A/N: Again I forgot to upload the last few chapters of this story so here it is in a double post, the conclusion of Minority. Thanks for all the faves and reviews over the years - I really hope everyone liked Merle's redemption arc :)
Caleb growled when Jameson continued to cry and whimper. He was trying to take stock but the noise was distracting him and making him lose count. He looked at the infant as he kicked his legs on the floor. "Ronnie! Go get his mother. Make sure to get only her." He said. He waited a second for a reply. "Ronnie!" He picked up Jameson and a knife. "Ronnie?"
"He's dead." He glared at Peaches from where she stood at the end of the hall.
"Back off bitch or I'll kill him." He threatened as he put the knife to Jameson's little neck. He froze when he felt a gun press to the back of his head.
"I don't think you realized there were two stair wells at each end of the hall, asshole." Merle said. "Give my boy to his mother and you get a chance. Hurt him and you get a bullet." Caleb looked over his shoulder for a second. "All your men are dead, don't be stupid."
"You're going to kill me no matter what." He said as he focused on Peaches again. She was slowly inching closer with her hands out.
"You kind of deserve it." Peaches said. "This is twice now that you've wronged me. But I'm willing to let you go if you give me my baby." He looked down at Jameson as his whimpering quieted – he could hear his parents. He glared at Peaches.
"Go to hell bitch!" He jammed the knife into Jameson's neck and the infant squeaked.
"No!" Peaches screamed. Merle shot him and he dropped instantly. Peaches caught Jameson before he could hit the ground and cradled him close. His onesie was quickly turning red with his blood. Peaches pressed her hand to the wound in his neck to slow the bleeding. "No, no no…Jameson stay awake baby."
"Oh god…"
Merle walked into the cathedral and spotted where Peaches was sitting. He made his way to the row and stood next to her in silence. She opened her eyes and released her clasped hands. She sat back in the cushy seat and looked up at him. "Hey." He said awkwardly. She had been spending a lot of time praying in the massive room since the other day. He did his best to keep going. They had managed to get Jameson patched up but it wasn't looking good. He had barely eaten and the infection he got from the wound looked like it would make their efforts to save him pointless. He was asleep nearly twenty hours a day and when he was awake he sounded like he was struggling for every breath. But they refused to 'mercy-kill' him. It wasn't really merciful when he was trying so hard to survive. How would they live with such a decision? How would they ever be able to look at each other or anyone else again? When Rick had suggested it Peaches nearly took his head off.
"How is everyone?" She asked in an attempt to keep the subject off their dying baby.
"The same." Merle answered as he sat down next to her. "Andrea's still having those little contractions but the kids are hanging in there…Linda—
"I want her dead, Merle. I don't care what Rick says, she ain't ever coming out that welcome center alive. Either she stays in there or I get to kill her." Peaches said quietly.
"It won't make Jamie better." He said.
"It'll make me better!" She suddenly yelled. "Lying little snake in the grass – she let Caleb continue this crap. She manipulated everyone into letting them stay and the first chance they got…this is exactly what happened with the Sergeant. He used the last of his strength to get me out of that closet before he died in my arms from what they did to him. Well they fooled me twice – the shame is on me. I couldn't protect the Sergeant and I couldn't protect our baby! All I could do was stand there as he took him from me. I saw that knife go in him… that sound he made, the look in his eyes. Merle I can't do this – not one more day. I can't listen to the sound of him struggling at night and wake thinking he's slipped away…" Merle pulled her to him when she started crying. "If he dies while we're sleeping he'll turn into one of those things."
"Maybe we—" they looked up when Glenn came running in the room.
"It's Jameson." Is all he got out before they bolted into the rectory. Peaches skipped two stairs at a time to get to their room faster. Glenn had been sitting with Jameson while Merle went to talk to Peaches. They raced to his crib and looked in.
"Oh God." Merle gasped – very much like the day he got stabbed. Utter disbelief at the sight in front of him. Jameson noticed them above his mobile and smiled. He reached up and kicked his legs. "Oh my god." He couldn't believe it but Peaches reached in and picked him up.
"He's…awake…really awake." Peaches said as she noticed the clarity in his eyes. He had been in and out of consciousness for days – barely aware enough to latch on and suckle a little milk before passing back out. "What happened?"
"I was reading to him and I thought he was awake the whole time because he was…making that noise but then he stopped." Glenn explained.
"He stopped breathing?" Merle asked as he looked Jameson over.
"No…he was snoring. When he stopped I looked at him and he was…like this."
"Fever is way down…his eyes are clear." Peaches said as she checked him. She lifted his bandage and his sewn up wound looked less puffy – like it was on the way to healing properly. "It's a miracle."
"Living in a church has it's perks." Merle said. Peaches turned to him.
