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Chapter Thirty Six

Merle didn't know who the hell Daryl thought he was fooling. He sure as hell wasn't fooling Merle. They worked quickly, hauling logs that they'd had to hand saw. It was hard work but he was glad for it. The men worked pretty well together. Randy and his son were quick to help wherever they were needed, mostly grateful that they had a safe place to lay their heads. He didn't like the way the boy looked at Piper and he sure as fuck didn't like the way Piper eyed the boy, but that wasn't Randy's fault.

"Hell, we're on a roll today. We could keep on sawin' and get another shack started," he said as he lifted his end of another log.

"We're getting low on nails and we don't have any tin or anything for a roof," Daryl said, grunting under the weight.

"Don't need nails. We can notch'em. No big deal," Merle said quickly.

"Like a group of goddamn pioneers," Daryl grumbled as they stepped back to admire their work. "I guess you're right though. It's a tight fit in that cabin now."

Merle eyed him and then chuckled. "Must be a tight fit in that shack too, little brother."

Daryl's lips thinned into a disapproving line but he didn't look at Merle. "You think this is strong enough to hold them off?"

Merle nodded. "It'll do for now. We did what we could with what we got. We probably need to take the truck for more supplies though. This will do okay to hold off a small group but if a bigger herd comes this way, they might be able to smash right through it. The gate just ain't tough enough for my likin'."

Daryl bit the inside of his lip. Merle knew that Carol wasn't going to like hearing this at all. She hadn't wanted him to go before and she sure as hell wouldn't want him to go now. Merle knew his brother well enough to know that something else happened in that shack. It was mostly the way he looked at the woman.

"You wanna sit this one out? There's more than enough muscle to back me now, brother. Might be good for you to stay here just in case somethin' does come up this far. Don't want the women and kids here with nothin' but the boys to watch out for them. That and it's your woman that Richard's kid has a bone to pick with so if they do show back up, she'll be the target for sure."

Daryl side eyed him. "They ain't had time to gather up any reinforcements yet and you know it? Besides that, the kid's arm is gonna take a long time to heal and even when it does, it won't work. You saw the damage. I can go."

Merle snorted. If the boy wanted to play hard ball then he would play. He also noticed that he hadn't denied the fact that he actually did have a woman up there. "Look, Carol's been through a rough few days alright. No sense in you goin'."

Daryl glared at him. "And just cause Carol worries about stuff don't mean that everybody else needs to be out there takin' risks without me."

Odin scratched at his unruly beard and watched the brothers back and forth for a few minutes before adding his two cents. "I think what your brother means is, it's the honeymoon phase, kid."

Daryl scowled but Merle couldn't help but chuckle at that. "What in fuck's sake are you talkin' about old man?" Daryl asked.

Odin hefted another log with Randy's help before answering him. "Well, you ain't much for relationships. Never have been. And now you're livin' with a woman, sharin' a bed, comin' back with teeth marks on your throat. How long you two been messin' around? I'm guessin' a few days. A week at most. And you got it bad, boy. So goddamn love struck it gives me the fuzzies. Honeymoon phase. That means, I bet you're havin' a hard time keepin' from wonderin' what she's up there doin'. Getting distracted cause every time you turn around you're thinkin' about slippin' right back into that sweet stuff. It's goddamn cute is what it is. So you need to stay here, enjoy that while it lasts."

Daryl glared at all of them. "You all ain't nothin' but a bunch of nut suckin' bastards."

Odin slapped him on the back. "Don't worry about it, boy. It passes. Soon enough she'll be naggin' at you about shit and she get's selfish with the goods. You'll be itchin' to go on runs when that starts happening. Enjoy this shit while it lasts."

Merle didn't think he'd ever seen his brother's face so red. He'd be liar if he tried to say he wasn't happy for him though. He was. Daryl had always worried him. He was always just out of reach of anyone. Now he seemed... happy, despite the world ending.

~H~

Sophia looked up when the door opened up. Damon strolled in, wiping his sweaty face on the shirt he had warn out when the men had all left to get a wall up to block the entrance to the drive. They hadn't had a lot of time to talk about anything since his parents had shown up and she wished that they could.

