AN: So I wanted to give you all a little chapter here. This is a Merle/Andrea chapter, but it was one that I figured those of you who are particularly interested in the Merle/Andrea part of the story might like. If you're not into that part of the story…then I guess you could technically skip it.

A lot of you seemed excited, though, that Merle has come far enough to be the one to go in after Andrea…so I didn't want to cheat you out of that.

I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

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It was almost like trying to get through security some damn where just to get to see Andrea. Merle felt like he was meeting her parents or something when Lori Grimes and Rick Grimes had cornered him in their little kitchen and questioned him about what he was doing there and what his intentions were.

But finally they'd let him pass, seeing that one way or the other he was going to get in to see her and he didn't want to hear any of this shit about her not wanting to see anyone.

He might not be entirely sure about what he felt about the whole damn thing, but the one thing he had figured out was that it didn't really change Andrea. Finding out what she did pissed him off a little…he didn't like to think of her fucking other men and he sure as shit didn't like to think of her fucking Ed Peletier…but she was still the same Andrea she'd been ten minutes before the dirty bastard had walked his smug ass into the bar.

And if the shit didn't bother Carol…and she'd been married to the fucker…then Merle figured he could let it go. It just gave him another reason to hope that in the future he got to break the assholes jaw, though. It bothered him to think that Andrea had ever been a place that she needed money so damn bad she'd have taken it from that asshole…and it bothered him more to imagine how damn smug Ed Peletier probably had been about giving it to her.

Those…all those damn images in his head…those were the things that were really pissing Merle off about the whole damn thing.

So Merle walked along the upstairs of the house, thinking that it was nauseautingly decorated up like the inside of some kind of dollhouse, and found the door to the room that Rick said Andrea would be in.

Merle sighed and knocked at the door. He waited a second and knocked again when there was no answer to the first one.

"Andrea?" He called.

No response.

So Merle tried the door and found it unlocked, opening it slowly and sticking his head in, not sure if he might have misheard where the hell he was going and might be walking into an empty room…or walking in on somebody…hell he didn't know what went on in their house.

Andrea was sitting on the bed, her elbows on her legs, and her head in her hands. She didn't look up when Merle came in.

Merle stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Ya ready ta go?" He asked.

Admittedly he hadn't planned anything out. From here out he was winging it and he was a little nervous about that fact. He figured he had a real good chance of fucking something up right now. Still, this was what he had and he had to go with it.

Andrea glanced up at him then and it was obvious she'd been crying. Merle frowned at her. Andrea wasn't a woman who cried too damn often…she had her moments…but they were few and far between.

"Come on," Merle said. "Let's get goin'."

He didn't know what to do to get Andrea off the bed and out the door. He didn't know if there was magic formula for this shit and he'd never talked a woman down about anything. He didn't need to before. Before he just needed to talk her ass into bed and that was as far as the conversation ever got besides maybe a thank you afterwards if he was feeling courteous. He didn't get into trying to solve their life problems.

Andrea shook her head.

"I'm not going with you," Andrea said.

Merle stepped forward. He masked the churning in his stomach by forcing himself to chuckle.

"Like hell ya ain't," he responded. "On ya own damn two feet or over my shoulder, but'cha goin' with me."

Andrea shook her head again.

"No, Merle! I'm not going with you," Andrea said again. "I'm serious…I can't…I can't talk to Carol…I don't even want to talk to you."

Andrea ducked her head.

"I'm out," she said.

"Damn, woman," Merle said. "Carol's outside waitin'…hell she's expectin' ya ta talk to her. Had ta fuckin' fight her fat ass ta get ta be the one ta come up here. Ya ain't outta nothin'."

Andrea glanced up at him again.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

Merle chuckled again, forcing the sound. It was the only thing that he could do in an effort to disguise that he was asking himself the very same question.

"I'm here ta take ya the fuck outside," Merle said. "Now get'cha ass up off that lil' doll bed an' let's go the fuck back where we belong."

Andrea stood up and walked away from Merle and toward the delicate little white table that was in the dollhouse room. Merle felt out of place here…he felt like Andrea was out of place here. He wasn't used to even talking to her in places like this.

