So, this is it. I have a lot going on, and though I think this could keep going, I'm not gonna do that to you or myself. I have a few finished shorts and a couple of one shots finished that I can post soon. I'm hoping to come back to this one and write a proper epilogue, maybe a year or so later type chapter to tie it up. Thanks for those of you still hanging in there. I appreciate every one of you more than you probably know!

Chapter Forty Nine

June had been kind enough to let Merle have the bedroom since he'd taken a bullet to save their asses. He was wide awake even though it was barely daybreak but that was how it had been for a few days now. Everyone was treating him like a fucking invalid ever since they got him home. The wound was healing well but those first few days he'd developed a fever that had freaked everyone out and he was basically being held prisoner here. Yesterday had been the first day he was able to really get out and actually walk around and he hated to admit that it had drained him a little. He wasn't on his game and he needed to get there.

He was appreciative, he really was, and he was glad he had a strong group of people pulling for him, but he was restless and he was ready to get out there and start helping get this place set up. The newcomers were all starting to fit in, everyone knowing what was expected of them. Although he bitched about them all, a part of him was happy they were here.

He had been staring out the window, looking out at the mist shrouded trees but not really seeing them, when something caught his attention. He frowned, squinting at the form that was slipping through the mist towards the cabin. He didn't know who the hell would be heading up here this early, knowing everyone was still asleep. Unless something had happened down where the others had made their camp. He was just about to step away from the window, get dressed and go see what the problem was when the person finally stepped close enough for him to see.

"What the fuck?" He muttered out loud when he realized that it was his daughter creeping towards the cabin. She had still been down at the camp with all the other younger folks from the group when he'd finally called it a night. He groaned out loud and then it turned into a growl when he realized that she was still wearing the same clothes from the night before. There was only one fucking place she would have stayed that she felt like she had to sneak home from. A place that had just recently been finished and now he had to go out there and he had to fucking beat that boy to death. And it was a damn shame too because the only reason Piper was alive at all was because he'd saved her.

He stepped away from the window just as the girl lightly stepped onto the porch. She thought she was going to sneak in and all of this would be swept under the rug. Well, that kid had another thing coming, that was for sure. From the second he found out that he was a father that girl had given him hell but this... this was too much. He appreciated her quirks because they made her her and she got away with a hell of a lot but not this. Nope.

He grabbed a shirt off the bed post and was about to shrug it on when the door opened up and someone slipped into the room. For a second he was sure that Piper had come to confess, admit where she had been. Jesus Christ, he wouldn't put it past her to tell him what she'd done. He sure as fuck didn't want to hear about it. But it wasn't Piper.

Katherine closed the door silently and then turned around, jumping slightly, her hand going to her mouth when she saw him standing only a few feet away. "Why are you up so early?" she asked, her dark eyes wide.

He raised a brow at her. "What the hell are you doin' sneakin' into my room at the ass crack of dawn? Ain't like you didn't know I was in here," he countered.

She sighed, glancing back at the door. "I just saw Piper sneaking up the ladder. I thought that I should tell you that she must not have come back last night."

He grimaced. "I saw her sneaking up to the house. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have one kid to scream at and another one to kill," he grumbled, making a move to step around her.

She stopped him, grabbing him forearm and pulling until he moved away from the door a few feet. "I don't think that's a good idea," she whispered, searching his face. "I told you to talk to her yesterday and you didn't. If you go jump her case now she's-"

"What do you expect me to do? Let this slide? That's exactly the reason she pulled this stunt in the first place. She thinks that just cause she's my kid that she can act just like me and that shit won't fly. For one, she's a girl. For two, she won't even be seventeen for another few weeks. She ain't gonna... do whatever it is she did last night, and not get in any trouble for it."

"Merle, I think you should talk to her but not yet. Not while you're angry with her. She has been having a really hard week and I know that she can't just spend the night with Eli and get away with it but... But that's something you can handle later, okay?"

He glared at her. "It ain't none of your damn business how I handle this."

She gave him a hard look and he expected her to say something but he wasn't prepared for the words that came out of her mouth. "Maybe that should change. Maybe I want it to be my business. And maybe I want to be your business."

