CHAPTER 28:
Rachel's heart felt like it was going to sink; she couldn't believe what her eyes were witnessing. He pulled an arrow, and was walking towards the gate, but she knew what he was talking about, by asking her if she wanted to feel how he felt. Xavier was her everything in this world; so for her to say it's not the end of the world was not fair! Because to him, his attachment had grown so fast and so random; sometimes those are the hardest deaths to get past.

"Xavier, let him go."

Merle was proud of his brother, shoot they didn't need anyone, they were blood! That's all they needed, each other, their own flesh and blood. The older brother looked back and winked at Rachel, "Bye darlin' so nice to see you's again." His voice was overly sarcastic, and smartass like. He waited for Daryl to unlock the first sets of gates.

Xavier backed away hesitantly, as he watched the hunter put his bow back into its case. Looking at the dog he quietly said, "Watch after 'er boy."

"You say somethin'?" Merle asked as he thought he heard his brother mumble something, but wasn't sure.

"Naw," He slid the first gate open, then a few seconds later jiggled the keys lose to unlock the second gate. "let's 'et goin' we don't need 'em."

"Don't worry brotha" Merle patted his baby brother's back as he saw a few walkers heading towards the gate; able to hear the sound of the squeaking of it opening, and from the yelling, the walkers were staying close to that part of the fence already.

Merle had no reason to shut it, he assumed someone would walk down with the two of them, and try to get the keys back. After all they only had three sets that they could find; Hershel's, Rick's and Daryl's. First gate stayed wide open, and then walking through the second one, Daryl looked back one last time and shook his head.

"Oh lord," Maggie began, "He's not going to shut the gates?" She saw a few walkers come out from the path that they were headed, and knowing Daryl's anger level he was going to charge at them. He wasn't one to dodge a herd of walkers to much, but to leave the gate wide open?

Xavier was just inches from the first gate and heard them coming. Seeing at least ten making their way to the entrance he began to bark for assistance.

"What the fuck Daryl?" Glenn asked mostly to himself as he grabbed the rifle out of his back pocket. "Maggie stay back here with your dad, ok?" Without waiting for a nod or an answer, Glenn was the first one down at the gates. Rick looked at the elderly man, and without a word being stated followed the younger man's actions.

Michonne didn't know what was going to come of her, and if Rick would allow her to stay. But it couldn't hurt to try to show some sort of effort. Looking at her friend she waved for her to follow, as she drew her sword and dashed for the gates.

"Rae? Y'ok?" Maggie asked as she looked at Rachel, she looked emotionless. Like all of her emotions had been sucked out of her body, she was just a deep gaze at nothing. The younger girl, Maggie, just by one year, didn't want to tell Rachel what to do. But she wanted to hint at to help the others. When she heard her name, the shorter of the two women looked at Hershel.

"Take care of my boy. Please."

"No Rae, we don't have time for this, Michonne, Beth and I will talk to you about this later." The taller women tried to calm her friend, though it was difficult to really pay attention, her eyes were focused on the other direction in between each word.

"PLEASE, HERSHEL!" Her shout had started to attract a few stragglers over on the far end of the fence. "Please." She lowered her voice and walked off without another word.

Walking away from the two, she saw that; Daryl and Merle had just made it out of sight, they were gone. Michonne, Rick, Glenn and even her dog were occupied with walkers. Though she did notice at the two brothers were leaving Daryl managed to knock out a few. That man's anger and sadness was getting the best of him.

Walking at a steady pace, she checked her back pockets to make sure she had some sort of weapon. Feeling a bump on each side of her pockets, she felt a little more reassured; she had her knives, her weapon of choice. She needed to get out of there, needed to just be on her own a while.

No one had yet shut the gates, they were to busy butchering the walkers that were attracted to the vicinity. The easy way out would be to just to quickly shut the gate and lock it, but Rick wanted them cleared out once a day anyways; so it made sense to just do it right now.

Sliding past the first gate, Rachel was in a mission; to clear her head. She wasn't sure if she would be back. The words that Daryl had exchanged to her just moments after putting Sage down; they burned, they punctured a hole in her heart. What troubled her the absolute most was; to even put the thought in her mind that he would end Xavier's life because Sage didn't live to see another day. But that's how he was! Life can be pretty brutal, but the hunter, more than anyone should comprehend that; no one gets out alive.

