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they both reached for the guns

DARYL WAS NOT HAPPY.

Glenn, Iris, T-Dog and Rick stare at the severed hand. There was a blood splatter on the floor that still looked fresh, and Rick's handcuffs were left behind. Merle wasn't sentimental, apparently. The hand hadn't even turned blue yet, but it was one of the grossest things Iris had seen.

Daryl was crouched next to his brother's hand, resting his own tightened fist on the ground. Iris took a step forward, wanting to offer the younger Dixon some comfort, but he swung upwards with his crossbow before she had the chance, holding it right at T-Dog's head.

Just as fast, Rick pulls his gun on Daryl. "I won't hesitate. I don't care if every walker in the city hears it."

A low grunt escapes Daryl as he looks Rick up and down, sussing him out. He lowers the crossbow, swinging it over his shoulder as he turns back to his brother's hand. "You got a do-rag or something?"

T-Dog was quiet for a couple of beats, but he eventually reaches into his pocket and hands Daryl a fabric cloth. Daryl nods at him, taking the cloth and kneeling down on the ground.

"Oh, I don't-" Iris starts, but she shuts up when Daryl picks up the severed hand and wraps it in the cloth. "Okay, then."

Daryl ignores her. "I guess the saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs. Ain't that a bitch."

"I guess there are worse ways to stay alive." Iris comments, watching Daryl like he had a bomb as he calls Glenn over with two fingers, grabbing his back and opening his backpack. "Whoa, Daryl, what're you doing?"

Daryl drops the hand in the backpack, and Glenn shoots Daryl a side eye. Daryl grunts in response. "He's gonna need that when we find him. Does that bother you, Princess?"

Iris shakes her head rapidly. "No, no. No at all." But she side steps away from Glenn all the same.

"He must have used a tourniquet." Daryl looks at the blood splatter on the ground. "Maybe his belt. Be much more blood if he didn't."

Daryl turns his head, focusing on a trail of blood that led down the stairwell. "Merle? You in here?"

Without missing a beat, Daryl started following it. T-Dog grabs the box of tools that they'd also left behind the first time. Glenn tried to catch up to her as they walked, but dodges his attempt.

"Whoa, whoa, you have an actual human hand in your backpack right now." Iris pouts, looking him up and down with her hands out. "That's... really gross."

"Aw, come on." Glenn replies, smirking. He tilts his head. "Are you serious?"

"No. Yes." Iris' face was paper straight. She groans. "Glenn, it's just really gross."

"No, no, I see how it is." Glenn replies, but he was still smiling, so Iris knew he wasn't really mad. She chuckles, biting her tongue to stifle it.

They track the blood trail to an office down the stairs. Daryl was ready and took out a walker that was inside, but there were two who had already been killed, lying on the ground.

Daryl kicks one of the walkers. "Had enough in him to take out these two sumbitches. One handed. Toughest asshole I ever met, my brother. Feed him a hammer, he'd crap out nails."

Rick puffs out air. "Any man can pass out from blood loss, no matter how tough he is."

Iris bites down on her teeth as she imagines finding Merle passed out from blood loss somewhere in this building. She didn't like the man, but it didn't mean she wanted him to die. She shudders. If they do find Merle's body, she hoped she wouldn't find him alone.

The group kept moving, taking out walkers everytime one appeared. However, there was no sign of Merle. Not anywhere.

"Iris." Rick calls, motioning her over with his head.

"Hey." Iris smiles. She still wasn't used to Rick being around again, and everytime she was reminded it felt like a rush of warm air. "Thanks for letting me come, by the way. I really needed this."

"I know." Rick nods. "I don't think I could've stopped you even if I tried."

Iris grins. "Yeah, well Shane would beg to differ." She pauses. "But he means well. He just isn't you."

"I owe him everything now." Rick says, his expression becoming more serious. "He saved my family, all of you. I don't know what I would've done-"

Iris scrunches her features up. "Uh, yeah. He got Lori and Carl out. He made sure the two of them were safe. I met him along the road, it was a miracle I found them, really."

Rick was quiet for a moment, staring at the wall. Then, he turns to her. "He told me he got you all out."

"Glenn and T-Dog saved my life. They were total strangers but they helped me. I would've died without them." It was important to Iris that Rick knew the truth. "I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding. He was just... generalising or something."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Rick says, shrugging. Iris studies his face, but she can't quite read him.

Their conversation is cut short as Daryl gets more desperate. "Merle!"

Rick winces. "We're not alone here. Remember?"

