Chapter Three. Cherokee Rose

Hayden sat down beside Merle, who had taken refuge near a small stream. After nearly killing T-Dog Merle had stalked away from the group in an effort to clear his head.

This was why I didn't want to go back to them, Merle thought angrily. As Hayden placed her head on his shoulder though, he remembered why he agreed to look for them.

You'd do anything for her, his brain reminded him. That's why you came here in the first place.

"Hayden-"

"You don't have to apologize, Merle," Hayden interrupted him. "I know why, and I can't blame you. Hell, I'm damn pissed he did what he did to you. But this is a new world, Merle. We have to work together to survive, can't you see that? No matter how much you want to shoot their asses off."

Merle clamped his mouth shut. As usual Hayden wasn't criticizing him or his racist beliefs, but instead trying to make him see the positive side of life. Even when she was young, she always believed he was the best man in the world – even though the rest of society thought he was mud under their boots.

Hayden's breathing became even, and Merle found himself leaning against her. He noticed her shotgun lying on the ground beside her, and he picked it up. "How many shells you got left?"

"I don't know. About five? Why?" Hayden murmured. "You thinking of shooting down some walkers?"

"Yeah. I ain't going to see them just yet. You should get back to Daryl though. It could be dangerous," Merle told her.

Hayden sat up and looked at him. "And leave you here on your own? With your wound? I don't think so."

"You ain't coming, Hay," Merle warned her, but as much as he hated to admit it, he felt a rush of relief at not having to hunt some walkers on his own.

Hayden raised her eyebrow and stood up. "Make me."

Merle chuckled and cursed softly as he heaved himself to his feet. "I swear Hay, if I didn't love you so damn much you'd be a pain in the ass."

Hayden rolled her eyes. "Come on. If you want to hunt, better to start now."

The two were about to leave when they heard a soft crunching sound behind them. Whirling around, Hayden unsheathed her machete in a fluid motion.

A woman with a tear-streaked face stood a few feet away from them, her eyes fixed on Merle's face. "You."

"Carol?" Merle said, surprised. "How-?"

"Sophia," Carol whispered, approaching Hayden, her fingers curling around a few strands of Hayden's brownish blonde hair.

Hayden stepped back. "My name's Hayden, Carol." To Merle, she whispered: "Who's Sophia?"

"Her daughter," Merle replied, his eyes taking in every inch of Carol's appearance. "Where's Ed, Carol?"

Carol shook her head slowly. "Gone. They're all gone, Merle. Sophia."

As Hayden backed further away, Carol spotted a familiar white flower on the bush near her. Carol gave a soft cry of anguish and rushed towards Hayden, who involuntarily ducked behind her older brother. Merle was about to raise his hand to protect his sister, when he saw Carol plucking the flower.

"A Cherokee Rose," Merle said, watching as tears slipped down Carol's cheeks.

"Daryl said the rose was growing for Sophia," Carol said softly. "But it wasn't. It was growing for you."

To Hayden's surprise, Carol handed the white flower to her. She gently took the flower from the older woman and managed a small smile. This vanished the moment she saw Carol's anguished expression.

Hayden automatically moved to Carol and hugged her. To Hayden's and Merle's surprised, Carol buried her face in Hayden's neck and sobbed.

Hayden looked at her brother helplessly. "Merle, I don't think I can-"

"It's fine, Hay," Merle said gruffly. The shock of seeing Carol grieve over her lost family – although Merle suspected all of Carol's tears were for Sophia – seemed to have changed Merle's mind. "We'd best get her back to the others; they might be wondering where she is."

Hayden nodded, and she kept an arm over Carol as the two women walked back where they came, Merle in the rear. When they reached the small farmland, they saw Daryl talking fast to Rick and a bald-headed man. Upon seeing Carol with them, Rick broke from the group and, followed closely by Daryl, approached the three.

"What happened?" Rick asked. Merle opened his mouth to make a tart reply, but Hayden interrupted him.

"We found her in the forest. I think she's been mourning over her daughter," Hayden said. Carol approached Daryl, who nodded once. Carol looked back at Hayden, and at the white flower clutched in the latter's hand, before walking to the house.

Rick noticed this but said nothing. "Well, we're happy you can join us, Hayden. I'm Rick Grimes, and that's Shane Walsh."

Hayden smiled. Despite Merle's previous rages over how T-Dog and Rick had left him, Hayden could tell that Rick was a kind man who only wanted to make sure he and the other survivors lived to see another day.

"Thanks Rick. Merle and I would be happy to join you; if it's okay with y'all," Hayden replied. Daryl smiled from behind Rick.

Daryl knew that once Hayden felt comfortable with the group, there wasn't anything Merle could do to counter that. Daryl – and Merle – both knew that they had a soft spot for Hayden. Not that it was difficult to like her; Hayden was the light, and he and Merle were "different shades of gray", as she liked to put it.

"Hay, I don't think it's wise to stay with them," Merle began, his fierce gaze trained on Rick.

Hayden had to give credit to Rick; the man barely flinched at her brother's deadly gaze.

"And where do you suggest we go, Merle?" she said, her tone strained. "We barely made it there on our own. Nathan and I –", Hayden paused, finding the task of saying her fiancé's name too painful for her, "nearly didn't make it here. Heck, I don't know how I survived that night in the forest. You always said there was safety in numbers, remember? That's why you and Daryl always came with me."

Daryl gave an involuntary chuckle and glanced at his older brother. The right corner of his mouth was twitching, a sign that he was about to explode. But when Hayden turned and looked at him, he nodded, albeit grudgingly.

"Fine," Merle said, his expression softening briefly when Hayden hugged him.

Rick smiled, unaware of the plethora of non-verbal messages that were being exchanged between the Dixon siblings. "Glad to have you back, Merle. Daryl, you can take Hayden inside. Lori and Hershel will give her something to eat."

Daryl nodded, and Hayden walked up to him smiling. As the two younger Dixon siblings walked towards the Greene house, Daryl glanced back at Merle. He saw Merle gesture furiously at Rick, who was standing his ground.

Daryl sighed. Some things never change.


Merle waited until Hayden was out of earshot when he rounded on Rick.

"You be glad she's here," he seethed, jabbing a finger at Rick's chest. "The only reason I agreed to stay with your sorry asses is because of her."

"Understood," Rick said evenly.

Shane merely eyed Merle warily, but deep inside the former cop wanted to bust Merle's brains out.

Merle stepped closer to Rick. "And don't expect me to be all buddy-buddy with T-Dog, because that ain't gonna happen."