The site wasn't sending out emails again so I waited to post this. Sorry it's late! Thank you for all you're reviews! This isn't a long one but it's something to read anyway! Hope you all enjoy and have yourselves a good Monday... although that is probably unlikely. Anyway, much love! I'll post another at 5!

Chapter Forty Five

Daryl sat straight up in bed this time when he heard the click of the door being open because this time he wasn't asleep. He cast a quick glance to Carol to make sure she was still covered up. The only think showing was one pale shoulder. He looked over and there was Merle, smirking like the devil incarnate.

"Why don't you ever knock on the fuckin' door?" He whispered.

"Cause then I might miss out on getting myself a peak at some'a that." He nodded to where Carol was asleep with her back to them.

Well, thought she was asleep. Suddenly her arm came up and she lifted her middle finger in Merle's general direction.

They both laughed and then Merle did the same thing he did the morning before. He tossed Daryl his pants and then gingerly picked up something else. Daryl pulled on his pants under the blanket and then slipped out of bed. When he looked at his brother he was holding up a lacy pink bra with his thumb and forefinger, he had one eyebrow raised.

"You get impatient little brother?" He smirked. "That's a damn shame. You done broke it."

Daryl just snorted and then started looking around for his shirt. He looked up just in time to see Merle bring the bra to his nose and give it a quick sniff. His eyes widened.

"Goddamn, the woman smells like heaven." He sniffed again as Daryl tried to snatch it out of his hand but Merle was quick. He shoved the bra into his pocket. "Quit lookin' at me like that, boy. Least it wasn't her panty's." He scanned the floor quickly like that was the best idea he had had in a while.

Daryl held out his hand. "Give it, Merle." He demanded.

Carol rolled over onto her back and then sat up, holding the blanket so it wouldn't slip.

"No, it's broke. All she's gonna do is throw it away anyways." Merle said as he dodged Daryl again.

"Well, you ain't gonna use it for what you're plannin' on usin' it for you sick bastard." Daryl growled but Merle was able to give him the slip again before he could grab him.

"What are you two doing?" Carol asked.

Both men turned to look at her. "Daryl here don't understand the concept of sharin'."

Daryl finally gave up and crossed his arms over his chest. "Get out, Merle." He growled.

Merle grinned triumphantly and headed for the door. He patted his pocket. "I was just on my way anyway. Gonna find myself a nice quiet place to do some thinkin'." He winked and then slipped out the door.

"One of these days I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch." He grumbled as he sat down on the edge of the bed and slipped his boots on.

He froze when he felt a warm body press into his back and arms wrap around his neck. He smirked.

"He's not that bad. Not as bad as he could be. We have to give him that." She pressed her lips to his neck.

"He's bad enough." He said quietly as she took his earlobe into her mouth and sucked lightly. His eyes flashed to the door. There was no lock and her hands were snaking around his waist and inching dangerously close to the button on his pants. He grabbed her hands and laughed. "Ain't no lock on that door, ya know. Get dressed. I ain't never had dreams of becomin' a porn star. Probably couldn't do to well with an audience.

He felt her sigh into his back and then she pulled away. He didn't dare turn to watch her, knowing that lock or not, there was only so much a man could take before he just didn't care about things like people walking in. And he was damn near to that point as it was.

Just as Carol came around his side of the bed, wearing jeans and a tank top, the door opened. No one around here knocked. It was annoying but he wasn't going to argue with anyone. Especially her.

"Mornin' Maggie." He grumbled instead.

"Good, ya'll are up. You need to go talk to daddy, Carol." She said quickly.

"Mornin' to you too, Daryl." He muttered to himself.

She actually smiled and walked up to where he was sitting on the bed. She ruffled his hair. "Good mornin', Daryl."

He smacked at her hand but it was already gone before he could swipe it away. "God, you people get on my nerves."

Carol laughed at the look on his face but then her eyes grew serious when they met Maggie's. "Why do I need to talk to him?" She asked.

"So you can talk some sense into him. Ya'll can't leave. Not with those things out there. I know that he thinks they're just sick people but they ain't. Ya'll know that. You got kids. You gotta put up more of a fight."

"Maggie, he didn't listen to Rick or Daryl. He didn't even listen to Sophia. Why would you think I would be able to do any good. Merle said you've been fighting him for days."

She shook her head. "He just thinks I'm bein' stubborn. He don't understand how bad it is. Hell, I don't understand how bad it is but I know that I like ya'll enough to know I don't want any of you out there. You gotta way about you. Maybe he'd listen to you."

Daryl stood up and chewed his thumb nail as he looked from face to face. Finally he shrugged. "It ain't a bad idea."

"Daryl, it's an awful idea. I wont beg the man. You know as well as I do that we'll be fine out there. We have guns and we have a smart group. We're strong."

"You're the reason Milton's still alive, Carol. And that man was hell bent on killin' himself. You do got a way with people. They listen to you." Daryl said as he studied her face.

She eyed him. "You don't."

He smirked. "That's different."

"Oh, speakin' of people that don't listen. Did ya'll send Merle on a run?" Maggie asked suddenly.

Daryl shook his head and then felt a knot of dread form in his gut. What the hell was Merle up too now?

Maggie frowned. "Well, he took off right before I came in here to talk to you."

