12:56 a.m. – 2/23/14 – Please Read Authors Note

Holy crackers guys, I got a review for my one shot Just A Ride (its about the first woman – or person – Merle and Daryl killed. "Oh my god, I'm never going outside ever again," was the review from a guest under the name Ali. I feel so accomplished.

For those that complain that I skipped or missed the moment with the barn, I have something else planned for that, somehow, and I am going ahead and saying this now, I am not killing off Dale…yet.

Update: After the end of this story, or perhaps in the next chapter or two, I will start posting sort of…advertisements for the sequel to this story. Still thinking of a name, but even after the last chapter of The Divide I will continue posting the advertisements. I had planned on doing it as separate sort of one shots or as a five or ten chapter story. Buuut I couldn't think of an easy way to do it so everyone could see it. But with over 30,000 readers I figured I had enough people able to see it. I'm not giving a lot away, about as much as I have in a few other chapters.

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This Is As Quiet As It Gets by TehKinkehWalrus, it's variant Eyesight to the Blind is by me so check it out, it's a definitely darker version.

White roses and Lucky you by Amandapanda7 is good if you want to venture into Carl/OC

Rough Water is by me and is a Merle/Beth story (I got the itch to do one after some curiosity).

Ghosts of Sarjevo is by me and it's a Daryl/OC story that is temporarily on hiatus.

I am redoing Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, but it is also on hiatus for bullshit reasons.

I have a one shot called Just A Ride and it's about the first woman Merle killed, Daryl was unwilling.

And because I am a nerd I have started a story for Transformers, another Hills Have Eyes, two anime, one for Pirates of the Caribbean and one for Loki from the Thor movies.

The writer Vatos is a shared profile by me and my best friend Frera. She is going to be starting an anime story and a Fallout story and I am doing a Rick/OC story under the title The Damned Don't Cry.

"Come on, just one."

Daryl glared over at Marcine from his spot in one of the chairs on the front porch "Hell no, only got two left an' what if we actually need em?"

Marcine huffed arms crossed over her chest. "I do need em Daryl. My fucking leg is killing me."

They had been arguing like this all morning and noon was beginning to rear its ugly head. Marcine was still in a critical stage of healing and she wanted to just start running around and kill Walkers and helpeveryone when she couldn't. After they had dealt with Randall last night she had barely been able to stand, needing to go straight back to bed whenever she got back in the farmhouse. Hershel refused to let her sleep in a tent until she was fully healed. But today she was spittin' fire and raising hell over one pill she couldn't have.

"Think Hershel would let me live if I gave ya one," he looked at her under his brow, picking at the loose threads on his vest.

"I don't give a damn what he thinks. I am so sick of you and him treating me like a child."

"Well maybe if you would stop actin' like one…"

One of her boney fingers darted out to him and she actually looked sort of demonic with that glint in her eyes. "Don't you dare…"

"Just speakin' the truth."

She growled and reared her hand back, but he darted up from his seat and caught her by both of her wrists, slamming her hard into the tarnished paneling of the house. "Think ya can do it," he breathed.

She stared up at him with a blank face, the lids of her eyes slowly closing to hooded. "Try me," she murmured, staring at his lips.

He smirked and leant down, taking her lips with his own and pulling her hands up to his neck, where they wrapped and secured her against his chest. Her eyes fluttered closed and one of her hands came up, fingers threading through what hair she could get as her lips moved against his, tongue peeking out and testing the waters. When hers touched his she yelped as a spark went between them and pulled away, sticking her tongue out and massaging the tip lightly with her fingers.

"A moment ruined by static electricity," she murmured.

"What moment?"

Daryl and Marcine looked over at Hershel and Maggie as they stood on the bottom step, Maggie grinning, Hershel looking like he was preparing a scolding in his head. Marcine stepped around Daryl and pointed at him accusingly.

"He started it."

"And I finished it," he smirked down at her.