He blinked, processing her words. He scoffed. "Are you serious?"

She nodded. "I am. It just makes sense if you think about it. I love Piper, the girls love each other. I just think that it would be worth trying."

He was completely speechless, which didn't happen often so he had to search hard for the right words. "You think we can just act like some kind of goddamn unit?" There were a lot of reasons that couldn't work. The girls didn't need the two of them playing house and he couldn't pretend to be some happy fucking family with her when he already couldn't get her out of his goddamn head. If it didn't work out between them, that would be a lot of hurt going around.

She shook her head and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I don't want to act like a unit, Merle. I want to be one," she said, staring down at the floor for a few long moments while he stood there staring at her like a dipshit. When she finally looked up at him her eyes were almost pleading. "I'm asking for a shot. That's all. If you can't learn to feel something for me then I'll understand but the girls... I think we owe it to them to try and I owe it to myself to be honest with you. I've never met anyone that makes me feel the way you do, and I don't even know why, considering how crude and self serving you are. But we can't help who we fall for, right?" She rambled on.

He realized then that she had no idea what was in his head, and that was a good thing. At least his poker face still worked for the most part. Piper and Daryl saw right through it but there wasn't shit he could ever hide from those two. "So you've done gone and fallen for Ol' Merle, huh?" he asked, grinning despite himself.

She frowned up at him and then shot to her feet. "You don't have to make fun of me, Merle. A simple no thank you would have been just fine," she said, trying to step around him. "You sure as hell aren't the only suitable male around here any more either, you remember that you jackass."

He didn't let her get far. His arm snaked around her middle and he pulled her back, forcing her to face him. She glared until her eyes flitted to the healing bullet wound and then her look morphed into one of concern. He didn't want to do this, to act on the impulse to tell her that she was right, that it could work, because the idea of the two of them actually giving this a go was so off the fucking wall. He wasn't the type to go all in when it came to women. That was never how it worked. The only female he needed in his life as a permanent fixture was his daughter and she was plenty enough.

So why the hell wasn't he letting this fucking woman leave the room? Her hand came up, tracing the bruised skin around the wound with a feather light touch that had goosebumps breaking out over his skin. He wasn't used to the sensation and it was almost embarrassing. He was accustomed to rough women, demanding hands, greedy mouths. He was okay with that too. It was what he was used to, so why the fuck was Katherine's touch having such an intense effect on him?

"Carol told me why you all were able to take on those men out there, after I was taken," she said quietly, dark eyes leveled on the wound. "Even though you'd already been shot, you fought and fought for me. You can deny it all you want to, Merle, but we both know that somewhere, deep down, you want the same damn thing I want. It's just that, you're a lot more afraid of commitment than you are of men with guns.

He frowned hard. It was something he tried not to think about, actually. When Richard had taken her he had feared the worst, and then when Richard had made that comment, Merle had been sure that the man had already hurt her. He had lost it and he had lost it right out there in front of everyone, risking them all in one weak moment, and that was the fucking problem.

"Shit like that makes a man stupid," he said, his voice gruff. "It makes'em react without thinkin' and that ain't somethin' I'm willing to risk."

She finally met his eyes and let her fingers trail down his arm. "Shit like that makes men strong. It gives them more fight for than they ever knew they had. If not, why the hell are we even here? Any of us?"

"Because we got lucky that I didn't get us all killed right then and there. We could have all been gunned down and you?" He scowled. "You would have likely been passed around so many fucking times by now, you'd be close to dead yourself, or wishin' like hell you were."

"It's okay if that's how you feel, though I don't agree with you. But why won't you let me leave this room if your mind is so made up?" She looked smug.

He grumbled under his breath and that smug look of hers turned into an outright grin. Against his better judgment his lips met hers briefly, almost questioningly, like he was only testing the waters. He wasn't known for caution, however, so he decided to dive right in, claiming her mouth, wondering how far she'd let him take this before she came to her goddamn senses and walked the hell away. But that isn't what she did at all. And deep down, he knew that this wasn't a mistake. It was just in his nature to fight it, because what she wanted was more than he'd ever given to anyone else and the thought of handing that much of himself over, to have what Odin had found in June, what his brother had found in Carol, wasn't something he had ever bothered coveting before. He was too brash, too hard to take and he knew it. He hadn't ever bothered fooling himself into thinking that any woman could handle him.

