Polyamorous, Daryl googled that on his phone, What the fuck!
He left Carol's room and went into Merles to talk with him about what was going on. He and Merle had quite a heated discussion about why both Rick and Merle were living with Carol both having a sexual relationship with her and both happy about it. All the time knowing some nights she was fucking another guy in the next room.
Daryl didn't know how that would fly, Merle didn't like to share. He told him it just worked and Daryl should either keep his nose out of it and stick to getting to know Joey and back out of His, Carol's and Rick's relationship or get in fucken line.
Get in fucken line
Those words were flying around inside Daryl's head.
Oh My Fucken God!
Daryl wasn't coping with this at all, he didn't know what he expected, he kinda hoped Carol would be excited to see him. Not realising that she had moved on when he didn't come back for nearly 5 years without any contact.
But Merle and Rick?
Daryl scratched his head. OMG all these thoughts were going on around his head. Did anyone else know, was it just him that worked it out because he knew Carol well and Merle.
She was fucking Merle.
Before he left Merle and Carol hardly ever spoke, he didn't know how things had changed. Merle was sharing the house with Daryl and Rick. Carol must have moved in after he left. She finished nursing school and fixed him up. He reached up touching his head. He slowly drifted off to sleep.
When Daryl woke in the morning he had a quick shower pulled on some jeans and a shirt out of his bag walking into the kitchen. Rick was sitting at the table with Joey on his lap and a water bottle. Rick was reading the paper and drinking a coffee and patting Joey's back, rocking from side to side in the zone. Joey's legs were wrapped around his middle and his head hanging over his shoulder. Daryl could tell he was asleep just looking at him. He was pale.
'Mornin'...' Daryl whispered as he come into the room. 'How is he?'
'He's been vomiting all night, Carol's sleeping, we are chilling reading the paper until Uncle Merle gets up. Then I'm going to work around 10ish.'
'I can take him for a bit,' Daryl offered, 'If you have to get ready,'
'Nah Merle's alarm will go off soon, he's sick Daryl, he doesn't know you,' Rick told him.
'I'm his Dad,' Daryl said.
'Well that you are but he doesn't know you and he's sick... When Joey's sick he wants his Mama, or his Uncle Merle, or me. That's who he's getting. Not some stranger he saw fighting with us last night,' Rick told him.
'I didn't start that, Merle jumped me,' Daryl told Rick.
'You did, you walked out, I don't know why your back now, we don't want you here, I don't want you here, your not taking them from me... Cos you feel like being a Dad,' Rick growled at him.
'Its not up to you, he's my kid, I didn't know he was here till 2 days ago,' Daryl whispered careful not to wake him.
'Not my problem, you left, you left her and him behind... I picked it up,' Rick told him flicking the page of the paper over. Looking at Daryl, flicking his eyes over him. He wasn't handing over Joey. No way in hell until Carol put him in his arms herself, he and Merle had decided they wouldn't let him in. They had had a brief conversation about it at 3am while helping Carol with him.
Rick and Merle had stood in the kitchen having a talk about what they wanted. They both knew they didn't want Daryl to try take Carol or Joey. If she wanted to add him they would accept that if he played by their rules, they were not about to let him come in and scoup the prize. They had worked hard on their relationship and making it work between the three of them.
'They are not yours, not anymore. You walked out. You left, you can claim bio Dad here, but your not coming in fucking up my family,' Rick told him.
'He's not yours,' Daryl growled.
'Like fuck he isn't! Didn't see your redneck arse at 3am cleaning up puke... He's mine,... He's Merle's and he's Carol's!' Rick told him.
'How does this shit even work? How do you do this without losing your mind knowing someone else is with her,' Daryl whispered to Rick.
Rick looked down at Joey, he was sound asleep still. 'It just does. I don't think about it, but I know Merle love's her. Carol loves Merle, and she loves me... It works. We are all adults, we make it work, book in one on one time on the calender and stuff. Who cares what we do is private and has nothing to do with you what so ever! It doesn't affect Joey, he knows we are his uncles, nothing has ever happened in front of him!'
'Who decides, who decides if she takes someone else?' Daryl asked.
'We vote! I vote no,' Rick said, to be honest he didn't know they never come up with someone else wanting to join, Rick guessed it was up to Carol. He wasn't about to tell Daryl that, he wanted to make him sweat. 'I'm going to wake up Merle he must have slept through his alarm!'
Rick stopped and looked at Daryl. 'Get tested,'
'What?' Daryl looked surprised.
'You heard,' Rick walked out of the room. Daryl stood there watch Rick leave with his kid in his arms. He knew, Rick knew and Merle knew that Carol would accept him, sooner or later she would let her in. Rick was giving him a heads up of what would be expected. For now he was going to get to know Joey, hopefully the little boy wouldn't be a tough crowd like his Mama, Rick or Merle.