"Right, I called you all together so we can sort this out, work it out or something, its going to drive me crazy if we all carry on like this,' Carol looked around the table, one man seated on each side. All staring at her waiting to see what she was going to say. Like they were some naughty school boys who were about to be told off. All glancing from one to the other.

'OK we all were not expecting Daryl back but he's here, and he's Joey's bio Dad. I really don't know what I should do here.' Carol looked around at the men were were still all watching her no one prepared to say anything. 'Your all just going to have to accept it, it doesn't mean you have to forgive him, you just have to accept that he's here now, and he's going to be forming a relationship with Joey. People are going to know he's Joey's Dad the moment they see him together cos they look so alike.'

'You all are in this relationship with your eyes wide open, no one is forcing you to stay with me. You both choose this, if you want out now is the time to let me know, I don't want that but I'm not having another day like today, I would rather move out and have you come to where I am one at a time if you can't get a grip on this.' Carol looked at them.

'I really can't have this carry on around Joey, its not fair, he doesn't know what's going on or why your all fighting and its stupid to fight. I love you both.' Carol looked at Rick and Merle.

'I realize that your both upset because Daryl is here, he willing to be a part of this us , but you all need to help him by not being dicks about it. Play nice. I'm not going to stop him being part of Joey's life even if he didn't want part of this.' Carol pushed back from the table walking to the kitchen grabbing the calender off the wall, she come back and sat down spreading it around the table passing it to Rick who took out his phone to write his schedule on it. He also took the chance to block off some nights over the next week to spend time with Carol before he went back to working on nights again. He was pissed even more so he felt he was competing with Daryl for time now.

'I'm choosing to forgive Daryl for not being here when Joey was born and everything before up till now because the following reasons, I just don't have it in me to keep hating him for something he didn't know about. Yes he shouldn't have been an arse but he came the moment he found out. He's here now, you don't have to forgive him but for the sake of us all getting along we have to be civil to each other. I know deep down you don't hate him either so lets move on forwards not backwards, encourage a relationship between him and Joey. It doesn't mean Joey isn't going to love either of you even less.' Carol was on a roll for talking and they were listening to her.

'OK Daryl we use this, we work things out, we talk to each other, your in a relationship with 4 people you need to be respectful of them its not just about you. Rick has been getting first choice of the calender due to his work schedule, he writes it down. Work your shit out around him.' Carol pulled out another half wall planner. 'We use our phones and text if we can't do something, if you can't do something you need to text everyone, not just me, so we all know where Joey is or where you are or whats going on.'

'Remember I'm not your mother, its not my job to make sure you have clean clothes and your bed and bathroom is clean. I'm not your wife, or yours or yours. Pick up your own shit. Pick up after Joey. Don't be dumb arses ok, I don't need it,' Carol growled at them all.

'This is Joey's we schedule who's doing what, pre school pick ups and drop offs. I work part time. Some times I'm working nights. Sometimes I'm rostered off. all that is on here.' Carol was looking at Daryl who was nodding.

'I just want this to settle down, and knock off the jealousy thing other wise no one will be getting anything and I'll go buy a vibrator!' Carol looked around at them. Daryl and Rick blushed. Merle looked interested in that idea and smirked a little. 'You like that idea Merle?'

'Maybe! But we ain't sposed to talk about that shit with each other,' Merle stated, leaning back on his chair forming a plan in his head she could tell.

Daryl and Rick glared at Merle, tension was high.

'And there's going to be no three way, two way, or any of that shit from this point forward. Unless I start it or ask for it!' Carol stated. Merle looked around the table at the other men who wouldn't let him catch their eyes. All of a sudden the penny dropped and Merle was fuming mad.

'You fucken cunts!' Merle growled at them. He stood up from the table ready to leave. 'That's how you knew, you and him! Fucken Cunts!'

'I haven't finished! Sit down,' Carol growled at him from her place at the table. 'Enough Merle sit down.'

Merle sat down with his arms folded across his chest, he was starring at the table, really pissed off. Carol could tell he was fighting not to start something with Rick or Daryl or reach for a bottle to nurse and get drunk.

'Joey can't go to pre school while he's sick, I'm rostered on in theater, who can be home with him?' Carol looked at Rick and Merle.

'I'm on a course tomorrow for the next few days from 9-5 I can't get out of it,' Rick told her, 'Merle what have you got on?'

'I'm busy flat out but if I have to stay home I will,' Merle said looking at the table.