"That's just it," Andrea said, her back to him. "I don't belong anywhere…"

Merle sucked in a breath. He was going to have to bite the damn bullet with this shit and he knew it. He stepped forward, putting his hand on Andrea's shoulder. She didn't pull away from him, but she didn't respond to him either.

"Ya fuckin' belong with my sorry ass," Merle said. He almost wanted to make fun of himself.

Andrea chuckled, but he knew it wasn't a sincere chuckle. She turned then, facing him.

"You don't mean that Merle…" she said. "And that's not you. You…nobody belongs with you, remember? You get by on your own."

Merle grunted.

"An' so do you, sweetcheeks…least that's how the fuck I heard it," Merle said.

He shrugged a little.

"Look, I don't know what the hell ya need here, Andrea," Merle said. "An' I'ma warn ya that I'm just about outta shit ta pull outta my ass for ya. I'm askin' ya ta come the fuck outta this bedroom…outta this fancy ass house…an' come the fuck with me. I ain't gon' beg ya, though."

Andrea looked at him and swallowed, wiping at the tears that had stopped falling at least a few minutes back with her sleeve.

"Even if I'm a whore…" she said.

Merle sucked his teeth and considered her a moment.

"Reckon I told ya that'cha ass was spoken for," he said. "That oughta be damn good enough. Means from here on out'cha ain't fuckin' nobody else."

Andrea reached and absentmindedly fingered the necklace she was wearing, looking just beyond Merle at something he wouldn't have been able to see even if he'd turned around.

"I slept with Ed," Andrea said quietly.

Merle grunted again, nodding his head gently.

"Yeah…reckon ya did," he said. "Made a couple damn mistakes myself…here an' there."

"Carol's going to hate me…" Andrea said.

Merle chuckled, this time more sincerely than before.

"Carol hates that damn noisy ass doll they got," Merle said, "but she don't hate you…hell she ain't a bit more stirred up 'bout this shit than a man in the moon. Reckon she's more upset ya ain't home yet."

"I slept with her husband…" Andrea said.

Merle chuckled again, silently thanking Carol for helping him out here.

"She ain't fuckin' married ta Ed," Merle responded. "She's married ta Daryl and I don't reckon ya been fuckin' him have ya?"

Andrea glared at him. He chuckled again.

"Fuck, Andrea…" Merle said. He reached out and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on the top of her head.

Merle didn't know what the hell was going on but he knew he hadn't put this much damn effort into any one person in his life besides Daryl. He'd kept the snotty little kid from killing himself and he'd gotten him big enough to take care of himself…and sometimes even then he'd had to drag his brother around it seemed by his pants to get him from place to place and to keep him from falling completely on his ass. But he'd done all that shit because Daryl was his kid brother…and there weren't other people who would do that shit for him.

Andrea was the first damn person, though, that he didn't have a single damn reason to give a fuck about…but for whatever reason he did. He cared a whole lot more about her than he ever wanted to admit…and he didn't have one single clue why.

"So ya fucked Ed…" Merle said. "Hell…shit's done now, right? Let's just get outta here an' we can deal with the rest a' the damn shit later."

Andrea wrapped her arms around him and he grunted a little when she squeezed herself against him.

"It'll be all over Sweet Junction by tomorrow," Andrea said. "Everyone's going to know that it's not just rumor now."

Merle chuckled.

"An' then what? Fuckers gonna talk? Hell…sugah…just givin' 'em somethin' ta do ta work out they fuckin' jaws, that's all," Merle said, rubbing her back. "Ain't nothin' but a thing."

Andrea pulled away and looked at him for a second before she ducked her head again, swiping at her face.

"You don't think it's going to…" She broke off, but she didn't look up. "It's not going to bother you to hear it?"

Merle chuckled again.

"Mmm…" He responded. "Thing about Dixons is we got selective fuckin' hearin'. I can't hear none a their asses over the loud sound of all their damn skeletons clankin' they asses 'round."

Andrea didn't respond and Merle reached out, tipping her face up so that he could look at her. She looked so different than he was used to seeing her…so different than he'd ever noticed her looking before.

Whether it was the stress and strain of the night or the lighting in the room…or whatever it was…she looked older than she normally did. She looked tired. She looked sad.

"Don't duck ya head at me, darlin'," Merle said, lowering his voice. "I ain't never had no woman before…ain't never wanted one. But I reckon if I'm gonna have me one, I ain't gonna have me one that ducks her head at no damn body."

