The next day was pretty much the same for me as I was busy pretty much sorting what needed washing and what needed repairing. What was ever clean or fixed was backed away into a duffle bag. I wasn't sure if I needed to pack Merle's stuff but I figured in the end that if god forbid he had died then maybe Daryl could wear them when his wore out. If he survived then Merle would have his clothes. I looked up when a shadow came over me from wear I was sewing a rip in a pair of cargos that a tree had snagged. " Never thought I'd see the day you went all domestic Tink." I smiled at Rick in the baggy clean shirt of my brother's. " Well it is the end of the world Rick and they say that's when crazy shit will happen. Want me to check that bullet wound I have my med bag in the tent." Rick pondered a moment as I reached in to grab it before sitting down and hiking his shirt. " Good to know we have medical help when we need it." It looked alright so I just cleaned the wound and changed the bandage. " Not really much I can do Rick I'm just a nurse." Rick grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. " A nurse is better than nothin' Tink remember that. " Before I could answer we heard the kids screaming.

Taking off at a run holding tightly to the buck knife Daryl gave me we came upon the kids who we're watching a walker eating a wild dear with a very firmilar arrow sticking out. Right away I watched one of the guys who's name I didn't remember behead the walker as it came toward us. The kids we're clinging to me in fear before Lori and Carol collected them and ushered them away. Carol I know was busy ironing clothes but where the hell was Lori couldn't she watch them for one damn minute. I was so busy stewing I didn't hear what the guys were talking about until they stopped. Turning to look I saw the trees and bushes moving waiting for a walker to appear only to sigh in relief when it was Daryl instead.

" That's my damn dear!" I rolled my eyes as he started kicking and cursing out the walker's body. " Calm down son." I tried to warn Dale off from saying anything when Daryl was in a temper the best thing to do was let him rant. " Why don't you shut up old man! Take that hat and go back to on golden pond. I've been tracking this deer for weeks. Was gonna drag him back cook us up some venison. Managed to get some squirrel though that will have to do." I moved to help him pull his arrows out before the walker head started to move jumping out of the way I grabbed my knife and stabbed it in the brain as Amy shrieked. Daryl turned to smirk at me in approval before glaring at the guys and wrapping an arm about my shoulders. " What the hell don'tcha know nothin' it's gotta be the brain. I swear Wendy your the only one who's smart around here." He started to walk off calling for Merle before I remembered what I was suppose to tell him.

" Hey Daryl wait up I got bad news for you." Daryl turned to look at me as the rest of guys followed us. I sighed and looked down at my feet I could feel his blue eyes staring at me I hope telling him this didn't make him hate me and choose to leave me here with Shane and Lori. " It's about Merle." now he looked away I could tell he was trying to be calm. " He dead?" Before I could answer Shane decided to answer for me. " Well it's complicated." Daryl looked up at him anger starting to build up in his eyes. " He's either dead or he ain't " Rick wanting to keep Daryl calm approached calmly. " Daryl I'm Rick Grimes. " Daryl looked at him. " Well Rick Grimes you got something to tell me. " Rick nodded before telling him about what happened with Merle. Daryl took my arm before pulling me behind him. " So let me process this you handcuffed my brother to a roof and you left him there?" When Rick nodded before I could stop him Daryl threw the string of squirrel at him and attacked. " Daryl no! There is a reason for what they did I swear."

" Wendy stay out of it this is between me and them. " Daryl shouted at me distracting him enough for Rick to knock him to the ground. " Watch the knife." T-Dog warned as Daryl grabbed his extra before going to swipe at Rick. Wanting to stop him I jumped in front causing him to pause long enough for my brother to lock him in a hold and send him back to his knees. " Let me go!" Shane smirked shaking his head before tightening his hold. " Naw I don't think so. " Fucker was enjoying hurting Daryl. " Choke hold's illegal." Shane just chuckled jerking him back. " Well file a complaint." Rick patted my shoulder in thanks before leaning down eye level with Daryl. " Now calm down and let's talk about this rationally. What I did was not on a whim. Your brother does not play well with others." When he saw Daryl was calm enough he signaled for Shane to let him go. " It's all on me man It's my fault I dropped the key." Daryl looked behind me to T-Dog before snorting. " You couldn't of picked it up?" T-Dog shook his head shrugging. " I dropped it down a drain. But I did chain the door so the walkers couldn't get to him." Daryl scoffed before Rick offered a kind smile. " That's gotta count for something."

