Save Me, Save You
Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or the characters except my own! The rest is all AMC!
summary: twenty-nine year old Kathryn Smith and her daughter three year old Jasmine have been on their own until they meet the Atlanta group on the highway. both mother and daughter carry with them a scared and frightening past but Kathryn is also carrying with her something more. Enter Daryl Dixon Hunter, tracker, and all around bad ass as well carries a dark past can they both save each other or will someone or something tear them apart?
Theme song: Back In Black by: AC/DC
Chapter 19 part 2: That's What Family Does part 2
That morning Kathryn had woken up, fed the babies and went to meet Carol.
Daryl noticed his wife had changed since Merle had come around.
Rick asks for Daryl and Hershel to meet him outside.
As Kathryn stood helping her mother make breakfast, Merle walks in kissing Carol on the cheek.
"Hey sweet cheeks need to talk to ya's." Kathryn looks up at her brother-in-law.
She nods, following him out to the other cell block. "What's up?"
"I have an idea." Kathryn raises an eyebrow. "Michonne, we give the Gov. Michonne, we kill the bastard, let her come back."
Kathryn nods. "Ok good plan, but what about his men?"
Merle chuckles "You let me worry about that, you just get Michonne ta me."
Kathryn nods. "You got it Hoss, just let me know."
Merle nods as Daryl walks up to them. "What the hell?"
"Hey Lil brother." Daryl nods at his wife. "What ya doin down here? Jass been lookin for you."
Kathryn looks at Merle then back at Daryl. "Just bonding with Merle, I'll leave you two alone."
She walks away going to look for her father, see if he can take the stiches out yet.
WD~WD~WD~WD
Kathryn walks up the steps grabbing a few things, she makes sure no one sees.
She jogs back down from the cells, looking for Michonne "Hey, Merle and I we need your help. Well, he does."
Michonne looks up at her from sharpening her Katana. "What?"
"Something about walkers in the tombs, he needs our help." The woman gives her a weary look but nods all the same.
Merle met them at the entrance and all three start walking. "Where is it?" She asks.
"Around the corner, we need to clear out these walkers. I'd ask my lil brother but he's busy so it's you two." He tells them, Kathryn bites her lip and looks behind them.
"We need to barricade this part, a breach like this can be an open invitation to the Governor." They stop as a walker walks up to the metal bars.
Kathryn scrunches her nose. "Ugly SOB." Merle chuckles, nodding.
Michonne looks at Merle as a stray walks around the corner. "Not much for subtlety."
"You wanna take your chances?" Merle asks pointing at the walker.
They attack a walker, Kathryn takes out the buck knife Daryl had given her.
Once the two are down, Merle moves behind Michonne, he looks back at Kathryn she nods at him.
He hits Michonne over the head with his stump, Kathryn goes after a walker, plunging the knife through its head.
"You're getting better sis." Kathryn looks up smiling. "Learn from the best."
She goes to attack another one as Merle takes a slash at another's head.
"Alright, grab her sword, I'll get her." Kathryn nods grabbing the Katana as Merle throws Michonne over his shoulder.
They take her to another part of the tunnel where Merle has everything stashed.
Kathryn lifts up the woman's head so he can put the sack over it.
"Why do I get the sense of Deja vu?" Merle smirks. "I got yer back as long as you have mine."
Kathryn nods as he begins to tie her up, Kathryn helping.
"I'm glad yer with me sis, I know my brother ain't gonna like it but still glad ya are."
Kathryn looks up and smiles "Feelings mutual Merle."
WD~WD~WD~WD
Day broke when the three of the started off, Kathryn holding onto the Katana.
Merle begins to explain things to the now awake Michonne.
Kathryn didn't look at the woman, she couldn't really.
Merle chuckles "I agree with ya, he would have blinked."
"Not you though." Michonne says her eyes on the younger woman.
Kathryn looks around keeping an eye out for walkers.
"I've been straight with ya." Michonne looks out of the corner of her eye "You were straight when you two led me into those tombs."
Merle smirks. "Ok, so maybe I wasn't straight." Michonne glares at him. "You put a bag over my head."
Kathryn sighs walking up aways as Merle says, "We got it done, he wouldn't a. Keep movin."
Michonne looks at Kathryn who was ahead farther than them.
"Huh, here's a guy that came back for me on that roof top. Naw, it's all on me, ya know figure that's why I was back there in the first place, do the dirty work." They stop moving.
Kathryn looks back at them, Michonne nods to Kathryn "What about her then?"
Merle looks at his sister-in-law. "She here to learn trade secrets, training her behind ma lil brother's back. On top of that she wants her own revenge, so to speak."
