It wasn't just them. It was never just them. But the rest of the group didnt know that. They would never ever know that. But sometimes Daryl thinks they should. For Merle's sake. They think he's just a drug addicting asshole. He wasn't always like that. He used to be the kind of brother you could talk to. Sometimes, just the women, but sometimes he would talk about feelings. He wasn't always an ass, not before...nevermind. But he used to be nice.

"Could you quit grabbin' me"

"I'm trying to be fun, but you just won't let me"

Danny was trying to mess with Bambi, just because he knew it would bother her. Danny was Daryl and Merle's cousin. Bambi, Merle's daughter.

"Quit it, I'm trying to do my homework!"

"Does it look like I care?"

"Hey Danny, quit messing with my girl"

"But, she started it!"

"Ok, how?"

"Um...She's just really fun to annoy?"

"Nope"

"Crap"

Merle got Danny to leave her alone. Then her and Sofia did their homework. Sofia was their baby sister. Biologically Bambi was her neice, but she was a year younger than her, so they just didnt really acknowledge that. Bambi's mom ditched her with Merle when she was a week old. She knew that Miranda, Merle's girlfriend, wasnt her mom but she still let her raise her. Miranda was actually the only one who was a little scared about the stories on the news about that disease going around, spreading rapidly.

"But do think they'll have a vaccine so we wont be like that?"

"They have vaccines for everything, besides its across the damn ocean, so who cares"

"But what if it does reach us before they get a vaccine?"

"Then we'll...duck and cover"

"Danny, you and I both know that wont work"

"Miranda, even Merle knows that wont work"

Bambi and Sofia both started laughing. Merle came in the room. "Their laughter is never good, what happened?"

Miranda looked back at him "Danny called you an idiot"

"Oh..well, that happens all the time, but Danny-"

"Hm?"

"You're a dick"

The girls started laughing again. "Do your homework"

"Yes sir" Sofia was laughing at Bambi's remark.

"I dont hear homework"

"Yeah, thats cuz we aint doin' it"

Sofia was laughing so hard she fell on the floor. Daryl came in the kitchen, to see his little sister laying on the floor laughing.

"Should I go?"

Danny yelled at him "Yes, leave!"

"Danny, go home, your always here!"

"So are you"

"I live here!"

"You aint here that much"

"But, you- nevermind, just go home"

"Hm hmm, keep an eye out for your dad. Rumor has it, he's back in town"

Merle ran back in the room "What?"

"Your dad's comin' back"

"No he aint, he cant, this is my house now! He has to turn around! Go to one of those diseased places so he can die"

Sofia stopped laughing. She came in the living room. Daryl wrapped his arm around her. "What if he just came to beat me?"

They all looked at her "I'm the baby, he hates me the most"

"Nobody hates you"

"Not even daddy?"

There was a pause "No.."

"You're a really bad liar, Daryl" She ran off into her room. Bambi followed her. Merle looked at Daryl.

"What?"

"You just had to say no"

"Well what was I supposed to do? Say, sorry Sofia but our dad hates you? Was I sposed' to say that?"

"You could of worded it differently"

"That dont change it"

"Ya know, the longer you dont go talk to her, the bigger ass you are"

"Shut up, I'm going"

He went into Sofia's room, it was Bambi's too, but when he came in Bambi left to let them talk. Sofia was curled up in a ball on her bed.

Daryl closed the door "Can I talk to you?"

She shrugged. He sat on the edge of her bed. "You know I'm a really crappy conversation-haver"

She nodded. "But hey, um, you know...he hates all three of us...Bambi too...Were you old enough to remember when he beat her?"

She turned around "He beat Bambi?"

"Hm hmm, I guess since she was three you were only two, so you wouldn't remember"

"He beat her?"

"Yeah"

"When she was three?"

"Yeah, Merle left her home alone cuz he couldn't stay home and neither could anyone else. When he came home, even though it was for only three hours, she was crying under her blanket and her nose was bleeding and she had two black eyes."

"He just left her home?"

"Just for the record, when he came home she was in the same place he left her in...After that he just started taking her to work with him."

"How is this supposed to make me feel better?"

"Idunno, just that he hates everyone, dont make a big deal out of it"

She mumbled "K"

"Good" He kissed her forehead "Go take a shower, its late"

"Ok"

The next morning Merle was watching cartoons with Miranda and the news report came on. It showed people attacking other people. Eating them. Killing them, without even knowing. Attacking their own family. Merle saw those...things outside their own window.

"Oh, holy shit!"

Miranda jumped up and followed him into the back room where they kept all the hunting stuff. Daryl woke up and went in their with them. Merle threw a bag at him.

"Fill it, we gotta go!"

"Oh fuck"

The front door opened and their dad came in. He came in all relaxed. Covered in blood from killing those..things. When the door slammed Danny woke up and jumped off the couch.

"Oh my god, Merle!"

He ran down the hallway and got really pissed when he saw his dad. "You need to get out! Now!"

"Hey, its my goddamned house, I can do what I want!"

"No it aint, its my house!"

"You only grew up here!"

"Exactly"!

Their fighting woke up the girls. Sofia went over to Daryl when she saw him.

"Daddy!"

Daryl came up behind her and grabbed her, holding her back

"Oh real nice Daryl, dont let my own daughter hug me"

"I was shouting your name in fear you ass!"

Bambi came up behind Merle and tried to grab one of the bags he had. Their dad noticed her.

"Hey there Bambi, ya know-"

Merle shoved him away, cutting him off, guiding Bambi behind him. "Dont you ever go near my little girl"

He got out of their way. Bambi was still behind Merle with a wad of his shirt in her fist, like how she did when she was little.

It was halloween and Sofia and Bambi were princesses. Other kids had scarier costumes and they really did scare Bambi. She would hide behind Merle the whole time. Sofia fell asleep after the first hour and Daryl had to carry her. They kept going so Bambi could get more candy. They got to one house with a lot of scary decorations and big kids dressed as the living dead. Bambi stood there behind Merle with a wad of his shirt in her hands.

"Hey Merle?"

"Hm?"

"I dont think shes gonna go anymore"

"Why not?"

"I mean look at that house with the robotic decorations, and the big kids, then look at her."

He looked behind him and saw her cowering in fear "Oh"

"We should probably call it a night then"

"Yeah, C'mon princess" He picked up Bambi and they went home.

They were pretty much done packing supplies and clothes and stuff. They started to go for the door. They didnt know what to do since the undead was crowding it. Their dad got in front of them. Bambi tried to turn the doorknob. Merle grabbed her and pulled her back by Daryl, who was still holding back Sofia. Merle stood there looking out the window for a while. Almost too long. Miranda came up behind him.

"Merle?"

He handed his bag to her and pulled the door open. Sofia and Bambi screamed in Daryl's arms. Miranda jumped back. Merle reached back and threw his dad out the door then slammed it shut. They all ran for the back door, which was clear with their sacrifice. Once they were outside Daryl picked up Sofia and Danny pulled Bambi behind him. They all ran for their lives.