Two days later, Buck lead the way down the train tracks, Daryl beside him clearing walkers. Merle stalked silently behind him. Buck felt a smirk raising up inside of him, maybe his boys would finally do it today. Truth was Merle and Daryl, along with some back up from their group, they could easily clear the prison, without Buck's help.

"How much farther?"

Buck looked over to Daryl before pointing at a clearing that was developing a ways in front of them, the prison quickly coming into view.

"This view is from the west side. See that tower? We cut into the fence below, clear that segment, then you two clear the walkers while I'll run in and shut that fence. Once I have that shut, I'll move into the other tower, and you finish off the walkers."

Daryl nodded, before he eyed Buck. "what if there's walkers in the towers?"

Buck shook his head as he pointed to the first tower. "that one I shot at to see, no walkers inside. Or at least they didn't respond to a 50 cal destroying a computer."

Merle glanced at Daryl. "and the tower you'll be hiding in?"

Buck raised an eyebrow. "I can handle a few walkers."

Merle glared at his father. "gettin' in to this place is the easy part, its clearing the prison that will be hard. Don't you fuckin' die while closing the gate, we need you to clear the prison."

Buck scoffed. "Fuck that, you don't need me. In fact let me make it easier on you two. The infirmary is down the southern hallway, past blocks B and A. go in thru the guard's observation deck, safer entry. The cafeteria is thru the north hallway. The showers are just out side the cell block, you should be able to get the plumbing running fairly easy."

Merle and Daryl looked at each other for a moment before Daryl spoke up. " why are ya telling us this? Why not wait until later?"

Buck smirked as he looked between his sons. "Because I know you're going to kill me fairly soon. Hell maybe even before we get back to camp. I understand why, and I expect one of you two to end me, but like hell will I go before I give you as much information as possible."

Merle frowned. "if you really expect us ta kill you, why come out here with us?"

Buck leveled his look at Merle. "I said I was going to get you some place safe. I won't go before I do that."

Daryl growled as he suddenly socked Buck in the face, throwing the older man to the ground. "Fuck you! Now you're concerned with our safety?! More like you're walking us into a trap!"

Buck hissed as he rubbed his jaw. "Jesus I taught ye well."

Merle grabbed Daryl before he could punch Buck again. "Enough! We ain't killing him, not now! Not when Shiloh is keeping such a tight eye."

Daryl growled as he pointed at Buck. "Be thankful you saved her, because if not for Shiloh, you'd be drowning in your own blood!"

Daryl stalked away, Merle following close beside him, both glaring. Buck chuckled to himself as he stood up. His boys certainly knew how to pack a punch.

TWDBDS

"you assholes!"

Buck raised an eyebrow at his granddaughter as she stalked up to her father who raised his hands.

"Blame ya uncle!"

Shiloh scowled at Merle. "And what did you do to stop it?"

Merle looked at his daughter for a moment before smirking lightly and walking past her. "I enjoyed it."

Shiloh gaped at her father and uncle as they ruffled her hair as they walked by, before she turned around to Buck.

"They're being such assholes!"

Buck chuckled as he shook his head. "doesn't bother me."

Shiloh frowned at her grandfather, her uncle keeping a sharp eye out from 10 meters away.

"you're okay with them hurting you?"

Buck nodded as he knelt in front of Shiloh. "i deserve it baby. I destroyed my sons childhood, as well as their adult lives. I deserve what ever your father and uncle give me. Don't fight them on that."

Shiloh glared at Buck, causing him to chuckle. "beag cailín dÚsachtach! The only person I know that can give me a look like that!" (little crazy girl)

"Shiloh!"

TWDBDS

Hershel watched as Daryl called Shiloh over to sit with him. Shiloh went over as requested, but as she sat down she immediately began ragging on Daryl for his actions. Hershel walked over to Buck who chuckled as he organized weapons in the front seat of his truck. Laid out in front of Buck was a old worn vest, fit to hold 6 guns, which Buck was studiously examining and loading.

"that will come in useful tomorrow."

Buck chuckled as he nodded. "oh yes, it will definitely be useful."

Hershel eyed the man beside him. "How does everything look at the prison?"

Buck glanced at Hershel, before returning to work on the vest and guns. "it'll be an easy entry, just make sure the group stays on their toes while my boys and I clear the first gate. Wouldn't due for someone to be bit because ya'll were watching us."

Hershel nodded. "I'll make sure. How's things going with your sons?"

Buck eyed Hershel. "What concern of yours is that?"