He looked up, like he could feel her eyes on him and grinned. She grinned right back, feeling her face flush. Her mom was outside somewhere with Kathrine and June and Piper was off being a bad influence on Sam and all of the men were working. "They're down there tormenting Daryl. I feel bad for the guy," he said with a grin.

She folded the last shirt and then hopped up on the counter. He was splashing water on his face, ridding some of the sweat. She handed him a towel. "Tormenting him how?"

He dried his face off and pushed his hair back, tying it neatly with a strip of leather so it would stay out of his face. "Over your mom."

She smiled. "I've never seen my mom like this. She gets all starry eyed and zones out with this ridiculous smile on her face."

He shook his head then and took a deep drink from the bottle of water sitting next to her thigh. "Where are our moms anyway?"

She shrugged. "Laundry."

He narrowed his eyes. "Laundry? All the way down at the creek?"

She nodded. "I can't believe your parents are here. I'm so happy for you."

"You and me both. It's a fucked up feelin' to be that sure that you lost people and then have those people show up. I don't think I slept at all last night. Kept waking up thinking I'd just dreamed the whole thing. I was worried I'd sit up and be in the loft and they'd just be gone."

She grabbed his hand and pulled until he was standing right in front of her. Before she could say anything he grabbed her quickly, lifted her off the counter and then sat down heavily in the chair. She gave him a severe look but then she grinned when he kissed her quickly.

"I sound like a big pansy, huh?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I felt the same way when my mom showed up here. I couldn't believe it. And I even thought she was alive out there somewhere so I can just imagine how it was for you, thinking for a whole week that they were dead." She thought that maybe she should feel embarrassed about straddling his lap in a chair in the middle of the kitchen, but she didn't.

He studied her eyes and kissed her quickly one more time before pulling her closer. "I think I'm gonna have to talk them into letting me go with them on a run to get a few more supplies. We need better stuff to use on that gate and we need more tools so we can get some more homes started. Can't risk them going out there without me."

She frowned and fear wound it's way up her spine. "Why would you have to go? There's plenty of other people that can go. Would your mom even let you?"

He offered her a small smile. "She probably won't like it but she'll understand. I don't feel right lettin' my dad go out there when I just got him back. I know it's safe here but out there, I wanna have his back."

She chewed her lip, unable to return the smile. "I get it. I don't like it but I get it."

"Are you gonna be like your mom was when Daryl was gone?" He asked, trying to tease a smile out of her.

"Shut up," she muttered, pushing at his chest. It was fruitless because he wasn't going to let her go until he wanted to. "Do you know how long it'll take?"

He shook his head. "I just heard them mention it. Daryl's sitting this one out, I think."

She sighed and then actually dropped her forehead to his shoulder. "This sucks."

"It does suck," he agreed, his hands running up her back. "But it won't be too bad. Daryl and Merle made it home okay."

She nodded and then pressed her lips to his neck before raising up again. She tried to climb off of him but he tightened his hold on her and shook his head. "What are you doing?" She asked, raising a brow.

He shrugged. "Never know when we'll get another minute alone. Might as well enjoy it."

He looked so innocent that she laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving up fighting him. Instead she kissed him. This time it was different than other times. It was different because he was going to go out there and it scared the hell out of her. It was different because she wanted him to know that the thought of him going out there terrified her so that should be another reason he should make sure he came back home.

She wasn't an experienced girl when it came to things like this so she was surprised to realize that things were getting a little more heated than she had intended. She pulled her face away and he was staring at her with wide eyes and a surprised expression of his own. Instead of moving off of his lap she just kissed him again.

"See there! What did I tell ya, Odin. The kids get along just fine," Merle's booming voice sounded and Sophia almost fell in her haste to stand up.

Instead of letting her fall onto the floor Damon played the nice guy and hauled her right back up in the position she had been in.

"Jesus, boy! What if your mama woulda walked in on that?" Odin asked.

Sophia stood up and backed away from him, not wanting to look up but knowing she had to. Merle and Odin were staring at Damon, who didn't seem very bothered about getting caught. Daryl, Randy and Eli were looking at her and the only one that didn't look like they were about to laugh at her embarrassment was Daryl.

He sighed. "I feel your pain, kid. But better you get caught than me," he said, giving her shoulder a sympathetic pat before he pulled out a chair across from Damon and sat down.

She wished the floor would open up and swallow her.