Andrea stood there, her chin resting on his hand, but she didn't say anything. Merle suspected she was due for another round of crying soon.

He narrowed his eyes at her…still somewhat surprised by what he was seeing. He felt like he was seeing her for the first time and it was a strange sensation. Maybe she'd changed, or maybe he'd never looked closely before, but he was seeing her now. And even though she looked sad, and he wished she wasn't, and even though she looked tired, he didn't care. And she looked older…but it only reminded him of how damn old he felt some days…how damn old he looked when he saw himself through bloodshot damn eyes in the bathroom mirror.

He never really realized, though, until this moment with her face resting on his hand, her eyes begging him for something he couldn't identify and something he was pretty damn sure he wasn't man enough to give her, how damn beautiful she really was.

Merle cleared his throat.

"I ain't never seen ya duck ya damn head to nobody," he said, still studying her face. "One a' the damn things I noticed 'bout'cha…'specially next ta the Mouse…ya ain't ducked ya head at no damn body. Don't'cha never let me see ya duck ya damn head again. Ya hear me? Not ta me an' not ta no damn body else in this shithole town."

Andrea moved then, nodding her head slightly. Merle could tell that whatever tears she'd been fighting had dried up now, whether on their own or she'd willed them back.

"You called me your woman," Andrea said, her voice a little shaky.

Merle gnawed at his lip. He nodded.

"I did," he said.

"Did you mean it?" Andrea asked.

"Told ya that'cha ass was spoken for," Merle said.

Andrea smiled at him. It wasn't the biggest smile he'd ever seen…it wasn't even the best she'd ever given him, but it was a smile and Merle would take it at the moment.

"Ya ready ta go? All this fuckin' lace an' pretty pink princess shit is 'bout ta make me hurl…an' ya look 'bout as damn outta place here as a damn goat in a tea party," Merle said.

Andrea nodded slightly.

Merle smirked at her.

"I got half a mind ta kiss ya right now," he said.

Andrea frowned a little, but her eyes weren't frowning and Merle got confused for a second. She sucked back then, though, and he realized she was trying not to cry and it was playing hell on her facial expression.

"Why don't you?" She asked.

Merle chuckled, hoping to cover his own confusion…pleased that she seemed to be coming out of it…sure that somewhere he was going to find her the way she'd always been. The same old Andrea.

"Hell…ain't got but two dollars in my pocket," Merle said. "Didn't want ta have ta ask for it on credit."

Andrea made a face at him like she might get upset and he yanked her to him again, hugging her.

"Don't be sour now, darlin'," Merle said. "Reckon I can fuckin' tease ya…what the hell good is this fuckin' life no way if'n we can't laugh at the shit we gotta shovel through."

Andrea pulled away and looked at him again.

"You can kiss me," she said.

Merle leaned in and was surprised when her fingers came to his lips instead of his lips finding what they were seeking.

"But it's gonna cost you," Andrea said, raising an eyebrow at him.

Merle backed up a little, chuckling again at her. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"That right, huh? How damn much?" He asked.

"It's gonna cost you your teasing rights," Andrea said. "At least about this…"

Merle nodded his head.

"Reckon that's fair," he said. "But it better be a damn good kiss."

Andrea leaned in then and Merle met her. She nipped his lip and he smiled into the kiss, parting his lips enough to let her gain access. He tangled his tongue with hers, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer to him.

When she finally pulled apart from him, Merle cleared his throat and openly adjusted the fact that it had been enough to get at least the partial attention of his little friend.

"You a damn tease," Merle said.

Andrea smiled.

"Should we go?" She asked.

Merle nodded.

"Let's get the fuck outta here," he said.

Andrea stepped forward and Merle wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He leaned in a little, his mouth close to her ear.

"Reckon when we get back…ta ya place…or mine…reckon ya might wanta finish what the fuck ya started here?" Merle whispered.

Andrea smiled and twisted her neck a little, pulling away from where his breath had most likely tickled her ear.

"I suppose I could be convinced," she said. "Depends on what you had in mind."

"Any damn thing ya want, darlin'," Merle said, pulling her against his side for a moment before they stepped through the bedroom door.