Hershel raised an eyebrow. "plenty. Those brothers are a solid core in this group. With out them, we would not have survived. We look out for each other, we're a family. And fairly soon, I expect Merle to be even closer to my family."

Buck smirked. "i did see the looks between Merle and ya youngest. What's going on there?"

Hershel was silent for a moment before he spoke. "make you a deal. i''ll give you honest, complete answers about your sons, to the best of my knowledge. In exchange, I get some answers from you."

Buck eyed Hershel for a moment before nodding. "Alright. You answer first, what is happening with my son and your girl?"

Hershel chuckled as he leaned against the truck. "Beth has been chasing Merle for almost 4 months. Until Shiloh arrived, Merle was like a walker. Going thru his daily life for Daryl, but it was clear Merle was broken. Beth got no closer then a slight friend to Merle. But after you and Shiloh showed up, Beth made sure to introduce herself to Shiloh directly. And they've spent the last few days getting along quite well. Shiloh may have found herself a new mama."

Buck spun the chamber of a revolver. "About damn time. Go on, what's ya question?"

Hershel leveled his look at Buck. "how is your relationships with your sons?"

Buck chuckled dryly. "they're going to kill me as soon as the prison is cleared. Merle wants to stab me in the face, Daryl just wants to shoot me. so I'd say its as good as it's going to get. My turn, what's going on between Daryl and that little lady?"

Hershel sputtered before he spoke. "how-how can you you be alright with that?"

Buck raised an eyebrow. "Na, your turn. Answer the question."

Hershel eyed Buck before speaking. "give it a little bit more time and Daryl is going to be a happily married man, probably looking to have children of his own. Carol has been chipping away at Daryl for quite some time, and I'd say with the return of Shiloh and Merle's mental health, it won't take long for Daryl to figure things out with Carol. How are you okay with your sons killing you?"

Buck leaned against the truck beside Hershel. "let me clear something up. I am not a good man, not in a long shot. I'd kill anyone for my family. I would shoot you in the leg as a walker bait if that was the best way to protect my family. Used to be I'd kill anyone for any reason. I'm messed up, I know that. And for a long time, I hated my sons, because no matter what I did; I tortured them, beat them, forced them to kill, But thru out everything, they stood by each other. It took me a long time to realize it, but my sons, they're not like me. My boys, they can be happy, they don't carry the blood lust I do. But ya see, I turned them into monsters, I made them killers, especially Daryl but Merle was a part of the killings too. I took two innocent little boys, still crying over their dead mother, and I turned them into killers. I'm a poison Hershel, and I need to be stopped. My boys did it once, and it worked for a long time, locking me away. But now I'm back, and this time, they are going to handle the threat personally."

Hershel frowned. "surely your sons cant see you as that much of a threat can they?"

Buck smirked. "ah ah ah, that's twice against the rules. Game over Hershel."

Hershel scoffed as he stood next to Buck. "you can't be okay with Merle and Daryl can't be planning to kill you!"

Buck stood stark still in front of Hershel. "i hope they are, because trust me, they have every reason to kill me."

TWDBDS

Buck motioned, his sons nodding back, before Buck, Merle and Daryl silently moved towards the fence. Buck stood guard as his sons quickly cut thru the fence. Once the two of them had slipped in and began taking out the walkers in the area between the two fences, Buck slipped thru, using short bungee cords to hold the fence together temporarily. Giving a low whistle, Buck couldn't but smirk as his sons flanked him, walking perfectly instep around the bodies.

Buck nodded to Merle and Daryl as they entered the tower. A few moments later Daryl kicked out one body, and Merle returned beside his brother, both grabbing a hold of a walker and moving them into a pile. Buck joined them, and once the bodies were stacked, Merle returned to the tower, ready to clear the walkers that were loose in the field.

Daryl eyed Buck as he brushed past, walking to ready to open the gate.

"ya ready for this?"

Buck chuckled lightly. "Remember Columbia?"

Daryl frowned as he nodded. "The plantation?"

Buck nodded. "Shit went down in there. Ended up 19 to 1, and who walked away? I can handle walkers, at least they aren't shooting at me."

Daryl snorted as he turned towards the fence. "that's one way to make this shity world worse, give the walkers guns."

Buck chuckled. "aye, wouldn't that suck?"

Buck nodded to Daryl who slipped open the fence. As soon as Buck was inside Merle and Daryl quickly opened fire on the walkers flooding the field. As Buck ran to the fence he chuckled as walker after walker fell beside him, Merle and Daryl cutting a path for Buck thru the chaos.