When his hands caught the hem of her shirt he paused, breaking a kiss that had his head spinning. "Where's Sam?" he asked, taking note of the feverish quality in her dark eyes.

"Loft. She's asleep," she whispered searching his eyes and then taking a step away but only long enough to tear her shirt over her head.

His brows went up, his eyes roaming over her now and thanked whatever God that would listen that she was just as hot underneath her clothes as she was with them on. She didn't give him much time to think about anything else before she was backing him towards the bed.

"For now, I'll go easy on you, since you're injured and all. I'm sure you'll be up to par in a few more weeks," she said before her lips were on his and the backs of his knees hit the mattress.

He was a little surprised at this side of her. She had been the quiet one, unsure of her role in the group, but right now, she seemed at ease, in charge, and he could damn sure get used it. He wasn't really in any shape physically to do anything very creative but once her clothes were off, that didn't much bother him and once she got started, moving slow and steady, he could tell that she was enjoying it just as much as he was, even though her movements were slow and careful because she was afraid of hurting his stupid shoulder, and she had to be quiet because people were starting to stir right outside the door.

~H~

It was customary now for the family to meet up at the main cabin and today was no different. Daryl stepped inside after Carol and Sophia and took a head count like he did every morning, unconsciously seeking out his brother, but Merle wasn't with the rest of them. That wasn't anything new. He had been hoping that Merle would have been up and at'em today, since he had seemed a lot better the day before. Daryl wasn't used to his brother being down for the count and it made him feel edgy.

Randy was there, sitting at the table, his body turned towards Odin as they drank their coffee and talked in low voices. Him and Eli were a part of the core group and had been since the moment they saved Daryl's family. Eli on the other hand wasn't paying much attention to anything at all. He was sitting next to Randy, chin resting on his hand, blinking slowly, multicolored beanie pulled low on his forehead.

"You okay, kid?" Daryl asked, frowning. It didn't look like the boy had slept much.

Eli blinked a little faster and looked up but before he could say anything the bedroom door opened and before Daryl could even glance back to greet his brother he saw Eli's eyes widen and he sat up straighter, swallowing hard. He looked around, like he was assessing an escape route.

"How did that new shack of yours treat you last night, kid?" Merle asked and Daryl's stomach sank. Something happened and Merle knew. It wasn't hard to figure that out, and figure it out quickly. It was the tone of his voice and the way Eli paled. Daryl heard Katherine mutter his brother's name in warning.

The boy pulled the beanie down further over his ears and shrugged but Daryl saw his eyes shift around the room again before settling on Merle once more. "I guess it just takes a while to get used to sleeping in a new place. How you feelin'?" Eli asked, and Daryl had to give him credit because the kid held Merle's stare. He had balls, Daryl would give him that. Too bad Merle was probably gonna chop them off before breakfast was over.

Merle stepped past Daryl and pulled out a chair directly across from Eli. The rest of them had caught on to the tension because now everyone was watching Merle. "How am I feelin'?" Merle repeated Eli's question thoughtfully as Carol and Daryl shared a wide eyed worried look. He couldn't let his brother hurt this kid. Not after what had happened down there. "Well, I'll be honest with you, kid. I feel a little better than I did when I first caught sight of my little girl sneakin' up here this mornin'. But I gotta admit, I still ain't exactly happy about it."

"Shit, boy," Randy scowled, shaking his head and swiping a hand over his face.

Eli chewed his lip for a few moments, but he didn't cower and he didn't sink in his chair. Daryl was a little relieved because if he'd have done any of that, Merle wouldn't have ever respected him. Being pissed off at the kid was one thing, but flat out having no respect for him would have been a deal breaker.

"What the hell is everyone just standing around staring at each other for?" Piper asked around yawn. She met Daryl's eye and he shook his head slightly, glancing at Merle. Her face paled a little but then her chin went up. "Ahh, so I'm busted, huh?"

