A/N: Sorry for another long stretch between updates. Tried to do it last night, but sadly FF was down :( Hope you enjoy this one!
"You on the trail of something?" Rick asked as he stepped over a fallen tree branch, struggling to keep pace with Daryl. The other man may have only been off his crutches and out of his cast for less than a day, but he was moving fast.
"Keepin' an eye out." Daryl said as he scanned the ground, looking up now and then to see if he could catch sight of anyone in the trees. "Damn rain isn't helpin'."
"What's going on?" Rick watched Daryl move along, knowing something was happening.
"What do ya mean?" Daryl glanced back. "I'm lookin' for any tracks."
"I know that." Rick stepped around a large pool of water that was beginning to form as rain began to fall. "But, you were hellbent on comin' out on your own, and you're lookin' for more than just tracks."
"This is one reason I wanted to come out on my own." Daryl turned suddenly, Rick nearly running into him. "Didn't wanna listen to anyone runnin' their face, askin' a bunch of annoying questions."
"What's going on?" Rick asked again. "I know you're hidin' something and you need to tell me what it is."
Daryl took a deep breath and looked around. Beth had been right. He wanted to fine Merle. As soon as he'd realized that some of the damage to the wall had been done from the outside, his first thought had been his brother. He kept telling himself that Merle wouldn't do such a thing, especially when he knew that Daryl was living within those walls. The idea that his brother would put him in danger hurt. He stared at Rick and knew that the other man would have his back. Rick still felt a sense of guilt where Merle was concerned and Daryl was aware of that as well.
"Found Merle out here." he mumbled, looking Rick in the eye for the first time since they'd set out.
"What?" Rick's jaw dropped. "He's alive?"
"Well I didn't find his damn ghost." Daryl replied.
"He's gotta be pissed." Rick didn't have to ask, he knew that Merle would hold a grudge. "What did he say?"
"Just that." Daryl shrugged. "Told me to go to hell."
"I'm sorry, man."
"I just need to find him, see if he saw anything.."
"Or if he had anything to do with it."
"He might be a bastard sometimes, but he wouldn't do that." Daryl said defensively.
"He got left on that roof, had to cut his own hand off, fight his way through walkers, and now he's living out here in the woods just outside our home." Rick took a deep breath, taking it all in. Daryl might feel Merle would never let walkers in to attack the unsuspecting colonists, but Rick wasn't so sure. "He's gotta be pissed."
"He is." Daryl looked around. "I just need to find him, talk to him and make sure he's okay."
"Let's find him." Rick decided. "See if he knows anything."
Daryl just nodded and moved on, as thankful for the silence that had fallen between the two as he was for the fact that Rick had agreed to look for Merle. He felt relief at being able to tell someone else that his brother was out there, that he'd had contact with him. He was a bit wary of how awkward and potentially dangerous things might become when his brother saw him with Rick. He had to do it though. Merle was observant and if anyone other than himself was moving around out in the woods he'd been calling home, he would know about it.
"I got somethin'." Daryl said as he crouched to look at some tracks. Large men's boots. He smiled to himself as he knew Merle had to be somewhere nearby. More than likely, he'd seen them approaching, judging by how fresh the tracks were. "We're close.." he turned around and saw Rick suddenly fall to the ground.
"What the hell!" Rick hissed as he sat up and touched the side of his head, a small trickle of blood starting to drip down onto the collar of his coat.
"My way of saying hello, Officer Friendly." Merle said as he moved forward, a broad grin spread across his face.
"Jesus, Merle." Daryl held out a hand and helped Rick to his feet.
"What?" Merle laughed. "It's not like I hurt him."
"Startin' to rethink this." Rick groaned as he felt the bump on his head grow. "Slingshot?" he asked as he nodded to the small weapon that was peeking out of Merle's back pocket.
"Easy to make and can be used on a variety of vermin." Merle shrugged. "Last time I saw you, you were bein' carried off by Officer Friendly and a few others."
"You saw that?" Daryl asked.
"Big ass branch fell on you, little brother." he nodded. "You didn't bring that cute little blonde with you today. Shame."