" To hell with you all just tell me where he is so I can go get him." I moved to help Daryl up he looked at me before taking my hand. " He'll do better than that. He'll show you." We both turned to Lori who looked pissed before walking off with Rick and Shane at her heels. With them out of the way Daryl turned to me still showing some anger. " What the hell we're you thinking? Standing in front of the pig like that I could of cut you." He grabbed my arm again leading us off to our tent. " I was thinking I didn't want you to kill Rick. He's a friend of mine Daryl he was the only one besides Alice who was ever nice to me. " Daryl looked at me. " You in love with him? Why not go tell him about wifey dearest and share his tent. "

What the hell what was with him why was he acting this way. " No I'm not in love with him. I haven't been since we we're kids. Not that it's any of your business. You know what maybe I will just join his tent. I'm sure with him here my brother and Lori will leave me alone. Have a nice life Daryl tell Merle I said bye if he's alive." I started to storm off before he grabbed my arm stopping me.

Daryl sighed as he stopped Wendy from storming off. He was already really mad at the fucking pig and the rest of those assholes when they had told him about leaving Merle. Seeing her trying to protect him though made him jealous. He was suppose to be her hero now not that guy he had hoped Wendy might have grown as attached to him as he was getting to her. " Look I'm sorry. It's just he's my brother Wendy he's all I got. " He saw her face soften before she patted the hand on her arm. " No he's not. You've got me now to." I smiled before pulling her in for a one armed hug. " You get all our stuff packed? " I felt her relax and nod. " All but what needs cleaned figured I do that why you went to find Merle. " I coughed taking my arm back. " I want us packed I don't trust these idiots anymore. So when me and Merle get back we're leaving. So say your goodbyes and put some of this up in the truck." She started to grab some things before heading out to my truck putting them in the back.

I watched at from where I was as Daryl, Rick, Lori, Shane and a few others were arguing about going after Merle when I felt a tap on my shoulder. Looking behind me I saw Carl " Are you leaving aunt Wendy? " I didn't know what to say. How do you explain to a little boy the uncle he loved so much was an abusive dick and I didn't feel safe with him. " No baby I'm just putting some stuff in the truck that was cluttering up the tent." Carl smiled before running off to his mom. " You know it's gonna break his heart more now when you leave. " I turned to Carol who was loading laundry in her car to drive down to the water. " I know but Carol if you could get away from Ed. If someone was willing to take you away and protect you and Sophia. Wouldn't you go? " Carol looked back at her husband before turning to me and nodding. " Can't say I ever trusted Shane that much but are the Dixions really any better? " I smiled. " Except for a few crude nicknames and vulgarer flirting from Merle it's been a hell of a lot better than it ever was for me at home. " Carol looked at me in understanding before honking made us turn to see them loading up in the cube van.

I walked over to where Daryl was standing in the back and handed him a filled water bottle. " Merle might need this when you find him. " Daryl nodded before messing up my hair. " You just be ready when we get back and stay away from that damn brother or yours. " I nodded smiling at Rick when he and Shane approached. " You wanna go with us Tink in case Merle needs some medical attention? " I shook my head. " I can fix him up here just as well as I could out there and here there's no walkers." Rick nodded. " Go make your self useful " I glared at Shane before going to gather up mine and the Dixions laundry.

