Chapter 2

Morning came quickly and Arianna had kept watch all night. She couldn't remember the last time she really slept always keeping watch over Abby, afraid if she slept something bad would happen. When the world went to hell she had been watching Abby at her apartment for the night so her parents could have a romantic evening. But when the dead starting attacking Arianna and Abby had raced over to Abby's house to try and get her parents but they were too late. They had been bit. Her mother had shot her father and was waiting to see Abby one last time before making Ari promise to always protect her daughter to which Ari agreed before ending her life before she could turn. Since then it had been just her and Abby traveling around trying to find a safe place.

"Ok let's get you out of here so you can get back to your brother." She said when Merle and Abby woke up.

To pass the time and try to keep his mind off the cuts on his wrist that she knew were killing him not to mention the withdrawal he was having from his drug use, she kept him talking. Telling him all about her life. Why she did that she had no clue but it just kinda came out and it felt good to talk to someone, even if it was a stranger.

"So after I was released from the hospital from my father trying to kill me I ran away. Lived on the streets until I met Abby's mother who took pity on me and gave me a place to stay. Got me a job and gave me a new life." She finished up her story and Merle was shocked. She had the same childhood that he and Daryl had.

"What happened to the bastard?" Merle ask.

"Went to jail when he was arrested for selling drugs. Died in jail." She told him and he felt sick knowing that just yesterday he was high on meth beating up his group because he couldn't control himself. What if she had been there too? What if he had hurt her or the little girl? God he had to get off that shit before he killed someone.

"Good. My Pa was the same. Use to beat on me and my brother until we finally left." Merle told her and Ari nodded.

"Guess we have a lot in common." She told him and before he could reply the door to the roof flew open.

"Merle. Merle" His brother screamed.

"Hey get away from him." He heard Daryl yell and before he could say anything Arianna yelled out in pain and Merle looked over to see a bolt from Daryl's crossbow sticking out of her bicep.

"No damn it boy, what the fuck. She was helping me. Saved my life. Shit." Merle yelled when his brothers shocked face came into view. Abby was kneeling over Ari crying.

"You fucking shot me. Dickhead. Damn." Arianna said stunned as she clutched her arm. Merle was jerking at his cuffs to try and get over to help her and Abby was refusing to let anyone near her god mother.

"Go get away from her." Abby yelled at Glenn and Rick who had tried to see if they could help. Seeing how upset the child was they backed away not wanting to make it worse.

"I. I thought she was a walker or something. Shit." Daryl tried to explain, starting to pace. He felt horrible for shooting an innocent women who was just trying to help his brother. Damn it.

"Let me loose so I can see to her." Merle yelled at officer friendly when it seemed no one was moving to do anything.

"Before I let you lose are we going to have any problems?" Rick ask. Merle glared at him but shook his head no.

"Naw. Just let me out." He replied and Rick did as he ask. Daryl watched in stunned silence as his brother a man that helps no one crawled over towards this strange women and tried to calm her and the little girl down.

"Hey now. I'm sorry about my brother. He didn't mean to. He reacted without thinking. A lot like me. Will ya let me see if I can pull it out?" Merle ask her. Arianna was lying against the side of the building holding her arm while Abby was wrapped around her crying into her other shoulder.

Nodding Ari lowered her hand so Merle could look at her arm ignoring his painful wrist. He was glad she was wearing sleeveless shirt so he was able to see that the bolt only pierced a small chunk of flesh on her outer bicep.

"Yall got a first aid kit or something?" he ask and Abby nodded before climbing out of Ari's lap and going over towards Ari's bag, but not before kicking Daryl in the shins on the way over.

"Fuck." Daryl grunted when this little kid kick the shit out of him.

Merle and the others laughed as he grunted in pain but didn't dare say anything to the child. Knowing he deserved much more than that.

"We're going to need to pull it out before bandaging it up. It's going to hurt like hell." He told her while ordering his brother to come help him. Arianna eyed Daryl as he kneeled down next to his brother. She could tell in his eyes he truly was sorry so she wasn't too angry with him. Plus he was a fine piece of strong southern man so that helped some.

"I've had worse. Go ahead." She told him and he nodded. Knowing what she meant. Daryl gave a confused look.

"Had a father like ours." Merle told him quickly before snapping one end of the bolt in half to make it easier to pull out. Daryl was shocked at this new info and wondered just how bad her childhood really was if Merle was comparing her father to their bastard dad.

"Can we help?" Rick ask as he, Glenn and T dogg stood to the side watching as the two mean ass rednecks worked to heal this women they didn't even know.

"Nope." Merle told them.

"Alright little brother. I'm going to yank it out and you put pressure on it." He told Daryl who nodded.

"Sorry." Daryl mumbled to Ari who gave a short nod. Bracing herself she gritted her teeth and waited for Merle to pull it out.

"Here we go." Merle said and yanked the bolt out as fast as he could. To all there surprise she didn't scream but they could all clearly see the pain on her face. Daryl acted fast and put pressure on her arm as soon as the bolt was freed.

"There you go." Merle told her as he wrapped her wound. She thanked him before grabbing the first aid kit from him.

"Your wrist now." She demanded. He opened his mouth to say he was fine but then saw the look on her face and decided against arguing with this stubborn woman who had saved his ass and took a bolt in the arm for her troubles.

"Fine." He grumbled to her.

Once she was done she packed up her things while the other guys discussed how to go about getting a bag of guns off the street.

"Well we'll be going now." Ari said grabbing Abby's hand and pulling her towards the latter they had used the day before.