"What?" He growled.

"He left. He took your truck. I just figured he was goin' on a run." She shrugged. "He shoulda had me go with him. I know the town and I don't like the thought of him out there on his own."

He wasn't sure what to make of Merle taking off in the truck. He was better now. A hell of a lot better than when they found him but surely he wouldn't have just left for good. Not without telling him. Daryl didn't think he would have left without at least attempting to talk him into going with him. But maybe Merle hadn't thought there had been much of a point in asking. He had seen Merle last night, glaring at him when he was talking to Rick and T-dog. He was alone here, just like Daryl was when he found out Merle wasn't coming back from Atlanta.

He ran a hand over his face. Merle was an asshole but Daryl couldn't help but to feel a surge of guilt at how he had been treating his brother. After finding Merle's hand on that roof Daryl felt more empty than he had ever felt in his life. Merle wasn't always there for him when he was real young but when he was sixteen, and was nearly beaten half to death by their dad, Merle showed up, wreaked bloody vengeance on the old man and then took Daryl and split. He'd been there for him ever since.

And how did Daryl repay him? Made him feel like he didn't even have a brother at all. Without a word he walked out of the room and out the front door. He knew why he had acted the way he had. Carol and Sophia. But he shouldn't have been so hard on Merle. Shouldn't have made him feel like he didn't care. Because he did care. It was just that now Merle wasn't his main priority. Now he had a woman to protect, a kid to look after, people that depended on him. He had friends. And Merle probably figured that Daryl just didn't need him anymore. So instead of staying on with the group and be the outcast that Daryl had always felt they both were, he left on his own.

"Daryl?"

He spun around. Maggie was behind him. He hadn't even known she was following him. He let out a heavy breath. "What'cha want, Maggie?"

"You think he left out and ain't comin' back?" She asked quietly.

Daryl frowned at the sadness in her voice. "You really care whether he did or not?" he turned and walked away but she fell into step beside him.

"Merle ain't as bad as people think he is." She muttered.

Daryl snorted. "You're right. He's worse. The Merle you been seein' is a bit different from the Merle I know."

"From what I hear from your friends, he ain't the only Dixon that ain't so bad no more."

"You really defendin' him after the way he talked to you?" Daryl couldn't help but ask.

She smiled slightly. "He's interestin' is all. You don't come across many men like Merle in your lifetime."

"Thank God." Daryl laughed and shook his head. It wasn't a very good laugh. He felt depressed. Abandoned again. But it was better than last time Merle disappeared. At least now he had Carol. He sighed loudly.

"He ain't gone." Maggie said simply. "I ain't sure what he's up too. Probably somethin' no good but I don't think you gotta worry."

Daryl just nodded. When he saw the rest of the group packing up some of their things he frowned. He really did wish they could have talked that old man into letting them stay. But he couldn't blame Carol for not wanting to beg him. He wouldn't beg either. She was right. They would do fine out there.

"Hi, guys." Andrea said as she trotted up to them. "I need Carol. It's important."

Daryl studied her for a second. She looked excited and she was smiling like the Cheshire cat. It was strange too because the last time he saw her she was storming out of the dining room last night.

"Last I saw her she was in the house. What do you need her for?"

"I just needed to talk to her. Thanks." They watched her run towards the house and then they both shrugged.

"Wonder what that was all about?" Maggie asked as she glanced over her shoulder.

Daryl just shrugged. "No clue. She's crazy so it could be about anything."

They both joined the group and got to work helping. Daryl couldn't keep his mind off his brother though no matter what he did to try to distract himself. He thought about finding Carol. Maybe they'd get away with sneaking off to the barn or something. He knew she was more than willing.

"What'cha grinnin' bout over there baby Dixon?" Maggie asked with a grin.

Daryl just shook his head. He hadn't realized he'd been grinning at all and then Maggie was looking at him knowingly.

"Oh, that." She asked with a shake of her head.

He shook his head and continued packing up some of Dales gear. Was he really that obvious?

Daryl looked over and groaned when he saw Shane walking their way.

"That guy really gets under my skin." Maggie whispered.

"Tell me about it." He growled.

Shane stopped a few feet away and put his hands on his hips. "Looks like you two are havin' a good time. Never pegged you for a ladies man, Dixon."

Daryl stood up and dusted his hands off onto his pants. "Shane, I don't know if I've told you enough lately so I'll say it again."

"Say what?" Shane smirked.

"Fuck off." Daryl said and then shot a glance towards Maggie when she started laughing.

Shane's eyes slid over to Maggie as well. "You know you don't have to hang around with the likes of him?"

Maggie narrowed her eyes. "My time is a precious thing, Mister. And somethin' tells me that time spent with a Dixon is time well spent. Much more well spent than if I was to waste it on the likes of you."

Daryl watched as Shane's eyebrows shot up but that smirk never left his face. He just shook his head and walked away from them.

"Jerk." She muttered under her breath.

Daryl just continued on with what he was doing but he was having a hard time hiding the smile that kept trying to creep up on him. Maggie was okay in his book. Too bad Merle couldn't find somebody like that. Thinking of his brother again, however, put his mood back in depressed mode and he didn't have to hide a smile anymore. There was nothing to smile about for the moment.