Buck kicked a walker in the chest before slamming the gate shut and turning to run to the tower. As he threw open the door walkers poured out and Buck was forced back, trapped between the walkers from the tower and the walkers from the field. As Buck fired into the walkers, he heard the bodies behind him drop. All too quickly it was over, and Buck turned and looked to where his sons were coming out of the tower, and signaling the group to come to the fence.

TWDBDS

"oh come on, you're Daryl Dixon. The one tool required for an apocalypse!"

Daryl blushed as he shrugged. "gotta say, I never thought I'd use these skills for something good."

Carol smiled at Daryl as she prepared to make dinner. "you have to admit that's a talent these days."

Daryl glanced up at Carol thru his bangs. "most of my life having a talent to kill people has been a bad thing."

Carol was silent for a moment before she reached over and brushed Daryl's hair out of his eyes. "i believe that there is a side of good in everything."

Daryl frowned for a moment. "Ed?"

Carol smiled softly. "he gave me Sophia."

Daryl bit his lip before speaking. "and losin' her?"

Carol looked up at Daryl, meeting his blue gaze with her own.

"she brought us closer together."

TWDBDS

Buck sat beside Hershel, just out of the warmth of the fire. Merle and Daryl were talking quietly to each other, before Daryl stood and went to where Carol was digging out cans for dinner. Buck followed Merle's gaze and smirked to where Daryl was blushing as Carol made a joke at his expense. Buck chuckled and shook his head at the pair, they really were something.

Hershel cleared his throat as he sat up. "see, what did I tell you?"

Buck chuckled. "ain't see no Merle-Beth yet."

Hershel smirked before speaking. "3...2...1..."

Buck laughed as while Hershel was counting down, Beth sat next to Shiloh, greeting Merle with a blushing smile as she sat and talked to Shiloh. Merle smirked back at Beth, before he sat back, calmly watching as Beth conversed with his daughter. Buck shook his head as he looked over at Hershel.

"Nothing like an apocalypse to speed up courting."

Hershel laughed. "Well Merle got a jump start on re-population, but considering everything, between Merle and Beth, and Maggie and Glenn, I'll give it a year until I become a grandfather. Any advice for me?"

Buck looked to Shiloh, who was giggling with Beth as Merle quietly watched over them and the camp. His eyes then ran to where Carol brushed Daryl's bangs away from his face, his son blushing at the touch. Buck turned back to Hershel, and the man was stunned at the haunted look in the man's eyes.

"my advice is hold them close, because when you realize you've lost them there is no pain that can compare."

TWDBDS

the next morning Daryl nodded to Merle as he walked out of the cell block. Merle had volunteered to stay behind with the group, keeping an eye on the situation as Rick, Tdog, Glenn, Buck and Daryl entered the cell block. Daryl knew Merle was still deeply effected by the presumed loss of his daughter, and subsequently was hovering. Shiloh was taking it well, spending as much time as possible with her father. Daryl chuckled to himself as he followed Buck into the tomb like structure of the prison. At least Shiloh was enjoying father/child time, Daryl wasn't going to enjoy his nearly as much.

Buck had scouted out the prison, all the way to the infirmary. There was plenty of walkers between the group and medical supplies and cafeteria, which they were starting on as it was closer and had less walkers. Time to go to work.

TWDBDS

"Cafeteria is the second right." Buck said quietly to the group, as they worked their way thru the prison. An hour into the venture and Daryl was almost wishing it was just him and Merle, perhaps Buck. He kept having to check his pace, as to not leave the group behind in the dust.

Daryl heard a groan from down the hallway, a doorway with one hand scrapping at the busted glass. Daryl walked toward the walker, stabbing around the glass to the walkers head behind it.

Daryl grimaced as he flicked his hand trying to get off the walker goo that had landed on him.

Buck smirked as he came up beside his son. "next door."

Daryl turned to scoff, before suddenly the door across from them shook, the door creaking under the weight of many walkers. Buck and Daryl both pulled their weapons, but before Daryl could step back, the door gave.

Daryl hit the ground hard, and struggled even as he felt one walker grab around his foot as he battled to push the walker on his chest off. Suddenly a knife appeared, stabbing down into the walkers skull, and the weight on Daryl's foot disappeared as a flurry of gunfire went off. Daryl scrambled backwards, but as he moved Daryl hear a roar like nothing else he had ever heard.

Daryl was on his feet in a second, and immediately realized what that roar had been. It was Buck, reacting to the massive bite on his ankle that was now gushing blood.

Buck looked over to Daryl who ran up beside his father as he turned and spoke. "Ar deireadh" (Finally.)