"Don't be glib." She said. "We got lucky with his birth – barely keeping him from getting sick. But for him to be stabbed in the neck and survive. Pull through a massive infection with just a little antibiotics and baby aspirin…that is a true miracle." She hugged Jameson close, being careful of his stitches. "Thank you. Thank you, God." Jameson squirmed and kicked and she cradled him. "Are you hungry? I know you must be." She cooed at him as she sat in a nearby chair and started feeding him. He latched on right away and suckled loudly. "Ow…" Peaches whined a little but she was smiling. Merle just sat on the bed and watched them.
"I'm going to have to agree…and I don't even believe like that. I mean not since all this shit started but now I know. I know there can still be miracles." Katherine said as she looked at Jameson. He was kicking happily as Peaches changed his diaper.
"I'll never stop being grateful to you. You sewed him up after it happened." Peaches said. "You knew what herbs to put on him and how to dilute the pills we had so they wouldn't kill him…" She trailed off before she embraced Katherine. They had been through so much. The only survivors from the group they started all those miles ago. She hugged her back before Peaches let her pick up the baby. "You are definitely his God-mother."
"Someone is definitely looking out for him." She said as she checked his stitches. "Has he made any sounds yet?"
"No." Peaches said. "I mean, he's making all the facial expressions he used to but when he looks like he's crying there's only this weird hiss that comes out." Peaches said. "His vocal cords must've been damaged."
"They're probably still healing." Katherine said as she tickled him. He fidgeted and he smiled but he didn't make a peep. "I think he's well enough to go outside now." Peaches took him and they headed outside. It was a sunny fall day. Still a little warm but the wind had a chill to it. Peaches was greeted by everyone as she made her way to the field. Rick smiled at her and the baby but she could see the concern in his eyes. They'd have to deal with Linda and the other kids. Right now everyone but Linda was free to walk around the church. Once Jameson was out of the woods for good he'd approach her with it but for now he let her be happy.
Peaches walked into the room and immediately noticed something amiss. "Where's Jameson?" she asked.
"Right here." Merle answered and held up a bottle of alcohol. She glared at him. She had been on edge for the past few months. Rick kept asking her about Linda and she was still too pissed to make any kind of rational decision. From the look on her face Merle could tell she wasn't in the mood for jokes. "Oh you meant the baby…he's with his uncles." He hiked his thumb towards the door. "But you know what he told me before I dropped him off?"
"Our six month old was talking to you? How hard have you been hitting that bottle?" she asked.
"Me and James have a connection. I could tell what he was thinking and he said 'Daddy, mommy needs you. She's stressed and she's one more annoyance away from killing someone'."
"What was our son's solution?" she asked as she crossed her arms.
"Well he just told me to drop him off with Uncle Daryl and figure it out for myself." Merle shrugged. "I thought I'd go with a time tested solution to stress."
"Fucking?" Peaches asked. Merle made a face.
"No." He said like it was an absurd answer. "Honey, we're grown-ups now – we don't 'fuck' anymore."
"What do we do?" She asked and smirked a little when he put his arms around her. He pressed into her back.
"We 'make love', darlin'." He said as he nuzzled her neck. "I'm gonna lay you out and put my mouth on every inch of your skin."
"Oh, really?" she asked and arched her back so her ass rubbed over his growing erection. She was thrilled by the thought of being with him, just like she always was. His warmth against her back was already soothing her sore muscles.
"And then we're going to have sex until my dick falls off because this has been without a doubt the longest post-partum abstinence ever."
"Get undressed." She ordered and he moved back immediately. She tossed her shirt and shimmed out her pants. She crawled on the bed and he grabbed her panties. "Merle!" She yelped as he pulled them off her. She reached back and unhooked her bra and watched him as he stepped out of his pants. She felt a little self conscious as she looked at him. He was just as big as ever – more muscle from all the work he put in on making the church their home. He had freckles on his shoulders from being out in the sun. Merle had never looked better to her. And he grinned wide as he crawled up to her. His hand went straight to her breast and he planted a long kiss on her lips. Peaches wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she eased back. He laid flush on top of her and nipped at her plump lips.
"Okay, to hell with making love – we'll do that later." He said as he spread her legs. He slid inside of her and groaned. "Shi… thought having a baby would loosen you up, darlin."
"You complaining?" Peaches huffed and grit her teeth.
"No." He answered before he started his rhythm. "You want another one?"
"No! Don't you dare!" She screamed as she dug her nails into his back. Merle just chuckled. He loved how annoyed she got with him until he started hitting her spot. She started whispering how much she loved him as he kissed her neck. That was more arousing than anything else. He had gone his entire miserable life without hearing it from anyone and it took the end of the world and nearly the end of everything for him to meet this woman and have her mean it when she said it to him.
"I love you too, Peach." He moaned before he kissed her. When she came she bit his bottom lip – not very hard but it sent a little jolt down his back. He could feel her get tighter. "Not yet, girl. Come on…oh shit." He pulled out of her when he felt his apex. "Shit…"
