A/N: Sorry for the delay, I had hoped to get this chapter up sooner but it's been a hectic week so far. Thanks again to all my faithful reviewers! I love reading your comments and feedback! It's nice to hear your interpretation of what I've written so please keep them coming! You too to those that are just faithful readers and don't review! Let me know what you think of the characters and what's happening! All feedback is good feedback! Well this Sunday is the big mid season finale! I can't believe it's here already! Not sure if I'll be incorporating much of what's actually happening on the show into this story anymore but if I do somehow I will give spoilers warnings at the beginning of the chapter. The Governor will be reappearing here too. I can't believe though that we will have to wait until February for more episodes! :( Well I guess that just means more fanfictions until then right? For those of you that were also reading "Friend or Foe" I will be updating that soon so be on the lookout! But for now we focus on this story! The next few Chapters will be mainly focusing on Daryl and Merle...I wanted some brotherly bonding time and who knows what trouble the two will get into... ;)

Chapter 29

"Gwen's gonna be fine…." Daryl remarked as he approached Merle standing outside. Merle gripped the chain links in the fence with his hand as he stared out into the woods. Merle looked over his shoulder at Daryl.

"I know that….I know what kind of woman she is…." Merle said defensively.

Daryl sighed deeply. "Ain't no need to be like that…."

Merle whipped around to face his brother. "Don't I? I mean…ya all think I'm shit….thinking I'd hurt a baby and all….and yer no better….buying into all their shit…bein' Rick's little bitch!"

"I ain't nobody's bitch…not Rick's and not yers neither! And I don't think ya'd hurt a kid….was just surprised to see you holding her is all…I mean…it ain't like ya like kids anyhow…." Daryl stated as he watched Merle slowly turn his back towards him again as he rolled his eyes, returning his gaze to the woods. "….I was just surprised…" He said softly.

Things had been hectic since Daryl had found Merle. He never felt like they had a chance to really reconnect. Then everything with Gwen became more of Merle's focus and Daryl had responsibilities to take of…he had found his brother but he still felt like he was lost somehow.

"So ya think I don't like kids huh?...well who do you think fed ya and changed yer diapers all the time when ya were that age? Sure as hell ain't somethin' our ma did….she spent too much time with the bottle and her cigarettes…..and pop…hell I don't even have to say it…." Merle remarked still keeping his back towards him.

"Guess I never gave it much thought…." Daryl stated as he stepped up towards the fence next to Merle and stared out with him.

"Yeah well….maybe ya shoulda…..I know ya think I ain't a good big brother…I see it all over yer face….now that ya got good ol' Rick all up in yer ass!...but I was the one who got up every night to feed ya when ya were a baby….hell I was only a kid myself but I took care of ya….held ya in my arms and rocked ya to sleep….every night…..ain't nobody there to take care of me…maybe once ya got a little bigger and could do for yerself more I wasn't there as much as I shoulda been but I had nothin'….nobody…..at least ya had me!" Merle abruptly stopped speaking. Daryl looked at him and saw something he rarely saw with Merle….a tear ran down his cheek and Merle quickly wiped it away. "…think I got some dirt in my eye or somethin'…." He remarked as he rubbed it.

Daryl stared silently at Merle. He had focused so much on the things Merle didn't do when he was growing up that he had forgotten about the things he did. He smiled slightly to himself as a memory came flooding back. He couldn't have been more than four…..

Daryl's mother stumbled into the house and tossed a stuffed dog towards him as he lay on his stomach on the living room floor. Merle had gone into the kitchen to make them both a sandwich and he was waiting patiently for him to come back. His mother's hair was a mess and she looked like she hadn't slept in days. She mumbled something to him about the stuffed dog being from somebody but Daryl couldn't make out who, with the cigarette she had hanging out of her mouth. She carried a bottle of wine in her hand and marched back to her bedroom and closed the door.

