It wasn't often that Merle Dixon had admitted to being protective over his family and by all things on the Earth this wouldn't be one of those times. But there was something that made him want to try to keep the people at the prison safe.

There was his brother; the obvious first choice for the person he would save in a heartbeat. No matter whatever happened to him or the group, he would make sure that Daryl would benefit from it. He would make it out there and he would live a good life for the both of them. His life would make ol' Merle's death mean something.

There was the Mouse. She wasn't quite half so timid as the last time he saw her and this new confidence made her all the more appealing. She had went from someone that he guessed he would have to step in and save (before Daryl attempted it and ultimately failed), to someone he could see himself trusting to have his back on a run. He hoped she made it out alive.

There was his ray of sunshine. Beth Greene was the one person in the entire prison, apart from Little Ass Kicker, that he could see people forcing him away from. He wasn't good enough for her. Merle Dixon wasn't worthy enough to look at her, all thoughts of guarding her and keeping her safe and sound were completely foolish.

As he drove along the road, listening to Samurai Girl try to appeal to his better nature, the faces flashed through his mind. Every person back at that prison he had met. Every soul that would have someone mourning for them if they died. He had his little brother. From as far back as he could remember it had been the two of them against the world, ready to kick ass and get shit done. Nobody could part the two of them until the world went to ruin and even then they still found their way back to each other.

It was oddly poetic, he thought, if you went in for that sort of thing. The decision he was ultimately contemplating was going to be one that he took away from the group and it would be him leaving them this time. They weren't handcuffing him to some pipe and leaving him to rot with walkers nearby. They were staying safe and sound and snug in their beds while he would do the hard work that nobody else wanted to.

Merle wouldn't admit to being protective over the prison group but damn them all to eternal hell if he would let the Governor get a hold of them.