Chapter 46 - Unexpected Visitor

[Daryl's POV]

I leaned back against the wall and let out a frustrated growl.

"What's got yer panties in a bunch, little brother?" Merle said, smirking as Merle stepped out of the shadows.

I shot a glare at him and went to my cot.

I laid back on it and stared at the ceiling. My head rested on my arm. My words floated through my head.

"Yeah, well your brother is dead! But mine is alive! Of course I'd go with him!"

I really fucked up. I thought.

*******

[Rebecca's POV]

It's the next day and I have to say... I feel like shit. I barely slept last night. Nightmares of Dillan were all I have been having since Daryl's words. I woke up sweating, breathing heavy, and crying. Merle was deemed a threat and was locked up, not that I cared.

I pulled out my seat as sat next to Haley. She looked over at me and noticeably flinched.

"Man you look like shit." she said.

"Thanks." I said sarcastically.

I sighed as I rested my head on the table.

"Haven't been sleeping well?" she asked.

"No... Not recently."

Daryl came in and looked at me as he walked past. I ignored him the entire time as he sit farther down the table.

"What was that?" Haley asked.

"What was what?" I said, not wanting to hear a lecture.

"What was that with Daryl?"

"What he deserved." with that I stood up and walked down the hall.

I was stopped by Rick. "We need to meet in the armory. Everyone." he stated.

I nodded and waited there as everyone came in.

"We need to discuss the events that have happened recently." he said.

"What are we going to do?" Maggie asked.

"We're not leaving." Rick said as he cocked back a gun.

"Well you should." Merle said.

"If Rick says we're not leaving, then we aren't." Glenn agreed.

"We can't stay here. It's not safe anymore." Hershel said.

"What if there is another sniper? A wood pallet is not going to stop one of those rounds." Maggie said.

"We can't even go outside." Beth agreed, leaning against the railing.

"Not in the daylight." I scoffed, crossing my arms and leaning against the walls.

"We aren't running." Rick stated.

"No, it's better to live like rats." Merle laughed.

"You got a better idea?" Rick said, everyone looking in Merle's direction.

"Yeah, we shoulda' slipped out of here last night. Lived to fight another day. Lost that window, now didn't we?" he said, leaning on the bars, his arms through the gaps. "I'm sure he's got scouts on every road from now.

"We ain't scared of that prick." Daryl says, walking into sight.

"Ya'll should be." Merle says. "That truck through the fence thing... That's just him ringing the doorbell. You may have thick walls to hide behind, but he's got guns and numbers."

I let out a sigh and push off the wall.

"Well Merle, we aren't scared of him. You may be scared cause you were his lil bitch back there. Unlike you I don't plan on rolling over and showing him my stomach." I growled at him.

"I ain't no one's bitch, honey. I know how he's thinking. If he takes the high ground with us, shit, he could just starve us out."

"Let's put him in another cell." Maggie said.

"No, he has a point." Daryl says.

"This is all you! You started this!" Maggie yelled at him.

"Who the fuck cares? Why does it matter who's fault it is? Bickering like a bunch of whiny children isn't going to change the fact that we need to know what we should do!" I snapped at them, shutting them all up.

"I said we should leave." Hershel stated again. "Now Axel's dead."

Everyone was quiet as he continued.

"We can't just sit here."

Rick looked at him and walked off.

Hershel struggled to get up.

"Get back here!" he yelled at Rick's retreating back.

I sighed as everyone watched him stop.

"You're slipping." Hershel started as he moved over to him. "We've all seen it and understand why, but now is not the time. You once said it was not a democracy. Now you have to own up to it."

Rick turned around and looked at him.

"I put my family's life in your hands. So get your head clear... and do something."

******

They decided to keep Merle. I had stormed off after I argued that we shouldn't.

"Rick we can't keep him!" I yelled at him.

"We can't kick him out." Rick hissed.

"He is a menace! He is the whole reason that Glenn and I got injured. The main reason I almost died!" I hissed back at him.

"Well if he goes, you know Daryl will go." he snapped at me.

"Then send that fucker too!" I yelled at him.

"Merle has military experience." Hershel said, coming up behind me.

"We can't pass up that kind of opportunity. That is final." Rick said, ending the conversation.

I let out a growl of frustration and slammed my fist into the wall before walking away.

I walked in and saw Michonne doing workouts. I sat down next to her. She glanced over at me before continuing doing push ups. I started doing the same things.

"Ya' know they say workouts help get rid of anger." I said as I pushed up with one arm behind my back.

"Is it true?" I said as we both stretched up and jumped up to our two front feet.

She let out a small chuckle.

"Hasn't worked for me yet." she replied.

Merle came in a second and sat down. I glared forward, ignoring him.

"Staying fit is important." he said.

I rolled my eyes as we sat back and started doing sit ups.

"Can't forget the cardio." he added.

We both stayed silent as we continued doing them.

"Look, since we are going to be living under the same roof... I think we should clear the air between us." he said.

I scoffed at his words.

"I want you to know, Michonne. That the whole, hunting you down and tryin' to kill ya' was all just orders."

"Hmm, like the Gestapo." she said, side glancing at him.

"Yes. Exactly." he smirked.

"And the whole, cutting your leg up and such. All part of business." he said to me.

"Well, my wanting to kill you is all part of business too." I snapped at him. Jumping up from the ground and stretching my arms.

"Well I hope we can get past it. Let bygones be bygones." he said, leaving.

I scoffed and glared at his back.

******

I was in my post when there was yelling and I came out to see Andrea.

A/N:
I updated! Finally. This felt really forced, but hey if I get this done then I can get closer to the ending. Probably only 10-20 chapters left people. =w= Can't wait to end it. hehe

Thanks Haley for pushing me to type. I needed to. XD