AN: so this is a new multichapter AU- If there is interest I will continue.

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Chapter 1

"God damnit Merle! Answer the damn door!"

Daryl rolled over, groaning, pulling the pillow over his head. Fuck, just his luck, his one day off in the past two weeks and someone was wailing and knocking on their door. Fucking Merle, it was probably one of his skanks looking for a fix.

He grunted, staring up at the ceiling as the pounding continued. Wasn't the landlord. He had paid that shit on time this month. That asshole had no reason to be banging down the door. Daryl vaguely considered letting this asshole knock until his hand fell off as he scratched at his scalp, who ever it was could go to hell.

"Open up Daryl, it's the cops"

Fuck. What the fuck did Merle do now? He grabbed at a pair of jeans, slipping them on half hazardly then a sleeveless shirt. He was pretty sure his hair was standing on end but he didn't give a fuck.

He swung the door open, a little startled to see Rick his buddy from high school standing in his uniform, with another officer. Daryl groaned rubbing his face "What'd Merle do now?"

Rick winced, which caught Daryl off guard. Rick took a deep breath, swallowing once before he spoke. "I'm so sorry Daryl. There's been an accident. Merle is.."

Panic settled deep into Daryl's gut when Rick paused, as though he was dreading what he had to say. "He alright?" Daryl asked.

Rick looked him in the eye. "I'm sorry Daryl. Merle is gone."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Is there anyone I can call?" Rick sat on the chair next to Daryl who was slumped outside the morgue.

Daryl sighed his hands pressed to his face. "No, I'm ...I'm alone now." He muttered.

Rick looked ahead "You're not alone, you know that right? You have friends here. Me and Lori, and Glenn, ..and I know it's been a few years since high school, but we are all still here you know."

Daryl sat up and paced. Hands stuck firmly in his armpits. It had been a nervous habit he just couldn't break. One Merle had teased him about relentlessly. A stab of pain seeped through his gut, at the thought of Merle,and for a moment it was hard to breath. Merle was gone, he was really gone. He wanted to wake up and find this was all a nightmare. That Merle was snoring louder than a chainsaw down the hall. But it wasn't going to happen. Merle was gone and Daryl was alone.

He was twenty three. His high school friends were starting jobs moving on, and he'd stayed with Merle. Following his lead. Working one dead end job after another. Letting Merle dictate the course of their life. He was alone now, no family left to speak off. There was no one.

He nodded at Rick, then turned "What happened?" He asked pounding his forehead into the wall.

"Drunk driver, hit his truck. He died instantly." Rick said.

Anger surged through Daryl, it was unreasonable, irrational. It could easily have been Merle who had struck someone. He knew it did not make sense. But he wanted to vent this overflowing emotion somewhere.

"Who, ...what's his damn name?"

Rick got up, "Look this guy, he has got numerous priors, he's well known to us. He's in jail, he won't make bail. It's strike three. He's going away for this. For a long time."

"What's his damn name? " Daryl all but sneered.

Rick sighed "Ed Pelletier."

Xxxxxxx

Axel was Merle's best friend and boss, at the saw mill where Merle and Daryl worked. He'd been waiting at the trailer when Daryl got home from the morgue.

They sat in silence, the two men sprawled on the couch each nursing a beer. The silence was almost deafening. Daryl wished Axel would just go, but the man seemed to want to commiserate with Daryl.

"At least, at least we got those benefits at the Mill now. There was a small life insurance policy included. You'll get the money..." Axel muttered.

Daryl huffed. "Man I don't care about the money. I just want my hands around Ed Pelletier neck."

"Ed?" Axel asked.

Daryl looked at Axel "You know him?"

"A little, he's an asshole friend of my brother's. Mean son of a bitch. Has some chick he's obsessed over for years Carol something. My brother teased that asshole once about her. How he was gonna try to take her away from Ed. Ed lost it. Beat the hell out of my brother. They ain't so much friends anymore...you know if you really wanted revenge on Ed you should steal his girl. That would really stick in his craw." Axel muttered.

Daryl sighed "Fuck off Axel."

Axel was getting excited now. "No think about it. You're a good looking dude. You don't see it. Merle always said it was wasted on you. I could ask my brother, the name of this girl. You could, I don't know, take her from that asshole. Make sure he knows. Guy like that? It would eat Ed alive, knowing that."

Daryl sat staring at his beer. The idea was sounding better and better to him. He just wanted to hurt Ed, somehow, like he was hurting. He wanted to make him suffer.

"What about this girl? I ..." he started to say but Axel interrupted him.

"You can drop her after Ed finds out. Any girl that is hooking up with that asshole deserves it."

Daryl mulled over that thought, this was wrong, he knew it, but the overwhelming pain in his gut won over. "I'll do it."

Xxxxxxxxxxx

The phone woke her from sleep, for the first time, in a very long time, she'd slept, a deep dreamless sleep. Carol Miller stretched out her toes, her arms rising up above her. The phone went to voice mail, and then a text notification alarmed. She grabbed her phone.

Call me~

It was from Michonne. Michonne was a law student that had been working in a pro bono clinic down town. Carol had hesistantly approached her for advice, a few months ago, in dealing with her problem.

Ed Pelletier

One disastrous relationship. When she was 18. One mistake that had lead to her life being irrevocably shaken even now four years later.

Ed Pelletier her first boyfriend. Ed Pelletier who had won her over with his charm and wit. Ed Pelletier who had beaten her senselessly when another man had spoken to her one night. Ed Pelletier who she had not realized had a criminal record. He had gone to jail for the assault, but when he got out, he had taken to calling her, following her, making her life a living hell. She was twenty two years old, and she lived her life always looking over her shoulder. Waiting for Ed to make his next move.

So the pro bono clinic had been her next move. Andrea her best friend from high school had given her the advice from across the country. She needed help with a restraining order, Andrea was in law school as well but across the country.

Carol had been floundering, trying to work and save money to put towards school. Her dreams of becoming a nurse, were difficult to achieve when you were hiding from your own shadow. Michonne had been a god send.

Helping her with the restraining order, and navigating the paperwork. The order had kept Ed at bay recently anyway. She'd been able to start school, move on with her life.

She dialed Michonne's number. They'd become friends since Michonne had helped her.

"Hey Michonne..." Carol started to say but stopped when Michonne interrupted her.

"Ed's in jail."

Carol sat up, almost dropping the phone in shock. "What?"

"Vehicular manslaughter. He killed someone last night, he was drinking and driving, one of the volunteers at the law clinic took his case, but it's his third strike Carol. He won't make bail, he's going away for a long time."

Michonne said.

"Oh no." Carol whispered her eyes squeezing shut.

"Oh no?"

"He killed someone Michonne...I wanted to be free of him, but not like this. I knew something like this would happen.." Carol trailed off.

"Carol, you did everything you could, we filled every police report that was possible. It's all documented. None of this is on you. It's the system." Michonne said firmly. "It could easily have been you that he killed. It's over, you survived, and now you're free."