Daryl scoffs, still walking through the rooms at a rapid pace. "Screw that. He could be bleeding out. You said so yourself."

"What's that smell?" Iris asks, her eyes darting around. "Do you guys smell that?"

"What? The smell of rotting corpses?" T-Dog raises his eyebrow. "That smell is everywhere, in case you didn't notice."

"No, I smell it too." Daryl cuts in, opening the door to a small kitchen where the smell of burning increased by tenfold. Iris groans, covering her mouth.

Merle's belt was on top of the stove, which was still lit. Iris feels ill when she realises exactly what it was.

"What's that burned stuff?" Daryl turns his nose up.

"Skin. He cauterised the stump." Rick says.

There was a moment of silence.

Daryl blows out a puff of air. "Told you he was tough. Nobody can kill Merle but Merle."

"Don't take that on faith. He's lost a lot of blood." Rick reminds him.

Daryl walks over to the window, which was smashed to bits, broken glass spread all over the floor. "Yeah? Didn't stop him from busting out of this death trap."

"He left the building?" Glenn asks, adjusting the bag on his back. "Why the hell would he do that?"

"Why wouldn't he? He's out there alone as far as he knows, doing what he's got to do. Surviving." Daryl sends a glare in Rick's direction. Iris guesses he still wasn't over it.

"You call that surviving?" T-Dog sounds unsure. "Just wandering out in the streets, maybe passing out? What are his odds out there?"

Daryl switches his glare towards T-Dog. "No worse than being handcuffed and left to rot by you sorry pricks. You couldn't kill him. Ain't so worried about some dumb dead bastard."

"What about 1,000 dead dumb bastards? Different story?" Rick argues back, crossing his arms.

Daryl shakes his head, pushing away from him. "Why don't you take a tally? Do what you want. I'm gonna go get him."

Rick grabs Daryl's arm, pulling him away from the window. Iris takes a step back. She had a feeling this would not go down well. "Daryl, wait."

Considering this was about the sixth time Daryl had been restrained since Rick had returned, he still attempted to fight his way out of it. "Get your hands off me! You can't stop me."

Ricks grip only tightened. "I don't blame you. He's family, I get that. I went through hell to find mine. I know exactly how you feel. He can't get far with that injury. We could help you check a few blocks around but only if we keep a level head."

Daryl sighs, looking around at the group as if he was trying to figure out if they'd actually help. Iris gives him a small smile and he returns a sharp nod. "I could do that."

"Only if we get those guns first." T-Dog says. "I'm not strolling the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions, okay?"

"He's not wrong." Iris backs up. "It'll help our chances if we have more weapons."

Rick looks to Daryl, who looks away, but doesn't argue. "Okay. We get the guns. Then we look for Merle."

𖤓𖤓𖤓

Once Daryl had agreed to go after the bag of guns, they needed to form a game plan. Glenn leapt straight into action, using his quick thinking to come up with a scheme that was well thought out and really smart. Iris loves watching him step into the kind of role that Iris always knew he could fill — even if the others still thought of him as the reckless kid who went on supply runs. The role of a leader, someone who initiates plans and ideas. It was nice seeing him act with the confidence that he had right now, and Iris could tell that he wasn't even aware of his change in attitude, but Iris sure was.

He was still talking, but Iris was focusing on the assertive tone in his voice and the way his eyes had this almost wild look in them, that she wasn't even listening to the words he was saying.

That was, until Rick cut in. "You're not doing this alone."

Iris' mouth drops open. "Excuse me? You want to do what?"

"Iris." Glenn sighs, looking at her with an intensity that almost makes her knees weak.

"No way." Iris argues. "Do you even know how many walkers there are out there?"

"Even I think it's a bad idea and I don't even like you much." Daryl adds. Iris points in his direction, as if to say see?

"It's a good idea, okay, if you just hear me out." Glenn cuts in, raising his eyebrows. "If we go out there in a group, we're slow, drawing attention. If I'm alone, I can move fast."

Iris shakes her head, feeling a pit in her stomach start to form. Glenn leans down, drawing in the dirt with a stick. He marks the tank, the bag of guns and a couple of blocks around the area. "Look. That's the tank, five blocks from where we are now. That's the bag of guns. Here's the alley I dragged you into when we first met. That's where Daryl and I will go."

Iris taps her foot on the ground as she studies Glenn's map. She trusts him, she really does, but she also knows of his recklessness and that scares her half out of her mind.

Because he was her best friend, and he saved her life, and she didn't want to see him die.

