Daryl pulled up on the road outside the house, Carol looked up the path and saw it in a different light. Her flowers were gone, it looked different. The yard was clean and clear, the grass green but there didn't seem to be any love or an idea it was a home outside the house. She looked to the left of the front path there were a few kids toys scattered about to give the pressece of a child living there. She knew it had to be Merle, he'd come and made it look like Ollie lived there just in case they arrived today and wanted to look around. Maggie had brought their kids over to rip around the house and to make it looked lived in before they got home. They hadn't trashed Ollie's room but it did now look like kids lived in there and Merle almost cringed giving his oldest a marker to draw on the wall.

Daryl got out of the car and stretched, Ollie unbuckled himself and opened his door. Carol looked out again and tried to talk herself into getting out of the Car. Merle opened the front door and started walking down off the porch to greet them, he looked past Daryl at Ollie who was still standing near the Car and Carol who was still sitting in the car, Daryl heard the click of the passanger door open and he knew she was getting out. He looked over his shoulder at her and Carol was still hanging out by the gate Ollie just burst past Daryl into the house. He probably hit every single room and bounced on every bed by the time Daryl made it into the lounge to put the bags down.

'How's it going?' Merle asked him, he followed him into the house Daryl just shook his head, he looked behind him where Carol was still coming up the path, 'I ummmmmmmmm got ya a new bed and put another one in the spare room. I made the 4th bedroom up for Ollie I didn't know if you wanted to use her room you know for the little guy,'

'Yeah? Thanks,'

Ollie come bursting past Daryl down the path to his mother grabbing her hand and pulling her with him, he had a pillow tucked under his arm, 'I got a bed and some car's and a baby doll and a fire house and a pillow,'

'A pillow?' Carol's voice was strained, she just looked panic'd, she thought she dealt with all her emotions years ago but she hadn't, Daryl come to the door, he called Ollie to him to come help with the bag. Ollie run up the path with his pillow as fast as his little legs could take him up the steps into the house.

Merle come down the path to greet her, he wrapped her in a huge hug almost lifting her off her feet. She let herself go right in that moment with his strong arms around her wrapping her arms around his broad back letting her head fall on his shoulder and began to sob in a way she hadn't really let herself in over 5 years. To his credit Merle just stood there rocking her a little as she cried, getting a wet shirt. He didn't know what to say, so he just didn't say anything. She and Merle never really had been friends except when Sophia died it hit Merle bad and he'd been a rock for her when everything went bad with Daryl. Surprising her by kicking his whore of a girlfriend out of the house, trying to calm her down, taking her to the motel. Everything he did was in support of her because underneath all his attitude and tough guy image he had loved Sophia with all his heart.

'Shush now I got ya, old Merle he got ya,' he just hooked his arms under her knees and picked her up like she was nothing taking her up the path and past the front door she was was upset about stepping over. He walked through to the couch and set himself down with her on her lap. She looked around seeing the photos still where they were the little shelf and the urn with the baby ashes in it being carefully looked after by Daryl and she lost it again, She couldn't stop crying and eventually let it all out, she cried herself out, cried herself to sleep. Daryl had held Ollie back showing him around the house keeping him away, taking him out back showing him about.

'She's thin,' Merle commented as Daryl come back into the lounge to check, he had Ollie on his hip looking at Carol and Merle on the couch, 'Fuck!' Merle run his hand over his face shocked about everything. Daryl looked about the house and could tell Merle had had his kids there. Art on the fridge, kid stuff spread about.

'Fuck!' Ollie said looking at Merle, he was rubbing Daryl's face, 'You got cooties?' he asked Merle. Merle looked at Ollie like it didn't surprise him by the question and he shook his head.

'No, he looks like you... and his sister,' Merle commented looking at the little boy, Daryl was busy trying to tell him not to repeat Uncle Merle. He put Ollie down on the ground and walked over picking up Carol. Merle was right, she was thin and light as a feather. He had no trouble carrying her.

Merle tugged off her shoes and it wasn't the first time he Carried her down the hall. He saw Merle had brought a new bed for him, he'd also brought a bed for Ollie and a queen spare in the other room he stalled and looked around wondering where to put her, in the end he put her in the master bedroom, he pulled a throw up over her. He found another blanket and pulled the curtains. He stood staring at her for a few minutes before walking out and just leaving the door ajar.

Daryl come out to see Ollie showing Merle how to fist bump and Ollie was calling him 'Dude!' Merle was going along with it. Ollie then decided to jump from the couch over and over trying to see how far he could get. 'Can I get a kitten?' he asked Daryl, 'Mummy said we had no house now we got one, I want one,' Daryl just shrugged, he didn't want to say yes or no to anything. By the end of the day he could end up with anything. 'Do they have one's with white feet?'

'He's a yabber mouth,' Merle said, 'Calm down little dude,'

'That's ya Uncle Merle, he's got a potty mouth,' Daryl told him.

'Not anymore, your Aunty Maggie's going to want to see you,' Merle reached out to touch him again, 'he's a keeper Daryl, Maggie's busting to get here, but we didn't know cos of the baby and that,' Daryl nodded knowing they were not there because of their baby girl. They had understood about it, Daryl had trouble getting over it, and to be honest right now going to see Merles new baby didn't seem as daunting as it did before now he knew about Ollie.

'No, Aunty Tara,' Ollie told Merle, he pointed at the photos and art around the room looking at everything and taking it all in. 'Just Aunty Tara, can she come here?'

'You want something to eat?' Daryl asked Ollie he shook his head and looked around the room again and zero'd in on the baby photos, he walked to look at some of the photos around the room he picked up one of Sophia and wandered off down the hall with the photo in the frame. Merle watched Daryl for his reaction of what he was doing. Daryl's hands were shaking and he looked panic'd.

Daryl first instinct was to scream and tell him to leave it alone to put it back, he was worried that he was going to wreak it or something. Daryl looked at Merle in a panic, Merle told him to calm down they had negatives and more photos to let the kid have it if he wanted to have it, Daryl followed him down the hall and found him in the bedroom Merle had set up for him. Ollie had put the photo on his dresser and was talking to her like she was in the room. He set up some toys around the photo and then moved onto different toys to play with.

It freaked Daryl out a little watching the little boy play a game with the photo, he didn't know if this was normal or not. He seemed to know quite a lot about Sophia, it could only have come from Carol. He was playing a game with the toy cars lining them all up around the photo knocking them into each other.

'Its not nice to stare,' he said not even turning his head towards Daryl. 'I don't like it, if you want to play you have to ask,' Ollie kept playing with toys and the photo. Stacking and building things around it.

Daryl didn't know how to play, he'd never had toys as a kid, he didn't want to tell Ollie that, 'Maybe later, come find me if you want me, I'll just be in the lounge, ya Mama is sleeping,'

'Ok...' Daryl left not before he heard Ollie talking to the photo as he walked down the hall, 'Our Daddy is very sad... he's my Daddy... '