Chapter Three

Daryl watched from afar as the new woman, Michonne, emerged from her heavily surveilled office separate from the rest of the staff. He'd requested that she be placed in that space so he could keep an eye on her. She had a coffee mug in hand as she strolled down the hall towards the breakroom. His instincts wanted him to follow her and make sure she wasn't about to start any trouble, but he had bigger fish to fry than that cold, hardass of a woman.

It had been a hell of a month since he'd first set eyes on her, and so much had happened in that time. In his modest office, he turned to see what his brother was up to and frowned at catching him marking up his desk with the sharp edge of his pen cap. He was happy to see his brother, but his presence also stirred up a whole nest of problems for him and the situation he'd built up at AGD.

And it all started when Michonne had arrived at their doorstep.

He threw a balled up piece of paper at his brother. "Man, cut that shit out. Somebody paid good money for that desk."

Merle scoffed. "Then somebody paid good money for a piece 'a shit then." He continued to carve something into the polished wood. "And you shut the hell up. You aint the boss 'a me, I don't care how far up Boss-Man Friendly's ass you are."

Daryl rolled his eyes and went back to planning his next scouting trip. Merle's harsh words had long ago stopped affecting him.

After learning from Michonne that their people had been snatched up, Rick got a group together to take care of business. She'd led them to Woodbury, snuck them in a back entrance and they strolled around the complex until they found the security office. Sure enough, Glenn and Maggie had been there, locked in a room with the threat of legal action and corporate takeovers if they didn't spill company secrets. Rick had almost come unhinged at the scene, wanting to spout off a few threats of his own but having no time for retaliation.

But the biggest shock happened when Glenn revealed that Merle served as the head of security at the facility. Daryl's own brother had been the main antagonist, brow-beating Glenn for what he perceived were wrongs done against him by AGD, and allowing the Governor to intimidate Maggie to the point of tears and panic. It made him sick that his brother could be involved in that, but it didn't actually surprise him.

That turned out to only be the beginning of the adventure.

They'd tried walking out of the Woodbury complex but, of course, security cornered them and more threats surfaced. Daryl had been conflicted, almost beyond reason. He wanted to go find his brother and clear things up. If he could just talk to Merle, they'd work something out like family did. Yet Glenn was adamant that Merle was no friend of theirs. Rick felt for him, Daryl could tell, but he had to worry about the company and Merle was too much of a wild card. They needed to get their people out and then worry about the rest later.

So they'd run. Except Daryl got snatched up holding off security and learned first hand what a prick the Governor was. After throwing him in one of their fancy conference rooms so he could make an example of him, the man turned on Merle and threatened to have them both arrested before Rick returned with a diversion to ensure their escape from the building.

It became a harsh lesson in why relying on his brother was bound to backfire.

Rick didn't want Merle back at AGD, said that he'd cause too many problems. Glenn refused to even look at his former captor much less agree to his return to the company. Merle did nothing to help his case, making snide remarks and being the all-around asshole that he was.

Meanwhile, bringing Merle into the fold meant that Michonne came face to face with the man who'd assaulted her. She'd flipped her shit and Merle egged her on, as usual. That's when they found out about her former partner and their former colleague, Andrea, who'd been transferred and then laid off soon after the big merger that had brought Hershel and his people into the fold. It was a damn small world.

Daryl couldn't turn his back on Merle and Rick couldn't allow Merle into the company after all that had gone down amongst them. With that impasse, Daryl had quit on the spot, determined to pick family over business. It felt terrible but that's what a Dixon did. He wasn't going to just walk away from Merle.

Of course, that new arrangement had lasted less than a week as he and his brother fought non-stop about how to go about setting up a new gig and Merle thinking it was okay to run scams when Daryl knew they could make plenty of money and contacts playing people square. Their first disastrous client meeting and the ensuring fallout had Daryl practically running back to AGD.

So much baggage got stirred up in the process and Daryl finally got to admit to Merle what he'd felt for a long time—that Merle was a pretty shitty brother.

When he'd returned to AGD it turned out to be good timing. The company was up to its eyeballs in summonses and restraining orders courtesy of Woodbury. Daryl immediately jumped back in and started helping to put out fires, even got Merle to lend a hand too given his prior knowledge of their adversary.

