Merle's voice hit him like a ton of bricks, Glen had said it was him that did this, but he hadn't bought it. Now he needed to go and find him, he told the group he'd lay down fire and he did, but when his gun trained on Merle he froze and took a hit from behind that he should of seen coming.

The whole world went black and when he woke up he had his hands tied and his head covered with a bag. He couldn't feel the reassuring weight of his bow either, fuck Carol was going to be pissed when he got back... if he got back.

He could hear someone talking but it was drown out by the throbbing in his head, someone must have clocked him pretty good. Someone pushed him forward pulling his bag off his head and letting him lose. He looked around and the first thing his eyes saw was Merle, then the crowd and a red head who had his crossbow, then Andrea.

She looked like she was saying something, he shook his head to try and clear it so he could listen, but it just sent a wave of pain through him. He looked over at Merle and could see he was just as worried as Daryl was.

Merle had known as soon as the governor mentioned him he knew he was in for a world a shit, but there was no way he could kill his brother especially to stay with these crazy fucks, Daryl was all he had left. He closed his eyes thinking of how maybe if he died here he could be with Kiry, but no there was no way they'd end up in the same place.

"Sorry Kiry." Merle whispered but before he could even think all hell broke lose again, they'd come back for Daryl. How the fuck had he wormed his way so far into the group that they'd come back for him. No one gave a shit about the Dixon's except Kiry but well he could see where that got her.

He ran with his brother at his back getting his cross bow back for him, it was just like old times. The Dixon brothers at it again, but when they got out to the rest of the group and that Asian boy went ape shit. He'd just take Daryl and leave he didn't give a fuck, it'd be just him and Daryl against the world like it usually was.

"Fuck you he's family, ya he's done some stupid shit but I ain't leavin him." Daryl growled glaring at Glen who was the main argument against Merle coming back.

"Look we'll talk this through, I'm sure we can work it out." Rick said doing his best to keep them calm. Daryl's expression fell from rage to an eerie calm.

"Fine let me make it real simple, Merle ain't welcome I'll come back and get my shit, you can do with out us." Daryl said pointedly, they'd stayed with the group because there was strength in numbers, and at this point his family had the numbers.

"Daryl, no we need you." Rick tone was serious, Glen looked back at Maggie even he knew they'd be weak without the Daryl's family.

"Fine, but I don't trust him, and we should treat him accordingly, he set a walker lose on me for Christ sake." Glen whispered harshly, Maggie didn't need to know what happened just yet she was already worried enough.

"Fair enough, let's get back." Daryl grumbled going to get Merle, he wasn't going to like this but Daryl had a family to get back to. He just hoped Merle wouldn't fuck that up too bad for him.

"Merle get in the fucking car." Daryl told him, Merle looked over at him with a look of disbelief.

"You convinced officer friendly and his queers to let me come back after all that, you suckin his cock little brother?" Merle asked as crude as ever Daryl smacked him upside the head.

"Play nice Merle you're on thin fuckin ice as is." Daryl told him, Merle cocked an eyebrow at him sceptically.

"Fine by me Darylina let's just fuckin ditch these nigger lovers." Merle laughed, Daryl ground his teeth Merle was getting all puffed up to keep them from seeing he felt bad, but no one else knew that.

"Trust me Merle you wanna see this." Daryl told him cryptically getting into the vehicle. Merle didn't know what to think, but he'd see where it took him. The ride home was long and awkward since no one would talk to Merle. Merle was perfectly content to fill that awkward silence with rude unwelcome comments to cover for how uncomfortable he was.

Carol started to get worried by the first night so Sophia, Kiry and her took watch. Kiry was doing her best to keep both the girls calm, but with Carol in full panic mode Sophia was getting restless too. Kiry spotted movement on the horizon just before mid day.

"Look, I bet that's them." Kiry told them pulling a knife any way and heading down the tower behind the girls.

"Daddy!" Sophia called loudly when they saw it was the right vehicle. Carol let them through the first gate. Carol locked eyes with Daryl, but something didn't seem right, Kiry was the first to see him.

"Merle." Kiry whispered as they stopped the car up by the prison where Kiry and Sophia were waiting. Kiry fell back into the shadow of the prison waiting for them to file out so she could know for sure, he was the first one out with a cocky shit eating grin on his face.