When I finally made it to the water I noticed most of the other women there doing there's. " Why are we always the ones doing this?" I snorted as Andrea made a comment about it being the apocalypse. " I miss my maytag. " I smiled at Carol she was probably use to being a house wife. " I miss my coffee machine. " After that alot of the woman started naming off things they missed. I do miss somethings my self like Netflix, having a roof over my head, being able to go to a grocery store where the foods already dead. Oh an air conditioning I really miss air-conditioning. I chuckled when Andrea mentioned her vibrator before cracking up when Carol whispered about her own. Didn't they have batteries? Our laughing was cut short when Ed appeared to ruin the mood. " What's so damned funny?" Andrea and Jaqui shared a look before she turned to him. " Just swapping war stories Ed."

" Well this ain't no comedy club so just shut your yapping." I saw Andrea stand up wringing out a shirt. " Well I tell you what Ed you don't like the way we wash your clothes do them your damn self." and threw the shirt at him. " It ain't my job." He growled before throwing the shirt back to her. I could see out of the corner of my eyes Carol getting nervous. " What is your job Ed? Sitting on your ass all day smoking cigarettes? " Ed walked up trying to intimidate Andrea I could tell this was getting bad and fast. Looking across the water I saw my brother talking with Lori and Carl. I wasn't sure if I should count on him or not but my brother was better than no one so I started to wave him down. Before I knew it I heard a slap and turned around to see Ed trying to pull Carol away from the other girls as they tried to protect her from him. I felt as Shane shoved me out of the way and started really hammering on Ed. " What the fuck Shane stop! Your gonna kill him stop." I tried to pull my brother off only to get back handed myself. When the woman gasped in shock that's when my brother noticed what he did. It's not like my brother hasn't hit me before but never in front of anyone " Don't you ever put your hands on anyone again including your wife." Shane shoved Ed before walking off not even apologizing to me. I looked at the others as Carol cried hovering over Ed apologizing to him.

Grabbing the clothes I brought I just walked off. Let them think what they wanted I wasn't going to make excuses for Shane anymore. " Hey Wendy. " I turned to look at Amy as she approached a basket of wet clothes on her hip. " Me and Andrea we're gonna try and go fishing later we found some poles in the bottom of the RV. You wanna join? " I smiled before wincing by the sting my eye was probably bruising up quickly. " I'm not much of a fisher. Turtles always stole my bait. Thanks anyway though Amy." I started to walk off again when I felt her grab my arm. " Hey um are you ok? " looking back at her I nodded. " Has Shane ever done anything like that before? " I went to lip my lips tasting blood great that meant it was busted as well. " Look I'm not gonna lie me and my brother have never gotten along and yes he has hit me before. But never like that and I've never seen him beat someone that badly. I think he's finally snapped I really do so if I was the rest of you I'd start listening to Rick from now on."

I hid the rest of the day in the tent packing the rest of everything up before joining everyone around the fire. By all the fish being passed around with what I had skinned and cleaned of the squirrels Daryl brought I took it the girls were successful. I wasn't much of a fish person but with food being so scarce now I just shoved it in and tried to keep it down. Afterward we all tried to relax that's when I heard what had happen with the mechanic guy and noticed him still tied to the tree. " I gotta know man it's driving me crazy whats with the watch?" I barely listened to Dale as he explained to T-Dog with some old quote before Amy excused herself to use the bathroom. I had this un easy feeling I couldn't ignore so slowly I pulled out my knife clenching it into my hand. " Hey Dale your out of toilet paper…" I jumped when Amy screamed as a walker from out of know where took a chunk out of her arm before being shot by Andrea. " Dale try to get everyone to the RV! " I started running slashing and stabbing any walker that tried to grab me on my way to my tent. " Wendy what the hell are you doing? " I rolled my eyes at Shane. " In our tent Daryl has a spare gun with ammo. " Before I could get to it a walker hand knocked me down causing me to drop my knife. I just kept kicking at it trying to crawl in reach of my weapon before the damn thing managed to pull off my shoe. I watched in horror as it got ready to rip off my big toy like it was a gummy worm before a blessedly firmilar arrow went through its eye from the back of its head. " You need to learn to tie your shoes better girl." I smiled at Daryl as he pulled me up. He watched my back as I pulled on my shoe and grabbed up my knife. " When your feet are as small as mine sometimes even the tightest laces don't help boy."

