission woman." Merle growled out to her.

Lina didn't answer, instead she gave him that creepy expressionless stare of hers. The one she gave people when they were being mean and unreasonable. Merle stared at her back.

"So are you going?"

"No."

They continued to stare at each other. Merle leaned in to kiss her without thinking, but caught himself just in time. He got up and got himself another beer. He drank it all down at the refrigerator and grabbed another two before sitting down and handing one to Lina.

"Have one with me." He demanded

Lina looked at the can in her hand, social drinking, Merle was about to give her another first. Sighing he reached over and opened the can for her, he tapped her can with his "Cheers".

"Cheers" Lina said before lifting the can to her lips. She scowled at the taste, Merle let his head fall back in a booming laugh.

"Good, don't want me no goddamn drunk. Finish that one though, bad luck if ya don't."

She nodded and took another sip. Merle grinned and scooted down putting his head in her lap.

"Scratch my head." He demanded, as he flipped through the channels on tv. Lina brought the hand that wasn't holding the beer to his head. I guess this is going to be a thing now. She thought, she really didn't mind. Merle's hair was soft and very curly, it was kind of fun to pull the curls and watch them spring back into place.

"Oh, that's Christmas Vacation! It's pretty funny. Can we watch?" Lina was excited, the movie was just starting, the animated credits making it look like a child's movie.

"What the fuck? A Cartoon?"

"No, it's kind of raunchy actually. I think you'll like it."

"Fine, fuck it." Merle threw the remote on the coffee table and made himself comfortable.

Daryl walked in a while later to find Merle laughing and smacking Lina on the knee as he tried to catch his breath.

"Daryl! Daryl!." He gasped out "These assholes are runnin' from a squirrel.." He laughed even harder "he pushed the old lady!" he started laughing so hard at this point that he wasn't making any sound, his shoulders shook up and down as he buried his face in Lina's knee.

"What the…" Daryl looked to Lina who was grinning at the back of Merle's head. He moved so he could see the TV.

"Are they retarded? I'da had the squirrel skinned and roasted by now."

"That's what I said! Daryl wouda shot that son of a bitch in no time." Merle's face fell and he looked towards his brother with a somber expression. "Sorry brother, squirrels are high in cholesterol." He kept his calm demeanor until Daryl turned to look at him confused, then he fell back into a laughing fit.

"Is he high?" Daryl asked Lina

"I don't think so."

"I'm happy, Damn! Can't a man be happy?" he scowled up at Daryl. "Movies funny as hell."

Daryl shrugged and got a sleeping Johnny out of the stroller.

"Boy likes to be outside, as soon as I got him near the woods he stopped cryin'."

"Like father, like son." Lina said absentmindedly, she missed the strange look Merle gave her.

"Yeah." Daryl answered proudly as he sat on the floor to watch the rest of the movie with them. He was nowhere near as vocal as Merle, but Lina saw him giggle a couple of times.

Merle fell asleep immediately after the movie ended, Daryl motioned for Lina to follow him into the bedroom. She carefully slipped out from underneath Merle's head and replaced her legs with a throw pillow. She followed Daryl into the bedroom and sat on the bed as he closed the door.

"Listen, Merle's gonna go cold turkey."

"Cold turkey? Why?"

"Just some shit with his dealer, you don't need ta worry 'bout that part. The thing is, he wants to detox here and I ain't sure it's a good idea."

"Here? Why doesn't he go home, wouldn't he be more comfortable?"

Daryl laughed, "No, he wants you ta help him."

"OK, but can I do that with Johnny here? What happens when people detox?"

"It ain't been too bad before, then again he went back ta usin' pretty quickly. I got the next week off of work, figured some shit might go down and I had plenty of vacation saved up."

"It's my fault isn't it, the problem with his dealer?"

"Don't even worry 'bout it, it's better this way. Thing is, ya gonna need help and we all don't fit in here. I could take Johnny a few days."

Lina shook her head "It's bad enough when he's gone a night, I don't want him gone days."

Daryl smiled at her, she was a good mama. He walked to her dresser, leaned against it and crossing his arms. "OK, fair enough. I think ya'll need ta come stay at our place a few days then. We could both take care of Johnny and Merle, be easier that way. It may take longer than a week for Merle to get the shit outta his system, but I could help ya with the harder part in tha beginnin', then I'll help ya when I get home from work."

"Are you sure he wants my help?"

"Yeah, Lina he was gonna detox here, like I said."

At that moment the bedroom door flew open, revealing an unsteady Merle. He scowled at them, taking in the room quickly. Lina was sitting on the bed and his brother was across the room leaning against the dresser. The distance between them got Merle to relax a bit.

"What are ya'll doin'?"

"We was talkin' bout your detox." Daryl smirked, he knew why his brother had come barreling into the bedroom.

"Yeah, I'm staying here."

"Naw, Lina and Johnny are comin' home with us." Lina glanced at Daryl, she hadn't exactly agreed, but she didn't think it would matter much to these two, besides Merle being off drugs could only be a good thing.

"That right, who's sleepin' where?"

"I figured Lina could sleep with you, incase ya need somthin' and Johnny could sleep with me."

"That could work." Merle said thoughtfully as he scratched his chin.

Lina watched both brothers plan her life for the next two weeks at least. She rubbed her brow, in her heart she knew she was the cause of this mess so she let them make their plans. She only added that she would have to come back to her trailer for a few hours a day to get some work done, considering the brothers did not have an internet connection.

Once all the details were agreed upon, Merle kicked Daryl out of the room and collapsed on the bed.

"Get on here, girlie." He grumbled into his pillow.

"I'm gonna go clean up and I'll be right back."

"No come scratch my hea….." his sentence drifting off into loud snores.

Lina shook her head and walked out into the living room. Daryl was already throwing napkins and paper plates into the trash.

"Thanks, Daryl. You don't have to, I can take care of it."

"It's ok, I got it, ain't much and I got Johnny too. Maybe you should start packin' ya won't wake Merle, he expects ta hear ya movin' round."

"Alright, I'll be back nearly every day so I don't need to pack much, mostly toiletries. Johnny's the one I need to pack carefully for."

"Yeah, don't want to be stuck drivin' back and forth if he needs somthin'." Daryl began gathering up packages of diapers, "Ya got a trash bag?"

"I got a couple of pretty big duffel bags we could use." She opened the small hall closet an pulled out the two blue bags.

Daryl worked quickly packing up all of Johnny's things, he threw in diapers, clothes, creams, shampoo, body wash and nearly all of his clothes. Lina came out of the restroom with the other bag containing her toiletries. She watched Daryl mumble to himself while he packed, trying to remember everything his son could possibly need. She had a strange feeling at the sight, nearly everything Johnny owned was in the bag Daryl held. It was almost as if he wasn't coming back, Well if Johnnys not coming back, neither am I. She went back and grabbed the rest of her things from the bathroom, maybe she was being silly but she wasn't taking any chances.