Chapter Ten

Carol cared about the women in this group. They had been through a lot together and she would hate for something to splinter the bond she had with them. But when it came right down to it, as much as she hated to admit it, even to herself, especially to herself, she would turn her back on every single one of them if it meant keeping Daryl safe. And part of keeping him safe was keeping his brother alive because losing Merle again would devastate him.

"We need to talk. Alone," Cassidy said, motioning towards the doorway she had emerged from.

"Seems like it. But we're giving him his pants back first," Carol said firmly.

Cassidy shrugged. "I burned them."

"What!" Merle barked, startling the girls again.

Cassidy turned around, throwing her arms up in exasperation. "We sat in a dumpster all day! They reeked."

Merle looked down, shaking his head and grumbling to himself as Carol followed the other woman into the hallway. Cassidy spun around, her eyes blazing and her arms crossing over her chest. The scars on her face seemed more prominent in the face of her anger. "What the hell is this about?"

"They've saved people," Carol hissed, glancing towards the door.

Cassidy shook her head. "It's not just that. Who is he?"

"Merle's brother. You already know who he is."

"He's the one that saved the others," Cassidy said, keeping her own voice cool. "But you know him."

Carol nodded. "He was a member of my group."

Now Cassidy tossed her a cold look. "The one's that kicked you out of your home? That group?"

"He was already gone when they did that. He wouldn't have let it happen," Carol said, surprised that she knew she was telling the truth.

"You're serious about letting them stay with us?" Cassidy asked, unable to keep the disgust out of her voice.

"If that's what they choose to do, yes. They're staying. They haven't hurt anyone."

"They're murderers!" Cassidy spat.

Carol gave her a slow smile. "So am I," she said, her voice carrying an edge.

"You're putting all of us at risk," Cassidy said bitterly.

Carol shook her head. "You know I wouldn't do that. Now, send someone to get Merle one of those work uniforms or pick through some of the other cast off clothes we've rounded up so he'll have something other than his underwear. I can't believe you did that to him."

Cassidy rolled her eyes and was about to storm off but then stopped. "Emma rigged us a shower in the loft. Her and her group were cut off by walkers and came back pretty quick after we all left out this morning so she had time on her hands. I hope your boyfriend drowns." With that she turned and stormed off.

Carol stared after her, shaking her head. She understood why the other woman felt this way. She had been through a lot, had been tortured more than the others at the hands of those men, but it wasn't right for her to take that out on the Dixons when the two men had done what they could to help.

She went back to the room she had left Daryl. He was standing with his brother, the two of them talking low. Merle was still cuffed and still in his underwear. She cleared her throat, drawing their attention. When Merle looked at her she felt like he was studying her more closely now and she saw the recognition in his eyes.

"Well I'll be damned. You sure went and turned yourself all the way around, huh?" Merle asked, his eyes raking over her.

She smiled tightly. "I'll get you some clothes and something to eat." Her eyes slid to Daryl. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

He glanced at Merle and then nodded, following her towards her own room. She trusted Cassidy wouldn't kill Merle while she talked to Daryl. She led him to the room that she had claimed for herself and shut the door behind her. She was silent until the lantern was lit.

"This the part where you tell me your friends want us to hit the road?" He asked, his voice guarded.

She studied him for a few long moments before she shook her head. "Unless you want to leave, I want you here." She meant the words but almost regretted them as they left her mouth. "You two can sleep in here. This is my room. You didn't get any rest at all and you can try to strut around and act like you don't need sleep but I want to move out of here soon. If you two are in here it isn't likely anyone will try to kill you."

He glanced around the room. "Seems like a good place to hole up. You got the city to scavenge and this place seems damn secure. Why you wanna keep runnin'?"

She bit her lip, her eyes wandering over the small space of the room before settling on his. She hadn't really thought about staying anywhere. The group, her group, had a vendetta. They stayed on the move because they had been trying to track the men that had hurt so many of them. She herself had stayed on the move for reasons that she couldn't even put her finger on. But now that he was standing there, only a few feet away, it seemed like maybe it was a good idea to talk to them about finding a permanent place.

It hadn't occurred to her until this very moment that possibly, she had been searching for something specific. Or someone specific. "Maybe you're right. Feels like I don't really need to be on the run anymore. There isn't anything else to search for."

For a few long moments they stood their, eyes locked. When the door opened suddenly they both jumped. Emma walked in, looked between them and then blushed. "I'm sorry. I'm not used to any of us needing any privacy. I didn't know you two were in here," she said hurriedly.

Carol shook her head. "It's fine, Emma. Did you need something?"

Emma handed her a stack of clothes. "I went through some of our stuff and found some pants that might fit them. I thought it might be better than the uniforms in the back. Maybe fashion isn't really something we have to worry much about anymore but I would hate to see anyone have to wear a blue jumpsuit," she said, making a face that showed how distasteful she thought that was.

Carol took the stack and smiled at the girl. "You're a life saver, Emma."

Emma bit her lip, her eyes widening. "Cassidy is getting worried. So are a few of the others."

Carol rolled her eyes. "There isn't anything to worry about. These men aren't-"

Emma shook her head, cutting her off. "Not about the men. Mercy and a few of the others haven't came back yet. With all the chaos out there, they could be dead. But knowing that the walkers weren't the only things out there tonight has everyone nervous. It's one thing to know our people didn't make it but to think those men might have them..." She shivered visibly. "Mercy can't even talk, Carol. If she has to go through much more..."

