Sword and Bow

Chapter 3

Merle smirked at the disgruntled look on the girl's face and the uncomfortable look on his baby brothers. This was just too easy and Sugartits was making it even easier for him.

Andrea had decided to come see everyone off for the run, for the first time since he'd stopped fucking her. However she was clinging to Daryl and telling him how much she was gonna miss him, especially after just getting him back. Merle snorted at that, the woman cared about no one but herself and how she could live the high life without doing any goddamn work.

If looks could kill Andrea would be a walker by now for sure. Lara looked as if she were mentally digging Andrea's grave as she hung off Daryl. His baby brother looked like he'd help dig the grave, if only to get him away from the uncomfortable situation.

Merle had been watching everything for the past couple of days. He was many things, but unobservant while sober wasn't one of them. He watched how Ranger Rick's group integrated or didn't integrate. He watched the very subtle change of dynamics. He watched as he was not at all surprised by the two who seemed most comfortable in the Pound.

He also watched Lara spend hours with Daryl for the past two days. Going over plans in case things got bad, where their safe houses were, just in case. He had also noticed the pair laughing a few times and sitting closer together than was strictly necessary. His plan would work, and it looked like Darylina was finally letting his balls drop. Thank fuck and about time. Merle was clean now and admitted to himself he had some part of Daryl's self confidence issues. However he was gonna do his best to see his little brother happy for once. God knew the son of a bitch deserved it above anyone else on this god forsaken planet.

Despite his observations, he failed to notice the one pair of eyes that trained themselves on him throughout the days. Eyes seeking him out, measuring him, assessing.

"Alright! Wrap it up before he has to wrap it up to avoid whatever the fuck you've got. We're wasting daylight!" Lara finally burst out in a snarl. Merle chuckled while he shook his head. She had lasted twenty seconds longer than he thought she would.

Daryl blushed deeply and ducked his head but climbed in the car with Lara. Two cars, two teams. Other than him, he couldn't think of anyone better to have his brothers back, or have Lara's. Merle had gone out to watch them fight together in the woods thirty minutes after they had left the day before. He knew, they knew, he was there. But it didn't stop them. They fought back to back, trading places as needed and very little effort was put into making them a cohesive unit. For once he was confident that both Lara and Daryl would be as safe as they could be while on a suicide run.

"You trying to get Andrea killed?" Kill Bill asked from next to him casually, a smirk on her face.

"Hey I didn' have nothin' ta do with that little lovers quarrel," Merle said with a chuckle. Andrea had been making moves on Daryl since he had arrived. Apparently she thought Daryl would be higher up in the peckin' order than Oscar. If Merle had his way she would be right about that. Still he wouldn't let her get her vapid claws in his little brother. Not that he thought Daryl would ever go for what amounted to a gold digger in this new world. He was a Dixon, he respected hard work, a willingness to do anything for family and the ability to protect yourself rather than depending on anyone else for if. Nah, whatever she was trying she was really barking up the wrong Dixon for that one. Merle would give her another night though, she worked hard for her gold digging that was for sure.

"An I'm sure you ain't going to do anything to stop it," Kill Bill muttered with raised eyebrows.

"Nah, not unless it looks like Andrea might actually be on ta somethin'. Sugartits is making things mighty easy on Ol' Merle though," he chuckled.