When Daryl opened the door, everyone tuned to him immediately. He didn't have a chance to say a word before Glen jumped up again.

"I told you! I told you he would ask to take him in!"

"Glen, let Daryl speak!" Hershel snapped. He started to lose patience with younger man.

Daryl sat on the stairs and started playing with his crossbow.

"Glen's right. Merle wanna be a part of the group," he was searching for words, "he knows that he'd crossed the line and he'll apologize and will behave himself. But the truth is, he knows the Governor and we'll need help. We won't even stand a chance if we stay like this."

For taciturn Daryl was this long sentence a heroic performance and he felt exhausted. He finally lifted his head and looked at others with anticipation. He was met with Glen's fuming face and the wall of silence.

Daryl looked directly at Glen.

"Glen look, I know what he's done and I know it's unforgivable. But we are not in position to turn him down. I'll keep my eye on him. Merle will be my responsibility."

Glen exploded.

"Unforgivable? You bet it is! How would you like living next to the guy who would let some sick bastard almost rape Carol and then wanted to execute you in a cold blood?"

Daryl's blood started boiling: "Why the hell are you draggin' Carol into this shit? She ain't nothing to do with this! Don't ya get it we don't have a chance with few people we've got here? If that fuckin' prick takes five armed guys we'll be dead in half a hour!"

Daryl and Glen were already shouting at each other.

"Daryl's right," clear voice cut through the argument as a knife and the whole group turned to Carol in surprise.

"Daryl's right," she repeated firmly, ignoring Glen's remark that so easily put down the wall of Daryl's strenuously built composure.

"We all know it will be difficult with Merle and if it doesn't work we can always try to solve it later. But right now we have no choice and have to accept his offer and take him in. No matter if we stay in the prison or run, we will need every little help we can. If Daryl says he can handle him, let him do it."

Next three days were hell. Merle was indeed on his best behavior, however even his presence seemed to linger on the group as a dark cloud. But it was Daryl, not Merle, Carol worried about. Merle moved into Daryl's cell so she couldn't come and talk to him anytime she wanted as before. Daryl didn't come either.

Even if she didn't want to admit it to herself, she missed their closeness. She missed him grumpy face and funny comments he was scattering around without intention to be funny. She missed the way he always kept his eye on her even if he thought she didn't know. Since Merle darkened their door, Daryl retreated into his shell. He kept his crossbow with him all the time and never left Merle's side. He tried to isolate Merle from the group as much as possible. They went hunting almost every day and Daryl suddenly found plenty of work that needed to be done outside. By all this effort Daryl was isolating himself together with Merle.

Carol knew that Daryl feels the tension Merle's arrival caused. Even if it is was the group's decision that Merle's presence is inevitable, she knew he was blaming himself for bringing him here and making them decide. Carol was afraid that Merle would draw Daryl back to become the inaccessible and hard man he used to be in the camp. This thought was tearing her apart.

It was ironic that it was older of Dixon brothers who started paying her more attention. It didn't take long before Merle realized that Carol was the only one near his age who wasn't involved with anybody.

It was on the second day when Merle took advantage of Daryl not being able to think of another job to do for a while and he joined Carol while she was sorting the washing.

"You never seem to rest, do ya?"

Carol just raised her eyebrow and gave him a quick look. She was relieved to spot Merle's shadow with a crossbow over his shoulder, who just appeared around the corner.

"Somebody has to do it."

No matter how much she didn't like older Dixon and blamed him for not being able to spend the time with Daryl, she didn't want to add fuel to the flame.

"I hardly remember you from the camp," Merle's voice was curious but Carol instinctively heard the undertone she didn't like at all. It was the same undertone Ed used when he was looking for her weakness just before he was about to attack.

"I surely do remember you," she replied.

Merle seemed to be pleased by her answer.

"It was not a compliment," she added dryly.

She didn't miss Daryl's little smile behind Merle's back. She looked at him but he was already starring at his feet again. She saddened.

"You had a husband and a kid. Little girl, right?" Merle's voice roused her from her thoughts again.

She stopped her work, straighten up and looked directly into Merle's eyes.

"I did. They're gone."

For a moment, Daryl forgot to watch himself and looked at her with admiration. Her tiny figure looked almost ridiculous compared to Merle's and still she was able to tell him anything right into his face and make a fool of himself on top of that. Her and Hershel were the only ones trying to at least communicate with Merle. The rest of the group was simply ignoring him and Glen was planning a murder as Daryl suspected him.

Daryl sighed. Last three days with Merle had been hell. He promised to watch him and he stood up to that but it was exhausting to watch his every step. He had a feeling that Glen hated him almost as much as he hated Merle. By watching Merle he wasn't spending any time with the group. He would have never thought he would miss something like that, but he honestly did.

He gave Carol another sidelong glance. She was still talking to Merle politely. He had been fighting against this feeling for past three days but he had to give up and admit what he missed the most. He was watching his brother chatting to Carol, trying to impress her and his blood was boiling. He had no claim over her and there had been times when he was behaving like a piece of shit to her and the end he abandoned her and the whole group. Countless times he'd tried to convince himself he needs nobody and nothing and there were times he really believed it. And still, just a thought of another man by Carol's side drove him insane. It was his place. It was him she smiled at, and him she was worried about. Even if it meant a punch in the face. He was denying this to himself for past three days because of Merle and he felt like junkie longing for his dose. He cursed her for doing it to him, for taking away his independence . But when he was with her all his fears just vanished.

"What happened to your lil' girl?" Out of all Merle's stupid questions getting on his nerve, this one was the worst. He noticed Carol tensed.

"Cut the crap Merle. We gotta check the fence."

Irritated, Merle turned to him: "We've checked that fuckin' fence twice already today!"

"If you wanna stay here, you'll have to put up with that," Daryl's tone didn't allow any objections. Merle hesitantly turned to Carol then to Daryl and finally walked off cursing under his breath.