A/N: A deviant dinner, some memories and some words of wisdom. Thank you to everyone who reads and lets me know what they think.

Merle had some news to tell, so as soon as they were seated he went right into his story. He didn't even take time to tease them which was very unlike him. He had been waiting, as he told the others, for a long time to gloat over this. He had called it a long time ago, so he would have his say, but he had something else on his mind first.

They both were actually really surprised. Merle was not busting their balls and this time he had great ammo.

This was not like Merle at all.

"So brother, I got some news to tell ya." Merle said.

He looked across the table at Carol and Daryl who were sitting next to each other. They were practically on each other's laps. Merle guessed they were making up for lost time.

"Ok." Daryl said. "Let's hear it."

"Got a promotion, and a raise, going to be about half an hour from here two days a week Thursdays and Fridays, starting next week."

Carol broke into a smile, this was going to be great. Just like old times, the three of them again. She imagined Merle missed them as much as they missed him.

"I'm district manager of three counties, and I'll have weekends off now, so we can all see a lot more of each other. "

Carol picked up her glass of iced tea and motioned for them to raise their glasses. They did and clicked them all together.

"Congrats, you deserve it, I know you worked hard for this. " Carol said.

"Proud of you brother." Daryl said giving his brother his signature one head bob nod.

"Merle this really is wonderful, but where will you stay, if you'll be here four days a week?" Carol asked.

"They putting me up in a hotel on Thursday nights and then I can just stay over and pay myself for any other nights I want to stay."

Carol was happy to hear this, they hadn't seen too much of him in the last two years. This would be good for Daryl. He had friends here, but having his brother around more would be even better than that.

"This is on me kids, get whatever you want, and over dinner Carol you can tell me all about your friend Andrea."

Daryl rolled his eyes. There it was, Merle was going to be up everybody's ass trying to get in Andrea's pants.

"Merle if you want to know anything about her you can ask her yourself." Carol said. And that was just what Daryl wanted her to say and just what Merle expected.

He nodded and stood up. Carol never minced words with him and he respected her for it. She was for all intents and purposes, his sister and they treated each other as such.

"Fine Carol, thanks for nothing." He said laughing at her.

"You're welcome." She smiled. "That's what I'm here for."

"Funny little sis, I thought you were here to fuck my brother. " He smiled wide at her. "Finally."

He said slipping away from her hand that was trying to smack him.

"Oh, I am, if about two hours from now, I can't wait either." She said giving him a wink and reaching for Daryl's leg.

Merle nodded to her. Same old Carol, she wouldn't give him and inch if she wasn't inclined to. He loved her, albeit, in a way different way that Daryl did. He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Goin to take a piss, order me Buffalo wings and bacon cheese burger, rare, well done fries. "Merle told her. "And don't think when I get back I'm not gonna lecture you both about your grades and birth control, cause I am."

He walked up the isle towards the back of the restaurant. Carol turned to Daryl and he was about to say something and she knew it.

"Don't say it." She leaned over to kiss him. She reached down and ran her hand over his thigh. "I don't even want to think about it just smile and nod your head."

She kept moving her hand up higher and higher and he didn't think she was going to stop. He was wide awake now, even though he was falling asleep in class before.

"Hello, I wasn't expecting that." He said laughing.

"Ok, I'll stop." She started to pull her hand away and he stopped her, with his hand, moving hers back to where it was.

"No, don't stop." He looked over at her grinning. "You know Merle is going to be a huge pain in the ass now that he's interested in Andrea."

She nodded. "Not my circus, not my monkeys." She squeezed his leg, dangerously close to his dick and he was well aware of it. "This is my circus."

She squeezed again and leaned in to kiss him again. It had only been five days since they got drunk and went home together and yet it felt like longer to both of them.

It had been a storm brewing between them for as long as they both could remember.

There had been signs that neither one of them was prepared to read before. As much as they had wanted to believe they didn't see this happening, they both realized it wasn't really a shock. Not if they really thought about it. Not if they were honest with themselves.

Maggie had said Daryl tried to scare off her boyfriends and that was a little true. Carol said she never thought of him that way, but she did.

Just as much as he thought about her that way.

The waitress came by and they ordered their food and Merle's and all the while Carol was rubbing his leg and he was having trouble keeping his eyes from rolling into the back of his head. Then they were alone again.

They had come a long way in five days.

She was letting her guard down with him more and more each day. She had been so shy on Tuesday and now she was snaking her hand up his leg in a restaurant.

"Andrea is a big girl, if she wants to see Merle I say leave her to it." She ran her hand further up his leg until she got where she wanted to be.

He let out a low sigh. "Can't we just go?" He breathed out, leaning his head back against the seat in the booth they were sitting in, letting her know she was on the mark.

She shook her head and kissed him, then Merle was walking back to the table. He side eye looked at them as he walked by.

They turned from each other as Merle leaned forward.

"This how it's gonna be now you two pawing each other like a coupla animals." He cackled. "Jeez, you got a new toy now you can't let go of Carol."

"Fuck off Merle." Carol said, squinting at him and then she smiled big and wide to him. Daryl started laughing and Merle just shook his head.

Yes, nothing had changed, Merle thought to himself and his brother was going to have his hands full with this one. She was a firecracker and always had been.