She had heard the grunts, groans, and barking from the group members that were doing their task, and even heard Maggie struggling with her father. But she knew that Hershel would side with her, even if he didn't want too. The elderly man knew that sometimes people just needed to fade away, and after a given period of time, they may or may or may not come back. But they don't know until they face the world alone, with no one to assist them in their troubles.

Running into the clearing that lead into the woods, Rachel looked and saw everyone still engaged in clearing the last of the herd of walkers. Which is good, she didn't want to talk to anyone, or have to explain herself. Stopping, as she was to the side of a tree; half hiding behind it, she shook her head in un-satisfaction.

"I need time to figure this out. Daryl needs his time with his brother, I need time to myself. To just be alone." Having her sight focus in on Xavier, "I can't risk anything happening to you boy, you will be much safer with them." And with that being said out loud, just to get it off her chest, she turned around and headed further into the woods.

It couldn't have been long, maybe twenty minutes and Rachel found herself deep into the woods. Hearing all sorts of crunching of the twigs that lied on the dirt ground, every once in a while a breeze would cast itself throughout the air, sending the tree branches swaying in one direction.

Seeing a big boulder in sight, she wanted to sit down. Sit and just think! Daryl's words really did sting her, and she couldn't deal with it, she wouldn't know how. She watched him grab Merle, after blaming him, as well as everyone else for terminating Sage's lifespan. She didn't understand that! Well, she understood his anger, but why did he need to leave the prison? And not just that; but the way he left. Not shutting the gates? That seemed like he was telling everyone just to 'fuck off' and that he didn't care one bit about them.

Bending her body in a sitting position, the gray boulder was big enough for her to comfortably sit. She groaned with frustration, rather loudly, "Argh. I lost Sage too. I rescued her, I risked my ass to go and get her and Xavier. How dare you tell me I don't know what you're going through." She sighed a big sigh, and still vented, "I was left behind, of course you would build a bond with them, you have a good seven months of bonding. I bonded with Michonne and Andrea."

Was this all her fault? Her thoughts went as far back as the farm days. When she was left behind, because she was in the kitchen searching for some type of weapon. No, she sent her dogs further ahead, to make sure that someone would get them in a vehicle. If they weren't in a car, as tough as the canines were, a walker herd probably would have snatched them up. Then they wouldn't have made it this far.

"I think it's deeper than losing Sage though." She felt a little crazy talking out loud, but she knew no one was there. So she shrugged it off, and continued, she claimed it helped her organize her thoughts. To hear them spoken out loud, her emotions balanced a lot better, and were more clearly understood.

"You's wanna tell me what the fuck tha' was back 'here?" Merle and Daryl had bullshitted for most of their random journey, but the older brother could tell something was really bothering his younger sibling. He was not trying to be a therapist, but he thought he did owe him an explanation.

"Forget it man." Daryl sounded stern, and rather serious.

"Naw, you's gunna tell me." Merle stopped walking and shoved his brother's shoulder. "Cause you's tried to blame me for some dumbass animal dying. That shit don't fly with me."

"Some dumbass animal?" Daryl questioned.

"Need your ears checked lil bro? I didn't stutter, want me to repeat it?" Merle was just being Merle starting so much trouble, and getting under his brothers skin. "Them people soften you's up? Shit, where's my bro at?"

"He's right 'ere man, nothin' has changed." He lied; he was lying right through his teeth. Because in all reality he had changed. In a sense the one armed man was right; he did have a softer personality now. Most people would call that maturity and applaud that.

"Haha, yea whatever, that's a good one." Taking his hand off his brother from the shove, he playfully hit his brother in the same spot. "Don't lie to me little brotha, I maybe old, and got only one good arm, but I'll still kick your ass!" He smiled as he was half joking, but somewhat serious.

Daryl didn't want to talk about what was bothering him, not with anyone and especially not with his brother. "Anotha one is gone…" He thought to himself, "Anotha one ya couldn't save."