"Why me?" Daryl asks, unconvinced.

"Your crossbow is quieter than his gun. While Daryl waits here in the alley, I run up the street, grab the bag." Glenn answers. He avoids Iris' gaze, as if he knew she would be pleading with him if he met her eyes.

"You got us elsewhere?" Rick kneels down beside Glenn.

Glenn nods, pointing to a second street further up from the camp. "You and Iris and T-Dog, right. You'll be in this alley here."

Iris frowns. "All three of us? Can't I come with you? Then I could have your back."

Glenn shakes his head. "No. The three of you because that alley hasn't been cleared yet, so you'll need more manpower." He finally looks up at her and smiles. "Plus, I still have that hand in my backpack and it's really gross, remember?"

"Glenn-"

"We're two blocks away? Why?" Rick interrupts. Iris sighs.

"I may not be able to come back the same way. Walkers might cut me off. If that happens, I won't go back to Daryl. I'll go forward instead, all the way around to that alley where you guys are. Whichever direction I go, I got you in both places to cover me. Afterwards, we'll all meet back here." Glenn explains.

Daryl, Rick, T-Dog and Iris share looks. It seems the other three were seeing what Iris always could. Even if she was still a little mad that he was doing the dangerous part all by himself. She had to pick her battles, she supposed. Rick smirks as Glenn keeps drawing his map.

Daryl whistles. "Hey, kid, what'd you do before all this?"

Glenn looks up. "Delivered pizzas. Why?"

Iris smiles.

There was no time to waste, and the group had to get Glenn's plan in action. Iris was between T-Dog and Rick as they moved into the alleyway. The three of them took out all of the walkers that were blocking the exit, including Iris, though she used the knife on her belt rather than her gun, because it would've drawn more noise towards them and Glenn needed it to be clear if he ended up running in their direction.

Iris swallows as she drives her knife into the skull of a walker, grimacing as it almost fell on her feet. "I'm sorry."

"Iris!" T-Dog yells, and she whips around and stabs another walker, twice in the head, whispering another apology.

Rick steps over the body. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Iris breathes and runs a hand through her hair. "Sorry."

"Hey, don't apologise for feeling bad. It makes you human." Rick holds a hand on her shoulder. Iris nods her head, licking her lips as she averted her gaze from the bodies on the ground. Rick and T-Dog move them together, piling them up so that they're out of the way.

"Do you think Glenn has the guns yet?" T-Dog asks.

"I hope so." Iris whispers, poking her head out. "I can't see anything from here. Stupid two blocks away."

"Wait, shut up." Rick interrupts. Iris was about to scoff at him when he spoke again. "Do you hear that?"

Iris perks up. Someone was yelling, a word she couldn't distinguish and a voice she didn't recognise. Then: "Help! Help!"

"Oh, god." Iris whispers, and the three of them break out into a run. They were too far away to get there in time if there was a walker problem. "Stupid, stupid, two blocks away."

By the time they arrive at the alleyway where Daryl was, the archer was slamming his fist on a closed gate at the end of the alley as a car skidded off, too fast for Iris to see who was driving it. "Come back here, you sumbitches!"

There was a younger man standing in the alleyway, no older than a teenager. Iris guessed that this was the voice they had heard calling for help. Before Iris can reach him to ask him if he is okay, Daryl pushes off of the gate and slams him into the wall, in a fit of rage.

Rick jumps up, trying to pull Daryl off. "Whoa whoa whoa. Stop it."

"I'm gonna kick your nuts up in your throat!"

"Let me go!" The teenager yells.

"Chill out." T-Dog says to him..

"Daryl!" Iris shouts.

"They took Glenn." Daryl shoves the teenager against the wall again. "That little bastard and his little bastard homie friends. I'm gonna stomp your ass!"

Iris felt her soul leave her body. "What?! They what? Daryl!"

Daryl doesn't reply, too preoccupied with the kid to answer her shouts. Iris yelps in anger and runs over to the gate, but it wouldn't budge and even if it did, the car that had taken Glenn was long gone. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

The panic started to rise in her as she kicked the gate, letting all of her pent up emotions out. They can't have taken Glenn, not strong, capable, reckless Glenn. Her best friend who she'd promised to herself she'd take care of because he didn't have any other family. The one time she'd joined him on a run, and he'd been taken.

"Guys! Guys! We're cut off!" T-Dog yells.

"Get to the lab. Go." Rick says, picking up the bag of guns that Glenn must've dropped. He pauses, and walks over to her, taking her by the arm. "Iris, let's go."