Daryl pulled me back toward the RV " Wait Daryl the spare gun and my axe their back in our tent. " Daryl shook his head before pushing me into Lori and Carl. The latter who latched onto my waist despite his mother's glare. " The spares on me and you ain't getting killed for some damn axe. " I sighed as he handed me his loaded gun. " Well start shooting tex. " I nodded as I started killing what ever walkers I could before there wasn't one left. " I remember why I dug the holes now." I looked at the tied up man tempted to shoot his ass. We spent the rest of the night dragging walkers and stabbing our dead in the brain making sure they wouldn't turn. Well all but Amy her sister wouldn't even let us near her. I had finally been allowed to get my axe from our tent and I was using it on any body I could find. Sophia and Carol screamed when a mutilated Ed was dragged from their tent if it was Shane I would have been shouted for joy. Soon the sun was rising.

I could see from where I was smashing heads everyone arguing over Andrea guarding Amy damn couldn't they just let the poor girl grieve. If the worst was to happen they could just shoot them both. " Jim's been bit!" I looked up at Jaqui's scream before they ganged up on the mechanic who had finally been untied to help. So that was his name and by the look of his side he had been bit. Daryl looked ready to kill him and almost did before being stopped by the others as must as I liked the guy he could be a real hot head. " You all brought this on yourselves! Especially with what you did to my brother. " I heard T-Dog tell him to shut up before Glenn had a hissy about body piles. I just shook my head and went back to work.

Daryl stormed off to where he noticed Wendy was using the axe to smash in some dead guys head. " Can you believe these morons. Letting to almost walkers to turn they start to turn we're getting the hell out of here. " he noticed her snort before she stood to wipe some sweat from her forehead. Grabbing her face he turned it to finally see the split lip and black eye. " When the fuck did this happen?" he felt her flinch back. " Look it was my brother but it was an accident this time I swear. I was trying to get him off Ed before he killed him for hitting Carol and caught his elbow to my face."

I didn't know if I wanted to believe her or not. " You can ask Carol or Jaqui they were there if you want." I took the axe from her and started taking out my anger on the dead people. " Did the prick at least apologize." She seemed to relax before leaning against the truck. " Of course not then he'd be admitting it was a mistake. That or he just didn't care either one is possible." I growled. Here I was suppose to be protecting her and not only was she almost ate by walkers she was beaten up by her brother. " Hey Daryl it's alright nothin' I haven't dealt with before." Couldn't she see that wasn't the point. I didn't want anyone laying hands on her. " So I'm guessing by his absence you didn't find Merle. Is he….. He's not….. What happened?" I knew Wendy didn't have a thing for my brother but I couldn't help the slight jealousy at her concern for him. " As far as I know he's alive. We got to the building only to find out he'd used a saw to cut his own hand off. Then made his way down stairs to a kitchen to burn the wound closed." I heard her whistle low before shaking herself in slight chills. " Only Merle would do something that crazy and gross." I laughed before I pulled another body to me noticing it was Ed.

I licked my lips ready to smash him to pieces for his part in Wendy being hurt before I heard Carol behind me. " He's my husband I'll do it. " I turned and handed her the axe watching as she used it in revenge for all the years of abuse I'm sure she had taken. I went to wrap an arm around Wendy as she was staring at something. Turning I saw that Amy had finally turned and was reaching for her sister as Andrea was talking to her like she understood. " Stupid blonde." I went to throw what was left of Ed in the back of the truck when a shot rang out. " Told you not to worry Daryl. " I shook my head as I urged her into the truck to back it up to the RV " One down one to go. Stay away from Jim and put everything but the tent and the cots in the truck you can take Merle's til we find him. I think Rick is planin' to go to some medical place we'll follow them. I trust him a lot more than your brother." I saw her smile before taken her axe from Carol to clean it. With out Merle I wasn't sure if I could keep Wendy safe by myself anymore so if staying with the group could help me with that it was what I had to do.