Title: The Lost Boy
Summary: It's about life beyond Merle, beyond Rick and the group. Because for the first time in his life, Daryl's starting to wonder what it is he really wants. And who he really wants to be.
Notes: Based on an idea I had for life beyond the current show with Rick and the group. So this is a future fic. There will be a lot of unanswered questions at the start, and hopefully I can answer them as we go.

The problem with Merle was, he liked to talk.

"You see little brother, the problem with trapsing through these woods is, you gotta make a kill a day 'cause you ain't ever got anything else on you to eat. Gotta start thinking ahead."

Always had done.

Whether you wanted to hear it or not.

"Now, the smart thing would be to find a nice little cabin in the woods or some fancy huntin' lodge and hole up in there. Yep, get a place out of the way where we can call home."

He didn't always have bad suggestions. Just depends what exactly was on his mind.

"Course, you'll probably wanna find a new group o' saps that can drain you. Go huntin' for 'em and save their damn asses everyday. Hm? That sound good to you?"

"Shut up, Merle."

Merle smirked at him before he walked across past the small camp fire Daryl had going and into the trees until the light didn't find Merle any more and he was lost in the darkness.

Daryl kept his eyes on his brother. "Jack ass," he muttered, standing up as he readied his crossbow, aiming it where Merle had just gone.

He could hear the footsteps as they approached.

"Shit!" came a startled voice as a teenage boy stepped out of the darkness. After getting over the initial shock of seeing Daryl, he realised the man had a weapon aimed at him and he held his hands up.

Daryl saw Merle skirt round just behind the boy, looking to see how dangerous he was, looking to see if he was alone. He nodded to Daryl. "Whatcha still holding your weapon for, boy?"

Daryl noticed the club still in the boys hand and nodded towards it. "Drop it,"

Suddenly noticing it too, the boy dropped it like it had burnt him. "Please..." was all he said as Daryl eyed him suspiciously.

"He's okay," Merle reassured his brother.

"Why are you out here?"

"I was with a group... it all kinda went to hell. Tempers and... I didn't really fit in with them, so I took off."

Daryl lowered the crossbow before sitting back down on the fallen log.

"Sit down," Daryl said, nodding to the opposite side of the fire. Merle's side.

"Yeah, he looks like a nice little stray you can take in. Maybe he'll let you pet him. You'd like that, right?"

"Shut up," Daryl told him.

"I-I didn't say anything," the kid said.

"I weren't talking to you. "

"Oh," the boy said and he looked into the fire.

Merle chuckled. "First guy the kid runs into and he's a Grade A psycho who talks to himself. Best make sure he don't kill you in yer sleep."

"So, it's not just you out here?" The boy asked hopefully.

"Jus' me. Don't fret much, I'm jus' talkin' to ghosts, is all. I ain't crazy."

"But your talking to someone who's not there?"

"He weren't there much when he was alive," Daryl scoffed. "Death don't make that much difference."

"Hey!" Merle protested.

"And he never listened."

"Fuck you, man!" Merle shouted angrily at Daryl.

"Boyfriend?" The boy asked.

"Hell no! I look like a fag to you?" Daryl pushed, angrily.

Merle snorted with laughter at that. "Kids got a good eye, baby bro. Picks you for a queer straight away!"

"My brother," Daryl replied, ignoring Merle's taunting. "What's yer name?"

"Danny."

"Daryl. You can stay here the night if you want. I ain't stayin' though."

"You're moving on?"

Daryl nodded.

"Aww, ain't gonna leave him behind are ya?" Merle teased in Daryl's ear.

"I was with a group a while back. Got some unfinished business I need to take care of. I got a ways to go yet."

"What kinda business?"

Daryl smirked. "Never you mind, kid. You can tag along, s'long as you don't get in the way and make yourself useful."

"Um... o-okay. Thanks." The kid sat nervously watching Daryl for a while before he decided to try and prove his usefulness to Daryl. "Look, I... I can take watch while you get some sleep, if you want. I know I don't look like I can handle myself but... I've survived."

Daryl eyed him a minute. He knew by now you couldn't base anything on what someone looked like.

Danny didn't look like a survivor. Didn't look like he could last 5 minutes in this world. But he had.

So briefly looking behind the boy, to the tree-line where Merle was lingering. He looked back towards Daryl before he slipped away into the woods.

Daryl turned his attention back to Danny, who was watching him closely.

"Okay," Daryl said, nodding slightly. "But I'm a light sleeper, so... don't try anything."

"Trust me," Danny said.

And with that, Daryl disappeared into the small tent he'd set up and wondered where exactly Merle had gone.