♤

"You really want him sleeping under the same roof as Carol, Beth-"

"Kelly-" Glenn muttered, glancing at me slightly.

Daryl sighed, "He ain't a rapist"

Rick nodded, "There's no way Merle living there isn't gonna put everyone at each others throats"

Daryl scoffed, "You wanna cut Merle loose but bring the Last Samurai home?"

"She's not coming home" Rick shook his head, informing everyone.

I sighed, "She's not in a state to be on her own,"

"She did bring you guys to us" Glenn nodded in agreement.

"She ditched us," Rick sighed as we all glanced over at her, "She's too unpredictable"

Daryl nodded again, "That's right, we don't know who she is, Merle, Merle's blood"

"--No, Merle's your blood, but my blood, my family is standing right here and waiting for us back at the prison" Glenn argued, he clearly didn't feel safe around Merle, and to be honest, I couldn't blame him.

Rick took a small step forward and looked at Daryl, "And you're part of that family," He paused for a second, "And he's not"

Daryl gazed at me for a second, "Man, I don't know," He paused, "Fine, we'll fend for ourselves"

Glenn sighed, "That's not what I was saying"

"No Merle, no me" Daryl spat.

I looked at him, "I'm saying with you,"

Daryl's gaze softened as he nodded at me, Glenn and Rick called him back as Daryl began walking.

I followed behind them all as Daryl grabbed his thing.

Glenn looked at me, "Don't leave"

"I'm not letting Daryl go with Merle alone.." I began but Glenn shook his head,

"Stay"

"I belong with them.." I sighed, heading to the car.

Daryl passed me a bag and jacket, "Take care of Carl and Lil Ass-kicker.." He muttered to Rick.

I nodded at Rick, "Stay safe" I whispered gently as Rick gave me a brief hug.

Daryl and I wandered over to Merle who immediately wrapped his arms around us both, though I quickly shrugged him off as we ventured into the woods together. "Look at this, the old crew back together" 

"Shut up" I growled, heading in front, alone.

♤

We walked for what felt like hours, Daryl and Merle muttering amongst themselves, acting as if I couldn't hear them talking about me.

"You and her pretty snug now?" Merle chuntered.

Daryl scoffed, "Man, shut up"

Merle chuckled, "Always thought it'd be me to get the girl, guess you got there first"

"Shut up" Daryl growled.

A few tears fell as I stumbled, my leg still bleeding slightly as we approached a small stream. "We'll fill up on water" Daryl called out to me.

We all stopped and filled up our bottles. I sat on the bank, knees against my chest, letting the sounds of water flowing fill my ears. The grass shuffled next to me as a water bottle was pushed into my face, "Here"

I shook my head, "I don't want it"

"You need to drink" He mumbled.

Daryl and I sat in silence for a few seconds, "He's gone..again" I whispered.

He nodded, "I know, but you can't beat yourself up over that, not again"

I stretched my legs out, my cut clear as I took the water from Daryl's hand, pouring some on it with a hiss. "I have..His face burned into my vision every time I shut my eyes"

Daryl put an arm around me, checking to see if Merle was watching - which he wasn't - before he did so and we sat for a few seconds before Merle noted that it was getting dark.

"Should find somewhere to make camp" He announced as Daryl and I stood up.

Again, we set off, myself trailing slightly behind until we found somewhere. Daryl headed out for firewood, leaving Merle and I to sort food and beds.

While we did, I looked at him, "Did you know?"

Merle paused for a second, glancing at me, "No" He said softly, "If I had, I would've taken care of him" He explained. "I loved that kid"

"How did you find him?.." I asked, choking on the question.

Merle looked at the ground before answering, "Him, Andrea and the Samurai were together, him and Andrea were sick, Governor, took him away, said he was gonna get him set up, knew I knew him. He wouldn't let me see him, few days later he told me that he'd died, illness..I had no idea he kept him locked away like that," Merle's voice was soft and seemingly genuine as my heart shattered. "If I did.."

I shook my head, "He loved you...He missed you"

Merle nodded slowly, as we sat on the ground together, "He was a good kid.." We sat for a few more seconds before Merle spoke again, "I'm sorry about what happened back there, holding you hostage, you weren't supposed to get hurt but the Governor realised you were Charlie's mother, sent someone in.."

"Were you going to kill us both, if it wasn't for Daryl and Rick?"

He sighed, "I don't know,"

I nodded, awaiting Daryl's return. Once he got back, we lit a fire to keep us all warm as we sat, silent and mulling over the day's events.

As the blanket of night covered us, I laid starring into the the fire, the heat drying out my eyes and making them heavy...

DARYL'S POV

Kelly slept, the flickers from the fire dancing on her face. "How did she lose him the first time?" Merle asked quietly.

"Farm we were on got overrun.." I told him, my legs crossed and pulled towards me slightly.

Merle nodded slowly as he glanced at her. "You love her?" He asked.

I looked at him with a confused look before I shrugged, Merle snorted slightly, "You either do or you don't, seems pretty clear to me that you do. Gone all soft"

I rolled my eyes, "Man, shut up, you were the one that found her and brought them with us, you were the soft one"

He nodded, "Maybe it'd been different if I hadn't gone to Atlanta"

"Hm, maybe" I grunted.

We sat in silence for a minute before he spoke again, "She's changed"

"She lost her son"

He nodded once more, "I know,"

Again, silence fell upon the two of us before I grumbled, "How could you?"

He raised his brow at me, "How could I what?"

"Send someone in to beat her, kidnap her and Glenn"

He sighed, "C'mon, baby brother, you know if I had another choice I would've taken it"

"You had a choice, now look at her" I growled,

He chuckled, "Bit late to be getting all protective, ain't it?" He glanced at her beaten face, "Besides, she's fine"

I shook my head, "Your buddies cut her, beat her, did God knows what else, but she's fine? That's your answer?" My voice was raising.

"She wasn't supposed to get hurt, I didn't send anyone in for her" He explained, "The Governor did"

I scoffed, "That's your excuse"

"It's the truth, believe it or not, I care about her too" He snapped.

My head began shaking, "You only care about yourself"

"C'mon Darlina, you know that ain't true" He spread his arms as he argued but I just ignored him, letting him roll over and get some sleep as I watched over Kelly.