Brian

There were still a few people resting in bed with lingering coughs, but Dr. S could take care of them. Iva had been inside tending to sick people for two weeks straight. She was happy and proud that she had been able to help everyone. After David, only one other person had died, and elderly black woman with a bad heart. Iva liked taking care of people, but for now she really needed a break. She felt like if she didn't get out of these fences in the next few minutes she might actually go insane.

Merle was already up and happy to see Iva with her picking baskets. He had not seen the woman much lately since she had been over taking care of everyone. A short trip outside sounded good, he had been feeling a little cooped up lately as well. They both geared up, Iva took her bow and knife, and a handgun that Merle insisted on which she did not know how to use. He had his armpiece and a handgun, and for good measure he brought along a new rifle he had been practicing with. Last couple times he had been on watch, he had seen boars in the woods beyond the fences. A few had been brave enough to skirt around the pits they had dug to catch the biters and had been digging at the fences, trying to get to the food inside. He figured if they were going out anyway, he might as well try for one.

"Get fat pig?," Iva asked him, eyeing the rifle and softly touching his arm. He smiled at her, all of the sudden he could think of a few things he would rather be doing than pig hunting. They were all dressed and ready to go already, so he figured that could wait until they got back. Carl opened the gate for them and shut it behind.

"If you get a pig, can I have some bacon?," the boy asked.

"Hell no," Merle told him. Iva smiled and gave him the thumbs up behind Merle's back. As they headed down into the woods they had to take out a few biters. He just let Iva use her bow on them, and then helped her get the arrows back. Her bow was quieter and didn't waste ammunition. They were walking down the path they usually took, with Merle in front of Iva, and she had to say she was admiring the view. She walked up closer to pass him by and gave him a smack on the ass with the end of her bow.

"Thats how you want to play," she heard him say as he grabbed hold of her and pulled her close, gripping her behind. Iva leaned in giving him a lingering kiss and then wiggled away out of his grasp. She really did need to replenish some of the medicinal plants she had used over the past two weeks and she wasn't going to find them in Merle's pants. They walked along without hurry, Iva filling her basket and Merle watching for pig tracks. He poked her and pointed to a plant that she had missed. Iva gave him an enticing smile and made sure to bend over as slowly as possible to pick the leaves. She had missed him over the last week and had some plans in mind for later that day. Naked plans.

Just when he was thinking they should go back, Merle spotted a very distinct trail that meant pork chops for dinner. Iva followed his glance and saw the tracks as well. She picked a nearby tree with low branches and shoved her picking basket up into the branches. It was time to go hunting. Merle lead the way, and Iva was sure to tread quietly behind him. It wasn't long before they saw one of the fat lumbering beasts. Merle motioned for Iva to move around the other way. She pulled up her bow and set her sights on the pig. If she could, Iva wanted to let Merle have the shot, but his pride was not worth losing the animal. He raised his gun and got the head in his sights, then fired. As soon as she heard the click, Iva loosed her arrow as well. Before the beast even knew what happened, it was lying there dead with a bullet through its brain and an arrow through its heart.

Iva leaped over the pig and launched herself into the arms of her man. Hunting with him was more fun than hiding out by the salt lick with Toby. She kissed him lustfully and then turned her attention back to the hog. Merle leaned down and slit it's throat to let it bleed out, and Iva carefully cut open its middle to remove the intestinal organs before they ruined the meat. She squeezed the contents of the intestines out carefully and put them in a ziplock bag with some water from her water bottle. All sausage was good, but smoked pork sausage was something she had not had since before the turn and she did not intend to let one bit of this pig go to waste.

"Will you make some of it spicy sausage," Merle asked her. She laughed, she had not even said that she was making any sausage yet. Him and Toby, nothing but a couple a sausage hounds, the both of them.

"I make Merle any thing Merle want," she said to the man suggestively. He had no idea what had gotten into this girl today but he was liking it. She was starting to look really pregnant now. He had never really been one to get off on looking at pregnant chicks, but Iva was looking really sexy. She had always had a great rack, but other than that she had looked more athletic. Now she looked rounder all over, more curvy and voluptuous. The way the skin stretched so tight over her round little belly, she looked like a ripe peice of fruit. And her tits were just massive now, all full and round looking.

"When is there going to be milk in your tits?," he asked her. She just started laughing. Sausage and titty milk, this conversation was getting interesting and not in a good way. She thought about offering to let him see if there was any milk in them right now, but they needed to get this pig tressed up and get out of here.

"First baby. Then milk," she explained. He shrugged his shoulder and nodded. Learn something new everyday, he thought. Then he decided they really better get this pig and get back. Neither one of them was keeping watch on their surroundings and that could be a recipe for disaster. Merle found two long sturdy branches and Iva tied the pigs legs together tightly. They threaded the branches through the legs and lifted the pig up onto their shoulders. The hog was a big one. It was going to be a long walk back. Iva had taken some rags out of her bag to help cushion the branches where they rested on both of their shoulders, but the load was still heavy. Merle was little worried that the load was to heavy for her, but she asssured him that it was fine. The walk back was only about two miles and she could make that trek easy.