"Merle!" Kiry cried out she couldn't keep the edge of a sob out of her voice, but she didn't care she ran towards him. Merle looked over at whoever had called his name and was greeted by Kiry throwing herself at him.

"Kiry!" Hey gasped catching her easily with one hand. She kissed him full on the mouth wrapping her legs around his waist. He turned her towards the car leaning them against it so his hand could trail up her side leaving fire in it's wake. Merle had always known just how to touch her.

"Knock that shit off there are kids out here." Daryl growled, Merle flicked him off with his good hand but a second latter Kiry pushed him off her feet dropping to the ground.

"That's cause I missed you." She said with a coy smile then kicked him in the balls and punched him in the face on his way down.

"That's for leaving me behind!" Kiry told him with a scowl, Merle was clutching himself the pain twice as bad for the issues she'd been causing a moment before.

"Missed... missed you too ya bitch, I thought ya were dead." He groaned Kiry crouched down next to him looking very serious now.

"That's because you were high when I needed you." She told him the look she was giving him froze his blood. She had always hated his addiction, but now she looked like one wrong move would make that kiss there last.

"Is he okay?" Sophia asked taking Kiry's hand a wicked grin lit up her face and she soothed Sophia's hair down.

"Ya baby he's fine, Merle meet Sophia your daughter, that's what I was trying to tell you before you started getting high." Kiry told him, Carol and Sophia looked a little confused, but Sophia did her best to play along and when Carol saw Daryl biting his hand to keep from bursting out into a fit of laughter she understood.

"Wha... but... no I... our." Merle gasped struggling to make a whole thought, Kiry did he best, but before she could say anything else she broke out laughing wiping her eyes.

"Oh God Merle you should a seen your face, this is Carol's little girl calm down" Kiry told him Sophia giggled going over to her mom who was standing next to Daryl now.

"Fuck you! The fuck brother lettin her mess with me like that." Merle growled getting to his feet painfully, Sophia took Daryl and Carols hands and Merle eyed them carefully.

"You fuckin her?" Merle asked

"Merle! Watch you tongue or I'll cut it out." Kiry growled in a tone that rivaled Daryl angry voice. To the shock of everyone around them Merle put his good hand in the air in surrender. Kiry had never had a problem with him picking at Daryl so he figured it must be true.

"Didn't mean nothin by it, just curious as to where I stand is all. Come on Officer friendly take me to my cage like the good little prisoner I am." Merle said turning to Rick and slapping Kiry's ass in one motion. Kiry rolled her eyes biting the inside of her lip to keep from grinning like a fool, she loved him but if she fawned over him he'd walk all over her.

"I' gonna go keep an eye on the dimmer of the Dixon's make sure he don't cause no trouble." Kiry told them hurrying after Rick, Daryl sighed sagging against the wall.

"This ain't gonna be easy, Merle ain't one to share what he thinks is his so don't take no lip from the bastard, but don't let him get ya alone neither. I don't think he'll be a problem clean, but I ain't takin no risks, specially you 'Phia." Daryl told her pointing to emphasize that he meant it, she nodded looking after where Kiry had gone.

"Can I go with Aunt Kiry?" Sophia asked looking up with her big pleading eyes, Carol chuckled looking at Daryl to answer.

"Ya, just don't go pickin up habits from Merle." Daryl told her, she smiled running off into the prison.

"Are you really that worried about him?" Carol asked settling in under his arm, he leaned down kissing her sweetly.

"Nah, just know he's gonna stir up shit, I ain't got a great past so don't be shocked if he dredges it up." Daryl told her, she gave him that sweet smile that made him feel warm inside.

"I don't care what you did in the past, as long as you're mine now." She told him he bent down kissing her passionately making her head spin, he groaned pulling away.

"Gotta stop that shit or I'll take ya right here." He growled and they headed inside, it took a long time to get Merle settled into a cell with a locking door, but eventually he was left alone when Kiry went to help with Judith.

"Do you love aunt Kiry?" The little voice came just outside his range of view just before that little blond, Sophie, no Sophia, showed herself.

"What's it to you kid?" Merle grunted, he did of coarse, but he hadn't even told Kiry that much less this snot gobbler.

"Daddy says there's nothing more important then family, but..." She started, Merle held his hand up to stop her.

"Who says?" Merle asked, she sighed rolling her eyes at him.

"Daryl, but I know even if no one ever told me family's only family if the love you. Ed wasn't family." Sophia spat his name like a curse and that's when Merle remembered who they were, they'd been with that wife beater in Atlanta.