She glared and promptly smacked his bicep, looking back to Hershel with a slightly disappointed demeanor. "I remember what you said, please don't repeat it."

He nodded and passed her, eyeing Daryl for a moment before he jerked his chin towards the door. "I'd like ta speak with ya for a moment."

Daryl actually felt a twinge of nervousness in his gut and looked down at Marcine as Hershel disappeared inside of the house. "The hell does he want?"

"Daddy wants to talk to you about Marcine."

Aforementioned woman and Daryl looked over at Maggie where she smiled slightly. Maggie was absolutely terrified of Daryl Dixon. She had heard from Marcine a smidgen of the things he had done to her (slapping her, tempting to rape her – though Marcine wouldn't admit that was what it was) and then she told her some of what Merle had been like and Maggie could see Daryl turning out like him. So of course she was terrified, Marcine had laughed when she said that.

"Well guess I gotta go," Daryl murmured.

Marcine watched him go, slightly amazed by his compliancy, and then flinched as the screen door slammed shut. "That was…rather amazing."

"How so?"

Marcine looked over at Maggie. "Daryl Dixon does not comply with other people. He does not listen to others when they tell him to do something."

"Daddy has that type'a personality," Maggie smirked a little, falling into one of the chairs. "People naturally flock to 'im."

Marcine looked back to the door, not hearing anything but the hushed whispers of the two men. She supposed that was the truth, but still she didn't know anyone Daryl listened to. He didn't even listen to her. Marcine ran her fingers through her hair, pulling the mass of tangled locks around to lie across her chest. Her fingers worked on the knots that were there, examining the way the red came out when the porch light flicked on. She and Maggie looked up at it, slightly confused.

"Guess the light has a short in it again," Maggie mumbled, watching it flicker slightly.

Marcine hummed slightly, looking away from the light to the fields. Today was boring, tedious. Marcine sighed and stood, stretching this way and that before she looked over at Maggie. "I guess I'm gonna go check on Sophia, wanna let Daryl know where I am when he comes out?"

Maggie nodded and pulled her knees up to her chest. "Yeah, wanna tell Glenn I need to talk to him?"

Marcine nodded at that, smiling a little. "Yeah I will. You know he loves you right?"

Maggie blinked. "I uh…I think it's a little early to be lovin each other."

"Well, he loves you. Glenn doesn't have a lot, only us, and we don't all know each other that well if you haven't noticed. Plus he's obviously a nerd and nerds fall in love easy. He's a sweet guy, he…he was one of the few people that actually insisted that Daryl and I were kept in the group. Shane wanted us to leave."

"Why?"

Marcine looked over at Maggie, hesitant. "Carol's husband…Ed…I snapped his neck with my boot."

Maggie's eyes widened a fraction, trying to keep a cool demeanor but the way her breathin was, erratic and loud, she was not fooling anyone. "Wh-What?"

Marcine sighed and leaned against one of the posts of the porch. "He was..a despicable man. He needed to be punished."

"But killing him Marcine? And how the hell did ya even do it? Everyone said you were nothin' but skin and bone when you came up."

Dark eyes met with Maggie's and the young woman sighed. "I don't…I just put all of my strength into it and just did it. Shane should have stopped me…could have stopped me."

"But he didn't."

Marcine shook her head. "No, he didn't. Said he was prepared to do the same thing. If it hadn't been me it would have been him."

"Shane could have stopped you easily…" Maggie agreed, staring at the back of Marcine's head. "Where did Sherri go?"

At that, Marcine felt her own heart thump, but Marcine had always been good at keeping secrets like this. She could do it. "She didn't want to stay here because of me, said she couldn't stand it…she went after mom. I took her out to a safe place. I couldn't just let her walk off like that and end up finding her body at the end of the driveway. I couldn't find her as a Walker and later on, if we both made it, if we ever met again, I don't think she would like what she saw of me."

