Okay, I'm doing each character intro chapter so it will sometimes be a longer one or a very short one, but don't get worried, once the team is back together the chapters will even out!

And thank you for the reviews! Having any on a first chapter always makes my heart all warm and cozy! So I hope Starwarrior87 and TwilightEclips will be there with me 'til the end!

Excuse my language and name calling coming up, but I am writing Merle, so...yeah, just know I hate even hearing a few of the words I'm writing, much less would ever actually say the derogatory terms.

Oh and to help get in the mood I jam to Civilian by Wye Oak, it is my go to WD song.

Ooh and I don't own The Walking Dead!

Walking around the prison there is too much time to think, so I don't, I just hunt, but the one time I am inside, too far away to be of any use is the time I hear huge explosions outside. My head shoots up and I glance over at the rest of the core group as we all shoot up to inspect, we all know something is going on, maybe the Governor is back causing trouble again. He's a pain in the ass.

We all run out with our weapons pulled, Carl is first but I'm gaining on him, whatever we are going into he doesn't need to go too far ahead, I gotta keep this kid safe, if anything happens to him there would be nothing left of Rick afterwards. When we bust outside Carl is gone with another explosion, then I am lit up in white.

The next time I open my eyes I'm sitting in my truck, I still have my weapon out, and there's no sign of anyone else in the car though I'm in the passenger seat, but this car was lost when we left the CDC, there wasn't enough gas for this monster. I take a second to look at my surroundings, I'm in front of a bar, one I recognise instantly as the one Hershel fled to. The bike is in the truck bed and there are people, actual people walking around, with music blairing from the bar, music and the lights are on. Okay what in the hell is going on here?

Just when I ask myself about this odd situation I see a person I never thought I'd see again stumble out of the doorway.

"C'mon help your ole brother out and get me in that piece a shit truck 'o yours."

"Merle." I can barely choke out his name.

"Whatchya do lose your mind, now get off your sorry ass and get me in that truck, I done pissed off the bartender, but the spick wouldn't gimme any more whiskey, that sombich."

I hopped out of the truck to lift my brother in before I had time to really think about what was going on. I shoved him in the passenger seat and drove us to a motel, as we drove there he had the Rock FM radio station blaring was singing to the top of his lungs.

The last time I saw Merle he was a walker, and I broke a little, even though I hated my brother, I loved him too, he was blood, I always would. But I also had Rick, I realized how different I was when it was just me and Merle, and the horrible shame that came over me when he reminded me of our plans for the camp, before he was lost in Atlanta. I realized how much I came to care for these people I surround myself with daily, how there stares made me feel like I was a hero and a leader and the feel of lil Asskicker in my arms grinning up at me, but here I get the looks I'm used to, a dirty redneck with a loud brother causing trouble. Women hold their purses tighter, and police keep an extra close, disapproving, eye on us. I am a changed man, I won't get all soppy, but I know that I would do anything to keep my family, my new one, safe, and that meant finding out where they were. Thankfully I remember this life, the life on the road as a drifter. We would stay in random towns for up to two weeks and move on, when we got caught on the way to Atlanta the camp fell in our laps and Merle decided to stay, wait it out, and take off with everything once everyone settled in.

No, I had to find out what was going on and the only place I can think of to look is the farm, whoever made it to wherever the hell we were would go there first, except Michonne..she was never a part of the farm group. She did go back to Rick's town..maybe they showed her where he lived. God willing, this group needs to stay together.

I pulled in a motel, I don't remember if we already had one, but it would be fine all the money Merle ever has is stolen. Money, such a strange concept, I haven't dealt with it since The Turn, it is only good for toilet paper nowadays.

I turned to Merle, thankfully he was conscious..the bartender cut him off before he could do anymore damage to whatever liver he has left, and held out my hand for some money and he whined, "Cmon man, you got this one remember? I paid for the last place."

He always said that, and I always ended up paying anyway, but not this time, "Hand it over, I gotta go on a road trip so you stay here, understood..there's a bar down the road, you'll survive ya drunk bastard."

"Whatever."

I went inside to pay and came out with a key, this motel is one I remember, though it looks in better shape than when I found it, we came here to look for any supplies once we cleared out most the areas near the prison, but thankfully we aren't that far away from the farm. I

I paid for two weeks in a room and before I left I saw the attendant was reading the paper, I asked him if it was today's and he nodded, so it was January 14, 2012, seven months before the shit hit the fan. I just shook my head, I'd talk about it when the group was back together, hopefully.

"That room right over there, I said jerking my brother, who I was still extremely happy to see, out of the car. When I opened the door I let him fall on the bed, I left a note that I'd be back within a few days, and I was taking the bike. He'd be here when I got back, drowning in a bottle of Jack, but still here. I took the truck keys with me to make sure he wasn't stupid enough to leave, picked up my backpack and crossbow from the truck where I left them..my knives still in my belt, rolled the bike down the ramp and hopped on hell bent on finding my family.

Okay there is Daryl. Hooray!

And my whole goal for this series is to see how these people interact when placed in a world they thought they lost, to feel the shock of how much they truly changed, it was a slow burn across seasons, but going from one extreme to the other is so powerful and there is no settling back into the old ways for these people, they are not the people who were living in a suburb, wandering, delivering pizzas, or living on a farm, they are a lethal and caring family, cautious with habits they have no way of breaking. That is my angle and I hope it comes across!

Thank you for the reviews and follows, please tell me what you think! It keeps me going!

And I will try to upload one a day on days I am working, and more when I am off! Love you all!