ShutxThexFrontxDoor: Chanel's gonna be in it a lot more too! And they remind me of us too. For some reason, I now have the urge to play "Stripper Friends" by Tila Tequila. Hmm…how'd that happen? Ha-ha.

When morning came, Merle was woken up by Daryl, who was being extra careful to not wake Lucy. "What do ya want?" Merle asked grumpily, frowning. He wasn't a morning person anyways, and being woken up against his will aggravated him even more.

"Keep yer voice down," Daryl told him, speaking quietly. "There's something on TV you need to see." He turned and left the room. Merle carefully crawled out of bed, not wanting to disturb Lucy. He quickly dressed and headed downstairs into the living room where Daryl was. The TV was on, a news broadcast playing. They were showing aerial footage of car wreckage and people running amok. Citizens chased other citizens, attacking them and biting them, tearing them apart. Merle's eyes widened as he watched the screen.

"This s the scene in cities all over the country," the reporter said as the footage changed to another similar scene. The anchor continued, giving instructions and providing viewers with information about safe zones.

"What are we gonna do?" Merle asked.

Daryl shrugged, "Honestly, I'm more concerned about how this is going to affect Lucy." He sighed, "You think maybe we should go to one of these safe zones?"

"No." The two men turned to the stairs where Lucy stood, halfway down them. She was gripping the handrail so tightly her knuckles were white. Her eyes were locked on the TV screen.

"What do ya mean 'no'?" Merle asked.

Her attention turned to him, her expression changing, fear taking over her features. "This is real."

"Yes, Lucy, it's real," he assured her. Merle took a few steps forward, reaching his hands out towards her. She walked the rest of the way down the stairs and took his hands. He pulled her to him. "Now what are you talking about?"

"We can't go to a safe zone. It'll be too dangerous. Everyone will be going there, and we don't know how many people are infected, or how this happened. It could be too easy to break through. Besides that, there will be road blocks and traffic jams, we'll be vulnerable." She shook her head, "We have to stay away from cities, get away from people."

"So what do you propose?" Daryl asked, humoring her.

"The cabin."

"What?" the brothers asked in unison.

"It's secluded and far away from 'safe zones'. If we stock up on supplies, then we'll be safe until this blows over."

Merle and Daryl looked at each other, they were reluctant to admit it, but she had a point. "Go upstairs and pack our clothes," Merle told her. "We'll pack everything else." She nodded and pulled away from him, starting up the stairs again. "Lucy?" She turned back to face him, "Don't forget your medicine."

She nodded and continued up the stairs.

Daryl and Merle walked into the kitchen to start bagging up their food. "So we're going to go along with her plan?" Daryl asked.

"You got a better one?"

Daryl shook his head.

As they loaded their things into the back of Daryl's truck, Lucy walked out of the house, headed to the shed. "Whatcha doin' sugarplum?" Merle asked, watching her.

She didn't say anything. A few moments later she exited the small building with a chainsaw in one hand and various other items tucked under her other arm. The phone inside started ringing, "I got it," Daryl said, heading inside, leaving Merle to deal with Lucy alone.

As she put the things in the back of the truck, he asked again, "What're ya doin'?"

"We have to be able to protect ourselves. Guns are loud, and will attract more." She paused and looked at what she had put in the truck bed. "Daryl should get his crossbow."

"Lucy, are you okay?" Merle was surprised by how calm she was being. He was certain she'd have a breakdown and relapse.

She looked up at him and nodded. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards and she repeated her mantra.

He nodded, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her to him. Lucy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He smelled a lot like Daryl, with a few subtle differences Lucy had noticed after six years.

Daryl walked back outside with the rest of their things.

"Who was on the phone?" Merle asked.

"Chanel. She and Marissa are going to meet us at the cabin."

Merle nodded, "Go get your crossbow and we can head out."

Daryl nodded too and went back in to retrieve his weapon of choice and the bolts that went along with it. Merle opened the truck door and Lucy climbed in, Merle right behind her.