"What the hell are you talkin' bout?"

Marcine smiled over her shoulder at Maggie. "Maggie…I can trust you can't I?"

"Of course Marcine," she moved over to her…she would be her niece wouldn't she? But she was obviously older than her if not by a year or two. "

Marcine hesitated though, she didn't want to say anything to anyone, but she sort of knew that Maggie wouldn't tell anyone…save for Glenn. "You can't tell Glenn."

"Scouts honor."

Marcine chuckled and then reached up, running her fingers through her hair. "Alright, Daryl and I were waiting until Sophia was found before we did this…Daryl and I are leaving."

Maggie's brow furrowed in concern. "Why?"

"I just can't take being in such a large group and Daryl…well I know he wants to go look for Merle, maybe. We just think we would fair better on our own."

"You need numbers Marcine."

"Daryl and I are more dangerous than any trouble we can run into," Marcine turned her eyes on Maggie, stilling the woman with her icy irises. "We'll be fine, but you can't tell anyone. Not yet. I actually don't even know if it's a concrete thing anymore. I think he's changed his mind."

"I hope he has," Maggie placed a hand on Marcine's shoulder. "I don't want you running off on me."

Marcine smiled. "You can't stop me if I do."

At that, Maggie sighed. "I know that, I don't want to make you do anything that you don't want to, but if we have to…we'll tie you up in the barn."

Marcine rolled her eyes and stepped onto the grass, the dying blades crunching beneath her boots. She paused a few feet from the steps and turned around to Maggie. "Oh and Maggie?"

The brunette stopped and stared down at Marcine. "Yeah?"

"I uh…I heard some stuff about what happened with the barn…"

Maggie raised a hand. "It's done and over with. It was a terrible day and we are still discussing Shane's punishment."

Marcine's eyes narrowed slightly, the movement so miniscule that Maggie never noticed it, and she turned her back on the house. She knew a good punishment for him.

"Rick dear?"

His shoulders laced easily with tension and he paused over his half empty plate of something. He looked over his shoulder at Marcine and saw her standing with purpose. Her wounded leg shook slightly, making Rick wonder if she should even be up and walking. Those wounds were deep and obviously painful from the way she screamed in her unconscious state. Hershel had barely touched her with a rubbing alcohol soaked cotton ball and she lost it.

She had gained back most of her weight since the quarry, her rib cage becoming less prominent as the days went on and her wrists and ankles were filling quickly. She looked almost human again instead of one of those things from Carl's old Saturday afternoon cartoons. But she still looked sickly, dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep and cuts and bruises across her arms and chest, her neck.

"Dear?"

She smiled a little. Marcine liked Rick now that she had spent some time with him. "I wanted to talk to you about Shane."

His face drew a blank and then it showed slight hints of aggravation; he was tired. After he set the plate down he stood, clipping his colt to his side as she led him away from camp. They ended up beside the barn, out of hearing range save for T-Dog who was keeping guard.

"Yo man," Marcine jerked her thumb over her left shoulder. "Go on."

He narrowed his eyes at her slightly. "Excuse me?"

"I said get on, private talk."

He glared but said nothing else, following her instructions back towards camp. Rick looked at her, slightly annoyed. She was authoritative, that was good and bad. Rick knew she would never try to get rid of him and become leader of the group, but some of the others – like T-Dog – might get aggravated with it and want to get some distance with her. But Rick liked it, he needed more people like her and Daryl to help him with this group since Shane was sort of…out of commission. Marcine and Daryl got the job done, they were the muscle so to speak. That could go either way on the good or bad scale.

Rick leaned against the out-of-commission back hoe, crossing his arms over his chest as Marcine stared at the door of the barn. "He killed Otis…he tried to kill you, he wants to kill Randall and he upset my grandfather by killing all of the Walkers he once called family, friend," Marcine looked at Rick. "I don't see why you still have him around."