Daryl sat up and stared at the dog for a moment. He couldn't contain the smile that spread across his face. He picked it up and stared at it face to face then squeezed it tightly around the neck. He and Merle didn't have any toys to play with…their father had gotten angry one night at them for leaving one out and he took the few that they had and threw them all away.

Merle entered into the dining room just off the living room from the kitchen carrying a plate and glass of milk and sat them on the table.

"Come on Daryl….I got yer lunch…" Merle told him as he walked around the couch and noticed Daryl playing with the stuffed dog. "Where'd ya get that?"

"Momma gave it to me…" Daryl boasted.

Merle forced a smile but he couldn't help but feel a little jealous….he couldn't remember the last time their mother gave him anything. "Well come on…bring yer flea bag and eat…."

Daryl jumped to his feet and ran over to the table sitting his dog next to his glass of milk. He climbed up on the chair onto his knees as Merle sat in the chair next to him.

"Where's yers?" Daryl asked as he took a large bite out of his bologna sandwich.

"That's the last piece of bologna and bread….ain't got no more…" Merle told him.

Daryl looked over at Merle. "Aintcha hungry…ya want half?" almost spitting out his food as he tried to speak.

"Naw….I ain't hungry…" Merle told him as his stomach began to grumble.

"Ya ain't put no mayo on it…." Daryl remarked innocently as he took another big bite and started playing with his dog on the table…he tried to bark with his mouth full of food but he came out more like grunting.

"Ya don't like mayo dummy….besides ain't got no more of that neither…" Merle leaned his cheek against his hand as he propped his elbow up on the table and he just stared at Daryl. He couldn't help but begin to laugh as Daryl made his awkward attempts at barking.

"WHERE THE HELL YA GET THAT? GET THAT SHIT OFF THE TABLE WHEN YER EATIN'…" Their father came stomping out of the kitchen with a beer in his hand.

"Ma gave it to him…." Merle remarked as Daryl seemed oblivious to his father's loud voice.

Daryl continued to bounce his stuffed dog on the table when suddenly he knocked over the glass of milk, spilling it across the table and onto the floor. Merle frantically tried to catch it as he lifted the glass upright. "Shit Daryl…." He said softly as he jumped to his feet. Daryl just held still with the dog in his hands, his eyes wide and his mouth open as fear rushed through his entire body.

Their father jerked the dog away from Daryl, grasping it in both hands, he ripped off it's head and threw it on the floor.

"WHAT DID I JUST TELL YA! NOW LOOK WHAT YA DONE YA LITTLE SHIT…GOD DAMMIT! I'LL TEACH YA NOT TO LISTEN…GET OFF THAT CHAIR…I'M GONNA JERK A KNOT IN YER TAIL!"

Merle rushed over between the two and puffed out his small chest, glaring up at their father. Daryl covered his eyes for a moment and began to cry.

"MA JUST GAVE THAT TO HIM YA SON OF A BITCH!" Merle snapped but immediately he knew the mistake of his outburst and his stance that was once so bold quickly folded in on itself as he felt his knees start to shake.

Daryl watched with tears steadily streaming down his face as his father's jaw dropped open and rage welled up in his eyes unlike he had ever seen before…suddenly his usually loud voice became softer as he spoke. "What…did…you…just…say?..."

Merle swallowed hard as his breathing became labored. He felt like someone had knocked the wind out of him. Daryl had never seen Merle move as fast as he did in that moment as he shot towards the kitchen. His father went chasing right after him.

"COME BACK HERE YA WORTHLESS SHIT! I'M GONNA BEAT YER ASS! DAMN FUCKING BASTARD!"

Daryl climbed off the chair, dropping to his knees on the floor as his tears flowed. He did his best to be as quiet as he could so his father wouldn't return to the room but he gasped loudly every time he tried to take a deep breath. He picked up the remains of what was his stuffed dog which now was headless thanks to his angry father. He could still hear him screaming at Merle in the kitchen followed by loud cracks of skin against skin. Daryl didn't have to see Merle to know he was getting a beating. It was bad enough when their father hit them with a belt but when he didn't bother with it and used his own hand, it was always that much worse. Daryl clutched the headless dog against his chest and started to look around the dining room for the rest of him but quickly became distracted by the kitchen door swinging open. He ran underneath the dining room table to try and hide.