"That so?" Merle smirked the kid seemed smart, a bit of a nuisance but what kid wasn't.

"I don't expect you to love me or Momma, and I know you love Daddy, but do you love Kiry cause if you don't you ain't family, and if you ain't family then I don't have any problem watching you die like I watched Ed die." Sophia told him, he cocked an eyebrow at her words. He recognized her tone it was one he'd used before and in that moment she did something no one had ever done before, she reminded him of himself as a kid.

"Ya firecracker I'm family." Merle told her seriously, a bright smile returned to her lips reminding him of Kiry.

"Good, then it's nice to meet you uncle Merle." Sophia said turning to leave, Merle stood from his spot on the bed to catch her.

"How old are you little firecracker?" Merle asked her, she turned back leaning against the rail so she could talk.

"Thirteen almost fourteen, how old are you?" She asked running her hand up some kind of cord that went over her chest, it looked like a bow string.

"Thirty three." he told her she scowled looking him up and down for a second.

"How come you look so much older then that?" She asked he chuckled, kid was observant and at least if she stuck around he wouldn't be board.

"Drugs, what's that ya got there?" Merle asked pointing at her bow, she pulled it off holding it up for Merle to see.

"A bow, Daddy made it for me." She said showing of the name engraved in the side, he nodded examining the careful work that had been put into it. It was definitely Daryl's work, he'd spent three weeks making Merle a bow once and it'd been fucking nice, but then Merle had sold it for drug money, Daryl hadn't made one since.

"He don't do that for just anyone." Merle told her, she beamed slinging it back over her shoulder.

"He made one for Momma too and Kiry's gonna make some for everyone so we don't gotta use guns, but no one will teach me how to use a gun so I'm the best shot with his." She told him, a grin broke out across his face.

"That right, could teach ya if ya want, always was my thing." Merle told her, she smirked crossing her arms.

"I've heard, but I'd have to ask Daddy." She told him obviously keen on not playing his games, he chuckled.

"Do what ya gotta little firecracker." He told her leaning against the wall crossing his own arms the way she had.

"How did you meet aunt Kiry?" Sophia asked sliding down to the floor so she could sit and talk to him. His mind went unconsciously to that day.

Merle sat in the back of a beat up red pickup with Dayl, who was only eleven, he was sitting forward trying not to aggravate the bruises on his ribs from his pa's belt. He would have to buy groceries tonight since Pa had forgotten them again this month. He'd been selling for skeeter for over a year now trying to keep Daryl fed.

"Pa where are we goin?" Daryl asked, Merle leaned in front of the window to the cab so he was all there pa could reach.

"Shut the fuck up!" There pa snarled smacking Merle in the back of the head, Daryl looked up at Merle with apologetic eyes, Merle smirked ruffling his hair even though his head was throbbing. They pulled into a grown over driveway to a shitty little trailer that looked ready to fall apart.

Merle held Daryl back until there pa was out of the truck then they followed him quietly, the hose smelled of cat piss inside, Merle knew what that meant but he kept his mouth shut. There pa went off with some beat up looking woman with too much eye make up.

"Hi." Merle was startled by the tiny voice, he turned and saw a little brunette girl with the brightest sea green eyes he'd ever seen. She was skinny and dressed in rags just like them, but something about her smile made him want to keep her safe.

"Hey." Merle grumbled, Daryl waved she turned around and picked up a shoe box bringing it to them.

"I'm Kiry, do you wanna play?" She asked holding the box out to them, it was full of beat up lego's.

"I'm Daryl and this is Merle." Daryl told her with a weak smile, he looked over at Merle.

"Ya whatever." Merle said flopping down on the carpet with them, Daryl seemed to enjoy the lego's for a little while until his stomach growled loudly.

"Merle I'm hungry." Daryl whispered, Kiry frowned her stomach had been growling this whole time.

"Momma didn't get food, we could check the freezer if you can reach." She told Merle, Merle shook his head getting up scratching his ankle fucking fleas had left a ring of bites on them.

"Come on, you got shoes girl?" He asked, she shook her head, he sighed crouching down in front of her.

"Get on then." Merle told her, she walked up wrapping her arms around his neck and he carried her to the store and bought them a sandwich to share then took them out to the woods to eat.

Sorry to leave you at this I'll post more next week please review!