Well, this was a long time coming! It took absolutely forever to get this written and posted. I actually started this chapter about 10 different times and got pissed each time because I couldn't get it right. It's finally here, and I'm happy with the way this turned out.

The lyrics in this are to One Phone Call, by the Backstreet Boys. I still don't own any of the characters-just the scenarios that I throw them into. I don't own the lyrics to the song either.

Every single night like it's 25 to life

And this sentence I've been living is alone and unforgiven

And I'm guilty as charged 'cause I went and broke your heart

But even I've got rights, you're always gonna be my one

If there was one thing that Merle Dixon was good at, it's fucking up. He had always fucked up in one way or another. It was just a part of being Merle.

He hadn't given a shit about fucking up before, but this was different. This took the cake. He actually regretted what he had done, a first for him.

He was on a dark and lonely road in his life because of what he had done. He had lost the only person who had loved him, aside from his little brother. Hell, he had lost one of two people that he loved, and even though his brother didn't hate him, he was still pissed at Merle for screwing up a good thing. Not that Merle could blame Daryl for being pissed. Not at all, in fact. He would react the same if their roles were reversed.

He was on his seventh month sober; he hadn't touched drugs or alcohol since that night. The urges to use were still there, but he managed to abstain. Withdrawal had been a bitch. Puking, shaking, hallucinations, the whole nine yards. But he did it.

He knew there wasn't a chance in hell she would ever take him back; but he kept the hope alive to get himself through. That hope was all that he had left.

Now, seven months clean and sick of living in cheap motels and doing odd jobs to keep food in his belly, he wanted to call her, see if that hope he had kept alive was worth anything.

He sat in front of the motel room's phone and stared at it. Was it worth it? Would she pick up? Could she forgive him? Was he worthy of forgiveness?

'No' played through his mind over and over like a broken record.

He huffed at himself in annoyance. "Pussy, pick up the fuckin' phone an' call. Ya ain't got anythang ta lose,"

He slowly hit the buttons for the phone number he knew by heart. Merle hesitated at the last digit before slamming his finger into it.

One…two…three…seven rings later and it went to voicemail.

"You've reached Beth's voicemail. I'm probably at one of my jobs, so leave a message and I'll get back to ya," Her musical voice hit his ears.

He listened to the beep and attempted to keep himself from stuttering like a school boy discovering boobs for the first time. "I been clean for seven months now, ain't used nothin'. I regret what I did ta ya an' I wish I could take it back; Keep from hurtin' ya like I had. I want ta apologize ta ya. I'm sorry, Angel. I'm so sorry," By the end of his short message he was fighting uncharacteristic tears. He hung up with a heavy heart and moved to lay on the bed.

Always be my one phone call

All I want, all I need is one phone call, I'm gonna leave my message at the tone

Begging, "Pretty baby please come home." 'Cause you're my one

Always be my one phone call

He must have dozed off; He woke sometime later to knocking on the motel's door and his eyes gritty from the tears he had shed.

He went to the door, rubbing at his eyes as he went. "What the hell ya want, Dary-," He broke off as he pulled the door open, "Oh," His eyes traveled over the blue eyed, blonde angel in front of him. He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Daryl told me where I could find ya," She said after an awkward pause.

Speechless, he opened the door a little wider and stepped back. He couldn't take his eyes from her very pregnant belly.

"Can I, um, sit?" She motioned towards the bed.

He nodded and followed to sit down too.

"I got your message," She stated after she had gotten situated.

"I hoped ya'd listen an' not jus' delete it," he replied truthfully. His heart thudded painfully and all the hope he had kept left him as her pregnancy fully hit him. His eyes left her to stare at the floor.

First time it rings I can't help but think of the first time I saw you

That moment I knew. Holding the phone tight, I hear the tone twice

If you just pick up, swear I can fix us

Was this heartbreak what she felt when he had hurt her? If so, the guilt he already had went up another dozen notches. He couldn't bring himself to be mad that she had moved on and was obviously about to start a family.

"I listened. It's what finally convinced me to talk to you. Daryl tried to get me to, but I just couldn't,"

He nodded, completely mute.

"What ya did…I hated you for, I still do, honestly. But for whatever reason I still love you. Maybe its cause I got your baby growin' inside of me," She paused as he looked up. "I wanted to tell you that weekend when…but that happened. I couldn't trust you. I couldn't…wouldn't do this to our child."

"Mine?" He whispered, his voice hoarse.

"Yeah, Merle, it's yours."

Once again he found himself speechless.

"I wanted to give you the chance to explain yourself and apologize in person, I want to give you a chance to be in your son's life, too."

"Angel," He started, "Ain't nothin' ta explain other than I'm a fuckin' worthless asshole that destroyed everythang good in my life. I fucked up, fucked up real good. Ain't nothin' I can do or say that'll change that an' fix it. I ain't touched anythang since that night. I'm sorrier than I could ever tell ya."

"Bein' an' stayin' sober is a good start to showin' it," She admitted.

"All I've thought about is gettin', stayin' clean an' how I fucked up,"

She was silent as she waited for the rest of what he had to say.

"I had some stupid fuckin' hope that kept me clean that if I did this ya might take me back, might at least forgive me, even if I don't deserve it."

"It wasn't a stupid hope, Merle. Ya know how I think you've changed? The old Merle never woulda hoped for something like that, much less admitted it."

"Nah, maybe he wouldn't, but it was stupid as hell ta think ya'd ever take me back." He conceded.

"Every day I wished that you hadn't broken my heart, that I would wake up next to ya, fall asleep to ya snorin'," She took his hand in her own. "I had hope too, ya know,"

He stared at her as if she had grown a second head, his heart hammering, "What did ya hope?"

"I hoped that the nightmare I was livin' would end. I hoped ya'd get clean. And that our son wouldn't grow up without a father. I hoped we would have a second chance."

"Was yer hope worthless?" He questioned. His throat felt dry as he waited for an answer.

"No, I don't think it was,"

He scratched his head and weighed his next words carefully. "Will ya, will give us, me, a second chance?" He took his hand from hers and tentatively placed it on her belly.

She smiled and he felt the breath leave his body at the beauty of it. Hope kindled inside of him as he waited with baited breath for her answer.

"Yes," Her response was simple. He couldn't believe his ears.

"Thank ya, Angel," He whispered finally, "I'm gonna do right by ya, by ya both. I ain't gonna fuck up again."

So let me make my case

And pray you won't erase

The message that I'm leaving for you now

But if you do

At least you knew...

'Cause you're my one...

Always be my one phone call

All I want, all I need is one phone call

I'm gonna leave my message at the tone

Begging, "Pretty baby please come home."

'Cause you're my one

Always be my one phone call...