Stopping only to grab Iva's basket, they were making good time getting back. Now they could see the fences through the dense foliage. And what they saw made Merle stop dead in his tracks. They dropped the pig and he motioned for Iva to get down, which she did, quickly. A line of trucks and other vehicles, including a large tank where lined up outside the main gate. A tall man Iva had never seen before stood up on the hood of one of the cars and signaled the tank driver to fire. Merle wrapped his arms around Iva, covering her ears, but the noise was still deafening. The people inside the prison were starting to run out. The tall man started to yell at them and when he heard his voice, Merle could feel all the hair on his arms stand straight up.

"That is bad man," Iva whispered. Merle nodded. The man was clearly there to hurt them. Why else would he have that big scary gun car. Iva touched the rifle and looked at Merle. He already knew what he had to do, but this confirmed it. Iva backed away a little and he lifted the rifle and set his sights on the Governor.

Brian had been yelling for someone named Rick to come out and then a shot rang out from the woods. The man dropped in front of the truck he had been standing on. He was dead. The people at the trucks turned their guns towards the woods, but they couldn't see anyone. Iva and Merle were laying flat on the ground now, behind the brush. Tara was scared. Her friend was dead, and she wanted to leave. She had not liked that Brian had two people tied up, especially since one of them looked like Santa and was missing a leg. Since Brian had been shot, someone might try and hurt these people. She did not want that to happen so she crawled forward and cut them both loose with her knife. Then she turned to Mitch.

"Its over," she said, "lets just leave." He looked at her like she was crazy.

"We are not leaving until we get what we came for," he screamed. From where they were hiding, Merle could hear the man and he swore the voice sounded very familiar. He raised up a little to get a better look. That man was who he thought. Merle did not show himself yet but he called out to the man.

"Mitch," he yelled, "dont fucking shoot me."

"Who is over there," Mitch yelled, climbing down from the tank and walking cautiously towards the woods.

"Merle Dixon," Merle yelled, "Dont fucking shoot me man." Iva was gesturing for him to stay down, but Merle stood up where the other man could see him. The turn changed people, but Merle did not think his old Marine buddy would kill him. He had his handgun in his hand just in case. Merle relaxed when he saw the other man smile and put his gun away. He did the same. They hugged in the awkward back slapping way grown men who didn't usually hug gave hugs.

"You shot Brian," Mitch said. He didn't hold it against the man too much, they were at his front door with a tank.

"Who?," Merle asked. Now he was confused.

"Brian," Mitch said, pointing to the body on the ground.

"His name is not Brian and I think we need to have a little chat," Merle told him, "how about we have it over a beer?"

"Sounds fucking better than standing around out here," Mitch replied.

"If we let your friends in are they going to be cool?," Merle asked him. Mitch nodded. Most of them had already been ready to run away even before Brian got shot so he doubted they would try anything. Merle turned towards the woods and called to Iva. She stood up and started trying to pick up the pig. Merle had forgotten about the damn pig and moved to help her. Mitch stepped in and offered to take her spot and carry it. This girl was very pretty and very young and very pregnant. Looked like old Merle had been quite the busy beaver since the last time Mitch saw him. Well, Merle could tell him all about that too. The two men headed for the front gate, and Rick opened it for them. Michonne and Hershel were already inside. Mitch turned and gestured for the rest of the group to follow him. Rick gave Merle a look. He better know what the hell he is doing. Then he motioned for the people to come in as well. Most of them looked dirty and hungry. The governor could be a charasmatic leader, but Rick guessed it didn't take much convincing to talk scared hungry people into taking food and a safer place to live from another group. Rick turned to them.

"We take people in here all the time," he started. Some of them looked skeptical. "More people means more workers and a stronger group." Some of them were nodding now. They all knew well enough that no one could make it alone. They also were not blind and could see the abundant gardens and a few animals milling around over in the other courtyard. If they had live animals, it meant they had not had to kill them all for food, which meant they had food. "You can all stay here as long as you like."

"No catch?," the man that had been in the tank said to him. This was sounding a little too good to be true.

"We expect everyone to work and pull their weight," Merle told the man. Mitch nodded his approval. That sounded fair enough to him. Iva thought the people looked dirty and most looked skinny. She tugged on Merle's sleeve.

"Iva make food," she said, pointing to the people. Rick caught on, of course they should show these people somewhere they could wash up and get them something to eat. Just like they did for everyone they brought in off the road. Rick smiled at Iva, he had known her for a while now but it always took him a little off guard that a girl so pretty could be so kind and caring. She always put others first and maybe they could all learn a lesson from her.

"Thats a good idea Iva," he told the girl. Then he turned to the group, "Let me show you where you can clean up a little and then we will get you something to eat." Iva smiled at Rick and then turned to the people, stepping out from behind Merle where she had been hiding. Sandy had run down from inside and was sitting at her feet. She had never spoken in front of a group this big but she had something important she wanted to say. Merle was watching her with no small amount of interest. Who knew what she might be ready to say to these people, she was unpredictable. Iva approached a girl in the front of the group. The one who had let Hershel and Michonne go. She took her hands and then looked around at everyone behind the girl. They were all staring at her. She took a deep breath and gave them one of her radiant smiles.

"Welcome home," she said.

The End