I'm sorry folks but this chapter is really really short. I've been so stuck on this story like you wouldn't believe. But because I have a lot of reviews and support for this, I've been pressing on as much as I can. I hope this will bide you while I continue to work on where I shall go with this. Thank you again for the love and patience.

By the next day Daryl was showing some signs of recovering. Though he was a bit reluctant to go back into town, he managed to scrap whatever fur and meat he could trade off so that Beth could get the spices she wanted. He was hoping that maybe she could get more than that.

The Dixon brothers had developed a reputation with the eastern settlements and not a very good one. Daryl wasn't use to the idea of being out in public. It didn't help that when he and Beth were shopping, the other people, though few, were staring at the odd duo. He was no lip reader, but Daryl had a feeling that he knew what people were whispering about as they saw them.

"People are staring at us, Daryl."

"Yeah...so?"

"Is it because we're...you know?"

"Probably." He smirked at her. "Or they might be just jealous."

When Daryl went to trade, he felt a little disappointed in himself. His squirrel meat barely covered the cost of a few good spices but not much else. He cursed himself over his damn injury. Half expecting Beth to feel the same, he was surprised to find her looking a bit excited.

"I think squirrel will taste little better with rosemary...maybe," said Beth. When they got home, Beth went to work experimenting with the rosemary and some of the veggies her father brought her. It proved to be a success. As soon as Daryl gave her his approval on the meat, she felt proud of herself.

In a matter of days, Daryl was out hunting again. It was an unusual change of atmosphere but things were feeling a bit more brighter. He was able to eventually pay off his debts to the Governor and Beth managed to turn the shack into a more livable place.

And he was also starting to enjoy coming home to Beth's company.

Beth, meanwhile managed to adapt despite not knowing much about Daryl. So far, the hardest part was going without indoor plumbing. But she reminded herself that compared to other survivors in the zombie apocalypse, she had been living in luxury. If she wasn't within the safe confines of Western Georgia Territory, she'd probably have even less than she did now.

So she adjusted to having sponge baths in the privacy of her so-called bathroom. She heard a door slam and then she began to hear loud unexpected noises.

"Merle stop!"

"What the hell? What d'ya do this place?!"

"I already told you about her."

Merle? Did this mean that Daryl's brother was back? Talk about bad timing.

Daryl called out to Beth in the bedroom. "Beth? You in there?"

"Yeah...um I'm trying to wash."

"Jesus, Daryl! My f*ckin' bedroom!"

"Just get out, Merle!"

Once Beth was sure that the brothers were out of the room, she quickly finished up and changed her clothes. When she came out, she saw Merle for the first time and his face looked crossed but slowly upon seeing Beth he looked pleased. "So this is the ol' ball 'n chain?" He laughed. "Good lordy. You got yerself a l'il girly thing."

She was starting to feel uncomfortable. "So girly, you and Daryl been havin' some fun on my bed?"

"Merle!" Daryl growled.

From the blank look on Beth's face, Merle came to the realization. "Sh*t baby bro. You gotta be the biggest dumbass ever. Every man from here to Central would be all over her right now if they were you."

"I promised her dad..."

"You pussy. Everyone knows it ain't official till ya'v done the deed."

"Just get out, Merle."

"Hey this is my house and my bed."

"Where's Beth supposed to go?"

Merle leaned in closer to Beth. "Well I'm sure she won't mind sharing now that she's a Dixon. Do ya, Sugar?"

Beth looked disgusted. "Um...no thanks. I can find someplace else to sleep."

"No you won't." Daryl stepped in. "Merle ,you were locked up. You got no claim here."

"The hell I do." Merle was quickly on Daryl wrestling him. Beth stood back. "Stop this!" she told them but they had completely ignored her. Daryl was somehow able to break free of the grip.

"Fine," said Merle. "You and wifey can have the stupid room. Just let me get my things from under the bed." Merle angrily went into the bedroom and quickly came out with his stash of drugs and porn magazines. "Have fun with him, Sugar. If he doesn't put his dick in you soon, gimme a call."

Daryl had slammed the door on his brother once he was out. "God dammit!"

"Is he gonna be okay?" Beth asked.

"He'll be fine. He's got other places around here I don't even know about."

Merle grumbled as he headed through the woods towards his makeshift meth lab. He couldn't believe that he got the boot from his own house over a little bitch. Once he heard some nearby rustling, Merle was looking to take his anger out on the approaching walkers. But instead of walkers, men came out. They had to have been from Central. They looked like they were, too.

"Evenin'" said the leader.

"Ain't you boys a bit away from your sandbox?" said Merle.

"I know we ain't supposed to cross the border, but so do your people, right? Because someone was huntin' in our territory a week ago and we don't take too kindly to that."

"Can't help ya there, fellas. I just got outta the slammer this mornin'."

"Well whoever it was had to have been an expert hunter. We found the deer carcass and it look like it was done in with an arrow."

Merle was intrigued. "Really?"

"If ya know anyone who lives around these parts, ya know what to look for." The group of men turned back and headed back toward their land. Merle knew they would be combing the entire woods until they found the man they were looking for.

'Oh baby bro,' he thought. Daryl had truly been up to no good while he was gone. Hunting in Central was not criminal but it was dangerous. The people of Central Territory were a vicious bunch of mostly bandits and ne'er-do-wells...more his type of people. Some say even cannibals lived there. They agreed to steer clear of Western Georgia Territory unless someone were to break the treaty rules. And one of those rules...one with a death sentence...was that you never hunt in another man's territory.