My internet has been out for most of the day because of rain. If you don't hear from me for a bit then know that it kept raining and I'm just waiting for my connection to return so I can post again. Thank you all for reading!

Possible trigger warning for violence.

Chapter Twenty Six

Merle sure as hell wasn't going to say anything but the plan actually worked. They had escaped the pawn shop through the back but then had to wait for those things to clear out before they could get to the SUV. There was no way they could leave it because it was full of things that they could actually use. They needed the damn thing. Everything in it was important.

Now they were back on the road and it was already past one in the morning. Everyone back at the cabin was probably pacing a hole in the floor but at least they would make it home before dawn. Daryl was chewing his nails down to the quick so Merle reached over, slapping his hand away from his mouth. His brother had had that habit since they'd been kids. He couldn't complain much about Daryl's quirks. Daryl chewed his nails and Merle had indulged in hard drugs. It was how they had coped. He glanced at him again, just to see if he still looked as trouble as he had looked all damn night. Sure enough he was frowning out the side window, his whole body tense before he started chewing his thumbnail again.

"She's fine. Quit that shit before you're left with nubs at the end of your hands," he admonished.

Daryl snorted, giving him a reproachful glance. "I ain't worried about her."

Merle rolled his eyes and glanced into the mirror. Richard was asleep in the back, his head resting against the window. "You're full of shit and I know it. You even grabbed her some stuff out of a few of those cars and those coats you grabbed from that first pawn shop were lady coats. You ain't foolin' me boy."

"You grabbed shit for Piper and Damon! What the hell was I suppose to do? They ain't got coats and it'll be fall soon. We don't know when we'll be off that mountain again. Give me a break! And quit it with that 'boy' shit."

Merle smiled. "You got any idea how much that woman touches you? You don't let nobody get away with that kinda shit. She's always in your space and when she ain't, you move closer till she is." Merle chuckled. "It's nice, seein' my baby brother find love."

Daryl glared. "I shoulda let one of those things bite your dick off. Shut the hell up. Me and her are just friends," he hissed quietly, glancing over his seat to make sure Richard was still sleeping.

Merle snorted. "You're forgettin' that I know all about your friend, little brother. She had your naughty bits down her throat, remember?"

Daryl's head hit the back of the seat and he stared out the windshield, apparently done with the back and forth. Merle figured he'd give him one last barb.

"Hey," he whispered, trying to keep his voice serious.

Daryl sighed. "You love hearin' the sound of your own voice, don't you?"

Merle glanced at him. "If you and her ain't a thing and you ain't got any mushy feels for the lady, you mind if I try to move in on it? It's been a long time since I had myself a nice piece of-"

"Merle, I swear to God if you try anything with her I'll shoot you right in your ass," Daryl growled.

Merle grinned. "That's what I thought."

"Fuck off," he grumbled, settling lower in his seat.

He chuckled under his breath and squinted through the rain. It was amazing how completely dark the world actually was. No lights from other vehicles. No street lights or porch lights or the sulfuric glow from far off towns and cities on the horizon. Only black, pressing against the car like a breathing thing, waiting to seep in through the cracks and bury them in darkness.

Merle swallowed hard and gripped the steering wheel. He normally wasn't a superstitious man but the world was starting to turn him into one. He shook his thoughts and turned back to his brother but Daryl was steadfastly ignoring him. "You know, from what I can tell, she's good for you. You don't look so goddamn pained when she's around."

"Shut up."

"Come on. Just admit that you care about her."

"Shut. Up."

"You're such a little bitch sometimes," Merle grumbled.

"And you're such a fuckin' nagging bastard sometimes."

Merle was quiet for a while and the strange feeling from earlier started to pass. He no longer felt like he was driving through tar. "You should cuff her."

"What?" Daryl raised his head.

"Cuff her and return the favor. I know you got a pair. I saw them."

"Merle, could you please just shut up. I done told you it-"

"It ain't like that. I get it. I heard you. Still ain't very fair if you ask me. She goes out of her way to suck you off and then you're just gonna leave her hangin' like that."

Daryl didn't say anything at all. Now he was going to ignore him completely so Merle had no choice but to drive on in silence.

~H~

Carol crept down the ladder, knowing that she wasn't going to be able to get any sleep. The cabin was dark but she didn't think that a single candle would bother Damon. She didn't give a damn one way or another if Brody woke up because of her.

