Updates have been slower because of the upcoming holidays mixed with me hurting my hand. I've been writing this chapter for what's felt like a week. Sorry it took so long. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and weekend. If you're getting out for black friday may the odds be ever in your favor.

When the sun broke over the horizon Merle rose to his feet easily. He'd barely slept all night. Not waiting on Logan or their newfound tag along he stormed for the main group. Shane was already rising to his feet squaring his shoulders. Merle felt a malicious smile spreading across his face. There was something about Shane's face that just made him want to hit the motherfucker. He was to smug for the likes of him and the woman that attached herself to him to ignorant.

"Merle." Shane nodded, "Now I know you're worried but we aren't making rash decisions. Daryl knew the dangers going in there. We can't risk more-"

"Shane suck a dick."

"MY sister is in there!" Amy shrieked.

Shane sighed and glared at the girl before looking lazily back at Merle. "We can't afford to lose more people."

The way Shane was looking at him told him enough. He didn't think Daryl was worth looking for. It didn't matter that Daryl was the one keeping these people fed. It didn't matter that him, Daryl and his nephew were the ones who were out there and caught any walker before it could get too close to this camp. This man was self centered and didn't care for anyone but the piece of pussy he was currently dipping into. Merle glared and spit at his feet. Before he could respond a siren echoed around them and started growing in shrillness. It was getting louder and louder and all eyes turned towards the Quarry road.

Merle's eyes stayed fixed on the red car tearing ass up the road. Whatever idiot this was had a chuckle building in his throat. He looked over when Logan appeared next to him shoulders tense and eyes wide. He looked over at Merle and forced a smile but it didn't reach his eyes. Merle watched as Carol walked up next to Logan and looked around. He turned his eyes back to the group and smirked when they stared back with wide eyes.

"Dixon you been hiding a person in your tent?" Shane sneered, "Miss I'm Deputy Shane Walsh and if there is anything you need or if this man is bothering you just let me know."

Carol pursed her lips and raked her eyes over Shane. Shane preened under the look but Merle seen right through it. Carol wasn't checking him out at all. She was sizing him up and from the looks of things didn't like him. Merle's eyes shifted suddenly when another vehicle pulled up with the red sports car. Glenn jumped out a wide smile on his face and the box truck parked. Logan bounced on the balls of his feet his eyes fixated on the truck. Merle felt tension sliding into his own body and dread flooding the pit of his stomach.

"What's your name?" Shane smiled at Carol his eyes lingering on her breast.

Merle looked back over and seen Logan staring right at Shane with a look of utter loathing on his face. Merle's eyebrow raised when Logan's hand closed around her wrist and Carol shifted back closer to him and Merle. Shane didn't miss it either and started to step towards them. Andrea walked over then after coming out of the back of the truck. She only had eyes for him and Logan.

Merle didn't need to ask. Guilt was pouring from her body like a torrential flood and he was drowning in it. He stared right at her though keep his face stoic. Logan's eyes swiveled to her suddenly and he stepped forward.

"Where is he?"

Merle wanted to flinch at the hope in his voice. Andrea did. Carol looked at them all and then frowned her eyes turning worried.

"Logan there was some problems." Andrea rubbed her arms and looked at Merle, "We were in a shop getting ready to wrap things up. Daryl was across the street from us when a man rode in on a horse."

"A horse." Logan deadpanned.

Merle scowled, "This isn't the fucking Okay Corral."

Andrea forced a smile and then stepped closer. "He got the walkers stirred up. He got trapped and Glenn helped him."

"Is this them?"

Merle's eyes turned to the man approaching them. He hated him. It wasn't even that he might be the man that somehow wronged his brother. No it was the fact that the scent of bacon was rolling of him so hard he felt the grease burning his skin and the pungent odor or scorched bacon grease. He walked like a bowlegged asshole too.

Andrea turned then and nodded and the man looked back at them. His eyes went to Logan and Carol who were almost shoulder to shoulder. "I'm sorry ma'am but your husband got stranded from us. When they rushed in it cut him off from us."