Kathryn looks away turning to see a walker in a trench coat.
Merle laughs as he walks up behind her taking the Katana out of its sheath.
"May I?" He asks Michonne as he walks away from them.
Kathryn takes the cord lead. "You know you don't have to do this. I know you're mad, pissed off but to fallow Merle?"
She closes her eyes not wanting to listen to the woman. "I'm doing this for my family, my daughter Jass and I...we were slaves to the Governor. I need this, I need to do this."
Michonne shakes her head as they watch Merle slice the walker's head off.
Kathryn moves her husband's poncho around about, she shakes her head.
"Come on Merle we're waiting day light." He looks back at her. "Naw...we got time don't ya worry."
Merle turns around looking at them. "Ya know I figured ya take down my sis and run."
Michonne smirks. "Wanted my sword back before I got away." Merle laughs as Kathryn smirks as well.
He tells Michonne she shouldn't get her hopes up, he sheaths the Katana and takes the lead from Kathryn.
WD~WD~WD~WD
Rick runs up to Daryl telling him he calls it off.
Daryl nods. "Not saying it was the wrong call but it was rotten. What's wrong?"
Rick looks around as Jasmine runs out. "I can't find Merle and Michonne."
"Daddy, I can't find mommy and the babies are hungry." Daryl groans, knowing his wife probably went with them.
"Stay here Half pint, tell yer grandma what's going on." Jasmine nods running inside.
Daryl and Rick run into the generator room, Daryl tells Rick Merle was looking for drugs.
"He said a lot of things though. Didn't help Kat had been acting strange, hanging around Merle." He picks up a white bag. "Here we go, yeah they took her here. Missed it up."
"Damn it, I'm going after'em." Rick tells Daryl. "You can't track for shit and my wife is out there."
Rick turns to Daryl. "Can't be the both of us." Daryl jogs past him. "Naw, just me, I hadn't been paying attention to Kat, knew she was in pain. Guess this was Merle's way of helping her. Said I'll go, I'll go, plus when we get back we need to be ready."
Daryl looks down as he pushes the door open. "Your family to."
WD~WD~WD~WD
Kathryn started to feel anxious, like none of this was going to go right.
Though Merle's plan was full proof, and he assured her things were going to be alright.
She still wished Daryl was here, but there had been things going on for the last two days.
Her nightmares were getting worse, Daryl had tried everything, it was Merle who told her that she needed to kill the Gov.
Told her that it would take away the nightmares and she believed him.
Now she was out here with her babbling none stop brother-in-law.
Good God, if she was half as smart as he was, she would have done this herself.
"Wanna be with my brother and his family, my family. My brother he wants to be in the prison, this whole trip maybe it'll keep that place standing. If we pull this off all is forgiven." Merle looks around as Kathryn looks ahead.
"That's whole lot of maybes." Michonne says, Merle stops. "Hey sis, hold up."
Kathryn stops and turns looking to see what he wants. "Gotta play the hands ya dealt, Right sis? I on the other hand only got one."
The young woman nods as they start walking towards a house.
Kathryn looks at her brother-in-law. "Like I told you before, you have my forgiveness."
Merle looks at her and nods before jogging up to the van, she fallows behind.
"This any good?" Kathryn asks, Merle looks up and smiles. "Naw."
Michonne steps in front of him. "You talk about the weight of what you have to do, how you can handle it. A bad man, someone truly evil. Your light as a feather, you don't feel a thing."
Kathryn knew Michonne was right, she wasn't a killer. What the hell was she doing out here for?
Looking at them she figures it's more watching out for Merle now.
"I've killed sixteen men since all this went down. Let's go." He walks past them.
Michonne looks at Kathryn. "You're not even a killer; do you even have the guts to do what he asks?"
Kathryn looks down. "I don't know, all I know is Merle is family. I'll do what I've got to for family."
Hearing groans and moans, the three of them look back to see a heard of walkers, they start running.
WD~WD~WD~WD
At about a mile they come to a stop, Kathryn huffing and puffing.
"Alright, I think we're good." Merle says looking around.
Kathryn snorts as Michonne says. "Yeah, we're great." They make their way to a motel.
Merle ties Michonne to a pole, Kathryn keeps watch holding her rifle.
Breaking of the antenna of a nearby car he uses it to break in.
Kathryn smiles and claps her hands. "Bravo, so now I know what to do if I need to break into a car."
Merle laughs. "Oh yea lil sis, you'll learn from the best." Kathryn shakes her head.
He lies down on the floor of the car and starts hard wiring, for the car starts then the alarm goes off.
