Show: The Walking Dead.
Name: Remember.
Pairing: Daryl/Rick.
Author: Noirian.

This a work of fan-fiction. These characters do not belong to me and I do not benefit from this in any way other than having fun.
Enjoy and if there are any mistakes, just give me a shout-out so I can get right on it.


The house that the hunters lived in was old, and had once belonged to their grandfather on their mum's side. The wooden panels had long since started rotting, the brown roof shingles had started to slide off and there would always be that section on the floorboards where the smoke from the fire had stained it, but it was home. And if Merle wasn't there drunk off his ass, Daryl might just start a one-man search party to find him. So when the hunter pulled up in front of their house, immediately jumped out of the truck and sprinted to the door as if all of hell had been cut loose, he didn't think he was overreacting. He just needed to see if his ass of a brother was okay.


"Merle!" Daryl roared as he tore open the house's door, his heart pulsating in his ears as he searched for his brother frantically. "Where the hell-"

"Hey Darlena." Merle slurred from the couch, his hand waving a beer bottle around to welcome his brother home. "Come drink with me."

"Merle why the fuck weren't you at the hospital." Daryl snarled as he stormed up to the stoned man with the urge him to punch him in his shit-faced glory. Relief flew through the hunter as he noticed his brother had no injuries, although that did little to settle his rampant temper. "If you drove while you were high I fucking swear-"

"Calm down dummy," Merle was still slurring as he spoke, his pupils blown large as he tried to concentrate on Daryl. His beer bottle had slipped from his drunken fingers and sat forgotten on the floor as he tried to stand to calm his brother. "I'm here now."

"You need to stop getting high." Daryl growled before he pushed his brother back onto the couch and gave him the dropped beer bottle. With a frustrated sigh, the hunter located the old radio that sat idly on top of their small TV. The tense man quickly switched it on and turned the grey knobs to find the emergency signal. Once he had located it, Daryl glared intently at his older brother while the automatic voice spoke.

"-advised to go directly to a safe zone. Safe zones available are in the cities Birmingham, Nashville, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Atlanta-"

Daryl brow furrowed as he thought. They were close to Atlanta; he had been in one of the smaller town districts only a couple of hours ago. But why were these safe zones being put in effect? Did it have to do with that strange woman he saw on the highway? Daryl winced as he thought of her blood-stained mouth, the low moans she had made and the empty hunger in her eyes. That hunger had driven her to eat her own kin… How many other people had already turned into that?

"Warning. A nationwide alert has been activated. Citizens are advised to go directly to a safe zone. Safe zones available-"

The hunter quickly turned the radio off and placed it back on their small TV. He stared around their small house for a moment before he sighed and turned to his stoned brother.

"Merle. Get up. We need to pack our things and leave for Atlanta." Daryl was already flitting in and out of rooms as he found the few bags they owned and placed them in a rough pile before started to turn to his brother. "Now." The hunter's voice escaped him at the sight of his snoring brother before he frowned and left him be. Merle would be more helpful once had slept off his drunken high for a bit, Daryl knew that from personal experience.


"Get off!" The hunter snarled as Merle glared at him before he turned the engine, it purring to life under his weathered fingers. "You're wasting gas!"

"Fuck you Daryl. You think you have the guts to tell me what to do? I call the shots around here younger brother so if I wanna ride my motorbike I fucking will." Merle's voice was scratchy as spoke, his voice even dryer than usual from his hangover. "Now get outta the way."

"No!" Daryl roared as he felt his protectiveness seep into his voice and made his accent more prominent as he willed for his brother to just get off the fucking bike. "It's too dangerous to split up!"

"I don't care little brother, you say that all this crap is happening yet nothing has changed! You are full of bullshit-"

"Fine. Leave. See if I care if you get eaten alive." Daryl growled and he stormed back to his truck ripping open the door and throwing in the few bags he had with him into the passenger seat. Stepping into it, he slammed the door closed and watched Merle through the side mirror as he revved the motorbike's engine, a small smug smile on his face before he drove off, leaving Daryl behind.

"Better not get left behind Darlena!" The older man yelled and Daryl clenched the leather wheel beneath his fingers as his brother's laughter started to fade with the motorbike. The two of them had a long ride to get to Atlanta and Daryl knew that splitting up right now was definitely a bad idea.


Thanks for all the reviews/follows/favourites. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.