Rick stared at her for a moment longer before he rubbed his face. "Shane didn't kill Otis," he started.

Marcine rolled her eyes. "No, he just looked guilty as ever giving that fucking eulogy. Rick, you're a cop, don't you know a guilty man when you see one, or are you just trying to ignore it because he was your best friend?"

"He is my best friend."

"No Rick, he's not. Best friends don't try to kill each other."

"He's just lost."

Marcine's face contorted into anger. "Oh don't give me that bullshit Rick, you know damn well that he wants you dead. You know it, I know it, everyone fucking knows it. Shane Walsh is mentally and physically unstable. He needs to be put down like the dog he is."

Rick pushed off of the back hoe, his face growing dangerously close to Marcine's, but she didn't bat an eye. He wanted to try that dominant shit with her? He didn't know who the fuck she was fooling around with then. He probably thought Daryl was a saint sent from heaven or some stupid shit like that. The wings on his vest gave that vibe.

"You don't ever speak like that about him again, you got me," his voice was set into a low whisper, eyes filled with darkness, the pupil dilated to a point where it almost swallowed the blue of his irises.

"When are you ever going to see the bad in your own company Rick," she whispered, cool and collected, no hint of fear or nervousness was inside of her.

"Like you? Or perhaps Daryl, let's try and talk about the things that you two have done."

Her eyes finally darkened, but Rick felt no better in seeing he had gotten to her, he only felt fear twist in his gut. Marcine's forehead pressed against his, pushing him back a step, the toe of her boot connecting with his and he stumbled for a second. "You ever bring him into stuff like this again…and I will see that Shane completes his mission before I deal with him myself."

Rick stared into her eyes, unable to move and then he nodded, taking a step back. "Fine…now what do you propose?"

Marcine tilted her chin up, her demeanor remaining stern and icy. Her emotions did not change inside of her, she was still festered with anger for him bringing up Daryl. "We have to do something about him, Rick…I was thinking we do to him what we've been trying to do with Randall."

"And what is that?"

"We bag him, cuff him, turn him deaf him and drive him as far away as possible. Make sure everyone is safe here and you, Daryl and I take him off somewhere."

Rick stared at her, actually considering it, and then he nodded. "I think…I think that might work.

10:31 p.m. – 2/26/14 – Please Read Authors Note

Oh, it was so short. I hated that.

Ok, before I get any flames like I have before, this story is for my and anyone who enjoys a dark theme and a twisted romance enjoyment. I am going off of what Norman Reedus said about his character Daryl, how he was supposed to be originally.

Daryl Dixon was meant to be a pretty ugly character – early drafts of the script cast him as a racist druggy – until Reedus saw fit to fix him up. His words: 'I don't want to do that. I don't want to take drugs. I want to have grown up in that environment and then be embarrassed about it.' Source: Men's Journal.

And I don't want flames about how Marcine is in this chapter or the story in particular. I know the typical Mary Sue for Walking Dead fanfiction is a tough as chic that curses, doesn't take orders and blah blah blah. But Marcine is not like that, she is much more and in these next few chapters the original character I created will start to come out. She's tough, blood thirsty (obviously), domineering, take charge but she does submit. Only to one man, and of course that is our lovely Daryl Dixon.

I just had to get that all out of the way because I had a reviewer say Daryl would never be like that. I wanted the total opposite. The darker side of things fascinates me more than it should. I want to be honest with all of you. Since a lot of my friends have come across this story after being interested because of the feedback I have gotten I have lost quite a few of them. I don't want anyone thinking I like this stuff, I am simply interested in a darker plot, it makes for an excellent inspiration giver. I hope no one is put off by further chapters and the sequel, if you decide to read it.

The Divide will end at 32 chapters, or maybe 40, it all depends on how many pages my ideas for this will stretch. But I will not go past 40, I don't want to lose all of my inspirations and twists on this one. R&R, you guys know the drill and thank you all for reading.