What was that saying, the two greatest tragedies in life? One is to lose your heart's desire and the other is to gain it.

His brother finally had his heart's desire. Merle hoped he could handle what that meant.

/

Merle drove them back to the dorms after dinner, neither Carol nor Daryl had a car on campus. When the pulled up in the back of the dorm Carol saw Michonne and Tara standing by the door. She quickly kissed Merle goodbye and told Daryl to come catch up with her.

She knew Merle wanted a little time to talk to Daryl or tease him, whatever he was inclined to do at the moment.

She waved to Tara and walked towards them. When she got to them and stood with them talking at the door of their dorm.

Merle turned to Daryl who was sitting in the passenger side of his car.

"You happy now?" He asked although he was pretty sure he knew the answer to that question.

Daryl nodded. Happy didn't even begin to cover it.

"Do you remember when you were six years old and you said you were gonna marry her one day?" Merle asked. Daryl remembered.

"Yeah, I remember, was a little kid." Daryl said. Knowing that he had always felt that way about her, never thinking it would be possible.

He looked out the window at her talking to Tara and Michonne. She really was his now. That thought overwhelmed him.

She must have felt his eyes on her because she turned, waved and blew him a kiss.

He may have been a little kid, but he knew even then. He also knew his grandmother's ring was right there for him when he was ready.

He knew one day he would ask her, he always knew.

"Don't matter Daryl, you haven't been watching this like I have." Merle said. "I don't care how many girls you fucked or how many guys she's fucked. You two are something different, although you are a couple of deviants, doing that shit at the restaurant. But, whatever, you know what I mean. There's a difference between fucking and love."

Merle stopped and took out a cigarette and offered one to Daryl, who took it. Merle lit them both and took a drag.

"I'm aware Merle." Daryl said, taking a drag off his cigarette.

"That so, cause got something to say to you." Merle said, fixing his steel blue eyes on his brother.

"I know, keep your grades up, don't spend all your time in the sack and use condoms, you gave us that lecture already."

"For as long as I can remember, you've been in love with her." He blew the smoke out. "And she's been in love with you."

"It's true I guess." Daryl said.

"Oh it is, and I'm happy you two finally got there, but I wanna give you a word of advice."

Daryl nodded. He would let Merle be his big brother and offer his sage advice.

"I don't think it's ever going to be in the cards for me to find my person, but she has always been yours. Remember now that things are different, if you fight, it will mean something different than it used to." He then looked over at her now. "Before ya'll could get mad and act like assholes, make up, and it would be fine."

Daryl nodded, he and Carol did have their share of fights, usually over dumb things, but sometimes not so dumb things. They always made up.

Sometimes they wouldn't talk to each other for a few days, he hated that, so he always was the one to make amends. He would get her favorite candy and climb up the tree, knock on her window and show her the candy. It was always a Hershey bar with almonds, her favorite.

She would stand there with her hands on her hips, but she always opened the window.

"Something goes down now? Gonna take more than a Hershey bar to win her back." Merle said. "That's if you could win her back."

Daryl wasn't planning on having to buy any Hershey bars in the near future. He wasn't losing her.

"Remember the time she threw that drink at you and tried to walk home from O'Neil's." Merle said, pulling him from his thoughts.

Daryl remembered, Carol, Merle and he had gone out one night to a local bar to celebrate Merle's birthday. They all were playing pool and Daryl was lurking around giving the eye to anyone that came near her. That wasn't really anything new.

That went on for a while and then they moved to the bar area of the place.

They were drinking, Merle was hitting on the bartender and Carol was talking to a nice fellow named Joe, who was standing by her chair at the bar. At one point Daryl had come up to the guy and shoulder bumped him as he walked by.

Carol was furious.

Daryl made it clear he didn't want her talking to him. He had no specific reason, not one he could voice anyway, just that he didn't like it.

Merle had told him to knock it off, but by then he had a few beers and had alcohol courage. He almost invited the guy outside.

Carol got pissed and threw her drink in his face and stomped off after he scared the guy off.

"Do you know what she said to me the next day?" Merle said.

"Probably what an asshole I was."

"Wrong. She said, he doesn't own me. Why does he act like I'm his property?" Merle said. "But she was crying, you understand what I'm saying."

"Don't make her cry." He said with a question in his voice, he didn't plan on it. She would never cry because of him.

He intended to make her the happiest woman in the world, for as long as she would have him.

"She was crying over you and ya'll weren't doing nothing. She was crying because you were being an ass, that was ok, ya all made up like half an hour later. Because ya were just friends then, now it's more. You can't lose your head over something. Say or do things you might regret, because it's all different now."

"I know that Merle, I'm not stupid."

"Good, don't fuck this up, I'm not in the mood to deal with you like you were when she left to come here." Merle said.

"I wasn't that bad."

"Daryl you acted like you lost your best friend and your puppy for those nine weeks before you came here. It was pitiful, look, I want you both to be happy, for a long time."

"We will be, don't worry."

"M'kay then, I'll see you in the morning."

Daryl got out of the car and walked to her. Merle watched him put his arms around her and pull her back against him like he had been doing it all his life. She was smiling and she reached up and behind her to touch his cheek in such a loving gesture. He kissed her fingers as she was doing that.

Merle smiled.

To gain your heart's desire, maybe someday he would know what his heart's desire was.