"You saw that and didn't help?" Rick asked, truly not surprised by the other man's lack of action.
"Y'all had him." he shrugged again. "You and couple other guys, and another nice piece of ass if I remember correctly." he smiled. "All the women in that little camp of yours look like the blonde and your rescuer?"
"Not now." Daryl warned. "I need to know if you've seen anyone else livin' out here."
"What's in it for me?" Merle leaned against a nearby tree, crossing his muscular arms over his chest.
"What?" Rick asked. It had never occurred to him that Merle would want anything in return for any information.
"What's in it for me?" Merle repeated slowly, drawing out his words as he spoke.
"Someone let in a bunch of walkers, a lot of people got killed." Daryl explained, hoping to appeal to any shred of compassion that might exist in his brother. "Someone from the outside..."
"Ya never answered my question." Merle shook his head.
"You seriously want some sort of bribe?" Daryl asked.
"Those people mean nothin' to me." he laughed. "Why in the hell should I care if some of them became some walker's lunch?"
"I'm here, askin' you for help." Daryl moved so that he stood mere inches from his brother.
"Why should I help him?" he pointed at Rick. "That bastard left me handcuffed to a damn roof! I had to saw through my own damn hand in order to get away from those walkers!" he began to yell, spraying Daryl's face with bits of spit as he spoke. "I've been out here on my own, and he's been living inside those walls, nice and cozy."
"Stop yelling!" Rick hissed. "Back in Atlanta, we went back for you! We tried, but you were gone."
"I shouldn't have been handcuffed up there to begin with, you little shit!" Merle moved forward. "I should still have two hands, but because of you, I don't."
"You got yourself locked up. If you could just keep your damn mouth shut and stop startin' fights, I wouldn't have had to handcuff you to anything."
"Well, don't worry, Officer Friendly, I've learned my lesson." Merle took a step back. "I've learned to keep my mouth shut."
"Merle, we need to find out who caused that breach." Daryl stepped in between the two men. "If you've seen anyone..."
"I'm not saying a damn word unless there's something in it for me."
"What do you want?" Rick asked, realizing that they'd get nowhere unless they were willing to give in at least some.
"I want in."
"In?" Daryl asked.
"You look nice and clean, looks like you're gettin' enough to eat, and I'd even put money on the fact that you sleep in a real bed, indoors."
"You want in our camp?" Rick scoffed.
"I've got information, you've got houses. I've even seen solar panels that I can only assume belong to that little settlement of yours." he smiled. "You got power up there? Hot water? Women?"
"It's not as easy as us just takin' you back." Daryl informed him.
"We've got a committee." Rick explained. "And the women are off limits."
"If I have to stay out here, you're not gettin' any information." he replied. "It's not so bad bein' out here when it's warm, but it's gettin' cold. I wanna roof over my head, baby brother."
Rick and Daryl exchanged a look. "You've got information?" Daryl asked.
"I swear on my life, and you know how much that means to me." he resumed his pose against the tree and smiled. "Ball's in your court, boys. What'll it be?"
Daryl pulled Rick aside. "He's not gonna budge. If he knows anything, he's not gonna tell us unless he gets his way."
"You believe him?" Rick asked. "That he knows something."
"Yeah." he looked past Rick to Merle. He knew when Merle was bluffing, and he could tell that Merle was sitting on something. "He knows something."
"Looks like we don't have much choice then." Rick looked back. "You gotta keep him on a short leash." he warned. "He can't go runnin' his mouth, and he cannot go around talkin' to any of the women in there like he does out here."
"I know." Daryl nodded. "I guess he'll be my stray. I'll make sure he stays away from pretty much everyone."
"Other than Mitch and Christie of course." Rick felt a headache coming on and felt Merle was the source. "I hope we don't regret this."
"We won't if his information leads us to who did this." Daryl reassured him.
"You girls done talkin'?" Merle called over.
"He'd better get us our traitors." Rick turned around. "Looks like you're comin' with us."
"I knew you'd see reason." Merle laughed. "After you, ladies."