Daryl eyed Rick as he walked towards the brothers as Mac chuckled next to him. Slinging more shit into the bed of his truck he looked at Mac and gesture the rest of the shit that they wouldn't need out. Sometimes he wished he could just take up his hunting pack and the essentials and take off into the woods. He could live off the land without having to deal with all the bullshit that came with being in a group. He was made for this world, streamlined, him, Mac, and Merle were raised fighting from birth and this shit was no different for them.

"Mac." Rick nodded cautiously of the more aggressive of the pair. Daryl pursed his lips shaking his head, Mac wasn't one to react without reason. As long Rick kept his shit in check and didn't cross one of the lines Mac marked in the sand he'd be fine. "Daryl...I wanna talk to y'all."

"Talk." Mac snapped.

Rick looked at him not backing down before waiting on Daryl to come back over, "Listen we'd like you to move with the group."

Mac shot Daryl a look and he blew out a breath, "Merle's out there."

Rick nodded, "He is aint sayin' that you shouldn't look. Just that maybe we're going the direction you all are..."

The brothers eyed each other before Mac shook his head, "Better off on our own."

Rick exhaled his eyes going to Daryl, "And you?"

Daryl chewed his lip his eyes looking over the group that was assembled loosely around the camp. There were more women and children than he felt comfortable with but he'd rather deal with that then some of the bastards in the group. They had taken a hard hit when the group had been attacked having lost a good number of their men in the fight. What was left now were older or scantily able to defend themselves, they would never make it. They didn't have the know how in this world.

"Listen I know we got some issues but we need everyone to stick together." Rick sighed, "Just think it over."

Turning and walking away Daryl went back to breaking their gear down and packing it. He didn't need to think about these people and how they would fair without him and Mac. Mac made up his mind and wouldn't be moved on it and Daryl would be goddamned if he lost another brother to the stupidity of this group. No he couldn't handle that and he wouldn't.

"Stupid fucks." Mac muttered. "Bout got a mind to go just to piss that thunder cunt Lori off."

Daryl chuckled his eyes lifting to his brothers, "She piss you off that bad."

"You goddamn right she did. Bitch gonna talk some shit but shut the fuck up the second she seen me and knew I heard her. I should have slapped the the shit out of her. Goddamn Rick should or Shane one, get that bitch under control." Mac sneered.

Daryl couldn't help but to laugh, "Where the fuck we goin to start lookin' first?"

"His ass is either in the city or close by it...we're going to Atlanta." Mac confirmed.

Daryl stood up tossing the last of the shit in the truck he pulled the grease rag from his back pocket wiping his hands down. He looked back to the group seeing the anxious energy moving through them. Sophia was watching them openly her brown eyes meeting his as a small smile crossed her lips.

"Kits been watching us all day." Mac snorted. "Think she has us figured out."

Daryl looked at him, "Kit...you callin' her kit now?"

"Fits her don't you think..."

Daryl looked over to her seeing Carol not to far behind her and he let his eyes linger on her for a second before meeting his brothers eyes again. Mac was looking at him his eyes bright and knowing as if waiting for something from him. Daryl felt his jaw tense and his lips thinned as he looked right back at his brother just as hard.

"What's your angle here Mac?" Daryl questioned his brother pivoting his body to block Mac from moving away.

Mac grinned at him, "No angle brother."

"You couldn't be more full of shit if you fuckin' tried."

A deep chuckle rolled through Mac as they walked towards the triumph, "I think silver fox and her kit are happy to be away from that bastard."

Daryl stayed quiet wanting to avoid whatever Mac was up to knowing that he'd get to it soon enough. Mac was never one to beat around the bush and drag shit out. He was a straight shooter with things and Daryl respected that about him.

"You keep giving me this shit have for years, fuckin' excuses, it's all bullshit." Mac snapped his temper starting to show. "And the first goddamn woman I see you look at for more than a passing glance is married. Problem fuckin' solved I gutted the son of a bitch and she still seems interested in your ugly ass."

"Find it funny that your goddamn ego would let you call your fuckin' twin ugly." Daryl growled trying to change the subject.

"I'm the better looking out of the two of us." Mac laughed.

Stopping at the triumph both men started with getting Merle's shit put away. "You know we can't load this with taking all our gear but we aint tossing the shit either."

Daryl nodded his head, "I'll ride."

"Fuck you I will."

Daryl turned his eyes to Mac kicking his leg over and straddling said bike, "SO you can lay it over again and get road rash again."

Mac snarled, "Suck my cock asshole one fuckin' time. One goddamn time and your ass wont let that shit go will you. You're like a goddamn wife with the bitching and henning me."

Daryl barked out a laugh kicking the bike to life and letting it idle, "If I don't watch after your ass who the fuck is going to? Yous sure the fuck don't."