"NOW YA CLEAN UP THAT FUCKIN' MESS YER BROTHER MADE AND YA CLEAN IT UP GOOD….BEST YA LEARN TA KEEP YER DAMN MOUTH SHUT NEXT TIME OR YOU'LL GET ANOTHER BEATIN'…..FUCKIN' WORTHLESS…BOTH OF YA…." Their father ordered as he stormed out the back door, slamming it behind him and Merle slowly walked into the dining room.

Daryl could see he was in pain just by the way he walked and he held his arm funny with the shoulder arched up. He carried a dish towel in his other hand as he walked over to the table and began wiping up the milk. His face was bright red on one side and beginning to swell. Tears steadily ran down his cheeks but he didn't utter a sound. He wiped his eyes with his arm as he held the wet towel and looked over at Daryl creeping out from underneath the table.

"Find the head and go to our room….." Merle ordered softly as he turned back towards the kitchen. Daryl found the head near the front door and picked it up then ran to their bedroom. He jumped up on the bed and just sat there with his thumb in his mouth as he waited for Merle.

A few minutes later Merle came walking in. "Get that thumb outta yer mouth….ya ain't no baby no more! Thumb suckin' is for babies…."

Daryl quickly jerked it out not realizing he was doing it and began to chew on the skin around his thumb. His eyes still filled with tears.

Merle plopped a roll of duct tape on the bed then looked at Daryl. "Well don't just sit there….come help me..."

Daryl obeyed immediately and jumped to his feet and stood next to Merle waiting for orders. Merle nodded his head for Daryl to follow as he walked over to the wall and stood with his back against it.

"Ok….now I'm gonna push my back against the wall and ya push on my shoulder towards the wall too….as hard as ya can….ya got it?" Merle told him as Daryl nodded his head. "But wait until I tell ya I'm ready….put yer hands up here…" He said as he pointed towards his shoulder. Even at eleven, Merle knew all it needed was to be popped into place because this wasn't the first time his father had dislocated it while jerking his arm when he grabbed hold of him.

Merle took a deep breath and blew it out. "Push…."

Daryl began to push with all his might as Merle dug his feet into the floor pushing himself into the wall. Finally Daryl heard a pop and Merle cried out, quickly covering his mouth with his hand to muffle the sound. He dropped to the floor, bringing his knees up to his chest and cried for a moment. Soon he got a hold of himself and stood up, walking back over to the bed with Daryl just staring at him, following behind.

"Alright…." Merle turned towards Daryl and roughly wiped the tears from Daryl's face. "Gimmee yer stupid dog….I'll fix him…." Merle grabbed the duct tape and started to pull off a piece…

Daryl remembered he carried that dog around everywhere, duct tape and all until his father took it away one day, throwing it in the garbage. Merle had even gone into the dumpster and retrieved it for him but told him to hide it so their father couldn't take it away again. Daryl hadn't realized how much Merle really did for him that day at the time, like many others, until he thought about it as an adult. He knew he was far from perfect and he had done a lot of things Daryl didn't like but Merle had done his best to take care of him and he knew it.

"I wouldn't want another brother Merle….." Daryl said to him. Merle looked over at him standing next to him and grunted. "…..yer a handful enough!...why the hell would I want another?" Daryl smiled at him.

Merle couldn't contain the laugh that slipped out but he turned and hit Daryl in the arm with his wrist guard.

"Dammit Merle! That shit hurts!..." Daryl clutched at his arm as he tried not to laugh… "Come on….ya think yer gimpy self can keep up with me huntin'? We'll go kill us some squirrel or somethin'….get outta this place for a bit…."

"Shit yeah!..." Merle remarked as he headed back into the prison to check on Gwen and Daryl went to grab his crossbow. "There's someplace I wanna show ya too...where Gwen and I was held up before…think you'll like it…."