Carol felt cold all over. When they had first found the girl Carol hadn't expected her to make it very far in this world. She hadn't been able to speak and she'd cowered from all of them. Over the months she had gotten better. She'd learned to shoot and she'd learned to communicate when she needed to. She'd written her name down on a post it note in an office they had been staying at on the outskirts of the city. That was really all they knew about her.

"Who's Mercy?" Daryl asked suddenly.

Carol looked at him then, saw the worry in his face. He didn't know this girl but still he was concerned. "She's our youngest. She might be fifteen or sixteen, none of us are sure. She's mute."

Daryl frowned. "I think I might have seen her. She's the one that cut down the men me and Merle were with. Merle had her when you came outta nowhere and bashed his head in."

Carol nodded. "So we know the last place she was." She tossed the clothes onto her pallet. "Emma, get Cassidy and round up the rest of the group that got cut off and came back here early. Tell them to load up I want you to stay," she added hastily, giving the girl a look that told her arguing would do her no good at all.

Emma nodded sharply and hurried out the door. Carol watched her go, her heart sinking. She hadn't wanted to take on the responsibility of that girl in the first place. The odds had been stacked against her from the start and now, Carol felt like she had already lost her. How many more girls would she lose?

She went to step past him but felt his grip on her arm. She didn't pull away.

"You're goin' out there?" He asked.

"I can't sit here not knowing," she said. "We already saw at least four of them. Those men are still out there and you know what they'll do to her. You stay and get some sleep, Daryl. We'll be back before dawn."

He shook his head, looking at her like she was crazy. "You ain't goin' alone."

"I'm not going alone," she agreed, "But I'm not going with you either."

He scowled down at her.

"Don't give me that look. You aren't half as terrifying as you think you are," she said with a small smile. "I don't need you out there with no sleep. We've been through a lot, Daryl. Physically and otherwise. It isn't smart and if I'm going to get these girls back, I can't be distracted with you. Besides," she added, "You're injured."

"So are you!"

She sighed and met his stare. "Something tells me I'm on the mend." There was a double meaning to her words and she could tell by the look in his eyes that he knew it.

Reluctantly he nodded. "You sure your minions ain't gonna come castrate me in my sleep?"

She laughed softly, the sound strange to her ears. "I think they know better. You'll be okay. Just keep your brother on a short leash, okay? If there's any trouble, it'll be because Merle was being Merle."

He finally nodded. She could see the fatigue written all over his features. "Watch your ass out there."

"I will. Get your brother something to wear. If I were you I'd probably take advantage of the rain and get a shower. Emma rigged something for us to use the water. You seriously reek."

He snorted and shook his head. For some reason she couldn't resist taking a step closer and pushing his hair out of his face. He grew still under her touch, a guarded look in his eyes. She had a strange urge to press her lips to his then but she shook the thought as soon as it entered her mind. Instead she pulled his head down and kissed his forehead and then dropped her hand, hurrying out of the room before she could read his expression.

She needed to get away from him. She needed time to think about things without his presence influencing her better judgment. She needed a moment to readjust to these new circumstances and she needed to get away from him to try to talk herself out of falling all over again. Because she was. She was falling and she was falling very hard and very fast and it was a terrifying feeling because she wasn't certain that the bottom of the fall wouldn't kill her.

She spent another thirty minutes going over a game plan with Cassidy, who refused to stay behind. Carol was already tired of arguing with her so she didn't object. It was also a lot more safe for Merle and Daryl if the other woman was around for Carol to keep an eye on. She did take it as a good sign that Cassidy hadn't killed Merle. She hadn't even let the other girls try. So maybe there was hope for her. Maybe there was a little hope for both of them.

She hadn't realized how much hate she harbored inside of her until she started feeling it slowly drain away.

She needed to talk to him one more time before they headed out but when she checked her room, he wasn't there. His bother on the other hand, was. He was sprawled out on her pallet, hands behind his head. He was dressed in a pair of green cargo pants and a black shirt and she could tell that he was clean. They must have found the shower.

She made her way to the second floor, her feet silent on the catwalk that ran the center of the old building. When she made it to the end where it formed a T she turned left and headed to the area where they had built the makeshift shower. She wasn't really expecting to find him up here but right before she walked through the doorway to the room she saw him.

Her mouth dropped open and she stepped back into the shadows. She knew she should avert her eyes but it wasn't easy. If he knew she was there he'd strangle her. She felt like he was already strangling her because her breath was locked somewhere in her lungs. The lantern was turned down low, leaving a lot of the room in shadows but there was enough light hitting him for her to see every inch of his body in stark detail. And maybe if it had been any other man she could have looked at him in an indifferent light. But he wasn't just any man.

The water was pouring in from a pipe that was fixed to a hole in the ceiling. She had a full frontal view him, his head tipped back as his hands ran over his hair, scrubbing away the grime. His shoulders were broad and strong and hard years of survival insured that his body was hard and lean. Her gaze swept down over the wide expanse of his chest, studied the flat planes of his stomach that led down...

She swallowed so hard she thought for sure he would be able to hear it over the rain pounding on the metal roof. She ran a hand through her hair, unable to stop looking at him, knowing that she should stop. Her whole body felt flushed, partly from embarrassment and partly out of an unrelenting desire to take off her own clothes and get right under the water with him.

He was a lot more man than she was accustomed to and the fire that ignited low in her body was screaming for her to do something, anything at all, that would bring relief.

"Woman, if you squeeze those thighs together any harder you're gonna break your damn legs."

She spun around and was staring wide eyed into the smug face of Merle Dixon.