He didn't wait on Macs reply instead pulling the bike closer to their camp and leaving Mac standing. Kick stand down Daryl hopped off the bike feeling the eyes of the group on them but kept to what he was doing. Every since they had finished getting the bodies cleared and cleaned up and the situation with the dead group members handled the brothers had kept away form everyone. People were mourning their dead and while no one the brothers were close to they still had enough respect to give people the space they needed to mourn. Neither would accept that Merle was dead unless they put him in the ground themselves so they seen no point in counting graves for a man they knew was still out there.

Daryl dropped down on his knees and slid under the truck as Mac lifted the hood and they started checking everything over. It was something they had done since they were young working together making sure everything ran smooth. It was habit now and they didn't so much as think about as just do it like it was part of their nature now.

"Mac slide me my shit." Daryl panted under the truck as he grunted from effort.

"Think your slick don't ya." Mac challenged, "I aint forgot you trying to change the subject."

"Drop it Mac."

"Fuck you I aint dropping shit and you don't answer me I'ma pin your ass under there till I see fit to let you out." He warned.

"Fuckin' dick."

"I got one if you wanna suck it. Now what the fuck is wrong with you that you wont even talk to silver fox?"

Daryl kicked his legs and raised up busting his head against the oil pan, "Aint shit wrong with me." He growled swiping oil through his hair. "I told your ass she just lost her husband and what the fuck would a woman like that be looking at me for? She wouldn't. Besides if you aint forgot we're breaking away from this shit."

Mac stayed quiet for so long that it stunned Daryl alittle, "I don't understand you." His voice was lower and had a pained tone to it, "Why the fuck do you do that?"

Exhaling on a sigh, "Do what?"

Mac's growl rumbled through him and to the jeep, "That shit where you act like your the lowest of the fuckin' low. That's the ole' man talking and you need to quit that shit."

Daryl cringed and shifted, "Don't matter either way we're leaving Mac."

Mac moved to the bed of the truck his heavy steel toes thudding lightly sending small puffs of dust-up with the movement. He wasn't as light on his feet as Daryl was having a slight different gait than him. It made it easier for people who knew them to tell them apart sometimes when they had grown up and sometimes it was the only way even Merle could tell them apart.

A tool chest dropped next to the truck and Mac knelt rifling through it and setting shit out soundly. "This all you need?"

Daryl grunted jerking the tools to him and setting to work on the shit he was doing. If they were taking off he didn't want to get stranded on the side of the road like some goddamn yuppie. The truck might not look the best but something all three of the brothers were damn good with was their hands. They had always been good with it their grandfather had made sure of that. They could all break down a motor, strip it, clean it, find the fuckin' problem, fix that shit and be done with it before most mechanics would get off their sorry asses to even speak to someone.

Work ethic was hammered into them from early on in their life. They were taught aint no one gonna give you a handout and not to fuckin' wait on help. It wasn't coming you had what you made and what you could do the rest was like fair weather friends, shit didn't matter. Daryl smiled at the memory of Norman Dixon, the man had been a big part of their life having stepped in after Will died and raising Mac and himself. Merle was grown and gone to the army when everything happened but maybe that was for the best. Mac was volatile enough he didn't need Merle breathing down his neck at the time making shit worse.

Daryl dropped his tools to the ground and pulled himself from under the truck setting back against it. "What'ya think Norm would have thought about this shit?"

Mac looked down at him sweat soaking his features and making his hair stick to his head, "He'd say it was a crock of shit and either be in the garage or in the woods."

Daryl nodded swiping sweat away, "Think he'd tell us to get our asses home."

Mac looked down again and Daryl looked, "Thinkin' Merle went back?"

Shaking his head he pulled one long leg up bending it at the knee, "If Atlanta don't pan out it aint to far from there...he could've went there."

Mac's eyes flicked over the group, "WE need to let that cock shiner know we're breaking away from the group."

Daryl pulled himself standing and nodded, "Don't matter either way he's gonna still keep going with keeping with him."

The brothers started across camp moving through the people still alive. Daryl was actively avoiding looking at anyone as he passed feeling like he was on trial for something but not sure what the fuck for. Mac had a confident walk next to him his eyes pinned on Rick as he set with Lori. The woman was scowling at them but Mac's lazy smile made it falter and she moved off.

"Y'all think it over?"

Daryl ran his hand through his hair feeling the sweat spike it, "We have."

"We aint goin' with y'all. We're gonna look for him we got some ideas of where he went." Mac shrugged.

Rick nodded his lips pursing, "I hope you find him for what its worth." Daryl met his eyes and Rick gave him a small smile, "He was a handful but I'm sure you two know that."

Daryl snorted, "He was a bastard."

Rick's eyes widened slightly at that causing Mac to laugh, "He was a self-righteous asshole brother get it right. We knew who are daddy was even if we hated the cock sucker."

Daryl shrugged chewing his lip as he turned to leave but Ricks words halted him "When are you all leaving?"

Daryl stood waiting knowing Mac would let him know, "We're leaving before sun up."