Carol stared wide eyed. Logan didn't even correct him and Merle didn't bother. Besides he could imagine that wherever Daryl was he would be blushing right now and not even know why.

"You left him?" Logan corrected.

The man turned his eyes to Logan and swallowed, "Not by choice."

Logan shook his head, "There is ALWAYS a choice."

Merle stepped next to his nephew and put a hand on his shoulder. "Logan go get our shit together. You see him go down? He dead?"

"No we didn't see, not for sure, but he couldn't have survived that." THe man sighed, "I'm sorry."

"Ain't nothing kills a Dixon but a Dixon." Merle sneered. "And a group of dead dumb bastards aren't going to be the death of him."

"How about a thousand dead dumb bastards." The man snapped.

Merle rounded on him his hands slamming into his chest. He watched in satisfaction as the man stumbled almost falling. His face flushed in anger and Merle advanced.

"You come in here telling me you left my fucking brother for dead and have the nerve to smart mouth me? You don't know a goddamn thing."

"Dixon shut it." Shane snarled, "He knew the risk going in there and we can't risk going back."

"Shane I don't think-"

Shane rounded on the man, "Rick no. Daryl Dixon would have spit in your face before helping you. Don't feel guilty."

"Fuck you." Merle growled.

Rick looked back at Merle and then to Logan as he came back. He had two packs and was armed to the teeth. Merle didn't need to look at him to know that he had at the least six knives and two pistols tucked away. Logan was just like his dad and just as ill tempered as his uncle when family was threatened.

"I'll go with you." Rick reasoned.

"No." Merle snarled, "You've done enough."

Rick cocked his hip out, "So you and a boy? That's your plan?"

Logan spit at Rick's feet and Carol scolded him quietly. Merle wanted to smile. He wanted to but kept his eyes on Rick. Rick was watching Carol and then clenched his jaw.

"I can't let a woman and child go in there. If you want to run off and get yourself killed for a dead man then you do that but don't get them killed."

Merle didn't think. His fist connected with Rick's face sending him to the ground. The group exploded with activity around him. He lost himself in the hits he was landing and tuned everything out.

Carol stared wide eyed when Merle hit the man. She was about to tear into him when he'd hit him. Who did he think he was thinking he could come in here and order her around? He wasn't anything to her. SHe barely knew Logan and Merle but already she knew they were more stand up and trustworthy than Rick.

Carol turned her eyes towards Shane. He was seething and sneaking up behind Merle. Carol shifted and Logan's eyes followed hers. He lunged suddenly knocking Shane back from his uncle. Carol gasped in horror when Shane spun catching Logan and slamming him into the ground and getting him into a headlock. Something in her lit on fire at seeing him hurting Logan. Sure he wasn't a baby but he wasn't a grown man and seeing him manhandled had her moving.

Slamming into Shane as hard as she could he was knocked back from Logan. She could hear him coughing and sputtering behind her. Shane's eyes landed on her and he was murderous. Carol wasn't a bit surprised to see his fist clenched and starting to draw back to hit her. He wasn't the first man she knew that was violent but she wasn't a damsel in distress. Lashing out again he yelped and jerked back. His face was split open in three perfect marks where her nails cut him. Blood ran down his face dripping to his shirt.

Spinning and keeping Shane in her sights as he tried to get around her to Logan. Moving over where he was trying to get his breath. Crouching almost over him and staring at Shane she sneered. Shane growled and Carol raised her chin in defiance.

"Are you okay?" Her voice was soothing as her hand landed on Logan's shoulder.

He nodded and she felt his eyes on hers. Merle's voice broke out above the roar of voices behind her.

"MERLE YOU'RE KILLING HIM!" A shrill voice screeched.

"Good." Merle growled.

"Merle." Logan's voice was rough and strained.

Merle turned then at the sound of his distressed nephew's voice. Carol looked down then and seen tears in Logan's eyes. Her heart clenched and Merle shoved away from Rick altogether. Shane was still circling like a shark and Carol kept her eyes on him. He was watching her with interest but she sneered at him again. Logan was holding onto her wrist where it set on his shoulder.