Iris allowed Rick to drag her, forcing her feet to co-operate and following the others towards the lab. Daryl had the teenager by the wrist. "Come on. Damn, let's go."

The moment they stumble into the room, Daryl shoves the kid down on a chair. Rick lets go of Iris, and she immedietely starts pacing the room, breathing in and out erratically.

Rick leans down, his hands on his hips. "Those men you were with, we need to know where they went."

The kid scoffs, shaking his head. "I ain't telling you nothing."

T-Dog looks at Daryl, his eyes as big as saucers. "Jesus, man. What the hell happened back there?"

"I told you, this little turd and his douchebag friends came out of nowhere and jumped me." Daryl grunts back, pointing at the teenager.

"You're the one who jumped me, puto, screaming about trying to find his brother like it's my damn fault." The boy shouts back.

"They took Glenn." Daryl turns around to look at Rick, and Iris could see the pleading in his eyes. "Could have taken Merle too."

The kid's face lights up, and he starts chuckling. Iris glares at him. "Merle? What kind of hick name is that? I wouldn't name my dog Merle."

Daryl's eyes narrow and he lunges forward, going to kick the teenager but Rick holds him back, pulling him away. "Damn it, Daryl. Back off."

Iris takes the opportunity of Rick being distracted to kneel down in front of the teenager, glaring at him with unusually fiery eyes. She wasn't typically quick to anger, but this was really pissing her off. "Listen here, kid. You don't wanna mess with him, okay. So you tell me right now where your men went, or I swear to God, I'll-"

"Iris!" Rick spits, letting go of Daryl to reign her in. "Don't make me hold you back too."

Iris doesn't struggle in Rick's hold, but she follows Daryl with her eyes as he is free from her brother's grip. Daryl takes Merle's hand out of Glenn's backpack and Iris feels a rush of emotion all at once. Stupid hand, stupid guns, stupid anger.

"Want to see what happened to the last guy that pissed me off?" Daryl says, his voice low. Rick tenses up, but Iris stares at him until he sighs and nods, letting go of Iris.

The kid starts to back away, shaking like a leaf at the sight of the severed hand. Daryl smiles sinister. "Start with the feet this time."

Iris crouches next to him. "All we want is a location. I'd start talking if I were you."

The teenager nods, raising his hands in fear. "Okay. Okay."

Thank god for that hand.

𖤓𖤓𖤓

The pit in Iris' stomach still hadn't let up. Not when Miguel told them the location of his hideout, not when they made a plan to talk to his leader, and certainly not when they arrived outside.

"I don't like this." Iris says, biting her lip as she stared up at the building. "I don't like this. What if we can't get him back? What if they hurt him?"

"We're gonna get him back." Rick replies. "Iris? We're gonna get him back."

"I wouldn't go near him because of the stupid hand." Iris says, sniffing and closing her eyes. "Just because I thought it was gross. I should've hugged him goodbye. And now he could be gone."

Rick sighs. "Iris, he's gonna be fine. He wasn't offended. He's your-"

"Best friend." Iris finishes, wiping away at her eyes. Rick only nods. "Okay. I can do this. We can do this."

The plan included T-Dog taking a rifle to the roof of one of the neighbouring buildings to provide them some extra protection. Rick hands him the gun. "You sure you're up for this?"

"Yeah." T-Dog nods, and he moves away, ready to set up. Iris holds onto her stomach. This was getting all the more real.

Daryl's grip on Miguel tightens. "One wrong move, you get an arrow in the ass. Just so you know."

"G's gonna take that arrow out of my ass and shove it up yours. Just so you know." Miguel shot back. Iris scoffs.

"G?" Rick questions.

"Guillermo. He's the man here."

Iris raises her eyebrow. "Hell of a man if he frequently kidnaps people who did him no wrong."

Miguel rolls his eyes. "Debatable."

Rick clicks his tongue. "Enough. Let's go see Guillermo."

The building was clearly affected by the government's napalm attack on the city. It was partially collapsed and surrounded by overgrown plants, and it looked like something out of a dystopian movie. Which, to be fair, was their reality now. A really creepy, dystopian movie.

As if he knew that they were there, the doors opened with a stiffening creak, and a man that Iris assumed to be Guillermo stepped out. Something shifted in the atmosphere around them, and the pit in her stomach only grew.

Guillermo looks over at Miguel. "You okay, little man?"

