"No Merle no me."

Daryl said coldly. Rick, Glenn, and Maggie stood looking horrified.

"That's not what I meant!"

Glenn squealed angrily. Daryl didn't respond. Rick looked even horrified.

"Well that's what I said. No Merle no me."

Maggie blinked holding her hands up.

"What about Emily? What do we tell her?"

Daryl frowned harder. He hadn't really thought much about his girlfriend. Rick turned to him.

"Don't do this Daryl. Emily has already lost her mother she can't lose you too. If you do this to her than you are basically saying you never loved her."

The last thing Rick wanted was to have to explain to his daughter why her boyfriend wasn't around anymore. In the beginning Rick wasn't too thrilled with the idea of his oldest child and Daryl having an intimate relationship but he quickly changed his mind when he saw that Daryl was devoted to her.

Rick could only watch in a stupor as Daryl turned and walked away. How could Daryl just walk way? The one person he possibly trusted with his group's safety was gone.

(2 months later)

Fall had come rather quickly for everyone in the group. Getting the prison ready for fall was becoming a group effort. Rick had gone nuts over Lori again and was out doing "things and stuff." Everyone else meanwhile, was left picking up the pieces. Emily and Beth had taken duty over taking care of baby Judith. Between caring for her new baby sister and keeping Carl in check, Emily didn't have much time for herself.

Emily was still in mourning over Daryl. She never spoke of him to anyone but it was plain to see she hadn't moved on. To Emily, his abandonment of the group left her wondering if he actually ever did love her like he said? If he loved her he wouldn't have left her would he? Daryl knew the hell that she had been going through at the time and he still walked away. Emily tried to reason with herself it was because of his brother. IF she had been in his position would she had left Carl all alone in the woods while going off with her friends? Probably not.

"I thought I would have meant something."

Emily had said bitterly to Carol one night when keeping watch. The older woman looked at her with eyes full of pain.

"Honey you did! Daryl just has his code."

Emily sighed running a hand through her long wavy hair.

"Yeah to just use me as a bed warmer. He saw me, staked me out, claimed me for his own, took my virginity, used me as a bed warmer for almost a year, then abandons me."

One afternoon, Emily stood helping Carol hang clean sheets on their make shift clothes line.

"Did I ever tell you how much I missed my old Maytag?"

Carol asked with a grin. Emily laughed tucking a clean sheet over the line before glancing to make sure that Judith was still sleeping in the laundry basket beside her.

"Just every time we do laundry."

She looked up as Beth came running up looking at her with wide excited eyes.

"Daryl is back!"

Emily frowned. In the beginning, she was used to Daryl disappearing for days a time to go hunting then come back and be his normal self. At first she despised him however, within months they were sleeping together and he was "keepin an eye on her."

Her thoughts were interrupted by Carol who had touched her arm.

"Come on."

She said with a soft smile. Emily didn't know why she wasn't jumping for joy to hear that her boyfriend was back. Was it the past two months' worth of bitter feelings coming to a head? Whatever it was Emily wanted to make Daryl feel as bad as she did at that particular moment.

Walking into the cell block Emily came face to face with her now ex boyfriend who stop feet away. To her relief, he was in one piece and still looked like he had just left a biker rally. The only difference now was his hair was longer.

She and Daryl exchanged looks for few moments. Typically this would have been Daryl undressing her with his eyes by right now it was Emily starring into his soul with rage filled eyes while he was silently begging for forgiveness.

Daryl knew he fucked up. He would admit it if Emily asked him to. Never in a million years should he have followed Merle into those woods. He should have gone back to his woman who was waiting for him. She was the first person that actually seemed to give a genuine damn about him and look how he went and done her.

"Well sugar tits. You are one of the best looking things in this prison. Who might you be?"

Emily turned glaring at Merle knowing immediately who he was. She felt her temper rising to a boil. The last thing she wanted was this man calling her anything.

"Merle!"

Daryl said coldly as Emily pulled out a revolver and pointed it right in between Merle's eyes. The whole room had grown dead silent. Maggie whimpered while Glen looked like he was ready to cheer Emily on. Herschel was just frowning while standing beside Carl and a very nervous looking Carol.

"Emily no."

Daryl said softly hopping to calm his very pissed girlfriend off.

"Whew girly you're feisty aren't ya? No wonder my lil brother is so hard up for ya. Must have some magic lady parts to get him this desperate for someone."

Emily glared at Merle before lowering her gun.

"Obviously not magical enough."

She said coldly before turning and storming out of the cell block.