"We need to go. We have to get my dad." Logan's voice was broken and softer than she'd heard, "He would come for anyone of us."

Carol looked down then just as some woman walked to Shane to check his bleeding face. SHe could hear Shane talking about her but ignored it. Her heart was breaking for Logan. She prayed his dad was okay. Where ever he was she only hoped nothing bad happened. She didn't want to see that fire die in Logan's eyes. Something told her though that if he lost his dad that it would. He would go through the motions for Merle and likewise for his uncle. Daryl wasn't just a father and brother to them he was more than that. He was their anchor.

Merle pulled Logan up and Carol tilted his head back. His throat was bruising deeply. Merle's eyes were wide on her. It wouldn't have bothered her but she realized that three other people were staring at her wide eyed.

"What?" Carol whispered.

The woman she knew was Andrea cleared her throat. She looked at Logan and then to Carol. Interest was there. She was looking between Carol and Logan repeatedly.

"It's just that Logan's got hurt a few times but only ever lets his dad check on him." Andrea shrugged.

Carol looked at Logan and he grinned sheepishly. Carol huffed and then turned her eyes onto Shane when he neared. Rick was next to him. Carol raised her brow and shoved Logan behind her. Shane gave a condescending laugh at her and Carol felt herself tense. Merle was there then and eyeing him. He held hell in his eyes.

"All this could have been avoided if you all just listened." Shane snapped, "You've never followed rules since you got here."

Merle smiled then, "Well Sheriff you aint got shit to worry about now. We're gone. Me, my nephew and my sister in law. " His voice turned taunting, "How long do you think you sorry fucks will last without us now? I give you a fucking week you useless prick."

Rick cleared his throat but Carol threw her hand up silencing him. Eyes locking on Shane, "If you ever lay hands on Logan again I'll tear your eyes out." She paused cocking her head to the side, "Do. Not. Touch. Him."

"Who do you think you are?"

Logan's head leaned against her back and Merle straightened next to her. Carol eyed the dark haired woman but ignored her. Shane was looking at her his jaw hanging open.

"Don't you dare threaten me."

Rick grabbed Shane's bicep, "Did you get him in a chokehold Shane?"

"He was coming after you."

"Lies." Everyone's eyes turned to Andrea. She stood staring at Shane and shook her head. "You were sneaking up on Merle. He pushed you back and you body slammed him and started choking him. Carol was only defending him."

Carol met her eyes and Andrea smiled. Merle was storming away. The group cleared and Logan pulled her along. Andrea was trotting with them but went to Merle instead. Logan started breaking everything down and Carol stood there. She looked over at the other group and watched as they tried to covertly watched the Dixons. Panic was clear on some of their faces and she remembered it was the Dixons who'd been keeping them fed.

"Carol you know how to use a gun?" Merle was in front of her then. He held a pistol, "It's Daryl's spare but he's not here right now. Besides you clawed Shane over his son." He grinned, "It's my hope if he tries something again you'll shoot him instead of clawing him like a pissed off cat."

"I didn't claw him like a mad cat." She sighed, "He hurt him whatelse was I supposed to do?" Carol nodded, "Besides my dad taught me to shoot."

"I'm weirdly aroused right now." He shoved the gun in her hand, "Kill anything that gets to close to you or my nephew."

Carol stared wide eyed at Merle as his words really settled in. She scowled at him then. He only waggled his brows and laughed loudly.

Things went fast. Logan was breathing hard trying to keep from freaking out. His chest was hurting with an emotion he didn't understand. He'd already puked twice and was trying to keep from puking on his dad's stuff. That wouldn't be too good. Find him only give him his puke soaked clothes.

Logan snorted but then looked down at the clothes he was packing away. He whistled loudly then and felt all eyes turn to him from both camps. Merle was putting a gun in Carol's hand and he swallowed. It was his dad's. His eyes went between his uncle and Carol. He'd called her his sister in law out there. Everyone was going to think she was his mom. They didn't know a thing about his mom and he wasn't interested in telling them. She wasn't anything to talk about anyways. Last time he seen her he was six years old and she was trying to use him as leverage to get money for drugs from his dad. No she was better not around.