Halfway to the cabin, they had to stop for gas. "Ya think any where's even open?" Merle asked.

"Don't matter," Daryl shrugged, "We need it one way or another."

They pulled up to one of the pumps and climbed out, looking at the mostly abandoned parking lot. There was one car parked at the side of the building. An 'open' sign hung in the window. Merle started pumping gas, and Daryl and Lucy walked inside. The place was deserted. "Hello?" Daryl called out.

"Shut up!" Lucy hissed at him, her voice low. "If there are any walkers in here, they'll hear you."

Daryl sighed, and arching an eyebrow, he asked, "Walkers?"

She frowned and shrugged, "It's what we—I called them…in my head."

He gave her a sympathetic smile and put his hand on her shoulder. They walked through the empty store and Daryl pushed open the door to the store room. One of the racks was knocked over and there were bloodstained boxes crushed and scattered across the floor. A dead body laid among them.

"Maybe we should get outta here?"

Lucy nodded and they quickly walked outside. "Merle!" Lucy screamed, her eyes widening. Merle was fighting off a walker that gnashed his teeth, trying to get a bite of his flesh. Merle front kicked it, knocking it to the ground. He reached into the truck bed, grabbing the first thing his hand touched. He stabbed the walker through the chest with a crowbar. The walker got back up and kept coming though.

"Goddamn," Merle muttered.

"The head!" Lucy shouted. Merle yanked the crowbar free and stabbed it again, ramming the metal through its skull. It fell down, dead for good. Merle put his foot on the former gas station employee and pulled the crowbar free again. He dropped it in the back of the truck. Lucy ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck. He staggered and fell against the side of the truck, his arms circling around her waist. He stared down at the corpse.

"Are you bit?" Lucy finally asked, pulling away from him some.

"What?" he was thrown off for a moment by her question. "No, I'm fine." He looked at her; she was looking down at the corpse. He cupped her face in his hands, turning her away from the sight. There was fear in her eyes, "Are you okay?"

"I was just scared." He gave her a quick kiss. Daryl shifted uncomfortably, watching his brother and Lucy. They both looked down at the corpse again, "This is real," she whispered, clinging to Merle.

He nodded.

Daryl looked down the road to where they could hear the sound of an approaching vehicle. Merle and Lucy both turned too, following Daryl's gaze. The white van pulled into the parking lot and the door opened. "Glenn!" Lucy shouted; her expression lighting up as the man stepped out of the driver's side.

He smiled, "Hey, Looney, never thought I'd see you again."

She chuckled and Merle glared at him. "Are any of the others with you?" she asked.

"Some," he nodded, "Rick, Carol, Beth, Maggie, and Michonne."

"Where y'all headed?"

He shrugged, "As far from Atlanta as we can get. It's a madhouse there."

Lucy smiled again, a soft chuckle escaping her. "We're headed to a cabin, it's pretty secluded."

"With Chanel and Marissa there, we're not gonna have a lot of room," Merle said, knowing where her thoughts were going.

"We can't not help 'em," Daryl said, his voice low.

Merle turned to face his brother, "Do you think being around a group of crazies is going to be good for her?"

"Do you think this," Daryl gestured vaguely, referring to the epidemic, "is good for her?"

"I'm schizophrenic, not deaf," Lucy said while Glenn shifted nervously from foot to foot.

Merle sighed, shaking his head as he climbed back into the truck. He was agitated.

"They're not violent crazy," Lucy said softly.

Daryl ran his hand over his face, "Y'all can just follow us."

Glenn nodded, a small smile spreading across his lips, "We need to get gas first."

"We'll wait."

"Thanks," Glenn told him. "I'm Glenn…Glenn Rhee."

"Daryl Dixon," he nodded back to the truck, "That's my brother, Merle."

Glenn nodded, "I met him once."

The corner of Daryl's mouth curled up, "You'll have to ignore him a lot."