She got a glass of water and went to the corner of the room where she kept some of her things and grabbed a book. It wasn't anything that she would have read before the world ended but it was something that might take her mind off of her worries. And she had plenty of them.

Like, why wasn't Daryl back yet? Once he got back, was she suppose to tell him about what Brody had done. What was she suppose to tell him about Katherine and Richard? Needless to say, she couldn't focus on the stupid book. Had no idea who the characters were, what their dilemma could be or how they may solve anything. She sat the book down and walked towards the door.

The night was cool but she had one of Daryl's flannels that had managed to keep it's sleeves and she pulled it tighter around her. She sat down on the top step and looked out at the darkness beyond. The night was eerily silent, almost oppressive. She was about to go back inside when she heard the front door open.

She turned and a chill ran down her spine when she saw Brody standing there, shutting the door silently behind himself. Once the door was shut he was hidden in the deeper shadows of the porch. "What are you doing out here?" She asked, hating the fear in her voice.

He didn't say anything so she stood up and took a few steps back. She realized that this wasn't smart. The boy was like a wild dog that could smell the fear. She needed to stand her ground. She squinted into the darkness and saw movement. He was coming down the steps.

"Brody, you need to go back inside."

She heard him chuckle from the porch. He had sat down in the spot she had vacated. She would have to go around him to get back inside. She wasn't about to yell for Damon to come out and help her. That was ridiculous. "You think you could make me go inside?" He asked. She heard a small sound and realized that he was idly tearing the pages from the book she had sat down.

She shook her head. "No, but the only thing you are doing is digging you and your father into a deeper hole. Once he gets back, the two of you will most likely be forced out of here and you'll be back on the road. The world is bad enough. We don't need the likes of you here."

He snorted. "You would really send my mom and poor little sister out there to face those things? I don't think so."

"She's not your mother. Samantha isn't your sister. Katherine told me everything. They're staying. You and your father are leaving."

She heard him stand up, could almost feel the anger pouring off of him as he stalked towards her. She refused to run away from him. She didn't know the grounds that well and knew she could likely run right off the mountain and plunge to her death if she wasn't careful. "You think you can tell us what to do? You really think you can throw us out of here? You are really a special kind of stupid, you bitch."

She stood her ground. She wasn't backing down from a child. She wasn't as weak as she had been before and she wouldn't cower to this boy. She opened her mouth to say something and then her head wracked to the side with the force of the slap. She tasted blood and stumbled backwards, landing hard on her ass.

She scooted back because she was sure he wasn't finished, her hands seeking the ground for something she could use as a weapon, because she wasn't going to go down without a fight and at this point, she wasn't above knocking him out with something. She had no luck and was about to stand up to face him without a weapon, knowing that whatever happened would likely hurt like hell. She took a deep breath, her fists clenching at her sides but suddenly she heard a thud and then a grunt. Brody cursed.

"What the fuck are you doing you asshole!" Piper's voice pierced the night.

"Get the fuck off me!" Brody hissed and Carol could see him now. Somehow Piper was on his back but she couldn't figure out where the girl had come from.

"Mom?"

Carol looked up and could just make out a form on the roof. Sophia and Piper must have been up there keeping a watch for Daryl and Merle. She looked back down when the darkness was suddenly washed away by the light from the open door. Carol couldn't move as Damon sat the lantern down, took a few seconds to assess the situation and Piper jumped off Brody's back.

"He slapped her right in the face!" Piper barked.

Damon glanced down at Carol, his features hardening into something terrifying before his dark eyes slid over to Brody who was standing there breathing heavily, his fists clenched.

Piper was smart, now that Damon was there she scurried up onto the porch.

"You hit her?" Damon asked, taking a step closer to the other boy.

Carol shook her head. "Damon, don't! I'm fine." But it was like he couldn't even hear her.

"You really wanna do this out here, asshole?" Brody barked, taking a step towards Damon.

When they collided Carol flinched. It was just a whir of movement but she could hear the blows. She just couldn't see who was giving or receiving them. They landed in a heap not far from where she was still sitting in the grass. She felt a hand on her arm and looked up at Katherine who was offering her a hand. She took it and moved away from the boys. There wasn't anything she could do to separate them. She winced and turned her head when she heard a loud snap and a scream of pure agony. That was the sound of a bone snapping. She had to do something before these boys ripped one another apart.

She took a step towards them when suddenly the yard was filled with light. She looked up and breathed a sigh of relief.

Daryl was back.