Carol turned her eyes to him then hearing his whistle. He jerked his head and snorted suddenly realizing she was still in his dad's shirt and sleep pants. She attacked Shane wearing his dad's clothes. Now if that wasn't irony he didn't know what to call it.

Carol stopped next to him and smiled softly. Her eyes were bright blue and concerned for him. It was foreign. Sure his dad loved him and he knew it. He knew it in his bones. But he'd never been around a woman who acted like she cared. Merle was always bringing new women around but never anyone he got to know. His dad was the opposite. It was always just them. Carol was something different. He felt comfortable with her. Maybe it was because she wasn't like the nasty women Merle liked to hang all over.

That soft caring shining in her eyes and the way she just grinned despite turning into a banshee at Shane earlier. Is that what it was like to have a mother? A woman who would fight a grown man over you? Lori was more whiny than anything and pushed her son off everyone. So he wasn't really sure. If this is what it felt like then it felt good.

"Something you need?"

Logan looked up again then and then down at the clothes in front of him, "Unless you want to wear sleep pants that are too long for you then I suggest you going through anything here. His pants will never fit you but he has some shirts that would atleast help." He stood and motioned her into the tent. "When you get done I'll finish tearing this down and pack it up."

"Are you sure he isn't going to get mad?"

Logan shrugged, "If you want to put on bloody clothes then by all means."

Carol huffed at him but it was interrupted. Andrea tapped her on the shoulder, "Merle said your clothes were ruined. I don't have a lot to spare but I might have some jeans that fit you."

Carol nodded at her and Logan watched them walk away. He sucked in a breath as Rick and Shane chose that moment to come over. Both men watched as Carol disappeared into the RV and Logan grinned realizing they seemed skittish of Carol. Lori was following and he grit his teeth. He wished his dad was here to tell them to suck his dick. He was good at making people scatter.

"Dixons." Shane called.

Merle appeared then and headed them off. "What the fuck you want Walsh?"

"You all are really leaving?" Shane questioned.

Merle stared at him and Logan pulled out the shirts he seen Carol holding. He continued packing everything away and breaking the camp down. He wanted to get out of here. It was still early and they might be able to find his dad before it got to dark. He had to believe that. If he didn't then he wasn't sure he wanted to really think of shit else.

"Listen we understand you're upset but this is a rash decision." Rick placated. "You have your nephew and sister in law to consider."

"Both are more capable than anyone in your group." Merle leered. "Why don't you spit out what you really want." Lori rolled her eyes and Merle looked right at her. The look he gave her froze everyone. "Woman I'd climb down off that fucking high horse you're on right now. You have to be saddle sore by now."

Logan snorted and walked over after putting everything up. Merle looked at him and he nodded. "Where's Carol?"

"Andrea."

He nodded and looked back at them. Shane huffed and Rick sighed, "What happened wasn't on purpose. I would have never left him behind like that. He was cut off from us. We were being over run. I didn't want to leave him."

"Are you coming back here after you find him?" Lori's voice was harsh but there was a edge to it, desperate.

"Nope."

Shane blew out a breath and Rick stared at the ground. "I know you don't want to come back. If you don't find him though you're welcome to. I'd help. Glenn said he would. T-dogg as well."

"Stupid fucks." Logan snapped.

"Logan!" Carol scolded.

He looked over face red and she shook her head. He grinned but it fell away when he seen the hungry look Shane was giving her. He didn't like it. She was in Andrea's jeans now with a few extras in her arm. Her shirt was a wifebeater of his dads with his flannel over top. Her hair was sticking up everywhere. He scowled and shifted blocking Shane's perverted gaze.

Logan tuned back into Andrea, Merle, and Rick talking. "Like I said look for him but if you need to set up here that way you rest without watching over your shoulders. Then go out again fresh. If he gets out he'll come here looking for you. Won't he?"

Carol cleared her throat, "He has a point Merle. He'll come to where he knows his family is or the last place they were at."

Merle scowled but nodded. "Fine."