And he'd been surprised to see Michonne still at the office, using her legal skills to keep the Governor at bay too. He wasn't going to complain but he'd for damn sure keep an eye on her. He spotted her returning to her office, stirring the contents of her mug. He swore she'd cut her eyes in his direction as she passed but he couldn't be sure.

"What 'yall do around here for fun," Merle whined. "It's too damn quiet."

Daryl shuffled around the files on his desk until he found the one he needed. "It's called work, Merle. Go have fun on your own goddamn time."

Merle propped his feet up on the desk and leaned back in his chair. "Maybe I'll go find me a cute little secretary to chat up. The pickin's here aint as grand as back at Woodbury but a man could find some prospects in these hallways."

"Don't even think about it," Daryl warned, looking up from his paperwork. "The last thing you need is a damn sexual harassment complaint. I vouched for you so you could stay here. Don't fuck this up for me."

"Alright, alright, little brother. Don't get you panties all in a twist. I aint gonna ruin your little bitch gig here. It's got its uses. Besides, I can't get a job anywhere else with the way the Governor blackballed me. Shoulda known he'd do me like that."

"Yeah, you shoulda. Serves you right working for that psychopath." Daryl pulled out his expense report file. "You apologize yet? To Glenn and to Michonne?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get to it," Merle said, dismissing Daryl with a flick of his wrist while twirling in his chair. "All in good time. They aint goin' nowhere."

Daryl sighed. "Don't matter. Stop stalling and just get that shit over with. The sooner you do it, the easier it'll be."

Merle turned towards him. "Why do you even give a shit? It's not like you and my Nubian Queen down there are even buddies. Unless you started swingin' some way I don't know about." He dropped his legs to the floor and then leaned forward to fix his stare on Daryl. Getting a frown for a reaction, Merle glanced absently down the hall towards her office. "Though she is a tasty lookin' piece of dark meat and a wild little thing too, goin' by that temper 'a hers. A man could get ideas—you know, when his options start slimmin' down." Daryl didn't bother responding to his bullshit comments. He was done playing the ignorant, redneck racist; it had never been part of him in the first place regardless of how backwards Merle and his dad were.

And he didn't know that woman Michonne in that way. Even if he did, she hardly seemed his type, not that he was even interested in fooling with some female right now. There was too much shit to get done at AGD.

But at the same time, he wouldn't deny that she was a nice looking woman. There was something about her unwavering fierceness that he thought was kind of hot too. Her intensity held his attention sometimes and, despite being suspicious of her still, he could feel himself getting won over by the way she went after everything that had been asked of her. And he couldn't ignore that she really knew how to fill out a tight pair of pants and low-cut top either. She moved so damn smooth and silent, with purpose; a hunter like him. He'd thought so just now seeing her wander to and from her office.

If they did hook up, they'd probably have great sex.

Not that he figured it would be worth it. He already had Carol riding him about his love life—or lack thereof. He didn't want to add an office affair to the mix. And it didn't matter because it's not like she was sticking around after they got things squared away over this Woodbury situation. Before he could stop himself, he thought that reality a shame since she seemed to be good at what she did.

"As for your other buddy," Merle continued, "the Chinese guy—excuse me, the Korean guy?" Daryl glared over at him from across the office. "That guy's been avoidin' me, so it's not even like I gotta chance to say nothin' to him."

Daryl shook his head. "Try harder. If I'd asked you to score some meth or get into some waitress's panties, you'd 'a done it yesterday."

"Well, now you're talking. I can't get my hands on one 'a these cute secretaries I may as well get my fun somewhere." Merle kicked at the desk and stood.

"Now wait a second—"

Merle laughed. "Gotcha good there, little brother. These squares got your balls all shriveled up and pussified. You really need to loosen up. All I'm 'a do is mosey down the hall and give it to your girl, Michonne. Throw that ole Dixon charm and reason on her."

"I best call security then and save her the time and trouble." He didn't look up as he pulled out another file to skim through. He hated this paperwork crap but it had to be done if he wanted to get out on the road the next day. "And she aint my girl. Stop talking shit and go make things right with people here. Then maybe you'll be given something to do besides workin' my damn nerves."

"Yeah, yeah." The older man shuffled out of the office and down the hall. He stopped at Michonne's door for a second and then disappeared inside.

If he didn't hear a ruckus or see Merle reemerge within three minutes, he'd know that the woman had probably killed him. Daryl grinned a little at that and then went back to his work.

TBC ...