"Oh shit!" He yells through the noise, Kathryn stiffens and holds her rifle more upward.
Now she knew what the second half of his plan was. "You know what he's doing?"
Kathryn shakes her head/ "No, sort of. He just told me we were handing you over to the Governor, that's about it."
"OH SHIT!" Kathryn yells, her eyes widen as she hunches down her rifle up.
Walkers begin to come out of the wood works; Merle had better have a good idea.
"Merle!" Both woman yell as Kathryn runs to Michonne trying to untie the wire lead.
Fat ass bloater comes walking up the parking lot, another walker come out of a motel room.
"I can't get it, it's stuck!" Kathryn yells, Michonne tells her to look out as a walker comes up behind her.
Kathryn turns, grabbing her buck knife and stabbing the walker in the face.
Another comes up to Michonne, she kicks it down and stomps on its head.
Kathryn turns to see the bloater head for Merle. "No!" She yells running to it.
She jumps on top of its back, trying to keep ahold as the walker tries to grab her.
"Merle, a little help would be nice!" She yells over the noise, he kicks it thrusting his knife into its throat.
He then grabs the Katana. "Jump down!" Kathryn nods doing so he hacks its face off.
Kathryn and Merle look around. "I think you woke the whole neighborhood."
Merle nods as he tells her to start shooting, to which Kathryn gladly opened fire.
He made his way to Michonne as Kathryn stood in front shooting on coming walkers.
Merle cuts the lead cord and tells them to get in the car, both women scrambled inside.
She huffs, laughing at the adrenalin rush she went through "Woo that...was close."
Michonne rolls her eyes. "How can you laugh at that?"
The woman shrugs as Merle chuckles from the driver's seat.
"Is this your thing then? Take out the trash?" Michonne asks him angrily.
"Oh, don't be so hard on ya self-donna." Merle says.
"The Governor, Rick, anyone who needs their piss bucket cleaned out you come runnin. And now you pull her into the mix as well." Michone says nodding behind her.
Kathryn glares. "Hey, don't kill my adrenalin rush now."
Merle smiles. "Things are different for your brother, and you just take his wife and go on a kidnaping spree."
Merle looks at Kathryn through the rear view mirror. "Yeah they are, Rick says jump he wants to know how high. As for Kat back there, I'm just helping her get through her problems."
"Rick needs him; he didn't ask him to do the job now did he?" Michonne asks.
"Naw, cause he wants it done." Merle tells her, Kathryn keeps silent her eyes lowered.
She had already betrayed Daryl's trust; she didn't need it rubbed in her face.
"You keep telling yourself that, the truth is this could have been your shot. Your skills a whole new beginning, but you choose to stay on the outside. You also pull her into the mix; you also fall for her mother but don't want to admit it."
There was a silence until she continues. "No one is going to mourn you, not even Daryl; he's got a new family."
Kathryn looks up. "That's not true, Merle is family!"
Michonne turns to look at her. "This what family does? Put them in harm's way?"
Kathryn looks away biting her lip. "You keep trying to get under my skin, I'm gonna cut that tongue out. And stop trying to talk my sis out of this! Your buddies are turning you over, cause he's trying to save his own ass. You're as much on the outside as I am girl."
Michonne looks at Kathryn then Merle. "Maybe, once the Governor is done with me I won't have to live with myself."
The younger woman shifts in her seat not looking at them as silence passes through.
WD~WD~WD~WD
They had driven about a mile when Michonne started talking again. "You said you killed sixteen men since this whole thing started? Ever kill anyone before?"
Merle looks at her then back at the road answering no.
Kathryn looks at him out of the corner of her eye. "How about before Woodbury? Before you met him?"
Merle stays quiet. "So he saves you're life, cleans you up. Fed you a line of bullshit, why would kill someone else for him?"
Through all of this, Kathryn had been antsy as Michonne tells him they could go back.
Kathryn looks up at them, a small spark of hope showing.
"Humph, aint happening." Merle looks at Kathryn then at the road. "All three of us could just go back."
Merle finally lets it out. "I can't go back don't you understand that? I can't."
Kathryn leans over and places a gentle hand on his shoulder. "No matter what Merle Daryl, the kids, and I will stand with you."
"You tryin to back out sweet cheeks?" Kathryn shakes her head. "No, but I'm telling you the other options is all."
She leans back in her seat again looking out the window, "Why?" Michonne asks, that's when Merle stops the car.
Merle cuts the cords on Michonne's wrists. "Go back to'em we got somethin to do, unless yer backing out?"
Kathryn shakes her head. "No, your family, not letting you do this on your own."