"You's like animals now bro?" Merle slugged his brother in the side, "You be boning the animal or somethin'? Damn way you's freaked out makes me wonder bout chu." Merle saw Daryl had stopped in his tracks suddenly.

"I know's ya my brother but don't talk about Sage that way. I ain't tryin' to start a brawl with ya." He held his hands up and turned around the other way. "I risked my neck to save your ass. Ya kidnapped Glenn and Maggie, and I still want ta know what happened with Rachel." He then mumbled that last part, "But I know that ain't gunna happen…"

The older man put the younger one in a headlock; the man's temper had rose in a matter of seconds. His rage is what was taking over, how dare his younger brother not respect him. Struggling to get free, Daryl tried to squirm free.

"You's wanna know what happened, I'll tell ya; yea I hit women, shit I know ya would too. She wasn't tellin' me what I wanted to know, tryin' to be a cocky bitch. I didn't rape 'er, c'mon now bro, Merle can get ass whenever he wants. I ain't gotta force myself on someone." He stuck out his tongue and made an almost cackling sound.

Daryl made a chuckle, as his brother finally loosened his grip and pushed Daryl out of the headlock. Gasping for air, he gave his sibling a full on death glare. "What'd I tell you's little bro? Big Merle is here to stay, don't be tryin' to fight me." He smiled and then thought of something else to say, "Ya wanna know who gave her them scars? The Governor."

Daryl froze again, Merle did admit to attacking her, but the Gov, that's who he needed to take out. "And that night we drank a lot." He heard his brother reply, "Was nuttin, 'ey," He saw the bowmen's face and his smile vanished. "Bro I didn't know you's had a thing for the broad." He could tell Daryl was being serious now.

"Sometimes it feels like ending life is better than living in this twisted world." Rachel felt the breeze from the wind, was getting a tad stronger, and it was chilly. "And I mean really ending it, a bullet to the head, not coming back as a walker." Her head sunk down in defeat, she had never been one to think of suicide as an option, because things always got better.

Finding the women, the lone wolf, she seemed like her mind was elsewhere. Was the perfect time to sneak up on her, and she was talking out loud. Her voice would tune out the sounds of nature, it was now or never. The man that was eyeing the female took a few long strides and before he knew it; was just five feet from her.

"You know, I might as well go out with a bang. That damn Governor…"She paused as made a fist with her right arm and punched the air. But then after a few punches, she stopped and shook her head, "No, no, Rachel. Might as well continue your journey alone." Her voice sounded like it was going to start cracking; she put her hands up to her face and cupped them together.

"Why the tears pretty one?" Rachel began to tremble, she thought she knew the voice, but that's not why she was shaking. She was shaking for the fact that she felt a weapon pressed to her head, and felt hands near her sides. To afraid to move she was still for a moment.

"Oh God…" She nearly cried, feeling it was the right time to move, she slowly; inch by inch turned her head to see, Martinez?!

Her jaw had dropped, this was the Governor's right hand man, and even more so now that Merle wasn't there anymore. Letting out a blood curdling scream, she fell off her rock she was on, and then landed on her back doing a crab walk to get out of there.

The Hispanic man was smiling until the scream was heard; he covered his ears and cussed under his breath. Watching her slowly getting away, he ran over to her, "No, no, sweetheart."

He put his weapon down on the ground and backed a few steps away from her. "I'm sorry; I didn't know it was you."

He walked over to her again, with his arms up showing he had no weapon, and wasn't trying to hide it. He looked different without his backwards baseball hat on. His shaved head through her off, he looked a lot meaner. If that seemed possible?

She halted her movement and slanted her body as she felt the man get closer to her. She didn't know what to say, so she said the first thing that came to her mind, "Please don't hurt me." Her eyes slammed shut as she clutched her legs to her chest.

The man in his mid twenties couldn't help but laugh a little. "Hurt you, I just showed you I put down my weapon."

"What are you doing here?" She had the courage to ask, nearly interrupting the man's sentence. "Where are the others?"

A/N: Once again, Kwiff thanks for the assistance! Now this one is a long chapter! :P Enjoy!