'What about me? I can look after him. I mean I was going to go with Merle but I can look after him, just leave me a list of things that I do?' Daryl looked at Carol with a question.

Merle shrugged as to say he didn't care. Rick looked pissed.

'OK, you can ring Merle as a back up if anything goes wrong, Rick?' Carol said.

'Fine,' Rick stated.

'Merle?' Carol asked.

'Whatever,' Merle grunted.

'Any one got anything they need to add, are we going to play nice or are Joey and I going to find somewhere else to live'

'Fine!' Merle got up and left the table. Rick nodded and went and flopped on the couch. Daryl sat at the table starring at her.

'Ya really going to let me look after him?' He asked.

'Your not going to steal him are you Daryl?' Carol asked.

Daryl shook his head, 'If I was I would take you both. Last man standing remember,'

'Keep your ears open for your son,' She told him and he nodded.

Carol just shook her head and said goodnight to Daryl who had got up and walked over and sat on the chair beside Rick. Carol headed off to find Merle who would be sulking in his room or taking a mega shower or a bath or punching the punching bag outside in the garage.

Carol wandered down the hall opening his bedroom door, there was rock music playing and the light was off in the bedroom and the door to the bathroom was open with light shinning through. She shut the bedroom door and headed towards the light. He was standing in the shower, her gaze run over his impressive body, he was older than Rick and Daryl but his body was smoking. Just looking at him like this usually turned her on.

'You very mad?' Carol asked as she opened the shower door.

'Why's that sugar? Cos you fucked my brother and Rick at the same time?' Merle growled at her indicating she should get her clothes off and join him.

'I'm not coming in there if your angry,' Carol didn't feel like aggressive love making from Merle tonight, sometimes when he had a bee in his bonnet he like hard fast aggressive sex, she didn't want that tonight, she didn't mind the hard aggressive sex sometimes but usually it left her with some sort of bruise or bite mark that she would have to hide from Rick . Sometimes she encouraged the hard aggressive sex when she knew Rick was on nights for a week so he never saw a hicky, bruise or bite mark. It was their little secret they kept from him. She wanted gentle Merle who made her toes curl with the gentle ways he touched her.

'I'm not going to do that shit with ya tonight, wouldn't trust myself, come cuddle with old Merle alright,' Merle looked at her with a softer face and tone of voice.

'You promise?' Carol looked again, knowing Rick would flip if he got rough in the shower and dropped her on her arse like he did another time. Rick had flipped out with the graze she sported down her back. He had argued with Merle about being gentle and not picking Carol up to have sex if he was going to drop her. Merle had argued back that at the time he didn't realize he was going to drop her. He really didn't like it when something happened to her accidental or a hicky. She knew he didn't like her hurt it hadn't helped matters that he had to come help get her off the bathroom floor and clean up her back.

Carol stepped into the shower and Merle pulled her to him roughly, 'Just tricking!' He growled pretending he was going to bite her.

'Fuck Merle, don't he's already mad,' Carol scolded Merle running her hands down his back over his arse.

'You think I'm not mad, you fucked them both, at the same time, and I'm in fucken here watching Dr Phil or some shit!' Merle groaned into her neck kissing her as she began to stroke his now hard cock. 'Keep doing that sugar Merle going to cum all over the show. Its been days!'

Carol kept stroking him until he did come in the shower. Kissing her mouth and neck he helped wash her down. They cuddled up in bed for a while Carol wearing one of Merles tee shirts and soon he was asleep. Carol got out of bed to go check Joey, she found Rick in there sitting on the floor watching him sleep.

'He cried out, so I just sat here in case,' Rick whispered to her, she held her hand out to help pull him off the ground. He towed her into his room.

'I'm sorry, I been a pain, it just I'm jealous of Daryl, you know," Rick muttered.

'I know, but don't don't think about him just think about us ok,' She climbed into bed beside Rick, and they cuddle up.

'You think this is going to work, or you think this is going to be the beginning of the end?' Rick asked her.

'It will only end when you want it to end, ok, I want you here, but you got to want to be here. Don't be jealous of Daryl ok,' Carol told him.

'Well tell you what, next time you fuck Daryl I want to watch,' Rick told her.

'What?'

'I'm serious, I want to watch, it made me so hard watching someone else put their mouth on you,' Rick admitted.

'Ummmmm I guess you have to ask Daryl that, I'm ok with you watching,' Carol snuggled up to his side and thought about what on earth would her friends or work mates think if they knew what she was up to at her house.