"They're gonna cut off my feet, carnal." Miguel replies. Iris shoots him a look. Did he really think they were being serious?

"Cops do that?" Guillermo looks amused, staring at Rick's uniform.

"Not him." Miguel replies. "This redneck puto here, and that spitfire blondie. He cut off some dude's hand, man. He showed it to me."

Well, maybe Daryl was serious.

"Shut up." Daryl grunts.

One of Guillermo's men, who he was surrounded by and who were protecting him, steps forward and aims his weapon directly at Daryl's head. "Hey, that's that Vato right there, homes. He shot me in the ass with an arrow.”

Iris tenses, her hands going straight to the gun in her belt. She didn't want to shoot anyone, but if these men have Glenn and won't let him go, she can't help but think she would use it in a heartbeat.

Guillermo chuckles, holding his hand in front of the man's gun. "Chill, ese, chill. Chill. This true? He wants Miguelito's feet? That's pretty sick, man."

"We were hoping more for a calm discussion." Rick interjects, holding his hands out.

Guillermo steps forward. "That hillbilly jumps Felipe's little cousin, beats on him, threatens to cut off his feet, Felipe gets an arrow in the ass and that blonde spitfire as he puts it hasn't taken her hand off of her gun, and you want a calm discussion? You fascinate me."

Rick turns to look at Iris, staring at her and the gun, silently communicating with her. Iris sighs and flexes her jaw, letting go of the gun.

"Heat of the moment. Mistakes were made on both sides." Rick rationalises.

"Who's that dude to you anyway? You don't look related."

"He's one of our group, more or less. I'm sure you have a few like him." Rick says calmly.

"He's family." Iris adds, keeping her hand in a tight fist.

"You got my brother in there?" Daryl asks.

"Sorry, we're fresh out of white boys. But I've got Asian. You interested?" Guillermo offers. Iris straightens, searching every man around Guillermo for Glenn.

Rick holds onto Miguel. "I have one of yours, you have one of mine. Sounds like an even trade."

"Don't sound even to me."

Oh, what an asshole.

"Come on, man." Miguel holds his arms out.

"My people got attacked. Where's the compensation for their pain and suffering? More to the point, where's my bag of guns?" Guillermo raises his voice, sounding more and more frustrated.

"Guns?" Rick echoes, tilting his head.

"The bag Miguel saw in the street. The bag Felipe and Jorge were going back to get. That bag of guns."

"You're mistaken." Rick's words were deliberate, planned. Iris knew that she had to keep her cool, that they had T-Dog in place and that they had a plan.

"I don't think so." Guillermo was confident, so confident that Iris was struggling to just stand there and let Rick take the lead.

"About it being yours. It's my bag of guns."

"The bag was in the street. Anybody could come around and say it was theirs. I'm supposed to take your word? What's to stop my people from unloading on you right here and now and I take what's mine?" Guillermo threatens.

"You could do that." Rick shrugs. "Or not."

Rick points to the roof of the building behind them, where T-Dog was in place, holding his gun straight as he stared through the lense of the gun.

Iris breathes out, put at ease as she spots T-Dog in position, playing their mastercard. They had the guns, they had Miguel, they had T-Dog. They had everything they needed to save Glenn.

Guillermo doesn't even react to the sniper. He makes a call to his men, and Iris' attention is brought to a commotion happening on the other roof. There were two men, holding onto a third with a bag over his head and a fourth holding a big gun to his body.

Iris gasps.

No, no, no, no, no.

It was Glenn.

Iris takes her gun out, her hands shaking and her eyes seeing only red.

"I see two options. You come back with Miguel and my bag of guns, everybody walks. Or you come back locked and loaded, we'll see which side spills more blood." Guillermo says, turning on his heels with his men and slamming the door.

Iris' eyes fill with tears, staring up at Glenn as he was practically dangled off of the roof. She couldn't properly make out his face, but she could imagine the fear that was on it as the gun was held closer and closer to the back of his head.

There was a single moment where she could've sworn he stared straight at her before he was dragged off again.

Iris didn't walk away until Rick dragged her away, kicking and screaming.

AUTHORS NOTE

❥ And we're here again!
❥ I'm aware I literally updated yesterday but I wrote this whole chapter today and I could not resist posting.
❥ Writing this chapter was so much fun, it's so funny that Rick literally knows about Iris and Glenn but Iris herself is so oblivious.
❥ I can't wait until Iris gets more experience, right now she's very innocent and she's not really a fighter, but her time will come I promise.
❥ Please comment and vote if you liked <3