Merle nods as Michonne gets out. "Hope you know what you're doing Kat."
"So do I." She whispers as Michonne closes the door they pull away.
Merle looks through the rear view mirror. "Why didn't you go with her?"
Kathryn sighs climbing to the front seat. "Because we're family, family sticks together."
Merle looks at her and smiles grabbing her hand. "Ya, yer right."
WD~WD~WD~WD
Daryl walks down a hill seeing Michonne take out a walker. "Hey! Where's my wife and brother?"
Michonne stands looking at him. "You kill them?" She shakes her head no.
"They let me go." Daryl runs past saying, "Don't let anyone come after me."
WD~WD~WD~WD
Kathryn and Merle lean back in their seat Ace of Spades by: Motorhead blearing through the speakers.
"You know this is the third dumbest plan you made." Merle looks at her holding a bottle of whiskey to his lips.
He looks at her and smirks. "Don't I know it hunny, don't I know it."
He bumps up the speakers louder; taking the bottle he makes it look like the walker was drinking out of it.
Merle and Kathryn laugh as they get closer. "So promise, no dying? My kids are going to need their uncle."
Merle looks at her and nods smiling, Merle jerks the car, making the walkers follow it.
Kathryn laughs, pointing at the stupid mindless dead people.
Turning up the music, Merle drives them to the meet place, Kathryn sighs heavily checking the ammo as Merle went over the plan.
Their army of walkers following behind ."Ya locked and loaded darlin?"
Kathryn smirks. "Oh hell ya, let's kill this son of a bitch and go home."
Merle nods laughing. "Like the sound of that hunny."
He looks at her. "I'm going to count to three, you're gonna tuck and roll out ya door understand?"
Kathryn nods as they pull up close to a silo. "Three!" He yells and they both tuck and roll out the door.
She runs around the moving car and follows Merle through the silo maze, her rifle in hand.
Merle and Kathryn move through a medal door looking back the walkers swarm the car.
Crouching, they watch through a barn window. "I could pick them off." She whispers "No not yet." He whispers back.
They follow the men that hear the noise, she looks at Merle as they start shooting.
"Now?" Merle looks at her and nods. "Now." Kathryn lifts her rifle and picks each man off until she can't see anymore.
Kathryn turns and smiles. "Got'em." Merle nods patting her head. "Good job, let's go find the Gov."
Kathryn nods as they go to run out two men come at him.
They start beating on them until Kathryn grabbed her pistol and shot both guys in the face.
The Governor grabs Merle and tosses him back inside.
Kathryn grabs her rifle. "Hold it right there asshole. you've had this coming along time!" She growls.
The Governor turns around laughing. "Come now pet we can negotiate."
Kathryn glares, holding her gun steady. Merle takes his knife and slams it into his leg.
He turns and kicks Merle as a man goes up behind Kathryn and grabs her.
Kathryn screams and starts fighting him off. "No! Kat!" Merle yells in pain.
She calms down and grabs a hidden knife and stabs the guy in the stomach.
Kathryn runs following the Governor and Merle. "Ain't gonna beg, I ain't being ya!" Merle tells him through a mouth full of blood.
The Governor points his gun and Kathryn kicks it, the gun goes off hitting Merle in the shoulder.
The gun goes flying and Kathryn shoots hers at the Governor who dives out of the way.
WD~WD~WD~WD
Daryl walks around the corner of the shed looking for his wife and brother.
Kathryn watches the Governor run; Kathryn rushes to Merle and rips up part of his shirt.
"Ok, I hope you have a plan for getting the hell out of here." She whispers as she presses on his wound.
"Don't worry sweet cheeks, if I know my lil' brother, he'll be here." Kathryn giggles and smiles.
"Yeah, I'm getting ready for the huge fight later." Merle smiles. "Eh, I'll talk him down."
Kathryn smiles. "Look, umm sweet cheeks, I want to thank ya for comin. That was a pretty sweet kick."
Kathryn giggles she hears Daryl call out "Here! We're in here! Merle's been shot."
Daryl runs seeing his wife bent over his brother.
"The hell yall do?" Merle looks at Kathryn then his brother. "Took my Sister-in-law on a trip. She saved my life lil brother."
Daryl points to her. "Ya and I are gonna have a talk later." Kathryn nods not meeting his eyes.
She puts Merle's good arm around her shoulder, Daryl comes around helping.
"Can't believe you two did that!" Merle looked at him as they start walking. "Don't blame her lil' brother, it was all my plan. Just think it also gives us better odds."
Daryl sighs and nods when they find one of the Woodburian's cars.
Putting Merle in, they drive on back to the prison in silence.