Merle slowly turned his body in the chair so he could glare at the girl. "What the fuck were you thinkin'?" he asked, his voice low and menacing. He was playing it cool with Eli but Piper was a different story.

Piper pushed her unruly hair out of her face and then shrugged. "You really wanna know?"

"Jesus, girl!" Merle's face reddened. "This ain't gonna happen again, you hear me?"

"What were up to this morning, old man?" Piper asked, raising one fiery brow and Daryl couldn't help but chuckle at that. She was good.

Merle shot him a look that told him that he was about to be treading water himself here, but his attention went right back to her. "That ain't none of your damn business. I'm a grown goddamn man and you're just kid. Both of you," he shot Eli, who finally gave in and sank a little lower in his chair now that everyone in the damn house was staring at him.

Daryl was fairly certain that Merle wasn't about to try to maim anyone. As a matter of fact, considering the circumstances, he looked downright relaxed. He hooked a finger through Carol's belt loop and turned towards the door just as Merle and Piper started to really get into it. He liked Eli. The kid was pretty great and he didn't want to think about what could have transpired between him and Piper. He wanted to keep liking the kid, so he was better off leaving the room. Piper was bound to say something incriminating. Hell, she would do it just to get a rise out of Merle.

"Are we planning on avoiding them all for the rest of the day?" Carol asked once he pulled the door shut behind them. The fog was still thick and the leaves on the trees were heavy and dripping.

"Yeah," he muttered as he pulled her against him, her back to his chest. There was a chill in the air this morning and he knew she was cold.

"They're already getting started," she said, leaning further into him and dragging his arms around her tighter.

He listened to the sound of hammering in the distance and nodded. "The faster they get done the better. Fall's right around the corner."

"A few of them were talking about looking for livestock. At least try to find some chickens or something. June and Katherine were debating on whether or not to have a communal garden or each homestead grow their own food, then we can barter. Smaller gardens would probably be easier to maintain."

He rested his chin on her shoulder. "Sounds like the better plan to me. Till then there's still a lot of game up here, and I think we have enough supplies to get us through the first winter. By next year, we'll basically be self reliant."

She turned in his arms then, her lips, always warm and inviting, meeting his. When she pulled back she grinned, because he tried to follow her, tightening his grip around her waist. He grinned back, because it was easy. Because for the first time in his life, he had a lot of reasons to. "This is really gonna work, isn't it," she said, her eyes bright.

He nodded, unsure exactly what she was talking about, but it didn't matter. Everything was going to work. Every aspect of their lives. All they had to do was work hard for it, and hard work never scared him before.

"And maybe we'll be able to find more people out there," she went on.

He wasn't sure how he felt about that but he didn't voice it. He was still weighing the pros and cons of the people that were here now, so he didn't know how he would feel about finding more. He had to admit that when he saw Sam and the other younger kids running around, laughing, playing games, it did make him feel damn grateful that they had stumbled upon those other folks. He felt good knowing that he could help protect them. Even the teenagers, sneaking around and doing things that normal teenagers did, it gave him a strange sense of hope that they really did have a future. He felt as though this wasn't the end of the world but maybe, if they could keep the walkers at bay, this could be a new beginning. A simpler life for all of them. "Maybe you're right," he said.

"Of course I'm right," she scoffed.

He was about to respond but suddenly the door flew open and Eli stormed out, red faced and shaking his head. Damon was hot on his heels, trying hard to hide his laughter. Daryl and Carol shared a look.

"Damon!" Daryl called just before the boys disappeared around the bend.

Damon turned, still trying to school his features but eventually barked out a laugh that had Carol jumping in surprise.

"What the hell happened?" Daryl asked, his brows coming together in a frown.

Damon shrugged. "Merle told Piper that she was grounded to the cabin. Then he made the mistake of askin' her if last night was worth it. She's pissed off, so you know she had a lot to say. I think Merle's gonna kill her cause according to the details she just gave, yeah, I'd say it was worth it. You might wanna get in there." He turned then, following his mortified friend.

"Never a dull moment," Carol said, pulling away and giving him a small shove towards the door.

The two of them stepped back into the cabin, preparing themselves for a chaotic morning. It wasn't the first, and they were both sure that it wouldn't be the last.