Alright. Not much action here but the roof is the next chapter and...well yeah please come back to read!

They looked about themselves, almost panicked and unsure what to do. There were walkers pressing in behind them and ahead of them. There wasn't any way out of it unless they were equipped to fend off the vicious attacks. They were armed, sure, but not for a horde this size. It felt almost like a time to give up. Connor looked both ways, hitting his closed fist on the windows and pushing away from them. He surveyed the area as the walkers came closer.

"Can't stay here much longer, man. We're gonna be like shot ducks." Merle nearly yelled, his hand gripping tight to the gun in his hands. He was looking every which way, trying to find a way out too. A way to save his sorry ass so he could live on. Keep living while Murphy was laying dead in the ground. Living a life a man like him didn't deserve to live.

"Connor, Merle, this way." Daryl called out, gesturing them with him hurriedly.

Connor saw that there was a closed office off to the side of the store and that was where Daryl led them to. It wasn't locked and the three of them slipped inside and slammed the door shut.

The small room was a mess. Papers were strewn everywhere, drawers were empties, computers were smashed in. It looked like the scene of some kind of a fight or the scene of people desperate during the end of the world.

Merle scoffed as he looked around, taking in the small room that had close to nothing. "This you plan, baby brother? Stay in here until what? The biters breaks through or we starved to death? Which one did y'have in mind?"

Daryl didn't answer, he only turned his head away as if a bit of shame had struck him. Connor watched it with an anger trust inside of him. What kind of relationship was this? Dysfunctional? Uncaring? The hurt look on Daryl's face nearly said it. Damn bastard cared little for his brother, and if he did have some sort of affection for him then it was lost in the way he treated him. And to think, Merle Dixon still had his brother.

"Just trying to keep us alive." Connor defended as he sorted through the items laying on the desk.

"Alive?" Merle questioned, the sarcasm sharp on his tongue.

"Yeah." Connor met his eyes, making sure his own gaze was as hardened as the way he felt inside. "Which is more than anyone could say for you."

"Excuse me, mick?" Merle demanded, his brows tensing together as he stepped forward.

"You heard what I said."

"And what exactly have y'done to keep my brother and his wounded group safe?"

Connor shook his head. "Nothing. But I don't pretend like I do either." He was in no way scared of Merle, not even after the punches he had just thrown. He had dealt with a lot worse. Men from the Russian mob, pure bred criminals, who feasted on a murder after a long day of sinning their souls away in between a prostitutes legs. Merle Dixon was a coward. A coward that deserved to die, yes, but a coward all the same.

"If y'don't shut that mouth of yours I'm gonna have to go and shut for you. And lemme tell you, it wont feel too pretty." His smile was sharp as he held Connor's eyes.

"Don't mistake me for a man who would be scared." Connor said, looking Merle straight in the eyes. His face was still stinging from Merle's hits and his body still ached because of the Governor and the digging but none of it mattered as he stared into the mans eyes. This man who had known Murphy was in Woodbury the whole time. This man who could have helped Connor in making sure he was with his brother again.

Merle stepped closer to Connor, his defensive glare hardening each time Connor spoke. Connor just smiled a little. Gone were the days when he could live life the way he had before in Boston. Gone were the days when a bar fight would just lead to a laugh and a round of drinks. This world had stolen it. Had stolen the world that he and his brother used to live in. He wasn't even the same man anymore. He was hardened, lost in the sea of death they suddenly were surrounded by.

"Best be scared Irish because I've never come out of a fight leaving the other man alive." Merle pushed out, his anger lacing through every word he spoke.

Connor wanted to laugh. Merle was a hard man, of course he was, but the Governor had managed to tame him. "I think I'll test it."

"Would y'two shut the hell up? They're gonna notice us." Daryl said in a harsh whisper, pointing towards the door as he readied an arrow in his crossbow.

Just when he said that there was a bang at the door, several of them. They had noticed them, had seen them escape into the office or heard his and Merle's voices. Either way they were in trouble.

"Way to jinx us, Daryl." Merle said, his voice finally lowering.

Daryl glanced at him, a bit of anger built up in his eyes. "Wasn't me. It was y'two bastards yelling like crazy."

Connor didn't speak, he was looking around, checking to see for a way out. There weren't any windows and if they slipped out the door they would meet the walkers dead on. They couldn't risk that. They couldn't throw themselves to the horde for a hope to survive. That would be suicide.

While Merle continued to bicker away Connor saw a way out. A shaft on the wall, they could climb through there and get out of the building. It either led to the generator below the building or somewhere up on the roof. Either way it could be potential safety.

"Guys!" Connor called out, cutting off Merle as he continued to talk Daryl's ear off.

They both turned around.. Merle looking at him with a bit of a smirk.

"Ready to get your ass kicked now, Irish?" Merle asked with a laugh.

"More like a way out. We get through the shaft we might be able to get out of the building."

"Aren't we the genius." Merle muttered.

"No, just thinking instead of talking."

Merle laughed a little before he and Daryl walked over to the shaft.

"I hope one of those tools you got was a screwdriver." Connor said to Daryl.

Daryl nodded and pulled one from his bag, handing it over. Connor unscrewed the vent face and then gestured for Merle to go in first. Merle was about to make a a fuss about it before Daryl shot him a look to just do it.

"Pretty dusty in here!" Merle exclaimed, waving a hand in front of his face.

Daryl made to go in next but he stopped first. "Hey."

Connor looked up at Daryl. "Yeah?"

"Y'weren't really gonna let him die, right?"

Daryls words struck Connor harder than he would have liked. There was that same pleading look in his eyes that Murphy got sometimes. When they were small and he'd get hurt or when their da died. He had to look away to compose himself again. He wasn't sure how to answer. Bastard or not Merle was still Daryl's brother.

"No 'course not." Connor said with a shake of his head. The lie burned through his chest where the rosary laid against his skin.

Daryl nodded as if he shouldn't have even asked, like he should have known better. But behind all that he saw the fact that hidden there Daryl somehow knew what it was that Connor was planning. Daryl broke it though when he looked away and climbed into the vent.

Connor heavily sighed before he climbed in as well. The dust hit his face and he coughed loudly, trying to see inn the darkness.

"Man up Irish" Merle said but Connor just ignored him.

He couldn't help but smile at the thoughts that were in his head. The thoughts of the last time he was in a shaft like this one. His and Murphy's first hit, the first time they had gotten their calling. They had fought like hell, Murphy always pissed off with his plans but damn it they had made it. He sighed last the veil of tears covering his eyes as he continued crawling.